《Lightning Lancer: The Deiwos Tower (A Tower Climbing LitRPG) [BOOK 1 STUBBING APRIL 25TH]》 0. Prologue The warm wind blew quietly in the evening air as a young man sat on his balcony, reading a book. The pristine leather armchair, the beautiful electric fireplace whose flames left a shadow on the polished wooden tiles, as well as the potted flowers scattered along the balcony, indicated how lavishly he lived his life. Strangely enough, the young man who sat in the middle of this luxury wore an expression of melancholy on his face. Even though he was surrounded on all sides by opulence, Langa Zulu''s loneliness echoed with as much power as his footsteps when he stood up and walked across the wooden tiles. He placed the book, ¡®Beauty and Deception: The Tale of MaMlambo, by Sibusiso Zulu¡¯ on the table. The story didn''t change, no matter how many times he read it. It always reminded him that the material belongings he owned and the trophies neatly decorating his home from behind the glass panel in the sitting room, did nothing to breathe light into his lifeless eyes. Walking back into his kitchen, Langa debated whether he should open the bottle of wine while he waited, or be patient until his nephew arrived. He looked at the message that his sister had sent him earlier today, where she expressed her disappointment and anger at her son being released without her knowledge, and he was torn on what to do. Being only two years apart in age with his nephew, Neo, he had never really been an authority figure for him, especially now that they were adults. At least Neo had the decency to go and visit Khaya, his little sister, at her university first, as soon as he was released. If he had not done that, Langa would have been the only one in the family who knew about his release. A loud knock broke him out of his meandering thoughts and he quickly opened the wooden door. ¡°Sawubona, malume!¡± Neo said with a broad grin, arms wide open as he hugged Langa, taking him by surprise. Langa had no idea what he had expected him to look like, given everything that had happened, but his nephew looked pretty normal in his regular jeans and t-shirt, a plastic bag in his hand. He might have bulked up a bit more than before, but otherwise, he was unchanged despite the two of them only meeting across the glass for the past few years. ¡°Hey, look at you, after causing so much trouble, what are you so happy about?¡± Langa said with a small smile as he let him in. ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you of course! I knew you¡¯d only have wine, so I brought us beer,¡± he said, making himself at home as he placed his plastic bag on the table. ¡°Thanks,¡± Langa said. He watched Neo as he sat down on the sofa, seemingly quite relaxed. "This neighbourhood is great, and your new place is sick. Why do you have so much fancy shit, though? You never cared for that stuff," Neo asked him, looking around the room. Before Neo got arrested, he and Langa stayed in the family home with Neo''s parents and Khaya. It felt like such a long time ago for Langa. He watched as Neo looked around his flat, admiring the decor. He supposed that it was a bit fancy, the fully equipped home gym, the leather sofas in the sitting room, the widescreen television, the latest gaming console, and the expensive art decorating the walls. Most of the art was of mythical and ancient god-like creatures that Langa had commissioned for his flat. Anyone looking at this flat would think that it belonged to some obnoxious rich young athlete with too much money in his hands. Only those who knew Langa would see that the decor was nothing more than a plea from a cursed young man to the ancient mythical creatures that his father had loved to tell him about, for salvation from his generational curse. Langa cleared his throat, pushing the depressing thoughts to the recesses of his mind. "People change." Neo shook his head at him, as if he did not believe what Langa had just told him. "Whatever you say, malume. I still can''t believe that Dad kicked you out of the family home. I mean, you bought that house for Mum." Now that was one more thing that Langa was not interested in talking about. There were no explicit words from his brother-in-law telling him to leave the house at that time, but Langa knew when he was not wanted. As a child, he''d had no choice but to tolerate and take it all, because his sister was the only person he had left in the world. As an adult though, he would not stand for his brother-in-law''s passive-aggressive remarks, no matter how much he loved his sister and wanted to stay with her. "Bhuti Kgosi didn''t kick me out, I left on my own," he said brushing it off as if the memories of the day he left home did not still haunt him. ¡°The pizza got here a few minutes before you did, do you want some?¡± Neo piped up in excitement, perhaps sensing that Langa had no desire to talk about this matter, and focused on the food. ¡°Yes, please, I haven¡¯t had pizza in almost six years. I need it. Pranav is gonna be so jealous, he loves pizza, and I don''t think he''s had some yet.¡± Langa paused, the name stirring up disdain inside of him. "Pranav''s out?" "Yeah, he got out this morning." As soon as Langa placed the box in front of him, Neo wolfed down the pizza and groaned contentedly. ¡°This is the best. You even got my favourite, malume, even though you hate pineapple. Thank you. Man, I am stuffed, I wish they had given us this kind of food on the inside.¡± ¡°I think that would defeat the whole purpose of prison,¡± Langa smiled, putting away thoughts of Neo and Pranav getting back together. It was Neo''s life, no matter how much he wanted to tell him to stay away from that man. Pranav was the worst kind of user, he was too dangerous to allow him to stay with Neo. ¡°Hmph, what purpose? They are dumb enough to let out murderers after only six years in prison. I should be the poster boy for all young black men looking to get away with murder,¡± Neo said with a snort. At this, Langa raised his eyebrows. ¡°Haibo, Neo. You¡¯re not a murderer, it was an accident,¡± he said sharply. Granted, Neo had brought a knife to a fistfight in the first place, but he had only been nineteen years old at the time, and was playing at being a gangster, not intending to kill anyone. Really, Langa was convinced that it was all Pranav''s fault, after all, he was the reason why Neo had turned to crime. Maybe he was a bit biased because he loved his nephew, but he firmly believed this. ¡°Whatever you say, malume. Does Mum know I¡¯m out?¡± he asked, sitting back on the sofa, and opening a can of beer. Langa nodded, ¡°Yeah. Khaya told her, and she told all of us. They didn''t know that I already knew that you were being released last week. You need to call your mother and your father. They are both really worried about you, and I don''t want any more trouble with your father.¡± Langa was wondering what Neo¡¯s plans were. Was he going to turn a new leaf, or go back to Pranav and his gang? Would he choose to listen to his parents this time, and make better choices? This young man was very special to his sister, the first child that she ever had, and she had named him Neoentle, which in SeSotho meant a beautiful gift. Langa knew that his sister would want him to advise Neo to do better and abstain from violence, but he also knew very well how damaging people¡¯s expectations could be. He was unsure of how much prison had changed his nephew, but no matter what, he would always be on his side. ¡°What can I do? I¡¯m not smart like my dad, I¡¯m not a hard worker like Mum, and I¡¯m not talented like you,¡± Neo said, taking a swig of his beer. ¡°Ever since I was a kid, all I knew how to do was pick fights and beat people up.¡± ¡°Hey, you picked 80% of those fights to protect me. Don¡¯t forget that,¡± Langa reminded him giving him a weak punch on the arm. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Conversations about the past were always hard, and Langa sometimes wondered how his life would have turned out if Neo had been around recently. His sister had raised the two of them as if they were brothers, and they were each other¡¯s best friends growing up, despite being so different. Even though Langa was older, Neo had always been the one protecting him from all kinds of bullies, therefore he could not help but wonder if, in the past few years, Neo would have been able to protect him from himself. If Neo had been here, would he have wasted his talents as much as he did? Was that just Langa''s hubris talking? Neo laughed, ¡°You¡¯re right, malume. Back then I only thought with my fists, and you were so scrawny that all you could do was run.¡± He was on his third can of beer now. ¡°I guess not much has changed since then, huh?¡± Langa said with a smile as he poured himself a glass of wine. "Well, I''m not scrawny anymore though." ¡°No, you¡¯re not,¡± Neo agreed, his ring glinting in the light as he put down the can of beer. The ring was in the shape of a snake coiled around his finger. It was the symbol of Pranav¡¯s gang, the Jahreela Saamp. Langa¡¯s hand tightened around the stem of his glass. This had better not mean what he thought it meant. ¡°Why the hell are you still wearing that ring, Neo?¡± Neo blinked and looked down at the ring on his finger. His eyes met Langa''s own, challenging and unfazed. ¡°Why do you think?¡± Was he being serious? Would he really go back to that life after how much pain it had caused this family? ¡°Neo, don¡¯t-¡° ¡±Just stop, malume. You¡¯re not my father, I don¡¯t listen to him, so why the hell would I listen to you?¡± Neo warned him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t go back to prison. You have my word on that." Langa didn¡¯t get it. Why would he waste his life like this for a man who used him and then abandoned him? Did Neo not want more out of his life? But just as soon as Langa thought this, he shook his head. He was in no position to judge Neo, especially when it came to decisions about how to live his life. They drank in silence for a bit, and Neo finished the pizza. He then looked up at Langa, debating whether to say what he wanted or not. His gaze turned to the glass case displaying all of Langa''s trophies. ¡°I saw your last race. You were in second place again, huh? If you had made first place, you could have made it to the Olympics.¡± Langa breathed, wondering if they had televisions in prison. ¡°Yeah, I almost did it. Your father kindly reminded me of that loss very recently. If only I could have been faster, I would have been able to represent South Africa in the Olympics. My damned curse finally got to me too. Eish, you know what they say, there is nothing more common than unsuccessful men with talent.¡± ¡°Screw that! I¡¯m not stupid, malume,¡± Neo snapped. ¡°How long are you gonna do this?¡± As Langa expected, Neo knew him better than anyone else. He alone could tell the real reason why Langa kept losing his races. He could lie to him like he did to everyone else, his sister, his niece, his brother-in-law, his coach, his teammates and even the Minister of Sports himself, but he chose not to. It was tedious to keep up the facade of a former genius athlete struggling to keep up with his peers as he entered his late twenties. He twirled the wine glass absentmindedly, ¡°I¡¯m going to keep doing this until I stop being bored on the track, or when I find the motivation to win.¡± "Seriously? You''re still jaded because you think that no one in this country can be a challenge to you? Do you seriously think you''re better than everybody else?" Langa shrugged again, "I don''t expect you to understand." It wasn''t like Langa himself understood. He''d told himself for a long time, that he held back to stave off his curse, since the more his talents blossomed, the more those around him suffered because of him. His greatest achievement to date was a silver medal in the men¡¯s 100 metre race at the Olympics. Lately, however, he was starting to wonder if that was the only reason why he did not do his best. Perhaps more than boredom, he was waiting for a challenge, something to stimulate him from his boring monotonous life. Perhaps he just wanted someone faster than him, someone to ignite the fire inside of him, someone to chase. ¡°Okay well, power to you, I guess,¡± Neo shook his head and checked his phone. ¡°I get that you¡¯re, you know, doing you and all that, but Khaya is waiting for you to be number one again. I mean, she has all these posters of you in her dorm room. It would break her heart if you never got back to the top. She''s your biggest fan.¡± ¡±Haibo, Neo,¡± Langa said sharply. ¡°I¡¯m done living up to other people¡¯s expectations. I love Khaya, she¡¯s my favourite person in the whole world, but she¡¯s just gonna have to wait. I''m not going back to running in order to please other people, it''s not good for me,¡± he paused. ¡°Speaking of expectations, she and your parents want you to go clean, to leave behind your life of crime. Will you do that?¡± Neo flashed him a grin. ¡°Come on, Langa¡­ I got out on good behaviour. You don¡¯t trust me?¡± That was not an answer. Langa knew that this might mean Neo was not done with that life yet. He needed to keep an eye on him, otherwise he¡¯d just end up making his sister and precious niece cry again. ¡°If you don''t have everything figured out yet, I have a spare room. You can stay here until you get back on your feet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice of you, but I¡¯m good. I gotta go. Pranav just hit me up, he¡¯s found us a good hunting spot for tonight,¡± Neo said standing up, after looking at his phone. ¡°Pranav again? Do I want to know what you¡¯re hunting?¡± Neo grinned again ¡°Hot men, of course. Wanna come?¡± ¡°No thanks,¡± Langa said dismissively. ¡°When you¡¯re done having fun, like I said, I have an empty room, and we can talk about your future plans.¡± Neo stood up, a smile still on his lips. ¡°As if I¡¯ll ever be done having fun.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget to call your Mum!¡± Langa called after him as he left. After Neo left, Langa took his bottle of wine to the balcony and sat down. He was honestly relieved that his nephew had not changed all that much, after all, prison could have a terrible effect on people. As he sat there, he thought about what Neo said. Indeed, how long would he hold himself back? He knew that others would find him pretentious, after all, he was privileged to be born with an exceptional talent for athletics. Because he could run fast, jump high and throw far, he and his poor sister had been able to leave their dilapidated home in rural Eshowe KZN, and make a new life in the big city of gold, Johannesburg. His talent was both a blessing and a curse, and he had become so good that competition bored him, he no longer enjoyed it. All he liked to do was run. No destination, just running.
CONGRATULATIONS, INHABITANTS OF EARTH X32175! YOUR WORLD HAS BEEN SELECTED TO BE THE 36TH FLOOR OF THE DEIWOS TOWER!
Langa blinked as a bunch of words appeared in front of his eyes. They seemed to be suspended in the air in front of him on a clear screen. The lights outside had gone dark, and the world went quiet. At first, Langa thought that it was loadshedding, but in the area of Pretoria that he lived in, they rarely got loadshedding. ¡°What the hell? I haven¡¯t even finished one bottle of wine and I¡¯m already this drunk?¡± he mumbled trying to touch the words and failing as his hand simply passed through them.
CORRUPTION OVERWHELMS YOUR WORLD, AND A VOID ERUPTION IS IMMINENT! DUNGEONS, GATES, MAESTRILS AND SAFE ZONES WILL BEGIN APPEARING IN 120 SECONDS!
The dark sky turned red as soon as that message appeared, and the 120 started counting down in that message. Okay, this was weird, Langa stood up, as he heard loud noises from his neighbours. Something strange was definitely going on here and he was not drunk. His cellphone was ringing, but just before he answered it, another screen appeared in front of him, this one was blue. [Please choose a character: Filled Slots/Total Slots: PLAYER CHARACTERS: 5/1 573 128 296 NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS: 0/6 292 513 184 Total Characters of EARTH X32175: 7 865 641 480] PCs and NPCs? Weren''t those the terms that were used in games to differentiate between players and natives? Langa had no idea what was going on, but the timer was now down to 57 seconds, and the number of PCs was increasing rapidly and it was already past a million. He had a feeling that if he did not choose right now, something bad would happen. ¡°How do I know what to choose?¡± he cursed, not expecting a response. However, a footnote appeared at the bottom of the screen in front of him. [Player characters can climb the Tower and have access to all the Floors that they have cleared. Non-Player Characters are confined to their home world, and cannot climb the Tower except in very special circumstances or unless a player position becomes vacant.] The timer was down to 20 seconds by now, and Langa knew he had to choose now. It did not matter if this was a game, if it was real or if he was drunk, he would rather have freedom in how he lived than be confined. His heart raced in anticipation. Was this it? What he had been looking for? Would this be the stimulation that he required to bring colour into his monochrome world? He wanted to see if he could live his life fiercely, despite his curse, so he said, ¡°Player.¡± [Player, The Deiwos Clan welcomes you to the Deiwos Tower. You are on the 36th Floor. Floors cleared: 0/101 You are not authorised to be on the 36th Floor. Please wait while the Floor Overlord teleports you to a tutorial world.] Langa had no idea what was going on, and the next moment, all he felt was a burning pain all over his body, and he struggled to remain standing until he was whisked into nothingness. 1. Floor 0: Tutorial (1) [Corruption is a scourge upon mortal worlds, but Chaos devours everything in his path, including corruption itself. The Void of Chaos is every world¡¯s first line of defence against the encroaching corruption. He sows discord amongst the Creator¡¯s mortals by influencing their hearts. He whispers delusions of grandeur into their weak minds, causing them to fight against each other. That is how he begins to seal any world that is being overwhelmed by corruption. He is an unceasing, unparalleled, and unending onslaught. As the world devolves into wars, fighting against its corruption, then the world¡¯s karma destabilises, and a Void is born to save it. Inside that Void, maestrils come to life, and they consume karma endlessly, until the karma in the Void overflows. Then, the corrupted world experiences a Void Eruption and falls into chaos, sealing it from the rest of the infinite multiverse, preventing the spread of corruption. -Excerpt from The Relgte of The Onslaught of The Dark Void, Scroll 1: Chapter 2] * For years, there had been a lot of speculation on what would bring an end to human civilisation on earth, from nuclear war, global warming, a religious apocalypse, and aliens among others. Contrary to anyone''s expectations, the end came suddenly and the world changed in the short span of 120 seconds. No one could have guessed that someone would rip the earth out of its universe and thrust it inside a Tower, least of all Langa. A blinding flash of light appeared in front of Langa and he felt an uncomfortable prickling sensation all over his body. In the flash of light, he could see thirteen pathways, each illuminated by a different colour. Beyond them, a fourteenth pathway with no colour or substance, only shapes moving around it, flickered in and out of existence, as if it wasn¡¯t even there. When he next opened his eyes, the light was gone and he was standing outside a door, with the words Floor Overlord written on it. Looking around, he found that the corridor he was standing in seemed to shimmer in and out of focus as if it was constantly changing shape. He surveyed his surroundings blankly, unsure where to go next. Something was not right here, this whole place felt very out of place. It made no sense to Langa. Less than an hour ago, he¡¯d been drinking with Neo, then some weird shit appeared in front of his eyes, and he impulsively chose to be a player. He had expected some grand world, some dramatic change, not whatever this place was. ¡°Next!¡± A bored voice said from the inside. Langa could either stand in this shapeshifting corridor or search for answers, so he opened the door. He didn''t know what he was expecting or what the hell was going on, but it certainly wasn''t a normal-looking office. If someone had told him that he''d just come into a generic corporate CEO¡¯s office, he would have easily believed it. There was a square desk, with papers neatly stacked on top of it, and a weird-looking screen that could have passed for a computer. There were also some bookshelves along the back wall and a file cabinet next to the desk and chair. ¡°Finally, you¡¯re here," the voice said. "Name? Hello?¡± Still taking in his new surroundings, he finally looked at the person sitting behind the desk. It was a young woman, with an irritated look on her face as she looked at him with her red eyes. ¡°Give me your name, player.¡± The woman was watching him expectantly, and she looked as if she wanted to punch him in the face. He frowned as he realised that she looked very different from the women he was used to. He could not pinpoint exactly what the issue was, but something about her felt off. Yeah, was it her complexion? There was no way a human so pale that he could see her veins as clearly as if he were looking through glass, existed. Her eyes that watched him were also dark red, and there was something unbelievably eerie about looking into them, and it made Langa uncomfortable. He had also never seen hair that shade of black either. If it wasn''t for the bizarre situation, he might have thought he was looking at one of the ladies from the National Department of Home Affairs who always looked annoyed, as if it was the client''s fault that they hated their jobs. He tried to process everything that he was seeing right now in a rational manner. He was in some normal office, with a woman who looked out of place, and it was jarring, to say the least. Langa was normally a very calm person and he liked to go with the flow most of the time, as a result, he thought himself to be perfectly adaptive to unknown situations. However, right now a certain amount of fear and nervousness gripped him, so much so that he felt as if he would suffocate. He felt like a child that had suddenly been placed in a burning pit, with no way out. He just had to ask what was happening, and who this inhuman woman was. ¡°Who are you? Where the hell is this?¡± ¡°Oh for Master¡¯s sake. I wish we were still using the old system. Then I could address all of you at once in the same place as we do with the NPCs, but no, The Unrivalled had to issue a new update. Now, we are all about one-on-one care, ensuring that every player gets the required amount of information before being dropped off into the tutorial, argh,¡± she said, brow creased. ¡°I am the Floor Overlord of the 36th Floor, you may address me as Lady Mira. I am in charge of all the players of the 36th Floor. As for where we are, this is the management office of the 36th Floor. You will come here first before Ascending to a new Floor to get your pass... if you survive that long.¡± She spoke as if she was stating the obvious, but it all served to confuse Langa even further. 36th Floor? That message earlier had stated that Earth was now the 36th Floor of some Tower, was that it? Her voice came out cold, and detached, yet somehow an unknown chill went through Langa''s body. Was that all that what had been his whole world for 27 years amounted to? Just a Floor in someone else''s Tower? He could neither believe nor understand it. And what was up with this apathetic woman? Did she not see that his world had suddenly collapsed right in front of him? Did she not have any humanity? "Are you human?" He blurted out unintentionally. She raised her eyebrows, "You players from the 36th Floor sure are a curious bunch. No, I''m a vampire. Can I proceed with the introduction? Otherwise, time will run out, and you will proceed to the tutorial cluelessly. Your name, player?¡± So, she was a vampire. Okay, that meant that vampires existed. This was giving him a headache, it was all too much to handle, and Langa needed a time-out. He did not feel like he had the mental capacity to handle all of this shit right now. Therefore, he did what he always did when he was faced with things that his mind could not comprehend or that were too much for his mind to handle. ¡®I am in control,¡¯ Langa thought, repeating the mantra over and over again in his head to calm himself. He pushed the bad thoughts into the deep recesses of his mind. ¡®Okay,¡¯ Langa took a deep breath, ¡®let¡¯s take everything at face value. Let¡¯s pretend this is real, vampires exist and Earth is now part of some Tower, and I¡¯m a player.¡¯ ¡°Fine, that''s that I suppose. My name is Langa,¡± he said, and she happily wrote something down on a scroll on the desk. Who the hell used scrolls in this day and age? Well, vampires evidently. ¡°So, you keep calling me player, and I guess that¡¯s because that is the character I chose. I just need to know, though. What does it mean to be a player?¡± he asked. ¡°Wow, you did not try to attack me like your fellow humans or scream and make unnecessary noise after finding out what my race is¡­I must say, I''m impressed. People from lost worlds like yours often struggle to accept things that they aren¡¯t used to,¡± the lady said, her annoyance with him disappearing. ¡±My psychologist didn¡¯t think it was such a good quality. She called me the worst case of compartmentalism she¡¯d ever encountered,¡± Langa muttered, as Lady Mira continued speaking. ¡°Since you are so agreeable, I¡¯ll grant you an extra question besides the one you asked. Players are beings favoured by The Unrivalled and granted the ability to climb the Towers. The Unrivalled is with you the whole way, throughout your journey, as the system. You gain access to different abilities and skills that help you get stronger, fight against different types of entities and earn more karma." "Then what-" Langa started, but the woman held up her hand, to indicate that she was not done talking yet. "No, no, no. Think carefully before you ask me what you want to ask. Now, I only have a limited amount of time with each player, so you may ask one more question only. You better make it count kid,¡± she warned him. It was weird that she called him kid, she didn¡¯t look that much older than him. Then again, she was a vampire, so could be a hundred years old for all he knew. Was she dead, or undead? How did vampires work in the Tower? He was admittedly curious, but still, he shook his head to focus. He needed to be sure about what to ask. Alright, he thought about the facts. So he was a player. Great, awesome. Whatever that meant. Only one question, huh? Was there a reward for climbing the Tower, like a game? What was that about an unrivalled person becoming his system? What was that system in the first place? Why was Earth dragged into this? She said he would have to fight against different entities, did that mean that Earth was not safe anymore? Was his family safe? Were his sister, niece, nephew and even his brother-in-law alright? Would he ever see them again? He decided to ask a broader question in the hopes that she would give a broader answer. ¡°Is the earth safe for my family?¡± he asked. "Look, your world was integrated into the Tower because it was overrun by corruption, and it was in danger of a Void Eruption, so yes, it will be dangerous because maestrils will be coming into your world from the Void," she said, and then she frowned, ¡°That is a loaded question and I don''t know how to answer that. If your family are players, then it depends on the extent of their power when, or if, they finally manage to climb up to the 36th Floor again. If they are NPCs, then they are only in danger if they step out of the safe zones, or if the being who ends up ruling the 36th Floor does not allow them to be safe.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. "What do you mean ruling? Is someone going to take over the world?" Langa asked, in panic. He had seen enough movies with one-dimensional villains whose only goal was to take over the world, that he knew how disastrous it could be for innocent people. "I assume so since the theme of the 31st to the 40th Floor is conquest. No more questions," Lady Mira said sternly. Alright. From that, he gathered that he was not able to return home right now and that someone, one of these players, would end up taking over the world. His sister was a very cautious person, so he hoped that she would not leave the safe zones if she did not choose to be a player. He was unsure about Neo and Khaya, though. Neo loved thrills, the cheaper, the better, and Khaya loved video games, she dreamed of being saved by a great hero and being whisked by him into an adventure of a lifetime. Those two might have chosen to become players. His brother-in-law was a bit tricky, though, that man liked to be in the centre of things, and he might have chosen to be a player. The two of them did not have the best relationship, but Langa did not want anything to happen to him, after all, the man had raised him. He bit his lip in worry, thinking about his family, and then shook his head. Right now, there was nothing he could do for them. He lacked information. ¡°Thank you for the information,¡± he said, it could not hurt to be polite. People were more likely to be more open if he was polite to them. She smiled, revealing two fangs on her front teeth, so, she really was a vampire? ¡°Good. Now we''ve wasted time, so here''s your quick introduction. Look into that mirror on the wall, and think about who you are as a person. That way the system will know how best to work with you," He wanted to ask more questions, but since she said that time was running out, he turned to look at the full-length mirror on the wall. He was sure that it had not been there before. His reflection stared back at him, a 1.8 metres tall, dark-skinned black man in jeans, a white shirt and trainers. He ran his black eyes up his body, unsure what she meant by thinking about who he was. He sighed, running his hands through his shoulder-length dreadlocks, trying to think. He was Langelihle Zulu, a boy abandoned by his mother 20 years ago after his father''s death. No, he had risen above that identity, he would not let his mother define him anymore. He was Langa Zulu, a man raised by his sister, who only knew how to run on the tracks, how to run from his curse, and how to run from even his own talents and mental issues. He was Langa Zulu, a man who once loved to run on the track, until he became jaded from people¡¯s expectations and a lack of a challenge in the track, until even the running that he used to love so much, became a boring chore. [System connected. Welcome, Player Langa Zulu.] The words floated in front of him, and he was not even freaked out anymore. This was his new normal now. "Excellent! Now that that''s done, let''s hurry up. You will be given a tutorial kit to use during the tutorial, please take good care of it, it will not be replaced. Since you were in the first top 40% of humans in your world to choose your character, you will be given a silver tutorial kit," she said. "Your integration into the Deiwos Tower has provided you with access to The Unrivalled''s system. All characters that exist within the different Towers have this system. It allows you to keep track of all your progress and attributes. Please check for me that your menu is working as intended. Just say, Status," Lady Mira said hurriedly. ¡°Status,¡± Langa said, and he yelped when a blue screen appeared in front of him. Okay, maybe some things would still freak him out.
Name: Langa Zulu Race : Human
Age : 27 Character: Player
Level: 1 Class: N/A
Available Karma: 10 Total Karma: 10
Deity: N/A Highest Floor: 0/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: LOCKED EXP: 0/100
HP: 100/100 STA: 150/150
MP: 60/60
STR: 5 AGI: 17
MND: 6 VIT: 10
Free Attribute Points: 0 Alignment: (0) NEUTRAL
SPECIAL STATS: N/A
Regeneration Rates: (View more)
LOCKED: Affinities and Resistances Titles Skills Equipment Inventory
¡°Wow, it really looks like a game screen!¡± Langa expressed in surprise. It did look similar to the interface of the games that he played with Khaya from time to time. She loved to play badass sword-wielding heroes and would often force him to party with her. He always complained that it was annoying, but the truth was that playing games with her had helped him keep his mind focused when all it wanted to do was wander. He never told her how much she helped him. Would he ever get to? "What game are you talking about? You better take this seriously, or you will die," Lady Mira warned him. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I''m not sure if these stats are good or not, though,¡± he said, looking at his status screen. ¡°The average stats for humans range between 5 and 10. If they are within that range, then you''re good,¡± she told him. That meant that at 17, his agility was insanely high, and everything else was about normal, with vitality slightly on the higher end as well. Mind was on the lower end, but it wasn''t below average, so that was comforting. "Anyway, please pay close attention, this is important. You can only learn a maximum of 5 passive skills, 10 active skills and only 10 divine skills, depending on your Sponsorship Contract. You can learn a maximum of 3 active, 2 passive and 3 divine skills per Tier as well as only 3 Titles/Blessings per Tier. For Titles/Blessings, you can only equip (1 x Tier) at at a time, but even at Tier 0 you can equip one Title/Blessing. Please choose your skills wisely because some of them cannot be switched out. To switch out your skills is very karma-draining, especially once you reach the higher Tiers,¡± she paused. ¡°Most players would rather be stuck with a bad skill than go through the process of unlearning a skill. It''s much better to just be selective of the skills that you choose to take from the very beginning to save yourself the trouble. Also, all nonessential messages are disabled during combat by default, you can change it later if you want. Anyway, time''s almost up, so get your tutorial kit." Langa was just about to ask her where he should get the kit when a new message popped up in front of him. [The Unrivalled Tower Master wishes to bestow you with a gift.] He stared at the new prompt that appeared in front of him, with uncertainty. He could not explain it, but there was an uneasy feeling all over his body and it felt like someone was watching him. The weirdest thing was that he was sure that he did not know the language that the prompts came in, or even the language that Lady Mira spoke, but he somehow understood it. ¡°Who is-¡° ¡°A god. The time is almost up. Please accept your tutorial kit,¡± Lady Mira said. ¡°Um, yes?¡± he said, unsure. A god? They had real gods here? ¡°Did that god bring me here?¡± ¡°Technically, I guess. But the pantheon that rules over this Tower is the Deiwos clan, along with a few independent minor gods and demon gods,¡± she told him. ¡°Usually each Tower is limited to certain types of races. So far, this Deiwos Tower mostly has beastkin and elves, but there are other races like yours.¡± Langa took a deep breath, once more calming himself down, trying to take everything in, and not let it all freak him out. Gods and demons were real as well apparently. [The Unrivalled Tower Master has bestowed you with a gift. Tutorial kit (Silver) x1] Sure enough, a small backpack appeared in front of him out of thin air. He was not surprised anymore, so he just picked it up and slung it on his back. ¡°Alright. You will be able to retrieve the kit once you get to the tutorial area,¡± Lady Mira said. ¡°The tutorial will last for seven days, and it will take place in an abandoned world. To pass the tutorial and be able to enter the 1st Floor of the Tower, you need 1000 karma. Let me tell you, it is not easy to farm karma in a world abandoned by the gods.¡± Okay, more new information. The uncomfortable feeling from earlier started to encompass him. ¡°So where is this tutorial taking place?" Langa asked. "There are three types of tutorial placements. The Unrivalled will usually place you with the people you were with when the integration began, however, in her infinite wisdom, she may choose to randomly place mortals from different unrelated worlds together in one tutorial," she said. "The final type of placement is special. If there is a group of unrelated mortals whose karma is tightly bound, even though they have never met, she may be compelled to place them together in order to preserve the natural flow of karma." This karma thing seemed important, and even though he doubted Lady Mira would be able to tell him much, Langa still asked. "Karma?" ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll give you one last piece of advice. As a person from a lost world, make sure you make allies with those from the natural and blessed worlds, they will help you with the information you need.¡± Her voice sounded distant, "If you want to survive until the end, make sure to find your Calling!" He wanted to ask her to explain what she meant by all of that, but another blinding flash of light later, and Langa appeared in a different area. 2. Floor 0: Tutorial (2) [Welcome to the tutorial. You are in tutorial batch #4 (DW.T1773). You have been placed in Tutorial DW.T1773- Congratulations! You are in a karma-rich tutorial. Rewards received will be of higher quality, however, there is a possibility of encountering monsters above Tier 0. Date: (DW.T.T) 2nd Day of the Month of Water in the 12th year of the 1773rd Deiwos Tower. (02/04/12 MDCCLXXIII) ] Langa opened his eyes, and with a surprised yelp, he noticed that he was inside a large metal cage. He looked around and spotted three large foxes with their teeth bared circling his cage. There were numerous other cages around the place and a large metal door to his left. The red foxes had glowing, unnatural blue eyes as they watched him, and he stood still, not daring to move. He stared at one of them, and words swirled above its head, along with a green bar. Corrupted Fox Level 1 HP: 30/30 Well, that wasn''t weird at all. Foxes were dogs, right? He''d never been a big dog person, puppies were alright, but nothing bigger interested him. He wondered if just saying ¡®Voetsek!¡¯ would get these weird creatures to leave him alone. It worked on the dogs back home. Just as he was looking at them, two more notifications appeared in front of him. [You have unlocked the System Scan. This is an innate system function that allows all mortals connected to the system to scan players, non-players, sapient creatures and items. When scanning other mortals, Name, Level, Class and Alignment can be identified. This is a basic system function and it does not work accurately on individuals or items with a Shroud.]
TUTORIAL QUEST #1
Quest Rank: F
After the fall of their deity, all neutral sapient mortals in Zamone were kept in caged centres in wild zones, guarded by vicious corrupted animals. Once a day, certain cages were opened, and the mortals were to fight against the corrupted animals for survival, in the hopes of farming karma. You must have 5 Karma in order to leave the centre.
Quest Objectives:
- Choose a Class (Check tutorial kit for details) -Escape the centre (Earn 5 karma) -Convene with other players in the safe zone.
Time Limit:
2 hours
Quest Limitations:
N/A
Cautions:
Please note: If you die without binding your resurrection stone to a safe zone, your death will be permanent.
Quest Rewards:
100 Experience ? karma Basic armour
So, he had to complete a quest? It even had the possibility of death casually thrown in there, as if that was normal. Okay. He had decided to take this whole experience at face value and pretend he was in a game. So, he had to complete this quest, and judging by the thirty-second timer on the lock of the cage, he guessed he had just under thirty seconds until the cage opened. He hastily opened the backpack that he¡¯d been given earlier. [Tutorial Kit (Silver) 3 x basic health potion 1 x class change scroll 1 x class weapon 1 x resurrection stone 1 x Tutorial rations (1 day) 1 x standard issue comcer 5 x copper coins Silver Tutorial Kit bonus 3 free attribute points 3 x basic wound ointment] Langa decided to check the rest of the contents later, for now, he opened the scroll. There were four rows each with a few weapons displayed in front of the class name, along with the statement that the class could be upgraded at Level 10. The classes were: He had to make a choice quickly, and he wanted a class that allowed him to fight from afar, but he could not choose Ranger because they did not display guns, only bows, crossbows and slingshots. He had never used any of those weapons before, and he was unsure if he would be able to strike his target without possessing any of the skills for aiming and targeting. He crossed out the Mage class as well, he had no idea how to use magic. This was a tutorial, so maybe he could learn in time, but it wouldn''t help him right here, right now. In the end, he was torn between the Rogue and Fighter classes. The fighter class seemed to be more strength-based, and he cursed when he saw the weapons displayed for that class. He¡¯d never used a sword or shield in real life. Hell, he''d never fought seriously with his bare hands outside of a self-defence class for that matter. He was unfamiliar with all these weapons. He paused, looking at the spear. Did a javelin count as a spear? That was the only weapon that he was familiar with, as he had participated from time to time in the javelin throw category of the national athletics tournament. Granted, the goal of that competition was less about accuracy and more about distance thrown, however, Langa had made a sport of always throwing accurately in the 70 to 75-metre range, to ensure that he was in the top ten, but not the top three. His accuracy could help him now, and he could use the time after throwing the weapon to either run away or look for a new plan of attack. The Rogue class would be a great way for him to utilise his speed since that was his highest stat. However, the choice of weapon for that class was a dagger, and the daggers were short-range weapons. This meant that the possibility of getting hurt was high. He detested being in pain, so, he was unwilling to get too close to the enemy and risk being hit. He supposed that he could throw the daggers too though. But then again, the tutorial kit only promised one weapon, so he would rather use a weapon with higher damage. Langa sighed, and selected the Fighter class, choosing a spear as his weapon. A prompt confirming his decision appeared in front of him, and after reading it, he scanned his weapon. [You have chosen the class: Fighter. +2 STR, +2 VIT +1AGI This is a Common class. On every level up, you receive +2STR, +2VIT, + 1AGI and 3 free attribute points. This class is upgradeable at Level 10] [Crude Pike Rank: Common Deals 10 -20 physical damage on thrust. Double damage dealt when thrown. Durability: 10/10] The spear felt right in his hands, he was Zulu after all and King Shaka united the Zulu nation with just a spear and shield centuries ago. Well, he had an army too but the point still stood. Next, he had the free attribute points to allocate. He had played a few games with his niece, Khaya, before, but he wasn''t an avid gamer. He was a very casual gamer, and he only did it when he was bored. Just to be sure, though, Langa asked, ¡°Can I get an explanation of what each stat does?¡± At this, a quick menu popped up, answering his question. [Strength: determines the player¡¯s physical attack power, damage dealt and stamina. The higher the strength, the heavier the armour that the player can wear. It also determines the stamina regeneration rate. Agility: Determines the player¡¯s dexterity, accuracy and speed. Determines damage dealt with ranged weapons, critical hit chances, movement and attack speed. Vitality: Determines the player¡¯s endurance, health, innate defence and stamina. Vitality also determines the pace at which skills are learned and levelled. It also determines the health regeneration rate. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Mind: Determines the player¡¯s mana pool, magic attack power, awareness, and perception. It also determines the mana regeneration rate in conjunction with other special stats.] If he could summarise it in his head strength determined his attack power, agility, his speed, mind, his magic power and vitality his health. Since his agility was already very high, he decided to invest his points in strength, which was his lowest stat. According to Lady Mira, since the average stats for humans were between 5 to 10, it was a best for him to try and achieve some sort of balance first before min-maxing his stats. He would do that once he had more information. Satisfied, he placed all the free points in strength. As soon as he finished allocating his points, and the wooden pike was in his hands, the cage opened. He knew that the foxes would jump in immediately after that, so mobility was key for him. He could not allow himself to be cornered inside the cage with such a bulky weapon, and thus, he jumped up above the first fox as soon as it barged into the cage. He timed his jump accurately to land on top of the second fox, which was just at the cage entrance. He landed with a kick to its neck and saw its HP bar fall to just above half. Once he found his footing on the ground, he thrust the pike into the glowing eye of the third fox which had just jumped towards him, growling. It howled in pain as its HP went down to below 50%, and Langa viciously pulled out the spear, bringing its HP down another 20%. Instead of finishing it off, however, he threw the pike towards the first fox, piercing its midriff as it darted out of the cage. Swiftly, with skill he''d never known he had, he brought down his foot and crushed the third fox¡¯s neck, killing it as he took away its last remaining HP. His heart was racing, and perhaps he was able to act so quickly because of the adrenaline he felt, but he was surprisingly calm. He could see flashing messages from the corner of his eye, but there was no time to check them. It had been a while since he¡¯d killed wild animals. When he was young, living in the rural areas, he had done some hunting from time to time, but after he moved to the city, he had not killed anything in a long time. The blood made him gulp nervously, and he tried to steady himself. Unfortunately for him, the second fox that he had kicked earlier had found its bearings, and it bit deep into his ankle, through his jeans. [-7HP -3HP] ¡°Yhoo!¡± He cursed as the excruciating pain hit him and he tried to kick the fox away. It would not budge as it tore into his jeans biting hard and making him lose his balance. He threw out his hands first to break his fall, and as he fell to the ground, he rolled towards the other fox that his spear had struck. It whined loudly in pain as it tried to move, but it was bleeding heavily lying on the ground. Still, with the second fox chomping on his leg, he pulled out the pike from the fallen first fox and tried to thrust it into the second fox¡¯s head but its skull was too thick, therefore the spear only left a deep gash on its forehead. Even so, this was enough for its jaw to slacken and he pulled his foot free. [-12HP -9HP -1HP/s bleeding] He was bleeding heavily all over his damaged white trainers. A scream tore through the air from somewhere deeper into the building, but Langa had no time for any of that as he stood up grimacing in pain, and thrust the spear into the second fox¡¯s neck, killing it. He did not have to do anything else as the first fox bled to death. He sat back down on the floor without delay and contemplated whether to take the health potion or use the ointment. [Basic health potion Rank: Uncommon Restores 100 Health Points instantly. Cool-down: 30 seconds] [Basic wound ointment Rank: Common Stops bleeding. Closes small cuts and wounds instantly. Cool-down: 30 seconds] He checked his HP first, and to his relief, it was above 50% of the maximum. He had only lost 42 HP in this fight, his HP was regenerating right now. How did that work, anyway? If he got shot in the head, would his HP drain instantly and he would die? Thinking about how he killed the corrupted foxes, it seemed to matter where he struck in order to deal the most damage. It would be a waste to use the health potion, so he applied the ointment instead. A faint heat encompassed his ankle and the bleeding stopped. It was not a small wound so the healing was not instant, but it started to close up rapidly. Satisfied, Langa checked the blinking messages at the corner of his eye. [You have killed a level 1 corrupted fox +20 EXP +2 karma] [You have killed a level 1 corrupted fox +20 EXP +1 karma] [You have killed a level 1 corrupted fox +20 EXP +1 karma] With this, he only needed to kill two more foxes to level up and also to get the karma he required to complete the quest. Since he had a moment to himself, he decided to check what everything in his tutorial kit was used for, so that he would better understand how to survive in this world. After all, the quest needed him to get to a safe zone, and he had no idea how to get there, or where there even was. The tutorial rations were something that looked like a regular protein bar and the description said it would be enough to keep him satiated for one day, the copper coins were apparently the currency of the Tower, but he had no idea how valuable they were. The most interesting items, though, were the comcer, and the resurrection stone. The comcer looked like a thick black bracelet with multiple buttons on it, while the stone looked like a small clear crystal that could fit in his hand. [Standard Issue Comcer A basic long-distance communication device used in the Tower. Uses basic mana signature for communication. Soul bound: Does not drop upon death. Infuse mana to activate.] [Resurrection Stone Artefact rank: Divine. (Order: The Unrivalled Tower Master) Stores one extra life. Recharges once every floor. (Please note, the player must bind their souls to a safe zone in order to be able to respawn) Available respawns:1/1 Respawn zone: N/A] Langa gaped at the resurrection stone. It could bring him back to life once on every floor? Was that even possible? He laughed at himself for a moment, realising that he literally had a status screen and was using a spear to fight for his survival¡­anything was possible. He put on the comcer on his wrist, even though he had no idea how to use it. A loud clattering sound snapped Langa to attention. It was coming from one of the cages behind him, but it did not sound too close. That¡¯s right, he had heard someone scream during the battle earlier. If there were more players here, that meant more monsters. There was nowhere to hide except behind the cages, so Langa tiptoed towards the cage in front of him, away from the corpses of the foxes, and hid there. Sure enough, a fox soon appeared, but this one was dark brown instead of red, and it was sniffing around for something. It was also limping, and it looked as though its side was bleeding, as there was a dagger lodged there. He focused on it, and sure enough, he saw its level and description. Corrupted fox Level 3 HP: 74/120 Someone had already wounded it badly, but judging by the blood dripping out of its mouth, they probably didn¡¯t make it. He gripped his spear tightly. The fox was about 50 metres away from him. If he threw his spear, he could bring its health down to at least 20%. His spear only dealt 20 damage, more when thrown, but he was sure that if he targeted the neck, then the health would drain faster, and coupled with its other wounds, the fox would definitely die. So he calculated the distance, and making sure to stay hidden, he took his throwing stance, putting all his power into it, and let go. His mark hit true, piercing deep into the fox¡¯s neck, causing it to fall with a loud grunt. He stood behind the cage, motionless, and watched as the fox bled out and died. [You have killed a level 3 corrupted fox +70 EXP +4 karma x1 Farguya Ghetto Map] [Congratulations! Level Up! Level 2 +1 karma +2STR, +2VIT, + 1AGI You have 3 free attribute points to distribute.] Langa took a deep breath to steady himself. He was finally level 2, and this beast was much stronger than the ones he¡¯d fought, apparently. He only got lucky because someone else had fought it first. He pulled out the dagger from the dead fox, grateful to have even one more weapon. He opened up the map, and to his surprise, it disappeared from the scroll he was holding, only to appear in front of his eyes, like magic. There was now a tab on his status screen where he could see the map in front of him on his interface. [Farguya Ghetto Map added to your Personal Map. To share your map with other players, please open the Personal Map tab on your system interface. Please Note: The Map ¡®Help¡¯ function, which shows the location of all nearby living beings will only be active in the tutorial until the player reaches level 3. After that, only known locations will be added.] He saw a black dot on the map, surrounded by a mass of stationary dark objects. There were hundreds of them, and then there were two blue stationary objects. He frowned and walked slightly forward, and the black dot moved as well. He moved towards the blue object nearest to him, and he found that it marked the cage that he¡¯d first appeared in. He surmised that the blue object must represent the cages where people had been locked, and he hoped to find another person in there. For a moment, he hesitated and then he stood up, walking in the direction that the fox had come from, and according to the map, it was in the direction of the other blue object. He walked past what felt like almost fifty empty cages before he reached his destination. Outside an open cage, were three dead foxes, like the first ones he had fought, and a little distance further up, was a person lying dead on the floor. It was a middle-aged man with his eyes wide open, a dagger on the floor next to him, his throat torn apart. He lay in a large pool of blood, and Langa felt sick. His hands shook before he steadied himself. Did this person not have a resurrection stone like him? Or perhaps, as the description said, the stone did not work until he bound his soul to a safe zone? Blood littered the ground. The dead foxes and the torn-up body of the dead man all made this entire place feel real. He couldn¡¯t pretend to be in a game with a dead person in front of him. Was that one of his neighbours? He couldn¡¯t tell because of the claw marks on his face. Bile rose up the back of his throat, he wanted to throw up, but he breathed in and out. ¡°I am in control,¡± Langa whispered. The mantra always made him retain his grip on reality and ground his mind. He pushed the horrified thoughts away and took a deep breath, not having time to freak out at the moment. He inched away from the corpse, and noticed a small backpack, similar to his own, on the ground. A part of him wanted to leave right away, but he knew he might need more resources soon, so he bent down and looked through the backpack. He only found one health potion and two wound ointments as well as the basic rations. There was nothing else in the bag, no stone, comcer or scroll, so he just took the items he found including another dagger, and put them in his bag. He spared one look at the man and bowed his head. In his culture, those who died with their eyes open would not find peace, unless a ceremony to respect the dead was performed. Even through his shaking hands, Langa closed the man¡¯s eyes and placed a finger on his forehead. ¡°Your eyes are closed now. May you rest in peace.¡± He was now done here. He had fulfilled most of the quest objectives, and now needed to get to a safe zone. He zoomed out on his map, it was as though he¡¯d always known how to do it, and he saw that the building he was in, the centre, was surrounded by other centres, but there was a road outside that would take him to the safe zone, a zone marked in green on his map. By his estimation, it was about 2 to 3 kilometres away. He closed the map and walked towards the centre¡¯s exit. 3. Floor 0: Tutorial (3) Sixteen years ago The first time Langa ever told his father¡¯s stories to his niece was when he was eleven years old. It just so happened one night that his sister was stuck working the night shift at the hospital, and his brother-in-law, who was supposed to stay with them, was out. The three of them huddled in the boys'' bedroom, Langa was watching over Khaya in the bottom bunk, and Neo was on the top one. There was a heavy storm outside, and the wind howled against the windows, making it hard to fall asleep. Khaya trembled in fear as she had always been scared of the rain. ¡°Can you make her stop whimpering? It''s just wind!¡± Neo finally snapped. ¡°But I''m scared,¡± Khaya cried in a small voice as Langa held her close. ¡°It''s okay, Khaya, but I need you to be brave. The storm won''t hurt you,¡± Langa told her. Khaya turned to him. ¡°Brave?¡± ¡°Yes, to be honest, storms used to scare me a little too. But my father once told me a story about brave children who stood up to the cunning Hlakanyana,¡± he said. ¡°Was it one of his folktales?¡± Neo asked breathlessly from above. He probably remembered Sibusiso Zulu¡¯s stories from the few times his parents had allowed him to sleep over with Langa a few years ago. ¡°Yes,¡± Langa said quietly, his heart hurting like always when he thought about his father. ¡°Tell us the story, Malume. Come on.¡± Khaya begged. Langa hesitated because when his father told him the story, it wasn''t about the bravery of children, but about how important children were to society, and needed to be protected. He figured he could spin the folktale a little bit, making it appropriate for Khaya. ¡°Kwasukasukela. Once upon a time,¡± he said, and Khaya looked up at him in anticipation. Langa leaned in closer to her, trying to make his voice mysterious. "From the crown of an old yellowood umsonti tree, a strange creature was born in a small, secluded village. It was small, like a dwarf, with the ears of a monkey, the feathers of a bird and the tail of a hare. All the villagers who saw it fled in fear that it was Hlakanyana.¡± Khaya snuggled deeper into her blankets, her attention fully on him. " What¡¯s Hlakanyana?" Neo grinned, and began to tease her. ¡°Hlakanyana is like a smart Tikoloshe. It''s evil and snatches scared little children out of their beds.¡± This made Khaya whimper in fear again as a bolt of lightning flashed outside the window. ¡°Will you stop? We¡¯re trying to calm her down,¡± Langa snapped at his naughty nephew. ¡°Hlakanyana is a trickster who likes to steal from people and deceive them. Anyway, since Hlakanyana¡¯s arrival, the village¡¯s goats and chickens started disappearing. It would also break into the villagers¡¯ granaries, stealing their crops." Khaya frowned in surprise. Even as a child, she knew how important food was. "Oh no, the poor villagers¡­ What did they do?" "The villagers were devastated. Misery and fear spread across the land. No one, not even the fastest man in the village, could catch Hlakanyana. It was just too quick for them and it always disappeared into the umsonti tree, hiding under its thick canopy of leaves," he told her. "Did they have a plan to stop Hlakanyana?" Khaya was hooked, and although he feigned nonchalance, Langa knew Neo was also listening. Langa nodded, his expression serious. "One day, after Hlakanyana had torn through the main granary of the village, depleting the maize they were planning to sell, the sangoma consulted the spirits of the village¡¯s ancestors for guidance. The ancestors told him that since Hlakanyana was born from the tree, then cutting it down would kill it, and only the purest hands could do it.¡± "Really? They could kill something so fast just by cutting down a tree?" Neo asked sceptically, and Langa couldn¡¯t tell if he was just curious or mocking him. Langa shook his head slowly, drawing out the suspense. "The next morning, the men picked up their axes and gathered under the umsonti tree. All that could be heard was the sound of axes cutting against wood and the tree shuddered. Suddenly, from inside the tree, Hlakanyana sang a sweet song that cut deep into the men¡¯s hearts, and they sank to their knees, losing their will to fight." By now, Langa was sure Khaya''s brown eyes were glowing with excitement as she looked up at him. "The trickster¡¯s song was that powerful?" ¡°Yeah,¡± Langa continued. "The sangoma was very angry when the men returned, unable to destroy the trickster. The next morning, he sent the women to cut down the tree. Just like before, though, Hlakanyana ensnared them with its song. They too lost their motivation." ¡°The sangoma, now furious, wondered why the ancestors had led him astray. As he walked through the village, he saw the half-starved children playing in the streets, singing nursery rhymes. It was only then that he realised that they might be the answer. The next morning, the sangoma led the children of the village to the tree with the promise of giving them food if they succeeded. As soon as the children started cutting the tree, Hlakanyana appeared.¡± Khaya''s face lit up with nervousness. "Did they succeed? Did they stop the trickster?" Langa nodded, his voice filled with pride. "Hlakanyana began to sing its disorienting song, but the children did not look up as they continued to chop the tree while singing nursery rhymes. Finally, the tree groaned, and cracks appeared on its trunk. Eventually, though, the trunk fell to the ground. As the ancestors'' message had said, Hlakanyana fell with the tree and was crushed under it." Khaya''s mouth dropped open. "The children really did it?¡± Langa smiled, enjoying the look of wonder on his niece¡¯s face. "Yes, Khaya, the weak, overlooked children were able to accomplish something that adults failed to do. They were brave and focused on their task, saving the entire village." ¡°Did they get the food they were promised?¡± Neo asked suspiciously, as if it would be Langa¡¯s fault if they didn¡¯t. "Indeed, they did," Langa replied, his voice warm. "That night, the sangoma declared a great feast to reward the children for what they had done. The village was filled with joy and celebration, and they managed to control themselves, not finishing all their food. The sangoma stood before everyone and informed them the ancestors informed him that children with their pure and innocent hearts were the future and safeguarding their well-being and protection was the duty of every villager.''" Khaya yawned as she tried to smile. "They must have been so proud of the children." "They were," Langa agreed, his voice gentle. "And the village learnt that sometimes, it''s the youngest among us who have the greatest courage." Neo was already half asleep, and Khaya blinked, her eyelids heavy. "That was such a good story, malume." She sighed and snuggled up to Langa, all fear of the storm forgotten. Langa leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Khaya. I hope you dream of brave children." It was strange, but that was one of Langa¡¯s favourite folktales and something he had always lived by, just as his father taught him. Children were innocent and brave, so they had to be protected at all costs. * Once Langa got out of the centre, he looked back at it. The building was a decrepit old house, surrounded by other similar-looking houses. They looked to be made out of marble. If he could count them, he guessed there were about a hundred of those marble old houses, with overgrown moss along the walls, showing no signs that anyone had lived here in years. The marble was also crumbling from lack of care, and thinking about the tutorial quest that said all sapient creatures in this world were kept in these cages, Langa wondered if there were no more sapient creatures. The thought of a world without humans in it made him shiver uncomfortably as he stealthily walked around the centres. This place seemed to be a large gated prison with no prisoners, only corrupted animals. He had no idea where to move as everywhere he turned was the same type of building, stretching on for kilometres, and it would be a massive waste of his time if he kept going around in circles. The ground was very rocky and hard to keep a stable pace on it, but Langa kept going, trying to get as far away from this place as he possibly could. The only living things he could see here were the corrupted foxes that he kept having to hide from. Was he alone here? He did not like that. Lady Mira had said that there would be people from blessed and natural worlds as well in this tutorial, but so far, all he had found was one dead man. Langa kept silently sneaking around the centres looking for a way out until he found something strange. He found one centre that was bigger than the others, and instead of the same drab lifeless colour, this one was white, and it looked pristine. He looked at the door into this building, considering if he should check it out, just to know what was going on, but he immediately squashed that idea when he saw a line of corrupted animals emerging from that large centre. They emerged from there and then scattered around, going into the other centres to search for signs of life. Langa held his breath, hiding behind the centre, until no more of them emerged. That was dangerous. If they had spotted him, he would have been overrun, without any ability to fight them all. It seemed like this was the command centre from which all the corrupted animals came. He had to get out of there and get to the safe zone as soon as possible. To accurately plan how to move, Langa once more checked the map. There was a gateway to the east of the centres, and from there, a narrow stretch of road leading to the safe zone. For some reason, on the map, the area within the gate, which contained all the centres, was marked in yellow, while the road leading to the safe zone was red, and the safe zone itself was green. It gave Langa a very bad premonition. He decided to stay vigilant and aware of his surroundings, and this saved his life. As he was walking past one centre on his way to the gate, two level 1 corrupted foxes leapt at him, and he was able to dodge quickly and throw the two daggers that he''d obtained from the dead player into one fox''s eyes while impaling the other on his spear. After this encounter, he ran into a level 2 corrupted fox, and thankfully it was alone, otherwise, he might have been hurt. Seeing that being cautious was not really helping, Langa decided to allocate all his free attribute points from the level up into agility, and he ran towards the gate as fast as he could, to avoid fighting and get to the safe zone as soon as possible. The distant howls of foxes made Langa alert and he tightened his grip around his spear. Just as he was closing in on the gate, he heard a loud crash ahead of him. He checked the map, and to his surprise, there was a blinking black dot close by. Langa cautiously approached the area, intending to observe whoever was fighting. He heard a young and agitated voice cry out, ¡°Stay back! Just stay-!¡± The voice cracked, clearly in fear and Langa broke into a sprint, finding the source of the commotion. A young boy, no older than sixteen, was frantically firing arrows from a bow. He stood pressed against a wall, his quiver nearly empty. Three foxes surrounded him, their eyes glowing blue as they focused on him. His face was pale, eyes wide with fear, and his hands trembled as he struggled to fire another arrow. Unfortunately, the arrow went wide, and the boy¡¯s face clouded with panic. Langa could see his knees begin to shake beneath him. Hungry growls rose from the trio of foxes as they crept closer to him. There was a large level 3 fox and two level 2 foxes. One level 2 fox had an arrow sticking out of its side, the other had wounds on its legs and was limping while the level 3 fox seemed relatively unharmed. The boy stumbled backwards in fear, dropping his bow as he dodged the attack of one of the level two foxes. As this was the first living human that Langa had seen in this place, he immediately threw his two daggers at the corrupted creatures, one getting the level 3 fox straight in the eye as it leapt towards the boy, and the other dagger hitting the limping fox. Langa didn¡¯t hesitate as he ran forward, his spear quickly impaling the limping fox through the side. It collapsed in pain, dead. Meanwhile, the boy scrambled for his bow once more but by the time he was ready to fire his arrow, Langa was wrestling two injured, but fierce and rabidly attacking foxes and in his panic, the boy missed the first shot. ¡°Keep shooting!¡± Langa urged. ¡°Just aim for the eyes!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t!¡± The boy stammered, tears in his eyes. ¡°They¡¯re going to get me! I can¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°Yes, you can! Just focus!¡± Langa called out, thrusting his spear toward the closest fox. The weapon almost penetrated the fox''s side, but it was fast enough to leap away. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The level 3 fox completely ripped Langa¡¯s jeans open, its claws digging deep into his legs, but he gritted his teeth, choosing instead to quickly finish off the second level 2 fox since it was more injured. Thankfully, the boy managed to hit the level 3 fox with his third arrow, as Langa cut through the neck of the other fox. Once one was down, it became easier for him to finish off the other one. The boy slid down the wall, holding his knees as he gasped for air, tears on his face. He was clutching his head as if trying to physically keep the panic inside him from exploding. ¡°Listen to me,¡± Langa said, crouching down beside the trembling archer. ¡°You are safe with me. We¡¯re going to get out of here.¡± The boy¡¯s breaths were shallow, and he shook his head frantically. He looked down, seemingly not able to look away from the blood pooling beneath the fallen foxes. His hands trembled violently, and his breaths were strangled gasps. ¡°I can¡¯t¡ªwhat if they come for me? What if¡ª¡± This was a child, and he was right to be shaking and panicking. Langa frowned, his thoughts turning unpleasant. The boy would have died if he hadn¡¯t come here, and it made his heart ache to think that his niece, only nineteen herself, could find herself in such a situation. He knew he could be selfish at times, but he didn''t like seeing children hurt. He normally did not care about people he had just met and always kept his distance to spare them from his curse, but if he saw a child in danger, he had to protect them. It was the way his father had raised him, and something close to his heart. Langa placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. ¡°Just take your time to catch your breath. What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked. The boy blinked, his unfocused eyes slowly finding Langa¡¯s. ¡°Makoto,¡± he whispered, wheezing. ¡°Sato Makoto.¡± ¡°Okay, Makoto. You¡¯re safe now. Breathe with me, alright?¡± Langa said making sure to inhale deeply, trying to guide Makoto. He needed him stable if they were going to get out of here. ¡°You need to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.¡± Makoto tried to mimic him, but his breaths were uneven. They didn''t have time, though. They needed to get out of there and reach the safe zone. The faint growl of another fox sounded from the centre, and Makoto flinched, his breathing speeding up again. ¡°It won''t hurt you.¡± Langa had done these breathing exercises before, and repetition was key. ¡°You focus on breathing. One step at a time. We¡¯re safe for now.¡± Slowly, Makoto¡¯s breathing evened out, and the trembling in his hands lessened. He wiped at his face, looking up at Langa with both gratitude and fear. ¡°Thank you,¡± he whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Langa smiled. ¡°Everyone has moments like this.¡± At this boy¡¯s age, Langa knew he would have crashed out even harder than this if he¡¯d suddenly been brought into this place. Hell, the only reason he was even able to function right now was because he¡¯d pushed his fears away and locked them far into the depths of his mind. Makoto nodded, determination slowly replacing the panic in his eyes. He picked up the bow, his fingers trembling less now. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I could fight,¡± he admitted, looking up at Langa. ¡°I¡­I don''t like killing things.¡± ¡°For now, just focus on slowing them down for me, okay? You''re mean with that bow,¡± he said. ¡°Can you please do that for me?¡± he asked. Makoto nodded and stood up. ¡°Yes, but what the hell is happening? Do you know what¡¯s going on, brother?¡± he asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. And my name is Langa. Are you ready to move?¡± he said, in as soft a voice as he could muster. He had no idea how to talk to kids or offer them comfort. Khaya always teased him about it. ¡°Yes,¡± Makoto said, drinking a health potion, still looking dazed. He pulled out his arrows from the dead foxes. ¡°I¡­ I was trying to get to the safe zone but¡­ this is so screwed up, I¡­¡± ¡°Okay, Makoto, listen to me, the noise would have attracted all the other foxes left in this area. We need to run to the safe zone. As fast as we can, then we¡¯ll talk, okay?¡± Langa said, making a decision. The boy nodded bravely, and the two of them started to run out of the gate. Langa had a really bad feeling about passing through the red zone, but here was not safe either, and he did not know if they could make it to the safe zone on time if they got delayed here. So, they ran. As expected, Makoto was not nearly as fast as Langa, and he was afraid to leave him behind alone. He was worried that the red zone would be full of vicious monsters that would overrun them. But in truth, Langa need not have worried about that. After all, there was only one monster in the red zone, and it came barrelling straight at him as he was running. Naturally, Langa managed a quick sidestep and dodged the monster. Makoto quickly got behind him, nocking an arrow. Langa once again threw a dagger at the monster, but it swiftly evaded, leaping back. This monster was fast. Langa would be able to outrun it, but Makoto definitely wouldn¡¯t. Moreover, his breath deflated when he checked the monster¡¯s level. Corrupted Fox Level 5 HP: 300/300 "What do we do? It''s too strong! I only just got to level 2," Makoto said helplessly. Langa analysed the situation. Its HP was higher than the two they''d just killed combined! His spear only dealt about 20 damage, and Makoto''s arrows about 25 damage, and that was if he actually hit it, moreover, Makoto only had four arrows. He definitely could not throw his weapon in this instance, and he doubted whether the daggers he had left would help. "Shoot at its feet. Let''s reduce its mobility," Langa told him, readying his spear. Langa and the fox both charged forward at the same time, and Makoto scored a lucky hit on the monster''s left leg. It snarled, changing its target to him, but Langa thrust his spear forward, and it narrowly evaded, and he managed to graze its side. It only lost about 30HP in total from both attacks. While Makoto readied himself for another shot, Langa was forced to contend with the monster in close combat, and he thought to go for its neck, but the fox once again leapt up and this time its claws slashed Langa''s chest. [-29 HP.] "Langa!" Makoto cried in panic. It hurt. Just one hit and Langa lost a quarter of his HP. He could feel the blood trickling down his chest. At that moment, the fox leapt back, to avoid another arrow. Makoto''s arrow managed to at least give Langa some breathing room to create distance so that he could use the spear better. But the fox would not give him even a second to drink a health potion, and it came at him once more, and he could only dodge. Still, as it was close to him, he managed to sink the dagger into its uninjured foot as he dodged. At this moment, its already rabid blue eyes turned vicious as it howled, facing Langa. An arrow missed it, and it was advancing towards him once more, and all he could do was tighten his grip on his spear and not allow his fear to overcome him. At this dire moment, something unbelievable happened, and a misty black rope suddenly bound the fox''s legs, and someone came flying at the fox, kicking it down. It turned its head to the newcomer, but before it could fully turn, he kicked it again, this time on the side, and although he did not send it flying, Langa swore he heard a bone crack. To his surprise and disbelief, just from these two attacks, the fox lost more than 50% of its HP. Another dark mist rope appeared again, this time around the fox''s neck, causing it to whimper and thrash on the ground, belly up. Langa woke up from his stupor and thrust the spear right into the fox''s belly, piercing it through, and taking the last of its HP. You have killed a level 5 corrupted fox +120 EXP +20 bonus EXP +7 karma +20 copper coins [Congratulations! Level Up! Level 3 +3 karma +2STR, +2VIT, + 1AGI You have 3 free attribute points to distribute.] Langa plopped down on the ground in exhaustion. That was too much excitement for him. It was enough to last him four lifetimes. He needed to steady his heart because he could barely even breathe right now. Makoto was also sighing in relief that they made it. They actually managed to defeat a level 5 monster. Langa felt his body heal up and presumed that he had levelled up. Although he wanted to check the system messages as soon as he could, right now, there was a more pressing matter. Their saviours. There were two of them, the one who tied up the monster, and the one who dealt a lot of unbelievable damage to it. "Thankfully, we made it in time," the man said. And that was using the word man loosely. At 1.8 metres tall, Langa was at the average height for a man, and yet this person standing in front of him towered over him. He had to be over 2 metres tall. He was dressed in odd armour, a leather vest, and leather trousers with gauntlets on his arm. His belt had a sword sheathed neatly on it. His long blue hair flowed in the wind, his gait imposing as he fixed his eyes on Langa, one purple, one red, unnatural, yet completely in place for him, a stark contrast to his olive skin. There were also tiny scales running up his hands and arms. Yeah. He was definitely not human. ¡°Are you guys good to go? You don¡¯t want to miss the deadline for completing the quest, and these foxes respawn every five minutes,¡± one of the men who saved Langa and Makoto, said. He was human at least. He was a middle-aged man with dark hair and a rough beard and he wore a long dark red robe and was carrying a short staff. ¡°Um, yeah. Thanks for saving us,¡± Langa said, picking up his weapons, with Makoto trailing behind him. ¡°I¡¯m Langa, and this is Makoto.¡± Besides thanking the two for saving him, Makoto did not say much and he only walked behind Langa, constantly casting glances at the other two people. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯m Liv¡¯Kungsadu, and that¡¯s Sigurd,¡± the non-human gentleman answered him. ¡°I would prefer it if you call me Liv.¡± "Yeah, that''s fine," he said nodding. He wanted to ask Liv what race he was but thankfully, he kept his mouth shut. His curiosity might be offensive and he might seem like a racist in this new world. Curious if it would work, Langa scanned the two of them inquisitively, and sure enough, he saw their levels. Their names were written in yellow, but curiously, Makoto''s name and information were written in green. Sigurd Magnarson Level 3 Mage Liv¡¯Kungsadu Level 4 Fighter Langa looked around the red zone as the four of them started walking at a fast pace towards the safe zone. There was an uncomfortable stench in the air, and he recognised it as the smell of death. He could not explain why, but it made him extremely wary and hyper-alert. Here in the red zone, there was not a single tree in sight, just dead rocks and destroyed wooden buildings that looked like they may have been outposts once upon a time. The place they were walking on appeared to have been some kind of a road before it was torn apart by signs of fighting. This world, it seemed, had not known peace before it was destroyed. Was the damage done by the corrupted foxes? What corrupted them? Langa had so many questions, but since they were still not in a safe place, he decided to hold his curiosity for now. There was a small, very dim sun that Langa could see in the sky, yet there was light in this place. The sky above them was blood red as if at any moment, blood would rain on them like water in this godsforsaken world. He looked up into the sky, and it truly cemented for him that he was in a different world now. It was quite jarring, and he had no idea what to think, but he knew that right now, there was nothing he could do but accept this as his new reality. He pushed away his fears and focused on the now. He knew he would have to deal with them soon, but that was something for future Langa to worry about. The important thing was for him to appear calm and unfazed, that way people were less likely to look down on him for not knowing more about the integration. Taking a deep breath, he calmed his mind and once more observed the world in front of him. As far as the eye could see, the land around this world was barren, the red sky completely overcast, and yet the temperature felt neither hot nor cold. No wind was blowing, and everywhere Langa looked, everything stood still. Every building that they passed by was half destroyed. Areas that looked like they were previously farmlands were scattered all over the place but were overgrown with weeds. Even though this wasn''t Earth, Langa knew, having grown up in the rural areas, that it had been years since anyone tended to these farms. What on earth happened to this world? He wondered why it had been abandoned. It was desolate, no matter how far he looked as if there had never been a soul living here, and he did not like it one bit. He decided that what he needed most was information. He needed to know more about this world, the Tower, and his new companions. He was not sure if he could trust them, but they had saved his life, so he gave them the benefit of the doubt. They did not have to come out here to search for survivors, but they did, and he was grateful to them for that. They were getting closer to the safe zone when Langa asked, ¡°Did your worlds also get integrated into the Tower? Does that mean that you guys are here for the tutorial too? Have you met up with any other people?¡± He wanted to ask if any of them saw any dead bodies, but there was a child here, so he held his tongue. "Yeah, of course, we''re also here for the tutorial. I''m from the 40th Floor, and Sigurd said he''s from the 32nd,¡± Liv said, looking at him with his unnatural-coloured eyes. "Besides the two of us, there are three other players in the safe zone. Sigurd and I were worried that there might be others still out here, so we decided to scout around. The next tutorial quest is gonna be a group effort, so the others are waiting for us at the town hall. Which Floor are you from?" Langa matched his step, "36th Floor, whatever that means." He could feel a headache coming on. Today was not going at all how he expected. He hated being behind, he liked to be in control of his life, and without knowledge of this world, that control was slipping. No, he wouldn''t think about that. He would just pretend everything was fine as usual. Fuck, he needed a drink. Did they have wine in the Tower? Hell, he would even take a beer whatever they had as long as he could get some alcohol in his system. Langa could not believe that the first food he thought to ask for was alcohol and shook his head as Liv continued speaking. Liv gave him a sideways glance. ¡°You don¡¯t know? This tutorial is taking place because someone cleared the 30th floor of The Deiwos Tower, therefore, The Unrivalled has unlocked the next ten floors of the Tower for players who have cleared the 30th floor,¡± he explained. ¡°That¡¯s why inhabitants of the worlds that are set to be the 31st to the 40th floor were given a chance to become players and climb the Tower.¡± ¡°How does that even work? I mean does it mean that while we¡¯re out here, those players can just travel into our worlds as they see fit?¡± Langa asked, puzzled. ¡°No,¡± Liv shook his head. ¡°Only the 31st floor is open right now, and I don¡¯t know how long the players who have made it up there will take to clear it before the 32nd floor opens up.¡± ¡±I see,¡± Langa said, though he didn¡¯t get it. Something occurred to him as they continued to walk towards the safe zone. ¡°How come you can understand IsiZulu? I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s not a language that they teach in your world. It¡¯s not a language that¡¯s even taught all that much outside of South Africa,¡± he asked. ¡±What are you talking about, brother Langa? I¡¯m speaking Japanese right now,¡± Makoto said with a frown. Ah, what? This just confused Langa further until Sigurd explained. ¡°The system translates all languages in the multiverse into Towerspeak, the universal language of the multiverse. You may not know it, but you¡¯re speaking Towerspeak right now. You can even read it as naturally as if it were your native tongue. Even all the prompts and notifications from the system are in Towerspeak.¡± That was fucking weird. There was so much more that Langa wanted to ask, as this was a lot of information. However that would have to wait, and he suppressed all that as they finally reached the safe zone. He wanted to take a rest. 4. Floor 0: Tutorial (4) The safe zone was a town, closed out from the outside by a wall, and a tall metal gate. Although, to be fair, calling it a town was stretching it. ''Farguya Ghetto'' was etched on the sign as they went inside. There was a guard Tower on the inner part of the gate, but no guards in sight. There appeared to be plenty of cabins inside there, residences, and shops as well along the road, but there were no people anywhere. As they walked from the gate to where Liv and Sigurd were leading them, Langa took a look at the desolate streets. There was not a soul to be seen, and where it looked to have been a market, there was only rubble. Near the centre of the town was what looked like a statue, the remnants of a great battle had cut it in half, until there was very little left as evidence of the being that the monument was for. This whole place gave Langa the feeling of a once bustling, living world that had its life sapped from it. An abandoned world. Would Earth one day become like this too? There was no way he could know that. A prompt appeared in front of Langa. [You have entered the safe zone; Farguya Ghetto. Would you like to bind your soul here? Y/N] "Um, bind my soul? What does this mean?" Makoto asked, staring into space. "Hmm? Did they not teach you how to bind your resurrection stone in Constellation Studies?" the Mage, Sigurd asked. "Constellation Studies? What''s that? Was there a class we were supposed to take before we came into the tutorial?" This time it was Langa who asked in confusion. This, however, seemed to puzzle Sigurd even more. "I think that they are not from a natural world, Sigurd," Liv said, giving him a reproachful look. He turned to Makoto and said, "Just say yes. That way, if you die outside the safe zone, you will respawn here." Before Langa could respond to the message, both Makoto and Sigurd spoke at the same time, in equally excited voices. "We can come back to life if we die?" "Holy shit! I''ve never met anyone from a lost or forgotten world before!" Langa rolled his eyes and bound his soul. Nothing happened, and he did not feel anything different inside of him. Instead, the resurrection stone disappeared and he could feel it inside him. "You can only come back to life once on each floor, unless your god or constellation gifts you with a resurrection stone that has more lives. Otherwise, try to stay alert, and don''t die," Liv explained as he led them towards the largest building in what Langa assumed to be the centre of the city. Meanwhile, Makoto had gotten over his apprehension and was busy asking Sigurd what he meant by natural and lost worlds. Langa listened along to the explanation as well. Apparently, lost and forgotten worlds were worlds in which the constellations watching over them wanted to allow them to grow and prosper outside of the influence of the Towers and the Divine Wars, in order to try and prevent them from getting corrupted. They were independent worlds, unless if the corruption reached them, prompting the rise of the Void, then the constellations requested the Tower to take them in. Natural and blessed worlds were those which grew under the watchful eye of the constellations and the gods. They were largely able to stave off the corruption if their deities did their job. Most of the people from these worlds prayed to be chosen to be part of a Tower, that way, they would have access to the powers of the gods, be free from the dangers of corruption and the Void, and could participate in Divine Wars. None of that made much sense to Langa, and by the time they reached the town hall, Makoto was hanging onto every word Sigurd said. He had no idea what corruption even was. What did interest him, though was reason why their names appeared in different colours when scanned and that it was tied to their alignment. Green was for those with positive alignment, yellow for neutral, red for negative and black for voidents. Those with negative alignments were not allowed in safe zones, the system physically prohibited them from entering, because that alignment was generally reserved for those who attacked or killed non-combatant players and NPCs. Sigurd did not elaborate on the players with black names, or voidents as he called them, only that they were those who disrupted order in the Towers, and that they were actively hunted. Listening to that, it sounded to Langa as if the system did not care about combatant players being killed, and he wondered what kind of laws there were regarding that. His train of thought was interrupted as they finally got into the town. The whole town looked like it had seen countless battles, with very few houses or shops looking intact. The town hall was no exception. It was located inside a large courtyard with a smaller building next to it. The top floor of the town hall was caved in, and it looked like part of the second floor was badly damaged as well. Inside the hall, was a large table with over 20 seats, and on the other end of the room was an open door into what looked like an extravagant, albeit medieval-looking, gym or training area. Langa could not see everything through the door because, at that moment, a woman came through the door. The woman had long shaggy light brown hair, her skin was pale gold, and her eyes were brown and unnaturally round, larger than any eyes Langa had ever seen before. She had a small snout for a nose. Langa would have found her cute, like a cat, if not for the heavy chain mail armour that she was wearing, and the aggressive manner in which she walked up to them. ¡°Wow, gotta hand it to ya. I thought you¡¯d find corpses if you went out there,¡± the woman said, casting a brief glance at Langa and Makoto. She then squinted, looking at Langa. ¡°What the hell? Is it another arrogant dark elf? What¡¯s up with your hair?¡± Langa raised a hand to touch his dreadlocks and found nothing amiss. ¡°Um-¡° ¡°What¡¯s your nose for, you idiotic woman? What kind of lionkin cannot smell a human up close?¡± Another person said from the other side of the room. While the woman sniffed him, Langa looked over at the other occupants of the room. An old man was standing in front of a fox painting on the wall, his hands clasped together and eyes closed. The others were sitting at the end of the table, one man, and one woman. The one who had spoken was the male one, he had dark skin, darker than Langa, short sleeked back white hair, and long pointy ears. His dark eyes were watching Langa with interest, and he found himself shivering for some reason from that look and looked away from the handsome dark elf. The woman was also a dark elf, and she stuck close to the elf next to her. They were eating their tutorial rations, unconcerned with anything else. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. He is a human. Weird,¡± she shrugged and then walked away, tail swishing behind her as she walked. ¡°What the hell?¡± Makoto asked, coming up behind Langa. ¡°Forget them. Go talk to the old remnant NPC, you¡¯ll complete your quest,¡± Sigurd said with a shrug as he went to sit at the table while Liv went to speak to the lionkin woman. Although Langa had a million questions, for now, he felt that completing the quest was more important. ¡°Come on. I¡¯m ready to learn more about this world, let¡¯s talk to the old man,¡± he said to Makoto and the boy followed him. ¡°Excuse me, sir? Hello?¡± Langa said once they reached the old man. ¡°Hello, player. I am a remnant of Elder Farguya. I was merely showing my gratitude to The Unrivalled for sending you to our desolate world. I am thankful that you made it here safely,¡± the old man said with a bow. [You have completed Tutorial Quest #1 Quest Completion grade: A +200 Experience +250 karma +40 copper coins +3 Tutorial Rations +1 Basic Health Potion +1 skill book +1 leather breastplate +1 leather trousers +1 leather boots +1 leather jacket] [System Announcement: 7 out of 10 players on Zamone have managed to complete the first tutorial quest. +50 bonus experience to all surviving players. Tutorial Quest #2 will be issued in 22 hours.] Once he was done, Langa said, ¡°Thank you, Elder,¡± and he stepped aside to let Makoto through. The most intriguing thing out of all the rewards he received was the skill book, so Langa quickly opened it. [Skill: Flash Step Active skill You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Skill Rank: A Skill description: Lv 1 (0%): Promptly move to a target location within a radius of 5 metres. If there are any foes at the target location; 2x Agility damage is dealt. Cost: 30 Stamina Cool-down: 25 seconds.] [Please note: Player can only learn a maximum of: 5 Passive Skills (0/5) 10 Active Skills (0/10) 10 Divine Skills (0/10) Would you like to learn the skill ¡®Flash Step¡¯? Y/N] Langa only hesitated for a moment as he noted that this situation was different from those types of games where players could learn an infinite number of skills without limit. This was an A-rank skill, and it was really good, probably thanks to his tutorial quest completion grade. He grinned thinking that almost being killed by a level 5 fox was worth it after all. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, and a white light surrounded him, a jolt going through his body in an instant, leaving heat in its wake. And then it was over. [You have learned the skill: ¡®Flash Step¡¯] Next, he wanted to change out of his ripped jeans and t-shirt, even if it meant changing into the crude leather armour. ¡°Brother Langa, what does it mean that my quest completion grade is C? Does that mean that I almost failed?¡± Makoto asked once he was done talking to the old man. ¡°And how come you have so many clothes? I only got one cloak?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I saved you? I don¡¯t know,¡± he replied. ¡°Hmm¡­ well, I got a C rank skill called mana shot, it allows me to create mana arrows that increase the damage dealt by my arrows, so that¡¯s something I guess,¡± he said, learning the skill. ¡°Langa, can I borrow you guys for a minute please?¡± Liv called out to them. He was sitting at the table, along with everyone else, and although Langa wanted to quickly change from his torn clothes, he decided to follow Lady Mira¡¯s advice and get along with the other players, so he and Makoto joined them at the table. ¡°Thank you all for agreeing to this meeting. I thought it was important for us all to get acquainted and plan how we¡¯re going to work together moving forward,¡± Liv said. He sat at the head of the table, and Langa caught the female dark elf eyeing him disdainfully. Langa looked at the two dark elves to get their details since they had not had the chance to introduce themselves. The woman was Qin Ghol III and she was level 3, while the man was Fi Kindaro III and he was level 4. While he was at it, Langa also checked the lionkin lady and her name was Eniche V Tigris Vale, also level 4. Fi Kindaro III snorted at Liv¡¯s statement. ¡°Get acquainted? Don¡¯t tell me, are we going to go in a line introducing ourselves and telling each other our likes and dislikes? Oh, let¡¯s all be friends and get along nicely,¡± he said with a sneer. Ghol laughed as if he had just said the funniest joke. ¡°No. I just want to get the logistics out of the way, Kindaro. This is the safe zone, so technically we can go live anywhere inside the town for the next week, but I just wanted to suggest that we all stay here, it¡¯s convenient,¡± Liv said to everyone, unperturbed by the mockery. ¡°I spoke to the Elder earlier, and he said that he prepared 10 rooms for players to sleep in, I¡¯ll show you where they are upstairs. I think it¡¯s a good place for the seven of us to sleep for the time being, it makes communication easier.¡± ¡°Sure, whatever. I like it here, the training room is brutal and I can challenge myself all day. I can even fall asleep in there if I want,¡± Eniche said in approval, and Sigurd nodded. Langa neither approved nor declined, as it seemed like Liv was not done talking. ¡°The Elder knows a few passive skills as well, so if anyone wants to learn a new skill, you can ask him to teach you. The fee is cheaper by margins compared to how much more expensive it would be to learn the skills inside the Tower,¡± Liv informed them. ¡°What kind of fool would waste one of their precious 5 passive skill slots by learning a skill from a backwater world abandoned by the gods?¡± Ghol asked, disdainfully. ¡°We can learn skills from other people? Not just from skill books?¡± Makoto asked in awe, and Ghol, Kindaro and Eniche stared at him in surprise. ¡°Um¡­ Brother Langa and I aren¡¯t from a natural world, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite alright kid,¡± Sigurd said kindly. ¡°Yes, you can learn skills from someone who has a grandmaster level in that skill. They usually charge a fortune though, and they may help you raise the level of your skill too if you-¡° But before he could finish, Kindaro banged on the table, barely contained anger apparent on his face. ¡°The gods have truly abandoned this world. What the hell is this nonsense? Someone as gifted as myself was thrown into this unfathomably pathetic team? Two low-level common outworlders with no concept of the gods or the might of the Tower dare to sit on the same table as me, royalty from a blessed world?¡± he barked angrily turning his gaze from Langa and Makoto to Sigurd, ¡°If that was not bad enough, the team also includes a Viking who chose a fucking Mage class? Are you insane? Your kind can barely even feel the lucents in the air! I have spent my whole life training to control mana, to build a manacore in preparation for when The Unrivalled finally integrated our world, but what? I am stuck here with only fools who shall drag me down in this tutorial!¡± Sigurd pursed his lips and looked down. Makoto was trembling next to Langa, but Langa himself was neither upset nor angry. Discrimination was something that he¡¯d faced his whole life, elitists who resented his talents when he performed better than them, children at school who bullied him because they were jealous of his talents and even racists who tried to put him down every time he was chosen to compete in national tournaments. It did not bother him anymore, after all, it said more about them than it did about him. Right now, he lacked information about this new world, but he would still not lag, without even trying his hardest, he knew he could surpass everyone in this room¡­ except maybe Liv. There was something about his aura that made Langa hesitate. Ghol put a hand on Kindaro¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Your Highness, please calm yourself. They do not deserve your attention let alone your anger,¡± she said. ¡°Yeah, Calm down Kindaro. Do not look down on others based on their background that you know nothing about,¡± Liv warned him. ¡°Oh please,¡± Eniche said scratching her shaggy hair with narrowed eyes, ¡°what else can you expect from him? Dark elves only care about their misplaced superiority complex. All you know how to do is to follow your deranged demon gods as they take over other people¡¯s worlds. You¡¯re just a bunch of leeches!¡± Ghol pulled out her dagger and stood up, ¡°You dare blaspheme against The Great Thousand Undead?!¡± ¡°Ghol, sit down. Do not entertain that filthy animal. You will lose your intelligence,¡± Kindaro said, not even looking at Eniche. ¡°As for you, Liv¡¯Kungsadu, what gives you the right to act like a leader? You demigods are full of yourselves, just because you were born to power while the rest of us had to work for it!¡± Even as Kindaro tried to provoke him, Liv remained calm. So, he was a demigod, then? No wonder Langa felt a dangerous aura from him. Having been silent enough, Langa decided to speak. ¡°You bring up a good point. It would be easier to make decisions if we had a leader. I think that should be our first order of business.¡± Ghol sheathed her dagger and sat down. ¡°Very well human. Since His Highness Fi Kindaro III has the highest noble status, he shall be our leader.¡± ¡°Like hell!¡± ¡°Me, being led by a power-drunk dark elf? Over my dead body!¡± Eniche snarled. ¡°That can be arranged, bitch.¡± Sigurd, who had been quiet since Kindaro insulted him, laughed. ¡°This is good. In Viking culture, the leader is always the strongest. We must fight to determine our leader.¡± Eniche cracked her knuckles with a satisfied grin, ¡°A battle royale, then? I¡¯m going to pound all your heads in.¡± Once again, Kindaro snorted, ¡°You wish to drag us down into your insane cultural norms? I think not.¡± Liv put up his hand to silence Eniche who was about to retort, ¡°Guys, this is a safe zone. We can¡¯t fight here, only spars are allowed. We need to agree on a peaceful way to get a leader.¡± ¡°In my culture, the custom is to let the eldest person choose,¡± Makoto said quietly. ¡°Yeah, no thanks, kid. I¡¯m not interested,¡± Sigurd said since he was clearly the eldest. Langa rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of the situation. ¡°Have none of you ever heard of democracy? What kind of worlds do you live in? Let¡¯s just vote. Whoever gets the most votes, wins¡­ and everyone has to listen to them.¡± Kindaro huffed but did not argue, and Eniche just shrugged. No one seemed to object to the suggestion, so Ghol said, ¡°Fine. I vote for His Highness.¡± ¡°Thank you Ghol. I also vote for myself,¡± Kindaro said with a nod. ¡°I vote for Liv,¡± Sigurd said. ¡°Okay 2 votes for Kindaro, 1 vote for Liv,¡± Langa said keeping score. Makoto grinned up at him, ¡°I vote for you, brother.¡± Langa snorted, ¡°There¡¯s nothing I hate more than having responsibilities, I vote for Liv as well.¡± Liv looked at Langa with a frown, ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short. I think you-¡° ¡°We need someone who knows about what¡¯s going on in charge,¡± Langa said cutting him off. He was inwardly panicking at the thought of being chosen to lead. He absolutely hated being in charge of anything, or anyone especially not this crazy bunch. He was also way too lazy to have all those responsibilities piled on him. ¡°Eniche, what¡¯s your vote? We¡¯ve got 2 for Kindaro and 2 for Liv.¡± Eniche bit her lip. ¡°I don¡¯t like dark elves or demigods, but only one of you has pissed me off today. So I vote for Liv¡¯Kungsadu.¡± Langa heaved a sigh of relief as Kindaro cursed in frustration. ¡°Well, Liv, it looks like you win¡­ unless you were gonna vote for Kindaro of course,¡± he said with a satisfied smile. Liv sighed. ¡°Fine. You guys elected me, so I will be the leader then, if no one objects.¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s not the lionkin, I don¡¯t care,¡± Kindaro muttered, arms crossed. Langa was just pleased that he was not the leader. He was smiling when he received a new prompt from the system. [You played a major role in allowing your team to become the first team in the Floor 31 to 40 tutorial batch to select a team leader. +50 Karma Hidden Quest Unlocked!]
HIDDEN QUEST #1
Quest Rank: Unique
Quest Objectives:
Gain your teammates¡¯ trust using any means necessary. Learn the motivations that your teammates have for climbing the Tower, and what drives them to fight. Build team unity!
Time Limit:
Tutorial Only
Quest Limitations:
Progression: 0/6
Cautions:
N/A
Quest Rewards:
Rare Title
Langa stared at the quest in front of him and resisted the urge to laugh. How was he supposed to get these people to trust him and open up to him? Yeah, there was no way that was happening anytime soon. ¡°Oh, I just received a hidden quest for being the first in our entire tutorial batch to be elected as a team leader,¡± Liv exclaimed. ¡°It says that we need to fight 5 battles in which I¡¯m the party leader and win. The reward is a title that will enhance our party play.¡± Kindaro stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go right now. The tutorial is seven days long, but we all know the quicker we complete it, the more rewards we get.¡± ¡°I think we should wait to go outside the safe zone until tomorrow when we get the main tutorial quest,¡± Sigurd suggested. ¡°What? We need to level up before that!¡± Kindaro snapped. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not going out of the safe zone today. I¡¯m going to spend the rest of the day training, getting used to my new skill and my weapon. It would be foolish for me to go out there and get into a fight without knowing the extent of my powers,¡± Langa said to everyone. ¡°Makoto, you¡¯ll train today as well.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Makoto nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a great idea, Langa, is it? I¡¯ll show you the training room. It has everything you could ever wish for if you want to get stronger. I also need to train to get back into form since the tutorial reset my level,¡± Eniche agreed with him. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you train as well, Langa, so that we¡¯re all in top form tomorrow. The stronger we are individually, the stronger the team.¡± Liv said, and then he looked around the table. ¡°Is anyone willing to help Sigurd train his mana control?¡± Kindaro rolled his eyes, ¡°Fine, I am the only other Mage in here anyway. Hey, you Viking, I will teach you, but only because I need as many of you as possible to be alive at the end of the tutorial to get better rewards.¡± Things seemed to be going as well as they possibly could with such a mix of different personalities. 5. Floor 0: Training (1) The first thing the Elder did was to show everyone to their rooms. They were on the second floor, half of which was caved in. Langa¡¯s room looked like it used to be an office, small, with a desk and chair on one side, and a mattress on the floor. He put down his backpack and immediately checked out his new armour. [Basic leather breastplate Rank: Common +20 Defence Durability: 20/20] [Basic leather trousers Rank: Common +10 Stamina Durability 20/20] [Basic leather boots Rank: Common +1 Agility Durability: 15/15] [Basic leather jacket Rank: Common +1 Vitality Durability 20/20] Since he was finally able to change out of his damaged clothes, Langa felt refreshed and decided to check his status screen before going downstairs to start training.
Name: Langa Zulu Race : Human
Age : 27 Character: Player
Level: 3 Class: Fighter
Available Karma: 330 Total Karma: 330
Deity: N/A Highest Floor: 0/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: LOCKED EXP: 260/300
HP: 170/170 STA: 300/300 (+20)
MP: 60/60
STR: 14 AGI: 23 (+1)
MND: 6 VIT: 16 (+1)
Free Attribute Points: 3 Alignment: (0) NEUTRAL
SPECIAL STATS: N/A
Regeneration Rates: (View more) Equipment: (View more)
LOCKED: Affinities and Resistances Titles Inventory
SKILLS Skill Rank Skill level Skill Properties
PASSIVE SKILLS (0/5)
ACTIVE SKILLS(1/10)
Flash Step A Beginner Level 1 Promptly move to a target location within a radius of 5 metres. If there are any foes at the target location; 2x Agility damage is dealt. Cost: 30 Stamina Cool-down: 25 seconds.
Divine SKILLS (0/10)
He saw that he was only a few experience points away from Level 4, and his karma had increased considerably as well. He was still unsure where to allocate his points from levelling up, so he left them be for now, as he was itching to test out his new skill downstairs. When he was inside the entrance hall, the training room looked like a regular gym, however, once he went inside, he was blown away. What he had been seeing before was the mana training room. He could see Sigurd sitting on a mat, eyes closed next to Kindaro. Kindaro was lifting two dumbbells steadily into the air with nothing but his mind. They both seemed to be heavily absorbed in what they were doing, and Langa quickly passed them by, the strange energy in the room prickling his skin. The training room opened up to the outside courtyard in which the town hall was located. Out here, was a long track going around the courtyard that Langa estimated to be the standard 400-metre track that he¡¯d seen being used in high school. On the other end of the courtyard were dummies, some made of straw, others seemed to be metal, and beyond that, there seemed to be an archery range. There were various types of equipment scattered all over the courtyard that Langa did not know of, but they seemed to be training equipment. Lastly, there were boxes next to him filled with wooden swords, spears, daggers, axes and staffs. Makoto was at the archery range, with the Elder speaking to him, and correcting his form. What caught Langa¡¯s attention though, was Eniche. She was jogging on the track, dragging a giant rock that was strapped to her body by a bunch of ropes. If Langa had to estimate, that rock had to be at least 100kg! and she wasn¡¯t even bench pressing, she was jogging while dragging it! Just how strong was this woman? He shook his head and picked up a wooden short spear. This one did not even have bronze tips like his own pike, it was 100% wood. He also took a few wooden javelins. They would be good for practice even with their poor piercing power. He walked over to the wide-open area with the dummies to begin his training. There was enough space for him to move around, so he decided to activate Flash Step. He concentrated on the spot right in front of a dummy, about 3 metres in front of him, and took a step forward, and suddenly, he was right in front of the dummy. He barely managed to keep his balance, as the sudden shift disoriented him. He blinked. Okay, he knew how it worked now. His total stamina was 300, so he could use this skill a maximum of 10 times, and he would have to wait until his stamina regenerated. It regenerated at about 8 STA per minute. Since the skill had a cool-down of 25 seconds, that meant he could use it a maximum of two times a minute. So, Langa practised. He would Flash Step forward, then run to the side with his own agility while waiting for the cool-down time to lapse. He would charge forward with the spear, fall back, and throw the javelin. He practised like that for a while, until he felt that something was off. He was getting tired, but he kept running until he suddenly fell to the ground. His whole body felt lethargic, and he could not stand up again. ¡°What the hell?¡± he wondered breathing heavily. [Debuff: Stamina below 5%. Reduced movement speed. You are paralysed until stamina regenerates to 10%. Time remaining: 2 minutes 15 seconds] Shit. He couldn¡¯t move for a whole minute! ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Liv said hurrying over to him, hand out. ¡°I can¡¯t move. My stamina¡¯s down.¡± ¡°What? You know your stamina is literally all of the energy in your body, right? You need it to keep your basic bodily functions active. How could you let your stamina get below 5%, in training no less? Damn, sorry. I keep forgetting you¡¯re new to this,¡± the frustration was evident in Liv¡¯s voice. He pulled out a pill from his pocket. ¡°Here eat this.¡± Langa was helplessly fed a bitter pill by Liv. He felt a refreshing wind pass through his body as soon as he swallowed it. [Basic Stamina pill consumed. +50 Stamina] He could move again, and he took Liv¡¯s hand as he helped him up. ¡°Thanks, that must have been a precious item. How much do you want for it?¡± Liv waved his hand dismissively, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it was one of the rewards from my platinum tutorial kit. The most important thing is to never let your stamina fall below 10%. Change your system settings so that your stamina bar, MP bar and HP bar are always visible to you, even in combat. It will help you manage your skills.¡± As soon as Langa thought about it, the three bars became visible in his peripheral vision. The green HP bar was almost full, the blue MP bar was also full while the black stamina bar was barely above 20%. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good that I learned this before an actual battle, or I¡¯d be dead right now. Is there a way to improve my stamina regeneration rate?¡± ¡°The total stamina is determined by your strength and vitality, but the regeneration rate is determined only by strength. You seem to be going for an agility-type build from what I¡¯ve seen of your training, so unless you want to dump more attribute points into strength, then you¡¯re just going to have to learn to manage your stamina,¡± he paused. ¡°How high is your MP? You can convert it at a rate of 1 stamina per 10 MP.¡± Langa shook his head, Mind was his lowest stat. ¡°I¡¯d only get 6 stamina points. ¡° ¡°That¡¯s not good. Anyway, why aren¡¯t you using the mana dummies? They are much better than the straw dummies for someone like you who seems to focus more on movement speed,¡± Liv said, and seeing the puzzled look on Langa¡¯s face, he sighed, ¡°Come on.¡± He led him towards the metal dummies. ¡°You can set them by infusing your mana. Concentrate on the energy in the air, or if you feel it inside your body, then direct it through your hands and touch the dummy like this.¡± He touched the head of the dummy with his finger, and the dummy opened its eyes, like a freaking robot. ¡°Cool,¡± Langa looked at the next dummy interestedly. He closed his eyes, thinking of the prickling sensation he¡¯d felt when he¡¯d been teleported from Earth to Lady Mira¡¯s office. Sure enough, he felt a warm energy inside his body and quickly touched the dummy¡¯s head. [Mana Training Model Activated. Player level: 3 This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Please choose training mode. Strength Based: Lv 1/Lv2/Lv3/Lv4/Lv5 Agility Based: Lv 1/Lv2/Lv3/Lv4/Lv5 Mind Based: Lv 1/Lv2/Lv3/Lv4/Lv5 Vitality Based: Lv 1/Lv2/Lv3/Lv4/Lv5 Balance Based: Lv 1/Lv2/Lv3/Lv4/Lv5 Reflection Based: Lv3] ¡°Uh¡­ how do I choose?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a mana dummy. Depending on which level you want the dummy to be, it will distribute the average number of stats of most races at that level equally, with the chosen stat being double the average. If you choose the balance one, the stats will be balanced, and if you choose the reflection one, it will be based on your stats. For the other modes, you can always customise it further, because it is not really accurate, it mostly copies people that it has reflected before. You can be specific and request it to be a fire Mage or swordsman fighter etc,¡± Liv explained. That was some advanced technology¡­ oh, right, it was magic. Langa shook his head and retracted his finger. The dummy returned to being still. Okay, now he could have a sparring partner whenever he wanted. ¡°This will be a great help in my training.¡± ¡°By the way, I was watching you practice earlier, trying to see if I could help you. Can I be honest?¡± Liv asked. Langa raised his eyebrows, usually when someone spoke like this, they had something negative to say. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°You¡¯re fast, so your dodge speed is decent, but your spearmanship sucks, man. Sorry.¡± Langa burst out laughing, ¡°That¡¯s no surprise. Before today, the only spear I¡¯d ever held was a javelin in a javelin throwing competition. Any chance you can teach me?¡± He was only joking, but Liv shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, only someone who has reached grandmaster level can teach a skill. Anyway, I don¡¯t have spear skills, the only skills I have are unarmed combat and swordsmanship,¡± he said, and then his purple eye lit up. ¡°Oh, there is something I can teach you, but it¡¯s not a skill.¡± Before Langa could even agree, Liv started to demonstrate. ¡°This is the basic footwork, the Ade Step, that the dragonkin taught us growing up. You move like this, one step forward to attack, one step back to defend and one step to the side to evade,¡± Liv said, moving up, then back, then sideways. ¡°Obviously, this is just a basic pattern to control and not waste your movements, but it helps you practice different formations. You need to be able to move seamlessly between attacking, defending and evading.¡± Langa watched him closely, and then started to imitate him. He moved first in the attack, evade, defend pattern, then switched it up to defend, attack, evade. As he continued practising, he discovered that as Liv said, during a battle, he might only need to do one or two of the three steps or even use one step more than once. ¡°I think I get it,¡± Langa said after stepping back. ¡°It¡¯s not set in stone, is it? This is just to discipline yourself and be conscious of your movements. Because sometimes you might need to just attack, attack, attack without needing to evade or defend, in which case you wouldn¡¯t just be stepping forward, you¡¯d be moving all around, right?¡± ¡°Bingo. The whole point of this footwork is to control your movements so that there are no wasted movements, and no wasted stamina. The more you level up and decide your fighting style, the more you can create your very own form of footwork. Most people don¡¯t waste a precious skill slot on footwork,¡± Liv said. ¡°With your fighting style, I think you should focus more on attacking and evading over defending. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re using your time wisely with training. That¡¯s why The Unrivalled gifts all players with a tutorial after all.¡± Langa nodded, ¡°Alright. Earlier you said the Elder can teach us skills, do we just need to ask?¡± ¡°Yeah, I mean you have to pay for them, but since it¡¯s the tutorial, the skills are dirt cheap. You won¡¯t find anyone in any world inside a Tower to teach you a B-rank skill for only one silver,¡± he answered. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m gonna go scout out the area around the town for tomorrow. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Okay, and how many copper coins is one silver?¡± Langa called as Liv was leaving. ¡°A hundred!¡± he answered, and Langa smiled bitterly watching his back. He only had 65 coins. He would have to shelve the thought of learning a skill for after he went hunting. For now, it was time to train. Langa hated responsibilities. His favourite thing in the world was sleeping or lazing around doing nothing. If that was how he spent his day, at least in his old life, he considered that a day well spent. Yeah, that¡¯s right, he was very lazy, it was something that could not be helped, as he was a prodigy at athletics, so he saw no reason to work hard. However, if there was something that he never slacked on, it was training his body. He followed the training regimen that his coach and personal trainers set up for him to a tee. His body condition was always the best. He did not care about winning, but¡­ he would not allow himself to lose either. So, really, all he ever did was train and then laze around doing nothing in peace. So right now, in an unknown world, the only thing he could control was his body condition, thus he trained. All day, against the dummies, he practised his footwork and his Flash Step. He ran, dodged, and stabbed with the wooden spear, trying to come up with attack patterns that suited him. He would Flash Step up, attack, then evade, running back until the skill was off cool-down. He practised until his legs were sore, and his breath haggard. For a moment, he thought he could hear the pulse of his heart as it pumped blood. It was late at night when he finally went to sleep after eating the tutorial rations. In bed, he muled over Liv''s answer when Langa had asked him what kind of god The Unrivalled was. "She¡¯s the best member of The Great Quartenity,¡± Liv said after thinking for a moment. Seeing that Langa didn¡¯t understand, he continued. ¡°Life, Death, Chaos and Order were the first and only gods ever created by The Creator. They ¡®protect¡¯ mortals from corruption in their own way. Life and Death maintain the life cycle of mortals, assimilating and harnessing corruption to keep the world in balance, Chaos seals corruption with his void, preventing it from spreading rampantly to other worlds in the infinite multiverse. The void is an unending onslaught, but compared to corruption, it is the less detrimental of two undesirable options. Order is The Unrivalled. She saves worlds from Rampant Corruption and by integrating them into the Tower, ensures that a Void Eruption doesn¡¯t mean the end of every world.¡± Langa didn¡¯t fully understand everything, and he could only hope The Unrivalled looked after Earth. *
TUTORIAL QUEST #2
Quest Rank: E
The world of Zamone followed a broken constellation (The Star-Eating FireFox Queen) that manipulated them into forsaking their god and worshipping only her. The constellation became a fallen star, and when corruption overwhelmed the world, and the maestrils invaded Zamone, she abandoned the mortals in this world, and they all perished without a god to protect them. In their last moments, the mortals of Zamone prayed to The Unrivalled Tower Master, concentrating their power, and creating a remnant of their world. They prayed that the Legacies of their world would remain alive and be chosen for a Tower before the end of their world. The Unrivalled Tower Master heard their plea and sent players to the abandoned world.
Quest Objectives:
-Find the location of the maestril boss -Kill the maestril mini-boss -Obtain 500 karma
Optional Quest Objectives:
Find your Calling.
Time Limit:
3 days
Quest Limitations:
N/A
Cautions:
If this quest is not completed, then the final tutorial quest will be cancelled, and in 6 days the abandoned world of Zamone will be destroyed, turning into a Void world, and the players remaining inside of it will cease to exist
Quest Rewards:
-Final tutorial quest issued -??? Bonus karma -Accessory/Skill Points -Calling (Optional)
The seven players gathered at the table inside the town hall the next morning to discuss the quest, as well as the way forward. Langa read the quest over and over again, and what fascinated him the most, was the history of the world of Zamone, and how it fell. He wanted to know more about this entire multiverse, and their deities, like what was the difference between a constellation and a god? His father had been a History teacher at the local high school, and he was a big enthusiast of ancient gods. After he was gone, that hobby was all Langa could do to remain close to him. He shook his head, clearing that thought away. Also, he focused on the optional quest. He distinctly remembered that before she teleported him to this world for the tutorial, Lady Mira told him to find his Calling. He had no idea what that was. ¡°We finally got our second quest, so what¡¯s our first order of business? Defeating the mini-boss?¡± Ghol asked once everyone was seated. Eniche snorted, ¡°Girl, you are level 3, a level 1 maestril will wipe the floor with you! You¡¯ve never seen one, have you?¡± Ghol scowled but did not retort. This made Langa feel that perhaps Eniche was right. ¡°I have a proposition,¡± Kindaro said, sending Ghol a disapproving glance. ¡°As much as I wish to kill the maestril as soon as possible, I also think we are too weak. Going by the conjecture that the final boss is around level 10 to 12, the level cap for abandoned worlds, then the mini-boss should be level 5. Ideally, when confronting maetrils, everyone in the party should be at least the same level or one level lower, so I suggest that we all get to level 5 before confronting it.¡± Liv nodded his head in agreement and Langa watched everyone in wonder. Were maestrils that strong? ¡°While I agree with you, it might be hard for all of us to reach that level in less than 3 days,¡± Liv said. ¡±Um¡­what¡¯s a maestril?¡± Makoto asked nervously. Exasperated looks were cast at him from around the table. Actually, Langa was curious too. Sigurd was the one who answered, being fonder of Makoto than the rest, ¡°It¡¯s the most powerful type of monster, and it¡¯s a sapient being created by one of the first gods, The Onslaught of The Dark Void. Sometimes they can be under the sponsorship of a demon god. Their job is to drain a world¡¯s karma to get stronger, and increase the karma of the Void, so that it can consume more worlds, allowing more maestrils to be born,¡± he explained. ¡°Also, if you get killed by a maestril, you lose a part of your available karma, so they are really troublesome monsters.¡± So, that was what it was. It seemed like the distinction between available karma and total karma was important. As everyone started throwing out ideas of how they could level up today, Langa¡¯s eyes were drawn to Eniche. Usually, she had a haughty, aggressive look on her face, but ever since they started talking about maestrils, the hairs on her arms had gone up and her hands were balled into fists. ¡°Let¡¯s do it this way, for today, the level 4s should reach level 5, the level 3s level 4, and Makoto, you should aim for level 3,¡± Liv suggested. ¡°I¡¯m only 10 EXP away from level 3. I¡¯ll aim for level 4,¡± Makoto said. Langa also spoke up, ¡°I¡¯m also pretty close to level 4, so I¡¯ll aim for level 5 by the end of today.¡± ¡°Great,¡± Liv beamed. ¡°We should split up into two groups, I scouted around a bit yesterday, and marked some locations on my map.¡± Liv shared his map with everyone at the table, and some areas were marked. ¡°I did a quick survey of the area to see if there was a place for us to get used to our skills and get some training before we do the final tutorial quest and I¡¯ve been able to mark some places on the map that are around us.¡± As he spoke, he referred to the map. ¡°So to the west is where the centres are located, where we all spawned, there¡¯s a red zone with level five corrupted foxes and level six corrupted wolves between us and the centres. In the centres, the yellow zone, there are level 1 to 3 corrupted foxes. To the south of here, the safe zone, there is a yellow zone in a forest area and in there, there are level three and four corrupted foxes. Beyond part is a red zone, I¡¯m not sure what¡¯s in there. I was unable to cross the yellow zone. To the north of here is another red zone. This one is a lake, I¡¯m not sure what could be in there either. Finally, to the east of here is another yellow zone. This one is filled with level 1 to 3 corrupted wolves, but there are a lot of them. The area beyond that is a forest, but I couldn¡¯t see anything as it is not colour-coded, which probably means that there is nothing.¡± ¡°I want to take on the red zone to the west, although the monsters there are level 5, the spawn rate of monsters is slow, so I think a small group can handle it. I¡¯ll take Ghol with me, and anyone else who wants to come,¡± Kindaro said pointing at the red zone separating the safe zone from the centres. ¡°I¡¯ll be in the other team,¡± Eniche said promptly, making it clear that she wanted nothing to do with the two dark elves. ¡°My team will go to the yellow zone south from here with the level 3 and 4 monsters.¡± Langa was not confident about confronting the level 5 monsters yet, so he said, ¡°Makoto and I will go with you, Eniche.¡± ¡°Okay, in that case, Sigurd, you join Eniche¡¯s team as well, so it would be one level 4, two level 3s and a level 2. I¡¯ll go with Kindaro and Ghol, so we¡¯ll be two level 4s and one level 3. Let¡¯s add each other on our comcers, and if you feel you¡¯re in danger, please contact us,¡± Liv said. ¡°Let¡¯s all try to see if we can find where the maestrils are as well.¡± The comcers were the bracelet device that everyone had been given in their tutorial kit. It worked as a communication device once you infused your mana into it. For some reason, Langa knew how to do this mana infusion. He had to sit down, and feel some particles of energy moving inside of him like his blood, but fluid in nature. Then he released those particles, and that was mana leaving his body. It was freaky, and weird, but also fun. This was magic. He didn''t have a skill that used magic but, it was still fascinating for him. Once you infused mana an interface would appear, and if your comcer came into contact with another one, a prompt would appear, asking if you wanted to add that person as a friend. Only then could you contact them. You could contact friends in various ways, sending a voice note instantly, speaking to them directly or sending a text note, just by thinking it. You could also create a group chat with friends, and only voice note communications were possible. Once everyone added each other as friends, Kindaro stood up, ¡°Alright, I will go get my equipment, and we¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°By the way, what¡¯s a Calling?¡± Langa asked curiously. ¡°The first step in your road to destiny,¡± Sigurd said wearily. ¡°It¡¯s a gift only given to people from lost or forgotten worlds. People from blessed and natural worlds are allowed to bring either one skill or one weapon/item into the tutorial. Since you guys don¡¯t get that, you are given a Calling.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Makoto asked, with interest. ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain, but it¡¯s something that solidifies your future whether you find it or not, and it can only be found in the tutorial,¡± the one who answered was, surprisingly, Kindaro. ¡°Your Calling is unique to you, only you can detect it. It can be a skill, an item, a weapon or even an encounter. It can be a good thing or a bad thing, but it is what makes or breaks you.¡± Langa frowned in confusion, ¡°So, is it something that you have to find or not?¡± ¡°Think of it this way, Langa, in the Tower, in life really, there are a billion paths you can take, and right now, before you step into the Tower, there are only two paths in front of you. Either you find your Calling or you don¡¯t. Those two paths are drastically different,¡± Liv simplified. Langa was still unsure if he totally understood it, but he likened it to the time when, as a child living in rural Eshowe KZN, he had won a school 100-metre race, and it just so happened that, in the crowd, a former national champion had been watching, visiting his grandmother in the village. That encounter changed his life, and because he met that person, he was transferred to a school in the city, given a scholarship, and his whole family also moved to the city. If he had never met that person, his life would have been drastically different. Langa wondered if a Calling was something like that. Once they were done with the conversation, everyone prepared to leave. ¡°Wait for me outside,¡± Eniche told Langa. ¡°I¡¯m going to go put on my armour.¡± Makoto went to speak to Liv about something, and Langa went outside to wait for his teammates while he ate his tutorial rations. Today, he would see if his training produced any results. 6. Floor 0: Training (2) Langa sat outside the town hall, eating the rations that he''d got from the tutorial kit when Makoto came down to sit next to him. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked. "Sure, what''s up?" "I learned a skill from the Elder, and I want to improve it as soon as I possibly can so that I can contribute to the group," Makoto started. Langa frowned, "How? Liv said that the old man charged one silver to learn a skill, I doubt that you had that much." Makoto looked down, hands balled into fists, "I paid in karma. I paid 200 karma for a C-rank beginner bow and arrow skill." "Are you crazy?" Langa looked at him incredulously, concern etched on his face. "We need 1000 karma to enter the 1st Floor! Killing these corrupted creatures only yields like 2 or 3 karma, and it seems like quests grant the most karma, but how are you going to make up a 200 karma deficit?" "I have a plan. The Elder will return my karma that he''s holding as long as I pay back 3 silvers. Before you say it, I know I''m only level 2 and the creatures that I can kill can only give a few coppers. But, I have gotten better with my bow, and I''m thinking of going back to the centre where we started and grinding the level 1 to 3 corrupted foxes until I make the money. The experience won''t be enough for you guys, and I gotta do this alone. I just need to perch up on top of a centre and shoot the foxes down from above. I will probably be able to reach level 4 at least," Makoto told him. "And how do you plan to cross the red zone by yourself?" Langa asked. This was a terrible idea that could only work in theory. "I just spoke to Brother Liv. He and the others will get me through the red zone, and they will be nearby if I need help," Makoto said absent-mindedly, touching the ring on his finger. Langa sighed. If the others were close then it seemed like a reasonable plan, and if Liv was there, then at least he knew he would protect him. "I''m still worried." "Why? I wanted to ask you yesterday, but why do you care so much about me? Yesterday, you risked your life to save me. We both know you could have run through the red zone without fighting if you''d left me behind. Is it because we''re both humans?" Makoto asked, curiously. Why indeed? "I have a thing about kids. I just can''t help but protect a child in danger," he said. He knew it probably stemmed from the way his father had sacrificed everything to protect him. "I have a niece, her name is Khaya. She''s nineteen years old, and she loves to play video games at the expense of studying. I was only seven, almost eight actually, when she was born, and I watched her grow up. I never did anything for her, except give her money sometimes, but she adored me and followed me around.... an innocent child," Langa told him. "She could be out there in some tutorial, and I hope and pray that someone helps her to survive through it, even if it''s a stranger. I''m helping you because you remind me of her, and I hope someone else does the same for her." Makoto looked up at him, his eyes watering, in Langa''s opinion, he looked way too touched for someone who had just been told that he was being used as a substitute. "Thank you, brother. You''re a good uncle." Langa disagreed, but he said nothing. He had only done the bare minimum for his family. His sister and her husband raised him like he was their own, his nephew, Neo used to protect him from bullies at school and had always been an anchor for him to lean on, Khaya, the sweet girl, would always come to his place to cook for him, teach him how to play games, and get him out of the house. All he''d ever done for them was to send the family half of his income every month to make sure they were doing well. "Be careful out there, kid," Langa said, standing up, as he saw Eniche coming out of the hall. "Ready to go?" she asked him, and he nodded. She was in her chain mail armour again today, with bracers, leather trousers and leg guards. She also carried a sturdy metal shield and a mace in her other hand. "Ready as I''ll ever be," he said, as he saw Sigurd also coming down. The three of them left shortly after, heading for the southern gate. * It took a while for the three of them to run towards the southern gate before they went out into the forest that was the yellow zone. Eniche spoke first, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to invite the two of you to my party. I¡¯ll be designated the party leader, but if either of you want to take that position I am fine with it,¡± she said. [Eniche V Tigris Vale has invited you to join a party. Accept: Y/N?] Langa said yes, he couldn''t care less about the leadership position. He just wanted to see if his training had paid off or not. That was his mission today. Sigurd also shrugged and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s only level three and four corrupted foxes here anyway, anything below level 10 doesn¡¯t drop much loot. Usually, a little karma, and a few coins so, really it''s senseless to fight over being the party leader.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Eniche said, adding the two of them to her party. Once that was done, they began to walk towards the forest cautiously. There was not much to see on the party menu, it just listed the names of the members of the party, their levels as well as how much HP they had left. It was not like in games where they could have a party group chat. Langa did wonder if there was a way to make group chats on the comcers, though. However, now was not the time to be wondering about irrelevant things. ¡°Uh, so how are we gonna do this? Let''s talk about our roles in this team. I have a speed-based skill that also helps increase my damage a bit, and I can throw my daggers to distract the monsters as well,¡± Langa proposed, quietly. ¡°Hmm, I put most of my stats into vitality and a little into strength, so I¡¯m thinking I¡¯m going to tank for you guys. I¡¯m decent with my shield, plus I have a skill to make the monsters focus on me, but it only works on a maximum of five at a time as long as they aren¡¯t boss monsters,¡± Eniche said. "That¡¯s great because my health is pitiful. I am still trying to form and stabilise my manacore. My mana control is terrible, and I only have two skills currently that I think would be useful to you guys. I have the one called mist rope that uses magic mist to tie up the monsters, so I can tie up the legs slowing them down, and if I concentrate hard, I can use the rope to choke them, but that drains my MP very, very quickly,¡± Sigurd said. He was walking ahead of Langa, so he had to turn slightly to address him. ¡°But yesterday, I asked the Elder to teach me a skill, I had to sacrifice all of my copper coins. I even borrowed some from Liv as well. Anyway, he taught me a useful healing skill, it helps restore 15 HP per second for five seconds before it goes on cool-down. I¡¯m working on levelling it up. I think it¡¯s gonna be useful for you guys.¡± This was the first time that Langa had heard of healing skills. Yes, he¡¯d seen health potions, but he had not known that there were skills that could directly heal someone. Well, he supposed anything was possible if people could be brought back from the dead. "Are there skills that can bring the dead back to life?" he asked. "Not if you want them to be a sapient, independent soul, no. Death magic can reanimate a dead body, and some classes can even have the bodies retain their consciousness, but they can only exist as slaves to the death Mages," Eniche answered with a bitter tone in her voice. "Daevas can give their bodies to a deity and the vessel can be inhabited by the soul of a dead person. However, that soul will be under the deity''s control." Sigurd also nodded. "The only thing that can bring a person truly whole back to life, is a resurrection stone. You can only get one of those from your deity, but all players are favoured by The Unrivalled, so we all get one respawn per Floor," he sighed. "She''s amazing, because apparently, it costs deities an absurd amount of karma to issue a resurrection stone, so most players bound to a deity usually only get a maximum of two respawns per Floor. However, if you want a resurrection stone with that many respawns, you have to be at least a Disciple of the deity or higher. No healing magic can bring you back if you have no respawns left." Langa nodded. It made sense that magic had a limit to what it could do as well. Eniche regarded Sigurd pensively. ¡°Hey, Mr Sigurd, I don¡¯t usually like to agree with the dark elves, but can I ask you something? You¡¯re a Viking, right? You guys are the most physically heavy humans I¡¯ve ever heard of, and in my world, during Constellation Studies, we were taught to stay away from you guys if we used magic. They told us that you believe anyone who uses magic is an abomination. So why the hell did you choose a Mage class?¡± she asked. As they walked towards the forest, Langa listened attentively, wanting to know the relationships between different worlds, species and classes. He was unaware of how the Vikings worked seeing as they did not exist on Earth, not in the current times anyway. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Sigurd scratched his head. ¡°All we Vikings ever do is fight, you know, we invade other people¡¯s land and we hunt witches¡­ this is something that was ingrained into us as we were growing up. As soon as I came of age, I was able to join the others on raids against the witches¡­we were taught that they were the agents of the demon gods, who oppose the saint god that our constellation serves. ¡°Anyway, in all those raids, the witches I saw practised their magic so freely that it was beautiful, and I wanted to know if I would also...¡± Sigurd sighed. ¡°No matter, the point is, the moment that we were sent to this world, and I opened my eyes in that cage, in the centre, and it asked me to choose a class¡­ I was ready to choose a fighter. But a part of me wanted to know what it¡¯s like to use magic, they always looked so free. I guess I just wanted to try it, I don¡¯t have any motivation other than that. I just wanted to know if I would be able to break free from what I¡¯ve been told my whole life if I chose to be a Mage.¡±
HIDDEN QUEST #1 UPDATED
Quest Rank: Unique
Quest Objectives:
Gain your teammates¡¯ trust using any means necessary. Learn the motivations that your teammates have for climbing the Tower, and what drives them to fight. Build team unity!
Time Limit:
Tutorial Only
Quest Limitations:
Progression: 1/6
Cautions:
N/A
Quest Rewards:
Rare Title
Langa smiled, he had almost forgotten about this quest. ¡°Well, good for you, but not all Mages and witches are agents of the demon gods, trust me, I would know,¡± Eniche muttered. Seeing the quizzical looks on the two of their faces, she added. ¡°My world was overturned by a demon god¡¯s Avatar, they call him Anarchist. His god''s full moniker is The True Deathbringer of the Demon Reaper, so if either of you ever get sponsorship from him, just know that I¡¯d kill you myself.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. She said it matter of factly, not a trace of doubt in her voice. It gave Langa chills. ¡°Wait a second,¡± he said, remembering something he¡¯d heard about deities. ¡°I thought gods couldn¡¯t directly interfere in natural worlds? How could a god''s Avatar do that to your world without severe punishments?¡± Eniche blinked, ¡°Oh right, I never told you. My world is in the Deiwos Tower already. It¡¯s the 6th Floor.¡± She led them down a short slope that would take them deeper into the forest. Langa frowned at this, ¡°I¡¯m even more confused now, isn¡¯t this tutorial for players from Floors 31 to 40?¡± This time, it was Sigurd who answered him, ¡°Yes, but every time there¡¯s a new tutorial batch, the NPCs from lower Floors whose players have died are given the option to become players and take part in the tutorial.¡± He glanced at Eniche, ¡°I¡¯m guessing that there was a vacant player spot?¡± The lionkin walked in front of them, her back tense. ¡°Yeah, lots of them. The Demon Reaper¡¯s Avatar, Anarchist, created and rallied up the fallen members of the lost race as undead and overran our entire world. He did it because he wanted to earn massive amounts of karma from Overturning the 6th Floor, and he did. The clear condition for the 6th Floor changed after what Anarchist did. Out of 500 million lionkin in our whole world, there are only less than a thousand left in the few remaining safe zones. Our world belongs to the undead now.¡± She did not turn back to look at them, and Langa could guess that revenge was the primary reason she chose to be a player. ¡°Did you just say the lost race?¡± Sigurd asked. ¡°But they extinct, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Of course they are,¡± Eniche said, seeming even more tense. ¡°That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s why I said they are undead. I don¡¯t know what The Demon Reaper is thinking, but I will free my people, no matter what.¡± Langa wasn¡¯t sure he understood everything the two of them were talking about, but it was clear Eniche wanted to bring down The Demon Reaper¡¯s forces herself. His quest updated again, and he shook his head. This Tower business was beyond complicated. He wondered about all the deities. Were any of them similar to the ones he read about in his father¡¯s ancient theology books? Would he meet any old gods that the ancient people of Earth used to worship? As they walked deeper into the forest, it started to get darker, and darker, and a horde of about ten corrupted foxes appeared in front of them. There were seven level 3 foxes and 3 level 4 foxes. They did not have a ranged damage dealer, so Eniche quickly ran to the front, and let out a loud roar. One of the freakiest things about these corrupted creatures was how unnatural they appeared to be. Bright blue eyes aside, the foxes and wolves had long claws on their paws, and they seemed ready to use them, worse than cats, and Langa did not like that. It made them nasty to fight against. "Come, face me!" she roared, and five of the foxes ran towards her. Sigurd chanted a spell and released a black rope made of magic, which tied up the legs of three of the foxes. Seeing this, Langa ran towards the two free level 3 foxes, chucking one of the wooden javelins that he''d taken from the training room into the eye of a fox, and quickly turning around to stab the other fox on its side. The half-blinded fox howled, and then tried to scratch him with its sharp claws, but thankfully, his leather trousers held, and he was able to quickly finish off the injured fox before turning back to the blinded one. Once he was done, he ran over to relieve Eniche who was struggling to hold back five foxes at once. She managed to hit one of them on the head with her mace and bashed another with her shield, however, the other two level 4 foxes latched onto her ankles with their teeth, biting deep. Langa was surprised, as she did not seem to be bothered by the pain at all, and through the party interface, he saw that her HP barely even moved. This must be the result of her high vitality. The problem was that at this moment, the fifth fox had leapt off the ground, and was charging towards her, teeth out as it aimed to bite her neck. Langa used Flash Step, stabbing straight into the creature''s neck using the skill''s increased damage, killing it instantly. Once again, Eniche bashed a fox with her shield, while one of the level four foxes that had been biting her ankles turned to Langa as its target. He tried to use his movement skill to dodge, then block its claws, and while he was able to dodge, he discovered a big issue, trying to block with his basic pike while not having decent spear skill was not feasible. He barely managed to kill it. Flash Step was back on cool-down, but there was no time to rest, as Eniche was struggling to keep the aggro of three corrupted foxes on her. Langa threw a dagger into a level 4 corrupted fox¡¯s eye, and it turned its attention from her to him. Seeing it charge his way, Langa chose not to retreat. He also charged towards it, intercepting its path, and using his momentum to leap and stab it in the side. It howled, but before its claws could reach him, he pulled out the spear and struck its neck, instantly killing it. ¡°My MP is running out!¡± Sigurd warned, so Langa charged towards one of the tied-up foxes, a level 3 fox, and stabbed it repeatedly since it could not fight back, and since its HP was low, it did not take much longer to kill it. Another fox leapt at him before he could get into his proper evade stance, and it managed to claw deep into his arm, such that when he tried to stab it, the spear barely went into it. Thankfully, Sigurd used the last of his MP to tie up its legs, and Langa killed it. Soon after that, Eniche managed to kill the two foxes that were still on her, and then Langa and Sigurd together finished off the remaining two that had been held by Sigurd''s ropes. The three of them sat down to recover the stamina that they''d lost, and Sigurd healed both of them. They were not that injured, but he wanted to level up his skill as soon as possible. While Eniche recovered from her wounds, Langa thought back on the battle. He had managed to level up to level 4 since he had been so close already, but he was not happy with how the fight had gone. He was not very good at using the spear, and that was a problem because he was the only damage dealer in this party. For a moment, he wondered if he should put his free points into strength, but decided against it. His speed was his greatest weapon, and he got 2 strength on every level up too. Yeah, for now, he would dump everything into agility. They walked further along the forest, but after a while, they took a moment to sit down and rest as Sigurd needed to recover his mana. Sigurd closed his eyes and sat in a lotus position as he meditated to speed up his mana regeneration. Langa scanned their surroundings and noticed a long, blackened carcass under the grass. The forest seemed to be getting darker and foggier, and they saw less corrupted creatures. ¡°This wasn¡¯t done by a fox or a wolf,¡± Langa said, looking at the remains. It wasn¡¯t mauled to death, and its bones didn¡¯t show any marks from claws. ¡°It¡¯s the body of a dark elf," Eniche said as she peered closer. ¡°Weird, it¡¯s fresh,¡± she said, sniffing the air. ¡°What?¡± Langa asked. ¡°These bones look like they¡¯ve been decaying for months.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably from corruption,¡± Eniche said, looking around uneasily. ¡°I smell fresh blood. I should be able to smell more, but it messes with my senses. Besides, I''m not a good hunter, but those bloodstains don''t look more than a day old." Was this the body of someone who should have been taking the tutorial with them? Langa wanted to vomit. Were they in danger? None of them were scouts, and they were not particularly stealthy either. He was no good at tracking, as evidenced by the time he and Neo had lost his brother-in-law¡¯s goats and spent the whole day and almost the whole night trying to track and search for them. ¡°I¡¯ll scout ahead to see if there are any predators around here,¡± Langa said reluctantly. Somebody had to do it, and it was too bad, then he¡¯d just run away. ¡°Don¡¯t go far, we still need to get back to town before dark,¡± Eniche told him. ¡°If it¡¯s a higher-level monster, we¡¯d rather go back and bring the others.¡± Langa nodded and followed the trail of blood for a few metres in the dark forest. It was eerily quiet and no matter how far he looked, he couldn¡¯t see any corrupted creature. He did, however, see a glow coming from a hollow tree up on the path ahead. Inching closer, he found himself looking at the strangest thing at the foot of the tree. A large, colourful chameleon the size of a squirrel was looking right at him. Langa took a step back. He was very superstitious and in his culture, chameleons were symbols of bad luck. A very big one like this could only be a symbol of very bad luck. It lunged at him, and Langa Flash Stepped back, only to realise that there was no flat land at his back. Instead, there was a slope so that when he landed, he lost his balance and rolled down the slope until he collided hard with a tree. ¡°Ouch,¡± he cursed, thankful for his leather armour. He hadn¡¯t fallen too far, and he could see the chameleon looking down at him before it turned away and went back to its tree. <> Langa shivered, he was hearing creepy female voices in a dark forest. That wasn''t ominous at all. He hoped it wasn''t a ghost. Ghosts scared him. Dammit, Langa cursed again at the darkness, noticing black strands in the air, coming from somewhere nearby. A pained whimper caught his ear, and he looked around to see where the black strands of karma were coming from. There was a weird structure that looked to be a miniature tekhenu covered in moss and ivy. Symbols were carved along its length, and there was an energy filling this place even as it looked worn down and broken. A small carved doll of a female foxkin wearing a crown sat on top of the tekhenu, and it was from this that the pained whimpers came. This was a broken altar, Langa realised as he drew closer. Was this what remained of The Firefox Queen¡¯s karma? He felt a sensation on his neck like someone was sniffing him, and shuddered. <> The creepy woman''s voice said, beckoning him to get closer. The doll talisman was calling out to him as if begging for salvation. He held his spear in hand and looked around. If this was a video game, he would undoubtedly take the talisman as it was sure to lead to a quest, but this was real life, a fallen constellation¡¯s altar. Still, maybe this was his Calling, like Lady Mira said. His decision was made when the whimper from the talisman turned into a strangled wail, clearly in pain, as more black strands were sucked away from it into the air and then into darkness. Carefully, Langa reached out and picked up the crying statue. Immediately as he did, he felt the energy inside him, his mana, drain away rapidly, as if someone were sucking his blood dry. His head ached painfully, and fire surged up around the altar, consuming everything. ¡°Langa!¡± he heard Eniche shout, and he saw her and Sigurd running down the slope towards him. A good thing too because from the burning altar, a cloud of black smoke filled the air and two level 5 corrupted foxes emerged. <> the voice said. He rolled his eyes, what was the point of thanking him when she just stole his mana without asking? He pocketed the talisman, he would keep it as a reward, hopefully it was worth something. He didn''t have time to dwell on the constellation¡¯s spirit or whatever it was as the battle began again. They fought against the two foxes for a while, it was easier facing the two compared to the horde. Sigurd''s mana was back to full, so Langa and Eniche were able to concentrate on battle without worrying about injuries. When that was done, they rested again, with Langa noticing that the black strands in the air were gone. During the breaks, Langa asked about certain things that he was curious about. He learned that the term deity was used to refer to both constellations and gods and that all deities could sponsor players or NPCs that they liked with skills, items and blessings in exchange for a percentage of the player¡¯s karma. It seemed that karma was a precious commodity for deities, especially constellations, who needed a lot of karma to Ascend to godhood. Thankfully, they did not run into a horde of foxes again, and they only encountered level 4 corrupted foxes. Just as the three of them were preparing to go back, and see if the other foxes that they fought before had respawned as it was getting too dark to go deeper inside the forest, a tiny white animal scurried ahead of them. A rabbit. "Oh, man, what would I give to eat that meat," Eniche said, watching the rabbit disappear behind a thicket of bushes. "Why don''t you just catch it? It''s not corrupted, so I''m pretty sure that we can eat it," Sigurd said to her. Sure enough, when Langa looked at the rabbit, he saw that, unlike everything else in this forest, it did not have corrupted under its description. Rabbit Level 0 HP:10/10 "I mean, none of us have cooking skills. I''d love to make rabbit stew, but I can''t cook for shit," she said, drooling, still watching that small thicket. Sigurd thought for a moment, "Well, that Elder is a remnant, isn''t he? He has all kinds of skills, maybe he has a cooking skill." "Really?" Eniche said hopefully. Langa could not help but laugh. Who knew this tough-looking serious lionkin woman would look so vulnerable and eager because of food? So, Langa threw his wooden javelin into the thicket, and the rabbit yelped, but nothing more happened after that. He walked towards that place, intending to pick it up to take with them. However, the moment that Langa stepped past the small thicket, he suddenly found himself in front of a grove of tall, black trees. There was a dark mist, permeating the air, and he could see very little ahead of him. It was extremely dark, and an unpleasant gust of wind circulated around him as the muscles in his arms tensed more than before, and he gripped his spear. [WARNING! YOU HAVE ENTERED THE RED ZONE: CALPU''S CORRUPTED GROVE!] Before Langa could even register the meaning of the announcement, he heard Eniche scream his name, "Langa, look out!" There were goosebumps on the left side of his neck, and he reflexively Flash Stepped to the right. A silver broadsword landed right on the spot where he''d been standing a second ago. "A living mortal? In my domain?" A soft, surprised voice said, and Langa turned to look. A tall creature stood in front of him, it walked on two legs like a human, but its head was a hideous combination of a fox and a wolf. It had black eyes that stared unblinkingly at Langa as the wind blew its dark grey fur around. It was also holding another broadsword in its hands, hands that had long sharp claws. Calpu (Shadow Maestril Miniboss) Level 7 HP: 3000/3000 Karma: 1500 There was a wave of fear settled somewhere inside his mind as the disgusting maestril''s eyes glowed red and it walked towards him. He felt suddenly lethargic, his hands trembled as he held his dagger and threw it at the monster. It barely flinched. The monster let out a screeching roar, and the world turned grey. A splitting headache hit him so hard that he staggered, feeling like something was crawling inside his mind. Langa knew that he was well and truly fucked when just from Calpu looking at him, a weight settled in his mind, and he could not move. He tried to use Flash Step again since it was off cool-down now, but he could not even hear himself think. Panic captured him instantly. He could not move. He trusted his legs more than anything his entire life, he''d always been able to run as far and as fast away as possible from the things that scared him. But now, there was nothing but that paralysing stillness. The maestril raised his sword, and all Langa could manage was to raise his spear in an attempted block weakly, and then he felt pain in his neck and fell to the ground. He saw only a prompt and then total darkness. [YOU ARE DEAD] 7. Floor 0: Training (3) There was an energy surrounding him...no, two opposing energies. One pulled him in, like a violent wing trying to take him away, and the other energy enveloped him, putting him back together. He was surrounded by stars, in a bleary black sky, those two energies fighting over him, life and death. In the end, life won. Langa found himself inside a narrow dark tunnel with a bright light at the end, his ressurection stone urging him towards the light. He hated cramped spaces so he ran as fast as he could towards the light. When Langa opened his eyes, his headache was gone, and he was standing in a white room that looked like some kind of infirmary. [YOU ARE DEAD.] [Death Debuff: 100% Level Experience loss Random item loss 1 x (Level) Hours of life loss] [You were killed by a maestril. 10% Available Karma loss] [You are still in the tutorial. Death Debuff reduced by The Unrivalled Tower Master.] [Death Debuff: 50% Level Experience loss Random Item loss 10% Available Karma loss] The item he lost was his spear. Great. Just great. He was not in pain though, and looking around the infirmary room, it was just a bare room that looked like it had been a long time since any patients were here. So, he was dead, huh? What a weird concept. He had always lived his life expecting that his death would be the end of his curse, and it would enable him to find peace. Now, he only had one life left, and if he died again, then that was it. So, things were exactly as they were before he was brought to the tutorial. He knew that he should be more upset, after all, he had just died. However Langa had never feared death, he''d always lived his life ready to embrace it when it came for him. He was also someone who did not like to dwell on things he couldn''t change, and just the thought that there was no way he could have defeated that creature, made him feel better. He sighed and opened the door. Before he could leave, however, his comcer started beeping, and Liv''s name was reflected on there. "Yeah," Langa answered. "Langa? What''s going on, I just got a message that you died, Makoto is freaking out. Are the others okay?" Liv said. "Tell him I''m okay. Yes, I died, but I still have one life left. I don''t think Eniche and Sigurd got hurt though." "What happened?" Liv asked, a bit calmer, "That place was a yellow zone, you should have been fine. Were you overrun by their numbers?" Just the thought of that creature sent shivers down Langa''s spine. "No. I accidentally crossed over to the red zone and was killed by a maestril. I didn''t stand a chance." "Crap, are you serious?" Liv asked, bewildered. "Yeah, I''ll tell you everything when you get back. I gotta go," he said, not wanting to linger on the topic. He finally left the room. * ¡°Are you alright, player?¡± the Elder said, coming up to Langa as soon as he stepped into the town hall. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just died,¡± he paused. It still lingered in his mind, that moment when it felt like his mind was being invaded when he could not move no matter how hard he tried. The very thought of being in that situation again set alight a panic in his heart that threatened to overcome him. But like all other things in his life that he had no control over, he pushed it back and shelved it somewhere in a corner of his brain. ¡®I am in control,¡¯ Langa thought, repeating the mantra that his sister had taught him to use whenever the claustrophobia overwhelmed him. Langa looked down at himself, cursing, he had no spear anymore, only daggers, and they had to fight that monster in the next two days. He could not afford to be weak again, especially considering that he only had one life left. ¡°Esteemed Elder, I heard you can teach us some skills for a much lower price than we can get inside the Tower. Do you have any dagger skills?¡± he asked. The Elder watched him with a piercing gaze, ¡°I certainly do, but I was under the impression that you favoured polearms.¡± Langa shrugged, ¡°I like the distance they offer, and I¡¯m honestly not comfortable with using daggers, especially since I¡¯m a Fighter. But I don¡¯t have my weapon anymore, and I need a skill to be able to fight the maestril with the others. I can probably just get a spear skill later.¡± ¡°Weapon skills are usually passive skills. You can¡¯t discard passive skills. If you learn a dagger skill, it will forever occupy a skill slot, and you only have five passive skill slots,¡± the Elder told him. Shit. Langa hadn¡¯t known that. ¡°I don¡¯t really have a choice, I mean, what¡¯s the point of learning spear skills right now? I don¡¯t have a spear.¡± The Elder regarded him thoughtfully, his eyes darkening for a second, "How peculiar. No matter how I look at it, you are not a native, so why do I feel the Queen''s karma on you?" he asked. Langa blinked, that was weird. Where would he have gotten the constellation''s karma? "Oh," he thought, and removed the talisman from the altar from his leather trousers. "I think I may have accidentally destroyed her altar, but in my defence, it just caught on fire out of the blue. Sorry about that, I thought it was my calling. I hope that''s not going to give me negative karma." "You released our Queen''s trapped foxfire, player. Marvellous," The Elder took the talisman, and his eyes widened. ¡°Forget the limitations that you currently have, look inwards, and tell me honestly, do you want to pursue the path of the spear?¡± For some reason, there was a pull inside Langa¡¯s heart, like something was calling out to him at this moment. He got the feeling that his answer here could very well define him in the future. He did not hesitate. ¡°I do.¡± The Elder nodded. ¡°I can teach you the Zamone Way of the Spear, however, you cannot afford it with either coins or karma. If you want me to teach you this skill, you must do me a favour.¡± A quest? Langa wondered. ¡°What¡¯s the favour?¡± ¡°I heard you speaking with the other players, you¡¯re from a lost world. Did you have deities in your world that protected you?¡± the Elder asked. ¡°I guess so. Some people believed in a higher power, others didn¡¯t. In my world, people were free to believe in whatever they wanted, and they were free to reject all religions entirely. I mean most of the people I knew who believed, worshipped one deity, but they were always fighting over how to reach him. Some did it through his son, others a great prophet, others through their ancestors who¡¯d returned to him, and others through sacrifice. There were plenty of other deities as well of course, but I was never exposed to them, most people in my country just worshipped the one. I did spend a lot of time studying ancient gods and mythical creatures because of my father though,¡± Langa said thoughtfully. ¡°I see, your constellations must have been rather passive in their duties. Our world used to be a blessed world of the highest level. We were all foxkin and we had the favour of The Mythical Nine-Tailed Demon Fox God as our god. We were blessed with magic power, as well as a multitude of legacies, and a few hundred years ago, one of our citizens completed the Infinite Challenge, and shed her mortal coil. The Nine-Tailed Fox blessed her as his constellation and sent her to our skies to watch over our world, and intercede for us with him. She was good to us, we loved and adored her, our FireFox Queen,¡± he said, looking at the painting on the wall that Langa always saw him bowing to. Langa frowned as he listened, that was the name of the constellation in their tutorial quest. The quest said that she abandoned her god and this world when the maestrils invaded. So, how come the Elder spoke of her so fondly? Also, their god was a Nine-Tailed Fox? That was one of the mythical creatures that he had found in his father¡¯s books on ancient gods and mythology. The Bulu believed that the nine-tailed fox was a wily creature tasked with keeping The Creator''s Flame (the sun) away from humans. Instead of protecting humans using the flame, the fox used the flame of the sun to lure humans into its abode in the Great Mountain. It would seduce them in the form of what they desired and once they fell under its spell because of their greed, it would eat their livers at night. The Creator punished it by turning its nine tails into a perpetually burning fire that was painful to bear and forced it to light up the sky every night with the ashes of its burning tails as stars. ¡°She was not perfect of course, and she betrayed the Nine-Tailed Fox, causing him to abandon us, and unfortunately a world without a powerful god watching over it and blessing it is always susceptible to corruption. Once the corruption overwhelmed us, the agents of The Dark Void, the maestrils, invaded our world, sealing the corruption and taking the karma of the corrupted creatures. But they also stole our karma, and in her infinite wisdom, the FireFox Queen Descended, breaking the rules of the multiverse. Thus the Great Quartenity stripped her of all her powers, immortality and most of her karma. Our world became an abandoned world, and no deities can see or redeem it, it is independent of all of them, except for the Great Quartenity." He sighed. "Since The Unrivalled is the only member of the Great Quartenity that we can reach, we prayed to her, but of course, she remained neutral. But our Firefox Queen still fought against the maestrils until the end of our world. We don¡¯t know what became of her, but the maestrils are siphoning the power of her karma from her temple,¡± he said turning back to Langa. ¡°They use it to become stronger. All the other shrines that collected karma from the world for the FireFox Queen feeding it to the temple were destroyed in the war, except one. I need you to destroy it, and reduce the power of the maestrils.¡± The moment he said that a surprising message popped up in front of Langa.
SIDE QUEST #1
Quest Rank: Unique
Quest Objectives:
-Destroy the constellation (The Star-Eating FireFox Queen)¡¯s last shrine. -Find your Calling
Time Limit:
Tutorial Only
Quest Limitations:
-Learn the Zamone Way of the Spear before embarking on the quest. -Solo quest
Cautions:
N/A
Quest Rewards:
-A rank skill -Your Calling -Tutorial Final Boss level reduced -??? karma
Quest Failure Penalty:
- Tutorial Final Boss level increased -Lose your Calling
[Accept Quest: Y/N] He accepted the quest, and he saw a marker pop up on his map marking the location of the shrine. Once that was done, the Elder taught him the skill. First, he showed him the footwork required to learn the skill, and then using the wooden spears in the training room, taught him the basic spear stances for the skill, teaching him primary grips, manoeuvres, cuts, blocks, and thrusts. Langa saw just how terrible he had been before in his technique. [You have learned the skill: Zamone Way of the Spear. -Zamone Way of the Spear(B): Beginner Lv1 You are proficient in basic spear techniques, cuts, blocks, and thrusts. +10% damage on consecutive heavy attacks against a single target when using a spear.] Basic was really basic, Langa mused as he trained against the balanced level 5 mana dummy. It kept him on his toes as he familiarised himself with the skill. Sigurd arrived while he was training, apologising profusely for not helping him fight against the maestril. But Langa merely waved him off. He did not want or need an apology. Right now all he wanted was to train and better himself. Training was something that Langa always did with precision and dedication. It did not matter if he was going to throw the race or not. He needed to be in top form. Always. Right now, every time that he remembered the sensation of fear overcoming him, making him unable to move, he trained even harder. ¡°Langa! You¡¯re okay!¡± A high-pitched voice was all the warning Langa got before Makoto tackled him with a hug. The boy looked up at him, tears in his eyes. ¡°They said you died¡­ I thought¡­¡± A warmth filled Langa¡¯s heart. It had been long since someone treated him like this. Being happy to see him, crying to see that he was okay. This boy reminded him of his niece. ¡°I¡¯m fine, kid. Really,¡± Langa assured him before the boy was satisfied enough to pull away from him. "Let me finish my training okay?" Makoto nodded, but he constantly glanced back at him to make sure he was fine. * Tired from training, Langa lay on the ground of the training area thinking about how helpless he had felt when he died, and wondered if the same would happen to his family, his niece especially. He knew Neo could take a hit, but strong-willed as she was, Khaya had no fighting experience. He was busy worrying about her when Liv came and stood over him. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked hesitantly. ¡°Awesome,¡± Langa answered without much thought. Liv sat down next to him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look that way to me. Dying happens and it sucks, but once you get used to it, it won¡¯t be so bad.¡± Langa looked up at him and raised his eyebrows. Was the team leader trying to be his therapist now? That encouragement sounded terrible as if Liv had heard it from someone else and was just repeating it. "Have you ever tried to console someone before?" he asked. "Once or twice," Liv said sheepishly. "Were my words terrible?" ¡°It''s nice to know that you aren''t perfect at everything. Don''t worry about me, I don¡¯t care about dying,¡± Langa said. He did not need a therapist right now, but he wondered if he was the only one worrying about his family right now. ¡°Do you have a family?¡± For a moment, Liv¡¯s concerned face slipped, and something resembling both sorrow and anger passed over his face before he righted it. He hesitated for a moment before lying down on the ground as well. ¡°None that I care for. My mother¡¯s dead and my father can go shove his horns in The Sun God¡¯s thirteenth hell for all I care.¡± Well, that was an insult if Langa had ever heard one. He looked up into the bland sky. ¡°I¡¯m the opposite, my father died and my mum can go fuck herself,¡± he said quietly, then pushing that thought away, he punched Liv¡¯s arm lightly. ¡°Look at us, trauma bonding. Isn¡¯t that awesome?¡± Liv gave a short laugh. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that statement before, but it fits. Why did you ask about my family anyway?¡± ¡°Just worried about my sister, niece and nephew. They mean the world to me, and I don¡¯t know what I would do if I lost them,¡± he muttered, then sat up. He didn''t want the feelings to overwhelm him. ¡°Get up, it¡¯s time to start training again, and you¡¯re going to help me¡± Liv looked like he wanted to comment on the abrupt change of subject but Langa grabbed the wooden spear and looked at him impatiently. He was not going to get therapy from someone who was clearly dealing with his own shit. ¡°Forget about training for a bit. I¡¯m calling a meeting to discuss the maestril, let¡¯s go back inside.¡± Liv got up and Langa followed him inside. The rest of the team gathered in the training room after that, wanting to know what happened to Langa¡¯s team. Langa recounted what had happened, and a dark look crossed Liv¡¯s face. ¡°A fear skill? That means that the maestril has a full mental affinity. That¡¯s going to be hard to fight against.¡± Kindaro snorted, ¡°For the rest of you lot maybe. Not for me¡­.or you actually, Liv¡¯Kungsadu. How the hell do you have a mental resistance of 50%? I¡¯m a mind Mage and mine is only a little higher than that.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? You can see our resistances? That¡¯s unfair,¡± Sigurd grumbled. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Sure can, but only your mental resistance. My magic requires it. Liv¡¯Kunsadu is at 50%, the lionkin is 11%, Ghol is at 4%, Sigurd is 5%, the kid is 5% as well and as for you, Langa¡­ no wonder you were so affected by the maestril, you are at 0%,¡± Kindaro said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can check your Affinities and Resitances tab on your status.¡± Everyone grumbled, glaring at Kindaro. Langa paused and checked his Affinities and Resitances tab.
DISCIPLINE AFFINITY RESISTANCE
Life 15% 7%
Death 0% 0%
Air 7% 2%
Water 0% 0%
Earth 2% 0%
Fire 11% 13%
Light 3% 5%
Darkness 12% 39%
Lightning 10% 17%
Mental 0% -13%
Arcane 1% 9%
Physical Body 21% 23%
Poison 1% 0%
Langa stared at the list in shock. How was his mental resistance a negative value? Why? He looked at Kindaro, and Kindaro stared back at him, then winked. He had lied about his resistance, why? No, besides all that, what did all of this mean anyway? He concentrated on the tab, trying to learn the meaning of this, and the system showed him a pop-up message. [Affinity refers to the compatibility between the player and a discipline. The percentage acts as a modifier when the player uses magic pertaining to the discipline. For instance, when using earth-based skills or weapons, a player with 5% earth affinity will be 5% more effective, and deal 5% more damage. If affinity is at 0%, the player cannot use any skills or weapons pertaining to that discipline effectively. If affinity is negative, for instance -5%, trying to use that particular discipline will result in 5% backlash damage to the player. Please note: Mortals cannot increase their affinity for any discipline. They can only work with what they were born with or, in extremely rare cases, natural increases in their affinity. Resistance refers to the extent to which a player can negate damage from a certain discipline. The percentage acts as a modifier for when the player is attacked by a specific discipline. For instance, when attacked with an earth skill or weapon, a player with an earth resistance of 5% will negate 5% of the damage. If resistance is at 0%, the player receives all damage from that specific discipline. If resistance is negative, for instance -5%, the player is 5% more susceptible to attacks from that particular discipline. Please note: Resistance can be increased using various methods including sheer will, exposure, elixirs, items or blessings up to a fixed maximum for each individual.] Well, that was interesting. So, he was 13% susceptible to mental attacks huh? His psychologist would have a field day trying to analyse why that was. ¡°Do they not teach you that it¡¯s rude to peer into other people¡¯s stats in your world? Well, what can I expect from a world ruled by a demon god? Next thing you know you¡¯ll be asking Liv¡¯Kungsadu what his Obsession is,¡± Eniche said snidely glaring at Kindaro. Liv tensed slightly but said nothing as Kindaro laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t have to,¡± Kindaro smiled, ¡°our little dragonkin hasn¡¯t found his Obsession as of yet. Things are gonna be hard for you in the future Liv¡¯kungsadu, battling the Obsession of a dragon and the curse of a god¡­ I envy your power, but the path of a demigod is a nightmare.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Liv said crossing his arms. ¡°The point is, at least we know the mini-boss has full mental affinity, which means it¡¯s at 100%, for those of you who don¡¯t know. All maestrils have 100% affinity in a single discipline. We need a plan.¡± Ghol rolled her eyes, ¡°What plan? All we know is that the maestril has a full mental affinity. We don¡¯t know what its resistances and skills are. The only thing that this information changes is that we should avoid eye contact with the monster.¡± Sigurd nodded, ¡°I hate to agree with her, but she¡¯s right. We need to train our team coordination and raise our levels. We only have two days left until the quest deadline to defeat the mini-boss.¡± While that was certainly true, Langa was unsure if he could do it, after all, he still had a quest to do tomorrow. As he tried to think of a solution he looked around, and caught Eniche¡¯s eye, but she promptly blanched and looked away. ¡±I get what you¡¯re saying, but I have a side quest that will help me get a new weapon tomorrow, so I can¡¯t train with you guys,¡± Langa told them. Liv was about to say something, but Langa raised his hand, ¡°It¡¯s a solo quest. I won¡¯t be much use against a level 7 maestril with a wooden spear.¡± He was also hoping to raise his level back up to 5, seeing as dying had brought him back down to level 4. ¡°I still think all of you should train to increase your mental resistances,¡± Kindaro added. Everyone looked at Liv to decide what they would be doing tomorrow. He frowned, ¡°The maestril is level 7. Okay, we¡¯ve got two level 6 players, four at level 5 and one at level 4, so I think we should use tomorrow morning to try and raise all our levels to 6. In the afternoon we will meet back up to do our coordination training as a team. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll make it back in time from your quest, Langa, but we need to do this training.¡± It was as good a plan as any, and no one opposed it. * For some reason, Langa felt as if Eniche was avoiding him. He did not care though. He had a plan, today, he would spend the rest of the evening training, so he could complete the Elder''s quest. Makoto went to the training room with him, planning to practise his arrow skills. "Oh, I almost forgot because I was worried about you, but I found my Calling!" Makoto said excitedly to him. "Really?" Langa looked up in surprise. He would hopefully find his Calling tomorrow once he finished his quest. "What is it?" Makoto took out a stone from his pocket. At first, Langa thought it was the resurrection stone, but this one was blue and slightly bigger. "My Calling was this set of stones, and it awakened my attribute. Brother Liv helped me find it. The attribute is called Mana Battery, which means that I can store my maximum mana in this arcane mana stone to use later. I can create another stone every 26 hours, so I can store my mana. I can only use it for 26 hours as well, but ifI give it to others it lasts for 26 days. Right now I only have 13 stones, but apparently, I can get more in the Tower. The catch is that it takes me 200% more time to regenerate my mana,¡± he said. ¡°I can also ¡®heal mana¡¯. You know how Sigurd has a skill that allows him to top up HP? Well, I can do that too, but for MP. I can do it as many times as I want but only up to a maximum of three times my maximum mana. According to Kindaro, it''s an attribute that all Mages would kill for. I''m not a Mage, but I do have a skill that requires mana, I''m just relieved that I can finally be useful to everyone." An attribute? Langa had seen that on his status but it was currently empty. lt said that his attribute was locked. "Congratulations kid. I''m proud of you," he smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. "Thanks, so I''m not useless. Will you let me go with you tomorrow?" "Sorry, but it''s a solo quest. There''s nothing I can do about that. You just concentrate on getting to level 6 tomorrow. That maestril is a nightmare. Go train," he told him. The kid still looked doubtful, but he nodded and went to the archery range. Finally alone, Langa resumed his training diligently. He now felt like the skill was his. His stances were almost natural, and he could block the mana dummy''s attacks 50% of the time. He was now working on using the wooden spear to sweep the dummy''s legs but it was not easy as the dummy was a level higher than he was. If he succeded, then the dummy would kick him, and he would be slow to move away before it attacked again. Still, he was satisfied with his progress in his training. He was about to get ready for a fourth run against the mana dummy, when a sudden voice spoke in his head; "Stop!" it said. Langa froze. His entire body went rigid. There was a disconnect between his mind and his body. He tried to move his feet, tried to lift up his wooden spear, but his body refused to listen to him. He was trapped. Was that fucking maestril here? Had it followed him inside? There was fog in his mind and suddenly, he was trapped again in the backseat of that car, all those years ago desperately calling for his father. He could not move, mind foggy, hands shaking and feet rigid. But just as suddenly, the chains that trapped him dissipated, and he could move again. He crouched down, breathing heavily. What was that? Was that a memory or a hallucination? "Damn, sorry. I didn''t think it would be this bad." That same voice said from behind him. Kindaro. Langa stood up and turned to face the dark elf, anger welling up inside him. "You did this to me?" Kindaro raised his hands in surrender. "I''m a mind Mage, you were vulnerable and I just had to try it. I did not think it would work. Usually, I have to have eye contact with a target before I can use my skill. Your resistance is pathetic." "Screw you," Langa snapped, picking up the wooden spear. "Don''t be like that. Let''s train together, you need to get used to mental attacks, and I need to practice my magic. What do you say?" he asked. "I''ll make it up to you, you can ask me anything and I''ll help fill the knowledge gaps from your world." Langa was about to tell him where he could shove it, but then he remembered that he still had to complete his first hidden quest. "Fine, I''ll train with you if you answer my question. Why do you want to climb the Tower? What are your motivations?" The dark elf blinked, and then laughed, "Sure, it''s not a big secret. I''m a prince, with a high mind resistance, and a full affinity for the death discipline. It''s like what Liv''Kungsadu said, saying I have full affinity means that I have 100% affinity for death. Remember that," he said when Langa frowned. "Anyway, our world¡¯s deity, The Demon King of a Thousand Undead Knights, or as he is more commonly referred to, The Thousand Undead, will choose the king of our world based on our results in climbing the Tower. Between me and my siblings, one of us will be chosen to rule our world and be the Thousand Undead''s Visage in over a thousand worlds. That''s why I''m climbing the Tower with my aide, Ghol. I want to be the constellation of a thousand worlds. And climbing the Tower, completing the Infinite Challenge, is the first requirement to become a constellation." Kindaro told him with a nonchalant shrug. Sure enough, Langa''s quest window updated, but surprisingly, it also had a progression of 4, instead of 3. Was the extra person Ghol maybe? Had it been updated for her along with Kindaro? ¡°Are you and Ghol close?¡± he asked. ¡±She¡¯s my servant, bestowed upon me by The Thousand Undead. My ambitions are her ambitions, my desires, her desires, my failures, her failures.¡± Well, that was weird, but it explained a lot, Langa was now halfway.
HIDDEN QUEST #1 UPDATED
Quest Rank: Unique
Quest Objectives:
Gain your teammates¡¯ trust using any means necessary. Learn the motivations that your teammates have for climbing the Tower, and what drives them to fight. Build team unity!
Time Limit:
Tutorial Only
Quest Limitations:
Progression: 4/6
Cautions:
N/A
Quest Rewards:
Rare Title
Good. All that was left now was Makoto and Liv. "Alright, thanks for telling me. Let''s train," Langa said, facing Kindaro. ¡°By the way, why is my mental resistance so weak?¡± Kindaro shrugged, ¡°Usually that happens to people with mental trauma that they haven¡¯t dealt with, or people with untreated mental illness or people who are cursed. Why, which category do you fall into?¡± Cursed people. But that was not something that Langa was willing to share, at the moment. ¡±You should ask my psychologist,¡± he murmured. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I hate pain¡­ Oh, I¡¯m extremely claustrophobic. Does that count?¡± ¡°The reason why you¡¯re claustrophobic probably counts. Don¡¯t beat yourself up over it though. Liv¡¯Kungsadu is a demigod, so his resistances are high. The average resistances for most mortals is about 5%. It¡¯s rare to find someone below level 10 with any resistance above 20%. And don¡¯t get me started on affinity. You¡¯re lucky if even one of yours is about 3%. Most people are at 1% at most with maybe one affinity that is as high as like 30%.¡± That was certainly a bit comforting, and Langa relaxed a little. It meant that he was above average in most of the disciplines. The next hour was agonising for Langa. Kindaro''s skill allowed him to take control of a mind for two seconds, but for the moment, all he could do was freeze the person. He also had a skill of telekinesis which allowed him to attack by mentally controlling weapons. He forced his way into Langa''s mind time and time again, freezing him before he could attack, and then throwing small rocks at him. While the freezing skill was on cool-down, he would use his telekinesis to throw rocks and wooden daggers at Langa. This was good practice for Langa as he got to use his blocking technique using the spear. He had to block multiple weapons flying at him. The physical training allowed him to push away the agony of the mental training. He focused on his wooden spear, circumventing Kindaro''s weapons, and managed to inflict physical damage on him multiple times. Being a Mage, Kindaro had very low HP and other physical stats, and he went down pretty easily. His main problem seemed to be that he could never have too much mana. That was a comfort to Langa. He might be mentally weak, but at least he was better at this than Kindaro. To his surprise, while the mental training was grating, Kindaro was somewhat gentler in his subsequent attacks than he was in the first attack. Langa did not experience that memory or hallucination of his that he saw before, again. In the end, he did achieve a small reward from this training. His mental resistance went up to -12, and he was almost 50% of the way to level 2 in his spear skill. "Let''s stop here. My mana''s taken a hit, and I have consumed all my stamina turning it into mana. I''ll end up collapsing at this rate," Kindaro said in exhaustion. "Thanks, you''re not such a prick after all," Langa said, finally stepping back. It was true. Langa had been wary of him because he was a prick in their previous meeting, and he also seemed to like picking a fight with Liv and Eniche. He had thought Kindaro was a selfish stuck-up prince who only cared about completing the tutorial with the highest karma score. Maybe he was all that, but when he wasn''t being a prick, Langa could tolerate him. "I think you meant that as a compliment, so I''ll take it as such. See you tomorrow," Kindaro shook his head as he left. * Langa was asleep when Liv knocked on his door later that night. He did not appreciate being woken up in the middle of the night after such an exhausting day. "What the hell, dude?" Langa grumbled, sitting up. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure that everyone was asleep before telling you this. There''s someone with a very invasive skill in our team. She loves to eavesdrop and report to her prince," Liv said quietly as he sat down on Langa''s bed. Right, he was probably talking about Ghol. Langa knew that she had a rogue class, but that was just about it. She kept to herself and Kindaro and did not socialise with anyone. "What is it?" Langa asked groggily. Liv ran his hands through his long hair in contemplation, as if debating whether to say what he wanted to say. "Look, as team leader, I feel that I must warn you about this. You care about that kid, Makoto, right?" All the sleepiness vanished from Langa''s brain immediately. A warning? About Makoto? "Is something wrong with Makoto?" "That attribute of his is very dangerous. I tried to warn him but I don''t think he gets it." "His attribute can hurt him?" Langa asked, now getting worried. "Not directly. But it''s too good an attribute, Langa especially for a naive child. Look,¡± Liv sighed, "My maternal family are dragonkin, magic is their forte, so I know the importance of mana to a Mage. A dragonkin wielding life magic could enslave that kid''s soul, and raise him as a personal mana battery. But I digress. His mana is still too weak for a dragonkin to want to use him. But not for a dark elf, no, his attribute is just perfect for one to use him as an endless mana source, by whatever means necessary. So, if you care about him, protect that child," he said. Was his attribute really that great? And why was Liv so sure that Kindaro would want to harm Makoto to get to it? ¡°Thanks for the warning,¡± Langa said. ¡°Can I ask you something, though? Why is there so much tension between you and Kindaro and Eniche?¡± he asked. Liv stood up, and shrugged, ¡°Most mortals dislike demigods. With too much raw power and poor control, we are cursed beings, so most of us just die young or end up becoming Avatars for our godly parents. That is the best way to anchor ourselves to our mortal bodies so we can control the power and not self-destruct. We¡¯re dangerous, so people fear us,¡± he hovered by the door. ¡°Please do heed my warning.¡± As he left, Langa lay back down to sleep, annoyed now that he had one more thing to worry about. But it surprised him that demigods were cursed like him. He shook the thoughts away. He had to get a good night¡¯s rest for his quest to find his Calling tomorrow. A quest that he hoped would change the direction of his life. * ¡°Are you sure that you don''t want me to come with you?" Makoto asked in concern after breakfast the next morning, as Langa prepared to leave for his quest. "I''m sure," he said. "Besides, it''s just past the yellow zone in the east. I''ll be fine. You just worry about yourself, okay?" He was still rattled by Liv''s warning and wanted to make sure that Makoto was careful. "Alright. Here, take this, it''ll make me feel better," Makoto said handing his mana stone to Langa. "I don''t have any skills that use mana. Keep it for yourself." "I insist," Makoto said shoving the stone into Langa''s hands. "It only contains 50 mana, and you can convert it to stamina. If anything happens to you, I... Please be careful, this is your last life until we get to the 1st Floor." There was no reason to say no after that, and Langa took the stone. He placed a hand on Makoto''s shoulder. He was such a good kid. Langa didn''t want the boy to care about him when his reasons for helping him were less than noble ¡°Eish yah, you know I¡¯m using you, right?¡± Langa asked. ¡°What do you mean, brother?¡± Langa leant against the wall, ¡°Last time you asked me why I looked after you, I told you it was because of my niece, and that I like children. I¡¯m taking care of you because you¡¯re here and Khaya isn¡¯t. It makes me feel better, gives me something to do in this boring godsforsaken world,¡± he told him honestly. ¡°Boring?¡± Makoto asked in surprise. ¡°You died.¡± Langa raised his eyebrows at the fact that he seemed worried about the fact that Langa found nothing to do in this place except to take care of him, instead of his confession. ¡°When I first got here I was scared of the level one foxes but now level 1 to 4 foxes and wolves are easy pickings for me. Fighting them is even a bit dull. Yeah, I died, but honestly, I don¡¯t care. My curse made me accept the possibility of an early death years ago. The maestril might be worth fighting though,¡± he said quietly. ¡°My point is, kid, look after yourself, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Makoto was quiet for a moment, and then he said. ¡°I¡¯ll still be waiting for you. I understand.¡± ¡°Kid-¡° ¡°Brother, do you know why I hate killing things?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s because every time I see blood, I see his face. The man I killed.¡± Langa¡¯s brow furrowed and he thought he misheard the boy. ¡°What?¡± Makoto looked away. ¡°My uncle was trying to hurt my mother. I was just a kid. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ to kill him. He was a government official, someone important and he wasn¡¯t a good man. I didn¡¯t think, then. I grabbed a knife and¡­ and I stabbed him. Over and over again. And since then, every time I see blood, I remember that moment. I remember his face, and I feel like I¡¯m drowning. My mother took the blame for me. She got arrested because she sacrificed herself to protect me.¡± The story was so sad that it tied Langa¡¯s tongue up. What the hell was the karma connecting this group? Was it just a bunch of tragic childhoods? Makoto¡¯s voice was filled with sadness. ¡°In the end, I couldn¡¯t protect her,¡± he said. Makoto¡¯s breathing quickened. ¡°I hate it. I hate that it freezes me up, makes me useless. I hate that I¡¯m always the one being protected. First by my mother, now by you. I¡¯ve decided I don¡¯t want to just be the one being protected anymore. I want to be strong.¡± ¡°You are fucking strong to have lived through that,¡± Langa told him firmly. ¡°That''s more burdens on your mind than anyone your age should have to deal with. What happened with your uncle¡­ that was a terrible situation. But you were a child, and you acted to save your mother. Don¡¯t ever blame yourself for it.¡± Makoto didn¡¯t look up, but his shoulders trembled as Langa placed a comforting hand on his back. ¡°All I want now is to climb the Tower and get back home¡­tell her I¡¯m sorry. I want to tell her that you there with me so I wasn¡¯t alone. It doesn¡¯t matter what your reasons are, what matters is that you¡¯re being kind to me,¡± he said. ¡°So don¡¯t die, Langa.¡± This was giving Langa a headache, and as he tried to process all this, his hidden quest updated and he could only sigh in frustration. ¡°Alright, just look after yourself. Liv said that that attribute of yours is dangerous. Stop worrying about me, get stronger so you can protect yourself because I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll be able to keep protecting you. I¡¯ll try to live, but I can¡¯t promise not to die.¡± Makoto frowned again, but Langa held up his hand and continued, ¡°In case that happens, I want you to gather as much karma as you can. I don''t care if you don''t fight, just get 1000 karma and get out of this tutorial, okay? Tell you what, if there is any way, I swear on The Unrivalled, that if I die, I want you to have all my karma. That''s all I pray for, right now." "Don''t say that, you-" But Makoto did not get the chance to voice his worries, as they both received a notification at that moment. [You have made a sincere pledge from the bottom of your heart. The Unrivalled Tower Master has heard your prayer. You have formed a karma bond with player Sato Makoto. When you die, he will receive all of your available karma. Available karma: 342] "Wow, I just got a notification that says I get your karma if you die! You have a lot of karma!" Makoto said in surprise. This was not what Langa had intended when he''d said that, but this was good. If Makoto got his karma, that would be for the best. "Yeah, so don''t kill me, okay," Langa laughed, squeezing the boy''s shoulder. Makoto steeled himself, clasped his hands together, and closed his eyes. He said., "Oh, Great Lady Unrivalled. I also want Brother Langa to have my karma when I die. Please grant my prayer." [Player Sato Makoto''s heartfelt prayer has reached The Unrivalled Tower Master! Your karma bond has been strengthened! When player Sato Makoto dies, you will receive all of his available karma. Player Sato Makoto''s available karma: 237] "I did not need you to do that, but thanks," Langa said in resignation. "I''ll see you when I get back, okay?" Somehow he realised how this karma bond could be dangerous, if someone could see the amount of karma you had, they could let it pile up, and then kill you to obtain it. He shuddered at the thought. The Tower was truly dangerous. He left Makoto there, still wearing a worried frown, and he started on the quest to find his Calling. 8. Floor 0: Training (4) 22 years ago ¡°What happened?¡± Sibusiso Zulu asked, dabbing ointment on the small wound on Langa¡¯s knee. Langa pouted and looked away. He didn¡¯t want to lie to his father, but he felt bad about what he had done and what the other children said to him. Sometimes he hated how scrawny he was, and other times he wished he¡¯d been born into a different family. ¡°I fell,¡± he muttered. ¡°I was running too fast and I tripped over a root.¡± His father picked him up and placed him on the bed, wrapping a blanket over him. ¡°Why were you running, mfan¡¯wami?¡± Langa pulled the blanket up to his neck and said, ¡°Well, it all started because Sizwe and Mandisa were making fun of me. Sizwe said that his grandmother who is a sangoma, told him to stay away from me because I was cursed and I would hurt him. Mandisa started laughing at me when I got upset,¡± he said, tears stinging his eyes. Sibusiso¡¯s face immediately soured, and he clenched his jaw. ¡°Langelihle. Did they hurt you?¡± ¡°No, Baba,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I threw a rock and hit Sizwe on the head, then I ran away. When they were chasing me, Sizwe said that when his grandmother finds out that I hurt him, she will send uthekwane to strike me down with lightning. I was scared, so I tripped and fell.¡± He looked up, worried. ¡°Baba, do you think the lightning will destroy our house?¡± Despite the obvious anger on his face, Sibusiso smiled and patted his son¡¯s head. ¡°No one is going to send lightning to strike you. She¡¯s a sangoma, not a witch. Besides, while in the tales of old uthekwane was capable of striking people with lightning, he didn¡¯t like bullies.¡± This piqued Langa¡¯s interest as he loved listening to his father¡¯s old folktales. ¡°Who is he? Can you tell me about uthekwane?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He sat down and folded his arms. ¡°Kwasukasukela, once upon a time, a girl named Lindiwe lived in a small village just like ours. She was an orphan who lost her mother when she was very young, and her father had recently passed away, so she was left in her stepmother¡¯s care,¡± he said. ¡°She was always sad, as every day her stepmother forced her to fetch wood and go fishing for her and her children. She would go alone into the dark forest every day, and catch fish by the lake. Lindiwe had no one to protect or look after her.¡± Langa thought Lindiwe¡¯s story was awful and he didn¡¯t like how much her family was mean to her. ¡°One day a strange stock-like bird with a head like a hammer arrived in the village. It perched itself on a plum tree close to Lindiwe¡¯s home. This bird was known as uthekwane, and it loved to sleep on the plum tree, occasionally pecking at the plums when it got hungry. Her siblings and stepmother called it an omen of evil, a cursed bird and they threw rocks at it,¡± he said. Langa felt some camaraderie for the bird. It was just like him, people made fun of him as if he was a bad omen too. ¡°But the bird did not care at all, it always came back, and no matter how much they tried to chase it off, it always slept on the tree, unperturbed.¡± This made Langa frown. His father¡¯s stories always had some lesson in them. Was he telling Langa to be like uthekwane and ignore the bullies? "Whenever things got hard for Lindiwe, she would go and sit under the plum tree and vent to the bird about how unfair her life was. Uthekwane would caw in annoyance, but at least it wasnt mean to her like her family. She never saw the bird go hunting like other birds of prey, and she worried that it would starve and she would lose her only friend. So, whenever she went fishing, she always brought back a fish for the uthekwane. At first, the bird was wary of her, but eventually, it ate the fish. This routine went on for months, she would talk and cry next to the bird and it would sleep lazily on the tree.¡± Langa couldn¡¯t help but feel happy that Lindiwe had someone to talk to and play with as he didn¡¯t have any friends at creche. The closest thing he had to a friend was his nephew Neo, and whenever he went to visit Sis¡¯Thandi, the two of them would play together. Neo was still young and couldn¡¯t speak very well, but Langa enjoyed playing with him anyway. ¡°One day, the sky was dark, and the air was cold, but the family needed food, so once again, they sent Lindiwe to go fishing for them. However, when she was on her way to the lake, it started raining. She didn¡¯t want to be punished so she continued on her way. When she was close to the lake, she heard the distant sound of thunder and suddenly, lightning struck one of the trees in front of her, setting it on fire. ¡®Waaah!¡¯ she screamed and ran back home,¡± Sibusiso was waving his arms like a madman, his voice loud and shaky for dramatic effect. Langa was enthralled. ¡°As she ran back home she thought she saw uthekwane watching her from behind the burning tree, but she figured she was mistaken. That fat little bird only cared about eating and sleeping after all. The next morning, she found out that the lake had flooded from the rain, and if she had been caught in the storm, she would have died.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Langa said, breathlessly. ¡°So the lightning saved her?¡± Sibusiso shrugged. ¡°You could see it that way. Even with the flood, her stepmother sent her off the next day to go fishing again, and because she had been forced to sleep hungry for failing to deliver the previous day, Lindiwe had no choice but to go back towards the lake. ¡®But as she pondered her predicament, something strange happened,¡± he paused. ¡°Hey, foolish child. Do you want to die? I¡¯m not going to save you again,¡¯ an annoyed voice said to her, and when she spun around, she found uthekwane looking down at her from the plum tree and talking to her. She was terrified and screamed at first, but when the bird gave her a condescendinglook, she calmed herself. She decided that she was imagining all of this, after all, the bird was her only friend. She thought that was just her way of coping with the situation. ¡®I have to go. They¡¯ll punish me otherwise,¡¯ she told it.¡± ¡°Uthekwane was a talking bird?¡± Langa asked, fascinated. He¡¯d never met a talking bird before and he wondered if he could make friends with one. ¡°Yes, it was,¡± his father said with a laugh.¡±Anyways, uthekwane looked at her thoughtfully and said, ''Well, you did feed me, and I hate owing anyone a debt. You should know, your stepmother buried some money under the rock behind the house.'' ¡° ¡°Suddenly, the bird hopped off the tree and transformed into a creature as tall as Lindiwe was. It had a black and white plumage, a red beak, black legs and no tail. She was too stunned to be terrified as the creature flew on top of her stepmother¡¯s house and let out a long caw. The sky darkened, storm clouds gathered, thunder rumbled and two large bolts of lightning struck the entire courtyard.¡± Langa gasped. Was the bird cursed after all, like people said? Was it a bad omen? From what people always said, lightning was what witches used to smite their enemies. "The houses went up in flames and Lindiwe could hear her stepmother and siblings screaming in pain, as she stood frozen in the spot. She watched her home burn down with her only family inside. They were all gone. Once all that remained was dust and ash, the creature transformed back into uthekwane and perched itself on the plum tree. ¡®There,¡¯ it said. ¡®Now you can do whatever you want and stop bothering me while I¡¯m trying to sleep.¡¯ And it closed its eyes and went back to sleep. The End.¡± Langa scratched his head. ¡°So no one would hurt Lindiwe anymore? Lightning struck the bad guys? Uthekwane was a good friend that helped her, and it wasn¡¯t cursed?¡± His father laughed. ¡°Well, you¡¯re only five years old, so I can¡¯t expect you to understand all about death, but yes. That is the legend of uthekwane,¡± he said. ¡°The lesson here is that uthekwane is docile and likes to sleep quietly, not bothering anyone. But if you touch one of its own, it will devour you. It protects what¡¯s dearest to it, no matter who gets hurt in the process.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good thing?¡± Langa asked uncertainty in his voice. Sometimes his father used big words he didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m telling you this so you know that Sizwe¡¯s lightning won¡¯t strike you, Langelihle. I will protect you from anyone who tries to hurt you, and from the curse itself if I can. No matter the consequences, you are all that matters to me,¡± he told him. ¡°You are the only thing in this world that gives me a reason to live.¡± Sibusiso looked close to tears, and Langa didn¡¯t know why his father was upset, but he sat up and wrapped his short arms around his father¡¯s neck, trying to comfort him. * Early the next morning, Langa was worried about the quest and wanted to clear his head and do some thinking. Naturally, he decided to do some running. He jogged around the empty city in the dark, looking at the broken-down houses and symbols of both The Nine-Tailed Fox and the FireFox Queen lying about. To his surprise, just as he was about to enter the town hall again, a figure sitting hunched above the doorway, in the darkness, startled him so much that he almost fell over. ¡°Ghol!¡± Langa said, stepping back as soon as the shock wore off. She was sitting with her legs up watching looking at him unblinkingly. ¡°What the hell are you doing? You scared me half to death,¡± he said, rubbing his temple. ¡°Working,¡± she said. ¡°Working? It''s early morning and you''re sitting on top of the door like a fucking owl scaring people. How is that working? What kind of work are you doing?¡± Langa asked. ¡°Protecting My Liege.¡± ¡°This is a safe zone. No one can hurt him here. What are you protecting him from?¡± Ghol¡¯s eyes focused on him and she said, ¡°All of you are threats as far as I''m concerned. I will not allow any of you to lay a hand on him.¡± ¡°Okay. What''s your deal? Does your whole life revolve around him? Does that sound healthy to you?¡± Langa asked. ¡°That''s a very invasive question. What business is it of yours?¡± she asked. ¡°The way I see it, you are suspicious. You are always asking other people questions like that. Are you trying to find our weaknesses to exploit them?¡± ¡°No. Why the hell would I do that? I just want to know you all better. We hold each other''s lives in our hands. If I know what you have to live for, then I won¡¯t hesitate to work harder to protect you, even if it means putting myself in danger,¡± he said. ¡°You don''t need to tell me anything. It just means I''m more likely to protect someone I connect better with over you.¡± Her face said she didn¡¯t believe his reasons, and maybe she was right to be suspicious since Langa only cared about his teammates¡¯ motivations to complete his hidden quest. ¡°Really? Would you answer if I asked you why you''re putting so much effort into clearing the tutorial?¡± she asked. Langa shrugged, leaning against the door and looking up at the damaged sky. It wasn''t really a secret and maybe giving her breadcrumbs would help her be more willing to state her goals. ¡°I have three basic goals, to survive and return to my family, to know more about this world and reach the Tower. Finally, I want to protect Makoto and make sure that he makes it home too.¡± ¡°The child. Why do you care about him?¡± she asked. ¡°What''s it to you?¡± Langa asked tensing. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who spoke of getting to know each other?¡± she said in a mocking tone. Langa hated how grating her voice was. If it wasn¡¯t for the quest, he would have given up on this conversation ages ago. He was curious if Kindaro was all that motivated her, just because their goals aligned. ¡°You''ve only just met the boy yet he clings to you and calls you Brother. You have taken responsibility for him even though you do not seem like someone who enjoys taking responsibility for others,¡± she said. ¡°This is a dangerous world for a kid. He needs help and none of you are stepping up for the role. I won¡¯t sit back and allow any child to suffer if I can help him,¡± Langa said. This time he was being completely honest. ¡°That''s just not who I am. He''s a good kid.¡± ¡°I don''t understand it,¡± Ghol said. ¡°I know blood brothers who care less about each other than you do for a boy you met a few days ago. They lived together for years in civility and yet they do not care for each other.¡± She gripped the dagger in her hand tighter. ¡°You give your affection too freely. It''s foolishness and you will hurt yourself in the end if you are unable to protect those you care for.¡± ¡°There are a lot of things that I''m willing to forgive, but not that. Never that,¡± Langa said. ¡°If anyone dares to hurt an innocent child or any of the people I care about, I will make sure that they suffer in the most painful way possible.¡± ¡°You are truly odd,¡± she said. Her face darkened. ¡°But you were forthcoming with information, so I shall do the same. You asked if my relationship with the Third Prince was healthy. How can it be when he detests my very assignment to him? I remind him of the one who should be by his side. Healthy?¡± she asked, again. ¡°I am bound by a Blood Oath to protect the king¡¯s family. My health does not matter. It never has, and it never will.¡± A Blood Oath. Langa looked up at her. That didn''t sound very legal. Was it like some kind of slave contract? ¡°So you''re forced to protect him by magic? And that kind of magic is allowed in this world? Did they force you to sign the contract?¡± Her black eyes bore into him, and then she shrugged, looking away. ¡°Wasn''t my choice. The ancestors of the eight aide families were nobles who signed a Blood Oath to protect the Thousand Undead''s Visage until his Ascension to deityhood centuries ago, and they failed to do so. Until one of us raises another Visage to that rank, our families will always be bound to the Royal family for eternity. I have to ensure that The Third Prince ascends so that the Blood Oath ends with us. Even if it takes me 500 or a thousand years. I will not stop until I ensure. Fi Kindaro III¡¯s Ascension. Does knowing that motivate you to protect me? If I say I have more to live for than you and that boy combined, would you lay down your life for me?¡± ¡°Can you, like, break it?¡± Langa asked. He, unfortunately, knew all about being screwed over by his ancestors. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°It''s a Blood Oath, lost-worlder, so no, it cannot be broken,¡± she said. ¡°That sounds like a bad deal all around,¡± Langa said. ¡°No offence, but the person you¡¯re so devoted to doesn¡¯t even seem to like you.¡± She laughed. It was the first time Langa heard her laugh genuinely, and it sounded deep and amused. ¡°I prefer it that way. Being cared for by Fi¡­ is worse than being disliked by him,¡± she said then covered herself with the hood and disappeared from into the building. He had no idea what to make of this news. * In the east of the safe zone, there was a thin, rocky forest. Beyond that, were small hills and mountains. According to Langa''s map, that was where the FireFox Queen''s shrine was located. It was just past a yellow zone. The yellow zone was full of level 1 and level 2 corrupted wolves. They did not give Langa much experience at all, and if not for the fact that he wanted to get to level 5 before reaching the shrine and that he wanted to practice his spear skills, Langa would have just run through the area without fighting. All he could do was use the blunt wooden spears and finish the monsters off with daggers. The wooden spears were practically useless until Langa found a sharp rock and bashed bits off it with another bit of rock as well as his daggers to make a point. He then used the laces from his trainers to bind one of the daggers to the shaft of the wooden spear. ¡°I finally appreciate the hard work King Shaka must have gone through to get his soldiers outfitted with spears centuries ago,¡± he muttered. He used the sharp stone as a secondary throwing dagger. Now he had a spear and two daggers. Now, it was a good opportunity for him to test his spear skill against actual monsters, and he was finally able to grasp how to correctly sweep the legs of five level 1 wolves, destabilising them for a bit. He figured he could use it as a kind of AOE attack. While his proficiency in the skill steadily climbed up, Langa could not help but be bored as he tore through the low-level wolves. He needed 400 EXP to get to Level 5, and the level 1 wolves only gave him 10 EXP, and the level 2 wolves gave him 20 EXP since he was so much higher level than them. Worse still, he did not get any karma from these kills anymore. But he still persevered, running around the rocky forest, training both his spear skill and his Flash Step. After three hours of no rest where he killed over 30 corrupted wolves, he finally got the notification that he wanted. [Congratulations! Level Up! Level 5 +5 karma +2STR, +2VIT, + 1AGI You have 3 free attribute points to distribute.] Langa distributed all his free attribute points into agility. He was ready now. He looked at this map, and saw that although he had already been travelling and fighting for three hours, he still had about 7 kilometres before he reached the shrine. To save time, Langa broke into a sprint. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, which with how high his agility was, was quite fast. Running up the hill, dodging corrupted wolves, the scent of the forest in his nose, and the wind blowing past his face was refreshing. When he was running like this, he could almost pretend that he was back home, training. There was a time when running was everything to him, something close to his heart, until even that felt stale. But here, there was no one watching him, no country piling up their hopes of an Olympic medal on him, no one pressuring him. No curse haunting him. There was just the ground under his feet and the wind in the air. It was invigorating. By the time he got near the shrine, he did not need the map, instead, he could feel something calling him in that direction. Sure enough, in a little time, he arrived at the edge of the cliff marking the end of the yellow zone. The cliff was a large mass of white rock, sparsely populated with grass and a few trees as he looked down. A large lake lay sprawled many metres below the cliff, reflecting the dark sky above. What caught Langa''s attention, though, was the cave in the middle of the cliff. The cave sat wide open facing the dim sun, and there were rocky stairs from the top of the cliff leading into the cave. The stairs were insanely steep, and Langa was unsure if he would be able to maintain his balance as he walked down them. If he fell, the drop was at least 300 metres, and despite there being water at the bottom, it was not a risk he was willing to take, not when he had only one life. After all, he could not swim. There was no other way about it, he had to find a way to tether himself to the top of the cliff, just in case. In the next hour, as Langa busied himself trying to make a makeshift rope/harness from vines, he cursed the fact that he had never been an outdoorsy person, this would be a lot easier. He had no idea why people did it at all, in fact. What was so fun about hiking up a mountain or climbing rocks? He could not think of something he¡¯d hate doing for fun more than that. In his defence, though, as a child, he¡¯d lived in the rural areas, spending days in the forests, climbing up mountains, farming¡­ he¡¯d managed to get himself and his family away from that life, and there was no way in hell he would do it for fun. He shuddered thinking of the time he¡¯d been bitten by a scorpion and his sister had to carry him everywhere because it was so fucking painful. Anyway, despite all this, he managed to make himself a vine rope, tying one side of it carefully around a tree and the other around his waist. He made sure it was secure before he started walking down those steep stairs, carefully, step by step. He made sure not to look down, and held on tightly to the vine as he went down. After what felt like hours, he was finally at the entrance of the cave. Since it faced the sun, there were dim streaks of light shining into the cave, and as Langa untied himself from the vine and walked in, he marvelled at the sight in front of him. The cave was very warm, especially when compared to the cold air on the cliff outside. Multiple drawings graced the walls of the cave, of stars, birds, foxes and wolves. The centrepiece though, was something else. There was a massive statue of a foxkin woman sitting on a throne of fire in the middle of the cave. In front of the statue was a locked wooden box, with a black diamond-looking crystal the size of a human hand on it. It was pulsing, and there were strands of black smoke moving towards the crystal. This was what was draining the karma from the shrine. Langa knew that he should destroy this crystal to complete his quest, but something else caught his attention. The thing that was calling him. Behind the statue of the foxkin, was a drawing of that same foxkin fighting against what looked like a giant bird. In the drawing, Langa could see fire coming from the foxkin¡¯s hands, while the bird was surrounded by large lightning bolts. There was something about that bird, Langa thought looking at the battle, it was less that it controlled the lightning and more that the lightning seemed to follow the bird naturally. Langa was drawn to the black eyes of the bird and he moved closer to the drawing. His heart started to beat uncontrollably fast as he neared the drawing, still focused on the bird¡¯s eyes. When he finally stood in front of it, he realised that one of the bird¡¯s eyes was not a drawing at all. It looked like some kind of button. This was what called to him. Tentatively, he reached out with his hand and pressed the button. To his surprise, the wall of the cave split open a centre partition between the foxkin and the bird. Inside this secret compartment, there was a silver chest. Langa stepped forward. [Congratulations! You have found a Legacy challenge! Legacy Conditions: 1. Player Only 2. Any race besides foxkin 3. Level 5 and above 4. Lightning Resistance of 25% and above 5. Lightning Affinity of 10% and above] Langa stared in awe as the chest glowed brightly in front of him. A Legacy? His Calling was a Legacy! He had heard Sigurd telling Makoto about them. Apparently, after the tutorial, abandoned worlds would be destroyed and become Void worlds. The purpose of the tutorial was to allow players to train, and if they completed the tutorial before the world turned into a Void world, all the world''s legends and mythical items as well as Legacies would be preserved and sent to the Tower in the form of treasure dungeons. Checking the requirements, Langa frowned as he realised that he did not qualify for the Legacy. What the hell kind of Calling was this? [You fulfil 4/5 of the requirements. You are eligible to obtain the Legacy. !!WARNING!! You are only 80% compliant with the Legacy requirements! You may experience a backlash from using it. Continue: Y/N?] Langa hesitated for a moment before saying yes. He could not just leave like this, he had to obtain his Calling, no matter what it took. He was already here, and it took him hours to reach this place. He was too lazy to return empty-handed. So, he walked into the little compartment, placing his hand on the chest, and opening it. The moment that he opened the chest, the whole cave came alight, and there was a suspicious sound that sounded like thunder, but before he could process it, a sharp pain struck him from behind. Langa only managed a scream as he looked up and saw the white bird from the painting flying above him. It looked like he was not in the cave anymore, and this filled him with confusion. He appeared to be outside, standing in some kind of wasteland, white sand at his feet. Storm clouds gathered in the sky as the thunderbird flew up into the sky. Suddenly, the thunderbird flying above him transformed into a person, with two legs and pure white wings. He had the same pure white hair on his head, red skin, as well as talons on his hands, and his feet had only four toes and were shaped like chicken feet. "Are you worthy of my Legacy?" he asked, voice booming in the wilderness. His eyes seemed glazed over, unseeing. "Uh, yes, I am," Langa said. This must be part of the process to get his Calling. He wondered if Makoto also went through something like this. "Then show me your resolve. Those who follow the path of lightning must be able to endure the pain," the thunderbird said, his eyes turning white. From the storm clouds above, thunder roared, and then the lightning fell, striking Langa in the back. "What the-" Langa started, but when he looked up, a multitude of lightning bolts erupted from the sky, over a hundred of them, striking him. The burning pain was suffocating and he felt as though his nerves were on fire. It went on and on and he fell to the ground screaming on that white sand, writhing in pain until his body only felt numb and he lay down there for a while before he noticed that there was no more lightning. "Well done," The thunderbird''s eyes became focused as he looked at the despairing Langa on the ground. And then the thunderbird suddenly held a long spear in his hands, and he turned his back to Langa. A horde of gnarly black metallic creatures, each with five long tentacle-like limbs snarled at both him and the thunderbird. "Watch closely," the thunderbird said, twirling the spear in his hands, an energy inside it crackling. He dashed forward in a blur, and even after the harrowing experience of being struck by lightning, Langa watched him go. His feet moved effortlessly, evading the black creatures'' long limbs with quick movements. It was hard to follow the way he moved, especially when he started swinging his spear elegantly and slicing through the metallic creatures as if it was easy. Not a single one of them managed to land a hit on his nimble body. Then his arms glowed with lightning and the spear in his hands absorbed the lightning so that when he thrust it into the head of the largest black creature, it sliced through it like a knife through butter. A sweeping movement later, and all the metallic black creatures were dead. Langa gulped as the thunderbird turned back to him, still sitting on the white sand in fear, pain and awe. When he thought the thunderbird was done fighting, another metallic monster came barrelling towards them from the distance. "Your turn," the thunderbird said, holding out its spear to him. "What?" Langa asked, dumbfounded. "Those who follow the path of lightning must be quick on their feet. They must be able to charge their bodies from zero to their maximum speed and back again in an instant, just like lightning. I''ll be watching," he said and when Langa took the spear from him, he vanished into thin air. Something, a strange energy enveloped his body like a warm electric blanket. Langa felt different, more alert. The monster was coming straight at him, dragging itself on its metallic limbs as it approached him. He had no time to think as black metallic bullets shot out from its arms therefore Langa Flash Stepped away. The spear was heavy in his hand, and when the mobster¡¯s arm shot out at him like a blade, Langa tried to duck, however, his body moved differently, taking on a strange stance with his feet planted firmly on the ground, holding the spear with his right hand forward and he blocked the blade. The force from the clash pushed him back a little, but he was too stunned by the effortless way he had just blocked that. A wave of panic rose inside him, feat that he was trapped in his own body, even as the monster roared, continuing to shoot more bullets at him. Even though he knew he was freaking out over the loss of control, his body seemed to be lighter than ever. This time he went low, lower than the bullets, still with the spear gripped tightly in his hands as he slashed the monster¡¯s arm off with the powerful thrust. This spearmanship he was using now was different from what the Elder taught him. His body moved faster, yet more freely and the weapon in his hand felt like an old friend. It was as if someone was guiding his body, as if the spear was showing him how to move. Something inside him felt connected to this force that was surrounding him. When he stabbed the spear into the monster¡¯s chest, killing it, he felt as though the spear was steering every movement of his body. As if it was telling him how to use it. Once the creature was defeated, the spear fell from Langa¡¯s hands, and he felt the connection between the two of them shake violently. ¡°Since you didn''t meet all the requirements he set out, simple as they were, I wasn''t sure if we''d be able to connect,¡± the thunderbird, now back in front of him again, said. ¡°Who are you?¡± Langa asked. "This is just the beginning of this Legacy," he said. "My name is Tonare. Please find me." An essence erupted from the thunderbird, hitting Langa squarely in the chest. He expected to feel more pain, but instead, he felt something stir in his heart, a profound connection. A resonance of two souls. Just as suddenly, Langa found himself back in the cave. "Yhoo! Shit!" he cursed, trying to sit up. He could barely lift his arm with how numb it was. His health had dropped to 30% of its maximum. Logically he knew that this much lightning should have killed him, and yet he only felt mild discomfort. There were blinking notifications in the corner of his vision, and he focused on them. It was mostly his HP going down, but there was also one that stated that his lightning resistance had gone up by 2%, and it now sat at 19%. It gave him pause, and he wondered how much more painful it would have been if his lightning resistance was lower. A few minutes later, he managed to stand up, and he noted that the cave remained relatively unchanged despite all that lightning. The chest was wide open now, and Langa cautiously peered into it. Therein sat a beautiful blue sheath with lightning bolts decorating it, protruding from it was a short hilt, and carved onto it was the same drawing as the bird on the cave wall. Langa reached in, and picked it up, out of the chest, hand trembling as he pulled out the weapon. The blade was single-edged, and around 45 cm long, it was beautiful and looked very sharp, but Langa was disappointed. He just got a spear skill for fuck''s sake, and his Calling was a short sword? He gripped the hilt tightly and felt something give, and suddenly, the metal hilt extended in his hands, turning into a steel shaft reaching about 2 metres before it stopped growing. Langa grinned. It was a spear after all! Despite its length, it was quite light, although it was a bit too long for Langa''s tastes, as it would limit his mobility. He pressed on the carving of the bird on the shaft, and the shaft started retracting, and when he stopped pressing, it stopped retracting. He kept the length at 1 metre. [Thunderbird''s Mutable Lightning Glaive Name: Tonare Rank: Unique Durability: Infinite when charged with lightning discipline rare or above lucent stones. Charges:13/¡Þ Base damage: Scales with LTTS skill level. Usage Requirements: Lightning resistance >/= 25%, Lightning affinity >/= 10% Skills: 1. Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike Skill Description: Imbues the glaive with the thunderbird''s lightning, dealing (50 + (Mind/2))% lightning discipline damage. Stuns target on impact for 2 seconds when thrust or thrown. If the wielder''s lightning resistance (n) is below 25%, the wielder receives ((25-n)/2)% backlash lightning damage depending on their MND stat. cool-down: 10 minutes Skills: 2. ??? Skills: 3. ???] Langa marvelled at the description. This was an amazing weapon! Granted he would receive backlash damage, but his resistance was at 19% currently, so he would only get 3% lightning damage. And the weapon was unique grade, too. He previously had only common weapons and he wanted to know just how large the disparity between common and unique weapons was. He focused on the unique grade, to learn more about it. The system gave him a pop-up. [Weapon and Armour Grades: Please note, the strength of the modifiers is dependent on the level requirements of the weapon. A level 25 common weapon will likely be stronger than a level 5 rare weapon. Common: Lowest-ranked weapons. 35% of all weapons found in the multiverse are common. They may provide a minor attribute increase. Do not contain skills. Uncommon: A tier above common weapons. 25% of all weapons found in the multiverse are uncommon. They may provide a major attribute increase or a minor skill. Rare: A tier above uncommon weapons. 15% of all weapons found in the multiverse are rare. They may provide a major attribute increase and a skill. Unique: No tier. 10% of all weapons in the multiverse are unique. This refers to weapons which are the only one of its kind. They range from being as weak as common weapons or as strong as legendary weapons. Cannot be stronger than legendary weapons. Legendary: A tier above rare weapons. 10% of all weapons found in the multiverse are legendary. These weapons are usually Legacies left behind by great heroes and constellations when they were mortal. They may provide a major attribute increase and a divine skill. Divine: A tier above legendary weapons. 5% of all weapons found in the multiverse are divine. They are weapons forged by a deity. The modifiers of these weapons are unpredictable and unparalleled in power.] Satisfied, Langa shrank the glaive, no, Tonare, it had a name after all. He shrank it and put it back into the sheath. There were a few more notifications regarding the Legacy. [Congratulations! Your skill Zamone Way of the Spear (B), has been upgraded to Legacy of the Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship (S). Once you reach level 10, you will receive your Legacy quest.] [ACHIEVEMENT! You are the 2nd person in your tutorial batch to find both a Legacy and your Calling. The measure of your soul has increased. +200 Karma +1 level] [Congratulations! Level Up! Level 6 +6 karma +2STR, +2VIT, + 1AGI You have 3 free attribute points to distribute.] Again, this was something new, something that he had not even thought was possible. Someone else had already found their calling and a Legacy in three days? If he had waited a little longer, he might have missed out on the reward. According to Sigurd, the first three players to achieve something rare always got an extra reward. He shook his head, it had taken him hours to just get to level 5, and it only took a little lightning to get him to level 6. Now that he was done finding his Calling, he had to complete the other part of his side quest. It was quite easy to tell what was stealing karma from the shrine, as the only thing that looked out of place was the black crystal below the statue of the FireFox Queen. He took a deep breath, and extended Tonare, slashing down on the crystal with all his strength, but out of nowhere, a corrupted wolf ran into the cave at high speed, taking the hit that was meant for the crystal. Corrupted Wolf Level 5 HP: 265/300 Langa took a step back as the wolf stood guard between him and the crystal, its fangs bared. The last time he¡¯d contended with a level 5 creature, he and Makoto had struggled until Liv and Sigurd came to save them. It was hard to believe that was only three days ago. Now, he was higher level than the monster, and he had an overpowered weapon to boot. He took a deep breath, and Flash Stepped in front of the monster, dealing extra damage to its left leg from the skill, and stepped to the side when the howling monster tried to slash at him with its paws. Trying to adjust his movements to his upgraded spear technique he triggered Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike and drove Tonare deep into the wolf¡¯s side. Streaks of lightning coated the blade of the glaive as well as the shaft and struck the wolf the moment that Tonare cut into it. The streaks of lightning on the shaft struck Langa¡¯s hands, and searing pain cut into him as he smelled burning flesh. [Critical hit!! (Corrupted wolf) -530HP. Instant kill achieved. Backlash (Langa Zulu) -30HP] Shit! His mind spiralled, the pain paralysing him. It hurt. It fucking hurt! He hated pain, more than anything else in the world. He dropped the glaive. The fucking lightning burned his hands! He had also lost 30HP. He was losing 5HP per second as well from the burned debuff. He could barely move his hands but managed to reach into his backpack and grab a health potion. This damn Legacy would be the death of him. Wait, he thought. If he lost this much health from only the backlash of 3% lightning damage, what about the wolf that received 53% lightning damage? He looked down at the creature, and from the point of impact, there was a large gash, and scorch marks all over its right side¡­ all of the fur there was burned off. Holy shit! Langa swallowed hard, his MND stat was very low right now. If he increased it, the damage he could do with Tonare would be catastrophic! He breathed, and immediately allocated his free points from levelling up into Mind. Once his hands healed, Langa finally destroyed the black crystal, completing his quest. Now he just needed to return to the Elder for his rewards. Of course, destroying the crystal caused the cave to start collapsing. Langa was so done with this quest, and quickly ran out of the collapsing cave, tying his vine around himself again and running up the stairs before they had the bright idea to collapse too. 9. Floor 0: Party Play (1) Langa ran past the rocky forest at a sprint. He did not want to fight against the corrupted wolves here, they were beneath him now that he was level 6. His high agility made it easy for him to evade them without fighting. He contacted Liv on his comcer since it was getting dark, and he wanted to catch the others before they returned to the safe zone. ¡±Hey, Langa. Did you finish your quest?¡± Liv asked him when he answered. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m done. Where are you guys?¡± ¡±We¡¯re at the red zone to the north of the safe zone. We just finished our last fight against a level 6 corrupted fox. We were just about to return,¡± Liv told him. Langa took a breath, ¡°Can you guys handle one more battle today? We¡¯re fighting against that maestril tomorrow, and I haven¡¯t had a chance to practice with the team. I don¡¯t want to hold the team back.¡± Liv was silent for a moment, ¡°Alright, that¡¯s a fair point. Be here in less than five minutes, that¡¯s when the monster will respawn.¡± ¡±Okay, thanks,¡± Langa said, ending the call and he shut his comcer. He picked up the pace, running towards his teammates. Once he got to the red zone, he saw his teammates resting in the shade. He scanned them, only to discover that they were all level 5, except for Liv and Kindaro who were level 6 now. ¡±Langa!¡± Makoto shouted in joy and rushed over to hug him. Langa let him, after all, he did almost get shocked to death by a bunch of lightning bolts. It was nice that someone appreciated that he was still alive. "How did it go? Was it hard?" "It was okay," Langa said with a shrug, there was no way he was telling the kid that he had almost died in that cave. The others turned to look at them, and Liv nodded at him. ¡°How the hell did you get to level 6 already?¡± Ghol asked furiously as she watched Langa in disdain. ¡°We¡¯ve been here farming level 5 corrupted foxes all day and most of us are still only level 5!¡± Langa ignored her and walked over to Liv. He heard Kindaro speak behind him, ¡°Easy Ghol. He obviously found his Calling. Care to tell us what it is?¡± At this, Langa hesitated. He turned to Kindaro and remembered Liv¡¯s warning. There was no way he would tell everyone here about his Legacy. They weren''t exactly rare in the Tower, but obtaining one during the tutorial was not usual. ¡°Yeah, I did find my Calling. It is a unique weapon. This one.¡± He pulled out Tonare from its sheath and extended it for them all to see. ¡±Oh my gods! That¡¯s so cool, brother!¡± Makoto marvelled. ¡±That¡¯s a mutable weapon if I have ever seen one! Is that... is it made from elechorichum? Damn, if I was a fighter, I¡¯d love something like that,¡± Kindaro said eyeing the glaive greedily. Langa shrank the weapon and sheathed it once more, warily glancing at Kindaro. Liv rolled his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s his Calling. It¡¯s bound to him, so you couldn¡¯t steal it even if you wanted to.¡± Kindaro sighed wistfully. ¡°That¡¯s true. And I wasn''t gonna steal it. It''s just that unique weapons are fascinating to me. They can be complete trash or legendary. ¡± ¡±Sure, anyway, now that Langa¡¯s here, can we do this? It¡¯s been a long day of fight after fight. I¡¯m beat, I wanna go to sleep,¡± Sigurd complained, and Eniche shook her head at him. Langa noticed once again that she would not meet his eyes. Liv stood up and clapped Langa on the back. ¡°I¡¯m glad you made it. Alright, people, the fox will respawn in about a minute. Now that Langa¡¯s here, we just need to adjust our party play a little bit. This is good, it¡¯ll help me complete my quest.¡± The seven of them all gathered around Liv and he continued, ¡°While Langa was not here, I¡¯ve been playing as the primary melee damage dealer, but my damage is not that high, it¡¯s mostly internal attacks, so I¡¯ll be switching roles and joining Eniche as a secondary tank. Langa, you take over as the primary melee DPS, and Ghol will be the secondary. I want you in stealth as much as possible Ghol, get those extra crits. Kindaro, you¡¯ll be the magical/ranged DPS. Makoto, Sigurd, I want you guys on pure support,¡± Liv said. Langa was surprised that he wasn¡¯t making Makoto a ranged dealer. ¡°Sigurd, tomorrow you¡¯ll be using your skills to heal and buff us, all the time. But for right now, I need you to buff the monster because level 6 is too weak for us. Finally, Makoto, your job is to refill everyone¡¯s mana. It must be refilled all the time, especially for Sigurd and Kindaro. You have the most important job, and I¡¯m sorry, but you won¡¯t have enough mana to use your arrows. Only use them in case of an emergency.¡± Having heard their instructions, no one complained. Langa guessed that this speech was mostly for his benefit, everyone else had already been practising their roles. The fox appeared a few seconds later. Corrupted Fox Level 6 HP: 360/360 Liv and Eniche stood in front of the fox, and Ghol disappeared into thin air. Kindaro, Makoto and Sigurd stood in the very back, and Langa stood in the middle, between the front-line and back-line fighters. Sigurd started chanting something as the large fox approached, and then something changed in its eyes, and it growled, leaping forward. When Langa scanned it again, its description had changed. Corrupted Fox Level 6 Status: Enraged HP: 1000/1000 It was still a far cry from the 3000HP of the maestril, but it was the strongest monster on this side of Farguya Ghetto. So, Langa gripped Tonare as Eniche slammed her shield into the fox, halting its charge. Undeterred, it lashed out with its paws, and she dodged backwards, causing the fox to try charging towards Langa. However, Liv kicked it hard in the gut, and it was pushed back, whining in pain. Before it could get back on its legs, ten knives coated in a dark mist flew through the air, cutting deep into the howling fox. That one telekinetic attack from Kindaro took out almost 100HP at once, as the knives were also magically pulled out of it, returning to Kindaro. His attack had drawn the aggro of the fox, and it tried to limp forward in pain towards him, but Eniche taunted it, and it focused on her instead. From his periphery, Langa saw Makoto rush to quickly fill up Kindaro¡¯s mana. Focusing on Eniche, who tried to keep the monster at bay with her shield, Langa Flash Stepped in front of the monster, swiftly embedding Tonare deep into its side and pulling it out before he retreated. He did not do as much damage as Kindaro, only taking away 75 of its health. It roared in pain using all its strength to hit Eniche and sending her flying, then falling onto the ground. Sigurd immediately ran towards her and started healing her. Meanwhile, the monster chased after Langa, and, while he was fast enough to dodge, Liv hit the monster on the back of the head with his buckler, turned around, and punched it in the wound that Langa had given it, before stepping back and kicking it once more. It was a beautiful combo with no wasted movements, no flaws, and quite precise targeted hits. It reinforced Langa¡¯s suspicion that Liv was well-versed in martial arts. His attack immediately shifted the fox¡¯s focus away from Langa and to Liv. As the fox tried once more to stand, growling at Liv, it howled out in pain once again as Ghol came out of nowhere behind it, and stabbed a dagger into its neck, scoring a critical hit. The fox suddenly froze in place, and Langa recognised Kindaro¡¯s mind-freezing skill, and he once more held his glaive in hand and stabbed the monster¡¯s side along with Ghol. ¡±Stop!¡± Liv shouted when the fox was now at 125/1000 HP. ¡°Sigurd, heal it, let¡¯s do this one more time. Makoto top up Kindaro¡¯s and Sigurd¡¯s mana.¡± They did this three times until Liv was satisfied with the way everyone worked together. Then they put the poor fox out of its misery. Not once did Langa use Tonare¡¯s skill. There was no need. This monster was too weak for their party to practice on. ¡±So, you were holding out me when we trained the other day, huh?¡± Langa said casually bumping Kindaro¡¯s shoulder on their way back to the safe zone. Ghol glowered at him. Kindaro laughed, ¡°My telekinesis has stages to it. I can make my weapons deal death-draining damage on whoever they touch. That was just practice, and we were in a safe zone. I wasn¡¯t trying to kill you,¡± he kept on grinning, ¡°Besides, you used a wooden spear too, and you got me like 20 times. If it was an actual spear, I¡¯d be dead.¡± Langa smiled, ¡°Fair point.¡± Kindaro gazed at Makoto who was walking next to Langa, ¡°Your attribute is amazing. I seemed to never run out of mana. Does it have a limit?¡± Langa tensed, watching Kindaro closely, but he seemed to only be curious. Makoto shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s limited by my maximum mana. I can¡¯t refill more than I have.¡± Kindaro sucked a breath, ¡°If we could get you a mana elixir, you¡¯d be an unstoppable support, even better than my brother¡¯s attribute¡­¡± his eyes on Makoto were full of longing, and Langa reflexively stood in front of Makoto. The look on Kindaro''s face was quite off-putting, and it gave him the creeps. ¡±Your Highness!¡± Ghol said sharply, and Kindaro blinked and turned to her. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Right, they had arrived at the safe zone, but Langa was still frowning. ¡°I don¡¯t want you alone with that guy. Ever,¡± he said to Makoto once they had parted from the other two. He did not like the way that Kindaro looked at Makoto, as if he was something to be consumed. Makoto, seeing the serious look on Langa¡¯s face, nodded. * Langa was woken up by the sound of screaming. Since the person in the room nearest to him was Makoto, he bolted upright, heading there. He feared the worst when he found the door wide open. However, once he saw who was inside, he stopped outside, hesitating. Liv sat cross-legged beside Makoto¡¯s mattress, who was trembling, his knees pulled up to his chest. ¡°...nightmare, I froze,¡± Makoto was saying. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. You and Langa and everyone fought so hard, and I just stood there. What if something worse happens in the battle? What if I drag the team down?¡± His voice was a low whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t even like hurting things. I don¡¯t think I can be strong like you.¡± ¡°Makoto, you don¡¯t have to be like me. You shouldn¡¯t even try, because you will die right away. I am a demigod, my body is strong, so I can afford to be reckless. You¡¯re not dragging anyone down. Fear doesn¡¯t make you weak, it makes you mortal. And you¡¯re still young; you¡¯ve got time to figure this out,¡± Liv said. Makoto looked down, his hands tightening on the blanket around him. ¡°But¡­I want to help the team and not get paralysed when I get overwhelmed and can¡¯t think straight. Why can¡¯t I just be normal? I''m in a fantasy world... a dream, really, b-b-but... I''m still like this," he said. "D-d-don''t... d..." He paused, shaking his head as if the words were escaping him. Liv sat quietly and watched as Makoto took a deep breath to compose himself. "Don''t systems like this have safeguards or alter our brains to make it easier for us to accept things and digest this new violent world?" he asked with desperation in his voice. Langa knew why the boy was frustrated, but he was glad this system didn''t fuck with their minds like that. If he wasn''t unhealthily obsessed with protecting children or terrified of being forced to take responsibility for everyone, he wouldn''t be Langa. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It was bad enough that people who could manipulate minds existed, if even the system altered his mind any more than it already had, Langa didn''t think he would like this world. "Your fears make you cautious, and maybe it puts you in danger, but it can also save your life. You may not like the worst aspects of yourself, Father knows I hate mine sometimes, but that''s who you are, and losing that would be worse in my opinion," Liv said. He leant closer to him, pulling a small gem no larger than a coin, inscribed with letters Langa couldn¡¯t see. ¡°This,¡± he said, holding it out to Makoto, ¡°was given to me when I was scared out of my mind on my first time in a¡­. bad situation. It¡¯s enchanted with a rune for courage. Whenever you feel like fear¡¯s about to take over, hold it and maybe it can help you too.¡± Makoto hesitated before taking the gem, his fingers brushing against its smooth surface. ¡°You really think it¡¯ll work?¡± Liv smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not magic that makes you brave, Makoto. It¡¯s what you decide to do, even when you¡¯re scared. No matter what Kindaro says, karma brought the seven of us together. We¡¯re a team, and that team is only as strong as every individual in it. You¡¯re not alone.¡± Makoto¡¯s shoulders relaxed, and he nodded. ¡°Thanks, Brother Liv.¡± ¡°It''s fine,¡± Liv said, ruffling Makoto¡¯s hair lightly before standing. ¡°Now try to get some sleep. We¡¯ve got a long day ahead.¡± Once he was sure Makoto was settled, Liv turned away from him and Langa saw a shadow pass over his face like a mask. The warmth in his face disappeared, replaced by a blank annoyance as he stepped out of the room. Was he that worried about the upcoming battle or was it something else under the surface of his personality struggling to stay hidden? ¡°Leadership duties are draining, huh?¡± Langa whispered when Liv closed the door. ¡°Langa!¡± Liv exclaimed, his face filled with surprise. He clearly hadn¡¯t been expecting anyone. ¡°Shh,¡± Langa said, nodding towards the corridor and gesturing for them to walk away from Makoto¡¯s room. They stood in silence for a moment before he spoke. ¡°Thank you for encouraging Makoto.¡± ¡°Why are you thanking me?¡± Liv asked. ¡°He¡¯s not your son.¡± ¡°No, but if I¡¯d gone in there, and helped him, he¡¯d get even more attached to me¡­You¡¯re good with him,¡± Langa said quietly. ¡°I have no idea how to talk to children. I don¡¯t believe half of what I said.¡± Liv stretched, glancing downstairs. ¡°Get some sleep yourself, Langa. Makoto just needs time and experience.¡± * The following morning, Langa went to meet the Elder regarding his quest. ¡°Thank you, young player. You have saved our deity¡¯s shrine from being corrupted by those loathsome maestrils. Surely, the strength of your existence has increased!¡± The Elder said, taking Langa¡¯s hand in gratitude. ¡°I am pleased to see that one of our world¡¯s Legacies has been given to you.¡± [You have completed the quest (Side Quest #1). Completion Grade: S +100 Karma +Final tutorial boss level will be fixed at level 10, instead of level 12. +You have already received the rest of your rewards Due to your completion grade, you received an S-ranked skill.] Right. His new spear skill was actually S-Rank, even though the quest reward had said he would receive an A-rank skill. Being struck by all that lightning and not dying probably helped him out, he thought, still bitter about the experience. ¡°Thank you, Elder,¡± he bowed slightly. ¡°Please do come and see me before the final tutorial quest. I will have a final request for you,¡± the Elder told him. As he went to meet his teammates, Langa wondered if this side quest was a chain quest. Still, he put all that aside and sat down next to Makoto at the table. Instead of tutorial rations, there was some kind of stew on the table, and Sigurd served a portion to everyone on their plates. They all ate in silence, no doubt worried about the impending battle. ¡°Do you think we can still get into the top ten first teams to defeat the mini-boss?¡± Ghol asked once they were done. ¡°Is that likely? I mean we waited until the very last day of the time limit to complete the quest. I¡¯m sure others went for it long before we did,¡± Sigurd answered her. Kindaro, however, shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t need that achievement. Going in unprepared would have been suicide. Everyone knows that in order to fight a maestril, you need a party of 5 players at least at a level or two levels lower than the maestril. Let¡¯s just aim for the top ten in the quest completion grade. There¡¯s no sense in waiting any longer, Liv¡¯Kungsadu, can we go now?¡± Liv stood up and addressed everyone. ¡°I know we practised hard yesterday, but honestly, it¡¯s still not enough. The maestril may only be level 7, but we all know that it¡¯s a whole different tier of a monster compared to the child¡¯s play which is the corrupted wolves and foxes. Maestrils have magic, they have skills, and they are sapient creatures. This will be a difficult battle for all of us. Has any of you ever fought against a maestril?¡± he asked. Everyone shook their head. Langa was surprised. He was fairly certain that Sigurd had said that in natural worlds and lost worlds, the maximum level that mortals could reach before being integrated into a Tower was level 5, while in abandoned worlds, cursed worlds and blessed worlds, the maximum level was level 10. Granted, upon being sent to the tutorial, their levels were reset, but Langa had always assumed that they had all had the chance to fight against maestrils before they came here. However, now that he thought about it, maestrils only appeared from the Void, so there was no way these people from natural and blessed worlds would have had Void eruptions in their worlds. Sigurd raised an eyebrow looking at Eniche. She was the only one in the group who had been in the Tower before, and hence she was the most likely to have experienced this. Eniche, however, shook her head. ¡°I know what you''re thinking, and I''m sorry to disappoint you, but I was an NPC, I never left the safe zone alone. Yeah, I¡¯ve seen maestrils in the Tower, I''ve seen the footage of players fighting against maestrils through the comcer too, but I¡¯ve never fought against one, I was not stupid,¡± she explained. ¡°Oh, that''s alright,¡± Liv said, and then he continued his speech. ¡°So, it¡¯s a first for all of you. We don¡¯t know much about our opponent except for what Langa and his team saw. The maestril''s name is Calpu, he uses broadswords, has an HP of 3000, and possibly has full mental affinity. To be safe, we should not look him in the eyes, which sounds easy enough to say, but will be difficult to actually do in the middle of a fight. Especially for our front-line fighters." "Sorry, there''s one more thing that I forgot to mention. When I scanned him, it said he was a shadow maestril. I''m not sure of what that means," Langa said. "That just means that he either uses light or darkness magic as well. This will be troublesome," Sigurd said with a frown. "It''s fine. I have a skill that can break through the shadows. And luckily our battles yesterday helped me to complete my hidden quest. As long as I¡¯m the party leader, any party I¡¯m in will have a 10% extra damage to critical hits,¡± Liv said, looking around. Kindaro whistled, ¡°That¡¯s a really huge boost. Is it a title or a blessing? No, don''t answer that, I don''t want to hate you any more than I already do. Still, this will be a great addition to our party play.¡± Langa nodded as well. So, that was Liv''s reward for completing a hidden quest, huh? He wondered what kind of benefit he would get once he finished his own quest. It was almost done too, he was at 5/6 completion, and Liv was the only one left to complete that damn quest. ¡°One last thing. Three people in our party must not die today, no matter what-¡° ¡°Let me guess, one of them is you?¡± Ghol asked disdainfully. ¡°No,¡± Liv continued. ¡°It¡¯s Eniche, Kindaro and Langa.¡± Langa tensed up at those words. Not again. If Liv was placing so much importance on his life, that meant he needed him. Obviously. That meant people had expectations for him. Damn it. Had he not worked hard his whole damn life to shake off all those expectations? Now, even here, he had to live up to other people¡¯s expectations. He hated it. He clenched his fists but said nothing. ¡°Not Sigurd? He¡¯s the healer,¡± Makoto asked, puzzled. Langa was just surprised that he made the list. ¡°He¡¯ll stay at the back, along with watching that his mana is always full, Makoto, I want you to protect Sigurd. But Eniche is our main tank. I don¡¯t have a taunt skill, so I can¡¯t hold the aggro that well,¡± Liv explained. ¡±But you¡¯re an all-rounder. You can both tank and deal damage. And you¡¯re stronger than me. I think if there¡¯s anyone we need to keep alive, it¡¯s you,¡± Langa tried to argue, to work his way out of having to do too much. ¡±I¡¯m not a master at either of those things. I can keep the monster off you, and deal some damage sure, but it takes time. A few decisive hits are better than many small hits that add up with time. We can¡¯t out-endure a maestril. Besides, it''s your last life,¡± Liv told them. ¡°Langa and Kindaro are our main damage dealers, if we lose them, we lose the battle. I don¡¯t care what happens, those three cannot die. I¡¯ll die in their place if I have to. We all know our roles, so let¡¯s do our best. Suit up, and let¡¯s meet outside in five minutes.¡± There was no getting out of this. Langa put on his leather armour, it protected him, yes, but it also slowed him down a bit. He felt trapped, suffocated, even. He sighed, there was nothing he could do about it. Before going out to meet the others, he checked his status.
Name: Langa Zulu Race : Human
Age : 27 Character: Player
Level: 6 Class: Fighter
Available Karma: 653 Total Karma: 691
Deity: N/A Highest Floor: 0/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: LOCKED EXP: 235/600
HP: 230/230 STA: 420/420 (+20)
MP: 90/90
STR: 20 AGI: 35 (+1)
MND: 9 VIT: 22 (+1)
Free Attribute Points: 0 Alignment: (0) NEUTRAL
SPECIAL STATS: N/A Available Respawns 0/1
Regeneration Rates: (View more) Equipment: (View more)
LOCKED: Titles Inventory
SKILLS Skill Rank Skill level Skill Properties
PASSIVE SKILLS (1/5)
Legacy of the Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship: S Beginner Level 2 You are proficient in basic spear techniques, cuts, blocks, and thrusts. +10% damage on consecutive heavy attacks against a single target when using a spear. +2% extra lightning damage when using skills of the lightning discipline.
ACTIVE SKILLS(1/10)
Flash Step A Beginner Level 2 Promptly move to a target location within a radius of 6 metres. If there are any foes at the target location; 2x Agility damage is dealt. Cost: 30 Stamina cool-down: 25 seconds.
DIVINE SKILLS (0/10)
DISCIPLINE AFFINITY RESISTANCE
Life 15% 7%
Death 0% 0%
Air 7% 2%
Water 0% 0%
Earth 2% 0%
Fire 11% 13%
Light 3% 5%
Darkness 12% 39%
Lightning 10% 19%
Mental 0% -12%
Arcane 1% 9%
Physical Body 21% 23%
Poison 1% 0%
Compared to when he first got here, his status was decent. He made sure that he had his three health potions in his backpack, the mana stone that Makoto had given him, and that Tonare was secured on his belt before he went out. Makoto was waiting for him outside his room. He wore a long ranger¡¯s coat and held his bow in his shaking hands. ¡°You heard Liv. You can¡¯t die today,¡± the boy said, following Langa outside. Langa sighed in frustration, why was he stuck with babysitting duty? ¡°You know that¡¯s not really up to me. Of course, I don¡¯t want to die, but¡­ that maestril will be strong. It will be a difficult battle for everyone. We just need to do our best.¡± ¡±I know that. And I know that it¡¯s the best use of my attribute to make sure our Mages are never short of mana, but I still wish I could be doing more to help out,¡± he sighed. ¡±Don¡¯t be stupid, it¡¯s like Liv said, our entire back line depends on you. You can use your arrows if we¡¯re in danger, but I think what Liv has you doing is great,¡± Langa told him. He only mumbled slightly in response, unconvinced, and it irritated Langa how much it reminded him of his niece, Khaya. She was also stubborn like that, always telling him how to live his life, and looking out for his best interests, despite him pushing her away. He closed his eyes to steady himself and spoke again. ¡°Makoto, don¡¯t leave the back line. If it looks like we are gonna wipe, run! Okay, if we wipe... you will get my karma. I have over 600 karma, you have like 200. You can go to the forest in the east and hunt some level 3 and 4 foxes and wolves to get you to 1000 karma, and you can leave this godsforsaken place.¡± ¡°Stop saying shit like that!¡± Makoto pursed his lips, barely containing his anger. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna die. I won¡¯t let you!¡± he said, and pushed past Langa, to the outside where the others were waiting. They were all suited up, and ready to go. Ghol wore leather armour just like Langa and held her daggers at the ready. Sigurd wore a long red robe and kept checking his backpack nervously, while Kindaro wore a black robe and a strange white skull mask that covered half of his face, holding a staff. Eniche had her mace and shield and still had on the heavy chain mail armour from before. Liv, however, had a unique set of armour. It looked like a bodysuit made from the scales of a green snake, and it was stuck to his body very tightly. He carried his buckler and had on some brass knuckles in his left hand. Yeah, everyone was ready to go. No one said anything, and they began their march into the woods. Thoughts of how badly the battle could go filled his mind, and Langa was afraid that he would have to use Tonare¡¯s skill. Yesterday it had really hurt him, and he hoped that it would not be necessary for him to use it. His heart tightened in his chest. He had managed to block any and all thoughts regarding the maestril, but now, all he could think about were those cold black eyes seeing through him, freezing him in place. 10. Floor 0: Party Play (2) "Get ready," Langa said, stepping in line behind Liv and Eniche at the edge of the yellow zone forest. "The maestril will appear as soon as we enter his domain." Liv nodded and checked that everyone was ready before he stepped into the grove of tall black trees. The mist surrounding the area was thinner since it was morning, but there were wisps of light passing through the gaps in the trees, creating long shadows. [WARNING! YOU HAVE ENTERED THE RED ZONE: CALPU''S CORRUPTED GROVE!] Langa could not help the way that his muscles tensed up when Liv used his buckler to block a sword strike that seemingly came from nowhere. The shadows shimmered, and then, right in front of them, the maestril stood on two legs. This was Calpu¡¯s grove after all, and here, he was king. His ugly and misshapen combination of a fox and wolf head tilted to the side as he observed the mortals that dared to intrude on his domain. He wore a metal breastplate and leather trousers, but his body was otherwise bare. His two silver broadswords reflected the dim sunlight as his black eyes swept through the group and fixated on Langa. He averted his eyes and scanned the maestril instead. The only thing that changed from the last time was that his karma had increased. Briefly Langa wondered why he could see Calpu¡¯s karma. For all other creatures, he only saw the name and HP. Calpu (Shadow Maestril Mini-boss) Level 7 HP: 3000/3000 Karma: 1610 "Oh, my. You brought friends this time, did you?" Langa could feel Calpu''s gaze on him as he spoke, but he refused to look him in the eye, he could not risk the mental magic hitting him again. "Including the human and the little kitty who ran away without avenging you last time." [Player Sigurd Magnarson has blessed you with Healing Light. You gain +57HP for 5 minutes.] [You are in Player Liv''Kungsadu''s party. 10% extra damage to critical hits] Eniche rushed up to the maestril and struck his arm with her mace, but he dodged to the back, ducking behind the shadow of one of his large trees. He was too fast for her, so Ghol followed him in stealth and stabbed her dagger into his side. She became visible when she attacked, and Calpu caught her eyes and caused her to stop moving. Langa could tell that this was the skill he''d been hit with before. While she was paralysed, the maestril lifted his sword, and there was no way she would survive the hit with her low health. Eniche quickly stepped in front of Ghol, and Calpu stabbed his sword into her abdomen, getting through the chain mail, and cutting into her stomach. Langa could not tell if it was deep or shallow, but Eniche fell to the ground, bleeding profusely. Ghol disappeared into stealth. This was not a good start. Sigurd quickly began the chant to heal her. Even though he had told himself that he would rather not use Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike, Langa prepared himself to use it just in case he had to protect Sigurd and Eniche. However, at that moment, Kindaro used his telekinesis, sending five of his knives flying straight at the maestril, but as Calpu dodged the knives, Liv also ran towards him, his kick landing on the maestril''s chest, and his breastplate taking most of the hit. He lost less than 5HP, which was surprising because Langa had seen that same kick instantly take away 20HP from the corrupted fox yesterday. This was a real monster. Calpu staggered, and licked his lips, "My sister and I will feast well tonight. Child of a god, I can smell the overflow of karma oozing out of you...Even if I only get 10% of yours, I can move on to the next tier," he said, looking Liv in the eye, "Come closer, mortal, let me feast on your karma." "You''re a fool if you think that I, a demigod, will fall prey to the mental magic of a lower life form," Liv sneered, his purple eye glowing. The insult seemed to trigger something in Calpu, and he roared, bringing both his swords down on Liv. Liv blocked them with his buckler, the strength behind the swing knocking Calpu''s sword arm back. Not one to miss an opening, Liv gave him a roundhouse kick to the side, making him stagger. The maestril ran into another tree''s shadow, but Liv chased after him, from shadow to shadow, giving one kick after another. Sometimes his kicks glowed orange, and those kicks made Calpu howl in pain. None of the others made a move, waiting for Liv to create an opening. "Insolent scum!" Calpu roared, but Liv jumped into the air, Calpu, expecting another kick to the face, raised his arms to protect his face, but Liv just punched hard on his chest, the impact hitting the metal breastplate with a thud. Kindaro used this opportunity to cast his skill, and he made Calpu freeze on the spot, making him a still target for Liv. Liv punched the breastplate again, four times, five times, the clash sounding to Langa''s ears, not like a mortal punching a metal, but like a hammer against iron. Liv''s strength was no joke, and with every hit, he was taking about 5HP at at time. His combos were amazing, and watching the skilful way in which he used his techniques, Langa realised how truly terrible he was at his spear technique. But still, something nagged at him as he watched Liv battle the monster, his technique was flawless, the way he used his stamina sparingly but decisively was admirable, and his strength was magnificent. Yet, Langa saw something in Liv that he was very familiar with. Even exhibiting all this strength, he knew instinctively, that Liv was holding back. At the end of his combo attack, Liv''s fists glowed a bright orange, and when Calpu swung his sword down at him, Liv punched his now unprotected face, and the maestril was dazed for a moment. In doing so, he left his left side vulnerable, and Langa did not miss the opening, using Flash Step to step into Calpu''s left side, and he drove Tonare into the gap between the breastplate and the trousers. He quickly pulled it out, and red blood gushed out of the wound. Langa tried to hastily retreat to the back line, but Calpu''s claws were already heading straight for his chest. That was just unnatural and wrong. Just as Langa thought he was going to be clawed to death by a freaking dog, not even a cat, an arrow flew towards Calpu''s head, and he used his hand to block it, giving Langa ample time to retreat, and hide behind a tree. Thank the gods for Makoto. Although he was slow, Calpu ran after Langa but was intercepted by Eniche, who seemed to have recovered from the attack. She looked pissed off. The hair on her arms and neck thickened into fur, and the claws on her hands grew as she leapt up, hitting Calpu square in the chest with a strength that seemed inhuman, then pulling back, and bashing him hard with her shield. Kindaro used his spell to freeze the monster, and once more Langa charged in. This time, Ghol attacked with him, striking multiple hits on the monster''s neck, fast, and pulling back, while Langa struck hard and fast on Calpu''s leg, trying to cripple him. Just when it felt like the tide was finally on their side, Calpu roared, and all the trees around them shook. The shadows of the trees rose up and formed a circle around the entire party. One second Calpu was roaring, standing in front of Liv and Eniche, and the next, he was blurred in shadow, disappearing, and Ghol, was screaming in pain on the ground. She was lying in a pool of blood, a sword buried deep inside her chest, her leather armour broken, and inside that circle of shadow, Calpu was standing over her. Langa froze in horror as her scream died down, and dark smoke flowed from her body into Calpu''s hands. "I told you, this is my domain!" [Party member Qin Ghol III has died] The message flicked for an instant in Langa''s vision, and then Kindaro screamed, "How dare you cut down my servant, you filthy creature!" Kindaro was angry, and his ten knives coated in brown mist took to the air once more, flying towards Calpu, but just like he did with Ghol, Calpu vanished into his circle of shadow, appearing behind Kindaro. Shit, Kindaro has even less HP than Ghol, Langa thought, Flash Stepping right next to Calpu, but before he could stab Tonare into the monster, Calpu dodged in the shadow, and once more vanished into the shadows, appearing at the edge of the shadow circle, right in front of Eniche. The circle of shadows then suddenly disappeared. "His shadow skill must have broken her out of stealth. Thanks," Kindaro said to Langa, realising that he''d let his emotions get ahead of him, and nearly died. Langa nodded and ran back to the front line. He heard Kindaro ask Makoto to top up his mana from his wasted skill. Langa was the only melee damage dealer left now, and he braced himself as he stood behind Liv, while Eniche battled the maestril. "The bastard uses shadow magic. Fuck, that AOE skill must be on cool-down, but I don''t know for how long, so we have to hit him hard and fast, okay? Stay behind me," Liv told him. Nodding, Langa scanned Calpu once more. They had been at this for over 15 minutes, and the maestril just would not die. Calpu (Shadow Maestril Mini-boss) Level 7 HP: 2164/3000 Karma: 1645 All that fighting, and he still had over 50% of his health. Damn it, and his karma had gone up by 35 since the start of the battle. Wait, Langa thought, was that 10% of Ghol''s karma? Had he absorbed her karma? Did that mean that the 10% that he had lost the other day had also been absorbed by Calpu? ¡°Langa, Liv¡¯Kungsadu, I have an idea,¡± a voice said from right next to Langa. It was Kindaro. Langa took a startled step back because the stupid mask on his face scared the hell out of him. ¡°What the hell are you doing in the front line?! Get to the back!¡± Liv screamed in frustration as Eniche swung her mace into the maestril¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Makoto is covering me. Listen, I don¡¯t have much time, but I¡¯ve learned something. Since Calpu uses shadows, I knew he had to have either light or darkness affinity on top of his mental affinity. So I checked, and the bastard is using light, but his resistance to the death discipline is zero. So there¡¯s something I want to try, it¡¯s part of my attribute, so it¡¯s a big skill and it drains me completely of mana. It takes a while to prep the spell, and it needs to hit him in the heart,¡± Kindaro told them. His attribute gave him a strong attack skill? Langa had no idea what his own attribute was, on his status it said that his attribute was locked. ¡°Your attribute, huh? Alright, I got it. So you need us to break that slippery bastard¡¯s armour, right? Look we¡¯ll do our best. A few more strikes and I should be able to break it. Just please get to the back!¡± Liv said, readying his buckler once more as two consecutive arrows from Makoto hit Calpu in the abdomen, below the breastplate, cutting deep into him, and he roared. ¡°Wait a second, Kindaro. Didn¡¯t you say you could only see our mental resistances? How come you know the maestrils affinities and resistances?¡± Langa asked Kindaro, who only looked sheepish. ¡°I knew it.¡± This guy had lied to everyone, in the end, he was not to be trusted after all. ¡°Get back to your line!¡± Liv screamed at both of them. ¡°Right. It takes 60 seconds to prep my attribute, so that¡¯s all I need,¡± Kindaro said. ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll create an opening for you. I think I have something that can break his armour in one hit. I¡¯ll also use a big skill, so tell Sigurd to be ready to heal me as soon as I¡¯m done,¡± Langa told him. As Kindaro nodded and started to run back to the back line, he said, ¡°And you said that I was holding out on you.¡± Langa ignored him. Liv then hastily informed Eniche about the plan while Makoto was shooting at Calpu¡¯s ankle with his arrows. Once Langa and Kindaro used their skills, the maestril would be focused on them. Liv would protect Langa, and Eniche was to protect Kindaro. Langa saw the look of disdain on Eniche¡¯s face at the thought of having to protect Kindaro, but she nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say, Liv¡¯Kungsadu.¡± While they were talking, Makoto¡¯s mana arrow cut clean into Calpu¡¯s ankle and he screamed out in pain, raising his other foot to leap up and stomp on Makoto. There was no way that Langa would allow that kid to get hurt. Langa¡¯s speed was too much for him, and he ran in front of him, spear raised. In his haste to protect Makoto, Langa neglected to be cautious, and for less than a millisecond, his and Calpu¡¯s eyes met. ¡°Your mind is my playground,¡± the words were whispered inside his head, and once more, he felt fear fill him up on the inside, it raged, causing every movement in his body to tense up, and he could barely feel Tonare in his hand. It felt like someone had dipped him in a vat of ice-cold acid, rendering him helpless. It was dark all over, and he could not move. Logically, he knew that he was in a vast forest, not in an enclosed space where he was trapped with nowhere to go, but his mind would not accept it. He had to get out, had to escape this cage, this box, trapping him. He could feel his heart beating rapidly, the pulse of it enriching him, somehow, he had to find a way out. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°MOVE!¡± A loud voice cut into his thoughts. A familiar voice. The magic of the maestril was broken, its hold gone from his mind but replaced by someone else¡¯s magic. This voice controlled him, forcing his legs to move. Kindaro. Kindaro was controlling him now, he had done it to break the maestril¡¯s control. In the back of his mind, Langa knew that this was a big deal because Kindaro had said that his mind control skill only allowed him to freeze people. Langa looked around, finding that in his daze, Eniche had stepped in front of him, and she was busy protecting him, her shield held steadfast against Calpu¡¯s attacks. Liv was in the air again, kicking Calpu¡¯s neck as he landed. Kindaro let go of his mind, and Langa breathed. ¡®I am in control,¡¯ Langa thought, repeating the mantra over and over again. Fucking claustrophobia in the middle of battle? That was just like him. He was angry with himself, fuming. He should have used his weapon''s skill much earlier, maybe Ghol wouldn¡¯t have died. It was just a little pain, but he knew how much pain made his mind freeze up and act out of line again. He had to do this, though, so, taking a deep breath, he gripped Tonare tightly, and Flash Stepped in front of Calpu. As soon he pulled back his hands, thrusting as hard as he could into Calpu¡¯s chest, he activated Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike. Once again, the entire spear was bursting with lightning, and it burned through Calpu¡¯s armour like it was paper. The maestril screamed. Langa would have rejoiced in Calpu''s suffering, except that the backlash this time did not just burn his hands, no. The lightning burned all the way up to his elbow, and he screamed even louder than Calpu, his entire arm felt like it would fall off his body. He fell to the ground, twitching in pain. Thankfully, Kindaro had warned Sigurd, and he immediately began to heal him. Liv had also rushed over, standing directly in front of him, to protect him from Calpu. [Critical hit! (Calpu: -601.5HP) Extra damage! Calpu:-60.15HP ] [Backlash! (Langa Zulu:-48HP)] He had silenced his battle notifications, but evidently, the system thought that this was important enough for him to know. What the hell? No wonder the backlash hurt so much! He was only supposed to deal about 560 damage with that skill! Had it stacked with the extra damage from Flash Step? And the extra damage from Liv¡¯s title? Holy shit, no wonder it took almost 20% of his health! He was healed now, but he still could not move his hands from the numbness caused by the lightning. He looked over at Calpu, and damn, his whole breastplate had been melted off, and his chest had a large burn wound on it. He could feel the others staring at him in disbelief. He had reduced Calpu¡¯s HP to less than 50% with only one hit! Kindaro was the first to recover from the shock, he held his staff upright, and his mask glowed a dark brown as he chanted. ¡°Comedenthatos morsthana!¡± A glowing brown light erupted from his staff, and suddenly, the air seemed ripe with the stench of rotting corpses. The brown light hit Calpu squarely in the wound left by Tonare. The skin touched by the skill started decaying like it was being subjected to necrosis, and Calpu screamed again. It did not do high instantaneous damage like Langa¡¯s skill, but it was taking 100HP per second, and in 5 seconds, Calpu would be below 1000HP. This battle was almost over. Of course, as soon as Langa thought that, everything went downhill. The catalyst was Eniche. The moment that Kindaro started chanting, her face paled, but unfortunately, no one was looking at her, they were all watching Calpu. But she fell to the ground, fear on her face. As soon as the spell hit, and started decaying Calpu¡¯s skin, her muttering grew more distressed. ¡°They¡¯ve come for me¡­." she whispered, trembling. "The undead¡­ death¡­they¡¯re here.¡± Her eyes were glazed over, and by the time Langa realised that Calpu was controlling her mind, using her fears of the undead that had destroyed her world, it was too late. After using his skill, Kindaro was drained of mana and collapsed on the ground weakly, and Makoto was desperately trying to refill his mana. Eniche was supposed to go over there immediately to protect him. Unfortunately, she was under Calpu¡¯s control, so the moment that Calpu¡¯s scream of pain turned into a roar, and the shadows condensed into a circle, no one was prepared. Calpu blurred into the shadows and appeared behind Kindaro again, swords raised to kill him. Sigurd reacted first, casting mist rope on Calpu, it didn¡¯t tie him down, but it did slow him down a little, turning what would have been a fatal strike for Kindaro into a critical one. The sword missed his chest, but it cut into his shoulder, an injury which, given Kindaro¡¯s low health was still quite critical. Eniche was still whimpering on the ground, and Liv had a split second to make a decision. Langa¡¯s heartbeat sped up, he had been overusing Flash Step today, so his stamina was dangerously low, and yet, he could feel his heart beating, like a pulse, beating faster and faster, and for a moment, it felt like time slowed down. Calpu was winding up for another attack, Makoto was trying to refill Sigurd¡¯s mana so that he could heal Kindaro, and Liv was thinking. Langa knew what Liv was thinking, if he rushed to defend Kindaro, Calpu would shadow step again, this time targeting Langa who would be left vulnerable. Liv had to sacrifice either Langa or Kindaro. In that case, Langa decided to make things easier for Liv. If he and Kindaro were in the same place, it would be easier for him to protect both of them. Flash Step was now off cool-down, so he Flash Stepped to Calpu, intending to stab him once more in his exposed chest. But Langa miscalculated. After all, Calpu was not just a monster. He was a sapient, intelligent being. The last time he¡¯d tried to attack Kindaro, Langa had stopped him with his Flash Step attack. So this time, Calpu did the same thing, baiting Langa. His target was never Kindaro at all. It was Langa, the one who had dealt the most damage to him. When Langa landed, spear raised, Calpu used his shadows to move half a step back, dodging the attack and swung his sword at Langa. Langa had learned to dodge from fighting mana dummies, and the real thing was very different, especially since Flash Step was now back on cool-down, and, moving within the shadows, Calpu could keep up with his speed. His stamina was dangerously close to 10%, and in the middle of dodging, once again, for a mere fraction of a second, Calpu caught his eye, and he froze. Once again, Langa''s heartbeat sped up, and this time he felt that it was no coincidence that time seemed to slow down, and he saw everything in slow motion. He could see the blade aimed at his neck that he could not dodge. Kindaro was still helpless on the ground, Sigurd healing him. Liv was running towards him, his buckler raised, but he was not going to make it in time. Langa smiled ruefully. So, this is how I die, he thought, protecting a guy I don¡¯t even like. But just as he resigned himself to death, a black coat covered his vision, someone he had not accounted for, someone that he had forgotten had been right next to Kindaro, collided with him, pushing him out of the way. The person tried blocking Calpu with his bow, but to no avail Makoto. Time righted itself, and Calpu¡¯s blade dug deeply into Makoto¡¯s neck. Killing him instantly. The boy¡¯s body fell into Langa¡¯s arms, the mental shock freeing him from Calpu¡¯s control. [Party member Sato Makoto has died.] Liv¡¯s brass-knuckled fist collided with Calpu¡¯s face, the fist glowed, breaking his jaw, just as another punch collided with his eye. But no matter how hard Liv hit him or how much HP Calpu lost, they could not stop what was happening. Black strands flowed from Makoto¡¯s body into the maestril. Liv swung hard, and his buckler hit the maestril¡¯s chest, and he fled into the shadows, the shadow circle dissipating. Makoto didn''t have enough mana to cast a mana arrow at Calpu or have time to ready his bow, so he''d done the next best thing by saving Langa''s life. Langa knelt down on the ground, holding Makoto¡¯s body, and he closed the boy¡¯s wide-open eyes. There was fear etched on his face, and Langa¡¯s heart felt like poison. Why? Dammit. He knew that the boy would be waking up in the safe zone, alive, but holding a child''s body in his hands like this, hurt him. ¡°If you were so scared, why did you do it?¡± Langa whispered. He had not received Makoto¡¯s karma, since he still had one life left. A second later, the body disappeared, meaning that Makoto was awake. They could not communicate with dead party members through the comcer, or else Langa would have called to make sure he was okay. Langa stood up to see that Eniche was free as well. She was busy slamming her mace into Calpu¡¯s chest, over and over again in rage. He could understand her. He knew how violating it was to have your worst fears get played over and over again in your head. He paused, frowning, as he looked at Calpu. Something was not right. The last time he had checked, the maestril had been at 625/3000 HP, as Kindaro¡¯s 100HP per second DOT had still been active. Kindaro''s attribute skill was still active, only that it was now only taking 30 HP per second. However, the maestril looked like he was healing now, so Langa scanned him. Calpu (Shadow Maestril Mini-boss) Level 7 HP: 1325/3000 Karma: 974 "The hell?" he muttered in disbelief. His health had gone up! ¡°Yeah,¡± Kindaro said, standing up, and finally healed. ¡°He¡¯s converting his karma into HP. Sucks for him because it means that he won¡¯t be able to use his AOE attack as much anymore.¡± ¡°Are you guys good?¡± Langa asked since Liv and Eniche were keeping the maestril busy. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I¡¯m running low on mana, and without Makoto here, my regen rate is in the pits,¡± Sigurd said, frustrated. ¡°Mine¡¯s about 3/4 full. The kid filled it up pretty well,¡± Kindaro said, checking his status. He picked up his staff. ¡°I¡¯m pissed. Not as pissed as the lionkin, but pissed. Let¡¯s go.¡± When the three of them reached the fighting, Calpu¡¯s eyes swept over them, and he howled. They all tensed. Could he still use the shadow circle AOE skill? Even if he could, it should still have been on cool-down. However, no shadows condensed, instead, ten figures emerged from the trees. Corrupted foxes and wolves. Normally, this would not be a problem for the five of them, except that it was 6 level 4s and 4 level 5s. On top of that, they had to contend with Calpu. This bastard had called for backup. Langa did some math. He and Liv together, or Liv and Kindaro together, could probably handle the horde in less than five minutes since they were level 6, but there was no way that the others could hold out against Calpu without them for that long. Conversely, Eniche and Sigurd would definitely be overwhelmed by the horde. ¡°I¡¯ll take mobs, you guys hold Calpu, and I-¡° Liv started, but someone interrupted him. ¡°No,¡± Eniche said. ¡°I¡¯ll go. I have the highest health.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, you idiot. You can¡¯t fight so many mobs of your level, it¡¯s suicide!¡± Kindaro shouted at her. ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Langa agreed. ¡°I know you feel bad about what happened, but just calm down for a bit.¡± Eniche¡¯s hand tightened on her mace, and she said, ¡°Kindaro, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Kindaro flinched, and even Langa was surprised. ¡°I hate you, and death magic scares me, but we¡¯re teammates. I should have found a way to protect you instead of falling prey to Calpu''s attack. And Langa, I¡¯m sorry that I ran away the other day, and let you die when I should have protected you,¡± she paused. ¡°I used to curse at all the players who abandoned our world because they were scared to fight the undead. Now, I understand them. I need to do this.¡± ¡°Hold on, now-¡° Langa tried again, but Liv held up his hand. ¡°Very well, take care of the mobs. Don¡¯t let them interfere in our fight with Calpu,¡± Liv told her. Eniche nodded and ran towards the trees where the mobs were emerging from. ¡°Sigurd, go with her. Slow them down so that they don¡¯t overrun her. You have enough mana for that, right?¡± ¡°I do. If you guys need heals, just call me back,¡± Sigurd said, and he followed after Eniche. ¡°You¡¯re sacrificing Sigurd? Don¡¯t we need heals?¡± Kindaro asked. ¡°If they do their job, we won¡¯t need healing. Besides, she needs him more than we do. Get ready, Calpu¡¯s coming,¡± Liv answered. Calpu was done healing himself, but surprisingly, Kindaro¡¯s attribute attack was still taking health, though it was decreasing less than before. The attribute now took only 20HP per second, no matter how often Calpu healed himself. Liv took a deep breath, and ran forward, using his buckler to block Calpu¡¯s claws which were aiming for Kindaro. With no hesitation, Kindaro activated his telekinesis, sending his knives flying into Calpu¡¯s abdomen. Langa ran up and stabbed his glaive into Calpu¡¯s thigh, then retreated. His stamina was still recovering, so he could not use Flash Step yet, and Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike was still on cool-down. He stood to the back, and his eyes darted towards Eniche and Sigurd. Sigurd had cast his mist rope, and he was currently holding three level 5 foxes still with it, and two level 4 wolves. Langa could see that he was struggling to keep it up. Eniche, however, was calm. She circled carefully around the level 5 wolf, while keeping an eye on the level 4 foxes, and when the four of them jumped into the air to attack her, she swivelled back, hitting the level 5 wolf on the head with her mace while keeping her shield above her, so that two of the foxes crashed into it. For now, she was okay, so he focused on his battle. Liv created an opening for Langa, but instructed him not to use his weapon skill until Calpu was below 500HP, to make a decisive kill, so that when the backlash from the skill took him out of commission, he would not be in danger. Thus, Langa used Flash Step again, attacking Calpu¡¯s abdomen where Kindaro¡¯s knives had cut. He wanted to follow up again, but Calpu ran away, into a tree¡¯s shadow, towards Eniche and Sigurd. Before he could reach them, however, Liv¡¯s glowing foot hit him in the back. Three foxes and one wolf were dead, and Sigurd looked worse for wear, trying to hold the mobs still and heal Eniche. She was covered in blood, her health in the red, but she kept bashing the head of a wolf that had gotten free from Sigurd with her shield. Calpu screamed again, and dove once more into the trees¡¯ shadows, too fast for Liv, so Langa chased after him, throwing a dagger at him, and forcing him to morph out of the shadows to dodge it. Kindaro sent more knives flying at Calpu and Langa received a message after the fight dragged on for a few more minutes. [Party member Sigurd Magnarson has died.] Liv kicked Calpu in the chest, sending him flying, and Langa bit his lip as Sigurd¡¯s death caused Calpu¡¯s health to rise back up to above 800 again. He looked at Eniche. She was completely covered in blood. She must have levelled up at some point, because her health was high again, and her shield and mace were damaged. It did not seem to matter against the final two level 5s and one level 4. It was not just the hair on her arms but also her neck, face and head that had turned into fur, she was growling, scratching the foxes with her claws, not allowing a single one of them to get behind her. She kept them in her sights, and every time they bit her, she stomped on them or scratched them with her claws. She looked like a lioness in the wild. She was really good at this, it made more sense for her to be able to do this with her claws, since she fell into the cat species, unlike Calpu and the corrupted wolves and foxes. Langa focused on his own battle, watching the shadows for any movement from Calpu, trying to figure out where he would emerge from. He heard howls, growls and whimpers, and then, he heard Eniche scream one last time, and two messages popped up in front of him. [Congratulations! Level Up! Level 7 +7 karma +2STR, +2VIT, + 1AGI You have 3 free attribute points to distribute.] [Party member Eniche V Tigris Vale has died] This must have been what Liv was aiming for. The accumulated experience from Eniche¡¯s fight helped the rest of the party to level up since it technically was not part of the quest. He glanced at the brutal scene of Eniche¡¯s death. The leaves of the trees were covered in blood, and nine bloody bodies of foxes and wolves were strewn about next to Eniche¡¯s own mauled body. This was risky, though as quests only gave experience and rewards once they were complete. He supposed since the corrupted creatures were technically not part of the quest, this had happened. It made him realise that The Unrivalled''s rules while not breakable, could be exploited. Langa bit his lip, and Kindaro telekinetically sent a knife into the neck of the last, badly injured wolf. Eniche¡¯s lost karma was absorbed by Calpu, and he healed the wound on his side. With the level up, Langa''s health, MP and stamina were back to full. Both Liv and Kindaro had also levelled up thanks to Eniche. The three of them stood in a line, and Calpu watched them, leaning against a tree as his injury healed. He was at 900HP. It was about the same as the three of them combined. This was it, they were the last standing members of their team. This was their final gambit. 11. Floor 0: Party Play (3) Langa was torn on where to put his free attribute points. On one hand, it would be good to place them all in Mind, increasing his mana, and thus increasing the damage from Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike. On the other hand, his Flash Step scaled with Agility, and the higher his Agility, the more damage he could deal. Still, he already got one point in Agility from every level up, so he placed two points in mind and one in agility. ¡±A demigod, a dark elf and a human all walk into a maestril¡¯s bar¡­¡± Kindaro murmured, and Liv glared at him. ¡°What? I¡¯m just trying to lighten the mood. The three of us are really going to defeat a monster that seven of us couldn¡¯t?¡± Langa scanned Calpu again. His HP was sitting at 908/3000. ¡°I think we can do it. We¡¯re at full health, full stamina and full mana. We¡¯re all level 7, same as Calpu.¡± Liv nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, and besides, we¡¯re the strongest members of our team. They all know it, we know it, and so does Calpu. That¡¯s why he kept trying to kill you two and drain my karma.¡± ¡±I do feel bad for Eniche and the others though. All that work, and they didn¡¯t get to complete the quest,¡± Langa said, worried about Makoto, and the karma he¡¯d lost. ¡±Don¡¯t worry, their contributions won¡¯t go anywhere, as long as we complete the quest, they¡¯ll get their experience as well as even more karma than what they lost,¡± Kindaro assured him. Liv nodded, taking his stance. ¡°Yes. Now, here¡¯s the plan, none of us can die, otherwise he will just heal himself. We hit him hard, and fast.¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll support you guys,¡± Kindaro said, his staff at the ready. Liv ran up to the maestril, and released a barrage of blows into his stomach, landing all of them in quick succession. Calpu tried to claw him back and slash at him with his one sword, but Liv blocked all of them. He caught Calpu with a quick sidekick, glowing with power, and knocking him off balance. Langa swept at the maestril¡¯s legs with his glaive, keeping him unbalanced enough that Kindaro¡¯s knives were able to stab his abdomen again inflicting death damage, but he fled into the shadows, and the three of them took a moment to breathe. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, the orange glow on your fists and kicks, is that solar aura?¡± Kindaro asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Liv said impatiently, breathing heavily. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve already unlocked a special stat,¡± Kindaro regarded him impressively, ¡°You¡¯re crazy though. A dragonkin using aura instead of mana? How do you still have any stamina left?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a demigod,¡± Liv said as if that was the answer to it all. ¡°And you''re a Mage, I''m pretty sure you unlock the special stat: Wisdom when you choose that class. Now focus. The maestril is up to something.¡± Calpu threw off his broken breastplate, leaving his chest bare. The wound left by Langa and Kindaro¡¯s earlier attacks was half healed, and Kindaro¡¯s DOT attribute attack had slowed down to only taking 5HP per second. It was impressive that it was still active, over 20 minutes later, and they could probably wait Calpu out, although he would obviously not sit still waiting to die. No, he would kill one of them to heal himself. Calpu pulled shadows from a tree behind him, and covered his bare chest with them, like some kind of shadow armour. Langa cursed. This guy seemed to pull skills out of his arse, although it seemed like he had skills that he could keep spamming like his mental attack, and the shadow circle, while other skills seemed once off, like calling forth the corrupted animals, and this shadow armour. ¡°I¡¯ll create an opening for you. Be ready,¡° Liv said, dropping his buckler on the ground, and cracking his knuckles. This man -demigod, but still- was about to fight barehanded against a maestril. Langa admired him, but he would never do that. The pain alone would kill him. Liv was a different breed. Liv kicked out high and his leg disappeared into the shadow armour, but he pulled it out. Calpu swung down at him with his broadsword, but Liv sidestepped him and crouched low before his aura-covered fist caught Calpu¡¯s chin in a fierce uppercut, and the maestril spat blood, his scream lost in the air. He panicked and swung one sword at Liv again, but as if he had been waiting for just that, Liv sacrificed his arm, letting the blade sink deep into his arm, and then he pulled it out, arm still bleeding, and punched Calpu in the throat with the bleeding arm. It was as if the injury did not faze him in the least, and he threw away the sword, leaving Calpu with only one weapon! ¡°Abomination of the gods! Cursed being!¡° Calpu screamed at him clutching his throat. ¡°Yeah, I can take that kind of crap from my grandmother, I won¡¯t accept it coming from a wretched creation of The Dark Void though,¡± Liv said, and he wound up, then his right arm swung, glowing with red aura this time and he struck straight into Calpu¡¯s breastbone. The aura burned light into the maestril¡¯s shadow armour, creating a gap. At the moment that Liv¡¯s aura attack left a small gap in Calpu¡¯s shadow armour, and he took a half step back, Kindaro¡¯s ten knives flew into the air, aiming for that gap, and Calpu only managed to deflect three of the knives with his arm, the rest struck true. The reason why he failed to defend himself was because Langa had lunged at him, with Flash Step, Tonare cutting straight into the flesh of the maestril¡¯s arm, into his bone. Langa had seen how Kindaro had attacked, sending the knives straight into the gap that Liv left, without wasting a second. It was flawless, as if they had been working together for years. At that moment, Langa knew what needed to be done. He had taken advantage of Calpu¡¯s momentary distraction with Kindaro to attack as well. He had managed to make that judgement in a split second, and right now, he recognised that this was skill, plain and simple. It felt as if Langa was running a relay race on the track, and the whole team was full of talented, hardworking individuals, and the outcome of the race did not depend entirely on him. It was funny, he thought as he used his speed to run from an enraged Calpu, that he was reflecting on his life in this battle. He had always lived his life passively, keeping a cool head, never taking the initiative in anything his whole life. The reason that Langa lived like this was simple. After his father¡¯s death, he had been taken to a sangoma, a Zulu traditional healer who could communicate with ancestral spirits, and Langa had been told that he had isiqalekiso somkhondolo, a generational curse that rejected life. The sangoma told him that he was destined to die young and that as long as he lived, the curse would take all the luck from the people he loved. He would not suffer himself, and every success of his would steal someone else¡¯s luck for him. Even as a child, it wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d heard about this curse. His father had told him a legend about how all the firstborn men in his family were cursed. At the time, Langa had thought that it was just another one of the myths and stories that his father always told him about. But the curse had struck. His father died because of him, and after confirming the truth about this curse, his mother abandoned him. His sister loved and cared for him, but his brother-in-law always blamed Langa for every one of his failed businesses, for his sister¡¯s miscarriages, for Neo¡¯s troubles with the law, and for Khaya¡¯s academic ineptitude. So, Langa lived as passively as possible, so as not to take anything from the people he loved. He lived accepting that his death would be an end to his curse, and he could stop taking other people¡¯s luck. He had lived his whole life not fearing death, believing that he could accept it whenever it came because it would mean the end of his curse. But this moment right here, fighting alongside his teammates, death at his heels, risking his life, this was something that he had never expected to experience. ''Ah,'' he thought, ''perhaps at the edge of death is when I truly begin to appreciate what it meant to be alive.'' At this moment, he did not have to worry about his curse, about living as quietly as possible. Right now, there were only the three of them and an exhilarating fight to the death. Fighting with Liv and Kindaro was liberating. ¡°Mortal scum! Foolish puppets of the detestable Order!¡± The maestril howled and tried to flee into the shadows to escape Langa¡¯s attack, but Liv was already at Calpu¡¯s back, and a hard kick to his spine sent the maestril flying. Kindaro used the moment to initiate a mental attack, freezing the maestril, making it easy for the other two to attack him. This¡­ Langa was inspired by the dance that followed from the three of them, they played at each other¡¯s strengths, creating openings for each other, and defending each other. This was what a party should be. Strong, talented people working in tandem, each performing their role perfectly. It sucked to admit it, but the other four would have been more of a hindrance if they were here. This was true party play. This, Langa thought, is fun. He¡¯d lived passively, except when it came to running. It was the only thing he could do to feel alive, the speed made him forget about his curse, and he grew addicted to it. Running, speeding cars and motorcycles, he¡¯d tried it all. In the end, running felt the best. He was in control, chasing a challenge, competing against others, burning fast and bright like he was supposed to. It had been fun until no one could compete with him, and he stopped trying his hardest. There probably were people faster than him in other countries, in the world, but he got bored of it all. Of trying. Nothing stimulated him anymore, so he started to run passively too. But right now, watching the way that Liv fought, like he was in full control of himself, with precision, accurate hits, determined grace and effortlessness, Langa felt the urge to chase after him. Kindaro was strong, but Langa felt like the two of them were either evenly matched, or Kindaro was slightly more powerful, but it was a gap he could easily bridge. Liv¡¯s power and skill, on the other hand, was so far ahead of his own that Langa wondered, if he ran hard enough, whether he could catch up to him. A challenge, something he hadn¡¯t had in years was in front of him. His heart was beating again, with excitement. Perhaps in the Tower, he could find motivation and relieve his boring, monotonous life. So, they fought, Kindaro providing the much-needed support, Liv doing the tanking, and Langa dealing the damage. When Langa next checked the maestril¡¯s health, it was finally down to 700/3000. They were so close, and victory was in their sights. One hit from Langa and the maestril would be brought to his knees. But then a roar pierced the air, and the shadows condensed into a circle around them, just as Langa was about to trigger Flash Step. This was the monster¡¯s final gambit too. He had activated his AOE attack. He needed to kill one of them in order to heal himself. Langa got into his running stance. Once again, it felt like his heart was in his throat, and he could feel it beating hard against his chest, faster than normal. Was this his attribute trying to unlock? He knew that he was on the cusp of grasping something important, but he could not worry about that right now. Liv was standing in front of Kindaro, and he knew that the maestril would go for one of them. Would Calpu expect him to protect Kindaro who had low health again, or would he aim for Liv who had insulted him, and taken all of his attacks without breaking a sweat? Either way, it did not matter. This ended now. He listened to his increased heartbeat, and it was exhausting just standing still as, every second, he felt the seconds extensively. Just as he felt time slowing down for him again, Langa shouted, ¡°Freeze him!¡± When he activated Flash Step this time, it felt like the skill drained all of his stamina, and, a path to Calpu opened up clearly before his eyes and he instantly reached the endpoint. He¡¯d moved fast. Faster than he ever had before. It felt as if his Flash Step was reacting to the pulsing of his heartbeat. He saw Calpu¡¯s eyes turn to look at him as he landed, but even within the shadow circle, the maestril could not move fast enough to stop him. Kindaro had heeded Langa¡¯s warning and froze the monster the moment that he appeared behind Liv. Langa thrust once more into Calpu¡¯s chest, activating Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike, and it scaled with the extra damage from Flash Step. A loud boom erupted in the air as lightning sizzled in Langa¡¯s hands. Tonare burned straight into Calpu¡¯s chest, and the smell of burning flesh filled the air. The backlash was intense, as Langa¡¯s skin filled with heat and numbness, and his hands were charred black. The moment Langa pulled out his spear, Liv punched straight into the burning hole it left, his fist emerging on the other side of Calpu¡¯s chest, and Kindaro¡¯s death magic-infused knives also cut into Calpu¡¯s chest. The maestril fell over, skin burning, onto the ground, dead. [Critical hit! (Calpu: -627.5HP) Extra damage! (Calpu:-62.75HP) ] [Backlash! (Langa Zulu:-52HP)] [Debuff: Stamina below 5%. Reduced movement speed. You are paralysed until stamina regenerates to 10%. Time remaining: 2 minutes 14 seconds] If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. [You have killed a level 7 maestril mini-bosss. Rewards will be issued by contribution. Please wait.] Calpu had only dropped a map when he died, and Kindaro picked it up. "Hmmm...it''s the location of the final boss,¡± he said. But his voice sounded very far away to Langa. Langa tumbled onto the ground and rolled around helplessly. The stamina drain this time was insane, especially when coupled with the backlash. He suspected that it had something to do with how fast he had moved on that last attack, following his heartbeat, but he was unsure. What had that been? That moment when it seemed as if time was bending to the will of his heartbeat? He had never felt so much power before. His skin stung all over his arm, and he could not see clearly. He tried to blink, but it felt like his brain was too tired to even muster up a thought. The pain made him reel inside, it made him want to scream out loud fiercely, but he could not even bring up the strength to do that. ¡±Hahaha! We did it! We actually defeated that accursed dark creature!¡± Kindaro laughed, and he also collapsed to the ground next to Langa. ¡±Yeah,¡± Liv said, somehow still standing, not looking tired at all. ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t know we would be able to do it with just the three of us.¡± "I''m dying..." Langa whimpered, the pain not going away. He wanted to tear off his skin just to stop the pain. ¡°Please get me my health potion from my backpack.¡± ¡±I¡¯m all taped out too, sorry. I can¡¯t move either. It¡¯s too far away from here for me to walk.¡± Kindaro said, breathing heavily. Liv rolled his eyes and walked over to the thicket where they had left their belongings. He returned with Langa¡¯s backpack, and tipped his head slightly up, bringing the flask containing the potion to his lips. Langa drank it hungrily. He could feel his skin knitting itself together as he lay there, but still, his mind was foggy from the stamina debuff. He tried to sit up, but his body refused to listen to him and continued to lie still on the ground. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m taking the maestril¡¯s body, okay? It¡¯s for a quest of mine that I¡¯m doing,¡± Kindaro said, sitting up, and looking at Calpu¡¯s broken corpse. Liv raised his eyebrows and Kindaro snorted. ¡°What, did you think that you two were the only ones with hidden quests?¡± Langa could not see what Kindaro was doing, and Liv spoke hurriedly, ¡°Make it quick. We have to go back. The others must be worried.¡± Strange, their voices sounded distant to Langa. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll close my eyes for a second¡­ ¡° he mumbled. His vision swirled, and he closed his eyes. Everything went quiet, as his fatigue overcame him. * When Langa woke up, he was in his room, back in the safe zone. He was lying on the mattress, his mind refreshed, and his body slightly sore. He checked his hands and they were fully healed, with not a scar in place. There was a thin silver bracelet on his wrist. Weird. Sitting up, he called up his interface and instantly regretted it. It was full to the brim with different messages. He blinked, and shook his head, reading everything from the top. [You have completed tutorial quest #2. Contributions: Expected Contribution per player: 14.3% 1. Liv¡¯Kungsadu - 22.2% 2. Langa Zulu - 21.4% 3. Fi Kindaro III - 20.6% 4. Eniche V Tigris Vale -12.2% 5. Sigurd Magnarson - 9.8% 6. Sato Makoto - 8.5% 7. Qin Ghol III - 4.4% You have exceeded your expected contribution percentage. Quest Completion Grade: A+ +1000 EXP +500 karma +50 bonus karma for A+ grade +1 Shaman¡¯s cyclopsskin protective headband +3 Tutorial Rations +1 silver coin] [Congratulations! Level Up! Level 8 +8 karma +2STR, +2VIT, +1AGI You have 3 free attribute points to distribute.] [You have obtained 1000 karma before the end of the tutorial. Would you like to Ascend onto the 1st Floor? Yes/No Please note: If you Ascend onto the 1st Floor without completing the final tutorial quest, you will not be given access to the massive discounts in The Deiwos Tower karma store. Choose wisely.] That was a lot to take in. So, he could leave the tutorial right now, and go into the Tower, huh? Three days ago, Langa would have done that without hesitation, but now¡­ he checked Makoto¡¯s karma, and he was just above 500. There was no way that Langa could leave the boy behind. Not after he¡¯d given his life to save him. [ACHIEVEMENT! Congratulations! Your party¡¯s ranking in Tutorial Quest #2 is second. Your party has received +9 skill points for your party leader to distribute. +1 (12 slot) inventory bracelet each to the top three contributing party members] [Party leader Liv¡¯Kungsadu has distributed 2 skill points to you.] All that hard work and they were only second place? No, Langa shook his head thoughtfully. The message to Earth had stated that there would be around 1.5 billion players, if the other nine floors also had that many players each, and adding on former NPCs from other floors as well as Chosen Ones from blessed worlds, this tutorial batch would have over 11 billion participants. If each party had ten players, that meant about 1 billion parties. And they were in second place?!! ¡°Holy shit! We¡¯re in the top 0.000000000002%!¡± he exclaimed, and then frowned, not sure if his math was correct. He was not the sharpest tool in the shed, and this whole statistic was based on whether the other worlds were as overpopulated as Earth. ¡°Whatever. The point is that we¡¯re awesome.¡± He wondered who got first place. Putting that thought aside, he continued reading his messages. [You have unlocked your inventory! Please bind your inventory bracelet to your comcer to access your inventory.] Langa removed the thin silver bracelet and infused it with his mana. It lit up, and then he placed it on his wrist on which he wore the comcer. The bracelet merged with the comcer. A small button appeared on the comcer. [You have 12 inventory slots. You may only store nonliving items in your inventory, and the items will be kept in the same condition in which they were placed into the inventory. You can stack up to 100 of the same item in one slot. To access your inventory, press the inventory button on the comcer, or open the inventory tab on your status page.] Langa pressed the button, and his status vanished, and a blue window filled with square slots, with three rows and three columns opened up in front of him. All the slots were empty except one, which showed a headband. Langa reached into the slot and pulled out the headband. It was cool. The headband was black, and it was quite thick in width. It seemed to be made of odd leather-like material which also seemed to stretch like an elastic. Otherwise, it was quite plain. [Shaman¡¯s cyclopsskin protective headband Accessory Rank: Rare Properties: A headband made by a mentally unstable shaman to protect her mind from the drawbacks of having a high-tier deity use her as a mouthpiece. +5% Mental Resistance.] Did the system intentionally choose to give him this reward to counter his greatest weakness? It was only 5%, though, so he was still in the negative. If the Tower wanted to raise his resistance, it should have given him lightning resistance instead, then he would not be in pain when he used Tonare¡¯s skill. Still, Langa pulled up his dreadlocks and put on the headband. It fit him surprisingly well. Next, he checked out the final message. The final tutorial quest.
FINAL TUTORIAL QUEST
Quest Rank: E
The maestrils that invaded the abandoned world of Zamone created karma portals using the fallen star of the world. In three days, the Void will overflow with karma, and swallow this world, and Zamone shall become a Void world. No mortal can survive for an extended period inside a Void world. The Elders of Zamone prayed to The Unrivalled Tower Master, that even when their world ceased to exist, their Legacies would be integrated into the Tower. In order to do that, the final tutorial boss must be defeated before the world becomes a Void.
Quest Objectives:
-Kill the maestril final boss -Ascend from the abandoned world into the Deiwos Tower -Obtain 1000 karma
Time Limit:
3 days
Optional Quest Objective:
Hidden
Quest Limitations:
N/A
Cautions:
Even if the player slays the Final Tutorial Boss, no rewards will be issued until after Ascension. The quest is not considered complete until the player Ascends into the Deiwos Tower.
Quest Rewards:
-Final Tutorial Reward based on contribution -Access to the 1st Floor of the Deiwos Tower -??? Karma -???% Discount in the Deiwos Tower Karma store -Hidden (Optional)
It had the same rank as the second tutorial quest, so Langa hoped that it would not be a difficult quest. He also still needed to go to the Elder and get a follow-up quest for his side quest as well. Done with that, Langa put in his last two health potions, his wound healing ointments, his tutorial rations, and his backpack into the inventory. He then stood up and went to take a shower. It was dark outside, so he was unsure how much time had passed since the battle. He was going to go meet his teammates later. He needed to thank Makoto for saving his life. Once it was light outside, he returned downstairs to the town hall. He was looking for Makoto, but in all honesty, he had no idea what to say to him. He ran into Ghol and Kindaro in the training room, and for some reason, Ghol looked downcast, and she was trembling all over. Kindaro, on the other hand, looked mildly annoyed. ¡±Hey, have you guys seen Makoto?¡± Langa asked, deciding that whatever was happening between them was none of his business. He could guess what was happening. Kindaro had probably severely reprimanded Ghol for her lacklustre performance in the battle. ¡±Oh, you¡¯re up? I thought you were dead when Liv¡¯Kungsadu had to carry you back here from the forest,¡± Kindaro said, his expression relaxing. ¡°You look like shit.¡± Langa raised his eyebrows. ¡°I did almost die, so that¡¯s understandable. What¡¯s your excuse for looking like shit?¡± The dark elf laughed, ¡°Whatever. So, how many skill points did you get? Liv¡¯Kungsadu only gave me one!¡± Langa had received two skill points. ¡°He probably used the contribution percentages. He gave everyone one skill point, and then for the top two, me and him, we got the extra two skill points,¡± he reasoned. Kindaro snorted derisively, ¡°What a load of crap. Those 9 skill points should have been shared among the three of us. We are the strongest people in this team. We should get priority. Half of these idiots died without doing a damn thing in that battle.¡± ¡°Are you being fucking serious right now? Aren¡¯t you a prince?¡± Langa raised his eyebrows, ¡°What kind of a king are you going to be if you can¡¯t recognise the value of support players? You¡¯d have died if not for Sigurd healing you. Without Makoto refilling your mana, you would not even have been able to use your attribute! And if Eniche did not kill all those corrupted creatures, Calpu would have escaped, and we would have failed the quest,¡± he reminded him. ¡±Hmph, whatever. At least they did something. My useless servant just died, and caused that dumb maestril to heal himself.¡± Kindaro grumbled, not caring that Ghol was right next to him. She looked down, ashamed. True, she wasn¡¯t very strong, but she¡¯d been the first one attacked with Calpu¡¯s shadow circle, and none of them had been prepared for it. It wasn¡¯t her fault. But Langa said nothing since he did not want to deal with whatever this was. ¡°Do you know where Makoto is or not?¡± Kindaro rolled his eyes. ¡°The kid¡¯s outside, in the courtyard.¡± ¡±Thanks,¡± Langa turned away. Just as he was walking away, his body felt stiff, and he heard a distant voice in his mind, telling him to stop, to stand still. He could not resist it, at that moment. He stopped, for just a moment, and then the fog in his mind cleared, and he gasped. ¡±Oh, amazing! That almost didn¡¯t work. I guess I do need eye contact to control you now. That¡¯s a pretty decent accessory you¡¯ve got there. Is it unique?¡± Kindaro asked in amusement from behind him. Langa clenched his teeth, and turned around, fuming. He Flash Stepped in front of Kindaro and grabbed him by his throat. ¡°Stay the hell out of my mind!¡± he said. This bastard had tried to control his mind again just now, and even as he threatened to choke him, the guy just grinned. Ghol disappeared and then reappeared behind Langa. ¡±Let him go!¡± She said pulling out her daggers, ready to slice him up for threatening her master. Langa almost rolled his eyes at her misplaced loyalty to this jerk. ¡±Stand down, you stupid cretin, this is a safe zone. He can¡¯t hurt me,¡± Kindaro snapped at Ghol as Langa let him go. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad, I just saw that your mental resistance went up, and I wanted to see if you¡¯d be able to resist my control.¡± Langa glared at him, ¡°Mind your own damn business. If you try that shit again, I¡¯ll use my Calling on you.¡± He walked off once more, annoyed. Kindaro was strong, and a good teammate, but he was not someone he wanted to associate with outside of party battles. But he put the two of them out of his mind and walked away to look for the kid. He found Makoto doing some stretches in the courtyard. When he saw Langa approaching, Makoto tensed up, prepared for a scolding. It made Langa feel like he was about to have a headache. The boy had saved his life, and yet he expected a scolding¡­ to be fair, Langa had been planning on scolding him, but now, he just sighed. He gestured to a small bench in the courtyard, and the two of them sat down. Neither of them said anything for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Makoto said quietly. Langa looked out of the courtyard, to the destroyed town beyond and said, ¡°You saved my life. Don¡¯t apologise for that. I¡­ I wanted to push you away because I hate responsibilities. I also didn¡¯t want to steal your luck. But, since we¡¯ve already come this far, let¡¯s push on one more time, and let¡¯s both get out of this place alive and go find your mother.¡± ¡°Together?¡± Makoto asked. ¡°Together,¡± Langa confirmed. This much was enough. He would not go out of his way for anyone, but he, at the very least, owed this boy a life debt. ¡°In that case, thank you too.¡± ¡°For what?¡± Makoto smiled at him, ¡°Brother, did you forget that I can see your karma? I honestly thought that you came here to say goodbye. I know you already have over 1000 karma, so you can leave anytime. Thank you for staying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not staying for you,¡± Langa smiled as he stood up. ¡°I just want the massive discounts in the karma store, whatever that means. I''m a penny-pincher. But I will protect you in this tutorial, that I can promise you.¡± "Brother," Makoto said hesitantly. "When you died, what was it like?" Langa shrugged. "It was okay, just a few energies swirling over me, why?" Makoto''s voice trembled, "It was scary for me. It felt so final, and I was terrified as hell of that darkness. I don''t ever want to go through that again." This was how most people felt about death, Langa supposed. He was the outlier for feeling indifferent over it. "You won''t have to suffer through it again. Like I said, I''ll protect you," he said squeezing the boy''s arm. Yeah, Langa thought as he returned to the town hall, this would all be over soon. One more battle, and he could finally leave this godsforsaken world. For now, though, he was going back to sleep. Fighting a maestril was an exhausting business for a lazy person like him. 11.5. Floor 0: Party Play (4) The following morning, Langa went to speak to Liv. He had some questions, as well as something to say. He knocked on Liv¡¯s room door, finding him sprawled on the mattress. He must have been a light sleeper, because the moment Langa came in, his eyes shot open. ¡±Hey,¡± Langa said casually sitting down next to him. ¡±For the gods¡¯ sakes Langa, it''s 3 AM! Is this revenge for when I came to your room in the middle of the night?¡± Liv cursed at him groggily sitting up. Langa grinned, ¡°Yup, that¡¯s exactly it,¡± he said, then looked away. ¡°I¡¯ll just bother you for a second, and then let you go back to sleep,¡± he assured him. ¡°What¡¯s this Deiwos karma store that is mentioned by the system?¡± "Seriously? That¡¯s why you¡¯re here?" Liv groaned. ¡°The Deiwos Clan are the Tower Administrators for the Deiwos Tower in which our worlds will be located. Every Tower has a massive Tower-wide karma store run by the Tower Administrators, and the good thing is that even though our Tower is still pretty new, the karma store is connected to all the Towers belonging to the Deiwos Clan. Usually, the stuff sold there is too expensive for new Tower players, so The Unrivalled gives a huge discount to anyone who completes the tutorial. You can use your karma to buy things that aren¡¯t even available for mortals, for one time only,¡± he said, rubbing his eyes. That was interesting. So, the whole purpose of the tutorial was to earn karma that you could then use to purchase something that would help you out in the Tower? Was that right? ¡°Interesting. So what about coins, then? Can I use those in the karma store? I have like four silver, what do they buy?¡± Langa asked. Liv groaned once more as he sat up, "Did you seriously wake me up for a lesson in shopping? Sigurd loves teaching Makoto all this crap, can''t you ask him?" "Haibo, Liv, and here I thought that you and I had grown closer when you carried me in your arms all the way here from the forest," Langa said, shaking his head in mock disappointment, and making Liv laugh. ¡°And where''s my thank you?" he asked. "Well, anyway, 100 copper is 1 silver, 100 silver is one gold, and 100 gold is one platinum coin. That¡¯s the currency of the Tower. For 20 copper, you can buy a loaf of bread. For one silver you can rent a room in a decent inn for a night, and for one gold you can buy a very weak C-rank skill,¡± Liv told him. Okay, he kind of understood a bit now. The system was right about massive discounts. The Elder remnant was selling B-rank skills for only one silver in the tutorial. That was like 90% off, or it might be more, but Langa was not dealing with mathematics at 3AM. Still, the discount was so tempting, that he almost went to buy another skill before stopping himself. He only had nine active skill slots and four passive skill slots left. It would be stupid to fill them before he even got to the Tower. Lady Mira had said that switching out skills would drain his karma massively. "Thanks, Liv. Actually, the reason I came to talk to you is that I wanted to apologise to you, and also to ask for a favour.¡± Langa told him the truth. He could admit when he was wrong. ¡±Apologise? For what?¡± Liv was fully awake now, sitting up on his bed, and watching Langa with his mismatched eyes. ¡±Back in my home world, I was an athlete. I did a lot of events, the high jump, the long jump and javelin throwing. But, mostly though, I was a sprinter in the 100 metres and 200 metres races. I was the best,¡± Langa said, thinking back. ¡°I always hated relays though, and no matter how hard I worked, someone else was always bound to mess it up. My teammates were good, but¡­ they couldn¡¯t keep up with me. In the end, I just stopped trying. I never gave it my all, but I still always made the top 4.¡± Liv watched him, and asked, ¡°Why are you telling me all this?¡± ¡±When we fought against Calpu, I thought you were like me. Sometimes it feels like you are pretending to be someone you think we need you to be. I could tell that you were strong, but it felt like you were holding back. I thought that maybe you did it because we couldn¡¯t keep up with you, but I was wrong,¡± Langa said. ¡°You aren''t the type of person who would risk our lives like that. No, I think that you aren¡¯t using your full power because you can¡¯t. I¡¯m sorry for misjudging you.¡± A quick gasp escaped Liv. His red eye was fixated on Langa for a long moment, and his aura seemed to change, darkening a bit. Langa did not flinch, holding his gaze. Was it just power that Liv kept hidden under the surface or was his true self hidden as well? He had no way of knowing. Liv sighed, his demeanour returning to normal. ¡°Quite observant, aren¡¯t you? Well, thanks for the apology, but there¡¯s really no need for it. I¡¯m a demigod. All of us are cursed with powers too great for our mortal bodies to bear. An unbound demigod can easily lose control, and destroy entire civilisations when they self-destruct. That¡¯s why the norm is for any demigod to be sponsored by their godly parent as soon as possible, to contain that power and karma." He could finally believe it now that he had heard it again. Liv was like him, he was also cursed. It might be a different type of curse, but it was still a generational curse, like the one Langa had. This was the first time that he had met someone similar to him. He did not know how to feel, but he put those thoughts away as Liv continued speaking. "Thankfully, my maternal family are dragonkin, so my grandmother sealed my manacore, and most of my powers when I was young. I can still use them a bit, but the seal will start to break when I get to level 10,¡± Liv showed Langa a ring on his finger, there was bitterness in his voice when he spoke of his grandmother. ¡°If I used my full aura against Calpu, I could have killed him alone, easily. It would not even have been a struggle for me, but I also would have killed all of you guys in the process. That''s how out of control the power of a god in a mortal''s body is, it''s a curse. You aren¡¯t wrong. I do hold back.¡° The thing of demigods being cursed, Langa had heard about it before. It explained why both Kindaro and Eniche were wary of Liv. Still, it wasn¡¯t like Liv chose how to be born. He did not choose for his father to be a god, and he did not choose to be cursed, just like Langa. But that never seemed to matter to people, they would always judge the cursed ones, no matter what. ¡°See, you have a noble reason for holding back. I just did it because I was bored,¡± he said, trying to lighten the mood. ¡°So, your father will sponsor you in the Tower?¡± This time, Liv¡¯s face clouded, and a dark shadow fell over it. ¡°Not if I can help it. I won¡¯t accept his help. Not after everything he has done, not after what he did to my mother. I¡¯ll climb the Tower on my own merit, I don¡¯t care who I have to bow down to, as long as it¡¯s not him. And when I have my kingdoms, when I complete the Infinite Challenge, conquer the Tower and gather enough karma, I will become a deity, and challenge him to a divine war.¡± His purple eye glowed once more, and the air around him shifted. Langa envied it. The conviction in his voice, and the determination and passion that he had as he expressed himself. He did not have such a thing. He was good at many things, so he got bored easily. He did not have something that he was passionate about. He only wanted to get through this tutorial, return to earth, and make sure his family was safe. After that, he would probably go back to being lazy and doing nothing productive with his time. But that was only if he continued to live his life passively. How would it be if there were faster people than him in the Tower, stronger people? Liv was the strongest person that Langa knew, and in the fight against Calpu, he ignited Langa¡¯s desire to chase him. He wanted to chase after this strong demigod¡¯s strength, fight against him, fight beside him and measure his own strength and speed against Liv¡¯s overwhelming power. But would Liv allow that? While held up in his thoughts, his hidden quest updated, but Langa ignored it. He punched Liv lightly on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure you will be able to do it. Your willpower alone is admirable. Your decisions during our battle against Calpu were excellent, you are a great leader. That will take you places,¡± he stood up. ¡±Thanks,¡± Liv smiled. ¡°What¡¯s the favour you wanted to ask for?¡± Langa shook his head. He had wanted to ask for Liv''s motivations for climbing the Tower, but he had already completed his quest. ¡°It¡¯s not important. Get some rest.¡± As he opened the door, Liv spoke behind him. ¡°Langa, if you are willing to Ascend the Tower with me, then once we get to the Tower, I will also ask you for a very big favour. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Langa¡¯s eyes lit up. He now had something to look forward to in the Tower. And¡­ he had also made a friend. The first in a long time, someone who did not want to use him for his money or connections. Once back in his room, Langa checked on the update from his hidden quest.
HIDDEN QUEST #1
Quest Rank: Unique
Quest Objectives:
Gain your teammates¡¯ trust using any means necessary. Learn the motivations that your teammates have for climbing the Tower, and what drives them to fight. Build team unity!
Time Limit:
Tutorial Only
Quest Limitations: N/A
Progression: 6/6
Cautions:
N/A
Quest Rewards:
Rare Title
[Hidden Quest #1 Completed! Reward: Rare Title] [You have received the title: Team Player] [Team Player Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Title Rank: Rare Title Properties: You play well with the team, but you also play the team well. You are good at reading people. You can see the first 11 values on a mortal¡¯s status (Name, Race, Age, Character, Level, Class, Available Karma, Total Karma, Deity, Highest Floor, and Attribute) given that they are within 10 levels (or 1 Tier) of you. For those Shrouded by a deity, you can only see their values if the deity you serve (or the deity that your deity serves) is of a higher rank than that mortal¡¯s deity. You can also see the number of available respawns that the mortal has.] Langa gasped in shock. This was an insane power. Anyone could see other mortals¡¯ names, levels and classes as long as they weren¡¯t Shrouded. But what? He would be able to see people¡¯s attributes? If anyone found out, they would murder him. People seemed to guard their attributes with their lives. If anything, this title affirmed the fact that he needed a deity to watch over him. So, did this mean that the reason Kindaro could see people¡¯s resistances was also because of a title? No matter. This was something that Langa would keep to himself. * With the mini-boss defeated, the team took no days off before getting back into training. At level 8, Langa stopped going out to level up. It was useless, the foxes and wolves gave him very little experience, and he would much rather use his time to practice his skills. If there was one thing that he felt that he was still lacking, it was technique. So, while Liv took Makoto and Sigurd out levelling, Kindaro took Ghol levelling, and Eniche did her levelling by herself, Langa spent the majority of the last two days of the tutorial in the training room. Sometimes, if he had time, Liv came by to teach Langa basic hand-to-hand combat. He had resisted at first, not interested in it, but Liv had insisted that it would help him, and it would be good for the team as well. Learning to fight and having his arse handed to him constantly by Liv was surprisingly not bad, it even motivated him to work harder. On the fifth day of the tutorial, Langa trained his reflexes. He closed his eyes, took a breath and made sure his feet were steady on the thick stone grounds of the training area as he stood in the centre of the field with Makoto and Kindaro in front of him. Five metallic knives hovered around Kindaro, ready for action. Makoto notched an arrow to his bowstring, his eyes focused on Langa. This was training for all of them. "Ready?" Makoto called out. Langa nodded, his muscles tensing. "Ready." Kindaro sent the first knife flying towards Langa who swiftly sidestepped the blade as soon as he felt it coming. A rush of air passed by as it narrowly missed him. Meanwhile, Makoto released the first arrow, cutting through the air as it headed straight for him. He avoided it with a quick leap to the side feeling the rush of adrenaline as he narrowly escaped being hit. The training continued, with Kindaro and Makoto taking turns attacking Langa from different distances. Langa''s movements became more agile, his dodges and evasions following the steps he¡¯d learnt from Liv. Another knife shot forward, spinning through the air as Langa''s eyes tracked the blade''s path, and he pivoted on his right foot, leaning back just enough for the knife to whiz past his chest. No sooner had he dodged the knife than Makoto released a mana arrow. He spun around to avoid it but Kindaro wasted no time, not allowing him to get into form as three knives hurtled towards Langa, this time from a lower angle. Langa activated Flash Step, one of the blades missing his shoulder by inches. Two more knives were sent towards him as soon as he landed as if Kindaro had predicted where he would land with Flash Step. He dropped into a low roll, feeling the rush of air as the arrow skimmed over his back. Coming out of the roll, Langa sprang to his feet, immediately back on guard. Makoto followed up with three consecutive arrows, all aimed at his legs. Langa leapt high to avoid them before landing lightly on his feet. The tempo of the attacks increased. Kindaro and Makoto synchronised their attacks, forcing energy to flow through Langa¡¯s body as his heart raced to provide him with blood. He ducked and twisted over and over again until he felt his heartbeat in his throat, excitement filling him as the field became his sanctuary. He could see nothing from the outside, and he no longer had to think as his vision became only blades and arrows. Kindaro sent two knives simultaneously, one high and one low. Langa deflected the low one with Tonare, forcing it to clatter harmlessly into the ground, while he twisted back to let the high one pass by close to his ear. Makoto''s mana arrow came at a sharp angle, and Langa dove forward but the arrow drew blood, grazing his neck. The small injury didn¡¯t faze him though and Langa''s movements became more instinctive. His heartbeat forced his body to react even before his mind saw the arrows and blades. A few cut into him but he didn¡¯t care, he felt like he was running the most thrilling race of his life. He learnt how to use his speed without wasting stamina. When he could not run anymore because the stamina debuff was about to hit him, he asked them to stop. He wiped his brow, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. That was amazing. "Not bad, Langa," Makoto said, lowering his bow. Kindaro nodded, gathering the remaining knives to himself. "You''re getting faster." Langa smiled, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension. "Thanks. But I know we can push even harder next time." After the session, Langa leant against the wall, breathing heavily. He took a rest to allow the cuts and bruises on his body to heal. His health regeneration rate was low, so it would take a while. ¡°You pushed yourself too hard,¡± Makoto said, his voice laced with worry. ¡°That last cut could have really injured you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need to improve my stamina,¡± he said, taking a bite of his tutorial rations. ¡°Better you than me,¡± Kindaro said sitting next to him. ¡°Why are you training so much anyway? You don¡¯t want to try levelling up with the others, but you kill yourself with training.¡± The reason was stupid. Yes, he wanted to be strong enough to protect Makoto like he promised, and he wanted to defeat the boss and finish the tutorial but honestly, the main reason was that, ¡°I want to improve so I can beat Liv in our next spar.¡± ¡°What?¡± Makoto asked incredulously. ¡°But he is so strong!¡± Kindaro threw back his head and laughed. ¡°You are crazy, you know that? You did see him punch through Calpu¡¯s chest with his bare hands, right?¡± Langa had seen it, and knew that Liv could still do so much better. He knew that he enjoyed running the most when he gave it his all, and he wondered if fighting was a chore to Liv since he had to hold back. ¡°I¡¯m still going to beat him.¡± ¡°You say that so calmly that I almost want to believe you,¡± Kindaro said, shaking his head. Langa smiled. ¡°Just you wait and see, I will do it.¡± Makoto clapped his hands together and grinned. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. I¡¯m rooting for you, brother.¡± Well, at least one person believed in him. He may have seemed confident but when he sparred with Liv the previous day, it had been torture. ¡°The power to defeat your peers is not hard to obtain. If I wanted to stand against a demigod, like Liv''Kungsadu, then the best way is to become a voident,¡± he said. ¡°Well, I am planning to follow that path once I am strong enough to protect myself from voident hunters.¡± ¡°Voident?¡± Langa asked with a frown. Where had he heard that term before? ¡°Oh right. Eniche and Sigurd said they were evil. Is that what you want?¡± Kindaro levelled him with a gaze and shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in good and evil. The Thousand Undead¡¯s Relgte clearly states that there is no such thing. Void Gems are power. The Unrivalled gives punishments to all those who use unauthorised void magic because it upsets the balance of order in the Tower. That¡¯s how strong harnessing the power of corruption is.¡± There was a strange glint of greed and desire in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re okay with power that comes from hurting innocent people?¡± he asked. ¡°Power is power. The means doesn¡¯t matter, only the end does,¡± Kindaro said confidently. ¡°According to the Relgte of my god: ''Power justifies all actions. For if you can not protect the power you have, then you do not deserve to wield it.'' I will become a voident, but I will not settle for anything less than a Void Diamond.¡± Langa knew that the multiverse wasn¡¯t black and white. He wasn¡¯t a saint, and he could be selfish sometimes, but there were things he refused to accept, like people hurting children. If Kindaro thought power was fine, no matter how it was obtained, even if children had to get hurt, then the two of them could never see eye to eye. ¡°Makoto,¡± Langa said. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to a word this guy says. I don¡¯t care how you choose to live your life, but form your own path and don¡¯t just accept power without thinking about where it comes from.¡± Kindaro may have been good to fight alongside, and training with him may have helped Langa grow in strength, but he needed to remember that Kindaro was not his friend. The only reason he worked complacently with the team was because he needed them to clear the tutorial. After that, all bets were off. He needed to maintain a friendly facade but remember to protect Makoto and himself from him, especially after Liv''s warning. Makoto blinked and nodded. ¡°Okay. I won''t listen to him. Don¡¯t worry brother, I won¡¯t become evil.¡± Kindaro rolled his eyes. ¡°Foolish sentiments won¡¯t get you anywhere. You shouldn¡¯t listen to everything he says either. Why do you call him brother anyway? Is that a human thing?¡± he asked Makoto. ¡°Oh, I just like it. It¡¯s polite where I come from to address people you respect like that if you¡¯re as close as brothers,¡± he said with a hint of embarrassment. ¡°I don¡¯t have siblings so it''s nice to have someone looking out for me.¡± Langa looked away. Gratitude made him uncomfortable. ¡°You¡¯re an only child? Lucky you,¡± Kindaro said wearily, also leaning against the wall. ¡°Lucky? It¡¯s nice to have siblings. My sister means a lot to me,¡± Langa said. If he didn¡¯t have Thandi, he might have ended up on the streets after his father¡¯s death. ¡°Aren¡¯t you and your siblings close?¡± Kindaro snorted. ¡°My sister and my youngest brother were always close, my eldest brother and my second brother were also always close as well. I am just stuck in the middle, alone.¡± That sounded sad to Langa but Kindaro didn¡¯t seem to mind all that much, so Langa joked. ¡°With your charming personality, I can¡¯t figure out why they wouldn¡¯t like you.¡± A knife soared towards his neck and he dodged it with a curse as Kindaro laughed. "Damn, are you trying to kill me for telling the truth?" Langa knew he was just playing, though. Kindaro wouldn''t fight him seriously before the end of the tutorial. Kindaro stood up and picked up the knife, sounding amused. ¡°Well, if I really wanted to, it would be easy to make them like me.¡± As he walked away, Langa remembered that he was a mind mage, so he was right. He may be able to obtain more skills to control people¡¯s minds in the future and force them to like him. It sent chills down his spine. 12. Floor 0: Tutorial Final Battle (1) Langa''s training sessions with Liv always left him raging and motivated, because Liv was many things but a gentle sparring partner he was not. He would never admit it out loud, but sometimes Langa found himself missing Kindaro¡¯s mental training. ¡°We¡¯re training your reactions and counterattacks today. The best way to do that is unarmed combat. Fair warning, I¡¯m Advanced at this skill,¡± Liv said, standing casually in front of Langa in the training area. "Come at me." Langa frowned. ¡°Put on your armour,¡± he said as Liv was wearing a cotton shirt instead of his bodysuit armour. ¡°I don¡¯t need to.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Langa asked. ¡°I said I don¡¯t need to,¡± Liv repeated with a hint of a smirk on his face. The bastard was taunting him. Langa took his stance, standing in a slight crouch, his right leg behind his left, ¡°I¡¯m going to kick your arse.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to try,¡± Liv said, still not changing his stance as Langa sped towards him, punching out with his right fist. Liv casually tilted his head to the side and tapped Langa¡¯s arm with his open palm. At least, it looked like a tap, but it felt like a burning hot coal had slapped against his arm and forcibly pushed it back. He stepped back, arm aching painfully, even with the leather armour protecting him. ¡°Widen your stance, and don¡¯t lower your arms!¡± Liv barked, as his own fist flew towards Langa¡¯s face. He quickly raised his hands above his face as a guard, but no impact came on his hands, instead, a knee collided painfully with his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him tumbling to the floor. ¡°Are you an idiot? Don¡¯t cover your eyes, you must always have your opponent in your sight,¡± Liv said, extending a hand to help him up, but Langa swatted it away, heartbeat rising as he stood. "Hardern your abdominal muscles to reduce the force of your opponent''s strikes." Fuck that hurt, but Langa was smiling, ¡°Who the fuck trained you, the devil?¡± he asked breathing heavily. Liv blinked, and there was a quick flash of indiscernible emotion on his face. ¡°No, my den-brother did,¡± he said expressionlessly. There it was again, that something lurking beneath Liv¡¯s surface. While Langa wondered what it was, he knew that this could unbalance Liv, giving him an opening, so he continued, ¡°I thought you were an only child!¡± he said, raising his leg to kick at Liv¡¯s abdomen while he was distracted, but a fist aimed at his side forced him to step away to the left, messing with his balance so that he nearly fell over again. ¡°I am.¡± Shit there was no distracting this guy as he twisted his body, muscles tense as he launched himself into the air and a swift roundhouse kick landed right on Langa¡¯s chest. His arm was up trying to block the attack, but all he felt was his arm erupting in unimaginable pain. He¡¯d seen it coming, but with Flash Step on cooldown, there was nothing to do. Shit, his body spun, and he found himself staggering. He would be critically injured if they weren¡¯t in a safe zone and Liv wasn¡¯t holding back. He hadn¡¯t even used his aura for fuck¡¯s sake. Langa steadied himself, finding his bearings again. He would force him to use his aura in this spar. ¡°Dodge! Dodge! Dodge! Your strength is pathetic, so blocking should be the last thing on your mind,¡± his friend snapped, eyes alight with more fire than he¡¯d shown when battling Calpu. ¡°You¡¯re fast, so keep me on my toes.¡± There was nothing in front of Langa¡¯s eyes except for Liv¡¯s incessant palms. He blocked them with his hands in front of him, but that caused him pain. He ducked down, dove away, and retreated using the movement steps Liv had taught him, but there was no stopping the vigorous strength in those palms. Good. It was good that Liv was also starting to get into it now, and that fuelled the blood in Langa¡¯s veins, heart speeding as he learned to anticipate Liv¡¯s movements. Once he felt like he had them memorised, Langa dove low, under Liv¡¯s arms and punched upwards, aiming for his chin faster than Liv could bring his arms down to defend, bone crashing against bone, leaving a painful ache in Langa¡¯s knuckles. He hastily Flash Stepped back before Liv could counterattack, palm striking the air. His adrenaline propelling him forward, Langa once more dashed right in front of Liv and sent a fast jab at him, then another, and then a flurry of quick jabs, hoping that at least his agility would trump Liv¡¯s skills just this once. However, Liv¡¯s guard was impenetrable. When Langa¡¯s fists struck his scaly arms, it felt like he was punching a brick. ¡°I will surpass you!¡± He moved back and struck forward with his foot, straight at Liv¡¯s knee, causing him to stumble back. His heart was in his throat as he followed through, quickly recovering his balance and he Flash Stepped to the left, his elbow out, striking Liv¡¯s side as hard as he could with the skill¡¯s bonus damage. A muffled grunt escaped Liv''s lips. ¡°Excellent, but this is what you have to surpass,¡± came his voice and then he whirled around, leg raised. Langa only saw a flash of glowing gold, the ball of Liv¡¯s foot hitting his head, sending a harrowing burst of pain into his head, disorienting him. He knew that he was on his knees, but even the system¡¯s words were blurry. [Critical Hit!] [You are in a safe zone +50% of your maximum HP for 60 seconds +All damage received in the next 60 seconds will be reduced to (1) Safe Zone Authorities have been alerted to your near-fatal injury] He couldn''t see, the training room was shaking violently. A health potion was pressed against his lips and he drank it hungrily. He thought he heard the Elder¡¯s voice scolding Liv for excessive force, but he might have been out of it for a few seconds. His vision cleared, and he saw Liv standing over him. ¡°Still want to try and surpass me?¡± he asked, purple eye glowing, and face searching for something in Langa''s own. ¡°That just gave me a -5 dent to my Alignment.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Langa said, breathing heavily as his heart refused to slow down, fire in his veins. He¡¯d gotten him just twice but he hated how that was an achievement. He wanted to actually defeat him. ¡°I swear to you, Liv, one day I will pound you so hard that I will have you on your knees.¡± Liv laughed. ¡°Slow down man, I hate to break it to you, but you¡¯re not my type.¡± At that, Langa also rolled his eyes and laughed. ¡°Screw you.¡± ¡°Again, same problem,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Keep practising. I¡¯m taking Sigurd and Makoto out levelling.¡± And that was how most of their training sessions ended, with Langa on his arse and completely worn out. The only time Langa left the training room, was when the group went to practice working as a team. Their coordination was very important. Otherwise, everyone was just tensely preparing for the final battle. The map that Calpu had dropped led them to a large building beyond the mountains. The location of the final tutorial boss was inside the Firefox Queen¡¯s temple. The night before the final battle, the whole team sat outside, in the courtyard, the only light being the fire that they had lit to roast the four rabbits that Liv and Eniche caught today near Calpu''s grove. The rabbits were not corrupted, so they could eat them without worrying about getting infected by the Void. The meat smelled amazing cooking in the fire, all of them gathered around it. It tasted even better. After a week of eating nothing but tutorial rations, the meat was a welcome change. It was tender, sizzling hot and it melted in Langa¡¯s mouth. He sighed contentedly. He had not had rabbit meat since he was a child, living in the rural areas with his sister, so this was nice. ¡°Have you had this before?¡± Langa asked Makoto, who was sitting next to him, enjoying his meal. ¡°Once or twice, but not roasted in fire like this,¡± he said excitedly. ¡°This is really good!¡± Langa could not help but laugh at the boy¡¯s excitement. Still, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, especially Eniche, who ate a whole rabbit by herself. ¡°Wow, you are an animal,¡± Kindaro said, face screwed up in disgust as he watched Eniche lick her lips. She flipped him off. ¡°Ungrateful bitch, I even got your mace back for you," Kindaro said. ¡°By the way, lionkin, listen, tomorrow I will be using real death magic, so you had better not freak out. We can¡¯t have you succumb to fear again, like last time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do. Just stay away from me,¡± Eniche warned him with a glare. ¡°Good, because I learned a very important death skill from the old remnant. I can¡¯t believe I could buy a B-rank skill like that for so dirt cheap! This tutorial is a gold mine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s stupid to fill up your skill slots before even reaching the Tower,¡± Eniche told him. Kindaro rolled his eyes and turned to Makoto. ¡°So, did you manage to make extra mana stones for me?¡± Makoto nodded and gave two stones to Kindaro. ¡°I can¡¯t give you any more than that. They each contain 160 MP.¡± ¡°Thanks, kid. I mean it. What I wouldn¡¯t give to have you bound to me so you can follow me around for the rest of my life instead of Ghol.¡± ¡°Your Highness!¡± Ghol protested. Langa was frowning, once more making sure to watch Kindaro from the corner of his eye. Before he could say anything, however, something happened to distract him. ¡°Guys! Look what I found!¡± Sigurd, who had disappeared into the town hall, said when he returned to them. He was carrying a small cask in both hands. ¡°Please tell me that¡¯s not what I think it is,¡± Liv asked him in disbelief. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking it¡¯s wine, then you¡¯re correct!¡± Sigurd grinned placing the cask on the ground. ¡°Did you steal that from the Elder?¡± Ghol asked him. ¡°I found it. It¡¯s not like the guy can drink it, I mean he¡¯s just a remnant,¡± Sigurd said defensively. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Alcohol, finally. Langa stood up, and poured out water from his wooden goblet, then walked over to Sigurd. ¡°Should I just pour for myself?¡± he asked. ¡°Hey!¡± Liv exclaimed incredulously, while Kindaro burst out laughing. ¡°My man!¡± Sigurd said, his grin returning. ¡°I¡¯ll pour it for you.¡± Sure enough, disregarding everyone else, he poured him the drink and then poured for himself. The red wine had a sharp smell, and it was slightly bitter, but gods did it go down well with the meat. Langa closed his eyes, savouring the taste of this otherworldly wine, he could taste the fruity flavour in it, but it didn¡¯t taste like grapes. Hmm, well, it was good wine, so who cared what was in it? ¡°I¡¯ll have some too,¡± Ghol said appearing behind Sigurd using her stealth, nearly causing him to faint in surprise. ¡°And for His Highness as well.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sigurd said, clutching his heart. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you, you don¡¯t have to scare me like that. Sheesh.¡± In the end, Eniche and Liv also had a drink. Makoto tried to push his goblet forward as well, but Langa stopped him. ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t know about you, but the legal drinking age in my country is 18, and you are not, so no alcohol.¡± Langa told him sternly. ¡°Oh come on. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re on Earth anymore. New rules apply here,¡± Makoto pleaded. ¡°The kid¡¯s right, you know, the laws of the Tower are that anyone who reaches the age where they can choose to be a player is an adult. That age is sixteen, so the kid is technically an adult,¡± Kindaro chimed in. Langa glared at him. ¡°Fine, one goblet. But don¡¯t come crying to me when you can¡¯t fight tomorrow because of a hangover.¡± In the end, Makoto only took a sip of the wine, and he did not like it all that much. Liv and Eniche also ended up drinking a bit. Liv sat back with the goblet in hand, a small smile on his lips. Langa, now tipsy, placed an arm around Liv¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Look at you relaxing. Not so uptight anymore, are you Team Leader?¡± he asked with a laugh. It had been so long since he¡¯d been out drinking with friends, that Langa was having a great time. ¡°Are you drunk already?¡± Liv gave him a laugh and shook off his arm. ¡°No way, you think this weak foxkin wine can get someone like me drunk? My poison resistance is pretty high. If anything, you¡¯re the drunk one.¡± He was probably right, but it was truly nice to be out here, drinking otherworldly wine with people that Langa only met six days ago. ¡°Eish, so you can¡¯t get drunk? That sucks,¡± he said sympathetically. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. There¡¯s something called Calistria, and it¡¯s a dragonkin ale blend, the recipe was apparently given to them by a deity of alcohol. It knocks even me on my ass,¡± Liv said with a smile. ¡°Once we get to the Tower, I¡¯ll invite you to have a real drink like that with me. One shot, and you¡¯ll be screaming for the gods to take your soul.¡± That sounded tempting to Langa. Good alcohol with good friends was always welcome, and it seemed that Liv was serious about the two of them meeting and working together inside the Tower too. ¡°Sounds great, just contact me, and I¡¯ll drink you under the table!¡± Langa said, taking another gobletful of wine into his mouth. ¡±Oh! Calistria! Isn''t that banned in most worlds outside the Towers? Don¡¯t they call that the poison of the gods? Invite me too, Liv, come on! I gotta try it!¡± Sigurd begged, swaying from side to side. He was the one person who drank too much tonight. Liv watched him for a moment, seemingly contemplating something. Then he seemed to come to a decision. ¡°Sure, you will do as well, I suppose. I shall contact you,¡± he said. Even in his half-drunk state, Langa could tell that Liv was not just talking about being drinking buddies. What on earth was he planning to do in the Tower? Eniche shook her head while Sigurd celebrated. ¡°Humans have poor alcohol tolerance and yet, they drink as much as dwarves, who can hold their liquor. What a strange race,¡± she said. Now, that right there was a very true statement, Langa thought. By the end of the night, Sigurd was singing war cries and dancing in the darkness. He was a terrible dancer, and his antics made everyone laugh. ¡°I¡¯d like to propose a toast,¡± Liv said before they ended the dinner/party. Everyone raised their goblets. ¡°To new friends, to getting out of the tutorial and to all of us making it out alive.¡± ¡°Hear, hear!¡± Sigurd said. ¡°To all of us making it out alive,¡± Langa, Eniche and Makoto clicked their goblets together. ¡°To getting out of the tutorial,¡± Kindaro said, raising his goblet. The night was full of eating, drinking, and laughing. For a moment, Langa thought that everything would be okay tomorrow. Of course, he was wrong. * In the morning, Langa took just a sip of his health potion to quell his hangover. It was a slight waste, but it was okay because he had more. He checked his room to make sure that he had not left anything behind since he would not be coming back here. He then went to find the Elder before he and his team left. ¡°Elder, I came to say goodbye,¡± Langa said when he found the remnant standing in front of the FireFox Queen¡¯s painting. Since he was a remnant of the abandoned world, he would also disappear once the tutorial was over. ¡°Thank you for coming to see me, player.¡± the Elder said with a smile. "You saved our lady¡¯s shrine from being defiled, and for that I am thankful. When our queen Descended to fight against the encroaching maestrils, she lost nearly all her karma, and the maestrils trapped her into the Void, continuing to suck her karma out every day until she died. The shard of her soul is still trapped inside that temple. Please set her free so that her soul can return to The Great Nine-Tailed Fox, and she can be at peace.¡± ¡°I shall do my best, Elder.¡± Langa bowed to him. To his surprise, it was not a new side quest that popped up, but a different message. [You have discovered the hidden objective of the Final Tutorial Quest: Save The Star-Eating FireFox Queen¡¯s soul shard. Reward: Hidden.] ¡°May the Blessing of The Unrivalled Tower Master watch over you.¡± The Elder said. There was nothing more for Langa to do, but go on and complete the quest. * None of the rest of his team looked like they had a hangover, and Langa could not help but wonder if they had also done the same thing as him. On their way to the temple, Langa decided to use his new title and check everyone''s information.
Name: Sato Makoto Race: Human
Age: 16 Character: Player
Level: 7 Class: Ranger
Available Karma: 692 Total Karma: 912
Deity: N/A Highest Floor 0/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: Mana Battery Available Respawns: 0/1 Respawn zone: Farguya Ghetto (Tutorial)
Name: Sigurd Magnarson Race: Human
Age: 41 Character: Player
Level: 7 Class: Mage
Available Karma: 637 Total Karma: 981
Deity: N/A Highest Floor 0/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: LOCKED Available Respawns: 0/1 Respawn zone: Farguya Ghetto (Tutorial)
Name: Eniche V Tigris Vale Race: Lionkin
Age: 24 Character: Player
Level: 8 Class: Fighter
Available Karma: 945 Total Karma: 1495
Deity: N/A Highest Floor 6/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: Graceful Evolution Available Respawns: 0/1 Respawn zone: Farguya Ghetto (Tutorial)
Name: Qin Ghol III Race: Dark Elf
Age: 33 Character: Player
Level: 7 Class: Rogue
Available Karma: 574 Total Karma: 804
Deity: N/A Highest Floor 0/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute Locked Available Respawns: 0/1 Respawn zone: Farguya Ghetto (Tutorial)
Name: Fi Kindaro III Race: Dark Elf
Age: 30 Character: Player
Level: 9 Class: Mage
Available Karma: 1654 Total Karma: 2194
Deity: Mictlantecuhtli (The Demon King of The Thousand Undead Knights) [LOCKED] Highest Floor 0/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: Death Whistle Available Respawns 1/1 Respawn zone: Farguya Ghetto (Tutorial)
Name: Liv¡¯Kungsadu Race: Demigod
Age: 25 Character: Player
Level: 9 Class: Fighter
Available Karma: 3440 Total Karma: ??????
Deity: [Aapep (The True Deathbringer of The Demon Reaper)] - [Deity Rejected] Highest Floor 0/101 (Deiwos Towers), 2/101 (Duat Towers)
Attribute ??????????? Available Respawns: 1/1 Respawn zone: Farguya Ghetto (Tutorial)
That was a lot of information. Langa felt a headache when he was looking at Liv¡¯s information. It felt as if his brain would burst open. Like someone was trying to make his head explode from the inside, and it overwhelmed him. Was that because of a Shroud? Most of the others were in line with his expectations, but he was surprised by Liv and Kindaro¡¯s karma. They had more than him, and Kindaro had even used some of his karma to buy a skill! Although to be fair, he was at 1275 available karma, so there was not too much difference between him and Kindaro. But what puzzled him, in the end, was Liv. Did he reject a deity? Langa guessed that the deity on Liv''s status was probably his father. Aapep? Wasn''t that a demon from Egyptian mythology? Langa was sure that it was him. But, how had Liv also climbed another Tower? No, his level had been reset like everyone else in the tutorial, so what was up with that monstrous amount of karma? Well, there was no way that Langa could get the answers right now, so he let it all go, and focused on this moment. This fight. The path to the FireFox Queen''s temple branched away from Calpu''s grove. The team followed the path left by the corrupted creatures in the early morning sun. The dew on the grass clung to Langa''s shoes as they walked. They easily dispatched the level 3 to 5 corrupted animals that dared to step in their path. As they neared the temple, the vegetation dried out, and the forest died down into nothing but black soot. When they finally saw their destination, they all gasped. They stood surrounded by large, rocky hills strewn with dead grass, and in the centre of them all was a wide valley with the serene but dilapidated temple at its centre. Shrouded in shadow and dead moss, the temple looked isolated within the bleak valley that spanned for kilometres in every direction that Langa could see. "How the hell are we supposed to get down there?" Sigurd asked the question on Langa''s mind. "I can float you guys down telekinetically," Kindaro offered. Eniche made a face as if she would rather die, "I''ll crawl down." she said, securing her shield to her back. "And I will jump," Liv said. Langa, Makoto, Sigurd and Ghol were floated down by Kindaro, who also floated behind them. It was an interesting experience for Langa, like he was flying, but not. He was willingly allowing Kindaro to control him, and that just made him want it to be over quickly. Eniche crawled down the hill on all fours, and from a distance, she actually looked like a large lion with her bushy mane of hair. Once everyone got down to the valley safely, they made their way to the temple. They could see the entrance of the temple as they walked towards it. The sounds of their footsteps echoed with every step that they took. It was an ancient stone structure, but the statue of the female foxkin at the entrance was destroyed. The air around the temple was eerily quiet, and although the forest was dead, no corrupted creatures were running around either. They all walked cautiously, weapons out, with Liv and Eniche leading the way. The inner walls of the temple were covered with drawings of the same foxkin that Langa had seen at the shrine. There were various drawings of the FireFox Queen standing on top of a Tower, one of her fighting against a bird that looked like the one in the cave where Langa had obtained Tonare, one of her fighting against a horde of humans, and one where she was fighting against a giant fox with nine tails. The moment that they stepped foot inside the temple, they all received a prompt. [You have discovered the mini-dungeon: The FireFox Queen''s Corrupted Temple]
The FireFox Queen''s Corrupted Temple Mini-Dungeon
Dungeon Level: 7
Dungeon Rank: Tutorial
Dungeon Type: Mini-Dungeon
Dungeon Restrictions
Party Members: Min 5, Max 10
Party Member Levels: Min 6, Max 10
They did not have the the luxury of processing that prompt, because the moment that they entered the temple, they saw it. The maestril final boss. They were inside the large hall of the temple, where stone seats had been carved for the worshipers. The seats faced the stage, where there was a large throne, that Langa presumed the fallen, broken statue of the FireFox Queen was supposed to be sitting on, but now it was occupied by a large creature resembling a werewolf. The werewolf sat, legs crossed on the FireFox Queen''s throne. It...no, she was wearing black leather armour, leather trousers, leather bracers and leg greaves, leather leg tassets and a leather breastplate as well. She had long dark hair and a muscular body covered in fur. There was a nasty-looking spiked chain whip on her lap. Behind her was a long curtain that covered the altar and everything inside it. Karisha (Air Maestril Raid Boss) Level 10 HP: 7000/7000 Karma: 5702 Langa gasped. This maestril only had three levels difference from Calpu, but her health was more than double Calpu''s, and she had the karma to spare. "Oh? You''re finally here?" she growled, as her eyes watched them. "My brother''s killers have finally come for me. I love it when karma just walks into my dungeon on its own two legs." Liv and Eniche both rushed her, but there was only one thing on Langa''s mind, what the hell kind of dungeon had the boss monster sitting right at the entrance? 13. Floor 0: Tutorial Final Battle (2) [Player Sigurd Magnarson has blessed you with Healing Light. You gain +57HP for 5 minutes.] [You are in Player Liv''Kungsadu''s party. 10% extra damage to critical hits] The first clash that Eniche had against Karisha truly showed both of their power. Eniche ran forward, mace raised to bash the maestril¡¯s head in, but Karisha¡¯s whip caught her in her ankles and she stumbled, giving Karisha room to retreat. Still, the maestril did not back away, instead lashing at Eniche relentlessly in a way that made it obvious that she had some kind of combat skill. Karisha bent her legs and leapt forward, her whip clashing against Eniche''s shield with a loud clang. She turned around, just as quickly to dodge a kick from Liv to her chest. Still, the two of them did their job, leaving an opening for Langa to sprint forward and stab Karisha''s thigh. Her legs were the ones with the least amount of armour, and Langa planned to keep attacking the same spot until she could not walk anymore. Even if it would not kill her, they could steadily chip away at her karma if she kept healing herself. As quickly as he got there, Langa Flash Stepped away when Karisha turned to him after he managed to wound her a little bit. Seeing an open wound, Kindaro quickly sent three death magic-coated knives flying into the wound left by Langa. His death magic must have gotten stronger because the knives drained almost 100HP at once. She screeched, and her whip rounded towards Kindaro, she must have been using the air to control it, while she chased after Langa. Fortunately, Eniche was in her best condition today, so she swung her mace at the maestril, preventing her from chasing after Langa. Ghol took the opportunity to stab the maestril at her back, while she was occupied with Eniche. Of course, she immediately entered stealth and ran away as soon as she was done. Makoto sent three arrows towards the maestril''s feet in quick succession, but she dodged backwards. "Worthless effort! You think that your weak attacks will defeat me just because you are working together?" Karisha asked. "Mortals are all the same, just an endless source of karma for us." She was screaming as her health went down. Black strands floated towards her from the altar behind the stage of the temple and recovered her health. The air around Karisha condensed into multiple small wind pellets, and she launched them at the group at once. Eniche and Liv immediately stepped in front of Kindaro, Sigurd and Makoto, using the shield and buckler to deflect the wind bullets. While it may have seemed shitty of them to leave Ghol and Langa out to dry, it was not a bad decision as they were both fast enough to dodge the attacks. Liv was front and centre of the next attack, even as Eniche stood in front of the three back-line fighters, her shield protecting them from the wind pellets. Next, Liv punched the maestril in the jaw, and she launched a roundhouse kick straight into his side, which he tanked gracefully, and grabbed her leg. Putting all his weight on his shoulder, Liv slammed hard into her, causing her to stagger. Langa was surprised that she could handle that much strength from Liv and remain standing. Just as she regained her balance, Kindaro used his skill to freeze her, and Liv jumped at the opportunity. He pulled her closer to him, and gathered aura into his fist, punching her hard in the chest, twice, three times, four, before there was a crack in the breastplate, but he could not do more, as the duration of the skill ran out. The wind pellets started to attack more violently than before, filling the air with the sound of heavy wind, and making it impossible for Makoto to send an arrow into the maestril. Since Liv was right in front of her, he took the brunt of the wind pellets, and as strong as his snake-like armour was, taking hundreds of wind pellets hurt him, and he started to bleed. While Liv stepped back to get healed, Langa moved closer to Karisha and started his assault. They couldn''t afford to use Eniche right now, as she was busy protecting the backline fighters from the pellets. It was up to Langa for now. He swept at her legs furiously, a tactic he¡¯d been practising, but her reflexes were good, and she managed to retain her balance. Langa slashed at her, Tonare trying to cut through the leather armour while at the same time trying to dodge the wind bullets. Tired of him, Karisha placed her spiky whip on the ground, forming a circle around her. It was as if she was daring him to come closer. Langa wasn¡¯t stupid. He did not take the bait. Wind pellets filled the air consistently as Karisha continued to shoot at them. Just as the pellets were about to hit, Langa dodged to the left and sidestepped the whip that came flying at him. He prepared himself for her to backhand him since he was too close to her, but he got saved at the last second when Karisha cried out in pain. Ghol had backstabbed her, using Langa as a distraction. It was a critical hit to Karisha''s neck. Langa had never been more grateful for Ghol''s sneaking around than he was at that moment. Ghol disappeared into stealth once more, probably fleeing again as Karisha sent out more wind bullets. Langa rushed forward avoiding this volley, by using his superior dodge speed that had been trained relentlessly against mana dummies, and Liv. Karisha tried to punch him, but Langa had a clear path ahead of him, Flash Stepping to her back, plunging Tonare deep into her backside, and activating Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike. Once again, the backlash sent him reeling back, and he fell to the ground. It was much worse this time since his mana had increased, and so did the damage and the backlash. [Critical Hit! (Karisha -732HP) Extra damage! (Karisha -73.2HP) [Backlash (Langa Zulu) -67HP] Karisha screamed in agony, blood pouring out of her back, and while she tried to heal herself, she turned to Langa, intending to rip him apart. But none of that mattered to him. "Argh!" he screamed, the searing pain sending him into a frenzy, and he fell once more. He felt someone carry him, and then warmth as Sigurd healed him, and sounds of clashing somewhere, presumably Eniche or Liv were protecting him. Once he was healed, Langa jumped back into the fight. The wind pellets had stopped, so now, Eniche, Liv and Kindaro ganged up on the maetsril, while Makoto fulfilled his role of refilling Sigurd''s mana reluctantly. Ghol also appeared to deal a little damage, then disappeared once more. Just as Makoto nocked an arrow, Kindaro stepped away from the fighting, and said, "I''m running out of mana. I don''t wanna use the mana stones if I don''t have to. Refill me." Makoto''s face soured. "This is important, kid. Do you think that Sigurd doesn''t want to help us fight? But he''s conserving all his mana for healing because that''s what the team needs. We also need your mana. Do it, trust me, this is the best way to raise your contribution," Langa told him, since the kid looked ready to refuse. He was helping in healing, damage dealing and ranged support, this was sure to get him better rewards at the end of the quest. Makoto looked reluctant, but he nodded. "If you say so, brother," he said and turned to Kindaro. To fill the gap left by Kindaro, Langa rushed back up to the front line, and Karisha spotted him immediately. "You! Did you dare wound me? The master of this dungeon? My karma will not be used up. I can wait until you all tire yourselves out, mortals," she said, and released a gust of wind that propelled her whip towards Langa. The whip was flying towards him, and he brought his spear down a bit low and supported the back of the spear with his left hand. With this stance that he¡¯d spent the past few days practising, the whip struck the body of the spear but Langa remained balanced and stepped back. "You cannot escape me!" She used the wind to return the whip to her hand and twirled it in a circle, and the air around her sped up, forming a circle of wind all over her body. The wind blew Eniche towards the back of the temple, and when Langa tried to stab into Karisha¡¯s side, the wind tightened around the maestril, a force that Tonare could not cut through. Instead, the wind, like a blade, headed straight for him, but Liv stepped in front of him, and the wind cut deep into his arm. Not missing an opportunity, Karisha stabbed the spiky end of the whip once more into Liv''s side, the side that she''d injured before. She licked her lips, "I can''t wait to taste your karma, child of a god," she said hungrily. "I''m getting fed up with maestrils thirsting after me," Liv said, wincing slightly from the pain. With her long whip digging into his skin, Liv brought his buckler down onto her chest, aiming to break her armour. The impact of the hit was loud, and she staggered back, trying to retain her balance, but Liv was not having any of that. His foot flew into the air, kicking hard into the same area he had just punched. Once more, his fist glowed with aura, and when it came into contact with Karisha¡¯s breastplate, it broke into pieces, offering no resistance. She shouted out in pain as his fist dug into her skin, and she growled, fangs out, and bit him in the neck. Liv was undeterred, though, even as she sunk her teeth into him. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifted her, and then threw her down on the floor of the temple violently. Just like last time, Liv¡¯s precision and technique left nothing to be desired. He was injured, and bleeding, but he did not let pain stop him or slow him down, which was something that Langa could not do. As expected, he was awed. Liv was the perfect candidate to bring stimulation into Langa''s life, the person whose strength he could comfortably chase after. His strength, both of body and will was remarkable. He was a cursed being like Langa, yet he lived his life fully, giving it his all, despite his power being sealed. He did not use his curse as an excuse to let life pass him by, instead, he taught himself how to get stronger, despite the limitations that had been put on him. Langa wondered, if he spent more time around Liv, would he stop being so lazy about everything in his life, and start to live actively, too? To live, rather than simply exist? Well, now was not the time to be thinking about this, so he pushed his thoughts aside and concentrated on the battle. Now that Karisha was down, Makoto sent a multitude of mana arrows into the gap in her armour, and Ghol slashed her ankles with reckless abandon so that it would take her a while to stand again. Langa checked the time left until he could use Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike again, and there were still many minutes left, so he prepared himself to use a regular Flash Step attack. ¡°Stand back!" Liv shouted, as Karisha started to stand up again, his hands glowing a bright gold through his armour. His fist came down on Karisha¡¯s face, and she dodged to the side, but a well-timed hook from Liv hit her square in the jaw, and something cracked as her HP went down. Still, her close combat skills were not to be trifled with as she took the hit in stride, and covered her entire body in a small, swirling layer of violent air. She released a strong gust of wind towards Langa and Liv, but Eniche, who''d made her way back from the last attack, jumped to the front line, putting her shield up. She stood in front of them, her fur thickening, and her claws extending as she tightened her grip on the shield, struggling to maintain her balance against the strong gust of wind pushing against the shield. Kindaro came in clutch at that moment, freezing the maestril again, and disrupting her spell. It seemed to be getting weaker, the longer she held on, until it was just a breeze. Karisha cried in outrage and cut Eniche hard on the shoulder with her whip, her blood oozing from the wound as she held her ground, keeping the shield up. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Switch!¡± Liv shouted, running ahead of her and kicking Karisha on the side. Eniche stepped back as Sigurd started healing her. To cover the loss of Eniche, a mana arrow flew out from the back, piercing through the maestril¡¯s eye. That one arrow did not come alone either, Makoto began spamming arrows, one after the other, and, as she did not have a shield. In the end, Karisha had no choice but to use her previously unused AOE attack. One moment, the arrows were flying towards her, a true arc, and then the next moment, the maestril emitted a massive blast of wind, scattering the arrows and growing into a swirling whirlwind covering a large area in front of her, stronger than the gust that Eniche just tanked. The whirlwind had as much power as a storm, and the blast of wind blew both Langa and Liv, who were closest to Karisha, away. Langa flew into the seats in the temple. The seats were made of stone, and he landed violently, and hard on his back and something cracked. A sharp, searing pain tore through his entire back, and Tonare fell out of his hands. It was awful, and Langa let out a painful wail. He could not move his legs. His back was broken. [WARNING!!! You have been critically injured! -213HP] [Your spinal cord has been damaged. Movement speed decreased by 100%] [WARNING!!! Your health has fallen below 10% of its maximum. Please seek healing immediately!] If Langa did not know any better, he would have thought that the system was worried about him. He could still move his hands, so he pressed the button on his comcer, opening his inventory. He drank the entirety of his health potion. The pain subsided, but only a little. His HP did rise to more than 30%, but he still could not move. He could hear the battle still going on, and he tried to sit up, and saw that Karisha was taking time to heal herself. Black strands flowed into her body from the altar, and her wounds were starting to close. Eniche was up again, bashing her with her mace, trying to hold her aggro while Kindaro sent his ten knives flying at her, and Ghol kept stabbing and then disappearing. Sigurd just finished healing Liv and he and Makoto rushed towards Langa, Makoto refilling Sigurd¡¯s mana once again. "Brother," Makoto''s worried face swam in and out of focus. "Can you hear me?" Langa nodded mainly just to reassure him. He felt hands on him and the pain started to lessen as the light travelled up his back. However, he still could not move. ¡°You okay? Sorry, your injury is gonna take a lot more than that and my healing is on cool-down for a bit. Can you bear with it?¡± Sigurd said apologetically. Langa wanted to scream that no he fucking couldn¡¯t, but he nodded, keeping an eye on the battle with a frown. Something wasn¡¯t quite right. Liv was back to fighting against the maestril alongside Eniche, and Langa scanned the creature. Karisha (Air Maestril Boss) Level 10 HP:3250/7000 Karma:3754 The proportions were all wrong. Considering the damage that the lot of them had done, Karisha should have lost a lot more health than this. If she was using her karma to heal herself, then there should be less than 1000 karma left at this point. Something was off. From behind the red curtain on the stage of the temple, thin black strands emerged and were absorbed by Karisha. When he checked her again, her health had gone up, but her karma remained unchanged. A thought came into Langa¡¯s head. Considering his side quest before had been about stopping the maestril boss from stealing the abandoned world¡¯s karma from The FireFox Queen¡¯s shrine, could it still be doing the same thing? A temple had to be more powerful in terms of karma than a shrine. Langa blanched. If this was true, if Karisha was using the world¡¯s karma to heal herself, then they could fight against her all day and never win. They would run out of health and stamina before her. Was that what she was aiming for? In that case, Langa knew what he had to do in such a situation. He had to destroy the crystal that processed the karma as he did at the shrine. At that time, a guard had appeared and he¡¯d had to fight it to complete the mission. Chances were that it would be the same now. He had to let Liv and Kindaro know about his discovery, maybe they might have a decent plan to defeat Karisha after all. He was still very angry at how he had been tossed around like a rag doll by this damn maestril, and although he could think calmly at the moment, his blood was boiling with a need for retribution. He was going to pay back Karisha the price of his health in blood. He itched to fight again, but since he still needed to heal a bit more before he was ready to throw himself into the fray, he watched his teammates go at it against the maestril. Liv¡¯s arm curved in a beautiful arc, a glowing orange light piercing the maestril¡¯s abdomen. A flawless strike. Langa did not know how to explain Liv¡¯s brilliant movements and attacks, he seemed to move almost fluidly, like he was gliding through the air like his arm was a snake, slithering towards Karisha with no hesitation, only decisive precision. Kindaro¡¯s death magic-coated blades struck the maestril¡¯s chest and abdomen a second later, and her scream echoed in the chamber. Langa felt his heartbeat pick up both from the pain and from watching the way Liv and Kindaro fought. Just like the time before, in the battle against Calpu, he could feel his heart speeding faster and faster. Langa¡¯s normally calm and clear mind was full of fog again, and the need to move again, to rejoin the battle gnawed at him, becoming his only coherent thought. He wanted to fight beside Liv and Kindaro again. He also wanted the cool-down for Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike to be over. It was close now. As if in answer to his desperation, Sigurd placed his hands on Langa¡¯s back, and warmth flowed into his body, and he could move again. He could feel the way his bones came back together, and how Sigurd¡¯s skill caused his flesh to knit together again until he was whole. ¡°Thank the gods. Now you can-¡° But Langa did not hear what Makoto was going to say, because as soon as he was healed, he immediately picked up Tonare, and activated Flash Step. He had a battle to win, teammates to fight alongside him, and a quest to clear. He could feel his pulse going inside him, beat by beat, and it made him focus on what he was going to do even more. He had to rejoin the fight at precisely the most appropriate time for maximum efficiency and for him to coordinate with the two of them well again. He knew how Liv and Kindaro fought, he felt like he was watching them in slow motion, like he could predict that Liv would step to the side a second before Kindaro retrieved his knives, leaving a small gap, of less than a second before Karisha healed that wound. He activated his lightning skill in that split second, thrusting his glaive into that slow-healing wound, taking all of his stamina with it, and all the breath in his lungs. The backlash would have sent him tumbling to the ground, but Liv caught him right on time. [Critical Hit! : (Karisha) -945HP Bonus damage: -94.5HP] [Backlash (Langa Zulu): -127HP] Oh fuck! He was in pain again, the numbness filling his entire body. His legs felt like jelly, but Liv held him up. His head was ringing loudly as he tried to focus. Once again, too much damage was done, too much backlash was received, and too much of his stamina was gone. Even with a combination of Flash Step and Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike, he should not have lost that much stamina or dealt that much damage. There was something else going on here. It reminded him of his final attack against Calpu, he just had to reach it and know what it was. Kindaro forced his mouth open and shoved a pill inside it. Langa swallowed it and felt his stamina begin to rise again. The pill would not get it to full, but it would prevent him from getting the stamina debuff. ¡°I found out why¡­ health not staying¡­¡± Langa mumbled, stating what he had observed. Before the others could ask, ¡°I just fucking healed you!¡± Sigurd cursed as he came running towards them, placing his hands on him again. Makoto was now supporting Ghol and Eniche in keeping the maestril occupied while Liv, Kindaro and Langa caught their breath. Langa¡¯s heartbeat slowed, and the world cleared. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say, Langa. What you just did, that was not a skill. You shouldn¡¯t be able to do that much damage at this level. Langa. What the hell kind of attribute do you have?¡± Kindaro asked him. ¡°Is that important right now? You said you found out something, tell me quickly, Eniche¡¯s struggling,¡± Liv asked Langa. ¡°Karisha is healing herself, but her karma is not decreasing proportionally to the health that she has regenerated. I think there¡¯s something behind the altar supplying her with karma. I need to get back there,¡± Langa said. ¡±If that¡¯s really where she¡¯s getting her karma, she won¡¯t let you through that easily,¡± Kindaro sighed, scratching his hair. ¡°I¡¯ll create a big distraction for you, then. But you guys know, my attribute works best with an already open wound.¡± ¡°I''ll make sure to keep the wound that Langa created open. You¡¯re the fastest one here, Langa. Once her health gets below 2000, and I tell you, you should go behind the curtain!¡± Liv instructed, and then he ran back into the battle, where Karisha was once more bombarding everyone with her wind pellets. Ghol and Makoto were both getting injured, and Sigurd had his work cut out for him. Liv was the perfect distraction for the maestril, managing to wound her again and, true to his word, Kindaro¡¯s mask was glowing again, and the air around him felt eerie as he raised his staff upright. ¡°Comedenthatos morsthana!¡± A glowing brown light emerged from his staff, and flew straight in the air, right into Karisha¡¯s broken armour. Her fur shrivelled up, and her skin turned black, the smell of death and decay emanating from the ever-increasing wound. This time although his mana did get completely drained, Kindaro was using Makoto''s mana stones to fill himself back up. Still, his DOT was very damaging to the maestril, this time it was taking 300HP per second, meaning he had improved his death magic. If that skill hit Langa, he would be dead in less than two seconds. Still, the high damage made Kindaro the prime target. Liv immediately rushed the maestril, but once again, a large gust of wind erupted from the maestril, knocking both Liv and Eniche away from her. She then rode the wind, straight towards Kindaro who was busy chanting something. "Shit," Langa cursed, Flash Step was still on cool-down, so he had to run towards the two of them at his regular, but still fast, speed. However, he need not have bothered, because the moment Karisha snapped her chain whip at Kindaro, someone...or something blocked her. The thing was covered in dirt, and surrounded by black smoke. The thing guarding Kindaro had dead black eyes that were unseeing. Langa shuddered when he realised what it was that was protecting Kindaro. It was Calpu. Or at least, his body. Calpu (Decaying Zombie Maestril) Level 7 HP:965/1500 So this was what death magic could do? Defile the dead? Langa wanted to throw up. In his culture, death was liberation, it was a way for the living to free their souls and to watch over their loved ones as their ancestors, idlozi. For that to happen, the body had to be buried in the dead''s hometown graveyard. Their eyes must be closed so that their soul can rest in peace, otherwise, the spirit would wander for eternity, unless a ritual was done to appease the dead. He was not a staunch or practising believer in his mother''s Traditional Zulu religion, nor was he a devout believer in the Christian religion that his sister followed devoutly. He had grown up on both religions and practised aspects of both in his daily life, so to him, life was sacred, a dead body was not to be defiled like this, even if it was a maestril. Back when his father was alive, he was fascinated with ancient gods, and Langa had inherited a lot of his books on deities as well. In most of those religions, the desecration of a corpse was frowned upon. He knew that he was in a different world now, and perhaps things like this were commonplace in the Tower, but it still made him uncomfortable. Langa was not the only one put off by seeing Calpu''s reanimated body, because Eniche had a horrified look on her face, and Langa could understand why, seeing as her whole world had been devastated by the undead. Another person who seemed most affected by Zombie Calpu was Karisha. She screamed at Kindaro, lashing out with her whip berserkly. ¡±My brother!! What have you done to my brother?!¡± She screamed, and her whirlwind swirled again, this time like a mini tornado, repelling everything that tried to attack her. Everything except for one person. A red glow covered his entire arm, and his purple eye darkened. Liv smashed his fist into Karisha¡¯s back, although the stabbing wind left multiple cuts in his arms. ¡±Langa! Now!¡± he shouted, and Langa snapped out of it. He had a job to do. While the others kept Karisha occupied, he would go to the altar, and destroy the crystal that was siphoning the FireFox Queen''s karma. 14. Floor 0: Tutorial Final Battle (3) Langa dashed forward into the red curtain so that he could see what was behind there. He expected to find the defiled altar, but instead, behind that curtain was a giant hole on the floor, leading down. He frowned, peering down there, and it seemed as if there were rooms below the temple. So, he needed to get down there, but no matter how he looked, there was no ramp or stairs. He guessed that Karisha did not need stairs since she was a werewolf. The black strands of karma seemed to be coming from down there, which meant that the altar was also down there. Damn it! Langa gripped Tonare, the blade facing downwards, and jumped down. Tonare hit the ground first, and Langa tried to balance on the spear but the force of the fall sent him tumbling down, and he rolled on the ground to find his balance. At least he only lost 12HP. He stood up, and discovered that the hole was not deep at all, maybe 7 to 8 metres below the temple. Looking around him, he saw that he was in a dimly lit passageway with only one visible door to the left. Black strands sifted leisurely from inside that door, moving along the hallway, and going up into the temple. This must be where Karisha was getting her karma. The ground was made of stone, and Langa walked quietly on top of it towards the door. He held Tonare ready in his hands. There was no way for him to be subtle about this, so he kicked the door open. When Langa saw what was inside that room, his jaw dropped. He was sure that he had walked into some kind of crazy Satanic ritual. Wait, now that he thought about it, was Satanic the correct word to use in this world? Was Satan even real? He shook his head, now was not the time for religious contemplation. He focused on the room. The room was dark, but in the centre, surrounded by a number of silver candles, was an altar with a small statue of the FireFox Queen with her hands open. In the statue''s hands lay a small fox, that was alive, twitching and whimpering in pain. Large black strands of karma flowed freely from the twitching fox''s body, and into a small black star-shaped crystal that was hanging on the neck of a creature that was kneeling, praying below the altar. The creature was kneeling inside a white circle with odd red symbols carved along the circle. As the creature prayed, the strands of karma from the little fox that had been absorbed by the crystal were released from the crystal, becoming karma for the maestril boss Karisha. The creature turned around when the door opened, spotting Langa. She stood up on her two legs, unnaturally so. She was a hideous hybrid of a fox and a wolf, like Calpu, and she roared when she saw Langa. Babio (Shadow Maestril Mini-boss) Level 5 HP: 1000/1000 Karma: 1100 ¡°Mortal! How dare you intrude on the sacred ceremony of karma sacrifice to The Onslaught of The Dark Void!¡± The maestril said in a loud, screeching and high-pitched voice. This maestril was level 5. She was three levels below Langa. If she was a normal monster, it would be an easy fight for him, but she was a maestril and a mini-boss at that. According to his teammates, when fighting maestrils, a party of 5 was recommended, of at least the same level as the maestril, at minimum all party members had to be one level lower than the maestril. Could he do it alone? That did not matter, because no one was coming to help him. His team was busy fighting the boss monster, so he had to kill this one and destroy that star crystal so that she would not send karma to Karisha. That ought to raise his contribution to this quest a bit. Langa took on his fighting stance. Babio jumped into the air, landing with a heavy kick aimed at Langa. He dodged to the side, but Babio backhanded him right in the face with her clawed hand, and he lost 20HP all at once. Shit, those claws left a deep gash on his face and Langa cursed, deciding to bait the maestril with a feint and catch her by surprise. He started running towards the right, before using Flash Step to double back, and then striking Babio with his spear on the side. Thankfully, she was not wearing armour, but robes, so he was able to hurt her in one hit and take away 75HP. He took a step back, intending to thrust the spear in again before fleeing with Flash Step. However, when he tried to stab the maestril, his spear passed straight through her body. She had turned her whole body into a mass of shadow. "Go on, try your tricks again, human. You cannot cut through my magnificent body of shadows," the maestril laughed. "Perhaps I shall copy you." She extended her hand and pulled at the shadows surrounding her, creating a spear made out of nothing but shadow. No matter how much Langa tried to hit her with his spear, she was barely injured. Losing only less than 10HP at a time. Her body was impenetrable, yet her spear was solid, and he had to block it multiple times. It was frustrating. If Liv was here, then he could break through her shadow armour with his aura. Langa was sure that Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike would be able to break through her shadow and give her a critical injury, but he could not use it just yet. If he did use it, it had to be when she was below 600HP, otherwise, he would be left helpless and injured from the backlash and she would be able to both counterattack and heal herself with the infinite amount of karma she sucked into the black crystal on her neck. Babio drew more of the black mist karma from the crystal into herself, and it stopped going up towards Karisha. Large tendrils of shadow erupted from her hands and grabbed Langa as he was trying to get away from her. The shadow tendrils were like hands holding him still, and she ran forward, now corporeal, and stabbed at his chest repeatedly with her shadow spear until his leather breastplate was torn to pieces and the shadow spear pierced his flesh. She shrieked in glee and bared her teeth, intending to bite his shoulder. The pain was unbearable, and it made Langa''s heart start to race uncontrollably. Luckily, at that moment, Flash Step was off cool-down, so Langa used the skill to teleport behind her, stabbing her in the back with Tonare before she could turn herself into a shadow again. She cried out in pain, and more black strands coated her back, healing her. This was not going to end anytime soon, not while she had an endless supply of karma. Langa stepped back, towards the altar. He knew what needed to be done. In the end, he needed to destroy that crystal or... kill that little fox that was providing the crystal with karma. It was clearly in pain, and by killing it, he would be setting it free. But Langa had no time to think or make a decision because, at the very next moment, the shadows around him began to coalesce into a large circle of shadow around the entire room. "Yhoo! Nkosi yami!" Langa cursed, realising that this was the same skill used by Calpu. Back then, they had been able to beat him because the three of them, him, Liv and Kindaro had worked together. He waited for her to use the shadows to teleport towards him as Calpu did, but she did not do that. No, her skill was different, Langa realised as he started feeling weak, and turned on his health notifications. Just standing inside her shadow circle was draining his HP at 5HP/second. He was not going to last long at this rate. With his injuries, he was already down to 120HP. He was also starting to feel lethargic, as he tried to run towards her, to end it with Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike, hoping for an instant kill, but her shadow tendrils chased him. He kept running up to her, but she would cover herself with the shadows while using the tendrils to keep him at bay. He did manage to stab her one more time, taking a chunk of her HP away, but not enough that he could kill her in one strike with Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike. She had no more karma left to heal herself, and she was using the karma from the crystal around her neck to heal herself ever so slightly. At least this meant that Karisha was also not going to be healing herself anytime soon. Babio (Shadow Maestril Miniboss) Level 5 HP: 779/1000 Karma: 39 Babio appeared behind him in a mass of shadow and bit into Langa''s neck. He let out a loud yelp, and Flash Stepped away from her. Thankfully, she had not bitten too deeply into him. He was still bleeding from her earlier strike on his chest, and his neck was in pain as well now. When he did this last Flash Step, he felt his head starting to ring. Shit, he was running out of stamina. He had honestly underestimated this maestril, she was not very intelligent, but she was strong. He had thought since he was a few levels higher, he could take her, but it was proving to be an uphill battle. Babio¡¯s dark shadow spear pierced the ground that Langa had been standing on a moment ago. He¡¯d dived down just in time. He ran to the side, trying to stall, and allow his stamina to regenerate a little more. ¡°Coward! Face me!¡± she screamed, and a dark shadow circle covered the entire floor. Langa felt her tendrils get a hold of him as he could feel his health slowly draining second by second. [-5HP -5HP -5HP -5HP] He shook the tendrils off, tired of running away. He had to end it now before he passed out. Conserving his strength for the last few minutes had paid off, his stamina had gone up to 90. He stood up, breathing heavily, and this time, he ran towards her, noting even in the darkness, that her body was corporeal again. If he moved now he could kill her. That was what his rapid heartbeat told him. The pain kept him on his toes, blood dripping down his chest. His heart was beating very fast. He could hear it clearly, more clearly than anything else in that room. The shadow tendrils flew out at him, and he had to dodge them over and over again. He was thankful that he could use his base speed to dodge the attacks quickly, thanks to the movement steps that Liv had taught him. The heat of the battle engulfed his body like a flame, and he struggled to breathe. For a moment, he was not anywhere near the altar. He was running on the track, as fast as his legs could carry him, breathing through his mouth, listening to his thundering heartbeat. When was the last time that running had been so taxing for him? He genuinely couldn¡¯t remember. In the past couple of years, he had not enjoyed running. He was reminded of something he had forgotten, something so simple. The reason that he started running in the first place was because it was fun. There had been a point when his brother-in-law had treated him badly, and he would always run along the forest, listening to the trees and the various animals in the forest. Back then, he had been happy just to run. "Get in the box, Langa," his brother-in-law would say whenever he wanted to punish him. Maybe Langa never left the box. There was a time in his life before he became drowned in the burden of genius before he had to run so that he could get paid and save his sister¡¯s family from poverty, when he just ran because he loved it. At first, the competition was fun too, but as he got better and better, faster and faster, none of his peers could keep up with him. Nationally, no one could keep up with him, so he slowed down. He threw his races because he was bored, and he no longer had to run for anyone else. He was fine being number 2. But, he had to dodge a shadow tendril a moment later, and it reminded him that he was in a fight, not a race. Still, in the Tower, there would be faster people, right? Faster mortals that he could race against. This world was dangerous, but he had formed more tangible non-blood-related bonds in seven days than he had in twenty-seven years. He had a child that he wanted to protect, a friend that helped him out and trained with him whenever he asked, a colleague that he could fight next to at an equal level and other teammates who protected, healed and fought alongside him. This world was not so bad. He could feel his heart in his throat, and it was still picking up speed. Not stopping, he ran towards the maestril. He was running, but it felt as if time was standing still at this moment. Everything happened in slow motion for him. Every muscle in his legs screamed, as his heart raced to supply his entire body with blood. In that moment of slow time, he asked himself a question. Why was he doing this, giving his all in this fight? Was it to save an abandoned world? No. Was he fighting to save The FireFox Queen''s soul shard? No. Was he doing it to save his teammates because he cared about them? No. The reason why he was fighting was simple. There was something that he was trying to reach. He had to push his limits and push his heart even harder to reach that point. He wanted the world to stop. He wanted to feel that power once more, the power that enabled him to defeat Calpu. His lungs were on fire, and he could see the finish line. A shining black crystal in the middle of the maestril''s neck. The faster he tried to run, the slower everything else looked. And then, at that moment, a wave of electricity coursed throughout his entire body, causing his heartbeat to intensify, and something clicked, settling into place. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. [Congratulations! You have unlocked your attribute!] [Attribute: Impulse Pulse You can move according to the limits of your pulse. The faster your heart rate, the slower you perceive the world around you. The speed of your nerve impulses sending an electrical pulse through your heart muscle determines your heart rate. To activate your attribute, 50% of your total stamina is consumed, and STA =VEL per second is also consumed for every second that the attribute is active. The perception of time differentiation is dependent on heart rate, nerve impulse speed, velocity and acceleration. If you have any full affinity, all skills using your affinity discipline will be 50% more potent. This attribute may undergo evolution at Tier 3, 5 and/or 10. Cool-down: Mortals may only use their attribute a maximum of three times a day. Be warned: As a mortal, there is a limit to how much strain and stimulation your heart can handle before you enter a state of heart failure, and die.] [Congratulations! You have unlocked a special stat: Velocity. Velocity (VEL): This refers to your speed in a specific direction. Base VEL is calculated as (AGI + MND). Velocity builds up as you accelerate in a specific direction, allowing you to move faster. Base movement speed will be calculated at AGI = VEL. The more charges of velocity built up, the faster your movement speed. If you change direction, your acceleration and velocity reset.] There it was. He had finally reached it, his attribute. It did not state exactly how much time perception would slow down for him, so he would have to test that later. He was not sure what the attribute truly was or what it meant, but he had finally reached it. If his heart beat too fast, he might die, but that power was in his fingertips. Time was still slowed down, and it felt like his heart would burst out of his chest. All he had to do was to free that charged-up velocity and run. Run towards the finish line, and make his way into the Tower. ¡±Bow down before the power of The Dark Void, and die!¡± Babio screamed, raising her shadow spear, and thrusting it towards Langa. She seemed to be both moving and speaking slowly. So he activated his attribute and felt the stamina drain rapidly. This was the fastest he had ever moved, and he raised Tonare in his hands and activated Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike. The glaive obeyed his wishes and struck the maestril true in the abdomen. It was strange because she had attacked first, but Tonare struck her before her shadow spear could even get near Langa. Time was still moving extremely slowly, and he got the messages before the maestril even reacted to the large hole that tore through her abdomen. [Critical hit! Impulse Pulse activated! (Babio) -1142 HP. Extra damage: -114.2 HP Instant kill achieved. Backlash (Langa Zulu) -265HP] [You have killed a level 5 maestril mini-boss. Rewards will be issued by contribution. Please wait.] Time righted itself. Langa¡¯s head spun as all his stamina and nearly all of his health was taken away thanks to that attack. He knew that he had fallen to the ground, that he should be in excruciating pain, but the burning lightning in his body numbed him of everything at this moment as he lay weakly on the floor, dying. If only he could lift his hand, and contact Sigurd to come and heal him, through the comcer. However, right now, he could not move, breathing itself was a chore. [You are critically injured! (1) Basic Health Potion in your inventory has been automatically consumed to heal you] Even as he felt himself starting to heal up, the lightning still sizzling around his arms also continued to damage him, rendering the health potion redundant, and the system could not consume another health potion as it was now on cool-down. [Your health has fallen below 5% of its maximum. Please wait while the system permanently converts stamina to health.] [Error! Stamina is below 10% of its maximum. Stamina below 10% of the maximum cannot be converted into health. Please wait while the system permanently converts mana into health.] [Error! Mana is below 130. Mana below 130 cannot be converted into health.] Damn it. He could not level up because killing this maestril was considered part of the final tutorial quest, and the quest description had been very clear that no rewards would be tallied until after the entire quest was done. Was he going to die here? The system seemed to realise that technically he should have levelled up, and completely healed, but because the entire quest was not done, the experience would not reach him. The system seemed to be trying to find ways to heal him because of this, but his stats were a mess. Was he going to die after all? He did not dare look at his hands, he knew that they were completely burned, and his stamina was also quite low, and he could not move. Just when everything felt hopeless, Langa felt something soft brushing against his neck, and he opened his eyes. The tiny little fox that had been whimpering on the altar was nuzzling his neck. Strangely, it was standing on two feet, and with its paws, it tied the necklace with the star-shaped black crystal that Babio had been wearing around Langa¡¯s neck as he lay on the floor. He looked into its startlingly red eyes, and it gazed back at him. Was this little creature, not a fox, but a foxkin? He was very confused. <> The voice spoke inside Langa¡¯s mind as he looked into the fox¡¯s eyes. He had no idea what was going on, but a strange black substance from the black crystal flowed into him, and his health stopped going down. The black energy filled his veins, and he knew it should be painful, but he couldn''t feel anything. Then it felt like something powerful blocked the crystal from continuing to corrupt him. After that, a new prompt appeared in front of him. [You have completed the hidden objective of Final Tutorial Quest: Free the Star-Eating FireFox Queen¡¯s soul shard. +1 Void Star] [The Unrivalled Tower Master has forced the soul shard of The Star-Eating FireFox Queen to Ascend, for disrupting order in the tutorial.] Did The Unrivalled stop the crystal from corrupting him? But she only stopped it once his health stopped dropping, and he was out of danger. He was still lying down on the floor, unable to move, and in dire pain, but he was no longer going to die. Langa had no idea what any of this meant, as his head was a mess, the lack of stamina making it hard to think. He looked down at the black crystal, trying to scan it. [Void Star (Fragmented) Artefact Rank: Divine (Chaos: The Onslaught of The Dark Void) Sacrifice: ? Effects: ? Total karma: ???????????? Charges: 4/???] He had no idea what this thing was or what the hell was going on. All Langa needed right now, was for someone to heal him, and to make sure that the rest of his team was okay. Just as he wallowed in pain and misery, he heard something outside. * Back inside the temple, Karisha, the maestril boss was on her last legs, Kindaro¡¯s skill was still draining 50HP per second from her, and she had used up all her karma, and none of it was getting replaced. Makoto knew that this meant that Langa had done something, he¡¯d made this battle easier for all of them. His eyes darted over to the flashing bar on the party menu for Langa''s health. At this rate, he was going to die before they completed the quest. He fired an arrow at Karisha''s ankle absentmindedly as Sigurd healed Liv and Eniche took over the tanking. How could he let the man who had looked after him throughout this entire tutorial die just like that? They were so close, as he saw that Liv was almost done. "Focus. Where''s your head?" a voice said, and he turned to find Kindaro standing behind him, mask glowing, and staff raised. Makoto was startled. When had Kindaro gotten so close to him? He shook his head, there was no time for that, Langa was dying! "I need to save Langa," Makoto whispered. "Then let''s go," Kindaro said. He was watching him closely like he always did, and Makoto found it a bit creepy. He had never done anything bad to him, and they worked pretty well together in the back-line. He was still careful around him, though, because Langa had told him to be wary of Kindaro after all. "What about the battle?" he asked uncertainly. Kindaro lowered his staff thoughtfully and looked over at Liv who was almost done being healed by Sigurd. ¡°It''s okay. I¡¯ll come with you to check on Langa. The others can finish up here. It would be easier that way.¡± Makoto smiled in relief. Kindaro was strong, so if there was still a threat down there, then it would be better if he was with him. He sent his knives into Karisha''s torso, making her scream as she knelt down in pain. ¡°Call you refill my mana first?¡± Kindaro asked, and Makoto nodded. He refilled Kindaro¡¯s mana, leaving himself with virtually no mana, but it was okay, because he could still use his regular arrows, and Kindaro would protect him. They both jumped down to the passage below the temple and saw an open door in a room full of destruction. Kindaro helped Makoto to land gracefully. As soon as they got to the bottom, Makoto ran into the room, and Kindaro raised his staff, closing the door behind him. * Langa crawled desperately across the floor, his burned hands both numb and unbearably painful every time he moved. He tried to reach out and pick up Tonare, but he felt like his head was swimming in water, and he could not think straight. The more he tried, the more tired he became. [Debuff: Stamina below 5%. Reduced movement speed. You are paralysed until stamina regenerates to 10%. Time remaining: 2 minutes 52 seconds] There was a noise outside the door that sounded like someone landing, causing Langa to tense up as he had no way to defend himself against any new threats. Two people burst into the room and looked around. "Langa!¡± A voice shouted, and he looked up to see Makoto running towards him, a worried look on his face. What a good kid. "It looked like you were dying! Let me give you my health potion, then I will contact Sigurd to come and heal you." Instead of completing the quest, he had come down here to check on him. He had probably seen how bad Langa''s HP was from the party menu. Langa was about to smile, and thank the gods that the kid was safe, but then he looked behind Makoto, and something was wrong. For one thing, Kindaro was standing behind him, his skull mask glowing, and his staff raised, and for another thing, Langa could see a shimmer, a distortion right behind Makoto. Someone was there behind him, hidden in stealth. ¡°Look out!¡± he screamed with his dry, parched throat, but it was too late. Ghol released her stealth, appeared behind Makoto and stabbed him in the neck from the back. Blood oozed out of Makoto¡¯s neck staining his coat. He swayed unsteadily and fell to the ground, shock on his face, clutching the wound. The wound was so bad that he was unable to scream. ¡°NO!¡± Langa shouted in horror. What the hell was going on? Why would Ghol be attacking Makoto? [You have killed a level 10 maestril boss. Rewards will be issued by contribution. Please wait.] [You have completed the Final Tutorial Quest. You must Ascend to the Deiwos Tower to receive your rewards. Would you like to Ascend? Yes/No.] Liv and the others must have managed to finish off Karisha. Langa tried to select yes, but he found that no matter how hard he tried, he could not do it. His mind kept still, disobeying him. "Finally," Kindaro muttered, making eye contact with Langa. Ghol closed her eyes and muttered something and a wide black dome appeared inside the altar room, covering all four of them on the inside. "Start the ritual, My Liege, my cursed sound barrier will only last for a minute," she said. So, was this one of her skills? Had she been pretending to be weak this entire tutorial? Langa could not worry about Ghol, though, as he tried to crawl towards Makoto as quickly as he could. He was still alive, just bleeding out. Langa tried to move his hands to reach for Tonare. If he could just feed him a health potion, then he would be fine. He just needed to reach him, he would crawl all the way to the door if he had to, to hell with this stupid stamina debuff. ¡°Makoto run! Ascend now!¡± Makoto¡¯s eyes were unfocused on the ground as his hands desperately tried to stop his bleeding. Shit, was he also under Kindaro''s mind-control skill? Ghol had moved using her high agility, and she was standing behind Langa now, her daggers in hand. She stepped on his lower back, pressing him down with her boot. They were basically threatening Langa¡¯s life if Makoto tried to get away. Makoto looked Langa straight in the eye and tried to speak. ¡°Sorry...please Ascend," he choked out. Kindaro muttered something and Makoto¡¯s blood gathered up from his bleeding neck, his coat and the floor where it had fallen, and drew itself in a circle around him. ¡°He¡¯s such a good kid, isn¡¯t he, Langa?¡± ¡°What are you doing? Please just stop!¡± Langa screamed at Kindaro again. His stamina debuff was coming to an end. In less than a minute, he could move again. He would Flash Step away from Ghol, grab Makoto and Ascend. ¡°Stop trying to move. You¡¯ll hurt yourself even more. I need mana, and he is a gift that keeps on giving. Unlike the kid, I need you alive. I need someone on my level to contend with inside the Tower, so I can grow stronger. Once you reach Tier 5, then I can add you to my collection,¡± Kindaro said, looking Langa in the eye. His already foggy mind came to a standstill. He tried to resist the control, tried as hard as he could to go against Kindaro¡¯s mental command, but his mind was a mess and the only thing that was clear to him was Kindaro¡¯s command. There was no shred of resistance in his mind, he was just as susceptible to the skill as he had been before. Damnit. Since when could Kindaro control two people at once? Langa thrashed around hopelessly, but Ghol''s boot was filled with strength, and he was still under the stamina debuff. How was he supposed to watch this happen without being able to do anything? The life was slowly slipping out of Makoto¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to resist, Langa, even with that headband, your mind is still defenceless against my magic,¡± Kindaro told him. ¡°Why are you doing this? He¡¯s just a child!¡± Langa cried out. His entire body failed him, and his legs could not move. He was trapped with nowhere to go, but to watch this horrible scene. He hated his lousy resistances. Because of his low lightning resistance, the backlash left him injured and in pain, and because of his terrible mental resistance, he was nothing but prey to Kindaro. He was weak, and that was why his mind was being controlled by Kindaro. ¡°I told you. I have to be a king. Just being in the top ten is not enough to compete with my siblings. Already one of them has become the Chosen One of The Thousand Undead. To become his Visage, I need a trump card. What¡¯s better than my own personal mana battery that is completely in my control, always at my beck and call?¡± Kindaro asked, stepping towards Makoto. ¡°Brother Langa¡­ please save...¡± Makoto whispered, closing his eyes. Langa''s heart ached, he had done it again. After keeping himself closed off from people, he had allowed himself to care about this boy. Because he cared for him, Langa''s curse was taking away the boy''s luck, and his future. He had promised to protect him, but Langa should have known that the weak were not afforded the luxury of making promises of life and death. A black beam shot straight from Kindaro¡¯s staff into Makoto¡¯s chest, and it pierced his bleeding body. Eyes wide open in fear, the boy met his untimely end. [Party member Sato Makoto has died.] [Player Sato Makoto is dead. Your karma contract is fulfilled. You have received +692 karma.] 15. Floor 0: Tutorial Final Battle (4) ¡°No!¡± A bloodcurdling scream tore itself from Langa¡¯s dry throat as he looked at the body of the young man on the floor, and tears ran down his cheeks. He wanted to scream, rip his brain out and tear it apart for betraying him like this. The pain gripped him hard, yet he could not express it because right now, his body was not in his control. He looked at the boy¡¯s lifeless body and whimpered. Why did it have to end this way? This child lost both his lives trying to protect him, and Langa could not do a single thing for him. He was too weak and powerless to even protect one child. Pain, tears and anger overwhelmed him so much that he felt like they would all break him into pieces. Disbelief coloured every fibre of his being. This could not happen again. Not to a child who had been nothing but kind to Langa. His curse had struck again, stealing the boy¡¯s luck, his life and his karma, using it to strengthen Langa. Nothing had changed in the 20 years since his father¡¯s death. In his mind, the memories swirled, of all the times that Makoto followed him around, worried for him and tried to protect him. The shared laughter and mirth of the previous night felt like a knife in his racing heart. His anguished cries turned into muffled sobs of pain and disbelief. Kindaro and Ghol continued talking, oblivious to his unstoppable anguish, and that more than anything else, fuelled the rage in Langa¡¯s heart. ¡°What the hell? I didn¡¯t get his karma! The skill clearly said that I would get his karma!¡± Kindaro looked both pissed and confused. Langa wanted to laugh. He got Makoto¡¯s karma because of the promise that they had made in the presence of The Unrivalled all those days ago. His curse was working overtime to give him power on the backs of the misfortunes of the people that he cared about. ¡°What? Did you do the incantation wrong?¡± Ghol asked in surprise, her boot leaving Langa¡¯s back, walking over to her prince. ¡±Watch yourself! Of course, I didn¡¯t. It¡¯s like the karma is just not there,¡± Kindaro snapped. ¡°Shit, is it because of the Void surrounding this altar? Did it suck away the kid¡¯s karma?¡± Langa bit his lip and stayed quiet. He could feel his stamina returning, slowly, and he had no desire to draw their attention, not until he could fight back. Ghoul¡¯s ears suddenly twitched, and she looked up. ¡°Your Highness, hurry up. Liv¡¯Kungsadu is coming. I can feel him. Complete the ritual! You know that we can¡¯t defeat him!¡± She shouted, snapping Kindaro out of his anger and frustration. ¡°Damn it!¡± Kindaro said, anger still in his voice, even as he once more raised his staff, and started another chant. This time it sounded like a song, like some sort of whistle. Just as the skill took form, Langa felt his mind start to clear. He saw the brown aura surrounding Kindaro start to pour into Makoto¡¯s dead body. He could only look on in horror at what happened next. Suddenly, Makoto¡¯s dead body stood up. His neck wound was still open, but the blood coming out of it was no longer red, it was now black. His eyes opened and they were also pitch black, empty with no life inside them. They looked like Calpu¡¯s eyes in the previous battle. Langa¡¯s heart sank. This bastard had turned Makoto into a fucking zombie?! Killing the boy was not enough, did he have to defile his body too? Makoto would not be at peace in this state, as nothing more than a puppet to Kindaro. Langa hated this, he hated Kindaro for this. He hated himself for being too weak to prevent this. He had to do something and now was his only chance, as it seemed that whatever skill Kindaro had used in reviving Makoto¡¯s body had loosened Kindaro¡¯s control over him. It seemed as if the ritual took away a lot of his mana. His mind control was not as strong now as it was before, and Langa latched on to that tiny wisp of a weakness in the skill. While Ghol was distracted watching the entrance for Liv, Langa reached for Tonare with his clearing mind, picked it up, and threw the spear right at Kindaro¡¯s head. ¡±He¡¯s almost here!¡± Ghol shouted at the same moment that the spear left Langa¡¯s hands. The spear flew through the air and hit Kindaro right in the exposed eye that was not covered by his mask. Blood flowed from the eye profusely, and he raised a hand to stop the blood. ¡°Shit! You son of a bitch!¡± he screamed, clutching his head. There was a sound of the door breaking behind him. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! Fuck, Ghol, Ascend!¡± ¡°No!¡± Langa screamed as Kindaro, Ghol and Makoto¡¯s body all disappeared into nothingness. Tonare fell to the floor. They were gone. He couldn¡¯t even bury Makoto. He couldn¡¯t even put his soul to rest. Darkness rose over the altar, and black shadows whispered to him in the darkness. His whole body quivered with both rage and pain as despair overtook his mind. The self-hatred, lamenting over his weakness shook him to the core, and he could once more feel his mind slipping as the shadows pulled him into them. [Warning!! You are being pulled into a Void Territory. You are under the Chaotic Mind debuff!] The words swirled in front of him but for some reason, they felt distant. Someone was calling his name, but the darkness kept encroaching into Langa¡¯s mind. The world turned red for him. The pain in his hands was forgotten as he thrashed around screaming. This was his fault. Why did he get attached to that kid? A face appeared in his mind, another person who had died because of him, even though he could not fully remember it. His father. His mind swam in the dark redness, and it swallowed him. The walls closed in on him, and he could not breathe, he was trapped once more in that car, in that room, in that rage. Suffocating, his whole cursed life stemmed from that one moment, and he was unable to escape any of it. No matter how hard he screamed, the walls did not get any wider, and he remained trapped, trapped in the darkness and the memories of loss, loneliness and suffocation. His mind was in chaos. Langa was 21 again, reeling in anger after another argument with his brother-in-law. That man had the talent of not just pissing him off, and making him feel bad about both himself and his curse, but also triggering the worst of his trauma. He felt trapped in his own home because of him. ¡°Langa please, don¡¯t go. Reconsider,¡± his sister begged him. In times past, seeing her desperate face would have calmed him down, but not today. ¡±I can¡¯t stand this anymore, Sis¡¯Thandi. What more should I do for him until he¡¯s satisfied? Does he think that I chose to be like this? That I like seeing the people I love suffer? Why is he blaming me for Neo getting arrested?¡± Langa shouted. The room was starting to feel so small that he could not breathe. ¡±I¡¯m sorry, he¡¯s just upset that you¡¯re leaving now. We¡¯re all going through a tough time at the moment. The family needs to stay together right now, we need to be strong together,¡± his sister said, trying to reason with him. But this was not what Langa needed to hear. Not after giving up so many things in his life for this family. Not after living his life as his brother-in-law dictated, to stave off his curse. He had been only a child when his father died, but it seemed like every single day of his life, he was reminded that it was all his fault and that after having taken his father¡¯s life, he did not deserve to live his life fully. Just once, he wanted to honour the man who gave his life for him, but when he mentioned it, Kgosi had gone berserk, berating him for his insensitivity, blaming him for every single misfortune that the family had gone through. ¡±For the fucking family? For umndeni, sisi? How much more must I do? I bought you a house, sisi, I sent your children to school, I built you a clinic¡­ hell, I funded every single one of your husband¡¯s failed businesses, but he still treats me like this?¡± Langa screamed. He¡¯d held it in for too long. Ever since he started living with his sister and brother-in-law, he¡¯d been good, kept his head down, he¡¯d lived up to their expectations no matter how much it suffocated him. He¡¯d lived passively, never stirring the pot, just letting life pass him by. He ran for them, took endorsement deals with sportswear brands to make money for them and he gave them everything. His sister, his nephew and his niece appreciated everything he did for them, ever since he was a child, but that bastard kept treating him like he was nothing. ¡±I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry, Langa,¡± Thandi cried, her tears paining Langa even more than his own. He hated seeing his sister cry. His sister sacrificed everything to raise him after their mother abandoned him. His sister withstood all of her husband¡¯s complaints about Langa and always took his side. Langa loved his sister more than anyone else in the world, and he hated that bastard, Kgosi Tlou for making her cry. ¡±What¡¯s wrong with me wanting to go to Egypt? I want to learn more about the ancient myths and gods there that my father was studying. You don''t get it, even though Mum was terrible to both of us, at least you were raised by your father, I lost mine!¡± Langa¡¯s voice broke, and he fell to the floor on his knees. ¡°I may not remember everything clearly, but Baba died saving my life in that car, and his studies on ancient myths and gods are the only things I have left of him. Am I not allowed to have even that piece of him?¡± He looked up at his sister, his head ringing. Her face was filled with pain, guilt and sorrow. There was no escape for Langa, not from anything. No escape from his past, no escape from his curse, and no escape from his broken mind. ¡°Please, Sis¡¯Thandi, let me go. Everything is weighing me down, and I can¡¯t take it. I¡¯m choking on all of it, and I can¡¯t escape. This room, this house¡­ this whole fucking world, it¡¯s suffocating me,¡± he cried. Everything was black and red, and no matter where he looked, the walls were closing in on him, trapping him, there was no way out. He could cry out for help and beat at the walls until his fists were bloody, but there was no escaping the darkness. Thandi placed her arm around him like she always did whenever the claustrophobia hit him too hard. ¡°Langa, nkanyezi yami, breathe for me, please. Open your eyes, and look at me. You¡¯re here with me, you¡¯re safe. There¡¯s lots of room. All you need to do is open your eyes. You¡¯re okay,¡± she said, and her words brought him some comfort on that day. But not today. Today, the red darkness circled him, creating chaos in his mind from that great fear, and her voice fell away into the emptiness, that unending Void. He could not hear her anymore. It felt like Langa was back inside that burning car again, his father screaming. He remembered trying to get out, but everything was dark, and he was trapped and drowning. Water and smoke choked him as he struggled to breathe. Back then his father had given his life to save him, but this time no one was coming to save him, no matter how hard he banged on the walls. No one was watching over him and no one would tell him that he would be okay. In this unending Void, he was alone, and that emptiness was eagerly approaching him, feeding on his fear. The redness around him turned the colour of blood, and the stench suffocated him. He could hear loud voices crying out in pain. His head was on fire, and he did not know when this pain, this torture would end. He reached out blindly, and his burning hand found Tonare. He needed to escape from this Void, he could feel it eating away at him every second. Fear made him tremble, his heartbeat picked up, and he could feel his pulse as if it were in his throat. It hurt. The pulsing beat of his heart resonated with Tonare. It felt for a second as if he and the glaive aligned on the same wavelength and some lightning emitted in spurts from the glaive. It felt strange because he had not activated the skill yet, but he kept holding Tonare tightly. In his daze, Langa thought he heard a voice from inside the glaive, crying out his request for help. For a brief second, no, it was less than a fraction of a fraction of a second, a message appeared in front of him, snapping him out of the stupor he was in. And then the message promptly vanished. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, is watching you.] This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. He gripped the spear tightly. Watching him? Someone was watching him, which meant that he was not alone. He was not empty, and he was not going to die here. ¡®I am in control,¡¯ Langa thought, repeating the mantra in his head to find more clarity. He was in a whole new world teeming with danger, but even so, there were gods in this world. Immortals who could see all, see the pain in his heart, the fear that he¡¯d always confronted alone. There existed beings who could watch over him. Yes. Beings whose power he could borrow to kill Kindaro. He latched onto that desire for revenge. He would rip him into pieces for wrecking his mind like this, for killing a child that Langa had wanted to protect, for desecrating Makoto¡¯s corpse and turning him into his undead mana battery. Langa would pay the karma back in blood. ¡®I am in control,¡¯ Langa thought, and his mind cleared. [The Onslaught of The Dark Void briefly turns his eyes towards you.] ¡°Langa! Please, please wake up?! Come on!¡± A desperate voice shouted, and Langa opened his eyes and swallowed the health potion that Liv was force-feeding to him. ¡°Oh, thank the gods. You almost fell prey to the Void. No matter how much I called out to you, I couldn¡¯t reach you. You were gone. You scared me.¡± There was a desperate, distraught look on Liv¡¯s face as he helped Langa to sit down. ¡°Thanks,¡± Langa said, his voice parched. So that was the power of the Void? That overwhelming redness that struck straight into his fears? No wonder the god who created it was known as The Onslaught of The Dark Void. It had truly felt like an unending onslaught in his mind, reminding him of memories better left forgotten. He might have been swallowed by it if that Deiwos Clan god had not looked at him at that moment. That prompt from the god had distracted him from his fears long enough to snap back into reality. If not for him, Langa would have lost himself. As he thought about that, something else came into his mind. Was this place, the tutorial, not supposed to be hidden from other deities except for The Great Quartenity? Was that not what Sigurd had told them before? The Dark Void looking at him, and The Unrivalled being present here, he could understand, after all, they were both members of The Great Quartenity. However, the Deiwos Clan god was not one of them. If so, then how was that god able to- ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Makoto. Kindaro and Ghol took him away when I was distracted with killing the maestril. Damn it!¡± Liv cursed. ¡°You can¡¯t save everyone, Liv. Besides, you warned me that Kindaro would come after Makoto. The careless one was me,¡± Langa told him, fists clenched as regret weighed him down. ¡°Still, I could have done more.¡± The pain was still there, still shaking him in a way that he¡¯d never felt before. He could still see that boy¡¯s face, lifeless in front of him as he lay on the cold, hard ground. He was taken too soon, and Langa could not come to grips with his death. He reached into his inventory and pulled out the mana stone that Makoto had given him, a few days ago when he went to search for his Calling. He¡¯d never used it, since his skills didn¡¯t use that much mana, but that stone was still here. It was the last thing he had to remember that boy by. ¡°What happens to the soul if a player¡¯s body is brought back as an undead?¡± he asked quietly, looking at that stone. Liv hesitated for a second before answering, ¡°It depends on the class of the person who performs the skill¡­ For someone as precise and well trained in his magic as Kindaro, it¡¯s possible that the soul is trapped inside the mindless body, like a slave.¡± Langa¡¯s hand tightened around that stone. ¡°How do I free him?¡± ¡°You have to kill him. And I don¡¯t mean Makoto either, because no matter how many times you do it, Kindaro can bring him back,¡± Liv said quietly. ¡°You have to make sure that you kill Kindaro as often as it takes until all his respawns are used up.¡± If you¡¯d asked Langa a week ago if he would be willing to take a life, he would have said no, not unless his sister, Neo or Khaya¡¯s lives depended on it. But right now, thinking of Kindaro¡¯s smug face, his smile as he fought alongside him, and the fact that he killed Makoto using his own mana, Langa¡¯s heart burned to snuff out his life. ¡±Then I shall kill him a thousand times over until I can save that boy¡¯s soul, and let him find peace,¡± Langa said, solidifying his decision. ¡°I can¡¯t fault you for that. If you need my help, I will give it.¡± Liv ran his hands through his hair and sighed. ¡°The Void is encroaching on this world. The others have all left, so let¡¯s Ascend. I told you before that I need to talk to you about something, but we might not end up in the same starting city. I don¡¯t know which guilds will end up receiving us, but I promise that I¡¯ll contact you on the comcer, okay?¡± Langa agreed. There was a lot that he didn¡¯t know, and having a person from a natural world like Liv by his side would be a great help. He wanted to know everything he could about the Kindaro family, and why in their struggle for power they saw fit to drag innocent children into their family matters. The pain would always be there, and if he let it, the grief would consume him. So, Langa did what he did best, compartmentalising. He was a bit calmer now. He pushed away everything that broke the calm laziness of his mind to the background. Pushed it far into the background where lay the memories of his father. ¡®I am in control,¡¯ Langa thought, repeating the mantra in his head. He had to live in the now, but he would not forget the bad karma he had with Kindaro. He would make him regret every action he took today. Now, he had a reason to Ascend the Tower. He closed his eyes, willing his heart to calm down. He could not control his attribute yet, and it would not do for him to lose control because he was upset about Makoto. It surprised Langa sometimes how quickly he could push aside traumatic things in his mind and return to his normal calm. Maybe it was a strength or maybe it was a mental disorder that caused his mental resistance to be so low. He had no idea. ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the 1st Floor,¡± Langa said, clapping Liv¡¯s shoulder. He picked up Tonare. ¡°Ascend.¡± * The world fell into silence, enveloping Langa in a feeling of emptiness and nothingness. He felt as if he was floating in a vast river of stars. The river shimmered with a number of intricate, multicoloured lights. That thought alone was confusing, because he was in a river, but there was no water. He could not swim, yet he was not drowning. And then he sensed the presence of four beings, their eyes fixed upon him. These beings were beyond his comprehension, their mere existence overwhelming his mind. Well, that was just his mind trying to rationalise it, because their gazes did not feel like eyes, not really. Instead, they felt like essences, presences, and karma that could destroy him into nothingness. Yet, the four just seemed to surround him, doing nothing. Even though he was from a lost world, there was only one group of four deities that Langa knew about, the first four gods that the Creator ever created. "Be not afraid, little one. Do not agitate your soul," a feminine voice said, and it sounded as if it were coming from everywhere, and nowhere. Langa could not help but feel afraid. Was this what it meant to Ascend? "No," another voice spoke, its tone much gentler. "We have interrupted your Ascension. This is your Pre-Ascension Assessment. Once you Ascend, you will not remember this, so do not worry, child." Oh, that put Langa at ease, after all, he felt like he was wide awake, but his eyes were closed. All he could do in this emptiness, was feel. He wondered if this assessment was standard procedure, if every player had to go through it before entering the Tower. "As if we would concern ourselves with every dumb mortal that our dear sister deems worthy of passing her insipid tutorial," a deeper voice interjected, irritation dripping from every syllable. "This is a privilege afforded only to the top ten of every tutorial batch. We simply need to determine if you are worthy of our attention, or if you, like every other domain-less seraphim, will be stuck at Tier 10, gathering stars, and unable to shed your mortal coil." "Why bother with the explanations Chaos? I predict that this child will return to me before he even reaches Tier 2," a derisive voice chimed in. Langa shivered at the sound, finding it more terrifying than the others. "Enough of this. Let us proceed with the assessment. I do not wish to remain in my foolish brother''s presence any longer than necessary," the second voice said, annoyance evident in its words. The first voice, the one that Langa had heard upon arriving in this place, spoke again. "Mortal child, relax and allow your soul to perceive. Tell us, what do you sense? Think it in your mind, and we shall know." An essence surrounded Langa, filling his entire being with warmth. It reminded him of the day his niece, Khaya, was born. He''d been worried about his sister, but when he''d walked into her hospital room with Neo and his brother-in-law, he''d seen the tiny bundle in her arms. Even as a child, he had been awestruck by the sight of this little human in his sister''s arms. This wonderful essence was reminiscent of that day. This was the essence of life. "A-Rank. It could be better, but his magic potential is too low, and he may not be able to form a manacore," the second voice, Life, declared. Then, a deeper essence started to fill him, from the bottom of his feet. He disliked the crawling sensation it brought, and it made him hyper-alert. Memories flooded his mind, of his sister holding his hand at his father''s funeral, memories of Makoto''s lifeless body, and Zombie Calpu''s rotten skin. He wanted to shy away from it and run as fast as he could, but there was nowhere to go. Grief overcame him, and he felt as if he was losing himself. He despised this draining essence. This was the essence of death. "What is this nonsense sister? His potential is C-Rank. How can you see potential in a child whose mind is so feeble that even my lowest level Disciple can penetrate it?" Death said in disdain, and Langa would have protested, but he was honestly just glad that the essence was gone from him. He did not think he could bear any power worse than that. He was mistaken. The next essence that washed over him caused his entire body to convulse and sent his mind reeling uncontrollably. All that Langa wanted was for it to stop. It reminded him of the few minutes that he had spent trapped in the Void, his mind shattered, unable to form a coherent thought as he relived his most painful memories. This was the essence of chaos. "I want him. Such a weak mind would be easy to mould into a Daeva. Ah, but his potential, should he choose the right deity, is S-Rank or higher, so making him my Daeva would be a waste. Perhaps a Disciple, then?" Chaos wondered out loud. If there was someone that he did not want as his patron deity, it was Chaos. His time in the Void had nearly broken him, and the thought of willingly subjecting his mind to that chaos was terrifying. Suddenly, a different essence penetrated his mind. It washed away the chaotic thoughts, filling Langa with peace and serenity. It felt as if his entire mind and body were neatly organised, with nothing out of place. It reminded him of when he was a child, sitting on his father''s lap as he read him stories, of picking flowers with his sister in summer, of playing video games and laughing with Khaya, and of going drinking with Neo at Pranav''s tavern after school, teasing each other about the people they liked. It reminded him of the only times in his life when everything fell into place. This was the essence of order. "Impressive," Order said. "At a minimum, his potential is C-Rank, but with the right deity, A-Rank is not only possible but a stepping stone to immortality." Langa was confused, they all gave different rankings, so what was the point of this? When he started to wonder if it was over, he felt a hint of another essence. This one reminded him of his days running in the forest at his rural home, past the green vegetation, it reminded him of watching the sea in Durban, of taking the cattle to the dam to drink water, and it also reminded him of his own existence. Yes, this was the essence of everything that existed. This was the essence of creation. "Well done, child," Order said. "This is your final assessment, you have A-Rank potential, but it can go higher, especially if you take the Infinite Challenge. I hope we can meet again like this in less than five hundred years, when you are a seraphim, to judge if you are worthy of shedding your mortal coil and becoming a deity." It seemed that he had passed their test, and he was glad of it. It was not every day that someone was judged by The Great Quartenity and passed. Just as he thought the assessment was over, something else encompassed the air. It was a weak, malevolent essence, but he felt it. It was a violent, forceful and unending barrage of essence that threatened to devour everything about him. It reminded him of the accident, of the car going up in flames as he screamed in pain, watching it burn with his father inside, as it sank into the water. It was a filthy essence that caused everything in its path to rot and decay. This was a raging impurity that ate away at everything and led to destruction. This was the essence of corruption. The four entities around him were quiet, and Langa could feel them watching him in surprise. Had he done something wrong? "He felt it," Death said, his voice having lost its earlier irritation. "I can scarcely believe it. No one has felt it in... hundreds of years," Life said, his voice excited. Order, however, was the one who sounded the most shocked. "How could he have felt it? He''s from a lost world! There is no way that he could have come into contact with him and lived. You must have messed things up, Chaos... what did you do?" she asked. Chaos laughed heartily. His laughter filled the entire space, and it carried a whiff of amusement and joy. "Why do you always blame me when things go wrong, sister? This time it was not my fault. He''s branded, besides I''m sure you saw it too, Father''s Visage pulled this child out of my Void. That''s probably why the child can feel his essence." "I know that. He''s not discriminating when it comes to who he chooses to brand, there''s so many of them that the Creator knows I''m fed up with watching them." Even though she spoke calmly, there was aggravation in Order''s voice. "But Adtonifulmin''s interference was barely for a fraction of a fraction of a second. The child must have had some prior contact with this essence for such a small interaction to awaken his sensitivity to it. That''s rare, even among the Branded." "That is not important." The air seemed to get thinner as the essence of death intensified, filling the entire area. Death spoke once more, "Why is Father''s Visage suddenly active now? Did he not abandon his duties, and choose to live a slothful existence away from our cause? What could that fool have possibly seen in this human boy?" "Who knows, maybe he likes the child, or perhaps he was just trying to attract Order¡¯s attention like he always does. But he interfered in your tutorial, sister. Are you just going to let him be?" Life asked. Whatever was left of death in the air dissipated, and it seemed as if the essence being released now put everything back where it was supposed to be. "Of course not. Adtonifulmin will be punished, like all the others who tried to disrupt order in my tutorial. Now, I have Towers to build, and a soul to reincarnate. We are done with all the assessments, brothers. Let us go." Was it over? Langa could not understand what the four of them were talking about, but it did not seem like they were going to punish him for feeling that essence. "Hold on one second, Order. This child has my Void Star. Surely you won''t allow him to take it into your Tower? You hate voidents, so let me take it back, how about it?" Chaos asked eagerly, and Langa felt his heart sink. He''d earned that Void Star. He had no idea what it was, but it was his reward for killing a maestril all by himself and living to tell the tale. "It is as the child thinks. Besides, as long as he does not use it in my Tower, I shall not punish him. But if he does use unauthorised void magic, he will receive the same punishment as all the other voidents. Now, let us release him," Order said to her brother. In the next moment, the river of stars disappeared and a path appeared in front of Langa''s eyes as the essences guided him. He remembered that he had been somewhere magnificent a second ago, but right now, he had no idea what had happened to him there. Once more, he saw the thirteen pathways that he¡¯d seen when he was first teleported to this world, as well as the insubstantial fourteenth that was ever-changing. Two of those pathways lit up in front of him, one silver, one brown. All he could feel were these essences. The essences of The Great Quartenity, leading him and all other mortals, to the Tower. Beyond the four great ones, stood another, much more powerful essence, or were there two of them? It was unclear to Langa¡¯s mind. Either way, he felt content in this nothingness carrying him somewhere, and he closed his eyes. 16. Floor 0: Interlude: The Top Thirteen/The Quartenity Interlude I: The Relgte of The Great Quartenity [This Holy Relgte was inscribed by The Untethered Prophet of the Infinite Multiverse, who sees all that was, all that is, and all that is to come. Scroll 1: Chapter 1. The Creator is. She is karma, the container of souls. She is existence, the infinite multiverse itself. She is the mother of all that was, all that is and all that is to come. She is the Progenitor god of all creation. Every religion has its own creation myth, and she goes by many names, but there is only one Creator. She created the beginning of all karma and in that beginning, she created everything that exists. Her creations were unruly, so she sought to give them governance and protect them from corruption. In her wisdom, she brought into existence the first deities; Life and Death. The Creator was unconcerned about the mundane existence of the mortals, she only continued to create what she desired. As the centuries went by, and corruption filled the worlds of mortals, Life and Death were swayed by their desire to annihilate each other, and went to war. Death refused to allow the dead to be reborn and live again, while Life refused to allow the living to die. This was the First Divine War. In the war between two gods, thousands of worlds were corrupted, and destroyed without a trace. The Creator was angered at the destruction of her precious creations, and in her rage, she brought into existence a new deity; Chaos, to seal away the corrupted worlds, disrupt the war between Life and Death, and sow discord between the mortals fighting in the gods¡¯ armies. Chaos is The Onslaught of the Dark Void. In the First Divine War, Chaos created maestrils of the Dark Void to contend against the gods¡¯ armies. These creatures fed on the karma of both the living and the dead, creating a Void Eruption from the corrupted worlds, and sealing away the corruption. Learning from his mother, Chaos gave his maestrils free will, both inside and outside the Void, and his creations were hungry for karma. Although the corruption was reduced, the Creator was still unsatisfied, and she feared her children would seek more corruption and continue to wage war against each other, so she brought into existence another deity; Order. The Creator then vowed that she would not create any more deities. Order would oversee all the Divine Wars, and ensure that there was little damage done to the Creator¡¯s creations. Order is The Unrivalled Tower Master. Order is law, she is the system, she is the Tower. She is also the last deity ever directly created by the Creator. After the four of them fought together to prevent the corruption of all mortals, Order forbade her brothers from engaging in direct wars against each other without just cause. She ended the First Divine War by breaking the chains that forbade mortals from gathering more karma and allowed mortals the ability to shed their mortal coil and Ascend to godhood if the right conditions were met. To pacify her brothers, Order allowed the existence of the demon gods, agents of Death, the saint gods, agents of Life and the gods, neutral agents. She also allowed Chaos to contain the Void. Order created the Towers, designating them to be the only areas where Divine Wars could be waged with mortals. In the First Divine Summit, the four gods came together in a Void Domain to create a way forward. These four gods, Life, Death, Chaos and Order, are known as The Great Quartenity. They agreed to delegate most of the Divine Wars, not to mortals, but to an existence that was both mortal and immortal, an existence that shed its mortal coil, but did not have enough karma to Ascend to godhood: the constellations. Constellations and gods are all deities in their own right. The existence of all constellations is governed only by the Great Quartenity. Constellations could be given the rights to a world by a god that they follow, and they would protect the world from corruption and govern the world. In the event of failure, if corruption overwhelms the world, then the world¡¯s Void erupts, giving life to maestrils, sowing Chaos, and sealing away the corrupted world to prevent corruption from spreading to the rest of the infinite multiverse. In the abandoned worlds, the Void worlds, constellations and seraphim could then go to war for the gods that they follow without fear of destroying the worlds. Some fortunate worlds may escape disappearing into the Void and be integrated into a Tower. Order made sure to limit how much deities could interfere in the lives of mortals unless the mortal themselves allowed it. Inside a Tower, mortals could choose to be Players, amassing karma as they climb the Tower on their own, or with the sponsorship of a deity to complete the Infinite Challenge and conquer the Tower. In the Towers, deities could use players as proxies in the Divine Wars. Still, the gods wanted to have a way to fight against each other, and they came to the agreement that gods could only fight inside the Corrupted Void Domains, in nothingness, and only after wars through mortals, seraphim and constellations have failed. The Tower is Order¡¯s domain, and The Void is Chaos¡¯ domain]
Interlude II: SynnForessa A small fox opened its eyes. Its head hurt terribly, and it tried to stand up. Its whole body ached, and it wondered why it was in so much pain. It could not remember the last time that it felt pain at all. Where was it? It was in an empty place. A room of pure white walls and nothing but emptiness. What was it? Who was it? Immediately as it thought this, strange words filled its vision. [Constellation System Loading. Please Wait] [Error! Constellation Status Revoked.] [Contacting System Administrators. Please Wait] [System Administrator: Soul Shard Identified as The Star-Eating FireFox Queen. Avatar of The Mystical Nine-Tailed Demon Fox God.] [System Administrator: Fallen Star identified. All matters pertaining to constellations must be forwarded to The Great Quartenity] The little fox wondered what all these words meant. However, the name The Great Quartenity triggered something in its memories. A memory of standing trial in the darkness of a river of stars, fear overcoming it. It remembered four strong auras bearing judgment on the little fox for breaking the rules. It shuddered. It could not understand what was happening. ¡°Can you hear me, child of the Nine-Tailed Fox?¡± a voice asked. ¡°Do you know who you are?¡± The fox looked around. There was no one else in this white room, but the voice was both familiar and authoritative. Did it know who it was? Who¡­? ¡°Unbelievable. It¡¯s just an empty soul shard, yet this stupid demon god refuses to let it go. Fools, the lot of them. Alright then, I shall be merciful, and give you rebirth in a vessel appropriate for your broken soul. Arise, child. You are alive. Tell me who you are, you should know it now,¡± the strange voice said. The fox stood still, and then all of a sudden, a veil was suddenly yanked out of its mind, and it remembered that it was a she. She stood up on two legs, and her fur started to thin out, her paws turning into hands and feet. She remembered something else about herself. She was not a fox, but a foxkin. ¡°SynnForessa,¡± she said, voice hoarse and quiet. That was her name. The name her mother had given her when she was born. That¡¯s right, she remembered that she was born in the blessed world of Zamone. She was a princess loved by her subjects, and adored by many. She was gifted with magic ever since she was a child, and when she came of age, she was chosen to be the avatar of The Nine-Tailed Fox and sent into a Tower. After that, what happened? ¡°Good, you recovered the previous body you had when you were Chosen,¡± the low, authoritative voice said. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± SynnForessa listened to the voice, it really was familiar, she had heard it before, but when was it? A sharp pain cut through her head as memories, fragments of unknown memories flooded her brain. She suddenly knew why she remembered this voice. It was one of The Four. She fell to her knees at once and bowed her head on the floor. ¡°Unrivalled One! I apologise for standing on my feet in your presence!¡± she said, head bowed, but there was no karma pressure from the voice of The Unrivalled Tower Master. ¡°Please, Holy One, let me know why a being of your stature is here, speaking to this lowly one instead of sending your Incarnation.¡± SynnForessa¡¯s mind may have been a mess, but she knew her place. The god speaking to her was regarded by many as one of the most powerful active gods of all time, so to have an audience with her, was both insane and terrifying. When The Unrivalled next spoke, her voice was tinged with annoyance. ¡°Believe me, child, I do not wish for even this negligible fraction of my essence to be here right now. This is your Divine Domain¡­or it was, while you were a constellation, therefore I can be here.¡± SynnForessa startled, ¡°I was a constellation? Can you please tell me more? Everything is jumbled, and my memories are so distant from me.¡± ¡°While under The Nine-Tailed Fox, your world was protected from corruption, and aVoid Eruption, but after you betrayed him, and took over that world, your power could not hold the corruption or the Void at bay. You were judged by The Quartenity for betraying your deity, and we took your immortality because you chose to Descend into a world of mortals to join the fight as a constellation. Without your powers, without your god, you lost the war against corruption''s detestable world devouring force, the Behemoth.¡± The Unrivalled¡¯s voice was monotonous, and SynnForessa trembled as her past life was read to her like a passing thought. ¡±You were captured, your world destroyed and you spent years trapped inside the Void, your karma slowly being siphoned into a Void Star. You would be dead if not for a player saving you. Since you were a constellation and the four of us are responsible for deciding the life and death of constellations, we were called upon. Still, my brothers cannot be bothered with you as we already passed judgment on you. Normally, since your soul belongs to The Nine-Tailed Fox, then he should just claim it, and you would die, but he refuses to. You betrayed him, so he will not save you, but he is your god, so he refuses to kill you. Therein lies my predicament. You are an existence outside of order.¡± SynnForessa lifted her eyes. Order was the true name of The Unrivalled One. ¡°Will you kill me to restore order?¡± From what The Unrivalled One had told her, she had let her greed overcome her, betraying her god, and stealing his world. Even so, she could not protect the world, and she had Descended in desperation, causing The Great Quartenity to take away her immortality for breaking the sacred rules given to all deities. Her world was gone, all her people were dead, her god had turned away from her, and she had nothing left. She deserved to be punished severely, yet The Nine-Tailed Fox would not claim her soul and let her die? Why? ¡°You are no longer a constellation, but a reborn soul that just partook in a tutorial, and earned karma from your endless fight against the maestrils. I do not needlessly meddle with the life and death of mortals. You are a level 1 mortal now, and all the karma and the stars you amassed for centuries are gone, pitiful child. Since you gave away your Void Star as well, you do not have a single star to your name anymore. You were a Chosen One of The Nine-Tailed Fox, before, and you still are, since he still has not abandoned you. Think of this as a rebirth of sorts. You shall Ascend the Deiwos Tower with the latest tutorial batch, you have more than enough karma,¡± The Unrivalled said. ¡°But would it be fair to the participants of that tutorial?¡± she asked. ¡°You defeated a level 5 maestril mini-boss by yourself, earning that karma within the seven days of the tutorial! If you hadn¡¯t done that, their final fight would have been much harder,¡± The Unrivalled told her. SynnForessa shook her head, ¡°I was only able to muster the strength because the maestrils stopped siphoning my karma from my shrine. This is their achievement, not mine.¡± ¡°Do not argue with me. I will not include your contributions in their final tutorial quest rewards, so you just need to accept the karma, and thank the player who stopped the maestrils from siphoning karma from your shrine. Accept that I¡¯ve reincarnated your soul and you have a second chance at life.¡± A second chance? No, she did not deserve it, not after betraying the Nine-Tailed Fox, and causing the deaths of millions of innocent foxkin. ¡°You¡¯re letting me live?¡± SynnForessa asked in surprise. Her sins were forgiven because she had already been punished as a constellation, and now that she was a mortal, they would not punish her anymore? ¡°Your memories shall always be with you, growing stronger as you grow stronger. The pain and deaths that you caused shall always haunt you, for as long as you live. That is punishment enough. You''re lucky that I am not punishing you for that stunt you pulled with the Void Star. You may Ascend the Deiwos Tower, but you may not choose another deity, your soul is already his, and The Nine-Tailed Fox will not let you go.¡± The Unrivalled told her. On her knees on the floor, SynnForessa looked around this empty white room. Her domain. It used to be so full of life when she lived here, filled with all the stars that she had collected. It was her home, a gift from her master. Tears filled her eyes when she thought of her greed and her past mistakes. The memories were not completely clear, but she knew that The Unrivalled was telling the truth. ¡°Master, please let me go. I betrayed you. I stole that world that you trusted me with! Release my soul, let me die!¡± SynnForessa cried, but there was no response from the Nine-Tailed Fox. ¡°He will not answer. He has turned his face away from you. He will let you keep the powers that he gifted you when you reach the required levels and Tiers,¡± The Unrivalled said. ¡°Tell me, why did you Descend, child? There had to be another way to save your people, but you chose to take the easiest and worst path.¡± SynnForessa tried to remember, to think of why she had Descended. There was a fog obscuring her memories, but one thing stood out. ¡°It took everything from them. The corruption razed my world, devastated the foxkin, corrupted the animals, and rotted our beautiful forests. The Blessings I gave them were too weak, and all of my Chosen Ones fell either to the corruption itself or the maestrils and the Void that stole their karma after the Void Eruption,¡± she said as bits and pieces of the memories came to mind. ¡°I did it because I wanted to save them, and I felt guilty because our world lost its protection when I stole it from The Nine-Tailed Fox.¡± ¡°I see, that is how he is I suppose,¡± The Unrivalled said, with bitterness being the second emotion her voice had shown throughout the entire interaction. As more of the fractured memories filled her mind, SynnForessa broke down. In her foolishness, she had tried to save her world from corruption by Descending, but the moment she left the sky was when she truly doomed her world. ¡°Master, please, let me return to you, you can do as you please with my soul. So many of my people, your people, died because of my greed. I don¡¯t deserve to be reborn!¡± ¡°Honestly, my mother¡¯s creations are all the same. Mortals, gods, and constellations are all bound by superfluous emotions. Even though the entire world of Zamone was destroyed, your subjects prayed to me, to save the Legacies of your world. They prayed to me to save what remained of your soul shard. You are alive because I answered those prayers,¡± The Unrivalled said gently. ¡°The worst thing any deity can do is to ignore the heartfelt prayers of the mortals that have faith in them. You are not a deity anymore, but you are still the queen of a dead world. You are the only living thing that remains of Zamone, so live, SynnForessa, if not for yourself, then for your people.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Even after she brought them to ruin, those mortals still prayed for her. They were gone, but she was still here, alive. The Unrivalled was right, she had to live for them. ¡°Thank you, Holy One. I will not forget your mercy. Please let my master know, that I will not fail him this time.¡± SynnForessa said, standing up. ¡°Just Ascend, child. If you come into the sights of The Quartenity again, we will throw your soul into the Void.¡± It was a warning, telling her to exercise caution, and SynnForessa understood what The Unrivalled meant. Next time, if she sinned, it would not be Order that came for her, but Chaos. Involuntary shivers filled her, and the blood in her veins went cold when even the vaguest memory of her time stuck in the Void, the endless torture, surfaced. She hurriedly blocked those memories and locked them in a cage never to be opened again. She wanted to forget about the Void, and just live for the people who had faith in her. Her body was whole again, and she could re-access the system. Unfortunately, she was no longer a constellation, so she had to make do with the system used by mortals.
Name: SynnForessa (The Star-Eating Fire-Fox Queen] Race: Foxkin
Age: 532 Character: Player
Level: 1 Class: Mage
Available Karma: 3495 Total Karma: ?????
Deity: [Ji¨³w¨§ih¨² - The Mystical Nine-Tailed Demon Fox God.] - Avatar Highest Floor 101/101 (Mount Kunlun Towers) 0/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: Star-Eater
Alignment: (-1 436) Negative
Her alignment stood out the most. She was very deep into the red, and at this rate, she would never be able to enter any safe zones. This negative alignment had to be a result of the millions of foxkin who had died because of her greed. For a former constellation, that amount of karma was truly pitiful. If that idiot thunderbird, Tonare, had still been alive, he would have undoubtedly made fun of her for centuries because of it. SynnForessa sighed. Would she be able to have a brand new life? Would she find another rival to fight against for years, urging each other to grow stronger like she did with Tonare? She did not know. What she was sure of was that she wouldn''t give her heart to anyone else. She would dedicate her new life to finding and securing Zamone¡¯s legacies. That would be her penance. She looked at her karma again. That much karma at level 1? It was practically unheard of. Well, she needed to level up and upgrade her class. It should not take too long, at least to get to level 10. She checked a few other things, and then she Ascended into the Deiwos Tower.
Interlude III: The Top Thirteen Liv''Kungsadu¡¯s determination solidified as he stood in front of the 40th Floor Overlord¡¯s office, fuelled by the injustices he''d endured. They called the Towers the playgrounds of the deities, but he would turn the Deiwos Tower into a true battleground. He would build an empire, his own realm, where he controlled the fate of all demigods from a divine throne. Although Langa did not know it yet, Liv¡¯Kungsadu had already Chosen him to be his trusted ally, the one who would stand at his right hand. One thing worried him though, earlier today, he had seen Kindaro and Makoto leaving the temple, but it was Ghol''s stealthy pursuit that had aroused his suspicion. Could he have saved the boy? Perhaps. However, that was not the ideal path for Langa. Liv''Kungsadu was sure of it, Makoto''s demise was necessary to ignite the fire within Langa, to provide him with the purpose and motivation that he so desperately craved. With Langa by his side, Liv¡¯Kungsadu would rise above the skies, and all who abused him when he was weak would grovel at his feet. Already he could feel the seal on his manacore starting to break. His grandmother and den-brother thought that clipping his wings would stop him from flying, but they forgot that he was not a dragon, but a demigod. As Liv''Kungsadu pushed open the door, he was ready to embark on the path of vengeance against his father, the search for divine power, and his own Ascent to godhood, the path that lay before him, beckoning him forward.
Linora gazed at the bloodshed on the ground, the bodies of her five teammates from the tutorial, and then at the dark elf standing on top of the bodies. He looked magnificent, clad in the Reaper¡¯s gab, his eyes completely black, a stark contrast to the red blood covering his white hair. The giant eagle maestril boss was dead on the ground, its soul trapped in the dark elf¡¯s necklace. She could also see the five souls of their dead comrades screaming as his scythe reaped them. They had so many hopes and dreams, and they had worked together to earn victory over the maestril, but as soon as it died, her liege killed all of them. Now he was reaping their souls. Forever doomed to be tortured as his fuel to power, the souls would never gain any rest. None of the other princes could compare to him. Those wretched, forlorn souls, how dare they try to resist her liege''s power? They should have been grateful to become a part of him, to become nothing but nourishment for his death magic. Linora watched him in awe as he subdued every last soul, forcing them to kneel to him, to become slaves to his bidding, to disappear into his mana. She knew it, right then, that her liege, Vos Kindaro II, would be the one to unite all the factions of the dark elves in the Deiwos Tower, he would be the king of Raluka, and he was the only one worthy of becoming the Visage of The Demon King of The Thousand Undead Knights. "It''s time, Linora," he said, the ritual finished. It was time to Ascend, and take the Tower by storm.
Eight players were on their knees in front of Pranav, and one stood by his side. He could not believe that he had actually pulled it off, that they finished the tutorial without losing a single person. Such was the unity of numbers and the importance of a good gang leader. He could toot his own horn all he liked, as he looked at these mortals, all different races, bowing to him, a human from a lost world, but he would not have been able to do it without the man standing next to him, the man he loved. He looked down at his comrades, all of whom acknowledged him as their leader, and smiled. His hands were shaking in excitement. To think that on the night after he had been released from prison, celebrating with his love, he had been brought into this world. The thought of forming his gang of ungodly, deranged individuals to raze the Tower, to take from those who worked hard for what they had, to kill those who diligently fought for something noble, was so enticing that he could barely contain his smile. ¡°We have all made our oath to you, and you know that we will follow you until the end. Let''s Ascend, sthandwa sami,¡± the man next to him said, holding out his hand. Pranav nodded and took his hand. He could not wait to learn the laws of the Tower so that he could find ways to break them without getting himself and his men caught. That was half the thrill of breaking the law¡ªthe possibility of getting caught. Truly, the idea of leading a gang of criminals that defied even the gods thrilled him to no end. He was sure that he could find a diabolical deity to support his cause.
Fi Kindaro III stood outside the 37th Floor Overlord''s office. His creation dragged itself behind him, and he turned around to look at it. It was his first successful undead creation. It was not a zombie, like what had happened with the maestril mini-boss, no, it was a wight. "Makoto," Fi said, and the creature''s blank eyes stared up at him. "That is your name. I have taken everything from you, but I will let you keep your name." A veil was lifted from those blank eyes, and they returned to the black colour of the boy''s eyes. "M..Mako...Makoto..." Its voice came out hoarse and strained because he had slit its throat. Fi was pleased, this ritual had been a success, except for the fact that he had failed to obtain the boy''s karma. "Be good, and listen to me. You, unlike the zombies, can grow in strength, thus you can grow my strength. We shall grow together, and then I shall make you strong enough to stand against my siblings, as well as the man that you called brother," he whispered, hand on the scar on his eye. It had healed already, but the mark remained¡ªLanga''s mark on him. A sinister smile filled his lips as he remembered the anguish in his former teammate''s eyes when he¡¯d killed Makoto. He could feel it in his karma, the thread of vengeance was already formed between the two of them, and he would not have it any other way. He would have liked to have Liv''Kungsadu, but demigods were too unstable and hard to manipulate. With his mysterious attribute, Langa was a prize worthy of standing next to his siblings once he defeated them all and turned them all into his wights. He was sure that Langa would come after him, but Fi would avoid any direct confrontations before they both reached Tier 5. As for his siblings, he debated who to target first. Joh would be the most powerful opponent, Vos the most troublesome to fight against, and Mari the hardest to control. Ah, he laughed mirthlessly, there was a way to kill three dark elves with one staff... he would do what he did best, and manipulate his little brother before Mari could reach him. The three of them would become nothing but slaves to him in due time, and the fourth, well, there was no challenge there as long as he amassed enough power. The world of Raluka would be in the palm of his hands, and The Demon King of The Thousand Undead Knights would have no choice but to make Fi his Visage.
Vavuciadsforenkka screamed in anger. They were gone! All three of them Ascended as soon as he dealt the final blow to the goblin maestril boss. It was almost as if they had timed it exactly to the dot. He gritted his teeth. Those damn useless cretins. How had they known that he was planning to kill the lot of them before they Ascended? He was a dragonkin, a race glorified as the rulers of mana, and the tutorial expected him to work together with lowly humans, beastkin and even a fucking demonkin? Fighting alongside worthless races was beneath him. He had made it hell for them to fight the mini-boss maestril, and he had even managed to kill two of them before completing the quest. Was that how they knew he was planning to stab them in the back? Well, granted, he had spent the last six days making a sport of hunting those stupid weaklings, and the only reason why they were not all dead was because they rallied behind that human woman. She had led those weaklings around, killing low-level corrupted creatures, and completing simple side quests in order to obtain karma. She was strong for a human, her swords had dared to cut through his scales. He gritted his teeth at the humiliation of being injured by a mere human. He should have been suspicious when she approached him yesterday, asking for a truce while they fought the boss monster. Vavuciadsforenkka had agreed because he was planning to kill them all afterwards anyway. But that bitch must have known what he was planning. She must have had her two friends time it perfectly, to Ascend just before he could kill them. She would pay for making a fool of him. What was her name again? Ah, he licked his lips in anticipation of the day he would sink his teeth into her human throat, her name was Khaya Tlou.
The waiting room was a bland white square, but none of that mattered to Lin Yan as he sat cross-legged on the floor, meditating. He had tapped into his demigod abilities and killed the mini-boss maestril in the tutorial by himself, and, having obtained 1000 karma, Ascended. Otherwise, if he had used his powers in the presence of his teammates, they would all be dead. He sincerely hoped they had made it out of the tutorial alive. No, he did not have the luxury of worrying about others, not when the karma was steadily consuming him. This white room was too cold for him, having been raised inside a volcano. Lin Yan tried to concentrate on what he was doing. There were lucents everywhere around him, and he forced his mind to concentrate on that. He breathed in, allowing the lucents into his body, then he directed the mana into the manacore in his heart, trying to soothe it and disperse the power throughout his body. He felt it coming in, and directed the power ever so slowly through his pathways, ever so carefully, keeping it as stable as possible until it reached his heart. Alas, it was all for nought. The core was unstable, and he could hear their voices in the air, whispers of unending agony. The curse in his heart burned away the mana that he had so carefully gathered, and that dark heart burned his veins and he screamed out in pain. His body could not handle the karma, the mana, or any of his power. If the tutorial did not end soon, if he did not get his mother¡¯s Blessing, if she did not choose him, then his demigod curse would consume him and he would self-destruct into nothing but the Void.
Mari Kindaro IV gripped the voodoo doll tightly in her hands. The needles stuck in the doll dug into her hand, and she started to bleed. ¡°Your Highness! Please stop!¡± Her aide cried out. Mari ignored him, and knelt on the ground, dripping her blood all over the dead skeleton knight maestril¡¯s body. She placed the doll over its ribs and began the chant. Her blood boiled as the doll opened its eyes and started to move. It swallowed the bones of the skeleton knight diligently, and Mari felt the curse of the undead flowing into her body. The pain was unbearable, like every other curse that she absorbed, but she still endured. She needed as many curses as she could get in order to defeat her brothers. The curse dug into her bones, and she could feel them rotting inside, and she gritted her teeth, and held in her scream. Pain was but a small price to pay for power. Whether she wanted it or not, this was the misfortune of her attribute. Finally, after a few long minutes of torture that felt like hours, the tattoos on her body lit up, and a new one was burned into the skin, of a skeleton knight. She had it. Now she had a curse that would be effective against Fi and Vos, and it might even work against Joh too if she learned to control it properly. Even if this was not the life that she wanted for herself, she was a princess, and she would do her duty. She would consolidate her power, bringing the dark elves under her banner, and show them the true path of dark magic. They would revere her, and she would become the queen of Raluka and the saviour of the dark elves. This was the only way to save her little brother, Jo, from having to carry that burden.
A lone mermaid swam around the dungeon, the dead squid maestril¡¯s body slowly disappearing. In her hands, she held a trident and looked at the damaged portrait in the water with disdain. A constellation that abandoned his seaworld and all the merfolk living in here was not fit to call himself a deity. A real deity listened to his subjects, and protected them while answering their prayers. Coraloa was a Chosen One. She was chosen from her warring seaworld by the great deity Aquarius after so many years of praying for the redemption of her people. Now that she was here, carrying her entire dying world''s hopes and dreams, Coraloa would complete the Infinite Challenge, and conquer the Deiwos Tower. That way, she could have enough power to protect her home from the self-righteous constellations of the saint gods. Aquarius had promised to intercede for her with The Unrivalled Tower Master so that she could be chosen as a Guardian Knight. Still, Coraloa put her hands together, and prayed to The Unrivalled. She prayed that the Holy One would hear her plight, and show her favour. She had earned a lot of karma in this tutorial with her teammates, and she hoped that would put her in The Unrivalled¡¯s sights. She had a lost world to save, so she Ascended to the Deiwos Tower.
Joan Williams glanced at the six soldiers who remained by her side, their armour covered in blood, their faces filled with exhaustion. In truth, she wanted to collapse on the corrupted ground and rest, but just as she had done this past week, as she had done for years now, she put her needs in the background and stood above her soldiers. "Attention!" Joan called out, her voice commanding. Instinct was probably the only reason the people in front of her did as they were told, facing her as they used to do in the field. "We survived this week of hell, but not without paying a terrible price. We lost three good men." Whispers swept through the group, and Joan continued, "I take full responsibility for what happened. I led us into that ambush, and I should have seen it coming. But I promise you, I will find out who is behind this. I will find the so-called gods who summoned us here, and I¡¯ll make them pay for the lives they¡¯ve taken." Sergeant Lee stepped forward, and the others let him pass until he was right in front of Joan. "Captain, we are no strangers to loss, after all, we are soldiers of The United States Army! We followed you into battle because we trust you,¡± he said. His face didn¡¯t waver, and he seemed to echo the sentiments of everyone here. ¡°You¡¯ve led us through worse, and we know you¡¯ll lead us through this. We need to regroup and figure out our next move." Joan nodded and her responsibilities both terrified and empowered her. "Thank you, Sergeant. First, we must arm and prepare ourselves before we enter this Tower. Because make no mistake, soldiers, we are still at war, we just haven¡¯t met the enemy yet.¡± As they agreed to her words, she thought of her fallen comrades; Private Joyce, Corporal Grayson, and Private Gomez. They had died before she received the armour she wore now. The armour that was supposedly her ¡®Calling¡¯. After receiving it, no one else had died because she had been able to protect them. Her fallen deserved better than to be lost in a battle they didn¡¯t even understand. "We¡¯ll find a way to get through this," she whispered to herself. "I will not let their deaths be in vain." She would find the source of the monsters and the divine power in her Calling. She would uncover the truth behind this new war she found herself in, and then bring her soldiers back home alive. The government would know what to do.
The threads of karma pulled at Maipsatenkka like the strings of a puppet master. The chain on his manacore was a painful reminder that even in this desolate world, the goddess¡¯ will compelled him. Slay. He could feel it in his karma that the monster he was supposed to slay had survived the tutorial too and he couldn¡¯t process how that made him feel. He¡¯d deliberately slacked off during his tutorial, as part of him had hoped the challenges would be too much for him and he would die. Unfortunately, Maipsatenkka was not the type of person who would let innocent people die when he could save them. That compassion had led him to use his gifts to protect his tutorial teammates and save them from the maestrils. Compassion. The Dragonslayer could have no compassion. He should have learnt by now to ignore that feeling. The feeling that had led him to empathise with the devil¡¯s spawn and try to save it. In doing so, he was responsible for the slaughter the monster raged upon his people. He had no idea where to get the strength and courage he needed to slay the boy he¡¯d loved like a brother¡ªthe boy who had proven that he was indeed, the spawn of The Demon Reaper.
The lost parasite stirred, its consciousness disoriented now that its former host lay dead, blood flowing into the ground. In this state, it couldn¡¯t think well, but it could sense the encroaching void, and knew it needed to leave before it failed the tutorial. They had been betrayed, after working together for seven days, one player had slaughtered everyone else, including its stolen body. It flexed its spindly arms, probing outward, searching for life, for any host. The only one still alive was the traitor, what was her name again? It didn¡¯t matter, she was severely injured as she finished off the last party member. She was weak now and that weakness drew the lost parasite. It uncoiled itself, a writhing creature and pierced the traitor¡¯s wound like a knife. The woman¡¯s scream was swallowed by the sound of the lost parasite anchoring itself, burrowing deep inside her, and becoming her. Now it was the only one to survive this tutorial. The pain subsided. The parasite flexed its new limbs, testing the strength of its host. Blood dripped from the woman¡¯s mouth and the lost parasite wiped it away. It traced the mark that immediately covered the side of the traitor¡¯s neck. No matter, no one knew what the marks meant these days. This body would do for now. Its kind may have been lost for now, but soon they would be known as The Rising. 17. Floor 1: Rewards [In order to guide my followers and make their journey to Ascension easier, I have laid out four Paths in front of you. These are the Paths I have walked and overcame, but you have to choose which is your starting point. The Path of Life awaits those who feel connected to creation, who would give and take life as easily as they breathe, binding themselves to all that lives. The Path of Lightning calls to those who desire a calm, controlled mindset, yet possess a fierce heart that sparks and burns with passion beneath the calm. For the idle souls, there is the Path of Sloth, my favourite way. It is perfect for those who shun excessive effort and cherish rest while accomplishing their goals. And lastly, there is the Path of Decay, for those who believe in the inevitable crumble and rot of all things, and wish to promote the slow decline of all that exists.] -Excerpt from: The Relgte of The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm: Scroll 3: Chapter 0. * ¡°Next!¡± A cold voice drawled in the silence, and Langa opened his eyes. He was standing in a familiar hallway, in front of the 36th Floor Overlord¡¯s office. He opened the door and walked in. The vampire Floor Overlord, Lady Mira, was sitting behind her desk, and upon his entry, she looked up, and smiled at him. ¡°Langa Zulu. I¡¯m glad that you made it,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re one of the few that I remembered clearly.¡± The office was just the same as before, and it was a little jarring to think that he was no longer the same person he was when he stood here seven days ago. So, it had been seven days since the end of the world, huh? Strange, usually, time dragged for Langa, but this past week had both gone by very fast, and also felt like a whole lifetime. ¡°I survived thanks to your advice, Lady Mira. Thank you,¡± Langa said politely. The last time he was here, being polite to her had earned him some extra advice. He should thank his sister for teaching him to respect other people, as that had helped him. ¡°Please. I¡¯m sure that it was on your own merit,¡± she muttered, looking at a large, clear glass screen on her desk. ¡°Wow! You did extremely well, Langa. Hold on, check your rewards, there should be many of them.¡± As soon as she said that, he called up the system interface, and messages began appearing in front of his eyes, and he started going through them, one by one. [You have completed The Final Tutorial Quest. Contributions: Expected Contribution per player: 16.7%
  1. Langa Zulu - 25.7%
  2. Liv¡¯Kungsadu - 23.1%
  3. Fi Kindaro III -18.7%
  4. Eniche V Tigris Vale -14.2%
  5. Sigurd Magnarson - 10.5%
  6. Qin Ghol III- 7.8%
You have exceeded your expected contribution percentage. Quest Completion Grade: A++ +3000 EXP +1000 karma +120 bonus karma for A++ grade +500 karma for fulfilling the hidden objective of the quest. +1 Berruka¡¯s Ring of Stamina Regeneration +7 silver coins] He balled his hands into fists. It was as if Makoto never existed, as if everything he did with the team, helping them and saving them, counted for nothing. Langa bit his lip in anger, he could not even be happy that he got the highest contribution as that was probably due to his side quest, and he could not have done all that alone. He shook his head to clear his head of the team, of Makoto and Kindaro before he lost his mind again. [Berruka¡¯s Ring of Stamina Regeneration Accessory Rank: Uncommon Properties: Increases Stamina regeneration rate by 1STA per second when standing still.] [Congratulations! Level Up! Level 9 +9 karma +2STR, +2VIT, +1AGI You have 3 free attribute points to distribute.] [Congratulations! Level Up! Level 10 +10 karma +2STR, +2VIT, +1AGI You have 3 free attribute points to distribute.] [ACHIEVEMENT! Congratulations! Your party¡¯s ranking in The Final Tutorial Quest is first. Your party has received +2 skill points each. +1 (1/3) maestril boss karma core to the top three contributing party members] [Karisha''s Karma Core (1/3) Item Rank: Uncommon Properties: (1/3) of the Air Maestril Boss Karisha''s karma core. Contains (500) karma. Infuse with your mana to absorb the karma. For maximum absorption, a state of meditation is required to reduce excess karma loss] [ACHIEVEMENT! Congratulations! Your mind was able to endure and survive a Void Territory¡¯s Chaotic Mind Debuff. +2% Mental Resistance] [Congratulations! You survived the trials of the tutorial. There were a total of 8 643 238 009 players participating in the tutorial. Date: (DW.T.T) 9th Day of the Month of Water in the 12th year of the 1773rd Deiwos Tower. (09/04/12 MDCCLXXIII) The total number of players that survived the tutorial is 220 067 145. You are ranked (4th) in tutorial batch #4 (DW.T1773)] There were so many items to unpack and look at later, but Langa stared at the last message in disbelief. If 20% of a world''s population could be players, that meant that Earth was quite overpopulated compared to the other worlds. But the main issue was that so many people had died. 220 million players survived out of 8 billion? How was that possible? The tutorial was challenging, sure, but was it so bad that less than 5% of the players survived? But then again, he thought about the fact that he would have died had Liv and Sigurd not come to save him and Makoto at the beginning of the tutorial before he had bound his soul. He would have died without finding his Calling or learning anything about this new world. On top of that, if their team coordination had been off, he would have died fighting Calpu, as Makoto had saved him at that time. He also realised that he could have easily died at the altar fighting against Babio had he not awakened his attribute. There had been so many close calls that he had survived, but evidently, other players were not so lucky. Langa suddenly realised just how fortunate he had been to end up in a team with strong people like Liv and Kindaro. He shuddered at the thought of what would have happen had had ended up in a team with weaker people like Ghol? Or what if he had been in a team with only people from earth, who knew nothing of the Tower, or how to survive the tutorial? They would have all been wiped out for sure. He hoped and prayed that none of his family members met that fate. He closed his eyes, ¡°Thank you, Lady Unrivalled for placing me in a tutorial with people who could protect me,¡± he whispered. The Unrivalled had saved Earth from suffering the same fate as Zamone, being overrun by a Void Eruption and turning into a Void world by integrating it into the Tower. He''d heard from Sigurd during the tutorial that a lot of worlds that were fighting against corruption prayed to The Unrivalled to be integrated into a Tower, but not all of them got saved, so he was grateful that she had chosen to save Earth. Lady Mira¡¯s fangs showed when she smiled, ¡°Good. Our Master appreciates your gratitude.¡± Langa nodded and then blinked as he reread that last message. Wait! Was that right? He was in fourth place? He knew that he was not weak, but surely, he was also not that strong, right? ¡°How am I in fourth place? I¡¯m sure that there are much stronger people from blessed and natural worlds out there?¡± he asked in shock. ¡°It¡¯s not a ranking of strength, Langa. Strength without achievements is useless in the multiverse. Your overall ranking in the Tower will almost always be judged according to the karma earned. Karma is everything, the measure of your soul, and your impact on the worlds,¡± she explained. He did not fully understand it, and he wondered if he was just not confident enough in his own strength. He''d relied on Liv a lot in the tutorial, but he had also worked hard, training himself, growing stronger and protecting his teammates. The more he thought about it, the more he started to accept that running on the track might not be the only thing he was talented in. Was he being conceited now? He decided not to dwell on the issue and Lady Mira continued issuing out his rewards. "Hold out your hand for me, let me connect you to the Dent," Lady Mira said. "The hand with the comcer." "What''s that?" Langa asked, as he reluctantly held out the hand on which he wore the comcer bracelet. "The Deiwos Network Tower. It connects all the Deiwos Towers, and you can access the karma store, pay to watch higher-level players completing quests and clearing dungeons, watch the Celestial Clash tournaments and access the leader boards, among other things. You can also share recordings of your adventures and charge people to watch them if you have a vicomcer,¡± she told him, placing her hand over his comcer. All that sounded like online shopping and a streaming service to him. ¡±So it¡¯s like the internet?" Langa asked, trying to make sense of her words. ¡±Aargh, every world has its version of the deities¡¯ network, so I suppose that¡¯s what you have in your world. Just go to the store and get your rewards,¡± she said dismissively. Langa pressed the new button on his comcer, and a whole new interface popped up over his comcer. It looked like a projection from a computer screen, but he did not think Lady Mira would appreciate it if he said that. The first page was a welcome screen. [Welcome to the Dent, player. Please create an account using your mana signature] [Error! Player is in the top ten, an account has automatically been created and verified. Please enter a username to access your account.] A username? He always hated choosing usernames when playing games. He decided to use his full name. ¡°Langelihle,¡± he said. Wait, Langa thought, something suddenly occurring to him. How come the system listed his name as Langa, not his full name, Langelihle? Surely, since the system was The Unrivalled Tower Master herself, then she knew his full name. Was it because he had always preferred to go by Langa? Did the system know even that much about him? The more he thought about it, the more he remembered his first day in Lady Mira''s office. Back then, she''d asked him to think about who he was before the system connected to him, and he had identified himself as Langa Zulu. Was that why? [Welcome to the Dent, @langelihle. Please choose which menu you wish to access. 1. My profile 2. Tower-wide Leader boards 3. Deiwos Tower Karma Store (Paid Content) 4. Tower-wide Forums (may include InForum Payments) 5. Floor Maps, Dungeon Guides and Quests Help, by Floor (Paid Content) 6. Open Deity Challenges 7. Player/NPC Broadcasts (Paid Content) 8. Player/NPC Offered Quests 9. Player/NPC Auctions (Paid Content) 10. The Infinite Challenge (LOCKED) 11. Celestial Clash (Includes free and paid content) 12. News and Featured Content 13. Guild Zone] All of these options seemed interesting. He was hoping that there might be a way in all these menus to contact his family and make sure that they were okay. ¡°Can I ask you something, Lady Mira?¡± Langa asked. ¡°How can I find my family? Is there any way to do that through the Dent? Can I call them on my comcer maybe?¡± Lady Mira looked at him pityingly, ¡°Sorry, but you need to have a person¡¯s mana signature in order to be able to contact them on your comcer. Perhaps on the 1st Floor, you can try a clairvoyant, to see if they can divine their location for you, but¡­some of them are frauds, so you should be careful.¡± The only people whose mana signatures he had were his tutorial teammates. ¡°Okay, what about these forums? If I can post asking them where they are, they can respond, right? They have access to the Dent?¡± Langa tried again. Lady Mira tapped the desk with her long fingers, ¡°Langa, you¡¯ll be verified on the forums because you¡¯re in the top ten. There is no private communication system on the Dent, everything you post is public to everyone in this, and all other Deiwos Towers. All that will do is alert unsavoury people to the fact that you have a family that they can use to get to you. The Dent has anonymous options as well, and people with mental skills can change their usernames to imitate your family, and trick you into giving them karma or items. It¡¯s not worth the risk at this time. Get stronger, and if they are alive, you will find them, especially if you have a good deity watching over you.¡± As much as Langa wanted to protest, he had no desire to bring harm to his family when trying to find them. He refused to accept that there was no way to find them at this time. He would see on the 1st Floor if anyone could assist him in finding his family or he would travel all over that world himself to find them. He nodded to Lady Mira, and continued to look at the menus on his comcer. He chose to open the karma store, for now, he could check out everything else later. It all seemed very interesting, and he could not wait to learn more about the Tower, the Dent, and how everything in this new world worked. [Congratulations! You have completed the tutorial. All players that completed the final tutorial quest are entitled to (1) reward from the karma store at a massive discount. All products in the karma store will be priced at only 1000 karma! All qualifying players get to choose from two different rewards chosen by The Unrivalled Tower Master to stimulate their growth. Players in the top ten of their tutorial batch can get more choices as well as extra rewards depending on their performance.] [ACHIEVEMENT! Congratulations! You are in the top ten of Tutorial Batch #4 You are in (4th) place + 9 extra rewards to choose from You can choose (1) reward from the karma store You can choose (+1) extra reward in the karma store.] If he got nine choices, that meant that the person in first place would get twelve choices, while anyone below the top ten only got two choices. Somehow that felt unfair, and he wondered how many extra rewards the person in the first place was entitled to. Langa snorted, reading the interface again. They called it a reward, but the players still had to pay karma for the rewards. Still, he figured that after his Calling, this was probably the most important choice that he would have to make before he entered the Tower officially. Before looking at the rewards though, he looked at the top ten list and felt his jaw drop. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Tutorial Batch #4 Top Ten Players
Name Race Karma Earned During Tutorial
1. Liv''Kungsadu Demigod 4640
2. Vos Kindaro II Dark Elf 3985
3. Pranav Chandra Human 3756
4. Langa Zulu Human 3606
5. Fi Kindaro III Dark Elf 2984
6. Vavuciadsforenkka Dragonkin 2778
7. SynnForessa Foxkin 2756
8. Lin Yan Demigod 2699
9. Mari Kindaro IV Dark Moon-Elf 2587
10. Coraloa Aquarius Winter Mermaid 2513
Langa still could not believe that he had made the top ten. It was mainly thanks to the karma that he got from Makoto, so he was unsure whether he should be happy about this or not. But, Liv was amazing. Even though Langa had surpassed him in contribution for the final tutorial quest, he still managed to snag first place. He wondered what kind of side quests Liv had done to earn so much karma. He then stared at the names above and below him. Pranav...was it the Pranav he knew, or was it someone with a similar name? Either way, he would not be surprised if it was the one he knew. That arsehole was very resourceful and good at using other people to get what he wanted, just like he had done to Neo. Was Neo okay? Were the two of them together during the tutorial since they had been together on that day? He shook his head, putting it out of his mind, and focusing on the name below his. Fi Kindaro III. The man who killed Makoto. Of course, he was here, and it seemed as if his siblings were strong as well, the three of them dominating the tutorial. Langa clenched his fists, that bastard would pay for what he did, and he would make sure of it. There was no way that Langa would let him go. He would hunt him down, and kill him as many times as he needed to until he was completely dead. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his increasing heartbeat. "How is this ranking fair, Lady Mira? I mean, I started with only 10 karma, but demigods start with much higher karma, right?" Langa asked, the thought occurring to him. Lady Mira rolled her eyes, "It''s not ranked by total karma. It''s ranked by karma earned during the tutorial. Even if a demigod started with 5000 karma, if they only earned 1000 karma in the tutorial, then they would not have made the top ten." Oh, that made more sense. Alright, now he could look at his choice of rewards and choose two of them. These were apparently things that The Unrivalled thought would benefit him the most, and he was sure any of them would be great rewards. However, he wanted to make sure that he chose, not the best rewards, but the ones that suited him and his personality the most. "How do I even know what to choose? Are you allowed to help me?" he asked Lady Mira. She shook her head, "Sorry, kid, you have to make the choice yourself. If you want my advice, choose something that you can only get here. If it''s something that a deity can gift you, I think you can let it go and hope to obtain it in the future. But some things that will be in those choices, you will never have another opportunity to obtain them again in your mortal life," she said, wearily sitting back on her chair. "Sorry, I''m taking too much time, right? I''m sorry that I keep asking so many questions. You still have other players to see," Langa apologised. "You are really too polite," she laughed, her fangs glistening in the light. "This office is an instance. I am talking to all the surviving players of the 36th Floor at the same time. It''s good practice for any seraphim to get used to things like this before they shed their mortal coil. Take your time. Before you ask, no I can¡¯t tell you if your family made it, I¡¯m not allowed to give non-public information about players away." Not really understanding how this worked, or what exactly seraphim were, Langa nodded, and opened the karma store tab on the comcer interface.
Reward Properties Current Price
1. Blessing of a low-tier god You gain the Blessing of a low-tier god. Normal price: Not normally available for purchase by mortals. May be given as a gift from a god. Discount Percentage: 100% 1000 karma
2. Discipline Affinity You gain 100% affinity in any one mana discipline of your choosing. Normal Price: Not available for purchase by mortals Discount Percentage: 100% 1000 karma
3. Divine Artefact You receive a random Divine Artefact, created by a mid-tier deity. Normal price: 1 000 000 000 karma or as a gift from a deity. Discount Percentage: 99,99999% 1000 karma
4. Divine Domain You gain access to a Divine Domain that only you can access from anywhere, at any time, and no mortal or immortal can enter without your permission. Inside the Divine Domain, all health instantly regenerates to 100% Normal Price: Only available for purchase by chosen seraphim or deities. Discount percentage: 100% 1000 karma
5. Divine Skill You gain a random Divine Skill from a mid-tier deity. Normal price: 13 000 000 000 karma or as a gift from a deity. Discount Percentage: 99.9999992% 1000 karma
6. Resurrection Stone You receive a brand new Resurrection Stone from The Unrivalled Tower Master, with 5 respawns on each Floor. Normal Price: Only given as a gift by The Unrivalled Tower Master. Discount Percentage: 100% 1000 karma
7. Class Change into a Guardian Knight You can change your class to Guardian Knight of Order at Level 10. Normal Price: Not available for purchase by mortals. This is a Divine Class only given on very special occasions by The Unrivalled Tower Master. Discount percentage: 100% 1000 karma
8. Divine Elixir You receive a Divine Elixir from the leader of the Deiwos Clan; The Red Flaming Blade of Menika. This Elixir will cause a 50% increase in one random stat. Normal Price: 20 000 000 000 karma or as a gift from a deity. Discount percentage: 99.999995% 1000 karma
9. Divine Shroud You receive a Divine Shroud that protects your soul from being read by deities of lower strength than The Onslaught of The Dark Void. Normal Price: Only available to the Avatars of The Onslaught of The Dark Void. Discount Percentage: 100% 1000 karma
That was a lot but Langa had to choose only two of them, though. He took a deep breath, looking at each of them in turn. Why was there nothing to boost his resistances? He would have loved something to boost his lightning resistance or his mental resistance, but there was none of that on the list. Still, he had to make his choice. Langa did not even consider the last choice. He did not want anything that brought him into the sights of The Onslaught of The Dark Void. He shuddered just thinking of that one moment that he had spent trapped in the Void, it had felt like his mind was being tortured by scorching flames. No matter how good the Shroud was, he would not take it. While the Blessing, Divine Skill, Divine Artefact and especially the Divine Elixir were undoubtedly amazing rewards, they were all things that he could gain if he was bound to a decent enough deity. Of course, the Blessing and Elixir were from gods, and there was no guarantee that he would be chosen by a god and not a constellation, Langa still chose to discard them, because of what Lady Mira said. There was an opportunity here to obtain something that he would never be able to gain again. There was one reward that his eyes kept darting towards. A reward that was only available to deities and chosen seraphim, not mortals. He knew that it was not the best reward out of all of them, but the Divine Domain kept calling to him, like he should choose it. A place that instantly regenerated his health until it was full? A domain that belonged entirely to him, where he could go when things got hard and no one could disturb him? His sister was not with him anymore, so he needed a new safe space for when the claustrophobia hit him, as it could start at any time and from anywhere. The Divine Domain could be good for his mental health, a place where he went to escape from everything until he was calm enough to continue, or even a place where he could escape to when he was in danger. It said that it was accessible at any time and anywhere. It was even a place where he could sleep all day without players or even deities disturbing him. His lazy self was salivating at the thought, but he also thought that if he could teleport out of a potentially fatal battle into his Divine Domain, and then reemerge from it fully healed, then it would be an overpowered reward. But was it the best choice for him? He should probably not treat an entire domain of a deity as a private hospital room to sleep and escape to, right? He decided to look at the other choices before making up his mind. The other choice that he was considering was the Discipline Affinity. Kindaro had a full affinity. Langa would not choose death affinity like him, but a full affinity would be good to have, and it would undoubtedly add to his strength. Lots of skills scaled with affinity, as did his attribute. Depending on which affinity he chose, he could deal devastating amounts of damage to any being. This was something that he could only get here, the system had been very clear that while resistances could be increased to a certain extent, there were no other ways for mortals to increase their affinity. Finally, he looked at the two gifts from The Unrivalled Tower Master, the class change and the Resurrection Stone. He discarded the class change, his Fighter Class clearly stated that it could be upgraded at level 10, so even if this could be an amazing class, he could still get another class. Plus, while The Unrivalled seemed like a decent deity, Langa was not willing to tie himself to her just yet, not before seeing what the others had to offer. The Resurrection Stone was much more tempting for him. He could die five times and still live again, and that was on every Floor! This was a good reward, probably the best out of all the ones here. From what he had heard from Sigurd and the others during the tutorial, deities gave their bound players Resurrection Stones, and the standard was three respawns per Floor. This meant that five was a generous gift. In the end, Langa had three rewards that he wanted: Discipline Affinity, Divine Domain and the Resurrection Stone. "Okay, I choose Discipline Affinity," Langa said, of the three, his first choice was easy. [Please select a discipline to increase affinity. Life Death Air Water Earth Fire Light Darkness Lightning Mental Arcane Physical Body Poison] This too was a no-brainer for Langa. "Lightning," he said. This was the main discipline that he used, and he could only salivate as he imagined how much more damage he could do with Tonare''s Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike. If affinity had helped with resistance, he might have chosen mental affinity, but as it stood, having full mental affinity with negative mental resistance could potentially be dangerous for him. [-1000 Available Karma deducted] [Congratulations! Your Lightning Affinity has been increased to 100%. All magic spells, skills, attributes or items that belong to the lightning discipline with cause 100% more damage. All lightning-adjacent activities will be 100% more effective] Langa felt a wave of electricity coursing through his body. It was not like when he got damage by the lightning backlash, no, it felt different, so he closed his eyes and felt the mana inside his body. Warmth washed over his body, and he felt strange. It was as if he could suddenly see the path of every nerve ending in his body, how they transmitted the signals in his body, and every single electric pulse in his body was visible to him as red and blue lines inside his body. He could even feel the nerve impulses in his brain. It freaked him out a little bit, and he let the mana go. He would have to test that out later. "Holy shit! That was freaky," he muttered opening his eyes. For his final reward, Langa contemplated whether to take the Resurrection Stone or the Divine Domain. Finally, his desire for a safe space that helped him regenerate his health won over his self-preservation, and he made his choice. "Divine Domain." [-1000 Available Karma deducted] [Congratulations! You have obtained a Divine Domain!] [Error! Player is below Tier 10 (level 100). Player cannot access the Divine Domain.] [Error! Player does not have enough karma to enter the Divine Domain] [Your Divine Domain is currently at (1) star, (3616) karma, (1) Legacy and (1) step. Karma will continually accumulate into your Divine Domain as you grow stronger, and gain more steps and stars. You may only enter your Divine Domain once you reach Tier 10 (Level 100), and are able to obtain more stars to become a deity.] "What?" Langa shouted in shock. His precious private hospital and sleeping area away from players and gods was inaccessible? Had he just wasted his reward for nothing? "Fuck, I should have chosen the Resurrection Stone! I can''t even enter my own Divine Domain!" Lady Mira stood up abruptly, "Did you just say Divine Domain?" "Yeah?" Langa said, turning back to her. "You lucky little human," her pale face was even paler as she watched him with hungry eyes, licking her lips. "How well did you do in your tutorial to get that? You''d need the approval of at least two members of The Great Quartenity to gain a Divine Domain, even after Tier 10. It''s one of the main requirements for a mortal to shed their mortal coil and become a deity." Langa looked at her in confusion. It was something so important that two of the first gods needed to approve it before a mortal received it? He had not done anything outstanding to gain the attention of the passive gods, Life and Death, but had he somehow gained the approval of The Onslaught of The Dark Void along with The Unrivalled? Langa shuddered once more. He did not want to be anywhere near someone who created that detestable Void. "Is it such a big deal?" "Of course it is. A Divine Domain is a deity''s place of residence, away from interference from any other deity. I''m a Floor Overlord because I''m stuck as a seraphim, I failed to become a constellation. I collected so many stars, amassed the karma, completed The Infinite Challenge and all of the other requirements, but no matter how hard I tried, I still could not obtain a Divine Domain," she said, frustration and bitterness still evident in her voice. "Hey, keep it a secret, okay, seraphim are technically still mortals, so we are not bound by the same rules as deities when it comes to interfering with mortals'' lives. Mortals have been killed for less. I have no idea how you even got one without any stars, it should be impossible," she warned him. Stars. Was it the Void Star that the FireFox Queen gave him that enabled him to get this domain? He wanted to ask, but something stopped him from mentioning the Void Star to Lady Mira. The FireFox Queen''s soul had been forced to Ascend because she gave him that thing. It could be dangerous. "Okay, thank you for the warning, Lady Mira. Are we done?" She cleared her throat, "Just about. I will be transporting you to the 1st Floor shortly, and you will be randomly placed into a starting area controlled by a guild. The guild is obligated to assist all new players with a place to stay and some information for seven days, nothing more. The guild receiving you might make an interesting offer, but you''re free to decline it," she told him. Langa frowned, "How do you know that they''ll make me an offer? I thought you said we''d be placed randomly?" he asked. She scratched her dark hair, and looked away, "Floor Overlords have things they need too, so if a guild were to offer something in exchange for any top ten players being placed in their starting area...well...no harm done." Wow, so there was corruption even in the Tower? Langa should not have been surprised at all. Lady Mira handed him a small white tile and sat back down. "You can go out the way you came in. You will be led into the teleportation wheel that will take you to the 1st Floor. Place that pass into the slot on the teleportation wheel." Langa nodded, and started towards the door. He decided to check his status first. The first thing that he noticed was that the experience required to level up from level 10 to level 11 had increased tenfold! That was a lot of monsters to kill and quests to complete. In the end, it seemed that the tutorial really had been a playground.
Name: Langa Zulu Race : Human
Age : 27 Character: Player
Level: 10 Class: Fighter
Available Karma: 1578 Total Karma: 3616
Deity: N/A Highest Floor: 0/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: Impulse Pulse EXP: 1610/10 000
HP: 300/300 (+10) STA: 580/580 (+20)
MP: 120/120
STR: 28 AGI: 42 (+1)
MND: 12 VIT: 30 (+1)
Free Attribute Points: 6 Alignment: (+2) NEUTRAL
SPECIAL STATS:
VEL: 54 (+1)
Skill Points: 4 Available Respawns: 1/1
Regeneration Rates: STA: 0.28STA/s (+1) Calc: [(STR/100)]/s MP: 0.12MP/s Calc: (MND/100)/s HP: 0.62HP/s Calc: [(2xVIT)/100]/s
SKILLS Skill Rank Skill level Skill Properties
PASSIVE SKILLS (1/5)
Legacy of the Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship: S Beginner Level 3 You are proficient in basic spear techniques, cuts, blocks, and thrusts. +10% damage on consecutive heavy attacks against a single target when using a spear. +3% extra lightning damage when using skills of the lightning discipline.
ACTIVE SKILLS(1/10)
Flash Step A Beginner Level 4 Promptly move to a target location within a radius of 7 metres. If there are any foes at the target location; 2x Agility damage is dealt. Cost: 30 Stamina Cool-down: 25 seconds.
Divine SKILLS (0/10)
DISCIPLINE AFFINITY RESISTANCE
Life 15% 7%
Death 0% 0%
Air 7% 2%
Water 0% 0%
Earth 2% 0%
Fire 11% 13%
Light 3% 5%
Darkness 12% 39%
Lightning 100% 19%
Mental 0% -10% (+5%)
Arcane 1% 9%
Physical Body 21% 23%
Poison 1% 0%
TITLES Rank Effects
Team Player Rare You play well with the team, but you also play the team well. You are good at reading people. You can see the first 11 values on a mortal¡¯s status (Name, Race, Age, Character, Level, Class, Available Karma, Total Karma, Deity, Highest Floor, and Attribute) given that they are within 10 levels (or 1 Tier) of you. For those Shrouded by a deity, you can only see their values if the deity you serve (or the deity that your deity serves) is of a higher rank than that mortal¡¯s deity. You can also see the number of available respawns that the mortal has.
EQUIPMENT Rank Effects
Thunderbird''s Mutable Lightning Glaive Name: Tonare Unique Charges:8/¡Þ Base damage: Scales with LTTS skill level. Usage Requirements: Lightning resistance >/= 25%, Lightning affinity >/= 10% Skills: 1. Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike Skill Description: Imbues the glaive with the thunderbird''s lightning, dealing (50 + (Mind/2))% lightning discipline damage. Stuns target on impact for 2 seconds when thrust or thrown. If the wielder''s lightning resistance (n) is below 25%, the wielder receives ((25-n)/2)% backlash lightning damage depending on their MND stat. Cool-down: 10 minutes Skills: 2. ??? Skills: 3. ???
Shaman¡¯s cyclopsskin protective headband Rare A headband made by a mentally unstable shaman to protect her mind from the drawbacks of having a high-tier deity use her as a mouthpiece. +5% Mental Resistance.]
Berruka¡¯s Ring of Stamina Regeneration Uncommon Increases Stamina regeneration rate by 1STA per second when standing still.
Basic leather trousers Common +10 Stamina Durability 9/20
Basic leather boots Common +1 Agility Durability: 8/15
Basic leather jacket Common +1 Vitality Durability 6/20
INVENTORY
Basic Health Potion (x1) Basic Dagger (x2) Void Star (x1)
Basic Wound Healing Ointment (x4) Karisha''s Karma Core (x1) Pure Mana Stone (¡Á1)
Tutorial Rations (x1) Silver coins (x11), Copper coins (x50) EMPTY
EMPTY EMPTY EMPTY
That was much better than before. Satisfied, he decided to ask one more thing before leaving. "Last time, before the tutorial, you gave me some solid advice. Do you have any advice for me about climbing the Tower?" She seemed to ponder this for a moment. "You''re in the top ten, so you will have the attention of many deities, and many mortal guilds will try to recruit you or harm you as well. Choose wisely, if you will. I know talented people like you like to be independent, but not everyone can be successful without support from deities, like Unbound Jareeksa," she told him. "But you must also remember that the Tower rewards effort, so the more help you get, the less karma you earn. The best advice I can give you is to bind yourself to a powerful deity and join a strong guild. If you don''t want to do both, do at least one of those, okay?" That seemed like solid advice. Langa would not mind joining a strong guild and cruising comfortably through the Tower with their protection, he was not sure about the deities, and he decided that he needed to do some research first before deciding if he wanted to choose any of them, and which one. "Thank you, again, my lady," he said with a bow and then stepped out the door. He was finally entering the Tower, and he had no idea what to expect. 18. Floor 1: Valley of Guardians (1) The inside of the teleportation wheel was like a giant box. It was as though Langa had stepped into a white elevator, and there was only one slot that he could insert his pass into. As soon as he did that, multiple buttons appeared on the box. The other buttons were all greyed out, from the 2nd Floor to the 100th Floor, the only one that lit up was for the 1st Floor. He pressed that button, and it was as if he was stuck in a whirlwind for one second, and then a blinding flash of light washed over him. Thirteen multicoloured pathways appeared in front of him, but it was different from the way he had seen them before. This time they extended straight up like stairs, and he could see at least a hundred steps. The fourteenth pathway, as always, was doing as it pleased, winding around the thirteen straight pathways, but it also led up. He had no idea what to make of it, and then the doors on the other side of the teleportation wheel opened. Immediately, Langa was assaulted by the feeling of being on display, being watched by too many eyes. A series of prompts appeared in front of him. [A Clanless Deity Without A Name, turns a brief gaze towards you.] [Multiple deities, who are hiding their identities, are watching you.] [The mid-tier constellation: Tarquinius, is watching you.] [The mid-tier constellation: Tarquinius, is surprised by your glaive] [The mid-tier constellation: Tarquinius, excitedly informs his Master about you. He asks his Master to look at you.] [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, is looking at you.] [The mid-tier constellation: Tarquinius, would like to offer you a Challenge. Accept: Y/N?] [Multiple deities complain to Tarquinius'' Master that Tarquinius is breaking the rules by offering a challenge before the Challenge Embargo is lifted.] [The Kwara Orisha Clan god: The Wild Crossroads of Raging Thunder, wonders if the Deiwos Clan and its constellations want to break their own laws, and snatch up all the good players before the other clans.] [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, forbids Tarquinius from offering any Challenges to any player for seven days.] [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, closes the karma channel, and hides you from Tarquinius for 3 days.] [The mid-tier constellation Glaridinus, is pleased with Tarquinius'' punishment] [The low-tier constellation Saquin Hirtius, laughs at Tarquinius'' punishment] [The high-tier constellation: The Unreasonable Ambitious Swordreader, mocks Tarquinius since he will struggle to Challenge any good players after one week.] [Multiple deities are pleased with Tarquinius'' punishment.] Just as soon as the feeling of multiple eyes watching him creepily arrived, he got used to it, like a constant itch that he had to put up with. Wow, Lady Mira had not been exaggerating about deities watching him. They were still watching, he knew that much, they just did not want to waste karma letting him know. He shook his head. One of those gods was an orisha, if he remembered correctly, that was the name given to deities worshipped by Yoruba from Nigeria in the past. He was not sure, though. There was one name he recognised from the clutter of deities watching him, The Lackadaisical Herald of the Lightning Storm. He was the one who had looked in on him during the tutorial, causing him to break free from the clutches of the Void. If there was one thing that Langa knew to be true in every world, it was that gods had a lot of pride. He had no idea why this god had looked in on him during the tutorial, something that they were not supposed to do, but he figured that he should at least convey his thanks. Langa closed his eyes and lifted his hands in prayer. "Thank you, Lackadaisical Herald of the Lightning Storm," he said. He was not sure if he should specify exactly what he was thanking him for. He didn''t know if the other deities knew about his interference in the tutorial. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of the Lightning Storm accepts your gratitude, and urges you to go on your way. He informs you that the deities are just watching you out of curiosity as you are in the top five. He advises you to ignore them.] Langa smiled and bowed his head. Then he stepped out of the teleportation wheel, into the 1st Floor. Before he could even look around, his system interface was bombarded with notifications. This time, it was about quests. [Welcome to the First Floor of The Deiwos Tower! Please report to the arena square in order to receive the basic Floor Map, and the Tower Rulebook.] [You are now Level 10. Your Legacies tab has been unlocked. Please check your status for your First Legacy Quest.]
FIRST FLOOR MAIN QUEST
Quest Rank: D
The First Floor of this Deiwos Tower is a world known as Verse 3 214 685 326, or RangeVerse. This world is home to many goblinkin and birdkin. It is made up of Fifty-two Federations, each consisting of multiple starting cities for players. With the end of Tutorial batch #4, millions of new dungeons have spawned all over the Tower.
Quest Objectives:
- Clear one unclaimed Level 10 dungeon on your own. -Earn 10 000 karma
Time Limit:
None
Optional Quest Objective:
- Begin the Infinite Challenge -Choose a deity to serve
Quest Limitations:
Solo Quest
Cautions:
-Clearing a claimed Level 10 dungeon will not count towards completing this quest -Clearing an unclaimed Level 10 dungeon with a party will not count towards clearing this quest.
Quest Rewards:
- Ascend to the 2nd Floor - ??? Experience - ??? Karma - Item, dependent on the quest completion grade.
Failure Penalties:
- You will not be able to leave the 1st Floor if this quest is not completed
When Langa finally closed his system interface and looked around, he blinked rapidly to contain his shock. The teleportation wheel was actually a giant wheel the size of a skyscraper, and it was constantly turning, though it did not seem to be tied to anything. He guessed that it moved with magic. Looking around, he realised that he was in a large open space square area, with the teleportation wheel enclosed behind a shining purple stone wall with multiple gates, and he had just come out of one of those gates. After Langa, more people came out of those gates, all dressed in ragged tutorial armour. In front of the gate, there was a large screen that was made of material that looked a bit like ceramic, but Langa was sure that he was wrong about that, after all, ceramic did not glow with multicoloured letters. The strange sign read, ¡°All new players are to gather in front of the arena square in the transportation bay.¡± He looked at the place where the arrow on the sign was pointing and noticed that all the players who emerged from the teleportation wheel were going to that place. Besides the new players, most of the people in this area were all dressed in similar red robes, showing the new players around, and Langa had to blink an unimaginable number of times as he took in the geography of this place. Something about this place did not add up, there was fog everywhere, it was too cold, and he wanted to know exactly where he was. To that end, he moved in a straight line, trying to look past the fog. It was then that he saw how close the sky seemed, as well as the fact that there was only half a red sun in the sky, and it was emitting low red rays of light that barely penetrated the fog. No wonder it was not very bright, what kind of world had only half a sun anyway? The truth was that he was very high up. He looked around and saw that this whole square¡ªthe entire transportation bay, was sitting on top of a high mountain plateau. A majestic mountain range stretched along the horizon, its mist-covered peaks hidden from the sunlight. Towering mountains were the only things visible all around the landscape as far as the eye could see, their uneven tops reaching towards the sky. The mountain that they were on had the highest summit out of all of them. In the distance, what looked like a city was perched precariously on top of the mountain as if the people who lived there were rebelling against the natural order of things. Although he was a bit too far away to see clearly, Langa could see that the city¡¯s buildings seemed to touch the heavens, they looked like they were carved straight out of the mountain itself. Everything else seemed to rise from the ground below this high mountain peak. Flying above that city and walking around in this transportation bay, were... bird people? Langa could not identify the types of birds, but they all seemed to be different kinds. They had normal human faces, without beaks, although they were a little pale, with long claws for hands and thin, perching four-toed bird¡¯s feet. Their hair was of a feathery texture, and the colours matched those of the wings on their back. They looked like harpies, Langa thought. But weren¡¯t harpies only supposed to be maidens? Or was the mythology of the earth incomplete? Either way, Langa was now in a mountain city inhabited by mostly birdkin that may or may not have looked like harpies. He was probably wrong on that. Between this plateau where the transportation bay was located and the mountain city, there were birdkin flying between the two places, as well as other races flying on giant birds, flying mats, or flying carriages. He had to blink to make sure that he was not dreaming. ¡°What the actual fuck?!¡± Langa looked around him in disbelief. A transportation bay with flying carpets? A city carved into the mountain? Okay, yeah, he was definitely in a new world. No wonder it was so cold here; he shivered. This was his life now. "Hey, the presentation is about to start. Did you not see the sign? All new players are to head towards the arena square," an owlkin dressed in flowing red robes said to Langa, and he looked around. The arena square was a large open space filled with a great number of people, all standing there, waiting. They were looking up at a stage where a group of three people stood, each of different races, all wearing immaculate red robes with the badge of a tower imprinted on it. They also had tattoos of a Tower and a shield on different visible parts of their bodies. Well, he was new here and had no idea where to go, so he just nodded to the owlkin and gathered in the arena square with all the other new players. It was strange because there were so many people here, thousands if he was right, yet Langa could count on one hand the number of humans. This further reinforced the fact that this was a brand-new world. As he headed over to the arena square with the other players, the group of more than thirty people in the same red uniform as the three that were standing on the stage, surrounded the entire arena and stood at attention. He wondered if they were some kind of army. There was murmuring in the crowd of mismatched players as they all stood there watching the stage, waiting for the people standing there to start talking. Out of curiosity, Langa tried to use his title skill to scan those three people on stage since he could not see anything when he scanned them normally, except for one line that read [Locked at level 25]. When he tried to use his title skill to gain more information on them, a splitting headache, worse than the one he got when he used the title on Liv¡¯Kungsadu struck him. Whatever Shroud these guys had was beyond him to get through. One of the people turned to the crowd, looking in his direction. He wondered if they had sensed him trying to read them, his head throbbing. It really hurt, and he stepped back, stumbling into someone in pain. ¡°Aye, watch it you dumbfuck!¡± the person he stumbled into shouted. Langa looked around, not seeing anyone. ¡°Down here, fool! Get off my foot.¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. He looked down, and sure enough, there was a very short person, barely 1.2 metres tall, looking up at him angrily. He wore an annoyed expression and had long red hair and a matching, messy beard. This fellow was a dwarf, which Langa confirmed when he used his title skill on him, and his name was Freidiv. What shocked him the most, though, was that this guy was only level 6 and he had only 1032 available karma. It was highly unlikely that he''d completed the final tutorial quest and used 1000 karma to buy something, not with his level. Was this what was normal for regular people outside the top ten? Langa was in the wrong here, so he decided to apologise. ¡°Sorry, that was my mistake,¡± he said. He was good at making niceties with people. ¡°Well, alright then,¡± Freidiv said in a huff, turning to look at the stage. ¡°Hey! Why are you confining in this square? Even if you''re the guild sent to receive us, should you really be keeping us here?" a player in full plate armour shouted at the top of his voice, roughly pushing past the others to get closer to the stage. He was human, and according to the scan, a level 7 named Aquila. He was flanked by two spiderkin, whose appearance made Langa shudder so much that he did not bother to identify them. "Huh? Do you know who I am? I am a Chosen One of The Breaker of The Self!¡± Typical, Langa thought, even outnumbered in a new world, humans always found a way to cause trouble and make everything about them. Sometimes he was ashamed of his race. One of the people on the stage, an elf, looked at Aquila with disinterest and then looked at the transportation bay. ¡°I suppose that is everyone,¡± he said. Langa stared at this guy in awe, he was quite dauntingly beautiful. He gracefully walked to the forefront of the stage, his colleagues following behind him. He had to be a different type of elf from Kindaro and Ghol, because his face was pale, with long, silky golden hair that cascaded down to his shoulders. His green eyes calmly scanned the area before he spoke once more. The group of over a thousand players were anxiously huddled together, watching the stage and waiting for him to continue. Looking around, Langa realised that he was the highest levelled player in this entire square, as, excluding their hosts, everyone else was around level 6 to 7, with 8 being the highest. He supposed it made sense since karma-based tutorials like the one he''d been in were rare. None of these people had faced a level 10 maestril, they probably only had a level 5 mini-boss and a level 7 to 8 boss or something. Maybe he did deserve his spot in the top ten after all. ¡°It seems like you are all here. Congratulations on surviving the tutorial, players. Welcome to the 1st Floor of the 1773rd Deiwos Tower,¡± the elf standing on top of the stage said. It was weird, even though his voice was soft Langa was standing at the far back, but he could hear the man as clearly as if he were standing right next to him. ¡°This world is known as Range Verse, and we are currently in the Risa Province of the Anukirtam Federation. I will send you your maps, the Relgte of our Tower Administrators, The Relgte of The Unrivalled and the Tower Rulebook now; please accept them.¡± [Alfsol Serene Dulenta is sharing four items with you. +1 1st Floor Map +1 Tower Rulebook +1 Relgte of The Deiwos Clan +1 Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master Accept: Y/N?] Of course, Langa accepted. Lack of information was very dangerous, and he wanted to learn as much as possible about this world. ¡°Who the hell are you, huh? Stop telling us stuff that we can find on the forums, and let us go!¡± Aquila shouted again, his posse supporting him with aggressive shouts of affirmation. If the elf heard him, he ignored him. The other players in the square were also talking over each other, either annoyed at Aquila or whispering about the group on the stage. Despite everyone clearly having something to say, only one person spoke up. The dwarf standing next to Langa, Freidiv, cursed out loudly, ¡°Hey! Some of us don¡¯t know hex about this world, alright? Damn it. My whole fucking team died fighting that mini-boss creature, and I had to spend four fucking days hunting corrupted creatures just to get 1000 karma and escape that godsforsaken world! How¡¯s about you shut your trap and let the blasted sun elf give us information, yeah?!¡± ¡°What did you say, you-¡° ¡°Silence!¡± A sharp, but firm voice said. It was one of the people on stage, a wolfkin with wild eyes, who spoke. All of a sudden, the air in the square became heavier, and Langa¡¯s head throbbed once more in pain. He felt small, as if the essence in the air would swallow him whole. ¡°Enough Jandri. Do you want to suffer from the backlash? Do not use even that small amount of karma pressure on children who haven¡¯t even entered the first tier,¡± the elf said to her, but the wolfkin only smiled. ¡°One of them has,¡± the third person on the stage said. She wore a mask that covered her face, but in that instant, her eyes met Langa¡¯s, and he had the distinct feeling that she was talking about him. ¡°DP Alfsol, please continue. We are running out of our time on this Floor.¡± ¡°Alright. Since you asked, I am Alfsol, deputy guild master of the Guardians Guild, Blessed by The Unrivalled Tower Master, and I am here because, as players placed in Risa''s Plateau as a starting city, you are under the jurisdiction of the Guardians Guild," the sun elf said, addressing the players. "Next to me is Jandri, the Guardians Administrator for the Ground Storey, that is to say, Floor 1 to Floor 10. On my left is Khalifahri, the Guardians Administrator for the First Storey, which is Floor 11 to Floor 20. Once again, the Guardians welcome you to the 1st Floor of the Deiwos Tower, players of Tutorial batch 4." Aquila blanched and stepped back the moment that he mentioned the Guardians Guild. While others were confused about why such a big shot came to the 1st Floor to welcome them, some of the other players looked at the rest of the Guardians in the square in awe. Listening around to the whispers, Langa gathered that the Tower Guardians were made up of those Blessed by The Unrivalled, and they acted as the agents of order in all the Towers. Each Tower had its own Guardians, and they answered to no one but The Unrivalled Tower Master herself. They seemed to be something like the Tower police or something. "That''s great. Are there any Guardian Knights of Order in this Tower?" Someone asked, their voice rising above everyone else''s. "Only one. Out of all the players from the previous three batches that entered the Tower, only one person is directly sponsored by The Unrivalled, she is her Avatar, and our guild master," Alfsol said proudly. More than the declaration that the people receiving them were Guardians, the fact that there was a Guardian Knight in this Tower seemed to fill the players with both admiration and safety. Was it such a big deal? That class had been among Langa¡¯s choices in the karma store. Had he passed on an amazing reward? Well, it didn''t matter, his choices had all been fantastic, and he had chosen what suited him best. "Now, as you all know, the clearance quest for the 1st Floor is very easy, you just need to get 10 000 karma and clear one unclaimed dungeon on your own. Our guild will shelter you for only seven days. After that, you are on your own. Please use these seven days wisely to gain both levels and coins so that you can survive without our assistance in this world," he paused. "If you make enough money, you can even buy the location of an unclaimed dungeon from the Dungeon Seekers Guild and clear it. Trust me, you do not want to stay on the 1st Floor, it''s already overcrowded." That made sense to Langa. After the horrors of the tutorial, he was sure that there were players who would not want to climb the Tower anymore, opting to stay here where it was safe. "You will see on your map that there are multiple fields in Risa Province¡¯s valleys that are suitable hunting grounds for levels 1 to 9,¡± he continued. ¡°There are some areas marked as yellow zones on the map, those are places that are either different guild territories or places with random monster spawns. The areas marked as red player zones are occupied by griefers, gankers, player killers and general low-level criminals. If you run into them, fight or run. Don¡¯t report them to the Guardians, though. Report them to the Federation Police, there¡¯s a branch in every safe zone village in the valleys.¡± ¡±Why are you letting the griefers and killers run around? Isn¡¯t it your job to get rid of them?¡± Another player shouted. ¡±Hey! Every Floor, every world, has its own laws. Hell, some worlds have different nations, each with its own laws and law enforcement services. We cannot police every single criminal who breaks every single law on every single Floor. The Guardians enforce The Unrivalled¡¯s Tower laws on 29 Floors. We cannot be everywhere at once!¡± Jandri snapped from the stage. ¡°If we wasted our time on red players and red NPCs, then who would fight against the dangerous voidents in the higher Floors?¡± The player who had asked the question stepped back. ¡°Do not interrupt me again, Jandri,¡± Alfsol glared at Jandri, and she stepped back. ¡°Now, as I was saying, you¡¯ll see on your map, that the areas marked as red monster zones are areas with known claimed dungeons or corrupted fields, or where Void dungeons are. The areas marked in black are occupied by players with known voident activity. No one who has not entered Tier 1 is to engage the voidents. Let me repeat myself, yes, hunting the voidents is an easy way to earn money, but if you are below level 10, do not go near the voidents, or you will die, is that clear?¡± At the mention of voidents, a lot of the players recoiled in fear. It seemed as if these voidents were not friendly players. Everyone seemed frightened at the thought of running into them. Alfsol continued, ¡°Take this week of free accommodation to learn more about this world, save money, and gain levels. There is a massive library in Risa''s Plateau, the city you see in the distance. Also, The Deiwos Clan placed an Embargo on all Challenges for the first 52 hours after the end of the tutorial. The deities will be observing you for the next two days, so show them what you are capable of, so that once the Embargo is lifted, they will offer you a Sponsorship Challenge. Getting a sponsor will go a long way towards enhancing your strength. Don''t bind your souls to Risa¡¯s Plateau, rather do it once you reach the Valley of Guardians. That¡¯s all I have to say, players. Welcome to The Deiwos Tower.¡± ¡±Are the Guardians going to recruit players from our tutorial batch?¡± A middle-aged woman with red skin and two horns on her forehead asked. Langa watched her, fascinated; she was the first demonkin that he¡¯d ever seen. About half of the Guardians surrounding the square moved up and marched towards the stage, as Alfsol, Jandri and the third Guardian prepared to leave the stage. "If you prove yourselves well to us, then yes, we might recruit you. Now, I have said enough, and it is time for me to return to the higher Floors already. I know that some of you are probably wondering why I, the deputy guild master of one of the top ten guilds in the Deiwos Tower, am here instead of helping our guild master clear the 29th Floor," the elf said. A few people murmured in agreement, and now that Langa thought about it, it was odd that someone of such a high position within the Guardians had come down here just to welcome new players. If anything, Jandri alone should have been enough to welcome them. "The reason is that one of you players is in the top ten of your tutorial batch. Player Langa Zulu, please follow me," Alfsol said turning away from the crowd and walking off the stage. Langa''s heart sank as the murmurs and whispers devolved into shouts of surprise, with every one of the players looking around and scanning each other to find him. So this was what Lady Mira meant. These people had come all the way here for him? This was just what he needed¡ªattention on his first day in the Tower. Sure enough, someone scanned him and pointed. "It''s him! Holy hell, he''s even level 10!" the wolfkin shouted at the top of his voice. As expected, over a thousand heads turned to look at Langa. It was very annoying, and he glared up at the departing elf. Did he have to call him out in front of everyone? "Wow, you''re amazing, man!" the dwarf next to Langa exclaimed in admiration. Left with no choice, Langa started walking up towards the stage. Players parted to let him through, and it was not just admiration in their eyes, instead, there was envy, disdain and resentment in some of those eyes. Typical, Langa thought, rolling his eyes. Well, it was not as if he was averse to negative attention. He''d had plenty of that whenever he failed to win a race, so it did not affect him all that much. He just hated things that complicated his life. Aquila pushed through the crowd until he was right in front of Langa. "You...you must be the Chosen One of a high-tier god, right?" he demanded, his face red. "No, I''m just a regular player from a lost world," Langa answered curtly, wishing the guy would move out of his way, Alfsol and his group were getting further away from the stage. That answer seemed to take everyone by surprise. "Bullshit!" someone behind him shouted. He couldn''t help it if they didn''t believe him, he wasn''t going to lie just to fit in. Aquila fixed him with a glare. "You must be a demigod, then?" he asked. Perhaps he could not accept that someone from a lost world, a nobody really, had done better than him, a Chosen One, in the tutorial. Langa shook his head. "I''m a regular human. If you won''t move out of my way, then I''ll just blast past you, alright? Mind the wind," he said, and he activated Flash Step, landing right behind Alfsol below the stage. The force generated by the skill was too strong, and Aquila fell to the ground. Thankfully, the Guardians that had approached the stage formed a wall between Langa and the other players, and he was able to follow the higher-ranking Guardians peacefully. He caught up to Alfsol as he walked towards the transportation bay. "I''m Langa," he said, making sure to keep his displeasure evident. "Did you really have to do that? Now all those people are going to start paying attention to me." "I apologise for calling you out in front of the others, it was the best way to remind the other players that no matter how special they think they are for completing the tutorial, there is always someone better,¡± Alfsol said, turning to look at Langa. "As long as there is someone above them, people will always want to work harder so that they can catch up." "Whatever. So, besides being a beacon of envy, what else do you want with me?" Langa asked Alfsol, as the other players were led in an orderly manner out of the square by the rest of the Guardians. The wolfkin, Jandri, walked behind the two of them, and the third Guardian had disappeared into thin air. "I am a very straightforward person, so I will let you know right away that Khalifahri has a skill that helps her determine the potential fate of mortals. The reason that she and I came all the way down to this Floor was to see what kind of fate you have, and whether we should recruit you into the Guardians," he said, eyes on him. Langa raised his eyebrows questioningly. He was admittedly curious about what they had found. The last time a sangoma checked his fate was when he''d found out about his curse. He had been told that he would die young, but he wondered if that still applied with his Ascension into the Tower. Technically, he had already died once in the tutorial. Alfsol, however, did not elaborate on the results, instead, he asked, "So, are you willing to join us?" While he was annoyed that this guy had used him as an example, Langa liked straightforward people. Did that mean that whatever fate this guy saw in him was worthy of being recruited into the Guardians? "I mean, that''s your pitch? Should you not, like, tell me why the Guardians will be an excellent guild for me?" The elf gave a short chuckle. "Well, our guild is in third place in the Tower''s overall guild rankings, you can check the leaderboard on the Dent if you don''t believe me. Our guild master is from tutorial batch #2, and yet she is the only Guardian Knight in this Tower, and she has been in first place in most of tutorial batch #2''s rankings on every Floor. She''s also the only player on Tower''s overall top ten list that is not from tutorial batch #1. Need I say more?" Langa scratched his head. "That all sounds nice and everything, but I literally just got here. I''m from a lost world, and I don''t know shit about the Tower except what my tutorial teammates told me. Let me acclimatise a bit. I also need to check out what other guilds have to offer as well, don''t I?" "Fair enough," Alfsol nodded. "Even if you decide not to join us, it doesn''t mean that we can''t work together. There is always freelance work, and there will always be voidents to hunt, void territories to clear and all that. I''m sorry, I really do have to go, my time on this Floor is limited. Jandri will explain our other offer to you,¡± he said, checking his comcer. So, they had another offer for him then? Was this the one that Lady Mira was talking about? "I hope you don''t mind, but we will continue to give you special treatment so that the other players understand how important it is to get stronger and be acknowledged by those in power," Alfsol continued. "That''s how it is on every Floor, the more gifted you are, the more opportunities you''re given. Since the Guardians are in charge of all these players for the week, the least we can do is teach them what life is like in the Tower." Really, Langa thought, this guy was too direct. "Well, I won''t say no to special treatment, as long as I get a soft bed to sleep in and a hot bath." He didn''t mind them giving him special treatment, but that depended on what they wanted from him. He would hear their offer out first before accepting anything from them, after all in the Tower, the more help a player received while achieving something, the less karma they earned for it. If he was going to stand out, he needed to start somewhere. He stretched out his arm, extending his hand so that they could exchange mana signatures for their comcers. Alfsol stared at Langa''s hand in surprise, probably not expecting that. Jandri giggled. Langa did not retract his hand, though. If these guys wanted to use him to encourage the other players to work hard, he would get something out of it, and being able to directly contact the second in command of one of the Tower''s top five guilds seemed like an excellent exchange. "You''re quite an amusing fellow. I''ll be sure to tell Merreddyd all about you. I''m sure even she will be fascinated by both you, and your fate," Alfsol said. In the end, he did exchange mana signatures with Langa. He left after that, instructing Jandri to explain everything to him. 19. Floor 1: Valley of Guardians (2) By now, the square was almost empty of players, and Jandri led Langa to one of the stalls in the transportation bay. They passed by a rank that had some strange carriages, with a lot of people milling about there. The stall that he was led to was quite large, and it resembled a kraal. In different stalls, each separated by a large metal barrier, were different types of animals. The one that Jandri led him to had all sorts of large bird creatures perched in nests. These were actual birds, not birdkin. Langa was no avian specialist, so he could not name many of the birds'' species. She led him towards one of the nests, and there sat the largest falcon that Langa had ever seen. It was the size of two human males, with blue feathers, dark horizontal bars on its chest, and a dark head with thick sideburns. Its brown eyes watched Langa as it stood to full height, and Jandri gently patted its head. "Isn''t he a cutie? The other players went down by lucent carriage, but as our resident Ranker, you should go down to the Valley of Guardians in style, don''t you think?" Jandri said with a broad grin. "Sure, it should be fun!" Langa also grinned in excitement. He was a runner, after all, chasing speed was one of his favourite things to do. How fast would a giant falcon flying in the sky go? After his last accident speeding on a motorcycle, his sister had forbidden him from ever riding on one again, but he was sure that this was going to be a million times different. "Just hold onto my waist, and don''t fall," Jandri advised him. The falcon squatted down to allow them to climb onto the saddle on its back, and this was the strangest experience of Langa''s life. He held on to Jandri''s waist as instructed, and the falcon took off. As Langa soared through the sky on the giant falcon''s back, the cold mountain air pushed against his face, and if he had not been wearing a headband, his dreadlocks would have been flowing in the wind. The striking landscape beneath the series of mountains came into view as the falcon flew further down, and Langa realised that there was no flat land in this province. Was the whole world, the whole Floor, just a series of mountains and valleys? He had no answer to that, and decided to just enjoy the ride as he would have time to explore this whole place later. The falcon''s wings were graceful against the wind, and Langa was in awe at the rush of speed. He could definitely get used to this. He wanted to ask Jandri where he could get his own falcon so that he could go joyriding as much as he wanted. Right now, he felt almost at one with nature, and daringly, he let go of Jandri¡¯s waist and raised his hands into the air. Nothing was tethering him to the falcon now, it wasn''t like it had seatbelts. With his hands spread like this and his eyes closed, he could pretend that he was the one flying in the sky. He could feel the raging wind on his face as the falcon picked up even more speed, and the excitement made his heartbeat start to speed up until he could feel the pulse thudding against his neck. He opened his eyes, and the world seemed to slow down, allowing him to experience the beauty of the trees lining the mountainsides, the caves scattered along the bottom of the mountains and the cliffs at the edge of the mountains in slow motion. Truly, the Creator outdid herself when creating this place. Ah, his attribute was truly excellent, even for mundane things like appreciating the beauty of nature. [The Kwara Orisha Clan goddess: Mother of The Nine Winds And Storms, is watching you with interest.] [The Kwara Orisha Clan god: Progenitor of The Neverdying Spirits of Time, is wondering if he should offer you a challenge] [Various deities of time would like to know more about your attribute] [The Diverse Vodun Pantheon god: X¨ºbioso; Vodun of Thunder and Speed, shows some interest in you.] Langa was forcefully brought back to normal time by his head throbbing in pain. It had only been a second or two, and his stamina had been drained rapidly. He still had no control over his attribute, and yet he already had all these gods watching him. They had broken his concentration, ending his connection to his attribute. He did not know how often they communicated like this, but if they did this in the middle of battle, then it could be a problem. "Um, great deities, I appreciate you guys watching me, but... can you only communicate when you have something important to say? I mean no disrespect, but deities from my world were generally silent, and people were left to interpret their teachings however they wanted, so you guys communicating like this is overwhelming for me," he said. The wind swallowed his words, but they were deities, he was sure that they heard him. He''d asked them politely, so hopefully they would oblige. As the falcon descended the mountain, an intricate series of caves filled with lots of people could be seen on the mountainside. The string of mismatched caves resting against the mountainside created an atmosphere that added to the beauty of nature in this place. The falcon descended even lower, until the Valley of Guardians also came into view, below the mountains. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Jandri said, as the falcon prepared to land. They landed on some sort of barn, and a young man in Guardians uniform arrived to take the falcon away. Langa followed Jandri into the area known as the Valley of Guardians. Nestled between three large towering mountains, the dark valley was spread in the deep ground, with a series of cave dwellings embracing the rugged cliffs, looking almost like bird nests. Langa supposed that was what they were, since most of the inhabitants of this province were birdkin. The caves and simple homes were all over the valley, where it seemed that communities thrived amidst falling waterfalls and lush vegetation. The first thing that Langa did after landing was to bind his soul to the Valley of Guardians since it was a safe zone. If he died, he would respawn here. It appeared that the Guardians had led the other new players down to this valley during the time that Langa had been talking to Alfsol, and, true to their word, they were helping the players to settle in and get used to this place, at least for the first seven days. The players were being ushered into small caves near the entrance to the valley. The other players whispered and pointed at Langa as Jandri led him past their caves. He could see that most players had been placed in threes or fours in a single cave, yet he was led past all those tiny caves. They were all envious that he was getting special treatment, but they really couldn''t complain since they had failed to make the top ten. Jandri finally stopped in front of one of the mountains. There was a large wooden gate that seemed to be sculpted straight into the bottom of the mountain. Once she stopped, she raised the hand with her comcer and tagged it against a small screen that was part of the gate, and it opened up. "Welcome to the Guardians Guild''s 1st Floor Headquarters," she said, proudly stepping in. Langa whistled. She had a right to be proud of this place. It looked like someone had dug a whole village underneath the mountain, filled with streets made of strange white rock, and houses made of bricks. All the people that Langa could see going about their business were wearing the Guardians'' uniform, and most stopped to bow, and greet Jandri as she passed them by. They glanced at Langa curiously, but they did not ask him anything. This seemed like a peaceful residential area, and people were busy with various activities like cleaning, closing up shops and stalls, and marching down the streets in their uniforms. It seemed like the Guardians Guild treated its members very differently from new players because these brick houses were layered and bigger than the caves, yet there were even fewer people living here than on the outside. The wolfkin led him towards the central area of the village, to the largest building in the whole place. Most of the uniformed Guardians were marching towards that building. It looked like this was the guildhall, as Langa could see a massive training area outside of it, with people in there occupied with various training exercises. It was much bigger than the training rooms back in the tutorial. Langa honestly could not believe that any of this was happening. It was weird to think that they were literally under a mountain, with no sun, but it was not dark in these rocky streets. There was a large, bright white crystal hanging on thin air in the centre of the village, and it seemed to provide the whole place with light. It looked like an artificial sun inside a mountain and it was not connected to anything and was suspended in the air. Langa was sure that some physicist somewhere would cry out in rage at this phenomenon. Colourless crystalline rocks that looked like they had fluid inside of them were also all over the streets, and Langa realised that whenever they passed them, he could breathe easier. This place was inside a mountain, so it should have been much harder to breathe. They entered the guildhall, a large stone building, with an entrance hall inside that had various counters with people sitting there, working and attending to clients. As Jandri ushered him in, Langa noticed that right next to the entrance was a large board. The board was split into sections, with various Guardians looking at the section that listed a bunch of quests. The other section of the board displayed various faces of people with their names, associations, last known levels, and an amount of money listed below them, as well as the words: Wanted: Dead or Alive. Wanted Posters? He knew that the Guardians were basically like the Tower police, or at least the military, so that must mean that all the people listed here were criminals who broke the laws of the Tower. He wondered what kind of punishment criminals were given in the Tower. Were there prisons that could hold people like Kindaro, who could control other people''s minds? "Nice headquarters. I guess it pays to be sponsored by the deity who owns the Tower," Langa said to Jandri. She rolled her eyes and turned to look at him. "It''s not like that. The Unrivalled One is the guild''s patron deity, but she doesn''t sponsor us. I mean, all members of the Guardians are Blessed by her, but we''re not bound to her, she generally doesn''t sponsor players, except for Guardian Knights of Order. Our guild master is The Unrivalled''s only Avatar in this Tower. The rest of us are sponsored by other deities, we just also have The Unrivalled''s Blessing." Wow, their guild master had to be someone special to be chosen and sponsored by The Unrivalled. So, this meant that even if he decided to join the Guardians, he could still be bound to another deity while having the Blessing of The Unrivalled. That was something to note for later. He still didn''t know what the difference between an Avatar and a Blessed One was. He silently followed Jandri up the stairs, through a corridor that seemed to be filled with several rooms where guests of the guild would reside, until she stopped in front of a door with a small screen in front of it. These strange opaque screens seemed to be everywhere on the 1st Floor, and Langa wondered what exactly they were. "This will be your room. You can stay as long as you need to, provided that you help us out in the valleys," Jandri said. "Tag your comcer against the door''s lucent tile, it''ll recognise your mana signature whenever you have to come back in." Langa did as she said, copying what she had done before and the door opened. Inside, there was a burrowed-in open-plan room with a large bed, and a wooden desk with one of those opaque ceramic screens, or lucent tiles as they were apparently called. Next to the bed was a colourless crystal, like those in the streets outside. There was also what looked like a fireplace, except instead of wood, there were large red rocks on there. The room was also lit up by a white fluid-filled crystal on the ceiling...er, if he could call the shiny rocky roof above the room a ceiling. There was also a bathroom, with a large hollow rock for a bathtub, and next to it were two of those fluid-filled crystalline rocks, one red, and one blue. The toilet was also a pit-like structure, with a toilet seat on top of it and a covering made of material that Langa had never seen before. The room was quite decent, especially because Langa had spent the past seven days sleeping on a mattress in a run-down town hall. Jandri showed him a wooden cupboard in the bathroom that was filled with small crystalline stones of various colours that looked kind of like little diamonds or rhinestones. "I''ve seen a lot of those crystalline rocks of different colours and sizes around; what are they?" Langa asked her when she finished showing him around the room. "Oh, right, I forgot that you are not from a natural world. The bigger ones that you see are enchanted lucent crystals, and they are enchanted to absorb, store, and process different types of mana disciplines, depending on which discipline they are attuned to. The white ones absorb light mana and emit it depending on what the enchantment on them says. The large white one that you saw outside is a rare lucent crystal that provides light to our entire valley. The red ones are attuned to fire mana, while the blue ones are attuned to water mana and the colourless ones air. The smaller ones are the common lucent stones, we use them to recharge the lucent crystals whenever they run out of mana. This room is already attuned to your mana signature, so you just have to infuse the lucent crystals with your mana for them to turn on," Jandri explained. Langa nodded, thinking about why the hell they did not just use electricity like normal people. Wait, would lightning-lucent crystals emit electricity then? He guessed it was much more convenient to use light-lucent crystals than to use electricity for lighting in that case. "Alright, I got it, I must use the lucent stones to charge up the lucent crystals," Langa said. He was surprisingly a bit excited to figure out how these crystals worked and what use beyond household items they had. It also answered an important question for him. His glaive''s description stated that it could be recharged with rare lightning-lucent stones, so now he finally knew what those were. Although these were common, he would have to find the rare ones somehow. It would probably cost money, and he had no job, and only 11 silver coins in his inventory. He supposed that he could go out and hunt monsters to earn some coins, but he sincerely hoped that whatever offer the Guardians had for him was more exciting. "Okay, I''ll figure out the rest on my own," he said turning back to Jandri. "Moving on, you guys are giving me special treatment plus these nice digs, so what do you want from me?" At this, Jandri raised her eyebrows, as if surprised. "What do you mean?" "Please don''t treat me like a child, I''m not new to politics. I went to media training before I even turned fifteen, so I know when I''m being buttered up. There''s no way that you''re being this nice to me just because I''m a part of the top ten, or to motivate the other players. I even said that I''m not joining your guild just yet, and you''re still giving me the VIP treatment. Hell, I even got your deputy guild master''s personal contact information. You obviously want something from me. What is it?" he asked impatiently. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Langa would rather have things straightforward so that he knew what was expected of him before he decided to stay here. If he did not like whatever they wanted him to do, he would rather go and stay outside the village in the caves with the other players. He was in a new world, lost with no goals, ambitions or dreams. He needed to figure himself out, and what he wanted beyond finding his family and killing Fi Kindaro III. There were a hundred different directions that he could go, and trying each and everything would bore him, he knew that much about himself. Once Langa got bored of something, he stopped trying his best, put in zero effort and allowed himself to stagnate. This was not his world, so he wanted to change and grow from that, but first, he needed to have something that stimulated him and excited him to the point of making him want to work hard. He hoped that the Guardians would point him in the right direction. "Alright," Jandri laughed. "We do actually have an offer for you, and it will be beneficial to both you and our guild, according to what Khalifahri saw in your fate. Do you know what voidents are?" Again with the fate stuff? Langa shook his head. "Just that nobody likes them." The only thing he really knew was that Fi Kindaro wanted something called a Void Diamond because it would give him power. He was interested in what Jandri had to offer now. "Well, you can look up the details later, but the gist of it is that they are those who disrupt order in the Tower. To stop the spread of corruption, a delicate balance has to be maintained between the principles of life, death, chaos and order. Voidents use unauthorised void magic in the Tower, by using mortal sacrifices, maestril sacrifices, amongst other terrible things, to create Void Gems that steal stamina, mana and karma from mortals. Somehow by making more sacrifices to feed the Void Gem until it reaches a higher rank, the voidents can harness the power of corruption. It''s truly complicated, and what I said is an oversimplification. Basically, all you need to know is that they upset the balance in a way that breaks The Unrivalled''s Tower laws," she explained. Yeah, he would research more on that later. But her explanation triggered a question that he''d had from the very beginning and hadn''t found an answer to. This was the reason why Earth had experienced a Void Eruption, and he wanted to know more about it. "What is corruption?" Jandri shrugged. "I can''t tell you everything because The Great Quartenity only allows those who take The Infinite Challenge to know the truth about corruption. It''s a passive phenomenon that affects all creation, and it''s not bad if it exists in balance with creation. The phenomenon has been studied for trillions of years across the multiverse, but no one seems to have an answer on how to stop it''s rampant spread. Ever since I began the Infinite Challenge, I''ve learned what causes it, and all the measures taken by The Quartenity to prevent Rampant Corruption. All I can tell you is that it eats away at everything and can only be contained by the Void and the Tower. That''s why there is a set amount of Void dungeons, maestril rifts, and fields that harness chaos in the Towers, to maintain that balance,¡± she paused. ¡°I''m sure The Great Quartenity could vaporise and destroy all mortals who harness the power of corruption, but they give us free will. All playstyles are allowed, and mortals are free to sin, they''ll just get punished for it. Trust me, the Roving Arcane Carcere is a terrible place to be imprisoned in." That didn''t make much sense to Langa, and he added it to the list of things that he needed to research. He wondered if those Void Gems were similar to his Void Star, did that make him a voident now? No, he hadn''t sacrificed anything, the Void Star had been a reward for completing the hidden objective of the final tutorial quest. "We got sidetracked. What I wanted to tell you about was the voidents." Jandri walked over to the lucent tile on the desk and tagged it with her comcer. "This lucent tile is connected to our database on the Dent. You can find it under Player and NPC offered quests." A picture of a young male goblinkin appeared on the tile. His skin was dark green, with a large scar on his forehead, and he had a nasty look on his face. [Wanted: Dead or Alive Name: Grion Fidser Designation: F-rank voident Class: Seismic Shifter Affiliation: Accari Crows Last known level: 11 Bounty: 15 Silver] "This goblinkin has taken over a level 5 to 9 hunting field in Theria''s Hollow, about 100 kilometres from here, and he is holding that entire valley hostage with his gang. The NPCs in the safe zone that is surrounded by that hunting field can''t leave Theria''s Hollow; they can''t eat or get any supplies without paying a toll to him. He has taken over the two dungeons in that area, as well as a small lucent stone mine. Even though he and his red NPCs can''t go into the village as it is a safe zone, they still own the surrounding yellow zones around the village. Besides, he has a bunch of neutral associates working for him inside the village,¡± she informed him. ¡°From the reports, it seems like he''s forcing the villagers to mine for him or get sacrificed for his Void Gem. He is keeping the entire valley of Theria''s Hollow isolated using an F-rank Void Pearl. We need you to capture him for us and record it.¡± This was puzzling to Langa, he''d thought that they needed him for something that they could not do, but this was a pretty simple task. He frowned, were they testing him? "You''re like the Tower police, aren''t you? You''re all at level 25 from what I saw when I tried to scan you, so I don''t see how it would be an issue to capture one level 11 player and his goons. You don''t need me for this. Is this some kind of test or something, because, let me tell you, I hate being manipulated?" "No one is manipulating you. You''re a high-ranking newbie, we would recruit you, no questions asked if you wanted. The problem is that the laws of the Tower prohibit mortals from fighting against someone ten or more levels, or in the higher levels, a Tier, below them. The lower-level mortal will be protected by an impenetrable shield, and the higher-level mortal will suffer up to like 300 or 400% backlash damage unless the lower-level mortal attacks first," Jandri explained. She looked at him thoughtfully. ¡°Most of our players are higher level, and when we come down to the first ten Floors, the system keeps our levels locked at 25, which is the maximum level for the Ground Storey. Unfortunately, in the Guardians, we don''t have a lot of players below level 25, it is mostly NPCs, so the gangs in the lower Floors have wisened up, keeping themselves below level 15, making it hard for us to attack them. We can''t exactly force our newer Guardians to stay below level 15, everyone wants to grow stronger." Oh, that made sense, he supposed. This was probably why Alfsol wanted the new players to work hard and be motivated so that the Guardians could recruit them. It seemed that the rule had been created to protect lower-level players from being bullied by the higher levels, however, criminals were now abusing this part of the system. Langa was mildly interested. Would fighting voidents be more exciting than fighting monsters? "Okay, tell me more about this guy." "Grion Fidser is an NPC, and he used to be a miner in Theria''s Hollow. I don''t know what happened or who got to him, but he joined the Accari Crows and started recruiting people into the gang, and they all rapidly started gaining levels. He and his subordinate even got into Tier 1," Jandri told him. "A couple of weeks ago, they erected a void veil over the village and the mine, and they made demands, threatening to attack any supply carriages that came into the valley, so we know the villagers are starving. The Accari Crows are selling lucent stones from the mine on the auction site, and according to our network, Fidser had a falling out with his guild master and struck it big a day ago. He found a C-Rank skill book, and he is trying to sell it on the Dent auction site without informing the Accari Crows leadership. The auction ends in two days, so we have to get him before then. When he gets the money, he might just run off because his bosses won''t take his embezzlement well." "Can I keep the skill, if I find it?" Langa asked. "Sure, as long as it hasn''t been sold yet. But I don''t know what skill it is. Since they got it in the mine, it¡¯s probably just a mining skill," she shrugged. Langa understood now why the Guardians were treating him well. They needed him to catch this guy before he got his money and ran off somewhere else, and they were on a time crunch. "Okay, but what makes you think that I can defeat this guy? I''m only level 10. Isn''t fighting mortals harder than fighting monsters? I''ve never fought against a mortal before." "You can, you''re in the top five of your batch, Langa, you''re talented." If someone had said that to him back on earth, Langa would have agreed. He''d known that he was talented, and he had proved it time and again on the track. But it was different here, he was no one, a newbie from a lost world, lacking in both information and training. "How do you know that I wasn''t just lucky?" he asked her. "Luck is also a talent," Jandri said. "You don''t have to worry. It''s not like we are using you. We''ll pay you the bounty, and if you fight well, the deities watching you will be impressed, allowing you to gain a good sponsor maybe. Many guilds look at the videos on the Dent when they want to recruit new players. If you record yourself, we will upload your recording onto the Dent for you, so you can capitalise on saving Theria''s Hollow to raise your worth. We can make you look like a hero, Langa." He was admittedly tempted. The thought of joining one of the top guilds and living a leisurely life in the Tower while being supported by them while he lazed around doing whatever he wanted was appealing. He would probably have to go and hunt some voidents now and then, but he felt like if he was skilled, he would be able to do whatever he wanted in his free time and look for his family. However, he did not know if he wanted to go back to a life of being in the public eye, it just brought too much bullshit to his peaceful life. Being a hero sounded like too much pressure, with people piling expectations on him. He just wanted to live freely, doing what he wanted without living for anyone else. He had already given too much of his life to living for his family. "I''m not interested in being a hero." "Then we can make you look like a villain if that''s what you want. There are plenty of guilds that like those types of players. The Guardians don''t care if you break the Floor''s laws, as long as you don''t become a voident or break the Tower''s laws, you can be a villain, even a red player, and still freelance for us," she told him with a shrug. ¡°I mean Black Fist Na¡¯koma is an unstable and out-of-control killer but I¡¯d be a fool to deny that he''s the best damn voident hunter outside of the Guardians.¡± "I just want to find my family. Can''t you guys just post on the forums and search for them?" This was all that he cared about right now. But Jandri shook her head. "Listen, the Dent isn''t regulated by The Unrivalled like the system is. It''s a network, a mass of endless mana signatures. You can only directly contact people privately on their comcers if you''ve both exchanged mana signatures, so that is safe. But on the forums, anyone can be anyone. It''s too risky. You can get a decent Seer to try and divine their location. Our best Seer is currently stuck on the 6th Floor, so we can''t help you there. Voidents hate our guild, and if they found out we were posting looking for your family, they would hunt them, just to spite us. If you, a verified top ten player, broadcast that you are looking for your family, you''d just be inviting vultures into your camp too. There are plenty of people with mind-reading and mind-control powers, they can pretend to be your family and tell you details that only your family will know. They''ll scam you out of coins and karma," Jandri explained. "Any enemies you make could use certain skills to find your family, in order to get to you, thus, you searching for them publicly would put them in danger." Damn it, it was almost exactly what Lady Mira had told him. He understood what she was saying, but, "I don''t have any enemies." Except for Kindaro perhaps. "It doesn''t matter, even the smallest conflict can have dire consequences," she continued. "Mercenaries, adventurers, shamuses, hunters and many other classes may find your family and hold them hostage to get to you. Don''t get me started on voidents. You don''t need to provoke those types of people, Langa, just by being strong, being in the top ten¡ªyour very existence¡ªis a provocation to some of them." What the hell kind of world was this? Langa wanted to swear. "In fact, it''s all the more reason to work with us. If you hunt voidents, and we post your exploits on the Dent, your karma and reputation will increase. If you''re good, word about you will spread on this, and every other Floor, and your family will know about you. Then, if you become famous on the Dent, they will be able to find you or find a way to reach you. Your account will be verified, so they will know that it is not a scam." That was not something that Langa had considered. He had thought that his hopes of finding his family were dashed when Mira told him what a bad idea it was to post about searching for them on the forums. But, since his account was verified, they could be able to find him instead. "Okay, I''ll go after this Fidser guy, but only after I''ve done my own research into the voidents and stuff. However, I need a contract, or whatever is equivalent in this world," Langa said, coming to a decision. While he did not love the attention, he did not hate it either. If people thought that he was strong, then they were less likely to bother him. Plus he needed money, and part of him wanted to test his strength. "In return, you must help me search for my family." "We''ll give you a freelance contract once you produce results. If you need equipment, information and any other help, let me know, and I''ll have it prepared for you," she told him. But Langa shook his head. "I appreciate the special treatment, really I do. But if I accept equipment and items from you guys without working or earning them, that will reduce the karma I earn right? So, I''ll let you know if I need something, but this much help is enough." "Fair enough, you can never have enough karma, even deities fight divine wars for the smallest amount of karma. Rest for today. I''ll have one of our lower-level guild members act as a guide for you from tomorrow." She pulled out three items from her inventory. One was a small clear crystal bracelet, the other a plain black amulet, and the third a plain black ring. "This doesn''t count as extra help because these are necessary items when hunting voidents. Bind this crystal bracelet to your comcer. It''s a vicomcer, it allows you to take videos and record yourself. These next two items are only to be used when you are carrying out your duties for us. This is a Deiform Amulet, you can use it to weaken and seal the voident''s skills, and the Deiform Ring will help you dispel the effects of the Void Pearls. Just remember that at your level, these artefacts will only protect you against Void Pearls, not higher Void Gems." He took the items from her, and she smiled at him and then left. He looked at the three items and then examined them. [Standard Issue Vicomcer A basic video recording device used in the tower. Must be bound to a comcer for activation. Records up to 13 hours of footage at a time. Can only store 13 videos at a time.] [Guardian''s Deiform Amulet Artefact Rank: Divine (The Unrivalled Tower Master) Effects: Will drain both MP and Stamina when clasped onto a target''s wrist. -Marks the target with a soul brand that seals all active, passive and divine skills that a target holds. All branded targets, alive or dead, are teleported to The Roving Arcane Carcere for trial. -Upon use, the amulet replicates, and a new one is retained by the user. (Please note: This Divine Artefact can only be used by those Blessed by The Unrivalled Tower Master, or those authorised to do so by a Guardian Knight of Order. This Divine Artefact can only be used on those designated as voidents in the system.) Currently effective against: F-Rank voidents only. This item only works on a voident whose movement has been incapacitated in some way. This can be due to an unconscious state, death or status effects that cause immobility like freeze or stun.] [Guardian''s Deiform Ring Artefact Rank: Divine (The Unrivalled Tower Master) Effects: Dispels unauthorised void magic when infused with enough mana, and protects the user from unauthorised void magic. The rank of void magic dispelled is dependent on the user''s darkness resistance and MP. -Casts a charge that drains karma from all Void Gems. The rank of Void Gems drained scales with the user''s level. Currently effective against Void Pearls only. (Please note: This Divine Artefact can only be used by those Blessed by The Unrivalled Tower Master, or those authorised to do so by a Guardian Knight of Order.) Charges: 5/5] Langa read the descriptions of the two artefacts and paused. He was not Blessed by The Unrivalled, so did that mean that he had been authorised to use these two items by the Guardian Knight? From the way everyone in the square had been awed, this Guardian Knight had to be powerful. He would ask Jandri about their guild master when he had time. For now, he lay down on the bed, wondering if working with the Guardians was the right choice to make. If his sister were here, she would probably shout at him for just going along with this. It was how he had lived his whole life, going with the flow, and he had been told many times that he lacked initiative. Langa never understood what the big deal was. He much preferred sitting back and letting others lead, so that he could be free, idly doing whatever he wanted without having to carry people''s expectations. He did not mind being used as a pawn to make the Guardians look good, as long as he earned money and gained enough karma to maintain his ranking. He could guess that it was an issue for the Guardians that they were failing to deal with low-level voidents, and if they could publish proof on the Dent that they had someone working with them who could take care of these voidents, it would probably raise people''s confidence in them. He was no stranger to being in the spotlight, he''d been on sports shows, and he had done a few endorsement deals for energy drinks and trainer lines. Khaya always said that if he were not an athlete, he could have made a career just from modelling, but he did not care about that because he preferred to sit on the sidelines. Besides, it was not like he was joining the Guardians, he was also using them to find his family and become stronger by fighting voidents, so that he could get his footing in this world. Voidents, huh? That was what Fi Kindaro III said he wanted to become in order to obtain power. If Langa wanted to stand against him, he needed to learn how these types of people fought, so that when he finally faced the bastard, he would have the upper hand. 20. Floor 1: Valley of Guardians (3) Langa lay in bed, his head filled with thoughts of home, responsibilities, and family. Khaya. At nineteen, he knew that his niece was an adult and could take care of herself, but this was a different world, and his heart ached when he thought about her being in danger with no one by her side. Neo had been with Pranav the night of the Tower integration, and Langa knew that if two players had been close to each other, the possibilities were high for them to be placed in the same tutorial, like Kindaro and Ghol. He did not know if he should hope that Neo and Pranav ended up in the same tutorial or not. For all his faults, Pranav always protected the members of his gang, and Neo had always been special to him. Besides, Neo was both resourceful and a decent fighter himself. He sighed, his thoughts shifting to his sister. For all his shortcomings, her husband treated her well, so he really hoped that Kgosi would protect his sister no matter what until Langa found them. He would still try to get to his family using the Guardians'' way, but maybe he ought to try those Seers or clairvoyants that Lady Mira mentioned as well. Yeah, since he was planning to go into the city tomorrow, as there was also a skill that he wanted to buy, he would also look for the Seers. He also wanted to visit the library as well, to learn more about the Tower and the deities. Tonight he was going to read those Relgtes that Alfsol had given them. He wanted to know more about the gods governing this Tower and about The Unrivalled. Langa had never been smart in school, but if there was one thing that he loved doing, it was studying ancient gods and myths because it was the only thing that he knew his father liked to do. Here in the Tower, it was a treasure trove of religion, and he could not wait to get into it. For now, however, he wanted to take a nice, long, hot bath and then sleep comfortably for the first time in what felt like years. It wasn''t night, but he was mentally exhausted from everything that had happened today. He sat in that rocky bathtub and slightly infused his mana into the blue crystal. A few glyphs lit up, and cold water poured out of it slowly. He shivered, quickly infusing mana into the red crystal as well, and the water heated up. Wow, he thought, as he found the right balance of temperature and let the water fill the bathrock, this was cool. There was a liquid in a small container next to the bathtub that he assumed had to be soap, he poured it into the water, and it gave off a lavender-like fragrance. He lay contentedly in the water. Seven days of bathing in cold town hall water had made him appreciate this even more. Lying here in a lavender bubble bath of warm water, Langa could pretend that he was back home. After his fulfilling bath, Langa went back to bed. The blankets were made of some soft new material, and he did not care what it was as he nestled himself inside. The first thing that he did was open his comcer interface to familiarise himself with the Dent. It reminded him of endless nights scrolling the internet on his phone, and he almost laughed. [Welcome to the Dent, @langelihle. Please choose which menu you wish to access. 1. My profile 2. Tower-wide Leader boards 3. Deiwos Tower Karma Store (Paid Content) 4. Tower-wide Forums (may include InForum Payments) 5. Floor Maps, Dungeon Guides and Quests Help, by Floor (Paid Content) 6. Open Deity Challenges 7. Player/NPC Broadcasts (Paid Content) 8. Player/NPC Offered Quests 9. Player/NPC Auctions (Paid Content) 10. The Infinite Challenge (LOCKED) 11. Celestial Clash (Includes free and paid content) 12. News and Featured Content 13. Guild Zone] Langa selected his profile, and it showed his username, buttons to go live, and an empty screen where his recorded videos were supposed to be. He had (0) viewers, (0) subscribers, (0) earned coins, and (0) earned karma. That made him pause. Could he really earn karma from people watching his videos? He supposed that since karma reflected a being''s impact on the world, then yes, being watched by millions of people across the Tower would increase his karma. There was not much to see on his profile, so he went to check the Tower-wide leaderboards. There were many different leaderboards, mostly showing player rankings per tutorial batch. There were leaderboards for the highest karma earned, highest floor climbed, highest level reached, fastest to clear a floor, and first to earn sponsorships, among many others. There were even separate leaderboards for NPCs. Langa selected the tutorial batch #4 leaderboards, but only the one for karma earned during the tutorial was filled, and it showed the same list that he''d already seen, with him in fourth place. There were also overall player rankings and overall guild rankings as well. It seemed that the generally most accepted definitive player ranking was that of karma earned. As such, Langa checked the overall individual karma earned leaderboard, just to see how far apart he was from the strongest players in this Tower. These were the people that he would hopefully compete against in the future if he became strong enough.
Name (Epithet) Tutorial Batch Guild Highest Floor
1. Hucielbicon (The Pioneer) 1 Menika Shin 31
2. Kimi''Nda Shin 1 Menika Shin 31
3. Abchanchu Nocnitsa 1 Hallow Reaper Cult 30
4. Joh Kindaro V (The Dark-Elf Slayer) 1 Soh Piquamu Guild 28
5. Hidden (Quintessence) 1 Hidden 28
6. Kian Dir Besta (Galebringer) 1 Dungeon Seekers 29
7. Jareeksha (The Unbound) 1 None 29
8. Merreddyd 2 Guardians Guild 29
9. Hidden (The Soundless Assassin) 1 (Hidden) 27
10. Alfsol Serene Dulenta 1 Guardians Guild 29
He did not know any of these people, but he knew that it was impressive for the guild master of the Guardians to have made it to the top ten Rankers when she was only from tutorial batch #2. She must have beat out millions of people who were in batch #1. Also, Alfsol was in the top ten as well, and he''d come all the way down to the 1st Floor for Langa. That was interesting, and it stroked his ego a bit. Another name that caught his attention was that of another Kindaro. Honestly, Langa thought, rubbing his temple, how many of them were there? This Joh Kindaro V had come into the Tower with the first tutorial batch, which meant that he had been Chosen by their god, The Demon King of The Thousand Undead Knights. He was already so far ahead of his siblings; no wonder Fi Kindaro III had been so anxious during the tutorial. It seemed like there were only two players who had cleared the 30th floor, and they were still on the 31st Floor for now, so there was no one to give Langa news about what was happening on the 36th Floor. Well, that was to be expected, after all, the 31st Floor had only been open for a week. He wondered how long it would take until the 35th floor was cleared and people could go into the 36th Floor. Judging by the date, this Tower had been open for 12 years, which meant that it had taken the players 12 years to clear 30 Floors. That was roughly 2.5 Floors per year, but he could not be sure, some Floors were probably easier to clear than others. What he knew, at the very least, was that, going by this estimate, it would take at least 3 years before any player could enter the 36th Floor. Well, that was depressing, especially considering that the days in the tower were 26 hours long and there were 13 months in a year. None of this meant much to him, but he was curious about one of the names Jandri mentioned when talking about freelancers, Na¡¯koma, because he didn''t see him on the top ten rankers list. He discovered why a moment later. Na¡¯koma was from tutorial batch 2, he was the top voident hunter from that batch, but not strong enough to be on the overall top ten. Closing the list of the most powerful players in this Deiwos Tower, Langa opened the list of the strongest guilds instead. He wanted to check the overall guild rankings as well, in case any of them ever tried to recruit him. That was actually relevant for him right now, as he was thinking about choosing a guild.
Guild Name Guild Creation Rank Date Created (DWT.T) Guild Master Patron Deity
1.Menika Shin S 30/07/01 MDCCLXXIII Kimi''Nda Shin The Red Flaming Blade of Menika
2. Hallow Reaper Cult A 19/01/01 MDCCLXXIII Abchanchu Nocnitsa The True Deathbringer of The Demon Reaper
3. Guardians Guild S 11/01/01 MDCCLXXIII Merreddyd The Unrivalled Tower Master
4. Incantatrix Sorcerers B 16/13/01 MDCCLXXIII Baelira Muyo The Uninhibited Lone WitchSeer of Kally
5. Maunolin Clan A 20/03/02 MDCCLXXIII Poinsettia The Holy Ruler of The Forgotten and Abandoned Grassland
6. Shadowmancer Pirates A 29/11/01 MDCCLXXIII (Hidden) The Faceless King of the Hidden Mask
7. The Oceantide Eels B 07/05/03 MDCCLXXIII Mi Mia Doranis Mami Watta
8. Soh Piquamu Guild S 02/08/05 MDCCLXXIII Joh Kindaro V The Demon King of The Thousand Undead Knights
9. Dungeon Seekers Guild B 09/09/01 MDCCLXXIII Zymbi''Onaeve The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm
10. Vonelle Heilliege Guild B 22/07/03 MDCCLXXIII Latiga Hintazo The Three Fallen Siblings of The Deiwos Clan
So, the Guardians really were as strong a guild as they had said. From this list, Langa knew that even if they recruited him, there were two guilds that he would never join. The first was The Hallow Reaper Cult, because it was sponsored by Liv''s father, and there was too much bad blood there. Also, Eniche had said that The Demon Reaper''s Avatar had destroyed her whole world, so Langa wanted no part in that type of guild. The second guild that he would never join was the one sponsored by Kindaro''s patron deity, the Soh Piquamu Guild, for obvious reasons. It seemed most of the guilds had been formed in the first year of this Deiwos Tower. He wondered who had been the guild master of The Guardians at that time since Merreddyd was from the second tutorial batch. Just as he was browsing the guild rankings, his comcer beeped. Liv''s name appeared on the comcer interface, and Langa smiled. He had not expected Liv to contact him on the first day. "Hello?" he answered. "Langa, hey. Did you settle in okay, on the 1st Floor? Did you land in the starting city of a good guild? No one took advantage of you, right? They didn''t pressure you into signing any contracts, did they?" Liv''s voice sounded worried on the line. He could not help but laugh. "Yes, Mum, I settled in fine, and I was not pressured into anything, so don''t worry," he answered, unable to stifle his laugh. Liv snorted. "Don''t mock me. You have no idea how dangerous certain guilds can be, especially to new, naive players from lost worlds. Where''d you end up?" "I''m with the Guardians Guild. I think that they want to use me, but they seem decent enough, so I made a deal with them," he said honestly. "Hmm... yeah, the Guardians are probably a good place for you," Liv agreed. "You know them?" Langa asked. Sure, Liv had lived with all this knowledge about gods, Towers and the multiverse his whole life, but he was also new to the Deiwos Tower. "All Towers have a Guardians Guild, Langa. It''s The Unrivalled''s personal force of order. Their strength differs per Tower, though. Here they seem fairly strong, and have good authority over the voidents," Liv explained. "Meanwhile, I''m stuck in the south of the capital, in a small town managed by the Menika Shin Guild. They won''t stop pestering me to join them." The Menika Shin Guild? Langa raised his eyebrows, "The number one player in our tutorial batch just randomly ended up in the territory of the number one guild in the Tower? What are the odds of that?" he asked sceptically. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. There was frustration in Liv''s voice when he answered. "Zero. Their patron deity is the head of the Deiwos Clan, I''m sure that she pulled some strings for them. It''s not just me either, there are other members from our top ten here." It was nice to get even more confirmation that it wasn''t just South Africa that had corruption among its leaders, even in the Tower, literal gods only favoured their own. He shook his head. What Lady Mira told him was true after all. Alfsol had come down here because he''d known that Langa would be placed in Guardians territory as well. "Sounds like all the worlds across the multiverse are the same, then," he said. "Yeah. Well, if you''re in the Valley of Guardians, then you''re too far away from me. Let''s meet in the capital, that will be better," Liv said. "Sure, I don''t mind. But doesn''t it cost money to get there? All I have are the coins I earned from the tutorial," Langa reminded him. He pulled up the 1st Floor map that Alfsol had given him. He saw that the capital was almost 15 000 kilometres away from Risa''s Plateau. Gods, that would have been the equivalent of an 18-hour flight from Johannesburg to New York! He had no idea how much it would cost here, but he was 100 per cent sure that he could not afford it. Liv was silent for a moment, and then he agreed. "You''re right. Let''s meet up in twenty days. There''s going to be a celebration for new players in the capital, at the start of the month of Earth, so let''s meet then," he suggested. "For now, go raid some fields, close some rifts, or clear some dungeons and earn some coin. If you need anything, you have my mana signature. Just ask." "I will. I still have a lot to learn, so I''m going to take my time studying this world before doing anything crazy," Langa told him, lying comfortably down on the bed. "Good, but, listen, I''ll give you some unsolicited advice, okay? These first 52 hours on the 1st Floor are very important, especially for us Rankers in the top ten, because multiple deities are watching us. If you can''t hold their attention, they will turn away from you, and it''s not easy to get those eyes back on you. So, my advice is to make a spectacle, hell, I''ve already started. Show the deities who you are, what your strengths are, and what you stand for. That way, you will be offered a Sponsorship Challenge by a powerful deity," Liv told him earnestly. This was basically adding to what Jandri and Alfsol had told him, even Lady Mira had insinuated as much. Most of the Rankers on Tower''s overall top ten belonged to guilds, and Langa assumed that they also had deities looking after them. "Is it really necessary to choose a deity?" For a few seconds, it seemed that Liv contemplated the question. "I wouldn''t say necessary, but not having one limits your growth. For the sacrifice of a small percentage of your karma, and following some of their rules, they can give you unimaginable power. That power becomes yours, and it''s not easily taken away either, because when giving sponsorships, they also have to sign a system contract, and The Unrivalled does not forgive anyone who attempts to break system contracts," he said. "I heard that punishments for deities who break their word are very steep. So, even if you don''t want to have a patron deity and you wish to remain Unbound, you still need to impress them, because you need them to give you divine skills. Without divine skills, your life in the Tower will be much harder." Langa supposed that this made sense. Well, he had not been planning to be Unbound, anyway, that seemed like unnecessarily complicating his climb. He wanted to take the shortest and quickest path possible so that he could return to Earth with enough power to protect himself and his family. But he also wanted to enjoy himself, living peacefully while competing with other players in races, dungeoneering, and whatever else brought stimulation to his life. ¡°Okay, I get that we have to choose, but why so early?¡± Langa asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to know the deities better first and their rules and stuff before choosing?¡± He could hear Liv¡¯s laugh clearly. ¡°Do you realise that for most people, things like that are general knowledge that they grew up with? You know the basics about the deities in your world don¡¯t you?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s the same for most of us, just on a wider scale.¡± ¡°Okay, fair,¡± Langa said. ¡°Isn¡¯t Tier 1 too early, though?¡± There was a pause, then Liv said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to put this, but you lose a lot the longer you wait. Right now you have a common Fighter Class but if your deity gives you a Challenge for an uncommon class and you pass, you¡¯ll gain more stats per level. That means if you start at level 11 vs someone who starts at level 19, you¡¯ll be much stronger. It¡¯s the same with skills. Basically, at Tier 1, the deities can mould you into the ideal soldier for their divine wars, tailoring your skills to suit your class. Remember there is also a restriction on the number of Blessings you can earn per Tier. You want to fill that up every Tier and your deity and those allied with them come in handy with those Blessing Quests.¡± That explained a lot. Langa would hate to fall behind because of indecision. He put it in words he understood. ¡°So the deities are basically grooming us.¡± ¡°Yes, you nailed it,¡± Liv said, even as a stream of messages too fast to read crossed Langa¡¯s vision of deities either laughing or denying the claim. "You know a lot about these deities; are there any that you can recommend to me?" Langa asked, lying comfortably on the bed. "That''s going to have to be up to you. I will say this though, it''s not always better to choose a god over a constellation. Constellations have fewer mortals bound to them, so they will be more likely to pay more attention to you and your growth compared to gods. Also, depending on the rank of the god they follow, it might be better to be sponsored by a high-tier constellation than a low-tier god," Liv told him. "Alright, thank you, Liv. I mean it," Langa said. [Many constellations are pleased with Player Liv''Kungsadu''s statement.] [The high-tier constellation: Pokukrom, The Giver of The Cleansing Flame, hopes that you listen to your friend when the time comes, for he is wise.] After ending the call, Langa was glad. He was happy that Liv kept his promise to contact him once they got to the Tower, and he was happy because now he had a goal. He had somewhere to be in twenty days, and in the meantime, he had to earn some money. He now had a starting line, and all he had to do now, was to get set and ready to run. * Langa was fascinated with the holy books that he read last night as he lay in bed. The Relgte contained information regarding the history of the gods. He had read the first few pages of The Relgte of The Deiwos Clan and was surprised that the clan consisted of both saint gods and demon gods. From what he knew, demon gods were agents of Death while saint gods were agents of Life, and they were always at war with each other, but evidently, that was not the case here. Perhaps it depended on who the gods were. He was interested in reading more about the god who had helped him in the tutorial, but even though The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm was the deputy leader of the Deiwos Clan, there was surprisingly very little information about him in their Relgtes. Would Langa have to read his own specific Relgte instead of the clan''s Relgte to learn more about this god? He put all that out of his mind, however, when he woke up the next morning. He once again sat in that rocky bathtub and activated the fire and water-lucent crystals, and the warm water trickled into the tub. He was still finding it hard to believe that he was living in a fantasy world, but well, that was why he was going into the city today to get more information. Langa got dressed in his torn leather trousers, boots, and jacket after his bath. He needed to buy new clothes and armour. ¡°Good morning, sir. I¡¯m Mesala, AD Jandri said that I should be your guide throughout the day,¡± the young man who brought him breakfast after he was done with his bath, said. He was a kitekin with long, dark, feathery hair. His short wings were folded neatly behind his back as he stood there, bowing before Langa. What the hell? Langa thought, feeling his heart sink. A respectful kid who wanted to stay by his side? He immediately thought of Makoto, and how he¡¯d died because of him. He did not need to think about him right now, not while he was still weak, powerless, and lacking in information. If he thought of Makoto right now, his heart would burn with the need for revenge, the need to kill Kindaro, but he did not have the power to do that at the moment. Seeing this kid was like adding salt to his wounds. He used his title skill, just to check the boy¡¯s details.
Name: Mesala Rihd Eno Race: Kitekin
Age: 18 Character: Non-Player
Level: 11 Class: Culinarian
Available Karma: 7 429 Total Karma: 10 354
Deity: Low-tier constellation: [Gasrfdez The Wild] - Disciple Highest Floor 1/101 (Deiwos Towers) - CONFINED
Attribute: N/A Available Respawns: 1/2
This kid was an NPC? Were NPCs allowed to join guilds? Actually, now that Langa thought about it, there was no reason for NPCs not to be strong or sponsored by deities. They could do everything that players could do: defeat field and raid bosses, clear dungeons, and join guilds. The only difference was that NPCs were confined to one Floor, and would therefore be limited to the maximum level allowed on that Floor. The Guardians probably had more luck recruiting NPCs as their members, especially in the lower Floors as NPCs had a level cap that they could reach, unlike players. Well, all that was beside the point. The point was that this boy reminded him too much of Makoto and Langa did not want him around. ¡°Get lost, and tell Jandri that I said I don¡¯t need a guide,¡± Langa snapped at the kid. The boy''s lip trembled, and he shook his head stubbornly. "But I''m under orders to stay with you. Also, AD Jandri wanted me to give you this, for you to bind it to your comcer," he said, handing Langa a thin silver bracelet. [Standard Issue Guardians Guild Voident Database Basic Link to the Guardians Guild Voident Database for Tier 0 to Tier 2 Voidents. Press the button to scan any suspected individuals. May automatically identify high priority targerts. This device is issued to all Tier 1 and 2 Guardians. Must be bound to a comcer for activation.] Langa took it from him and placed it on his wrist, infusing it with mana. Sure enough, it disappeared into the comcer, and a new button appeared. How did this damn comcer even work, anyway? It just kept binding more weird bracelets and gaining more functions. "Thanks for the scanner and the food. Now leave me alone," he said. "I...I can''t leave. I''ll be in trouble if I don''t help you," Mesala''s voice cracked. "AD Jandri gave me strict orders." Well, this was getting annoying. "Is that so? Well, in that case, I''ll call your boss'' boss and have him sort it out for me." Langa opened up the interface on his comcer, searching for Alfsol''s contact details, and used the mana signature to call him. As he brought his wrist up to his ear and the comcer beeped, Langa wondered if Alfsol would answer, or if he was too busy. "Yes?" The elf answered, clearly annoyed. Langa cleared his throat, "Hi, it''s Langa from yesterday, I''m-" "I know, what do you want?" Oh, he sounded pissed off, so Langa decided to be straightforward. "I need you to tell your subordinates to leave me alone. I don''t need a guide, I want to go into the city by myself." "Langa," Alfsol sighed in frustration, it was audible over the comcer. "Do you have any idea what I am doing right now?" "Clearing the 29th Floor?" Langa guessed. "So you do know. The two leaders of the Menika Shin Guild are both on the 31st Floor right now, the guild master of the Hallow Reaper Cult is on the 30th, and Unbound Jareeksha is apparently close to clearing the 29th Floor. Tell me why, instead of helping Merreddyd clear the 29th Floor and maintain our guild ranking, I am talking to you right now?" Alfsol snapped. He sounded like he had serious problems, but still, it wasn''t like Langa didn''t know his worth to the Guardians. "Because you promised me special treatment? I''m guessing that the Guardians don''t have a good reputation on the lower Floors, which is something that I could change, starting by capturing one of your headaches in Theria''s Hollow. I''ll make you guys look like saints who care about the poor NPCs being held hostage by the voidents. All you need to do is give me my privacy and let me be free to do as I please without being watched." There was silence for a moment, and then Alfsol laughed. "Truly, you are an interesting human. Fine, do as you please, but make sure to make us look good. I''ll tell Jandri to only assist you if you request it. Is there anything else you want? I''m going into a dungeon tomorrow, so I might be unreachable for a few days." "That''s it, thanks," Langa said in relief, glad that he had not made the deputy guild master of a powerful guild mad. Not just the deputy guild master either, but a person who was a Ranker in the overall top ten of the Tower. Mesala gaped at him as soon as he ended the call. "You have DP Alfsol''s mana signature? That''s amazing!" The boy said, his eyes filled with awe. "Whatever. You won''t get into trouble for not guiding me anymore, so you can go now." Langa dismissed him. He knew that he was being rude, but Mesala was more likely to leave him alone if he thought that he was an arsehole. The boy did not appear to be discouraged, though. He nodded and held out his wrist. "Let''s exchange mana signatures. You can contact me when you get to the city if you need something. And share your 1st Floor map with me as well," he said. Langa knew that he might need the help later, so he had no choice but to exchange mana signatures with him. He''d learned how to share his maps with others from Liv back in the tutorial. "Tell me what you want to buy, and I''ll mark the best places for you to shop from. No one knows Risa''s Plateau as well as I do here. I grew up there," Mesala said. "Make sure it''s places that are affordable. I''m broke," Langa said. He supposed that it wouldn''t hurt to get help from the kid, and he did not want to waste time running around Risa''s Plateau, so he told him. "I want to buy some new armour, new daggers, a new skill, and I also want to visit a Seer." "Well, if you don''t have coin, our guild''s Crafting Cave is out of the question for you," he said. Mesala was deep in thought for a second, and then he marked two locations on Langa''s map. "I''m not too well informed on Seers, so you can take this with a grain of salt. I know people say that this Seer is accurate, she''s a Disciple of a constellation that follows one of the main gods of the Deiwos Clan. The Seers are just past the marketplace," he said. Pointing to the second location, he continued, "Without much coin, I doubt you will be able to buy any skills, but this shop will have everything you need, from armour, to weapons, to skills and items. The owner, Rekona, will give you discounts if you buy a lot of stuff. He also knows where to farm certain skills, but he might not tell you. Just give him my name and he''ll help you. You might have to haggle with him a bit, though, he loves money." "Thanks," Langa said, closing his interface once the spots were marked. He could see why Jandri had chosen Mesala as his guide. He was clearly knowledgeable about Risa''s Plateau. "Yes sir," he beamed. "Please finish your breakfast. I''ll go and secure a seat for you in the lucent carriage." After saying this, Mesala left Langa alone to eat his food. The breakfast was some large egg that he¡¯d never seen before and some wheat bread with ginger tea. He didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d expected, but it honestly tasted like regular bread and eggs from home. He had been too exhausted to even think about eating yesterday after the tutorial. The food was not much, but after eating only tutorial rations and some rabbit meat during the tutorial, this food was welcome. He could remember the last time that someone had made breakfast especially for him, and it was Khaya. She had come to his flat early one morning two weeks ago with groceries and made him a hearty breakfast of chicken livers, bread, and grilled tomatoes. He really hoped that girl was safe. As he ate, Langa planned his day. First, he would go shopping for armour and a self-healing skill, then he would go find the Seer. After that, depending on what she told him, he would go to the library to do some serious studying. Then, he would find out all the information he could about Theria''s Hollow, as well as his target. Tomorrow was when he would go and start hunting the voident, as it would still be within the stipulated 52 hours before the Challenge Embargo lifted. This way, he could make his name known, gaining the attention of the deities. He would have the Guardians post his adventures on the Dent, and stand in the spotlight so that if any members of his family saw his videos, they would know where to find him, and that he was safe. 21. Floor 1: Risas Plateau (1) After breakfast, Langa finally used the lucent carriage that the other players had used to get down to the valley yesterday. It looked like a bigger version of an old-school medieval closed carriage, but also like a cabin, similar to those used as gondola lifts. He had used one of those once when he was visiting Cape Town, and this reminded him of it. The difference was that the lucent carriage was not connected to any wires or cableways; it just travelled in the air, not tethered to anything. There were different sizes of the lucent carriages, each with a specific number of passengers that they could carry. The one that Langa chose had multiple seats for the passengers, about twenty in total, and he went to sit by himself upfront, pointedly ignoring any of the other players who tried to speak to him. He sat behind the driver so that he could see what made the lucent carriage fly. Instead of a normal steering wheel, the controls were two steering wheels, shaped like a ship''s helm, each of them with two different colours of lucent crystals all over them, that the driver seemed to be controlling. One colour was purple, meaning that the crystals at the helm were emitting mainly gravity mana, while the other was colourless, emitting air mana. Did this thing fly because the driver maintained a balance between gravity and wind while it was in the air? That was fascinating to consider. Once Langa entered the lucent carriage at the valley''s base, the sturdy cabin swayed slightly as it took to the air. He looked out the window to see the beautiful backdrop of nature. As the lucent carriage went up, the valley below gradually disappeared from the eye, becoming nothing more than a distant picture of greenery. They moved steadily, not nearly half as fast as the falcon yesterday, giving Langa ample time to look out the window and see the three mountains that surrounded the Valley of Guardians better. The higher they went into the air, the more noise from below the mountains died down, with whispers between the players in the carriage being the only things disturbing the gentle sound of the wind outside. Sometimes, when the carriage went past the trees peeking out of the mountainside, Langa could see the small forests teeming with wildlife and what looked like monsters roaming around as well. As they passed the various fields, he could see some players already fighting against the monsters. It seemed that they had taken Alfsol''s advice to heart. The carriage took a sharp turn, flying towards the highest peak in this series of mountains, and there, sitting on the large mountain as if it belonged there, was the great city of Risa¡¯s Plateau. Reaching the summit, the carriage arrived past the transportation bay from yesterday and docked gently in what looked to be a lucent carriage rank. This short journey, a seamless transition from the Valley of Guardians to the mountain city of Risa¡¯s Plateau, was both fascinating and a true sight to behold. The best part about it was that Mesala had covered Langa''s fare, so he didn''t have to part with his coin. Langa alighted the carriage, moved quickly to ignore the other players, and focused on his map. He was going to pass through the marketplace to reach the place that Mesala had marked for him. Thankfully, it was not far from the lucent carriage rank, and he could walk there. In the busy city marketplace, narrow graphite streets wound through a series of market stalls decorated with colourful banners as well as guild symbols or paintings of different deities. Merchants of various races peddled a wide array of odd-looking trinkets, from ornate rings and amulets to mysterious potions and pills promising unbelievable effects. Langa had no idea if any of these products were able to do what the merchants claimed, and he wondered if he should have brought that young Guardian with him after all. Still, he pushed past the overcrowded streets of the marketplace, heading towards the general shop that was marked on his map. His leather armour had been torn to shreds in the final tutorial battle, and he also wanted to buy some throwing daggers and javelins if he could find them. He could not help but look around as he walked, though. Shrines dedicated to multiple deities that he¡¯d never heard of stood at street corners, and believers were praying to them, asking for Blessings and making offerings. He turned the street, and this one was filled with numerous small shops with wooden signs showcasing their products. He even saw some fortune tellers holding crystal balls with long queues of people waiting to see them. Langa finally arrived at the shop that Mesala had marked for him, Rekona''s Assorted Wares. It was a medium-sized shop, hidden behind a dark alley, and he wondered if the kid had sent him to some shady criminal hotspot. All over the alley were various temporary shelters, filled with people of different races protecting themselves from the cold with well-worn blankets. A dwarf with scaly skin and tattered robes held his hands out to Langa, his hollow eyes pleading for help. When he scanned him, Langa discovered that he was a level 9 player. In fact, all the other people sitting around the dimly lit alley and begging for help were all players, their levels ranging from level 8 all the way to level 17. One of them had even climbed as high as the 3rd Floor. They all had one thing in common, though, Langa noted as he checked them with his title skill: all of them were not bound to any deities. Langa chose to ignore all of them. If he gave even one of them a copper coin, he''d only be inviting trouble. He Flash Stepped into the little shop that he was going into. Immediately, he was assaulted by the needlessly bright lucent crystal lights that illuminated the shop. There were multiple isles of shelving, with separate banners for separate products. There were only two other customers in the shop when Langa came in, so it was very quiet. He looked around and saw that the owner sat at the pay counter, a bored expression on his face, and there were no shop assistants. There was a weapons section filled to the brim with various weapons hidden behind lucent tiles, from swords, spears, and staves to bows, crossbows, and even various ranged weapons that looked like guns. There was also an aisle for potions, and displayed on the lucent tile were mana potions, health potions and attribute potions among others. The section for armour was at the very back of the shop, and Langa headed over there first. Once he reached that aisle, he looked through the different armour from heavy plate armour to chain mail, cloth armour, leather armour and other light armour. Langa blanched at the prices. He had a total of 11 silver and 50 copper coins in his inventory, and, looking at the costs of these products, he could not afford them. The cheapest common light armour leather set cost 5 silver, and all it did was provide defence and gave +1 to strength and +2 to vitality. At least the daggers were cheaper, at 30 copper for a set of five common throwing daggers. He then checked the potions, and he was very surprised to see that the health potion that he''d been given as part of the tutorial kit was actually quite expensive, since it was an uncommon rank item, at 3 silver per bottle. He could only shake his head, remembering how he''d squandered the ones he had. Now he was only left with one. He ended up picking four common-rank health potions at 25 copper each. There was one more potion that he elected to buy since he needed to boost his speed, for 1 silver. [Inferior health potion Rank: Common Restores 10 Health Points per second for 5 seconds. Cool-down: 30 seconds] [Basic Agility booster potion Rank: Uncommon Bestowes +1 AGI for 30 seconds Cool-down: 10 minutes] Langa was depressed as he headed to the pay counter with a lacklustre leather armour set, an agility potion, and an inferior health potion. This would not help him at all against his backlash from Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike. After buying this, he only had 4 silver and 20 copper remaining. He was poor now¡ªnot that he used to be super rich back on Earth, but ever since he''d started running, and winning prize money, he had not been poor. Once he started running for the country and modelling for various sportswear brands, he had never lacked money. Now, he was stuck in a whole new world, with no money and nothing to his name... it put into perspective how much he had taken the perks of his previous life for granted. "I''d like to buy these, please," Langa said in a low voice to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper was an old goblinkin with dark green skin and an unnaturally long nose. The goblinkin glanced at his wares, "7 silver and 30 copper," he said. Langa placed the coins on the counter, and asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t see any items or armour with resistance bonuses on the shelves. Do you have anything at all that can increase mental resistance or lightning resistance?¡± Rekona processed the payment and shook his head, ¡°Good luck finding anything with resistance bonuses on the shelf of any store, especially here in the Ground Storey. Maybe they have them on the higher Floors, but I doubt it. You can only get those types of items from area bosses, unclaimed dungeons or Challenges.¡± This surprised Langa. Since he had gotten his headband as a reward in the tutorial, he¡¯d thought that it wouldn¡¯t be hard to get items that offered resistance bonuses, but evidently he was wrong. There went that idea. Just as he was wallowing in misery, a flashing red sign caught his eye behind Rekona, a sale. Four round-shaped orbs that could fit into the palm of his hand were displayed there. "What are those?" he asked. Rekona followed his gaze and then gave a derisive snort. "Short-dated exploding orbs. Normally you would only be able to buy them for 3 silver each, but I''m damn near giving them away, ain''t I? The enchantment expires tomorrow," he eyed Langa curiously. "How about it? I''ll give them to you for a silver each, hmm?" This guy was not the least bit trustworthy in Langa''s opinion, so he scanned the orbs just to make sure. There were only two types. [Enchanted Exploding Wind Orb Rank: Common Upon explosion, deals 250 air discipline damage in a 3-metre radius. Infuse mana to activate. (May scale with affinity) Enchanted By: Amoroda C Assenta Enchantment Expiry Date: 11/04/12 MDCCLXXIII] [Enchanted Exploding Ice Orb Rank: Common Upon explosion, deals 250 water discipline damage in a 3-metre radius. Infuse mana to activate. (May scale with affinity) Enchanted By: Amoroda C Assenta Enchantment Expiry Date: 11/04/12 MDCCLXXIII] That was interesting, these orbs seemed to be some kind of bomb. Langa liked watching things explode in movies, so he was tempted to buy these orbs just so he could hold a bomb in his hands. But he needed to be practical. He was going to have to fight against Grion Fidser tomorrow, and he was not sure about how many members of the Accari Crows would be with him at Theria''s Hollow as well. An AOE attack like these orbs could come in handy if he had to battle multiple foes at once. "The enchantment is expiring tomorrow, though. If I don''t buy them, you''ll lose money," Langa reminded him. "How about you give me all of them for a silver coin?" "Hmph! You players must think that I was born yesterday. All I gotta do is look for the enchanter and she can renew the enchantment for a silver coin. It''s a bother, but not impossible," Rekona said with a huff. "All four of them for two silver coins, and that''s my final offer!" Langa grumbled, but he paid the money. He was sure that these orbs were not 3 silver coins normally; the shopkeeper must have been trying to overcharge him. It would be worth it, he told himself, putting the orbs in his inventory. He only had 2 silver coins and some change left now. Despite himself and his empty wallet, Langa asked, ¡°Do you sell any healing skills? If so, how much are they?" Rekona looked down at Langa with raised eyebrows, "I have Healing Circle, an AOE skill that heals yourself and a maximum of three others at a time for 20 gold, and I have Staggered Heal, which only heals others and not yourself for 15 gold. You want them?" Langa almost laughed. 1 gold was a hundred silver, and Langa had not even held fifteen silver coins in his hand before, so he could not fathom 1 gold at all. "Forget it, do you know if there''s a place to farm them?" "You tryna put me out of business? Why would I tell you that?" the goblinkin asked crossly. Langa took his new products from the counter and placed them in his inventory. "Oh, I''m sorry. This kid, Mesala, said that you know all the best places in this region to farm skills. I must be confusing you with another, more knowledgeable, Rekona," he said, pretending as if he were about to leave. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. "Aye, that little fella is still alive, is he? Bless the kid, he has a good heart. Nasty business joining the Guardians like that, he''ll get himself killed, I tell you. Alright, if you are friends with him, I can help ya out." Rekona''s ears twitched in happiness as he seemed fond of Mesala. "I''ll take 10 copper for my information, yeah?" Mesala had been right, this guy liked money. Langa had no choice but to give him another ten coppers. "It better be worth it." The goblinkin grinned a gap-toothed grin, pocketing the coins. "You can''t farm healing skills on the 1st Floor," he said, and Langa was ready to shout at him to give his money back. "But, you can allegedly get an even more precious skill in a certain hunting field. All I know is that if a god of life looks favourably on you, you can be able to farm the Regeneration skill by killing like a hundred trollimps or something." A hundred trollimps, whatever that was? That sounded like a lot of work, and where the hell was Langa supposed to gain the favour of a god of life anyway? He might as well just resign himself to suffering Tonare¡¯s backlash forever. "So, where do I find that field?¡± ¡±Em, I don¡¯t really know,¡± Rekona said scratching his head. ¡°All I know is that the field is in the south of the province, and that area is controlled by the Retessa Guild. Apparently, they have their Tier 1 members trying to enter the field, but they can''t go in, even though their patron deity serves a saint god. They don¡¯t let non-guild members into their territory.¡± Langa rolled his eyes. What had he expected? ¡°Thanks for nothing, Rekona,¡± he snapped, and he walked out of the shop. * Disappointed in his armour, and his failure to procure a skill, Langa headed back towards the marketplace. As he went past a dark alley, he once again felt like he was being watched, but this time it was not by deities. ¡°Are you going to follow me all day, or will you come out?¡± Langa asked in annoyance. His mind stat wasn¡¯t that high, but he could still feel that there were people following him. Metal clinked as none other than the troublemaker from the transportation bay, Aquila, dressed in gleaming magic armour, swaggered towards him. His entourage, three fellow players similarly clad, trailed behind him. On top of the two spiderkin from yesterday, he was now joined by a young dwarf. Aquila stood proudly in front of Langa, a crooked grin stretching across his face. "Well, well, if it isn''t the famed Langa. Me and my team have confirmed that you are in the top ten, and we''ve decided that you could use a bit more... flair in your group." Langa raised an eyebrow, uninterested in whatever this guy was selling and annoyed that they were making him late to see the Seers. "I''m busy, Aquila. I''m in the middle of something, and I¡¯m not looking to carry any extra baggage. Stop following me." Aquila frowned, gesturing to his entourage. "We''re not baggage; we''re all strong. Join us, and we will put in a good word for you with The Breaker of The Self. We¡¯re going to the level 9 hunting field, Munyara Swamp, to hunt a bunyip. The lower-level fields are already full of players." Langa shook his head, pushing past Aquila. "Like I said, I¡¯m not interested." They were clearly trying to recruit him, however, Langa remained composed, offering only a final piece of advice before stepping away. "You''re not ready for a level 9 hunting field. Go level up in a level 6 hunting field before you needlessly risk your lives." He was no saint, but he also wouldn¡¯t let them throw away their lives for nothing. ¡°What, are you scared of a level 9 field? I knew it, you must have made the top ten by luck. Look at your armour, it¡¯s pathetic, just like you,¡± Aquila sneered, and his entourage laughed. He, fuelled by either his pride or arrogance, signalled his companions to surround Langa. "We''re offering you the chance of a lifetime, and you''ll regret turning it down." Langa''s eyes narrowed, these guys were only level 6 to 8. He could kill them with a single strike from Tonare. One of the spiderkin was even raising his staff as if to attack. "Step aside. This is a safe zone, you can¡¯t attack me even if you want to." He put a note of warning in his voice and felt his karma respond inside of him. For a moment, he felt as if there was power in his karma, and it oozed out of him effortlessly. Since he was a Tier above them, the authoritative tone in Langa¡¯s voice forced the little team to step back, and for some reason, they also cowered. With that, Langa left the alley, and Aquila called after him, ¡°We''ll catch up to you soon, you arrogant bastard.¡± "Isalakutshelwa sibona ngomopho," Langa muttered. It was an old IsiZulu saying, which roughly meant that some lessons can only be learnt through experiencing hardship. Well, it seemed like Aquila and his posse would have to bleed first before they learned their lesson. * The weather in the city of Risa¡¯s Plateau was cold, and the crowded, dreary, narrow, and winding streets were unstable, as the old stone buildings all over the town seemed to be on the verge of collapse, while still somehow managing to stand tall. There was only one building in the entire city that seemed to be well taken care of. It was an ancient building, tall, with blue stone running up its walls endlessly. Its door was wide open and inviting. Looking at it, Langa discovered that it was a shrine to the great constellation that watched over this world: Okypete The Swiftwing. The large shrine dwarfed every other building in the city, and the majestic statue of a male eaglekin with his wings spread wide to cast a shadow over the rest of the city stood proud in the city centre. Langa returned to the area where he¡¯d seen the various fortune tellers. The booth of the Seer that Mesala had marked for him was inside a dark red tent. While the other tents had long lines of people outside, this one was virtually empty. ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t want to go in there, man,¡± one of the people waiting in line at the next tent said to Langa. It was a female owlkin with bright red hair. ¡°Why not?¡± Langa asked, wondering if Mesala had sent him to a charlatan after all. ¡°Are her prophecies not credible?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about credibility, but that Seer never gives good predictions. Her predictions are always death and gloom, and sometimes they come true, but people generally avoid going to her," the owlkin explained. Langa nodded, thinking that he might as well forget about this. He did not have a good experience with people who had spiritual gifts, anyway. But here, in the Tower, they were supposed to actually be gifted. Should he leave? ¡°Enter,¡± a voice said from inside the tent, just as Langa prepared to leave. He hesitated. ¡°Come in, luck-pilferer. I mean you no harm.¡± Luck-pilferer? Langa froze, how did this Seer know about his curse? Could she really See the future, or was she one of those people that he''d been warned about, who could read minds and then use that information to scam people? He hesitated once more and then walked into the tent, deciding to take the risk in order to find his family. Inside the tent, there were vibrant light-lucent crystals, giving light to the space, and casting dark shadows over the background. There were thirteen various fabrics, each colour representing a different mana discipline hanging from the top of the tent. Langa could smell incense as well. In front of a pink crystal ball, a woman wearing a feathered headdress sat looking at the cluster of bones on the table in front of her. She was surprisingly human, but her face was painted all over with weird pink and white paint. She also wore red robes with yellow flower petals, and when he entered, her blue eyes fixed on Langa. He tried to check her status using his title skill, but no matter how hard he tried, it would not activate. ¡°Do not attempt to pierce through my master¡¯s Shroud. It is a futile effort,¡± the Seer¡¯s voice was hoarse and quiet. ¡°I am Tibuana, Disciple of Dinitias, The Eye of Sinitian Darkness, a high-tier constellation. Sit down, please, and let me know how I can help you.¡± Langa sat down on the chair opposite from her, there were tarot cards in front of him as well as some weirdly shaped trinkets. That always puzzled him about people like this. Shouldn''t they know why he was here? Well, whatever, he needed to know if she could help him. ¡°I¡¯m Langa Zulu. Can you help me find my family? I don¡¯t know if they are players or not.¡± ¡°Two silvers,¡± she said, holding out her hand. Langa bit his lip, did she somehow know that that was nearly all the money he had on him? If he paid this much, he would only be left with enough money for the lucent carriage ride back to the Valley of Guardians. He gritted his teeth. His family was more important than money. He placed two silver coins on the table, and they disappeared. ¡°Face the crystal ball, think deeply about your family, and I shall try to search for them,¡± she said, her eyes turning white as she looked at the crystal ball. Langa looked at the pink ball, and thought about the three people that he loved the most: his sister, Neo, and Khaya. He spared a thought for his brother-in-law and his mother as well, not because he wanted to, but because he could not control his thoughts. They were his family, too. A pink mist flowed around the crystal ball and Tibuana gazed pensively into the ball. ¡°Two are dead, two are in mortal peril, and one is Shrouded,¡± she said, and her eyes returned to normal. Dead? No. That couldn¡¯t be. Langa¡¯s head spun in panic, as his thoughts descended into chaos. The thought of losing his sister, niece or nephew sent him into a panicked frenzy. He could feel it as his chest tightened, breathing quickened, and his heart heaved with fear. At this rate, he might activate his attribute. She had to be wrong, he told himself. ¡°Who¡¯s dead¡­is it my sister, Khaya or Neo?¡± Langa asked, trying to breathe. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± the Seer closed her eyes, and the air in the room swirled like a mist and surrounded her. ¡°I can¡¯t See the others, but your sister¡­ I can See her, someone is hunting her¡­ her life is in danger, she¡¯s in mortal peril.¡± ¡°So she¡¯s alive? Where is she?¡± He asked desperately. He needed to know. "Can you divine that?" ¡°I need more tribute. In order to See more, I must make an offering to my master,¡± she said, opening her eyes once more. ¡°Give me 5 silvers, and I¡¯ll be able to See more. But yes, your younger sister is still alive.¡± Langa had been about to rush to Theria''s Hollow to capture the voident so that the Guardians could pay him. He wanted to get the money and pay Tibuana so that she could find his sister, but at her words, he stopped short. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Five silver coins,¡± she repeated. ¡°No. You said my younger sister. I don¡¯t have a younger sister, I have an older sister! You are a fraud, aren''t you?! I almost believed you!¡± Langa shouted, standing up in outrage. He couldn''t believe that he had let his emotions take over and almost fell for a simple scam like this. Tibuana''s face clouded. ¡°Th-that¡¯s what I Saw, okay! You don¡¯t know, your parents could have had other kids.¡± Surprisingly, she had lost her mysterious and ethereal, hoarse voice and was shouting normally back at him. ¡°To insult me is to insult my master, and my master¡¯s master!¡± ¡°My father¡¯s dead, and my mother is too old to have any more children. Insult? You¡¯re the one who insulted me by playing with my emotions, you... You fucking charlatan!¡± Langa snapped back. [The Deiwos Clan goddess: The Uninhibited Lone WitchSeer of Kally, has her Eye on you.] Just as Langa stood up, angry at himself for even coming here, a clawed hand grabbed his wrist. He looked down at the charlatan, and her eyes had gone completely black, and a red aura surrounded her. When she spoke, her voice echoed throughout the booth, as if multiple people were speaking at once. ¡°Follower of the corrupted thunderous lightning, receive your warning for insulting me. You are as disrespectful as your future master, and just as aggravating. Open your ears, and do not shun your impending doom. This is your near future, for I can see as far as three Tiers ahead of you, should you survive,,¡± she said, those vacant eyes staring into his soul. ¡°You will cling to revenge as a crutch to fill the emptiness in your heart. You will desperately wave loyalty as a shield to commit unspeakable works and abominations for the tyrant you call a friend.¡± For some reason, Langa knew instinctively that it was not the charlatan speaking, it was something stronger, more powerful, and try as hard as he might, he could not wrench his hand from her grip. There was a pressure holding him down, and he could not escape its aura. "In the dominator¡¯s grip, you are bound tight, thunderstorms in your path, corruption cursing your very existence, all of it veiled in the Void. Seeking to bind the thirteen forbidden cruxes, propelled by an heirloom to shake the very depths of reality. The doomed song of deep blue, in your hands shall fall, a sacrifice deep, at the tyrant''s call. The sweetest kin, the bitterest liar, nurtured by the whispering wind, interlaced with power: to the tyrant she is pinned, her karma destined to be consumed by her connection to him. But from the flames, the beloved emerges bold, consuming phlogiston, and your tale unfolds. Your fate in three women''s hands, three demons and two elves¡¯ vengeance in your path, the slithering temptress in your heart, and a duplicitous king¡¯s commands leading you back to the unspeakable one. Thus commences your tale, Devourer of fortune, an ending brought forth by the choices you will make, the fate of the adversary coming undone," the woman said, and a sardonic laugh escaped her mouth, and she let him go. Then, the woman laid her head on the table and did not look up. Once the karma pressure stopped pinning him down, Langa fled from that tent, completely shaken. What the hell was that? A god had just spoken to him through that woman, he was sure of it. The Uninhibited Lone WitchSeer of Kally. Why the hell had she done that? Had she been offended when he insulted her constellation¡¯s Disciple? But what on Earth was that prophecy? Was it real? For some reason, every word of it was clear to him, he could remember what she said, word for word. What did all of it mean? It gave him a headache, and he was scared because it seemed to insinuate that he was going to kill some people and work for a tyrant. He did not like it one bit, and as the fear in his heart continued to grow, he was worried that it would consume him again. Suddenly, the busy marketplace seemed small. There were no walls, and yet Langa felt it starting again, the world closing in on him, suffocating him. He knelt down on the ground, clutching his head. There were too many people here, and it all stifled him. The darkness was coming again, red and burning, trying to pull him in, and he couldn''t breathe, it would swallow him, and he- [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, is watching you.] The world cleared, and he breathed again. ¡®I am in control,¡¯ Langa thought, repeating the mantra. He placed his hand on Tonare hanging from his waist, as he wanted something to tether him to reality. ¡®I am in control.¡¯ His heartbeat slowed down, and he opened his eyes. He was in the marketplace, by the fortunetellers'' tents, and it was an open space. He was not going to suffocate. He stood up again. Damn it! Why was it that whenever things got too much for his mind, this happened? How long must he suffer like this? The trigger was always things that made him worry, and when he felt too much emotion at once. So, Langa did what he always did when he encountered things that stressed him or threatened to disrupt his broken mind. He locked it away deep in his mind, along with all his other traumas, and calmed down. The Lackadaisical Herald had pulled him out of his psychological struggle again. That charlatan had scared him for nothing and made him worry about his family when she wasn¡¯t even a real Seer. Her only power seemed to come from being a mouthpiece, a vessel for the deities. Langa was pissed that she had tried to scam him for money using his emotions. Still, the prophecy lingered in his mind, the grim tale of what his future might hold, but refused to believe it. No god would map his life for him, he would live according to his own rules. Right now, what he needed to do was to run, to forget about everything else and to focus on the thrill of speed. He needed a distraction. And what better distraction was there besides hunting a voident? 22. Floor 1: Risas Plateau (2) Langa changed into his new armour and found someone to barter with in the marketplace for his old armour. He exchanged his old leather trousers and jacket for a belt with enough slots to place his glaive and daggers leaving one free slot, and some copper coins. He even managed to get some regular clothes as well, so that was nice. After that, he made his way back to the lucent carriage rank. He''d been thinking that today he would only look around the city, but after his encounter with the charlatan, he needed to forget everything and concentrate on one thing, clearing his mind. Normally, what would help him to do that was to run in the wind, but today, he wanted to hit something. He looked around the carriage rank, he hadn''t paid all that much attention to it when he got here in the morning. It was a busy transport hub, much smaller than the transportation hub on the other side of the plateau that Langa had first arrived at through the teleportation wheel yesterday. There were several different lucent carriages of different sizes and shapes, each lined up neatly along the different aisles. There was also a ticket desk, an admin office, and a security office, with the security personnel in uniform milling about the aisles, maintaining order. The glow of lucent crystals filled the air as people went about their business, with groups and queues of people either boarding or alighting from their carriages everywhere. Most of them were the native goblinkin NPCs and birdkin NPCs, going about their everyday lives with their wings folded behind them like it was normal. It was easy to differentiate the players from the NPCs, they were many different races, most of them wearing armour and carrying weapons, walking around in groups, or solo. There were also vendors walking about, selling food and other travel necessities to the people. It was called the carriage rank, but there were other modes of transportation here as well, including giant birds like Jandri''s falcon, as well as other odd flying objects like flying mats, carpets, and something that looked like a broomstick. Langa shook his head, marvelling at all this grandeur. There were even smaller teleportation wheels as well, but Langa grimaced when he checked the prices for using those. The cheapest one was local, and it cost 20 silver. To get to other provinces, the cost was at least one gold. That was how much money he needed to have in order to go to the capital and meet Liv. 1 gold or 100 silver coins, yet all he had on him were a few coppers. Langa turned away from the teleportation wheels and concentrated on what he could afford with his copper coins. In front of the administration office was a large lucent tile filled with carriage timetables and route information boards. There was nothing on Theria''s Hollow, so Langa decided to ask. He went up to one of the rank marshals in the area where the tickets for the lucent carriages as well as the flying carpets were being sold. There were quite a few players in this area, and Langa glanced longingly at the shiny gear of one of the parties renting a flying carpet close by. Their gear looked very good, but the only worthwhile piece of equipment that he had was Tonare. Speaking of which, he still had not checked his Legacy quest yet. He would have to do that later. "Excuse me," Langa said to the rank marshall. "Can I get a ticket to Theria''s Hollow? When is the next carriage going over there?" The old hawkkin gaped at him as if he were crazy. "Sorry, son, but no carriages go to that place any more. You must be new here, but that whole valley has been taken over by the Accari Crows and they aren''t letting anyone through. I cannot believe those poor villagers are being held hostage by the voidents. It''s an outrage, I tell you, an outrage." Langa found that hard to believe. He''d seen some of the Federation Police in town, and they were all around levels 15 to 20, and he could not, for the life of him, figure out why they would let a level 11 voident run around freely. He could understand that the low-level Guardians were spread too thin to take care of all the voidents in this province, but why weren''t the NPC law enforcement doing anything? "Can''t the Federation Police deal with them?" Langa asked. "You really are new. Sure, there are not many members of the gang in that little hollow; I think it''s like ten of them at most, but they have Void Pearls! It''s a death sentence for any NPC to step into those void territories. Most of us ain''t like you players, most of us only have one life," he explained. "Those Feders are strong, and I''m sure they could easily knock those young voidents around if they weren''t protected by the void veil, but how the hell do you expect them to live through the effects of a Void Pearl?" Ah, that was right. Langa had the two divine artefacts from The Unrivalled to fight against voidents thanks to the Guardians, but it seemed that The Unrivalled did not give that privilege to just anyone. "Well, I need to get there as soon as possible, is there no other way? A teleportation wheel?" Langa asked. "In a small village like that? That''d just be wasting the Federation''s resources. Our Magistrate has a lot of faults, but he ain''t going to waste coins like that." The old man looked at him as if he were insane for even wanting to go there, and then sighed. "The closest teleportation wheel is in one of the fields close to the village, but it''s outside the void veil. You''d best check your player forums then, maybe you might catch a ride, no? Maybe you''ll find someone crazy enough to take you to that wretched place." Langa thanked the rank marshall and stepped out of the line. He sat down at one of the waiting benches and brought up his comcer interface. He opened the forum page, a page he had not explored yet, and searched the forums until he found one for people looking for, or offering, ride-share services. There was a way to narrow down the search, and he narrowed it down to Risa''s Plateau, but still, there was no one offering a ride to Theria''s Hollow, so Langa brought up his 1st Floor map and looked at areas beyond Theria''s Hollow, before making his first post on the forum. There was an option before posting, which allowed him to select whether he wanted his top ten verification badge to be visible on the post. He hesitated, if he did that, he might be more trustworthy, but at the same time, as Jandri said, that would be inviting vultures, people he did not know, to seek him out before he tested his strength. He needed to fight against the voidents first so that he could measure if his ranking was deserved and how strong he really was compared to people who were already in the Tower. That way, he could pick his battles much more easily. Besides, this would only work once, and after the Guardians posted his exploits on the Dent, everyone would know his username. For now, he chose to hide his verification badge.
@langelihle Looking for a ride from Risa Carriage Rank to Theria''s Hollow. If you''re going in the direction of Lilinga Gorge, Apayera Village, Meijfd Valley or Death Shadow Valley, you can just drop me off along the way.
He bought some diamond-shaped nuts from one of the vendors around the carriage rank while he waited for a reply. He did receive a few replies that were not quite what he hoped for, and some of them were very rude.
@loadreyeda If you want to get murdered by voidents don''t drag us into it, noob. @guntadakiller-hallow.reaper.cult click on the link below to watch Mione from the Dungeon Seekers guild vs a tentacle monster, it''s hilarious bro. @ignisfarrah are you an idiot? @dasiefs you seem new here, friend, but that place has been taken over by voidents, a noob like you will be slaughtered, no question. @dietta-speedrunners.guild I''m going to Lilinga Gorge with my party. Meet us at aisle 27 of Risa Carriage Rank in one hour, don''t be late. We''ll drop you off for 20 copper. @marikrina-iron.claws.clan If you get there, please bring me a bouquet of corrupted hollow rain lilies from Theria''s Hollow. I''ll pay you one silver for twenty. @ignisfarrah hey (@langelihle, @dietta-speedrunners.guild ) why would you go there? You fools are gonna feed the harpies a good meal today.
Langa read through the replies and thought to himself how weird it was that there were internet trolls everywhere, even in the Tower. Anyway, the only response that he cared about was the one from the person offering him to come and get a lift. He closed his comcer interface and since he had an hour before the meeting, he checked one of the points on his map that he had been advised to visit. The library. It was located near the centre of town, close to the shrines and the central business district. The library was a large towering structure made of grey rock called starium, and it appeared to have suffered from being weathered by time as there were visible cracks on the outside walls. The starium rocks clung to each other, creating an old-school obelisk-shaped castle. A large statue of a beautiful phoenix with a woman''s face and fiery red hair was perched above the gate to the library, floating in the air with blue flames constantly being emitted from the phoenix''s wings. The name Picciari: The Red Flaming Blade of Menika, floated below the bird. Langa stood and admired it for a moment, realising that this was the stature of the leader of the Deiwos Clan. Odd-coloured plants with red flowers adorned the gate to the library, where multiple goblinkin and birdkin milled in and out. There weren''t a lot of players that Langa could see, but he did notice that the dwarf from the transportation bay the other day was also here. Two hawkkin guards sat by the entrance inside the gate, so he walked up to them. They sat behind a large desk with a purple glass separating them from the others. One was on his comcer interface, clearly slacking off work. "Yeah? What is it?" the second guy said as he looked Langa up and down with no interest. "I''m a new player, and I''d like to go inside the library. Do I need a card or something? Or do I have to pay?" Langa asked. "Argh, another one," the hawkkin, whose name tag read Hazgose, muttered. There was a small lucent tile next to him, and he said, "Give me your wrist." Langa had the sense to put his hand with the comcer under the glass, and Hazgose pulled it roughly, tagging his comcer against the lucent tile. "Welcome to Menika Call, Risa''s Plateau''s most comprehensive library. Reading is free within the library, but if you wish to check out books, you need to pay a membership fee of 2 silver a month. You can tag your comcer at any door and if it opens, that means you''re allowed inside. For a full list of the categories of our offerings, please check out the lucent tile on the wall next to the entrance. We hope you enjoy reading with us." His voice was so monotone that Langa was sure he was required to repeat those same words to every new player. It must have been exhausting, but it still did not excuse how rude and unprofessional he was being. Langa had wanted to ask some questions, but he decided that he had no desire to be in this person''s company any longer. He would figure things out on his own or check the Dent forums for anything else. He pulled his hand away and walked towards the entrance. He tagged his comcer against the small lucent tile on the door, and the heavy door creaked open. The scent of old paper scrolls and strange new fragrances assaulted Langa''s nose. He was unable to stifle a gasp as the library unfolded before him¡ªa maze of high shelves, each filled with tomes that glowed with knowledge. There were grand arched windows that looked to be made of the same purple glass as the one outside, but he ignored the sights, walking to the large lucent tile on the wall. There were more players and NPCs in here and Langa frowned in disgust, large spiders crawling on the walls. Nobody seemed bothered by them, so he looked away from the spiders, and at the people in front of the lucent tile. They seemed to be queuing to use the lucent tile, so he stood in line behind the last NPC. The player at the front of the line stood in front of the lucent tile, on top of a purple disc on the floor, and said, ¡°Section 22, please.¡± The disc glowed, its colour turning almost pink, and then the player disappeared. Langa stared at the place where he¡¯d been standing in disbelief, but no one else seemed to care that a person had just vanished in front of them. Instead, the person next in line also stepped on top of the disc after him, muttered a section, and disappeared too. Right, Langa reminded himself, magic. When it was finally his turn, he also stood on top of the disc and looked at the lucent tile. On the display, there were 25 sections that he could choose from. There was a wide range of sections, including Fiction, Legacies, Non-Fiction, Academic Scrolls, Class Selections, Weapons and Items, The Tower, The Deiwos Clan and their constellations, The Great Quartenity, Holy Relgtes of select deities, Dungeons, Comcer compatible books and many others. Langa chose the section on dark magic, since that was likely where he could find what he wanted. One moment he was stepping on top of the disc, and the next he was standing inside the section. He hadn''t even felt a thing! The library was illuminated by light-lucent crystals, casting a soft shine all over the books, and the displays all over the library walls were all covered with large lucent tiles depicting scenes of players using magic and what may have been ancient heroes doing battle. Bookshelves lined the entirety of the section, from the floor up to the ceiling. While he had never been very smart, Langa did not hate reading; his father had been a teacher and he¡¯d written a book about MaMlambo, the being rumoured to have cursed his family. He retained many of his father''s books after his death, but he¡¯d always loved reading about the myths and legends, and it was one of the things that he was excited about in the Tower. As Langa stepped onto the next floor, the glow of lucent crystals suspended from the ceiling bathed the space in light, filling the floor with a welcoming atmosphere. There were desks and chairs in each section, and some of them were occupied by NPCs reading quietly. He didn¡¯t have any time to waste, so he asked one of the goblinkin librarians for assistance in finding books about voidents. She was appalled, but she showed him a small section in the dark magic section, labelled ¡®Unauthorised Void Magic¡¯. Most of the information regarding voidents was redacted and not available for him to look at. There were only two scrolls in that section that directly mentioned the voidents, but they didn¡¯t go into detail about them and their abilities. None of the scrolls stated how to become a voident. The most useful thing he found was a passage from one book. [Restricted Records of The Prodigy of The Dark Scribe Book 134: The Dark Path of the Voident Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. In the lost ages, when mortals first wrestled with the essence of the Abyss, a sect of individuals emerged who craved power beyond the reach of conventional magic and training. These individuals, now called ¡°voidents,¡± sought a different path¡ªone that would grant them the unparalleled strength they needed to battle the forces of the Lost Race. They were termed voidents, not because of their allegiance to Chaos, but because they steal his power and use unauthorised void magic to seal corruption inside their Void Gems. Voidentism is a dark path of the manipulation of corruption. It is symbiosis, a partnership between the host that is the voident and the parasite that is corruption. Those who would walk this path must permit a deliberate infection of their very souls with Abyssal corruption.] What he gathered was that voidents received their powers and abilities, through unauthorised void magic. They sealed corruption inside Void Gems and in time they became addicted to that corruption as it amplified their magic and made them more powerful. They apparently created void territories that made it nearly impossible for mortals to live or fight within them. If the voidents failed to take enough lives or karma to satisfy the Void Gem, they would instead be consumed by it. The higher the rank of the voident, the more corruption they needed to use its power. The only people with the ability to fight against the voidents were those Blessed by The Creator or The Quartenity. Depending on their Tier, they had power over corruption, and could either assimilate, harness, seal or clear the corruption within the Void Gem according to the four principles of The Quartenity. Since his Deiform Artefacts were from The Unrivalled, they were useful for combat against voidents. The information he gathered did not help him much, and he was out of time. Langa was unsatisfied when he headed back towards the aisle in lucent rank. Three women were waiting for him in that aisle. Two of them were goblinkin, and they watched Langa suspiciously when he approached them. They looked nothing like the goblins that Langa had heard about in the myths of South African history, which were used by witches to bewitch their enemies. Their skin was a pale green colour, and they both had long dark hair, long hooked noses, and small pointed ears. He''d always been of the firm belief that goblins were ugly creatures, but evidently, that was not true of goblinkin, as these two were quite beautiful to look at, with blue eyes that seemed to look deep inside him. The third woman was bigger than the other two, and she had dark skin like him, but she did not quite look human, beastkin, or like any of the other species that he''d seen so far, so he guessed that she was some type of halfkin. She had a mass of natural red curly hair with black eyes, and her muscular body sauntered towards him as he approached. She wore a blue cloak, and peeking from inside it was a belt that looked suspiciously like a bandoleer slung across her torso. He tried to scan her, all of them really, but all he managed to gather from the system scan was that she was Level 17, and the other two were both Level 15, and he could not see their classes. He started to feel the headache that he always got when he tried to use his title skill on people with a Shroud. It was worse than the time he''d scanned Liv, at least then he''d been able to gather his information before being hit with the pain. Was it because Liv and him were closer in level, or was it because Liv had rejected the deity that Shrouded him? Either way, he did not know, and at least this time the headache was not as bad as when he tried to scan Alfsol. "Hi, I''m the one who requested a ride," he said, extending his hand towards the halfkin woman. She looked him over, "Langelihle?" she asked. "Langa''s fine," he said, and her hand clasped his. "I''m Di Etta, and my friends over there are Gria and her twin sister Gertina. Where''s the money?" She asked, her eyes sparkling in anticipation. The other two rolled their eyes in frustration, and Langa hesitated before handing her the money. It was only 20 copper, but he was broke, and if he got scammed, well, that would seriously piss him off. Once he gave her the money, she skipped away from the aisle, happily running towards one of the vendors. "The rented carriage''s over here," Gertina said, gesturing to a small, red lucent carriage. "If you''re working for bandits, pirates or Player Killers, just know that once I''m done with you, your family won''t even want your body back to bury you." Well, that was ominous. "I''m only level 10, as I''m sure you can see. If anything, I''m the one who should be worried, since you''re all so much stronger than me," Langa said. Then he gaped at the lucent carriage, as it was tiny¡ªsmaller than the smallest hatchback that he''d ever seen on Earth. He frowned, "Are we all going to fit in there?" "Of course we are, it''s a five-seater. Get in; we''re late already, and because of you, Di Etta is making us take a longer route," Gria said, glaring at Langa as if it were his fault that he''d been offered a ride. He chose not to argue and entered the carriage. There were five seats inside, the one in front was on its own, with the helms with the air and gravity-lucent crystals in front of it, while the other four seats were in two rows of two seats each and were very cramped. Well, Langa supposed he should have expected as much from a ride for only 20 copper. He sat down in the back, just as Di Etta returned, holding a hand of large purple bananas, and humming serenely. "Seriously? You know that we''re on commission, right?" Gria said, pulling Di Etta''s ear angrily. "We are going to be stuck inside that gorge through the night because you suddenly craved some purblans?" "You refused to buy them for me. If you''re in such a hurry," Di Etta pouted, squirming out of Gria''s hold and sliding into the seat next to Langa. "Then start driving, then we won''t be late," she said comfortably, peeling her purblan while Langa wondered why she chose to sit next to him when there were plenty of other seats in the carriage. Gertina sat down in front of him as well, and his legs were cramped between the two seats. Gosh, he had not been inside a kasi minibus taxi for a long time, but even those were not this cramped. No, actually, those kasi taxis were the worst. This was much better. Gria took the front seat and closed the carriage, then it took off as they left the rank, and flew down to the mountains below. Langa looked out the window while Di Etta continued to hum while indulging herself in purblans. Were they that good? "Stay alert, and remember that we''ll be passing through a red zone. There are supposedly flying monsters in these skies,¡± Gria said, glancing back at them. ¡°I¡¯ll try to outrun them, but we might have to fight.¡± ¡°Di Etta will sense them, so we don''t have to worry,¡± Gertina shrugged, sitting back in her seat. "Besides, her shooters have good range, and I can assist as long as you can keep me in the air." Langa glanced over at Di Etta, and she had her eyes closed, savouring the taste of the purblan as if it were the most precious thing she''d ever tasted. Would she be able to sense monsters coming for them in this state? He was a little apprehensive about it. What kind of monsters would show up here anyway? He opened the window of the lucent carriage to get some air. This carriage was too small, and he did not want to think about it. The more he thought about it, the more likely he was to start feeling claustrophobic. It would be awkward if he had to ask the girls to drop him off in a forest full of monsters because he couldn''t breathe inside the carriage. So, he looked outside as they were flying through the air. The small amount of wind that he could feel on his face was calming, and it made it easy for him to think that he was outside, not trapped in a confined carriage. The girls were speaking about something or other, and Langa worried if he had done the right thing, impulsively deciding to go after the voident without doing any research on him or learning about his skills. Hell, he wasn''t even sure about what kind of edge being a voident gave his target. He should have thought about this calmly instead of letting his mind convince him that it was a good idea. He should have just pushed his worries away and not needed stimulation like this fight to get his mind off the prophecy. Maybe he could- "Something is coming from the right!" Di Etta said, her eyes opening wide as she stood up. A few seconds ago, she had looked completely absorbed in her food, but now she was alert, and she drew two weapons from inside her cloak. They looked like plastic water guns embedded with multiple lucent crystals of various colours that Langa had never seen before. Those must be the shooters that Gertina mentioned before. "There it is!" Di Etta said, pointing to a blurry shadow that was flying towards them. Langa fell back into his seat when he saw what was coming for them. It was a large birdlike creature with red skin, with the head of what looked like a woman, and its face was ghostly white, fangs bared at them as it swooped down towards the carriage. It also only had one eye. A... a harpy? Corrupted Popobawa Level 15 HP: 7500/7500 Gertina opened the carriage door, and a gust of wind burst inside, pushing Langa back as both Gertina and Di Etta jumped out of the carriage. At first, he was worried about them falling, but then he noticed that Gria had only one hand on the gravity-lucent crystal helm, keeping the carriage afloat; her other hand was lifted up, and her two teammates were suspended in the air for a moment, and then swiftly carried onto the top of the carriage by her magic. The carriage swayed, and she moved her hand off the gravity crystal helm to the air crystal helm, trying to keep it steady. The popobawa was a monster out of his league, so Langa moved up to the front of the carriage. "Can I help?" he asked Gria, and she spared him a quick glance. "Have you ever driven a lucent carriage before?" she asked, biting her lip in frustration when he shook his head. "Is your manacore fully formed?" Again, he shook his head. "That''s actually better, you''ll have to use pure, untainted mana," she said as the carriage swayed once more. "It''s hard for me to use my skill while also driving the carriage, so just infuse your mana into the air crystal helm and concentrate on the enchantment. Hold it steady, and don''t think about anything else. Just continue to infuse it with you-" Di Etta released three large, circular discs of light from nowhere and hurled them at the monster. It dodged by flying in different directions. The wind from the popobawa''s wings struck the carriage, and it shook. Gria hurriedly had to use her skill to make sure that her sister and Di Etta did not fall off. Langa hastily infused his mana into the air crystal helm, and a series of small glyphs lit up on the crystal. He concentrated on one of them, the one that Gria told him would stop the carriage from shaking. He felt his mana leak into the crystal helm, and he held it in both hands like a steering wheel. Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike was the only skill he had that used mana, and it just took him infusing his mana and thinking about activating the skill for it to work, so it was quite bizarre to have that glyph constantly syphoning his mana into it. It seemed to be working as the carriage stopped swaying, coming to a standstill in the air. He was aware that if he made even one mistake, the entire team would plummet to the ground. Since she only had to concentrate on the gravity crystal helm, Gria was able to assist the other two better. As the popobawa swooped down from the stormy skies, Gertina extended her arms, and vines erupted from the forest below, and they wrapped around the popobawa''s wings, making its approach harder. The popobawa was undeterred and let out a loud screeching yell, flapping its wings with unprecedented strength, allowing it to free one wing from Gertina¡¯s vines. Simultaneously, Di Etta unleashed a bombardment of elemental bullets¡ªa red one emitting fire, and a black one emitting darkness magic¡ªfrom her shooters. Some missed as the popobawa used the wind to deflect them, but this weakened the force of its charge. Langa concentrated on keeping the enchantment active and steady while Gria slowly lowered their position with the gravity crystal helm, getting the carriage down towards the forest. Since they were now closer to the ground, Gertina focused on her staff and began pulling multiple thorns from the trees below, sending them soaring through the air towards the popobawa. A gust of wind sliced through the air, but Gertina¡¯s magic uprooted a large tree from the ground, raising it into the air in front of the gust of wind, so that it interrupted the popobawa¡¯s attack. In this commotion, one of Di Etta''s discs cut deep into the monster''s side. The two of them worked really well together, and Langa could not forget that Gria was using some derivation of gravity magic to keep the two of them in the air. He could tell that they had worked together for a long time, and they each kept using different skills unlike him, who, except for Tonare, only had two skills. These girls were badasses. Screeching angrily, the popobawa circled overhead and descended rapidly towards the carriage. Gripping her enchanted shooters, Di Etta fired two quick bullets at the creature¡¯s torso, a deadly combination of acid and ice bullets, each imbued with arcane energy. The acid-ice bullets rose into the air, leaving a glimmering stream of foul-smelling frost. Once hit, the popobawa was slightly pushed back, and Gria took advantage of this to activate her other magic. Her eyes whitened, and she uttered an incantation, and a transparent bear-like spirit beast materialised on top of the carriage. It circled around the other two and created a transparent magic shield around them. The acid seeped into the popobawa''s veins, slowing its movements, and Gertina was concentrating on gathering more vines from the forest below. In an instant, multiple feathers were ejected from the popobawa¡¯s wings, and they flew like needles towards the group, but the spiritual beast shield from Gria blocked the attack. The carriage swayed again, and Langa looked at Gria next to him. She seemed to be struggling to breathe. ¡°Hey, every time that shield gets hit, I lose mana,¡± she panted. ¡°Hold this crystal helm as well for just a few seconds while I catch my breath,¡± she said. ¡°Focus on the enchantment to keep us still in the air.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have much mana left either,¡± Langa warned her. ¡°Which glyph will keep us still?¡± he asked as, after infusing his mana into the crystal helm, three glyphs lit up. He was bent over awkwardly to reach over the driver''s seat in order to use the crystal helms. ¡°The middle one,¡± she said, sitting down and closing her eyes to recover the mana. It was not easy to infuse his mana into two crystal helms simultaneously, and it felt like they were both draining him rapidly. He was starting to feel lightheaded. The popobawa struggled to stay in the air as its ranged attacks failed to penetrate the shield, while Di Etta fired a barrage of ice bullets and penetrating bullets made from venomous steel, and the popobawa thrashed around in the air, trying to fly away. However, more vines rose from the forest to tie it up. Gertina was now standing on top of these vines, constantly trying to keep the creature still so that Di Etta, who was clearly the strongest of the three, could get a clean shot. Eventually, Gria¡¯s mana went down, the shield ran out, and the popobawa made a last-ditch beeline for the carriage, but the bullet that Di Etta shot at it this time was a swirling rainbow colour, and it was the size of a fist. It struck true, so that it left a fist-sized hole in the popobawa¡¯s abdomen. As the popobawa plummeted to the ground below, one of its wings hit the carriage, and Di Etta, who was still standing on top of the carriage, lost her balance and fell off the carriage. Perhaps it was the adrenaline that he got from watching the fight, or how exhilarating it had been for him to watch the three of them battle the monster with their incredible skills, but Langa''s heart was already beating fast, faster than it would after a 100-metre sprint, so he closed his eyes and said, "Impulse Pulse." He could feel 50% of his total stamina drain all at once, and the world slowed down for him once more. This was the first time that he used his attribute without Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike, and he knew instinctively that he had to choose a direction for his Velocity to work. In the direction where Di Etta was slowly falling, there was a large, thorny tree. He could not land there. In that case, there was only one other direction he could choose: down. He hoped that he would be able to land gracefully even from this high up. He could not waste any more time, as the more he delayed, the more stamina he lost as long as the attribute was active. In that moment of slow time, Langa jumped straight down, grabbed Di Etta, who was frozen in the middle of the fall, in his arms, careful not to change direction, and landed hard on the ground with her on top of him. [-153HP] Aargh, well, that fucking hurt. His stamina had been drained, but it had not fallen below 10%, so that was a big improvement from the last time he used the skill. He might be able to learn how to control his attribute better with time. He''d been so excited that he could use the skill without experiencing backlash and had forgotten that it only boosted his speed, not his health. Di Etta sat up, looking around wildly. She looked winded, and her red hair was a mess. "The hell? I was just falling, what-" she muttered, looking around and seeing that she was on the ground. She saw Langa lying down there and immediately turned to him. "Are you okay? Did you save me?" Well, at least she was okay, but his leg was injured and his back hurt. He tried to sit up. A week ago, losing this much health would have been critical, but now he could shake it off. Di Etta, panicking, reached into her inventory and handed him a common health potion. He would have liked to decline, but she looked worried and fussed over his clearly sprained ankle as it was swelling. "You should have let Gria catch me with her magic, now you''re hurt," she said in concern. "She was low on mana, and she still needed to steer the carriage," Langa said, downing the potion and looking up. The lucent carriage was flying down towards them, and Gria landed it on the grass a few metres away from them. Gertina ran out of the carriage. "Are you guys okay?" she asked, looking over them. "We''re fine," Di Etta said. "Langa saved me." Gertina looked Langa up and down, her face unreadable, "You''re fast," she said. Her staff was raised, and there was very clear suspicion and distrust on her face. He could sense her wariness, and he could not blame her. They had only met today, after all. He hoped that they weren''t going to dump him in the forest because they didn''t trust him. "A little, yeah. Please don''t leave me here, I''m not a suspicious person, I promise." Di Etta glared at Gertina. "Will you stop looking like you''re ready to attack? You''re scaring him!" she said, patting Langa on the shoulder. "Of course, we won''t leave you here. You saved me." Gertina snorted and put away her staff. "Do you guys think that we can go and loot the popobawa''s claws, blood, and tongue? It sucks that we don''t get experience from 1st Floor monters anymore, but I''m sure they are worth something. Freida will love them," Gria asked. But Di Etta shook her head. "Don''t even think about it. I can sense the monsters moving around the forest. There is a maestril rift not too far in the distance, and this field is a level 15 hunting ground. We can handle it, but the maestril boss will definitely wipe us out, and then we''ll be delayed." "Ugh, fine, let''s go. My mana will regenerate along the way, I''m sick of this place already," Gria said, her voice annoyed as she got back into the carriage. Well, that had been a lot of excitement for Langa, and he hadn''t even reached his destination. He stood up, now completely healed, and got back inside the carriage. 23. Floor 1: Risas Plateau (3) They did not get time to rest on the ground after the fight as they didn¡¯t want to attract the attention of any other monsters. They once more got into the carriage, and Gria took them up into the air. Langa leant back on the seat and closed his eyes as his stamina regenerated. This was the greatest weakness of his attribute. It took way too much stamina, and it wasn''t a problem that could be solved by putting more attribute points into strength and vitality to raise his stamina either. Even if he were to raise his stamina to 10 000, the attribute would still take 50% of that, and his velocity would also increase as well, scaling with both his agility and mind stat. Would he have to always carry stamina pills wherever he went? It was kind of annoying. He was at least grateful for his ring that increased his stamina regeneration. That was a good substitute for now. Di Etta poked him on the shoulder and Langa opened his eyes. Gertina was still giving him a suspicious look, but Di Etta looked absolutely agonised as she handed him her second to last purblan. "Here, this always helps me to feel better," she said, looking as if she was giving him her heart. Langa did not think that he would be able to eat a fruit given with such reluctance without choking on it. "No thanks, I''m good. You can eat it," he said. Her eyes widened, and she smiled brightly. "Wow, thank you, Langa, really." Yeah, she was a little weird, but who cared? She''d been the only one to respond positively to his forum post. "You''re a newbie, right? From tutorial batch #4? So, why are you going to Theria''s Hollow?" Gertina asked him, turning his attention away from Di Etta. Langa only nodded, but before he could give a real answer, Di Etta spoke with her mouth full, "Isn''t there a good hunting field there for levels 5 to 7? You''re what, level 10? It''s probably a decent place for you to level up without any danger." "Theria''s Hollow has been taken over by voidents, Di Etta. The void veil covers the entire village as well as the mine. It''s suicide to try hunting anywhere near the void veil since it continuously saps your stamina, karma, and mental energy," Gria said, still focused on driving the carriage but managing to look extremely unhappy while doing it. "What? There are voidents around here? Geez, when did the 1st Floor start to be saturated by those bold arseholes as well? Is it not enough that they are all over the 5th Floor, trying to be the next Anarchist?" Di Etta asked, looking between her two friends. "Not only are they bold, but those guys are holding an entire village captive, not letting them leave or receive anything from outside, they have to all be red or black players. The villagers can''t leave the safe zone to use the teleportation wheel on the outside of the village, and the voidents can''t go into the village, so they''ll be hunting more players," Gertina added grimly. "This is all because those stupid Guardians are spread too thin, and they don''t have the spine to confront the Reapers." "Come on, there''s only so much that they can do. They have to prioritise the higher-risk Floors," Di Etta said, and paused from eating her purblan, staring at Langa. "Did you know that you were going to an area infested with voidents?" "That''s why I''m going there," Langa replied, barely paying attention to them as he studied the map of Theria''s Hollow, trying to figure out the best plan of attack. The carriage would drop him in the forest, preferably closer to the farms in the area outside the village, but before the void veil started. He was worried that there might be guards as well, so he would probably have to use one of his orbs to take them by surprise. "What the hell? Do you think you''re Liv''Kungsadu or Vos Kindaro II? Not everyone can do what they did, okay? I know that you only have about twenty-four hours until the deities can start issuing Challenges, and you want to leave as big an impression as possible, but this is just reckless," Di Etta said with a frown, and Langa''s head shot up to look at her. "How do you know Liv''Kungsadu?" he asked sharply. Vos Kindaro II...he was sure that was the person in second place in their tutorial batch, and also Fi Kindao III''s older sibling. Langa clenched his fists at the thought of that bastard. How did Di Etta know the two of them anyway? Had she checked their tutorial batch''s leaderboard? No, if she had, then she would have known about him. The carriage swayed slightly as Di Etta stared at him like he was an idiot. "Do you not check the trending videos on the Dent? They are monsters, the both of them, I''m telling you. It hasn''t even been a day since your batch was released, but they are already making waves. I mean, we are from batch #3, and besides Anarchist, no one was standing out this much on the second day. But man, the karma that they must be getting from all the views already is insane." That was the second time that Anarchist was mentioned by them. Langa knew he had heard that name before, and he racked his brain trying to recall it before it clicked. Wasn''t that the name of the person that Eniche said had destroyed her world? "I''m just annoyed that the top guilds are already flaunting around all of the top ten players from tutorial batch #4. We didn''t get any in our starting towns, just some regular old players, but how the hell did the top three guilds end up with the top five players in their starting cities?" Gria said with such venom that the carriage felt like it would fall from all the shaking. "Come on, sis. I mean, I don¡¯t like the Menika Shin Guild, but I''ll give them this: they''ve earned all of their victories, and sure, the Guardians prioritise higher-threat voidents over saving innocent people sometimes, but they keep the order in the Tower. My problem is the Hallow Reaper Cult. How the hell did they end up with such a talented player? They are just parading him like a flag, and I bet they have offered him staggering amounts of support, but I truly hope Vos Kindaro II doesn''t join them. I don''t know what his attribute is, but I am in love," Gertina said dreamily. Her sister snorted, "You just think he''s hot." Gertina did not refute. Langa could hear them in the background as he once again opened his comcer''s interface and scrolled to the Dent, selecting the ''Player Subscriptions'' page. On the video side, he found the trending videos. There were currently two trending videos tagged with #tutorialbatch4. He could see Liv on the thumbnail of one of the videos entitled, The Burning Knight. He selected the video, and it seemed like he could watch a small portion of the video before needing to pay a few coins to watch the rest. The video opened with a wide shot of a large town hidden behind a tall wall that was partially demolished near the gate. The townspeople huddled together in terrified groups beyond the wall. It panned down to Liv, in his scaly snakeskin armour, sword in hand, looking down. His long, blue hair flowed in the wind as he stood there, apparently assessing the situation. After having gathered enough information, he jumped down from the wall to the ground below. Snow covered every surface of the ground, and finally, the video showed what it was that had the townspeople in this state. Down on the ground, various large corrupted monsters were running, fighting against people wearing the Federation Police uniform, as well as a few adventurers in the crowd. The monsters were large, giant humanoid creatures with blue skin and they were level 10 and 11 Ice golems. Liv landed directly on the front lines, the wide arc of his sword sweeping at the golems in front of him, sending them flying. His sword glowed with an orange aura, burning through the tough, large golems like they were nothing. As he ran around the battlefield, leaving the destruction of multiple golems in his wake without seeming to break a sweat, he stood out among the other adventurers. He commanded attention, his face full of passion, moving elegantly, and slaying the monsters before they had a chance to fight back. The villagers who had been hiding behind the walls, the adventurers who had come to assist in the fight, and the Federation Police all stopped what they were doing, watching him in awe. This was the first time that Langa had ever seen Liv fight with a sword, he''d always carried it with him but never used it during their entire time together in the tutorial. Something in Langa''s blood boiled at seeing Liv in his element, fighting gracefully, with superior technique, and saving people. He once again confirmed how awesome his friend was, and how much he wanted to reach his level of strength, to fight both with and against him. He''d grown stronger too, and Langa wondered if it was because the seal on his manacore had started breaking once he reached level 10, or if there was some other reason. Either way, Liv killed every golem in front of the town''s wall, until only one was left, a large level 12 ice monster. The video cut off there, and Langa held his breath. That was certainly an amazing first impression. He did not know what message Liv was trying to send or who he was sending it to, but that was indeed a powerful message. It felt like he was telling the entire Tower that he was here, and commanding them all to look at him. Once he had more coins, Langa would pay to watch the rest of the video. He closed the interface for a bit and was thinking about sending a message to Liv on his comcer. He hesitated before sending it, though. He and Liv were friends, and Liv had promised to meet him on the 1st Floor. It should be fine, right? Gosh, Langa shook his head. It had been so long since he had a real, good friend that he was no longer sure how to communicate with one. In the end, he said, fuck it, and sent the message.
To:@Liv''Kungsadu Playing the hero suits you. Congratulations, that was a great way to make a debut, Mr Burning Knight.
He moved on to the next video, the one of Vos Kindaro II. He was admittedly curious about Fi Kindaro''s brother. He selected the video titled The Prince of a Thousand Souls. The girls, meanwhile, were still talking. "You have no taste. Vos Kindaro II is too pretty. Liv''Kungsadu on the other hand, now that''s more my type," Gria argued. "Look, I agree with you, but you know the thing about demigods¡ªthey burn brightly, but they also burn out rapidly. I don''t want to lose another idol," Gertina whined. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "She''s right. Do you guys know how much it hurt me when Kerafonika karma-imploded? That girl was going to be my future wife, you know! From then on, I also swore off all demigods!" Di Etta exclaimed with sorrow in her voice. "Future wife? Yeah right..." Gria shook her head. "You never even met her." Langa ignored them and stared at the video playing on his comcer interface. A beautiful dark elf with long white hair and unblemished features, save for a small scar below his lip, entered a narrow, dark ravine. The point of view of the video was in the third person, and it showed the dark elf walking next to the murky waters with a long black scythe in his hand and wearing a long red robe with indiscernible glyph patterns. A bunch of small lizard monsters emerged from the swamplands around him, but, unfazed, he only chanted an incantation, and wisps of white energy surrounded him. The energy wisps took the form of small animals, like cats, doves, and hares, among others, and they surrounded his opponents, sucking the life out of each of the lizard monsters. As they did so, the lizard monsters fell down without effort into the swamp, defeated. Every time they defeated one, more and more wisps of energy¡ªno, they were spirits, Langa realised¡ªsurrounded the dark elf. It seemed as though spirits from the defeated creatures joined his ranks and became power for Vos Kindaro II. The spirits followed him everywhere he went in that swamp, destroying level 9 lizard monsters like it was easy. Vos Kindaro II merely continued walking elegantly through the swamp, summoning more spirits to surround him, like a white ethereal energy covering him like a light, illuminating his dark eyes, and creating a beauty that did not belong in the swamp. It made him seem like he was the only light in this dirty, filthy swamp as if everywhere he went, Vos Kindaro II was cleansing the swamp of its filth and purifying it. Langa could not watch the dark elf battle the boss monster of the dungeon as he needed to pay some copper coins to keep watching. Still, this was enough to give him an idea of the extent of Fi Kindaro III''s brother''s powers. "Wow, so you can use death magic like that?" Langa asked in awe. It was very different from how Fi Kindaro used his magic. The girls stopped arguing about whether Vos Kindaro II would waste his potential by joining the Hallow Reaper Cult or if Liv''Kungsadu would be snatched up by the Menika Shin Guild, and Di Etta turned to Langa. "Of course you can. Death magic is one of the most versatile disciplines of magic. You just need strong mental resistance to wield it. But I think Vos Kindaro may also be using other types of magic." Langa nodded, mentally crossing death magic off his list of magic to learn. If he were to learn magic from a discipline that demanded high mental resistance, he might as well be offering his mind up for destruction on a silver platter. "So, you might think that what those guys did is easy, but they are skilled. I''ve been all the way up to the 5th Floor, and let me tell you, there is nothing more senseless than letting yourself get killed just because you want to impress the deities," Di Etta said, watching him seriously. He''d only thought of her as a ride, but she seemed concerned. Maybe saving her had left a good impression of him. He looked her over once more and grinned, wondering if he should try his luck. He always did have a thing for older women, and she was pretty slick with her shooters. He was sure that she hadn''t been able to show the full extent of her power because of the terrain of the fight. "Are you worried about me?" She frowned at him, probably sensing his less-than-noble intentions. "A little, I mean, you did go out of your way to save me. It''d be pretty shitty of me to bring you to the place of your death." Oh, yeah, so much for trying his luck. There was nothing there, she just thought he was too weak to survive against the voidents. For a moment, he thought about telling her that he was in his tutorial batch¡¯s top ten, but decided against it. He had no idea how his strength measured against players of his own level who had been in the Tower for a long while. Instead, he had something else to ask. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. Instead, you guys are going to Lilinga Gorge, right? I heard that there''s a field to farm the Regeneration Skill near those areas,¡± he said. He had not heard that at all, he just wanted to confirm whether what Rekona had told him was true or not. ¡°Is that true?¡± Di Etta scratched her head, ¡°I¡¯m not really familiar with the valleys around Risa¡¯s Plateau. Gertina?¡± Gertina turned from her sister to the two of them. ¡°Regeneration skill?¡± she asked and then checked something on her comcer. ¡°It''s nowhere near the gorge, though. The dungeon is called Psike''s Grotto, that''s where that Blood Mage, what''s his name¡­ Laredo or something¡­ claimed to have gotten his Regeneration skill. But that entire field and all the dungeons over there are controlled by the Retessa Guild.¡± Gria made a disgusted face, ¡°I can''t stand them, self-righteous pieces of shit who think that they are the gods'' gift to the Tower just because they serve a saint god,¡± she said. ¡°The funny thing is that their saint god hasn''t Blessed any of them with the Regeneration Skill, and I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve even killed a single trollimp.¡± So it seemed like Rekona was right, and in order to go after the Regeneration skill, Langa needed both the Blessing of a god of life and to kill a certain number of trollimps. The biggest issue was getting the Retessa Guild to let him into their territory. "But I heard that Laredo was only able to clear it because it was part of his Legacy quest," Gertina added with a shrug. "So take this with a grain of salt." Speaking of Legacy quests, Langa realised that he had not checked his since he got to the 1st Floor. He remembered that it would be possible for him to complete the Legacy quests now that he was past level 10. There was still a little time until the carriage reached Theria''s Hollow, and as such, he checked his Legacy quest.
LEGACY QUEST #1
Quest Rank: Unique
You have chosen to inherit the Legacy of a temperamental thunderbird. In order to unlock the skills on the Thunderbird''s Mutable Lightning Glaive as well as the opportunity to obtain a special stat, you must complete his Legacy.
Quest Objectives:
Raise the skill: Legacy of the Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship (S) to Intermediate level before you reach level 11.
Time Limit:
Level 10 only
Quest Limitations:
Only available for players with the skill Legacy of the Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship (S).
Cautions:
N/A
Quest Rewards:
-Class Change: Unique Class
Quest Failure Penalty:
-No new Legacy Quests unlocked until Tier (2) -No new skills unlocked for Thunderbird''s Mutable Lightning Glaive until Tier (3)
So he just needed to raise the skill level? Langa remembered that he had four skill points that he''d gotten as rewards from his achievements in the tutorial, so he tried to use those to raise the skill level. [Error! Skill Points cannot be used on Legacy skills.] Well that sucked. How in hell was he supposed to raise the level of a passive skill? Flash Step improved the more he used it, so he assumed that he would need to fight with his spear as much as possible to raise this one. But that skill was currently at Beginner Level 3, so he wondered if it would be possible to raise it by seven whole levels before he levelled up. He supposed he could always get a Grandmaster to teach him, but he did not know any Grandmasters with this skill... He did not know any Grandmasters at all. "Hey, we''re close. Theria''s Hollow is right below us. Where do you want us to drop you?" Gria asked, lowering the carriage with her magic, and pulling Langa out of his thoughts. "As close as possible to the void veil," he answered. "Are you really going into a void territory? You must be crazy!" Di Etta said, shaking her head. "Here, take this, maybe it will save your life." She pulled out a small flask with a swirling white potion and handed it to him. "Are you serious? Why are you giving him one of Lenna''s failed experiments?" Gertina asked. What did that even mean? Langa took the potion from Di Etta, and held it in his hands, then he scanned it. [Failed Potion #34567 Alchemist: Lenna Zille Do Effects: Undefined Warning: Consume at your own risk!] "What?" Langa was puzzled, this was the first time that he''d seen an item with undefined effects, except maybe for his Void Star. But even that had question marks in the description, which meant that the missing parts were there, he just wasn''t authorised to see them. This was something else entirely though, and he had no interest in consuming it. "It''s a failed paralysis potion made by one of our guild¡¯s alchemists. It does put you in a state of paralysis, but the side effects can be very severe, from explosive diarrhoea to setting your hair on fire. You can use it on any red mortals or monsters to subdue them, even just a drop is enough to knock them out. The trick is that you have to get them to drink it," Di Etta explained. ¡°You can''t use it on a weapon. Take it as thanks for saving me.¡± "Thank you," Langa said, touched. He knew that she only gave it to him out of pity, but she must be a good person to help out a stranger like this. Sure, he had saved her, but Gria could also have easily saved her as well. He held out his wrist. "Let''s exchange mana signatures. I''ll return the favour in the future." Di Etta looked at him like he was crazy, and sighed. "Sure," she said, and they exchanged the signatures as Gria brought the carriage to a stop about 5 metres above the ground. "According to my map, the village is supposed to be near here. We aren''t able to see it because of the void veil covering the entire area. That''s as far as I can go before we all start being affected by the void veil," she said. He stood up. "Thanks for the ride," he said opening the carriage door to the wide forested valley. "Stay safe!" Di Etta called out. As Langa jumped down, he heard Gria say, "Poor guy. Well, hopefully, he has one more respawn. Nothing teaches caution better than having only one life." That was not something that he cared about at all. After all, when had Langa ever lived his life worrying about his own death? * He landed painfully on his knees on the soft grass. He had a small gash on his left knee as he sat up. "Ouch," he muttered, looking around. He was in a thick forest, with a path ahead of him. It looked like there was nothing but a forest in front of him, but he knew that according to the map, he was not far from the village. He knew that there was a void veil, but he could not see it, he could only feel the air shimmering somewhere in front of him. The shimmering seemed to go on and on, forever around the forest. Langa guessed that the void veil surrounded the entire village and surrounding areas. Langa lightly treaded forward slowly, there was no way for him to disappear completely into the background, just because he could not see them, did not mean that there were no people nearby, everything could be hidden by the void veil. Making sure that the comcer was recording, he kept hiding in the forest as he walked forward. Once the shimmering air of the void veil was in front of him, he put on his Guardian''s Deiform Ring that Jandri had given him, and, tentatively, extended his hand towards the shimmering air, making sure that he was hidden from any people up ahead. [Common Rank void veil detected! To shatter the void veil, please destroy the Void Pearl that created the veil.] The description from the ring had said that it would protect him from the effects of unauthorised Void magic, so he walked into the void veil, heart hammering in his chest as his mind remembered how suffocating and how much agony he had endured the last time that he''d been trapped in the Void. A chill passed through his body and he shivered slightly, making sure to remain alert and on guard. [You have entered a Common Rank pseudo-void territory (Void Pearl). You are not under the protection of any Void Gems -5STA per second until STA is at 10% of your maximum -0.25 karma per second until all available karma is drained. +Chaotic Mind Debuff applied to all player characters inside the pseudo-void territory] [You are under the protection of the Guardian''s Deiform Ring. At your level, this divine artefact is only effective against Void Pearls. You shall receive no negative effects from the pseudo-void territory] Langa heaved a quick sigh of relief, grateful that the ring worked. But, no wonder no one wanted to come to areas with voidents. Without the ring, all those debuffs were practically crippling. Even if someone could fight through the stamina loss, no one in the Tower would risk losing even one karma, for some coins that they would get from the voidents'' bounty. On the other hand, it made sense why even a low-rank voident like this had a bounty as high as 15 silver. It was now or never, so he braced himself for the upcoming battle. 23.5 Floor 1: Risas Plateau (4) Now that he was inside the pseudo-void territory, Langa looked around to take stock of his surroundings. It was dark all around him, darker than it was beyond the veil. It was still daytime after all, yet he could barely see the light of the sun in the sky. The air itself felt somewhat eerie, as if it were alive, and would swallow him whole when he walked through it. In the shallow light of the red sun, the forested valley glowed red, and Langa, spear in hand, moved silently through the grass, hiding in the shadows. He did not have any stealth or sneaking skills, so he had to be very consciously careful. Well, he was used to tip-toeing around his brother-in-law, so he knew how to stay hidden. Yikes, that was depressing. How ironic was it that he would be thinking about that as a beneficial skill? [The Onslaught of the Dark Void is watching you.] Fuck, Chaos gave him the creeps, especially after how awful it had been for him when he had been stuck in the Void during the tutorial. He had no idea why a great being like that would be watching him, but Langa just wanted him to look away from him. Logically, he knew that it was not the god''s fault that he had been trapped in the Void, but maestrils were creations of Chaos, and they had been responsible for his predicament. He supposed he could just be watching him because he was in a pseudo-void territory, but he doubted that The Dark Void had so much time on his hands that he would watch every mortal that entered a pseudo-void territory. The reason why he had Chaos'' attention did not matter, all Langa knew was that he did not want the attention of this god. Deciding that keeping him out of his sight would keep him out of his mind, Langa ignored Chaos and walked on. To his left, he could see a path leading somewhere deeper into the forest, and to his right, there was another path towards what looked to be a small village in the distance. He headed towards the village. As Langa rounded a bend in the road, the village gate came into view. A beautiful wooden wall was erected around the village, but the gate hung ajar, one side broken. A few goblinkin, clad in mismatched armour and wielding crude weapons, milled around the entrance, chatting and laughing together, their eyes not scanning the road for intruders. It may have seemed reckless, but Langa understood that, with a void veil, the likelihood of anyone breaking in was close to zero. It would be easy to take them out and enter the village, but Langa thought it best to assess the situation first since he was so unprepared. He knew he couldn''t just walk through the gate. The NPCs would spot him immediately, and any attempt to fight his way in would likely end in a loud commotion. He needed to find another way in, a way that would allow him to slip past the guards unnoticed. Langa moved off the main road, skirting the edge of the village, as he searched for an alternate entry point. As he crept through the forest, he spotted a narrow, overgrown path that led to the back of the village. It was a barely visible, muddy pathway, hidden by tall grass. He scanned the path for any signs of traps or patrols. Satisfied that it was safe, he moved forward. The path led him to a section of the village''s wooden palisade, which looked as if it hadn¡¯t finished being built and had been left like this for years. The wood was rotting, and he examined the wall until he found a small gap where the wood had crumbled away, just wide enough for him to squeeze through. He took a deep breath and slipped through the gap, his lean body fitting just barely. As he emerged on the other side, he paused to listen for any sounds of alarm. The village remained silent, thankfully, there didn¡¯t seem to be a magical barrier protecting it. No wonder it had been easy for a low-tier voident to take this place over. The security in this village was atrocious. [The high-tier constellation: Swiftfoot Anitari, observes your easy breaking and entering and wonders if you were a robber or thief in your previous world.] ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t,¡± Langa said in outrage. What an unfounded accusation! ¡°Can¡¯t you read my mind?¡± [The high-tier constellation: Swiftfoot Anitari, says, ¡°To some extent.¡±] Whatever that meant. Now inside the village, Langa moved cautiously, sticking close to the walls of the buildings towards the centre. The village square came into view and there were mostly goblinkin in this village, and at first, Langa was worried he would stand out. However, he saw a couple of birdkin, humans and elves mixed in with the villagers. Surprisingly, the village wasn¡¯t a safe zone as previously reported, but a neutral zone. That explained why there were red NPCs here. He had expected to see a neglected village whose houses crumbled from disrepair, and the streets to be cracked and overgrown with weeds, however, everything was still standing and looked clean and well-kept. He continued to move through the village, his eyes and ears alert to any signs of the red NPCs¡¯ presence. Furthermore, he needed to gather more information, to understand the full extent of the Accari Crows¡¯ grip on the village. Only then could he formulate a plan to take down Grion Fidser. He made sure to keep his head down and stick either behind other people or in dark corners as he observed the situation in front of him. At first glance, everything seemed normal. Villagers moved about their daily routines¡ªshopkeepers attending their stalls, children playing in the square, and workers bustling about with their tasks. But as Langa walked deeper into the village, he felt something was wrong. These people were entirely too downtrodden. He saw a blacksmith lifelessly hammering away at his forge, the vendors sat about sullenly advertising their goods without smiles; and most of all, the children clung to their families and weren¡¯t happily playing together. There was also the strange fact that most of the people he could see were either really young or really old. There was no one his age around here. He was good at observing people, so he caught the way the villagers glanced over their shoulders, the nervous murmurs exchanged in hushed tones, and the presence of red-named NPCs walking around and watching the people carefully. It wasn¡¯t a stretch to think they were Accari Crows. He entertained the idea of subduing one of them and making them reveal Grion Fidser¡¯s location, but he didn¡¯t think it was a good idea since they walked around in packs. A loud noise drew his attention to the other side of the street, and he went that way. This area seemed to be largely residential, and he did not like it when he saw the reason for the noise. A group of red owlkin NPCs, level 7 to 9, had gathered around a young boy who lay in a heap on the ground. The young goblinkin¡¯s face was covered in blood and bruises, and his body was shaking. An owlkin looked down at him."You thought you could steal from us?" he spat. "If you want food, you work for it! Get to the mines!" A frail old goblinkin with grey hair stepped forward, his hands raised. "Please, he¡¯s just a boy," the elder pleaded. "Please have mercy, you know him, and his family even if you¡¯re red now. He¡¯s too young to work, and he was only trying to feed his family." The red NPC huffed and delivered a kick to the boy''s ribs, eliciting a cry. "Next time, the punishment will be worse, boy. We¡¯ll tell the boss to remove you from the safe list," he warned, his eyes cold. "Then you¡¯ll suffer all the effects of the pseudo-void territory before you die. Remember that, all of you." As much as Langa wanted to help, there were too many of the Accari Crows here. It wouldn¡¯t do for him to reveal himself before he knew where Grion Fidser was. So he swallowed his disdain at seeing a child get hurt and watched as the red NPCs turned and walked away, their laughter echoing through the square. Most of the villagers who had been watching quickly retreated inside the safety of their homes. The street was left silent, the only sound being the boy''s pained breaths. Langa waited until the red NPCs were out of sight, then got out of his hiding place. Everyone was gone except the boy and old man who had spoken up, and he watched Langa warily as he approached the boy slowly. The boy raised his arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, frightened, when he reached him. "Please don''t hurt me." "Easy now. I''m not going to hurt you," Langa said gently, kneeling beside him. "I''m here to help, okay? What''s your name?" The boy looked up at him with pain-filled eyes, too weak to speak. "Reygon," he whispered. It may have seemed unnecessary to make him talk in this state, but familiarity bred trust. "Okay, Reygon. You need to treat your wounds before they get infected," he said, wondering if they had bacteria in this world. "There must be a clinic or something near here." The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Langa carefully lifted him, supporting his weight as the elder hurried over to assist. "Thank you," the old man said. "I can help him. Come, follow me. We need to get him to safety first. Those fools might come back for more." They carried the boy to a small, humble hut at the edge of the village, whose inside was filled with the smell of herbs. The old man motioned for Langa to lay the boy on a makeshift bed, then set about gathering supplies to treat his wounds. Langa watched as the man worked with urgency, cleaning the boy''s injuries and applying ointment to them. He wondered if he should give him one of his health potions but decided against it. He had no idea how his fight with Fidser would go. The boy winced as his wounds were cleaned but remained silent, his eyes squeezed shut against the pain. When the old man had done all he could, he turned to Langa, "You¡¯re not from around here, are you, young man?" he said, though it was more a statement than a question. "What gave it away?" Langa asked, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. He didn¡¯t stick out per se, but this was a small village where everyone probably knew each other. The old man gave him a weary smile. "Your willingness to help, for one. Unfortunately, people are ruled by fear around here. They never know who¡¯s going to turn against us next. So, who are you? And why aren¡¯t you affected by the pseudovoid territory?" Langa leaned against the wall, unsure how much he should reveal. He decided to go with the truth for now. "My name is Langa. I¡¯m here for Grion Fidser¡¯s bounty. But it¡¯s clear there¡¯s more going on here than I was told,¡± he said, cursing the Guardians. ¡°What I¡¯m doing will benefit your village, so I need to know everything about the situation with the red NPCs and the Accari Crows." The elder sighed deeply, his shoulders sagging wearily. He looked like he was ready to drop from exhaustion alone. "The Accari Crows took over our village a few weeks ago. For a while, no one knew something was wrong. They used neutral players and a nearby dungeon eruption to turn our village from a safe zone to a neutral zone, so their red players could enter. We don¡¯t have a teleportation wheel, and this village isn¡¯t large enough for the Federation Police to be stationed here. Even worse, the gang uses the void veil to cut us off from using our comcers.¡± That sort of lined up with what Jandri had told him. He gestured for the old man to continue. ¡°Once it was known that they were here, they started making demands of the Federation. They hold us hostage to keep the Federation Police away. No adventurers come to this place because they fear the effects of the pseudovoid territory. The only ones who can help us are probably the Guardians.¡± ¡°Are¡­are you a Guardian, mister?¡± Reygon asked, looking at Langa with hope in his eyes. First of all, Langa didn¡¯t think he was old enough to be called a mister. But he ignored it for now, since the kid was hurt. Second, while he did not like it when people had expectations of him, in this case he felt he could live up to the boy''s expectations. ¡°Something like that. So, where can I find Fidser?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, he never comes to the village because of his alignment. The workers say he¡¯s always by the mines," he said. "Mine?" Langa asked, remembering that Jandri said the voident found a skill book in a mine. "Yes," the old man nodded solemnly. "They force our able-bodied villagers to work in the mines, extracting lucent stones for their own gain. They have a catch-and-drop system where the Federation sends money and they send the lucent stones. Those of us who can¡¯t work, like the young and the old, are left to fend for themselves with barely any food or resources. At least if there is someone in the family who can work, they can get food for their whole family," he said. ¡°Unfortunately, despartation has led some of our youth to join the Accari Crows for survival¡­¡± He glanced at the boy, who was now lying on the small bed, watching the two of them, his face pale but more peaceful. "Reygon tried to steal food because his family was starving. The red NPCs are ruthless; they punish any disobedience harshly. At least the ones from our village who work with them are less harsh on us." Langa nodded, his mind processing the information. "And the leader of this little gang? He is a voident, right?" "Yes. There are two voidents that I''ve seen. The one they call Fidser, and another one," the elder replied, and for the first time, there was fear in his voice. "He has a tight grip on his men. They follow him without question. The ironic thing is, they''ve been here for months. We knew that a merchant group had discovered a mine near our village, and were busy working on it. Once work started, they even employed some of our people. Yes, they were red NPCs, but they did not hurt anyone. They paid taxes to the Federation, and we traded very well with them, not knowing they were Accari Crows. Things changed a couple of weeks ago when Fidser revealed himself and put a void veil over our village. To this day, I don''t know what happened to cause the change." "I see." Langa said, thinking. Fidser must have felt the pressure after stealing whatever it was from his bosses and wanted to use the villagers to make money quickly from the mine. "Thank you for the information. I will do what I can to help you guys. Where is the mine from here?" "You go out of the village and follow the main path through the forest. There are two roads, one leads to a haunted cave and the other to the mine," Reygon said quietly. "If you hurry, you may be able to catch the Accari Crows taking the villagers into the mine or bringing the lucent stones back here." "Okay, thanks," he said, satisfied. "If you¡¯re here to stop them, you must be careful. This gang is dangerous, well-armed, and rumoured to be connected." The elder placed a hand on Langa¡¯s arm, his grip surprisingly strong. "Please, be careful. I would hate for you to lose your life in a futile battle, but please understand¡­ some of the red children¡­ they aren¡¯t bad people, just desparate. I don¡¯t know how much longer we can take this.¡± Langa nodded, "I will be fine. And I promise, I won¡¯t let them continue to terrorise this village. If your people don¡¯t get in my way, I won¡¯t hurt them. Call the Federation Police as soon as the void veil goes down." He had a couple of rations left over in his inventory, and he gave them to the boy. "Eat this for now. You can get real food once I take down Fidser." Reygon accepted it, but before Langa had to endure a tearful bout of annoying gratitude, he turned to leave. "Thank you for the food. And please don''t die," Reygon called after him. Langa raised a hand and waved without turning back. * Langa followed the road Reygon had been talking about until he was outside the village, then he made his way towards the mine. He headed towards the mine entrance but stopped upon realising that the mine was heavily guarded, with red NPCs stationed at every entrance and all over the perimeter. Langa observed from a distance, noting the shifts of the guards and the layout of the area. If he knew for sure that Fidser was in there, he could use his exploding orbs to create chaos while he took him down. He slipped closer to two guards, careful to remain unseen. He needed to find a way to disrupt the red NPCs'' operations, and break their hold on the village. As he crouched behind a large rock, he overheard a conversation between two red NPCs. "Fidser says we need to increase the output," one of them grumbled. "The boss isn''t happy with the current haul." "Yeah, well, good luck getting these villagers to work any harder," the other replied. "They look ready to drop like flies." Langa frowned. If Fidser was feeling the pressure, it meant Jandri was right, he was planning to desert the Accari Crows and flee. He followed them at a safe distance until they reached a hidden entrance at the base of a hill, where a mine shaft descended into the earth. A group of goblinkin emerged from the shaft, their bodies covered in dirt and sweat, their faces exhausted. The red NPCs herded them back into the village, commanding them with harsh voices. He did not have any time to waste, so he stealthily walked inside the forest, avoiding the path so he would not be spotted. He hurried until he was far ahead of them. This was a small group that he could take on while they were on the road between the mine and the village, where no one could see them. If the NPCs were on their way here, he needed to lie in wait for them. The red NPCs were two hawkkin and a goblinkin, and they ranged from level 7 to 8. They were yelling at some goblinkin, kicking them about. It was a little strange that he had seen so many Accari Crows, but they weren¡¯t voidents. He¡¯d have to subdue them and call the Federation Police as soon as he captured the voident. It was probably better for him to try his luck against these fools than to go straight for Grion Fidser with no idea of his strength. They would make a great first practice for him since it would be his first time fighting against other mortals. He crept closer to the path from the bushes and watched as the three red NPCs barked orders at the five young goblinkin children as they hauled two heavy-looking bags. There was also an older goblinkin man walking with them, carrying one more bag. The goblinkin looked weary and fatigued, and, as they were walking ahead of the two red hawkkin and goblinkin, Langa decided to take a chance and activate the Exploding Ice Orb behind the red mortals. It was time for his first real battle against other mortals. Calculating the distance and how accurately he could throw the exploding orb, Langa realised that no matter how good his aim was, there was no guarantee that only the red NPCs would be caught in the explosion. The impact could reach the captive goblinkin, but they would not be as hurt as their oppressors. He removed the Exploding Ice Orb from his inventory and held it in his hand as he watched the little entourage make their way towards the village. [The high-tier constellation: Koridius The Fish Who Sings To the Ocean, stifles a laugh.] Langa paused at that message. He¡¯d felt that he was being watched the whole time on his way here, but none of the deities had revealed themselves. Even during the fight between Di Etta¡¯s team and the popobawa, there were plenty of eyes on them, especially after he used his attribute to save her. From what he¡¯d read in the Relgtes last night, it cost karma for deities to send messages to players, and he was sure that they would rather not waste their precious karma at the moment. So, why did this constellation want him to know that he was stifling his laughter? Well, he could not comprehend the mind of a deity, and if he waited any longer, the red NPCs would be too far away for him to reach. So he took the Exploding Ice Orb, and infused it with his mana. He felt almost 50 mana start to drain into the orb, and the water inside it swirled in a circle. It felt different from what he''d done with the lucent crystals on the carriage. Back then, the glyphs had sort of guided his mana, meaning that all he had to do was keep infusing it with mana to keep the air steady. This time, however, the glyphs on the orb did not light up; instead, a prompt appeared in front of him. [You have infused lightning mana into a water-based weapon] [Warning!! You have 100% lightning affinity, 0% water affinity and 0% water resistance! Lightning and water disciplines have an inverse relationship! More damage will be dealt on impact, however, infusing lightning discipline mana into a water discipline weapon will result in 100% backlash damage to you. Continue: Y/N?] [Disable affinity and resistance notifications: Y/N?] Fucking hell. 24. Floor 1: First Voident Hunt (1) Langa stared at the prompt in disbelief. What the hell? Was he infusing lightning discipline mana into the orb right now? Was it thanks to the reward he''d chosen from the Deiwos Tower Karma Store, his full lightning affinity? He¡¯d never thought that gaining full lightning affinity would have negative consequences for him like this. So, it wasn¡¯t just skills, then? Even weapons and items not containing lightning discipline mana would be affected by his affinity? He knew that this meant that using Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike would cause 100% more damage since it was a lightning discipline skill. Also, hadn''t his attribute mentioned something about skills being more effective if they were in his affinity discipline? Damn, why was he having all these distracting thoughts right before a fight? He took a deep breath, pushing everything to the back of his mind, and regaining his sense of calm. One of these days all this compartmentalisation in his brain would backfire on him. But for right now, he had only one thought in his mind, and that was wondering if he had fucking wasted a whole silver coin buying these orbs for nothing? ¡°SHIT!¡± he wanted to scream, but he only screamed it in his head because he was still in hiding and did not want the red NPCs to hear him. [Multiple deities of water and lightning are both appalled and amused by your stupidity.] "I''m from a lost world," Langa whispered through gritted teeth. How was he supposed to know that his affinity would screw him over like this? ¡°Nobody taught me about affinity disciplines. With all due respect, oh great deities, like I said before, if you have nothing constructive to say, just watch me quietly. Or, I don''t know, change the channel or something?¡± [Multiple deities of various alignments look at you in pity.] Langa took a deep breath and reminded himself not to be annoyed, that this much attention from deities was actually a good thing. He reminded himself that he was only getting this much attention from them because he was in the top ten. Right, if he made a fool of himself in this fight, they would probably stop paying him any attention. He sighed, calming himself down. If he continued berating himself, he would just keep on looking stupid to the deities. He would have to find a way to make sure that the Guardians cut out this part before uploading the video to the Dent. [The Kwara Orisha Clan goddess: Mother of The Nine Winds And Storms, quotes from a famous Relgte; ''My people perish because they lack knowledge''] [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, advises you to visit a library in your spare time, to learn more about affinities and resistances, among other things.] If he didn''t know any better, he''d think that the gods were treating him like he was dumb. He was not dumb; he was just unprepared. Sure, he''d wasted the little money he had, and he doubted that the merchant would accept him returning the orbs. He couldn''t even sell them for the gods'' sakes because the enchantment would expire tomorrow. There was one more thing that he wanted to try before attacking the red NPCs head-on. He infused a little bit of his mana, this time into the Exploding Wind Orb. [You have 100% lightning affinity, 7% air affinity and 2% air resistance! Lightning and air have a synergistic relationship! +7% extra air damage, + minor lightning damage applied to Exploding Wind Orb] Finally, at least something good came out of this. He heaved a happy sigh of relief. The wind orbs would help him out, so he decided that he would only use one at the moment and save one for the actual voidents. This was his moment to make a good first impression on the Dent, like Liv and Vos Kindaro II. He wanted to enter the forums of the Dent with a bang and make an impression that would resonate throughout the entire 1st Floor. That way, Khaya, Neo, his sister, and his brother-in-law would know that he was safe, and they would be able to follow his movements and know where to find him. If he couldn''t find them, he would stand at the highest place and have them come to him. His debut would have to be explosive. Literally. Langa stepped out of the trees, hurling the Exploding Wind Orb towards the three red NPCs, and it landed at their feet, and the air coming from it surrounded them, causing a distortion. The orb unleashed a powerful blast of wind in all directions, sending the three of them flying in different directions. The goblinkin and one hawkkin were thrown into trees, while the third one fell hard onto the ground. The blast also tore apart the bags that the five goblinkin teenagers were carrying, causing lucent stones to fall all over the ground. The blast of air would have injured them too, if not for the older goblinkin with them tackling the teenager to the ground hurriedly to keep them out of the line of fire. The older goblinkin received a few cuts and bruises, however, since he was not as close to the blast as their captors, he was not as badly hurt as they were. There was only one fighting plan in Langa¡¯s mind today; to strike fast before his opponents even knew what hit them. He wanted to feel the speed driving him on the inside, the way that he used to feel when he first started running. He wanted that rush of adrenaline to course through his body, mixed with the lightning that now felt like a part of him. He hoped that lightning speed and the fire from the fight would send his mind into overdrive, and wash away his worries about being a nameless nobody in a new world. He wanted it to wash away his worries about losing his family, worries about his curse fuelling that fucking prophecy, and worries about whether any deities would choose him or not. Speed would be the theme of his debut video. As soon as the blast hit the NPCs, Langa emerged from the trees, armed only with his glaive, and rushed towards the fallen red hawkkin that had been hit by the Exploding Wind Orb. He quickly slashed him twice in the ankles before he could get up. He was not going for kill-shots since the NPC had only one life and would not respawn upon death. He then drove the glave deep into his wings, and the hawkkin cried out in pain, slumping on the ground. This way, at least, he would not be able to move. This all happened in an instant, and then he ran towards the red goblinkin, who was wearing more armour than his companions and had recovered slightly from the wind blast. Langa thrust his glaive towards him, but the glaive was stopped by the wooden shield that the goblinkin raised. He stepped back as the goblinkin also stood up, taking a defensive stance. Right now, Langa needed to make a choice, he''d been holding back, not using his full strength because, unlike monsters, mortals had lower HP, and he could easily kill these NPCs with a single strike from Tonare. Their HP was around 200, as they were all level 7 to 8. They were honestly not strong opponents for him, but there were three of them. Still, he could not afford to be reckless right now, as the goblinkin sent a blast of black goo from his hands at him, and he dodged it. When the goo fell to the ground, it started eating away at it. ¡°Who are you? Why aren''t you affected by the void veil?¡± the goblinkin asked. Instead of responding, however, Langa ran straight at him, using Flash Step this time, and stabbed Tonare hard into the shield. This time, he used as much of his strength as he could. The shield broke into splinters of wood like butter, and the spear continued on, stabbing straight into the goblinkin¡¯s abdomen. Since he had used the extra damage he dealt with Flash Step, the chainmail offered very little resistance against Tonare, and the spear cut flesh. A unique weapon that carried a Legacy going against common rank armour was very unfair. There was no competition at all. The goblinkin coughed blood and fell to the ground, bleeding. Langa could only hope that the wound was not too deep and that he wouldn¡¯t die. Shit, maybe he should have held back a little. ¡°Dvarinda is going to warn the others!¡± One of the goblinkin shouted, and only then did Langa turn to look at his last opponent, only to find her unfurling her wings and taking to the sky. ¡°Damn it!¡± Langa cursed. He''d hoped to end this quickly and easily, but no matter how fast he could move, there was no way to catch up with a hawkkin flying in the sky. Langa narrowed his eyes, watching her fly away. She was about 50 metres high up in the air, and maybe 90 or so metres ahead of him, and flying quickly away. He bent his knees slightly and held Tonare in his left hand. He was going to do something reckless, and if he failed, he would look like a laughing stock in the video. The captive goblinkin teenagers and their older companion watched in awe as Langa assessed the distance, and he closed his eyes, envisioning himself back home, standing in the field, about to take part in the javelin throwing competition. With all his power, he threw Tonare hard into the air, aiming just a bit of distance ahead of the hawkkin. He was worried that it wouldn''t work as Tonare was a glaive, not a javelin, and glaives were not really spears made for throwing. The glaive flew diagonally, not struggling against the wind, and struck Dvarinda deep in her shoulder. She screamed loudly and fell gracelessly from the sky to the ground. Phew, all those years of javelin throwing had not been a waste after all. Langa had been aiming for her wings, but a shoulder was good enough. He ran towards her as fast as he could, as he could not cover the entire distance with Flash Step. She was struggling on the ground, twitching in pain, and trying to pull Tonare out of her shoulder. Langa pulled out an inferior health potion from his inventory. ¡°If you answer my question, I¡¯ll give you a sip,¡± he promised. ¡°Where¡¯s Grion Fidser?¡± The girl laughed, and then grimaced in pain. ¡°You fool! Are you a Guardian? Do you have any idea who we work for? You''ve just made a big mistake, buddy!¡± Were the Accari Crows such a big deal that she thought they would scare a Guardian? He had not seen that guild in any of the top ten lists yesterday, though. She had to be bluffing. Langa walked up to her and pushed Tonare deeper into her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m not going to repeat myself. Where is Grion Fidser?¡± It brought him no pleasure to cause her pain, but he figured that she deserved it. The Accari Crows were holding innocent people hostage after all. They kept the villagers slaving away for them for fucking scraps. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Go to hell," she sputtered, and then she fainted from the blood loss. Well, that was unproductive. Langa pulled out the spear, causing the wound to bleed even more profusely. She was going to bleed to death at this rate. The children gasped when he tore open a section of her robe, but he wasn¡¯t doing anything illicit. He wrapped the cloth around her injury like a bandage to at least ensure that she did not die. After that, he also fed Di Etta¡¯s paralysis potion to the unconscious goblinkin. The last hawkkin that could not move because of how he''d slashed his ankles and wings, watched Langa approach warily. ¡°You have two choices. You can tell me where Grion Fidser is, and how many people he has with him and I¡¯ll knock you out once and for all, or I can stab you and watch you bleed out until you''re unconscious like your friends,¡± Langa informed him. He really hoped the guy sang because he did not know if he could stomach torture. He could have killed them, of course, and he would definitely kill the voidents, but he understood the red NPCs somewhat. They were desparate to feed their families, and the gods knew he would do anything for his. Hell, Neo had done far worse things than these people for less noble reasons. The goblinkin¡¯s lip trembled, and he glanced at his unconscious comrades. ¡°He¡¯s inside the mine, he has only two guards,¡± he said looking away from Langa. ¡°Alright, thanks,¡± he said and then hit him on the head with Tonare¡¯s shaft. Once he was knocked out, Langa fed him the paralysis potion as well. ¡°He lied,¡± one of the goblinkin said, even as the others tried to shut him up. Langa turned to the captives, and they were huddled together watching him. He figured as much since he had seen how heavily guarded the mine was. "Do you know where they are?" ¡°They are in the caves, that''s where he and his girlfriend live, close to the mine," The one who answered was the older goblinkin. "Fidser has three red guards and another voident with him.¡± ¡°What''s in the mine?¡± Langa asked curiously, wondering if he should be on the lookout for threats. ¡°Corrupted kobolds, hundreds of them. Fidser controls them with the Void Pearl to do the mining, and then he forces us to collect the lucent stones for him," he responded. "The other Accari Crows are all in the mine, supervising our people. You''ll want to be quiet so that you don''t alert them.¡± So, the hawkkin had been trying to set him up then. Langa nodded to the goblinkin. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, and for good measure, he kicked the unconscious hawkkin''s head. Langa then bent down and picked up the sack that was half full of lucent stones and stored it in his inventory. There were 268 lucent stones in there, so thanks to the stacking function, they only took up 3 slots in his inventory. ¡°B-but those are ours! We need them to buy food for the village,¡± another one of the captive goblinkin said. ¡°Boy, I¡¯m fighting against red NPCs and voidents all by myself to save your tiny little village. If there is one thing the unemployment crisis in my country taught me, it is that I don''t work without pay. You''re lucky that I didn''t take all three bags,¡± he said, starting to turn away. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, finds your behaviour amusing and laughs heartily] [The Kwara Orisha Clan goddess: Mother of The Nine Winds And Storms, is conflicted. She disapproves of taking from suffering children, but she also believes that appropriate compensation should be given for work done.] [Multiple deities of justice are unhappy, and they wonder if they have misjudged you.] [The high-tier constellation: The Unreasonable Ambitious Swordreader, encourages you to take everything.] Langa snorted, checking his map for where the mine and the caves holding Grion Fidser were. He would not do charity for these people, not when he needed money to buy new armour and potions, but he also wasn''t heartless enough to leave them with nothing. ¡±Go hide in the village; it''s a safe zone, right? Once the void veil goes down, call the Federation Police. I''m sure they''d be happy to teleport to the nearest teleportation wheel and take care of the rest of the Accari Crows,¡± Langa instructed the older goblinkin. He nodded, and unlike the children, this goblinkin did not seem to blame him for taking the stones. After locating what he was looking for on the map, Langa ran that way. * Langa ran through the forest until he reached the edge of the trees. About 500 metres away was the mine, and about 10 or so metres away from him, was the cave. On the exterior, nestled near the forest, broken rocks littered the narrow entrance to the cave, partially hidden behind a large tree. There were two hawkkin guarding the entrance, and Langa watched them from the forest. Both of them were at level 8. There was only one thing for him to do, he had to strike before they even had time to react to his presence. He breathed and ran the short distance towards the cave entrance before activating Flash Step. They never even saw him coming. He thrust the glaive into the hawkkin''s side, shattering his shoddy leather armour, and with the bonus damage from Flash Step, he fell down to the ground, screaming. Langa, however, spared no attention to his defeated opponent, turning instead to his fellow guard. Since Langa had appeared out of nowhere, the other guard was still muttering an incantation, readying his magic. Langa kicked him in the chest as hard as he could, causing him to fall and interrupting the casting. The backlash damage from the interrupted spell was heavy on the guard, and he knelt down on the ground in pain, blood pouring out of his nose and trickling from his mouth as well. Langa kicked him once more, on the head this time, and the hawkkin toppled over on the ground, unconscious. It seemed Langa preferred his fights quick and easy, before the opponents got their bearings back. He was glad that he''d taken some lessons from Liv because, a week ago, he would not have been able to move like that. It was tiring though, and his stamina was steadily becoming lower. ¡°Tion? Gale? What''s going on out there?¡± A voice asked from inside the cave, and Langa stood still, hiding right outside the cave entrance. A few seconds later, a goblinkin came barging out of the cave, sword raised. Langa pounced on him immediately, stabbing him in the side, just like his friend, and then kicking him to the ground. He fed the last of the paralysis potion to the three of them. Langa was annoyed. He had expected a good fight that would help clear his mind of the unfortunate encounter with the Seer this morning, but no such luck. These fights had been too easy. He''d watched the red NPCs for a bit and then struck them with his quick speed, and they were down. There was no challenge at all. "Dear gods, please let me have an actual fight today. Ngiyabonga," he muttered. They didn''t send any messages through, but he felt the amusement of the deities. He tentatively stepped inside the cave. The tunnel was so dark and narrow that it made him hesitate. This was quite possibly one of the worst places for a claustrophobic person to be walking into. As he walked slowly through the tunnel, he discovered that it led to multiple different chambers of the cave. The cave itself was dark, illuminated only by a few lucent crystals hanging off the rocky walls. He passed by a chamber that was full of wooden goblets and plates, as well as the remains of a recent fire. He tensed up, holding Tonare in both hands warily. The hair on Langa¡¯s neck stood up. That prickling sensation at the back of his neck alerted him to the fact that something was wrong, and he instinctively raised one of his arms to protect his head. Sure enough, the moment that the arm went up, there was this scorching pain that hit his whole arm and hand, as a fireball burned straight into his hand. The pain ripped through him like a knife and it was awful. All he could do was try and duck to the side to avoid the magic, but before he could even do that, a claw slashed into his chest from the front, causing blood to start pouring from the wound. He didn''t even have the chance to cry out in pain, either. Crap, there were two opponents. He Flash Stepped 5 metres away from them so that he could create some distance between himself and his opponents. He also wanted to get a good look at who was hunting him. They had known he was coming, and they had probably watched him from the moment he entered the cave. They seemed to have waited to ambush him with the fireball as soon as his guard was down. Since the fireball had failed, the other person had slashed at him with his claws. Langa did a quick scan of the two opponents; there was an eaglekin with black feathers, wearing metal plate armour all over his body, except for his wings, who was level 9. This was the one who had used his claws to slash Langa. The other opponent was a goblinkin who was holding a large red crossbow, she was level 10, and her name (Garlina) was black. She was a voident. His comcer beeped when he scanned her. [Wanted: Dead or Alive Name: Garlina Sikhones Designation: G-rank voident Class: Ranger Affiliation: Accari Crows Last known level: 10 Bounty: 7 Silver.] Well, more money was always welcome. ¡°You are either brave or stupid to come here alone. Who sent you?¡± the goblinkin asked. ¡°I heard you guys found a C-rank skill. I¡¯m broke, so I figured why not take it for free and make some money,¡± Langa said with a smirk. Garlina¡¯s face contorted with fury, and she raised her crossbow. It was better if they thought Langa was no more than a passing thief trying to steal their skill, not someone working for the Guardians. Two crossbow bolts flew at Langa in rapid succession from Garlina and he dove to the ground. The eaglekin was not standing still either, and he began to transform. His mouth sharpened, turning into a long beak, and his claws hardened. The wings on his back unfurled as well. Langa barely had time to register any of this because Garlina was sending another fireball flying towards him, and he had to dodge. Seeing that Langa had created some distance for himself, the eaglekin used his momentary lack of balance to initiate an attack and flew straight at him. Thankfully, the space inside the cave tunnel was narrow, and he could not use his wings effectively in this scenario. Langa rolled out of the way, and the eaglekin crashed into the cave wall. The moment that his beak collided with the wall, it shook and was pierced through, the beak driving deep into the rocks. It made Langa shudder to think of how his body would have fared against that attack. The eaglekin''s beak was stuck to the cave wall for now as he struggled to free himself, and in this momentary distraction, Langa quickly pulled out and downed the remaining half of his inferior health potion from his inventory. His hands started to heal, and more than ever before, he lamented his lack of a self-healing skill. He was forced to run again when, this time, the crossbow bolts that Garlina discharged at him were flaming, and he had no desire to get burnt again. She threw out a few more fireballs at him, and he was annoyed. She had already displayed three fucking skills, but he only had two, yet the two of them were of the same level. He was getting frustrated, and since she was a ranged fighter, she was keeping her distance so he could not reach her with Tonare. ¡°I don''t suppose you can just tell me where Grion Fidser is and end this fight quickly?¡± Langa asked as his dodging skills were put to the test against both her flaming arrows and her fireballs. He had his hands full with her when, all of a sudden, he felt a terrible pain in his back as a sword grazed him. Langa Flash Stepped away the moment he felt the graze of sword, and it did not manage to stab him too deeply. ¡°Who are you, and why are you looking for me?¡± the person who had stabbed him, said. Langa balanced on the cave wall and watched the third opponent. He was a goblinkin in leather armour, holding a broadsword in his hands as he watched Langa. It was Grion Fidser, but Langa¡¯s title did not work on him as he had a Shroud. That meant that he had a deity. All that Langa got was that he was a voident, and level 12. He cursed inwardly. His information had said that Grion Fidser was level 11. Those fucking Guardians had shitty information. The eaglekin had manged to free himself and was starting to get up as well, and Langa laughed, his heart starting to race. He had to fight three opponents, one of whom was two levels higher than him. How strange! In a situation like this he should have been afraid and looking for ways to escape, but not right now. This was it¡ªwhat he''d come here for. Something to distract him from that godsawful prophecy, something to calm his unstable mind, a challenge to stimulate his monotonous life. Would he be able to defeat three opponents all on his own? He could feel his heartbeat picking up, whether it was in fear or excitement, he was not sure. Either way, he took another deep breath, it would not do for his heart rate to rise right now, he did not want to use his attribute as of yet. 25. Floor 1: First Voident Hunt (2) Langa stepped forward, launching a rush of quick slashes at Fidser, but he either blocked or parried them with his sword. In the end, Langa had to retreat backwards because another flaming bolt was flying at him. Fidser moved with practised experience, he seemed adept at hand-to-hand combat, and he circled Langa with a calm look in his eye. ¡°That skill book that you said you¡¯re after is my ticket to freedom. You¡¯re going to die here, and I won''t allow you to get in my way,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Langa answered, talking straight out of his arse, hoping to keep the lie up a bit longer. They both ran towards each other, their movements quick, with Fidser trying to close in for swift sword strikes, but Langa kept his range and thrust forward with Tonare, determined to keep control of the fight while also moving out of the eaglekin¡¯s range However, Fidser gracefully darted around Langa''s thrusts, his footwork many times superior to Langa''s. Suddenly, he lunged forward, aiming a deadly stab directly at Langa''s chest. Time seemed to slow down as Langa''s instincts kicked in, but he wasn¡¯t using his attribute this time, only adrenaline. He swiftly dove down, narrowly avoiding the blow. The tip of Fidser''s sword grazed Langa''s shoulder, leaving a shallow cut as a reminder of how close he had been. With his next swing, he aimed to keep Fidser at bay, exploiting the glaive¡¯s longer reach. "Not bad, but you''re no match for me," Fidser said, and then he muttered something, and the ground under Langa shook, and he was unable to keep his footing as the shaking ground pushed him some distance away from the goblinkin. Fortunately, the skill also caught Fidser''s eaglekin comrade, who had gotten up and had been about to punch Langa from the side, and they both fell to the ground, the eagle kin rolling away from him, and towards Garlina. A flaming bolt pierced Langa¡¯s shoulder, and he rolled on the ground to avoid the other bolts that were flying at him. Muttering angrily, he got back to his feet and tried to adapt to the shaking terrain, using his agility as much as possible to move towards Garlina as she seemed to be getting ready to use her fireball skill. He had to take her out first. He Flash Stepped up, trying to make his way towards her, but the skill''s range was too short to reach her at once, and the eaglekin charged forward, the clinking of his plate armour audible with each step. He stood directly in Langa¡¯s way, protecting Garlina. Langa had no time for this, and he was annoyed because Fidser was also chasing him. This eaglekin was slow as hell since he couldn''t use his wings well in this enclosed space, so Langa just sidestepped him and landed in front of Garlina. By this time, Garlina had finished casting her spell, and a bunch of fireballs, maybe ten in total, surrounded her, protecting her and making it difficult for Langa to reach her without getting burnt. The eaglekin had managed to buy her time. Fidser cast his shaking ground skill again, making Langa unsteady on his feet, so he had to act fast. A thrill flowed through him as he moved, if he took one wrong step right now, he could be impaled by Fidset''s sword, burnt by Garlina''s fireballs, or struck by the eaglekin''s physical blows. Langa didn''t know why being in danger always exhilarated him; was it perhaps because it was proof that he was alive? Either way, his life was on the line, so in one swift movement, he pulled out his second Exploding Wind Orb and infused it with his mana before throwing it at Garlina. The air inside it was crackling with his lightning mana. If only Langa knew how to accurately control his mana infusion, he would have been able to regulate the amount of lightning he could emit. The moment that the orb detonated, a tiny streak of lightning hit Garlina, as the blast of air exacerbated the flames in her fireballs, and she caught fire, screaming. "Garlina!" Fidser screamed in horror. Langa had seen that she had one more respawn, so he did not care if she died. Instead, the cruelty of her plight had shocked her two comrades, and he had to attack while they were stunned. In a display of sheer speed, Langa closed the distance, catching the eaglekin by surprise, as he''d expected him to keep his distance with the spear. His shoulder was aching, but he paid it no mind. Langa stabbed deep and accurately into the joint behind his knee, where the plate armour was weak. The eaglekin cried out in pain as he lost his balance, falling to the ground, and Langa then drove his spear deep into the eaglekin¡¯s unprotected wings, drawing blood and causing him to fall down screaming in pain. Fidser''s sword came rushing towards him, and Langa tried to block it with Tonare, not knowing that this was a feint. The sword cut into his side right below the ribs, and Langa yelled, quickly using Flash Step to flee from any more strikes. He landed in the smoke next to Garlina''s body. Even as the fire died down, Garlina¡¯s burnt body lay unmoving on the ground. She did not seem dead, just badly burnt, and he couldn''t risk her healing herself and rejoining the fight. Langa, clutching his painful side, walked up to her body, then clasped the Deiform Amulet on Garlina¡¯s wrist, and her unconscious body disappeared. A new Deiform Amulet appeared in his hand. What a strange artefact, it really did replicate. In her body''s place, a tile card appeared, and Langa bent down to pick it up. On the tile was a picture of Garlina¡¯s face, and below that, words were written. [Non-Player Garlina Sikhones has been transferred by the Deiform Amulet to the Guardians¡¯ 1st Floor Carcere holding cell. To collect your bounty of (7) Silver, present this tile at any Guardians Guild Outpost.] Langa barely had any time to put the tile away before Grion Fidser gaped at him in shock. ¡°You¡¯re a Guardian? Fuck! No wonder the void veil isn''t affecting you. I thought Amalgam sent you after me! Shit,¡± he said, and started to run into a tunnel beyond the one where they were fighting. Langa downed an inferior health potion and, reminding himself not to think about how he was in an enclosed, dark space, followed after him. The tunnels seemed to extend further into the depths, occasionally widening into larger chambers with lucent crystals hanging overhead. Echoes of both of their footsteps filled the passageway as Langa ran after Fidser, giving the whole cave an eerie feeling. Fidser ran into another tunnel hastily, but in terms of speed, there was no way that he could stay ahead of Langa. So he stopped, turned around, and brandished the sword that he was holding, ¡°Terraquassum!¡± he shouted an incantation. The sword glowed as green glyphs filled its surface, and a defeaning sonic wave erupted from the sword, blaring into Langa¡¯s ears. The unexpected sound dizzied Langa, causing him to lose his balance and stumble slightly. Ears bleeding, he tried to regain his bearings. So, was this guy not trying to run at all? Did he just want to bait Langa into running after him? Seeing him stumble, Fidser charged straight at him, his sword raised. The sword was aimed straight for his neck with no hesitation behind the strike, and if it had been Langa a week ago, he would have fallen prey to the attack easily. However, this Langa had trained with Liv in the tutorial, and he¡¯d learned to react, even from a bad position, lifting his glaive hastily up, and parrying the sword strike. It was not a smooth transition, but his spearmanship was an S-Rank skill, and he¡¯d spent days in the training room, trying to improve it. After his successful parry, Langa Flash Stepped back to create some range for himself and his spear and put the sword at a disadvantage. However, his opponent seemed to have a decent weapon skill as well. A clash of metal against metal echoed in the tunnel, as Langa moved swiftly, lunging forward, attempting to pierce the goblinkin through his leather armour, but Fidser calmly braced himself, demeanour unchanged. As the spear thrust towards him, he muttered an incantation. Once more, the ground beneath them quivered, causing Langa to stumble once again, his attack losing its power. Not one to miss this opportunity, Fidser swung his sword, stabbing straight into Langa¡¯s leg. The pitiful defence of his armour held up for only a second before the blade pierced his flesh. It hurt, but in the past few days, Langa had experienced much worse pain than a simple sword wound that took only 20 HP. He knew that Fidser was probably aiming to reduce his mobility by crippling his leg, but Langa had two legs, and he kicked hard into Fidser¡¯s abdomen with his good leg before truly losing his balance and hitting the hard stone ground of the tunnel painfully. ¡°Persistent, aren¡¯t you?¡± Fidser snapped through gritted teeth as he staggered slightly from the kick. Langa wanted to take out another health potion from his inventory, but he doubted that Fidser would stand still and let him heal himself. He needed to end this fight as quickly as possible. Langa''s heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline fuelling him. He knew he had to change his strategy if he wanted to win the battle. He unleashed a series of fast strikes with Tonare, no technique, just straight up a torrent of spear thrusts¡ªto overwhelm Fidser with speed and aggression. Fidser, caught off guard by Langa''s sudden change in tactics, momentarily faltered, but then, just as quickly, regained his calm. Langa decided that he needed to use Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike and end this now. The skill would kill Fidser, but as long as Langa put the Deiform Amulet on him, he would respawn in a Guardians Guild holding cell. This battle had been mildly stimulating. Fidser was strong, yes, but after being told that tiers made all the difference, Langa had been expecting a much harder fight. The reason he hadn''t used his weapon''s skill or his attribute was because it would be like killing a mosquito with a machine gun. This battle was almost over, but Fidser¡¯s composure was not shaken, and, eyes focused ahead, he pulled out a small gem from his inventory. Langa started running. Fidser clutched the gem in his hand, and then he muttered something, causing the ground beneath Langa to surge upward, creating a barrier of solid rock in front of him. This barrier separated the two of them. It wasn''t the first time in his life that Langa had hit a wall, but this was a physical one, and he''d been running at full speed, so he understandably screamed out loudly when his entire body collided with a solid wall. "Yhoo! Fucking hell!" he cursed. From his place on the ground, clutching his bleeding nose, Langa swore in frustration and took out another health potion, downing it all at once. He felt his HP rise, felt his body start to heal from the collision, and felt the wound on his leg heal up as well. Had this bastard been hiding a skill like this this whole time? Langa frowned, however, when he saw that on the solid wall, black strands were circulating the wall, in a way that reminded him of when maestrils absorbed karma. Now healed up, Langa took a step back and then held Tonare tightly in both hands. He activated Flash Step and landed right in front of the stone wall again, driving Tonare deep into it, hoping the extra damage from Flash Step could cut through it. It did, with the force of the attack blasting the centre part of the wall into various pieces of rock, and Langa passed through the hole left by the glaive. He found his opponent kneeling on the ground on the other side, panting heavily. Langa was stunned, not just because it looked like the gem that the goblinkin was holding in his hands was sending painful black strands of karma into his body, giving him black lines that contrasted his skin and seemed to follow his veins all over his body, but also because he had expected him to have erected the wall, and then ran away. Instead, Fidser¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and his green skin was darkened by those black lines. Was it the effects of the Void Pearl that made him like this? It seemed as if he''d used its power to make that wall, but it took a lot out of him. He growled in anger when he saw Langa. ¡°HOW!¡± Fidser shouted as he stood up. As Langa readied his spear, he saw the goblinkin¡¯s eyes glowing a mixture of black and green as he tapped into his earth magic holding the Void Pearl, causing the rocks that were scattered around the tunnel to levitate and swirl around him. "Oh, shit,¡± Langa muttered under his breath as the rocky projectiles hurtled towards him. They came from all directions and were all sorts of sizes, from tiny little stones to larger rocks, and by destroying the stone barrier, Langa had given Fidser more ammunition to attack him with. In the minute that followed, Fidser found Langa to be quite a nimble adversary, dodging and weaving efficiently through the chaotic barrage of rocks. He was moving quickly from side to side in order to avoid hitting and being hit by the rocks. He ducked and dodged with his speed, using the steps that Liv had taught him, the steps that he had spent the entire tutorial practising by dodging the training dummies. He used Flash Step as well when it was off cool-down. [The high-tier constellation: Swiftfoot Anitari, is impressed with your movements. He wonders if he should offer you a movement skill] [The Diverse Vodun Pantheon god: X¨ºbioso; Vodun of Thunder and Speed, enjoys your quick play-style] ¡°You! How did you do that? What the hell kind of movement skill do you have?¡± The goblinkin shouted in outrage, realising that he''d wasted all of his mana for nothing when not a single one of his flying rocks touched Langa. ¡°I don''t have one,¡± Langa said, breathing heavily. He was out of stamina, so he could not use his attribute, even if he wanted to. He also could not use Flash Step either, so it would just have to be a plain old Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, so let''s end this.¡± Fidser made the ground tremor again, but it was too late; Langa was already in the air, leaping towards him. He landed right in front of him and plunged Tonare into his chest, activating the skill. Lightning pulsed on the spear, and it struck Fidser, burning his armour, and where his chest was before, there was only a hole now. The spear had burned right through his chest and emerged on the other side. It was both a critical hit and an instant kill. [Critical hit!! (Grion Fidser) - 579 HP Lightning discipline damage: (Grion Fidser) - 579 HP Instant kill achieved. Backlash (Langa Zulu) - 55HP] This was a waste, even without the extra damage from his full lightning affinity, Langa would have instakilled Fidser. The damage was double now with full lightning affinity, but thankfully, the extra damage from his affinity did not scale with the backlash. He had been worried about that, but if it was like this, that was better. It still caused him plenty of pain, but it could have been worse. This was just the base of Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike too, and he could not imagine the devastating damage he could deal if he coupled it with Flash Step and his attribute. He drank his last health potion and started to heal. In the tutorial, he had only used three health potions in seven days, but today alone, he was on his third one. He desperately needed a self-healing skill. The black Void Pearl had fallen to the ground, and Langa picked it up. It honestly looked like a normal black pearl that one could find on a necklace. Black strands filtered out of the Void Pearl into Langa''s hand, and it felt like a rough, corrosive, fluid energy trying to crawl into his body, and he dropped like he''d been burned. He quickly infused mana into the Deiform Ring and felt energy fill it up, and a blast of pure, unsullied white energy hit the Void Pearl, surrounding it, until it was destroyed, scattering into dust. Under the dust, a small, broken key lay. Langa picked it up, but when he tried to scan it, it had an even stranger description than his Void Star. [???¡¯s Corrupted Fusion Key Name: Amalgam¡¯s Opus (1/4) The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Rank: Legendary Effects: Crafting Material for ??? Usage Restrictions: Player Only, Tier 3 and above, Darkness Resistance >/= 30%] Langa had half a mind to just leave the key behind, he had enough problems with a Void Star whose functions he did not know. However, loot was loot, so he placed it in his inventory. The restriction said player only, but Fidser was an NPC, so what the hell was up with that? How the hell did this opus end up inside a Void Pearl anyway? He looked down at his fallen opponent. He wasn''t going to get any answers from him. The smell of burning flesh caused Langa to shudder. Logically, he knew that this person would wake up again, but he had actually killed another person with his own hands for the first time, and that made him tremble. Still, all this would be for nought if he did not arrest him, so he clasped the Deiform Amulet on the wrist of Fidser''s body, and the body disappeared, leaving another tile behind, and a book. [You have killed a level 12 Non-Player (Grion Fidser) +480 EXP +48 bonus EXP +12 karma +1 Skill Book +1 Bounty Tile] He decided also to check the notification for Garlina as well. [You have defeated a level 10 Non-Player (Garlina Sikhones) +300 EXP +10 karma +1 Bounty Tile] [You have defeated (2) Tier 1 voidents +200 karma] [You have unlocked a new quest]
LOCKED QUEST #1
Quest Rank: Uncommon
Quest Objectives:
Kill/Arrest 5 mortals designated as voidents in the Guardians Guild database
Time Limit:
None
Quest Limitations:
Only available to neutral/positive alignment players who: - Have killed a voident of higher level. - Carry the Brand of corruption - Have received the favour of The Unrivalled Tower Master
Progression: 2/5
Cautions:
This is an evolving quest
Quest Rewards:
Title: Fledgeling Voident Hunter
Failure Penalty:
N/A
That was an interesting quest, and Langa was sure that as long as he stuck with the Guardians, he would be able to complete it. But what the hell did being branded by corruption mean? Why did no one in this world truly know what corruption was? And how the hell had he earned The Unrivalled''s favour? The quest honestly gave him more questions than answers. ¡°Well, that was certainly an entertaining battle. It''s been a long time since I last saw such a fast human who has only just entered Tier 1,¡± a voice said from behind Langa, startling him. He turned sharply, only to find a person dressed in light cloth armour, a black jacket, black trousers, and light sandals, leaning against the wall of the cave, a smile on his face. He had light red skin, dark hair, and a short horn on his forehead. Langa tensed up and readied his spear. ¡°Whoa now, don''t go doing anything that you''ll regret,¡± the person said, hands up. ¡°I''m doing you a favour here so that you don''t get ahead of yourself. Go ahead, scan me.¡± Langa tried to use his ''Team Player'' title, but it did not work. Using the regular system scan did not work on the demonkin either. Instead, his comcer beeped, the scan triggering a match on the Guardians Guild''s database. Langa gasped when he saw the man¡¯s details. [Wanted: Dead or Alive Name: Perinda Housci Designation: C-rank voident Class: Shade Assassin Affiliation: Vonelle Heilliege Last known level: 23 Bounty: 4.6 Gold Precautions: No Guardian below level 25 should engage this player. Solo confrontations are discouraged. No Guardian without the special stat, Perception, is to engage this player.] The demonkin was a wanted voident, and he was a whole tier and a few more levels above Langa. His bounty alone was 4.6 Gold! That was 460 silver! That was over twenty times Fidser''s bounty, making Langa wonder if this guy was twenty times stronger than Fidser. No, maybe it was because of the designation. Fidser was an F-rank voident while Perinda was a C-rank voident. "Who the hell are you?" Langa asked warily. "Perinda Housci, as you well know. I''m just a passerby who happened to see an interesting player, and decided to observe him," Perinda said, flashing his white fangs in a smirk. "I had some time, so I scanned and checked you out on the leaderboards." Observing him? Langa did not loosen his grip on Tonare. What the fuck did this guy want from him? "How long have you been watching me?" The demonkin pondered his question. "I''ve been following you since you attacked those guys outside the forest.¡± His gaze shifted to the area where Grion Fidser''s body had just disappeared. Perinda continued leaning casually against the wall, eyes on Langa. He was level 23 and Shrouded, which meant that he must have some divine skills. Langa gulped but kept his face neutral, there was no way that he could win against a guy who had apparently been following him this whole time, unnoticed. ¡°What do you want?¡± Langa asked, trying to stifle his annoyance. More than fear, he was annoyed that this person was taking time away from him. He was tired and wanted to go back to the city or the village and either rest or have a nice cold drink. He clearly wanted something, and Langa did not appreciate his leisurely demeanour. [The Deiwos Clan God: The Sullied Demon Cloud That Overcame The Void, is watching you.] A new deity was watching him, and it was not hard to guess that this was probably Perinda¡¯s patron deity. ¡°Well, I was hired to steal that skill book. Any chance you''ll hand it over without a fight?¡± Perinda asked, posture still relaxed. Langa looked at the skill book in his hand and hesitated. Jandri had said that the Accari Crows had found a C-rank skill. This had to be it. His Flash Step was A-rank, and it had carried him well from the tutorial until now, so even though this skill was lower ranked, it had to be somewhat good. Anyway, with his high level, if this demonkin really wanted to, he could kill Langa and take the skill book by force, and there would be nothing that he could do to stop him. Wait, Langa thought, remembering what Jandri had told him before about The Unrivalled¡¯s rules, this guy couldn''t take it by force. ¡°This is my reward for killing Fidser, and if you want it, you''re going to have to kill me first¡­ assuming that you survive the backlash of killing a player more than ten levels below you unprovoked, of course,¡± Langa said confidently. ¡°Ha!¡± Perinda laughed. ¡°I know, right? I should have let you attack me earlier, then I wouldn¡¯t lose anything from killing you. But it''s fine, I can''t win them all, I guess. Let¡¯s forget about that for a second." He shrugged and then regarded Langa for a moment. "So, I watched your fights; you seem inexperienced, but you''re pretty decent for a newbie, even one in the top five of your tutorial batch. How about it, do you want to ditch the Guardians and join our guild?¡± ¡°And what guild is that?¡± he asked. He was surprised that voidents could even be in guilds, were they not considered criminals in the Tower? This was just one more thing he needed to research on. The demonkin lifted his hand, and there was a tattoo of a half-moon with a triangle around it tattooed on the back of his hand, ¡°It should be on the scan. I''m in The Vonelle Heilliege Guild. We¡¯ll treat you well, and once you reach Tier 2, you can even compete for the role of Administrator of the Ground Storey. The guild¡¯s Chief of Staff is my star-brother, so I can put in a good word for you. How about it?¡± he asked. ¡°The Guardians¡¯ deputy guild master came to recruit me himself, but you expect me to take your offer when you''re not only a voident, but you don''t have the actual power to recruit me for your guild?¡± It was not conceit, Langa genuinely wondered if this guy was even high enough in the guild to give him such an offer. ¡±What?¡± He eyed Perinda suspiciously. ¡°No thanks, I don''t want to join a crazy guild that has voidents in its ranks anyway,¡± Langa told him flatly. He did not like the way Fidser and his cronies had treated the people of Theria''s Hollow, holding them hostage. They were low-ranking voidents, so who knew what people like Perinda did? Besides, Jandri had said that Void Pearls were fed on sacrifices, so he was willing to bet that this was not someone he wanted to associate with. A dark look crossed Perinda¡¯s eyes as if he could not believe how easily Langa had rejected him. ¡°How dare you insult our guild?¡± he said, eyes fierce, and his relaxed demeanour gone. The atmosphere surrounding him seemed to thicken, and for some reason, Langa suddenly felt small. The weight of the demonkin¡¯s karma pressed down on him, and he felt like the air itself was quivering. It was as if something was trying to force his will and his soul, down, but it was different from the mental attacks he''d endured before because this felt like an attack on his existence, his karma itself. He blinked, and suddenly Perinda was in front of him, his hand on Langa''s shoulder. Langa staggered, and the demonkin disappeared from view. The karma pressure throttled Langa. His heart started to beat faster, and he let out a choked breath, struggling to remain on his feet. At that moment, time came to a standstill for him, but this time the attribute was acting outside of Langa''s control. He had not activated it. Some malevolent energy came to life inside of him from his rapidly beating heart, it¡¯s filth coursing through his veins like a flowing icy liquid and he swayed unsteadily. Whatever it was choked him, and at first, he thought that it was coming from Perinda, but it felt almost as if it was something that awoke inside him in response to the karma pressure that had been trying to push him down. He gasped, trying to push out this invasive energy with his mana, allowing it to circulate all around him desperately. Reminiscent of his last day in the tutorial, Tonare vibrated in Langa¡¯s hands in response to his mana, and bursts of electricity flowed from the glaive back into his body. The electricity blended into his mana as his body desperately latched onto it and it filled him, the electricity burning the sinister energy away. [The Deiwos Clan God, The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, is watching you] Time righted itself again as the attribute deactivated, and Langa staggered and coughed out blood onto the cave floor. Perinda''s karma pressure was still all over the atmosphere, making him feel small, but surprisingly he could bear it now. Compared to what had just happened with the dark energy, Langa felt sure that Perinda was not a threat to his existence. [You have been attacked by a player (13) levels above you. You are under the protection of a Sovereign Authority.] [Sovereign Authority Authority: ¡®And the weak shall proclaim, I am strong.¡¯ Sovereign: Order: The Unrivalled Tower Master. Invocation: No mortal may attack another 10 levels below them from Tier 0 to Tier 4. From Tier 5 and above, no mortal may attack another (1) or more tiers below them regardless of the level difference. A protective shield will surround the lower-level player, and the higher-level player will receive a 100% - 500% reflection of their own attack as backlash damage. The higher-level player shall lose (-5) to alignment] A wave passed over Langa, and the pressure disappeared. He was sure that most of his pain had not come from whatever Perinda had done but from his attribute. What the hell was that? He¡¯d lost control of his attribute and it scared him a little bit. But when the Sovereign Authority covered him, he felt at ease, as if he''d not been attacked by Perinda''s karma pressure or damaged by his own attribute. Perinda, meanwhile, fell to his knees clutching his head in pain. ¡°Fuck!¡± Perinda screamed, still on the floor. ¡°Come on, that was barely an attack. I don''t know why he got injured, I only released a little bit of my karma pressure!¡± [Many deities laugh at Player Perinda Housci¡¯s predicament.] [The Deiwos Clan God: The Sullied Demon Cloud That Overcame The Void, watches his Disciple with pity.] [The Kwara Orisha Clan goddess: Mother of The Nine Winds And Storms, tells you to learn from this fool¡¯s mistake, and remember that The Unrivalled does not tolerate even the smallest breakage of her rules.] [The Deiwos Clan God: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, says, ''She is just uptight about rules and very petty.''] [The Unrivalled Tower Master casts a glance at The Lackadaisical Herald, and, finding him unworthy of her attention, looks away.] [The Deiwos Clan God: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, is shocked and dejectedly retreats to his domain.] [The Kwara Orisha Clan god: The Wild Crossroads of Raging Thunder, laughs at the Lackadaisical Herald, and advises him to look for love with deities in his own league.] [The Famed Heavenly Scribe of Kaspso, records in The Universal Relgte that this is the 10 000 234th known time that The Unrivalled Tower Master has rejected The Lackadaisical Herald.] What was that all about? Langa wondered, and decided not to concern himself with the drama of deities, and instead focus on what was happening now. Perinda was still kneeling on the ground, but his breath had steadied. He sat up, leaning against the wall once more. ¡°Asmodeus¡¯s tits I almost died. Phew, alright, just another day of living with my life on the line, I suppose,¡± he said leisurely. Langa raised his eyebrows. Was that really the reaction of someone who nearly died? Surely Perinda knew that he would receive backlash, but he''d still karma pressured him. Either this guy was stupid or crazy. Langa settled on crazy. "Well, Langa, if you don''t want to join our guild, that''s fine, but why are you allowing the Guardians to set you up like this?¡± he asked, his grin back on his face. Langa was just about done with this crazy guy, but he was curious about what he was talking about. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What do I..? Man, these rogue Accari Crows are a low-level gang of voidents and red NPCs. A regular five-man team of Tier 1 Guardians could have been sent here to dispatch them. Granted, they couldn''t have done it as efficiently as you did, but so what? You have to ask yourself why they didn''t just do that,¡± Perinda said. Hadn''t Jandri said that it was because they lacked low-level Guardians for the job? Langa did not say anything though, because he was half convinced that everything coming out of this guy''s mouth was bullshit, and he did not want him to think he was getting to him. Apparently, Perinda loved the sound of his own voice, as he kept on talking. ¡°You''re recording this, right? Well, since I''m such a nice guy, I''ll tell you. They sent you because everyone knows that the Accari Crows are Anarchist''s little pet project. Fidser had a falling out with his superiors because he stole something from them, and the Guardians just know that his guild is going to retaliate if they go after him. Then, when that guild finds out that you have the stolen key and hunts you down for it, you''re gonna go running to Guardians for help, and join them, grateful for their help.¡± The key? Damn it, Langa had known from the question marks on its description that it was a troublesome item. Perinda looked at Langa expectantly, waiting for some outrage or anger or disbelief, but if there was one thing that Langa was good at, it was pushing things to the back of his mind and pretending that everything was okay. Anyway, it wasn''t like he hadn''t known that the Guardians were using him. Besides, he had no reason to believe this guy. ¡°So?¡± Langa asked, face deadpan. Perinda stared at him in blank surprise. ¡°Did you hear what I said?¡± ¡°I did. Did you expect me to be upset because the Guardians have been taking care of me for literally one day? It doesn''t matter to me if what you''re saying is true or not. I don''t care, I''m not here for them, I''m doing this for myself,¡± and my family, Langa added silently. ¡°I know that they are using me, but so what? I already spoke to their deputy guildmaster about it. Besides, I would have helped the Guardians out anyway as thanks for them giving me warm food and a bed to sleep in.¡± ¡°You''re gonna put yourself in danger for food and a blanket?¡± Perinda asked incredulously. Langa bent down and finished picking up his loot. ¡°You must have come from a world where those kinds of things were taken for granted. But not me. I come from a country where there were days when I was a child that I slept without eating, where I huddled in one tiny blanket with my nephew in the winter,¡± he said, giving him a fierce look. ¡°To me, being lost in a new world, someone offering me food and shelter for free is a very big deal. I don''t care what quarrel you have with the Guardians, but I''m doing what I want to do, and I won''t join your guild.¡± Those words left Perinda speechless for a moment, and he looked at Langa and then laughed. ¡°Alright, you got me there. You sure do speak your mind, aren''t you afraid of me?" "No." The demonkin shook his head in amusement. "I like you. You must complete one unclaimed dungeon to clear 1st Floor, right? Well, our guild knows the location of a few. Go to Heilliege''s Gorge, and look for one of my subordinates, Sasani. Tell him I sent you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not-¡± ¡°Oops, I gotta go. Sounds like reinforcements are coming, you''re gonna have your hands full. See you around, Langa.¡± With a toothy grin, the demonkin vanished into stealth, and Langa heard movement from the tunnel behind him. Langa was not going to do what the demonkin suggested. He had no desire to associate himself with The Vonelle Heilliege Guild. Still, Perinda had been right about one thing, someone was coming. He tensed again and held on to the glaive tightly as he heard the footsteps coming closer. It sounded like multiple people were running this way, and he was worried that the reinforcements from the mine were here. His stamina was still recovering, so he would have to use the Exploding Ice Orbs, despite the backlash to him, and then he would run. 26. Floor 1: First Voident Hunt (3) Langa''s body was tense, and he stood in his fighting stance, ready to strike as three people entered the tunnel: one halfkin and two goblinkin. The halfkin had her two shooters raised, her eyes scanning the surroundings sharply, while the other two flanked her and looked around alertly. "Di Etta?" Langa asked in confusion as he saw that the newcomers were Di Etta and the two sisters. He put away the orb. Before she replied, Di Etta holstered her shooters, ran towards him, and threw herself into his arms. ¡°Langa! You''re okay!" she said, breathing in relief as he held her. ¡°Um¡­¡± Langa cautiously placed a hand on her lower back, still confused. ¡°I¡¯m fine, but what are you guys doing here?¡± Gertina rolled her eyes, her staff still in her hand. ¡°We never even left. Someone suggested that we should hover above the void veil and wait, just in case you changed your mind and decided not to go in.¡± Di Etta finally untangled herself from Langa as Gria went to check on the only body left in the tunnel, the eaglekin. He was still alive, just unconscious. ¡°You came back for me?¡± Langa asked in surprise. He wasn''t used to people doing things for him for free, let alone people he only met earlier today. Di Etta stepped back and bit her nails, ¡°I was about to go when I realised you weren''t coming down, really, but then the void veil went down, and we decided to contact the Federation Police and come down to the village. We didn''t know where you were," she paused. "But then I felt the karma pressure of a Tier 2 player. I figured you might be in trouble, so we ran here as fast as possible. Where are they?¡± ¡°Gone,¡± Gria said, examining where Perinda had been standing before. ¡°There¡¯s barely a trace of him left to track. Was he some rogue class?¡± ¡°An assassin,¡± Langa answered, and turned back to Di Etta and Gertina. "He tried to take this skill book from me. According to the Guardians, it''s a C-rank skill that Fidser found in the mine." "You really shouldn''t go around broadcasting that you have a brand new skill like that," Di Ette admonished him, but all three girls looked interested, "What kind of a skill is it?" "I haven''t checked," Langa said, shrinking Tonare and putting it back in the sheath before placing it on the slot in his belt. Di Etta looked at him expectantly, and he rolled his eyes, opening the skill book. [Skill: Lucent Enchanting Active skill Skill Rank: C Skill description: You gain the knowledge required to disenchant and imbue any non-living items containing lucents with glyphs, runes, auink and threads to give them diverse abilities. Raise the skill level to gain more abilities. Cost: 50 mana (Base) Cool-down: 100 seconds.] "Ew, it''s a crafting skill," Langa said, closing the book in disappointment. It had been too much to hope for a self-healing skill from a mine. It made sense that since it was a lucent stone mine, the skill should be related to lucent stones or crystals. He never liked crafting games when he played with Khaya, he''d always preferred killing stuff. Gria raised her eyebrows. "What kind?" "Enchanting," he said, placing it in his inventory. He would have to ask Jandri to sell it for him. He did not want to put it up for auction, otherwise, unsavoury guys like Perinda would start hunting him to steal the skill. "That''s weird, normal enchanting skills are usually D-rank. There must be something different about it," Di Etta pressed, but Langa only shrugged, he had more important things to do than worry about a skill that he was not interested in. He wanted to ask why the girls had come back for him¡ªdid they want something from him? Before he could, however, Gertina started to walk towards him. ¡°Who are you, really?¡± Gertina asked, and she watched him suspiciously. She had not put away her staff yet. ¡°We saw the mess you made outside. I mean, sure, they were all below level 10, but I''m sure that the voidents here were at a higher level than you. Are you really a newbie?¡± He supposed that her caution was valid, so he decided to tell them the truth. ¡°I''m sure you scanned me before, so you know my name. You''ll find my name on the tutorial batch #4 leaderboard.¡± She lowered her staff and opened her comcer interface. A second later, her mouth hung open in surprise. Then she looked up and glared at Di Etta. She punched her lightly on the shoulder. ¡°You made us abandon the Magistrate''s quest because you were worried about the fucking fourth place in batch 4¡¯s leaderboard? Are you kidding me?¡± Di Etta blinked as the words registered in her mind. She glanced at Langa. ¡°Fourth place?¡± she asked in disbelief, and opened her own comcer interface. ¡°Oh my gods, it''s true! Wow, you''re awesome, Langa!¡± She seemed impressed with him, and while it was nice to be praised, Langa still wasn''t sure if he deserved that fourth-place ranking. Although he knew that he should be more confident since this battle had also proven his strength, he still felt like he needed a lot more training and experience, especially in combat. "Thanks," Langa said, but he was still curious. ¡°Why did you come back for me? It''s not like we are friends; we literally just met today.¡± She pouted and gave him an indignant look. ¡°What do you mean, why? You saved me, and you bought me purblans.¡± ¡°But that was-¡± payment for the ride. That was it? He was sure that Gria could have saved Di Etta earlier, so he was putting aside the fact that he saved her. Had she abandoned a quest to come to rescue him just because he gave her the money to buy some fruits? With a start, Langa realised that that was probably what he''d sounded like to Perinda too. It made him think that Di Etta had a good heart, so she must be a good person. She was only level 17, but would she really have fought against a Tier 2 player to protect him? ¡°Don''t think about it too hard. She''s always like this, too damn soft,¡± Gria said with her ear to the wall of the tunnel. She listened for a moment with her eyes closed. ¡°The Federation Police are on their way here. I think they took down the red NPCs in the mine. I''m sure they''ll be happy to show gratitude and appreciation for the village¡¯s hero, who took down the void veil and defeated two voidents.¡± That thought just made Langa shudder. He never knew how to respond to people showing him gratitude, and it made him want to shrink away from it. Besides, there was no way that a cursed person like him could become anyone¡¯s hero. ¡°I''m not interested. Are you guys going back to the city? I''m hungry,¡± Langa said, anxiously wanting to get out of there before the Federation Police arrived. The three of them gave him surprised glances, ¡°You¡¯re not going to check on the village?¡± Di Etta asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure they''ll give you a reward for saving them.¡± But Langa shook his head. ¡°I already took my reward,¡± he said, thinking about the lucent stones he''d taken from the goblinkin. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll buy you guys dinner and some drinks to celebrate my victory.¡± ¡°Dinner sounds great, and I could use a drink,¡± Di Etta said, starting to drool. ¡°We can''t go to the gorge anymore because it''s getting darker now. Come on girls, let''s take him to Kuruo''s.¡± That sounded just fine for Langa. "Yeah, let me send this video to the Guardians real quick. They said that they''d upload and edit the videos for me," he said. He had initially planned to send the video to Jandri, but after speaking to Perinda, he wanted some answers, so he sent the video to Alfsol. He could have kept quiet about it and investigated if the Guardians were truly setting him up, but that sounded like long and troublesome work, and Langa was nothing if not lazy. He''d rather face the issue head-on and hear what the Guardians had to say.
To - @AlfsolSereneDulenta.Guardiansguild Here''s the video of me taking down the voidents. I think you''ll be interested in what the Tier 2 Assassin had to say about your guild.
* At night, Risa''s Plateau seemed to be even more alive than it was during the day, as brightly coloured lucent crystals lit up the city streets. The girls led Langa towards a street away from the shrines, towards what Langa guessed was the entertainment district. The narrow streets were bathed in a sensual glow emanating from lucent crystals in front of both elegant and rowdy-looking establishments. Anticipation lingered in the air as the streets filled with not just the native goblinkin and birdkin, but players of all shapes and sizes getting into the establishments after a long, hard day of hunting. From some of the shops and buildings, bright lights and loud music filled the air as people lined up outside. Various lucent tiles advertising adult entertainment venues could also be seen on this street. Langa had come from a country that was both conservative and progressive, so while adult entertainment workers existed and comfortably did their business, you were unlikely to see it advertised openly like this for everyone to see back home. It was honestly a little fascinating. ¡°Wanna go in? They have everything you could ever desire,¡± Gertina asked, nudging his shoulder with a smirk. ¡°What¡¯s your type?¡± Langa blushed slightly at being caught staring at the image of a beautiful, scantily clad elven woman displayed on one of the lucent tiles. He was not someone who dated a lot, thanks to him pushing people away because of his curse, and most of his relationships had been short-term casual flings. However, that did not mean that he had no type. ¡°Older women who can protect me,¡± he said honestly. His psychologist had a lot to say about why that was his type at one of their sessions. ¡°And no, I¡¯m not going in.¡± ¡°Stop teasing him, Gertina!¡± Di Etta grabbed Langa¡¯s arm, forcing him to turn the corner. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± They left the adult entertainment street and entered a new, narrower street that had only one large building, an inn. The scent of various foods wafted through the air the moment they entered the inn, making Langa''s stomach growl. The ground floor looked like a mixture between a tavern and a restaurant. The smell of ale clung to the air as the waiters and waitresses busied themselves collecting and serving orders. Lively chatter filled the run-down wooden tables, as most of the people dining here were players, adventurers, and warriors. Langa could tell because of their armour and how they stuck to their groups. From knights in plate armour, to the Federation Police in their uniform, to hooded rogues in the back, and mages in cloth armour, the tables were full of various characters. ¡°Gria!¡± A loud voice boomed from the bar. Gria smiled brightly and rushed over to the large ogrekin sitting by the bar. His skin was dark green, and his face was wide, with large eyes and two horns protruding from the bottom of his chin. He was in full plate armour, a sword on his waist, and a full body shield leaning on the stool next to him. Gria ran straight into his arms, a wide smile on her face, and Langa stared at the two of them in disbelief. ¡°She can smile?¡± he asked incredulously. The girl had been nothing but sour the entire time he''d known her today. Gertina laughed, ¡°Occasionally. But Chergoh is usually the cause.¡± The three of them headed towards the couple, and the ogrekin was saying, ¡°I thought you guys wouldn''t be back for hours, what happened? Did you find the sceptre?¡± ¡°I wish,¡± Gria grunted, held in the orgrekin¡¯s arms. She jerked her head at Langa, and her boyfriend¡¯s large eyes fixated on him. Now, after spending seven days in Liv¡¯s presence, Langa was not intimidated by men who towered over him, however, this guy¡¯s arms were bigger than his thighs. He could crush him without Langa even being able to resist. ¡°Ah, say no more. Did she pick up another stray?¡± he smiled, his fangs slightly bared. ¡°I¡¯m Chergoh. Let me take a guess, you¡¯re another lost soul that got dragged around by Di Etta?¡± Gertina laughed, but Di Etta frowned in disapproval. ¡°Something like that. I¡¯m Langa,¡± Langa said, extending his hand. The ogrekin''s hand was rough, but he was not trying to crush his fingers. ¡°I''m hungry,¡± Di Etta said, looking around. ¡°Let¡¯s find a table.¡± ¡°Yeah, you guys do that. I''m leaving with Chegoh,¡± Gria said, not even sparing them a look. Langa thought that she was a prime example of how quickly people changed in the company of those they loved. The ogrekin smiled down at her softly. ¡°See you tomorrow, guys,¡± he said. ¡°It was nice to meet you,¡± he added to Langa. Gria left with Chergoh a few minutes later, and the remaining three found a table to sit at, next to some young elven witches. ¡°What''s good to eat there?¡± Langa asked, as there was no menu. There was only a small lucent tile in the middle of the table that fit into his hand. ¡°It¡¯s a mindbox restaurant. Have you never been to one?¡± Gertina asked him. He shook his head, "No, I¡¯m from a lost world. What¡¯s a mindbox restaurant?¡± Gertina eyed him in disbelief, ¡°You¡¯re from a lost world, but you did so well in your tutorial? Were you like an adventurer in your old world?¡± ¡°No, we didn''t have-¡° he started to answer, but Di Etta banged on the table furiously. She looked at both of them, clearly upset. ¡°You can talk after we order!¡± she told them sternly. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Langa, in a mindbox restaurant, you can order anything that you want, and if they can, then one of the cooks makes it for you.¡± That made no sense to Langa. ¡°What do you mean?¡± he asked in confusion. ¡°You just think about a food you want, how it''s made, and what it tastes like, and then the cooks read that from you and make it. The skill is rather uncommon and it''s an A-rank skill. There are plenty of these restaurants scattered all over the Tower, but they''re not very popular on the higher Floors because people aren¡¯t comfortable opening their minds up to others,¡± Di Etta explained. Langa found the fact that he could just order anything from his mind and it would be delivered to him, interesting. ¡°Then can I order food from my homeworld, even though that Floor hasn¡¯t opened up yet?¡± ¡°Yup!¡± Di Etta said, infusing the lucent tile with mana. In less than a minute, a middle-aged goblinkin lady in a red dress with a lace-up corset top on top of it came to their table. ¡°Hello, my name is Brufu, and I will be your mindbox cook for today. What can I make you?¡± ¡°I want pap and braai with salsa salad and baked beans,¡± Langa said at once. ¡°Alright, I have no idea what that is, but please open up your mind, think about the ingredients used, how it¡¯s made and how it tastes, and I¡¯ll extract it from your mind,¡± Brufu said. She closed her eyes and muttered an incantation. Langa¡¯s mouth watered as he thought about the food. He remembered the braai that his brother-in-law had hosted one New Year¡¯s Eve when he was seventeen. He thought about how his sister and the other women had made the soft pap in the kitchen to perfection while the men braaied the meat outside. He remembered how good the beef chuck and boerewors smelled as they sizzled on the braai stand until they were grilled to a perfectly tender texture. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! They had all sat in the shed, playing loud kwaito music, talking and laughing pleasantly. He and Neo had managed to steal 4 bottles of Savannah from the fridge, and they drank the alcohol behind the house where no one could see them. It was one of his favourite memories of his family in his life, including the shouting match afterwards when his sister and brother-in-law found out what the two boys had done. ¡°Asmodeus¡¯s tits, man. I said think about the food, not open your whole damn mind to me, gods,¡± Brufu said, shaking her head at Langa, and blinking rapidly. It wasn¡¯t his fault that he had low mental resistance. Or was it? ¡°Alright, I get the picture. The meat won¡¯t be an issue, but the pap... I don¡¯t have what you call maize meal, but I think I have something perfect to substitute it with. What will you ladies have?¡± ¡°After seeing Langa drooling like that, we¡¯ll have what he¡¯s having,¡± Di Etta said hungrily. ¡°And um, bring us six bottles of lavaspritzer.¡± Brufu wrote down the order, nodded, and left. There was a low tune that played throughout the entire inn below the idle laughter and chatter of the customers. Langa looked around to find a minstrel in the back playing the tune on her fiddle. It gave the place a calm atmosphere, despite the rowdy voices of some of the adventurers. The drink that Di Etta ordered tasted like cider, and it burned Langa¡¯s dry throat. After all that fighting, nothing tasted better than a good, cold drink. ¡°So, what were you guys supposed to do today? You said something about a quest?¡± Langa asked, putting down the drink. Di Etta was buried deep in the weird dried fruit starters that a waiter had brought to their table, so it was Gertina who answered him. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re doing a hidden quest for the Magistrate of this province. We¡¯re looking for someone and something that¡¯s missing, and there are rumours that they were last seen around the gorge,¡± she said, leaning back on the chair. ¡°I can¡¯t say more than that due to the nature of the quest.¡± Langa nodded, he¡¯d just been making conversation anyway. He knew that you could get quests from NPCs as well as players too, but he wasn¡¯t sure how that worked. ¡°So, what¡¯s up with your skill book? How come it¡¯s a C-rank enchanting skill? I mean, the basic ones are usually D-rank or E-rank, what makes this one so special?¡± Gertina asked curiously. ¡°It just says that the skill can teach me to enchant items with lucents, so I don¡¯t know,¡± he shrugged, enjoying the burning sensation of the lavaspritzer. Di Etta banged her hand on the table again. The priests from two tables away looked over at their table, casting disapproving glares at her. She either didn¡¯t notice or did not care. ¡°What?!¡± she asked. ¡°That¡¯s huge; I mean, I know lots of NPCs would kill for a skill like that. Lucent crystals are the most important energy source in the entire Tower. Sure, some Floors don''t use lucent crystals, but even living things that can process mana have lucents. There aren''t many people who can enchant lucent crystals, so being a lucent enchanter is a good way to make money.¡± Langa understood half of what she was saying, but all he could hear was that it was a skill in demand, so he''d make more money by selling it. "I don''t like crafting. Even when I was playing video games, I avoided the ones with lots of crafting, it''s tedious and hard work. I hate working hard for things I don''t enjoy, that''s why I''m going to sell it.¡± Gertina shook her head at him as if he were being absurd and shoved a handful of dried fruit into her mouth. ¡°It''s not that bad, you only need to work a little hard, but lucent crystals are useful for many things. They can be enchanted to be lamplights, to make warm water, and for all the lucent tiles you see all over the city. There are even the lucent crystals used for the helms of the lucent carriages.¡± When Di Etta saw that Langa was unimpressed, she said, ¡°You could work with a weaponsmith and sell your enchanted lucent crystals to them, and they can put them inside weapons to enhance their functions. You can even use it to make enchanted lucent crystal orbs or explosives, or some people even use lucent stones as bullets in their shooters and guns, so you could do that too.¡± ¡°I can make bombs with this skill?¡± he asked. Now that piqued Langa¡¯s interest. He was now on his third bottle of lavaspritzer, and his thoughts were starting to scatter. If he could make bombs, that would make his fighting style even faster. He''d worked well today with the Exploding Wind Orbs; so he wondered if he could make some Exploding Lightning Orbs from the lucent crystals. That way, when fighting a group of monsters, he could throw a lucent crystal at them and it would explode. He would be able to leisurely defeat them in one hit and collect his loot and experience. Maximum rewards with minimum effort was the key phrase in his life. Besides, he loved watching things explode in action movies andthe heroes always looked very cool when walking away from explosions. ¡°Yes, absolutely!¡± Di Etta grinned. She opened her second bottle, leaning back on her chair, satisfied that she had said something that drew Langa''s attention. ¡°Don¡¯t try to dupe him, Di Etta. Langa, lucent crystals are expensive, especially the ones not from the 13 mana disciplines. Even then, most mines on this Floor yield lucent stones, not crystals. It¡¯s hard enough to get lucent crystals with affinities for the base 13 disciplines, but for an enchanter, you¡¯d need to work on different types to raise your skill level. You¡¯d need crystals with an affinity for the other 130 mana disciplines as well. It''s supposed to be 1 gold, but good luck finding someone willing to sell you even a common rank blood discipline crystal or a common rank time discipline crystal for less than 5 gold,¡± Gertina argued. ¡°So, I can¡¯t make bombs?¡± he asked, disappointed, putting his empty bottle down. ¡°You can, but Langa, enchanting is different from most other crafting skills because the main aspect of it is that you need to study. You have to understand the 130 mana disciplines and how your mana signature interacts with them, and how they interact with each other, to make stable enchantments. That''s especially true with things like lucent crystals,¡± Gertina said, raising her hand to call a waiter. "Well unless you cheap out and use skill points." She ordered twelve more of the lavaspritzer bottles, making Langa wonder if they would be able to finish them all without getting drunk. Actually, he didn''t care. He''d had a long day of fighting and a fucking terrifying prophecy. He''d earned a good drink to numb his mind. He decided to ask for some more information. ¡°There are 130 mana disciplines? I thought that there were only 13 disciplines, the ones that we have affinities and resistances for.¡± ¡°Those are the 13 base disciplines, but there are 130 in total. Go read The Relgte of The First Pioneer of Arcane Magic, and you¡¯ll see how great his work with the Neutriarchs on mana disciplines was. The other disciplines are related in some way to the base 13, whether they are a combination of two or more disciplines or the absence of one or more of them,¡± Gertina said, a note of excitement in her voice. She seemed very animated when talking about magic. ¡°Then you have outliers like time magic or space magic which encompass almost all of the thirteen in one. Anyway, I mean, you have to be careful with how your mana interacts with the rest of the disciplines, especially if you have full affinity for any one of them, because they can change the properties of your enchantments. Also-¡± "Oh, thank the gods!¡± Di Etta interrupted her as their waiter came back to the table with their food and the new drinks. ¡°Here¡¯s an important life tip, Langa. Don¡¯t ever ask Gertina about mana disciplines. Her mum is a Grandmaster in the Magic Educator skill, and she is a teacher in the Arcane Clable Magic Castle on the 5th Floor. Now enough of that boring shit, let¡¯s eat! And let''s drink to celebrate Langa''s first victory!¡± Langa had no complaints there, the scent of roasted meat and the warm, steaming aroma of what looked like wheat-meal pap filled his nose. The waiter placed the plates neatly on the table, and Brufu came and stood behind him anxiously. Di Etta drooled as she picked up the spoon and looked expectantly at Langa for how the food was supposed to be eaten. "Don''t be a snob. Pap is eaten with your bare hands," he said. There was a pitcher of water and a dish on their table so Langa just washed his hands and dug in. He had been uncertain how this pap would taste, but it was hot, and it melted in his mouth. He quickly took a bite of the sausage with it. It tasted almost as good as Khaya¡¯s cooking, or perhaps it was just as good, but without the sentiments attached to it. The three of them dug into the food, and for a whole minute, no one said anything, just wolfing down the food. Finally, Di Etta looked up at Brufu, with tears in her eyes. ¡°Brufu, you¡¯re a godssend, this is amazing! Will you marry me?¡± Gertina choked on her drink, and Brufu burst out laughing. "Sorry, sweetheart,¡± she said, raising her left hand where sat a pretty silver ring. ¡°I¡¯m already spoken for.¡± The spicy salsa salad went down really well with the meat, and Langa looked up at Brufu, also content. ¡°Are you sure, because I currently share the same desire with Di Etta? I think you should consider me, I''m strong, I love good food and alcohol, and I can fight,¡± he said, looking up at the cook in awe. He had a weakness for older women who were good cooks because he was terrible at it. It was wonderful that Brufu was able to make the meal so well for her first time, just from his memories. Gertina rolled her eyes, ¡°What these two idiots are trying to say is that this is really good, and if they could, they would kidnap you and make you their personal cook for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Oh my! Well, they¡¯re cute little young ones. I don''t mind going with you kids, but you¡¯d have to wrestle me from my husband first,¡± she said, jerking her head towards the barkeep. The barkeep, a grizzly-looking large goblinkin, gave their table a once-over before going back to work. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m gonna tap out; I don¡¯t really want to get crushed,¡± Langa relented after seeing the size of that goblinkin. ¡°Please make us a second helping.¡± ¡°Why are all the good women always taken?¡± Di Etta depressingly downed another bottle of lavaspritzer, then stuffed her mouth full of meat. ¡°Your homeworld¡¯s food is awesome, Langa!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk with your mouth full, it¡¯s disgusting,¡± Gertina said, smacking Di Etta in the head. After Brufu left, the three of them continued to eat and drink well into the night. The restaurant got rowdier and rowdier, but Langa only focused on his good food and good drinks. He didn''t allow his hazy mind to replay that prophecy over and over again, and he just let the alcohol wash it all away. Less than three hours into dinner, Langa¡¯s comcer beeped, and he glanced at it to see that Alfsol was calling him. He thought about ignoring the call, just to show him that he was upset, but in the end, he excused himself and went to the corner of the restaurant, where there was little noise, and answered the comcer. ¡°Hello, look who decided to call me,¡± Langa said, bringing his wrist up to his ear. ¡°I guess clearing the 29th Floor isn¡¯t so hard after all. Didn''t you say you have a dungeon to clear?.¡± ¡°Hello, Langa, you''re as...animated as always," Alfsol said. "I felt like I owed you an explanation, that¡¯s why I¡¯m contacting you. I assure you, I was not trying to set you up. I chose an opponent that you could gain the most from." Langa snorted, the alcohol lowering his inhibitions a little and allowing him to speak his mind to an overall top ten ranker. ¡°You''ve got some nerve, DP Alfsol. You must have know that sending me after the Accari Crows could spell a death sentence for me." The elf sighed, ¡°I had no choice. Fidser was shaping up to be a key player in the 1st Floor troops of the Hallow Reapers. Plus I had it on good faith that someone stole something important from Amalgam and gave it to him. I needed someone like you to take him down, both to test your strength and to make sure that what happened on the 6th Floor five years ago wouldn¡¯t happen to the 1st Floor. Anarchist is a menace, this is bigger than just a bounty, it will slow down his plans.¡± So, it really was The Hallow Reaper Cult that was behind the Accari Crows? Perinda had been right, then. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. All I¡¯m hearing is that you had a new player poke the Number 2 guild in the entire Tower for you. I can¡¯t be making enemies already, I need to find my family. What am I supposed to do if Hallow Reaper Cult members are hunting me now?¡± Langa asked him in frustration. ¡°I can assure you, the Hallow Reapers won¡¯t do anything to you, as that would mean acknowledging that they have a connection to a low-level voident gang like the Accari Crows. Besides, Langa, they are more likely to want you to join them after seeing how strong you are, the gods know that I want you to join the Guardians after watching that video.¡± Was this guy trying to flatter him, or was he serious? Langa bit his lip in uncertainty. ¡°Don¡¯t use the results to try and justify using me. I told you guys before, I don¡¯t mind being used, but I¡¯d like to have known that I was being used in whatever conflict you have with the Hallow Reaper Cult.¡± ¡°We''ll do everything we can to protect you, whether you join us or not. If your trust is broken, I get it, but I needed someone skilled and someone outside the Guardians to handle this. "I couldn''t risk that key falling into any of their hands. I wanted to see if you could handle it, but I wasn¡¯t using you, Langa," Alfsol said. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not saying that you did this for me. I will not be gaslit,¡± Langa warned him. ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth. Did you get the quest?" he asked. Quest? Was he referring to the Voident Hunter Quest? How did he know about it? The rank had said it was uncommon, so Langa was sure that not every player who killed a voident received it. Did he know because he was a Guardian, and they knew everything about voidents?" "How did you know?" Alfsol whistled, "So, Khalifhari was right, you do have the Brand." Great, now Langa was reminded of another weird thing. One of the requirements for getting the quest was that he had been branded by corruption. "What the hell does that even mean?" There was silence on the other side before Alfsol spoke once more. "Do you have an attribute or innate ability that consumes or destroys... well, anything?" he asked. Langa had been about to say that no, his attribute was related to his perception of time, but thinking about what had happened with Perinda today unsettled him. An ability that consumed anything? A thought popped into his head, and he shook slightly. His curse. It stole other people''s luck and fortune... was that it? "Let''s say that I do, what does it mean?" "It means that The Quartenity will be watching you, they watch all players who carry the Brand, so brace yourself for that. Sorry, I don''t know all that much about it either except that it''s a troublesome thing to have," his voice sounded both weary and bitter. ¡°Anarchist¡¯s key is yours since you defeated Fidser, but just remember if we find out that you used it for unauthorised void magic, The Guardians will have to come after you too." "What does it do?" he asked curiously. "As one of the people who regulate the usage of unauthorised void magic in the Tower, I would have to be stupid to tell you that." Before Langa could respond, Alfsol continued. ¡°Anyway, Langa, about today, there are plenty of rumours in the Tower that the Accari Crows are a branch of the Hallow Reapers, so what you did is going to make people think that not only are you strong, but you''re fearless too." Langa noticed that The Guardians were always specific to say unauthorised void magic. Was there authorised void magic? Now that he thought about it, the Void was darkness magic so maybe people with full affinity for darkness could use tha kind of magic naturally. Alfsol still didn''t give Langa a chance to ask what he meant as he continued. "The 1st Floor is a vast world, Langa, your family could be hundreds of thousands of kilometres away from where you are, and if you want them to see you on the Dent and come to you, then you have to shine bright, brighter than everyone else. You have to make waves and do what your peers haven¡¯t done yet. Just hunting a few voidents isn¡¯t enough to outdo Liv¡¯Kungsadu, Vos Kindaro II and Coraloa. If you want to build a reputation, you have to take some risks.¡± Alfsol spoke firmly. ¡°If you¡¯re scared of The Hallow Reapers, that¡¯s fine, we won¡¯t upload the video, and we¡¯ll find a safer voident for you to hunt.¡± His words were like a knife in Langa¡¯s heart as he had not lived his life taking risks, he had lived his life passively and quietly. And yet, now he had to work hard and throw himself into the deep end in the hopes that his family would find him and he would protect them. If making it seem like he was fearlessly challenging the Number 2 guild in the whole Tower on his second day here got people to spread his name, then he had to hope that it worked and that his family would find out about him. ¡°No, you can post it. Just cut out that guy, Perinda. I don¡¯t want him in the video,¡± Langa said, leaning against the wall of the inn. He missed his simple life when he would just lie in bed all day in boredom and not have to worry about doing annoying things. "Good," Alfsol seemed to agree with him. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll make sure that they have it done before the end of the day.¡± After that talk, Langa returned to his table and downed another lavaspritzer wondering if he had just further complicated his life. It wasn¡¯t like he had much of a choice. He had to make an impression so that people would talk about him. Who would he become once his name was out there? What would he gain from all the eyes watching him? Would taking this route save him from the doom of the charlatan''s prophecy, if it were true? Langa had no idea. So, as always, he pushed away the worrisome thoughts and concentrated on drinking alcohol to drown out his worries. Langa''s mind was swimming in haziness as he looked around the restaurant. In the corner of the restaurant, an adventurer was standing on top of a table, regaling the young ladies in priests¡¯ uniforms with tales of his bravery. Langa shook his head contentedly, no matter the world, people were always the same. The drinks kept coming, and he was in too deep to stop. "Are you some kind of alcoholic? How can you handle so many drinks?" Gertina inquired, her hand resting on her bottle of lavaspritzer, observing Langa with curiosity. He let out a belch. "That''s a stupid question. That''s like asking if the entire youth population of South Africa is filled with alcoholics. The answer is obviously yes; alcohol is cheaper than therapy." Di Etta laughed. "That''s not healthy," she said, slurring the words. Surprisingly, she had drunk as much as, if not more than, him. "You want to talk to me about healthy? I had ulcers, and I still ate spicy food and put hot sauce on everything, despite my doctor constantly telling me not to. Do you know why?" he asked, pointing at Di Etta with his bottle. Strangely, the room seemed to tilt when he tilted his head. "''Cause you''re an idiot?" "No! Well, yes, but the main reason was because I like spicy food. It tastes great, even if it''s not healthy," he told her. He was sure that when he began this conversation, there was a point that he had wanted to make, but for now, he could not, for the life of him, remember what it was. Just as he racked his brain, Langa received a message on his comcer. [@Jandrikk.Guardians is attempting to upload a video to your profile. Accept: Yes/No?] He was surprised that she was done editing it already. Langa knew that he should probably watch the video first, but he was sure that the Guardians would not break their deal with him. Besides, he was not in the right state of mind to analyse the video anyway. He accepted that message and let her upload it. The barkeep approached their table with the bill, and since Langa had yet to collect his bounties and Di Etta was now passed out on the table, an irritated Gertina had to foot the bill. She also paid for a single room for the three of them to spend the rest of the night at the inn. ¡°You¡¯re sleeping on the floor,¡± she said, glaring at Langa as she walked up the stairs. Well, he could understand why she was mad, and to pacify her, in the end, he had to carry Di Etta upstairs to the room while trying not to fall on his unsteady feet. He almost fell twice, but even with the ''poisoned debuff'' from the alcohol, his agility was still good enough to ensure that they did not fall. When he fell asleep that night, Langa did not dream of ominous prophecies or himself and his family in danger. The alcohol numbed it all. 27. Floor 1: First Voident Hunt (4) Langa awoke with a sore back, finding himself lying on the floor of the inn with only a small blanket covering him. Notifications blinked at the edge of his vision, but he ignored the system for now. His head throbbed with a slight headache as he surveyed the room. It was cramped, with only a tiny single bed as the sole piece of furniture. He did not remember coming in here last night. As his head throbbed, he swore in pain. Who the fuck had let him drink so much last night anyway? "Morning sunshine," Di Etta said. She was standing on the other side of the bed, putting on her cloak. Her face looked pale and rough, and her voice was hoarse. She had drunk more than him last night, so it was expected that she was squinting and looking ready to drop dead on the floor. "Morning. You''ve looked better," Langa said with a slight grin. A pillow was chucked towards him, and she glared at him before she started fastening her shooters to her belt as if ignoring him. Gertina came out of the bathroom, fully dressed in her robes, dark hair tied back, and looking beautiful as if she hadn''t touched a drop of alcohol last night. "Oh, well, look who''s awake. If it''s not the guy who offered to buy us dinner, only to flake out later and leave me to cover both that bill and the room," she said pointedly, staring at Langa. "Truly, chivalry is dead." Langa averted his gaze, scratching his head in embarrassment. He ran his fingers through his dreadlocks, frowning when he realised his headband was missing. "What the...?" he exclaimed, sitting up abruptly. That headband was his only defence against his low mental resistance. "Looking for this?" Gertina threw the black headband at him. "You took it off last night, saying you were feeling hot and that it didn''t matter since you were still in the negative anyway, even with the headband on. You weren''t making any sense, but seeing your face right now, I''m guessing that it does matter." "Oh my gods," he said, taking it from her and putting it on. He should really not be allowed to touch alcohol ever again. He didn''t even remember taking it off! He was extremely vulnerable without this headband, as it added (+5%) to his mental resistance. "Thank you for keeping this safe for me." She shrugged. "I''ve been taking care of this idiot for almost what, five years now?" She gestured to Di Etta, who was busy checking that her shooters were fastened. "Sorry about the money as well. I''ve got two bounty tiles in my inventory, and I''ll buy you guys dinner as soon as I cash them out," he promised. The goblinkin snorted, "Forget it. Gria is waiting for us at the rank. After that, we''re going to the gorge, and then maybe back to the capital." That was disappointing. He''d only met these girls yesterday, but they had helped him out, and they came back for him even when they didn''t have to. Was there really no way to pay them back? "Don''t look so downcast," Di Etta said, coming over and putting an arm around him. "We''ll be at the capital. I''m sure you will go there for the welcoming ceremony, right? You can get us something then. For now, get some sleep. You don''t have to check out until, like, 11. Stay safe, kid." Once again, he felt a twinge of annoyance at being called a kid by someone who looked only a year or so older than him. But then again, people in the Tower aged slower than on Earth. Well, actually, the rate of ageing was divided by their Tier, therefore Di Etta could not be that much older than him. Di Etta was almost out the door when Langa remembered something. "Wait!" he said, digging into his inventory, and pulling out the two Exploding Ice Orbs. "Take these at least, the enchantment is expiring today, and I can''t use them." Gertina examined the orbs while Di Etta said, "Are you sure? You just need to pay like a silver coin to an orb enchanter, and they can renew it." He shook his head, "Nuh, I couldn''t use it even if I wanted to. It''s incompatible with my full affinity," he assured her. "See, I told you he was a nice guy," Di Etta said, clapping Gertina on the shoulder. She leaned forward and gave Langa a quick hug as well. "Don''t be reckless, and don''t go telling people you just met yesterday about your full affinity." "That''s rich coming from someone who abandoned an important quest to save someone she literally just met yesterday," Gertina remarked, shaking her head. Her comcer beeped. "Oh, Gria''s going to kill us. Let''s go, Di Etta. See you around, Langa." And with that, they were gone. Langa was left alone in the room, feeling a mix of gratitude and guilt. He had a lot to learn about this new world and the people in it. But for now, he would focus on getting some rest and preparing for the journey ahead. After the girls left, Langa got on the bed and slept some more. He was woken up in the late morning hours by his comcer beeping. He had a message from Liv. He''d responded to the message that Langa had sent yesterday.
@langelihle To:@Liv''Kungsadu Playing the hero suits you. Congratulations, that was a great way to make a debut. @Liv''Kungsadu To: @langelihle You''re one to talk, Blazing Blitzhunter. Nice work.
What did that even mean? Langa did not have to wonder for long, however, as he opened the Dent interface on his comcer. His profile was filled with lots of notifications stating that people had subscribed to his channel. Blazing Blitzhunter of Voidents was the title that Jandri chose for the video. It made Langa cringe, what a shitty title¡ªthat was just not him at all. He watched the video himself, wondering what could have possessed over a million people to subscribe to him. Granted, it wasn''t as much as Liv or Vos Kindaro II, but it was still a substantial amount. Jandri had cut the footage of about 4 hours into one hour, and it started with him entering the void territory and ended just after he killed Fidser. He did not know if it was the aesthetic, Jandri''s editing skills, or his general awesomeness, but the video looked beautiful, and he had to admit that he looked really cool slashing through the red NPCs, especially when he threw Tonare and struck the woman in the shoulder. It was even more impressive because he did not have any throwing skills, and used his own abilities and accuracy to throw the spear. He looked like a vengeful ghost in the fight against the voidents in the cave, and the one thing that stuck out to him was how fast he sometimes moved. He appeared as only a blur at times on the video and had to slow it down to see exactly how he moved. The Dent did not have a private messaging function as that required the individuals to exchange mana signatures, so everything said on the forum was public, and everyone could see it. As a result, Langa looked through all the 1 098 comments below his video. He knew that he should be nervous, but he was used to being criticised whenever he failed to win a race by sports newscasters. After reading every single one of the comments, he did not find any username that was similar to Neo, Khaya, his sister, or his brother-in-law. It was still only the first day, so he was hopeful. But when he read the comments, he realised that they fell into five basic categories: those who admired his speed and thought he was cool, those who criticised him for taking the villagers'' lucent stones, those who thought he was hot; those who were already power scaling him against Liv, Vos Kindaro II, Coraloa and Vavuciadsforenkka, and the final group, haters. Then comments from the haters said he did not deserve to be in the top ten, or that he was not strong, just fast, and that his spear technique was lousy. Who the hell power-scaled people after only seeing them in one fight? He shook his head with a snort. "And Lady Mira said that this wasn''t the internet." The portion of the fight where he fought against Fidser cost ten copper coins to watch, so Langa noticed that he now had a few silver coins on his profile that he could cash out into his inventory. However, most of his gains came from elsewhere. When he checked his system interface, he was bombarded with over a thousand prompts. "Yhoo! Oh my gods, just... display them in order, please, one by one," he said. Most of them were notifications that he had gained 0.0005 karma for every 100 people who subscribed to his profile. While he was asleep, he had gained 6.5 karma, which in the grand scheme of things was not much, but it was something. [Congratulations! You have unlocked the Special Stat: Renown Renown (REN) A measure of how well-known a player is for performing heroic or villainous deeds. It is an indicator of a player''s notoriety, intricately tied to their Alignment. This stat significantly influences interactions with NPC leaders, quest availability, and the player''s capacity to establish influential groups such as guilds, clans, or cults. As a measure of fame or infamy, Renown also elevates the likelihood of leadership skills dropping from Boss monsters.] [Current Renown: Level 1: Familiar Newcomer] There were apparently ten Renown Levels: Familiar Newcomer, Emerging Novice, Prominent Figure, Floor Luminary, Storey Icon, Tower Champion, Distinguished Icon, Legendary Paragon, Mythic Figure, and Divine Star. Langa had no idea what to make of this special stat, and he could only hope that no one forced him into any leadership roles. He had no idea how Renown would affect him from now on, but he knew that he needed to raise it if he wanted to become well-known. There was now a coin purse icon on his Dent profile listing all the money he earned from people watching the videos and upon focusing on it, he discovered that if he bought something from the Dent, a token would also be stored in that coin purse until he downloaded it into his inventory. If he had no slots left open in his inventory, he would need to free up a slot before he could access those products. Then he had to take the token to a merchant or guild outpost or select stores to collect the product from the Dent. For interest''s sake, he checked the price for a 12-slot inventory bracelet on the Dent forums and then quickly closed his comcer interface when he discovered that it cost more than all the silver he had earned in the tutorial. Alright, he knew that it was time to wake up and learn more about this world. * After breakfast (in which Langa had a hearty meal of isijingi with a side of deer meat stew because, as his father used to say, a man must eat meat for breakfast, lunch, and supper), he made his way back to the library, this time to learn more about sponsorship contracts. He was not in a rush today, so he decided to take his time exploring the other sections of the library. This time, Langa started from the first floor of the library going up as he wanted to do some exploring. Langa read up about skills because he was curious about why some things counted as skills and others didn¡¯t, even though he was good at them, like throwing. The books said that a skill was only a skill because of the effects and bonuses it produced. For instance, anyone could follow a recipe and make soup, but someone with the cooking skill would make food that both tasted better and provided bonus effects like a limited stat increase for some time. Even if someone followed the exact same instructions and did the same things as someone with a blacksmithing skill to create a sword, their sword would just be a simple sword with no effects or bonuses that could not even be enchanted. That satisfied Langa''s curiosity a little. In the next section, nothing much happened as he looked through the book titles until something creepy happened. "Be careful, there are invisible scrolls next to you," a voice said, and Langa turned around, but no one was there. "Up here." When he looked up, Langa shrieked in both shock and fear. Dangling from a ceiling web was a spider, its legs as large as his fingers, and its beady eyes fixed on him. Recoiling, Langa brandished Tonare, only to notice more spiders and webs up there, all over the walls and the ceiling. "Arg! Voetsek! Voetsek!" he shouted, waving his hands in front of his face protectively. "What does that mean?" the spider asked curiously. "It means piss off, you freaky monster. So just fuck off, and leave me alone, yeah?" Langa said, stepping back, still holding Tonare, and noticing even more webs on the ceiling, and large spiders milling about. Nobody else seemed to care. An owlkin poked his face out from one of the shelves upon hearing Langa''s screaming. "Are you okay? Are you a newbie?" "Yeah, why the hell is a large spider talking to me?" Langa demanded. The owlkin laughed, "They are spider spirits, agents of The Trickster Spider. The Red Flaming Blade apparently lost a divine war against him, so he has control over all the libraries in the Dewios Clan Towers for the next 1 350 years. The spider spirits aren''t that intelligent, but if you ask, they can show you around." [The Kwaku Clan god: The Rainmaking Trickster Spider, is laughing at your reaction to his lowly creations.] "Why the fuck would I want a giant spider as a librarian?" Langa asked in exasperation. He was no arachnophobe, but this was just plain wrong. The owlkin shrugged. "It''s his idea of a prank. He preys on newbies, scaring them for fun," he said, and then went back to his shelf. That jolted Langa''s memory a bit. A great spider that loved playing pranks and was interested in gaining knowledge? Was this god what the Legend of Kwaku Anansi was based on? This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. [The Kwaku Clan god: The Rainmaking Trickster Spider, is pleased that even your lowly lost world knows of him. As a reward, he orders the spider spirits to leave you alone.] The spiders that had been watching him retreated up into their webs, and Langa could finally breathe. He did run into the scrolls that the spider had warned him about, though. The invisible scrolls seemed to be floating in the air, their words unveiling only when he focused his mind on them. He left the section speedily and went up a bifurcated staircase, the fanciest one he had ever seen in his life. Langa then reached the floor dedicated to worlds and realms. The shelves there were lined with leather-bound books that chronicled the histories of lands that he had never heard of and probably would never visit. He also spent some time on realms reading about how the Tower adjusted most worlds to the same time zone calculated from the day that that Tower opened. As Langa passed through more sections, he could see other people conversing with the spider spirits as if that were normal. He spent some time checking out books on discipline affinity and resistance. There were quite a few things that he didn¡¯t understand and that nearly led to a disaster when he tried to use the water-based magical item against the red NPCs, so while there was a lot on magic that he didn¡¯t understand, all he cared about right now, was finding out what disciplines were compatible with him. The most basic thing was that now that he had full lightning affinity, he was most compatible with the disciplines of Light, Fire and Air. Darkness and Arcane were compatible with everything depending on affinity and resistance. The one furthest from him was Water and with Earth, it depended on the type of item he was using and how it interacted with his lightning. Water included all its sub-disciplines like Blood and Ice. It wasn''t that he couldn''t use water-based items, but more that If he infused his mana into a water-based item, then it would cause a backlash depending on both his water resistance and water affinity. Now, if he used a lightning based item on a water-type monster, then the damage would be amplified due to the erratic nature of water and lightning together. Further exploration revealed a section on monsters, where menacing grimoires sat alongside enchanted cages housing lifelike replicas of the monsters. On another floor, a library of potions, alchemical compounds, and ingredients was situated, its shelves stocked with images of rare ingredients and ancient recipes. Besides the books and scrolls, there was also a section on weapons of legend, and replicas of them leaned against display cases as if each blade held unspoken tales of heroic quests and epic battles, and Langa swore that he felt a hum from Tonare on his waist. Regarding stats and how they affected the body, Langa learnt that the experience a mortal gained from levelling up helped to temper their body magically strengthening it with something called lucents. But he found that stuff boring except maybe the part where these lucents strengthening the bodies were what allowed mortals the ability to age slower within Towers. There apparently existed elixirs that could stop ageing altogether or make mortals younger, but of course, elixirs would cost platinum coins or karma to buy. Another section held ancient books and scrolls on the thirteen mana disciplines, each volume brimming with the power of its mana discipline. Langa marvelled at a book seemingly made of flowing water, its pages rippling as if touched by an unseen current. He spent a lot of time in this section, trying to learn about the rest of the 130 mana disciplines and how they related to each other. There were way too many of them for him to fully read and understand everything, but he got the gist of it. Like Gertina said, they were all related in some way or other to the base 13 disciplines, for example, healing was a product of the life discipline, illusion magic a product of the light discipline, shadow magic a product of both light and darkness disciplines, telekinesis was related to both the metal and gravity disciplines, weather magic was related to water, fire, lightning and wind disciplines, alchemy was related to life, poison, earth, fire and many other disciplines. Just reading this shit made him yawn, and he closed the book and stood up to stretch his legs. Another thing he found interesting was that occasionally, the library opened up to a massive view of the sky, revealing clouds and distant constellations. It was beautiful to look at. He found out the most useless information from this section of the library, like the fact that there were seven days in a week, 30 days in a month and 13 months in a year. Each month was named after a different Mana Discipline. The days, however, were named after the first seven races The Creator ever made. It went Angelday, Demonday, Giantday, Lostday, Dragonday, Beastday and Elfday. It made him wonder when humans were created. On the floor depicting the feats of known legendary demigods, Langa was surprised by how few of them there were. Most of the ones that he read about achieved great things, but they all died from karma-implosion before reaching Tier 5. Some made it to Tier 10, but not many. All the demigods that managed to Ascend to godhood, though, became powerful gods, and they could bypass the step of becoming constellations first. His curiosity led him to read up about the conception of demigods as well, thinking about what he had heard from Liv about them being cursed with too much power. To his surprise, he learned that demigods were not born like normal mortals. According to the Relgte of Life, the ritual for a god to have a child required the god to take the form of a mortal compatible for relations with their chosen lover. Then two would share karma until a karma-rich egg filled with both of their karma was formed, but only if their karma was compatible. Langa wasn''t sure if that was literal or a euphemism for sex. Anyway, not just any mortal could have relations with a god, only those who were past Tier 10 and had attained seraphim rank. Once formed, the egg would be bound to the mortal parent regardless of gender from that moment on, constantly syphoning karma from its mortal parent until the mortal died from karma-attenuance and the demigod was born. Langa stared at that sentence in disbelief. Who the fuck would want to have a child that had to take their life in order to be born? That was fucked up. He also wondered if it was possible for gods to fall in love with mortals or if you could die from a one night stand. If he knew anything about the gods of Olympus, it was that all of their mythology depicted them as very loose when it came to this, and he wondered how many lives had been lost because of them. Wow, was he really thinking about the sex lives of gods right now? Moving to the next floor, Langa finally reached his destination. This floor contained all the information on deities in the library. The Relgtes of the deities of the Deiwos Clan sat on pedestals, their covers emitting strange light. There were paintings of the deities next to their Relgtes, and Langa was surprised to see that, other than the thirteen main gods, the Deiwos Clan also had millions of constellations under them as well. He went and stood in front of the Relgte of The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, and was once more surprised because there was no painting of him, only a bolt of lightning. Since there wasn''t much information on the only god that Langa was interested in, he picked up The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master to read about the sponsorship of players and the deities'' role in them. This was his main reason for coming to the library. The Challenge Embargo was ending today, and he was anxious to know how sponsorships worked so that he could make an informed decision. Alfsol had given all the new players the Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master, but there was something comforting about reading a physical copy for Langa. It reminded him of when his father would read to him. It was on the third scroll that he finally found what he wanted, so he sat down on a chair and began to read. [The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master Scroll 3: Chapter 3 Rules of the Tower. Sponsorship of Players. Please note: All contracts between deities and mortals are sealed by the system, the Unrivalled Tower Master herself. All agreed-upon stipulations in the sponsorship WILL be enforced, and any mortals or immortals who disrupt the order of the contract will be punished. For deities, they will be brought before The Quartenity for judgement. All deities are reminded that The Quartenity have the power to seal and take away the authorities of all immortals that are found to be in contravention of the laws set during The First Divine Summit, including gods. All mortals may receive a maximum of (1) Divine Skill, (1) Active Skill and (1) Passive Skill from any deity that is not their patron deity. This will naturally depend on the type of sponsorship contract that they have with their patron deity. Sponsorship Ranks:
  1. Incarnation
  2. Visage
  3. Avatar
  4. Disciple
  5. Daeva
  6. Chosen One
  7. Blessed
Blessed A mortal may receive a Blessing from a deity at the deity¡¯s discretion. Blessing a mortal costs karma to the deity, and there is no return in karma from the mortal. This is not a binding contract, and the Blessing can be revoked for a hundredfold karma cost from the deity. For more information on the Blessed, please read The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master Scroll 4: Chapter 1 Chosen One A deity may choose a mortal from a lost, natural or blessed world to participate in a tutorial and enter a Tower, even if the Chosen One¡¯s world has not been integrated into any Tower. The deity must give the Chosen One at least (2) Blessings before the tutorial. Upon ascension into a Tower, a Chosen One must receive a sponsorship contract of at least Disciple rank or higher from their patron deity. For more information on Chosen Ones, please read The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master Scroll 4: Chapter 2 Daeva This sponsorship contract is available to all sapient beings (both mortals and maestrils) In a moment of desperation, a sapient being can make a worthy sacrifice to a deity, asking them to fulfil their Divine Wish, in exchange for their soul. A deity forms a contract with a sapient being, giving them Blessings, Skills, Power and the ability to host a once-off Descent of the deity into their body. Upon the deity¡¯s Descent into the Daeva¡¯s body, and using their power to fulfil the request of the Daeva, the Daeva will die from the karma implosion. Permanent death will occur regardless of the Daeva''s remaining respawns, and the deity sponsoring them will receive their soul as payment and their body as a vessel for a demon, angel or spirit. For more information on Daevas, please read The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master Scroll 4: Chapter 3 Disciple All mortals, both player characters and non-player characters can become Disciples. A deity may choose to issue a Challenge to any mortal that they desire, and if the mortal accepts, and completes the Challenge according to the deity¡¯s liking, they may be given the role of Disciple. A constellation or may delegate Sponsorship of a Disciple to a higher ranked god, provided the mortal is Blessed by them. The mortal will be considered co-Sponsored by both deities and may interchangeably receive items from both of them, up to the maximum listed below. A Disciple is entitled to a resurrection stone with a maximum of (3) respawns per Floor. In return for sponsorship in the form of skills, divine skills, divine artefacts, power and Blessings, 3% of all karma earned by the mortal will automatically be given to the patron deity for the rest of the mortal¡¯s life, and the contract continues even after the mortal sheds their mortal coil and becomes a deity. A Disciple receives a maximum of (3) divine skills, (3) active skills, and (1) passive skill from their patron deity from Tier 1 to Tier 10 (level 1 to level 100). All other skill slots may be filled at the mortal¡¯s own discretion. A constellation remains a Disciple of their deity, still paying karma to the deity that they follow, for eternity, and the patron deity will continue to receive the agreed percentage of karma for eternity, regardless of the relationship between the two of them. The patron deity is obligated to issue the constellation at least (3) worlds. For more information on Disciples, please read The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master Scroll 4: Chapter 4 Avatar This is the highest level of sponsorship that can be issued to a mortal, by constellations. It is the second highest level of sponsorship that can be issued to a mortal, by gods. Only a player character can be an Avatar. A deity may choose to issue a Challenge to any mortal that they desire, and if the mortal accepts, and completes the Challenge, exceeding the deity¡¯s expectations, they may be given the role of Avatar. An Avatar is a representative of their patron deity, and must always act in such a way that shows the glory and splendour of their deity. An Avatar has the right to participate in any Divine Wars involving their patron deity, from Tier 3 (level 30) and above. They may refuse a summons to participate in the war with a valid reason. An Avatar may receive a maximum of (1) divine skill every odd tier, (1 ) active skill every even tier, and (2) total passive skills from their patron deity from Tier 0 up to Tier 10 (level 100). All other passive and active skill slots may be filled at the mortal''s discretion. An Avatar is forbidden from learning ANY divine skills from other deities without prior approval from their patron deity. No new divine skills may be learned if the patron deity declines them. An Avatar is entitled to a resurrection stone with a maximum of (4) respawns per Floor. In return for sponsorship in the form of divine skills, divine artefacts, power and Blessings, 5% of all karma earned by the mortal will automatically be given to the patron deity for the rest of the mortal¡¯s life even after they become a deity themselves. On every Tier, an Avatar must offer at least (1) worthy offering to their patron deity to prove their faith. The patron deity is obligated to give the Avatar at least (5) worlds once they shed their mortal coil and become a constellation. For more information on Avatars, please read The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master Scroll 4: Chapter 5 Visage This is the highest level of sponsorship that can be issued to a mortal, by a god. Only a player character can be a Visage. A god can only have one Visage at a time, and the position only becomes vacant if a Visage permanently dies. The god may also Choose another Visage if the current one sheds their mortal coil, becoming a deity, but the god may only do so with the permission of their current Visage. A god may choose to issue a Challenge to any mortal that they desire, and if the mortal accepts, and completes the Challenge, forging a true bond, a divine nexus, they may be given the honour of becoming a Visage. A Visage is the mortal face of a god. All actions of the Visage are a reflection of the god they serve. Once per tier, a Visage can accept their god¡¯s Descent into their body or use one of their patron god''s Sovereign Authorities without facing karma implosion. All other mortals bound to the god and all of that god¡¯s constellations are to show respect to the Visage as the High Priest of their god. A Visage automatically has access to participate in all of their patron god¡¯s Divine Wars, and may NOT refuse a summons to participate in a Divine War. A Visage is granted (3) extra divine skill slots on top of the mortal maximum of 10. They may receive a maximum of (1) Divine Skill per tier, (1) active skill every two tiers, and a maximum of (3) passive skills from Tier 0 up to Tier 10 (level 100), from their patron god. They are also granted (1) Extra Blessing/Title Slot on top of the mortal maximum of three per Tier. A Visage is forbidden from learning ANY skills, Passive, Active or Divine without prior approval from their patron god. No new skills may be learned if the patron god declines them. A Visage is entitled to a resurrection stone with a maximum of (5) respawns per floor. In return for sponsorship in the form of divine skills, divine artefacts, power, Blessings and many others, a Visage must pay 13% of all of their earned karma to their patron god for the rest of their mortal life. On every Floor, a Visage must offer at least (1) worthy offering to their patron god to prove their faith. Upon shedding their mortal coil, and becoming a constellation, a Visage automatically becomes the highest-ranking constellation serving under their god and has the right to become that god¡¯s Incarnation. The patron deity is obligated to give the Visage at least (13) worlds once they shed their mortal coil and become a constellation. For more information on Visages, please read The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master Scroll 4: Chapter 6 Incarnation This sponsorship contract is issued by gods to constellations only. For more information on incarnations, please read The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master Scroll 4: Chapter 7] Langa had to reread that a few more times before he fully understood it. He was not a Chosen One, so that and Daeva were automatically out. Being a Disciple or an Avatar had good benefits, with Avatar seemingly being the best option out of all of them. It was balanced in both what he had to give and what he would receive. Although being a Visage had the most benefits, with three extra divine skill slots and five respawns, as well as gaining thirteen worlds once you became a constellation, it had the disadvantage that you had no control over what skills you learned, and he did not think he would like that. What if he pissed his deity off and they blocked him from ever learning any skills? Yeah, Langa decided that for his sponsorship contract, he hoped that he would get to be an Avatar but he would settle for Disciple if that was the other option. If the deity that he chose did not offer him those two, then he would rather remain unbound, without a deity. There were only a few hours left now until he had to make that choice. 27.5: Floor 1: Interlude - InSynnerate
Fire, like greed, is a consuming torrent.
Haibo, Ayanda, don¡¯t look at me like that. We can barely save ourselves, and you want us to carry more baggage? She¡¯s a red player!¡±
Thank you, Master,'' SynnForessa thought as she finally fell unconscious.
not an old woman, she was not 532 years old, no matter what the system said. She could barely remember her previous life. She¡¯d been reborn, so as far as she was concerned, she was 32 years old, and not an old woman. ¡°You saved my life, and for that I am grateful. Thank you,¡± she said, bowing her head.
You can sleep too, I¡¯ll keep watch.¡±
life in his eyes. The closest would have been back when he started running.¡±
¡°Is this about you?¡± SynnForessa asked, frowning. Khaya laughed. ¡°No. My brother sent his goons to threaten any boy that I ever tried dating...so I don''t have much experience there. Anyway, the girl in our story, unexpectedly got pregnant and reality came crashing in. She didn¡¯t actually want to spend the rest of her life as the poor wife of a cursed man. She wanted to go to university, be a nurse and leave the village for a better place. What do you think she did?¡± she asked. SynnForessa had no idea where the story was going but she answered anyway. ¡°She ended things with the outcast and chose not to have the baby?¡± ¡°No. The outcast loved her dearly, but he had nothing, so he begged her to have the baby and give it to him. He¡¯d take him away and raise him elsewhere. Her fiance didn¡¯t even have to find out. And so for the next few months, the village was astounded when the village outcast kept going in and out of the spiritual leader¡¯s house. The spiritual leader and her daughter didn¡¯t leave the house for months. Rumours swirled until the village outcast was seen one day, leaving the village with a baby.¡± That wasn''t how SynnForessa had expected the story to go, but she supposed if the girl felt guilty for using the village outcast, she would have done as he asked. ¡°The old woman told the people a tall tale to protect her daughter¡¯s reputation and so as not to jeopardise her upcoming marriage. She claimed that she had disregarded her ancestors¡¯ warnings and fallen for the cursed outcast, that she had his child, but she had done a cleansing ceremony to wash away their bad luck so it wouldn¡¯t befall her daughter. She garnered sympathy and the villagers begged the ancestors to forgive her and cleanse her spirit. Her daughter got away with it, married, went to university and even had two more children of her own.¡± For some reason, SynnForessa found herself invested in the story. ¡°What happened to the first child?¡± ¡°He was raised by his father, and they moved back to the village two years after he left. Unfortunately, there was an accident and his father died. His grandmother¡­who everyone believed to be his mother, refused to care for a cursed child and dumped him at her daughter¡¯s place where he grew up.¡± Khaya stared into the fire as if she feared it would swallow her. ¡°Synn, it''s been almost thirty years and he still doesn¡¯t know,¡± Khaya whispered, tears in her eyes. ¡°I wish I never found out. How do you tell the person you love the most in the world something like that? How do you tell someone who already has abandonment issues that he was abandoned by not one, but two mothers? How do you tell a man who worships the ground his father walked on that he lied to him his entire life? I can¡¯t do it, Synn," she gasped. "If he knew that I knew that truth, and didn''t tell him all this time, even after how much he''s loved and protected me¡ªhow much he''s done for me, it would break him, and he''d never forgive me,¡± she said, looking down. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
sisi.¡±
It was the scent of a strong flame.
Avatar of The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox God title, her casting speed for fire spells was quite fast.
[Warning! You are under the curse: Venomous MistBlood. -15HP/s while the curse is active.]
[Player Kijira Masako Pandora has cast Neutralise Toxin on you. All poisonous debuffs reduced by 30%]
Greed. It was in the shape of a greedy mouth that consumed all types of fire.
80%,¡¯ she decided.
Jahreela Saamp''s offer,¡± she said.
¡°But still. I''m sure he''s with Pranav. He got Neo arrested, is it really safe to go to him?¡± she asked hesitantly. ¡°Neo got himself arrested. It was his choice to join the gang,¡± she said with a sigh. ¡°Besides, let¡¯s be practical here. Malume is thousands of kilometres away at Risa¡¯s Plateau while Neo¡¯s at Kirtisn Valley. We don''t have enough gold for a teleportation wheel. If we hired a lucent carriage, who''d help us through the level 10 red aerial zones?¡± ¡°I get it,¡± Ayanda said through gritted teeth. ¡°Can¡¯t you respond to his videos, though, tell him where we are? Maybe he will come to us.¡± "Yeah, sure, let¡¯s just post our location publicly on his profile and have weirdos come after us,¡± Khaya shook her head. ¡°Look, Neo reached out to me, offering me protection. He feels bad for not being there for me when my¡­ never mind¡­His place is only 30 kilometres away. We¡¯ll go there, and if Neo isn''t able to protect us, then he can get us transport to malume. He has many flaws, but my brother always protects his own. Of that, I''m sure.¡±
28. Floor 1: Divine Challenge (1) Langa was curious about a lot of things when it came to deities and sponsorships, especially after reading The Relgte of The Unrivalled. He continued to read more about the sponsorship contracts and discovered that Incarnations were the only way for gods to appear physically to their bonded players in mortal realms. It was apparently an honour for a constellation to be Chosen as their god''s Incarnation, and it helped them earn more karma that would enable them to finally Ascend to godhood in the future. In the end, after all his readings, Langa remained firm in his conclusion that an Avatar was the best and most balanced form of sponsorship. If he was Chosen, that was the one that he wanted. He continued to read The Relgte of The Unrivalled and discovered that, after fulfilling the requirements to clear a Floor, a player could no longer gain experience from that Floor, and the karma they received would be less than half of what they would normally receive before fulfilling the requirements. The Tower seemed designed to force players to Ascend to the next Floor as soon as they cleared the current Floor. Another thing about the Tower that he found interesting was that all players above the maximum level for a Floor were limited in the amount of time they could spend on that Floor. Their level and the highest Floor they had climbed to were the main factors that decided how long they could spend on the lower Floors. The Floor Overlord could extend the time a player was allowed to spend on a Floor according to their discretion, but the player had to apply for consideration first. The only exceptions to this rule seemed to be players who held guild positions that required them to spend a lot of time on the lower Floors. They were still heavily restricted in terms of power even more than just having their levels locked. He guessed players like Jandri, who was above the maximum level for the Ground Storey (level 25), but was the Guardians'' Ground Storey Administrator, was bound by this rule. He spent about half of the day browsing through the Relgtes and trying to see if there were any deities he knew from back home that were active in the Deiwos Tower, or if there were any who would be compatible with him. He was mildly interested in a few deities of speed, wind, and lightning. He knew that those were the deities most compatible with his skills. Every book was a very fascinating read, and he learned that any deity from any pantheon was allowed to sponsor players in any Tower, but they would have to pay karma to the pantheon in charge of that Tower in order to do that. If they had a hostile relationship with the pantheon in charge of the Tower, then they had to pay even more karma than normal. In his studies, Langa also discovered why the deities of the Kwara Orisha Clan were so active in the Deiwos Tower. They were allies of the Deiwos Clan, and as such, deities from the two pantheons had a large presence in each other''s Towers. This allowed them to be well-positioned to support each other in divine wars and to compete for good players in each other''s Towers allowing for a friendly exchange of karma. It seemed like the Kwara Orisha Clan also paid less karma to sponsor players in the Deiwos Towers than other deities not affiliated with the clan. He enjoyed his time in the library more than he expected, as it reminded him of the times he''d spent studying his father''s history and religious books. While thinking about which deity would suit him and his play style well, there was one that lingered in Langa''s mind. He kept going back to The Lackadaisical Herald; would he offer him sponsorship? If so, which type of contract? Langa had a lot of questions for him and wanted to ask why the god had shown interest in him in the first place. He wanted to know why he had broken the rules and interfered in The Unrivalled''s tutorial, and he also wanted to know how he''d managed to do that. Langa had thought he would find answers in The Lackadaisical Herald''s Relgte, but there was nothing useful for him in there. It was the shortest Relgte that he had ever seen. Once he had his fill of reading, Langa decided to start pondering what direction he wanted to go with his build. In video games, he usually played rogue classes, focusing on stealth attacks and quick assassinations. However, this was real life, and he preferred the range offered by his glaive, but he still enjoyed attacking quickly and then retreating. He hoped that he would receive a Challenge from a deity compatible with his fighting style. From his readings, he found out that deities only answered your prayers if you were specific about what you wanted, so Langa made a decision to ask so that he could receive. He''d never been devoted to any one religion, being exposed to two very different religions growing up. One relied on praying and staying away from sin, while the other relied on appeasing the ancestors with various ceremonies and speaking to them through those who had the gift of communicating with amadlozi. Langa had used aspects of both religions in his life, much to his sister''s constant admonishments, telling him that he could not serve two masters. The point was that he had no idea how the deities in the Tower accepted prayers. Since they were always watching him and they seemed to know some of his thoughts, was he supposed to just look up into the sky and ask for what he wanted? No, his sister had always taught Langa to be polite, especially to those stronger than him. So he sat down on the chair in the library and closed his eyes, putting his hands together in a prayer motion. "Uh, hello, deities of the Deiwos Tower, I''m sure you know who I am, you''ve been watching me since I got here," he said, feeling a little dumb. "You''ve also seen me fight, and I''m sure you guys know my potential better than me. I heard that later today you can start issuing Challenges, so I want you all to know that if you want to offer me a Challenge, there are two things that I want. If any of you are interested in sponsoring me, please offer at least one of the two things. It''s a dealbreaker for me." [ Many deities are listening attentively to your prayer.] "I want a self-healing skill and an item or a skill that can raise my mental resistance, at least to zero," he said. He could feel multiple deities watching, making decisions, and debating whether he was worth their time or not. All in all, Langa was happy with his time in the library, and he had even read a little bit on enchanting, as he was still not sure if he should use the skill or sell it. If he could honestly use it to make bombs, then he would not mind sacrificing a skill slot to a crafting skill, no matter how much he hated crafting. Leaving the library, he carried not just the knowledge but also the perspective of how large the infinite multiverse was. In his mind, he now carried countless worlds, realms, and lore. It fascinated him how the gods could see into nearly all of those worlds; they could see into all the millions upon millions of Towers in the multiverse and could somewhat see into the minds of all players and non-players. Even though The Quartenity gave them strict regulations on how and when not to interfere in the lives of mortals, that was still a lot of power. For a moment, Langa wondered what it must feel like, watching the worlds from atop their ivory towers¡ªdivine domains, rather. He wondered what it was like to have all that power and use it to help those weaker than you grow and become stronger, or to constantly use that power to govern worlds and go on divine wars. The gods seemed to get more powerful the more karma they had, so he thought that immortality was nothing more than an endless search for karma. An endless life of routine, never chasing after anything but karma, with nothing changing but the mortals they supported, sounded frankly monotonous to Langa. "That sounds boring as hell," Langa muttered honestly. [Many deities are shocked and offended by your incorrect simplification of their divine existence.] "Sorry, I didn''t mean to offend you guys, it''s just that for half my life, I lived in monotony, so I can''t imagine living like that forever." Langa honestly thought that he would rather die than live like that again. "I know there are probably a lot of good things in your existences, I mean, divine wars sound fun and challenging. But after living for millions of years, are you guys seriously not bored?" he asked with a shrug. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, says that they are just ignoring the truth; boredom is a part of divine existence. ''Why do you think deities like to interfere with mortals lives?''] [The Diverse Vodun Pantheon god: X¨ºbioso; Vodun of Thunder and Speed, agrees and adds that boredom is one of the reasons why there are so many divine wars started over small incidents.] [The Kwara Orisha Clan goddess: Mother of The Nine Winds And Storms, says that while it can sometimes be boring to have all this power, good deities learn to make their own entertaining moments. She says that they need to watch over beautiful worlds and sponsor a lot of promising players instead of always fighting for more karma. She declares that doing good leads to a fulfilling existence.] [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, laughs and tells her that doing things like that would add even more to his boredom.] [The Kwara Orisha Clan god: The Wild Crossroads of Raging Thunderstorms, says that he is not surprised since The Lackaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm has a rotten personality; and that it is no wonder The Unrivalled keeps rejecting him.] While the deities argued in front of him, Langa decided to go back to the Valley of Guardians and get his money. He would also ask Jandri about the true value of the lucent stones in his inventory. It was still a few hours until the Embargo lifted, and deities could offer Challenges for the newbies, so Langa decided to go and get some training done before then. He needed to train his spear skill for the Legacy quest and practise his attribute so that people on the Dent would stop calling his skills pathetic. * On his way to the lucent carriage rank, Langa contacted Mesala on the comcer, as he didn¡¯t want to wait. It had been too long since he¡¯d trained his running with or without using any skills. "Is there a track around there?" he asked. ¡°I want to do some running training.¡± "No? I don''t think I know exactly what you''re talking about, but is it a training field?" the kitekin asked. ¡±Yeah, sure. Preferably somewhere where I won¡¯t be disturbed,¡± Langa told him. He would be training his speed, and he had no desire to accidentally kill someone by running into them. Mesala seemed to think for a moment, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll speak to AD Jandri and see if you can use the Admins¡¯ training field,¡± he said. "I''ll let you know when you get to the valley." ¡±Thanks,¡± he said, and he ended the call. Langa stood by the lucent carriage rank and checked the number of coins he had in his inventory. It wasn''t much, but it should be enough to get him to the valley, right? He did not want to sell his lucent stones just yet, as he was not sure of their value. He walked over to the aisle with lucent carriages going to the Valley of Guardians and was about to ask how much it would cost to go back there when he noticed some of the players from his tutorial batch standing there, pointing at him and whispering. They had probably seen his video on the Dent, but Langa was used to public attention. He hadn''t been a celebrity, but he was recognisable enough that someone would ask for a picture half the time he went to Menlyn Mall. So, he easily ignored the players and continued walking until someone spoke to him from inside a private lucent carriage to his left. "You''re Langa, right? Come over here, let''s talk," the person, an elderly beaskin, said. He had charcoal-black skin and scales all over his face. He was the darkest person that Langa had ever seen in this entire Tower, darker even than the dark elves. With the scales all over his face, Langa was sure that he was a lizardkin since he looked a little bit like untulo. Tentatively, Langa walked towards him. He was sitting comfortably in his lucent carriage. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Do you know me, sir?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course I do!¡± he said with a laugh. He was wearing red floral taffeta robes with the Guardians Guild symbol on them, and he also wore bracelets on his wrists, multiple earrings on his ears, and a beaded necklace on his neck. ¡°I saw your video on the Dent; it''s a favourite pastime of mine to watch what the youngsters are up to these days. The Tower has received an interesting batch of players. You''re going back to the valley, right? Come, I''ll give you a ride.¡± ¡°Yeah, that''s nice and all, but who are you?¡± Langa asked bluntly. He knew that he should be respectful to the elderly, but he had a feeling that this old man would talk his ear off without introducing himself if he didn''t ask. The goblinkin sitting in the driver¡¯s seat of the lucent carriage stifled a laugh, and the old man chuckled. ¡°Ah, yes, where are my manners? I am Instructor Rancho, one of the executives of the Guardians Guild on the 1st Floor. Now come on in, Fdrein will take us back down to the valley. You have nothing to fear from me, young man, I assure you.¡± Langa only hesitated a little bit, Instructor Rancho was a Guardian, and he did not want to ride a lucent carriage with the players who kept whispering and pointing at him. He scanned him first before deciding to go with him. [Rancho Skettgyu Athi Level 19 Weaponsmith] ¡°Alright, thank you for the lift,¡± Langa said, sitting down next to the old lizardkin. The first thing he noticed, besides the fact that this carriage was only a three-seater, was how soft the seats were. He was able to sit much more comfortably compared to Di Etta¡¯s carriage. Upon liftoff, there was barely any air resistance, and not once did the wind shake the carriage as it slowly started to descend. ¡°I should thank you, Langa. You''re doing wonders for us; just today, people on the Dent were already praising the Guardians for sending you out to combat the voident scourge. Our reputation on the 1st Floor hasn''t exactly been the best, unfortunately, because of the overpopulation on this Floor,¡± Rancho stroked his beard, watching Langa, who was still not sure what he wanted from him. ¡°Of course, there are some who dislike your insistence on taking a reward for your trouble, but overall, the response has been excellent." ¡°Glad it''s working out for you all. That''s what Jandri and Alfsol sent me out there for,¡± he muttered, thinking that they, at least, were getting what they wanted. He still hadn''t heard from his family at all. "Say, if I may be so presumptuous, may I take a look at your glaive?" the old lizardkin asked. When he said that, Langa had the distinct feeling that this had been his purpose the whole time. Tonare was currently in its shortsword form, fastened to his belt. He gave Rancho a warning look. "It is bound to me, it won''t drop even if you kill me." Rancho laughed, "Yes, yes. I have no intention of stealing your glaive, young human. I am the head crafter of the Guardians on the 1st Floor, and unique weapons fascinate me. That is a unique weapon, is it not? I merely want to examine it, is all." Still a bit suspicious, but sensing no hostility, Langa handed him the glaive as the lucent carriage continued to descend into the valley. He admired the blue sheath for a moment before pulling out the glaive. "May I venture a guess? You haven''t been using the spear for a very long time, have you?¡± Rancho asked, examining the blade in fascination. Langa shrugged, ¡°I''ve only been using spears for a week¡ªwell, nine days. Before that, I¡¯d only ever thrown the javelin,¡± he said. ¡°Now let me guess, you''ve also seen the comments under my video saying that my spearmanship is lousy?¡± Rancho laughed again, ¡°People will always say what they want to say. If anything, it''s quite impressive how decent you are after only a few days,¡± he said, turning his attention back to the glaive. ¡°But this glaive has fascinating craftsmanship. It''s made from elechoricum, a rather rare metal, and whoever crafted it wanted it to outlive them, so they poured their essence into it. I presume that it has a name.¡± It was as if he were speaking to himself until he looked up and asked Langa a question. ¡°How much mana does it cost for you to use the skills on this weapon?¡± ¡°It doesn''t have a mana cost, I just infuse mana and activate the skill,¡± Langa answered with a shrug. ¡°What?¡± the old man asked incredulously. ¡°You just infuse mana? Have you never thought that the amount of mana that you infuse at a time determines the amount of damage that you deal?¡± Langa shook his head. He hadn''t thought about it, he just infused mana into the glaive and thought about activating the skill. But now that he thought back, what Rancho was saying made some sense because the damage that he did with Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike didn''t seem to be very consistent every time. ¡°I didn''t know that.¡± ¡°Still, you should have been able to regulate the amount of mana that you infused. Wait, do you have a manacore?¡± Rancho asked. ¡°No," Langa said, frowning. Gria had asked him the same thing. "Isn''t that for Mages?¡± ¡°Not entirely. Most people in the Tower have specialised classes but diverse skills. Even a pure martial artist can have one or two skills that use mana. Having a manacore is good for controlling and manipulating all skills that use mana. It helps with your mana control as well. But I digress,¡± he said with a strange sigh. ¡°You probably won''t be able to bring out the glaive''s full power as it is, because of the enchantments on this thing, they are dependent on the amount of mana that you imbue into it.¡± The old man touched the glaive, and many glyphs lit up along the shaft and a few on the blade. There were so many of them that Langa had never seen before. He was still frowning as he thought¡ªwas he wasting Tonare''s potential? But the glaive had called him during the tutorial, he had passed its test, and it had chosen him. ¡°Oh, I really should be going.¡± Rancho handed a stunned Langa his glaive back. Only then did he realise that, by now, they had arrived at the Valley of Guardians. ¡°You should visit the Crafting Cave if you have questions about this fascinating weapon. There''s still so much left to unlock on it.¡± With that, he left. Langa looked down at Tonare. "Hey, I''m not wasting your potential, am I? I''ll grow stronger, so don''t worry. I''ll finish the Legacy quest and unlock all your skills." The glaive hummed in his hands, and Langa looked around, hoping that no one saw him talking to a fucking spear like a madman. Now that Langa was back in the Valley of Guardians, he inquired after Jandri but was told that she was currently dealing with a situation on the 8th Floor. He exchanged his bounty tiles at the Guardians guildhall for money and left the reception 22 silver coins richer. Once that was done, he was ready to begin training, so he met up with Mesala and asked him to lead the way. ¡±I loved your video. You looked cool destroying those voidents,¡± Mesala said eagerly once the two of them met up. Langa ran his hands through his dreadlocks with a small smile. ¡°Thanks.¡± No one bothered Langa as he made his way to the Guardians training field with Mesala. There were only two hours left until the Embargo was lifted, and to keep himself from getting panicked over possibly not being Chosen, he was going to do some training to distract himself. ¡±Yeah, you¡¯re really fast for Tier 1. I reckon, at least in terms of speed, you can compete with the level 17 and the 19s too, maybe,¡± the boy said, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. ¡°Man, imagine if you could compete in the Celestial Clash tournaments, you¡¯d make an excellent Flighter!¡± He just kept talking, and Langa had no idea what he was talking about, lost in his fanboy bubble. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± he asked as they walked past the ground floor of the Guardians Headquarters. Mesala looked at him as if he¡¯d grown a second head. ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of the Celestial Clash?¡± he asked, and Langa shook his head, tired of having to constantly explain to people that he was not from a natural world. ¡°It¡¯s only the greatest sport in the entire multiverse. Deities love it, players love it, everyone loves it.¡± A sport, huh? ¡°I doubt it¡¯s as fun to watch as football,¡± Langa muttered, remembering the time when the FIFA World Cup had taken place in South Africa and he had gone to watch the final with Neo and Kgosi. His brother-in-law¡¯s business had been doing well back then, and because of the World Cup, schools had closed early, so he had gotten the three of them the tickets. It was one of Langa¡¯s most treasured memories because Kgosi had treated him almost like a son and not a nuisance. The only reason why he had gotten into football in the first place was because it was one of the few things that he and his brother-in-law had in common. Mesala was still talking, and Langa was only half listening since he had no idea what the kid was talking about. From the ground floor, Mesala led him down the rocky stairs instead of up. Soon, they reached what looked like an underground vault. ¡°The door is an artefact that was gifted to DP Alfsol by his deity,¡± Mesala said, standing still. ¡°It¡¯s good for training, AD Jandri said that she programmed your mana signature to use it, so you just need to imagine what kind of training field you want, and it will appear before you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Langa asked in interest, walking up to the door. He tried to scan it. [Macnnantran¡¯s Training Field Artefact Rank: Rare Effects: Generates a unique training field according to the specifications of the user. No opponents, monsters, or equipment above the common rank will be generated. If the generated field is used for purposes other than training, the field will dissipate within 5 seconds. Cool-down: 26 hours] "Thanks, Mesala, you can go,¡± Langa muttered, opening the door. He envisioned what he wanted, he pictured the standard 400-meter track that he was used to at Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria. It had everything that he required. When he opened his eyes, however, he was much more impressed than he¡¯d expected to be. The artefact had created a 400-meter, eight-lane full polyurethane track with a soft lawn in the middle, including an area for the long jump and high jump. He also saw a bunch of hurdles on the side of the track. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Holy Ruler of The Forgotten and Abandoned Grassland, is pleased that you find satisfaction in his Avatar¡¯s gift, and is interested in watching your training.] It was time for the truth. Langa took the centre lane and got into his running stance. The only time that he had been at the Olympics, seven years ago, and managed to get a silver medal with 9.84 seconds, he had actually not made his best time. Instead, his best time had been two years ago, when he had been practising on the track, and he had completed his 100-meter sprint in 9.76 seconds. It wasn¡¯t close to the world record, but it was pretty damn amazing. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to time myself once I start running. You guys are watching, right? Is it possible to time me as I run the 100 metres?¡± Langa asked. [The Diverse Vodun Pantheon god: X¨ºbioso; Vodun of Thunder and Speed, is offended at being used as a timepiece.] [The Kwara Orisha Clan god: Progenitor of The Neverdying Spirits of Time, agrees, but says he will watch you.] "Thank you," he said, and he got ready. A second later, he shot towards the finish line with pure speed, without using any skills, just his agility. The wind clawed at his face as the rush he always got from running filled his body. He was barely out of breath when he got there, and he looked up into the sky. "Well?" [The Diverse Vodun Pantheon god: X¨ºbioso; Vodun of Thunder and Speed, says, ''3.65 seconds.''] [The Kwara Orisha Clan god: Progenitor of The Neverdying Spirits of Time, says, ''3.647 seconds.''] Langa stared at the messages in disbelief. "You guys are pulling my leg, right?" Sure, his agility had more than doubled since he started the tutorial, but there was no way that his time could have been reduced so much, right? [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, tells you to check the system. It never lies.] "System, how long did it take for me to run the 100 metres?" Langa asked. [3.6465116279069767441860465116279 seconds.] "Oh my fucking gods! I''m amazing!" Langa jumped into the air in excitement. "Usain Bolt, who?" This was an insane amount of speed! 100 metres in a little over 3 seconds? That meant that he was running at about 27 m/s, or, he scratched his head, trying to make the calculation. [The Diverse Vodun Pantheon god: X¨ºbioso; Vodun of Thunder and Speed, feels sorry for your poor brain and tells you to stop, or your head will explode. It''s about 98.6km/hr] "Ah, thanks," Langa said, still smiling and ignoring the jab to his intelligence. At that speed, that meant that he could move faster than a car on the main road! "I gotta try that again! That was awesome." A few more times, he ran the 100 metres, and every time, his time stayed between 3.65 seconds and 3.7 seconds. He then went on to run through the entire 400 metres of the track over and over again, at his highest speed and continued until his stamina started to run out. When his stamina reached 15%, he picked up his spear and began practising his spearmanship stances until it regenerated fully. He even added hurdles to the track, trying to run past them while maintaining his form and practising the Legacy of the Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship skill. It was a challenging task, but he persevered, working up a sweat always caused his brain to stop thinking and only concentrate on his racing heartbeat and the training. Once his stamina was fully restored, he decided to test his attribute. His full base stamina was currently at 580, so he stood at the start of the track, activated his attribute, and ran straight towards the finish line. Surprisingly, he completed the run in no time, literally, the system said it took him 0 seconds to do the run, but his stamina was reduced by half to 290, and he lost 197.1 stamina as well, which was the Stamina=Velocity that he lost for every second that the attribute was active. He had wondered if the seconds that were counted in the Stamina=Velocity per second lost while his attribute was active were the actual seconds in real-time or the seconds that he perceived in the slowed-down time. He had hoped that it was in real-time, then he would have been able to use the attribute longer, but it seemed to be in his perceived time. It was still an amazing amazing attribute, though. It would be better if he could fully control it. The next thing that he wanted to test was how the velocity worked. The description of his attribute said that it had to be in a specific direction, but did that mean he could only move in a straight line or could he, like, zigzag as long as he was still headed in the same direction? Evidently, that experiment would have to wait because he received a new prompt from the system. [The Deiwos Clan has lifted the Challenge Embargo on all the players of tutorial batch #4 for all the deities operating in the Deiwos Tower.] [Congratulations! You have (75) Sponsorship Challenge Offers from (32) gods!] [Congratulations! You have (1987) Sponsorship Challenge Offers from (783) constellations!] [System Note: You can only view a maximum of (9) Sponsorship Challenges from (3) different deities. You can only choose to accept (1) Sponsorship Challenge at a time. You have (13) minutes to accept or reject a Sponsorship Challenge. If you fail to complete the Sponsorship Challenge in the allotted time, you will be banned from accepting any new Challenges for (26) days. Good Luck, Player. Choose Wisely.] [Acheivement! Congratulations! You have received the (3rd) most Sponsorship Offers of all the players from Tutorial Batch #4. You are automatically added to the Most Sponsorship Challenge Offers Leaderboard for Tutorial Batch #4. +215 Karma] 29. Floor 1: Divine Challenge (2) Langa took a deep breath as he read the system messages. More karma was always welcome, and he was grateful for it. But he had received over two thousand Sponsorship Challenge Offers from 815 deities! To think that he had been worried that he would not receive any at all. He looked through the list of deities that made those offers, and he did not even have the faintest idea who some of them were, and he had only thirteen minutes to decide. This was a choice that would define him for his entire life inside the Tower, and he needed to think carefully. If he chose a deity and failed the Challenge, then there would be 26 days when he was not allowed to receive any more Challenges, and that would set him back considerably. He doubted that anyone would continue watching his videos if he failed to produce results. He needed to improve his renown in order to make sure that news about him reached his family. Langa decided to take a risk. He knew that it was not necessarily the best thing to do, as he''d been told by Liv and read in the library that it was better to bind to a high-tier constellation than a low-tier god, but this was his choice, and he wanted to narrow it down as much as possible. "System, can you filter out all the offers made by constellations?" He was sorry to constellations like Swiftfoot Anitari who had been watching him from the beginning, but he had made his decision to go for broke. With all the constellations filtered out, the list was reduced to only 32 names. Langa felt the eyes watching him start to decrease, and he guessed that the rejected constellations were offended and stopped watching him. Well, deities were known for their pettiness, so he couldn''t really blame them. Some of the constellations stayed, though, and it was good to know that there were no hard feelings between him and every one of them. "System, filter out all gods whose offered rewards may cause a backlash with my mental resistance," he said, and the list went down to 21. Langa checked his Affinities and Resistances tab to see what kind of gods he might be compatible with. He figured it would be beneficial for him to play to his strengths, so he decided to go with those disciplines that he had the highest affinities and resistances for. "Okay, now, please list only those who are gods of lightning, air, life, fire, darkness, arcane, and physical body mana disciplines, as well as gods of the related disciplines of those seven." Finally, the list went down to nine gods. Now this list was manageable, and Langa could work with it. Surprisingly, most of the rejected gods did not turn away from him but continued to watch him curiously to see what Challenge he would choose. Perhaps they were less petty than constellations, or perhaps they did not care as much since they probably had a lot of players bound to them already. He looked at the shorter list and found that it was mostly made up of the gods that he had interacted with in the past two days. He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that The Lackadaisical Herald was among the gods offering him Sponsorships Challenges. This list only showed the names of the gods and not the content of the Challenges themselves. He could only see the offered Challenges from the final three gods that he would have to choose from. As he looked at the list, Langa could not help but roll his eyes at two undesirable names that had somehow managed to sneak their way into the list despite him trying to filter as many incompatible gods out of his list. [The Deiwos Clan goddess: The Red Flaming Blade of Menika, would like to offer you a Sponsorship Challenge.] [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, would like to offer you a Sponsorship Challenge.] [A Clanless Deity Without A Name, would like to offer you a Sponsorship Challenge.] [The Onslaught of The Dark Void, would like to offer you a Sponsorship Challenge.] [The Duat Pantheon god: The True Deathbringer of The Demon Reaper, would like to offer you a Sponsorship Challenge.] [The Diverse Vodun Pantheon god: X¨ºbioso; Vodun of Thunder and Speed, would like to offer you a Sponsorship Challenge.] [The Kwara Orisha Clan god: The Wild Crossroads of Raging Thunder, would like to offer you a Sponsorship Challenge.] [The Kwara Orisha Clan goddess: Mother of The Nine Winds And Storms, would like to offer you a Sponsorship Challenge.] [The Ter Netjer Pantheon god: Osiris, would like to offer you a Sponsorship Challenge.] Langa had known from the beginning that this was not going to be an easy decision for him, but the first two that he wanted to discard were easy. There was no way in hell that he was going to accept a Challenge from Chaos or from Liv''s father. He knew without even having to think about it that there was no way his broken mind would be able to handle the power of The Dark Void, it would most certainly destroy him. From his conversation with Liv, he knew that his father had done something terrible to his mother, so he did not want to associate with someone who hurt his friend. Besides, The Demon Reaper''s Avatar had destroyed Eniche''s world. "I reject The Dark Void and The Demon Reaper," Langa said immediately. Looking back at the list, there was one more that he had no interest in. "I also reject the nameless god." He would not want to be bound to someone without an identity. This nameless god had been the first one to look at him when he''d stepped onto the 1st Floor and he didn''t know why, but he did not like the feeling of that god''s eyes on him. It just seemed to give him the creeps, like he was some kind of stalker wearing a mask but continuously watching him. [A Clanless Deity Without A Name, is confused by your rejection, but no matter what, he informs you that you will come back to him when the time is right.] [The Onslaught of The Dark Void, is amused by your rejection.] [The Duat Pantheon god: The True Deathbringer of The Demon Reaper, wonders why you were so quick to reject him.] Well, that was good riddance to bad gods; one was creepy, one was crazy, and one was salty. Putting them aside, he continued his cull. For the rest of the gods, Langa was flattered that the leader of the Deiwos Clan had offered him a Challenge, as well as the fact that Osiris was interested in him, being one of the major Egyptian gods that his father had studied. However, Langa did not think that he would be compatible with him, as Osiris was not just a god of life, but of death as well and he had no affinity at all for death magic. In the end, as Langa looked through the list, he made his choice of the final three. Now that it was down to three gods, the system was able to show him the Challenges that they were offering. He was now only left with five minutes to make his final choice, so he had to think carefully and see which Challenge best suited him. If there was one thing that he was pleased about, it was that the chosen three had listened to his prayer, if the rewards they offered were any indication. That was a good start, as Langa had no desire to follow a god who did not answer his prayers.
Deity Challenge Level Challenge Reward Time Limit
?ya: Mother of The Nine Winds And Storms Easy Clear the first level of the spider crypt in Nexka Barrow. (Solo Challenge) Sponsorship Contract 1 day
?ya: Mother of The Nine Winds And Storms Normal Clear the first three levels of the spider crypt in Nexka Barrow and defeat at least (1) mini-boss. (Solo Challenge) Sponsorship Contract Active Skill: Heal Self (B) 2 days
?ya: Mother of The Nine Winds And Storms Hard Clear all five levels of the spider crypt in Nexka Barrow and defeat the boss monster. (Solo Challenge) Sponsorship Contract Active Skill: Heal Self (B) Class Change: Unique Class 3 days
Adtonifulmin: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm Hard Kill at least 60 trollimps from Psike''s Grotto Dungeon, including (1) mini-boss and collect a total of 50 trollimp healing sacs. (Solo Challenge) Sponsorship Contract Passive Skill: Regenerate (C) Class Change: Rare Class 3 days
Adtonifulmin: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm Hell Kill at least 75 trollimps from Psike''s Grotto Dungeon, including (2) mini-bosses, and collect a total of 75 trollimp healing sacs. Sponsorship Contract Passive Skill: Regenerate (C) Class Change: Rare Class Divine Skill:??? 5 days
X¨ºbioso; Vodun of Thunder and Speed Normal Raid and Clear the dungeon ''Nictrat''s Ravine'' within 35 minutes Sponsorship Contract Active Skill: Deep Meditation (C) 1 day
X¨ºbioso; Vodun of Thunder and Speed Hard Raid and Clear the dungeon ''Nictrat''s Ravine'' breaking the current record of 22min:12sec Sponsorship Contract Active Skill: Deep Meditation (B) Class Change: Rare Class 3 days
From what Langa knew about ?ya from the legends back on Earth, she was a powerful goddess known for causing terrible storms in her wrath, but she was also good with children, always treated them with care, and protected them from harm. If he chose her, he might be able to ask her to look after Khaya for him. But then again, Khaya was nineteen, an adult according to both South African and Tower law, so she might not be able to help her in that case. Besides, there were limits to how much deities could interfere in the lives of mortals not bound to them. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The Voduns were said to be the children of Nana Buluku in legend, and they dealt extensively with matters of the spirit. If Langa chose X¨ºbioso, he might be able to help him, not just with his speed but with a way to cure him of his curse. That was one thing that he wanted to gain from the gods as well, freedom from the curse that had plagued him for his entire life. He was also sure that the skill offered by X¨ºbioso was going to help him with his mental resistance. X¨ºbioso would undoubtedly be a good choice for him. However, in the end, out of all the offers, there was only one god that Langa felt a connection to. The Lackadaisical Herald was a god of both lightning and life who would be able to help him grow and help him find clarity of mind, just like he had done before. He knew it was a risk because he had never heard any myths or legends about this god back on Earth, but his heart felt drawn to this god. Myths and legends were just that, and out of all the deities operating inside this Tower, The Lackadaisical Herald was the only one who had been there for him when he needed help. It seemed, in his heart, that he had always known who he would choose. To Langa, the essence of a good deity, more than answering prayers, more than skills or Blessings, was being able to offer comfort to his followers when they were suffering. For him, who had always felt alone, even when he was among others, he wanted a god that he knew would always be with him, always watching over him. Adtonifulmin had seen him at his most desperate moment in the tutorial, and had been able to pull his chaotic mind out of that detestable Void. Now that his mind was made up, Langa looked at the Challenges issued by The Lackadaisical Herald, trying to decide which one he would take. While a divine skill would be amazing to have at this stage, Langa did not think he was ready for a hell difficulty Challenge, especially one that had to be completed within 5 days. Besides, he was sure that he would be able to earn divine skills later on, depending on what type of Sponsorship Contract he was offered. "I accept the Hard Challenge from The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm," he said confidently. Tonare vibrated in its sheath, and Langa felt both surprise and acceptance from the other gods that were watching him. ?ya and X¨ºbioso were not going to abandon him or stop watching him, and he had a feeling that they would offer him Challenges again in the future, as Sponsorship Challenges weren''t the only types of Challenges that he could accept. [A Clanless Deity Without A Name, is mystified by your choice, and laughs.] [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, is pleased that you accepted his Sponsorship Challenge.] All the tension that Langa had been feeling all day disappeared. He needed to prepare to hunt the trollimps. He only had five days to complete the Challenge after all, and he knew that the sooner he completed it, the better the rewards would be. He was aiming to become an Avatar, not a Disciple, so he had to do his best. Psike''s Grotto was a dungeon that was inside a guild territory, so he couldn''t just stroll in there, he needed to do some scouting first. He also needed to learn about what kind of creatures trollimps were so that he would be sufficiently prepared to face them. He also had to plan how he was going to- [Congratulations! There is Divine Synergy between your Legacy Quest and your Sponsorship Challenge! If both are completed successfully, then a divine nexus may be formed!] [Congratulations! Your Sponsorship Challenge has automatically been upgraded to Hell difficulty! New Quest generated!]
SPONSORSHIP CHALLENGE AND LEGACY QUEST
Quest Rank: Unique
You have chosen to inherit the Legacy of a temperamental thunderbird. In order to unlock the skills on Thunderbird''s Mutable Lightning Glaive as well as the opportunity to obtain a special stat, you must complete his Legacy.
Quest Objectives:
-Kill 100 trollimps from Psike''s Grotto and collect a total of 100 trollimp healing sacs. -Raise the skill: Legacy of the Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship to Intermediate level.
Time Limit:
5 days
Quest Limitations:
Only available for players with Legacy of the Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship and undergoing a Sponsorship Challenge from the mid-tier constellation; Tarquinius or his patron deity.
Cautions:
N/A
Quest Rewards:
Sponsorship Contract Passive Skill: Regenerate (?) Class Change: Legendary Class Divine Skill:???
Quest Failure Penalty:
Loss of favour with the mid-tier constellation Tarquinius Player may not accept any new Challenges for (52) days. No new Legacy Quests will be unlocked until Tier (2) No new Skills will be unlocked for Thunderbird''s Mutable Lightning Glaive until Tier (3)
What?" Langa asked incredulously. What the fuck was that? A synergy? His Sponsorship Challenge had just changed without his consent, and he was not going to stand for it. He had not chosen the Hell difficulty Challenge for a reason. Who the hell was Tarquinius, and why should Langa care about gaining his favour? What was a divine nexus? "Hell no! You can''t just do that! System, I reject the quest!" [Error! This quest cannot be rejected. An automatic failure will be recorded if you do not complete it within 5 days.] "Yhoo! Kudlaliwe ngami! This is not what I wanted! I''m still learning, and there''s no way I will be able to do this," Langa lamented, looking up at the sky. "Why are you doing this to me?" Once again, he felt Tonare vibrating on his waist. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, assures you that he will not let you be Challenged beyond your strength. He will present you with only obstacles that are within your means to handle. With this Challenge, he promises to Bless you with something that will give you the strength to survive and defeat your opponents.] "What the hell does that even mean?" Langa asked, annoyed. He would not be Challenged beyond his strength? Was that just a generic line that all deities gave to their followers when putting them through hardships in order to make them feel better? Langa weighed his options, if he chose not to complete this Challenge, then he would be stuck without a deity for the next month. Not only would this likely impact his viewership and make it harder for him to make himself known, but it would also put him far behind the other members of the top ten. He was not happy about that. While Langa did not like being at the top, being number one, because it came with a lot of problems, he was also not someone who liked to be at the bottom of the litter either. He was competitive. He liked being in the top ten. It gave him the strength to move forward, knowing that he was talented and strong enough to stand next to people who were born with power like Liv, people who had trained their whole lives for power like Fi Kindaro III and people who wielded their power with effortless elegance like Vos Kindaro II. He was not willing to give that up. This Challenge was a test, and only now did Langa realise that it was his resolve that was being tested. Sure, he had taken his first step towards change by coming into the Tower, but what had changed since then? If he only fought battles that were within his comfort zone, battles that he was sure he could win, then how would he grow or find purpose in his life? Throughout his life on Earth, he had experienced the most growth when he pushed himself beyond his limits. The multiverse and all the Towers in it were full of nothing but competition, and there was nothing that Langa loved more than racing against people of equal talents, chasing those who were better than him, and finally overtaking them. In this Tower, there was always a brighter sun beyond the sun in the sky. Even if he took first place within his tutorial batch, there were stronger players from the other three batches, and even if he conquered this Deiwos Tower, there were other stronger players in other Towers across the multiverse. And even if he grew strong enough to shed his mortal coil and become a deity, he would once again be at the bottom of the ranks, and an infinite race would begin. Langa laughed at himself. For so many years, he''d used his curse as an excuse to stop living. He had told himself that it was the only thing holding him back from going after the things he wanted, but that was not the honest truth. He''d gone on and on in his head about wanting to stop living passively and wanting to stop allowing life to pass him by, but saying that he wanted to do something and actually doing it were two different things. Langa took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Once more, he brought his hands together in a prayer motion. ¡°Lackadaisical Herald, if it were up to me, I¡¯d take the hard Challenge, give it my best effort, and become your Avatar or Disciple. That way, I would be strong enough to cruise through the Tower with relatively no problems, complacently doing the bare minimum," he said. "But I do want to change and become a better version of myself. My whole life, I have not been able to give myself the strength to grow and face harder challenges. But I''ve been given a new life now, and I want more, so I''m gonna put my faith in you, because you saved me once before. So, Lackadaisical Herald, I pray that you show me a better path for my life. Help me to learn how to live for myself so that I can grow." [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, has heard your prayer.] [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, gives you the Temporary Blessing: Blessing of Fleeting Life] [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, asks you to envision in your mind the form that you would wish for the Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird to take if it were a sapient being.] What? Why? "Um, okay," Langa pondered the request in his mind for a second, but in the end, what came to mind was the thunderbird that had struck him with lightning back when he had received his Legacy in the tutorial. That thunderbird had said that it was named Tonare, and it had given him his glaive. As soon as Langa envisioned that thunderbird in his mind and how it had transformed into a humanoid form, Tonare shook on his waist, surprising him. The glaive let out a small streak of electricity from within the sheath. He took it out, and extended the shaft to his preferred size of 1 metre, looking at the glaive curiously. In the next moment, in front of him, a dark ghostly energy emerged from the glaive and slowly condensed into the form of a person. The spirit appeared translucent and held a shadowy spear in its hands. It looked like a ghostly version of the person he''d met when he received his Calling, with two legs, white wings, red skin and talons on its hands, as well as bird-like feet. It landed on the ground in front of him. Langa resisted the urge to scream, instead only shuddering. It had just appeared out of nowhere from inside his glaive after all. This thing looked like a ghost, and he''d always been afraid of ghosts. They freaked him out. How the hell was this thing a Blessing? [The mid-tier constellation: Tarquinius, is watching you with a sorrowful gaze.] Langa was confused at who this constellation was, until he remembered that this was the constellation that had tried to offer him a Sponsorship Challenge on his first day on the 1st Floor. His punishment must be over. But why was he tied to Langa''s Legacy? Looking at the quest description, the only logical explanation he had was that the owner of the Legacy must have been bonded to Tarquinius. He looked back at the ghostly thunderbird, and wondered if it was possible to scan it or not, and concentrated on its face, scanning it. [Blessing of Fleeting Life Type: Temporary The core essence of the Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird will guide your path in the spear, by teaching you how to use the skill: Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship effectively. The essence core will look into your heart, and teach you to become stronger in the Legacy, thereby giving you the strength required to complete the Sponsorship Challenge and Legacy Quest on time. +250% Learning Speed for the skill: Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship Duration: Until the skill: Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship, reaches Intermediate level (1). Maximum duration: 5 days.] The ghostly thunderbird fixed its blank eyes on Langa and walked towards him. It didn''t glide, but it walked. Langa wondered what the hell kind of ghost walked on its two feet. He didn''t say anything, though, as it approached him. "You are the one who is carrying on Tonare''s Legacy," It said. "Eh, yeah, that''s me. My name is Langa," he said, still cautious. "What about you, what do I call you?" "I am the personification of the essence core of the Legacy, and you may address me as such," the Legacy said. It moved swiftly until it was standing right in front of him, assessing him with unblinking eyes. "I can see why The Lackadaisical Herald summoned me here. Since he has given me to you as a Temporary Blessing, he will not be able to assist you any further with the Challenge. From what I can see, you truly need this Blessing desperately, and we have a lot of work to do before you can unlock all of the inheritance in that Legacy." Oh, well, this was just unbelievable. Here was another person who was telling Langa that his spear skills were abysmal as if he did not already know it. What made this feel worse was that the Legacy hadn''t even seen him use the skill! "How do you know that I need work? You haven''t even seen me in a single fight!" Langa protested, arms folded. "Your posture alone is telling. You do not have the gait of a seasoned spearman. To my eyes, you are nothing more than a beginner who just stepped onto the path of lightning. You are free to prove me wrong, of course," the Legacy said, its chin raised arrogantly. Langa glared at it. This fucking ghost was mocking him. Alright, Langa was already in a training room, and he wanted to put this Legacy core to the test. He had to see if it had any right to act so arrogantly towards him. "Teach me then; how do I raise the level of a passive skill?" he asked. "Training is best done through combat. Come, take your stance, and show me your strength." The Legacy''s spirit spear was in the shape of a glaive reminiscent of Tonare, and it took the basic stance of the Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship, ready for any attack that Langa might throw at it. Langa readied his stance as well, as it seemed like they were about to spar. Liv had no spear skills, so he had not been able to teach him much about spearmanship, and he was ready to start learning now. He wanted to see what skills the Legacy had and how they would help him complete his quest. 30. Floor 1: Divine Challenge (3) Langa charged, thrusting Tonare forward, wondering if the spirit was corporeal or if his glaive would pass right through it. However, that question was answered when it parried his attack with such force that it sent him stumbling back. The Legacy twirled its translucent spear, eyeing Langa with a critical gaze. "You call that an attack? Are you waving a stick at a passing glitterfly? Put in some strength!" Breathing in once, then twice, Langa took on his basic stance again. He could feel the solid ground of the track under him, as he lowered his stance to get more power before leaping at the Legacy, both hands on his glaive as he tried to slash the Legacy''s ghostly chest. However, his glaive collided with the Legacy''s own, and he was pushed back. "Again!" it said. Langa gritted his teeth, attempting another slash, but the Legacy effortlessly parried it, and shook its head, unimpressed. "You''re just swinging it, there''s no technique to your movement. Hell, you haven''t even done any mana infusion. That''s a unique glaive made with the essence and passion of a strong, legendary thunderbird, yet you treat it like some common pike?¡± Why would he be using mana infusion for a simple spar like this? Wouldn''t using Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike make the training kind of redundant? ¡°I don''t want to use Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike just yet. Didn''t you want to see my technique, so that you can know how to help me raise the skill?¡± Langa asked, confused. The Legacy stared at him as if he''d said the most ridiculous thing that it''d ever heard. ¡°Do you not know that you can strengthen the glaive with mana without activating Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike?¡± "No," he said honestly. That was news to Langa. The only times that he had ever infused his mana into the glaive was when he was activating the skill, so he had no idea that he could just infuse mana into it regularly. The Legacy analysed him, its eyes looking deep into him as if searching for something important. It shook its head once it was done and then sighed. ¡°You don''t have a manacore. That explains a lot. Alright, let us deal with that later; for now, let me see your pure technique.¡± For some reason, Langa got the feeling that the Legacy was disappointed in him, which made no sense to him. What reason did it have to be invested in him or his mana anyway? It wasn''t really alive, it was just a temporary, passing essence core, right? He did not appreciate the way that it was acting towards him right now. How did it expect him to know all these things when he came from a lost world without any mana? Frustrated, Langa used Flash Step and swung the glaive hard, but the Legacy sidestepped his strike effortlessly. "Pitiful. You''re not the leading fire dancer at the festival of lights, Langa! Where is the power in your swing? Stand firm in your stance and learn to control your strength. Combat is not just about speed, it''s about technique!" Langa, panting, tightened his hold on Tonare, hoping to put more power into his next swing. He tried to attack again, but the Legacy''s stern voice stopped him, "Footwork, boy! Footwork! You''re stumbling like a drunkard. A spearman needs to have a solid foundation, and when your feet are on the ground, move them effectively. Watch this, and follow me!" The Legacy''s feet moved in a pattern: left, up, back, and then right. It showed him the different steps that went with the Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship skill and demonstrated the exact motions, without a single mistake. This was different from the general steps that Liv had taught Langa, as these were specific to his skill. He watched attentively as the Legacy continued to demonstrate it for him until he felt like he was ready to try them himself. Langa stumbled the first few times that he tried to follow the Legacy''s movements. However, it was surprisingly patient with him, perhaps because it saw his willingness to learn. Training had always been something that Langa gave his all to, and this was no different. While he didn''t like the way that the Legacy criticised his movements, after an hour, Langa could see why it had been so hard on him. Now that he understood how he was supposed to do it, moving didn''t feel like a chore. He did not have to use his agility all the time to keep up, instead, he was now able to move in a way that reduced the number of actions he took. After a while, he was able to barely match the way that the Legacy moved, and it nodded at him. "Your footwork is now passable," it said. "I can at least be assured that you won''t die from stumbling over your own feet." Langa looked up into the air. "I get it, Lackadaisical Herald, it is a decent teacher, but couldn''t you have given this essence core a nicer personality?" [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, says that the personality of the essence core is rooted in the heart of the Legacy, and he cannot change it.] "Awesome," Langa muttered sarcastically. "Are you done whining? Shall we continue? Now, let''s talk about the grip," the Legacy continued, adjusting Langa''s hold on his spear. "No, not like you''re holding a common broom. Your grip must be firm, but not rigid. The weapon is an extension of yourself, and you must treat it as such." Langa attempted another attack using the new grip, but the Legacy easily blocked it. "You strike, then retreat, strike, then retreat. Is that all you know how to do? You won''t win any battles that way.¡± ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± Langa asked, his temper flaring. ¡°It hasn''t even been ten days since I first held a fucking spear!¡± "I see," the Legacy said, and its eyes softened a little. ¡°You must use the spear''s reach. Always keep your distance and control the opponent''s engagement. Your other problem is that your shaft is too short." In spite of himself, Langa snickered. ¡°That''s what she said.¡± [The mid-tier constellation: Tarquinius, laughs.] "Don''t worry, there are plenty of potions in the Tower that can help you with that problem," the Legacy said, surprising Langa by getting the joke. ¡°Anyway, if you have time to fool around and make bad jokes, then you have time to practise. As I was saying, a standard short spear has to have a shaft of at least 1.5 metres. You are keeping Tonare''s length at only 1 metre, so you''re severely limiting your range, which, with your subpar technique, is the only advantage you currently have.¡± Damn, did it have to be so fucking rude? Wasn''t this thing supposed to be helping him, not insulting him? ¡°The glaive becomes heavier the longer it is, my strength is not high, so if I kept it longer, I''d just be slowing myself down.¡± ¡°If you want a lighter weapon, you''re welcome to use the short sword version of the glaive,¡± the Legacy said derisively. ¡°Extend the shaft.¡± Muttering insults under his breath, Langa did as he was told, extending Tonare¡¯s shaft to 1.5 metres. The glaive felt heavier, but he was still able to hold it well as he ran at the Legacy once more. This time, he tried to consciously incorporate the footwork that the Legacy had shown him into his attacks. Their spar started to become less like a one-sided beat-down and more like an actual teacher-student lesson. As Langa continued to get better thanks to the increased learning speed, the Legacy''s gruff voice gradually became milder. "Not bad. You''ve got potential, Langa, but potential won''t save you on the battlefield. What''s important is discipline, technique, and seizing as many opportunities as you can. Now, let''s go again!" The spar continued, with the Legacy''s unending critiques filling the training grounds, above the constant clash of both of their spears. Persistent in its guidance, it seemed determined to mould Langa into a warrior worthy of carrying on Tonare''s Legacy. Within the next few hours, his Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird¡¯s Spearmanship skill increased to Beginner level 5. It went up two whole levels in such a short time! It had to be both because of the increased learning speed and because he finally understood the skill and wasn''t just blindly following the stances. Langa was very happy with the result, as, despite the Legacy¡¯s constant snark, insults and criticisms, it had taught him well. By now, his stamina had fallen below 20%, though, and he was really tired. Langa plopped down on the track to rest and recover his stamina. "What''s a divine nexus?" he asked. The Legacy watched him as it stood above him, "It''s a connection between a mortal and a deity. It can happen through items, artefacts, skills, affinities¡ªit''s uncommon, but it can strengthen the bond between a mortal and their deity massively. The more connected you are to your deity, the more effective your divine skills are, and the higher your faith." Langa decided that he would read up on it more when he went back to the library. For now, there was a pressing question that he needed to ask. ¡°Hey, Legacy, about what you were saying before, how do I form a manacore?¡± he asked, panting, as he lay on the ground. ¡°A lot of people have mentioned it to me now, and it seems important.¡± ¡°I''m here to teach you spearmanship, not magic,¡± the Legacy told him in disapproval. Langa raised his eyebrows, ¡°But I need to learn some magic in order to infuse mana into Tonare. It would be helpful for me to raise my skill level. Surely, that falls within the limits of your duties, right?¡± It closed its eyes for a moment as if it were thinking. This essence core was a Blessing, but it acted like a living person, and it was very intelligent too. Langa found The Lackadaisical Herald''s powers fascinating. Was he able to do this because he was a god of life, or could all deities do this? The Legacy seemed to decide that it was going to teach him after all. ¡°You must feel the mana in the air and absorb it. The mana will then condense it near your heart or wherever is comfortable for you. That''s how you form a manacore,¡± it told him. "Your manacore will create and be connected to a series of pathways in your body called the mana channels. Langa looked at it blankly, still not fully understanding this whole thing. ¡°Okay, but how do I do that?¡± ¡°I just told you,¡± the Legacy said with a frown. ¡°I mean, how do I feel the mana in the air? That''s what I''m asking,¡± Langa clarified. A look of surprise and disbelief crossed the Legacy¡¯s ghostly face. ¡°You can''t feel it? You can''t sense the lucents in the air?¡± Langa shook his head and sat up. He did not even know what lucents were, was it related to the lucent crystals and stones? ¡°Not really. All I can feel is the mana inside of me. Before, it was just like a normal energy that I could infuse into things that required mana infusion. But after I got my full affinity, I could feel the mana more intensely and it felt electric, and it''s always sizzling inside me. ¡° "That''s strange. All mortals have the ability to feel lucents and automatically form a manacore with time as long as they have a Mental Affinity and Resistance of at least 0 each," it said. Shit. This negative Mental Resistance just loved fucking him over, didn''t it? He needed to find an item that would increase his Mental Resistance as soon as possible. "There are other ways to form a manacore besides the automatic one, right? Tell me about them," he said, not wanting to dwell on his weaknesses. "Why?" the Legacy asked, clearly baffled. "Does the reason matter?" ¡°I suppose not. At least you''re well-attuned to your mana. Lucents are the individual particles of mana that occur naturally in the multiverse. To utilise magic, mortals absorb lucents in the atmosphere, concentrate them together into usable mana, and store the mana in their bodies. Every mortal has a finite amount of mana that they can hold, determined by their mind stat," the Legacy explained. "Mortals can condense those lucents into a manacore, which is a container holding all the mana inside their body. Inside the manacore, mortals can do many things, as each manacore is formed according to the individual''s magic. It can be a core of energy, a wheel regulating their magic, it can be in the shape of a body part or anything really. It can be located inside the heart, the brain or the stomach, the feet..." it said. "Anyway the manacore regulates the amount of mana that a mortal uses and creates mana channels for mana to easily move within the body. All Mages have the special stat: Wisdom and that synergises well with their mana manipulation. For those skills that require it, it makes it so there is no need to draw a magic circle every time you have to use a skill or cast a spell." "Right, okay," Langa said, pretending that he understood. "What''s the difference between a skill and a spell?" If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "One skill can have multiple spells to invoke it, and spells can be Inscribed onto a scroll for once-off usage. Not everyone can do that, though, only those with an Inscription skill or those skills with Inscription inherent to them, like enchanting, runecraft and many others," the Legacy said. "You said you''re not adept at using mana, right? Well, each magic skill is activated differently, depending on the spell used to activate it. Others just require simple mana infusion, others need incantations, others require the user to draw a magic circle, and others only need a single word to activate. Magic skills are controlled through many methods, including physical actions or hand signs. Tools help to make the process faster, like staves, sceptres or wands. Most people prefer to have the magic circle or incantation Inscribed in their manacore or elsewhere in their bodies, so they don''t have to always draw the magic circle. However, that method has its own disadvantages." This, Langa thought he understood to some extent. "Then, Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike is activated by a magic circle, right? Whenever I infuse mana into the glaive, I see something lighting up on it." "Correct." "Then, as you said, having a manacore would regulate the mana I require to activate the skill?" he phrased it as a question to ensure he fully understood it. "Precisely. Let me test something. Close your eyes and try to envision the same thing you feel in your body, all around you," the Legacy told him. Langa sat in the lotus position and closed his eyes. He tried to feel the mana in the air, but all he could feel was the mana inside him. It was electric like it would explode at any moment. He could only feel the air, but nothing in it felt like the mana inside him. He continued sitting on the training grounds for over ten minutes, his spear held firmly in his grip. Bored, he opened his eyes and watched as the Legacy paced back and forth, a thoughtful expression on its face. "Legacy, I still can''t feel the lucents," Langa admitted, frustration in his voice, not from the lack of feeling it but from how uncomfortable this position was. How long would he have to stay like this? "It''s okay." The Legacy paused its pacing and turned to face him, its eyes filled with understanding. "Not everyone has the same connection to lucents. It''s an uncommon gift to be able to feel them, but that doesn''t mean you can''t fully harness your mana. There are other ways for you to infuse it." Langa nodded, he trusted the Legacy''s guidance, as it had not let him down yet. The Legacy approached him, its cold, ghostly hand resting gently on his shoulder. "Since you don''t have a manacore and mana channels, we have to do things the old-fashioned way and go in raw," the Legacy said. Langa wondered if he was being baited into another that''s what she said joke. "What''s that?" "Close your eyes again, Langa," it instructed, its tone softer than before. "Focus on your breath, feel the mana flowing through your body. You said that your mana feels like electricity, right? You have a full lightning affinity, but it doesn''t mean that you can emit lightning or create balls of lightning magic, just that that is what the properties of your mana are. Without mana channels, you won''t be able to use your full affinity to its greatest potential, so if you want to give your mana a physical form, you need a mana manipulation skill." "Wait, can I like, use my lightning mana to disrupt mind control? Like correct the electric signals in my brain to resist?" he asked eagerly opening his eyes. He was sure he remembered something about thoughts and actions being governed by ions or something from school. "No," the Legacy said shaking its head. "How advanced is your world? Your mana is electric, and what you are talking about are electrochemical pathways, add in mana to the equation and it''s a whole different game. I would explain it to you but I fear I would be wasting my time considering how hard comprehending this seems to you," it told him. Langa wanted to argue but the Legacy cut him off before he started talking. "Since you don''t have a manacore, you need to use natural pathways of your body. For lightning, it''s best to pass it through your nerves. I am going to stimulate your mana a bit, and you will be able to feel how the nerve impulses move throughout your nervous system. Try to move it slowly." This felt a bit weird. Would he be able to control his nerve impulses now? Neurologists on Earth would be salivating over him. Langa took a deep breath, allowing himself to sink into a state of calm. From what he remembered from Life Sciences in high school, nerve cells were long elongated cells with connected branches at the end. He visualised the mana as electricity within him, thinking about it travelling through the interconnected branches of his never cells. Slowly, he began to feel a tingling sensation, as if his very skin was alive with energy. The energy did not have a beginning, it was a part of him, as if it had always been there. For a moment, Langa was lost in his own world, seeing with his mind''s eye. The visual of being able to see his own nerves in his body was breathtaking¡ªsomething that would never have been possible on Earth except perhaps with some advanced machines or something. "Those who follow the path of lightning must move the way it does. Stay calm and only strike at the right time," the Legacy told him. "You can allow both the negative and the positive energy inside you to build up when you''re excited and once the electric energy is all charged up, let it propel you forward." Langa was afraid it would hurt, but his nerves pulsed with the electricity of his mana as he saw them, and then suddenly, in a bundle of nerves in his heart, he saw something black against the stark contrast of his yellow lightning mana. The black fluid object was like a small ball the size of one sugar bean. It seemed to be connected to his veins, as if it were emitting a black ooze into his heart. What the fuck was that? He moved the lightning mana around the nerves surrounding his heart, trying to get to that black thing, but his heartbeat suddenly intensified in a way that reminded him of the weird phenomenon that his attribute had done when Perinda had karma-pressured him yesterday. Was this black thing the cause of it? Langa felt antsy as his heart started to beat even faster, and he was worried about losing control of his attribute again when a cold hand on his shoulder jerked him awake. "Hey, Langa, what are you doing? Are you trying to give yourself a heart attack?" the Legacy said. "I said move your mana through your nerves, not try to control your nerve impulses!" He breathed out heavily. The Legacy could see through him, right? Then it should have seen that black goo inside of him too. It had to know what it was. "Legacy, did you see that thing on my heart, that black-" "Concentrate on what I''m teaching you!" the Legacy shouted over him, but it did not look angry, just panicked. "If there is anything about yourself that you don''t understand, you can ask The Lackadaisical One when you speak to him, alone." While Langa did not understand why, it seemed as if the Legacy was telling him that he should not ask about what was in his heart out loud. He could disregard its warning of course, and still ask, but this was a Blessing from the one who might be his future god, so Langa figured that a little faith wouldn''t hurt. There were a lot of deities'' eyes on him right now, and he could feel the intense eyes of the clanless, nameless god on him. "Ah... okay, yeah, let''s continue." "Good. Now, imagine that energy of your mana flowing from your body, down your arm, and into your spear," the Legacy continued, sounding relieved that Langa had not pushed the matter. "Tonare was made with the purest elechorichum, and it will conduct your lightning and respond well to you. Build on the connection between your mana and the glaive in your hand. Let the electricity merge with the metal, infusing it with your power." Langa followed the Legacy''s guidance. He could feel the surge of mana as it travelled, and then it seemed to intensify as he felt the electricity pass through a large group of nerves below his neck, close to his shoulder and it felt like his whole body had just touched a fucking live wire as the electricity buzzed inside him, and he gasped, the power disappearing. "Yhoo! Oh, my gods!" he gasped. "What the hell was that bunch of interconnected nerves? That was too much!" The Legacy gave Langa a pitiful look. "Lost worlds are really awful. They don''t even teach you your own kind''s basic anatomy," it said. Langa nodded, pretending that it was Earth''s fault, and not his own for not listening in Life Sciences classes. "You''re human, so that''s where your brachial plexus is located. For now, let''s just concentrate on the nerves of your lower arm and hands, I don''t want you accidentally losing control of your mana and overloading your brain with electricity. You might die." Langa stared at the Legacy incredulously. That was a possibility, and it was only telling him now? Well, maybe it wouldn''t be too bad, it would just count as electroshock therapy and he would wake up cured of all of his mental issues. Wouldn''t that be nice, Langa laughed to himself. He closed his eyes once more and allowed the electricity to pass through the nerves in his lower arm, through his arm, down to his fingertips, and into the spear. Tonare began to glow faintly, responding to the infusion of his mana. A smile spread across the Legacy''s face as it witnessed Langa''s progress. "Well done, boy. You''re beginning to understand the art of infusing mana. Remember, it''s not just about the technicalities, but also about the connection you forge with your glaive and magic." Langa opened his eyes, his gaze meeting the Legacy''s. "Thank you, Legacy. That was fun, and I think I may be able to use this to induce my attribute as well. Once I can form a manacore, I''ll be even stronger, right?" His attribute activated according to his heartbeat, so if he could control his nerve impulses, forcing his heart to beat even faster, he would be able to perceive time much slower than he did now. Of course, the attribute did warn him that too much stimulation of his heart could kill him, so there was that as well. "Magic is a vast and ever-evolving art, Langa. There''s always more to learn, and I don''t doubt that you will continue to grow as a spearman." The Legacy looked at him pityingly. ¡°But it''s good that you didn''t choose a Mage class. Sorry. It looks like it will be difficult for you to form a manacore naturally. You have trouble sensing lucents, so you don''t have a lot of magic potential, it''s not uncommon, but it''s not something that just happens either.¡± That didn''t sound good at all to Langa. ¡°This is strange, though,¡± the Legacy said. ¡°Your ability to control and form your manacore is dependent on your mental aptitude since that''s the main disciple governing general mana control.¡± Langa listened intently as he needed this information as soon as possible. ¡°The higher your mental attribute or resistance, the better your general mana control, but it shouldn''t be a problem to form one. As long as the average of your Mental Resistance and Affinity is at 0% or higher you should be able to-¡± It paused and Langa held his breath, the truth dawning on him. He was never going to form a manacore. ¡°Yeah. Mine¡¯s in the negative.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The Legacy wasn''t quick enough to turn his shocked expression back to neutral quickly enough. ¡°That''s well...You can harness mana without a manacore, but the core regulates your mana usage and helps prevent wastage. Without it, you will have limited control over your magic.¡± Langa let the words sink in and nodded. He had never lamented things that were not meant to be his. If magic was going to be hard for him to do without a manacore, he''d just find other ways to boost it. ¡°Okay. Are there unnatural ways to get the core?¡± The Legacy smiled at him, ¡°You have a good attitude at least. There are; you can temporarily use boss monster manacores, or for something more permanent, you can go and train in a Magic Castle for years, or you can apprentice under a Grandmaster Mage or, if you have a complete maestril boss¡¯ karma core that is compatible with you, you can use it to help form your manacore or as a pseudo core instead of absorbing the karma.¡± Listening to that, Langa agreed, and then with a start, he remembered something that he''d forgotten. ¡°I do have a maestril boss¡¯ karma core! I got it as a reward for the final tutorial quest! It''s not a full one though. I can''t believe I forgot to use it, hold on.¡± He checked his inventory and frowned. He couldn''t find it. The core was just not there in his inventory! How the hell did that happen? Did someone hack the system? No, the system was a part of The Unrivalled, it couldn''t be hacked. ¡°It''s not here,¡± he said, checking all the slots again. Could someone have stolen it from his inventory? No way. ¡°System, what happened to Karisha¡¯s karma core in my inventory?¡± [System checking. Please wait.] [Item - (1/3) Karisha''s Karma Core was consumed by Divine Artefact - Void Star] What? How could that have happened? What the hell was the Void Star, anyway? How could it consume his reward? Langa immediately made to take it out of his inventory, intending to scan it again, but the air around him suddenly felt cold, and his hand froze for a second. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, closes your karma channel and hides you from all the deities operating within the Deiwos Tower, besides him.] [System Alert! The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm has used his Authority as one of the Tower Administrators of The Deiwos Tower on you! A deity who is not your patron deity has assumed control of your karma channel, and no deities operating within the Deiwos Tower can see you. If this action violates your free will, please report it, and the system will impose a hefty punishment on the deity, and reopen your karma channel. Report: Y/N?] It all happened so fast that it took a second for Langa to understand the message. ¡°What? What''s going on, Lackadaisical Herald?¡± he asked. Had his free will been violated? [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, says, ¡°Do not, under any circumstances allow any constellation to see that you own a Void Star before you have the protection of a powerful deity.¡±] Langa frowned, he had done all this because of the Void Star? What was this thing? The Lackadaisical Herald had hidden him from the other deities before he had pulled it out of his inventory. It was in his hands now, and he scanned it. Nothing had changed in its description. [Void Star (Fragmented) Artefact Rank: Divine (Chaos: The Onslaught of The Dark Void) Sacrifice: ? Effects: ? Total karma: ???????????? Charges: 4/???] ¡°What is this thing?¡± he asked, returning it to his inventory. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, tells you that it would be better to speak about this in his domain, where there are no other eyes. He tells you to complete the Challenge first so that you are granted passage into his domain.] [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, reopens your karma channel.] [Many deities are displeased with The Lackadaisical Herald¡¯s action, and hope that you report him to The Unrivalled Tower Master.] Langa, of course, chose not to report him. He had obviously hidden him from the others to protect him, but this whole Void Star business was giving him a bad feeling. What the hell kind of artefact was it? It had saved his life back in the tutorial, sure, but it was an artefact from Chaos. There was no way that it was a good thing. He sincerely hoped that The Unrivalled did not mark him as a voident because of it. ¡°Let¡¯s go and make preparations to kill some trollimps, Legacy.¡± 31. Floor 1: Preparation The first thing that Langa did in his preparation was to check on the Dent, trying to find everything he could about the dungeon. There were no dungeon guides for Psike''s Grotto either, and the only thing he found was that only one person was known to have cleared it before, and that person did not leave a guide. The Retessa Guild had claimed the area surrounding the dungeon, but not the dungeon itself, as it kept kicking them out because they did not meet the requirements to enter the dungeon. After that fruitless search, he looked up the monster guide for trollimps, but they weren''t common monsters. What he found out was that there were different types of them, from simple spawns to elite corrupted bosses. When he searched around in the forums, looking for the strengths and weaknesses of trollimps, the only thing he found was that they had high regeneration. The guide said that it was best to fight them with fire as the fire damage slowed down their regeneration, to coat weapons with an anti-heal potion, or to use an instant kill skill. While Langa was sure that Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike could instantly kill at least the weaker trollimps, that was not a skill that he could use frequently because he only had seven charges of the skill left on Tonare. He needed to recharge the skill soon, and another issue was that the backlash was hard on him, as well as its long cool-down. Still, this reminded Langa of something that he had nearly forgotten: that he needed rare lightning-lucent stones to recharge his glaive. Deciding that stocking up should be his main priority, Langa knew that he had to call Mesala and ask him if there was a place here in the Valley of Guardians where he could get the few things that he needed for the dungeon. But that would have to be something for tomorrow. It was getting late, and his training had taken up a lot of time. While he wanted to go and begin the quest as soon as possible, Langa also knew that it was best to start on a day when he was fresh and not exhausted. After dinner that night (some sweet-tasting grain that looked to be a mix of rice and wheat with some spicy blue soup), Langa decided to continue his mana infusion training. He knew that he would not be able to get it in one go, but he wanted to get in as much practice as he could so that he would be able to do his best once he got to the dungeon. So, that night, the Legacy helped Langa with his training late into the night. * Early the next morning, Mesala took him to the Guardians Crafting Cave, an isolated cave close to the guildhall. The Legacy spirit trailed behind them, not saying anything. It was fascinating, but Mesala could not see it, nor could anyone else, for that matter. It was as if Langa was being haunted by a silent ghost that only he could see. It seemed that the Legacy did not have much to say outside of training, so it was keeping quiet, walking behind them, and disinterested in the surroundings. Finally, they arrived at the Crafting Cave. Langa wasn''t sure what he''d expected, but it was definitely not this. The large cave was an actual worksite, with different sections and full of people of various species working hard on their crafts. Each section was divided from the others by a clear, see-through, wall. It was hard to describe it, but it was almost like these crafters were working together, but separately. He was sure that the clear wall had to have some magical properties because each of these crafters needed a separate workstation with its own specific conditions. At the heart of the Crafting Cave was a magical furnace, sitting in the middle of the cave, its multicoloured flames from blue, to red to black dancing wildly, even in the absence of wind. "This Crafting Cave is well built, whoever planned this place has quite the eye for design," the Legacy said, startling Langa. It sounded quite impressed, and he wondered how hard he would have to work for it to sound that way about his skills. But why was a Legacy of a spear technique admiring a Crafting Cave? Well, he was not going to get any answers to that here. Situated near the flame, a sturdy table anvil sat ready for blacksmiths to forge their weapons, and that was where Instructor Rancho was, busy teaching a young dwarf how to hold a hammer properly. Rows of well-organised tools, including hammers, tongs, and various moulds, were all over the cave walls. There was even a water trough for quenching hot metal. Langa followed Mesala towards Rancho and saw that, adjacent to the blacksmithing area, there was a workstation for jewellers and gemcutters. Some shelves held an array of precious metals, gems, and intricate tools for crafting rings, necklaces, and amulets. A magnifying glass aided in precision work, while a safe was available to store the more valuable materials. ¡°Oh, Langa! Come to sell me your magnificent glaive?¡± Rancho said with a broad grin as soon as he saw Langa. ¡°Good morning, Instructor, and no, not a chance. I''m just here looking for a few things," Langa said, looking around. It did not seem like they kept the finished weapons and armour here. As he glanced around, the jewellers caught his eye. He watched them for a moment, thinking, and the urge to ask for something that had not been on his list while coming here overcame him. "Can the jewellers make a necklace for me using a mana stone? Can they enchant it?" The old lizardkin stroked his beard. "What kind of mana stone? Don''t you mean a lucent stone?" Langa shook his head and took out the mana stone that he''d gotten from Makoto from his inventory, showing it to the old man. His face immediately changed, and he lit up. He took it from Langa, grabbing a magnifying glass from the table to inspect it closer. "Fascinating! I haven''t seen anything like this before... this was made by a player, no?" he asked, still absorbed in examining the stone. He did not wait for an answer. "This is made of pure, untainted mana, and I''d wager that it is compatible with all the mana disciplines... I''ve heard legends of people with skills like this, but to think I actually saw one of these? Did you make this lad?" "No," Langa said, shaking his head. His heart ached as Instructor Rancho confirmed how uncommon Makoto''s attribute was, and it made him wish he could have done more to protect the boy. "The person who made this is dead." "Oh," the old man finally stopped fussing over the mana stone. He looked up at him, "I''m sorry for your loss. I''m guessing that you want to wear it as a necklace as a memento of him?" "That, and," Langa clenched his fist, he could see both the Legacy and Mesala watching him, aware of his change in mood. "It''s the last thing that he ever gave me, so I want to wear it as a reminder to myself that I still need to get revenge for him. Every time I look at that mana stone, I want to be reminded of the bad karma I have with that bastard, so that I can kill him when the time comes." There was surprisingly no change in the instructor''s face at Langa''s declaration. He only looked at him seriously. "Well, look, we can store that stone inside a necklace and enchant it for you. But I''m sure the person who gave it to you did so for a reason, so his feelings will be stored in that stone. You also clearly value it a lot as well. For something with that much emotional value, it is possible to make it an actual item with effects, but the effects are not guaranteed if the person doing the enchantment isn''t the one attached to the object emotionally." "Uh," Langa said blankly. "He means that if it''s something so important to you, it can be used to create an enchantment with a system effect, not just sentimental value. Hell, you could even enchant it to create a karma link between you and the object of your revenge, but only if you''re the one who does the enchantment," the Legacy clarified for him. That was interesting. When Makoto had given this to Langa it had been because he had wanted him to have something to help protect himself. What effects could this mana stone give him? "What kind of karma link can the enchantment make? Can a skill for lucent enchanting work on the mana stone?" he asked. He still had the Lucent Enchanting Skillbook, and he had not sold it yet. If the skill could be used to enchant the mana stone, would Langa really be willing to learn the crafting skill, wasting a precious skill slot, just to solidify his desire for revenge against Fi Kindaro? Yes. The answer was yes. The one who answered was not the Legacy, but Rancho. "You can, but it depends on the extent of your feelings. The more of yourself that you pour into the enchantment, the stronger it would be... but sometimes those types of enchantments come with severe restrictions, so you might want to think about it first," he said, handing the stone back to him. "Mana is made of lucents, so you should be able to enchant it with that skill, but it would be difficult. If you encase the mana stone in a lucent crystal, I''m sure that you will be able to enchant it more easily, but you need to be at least an Intermediate Enchanter for that." It was good to know. Langa would think about this once the Challenge was done, but he was no longer going to sell the Luncent Enchanting Skillbook. For now, he needed to focus on completing the Challenge and getting stronger. "Thank you, Instructor. Actually, the reason I came here is because I want to get some better armour for myself, but my pockets are pretty shallow, so maybe you can give me a discount?" "Not a chance, lad. You see how hard my students are working?" The instructor said with a huff. "What kind of armour do you need?" When he informed him that he needed to buy something light that would not slow him down but also be strong enough to provide adequate defence, the old man led him to the back, an area behind the Crafting Cave that he had not seen before, filled with different sets of armour and weapons affixed to the wall. It looked like some kind of warehouse where they stored the completed products. He did not ask for his opinion, Rancho just picked out a jumpsuit-type armour made of light, but thick material and some leather boots. "Here ya go," the old lizardkin said. "This should fit what you need." "What the hell is that?" Langa asked suspiciously. "Instructor Rancho has an eye for these things, trust me," Mesala whispered to him. Langa was not going to just take their word for it. They were nice enough people, but this was armour that he would be using to protect himself, so he needed to be sure about it. The jumpsuit was made of thick brown leather that felt elastic to the touch. It had long sleeves and he could zip it up from the front. Langa was no fashion icon, but it looked like a normal leather jumpsuit and not armour, and he liked that. [Elite Pronghorn Hide Jumpsuit Rank: Uncommon +120 Defence, +3 Agility Durability: 20/20] {Elite Pronghorn Hide Boots Rank: Common +1HP/min regeneration Durability: 35/35] Wow, Langa was almost salivating at all that agility on the jumpsuit, and if he bought it, it would be his first uncommon armour. "How much is it?" "You can get both the armour and the boots for the cheap price of only 25 silver coins," the old lizardkin said. Langa blinked. He had never seen that much money in his life. "What about for the jumpsuit alone?" Rancho grumbled under his breath that this was a waste of the set. "16 silver coins," he mumbled. Now that, Langa could afford, but he would have to use up most of his bounty earnings as well as his earnings from the Dent. He was not planning on using those at the moment because there was not much, and he needed to save for the teleportation wheel to the capital. "What if I throw in my barely used leather armour, excluding the boots? I only bought it two days ago, and I used it in only one battle. The durability is still good." "Hmm," Rancho appraised his armour. "With the armour, I''ll give you the jumpsuit for 12 silver coins," he said. Sighing as the coins left his inventory, Langa gave him the money and asked for a place to change. After he was done changing, he went back to the anvil where Rancho was. "I also need rare lightning-lucent stones and some exploding orbs. Do you have them?¡± "The stones are for your glaive, yes?" The old man asked, and then turned up his mouth in disgust. ¡°And you want explosives, blah, how boring. Masala, take him to meet Aria, that''s more her department,¡± he said, waving the two of them away, and returning his attention to the dwarf next to him. Wow, did he have to dismiss him so coolly? ¡°Don''t take it personally, he gets like that sometimes when he''s busy. Come on, let''s go to Aria¡¯s station,¡± Mesala said, turning towards the back. Towards the back of the cave was where the enchanting table took centre stage. It was filled with various coloured lucent stones and crystals that glowed with magical fluid inside. Surrounding the table were shelves filled with an extensive collection of books, scrolls, and grimoires. Three enchanters were working there in a secluded area, carefully moving their enchanting needles around glowing glyphs. It looked kind of like a sacred space for rituals, with the light of candles, glyphs inscribed on the floor, and a soft glow emanating from enchanted items like necklaces and rings. ¡°That''s her,¡± Mesala said, pointing to the fourth enchanter, who was poring over a large grimoire while enchanting a sword. Langa walked over to the enchanter¡¯s station. The young, purple-skinned woman with glowing red hair sat absorbed in her work. She was the first fae he had ever seen, and she was busy drawing glyphs on a sword in front of her using a strange coloured ink and a thin metal needle. ¡°Uh, hello?" Langa said. The enchanter, Aria, her hair glowing brightly, looked up and smiled. ¡°Welcome to my station. Hey Mesala, it''s been a while," she said when she noticed him behind Langa. Mesala''s feathers twitched, "Hi Aria. I''m escorting AD Jandri''s VIP guest. This is Langa." Aria raised her eyebrows at that, looked at Langa, and her posture straightened. "Good day, how may I help you today?" She spoke politely this time, put down the needle, and the glyphs on the sword stopped shining. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Langa resisted the urge to roll his eyes. How had Jandri instructed the guild members to treat him? "I''m sorry to disturb you while you''re working, but I¡¯m delving into a trollimp dungeon, and I need some gear," he replied. "Okay, tell me what you need," she said. "I don''t have much coin." He pulled out a few things from the inventory and placed them on the table. Inside were some of the lucent stones that he''d gotten from Theria¡¯s Hollow. There were maybe fifty-five stones. "How much can you give me for these stones?" He wasn''t sure of their true value, and he hoped that they could buy him at least five Exploding Fire and Wind Orbs and a few rare lightning-lucent stones. Aria bent down, examining them. ¡°Common rank... mostly earth stones, some fire stones, and a few air stones. Whoa, you even have two common poison stones in here!¡± Aria said as she studied the stones, her fingers tracing their magical energy. ¡°The basic ones¡ªfire, water, earth and air¡ªare 10 copper each for common lucent stones, and the other nine disciplines are 20 copper each. You don''t have any of the other 130 disciplines, but those should start at, at least, 1 silver each for a common lucent stone, ironically that''s the price for rare stones of the basic elements.¡± Langa shook his head. He should have taken all three bags of lucent stones from those goblinkin children. ¡°Total?¡± She looked at the bag again, mentally counting. ¡°32 earth stones, 14 fire stones, 7 air stones, and 2 poison stones, comes down to 5 silver and 70 coppers.¡± ¡°Alright, I''d like to exchange these for equipment, specifically some Exploding Orbs, and if you have them, rare lightning-lucent stones,¡± Langa said, hoping he wouldn''t have to fork up his 10 remaining silver from the bounties on this. He also did not want to have to use the money from the Dent. ¡°I don''t have the rare lightning-lucent stones. They aren''t expensive but they are, you know, rare,¡± she said with a shrug. Well, that wasn''t good. He only had seven charges left on his glaive, which meant that he could only use Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike seven more times. ¡°Damn, does that mean I have to pass through Risa¡¯s Plateau first? That''s gonna delay me.¡± Aria shook her head, ¡°Don''t waste your time, you''re unlikely to find them there. You can try the player/NPC auctions on the Dent, that''s where you''ll have more luck,¡± she advised him. He hadn''t checked the auctions tab yet, so he was hoping that she was right. ¡°Okay, what about the exploding orbs?¡± ¡°Ah, explosive delights, you say?" She reached under her table and pulled up a large, enchanted box made of metal. "Oops, these are the defective ones, hold on." She pulled up another one. ¡°I have many kinds of common and uncommon orbs, from Exploding Water Orbs, Exploding Wind Orbs, Exploding Snake-venom Orbs, Exploding Metal-spike Orbs, Exploding Fire Orbs, Exploding Force Orbs, Exploding Burning-mist Orbs, and Exploding Sleeping-gas Orbs, among others. What''s your preference?¡± Langa peered into the box, and sure enough, there were plenty of them. It made him drool. If he could get these, it would make his fights so much quicker and more efficient. ¡°How much for the common ones?¡± ¡°Well, you''re our guild¡¯s important guest, so three silver each is a decent price, don''t you think?¡± she said brightly. Langa¡¯s face soured. He was only left with 6 silver from his bounty payments, and he still needed to buy the anti-heal potion as well. Which orbs should he buy? Wind scaled well with lightning, and from what he''d read in the library, so did fire. Metal spikes also sounded cool, if the metal could conduct his lightning. ¡°Aria, I need two exploding wind orbs, three exploding fire orbs, and one exploding metal orb desperately, but I only have enough to add on to the 5 silver and 70 copper to make twelve silver. Can we work something out?¡± he asked. Aria¡¯s hair darkened, and her smile disappeared. ¡°These orbs are top-notch, Langa. Three silver each. No exceptions.¡± What she didn''t know was that Langa had gone shopping with his sister at Small Street when he first arrived in Johannesburg when he was a child, so he knew how to bargain. "How about a deal? I buy five orbs, and you make it twelve silver for all of them?¡± ¡°Twelve silver won''t cut it. These orbs are worth every bit of three silver each.¡± She was a tough one, but there was still one more thing that he could try. ¡°What if I take a risk? How about I buy a mix of regular orbs and some of your defective ones?¡± he offered. ¡°Come on, help me out here. Isn''t it a waste for you to throw them away if you can''t recycle the material?¡± She seemed taken aback, and then she scratched her head, thinking. ¡°Defective orbs? I can''t guarantee their safety.¡± ¡°Trust me, Aria, as the gods are my witnesses, a backlash from my weapons is something I''ve dealt with a lot," Langa said honestly. "What if I buy three regular orbs and three defective ones for twelve silver?" ¡°For twelve silver? It''s a risky proposition," she said fixing her eyes on him. "It''s not a bad offer," Mesala chimed in. "Who else do you know who would be willing to buy these? He''s offering a silver each for orbs you were never gonna sell." "Fine, but if you die, it''s not on me. I don''t have a return policy. Deal.¡± She bent down again and pulled out the first box. "These have minor defects: fire orbs with a delayed reaction, wind orbs that are prone to misdirection, and burning mist orbs that might backfire,¡± she said, pulling them out. ¡°Okay, I''ll take two of the defective fire orbs and a wind orb, and for the regular ones, I''ll take two of the exploding fire orbs and one metal orb. But it has to be a metal that conducts lightning,¡± Langa said, satisfied with his bargaining skills. Aria agreed to that deal, and Langa paid for the orbs, hoping that the defects would not impede his progress. "Take this one as well. It''s a dud I made while experimenting with mixing fire and air lucents in one orb. It''s very unstable and might blow up as soon as you infuse your mana into it." "Thanks," Langa said with a smile. "If I find anything good for enchanters in the dungeon you''ll be the first to get it." His touched promise made Aria smile, "Well, then I hope you don''t die," she said. Before leaving the Crafting Cave, Langa and Mesala passed a corner where there was an enclosed alchemy station. It was behind an odd frame, separating it from the rest of the Crafting Cave. A large cauldron bubbled over a magical flame, and a pinkish lucent crystal constantly filtered the fumes. Shelves were covered with ingredients for potions, herbs, and numerous vials whose contents Langa was not even going to try and deduce. A mortar and pestle, stirring rods, and alembics could also be seen, providing the necessary tools for the alchemists to brew their concoctions. From the alchemist, Langa used sixty more of his lucent stones to buy 20 flaxes of a potion to slow down healing called Pot-o-Mors and 100 flaxes of an oily item called Kiribo''s Sweat that would amplify any fire. He also decided to sell 53 more of the basic lucent stones so he could have some liquid cash. He was now only left with 100 lucent stones, so they only occupied one inventory slot [Pot-o-Mors Rank: Uncommon Effects: When in contact with an open wound, slows HP regeneration by 0.5HP/s for 10 seconds.] [Kiribo''s Sweat Rank: Common Effects: When in contact with a live fire, it amplifies the fire by 100%. When in contact with fire-related substances, doubles the burning effect.] Langa shook his head as he left the cave. Now he was back to being broke again. * It was finally time to begin the Challenge, and now Langa only had 4.5 days left to complete it. He was nervous, but he had done everything that he could think of to prepare. He even bought some daily dungeon rations for 20 copper for ten of them. While he and the Legacy argued over what mode of transportation he should use to reach the trollimp dungeon, Langa managed to only get two rare lightning-lucent stones from the auction tab on the Dent for six silver. He collected them from the Guardians Guidhall. "You should run there," the Legacy said again. "It will make for great physical body training." "Run?" Langa said, appalled. "We''re talking about almost 200 kilometres in uneven terrain, I might add! The Challenge has a deadline, and I already wasted half of yesterday training." The Legacy looked at him sharply. "Even if you complete the Challenge, you won''t get any rewards if you don''t raise the Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird skill to Intermediate level 1," it reminded him. That was a fair point, but was Langa really expected to run the same distance from Pretoria to Rustenburg on foot? That was crazy. "What if I get injured? We''ll have to pass through red zones. What if I get attacked by a monster?" "I said run, not stroll. Your speed is decent, how fast can you run per hour?" the Legacy asked. Langa looked away. "At my top speed, like 60 km/hr, I don''t know," he lied, reducing his maximum speed in the hopes that the Legacy would change its mind. "Perfect. Why are you worried about running for three or so hours?" the Legacy asked, watching him in condescension. Trying to argue with the Legacy was like arguing with a wall. Langa decided to just stop, he was not winning and he did need the training anyway. "Fine, let''s go." It actually wasn''t that bad, running up and down the various mountains for hours. It was quiet, just Langa, Tonare and the Legacy. The Legacy had told him that he must run the entire way, holding the glaive at its full shaft length. It was quite heavy, and Langa had to keep switching hands so he didn''t drop it. He ran from any monsters that were higher-level than him, and he fought against those that were lower-level than him. It was boring work, but according to the Legacy, it was necessary. The run ended up taking almost five hours, and it was afternoon by the time they reached the area, which was hard to tell when the red sun''s rays were not that bright during the day. Finally, though, Langa reached his destination, the Retessa Range. Below the mountain range, sprawling green grass neatly covered the ground. Enormous white rocks, resembling ancient statues, were all over the area, their smooth surfaces reflecting the red glow of the dim sun''s rays. On the other side, a waterfall descended gracefully from one of the towering mountains, and the water moved through the rugged terrain, flowing into a small river and past the white rocks. The sound of falling water filled the air as Langa watched the waterfall from his hiding place behind one of the white rocks. From his map, he knew that the dungeon was behind the waterfall, but there was a problem. Someone was guarding the entrance. The person sat in front of the place where the waterfall spilt into a deep ravine. Under the waterfall lay the entrance to the trollimp dungeon. Why the hell were the Retessa Guild guarding this place? They couldn''t even claim or delve into the dungeon, yet they were resolute in preventing others from doing the same! Langa decided to try his luck and scan the guard. He honestly had no faith in his title skill because so far, most of the people he had tried to use it on were Shrouded, and it was useless. To his surprise, however, this time, it worked. "Shit!" Langa said when he saw the player''s information. .
Name: Statia X Caur Linew Race: Human
Age: 32 Character: Player
Level: 15 Class: Force Mage
Available Karma: 26 995 Total Karma: 34 124
Deity: [Mid-tier constellation: Dsayre ] - Disciple Highest Floor 3/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: Radiant Beam Available Respawns: 2/3
The good thing was that, as Langa looked around, it seemed Statia was the only one standing guard outside the dungeon. If he had to fight another one-against-many fight, he might just end up losing. Besides, his brain would explode from having to constantly be aware of who was where and having to be conscious of all of his opponents. The fact that there was only one guard was no comfort, though, because Langa knew that if he were to face Statia in battle, he would be severely outmatched. There was no way he could defeat a level 15 player with just two skills, both of which were still at the beginner level. To spare himself the humiliation, Langa decided to scout around and see if there was another way for him to get into the dungeon. He walked over to the other side of the waterfall, where Statia would not be able to see him. Langa moved with quiet footsteps over the uneven, rocky terrain, his breath synchronising with the rhythm of the nearby waterfall. Every step he took was silent, as he was being careful to avoid any sound that might betray his presence to both monsters and other players. This area was in a yellow zone, so monsters could be spawning here. The whole area around Psike''s Grotto was a level 9 hunting field, so it could be a disaster if he got overrun and surrounded by level 9 monsters. Even though he was stronger, that was not a chance he was willing to take. On the left side of the waterfall, there was no entrance, only a group of large, balancing rocks stacked on top of each other. His last hope was to check behind the waterfall for a tunnel, a ravine, or anything that he could use as a shortcut to get into the dungeon, but upon checking that area, Langa discarded the idea. It was a swamp, crawling with ugly level 9 corrupted monsters. The monsters were lounging about in the swamp, not caring to pay attention to their surroundings. They looked like starfish seals with long necks and tiny heads resembling those of a feral dog. They creeped Langa out. A creature with such a description should not exist, and he was not willing to try and fight them, as there were about twenty of them in that swamp; he would rather face Statia. "Why is this so hard?" Langa lamented. "Couldn''t The Lackadaisical Herald just, I don''t know, send a message to Statia and make him go somewhere else for like, two seconds so that I can sneak into the dungeon?" He could only hope that the final side of the waterfall that he had not checked would bring him more luck. "That''s not how it works. Deities can''t just toy around with mortals'' lives like that to favour their own. I mean, that fellow is bound to a deity, and that deity can see you right now. What''s to stop them from telling their bonded player where you are hiding and having him earn easy experience and karma from killing you?" The Legacy asked him pointedly, and Langa stopped. He hadn''t actually stopped to consider that. "Why?" Langa asked. "Because rules exist for a reason, Langa. There is a limit to how much non-public information about a mortal they can share with their bonded. For instance, Statia''s deity cannot tell him where you are hiding right now, but he can give him a quest to slay the 21 bunyips in the swamp, knowing that if Statia came this way, he would be able to find you." That was interesting to Langa. Deities were powerful, but they did not seem to possess the three omnis that the Sunday School teachers from Langa''s sister''s church always made the children memorise. The deities of the multiverse seemed to be omnipresent, but not entirely omniscient. He was sure that they knew many of his thoughts, but not all of them, and it made him wonder what was up with that. What he knew, though, was that the deities were definitely not omnipotent; after all, they were governed by The Quartenity''s rules, even in their infinite power. Did that mean that only The Quartenity and The Creator were omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent? He had no way of knowing, but perhaps the Legacy would give him some clarity. "So where exactly is the line for deities to-" Langa''s whole body went on full alert as something caught his ears'' attention. Annoyance tensed his body as loud noises threatened to give away his position, the sounds coming from beyond the rocks on his left. Dammit! He had just been about to ask a very important question too! He had no choice but to sneak towards that noisy area so that he could find the source of the disturbance. He crouched down as he got closer, peered through the craggy rocks, and his eyes narrowed at the sight he saw in front of him. Three players were frantically running through the treacherous landscape, and it was none other than that idiot, Aquila, leading two of his companions away. Aguila was the only one carrying anything remotely resembling a weapon, a shap metal sword that extended in size when he infused it with his mana, aiming for the large creature chasing them. It moved to the side and Aquila placed his hand on his head, clearly in pain from mana exhaustion. It did not help that the three of them were dressed in regular clothing, not armour. The monster had to be the largest ape that Langa had ever seen. It had a long mane of red hair, matching the fur on its barrel chest. Its arms were thick and long, its legs moving with power, as it chased after the trio of players, its bushy tail trailing behind it. It had a face that looked like that of a baboon, with menacing dark eyes and sharp ears, and it continued its pursuit. Corrupted Baboon Level 8 HP: 370/420 Why the hell were three players struggling against such a weak monster? 32. Book 1 - END ¡°The standard of players has really fallen. I thought you were awful, but I cannot believe there exist players so much worse than you, even fresh from the tutorial,¡± the Legacy exclaimed, shaking its head. "I misjudged you." Langa raised his eyebrows. Why was the Legacy talking like it was an old geezer? Didn''t it come to life from the Blessing of The Lackadaisical Herald? Well, Langa had no way of knowing what its deal was, instead, he chose to tell it the truth. ¡°I¡¯m actually one of the best. I''m in the top five of my tutorial batch!¡± he hissed quietly. ¡°Really?¡± For some reason, the exaggerated tone of surprise in the Legacy¡¯s voice pissed Langa off. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have guessed it.¡± Langa watched the three players flailing around in panic and sighed. "Fucking idiots, I warned them." ¡°So, what are you going to do? They obviously bit off more than they could chew, are you going to let them die?¡± Langa rolled his eyes. ¡°Of course not. If I let those three fools die in front of me when I could have saved them, I¡¯d suffer from nightmares for years. I have enough trauma, and I have no desire to add more. Besides, I don¡¯t want to lose any more sleep,¡± he said. ¡°Aargh, this is all so fucking annoying.¡± Seriously? What the hell were those players doing in a yellow zone with no weapons? Why were they struggling against a monster with such pitiful HP? Since he''d mostly fought against maestrils, Langa had forgotten how weak regular corrupted creatures were, especially when it came to the amount of health they had. Unlike maestrils, these monsters couldn''t use karma to heal themselves either. As he watched, the corrupted baboon released a roar, and a gust of red mist emerged from its mouth. The air in the entire area heated up, and the mist, like smoke, seemed to choke the players, making it hard for them to breathe. Since they were running, and they needed as much breath as they could muster, Aquila¡¯s dwarf companion lost his energy, stumbled, and fell to the ground. With its hot breath hanging in the air, the monster prepared to strike him with its massive palm. The way the three of them moved was pathetic, and it made Langa wonder if this was how his own movements looked to the Legacy. If so, he owed the Legacy a massive apology because this was both unseemly and kind of sad. "I can''t watch this anymore. Let¡¯s go, Legacy." Frustration fuelled Langa, and in the blink of an eye, he activated Flash Step and materialised in front of the fallen dwarf. Lazily, he charged forward, and surprisingly, even without activating Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike or trying to infuse his mana into the glaive, it buzzed with a crackling energy that illuminated the dark forest surroundings as he thrust it into the monster''s abdomen. The giant primate roared, but no magic came out of its mouth. No, this was a roar of pain, as it was no match for Langa''s single, quick, and deadly thrust. In an instant, its body fell to the ground, dead. [You have killed a level 8 corrupted baboon +170 EXP +2 karma +1 Inferior Scorching Breath Solution] [Inferior Scorching Breath Solution Rank: Common Single-use consumable. Grants +0.5% Fire Resistance for 30 seconds.] Well, that was a pitiful reward, pitiful karma, and pitiful experience. Langa pocketed the solution anyway and turned to look at the three idiots. Who the hell would be hunting here without armour? What if Statia had heard this ruckus and came to investigate? It wasn''t like Langa had found a way around the level 15 player, but he still didn''t want to draw his attention unnecessarily. The three of them, their faces filled with awe, surprise, and fear, all stared at Langa, unsure whether his intervention heralded salvation or a new threat for them. ¡°You killed that corrupted monster...in one shot!¡± Aquila gasped. He looked up at Langa, and seeing the displeased and annoyed expression on his face, he hastily added, "Please don''t attack, Mr. Langa! Don''t you remember us?" ¡°How could I not? This is the second time I''ve wasted time, thanks to you. No, it''s actually the fucking third. Anyway, what the hell are you doing in a level 9 hunting field without armour?¡± Langa withdrew his glaive and glanced around to make sure there were no more monsters in their vicinity. Taking a second look at Aquila and his entourage, Langa noticed that they all looked rough, the shiny new armour that they had worn when they tried to intimidate him two days ago was gone, they had all lost one level, and they were also down a man. "What happened?" he asked. "Ah, it''s actually a long story," Aquila said as he looked down, embarrassed. "As you can see, we came into the level 9 hunting field, but unluckily, we got overrun by dozens of those bunyips in the swamp. We managed to run, but we were attacked by players from the Retessa Guild who were guarding the entrance to the dungeon. This whole zone is their territory, and we didn''t know." Langa resisted the urge to ask him how he could not have known given that it was clearly marked as such on the map that Alfsol had given them, but he allowed Aquila to continue. "There were three of them, all level 9, and they caught us off guard. They beat the shit out of us and took everything, all our gear except for what we left in our bags," he said, fists clenched. "We knew we couldn''t just leave like that, so, we waited for them all through the night, and then we ganged up on them early this morning when they were tired from watching the dungeon entrance." It hadn''t been a bad plan, and Langa was impressed that they had used their heads to ambush their attackers. "We managed to subdue them, and we were about to shake them for our stuff, but then another guy came along to take over the guard duty." Aquila looked down, ashamed. "He killed all four of us." "One player killed all of you by himself? How?" Langa asked curiously. Sure, he could believe it if it was the level 15 player, but there had been four of them, could they not have run away? The one who answered this time was not Aquila, but the dwarf, Ormeth. "He has some force shield that blocks all magic attacks, and none of our physical attacks were strong enough to break through it either," he said, his face contorted with pain. "I think its a divine skill, and none of us has one. We did our best, but we all still died. Klonu forgot to bind his soul to a safe zone, so unlike us, he didn''t respawn after he died." Langa closed his eyes in disbelief. It was only the third day after the tutorial ended, and someone from their tutorial batch had already permanently died? Why were people so careless with their lives? He had warned them, for the gods'' sakes, he had told them that they weren''t ready for a level 9 field! "That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard in my life. What kind of player forgets to bind his soul the moment he enters a new Floor? How did he expect to respawn?" The Legacy asked. Langa agreed; he was also bewildered by this. Langa was ready to chew Aquila and his companions out for discarding his advice and being reckless with their lives when he saw the solemn looks on their faces. He realised that whatever he could say to them, they had already said to themselves. This had been a hard lesson for them, and they had the blood as evidence to prove it. There was nothing better than failure to humble the proud. "Your attacker, was his name Statia?" he asked. "It all happened so fast, but I don''t know," Aquila said, shaking his head. "I didn''t scan him, I was too busy dying." "Yes, that was his name, I saw it. I thought he would be a red player with how easily he got rid of us, but he''s a yellow player. I''m pretty sure he either only targets newbie combatants as his guildmates did to us, or he only killed us because we attacked his colleagues." The one who spoke up was the only female in Aquila''s group, a spiderkin. She walked up to Langa on her four legs, her large, beady eyes glued to his. When he scanned her, he found out that her name was Aramaga. "Can you kill him for us? You''re strong, right? We saw you fight against multiple voidents at once on the Dent. Please help us." All three of them looked up at him hopefully, but Langa shook his head. "He killed your comrade, shouldn''t you want revenge for yourself? Isn''t that why you came back here after your respawn?" "No," Aquila said, looking down. "We aren''t here for revenge. We just want to recover Klonu''s body so that we can bury him. His body is close to the waterfall, where Statia is. We can''t go back there to face him alone, we''re too weak. If we try to sneak around, one of us has to distract Statia while one recovers the body and the other fends off the monsters. You were right, Langa, we weren¡¯t ready," he said, frustrated. "Please, we''ll pay you. I still have some silver in my bag." Langa sighed again. He could not care less about people who ignored the well-meaning advice of others and went their own way, but he couldn''t just ignore this. If he had a weakness, it was that of recovering the bodies of the dead, making sure that their eyes were closed, and ensuring that they were buried in a good place so that their souls would find peace. It was one of the most important teachings of his culture. And even besides that, he knew how terrible it was to lose a friend and not be able to bury him. "I''ll try to go help you recover your friend''s body. I can''t make any promises other than that." "Thank you," Aramaga said, and her beady eyes were wet with tears. Right, she was the same species as the one who died, so Langa surmised that they must have been close. "You have no idea how much it means to us." "Yeah, sure," Langa said, looking away. Gratitude always made him feel awkward, what was he supposed to say to that? It was not even like he had already gotten their friend''s body back. He cleared his throat. "Aramaga, come with me to recover the body, I''ll take care of the monsters. Aquila, you guys must watch Statia for us, but if the noise from the monsters near the body gets his attention, you find a way to distract him. If he chooses to engage you in a fight, you flee as fast as you can. There is no need to risk your life for someone who is not here anymore. Got it?" "Ah, yes," Aquila said. ¡°What about the monkey? Do you want me to store it for you? We can sell it for parts at Risa¡¯s Plateau," Aquila offered. Langa frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t have space in my inventory anymore.¡± Aquila tilted his head. ¡°You don¡¯t have a FeatherVault Bag?¡± ¡±What the hell is that?¡± he asked. Aquila took out a small rucksack that was fastened to his belt, and Langa scanned it. [Feathervault Bag Item Rank: Uncommon Effects: Can accommodate any number of non-living items, regardless of their size, up to 100kg. The Feathervault Bag itself weighs only 10% of the total weight of the items stored within. Cannot be stored in Inventory. Note: While the Feathervault Bag enhances your carrying capacity, it does not alter the properties or effects of the items stored within.] It was a cool item, but Langa preferred the inventory since it didn¡¯t weigh anything and did not slow him down. But he still needed something for now. "This thing must be expensive. How come you guys were able to afford this?" he asked. It did not make sense now that he thought about it. He had to have made more money than them from the tutorial, yet before, they had able to buy much better gear than him. "It''s because we can access our inventory now," Aramaga said. "When we entered the tutorial, the system sealed our access to any items not earned in the tutorial, but now that we are in the Tower, all our money is accessible. Those people stole almost everything, though. The only reason mine and Aquila''s bags survived was because we had stashed them with our tents in the forest." That was fucking unfair! People from natural worlds would have known to carry some money with them, even if they could not use it in the tutorial, for the Tower. People from lost worlds really got the short end of the stick. ¡±Borrow me that,¡± Langa said, holding out his hand. "My inventory''s full, and I''m going into a dungeon. I''ll give it back to you after I complete my Challenge." He wondered if, with their lacklustre performance, these guys received any Challenges. Well, Aquila said he was a Chosen One, so he did not need to do a Sponsorship Challenge as he already had a patron deity. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Aramaga offered her bag to Langa. "If you help us bring Klonu''s body back with us, you can keep the bag," she said. Langa nodded his agreement. He took his backpack and placed it inside the Feathervault Bag, carrying that as a backpack. ¡±I''ll carry the monkey''s body in my bag for you. We¡¯ll give you the money when you return,¡± Aquila added. "We''ll meet back up below that red tree over there." Langa marvelled at how one loss could really humble a person as Aquila began to lead Ormeth towards Statia''s location, their expressions filled with both fear and resolve. He couldn''t help but feel some responsibility for these players, even if they had made foolish choices. He hated feeling responsible for anyone or anything, so he just wanted to get this shit over and done with. Langa started walking towards the waterfall. If these guys could keep the guard distracted long enough, he might be able to slip into the dungeon unseen. Well, he would get their friend''s body first, of course. If he was able to reach the dungeon without fighting Statia or risking the lives of Aquila''s team, that would be great. However, if he was being honest, he was curious about how he would fare against the level 15 player. His competitive blood was boiling, and a part of him wanted to fight Statia. He was not conceited enough to believe that he could defeat him as he was now, but it would be thrilling to test himself against him after he completed his Challenge. ¡°Contrary to your laziness, you are surprisingly noble,¡± the Legacy said. ¡°That''s not it. I¡¯m annoyed as fuck already. If I didn¡¯t help them, they¡¯d just get in my way,¡± he muttered. ¡°Besides, I can''t, in good conscience, leave a body to wallow in this wretched place without finding rest.¡± More than anyone else, Langa understood the desire for revenge and the need to honour their fallen comrade. The Legacy watched him thoughtfully, "Are you perhaps projecting your own failures on these players? I cannot help but think of what you said to the Guardians'' instructor about finding revenge and-" Langa snapped at him, not wanting to bring that up. "Will you shut up? I''m in the middle of something important here!" ¡°Sorry?¡± Aramaga said, looking at Langa. She was startled and looked a little fearful as she thought that he was talking to her. ¡°Oh, uh, no, that wasn''t meant for you. I was just talking to,¡± he paused. If he were back on Earth, people would have thought he was crazy for talking to thin air, but right now, he had an excuse. It would work, right? ¡°I was talking to a spirit?¡± He held his breath, watching her reaction. Instead of thinking he was mental, she looked relieved. ¡°Oh, is that it? I thought maybe you''d changed your mind,¡± she nodded in understanding. "Please thank your spirit for watching over us." The Legacy''s already sullen face turned unpleasant. "I am not a spirit, I am the essence core of a unique Legacy!" Langa ignored him and focused on the path ahead. The dense forest hid Langa and Aramaga as they quietly walked through the mass of trees, listening for any sounds of distant battle. Large white rocks and jagged mountains were all around them, casting shadows that concealed their movements. All of a sudden, a menacing growl came through the trees, and a massive wolf-like creature lunged at them. Langa''s reflexes kicked in, and with a quick step forward, he thrust his spear into its neck, taking down the creature in one instant strike. ¡°Good,¡± the Legacy said in approval, and Langa smiled proudly. Running here while holding Tonare had paid off. The glaive felt like a part of him now, and he had even managed to raise the skill to beginner level 6. Aramaga was still looking sullen as they continued towards the marsh. Moving cautiously, Langa and Aramaga pressed forward until they reached the area close to the swamp where Aquila¡¯s fallen comrade lay. The body of the spiderkin was on the ground with a hole in his chest, his eyes wide open in terror. It was too late to close them now, and Langa felt bad about that. He looked away from the body, not allowing the dead player''s face to merge with Makoto''s face in his mind. He closed his eyes, pushing the image away from his mind and breathing in deeply. The air around him smelled both stale and unsettling, and Langa wanted this to be over as soon as possible. Suddenly, they heard the sound of someone screaming in the distance. Langa wasted no time; he picked up the lifeless body, and Aramaga used a skill. With a strange hand movement, webs emerged from her four hands, and their silk-like threads enveloped the dead spiderkin, wrapping around him like a bandage. They had to hurry, Langa knew that Aquila and Ormeth would not be able to stand against Statia. "Go," Langa whispered to Aramaga, urgency in his voice. "Wait for the others at the rendezvous point." Aramaga gripped her staff tightly, her four legs quivering with nervous energy. "Are you sure about this, Langa?" she asked, her voice filled with uncertainty. "He''s level 15!" Langa glanced at her. "I''ll be fine, get out of here." Aramaga nodded and swiftly vanished into the shadows, almost undetectable as she moved through the forest. Langa, now alone, turned his attention to the sounds of fighting. He took a deep breath; he hadn''t found a way to sneak into the dungeon, so he had to fight Statia anyway. So he sprinted towards the clash, the Legacy trailing behind him. Emerging from the shadows, he saw Aquila''s sword bending unnaturally as he was desperately trying to withstand a rush of strange black balls coming from Statia, while Ormeth was throwing rocks at him. It was pathetic, really, and Statia was toying with them. Without hesitation, Langa unsheathed three of his daggers and infused them with his mana. With pinpoint accuracy, he threw them, sending them flying towards Statia, forcing the guard to evade backward and create some distance, and his black magic balls stopped chasing Aquila. "Run! Join Aramaga!" Langa shouted, his voice loud. Aquila and Ormeth turned to him, both looking exhausted after barely a minute of fighting against Statia. Aquila looked back once, hesitant to leave, but in the end, he and his comrade ran away. Statia let them go, looking at Langa. He didn''t need unarmoured, mana-exhausted, and health-deprived players to help him. He would end up having to protect them and limit himself. "Hey," Langa said in a friendly voice to Statia, trying to steady his mind and not let his nerves show. If he wanted to complete his Challenge, then this was the first step. ¡°He''s stronger than you; you cannot defeat him easily,¡± the Legacy said, standing behind him. ¡°I know, we¡¯ll figure something out,¡± Langa said, picking up his daggers as Statia glared at him. ¡°Who are you? Are you here to take revenge for those fools?¡± Statia¡¯s voice was deep and annoyed. ¡°I get that you''re, you know, protecting your guild¡¯s territory or whatever, but you are strong enough to have subdued them without killing them. You¡¯re almost double their level,¡± Langa said, daggers now back on his belt and his glaive at the ready. ¡°One of them lost his only life, and for what? For nothing!¡± Statia laughed, amused, as he twirled his wand in hand. ¡°This is the Tower, if you''re weak, don''t provoke the strong, or you will die,¡± he said. ¡°Enough, if you feel so bad for the dead, you''re free to join him.¡± Statia had positioned himself in front of the pathway to the entrance to the trollimp dungeon, standing on top of a large white rock. ¡°You''re all from this new batch, right? You must think you''re strong just because you''re a little bit ahead of the pack. Come, let me correct your arrogant thinking.¡± The fight began with a strange attack from Statia. Immediately, thick, thorny spikes emerged from the ground under Langa in a 5-metre radius, and he Flash Stepped away. It would be dangerous for him to step on them, as it would hinder his movements, especially with how fast he would be moving. His boots would protect him some, but he did not want to waste their durability. Langa wanted to test the new armour that he got from Instructor Rancho as well. So far, the material of the jumpsuit had been really breathable and easy to move in. The boots were still the ones he''d gotten from the tutorial, but they were pretty decent too. It was time to see how well he performed in combat. Without missing a beat, more spikes appeared in front of Langa once again, and this time he ran up towards Statia using his normal speed, but the spikes kept following him, and he had to Flash Step forward. Statia was a mage, so Langa intended to defeat him in close combat. Sure, the spear was good at a distance, but he still needed to get in closer than he was right now if he wanted to actually cut Statia and cause him damage. He prepared himself to rush in. However, before he could even get close, two large spikes, each about a metre high and as sharp as a knife, emerged in front of him, and because he was expecting the smaller spikes, he only managed to dodge one of them, the other cut deep into his leg and he knew that the damage was reduced thanks to the jumpsuit''s defence. ¡°Fuck!¡± he swore, Flash Stepping away. He limped, hiding behind a white rock, to take an inferior health potion. Shit, at this rate, he was going to run out of stamina from overusing Flash Step. ¡°Nothing more to say? Where did your sense of justice go?¡± Langa heard the player¡¯s voice and immediately knew that his hiding place had been discovered. He backed away from the rock just in time because Statia was focusing his magic straight at him. There was no time to worry about whether Aquila¡¯s team managed to escape as Statia sent a beam of white light in his direction. Langa jumped back and ducked, causing the beam to slice through the rock. It was a clean cut, and he shuddered, thinking it could have cleaved through him just as easily. With its power, he hoped that this light beam skill had a long cool-down, and Langa knew this was his chance to counterattack. He hastily recovered his balance, Flash Stepped towards the Mage and slashed at him with Tonare. However, an invisible barrier stopped the glaive from reaching the other player. ¡°Shit!¡± he cursed again, stepping back so that Statia''s spikes would not strike him. How many skills did this guy have? Was this barrier the skill that the others had told him about? Well, that was a question that he would have to ponder another day because Statia generated a new ring of round black magic balls around himself, and then he sent two of them flying towards Langa. ¡°Block,¡± the Legacy said at the same time that Langa dodged to the left using Flash Step. But the moment that Langa landed with the skill, a black magic ball struck him square in the stomach. ¡°Wrong,¡± the Legacy said, shaking its head. There was pain in Langa''s abdomen, but it wasn''t the main problem. The ball had drained away a large chunk of MP from him! He could feel his mana being sucked out of him, and he fell to the ground, feeling slightly weaker. Even worse than the pain or the impending mana exhaustion was how Statia had accurately timed the balls¡¯ trajectory. They were flying in a circle in a 7-metre radius around Langa¡¯s previous location. He had already determined the maximum distance that Langa could move with Flash Step and had made sure that at least one of his balls would hit him when he landed, in whichever direction he chose. This guy either had good battle sense, or perhaps it was experience. ¡°I told you to block. If you keep evading like that, how will you master the skill?¡± the Legacy asked. Langa gritted his teeth, rolling on the ground as more balls started to fly towards him. ¡°You told me to block when I''d already started dodging, so there was nothing I could do.¡± He then stood back up and used his speed to run and hide behind another large rock, and one of the balls struck the rock behind him. Thankfully, the balls weren''t physically strong, so the rock didn''t break. He knew that the Legacy was trying to help him so that he could raise his spear skill to the intermediate level, so he had to meet it halfway. ¡°Fine, let''s do things your way,¡± he said. He breathed, and then he stood up next to the Legacy. Langa had gotten out of his hiding place; if he was going to train in combat, then he would do so head-on. Statia raised his eyebrows, looking at him in disbelief. ¡°I guess you''re ready to die. I respect those who embrace death bravely,¡± he said, sending four black magic balls flying towards him. Langa raised the spear and struck outwards, managing to deflect two of the balls, and then he dodged backwards to avoid the other two. Statia, still standing on one of the large white rocks, once again summoned the blinding beam of light, forcing Langa to dart away, not daring to hide behind another rock, as he would just get caught up in the attack anyway. This beam felt stronger than the last, and sure enough, the rock was completely pulverised into powder. As the heavy energy faded, Langa seized the opportunity to throw his daggers, just to test the limits of Statia''s protection, but Statia''s force shield deflected the attack effortlessly. The mage retaliated, conjuring five more of those black balls that would steal Langa''s mana upon impact, but Langa, agile as ever, moved between the rocks, avoiding Statia''s relentless magical ball onslaught. He did not use Flash Step this time, as that seemed easy for Statia to counter. Langa supposed he could just reduce the distance he moved with the skill, but that would just be a waste of his stamina. This fight was not going well. Without any ranged attacks, Langa was a sitting duck. Statia, however, remained resilient behind his impenetrable shield. He was too resilient, in fact, he wasn''t moving an inch even when summoning those magic balls. Still standing on top of that one rock, the mage unleashed another burning beam, forcing Langa to retreat and strategise, but just then, some spikes appeared below his feet, cutting right into his skin through his low-durability boots. "Watch your surroundings!" The Legacy barked. Langa had been so absorbed in the battle that he almost forgot about its presence. The spikes were also a big issue for him because they restricted his greatest weapon, his agility. He could not recklessly dodge the mana balls, as he did not know where the spikes would pop up. He had to find a way to damage his opponent. Langa tried to burst through the force shield with Flash Step, moving closer to Statia and then trying to Flash Step through the shield. It felt like he was a truck that had just crashed into a solid brick wall. His head throbbed from the crash. "I''m starting to wonder: what''s stronger, your speed or your stupidity?" Statia said with a mocking laugh as Langa clutched his ringing head and tried to dodge the spikes. "Shut the fuck up!" Langa shouted. He did not want to use his exploding orbs before entering the dungeon, but it was either that or use his few charges from Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike. Even after throwing his glaive at him in full force, Statia did not flinch, and the force shield deflected it. Langa did not know how far the force shield stretched. What if he used his attribute to run away from Statia and then crashed into the shield again? Statia was not moving from blocking the entrance, standing right in front of it, and his Velocity only allowed him to move in one specific direction, so he could not go around the shield either. There was no forcing his way past the force shield. It was too damn strong, and he was sure only something crazy like an earthquake would force Statia to break his concentration and move, nullifying the shield. The strength of a divine skill was truly overpowered. Langa also wanted one. His pain wasn''t for nothing, though. He was sure now. That shield required Statia to stay in one place. So, as long as he did not move, the shield remained intact. Langa had to find a way to break his concentration. Statia''s force shield was his greatest obstacle. It negated magic attacks and proved difficult to penetrate with physical strikes. Langa needed a plan. If it were up to him, he would just run straight past Statia but the way into the dungeon was narrow, and Statia''s force shield blocked the way. There was something that he could try to get the mage to break his concentration and stop his force shield. Statia was clearly stronger than him, so Langa thought about it. Could he get inside the dungeon without defeating the player? If he could leverage his speed and run into the dungeon, then Statia would not be able to follow him. If that failed, well, he''d go fight some monsters and get stronger before returning to challenge the dungeon. But he had already wasted enough time. He was running out of mana, so he did something he''d stupidly neglected to do until now. He still had some free attribute points from his last two level-ups, so he put three in mind and three in agility. Statia, unaware of Langa¡¯s thoughts, summoned five balls of magic, each capable of stealing mana upon impact and launched them towards Langa, who narrowly avoided them with an aptly timed Flash Step to the side before Statia could anticipate the direction he would teleport to. He was inching the battle ever slightly toward the waterfall bit by bit. With a quick calculation, Langa decided to execute his simple strategy. It might be stupid, and it might not work, but it was the only thing that he could think of to disrupt the force shield. He took his attack stance once more. ¡°Lower your stance,¡± the Legacy told him, and Langa bent forward a little, spear raised, with the butt of the spear at his waist. ¡°Again? Do you never learn?¡± Statia asked in annoyance, his magic balls already in the air. It was good that Statia thought he would try to attack the shield directly again, but that was not Langa¡¯s aim. When he activated Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike, he used the absolute minimum amount of mana that he could infuse to activate the skill. He bolted forward, but instead of striking the shield, he struck the ground in front of Statia, just outside the shield¡¯s range, with his spear, causing a tremor in the ground, and the earth cracked open, Tonare''s lightning sizzling. The force of the tremor broke the rock that Statia was standing on and he lost balance and, as if he''d been struck by a strong gust of wind in a storm, Statia was thrown at high speed onto another white rock. He yelped in pain as his arm started to bleed. The important thing was that the attack disrupted his force shield for a brief moment, and Statia swayed from side to side as he stood up, trying to regain his bearings. Seizing the opportunity, Langa swiftly sprinted towards the entrance of the dungeon, utilising his speed to outrun Statia and ensure that by the time he cast his next spell, he would be gone. Statia, caught off guard by Langa''s sudden ingenuity, attempted to regain his composure and launch another beam of light at him from his place on the ground, but it was too late. Langa had already reached the entrance and disappeared into the dungeon. Although Langa did not win this fight, his resourcefulness allowed him to outsmart Statia and gain access to the dungeon. Langa only had five days to complete his Challenge, so he wanted to be as prepared as he possibly could, after all, this could be a defining moment of his life. His journey was just beginning, and he had no idea what path he would choose to take inside the Tower, or who he was going to become, but for the first time in many years, he was looking forward to his future. A future where he was able to maintain control over his messed up mind as he walked the path of lightning. A future where he didn¡¯t let his blazing heart cloud his judgement, so he would never break a promise to another child or to himself ever again. [BOOK 1 - END] 32.5: Book 2 Prologue ¡°The world is going to end next week,¡± a young girl told her father. ¡°Okay, we won''t go anywhere, we¡¯ll stay home where it''s safe,¡± he replied, tucking her into bed. It wasn''t that Roldan didn''t believe his daughter, but sometimes she said things that didn''t make sense to him. Sarahi had always been gifted, but in the days leading up to the end of the world, she worsened. She had a gift that allowed her to see beyond what normal people saw, and it broke her mind many times, leaving her in pain and agony. In the days preceding the integration, she suffered from convulsions, and she muttered incoherent words. There was nothing Roldan could do but watch his daughter suffer. As she said, the following week, the world ended and Earth became unrecognisable. Some cities remained intact and turned into safe zones, while others were picked up and transported elsewhere in the world to make room for dungeons, gates, and whatever else corrupted nonsense was now all over the world. Electronics still worked, but they were useless now since a lot of servers, wires, and cellphone towers were destroyed during the reconstruction of the world. Roldan had been tending to the thrashing Sarahi when the blue boxes appeared, and he ignored them to ensure his daughter was comfortable.
CONGRATULATIONS, INHABITANTS OF EARTH X32175! YOUR WORLD HAS BEEN SELECTED TO BE THE 36TH FLOOR OF THE DEIWOS TOWER!
CORRUPTION OVERWHELMS YOUR WORLD, AND A VOID ERUPTION IS IMMINENT! DUNGEONS, GATES, MAESTRILS AND SAFE ZONES WILL BEGIN APPEARING IN 120 SECONDS!
He had no time to spare as he held his thirteen-year-old daughter down as she trembled and screamed. Roldan carried her into the shrine and chanted his prayer repeatedly. [Please choose a character: Filled Slots/Total Slots: PLAYER CHARACTERS: 2 658 193/1 573 128 296 NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS: 108 564 /6 292 513 184 Total Characters of EARTH X32175: 7 865 641 480] Steam filled the small shrine as the world outside darkened, and the scent of burning herbs was all over the room. Sarahi''s convulsions stopped for a moment, but Roldan continued the chant as it was the only thing he could do for her. [All Player Character Slots have been filled. You have automatically been assigned the role: Non-Player Character. You are bound to the 36th Floor, and you are not authorised to climb the Tower.] [NPC, The Deiwos Clan welcomes you to the Deiwos Tower. You are on the 36th Floor. This is a lost world. In order to facilitate your integration more fluidly, the Floor Overlord will inform all NPCs on the 36th Floor of what is expected of them. Please wait until you are addressed.] Suddenly, there was a blinding light in front of Roldan, and he was no longer in the shrine with his daughter; instead, he was in a large hall filled with humans of all races, and they were all looking around in panic. They were all wide-eyed and shouting, but he could barely hear them. It was almost as if there was a filter muting their voices. In the centre of the hall, on an ornate pedestal, stood a pale-skinned woman with jet-black hair wearing a red robe. He could see the outline of her veins on her skin, and her eyes were an unnatural red. "El Diablo?" Roldan muttered, wondering if he was in hell and would suffer eternal punishment because he had prayed to false gods for his daughter''s survival. People were moving around and panicking, yet there was no stampede. No matter how closely they moved to each other, they seemed to pass through other humans as if they were holograms. Roldan looked around among the masses for his daughter, but he could not see her. His first thought was that perhaps he had died and would never see her again. ¡°Silence!¡± the woman said, her voice filling the entire hall. Surprisingly, silence followed. Roldan tried to move or speak, but found that all he could do was stand still and watch the woman. ¡°Excellent. This is much better than addressing players one by one.¡± Frozen still, Roldan¡¯s eyes never left the woman as she began her speech. ¡°Greetings, NPCs. My name is Lady Mira, and I am the Floor Overlord of the 36th Floor. ¡°Welcome to Deiwos Tower, where the fate of your world rests in the hands of a chosen few. As NPCs, you would typically be left to fend for yourselves after the integration, but being a lost world, the 36th Floor is an exception. Lucky for you, I''m here to give you the information you need to survive until the players arrive. Your world was in danger, threatened by corruption. Thankfully, our great Unrivalled Tower Master saved it, and 19 to 21% of your people were given the chance to become players. These players are the ones who matter most in the grand scheme of things, and you are simply supporting characters in their existence," she said. More whispers of outrage filled the room, but Lady Mira continued, her voice thundering to silence them. "All adults in this world, that is to say, all people aged 16 or above in your world¡¯s years, will be given access to The Unrivalled¡¯s system. You''ll have a map to guide you since your world has changed. As NPCs, you only have one life, unless you choose to align yourself with a deity. The Unrivalled Tower Master will protect all adult humans in this world from any attacks until the first 26 hours are over, so that is how long you have to reach a safe zone. After that, you are on your own." She paused and looked around. ¡°Even players in the tutorial don''t receive this level of protection, so be sure to show gratitude to The Unrivalled for her grace. As for the children under 16 years old in your world, don''t worry; the Sovereign Authority of The Unrivalled will protect them from being attacked for seven days. Make sure that you protect them after that. Or don¡¯t, all play styles are permitted after all." Roldan had no idea what was going on, but he was happy about that at least. It made him wonder what kind of monsters the lady was referring to. He listened attentively, needing to understand. This had to be the end of the world that his daughter had seen, and it was what had caused her to spiral and go out of control. He needed all the information that he could get in order to be able to help her, so he fixed his eyes on the woman, not allowing his fear to take root. "You are unlucky because your world is on the Third Storey with a level cap of 45. Now that¡¯s bad news because it means that there won¡¯t be a lot of low-level dungeons and zones for you, and you may need to wait for players to arrive to claim more territory for yourselves from corruption if you survive the eruption of the dungeons in your world. Thankfully, The Unrivalled will issue all of you with a Class Change Scroll, and for the first seven days, you will be able to gain one random skill suitable for your class for only the small price of 1 silver. Do not waste this chance, because I will tell you now, that the price is a bargain. Do not waste it. All you have to do is place a silver coin into the slot on the blank skill book that you will receive and learn the skill. You should receive them now." [The Unrivalled Tower Master has bestowed you with a gift. NPC Starter kit x1] A backpack materialised in front of Roldan as well as the other people around him. More yelps and screams could be heard, but, thanks to his daughter, Roldan had long since accepted that the supernatural existed. Therefore, as Lady Mira continued, he picked it up and slung it on his back. "Your comcers will have limited access to the Dent, mainly just the karma store and the 36th Floor forums. You will gain access to the rest once the 35th Floor is cleared and you are fully integrated into the Tower," she said, her body starting to fade. "Oh, and here is a hint, the theme for the Third Storey is conquest. You might want to build your own kingdoms, wall them up for protection from monsters, and level up before the players come up to take over your world and make you their subjects. In that regard, you¡¯re luckier than the 31st Floor because you have time to prepare. Good luck, and praise our benevolent master.¡± With that, the woman smiled, her fangs making Roldan recoil a bit, and then he found himself back inside the shrine with Sarahi. To his surprise, his daughter was fast asleep, and it seemed like she had entered one of her trance states. When she got like that, she would start saying strange things after she woke up. Did she not get transported into that strange hall because she was still under the age of sixteen? Deciding to let her rest, Roldan opened the backpack hastily, eager to see what was inside. [NPC Starter kit 1 x basic health potion 1 x class change scroll 1 x standard issue comcer 1 x Blank Skill Book 1x Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master 1x Tower Rulebook 1 x Relgte of The Deiwos Clan 1 x Zone Map] He opened the Zone Map first, and the large area he and his daughter were in was green, while the zones surrounding them all over the place were yellow and red. He frowned when looking at the map, as it did not look like the small town in which he lived with his daughter. He wanted to go and see what was happening outside for himself. Before he went out, Roldan knelt before the altar at the shrine, putting his hands together, and prayed, "Lord Xolotl, please guide me in the wake of the fall of our world. As you have always done, help me find a way to protect my daughter." He was hesitant to leave her alone. Her whole life, he had always stayed by her side. When she first got sick, he had taken her to Western doctors, who diagnosed her with a mental affliction and gave her medicine that kept her sedated, but her gift kept consuming her from the inside, and he had no idea how to help her. He turned to various religions, and they said demons possessed her or that she was the mouthpiece of a god and she needed to accept her gift in order to control it. The only thing that worked to both calm her down and keep her awake and alive were the treatments that she received from a curandera that had been recommended to Roldan in Santa Cecilia. The woman was powerful and a well-known believer in the rituals of the ancient Aztecs. She called herself Mama Gloria, and she diagnosed Sarahi with a susto, stating that she was carrying the mark of an ancient god and would become a force of destruction in the future if her susto was not tempered. Sarahi was supposed to be a twin, but there were complications with her birth, and on what should have been the best day of Roldan¡¯s life, he lost both his wife and his newborn son. According to Mama Gloria, the bad luck of that day continued to plague Sarahi because she too was supposed to die. The great god of twins, souls, misfortune, and deformities, Xolotl, could always use the susto to find her and manifest his power through her. At the time, Roldan did not believe in any gods, he only wanted the curandera to treat his daughter, so he pretended to agree with her and paid for the treatments. The treatments were done by boiling odd herbs as medicine and filling the room with their steam to sweat out the toxic substances from Sarahi¡¯s body. As part of the ritual, Mama Gloria continuously prayed to Xolotl to temper the power inside the child so that she could grow up to glorify him. Once that was done, Mama Gloria swept the shrine, offering the god gifts as well as sacrificing a quail to him. To Roldan¡¯s surprise, the ceremonies helped Sarahi to calm down, and she was able to live a relatively normal life, with a ritual being done whenever she had an episode. To better help her, Roldan had trained as a curandero under Mama Gloria. He had built his own shrine to Xolotl under Mama Gloria''s instructions and placed it outside his house. It made caring for her easy. Now, as he walked out of the shrine, he needed to find out where he was. However, once he was outside, he gasped in shock. A slew of empty buildings were on the other side of the road from his house. The buildings seemed to have been pulled from the central business district of a thriving city, as if the entire place, complete with entire blocks of flats, empty shops, banks, and cars on the roads, had been dropped in front of Roldan''s house. It was even more creepy because, as Roldan looked around, it started to look as if he and his house were the ones who had been pulled away from Mexico into what looked like a European city''s CBD. He shivered, grabbing as much food as he could carry from one of the supermarkets, intending to take it back home. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Before he could leave the centre, he saw a light somewhere deeper in the streets. He was about to ignore it and go back to his daughter when he felt a strong compulsion to go that way, as if he was being guided by someone. In the middle of the street, there was a pedestal similar to the one that Lady Mira had been standing on. The difference was that this one held a glowing crystal coin instead of a person. Roldan hesitated before he approached it. This was a safe zone, right? It was not going to hurt him. He reached out and touched the crystal. [Congratulations! You have found a Hamlet token.] [Congratulations! You are the only adult NPC inside this safe zone. Would you like to claim this area? Y/N?] Roldan hesitated. What did that even mean? In what way did half a city and a house with a shrine look like a hamlet? But he knew that if he did not claim this place, someone else might, and he would end up not having somewhere safe to treat his daughter. This had to be the answer to his last prayer. ¡°Yes! I''ll claim it,¡± he said decisively. He had been led here for a reason. [Please name your safe zone.] Roldan thought for a moment. He wanted a safe place for his daughter, so he said, ¡°Cielo Seguro.¡± [Congratulations! You have claimed the hamlet: Cielo Seguro] [Achievement! You are the third person on the 36th Floor to claim a safe zone. +150 Karma] [The Safe Zone: Cielo Seguro has been highlighted on all the maps of all NPCs within a 200-kilometre radius of its location.] [Achievement! Your safe zone is built around the shrine of the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Pantheon god: Xolotl, The Soul Guide of Misfortune. + You may receive Sponsorship Challenges from the gods of the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Pantheon as well as their constellations 52 hours earlier than other NPCs.] The Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Pantheon? Was that what the system called the Aztec gods? Roldan had no idea, but that was the only thing that made sense to him. He hurried back home. Sarahi remained in her trance for the rest of the day, and later that day, there were a few groups of people of different races standing outside the border of Cielo Seguro. Roldan received a prompt asking if he wanted to let them in, and of course, he did. He only greeted them and showed them where the residential areas were. All the people were looking lost, as if they had been pulled from all over the world and randomly dropped here. They had all headed to this place since it was a safe zone. Having to manually allow people to stay one by one through the system was already taking time away from him. When he had to control their level of authority, he merely set all of them as guests. He did not spare much sympathy for any of them, he had enough to worry about. * Roldan had thought that since his daughter was in a trance, she would be safe for a while, but when he woke up in the middle of the night, she was gone. He ran all over the town searching for her, wondering if one of the new people had taken her, but instead, he felt a pull leading him outside of the safe zone. He found Sarahi standing in what his map labelled as a level 30 red zone. It was dangerous, but thankfully all NPCs were still within the 26 hours of being protected. Besides, Sarahi was a child, and she had seven days of protection. ¡°Sarahi!¡± he called frantically, watching as she stood in a daze next to a large wormlike monster that looked like it could gobble up a hundred children of her size. Hearing his voice, her eyes became focused, and she screamed, only just noticing the monster. She ran quickly towards her father as the monster watched her hungrily, but there was nothing it could do to her. Roldan hugged her tightly and took her back home. ¡°That was dangerous, Sarahi. Why would you go there?¡± he asked her in panic. The child looked up at him, her eyes turning black, a sign that she was having an episode. ¡°Do you not see them, papi?¡± she asked. ¡°See what?¡± he asked quietly. When she got like this, it was best to be calm and listen. ¡°The travellers from below who are trying to take over the world. They only know how to fight and be mean to people from here. They don''t care about anything except power, and they''re trying to ruin everything. They clear corruption while making it grow even more, those awful travellers,¡± she said, the words meaningless to her father. Was she talking about players? Roldan held her in his arms as tightly as he could. ¡°Why did you go out there?¡± ¡°I heard a voice, papi. The one you and Mama Gloria prayed to. I was alone for a long time, but now I finally heard god''s voice," she said with a smile. ¡°He told me that this gift would kill me.¡± Roldan stared at her in disbelief. "No. You''re not going to die as long as I continue making sacrifices and performing the ritual. Magic exists in this new reality, so you can be healed." The system said that the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan clan were watching over this place, so they had to help. ¡°I know you''re doing your best, but I finally know what''s making me sick. He said it isn''t the gift; it''s the corruption that gets inside my body thanks to the gift,¡± Sarahi said calmly, as if it was not her own death she was talking about, her pitch-black eyes eery. ¡°There has to be a way to stop it!¡± Roldan said determinedly. ¡°Did the god not show you the way to stop it?¡± Sarahi swayed unsteadily, and her eyes returned to normal. Roldan held her up and then laid her down on the bed. ¡°It''s impossible. He showed me a place far away for me to reach before the 7-day protection is over. He said I have to pass through a gate and stay there for three years until I can get access to the system. Only then can I get help from Lord Xolotl to control this power.¡± ¡°Where is this place?¡± Roldan asked eagerly, holding on to hope. ¡°I don''t know where it is. Only that it will take over a month to get there, and I might encounter monsters along the way. By the time I reach the Gate, the protection on me will be over, and I won''t be able to survive in a Tier 4 Gate,¡± she said with a defeated voice. ¡°I''m tired, papi, I want to sleep now.¡± Roldan held in his grief and tucked his daughter into bed. He looked at the Relgtes he''d been given, looking for anything to help his daughter, but he could not find anything about sustos or marks from gods. He could not read the massive Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master in enough time to find a solution, so his best bet was is true and trusted method, to go to the shrine. Only one quail was left, but he did not hesitate to sacrifice it. He knelt before the altar and held the talisman in his hand. ¡°Lord Xolotl, for years you have protected my daughter from being consumed by the darkness. I don''t know if my ceremonies and rituals will work in this new world, but I will do anything to keep her safe. I will give and sacrifice anything so this power doesn''t kill her. Please help me get her into that Gate so she can be safe and live a long life, that is my only wish. Please, Great One, save my daughter!¡± he prayed desperately with tears in his eyes. [The Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan clan god: The Soul Guide of Misfortune, asks if that is your divine wish.] The notification startled Roldan but he quickly regained his composure. Divine wish? What was that? If it was a wish, could this god grant it? ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± he said hopefully. [The Soul Guide of Misfortune, Xolotl has proposed a Sponsorship Contract for you. Contract Type: Daeva For more information on the rules and regulations for Daevas, as well as the specifics of this type of sponsorship contract, please read The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master, Scroll 4: Chapter 3 Accept: Y/N? Time Limit: 13 minutes] ¡°Accept!¡± Roldan said hastily. [Error! NPC has not read the rules and regulations for Daevas. Before you accept the Sponsorship contract, please read The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master, Scroll 4: Chapter 3] Roldan grimaced, quickly ran to the house, and opened that scroll. He read the summary of the sponsorship contracts. If the system thought he would change his mind once he knew, it was wrong. His soul was a small price to pay for his daughter''s life. ¡°Accept!¡± Roldan said. [Congratulations! You are now the Daeva of The Soul Guide of Misfortune] [As a Daeva, you are entitled to: [+ Access to Blessings, Skills, and Power. + The ability to host a once-off Descent of your patron deity into your body. Restrictions: Upon the deity¡¯s Descent into the Daeva¡¯s body, and using their power to fulfil your divine wish, you will die from the karma implosion. Permanent death will occur regardless of your remaining respawns. Your patron deity will receive your soul as payment and your body as a vessel for a demon, angel or spirit.] [Congratulations! You are the first mortal from the 36th Floor to bind to a deity. +500 karma] [You have not chosen a class. Your deity has granted you the class: Soul Cleric. Accept: Y/N?] [Class Name: Soul Cleric Rank: Uncommon Description: Soul Clerics are devoted healers and spiritual guides, specializing in the healing of the mind, spirit, and body. Their faith and connection to a god of souls grants them unique abilities to mend the deepest wounds and alleviate suffering. With their high mana and mind stat, Soul Clerics are invaluable assets in any party, providing vital support and divine intervention when needed most.] [You have chosen the class: Soul Cleric] [You have unlocked the Special Stat: Wisdom (WIS) Wisdom: All mortals whose first class is Mage-based start with this stat. Determines the player''s insight and intuition. It influences mana regeneration, and may provide slight protection from external mental or magical influences. May enhance spiritual energy and improve resistance against mind-altering effects. Base WIS starts at half of the Mind Stat and can only be increased from free attribute points.] [+3 MND, + 2 Special Stat: WIS +1 VIT This is an uncommon class. On every level up, you receive +3 MND, +2 Special Stat: WIS +1 VIT, and 3 free attribute points. This class is upgradeable at Tier 5.] None of that mattered to Roldan, so he only accepted the class to get this over with. All he cared about was his daughter''s safety. "You can have my body and my soul. Now, Descend, Lord Xolotl and save my daughter,¡± he prayed. [To fulfil your divine wish, The Soul Guide of Misfortune would like to Descend into your body. Accept: Y/N? Please note: You will suffer from karma implosion once the Descent is over and you will die] Roldan walked into his daughter''s room and held her. He looked at the child in his arms and felt tears well up in his eyes. She would be an orphan at such a young age, but at least she would be alive. In his heart, he knew that she was a special child and the great god Xolotl would protect her because of it. He bent down and kissed her forehead. "Goodbye, mija. Vaya por el buen camino," he whispered, looking at her sleeping form. "Accept." [Current Faith Level: Daeva Level 1 Descent is limited to (1) minute] One minute? Would that be enough time for a god to travel a journey that would take a mortal a month? The last thought of a devout father was worrying about his daughter''s life. Roldan''s consciousness faded as a negligible fraction of a god''s essence manifested inside his body. The essence of Xolotl opened his eyes. He was in the body of a level 1 mortal, so he could not use even one billionth of his power, but for Tier 3 corrupted monsters, it would be more than enough. Xolotl laughed, looking down at the body. Mortals from lost worlds were so easy to manipulate. All the man wanted was guidance and protection for his daughter, something that Xolotl would have given anyway. Most mortals were unaware of it, but the Deava had the poential to be the most powerful Sponsorship Contract given that they could ask for literally anything in exchange for their body and soul. There were a few restrictions of course, but if Roldan had asked Xolotl for something absurd like to destroy the entire 36th Floor, he would have done it. The Daeva could have asked for anything in the infinite multiverse, yet he wasted his divine wish on something so trivial. What a fool. It was a good thing that Xolotl made sure that the man owned the land his shrine was built on, and thus received the privilege of gaining sponsorships before anyone else. If not, someone else might have offered Roldan a better sponsorship contract, and Xolotl would have lost the seed his constellations had been cultivating for years. He would not let the child who carried his master¡¯s brand fall into the wrong hands. She was destined for greatness. He was grateful for Mamlambo¡¯s method of creating Daevas by putting their children in danger, it was truly a magnificent plan. Xolotl would use this to prove that he was a better choice than that traitorous Visage of his master''s. He looked at the child he would use to defeat the Deiwos Clan in their own Tower, and placed her in a trance. It would not do for her to find out about her father¡¯s deal. He had to act quickly because he could feel The Unrivalled One watching him, and she would forcibly pull him out of this body after a minute. He said one word of power, and both he and the child were teleported 500 kilometres away and reached the Tier 4 red zone surrounding the Gate. In one second, Xolotl reached the entrance to the Gate, and forced it open. Whenever he took a single step, every creature in his vicinity, regardless of level, died. Just as he was about to throw the child inside the Gate, he felt resistance from The Unrivalled One''s essence. She knew what he wanted to do and was probably against it. That was why Xolotl had chosen to bring the child into a time-dilated Gate, rather than a time-dilated dungeon because those usually had strict level restrictions while many Gates did not. "Holy One," Xolotl said, keeping the derision away from his voice. "The child will be safe. She still has three days of this world''s time left of your divine protection. Even if she is inside the Gate, no matter how much time passes in there, she will be protected for three of this world''s days. Is that not your divine edict?" he asked, as if he were confused when in reality, he was just reminding The Unrivalled of something she already knew. "If you are worried, do not fret, Holy One, my essence will guide the child inside the Gate and protect her as per my Daeva''s divine wish." The resistance melted away, and the child fell inside as Tier 4 monsters roared, and Xolotl closed the Gate, stepping away. <> the essence of The Unrivalled said sharply, its karma shaking Xolotl to the core. <> Then the essence was gone, and Xolotl could breathe again. This cursed mortal''s body had made him feel weak, just as The Unrivalled had intended. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, replenishing his essence with the world''s karma and sending some of his essence inside the Gate to guide the child. As soon as that was done, his essence left the body of the Daeva. As Xolotl''s essence watched the karma imploding inside Roldan¡¯s body from above, the corruption spilt out of the body in a massive blast that destroyed the entire zone. It went on for over 50 kilometres, consuming everything in its path. If Roldan had more karma, or was a demigod, the destruction would have been much worse. Finally, Roldan Beltran was dead, and both his body and soul belonged to Xolotl. The essence of Xolotl was pleased now that he had a vessel for the soul of the demon who hated the Deiwos Clan as much as he did. There was no one he would trust more with the first stage of his plan to bring the Deiwos Clan to their knees. His trusted demonic soul would build the entire 36th Floor into a kingdom for him and unite it using the power that the child possessed. She was a good child who listened to her father after all, even if another soul inhabited his body. Mictlantecuhtli''s alliance with The Demon Reaper made Xolotl uneasy, and if he wanted to maintain his ranking in the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Clan, he needed to start his plans to take this Tower from the Deiwos Clan, and the 36th Floor was just the beginning. 33. Floor 1: Psikes Grotto (1) (In the divine scriptures of the deities, behold the sacred verses chronicling the divine Ascension of Adtonifulmin; The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm. This chapter in The Relgte of The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm is derived from a song written by the followers of Adtonifulmin meant to praise his greatness in the hopes of endearing him to a being that he loved. The Lackadaisical Herald insisted on this being the introduction to his Relgte, despite numerous deities advising him otherwise. He was too lazy to commission a better introduction for himself. That, more than anything, serves as the best introduction to The Lackadaisical Herald¡¯s personality. - Commentary from The Famed Heavenly Scribe of Kaspso) On a stormy night, under the bright star of Cassiopeia, in the 3rd year of the 1 345 654th Duat Tower, Adtonifulmin was born in an undisclosed realm. Adtonifulmin is The Lackadaisical Herald of the Lightning Storm. Born mortal, his essence had a full affinity for both lightning and life, a combination of energies that constructed his extraordinary destiny. He was filled with talent, a prodigy among his brethren. Not much is known about his mortal life, nor which world he came from, but he still took the Tower by storm when he Ascended. Despite his immense talent and mastery of all weapons, his lazy nature hindered his progress in the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Tower. Even though he was lazy, The Lackadaisical Herald never faltered in his path, and he never got complacent. He always took the straight road, needing to reach his destination faster so that he could have even more time to rest beyond whatever goal he was aiming for. Many deities tried to show him the right way so that he could live up to his full potential, but Adtonifulmin avoided any path that required unnecessary hard work. He was coveted by many deities of lightning and life, but the one he chose to follow surprised even the Creator herself. He climbed the Tower under the sponsorship of a powerful but nameless deity, yet Adtonifulmin was resolute in maintaining his autonomy, refusing to spread his master¡¯s doctrines. It is undisclosed what type of Sponsorship Contract he had, but he shunned the teachings and desires of his nameless divine master, choosing to indulge himself in sloth and whimsicality. While living freely, searching for things that caught his eye, and completing the Infinite Challenge, Adtonifulmin fell in love. The object of Adtunifulmin''s affection was not just a deity but the system, the Tower, The Unrivalled Tower Master herself. This went far beyond proving just how arrogant and self-assured he was as a mortal, to fall in love with one of the most powerful deities of all time. Unfortunately for him, the Holy One showed no interest whatsoever in him. Despite his failings in matters of the heart, Adtonifulmin continuously levelled up and reached the rank of seraphim. After a harrowing trial, he transcended his mortal coil, Ascending to godhood from mortality without stepping through the realm of the constellations. He was able to become a god without going through the judgement of The Great Quartenity, and he raised himself in solitude, existing only for himself and his whims. This was a rare feat among non-demigods, deserving of great praise. Elevated to the domain of the divine, Adtonifulmin emerged as the god of sloth, lightning, decay, and life, embodying the balance that lies between the lethargy and vitality found in thunderstorms and the decay of all things that heralds new life. His divine existence is a testament to the purity of both indolence and a hard-working spirit, which is something his priests preach eternally. His praises echo throughout the sacred chapters of this hallowed Relgte, enabling those who are faithful to him to find solace and enlightenment in his holy name.] - Excerpt from: The Relgte of The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm: Scroll 1: Chapter 0.
Karma swirled in circles around Langa as the excitement from reaching this point overwhelmed him. He didn''t know why, but it felt like every success he''d ever had, every failure, every extra kilometre he''d run, every extra second he''d spent training, and every single achievement he''d ever made were all in preparation for this moment. It was time for him to prove both to the deities and himself that The Lackadaisical Herald was right to Choose him. The first step towards his future path began with his performance in this Sponsorship Challenge, which would measure how far he could go inside this Tower. The entrance of the dungeon was carved into the rock below the waterfall, adorned with complex glyphs and symbols that seemed to glow from a dark energy. The path through the ravine leading inside was misty, as if inviting only the bravest souls to uncover the secrets hidden within the dungeon. With the Legacy trailing behind him, Langa stepped into the dungeon. [You have discovered the Trial dungeon: Psike¡¯s Grotto]
Psike¡¯s Grotto Unclaimed
Dungeon Level: 10
Dungeon Rank: Trial
Dungeon Type: Corrupted Dimension
Dungeon Restrictions: Dungeon Areas are restricted to only players Blessed by a deity of life and completing a quest from said deity. Beyond the Guarded Entrance Door, no health potions may be consumed except for those found within the dungeon.
Party Members: Min 1, Max 1
Party Member Levels: Min 10, Max 12
Remaining Full Delves: 1/3
Available Boss Respawns: 0/2
So, it was an unclaimed level 10 dungeon, which meant that if he cleared this dungeon, he would complete the first part of the quest to clear the 1st Floor. Stepping into the dark dungeon, it was as if he had entered into a whole new world. Langa found himself in a walled grassland, surrounded by a dim glow coming from moist white flowers clinging to the walls. Their rosy fragrance filled the air, and the tiny petals gave light to the dark area. He''d never seen flowers that glowed like this before, especially in such contrast to the moist, gloomy atmosphere. As his gaze swept the cavern, curiosity turned into apprehension when his eyes found an imposing figure standing before a doorway further into the grassland. A giant monster stood there, its presence casting a shadow across the grassland. The difference between the beauty of the flowers and the monstrous guardian was jarring. Corrupted Trollimp Guard Level 10 HP: 1200/1200 The creature had thick red skin and an oversized nose above its wide open mouth, with two large fangs protruding from it. It also had only one large eye, right on its forehead. Its ears were sharp like those of an elf and it towered over him with large muscles and an ugly appearance Its health was 1200, and that was about the same amount of health as Babio the level 5 maestril mini-boss from the tutorial. This served to show Langa how massive the difference was between maestrils and regular corrupted monsters. Tonare was already in Langa¡¯s hands as the trollimp¡¯s single eye glowed with malice as it blocked his path, its deep voice rumbling through the chamber. ¡°Blessed One of life!¡± It roared. ¡°Twice your kind has destroyed our home, and killed our King! This is our home¡¯s last life. I will not let you pass.¡± More than the words, what surprised Langa the most was that it could talk. All the corrupted creatures that he''d fought so far had been monsters driven only by hunger, and maestrils were the only ones that appeared intelligent. Well, now was not the time to ponder what made this creature different from other corrupted monsters as Langa assessed it, concluding that it was a power fighter. It wore only a strip-like leather tunic and carried in its hands a mace and shield, ready for battle. Langa applied some of the Pot-o-Mors anti-healing potion on Tonare¡¯s blade as this would slow down the trollimp¡¯s regeneration. After its declaration, it charged towards him, and he sidestepped it, the moist ground squelching under his boots as he dodged the mace. ¡°Turn back, human!¡± The trollimp roared. "Sorry, dude, I have a Challenge to complete, and I''m gonna have to destroy your home to do that, so let''s just get this over with, shall we?¡± Langa said, creating distance with the spear as the Legacy had taught him. "You shall not pass unless you defeat me in single combat," it growled, its mace and shield at the ready. Langa gripped his spear tightly, his heart pounding with anticipation. This was his first time facing a monster of his own level solo. He knew this battle might be challenging, but he needed to prove himself and practice his spearmanship while he was at it. He would not use his attribute unless absolutely necessary. He did not want it to end up controlling him again. The Legacy stood by his side, its voice calm but firm. "Remember, speed and agility are your greatest assets. Keep your distance and maintain a good range against the trollimp. Use your Flash Step wisely, but do not rely on it too heavily." "Tell me something I don''t know." The trollimp rushed towards him again and swung its mace with brutal force and, wanting to try something new to see how much he had improved, Langa maintained a rigid stance, raising Tonare to block. The mace crashed into the glaive, the force from the attack pushed him back, and it felt as if both his arms had been hit by a bus with how heavy they were. Still, his stance had not broken, and he was proud of that. Bringing them back down, Langa darted around the trollimp, with quick footwork from his skill. He used Flash Step to his advantage, appearing and disappearing in rapid succession whenever it was off cool-down, always staying just out of the trolimp''s reach. The trollimp swung its mace with brute force, but Langa''s agility allowed him to dodge, narrowly avoiding the bone-crushing blow. However, Langa''s luck soon ran out. In a moment of miscalculation, he charged forward while the trollimps¡¯s mace was still in the air, and he stabbed Tonare deep into the trollimp¡¯s chest. Before he could infuse the glaive with lightning to stop the trollimp from regenerating, its shield struck him on the side with a sickening thud. Pain seared through his arm as he felt the bone snap. He crumbled to the ground. ¡°You used the wrong stance! That was the moment when you should have struck and retreated!¡± The Legacy barked its corrections and advice, the unwelcome guidance grating on Langa''s nerves, seeing as it had told him multiple times not to keep striking and retreating. "Get up!" Fuck, he couldn''t even see clearly, as that one hit had taken almost half of his health. He tried to sit up, but the mace smacked into the back of his head, and his vision went awry. It felt like someone had poured boiling acid inside his brain. He could feel his heartbeat, and the darkness in it shaking him. He wanted a second to breathe, a second for it to stop, the pain, and everything else. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. His heart pounded, and Langa wondered why the monster was not attacking him while he was down, so he opened his eyes. Everything was still, including the monster, frozen and unmoving. He did not remember activating his attribute, how long had it been active? He could not afford to lose his stamina right now, so he pulled out his basic health potion and downed it a second before deactivating the attribute. Time moved normally again, and he rolled away from the trollimp, almost out of stamina. The health potion could only restore 100 HP, so he was not completely healed either. Gritting his teeth and trying to hold the pain in and not freak out, he refused to let the injury stop him. The trollimp swung its mace downward, and a look of confusion filled its eyes when it realised that Langa had disappeared from its sight. "Human!" It roared when it saw him catching his breath, leaning against the wall of flowers. Shit, with how low his stamina was right now, he was in danger of getting hit with the low stamina debuff, and he would not be able to move. As long as he sat still, his Berruka''s Ring of Stamina Regeneration would work to regenerate it, but the trollimp was already charging towards him. Grimacing, Langa stood up. "Convert 100 MP to Stamina!" he said to the system. It would only give him 10 stamina, but that was better than nothing and enough to keep the debuff from activating. Moving along the wall of flowers, he continued to keep his distance, moving as little as possible to regenerate his stamina until it regenerated to 10% of its maximum. Then, the fight began again in earnest. Langa could not allow himself to get hit, he knew he would not survive the blow. Therefore, he attacked, but although his spear struck with fervour, the trollimp''s shield proved to make a very strong defence, deflecting Langa''s spear strikes with effort. The battle raged on as Langa continued to slash at the trollimp, but it healed every wound that he gave it. The only good thing about this battle was that the Legacy was constantly correcting him on how to infuse his spear with his dwindling lightning mana, and he was slowly starting to learn how to regulate his mana a little better, but it was difficult without a manacore. It took time and countless attempts, but Langa felt each strike becoming more mana-stable. He knew that the skill had levelled up to Beginner Level 7. With the improvement to the skill''s bonus damage, Langa was finally able to cut through the bottom part of the shield with Tonare. However, even when he managed to land a massive hit on the beast''s abdomen, the trollimp''s regenerative abilities nullified the damage, and this was with the anti-healing potion coated on his glaive. "Nice try, human!" the trollimp laughed as its wound started to regenerate. It spun its large, bulky body around and charged at Langa again, mace raised. How much stronger would its regeneration be if he didn''t have the antiheal potion? Langa wondered, his frustration with the creature growing. His stamina was back to a stable value now, so he wanted to end this. Using his natural speed, he was finally ready for a killing strike. He ran to the trollimp¡¯s left side and struck it in the shoulder with all his might. Lightning poured from him into the glaive, and he infused over half of his total mana pool into the glaive. It glowed brightly with lightning and he severed the trollimp''s shield arm from its body. It cried out in pain, but Langa quickly retrieved a flax of Kiribo¡¯s Sweat from his inventory and poured it on the trollimp¡¯s shoulder, causing the streaks of lightning to catch fire, the flames hindering its regeneration. It could barely move with that ever-growing wound. Wanting to end the battle quickly, Langa struck the trollimp¡¯s ankle with Tonare twice, slowing it down, and then he Flash Stepped behind it. There was no defence here, so Langa put all his strength into the glaive and infused some of his mana into it, cutting straight into the trollimp¡¯s neck. The blow was strong enough for him to sever its head. Triumph coursed through Langa''s veins, but his joy was short-lived as the headless body started to stand back up. It was then that the Legacy¡¯s voice cut through the chaos of battle. "No! Remember, decapitation alone won''t kill it. You must seal that wound with fire to stop the healing." Langa''s elation turned to urgency, and, pouring more of Kiribo¡¯s Sweat over the trollimp''s severed neck, he ignited it by touching it with Tonare and infusing a spark of lightning mana, causing the wound to sizzle and burn. The trollimp''s regenerative abilities were finally stopped, and its body fell back to the ground, lifeless. Langa''s whole body ached with exhaustion as he leaned on his spear for support. The dead trollimp¡¯s chest glowed, and he tentatively reached into it, extracting a healing sac from its heart. [You have killed a level 10 Trollimp Guard. Rewards will be issued once the quest is complete. Please wait.] He heaved an exhausted sigh of relief. Before he went on to the next level, Langa scanned the little flowers growing along the walls. Most of the ones that weren''t glowing were not showing anything on the system. The pure white ones, though, were special. [Ripe Vitality Saffron Herb Rank: Uncommon Effects: This is a poisonous vitality herb grown only in areas of highly corrupted life energy. Useful for improving the health regeneration of corrupted creatures. When purified by an alchemist, it may be used as an ingredient for health potions. Poisonous to mortals when consumed raw] "Hey, can I-?" Langa started. "No," the Legacy said at once. "You don''t have any antidotes for the poison. Do not risk it!" Damn, Langa had not even finished his sentence before he was told no. Still, even though he could not use them, these saffrons looked like they would be worth something. The vitality saffrons helped Langa realise something terrible. For all his preparations, he couldn¡¯t use his health potions beyond the door. Fuck. He had to make do with what he found in the dungeon. He wanted to turn back now, but he had already started the dungeon delve, and he could not leave until the quest was over. He also couldn''t buy from the auctions on the Dent because communication through the comcer was unavailable inside a dungeon. Plus, he would need to go to a store or guild outpost to receive the health potions. "How am I supposed to complete an entire dungeon without health potions? Couldn¡¯t you have told me to buy other types of potions that could help me stay alive??" Langa barked at the Legacy. It tilted its head. "That''s not why I''m here," it told him. What the fuck did that mean? "It''s not like you had the money anyway." "You''re supposed to be helping me!" he complained. The comment about how poor he was stung. Hopefully, he''d make a lot of money from clearing this quest. The Legacy approached him, its translucent form barely visible in the white light of the flowers. "You just need to not get hurt. Your movements in this battle were not awful. Remember, each battle is an opportunity to learn and grow. With each victory, you will become stronger. Rest for now, recover, and in a few minutes we shall continue." There was nothing he could do, so Langa nodded and sat down on the ground to recover all the stamina lost from overusing Flash Step and for his health to regenerate. The Challenge had only just started, and Langa was pleased that The Lackadaisical Herald¡¯s Blessing had already helped him to improve his skills and learn a better fighting style. While he got annoyed with the Legacy sometimes, he was taking its teachings well, and he was learning to attack head-on, instead of always running. He stood up and closed his eyes. He would not level up to regenerate his health until the quest was complete. The Tower''s quest system was really shitty, and Makoto had died because of it. Langa shook his head at the bad thoughts. The Lackadaisical Herald was a god of life as well, right? So maybe if he prayed, he might be able to preserve his health. It couldn''t hurt. Gah, he''d never been a devout believer in any deity, so he''d never prayed seriously for anything. He didn''t like depending on anyone else for help, and he was not about to ask The Lackadaisical Herald for that. There was one thing he wouldn''t mind asking for, though. ¡°Lackadaisical Herald, please watch over me. I just need to know I''m not alone. Ngiyabonga,¡± he said. He decided to use ¡®Ngiyabonga¡¯ instead of Amen or something because it meant more to him. In IsiZulu, it was a word that was used to convey thanks. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, is watching over you.] As he prepared to walk further into the grotto, Langa lamented the daunting task ahead¡ªa hundred regenerating trollimps to conquer within only 4 and a half days. He picked as many vitality saffrons as he could, figuring they would be worth a lot to alchemists, and he planned on selling them to the Guardians in the Crafting Cave. He decided to pick as many of them as he could and put them in his Feathervault Bag. He had placed the bag on the last remaining slot on his belt. It was useful for now, but he needed to buy more inventory bracelets. Once he was done, he opened the Guarded Entrance Door and went into the first level of the dungeon. What Langa saw once he entered the place floored him completely. There was a wide chasm that Langa almost fell into as he stepped into the new place. A thin bridge was built over the chasm, connecting the two sides of the cavern. This whole area was littered with trollimps. There were a few trollimps with hammers busy reinforcing the bridge. He had thought that the vitality saffrons in the entrance level were plenty, but in this new cavern, the walls shone with the warmth of the blossoming saffrons, casting a glow throughout the cavern. As the chasm cut through the cavern, its depths were coloured in the light of the growing flowers below. This place was a garden, and its scent was filled with the flowery smell of the saffrons. Langa entered warily, and saw maybe fifty or so industrious little trollimps, their wiry frames illuminated by the saffron glow, working in the garden. The trollimps had the same single eye and red skin as the trollimp guard but they were much shorter, no taller than Langa¡¯s leg, as they worked with care, tending to the flowers. Moving gracefully, other trollimps carried miniature watering cans filled with a bright-coloured potion. With careful hands, they showered the saffron flowers, which vibrated once under the magical nourishment. Meanwhile, a mysterious white powder was being sprinkled onto the petals, and Langa had no idea what that was, but the flowers seemed to blossom under it. Not far away from him, trollimps diligently pruned any flowers that showed signs of struggle, ensuring the garden''s vitality. The saffrons continued up the cavern walls, where additional trollimps fluttered about clinging to the walls, attending to each flower. Some of them were perched on the chasm''s edge, delicately placing live blue worms into the empty soil beneath. As they did so, they muttered an incantation, allowing the life energy of the wriggling worms to seep into the awaiting seeds, planting more flowers. "What the actual fuck is this?" Langa exclaimed in bewildered shock. Corrupted Trollimp Gardener Level 8 HP: 320/320 Corrupted Trollimp Worker Level 7 HP: 235/235 ¡°These are trollimps? No way, these things are tikoloshes; you can''t convince me otherwise,¡± Langa whispered to the Legacy. Their health was pathetic. ¡°No, they are not. Tikoloshes are much scarier to look at than these things,¡± the Legacy told him. Langa almost missed a step. ¡°Wait. Tikoloshes are real?¡± He had just been joking, but were those things actually real? Damn, the Tower was a scary place, and he hoped that he would never in his life have to deal with those creatures. If the stories and folktales that he¡¯d heard about them were anything to go by, he was good. The Legacy did not have time to answer as the trollimps working on the bridge spotted the intruder. Their eyes were filled with an angry look as they saw him. Without care, Langa stepped onto the bridge, and the trollimp workers ceased their construction and gardening, turning their attention to him. They started screaming and hurling rocks infused with magic at him. Some of them were wielding crude tools and hammers, and those were thrown at him too. They did not seem intelligent, especially when compared to the guard outside, as all they were doing was screeching and attacking without tactics. No matter how many of them there were, they were all low-level, non-combatant monsters, and they would be no match for him. Langa could easily anticipate their simple attacks, and he knew that he would be able to dodge without using Flash Step. All he had to do was keep twisting about, or moving around the barrage of projectiles. "Hmm, it looks like it''s time for you to learn how to fight against multiple opponents then, huh?" the Legacy mused. Langa snorted, "Get with the programme, Legacy. That''s been the order of the day since day one of the tutorial. If anything, I need more practice in one-on-one fights.¡± It was time to test his skills against over 30 enemies and see how he fared, and the prospect, terrifying as it was, excited Langa. 34. Floor1: Psikes Grotto (2) The trollimps on the bridge screeched at him and started attacking, some launching rocks and weak bolts of odd green energy, while others threw the bright-coloured potion water at him, trying to disorient Langa. Dodging with his natural and enhanced reflexes, Langa ran towards the pitiful creatures with his spear raised, deflecting incoming rocks and delivering quick slashes under the Legacy¡¯s guidance. It felt like cutting through paper, with the lightning from Tonare dealing enough burn damage to the trollimps to stop their regeneration, making them easier to kill. Really, this was not a challenge, but rather a stage for him to train his mana infusion on the poor level 7 trollimps. Since it was a solo dungeon, Langa supposed that was why it was so easy. And the system said that this was a hell difficulty Challenge? His daggers were not as receptive to his lightning mana as his glaive was, as it was made from a material that conducted electricity. However, the daggers did receive his mana, and he could use them well enough. Therefore, he coated them in Kiribo''s Sweat and threw the five daggers in quick succession at the three trollimps that were rushing towards him with their hammers raised. The three of them were struck by the sizzling daggers, one in the abdomen and two in the neck. Surprisingly, it seemed that the burn damage from the lightning, combined with the Kiribo''s Sweat coated on the daggers, was enough to stop the regeneration of the lower-level trollimps, and the two with neck wounds died instantly. Langa stabbed the remaining one once more in the abdomen with Tonare, killing it. A fourth one jumped down from where it was tending to the saffrons lining the cave wall, with its hoe raised, ready to skewer him, and he dodged to the side, sidestepping it, then turning back around and stabbing it with the lightning-infused glaive in the chest. "This is boring," the Legacy said, and Langa could have sworn that it was yawning. "You''re not the one struck with like fifty trollimps here. They may be weak, but they are sapping my stamina," Langa said, breathing heavily from all the dodging. It was annoying, not boring, and Langa could feel that The Lackadaisical Herald was also annoyed. Other deities were watching him, of course, but they were not saying anything, probably not wanting to disrupt the Challenge, or offer him help. Below the bridge, the trollimps tending to the flowers in the chasm started sending bursts of arcane magic up to the bridge. Langa had to be constantly on the move to avoid them. There were a lot of them down there, and they were hurriedly huddling together, screeching as they put their hands together, combining their magic. Langa counted maybe twenty trollimps gathered down inside the chasm, and he was not about to let an easy target like that go. He threw down one of the defective Exploding Fire Orbs, and it landed in the middle of the trollimp horde. Nothing happened for a few seconds, and the stupid trollimps seemed hesitant about whether to run or approach the weird orb. The lucky seven of them ran away, but the remaining thirteen were caught up in the massive blast of fire that erupted from the orb a moment later. ¡°That was close!¡± Langa said with a laugh. He had honestly been worried there for a second with the delayed reaction. He could see why the defective orbs were cheap; with that much delay, these orbs would not work on players or intelligent monsters. ¡°It would have served you right for being miserly when buying weapons,¡± the Legacy mocked him. ¡°Look, I''m not rich! All my life savings are in a bank up on the 36th Floor¡­ oh, and by the way, the Rand does not work in the Tower!¡± Langa snapped at him. He looked down at the chasm and jumped down to finish off the stragglers. ¡°It''s not like I had millions of Rands in my bank account, but I worked my arse off for that money.¡± He looked down at the burning trollimps, and it was a shame about the vitality saffrons that got burned, but it wasn''t like Langa could carry them all anyway. From then on, on top of glowing white saffrons, a slaughter of level 7 and 8 trollimps occurred. Their magic couldn''t hit Langa because he was too fast, and he had Kiribo¡¯s Sweat to spare. Thankfully, he did not run out of mana since he''d placed some of his free attribute pints in Mind previously. [You have killed a level 8 Trollimp Gardener. Rewards will be issued once the quest is complete. Please wait.] [You have killed a level 7 Trollimp Gardener. Rewards will be issued once the quest is complete. Please wait.] [You have killed a level 8 Trollimp Gardener...] [You have killed a level 8 Trollimp Gardener...] [You have killed a level 7 Trollimp Gardener...] Langa had no idea how many trollimps he killed in that chasm garden, but he had to do it while dodging falling rocks from the trollimps that were still up on the bridge. Once he was done down there, Langa decided to put his high jump skills to the test. His record had been 2.33 metres back home, but if he could now run as fast as a car, he could certainly jump up what¡­ 7 or 10 metres in the air, right? Langa took a few steps back and then ran forward for a few metres before jumping high into the air. He landed on his back, on top of the bridge, and lost 40 HP. It wasn¡¯t a big issue for him right now, and he rolled to the side as the trollimps tried to take advantage of his fall to throw more rocks at him. He sat up on his knees, raised Tonare in the air, and started spinning it quickly around him, the speed of the spin giving the glaive enough power to deflect the rocks. He felt the skill increase to Beginner Level 8. ¡°Very good, that was quick thinking, since your form was not right for a proper block,¡± the Legacy said, and Langa smiled as he stood back up. He¡¯d like to hear those Dent trolls mock his spear technique now. When he uploaded the video of his Challenge Quest, they would all shut their mouths. It was fun to swing Tonare around now that he knew how best to handle it, and he could feel the excitement starting to build inside him at the thought of how much faster he would be able to fight, the more he improved his technique and was able to fight without any wasted movements. The more the skill improved, the more Langa felt The Lackadaisical Herald''s presence all around him. He could not explain it, but the way that Langa felt the presence of other deities felt more distant from how he felt The Lackadaisical Herald now. Was it because his connection to lightning and life was so much higher in this dungeon? Or was it because the Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship was connected to The Lackadaisical Herald, and the stronger Langa''s connection to the legacy the stronger his connection to the deity? Maybe it was a bit of both. Either way, he did not mind it. He was tired and needed to rest. The time in the dungeon did not seem to change, but Langa was sure that it had to be around late at night by now. He needed to finish this and get some rest. He allowed more of the remaining trollimps to move closer to one another on the bridge and then put more practice into infusing his mana, the electricity moving through his nerves and mixing with his own excitement. The trollimps gathered together towards the end of the bridge, making one final stand. A pathetic attempt, sure, but the little monsters were bold, he could give them that. Langa ran at them, and his spear pulsed with lightning mana, sending streaks of electricity through the trollimp workers, incapacitating them with each successful hit. Their regeneration could not keep up with his attacks. With a grand, sweeping movement of his glaive, Langa cleared the bridge of most of the trollimp workers, leaving the structure trembling. As Langa advanced along the bridge, the last trollimp remaining alive sneered at him, holding a large bag. With all its power, it threw the bag at him, and Langa knocked it out of the way with Tonare. The bag ripped, and a massive amount of the white powder that they had been feeding to the flowers¡ªmaybe 10kg of it¡ªfilled the air. It felt like ice on his skin and corrosive like acid, as it burned Langa''s skin and made it hard for him to breathe. ¡°Yhoo! Nkosi yami!¡± Langa coughed and ran at the trollimp, impaling it with Tonare. The white powder was starting to fill the air, and he had to get out of there. He continued to move forward, running up the bridge to get away from the poisoned air. If he stayed here any longer, he would start losing his health. ¡°Aren''t you forgetting something?¡± the Legacy asked. ¡°What? Oh shit!¡± Langa cried out in frustration. He had forgotten to get the healing sacs that he needed for his quest. Now he had to go back along all the bodies and pull out the healing sacs from their hearts while enduring the icy acid poison in the air. In the end, Langa used his headband as a mask to prevent himself from inhaling the toxic powder in the air. The powder had spread throughout the chasm, and some of the flowers were dying. The dying flowers also released a toxic mist that filled the air with poison. He pulled out the healing sacs with lightning speed and collected as many of the vitality saffrons as he could without slowing himself down, He even managed to find a closed pouch of the white powder that he placed in his backpack as well. Once he was done, he had collected 53 healing sacs, which he placed in his inventory. He ran to the end of the bridge, and there was a wooden door there that opened when he pushed it. He walked out slowly, just in case it was a trap, but there was nothing but darkness on the other side. He made sure to close the door so that there would be no leakage of the poisonous powder. He scanned the pouch of white powder. [Corrupted Trollimp Dung Fertiliser Item Rank: Uncommon Effects: Powdered trollimp dung is a potent fertiliser for poisonous herbs. Not for mortal consumption.] Ew. Langa put it away, and examined the new dungeon level. The new place that he had entered was pitch black, and he felt around for the wall. There were no flowers on this wall, and he was too exhausted to try and let his eyes adjust to the darkness, so he took out one of his flowers from the bag, using it as a light alongside the dim shimmer of the Legacy''s body. He had also forgotten to buy a torch or whatever was equivalent in the Tower. How could he forget to buy a torch? The Legacy gave him a pointed look. "No torch, no anti-poison potions, no supplementary healing potions, not enough weapons... has the standard of players fallen so hard that The Lackadaisical One has to make do with you?" Langa had had it with the snark, "Hey, this is my first time in a dungeon, okay? You''re supposed to be teaching me; you should have told me that I needed all those things," he snapped. "And, like I said before, I am fucking poor!" Well, it was his second dungeon if he counted the mini-dungeon in the tutorial, but still, the point remained. He was hissing furiously at the Legacy while keeping his voice low. The Legacy walked ahead of him. "I can only teach you about matters pertaining to the Legacy of Tonare," it said. Well, that was funny considering how much the damn Legacy insulted him all the time and had taught him mana infusion. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. As he walked in the darkness, an unexpected system announcement startled him. [SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT: Attention All Players and Non-Players within all the Deiwos Towers] [A Legendary Achievement has been made! For the first time across all 1773 Deiwos Towers, a player has been Chosen by a Neutriarch God. Player Liv''Kungsadu has been Chosen by the Neutriarch of Fire as his Avatar! Player Liv¡¯Kungsadu''s legendary achievement has not only brought immense glory to the Deiwos Clan but he has elevated their reputation! To honour him, Player Liv¡¯Kungsadu¡¯s name will be written in The Deiwos Clan Hall of Fame. Congratulations to Player Liv¡¯Kungsadu for this extraordinary honour!] Langa stopped walking. A legendary achievement? Liv had already completed his Sponsorship Challenge, and had a deity? He had even made a legendary achievement that was a first, not just in this Deiwos Tower, but in every Deiwos Tower? "What the hell is a Neutriarch God?" Langa asked, his chest tightening. He ignored the Legacy''s exasperated look. "They are gods who embody the 13 mana disciplines. They were the main founders of magic and mana control systems when they were mortal, and are widely regarded as the strongest gods after The Great Quartenity. That player is ridiculous. How did he gain the attention of a Neutriarch from a Tower of such a young clan?" They sounded powerful, but they were still ranked below The Quartenity. "I don''t get it. Isn''t Merreddyd, the Guardian Knight, bound to The Unrivalled? Shouldn''t she have gotten a legendary achievement, since The Quartenity are the strongest deities?" he asked. "It''s not the same," the Legacy told him. "The Great Quartenity are active in all Towers all over the multiverse... well Life and Death are mostly passive, but you get the gist. They have to be in every Tower, regulating the activities of mortals, deities and corruption. The Neutriarch gods, however, can choose which Towers they are active in. They have massive amounts of karma and having one of them be active in The Deiwos Tower will catch the attention of the others, spreading the name of The Deiwos Clan across many worlds and Towers. I wouldn''t be surprised if that player ended up getting his name mentioned in The Relgte of The Deiwos Clan." "It''s the first time," Langa said quietly, as he digested the Legacy''s words. He felt The Lackadaisical Herald''s eyes fixate on him again, sensing his change in mood. "What?" the Legacy asked. "No one has ever pulled so far ahead of me before," he said. His hands trembled, but there was a broad smile on his face. "How does he do it?" Langa''s blood boiled; he knew he was competitive, and when he had been a child, barely thirteen and running in the Under-16 division, he had learned to mark the people that he wanted to chase. They were fast, but once Langa marked them, he never stopped training and never stopped chasing them until he caught up and overtook them. He had been just a scrawny kid who loved to run, and he refused to allow himself to lose in the sport that he loved. In the tutorial, Langa had marked Liv, so him pulling so far ahead of him was proof that he had made the right choice. Liv''s achievement incited the flame in his blood. That flame soared into his heart, and as it pounded, he was determined that he would not be left behind. "Let''s go, Legacy. I have to catch up to him by whatever means necessary. Langa was happy for his friend, really, he was. But the more Liv pulled away, the faster Langa wanted to run after him and overtake him. It gave him a goal. Thus, he braved the darkness and continued walking. His eyes darted around, scanning for any signs of danger. As he made his way through the dark room, he spotted a set of stairs leading upwards. A glimmer of hope flickered inside him, urging him to go up and find a place to rest. He was utterly exhausted from his earlier fights, and the acidic powder that had filled the garden had made it harder for him to breathe. Going up a bunch of rock stairs in semi-darkness with only a flower and a Legacy ghost as dim sources of light was not helping him one bit. The staircase itself was strange too, as it wound upward in an old, magnificent coil shape. In the middle of the steps were large stone pillars that looked both sturdy and ready to crumble any minute. As Langa cautiously walked up, a shiver ran down his spine, giving him a ripple of apprehension. The spiral staircase seemed to stretch endlessly upwards, the cold air of the dungeon making his unease grow. Every step he took echoed ominously over the solid walls. Langa kept walking up those stairs for what felt like a whole day. He was tired, but he would not dare sleep here, it was too dark to see, and there could be trollimps watching him for all he knew, waiting until his guard was down. He sat down a few times to rest and eat his dungeon rations without sleeping, but the staircase never seemed to get any shorter. What time was it? He wondered, before remembering that he had a literal system with him. He was sure that he had been walking for at least a whole day and some hours. However, when he checked the date on the comcer, it was (13/04/12 MDCCLXXIII). He''d received the Challenge two days ago and started the dungeon the previous day, so that meant that he had only been walking for one day, or rather, the whole night. Damn, time was really moving slowly. These damn stairs were unending, and Langa wondered what this place used to be before it got corrupted. According to the Relgtes he''d read, some dungeons came from corrupted worlds, as the Void sealed the corruption in these little pockets and they were transferred into the Tower as corrupted dungeons. Langa was also curious about what kind of creatures these trollimps used to be before they got corrupted. So he continued to quietly go up the uneven steps that seemed to be testing his stamina with their jagged edges. He saw that more of the large stone pillars were strategically placed at regular intervals. Langa''s eyes were drawn to the pillars, their imposing figures casting long, creepy shadows that could be hiding anything. Each pillar had old runes and glyphs carved into it, and there was even a drawing of a large trollimp creature being bestowed with a crown by a humanoid creature with claws and jagged teeth. Once the large wore his crown there was a carving of hundreds of trollimps bowing to him. Below the being that gave him the crown were the words: Praise the lost race, the chosen users of the fourteenth affinity. The moment Langa placed his foot on the next step after that drawing, a glyph lit up from a pillar up ahead, and an arrow came soaring through the air at him. He dodged upwards, stepping onto the next step. The reason he avoided it was not because he''d sensed the arrow, no, it was thanks to his reflexes and speed that enabled him to move after seeing it. More arrows flew at him, and as he dodged behind another pillar, Langa''s heart pounded in his chest, both fear and adrenaline growing inside him. His mind raced with questions as wariness washed over him. He looked around wildly. Had he triggered a trap, or was someone here attacking him? He had no way of knowing since it was so fucking dark, so he dropped the flower he was holding for light and held Tonare in both hands as he looked around. He had no perception skills, so he could only rely on his instincts. Little did he know, this was the beginning of a deadly ambush. Another arrow flew towards his head, and he crouched down to dodge it, but another flew towards his leg, and just as he quickly stepped out of its way, another struck him in the shoulder. The defence of the jumpsuit armour was good, and the arrow only partially grazed his skin, most of it stuck in the armour. It seemed to be made of metal. Without any health potions, Langa had to rely on his wound-healing ointments from the tutorial. They weren''t nearly as effective, but they did help with the pain. Arrows descended upon him from above with each step he took on the stairs. The air screamed with magic as the arrows whizzed through the darkness, each possessing a different enchantment. Langa''s instincts kicked in, and he swiftly activated his Flash Step, teleporting a short distance downwards to evade the second wave of arrows. Some did hit him though, causing both pain and damage to his already exhausted body. ¡°You¡¯re a spirit, right, fly up!¡± Langa shouted at the Legacy as he dove down to avoid another arrow. When this one hit the wall, a chilly mist filled the air, and the area froze up. The Legacy floated up into the air, complaining the whole time that it was not a source of light. Pretending to be scanning around wildly, he looked up. On top of the pillar ahead of him and the one behind him, Langa saw two trollimps, one holding a physical bow while the other had a magic bow made entirely of ice. At least only he could see the Legacy, so the little shimmer of light was invisible to the trollimps. They didn''t know that he had spotted them. Trollimp Archer Level 9 HP: 540/540 There were three more pillars up ahead as well, each lined up in a semicircle around the spiral staircase. Langa was sure of it, there were trollimps perched on top of the pillars. He realised he had no idea how many more pillars were up ahead, as it seemed like the staircase was never-ending. At first, he thought that there were a lot of trollimps hunting him, but instead, he found out that there were only four, and by having the Legacy float near the pillars, he discovered that all the pillars were interconnected by a stone bridge that ran in a spiral like the staircase below it. If he went down the stairs, then each of the trollimps slid down to the lower pillar. If he went up, then they went up one pillar, following him all the way. Shit! They had the height advantage over him, and it was too dark for him to see and try to accurately throw Tonare. He didn¡¯t know what skills they had and was unwilling to risk losing his glaive. The trollimp on the pillar behind him unleashed more arrows imbued with frost magic. The projectiles left trails of icy mist in their wake, almost freezing him in place. Langa twirled his spear in a circle again, deflecting as many of the frost arrows as he could, however, one managed to graze his left arm, numbing it with cold. Fuck, he could barely move his hand. "System, convert 120 MP to HP. It took nearly his entire mana pool just to get 12 HP. It helped to lessen the pain a little, but now he could not infuse his mana into Tonare until it regenerated, and there was nowhere to hide, all he could do was keep running. Just as he started running up the stairs looking for a way to get out of this place because it seemed like it was easier for the trollimps to follow him down than up, another metallic arrow came flying at him from one of the other pillars, and he dodged it to the side. He would be able to dodge them all if he used his attribute, but that would drain his entire pool of stamina, and he would not be able to use Flash Step anymore. Hell, he might even fall under the stamina debuff again. Or, he might lose control of the attribute again. All these thoughts were going through his mind as he tried to twist through the second and third trollimps'' arrows as well. One of them had the icy arrows, while the other was sending a consecutive volley of metal arrows. He was grateful for the +3 agility on his armour because he would not have been able to run, dodge, and block the arrows without it. What the hell were the trollimps protecting that they were so fierce in their attacks? Langa cursed as he felt his heartbeat starting to pick up again. Was it fatigue? Excitement or fear? He didn''t know. All he knew was that he had decided to stand his ground and embrace even this fear as the stimulation that he had been searching his whole life for. So, he imagined that he was jumping through the hurdles on the track and felt himself start to enjoy it a little. But alas, the trollimps did not give him a moment of rest, and no matter how fast he was, Flash Step had a cool-down, and a stamina cost. His stamina had already been low from climbing the stairs, and this just made it worse. Black arrows rained down on him, and only after one of them pieced his armour in the abdomen did Langa realise that they were shadow arrows. The arrows were hard to detect because they seemed to blend seamlessly with the darkness. Fuck, he was running out of stamina again, and his breaths were heavy and ragged. Langa relied on his keen reflexes as he ran up the stairs, narrowly dodging the shadow arrows as they whistled past him, however, a few found their mark, leaving him momentarily disoriented as one grazed his neck. If he had still been wearing his leather armour, he would be an arrow pincushion right now. He should remember to buy Instructor Rancho a drink when he made his way back to the Valley of Guardians. The fourth trollimp''s arrows were the worst, though; black blisters appeared on his skin whenever they struck him. The poison in those arrows slowly started to melt his armour as well. Despite his best efforts to dodge, a couple of the arrows pierced his flesh, causing his vision to blur, and Langa found himself overwhelmed by the trollimps'' ruthless assault. Their height made it difficult for him to gain any ground, especially since they could move around in those bridges between the pillars. If he went lower, they went lower, and if he went higher, they went higher. If he used the exploding orbs, he might be able to bring a pillar down, but the trollimps would just jump onto the next one. Besides, the orbs only dealt about 150 to 250 damage, and there was no way that was enough to take down the sturdy pillars. He lost two daggers in the darkness when he threw them up at the trollimps. He was not getting anywhere. Well, he decided to take the chance and run further up the stairs, hopefully, outrun the trollimps and go into the next dungeon level, wherever that was. But since he needed the healing sacs to complete his Challenge, he was hoping that gaining higher ground would give him an advantage over the archers. An ice arrow struck him in the back, and he winced as he felt the chill. Shit, there were no more pillars up here, nowhere to hide. He would put in the ointment later. There had to be a way out. He ran and ran up those stars until he reached the end of the staircase, but it was only a wall, no door. He tried to kick it, but it wouldn''t budge. "Fuck!" He''d wasted his stamina for nothing. The trollimps were slow when following him up, but they would reach here soon enough, and he was stuck at a dead end. The Legacy wasn''t saying anything, there was no snarky advice. The Lackadaisical Herald was watching him quietly, and Langa couldn''t feel anything from him other than the fact that he was there. Langa pulled out an arrow that was lodged in his shoulder, wincing in pain, and then proceeded to pull out two more that were in his body. His pain tolerance had really gone up. A week ago, this would have had him screaming. While trying to think of a way forward, Langa applied the wound healing ointment to his wounds, and the warmth as it closed the wounds calmed him down a bit. He knew that there was no way that he could defeat four trollimps coming at him with arrows from all sides, each with different types of magic, with only one active skill, one passive skill, one weapon skill, and one stamina-draining attribute. There was no fucking way he was going to be able to do that. He had to run back to the garden, he would regroup or¡­ leave the dungeon entirely. If he did that, would The Lackadaisical Herald forgive him and give him another Challenge in 26 days? If not, he was sure that at least one of the 815 deities interested in him would still want him. Langa knew that he had asked for stimulation himself, but was this too much, too fast, or was he not trying hard enough? Would it be better if he went back? A voice inside of him asked, ¡°And then what?¡±. Why did he always default back to running away from his problems? He could run like he always did in his previous life, run away from this Challenge, and choose an easier one. Run away from his curse and the lives it kept taking; run away from his broken mind, his fears, and everything that tried to hurt him. He would keep running and running until he faced nothing in his own life. He clutched Tonare in his hand, the lightning mana in his body quivering at the thought of just existing again, living monotonously for nothing. He hated that. With his lightning and the electricity in the glaive resonating, he stood still. He didn''t know why, but it felt like all this was a part of him too¡ªTonare, the god watching over him, and the Legacy that was letting him make his own decision, not influencing him. Desperation clawed at Langa''s heart as he contemplated retreating. But the memory of a lifetime spent running, of never standing his ground, fuelled a fire within him. He had someone to chase, he had a god watching him, and he had a goal to reach. He could not run away this time. He would see this through to the end. 35. Floor 1: Psikes Grotto (3) Langa could feel pride in the eyes of The Lackadaisical Herald that were watching him. He wondered why. Was he proud of him for not running away? What reason did this god have to care about his decisions and how he lived his life? He supposed that he would have to ask him once the Challenge was done. The other deities were still silently watching him, and he wondered if it was because they were disinterested, or watching other players at the moment. Either way, it did not matter to him. Still, The Lackadaisical Herald''s concern and his continued observation of him made Langa happy because it reminded him of when his father would watch over him when he was playing in the woods. But now was not the time to think about this. He was still stuck at a dead end, and just because he decided not to run away did not mean that things were suddenly looking up for him. He needed to think of a way out of this mess, defeat the trollimp archers, and collect their healing sacs. "Now would be a good time for some advice, Legacy," Langa said dryly. The trollimps could be catching up to him any second now. "I''ve taught you everything that you need to move past the beginner level. It''s up to you to apply the knowledge to your situation," was the response he received. "How very helpful," he said, letting the sarcasm drip from his words. He stood as still as he possibly could, to ensure his stamina regeneration with the ring would continue before he had to fight. Alright, he had to think fast, because those fucking archers would reach this height any minute now. He analysed the situation logically. He couldn''t jump up the pillar; it was over 20 metres tall, and no matter how good his high jump skills were, that was just plain suicidal. Unless... could he activate his attribute and use his velocity to go up? No, Langa disregarded the thought, he would be stuck in the air if he just chose up as his direction, as he wouldn''t be able to use his velocity for more than a second with his low stamina. In the end, his only option was to destroy the pillars. It would not be easy, and Langa doubted that the trollimps would just sit still and wait to be attacked. He had to destroy one pillar while enduring the attacks from the rest of the trollimps on the other three pillars. That was, unless he could find a way to destroy all of the pillars at once. He groaned. This was why he wanted to learn the Lucent Enchanting Skill so that he could make his own bombs and make his fights end even faster, or better yet, learn some long-range skills. For someone who hated getting hurt, it sure was funny how all his skills were close and mid-range combat-oriented. He supposed that it would be efficient to blow up the pillars with his exploding orbs, but this was only the second level of the dungeon and the second day. It would not do for him to use all his trump cards already, before even facing off against a miniboss. He decided that he would only use those if he was actually dying. As he was thinking of the best way forward, an arrow whizzed through the air towards him. The trollimps had reached the pillars closest to him. He raised his spear to deflect it. He was tired; his stamina was low, and he couldn''t carelessly use Flash Step anymore, so he could only try to deflect the arrows. To his surprise, however, when he tried to block, the glaive passed right through the arrow, and another arrow struck him right in the abdomen. It had been an illusion. Fucking hell, how was this fair? These corrupted monsters had illusory arrows too now. More arrows came for him until his left arm was bleeding, and suffering from frostbite, thanks to an ice arrow. He did not want to have multiple arrows sticking out of his body again, so all he could do was dodge and duck as arrows continuously came for him. Enough was enough. While it had been a little thrilling to dart around the stairs dodging the arrows, this fight had gone on long enough. Langa had to end it now! He was on the highest point on the stairs, which meant that the pillars, while taller than him, all had their foundations on the stairs below him. His fight against Statia had given him a brand new perspective on how to use his weapon''s skill. It was a powerful skill, and the force it could generate from its impact was good, too. He also knew how destructive Tonare alone could be even without the skill, from his fight against Fidser, so he decided that the best way for him to fight was to use Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike now and save his attribute for later. Thanks to the light from the Legacy, he could see, exactly on which four pillars the trollimps were hiding. He decided that it was time to attack, and, holding Tonare in his right hand, he infused it with lightning and activated Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike. He only had a few charges of the skill left. He didn''t have any throwing skills, but through his resonance with the glaive, he could feel that it understood his intention as he threw it downward in a semicircular arc towards the closest four pillars as they were arranged semicircularly following the stairs. He didn''t like to use it as a throwing weapon before because it was his lifeline, but he knew that the skill would deal bonus damage when the glaive was thrown as well. It flew out like a lightning bullet, a blur bursting through the top pillar, following the semicircular arc he''d thrown, its momentum unchanged. Tonare struck and broke through two more pillars before the lightning fizzled out, and it missed the final pillar, falling onto the stairs. The backlash from the skill was agonisingly unbearable as the glaive''s lightning burned into his hand, but he was already numb, and the force of the backlash sent him tumbling down the stairs in pain. With his injured left hand, he grabbed onto the stone steps, cursing out in pain. He lifted his eyes and watched the result of his glaive''s work. The three pillars that had been hit broke apart in a burst of broken stone debris, and screams erupted from three trollimps as they fell from a 20-metre height onto the stone stairs. He stood up, ignoring his pain, still reeling from the backlash, and coated his daggers with the anti-heal potion and Kiribo''s Sweat. He infused his mana into the daggers so that he could inflict burn damage on the trollimps. Thanks to his high agility, he did all of this in an instant, and then he ran his aching body towards the fallen trollimp archers before their health could regenerate. They were in various states of injury, mostly from falling and from being buried under the rubble of the destroyed pillars. Sparing no mercy, he took out his dagger to slash each of the three''s necks. The last trollimp remaining on the undamaged pillar kept firing his shadow arrows at him as he killed its companions. As he did so, Langa''s back was riddled with more arrows, but he ignored the flaring of pain, killing the three trollimp archers. His health was dangerously close to 20% of its maximum, but he still made sure the monsters were dead by pouring two flaxes of the anti-heal potion on them before, finally, only the last archer remained. The trollimp seemed like it wasn''t going to run, as it could see that he was on his last legs, and it felt sure that it could kill him. This was it for both of them, and Langa had saved his attribute for this moment, as though not by much, his stamina had regenerated a bit while he was still on the stairs. With the amount of stamina he had, he could only use his velocity for one second. Tonare lay in front of the pillar with the last trollimp, and Langa, in his dizzy, disoriented mind from low health, decided that since his weapon was far away from him, he would use his velocity to crash his body like a rocket into the pillar. He could distantly hear the Legacy screaming at him not to be stupid. He activated his attribute and used the full force of his velocity to crash into the pillar. There was numbness and then a burst of pain that felt like he had been hit by a fucking truck and left battered and broken. Yeah, that had been a terrible idea, he thought deliriously as his head started ringing unpleasantly. He emerged in a heap on the other side of the now destroyed pillar, his bones broken, his body injured, and in pain as the debris started slowly falling towards him. Langa infused his last dagger with lightning mana and jabbed it into the neck of the fallen, screaming trollimp just as time returned to normal. His armour was good, but even it could only protect him so much from crashing debris, and he crawled towards his glaive, needing to have it by his side in case of another threat. Notifications filled his vision, and with his blurry eyes, he saw a small wooden chest among the debris of the broken pillar, and he pulled it towards himself as the stairs broke beneath the weight of the broken pillars, and Langa began to fall. He landed hard on a cold stone floor on his legs, and when the pain struck him, he knew one of them was definitely swollen or sprained. He grimaced as the leg failed to support him, and he fell until he lay at the bottom of the floor, dazed and in pain. He had tumbled down, his body now aching from the impact of the fall on top of his other injuries. [WARNING!!! Your health has fallen below 10% of its maximum. Please seek healing immediately!] With a groan, he slowly pushed himself up, wincing as he felt the throbbing pain in his leg. He applied the wound healing ointment to it, but it barely did anything since the leg did not have an open wound. He lay down for a few seconds, waiting until his health was at 11% of its maximum before moving. Deciding that getting his leg to heal was a lost cause for now, Langa looked around, and realised he had fallen into a hidden chamber¡ª some sort of secret place hidden beneath the stairs. Was this what the trollimp archers had been guarding? He saw that the bodies of the four trollimp archers he¡¯d killed had also fallen in here with him, but they were a bit further down. He would collect the healing sacs as soon as he made sure that this place was not a trap. He shoved the chest that he''d taken from the pillar into his Feathervault bag, needing to check his surroundings and ensure that he was safe before he allowed himself to rest and heal up. He slowly stood up, making sure not to put too much weight on his bad leg. Cautiously, Langa hobbled forward, using the walls for support. The air felt different here, with a terrible stench surrounding the whole place. The low light from above revealed a small shrine, covered with strange carvings and symbols similar to the ones that he had seen drawn on the pillars. There was power here, a dark essence that seemed to fill the entire place. It felt somewhat familiar but also wrong at the same time for him to be here. ¡±What the hell is this place?¡± he wondered out loud. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡±A shrine for a disgusting boss monster who thinks himself to be a deity thanks to the powers he received from corruption would be my guess,¡± the Legacy said, its light allowing Langa to see more around the shrine. "And it is a worshipper of the lost race, no doubt." His eyes widened as they settled on the strange objects scattered around the shrine. A collection of weathered bones lay neatly arranged on a stone altar, and above the altar, a peculiar carving hung from the ceiling¡ªa delicate object shaped like a talisman, a strange light coming from it. However, it was the paintings that truly captivated him. They lined the walls, depicting the story of an ancient trollimp wearing a crown. There was a drawing of a tall humanoid creature with its arms wide open as it granted the trollimp power, setting it free. It looked similar to the one he''d seen on the previous dungeon level. Having received corruption, the trollimp battled ferocious beasts with gnarly claws and sharp fangs, each confrontation frozen in time in the painting. The trollimp''s strength shone through, as he effortlessly overpowered his adversaries. It was strange, but the trollimp disappeared from the frame sometimes, yet he continued to smite his enemies. Another painting revealed the victorious trollimp, standing tall in front of a horde of tiny creatures. With their heads bowed in subservience, they seemed to obey his every command. The trollimp led the tiny creatures, along with a mass of other trollimps following him, into a grotto to construct a grand home, a fortress where they could thrive and prosper. Langa couldn''t help but stare at the paintings, his mind filled with wonder and curiosity. Who was this ancient trollimp? What power did he possess? Was the lost race the strange being that had granted him power? And why were these images tucked away in this hidden shrine? No, now was not the time to be curious, he thought, as he limped towards the door on the side of the caved-in wall. As he made his way there, Langa noticed a small wooden statue of the crowned trollimp tucked away in a corner. Intrigued, he moved closer and found next to it a collection of ancient scrolls. They were filled with faded text, written in a language he couldn''t decipher. Well, he may not be an avid gamer, but he sure as hell knew that he should take everything he could get from this dungeon. It would probably be worth something if he sold it, at least. He was sure there were people like his father who loved reading and researching ancient texts. He continued towards the broken door since he knew that he needed to make sure that it was safe before he sat down to rest, he didn¡¯t want any surprises. Since the door was already broken, a monster might jump out and catch him unawares. Langa cautiously opened the creaky door to reveal a much larger and spooky chamber filled with even more symbols and magical runes. His footsteps were the only sound he could hear as he walked softly on the cold stone floor and limped further inside. At first, the room seemed calm and promising, but when Langa looked around, he saw a big cauldron in the corner. The cauldron was filled with a bright pink potion that the gardeners had been using to water the saffrons. It smelt really good. Was someone here? He was immediately alert as he went closer to the cauldron, yet there were no sounds except for the bubbling potion. But just as he was about to relax, he heard a deep growl that made his heart skip a beat. He looked around sharply to find where the sound came from, and there, standing up from inside the cauldron, was another trollimp. The trollimp had red skin that shone in the low light as it was covered in the potion, and it had a big nose and two sharp fangs. It''s one eye locked onto Langa, looking pissed as the potion dripped all over its body. Corrupted Trollimp Warden Level 10 HP: 940/940 "You''ve got to be fucking kidding me," Langa''s entire body screamed in pain, begging him to take a break, even as he readied Tonare, and took his stance, balancing on his uninjured leg. Normally, a single monster the same level as he was, with this low health wouldn¡¯t be a problem for him, but all his main stats were still regenerating. The trollimp snarled, jumping out of its cosy cauldron, and spilling the potion all over the floor. Langa''s instincts kicked in, and he quickly raised Tonare. He kept his eyes on the angry creature, and, gripping his spear tightly, he prepared to face it. The monster jerked, its oversized nose twitching as it inhaled his scent. Its single eye glowed with a glare, and its sharp claws extended, becoming as long as knives, ready to attack. With a sudden burst of unnatural speed, the creature lunged towards him, its claws slicing through the air. Even though its speed surprised him, Langa''s reflexes kicked in, allowing him to dodge the monster''s initial attack. He leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the razor-sharp claws that would have surely torn through his flesh. Pivoting on his good leg, he countered with an upward slash of his spear, aiming for the monster''s thick red chest, but while the glaive cut into the skin, it was not deep enough to create a lasting wound. Shit, the anti-heal potion on the glaive was used up, but the monster¡¯s skin was also much stronger than all the other trollimps he¡¯d faced so far. It gave him no time to apply the potion again, as well as Kiribo''s Sweat. As it growled at him, Langa stepped back, creating some distance between them to allow him to use the glaive effectively, just as the Legacy was about to bark at him to create distance. But even with his improved skills, the creature''s defences held strong. Without power in his legs, Tonare bounced harmlessly off the monster''s hardened hide, barely leaving a scratch. Frustration surged through him as he realised his usual tactics would not be enough to overcome this battle. Sensing Langa''s momentary weakness, the trollimp warden took advantage of the opening. It retracted its extended claws and launched them towards him like deadly blade darts. He knew he could not afford to get hit. His health was already low, he couldn¡¯t use health potions, and he could only rely on his reflexes as he could not move fast enough with his injured leg. A claw-dart grazed his arm, leaving bloody scratches in its wake. He used Flash Step to get behind the trollimp, but the moment he landed, he cried out in pain. Fuck, he didn¡¯t control which leg he landed with, and he had landed on his injured one. He still thrust Tonare into the trollimp¡¯s back as he couldn''t afford to let his leg get in the way of the attack. With the extra damage from Flash Step, he had finally injured it enough, giving it a wound that would not instantly regenerate. There was a screech of pain, and then the trollimp once more moved with unnatural speed, turning around, leg raised. The trollimp¡¯s leg collided with his abdomen before he could dodge, and he was violently pushed back, stumbling. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Langa knew he needed to change his strategy. His mana, health and stamina were all low, so he had to sacrifice two for one. Should he use Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike again with its limited charges and the backlash that might kill him at his currently low HP? Or should he use his attribute and Flash Step, risking the stamina debuff where he would no longer be able to move, not knowing if there were more enemies around? Darting around the monster slower than he normally would thanks to his leg, he moved according to his Legacy skill¡¯s designated steps, striking at its vulnerable joints when he found an opening but his attacks were not deep enough and its high health regeneration slowed down the effects of any progress he might be making. He aimed for the creature''s eye, hoping to blind it temporarily, but the trollimp anticipated his move and twisted away at the last moment. Sweat poured down his face as he tried to dodge the trollimp¡¯s physical claws and its claw-darts while conserving his stamina, his injured leg pleading for mercy. With all the strength he could currently muster, Langa ran forward, driving his lightning-infused spear deep into the monster''s side. The creature shrieked in pain again, momentarily stunned by the unexpected attack. His leg protested painfully as he pushed himself harder, focusing on the goal of this fight, maybe there was a way out of here, to regroup, rest and fucking sleep. But the trollimp rushed at him so fast that had it been someone with lesser speed, Langa would not have been able to leap aside to avoid the claws slashing at him. He stumbled again but managed to stay upright just as the trollimp extended its claws to attack once again. Fuck, he was exhausted, the trollimp''s skin was hard, and his blades struggled to penetrate its skin. Only Tonare could do so, but the trollimp was not allowing Langa any space to effectively use his glaive. It was fast, not as fast as he was, but for a level 10 corrupted monster, it was too fucking fast. Even as he thought this, the claws slashed him in the face, the pain ice cold against his skin as he tasted his own blood. His face must be hideous, he thought, as sweat and blood mixed on his face, as he closed his eyes in pain. "Left!" the Legacy''s voice said, and it was funny, but Langa could not even see it anymore, it felt like he could hear it inside his head, so he instinctively sidestepped to the left just as the extended claws of the trollimp swiped at the spot that he''d been standing before. He pulled himself to a stop, swinging his spear up in a wide arc. He nearly lost his grip on Tonare as it connected with the trollimp''s neck and something snapped as the creature howled in pain. He swung Tonare at its head, but it backhanded him painfully, and knocked the glaive out of his hands, sending it clattering onto the stone floor, too far for Langa to reach. He felt breathless and only had time to turn around before the trollimp grabbed him by the throat and tossed him into the broken wall. Stars filled his vision as he slid down the wall to the floor beneath. The trollimp was coming for him again, and, blindly, he pushed out his uninjured leg, tripping the monster, so that it fell on top of him. This fucking trollimp was heavy, and Langa knew that he would never be able to live down the fact, if he got killed by a level 10 monster that he could one-shot with Tonare on a good day. He was not going to lose to something weaker than him. He refused to. Tonare was too far away, so all he could do was grab at this chance before it could reorient itself. In a panic, Langa hastily thought out to the system, ''Convert all remaining mana to stamina and all HP to stamina¡­wait leave 5% of my maximum for both.'' That was just enough to raise his stamina to 50% of his maximum, the minimum needed to activate his attribute. ¡±Impulse Pulse!¡± he said, and the world slowed down. He only had less than a second before his attribute was deactivated from his lack of stamina. He didn''t think, the moment time slowed down, Langa grabbed a defective Exploding Fire Orb from his inventory, infused all of his remaining mana into it, and slammed it into the trollimp''s heart as hard as he could. He scrambled to get away from under it before the orb exploded, using the wall for support, but he only managed to move a few centimetres away before his attribute was deactivated. The explosion sent shockwaves through the air, rocking the chamber and causing debris to rain down around them. Searing heat erupted above him and Langa shielded his face with his arms, feeling the heat and hearing the trollimp¡¯s deafening roar. As the smoke cleared, he struggled to sit up, his body aching and his vision still blurry. He coughed as he struggled to breathe. But as he looked at the spot where the trollimp had been, he couldn''t believe his eyes. The monster was nowhere to be seen. Langa''s heart pounded in his chest as he cautiously searched the area with his eyes, fearing that the trollimp had somehow survived the blast. But there was no sign of it. Had the explosion disintegrated the trollimp completely? It seemed too good to be true. As he scanned the chamber, his eyes fell on a large hole in the wall next to him, where the force of the explosion had blown a section away. Could the trollimp have been launched outside? Driven by curiosity and the need for confirmation, Langa squinted looking towards the hole cautiously. He peered through it, and, astonishingly, there, lying motionless on the ground, was the trollimp. Its body was scorched and charred, its entire top half gone, evidence of the explosive demise it had met. He couldn''t help but let out a triumphant laugh, relief flooding through him. He had defeated the monster despite his weaknesses. [You have killed a level 10 Trollimp Wadern. Rewards will be issued once the quest is complete. Please wait.] [You are critically injured! Your health has fallen below 5% of its maximum. Please seek healing immediately!] Langa tried to reach out for his glaive on the stone floor, taking a moment to catch his breath. He knew he couldn''t waste any more time. There were still more challenges to face, and more monsters to defeat within the dungeon. However, to his horror, he couldn¡¯t reach out as half of his left arm was gone completely, burned away by the explosion. His right arm was still there, but it was sizzling with fire and he smelt his burning flesh. It was horrifying to look at and his mind couldn¡¯t process it. He tried to force this into the back of his mind where he compartmentalised every trauma but it was hard to do when he could literally see that he had no left arm. Langa tried to sit up but he couldn¡¯t even support his own weight and his head was dizzy. He could not think straight and the pain was weakening him even more. [Debuff: Stamina below 5%. Reduced movement speed. You are paralysed until stamina regenerates to 10%. Time remaining: 52 seconds] He wasn¡¯t in the tutorial anymore, and the system wasn¡¯t going to find ways to try to save him this time. Although his stamina regeneration had improved drastically since then, it wasn''t going to help him with this pain. Fuck, this was why he wanted a self-healing skill. He refused to die here, but he knew this was real life. The will to live alone was not going to save him. He needed to get his head together and think of a solution. There was really only one thing he could try. He was dying, and with no other choice, Langa reached into his Feathervault bag with his aching right hand and retrieved one of the poisonous vitality saffrons he had collected. He knew that these flowers possessed potent healing properties, but their toxicity could prove fatal if consumed raw. With trembling hands, he bit into the flower and chewed it. It tasted like lemon leaves, bitter and acidic. ¡°Fool,¡± the Legacy said, standing over him. His already ailing body felt like it was on fire but he forced himself to swallow. He was sure that it was going to be painful but thankfully, blissfully, his mind drifted into unconsciousness. His last thought was wishing he had his divine domain right now, to regain his health and get some rest. He could only hope that the trollimp warden was the only monster in here. 36. Floor 1: Psikes Grotto (4) The first thing that Langa realised when he woke up was that he was no longer in pain. His left arm was back, and his right was healed. The fatigue and weariness in his body had disappeared, as if he¡¯d been given restful sleep. Every fibre of his being was filled with vibrant energy, and although he was lying on the cold, hard floor, he was not tired at all. He was happy because he dreamt about his father. How long had it been since the memories from before his father''s death had started to fade away? Even in his dream, he could not see his father''s face. It was strange because he had plenty of pictures of him back home, but he could never see his face in his memories. He opened his eyes. Immediately, he noticed that Tonare was not with him. It was not in its sheath, and it was nowhere near where he was sleeping. A quick wave of panic overcame him, he was not sure when it had happened, but Tonare was now his centering object that he held whenever he wanted to calm down. His connection to it probably started in the tutorial, but he wasn''t sure. He was anxious to find it as soon as possible. Looking around, much to his amazement, he took in the room that he was in¡ªif he could even call it that. It seemed as if he had somehow ended up in the other part of the dungeon level, where he fought the trollimp warden. The area where he was seemed to have been damaged when the stairs above collapsed. There was pink powder clinging to his hands. The old, worn-out stone pillars had caused the upper roof of this place to cave in, and there was a large open space above, but it was too dark to see what was up there. He saw the Legacy sitting with its back to him on top of a pile of broken rocks. All around him were broken rocks, and he was sure he was in some underground room that had been below that giant staircase. There were multiple small metal cages scattered all over the floor, all open, and Langa was instantly alert. Although they looked big enough to hold only a small kitten each, he couldn¡¯t be sure since this was a corrupted dungeon. He did not want to get scratched by a corrupted kitty. When he touched the material of the tiny cage, it felt like a rough stone on his palms, with strange inscriptions and carvings lighting up along it. He instantly retracted his hand, not wanting to activate any unknown traps. The wall of this underground room was half-crumbled, and there were cracks all over it. A stone statue that looked similar to the carving of the trollimp wearing a crown also lay broken on the floor, its pieces scattered all over. Dead clumps of vitality saffrons were scattered along the floor, and there was a large cauldron the size of Langa in the middle of the room, connected by strange tubes to the cages. The cauldron was half broken now, and Langa could see the bright-coloured potion that he''d seen the trollimps using to water the vitality saffrons inside. When Langa stood up, the uneven floor of the room felt rough, even through his boots, and the dust in the air made him cough out loudly. Tonare was buried under a large rock, and he pulled it out. It was not damaged, so he shrank it and put it back into the sheath. Since he was making a ruckus, the Legacy turned around and looked at him. There was a mixture of relief, anger, and joy on its face, but it quickly righted its face and scowled at him. "Do you not value your life? How could you eat a flower that clearly tells you in its description that it''s poisonous?" Langa stretched his arms and flashed the Legacy a smile. "I''m alive, aren''t I?" "Yeah, thanks to these little ones. If they didn''t force-feed you their lifeblood and combine their power to control the lifeblood in your body, you would be dead," the Legacy said, and from under the broken rocks, small creatures the size of kittens popped out. "It''s okay, he''s an idiot, but he won''t harm you." The little creatures had fluffy snow-white fur, big pink eyes, and large bat-like ears. They had three sharp claws on their feet and hands. There were perhaps ten of the little things looking at Langa curiously. "Wow, what are these things?" he asked, crouching down to pet one of them when it nuzzled his leg. He decided to scan it, just to be safe, he couldn''t trust anything in the Tower, no matter how cute it was. It could be a corrupted monster. Vitality Allemak Level 2 HP: 30/30 Okay, good, it wasn''t a corrupted monster, so he picked it up in his hands, and looked at it closely. As far as he was concerned, Langa had four weaknesses, besides his family, that he would unhesitantly risk his life for: children needing protection, his compulsive need to recover the bodies of the dead and lay them to rest, cute, tiny animals, and... beautiful older women who could cook. This little allemak touched two of his weaknesses, it was obviously a child. "Wait, did these things just look at you, Legacy? I thought that only I could see you. How come they can see you?" No one else had been able to see the Legacy so far. "They are creatures with a natural sensitivity to life magic. Of course, they can see me," the Legacy said, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world. So did that mean that The Lackadaisical Herald had created the Legacy using life magic? But The Lackadaisical Herald had also said that he had no control over the personality of the Legacy. What the hell was the Legacy? "How long was I out?" Langa asked, rubbing his eyes. He decided not to dwell on things that he had no idea about. He could always do some research later. "It was almost a full day. That''s how long it took the allemaks to use their lifeblood to clear the poison from your body," it said, fixing him with a disapproving gaze. "Now, you need to go, according to them, the trollimp crafters will come down here to collect the lifeblood soon, and once they do, they''ll be able to see what you did up there. You need to keep moving." "These things can speak?" That was the most important thing that he got from that conversation. "Not very well, their Towerspeak is bad," the Legacy told him. The allemaks on the ground started chattering in a screeching language Langa couldn''t understand, and the one he was holding opened its mouth. "Me can speak," it, no she, said in a barely audible voice. A week ago, this would have taken him by surprise, but things like this no longer freaked him out. "Yes, you can, so what''s your name?" "Rila. Player feels better now?" she asked, her bright pink eyes on him. "I feel great. You guys saved me, right? Thank you. So, that pink potion, it''s your lifeblood?" He asked, and she nodded. "Player save Rila, so Rila save player," it said. "Player break roof, roof break the cage." Had he saved them? He had no idea how. Then he remembered something. ¡°Shit, where are the bodies of the trollimp archers and the warden? Damn it, did I lose the healing sacs?" He knew that the bodies would disappear after a while if they were not looted. "And wasn¡¯t there a chest?" Rila screeched loudly at the other allemaks on the floor and they excitedly dragged a small pouch from behind the rubble towards him. Langa bent down curiously and picked it up, still holding Rila in one hand. Opening it, Langa found five trollimp healing sacs. He had honestly thought that he had lost them, but these little things must have retrieved the sacs from the dead trollimp archers and the warden for him. "Did you tell them to do this?" He asked the Legacy, touched. The Legacy scowled and looked away as Langa checked out the contents of the chest in his Feathervault bag. Opening up the chest, Langa found a scroll inside. He¡¯d nearly been killed by those fucking archers, so the reward had better be good. [Volley of Arrows Spell Scroll Rank: Uncommon (Consumable) Effects: Unleashes a volley of 20 arrows into the sky, in a 5 metre radius around the caster. Each arrow deals 50 discipline damage within a 3 metre radius of its landing point. Should any targets be within range, 60 bonus discipline damage will be dealt upon the target. Charges: 4/4 Each charge will release arrows of either one of three types: poison damage, ice damage, metal damage or random discipline damage. Infuse Mana to activate Cost: 100 MP Cool-down: 10 minutes] Langa smiled, this was a good reward, but the mana cost was steep. One charge would take almost 80% of his total mana at once! Still, that reward was absolutely worth it. He had even gained (+1%) poison resistance. He put his rewards away, focusing on the task at hand. What was so special about the allemaks'' lifeblood, anyway? He scanned the large cauldron containing the pink liquid. [Allermak Lifeblood Item Rank: Rare The mana-filled blood extracted from the body of a rare creature filled with vitality and water mana. Useful crafting ingredient. Helps improve HP regeneration when used over a long period of time. Slow and controlled usage is advised to prevent toxic overflow of life energy.] Putting it away, he turned back to Rila. "Why are they keeping you prisoner like this? This is awful," he said through gritted teeth, looking at the broken cages. The allemak tilted her head like she didn''t understand. "Lifeblood precious, elder say. Me don''t know?" "Where''s your elder?" he asked. Why would an elder leave children imprisoned inside a dungeon like this? "Pool. Locked with warriors, too strong, and fight. Must watch," she said. She struggled to talk and explain the situation. Langa listened to Rila''s disjointed story and wanted to help her. He owed her a life debt after all. According to her, it seemed that when he made the stairs collapse, he had accidentally broken open a prison by the forge room where the trollimps kept the allemaks children captive. Since the battles with the trollimp archers and the warden had taken their toll on him, and the vitality saffron''s poison was spreading in his body, he was saved by the now-free allemak children. Looking closely at the allemak in his hands, something became clear to Langa as he saw that there were areas on Rila''s soft fur that were just gone, replaced with needle and knife scars. The other little allemaks at his feet were also covered in the same scars, and Langa clenched his fist in anger. So, the trollimps were keeping these allemaks imprisoned and draining their blood? They were carelessly using another living being''s blood as watering material for some fucking flowers? Rila showed him a map inside the dead trollimp warden''s room. It consisted of all five levels of this dungeon. The entrance grassland and the garden were on the same level, then came the pillar stairs, below that was the current level, marked as the residential area. This room, the forge, and an unnamed tunnel after it were on the third level. The final two levels were labelled only as the pool and the throne room. It was not hard to guess where the boss could be found. Well, he knew how he was going to repay his life debt to the allemaks. Besides, it sounded like he needed to pass through the pool and the area where the allemak adults were being held anyway to get to the boss room. Since he had to kill some trollimps for his quest anyway, he would enjoy it more knowing how vile they were. According to Rila, the pool cavern was divided into two parts: the cells where the trollimp guards kept the allemaks and drained their lifeblood for the pool, and the pool where the trollimps took turns and bathed in allemak lifeblood. Since there were apparently three more levels of this dungeon left¡ªthis level, the level with the prison and the pool, as well as the level with the boss room, it made Langa a bit apprehensive since he barely had two and a half days left to clear the dungeon. Unfortunately, the little allemaks didn¡¯t know how many more trollimps there were. ¡°Where are the enchanters and blacksmiths if this is a forge?¡± Langa asked, once more walking around this room, exploring it. ¡°Swimming in lifeblood pool for 3 days. Come back tomorrow. Player go back before come back,¡± Rila said as she scratched him anxiously. The trollimps seemed to be storing most of the lifeblood in a pool for themselves to bathe in on certain days in order to improve their health regeneration. The trollimps had left the warden in charge of watching the allemaks in the forge room, but Langa had killed him. ¡°Why not run away? I mean, can¡¯t you leave the room now, and go back up? The stairs collapsed, sure, but you guys should be able to make your way up the broken stairs. There''s no danger, and I''m sure the poison in the garden has dissipated by now. I killed all the trollimps up there,¡± he said. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. But Rila shook her head. ¡°Only elder knows way. But, can¡¯t leave dungeon. Bad, dark barrier hurts,¡± she said, her body shaking in his arms. The only ways out of here seemed to be up, where Langa had come from, or through the trollimp warden''s room, where there was a half-broken wall. Langa walked over to the wall, stepping over the rubble until he reached the tunnel next to it. There was a black mist all over the tunnel, and he tentatively stuck the tip of a single finger into the mist, and his hand instantly started to shake and tremble as something began to eat away at it. It only hurt a little, but he wasn''t keen on putting his whole body through the mist barrier. [You are under the influence of a corrupted barrier mist. Darkness damage will be incurred for every second in contact with the barrier mist.] [-2HP -2HP] So, like the allemaks, Langa was also kind of trapped now; well, that was just great. If he climbed back up the way he came, he might be able to find another way into the remaining three dungeon levels, but he knew that would take time. He would have to pass through the barrier somehow. ¡°How high is your darkness resistance?¡± the Legacy asked him, eyeing the barrier. "It''s actually my highest resistance stat, but I''m not going to risk going into the mist without knowing how long the tunnel goes for, so it''s too risky," Langa said. His darkness resistance was 39%, but he did not want to take the dangerous route. Besides, he had a great idea, and now might be the time to implement it. He had a skill that he wanted to learn, and if he learnt it, he would be able to make an item to pass through the barrier. This room was a forge, right? Langa looked around once more, spotting a large pile of rocks that had created a wall between him and the rest of this dungeon room. He stretched one arm, holding Rila in the other, and walked over to that place. The forge was half-destroyed, but it was still covered in a bright pink glow coming from the numerous lifeblood pipe-channels running along the floor. Most of them were busted, and the lifeblood spilt all over the dungeon floor. Strange glyphs and runes were etched into the cracking walls, and they glowed white and blue, giving the room a rainbowy light. There were anvils of all sizes close to the wall, near what looked like an empty fireplace with fire lucent crystals. Next to it were various broken and intact swords, multiple daggers, arrows, shields, some bracers, a necklace, and four lucent crystals, as well as scattered enchanting tools. The lucent crystals were two uncommon darkness lucent crystals, one common life crystal and one common fire lucent crystal. The lifeblood of the allemaks was also everywhere, next to the enchanting needles, and next to the fireplace as well. The trollimps were apparently using lifeblood as auink to create enchanted weapons, the most recent being a jacket for their king. Langa found that to be unacceptable. ¡°So, besides the barrier, you guys can¡¯t leave the dungeon?¡± Langa asked the allemak quietly. ¡°I mean, you¡¯re not corrupted. Isn''t the dungeon only supposed to seal away corruption?¡± Rila tilted her head in confusion and said, ¡°Can¡¯t leave. No home.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t-¡° ¡°It means that this place was their home before the corruption corrupted the trollimps and everything around here was sealed away by the Void into a corrupted dimension dungeon,¡± the Legacy explained. ¡°They can¡¯t leave unless the dungeon is completely cleared and the boss monster has no more respawns left to rebuild the dungeon.¡± Was that right? Langa patted the allemak, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is the last life that the boss has. I¡¯ll clear it, and then you guys can be free to leave,¡± he told her. Rila beamed at him. ¡°With the barrier in the tunnel, how do the trollimps come here back and forth, then?¡± Langa asked. ¡°Have ring, pass barrier,¡± she said. ¡°Rila steal ring from dead warden but only not work. Can¡¯t use.¡± Rila reached into her fur with her tiny claws, and produced a broken ring. [Inferior Barrier Sleutel Ring Rank: Common Effects: Allows the user to pass through a corrupted magic barrier of common rank or lower by nullifying 92% darkness damage. Durability: 0/25 (DAMAGED)] The defeated trollimp¡¯s ring was damaged, and its charges were finished, so he could not use it to break through the barrier. If he wanted to reach the other dungeon levels, he had no choice but to find a working ring or make his own item to pass through the barrier. Langa glanced around the room, taking in the books, grimoires, enchanting needles, and the bag filled with metals and weapons. "Alright, I''m going to learn the Lucent Enchanting Skill and make myself an item to cross the barrier," Langa announced to the room at large. He had been planning to learn the skill later anyway, and if it could help him now, then all the better. "Enchant? Cool player!" Rila said, enthusiastically scratching Langa''s face in excitement. The Legacy, however, was not so easily impressed. If anything, it looked unhappy. "Are you a fool? You would have to raise the skill to at least Beginner level 3 before you could make any usable items. That could take days or weeks, even at the beginner level. I would even argue that level 5 is the best level to create a useful item with decent durability, so..." the Legacy paused when it saw the broad grin on Langa''s face. "Why are you smiling like that? Stop it, it''s creepy." "Level 3, you say?" Langa asked. "Well, then it''s a good thing I''ve got 4 unused skill points." The Legacy was appalled. "You''re going to waste precious skill points on a Beginner level skill? Do you have any idea how hard it is to raise your skill levels at Master level?" it asked. "Skill points are hard to come by unless you have a lot of achievements." "Well," Langa said, opening the skill book. "I guess I''d better earn a lot of achievements then." Langa put Rila down and pulled out the skill book from his inventory. Before he started, he watched and then deleted the footage of when he was sleeping to free up his vicomcer for more hours to store his videos. Maybe some weirdos would be interested in watching him enchant. Even though he had already made his decision, he still hesitated because he was throwing away at least 5 gold. That was how much Fidser had listed the skill for on the auction site. [Please note: Player can only learn a maximum of: 5 Passive Skills (1/5) 10 Active Skills (1/10) 10 Divine Skills (0/10) Would you like to learn the active skill ¡®Lucent Enchanting¡¯? Y/N] "Yes!" [You have learned the skill: Lucent Enchanting] [Skill: Lucent Enchanting Active skill Skill Rank: C Skill description: You gain the knowledge required to disenchant and imbue any non-living items containing lucents with glyphs, runes, auink and threads to give them diverse abilities. Raise the skill level to gain more enchantments. Cost: 50 mana (Base) Cool-down: 100 seconds.] [At Beginner Level, only Common Rank or lower items can be disenchanted.] Knowledge flowed into his head on how to disenchant items to gain the enchantments, and the need to make an auink to inscribe the enchantments on objects. He now knew of the importance of accurate inscriptions and constant mana infusion. Langa sat on the stool behind the enchanting table and got ready to begin. Since he had just learnt the Enchanting Skill, he knew what he had to do. He needed to first disenchant some items to learn some enchantments, then use those to enchant the various broken swords, daggers, and arrows in this dungeon room. From the knowledge that the skill gave him, he learnt that if he replaced one enchantment with another, he would no longer be able to use the replaced one. No matter how well he inscribed it, if he did not have the enchantment on his menu, it would not work. It was a good thing that he was stuck in an enchanting forge right now. While some weapons would not be useful for him because of how weak they were, he could use them to gain enchantments in order to level up his skill. Now that he had the skill, he could read the enchantment glyphs without having to infuse his mana into the weapon. According to the grimoire he found in this forge, in order to gain an enchantment, he first had to disenchant an item containing it. The disenchanted item would be destroyed, but the enchantment would be on his list of available enchantments to use. Because of that, he planned to use the most useless weapons for now. Langa gave himself a day to do this. That was how long it would take for the trollimp enchanters to return, and he would still have two days left to complete the Challenge. If all that was left was the pool and the boss room, he was fairly confident that he could do it. Also, that was the longest amount of time that he was willing to spend learning a crafting skill. He swore to himself that this would be his one and only crafting skill. The Legacy watched, bored, as Langa selected the weapons that he wanted to disenchant. "I don''t know why you are complicating things for yourself like this," it said, shaking its head. "You could learn this skill any other time, but you chose now?" "Of course, I chose now. I have the resources in here, and a forge to use for free, at least for a while. Besides, I need to make that ring for myself as well." Langa said, ready to start. He was sure that this was going to be annoyingly boring. All he wanted to do right now was either run and fight, or sleep. There was no in-between for him, and in his opinion, repetitive tasks were the plague of progress. Sighing, he got to work. First, he wanted to disenchant one of the short swords with the +5 Sharpness enchantment. Once he reached level 5 in the skill, Langa would be able to enchant an item that would enable him to break the magic barrier trapping him inside this dungeon room. ¡°Strange, this floor is made from takelerite, that is quite an ancient material,¡± the Legacy said, sounding impressed. ¡°I wonder what world this dungeon comes from.¡± When it spoke, it¡¯d startled Langa from his diligent crafting, so he didn¡¯t respond. He needed to concentrate and not let floating spirits disturb him. Learning crafting skills was never easy, and he hated that more than anything. They required study, knowledge, and hard work. "When I read the Relgte of The Unrivalled, it said something like that corrupted dimension dungeons are sealed into pockets by the Void, right? Maybe that''s where this stone comes from, the Void," Langa said, answering the Legacy''s earlier statement. "Wow, even when you study, you don''t understand," the Legacy said with an exasperated sigh. "Listen, this is basic knowledge that every three-year-old child in any natural world knows. When a world gets targeted by corruption, the world''s Void is the first line of defence to seal the corruption as much as possible before every living being in that world is corrupted. Those sealed pocket dimensions are then transported into a Tower as corrupted dimension dungeons." That was something that Langa could not understand even after reading all those Relgtes. Was corruption so bad that a Void Eruption was considered a better alternative to it? He''d seen what happened to Zamone, and to him, it looked like the Void had done as much damage as the corruption, if not more. "I don''t get it, can the Void actually stop the corruption?" "I said it''s the first line of defence, not the only one. If the Void fails, and corruption overwhelms the world, then to prevent the corruption from spreading to other worlds, a Void Eruption will occur, effectively destroying the world and turning it into a Void world. That way, the corruption is sealed inside the Void world, and it cannot get out," the Legacy explained. "Otherwise if the world is lucky, it can get integrated into a Tower, stopping the spread of corruption." "Well, the way I understood it when I was reading is that Ch- The Dark Void influences mortals'' minds and makes them more vulnerable. How can they resist corruption in that state? I read that he manipulates the world''s Void so that he can take it over with his maestrils," Langa said, paging through the grimoire to make sure that he had not missed anything on disenchanting. It grounded him to talk and kept him from worrying about whether he would be able to learn the skill in time to complete the Challenge. The moment he said that, however, it felt like there was a collective shocked gasp from the deities watching him, and he felt the essence of The Lackadaisical Herald laughing. Abruptly, more and more eyes of deities were on him and it honestly felt a bit creepy. The Legacy was also looking at Langa like it expected him to say he had been joking. [The Onslaught of The Dark Void, states that his maestrils have the free will to do whatever they desire. He does not control them.] [Too many deities are communicating with you all at once. Please wait while the system organises their comments for you.] "Don''t bother yourself, system," Langa said. "I know that they are all expressing their shock at the fact that I just spoke ill of one of the greatest deities of all time. It wasn''t malicious, I just stated my conclusion from what I read." [Too many deities are communicating with you all at once. Please wait while the system organises their comments for you.] "Again? Oh my gods, Lackadaisical Herald, can you block them from communicating with me like you did before?" Langa said, concentrating on studying the glyph pattern on the short sword. "Actually, I am permitting you to prevent any deity who isn''t you from communicating with me until I finish the Challenge. They can watch but they can''t talk." As soon as he said that, the air chilled, and his whole body froze for a second. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, restricts access to your karma channel and disables all communication to you from all the deities operating within the Deiwos Tower, besides him.] [System Alert! With your permission, The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm has used his Authority as one of the Tower Administrators of The Deiwos Tower on you! A deity who is not your patron deity has assumed control of your karma channel, and no deities operating within the Deiwos Tower can communicate with you besides himself. The permission granted will last until the end of your current Sponsorship Challenge.] "Thank you," Langa said, as the eyes watching him started to feel even more distant than before, while The Lackadaisical Herald''s presence felt even more prominent. "You are insane! Disrespecting one of the most powerful gods of all time like that and blocking the other deities from correcting your behaviour? You and The Lackadaisical Herald share the same lack of self-preservation. You are just the same, " the Legacy lamented, looking around as if expecting the Incarnation of Chaos to appear out of nowhere and smite Langa. But Langa was sure that Chaos was not angry. Even if he was, Langa was too busy to worry about him. Satisfied with what he read in the grimoire, Langa picked up the short sword, and infused his mana into it, ¡°Disenchant,¡± he said. One glyph in the middle of the sword glowed brightly. [Inferior Short-Sword has one Enchantment: +5 Sharpness. Would you like to Disenchant this Item? Yes/No] ¡°Yes!¡± 50 mana was drawn from him, and the glyph disappeared. On his system interface, he now had an Enchanting Menu. On it, the sharpness glyph was listed under available enchantments. There were thirteen slots that he could store enchantments in as a beginner level enchanter. [You have learnt the Enchanting Glyph: Inferior Sharpness. At Beginner Level, only 13 Enchanting Glyphs can be stored in your Enchanting Menu. To add a new Enchanting Glyph, one must be deleted, and cannot be used again.] [Inferior Sharpness Type: Enchanting Glyph Rank: Common Effects: On successful inscription, adds +5 Sharpness to an item Restrictions: Can only be applied to common rank items.] "I did it!" Langa said with a smile. 37. Floor 1: Divine Nexus (1) Now that Langa had learnt an enchantment, it was time to start inscribing glyphs onto the items that he wanted to enchant. In order to do that efficiently, he needed to use auink. Looking around the forge, he found several ink bottles, each filled with different types of auink. There was lifeblood auink, poison milk auink, trangine sap auink and trollblood auink. However, when he tried to inscribe the sharpness glyph with any of those, he received an error message. [Error! Crafting material not compatible with your skill!] Annoyed, Langa took a deep breath, checking in the grimoire for anything about incompatible auink, but what he found was that most enchanters preferred to make their own auink. He supposed it made sense that he was unable to enchant with the trollimps'' auinks since his skill was called Lucent Enchanting. Since he was using Lucent Enchanting, he probably needed to use lucent stones or lucent crystals to make the ink. The only option he had was to make his own auink. First, he crushed five fire lucent stones in the mortar and pestle, he had no choice as he could only enchant with things containing lucents, then he mixed the powdered lucent stones with the lifeblood to make auink. The colour changed from pink to a swirling grey, and Langa stepped back, satisfied as he looked around for something to stir with. Next to the trollblood auink, he found a small metal thing that looked like a stirring rod. As he stirred it, the texture of the mixture thinned, becoming more liquid as he infused his mana into it like the grimoire said. The mixture bubbled, turning back from grey to an orange-pink colour before it settled and stopped bubbling. [Congratulations! You have created an uncommon rank auink on your first try! +50 karma] [Lucent Fireblood Auink Item Rank: Uncommon Effects: +5 - 20 Fire Discipline damage to all successful enchantments made with this auink, depending on the quality of enchantment] That was a good result for his first try. He was a little disappointed that his lightning affinity mana hadn''t granted him any extra damage since fire and lightning disciplines were complementary to each other. Even so, he was glad that he had chosen to use fire lucent stones because it would help him in his fight against the trollimps in the next dungeon room by reducing their regeneration abilities. He still had a few of those lucent stones in his inventory, so he was unlikely to run out. Thus Langa got to work. Langa studied the glyph for sharpness and dipped the enchanting needle in the Lucent Fireblood auink. Once it was sufficiently covered in the auink, he began to draw the glyph on one of the daggers on the table. The needle lit up as he drew the glyph, losing 50 mana in the process. Once he was done, the glyph was present on the surface of the dagger. Should he not get a notification from the system for completing his first enchantment? He scanned it to see if the enchantment worked. [Inferior Dagger Rank: Common Effects: Inflicts 7 damage against opponents. +1 Sharpness Durability: 4/20] That wasn¡¯t good. It had not gained +5, but only +1, which was basically useless. What had he done wrong? Langa was sure that he had followed all the instructions in the grimoire on how to make the enchantment but the sharpness only partially took, and the durability of the dagger had fallen drastically. He looked closely at the glyph and then he tried again with a new dagger, but even then he got the same result. This was frustrating, at this rate Langa would have to waste time here and he would not be able to clear the dungeon within the remaining time limit. He sighed. He only had four skill points, and he had at least wanted to raise the skill to Beginner level 2 naturally and then use the skill points to fast track his way to level 5. He knew that practice was better for learning the skill than using skill points, but he was on a time crunch, so he said, ¡°System, I¡¯d like to use one skill point to raise my Lucent Enchanting Skill to beginner level 2.¡± [Skill: Lucent Enchanting has reached Beginner level 2! You are now able to see glyph points on common rank items. Glyph Points refer to the points on an item where a glyph can be inscribed to gain a higher chance of successful enchantment.] All of a sudden, Langa¡¯s head exploded with knowledge of various glyph inscription patterns, as if he had enchanted over a hundred common daggers at Beginner level 1, giving him the practical experience to level the skill to level 2. The pain cut into his head as the new knowledge filled him. It did not feel like gaining natural knowledge like when he learnt the skill, it felt like his head was being forcefully fed the knowledge. ¡°Fuck!¡± he shuddered, hands on his head. Would that happen every time? Damn it, it really hurt! That was the price of taking shortcuts, he guessed, taking a moment to breathe. Once the pain faded, he took out another dagger. When he activated the skill, he could see three dotted points on it, where he could inscribe the glyph. Using the knowledge gained from the skill upgrade, he made sure to be careful with his inscription as he drew the sharpness glyph on one of the glyph points on the dagger. [Enchantment Successful! Please state the signature you want to appear on all enchantments made by you. If you do not wish for your enchanted items to have your signature; ignore this prompt. You can always change this setting in your enchanting tab.] A signature huh? What was he, a serial killer? Well, if he thought about it, branding his enchanted items and selling them in the future would make his name known throughout the Tower, so he said, ¡°Does it have to be my name? Can it be a symbol or something like that?¡± [Please draw the symbol that you wish to be your signature. If it does not belong to any other being, then it will be used as your signature.] Langa drew a circle with three lines around it, like a sun. That was how his father had taught him the meaning of his name before he could read. He would draw a simplistic sun with a smiling face and say that it was a happy sun, like the happy day when he was born, Langelihle. Unfortunately, the system did not accept this as his signature. It appeared someone already owned this symbol. Thinking about it, Langa wanted to add something that represented him on the symbol too, as well as his deity to be, so he drew a zigzag line over it, like a lightning bolt and then he drew a spear point at the end of the lightning bolt. Finally, he drew a foot inside the circle of the sun to represent running. Thankfully, the symbol was not taken, so the system accepted it as his signature. [Inferior Dagger Rank: Common Effects: Inflicts 7 damage against opponents +5 Sharpness, +6 Fire discipline damage Durability: 13/20] The symbol was visible next to the name of the dagger. Finally, he had done it, Langa had managed to enchant an item successfully. Motivated by his success, Langa spent the next half a day doing nothing but enchanting. He managed to raise the skill from Beginner level 2 to level 3 without using a skill point, but since he was running out of time, he used two skill points to get to Beginner level 5. In the end, he was spent, but he was ready to make an enchantment to break through the common rank darkness barrier trapping him in this dungeon room. He had found a plain necklace in the forge without any effects, so once he disenchanted the trollimp¡¯s broken ring, he would place the enchantment on it. Once he was satisfied with his results and confident that he wouldn''t mess up, Langa carefully disenchanted the damaged Inferior Barrier Sleutel Ring, extracting the remaining enchantment from it. [You have learnt the Enchanting Glyph: Resist Darkness. At Beginner Level, only 13 Enchanting Glyphs can be stored in your Enchanting Table. To add a new Enchanting Glyph, one must be deleted, and cannot be used again.] [Resist Darkness Barrier (1) Type: Enchanting Glyph Rank: Common Effects: On successful inscription, protects the user from common rank corrupted barriers by nullifying 50-95% darkness damage. Restrictions: Can only be applied to common rank items. Does not add darkness discipline resistance.] He studied the glyph for breaking through corrupted magic barriers and dipped the enchanting needle into the Lucent fireblood auink. With a steady hand, he began to inscribe the glyph onto the necklace. As he finished the inscription, a surge of mana flowed through the necklace, indicating that the enchantment was successful. Langa inspected the necklace to see the new effects. [Inferior Barrier Sleutel Necklace Rank: Common Effects: Allows the user to pass through a corrupted magic barrier of common rank or lower by nullifying 67% darkness damage. Durability: 3/25] The necklace now possessed a similar effect as the damaged ring, allowing him to bypass the magic barrier relatively unharmed. The durability was low, but he was still proud of his creation. Langa felt relief wash over him. He had finally found a way to escape this dungeon room and continue his quest. "I cannot believe that you actually did it," the Legacy''s unwelcome commentary cut into his victory, souring it. "You have zero faith in me, don''t you?" Langa asked, turning to it. "Faith is earned." Rila snuggled against Langa''s leg. "Rila have faith." Langa picked her up once again, and patted her head, much to her joy. "Well, since you believed in me and you saved my life, I''ll go save your elder and the rest of your people. Then you''ll be free to leave this place." "Free?" Rila asked curiously. She probably had no concept of the word, having grown up and lived her life inside a cage. "If you could do anything in the Tower, what would you do, Rila?" She blinked up at him, and he wondered if she even had the capacity for that kind of thinking. She wasn''t a monster, but she wasn''t an NPC either, yet she was a sapient being. "Rila like flowers. Pretty flowers and playing." Langa laughed, what a simple answer for someone with a fresh taste of freedom. "Well then, once I defeat the boss monster, you''ll be free to play all you like in a garden of pretty flowers as big as this dungeon." Her eyes widened as if she could not comprehend the scale of that as Langa put her down. "You''re good with children. Do you have any?" the Legacy asked. The incredulous look that Langa gave it was loaded. "Do I look like someone with the mental capacity to be a parent? Someone with mommy and daddy issues alike? I fear for any child that has the misfortune of being mine." Besides, his curse was generational, so bringing a child into this world just for them to suffer from the same curse he had, had never been appealing to him. "Stop screwing around, let''s go." He placed as many of the items as he could into the Feathervault bag, and strapped it to his back. It was getting heavy now and weighing down on his belt, and it would definitely slow him down in a fight. For interest''s sack, he had tried to disenchant it but since it was a high-ranking item, his skill did not work. Most of the items in the forge were common rank daggers and shortswords, but the most impressive item he received was a shield. Part of him wanted to disenchant it to learn the enchantment since he did not really use a shield as a tool, but he decided to keep it as it was. It still had a durability of 14/20, so he could always disenchant it once it was completely damaged. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, reminds you to make sure that you leave nothing valuable behind in a dungeon.] Langa frowned, was that a hint? He had checked everywhere in the forge room and packed everything he could carry. Searching the cavern once more for any hidden treasures, Langa checked the trollimp warden¡¯s room as it was the only one left. To his surprise, he found another broken chest with five flaxes of two whitish-pink and three blue-black potions. At first, he thought that the pink ones were just more of the allemak lifeblood but they weren''t. [Inferior Vitality Potion Rank: Common This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Restores +50 HP instantly when consumed. In those with the special stat: Endurance, adds +5 endurance for 60 seconds. Cool-down: 120 seconds] It was not as good as a Basic Health Potion but to Langa, who had none, it was a blessing. A Blessing? Had The Lackadaisical Herald answered the prayer that he¡¯d made on his first day in the dungeon now? Talk about a god¡¯s timing. ¡°Thank you, Lackadaisical Herald,¡± he murmured. Then he checked the black potion. [Inferior Darkness Mana Potion Rank: Common Effects: Instantly restores +50 Darkness Mana. Cool-down: 30 seconds. Restrictions: Darkness Affinity >/= 50%] Huh, he had no use for that, but he was sure he could sell it and earn a few copper. It was time to go, so he bade the little allemaks goodbye and entered the tunnel. It wasn''t that Langa didn''t trust his own creation, but he hesitated before stepping into the barrier. With the necklace securely around his neck, Langa approached the magic barrier. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, bracing himself for any potential resistance. To his surprise, he effortlessly passed through the barrier, feeling no darkness damage whatsoever. Both the necklace and his darkness resistance nullified the damage from the barrier. * The necklace protected Langa as he walked quietly along the tunnel. According to the map, this area was residential. There were multiple wooden doors scattered along both sides of the tunnel, but at a bit of a distance from each other. He crouched down when he reached the first door. It was quiet inside the space and he peeked inside to find that the room was practically bare, but were two smaller trollimps asleep on a bed of straw. One of them looked to be an older trollimp and the other was very young. Corrupted Trollimp Worker Level 5 HP: 250/250 Corrupted Trollimp Spawn Level 2 HP: 60/60 He slowly and noiselessly backed out of there and went on to check the other rooms along the tunnel, and they all seemed to be about the same. All these doors along the tunnel were full of sleeping non-combatant trollimps. Was it right for him to kill them? He did need their healing sacs, but it honestly did not feel right. In one of the rooms, two small trollimp spawn and their parent lay soundly asleep as Langa stood over them. He hesitated, and the Legacy jerked its head towards a potion flax on top of a counter in the room. Tiptoeing towards it, he opened it and examined the contents. His blood went cold when he realised that the flax was full of allemak lifeblood. He shook his head. Yeah, these may be non-combatant and young trollimps, but they were all complicit in the enslavement of the allemaks. They had to go. Compassion was useless because he needed all the healing sacs he could get. Plus, they were all corrupted creatures. He did not fully understand what corruption was, but he knew that it was the reason why Earth had been integrated into the Tower. He was going to do what needed to be done. The best type of mercy was to be quiet, and end it all in one hit, so Langa took a deep breath, and sneaked into each room as quietly as he could, slashing their necks with his newly enchanted daggers. He did not give any of them a chance to react or make noise, as he killed them with one strike without using a single skill. They had low health anyway. By the end of it, he had obtained a lot of healing sacs. Adding up the total with what he had earned from all the other dungeon rooms, he was now at 86 healing sacs. He only needed 14 more. Once he cleared the residential area, Langa moved on to the next dungeon level. It seemed much bigger than all the others that he had been to so far, including the garden. The door was a wide wooden thing with the drawing of a large trollimp wearing a crown. From the little hole on the door, Langa saw that this dungeon cavern was divided. There was the area where the allemaks were being held captive in cages, and then a large cliff-like hole where a river of allemak lifeblood flowed into somewhere below. The two sides were separated by a large cauldron as tall as Langa, similar to the one in the forge room that contained the lifeblood of the allemaks that the trollimps were constantly draining with magical pipes from the allemaks. Beyond that, beyond the gulf, was a large doorway encrusted with precious jewels and Langa could barely make out the label; throne room written on the door. That was the final place he wanted to reach, where he would face the boss monster. For now, he focused on what was right in front of him. The tiny cells holding the allemaks were cages enchanted with runes that repelled magic, and according to what he had gathered from Rila, only physical force could damage them, but the allemaks were tiny, weak creatures with only magic blood. Five trollimp guards stood outside the cages both watching over the nearly fifty allemaks in the cages and ensuring that no one went through to the throne room. They were protecting their king and his assets. Two trollimp archers stood with their bows ready, one wore a robe and carried a wooden wand, while the fourth carried a sword, and the fifth held a giant shield and was wearing plate armour, he was standing further away from the rest and closer to the cliff. The archers would cause him the most trouble, plus they had the lowest health, so Langa decided to take them out first. Counting to ten and making sure that his HP, MP and Stamina were full, Langa burst into the cavern and threw an Exploding Fire Orb drenched in Kiribo''s Sweat towards the area where the trollimps stood in front of the cells. The cages repelled magic, so the explosion would not hurt the allemaks. Ideally, Langa wanted to save the allemaks trapped in the cages first so that he could fight against the trollimps without worrying about hurting them. So when he threw the Exploding Fire Orb, the explosion shattered the floor and the walls of the cavern. It had more power thanks to the synergy of the fire and his lightning affinity. The three trollimps in the explosion''s path were struck by the fire damage, and it was enough to slow down their health regeneration. Langa wasted no time, Flash Stepping straight towards the first fallen archer and instantly killing it with Tonare, using Kiribo''s Sweat to increase the strength of the fire, thereby preventing it from regenerating, and it fell to the ground. He moved so fast that the other trollimps were still scrambling about, two covered in flames, confused about what was happening. Langa took advantage of the confusion, heading towards the second archer. This one had taken the brunt of the explosion, and its entire left side was on fire. Langa had no intention of putting it out of its misery quickly, instead throwing the Kiribo''s Sweat on it so that it could burn to death while he focused on the others. While the archer screamed in agony, Langa kicked back the one holding a sword, using it as a springboard to leap towards the one holding the magical shield. It was clearly the strongest and had protected both itself and the trollimp mage. When he tried to pierce through the shield with Tonare, it wouldn''t budge, so he stepped back and threw one of his Kiribo''s Sweat and anti-heal potion-coated enchanted daggers into the throat of the sword-wielding one. All of this happened in the span of less than twenty seconds, so the trollimps had no time to react. He received the notifications of his three kills, but thankfully it was in the background so it did not disturb him. While he opted to kill the sword-wielding trollimp, the shield trollimp had recovered from its shock and it bashed Langa¡¯s body with its shield, the massive force sending him flying into one of the cages. It stood, roaring in anger, its heavy plate armour clanking loudly. How many fucking times was Langa supposed to endure the pain of being thrown around like this? He lost almost 100 HP, but thankfully, nothing felt broken, just that his back was sore. Corrupted Trollimp Guard (Mini-Boss) Level 11 HP: 2500/2500 Ah, so it was a mini-boss, that explained the pain. Langa groaned as he tried to get up. The trollimp mage, now free of the shield, also raised its wand, composed and ready to unleash its magic on him. Blood rushed like fire in Langa''s body as the adrenaline flowed into him. Excitement bubbled in his heart. This battle was not over yet, it was just starting. He rolled to the side as two red beams blasted out from the mage''s wand, and they struck the broken pieces of the wall with a heavy thud that blasted the wall into smithereens. Whoa, Langa had no interest in getting hit by a skill with that much power. Once again, the terrible impact of a shield struck him from the back and he stumbled, but thankfully his reflexes were fast enough to allow him to Flash Step away before the full strength of the shield hit him, but his landing was so poor that he nearly fell. Despite the unfavourable situation where he had to fight two strong trollimps¡ªa mage and a tank¡ªLanga''s heartbeat picked up. He braced himself, recovering his stance as fast as he could and quickly assessed the situation. He could feel the pain from the impact of the shield, but he couldn''t let that deter him. He held Tonare in his left hand and pulled out the protective shield that he had gotten from the forge, shielding himself from the impending blast from the mage. As the trollimp mage unleashed another blast of its magic, Langa felt the heavy beam of red light hit his shield, pushing him back, and he gritted his teeth, trying to remain balanced. That was too much force for the creature, no matter how big it was. Langa guessed that it must have some sort of charging skill. Strength had never been his forte, and those blasts were too heavy for him to hold the shield against them. He held his breath behind the shield until a massive force blasted it into pieces. Shit, the mini-boss had used brute force to break his shield. It was only common rank, but still, that was a pitiful performance. Now he may not be able to obtain the enchantment from it. ¡°You¡¯re not focusing on the battle,¡± the Legacy told him. ¡°Don¡¯t try a new fighting style like that without practising first.¡± Having no other choice, Langa reverted back to his normal fighting style. He discarded the broken shield as the trollimp mage shot a different corrosive blast from its wand, and he swiftly dodged the toxic projectiles, his lightning-fast reflexes allowing him to evade each one. He knew he had to get rid of the mage quickly before it could cast any more spells, but that was hard to do with the mini-boss always at his tail. He was faster than it was, but it was relentless in its pursuit. The mini-boss swung at him, but using Flash Step to create distance, Langa closed the distance between himself and the mage, the infused lightning in his spear brimming with power. Using the extra damage from Flash Step, Langa wasted no time plunging Tonare into the mage''s chest from behind. Its cloth armour was nothing to Tonare, and all it took was just that one hit, and Langa made sure to pour some Kiribo''s Sweat onto the monster''s body, so that the lightning caught on fire, killing it before it could regenerate. [You have killed a level 9 Trollimp Mage Rewards will be issued upon quest completion. Please wait] With the mage defeated, Langa turned his attention back to the shield trollimp. The trollimp, now enraged by his own slowness and the loss of his allies, charged Langa with brute force. But Langa was prepared. He sidestepped the trollimp''s attack, using his agility to his advantage. With a quick movement that had the Legacy nodding in approval, he slashed at the trollimp''s exposed back, leaving a deep gash. The trollimp roared in pain and swung its shield in a desperate attempt to bash Langa. But he anticipated the move and gracefully jumped over the shield, landing behind the trollimp. With its shield no longer in the way, he swiftly delivered a series of lightning-infused slashes at its armour, each blow weakening the trollimp''s defences. As the metal plate on its chest finally broke under his assault, the shield trollimp stumbled, and Langa seized the opportunity to finish the battle. With a powerful thrust from Tonare that was coated in Kiribo¡¯s sweat to amplify fire damage from the lightning mana he infused into the glaive, he drove Tonare through the trollimp''s heart. The cavern fell silent, the only sound remaining was the faint cries of the imprisoned allemaks. With that fight done, Langa took a moment to catch his breath, his body aching from the intense battle. But he knew he couldn''t rest just yet. He had to free the allemaks and put an end to the trollimps'' awful imprisonment of them. Thus, he approached the cauldron, ready to release the lifeblood of the allemaks and reaching for the magical pipes, removing them from the trollimps. "Not over! Not over!" one of the allemaks screamed as Langa kicked open the cage with brute force. ¡°Dodge!¡± The Legacy shouted, and Langa did it immediately, a sword sweeping above his head an instant later. He turned around to find that the trollimp mini-boss was up once more, its wounds completely healed. It really was a mini-boss; the thing refused to fucking die. "Fuck me," Langa muttered. The fight began again in earnest as Langa faced off against the regenerated mini-boss. The creature had picked up a sword from one the bodies that Langa had killed. The sword oozed darkness magic, making it a troublesome opponent. The trollimp charged forward again, its sword held out, and Langa used his speed to jump back. The skill propelled the trollimp forward until it hit the wall with a resounding crash. Even with Kiribo''s Sweat on Tonare, the fire damage was not enough to kill the trollimp. What''s more, the energy coming from the trollimp''s sword was sinister and Langa knew that even with his darkness resistance, he could not allow it to touch him, it could end up being fatal. ¡±Now¡¯s the time,¡± he heard the Legacy say. So he struck the trollimp¡¯s knee and retreated backwards so that the dark energy from the sword dissipated before it could reach him. The charging trollimp skidded to a halt as Langa crouched down to catch his breath. He did not want to use his attribute because he was worried that the trollimps in the lifeblood pool might be a hard fight, and he did not want to get into that fight without stamina. Also, his attribute was fucking taxing, and using it always left him feeling like he had been hit by a bus. "Player, we can help," one of the allemaks he''d freed said. "How?" Langa asked panting heavily. He did not have time to waste trying new things. "Our lifeblood doesn''t just facilitate life, it can reduce it too," the allemak said. "We can manipulate the lifeblood inside its body to reduce the health regeneration rate." That sounded mighty convenient, so why had they not done it before, to escape? "It takes all of us together to pull our power to slow the health regeneration down enough for you to wound it," another trollimp explained as Langa leapt back to escape from the mini-boss'' next sword thrust. Inadvertently, he ended up landing right next to the wall. The trollimp activated its charging skill, instantly reaching him. He brought Tonare up to block when the sword came down upon him with inhuman strength, and he felt his shoulder snap. Fuck, his shoulder was useless now, but at least Flash Step was off cool-down and he sped away. He only had one arm to fight with now. He Flash Stepped back to the allemaks. "What do I need to do?" "Keep wounding it. It¡¯s better if you can instakill it," the allemak said as the trollimp roared with fury at having to chase Langa again. It was strange that this mini-boss had no intelligence while the guard at the beginning of the dungeon did. He quickly converted his mana to health, but it was not nearly enough to heal his shoulder, only numbing the pain a little. With a new strategy in place, Langa slashed at the trollimp¡¯s abdomen, his glaive making another dent in its armour. As he engaged the mini-boss in combat, the allemaks huddled together and started chanting the spell that used their lifeblood to disrupt the trollimp''s regenerative powers. When Langa once more stabbed its knee, the wound regenerated slower than usual. He grinned broadly, the little guys were alright. The decrease in its health regeneration weakened the mini-boss, allowing Langa to land critical blows at its joints that gradually wore it down. With each strike, he sent the trollimp reeling back and roaring with fury. ¡°Cut in.¡± Did the Legacy say that or was it Langa¡¯s own thoughts? It felt almost as if that was what Tonare wanted him to do. Without a specific direction, Langs concentrated his mana in his legs, something he had not done before, and felt a hum of electricity from the glaive as he shot forward with unimaginable speed, glaive pointed outward and collided straight into the mini-boss. He struck with Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike in one final motion, instantly killing the creature. This time he made sure to pour a generous amount of Kiribo¡¯s Sweat to amplify the fire damage and ensure that it was really dead. [You have killed a level 11 Trollimp Mini-boss. Rewards will be issued upon quest completion. Please wait] For some reason, Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship finally reached Beginner Level 10 from that last move. It had felt a little like an out-of-body experience for him, as if he just knew which stance or movement he needed to use. Having defeated the mini-boss, Langa needed to move on to the throne room, to defeat the boss monster and clear the dungeon. "Are you guys okay?" he asked the allemaks as he freed the rest of them. He hadn¡¯t paid too much attention to them with the fight, but now he observed them. These trollimps were slightly bigger than the little ones he had met in the forge, and they had more scars too. Some of the ones that had their lifeblood drained were passed out on the dungeon floor. "We will recover with time," the allemak that had first spoken to him earlier said. He was the size of a boerbel dog, so it was a little weird to see him walking up to Langa on two legs, not crawling. He had the most scars, all the way down his back. Seeing the scars made Langa tighten his hold on Tonare. He did not regret killing those non-combatant trollimps after all. "I am the allemak tribe''s elder." "Oh," Langa said with a nod. "You''re the one Rila spoke about." He could actually speak Towerspeak very well compared to Rila. At the mention of Rila''s name, there were screeches from the other trollimps, and the elder said, "Is she alright? Are the children still alive? They don''t regenerate their lifeblood as quickly as us, so I was worried that they would run out of it, and die." "No, they are doing fine for now, and I killed all the trollimps on that side, so you don''t have to worry. But if you want to go back, you''ll need to get the trollimps¡¯ rings to get through the darkness barrier. So, you guys should take the rings and leave," Langa said, collecting the dead trollimps¡¯ healing sacs and weapons. He would have loved their bodies too, but he was running out of space. "You saved them?" the elder''s eyes sparkled with admiration, and then he looked at the Legecay. "Ah, no wonder! You are Blessed by a god of life! You may be able to set us free." "Right, I have to clear the dungeon, right?" Langa asked, done looting. The elder nodded. ¡°There are about twenty or so trollimps in the lifeblood pool below the cliff. You will have to defeat them first before you can take on the boss,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s mostly warriors and crafters in there.¡± "Is your lifeblood flammable?" Langa asked the elder allemak. "A little? It''s a mixture of water and life energy," the elder said. ¡°Life energy allows it to be flammable but it would be hard to ignite the fire.¡± "Water... hmm," Langa muttered. Langa¡¯s heart was racing uncontrollably as he gazed down from the edge of the cliff. The sheer drop was terrifying. It was at least 50 metres below this level, no wonder the trollimps had not heard the fight. He could hear the stones breaking free from the walls of the cavern where he¡¯d just fought the mini-boss trollimp, falling down to the dark abyss of pink lifeblood. Over twenty trollimps were swimming inside the lifeblood pool, and it disgusted Langa that they were literally using the blood of the allemaks that they had captured to soak in it and improve their health regeneration. ¡°It looks like this will be your toughest battle yet,¡± the Legacy said, watching the pool below. The trollimp warriors and enchanters hadn¡¯t taken notice of Langa yet. ¡°I think with your speed, you should be able to swim across quickly, and take out as many of them as possible.¡± Langa looked down, and shuddered. ¡°Uh-huh, that¡¯s a great idea, except for one teeny tiny problem,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t swim.¡± ¡°What?¡± the Legacy was appalled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Legacy, I have just come up with an amazingly diabolical plan that will kill all those trollimps with one attack,¡± he grinned and tried his best impression of an evil laugh. "Mwahahaha!" "Langa,¡± the Legacy said in a voice clearly meant to pacify Langa. ¡°I¡¯ve only known you for three and a half days, but you saying you''re using your head and laughing like that is what worries me.¡± Langa rolled his eyes, his mana was made of lightning, so his great idea was to infuse some exploding orbs with his mana, coat them with the anti-heal potion and Kiribo¡¯s Sweat, and then throw them into the lifeblood pool. Water and lightning were inverse disciplines so the damage he could do would scale up. Thus, he wanted to make his preparations to attack before the trollimps noticed him. He still had no idea how to get across the pool to reach the throne room though. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Langa assured the Legacy, digging into his inventory his grin still on his face. ¡°I¡¯m going to pull what''s known as a pro-gamer move." "What does that mean?" the elder allemak asked curiously. The Legacy was frowning. "It must be one of his lost-worldisms. What I can tell you is that this can''t be good." 38. Floor 1: Divine Nexus (2) Langa was giddy with excitement. He was about to create his own fusion bomb, and he wondered if it would live up to the image in his mind. He had always loved watching things blow up in action movies, and he was curious if his explosion would be that great too. The gully¡ªhe knew that it technically was not a gully, but that was the only thing he could think to call it¡ªappeared to be a deep hole, its walls slimy with damp red grass all over them that exuded an uncomfortable heat. Its foul stench filled the air, and made Langa''s nose wrinkle in disgust. He had to move closer to the edge so he could accurately judge the distance and aim correctly. There were depressions along the wall of the cliff that acted like a ladder for the trollimps to go up and down, so he knew he had to cut them off from that. Upon looking further down there, he knew that he had to do it now. He could not stand the grotesque sight inside the pool. The oblivious trollimps were bathing in the allemak lifeblood, their hulking bodies dripping with both sweat and the viscous liquid, content in the pleasure of the bath. These vile creatures revelled in the blood of the poor allemaks to enhance their already formidable regeneration abilities. Little did they know that Langa had killed their families while they were busy relaxing. Well, it wasn''t as if they were going to find out either. They were also about to die. "Now I just need to be quick," Langa said. "I''ll use my lightning-infused Exploding Jarecium Orb to blow them all to smithereens. I don''t think that the explosion will be big enough to shake the entire gully, but it is better to be safe. Allemaks, take cover from this side and do not go anywhere near the pool. Once the trollimps are dead, I''ll dash across the gully and take out the boss." "It is not going to be that easy," the Legacy said with an exasperated shake of the head. "I''m not just going to use one orb. I have plenty of other tricks in my arsenal, Legacy, trust me," he told it confidently. "I bet you just want to see things go boom, don''t you, simpleton?" It fired back at him. That statement was partly true, but there was no way Langa was going to dignify it with an answer, therefore, he chose to ignore the Legacy. Before he infused his mana into the jarecium metal orb, he gave another instruction to the allemaks. "Once I''m done here, you guys can use the ladder to crawl down there. I need you to get me every single one of those trollimps'' healing sacs for me. It''s the least you can do after I saved your lives, right?" Langa said. He believed in paying back debts, and he had no interest in owing or being owed a life debt. "Of course, Chosen One of Life! We exist to serve the deities of life, always. And they finally answered our prayer by sending you here to save us," the elder allemak said eagerly and the other allemaks screeched in agreement. Well, that was easy. On Earth, getting someone to pay back their debt was a nightmare. Maybe that was why he did not tell them that he was not a Chosen One of Life...wait, since The Lackadaisical Herald had issued him this Challenge, that meant that he was Chosen, right? That was a strange thought because he had always loved those cliche novels about chosen ones defeating a demon lord. The Legacy cleared its throat. Right, his mind was wandering again. "Alright, I''m going to get the kill notifications, so I''ll know if any of the healing sacs are missing," he said. "But hold on, if the bodies are completely burnt, then you guys won''t be able to get the healing sacs, right?" "Don''t worry. Even if the bodies are burnt into dust, the healing sacs will remain intact," the allemak elder assured him. That was great, and Langa should have known considering that he had blown up the trollimp warden and still managed to get its healing sac. Therefore, with a deep breath, Langa activated his mana, infusing his lightning mana into the metal orb in his hands. [You have 100% lightning affinity, 2% earth affinity, and 0% earth resistance! Lightning and earth have a neutral relationship. + 2% extra earth damage. Jarecium conducts 50% of the lightning it is exposed to! + 50% extra lightning damage applied to Exploding Jarecium Orb] Aria had been right to give him this orb. The result was better than he expected, and Langa resisted the urge to smile, instead focusing on the task ahead. While the trollimps continued their oblivious bath in the lifeblood pool, Langa hurled the orb down there with all his might. It flew through the air, and with a small splash, it dropped into the pool. Instantly, chaos broke out. The moment that it made contact with the pink liquid, a brilliant explosion of lightning and metal erupted, catching the attention of every trollimp in the vicinity. The Exploding Jarecium Orb, detonated with a deafening boom. A blinding flash of light illuminated the surroundings, momentarily blinding the visions of both Langa and the allemaks. The explosive force shattered the peaceful atmosphere of the pool, sending shards of metal spikes that were brimming with lightning hurtling in every direction. The lifeblood pool turned into a frenzy of violent waves, the lightning and lifeblood repelling each other like a violent vortex with an uncontrollable fury since a part of the lifeblood was made of water, which had an inverse relationship with lightning. This vortex of electric lifeblood was excellent for dealing extra damage. The ladder up the gully was also destroyed in the explosion. Unfortunately for the poor trollimps, the lightning was striking them numb and there was nowhere to climb up. Seeing the lifeblood brimming with lightning, Langa poured most of his remaining Kiribo''s Sweat into the lifeblood pool. The flammable substance ignited the lightning in a fiery inferno, intensifying the explosion as pink fog filled the gully, all the way up to the top. As an extra measure, Langa threw in the defective Unstable Exploding Fire-wind Orb down there as well without infusing it with his mana, he could not risk it backfiring on him. Besides, there was plenty of volatile mana down there. Sure enough, the ground shook when the orb exploded, the wind and Kiribo''s Sweat propelling the explosion so much that even Langa was blown back. He could no longer hear the trollimps'' screams. Without the allemaks controlling it, the lifeblood would not be able to give them instant healing, since it was more useful for building up regeneration over a long period of time. The thick stinking pink fog from the explosion came forth from the pool, shrouding the area in an eerie haze. The fog, a result of the evaporating water and the smoke from burning trollimp flesh, obscured the view of the aftermath. Still, Langa peered inside. It was still chaos as the monsters within the pool were caught in a storm of pain and death, the smell reaching up to where Langa stood. The once peaceful pool had transformed into a scene of horror and death as the lightning-infused metal spikes tore through their flesh, leaving trails of crimson in their wake. Their agonised screams pierced through the fog, the sounds of suffering echoing in the dungeon. More of the monsters, disoriented and wounded, desperately tried to escape the wrath of the explosion. Some thrashed about, their bodies in anguish, while others frantically clawed at the lifeblood, their eyes filled with terror. [You have killed a level 9 Trollimp Warrior Rewards will be issued upon quest completion. Please wait] [You have killed..] However, suddenly, a guttural growl sounded through the chaos, causing Langa''s heart to skip a beat. From inside the gully, a trollimp emerged with a jump, its disfigured form dripping with lifeblood and covered in gruesome burns. Its matted hair clung to its scalp, as it landed on the edge of the cliff. It had clearly jumped up here, and Langa could scarcely believe that was possible. The trollimp lunged forward, claws outstretched, in a desperate attempt to inflict one final blow upon Langa, but he easily dodged the clumsy swipe. He pivoted on his left leg, holding Tonare in both hands and infused it with his mana. Langa drove his spear forward, its sharp tip piercing through the trollimp''s already weakened body. The creature let out another howl of pain and frustration, and its body convulsed for a moment before collapsing and Langa kicked it causing it to fall back into the burning pool. [You have killed a level 10 Trollimp Warrior Rewards will be issued upon quest completion. Please wait] [You have killed a level 8 Trollimp Enchanter Rewards will be issued upon quest completion. Please wait] [You have killed...] [You have killed...] "Now I have become death, the destroyer of trollimps," Langa muttered, looking at his handiwork. It was both disgusting and interesting. He had just killed so many creatures, yet there was no blood on his hands. It was the epitome of minimum effort for maximum reward. "You know, at first I thought maybe The Lackadaisical One Chose you because of your lightning, or maybe the Brand, but no... the more time I spend in your presence, the more I see it. " the Legacy said quietly looking at the destruction below. "It''s because the two of you think alike, always looking for the quickest solution. This is exactly the kind of thing he would have done." This was the second time that the Legacy had said that, and Langa looked inwards, wondering if The Lackadaisical Herald would disagree, but all he felt from the god was a mysterious smile. He shrugged, he had things to do. Before making his way toward the throne room, Langa decided that he needed to recharge Tonare. He only had two rare lightning-lucent stones, so he lifted the glaive, resting the shaft on the ground. He didn''t know how to do this, so he just lifted the lucent stone and pressed it against the blade of the glaive stupidly. "Infuse your mana into it, idiot," the Legacy said, and for some reason, it sounded impatient. Rolling his eyes, Langa infused his mana into the stone, and a system prompt asking him if he wanted to charge the Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike Skill appeared. After he said yes, one of the glyphs on Tonare''s shaft lit up, and opened into a hole. while it surprised him, Langa placed the lucent crystal inside it. Immediately, the glaive vibrated with a soft hum, and a spark of electricity coursed throughout its entire body. He did it again with the second lucent stone. "Well done, that was very good," the Legacy said, a broad grin on its face. Langa frowned, the joy on the Legacy''s face creeping him out. "Why are you so happy?" "Don''t you have a boss monster to kill?" It asked him instead. "I actually do, yeah. I hope this one will be as challenging as the trollimp archers. Since this place is like a trollimp village, the boss should be a king or something right? Do you think it will be as strong as a level 10 maestril?" he asked hopefully. The Legacy once again looked at him as if he was the biggest idiot that it had ever seen. "Of course not. It''s probably a level 11 chief or lord or something, so maybe it will be as strong as a level 7 maestril, at most." That would be about the tutorial mini-boss Calpu''s level. At his level, could Langa solo kill Calpu? He did not think so, but that just made him more excited to meet the boss. "Let''s go." The allemaks would take care of the bodies, now it was time for Langa to cross the gully. There was really only one way across, and that was flying, but he did not have a skill like that. What he did have was his attribute. He breathed and stepped backwards. His heart was already racing because of the explosion, so he latched onto that momentum and said, "Impulse Pulse!" activating his attribute. For the direction, he chose straight ahead, and then he ran. He forgot to consider how he would land. Whenever he''d used the Velocity before, most of the time there had been someone to attack or someone to save at the end of the skill, but this time there was none of that, as it was the first time that he had to learn how to brake at such a fast speed. As soon as he landed, before he could reorient himself, something invisible and heavy struck him in the back and he was sent flying forward, crashing headfirst into the wall of the boss'' room. He landed on the ground, rolling and howling in pain. [-167HP] He lost half his health, but there was no time to waste, he had to get up. From where he had fallen..erm, landed, he could see a throne right in front of him, but the problem was that it was empty. The boss wasn¡¯t sitting on it so he could be anywhere. Stolen story; please report. ¡±Roll left!¡± the Legacy shouted, and it was a testament to how much Langa trusted it that he rolled to the left without hesitation. There was a gust of wind and impact, and then the rubble he had just been lying next to was crushed by something invisible. He scrambled to get up and orient himself quickly, as he couldn¡¯t Flash Step away since his stamina was still regenerating. However, the moment that he tried to turn around, searing pain exploded in his head as a heavy club struck him and he lost his balance again, staggering and falling onto the throne room floor. The air shimmered in front of him and a large trollimp appeared from there and stood towering over him. The boss had huge muscles and a large body that towered over Langa. His skin was a sickly green colour, covered in oozing sores and patches of decaying flesh. He held a massive, spiked club that dripped with a vile, black substance. Psike: Corrupted Trollimp Boss (Lord) Level 12 HP: 4500/4500 "You have killed my children and destroyed my garden, human. Tonight you will die,¡± the trollimp boss growled, and he disappeared in front of Langa''s eyes. He bit back the urge to ask why Psike had not left his throne room to come and save his children. Langa groaned in pain as he struggled to get back on his feet. The impact from Psike''s club had left him disoriented and weak as blood trickled down his forehead, obscuring his vision. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. ¡°Listen for any sound, any movement, and be ready to strike at any moment,¡± the Legacy whispered, and Langa closed his eyes in concentration. He still had the allemak lifeblood in his system from what Rila and her friends had done for him, so his health regenerated faster than usual. He was still below 50% health, but he wasn¡¯t dying. Suddenly, the air shimmered once more next to him and his reflexes kicked in, and he dodged to the side just as Psike''s club swung through the space he had occupied moments before. The force of the swing sent a gust of wind that brushed against his cheek, and the vile black substance on the club dripped onto his face. He ignored the pinching sting on his skin that felt like he had been stung by a bee, instead shrinking Tonare and cutting into the trollimps''s abdomen. The wound healed just as quickly as he cut into it and the trollimp disappeared again. "Shit! You can''t hide forever, trollimp!" Langa shouted. He hastily coated Tonare''s blade with more of the anti-heal potion and Kiribo''s Sweat, his frustration with the creature''s high health regeneration rate starting to show. Despite that, however, he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, sharpening his senses. An invisible stalker hounded him, and he could appear from anywhere. It made him alert and excited, as evidenced by his rapidly increasing heartbeat. He knew he had to keep moving, as the boss appeared behind him again, club raised. A spool of black goo erupted from the spiky club, headed straight for Langa''s face, but it was moving slowly enough for him to duck, allowing it to pass over his head. Unfortunately, that movement allowed Psike to inch closer to him, and since the club was already outstretched, all he had to do was swing it down hard as Langa raised his head. Just as his head was about to be bashed open by the club, Langa Flash Stepped backwards, and the club missed him, striking the floor of the throne room with a loud bang that made a crack in the floor. "Filthy rat! All you do is run!" Psike shouted, disappearing once more. The trollimp was in no position to talk, though since he kept pulling a disappearing act and sneak-attacking Langa. His voice came in shifting sounds throughout the chamber, filled with anger. Langa could sense the presence of his invisible foe, but he couldn''t see him. He knew he had to rely on his instincts and reflexes if he wanted to survive this battle. As Langa darted around the chamber, he remained in motion so he wouldn¡¯t be caught unawares when the trollimp attacked. But Psike was persistent, and his invisible form moved with surprising ease, instigating attacks from unexpected angles. Langa narrowly avoided them, his body moving much better now that Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship''s footwork was ingrained in him. However, with each dodge, and each use of Flash Step, his stamina dwindled, and his movements slowed. Psike''s regeneration was the biggest problem. The lightning-infused slashes from Langa''s glaive could barely keep up with the trollimp''s rapid healing, even with the anti-heal potion and Kiribo''s Sweat. The wounds he inflicted upon Psike closed in front of Langa''s eyes, impeding his efforts to kill his opponent. Those that did not heal became like the rest of the sores on the monster''s body, dripping with pus. Langa hurled his daggers one by one in the air around him, hoping to force the monster out of stealth or whatever skill he was using. He also used them to try and find a weak spot in Psike''s defences but the Trollimp''s sores and corrupted flesh seemed to hurt the blades, and they decayed and fell to the ground, useless now. Langa mustered all his remaining strength and called upon the last of his stamina to teleport beside Psike using Flash Step to close the distance. He drove Tonare deep into the trollimp¡¯s back, dealing as much lightning damage as he could. The trollimp roared and turned, his eyes locking with Langa''s own. He was clearly in pain, but the lightning damage alone was not enough to stop the regeneration. He quickly pulled out Tonare but not before a heavy punch landed in Langa''s side, the sores on Psike''s fist surprisingly penetrating his armour so that when he was sent flying back from the force of the strike, the pus from the sores ate into his armour as well, eroding his skin. Langa would have screamed and thrashed in pain if he did not have to be on alert for the once again invisible monster. What the fuck was the cool-down on that skill? "This is my kingdom!" Psike shouted, his voice all around Langa and filled with anger. "Buddy," Langa said, panting as he tried to get up, the corrosive pus spreading into his body. He needed to get moving again since Flash Step was on cool-down. "The surface area of this dungeon is barely a town, what do you mean, kingdom?" Okay, maybe he shouldn''t have said that because, before he could do anything, he felt the force of Psike''s club hitting his head with a power that sent him crashing back to the ground. As Psike loomed over him, the trollimp''s voice filled with triumph. "You are weak, human. You will die here, and become fuel for our corruption." The pain in his head was agonising and Langa felt himself starting to lose consciousness. As he lay on the cold stone floor, more burning radiated through his body from the rapidly spreading pus. He struggled to catch his breath, his vision blurring. He was aware of only three things, the pain, Tonare next to him, and the eyes of The Lackadaisical Herald watching him. The god had said that this was a trial within his means to complete, and Langa found that he hated to disappoint him, to make him feel like his faith in Langa was misplaced. He knew that the god would not forsake him if he failed, but he wanted to do his best. Langa had never wanted to make anyone proud of him since his father. That was the only person who had ever encouraged Langa to do better for himself, and no one else. The world blurred in and out of focus. Why was Langa thinking about his father right now? Gritting his teeth, he refused to have his life flash before his eyes, he was not going to die here. First of all, he knew he had to find a way to counter Psike''s invisibility if he wanted to stand a chance. His skill was off cool-down now, so, taking a deep breath, he Flash Stepped towards the wall, away from Psike, and downed his newest vitality potion. If worst came to worst, he still had the allemak lifeblood and the vitality saffrons. Since it was an inferior vitality potion, it did not heal him completely and he felt better, but he was still in pain. He focused his mana, infusing his glaive with lightning magic as he straightened up, and prepared to defend himself if he was attacked. He was alert and he could feel the trollimp''s eyes on him right now, even though he was invisible. Langa stood still, wanting to allow his stamina to regenerate as much as possible before he used his attribute. The Berruka¡¯s Ring of Stamina Regeneration allowed him to regenerate 1 Stamina per second as long as he was standing still. Suddenly, a gust of wind alerted him to Psike''s presence behind him. Reacting on instinct, Langa spun around, evading the club, his glaive slicing through the air. The glaive connected with a solid thud with Psike''s thigh, revealing Psike''s startled figure. The trollimp let out a roar of pain as the lightning surged through his body, momentarily stunning him. Seizing the opening, Langa poured Kiribo''s Sweat onto the sizzling wound before it could regenerate, and used his footwork and agility to quickly create some distance between them. ¡±Right leg forward, slash-¡° the Legacy started, but Langa was already in motion, knowing which way he needed to move both himself and his glaive before it reminded him of the motions. ¡°-stab, and then retreat,¡± he finished without delay, as he unleashed the attack, each blow seamlessly following the Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship skill and cutting into Psike''s body. ¡°Not bad,¡± the Legacy said with a smile. Langa was sure that he knew every step and stance as well as every spear motion in the beginner level by now, but the skill was not moving beyond Beginner level 10. His last stab had perfectly struck the trollimp¡¯s shoulder. However, Psike''s regenerative abilities proved to be the worst obstacle, as his wounds began to heal again. Now, when Langa gave him a wound, a black pus that turned into a misty substance and smelt terrible would ooze out of the wound into the air. If he used Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike, he would deal about 500-600 damage at once, and adding that with Flash Step, it would increase, and would also double with his lightning affinity. He wondered if the affinity would not double the damage from Flash Step since it was not a lightning-based skill, or if it would double that as well since he would be using Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike in conjunction with Flash Step. Well, he still wasn''t sure what his attribute meant by that his skills involving his affinity would be 100% more potent, but he was sure that it was not a damage modifier. Either way, even using those three together as a combo was not enough to instantly kill the trollimp, he needed to disrupt Psike''s regeneration, get him below 2000 HP and then use the combo. To reach that point, Langa retrieved four flaxes of the anti-heal potion from his inventory. Uncorking the vial, he threw them around him and one hit the invisible trollimp, the liquid splashing across Psike''s decaying flesh. Now that he knew where Psike was, Langa hurled five more flaxes of the potion at the trollimp and he let out a howl of agony as his regenerative abilities were temporarily nullified, causing his sores to worsen, the pus dripping onto the floor. Taking advantage of this, Langa unleashed his enchanted short swords that had bonus fire damage, each blade finding its mark on the trollimp''s many sores and bursting into flames. The Kiribo''s Sweat-soaked daggers intensified the fire damage, preventing Psike from healing. But even so, Psike was not easily defeated. With a powerful swing of his spiked club, he sent Langa flying across the chamber, crashing into a pile of rubble. Fuck, if he let his guard down for even a second, he would die. It was good that his physical body resistance was high, as well as that a lot of the shock was absorbed by his armour, but fuck did it hurt. Struggling to catch his breath, Langa knew he couldn''t let his guard down, as the monster screeched defiantly, "You won''t win!" Pushing himself up, Langa locked eyes with Psike, his gaze firm. The monster''s HP was now down to 2573. He was close now. "We''ll see about that," he said, reaching into his inventory once more. His hand closed around the familiar shape of his last Exploding Fire Orb. After quickly infusing the explosive with his mana, Langa tossed it towards Psike. He jumped back, but thankfully, this one was not defective and he was still within its range. The orb detonated in a brilliant display of flames, engulfing the Trollimp in a fiery inferno. The intense heat from the flames burned Psike''s flesh, preventing his regeneration and weakening his defences. As Psike stumbled, screaming, his aura of decay intensified. Ignoring the heat as he breathed, Langa drank the not-so-useless-after-all Inferior Scorching Breath Solution to raise his fire resistance for a bit. He then stood tall, his spear at the ready as the trollimp let out a thundering roar. With lightning-fast reflexes, he dodged the wild swings of the trollimp''s club. How the hell was he still able to fight in this state? Langa laughed as the thrill of using his speed against this monstrous creature overcame him. He was fucking dodging a spiked club from a corrupted monster whose body was on fire inside a dungeon! How could that not excite him? Any moment now, if he missed a step, he could die! His heart raced in excitement as more black pus oozed from Psike''s wounds. Langa quickly sidestepped the trollimp, slicing his ankle with a low strike, and then darted away. The foul pus of decay being released from Psike¡¯s wounds was now filling the entire throne room as a mist. Langa didn¡¯t know what it was, but he knew that this was corrupted magic. Although he was enjoying the fight, the cloudy pus began to take its toll on Langa. His strength started to wane, and his movements became sluggish. He could not move fast enough anymore. Each breath felt like a struggle as if the very air around him was suffocating him. But he refused to slow down. Psike''s claws slashed at him, but he was not quick enough to dodge and they scratched his neck, causing the corrupted pus to seep into his wound. It was the most awful pain that Langa had ever felt. The battlefield was engulfed in a thick cloud of toxic mist, making it almost impossible to breathe or move properly. Even with his high darkness resistance and the ring protecting him, he struggled. Each inhale felt like daggers piercing his lungs, snuffing out the air from the inside. It reminded him of being choked by the smoke inside that burning car, all those years ago. He remembered his father screaming desperately for help. Langa¡¯s heart raced as he desperately held on to the memory. He wanted that memory to tether him to reality, to remind him that he was alive because of his father''s sacrifice, therefore, he needed to keep fighting. Then and now, the air was rotten, and he was losing consciousness while banging on the car door. He was dizzy and he couldn''t see a damn thing. Where was Tonare? From the space in front of Langa, Psike¡¯s appeared, his club raised, and his muscles bulging more than ever before. His decaying pus surrounded his whole body as he brought the club down. Langa, of course, was faster than him, and he Flash Stepped backwards. The club once more struck the floor. This time, however, the strength was too much, and the floor underneath Langa shattered. ¡±Shit!¡± Langa screamed. Flash Step was still on cool-down and the broken floor encompassed too wide an area for him to run away from it. For the second time in two days, Langa fell into a hole. Excruciating pain burst forth from his head as it hit the ground, and pieces of rubble ripped into his body as he fell into the hole like a rag doll. His head swam as his mind drifted into unconsciousness. There was no safe place for him except to hold on to the memories of his father as he lay bruised inside the hole. [Critical Hit! -211 HP] He had just lost roughly 70% of his total health, but he could not dwell on that right now as that fall had broken something inside him because now a new memory from that moment inside the burning car entered his head, a woman¡¯s voice. He had never heard it before, perhaps because he didn¡¯t understand the language, or perhaps because the memories of that day were locked away in the depths of his mind. However, now he heard the voice louder, the words blending as his mind drifted, struggling not to open that memory. The only words he could piece out from that voice talking to his father on that day were strange and distorted. <> 39. Floor 1: Divine Nexus (3) Twenty-one years ago, Langa sat in the kitchen, peeling umbila in front of the fire. He was obviously bored, and his father glanced at him and smiled. ¡°Langelihle, do you want to hear inganekwane?¡± Sibusiso Zulu asked, putting another dry log in the fire so that the samp would have enough heat to finish cooking. Langa¡¯s eyes shone brightly, and he nodded quickly, looking up at his father in excitement. He loved it when he told him all of those old folktales and strange stories. There was always a lesson there, and the adventures always made Langa feel happy. ¡°Be warned, this one is a bit scary. When my father told it to me, he said that it is the origin of how our family became cursed.¡± Sibusiso beckoned his son closer, away from the smoke, and started the story. ¡°Kwasukasukela, once upon a time when legends and spirits roamed the world, an injured snake appeared in a remote and poor village. This creature was no ordinary snake, though. It was a fearsome sight, with the villagers describing it as being about 20 metres long. They claimed it had the head of a woman, the lower body of a fish, and the neck and scaly skin of a snake. At night, its scales emitted a haunting green light." Langa shivered, his imagination running wild as his heartbeat started to pick up. "That sounds scary, Baba! What did the villagers do when they saw it?" His father leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Ah, mfan¡¯wami, the villagers were filled with fear. They believed this creature to be a demon and prepared to burn it with fire, hoping to rid themselves of its presence." He paused, letting the anticipation build. "Despite the fear, one man in the village saw something different. He thought that perhaps this snake was not a demon, but a gift from the ancestors in disguise. So, he decided to take matters into his own hands and save it. He snuck out of the village, carrying the injured snake to a nearby river, where he nursed it back to health." Langa''s face lit up. "That was brave of him." He knew that he would be too afraid to go near something so scary. In fact, he moved closer to his father because one of the shadows on the wall was starting to look like a snake. "Did he save it?" Oblivious to his wariness, his father stood up, removed the pot from the fire, and dished up a hearty helping of samp and beans into a plate for Langa and one for himself before he sat down to continue the story. His voice took on a mysterious tone. "He did. The snake revealed herself to be a woman named Mamlambo. Grateful for the man''s kindness, she offered to grant him a wish. Now, this man was poor, and he saw an opportunity to change his circumstances. He wished to be rich." Langa''s eyes sparkled with excitement as he brought a spoonful of samp into his mouth. He had grown up poor, so he also knew what it was like to dream of being rich. "And did he become rich, Baba?" "Don''t talk with your mouth full, Langelihle," his father said, but nodded to his question, a knowing smile on his face. "Indeed, he did get rich, but little did he know that Mamlambo was not an ordinary woman. She said that she was a formidable water spirit, and her favour came at a price. She demanded human sacrifices in exchange for her blessings. She gave the man a large snake in a claypot, claiming it was blessed by her great god. She told him to sacrifice people to the snake if he wanted to gain wealth. She also said that to maintain his newfound wealth, he would need to feed the snake with the sacrifice of every firstborn son in his family." Langa''s face fell, filled with sadness. Even as a child, that sounded awful and wrong to him. ¡°The man made a decision, enticed by the promise of riches. He sacrificed his entire village to the snake. The snake devoured everything in its path, corrupting the very existence of the village until nothing remained where it once stood. With his newfound wealth, the man left that area and started a new life elsewhere. In his life, he had many cattle, married many wives, and had many children. And even after his death, with each generation, the tradition continued. The firstborn son was sacrificed to the snake in the claypot to maintain the family''s riches." Langa did not understand. "But, Baba, why would they do that? If the snake had money, then they should have just killed the snake and not given it any sacrifices,¡± he said after thinking about it carefully. ¡°It¡¯s the easy way to get rich.¡± Sibusiso burst out laughing and placed a gentle hand on his son¡¯s head. ¡°You know, Langelihle, sometimes I wonder what kind of a man you¡¯ll grow up to be. Sometimes it''s not possible to take shortcuts or the easy way out.¡± He laughed again, still shaking his head. ¡°If your mother knew that I was telling you stories about demon snakes and child sacrifice, she would skin me alive.¡± Langa¡¯s heart went cold, and he pushed away his plate of food. ¡°How would she know? Mama never comes to visit.¡± His father¡¯s face turned away, guilt replacing his earlier laughter. ¡°Hey, I know, for your birthday next week, how about I ask Thandi if I can take you and Neo to see King Shaka Zulu¡¯s memorial in KwaDukuza? It¡¯ll be fun for you boys, and I can teach you all about our ancestors¡¯ history.¡± Langa nodded enthusiastically. He didn¡¯t care about history, but he was excited to go on an outing with his father and his nephew. Seeing his son smiling again, Sibusiso breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Anyway, back to the story, Langelihle, this is where our tale takes a different turn. One young female descendant of the family faced a difficult situation. Her name was Lindiwe and she had only one son, and it had been hard for her to give birth to him. She could not bear the thought of sacrificing her precious child. So, she pleaded with the snake in the claypot to take her life instead and end the curse on her son. The greedy snake only cared about devouring humans, so it accepted her sacrifice." The story was a little scary, but Langa looked up at his father, waiting for him to continue telling it, his plate of food forgotten. "The son was filled with anger over his mother''s death, so he confronted the snake and slayed it. He did not care about the family''s wealth anymore, he only wanted his mother back. Mamlambo was angered by the deal made by Lindiwe and the snake, fearing the loss of sacrifices for her god. She sought to somehow trick the son into continuing the tradition. She appeared in front of him and offered a new deal for him. If he wanted his mother to be reborn, he had to slay Mamlambo herself." Langa''s brows furrowed in confusion. "How could he do that, Baba?" Wasn''t she a spirit? Could spirits be killed? He had no idea. His father¡¯s voice grew solemn. "Yes, the son was mortal so he had no power to slay her. He said as much to her, asking where he could obtain enough power to slay a spirit like her. So, Mamlambo offered a twisted bargain to grant him power. In exchange for all his firstborn male descendants dying young, they would each be born with a special talent. If any of them used their special gifts to slay Mamlambo, then his mother would be reborn." Sibusiso said and gathered his and his son''s plates of food into the basin at the back of the kitchen. ¡°Filled with grief and mourning the loss of his mother, the son accepted the deal. And so it went, each generation of his family continued the cycle. They were all born with special talents, but the catch that Mamlambo had failed to mention was that they had to steal fortune from those they loved in order to make their talents grow stronger. And if they failed to slay Mamlambo, they would die young." Sibusiso sighed and looked down at his son. ¡°And that is the legend of why all the firstborn men in our family, no matter how rich or talented they are, die young.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m going to die young?¡± Langa asked, both confused and scared. "I don''t think so," his father said, shaking his head. ¡°What I told you is just what my father told me. If you ask me, it was just an excuse to waste away his life doing nothing after he squandered his father''s wealth, and blaming his failures and losses on a curse,¡± he said, lips tight as he thought of his own father. ¡°So the curse isn¡¯t real?¡± Langa asked hopefully. Sibusiso placed a hand on his son''s shoulder. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether it¡¯s real or not. The lesson here is that it is not the curse that defines us, but how we choose to face the challenges that life throws at us. We must strive to break the cycle and find a way to free ourselves from the burden that has plagued our family for generations." At the time, Langa didn¡¯t understand the lesson, but he nodded enthusiastically because he loved his father¡¯s stories. * <> Langa''s hazy mind jolted awake. Was that a real memory, or was he lucidly dreaming? Who was the woman talking to his father? As he gasped for air, he closed his eyes, as he tried to picture his father''s face. His father had always been his guiding light, teaching him the ways of honour and respect. No, he needed to concentrate on the fight as he was lying inside the hole, body aching terribly. Langa pulled out his last vitality potion, but he could not drink it as it was still on cool-down. He furrowed his brow in surprise. This potion had a cool-down of 120 seconds, which meant that he had only been unconscious for less than twenty seconds because he was sure that it had been over two minutes since he drank his last one. Oh well, he needed to do something about the pain first before Psike realised he was still alive. "System, convert 100 Stamina to HP," he said, breath heavy. Wasting so much stamina for 10HP was not much in the long run, but at least he was able to stand now. His thoughts briefly drifted back to his memories. He had always thought that his father¡¯s stories were just that, stories and myths. But if gods were real, and legends were coming to life in the Tower, then was the story of the origin of his family''s curse real? Did an ancestor of his truly make a deal with a snake demon? It made some sense, especially the part about special gifts. His great-grandfather had been a successful landowner with many farms until his grandfather sold them all, his father had been smart, with no money but with two Master''s Degrees in Theology and African History at a young age thanks to scholarships, and Langa was born with a talent for running fast. Could he use his speed to slay Mamlambo? She had to be a deity, and he did not know if it was possible to kill an immortal. Either way, the prospect that he could break his curse was like fuel for his veins. He took his agility booster potion that gave him +1 Agility for 30 seconds. It was what gave him the strength to jump out of the hole as he Flash Stepped upwards and out of the hole, ready to once again face off against the boss monster. He was alert, unsure if the monster thought he was dead or if he was waiting for him to come out. The club that came straight at Langa as soon as he landed, told him the answer. Psike was ready for him, lying in wait in his invisible state, not that it was easy to sense with his aura of decay filling the throne room. He ducked down, but this time instead of straightening up right in front of the boss, he rolled on the uneven floor, and stood up away from the range of his claws. Langa''s breaths came in irregular gasps as he shot forward before the trollimp could disappear and sliced deep into his arm with the mana-filled Tonare. With his mind in so much disarray, he did not need to think. He''d wanted to infuse the glaive with mana so what little mana he had left flowed from his hands into Tonare as if it was natural. this connection. Was this what it meant to be at the peak of the beginner level? He wanted to ask the Legacy, but before he could it spoke. "Eyes forward," it said. Once again, it felt like it was speaking inside his head and he could not see it. Still, he obeyed the command as Psike growled at him, his long sharp claws from the regenerating hand barely a few centimetres away from Langa''s face. He could not get hurt again as the air was still covered with the lingering aura of the trollimp boss, and it would be poison if it seeped into his skin. Of course, he could always Flash Step away or use his attribute if he was in any true danger, but he was conserving his stamina to use them both together at the end to end the fight. "Third step," the Legacy instructed, and for a moment Langa was confused, he would not have thought to use that movement here, but he understood the Legacy''s vision. He took a single step back with Tonare pulled back as well, ready to thrust forward into the trollimp''s belly. However, the trollimp stepped back as he was thrusting forward, disappearing once more. But the trick here was that Psike only thought he was outside Tonare''s range but Langa extended the shaft as he swung, knowing that the boss was not that fast and should still be near the area he disappeared from. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. A resistance of flesh, the clean slice into the trollimp''s side, and a scream later, Psike reappeared clutching his bleeding chest. Langa poured Kiribo¡¯s Swear over him causing the wounds to fester even more, the fire slowing his health regeneration. Finally, Psike was below 2000 HP. ¡°Human!" the trollimp screamed, releasing more black goo from his club which Langa effortlessly dodged. The trollimp spun and swung his club at him but Langa held up Tonare, blocking it with all his might. Of course with his pitiful strength, that was not much, so he Flash Stepped back. It was strange how hazy the world looked as he dodged more black goo and his heart sped up. It felt like the time when he''d unlocked the attribute. He could not put his finger on it, but he knew that he was on the cusp of grasping something. All he could do was strike, retreat, and swing his glaive as he felt something inside of him building up. Tonare buzzed as he infused it with lightning, and he had a sudden flash of inspiration from his perfect execution of the third step. There was one move that the Legacy had tried to teach him with the footwork, where instead of defending, Langa could counterattack. It was not an easy movement, but it felt like Tonare was telling him that he was ready to try it. However, it could only be done at short distances, and the spear was too long at this range. What was he missing? He had been swinging this glaive for two weeks now, he was connected to it, but something was blocking him from upgrading the skill from Beginner Level 10 to Intermediate Level 1. He had to do it now because the bonus to learning from The Lackadaisical Herald would be over once he completed the Sponsorship Challenge. He sidestepped to the right to avoid Psike''s claw darts, and the trollimp''s leg kicked out at him, but Langa was able to move his body according to the Second Step of Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship, slashing his thigh with Tonare. When he took that step, he felt The Lackadaisical Herald''s essence all over him. All the things that he was sovereign over seemed to align at this moment. Life from the allemak lifeblood inside him, lightning from Tonare and his full affinity, decay from the corruption surrounding this entire throne room, and sloth because he wanted to end this as soon as he could and get some rest. All four principles connected inside him, and for a single moment in time, Langa saw. He was no longer in the throne room but in a massive desert wasteland. Time stood still as he watched the thunderbird who had given him the Legacy fighting against a maestril. When he saw how the thunderbird used Tonare, Langa instinctively knew that he was seeing through the eyes of The Lackadaisical Herald. He was seeing everything. The way the thunderbird''s muscles contracted with every swing, the way his moves aligned with the glaive as if it could read him, executing the movements as he envisioned them. They were one. Just as quickly, his point of view shifted, and he instinctively executed the move he''d seen from the thunderbird. With his right foot, Langa stepped right, narrowly avoiding the club, then he placed the left foot right next to the right, transferring his weight to the left foot so that the right foot could complete the footwork by stepping completely to the right. The added weight put more strength into Tonare, and it was like the movement became clear to him a second before he executed it. He had no idea why he had struggled with it before. Perhaps it was because he always reverted to his running form, and that always emphasised balance, which was a stark contrast to this unbalanced manoeuvre. The range was too short, so he shrank the glaive and slashed at the boss with the shortsword. The slash that he performed cleanly severed Psike''s left arm from his body. The hum that came from Tonare coincided with the proud, pleased, and regretful look on the Legacy''s face. The non-relevant notifications were turned off during combat, but Langa knew that Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship had reached the Intermediate level. The moment he finished the move, the Legacy''s form flickered, and its thunderbird appearance vanished for a second, leaving only the ghostly glaive that it was holding with a black ghostly crystal embedded on the blade. For a moment, when the skill levelled up, Langa felt connected to something greater, a purpose that he never knew that he had. His eyes saw much clearer, everything was covered in pure white lightning, and it felt as if Langa''s entire existence revolved around the movements of Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship, and he only existed to cut at his master''s command. He was the essence of the legacy. But just as soon as he felt that, Tonare violently vibrated out of his hand and clattered to the ground. What was that connection? Langa wondered, stupified. He could not see the Legacy anymore, so he ducked down to avoid the boss'' sluggish club, and while he was at it, he picked up Tonare and darted away. Psike raised his gigantic spiked club, rushing towards him, and Langa immediately raised Tonare, and whispered, "Impulse Pulse." 50% of his total stamina was drained immediately, and the world slowed down for him. With the loss of stamina, he was currently only at 120 STA since he had not been at full capacity. That meant that he could only use his Velocity for 2 seconds before he ran out of stamina. His heart thudding uncontrollably in his chest, Langa activated both Flash Step and Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike, slashing vertically down the trollimp''s torso. He poured all of the Kiribo''s Sweat that he had on him onto the wound, and time righted itself. The boss monster spotted a shocked expression on his ugly face when he saw the large burning slash on his entire torso crackling with lightning. Psike howled in pain, and let out an agonised scream, convulsing as the corruption spread rapidly throughout his body. The decay that he had been using as a weapon was consuming him from within. The foul aura of decay dissipated, leaving behind only the stench of charred flesh. and after resisting for a mere second, the trollimp fell to the ground, dead. [Critical hit! Impulse Pulse activated!] (Psike) - 1558 HP Lightning discipline damage: (Psike) - 1558 HP Instant kill achieved. Backlash (Langa Zulu) - 271 HP] The backlash hit Langa like a fucking high-speed train, unbalancing him and sending him falling to the ground in pain. "Fuck! Yhoo!" he shouted as the lightning engulfed him, all over his hands and up his arms. His heart was screaming in his chest, not slowing down even a little, and he was under the stamina debuff as well. He was in pain, but he managed to try and sit up as tired as he was. He looked around for the Legacy, and when he found it, it was completely transparent now, fading every second. ¡°You did well,¡± the Legacy said, looking down at him with pride in its eyes. Langa''s heart ached a bit as he watched it. The Legacy quest was complete, so now it was disappearing. He did not know if he would have been able to get through this dungeon alone without it, and thanks to that strange connection he''d made during the fight, he finally understood exactly what the Legacy truly was. ¡°You''re Tonare,¡± he said, looking up at it and breathing heavily. He meant it both as the glaive and as the person who created the legacy. ¡°I wondered if you were ever going to make the connection, but at the last moment, you did," the Legacy said softly. "Tonare is dead. I am what remains, the essence of his legacy. Listen, Langa, you need to find as many components of this legacy as possible. Since you obtained a part of his legacy, all of his legacies will be drawn to this Tower, to you. That doesn''t mean that other people won''t get to them first, though. Since you''re the first, you will be able to sense when any dungeons, gates or rifts carrying Tonare''s legacy are nearby." ¡°Sure. You''re fading,¡± Langa said quietly. "Can you not stay longer?" ¡°This form was always temporary. A Blessing, from Tonare¡¯s master¡¯s master. But I am always with you, in your hand. We are now connected through the divine nexus,¡± it smiled. ¡°When you raise The Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship skill to higher levels, perhaps we will be able to speak again like this.¡± Langa was happy that the Legacy would remain with him as the glaive, and he vowed to himself that he would continue raising the skill all the way up to Grandmaster level, and see it again. ¡°Thank you for everything, without you, I wouldn¡¯t have come this far,¡± he said honestly. He would also have been lonely throughout this entire dungeon by himself. It laughed. ¡°Of course not, you''re just a lonely child from a lost world searching for your purpose and place in the multiverse,¡± the Legacy said. Langa scowled. Did it have to be rude even now? It looked down at the glaive next to Langa. ¡°But you are the one who found me.¡± Its whole body had disappeared, and all that was left was its face. ¡°That foolish foxkin left me locked inside her shrine for over 100 years. But at least she made sure I was protected. Remember to constantly practice infusing your mana. I will always accept all the mana you can give me," it said. "Goodbye, Langa. Thank you for finding me." With those words, the Legacy vanished. The last wisps of light from where it once stood flowed into the glaive in Langa¡¯s hand, and he held it tightly to his chest. Unbelievably, he was mourning as if he lost a friend when it was just a fucking glaive. The Challenge quest was not marked completed yet, as he did not have the full 100 trollimp healing sacs in hand. Langa lay down on the broken floor of the throne room, regenerating his health before he finished the quest. A few minutes later, Langa''s health had regenerated above 30%, and he stood up, shrinking Tonare and putting it back into its sheath. He walked over to the body of the boss monster and pulled out the healing sac. Once he was done with that, he went past the collapsed wall and looked down into the gully. The whole place stank of burning flesh and fire, but the allemaks were busy looting the deformed bodies down there. "Are you guys not done yet?" Langa called out, his voice echoing in the large space. "Done," the elder allemak called back, and Langa sat on the throne room floor, waiting as the allemaks crawled up the large hole to reach him. They climbed up the destroyed gully and onto the broken rubble that was once a floor, covered in pink and red liquid, a mixture of their lifeblood and the blood of the trollimps. ¡°You slayed the leader of our oppressors, how can we ever thank you?¡± the allemak elder asked. Langa shrugged, ¡°I was just completing my quest. Besides, Aramaga''s bag is full of too many things already. If I carry any more, it would slow me down.¡± He had already made the allemaks sort through the mess of bodies in the lifeblood pool, and that was payment enough. The response seemed to surprise the elder, and he watched Langa thoughtfully. The allemaks diligently placed one healing sac after another at Langa¡¯s feet as more of them continued to crawl up from below. He counted the healing sacs once it seemed that the allemaks were all on this side. ¡°Is this all of them?¡± he asked, and he looked at the little allemaks suspiciously. ¡°Yes, of course it is,¡± the elder allemak said. ¡°We are an honest people. Besides, we do not need any more life magic.¡± Langa still checked his kill notifications just to be sure, and they did match up with the number that the allemaks had brought. Not that he didn¡¯t trust the little guys, but it was always better to be sure. He was missing a few healing sacs from the trollimp garden, though. As soon as he collected the healing sacs, a notification appeared in front of him. [Congratulations! You have completed the Sponsorship Challenge and Legacy Quest. You have killed 112 Trollimps. You have collected 107 healing sacs. You have raised the Skill: Legacy of the Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship to Intermediate Level 1. Rewards will be issued by The Lackadaisical Herald of the Lightning Storm. Please wait] Before he could react, suddenly, a white light, vivid and blinding, materialised before him, forming a complex magic circle that continuously expanded until it formed a large ring in the air, big enough for a person to pass through. Once it was done forming, the brightness intensified, and Langa''s eyes widened in awe and fear, clutching Tonare as the allemaks scrambled to hide behind him. A figure emerged from the light, graceful and refined in his gait. Every fibre of Langa''s being screamed that this was a deity, his karma trembling. When Langa looked at him, his appearance overloaded his mind, and his thoughts turned blank. He screamed and fell back in shock. The deity stood up straight in front of the circle. Four shining wings extended from his back, their feathers bright like burnished metal. Long bronze legs touched the floor of the dungeon. His entire body had an unnatural glow to it, reminiscent of a thousand gemstones. That brightness contrasted with his eyes, which were pitch black. As the being unfolded his wings, Langa recoiled even more in shock. Eyes were on every inch of his body, covering his back, hands, and the very wings that exuded power. The many eyes on his body gazed into Langa¡¯s very soul as if seeing everything that he was and everything that he would become. He was scared, and he wanted to run as far away from this powerful being as he could. However, his body could not move, held in place by the karma of this deity, even though he was applying no karma pressure to him. Yet his body was willingly submitting, even that strange black power in his heart did not react at all. <> the being said. His voice filled the room as if he were speaking from all angles. <> Black eyes looked into Langa¡¯s own, and his fear disappeared as if it had never been there. It was clear that the constellation had done something to him, but Langa only cared that he was able to move again, so he stood up. The allemaks on the other hand, were all unconscious on the throne room floor. ¡°Incarnation?¡± Langa asked. He remembered that constellations serving a god could be chosen as their god¡¯s Incarnation, to make appearances to mortals, as gods were not allowed to appear in physical form inside mortal domains. ¡°And what the hell do you mean, ¡®do not be afraid¡¯? Have you seen what you look like, dude?¡± It probably wasn¡¯t a good idea to snap at his future god¡¯s Incarnation, but Langa had nearly had a heart attack when he saw this form. The deity frowned, looking down at himself. <> His voice no longer echoed, it sounded more normal now. ¡°No!¡± Langa rubbed his temple. Weren¡¯t angels traditionally beautiful feminine creatures with pretty wings? They weren''t scary like this. ¡°Anyway, Mr. Tarquinius, I remember you. You¡¯re the first deity who offered me a Challenge when I first reached the 1st Floor and you got punished for it, right?¡± The constellation¡¯s radiant face cringed. <> His eyes lost focus for a second before returning to their black colour. <> Langa really wanted to hear what was so special about Tonare that Tarquinius had nearly broken the Deiwos Clan''s rules, but he moved closer to the constellation. He was nervous. If the Incarnation looked like this, how scary would The Lackadaisical Herald look? Tarquinius spread his wings and spoke in that earlier, eerie voice. <> [You have been placed under the protection of a Sovereign Authority.] [Sovereign Authority Authority: ¡®He who enters my divine shelter will be protected under my shadow .¡¯ Sovereign: Adtonifulmin: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm. Invocation: No being, mortal or immortal, may enter Adtonifulmin¡¯s domain without either being Blessed by this Authority, or being his Visage. Any mortal that attempts to enter his domain without it will permanently die, and any immortal who attempts to enter his domain without it will suffer from karma-implosion.] A wave of essence filled Langa''s body, and the lightning inside his body vibrated, but otherwise, he didn¡¯t feel any different, so he looked up at the constellation questioningly. <> Tarquinius said with a smile. Langa approached the magical portal, both curious and terrified, his steps hesitant but steady. The air around the portal glowed with strange magic that was reaching out to him. As he took his first step into the gateway, a prickling sensation enveloped him, like a thousand delicate needles twisting through his very existence, his karma itself. The world around Langa shifted furiously as if reality itself were being reshaped. Thirteen paths were in front of him as well as the strange fourteenth one he always saw, with creatures moving around it. Four of them lit up, silver, yellow, grey and black. The shadows on the fourteenth pathway danced chaotically, and he felt a gentle pull, a force guiding him through the portal. A weightlessness overcame him as if gravity had momentarily released him and there was a paradoxical feeling of both being grounded and free, and then the sensation of movement ceased, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a realm beyond his comprehension. 40. Floor 1: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm (1) As Langa cautiously stepped into the god''s domain, anticipation overwhelmed him. He looked around, and was once again convinced that he had entered a brand new world. The atmosphere was covered with unnaturally large black clouds, swirling ominously above him. Thunder rumbled in the distance, shaking the ground beneath his feet. That ground was not made of earth, but of some brittle-looking substance that felt like glass to stand on but was neither clear nor reflective. The scent of petrichor came from the surroundings, a mixture of earth and rain in the absence of both, and that added a bewildering feel to the surroundings. Langa''s mortal mind struggled to comprehend the world stretched out before him. Dead, decaying transparent tree-like plants grew from the glassy ground, standing tall as their twisted branches reached out toward the black clouds. Yet, despite their lifeless appearance, they vibrated with an unmistakable amount of life. Veins of red liquid clung to their transparent trunks, and their roots disappeared into the glassy ground. Flowers of different colours were also bursting from the living decaying trunks. The ground under Langa''s feet felt both solid and fragile as if made of glass and mist. But looking down at it, he saw patches of overgrown red vines snaking along the ground, their leaves shining with light. As he stood there, dumbfounded, a sudden flash of blinding light struck the whole area. He shielded his eyes, and the distant thunder rumbled harder, making the ground shake once more. ¡¶Langa,¡·a deep voice said, and when Langa opened his eyes, he found himself face-to-face with The Lackadaisical Herald. "Oh my god," Langa gasped, trying to process this. If the Incarnation''s appearance was terrifying, then this one was just plain weird. The god did not appear in a traditional form. Instead, he appeared as a long, jagged bolt of lightning, filled with raw electricity. The lightning bolt was bright, standing strong in front of Langa without disappearing. That was just too strange, lightning bolts were supposed to strike and then disappear. The karma in that bolt of lightning was overflowing in a way Langa had never felt before, and he blinked, only to find himself automatically on his knees on the ground, head down. ¡¶Lift your head and stand up, child. You are safe with me,¡· the lightning bolt spoke once more, and Langa lifted his eyes.¡¶I am glad to finally meet you in the flesh.¡· Langa stood up, mind still frozen, his heart pounding, both terrified and interested. The strangest thing was that his own karma was calm at this moment, in the face of a being so much greater than him, and it felt like he belonged here in an overwhelming way. As if he would be content to be swept away by this god''s karma. Somehow he found his voice, and it came out frantic. "I am in control," he said, repeating the mantra in his head so that he wouldn''t go crazy. "I''m talking to a fucking lightning bolt." The lightning bolt flared and seemed to study Langa intensely. ¡¶This form is too much for you. I know what form you would feel safe and comfortable with, but I did not choose it because I was worried it would... startle you. Stay calm, please.¡· The lightning bolt disappeared, and a human male took its place. The man was familiar. He was black, tall, with natural black eyes. He had a fresh haircut on his head, and he wore casual blue jeans and a black shirt. He had his hands in his pockets as he sauntered towards Langa. "Baba!" Langa cried out. His appearance filled him with warmth and longing, and before he knew it, he ran towards him and hugged him, tears filling his eyes. Logically, Langa knew that this wasn''t actually his father, but when he laid his head on the man''s chest and a hand patted his back, it truly felt like he was hugging his father. He even smelt like him. "Is this form also no good? When I searched your mind, I saw that this is the person who makes you feel safe," The Lackadaisical Herald said, concern in his voice. Gods, he even had his father¡¯s voice. Langa forced himself to break away from the hug and looked up at the god. "No, this isn''t a bad thing. Is it possible for you to always look like that when you speak to me? I barely even remember my father''s face, so even if I know it''s not really him, I''m happy to see him. He looks so young," "This is how you remember him," the god said. "Forgive the late introduction, Langa. I am Adtonifulmin, The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm." The moment he said his name, everything in the domain went still and silent as if to show respect to their master¡¯s name. Was Langa supposed to introduce himself too? He had never met a god before, so even though he knew him, he decided to do it anyway. ¡±I¡¯m Langelihle Zulu. Oh, but don¡¯t use my full name with my father¡¯s face, or I might get attached to you,¡± he half-joked nervously, wondering if he should hold out his hand for a handshake. Adtonifulmin laughed. ¡°Very well. Let us go somewhere familiar for you, so you can be free to talk.¡± The domain dissolved, and Langa found himself sitting next to The Lackadaisical Herald on the sand of an empty beach. It looked like Umhlanga Beach in Durban where his sister and brother-in-law had taken Langa, Neo, and Khaya when they were children to celebrate Langa winning the provincial athletics tournament. ¡±You¡¯re very powerful,¡± Langa remarked, touching the sand. ¡°It looks and feels so real.¡± ¡±This is nothing. Any deity can do this much,¡± Adtonifulmin said with a shrug. ¡°So, you completed the Challenge exceptionally well. You exceeded my expectations, Langa, and I am very proud of you.¡± Langa scratched his head, the compliment making him feel strange. ¡°I was able to get through it because you were watching over me,¡± he said, then he looked over at Adtonifulmin."Thank you... em, I know you told me your name, but in my culture, it''s disrespectful to call elders by their names. Besides, you are a god, so I don''t know what to call you." "You can call me anything depending on what I mean to you. A god plays a different role in each mortal''s life," he said. "Once we finalise the contract, I''ll be your master. You are free to call me Master Adtonifulmin, Lord Adtonifulmin, The Lackadaisical Herald, or The Lackadaisical One. As for the role I will play in your life, well, that is up to you. I will say, though, that I have seen your heart, and what it is that you need the most." He looked him in the eye. "There is a reason why I chose to appear to you in this form." Langa looked down. He was sure that his psychologist would be busy trying to decipher the implications of this, and why Langa was latching on to the first person who had shown him attention and guidance in this new world. ¡°Lord Adtonifulmin, why me? Why did you save me in the tutorial? Why did you Choose me now? I¡¯ve wanted to ask you this whole time.¡± ¡°There are many reasons, some of which you are not ready to hear just yet,¡± Adtonifulmin said and pointed to the glaive on Langa¡¯s belt. ¡°I found you in the tutorial because that child called out for help.¡± ¡°Tonare?¡± Langa asked in surprise. When he had been trapped inside the Void, Tonare had been his only anchor, and that had been the first time that he had felt truly connected to the glaive. ¡°How?¡± Even so, Langa was sure that according to the Relgte of The Unrivalled, the tutorial was hidden from any other deities besides The Quartenity and The Creator. ¡±The thunderbird who created that glaive was special to me. He was my Incarnation¡¯s Avatar. Tarquinius loved that child and supported him throughout his journey as a player. Even I gave Tonare one of my divine skills because he had so much potential,¡± Adtonifulmin¡¯s eyes looked at the calm waves of the sea in front of them, a solemn look in his eyes. "The essence of that child inside that glaive cares very much about you." "Really? Then why was it such a dick to me when it was teaching me the skill?" Langa muttered, but he knew that the Legacy, Tonare rather, had been tough on him because they did not have a lot of time to train together, and it needed him to improve and learn how to fight well. So, the real person that the glaive was named after had been special to both The Lackadaisical Herald and Tarquinius. "What happened to him?" ¡°You will probably uncover more about his life as you complete more Legacy Quests. Tonare never got to live up to his potential. A divine war against my immortal enemy took his life. His soul is within Tarquinius now, so when you connected to his essence inside the glaive, it reached me because I am Tarquinius¡¯ master.¡± Langa glanced at the glaive, ever since he arrived at The Lackadaisical Herald''s domain, it had been rather lively. However, the look on Adtonifulmin''s face was a bit sad now, so Langa steered away from the topic. "How could you interfere in the tutorial, isn''t that against the rules?" Adtonifulmin visibly grimaced. "Yeah, The Unrivalled gave me hell for that. She took so much karma from me. I didn''t even break the rules since I didn''t give you a Blessing or anything, all I did was let my presence be known to you. She''s such a stickler for the rules. The point is, I didn''t have to help you, but I did it because I wanted to." Adtonifulmin reached out a hand and clasped Langa''s shoulder. "I kept watching you because you are an interesting child, and I love the way you deal with your problems. You reminded me of myself when I was mortal." Langa looked down, smiling, and scratched his head. "How so? I just believe in the quickest and easiest solution. I hate things that drag." "That right there is why. You are a child after my own heart," Adtonifulmin said with a smile. "There is a reason why I have lackadaisical in my moniker, you know. I know that the fraction of time I have known you is very short, but when you have existed for thousands of years, you learn to pick and choose who you want in your life from the first meeting. To answer your question, I Chose you because I enjoy watching you grow in strength, and I worry for you when you face your fears. When you are hurt, I want to give you comfort in the shelter of my wings and protect you from all who wish to harm you. But I also want to Challenge you to grow stronger and rise above everything that would hurt you." His eyes were sincere, and Langa desperately wanted to believe him. How could someone who had only watched him from afar for only about a week care about him in a way that his brother-in-law never had for the 20 years he had raised him? Ever since his father''s death, Langa had not had a male mentor who cared about him enough to say such kind words to him. Langa didn''t even realise that he was crying until he saw drops of his tears fall onto the sand. Adtonifulmin''s hand squeezed his shoulder. "Thank you," Langa said wiping his tears. "I know I''ve said it before, but I mean it. My mind is my greatest weakness. When I was trapped in the Void, I felt very lost and alone and in that moment all you did was make your presence known, but to me it was everything. You saved me." "You pulled yourself out, Langa, you saved yourself," Adtonifulmin refused to take credit for it. "You gave me the strength and will to do it. To me, that is the essence of salvation," Langa told him. The sun stayed in the same spot in the sky, and the sea breeze carried with it a wave of calmness. "In that case, I will accept your gratitude. Now, I am sure you have a lot of questions for me. We only have an hour before the system forcibly returns you to the Tower. Let me give you your rewards so that we can be free to talk," Adtonifulmin said, and a message appeared in front of Langa. [You have completed The Sponsorship Challenge and Legacy Quest. Quest Completion Grade: S +6500 EXP +2500 karma +250 bonus karma for S Grade +500 karma for the formation of a divine nexus + Cool-down for the skill: Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike reduced to 5 minutes. Improved Connection with ''Thunderbird''s Mutable Lightning Glaive'' +1 Sponsorship Contract +1 Skill Book +1 Class Change + 1 Divine Skill] The prompt said all that but Langa didn''t receive anything, instead, it appeared that he was not getting the rewards from the system this time but from Adtonifulmin. It sucked that the experience was not enough for him to level up to level 11. He had killed 112 fucking trollimps and still did not get to level up, Tier 1 was the enemy of progress. But he supposed that most of the trollimps he killed were of a lower Tier, so the experience he received was about half of what a person below level 10 would get. "Give me the healing sacs," Adtonifulmin said, and Langa handed them over to him. But he handed back the healing sac from the boss monster, saying, " Keep this one. I''m sure you''ll find some use for it, or sell it." The 106 healing sacs glittered in the palm of his hand, and then disappeared, being replaced by a skill book, which he handed over to Langa. [Skill: Regeneration Passive Skill Skill Rank: F (Evolvable) Skill description: Beginner Lv 1 (0%): Passively regenerate 1% of your maximum health over a minute when in combat. Passively Regenerate 2% of your maximum health over a minute when out of combat.] "It''s an F-rank Skill!" Langa said incredulously. "I went through all that shit, nearly dying, for a fucking F-rank skill?" Hell, the amount of health regenerated per minute was even less than what he regenerated normally! "It''s an evolving skill, Langa. That means you can evolve it up to S-rank if you want," Adtonifulmin explained. "It''s better than Regeneration (C) trust me. It may not be strong now, but it will get better. When you''re raising the skill, you won''t need to go through all four skill levels, though. While the skill is F-rank, you only have to raise from Beginner to Intermediate Level 10, and then it will evolve, and from E to D-rank, you must raise it to Advanced Level 10 for it to evolve. But from C-rank to B-rank, you have to raise it to Master level 10 before it can evolve. To evolve from A to S-rank, you have to raise it to Grandmaster level 10." Oh, that changed things a little bit. It still would not help him much right now, though, and that was not the worst part. Since it was a regeneration skill, Langa figured that he would need to get hurt a lot before it evolved. "Thank you." "Sure. Now, let''s do the Sponsorship Contract first, then I can give you the divine skill," The Lackadaisical Herald said, looking down at him. "I do have an offer for you, but this is not a one-sided gift. I want to give you a contract that will satisfy you as well. So, tell me, Langa, what do you want?" Langa didn''t know what he''d expected, but he hadn''t thought his opinion would be considered. Well, he was never shy about asking for what he wanted, so without thinking about it too much, he answered. "I read up on the types of sponsorship contracts, and I think being an Avatar will help me grow my strength. I don''t know what exactly The Relgte of The Unrivalled meant by an Avatar having to always bring glory to their deity, but I don''t think I would do anything to hurt your reputation." "An Avatar? Really?" There was a note of disappointment in The Lackadaisical Herald''s voice. Oh, Langa thought, he must have failed to meet the threshold required to become an Avatar. "But Disciple is also fine, I don''t mind-" You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "Langa." Adtonifulmin''s voice was sharp. "It would be an insult to your performance in the Challenge to give you a Disciple contract. You felt it, did you not? You and I connected. You were able to see through my eyes because a Divine Nexus formed between us," he said and then continued. "An Avatar huh? Well, that''s fine, we have to start there for a bit anyway before we can upgrade the contract. I only have two Avatars in your Tower, and about twenty or so Disciples, so you will fit in just fine." "What?" Langa stared at him in surprise. "Aren''t you the second-in-command of the Deiwos Clan? Shouldn''t you be having thousands of players and NPCs bound to you from this Tower? Isn''t that how your clan earns karma?" "Yeah. Picciari is always on my arse about the low number of my bonded. But I make up for it by encouraging my constellations to bind as many mortals as possible. Everyone bound to them is automatically linked to me and my master," Adtonifulmin said looking away. "It''s a lot of work, guiding mortals." It made Langa wonder if the reason why he had such a low number of bonded mortals was because he was just lazy. "Besides, my power requires me to be very selective, and I only Choose people that I can see a future with. If someone is going to be bound to me, at the very least, I should like to be fond of them," he explained. Langa was touched that he was fond of him, and the affection made him uncomfortable because he was not used to receiving it directly like this. Perhaps sensing his discomfort, Adtonifulmin changed the subject. "Alright then. For the promised divine skill, I suppose you would want a skill related to speed or lightning, right? I''ve seen the look on your face when you''re running, too. You enjoy it a lot, don''t you?" Adtonfulmin asked. "Yes. I''m not very smart, I was always bad at studying, especially application questions and stuff. The only talent I have is in my legs. I was never one to sit still for long, even as a child, I''d just get restless or sleep. So my dad cleared a field for me to run in," Langa leant forward, excitement lighting up his face, ¡°Running is my heart and soul. It became nothing more than a chore for a long time, but now that I''m in the Tower, my speed is growing and there are so many people to compete with! I didn''t think I''d ever feel like this again, but running makes me feel alive in ways I never thought possible. The tutorial and the Tower reminded me of the thrill of the race, the pounding of my heart against my chest, it''s...it''s indescribable.¡± Just thinking about it made Langa want to stretch and go for a run on the sand. ¡°There¡¯s this adrenaline rush that surges through my body as I stand at the starting line. Hell, I''m so obsessed with speed that my attribute allows me to perceive time at a slower rate than others as if I¡¯m moving so fast that time stops for me, and all that matters is putting one foot in front of the other," he paused, looking at Adtonifulmin''s face sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you probably didn¡¯t want to hear all that, right?¡± It was just that the words were flowing out of him. "Not at all," Adtonifulmin said with a gentle smile, his hand still on Langa''s shoulder. "It brings me joy to listen to you talk about the things you like." It had been a long time since Langa had rambled to someone like this. After all, he was not someone who allowed himself to get attached to people because he did not want them to be affected by his curse, and he preferred to keep them at arm''s length, no matter how much he craved companionship. But there was something about someone, a great being like Adtonifulmin, listening attentively to him that made him want to open up like this. Was it because of the connection, the divine nexus? Or was it merely because someone was willing to listen to him talk about what he liked to do? [The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, Adtonifulmin has proposed a Sponsorship Contract for you. Contract Type: Avatar For more information on the rules and regulations for Avatars, as well as the specifics of this type of sponsorship contract, please read The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master, Scroll 4: Chapter 5 Accept: Y/N? Time Limit: 13 minutes] Langa reread the message and smiled. He had worried about being left behind for so long, and now he could finally have a place to belong. He has already read the Relgte and all the rules and restrictions of an Avatar contract. Therefore, he did not hesitate to accept it. [Congratulations! You are now the Avatar of a high-ranking member of The Deiwos Clan inside a Deiwos Tower! As a signing bonus, The Lackadaisical Herald of the Lightning Storm has gifted you with +1% lightning resistance and +1% darkness resistance!] [As an Avatar, you are a representative of your patron deity, and must always act in a way that shows the glory and splendour of your deity. You are entitled to: +The right to participate in any divine wars for the Deiwos Clan from Tier 3 (level 30) and above. + Maximum of 1 divine skill every odd tier, 1 active skill every even tier, and 2 total passive skills from your patron deity from Tier 0 up to Tier 10 (level 100). + 1 resurrection stone with a maximum of (4) respawns per Floor. Restrictions: -5% of all karma earned will automatically be given to the patron deity. This amount of karma will be already deducted by the time you receive system announcements of karma earned. -1 worthy offering must be made to your patron deity to strengthen your faith at every Tier. -You are forbidden from learning ANY divine skills from other deities without prior approval from your patron deity.] [You are bound to a deity. You have unlocked the special stat: Faith.] [Faith: FAI This is a measure of a mortal¡¯s connection with their deity. Strengthened through offerings, participation in divine wars, completing Challenges, participating in Celestial Clash tournaments, and many other ways, a higher Faith level unlocks access to upgrading divine skills, gaining more Blessings and artefacts, among others, and enhancing the player''s abilities in alignment with their chosen deity. Current Faith Level: Avatar Level 1] [You have been granted the protection of the Divine Shroud of The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm. Those who wish to see your details with the system scan or other identifying abilities will be unable to do so unless you permit them. This Shroud is only effective against mortals bound to deities ranked lower than your patron deity or your patron deity''s patron deity.] "Okay, so this is where I am supposed to make a big speech and tell you all about my decrees and doctrines and stuff, but honestly, I never followed my master''s teachings, and I was his Visage, so that says a lot, trust me," Adtonifulmin said. "If you care about that stuff, you can read my Relgte. Tarquinius made sure that they inscribed some sensible rules and laws in there." Langa shook his head in disbelief. Most of the deities from back home had strict rules that their followers adhered to religiously. Hell, in the Tower, people lived following the rules of The Unrivalled as well as their patron deities. But this god was treating it like a chore to set rules? "There''s barely anything about you in your Relgte!" Langa told him. Adtonifulmin sighed. "Those small things matter very little to me. You can choose to follow my teachings if you want, that''s up to you, however, I have only two rules for you that you must adhere to at all costs or you will suffer my wrath," he said. His face turned serious and he looked Langa in the eye. "Rule number 1: Do not, under any circumstance, bring the name of The Deiwos Clan into a divine war with other pantheons without my permission. You can bring me into a divine war with any other deities, I don''t mind. Even if you''re wrong, I''ll send my forces to fight for you but do not involve the clan. Rule number 2: Never let your actions come between me and The Unrivalled. If you do that, you will see a side of me that you do not want to see, trust me." That was the most serious Adtonifulmin had been, and Langa quickly agreed. He did not think he was important enough that his actions could drag an entire godly clan into a war or cause friction between Adtonifulmin and The Unrivalled. "As your Avatar, I promise that I will not intentionally lead The Deiwos Clan into war and I will not intentionally come between you and The Unrivalled." He felt his karma shift inside him and instinctively knew that he had just made a binding contract. "Good," Adtonifulmin smiled, and he returned to his normal relaxed self. "Let''s continue, you need to choose a skill so that I can assign you a suitable class." [Please Choose a divine skill. 1. Thunderous Impact of The Herald (Base Cost: 300 Mana) Short Description: Unleashes a powerful lightning bolt, striking nearby foes with lightning magic. Thunder accompanies the bolt, the sound disorienting foes. 2. Lightning Lance of The Herald (Base Cost: 200 Mana per lance) Short Description: Summons lightning spears and hurls them at the caster''s enemies. Lances can also be used to protect the caster. 3. Lightning Tempest of The Herald (Base Cost: 250 Mana/Second) Short Description: Summons a localized lightning storm within a specific radius, damaging and stunning all beings in the area. The caster may take damage depending on lightning resistance. 4. The Herald''s Electromagnetic Zone (Base Cost: 350 Mana/Second) A zone of electromagnetic energy is created around the user in a specific radius enabling them to manipulate the electromagnetic forces around them to incapacitate or disorient foes and disrupt magic or materials susceptible to electromagnetism. Please Note: The player needs to invest significant mana to activate and sustain these skills. The cost listed here is only the base cost, and it scales up with Faith Level. The higher the Faith Level, the more potent and versatile the skills become, and the more the cost to activate them increases.] Choosing a divine skill was important, but while the short description did very little to sell the skills, Langa knew that they were all-powerful. Sadly, his mana was currently only at 150, and he couldn¡¯t afford to use any of the skills. He would need a lot of equipment to supplement his mana pool. The thought that he could be able to summon lightning bolts, summon spears of pure lightning, and create storms was frankly quite exciting. They were all good skills, but he had to choose what he needed the most right now. He had to choose wisely as he would not be able to gain another divine skill from Adtonifulmin until Tier 3. Even he could tell that the Electromagnetic Zone was the most powerful skill on the list. Unfortunately, he would need to level up at least ten times before he could have enough mana to use it for one second. At his level, there were no items that he could use to raise his mana that much, he would not fulfil the item restrictions. He promised himself that he would place as many points into Mind as possible so that he could choose it the next time he was allowed to select a divine skill. The fights in the dungeon had taught him the need for AOE skills. Should he choose the tempest skill, then? That skill was way too mana expensive. With his current mana pool, he would only be able to sustain it for half a second. For now, he could supplement his lack of an AOE attack to some extent by using exploding orbs. He also needed a devastating finishing move as Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike needed to be recharged frequently and had a long cool-down, so perhaps the Thunderbolt skill or the lightning lance would suit him better. He also needed some ranged attacks, if he had those, he could have fought more evenly against Statia, and those two skills would be useful for that. The Lightning Lance was the one he could most easily afford to use at the moment, though, with his mana. Fuck, he should have put more free stat points into Mind before. "Lightning Lance," he said. [Skill Name: Lightning Lance of The Herald Skill Rank: Divine Passive Effect: Enhanced agility and reflexes when using polearm weapons. +15% Movement Speed when riding a mount. Active Effect: Upon activation, the Lightning Lance skill allows the user to summon one or more pure lightning lances from anywhere within the range of their sight. The lances read the intent of the caster, and home in on the target, unleashing devastating electrical energy upon impact. Alternatively, the user can choose to wield the lightning lance in hand-to-hand combat. Damage dealt is dependent on both mana and faith level. Cost: 200 Mana per lance. The base spell to activate the skill: Lightning Lance of The Herald requires a magic circle with 113 runes, 24 glyphs, and 17 symbols. Mana must be infused through each rune, glyph, and symbol for activation. Casting speed may be severely reduced because of this. Cool-down: 2 minutes] [Please note: Divine Skill Restrictions per day: Divine Skills may be used a maximum of: Unbound: 1 x Faith Level Disciple: 2 x Faith Level Avatar: 3 x Faith Level Visage: 5 x Faith Level (This includes negative faith levels)] So, divine skills had passive and active effects? Fascinating. He needed to sit down and analyse his skill after this because there was a lot that he did not understand. It was interesting that the type of Sponsorship Contract dictated how many times he could use divine skills per day. [The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm would like to change your class to ''Lightning Lancer''. Accept: Y/N?] "Yes!" [You have chosen the class: Lightning Lancer +3 AGI, + 2 MND +1 VIT +1 Special Stat: VEL This is a Legendary Class. At Tier 1, on every level up, you receive +3 AGI, + 2 MND +1 VIT, +1 VEL, and 5 free attribute points. This class is upgradeable at Tier 10] [Class Name: Lightning Lancer Rank: Legendary Description: The Lightning Lancer excels as a high-speed damage dealer, combining the best of melee spear combat and magic. Their versatility allows them to adapt to various encounters, engaging foes up close or dealing devastating blows from a distance. The Lightning Lancer''s agility and magical prowess make them a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Restrictions: Only those Chosen by a god of lightning, Lightning affinity 50% or higher, Agility 50% or more higher than the level average. Must possess the special stat: Velocity. This Class is restricted to Cloth, Light or Medium Armour. Equipping any heavier or metal-based armour will cause penalities to movement speed.] [Achievement! You are the first player in your tutorial batch to obtain a legendary class! +475 Karma] That was a lot of notifications, and since Langa did not have a lot of time to spend in The Lackadaisical Herald¡¯s domain, he decided that he would read through most of them later since he did not want to waste time and there was still a lot that he wanted to ask him. But he got 12 stat points on every level up with a legendary class compared to the 8 that he got with his common basic Fighter Class. That was nice. The last gift that Langa received was a new resurrection stone. [Resurrection Stone Artefact rank: Divine. (Adtonifulmin: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm) Stores three extra lives. Recharges once every floor. (Please note, the player must bind their souls to a safe zone or neutral zone in order to be able to respawn) Available respawns: 3/3 Respawn zone: Valley of Guardians (1st Floor)] Langa felt the stone disappear into him, replacing the one that The Unrivalled gave to all players, but his respawn point remained unchanged. Interestingly, this stone allowed him to bind his soul to a neutral zone as well, not just a safe zone. He bet voidents and red mortals loved it when people bound their souls to neutral zones. However, he frowned. "Only three respawns? The Relgte of The Unrivalled said Avatars could get 4 respawns though." "Four is the maximum number of respawns an Avatar can receive. You should know this, though, Langa. I never give more than 3 respawns to my bonded. The more lives a person has, the more complacent they become. I detest complacency. As you are going to follow me, you should know this, you can be lazy, take as many shortcuts as you want, take the quickest and easiest route... I don''t care, hell, I encourage it. But do not ever get complacent. It may seem contradictory to the essence of who I am, but it is not. Complacency is something I do not forgive of myself and I will not forgive it of my followers." This entire time that they had been together, Adtonifulmin had been relaxed except for when he gave him his rules, but this he said with conviction. "I understand," Langa said. He had always worked hard in training anyway, so he never got complacent. "So, since you are my third Avatar in this Tower, I can grant you a title corresponding to either lightning, life, sloth, or decay, instead of a Blessing," Adtoniflumin said. "Which one do you want?" "I think I''ve had enough of lightning, any more and I might explode," Langa said with a shrug. "Do any of those help me to, like, see invisible enemies or to like sneak around or something?" In the fight against the trollimp boss and the trollimp archers, the main reason why he nearly died was that he was caught off guard and couldn¡¯t see his opponent. What was the use of being fast if he could not sense a sneak attack? Adtonifulmin''s face soured. "I''m not a god of stealth. Get a stealth skill if you want that. Besides, you have very very good spatial awareness, you were able to find the void veil without too much trouble before. Even knowing where it is, most people can''t sense it. And you were also able to tell quickly when Psike would attack, even while he was invisible." "Really?" Langa hadn''t known that finding the void veil should have been hard. "Yeah, actually, I think this will be the best title to enhance your abilities," Adtonifulmin said. [For being one of your patron deity''s first three Avatars in the 1773rd Deiwos Tower, you have received a new title.] [Title: Third Avatar of Adtonifulmin: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm Title Rank: Divine Effects: As the Avatar of a god of life, you are sensitive to the breath of life. You become attuned to the subtle breath emitted by all living beings, enhancing your spatial awareness with the ability to track and sense the presence of living beings close to you. You are 20% more likely to detect tracks and signs left by living beings in the vicinity.] Langa smiled. This would be useful the next time he went to hunt voidents or fought against someone with a stealth skill. "You have heard what I want from you as a player as well as what rules I want you to follow. Now it''s your turn. Tell me what kind of a god you are looking for?" he asked. "Shouldn''t you already know that? You can read my thoughts, can''t you?" Langa asked. The Lackadaisical Herald nodded, "I can, but you''ll find that most deities will not give you anything if you don''t ask. I may know your thoughts, what you desire, your hopes, dreams, and fears but you have free will to deny your desires and pray only for that which you choose." Free will, huh? It seemed that the Quartenity had done their best to give deities enough rules about interfering with the lives of mortals so that they did not abuse their power to rob mortals of their free will. So, what kind of a god did Langa want? ¡°I want someone to watch over me, but I don''t want to be controlled. Like I said before, for me running feels like freedom, as if nothing is holding me to the world. That''s all I want from you too, to let me be free to pursue the things I want. Free to do good, free to sin, free...to be free. I''ll follow your rules, but I will not be forced into doing something that goes against my morals or beliefs," Langa added. "If you are willing to let me have that freedom, then I will be a good Avatar to you, Lord Adtonifulmin." ¡°Once again, it''s as if the words were coming out of my own mouth. I have no issue with you being my Avatar, however, like I said before, you are a child after my own heart," he said, looking Langa in the eyes. "Langa, I want to upgrade your contract. From the moment you decided to take my Challenge, I have wanted you to be my Visage." 41. Floor 1: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm (2) A large wave rose up in the ocean, growing faster as it approached the shore. It crashed onto the beach with a ripple reflecting the light of the sun in the sky. Droplets of seawater touched Langa''s face, alerting him to the fact that he was sitting with his mouth wide open. "V-visage?" he asked, not sure if he heard Adtonifulmin correctly. "There''s no need to panic, I won''t force you to take the contract, you need to have been an Avatar first before we can upgrade the contract anyway," Adtonifulmin assured him. Once the shock had worn off, Langa sat on the sandy beach, his feet buried in the warm grains as he gazed at the crashing waves before him. "I¡¯m fine being your Avatar, I''ll gain good skills, but I still retain my freedom," he said. Adtonifulmin turned to him, a smile on his face. "Indeed. But as my Visage, you will have access to 3 extra divine skill slots and I will be able to give you a divine skill every Tier instead of every even Tier. I might even be able to do something about your divine domain. Besides that, it is a bond beyond your wildest imagination, one that will guide and protect you. Even as weak as you are compared to all of my other Avatars in this and many other Towers, you would have Authority over all of them as my Visage. You would speak for me and order them around, even those above Tier 10." Langa listened intently; he didn''t like being in charge of anyone, but free labour did sound nice. "But, Lord Adtonifulmin, what about my freedom? If I become your Visage, you will control every single passive, active, and divine skill I can learn. At least as an Avatar, you can only forbid me from learning certain divine skills. If I become your Visage, I won''t have any control over one of the most important aspects of my life." Adtonifulmin''s eyes softened, "I understand your concerns, Langa, but I can help you cover your greatest weakness. There is something that I can grant you from my master that can only be equipped by his Visage or his Visage''s Visage. It will protect your mind from being controlled by those whose deities are ranked lower than my master. Trust me, my master may be nefarious, but he is very powerful. If you became my Visage, you would also be able to have more than 1 divine skill from him too," he replied, his voice gentle. "I will never force my will upon you. You will always retain your autonomy and your freedom to choose who you want to be. I promise you that I will only control which divine skills you can learn, nothing else." Langa''s brows furrowed as he considered Adtonifulmin''s words. A part of him wanted to agree, if only to cover for his mental weakness. A divine skill that would protect him from Kindaro and other mind mages'' mind control was desirable. However, he did not want to trade his freedom for revenge. "How can I just trust that you will keep your word?" he questioned. "I need some assurance, a sign that you won''t abuse the power you have over me." The god laughed. "I should be asking you that. As a Visage, your name and your every deed will be spread across the multiverse and in every single Tower wherever my Name is mentioned. You''ll find that most gods only ever choose to have one Visage and get another one if the first dies. It''s very rare for a god to have an Ascended Visage and a mortal one. The bond and influence only grow after a Visage''s Ascension into constellationhood or godhood. It''s not an easy bond to replace. "Understand that, as my Visage, your every action will reflect on me, Langa, and will have a profound impact on the faith all my other followers in the multiverse have in me," he explained. "The more faith they have, the more karma I receive. If you were to do something that diminished their faith, I would lose karma. And karma is the lifeblood of gods. So, our fates would be intertwined, and there are no assurances for either of us, only faith." Langa nodded slowly. "I''ll think about it," he said non-commitally. He was not saying yes because he did not trust him, but because he was sure that there was something important that Adtonifulmin was keeping from him regarding why he had Chosen him. "It''s okay if you don''t want to. I''ll still treat you the same," Adtonifulmin assured him. "Passing over that, this is not something that happens often. You can only come to my domain once per Floor, and you need to make a worthy offering at my temple for the doors to open. So, if you have any questions for me, now''s the time. We only have less than half an hour until you''re forcibly pulled back into the mortal realm." Langa perked up immediately. ¡°From what I read in the Relgtes, I know that when a bonded mortal dies, their deity claims their soul, and they become a part of that deity. What about people from lost worlds?¡± he asked. ¡°Their souls go to Life and Death, and they judge whether their souls will be reborn, recycled, tossed into the Void, or sold to other deities for karma. There are many other places where a soul can end up. Life and Death generally judge according to how you lived your life. So, most people will go where they believe they will go. If you lived your life believing that your soul would join your ancestors after death, that is how your soul would perceive life after death. If you don''t believe in life after death, then there will be nothing for your soul after death. For some, if Life and Death feel that your soul would be compatible with the values of a demon god, then a demon god gets your soul for karma, or if it¡¯s a saint god, the same thing. According to them, it¡¯s a fair process that ensures all mortal souls end up where they belong, except Daevas,¡± Adtonifulmin said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, now that you are bound to me if you permanently die, your soul will always be a part of me.¡± ¡°I''ve never cared about life after death. You can have my soul, as long as everything that makes me, me, dies with me, I don''t care what happens to my empty soul," Langa said. "Anyway, I wasn''t asking for myself, I was asking for my father. Can you tell me where his soul is? I''m wondering if I can talk to him, or his soul.¡± "I cannot tell you that, Langa," Adtonifulmin said, shaking his head. ¡°You don¡¯t want to know.¡± Langa¡¯s heart sank, ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡± Was his father in hell? Was hell real? He had not been a bad person, though, he had always just been a smart guy interested in studying the religious history of different cultures all over the world. He had believed in everything and was devoted to nothing. Where could his soul have ended up? ¡°No, you literally don¡¯t want to know," Adtonifulmin clarified. "You do know where your father¡¯s soul ended up, you were with him on his last day on your Earth, were you not? The memory is there, along with countless others that you filed away in the back of your mind because you could not deal with them.¡± "What?" Langa blanched. No way. Was that even possible? If he opened up his mind and faced everything he had ever locked away, would he find his last memories of his father too? How was that related to where his father''s soul was? ¡°You can read my mind, can¡¯t you tell me?¡± he asked desperately. ¡°I will not. I don¡¯t want to break your fragile mortal mind. If you truly want to know, you need to open that cage where you filed all your trauma in your mind, and deal with it,¡± Adtonifulmin told him firmly. "I can assist you if you so desire." Langa clenched his fists. There was a lot of baggage that he had buried in there, most of which he did not remember. Because of his compulsive need to compartmentalise, he was afraid to open up his mind. Did it mean that the memory he unlocked in the battle against the trollimp boss was real? Was that female voice real as well? Had something more happened during that accident besides his father dying? All he had to go on was that it had to be tied to their family''s generational curse, that was the only explanation. "Let''s... let''s leave that for later," Langa said, asking the next important question. "Can you tell me about the rest of my family?" "You know the rules, I can''t reveal information about living mortals to you that they haven''t allowed to be revealed, even if I know it," Adtonifulmin told him. "All I can say is that most of what the Seer you saw in Risa''s Plateau told you was true." When Langa had asked about his family, the Seer had said that two were dead, two were in mortal peril and one was Shrouded. "Come on, just tell me one thing?" "No, I would love to tell you and ease your heart, but the system blocks the words, look," Adtonifulmin opened his mouth and said something. Langa could tell he was talking but there was only static, and he could neither hear him nor read his lips. "I just told you the location of your ?????, but you can''t even hear that." Oh. Well, that sucked. "So is there any way for you to even give me a hint?" The Lackadaisical Herald shook his head, but then he scratched his left ear with his index finger pointed upwards and Langa''s eyes widened. That was a signal that he and Neo used when they wanted to communicate secretly in the presence of other people. The left ear was yes, and the right ear was no. "Is Thandiwe Tlou dead?" he asked hastily, and Adtonifulmin scratched his right ear. Langa released a relieved breath, and most of his tension eased. His sister was not dead, she was still alive, and he may be able to see her again. "Neo Tlou?" This time, there was no response from the god, and Langa frowned, uncertain if that meant Neo was alive or not. "Khaya Tlou?" Once again, the right ear was scratched. That was good, she was the one he worried the most about being so young and reckless. At least two of the three most important people to him were alive. "Zandile Dube?" This time, Adtonifulmin scratched his left ear. Langa did not know how to feel about this, since it meant that his mother was dead. They never had a good relationship, as he only saw her once in a while when his father needed to go on one of his trips and his sister was unavailable to look after him. Then he would be left at his mother''s house. All she ever did for him was the bare minimum, and after his father died, and she confirmed the truth about Langa''s curse, she abandoned him. He hated that a part of him still loved her, wanted her attention, and was sad that he never got to make up with her or ask her why she never loved him. "What about Kgosi Tl-" "Crap, she caught me. Sorry, I won''t be able to tell you any more. The system is blocking me from using even the signal now," Adtonifulmin said with a shrug, putting his hand down. "The Unrivalled is always so sharp and quick on the uptake." After gathering the information he obtained, Langa knew that his sister and niece were alive. Either Neo or his brother-in-law were dead, Shrouded, or in mortal peril. He sincerely hoped that Neo was okay. But he knew that if Neo was okay, he would have contacted him by now, even with just a comment on his videos, so that worried him the most. Maybe Neo was an NPC back on Earth, and didn''t have access to the Dent yet? He could only hope so. "I know you have already done more for me than what is required of you, but I would still like to ask a favour. Consider this my first prayer as your Avatar. About the members of my family that are still alive, I know it''s too much to ask, but-" Langa started. "Despite my anger at how the people you call your family chose to raise you, you care about them, so they will receive sponsorships, and be well taken care of," he said. Seeing the look on Langa''s face, Adtonifulmin continued. "Not from me, unfortunately, none of them pass my selection criteria. I have, however, instructed my constellations to watch over them." "Thank you, Lord Adtonifulmin. I appreciate it," Langa said honestly. Was the snide remark about the way Langa''s brother-in-law treated him? "How do I thank you? Do you want sacrifices, offerings, and stuff?" He''d done cultural rituals and cleansing ceremonies back on Earth, so this would be nothing new. "Sacrifices are only necessary if you''re asking for forgiveness for something really bad, otherwise, not my thing," he said with a shrug. "I wouldn''t mind some nektiary or ambrosia if you can get your hands on them, though. If you want to make an offering to me, to any deity really, more than the true value of the item, what matters is the value of the item to you. In your case, say you explore a ruin and find an uncommon necklace that increases mental resistance by +1% and a legendary lightning sword with fantastic effects that all the guilds in your Tower would go to war over. You would earn a hundred times more karma if you offered the necklace to me than the sword, because while it is less valuable in general, it is more valuable to you and offering it to me would be a sacrifice for you." Oh, well, that meant increasing his faith would be very hard. "Good to know," he mumbled. Changing the subject, Langa asked another question. "Is Earth doing okay? Can you at least tell me that?" he asked. "Sure, I think I can tell you this because it is not about a mortal. An enemy of our clan has set his sights on the 36th Floor. He has planted a demon in the body of a Daeva, hoping to take that Floor for himself and suppress your people," Adtonifulmin said. "So if you want to save your world, you might need to gain the support of a guild powerful enough to contend with the demon and the army he will build." Langa remembered something he''d read about Daevas'' bodies being turned into monsters like demons when they died. Well, it was none of his business. "Why would I bother joining a guild just to save Earth? It''s not like that demon is going to kill all the people or anything, right? He needs people to rule over." He knew his mentality was a little screwed up. It would be different if the oppression was happening right in front of his eyes, but as far as Langa was concerned, if he didn''t see the injustice, he was not obligated to correct it. "True. Well, if you don''t care, then neither do I. I just thought you would want to save the member of your family stuck in that world." At that, Langa froze. Shit, so one of his family members was an NPC? Who was it? Fuck, this was so annoying. Now he had to prepare to save Earth from some fucking demon? It would take over a decade for him to even reach the 31st Floor and that was just the minimum time. What a load of crap. Perhaps all he needed was to find a guild leader with a strong sense of justice and use them to save Earth. He would think about it later. "I have another question, then. How do you kill a deity?" Langa asked, changing the subject. Adtonifulmin''s head snapped towards him, his expression dumbfounded. Then he threw back his head and laughed. His laughter resounded throughout the beach, and it sounded just like Langa''s father used to when Langa would say something absurd and amusing. The god fixed his eyes on Langa, mirth still evident in them. "You are truly a child after my own heart," Adtonifulmin said, shaking his head. "You''re lucky you were Chosen by me. That''s blasphemy right there." Langa frowned. "So I''m not supposed to ask?" "Why do you want to know?" Adtonifulmin asked him instead of answering. Langa looked up into the clear sky. It was strange, the sun was high in the sky, reminiscent of Earth, yet it was not scorching his skin or burning his eyes. "In my father''s stories, he used to say that the only way to break our family''s curse was to slay Mamlambo. The old story said that she cursed our family for her god, and in Zulu culture, she is always depicted as an evil goddess. I never believed in her, but now that I know a lot of myths from back home are real, I think she and that story might be too." "Your curse?" Adtonifulmin asked and then nodded. "Ah, you mean the Brand. Alright. I''ll tell you how to kill a deity. For deities, karma is life, the measure of our existence. Constellations have both spiritual and physical bodies, unlike gods, who no longer have physical bodies, we just take whatever form we want. To kill a constellation, you must kill their physical body, take over their domain, and drain all of their Total Karma, and they will cease to exist." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Really? It''s that easy?" Langa asked suspiciously. Granted, he had no idea how to drain karma, but that seemed like an awfully simple way to kill an ''immortal'' being. "You did hear that I said Total Karma, not Available Karma right? Also, remember that constellations are constantly gaining more karma by the second from the mortals bound to them. So if you want to kill a constellation, you must first stop that influx of karma by breaking the link between them and their mortals. The most common method is by killing the millions of mortals sponsored by them across multiple Towers and worlds. If even 1 karma remains, they can just use their stars to regress to their previous Total Karma stored in their domain, as long as they didn''t fully Descend. It''s complicated, and you won''t get exactly what I mean until you reach Tier 10. If you want to kill a constellation, the best time is right after Ascension before they have any mortals bound to them." As he said, Langa did not understand everything, but to think that if he wanted to kill a constellation, he needed to kill so many mortals first! That was too much. "That''s impossible!" Langa said, frustrated. They really were immortal. "If you think that''s hard, then you''re going to scream at how impossible it is to kill a god. Not only do you have to drain all their Total Karma, destroy or take over their domain, kill every mortal and every constellation that they sponsor¡ªsome gods are sponsors of other gods too, so you have to kill those gods as well¡ªbut you must also erase their Name. That means you have to kill every being in every world who has ever heard of their Name, believer or not. Every point of reputation, renown and faith is life to a god along with their karma," Adtonifulmin explained. "Fuck. What''s so special about a Name?" he asked, hating how impossible it seemed. "You see, the Name of a deity is considered sacred, and any mortal who says it summons the deity''s essence to them,¡± he said. Seeing the blank, confused look on Langa¡¯s face, he continued. ¡°Essence is what allows us to be present in various places at once. Right now, I¡¯m talking to you, but I¡¯m also watching over all my players in all of the Deiwos Towers, and all my players in other Pantheons¡¯ Towers. I am also listening to the prayers of the people in every unintegrated world that I own in the multiverse, including those governed by my constellations for me.¡± "Okay?" Langa said, pretending to understand. ¡°We are everywhere; our essences watch everyone in the multiverse passively. But if you call a deity¡¯s Name, their essence watches you actively. Most of us prefer to use a moniker to avoid our essence being constantly called upon. However, most constellations prefer to use their names instead of monikers because it allows them to spread their essence. Always use monikers for gods if you don¡¯t want their attention," he paused and gave him a stern look. ¡°More powerful gods don¡¯t care about monikers, look at Life and Death, Chronos, Odin, Sun Wukong, Nana Buluku. People use their names, and they are powerful enough to actively watch every mortal in the infinite multiverse if they so desire. And honestly, sometimes monikers for different deities blend together. If I say, I met with The God of Lightning yesterday, who¡¯s the first being to pop into your mind?¡± Langa thought for a moment, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Zeus or Thor?¡± Adtonifulmin frowned. ¡°I¡¯m right here!¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Langa said sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m kidding. Of course, you¡¯ll think of those beings, they are billions of years old, and I¡¯m barely like 100 000 years old. Some monikers belong to multiple deities, all that matters is who you intend to address. Your prayer goes to them," Adtonifulmin shrugged. Langa slumped down on the sand and lay on his back, watching the sky. There was no freeing himself from his curse in that case. So Karma was life to gods, huh? "How much karma do you have, Lord Adtonifulmin?" he asked. Adtonifulmin smirked down at him. "How high can you count?" "999 Trillion?" Langa asked. Surely he did not have that much karma, right? "More than that." "999 Zillion?" "That''s not a real number, Langa. The point is, I have that much karma, and I''m a relatively young god. Although I''m a special case, thanks to my master, the karma of beings like the Neutriarch gods would explode your delicate little mind. Don''t even get me started on The Garbage Quartenity," he mumbled. Killing a deity was truly hopeless then. Langa turned to his god sharply as the words he just said registered in his mind. "Did you just insult The Great Quartenity?" he asked, looking around with a gasp. "Damn right, I did." "Can''t they like, take away your powers or something?" he whispered. He usually kept his snide remarks about Chaos to himself or indirectly insulted him, not straight up like this. Adtonifulmin snorted. "Please, besides The Unrivalled, those fools are just old geezers clinging to power that was handed to them by The Creator. The rest of us worked hard to get to where we are. Life and Death¡¯s hubris led them into an unending conflict, pitting demon gods and saint gods against each other for all eternity. Chaos is the most like his father while being The Creator¡¯s favourite child yet his entire existence is a contradiction to the purpose she created him for. Order is holding this entire infinite multiverse together while those three only ever make a true effort during the great corruption wars. And yet, they like to claim her achievements as The Quartenity¡¯s achievements. Besides, they can''t do a damn thing to me without the risk of awakening my master." From what Adtonifulmin had been saying, it seemed that the god who had sponsored him when he was mortal was very powerful. "Who is your master?" Langa asked. "I can''t talk about him," he answered, looking away. Langa frowned. "But if I''m bound to you, doesn''t that mean I am automatically linked to him too? Shouldn''t I know who he is?" "I would like to tell you, but I cannot physically say his Name," Adtonifulmin said. "I''m bound by a contract, one that I was pretty much forced to agree to, but I can''t break it unless I want to rain calamities on the mortal worlds." That was ominous. So he had a master whose Name could not be uttered? Langa did not like it, so he pushed the worry away to the back of his mind. Of course, his mind immediately went to the books that Khaya loved with a passion. "Your master is He Who Must Not Be Named?" Langa asked, only half joking. Lots of myths were true after all. "Who?" Adtonifulmin asked with a cork of the head, probably looking into Langa''s mind. He snorted, "No, my master''s not an old wizard unhealthily obsessed with a teenage boy. He''s obsessed with something else, that''s for sure," he sighed. "Look, don''t worry about him, my master is not going to be a problem for you. He is... not all there right now, and as his Visage, I hold most of his power. Besides, he is the type of god who doesn''t seek people out. People unknowingly invite him in, and he latches on and refuses to leave." "If he is that strong, is he a Neutriarch?" Langa asked. "Something like that," Adtonifulmin murmured. His face was sullen and distracted when he spoke about his master, and it reminded Langa of how his father''s face would get when he spoke about his father. He needed to change the subject again. "What is the Brand, the curse?" he asked. "That is information I can''t divulge to someone who hasn''t completed the Infinite Challenge. All I can tell you is that it''s a mark on your soul. It means you were touched by corruption before integration and you survived, so now since that corruption failed to destroy you, it destroys for you. It''s better to learn stuff about the Brand on your own," he said. "If I could tell you everything, I would." That didn''t answer any of Langa''s questions. "Okay, but what''s the purpose of having it?" ¡°Nothing. Just know that corruption always leaves a mark. You have to be careful since most of the Brands consume something and if you overuse it, it can consume you. I¡¯ve seen a lot of mortals die because of their Brands. Power is good, but only if you can control it," Adtonifulmin warned him. "Now, we don''t have a lot of time. Is there anything else you want to know?" Langa stood up, and paced back and forth across the sand, his mind racing as he thought of the prophecy. Since some of what the Seer said was true, was the prophecy true as well? The thought of becoming a cold-blooded killer, forced to carry out the bidding of some tyrant, terrified him to his core. Yet, he could not escape the nagging question that lingered in his mind - was he doomed to fulfil this dark destiny, or could he decide his own future? "How does the future work?" he asked. "Is it set in stone, or is it dependent on people''s choices?" Adtonifulmin watched him. "It is both. Fate and free will are not mutually exclusive. The future is set in stone, but you only get there by freely making your own choices.¡± Langa blanched again. ¡°That makes no sense! If I got told that I would get hit by a car today, I¡¯d just stay at home.¡± He could not fathom himself as a murderer, blindly following someone''s orders. It went against everything he believed in, everything he held dear. ¡°If your destiny is to be hit by a car, then a car will crash into your house, killing you,¡± Adtonifulmin said, picking up a stone from the ground where he sat. ¡°This stone will land right below your feet.¡± Langa was standing in front of him, but Adtonifulmin threw the stone to his left, and there was a sudden gust of wind that blew the stone back, and it landed at Langa¡¯s feet. "That''s bullshit. Why must anyone tell me how my life will turn out? Why should anyone make those choices for me? It''s my life, I don''t care what some damn petty god decided!" he said furiously. "You seem to think that the prophecy you heard means that you will falter in your path morally, but have you stopped to consider that you may be literally under someone''s control?" Adtonifulmin asked. Langa froze. If he was being honest, he had thought that the tyrant in the prophecy meant Liv, since that was the only friend he had in the Tower. But now that he thought about it, Kindaro was a prince, a ruler who could easily be a tyrant. He even boldly expressed his desire to become a voident! If Langa fell under his control again, whether alive or undead, he would be forced to do terrible things. His hands shook. "Is that why you want me to be your Visage, because you have seen my future, and I end up being Kindaro''s slave?" "Langa," Adtonifulmin''s response was gentle, yet firm. "That is not it. You must always live your life as you see fit, not because you want to avoid a prophesied future outside of your control. Tirio''Lakhasa made that prophecy to you to spite me because she Saw that you would be bound to me. She and I disagree on a lot of matters about how the Deiwos Clan should be run, and we don''t get along. She messed with your head just to spite me, and for that, I apologise. I assure you that I made sure she was sorry for it." What? Thinking back, she had said that he was disrespectful, like his future master. But Langa''s anger cooled down a little because a god was apologising to him. Was that normal? So, that goddess had used him as a pawn then? Langa sighed and sat back down on the sand. "I guess things like that will happen more often if I become your Visage, right?" "Yes, those who seek to hurt me will hurt you, that is how strong the bond between a god and his Visage is," Adtonifulmin advised, a hint of compassion in his voice. "What lies ahead may be predetermined, but it should never hinder you from pursuing your own path. It is predetermined because you choose it. If you do not choose it, then it will not be your fate. Embrace your free will, for it is a gift bestowed upon you by The Creator." Langa nodded as he absorbed these wise words. Although it was hard to comprehend the future being both set in stone and a result of his choices, he decided that there was nothing he could do about it. He was not going to be anyone''s lackey, killing people on someone else''s orders. Langa knew he was no hero, but an unwavering love for his family drove him. He understood the lengths he would go to to protect those he held dear, even if it meant sacrificing innocent lives. In that, he was like uthekwane from his father''s stories. The lightning bird protected its own, no matter what the consequences were. There was no solution, and Langa could only cling to the hope that his choices and actions would define him, not that prophecy. Hell, he didn''t even know what half of it meant! He decided that he alone held the power to choose his fate. Time was running out, and there was still a lot that he wanted to ask his patron deity. "You said you would tell me about the Void Star as well. What is it?" he asked, letting himself forget about the prophecy. Adtonifulmin nodded. "What do you know about Void Gems?" "I know they are ranked in terms of power, from F-rank to S-rank. It goes from Void Pearl to Void Emerald to Void Sapphire to Void Ruby to Void Opus to Void Spinel to Void Diamond," he said. "I know that they are made with the sacrifice of lives, but there''s not a lot of information on them in the Tower." "Void Gems are the condensed form of pure corruption, sealed in place by the only thing that can seal corruption, the Void. There are only four ways for mortals to interact with that corruption, by harnessing it, assimilating it, sealing it, or clearing it according to the four principles of the Quartenity. A Void Star is the highest-ranking Void Gem, above Void Diamonds. It is what remains after the death of a constellation. While the rest of the Void Gems grow stronger through the sacrifice of purer as well as higher-ranking sapient beings, Void Stars only grow stronger through the sacrifice of constellations. Of course, if the Void Star is absorbed by another constellation or a seraphim, they can become much more powerful." Langa gaped at him in shock. No wonder he didn''t want the other deities to see it! "Why the hell did the FireFox Queen''s soul shard give me something so precious? And why was it in the hands of a level 5 maestril mini-boss?" "Ah, that''s an incomplete Void Star. The constellation it belonged to had Descended so she must have lost around 90% of her total karma to The Quartenity for breaking the rules. The Dark Void probably gave what little remained of The Void Star to the maestrils so that they could syphon the rest of Syn-... The FireFox Queen''s karma until she died. They ended up not succeeding, and you ended up with the Void Star," he said. "The Void can seal anything, karma, corruption, power, mortals¡ªeverything. It is the origin of darkness magic, while the Tower is the origin of light magic. The Void seals but allows growth, and The Tower clears, organises, and purifies." "So what the fuck am I supposed to do with this weird thing? Wield darkness magic and harness corruption like a voident?" He looked at the Void Star in his hands. He couldn''t throw it away, what if it fell into the hands of a voident? "There are many uses for it. If you want to save it until you are a seraphim, you can then use it to build your constellation. At your level, you can use the charges on it to heal yourself, though that might be too dangerous for you. You can also use it as protection from other Void Gems, though I suppose you have your Deiform Artefacts for that. You can use it the same way that voidents use Void Diamonds if that''s your thing. Most voidents use it for permanent griefing," The Lackadaisical Herald said nonchalantly. "Permanent Griefing?" Langa asked with interest. "You can seal a player inside your pseudovoid territory with a Void Diamond or Void Star and they can''t leave. Even if they die, they are forced to respawn in there, and you can kill them over and over again until nothing remains. That is the real danger of voidents, they disrupt order in the Tower to the extent that they can mess with divine artefacts," he explained. "But I''m not sure if The Unrivalled will mark you as a voident if you do that with your Void Star since you didn''t create it using any sacrifices." Langa gasped. While the thought of using this dirty power disgusted him, he realised he could use it against Kindaro. Confine him and kill him over and over again until he breathed his last. He would kill him until he freed Makoto''s soul. Before he could say anything else, Langa started to feel a prickling sensation on his hands, and he knew that it was almost time for him to return to the Tower. "Will you begin the Infinite Challenge once you clear the 1st Floor?" Adtonifulmin asked him. "Of course," Langa said. "I don''t know what it is, but it has the word Challenge in it, so I''m curious." Adtonifulmin nodded. "Good, have fun, and don''t die." That made him want to do it even more. It had to be difficult, after all, completing it was one of the requirements for mortals to Ascend to deityhood. "I still don''t know who I want to be or what Langa''s path will be, but I liked it," Langa confessed. "Chasing the voidents. Hiding in the forest, contemplating the best way to hunt them, and executing it. I liked destroying the trollimp archers in one fell swoop, and even though I was barely standing, I enjoyed battling the trollimp warden. Even while listening for Psike, the hairs on my body standing up, waiting for him to strike, it was exhilarating." Adtonifulmin said nothing, allowing him to get the words out. "It wasn''t even the fights themselves, I''m not addicted to violence. It was more the feeling, you know. How quickly can I end this? How far can I push my body before it breaks? How fast can I move before I burn out? I was alive, Lord Adtonifulmin. For the first time in the twenty years since my father died, I was living," Langa said, looking up at him. "Is it okay that I want to chase that thrill, that fear of death, to feel my heart struggling against my chest as long as I live?" he asked. This hadn''t been his plan when he said he wanted to change, but he liked this. His sister wouldn''t want that life of recklessness for him, but what would his father say? He was desperate for his approval. "Of course it is," Adtonifulmin said, gently placing a hand on top of his head. "You can be anything you want to be. I promise you, no matter how fast you run, how much you achieve, how much you sin, how many people die because of you, how many live because of you, how many worlds thrive because of you, how many worlds fall because of you, you are a child after my own heart, and I will always be on your side." Tears stung Langa''s eyes. It softened his heart to hear those words in that voice. Adtonifulmin held out his arms for him, and Langa did not hesitate to allow himself to be hugged. He felt like a child wrapped in his father''s arms again, and he closed his eyes. Logically, he knew that this was not healthy and that projecting his daddy issues to a god like this may not be good for him, but wasn''t a god supposed to be a father to the fatherless? It wasn''t like Adtonifulmin minded. "I promise that I will think hard about whether I want to be your Visage or not," Langa promised. "If you do decide that you want to be my Visage, all you have to do is ask. But, Langa, you must never, ever, bow down to any mortal or immortal except for me," he said authoritatively. "Yes, that includes The Garbage Quartenity. You will answer to no one but me." That surprised Langa because there was a defined hierarchy when it came to the gods, but Adtonifulmin didn''t seem to fit in anywhere. Perhaps the legend of uthekwane was based on Adtonifulmin after all. The lazy bird that liked to eat and sleep in peace. It didn''t bother anyone, but when one of the people it cared about was hurt, it rained lightning down on the enemies of its loved ones and protected them. "Please continue watching over me," he asked, glad to be one of the people Adtonifulmin cared about, even if he didn''t understand why. "Of course I will. Don''t ever let that stupid prophecy or the Brand that you call a curse define you. You can rise above both those things, I believe in you. So be the best version of yourself, Langa," Adtonifulmin whispered. Langa nodded as he felt the telltale prickling sensation all over his body. "Thank you, Master," he said, and Adtonifulmin''s eyes softened. Then he was once again teleported away, and back into Psike''s Grotto. 42. Floor 1: Badly I know, but I Liv (1/2) "This is my favourite flower. In Draconian, we call it liva, the flower that reflects the sun. I like it because of how contradictory it is," a small dragonkin with thin blue scales said, holding an egg in her talons. She was lying on top of a nest made entirely of liva flowers. "In the dark, these flowers are poisonous to most mortals, but in the sun, they shine bright and emit life energy that rejuvenates the stamina of mortals. Isn''t that fascinating?" The egg shook, and she smiled, knowing that he could hear her, but then her smile disappeared when it started again. The essence connecting her to the egg flared up, and abruptly, karma was drained from her body, nourishing the egg. It wouldn''t be too long now, she knew. The karma-attenuance was near, and her child would be born. She could feel it, from the millions of karma she used to have, she was now only left with a few thousand. She bit her lip and cradled the egg close to her chest, even as it continued to drain her karma. "I wonder what kind of person you will become, my son. Will you take after me, or your father? Honestly, I don''t think that''s good on either side," Zindiphaveskka said with a pained chuckle. "When I looked into your future, I saw that your destiny was obscured by impenetrable darkness. I saw that, like all demigods, your cursed karma would be your greatest weakness. But I also saw in my vision that you may be able to overcome it, and find your way to the apex of transcendence unharmed if you choose to stand by the sun." She had an idea what her vision meant, and she could not help the tears that plagued her weak body as she held that egg. She was frail and dying, a fate that she had been made to choose, giving up all her power for her son. "My master... please go to him, he will take care of you, I know it. Even though he hates your father, I know Master will." More tears escaped her as she thought of her master, how she missed the constant presence of his essence within her, but- "He cannot hear you," a voice boomed all over the domain, and she trembled. She could feel the essence of The Demon Reaper overflowing. He was finally here, which meant that it was almost time. "Aapep, let me say goodbye to him, please. Just one last time, I need to apologise to my master," she begged. The wrath in The Demon Reaper''s essence nearly choked her as it filled the entire domain. "Even after all this time, Zindiphaveskka?" he asked. "You still won''t choose me? I gave you everything you wanted. I turned my domain into a nest so you could be comfortable! I am here, always by your side!" Zindiphaveskka cradled the egg in her hands. This was a conversation the two of them had over a thousand times, and she did not want to fight over The Sun God again. Aapep didn''t understand the bond between a Visage and her god. "Please, Aapep, I''m begging you. I don''t want him to resent the child because of you. I-" "No!" The Demon Reaper''s voice was filled with power. "No one is allowed to look inside my domain today. Only I am here. Only I will see your last moments, and only I will bear witness to the birth of my son." He approached her in the form of a demonkin, and sat down next to her. Gently, he lifted her head and placed it on his lap. His hand cradled the scales on her neck, soothing her. She closed her eyes, grateful that she was not alone right now, although she would never admit it. Pouring out her feelings for him was useless, she was dying after all. More karma drained from Zindiphaveskka''s body and she clutched the egg even tighter. She no longer had the energy to cry. "Can I at least name him?" she asked, looking up at him. "He will be raised by your mother among the dragonkin, so she may choose a different name for him. But I will let her know of your wish," he said, voice gentle, with a hint of excitement. She could feel that he had let go of his anger and was only being so agreeable because he was happy that he was having his first trueborn son in a thousand years. Would he even miss her when she was gone? "Livaeskka," she said. "The flower that reflects the sun and exudes darkness." The egg shook again, pleased with the name. "Livaeskka, you must always stand by the sun, you must, so you can live a long life. That is all that your mother wants for you." The egg shook once more and began to drain the last of his mother''s karma.
[Date: 11/04/12 (MDCCLXXIII) DW.T.T] Liv reached the capital city of Tishiba''s Peak and walked towards the grand temples of the Deiwos Clan. He checked the time on his comcer interface. He had about an hour until the deities could offer Sponsorship Challenges to him. It felt strange for him to be walking freely, unchained, through a safe zone filled with mortals. For most of his life, he observed the mortals, what was considered normal for them, how they interacted, how they fought, and how easy it was for them to get along and trust each other, and Liv learned. So, when he found himself free for the first time in his life during the tutorial, he put those lessons to good use and pretended to be a normal, stand-up guy. He even managed to make a friend! He¡¯d hidden it well, during the tutorial, but Liv had never had one of those before. In fact, after the incident, he had not been allowed anywhere near mortals except for his grandmother, his den-brother and The Living Wing¡¯s dragonkin priestess. The person he chose to be in the tutorial was the person he was working towards becoming. His ideal. Pretender that he was, he hoped that if he faked it long enough, he would become a dependable friend and trusted leader. No matter how hard he tried, though, sometimes Liv could feel the demon inside him bubbling to the surface, struggling to stay chained up. Finally, Liv reached his destination. The thirteen temples of The Deiwos Clan were all majestic in both appearance and karma, but only one had Liv¡¯s attention. If he was going to contact The Sun God, then it made sense for him to do so from the temple of a god of fire or light. As the Tower Administrators, only the Deiwos Clan were allowed to have temples in The Deiwos Tower, all other deities could have shrines to them, but no temples. The thirteen temples graced nearly every single Floor, and if a player wished to visit the domain of their non-Deiwos-Clan deity, then they had to do it from one of the temples of the Deiwos Clan, and their deity would pay karma to the clan. Since the Challenge Embargo was ending today, there were a lot of people at the temples, but Liv still stood out effortlessly. Wherever he went, people stared at him with awe, recognising him from his high renown. They pointed at him and whispered with admiration in their eyes. Liv gave two owlkin women a gracious smile and waved at them. One of them trembled, and the other stumbled. He covered the distance in one stride, catching her before she fell. "Are you alright?" he asked gently, helping her straighten up. Unable to form a coherent sentence, she only nodded. The people watching swooned, whispering about what a gentleman Liv was. Even though he wanted to leave her on the ground and snap at her for slowing him down, Liv made sure she was steady before continuing on his way. If he denied the dark thoughts, perhaps they would slowly disappear from his mind. He felt a derisive snort within his karma, no doubt his father was mocking him for not being true to himself. He ignored it, and continued on his way, attracting more stares. Being the centre of attention was not new to Liv. Every month, since he was a child, his grandmother had paraded him across all the enclaves of the lesser demonkin serving her mighty dragonkin nest. She had touted him as the spawn of the devil, the root of all their misfortune. Granted, back then, their gazes were not filled with admiration but hatred. His grandmother always found a way to make his life worse, as if it were not bad enough that she gave him a name that mocked the one his mother had wanted for him, and marked him as an outsider among the dragonkin. Not that a Veskka name would have made him feel like he belonged with them, seeing as he grew up locked away. A sun elf priest in red robes greeted Liv outside the entrance to the temple of The Red Flaming Blade of Menika, people stepping out of his way as he approached him. "May the Blessing of Picciari be with you," the priest said with a bow. Liv wanted to tell him to get out of his way because he did not need assistance and knew what he wanted, but he did not say that. Instead, Liv clasped his hands together and spoke. "Thank you for your Blessing, priest. I would like to perform the Cantadicio Trial. Please lead me to the ritual altar," he said without wasting time. A stunned silence filled the entire area outside the temple, shock visible on the faces of everyone who heard him. Immediately, Liv''s vision was obscured by messages from multiple deities expressing their surprise and shock at his boldness. He felt even more eyes start to watch him, deities from other Towers had no doubt sensed what he was trying to do and were here to observe. Liv nearly stumbled but kept steady when an angry voice roared inside his head. <> The Demon Reaper''s voice was like a knife in his head, but if the ritual was successful, he would not have to suffer his father invading his mind anymore. The only time he had ever really been free of him had been in the tutorial, where no other gods except The Great Quartenity could communicate with players. Liv ignored his father and followed the flustered priest into the temple and a wave of heat washed over him. It wasn''t overpowering, but welcoming. The walls of the temple were decorated with beautiful mosaics, depicting epic battles fought by The Flaming Blade, and in them, her blue feathers seemed to dance with the flames in her red hair. The ceiling above the temple was a sky ablaze with symbols of orange and gold. His eyes were drawn to the large number of paintings and statues all over the grand hall. Carved from precious incidium, the statues stood tall and proud, their eyes following Liv''s every move. Even in here, he could feel the soft whispers of the deities watching him, wondering if he was worthy of the trial he wanted to take, especially his father''s indignant gaze. The light of countless candles cast shadows upon the temple''s marble floor, leading Liv''s gaze towards the magnificent altar at the heart of the temple. The priest bowed and stepped back to allow him to climb the stairs towards the altar. The offering vessel sat on top of the wings of the goddess'' statue as Liv approached it. Normally, only priests Blessed by The Flaming Blade were allowed to perform rituals on her altar, but the Cantadicio Trial required that the one to be tested perform the ritual. From his inventory, Liv brought out three items: the manacore from an Elite Level 13 Flame Salamander corrupted boss monster that he had slain yesterday, the precious sap from a sun-kissed river tree, and the most important item, the most precious thing he owned, a liva flower from his mother''s garden. He had received it as a reward when he had helped his father win his divine war a few years ago. While carrying him, his mother had lived in The Demon Reaper''s domain, and there she had planted a garden of her favourite flowers to pass the time. Liv''s hand shook as he hesitated, his heart sinking. This was the only flower from his mother''s garden he had, so it meant everything to him. He could only hope that was enough of a sacrifice to get The Sun God''s attention. The flower had been preserved inside his inventory, and he had not been able to access his inventory during the tutorial as The Unrivalled regulated how much a player could bring into the tutorial. He received a new prompt from the system. [The Deiwos Clan has lifted the Challenge Embargo on all the players of tutorial batch #4 for all the deities operating in the Deiwos Tower.] [Congratulations! You have (298) Sponsorship Challenge Offers from (131) gods!] [Congratulations! You have (7685) Sponsorship Challenge Offers from (3836) constellations!] [System Note: You can only view a maximum of (9) Sponsorship Challenges from (3) different deities. You can only choose to accept (1) Sponsorship Challenge at a time. You have (13) minutes to accept or reject a Sponsorship Challenge. If you fail to complete the Sponsorship Challenge in the allotted time, you will be banned from accepting any new Challenges for (26) days. Good Luck, Player. Choose Wisely.] [Acheivement! Congratulations! You have received the most Sponsorship Offers of all the players from Tutorial Batch #4. You are automatically added to the Most Sponsorship Challenge Offers Leaderboard for Tutorial Batch #4. +510Karma] [Acheivement! Congratulations! You have received the (4th) most Sponsorship Offers of all the players from The 1773rd Deiwos Tower. You are automatically added to the overall Most Sponsorship Challenge Offers Leaderboard for The 1773rd Deiwos Tower. +752 Karma] Liv took a deep breath and dismissed the notification. He poured the sap onto the offering vessel and then dropped the manacore on top of it. Once that was done, Liv lifted the golden flower and dropped it into the mixture as well. The smoke from the incense burning all over the temple swirled above him as he placed his hand into the mixture as well. It felt like magiscril on his skin, and no scales could save him from the pain. It ate away the blood from his veins, mixing it with the offering, but pain was something that Liv had lived with his entire life, so he did not flinch. "My name is Liv''Kungsadu, the only son of Zindiphaveskka, and I open my heart to you. Neutriarch of Fire, allow me to pass through the Gate, and take your Sponsorship Challenge!" he prayed. There was silence for a moment, and Liv wondered if his plea had been heard. To gods like that, sincerity was the most important thing, and what could be more sincere than sacrificing the only thing he had of his mother? The ritual stopped sucking blood from Liv''s hand and the liquid inside the vessel transformed into letters. [What is it that you desire?] "Power and control," Liv declared with confidence. That was all he had ever wanted in his whole life, the essence of his conviction. Once again, the liquid transformed and this time, it formed the image of a door that kept growing in size on top of the altar until it was big enough for him to pass through. A prompt from the system covered his vision in the next moment.
Deity Challenge Level Challenge Reward Time Limit
Amun-Ra: The Sun God Hell Walk along the straight path to power. (Solo Challenge) Sponsorship Contract ??? ???
[Accept Sponsorship Challenge Yes/No?] His prayer had been heard and The Sun God had spared him a glance and was offering him the path to power. <> The Demon Reaper said desperately inside Liv''s mind. "Yes," Liv responded to the prompt at once, and the door in front of him became corporeal. "Sorry, Father. I am my mother''s son after all." A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. He walked towards the door and opened it, ignoring the anger in his father''s essence, and then he stepped into a brand new realm. The scent of sulphur clung to the air and the ground rumbled beneath his feet. Bubbling volcanic mountains surrounded him, their fiery lava flowing like rivers alongside a rocky path in the centre. This was the path, he knew, that led to power, and he was going to walk it no matter the challenges that lay ahead. Liv placed a foot on top of the rocky path, and he felt the heat beneath his feet rising. He could not see what was up ahead except for volcanic mountains, but the trial only required him to walk straight ahead. The intense heat in the air pressed against his body as if he were not wearing armour, but he paid it no mind, his endurance forged through years of torment. Even without that, Liv¡¯s physical body and stamina were already high thanks to the natural strength of a dragonkin and the limitless aptitude of a demigod. Step by step, Liv walked the rocky path, his feet steady despite the fear of stepping on top of the scorching lava. The rocks beneath his feet were burning away his boots, the leather melting into his skin, but even that pain did not stop him from walking. For a long time, he continued down that path. His feet were now bare, and in direct contact with the blistering rocks. The skin began to sizzle and he grimaced, looking back. He had no idea how long he had been walking, but it felt like hours. He activated this Dragon Scale Armour skill and the scales wrapped around his feet, but he knew he would not be able to keep the skill up forever. Liv pressed forward, the passage of time blurring in his exhausted mind. Had he been walking for a full day? Just as his feet adjusted to the constant burning pain and the journey became a little easier, suddenly, bursts of lava erupted from the mountain ahead of him, raining droplets of liquid fire down on him. He activated the dragon scales all over his body, but even with his high stamina, he lost health every time a single droplet dropped on him. Hours turned into what felt like days, his steps growing slower, his breath becoming ragged. Hunger and thirst gnawed at him, the lack of sustenance taking its toll on his weakening body. If only he could rest for a little while before continuing his journey, but there was nowhere to lay down his head on this path. Alone, as he had always been, Liv''s throat grew parched. "Are you tired and thirsty, Liv?" a voice asked, startling him, and he looked up to find that he had reached a fork in the rocky path, a choice between continuing on the straight path or taking a left turn. Standing on the left turn, wings folded behind his back and red scales covering his entire body, was his den-brother, Maipsatenkka. A warm smile graced his face, as it was the first time he had come to visit Liv¡¯s prison cell when they were children. "Brother..." Liv said, looking up at him in disbelief, his face weary. Was this real? Maipsatenkka held out his hand and offered him a waterskin, tempting Liv to quench his thirst. ¡°Come to me, fravhn, drink. Rest for a while, you do not need to suffer like this.¡± As if by strange magic, on his den-brother''s path, a river of cool water flowed, and trees were alive with shade. It would give him the relief he needed from the burning pain. Every part of Liv''s body screamed for rest, every blister begged for the coolness of the river, and his heart yearned to go to the first person who had ever cared for him. But Liv knew that there was no way this was real, it had to be an illusion, a cruel trick of the trial to lull him into complacency, because after the incident, the fondness on Maipsatenkka''s face disappeared, and he began to look at him with anger, hatred, and disgust. Maipsatenkka now treated him like the demon he was. Liv ignored the illusion of the one person who had shown him that there was more to the multiverse than the uncontrollable karma, more than the awful musty cell deprived of mana, more than the relentless dark influence from his father''s voice, and allowed Liv to open his heart. "Strange," Maipsatenkka''s voice lost its gentleness. "You will not accept something so small from me, yet you took everything from me." Liv did not look back. "I''m sorry, fravhn," he said, walking forward. Yes, the person who patiently taught him how to say brother in Balaeden, the language of the demonkin, was gone, and all that was left was the Dragonslayer. Even though his heart ached for him, Liv ignored his den-brother and continued on the torturous straight path. The atmosphere in this volcanic mountain region did not change, so there was no way to count the days, but Liv started to feel like he had been walking without food or resting in the constant heat for what felt like weeks. His armour had long since melted into his skin from the heat the longer he walked, and hunger pressed against Liv''s stomach. He constantly had to remind himself that he would endure this Trial as he had endured countless others. Giving up was not in his nature. The darkness was not unfamiliar to him; he had spent his days as a child surrounded by its oppressive embrace. The true torment lay in the loneliness of his existence after he had lost the companionship of his den-brother. Abandoned, he suffered back then, like he did now. After some time, he reached a second fork in the rocky path to power. A demonkin appeared on that path, holding a platter of freshly cooked venison. He stood on top of fresh, dewy grass, and the smell of roasted meat tortured Liv''s nose. There was a bed and a blanket as well, next to the demonkin. But Liv recognised that this was no ordinary demonkin, and it was no illusion. "You are hungry, my son. Come to me, and I will give you a meal and rest," the demonkin said, gesturing to the food. This appearance of his father was real, and he was truly trying to convince Liv to break away from The Sun God''s path and into his. Of course, Liv knew better than to accept anything from his father; nothing from him came without a price. He forced his feet to continue moving, disregarding the temptation. "Why do you keep rejecting me? I will protect you and give you power," The Demon Reaper said, his voice echoing throughout the entire area. Liv stopped walking, and spoke bitterly, "Is that what you promised my mother too?" "I cared for Zindiphaveskka. You blame me for everything, but she chose to have you, despite knowing what it would do to her. She followed her Obsession to the end. I never lied to her, or made any promises that I could not keep," he said, an emotion Liv could not decipher in his voice. Liv shook his head in disbelief. How could The Demon Reaper make such a claim when his one choice had destroyed Liv''s entire childhood? "You broke the deal you made with the Veskka Nest. My grandmother took out your betrayal on me! The demonkin who worshipped and prayed to you took out their anger with you on me! I bore the consequences of your actions!" Liv screamed. "Don''t you dare stand there and lie to my face. I will never follow your path! I will always stand by the sun like my mother wanted!" The Demon Reaper''s form flickered in and out of existence. "If you choose him over me like she did, I will make sure that you suffer for it. Do not think that just because you are my son, I will not be willing to punish you." "Do your worst, Father," Liv said, turning back to the straight path. "What changed?" his father asked him. "You came to me once before, and I gave you purpose and strength. Why do you reject me now?" Liv didn''t turn back. At that time, he had lost control of his power and wanted comfort in his father''s arms, but now he knew that was something he would never get from him. No, back then Liv had no choice but to go to him since his mind was in disarray after the incident, because he had needed his father''s anchoring to control his aura and prevent the karma inside him from imploding. Once he got what he wanted, Liv rejected being his father''s Chosen One, and sacrificed his levels and stats to be reset by the system so that he could take part in the tutorial and enter the Tower naturally. "I was just using you the same way you used my mother. Now you know how it feels," he said, not stopping walking. "Liv''Kungsadu! Come back here!" Liv ignored The Demon Reaper''s anger and continued walking, determined to never turn back. Yet, exhaustion took its toll. Liv stumbled and fell, his body succumbing to the searing pain of lava seeping into his skin. He screamed, but nothing came out of his mouth. "I refuse to fall here," he whispered to himself, his mind taking control of his weakened body. He desired power, control, and a life of glory and significance. If he wanted to stand above those who looked down on him, if he wanted to trample his grandmother''s kingdom again, even if it seemed impossible, he had to keep going. Why? The thought filtered into his head. Why was he subjecting himself to this trial? Was power truly worth the suffering and torment he endured? Could this Obsession with power, as it had for countless dragonkin before him, ultimately be his undoing? Was seeking revenge against his father worth all this suffering? He pressed on, and the scorching heat of the volcanoes mercilessly burned his skin as his sense of self dwindled further. Thirsty, exhausted, and sweltering in this unforgiving heat, he wondered when respite would come. His scales were burning out as his stamina became too low to sustain the skill. If not for his high fire resistance and high physical body resistance, he would have died days ago. He had lived with pain and torture since he was a child, he knew it well, but perhaps it was time to surrender and release himself from this perpetual agony. Although he could not feel anything beyond the heat of the volcanoes, the echoes of his victims'' screams replayed in his mind. The corpses he had left in the wake of that incident haunted his every step. He could see the look of horror on their faces when he had taken their lives, the woman who had guided him in the Duat Tower, the demonkin who begged him for mercy, his den-brother''s lover whose life he had callously extinguished¡ªeach life he took was evidence of his insatiable hunger for power. Was this how they felt when he took their lives? Weak and alone? Liv staggered again, nearly falling as his thoughts bled together. He had been walking for what felt like a year, and exhaustion overtook him. Power? Why should he suffer for something like that? He was hungry, and his body was falling apart, so why did he have to keep walking? All he longed for now was an end to this trial; he wanted an escape from the torment that bound his very essence. He needed to get out of here. He wanted someone to save him, anyone but his father. He was still in the Deiwos Tower and many gods wanted to sponsor him. It didn''t have to be The Sun God. The Deiwos Clan could pull him out of this trial. Liv closed his eyes, reaching out to the Deiwos Clan, he prayed for them to save him from the trial, and immediately as he opened his eyes, another path opened to his right. On the right path stood two beings, a phoenix with blue wings and flaming red hair, with the face of a woman, and a thunderbird with black wings and a man''s face. Instinctively, he knew these were the forms of the two leaders of the Deiwos clan, The Flaming Blade and The Lackadaisical Herald. "The road is not long now, child. You can still make it,¡± the Flaming Blade said, her voice gentle. ¡°Please save me. I can¡¯t do this anymore,¡± Liv croaked out. He was willing to bow down to them if that was what it took. ¡°You can come to our path if that is truly what you want, we will give you shelter and comfort,¡± The Flaming Blade promised, holding out her hand. Liv dragged his feet towards her, but The Lackadaisical Herald stood in the middle of the road blocking his path. ¡°Are you sure this is what you want?¡± he asked. Liv stumbled, but The Lackadaisical Herald caught him. "You have seen his Spiritual Paths, so remember, if you give up now, he will be disappointed in you." "Disappointed? Who?" Liv did not think there was anyone in the multiverse who cared enough about him to be disappointed with his failures. "Do you honestly think that he will agree to stand by your right hand if you can''t even complete a trial as simple as this?" The Lackadaisical Herald asked once more. "Langa will not follow an ineffectual weakling who cannot live up to his convictions; I will not allow it." Langa. His friend. His only friend. Liv''s eyes snapped awake, and his mind started to clear. He had Chosen Langa to be his anchor, but how could he expect his friend to fight with and for him if he wasn''t willing to burn his own life for power? He had to be incredibly powerful for someone as strong as Langa was destined to become according to his Spiritual Paths, to agree to stand with him. Liv straightened up and turned away from the real illusions of the two gods. He would continue walking the path to power until the end. * When Liv continued walking on the straight path, he did not hear the conversation between the essences of the two gods he had left behind. "Why did you encourage him to go on?" Picciari asked, staring at the young demigod staggering away. "If one of us sponsored him, we might have been able to gain the upper hand against The Demon Reaper." ¡°Come on, Picciari, you and I combined couldn''t give him a fraction of the power he would get from The Sun God,¡± Adtonifulmin said, shaking his head. ¡°Besides, if he completes the trial and becomes bound to The Sun God, that will be excellent for our clan. I¡¯m sure we''ll get an amazing reward for a Neutriarch being active in our Tower.¡± Thinking of the clan¡¯s status being elevated, Picciari nodded enthusiastically, her phoenix form flickering in and out of focus. Her essence was spreading out, looking at the other trials of The Neutriarchs, but all of the ones she could see were taking place across multiple Towers belonging to the higher-ranked pantheons. ¡°If he succeeds, I should give him a mountain of karma.¡± Adtonifulmin snorted, flapping his black wings, ¡°I doubt The Unrivalled will allow you to bribe a mortal.¡± Picciari¡¯s form shrugged, knowing how strict the system could be about rewards, especially karma. But there were always ways to bend the rules. Then she frowned, fixing her eyes on the thunderbird next to her. ¡°Since when are you concerned with the growth of the clan? Didn¡¯t you say that it was ''boring hard work that only self-hating nekants like Tirio''Lakasa enjoy''?¡± He looked away, choosing not to respond, but she could feel it in his essence, the real reason why he was concerned about this demigod¡¯s strength. ¡°Is it because he is tied to the fate of the child you''re watching right now? The one currently completing your Sponsorship Challenge?¡± ¡°So what if he is?¡± Atonifulmin asked defiantly, eyes blazing with lightning as he fixed them on her. ¡°I do not want my Visage to walk beside a mortal who cannot endure such insignificant torture.¡± ¡°Visage? Not even Avatar, at least?¡± Picciari was so exasperated that the magnitude of her essence, that was watching over a thousand different worlds, converged at this one point. She looked at the unstable form of her friend. ¡°Come to your senses, Adtonifulmin. I keep telling you this, but because you have so few bonded mortals, you get too attached to your bonded! Hell, you sometimes get too attached to your constellations¡¯ bonded! You cannot handle a Visage.¡° ¡°You know why I can¡¯t have too many bonded mortals!¡± Adtonifulmin snapped. Picciari, however, was undeterred, as her point still stood. ¡°Yes I do, and despite that, you are willing to subject this child that you claim to care about to your master''s influence?¡± ¡±He¡¯s the only one from his batch that I Chose! I will not let him be consumed, I will protect him. If you think so little of me, then what was the point of our agreement?¡± Anger was being emitted in waves from the essence of Adtonifulmin. ¡°Calm yourself. I did not mean it maliciously. I worry about your existence because you¡¯re not careful of who you tie it to,¡± Picciari explained. "You follow every one of your whims and that''s dangerous. A Visage''s actions reflect on you, and it''s unclear where the Brand will lead this child''s fate. You know full well that The Great Quartenity are waiting for you to step out of line just once, giving them the excuse they need to end your existence." ¡°My existence has always been dictated only by me. If those hypocrites could end it, they would have done so 90 000 years ago," Adtonifulmin said dismissively, as if this were a trivial matter. "Langa is a gifted child, I enjoy watching him and watching over him. He has so much potential, Picciari. I want to take his hand and guide him on the path he wants to walk. He will finish the Challenge soon. I can feel his determination to change and grow. Besides perhaps The Unrivalled, I am that child¡¯s best choice when dealing with his brand, because I suffered through what is coming for him. Even with my master in my head, I was alone, so I will make sure that he isn''t.¡± ¡°Adtonifulmin, you¡¯re projecting," Picciari said as gently as she could. "I don¡¯t think this is good for you. You need to let yourself heal and stop trying to push the pain away. Even if you treat your Visage the way you wish that your master had treated you, your power could break that child and-¡° ¡°My apologies, Picciari. Langa is praying to me. He is struggling with the Challenge and needs me to let him know that I am watching over him. Please excuse me,¡± Adtonifulmin said, and his form vanished. "Adt-" Picciari sighed. She knew he could have easily watched over the child while they spoke. Adtonifulmin was just running away again, like he always did. He had lied too, if he wanted to, it would not be hard for him to bestow a player with power equal to or greater than that given by a Neutriarch. Adtonifulmin made her uneasy sometimes, all that power, barely contained in such a broken and volatile vessel. She spread her essence once more, left a part of it to watch the demigod''s trial, and returned to her domain. She was his friend, and would always protect him, even from himself. 43. Floor 1: Badly I know, but I Liv (2/2) As Liv walked on, everything around him disappeared. The fire, the mountains, and the lava all got lost in the darkness. He was stripped of his magic, unable to see, hear, or feel its familiar presence. He was isolated, and emptiness was his only companion, and because of this, his fears began to infiltrate his thoughts. Not even the pain remained as a harsh reminder of his existence. There was nothing but darkness, leaving him to walk alone with his thoughts. He was filled with fear of what would happen if he failed. What if he had to beg his father for power? What if he fell so low that he had to grovel before his grandmother¡¯s feet? No, Liv would rather die than live on his knees. He had already taken so many people¡¯s lives to reach this point, including his own mother, thousands of demonkin, and many of his father¡¯s followers. There was also the child he could have saved during the tutorial but had allowed to perish to gain a stronger ally. Was that all he was? A selfish spawn of the devil who walked the path of blood for power? No, there was more than that inside of him. His mother''s light was with him, and he would not be broken as long as he held on to that. There was hope for him yet. "So, not only do you deceive others, but now you also deceive yourself?" A familiar voice pierced his thoughts, offering a semblance of company in the emptiness. It was the voice of his friend, Langa, who had seen through his pretences, his lies, and his reluctance to fully embrace his abilities. "No. I choose to have faith in the person I want to become. I will live a normal life like every other mortal, grow stronger, and Ascend to godhood. I will stop at nothing, even if it means stepping over the bodies of other mortals, but I need someone to keep me grounded," he pleaded, desperately clinging to the notion that this illusion of Langa would stand by his side. ¡°You were the first person to see through my facade.¡± "What makes you think I would follow you?" Langa''s voice was full of disappointment and pain. "Because you need me. I have seen glimpses of the Spiritual Paths that your future can take. Without me, you will wander, aimlessly racing against those stronger than you,¡± Liv told him. ¡°Together, we can build a great kingdom, and you can race against whoever you want with the purpose of Ascending to godhood. The two of us will stand side by side in the realm of the divine." "You are delusional, Liv''Kungsadu. You are demigod. The power inside you will destroy, like it does every single one of your kind." Langa''s laughter was cold in his mind. It did not sound like him at all, so this could not be real. "You are just a child filled with anger towards a world that took your mother and forced you to bear the burden of your father''s sins. Deep down, you know your mother only loved you because of her Obsession. If she saw the blood on your hands, she too would cast you aside." "No!" Liv cried out, refusing to accept the fears that threatened to consume him. "She wouldn''t forsake me no matter what I did¡­ and Langa would never say such things to me," he protested, desperately clinging to the hope that his mother would still love him. ¡°I saw a vision of you, my son. You stood under the sun, protected by its shadow, illuminated by its yellow and blue rays. The sun favoured you, and you bloomed a beautiful gold, like the liva flower. The liva does not fear the darkness, it whithers and becomes poison in it, but just a touch of the sun''s rays and it blooms with red gold heat again.¡± Those were the words that he remembered the most from her. He''d heard them when he was but an egg and he held them dear in his heart. He had only known Langa for a short time, but he knew him to be a good person who would not intentionally hurt him like this. Logically, Liv knew that these were just his fears, and Langa didn¡¯t know about them, so how could he throw them in his face like this? He knew it was his own mind battling against him but it still hurt to hear. "I don¡¯t want a future that ties me to a demon like you. Continue to suffer the consequences of your sins alone, Liv''Kungsadu." With those words, the illusion of Langa''s voice dissipated, leaving Liv alone once again, abandoned by another person, just like his den-brother. ¡±When we meet again, I will tell you the truth,¡± Liv swore to the disappearing illusion of his friend. Alone once more, the darkness engulfed him, as sorrow, pain and fear were slowly replaced by anger. So what if he was abandoned? In the darkness, his karma overflowed, and he could feel the demonic aura inside him starting to accumulate. He felt like a child again, newly born, and the first thing he saw was overflowing darkness as he crawled over his mother''s dead body. Darkness had been his home inside his mavale cell. For years, he was alone, with nothing but his father''s grating voice and his turbulent karma to keep him company. Back in those days, whenever his karma overflowed to a point where he could no longer contain it in his weak body, the explosion would be reflected at him by the enchantments on the cell, causing him unimaginable pain. If not for his den-brother, he might have gone fucking insane from the pain alone. Now, though, just as his stamina and resolve reached their limits, the darkness surrounding him disappeared, and there was light once more. However, the darkness building up inside him intensified as the straight path led him up a mountain. He no longer felt the burn in his feet, even though his scales had long burned away. In the light, he opened his eyes and looked around. He was still surrounded by mountains, but there was no river of lava this time. Instead, a new illusion blocked his path. Spread out in front of him, hundreds of Valac demonkin stood in battle formation, led by the former demonkin priestess of The Living Wing. Anger was visible in their collective gazes as they watched him approach. He couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, but it was incredibly obvious that they were upset at Liv. "Our spirits have not found peace, so we will take your soul as payment for Death to set us free," the priestess said when Liv reached the horde. "Before that, tell us, why did you take our lives, cursed spawn of the devil?" Their sheer audacity made the demonic aura inside Liv build up even more, fuelled by his tumultuous karma. A laugh drew itself from his lungs, an empty sound devoid of mirth, ¡°Why did I kill you? Because I wanted to," he said. His parched voice came out dry and cold. "It wasn''t the reason why I snapped, but surely you haven''t forgotten what you all did to me for the ritual." ¡°The children were-¡° the priestess started, but he cut her off. ¡°Innocent?¡± Liv laughed again, but there was still only emptiness in his voice. ¡°Was I not a child when you strung me up every auspicious month with my grandmother¡¯s blessing and bled me dry? Was I not innocent because I was the child of the demon god who abandoned you? Was I not innocent because the karma from the demonic aura in my blood could be used to heal your worthless bodies and give you vitality?¡± There was silence for a moment as the priestess stared at him, her anger momentarily replaced by uncertainty. But then the anger returned, burning in all of their eyes like the lava that had surrounded him before. "There were many ways you could have judged us, but you chose the path of blood." The priestess raised her staff, a ball of arcane magic forming at its tip. "You are an unnatural child of darkness that is to be shunned, yet you walk in the light, pretending to be normal." "I chose the path of blood because that was the only path I learned from you." Liv''s eyes narrowed. His fears of who he was were once again projected in front of him. This trial angered him, and the karma rippled inside him, seeking release. "Perhaps I am a monster. But I will no longer be anyone''s victim." War cries rang out in the ranks of the demonkin as their bodies twisted and contorted into hideous forms. In his mind, they were nothing but mere stepping stones to be crushed beneath his heel. So them being here as if they had any right to even stand in his presence infuriated him to no end. Liv glanced down at his trembling hands, he could feel his excessive karma fuelling his mana as it coursed through his unstable manacore. His demonic aura, once stable and controlled, now flickered violently, matching the turbulence within him. The ring that sealed his manacore weakened with every passing moment. Desperation filled Liv''s heart as he realised he could no longer contain the growing tempest within him. His attempts at suppressing the demonic aura would only intensify it, like a volcano ready to erupt. He knew that he needed release¡ªa way to regain control before continuing on the path to power. If he did not release it, the karma would implode inside him. The priestess stepped back, and her guards, over a hundred demonkin tanks clad in heavy plate armour, rushed to the front, their large shields raised. The priestess and her mages stood at the very back, behind the midrange fighters in the middle, trying to gang up on Liv. Hexes, arrows, and bolts of magic started flying through the air as Liv finally gave himself over to his demonic aura. He couldn''t even see them; all he could feel was the power bursting at the seams of his being. Liv threw his head back and let out an agonising scream. It tore through the mountains as if it were a reflection of his frustrations and anger. The sound was primal, a pained dragon¡¯s roar that unleashed not only his aura but his deepest emotions, the fear long suppressed and now demanding to be heard. Blood red aura enveloped his entire body, and his Bloodserpent sword danced with glee that it was about to feed. In an instant, the unleashed aura exploded from within Liv, erupting like a bomb. The shockwave ripped through the mountains, engulfing the demonkin tanks in its destructive attack. It ate away at their life force, feeding their spirit energy back to Liv. Their shields were useless, and they died screaming. Blood propelled him forward into the mess of dead and screaming bodies. Every time his sword slashed through flesh, Liv bathed in ecstasy, craving more blood, his unending path. He slashed through the mages, barely registering any pain as their attacks converged on him. He had transformed into the hideous abomination his grandmother tried to suppress. What else but a monstrous horror could come from a child carrying the blood of the cursed dragons, the fallen demons, and the divine gods? So the blue-scaled, purple-eyed, double-horned, and black-winged monster named Liv¡¯Kingsadu stood before the priestess, children huddling behind her in terror. There was nothing she could do as the demonic aura engulfed her, and all of them as the karma buildup began to overwhelm the monster¡¯s body. Even as he burned his life force to drain theirs, Liv was free. Their ghastly forms let out pained screams as the power that had slayed them when they were still alive disintegrated their tormented souls. Once the remnants of the blast faded away, Liv stood in the middle of the dissipating smoke, his chest heaving with exertion. Liberation washed over him, as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. The unstable aura that had plagued him moments ago now settled into a calm, steady breath. It was a good thing that it hit him when he was alone, and no actual innocent people were hurt by the explosion. But would he always have to live his life like this? Taking lives in order to regain a semblance of control? Liv looked around at the desolate landscape as he caught his breath and saw his handiwork. He could feel how pleased his father was to see him use his power. At the moment, it was freeing, but in the aftermath, Liv hated the monster he became. He wanted to be nothing like his father in his heart. He would forge his own path, one that led away from the torment and towards a future of his own making. He let go of his transformation and returned to his mortal form. He took a step forward, away from the darkness. This was his choice; he would no longer be defined by his past, but by the choices he made in the present. The path to power was not an easy one, but he had walked it, and he would continue to walk it until he reached the end. As he walked over the corpses, in the distance, the orange glow of the rising sun overshadowed everything else. Liv hastily ran towards that horizon. He knew that was his destination, the end of the trial. When he reached that point, he found that it was not the sun he had seen but a being glowing with orange light. The figure stood on the horizon in front of him, three heads protruding from her body¡ªthose of a fierce bull, a cunning goat, and a majestic lion. Two wings extended from her back, adding to her imposing height, which surpassed even his own. A surge of overwhelming karma emanated from the being, compelling Liv to kneel before her. However, his attribute rose within him, refusing to yield. His attribute reminded him that his Path was not one of subservience; it was a path that demanded reverence. But Liv knew that this was not the time to assert his dominance, thus suppressing his inner aura, Liv reluctantly sank to the ground, his gaze fixed on the formidable figure before him. Was this an Incarnation? Had he finally reached the end of the trial? ¡±Do not be afraid, player. I am Nasira, the Sun God''s lowest-level constellation. In this lowly Tower of yours, I am the only one of his constellations who possesses low enough karma to act as his pseudo-Incarnation," the three voices spoke in unison. Liv concealed his surprise. He knew that the Deiwos Clan was relatively young, having only been formed about 10 000 years ago. Nevertheless, the immense amount of karma exuded by even the lowest-ranking constellation of The Sun God exceeded his expectations. It felt only a little lower than what he had felt from the leader of the Deiwos Clan. Her karma forced him to keep his head down. He had a lot of karma himself, he was unsure of the exact value of his total karma since the system never showed it to him, but if she decided to exert even a millimetre of karma pressure on him, he was done for. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "No matter what protection we give you, you will not survive a trip to his domain. Lower your head and prepare to receive The Sun God''s edict," Nasira commanded. "He will not be able to manifest through my body for long." "I receive it," Liv said, head bowed, his heart racing in anticipation. When she spoke again, it was no longer her, but a voice that resounded throughout the entire landscape. "I am Amun-Ra, The Sun God, The Neutriarch of Fire, and the god of the sun, light, fire, wind, creation, aura, and nature," the voice declared. "Why have you completed my Trial, child of Aapep?" Liv raised his head. The eyes of the constellation had turned white, and her entire demeanour had changed. The Sun God had Descended into her body. "Greetings, Great Neutriarch. I humbly come to you because I want power, and I pray for sanctuary from The Demon Reaper''s aura and karma under your sun," Liv said confidently, still on his knees. "Humbly? I can feel the defiance in your attribute, foolish child. The offspring of the demon god who has inflicted suffering upon my people across countless realms, ravaged the underworld, defied me relentlessly, and stole the life of my beloved Visage seeks my sponsorship?" The Sun God''s incredulous voice asked. The watchful gazes of numerous deities were upon the scene, and Liv also felt his father''s anger burn within him. His choice to bow down before his greatest enemy instead of seeking solace from his own father had ignited The Demon Reaper''s fury. "I am not just The Demon Reaper''s child. I am Zindiphaveskka''s child too, your Visage. She told me that you would accept me before she died." "Before she died?" Bitterness dripped from the god''s tone. "You speak as if your existence was not the cause of my beloved Visage''s death." The air around the pseudo-Incarnation heated up, and the anger in The Sun God''s karma washed over Liv like the scorching rays of a blue sun in the middle of the hottest day in the multiverse. Those rays pieced deeper into his skin than the lava from the volcanoes had, the wrath in his words striking deeper than the fear and darkness that Liv had barely managed to endure throughout this entire trial. He was already on his knees, yet it felt like he ought to sink into the ground to escape The Sun God''s anger. However, his attribute, his willpower and his heart may have allowed him to humble himself for power, but he would not run or cower, not before anyone. Instead of cowering in fear and begging for mercy, Liv only averted his eyes. "Impressive," the god said, watching his reaction. "Aapep has always been a mere nuisance at my side for millions of years, striving to usurp my throne and failing every time. He and his agents continuously provoke my Ter Netjer Pantheon. He used his serpentine cunning to stir up tensions between Set and Osiris using Nephthys'' indiscretions. That is an unending cycle, though¡­. One of the only few times he ever struck a blow that landed was when he severed my connection to Zindiphaveskka. I loved that child, and he seduced her with deceitful whispers of love and family, knowing that she was Obsessed with finding that. He cut her off from me, and she died alone, giving you life. What makes you think I want any association with you, the one who took my dear child from me?" Liv knew that the bond between a god and a Visage was said to be the greatest bond in all of existence, surpassing any other existing bond, whether between parent and child, siblings, family, or friends. So he knew that this god had truly cared for his mother. He gritted his teeth, "I''m not asking you to love me or take responsibility for me. If you won''t show me grace as the child of your Visage, then use me against my father. He took someone precious from you, so take something from him too. I am his only living trueborn mortal son, and he has many plans for me. The loss will hurt him," Liv pleaded. He could feel his father''s wrath taking root inside of him, and he held it down. The Sun God''s laughter filled the air, sending shivers down Liv''s spine. "Truly, you are your father''s child. A cunning demon. Very well, Liv''Kungsadu, what is it that you seek?" "All I want is power and control. That is the only path I am willing to take," Liv stated confidently. "That is not a lie, but it is not the truth either. Perhaps you are not ready to admit what you truly want," the god murmured thoughtfully. "Liv''Kungsadu¡ªyour grandmother must have hated you to give you such a pitiful name¡ªthe flower of the sun and the cursed spawn of the devil. Which of the two do you wish to be? Demon or dragon, what lies within you?" "I am both, and I am neither," Liv said. "Like the dragonkin, I am Obsessed, and I want to rule over others, to exert dominion over them. But like the demonkin, I want to underhandedly destroy my enemies and bring them to their knees before me. I am a demigod cursed with power too immense for my mortal body to bear. I want to create a new path for demigods like me¡ªone where we are not tied to our godly parents for karma stability. Please, Sun God, lend me your divine power." "You are a conceited child. The infinite multiverse has existed for 27 trillion years since The First Divine Summit, and you believe you can change the cursed path of demigods?" The Sun God''s gaze bore into Liv, assessing his sincerity. "I will rise above the norm. Millions of years from today, mortals will praise me for changing the multiverse. The Unrivalled will add my accomplishments to her Relgte, and to the system, the law of the multiverse itself, just like she did for all The Neutriarchs. My name, Liv''Kungsadu, will be remembered among the greatest of the multiverse," Liv declared unflinching. After a moment of silence, The Sun God spoke once again. "Your words hold conviction, Liv''Kungsadu," he said, his voice carrying both interest and curiosity. "Along with Aapep''s conceit, cunning, and arrogance, you possess the fire of ambition and the strength of conviction, just like Zindiphaveskka. Very well, I shall accept you but heed my warning, my power will not be able to completely temper Aapep''s demonic aura and the godly karma inside you. That is a strength you will have to find by yourself, you must choose what anchors you to your mortality. All I can do is suppress it with my essence." Liv''s heart swelled with a mixture of relief and gratitude. He had expected to be rejected by his mother''s god, but The Sun God seemed to have taken a liking to him. Bowing his head once more, Liv replied, "I understand, Lord Amun-Ra. Thank you." A powerful burst of energy coursed through Liv''s veins, his body trembling as the Sun God''s divine essence merged with his mortal form. Nasira''s body shook as The Sun God''s presence grew stronger within her. "You shall be my vessel, Liv''Kungsadu," the Sun God declared. "Carry my power and wield it wisely. Your path shall not be an easy one, but I can see that you have the potential to overcome it. Since you chose to defy your father, you need to find an anchor that you trust to help you control your karma, mana and aura expenditure, and it has to be someone strong enough to take you down when you lose control. " "I don''t trust anyone," Liv said. He had sought power his whole life, but now that he had it, he needed to give some of the control of it to someone else. He hated that. Granted, he would not have needed to follow that path if he had just given control to his father. "And yet you have already Chosen someone," The Sun God said. "Just remember, you must show your Chosen your true soul if he is to be able to keep you anchored to your mortality." On the first day of the tutorial, Liv had not been planning to leave the safe zone when he''d reached it, but something kept nagging in the back of his mind, that if he did not go out there, he would lose something important to his future. His instincts had screamed at him to go back to the red zone, and that was where he had found Langa and saved his life. Liv knew that he had chosen his anchor somewhat impulsively because Langa was the first person to see through his pretence. He knew that the person to stand at his right hand, the person to whom he would willingly give power over himself, should be chosen with more care and selection, but he was a demigod, and instinct won over reason every time. He had seen glimpses of Langa''s possible Paths with his attribute, and while he was not in every single one of them, the Paths where Langa and Liv worked together showed him the most stable version of himself. According to his attribute, Spiritual Paths, Langa following him would be good for Liv''s growth and development. "The real question is whether following you would be good for him," The Sun God told him. Liv jolted. He had not thought about that. "It doesn''t matter, all that matters is that he is the one I Chose." "Then you better hope that he agrees to follow you and that you both pass the Soul''s Trial of Trust. Now that my time is almost up, let us proceed with the contract," he said, his eyes flickering between black and white as his power grew. [The Sun God, Amun-Ra has proposed a Sponsorship Contract for you. Contract Type: Avatar For more information on the rules and regulations for Avatars, as well as the specifics of this type of sponsorship contract, please read The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master Scroll 4: Chapter 5 Time Limit: 13 minutes] Liv did not need to read up on the details of sponsorships. This was even better than he had hoped. He had been praying for Disciple, but to think he got an offer to be the Avatar of a Neutriarch! "I accept!" he said immediately. [Congratulations! You are now The Avatar of The Sun God. +1000 Karma +1 Resurrection Stone +1 Divine Skill (Solar Constructs) + 1 Blessing +1 Relgte of The Sun God +1 Class Change] [You have gained a new Faith Level] [Current Faith Levels: Aapep, The True Deathbringer of The Demon Reaper: Blessed One Level -3 Amun-Ra, The Sun God, Neutriarch of Fire: Avatar Level 1] [As an Avatar, you are a representative of your patron deity, and must always act in a way that shows the glory and splendour of your deity. You are entitled to: +The right to participate in any divine wars for the Ter Netjer Pantheon from Tier 3 (level 30) and above. + Maximum of 1 divine skill every odd tier, 1 active skill every even tier, and 2 total passive skills from your patron deity from Tier 0 up to Tier 10 (level 100). + 1 resurrection stone with a maximum of (4) respawns per Floor. Restrictions: -5% of all karma earned will automatically be given to the patron deity. This amount of karma will be already deducted by the time you receive system announcements of karma earned. -1 worthy offering must be made to your patron deity to strengthen your faith at every Tier. -You are forbidden from learning ANY divine skills from other deities without prior approval from your patron deity.] [You have been granted the protection of the Divine Shroud of The Sun God. Those who wish to see your details with the system scan or other identifying abilities will be unable to do so unless you permit them. This Shroud is only effective against mortals bound to deities ranked lower than your patron deity.] [Legendary Achievement! You are the first player in all of the 1773 Deiwos Towers to receive sponsorship from a Neutriarch God! +2 565 Karma] [Legendary Achievement! By binding to a Neutriarch God, you have brought the Deiwos Clan into the sights of the rest of the Neutriarchs! The Reputation of The Deiwos Clan has grown! +?????????? Karma to all the gods of The Deiwos Clan. +???????? Karma to all the constellations of The Deiwos Clan.] [For your Legendary Achievement and your contribution to the growth of the Deiwos Clan, The Red Flaming Blade of Menika has given you a (10 000) Karma Voucher to spend on any item in The Deiwos Tower Karma Store.] [For your Legendary Achievement, a system announcement will be broadcast to all the mortals in every Deiwos Tower. Would you like to change your announced name to a pseudonym or a title?] Liv smiled with satisfaction. He had a Legendary Achievement, not just in this Tower, but in all the Towers of The Deiwos Clan! "I want my name, Liv''Kungsadu, to be known throughout all the Deiwos Towers," he said without hesitation. His karma would be increasing either way soon, as well as his renown. If the system allowed The Flaming Blade to give him a karma voucher worth that much, that meant that his achievement had really elevated the Deiwos Clan. If he had been at a higher level, he would probably have received more karma, but there was a cap per Tier on the amount of karma that could be received at once. And of course, the system did not let him get that karma directly, but as a voucher instead. Well, he would have to buy himself something nice then. [The Sun God would like to change your class to ''Solar Paladin''. Accept: Y/N?] [You have chosen the class: Solar Paladin +2 STR, +3 VIT, +2 Special Stat: AURA This is a Rare Class. At Tier 1, on every level up, you receive +2 STR, +3 VIT, +2 Special Stat: AURA, and 3 free attribute points. This class is upgradeable at Tier 10.] [Class Name: Solar Paladin Rank: Rare Description: The Solar Paladin is a crusader of The Sun God, who serves as a frontline warrior, proficient in taking damage, martial arts, and divine magic. They embody the characteristics of dusk and dawn, with an aura that inspires allies and intimidates enemies. They gain the special stat: Endurance, that boosts their stamina and aura. If the player already has this special stat, they gain +1 to it. Restrictions: Only those Chosen by The Sun God, Must possess the Special Stat: Aura.] [Along with following the laws set by The Relgte of The Sun God, as a Paladin, there are (5) Divine Commandments that you must strictly adhere to. Failure to follow The Sun God''s Divine Commandments will result in severe penalties. Ray of Sunshine: All paladins of the Sun God must be perceived as warm protectors of justice, their presence must invoke trust from the innocent. The paladin must be publicly observed to follow the path of honour, honesty, courage, and compassion for the weak. Beacon of Light: All paladins of the Sun God must maintain a Neutral to Positive alignment. Failure to do so means no divine skills may be accessed at negative or voident alignments until neutral alignment is once again reached. Radiance: All paladins of the Sun God must always stand in the limelight, prominent in their achievements, and their deeds must be widely known throughout the Towers and the multiverse as a whole in order to bring glory to The Sun God. Dawnbringer: All paladins of the Sun God must be perceived as foes of dark forces. They must constantly be seen to fight against corruption and bring about healing and restorative light. Dusk Concealed: All paladins of The Sun God must know that the brighter the sun, the longer the shadows. All activities performed by the paladin that go against The Principles of The Sun God must be hidden in the shadows of the sun. If these dark deeds are revealed to the public, the paladin¡¯s faith level will decrease, and their access to the divine skills of The Sun God will be limited.] Following those commandments was going to be very hard for Liv, but he was grateful that the rules clearly stated that he did not have to be a good person with a good heart, he just needed to pretend he was. He could do that. He had been doing it his entire life. "My Descent is coming to an end; I have given you everything I can at your Tier," The Sun God said. Liv put his hands together and bowed his head gratefully. He could no longer hear his father''s voice in his mind now, thanks to the Blessing of the Sun God. "Thank you, Lord Amun-Ra," he said. This was the only being worthy of being his master, and the only being in existence that he would bow down to. "I will not disappoint you." "Very well, child of my beloved child. Prove your worth to me. Prove that your light will shine brighter than any other demigod and that you will not burn out rapidly. Prove to me that you are worthy of your desire to have your name read in the same sentence as The Neutriarchs," The Sun God said. "Build your foundation, child." [The Neutriarch of Fire, The Sun God, would like to offer you a quest. Accept: Y/N?] "Accept!" Liv said without hesitation.
Prove Your Worth: Quest (1)
Quest Rank: S
Any leader worth his name must build his own organisation. In order to begin your leadership journey, The Sun God would like to see what kind of leader you wish to be. Lead a party of capable players to slay the 1st Floor Boss: Funduvas the Cleaver and obtain her treasure.
Quest Objectives:
-Clear the Gate -Kill the Maestril Gatekeeper -Obtain her treasure
Time Limit:
26 days
Optional Quest Objective:
Complete the Soul Trial of Trust
Quest Limitations:
Level Restriction: Min 11, Max 13 Minimum Party Members: 4 Maximum Party Members: 6
Cautions:
All party members must not belong to any guild.
Quest Rewards:
-??? EXP - Title (Rank dependent on contribution) - Guild Creation Token -??? Karma -??? Renown -??? Faith
Failure Penalty:
This quest cannot be repeated Loss of The Sun God''s favour
"I gave you my Relgte for a reason; read it and understand what I expect of you as my Avatar. I am not a forgiving god. I can see how strong your will is and how defiant your attribute is, but I expect respect and subservience from you. Follow my laws, child of Aapep, and do not stray from the straight path," The Sun God said before he and Nasira''s body disappeared. Liv rose from his knees, his heart filled with purpose. Slaying the Floor Boss of the First Floor was always optional for players, unlike the other Floors that had Floor Bosses. After a Floor Boss was killed, it took 13 days for a new maestril to rise to the same rank. Slaying a Floor Boss was the only way to obtain a guild creation token. Liv knew that he had to form a party and slay the maestril as soon as possible before anyone from his tutorial batch did it first. He wanted to be the first person in his tutorial batch to form a guild. Together with the one that he Chose to stand by his side, Liv was determined to carve a legacy that would forever change the multiverse. 44. Floor 1: Psikes Grotto (END) When Langa opened his eyes, he was back inside the throne room of Psike''s Grotto. His head was suddenly assaulted by the invasion of multiple deities watching him. It made him tremble unsteadily. [All the gods of The Deiwos Clan are watching you.] [The Deiwos Clan goddess: The Red Flaming Blade of Menika, welcomes you as an Avatar of the Deiwos Clan] Right, with the Sponsorship Challenge over, other deities could communicate with him again. "Thanks," he said, not knowing what else to say to her. He looked around the dungeon. The place was still as broken as it was before he left, but the magic circle carved by Tarquinius¡¯ arrival was gone. The allemaks were still lying on the floor with their heads down, and Langa walked up to them. ¡±Hey, wake up. Have you guys been in that state for the whole hour?¡± he asked in bewilderment. He knew that it was an honour for them to see a deity, but was this necessary? The allemak elder opened his eyes and looked up. ¡°Oh, the great one is gone! What do you mean an hour? The Incarnation was just here a second ago,¡± he said, sounding confused. Langa stared blankly at him. Had time not passed when he was in Lord Adtonifulmin¡¯s domain? Well, he was not going to get any answers just standing here, so he walked over to the dead boss monster¡¯s corpse. Since he had killed the boss, he had to clear the dungeon or it would collapse with him in it. It was located below a waterfall, and Langa had no desire to drown. Plus, if he did not store it, the boss'' body would disappear. He had not taken any of the others because his inventory had been full, and the feathervault bag would have been too heavy for him to carry, slowing him down significantly. Bending down, he removed the boss¡¯s jacket and scanned it. While he was at it, he checked out the boss'' manacore. [Psike¡¯s Trollskin Jerkin Item Rank: Rare Skills: Distortion: Grants its wearer the ability to vanish from the light. When activated, this skill renders the user completely invisible to the eye, however, the wearer must be mindful of potential detection factors, as invisibility doesn''t silence your every move. This skill has reduced effectiveness against beings with a high Perception Stat. The invisibility effect may end if an item is activated, a magical effect is used, or when interacting with another character.] [Psike''s manacore Mana Discipline: Corrosion Item Rank: Uncommon Properties: A trollimp Lord Boss'' manacore that contains corrosion discipline mana. Can be used to purify a mortal¡¯s manacore, as a crafting ingredient or as single-use external manacore] Langa grinned. So that boss monster had been so troublesome for him because of this jacket. Well, he would put it to good use. He didn¡¯t need to think about it, as he currently had no jacket, and his jumpsuit armour needed repair, so he put it on. It stank because of the nature of Psike''s mana, but beggars couldn''t be choosers, as it shrank to accommodate Langa''s smaller body. But a corrosion manacore, huh? Was it a derivative of both the darkness and poison mana disciplines or was it related to the death mana discipline? Either way, it was incompatible with him. The floor of the throne room started shaking and a few of the allemaks fell into the corrupted lifeblood pool. It snapped Langa back into reality, he had to concentrate on clearing the dungeon before it collapsed. From what he''d read, he knew that the clavis used to clear the dungeon would be in this room, so he just needed to find it among the debris and broken walls. "Help me find the dungeon clavis," Langa instructed the remaining allemaks and they scattered around, searching. He looked under the throne, behind it, and all around the room as the dungeon continued to shake. He finally found it under the throne, and only because he had bent down to check, not expecting it to actually be there. The clavis looked like an antique barrel key made of lucent stone, with a trollimp head on the bow of the key. It was as big as Langa''s forearm as he picked it up. [Congratulations! You have found the Psike¡¯s Grotto Dungeon Clavis Infuse your mana to activate] Langa reached into his body and pushed his mana down his arm and into the clavis in his hands. An interface popped up over the clavis, and he read what was written on it. [You are about to clear the dungeon: Psike¡¯s Grotto. There are (37) allemaks remaining alive inside the dungeon. Please make a choice. 1. Clear and Claim the dungeon 2. Clear and Destroy the dungeon] Langa frowned, he hadn''t paid a lot of attention to the claiming and ownership of dungeons. He felt like it would be a lot of work to claim a dungeon, manage it, and have to decide who could delve it and who couldn¡¯t. If it were up to him, he¡¯d just destroy it, it had served its purpose after all. He hesitated, however, wondering if there would be negative consequences for him or the allemaks if he did that. ¡°What happens if I destroy the dungeon? Will you guys be free to go live anywhere you want in the Tower?¡± he asked. The elder allemak walked towards him and stopped at Langa''s feet. He hesitated, looking down. ¡°Free. There is no such thing for creatures blessed with life like us. Even before the trollimps were corrupted, when our world was still natural, we were hunted for our lifeblood,¡± he said, looking quietly at the scarred allemaks behind him. ¡°It doesn''t matter if it''s a Tower, a corrupted world, a blessed world, or a natural world. We will always be hunted. You saved us from the trollimps, so if you choose to destroy the dungeon, then we''ll have to find a new home somewhere in this Tower.¡± That was depressing, and Langa wished he hadn''t asked because now there was no way he could just watch the little creatures get slaughtered or enslaved again. Their precious lifeblood was like a curse to them. He knew that its description said that if someone bathed in it for a long period, they could gain higher health regeneration, and if players knew about this, there was no way that they would let the allemaks live in peace. The lifeblood made for great auink which was sought after by all people with skills that needed inscription and he was sure that it could be used as an ingredient in potions and weapons too. How annoying. Why did his sister raise him to be a compassionate person? ¡°And if I claim the dungeon?¡± Langa dreaded the answer. He was sure that it would make his life more difficult. Hope was evident in the allemak elder''s eyes, but he quickly masked it and spoke neutrally. ¡°Since it''s no longer corrupted, it will be reconstructed into a different type of dungeon for the remaining creatures, us. It will become a home for us." "Without corruption, what kind of dungeon would it be, a treasure dungeon?" Langa asked. "It will take time for the reconstruction, but no, it will likely become a herbage dungeon of some kind. I think my subordinates and I could probably make it into a garden,¡± he said. ¡°Our kind love gardening, bringing new life into the world. This is a life-rich environment, so a garden for the vitality saffrons would probably work. It would be nice to create safe spaces for the children to have to play that aren''t corrupted.¡± Well, that made Langa¡¯s decision for him. He didn¡¯t want Rila or the other young allemaks to be hunted by players in the Tower. He had already paid his life debt, but if he could provide a home for them, that would be nice. A garden without monsters would be peaceful, right? If the dungeon belonged to him, then he could probably come and sleep in the garden whenever he felt like it, right? Since he controlled who could enter inside, he could make it so he alone could enter. However, it still sounded like a lot of fucking work to get there. He had to reconstruct the dungeon? He had never done a job that required manual labour in his life. ¡°Will I have to manage the dungeon, like build it and plant shit?¡± he asked, dreading how much hard work that sounded like. The allemak elder scratched his ears with a paw. ¡°No?¡± he said cautiously. ¡°You can have the system automatically reconstruct the dungeon. It will take a while, weeks maybe, but it will emerge anew.¡± Why didn''t he say that earlier? That was a relief. Langa turned back towards the interface of the clavis. ¡°I will clear and claim the dungeon,¡± he said. Immediately, the shaking of the dungeon stopped, and a wave washed over Langa, over the entire dungeon, starting from the clavis. [Congratulations! You have claimed your first dungeon. +10 karma] [The dungeon will have to be reconstructed. Please choose the reconstruction method: 1. Manual 2. Automatic] He chose automatic. [Please name your dungeon] He thought about it. He had promised Rila a new home, so, ¡°Rila¡¯s Garden.¡± [Acess Control for the dungeon: Rila''s Garden: 1. Open Delving 2. Player Characters Only 3. Members of a specific Guild Only 4. Custom (Please state your access restriction)] "Custom Restriction: Only I can enter," he said. Once he published the footage from his delve, he was sure that plenty of people would want to come here for the allemak lifeblood as well as the vitality saffrons. Langa would be damned if he allowed them to hunt the allemaks or disturb his future sleeping area. [Dungeon Reconstruction is Starting. Please Wait.] [You may check the progress of the reconstruction on the new Claimed Dungeons Tab on your system interface] [All Player and Non-Player Characters will be teleported out of the dungeon in 30 seconds. No mortal will be allowed back into the dungeon until reconstruction is complete.] ¡°Wait!¡± Langa said. He hadn''t expected to be booted out, but the countdown was not stopping. Shit, he hurriedly shoved the throne into his feathervault bag, looking around for anything else that could earn him money before the dungeon kicked him out. There didn''t seem to be anything of much value in here except for a bunch of common life and rare darkness lucent stones that he found inside a broken wooden chest behind where the throne had been. They weren''t from the four basic mana disciplines, so they would earn him some money or he could exchange them for lightning-lucent stones. He began hastily packing Psike''s body into his bag, and looking around for any treasures in the next room. He had a free slot in his inventory now that he had used up all of his Kiribo''s Sweat flaxes, so he placed the huge cauldron full of allemak lifeblood that he found in the room adjacent Psike''s throne room inside his inventory. There was another chest inside that room as well, this one made of bronze-looking metal and locked, so he placed it inside his feathervault bag whose weight he was starting to feel now. His strength was not very high after all. ¡°Thank you, Avatar of The Lackadaisical Herald. We owe you a great debt,¡± the allemak elder said as Langa looked around for anything he might have missed. ¡°I swear, we will take care of the dungeon and grow only the most pure vitality saffrons for you.¡± ¡°Just tell Rila I said thanks for saving my life. You guys need to make a new home here, and don¡¯t waste your lifeblood on growing flowers,¡± he said with a smile as the timer ended. He was also happy because he was close to clearing the 1st Floor now that he had cleared an unclaimed dungeon. All he needed to do was gain 10 000 karma and he could Ascend to the 2nd Floor. There was a familiar prickling sensation all over his body, a blinding white light, and Langa found himself outside, standing on top of the mountain right above the waterfall. What caught his attention, though, wasn¡¯t the magnificent beauty of the flowing water. It was the number of players, perhaps ten or so standing in front of the dungeon entrance below him, led by Statia. Langa guessed that they must have either known that he¡¯d cleared the dungeon and were waiting for him to come out, or they had just spent the last four days here waiting for him, to attack him for trespassing on their territory. Unfortunately for them, the system had teleported him up here, right above them. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He couldn¡¯t help the malicious laugh that escaped his mouth, it served them right, all Tier 1 players waiting to ambush one newbie. They must have cared about their guild''s reputation. Well, they would get their comeuppance. "Now, Legacy, let me show you how I deal with bullies," he said gleefully. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Faceless King of The Hidden Mask, wonders why you are talking to yourself.] Langa flinched. Crap, five days with the Legacy had made it a constant companion for him. Tonare vibrated in his hand. "I''m not speaking to myself, I''m talking to my glaive," he whispered. [The mid-tier constellation: Tarquinius, says he understands you missing Tonare, he misses him too.] [The Kwara Orisha Clan goddess: Mother of The Nine Winds And Storms, congratulates you on your Sponsorship Contract, however, she urges you to make real mortal friends, or else you will end up a lonely recluse for the rest of your life like your patron deity.] [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, wonders why he was just insulted in a conversation that had nothing to do with him. He threatens to ban The Mother of Nine Winds and Storms from accessing your karma channel.] The deities continued to argue while Langa took stock of his surroundings. He looked down at the players below, debating what to do. They couldn''t go inside since the dungeon was restructuring, and even if it wasn¡¯t, they couldn''t have gone in anyway because they didn''t have a quest and were not Blessed by a god of life. Anyway, those were the conditions for entering Psike''s Grotto, not Rila''s Garden. For that, they would need Langa''s permission and he sure as hell was not going to give it. Langa could have left, and they would have been none the wiser about it. They would have spent a day or so longer waiting outside for him, only to realise that he wasn''t coming out. But he was still unsatisfied over his fight with Statia; he hadn¡¯t lost, but he hadn''t won either, and he didn''t like leaving it like that. He figured a little payback was due to him. He wondered if he should use his divine skill, but he still didn''t know how to activate it just yet. He had never used a pure magic skill before so he did not know where to start. Most of the mages he knew used staves or wands, and they sometimes said unintelligible words to cast spells. "Lightning Lancer of The Herald?" he said, infusing his mana into his glaive. Immediately, he knew that he had done the wrong thing because he felt the distant laughter of thousands of deities. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Sullied Demon Cloud That Overcame The Void, says that players from lost worlds are amusing.] Mercifully, Tarquinius took pity on him. [The mid-tier constellation: Tarquinius, says, ''You have to draw the magic circle for the skill first and draw upon your Faith and the required amount of mana before you can activate the skill.''] "Thank you, Tarquinius, if only more deities were helpful to mortals in need of knowledge, they might have a lot more followers," he said venomously. He would have to sacrifice both his health and stamina to boost his mana, leaving him vulnerable, so he decided that now was not the time to practice his divine skill. Instead, he chose to use the only other ranged weapon that he had currently: the scroll he earned from the trollimp archers. He didn''t know which kind of arrow would come out, and he was curious, so he retrieved the scroll from his inventory and infused 50 mana into it to activate it. He had deactivated affinity and resistance notifications, so all he saw was that the random arrows that were released from the scroll this time were poison arrows. The arrows materialised above the Retessa Guild players, and before they even looked up, the spell activated. Poison arrows rained down on the players from the air, and screams erupted as they tried to dodge and run from them. Some of them fell to the ground, the poison eating into their skin. Statia remained unscathed, however, because of his force shield, but he couldn¡¯t move. He looked up and saw Langa. Fury covered his face as Langa grinned, and waved at him. Then, he ran away as fast as he could. * As he made his way across the mountains, Langa looked around for corrupted monsters to kill for some experience. He was so close to levelling up that it was laughable. Finally, after killing two level 10 corrupted monsters, the message he was waiting for came. [You have killed 2 level 10 corrupted beetles +390 EXP +20 karma +2 Corrupted Beetle Eyes +2 Corrupted Beetle Antannae] [Congratulations! Level Up! Level 11 +11 karma +3 AGI, + 2 MND +1 VIT +1 Special Stat: VEL You have 5 free attribute points to distribute.] Even though levelling up restored his health, mana and stamina, he was still mentally exhausted. Right now, he wanted to sleep. He had not slept in almost five days, unless you counted the time that he was poisoned and unconscious. Langa was exhausted when he finally made it back to the Valley of Guardians. It turned out that running for 100 kilometres was not fun when he was alone, with no snarky Legacy constantly criticising him. It was still hard to adjust, and remember that the Legacy was here, on his belt as his glaive. It made his brain hurt. To his surprise, he nearly ran smack into Jandri as he walked into the guildhall. "Easy," she said, stepping back, and allowing him to find his balance. "Why are you in such a rush?" "Sorry," he apologised, straightening up. "I need to sleep. I just completed my Sponsorship Challenge, so I''m beat." Her eyes flickered with interest. "How''d it go?" Langa grinned and sent her the video. He wondered how long it would take for her to go through four days worth of footage. "My god said I did very well," he said proudly. "Although, there are some parts that you might need to edit out when I was acting dumb." She raised her eyebrows. "Did you rob another group of innocent children of precious loot?" Langa laughed. "You''ll see." "Well, I''ve been meaning to send you this, but it was not going through while you were in the dungeon. It''s a basic freelance contract, the standard that you get paid for every bounty and you get paid extra if we commission you for voi-den raids. I tweaked yours a bit, so it allows our Marketing team to manage your Dent profile, but we are not allowed to disclose anything about you or your skills that you don''t want out," she said, sending the contract to him on his comcer. "Sure," Langa said, skimming it. "I don''t have the mental capacity to read this right now. I''ll send it back to you tomorrow. As for the video, after you watch that, you''ll be begging me to join the Guardians. Ah, you should probably edit out the enchanting part, people might get bored." "I know better than you what to edit out," she said, and then smiled, crossing her arms. "As for begging, you won''t get that from me. I was away yesterday, signing one of your top 10 members to our guild. She''s not playing hard to get, unlike you. As soon as she finishes her Challenge from The Unrivalled, she''s going to join us." Raising his eyebrows, Langa matched her energy. "You''re the one who recruited her?" "Yup, The Unrivalled gave me a quest," she said proudly. "Strange," Langa said smugly. "If she''s so much more important to the Guardians than me, how come they only sent the Ground Storey administrator for her, while the deputy guildmaster came for me?" Her lips thinned as she frowned at him, and he smirked. He still didn''t know why Alfsol had come down here for him, but he had a suspicion that it was because of the Brand, as Alfsol had insinuated in their previous conversation. Jandri glared at him. "You''re really not going to join us?" Wasn''t that a question? The Guardians were a decent guild, and Langa knew that his abilities would be appreciated and he would be well compensated if he stayed with them. However, he was not ready to be tied down just yet, he was still new in the Tower, and he had The Lackadaisical Herald''s protection now, so he no longer needed the safety in numbers offered by a guild. There was also the fact that the Guardians were largely neutral and they might not do what he needed them to do when it came time to save his family on the 36th Floor. He wanted a flexible guild that he could use for his own ends but that would also not tie him down; instead, let him do whatever he wanted. Yeah, he was not going to find a guild like that. His best option would be starting his own guild which almost made him want to jump off a cliff. He wasn¡¯t good at management or administration! He wasn¡¯t smart enough for shit like that. "Are you going to kick me out of The Valley of Guardians since the seven days of free accommodation for new players are up tomorrow?" he countered. "Of course not," she said, scratching her head. "I just think it would be a shame to lose you to other guilds like The Speedrunners or The Hallow Reapers. Your strength could make a difference in the tipping balance between us on the lower Floors. I don''t mind if you join any other guild." Langa did not think that he would make that much of a difference, but he shrugged. "You don''t have to worry about me joining the Hallow Reapers. I rejected their guild''s patron deity already, so I doubt he''d let me in." Her eyes fixed intently on him, and he thought they might bore through his skull. "You rejected The Demon Reaper? Do you realise that he is the most powerful deity operating in this Tower aside from The Quartenity and The Neutriarchs?" Langa had suspected as much, having seen his name on Liv''s status back in the tutorial. Aapep was an ancient deity that Langa had read about in his father''s books, associated with the Egyptian gods as their adversary, Ra in particular. It made him wonder if that was why Liv had chosen The Sun God as his deity. "Why do the Deiwos Clan let him operate in their Towers then?" Jandri shook her head. "Because the more powerful a deity is, and the more hostile his relationship with the Tower Administrators is, the more karma he has to pay to them in order to operate in their Tower," she said. "Anyway, didn''t you say you were tired?" Langa was, so as much as he wanted to stay and ruffle her feathers even more, he did need to sleep. What she said did remind him of something similar he''d read in the library, too. He was curious who Jandri was bound to, but he hesitated to check her status. The last time he tried, he felt like his head was going to burst open. He figured that he couldn''t use his Team Player title on her back then because he was Unbound and she was Shrouded. He hoped he was right as he equipped the title and scanned her.
Name: Jandri Kila Kaurion Race: Wolfkin
Age: 41 Character: Player
Level: 29 [Floor 1: Locked at Level 25] Class: Mystic Stalker
Available Karma: 61 752 Total Karma: 179 125
Deity: [Vaisildg-The All-Encompassing Ocean of Splattered Blood. ] - Disciple Highest Floor 15/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: Herding Scent Available Respawns: 2/3 Respawn Zone: Iskedu Layina Den (8th Floor)
Surprisingly, she was almost at Tier 3! So far, Perinda had been the highest level player that Langa had met, but Jandri was insanely strong. Since she was the administrator for the Ground Storey for the Guardians, he had expected her to have only climbed up to the 10th Floor. Schooling his features, he bade her farewell and went to his room. Once he was settled, he checked his comcer interface for any messages but found that, besides the comments on his old video, there were no messages for him. There were only a few missed calls from Liv from two days ago.
@langelihle To @Livkungsadu Congratulations on the legendary achievement. Sorry to respond late, I just got out of a dungeon
After sending that message, he plopped down on the bed. Now that he was alone, his thoughts drifted back to what Adtonifulmin had told him. One or more of his family members were in danger on the 36th Floor. His nephew might be dead or in mortal peril and his mother was dead. His heart lurched, wondering how he should feel. He wanted to forget it all and just fall asleep, but all he could think about was worrying about his family. His comcer beeped, and Langa cursed out loudly. Liv was calling him. Aargh, he hated it when people called him after he sent them a message. "What?" Langa said coolly, bringing his wrist up to his ear. "Hello to you too," Liv said. "I thought something happened to you, you didn''t post anything on the Dent for four days and you weren''t responding to my messages." Rolling his eyes, Langa snuggled into his soft blanket. "It never occurred to you that I was doing my Sponsorship Challenge inside a dungeon?" Liv sounded sheepish when he spoke. "Admittedly, no, but you can''t blame me. Most of the other top ten rankers of our batch and I finished our Challenges within the first two days. Did you complete it?¡± he asked nervously, and Langa almost laughed. Why was he nervous, as if he were asking about his own results? ¡°I am now the Avatar of The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm,¡± Langa told him. Even if he wasn¡¯t in the best of moods, he smiled. Liv whistled. ¡°Holy crap, that¡¯s great, Langa. He¡¯s the second in command of the Deiwos Clan,¡± he said, sounding genuinely thrilled. ¡°I¡¯m so jealous, you¡¯ll probably have a lot of quests in this Tower then!¡± When was the last time anyone had been happy for any of his achievements? The last person to be so excited in his place was Khaya. Langa hoped that she was okay. He pushed the thoughts away. ¡°You¡¯re jealous of me? You¡¯re bound to a Neutriarch!¡± Granted Adtonifulmin¡¯s master was probably a Neutriarch too, but it was different. ¡°Yeah, I still can¡¯t believe I pulled it off,¡± Liv said, sounding far away. ¡°He was my mother¡¯s deity, so his approval means a lot to me.¡± At the mention of Liv¡¯s mother, Langa couldn¡¯t help but think of his own. He balled his hands into fists and tried not to think about it. ¡°I guess we both chose well,¡± he said quietly. "Yeah, but at least it doesn¡¯t cost your patron deity any extra karma to sponsor you. As powerful as The Sun God is, it¡¯s gotta be expensive as hells for him to sponsor me here,¡± Liv told him, worry lacing his words. Langa massaged his temple. ¡°He¡¯s old, he must have bazillions of karma. Anyway, I¡¯m tired, can we talk tomorrow?¡± ¡°Sure, but are you okay?" Liv asked hesitantly. "Fine," Langa lied. "You sound... upset. Was the Challenge exhausting? Because mine sure as the third hell was. I couldn''t get out of bed the following day, just reliving the horror of it all," Liv said. "Even now, just thinking about what I went through in there makes me shudder. It''s okay if it was difficult for you." Liv''s Challenge had been bad enough to traumatise him that much? Langa couldn''t even imagine it, given how calm and collected Liv always was. But then again, Liv had always felt like he was holding back a part of himself, not just his power. Maybe he, too, had just been putting on a brave face. "It''s not that. My god told me something, but I''m dealing with it," Langa said slowly. "Are you?" "What?" "Langa, you don''t strike me as someone who has the patience to deal with things. I mean, I know I''ve only known you for the seven days of the tutorial, but... you literally died, for the first time in your life, and you just went back to training like it was nothing. The first time I died, the only reason I didn''t collapse and freak out was because of my father''s Blessing," Liv told him in a low voice. "If you need help dealing with it, let me know, we''re friends, aren''t we?" Was he really such an open book? Normally, if he needed to deal with things that he couldn''t push away, Langa used to spend time with Neo, Khaya, or his sister. He didn''t have any friends to talk to, not after his closest friend had suffered a near-fatal injury, and blamed it on Langa and his curse. He had not allowed himself to care about anyone outside of his family because of that fucking curse. "My mother died," Langa confessed quietly. His heart clenched in his chest as he said the words out loud, making them feel real. "Oh," Liv was silent for a moment. "I''m sorry. I know how awful that is. May her soul find peace in the eternal embrace of The Creator." Langa''s mother was a staunch believer in the Zulu Traditional Religion, so if what Lord Adtonifulmin said was correct, she would be with the souls of her ancestors. "We weren''t close, but I can''t help but feel sad, you know. It''s stupid because she doesn''t deserve my affection, not after... not after she abandoned me." Now that he had started talking, he couldn''t stop. "I mean, I promised myself that I was free of her, that fuck her for being a shitty parent. I told myself that I didn''t care, but I hate that I''m still fucking upset." "Of course you are. Now that she''s gone, you''ll never get the closure you need," Liv said gently. "I''m really sorry." "Yeah, since I can''t get anything else from Mama, I have no choice but to find some way to bury her and the pain she caused me," he said, more to himself than anyone else. He had to let her go, and live his life, free from her. "I¡¯ve seen so much death in the past few weeks. I also need to do a cleansing ritual for myself." "Is that a thing humans do?" Liv asked curiously. "It''s a thing some Zulu people do, it''s a cultural thing, and I''ve been doing it since I was a child." He didn''t know if he would be able to get everything he needed for the ritual, but at least now he had accepted what he needed to do to let go of his deadbeat mother. He needed to change the subject. "Are we still on to meet in the capital on the first day of next month?" "Ah, yeah," Liv said, the change of subject throwing him off a bit. "But if you want to participate in the Celestial Clash Exhibition match, you should probably come to the capital earlier." "The what now?" Langa asked with a yawn. "Get some rest," Liv said. "You can decide tomorrow." He ended the call after that. As he lay in bed, waiting for sleep to come, Langa thought about Earth, and how the people were being oppressed by demons at the moment. How was he supposed to save a world he didn¡¯t care much about just because one person he loved was stuck there? He was nothing more than a rookie without a guild backing him right now. This frustration led him to think about his strength relative to everyone else in the Tower. While it was true that now that he was bound to Adtonifulmin, Langa felt like he belonged a little more in the Tower, there was still a long way to go. Jandri was level 29, and she was not even the strongest member of the Guardians. How strong were the rankers in the Tower''s overall top ten? Before he fell asleep, Langa was curious about the levels of the overall top ten players. Upon checking the Dent, however, he discovered that most of them kept that to themselves. According to speculation, though, the highest-level player, Hucielbicon The Pioneer, who had the top spot in the overall top ten of this Tower had been stuck at level 38 for the past year. Some said that he had already reached level 39, but the general consensus was that he had not entered Tier 4 yet, as when a player was the first to reach a certain Tier or the first to clear a Floor, there would be a Towerwide announcement. The highest-level player from batch 2, besides Merreddyd and the Insurgents of Anarchy, was a bounty hunter called Na¡¯koma the Black Fist. Curious, Langa checked his Dent profile, and all of the videos posted showed him taking down Tier 2 E and D rank voidents efficiently. He never spoke, and he always wore a mask as he tore through them with a black blade. He wasn''t as strong as Unbound Jareeksha but he was popular with the people and the most beloved bounty hunter in the Tower. Batch 3¡¯s players weren¡¯t all that impressive with very few standouts like Anarchist, Perinda and another voident called Mbakulini. It seemed if you wanted to succeed from that batch, you had to either go bad or bow before Anarchist. That was depressing. Langa yawned again, closing his comcer interface, thinking about what Jandri had said about the Tower Administrators charging more karma for more powerful deities and deities hostile to them to operate in their Towers. It seemed like the Towers were just business ventures for the gods, and players were nothing more than ways to earn more karma. No, he refused to believe they were all like that. Langa knew that he meant something to his master, although, as of yet, he was not sure what. Until he figured that out, he was not willing to become Adtonifulmin¡¯s Visage. 45. Floor 1: What must be done (1) The next morning, Langa''s Dent interface was alive with comments. Jandri had posted his fight against Statia, cutting out the parts where Langa chewed out Aquila¡¯s team, making him seem like a good hero who helped his friends recover their party member¡¯s body and got revenge for them. Then, she added in the video of him wrecking the guild members who tried to ambush him as a sort of before and after becoming bonded to a deity comparison. Langa laughed in satisfaction at the visible anger on Statia''s face. He sat and checked every single name, hoping for any of his family members to be there, but he did not find any of them. Annoyed, he went outside to the valley to meet Mesala. The kitekin gushed about how pissed the Retessa Guild must be because of Langa''s video, as he gave him some strange fruits for breakfast. To his surprise, the number of players still living in the Valley of Guardians had dwindled by a lot. Had they left since today was the last day of the free seven, or did the 1st Floor prove to be too much for them and they died. Well, he did not have the luxury to worry about other people. ¡°Find out for me if these items exist in the Tower,¡± Langa said as he and Mesala walked towards the seating area of the valley, handing him a list of things that he had written down on a scroll. ¡°What¡¯s umsuzwane?¡± Mesala asked, looking at the list. ¡°It¡¯s a plant that we use in my world for cleansing ceremonies and to wash the dead. If you can¡¯t get it, I¡¯m fine with something similar,¡± he said. He didn''t expect to find every herb in the exact specifications of what he wanted anyway. Mesala nodded. "Langa!" A delighted voice called out to him. He turned around to find Aramaga running towards him. He barely had time to react before she wrapped her four arms around him. Well, he could have sidestepped if he really wanted to, but, it was nice to get a hug. "You''re okay." "Um, yeah," he said, patting her back awkwardly. He was glad her group had made it past Statia unharmed. Once she was unwrapped from him, he looked around to find Aquila and the dwarf sitting on rock benches close to the Guardians'' lucent carriage rank. He and Mesala walked over and sat with them. They greeted him enthusiastically as well, glad to see that he made it out of the dungeon alive. "It''s only been what, four days and you guys have already levelled up. Good work," he said. Aquila was even level 9 already. He was impressed with their effort; a loss wasn''t something meant to keep a person down. It was supposed to motivate them to work harder and surpass their current limits. "Yeah, it wasn''t easy. I had to make a vow to my deity that I wouldn''t tarnish his name. The only reason he even allowed me to become his Disciple despite my poor performance was that he was obligated to do it by the system since I''m his Chosen One," Aquila said with a sigh. "I have to work harder." Langa raised his eyebrows. Was this really the same pompous idiot who had interrupted Alfsol that first day, and tried to threaten Langa? "Where did you go to level up?" ¡°Dagro Valley. We figured it was better to grind in low-level areas than to try and level up faster by fighting against higher-level monsters,¡± Aquila said as he handed over 1 silver and 20 copper coins to Langa. ¡°Here, this is what we got for the parts of the baboon.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Langa said. More money was always welcome, especially now that he needed to save up 1 gold to go to the capital and meet Liv in 14 days. He turned to Aramaga. ¡°I¡¯ll give you back your Feathervault bag once I organise my items and-¡° ¡°No!¡± she said forcefully. ¡°I told you you could keep it. Please, it¡¯s the least I can do to thank you for what you did for us. We were able to put Klonu to rest thanks to you.¡± Langa hesitated, but Aquila interrupted him. "Please take it. It''ll make us all feel better." Well, he wasn''t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He sat back on the bench and peeled the fruit Mesala gave him, then he asked them something that he had been wondering about. "What Floors are you guys from?" Aquila was human, but he did not seem to be from the 36th Floor like him. "33rd for me," Ormeth said, "32nd for Aquila and 31st for Aramaga. We ain''t do it on purpose, I swear." "Hmm, one of my tutorial teammates was from the 32nd Floor," Langa said, eyeing Aquila with a frown. "You don''t look like a Viking." The look on Aquila''s face darkened. "Vikings? Those bontelags were a scourge on our cities. They hunted anyone found using magic, raiding our homelands and kidnapping our women. Our world was always at war because of them, and I lost my friend to them. I was actually Chosen because of what I did to a group of Vikings who came to raid my hometown. Once I get back home, they will pay the price in blood." There was venom in his words, and Langa remembered what Sigurd had said back then, that the constellation watching over their world made them slay witches. "Well, then you should just speedrun the Tower and take over their territories, I mean, according to The Pioneer, the theme for the Third Storey is conquest, right?" Aramaga said with a shrug as she sat down next to Langa. Mesala shook his head, looking at her as if what she said was impossible. "How many years would that take? The Pioneer and Kimi''Ndashin are monsters, and it took them 12 years to get from the 1st to the 31st Floor. They are the only two players in the Third Storey right now, since The Hallow Reapers are struggling to defeat the Floor Boss of the 30th Floor." "It ain''t impossible, Anarchist cleared 19 Floors in five years, something that took those two seven years," Ormeth argued. "Hell, it took your guildmaster 9 years to clear 28 Floors, which took those two, what, 10 years or something?" Aquila held up his hand when Mesala made to retort. "No, he''s right. Guardian Knight Merreddyd and Anarchist are outliers within their tutorial batches. Besides, I haven''t even cleared the 1st Floor, so it''s useless to think about the 32nd Floor right now." He turned to Langa, changing the subject as the other three eyed each other, clearly wanting to continue arguing about the feats of the top ten rankers. ¡°Did you know that you got a bounty on your head yesterday?¡± Langa frowned, the news surprising him. Had the Guardians found out about his Void Star? ¡°How? I''m not a voident, and I''m still here,¡± he said, looking around at all the Guardians milling about in the valley. ¡°Shouldn''t these guys be hunting me for the bounty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not from us,¡± Mesala said, turning away from Aramaga and Ormeth. ¡°It''s the Retessa Guild; they posted your picture all over the Dent. I''m so sorry,¡± Aramaga said, fidgeting slightly. ¡°This is because you helped us.¡± Langa shrugged, biting into his fruit. ¡°My Sponsorship Challenge was in a dungeon that was in their territory. Even without you three, they wouldn¡¯t have let me in without a fight,¡± he said. "How much did they put on my head?¡± ¡°25 silver,¡± Ormeth said. "That''s a pretty penny for a level 10 neutral player." Langa almost corrected him, saying that he was level 11 now, but then he realised people couldn''t scan him anymore now that he had a Shroud. Only those bound to deities more powerful than The Lackadaisical Herald or his master would be able to scan him. Or, he guessed, those with skills like his ''Team Player'' title. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s more than the bounty for an F-rank voident,¡± Langa said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should be flattered or appalled. Statia must be pissed, but if he¡¯s not willing to pay more than that, I doubt anyone will be willing to get their hands dirty.¡± He smiled. Someone as strong as Statia putting this much effort into chasing after him made him feel like he had accomplished something. ¡°No, that only applies to voidents. Most people avoid them because of the debuff effects of their pseudovoid territories. But a regular player like you, for that amount of silver, here on the 1st Floor, people will be lining up for your head." Aquila informed him. ¡°Well, who cares? I¡¯ll deal with them when they come,¡± Langa muttered, disinterested. Aquila shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Be vigilant.¡± ¡°Well, since you don¡¯t care about being hunted, can I ask you something that I have been dying to ask all morning?¡± Mesala asked eagerly, and Langa raised his eyebrows. ¡°Are you going to do the Celestial Clash exhibition match?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Langa asked, once more enjoying the sweet fruit. It tasted like a cross between an orange without the acidity and a mango. The entire group of people at the table gaped at him as if he were crazy again. ¡°I don''t know how many times I have to keep saying it, but I''m from a lost world,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°First of all, you need to check your forum notifications on the Dent, man. The greatest Celestial Clash coordinator on this Floor, Zavi, asked if you would take part. Most of the others he tagged have responded,¡± Mesala told him. Curious, Langa checked his forum notifications, and he found the current most popular post on the 1st Floor forums by a verified player.
@Zavintarithe.MadewClan The Magistrate of the capital has scheduled a friendly game of Celestial Clash for the Welcoming Ceremony for players of tutorial batch 4. To make it more interesting, she wants the top ten players to participate. It''s set for 01/05/12 MDCCLXXIII (DWT.T). Please reply here if you are willing to participate or if we should find other players to replace you. To: @Livkungsadu @thesecondvos @pranavchandra @langelihle @fikindaroiii. @vavucidsforenkka @queensynn @thenextgreatsage @mari0864 @corawinter
@Livkungsadu: I''m free, I can do it.
@pranavchandra: Apologies, I am in the middle of an important quest at the moment and I will not be available at that time.
@vavuciadsforennka: What are the rewards? I''m not going all the way to the capital for some measly Faith.
@thenextgreatsage: No.
@Zavintarithe.MadewClan: to @vavuciadsforennka Each player will be adequately compensated for their participation according to contribution.
@queensynn: sounds fun, but I can only participate if the ceremony is in a red or yellow zone.
@corawinter: Sure, I''ll participate.
@Zavintarithe.MadewClan: to @queensynn Appropriate arrangements will be made for all players wishing to participate.
@queensynn: great. count me in.
@linorathesecond: Vos Kindaro II has agreed to participate.
@fikindaroiii: Interesting, it seems like many of my enemies will be gathering in the same place.
@Livkungsadu: to @fikindaroiii Are you coming or not?
@linorathesecond: to @fikindaroiii I dare you to show your face. Your brother will have your head.
@fikindaroiii: to @mari0864, @vosthesecond, @livkungsadu If I have time, perhaps I shall pass by to see you all.
@fikindaroiii: to @langelihle Your little brother says hello.
@Livkungsadu: to @fikindaroiii Watch yourself, fool.
@Zavintarithe.MadewClan: Excellent. We have four confirmed participants. The rest of you, please give me a response within 7 days.
Langa''s whole body tensed when he saw Fi Kindaro''s name. That bastard dared to taunt him by bringing up Makoto? What was that about all his enemies gathered in one place? "What the fuck is a celestial clash?" he asked. If Fi Kindaro was going to be there, then so was he. "It''s a game," Ormeth said dismissively. "There are leagues for every Tier." Mesala gaped at him, looking offended. "It''s not just a sport, it''s a way of life! If you''re fatally wounded in Celestial Clash, you lose a respawn or perma-die!" "You''re both exaggerating." Aquila rolled his eyes. "Langa, the Celestial Clash tournaments are a pseudo-divine war. It''s a huge spectacle because deities bet karma and items on their players, so a loss is bad for their faith. Deities do it for bragging rights too, but it''s also where they see who has the potential to be drafted to fight in an actual divine war for them. For those of us below Tier 3, it''s the best way to practice for when we do reach that Tier and can participate in divine wars." This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Aramaga nodded enthusiastically. "That''s right. We didn''t have it back in my world, but one of the Chosen Ones who returned from the Tower would let us watch some matches on his comcer interface. It was one of my favourite experiences growing up. Klonu and I would always play at being the Striker when we were kids." "You know the overall number 1 player in the Tower, Hucielbicon the Pioneer? Most of his karma came from his matches in the Celestial Clash. I heard that he has also participated in a divine war for The Flaming Blade since he got to Tier 3, and that''s even more than his guild master has. He''s a legend in the making, I tell you," Mesala gushed excitedly. "What I''m hearing is that it''s a fun, dangerous, and deadly sport with good rewards," Langa said, intrigued. "Tell me more." Before Mesala could continue, Aquila said, ¡°It¡¯s not just that. Most Celestial Clash matches are only watched by those who like the sport, but they usually aren¡¯t all that special, except for each Tier league quarterfinal to final which are broadcast throughout the Tower from the Dent. This upcoming one is special, though, because all the guilds are looking to recruit our rookie top ten, and it¡¯s Batch 4¡¯s first public showing, so the whole Tower will be watching you. It¡¯s a chance to show off your skills and the glory of your deity. Gods, I¡¯m envious because for giving your deities that much exposure in karma, the system will probably allow the deities to give ridiculous rewards to the winners.¡± He paused then opened his comcer interface and grinned. "It''s better to just show you. This is the highlight of last year''s Tier 3 league finals between the Dungeon Seekers and Menika Shin," he said. "You''ve only been in this Tower for one week, how do you already know about last year''s league?" Ormeth asked exasperatedly. "I''m a bit of a fanatic," Aquila said with a shrug. He took out a pair of goggles from his Feathervault bag and handed them to Langa. "These Lucent goggles will make you feel like you''re in the match." "I think we should show him a less intense match. Maybe something from the Tier 1 league," Mesala said. "Showing him the final battle between Hucielbicon and Kian Dir Besta is like showing him the peak of players in this Tower. He''ll be disappointed when he has to watch other matches." Aramaga shrugged. "Who cares? It''s a battle between the best Avatars of the two leaders of the Deiwos Clan. Show it to him, Aquila." That got Langa''s attention as well. One of his master''s Avatars was in the video? He leaned over as Aquila shared his interface with him. Once he put on the goggles, he was mesmerised. He was suddenly standing in a vast, snowy field, stained red with the blood of fallen creatures, surrounding two players. Kian Dir Besta, a lionkin of immense size, stood firmly in front of a shrine, clad in full-body armour that appeared to be made of dark green wood rather than metal. Approaching him was Hucielbicon, The Pioneer, an angelkin with pale skin that almost blended into the red snow, his golden eyes fixed on his opponent. It was like watching a movie in 3D while being inside it. A halo of light appeared over The Pioneer''s head, he infused mana into the strange handle he was holding, and a sword made entirely of blue plasma materialised in his hand. The snow melted beneath his feet as he advanced towards Kian. "Step aside, Galebringer. Or suffer the same fate as last year," Hucielbicon said calmly, his voice cold and detached. "Come closer, and you''ll see that I''m not the same person I was last year," Kian said, raising his sceptre. "Besides, this isn''t like you, Hucielbicon. Usually you beg me to kick your ass." The angelkin shrugged. "You never do, so I''m sparing myself the disappointment this year," he said. "The only worthy opponents I''ve ever had were the Tier 3 players from the Agora Tower that I faced in my master''s divine war last year." "You''ll eat those words," Kian said, looking annoyed. Storm clouds gathered overhead, and thunder rumbled as he stood his ground in front of the shrine. A terrifying tornado emerged from the storm, headed straight for his opponent. Despite the fierce winds from Kian''s storm cutting into his skin, Hucielbicon continued to move forward, his wounds healing as quickly as they appeared. "Is that it?" he asked casually. "How boring, you know my regeneration is nothing to mess with." "It doesn''t matter. Your defences are shit," Kian Dir Besta growled through gritted teeth as he raised his sceptre again, swinging it in a circular motion, the air around him spinning. He summoned a giant blade of wind from inside the tornado. With his halo glowing brightly above him, Hucielbicon seized the wind blade with his glowing hand, leaving Kian Dir Besta shocked. "You almost killed me with that move last year. I came prepared," he said, suddenly behind Kian. He had moved faster than Langa''s eyes could trace. Was it a teleportation skill like Flash Step, or was he as fast as light itself? He slashed calmly with his plasma sword towards Kian, who quickly activated a shield of wind. The plasma shattered through Kian''s shield, the force sending him flying to the side of the shrine. Taking advantage of this, Hucielbicon dashed towards the shrine, only to be caught as Kian''s storm suddenly gained strength, turning the entire area black and grey. Over twenty bolts of lightning rained down on Hucielbicon unceasingly. It seemed he had triggered a trap. In agony, he leapt to the left, then to the right, to the side, and back. He was fast, but unable to dodge all of the bolts. As Kian Dir Besta raised his sceptre again and pointed it towards the struggling angelkin, Hucielbicon''s halo lit up again, and he once more appeared behind him in an instant, his plasma sword at the ready. But Kian swerved, the wind from his sceptre blowing The Pioneer back. He had responded insanely quickly, as if he had been expecting this. Hucielbicon''s face lit up, and his cold calm disappeared. "Good. I was right to have low expectations, now I can be impressed," he smiled. "There you are, finally," Kian said, and from his hands, dark energy flowed into the air, heading straight for his opponent. Hucielbicon struck down with his plasma sword, and the snow stood no chance. The ground melted and the earth shook as it was cut in half, dividing the landscape into two separate island-like environments. Kian thankfully jumped high into the air, as there was nowhere to stand on the ground now. Surprisingly, though, the shrine remained intact. "More! Come on! Give me everything! Enflame me, Galebringer!" Hucielbicon shouted, unhinged laughter in his voice. A delighted smile demented his face as his hands swept out, the snow long melted and the ground beneath him gone. Golden wings propelled him into the air as his plasma sword haphazardly slashed against Kian''s dwindling wind shield. "MORE!" Anger, frustration, and exasperation coloured Kian''s face as he pulled a cloud from the air down towards himself, standing on top of one of them, his wind blades jutting out both in defence and trying to strike the angelkin. An even bigger tornado surrounded him as the cloud carried him. The earlier trap of lightning started to form in the clouds, and thunder rumbled hard. This was power unlike anything Langa had ever seen. This was what a lightning storm looked like. "Is that Divine Fusion?" Hucielbicon asked, surprise on his face, then the surprise was replaced with a smile. "YEEEEEES!" he screamed, arms wide open, as he welcomed the thundering bolts of lightning aiming for him. They struck true, and Langa wondered if The Pioneer had a death wish as his wings were burnt to ash and he was struck numb, falling from the sky towards the ground below. The lightning storm followed him, with Kian never relenting, even as the bolts of lightning combined with the tornado and giant wind blades tore The Pioneer''s body apart. Langa wondered if that wasn''t a bit excessive. Hucielbicon fell below into the hole in the ground he had previously created , landing where no one could see him. Kian slowly descended on his cloud, not calling back the storm, instead, it seemed to further increase in power over the fallen angelkin. Langa thought perhaps it was overkill. A cloud of smoke blew up where Hucielbicon had fallen. Kian''s wind blades shot straight towards that area, he was breathing heavily now, and it was clear he was falling into mana exhaustion. It was honestly insanely impressive that he had managed to keep what Langa assumed were two divine skills running simultaneously for such a long period of time. He must have had exorbitant amounts of mana. Kian''s performance perfectly showcased the potential of Adtonifulmin''s power. It was the first time that Langa understood what the sponsorship contract meant when it said an Avatar was to bring glory to his patron deity''s name. Everyone who saw this battle would praise the great power of Kian Dir Besta, the Avatar of The Lackadaisical Herald. But contrary to Langa''s thought process, the battle was not over. Out of the smoke, hundreds of laser beams bolted out of the hollow ground, penetrating Kian''s cloud. He put up his shield once more, but the lasers burned through it with no trouble. From the ground below, wings completely healed, came Hucielbicon. His body had shrunk to half its normal size, and his many wounds were still slowly healing. "Are you fucking kidding me?" Kian cursed in a tired voice as he knelt on his melting cloud, the holes left by the lasers on his body barely healing. How much health did these players have? "Since when could you do that, you battlecrazed Jehrameelspawn?!" "I''ve always been able to do this. You''re the first to push me this far outside of a true divine war! Marvellous, marvellous!" Hucielbicon said in delight. Kian sighed, and slumped down on his cloud, clearly spent. The Pioneer once again activated his plasma sword. "I look forward to our next clash, Galebringer. Challenge me more, next time. Fill my blood with the spirit of battle," he said, his eyes were crazy wide, and his beautiful angelic face distorted with satisfied glee. "Grow even stronger, for this is still not enough for me. More," he laughed. "I still need more FIRE." The sword plunged itself into Kian Dir Besta''s neck, killing him instantly. The Pioneer flew over the wreckage of the battle and produced a small black orb from nowhere. Then he placed it inside the shrine Kian had been protecting, and the video ended. Langa''s hand trembled as he looked at the frozen image of the Pioneer. What power, what a crazy bastard! How much more powerful could he get? He was only Tier 3 at the moment, so it made Langa shudder to think of how much further he still had to go. His head was spinning, and his whole body was alive. Langa wanted to fight The Pioneer. He knew that Hucielbicon could probably kill him without using a single skill, but he still wanted to stand on the same battlefield. His heart was racing uncontrollably. "Show me everything," Langa said to Aquila. Needless to say, Langa spent the rest of the day watching Celestial Clash matches on the Dent. When it came time to decide if he would participate, he was interested purely for the chance to fight against people at his level and because this would mean exposure. His family would know exactly where he was. Adtonifulmin had said not to sweat the small stuff, but Langa wondered if he cared about this. ¡°Master, do you want me to participate in this exhibition match?¡± he asked. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of the Lightning Storm, says, ¡°It will help improve your Faith Level, however, it¡¯s your choice. But if you decide to participate, you absolutely cannot lose. That would bring shame to The Deiwos Clan. Also, I want you to crush the Avatar of The Thousand Undead.¡±] ¡°Got it,¡± he said. He didn''t need Adtonifulmin''s encouragement, he was going to crush Fi Kindaro and his brother anyway.
@langelihle to Zavintarithe.MadewClan I''ll participate in the match @langelihle to @fikindaroiii Go fuck yourself.
Before organising his gains, the first thing Langa did was distribute his free attribute points from the previous day¡¯s level up. As much as he wanted to put everything in Agility and boost his speed, he needed more mana for his divine skill and his most neglected stat, strength, was the one responsible for stamina regeneration. He sighed, placing three points in Mind, 1 in Strength and because he couldn¡¯t resist, one in Agility. When he left the dungeon, Langa thought that he had enough loot to make him rich, but upon organising his loot, he discovered that he was not rich at all. Quite poor, in fact. He was not going to sell the allemak lifeblood, it was too precious an item, and he was also not going to sell the strange scrolls that he found in the dungeon either, he wanted to go to the library and try to decipher them first. This was the type of stuff that his father had spent his life studying and researching, finding out about ancient civilisation and religions. Langa was not an academic, but that didn''t mean exploring did not interest him. He could sell some of the low-level enchanted weapons he had earned from the dungeon, but he needed to keep some to disenchant them to improve his enchanting skill. The same was true for the enchanting grimoires and tools. It was a shame that he couldn''t sell his most valuable items, the allemak lifeblood as well as most of the lucent crystals. He needed them to practice his enchanting. All was not lost, however, because when he was listing his vitality saffrons on the Dent auction site, he had priced them at one silver for ten, but there was a pop-up on the interface. [Product: Ripe Vitality Saffron was last sold on auction for 50 copper each. You have underpriced the item. Override: Yes/No?] "No," he said hastily, correcting the price to the one suggested by the Dent. He listed the items he had no use for, like the darkness mana potion. He also discovered that while the auctions tab was useful, he only had access to items listed on the Floors he had already climbed¡ªthe 1st Floor only in his case. For more valuable items, he would have to attend a physical auction. To his surprise, the items that flew off the shelf were the two rare darkness lucent stones. He listed them, not for coins, but in exchange for rare lightning-lucent stones, which were becoming the bane of his existence as he was running out of charges for Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike. Next, he did the same for the boss'' corrupted manacore. The description said it would help with mana control, but since he had a full lightning affinity, and it was a corrosion mana discipline core, which was a subset of both darkness and poison, he wanted to sell or exchange it for a level 12 lightning boss manacore. He had not expected it to have such a fierce bidding war. He hadn''t known that anything containing mana from the other 130 mana disciplines other than the main 13 was rare, even from low-level boss monsters. He had only listed it in exchange for two level 12 lightning or adjacent manacores, thinking he had overpriced it, but now bidding was at six level 12 lightning manacores. He was floored. The auction did not accept simple common items, so for the low-level weapons he''d gained, Langa sold them to Instructor Rancho. Rancho also paid some good money for Psike''s throne. Langa made sure to check the forums for the price of the material that the throne was made of so that he was not cheated. It netted him almost 20 silver. He also gave one of the Guardians'' alchemists some vitality saffrons as well as Psike''s healing sac, commissioning some uncommon health potions for himself. She had been hesitant at first, claiming she was busy, but when he offered her one flax of Allemak Lifeblood as payment, she got right into it. He also gave her some of it to use for the potion. Psike''s body was sold for parts at the crafting cave, but since it was a low-level boss monster, it barely netted him 5 silver. When Langa tried opening the bronze chest that he had found in Psike''s room, he found that unlike the wooden ones, this one required a key. He searched on the Dungeon guides in the Dent for where to find such a key, but the guides stated that the key to the boss monster''s treasure chest was hidden somewhere inside the boss room. "Fuck," Langa said in frustration. He would have blasted it open with his glaive but the guide said if a person tried to force open the chest, it would self-destruct. The only other way to open such chests was to get lockpicks or help from a Rogue with a lockpicking skill. Those types of items were not available on the Dent auction site, either. He had no choice but to take a lucent carriage up to Risa''s Plateau to Rekona''s shop to try and sell some of the common items. He also wanted to see if he could get some lockpicks. "1 silver," the goblinkin said with a straight face. "You''re kidding, right?" Langa asked in surprise. "1 silver for a single common lockpick that will disintegrate if it doesn''t work?" Rekona folded his arms and said, "That''s right. You can get a bunch of 10 common lockpicks for 9 silver, or a bunch of 5 uncommon lockpicks for 9 silver. If it''s an uncommon chest, the common ones won''t work." Langa shut his mouth and painstakingly handed the goblinkin 9 silver coins. He was sure that whatever was in the chest was worth a lot more than 5 silver. [Allali''s Lockpick Item Rank: Uncommon Effects: Has a 50% chance of opening common locks. Has a 20% chance of opening uncommon locks.] The lockpicks looked less like lockpicks and more like keys. A 20% chance was one in 5, right? Hopefully, one of these would work. "Okay, do you have any Lucent Patches?" Lucent Patches were something that Langa had read about when researching how to improve his Lucent Enchanting skill quickly without using skill points. They were used as simple household items, made from excess powder waste from industries that processed lucent crystals. Lucent crystals needed to be purified before being used commercially, and in most cases, they contained waste lucents from other mana disciplines that would have to be filtered out. For instance, a lightning-lucent crystal might contain traces of light lucents which would then be filtered out into these patches. Since they were waste from lucent crystals, the lucents were unable to be used for anything but absorbing lucents of the same mana. Instead of wasting them, they had been processed and sold to enchanters, alchemists, blacksmiths, and other crafters to clean magic waste. Then the crafter just needed to infuse their mana into the Lucent Patch, and the lucents could be absorbed harmlessly into the mana in the air, including the Lucent Patch itself. They were cheap and relatively easy to use. Langa was excited that he might be able to use them for something else (Bombs. He wanted to make them into explosives) with his Lucent Enchanting Skill. "Yeah, I only have the ones for the basic elements," Rekona said. "50 copper for a pack of 20. Which ones do you want?" He had been hoping to find lightning ones, but they weren''t available. "I''ll take two stacks of fire lucent patches and 1 stack of wind lucent patches." Once he was done selling his useless junk to Rekona, Langa bought a few more things he needed for enchanting, looking longingly at a portable uncommon enchanting kit. It would cost him 50 silver, which he currently did not have. He sighed and dejectedly went back to the Valley of Guardians. The first two keys failed to open the chest, but Langa was optimistic, so he tried two more, and they also failed. He wanted to scream in anger, as he looked at his last remaining key. ¡°Please let this work, Master,¡± he said desperately, putting in the last key. Lo and behold, it broke into pieces. Langa glared at the ceiling. [The Deiwos Clan god: The lackadaisical Herald of the Lightning Storm, shrugs and states that he is not a god of locks and keys. He advises you to make sure that you use every key you have.] ¡°I¡¯ve already used all of them,¡± Langa snapped in frustration but there was no response from the Lackadaisical Herald. Was that a clue? Every key he had? The only other key in his possession was the one he stole from the F-rank voident Fidser. Perinda had said the key belonged to Anarchist, and Alfsol had told him he could keep it as long as he didn¡¯t use it for unauthorised void magic. Langa took out the Corrupted Fusion Key. There were too many deities'' eyes watching him but he placed the worn-out key on the keyhole and a second later, it opened. Inside were plenty of common corrosion lucent crystals, money, a dreamcatcher, a pair of gauntlets and a scroll. In total, it was 97 silver and 59 copper. All in all, the dungeon gave him a decent haul. * Langa wanted to improve his enchanting skill, and he figured it was better to learn from someone with experience than read the grimoires he got from the dungeon. When he went back to the Guardians¡¯ Crafting Cave, he went straight to Aria. ¡°Hey,¡± she said with an enthusiastic smile when she saw him. ¡°I was on the edge of my seat with worry when I saw you use the defective orbs in your video! Were you not scared?¡± He¡¯d been injured, annoyed, exhausted, and excited during his Sponsorship Challenge, but scared¡­ hardly at all. ¡°Nope,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°But your enchantments really helped me out.¡± She beamed in delight, and her hair glowed pink. ¡°Did you get something interesting to sell, or do you want to buy some more of the explosive orbs?¡± ¡°Neither,¡± he said, looking around her table. "I learnt an enchanting skill, and I wondered if you could help me raise it.¡± ¡°You have an enchanting skill?¡± She looked at him in surprise. ¡°I recently got it a few days ago, and you''re the only enchanter that I know, so I came to you for help with how to raise it; I just need a few lessons.¡± Langa explained. ¡°Of course, I will pay you.¡± Aria¡¯s hair turned blue. ¡°I can''t just teach you enchanting all day long. Besides all the commission work that I have from the Guild members, I still need to prepare enough weapons that work against the undead for our 6th Floor players.¡± ¡°If you''re busy, then that''s cool,¡± Langa said as he pulled out one of the enchanting grimoires from Psike¡¯s Grotto. He was sure it was not a common book, as he hadn¡¯t found any information on it in the Dent. He would only give her this one, though, and keep the others for himself. He handed the book to her, and she squealed, eyes glued to the pages. ¡°Oh my gods, this is awesome.¡± She looked at him. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡± She pulled out an arrow from a stack of bare weapons on her table. ¡°Sit down, enchant something. Let me see,¡± Aria said, pointing at the chair next to her. ¡°Uh,¡± Langa hadn¡¯t come here for that, but the look on her face was insistent, so he sat down, and got to work. He enchanted the arrow with the only appropriate glyph that he had, the +5 Sharpness one, and it took, lowering the durability from 17/20 to 9/20. It was honestly an improvement from his previous work. Aria watched him work and picked up the arrow. ¡°Your technique is very clinical and bland. Besides the auink, your process is rather impersonal. How long have you been doing this?¡± Langa mentally counted the days. ¡°About five days,¡± he said. ¡°What?¡± Her eyes snapped from the arrow to him in surprise. ¡°You got the skill to beginner level 4 in just five days? How? Weren¡¯t you doing a Sponsorship Challenge?¡± ¡°I used 4 skill points,¡± he explained. ¡°You did what?¡± She looked ready to burst a vein. ¡°You used skill points on a beginner-level skill? You have no idea how hard it is to raise a skill at Advanced or Master level. This is a crime against enchantment. For the next week, get your arse here every day. I am going to whip your crafting into shape!" Langa honestly dreaded the boring crafting training, but if he wanted to make great bombs he had to be patient. 46. Floor 1: What must be done (2) "A magic circle is a series of runes, glyphs and symbols arranged in a specific pattern to weave lucents together. The magic circle must be drawn in a suitable mana-conducting material for instance manacore, or a spell scroll. The more symbols in the magic circle, the more powerful the spell. The average magic circle for a simple spell has ten glyphs and symbols. Most spells for S-Rank skills have on average a total of 20 to 30 runes, glyphs and symbols while Divine skills have an average a total of 80 to 150 runes, glyphs and symbols. To activate the magic circle, mortals infuse every symbol in the magic circle with their mana in the proper sequence. The more symbols in the circle, the longer it takes to draw and the lower the casting speed. A magic circle requires constant mana infusion to remain stable. If the infusion is interrupted, a backlash will be applied to the caster, severely injuring them and in the case of divine skills, may cause temporary damage to the manacore." Langa lay on the bed, studying how to use his divine skill. There were a few problems with the skill. One, each lance required 200 Mana and at present, Langa¡¯s maximum mana was 220. The real issue was the casting speed. He finally understood why Statia had not moved during their fight, if Langa had to guess, he would have had to redraw the magic circle or start the incantation required for his divine skill afresh if he did. Even as fast as Langa was, no one would wait for him to finish drawing the circle, infuse his mana into every rune, glyph and symbol, concentrate on his Faith to draw the power of Adtonifulmin and then drink a mana potion to finish the cast. His fighting style was about speed, and the best way to maximise his casting speed was to either always have empty spell scrolls inscribed with the magic circle for once-off usage at the ready, have the magic circle inscribed on his manacore, or have a permanent inscription of it on his body. When he read The Relgte of The First Pioneer of Arcane Magic as Gertina said, he found out that all three methods had their drawbacks. For the first one, empty spell scrolls were expensive and were single-use only and if unused, the magic circle expired. He had no manacore, so he couldn¡¯t use the second method. The Relgte did say that he could inscribe the spell onto a boss monster¡¯s manacore compatible with his mana, but that method sucked as well since the manacore would be destroyed after using it. It would be a waste as manacores had many other uses like crafting ingredients for mana potions and purifying natural manacores. The third option of permanently inscribing the magic circle on their bodies was what most people seemed to choose. However, this could only be done by someone with an actual Inscription skill. The magic circle would be inscribed on the mortal¡¯s body like a tattoo with an Inscribing needle and a special auink. Then all the person needed to do was infuse mana into the magic circle. The inscription was permanent, but the auink needed to be renewed multiple times, depending on the skill rank of the Inscriber. As with anything else that was worthwhile, it was ridiculously expensive. Langa sighed, divine skills were overpowered but taxing to use. Another unexpected expense for him came when he realised that, thanks to his full lightning affinity, not all mana potions were useful for him. He only gained half the mana offered by the general mana potions. The only ones fully compatible with him were lightning mana potions. Of course, they were both rare and expensive. ¡°Fuck me,¡± Langa cursed. Even to practice his divine skill he needed money to buy mana potions. He closed the Relgte, knowing he would have to devote more time to bounty hunting to earn more money. * In his spare time from Aria''s enchantment training, his nightly spear technique training and his newest hobby of watching Celestial Clash Tournaments, Langa studied his divine skill. When he got bored with Enchanting training and the Crafting Cave started to feel suffocating to him, he went to hunt some voidents, not wanting to be hit by his claustrophobia. Unfortunately, all the voidents around Risa''s Province were G and F-rank, all ranging from Level 10 to 12. They were not worth as much as Fidser was, but silver was silver and it was stacking up in Langa''s inventory. He was still a long way away from saving 100 silver or 1 gold that he needed for the teleportation wheel to the capital as he was spending money too. He sought his bounties out himself this time, sticking mostly to the Accari Crows, but if any voident got in his way, he would make sure to defeat and arrest them with the Deiform Amulet. He took the time hunting to train himself in the use of his new Avatar of Life title. The first time he activated it, he almost fainted from all the new sensations he was privy to. It did not help that he was in a forest brimming with life. Everything around him emitted the breath of life. The grass beneath his feet was alive, every tree rooted deep in the ground felt alive and breathed deeply for him, overwhelming Langa. He knelt on the ground and could feel the breath of life from worms burrowed deep beneath the earth. If this was him only feeling 20% of the living world around him, how would 100% feel? He deactivated the title and dry-heaved. He tried it again when he was no longer in the forest but on top of a dry, sandy mountain. He had been following the tracks of a pair of notorious voidents. They had killed a lot of players in this area stripping their bodies of gear before they respawned. With his title equipped, Langa could sense the absence of the breath of life in this area, but in that absence, he found the traces of three breaths and followed their tracks. He could somehow tell these were people because of the karma left in their breaths. The trail stopped in the middle of nowhere, and when Langa concentrated on the area in front of him, he could sense something in there a void veil. Langa sped into the pseudo-void territory inside that void veil, instantly spotting three level 10 voidents standing over two badly wounded red players of levels 13 and 14 kneeling before them. The pseudo-void territory was clearly sucking up their stamina and they were suffering from the Chaotic Mind debuff. Even if these players were much stronger than the voidents, they were powerless in the face of the powers of a Void Pearl. In a blur, Langa threw two daggers at two of the voidents and then straight up stabbed the third with Tonare before they could even raise their weapons. At level 10, they were no match for him and had no healer with them, so it did not take him long to use the Deiform Amulet to arrest all of them and their bodies disappeared into the Guardians¡¯ holding cell. ¡°Are you guys alr-¡± Langa started as he turned to the two wounded captives, only to quickly duck as a dagger was flying his way. It narrowly missed him. ¡°What the fuck?¡± The tigerkin he had just saved had attacked him. She was already starting to transform when Langa pivoted on his left leg and stabbed Tonare into her unprotected abdomen. Thankfully, she was weak from the voidents'' debuffs so it was not a challenge. Two mana bolts struck his back, and he Flash Stepped away as he faced the grinning red player. He was still bleeding from the wound that the voidents inflicted on his head as he readied his magic and fired more mana bolts at him. ¡°Thanks for the save, mate, but the 25 silver on ya head is mine.¡± ¡°Ungrateful arseholes,¡± Langa said with an annoyed sigh, activating his attribute. Within his slowed-down time, killing an injured fool was not hard. His companion fled and Langa let her go. In the end, he realised that he had completed the first part of his voident hunting quest. [You have gained the title: Fledgling Voident Hunter] [Fledgling Voident Hunter Title Rank: Uncommon You induce and increase fear in mortals when inside the void veil of any Void Gems. You exude an ominous aura proportional to your karma pressure when battling against mortals designated as voidents. The greater your Total Karma, the more the target¡¯s perception of you may be altered. Target movement and casting speed may be slowed. Fledgling: Only affects F-rank or lower voidents in the same Tier as you.] Langa wasn''t a fan of people seeing him as a monster, but he paused as a thought came to him. If he kept raising the title, would he be able to induce fear in someone as strong as Perinda? Somehow, the thought of that smug bastard terrified of him cheered Langa up. * He felt refreshed after his sleep last night and if only he had his divine domain, then he could sleep forever if he wanted to, without being disturbed. These days, Langa usually ate his breakfast outside in the Valley of Guardians with Aquila''s team. They made for good conversation, plus he was able to ask them a lot about life in the Tower. His breakfast companions looked a bit sullen and were more silent than usual today as they ate, and while Langa honestly didn¡¯t care what was up with them, he hated the idea of eating breakfast in silence. ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± he asked as he watched them curiously. ¡°Fine, we just have our first day off in what feels like Chronos¡¯ eternity, and then tomorrow, we''re back to hunting the same old corrupted batarinets,¡± Aramaga said, poking her spoon into the porridge she was eating. ¡°I don''t want to hear that from someone who failed to hold down two of those batarinets yesterday and nearly got me killed,¡± Aquila snapped at her. "Sorry," she said defiantly. ¡°But that wouldn''t have been a problem if Ormeth had done his job and protected you properly.¡± Ormeth protested. ¡°What the feckin'' gallows was I supposed to do? I aint no tank, I''m a healer! My strength enhancement has a short duration and I ran out of mana!¡± ¡°Good, so you both agree that we are still lacking. So we will continue doing the same drills until we can do them in our sleep,¡± Aquila concluded, looking at them sternly. Langa took a sip from his warm, milky drink. It sounded like they were having a hard time adjusting to the death of their party member, and they had no tank. He didn''t have any input to give, as his only experience in a party was with Fi Kindaro, Liv and their tutorial teammates. ¡°Please tell me you had a more interesting day than us yesterday. I''m dying for stories of real adventure right now,¡± Aramaga begged, beady eyes looking at Langa desperately. "Sure. I was tracking some voidents at Tinika-peak. I found them holding two level 14 players captive, robbing them,¡± Langa said, chewing on a duck leg. ¡°Now, being the nice guy I am, I got in, killed the bastards and bound their bodies with the Deiform Amulet, making sure they would respawn nice and cosy in the Guardian''s prison.¡± Ormeth and Aramaga looked at him expectantly. ¡°You won''t believe it, but when I checked if the two players that I saved were okay, upon recognising me, one of them tried to sneak attack me with a dagger while the other tried to blast me with a bolt,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°I was fast enough to dodge, but what the fuck? I just saved your life!" "They probably wanted the bounty that Statia had placed on you,¡± Ormeth guessed. ¡°That''s scummy! Who the hell attacks somebody who just saved them? What did you do?¡± Aramaga asked, invested in the story. ¡°Killed one and knocked out the other before bringing her to a safe zone to be arrested for her crimes,¡± Langa said, tearing a large piece of meat from the bone with his bare hands. ¡°Serves ¡®em right,¡± Ormeth nodded in approval. ¡°Hope you got something good for your trouble.¡± Langa snorted, ¡°After shaking them, I can see why they wanted my bounty. They didn''t have a lot on them. I only gained a few silver and some scrolls." ¡°Why didn''t you just kill them both?¡± Aquila asked. He¡¯d been eating quietly while Langa told the story. Why indeed? The one who ran had been on her last respawn, and it had not felt right to permakill her. Killing a voident knowing they were going to respawn in the Guardians'' prison, was quite different from permanently killing someone. Langa had no desire to permakill anyone unless his life or the lives of those he loved were in danger. ¡°It wasn''t worth it. I brought her to the Federation Police. Besides, she was badly wounded, I had no reason to kill her,¡± he shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s always worth it. You would have gained some EXP, and karma,¡± Aquila told him, shaking his head. ¡°What¡¯s to stop them from gathering a bigger group next time and ambushing you? It¡¯s always better to take care of threats before they grow.¡± "Then I''ll kill her then,¡± he said. He was not averse to killing, but he''d never permanently killed anyone in his life, at least not intentionally. The voidents he''d hunted so far had at least one respawn left. Honestly, he didn''t think he would have a problem perma-killing voidents, his issue was regular mortals. He wasn''t going to struggle with killing someone he hated, like Fi Kindaro. Aquila gave him a meaningful look before he turned back to his party and spent the rest of breakfast talking about red players and voidents. After they were done eating, Langa and Aquila made their way to the Crafting Cave where Aquila was commissioning a special weapon from Instructor Rancho and Langa was continuing his enchanting training with Aria. "How come you''re still at level 9?" Langa asked. He would not be surprised if it took a while to level up from level 10 to 11, he had only managed it by clearing the Sponsorship Challenge. However, from level 9 to 10 was not too big a gap. Aquila looked up at him and shrugged. "My team is still finding its rhythm. I haven''t allowed them to venture into any zones above level 8, not until we adjust to our new team play. It''d be difficult without a tank, and I don''t want to put them at risk unnecessarily." "You''re stunting your personal growth to allow the team to grow?" Langa asked in surprise. He was glad he had no one depending on him. But Aquila shook his head, "Not really. If we want to clear the 1st Floor, we need to clear one unclaimed dungeon solo, and none of us has experience with that. There is a group dungeon that I want us to tackle, and we have to be in our best condition for that," he said, and clenched his fist, looking down. "I can''t let my carelessness lose me anyone else." Langa had already cleared one unclaimed dungeon, so all he needed to clear the 1st Floor was to earn 10 000 Karma. He hadn''t thought Aquila was much of a good leader, but maybe he was wrong. "You''ve learned from your mistakes," he told him. "When The Breaker of The Self chose me, I thought I was invincible, that I was important to him, after all, I was Chosen by a god, not a constellation. I survived the tutorial well enough, leading my teammates and growing in confidence, but the Tower knocked me on my arse," Aquila sighed, "He was very disappointed in me, and if not for his obligations in the system contract, he would have dropped me. I need to prove to him, and to the ones who choose to follow me that I am worth it," he said. "He''s been looking away from me, so when he turns his face back to me, I want him to see how much I''ve grown." Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Cool," Langa said sympathetically. He couldn''t imagine what it would be like if he couldn''t constantly feel the presence of The Lackadaisical Herald watching over him. He would probably feel both lonely and abandoned. He changed the subject. "So, do you know how to use this?¡± He pulled out one of the empty spell scrolls that he had taken from the red players. ¡±Oh, you just pre-Inscribe the magic circle of your skill so that you don¡¯t have to waste time drawing it in a fight,¡± he said. Langa knew that much. ¡°Does it work for divine skills, and if I inscribe a magic circle on it, how long would it remain stable?¡± he asked. "Yeah, it works, but depending on your level, the circle dissipates after some time if not used,¡± Aquila told him. ¡°At low Tier 1, I think it¡¯s about an hour or so.¡± So, he should only inscribe the circle if he was sure to use it within an hour. Aquila glanced at him. ¡°Why bother with that, anyway? Just draw the circle in your manacore. I know at Tier 1 a manacore can only store two magic circles, but it¡¯s better than using scrolls or the invasive permanent body inscription,¡± he said with a shrug as they entered the Crafting Cave. ¡±I¡¯m keeping my options open,¡± Langa lied. He couldn¡¯t tell anyone that he didn¡¯t have a manacore. ¡°See you later.¡± They parted ways as he went over to the enchanting table while Aquila went to the smithy area. Langa had such a lot of remains from crushed lucent stones and crystals that it was a waste to use them all to make auink. He was still unable to enchant lucent stones or crystals directly, and Aria suspected that he needed to get the skill either to the Intermediate rank first or at least above Beginner level 5. After disenchanting a lot of common weapons that allowed mana infusion, Langa finally obtained a new enchanting glyph. He could finally make items that could accept the mana infused into them. [Inferior Mana Absorbtion Type: Enchanting Glyph Rank: Common Effects: On successful inscription, absorbs the mana infused into an item and adds +10% chance of processing that mana into damage. Restrictions: Can only be applied to common rank items.] With this, he could enchant the lucent patches to store and process the mana he applied to them to detonate his bombs. Since his enchanting skill was still too low to make actual bombs, he decided to do some fun experiments with the lucent patches and his excess lucent powder. First, he used his latest common enchanting glyph that he''d learnt, lesser ignite. It caused the ignition of fire when infused with mana, so he thought if he could somehow ignite the lucent powder, it would become a bomb for him to use as an AOE attack. His first brilliant idea was to mix the powdered fire lucent stones with Kiribo''s sweat to increase flammability. However, when he infused his mana into the mixture, it blew up in his face and took away almost half his health. He also destroyed half the contents of Aria''s enchanting table. When she kicked him out of her crafting station, her hair was red with anger. He would have to try another tactic then. * He had a few lightning manacores earned from selling Psike''s Corrosion manacore. Even though it hurt his soul to waste the manacores on practice, he was unwilling to save the cores and only use his divine skill in battle. He found a field of level 10 corrupted beasts and stood on top of a hill above the creatures. He used his auink to Inscribe the magic circle for Lightning Lance on two of the manacores. He held one in his hands and closed his eyes, concentrating on infusing all his mana into the magic circle. He used every last drop, but, it didn''t light up. "What the hell?" he asked, feeling lightheaded as he drank a Mana potion. [Error! Mana infused = 187 MP. Mana required = 200 MP. manacore destabilising!] His mana was 220 and he was sure he had infused as much of it as was possible. Shit, this was what the Legacy had been trying to tell him. His mana control was shit. The manacore lit up with brilliant white and started shaking in Langa''s hands, making him drop it on the ground. He was lucky that happened because as soon as it landed on the ground, it cracked open and three bolts of lightning shot up from the core into the air in an explosion. Langa Flash Stepped back in surprise and landed on his arse. "What the fucking hell?!" he said, trying to breathe. [Multiple deities are laughing at you. They commend the Lackadaisical Herald for Choosing such an entertaining human as his Avatar] "You know, my sister always said, if you''ve got nothing nice to say, shut your damn mouth," Langa snapped as he brushed dust out of his armour and stood up ignoring the gods. Well, the first try was always supposed to be a disaster. So was the second. And the third. Only by the fourth try did he finally make progress. He was upset at the loss of three expensive lightning manacores, but it was better to fail now than in battle. He finally understood that he was supposed to let the manacore guide him, not try to control the mana in his own way. This time he moved his mana slowly through his nerves, like he was a plug distributing the electric along an electric cable. He felt he had more control now, as he imagined the manacore to be a light bulb that he needed to use the electricity to light up. He wasted less mana this way, and finally, the magic circle came alive. Next, he had to concentrate on his Faith. The Lackadaisical Herald had told him that he meant different things to different people. So what did he mean to Langa? He was someone who watched over him and said he was always on his side. Someone who wanted Langa to live his life without caring what other people thought or what the future held. He was someone Langa wanted to be proud of him. He felt the presence of the Lackadaisical Herald inside him, and the connection from the divine nexus came alive and flowed into the magic circle. A three-metre-long spear made of pure lightning materialised in the air in front of him, waiting for his command. It was unstable, with streaks of lightning protruding from its length. Langa focused on his desire for the Lance to strike the beasts below the hill. It flew down and landed on the ground. A zig-zag path of burning light tore through the beasts as multiple streaks of lightning were released from the lance. He couldn''t see through the light, but none of them remained alive. The earth shook under him and a loud cracking sound filled the air along with the scent of burning flesh before the lance dissipated, leaving burnt remains in its wake. Langa laughed. Divine power was a drug, and his Faith was only at level 1. One day, he would be unstoppable. * Every morning, Langa read through many of the scrolls he''d gotten from Psike¡¯s Grotto. He''d visited the library at Risa¡¯s Plateau and found the translation for the language. Because of the scrolls, there was one artefact he hadn''t sold from Psike¡¯s treasure box: the pair of gauntlets. He could probably sell it for a lot of money, but he was curious about the lost race, so he held on to it. [Hdragucjy¡¯s Berserker Gauntlets Rank: Uncommon A pair of gauntlets especially designed to control the 14th Affinity from consuming the newly Attuned. Effects: Zimu Berserker When Zimu Berserker is used, the effects of the 14th Affinity are amplified and more control is possible. The special stat: Endurance will increase by 15% for 60 seconds. Restrictions: Level 13 and Above. May only be equipped by members of the lost race or those who possess the 14th Affinity. Must have the special stat: Endurance.] The scrolls mostly told the story of Psike subjugating different life-aligned races and integrating their blood with his because the corruption in his body didn''t allow him to heal completely. Whenever he got hurt, he would regenerate, but the sores in his body continued to be corrupted. Langa wasn''t a scholar, but reading about old cultures and history was all he could do to remember his father because he no longer had his father''s books. He''d left them on the 36th Floor, provided that his flat remained standing. The final story was the one he had gotten from the bronze chest at Psike¡¯s Grotto, and it was different. It was a summary of the lives of Psike and his brother, entitled: The Legacy of the Lost Race. "When corruption overwhelmed the world of Akaros, the lost race utilised it. Corruption mutated both the land and all living creatures. The members of the lost race gifted the creatures in their world with the power to live after being consumed by corruption because they had the 14th Affinity. In the process, two trollimp brothers gained sentience because of the lost race. In gratitude, they built altars and shrines for the unknown god of the lost race and worshipped it. Together, the two brothers conquered land and subjugated other creatures. At the peak of their power, they discovered that their corrupted bodies were now susceptible to light magic, and their wounds never healed completely. For the first time in their lives, the two brothers disagreed on which path to take. Psike wanted to take the path of life and assimilate the corruption into himself, while Gargivo wanted to take the path of death and harness the corruption. To settle the matter, the two brothers gathered their armies and went to war against each other. The bitter blood feud fuelled the spread of corruption in their world, and in the end, Gargivo won, exiling his brother. Alone for the first time in his life, Psike sought to build his own kingdom by subjugating life-aligned creatures and stealing their lifeblood to stave off the curse of corruption so he would constantly regenerate and never die. He roamed the cursed land with his followers, using his newfound powers to bend creatures to his will. He built a grotto of darkness, surrounded by corruption and filled with the tortured screams of his victims. Psike crowned himself as king enslaved creatures of life and was feared by all who knew of him. As time passed, the corruption within him grew stronger, twisting him both inside and out, and filling him with a thirst for power and control. He became consumed by his own darkness, ruling his kingdom with a corroded fist and showing no mercy to those who dared to defy him. For years Psike fought to break through the wall preventing him from leveling up higher than level 10. In doing so, he was in danger of succumbing to corruption completely. No one could help the corrupted lord, however, since this was during the subjugation of the lost race during the 12 999 999th Great Divine Corruption War. He gathered as many of the scrolls remaining from the lost race as he could to see if there was still a chance to save himself. But all that remained of the lost race that he found was a bloody dreamcatcher that he could not unlock. He spent years in stasis until his world finally fell to corruption and his small kingdom was integrated into a Tower as a corrupted dimension dungeon." ¡°What the hell is the 14th affinity?" Langa wondered once he finished reading it. The lost race had been mentioned throughout all the scrolls from Psike¡¯s Grotto, and it had piqued his curiosity, so he checked out some books from the library into his comcer and read about them. There wasn''t a lot of information on them and he figured he would need to gain access to a bigger library first. He did learn that they were a race of mortals that were both life-aligned and death-aligned, and it was said that they were not directly created by The Creator. They were an abomination that lived for blood, and they died for blood. They were mostly wiped out during the 12 999 999th Great Divine Corruption War. The dreamcatcher mentioned in the scroll had been inside the treasure chest along with the scroll. It was a small circular object with a net woven on it and from the net, dangled 14 beads, each with a symbol written on it. When he scanned the Dreamcatcher, it only read: [Chausiki Dreamcatcher Description: Sleep, the dreamless sleep, Accept the legacy and the secrets keep. In the dark embrace of the tainted night, We walk with death, in the soft moonlight.] Langa was puzzled because that was different from the normal item descriptions, which stated the rank and effects of the item. There weren''t even question marks, which would mean he wasn''t authorised to view the item. He tried using his Team Player title to scan it, aware that he was pushing his luck as he was pretty sure the title only worked on living beings. When that failed, he infused his mana into the item. To his surprise, the fourteen symbols dangling from the dreamcatcher lit up and a system notification appeared in front of him. [Error! You only fulfil 40% of the requirements! You are not eligible to obtain the Blood Clone Legacy of The Lost Race. ] [Requirements: 10% or higher Death Affinity 25% or higher Darkness Resistance Full/Partial Member of The Lost Race OR Possession of the 14th Affinity The Blessing of a high-tier god of death The Blessing of a high-tier god of life] Disappointingly, he saw that he only fulfilled the darkness resistance requirement and the second had to be the Blessing of a god of life, since his Avatar title was a substitute for a Blessing from Adtonifulmin. Still, he was curious about the lost race and their history, as well as how and why an entire race had been wiped out. * In the following days, Langa was so bored from trying to grind and raise his Lucent Enchanting skill that he perused the Guardians database for any voidents to hunt as an excuse to get away from Aria and the monotone crafting work. He wanted to use his divine skill in actual combat and learn to control it. There was a notice about backup guards needed for a voi-den raid. Langa wondered what exactly that was and checked for information on the Dent. Voi-dens were the term given to voident hideouts. It seemed they combined multiple Void Gems of the same rank from different voidents to create a more powerful and hardly detectable void veil, although it did not change the properties of the pseudo-void territory. That was where the voidents could live undetected and the only place where they could perform the sacrificial rituals needed to create Void Gems. The Guardians were always on the lookout for these places, as they were more likely to find captives being held for the sacrifices and could arrest multiple voidents at once. Langa was interested in checking out the voi-den they had found, but unfortunately, the notice said they just needed guards to wait outside the voi-den in case the voidents escaped or to act as backup if the main raid team was overwhelmed. The voi-den discovered was apparently a small one, so a party of Tier 1 Guardians had been assigned to it. The voidents were Accari Crows, so, of course, Langa signed up as a backup guard. Raiding the Accari Crows¡¯ voi-den was less exciting than Langa expected, mainly because when he met with the Guardians¡¯ raid team, they were very clear that his role was to act as backup, not to come inside the den, but to wait outside and pursue any voidents that escaped. The raid team consisted of only six level 12 to 15 Guardians NPCs. Langa was the only player, even among the other two backup guards. The voi-den was hidden within a void veil in a narrow chine. Once the raiding party disappeared inside, Langa equipped his Avatar title to practice it. He sensed the grass, and the small living beings inside it as well as the water flowing in the distance. It was over an hour into the raid that he felt something; one heavy breath of life was coming fast towards him from inside the void veil. ¡°Incoming!¡± he shouted as he saw six people running out of the void veil. He had only been able to sense one. The other two backup guards were slow to react, but Langa drove Tonare through the heart of the first voident to emerge from the void veil, the lightning-powered strike killing him instantly. The other five ran in different directions, in a group of two and three. ¡°Go after those three, I¡¯ll chase the other two,¡± he instructed the two Guardians, and without waiting for an answer, he chased after the two voidents. In running from him, the voidents trapped themselves inside a level 10 hunting field full of murderous corrupted kudus. The voidents fought bravely, hell, one of them even managed to slash Langa in the arm before being skewered by a kudu''s horns. He was still able to kill both of them but arrested only one because he also had to run away to avoid being overrun by the kudus. That was annoying because it meant the voident wouldn''t wake up in the Guardians'' prison, but would respawn normally wherever his respawn point was. Unfortunately, his fellow backup guards had lost the other three voidents, and Langa resisted the urge to call them incompetent. By the time he went back to the voi-den, the raiding party had already burnt the voi-den to the ground with grieved expressions and anger on their faces, and it made him wonder what they had found in there. The party of Tier 1 Guardians captured seven F-rank voidents and 2 G-rank voidents from the Accari Crows'' voi-den. All of the Accari Crows¡¯ money, weapons, and items found inside the den were confiscated. On top of the promised pay, a share of the confiscated silver was given to Langa as payment. That experience taught him that if he wanted to make 1 gold for the teleportation wheel to the capital, Langa probably needed to raid more dens instead of hunting one voident at a time. To start with, he was planning to go after those runaway voidents before their trail went cold. The tracks led him to a nearby large dense thicket. Since he couldn¡¯t see anything, he closed his eyes trying to sense their breaths, but he came up short since he was still learning to use his title. He activated the Distortion skill on his jacket to make himself invisible and walked straight into the void veil that was hidden within the thicket. Inside the void veil, there was a small campsite with one tent and a fire in the middle, whose shadow stretched over the tent. Suddenly, he felt the sharp sting of pain on his neck, and he Flash Stepped away from it, bleeding. He had just been stabbed! [Critical Hit -101 HP] What the actual fuck?! It hurt like hell. His invisibility wore off, and it reminded him that the skill only made him hard to see, and if he wasn''t quiet, someone with a high perception could detect him. Langa dove to the ground as a dagger whizzed past his head. A female voident with sly eyes emerged from the shadows, and four daggers danced in the air in front of her as she regarded him. If not for his armour, which provided 120 defence, it would have been an instant kill. "You picked the wrong campsite to stumble upon, player," she sneered, drawing another dagger from her belt. Langa tensed, readying his spear as the rogue lunged towards him with surprising speed. She was still slower than him, and he easily sidestepped her attack. Her other daggers flew towards him, each glowing silver, and he took on his spearmanship''s defensive stance and started spinning Tonare to generate enough force and speed to block the daggers. But just as Langa thought he had the upper hand, she muttered an incantation, and his foot suddenly sank, and the ground beneath him gave way, nearly sending him tumbling into a pit filled with sharp spikes. Thankfully, his reflexes were excellent, and he was able to jump away before falling, finding his balance. The rogue laughed triumphantly, expecting to see Langa struggling to free himself from the trap, his clothes torn and bloodied. What she saw instead, were stars as Langa Flash Stepped behind her and drove Tonare into her shoulder. Her poor armour was like butter to the glaive and if he didn''t hold back, she would be dead. Defeated, the rogue fell to her knees, holding her uninjured hand up in surrender. "I''m sorry. Please don''t kill me." ¡°That first strike fucking hurt,¡± he said, pushing Tonare deeper into the voident¡¯s shoulder. She screamed and dropped the Void Pearl in her hand. He couldn''t allow her to awaken it, so he instantly used his Deiform Ring to destroy the Void Gem. "Please let me go!" She said, panting heavily, her wound showing no signs of healing as Langa had not removed Tonare from her body. "Where are your colleagues?" She coughed in pain. "They ditched me. I don''t know where they went!" Was she lying, or was that why Langa could not sense their breaths anymore? There was no way he could know if she was telling the truth or not. For now, he had another pressing question. ¡°Where¡¯s the nearest Accari Crows voi-den? If you tell me, I¡¯ll arrest you quickly, and you''ll get treatment at the holding cell,¡± he said taking out his Deiform Amulet. ¡°Go to the 13th hell,¡± she spat. Blood poured from the wound, and the voident moaned in pain. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s the worst one,¡± he muttered. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to do. Maybe if it works, you will be more inclined to talk." Langa unequipped his Avatar title and equipped his Fledgeling Voident Hunter title. He was a little sorry to this girl that she was his guinea pig to test the title. He looked inward, into everything that made him, him. His soul, his existence, his total karma. That energy was the essence of his being, and he released it as karma pressure. The pressure combined with the fear-inducing effects of his title, made the voident scream, her body shaking in terror, eyes wide and scared. ¡°Heilliege¡¯s George. Please I just¡­¡± she stammered, her voice broken. "Huh?" he said absentmindedly, revelling in this feeling of power in his body. ¡°The voi-den! It''s hidden inside Heilliege''s Gorge!¡± the rogue screamed, trembling. He blinked and pulled back his karma pressure. He hadn''t known that it would be this strong. "Ah, thanks,¡± Langa said and clasped the amulet around her wrist. After a few seconds, she disappeared, leaving behind a bounty tile. He wasn''t sure if her information was credible. He would do his own investigation. He could not trust that he hadn''t been lied to. Heilliege¡¯s Gorge was where Perinda had told him to go if he wanted to join his guild. He was going to scout the area and see if the voident was telling the truth. For now, he had other things to do. He could not tell where the tracks of the other two voidents went, and he also knew that while the voidents were hiding, he would be the perfect bait for them to make money with the bounty that Statia had placed on him. But first, he was going to use his divine skill in actual combat. 46.5. Interlude - Floor 10: Seeds of Anarchy The scales on Savidtria''s body stood up as she quietly swam across the lake, letting herself get lost in the water, her tail propelling her forward. It was the only way she could pretend that she wasn''t afraid. You''d think after being his handler for almost five years, she would be able to stand being in the presence of her charge, but he still terrified her. However, she could only bite her lip and do her job as the guildmaster ordered. Once out of the water, she transformed her tail into legs and stepped onto the small floating island. It was eerily quiet, and all the trees around her turned pitch black, with no leaves, just dead branches. There was no sound of birds and no squirrels running around here, in fact, there seemed to be no life on the whole island. It was unnerving. The sudden emergence of a powerful repulsive bout of karma pushed Savidtria back and her scales stood on end and she desperately wanted to run away. Liberty. She tried to maintain her composure as a curvy, beautiful woman in a bright red bodysuit materialised in front of her out of nowhere. That tight-fitting bodysuit may have left very little to the imagination, but Savidtria knew that it was made from the skin of one of the 19th Floor''s maestril rift bosses, Iylia the Aegh-Splitter. Damnit, she hadn''t known that Liberty would be here today. How had she managed to free herself from the guildmaster''s escorts? Liberty sauntered towards her leisurely, her intense gaze forcing her to look down. "Sssavi," she said, amusement in her voice at the fear in Savidtria''s face. "It''s been a while. Did you miss me, pet?" Goosebumps travelled up the scales on Savidtria''s skin as fear crept in. She could only pray that Liberty did not touch her, she could be very... familiar with people. "Hello, ma''am, I have a message for the deputy guildmaster and I also came to finalise the issue of the token applications," she said neutrally, as the tigersnakekin''s slitted eyes bore into her. "Is that...?" Liberty looked behind Savidtria with a frown, then shrugged, turning back to her. "You''re shaking like a leaf. How boring," she said in disappointment. "I would have thought you''d grow a spine from spending so much time with GM Nocnitsa. Fine, follow me. He''s this way." She raised a finger pointing towards her left, and they both walked in that direction. Savidtria was grateful that fear was a turn-off for Liberty. The air was chilly, and Savidtria shivered as she walked along the hard ground. The further into the forest they went, the more the once bright trees were now twisted and dead, even their leaves had withered and turned brown. The ground was littered with bones and decay, and the air was filled with the scent of death. She could hear the groans and moans of the undead creatures that roamed the forest, their hollow eyes fixed on her as she made her way through the trees behind Liberty. The darkness seemed to close in on her from all sides, but she steeled herself against the terror that threatened to overwhelm her and forced herself to continue forward. This whole island was dead, and she hated what he did to the environment to make it habitable for his creations, but there was no way she would ever voice her opinion. "There''s a special guest here for you, sir," Liberty announced in a singsong voice once they found him. He was sitting on top of a rock, writing something in his Handbook, surrounded by three of his zombies. At least his demilich wasn''t here, that thing always made her skin crawl with how real it seemed, as if it were a living, breathing mortal. The zombies were huddled around the corpse of a large boar maestril, which looked to be a mini-boss at the very least. They screeched as their long, dirty claws ripped out the maestril''s flesh, their disgusting mouths feasting on it. "Make sure your creations don''t eat the karma core," Liberty said, lying down on the dead grass below the rock. She transformed her lower body into that of a tigersnake and coiled around herself, closing her eyes. "I''d hate for my venom to seep into their poor, undead little bodies, accidentally, of course." It took Savidtria a moment to realise that the maestril was still alive as the zombies devoured its flesh, but it was currently unconscious. She gagged, too disgusted to control her emotions. Smelling the flesh of another living being, the zombies all turned to look at her, hunger in their eyes. "Come now, boys, let''s not let the hunger get the better of us, hmm?" a soft, sickeningly sweet voice said, and Savidtria lowered her eyes to show him respect. "And of course, Liberty, I did promise you the karma core. Believe me, I am nothing if not a person of my word." Anarchist''s bright blue eyes turned to look at Savidtria. He wore a pure white robe with red occultic symbols adorning it. He was pristine, with not a single stain on his garb. On his face, a black mask with the symbol of The Hallow Reaper Cult covered his mouth and nose, disappearing into the cowl that covered his head. His two short horns protruded out of the cowl, white against the dark purple skin that marked him as unique, even from others of his race. "Hello, Savidtria. What does Nocnitsa want?" he asked quietly, putting away his Handbook. As always, besides omitting the guildmaster''s title, Anarchist''s tone was nothing but polite, and yet the sound of his voice, the aura surrounding him, and the massive amount of karma he carried that was more than ten times the average of his level, sent shivers down her spine. The fear Liberty incited in her was raw and repulsive, but it paled by margins compared to the fear that stemmed from the deputy guildmaster''s understated but uncompromising aura of dominance. "Good day, sir, the guildmaster wanted me to let you know that there will be a meeting on the 19th Floor in two weeks to decide who will be participating in The Demon Reaper''s war against the Moon of Set. He requests that you bring your...em.. team as well," she said. She tried to put it delicately and not call the seven Insurgents of Anarchy delusional fanatics, as the guildmaster had called them. "Besides Amalgam, of course." "The Insurgents and I are busy. Nocnitsa knows very well that we are in the middle of overturning the 21st Floor. The Demon Reaper will always be at war with The Ter Netjer Pantheon, there is no need to bother us with his petty disputations," Anarchist told her without a shred of emotion in his voice. "Once we are done with what we are doing, which is earning karma for ourselves, the guild, and The Demon Reaper, then we will be free to go to war. Provided, of course, that we will be fighting for something we believe in." Savidtria dreaded that she would have to bring the news to the guildmaster, knowing how angry he would be. She gritted her teeth, she would buy him a Quasilucent Modiaki to cheer him up first. Damn it, there went the Available Karma she had been saving for an elixir. Gods, she was annoyed. Why did the guildmaster and the deputy guildmaster refuse to just exchange mana signatures and communicate directly? How was she supposed to tell Abchanchu Nocnitsa that five of the guild¡¯s strongest players would not be participating in the war? This reminded her of how wounded his pride had been when five out of twelve of the guild''s main raid party, comprised of talented players from tutorial batches 1 and 2, had chosen to follow Anarchist, a prodigy from tutorial batch 3, instead of him. It was most likely because of how much more freedom Anarchist afforded his followers. Although Savidtria would never tell the guildmaster this, clearing Floors with Anarchist had helped her grow in strength far more than when he helped her. If he found out, it would sour the relationship between the two of them more than necessary. All she wanted was for everyone to get along for the sake of the guild, however, that was unlikely to happen. It wasn''t like anyone doubted Anarchist''s strength, the problem was that while Abchanchu Nocnitsa was the guildmaster and ultimate leader of the guild, he and the demonkin were of equal rank in faith, both being Avatars of The Demon Reaper. They served him in drastically different ways, and the god seemed to enjoy fuelling their rivalry as it provided him with karma. Although since Anarchist rejected authority, she was not sure if his method of faith was considered serving the god. She voiced none of her thoughts, only saying, "Yes, sir. I will let him know." "Good. While you''re at it, tell him that instead of giving useless orders, he should focus on clearing the 30th Floor before I reach it and do it for him. How long does he intend to allow Menika Shin to occupy first place?" Anarchist asked. "If Merreddyd and Alfsol overtake him, that will be the ultimate test of my supporters'' faith in him." Savidtria was not passing on that message. From anyone else, it would just be useless boasting, since Anarchist was only just climbing the 21st Floor and it would take years to reach the 30th, however, he was capable of miracles. He was someone who had cleared Floors 1 to 20 in five years, when even The Pioneer took seven years. Granted, it was easier for Anarchist considering that information on how best to clear the Floors was publicly available by the time he cleared them, unlike Hucielbicon, who had been climbing blindly as the pioneer. Anarchist''s achievement was still valid because most players from tutorial batch 2 were still on the First Storey and many of batch 3 were stuck between the 5th and 10th Floors thanks to Anarchist''s actions. It made Savidtria wonder what he was doing while relaxing on the 10th Floor today if overturning the 21st Floor was so important. His presence here was especially daunting considering that he was banned from entering the Ground Storey''s first nine floors. "Certainly, sir," she said hastily. "About the matter of the trials, I still wish you would reconsider. Proceeding with further testing the applicants without having the guild token in hand could be risky to your reputation." She knew she probably shouldn''t speak so freely to him, but this was something she felt strongly about. If Anarchist''s actions caused the Hallow Reaper Cult''s reputation to fall, the guildmaster would look to her for an explanation, not him. "Don''t worry about it, Savidtria. After all, you brought the guild token with you... I hope," he said. Savidtria frowned. "I don''t understand, sir-" "He means that you should work on your observational skills. You''re what, four levels higher than me? And yet this whole time, you didn''t sense me following you," a voice behind her said. Savidtria jumped, releasing her karma pressure just as she tapped into her manacore, ready to cast a spell at the newcomer. "Whoa, easy there, I''m a harmless lover, not a fighter." The demonkin cast away his stealth and emerged in front of her, and only upon recognising him did she relax. "Thank you, my dear, I almost died the other week, so I''m not looking for another near-death experience." "Housci," she said through gritted teeth. Perinda Housci''s eyes raked over her body, and he nodded in satisfaction. She did not like the slimly bastard, but he was important to Anarchist and was probably the only person who knew what he looked like under the mask as well as his true name. He was also his go-to rogue whenever he needed assassinations done, since Anarchist rarely ever got his own hands dirty, especially when it came to doing things that would turn his alignment black. Perinda winked at her as he strolled towards Anarchist. "You''re no fun, fravhn. I was having a blast admiring Savidtria''s backside when you called me out." Now it made sense why Anarchist had come to the 10th Floor since Perinda could not currently go higher than the 11th Floor. The contrast between the two demonkin was stark, not just in appearance and personality, but also in levels and skills. Perinda was strong, talented, and undoubtedly one of the most gifted players from tutorial batch 3. He occupied spots in multiple of batch 3''s leaderboards, and if he were not a voident, he would have been more popular, yet there was over half a Tier difference between him and Anarchist even though they entered the Tower together. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. It didn''t matter who he was being compared to, Anarchist was a real monster. "I''m doing you a favour, you fool, unless you are ready to die. She belongs to Nocnitsa, as you know. Even I couldn''t protect you from him," Anarchist said. "So, did you get it?" The offhand comment made Savidtria stiffen. Oh, she belonged to the guildmaster alright, but he didn''t have to put it that way. That was why Nocnitsa trusted her more than anyone else to handle his greatest internal rival. "You''re right. One look into Nocnitsa''s Eye and I''d be dead," Perinda said with a lazy smile. He looked at the tigersnakekin lying lazily on the ground. "Hey, Liberty, you''re looking good as always. I love the new armour," he added, the grin never leaving his face. Liberty''s eyes twitched open, and she gave Perinda an appraising look as she sat up, transforming again, and leaned against Anarchist''s rock. "Hello, Housci. Your attribute is impressive, I sensed something behind Savi, but it was so faint I thought I imagined it," she said. "Why didn''t you come out and say hello to me?" Perinda snorted, "Are you kidding? You scare the shit out of me, woman." Even as he said this, Savidtria did not miss the greedy way his eyes roamed over Liberty''s body in appreciation. "Hot, but crazy and deadly, that''s for sure." "Fuck you," Liberty said, rolling her eyes. "Anytime, honey," he said with a devious smile. "Make sure to bring those guards Nocnitsa always has following you, now that''ll be a party. You know I''m down for anything but if your venom''s on the table, you might have to tie me up first because, as much as I enjoy the pain, I might lash out and r-" "Perinda!" Anarchist said sternly. His voice was still quiet, but there was a tone of warning in it. "Please do not subject us to your perversions any further. As for you, Liberty, stand down. You know how he is; you shouldn''t let him get under your skin." Savidtria barely saw the flash of a needle as Liberty put it back inside her inventory. She shuddered. Perinda was provoking someone who was a higher Tier than he was, he had no regard for his life. "Now, I asked you a question, fravhn. Did you get the token or not?" Anarchist''s tone made it clear that this was the only time he would repeat himself. "Of course, I got it." Perinda pulled out a coin the size of a fist from his inventory, and Savidtria gasped. "B-rank? How long did it take you to defeat the 10th Floor Boss to get a guild token of that rank?" she asked before she could help herself. Anarchist laughed. It was a hollow, sour laugh that chilled her to the core. "Sweet little Savi, that halfwit is a voident, what makes you think he got this token lawfully?" Liberty said with a snarl. "Hey, I was about to spin some story about how I solo killed a Floor Boss and gained a rare achievement. Who knows, maybe she would have thought I was cool enough for her to leave Nocnitsa for me," Perinda said with a pout. "But yes, you''re as right as you are beautiful, Liberty. The ability to create a pseudo-void territory doesn''t hurt when you''re dealing with a strong team of level 20 players who just slayed the 10th Floor Boss." She should have known, of course, and she, like Liberty, chose to ignore his other comments. This was a serious issue, and she required some clarification. "Even though the trials have been underway for a few days, we''ve put out the public call for applications already. Your illicit activities can''t be tied to The Hallow Reapers," Savidtria said. It was one thing for people to suspect the guild of making underground deals with voidents, but it was something else entirely to prove it. "What do you take me for? I''m a professional assassin, of course, this won''t be connected to either of our guilds. I made sure all the players'' respawns were used up. Their souls can weep to their deities for all I care," Perinda snapped, glaring at her. Gods, he had a terrible temper that just flared from 0 to 100 and back instantly. It was a wonder that he was related to the calm and collected Anarchist. "That''s enough, both of you. Take the token, Savidtria," Anarchist said, and the two of them stopped glaring at each other. True to form, Perinda''s anger dissipated a second later. "Are there any promising candidates among your applicants?" "Not that it''s any of your business, but from the material I have, I''ve shortlisted ten out of the 62 000 who applied," Savidtria said, checking her comcer interface. "Should I send you the updated list, sir?" This was her other reason for coming to see the deputy guildmaster. The last step in the trial process had gone well enough. One candidate, in particular, had made her shudder with his actions and decisions within the Gate, especially considering he was a Tier 1 rookie. "There is no need. I have seen footage of the last trial. You can proceed with the rest of the trials just for formality''s sake, but I''ve already made my choice. If he can make it through the final stage of the trial, Pranav Chandra is the candidate I want you to reward with the token," Anarchist said. "Sir! He''s only Tier 1, he''s been in the Tower for less than a month! I don''t even know how he found out about the applications," Savidtria protested. Maybe he thought that this player would be easier to manipulate since he was new, but she was sure he was wrong. "Pranav Chandra is not a good fit, sir. He is too unpredictable and too headstrong. We won''t be able to control him like Amalgam." "That''s the point. I''m not looking for a puppet or a subordinate, gods know I have enough of those. I want something different this time. I''m looking for someone who can lead a guild independently of us. His results show that he is a good leader. He does not get his hands dirty, and doesn''t tolerate disrespect. As one of our junior guilds, loyalty to The Hallow Reaper Cult will be forced in the contract, he can take it or leave it, but I will not force subservience. For him to grow his guild and become a powerful ally for us in the future, he must owe us, but have his freedom," he told her. Savidtria wanted to disagree because she did not trust humans. However, even the guildmaster reluctantly left the management of some of the subordinate guilds to Anarchist because he had an eye for these things. Still, she said her piece. ¡°There are others who can do that. I think we should keep our options open, and-¡± ¡°Savidtria.¡± Anarchist''s tone was monotone, yet the karma he emitted was prickling. ¡°I believe that Pranav Chandra is the best choice.¡± That was the end of the discussion. Everyone knew, after all, that if Anarchist believed something, that made it true. "Yes, sir," she said, swallowing her complaints. "Pranav Chandra," Liberty said, a thoughtful look in her eye. "Isn''t he the one who sacrificed his partner without hesitation? His callousness made even me uncomfortable. Amalgam even threw up in disgust from all the blood." Perinda raised his eyebrows. "He must be a nasty piece of work if he got even a mutant like you agitated." "What the fuck did you just call me, you cowardly bontelag?" she snapped. Perinda was about to retort when Anarchist spoke over him. "Speaking of Amalgam and his incompetence, I know he hired you to find the key and some skill book, so don''t lie to me, fravhn. Did you find his key?" Anarchist asked him. Perinda grinned. "Nope." Anarchist frowned. "What? Did you leave it with Mbakulini? Or did you take the key for yourself? Because even if it''s you, fravhn, I won''t hesitate to kill you for a transgression that great." The zombies looked up from their meal, hungry eyes fixated on Perinda, even as Anarchist''s aura remained unchanged, calm as always. It unnerved Savidtria how he could threaten even his own blood like this, without changing his demeanour one bit. "I would be hurt if I thought you trusted me, but I swear, I did not take it," Perinda said, sounding honest. "Amalgam lost the key a few weeks ago when he went to the 1st Floor and the person who had it was arrested by the Guardians a couple of weeks ago. You and I both know there is no way they would have passed up the opportunity to take the key and either purify it or give it to someone they trust for safekeeping." The zombies'' hunger dissipated, and they returned to their meal. Savidtria heaved a sigh of relief. Liberty looked disappointed. "Who stole the key?" Anarchist asked. "There is no way some Tier 1 NPC was able to rob Amalgam. He may be incompetent, but he''s not weak. There is a reason why I made him the guildmaster of the Accari Crows." "Even if I knew, which I don''t, integrity is key in my line of work," Perinda said with a shrug, casually patting one of the docile zombies on the head. "Why do you do this when you know I can always tell? Why do you not even pretend to believe your own lies?" Anarchist asked softly. ¡°I don''t believe in anything, fravhn,¡± Perinda said. "You know this." He remained casual, but his smile was thin. ¡°We both know that''s not true,¡± Anarchist said calmly. "Stop lying to me. You know how much Liberty loves her poisons and hates you. I could have her melt your brain and put you back together to find out what else you''re keeping from me." As if eager for the opportunity, Liberty looked hungrily at Perinda and licked her lips. "Don''t you ever get tired of making the same threats, fravhn? We both know there is nothing in my brain," Perinda said, laughing at his own joke, but Savidtria was sure that Anarchist wasn''t just making a threat. "You''re right, I am lying, but I''m still not going to tell you. You should have just given the key to me instead of Amalgam," he grumbled. Anarchist regarded him coolly. "If you wanted it, then you should have joined our guild." "The Hallow Reapers are a respectable neutral guild. They don''t accept voidents into their ranks, remember?" Perinda said it sarcastically, but Savidtria knew that it was a sore spot for him. "Then you should have learned how to keep your hands clean," Anarchist said stoically. Perinda snorted. "Then who would do your dirty work, fravhn?" "I pay you handsomely for your services. Anyway, on the subject of things happening on the 1st Floor, that player who has been taking out the Accari Crows, has he joined the Guardians yet?" Anarchist asked Savidtria, but Perinda raised his eyebrows in interest. "You mean the one they call Blitzhunter? No, he''s still not joined any guild. The guildmaster was planning to send Octavius to recruit him or permakill him if he refuses to join," she said. "Discreetly, of course." "Don''t," Perinda said sharply, and all three of them turned to look at him. "I''ve had the pleasure of meeting that player. Langa Zulu is... an interesting guy, and I like him. When I met him, I threatened him, but he wasn''t scared of me in the least. I might be making an assumption here, but when I karma pressured him a little, he injured himself." Savidtria did not understand what was so special about that, but Anarchist stood up from his rock sharply, his white robe flowing in the wind, nearly displacing Liberty. She didn''t seem to mind as she levelled Perinda with a sharp gaze. "You think he''s one of us?" Liberty asked. "No," Perinda said hastily. "Sorry. I checked, but he''s not, so don''t get your hopes up." Anarchist released a breath and watched the assassin intensely, "But you believe he has also been touched?" "It''s just an assumption, but yeah, I think he''s branded. I could be wrong, though. I still think you should send Liberty to recruit him instead of Octavius. He''s the type who wants a person of significance in the guild to recruit him. I don''t think he''ll want to join The Hallow Reapers but if he does, you should have him on your side instead of Nocnitsa''s," Perinda said with a nod. "Besides, I think he and Liberty will get along great." Savidtria hated that they didn''t even try to conceal their intentions from her. Anarchist wasn''t supposed to recruit players for his side without the guildmaster''s permission. If she told the guildmaster about this, he would want her to spend even more time with Anarchist to watch him and report his movements. That wouldn''t do, she did not like to stay in his presence longer than necessary. Therefore, she pretended not to hear their plans. "Why would I get along great with a Tier 1 player?" Liberty asked sceptically. Her earlier excitement was gone now. "Because he will not be afraid of you," Perinda whispered. That statement seemed to strike Liberty. One moment she was leaning against the rock, and the next she was behind Perinda, her sharp needle pressed against his neck. "Don''t play with me, Housci. Besides my kind, everyone is afraid of me...even the Branded," she said with a slight crack to her voice. Savidtria didn''t know about Perinda, but she was terrified of the karma flowing in dangerous waves from the tigersnakekin. She made the mistake of catching Liberty''s eyes, and her whole body froze up, going rigid like stone, and she couldn''t move a muscle. "See how Savi is easy prey for me? I can also feel your fear, Housci, so don''t you dare lie to me," Liberty whispered. She blew a short breath onto Perinda¡¯s neck and the demonkin¡¯s skin greyed as his whole body recoiled. "He will not be afraid of you, Liberty," Perinda repeated. She hitched a breath as if she was desperate to believe him. ¡°I promise, you''ll like him.¡± If he was afraid, he was powering through it as he opened his comcer interface and showed Liberty a video of the player they were talking about. "At least he''s cute. You better be right, Housci," she said, licking her lips. "I might be mildly interested." "If that human is branded, I wonder which of The Quartenity is watching his progress," Anarchist spoke as if Perinda didn''t just nearly get killed and then paused, reading a prompt. "Oh, The Dark Void seems interested in him too. Very well, Liberty, you can go and recruit him for me. Try not to scare him off, okay?" "Of course, sir. I''m always on my best behaviour." Liberty smiled, stepping away from the demonkin. "If he says no, can I kill him?" If this was her best behaviour, Savidtria wanted no part of her worst, as the fear evaporated and she could move again. ¡°Use your discretion, dear. I trust your judgement. Branded, huh?¡± Anarchist murmured, a flash of interest in his eye. ¡°I wonder what he believes in.¡± ¡°Would you like me to find out for you?¡± Liberty asked. ¡°No, it''s best not to test people¡¯s faith without just cause,¡± he said. "A man''s convictions are what keep him alive, and faith is the lifeblood of every player." This was Savidtria¡¯s cue to leave. When Anarchist got philosophical and started his lectures on faith and authority, he could go on for hours. "Besides finishing up the trials for the applicants, is there anything else you''d like me to do, Sir?" she asked, not wanting to be in the presence of these three monsters any longer. "That will be all, you may go," Anarchist dismissed her, and she bowed, stepping away. "Fravhn, there is something I would like to discuss with you." She couldn''t wait to return to the water. Before she could escape, however, an arm snaked around her shoulders. "Let''s go together, Savi. If I''m going in my capacity as an administrator, I need an impressive entourage from GM Nocnitsa, right?" Liberty said. Savidtria shuddered. Fear was inevitable with a living, breathing poison so close to her. She grimaced at the sheer proximity of Liberty unbalancing her. She knew that a single touch, a single breath from the tigersnakekin could destroy her, leave her helpless and stripped of both freedom and life so she stood still, knowing that Liberty could feel her every emotion. Liberty ignored her fear and smiled. "I hope meeting him will be fun." Savidtria could only feel sorry for the poor soul targeted by this insane woman. 47: Floor 1: What must be done (3) When Langa woke up the following day, he debated for a while whether to sell Psike''s healing sac or use it, but in the end, he decided that there was a reason why Adtonifulmin had given it back to him. He figured he should use it before he went hunting to improve his chances against the voidents. He sat in a lotus position in his room and put the sac inside his mouth. It tasted like a really dry lemon. It was acidic on his tongue, but as soon as he swallowed it, he felt the acid seeping into him. It was refreshing as the heat spread throughout his body. [You have swallowed a product rich in life energy and touched by a god of life. +1 VIT] [Your skill, Regeneration (F) has increased to Beginner Level 3] That was a great improvement for a new skill. Because Regeneration was an F-rank skill, it seemed to improve in rank faster than his other higher-ranked skills. So far, this was the first consumable that permanently increased any of his stats. It probably only worked that way because of what Adtonifulmin had done, though. "Thank you, Lord Adtonifulmin," Langa said with a smile. It was time to begin the day''s hunt in earnest now that he was feeling a little more confident. He was finally going to do what had to be done, even though he was dreading it. His mother was dead, so he had to find a way to bury her somehow. If what Adtonifulmin said was true, then the only place that he could think of for her soul was to commit it to her ancestors. He didn''t know why he was doing this to himself given that her belief in the spiritual was one of the reasons why she refused to raise a cursed child. He figured it was better to get it over with as he also needed to do a cleansing ritual to cleanse himself from the spiritual energy, umnyama, of losing a mother. "Eish!" Langa groaned. Where the hell was he supposed to find a goat for the cleansing ritual in this world? No matter how hard he had searched in the past few days, he couldn¡¯t find a place that sold the live goats that he needed for his ritual, or a spiritual place suitable for him to bid his mother farewell. In desperation, he even prayed to Adtonifulmin for guidance on this matter. To optimise his time, he did some research on the map of Risa Province, looking for places that were both spiritually rich and had nearby bodies of water close to the area where the escaped Accari Crows had been last spotted. The voidents couldn''t have gone far because the Guardians were patrolling this area heavily, and there were no teleportation wheels nearby. With fresh tracks from the campsite where he''d killed the rogue voident, he was able to track where the remaining two voidents had run off to, but the scent of life grew cold as he came to an interesting field. Surprisingly, he found a large yellow zone close to Retessa Range with a pond that people claimed had spirits running around at night, and corrupted goat monsters grazed nearby. Had Adtonifulmin answered his prayer and led him here or was it a coincidence? He put his hands together and closed his eyes. "Thank you for leading me here, Lord Adtonifulmin," he said. He had to believe that this was his god''s doing. Wasn''t that what faith was all about? Even though there was no message from his master, he felt warmth bubbling up into him from the divine nexus, the connection the two of them shared. He mapped out the area with the corrupted goat monsters, as it was close to where the voidents¡¯ breath of life disappeared. The more he followed their tracks, the thinner their breath became. They must have been hiding in the yellow zone because there were no neutral or red settlements in this area that had teleportation wheels. Langa figured that if he went to hunt the corrupted goats, the voidents would try to ambush him and he could take them out. The problem was that the corrupted level 9 goats travelled as a pack led by a level 10 corrupted goat boss monster. He could take them all out with time of course, but that would leave him vulnerable to an attack from the voidents. To take them all down at once, he would need to use either Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike or his Lightning Lance. His best option was to find someone to kill the goats for him while he dealt with the voidents. Just when he thought he had a way forward, he noticed a path off the mountain that was brimming with life. He walked towards the mana-filled ravine cautiously, wondering if there were monsters there. To his surprise, however, he received a surprising notification when he reached it. [Congratulations, you have found the dungeon Nitract''s Ravine.] Wow, he hadn''t expected to find a dungeon while searching for voidents. Was this also Adtonifulmin''s providence? He wondered if he should check it out now or if that would be him postponing what he needed to do. Would pushing back dealing with his mother''s death be him avoiding confronting his past again? But what kind of player would he be if he ignored a dungeon right in front of him? [The Diverse Vodun Pantheon god: X¨ºbioso; Vodun of Thunder and Speed, wonders if you would be willing to test your speed for him, perhaps you may receive his favour once again.] That was a strange thing to say since the Vodun hadn''t communicated much with Langa since he''d turned down his Sponsorship Challenge. Since he was an African god, Langa wanted him to remain on his side so he could give him some divine skills later. "Is there something special about this dungeon? Do you want me to complete it?" he asked, but the Vodun did not respond. Ugh, gods could be so fickle. Langa found a secluded rock and sat down, searching the Dent for any information about this dungeon. If it was something he could clear in a day, then he would do it. * Nitract¡¯s Ravine was located inside a small narrow steep-sided valley. If he had accepted Xebioso''s Sponsorship Challenge, then this was where his trial would have been held. Unlike Adtonifulmin, Xebioso was also a god of speed, so Langa wondered if he would have passed it. Doing the dungeon without a quest would not yield as much as it would had he been given a quest. Still, he was sure this would get his blood pumping and perhaps earn him something he could sell. He''d been interested in clearing it once he found out that it was a timed dungeon. The time limit to clear it was an hour. When Langa stood in front of the dungeon he saw a wooden door in front of him and on it was the name of the dungeon as well as a list of the top three completion times. [Nitract''s Ravine: Fastest completion times
  1. Farina D. Philanez Gouas- 22 minutes (Level 12) - A-Rank
  2. Perinda Housci - 23 minutes 11 seconds - (Level 11) - S-Rank
  3. ??? (The Artmaker) -23 minutes 15 seconds. - (level 12 - A-Rank]
He frowned when he saw a detestable name on the list. It made sense, though, Perinda had moved very fast when Langa encountered him. Even if he didn¡¯t break the record, Langa wanted to knock Perinda out of second place. With a confident smirk on his face, he tightened his grip on his spear and prepared himself to enter the dungeon. The dungeon information read as follows:
Nitract¡¯s Ravine Unclaimable
Dungeon Level: 10
Dungeon Rank: Trial
Dungeon Type: Timed
Dungeon Restrictions: Dungeon Areas are restricted to only players who have never completed this dungeon before
Party Members: Min 1, Max 1
Party Member Levels: Min 10, Max 12
Remaining Full Delves: Infinite
Available Boss Respawns: N/A
Once he opened the door, he received a prompt. [Welcome to Nitract¡¯s Ravine. Before you enter, a system contract must be signed. No filming is allowed inside the dungeon. The details of this trial may not be discussed in the presence of anyone who has not taken part in the trial. You have 60 minutes to complete all 5 Trials without dying. Accept Conditions: Y/N?] ¡°Yes, I accept,¡± Langa said impatiently. He was itching to complete this dungeon as it was going to be his first time attack dungeon. There was a timer at the edge of Langa¡¯s vision, counting down from 60 minutes. If there were five trials, he wanted to break the record, and that meant he was aiming for 20 minutes. He would have four minutes to complete each Trial. A notification appeared in front of him as he opened the door to start the first trial. [Welcome to Nitract¡¯s First Trial (?). Trial 1: Lurking Shadows. Rules: No Active Skills may be used. Goal: Reach the end of the path without dying] A dark path waited for him beyond the door and the first thing he saw was the thick black fog obscuring his view. The end of the path was not hard to miss, it was the only light in this place, marked by a red glowing sign that read: FINISH LINE. He knew that he was not alone because he could hear shrieks and agonised voices from the shadows moving within the black fog. Long black nails caught him in the arms, nearly tearing his armour, but before another shadow creature could sink its teeth into his shoulder, Langa darted away. This had to be the creepiest challenge he had ever faced. The silhouettes of tall, shadowy and stealthy wolves with long tails and sharp claws stalked him from the darkness. There were many of them, so he equipped his Avatar title so he could sense them coming. He began to fight back with Tonare, and sensing their presence was honestly not too hard as they howled every time he struck them. The problem was that Tonare just went through the creatures without causing damage unless he infused his mana into the glaive. The shadow wolves started howling and clinging to him, their sharp teeth on his skin as they crawled over him like bugs. Langa shuddered, trying to throw them off, but more and more of them joined the others, slowly sucking away his health and preventing him from moving. He tried to Flash Step away, but the skill refused to activate. Right, no active skills could be used in this trial. He decided to literally shake them off and used his high agility to spin in one place over and over again at an alarmingly fast speed, and the shadow wolves couldn''t hold on to him. Even when he consciously stopped spinning, his body spun out of control until the momentum was gone. Oh man, he was dizzy as fuck as he started running towards the finish line again. Three wolves stood on two feet in front of him as he neared the halfway point, blades in their hands. Langa had no idea how they were able to swing them, they were wolves for fuck''s sake. His quick reflexes allowed him to fend off two of the creatures with Tonare as he blocked their razor-sharp blades. The third moved swiftly and stabbed him in the back while Langa was dealing with the other two. Shit, an unnatural pain erupted in there, and before he could move, he felt the shadow wolf''s mouth on him sucking away the blood that flowed from his back. "Fuck you!" Langa pivoted on his right leg, using his Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird skill to bring the lightning-infused blade of the glave right into the wolf''s neck. He started to run once again, but dozens of blade-wielding shadow wolves stood in his path. But Langa was not one to back down from a challenge. He did not want to use up his attribute on the first trial as he wasn''t sure if he would be able to use it again. Fuck. If he wanted to escape, he had no choice but to use his jacket¡¯s Distortion Skill. While invisible, he took out the lightning manacore on which the magic circle for Lightning Lance was inscribed. He then infused the mana into the magic circle slowly and carefully. His Casting Speed was terrible, and it took him almost twenty seconds just to cast the spell, but it was worth it. He felt his mana leave him and converge in the air to form a large spear, almost five metres long. With time he knew he could control the length. Since this was the first time he¡¯d used it in a real battle, the lightning lance looked unstable and he held on to his faith desperately to try and control it. The lance released a discharge of electricity, heating the air around Langa and creating a shock wave as lightning struck the shadows and obliterated the entire landscape. With nothing standing in his way, Langa tried to run towards the finish line but he felt dizzy and nauseous as he staggered to the ground. Shit, he was entering mana exhaustion, and he hastily drank a mana potion. Since it was a regular potion, not a lightning mana potion, he only received half the mana it contained. He had to convert 50 Stamina to 5 Mana, an incredible waste, but at least he no longer felt like he was about to faint. He could not use his health as he had lost a lot of it from the fucking shadows sucking the life out of him. With his mana slightly replenished, he finally made his way to the finish line. The glowing red sign was attached to a long wooden door and when Langa touched it, he received a notification. [Congratulations! You have passed Nitract¡¯s First Trial Time remaining: 55 minutes: 38 seconds . Open the door to begin the second trial.] It had taken him 4 minutes and 22 seconds to complete the first trial. Shit, he was already running behind his goal. He hastily opened the door to the second trial. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. [Welcome to Nitract¡¯s Second Trial (2/5).] [Trial 2: Bridge of Light Rules: No Divine Skills may be used. Nothing may be consumed. Goal: Reach the end of the path without dying] In the empty darkness stood a long bridge made of light, Langa eyed the seemingly sturdy structure with caution. He could see a red glowing sign that read: FINISH LINE in the distance, and to reach it, he had to cross the bridge. There were many paths on the bridge, each separated by hedges with white leaves and branches and all of them seemed to lead to the finish line. Langa tried to sense any life around him, any monsters, but there was nothing. This was either the easiest or the trickiest trial, so he decided to take the straight path, running straight towards the glowing sign. He should have made it in less than 30 seconds, but even after a minute, he was still running, the destination distance not changing. Frowning, he looked back, to see how much distance he had travelled, only to find that he was back at the beginning of the path. That was weird, so for his second try, he chose the left path, and it wound around, turning into a maze and for over a minute he kept going in circles until he found himself back at the beginning. While on the third path, his attention was drawn by what sounded like the crying of a child and he quickly ran towards the sound. A reed cradle sat on the ground, a human baby lying inside it, crying. Why would there be a baby in a dungeon, he wondered worriedly as he bent down to pick it up. But his hand only touched the air, and there was no cradle or baby, instead, when he looked up, he was back at the beginning of the path. ¡°Fuck!¡± Langa cursed, realising what was going on. Shit. He realised that illusions masked the true path, and one wrong step could spell disaster for him. This was a problem because of how low Langa¡¯s mental resistance was, he couldn''t tell the difference between what was real and what wasn''t, which would slow him down. He wasn''t going to make it in time if he wasted time on a trial he had no hope of passing. He had to think of a way to bypass this trial completely. He took a deep breath; he could see the finish line from here, so he would create his own path. If he activated his attribute and set the finish line as his destination, his velocity would make a path for him, untouched by illusion. Langa closed his eyes and started jumping up and down in place in order to increase his heartbeat. The faster his heart beat, the slower his perception of time would be, and the faster he would be able to move. He jogged in one place, wasting his stamina until he felt that his heart was beating faster than normal. It wasn''t drastically fast, so the time would not be slowed all that much, but he activated his attribute and chose the finish line as his direction. 50% of his total stamina was consumed, and his velocity propelled him forward in a straight line. Finally, he reached the finish line, crashing straight through the bright sign. However, when he knelt on the ground in exhaustion, his stamina was nearly depleted, something heavy crashed into him and he fell completely into the ground. [Congratulations! You have passed Nitract¡¯s Second Trial Time remaining: 53 minutes, 02 seconds . The third trial has begun.] [Welcome to Nitract¡¯s Third Trial (3/5).] [Trial 3: Rules: No Divine Skills or Weapons/Items may be used Nothing may be consumed. Goal: Reach the end of the path without dying] What the fuck? He barely had a moment to process this as a massive, heavy foot headed straight for his face and he rolled away as the impact hit the hard ground with a force that vibrated through his body. He quickly stood up and readied Tonare. His stamina was just above 7%, and if he let it drop any further, he would go under the stamina debuff. He looked up to see what had attacked him and to his horror, it was a bull monster with spiral horns and black fanged teeth. It was a vorwig and there was a whole herd of them stomping hungrily towards him, blocking the way to the finish line. Before the vorwigs could reach him, Langa dashed past them without engaging, leaving them dazed. Fire jutted out from the monsters¡¯ mouths and it was all Langa could do to dodge and sidestep forward. It didn''t help that there were large rocks littering the land and he had to move through them too. He ran in zig-zag between the monsters, and it was good for practising his acceleration and deceleration. The more he alternated between running fast and stopping suddenly, the better he became at stopping without skidding forward. The vorwigs were big and strong, but could barely touch him with his speed. He saw the end of the line as the land sloped downwards. As he ran down the slope, the vorwings started sending the massive boulders hurtling towards him downhill. He could have gone around them, but that would slow his time, so he jumped over them. One by one, he ran, jumping over a boulder in front of him. Langa''s agility was put to the test as he moved between the boulders. It felt like he was running the hurdles, just with deadly beasts chasing him without a weapon. The finish line this time glowed red below, so he had to get down there. ¡°Leap of faith,¡± he muttered as he sprinted towards the edge of the cliff, his muscles tense. When he reached the edge, Langa pushed off with all his might, reached the end of the lane, and jumped down into the chasm below. He landed on top of the door with the glowing FINISH LINE sign and his landing was surprisingly not painful. [Congratulations! You have passed Nitract¡¯s Third Trial Time remaining: 49 minutes, 11 seconds . The fourth trial will begin when you open the door.] Langa was close to breaking the record, so he didn''t allow himself time to catch his breath or rest. He opened the door to the next trial. [Welcome to Nitract¡¯s Fourth Trial (4/5).] [Trial 4: Trial by the Arcane Rules: No Active or Divine Skills may be used. Goal: Reach the end of the path without dying] He stepped into what looked like an underground lake frozen in ice. Stone walls surrounded him on all sides, with multiple magic circles inscribed on them. Langa¡¯s breath hitched. The only light he could see was a door written in glowing red letters about 500 metres away, [FINISH LINE]. It was so dark that he was beginning to feel trapped inside these walls and before the claustrophobia could hit him, he stepped onto the thin ice. As soon as he took that step, the magic circles began to glow and shoot something towards him. But Langa had already ducked, continuing his run. He needed to reach the end as soon as possible before he began to feel suffocated. The bolts he had dodged landed on the ice, causing it to explode, and water came rushing up to the surface. ¡°Shit!¡± Langa cursed. Now he was running even more out of time as, if the ice broke, he would fall into the freezing lake and die since he could not swim. This time when the ten magic bolts shot towards him, he was quick on his feet, dodging the bolts and using Tonare to block a few of them, sending them back towards the wall of rock, but some still sank into the ice, the water coming up nearly unbalancing him as he once more ran as fast as he could, one of the bolts struck his arm, and pain exploded inside the muscle as the bolt tore his skin open with no regard for his armour. He would have screamed if he didn¡¯t have to use the other hand to block more bolts as he continued running. With each step, he tried to be faster than the released bolts, but it seemed as if more were released whenever he took a step. Panting, he came to a standstill as what looked like thirty bolts raced through the air towards him, his heart pumping furiously, he gripped Tonare only slightly wincing as he lifted his injured but slowly regenerating arm. He took the defensive stance of Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird¡¯s Spearmanship and spun the glaive with both hands as the Legacy had taught him. Thanks to the skill¡¯s Intermediate rank, the gust of wind he generated with how fast he was spinning the glaive knocked more than twenty of the bolts off course, but unfortunately, two bolts struck him, one on the leg and two on the abdomen. He lost his balance and fell into the lake. The wash of cold water nearly made him freeze, but he let go of Tonare, leaving it on the surface and held onto the the barely stable block of ice closest to him. Frostbite clawed at his fingers, and he forced himself up, kicking his numb legs in the water to remain stable as he slowly pushed his upper body onto the slippery ice, he could not do it quickly for fear that his weight would break the ice. Shaking like a leaf, he finally managed to pull himself up. He quickly moved up to a more stable patch of ice, hoping to catch his breath, but of course, the bolts started again. His speed was powered by his agility, and he was much slower now that the cold was in his bones. As more bolts rained down on him, Langa remained composed, deflecting them with his spearmanship skill. All the magic circles lit up and, Langa leapt forward like a fucking cheetah, dodging and deflecting the bolts. Once he was within 50 metres of the end, Langa damned it all to hell and with one more burst of speed, he sped towards the finish line, the ice cracking behind him. [Congratulations! You have passed Nitract¡¯s Fourth Trial Time remaining: 41minutes: 46 seconds . Open the door to begin the final trial.] ¡°I fucking hate the cold! I have never seen snow in my fucking life!¡± he screamed in anger, still shaking. Did ice resistance fall under water resistance, fire resistance or physical body resistance? With how little he seemed to be safe, he was inclined to believe it was water resistance because his whole body was trembling as he sat down, trying to let himself dry. He had already spent 18 minutes before he got here. He doubted that he was going to make it in time to beat Perinda¡¯s 23 minutes once he opened the door to the final challenge. [Welcome to Nitract¡¯s Final Trial (5/5).] [Final Trial: Rules: No passive, active or divine skills may be used in this Challenge. No attribute may be used. This Challenge is a test of the player¡¯s balance and reflexes. Goal: Reach the second mountain alive.] He was in a new land again. Two large mountains were in front of him, separated by a distance of roughly 250 metres. It was a distance he could walk in less than three minutes or run in less than 20 seconds normally. Now, however, there was one tiny problem. The only thing connecting the two mountains was a thin tightrope. The narrow strip of rope was plagued by a storm. The wind was violent and deadly as it filled the air. Rain poured down from the sky above, shaking the trees all over the two mountains. Langa looked down below, he could see very little in the thick white mist, but he could hear the howls of beasts, the hissing of predators and the pained screams of death. He did not activate his Avatar title because, even without it, he could feel the dangerous life below. He stood at the edge of the platform, and the tightrope swayed gently in the violent breeze. He took a deep breath and stepped onto the thin wire, feeling the familiar thrill of adrenaline coursing through his veins. As he began to walk, the rope swayed more violently than he had anticipated, causing him to wobble unsteadily. His agility kept him somewhat stable, but it was hard to move with the wind and rain fighting against his entire body. He was not going to make it on time. Should he go down and run on solid ground instead? But he tossed out that idea the moment he looked down, where the mist was thinner. Slitted eyes looked up at him, and he saw numerous large snakes that would give an anaconda an inferiority complex watching him. With each step, he could feel the eyes of the snakes boring into him, their hunger palpable even from such a distance. Langa''s heart raced in his chest as he focused all his concentration on maintaining his balance. His hands shook as his heartbeat intensified. He was terrified, but he was also excited. His blood in his throat, the wind in his hair, and his whole body trembling, he pushed one foot in front of the other. One wrong step, and he would die. Fuck, it was so thrilling. He knew he should walk slowly and carefully but the adrenaline in his body was taking over. ¡®150 metres.¡¯ This was the stimulation he''d been craving. He latched on to it and quickened his pace. The deities watching him thought he was insane, but Langa could feel more acutely than ever, Adtonifulmin¡¯s excitement as he watched him eagerly putting his life on the line, almost as if he were doing it himself. ¡®100 metres.¡¯ More stimulation, Langa wanted more, so he broke into a run, fighting against the wind. One foot almost slipped and the lightning in Langa¡¯s nerves shook him and he grinned, balancing himself as much as possible as he ran the tightrope like it was a track field. Time seemed to slow down as he inched his way along the tightrope, the snakes below now hissing and lunging towards him. With each passing second, the rope seemed to grow thinner and more fragile, threatening to snap at any moment. Langa''s reflexes kicked into high gear as he quickened his pace, his muscles straining with the effort. ¡®50 metres.¡¯ But just as he neared the end, the force of his speed was too much for the thin wire. He watched the countdown go down second by second, and Langa could feel the rope beginning to give way beneath him. He pushed himself to move even faster, his heart pounding in his ears. And then, with a loud snap, the tightrope broke, nearly sending Langa hurtling towards the ground below. To prevent this, he moved his lightning mana down to his feet, shocking them into moving, and he jumped. He leapt as high as he could into the air, knowing he was crazy for hoping to cover the 20 to 30 metres in one stride, his heart pounding in his throat. He soared through the air like a bolt of lightning. Time seemed to slow as he extended his spear, the tip grazing the edge of the platform. He landed gracefully on solid ground with a twist, the adrenaline of the leap still coursing through his veins. He''d landed on the thorny grass of the mountain, the thorns cutting into his skin, boots skidding as they touched the ground. He couldn''t believe he fucking made it. He laughed. It was a hysterical, insane laugh that took the air out of his lungs. He felt Adtonifulmin laughing as well, there was no message but Langa could feel that his patron deity had been watching him with worry, and he thought Langa¡¯s final move was just as funny as he did, so he continued laughing as he lay on the ground. Langa couldn''t help but grin as he realised he had somehow stupidly overcome the challenge and the excitement of the experience still surged through him, leaving him feeling more alive than ever before. That had been fucking awesome. Were there more dungeons like this? Damn, if he could spend the rest of his life just racing through such dungeons, he would be happy. Looking around, he found himself in a brightly lit room with nothing but a stand in the middle of it, where sat the dungeon clavis and a bronze chest. He walked towards it and touched the golden key. He wasn''t sure how to clear a dungeon like this one since it wasn''t a corrupted dimension, but in the end, it didn''t matter because notifications filled his vision. [CONGRATULATIONS! You have cleared the dungeon: Nitract''s Ravine within the time limit. +1000 EXP You cleared the dungeon in 20 minutes and 02 seconds! Clear Rank: S +332.5 Karma] [Uncommon Achievement! You have broken the record set by: Farina D. Philanez Gouas +1 Skill Point] [For your Uncommon Achievement, a system announcement will be broadcast to all the mortals on the 1st Floor as well as those alongside whom you hold the record. Would you like to change your announced name to a pseudonym or a title?] "Use my name," Langa said clearly. He wanted Perinda to know that he had personally knocked him down to third place. After the announcement, Langa received a notification stating that his Renown had increased by 2%. [Thanks to your Uncommon Achievement, you have brought glory to the Name of your patron deity. +5% Faith] [The Diverse Vodun Pantheon god: X¨ºbioso; Vodun of Thunder and Speed, is impressed by your performance and offers you a gift.] A small chest materialised next to the bronze one, and this one was not locked. Langa walked towards it and sheathed Tonare to free his hands. Then he opened it. Inside the chest were two items, a pair of gloves and beautiful brown spotted leather boots. He took out the items and scanned them. [Bruhoarn Cheetahskin Boots and Glove Set Set Rank: Rare Gloves: Effects: Gloves with good mana absorption. +5% improvement to mana transference (mana infusion and mana absorption) Boots: Effects: Skill: Jumper The user can leap Agility/3 metres into the air without taking fall damage. Upon landing, the user gains a brief moment of increased agility, allowing for seamless transitions into combat or exploration. Set Effect:+1 Mind, +2 Agility Restrictions: Level 10+ and Agility 50+] ¡°Sweet! Thank you Vodun,¡± Langa said with a grin. He had been meaning to buy new boots. He quickly equipped the set. The gloves were quite comfortable, and they surprisingly melted into his skin as if they weren''t there at all. The boots were a nice shade of brown that complemented his jumpsuit so that was good too. He then picked up the locked chest and placed it inside his Feathervault Bag. He wished he was carrying the opus key and could open it now, but he didn¡¯t like carrying it around as it was too dangerous. He would have to open it once he got back to his room. Now that he had cleared the dungeon, Langa was teleported out and found himself back at the entrance. His name was now in first place. He hoped Perinda was pissed off. * It was dark when Langa finally got back to the Valley of Guardians. He went straight into his room, excited to open the chest and check the reward from the dungeon. Surely, it wasn''t just experience and the boots, right? It was a shame that he had not done the dungeon as a Challenge from the Vodun, but at least he gave him the boots and gloves. He sat on the bed and retrieved the opus key, using it to open the chest. The chest contained only one item. A single page from a book. The book was written in neat, beautiful red symbols that filled the entire page. It was in a language that Langa could not read. [Nitract''s Gift (Page 5) Item Rank: Uncommon Description: This is a quest item, a page from the Legendary Artefact Nitract''s Book of Reflexes. It contains a clue to the location of the closest page. Effects: After reading the page, Casting Speed +5%] Before Langa could express his surprise, he received a quest.
NITRACT''S BOOK OF REFLEXES QUEST #1
Before his Ascension, Nitract placed a spell on the precious artefact he created but no longer had use for. He wanted it to be obtained by someone worthy of his power, thus he tore the book into fifteen pages. Since the first page was found in the 1773rd Deiwos Tower, all the pages from Nitract''s Book of Reflexes will be drawn to this Tower and appear in different types of dungeons.
Quest Rank: Legendary
Quest Objectives:
-Collect the fifteen pages of Nitract''s Book of Reflexes -Bind the pages together and form the completed version of Nitract''s Book of Reflexes
Time Limit:
Before the other owners of the pages compile the book.
Quest Limitations:
Only available to the first five players who: - Have obtained a Clear Rank of A or above in any of Nitract''s Challenge Dungeons - Have Agility / Mind of 50 or above before level 12 -Possess at least one special stat related to Agility - Have received the favour of a deity of speed
Progression: 1/15 Pages in possession of other players: 7/15 Unclaimed Pages present in unlocked Floors of the 1773rd Dewios Tower: 4/15 Total Pages currently unavailable: 3/15
Cautions:
You are not the only player taking this quest
Quest Rewards:
Divine Skill
Failure Penalty:
-Lose all the pages obtained from Nitract''s Book of Reflexes
"Awesome," Langa said with a grin, wondering when he would have time to complete this quest. Now, he needed to get some rest so that he would be in good shape to hunt the runaway voidents and complete the cleansing ritual the following day. 48. Floor 1: What must be done (4) The day after his time in the dungeon, Langa persevered in his enchanting training because he wanted to use his Lucent Enchanting skill to make bombs, and he also wanted to enchant Makoto¡¯s mana stone and make it something useful that would give him strength like the boy had wanted. But even determination could only get him so far. When he got antsy from sitting still, he finally excused himself. ¡°I won¡¯t be back for a couple of days,¡± Langa told Aria, putting away his enchanting needle. ¡°Are you really that desperate to get out of here? I''m teaching you for free,¡± Aria said, raising a blue eyebrow. ¡°Is my presence that annoying?¡± He felt bad that she could tell that the monotony was getting to him. ¡°It¡¯s not you. Being cooped up in one place suffocates me and I need some air¡­ some stimulation, or I¡¯ll go crazy.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Aria¡¯s hair turned yellow, mischief in her eyes. ¡°Stimulation, huh? Are you leaving me here to work while you go out to get laid? Unbelievable.¡± Langa laughed, putting away his enchanting needle. ¡°I wish. But hey, if you can find me a strong, older woman who can cook, I''m down for that kind of stimulation too." Aria snorted and said, "AD Jandri fits your bill." He shook his head. "Somehow, I don''t think she''d be interested. Anyway, the only stimulation I''ll be getting if that I¡¯m going to hunt some voidents. After that, I will investigate if one of my previous bounties told the truth about the location of a voi-den of the Accari Crows,¡± he explained. Aria raised her eyebrows. ¡°Do you have something in particular against that guild?¡± she asked. ¡°You''re always going after them." Langa shrugged. There was no particular reason, he just knew that the first time he went after them, people might have thought that he was unaware of their relationship, however concealed, with The Hallow Reaper Cult. His best way to make waves and ensure that his name reached his family through the Dent was to keep going after the most notorious voident guild of the Ground Storey. And yes, maybe he enjoyed the thrill of the hunt. "I just don''t like them. Why are guilds even allowed to have voidents in them, anyway?" "Most guilds in the Tower will kick out any member who becomes a voident, but some don¡¯t care even if it means the guild''s alignment falls and the Guardians stop doing business with them,¡± she told him. "But then you have guilds like the Accari Crows and the Shadowmancers who are purely voident guilds." The Shadowmancers were one of the overall top ten guilds in the Tower, so that was concerning. He''d also heard that the guild master of the Accari Crows, Amalgam, was a former high-ranking member of the Hallow Reapers and used to be part of their elite raid group of seven people known as The Insurgents of Anarchy. He had been kicked out of the Hallow Reaper Cult when he became a voident as the guild did not allow voidents in their ranks. Disgruntled, he¡¯d started his own gang. Officially, he was no longer a member of The Insurgents, but everyone seemed to think that Anarchist had started the Accari Crows to act as the Hallow Reapers¡¯ voident guild on the Ground Storey. Both he and his guild master vehemently denied the ''ridiculous accusations meant to call into question the honour of their respectable cult''. ¡°I see,¡± Langa said. ¡°Well, if it¡¯s your first voi-den I hope you have a strong stomach,¡± she said. ¡°But please do come for enchanting training, I won''t be down here much longer. I also need to get serious about my Tower Climbing.¡± Seeing the look of surprise on Langa''s face she laughed. "Did you think I just sat here and enchanted items all day?" Her hair flared in amusement. "Honestly, yeah," he said. For some reason, since she was an enchanter, he¡¯d thought she was a non-combatant but when he scanned her right now, he saw that was not the case. She was level 18, and the highest Floor she had reached was the 6th Floor. "Nope, Anarchist''s people make it very difficult for anyone who is not a part of The Hallow Reapers or their allied guilds to pass through his 6th Floor. They made a deal with the Floor Overlord and no one who has cleared the 6th Floor is allowed back into it unless they belong to the Hallow Reaper Cult or their subordinate guilds," she told him. It seemed that she, like Di Etta and her team, was from batch 3 and got screwed over by Anarchist taking over the 6th Floor. "You can''t sneak in and out quickly?" he asked. "Not if you value your life. Many of their subordinate guilds, like Samo Feint, live on the 6th Floor, monitoring the only teleportation wheel on that Floor. They make a habit of griefing any players who fall out of line. Plus, you have to pay them in karma if you want to do literally anything or clear that Floor, as if clearing the Floor itself was not hard enough with all the undead." Langa had heard from his tutorial teammate, Eniche, how Anarchist took over the 6th Floor with his undead. People said that he had caused such drastic changes that he overturned the Floor. This meant that because of him, The Unrivalled had to change the clear conditions for that Floor, and he earned a Legendary Achievement from it, as well as an exorbitant amount of karma unprecedented for someone at his level. It didn''t sit well with Langa that Anarchist was rewarded so well for destroying so many lives, instead, the only punishment he received was a red name. Thanks to free will, The Unrivalled allowed all play styles in the Tower. Before he could continue the conversation, Instructor Rancho waved him over. "Langa! Hurry up, we have things to do, this shouldn''t take too long now," the old lizardkin said. "You don''t have any jewel-cutting skills, so, it may take time." After saying goodbye to Aria, he had to work on the necklace that he wanted to incorporate Makoto''s mana stone. Today was the only time he could get Instructor Rancho to help him, as he was busy with other projects for himself and the guild. The only reason that he even agreed to help him was because Jandri had pushed the issue. "I''ve been practicing cutting up lucent crystals with the mana-powered crystal saw," Langa said as he sat at his workbench. "It cost me a pretty coin, but at least I''ll be able to use the crushed pieces of the common lucent crystals in my enchantments." Rancho stood behind him and said, "You better hope so, otherwise, I ain''t taking time out of my day to teach you anymore," he said. "Now have you decided on the final crystal that you want to use?" Langa nodded, pulling it out of his inventory. This crystal had been one of the more valuable rewards from Psike''s Grotto. At first, he thought he should encase the mana stone in a lightning-lucent crystal since it was more compatible with him, but he needed something that would connect him with both Kindaro and Makoto in order to make a lasting enchantment with useful effects. Mental and Death crystals were out of the question, as he had a very low affinity for them, so he had chosen the type of crystal that could absorb all types of mana and seemed most suited for creating an item born of revenge. He was using an uncommon darkness lucent crystal that he could have sold for 50 fucking silver. That was ridiculous! He could have bought fifteen rare lightning-lucent stones to recharge Tonare for that price. "Right here," he said, placing the crystal on the table. "Wow, you''re rich, aren''t you, boy? Well, you can start now, remember, an easy hand does it, lad," the instructor told him. "Outline the crystal first for the pattern you want to cut it into, and then use the saw following those lines. You''re an enchanter, and from what I can tell from your videos, your agility is decent, so I don''t want to see any shaking hands." There was no way Langa would take this lightly, he was not going to ruin 50 silver. He kept his hands steady as picked up his crystal cutter and began to carefully mark out the area where he would need to cut into the crystal. He made detailed measurements, ensuring that the cut would be clean and accurate. Then he started to cut into the crystal, the blade of the cutter gliding smoothly through the hard surface. "Slowly now," the instructor said. "A bit deeper... good, good." Langa decided to finish this quickly and get back to the exciting part of the week, hunting voidents and corrupted goats. As he worked, Langa could feel his mana mingling with the darkness in the crystal, not fully compatible, but it was absorbed all the same. After what seemed like hours of careful cutting, he finally reached the desired depth. He carefully placed the small mana stone inside the cavity, making sure it fit perfectly. He then crushed the shards that had broken off the crystal as he was cutting it and mixed the powder with a flax of the allemak lifeblood that he was carrying to make some auink. Then he poured the auink over the open side of the crystal, ensuring that the mana stone was securely embedded and sealed within. Instructor Rancho muttered an incantation and the crystal sealed itself up. Finally, Langa stepped back and admired his handiwork. "Did it work? I didn''t get a notification for the crystal only for creating the auink," he asked. Instructor Rancho shrugged. "Of course, you didn''t get one. You don''t have a skill in jewel cutting. If someone with the skill had just completed what you did, they would have gotten a successful or failure notification from the system. That right there is nothing more than a rare mana stone encased in an expensive lucent crystal." That was it? It was a bit anticlimactic for his liking. "Thanks for letting me use your tools and lending me your time, Instructor," Langa said, putting the crystal into his inventory. Rancho tilted his head in confusion, "Are you not going to enchant it?" Langa shook his head as crafters started entering the Crafting Cave now that it was after lunch. "No, I don''t have any enchantments that I want to put on it yet. I''ll wait until I reach the Intermediate rank at the very least. Again, thank you, sir." * Finding Nitract''s Ravine had altered his plans, but today Langa was finally going to face his mother''s death and perform the cleansing ritual on himself according to his culture. He gathered all the necessary herbs that Mesala had found for him and the materials he needed for the ritual. Since he wanted to hunt corrupted goats for the final ingredient he needed for the ritual and finish off the two voidents who had escaped him, Langa decided he would need some help. He loved expending minimal effort for maximum rewards. His great plan was to ask Aquila, Aramaga and Omerth to meet him early in the morning before they went hunting. "Where are you guys doing your hunting?¡± Langa asked them. ¡°There¡¯s a level 8 corrupted field near Theria¡¯s Hollow. Since you drove out the voidents, it¡¯s safe for us to hunt there,¡± Aquila told him, curious as to why Langa was asking. ¡°How do you guys feel about hunting a herd of level 9 and 10 corrupted goats?¡± he asked. Ormeth shuddered, ¡°That¡¯s too much for us. Aramaga and I just hit level 9. There¡¯s no way we can handle a whole herd.¡± A little over a week ago, the three of them would have jumped at the opportunity. ¡°This is a genuine question, how do you guys do it? Grinding lower-level mobs to level up? That¡¯s boring as fuck, and I couldn¡¯t do it. Look, come with me I¡¯ll watch your backs while you fight the goats, I promise.¡± ¡°Seriously? Yes, we w-¡° Aramaga started in excitement but Aquila cut her off. ¡°Hold on,¡± he said, levelling a shrewd gaze at Langa. ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen from you, you don¡¯t help anyone if there¡¯s no benefit to you. What do you get from helping us hunt monsters that won¡¯t give you much experience?¡± "Fine, you got me," Langa said with a shrug. Aquila was sharp, no wonder he was the party''s leader. "I want to use myself and you guys as bait for voidents." The three of them gave him incredulous looks, clearly not expecting that response. "But we aren''t Guardians, nothing is protecting us from their pseudovoid territories. We can''t afford to lose any karma," Aramaga said worriedly. "Are your mental resistances above zero?" Langa asked. "Of course," Aquila responded with a frown. "Then that''s fine. Don''t worry about losing karma, with my divine skill and my speed, I don''t even need five seconds to kill two F-rank voidents below level 13," he told them. Aquila shook his head. "I''ve seen your videos, so I don''t know whether you''re being conceited or just confident in your skills." "So, are you guys coming or not because I need to leave soon if I want to catch the voidents before they flee to another area?" he asked. The other two looked at Aquila expectantly. This was a good opportunity for them to power level, but he was their leader, so the final decision was his. Aquila sighed. "Sure, why not?" he said. "But Langa, we''re putting our lives in your hands, because the two of them are on their last lives. If you get us killed, we''ll haunt your ass until the day you die." "Tier 1, here we come," Aramaga said with a delighted voice. "How do we get there?" Langa beamed, he was proud of himself for spinning his offer like this. He had just gotten himself free labour. These three didn''t know that he was not doing this as a favour to them, but it was just because he was lazy, and wanted to do three things at once and get them all over with. First, the four of them went to get breakfast, hearty meat soup for Langa. As expected, there was nothing better than meat to rejuvenate a worn-out body before a fight. While Aquila and his party finished their food, Langa went to make sure that he had everything he needed for the day. He even sat down and painstakingly drew the overly complicated magic circle for Lightning Lance on one of his spell scrolls with his Lucent Fireblood auink. Then he made sure he had six basic mana potions so he could use the skill without fainting from mana exhaustion. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Langa and the party took Aquila¡¯s flying carpet to get to the field zone. It was Langa¡¯s first time riding anything other than a lucent carriage, besides Jandri''s falcon. He sat fastened to the seat of the flying lucent carpet as Aramaga steered it upwards with her four arms on the lucent wheel. The moment it took to the sky, he felt pure exhilaration. Unlike the lucent carriages, nothing was covering the carpet above, the only equipment on it were air-lucent crystals along its width, reducing the wind resistance. Even so, the wind whipped through his hair, and his headband barely managed to keep his dreadlocks from being tousled wildly. The thin mountain air filled his lungs, and he closed his eyes, feeling free. It was as if he had been unshackled from the things binding him to reality. The speed at which the carpet moved was thrilling, and the landscape below disappeared into a blur of colours. Langa laughed with joy, deciding that he needed to save money and buy his own flying carpet soon. Since the lucent carpet was moving so fast, the journey was short, and they soon landed on the mountain peak. Aquila rolled the carpet and placed it in his feathervault bag. ¡°According to the map, the corrupted goats like to graze in the corrupted fields to the east, right?¡± he asked. ¡°Is that where we are going?¡± After fixing his hair, Langa checked the map and confirmed their location. ¡°Yeah, it should be close. We¡¯ll get going in a moment. First, stand back and give me a second.¡± He fixed his armour and stood steady, making sure that his vicomcer was recording. Then he took out Tonare, threw it in the air, and when he caught it again, he gave the spear an easy twirl, the wind blowing his hair back. The other three looked at him blankly, and Aramaga whistled, so Langa knew he looked cool. The video was less than 30 seconds long, and he uploaded it to his Dent profile, captioning it ¡®About to hunt a herd of corrupted goats¡¯. He also made sure that the location was clearly marked. While this place was secluded with no teleportation wheels and was far enough from civilisation that it would take a while for player killers to reach it looking for him for the bounty that The Retessa Guild placed on him, he knew that the voidents were close by. Since their voiden had been raided, they must have needed money. They were sure to keep a close eye on what was happening near their location on the Dent. They would need to find players to hunt for karma and money soon. What better chance would there be for them other than a single party hunting in the middle of nowhere, far away from help? ¡±Really?¡± Aquila said, shaking his head. ¡°Was that necessary? You took a second to post a cool video for your subscribers just before we risked our lives?¡± Langa rolled his eyes. ¡°Like I said, I''m setting out bait. The more tantalising it is, the more likely it is that they will bite. Come on, you guys are ready, right?¡± He started walking towards the grazing field, keeping alert. ¡°Do any of you have any stealth skills?¡± ¡±I have a Sneaking skill, but it¡¯s not very effective at the beginner level. I can¡¯t use it well in combat, but it¡¯s good for hiding,¡± Aramaga told him. "I get extra damage when I attack someone after sneaking up on them." Langa nodded. He had suspected as much, remembering how quietly she had moved when the two of them went to retrieve Klonu¡¯s body. Well, she was spiderkin after all, and they always lay in wait for prey. ¡±Stay as quiet as you can so we can find the goats before they find us. Stay behind me,¡± he whispered, crouching down on the ground and closing his eyes. He equipped his Avatar title to sense the breath of living things. He could feel the breath of his three companions like a pulse that told him they were near him even when he couldn¡¯t see them. Beyond that, he couldn''t feel anything alive in the near distance, even when he looked around, but he did not relax, after all, he was only 20% more likely to sense them. Once he was satisfied that there were no monsters nearby, he started to quietly lead the party towards the corrupted grazing field. When they arrived there, they found it mostly torn down. Large sections of grass and trees were devoid of leaves, trampled underfoot. There were also tracks showing that the goats had grazed here recently. They had not been subtle about it, moving as a herd without concealing their movements because, in this area, they were kings, and no corrupted beasts could attack them. ¡°They went that way,¡± Langa said, following the signs of life. The forest was already sparse as it was, and the movement of the goats as a herd helped destroy more nature. Langa allowed the Avatar title to guide him as he tracked the corrupted herd, starting from the torn-down grazing field. He had not done any hunting in years, not since his family left the rural areas. He was the type of person who left behind things that reminded him of poverty. Why should he hunt for food when he could buy it already cooked and packaged? As an adult, his meat had come from the store, not the bush. The last time he had truly done some hunting had been with Neo, looking for any rabbits in the forests of Eshowe after his brother-in-law had sold the family¡¯s last two bulls to fund his new (unsuccessful) business idea. Back then, it had taken Langa a while to adjust to living with his sister¡¯s family because, while he and his father had not been well off, his father always made sure there was adequate food on the table for both of them, especially meat. His brother-in-law, on the other hand, was incredibly reckless, and they sometimes went to bed hungry. Langa shook his head to clear it as he continued silently following the goats¡¯ tracks. He was getting the hang of how this title worked, it seemed all living things left a little bit of their breath of life in everything they touched, and that was what he sensed. Now he noticed deep hoofprints in the soft earth, broken branches, and patches of torn earth where the beasts had rested to finish their meal. But as he concentrated on using his title, trying to find traces of the goat''s movements, Langa couldn''t shake the feeling that he and the trio were not alone. He could feel the rough breath of a concealed person following them in the distance. The rustle of leaves and the breath of life in the wind told him that he had successfully baited his targets, as he knew that they lurked in the forest, waiting for the perfect moment to strike him. Betraying no sign that he was aware of their presence, Langa crouched down on the grass once more, studying the goats'' hoofprints. He followed them until, finally, he and the party found the herd. He motioned with his hand to Aquila, saying that they needed to slow down and be quiet so they could sneak up on the monsters. Aquila conveyed the message to the rest of his party, and they trailed behind Langa in silence. Inside a clearing, the herd of about fifteen to twenty level 8 and 9 corrupted goats was lazing around. They were led by a massive, two-legged level 10 goat, its tusks bright blue in the red sunlight as it ate a dead squirrel. Langa''s mouth turned up in disgust as he watched the boss tear into the squirrel''s throat. That was just plain wrong, goats weren¡¯t carnivores. The party all remained quiet, waiting for his instructions. Since he had brought them here, it seemed Aquila was giving him command of the group, but Langa didn¡¯t care about that. ¡°Go ahead and fight the way you normally do. Pretend I¡¯m not here. I¡¯ll watch from the back. If it''s too much, you can leave the boss for me,¡± he told him. Aquila nodded, and the party moved out, with Aramaga in the lead, drawing her weapon. With a steady hand, she aimed with a bone-white longbow, releasing three sharp arrows. Three monsters were struck, one on the side and two on the legs. They let out angry, deafening bleats as the arrows struck them, but it was not enough to bring them down. The other goats in the middle of the clearing, turned their heads towards the party, ready to retaliate against their attackers. The three players stood back-to-back, watching their opponents. The corrupted boss roared, and the goats moved in unison, their hooves thudding and shaking the ground. Ormeth stumbled slightly and caught himself, but Aquila and Aramaga remained steady even on the shaking ground. Langa barely felt the shake, it was nothing compared to what the first voident he ever faced, Grion Fidser, had been able to do. Langa stayed at the back, curious to see the three of them fight. He honestly did not have a very good impression of their combat skills, but he could be wrong. He was surprised that Aquila wore metallic magic armour since he was a mage, but in the next moment, he understood why. Aquila held his weapon, a metal rod, as he ran towards a cluster of four corrupted goats while Ormeth chanted an incantation. Aramaga quickly shot arrows that let out a fiery spark into the goats'' eyes, trying to blind them. Her aim could use work, but with four arms, she was able to somewhat balance it with how quickly she could fire. Two goats charged towards him, but Aquila''s metal rod suddenly transformed into a longsword, and he immediately thrust it deeply into one goat''s side before transforming it into a fluid substance that melted into the goat''s skin, killing it. The boss roared again, and nearly all the goats turned their attention to Aquila, gunning for him. The party leader¡¯s movements were quick and calculated as he transformed the rod into a spiky shield, impaling two of the goats who charged at him. There were still too many of them for him, though. A bright light enveloped Ormeth, and the dwarf grew in size until he was taller, and more muscular than Langa. His fist flew into a goat''s head while his leg swivelled back and kicked another. The boss was not attacking itself but sending its minions. It kept its eyes on Langa, probably sensing that he was at a higher level. Langa threw a dagger into a goat''s eye as he needed to look preoccupied, with his guard down, for the voidents to attack. Aramaga shot webbed strings from her body, two of her hands holding the bow while two activated the skill, tying up and slowing the goats chasing Aquila down. He pulled out the scroll he had brought with him, on which the magic circle for his Lightning Lance was inscribed, while pretending to be preoccupied with throwing daggers at the goats. He wanted to be ready for anything, as it was likely that the voidents would attack anytime before they fought the boss. Three of the level 9 goats jutted their horns out, sharp and fast, towards Aramaga as she bound them, and Aquila''s rod transformed into a magic shield again, standing in front of her to block them. An injured goat rammed into him from the side, and Ormeth hurried over, stepping over a dead goat to heal him. Langa finally took out Tonare and thrust it into the goat¡¯s side, instantly killing it. In the same breath, he slashed two more of them effortlessly while the rest of the party recovered and took their positions. Their coordination wasn¡¯t bad, Langa decided as he watched how they worked together. With enough practice, and a proper tank, they could go a long way. The players dodged and fought hard, with Aquila using his metal manipulation powers, Aramaga targeting weak spots, and Ormeth using his enhanced strength to counter the shockwaves. Even Aquila''s metallic armour morphed and transformed to protect the parts that needed it most. They were now down to about six goats and the boss monster, who kept roaring and ordering the goats about. As Aramaga prepared to unleash another arrow, Langa felt a shiver run down his spine. He did not turn, but listened to his title, scanning the surrounding forest for any sign of life. And that''s when he finally felt them clearly¡ªtwo Tier 1 players were hidden in the shadows behind them, watching. The voidents were finally making their move. Langa concentrated on activating the spell scroll in his hand while driving Tonare into the side of a corrupted goat, pretending that was where all his concentration was. That was the most he could manage to do at the moment as he infused the entirety of his mana into the scroll, as 200 mana was required for one Lance. He felt the divine magic of Adtonifulmin all over him. Even nearing mana exhaustion, Langa downed a mana potion and instructed the system to convert 100 HP to MP. It would only give him 10 MP, but would ensure that he did not fall into mana exhaustion. The last thing he needed was to concentrate on his faith. He could feel Adtonifulmin watching over him right now. He had promised to always be on his side, and Langa chose to believe in that. A new power, his master¡¯s essence, rose from that faith and filled the magic circle. Through his title, he felt it when one of the two voidents stepped into the clearing, one with his Void Pearl clutched in his hands and his now black veins bulging. The other hid in the woods and fired off a spell of chilly vapour towards him. [WARNING! A pseudo-void terr-] Before the system could warn the party about the karma-draining effects of the pseudo-void territory conjured by the voident, Langa had already streaked forward and buried Tonare into the hiding, unawakened one¡¯s chest before he even finished casting the chilly vapour spell. His Faith had already filled the magic circle, and the summoned Lightning Lance flew off the next moment as the awakened voident''s corruption-filled fist reached him and Langa sidestepped it. The voident pivoted and his foot struck Langa¡¯s abdomen, the power from his Void Pearl pushing him back but that was the moment that the Lance homed in on its target. An uncontrolled, sizzling yellow spear of pure lightning flew straight into the voident and tore through his head in one fell swoop. His entire body spasmed, nerves burned and his body shrivelled up as he fell to the ground. In less than ten seconds, the two voidents were on the ground, what was left of their bodies lifeless and still. Langa swayed slightly from the low mana, making his head ache uncomfortably. He quickly pulled out a mana potion and downed it before he fell into mana exhaustion. "Langa, the voi-" Aquila said, trying to warn Langa that the voidents were setting up a pseudo-void territory in the area, only to see a flash of lightning and turn around to find Langa clasping a Deiform Amulet on the wrist of fallen voident. Aquila stood there in shock as Aramaga ran past him, corrupted goats forgotten, towards Langa, to make sure he was alright. Langa swerved on his leg and threw his glaive into the air. Aquila stood frozen as it aimed straight for him. The spear was flying far too fast for him to dodge, and just as he tried to raise his mutable rod, the spear flew over him and struck the boss monster behind him. "Watch your back, you idiot," Langa barked at him. "Finish it off." What the hell was Aquila doing, gaping at him like a fool and turning his back on a monster higher level than him? He snapped out of his stupor and reacted. The now severely injured boss monster was easy to defeat, so a few more arrows from Aramaga and a smack from Aquila''s rod and it was dead. They finished off the rest of the corrupted goats until the clearing was quiet again, with only the sound of squirrels moving around. Exhausted, Aquila, Aramaga, and Ormeth caught their breath. The karma and experience were barely anything to Langa, but the boss at least yielded a G-rank non-specialised manacore, 3 silver, and a little karma. No one protested when he took the manacore. He also gained two bounty tiles worth some silver from the voidents. He needed to take out any other Accari Crows voi-dens, but they kept their locations secret, and for good reason. The only lead he had was Heilliege¡¯s Gorge. Shit, he should have made those voidents tell him the information on where their next voi-den was if only to confirm what that rogue had told him. Once he was done counting his gains, he turned to the others, only to find them gathered to watch a video on Aquila''s comcer interface. When he looked closer, he saw that it was the video of him taking down the voidents, severely slowed down. Aquila had also been filming their battle. "I know it''s disrespectful to ask, but I have to know. Is your attribute related to speed?" Aramaga asked. Looking at the footage, Langa could admit that he moved impressively. The Legacy would be proud... Langa grinned. "If I used my attribute, your jaw would be on the floor right now. You wouldn''t even be able to see me." "You have no humility whatsoever," Ormeth said, shaking his head. "I don''t need it. Carry the other bodies, except the boss, back. Don''t cheat me of my share of the money," Langa warned his companions. "I''m leaving, so you guys need to get out of here before the Player Killers come looking for me from that video." He took the boss'' body since he needed to skin it to get the chyme and the gallbladder he needed for the ritual. He made sure his three companions safely left the area before he started his walk towards the spiritual pond. It was time to say goodbye to his mother and lay her soul to rest. 49. Floor 1: Fear the Blazing Blitzhunter (1) [¡¯If you are my follower, I implore you to find and walk your own path. Like myself, I wish to grant you the freedom to follow your heart''s every desire, to pursue whatever it is that you want. Should anything or anyone stand in your way¡ªbe it physical or spiritual, mortal or immortal¡ªyou have the freedom to fight until overcome it, consequences be damned. For as long as you have Faith in me, you will never walk alone.'' Excerpt from: The Relgte of The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm: Scroll 3: Chapter 2.] * In Zulu culture, the act of animal sacrifice was not one of cruelty, but rather a powerful means of purifying the body and mind using the blood from the lost life. It was a way of washing away the pollution of death, not only for the deceased but also for those that they had known and loved. That was why, in many cases, cleansing rituals had to be done by the family and friends of the deceased after the burial. For some reason, Langa was nervous today. The last time he had done a cleansing ritual was a few years ago, after Neo got arrested. That incident had nearly torn his entire family apart. They all dealt with it differently, his sister went to church to pray every day, his brother-in-law lashed out at everyone, including the family as well as his employees, and Khaya withdrew into herself. As for Langa, he''d turned to his trusted companion, alcohol, to numb the pain and forget what had happened. Perhaps because of this, he had somewhat impulsively sought revenge against Pranav for introducing Neo to a life of crime. He was not strong or good at fighting, nor did he have enough influence to fight against Pranav''s gang and their connections, so he fought them with the only thing he had, money. With the passive way he lived his life, it had not been easy, but once he threw money into the situation, he was able to make sure that Pranav ended up in prison too. It wasn''t his proudest moment because, deep down, he knew that Neo had made his choice and that blaming Pranav was not the solution. After dealing with that, Langa returned to Eshowe and found a sangoma to perform the cleansing ritual for him. He did not even know the person Neo killed, but his brother-in-law insisted on him doing the ritual, to spare the rest of the family from his curse. He had done so many cleansing rituals ever since he was a child that it was second nature to him. He had done one after his father''s death, done two more for his sister''s two stillbirths, and done one for every single person that he was acquainted with who died. He hadn''t done one for Makoto, and he was not going to, not until he could help the boy''s soul find peace. Langa made his way down the mountain until he found the spot he had marked on his map the last time he was there. This was where he was going to do his rituals. There was a small pond close to a large baobab tree that cast a shade over the glass beneath it. His mother had always liked resting under the baobab tree on her farm whenever she got tired, so he hoped that this would be a good place for her soul to rest. Since it was the first time he was doing the ritual for himself without a spiritual guide, Langa got to work skinning and butchering the corrupted goat. He found what he thought were the two organs he was looking for inside, the chyme and the gallbladder. He also collected some of the goat¡¯s blood in a flax. Langa cleared the area under the tree and took out a large stone tablet from his feathervault bag. He had spent days inscribing his mother¡¯s name on it with his auink. There was no enchantment on it, but since he had infused the enchanting needle with his mana, the inscription remained permanently engraved on the rock. He removed any sticks and wood on the ground and placed the tablet there, leaning against the baobab tree''s trunk. He then placed candles all around the tablet in a circle. It made him unhappy that he was not able to lay her actual body to rest, and he wondered if anyone had closed her eyes after she died. He pushed that thought away. There was nothing he could have done for her. He figured he might as well try to raise his Faith while he was at it by dedicating his rituals to his patron deity. He knew that Adtonifulmin was not fussy about the formal stuff, but it felt right to begin the funeral with a prayer. "Hey, Lord Adtonifulmin, I''m saying goodbye to my mother today, it''s going to fucking suck, so I could really use some company right now if you don''t mind," he whispered. He felt the appalled feelings of multiple deities at his lacklustre prayer, but that was overshadowed by one deity projecting a strong sense of companionship over his entire being from somewhere inside, and he could feel that Adtonifulmin''s essence was with him, even before he received the message. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, is watching you.] His master''s presence gave Langa the strength to continue the ritual, so he could say everything he needed to his mother without running away from his memories again. He started by burning the impepho around the grave, and as the smoke went up, he closed his eyes and bowed, repeating some of the Dube clan names for his mother. ¡°Please hear me, MaDube. Dube elimthemde! Dube kaBayisa! Khushwayo! Silwane kaNjila kaNgothoma! Mqhawe! Ngcobomuhle! Mafukuzela!¡± He knew that he was probably doing the ritual wrong, but he was no elder, nor was he a sangoma trained in how to talk to spirits. All he wanted was to give his mother''s soul rest. Langa knelt before the makeshift grave, the smoke from the burning incense clouding his eyes as he closed his eyes. This was more difficult than he had expected. ¡°Mama,¡± he said quietly, his voice barely a whisper in the quiet forest. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it? I can barely remember the last time I saw you.¡± His fingers trembled as he touched the engraved letters on the makeshift gravestone. It had been years since he saw his mother, and he had been content to run from the painful memories that had shaped his life. Right now, his emotions threatened to suffocate him. "I hope death has given you the peace you didn''t get in life, and that you''re with Baba now,¡± he paused. ¡°I just realised I don''t even know how you and Baba even met because he never liked to talk about my mother. Whenever I asked, he would say he would tell me when I was older. Did things not work out between you two because you were so much older than him? Or was it because you were an exceedingly spiritual person and he was from a cursed family? I guess I¡¯ll never know,¡± Langa said quietly. As the realisation that he was an orphan now washed over him, Langa''s heart filled with sorrow. Whenever his father went to drop him off at his mother''s place, he would leave him at the gate. His mother said she would never let a cursed person into her home. Langa was only allowed in because he shared her blood. Thanks to this, he had not been left in her care a lot, his father always preferred leaving him with his sister. A gust of wind swept through the nearby trees as Langa took a deep breath to gather his emotions and continued. "I wish things could have been different between us, that I could have seen beyond the indifference you always showed me." He looked away, ¡°But I still remember the little you did for me. Whenever I stayed with you, I was well-fed, had a place to sleep, and had a blanket over me. Your food was excellent, Mama, the best I¡¯ve ever eaten, even better than Sis¡¯Thandi''s meals. You made sure that I was warm and full, so thank you.¡± Langa felt really pathetic for thanking her for doing the bare minimum required of a parent. He shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. What use was it to wallow in misery now? "I remember that one weekend when I was six years old. Baba had saved enough money to attend a conference in Cape Town and he left me with you. I remember being on the farm planting maize seeds behind you as you ploughed ahead in silence. That day was one of my most cherished moments with you. The taste of your homemade maheu after a long day of farming, the warmth of your smile as you drank umqombothi, not saying a word to me. It''s stupid, I know, but that was everything to me as a child." "I really wish I could hate you." Langa''s voice cracked as he continued, now filled with pain. "I can never forgive you because you dumped me at Sis''Thandi''s house after Baba died. She didn''t have to, but she cared for me despite her husband''s misgivings. Watching how close she was with her children made me long for a mother. She was the one who taught me what it meant to receive that kind of love. And now, here I am, crying for a mother who never did shit for me." He sat down, thinking about how he''d always send his mother money after he started working. She always received the money he sent to her, without sending it back for being cursed. Even though she never said thank you, it made him feel useful to her. He knew that it was pathetic. As a child, when he had been scouted, he¡¯d gone to ask her to come with him, but she refused to move with the family to Johannesburg, stating that Eshowe was her home, where she felt at peace with her ancestors. At that time, she had given Langa a look filled with so much pity that it made him uncomfortable. Then she sighed and told him to go with Thandi, where he belonged. Thoughts of the past made him pause, his breath shuddering in his chest. He poured alcohol over the gravestone. "I brought you something to drink, Mama," he whispered, his voice choked. "I wish I could have shared a drink with you, just once. Maybe then we could have found some common ground, some way to really communicate." His throat tightened as he struggled to say the next words. He wiped away the tears, his hand trembling against his cheek. Silence filled the area, broken only by the sound of Langa''s sobs. "I miss you, Mama," he whispered through his tears. "I miss the mother you could have been, the bond we could have shared. But I guess it''s too late now." Dammit, this was why he hated dealing with shit. He wiped his tears, needing to be done with this. He lit up the impepho once more and bowed his head. ¡°In the name of Adtonifulmin, The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, I commit your soul to your ancestors. May the amadlozi akwaDube accept your soul into the afterlife. And if the spirits of the dead truly watch over their descendants, as you believed, I ask that you watch over me. Guide me, protect me, and help me heal the wounds that your absence has left behind. Since you didn''t do anything for me while you were alive; the least you can do is watch over me in death,¡± he said. ¡°Lala ngoxolo, Mama.¡± Rest in peace, Mother. He felt an invisible hand squeezing his shoulder in comfort and he accepted it. A warm essence wrapped around him and he allowed it in. He felt a strength that he had been lacking, filling him up and giving him the courage to move forward. Facing things was hard, but it was also fulfilling now that he knew he wasn''t going through it alone. Adtonifulmin helped him find that strength. It didn''t mean that he was ready to open up his mind and deal with all the shit he locked away, but it was a start. He buried the child who was grateful for the bare minimum from his mother. From now on, he would not allow his desire for affection from others to cloud his judgement and lead him to accept less than what he deserved. It felt good not to be alone right now, and he wondered how much more comforting his master''s presence would be if he were a Visage. That was one thing he would like to experience if he chose to upgrade the contract. [You have performed a soul ritual in the presence of your patron deity. Your faith has increased.] Langa stood up, silently thanking Lord Adtonifulmin before leaving the grave behind, and walking towards the pond. Now he was ready to let his mother go, cleanse himself from her death and move forward. In the wind, his title alerted him to the presence of multiple breaths of life. Langa waited for an attack or for them to show themselves, his body ready to react the instant anyone appeared nearby. However, even after several moments, nothing happened. Had he sensed wrong? It felt like he was surrounded by at least five people, but he could see nothing. The breaths did not feel hostile, instead, they were just observing him. He shrugged. If he was surrounded by invisible player killers, there was nothing he could do but wait for them to show themselves. If there were too many of them, then he would use his speed to run away instead of fighting. He was uncomfortable bathing fully naked in a dangerous forest while being watched, so he removed his jerkin and pulled down the top of his jumpsuit. The surface of the pond reflected the red of the setting sun. It almost looked like the pond was bleeding. Taking a deep breath, Langa approached the water''s edge, and reached into his feathervault bag, retrieving a carefully selected assortment of herbs and plants. These were not ordinary plants; they held the power to cleanse, purify, and wash away the pollution of death. Surprisingly, he''d been able to find some herbs similar to the ones used on Earth. He took the most important herb, umsuzwane, back home, the plant played a central role in both the purification of the dead and the living and threw it inside the pond. It was believed to have protective properties, warding off evil spirits and ensuring the sanctity of the ritual. He then took the chyme that he had removed from the dead goat¡¯s body and placed it in the pond. He also placed a few drops of the goat¡¯s blood inside as well. Langa began the first step of the ritual; normally, he would call for his ancestors to cleanse him, but that wasn¡¯t necessary anymore. ¡°Master,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Wash me clean from the lingering pollution from my mother¡¯s death.¡± From the teachings of his culture, Langa understood that death, while a natural part of life, left behind a lingering presence that could taint the living. He retrieved the flax with the blood of the goat and poured more of it into the pond, mingling with the water. As the blood mixed with the clear liquid, Langa felt some release. He never knew if the rituals worked or made a difference but they always made him feel better. He carefully selected a mixture of roots and leaves, crushing them in his hand with his inhuman strength, and he rubbed the concoction between his palms, using them as soap. He understood that the energy of death could cling to not just his body, but his soul as well, so he kept the candles and impepho burning. He dipped his hands into the water of the pond. He paused, his Avatar title sensing movement from one of the breaths of life around him, but still sensing no hostility, he resumed the ritual. He cupped his hands together, gathering the blessed water, and gently splashed it over his face and chest. [You have performed a cleansing ritual in the presence of your patron deity. Your Faith has increased +1% Death resistance for 60 seconds] Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Another surprise. He decided to do a cleansing ritual before he went to fight Kindaro, it would protect him from his death magic. He wondered what kind of ritual would give him a temporary increase in his mental resistance. [Congratulations! Thanks to your increase in faith, your patron deity has Blessed your cleansing ritual. +All uncommon rank and below maladies in your body have been cleansed.] [You have cleansed the uncommon malady: Stalking Shadow Hex from a player (1) Tier above you. +95 Karma] ¡°What?¡± Langa asked incredulously. ¡°What the hell is that, system?¡± [Stalking Shadow Hex Malady type: Uncommon Inflicted by: Perinda Housci (Player) Effects: The caster will always know your location as long as the malady remains inside of you. The longer the malady remains in your body unnoticed, the more powerful it grows.] ¡±That son of a bitch!¡± Langa ground his teeth in anger. When had Perinda hexed him with a malady? Actually, that was hardly surprising since he had been following Langa for over an hour before he even noticed him that day. Why didn¡¯t the system protect him from this? Was the malady not considered an attack? Was that why, even though Perinda''s karma pressure had not been that strong, he had received such a huge backlash damage? The next time he saw that arsehole, he was attacking and killing him, the level difference be damned. His anger would have to wait though, as there was something more pressing he needed to attend to. Langa stepped out of the water, feeling refreshed. Making sure that his headband was on securely, he said, ¡°Thanks for waiting. I don¡¯t know if you wanted to wait until the ritual was over or if you are just a pervert who enjoyed watching me bathe shirtless, but you can come out now.¡± ¡°Come on,¡± a woman said softly. There was a deep accent to her voice. ¡°I was just being polite.¡± She materialised into existence from thin air, walking casually towards him. Her skin was a deep shade of brown and the dark bronze scales all over her whole body reflected the dim light of the red sun. As she approached him, her oval face shifted into a small smile that highlighted the floral red tattoo on her cheek. Her short, pitch-black hair, like a nest of serpents, was coiled around her head. The mesmerising gaze in her slitted green eyes could make even the bravest of souls rigid, and Langa blinked in surprise. On her tight-fitting bodysuit, she wore the badge of a scythe placed over a robe, the letters H.R etched on it, the symbol of the Hallow Reaper Cult. Langa could feel a sharp, fierce, and deadly gust inside her karma along with a repulsive aura screaming at him that she was dangerous and he should be afraid. It puzzled him keeping him from reacting because she did not look scary or hostile. ¡°Well, I didn''t hate what I saw as well, so there¡¯s that, I suppose,¡± the woman said. She had to be some type of snakekin because there were two small fang-like teeth visible in her mouth when she smiled. ¡°Thanks, I guess, so who are you?¡± Langa asked casually as she stood about a metre in front of him. ¡°Hello Blitzhunter, my name is Liberty, the fifth Insurgent of Anarchy, and the Administrator for the Hallow Reaper Cult in the First Storey,¡± she said, stepping closer. The closer she got, the more every instinct in him screamed not to look into her eyes, and he made sure to look just above her head. The hair on Langa¡¯s neck stood on end the closer she got. Liberty. Did all of Anarchist¡¯s Insurgents have to give themselves pretentious names? There was no way that was her real name. He had not used his team player title to scan her because that would mean he would have to unequip his Avatar title, and he was not going to do that while surrounded by Hallow Reaper Cult members. Was she here for the Opus Key, as Perinda warned, or was she here to kill him for taking out so many of the Accari Crows? She was neither a voident nor a red player, instead, she was neutral like him. He could feel the tier difference between them in her karma, she had to be either late Tier 2 or early Tier 3. In that case, there was no way Langa could defeat her, but she couldn¡¯t hurt him unless she wanted to suffer the backlash. Her eyes searched him for something, fear perhaps or or respect. She must be here to threaten him, so he wasn''t going to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. He didn''t like showing other people when he was afraid, so he compartmentalised his feelings, pushing any thoughts of fear into the back of his mind, outwardly feigning calmness. ¡°I¡¯m Langa, which if you¡¯re here, I¡¯m sure you know,¡± he said. ¡°So, what can I do for you, Liberty?¡± ¡°I have an offer for you from both our guildmaster and our deputy guildmaster,¡± she said, her eyes drawing him in. ¡°They want you to join our guild, and they sent me personally to sweeten the deal.¡± It was interesting that she emphasised that both the guild master and Anarchist wanted him to join when it would have been sufficient to mention the guild master alone. He''d been hunting their subordinates, the Accari Crows, and the Hallow Reapers wanted him to join them? Was this some kind of test? There was no way The Hallow Reapers knew what his type was and decided to send a beautiful, strong, older woman to come and recruit him, right? "Why the hell would I? And you''re here to sweeten the deal? What does that even mean? Did they send you here because they think the only reason I haven''t joined the Guardians is because they haven''t tried to tempt me with a honeytrap?" he asked, watching her closely. "Honeytrap? Me?" She raised her eyebrows, looking appalled. She seemed offended by his audacity and lack of fear. ¡°I don''t think you realise how thin the ice you''re standing on right now, is,¡± she said, pulling out a long needle from her belt. A drop of green liquid dripped from the tip. ¡°You can''t speak disrespectfully to me like that.¡± "Sure, I can. I don''t know you, and I don''t have to respect you. You''re the one who snuck up on me unprovoked. If anyone should be feeling disrespected, it''s me,¡± he said, crossing his arms and glaring at her. ¡°What?¡± She appeared thrown off by his behaviour. ¡°No matter how fast you are, this needle will be in your throat before you can take one step.¡± Once again, a force from within her karma seemed intent on making him recoil, flinch back and flee from her. He did not understand why he would be feeling that way, given that she did not look threatening, just stunningly beautiful. That was not to say he let down his guard, of course. She was much higher level than him, and dangerous. Langa was already in a bad mood because of Perinda, and he allowed that frustration to fuel his heartbeat and activate his attribute. Time slowed down, and he used his velocity to cross the distance, appearing right in front of her before deactivating it. ¡°Wanna test that theory?¡± he asked. Liberty blinked and jumped back. From her perspective, he must have appeared to have reached her in an instant. ¡°Actually, I would,¡± a voice behind him said, the woman in front of him disappearing as he felt a sharp object pressing against his neck. ¡°Stand down.¡± Holy crap, she was either faster than him or he''d been talking to an illusion this whole time. He spun around to face her, thinking that she was talking to him, but actually, she seemed to be talking to her companions. Langa could feel multiple breaths of life that had been approaching them, retreating into the forest. His title hadn''t even alerted him to their approach. ¡°Not bad,¡± he said, taking a few steps back to create distance between himself and Liberty. He kept his voice neutral as if he were not bothered by the difference in levels between them. ¡°You''re both bold and reckless.¡± She looked at him with raised eyebrows, putting away her needle. ¡°You really like to flirt with danger, don''t you?¡± ¡°Flirting with danger?¡± He asked quietly. He couldn''t deny that, not while the thrill of how close he''d been to death a second ago, coursed through his veins, fueling his heart like a drug. If she wanted him dead, there was nothing he could do, so he decided, fuck it, he was going to abandon caution and have fun with this.¡°Oh, my bad, I thought you said your name was Liberty,¡± he grinned. She seemed startled as his meaning dawned on her, then she threw back her head and laughed. ¡°I''ll tell you this, whatever I expected coming here today, it wasn''t this. You''re...odd." Was that a good thing or not? "Is that why you''re emitting such a vicious, forceful aura?" She levelled him with a gaze. "I don''t do it on purpose. That''s just my cadence. My whole body is a walking weapon, that''s just your instincts warning you to stay away," she told him quietly, face impassive. "You asked me a question earlier, right? Sorry, sweetheart, but I''m not the honey the guild sends to trap men, most of them can''t stand to be near me. No, I''m the poison the guild sends to kill the unworthy. So, Langa, will you join us?" Langa thought those men needed their eyes checked, but he decided that voicing it would give this woman more power. "Is that offer optional?¡± he asked her. ¡°Of course," she said with another smile, moving even closer to him. Less than 20 centimetres separated the two of them now. The scent coming from her was bitter and sharp, but not overpowering. Langa tensed slightly, ¡°You¡¯ll forgive me if I don¡¯t believe that,¡± he said. ¡°Considering how you and your men have me surrounded.¡± He wasn¡¯t completely sure how many of them there were, but he knew there were at least ten. ¡°Fascinating,¡± Liberty said, as she walked past him, and stood behind him. His skin prickled when he felt her scaly hands on his back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them, sweetheart, they always follow me around on the guildmaster¡¯s orders. He says they are only here to protect me.¡± He could feel her pressed against his back, and as much as he wanted to be able to grab Tonare and cut her up in case she became hostile, he knew that attacking first would protect her from the backlash. What the hell was she up to? She''d said she wasn''t a honeytrap, yet he could feel her warmth behind him. ¡°From me?¡± He was surprisingly able to keep the trembling from his voice, and no, it wasn''t from fear. ¡°Haibo, ntombi, you''re late Tier 2. I doubt I could even put a scratch on you.¡± ¡°Maybe so, but after that little stunt you just pulled, a girl can never be too careful.¡± Her voice was in his ear, the whisper nearly lost in the wind when she spoke. ¡°Where¡¯s Amalgam¡¯s key, Langa?¡± Instantly, he knew that the reason she got so close wasn''t to flirt with him but to ask him that question. Did her guildmaster''s guards not know about the missing key? ¡°What key?¡± Langa asked breathlessly. ¡°If you don¡¯t know, forget about it,¡± she said, licking her lips. "Do you know how tiger-snakes hunt?" She was way too fucking close, and the breath coming from her voice was warm against his neck. "They coil their bodies around their victims, breaking their bones?" he asked as he felt her scaly hands run up his arms from behind. "No. We wait and listen from the shadows, and when you let your guard down, we pounce, quickly sinking our fangs into your neck to subdue you," she whispered, her lips on his neck. Langa could easily Flash Step away from her pressing body. But only if he wanted to. "Whoa, I honestly can''t tell if you''re threatening me or trying to seduce me," he said honestly. "I''m sorry," she said sweetly, her hand ghosting over his arm. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" "You''re not," he told her. ¡°Oh, my dear Langa." Her short laugh was a sweet sound in his ears. "You''re cute, but if you¡¯re lying to me about the key, Anarchist will give me no choice but to sink my teeth into you and numb your pretty head. The venom will paralyse you, and you will feel the pain of every muscle in your body solidifying, your heart turning into stone while your brain remains wide awake. I might be merciful and cut your head off before the horror of it destroys your mind. Hmmm, your head will be the centrepiece of my collection. Forever frozen in terror for me.¡± Goosebumps crawled all over Langa¡¯s skin, the threat whispered like a promise. The thought of being frozen awake, paralysed, terrified, and trapped triggered every single one of his worst fears. If he allowed himself to imagine that scenario, he would trigger his claustrophobia. He couldn¡¯t lose control in front of her, so he pushed all thoughts of fear to the back of his mind, keeping his voice steady and casual. ¡°Damn ntombi, you really know how to get a guy''s heart racing, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked. ¡°Hmm, I can feel your raging heartbeat from back here,¡± she told him. ¡°But I promise, he¡¯ll only send me after you if I believe that you''re lying.¡± ¡°As much as I would love to see you again, I like my head where it is even more. I¡¯m not lying to you," he lied smoothly. He didn¡¯t know if she believed him. "Housci was right, I do like you," Liberty told him softly, using one hand to push his dreadlocks away from his neck before once more placing it on his arm. Energy flowed in her hand and her comcer lit up. ¡°Won''t you be a dear and give a girl your mana signature, please, sweetheart?¡± Langa wondered what she would do if he said no. He wasn''t planning to, of course, after all, there was no harm in being able to contact a high-ranking member of The Hallow Reapers directly. He told himself that was the only reason why he infused his own mana into the comcer, exchanging mana signatures with her. Her hands were gentle on him as they slid down his arms until she reached his hands, intertwining their fingers. Langa¡¯s heartbeat intensified. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked. Liberty took a deep breath. ¡°You have so many beautiful emotions inside you, I feel them rising and falling like water in a bowl...They keep overflowing, yet you force them back into the bowl so easily. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s good self-control, cowardice or forced willpower but I like how you suppress your fear,¡± she whispered softly in his ear. ¡°I enjoy the company of a man who¡¯s not afraid of me, it''s so rare.¡± He could feel her breath on his neck as she whispered, his pulse weakening. ¡°And I love the feel of your smooth and lovely skin too,¡± she said. He hitched a breath, and one second she was wrapped around him, and the next, she stepped away. Langa turned around to look at her, his body cold in the absence of her warmth. ¡°If you prove yourself worthy, there might be a place for you among The Insurgents. I would love to have you.¡± She told him. Langa couldn''t help but give her a small smile. "No chance in hell." ¡°Damn," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. "At least get to know a girl first before you reject her." He rolled his eyes. "Sorry, ntombi, but that won''t be necessary. I''m not into evil guilds or evil women." "Hmm, it''s a good thing I''m not evil, then," she said, and licked her lips again. ¡°So what, you don''t believe in good and evil, like the followers of The Thousand Undead?¡± he asked. He hated that philosophy. ¡°No. Evil exists.¡± Her lightheartedness vanished instantly, and her lips tightened, eyes looking away. ¡°I have seen evil. I have walked with it, and I have been bound under evil¡¯s chains. Trust me when I say this, Langa¡­if you think I am evil, then you have not truly seen evil.¡± The karma that had been repelling him, the cadence that had been forcefully pushing him away, suddenly stilled, and there was nothing coming from her. Langa stared at her. Who was this woman, really? The more she spoke, the more interested he was in her. ¡°Fair,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯m still not joining your guild.¡± ¡°You know how to reach me if you change your mind.¡± She smiled as if the previous agitation on her face was a fluke. ¡°Don''t be a stranger and give a girl a call sometime. See you around, Langa.¡± She turned around and disappeared into thin air. He sensed her companions leaving as well but he could not sense her anymore. What a dangerous woman. Langa watched the space she had occupied a moment ago, heart racing. He shook his head, holding onto Tonare to calm himself down. Liberty was very interesting, but what the fuck was that? He was sure that she hadn¡¯t used any skill on him, otherwise, The Unrivalled would have protected him. Did he really just almost let himself get seduced by Mini-Medusa? Yikes, he needed to get laid. Or better yet, he needed to take out his frustration on the person who had annoyed him the most today. First with the hex, then sending Liberty to him, Perinda was getting on his last nerve. He opened his map, checking how far away the Vonelle Heilliege Guild¡¯s base, Heilliege¡¯s Gorge, was. If he couldn¡¯t hurt Perinda directly, he would go after the voidents in his guild. The demonkin had seemed attached to his guild, so this would be enough to make Langa feel better. The area was over 100 kilometres from where he was, and it was a yellow zone surrounded by level 10 hunting fields. Unless Langa wanted to run there, he¡¯d have to rent a lucent carriage or a flying carpet. But he wondered if Aquila and his team would agree to accompany him there, so they could gain experience hunting in a level 10 field and he could get a free ride. Perinda was a voident, so Langa was sure there were other voidents to hunt in his guild, even if there wasn''t a voi-den in their territory. It was time to send Perinda a message to leave him the fuck alone by living up to his cringy nickname. 50. Floor 1: Fear the Blazing Blitzhunter (2) The Vonelle Heilliege Guild had fucked him over. Undkese knew that the best way to save himself would be to leave the children behind and run away, but unfortunately, his mother had drilled in him the teachings of Lord Gu, The Vodun of Iron and War that he must always protect the innocent. Two twelve-year-old goblinkin children ran in front of the pack, carrying a younger child each, while the rest of the seven to ten-year-olds ran behind them with Undkese bringing up the rear. His feet sank into the swamp as he ran, the mud slowing him down. He cursed himself for leaving his teammate behind. Synn would buy them time with her life and he had to make sure her death wasn¡¯t in vain by ensuring that these children arrived alive in a safe zone. Undkese could not believe that the one time he had chosen not to follow the rules stated in The Relgte of The Vodun of Iron and War, this had happened. ''If the reward is too good for the task, then the price you pay will be your soul.¡¯ In his defence, though, The Vonelle Heilliege Guild''s quest had offered 100 silver for him and his party to deliver 13 goblinkin children from Hamden to their families close to Heilliege''s Gorge. They explained that, while the journey was not long by lucent bus, they needed a party with three Tier 1 adventurers because the bus would need to pass through a level 8¨C10 red zone in the sky filled with corrupted baby harpies. Now, granted, it should have raised a red flag that the Vonelle Heilliege guild insisted on putting the children to sleep for the journey, but they said that it was so they wouldn''t freak out when they saw the monsters. And okay, maybe them making Undkese¡¯s party take the long way through the red zones instead of the quick straight path that went through safe zones should have told him that something was off, but the reward was 100 silver for the gods'' sake! Besides, he had no reason to suspect that the guild would screw him over, given how well they''d taken care of him and the other players during the first seven days after the tutorial. They even offered his team a chance at guild membership if they performed well. For a group of thrown-together newbie adventurers, joining a top-ten-ranking mercenary guild in the Tower was enticing. He just hadn''t known that The Vonelle Heilliege Guild also did mercenary work for voident gangs, including the most notorious voident gang in the Ground Storey, The Accari Crows. By the time the party discovered that they had just trafficked 13 goblinkin children to a hidden Accari Crows voi-den within Heilliege''s Gorge, they had been locked up inside a pseudo-void territory cell, draining their stamina and karma. Their mana signatures went haywire thanks to the void veil, and they could not call for help on their comcers. Honestly, Undkese could have powered through the stamina and karma losses in the territory. Still, unfortunately, his mental resistance was only 2%, so he fell victim to the torture of the Chaotic Mind Debuff. Even thinking about that experience now made him shudder. He had been stuck reliving the moment of his sister''s death over and over again until he wanted to slit his own throat. That would have been it for him if it wasn''t for Synn. She had wormed her way into the mission to infiltrate Heilliege''s Gorge, but even she had not expected them to be working with voidents. Thankfully, Synn had high mental resistance, so she had broken through the debuff and managed to place the voident watching them under some sleeping spell before she stole his keys and freed them. Synn had to drag the party out of the pseudovoid territory while undergoing the Chaotic Mind debuff, with her stamina below 10%. Thankfully, since this was Heilliege''s Gorge, the voidents couldn''t cast a void veil over the whole territory as that would change the territory from neutral to negative and alert the Guardians. To prevent that, each of the voidents claimed a small area, creating their little territories away from each other. At least the voidents needed the children alive and pure, so they had not been placed inside a void veil. Undkese''s team saved the children, but lost some of their teammates in the process. Once outside, Undkese and Synn were accosted by a couple of level 13 voidents. At that moment, Synn chose to remain behind and hold them back to give him and the children time to escape. All Undkese could do was pray to his god for help. It was ironic that he prayed now when he had ignored the Vodun''s rules when he took this mission. Neither the children nor Undkese was familiar with this area, so he desperately posted his location on the Dent forums now that they were out of one pseudovoid territory with a big ''HELP, I''M BEING CHASED BY VOIDENTS!¡¯ title. The responses to his post were either trolls laughing at him or players from the Vonelle Heillege Guild berating him for slandering their territory. So now he was running for his life while protecting innocent children. His situation was truly hopeless. A mana bullet whizzed past his ear, and he instinctively reached into his manacore and activated Blood Sacrifice. The bullet struck a seven-year-old child in the back, but Undkese grimaced as all the damage went to him. "Found you!" Someone said with a joyful cackle. "Get behind me, and don''t get further than five metres away from me!" Undkese shouted at the children, turning around to face their pursuers. If the children were too far away, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to take their damage. Two voidents were headed his way, one an eaglekin, and the other a sun elf, two mana shooters in his hands. The eaglekin was the one who spoke, and he was swooping down to attack. Undkese would have to tank all the attacks directed at the children from the two voidents and he could only hope that he lasted long enough that someone who saw his post would come and help save them. He had enough stamina for only two skills and his attribute at the moment. His Blood Sacrifice attribute allowed him to take all damage dealt to allies within a certain radius. He had a skill to enhance his body strength for physical attacks as well as a skill that boosted his health by 50% of its maximum for 120 seconds, allowing him to take damage at the cost of stamina. The eaglekin dove down towards Undkese, talons extended, ready to slash at him. Undkese quickly activated his Iron Body skill, bracing himself for the impact. The eaglekin''s talons dug into his shoulder, causing a sharp pain to shoot through his body, however, he didn¡¯t lose any health because the passive skill protected him. He gritted his teeth as the sun elf shot a volley of enhanced steel bullets at the children, struggling to keep his attribute active as his stamina started to plummet with all the damage he was taking the longer the attribute remained active. Fuck, if only he had a weapon or a shield at least, then he could defend himself. Undkese absorbed the damage, feeling the strain on his stamina as he took the brunt of both attacks. He knew he couldn''t hold out for long, but he refused to let the voidents get to the children. He punched the eaglekin as hard as he could in the face with his enhanced iron body strength, pushing him back. He then had to jump back to avoid being shot at by the sun-elf. He released his iron body to preserve stamina, and as if this were exactly what he had been waiting for, ten sharp steel bullets penetrated his skin from the sun elf¡¯s shooters. ¡°That hurt, you filthy Asmodeus spawn!¡± the eaglekin screamed, and his mana surged as he activated a skill. Multiple small wooden stakes erupted from the air, flying towards Undkese. He could have dodged, of course, but he stood still and let them hit him because if he didn¡¯t, the children would get hurt. His stamina was running out, and he staggered unsteadily as pain radiated throughout his body. ¡°Run!¡± he said to the children. Without his protection, they wouldn¡¯t make it far, but he had no choice. He heard hesitant shuffling behind him and then running. "Enough, Wru, stop playing with your food. Activate the veil," the sun elf said in annoyance. The eaglekin pouted, but withdrew his wings, ending his transformation as he walked on the ground, and pulled out a Void Pearl. "Wait, if you create a pseudovoid territory here, the children will be corrupted. Don''t you need them pure?" Undkese asked desperately. His whole body was covered in wounds, and he was just about ready to collapse. The sun elf shrugged. "The 1st Floor is ripe with children. We can always get more." That was the most horrible thing Undkese had ever heard in his life, and before he could act on his anger, the air shifted and the void veil came into effect. He heard the children start screaming, and Unkese''s mind started swimming in haziness as he fought to keep his stance. "Hope you enjoy your trip back to Hamden," the sun elf sneered, raising his shooter while the eaglekin''s pseudovoid territory took stamina and karma from Undkese. The children were howling in pain from the Chaotic Mind debuff, and writhing on the ground in pain from the rapid stamina loss. Undkese knelt on the ground, his heart heaving in pain as he waited for death, seeing his sister''s lifeless body in front of him. This was the end for him since his respawn point was set in Hamden, the Vonelle Heilliege Guild''s territory. As his mind devolved into chaos, he could only bitterly laugh that his father had been right after all, he should have remained an NPC. Just as he resigned himself to the pain of death, lightning flashed before his eyes, and something blurred past him. He blinked blinded by the sudden intense light and thought he saw a spear, but when his eyes opened, the lightning was gone. To his utter shock, the sun elf who''d been about to kill him lay on the ground with a hole in his chest. Up ahead, a human stood over the body of the eaglekin, his back to Undkese, a silver blue spear dripping with blood in his hand. The aura surrounding him made Undkese tense up in fear as if he were in the middle of a raging lightning storm that threatened to consume him at any moment if he so much as made a move. What just happened? One second, he was about to die, and the next, his attackers were dead. How could anyone move that fast? The human lifted his hand, and the Deiform Ring on his finger glowed brightly and destroyed the eaglekin''s Void Pearl. Immediately, the void veil dissipated. He then placed Deiform Amulets around the voidents¡¯ wrists, and their bodies disappeared. The human turned around. His black eyes scanned the situation, frowning when he saw the children, and seeing his face, Undkese recognised him. He had watched his videos religiously, after all. This was the voident hunting rising star from his tutorial batch, who provoked the Hallow Reaper Cult without a care in the world. "Blazing Blitzhunter!" Undkese shouted in awe. * Langa cringed as the nickname was said with so much admiration. He seriously needed to talk with Jandri. What kind of idiot could not think of a cooler, non-copyrighted name for a fast, lightning-based player? "Good work buying time," he said to the halfkin kneeling on the ground. Thanks to the voidents being focused on him, it had been easy to sneak in and kill them before they awakened their Void Pearls. He was glad he had made it in time to save these children, although they were still shaking and terrified from the effects of the void veil. Langa had been scouting around Heilliege¡¯s Gorge, looking for a way to sneak in and search for the voi-den. He had brought Aquila''s team with him because he wanted a free ride on their flying carpet since the distance was so far away from the Valley of Guardians. He had not told them that, of course, he had enticed the party with a level 10 hunting field near the gorge. He had been helping them hunt level 10 corrupted bats when he¡¯d seen the halfkin¡¯s post on the Dent. He was glad he came as he crouched down and picked up a crying child who could not have been more than three years old. He could not believe that voidents had erected a void veil in the presence of children. "It''s okay. You''re safe now," he said quietly. "What''s your name, dear?" "Teyin," she whispered, her big eyes stained with tears. He held her close to his chest, "You are a very brave girl, Teyin. Everything will be okay." He cradled the child''s head as he used to do for Khaya when she would cry. He was decent with children because when he was a child and his sister was at work, he would look after her with Neo. He absolutely could not stand seeing children hurt. Teyin sniffled, as Langa smiled at her. "Really?" "Really," he told her, putting her down. "I won''t let anyone hurt you." The halfkin gathered all the other children around him, whispering to them and comforting them. He was making sure they weren''t badly hurt. "Is he a hero?" Langa heard one of the older children ask the halfkin. "Yes, he is. He''s a well-known voident hunter, and he came all the way here to save you. You don''t have to worry, the bad guys don''t stand a chance, he''ll wipe them out in less than a second. That''s why they call him The Blazing Blitzhunter," he told them and their terrified eyes turned to awe, snuffing away the comment Langa had been about to make about how he was not a hero, just a bounty hunter looking for silver who occasionally protected children. "You''re cooler than Black Fist Na''koma," one of the children said. Langa didn''t think he deserved to be compared with the most ruthless and notorius voident hunter of The First Storey. He turned to the torn-up halfkin, whose name he discovered was Undkese after he scanned him. "Wait here a bit; my companions are going to come and help you with the kids, they got held back fighting the Vonelle Heilliege Guild¡¯s guards. I told them to wait until I destroyed the void veil before they came here. One of them has a healing skill, so he should be able to help you. Are there more voidents around here?" he asked. Something crossed the player''s face, and he gasped. "Blitzhunter, please, you have to go back and save Synn!" Undkese pleaded, his voice filled with desperation, as he clutched Langa''s arm. "She stayed behind to give me and the children a chance to escape. I know there were three of them, but she''s very strong, so she might still be alive." Langa tensed at the mention of more voidents and someone needing help. "I''ll go back for her, I promise," he assured Undkese. "Stay with the kids." As soon as Undkese told him the direction she was, Langa turned and ran towards the area, wondering if he was too late to save this Synn. He activated the Distortion skill on his jerkin, staying invisible. How was the Vonelle Heillege Guild getting away with this? How come they had void veils in their guild territory, yet the Guardians had not come for them? He finally reached another pseudo-void territory, where he found the person he presumed to be Synn engaged in a fierce battle with one armed voident. Two dead voidents lay sprawled on the ground. There was fire surrounding the woman, so he could not see her clearly, and the voident''s bastard sword was spewing a red substance that seemed to be disassembling her fire. Without wasting a second, the invisible Langa circled behind the voident, activated Flash Step, and plunged Tonare into his neck. Blood sprayed from his neck, and he died instantly. Langa hastily used his Deiform artefacts to destroy the Void Pearl controlling this pseudovoid territory and bound the voident. Now, when he respawned, it would be in a prison cell. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. His task done, Langa turned to the person he had just helped and blinked, feeling strange yet familiar threads of connected karma between the two of them as he stared at her. Tonare vibrated violently, and Langa''s karma wavered at the sight of her, captivated by the powerful yet warm aura that seemed to come from her very being. Did they know each other? She was a stunning foxkin with long brown hair and sparse black fur on her neck who stood surrounded by a massive ring of fire, her gaze fierce despite the exhaustion evident in her stance. Her face was streaked with dirt and blood and illuminated by the fire, giving her the look of a fox after a hunt. "Stand back," she warned, glaring at him. "Are you Synn? I''m Langa, Undkese sent me to look for you," he said, lowering his vibrating glaive. He scanned her to be sure she was the right person and was shocked when he saw she was bound to an incredibly powerful deity.
Name: SynnForessa (???) Race: Foxkin
Age: ??? Character: Player
Level: 10 Class: Flame Stitcher
Available Karma: 7109 Total Karma: ?????
Deity: [Ji¨³w¨§ih¨² - The Mystical Nine-Tailed Demon Fox God.] - Avatar Highest Floor ???/101 (Mount Kunlun Towers) 1/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: Star-Eater
Alignment: (-1 411) Negative Available Respawns: 1/1 Respawn Zone: Hamden Mountain (1st Floor)
His head throbbed slightly after reading all that. Why did her readings have as many question marks as Liv''s? He wanted to be as non-threatening as possible since she was not dismissing her skill as she was looking at him warily. "Are you alright?" he asked. "Oh, I''m fine," she replied, her voice soft and weary but also strong. Langa couldn''t control the strange karma pull he felt towards her. Had they met before? "Undkese made it then? What about the children?" As her ring of fire dissipated, Langa approached her cautiously, since she was a red player. None of the negative alignment mortals he had met so far had been pleasant, but since she had sacrificed herself to save the children, he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. "I managed to get to them on time. They should be safe for now. You should go and catch up with them." "That''s good." The woman regarded him for a moment, closed her eyes and sniffed the air around him. He was confused about that, why would she sniff him? Was she a dog? Well she was a foxkin, so perhaps that was normal? Her eyes widened when she opened them and she smiled. "It''s you! You made it out of the tutorial alive!" The way she spoke made it seem like they knew each other. "Have we met before?" Langa asked. he was sure he would remember such a pretty woman though. She pursed her lips. "I guess not¡ªnot in this form at least. My name is SynnForessa," she introduced herself. ¡°Nice to meet you. How are you feeling?¡± he asked, since her words made little sense to him. "Fine." She sighed. ¡°Thanks for your help, but I could have handled that guy by myself." "Are you kidding? You looked like you were almost at mana exhaustion there," he said with a raised eyebrow. "Let''s agree to disagree." [The Mount Kunlun god: The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox God, is watching you.] "Um, what does your god want from me? He''s the Nine-Tailed Fox, right?" Langa asked. Synn''s head snapped towards him and she grabbed him by the shoulders, her face flushed. He was too startled to push her away. "He''s here? What did he say?" "He''s just watching me. Let go," he said, pushing her hands away. Her face turned incredulous. "Are you fucking kidding me, Master?" she asked, looking up at the sky. "You watch him but you won''t even talk to me? How long have I begged and pleaded for you to just look at me?" [The Mount Kunlun god: The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox God, laughs in amusement.] Langa bristled when he read that message, and Synn looked at him. "What did he say?" He hesitated, not knowing whether it was a good idea to tell her or not. "He laughed," he told her. At first, her mouth went agape with shock. Then shook her head and also laughed mirthlessly. It was a hollow, disbelieving laughter. "You know what? Forget him. If the children are safe, then as soon as my mana and stamina regenerate, I''m going to destroy that fucking voi-den," she said. In Langa''s opinion, she looked like she needed to be healed first. ¡°You need to go back towards Undkese. One of the people I brought with me is a healer, he¡¯ll get you back in fighting shape." The unimpressed look she gave him was annoyed. ¡°I said I¡¯m fine. I want to destroy these voidents for what they did to those and other children. I¡¯m not wasting any time going back!¡± "Are there more people being held hostage?" he asked, ready to take down the voidents and save anyone else they were holding against their will. "No, they did the previous sacrifice today, so the kids we brought would have been the only ones alive," she said, plopping down on the ground in exhaustion. Langa frowned, his previous relaxed demeanour gone. He had known that the voidents sacrificed people for their Void Gems to grow in power, but knowing that those children had been brought here to be used as sacrifices made him unbelievably angry. "Wait, you brought those kids here to be sacrificed?" he asked her, Tonare clutched tightly. Synn shook her head. "Of course not. That would have pushed me further in the red. I had a quest from one of the neutral villages at Anukirtam Valley, they said children were disappearing, and I was investigating it with a friend when word reached us that the Vonelle Heilliege Guild had recovered some of the missing children and was looking for people to discreetly transport them back home without alerting the kidnappers," she sighed. "Coraloa went back to the capital to complete the investigation, and I decided to help escort the kids. If I''d known that the Vonelle Heilliege Guild were supplying the Accari Crows with sacrifices and giving them shelter in their guild territory, I would have incinerated their lousy arses to the seventh hell." The venom in her tone made Langa smile a little. "So, the reason the Guardians haven''t been able to locate many of the Accari Crows'' voi-dens on the 1st Floor is because neutral guilds are protecting them? I knew that there was no way in hell that a guild with a shithead like Perinda Housci in its ranks would be up to any good.¡± ¡±Yeah, so stay out of my way, and I¡¯ll destroy the bastards,¡± she said, gathering herself and standing back up. "Are you a Guardian?" he asked. "Nope." "Are you Blessed by The Unrivalled?" She snorted. "No way; she''s already done too much for me. Any more would be favouritism." Langa turned sharply towards her. "Then how the fuck were you able to stand, fight, and kill two voidents within a pseudovoid territory?" The stamina debuff and karma loss aside, how could she stand the Chaotic Mind debuff without Deiform Artefacts? He knew he was more susceptible to it thanks to his low mental resistance, but plenty of people steered clear of voidents because that debuff was pure torture on the mind. "I have low stamina anyway, and I''m always converting it to mana, so I''m used to being a walking physical corpse. Yeah, losing karma sucks, but I can always earn more. As for the mental debuff," Synn shrugged. "Well, let''s just say I''ve been through so much shit that my mental resistance finally reached its maximum. I''m not immune, but I''ve been through worse than a pseudovoid territory." She seemed to find it amusing, but Langa shuddered. What the hell had this woman gone through? ¡°Alright then, you just lead the way to the voi-den and we can destroy it,¡± he said. ¡±I don¡¯t need your help,¡± she told him with narrowed eyes. ¡±You¡¯re getting it anyway. I¡¯m not doing this for you. I came to this gorge to hunt voidents and that¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do.¡± Synn rolled her eyes and led him in a different direction. ¡°Just don¡¯t get in my way, and we won¡¯t have a problem.¡± As they walked towards the left, Langa stopped, his Avatar title alerting him to something wrong to their right. The breath of life was increasingly absent in that direction. He turned to that side, not understanding how even the trees and grass were not breathing. "Don''t go that way," Synn said, following his gaze. "Trust me, let''s just destroy the voi-den." She had been calm this entire time, but looking at that side made her shiver uncertainly. "What''s there?" "The reason why everyone fears and detests voidents," she said quietly. "The cost of wielding corruption." Langa tensed and walked towards the right path. Aria had told him not to enter the voi-den after he had accompanied the Guardians to raid one. She said it with the same look that Synn had now. If Langa wanted to continue hunting voidents, he needed to know what to expect from them. He needed to know what exactly he was hunting. So, he walked towards the area devoid of the breath of life. Langa''s pace quickened as Synn followed him through the dark, open land of the Gorge, not saying a word. He reached the point where life was missing and found that there was another void veil hiding whatever it was he was sensing. "I''ll wait out here if you don''t mind," Synn told him. "Okay, there''s no need for you to lose any more karma and stamina." Since she did not have the protection of the Deiform artefacts, it was better to remain outside the pseudovoid territory unless it was an emergency. Langa stepped through the void veil and what he saw made his blood run cold. There was an altar in front of him with no Name, statues or artefacts on it depicting which deity it was for. The only thing on the altar was a Void Pearl. A red player was standing next to the altar with his back to Langa. On the ground next to the player were dead bodies, and he picked one up, tossing it into a hole in the ground. The absence of life was suffocating, and Langa had to unequip his Avatar title, replacing it with his Team Player title, to scan the red player. He was Level 14, with 0 respawns left. Looking closer, Langa saw that the bodies were small, frail and shrivelled up. His whole body shook as he gripped Tonare and Flash Stepped forward to the pit to confirm with his eyes what his mind already knew. These were the bodies of children. The red moon cast a dim light over the area, illuminating the horrible sight before him. The stench of blood and corruption was all over the air, mingling with the smell of rotten corpses. Langa''s breath caught in his throat as he saw dozens upon dozens of lifeless bodies that lay broken at the bottom of the pit, their eyes wide open in a silent scream of terror. The sight of the goblinkin children, their veins black and bulging from the corruption they had been forced to endure, filled him with deep, primal anger. As Liberty said, he was always so good at forcing down his emotions, but right now, the bowl of anger spilt over into pure rage. That rage built up like a storm inside him as it filled his entire being. ¡°Who the fu-¡° The red player finally noticed his presence and turned to look at Langa. Langa hastily switched to his Voident Hunter title as the player drew his sword. He felt the angry surge of his karma at this senseless killing and that anger was all he was at that moment, overwhelming him so much that he released it outwardly as karma pressure. The player immediately went pale as he succumbed to the fear of his karma pressure combined with the effects of Langa''s Voident Hunter title, which instilled fear and terror in people when he was in a pseudovoid territory. Langa knew that the player had no respawns left. Good. He lunged at the player with Flash Step, his hands curling around Tonare as he unleashed his fury upon the man responsible for such unspeakable horror. He didn¡¯t activate Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike, instead, he allowed his lightning to flow into the strike as excruciatingly slowly as he possibly could. The player''s screams of pain were drowned out by the sounds of Tonare¡¯s lightning, breaking his bones and burning his flesh black. His body spasmed and shook as the electricity flowed from the glaive into him ever so slowly to induce maximum pain. The player died with his eyes wide open. Since he was permanently dead, the contents of his inventory spilled out and his manacore was available to loot. His blood stained Langa¡¯s hands and clothes, and his hands shook. This was the first time he ever intentionally and permanently killed a non-voident mortal. A part of him thought he should be disgusted with himself now that his hands were stained red with blood, but as far as Langa was concerned, what he had just killed was nothing more than a corrupted monster in an elf¡¯s body. He destroyed the Void Pearl on top of the altar, dissolving the void veil. He looked down at the pit. There were active gods in this world, and people prayed to them for salvation, yet shit like this still, happened? His blood was on fire as he felt the eyes of over a thousand deities watching him. Adtonifulmin¡¯s essence was focused on him too, but Langa couldn¡¯t find comfort in him today. ¡°Why children?¡± he asked, looking up at the blood moon. He''d seen a lot of death and pain since the integration, but for him, at least, this was the worst thing he had witnessed so far. His father had always taught him that children were a precious gift to be protected, so it broke his heart to see shit like this happening to their innocent souls. He wasn¡¯t expecting the deities to answer, but Synn walked over and stood behind him now that the void veil was gone. ¡°The more innocent or pure the soul of the sacrifice, the more corruption the Void Gems can harness,¡± she said. Really? Why were red players and voidents allowed to do this for fleeting power? Why were the gods just standing by and watching this unfold? They had all that power, yet they were content to watch things like this happen? Wasn''t the Tower supposed to create safe spaces for innocent NPCs? Langa gritted his teeth, looking up at the sky. ¡°You¡¯re the most powerful active goddess in the entire multiverse. Is this the Tower that trillions of people from corrupted worlds pray to be integrated into? Aren¡¯t you supposed to save us from corruption? You could stop this by preventing mortals from using corruption in the first place. Why won¡¯t you do it?¡± The Unrivalled did not respond to him. "That goes against the natural order of things and the laws of the multiverse. The Creator gives all of us free will from the moment we come into existence. Mortals are free to learn any type of magic they want. The best that The Unrivalled can do is make that power hard for mortals to find. Forbidding or preventing mortals from learning how to use the power of corruption would be trampling on their free will. She will not take that away from us, no matter how much we sin," Synn told him. Free will? How was that fair when the voidents took away the free will of other innocent mortals? Were the voidents really exercising their mortal right to be free if their freedom infringed on other people''s freedom? Langa didn''t pretend to be righteous or to hold the moral high ground. He wasn''t someone who went out of his way to save the oppressed or the suffering. But this happened right in front of him. Langa set fire to the pit, closing his eyes. "What happened to you was unfair, and I hate that you died with your eyes open. I promise you this, your killers will suffer the same fate. I wish that your souls wouldn''t linger in the darkness, and I commit whatever is left of them to The Lackadaisical Herald. May you find peace in his embrace." He infused Tonare with lightning and slashed the altar, setting it on fire as well. "Are you crazy?" Synn asked. "The voidents will be alerted as soon as the corrupted altar is destroyed. How are we supposed to sneak up on them now?" Langa shrugged. "We hurry. The void veils disrupt mana signatures, so they won''t have been able to communicate with their colleagues that we killed. We still have time until the altar burns to ash. Let''s go." "Unbelievable. I''m stuck with an impulsive, self-righteous idiot," she muttered. Langa resisted the urge to remind her that he had saved her life, instead, he followed her towards the voi-den. So, the voidents wanted freedom from taking the lives of other people? Fine, if that was the path they wanted to walk, he would walk alongside them. The scent of blood, ash, and death in the air fuelled the fire in his nerves. No voident would leave Heilliege''s Gorge alive tonight. 51. Floor 1: Fear the Blazing Blitzhunter (3) Heilliege''s Gorge was a narrow valley with thick rock walls nestled under two hills. A river ran under the rocks, separating the guild outpost from the hidden base of the Accari Crows on the other side. The area was a veiled black zone hidden within a neutral zone, and this meant that they could carry on with their activities without the guild members being aware of it. To enter the Gorge, Langa, Aquila, and Aramaga had to fight and detain the few members of the guild guarding the entrance. Langa was suspicious of the low number of Vonelle Heilliege guild players present in this place, but now he knew it was because they were bringing new sacrifices for the voidents thus, they had given more outgoing missions to their guild members so they would leave. It seemed that not everyone in the guild knew that they were involved in business with voidents. Langa and Synn had to move quietly towards the voidents'' side to avoid alerting any high-ranking members of the Vonelle Heilliege guild that may be close by to their presence. The only reason that they did not already know about the commotion was because of the seclusion of pseudovoid territories. This also made it easy to conceal the voi-den as whenever a void veil was erected, it created a camouflage that made it seem like the area was empty, and only those with high perception, Deiform artefacts, or the Blessing of The Unrivalled could see through it. ¡°I¡¯m sure the voi-den was this way, but I can¡¯t see it now,¡± Synn said in frustration, looking around. ¡°The void veil starts right here,¡± Langa told her, pointing to the empty space in front of him. ¡°I can sense many breaths of life inside. 22 or maybe 25? I¡¯m not too sure, but it¡¯s somewhere around that number.¡± ¡°That many?!¡± Synn exclaimed unhappily. ¡°Do you have the Perception stat? How high is it?¡± ¡°No, I''m using a title,¡± he said. ¡°How are we going to do this?¡± From what he could tell, the voidents were all together in one place, and Langa wanted to test his new enchanted lucent powder bombs by blowing up the voi-den with the voidents in it. He had only one spell scroll with Lightning Lance Inscribed on it, so he was planning to make it count. ¡°Let me convert my stamina to excess mana because the pseudovoid territory is going to suck it away anyway. As for the voidents, I¡¯m going to set fire to this cursed place and blow them all the way to the thirteenth hell.¡± Synn said, her words laced with venom. Langa grinned. ¡°Damn, you took the words right out of my mouth.¡± ¡±Good, that means you didn''t let all that righteous anger cloud your judgement,¡± she said. ¡°Can you sense their levels?¡± Langa shook his head. ¡°My title isn¡¯t that specific. However, according to the Guardians, most of the voidents on the lower Floors keep themselves below level 15, so that the level 25 and above Guardians can¡¯t attack them. Plus, most NPCs turn to voidentism because they failed to get the favour of a deity.¡± Synn pushed her hair back and licked her lips. ¡°I¡¯m level 10, and you''re level 11 as long as we work together, I think we can handle a few unbound voidents under level 13. Beyond that, though, it¡¯s hard to tell.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Langa agreed. "Plus, once the altar is completely destroyed, we¡¯ll lose our element of surprise. They¡¯d rather run than risk being captured by the Guardians. In that case, maybe I should call reinforcements.¡± He couldn¡¯t call Aquila¡¯s team out here because they had no protection from the void veil, and the pseudovoid territory would weaken them severely. Therefore, he called someone whose job it was to hunt voidents. ¡°Hi, Langa, can I call you back?¡± Jandri answered the comcer. ¡°I¡¯m in the middle of-¡° ¡°The Vonelle Heilliege Guild is harbouring the Accari Crows at Heilliege¡¯s Gorge. There are more than twenty Tier 1 voidents here, and I¡¯m about to go into the pseudovoid territory. If you can, please send a team here ASAP,¡± he said, cutting her off. ¡°What? Are you serious?¡± Jandri shouted. ¡°Are you telling me that you have proof? Langa, please tell me that the Guardians finally have probable cause to raid that stupid gorge. The last time we tried, we did a full mana search on the place but found no evidence of corrupted karma so we couldn''t get the Authority from The Unrivalled.¡± Seriously? They worried about shit like probable cause while children were being killed? ¡°Do goblinkin trafficking and mass murder of children count as probable fucking cause? A corrupted altar with a Void Gem? Pseudovoid territories all over the gorge?¡± he snapped. ¡°They were conducting the sacrificial ceremonies there?¡± Jandri asked in shock. ¡°Velafor''s balls, don¡¯t go in there alone. Sasani-Zine might be there. He recently disappeared from the 6th Floor but remember what Perinda Housci said? He might be at Heilliege¡¯s Gorge. Sasani-Zine has a Void Emerald. Your Deiform Artefacts won''t work well on that type of pseudovoid territory. With Housci''s words, we could only do the full mana search. With no evidence of corrupted mana found, we couldn''t get the Authority from The Unrivalled. Therefore, we couldn''t do a full karma raid without cause. If we had, it could have sparked a war between our guilds. Anyway, he¡¯s dangerous, so wait for backup.¡± ¡°We interrupted their sacrificial ceremony and set fire to the altar. You know they''ll be alerted that the altar was destroyed soon. If they know they¡¯ve been made, they¡¯ll try to escape. I can''t let them get away with this, Jandri,¡± Langa said. "Send a team here, we could use some backup, but we can¡¯t wait.¡± "Shit, fine. There¡¯s a teleportation wheel not far from there. Give us 5 to 10 minutes, I''ll lead them myself. Be careful, okay?" she said anxiously. "Sure," Langa said as he ended the call. Synn was standing still with her eyes closed in front of the void veil, meditating. ¡°Backup from the Guardians will be here in ten minutes." ¡±I don¡¯t know if we can hold out that long,¡± Synn said. Contrary to the problematic situation, however, her voice sounded excited. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been pushed to my limits.¡± ¡±Let¡¯s form a party so we can share the experience. Also, do you have any mana potions?¡± Langa asked. Synn had only three inferior mana potions in her inventory as everything that had been in her bag was taken upon her capture. In the end, Langa gave her two of his basic mana potions as they did very little for him anyway, leaving one basic lightning mana potion for himself as he would need it to replenish his mana after using the Lightning Lance. ¡±What''s the plan?¡± Synn asked. Langa shrugged. Strategising wasn¡¯t really his thing. ¡°I''m not good at making plans. I¡¯m fast and I can kill things with my spear and lightning. Work around that.¡± She shook her head in disbelief, no doubt thinking he must be a simpleton. ¡±Alright, I¡¯ll take down the voi-den with my divine skill but I have very low health, so you¡¯ll have to protect me after that until my mana regenerates.¡± ¡±No problem. Let¡¯s go," he said, stepping forward. [You have entered a Common Rank pseudo-void territory. You are not under the protection of any Void Gems -5STA per second until STA is at 10% of your maximum -0.25 karma per second until all available karma is drained. +Chaotic Mind Debuff applied to all player characters inside the pseudo-void territory] [You are under the protection of the Guardian''s Deiform Ring. You shall receive no negative effects from the pseudo-void territory] Langa heard Synn flinch slightly once she entered the pseudovoid territory but otherwise, there were no indications of the fact that she was under a terrible, mentally draining power that was forcing her to relieve her worst memories. For a second, Langa was jealous of her mental resistance but he quickly chided himself because it was stupid to be jealous given what she probably had to go through to raise it that high. Inside the pseudovoid territory, the voidents had set up their base in a cave. As they approached the cave entrance, the two voidents standing guard outside the cave turned sharply in their direction, and Langa sped forward with Flash Step, using Tonare and the skill¡¯s extra damage to mortally wound one voident in the chest. He dove down to dodge a chain made of metallic mana from the other one, just as a Flame Spike from Synn struck the voident¡¯s shoulder. Langa finished him off with Tonare a second later. Thankfully, Langa had managed to dispatch the lookouts before they alerted the others. The real attack began with a booming roar as Synn stepped up, reached into her manacore, and used every ounce of her Faith in The Nine-Tailed Fox along with her mana to unleash her divine skill. "Kelpercutieyin! Meteor Strike!" she shouted. Langa watched, mouth agape as a large flaming ball of rock the size of a fucking car appeared in the air and crashed on top of the voi-den. It created a powerful explosion of molten flame that shook the ground they were standing on. Langa''s whole body rocked as the blast threw him forcefully backwards, and thrust his body hard on the ground. Synn had been standing much further back, so she was barely moved as the fiery rock bulldozed its way deep into the cave turning it into a wreckage. Even from this far out, Langa could feel the blistering heat choking him as the explosion lay waste to the voi-den, the rock walls of the cave turned into powder, ash and flame. Screams came from the inside, but Langa knew that while players had generally low health, a lot of them had defensive skills and armour that could protect them from the explosion. Hopefully, a lot of them died or were trapped within the cave. Langa listened for signs of life while Synn sat on the ground and downed a mana potion. From what he could tell with the effects of his title, the first two layers of the base crumbled under the force of her magic, sealing the voidents'' fate. However, there were breaths of life rising from the rubble. Langa could feel that there were still more than ten voidents trapped inside the cave, alive, and they could come out any moment once they found a way out. With the bulk of the work done by Synn, he took out his enchanted Lucent Patches wrapped around his lucent powder, preparing to unleash the experimental bomb upon the voidents who emerged from the rubble. The ground shook once more and an elf burst out of the ground next to the cave. Sure enough, the surviving voidents rushed out after him, some battered and bruised others limping. There were about eight of them in total. "Fucking hell," Synn muttered and Langa scanned the elf and cursed under his breath when he got a hit on the Guardians Database. [Wanted: Dead or Alive Name: Sasani-Zine Designation: E-rank voident Class: Druid Affiliation: Accari Crows Last known level: 17 Bounty: 83 Silver.] The wood elf was the voidents'' leader Sasani and he emerged from the ground below on his familiar, a Level 7 winged cat. So, this was the guy Perinda had told Langa to find? "Take care of the Blitzhunter! The girl is the one who destroyed our base. She''s mine!" Sasani shouted and he wasted no time in creating his pseudovoid territory, inside the pseudovoid territory they were already in, encasing Synn within it and separating her from Langa. The two of them were now forced to face their enemies unaided, but he knew there was no way Synn could defeat a level 17 voident alone. Seven injured and pissed-off voidents, ranging from levels 11 to 13 ran up towards Langa, malice in their eyes, with two of them holding Void Pearls. Langa sprang into action, activating the magic circle for his Lightning Lance skill. The spell scroll filled with power as he infused it with his mana, and concentrated on his Faith in the constant, watchful gaze of The Lackadaisical Herald. Thankfully, the preparations were already made. An arrow and three bolts of shadow filled with corruption magic flew his way from the voidents as two more charged towards him. Langa ducked and moved back to avoid them. He allowed them to get closer and surround him. Langa then did something that the Legacy had forbidden him from doing, he moved his mana along the nerves surrounding his heart, using the lightning to stimulate it, and it started to beat faster. With his heart throbbing unnaturally, he activated his attribute to increase his perception of time. Before his stamina could fall below 10%, he threw five lucent powder bombs at the voidents, the first being the one who was frozen in the stance of slashing at him with a black corrupted sword, then he used his Faith and all his mana to summone his Lightning Lance. The Lance was almost three metres long, and it followed his will, as he commanded the volatile lightning inside it to ignite the lucent powder. With Flash Step, he teleported away from the impending explosion, almost depleting his stamina. The Lightning Lance struck the [Explosive Lucent Powder (V1)] and the entire area surrounding the voidents erupted into hundreds of streaks of blue lightning, forcing the fire from the ignited powder to engulf the seven voidents in its blaze. The scent of charred, burning flesh flowed into Langa¡¯s nose as their screams tore through the air. It was a rain of divine lightning that turned into a fiery mess. Unfortunately, after ignition, the Lance had separated into individual streaks of electricity, so it was no longer fully in Langa''s control. He noted it in the back of his mind that next time he shouldn''t use such a volatile source of power, because it was a waste as some of the remaining lightning dissipated without a target. After taking a stamina pill, Langa shot forward and used Tonare to cut through the screaming voidents that remained alive. With each slash of his spear, he felt his Fledgeling Voident Hunter title increase, his strength growing as he killed them all. He clasped a Deiform Amulet on all the voidents he defeated. - Meanwhile, inside the secondary void veil, Synn unleashed a large number of Flame Spikes at her opponent. Sasani''s winged cat was quick to dodge as it flew him towards her. With her low health, she couldn''t let him get close, so she circulated her mana carefully around her manacore to activate her Ring of Fire skill, creating a defensive barrier of flames around her. The elf disembarked from his familiar and muttered an incantation. The ground underneath Synn suddenly became softer than sand, and with her low agility, she lost balance and stumbled back as large, resilient tree roots dripping with poisonous sap gushed out from the soft ground and snaked around her feet. The air filled with smoke as she utilised her Slumbering Smoke skill to try and slow Sasani''s movements, giving her ample time to get away from him. However, his familiar let out a green light that washed over the voident¡¯s entire body and he was freed from her debuff. Synn made her Fire Ring intensify and unleashed her Sear skill, marking Sasani, allowing her to target him accurately with her Flame Spikes as she continued to rain down fire upon him. The Chaotic Mind Debuff circled her head, filling her mind with images of the world she¡¯d failed. She saw images of her priests pleading with her for salvation. She shook her head, and the heat of battle flared as Synn exerted herself to the limits of her mana. Her passive Mana Stitching Skill was working hard to stitch the flames in a way that reduced strain on her manacore, improving her mana regeneration. Even with that, though, the mental strain of the pseudovoid territory weighed her down. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The roots below Synn tightened, and caught her feet, chillingly breaking the bones in one of her legs, but she didn''t scream as she lowered her Fire Ring and burnt the roots. Unfortunately, whenever she burned one, a new one appeared. But while she was concentrating on using Fire Ring to free herself from the roots, she was essentially defenceless. Something hard and blunt, collided painfully with her side like a giant club, and she grunted as she felt her health drain from her. That was more than 60% of her total HP, and coupled with the broken leg, it did not look good for her. The good thing was that since she had been knocked so far away, her legs were free of the roots now. She downed a health potion as quickly as she could, making sure that she didn''t deactivate Fire Ring even for a second, because once she did that, it would go on to cool down. So she brought up the ring around her again as she struggled to sit up. Her stamina had now fallen below 10%. Any second now, she would be paralysed by the low stamina debuff. ¡°Who are you?¡± Sasani asked, walking towards her. He was not carrying a weapon, instead, his body had transformed from a lean elf''s body to one covered with a brown muddy coating that made the muscles on his entire upper body bigger and his body as hard as a rock as he stared down at her. ¡°In the grand scheme of things, nobody.¡± She gathered more of her faith and slowly circulated her mana, a magic circle lighting up inside her manacore, preparing for another Meteor Strike. The images of the innocent people who had died because Synn was greedy and stole the world of Zamone from The Nine-Tailed Fox filled her mind, making it hard to think. At least her mana regeneration was quick, thanks to her high Wisdom stat. Using Meteor Strike again would drain the rest of her mana, and since she was not at 100% MP, it wouldn¡¯t even be half as strong as the one she used earlier. ¡°I was just hanging around the gorge, and I thought it''d be a beautiful day to fuck up some filthy voidents,¡± she said. Sasani¡¯s face darkened, and red vines erupted both from the roots he was bringing up from the ground and from himself. Synn¡¯s mana merged with her Faith as the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox surged within her, two tails materialising as she shouted, ¡°Kelpercutieyin! Meteor Strike!¡± sacrificing her mana. Thanks to the mark of Fire Sear, there was no escaping the small, flaming ball of burning rock the size of a small rabbit that descended down on Sasani. However, since they had both attacked at the same time, Synn screamed as she felt the red vines wrap around her neck. She couldn¡¯t breathe. Worse still, even though her attack had struck Sasani and penetrated his armour, setting him on fire, and cutting off his arm, the winged cat once more bathed Sasani in a bright light, and he emerged from the fire, slowly healing. "Dammit!" Synn blinked, and the voident was suddenly right in front of her. ¡°You chose the wrong day to play hero, foxkin,¡± he said. She was down to only 10% health now. Fuck, she hated this weak body. ¡°You harness corruption, believing yourselves to be special. You have no idea what Rampant Corruption does to a defenceless world. No idea what it''s like to depend on fucking maestrils to feed on the karma of corrupted creatures! Do you even know how many worlds you doom by actively wielding corruption, not letting it remain a dormant passive force?¡± "What the hell do you know? You have no idea what it''s like to be powerless with only corruption as your salvation," said Sasani making the vines tighten around her body, sucking her blood. As the pain overcame her, Synn couldn''t help but remember her own desperation when corruption razed her world. But even then, she never considered joining his side, even when she Descended. Dammit, even with her high mental resistance, the Chaotic Mind debuff was affecting her. - Once Langa was done dealing with the remaining voidents, he hurried towards Sasani''s void veil. [You are about to enter an Uncommon Rank pseudo-void territory (Void Emerald). You are not under the protection of any Void Gems -10STA per second until STA is at 10% of your maximum -0.5 karma per second until all available karma is drained. +Chaotic Mind Debuff applied to all player characters inside the pseudo-void territory] [You are under the protection of the Guardian''s Deiform Ring. At your level, this divine artefact is only effective against Void Pearls. -5 STA per second until STA is at 10% of your maximum -0.25 karma per second until all available karma is drained. + Reduced effects of Chaotic Mind Debuff] Langa knew Synn was in trouble, yet he hesitated. The karma and stamina loss, he could live with, but not the Chaotic Mind debuff, no matter how much the Deiform Ring reduced it. He couldn¡¯t subject himself to that mental torture again, so he only had one choice, he needed the protection of a Void Gem. Sighing, Langa said, ¡°Lord Adtonifulmin, please silence all the deities watching me. I can¡¯t hide this from them forever, but I¡¯d rather concentrate on battle and not be distracted by their comments." Knowing that he was about to send a ripple among the deities watching him, Langa pulled out his Void Star and infused it with a small fraction of his mana. There was collective shock among the deities and then an unnatural silence as Adtonifulmin restricted them from communicating with him. The only other god besides Adtonifulmin that he could feel was Chaos watching him in delight. ¡°Protect me from the Void Emerald,¡± he said to the glowing Void Star. Black strands of karma emerged from the Void Star and wrapped around his entire body like a rope, before disappearing completely into him. He felt a delighted stir from the malevolent energy next to his heart, the darkness in the Void Star reaching his curse, his Brand. [You have consumed (1) charge from divine artefact: Void Star. You will be protected from the negative effects of all Void Gems of lower rank than the Void Star] He could tell that both the Brand and the Void Star were unsatisfied with this and that the one charge he had just consumed could do far more than just protect him. Still, he had no desire to become labelled as a voident. Langa placed the Void Star in the open slot of his belt, where he usually hung Tonare for easy access, then he burst into the pseudovoid territory, activating Distortion on his jerkin to make himself invisible. His heart hurt when he saw that the voident had Synn wrapped up in red vines and she looked to be going limp from lack of air. He Flash Stepped right behind the voident and stabbed his lightning-infused glaive into the elf¡¯s back, expecting to deal enough damage to kill him instantly. However, the voident had some muddy coating all over his body, and Tonare couldn''t force its way deeper inside him, thanks to that enhanced body armour. He was only able to give him a flesh wound. Now that he had attacked, Langa was visible, so the voident had turned his attention from Synn to him. Dammit, Langa had wasted both his damage and element of surprise. Letting go of Synn, the voident''s leg kicked out at him but Langa was fast enough to use his reflexes to dodge and step back. "How the hell did you penetrate my earthen armour?" Sasani growled, glaring at Langa as his winged cat appeared behind him and healed him. Langa was the baffled one. What the hell kind of skill did the voident have that stopped Tonare from passing through his defences? Tonare was a unique glaive, so he guessed that whatever body enhancement Sasani had was a divine skill. There was no time to ponder that, however, as the ground underneath Langa softened, and he nearly lost his balance, but he regained it even on the uneven terrain because of his good agility. He ran and cut off the vine holding Synn and she fell to the ground, breathing heavily. He stood in front of her as she took another health potion. After that, he spun Tonare around as fast as he could to create a defensive blade wind to cut off the numerous vines Sasani sent at them. A second later, there was a Ring of Fire around Synn, and she stood up. Strange roots rose from the ground, trying to grab him, but they couldn''t catch Langa because he was fast enough to evade them. With her mana and health back up, Synn burned away the roots that tried to grab her as well. Sasani advanced towards them and once Langa was sure Synn was okay, he Flash Stepped forward and tried to stab the voident, but the vines surrounded him, forcing Langa to cut through them first so that by the time Tonare struck Sasani, it had lost its momentum and was easily stopped by his armour. Langa didn''t stop, he retreated a step and then darted forward, Tonare raised. The quick slicing of the glaive left a deep gash in Sasani''s leg, and Langa was able to use the movement techniques of Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship to quickly dodge a dripping root that snaked towards him from the ground. He was not a master of the spear, but he was no longer a beginner either, not after all the time he spent with the Legacy teaching him. Langa lowered his stance, maintaining range with Tonare as he feinted low. Sasani''s vines surged down towards him, only for Langa to pivot on his right leg, and slash up the elf''s abdomen. Blood soaked Tonare and Sasani grunted, the wound painful but not deep enough to cause a fatal injury. The knee to his abdomen from the voident felt like he had been smashed in the gut by a strong, sharp rock, and he barely dodged the punch that followed, the wind knocked out of him as he doubled back towards Synn. Dammit, what use was it being fast if he couldn¡¯t damage his opponent? So, the body enhancement wasn''t just armour; his physical body strength was increased unimaginably too. The only thing that might have worked was Thunderbird''s Stunning strike; it had never been stopped by any type of armour before. Langa was worried, though, that if he used it, he would suffer backlash and the winged cat would heal Sasani. Unfortunately, without a manacore or a spell scroll, he couldn''t use his divine skill at the moment. Synn sent multiple Flame Spikes and fireballs at him, and yet, they failed to penetrate his armour, too. When they did get through, light from the winged cat would surround Sasani, healing him. ¡°Keep him distracted, I¡¯ll take out the familiar,¡± Langa told her. "We can''t kill him if it keeps healing him." Synn nodded as she gathered some of the fire in her Fire Ring into a large, hot red fireball. "Incinerate!" she said, launching it towards Sasani and forcing him to tighten his armour skill around himself. Langa quickly ran towards the winged cat and tried to stab it with Tonare, but a red vine wrapped around his neck from behind, and the cat flew away. He threw a lucent powder bomb and a lightning-infused dagger to ignite it. The creature was so fast that only its wing was caught in the explosion, and it shrieked in pain. He was unable to finish it off, though, as Sasani''s vine was attached to his skin, draining his blood every second, making Langa lose balance. [-20HP] [-20HP] ¡°You dare try to hurt my Piria?!¡± Sasani screamed, charging at Langa. One of his arms was bleeding profusely from Synn''s attack, and she was on the ground. No doubt her mana had depleted rapidly from that Incinerate spell, as she was being held in place by the roots and couldn¡¯t burn them. Langa ducked away from the voident¡¯s punch, he had a feeling it would seriously injure him if it hit. It wasn¡¯t an easy thing to do with the red vine attached to him sucking his blood. Thankfully, the more he got hurt, the more his Regeneration skill healed him, although even combined with his natural health regeneration, it was barely 1 HP per second. Langa couldn''t help but wonder how both Synn and this elf were able to have two to three skills active at the same time. Using his boots'' Jumper skill, he struck with his feet, kicking Sasani''s chest and using it as a springboard, the force helping him as he jumped away from the vines and towards Synn. He was conserving his Stamina for either his attribute or Flash Step. She threw a Flame Spike at Sasani and Langa had the bright idea to infuse his mana into another one of his experimental lucent powder bombs and throw it at the voident. It collided with the Flame Spikes and erupted in a small, fiery explosion that pushed Sasani back, and Langa was able to catch his breath, his heart racing painfully in his chest as if it were going to burst. He would have to work on the enchantment some more, as it seemed the explosion wasn''t as effective if it wasn''t Langa''s mana igniting it. This guy was strong. As much as he wanted to use his attribute, he had already forcibly stimulated his heart earlier, and he was not sure how much more it could take before it failed and he died, especially with the Brand active. He could accidentally kill himself. ¡°Do you have any more of that powder? Next time he sends his vines, can you burn them for me?¡± Synn asked. ¡°But they regenerate. All that will do is make them flaming, bloodsucking vines, and they¡¯ll deal even more damage to us,¡± he said. ¡°Just do it, I¡¯ll be able to use my attribute to negate it, but it doesn¡¯t work with my own fire,¡± she explained. The winged cat healed Sasani again, and when he charged towards them again, Langa used the Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship skill to defend both himself and Synn. It wasn''t very effective with his pitiful strength. Sasani''s muddy armour imbued his attacks with the strength of the earth itself, each blow that managed to strike Langa filled with a force that threatened to overwhelm him. Then Sasani frowned, looking beyond the void veil. ¡°Tier 2 karma?¡± he muttered, then glared at Langa and Synn. ¡°You weren¡¯t trying to defeat me, you were just buying time for reinforcements, weren¡¯t you?¡± Now that Langa had a second to breathe, he could feel multiple breaths of life nearby. Was Jandri here with reinforcements? ¡°Nuh, I wasn¡¯t buying time at all. You¡¯re not that strong, despite your level. I can defeat you,¡± he said, hoping to provoke the voident. ¡°You can''t put a scratch on me, and I will not be captured!¡± the voident retorted. ¡°Piria! Let''s go!¡± The winged cat lowered itself, and he climbed on top of it, trying to fly away. Langa had the feeling that if they missed Sasani here, they would have trouble catching him. To prevent that, Synn tried slowing the winged cat down again with her Slumbering Smoke and surprisingly, the debuff worked this time. Langa used this to his advantage and threw Tonare as hard as he could at Sasani. With his agility, he knew it would hit, as the familiar would be too slow to evade the glaive. To his utter shock, however, the familiar raised itself a fraction higher and took the hit. Tonare plunged deep into the winged cat¡¯s neck, and it fell to the ground along with Sasani. The winged cat whimpered and died, bravely sacrificing itself to protect its master. "PIRIA!" Sasani screamed as he tumbled to the ground with his dead familiar. "You filthy bontelags!" "Was that an insult?" Langa asked, his arm aching. "Of course. A very offensive one too," Synn said, breathing heavily. "He must have loved his familiar." "Fuck him. I''m sure those children had people who loved them too. He''s coming, get ready," Langa said, pulling out two daggers. He did not feel right without Tonare. "He''s about to awaken." Enraged by the loss of his familiar, Sasani grew more frantic, and hundreds of roots erupted from the ground, as he assimilated the Void Emerald into his hands, the corruption filling him as vines grew from his arms and turned black. The vines launched rashly towards the two players. It was far more intense now than before. "Do it!" Synn, her mana depleting, shouted. She chugged a basic mana potion in preparation. He infused mana into his last lucent powder bomb and threw it into the approaching black-red vines. She sent a Flame Spike towards Langa, urging him to set the incoming vines ablaze. The air burned with electricity as the vines caught fire, but once again, they regenerated, this time heading towards the two of them with fiery force. Langa hoped Synn had a plan because he had warned her about this. ¡±50%,¡± Synn muttered, and she staggered forward, this time taking the front line. Langa watched with horror as multiple mouths appeared all over her visible body. Her hands were trembling, and at first, he thought she was scared, but upon seeing the anticipation in her eyes as well as the smile on her mouth as she licked her lips, he realised that she was actually excited. This woman was standing in front of the incoming fiery vines that could steal away her health and kill her instantly, yet she was smiling as if she were hungry for the fire. Even without his attribute, time seemed to slow down as Langa watched her greedily absorb the fire into her body, her mouths devouring every single flaming vine ravenously. Her robes were half burnt, and her body was a mess of blood and fire as she spewed the attack back at Sasani. She honestly looked fierce and beautiful, as if she belonged in the heat of the fire. Langa shook his head. First Liberty, now this? Either Langa needed to add extremely dangerous to his type of woman or he needed to have a mental health checkup soon. Probably the latter. The flames of Synn¡¯s attribute, along with his own burning vines, were reflected back at Sasani and they licked hungrily at his skin, searing his flesh and driving him back towards the edge of the pseudovoid territory. The ground trembled beneath their feet as Sasani channelled the Void Emerald¡¯s strength into his body, the muddy coating covering his burn wounds as he screamed again. ¡±I will avenge Piria!¡± he shouted, and his Void Emerald glowed black as he held it, allowing the corruption that was sealed inside the emerald to eat away at his body. Langa activated Distortion from his jerkin again, going invisible as Synn collapsed from mana exhaustion. In his invisible form, he rushed to grab his fallen glaive and tried to attack Sasani from the back, but the voident''s superior perception allowed him to sense the attack, and he grabbed Langa¡¯s throat with his hand that was covered in black veins, and corruption started seeping into Langa''s body. He felt pain shoot through him like never before, as if he were being consumed from the inside. He could feel Sasani¡¯s corrupted mana seeping deep into him, interfering with his lightning. Langa focused on the karma from the Void Star that he¡¯d been using as protection, and he absorbed more of the charge into his body, willing it to protect him from the corruption entering his body. The energy was pulled in by his Brand, and the Void Star flew up from his belt and merged with the skin of his arm. The dark, acidic pain intensified. It travelled up his body until it reached his heart, where it wrapped around the Brand. He used the fluid energy of the Brand to absorb the corruption, feeling the power enter him. The pain and excitement made his heartbeat start to increase again, and, oh, he was drunk on that feeling. Nothing had ever made his heart beat faster. More. He needed more corruption! He would give anything just to live in this moment of his heart thundering against his chest. He wanted to go even faster so he let nearly all of his stamina drain as the Brand forcibly activated his attribute. With the time slowing down, the darkness coursing through his body, and corruption filling his veins, the Brand absorbed the excess energy from the charge he had used from the Void Star. He was in serious pain, his whole body brimming with corruption, but he knew he had only one shot before the attribute deactivated, so he pulled up his mana, concentrated on all the corruption, darkness, and lightning in his body, and infused all of it through his fiery nerves into Tonare. His head was frantic, trying to will himself to move according to his velocity, but his body moved slower than he knew it could. His mind and body couldn''t keep up with the slowed-down perception of time. "I AM IN CONTROL!" Langa screamed, forcing his body forward. Black lightning covered the glaive as Langa plunged it into Sasani''s side, and activated Thunderbird Stunning Strike, lightning sizzling. This time, thanks to the slowed-down time and Tonare¡¯s skill, he was able to get through the wood elf¡¯s body armour and deal extensive damage, unleashing a surge of black lightning that tore through Sasani, bathing him in electric darkness. He felt his Void Star absorb all the corruption and karma inside the voident''s Void Emerald. Time righted itself, and Sasani staggered, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief, as he realised he had a gaping hole in his side and nothing to heal him. He was defeated, and his Void Emerald was gone. "How did you..." Sasani croaked out, his black veined eyes wide. He looked at the corrupted mess that was Langa¡¯s body. "Oh, you''re one of the Branded..." [Critical hit! Impulse Pulse activated! (Sasani-Zine) -1322 HP. Bonus Lightning damage -1322 HP Backlash (Langa Zulu) -293HP] Sasani¡¯s eyes lost focus, and he fell to the ground, dead. That was insane. Langa had dealt nearly 3 000 damage, and it hadn¡¯t been an instant kill?! Without his curse, he would not have been able to defeat him, except perhaps if he could have used his divine skill. He knew he had to use his Deiform Amulet to arrest Sasani now, otherwise, he would just respawn somewhere else, but he could not move. [WARNING!!! You have been critically injured! Your entire nervous system has been corrupted.] [WARNING!!! Overuse of your attribute has caused your heart to suffer from Ventricular Tachycardia due to erratic electrical impulses ] [WARNING!!! Your health has fallen below 10% of its maximum. Please seek healing immediately!] Pain shot up Langa''s hand and directly into the veins in his arms, in reverse to how he usually moved his mana, as the backlash from Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike burned through his arms. The backlash from the black lightning left Langa writhing in pain. He¡¯d lost about 90% of his health from the backlash alone and he could feel it. He screamed as he felt the pain intensely on his nerves, as if he had walked directly into a live electricity transformer and grabbed it with his bare hands. He thought he heard someone screaming his name as he felt the shock tear up his arms and into the nerves in his brain and then it was gone, replaced by darkness. [A Clanless Deity Without A Name is watching you.] 52. Floor 1: Fear the Blazing Blitzhunter (4) Darkness filled the air, and an essence surrounded Langa. His eyes were closed, but that malevolent essence was digging into his very being, and all he wanted to do was push it away. <> a deep, gravelly voice said wearily. <> The essence pulled Langa violently. He tried to resist, but he soon discovered that he didn''t have a body. It was an alarming feeling, because in this place, wherever he was, he only existed as karma. His karma was barely a speck of dust compared to the karma in the essence surrounding him. The essence laughed derisively. <> The essence became more aggressive, pushing against Langa''s karma. <> [??? has offered you the divine skill: ???''s Corrupted Brand of Attribute Consumption Accept: Y/N] Langa wondered what the hell was happening as he was offered an unknown divine skill connected to his curse. What did this deity mean he could use it freely if he accepted the skill? Did that mean that he didn''t have to break the curse, but could learn how to control it? What good could a curse that stole fortune from those he loved do for him? If he accepted this skill, would it stop the curse from unintentionally hurting his loved ones? <> There was urgency in the voice and his essence beat maliciously against Langa''s karma. There was no way Langa could accept power from an unknown deity, so he tried to calm himself down. ''I am in control,'' he told himself and pushed out as hard as he could with his karma pressure. <> He gathered as much of his karma as he could and released it all, burning his will, his existence to attack this mighty being. Even though fear crept up into him as the deity¡¯s karma pressure built up, Langa did what he did best whenever he was in a traumatic situation and pushed the fear away. The being was angered by Langa¡¯s audacity to karma pressure him and he felt the karma in that malevolent essence reaching a breaking point and if it was released on him, Langa knew he would be wiped from existence. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? Who the fuck are you to offer me power? Are you Satan? Because you¡¯re not getting my soul, buddy,¡± he said. After hearing those words, the karma that had been about to attack Langa stilled and a low laugh resounded around him. <> the voice said. <> The pain came suddenly as if a million needles were prickling endlessly at his soul, burning, corrupting. He was feeling agony, his very being getting ripped apart. He couldn¡¯t even scream because he had no body. His soul shook, feeling lost and alone without a direction to go. As he thought that, a new essence surrounded Langa''s entire being. A warm comforting blanket of essence enveloped him in its arms, protecting him from harm wrapped around him. It healed him and purified his soul. "Master," Langa said in relief, remembering that he was not alone, there was someone who was always watching over him. [The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm has used his Sovereign Authority as your patron deity to reject the divine skill: ???''s Corrupted Brand of Attribute Consumption.] <> the essence roared. <> <> Adtonifulmin said calmly. <> <> The essence said indignantly. He couldn''t see anything physically, but Langa felt Adtonifulmin''s essence growing stronger as he absorbed more of the being''s essence. In the end, Adtonifulmin''s karma overpowered the entire domain, lashing out at everything except Langa. <> the voice said, and quieted down, its essence fading. <> Adtonifulmin said. "Lord Adtonifulmin, what''s going on? Who is that?" he asked the essence of his master. ¡°Did I just meet the devil?¡± <> Complicated? Langa knew what the logical conclusion was, but it didn¡¯t make sense. Was Adtonifulmin¡¯s master a god of corruption? No was he the god of corruption? The Relgte of The Quartenity, stated that they were created to protect mortals from corruption, so did that mean The Creator didn''t create corruption? ¡°Is your master ????¡± Langa asked, then frowned. ¡°Is his Name ???? What the fuck?¡± <> Adtonifulmin said. <> ¡±What does that even-?¡± Langa started before he felt a prickling sensation in his karma. <> he said urgently. <> That sounded terrifying. When Langa held the power in his hands, he felt invincible even through the pain, but he could have destroyed his entire body! "How do I stop the corruption from destroying me?" he asked urgently. <> Adtonifulmin''s voice jolted him awake. * Langa¡®s mind was in disarray, trying to process what had happened after he overused the Brand and overworked his heart and nervous system. What the fuck was that? Was Adtonifulmin¡¯s master the one who cursed him? That made very little sense considering the legends from back home said that MaMlambo did it. He had never felt karma like that before, and it had been overwhelming. He shuddered, realising he had nearly been consumed. If Adtonifulmin really was his bonded, didn''t that mean in order to rid mortal worlds of corruption, then Adtonifulmin and everyone bound to him, including Langa would have to die? No matter how hard he thought about it, he wasn¡¯t going to get any answers lying here. "Hey, are you awake?" someone asked. There was a warm hand on his forehead, checking his temperature. He opened his eyes to see a pretty woman looking down at him with worried eyes. "If this were the sight I woke up to every morning, I wouldn''t mind having any more bad dreams," he said, voice low. Synn rolled her eyes at him. "If you feel well enough to flirt, then you''re well enough to sit up." Only when his head hit the ground did he realise that his head had been lying on Synn''s lap and she had kicked him off. "Ouch," he moaned, sitting up. His system interface was filled with notifications, but he ignored them for now. He also noticed that the number of constellations watching him had increased by over a hundred since he had used the Void Star. Fuck. That was not good. Looking around, he realised he was inside a small tent with Synn. "What happened? Where are we?" "The Guardians brought us to a small campsite close to The Valley of Guardians while you were out," she said. "What? Why are we in tents instead of beds inside the valley?" he asked, thinking of his soft bed at Guardians Headquarters She shrugged as he took off the blanket. His jumpsuit armour was tattered badly now. "I''m red, I can''t go into a safe zone. Undkese refused to accept shelter from the Guardians and the children wanted to stay near him and the hero who saved them," she said. Langa wondered why Undkese would refuse the Guardians'' help. He looked around until he found Tonare next to him, still in its glave form. His heart felt at ease when he picked it up and shrank it, putting it back into its sheath. Synn was watching him with an odd gaze. "How did you get that glaive?" "It was my Calling," Langa said. ¡°What happened to Sasani?¡± Synn looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, I couldn¡¯t arrest him, I''m not a Guardian. His body was gone by the time the Guardians reached us. I''m sure he will be respawning soon.¡± ¡±Fuck!¡± Langa cursed. So, the bastard was still free. Even if he hadn''t fallen to the corruption, he wouldn''t have been able to arrest him, since Sasani was an E-rank voident. His skin itched and he looked down at his hands. He did not know why, but his arms felt more sensitive to everything that came into contact with his skin. His veins weren¡¯t black anymore, at least. ¡°Did the Guardians see...¡± Synn shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I covered for you. I wasn''t sure what they would do if they saw you with a Void Gem and your veins covered in corruption. I insisted that it was from Sasani''s awakening since he tried to kill you with the corruption, which is technically true." "Really?" Langa asked sceptically. He returned to the subject at hand. "You''re not going to report me for using unauthorised void magic?" She snorted. "You saved both our lives. Besides, trust me, if you had used unauthorised void magic, the system would have labelled your alignment as black. Just because you can wield corruption doesn''t make you a voident, you know. There are plenty of people born with an affinity for it, which is normal and within the balance of the multiverse. The issue is those who have to force the corruption upon themselves and others, upsetting the balance." Langa nodded. "Okay, thanks for protecting me. Synn," he said hesitantly, feeling threads of karma from himself and Tonare connecting to something within the foxkin. "I''m sure I''ve met you somewhere. Who are you, really? Tonare responded to you too.¡± Synn flinched. ¡°It¡¯s just like him to name his weapon after himself,¡± she said before sighing and shaking her head. "I wasn''t going to tell anyone, but you, at least, deserve to know. Yes, we''ve met before." "Where?" "Remember the soul shard that you saved in Zamone, during the tutorial? If you hadn''t saved it, it would have been consumed into the Void Star and died. Thanks to you, the soul shard survived and thanks to The Unrivalled''s mercy, she was reincarnated as a player," she said with a faraway look. If Langa''s eyes could have bulged out of their sockets, now would have been the time. "You''re The FireFox Queen? But how, you''re a constellation and-" he paused, remembering what Adtonifulmin had told him about the life and death of constellations. If she lost all her karma, The FireFox Queen would have died, however, he saved her soul shard, so she survived. "But that means all your bonded mortals..." She nodded grimly, her face falling. "I was still a new constellation, so I didn''t have a lot of bonded mortals, I think..." she scratched her head. "I think I may have summoned all my other bonded to fight the divine war against the Void and corruption, but they didn''t stand a chance. I don''t like Chaos, but trust me when I say this, between Rampant Corruption and a Void Eruption, the Void Eruption is the much...much lesser evil. So, that''s the story of our interconnected karma. You saved my life, so I saved yours. Please don''t tell anyone." It seemed she didn''t want to talk about the people who died for her, and Langa respected that. "If you were reincarnated, you''d be what, three weeks old?" She rolled her eyes. "No, I remember parts of my mortal life, not everything, but my mother, my friends, my love¡­ I remember those people clearly. The first hundred or so years of my mortal life are in scattered memories in my head.¡° There was a bitter note in her voice when she listed the people she cared about. "The FireFox Queen is dead. I am just a mortal girl who remembers bits and pieces of her past life." He couldn''t imagine remembering a lifetime of love and loss and having to move past it. "You seem like a decent person, so I guess Motyan was right about Tonare choosing you," she said. Langa frowned. ¡°Who?" ¡°Ginkga Motyan, a member of the Maluta Syndicate," she said, and seeing that he didn''t seem to understand, she continued. "It''s an information-gathering group. I went to them looking for information on my world¡¯s Legacies, and they actually informed me about The Vonelle Heilliege guild having found the children I was looking for." "Okay, so how did this Motyan person know about Tonare? Did he see it in my videos? How did he know that it''s from your world?¡± Langa asked, still confused. She blinked in surprise. ¡°You don''t know him? He knew you by name, so I thought you''d met before,¡± she said, then shrugged. ¡°He probably has some Inner Sight-type skill.¡± Langa didn''t like that there were people who knew things about him that he hadn''t even met yet. His last encounter with a Seer was the charlatan Tibuana, and she had been used as a vessel by a goddess to make a prophecy about him to spite Adtonifulmin. He didn''t like diviners. ¡°When I see that bastard, I will strangle him. It''s his fault that the Accari Crows captured me,¡± Synn said bitterly. ¡°Anyway, the point is,I don''t care what the system says, I am not 600 years old. I don''t remember those years, so I feel like a normal mortal girl. If anyone asks, I am 32 years old, okay?" He couldn''t help but tease her a little to ease the tension. "Well, I''ve always liked older women." A fireball formed in her hand, and her eyes narrowed. Langa raised his hands and said, "Hey, I''m only 27, you''re 32, so you''re older than me, right?" The fireball disappeared. "Don''t test me, human." Her voice was stern and carried a warning in it. Langa was reminded of how aggressive women could be about their age. "Noted," Langa said. He dug into his belt, looking for the Void Star. "I know you gave this to me to save my life, but I don''t think it''s good for me." He frowned when he couldn''t find it. ¡°Did you take it back?¡± "No. Stars bind to your manacore if they are compatible with you. Sorry, the Void Star is yours now. It won''t come back to me," she said. Langa didn''t have a manacore, though. The moment he looked within himself, he felt the bright light of a star-shaped object right below his heart, next to the dark ball of the Brand. The darkness inside his curse steered, urging him to use the Void Star again. ¡°How do I get rid of it?¡± "You can''t. If you get killed by a seraphim or constellation, unlikely as that is, they will take it from you. Please be careful not to use it for evil, or that karma will be added to me too. I already have enough negative alignment points," Synn warned him. Langa tried to eject the Void Star from his heart, but he felt his stamina drain as the malevolent ball of darkness that was the Brand awoke, and wrapped around the star, refusing to let the Void Star go. "Anyway, the Guardians Administrator said you should come and speak to her once you are awake." Synn pointed to a pile next to the blankets. "There are your bounty tiles. We were in the same party, so I was able to pick them up for you. I''ll tell you, it was annoying digging through the mess of bodies, so I paid myself by taking some bounty tiles for my troubles. Do not ask to see them," she said, not looking ashamed in the least. He''d sensed at about 25 voidents in that voi-den. Had she cheated him? Well, it didn''t matter since she did most of the work destroying it anyway. It was a pity that they hadn''t been able to arrest Sasani, so there was no bounty paid for him as he would be respawning somewhere else soon. Besides, he was sure most of the voidents trapped inside the voi-den had been finished off by the Guardians. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Langa decided to speak to Jandri later, for now, he wanted to clear his system notifications and check on the children. Since he and Synn were in a party, he only received divided experience. [Your Skill: Flash Step (A) has reached Beginner level 6] [Your Skill: Regenerate (F) has reached Beginner level 5] [Your Darkness resistance has increased by 0.5%] [You have withstood the karma pressure of an ancient deity without being consumed +1% Mental Resistance] [Your party have killed/arrested (17) Tier 1 F-rank voidents. (10 level 12 voidents, 5 level 13 voidents and 2 level 15 voidents) +2100 EXP +1050 EXP +600 EXP + 1140 karma + 617.5 karma + 285 karma +17 Bounty Tiles] [Your party has killed (1) Tier 1 E-rank voident +340 EXP +94 Bonus EXP +32.3 Karma] [For the individual breakdown of karma and experience, please check prior system notifications.] [You have completed Locked Quest #2 Voidents killed/arrested: 27/25 Your title: Fledgeling Voident Hunter has been upgraded to Beginner Voident Hunter] [Beginner Voident Hunter Title Rank: Uncommon You induce and increase fear in mortals when inside the void veil of any Void Gems. You exude an ominous aura proportional to your karma pressure when battling against mortals designated as voidents. The greater your Total Karma, the more the target¡¯s perception of you may be altered. Target movement and casting speed may be slowed. Beginner: Only affects E-rank or lower voidents in the same Tier as you.] [You have unlocked a new quest]
LOCKED QUEST #3
Quest Rank: Uncommon
Quest Objectives:
Kill/Arrest 100 mortals designated as voidents in the Guardians Guild database
Time Limit:
None
Quest Limitations:
Only available to neutral/positive alignment players who: - Have killed a voident of higher level. - Carry the Brand of corruption - Have received the favour of The Unrivalled Tower Master
Progression: 27/100
Cautions:
This is an evolving quest
Quest Rewards:
Title: Intermediate Voident Hunter
Failure Penalty:
N/A
Damn, all that work and he hadn''t levelled up again. Checking his nine bounty tiles, he saw he would be able to earn about 150 silver from them. His biggest gains here were in experience and karma, but he still had not earned the 10 000 karma required to clear the 1st Floor. "Did you replenish the karma you lost from the pseudovoid territory?" Langa asked Synn. "Yeah, I earned extra karma for battling within a pseudovoid territory without a Blessing or a divine artefact protecting me, so that''s nice," she said with a smile. "But, karma doesn''t mean much to me." He understood now that he knew she was the reincarnation of a constellation. She must have had millions of karma before she lost everything. "Alright, I''m going to go check on the kids," he said, standing up. "Let''s go together. I''m hungry, I can smell the food from here," she said. Langa and Synn left their tent, and once outside, he saw that they were in a clearing next to a river. Their tent was surrounded by a large number of tents belonging to the Guardians. Synn led him towards the largest tent in the middle of the clearing, and there he found a few people sitting by the fire. One of the goblinkin children was sitting on Aramaga''s lap while Undkese and Aquila were engaged in conversation. Ormeth concentrated on a bowl of food before him. ¡°Hey, are you guys okay?¡± Langa asked when he reached the group. Undkese stood up, ¡°Blazing Blitzhunter! I''m glad you''re awake. I was getting worried when Synn said you were still recovering.¡± Langa cringed at the nickname, especially when he heard Synn snicker behind him. ¡°Please just call me Langa. How are the children?¡± he asked. ¡°They''re doing much better, thanks to you. Most of them are asleep now, from exhaustion,¡± Undkese said. ¡°The older ones might still be awake, though. Do you want to see them?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Langa said, and he walked up to the big tent and peered inside. The children were huddled together under two blankets as they lay fast asleep. There was no fear in their faces, only peace. He shuddered to think about what would have happened had he not saved them. He didn''t want to think about that, so he walked back to the others. ¡°The good thing is that they were asleep when we transported them here. The only trauma they''ll have is being chased by voident as well as the effects of the pseudovoid territory,¡± Synn said. ¡°Yeah,¡± Langa nodded as the two of them sat down on a log in front of the fire. Aramaga put down the child on her lap, stood up, dished out two bowls of strange meaty soup for Synn and Langa and handed it to them. ¡°You guys didn''t get hurt either, right?" Langa asked. "I''m sorry. I had only been planning to scout out Heilliege''s Gorge. If I''d known we''d engage voidents, I wouldn''t have brought you.¡± ¡°Don''t be silly, we didn''t fight any voidents. All we did was hold off some members of the Vonelle Heilliege Guild until the Guardians arrived. It was a good PVP experience for us,¡± Aquila told him. ¡°Yeah, don''t feel bad,¡± Aramaga added. ¡°We got to protect children thanks to you.¡± "If you say so." Langa was hungry, so he devoured the meaty soup. Turning back to Undkese, he said, ¡°This place is a neutral zone. You should have allowed the children to go into the Valley of Guardians since that''s a safe zone.¡± Undkese¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I will not put their lives in the hands of the Guardians. I know they helped us this time, but do you know how many more lives were lost because of their incompetence? Most of our people on this Floor are NPCs, they only have one life and can''t fight against the voidents even if they wanted to.¡± Langa paused eating, remembering that the reputation of the Guardians was not good on this Floor. Undkese was right, though, they were not doing enough. While they followed due process and whatnot, neutral guilds like Vonelle Heilliege were harbouring voidents right under their noses. He needed to talk to Jandri. ¡°On that note, I was wondering if you would be willing to help us once again, Blitzhunter. The Guardians are keeping this matter quiet for now, but we need to find the children¡¯s families and take them home as soon as possible. If we can take them to Tishiba''s Peak, I know my father will assist them,¡± Undkese said. ¡°We could use your help for protection along the way, both you and Synn.¡± ¡°Tishiba¡¯s Peak? That''s the capital, right? How are we going to get there?¡± Langa asked thoughtfully. ¡°The Lucent bus that we used to transport the children should still be intact. The Vonelle Heilliege Guild had enchanted it with cloaking to keep us safe from most lower-level monsters,¡± Synn answered. ¡°And Undkese, of course, I''ll help, this is partly my fault too.¡±
A Tearful Homecoming
Quest Rank: D
Mercenaries have kidnapped children intending to sell them to a group of voidents as sacrifices. Thankfully, you were able to save them from that fate. Deliver the children safely to the Magistrate of Tishiba¡¯s Peak to be sent home.
Quest Objectives:
Protect the kidnapped goblinkin children from harm (13/13) Deliver the children alive to the Magistrate of Tishiba''s Peak.
Time Limit:
7 days
Optional Quest Objective:
N/A
Quest Limitations:
N/A
Cautions:
N/A
Quest Rewards:
50 silver ??? EXP ?? Karma per child ??? Renown
Failure Penalties:
Loss of Renown in 1st Floor
¡°The capital, huh? I was just thinking about how much I needed a break. Alright, I think I''ll take the time to relax and beat up on some monsters while sending the kids home,¡± Langa said. He no longer needed to save money to use the teleportation wheel to meet Liv in the capital. [You have accepted the quest: A Tearful Homecoming] Yeah, he would save the children, go drink with his friend and make Adtonifulmin proud by winning the Celestial Clash exhibition match while earning the karma he needed to clear the 1st Floor. The past day had been too intense for his liking. But first, he needed to talk to Jandri. * ¡°Oh. Langa, you''re finally awake,¡± Jandri said when Langa found her outside one of the tents, sitting by the fire. ¡°Can we talk in private?¡± he asked and she led him towards the nearby river. ¡°Thank you for what you did. Without you, we might not have been able to deal such a blow to Sasani-Zine or the Accari Crows. I know you couldn''t arrest him because his Void Emerald was of a higher rank than your Deiform Artefacts at your level, but you did well. He''ll respawn very pissed off on the 5th Floor,¡° Jandri started. "Thanks to you, we got some information on another voi-den close to the capital from interrogating some of the voidents we captured, so Coraloa has gone to raid it." Langa was not looking for praise right now. He was still unhappy that Sasani was still free. "All that work, and the bastard gets to terrorise people even more." "It happens. Listen, do you mind not posting the video of the fight today?" Jandri asked. "It''s still a few hours before Sasani-Zine respawns, and I need Coraloa to have the element of surprise when she goes to raid the other voi-den. Also, GM Merreddyd wants to announce our stand on neutral guilds conspiring with voident guilds as soon as she clears the 29th Floor." "No problem," Langa said with a shrug. "I don''t think I can post this video, anyway." Jandri tilted her head to the side, and Langa looked away because he had no intention of telling the Guardians'' Ground Storey Administrator that he had used a Void Gem. "You used your Brand to defeat him, didn''t you?" she asked. "Technically, that was also true, so Langa nodded. "Okay, well, you can just cut out the parts you don''t want people to see and send it to me. "A lot of people have skills that they don''t want to be made public. If anything, it will rouse people''s interest even more in you," she told him. "Just be careful when you¡¯re using your Brand because it can be harmful to you if you misuse it.¡± Langa turned to look at her. ¡°You know I¡¯m from a lost world, right? I didn¡¯t even know what the Brand was until a week ago. I couldn¡¯t even use it, it was just a curse that took fortune from people I cared about,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know it was possible to control it.¡± ¡°Well, it''s good that you didn''t know what it was. In some worlds, the Branded are slaughtered to prevent misfortune befalling the world,¡± she said, sighing. ¡°Why? Can you tell me exactly what the Brand is?¡± he asked, looking at the river. ¡°I would love to, Langa, I don¡¯t have one, so I don''t know. I''ve heard that the corruption slips in randomly in unsuspecting mortals or that it''s the reminder of an ancient god who ceased to exist hundreds of thousands of years ago,¡± she said wearily. ¡°I do know that some of the Branded end up relying on it too much.¡± Jandri was wrong. The god hadn''t ceased to exist, he was just asleep or something. Langa was sure it was the god who''d tried to make a deal with him. ¡°What did Khalifari see of my fate that first day after the tutorial?¡± he asked what he''d been wondering since that day. ¡°I probably shouldn''t tell you, but she saw that you¡¯re destined to do great things. Whether those things are good or bad, we don''t know. It''s up to you,¡± she said. ¡°For now, go get some sleep." Langa didn''t move. he still had a lot to get off his chest about the Guardians. "Is it possible for me to see what kind of prison the voidents are locked up in?" he asked. "Really? That place gives me the creeps. The Carciere is a terrible place for voidents," she said. "But if you really want to see it, you need permission from GM Merreddyd. She wanted to meet with you, so as soon as she''s cleared the 29th Floor, she''ll probably summon you to the Guardians'' Roving Guildhall." "You have another guildhall?" he asked. "Hmm?" Jandri looked at him in confusion. "Of course we do, every guild has a roving domain that is not bound to any Floor that all our players and NPCs from all Floors can access from anywhere." Now that he thought about it, it was dumb for him to think the guildhall in the Valley of Guardians was the only one they had. "I''ll arrange the meeting for you, and then who knows, maybe she can convince you to join us," Jandri said with a shrug. ¡°That will never happen, I''m not interested in joining the Guardians," Langa said, turning to face her, his face fierce. "You guys are not doing enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± she asked in surprise. ¡°You heard me; you guys aren''t doing enough. How the hell was there a voi-den at Heilliege¡¯s Gorge? That place was supposedly a neutral zone, and you didn''t even know about them harbouring voidents?¡± he asked, fist clenched. Jandri frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say that! You have no idea what the Guardians are doing to maintain order in this Tower.¡± ¡°Order? Children are being sacrificed right under your nose, and you expect me not to care? What are your leaders doing?¡± Langa asked. ¡°They are busy trying to maintain your reputation by clearing the 29th Floor so you can catch up to the Hallow Reapers and the Menika Shin Guild. That¡¯s what you care about while voidents are trafficking children?¡± Jandri''s face soured, and she glared at him. ¡°You have been in this Tower for barely two weeks, and suddenly you know everything? First of all, you have no idea what''s happening on the higher Floors. Trafficking children? At least down here, they just kill them. You have no idea how much torturous corruption people endure just for their karma to be syphoned and their lives sacrificed to create one mere key for a Void Opus," she said, her eyes heated. "How many children were killed in this voi-den? 50, a hundred? Last week I was on the 8th Floor because Amalgam sacrificed a whole fucking town, Langa. All those souls were lost. I took a team of 10 level 17 to 25 Guardians to face off against his voi-den!" Jandri shouted, her voice raised. "You know why I didn¡¯t take more people? Because we need a presence on every fucking Floor even in this Ground Storey. Because 80% of our recruits are NPCs who can''t climb the Tower. Ten of us faced off against 37 Tier 2 voidents, and only 6 of us made it back alive. We captured 24 and the rest escaped, including Amalgam," she said fists clenched. "Khalifhari couldn¡¯t send me any backup from the First Storey because The subordinates of the Shadowmancer Pirates are running wild in that Storey too. Guardians die, Langa. Most players have 2 respawns per Floor if they are lucky, but everyone knows that for a Guardian even 10 respawns isn¡¯t enough. We don¡¯t have the numbers, Langa. We¡¯re doing the fucking best we can!¡± She grabbed his shoulders, her claws digging into his skin. "Things were good for a while after Merreddyd captured Khamani Chillo, the former leader of The Pathfinders and put an end to their tyranny on the Second Storey, but the remnants merged with the Shadowmancer Pirates and now it''s a big mess up there. Every single Guardian is waiting for her to pull off another miracle and show us a way forward, but... she is just one person in the end." Langa stepped back. Maybe he shouldn''t have let his anger at seeing children suffer cloud his judgment. He made assumptions about how the Guardians worked without knowing the whole truth. The Guardians weren''t at fault, The Unrivalled was. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t The Unrivalled just Bless more people?¡± ¡°To receive her Blessing, you have to complete the Blessing quest and then sign a system contract that you won¡¯t use it against non-voidents or corrupted creatures. Sure, the Blessings give us a few bonuses, like protection from losing karma and the Chaotic Mind debuff, and making it easier for us to clear corruption, but one direct attack of pure corruption from a higher rank awakened voident and we¡¯re dead. Most of us aren''t Branded like you, GM Merreddyd and DP Alfsol," she explained. "There is very little personal gain to being a Guardian. If anything, we have more rules because unfortunately, if we break the rules, we lose the Blessings. To be honest, no one wants to waste one of their limited 3 Title/Blessings slots per Tier on something of little benefit to them. Most players don''t want to be bound like that." "And the Tier 3 players can''t intervene in the Ground Storey Floors'' main quests," Langa said, realising the main problem. Floor Overlords could extend high-level players'' times on the lower Floors, but at the end of the day, they couldn''t interfere much on Floors which they had already cleared. "Exactly." She shook her head. ¡±Do you think that I don''t want to climb the Tower? Do you think I like always having to put out some fire on the 6th to the 10th floor? Do you think I like chasing down Amalgam and his Crows over and over again? That I like having my level locked at 25?" Jandri asked, looking up into the sky in frustration. "DP Alfsol and I are from the same batch and yet he''s mid-Tier 3 and on the 29th Floor, GM Merreddyd is from the batch after me, but she''s in early Tier 3 and on the 29th floor. Khalifhari is from the batch after me, and she''s just about to enter Tier 3 and is on the 20th Floor. I also want to climb past the 15th Floor and break through to Tier 3 but I can''t leave the Ground Storey. There''s no one left on this Storey strong enough to raise the flag of the Guardians but me." Jandri closed her eyes. "I had high hopes that maybe Aria or Baneiline would take over for me, but the 6th Floor fucked them, so I have to sacrifice my own growth to protect the people of the first 10 Floors. Right now, I pray that Coraloa is the salvation I need," she said. "Because right now, I am the only thing keeping this Storey free from voident domination, so don''t you dare tell me I''m not doing enough. I''m doing too much, I''m doing the fucking best I can with the resources at my disposal." Tears ran down her cheeks as frustration came over her. Langa could feel her anger, bitterness, and helplessness and felt bad for her. He had been speaking from an emotional place, not knowing how bad the situation was and what she was going through to fix it. ¡°I''m sorry, I didn''t realise how bad things are.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Don''t be. Your anger is justified. Housci taunted us by casually revealing Sasani''s location, knowing that we couldn''t raid Heilliege''s Gorge with just the words of a voident as proof. We don''t have the numbers, so we need the strong on our side, those who refuse to die no matter what, like Unbound Jareeksha. That''s why DP Alfsol came down here himself for you. We need people like you. GM Merreddyd and DP Alfsol are not clearing the 29th Floor because they have nothing better to do. We have to maintain our guild ranking so that big guilds like The Hallow Reapers and Shadowmancers don''t get cocky and start breaking the rules. We must stand strong to keep the voidents down,¡± she said. Jandri looked into the distance. From here, they could see the child sitting on Aramaga''s lap, playing with Synn and Undkese. ¡°I don''t care if the children despise us or if the leaders of the first few Floors berate us and claim we are a useless force. I will continue to protect them the best way I know how," she said. ¡°I don''t know why you kept hunting the voidents before, but you''ve seen what they are truly capable of now. You wanted a sales pitch to join us, there it is. Join The Guardians, Langa. Help us make a difference.¡± ¡°No,¡± Langa said, his mind made up. He saw her face fall in disappointment so he hastily continued. ¡°Look, you guys have to follow the rules and order, but the voidents don''t. I''ll continue hunting them, but not as a Guardian. I know you guys want the same thing as me, but The Unrivalled''s morality chains you down. Her definition of order and mine aren''t the same." "So you will continue helping us?" "I''m not doing this for the Guardians, I just don''t like people who infringe on other people''s freedom. I''ll continue to freely hunt voidents on my own terms and at my own pace," he said. "If there is one thing I know without a doubt about my master, it is that he does as he pleases, consequences be damned and well, I am a child after his own heart.¡± [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, is watching you proudly.] "I''m still finding my path, but I promise you that I won''t let a single voident get away with hurting innocent children. I don''t need to tie myself to The Unrivalled''s Blessing and follow her rules for engaging with voidents. Due process be damned, I will slaughter any voident foolish enough to cross my path," Langa said venomously. ¡°And the voidents will learn to fear the Blazing Blitzhunter.¡± 53. Floor 1: Langas Path (1) [To all my children who follow the path of lightning, guard your erratic impulses. Laziness without complacency is commendable because life does not demand unyielding perfection. Instead, I urge you to seek every conceivable shortcut to accomplish your goals. The path of lightning is so vast that you must pave your own Path within it. Find just one thing that you are passionate about, a spark that ignites your spirit, and dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to it. Embrace that Path and burn your heart and soul for it. For me, my lightning burns to destroy those who would harm my own. -Excerpt from: The Relgte of The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm: Scroll 3: Chapter 2.] * Langa had a restful night. He didn''t have any nightmares about being trapped in darkness by an unknown god. Breakfast consisted of warm purblan bread and butter-filled glazed meat wrapped in toran leaves. Besides the food he''d eaten at Risa''s Plateau with Di Etta and Gertina, this was quite possibly the best meal Langa had since coming into the Tower. Unlike back then, Langa was not drunk, so he did not ask Synn to marry him, he did, however, compliment her on the meal. "The food is really good, Synn," he told her, licking his fingers. She rolled her eyes. "If you think this is good, wait until I raise the skill to Intermediate and Advanced Level," she said. "I''ll be able to purify corrupted meat and give temporary stat bonuses to anyone who eats my food." "Now that is a worthwhile crafting skill. You just need to make good food to raise it, unlike mine, which keeps blowing things up in my face," Langa said sorrowfully. "That''s because you keep trying to make bombs with Beginner level enchanting," Aria said coming towards them with Jandri and Undkese. "Aria? What are you doing here?" he asked. The fae''s hair was black today, meaning she was annoyed. "Trying to convince this guy that me coming with you to the capital is a good thing." Undkese was also wearing a frown on his face, and his arms were crossed in defiance, as he said. "And as I told you, ma''am, I have Synn and Blitzhunter, they can help me protect the children just fine. We don''t need the Guardians inserting themselves into the equation when your incompetence is what led to the children getting kidnapped in the first place." Aria glared back. "Technically, the children were kidnapped by a mercenary guild and then sold to voidents by you," she snapped. "So, if you want to blame someone, why don''t you blame your Federation Police? Red players are not the Guardians'' jurisdiction, so-" "That''s enough, Aria," Jandri said sharply. She turned to Undkese. "You can have your issues with us, but don''t put those children in any more danger by refusing to accept our help. There is no way that the three of you will be able to take turns driving the lucent bus, being on guard against threats, maintaining the cloak, and looking after the children for the entire journey." Undkese seemed torn and then looked at Langa and Synn for support. Synn shrugged. "Don''t look at me, I can''t drive. Well, I can, but if you want to arrive alive at Tishiba''s Peak without further traumatising those kids, get somebody else to do it." Undkese was a native of the 1st Floor before he became a player, so Langa understood his gripe with accepting help from the Guardians but now was not the time to be rebellious. "It''s free labour and additional protection for the children. You don''t have to like it, but you must accept it," he said. "Fine," Undkese said through gritted teeth. "But we are not putting the children to sleep again." Jandri beamed. "Wonderful. Aria, pick a small party to accompany you. Now for the three of you, let me know what supplies you need for the journey and the Guardians will foot the bill," she said, and then, seeing the greedy look on Synn''s face, she added, "Do not ask for anything outrageous." Undkese paused. "Blankets and clothing for the kids, as well as food to last us for a week. Also, some toys for the younger ones to play with." Aria noted everything down, and since they were making requests, Langa figured it wouldn''t hurt to try and ask for what he needed. "I want a Portable Enchanting Kit," he said boldly. "No," Jandri said, dismissing his request at once. "It''s too expensive and not much use for transporting children to the capital." Damn, he had been hoping to save some money by having them buy it for him. "Fine, I need lightning mana potions," he grumbled. "I can only get you the common ones, five at most. That should be enough for you," Jandri said, motioning for Aria to write it down. She turned to Synn. "What do you need?" "A Portable Cooking Kit?" she asked as if she were trying her luck. "Done, but only common rank. Get ready, all of you, you leave tonight," Jandri ordered. Langa frowned as Synn smirked at him. "Hold on, how come she gets her request fulfilled and I don''t?" Jandri raised her eyebrows. "Because both you and the children need to eat on your journey. Aria, make sure to ask Synn what ingredients she needs." "Yes, ma''am," Aria said, writing it down. "Langa, can I have a quick word?" Jandri asked, and Langa followed her to the riverside. "There are two things I need to give you. First, take this and don''t lose it," she said, handing him a small white bead. He tried to scan it, but nothing happened. "What is it?" "I told you before, GM Merreddyd wants to meet you. That pass is the only way you''ll be transported to our roving guildhall to meet her," she said. "When?" Langa asked. Jandri shook her head no. "She''ll see you once she''s done with the Second Storey. Don''t lose the bead, okay? Lots of people would kill for a chance to gain access to our main Guildhall, and it could be dangerous." Langa nodded, wondering what type of person the Guardians'' guildmaster was. He knew she was strong, as she was the only Guardian Knight in this Tower, and she was bound to The Unrivalled herself. ¡°Second, we found this message on one of the dead voidents,¡± Jandri said, handing over an empty piece of paper that looked like a cloth. "What message?" ¡°It''s written in khitaba, disappearing script. Aria managed an enchantment to reveal the hidden message. Girl''s a genius when it comes to enchanting, I swear,¡± Jandri said infusing mana into the cloth. Symbols and pictures revealed themselves on the cloth. ¡°It says-¡± ¡°Oh! These are hieroglyphics!¡± Langa said excitedly, trying to jog his memory of his father''s journals. ¡°It says ¡®return¡­house? Disturbance/uprising¡­ and then random numbers.¡± ¡°I thought you were from a lost world. How can you read this?¡± Jandri asked with raised eyebrows. ¡°Oh, my father was an expert in African religious history. The mythology of the Egyptian gods was pretty popular back home,¡± he said and Jandri grew more puzzled. ¡°The Ter Netjer Pantheon was pretty popular.¡± ¡°Wow, they reached the backward lost worlds too?¡± she said impressed. ¡°Well anyway, that message is, ''Come to the main den on the 3rd Floor. The upheaval will be taking place on the last week of the Month of Fire. Further details to be communicated.''" "So The Accari Crows are planning something major on the 3rd Floor, the month after the next?" he asked. ¡°I think this dead voident was a floater because it can''t be The Accari crows. They don''t have a base on the 3rd Floor. I destroyed them all years ago and they haven''t rebuilt them. Their remaining dens in this Storey are on the 6th, 8th and 10th Floors. The Daraa Clan are the only voidents left on the 3rd Floor, but they keep a low profile, they aren''t as bold as the Accari Crows. Of course, that makes them harder to hunt too. Still, the Pharaoh of the 3rd Floor has been acting strangely for the past few months, and the people are dissatisfied. I''m worried the Daraa or some other voident gang is stirring things up," she sighed. "Aria enchanted the papyrium so it''s constantly emitting the dead voident''s mana signature. Keep checking and you''ll see the next message when they send it.¡± ¡°Why are you giving this to me? Hunting voidents is your job," Langa said, even as he took the cloth. ¡°We only have two guild outposts on the 3rd Floor, and due to the nature of their religion, the NPCs there won''t join the Guardians,¡± she said, and clapped his shoulder. ¡°You said I''m not doing enough, right? So show me how it''s done, Blitzhunter.¡± She was still salty about that, it seemed. Langa returned to the room that had been his home for the past two weeks and took all of his belongings, which honestly weren''t much. He went and said goodbye to Instructor Rancho, collecting his armour which he''d sent for repair, and promising to contact him for advice about his enchanted necklace as he progressed. That night, the children filled the lucent bus, and Aria took the wheel. "Are you okay?" Langa asked Aria who sat on the driver''s seat, watching the valley sadly. "Nope. I''m just thinking about how I might never come back here," she said. Langa glanced at her. "After the mission, aren''t you returning to the Valley?" She shook her head. "No. AD Jandri froze all my commissions. She said it was time for me to return to the 6th Floor and clear it for the Guardians. This last incident with the Accari Crows hit her hard, and she''s tightening the noose around us." Her hair turned green, and then she added quietly. "The last time I was on the 6th Floor, Amalgam killed me." "I''m sorry," Langa said. "Jandri said you were a candidate to become the Administrator of the Ground Storey after her. Is that true?" Aria scoffed, the red moon in the sky illuminating her hair. "DP Alfsol had high hopes for me, but I failed, Langa. Jandri has been stuck putting out fires alone on this Storey for years because I failed. Do you know they call the 7th to the 10th Floor the Zone of Discord? It''s not just because one of Anarchist''s Insurgents, Discord, likes to lord over it. It''s because there are virtually no players in those Floors, most of batch 3 is stuck below the 6th Floor while players from batches one and two are on the First and Second Storey. Without players to stop them, the voidents do as they please with the NPCs," she sighed. Langa wanted to talk more with her, but someone called him outside. Mesala was sad as he bid him farewell and it made Langa feel bad since he hadn''t been nice to him because he reminded him of Makoto. Aquila''s team also came to see the children off. "Safe journey, Langa. Sorry, we can''t help out with your quest," Aquila said. "We need to go to Reidgtu and buy the location of some unclaimed dungeons from the Dungeon Seekers Guild." "Why are you apologising to me? I already cleared my unclaimed dungeon. Hopefully, I''ll earn a lot of karma in the Celestial Clash and instantly clear the Floor," Langa said. Aquila raised his eyebrows. "You''d have to do something absolutely insane to earn 10 000 karma from an exhibition match. Well, I guess I can''t put it past you." ¡°Sure,¡± Langa grinned, shaking his hand. "We¡¯ll be in the capital on the first to watch your match live, so you better make it interesting,¡± Ormeth said with a laugh. "This sucks." Langa turned to Aramaga, the tearful expression on her face taking him aback a little. He didn''t think the two of them were that close. ¡°Who''s going to carry us through the level 10 zones?¡± Oh, that''s what she was upset about. Langa reached out to gently pat her on the shoulder. ¡±You do realise that most of those times I was just using your team as bait, right?¡± ¡°Even so,¡± Aquila said. "Thanks for helping us level up." "Yeah," Aramaga nodded. "I''m level 10 now, and I even got my first divine skill. It wouldn''t have been possible without you.¡± ¡°Don''t forget to thank him for not holding it against us that we tried to attack him at first,¡± Ormeth chimed in. Langa shrugged, walking into the bus. "You never know. Maybe I''m just playing the long game. And stop saying goodbye, I''ll see you in a week.¡± He felt bittersweet about leaving the Valley of Guardians since he wouldn''t be returning here. He would participate in the Celestial Clash, then raid some dungeons or hunt some voidents to earn karma and clear the 1st Floor. After that, he''d probably begin the Infinite Challenge and finally Ascend to the 2nd Floor. He waved to Aquila''s team when Aria started driving the lucent bus up into the air. After what happened with Makoto, Langa maintained a cool distance from everyone, not allowing himself to get attached again. Somehow, it seemed he had failed. Although he had mostly been using the three of them, he was fond of them, they had helped keep him company after all. * The travel plan was simple, they would transport the children to Tishiba¡¯s Peak land in a secret private lucent rank arranged by Undkese¡¯s father. There was one issue, though. ¡°I can''t get into the capital since I''m red. I''ll be arrested on sight. You are going to have to drop me off at a low-level red or yellow zone before continuing,¡± Synn said. Langa had forgotten that negatively aligned players were not allowed in safe zones. "It''s not right to just leave you in the middle of nowhere," he said, thinking. "Hold on, my friend is in the capital. I can ask him if he knows a village close by where your alignment won''t be an issue." Synn tilted her head to the side. "You have friends?" Langa glared at her as she laughed. He had half a mind not to help her, but he still contacted Liv to ask him for a favour. ¡°Hey, I''ll be arriving at Tishiba¡¯s Peak in a few days, but my friend is a red player so she can''t enter the city. Is there a neutral zone close by where she can stay?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh, you''re finally coming to the capital? It feels like I''ve been waiting for you forever! Let''s see, she can go to Sorrento Creek, it''s a small, neutral town about 150 kilometres below Tishiba¡¯s Peak. That''s where I''ve been staying. When she gets to the town, she can just go straight to Sorrento Inn and give them my name. I''ll let them know she''s coming,¡± Liv said. ¡°What''s her name?¡± ¡°SynnForessa. Thank you,¡± Langa said, wondering how high Liv¡¯s reputation was for him to have so much influence in a town close to the capital. ¡°No problem. Wait, is she the one from our tutorial batch¡¯s top ten?¡± he asked and when Langa confirmed that she was, Liv thought for a moment before saying. ¡°Well, I was trying to find a place for those of us participating in the exhibition match to stay, and I think I''ll just announce for everyone to meet at Sorrento Creek.¡± ¡°Is Fi Kindaro coming?¡± Langa asked at once. ¡°No idea. He hasn''t responded yet. I''ll post on the Dent later that we need the numbers so we can finalise the accommodation,¡± he said. "But he''d be pretty stupid to show his face." ¡°Okay, I''ll see you in a few days.¡± Langa ended the call. He really hoped Fi Kindaro would show up. Since Sorrento Creek was a yellow zone, no restrictions prevented PvP, so it would be a good place for a traitor to die. During the four-day journey on the lucent bus, Langa and his companions were attacked by flying monsters a few times. If not for that, the journey would have given him a terrible case of cabin fever. To pass the time, Langa worked on his enchanting skills using his brand-new Portable Enchanting Kit that he''d tearfully paid for and enjoyed delicious food prepared by Synn. The children on board would often ask him to recount his heroic adventures, but Langa had none to share. Instead, Undkese embellished stories based on his videos, which made the kids look up to him like a saviour, much to his chagrin. On one such occasion, Undkese had tearfully explained how much of a good person Langa was by telling them of his selfless crusade against the trollimps at Psike''s Grotto to save the allemaks. It made Langa uncomfortable since he had done that because it was his Challenge quest and to pay back Rila for saving his life. A side effect of his exploits was that he had been hounded on the Dent by alchemists, guild leaders, and many other players, asking him to sell the dungeon Rila''s Garden to them. Absurd amounts were thrown around, including the Herbology Guild ''Monila Flower'' offering him 10 fucking gold for the garden. That was enough money to buy a decent plot of land at Risa''s Plateau! However, Langa had no interest in selling the dungeon, not when he knew that the players would bleed the allemaks dry to get their lifeblood. His conscience wouldn''t allow it, no matter how much money was offered. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Also, once it was done renovating, he wanted to use it as his quiet sleeping space where he went to be alone, so selling it would seriously impede his plans. It sucked that the only responses he received from his videos were from fanatics like Undkese, people looking to recruit him, and those who wanted to buy his dungeon, not from Khaya, Neo or his sister. When he had some time to himself, Langa also did some personal research on the Dent. He could not find what he was looking for on Liberty''s Dent profile, as all she ever posted were pictures of plants and announcements regarding the First Storey and the Insurgents. The Maluta Syndicate was the information-gathering crew he''d heard about from Synn, and when he checked them out, it turned out they ran a forum with information on famous players that he had to pay 20 copper a minute to access. To his annoyance, when he found Liberty, there was very little information on her. The summary of her exploits in the Tower was fascinating, though. (Liberty, (real name unknown), is the fifth Insurgent of Anarchy. Not much is known about her origins, as she is not from any of The Deiwos Tower''s Floors. She was Chosen by the Demon Reaper and entered the Tower of her own free will as part of tutorial batch 2. After being scouted by Baelira Muyo, she became an enforcer for the Incantatrix Sorcerers and showed her immense power in the great Tree of the First Storey breaking the record for fastest climber of the Storey. Thanks in a large part to her, the Hallow Reaper Cult was able to surpass the Incantatrix Sorcerers in rank. Not much is known about the incident but Liberty singlehandedly betrayed and permanently killed five members of the Incantatrix Sorcerers'' main raid party during a guild battle and joined the Hallow Reaper Cult.) Langa didn''t know how true that was, but he could not help but sigh. If she did betray her former guild then she was bad news. He continued reading. (She became the First Storey Administrator of the Hallow Reaper Cult thanks to her achievements. Liberty is one of the cult''s main assets and since she is widely regarded as the best alchemist in the entire Tower, she is always guarded by some of the guild''s strongest players. In the 8th year of the 1773rd Deiwos Tower, she left the Hallow Reaper Cult''s main raid party and officially became an Insurgent of Anarchy. Widely regarded as Anarchist''s left hand, Liberty is-) "What are you reading that has you so engrossed?" Synn said, startling Langa into looking up. He closed his Dent interface quickly, not wanting to be caught stalking Liberty. "What are you doing here?" he asked. Synn raised her eyebrows and sat down on the chair across from him. "Undkese said you were looking for me." Oh, right. Ever since the Void Star fried his nerves, moving his mana around his body was hard. "You''re the best Mage I know, so I wanted to ask you something. Ever since my fight with Sasani, it''s hard moving mana through my nerves. It physically hurts," he said. She watched him for a moment and then said. "Wait, you weren''t using mana channels for your Brand? You circulated corruption through your one and only nervous system?" she asked, appalled. "How are you even able to walk?" "Master helped me," Langa said. He knew it was stupid in hindsight, but that had been a life-or-death situation. "How do I fix it?" "Don''t use your nerves. Use your mana channels so your manacore can grow in capacity. I can''t even sense the strength of your manacore and I''m amazing at that," she said and hesitated before adding. "About that, can I offer you some constructive criticism?" "Unsolicited? This ought to be good," Langa muttered, wondering what she wanted to criticise. "You''re wasting your full affinity because you don''t know how to circulate your mana effectively," she told him. ¡°Synn, can I trust you with something extremely private?¡± Langa asked. ¡°If I told you I¡¯d be revealing my weakness.¡± ¡°Langa,¡± Synn said, taking his hand, ¡°You are the only mortal in existence who knows my greatest weakness, how in my greed I destroyed an entire world. You know I¡¯m a walking sack of sin without a chance of redemption. Why wouldn''t you trust me?¡± He smiled. ¡°Okay. I can''t circulate mana through my mana channels because I can''t form a manacore." "What?" she asked. "But anyone with a Mental Affinity and Resistance average of 0 can form a manacore!" He took a deep breath, revealing his weakness. "I have negative Mental Resistance." Shock filled her face, then she squeezed his hand. ¡°Oh. Not having a manacore isn¡¯t the end of the world,¡± Synn said, already trying to come up with a solution to help him. ¡°What you need is a mana manipulation skill.¡± "While that sounds wonderful, I don''t have the gold to buy a skill," Langa said. He''d just blown most of the money he''d saved for the teleportation wheel on a common Portable Enchanting Kit. It seemed the best way to deal with his mana problem was to become Adtonifulmin''s Visage. "Maybe one of the gods watching you can assist you?" Synn suggested. [Multiple deities search their treasuries for artefacts they can use to entice you to take a Challenge from them] Oh? Langa knew there were more deities than usual watching him after his fight with Sasani, so perhaps one of them could assist him with a quest to improve his mana control. [The Onslaught of the Dark Void would like to offer you a Challenge for the divine skill: Mana Channels of The Dark Void.] Langa stared up at the message, in disbelief. Did Chaos think he was stupid enough to accept a divine skill from him with his low Mental Resistance? ¡°I decline,¡± Langa said. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, allows the offer to remain in your system, in case you change your mind.] ¡°I don''t need that kind of divine skill,¡± Langa said. Synn frowned. "Who offered you a divine skill?" ¡°Chaos. Master doesn''t even like him. I don''t know why he didn''t just reject it outright because it''s for void mana channels.¡± ¡°Yeah, you have full lightning affinity what are you gonna do with a void mana manipulation skill? There''s-¡± Synn started then paused, her eyes widening. ¡°Oh!" ¡°What?¡± ¡°Out of all the mana disciplines, Arcane is the most versatile followed by Darkness, which is what void magic and corruption fall into. Void magic can seal anything, Langa, even your corrupted lightning,¡± she said. "If you assimilate the Void Star as your manacore, you could circulate your mana through the void mana channels!" "No,¡± Langa said at once, shaking his head. ¡°I won''t accept it. I refuse to think like the followers of The Thousand Undead and accept any power even if the source is evil." "Look, having morals is good and all but-" "It''s not that. As much as circulating my lightning mana through void mana channels instead of my nerves is better, I can''t control my curse," he said. "If I make the Void Star my manacore, right now, it''ll get consumed by the Brand. The Brand already has control of my attribute, I can''t let it control my mana too." ¡°Wow I almost called you stupid for declining power, but you thought it through," Synn said and stood up when her comcer beeped. "Listen, Langa even if it hurts, you must continue moving your mana slowly along your nerves until it''s bearable again," she paused. "I''m leaving, it''s my turn on guard duty. You can watch your erotic content in peace. Take your time." "That''s not what I was doing!" Langa protested. "Please, you blushed like a teenage foxkin caught looking through some illicit drawings." Langa grinned. "Are you speaking from experience? How long ago was that for you, a thousand years?" He was lucky he had quick reflexes and was able to dodge the Flame Spike that came flying his way. Synn flipped him off before sauntering away. Once he was sure she was gone, he resumed trying to find as much information about Liberty as he could. * The next day, after a particularly nasty encounter with a flock of baby harpies, Undkese had bad news. "Guys, we need to refuel," he said. "What? I got us enough lucent stones to charge all the lucent crystal helms on this bus until we reach Tishiba''s Peak," Aria protested. "I know, but we had to take a long way around to avoid a nest of papabowas and we overused our gravity-lucent stones to fly higher. We still have some, but not enough to reach Tishiba''s Peak," he explained. "That''s a problem, we can''t stop at any big cities or towns where they might recognise us. I''m sure Synn, Undkese and I are on the Vonelle Heilliege Guild''s kill list," Langa said. One of the Guardians shared a map with everyone in the group. "There are a few small villages around, maybe we can land close to one and refuel without being recognised?" he suggested. "That''s our only option, but I don''t like it. We''ll have to cloak the bus and leave someone to watch the kids," Aria said. "We don''t have time to dally. The longer we spend in the sky, the more risky it is for the children." "We''ll have to be quick," Synn said. "But will they even have gravity-lucent stones? I mean, even the common ones aren''t easy to come by." "Worst comes to worst, we''ll just have to make do with air," Undkese said, frowning. They kept their voices as low as possible, so the children wouldn''t hear that something was wrong. It was decided that the Guardians would remain with the children while Synn, Undkese, and Langa went to buy lucent stones in the nearest village. The village was nestled between two small hills, and as the three of them approached the entrance, the sight before them quieted their chatter. The farms surrounding the village were now nothing but scorched earth, and the crops were trampled and destroyed. Using his Avatar title, Langa crouched down and saw large bird-like footprints leading to the forest. ¡°Baby harpies,¡± he murmured, recognising the subtle breath of life from the ones they had fought in the sky. ¡°Do you think they got inside?¡± Synn asked, worried. Langa checked where she was looking and saw that the protective wall encircling the village was in disrepair, with gaping holes and cracks that left the villagers vulnerable to further attacks. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they did,¡± Undkese said in a clipped tone. ¡°The protective enchantment on the walls is probably disrupted.¡± There were two guards standing watch on top of the wall, and when he scanned them, Langa found that they were both level 10 Fighter NPCs. From the small wooden gate, three elderly goblinkin emerged, and the older one stepped up to greet them. He was a level 8 Village Chief named Ghunfira. ¡°Chosen Ones! Players! Welcome to our humble Ginora Village!¡± the village chief said, bowing his head. ¡°We are but a small village, so there isn¡¯t much we can assist you with.¡± Synn stepped forward to shake hands with Ghunfira. ¡°Please relax, sir, we are just passing adventurers. We need to buy any gravity-lucent stones that you might have.¡± ¡°Buy?¡± he said, looking up in surprise. ¡°I mean, of course, please come inside. We don¡¯t have any gravity-lucent stones, but we have a couple of fully charged common gravity-lucent crystals, perhaps you can replace yours with them?¡± ¡°That would be great, thank you. How much?¡± Synn asked as Langa looked around. ¡°10 silver,¡± the village chief said quietly leading them into the village. ¡°Ten?¡± Undkese asked in shock. Given how tall and heavy Undkese was in plate armour, towering over the village chief, he startled, jumping. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, even 5 silver is enough.¡± ¡°For the Vodun¡¯s sake, lift your head,¡± Undkese told him, trying and failing to sound gentle. ¡°I meant that the system price for gravity-lucent crystals is 30 silver. Don¡¯t undersell.¡± ¡°What happened to your wall?¡± Langa asked, looking around. Calling this place a village was overstating it. It looked to be a hamlet of houses at best. There were only two shops that Langa could see, and many of the houses were dilapidated as local NPCs peeked at them from their shoddy homes. ¡°Ah,¡± Ghunfira said, looking away. ¡°A few weeks ago, neutral bandits from the Hazyunl razed this area, and they took everything from us and the surrounding villages. After they were done looting, they had their red players destroy our protective wall. We became a neutral zone, so we were susceptible to attacks from corrupted monsters.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you call the Federation Police?¡± he asked. ¡°This place is far from any towns, and I¡¯m sure there aren¡¯t any official teleportation wheels nearby. Unfortunately, you¡¯ll find that the Federation Police pick and choose their battles based on risk, and Hazyunl is a wanted bandit group, so they rely on bounty hunters like you to take them out,¡± Undkese answered quietly. Synn turned to Undkese and whispered, "Can''t we help them?" Unlike her usual abrasive self, she seemed pained at the sight of the devastation. Undkese placed a hand on Synn''s shoulder. "I understand your desire to help, Synn, but we are on a tight schedule. We can''t delay transporting the children. Many villages suffer like this due to the lack of adventurers in these parts. Ironically, jilted players from batch 3 overcrowd the large cities, taking jobs from NPCs, yet no adventurers care about these small villages because there¡¯s no payment." ¡°Don''t concern yourselves, players. There is a nest of baby harpies nearby, and no matter what you do, they will continue to raid our village when they get hungry,¡± the village chief said in defeat. Langa hadn¡¯t seen this side of the 1st Floor since Theria''s Hollow, so he''d never seen such poverty and despair in the Tower. His heart clenched at the sight of the thin, hungry children playing in the dusty streets. ¡°I grew up in a small village too, you know. We weren''t exactly poor, my dad and I made do. He was a teacher, and we were close to Eshowe, so we could always go into town to buy what we needed,¡± he said, kneeling on the ground. He took out three loaves of purblan bread and gave them to the children. Astounded parents walked over to inspect the food. ¡°I can ignore people¡¯s suffering if I can¡¯t see it. If it''s right in front of me like this, and I don¡¯t help, I¡¯ll get fucking nightmares." After a moment of silence, Undkese finally relented. "Alright, let''s do what we can. I have a construction skill, so I can help patch up the wall where the protective enchantment was disrupted. We have to do it before the end of the day too, otherwise, Aria might kill us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried, even if we repair the wall, there aren''t any shrines or altars nearby, to ask deities for their Blessings and protection," Synn said. ¡°This Floor¡¯s patron deity is the constellation Swiftfoot Anitari. Can¡¯t he just give them protective Blessings?¡± Langa asked. ¡°That¡¯s not how it works, otherwise, every deity would give their Disciples multiple Blessings. Blessings have to be earned from Faith, offerings, or getting a player to do a quest to bring the deity closer to the NPCs,¡± she said. Langa hadn''t realised that for regular Unbound NPCs, deities were distant since they communicated directly with him every day. "Maybe we can build a small altar to one of our deities and pray for their protection?" he asked. Undkese shook his head. "Building an altar to the Vodun of Iron on unsacred ground requires a three-day cleansing ritual. I''d also need some specific talismans which I don''t have on me." "Yeah, and the Nine-Tailed Fox requires his shrines and altars to be built in Flame-scorched areas, or a ritual to bathe the land in fire must be performed first. I can''t perform rituals for him anymore," Synn said, eyes closed. Langa opened the Relgte of The Lackadaisical Herald that he carried with him and checked the requirements for building an altar. He grinned when he was done, grateful for his master''s laziness. "It looks like I just need to create a sturdy structure, make a suitable offering, and place items corresponding to lightning, life, sloth, and decay on the altar." Undkese raised his eyebrows, "I''ve heard of The Lackadaisical Herald''s nonchalance, but really? That''s it?" "Hold on, it says you need to make a worthy offering. That means he may not bless the shrine if you don''t give something precious to you," Synn told him. "Yeah, but I can at least try," Langa said. Adtonifulmin had told him that the most meaningful offerings were not based on the true value of an item but on the value of the item to the giver. Undkese set off with the village chief to work as they repaired the broken wall with some of the men in the village. Synn tracked down the nest of corrupted baby harpies and since the creatures were all level 10 and below, she easily destroyed them. Langa had some of the free young goblinkin help him carry a few rocks to the town square. There was an old, dilapidated hut that used to be a shrine to the 1st Floor¡¯s patron deity, the constellation Swiftfoot Anitari in the centre, and the magic circle surrounding the shrine had been disrupted by the bandits'' attacks, and the village had no priests to repair the altar. "Lord Adtonifulmin, I''m building an altar for you so that these people have someone to pray to for protection," Langa said. "Please let me be successful. Ngiyabonga." He stacked the rocks up and placed a wooden log on the floor. Then he went about reinscribing the symbols on the magic circle with his enchanting skill. To his surprise, he felt a hand guiding him as he drew the symbol of The Lackadaisical Herald (a winged lightning bolt) on the circle around the shrine. He hoped that Swiftfoot Anitari would not be too upset at him for hijacking his shrine for his god. Once everything was arranged in order, the townsfolk gathered outside the circle and gave him items that had a connection to lightning, life, sloth and decay. Undkese, Synn and the others also came down from the patched wall. Langa hoped this would work as he searched for something precious to give to Adtonifulmin as an offering. His chest tightened as he pulled out a rare lightning-lucent stone. Fuck, he had been saving it to feed Tonare so he could use Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike. Aargh, not only was it freaking expensive, it was rare. He sighed and placed the stone on top of the shrine. ¡°Master, these people are no longer safe in their own homes. Please allow this shrine to protect them like you protected me. I found comfort in your essence, so I pray that you Bless this shrine and extend your hand to them,¡± he said. ¡°You know my heart, so you know how precious this lucent stone is to me. This is my offering.¡± Langa concentrated on his Faith in the Lackadaisical Herald to hear him and protect these people. Sharp, searing pain stung his arms as he infused his mana into the shrine¡¯s magic circle. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, has heard your prayer.] The sky darkened, thunder rumbled and storm clouds brewed overhead. There was a flash of lightning and the shrine glowed blue. ¡°The wall!¡± Undkese shouted, pointing. Lightning struck the wall and the bricks tightened together as the protective enchantment Inscribed on the wall reformed itself and glowed. [Ginora village has been granted a Conditional Blessing by The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm. Conditional Blessing: Safe Zone Effects: Ginora Village shall remain a safe (green) zone as long as the shrine of The Lackadaisical Herald remains protected. No negative or voident aligned mortals will be able to enter this village. No monsters will be able to spawn or break through the wall surrounding the village as long as it remains a safe zone. Every household within the village must make (1) offering to The Lackadaisical Herald during the months of Life, Lightning, Darkness and Physical Body to maintain the Blessing.] ¡°Oh shit!¡± Synn shouted as a blue light surrounded her, picked her up and threw her over the wall. Langa grimaced as Undkese ran to check if she was okay. She was a red player after all. He felt assurance from the essence of Adtonifulmin filling the shrine that she was fine. The villagers wept behind Langa and some of them knelt on the ground, giving thanks to The Lackadaisical Herald. [ACHIEVEMENT!! You have created a shrine for your patron deity and converted 20 mortals to his religion! +475 Karma +10% Faith +100 EXP] Ghunfira bowed to Langa and Undkese when they left two dead deer with him. He handed them a reed basket filled with strange fruits and one gravity-lucent crystal. ¡°This is all we could give as a village. Thank you. We won¡¯t forget your kindness,¡± he said. "Here''s your payment, 30 silver," Langa said, handing him the Guardians'' money. "Oh, I couldn''t possibly accept this after what you''ve done for us!" he protested. "You will. This village is a mess. Use the money to fix this place up," Langa insisted and walked away from the chief''s exclamations of gratitude. 30 silver was a lot of money for such a poor village. As the three of them made their way back to the lucent bus, their Renown went up and they received a gift. [The constellation: Swiftfoot Anitari is grateful to you for helping his people and he Blesses your journey. Until you reach your destination, your journey shall be swift and hidden from monsters and all negatively aligned players.] It was good that he didn''t seem to mind Langa stealing his shrine for Adtonifulmin. "Did he take the money?" Synn asked, munching on one of the fruits from the basket. "Yeah, Langa forced him to take it," Undkese told her. Synn smiled and placed her arms around both of their shoulders. She had to tiptoe because they were both taller than her. "You''re such tough-looking guys and yet you''re big, sappy softies," she said. "Langa, don''t think I didn''t see you buying those useless woven reeds and protection beads knowing full well they have no enchantments on them." "I..I wasn''t being a softie, they reminded me of the material we used back home to weave tribal necklaces. I need them for a project I''m working on," Langa said defensively. It was true. He was hoping to add them to his enchanted mana stone/darkness crystal that he was working on for Makoto. "Sure," she said, not believing him. Undkese snorted. "Be nice to us. Did you not see Swiftfoot Anitari''s Blessing? If we don''t lead the way, you won''t be able to find the lucent bus." "Oh shit, you''re right," she said, realising it. She smiled brightly. "So, what do you boys want for dinner tonight?" Langa rolled his eyes. Did she honestly think bribing them with food would work? His stomach growled, thinking about how great her cooking was. It was such a fucking traitor. 54. Floor 1: Langas Path (2) The metallic vessel rocked gently on the open Lucent treerail. A masked grey-haired mortal stood in a pool of blood, surrounded by four Tier 2 voidents, two of which were awakened. Na''koma''s fists were clenched, and dark tendrils of black aura swirled around his hands. Strangely, the four voidents hesitated to attack him. He cocked his head to the side mockingly, and since corruption demanded blood, the voidents¡¯ addiction to it pushed them to attack. One voident tried to slash at Na¡¯koma with a corruption covered sword but the berserker just sidestepped, caught the voident''s arm mid-swing and drove a black finger into the man''s throat. Blood sprayed out wildly causing the voident to sputter and gurgle before collapsing, clutching his neck. The other three shamelessly ganged up on Na¡¯koma. He took a series of flesh-eating slugs to his chest powering through the corrosive damage. The more corruption that struck him, the more frenzied and crazed his movements became. A wave of tiny black thorns erupted from his neck and stung one voident, paralysing him in place. After taking a beam of red energy to the back, Na¡¯koma closed the distance between him and another voident. He grasped the voident''s head with both hands and twisted and pulled, tearing the man''s head from his shoulders with a disgusting crack. Blood spurted from the gaping wound, and the headless body fell onto the deck. He grabbed the paralysed one by the collar and drove his black fist through the voident''s skull. The head tore into pieces, blood and brain matter splattering across the deck. The remaining voident tried to flee, but Na¡¯koma caught him easily. Terror filled his face and he fell to his knees, begging for mercy. "Please... please don''t kill me! I surrender!" Na¡¯koma¡¯s eyes glowed blue as he stepped forward, the black aura swirling around him growing more intense. He raised his hand, and the dark tendrils snaked out, wrapping around the voident''s body. The man screamed in agony as his bones were crushed. Na''koma looked into the vicomcer, blue eyes blazing with feral rage. ¡°The wicked should spare me their grovelling,¡± he said as the voident''s screams pierced the air. ¡°I do not take voidents alive.¡± The video ended and both Langa and Undkese stared at the black interface with fascination. It was early morning on the final day of their voyage and the two of them had spent the night watching the renowned, self-proclaimed bounty hunting king of the First Storey, Na¡¯koma the Black Fist killing voidents over and over again. Langa had never seen such raw, brutal physical violence outside of an action movie before. ¡°No one, not even Unbound Jareeksha, delivers cathartic brutality to voidents like Black Fist,¡± Undkese said, with respect in his eyes. ¡°I know,¡± said Langa, almost speechless. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can stomach that much blood, but he inspires me to hunt voidents.¡± Na¡¯koma¡¯s videos always began with him already on the inside, ripping the voidents apart. Langa was a fan of the bounty hunter¡¯s work, especially now that he knew how terrible voidents were. He wished Na¡¯koma included how he infiltrated and found voi-dens so that Langa could learn from him, but he knew that if he did, the voidents would be able to guard against him. As he watched the bounty hunter, Langa wondered if he had the courage and will to pave his own path the way Na''koma had. Hesitantly, he opened a new tab on his system interface, titled: Open Deity Challenges. Currently, there were only two. [2. [The Onslaught of the Dark Void would like to offer you a Challenge for the divine skill: Mana Channels of The Dark Void. Time Limit: 13 months/1 Year] 1. [The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, Adtonifulmin has proposed a Sponsorship Contract for you. Contract Type: Visage For more information on the rules and regulations for Visages, as well as the specifics of this type of sponsorship contract, please read The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master, Scroll 4: Chapter 6 Accept: Y/N? Time Limit: Unknown] He stared at Adtonifulmin¡¯s offer for a moment longer before closing his system interface. He didn¡¯t have to decide whether the path of Adtonifulmin¡¯s Visage was the one he wanted to take right now. * The capital city of Tishiba¡¯s Peak was located at the top of Tishiba Mountain, the tallest of all the mountains in the Anukirtam Mountain Range. The range was a series of tall grey mountains that rose to the sky and hid behind sparse clouds. Above them all, Tishiba Mountain stood tall and proud. Langa was sure it was over 10 000 kilometres high, and even though he had never been to Mount Everest, he doubted it looked as imposing as this one. The air up in the clouds was colder, but not as cold as he was sure it was supposed to be. Strangely, the air didn''t feel thin, as Langa was not struggling to breathe. He remembered the agonising training he''d done in Tanzania a few years ago to improve his stamina when racing in high-altitude countries. Was the oxygen level here the same as below? With a jolt, he realised he didn''t even know if he had been breathing oxygen during his entire time in the Tower. All he knew was that the air was made of lucents that made up mana. Did that mean oxygen was one of those lucents? He would have to read up on all that later. For now, he admired the Creator''s work as the massive mountain came fully into view. Langa could see multiple settlements as big as the entire city of Risa''s Plateau built along the mountain''s sides as they passed them. It was fascinating, and he was not ashamed that he gazed out of the windows in amazement alongside the children. One of those settlements along the side of the mountain was the town Liv had told him about, Sorrento Creek. The cloaked lucent bus dropped Synn off outside the town. They made sure to land away from any prying eyes, as they did not want the children to be spotted. Once that was done, they continued on their way, the bus rising higher as it went up the mountain. Surprisingly, the closer they got to Tishiba''s Peak, the more subdued Undkese seemed to get. He took the wheel from Aria because he was the only one who knew exactly where they would be landing, and he drove the lucent bus towards their destination. "Are you sure we''re going the right way?" Aria asked Undkese. "The place you''re taking us to looks like the Federation Military Base." "Yes," he responded, not looking at her. "I already organised everything, the Magistrate will be waiting there to receive us." "You aren''t talking about the Magistrate of the capital, are you? Don''t tell me your father is the Magistrate of Tishiba Province!" she gasped. This time, Undkese did turn to look at her. "Of course not. The Magistrate is a woman. The reality that you do not know a public fact like that when you are an Executive of the Guardians Guild is proof of your guild''s incompetence." Aria''s hair turned the brightest shade of red that Langa had ever seen, and she sat back down, looking annoyed. He couldn''t blame her since he hadn''t known that either. To be fair, though, in his case, it was less incompetence and more that he had no interest in the rulers of this Floor. He was a player and would be leaving this Floor as soon as he cleared it. It was very early morning when they reached their destination, and the red sun had barely risen in the sky. They landed in a secluded lucent rank, which had nearly all of its surfaces made of polished rocks and silver metal. It made Langa think that this was what it would look like if someone had a private airport on this Floor. There were a few other lucent carriages parked in this place, all looking luxurious, and decorated with precious crystals. There was even an extravagantly decorated flying carpet as well. A large number of Federation police officers were waiting in line as they alighted the lucent bus. Aria asked what they were all thinking, ¡°Who the hell is this guy''s father?¡± Undkese was leading the pack, followed by Aria and the children, with Langa and the rest of the Guardians bringing up the rear. He was careful as he came down since he was holding a sleeping Teyin in his arms. The Federation Police stood at attention in two lines, leaving space for the party to pass in the middle of them. Surprisingly, they all bowed when Undkese walked past them, his lips thin and his face impassive. At the very end of the line, stood two goblinkin guards and one owlkin woman. He could feel the intensity of their karma without even trying, so Langa activated his Team Player title to scan them. The title showed him that they were all level 20 to 22 NPCs, which was impressive, especially considering that most NPCs had no respawns, so levelling up would be more dangerous for them. The owlkin woman was clearly the leader, and according to the scan, her name was Varden Bir Gent. The colours of her military uniform were blue and red, with the Anukirtam Federation flag embroidered on it along with many badges and decorations. There were also embroideries around the collar of her jacket, showing the unity between the birdkin and goblinkin on the 1st Floor. ¡°Wow, that really is the Magistrate of Tishiba¡¯s Peak!¡± Aria whispered beside Langa as if she could scarcely believe it herself. Langa walked slowly, so as not to wake the child sleeping in his arms. The other children seemed a little intimidated by the uniforms too, clinging to Aria for safety as Undkese stepped forward. ¡°Greetings, Magistrate Bir Gent. As I promised in the message I sent to you, my party and I have brought the children to the city safely,¡± Undkese said, standing up straight in front of the owlkin and saluting her. ¡°So, you finally made it home, Undkese. At ease," she said gently. "Your father was worried.¡± "I appreciate the concern, Magistrate, but it is wasted on me," Undkese told her, still standing up straight. She raised her eyebrows at the formal greeting as her eyes swept across their entire group. It seemed she had something to say to him, but she did not interrupt him. "As you can see, these people helped me get here. This is Aria, an Executive of the Guardians Guild and her subordinates who travelled with us and provided extra security for the children. Over there is Blitzhunter. I informed you about him in detail, that he saved both myself and the children''s lives. There is another friend of mine who could not come into the safe zone, but without her, the children and I would not have been able to escape." "I see. Thank you all for your service," The Magistrate said, looking at the small group of them. All the Federation Police officers present there stood at attention and saluted them. "I doubt this city can ever repay you for your hard work." The owlkin crouched down so she was at eye level with the younger children. "I''m sorry about what you had to go through, but please don''t worry, you''re safe now. Please follow Lieutenant Brass for some treats. After that, we will take you to a safe place so we can contact your families.¡± Hope filled the children''s faces, but they also seemed reluctant to accept her offer, looking to Langa and Undkese for reassurance. Langa was conflicted because he had no idea how reliable the police on this Floor were. "I promise we will make sure that they are returned home without any harm coming to them," the Magistrate assured him. "Come, Lieutenant Brass, take the children to the safe house," she instructed. Undkese gave Langa a confident nod. He had always looked out for the children, hell, he had nearly died, sacrificing himself for them. If he trusted these people, then Langa would have faith as well. He patted one of the children''s heads. "You''ll be safe, I promise. If anyone tries to hurt you, I''ll strike them with a massive bolt of lightning," he said with a smile. It was both a promise to the children and a threat to the people present, to ensure that they treated the children well. They relaxed, trusting him. A few of them looked excited at the prospect of a bolt of lightning coming down to smite enemies, and that was enough for Langa. Langa handed the sleeping Teyin in his arms to the lieutenant and one of the older children ran up to him and hugged him across the waist. "Thank you, Blitzhunter. I''ll tell my mommy about how you saved us," she said, and he awkwardly patted her head too. Aargh, gratitude made him uncomfortable. Once the children were led away, the Magistrate spoke once more. "Again, I want to thank you for what you''ve done for those poor children. If there is anything we can do to pay back the Guardians-" Aria shook her head. "No, thank you. It was because we failed in our duties as keepers of order that the voidents were able to get a hold of the children," she said. "The Guardians do not need, nor do we accept, rewards from mortals. I would like to offer our sincere apologies from Guardian Knight Merreddyd for the lives we were unable to save." Aria''s hair had turned the sombrest shade of brown as she and the other Guardians bowed their heads before the Magistrate. "Please lift your heads. You do not owe us anything. However, we would appreciate it if you would report to the Federation Police about what happened in detail. Perhaps your testimony will help us prevent something like this from happening again. Undkese, you know the way to the office, please take them there." Langa made to follow Aria and Undkese but the Magistrate stopped him. "No, Blitzhunter, please follow me instead. The High Commissioner wishes to meet with you." Aria gave a surprised quirk of an eyebrow, and Undkese visibly tensed at the mention of the High Commissioner, but Langa was too annoyed at how much it seemed the name of Blitzhunter was going to stick to care. Fuck, there had to be a better moniker for him than that. He really hoped that name would not follow him even after Ascension. It was good for terrifying voidents, of course, but the thought of being stuck with it for all eternity just made him cringe. He followed the Magistrate towards the large military building, sulking. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Langa had to take this meeting seriously. He knew it was a big deal because the 1st Floor was a series of mountain ranges, divided into 52 Federations and Provinces, each of which was led by a Magistrate. Each Federation was mostly self-governed, with the Magistrate being the highest authority. The one who stood above all fifty-two Magistrates was the overseer of this world, the High Commissioner of the Anukirtam Federation. He was the one who settled territorial disputes among the different Federations as well. That begged the question, why would the Commander-in-Chief of the Federation Military be interested in Langa? As he surveyed the impressive military base with multiple members of the Federation Military stationed all around, he was impressed at the extensive security. This base was well guarded, almost too much so. He supposed that this much security was necessary if the High Commissioner was working here today. Well, what mattered was that thanks to his presence, the children would be safe here. The inside of the building was bare, the only pictures that lined the walls as the Magistrate led Langa up to the main office were of different goblinkin and birdkin in military uniform. The corridor was filled with door after door leading to the offices of high-ranking military personnel, although most of them appeared to be empty. Finally, the two of them reached the largest office at the end of the corridor, and the Magistrate knocked. "Sir, it''s Magistrate Bir Gent." "Enter," a low, deep voice said. She pushed open the door, and Langa looked around. It was bare except for a desk, chair, a few cabinets, as well as a large silver door behind the desk. The desk was covered in lucent tiles, and the only personal item seemed to be a picture of the High Commissioner beaming while holding a young owlkin girl in his arms. The walls were covered with pictures of previous High Commissioners. There was also a large lucent tile on the wall with a map of the Tishiba Mountain range. Seated behind a desk was the High Commissioner himself, an aged owlkin engrossed in one of the lucent tiles on the table in front of him. Langa''s karma stirred at the owlkin''s presence, making him step back slightly. It was more powerful than his reaction to the Magistrate outside, so he scanned the High Commissioner with his title. To Langa''s surprise, he was an NPC of Level 25, the maximum level for the first ten Floors. He had to be strong as hell. ¡°Sir, the player you requested to see is here,¡± the Magistrate said. ¡°Thank you, Varden, you may go,¡± he said without looking up. The Magistrate bowed and left the room. After she exited, Langa stood awkwardly in the centre of the room, until the High Commissioner finally spoke. "Are you the player who saved my son?" His deep voice filled the entire office. Langa raised his eyebrows. He hadn''t heard anything about one of the children being the High Commissioner''s son. Was that why there had been such a swift response to the incident? That could explain why so many of the Federation Police were guarding this place. "I didn''t know your son was among the kidnapped children," he said honestly. The High Commissioner looked up. "No, from what I''ve heard, my son was an accessory to goblinkin trafficking." It took a moment for Langa to piece together what he was saying, and when he realised it, he was taken aback. "You''re Undkese''s father?" The High Commissioner frowned. ¡°So he didn''t tell anyone anything? I swear, that boy can hold a grudge. I am Randika Mutouris Anukirtam, the High Commissioner and highest authority of the Anukirtam Federation.¡± He held out his feathery hand. Langa took the hand without much thought. So what if he was meeting the supreme leader of the entire world of the 1st Floor? This wasn''t nerve-racking at all. [Achievement! You are the first player in your tutorial batch to have a private audience with the High Commissioner of The Anukirtam Federation. +5% Renown] Huh? He hadn''t known that there would be an achievement for this. He supposed it was worthy of note if he was the first, though. ¡°I''m Langa Zulu. Yeah, I did help to save Undkese and the kids, but he was able to keep them safe and alive until I arrived. Also, Synn helped save the children too,¡± he said, emphasising his name as he had no desire for the High Commissioner to start using his nickname as well. Langa kept his voice steady and polite. While it was intimidating to meet someone this powerful in terms of authority, Langa had met a literal god, so everything else paled in comparison. High Commissioner Randika nodded. ¡°Ah, your other friend. Yes, Undkese did mention her as well. You needn''t worry. I will make sure to issue her a reward as well. What you all did was remarkable, pushing back a player over five levels ahead of you. Thank you for saving my subjects and correcting my son''s foolish mistake," he said, sighing. "The voidents didn''t know it, but they nearly brought the entire Federation to its knees with this incident. You prevented a great tragedy on this Floor. If word got out that an Anukirtam was supplying voidents with children, that would destroy the people''s faith in our leadership. We''re barely hanging on by our feathers as it is.¡± ¡°I just wanted the voidents¡¯ bounty,¡± Langa said, the praise making him uncomfortable. He did not like how it almost seemed as if the family''s reputation mattered so much more to this owlkin than the safety of the children. He knew that maintaining order in their territory was important to leaders, but would a little empathy kill him? Especially considering the large number of people they hadn''t been able to save. ¡°You are too humble, Langa Zulu,¡± the High Commissioner said. ¡°You did the Federation a great service. I will reward you for your hard work, but first, there is something I would like us to talk about." Langa got comfortable in the chair. He knew he had been summoned here for a reason, not just his most recent achievement. He could practically smell a quest coming his way, and could only hope it was a good one that would earn him money. It had to, after all, this guy was like the president, so he had to be rich. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°My son is precious to me, and I know sometimes he can take the wrong path in his desire to prove himself, but I value his opinion a lot. Did you know that just a month ago, he was doing well in the Federation Police, as a promising Private? I daresay he could have made Sergeant in a few years. I still have no idea why he chose to be a player when the system announced the integration of the Third Storey. He got his levels reset because of it," High Commissioner Randika said, shaking his head. Langa wondered if this was leading somewhere or if this owlkin called him here to vent about his pride and disappointment in his son. "Once he returned to the 1st Floor from the tutorial, I contacted him, asking him to return home because I did not want to lose another child. Undkese took that to mean that I lacked faith in him, and it angered him, so he tried to prove me wrong." In all honesty, Langa thought the High Commissioner was fighting a losing battle. In the time he spent with Undkese, Langa did not think he was the military type. He was tough, one of the strongest people from their tutorial batch that he''d met so far, and an excellent tank, but he liked reading to children and dreaming about heroes saving the world. He could tell that Undkese craved adventure and desired to be one of those heroes himself. High Commissioner Randika sighed. "In the past few days when I spoke to him, he kept going on and on about you and how much of a good person you are. He says that we need more people like you to fix this Floor¡¯s greatest problem.¡± Langa shifted in his seat. ¡°I¡¯m afraid your son has a slightly skewed opinion of me. He admires me because I saved him from certain death, but honestly, the videos he saw were edited to make me seem a certain way.¡± ¡°I thought so as well. After all, when Undkese likes something, he gets too passionate about it. When I saw your videos on the Dent, I saw potential." "Thank you," Langa said hesitantly. ¡°Is that why you wanted to see me?¡± ¡°Partly. Langa, what do you think of NPCs? What is our role in the grand scheme of things?¡± The High Commissioner said as he sat back in his chair. Role? Langa hadn''t given it much thought. If this were a game, the answer would be easy. The NPCs existed to help facilitate the players'' growth. However, according to Adtonifulmin, one of his family members was back on Earth, meaning they were an NPC. He refused to believe that they existed to be a stepping stone for players. ¡°They are just people, living their lives. Why should they have a defined role?¡± he asked. ¡°Good. You never know when it comes to players. Most players have this sense of superiority where they feel that because they are the chosen ones of the deities, they are better than us. They see our lives as empty complements to their adventures,¡± Randika said, tapping his thin hands on the desk. "However, most of the non-players I know, which is the majority of my people, are content to live simple lives. We are blessed to live in a world full of magic, safe from the dangers of being consumed by corruption." Langa watched him impatiently, wondering if there was a point he was trying to make. ¡°You may not understand this fully, being from a lost world, but this is what everyone in the infinite multiverse prays for. They unceasingly pray that The Unrivalled will have mercy on them and integrate their world into a Tower,¡± he said. ¡°Inside the Tower, we get to live in a world where pockets of corruption are sealed from those of us who are weak." Weak? Langa could hardly believe his ears. This man was not weak, he was the strongest NPC Langa had ever met. "Players are willing to do dangerous quests to get us what we want, so we don''t need the power to fight for our survival. It¡¯s not like we ask you to do those things for free; we usually give quests with decent rewards, but you¡¯d be surprised how many players choose not to honour their agreement. If not for the presence of the system contracts to force them to obey the rules of the Tower, most players wouldn¡¯t keep their word.¡± ¡°That doesn''t surprise me in the least,¡± Langa said with a shrug. "Humans¡ªI guess mortals¡ªare all like that. We all choose what serves us the best. I don''t know anyone who will selflessly save people without thinking about what benefits they will get from it.¡± ¡°Fair enough. But it''s worse now, with the 6th Floor blocked off. Overcrowding rages throughout our world as players from batch 3 stay down here instead of climbing. They are much more skilled and capable at a lot of crafting skills, and so, a lot of jobs went to them, leaving the young NPCs alone, unemployed, and idle,¡± Randika said. ¡°Because of what Anarchist did, the NPCs turned to voidentism for money and power,¡± Langa said. He couldn''t believe it had taken him this long to realise the connection. That explained the increased number of voidents on this Floor and why Jandri was crumbling under pressure. Had Anarchist done this on purpose to increase the Accari Crows¡¯ numbers, or was that a side effect of overturning the 6th Floor that he took advantage of? The High Commissioner sat back down. ¡±Precisely. That''s why I need your help to save this world from the Accari Crows.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are telling me this, but I¡¯m not that person. I¡¯m not going to save you or your people,¡± Langa told him bluntly. "As soon as I''m done with the Celestial Clash, I''m earning enough karma to Ascend to the 2nd Floor." "Relax, that is precisely what I want. The Accari Crows need to be dismantled from the top down. Getting rid of the foot soldiers is useless. Like I said before, we don''t make players work for nothing,¡± he smiled. "The voidents of the Accari Crows are a menace on the Ground Storey. Myself and the leaders of the 1st to 10th Floor need the help of players to take them out. Have you heard the names, Jareeksha, Merreddyd and Kerafonika?" Langa had heard of Jareeksha and Merreddyd but not the third person. ¡°I''ve heard of the Guardian Knight and The Unbound.¡± High Commissioner Randika scratched his feathers. "That''s to be expected, I suppose, since Kerafonika died four years ago. Those three have one thing in common. I selected them from each of their tutorial batches because of their potential and willingness to fight against injustice. One of them has chosen a treacherous path now, but he walks it boldly, so I can''t fault him for it.¡± "Okay, so what exactly do you need from me?" Langa asked. ¡°To facilitate cooperation between the Floors, we need the ability to connect and share information on a non-public platform to help us govern our worlds better. From every tutorial batch, I always choose someone who will provide a link for us to fight this scourge of red and voident players since, as NPCs, we can''t climb the Tower,¡± he paused. ¡°Unfortunately, the link was broken when that loathsome player brought forth anarchy on the 6th Floor, creating Void rifts that rippled across the lucent step lines connecting the Floors. When Kerafonika tried to stop him, he killed her." Langa listened silently, wondering where the High Commissioner was going with this. So, Anarchist hadn''t just destroyed the lives of innocent people on the 6th Floor but had disrupted an important system for the leaders of the Ground Storey as well. "This led to a disruption in interFloor trade. Now, we are forced to use The Hallow Reapers Merchant Group, because frankly, any other interFloor merchants that don''t pay the toll get robbed by their seemingly unaffiliated bandit guilds like The Icitill Clan. I have been searching for someone within your batch to act as the new link. Despite their great power, I have ruled out Maipsatenkka and nearly everyone in your batch''s top ten because they don''t align with my vision. I have considered Hayese, The Rising, and Joan Williams, but I''m reluctant to judge people''s capabilities by their Renown. Action is what gets my attention," he said as he watched Langa closely. "Your reputation as a ruthless voident hunter precedes you, and Undkese trusts and looks up to you. I would like to trust the person who saved my son. Perhaps it would be good for you to serve as a new link for us." "What does that even mean? Just hunting voidents and disrupting the Accari Crows'' plans? I can do that on my own." Langa frowned. High Commissioner Randika stood up and paced around his office. ¡°Each leader of a Floor has their own network of information on the locations of many things, voi-dens, dungeons, Gates, maestril rifts, you name it. They have spies everywhere, and no one knows their Floors better than the NPC leaders." He gestured to one side of the wall and waved his hand. A transparent lucent tile appeared, showing Langa what appeared to be a library. An assortment of ancient scrolls, leather-bound tomes, and gilded manuscripts floated around in the air inside, unreadable letters on the covers. "What is that?" Langa asked, drawn to it. "It''s the private library belonging to the Floor leaders," he said. "We have access to information that even the Guardians don''t. We know how voidents consolidate their power and make Void Gems, and what it means for them to be awakened. Choosing the right people to divulge this information to is important.¡± The High Commissioner stared at Langa with narrowed eyes. ¡°Langa Zulu. Are you qualified to take this mission on?¡± If the Floor leaders had information that was non-public about voidents, it was possible that they also might have information on Void Stars and the Brand. ¡°Absolutely!¡± Langa said excitedly. His hopes were dashed a moment later by the High Commissioner¡¯s next words. He pulled out a golden lucent tile shaped like a crown. There were a hundred empty lines on it and he said, ¡°This allows you to enter the roving library. However, to give you access to this sensitive information, I need proof of your strength,¡± he said. ¡°You will clash with many factions in the Tower, some much stronger than you. Will and determination can only get you so far. You haven''t been truly challenged by players of your level, and I need you to show me that you are strong enough to stand against them.¡± "How can I do that?" Langa asked. The High Commissioner considered him for a second. "You are taking part in the upcoming exhibition match of the Celestial Clash, aren''t you?" "Yes," Langa said. [You have been offered a quest. Accept Y/N?]
MAIN TOWER QUEST #1
NPC Leaders across multiple Floors have no way to directly communicate with each other other than sending players back and forth. In the past, they used the pathways connected through the lucent steplines linking all floors to the Tower. This link was broken four years ago after the battle between Anarchist and Kerafonika. The leaders need a player who can act as that link. The High Commissioner has heard rumours of your strength, but your lack of experience worries him. He wishes to see your strength for himself.
Quest Rank: Rare
Quest Objectives:
Win the exhibition match of the Celestial Clash
Time Limit:
None
Quest Limitations:
Only available to neutral/positive alignment players who: -Have received the favour of the High Commissioner of The Anukirtam Federation. - Have a Renown of Familiar Newcomer 50% or higher.
Cautions:
This is an evolving quest
Quest Rewards:
Floor by Floor Leadership Quests become accessible. The High Commissioner¡¯s gift
Failure Penalty:
Loss of Renown on the 1st Floor
It was ironic to think his Renown kept increasing because of his videos, even if that hadn''t been his original intention. If he hadn''t put himself out there to find his family, he wouldn''t have qualified to receive this quest. ¡°I accept the quest,¡± Langa said at once. He had already been planning on winning anyway. ¡°Good, show me your resolve and strength, and I promise, there will be plenty of advantages for you. Now, let me issue your rewards for the previous quest,¡± The High Commissioner said and stood up again. [You have completed The Quest: A Tearful Homecoming Contributions: Expected Contribution per player: 50%
  1. Langa Zulu - 52%
  2. SynnForessa - 48%
Quest Completion Grade: C +500 EXP +130 karma + 50 silver coins] [You have been nominated as a reward proxy by Player SynnForessa. + 50 silver coins.] Langa guessed that the karma and EXP went straight to her, but since he was receiving the coins directly from The High Commissioner, he had to receive them for her. He probably received a higher contribution than her for physically bringing the children here. As he accepted the two pouches, Langa wondered what Synn would do if he ran with her money. With how greedy she was, she would probably hunt him down, kill him and rip it out of his corpse. ¡°I can arrange a transport for you through my private teleporter unless you have something to add to The Federation Police?¡± the High Commissioner asked. ¡°Nope, I''m ready to go. Can the teleporter take me to Sorrento Creek?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course," he smiled. "It can go anywhere in this world. I will set it for Sorrento Creek''s main town square. All you have to do is open that door," the High Commissioner said, gesturing to the large silver door behind his desk. He tapped it with a wand, and the glyphs on the door lit up. "The private teleporter is through there." "Thank you," Langa said, stepping around him. "Langa, I will be watching your game, so show me what you can do,¡± the owlkin said, sitting down at his desk. "If you prove yourself, I can allow you to take one book from my private collection." "Make sure you keep the gift ready, High Commish," Langa said, opening the door with a grin. "There is nothing I hate more than losing in a competitive sport." It didn''t count if he lost on purpose. He heard the High Commissioner laugh as he opened the door. Inside, there was a wheel much smaller than the large one from Risa Plateau, and Langa stepped inside, selecting Sorrento Creek as his destination. Before he left, he sent Undkese a message letting him know that he was leaving and gave him the address to Sorrento Inn. He wanted to leave as soon as possible before the Federation Police decided they wanted him to give a statement as well. He also let Liv know he was on his way. 55. Floor 1: Langas Path (3)
@insurgent-liberty.HRC to @langelihle You''re the one who killed Sasani, right? Perinda''s going to kill you. @langelihle to @insurgent-liberty.HRC Fuck him. @insurgent-liberty.HRC to @langelihle No thanks, he''s not my type. I''m serious, though. Word is he''s pissed off and about to go on a rampage. He and Sasani are very close and you messed with his toy. @langelihle to @insurgent-liberty.HRC I can guess how he found out, but how the hell do you know already? @insurgent-liberty.HRC to @langelihle The Guardians may be keeping this info hush hush, but Anarchist has ears everywhere. He''s paying attention to you now, so watch your step. @langelihle to @insurgent-liberty.HRC I don''t give a shit. Why''d you contact me? Do you need something? @insurgent-liberty.HRC to @langelihle I just wanted to give you a warning. Leave the ACs alone. No matter how much injustice you see, look away. You''re too weak to be poking the monsters that you''re provoking. @langelihle to @insurgent-liberty.HRC I''ll continue doing whatever the hell I want. Also, I don''t care what you think. Screw you. @insurgent-liberty.HRC to @langelihle Get to know a girl first, sweetheart.
Langa didn''t respond after that. He could not believe Liberty''s nerve. How the hell could she ask him to look away after what he had seen? He hadn''t expected her to be a good person, not after she threatened, albeit seductively, to kill him if he had Amalgam''s key. But she was his only link to the Hallow Reaper Cult. He shook his head and looked around. He had just stepped off the teleportation wheel and was in the middle of Sorrento Creek. He''d actually opened his comcer interface to tell Liv that he had arrived and would meet him at the inn when he saw Liberty''s message. The small town was packed with players, all walking around with purpose in different types of armour, carrying weapons and leather bags. The NPCs were also lively, and everywhere Langa stepped, someone came up to him, trying to sell him something. It was like walking the streets of the Johannesburg CBD at 8 in the morning, minus the traffic. Langa watched as lucent carriages travelled along the streets, passing right next to the market stalls that were all over the place. The quaint little town had narrow streets, each with old but well-kept stone buildings. It was much smaller than Risa¡¯s Plateau, and surprisingly, some of the homes in this place were built on top of a large network of massive trees. The sun cast a red hue over the streets as Langa made his way across town. Magic was everywhere, almost tangible, with the glow of lucent crystals visible from every shop he passed. In the middle of the town, there was a large stone castle with ancient runes carved into the walls, and around it, there were elves, dwarves, birdkin and goblinkin mingling together, doing various activities within the town. It was his first time in a yellow zone that served as a residential area, and it took some getting used to seeing the distinct lack of Federation Police and the large number of red players walking around. Uniformed guards were patrolling here and there, but the security here was negligible compared to Risa''s Plateau. He shook his head at the realisation that many more Federation Military officers were guarding one level 25 NPC than there were guarding an entire town. Granted, the NPC in question was the High Commissioner, but the difference was still staggering. He almost caught a stray laser blast as he walked past a pair of arguing players, both level 17 and 18, when one fired the blast from his shooter. If Langa had been a bit slower, he would have failed to dodge it. Even after he did, though, the blast grazed his jumpsuit, and a jolt of pain stung his leg. The spot on his armour that was struck by the laser melted, leaving a hole in the jumpsuit. ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Langa cursed, drawing Tonare and dashing towards the offender. He had just gotten his jumpsuit repaired, for shit¡¯s sake. ¡°Hey, watch where you are shooting, you dumbass,¡± he said, kicking him in the abdomen, causing him to fall over. The other player laughed as the kicked one stood up, red-faced in anger. ¡°Hey, what the hell was that for?¡± he shouted at Langa. ¡°I should be asking you that,¡± Langa said. "Your little laser blast could have done a lot more damage if I hadn''t dodged. My entire leg could have been burnt off! I''ll take two silvers for the damage to my armour.¡± He held out his hand expectantly. Sure, the player was level 18, and maybe it was a mistake to confront him like this, but Langa did not play regarding money. He was poor right now, and he''d spent a lot of money getting this armour fixed after his battle with Sasani. He was getting the money to fix the armour no matter what, so he folded his arms and looked at the two players, who were staring at him uncomprehendingly. He was sure they were scanning him, but thanks to his Shroud, they weren''t able to tell what level he was at. ¡°Go to Death''s third hell,¡± the player snapped and raised his shooter again. Langa was sure another laser blast was coming, and he prepared himself to use Flash Step to dodge when a glowing golden sword flew between Langa and the player. It emitted a yellow light and was clearly filled with power. Both Langa and the player stepped back and looked at the person who''d thrown the sword. A demigod with long blue hair and scales on his arms, casually dressed in simple leather armour, was walking towards them. Langa¡¯s annoyed face broke into a grin. ¡°Liv!¡± he shouted, happy to see his friend. ¡°You''ve been here for two seconds, and you''re already causing trouble,¡± Liv said, shaking his head. People around them had stopped walking and were now watching the scene, whispering in low voices. The two players looked from Langa to Liv apprehensively. Liv glowered at them, but he maintained his smile as he turned to face the two of them. ¡°Fellows, you know the rules. This town isn''t a lawless zone. If you want to fight in town, create a PvP zone so that other people aren''t affected,¡± he said sternly, like a teacher talking to naughty children and not a player addressing those at a higher level than him. ¡°I don''t think my friend was in the wrong, but do I need to call the town guardsmen?¡± They were red players, so while they did not get arrested on sight here like they did in safe zones, if they were reported for causing a disturbance in a neutral zone, they might get arrested. ¡°Of course not, Liv¡¯Kungsadu, we didn''t know that this shithe-... this player was your friend,¡± the calmer player said quickly and bowed, while the aggressive one shrank back. ¡°That''s right, there''s no need to call the guardsmen,¡± he said, fishing two silver coins out of his pouch and throwing them at Langa. ¡°Sorry about your armour.¡± ¡°Wonderful, I do love a peaceful resolution,¡± Liv said, clapping his hands together as the two slinked away. Langa picked up the coins. ¡°Hey,¡± he said, holding out a hand. The two of them clasped hands and had a one-armed hug. ¡°It feels like it''s been forever since I saw you; your karma feels so much more powerful,¡± Liv said, nodding approvingly. ¡°Well, duh. I wasn''t even in Tier 1 the last time we saw each other,¡± Langa said as Liv led him down the street. At first, he figured they were going to the inn where Liv had said Synn should go, but they seemed to leave the busy district entirely, walking towards an area with broken buildings and fewer people. ¡°There are no guardsmen in this area. Where are you taking me?¡± Langa asked as they turned into a darker, more quiet area of the town. He¡¯d turned his Avatar title off when he got here because there was too much life and too many people, but now he equipped it again. The red sky cast long shadows across the narrow, abandoned alleyway, its silence broken only by the distant sounds of the town. He didn''t think Liv was going to set him up or anything, but he wanted to be prepared in an area like this. ¡°There is a place I wanted to show you before we went to the inn. I know you''re tired and you probably want to rest, but there is something I have to tell you. I''d prefer to do it when we''re alone, because I know you will get mad, and if I don''t tell you now, I might lose the courage," Liv said, looking away. "That''s not like you," Langa said, frowning as he sensed a breath of life approaching them. "I''ve never known you to be scared of anything." I know, right? Honestly, I thought this would only take a few minutes at most, however," Liv said, turning to look at him. ¡°There''s a small pest I just noticed nagging at me right now. You don''t mind if I take care of it right here, do you?" Langa sighed. "I can sense them, but why couldn''t you have dropped me off first? I''m tired," he complained. "I know. You can just stand out of the way and relax. It won''t take long, I promise. Five minutes at most," Liv said, looking honest. ¡°It''ll be over quicker if I help, Liv,¡± Langa said, unsheathing Tonare and Flash Stepping behind Liv. He kept it a shortsword and plunged the blade into the breath he felt behind Liv, and blood splattered onto his hand. It appeared that he¡¯d stabbed straight between the ribs as a body clothed in black robes resembling those of a ninja materialised into existence in front of him with a groan. He clutched his bleeding wound as the extra damage from attacking with Flash Step dealt a critical hit to him. Liv¡¯s leg blurred past Langa¡¯s ear as Liv launched a powerful kick, catching the ninja in the chest and sending him sprawling to the ground towards the other side of the alley. [You have attacked another player in a neutral zone. They may retaliate without penalty to their alignment for 60 seconds. Create a PvP Zone? Yes/No?] He dismissed the notification as he wondered why he hadn¡¯t received the notification when he got grazed by the level 18 player¡¯s laser earlier. Was it because of the intent? Since that had been an accident, did it not count? He didn¡¯t know the answer to that, and there was no time to think. When the ninja sat up, Langa managed to catch a guild symbol on his robes. He belonged to The Hallow Reaper Cult. He tried to use the regular system to scan him, but to his surprise, he received an error message. He was itching to try his Team Player title and see if it could get some information on this guy, but that would mean unequipping his Avatar title, and he would not do that. Was this person following them because of Liv, or had Langa been found already? Even if the Vonelle Heilliege Guild knew he was the one who took out Sasani, they couldn''t know he was here already, could they? Otherwise, they would have intercepted the delivery of the children. Langa concentrated hard on his Avatar title, trying to sense if there was anyone else around. It was the strangest breath he¡¯d received from his title. He could feel four breaths from behind the alley. It was odd because three of them were identical and one was different. He had never sensed any living beings with the same exact breath of life. ¡°There are more of them,¡± he told Liv. ¡°I figured as much since he never comes alone,¡± he said as the ninja straightened up, lowering his mask. ¡°Octavius. Of course it''s you, again,¡± Liv muttered through gritted teeth. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The ninja, Octavius, had a thin, bony face. He was pale, with pointed ears not as sharp as an elf, but not human either. Langa could not tell what race he was as his large grey eyes looked from Liv to Langa then back to Liv again. He stood there, his body so thin that it looked like it was swaying slightly in the breeze, a smile playing on his lips. "Liv¡¯Kungsadu," he said, his voice quiet. "I¡¯ve come for your answer." Liv grabbed the hilt of his sword, his eyes narrowing. "Really? I see you¡¯re still sending your clones after me. Does The Demon Reaper not teach his followers simple courtesy in battle?¡± Octavius, or his clone, apparently, laughed. ¡°Sending my clone to you is a courtesy. My orders are to force your hand, not kill you. You may be a demigod, but don¡¯t overestimate yourself." ¡°Sorry for dragging you into this, Langa,¡± Liv sighed, stepping in front of Langa and drawing his sword. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry to him. It''s true that I wanted to ruffle your scales again, but when I saw that you were with Langa Zulu, a person of interest to GM Nocnitsa, I decided to arrange matters so that I could deal with two rookies in one afternoon. So, we are actually here for both of you,¡± Octavius said as he chuckled. "Now, are we doing things the easy way or the hard way today?¡± "I told you ten times before that I am not interested in joining The Hallow Reapers," Liv snapped. "Really, and here I-" Langa infused two of his daggers with lightning and threw them at Octavius. "Look, I''m sorry to interrupt your monologue or whatever, but can you either fuck off or we get to fighting? I''m hungry, and I would like to sleep on a real bed after spending so many nights in a moving vehicle!" "You don''t have to be rude about it, but fine." Octavius took two steps back, easily evading the two daggers. "But it is such a shame about you, Liv¡¯Kungsadu. Master seems to think you have so much potential, even if you¡¯re bound to his enemy. But if you won''t join us willingly, then you leave me no choice but to keep pushing." In an instant, two of the identical breaths of life Langa sensed earlier rushed into the alley in the form of two more clones. The first attack came from above. One of the clones unleashed a rainfall of red magical droplets, casting a red light in the dark alley. Liv hastily muttered something and raised the golden shield that materialised in his hand so that it protected Langa from the rain as well. ¡°Careful. He uses necrotic rain,¡± Liv warned. Before he could catch his breath, another clone appeared behind him, a magical crossbow aimed at his back, and Liv twisted around just in time, the bolt whizzing past his face. In order to disrupt the spellcaster, Langa infused mana into Tonare and chucked the glaive at the clone, who was too slow to dodge, leaving him with no choice but to cast a movement spell on himself so that it looked like the wind pushed him away from the live. As soon as he landed, Liv charged at him, his sword drawn. As much as Langa wanted to enjoy fighting next to Liv again, he had enough to worry about. He faced the last clone, the ninja, armed with two short swords. He attempted to go into stealth and backstab Langa, but he spun around, deflecting the shortsword with the flat of Tonare''s blade while maintaining his range. He could see how frustrating it had to be for Octavius that the range of his weapon was too short to reach Langa. Perhaps that was why, instead of engaging Langa, the clone ran off towards Liv with his blade raised. Liv shifted his stance and leapt back, his feet barely touching the ground as he parried the shortsword clone¡¯s blade. The spellcasting clone unleashed another rain of magic droplets, and instead of blocking or dodging them all, Liv charged forward, tanking the blasts with ease. It felt satisfying for Langa to see his seamless movements again, and he got distracted watching how easily Liv shifted between his stances. The shift in targets made Langa slow to react, but when the third clone''s crossbow bolts came for Liv, who was now facing the three of them by himself, Langa shot to the left, stabbing his glaive towards the shortsword clone¡¯s side. The clone managed to dodge, but instead of retaliating, he circled Langa, watching him warily. Strangely, it seemed Octavius was more interested in attacking Liv and evading Langa than actually fighting him. ¡°What, I thought you said you were here for me too. Got cold feet?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± the clone said. ¡°You''re off-limits for me. One of the Insurgents claimed you and put you on the No-Hit List. No Reaper is allowed to touch you without the Insurgent¡¯s permission. It¡¯s highly inconvenient since the guildmaster had originally assigned me to kill you.¡± Langa halted. What the hell did the fact that someone claimed him mean? That wasn¡¯t creepy at all. Was it Liberty? Or was it Anarchist himself, since she said he was paying attention to Langa now? While he was distracted, something bright flashed from behind the alley, slicing through the broken-down wall and very nearly cutting into Langa¡¯s throat. Thankfully, he managed a quick turn, and the light scraped into the skin of his shoulder. ¡°Yhoo!¡± he cursed. It was merely a light cut, but fuck did the pain that seared through Langa hurt. He had no time to nurse his wounds, though, as he saw multiple black spheres soaring through the air towards him. Langa quickly executed the movements of Legacy of the Tonare Thunderbirds Spearmanship and wove through the oncoming mana balls. He raised his glaive with his uninjured arm, deflecting one of the balls while he dodged the rest. "Just because I can''t attack you, doesn''t mean I can''t call someone who can," Octavius said with a smirk as he ran back towards Liv. The fourth unique breath of life he''d felt earlier was the one who attacked him, and when he turned to face him, Langa saw the perplexed look on his opponent''s face before throwing two daggers towards his thigh. Another mass of black mana balls shot forward to block Langa''s attack, but without even activating Flash Step, Langa evaded the balls. Wait a second, this was a type of magic he had faced before. This was someone he knew! ¡°Statia?¡± he asked. "Langa," Statia said, "Good. You haven¡¯t forgotten me." Langa stepped back, his eyes narrowing. "What are you doing here?¡± He needed more space, this alley was too narrow for someone like him who needed range, so he moved backwards, towards the entrance to the alley. Statia glared at him. ¡°Why do you think? I¡¯m here to kill you, of course.¡± His voice echoed through the narrow passage as he followed him. Langa frowned. ¡°Why? I have no business with you,¡± he said. He was now out of the passage and onto a deserted, wide, open road. If Statia was from the Vonelle Heilliege Guild, then he would understand why he¡¯d be going after him, but he was from the Retessa Guild. Their only interaction was when Langa tricked him and took the dungeon Psike''s Grotto from him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re still mad because I ran away from you.¡± "Shut up!" Statia said, and two tall wooden spikes rose up from the ground under Langa but instead of his feet getting pierced, Langa activated his boots¡¯ Jumper Skill and as soon as he landed, he Flash Stepped behind Statia, and infused his spear with lightning. He thrust Tonare forward, hoping to end the fight before he activated his troublesome defensive skill. ¡°You humiliated me!¡± he shouted again. The instant Langa¡¯s spear shot forward, it was stopped by a wall, the force of which pushed him back over 5 metres onto the wide-open road He caught his balance on one of the broken-down buildings on the side of the road. Dammit, it seemed Statia must have already activated his force shield, the barrier of light both surrounding and protecting him. Langa knew this barrier well; it was nearly impenetrable but immobilised Statia while active. He''d managed to trick him last time, but he was sure he could defeat him now. Strangely, the system scan showed that Statia was level 14 now, and Langa distinctly remembered him being level 15 before. Had he died at some point after their initial meeting? ¡°What?¡± Langa said incredulously, unfazed by being pushed back. ¡°Dude, you were in my way, and I found a way to get past you. That was a fair fight. You chose to surround me with your men and then got fucked over when I still managed to get away. You humiliated yourself. What are you even doing with The Hallow Reapers?¡± Statia summoned three balls of darkness that floated around him, then shot towards Langa with alarming speed. Langa dodged the first few, his agility and speed serving him well, but one ball grazed his arm. He felt a sudden drain on his energy, his mana being leached away by the dark magic. ¡°Everyone knows you''re participating in the exhibition match tomorrow, and that Liv''Kungsadu invited all the participating players to this dead-end town. With how recklessly you''ve been hunting the Accari Crows, I figured hanging around a Reaper would lead me to you,¡± he said, launching more balls at Langa. ¡°I was punished for losing the dungeon to you. I lost a level, and you¡¯re going to pay for that.¡± He conjured more than ten mana balls with his wand, arranging them to surround Langa in a seven-metre radius to stop him from escaping his attack with Flash Step. Langa was envious of Statia''s insanely fast casting speed because he barely had time to move before a beam of white light shot from his wand, slicing through the alley with a terrifying flash. Statia had trapped him so he could slice him up with his light beam. Langa leapt to the side as the beam carved a path into the stone wall behind him. In the dark alley, the light was a blinding assault on his eyes. Fuck, he could not see anything. He landed on top of a mana ball and cursed, as he lost 10% of his total mana to it. Langa''s instincts went on high alert. He was blinded, but with his Avatar title active, he could sense the breath in Statia¡¯s magic. He could sense the other nine balls converging on him, and it would be hard to dodge without seeing them. He needed to disrupt his casting before he stole his mana, so Langa infused lightning into his spear and drove it into the ground right in front of him, but this time, Statia did not lose his balance, and the shield remained sturdy even though the ground surrounding it was breaking apart. He had to recall his balls to focus all his mana on maintaining the shield, which was what Langa was aiming for. "Do you really think the same trick will work on me twice?" Statia taunted, recalling their previous encounter. "It was worth a try. You look stupid, so I figured you might be too," Langa retorted, as more spikes emerged from the ground. This was not his end game. ¡°When I kill you, I¡¯m going to wipe that arrogance from your face,¡± Statia sneered, raising his arms. The sudden emergence of large, thorny spikes from the ground blocked the path ahead of him up to 3 metres. He could feel them like knives with a life of their own, all aiming at him. It was the most sensational feeling ever; he could sense tiny wisps of life from every single spike, even if he could not see them. There was life in a person''s mana signature, and that was perhaps why it was possible to die from mana exhaustion. Honestly, he''d just been toying with Statia. He could end the fight easily with Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike if he wanted, or if he wanted to waste a spell scroll, he could destroy Statia with Lightning Lance, but now the fun was over. He''d sized him up, and he didn''t pose a challenge to Langa. He was no longer a beginner spearman who could be stopped by something so trivial, so with his eyes closed, he infused mana into Tonare, stretching the shaft to 2 metres, and then he spun at high speed 360 degrees over and over again, nearly making himself dizzy as the force of the spear tore through the spikes at breakneck speed like paper. Man, Tonare sure had some weird techniques embedded into the intermediate rank of his spearmanship. But then again, he had been a thunderbird, so this much vertigo would not have been an issue for him. Either way, Langa cleared the path in front of him of spikes and dashed forward at Statia, who was gaping at him like he was an alien. ¡°Shit! What the hell is that?¡± he shouted. The divine skill must cost mana to maintain, and since his mana-draining dark balls could not touch Langa anymore, he was not replenishing his mana nearly fast enough. Maintaining two magic skills at once had to be a strain on his mana. Statia''s face was screwed up tightly as he concentrated on maintaining the barrier while activating more mana balls to attack Langa. Langa sighed. He was tired of this. His vision was clearing, so it was time to go on the offensive. Liv was fighting three clones by himself, and he needed to end this quickly so he could go and help him. He couldn''t keep dodging forever. This barely got his blood pumping, and he knew that it was barely enough to fuel his attribute. ¡°Impulse Pulse,¡± he said, activating his attribute. Half of his total stamina disappeared in an instant, and he charged up his velocity, speeding straight towards Statia at double his normal speed, with time slowed down. He activated Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike the instant he reached the force shield. The lightning surged inside the glaive, and the force shield shimmered, wavering as the lightning exploded through it. The force shield shattered, fragments of magical energy dispersing into the air. Statia staggered back, his eyes wide with shock and fury. [Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike Activated!] (Force Shield) - 989 Damage Lightning discipline damage: (Force Shield) - 989 Damage Shield destroyed. Backlash (Langa Zulu) - 179 HP] The backlash sent Langa stumbling back and unbalanced him. The pain was tolerable, especially considering how bad the backlash had been the last time he used this skill . He shook his head, not wanting to think about the Void Star. Statia had two respawns the last time they met, which meant he only had one more left. If he only had one life, then he would learn to value his life more, and stop bothering Langa like this or putting bounties on him. Langa didn''t give him a moment to recover. He drove his spear into Statia''s chest, lightning coursing through the mage''s body. Statia''s scream cut through the silent alley, and his remaining balls of darkness dissipated, as their energy was lost. ¡°I hope losing another level will be enough to teach you that you and I are not the same, you lost your only chance to defeat me three weeks ago. What was it you said to me back then? This is the Tower, you''re weak, so don''t provoke the strong, or you will die." Langa made sure to look down at him as he bled out on the ground in pain. He could see anger, pain, and hate in Statia¡¯s eyes as life left his body and he died. [You have killed a level 14 Player (Statia X Caur) +560 EXP +30 bonus EXP +14 karma +7 Silver coins] Done with that, he ran back into the alley to help Liv, only to find blood pooling on the ground from a beheaded clone''s body and another body cut into more than five pieces, limbs strewn about as Liv walked over their bodies. The magical crossbow-wielding clone was the last one left standing. He took aim again, but Liv was faster as he closed the distance in a heartbeat, his sword cleaving through the clone''s chest, causing blood to pour out of the wound profusely. To Langa¡¯s disgust, a tongue jutted out of the sword¡¯s tip, drinking in the blood. ¡°Sorry,¡± Liv said, catching Langa¡¯s look. ¡°Bloodserpent has nasty habits, that''s why I don''t like to take it anywhere.¡± "And I thought my glaive was weird. Wow, you didn''t need my help at all, did you?" he asked. "Where''s the fourth one?" ¡°He''s here. Always watching. Come out, Octavius. I¡¯m sick of seeing your stupid face. Let¡¯s end this now,¡± Liv said, looking around tensely. ¡°Two on one, that¡¯s hardly fair. Especially since I¡¯m not allowed to kill either of you,¡± Octavius said from above. He was standing on the nearby rooftop, smirking down at them. ¡°I am not going to join your guild, no matter what you do. So, please stop bothering me,¡± Liv snapped at him. ¡°Nope. This is a Challenge from Master, and every time I pay you a visit and annoy you, I earn tonnes of karma. I get to toy with a rookie ranker and earn free karma, I¡¯m living the life,¡± he said with a shrug. "I''ve never known him to be this petty, so you should probably apologise for whatever you did to make him mad." ¡°That bastard won¡¯t let me have any peace,¡± Liv muttered. Octavius looked past the alley at the disappearing body of Statia on the road. ¡°That idiot followed me around and promised to get rid of you, but I guess you get to live another day, Langa Zulu,¡± he said. This guy was annoying, so Langa activated his Jumper skill and leapt up onto the rooftop with Tonare extended. He slashed at Octavius, but he bent his back unnaturally like a contortionist, and the glaive merely grazed his hair. ¡°You started it, so don¡¯t tell on me, okay?¡± he asked. He was still bent unnaturally, almost parallel to the ground, as he brought his leg up to strike Langa¡¯s temple. His highly trained reflexes were the only thing that saved Langa from what was certain to be a critical hit as he stepped back, losing his balance. What the hell was this guy made of? How did he manage that kick from that angle? ¡°So close,¡± Octavius said, straightening up. ¡°But I shouldn''t tempt fate. See you around. Langa Zulu, Liv¡¯Kungsadu.¡± From within his body, four more clones emerged, and they each ran in a different direction. "Should we chase him?" Langa asked. "Are you kidding? He''s infuriating, but he is level 20. If you want to try your luck, be my guest," Liv said. "What? You had me fighting a Tier 2 player?" He asked incredulously, as he stepped over a clone''s body and walked out of the alley with Liv. "I thought you liked a challenge?" Liv asked with raised eyebrows. He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but I''m not fighting a losing battle. I like a challenge that I can win, like with you." Liv placed a hand on Langa''s shoulder with mock sympathy. "Keep telling yourself that." His arrogance made Langa glare at him. "You know, if I wasn''t tired, I''d challenge you right now." He bent down to pick up what Statia had dropped when he died. He did not drop any equipment, much to Langa''s annoyance, but he did drop 7 silver coins, so he was going to buy himself something good to drink tonight. "Sure, whatever you say," Liv said, glancing back at him. "You killed him. I''ve only ever seen you kill voidents and monsters before. I wasn''t sure you''d have the stomach for it." Langa shrugged. "I only kill when it''s necessary. Statia put a bounty on me, and if I didn''t kill him, he was just going to keep coming. At least now he''ll respawn and rethink his life on the 3rd Floor," he said. "Now, that inn of yours better have a warm meal ready for me, because this just made me hungrier," he added, pocketing his coins and following him. "Fine, let''s go to the inn. I''ll show you the other place once you''ve had your meal and aren''t as irritable. Come on," Liv said, walking ahead of him. 56: Floor 1: Langa鈥檚 Path (4) Liv led Langa back into the more populated area of the town, and they could see the guardsmen patrolling the area. Occasionally, people greeted Liv, and he stopped to chat with them for a bit. It was a little annoying, and it reminded him of when he was a child going into town at Eshowe with his father. His father''s students and their parents would always come up to them, leaving Langa bored while they spoke. ¡°How come you''re so popular, Liv? Do you know everybody in this town?¡± Langa asked. ¡°No, but it''s inevitable, my Renown is pretty high, especially here. I own part of this place,¡± Liv said, walking towards a large building in the town centre. Langa stared at him in surprise as he realised they had arrived at Sorrento Inn. For nearly three weeks Langa had only managed to raise 2 gold, which, while a lot of money, could not buy even 2 square metres of land. But Liv owned a fucking building? ¡°You own this inn?¡± "Yes, I do, but I meant that I own part of this town,¡± Liv clarified, and he said something to one of the waiters before he led a flabbergasted Langa to a booth at the back. ¡°I must have misheard you. Did you just say you own this town?¡± he asked. ¡°Part,¡± he said, sitting down. ¡°Liv. We''ve only been in the Tower for three weeks How the fuck do you already own a town?¡± he asked, exasperated. Liv pushed a lucent tile with the menu towards Langa. ¡°There was a terrible dungeon eruption nearby, and I helped save the town. The situation was very dire, and one of the rewards for saving them was getting a share of the town. Many buildings were destroyed in the attack, and I helped them rebuild. I bought this inn with my own money from back home,¡± he said. ¡°The town was under the Menika Shin guild¡¯s protection, and to be honest, they don''t have much presence on the lower Floors, so they sold me some of their lands in here. I''m still paying for it, though.¡± Langa knew that while the system restricted what players could bring into the tutorial, they would have access to their restricted items once they entered the Tower. How rich was Liv to have bought an inn and land out of his own pocket? ¡°Why? We''re going to leave this Floor anyway?¡± Langa asked. He didn''t see the reason why buying a town would be useful. ¡°Oh, that''s a long story," he said. "Hold on, what do you want to eat? I''ll have them prepare it for you.¡± ¡°I''m starving. Give me whatever¡¯s ready, as long as it has meat in it. I also want whatever¡¯s good to drink here.¡± "Fine." Liv rolled his eyes and stood up, heading for the kitchen. When he came back out, he was carrying two cups, followed by a server carrying a tray with two plates of fire-roasted red meat and stir-fried vegetables. ¡°Thank you,¡± Langa said, receiving his plate, as the server smiled and left. It smelt delicious. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Roasted Venison Steak with caramelised onions, sufril and fire-shroom sauce. It''s my favourite, so the staff always has it ready,¡± he said. ¡°The drink is non-alcoholic, though, sorry. I can''t have you drunk when I have something important to talk to you about. You can drink as much as you want after, I promise. Plus, there¡¯ll be plenty of alcohol when the others arrive for the festival tomorrow.¡± ¡°The others?¡± Langa said, his mouth full of the tender, perfect meat. The fire-shroom sauce gave it a spicy taste that enriched it. He wasn''t even mad about the alcohol because the food was so good. Liv nodded, pulling the steak apart with his bare hands. ¡°I invited everyone participating in the exhibition match with us to stay at the Sorrento Inn. I figured it''s good to know each other after we work together or against each other. Since tomorrow is a Towerwide holiday festival to celebrate our batch entering the Tower, the organisers thought it would be cool to have the post-match dinner and a festival celebration here.¡± Langa took a long drink from his cup as his face darkened. ¡°Is Fi Kindaro III coming?¡± There was a pause, then Liv shook his head. ¡°No, he''s not. He responded yesterday, saying too many of the people participating are his enemies, and he''s afraid we might jump him since this is a yellow zone.¡± ¡°He''s always been good at self-preservation,¡± Langa muttered, pushing thoughts of revenge away and starting to eat again. ¡°Yeah, anyway, it''s probably better that he''s not here. His death would taint the festivities. By the way, I want to introduce you to Coraloa. If we''re going to go places in this Tower, it''s good to have people with a determined future like her on our side,¡± he said. "Who?" Langa asked. The meat on Liv''s plate was almost all gone when he answered. "She''s one of our batch''s rankers. She and I both got placed in the Menika Shin guild''s territory after the tutorial. She''s a bit... set in her ways, but she has an incredible attribute." "Okay." It didn''t sound like Liv was going to elaborate, so Langa nodded and continued wolfing down his meal. ¡°So,¡± he said once they were done eating. ¡°Back in the tutorial, you said you had a favour to ask me. What is it?¡± Liv took a deep breath. ¡°There are actually two favours, the first is easier to ask, so let''s start there,¡± he said. He pulled out a white cloth from his inventory, and it hovered above them like a sheet. It then wrapped around the two of them, and it was almost as if the entire inn was gone, since Langa could neither see nor hear them. ¡°I want to start my own guild, and I want you as my right-hand man,¡± Liv told him. Of course, Langa had expected something like this, and if it wasn''t for the prophecy, he would have agreed easily. ¡°You want to start a guild? For what reason?¡± he asked instead, hoping to learn more about his motivations. Liv tensed up a bit and then shrugged. ¡°A guild is a good starting point for my goals. I want to have a lot of influence in this Tower.¡± Langa tilted his head to the side, sensing the hesitation in Liv. Why was he always like this? Even in the tutorial, it always felt like he was constantly holding himself back. Langa didn''t like that. He wanted to know the truth before he decided whether to work with him or not. ¡°You''re being evasive, Liv. Why are you so hesitant?¡± He asked, then pointed around them. ¡°No one is watching, you know. I''m the only one who can hear you; isn''t that why you isolated us?¡± The tension disappeared from Liv¡¯s face, and he said, ¡°I told you this before, I have issues with my father. I need the power of a guild if I want to stand against both him and my grandmother''s kingdom.¡± But Langa felt like there was still more Liv wasn¡¯t saying, and he needed to push him harder to learn the truth about him. ¡°I''m sure that''s the result you want, but you don''t have to hold back with me. Tell me the real reason you want to form a guild. I''m not going to judge you if that''s what you''re afraid of.¡± Liv¡¯s purple eye glowed watching Langa as if he were assessing him. A new aura encompassed him, and his karma, which had been barely noticeable before, was all Langa could feel now. It was like an ocean barely held back by a thin sheet of plastic from bursting open. Surprisingly, he felt a larger number of deities¡¯ eyes on both of them than ever before. ¡°I want to be a king,¡± Liv said with confidence, and no other emotion in his voice. ¡±What?¡± Whatever Langa expected him to say, that was not it. ¡±It''s my Obsession. I want people to kneel before me, to bow their heads, and to worship me,¡± Liv said firmly. ¡°I want to hold this Tower in my hands and make those who look down on demigods grovel before me. Langa, I want to stand mighty and strong above every single being in this and many other Towers. I want the multiverse to know my name and tremble with fear, admiration, and respect before me. I want to reign supreme.¡± Oh boy. Langa scratched his head. So, his first friend in the Tower had a god complex. Awesome. Wonderful. In truth, Langa wanted to use Liv¡¯s influence and reputation to form a force that would have enough power to free the 36th Floor from the demons and save his family, but now he was hesitant. He was 90% sure that Liv was the tyrant mentioned in The Lone Witchseer¡¯s prophecy. He wondered if he should let this go and try his luck with the Guardians or the Hallow Reapers. Langa knew that if he wanted to save Earth from demons, he needed the strength of a guild. As much as he would rather be free to do what he wanted, to topple a kingdom and conquer a world, he needed more than just his own strength. Just thinking about how much work it would take made him want to vomit. The ideal solution would be to form a guild that he controlled himself. The problem was that that kind of tedious work was not his strong suit, and he knew without a doubt that building and leading a guild himself would bore him to death, and he might lose motivation and go back to the old jaded him who lived passively while the world passed him by. ¡°Was that so hard to admit?¡± Langa asked Liv, feigning calmness, pushing his worries to the back of his mind. ¡°It actually was,¡± Liv admitted, his eyes back to normal. ¡°My den-brother is the only person alive who¡¯s ever seen this side of me. I want to trust you, Langa, but he was the first person I ever cared about, and he didn''t like the real... the demon in me. You are the only friend I have.¡± He was evidently now the closest friend of a guy who might be a sociopath. Awesome. Wonderful. Well, it didn''t matter to him. Liv had saved his life and taught him a lot of things about the Tower when he first entered this world of gods and monsters. It was not like Langa didn''t have his own issues, after all, the first real conversation the two of them ever had was a session of trauma bonding. ¡°Liv, being a little arrogant, ambitious, and pretentious doesn''t make you a demon. The gods know I''ve met plenty of people like that back home. What you do about it is what defines you,¡± he told him. He looked at Langa as if he did not believe that. ¡°Okay, tell me about this guild you want to start. What''s it about?¡± Langa asked. He wanted to know if it would align with his goal to save Earth. Liv looked at him without understanding. ¡°Like I said, it''s to help me climb the Tower, and save as many demigods as I can. That way, they''ll devote themselves to me, making me more powerful.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°I get that, but what''s the goal of the guild?¡± Langa asked, and frustration was starting to creep in. Liv looked at him blankly. ¡°Liv, the Guardians are keepers of order in the Tower. The Dungeon Seekers are focused mostly on dungeon exploration, identifying and closing Gates, and conquering rifts. The Menika Shin guild is mostly an information guild. They get all the first clears in the Tower and have a monopoly on important information and they make a lot of money selling it. The Hallow Reapers are a business. They have a lot of subordinate guilds working for them, in farming items, skills, herbs, mines... hell, I heard their merchant group has their own roving auction house. They are rich as hell. So, what will your guild¡¯s theme be?¡± Liv looked down sheepishly. ¡°I actually hadn''t thought about that.¡± ¡°Seriously? Did you think you could just stand there and say, ''I''m Liv¡¯Kungsadu, I''m strong, so join my guild!'' and people would fall on their knees for you? Maybe some idiots will, but most people have more substance than that. You need to stand for something in order for them to follow you. What kind of guild do you want to build? What kind of leader do you want to be? Until you can answer that, I''m not joining you,¡± Langa said as he made to stand up. "Wait," Liv said. "I said I wanted to trust you, but I''d like you to trust me too, so I don''t want to lie to you, Langa. Before you go, there''s one more thing I have to tell you. It¡¯s about Makoto.¡± Langa¡¯s blood went cold. This was unexpected, and he couldn''t help but feel that this couldn''t be something good. ¡°What about Makoto?¡± Liv looked down, scaly hands clenched. ¡°That day, when Karisha was almost defeated, they tried to be stealthy, but I saw the three of them leave,¡± he said quietly. ¡°Makoto and Kindaro followed by Ghol.¡± What the hell did this mean? Hadn''t Liv said he''d been distracted when Makoto left to find Langa? ¡°Liv. Are you saying that you could have saved Makoto?¡± Langa asked, his hand tightening on the cup he was holding. "If I followed them, Karisha may have been able to regenerate her health." Liv¡¯s body tensed up and he looked away. "I had to finish the fight." "There is a right answer, Liv," Langa warned. Liv was the one who brought this issue up and there was no way the storm brewing inside Langa¡¯s heart would let him chicken out of finishing what he''d started confessing to. ¡°If you stopped holding yourself back, could you have saved Makoto or not?¡± There was a sigh, and then Liv looked up at him and said, "Maybe." Maybe? Fucking Maybe? An unfamiliar emotion swelled up inside Langa and before he knew it, he hastily stood up, lightning pulsing inside him and all his strength, and punched Liv in the face across the table. The force of the hit pushed Liv back, and his head hit the wall, causing the chair to wobble. "The correct answer was no!" Langa shouted. His hand stung, and he lost nearly 10HP from the impact. "Langa, I-" Liv started, hand going to his cheek, eyes on Langa. "I bet you barely felt that punch," Langa said, standing still and nursing his hand. For the first time in a long time, he wished he''d put more points into strength. If Liv had said yes, he could have saved Makoto, it would have been unforgivable. Maybe was just a possibility. It could be 90 % or 1%, and that uncertainty nagged at Langa''s heart. ¡°I''m sorry, I know you cared about him and I-¡± ¡°Why? Why did you let that innocent boy die? Why did you pretend as if you cared about him, warning me that he was in danger, only to do nothing to save him when the time came?¡± Langa shouted, no longer containing his voice. ¡°I hesitated because he would have held you back.¡± Liv¡¯s voice was stone cold. Gone was the warm, benevolent expression on his face. His red eye fixed on Langa seriously, his aura prickling. This was the Liv that Langa had always seen bubbling under the surface of his kindness. The real Liv. Was this the demon his den-brother saw? ¡°Is everything a game to you? Do you just lie and pretend to be a good person all the fucking time?¡± Langa asked, sitting back down, heart hurting. ¡°Makoto looked up to you.¡± ¡°Did he? I''m still learning how to differentiate between mortals'' positive and negative emotions. He was a good child, but he was too weak to protect the power he had been given. If he lived, you would have had to protect him because that''s the kind of person you are. I freed you from that,¡± Liv said honestly. Langa was lost for words. Someone he considered a friend had hesitated to save a child he cared about because he didn''t want him to hold Langa back. What the fuck was he supposed to do? He was mad, livid actually about Makoto, it didn''t matter that Liv was honest about that. It didn''t matter that it was only a possibility. Because if it were not a strong possibility, he wouldn''t have apologised for it. Did he genuinely believe that he had done what was best for him? What the fuck? Langa didn''t think. He lunged forward, letting his body move to attack Liv again, sending him toppling on to the floor. The punch yanked the veil open so that the cloth stopped concealing them. The people in the inn were startled and turned to look at the two of them. The guards of the inn made their way towards the table, swords drawn, as Liv lay on the floor. "I''m fine, stand back," he called out to them. They obeyed the order but continued to watch the table. Langa didn''t care that they had an audience. He punched and punched Liv''s face until his fists were bloody. Frustration and anger filled his fists but Liv just took it. ¡°Fuck!¡± Langa cursed. ¡°Fight back!¡± ¡°I''m sorry,¡± Liv said. The only indication that he''d been hit was a trickle of blood on his nose, which Langa suspected might be from his hands. The worst part about the apology was that Liv seemed to understand that he should be apologising, but not why. Who did Liv think he was to choose the place of Makoto''s death? Even if it was just a possibility, Langa knew he would have taken it and done his best to save the boy''s life. The anger surged in Langa''s body like never before, and he felt a stir in his Brand, the darkness urging him to give in to his anger. Langa took a deep breath, the lightning fizzling out. He was impulsive, but he wasn''t ruled by instinct. He''d met many people since the integration and only allowed a few of them in. He only allowed himself to give a fraction of care to them. From Aquila¡¯s team to Synn and Undkese, he''d tried to close the walls again so as not to repeat what happened when he couldn''t protect Makoto, but Liv had been different. He was the one person Langa allowed himself to call a friend, yet he was even more broken than him. Self-control was something he took pride in. He forced down the anger and calmed himself. ''I am in control,'' he thought to himself, pushing away the bad thoughts to the back of his mind. First, he needed to find out exactly what Liv was playing at and why he cared so much about Langa''s future. He forced himself not to take out Tonare and plunge it deep into Liv''s chest. ¡°What the fuck do you want from me that you would do something like that?¡± he asked. "I told you, I want you by my side, working with me, standing at my right hand. Together, we can do so much more than just climb the Tower. Work with me," Liv said, sitting back up. Langa could not believe this. It was not okay for Liv to interfere with other people¡¯s lives just because he could. Langa wasn''t going to get over what Liv did to Makoto, and he needed to think about whether he even wanted to associate with him again. He still wanted to use him and his influence as a weapon to save the 36th Floor, but at this point, was it even worth it? He clenched his fist and started walking away. He couldn''t deal with this shit right now. "Where are you going?" Liv asked. "To get a drink, otherwise I might fucking kill you!" he snapped back. * Langa went up to where Synn was sitting at the bar and plopped down on the chair next to her. He should have punched him again. Liv deserved it, he deserved far worse. He could feel the Brand and the corruption sealed inside the Void Star in his heart, whispering words of encouragement to attack Liv and make him pay. He ignored it. ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Synn asked. ¡°Did you fight with your boyfriend?¡± Langa just rolled his eyes and placed the pouch containing her money on the table. ¡°Here''s your reward from The High Commissioner: 50 silver.¡± She eyed him suspiciously before looking into the pouch. ¡°You didn''t pilfer anything, did you?¡± ¡°Please, I''ve seen how protective you are of your stuff. I''ve got a feeling you''d burn me alive if even one copper was missing,¡± he snorted. ¡°Hmm. Well, I have been meaning to go shopping with Cora as soon as she gets here, so at least now I have enough money to buy myself a nice weapon and some better robes,¡± she said, looking down at herself. ¡°Hey, what''s your best but cheap wine?¡± Langa asked the barkeep. ¡°I want something that will numb the mind without knocking me out.¡± The goblinkin seemed to think for a moment before saying, ¡°Staburn Sherry might be your thing, perhaps?¡± ¡°Sherry, huh? That ain''t wine, but sure, give it to me. Let me burn,¡± Langa said. Alcohol always helped numb the bad thoughts and detach him from his feelings. He grasped around for a topic, something to distract him from the storm of emotion plaguing him. ¡°I''ll take a bottle as well,¡± Synn said, finishing the rest of her drink. Looking back, Langa saw that Liv had left his table and was not in the restaurant anymore. What the hell? Had he run away? He should apologise a million more times, not to Langa but to Makoto, who had admired him. He shook his head and gulped the sherry. ¡°Do you know how many of us are going to be taking part in the Celestial Clash tomorrow anyway?¡± he asked Synn. ¡°Two of the top ten rankers have already said they aren''t coming, so maybe only eight of us?¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°Argh,¡± Langa said, the sherry slightly bitter on his tongue. ¡°I hope we can make a match at least half as fun as last year¡¯s Tier 3 league finals.¡± Synn took a sip of her wine, finishing over half the bottle in one go. Damn, and Langa thought he was an alcoholic. ¡°That game was insane, though. I watched it back, and there are so many people with great potential in this Tower,¡± she said, and the two of them immediately started discussing the game in detail. While they sat there talking and drinking, two people came and sat next to Langa but he was too engrossed in his conversation to care. ¡°You know, I still can''t believe that last play. Kian had it all figured out, and then The Pioneer just bulldozed his way through, that bastard,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°Oh, come on, Langa! You have to give credit where it''s due. The Pioneer''s raw power is unmatched. He''s a force to be reckoned with on the field,¡± Synn argued. ¡°That''s all he has, though, power. Kian thought on his feet. As far as I''m concerned, he was robbed of the title,¡± Langa said, his voice slightly louder thanks to being tipsy. "Of course, you would support Hucielbicon, he is fire just like you." ¡°Please! Kian may not have won, but his efforts were recognised. He was named the Celestial of the match!" she protested. "You''re just sticking up for him ¡®cause he''s your star brother since you''re both bound to The Lackadaisical Herald!¡± Before he could argue with her, someone else interjected. ¡°He''s right, though. In terms of skill, Kian Dir Besta is much better than The Pioneer.¡± They both turned their heads to see that the person who spoke was a dark elven woman sitting next to Langa. ¡°Yes!¡± Langa said, slamming his cup on the table, feeling vindicated. ¡°Thank you¡­uh?¡± ¡°Linora,¡± the woman said with a smile. ¡°I''ve heard of you both, so it''s my pleasure to meet you, SynnForessa and Langa Zulu.¡± As she was wont to do when meeting new people, Synn sniffed the air around Linora and her companion, but her expression showed only confusion. Maybe it was the alcohol. She shook her head and giggled. ¡°Damn, Langa, we¡¯re famous! But you can''t seriously believe what you just said. Kian has never won a single match against Hucielbicon one-on-one.¡± ¡°Sorry, I have to agree with Langa on this one. Sure, The Pioneer is strong, but Kian''s strategy is always on point. It''s a shame he hasn''t come out on top yet. There''s a reason why he keeps getting titled Celestial of the Match even though Hucielbicon wins.¡± Langa nodded vigorously. ¡°Hey barkeep, whatever the lady wants to drink, put it on me,¡± he said, smiling at Linora and gloating at Synn. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said, raising her cup of mead to him. "I''m not good at planning and shit, but I can appreciate a good strategist," he said. ¡°Yeah, even My Liege was impressed with Kian''s strategies, and he''s notoriously hard to please,¡± Linora told him. The person sitting next to her cleared his throat indignantly, and she laughed. Since Linora was leaning forward, Langa couldn''t see her companion. ¡°I''ve only been following Kian''s career for a week now, but he has good game sense.¡± Synn playfully rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Well, I still stand by The Pioneer. He''s the heart of Menika Shin¡¯s elite team, no doubt about it.¡± Langa raised his cup and said, ¡°To each their own, I suppose.¡± They clinked their cups together as Langa bought Linora another drink, and the conversation continued, fuelled by friendly banter. It wasn''t that Langa didn''t believe in Hucielbicon¡¯s power, it was the opposite. He saw how strong he was and wanted to race against him, to fight against him until he brought him down. Once you looked up to someone, it was hard to surpass them. ¡°It sucks that we might not get a rematch this year though,¡± Synn said with a sigh on her third full bottle of wine. ¡°What, why?¡± ¡°Because The Pioneer is close to breaking through to Tier 4, and last time I think Kian was about three levels below him,¡± Synn told them. "That is fucking awful," Langa said. The person sitting next to Linora whispered something to her, and she nodded. ¡°I need to go get our rooms ready,¡± she said, standing up. ¡°It was nice talking to you two. Thanks for the drinks.¡± ¡°Anytime,¡± Langa grinned as she left. He poured himself another cup of sherry and turned to his left. That was when Linora''s companion finally came into view, and Langa''s mana surged violently immediately. The person had white hair, dark skin, long, pointy ears, and a haughty look on his handsome face. Langa stared at him, anger brewing in his heart, especially after the conversation he just had with Liv. It wasn''t Fi Kindaro III, but the resemblance was too fucking uncanny. ¡°It can''t be Mari,¡± the dark elf said quietly. ¡°Pardon?¡± Langa said, realising he was talking to him. ¡°She prefers making allies over enemies,¡± he said, twirling the purblan juice in his cup. ¡°It can''t be Joh, he never leaves his enemies alive. So, it can only be Fi, he is notoriously good at pissing people off,¡± Vos Kindaro II said as he finally looked at Langa. "Sorry for staring," Langa said, looking away. "You look just like him, and your brother is a stinking piece of shit." Vos snorted and raised his cup. "Don''t I know it?¡± They drank in silence for a moment, Synn looking between the two of them, before Vos spoke again. ¡°What did he do? Did he kill someone you loved? Did he manipulate you by pretending to be your friend only to betray you later?" he asked, and then his eyes blazed as he said, "Or did he take control of your mind and freeze you in place, forcing you to kill someone that you loved for no other reason than that he could do it?" Langa forced himself to swallow his drink, shuddering to think about the third option. "The first two," he said. "Lucky you," Vos said darkly. "It''s easier to hate Fi when it wasn''t your hand that took your loved one''s life." Both Langa and Synn stared at Vos, and he shrugged as if it weren''t a big deal. Langa could not imagine being forced to do that. "Seriously? I''m glad I had no siblings. Your brother sounds like a waste of space," Synn spat, her mouth curled up in disgust. If that was the way he treated his siblings, no wonder he didn''t hesitate to kill Makoto and defile his corpse. "The worst thing my sister ever did to me was slap me in the face when my nephew and I slept at groove and made her worry all night when we were teenagers," Langa muttered. Vos cracked a small smile, and Synn bumped Langa''s shoulder. "So, you were a wild child? You''re simple-minded, so I didn''t think you were the type." "Hardly, my nephew was the wild one. We were at his boyfriend''s family''s tavern, and it was in a very shady part of the city, so it was better for us to sleep there than to try and go home in the middle of the night," Langa said with a shrug. "Sis¡¯Thandi was just angry because we didn''t call, and she was scared that something happened to us." "She was worried about you, then? Your sister sounds like my eldest brother. He too worried about us too much," Vos said with a faraway look. Before Langa could ask, he changed the subject. "By the way, the spirit says she''s sorry and thanks you. She says her soul will watch over you for as long as you need," the dark elf said, looking over Langa''s shoulder. "What?" he asked blankly. "Who said that?" "Your grandmother. Her soul is hovering around you," he said. ¡°I¡¯m being haunted by a ghost?¡± Langa asked tensely. He was terrified of ghosts. Vos tilted his head slightly and said, ¡°Haunted is a strong word. She says she looks in on you and your sister occasionally, and I happened to see her today.¡± That was weird. Langa had never met any of his grandparents. It was freaky that there was a ghost near him and he couldn''t see her. ¡°That¡¯s not creepy at all. Wait, where is my sister? Is it my maternal or paternal grandmother?¡± The dark elf shrugged. ¡°Maternal, I think. Sorry, it''s not easy for me to communicate with souls I didn''t reap. I can''t tell where your sister is.¡° Langa was about to ask him what reaping souls meant when Synn asked in a quiet voice, ¡°Hey, what do you see when you look at my soul?¡± ¡°I don''t read the souls of the living without their consent,¡± Vos said before looking down at his comcer, and placing two silver coins on the table. "Do excuse me. Linora has readied our rooms, and I need to rest. It has been a long journey. I will see you tomorrow for the game.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, good night then,¡± Langa said politely as he stood up. ¡°Good night.¡± He turned on his heel and started walking away. ¡°Wait! I''m giving you permission to read my soul!¡± Synn called after him. ¡°There are thousands of shattered fragments¡ªno, maybe millions of them,¡± Vos said. He didn''t turn back. He stood at the foot of the stairs and said quietly, ¡°I wonder how many lifetimes it would take to repair your broken soul.¡± With that, the dark elf gracefully went up the stairs. ¡°I don''t think it can ever be repaired,¡± Synn said with a sad smile. ¡°He''s an interesting fellow, don''t you think?¡± Langa watched him leave curiously. He had no idea what to make of Fi Kindaro''s brother. ¡°He''s not what I expected,¡± he muttered to himself, and then he froze again as Liv walked back into the tavern, towards him. What did he want now? Langa had cooled down some, so he supposed he could hear him out. 57. Floor 1: Langas Path (5) ¡±Hey, can we talk?¡± Liv asked once he reached Langa and Synn. "I have nothing more to say to you," Langa said stubbornly. "I just need a moment of your time to show you something." Liv looked at him desperately. ¡°Please, I promise I''ll make it worth your while.¡± Synn sniffed the air around Liv and her face twisted in disgust. ¡°A dragonkin begging for a human''s attention? I never thought I''d see the day,¡± she muttered, putting her bottle down. "I''m a demigod," Liv said, turning to her sharply. Langa sighed in annoyance. ¡°Have you guys met?¡± ¡°We haven''t been formally introduced. You must be SynnForessa,¡± Liv said, his face neutral, shaking her hand. ¡°The one and only,¡± she said, a contemptuous look on her face. ¡°Nice to meet you, Liv¡¯Kungsadu.¡± ¡°Likewise. I''m sorry I was unable to welcome you when you arrived. Did you find the accommodation to your liking?¡± Liv asked politely. ¡°Sure. I was surprised to hear you own half of this town.¡± She downed her bottle. ¡°It seems like nothing changes the multiverse over, even with time. Towers are born, The Creator makes more worlds and demigods still cling to their favourite playstyle in the Towers, always paying to win.¡± Liv crossed his arms before responding. ¡°Well, it''s a good thing this demigod paid for this place, otherwise, someone so deep in the red like you would have nowhere else to go,¡± Liv said, his tone pleasant. ¡°Do try to steer clear of the guardsmen, will you? I mean, they listen to me, but they pay extra attention to the red players for the safety of the town.¡± Synn smiled. ¡°Of course, thanks for your concern. I don''t suppose there''s any sfeiera in your family¡¯s hoard? Recovering a precious stolen foxkin heirloom like that would do wonders to improve my alignment.¡± Was Langa imagining it, or were both their smiles strained? ¡°Afraid not. Gold is all our Nest has, and it was obtained lawfully through conquest,¡± Liv said tightly. ¡°It''s a shame that there are no easy fixes. You know the rules, if you kill so many people that your alignment falls into the negative, you should be prepared to do the bitter work it takes to raise it back up again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you would know,¡± Synn muttered. ¡°Not at all,¡± Liv said, turning away. "Langa, a moment, please." Langa sighed again and followed him out of the tavern, mostly because he couldn''t take their passive-aggressive conversation anymore. "Where are you taking me?" he asked as Liv led him down the narrow street towards the alley where they tangled with Statia and Octavius earlier. "Is this where you wanted to bring me initially?" "Yeah. It''s just a bit further up," he said as they emerged from the alley. This area was quiet, but there were a few old buildings scattered around. They stopped before a rundown old castle built alongside a large oak tree. Some of the bricks making up the walls were broken, and clearly, the castle had been attacked at some point. "What is this?" Langa asked. "Our 1st Floor guildhall," Liv said. "Every guild needs to have a physical base on every Storey they are active in. They also need a roving guildhall untethered to any Floor. Here''re the extra keys to the castle." As he took the set of rusty brown keys, Langa cast a glance at the castle. Much work needed to be done before it was turned into a guildhall. "Liv," Langa started. "I don''t want to do this with you, especially not right now." "Hear me out," Liv said, pointing to a bench outside the castle. "Please.¡± Langa debated whether he should stay and listen to him or not. The truth was, even though Liv hadn''t tried as hard as he could to save Makoto, it didn''t change what he needed to do to Fi Kindaro. All it did was affirm that Liv was not who he portrayed himself as, which was something Langa already knew. Now, though, he was hesitant to trust him. ¡°I thought about what you said, so I went to the library at Tishiba¡¯s Peak to do some research,¡± Liv said, pulling out two scrolls from his inventory. Langa raised his eyebrows as he opened the scrolls to find scribbled handwriting listing the types of guilds inside the Tower, from mercenary and rogue guilds to merchant guilds, among others. Below each type was a list of their pros and cons, along with famous guilds of that type. For the mercenary guilds, the pros were that it was easy to make money and that the guild had the freedom to hire contractors and cut them loose when not needed. The cons were that people were hesitant to trust a guild that did any job for money. Below that was a dungeon and rift raiding guild. The pros listed included that the members would have a high chance of getting more loot directly from rifts and dungeons instead of buying them. For the cons, there were things like more time spent on dungeon exploration meant less time to climb the Tower and complete guild quests. ¡°What am I looking at?¡± Langa asked in confusion. ¡°You said I needed to have a plan, and now I do. You can decide what type of guild we should create. It doesn''t matter to me as long as it spreads my influence, improves my alignment and Renown, and helps me get stronger,¡± Liv said. Langa rolled the scrolls closed. ¡°I said I wasn''t going to follow you before,¡± he said, exasperated. ¡°Did you not get that?¡± ¡°But I have a plan now¡ªa direction for the guild. I even have the method to obtain the guild token,¡± he said with a frown. ¡°Is that still not enough?¡± Langa sighed. It was like talking to a child. ¡°Sure, the lack of direction was a problem, but the main issue is that I can''t trust you, Liv. I''m also not good at following anyone.¡± ¡°What can I do to make you trust me? I Chose you during the tutorial. If you don''t want to be subservient to me, instead of a deputy guildmaster, I''ll have you as my co-guild master. Is that better?¡± he asked genuinely. "Yikes, me being in charge is even worse." Langa shook his head. ¡°It''s funny, but you''re the second person to say you Chose me, and yet neither of you is telling me the whole truth of why.¡± ¡°I see, so you want to know more about me and my intentions? That is easy to fix. Remember the second favour I wanted to ask you? Can you do this quest with me?" he asked. "I promise it will help you understand me better." A system prompt filled Langa¡¯s vision. [Player Liv¡¯Kungsadu would like to share a quest with you. Accept: Y/N?]
Prove Your Worth: Quest (1)
Quest Rank: S
Any leader worth his name must build his own organisation. In order to begin your leadership journey, The Sun God would like to see what kind of leader you wish to be. Lead a party of capable players to slay the 1st Floor Boss: Funduvas the Cleaver and obtain her treasure.
Quest Objectives:
-Kill the Maestril Floor Boss -Obtain her treasure
Time Limit:
26 days (11 days left)
Optional Quest Objective:
Complete the Soul Trial of Trust
Quest Limitations:
Level Restriction: Min 11, Max 13 Minimum Party Members: 4 Maximum Party Members: 6
Cautions:
All party members must not belong to any guild.
Quest Rewards:
-??? EXP - Title (Rank dependent on contribution) - Guild Creation Token -??? Karma -??? Renown -??? Faith
Failure Penalty:
This quest cannot be repeated Loss of The Sun God''s favour
¡°This is my chance to prove to The Sun God that I am the right choice. The rank of the guild token will depend on the quest completion grade. During this quest, I will do the Trial of Trust with you. If we can''t trust each other, we won''t get the guild token,¡± Liv said. ¡°What do you say? Defeating a Floor Boss will result in massive karma rewards.¡± Langa was tempted to accept it as he read through the quest. ¡°A maestril Floor Boss?¡± The last time he fought against a maestril had been in the tutorial, and that had been a very difficult battle. ¡°Yes. It''s probably around level 13, which for a maestril is a little tough for us. It''ll be a great way for you to challenge yourself, see how far you can go, and bring glory to your master,¡± Liv said as if he were laying the bait. "Once we complete this quest, we will have all the karma required to clear the 1st Floor." ¡°Who else is going to be doing this quest? It says you need a minimum of four people.¡± ¡°So far, I have you and Coraloa,¡± Liv said. ¡°We''ll find one more person and do it after the Celestial Clash.¡± ¡°I haven''t agreed yet,¡± Langa reminded him. He leant back on the bench, undecided. ¡°I don''t want to hear excuses or bullshit; how could you possibly know Makoto would hold me back and not make me stronger?¡± Liv sighed. ¡°My attribute allows me to see and map the Spiritual Paths of mortals. I don''t see the future or anything, just the outcome for a person depending on the path they take,¡± he paused. ¡°Your Paths blinded me because of how drastically different they were. There were paths where you did nothing, I don¡¯t know if it was laziness or lack of motivation, but you wasted your potential and let opportunities pass you by. Then there were paths where you wasted your potential protecting a child with a gift too big for him from all kinds of vultures inside the Tower, losing yourself in the process. So all I did was eliminate that path for you.¡± Langa could not have Liv thinking it was acceptable to play god with both Langa and Makoto¡¯s lives. He¡¯d punch him again, but that would just hurt his hand. ¡±I will make something clear to you. You don''t get to decide which path is best for me. There is only one person in the infinite multiverse who decides Langa¡¯s path in life, and that¡¯s not you,¡± Langa said harshly. ¡°Hell, it¡¯s not even my god. I decide my life¡¯s path. I don''t fully know where that path will take me, but I live my life the way I want, regardless of what the future holds for me.¡± Langa looked up into the sky. ¡°I will go on dungeon raids, close some rifts, visit some Gates, and climb the Tower. But I might wake up craving violence, so I will hunt voidents. Sometimes I might do stupid shit, like let myself get seduced by a beautiful, strong, but evil woman, and that''s fine because it''s my life. Even though I know it''s foolish, I might jump headfirst into a battle without planning because it''s exciting. I don''t care what the best or most ideal choice is. It''s my life, the only choice that matters is mine. If I want to waste my life away, chasing speed and revenge or drinking alcohol and being lazy for the rest of my days, so be it. It''s my choice.¡± ¡°I thought I was doing what was best for you,¡± Liv said. ¡°That''s the point. You don¡¯t get to decide, Liv. You can''t play with other people''s lives like that. You are not a god,¡± Langa said. Liv frowned. ¡°Maybe not yet, but I will be, and then everyone who looked down on me will be forced to bow down before me.¡± ¡°That is neither here nor there. What I need is for you to promise me that you won''t try to pull my strings,¡± Langa said fiercely, his gaze piercing. ¡°This is a deal-breaker for me, Liv. I refuse to be controlled by anyone, no matter how noble your intentions are.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don''t want to control your life. I promise that I won''t interfere with your path again without your consent,¡± Liv said, sounding sincere. ¡°If you want me to sign a system contract saying as much, I will.¡± Langa watched him for a moment, thinking. He didn''t trust him; he couldn''t trust him. But finding a guild that aligned with him, gave him freedom, and was strong enough to save Earth was not going to be easy. It would be better to build the guild from the ground up with Liv. ¡°I don''t forgive you,¡± Langa said. ¡°I won''t, not until I take Fi Kindaro¡¯s head and free Makoto¡¯s soul.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Liv said. Was Liv the tyrant in the prophecy or not? Could he trust him and work with him, or should he place his faith elsewhere? He could feel Adtonifulmin''s essence constantly around him, and he decided that it didn¡¯t matter what the prophecy said, and the more he tried to resist it, the more likely he would fall into its trap. What would happen, would happen. This was Langa¡¯s decision, and this was the path he chose. He didn''t have to trust Liv, he just needed to use his power and influence to save his home. He looked at the scrolls and said, ¡°An information guild sounds good. We can gather, buy, and sell information on people, places, and organisations. Synn has worked with a group like that, so she can probably help us out if we ask nicely.¡± That would help him in his quest to find his family, and he may be able to learn more about the demons encroaching on the 36th Floor. Liv tilted his head to the side thoughtfully. "Knowledge is a valuable commodity. We''d have to be careful, though, so we don''t step on The Menika Shin guild''s talons. They have the monopoly on a lot of information in the Tower." That was a good point, and it led to something else Langa was passionate about. ¡°We won''t advertise it. It''s better to gather information in secret anyway. Can we be both an information guild and a bounty-hunting guild? Bounty hunting is both a good cover and something I legitimately enjoy doing." "Hmm," Liv hummed in concern. "It does help with making money, but remember, hunting voidents is hard if you aren''t Blessed by The Unrivalled. That would limit who could join the guild." "I''ll speak to the Guardians guild master about obtaining Deiform Artefacts or how our guild members can take The Unrivalled''s Blessing quest," he said. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Is all that necessary?" Liv asked. "Liv. I told you that if you want people to follow you, you have to stand for something. I''m not just talking about hunting voidents. There are normal people the Guardians can¡¯t go after, and the NPC law enforcement on the Floors lacks the power to take them down. People like criminal red players, and neutral players that keep their names clean by making others do their dirty work. We can have people submit names to us, or use whatever information network we create to find these people. We can do our investigation and then hunt them,¡± Langa said, the plan starting to make sense to him. A guild like that would be able to garner support from both players and NPCs, steadily amassing enough power to contend against both the top guilds and whatever demons were on the 36th Floor. Liv listened attentively. ¡°That''s good. Of course, we''d have to do some dungeon and rift raids to get some guild achievements at some point, earn some guild renown, and also make money.¡± He took out a magical pen and began writing on the scroll. ¡°There have to be plenty of towns like this one owned by players; maybe if the people submit to us that they are being oppressed, we can save them, get rid of the leaders, and take over those places. That way, my name will be known throughout the Tower, and I¡¯ll be able to get demigods on my side so I can use their power to expand my influence. Everyone will bow to me as their hero¡­ ah, I mean to us.¡± ¡°Yeah, you can miss me with that shit. I don¡¯t mind being in the spotlight, but I¡¯m not changing who I am. I''ve seen how restrictive it can be, the Guardians are shackled to the Unrivalled¡¯s rules, and I don''t want that for myself. You''re going to have to be prepared to do all the governing yourself,¡± Langa said. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I don''t know much about it, but I''ll do some research and see what kind of leader people prefer, that''s who I¡¯ll become,¡± he agreed. Langa glanced at him. ¡°Are you sure that you have to wear a mask? Why not be yourself? People like a hero who''s not afraid to get his hands dirty to protect them over one that''s self-righteous," he told him. "Myself? I don''t even know who that is. I don''t want people to follow me because they fear my power. I want them to trust me, and look up to me. A healthy dose of fear is great, but I am not my grandmother. That self-righteous hero¡ªthat''s my ideal. If I play at it long enough, I believe I will become it.¡± There was a quiet sadness on Liv''s face as he said this. "Look, I''ve heard of faking it till you make it, but that''s absurd. Why go this far?" Langa asked. "I want to become the best me I can be. Besides, I don''t have a choice but to play nice. There are rules I must follow in order to wield the power of The Sun God. One of them states that I must always be neutral or positively aligned. I need to be the radiant hero who reflects the Sun since I''m a paladin of light," he explained. Langa did not have to follow any restrictive rules. He was suddenly thankful for Adtonifulmin''s lackadaisical nature. "But your father is a demon god. That won''t be easy for you." Liv smiled. "I''ll take it as a challenge." "If you want to be revered, you better be prepared to be a liar. A lot of pain comes from pretending to be someone you¡¯re not. Can you do that to yourself?¡± Langa asked. Liv shrugged. ¡°It''s of no consequence. Pretending is all I¡¯ve ever known,¡± he paused. "Does this mean you will be my right-hand man?" ¡°Liv.¡± Langa looked up at his friend. ¡°If we do this, if we start our own guild, and you amass incredible amounts of power over people, promise me that you won¡¯t let your god complex consume you and turn you into a tyrant. If I feel like you¡¯re no better than an oppressor, I won¡¯t hesitate to cut you loose.¡± ¡°Control is something I have a lot to learn about,¡± Liv said, both eyes fixed on Langa. ¡°I don''t like the person I am when I¡¯m out of control. If I lose control and fall into the darkness, feel free to kill me.¡± Langa blinked. ¡°I''m sure it won''t come to that.¡± ¡°It might. Can I be myself with you, though?" he asked. ¡°Of course,¡± Langa said with a smile. ¡°But if you lie to me again, I¡¯ll do more than punch you in the face.¡± A slight smile graced his face. ¡°In that case, you better invest some points in strength, because I barely felt those punches.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Langa said as he bumped his shoulder. "On a serious note, I know you''re worried that this might end up being stale, and you might get bored and lose motivation, but I promise that won''t happen," Liv said, looking Langa in the eye. "I will always walk ahead of you, giving you a goal. I will always give you someone to run behind, someone to compete with." Langa exhaled shakily. Was he such an open book? He was surprised by how well Liv read him. Still, he snorted. "What happens when I surpass you?" Liv smiled. "That will never happen. You will never catch up to me, no matter how hard you try." "You''re a conceited little shit," Langa muttered. "You act like there is this big gap between us, but I will leave you in the dust soon." "Keep telling yourself that. Come on. Let''s go back,¡± he said, standing up. "Okay," Langa said, extending his fist. "Let''s do the quest, form a guild and you can play hero or god all you want. You can put me down as your deputy guild master, but remember, I''m doing this as your friend, not your follower, okay?" "Okay. If you disagree with my decisions, don''t hesitate to tell me," he said. It was very dark as they walked back towards the inn. "Since I''m a founding member of the guild, I will make my first request now. Help me save the 36th Floor," Langa said. "From what?" "Demons, are apparently trying to take over the world." "Oh, Langa that''s something I would do a hundred times over for free. There is nothing I love killing more than demons and demonkin who don''t know their places beneath my boot," Liv told him, and there was a sinister look in his eye. Once again, Langa wondered if this was the right decision. He did not want to worry about the future right now, though. "Alright, now that''s settled," he said, stretching as they arrived in front of the inn. "Come on, buy me a drink.¡± ¡°Whoa,¡± Liv said, holding his hands up mock defensively. ¡°Why would I buy you a drink? I''ve told you this before, but you¡¯re not my type, man.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Langa said as he opened the door of the tavern. ¡°How am I not your type? Have you seen the thirsty comments on my videos?¡± Liv laughed. ¡°I''m half-dragonkin, Langa, a healthy sexual appetite is part of the deal. I never have anything more than meaningless sex. If I wanted something serious, it would be hard because I have only one type. I want someone to whom I can become the whole world. I want someone who will worship me.¡± Langa stared at him blankly as he processed those absurd words and then reached out to touch his shoulder. ¡°Liv, I say this with great concern as your friend. You have issues. You need help.¡± He was sure Liv was about to retort, but before he could, a loud crash and a high-pitched scream caught both of their attention. They looked around the tavern and found the source of the commotion. A girl had fallen down with a tray in her hands in the centre of the tavern. "Unbelievable," a derisive voice said. "Who the hell owns this dump? A serving wench should keep her eyes down and stay out of my fucking way!" The person who spoke was a blue-skinned dragonkin, and he raised his hand to strike the girl. Before Langa could Flash Step towards her, a Flame Spike struck the dragonkin''s arm, and he swatted it away, turning to look at the person who had attacked him. Immediately, his face soured. "You?!" he glared at Synn as she leisurely walked towards him. "I felt my Sear warning me. I should have known it was because a tiny-winged baby lizard was about to show his face in front of me," she said, her voice filled with malice. "Pity, I was having a good day too." "Damn it all to the Duat. What now?" Liv murmured, his face screwed up in annoyance. However, when he strode forward to check on the commotion, his face displayed only concern and worry over the serving girl. The switch on his face was so instantaneous that Langa found it jarring. This guy was a professional at pretending. Could he really trust him? Chairs scraped along the floor as people moved away to give Synn and the dragonkin a wide berth. "Juvenile, as always, SynnForessa. I can think of something more productive you can do with that filthy tongue," he said. "Ew," Synn said in disgust, and her Fire Ring materialised out of nowhere as the dragonkin''s talons lengthened and his scales tightened around him as he prepared to attack. "Stand down, both of you. There are NPCs in here," Liv said sharply, striding up to them. "Make me, asswipe," Synn snapped, never taking her eyes off her opponent. The dragonkin, however, turned an incredulous gaze at Liv and frowned. "Kungsadu," he snarled the name like it was an insult, bitter on his lips. "It''s been a while, Vavuciadsforenkka," Liv said with a pleasant smile. He bent down and helped the serving girl up. He said something gently as the girl''s eyes darted between him and the other two. At his soft tone, she relaxed, nodded, and then scrambled away, taking her tray with her. Vavuciadsforenkka¡ªLanga wondered why he had such a long and complicated name designed to frustrate people whenever they said it¡ªraised his eyebrows, still looking incredulously at Liv, and then laughed. "What the fuck is this? You''re damn ridiculous, Kungsadu. You really are living as if nothing happened. What in The Living Wing''s name are you doing? You''re not even going to hide knowing the Dragonslayer won''t rest until he gives your head to the den-mother?" Vavuciadsforenkka asked. Liv straightened. "Considering that my grandmother is probably in a trance on the 40th Floor right now and your dear Dragonslayer is a coward, I''d say I have nothing to worry about," he said. "There''s a room for you upstairs, Vavuciadsforenkka, but if you can''t behave, feel free to get out of my town. If you two want to fight, by all means, create a PVP zone and stop putting innocent people in danger. No wonder you''re both red." ¡°Piss off, this bastard owes me a pound of flesh,¡± Synn said, her eyes glaring at Vavuciadsforenkka. "Do you want to kill him here?" Liv asked. "I don''t want anything," Synn snapped, and then she sighed. "You know what? Fuck this." She went back to the bar and picked up her half-finished bottle of wine. "I''m going to bed. Stay away from me, both of you." "I think I''ll find a different place to sleep tonight," Vavuciadsforenkka said, eyeing Liv in disgust. "I don''t want to share space with mass murderers." He slammed the door on his way out. Liv seemed tense even as he smiled and assured the customers that everything was fine. What was that about? Langa wondered as he saw how much Vavuciadsforenkka rattled Liv. On the surface, he looked apologetic and reassuring, but Langa could see both anger and sadness hidden beneath his surface. Liv''s fists were still clenched tightly when Langa bumped him from the side. "What are you standing around for? I believe I was promised a drink?" "Hmm? Oh, yeah," he said, looking around absentmindedly. "What do you want?" "Some brandy and a twelve-pack of lavaspritzer would be nice," Langa said, pretending to give it some deep thought. "What?" Liv turned sharply. "Are you planning to wake up tomorrow? Will you be able to fight?" Langa grinned. "Fine, six lavaspritzers is enough," he said, sitting down at the nearest table while Liv went to get the drinks. A mass murderer? What did the dragonkin mean when he said that? "Thanks," he said, taking a bottle from Liv when he returned. He nodded and sat down across from him, still looking tense. ¡°Do you mind?¡± Liv asked, pulling out a black pipe from his inventory. Langa shook his head. ¡°You smoke?¡± Langa asked. ¡°Only when I¡¯m stressed out,¡± Liv said, as he packed the bowl with crushed yellow leaves and pressed them down gently with the tamper. He lit it with a strange device, then took a long puff. He sighed in satisfaction. What was in that thing? Was it nicotine or something stronger? Would smoking damage a demigod¡¯s lungs? Langa had so many questions, but he settled on, ¡°What are you smoking?¡± ¡°It¡¯s astracanae leaves. They are great for calming the mind.¡± He held out the pipe. ¡°It might knock you on your arse, but do you want to try?¡± Langa shook his head. ¡°Nuh, alcohol is my only drug,¡± he said. As an athlete, he¡¯d stayed away from putting anything that could impede his running into his body. Besides, he knew himself, and if he tried stimulants that got his blood pumping, he would 100% get addicted. So being an alcoholic was better. He took a swig from his lavaspritzer. "So, who was the dragonkin with the charming personality?" he asked. Liv''s expression tightened, and he gripped the pipe. "My den-brother''s prot¨¦g¨¦." "The same den-brother who cast you away? He likes that guy?" Langa asked. Liv puffed slowly and savoured the taste as he was starting to look more relaxed. Was whatever he was smoking starting to take effect? "Vavuciadsforenkka is just a bully," he said quietly. "He''s not a real monster." "And you are?" Langa asked, watching him. Liv looked up. "I''ll tell you after the trial, I promise. You''re the only friend I have. You deserve to know," he muttered. That wasn''t depressing at all, so Langa decided to change the subject. "Alright, who else is going to be in this guild?" he asked. "Hmm? Oh, I don''t want to create a guild that just anyone can join," Liv said. "I don''t want a diluted powerhouse like the Guardians with millions of weak NPCs in an attempt to make up the numbers. Most guilds have thousands of members but the number 1 guild in the Tower has less than 500 members, yet they have never lost a guild war." "So you want a small guild of trusted elites? That''s good because it eliminates the possibility of spies but we''re not regressors, we''re not going to know who''s destined for greatn-" Langa started, then it dawned on him, and Liv smiled. "Oh, my gods. You can estimate it with your attribute, can''t you?" "Pretty much, yes," he said. "I have two people already, and I already contacted Sigurd. He said he''s game as long as we can get him something good to drink. He''ll be here for the festival tomorrow." "What about Eniche?" Langa asked. She was strong, and without her tanking, they would not have been able to defeat Calpu and Karisha during the tutorial. Plus, it helped that she was driven by ambition for revenge. But Liv immediately dismissed that option. "That''s not possible. I''m not even going to try with her." "Why?" Langa asked, and he immediately realised the reason. "Oh, is it because of your father, because of what Anarchist did?" Liv nodded. "Yeah, Anarchist destroyed her world in my father''s name, so there''s no way she would...." He stopped short and eyed Langa sharply. "How did you know who my father was?" It was only now that Langa remembered that Liv wasn''t the one who told him that Aapep was his father. "I have a title that allows me to see which deities people are bound to," Langa said without elaborating. "It said you rejected him, and I put two and two together." "That''s a problem. I don''t want people to know," he said, frowning as he blew smoke from his mouth. "People aren''t going to believe the son of The Demon Reaper is a hero." "I don''t know, people love to root for a rebellious hero," Langa said, wondering how long Liv was planning to keep it a secret. "Don''t people from your homeworld already know? I don''t see how someone like Vavuciadsforenkka would keep it a secret for you." "My grandmother enacted a gag order on the matter because she was ashamed of... the deal she made with my father," Liv shook his head. "Besides, there aren¡¯t many people from my world. I think there are less than 50 players in total, both demonkin and dragonkin." Did that mean there were only 250 people in the entire world? "Okay, well, I hope you don''t expect me to put up posters and start recruiting more people," Langa said, wanting to make it clear he was no hard worker. "That falls under your job description." Liv rolled his eyes. "What''s your job in this guild, exactly, Mr Deputy guild master?" "To do cool shit," Langa said, opening his third bottle. He was feeling buzzed. "Unbelievable. Well, don''t worry, I already hired a recruiter. Oh!" Liv started, then looked up at the stairs and waved someone over. "Hey, Coraloa, please come over here." Langa turned to see a woman with pale grey, scaly skin coming down the stairs towards them. Her face was thin with a grey skin tone and her eyes were a dark yellow. She was a striking mermaid with long, flowing green hair that shone like seaweed. "Liv, thanks for inviting me here. The room you prepared for me is quite lovely," she said when she reached them. "It''s a pity I won''t be spending much time in it." Liv laughed. "Whatever makes you comfortable. Langa, this is Coraloa," he said, and then, giving Langa a look that seemed to tell him to play along, he continued, "This is my good friend Langa. You''ve heard of him, right? Like you, he''s an ally of the innocent." "Yes. It''s nice to meet you, Coraloa," Langa said, extending his hand. An ally of the innocent? What the hell did that mean? What role was Liv playing now? "Hi," Coraloa said, taking his hand graciously, then she frowned at Liv. ¡°You''re smoking again? You know that''s bad for the air lucents, right?¡± she said crossing her arms as she watched him. ¡°Sorry,¡± Liv said, a smile tugging his lips as he patted the seat next to him. Coraloa rolled her eyes and took it, sitting very close to him. "So, Liv has told me a lot of good things about you,¡± she said. "He did?" Langa asked, downing another bottle as he watched the two of them. She nodded enthusiastically. "I admire you very much. Liv said that you singlehandedly defeated a maestril mini-boss before Tier 1 and that you were instrumental in saving him and your teammates during the two boss fights!" This just confused Langa further, and he raised his eyebrows. "Really?" He glanced at Liv. "Why are you on my dick, Liv? I thought you said I wasn''t your type." Liv relit his pipe and smiled lazily, placing an arm around Coraloa¡¯s shoulders. "Just a warning, Coraloa, you might want to keep your ears closed around him. He''s a good guy but he can be crude with his words." Coraloa laughed. "I see." "How do the two of you know each other?" Langa asked. "We were placed in Menika Shin''s territory close by after the tutorial. I must say, even though they are the top guild in this Tower, they do nothing for their territories," she said in disapproval. "Liv did the right thing liberating this town from them. Isn''t he just the most selfless person you know?" Selfless, Liv? The guy who wanted to use people''s support to become a god? What the fuck was he playing at? Liberating? Hadn''t Liv said he bought this place because it was dirt cheap from its previous attacks? Langa glanced at the woman. She did not seem like someone who would be inclined to worship him, but she was pretty, so maybe Liv was playing it up to get laid. She seemed comfortable, leaning on him. Liv¡¯s eyes were unfocused, hands tracing Coraloa¡¯s arms. Whatever was in that pipe had him spaced out. "So, Langa, AD Jandri tells me it''s thanks to you that she was able to find the location I needed to lead a Guardians raid team in taking out an Accari Crows voi-den on Backgriff Mountain," she said. "I''d been trying to find it for so long that I was losing hope." Langa looked at Coraloa with newfound interest. She must have been the one Jandri had gone to recruit under The Unrivalled''s orders. She was supposed to join the Guardians as soon as she completed her Blessing quest. "I''m glad I could help with the voidents. I hope there weren''t any children there." A dark look crossed the mermaid''s face as she shook her head. "There were no children, thankfully, but I did find signs of a ritual that took place last month. It made me sick to my stomach," she said. Langa sighed. At least she captured the voidents, and they wouldn''t be hurting any more innocent people. He finished his last bottle of lavaspritzer. He did not want to continue thinking about voidents as his mind inevitably went back to that pit filled with dead children, and it made his anger rise, the darkness in the Brand stirring awake. Just then, a sea chameleon with beautifully patterned skin climbed onto Langa''s leg. The chameleon''s eyes looked up at Langa, who was both surprised and a little freaked out by the unexpected visitor. "What the fuck?" "Oh, I''m sorry! I hope he''s not bothering you," Coraloa said. "That''s one of my summons. He doesn''t cost much mana, so I usually just keep him with me." Langa relaxed, gently petting the chameleon once it climbed on the table. "He''s not bothering me at all." He''d always had a way with small animals, for some reason. "What''s his name?" Coraloa smiled. "Fulimi," she said. "He''s named after a legendary creature that used to protect my world under its shell armour. According to legends, it gained sentience and Ascended." "Really? I''ve never heard of that story," Liv said, randomly joining the conversation as he leaned back on the chair and took another long puff from his pipe, closing his eyes in contentment. "He doesn''t look like he''s ready for anything but sleep." He was right as the chameleon yawned, climbed onto Coraloa''s lap, and closed its eyes. "Look at you, not a care in the world. You know, it''s your fault that humans have to die," Langa said, looking down at it. "What?" Liv asked in confusion. "You''ve never heard the story? It was one of the first folktales my father told me about," he said. "Is it a legend from your world?" Coraloa asked with interest. "How does it go? Legend? It was just a folktale passed around in the fire. "It''s nothing fancy. Basically, a long time ago, UMdali sent the chameleon to tell humans that they would live forever. Unfortunately, it was a sunny day, and the chameleon took a break to bask under the sun and fell asleep. While he slept, UMdali changed his mind and sent the lizard to tell humans that they were mortal and would all die one day. By the time the chameleon woke up, the lizard had already completed his task. So, humans die because the chameleon was too late." "Who''s UMdali?" Liv asked, pulling out more crushed leaves and packing the bowl of his pipe. "Is that your world''s patron deity?" "No, not exactly. I guess, going by Tower lore, he would be The Creator," Langa said after thinking about it for a moment. Coraloa snorted. "There''s no way that''s a real legend. The Creator doesn''t concern herself with the life and death of mortals. Praise her karma, of course, but all she does is create worlds upon worlds, mortals upon mortals. She doesn''t care to govern us," she said passionately. "If it wasn''t for The Unrivalled, mortals would be doomed to live in chaos forever." "Well, to each their own god, I guess," Langa yawned. He was half-drunk and it had been a long day. "It was nice to meet you, Coraloa, but I should go to bed. See you tomorrow, Liv." There was a big battle tomorrow, after all, and he wanted to be well rested. 57.5: Interlude: Kindaro Family Values [Morality is a lie the weak preach among themselves. There is no need for my followers to trouble themselves with the system¡¯s incessant measurement of alignment using Intent and Action. There is no such thing as positive or negative karma. Karma is Karma. Power justifies all actions. Embrace and protect the will of might wherever you can find it, and do not hesitate to take power from those who have it. For if you can not protect the power you have, then you do not deserve to wield it. Excerpt from The Relgte of The Demon King of The Thousand Undead Knights: Scroll 13, Chapter 3] * This was the highest point. Fi Kindaro III had followed every instruction, laid the talismans around the altar in the order of The Plumed Serpent¡¯s Ursa Major, and had the acolyte, Ghol, preside over the ceremony. Annoyingly, no one willingly volunteered to be the exalted sacrifice, unlike back home, so he had to find and forcefully bring a young NPC goblinkin boy to be the sacrifice. Ghol dressed him in the traditional attire as the embodiment of The Thousand Undead and tied him up at the altar. The child was covered in the robe of the enchantress and Fi¡¯s skeletal Coatl Mask hid his face. Ghol began the chant as Fi circled his death mana along his mana channels. The air was ripe with death, and his manacore revelled in it. ¡°Sael,¡± Fi said. ¡°Rejoice, exalted sacrifice, for you stand in the place of the great Lord Mictlantecuhtli. Let your flesh become nourishment for his spirit to show himself to me. I commit your soul to the first level of Mictlan, where you will find eternal peace.¡± The goblinkin boy trembled and tried to scream as he awaited his fate, but nothing happened. They had rehearsed for the ritual so many times, yet Fi¡¯s wight, Makoto, hesitated to do what needed to be done. Annoyance filled Fi¡¯s heart. Did the wight not see what a great honour the sacrifice was going to receive? He closed his eyes and his manacore converted his death mana as he imposed his will on the mental lucents connecting him to the wight. The result was that he suppressed Makoto¡¯s agonised soul effortlessly. Fi focused 10% of his manacore on forcibly suppressing Makoto¡¯s soul. He couldn''t have the wight act out, not today. Not when the Administrator of The Shadowmancer Pirates stood watching over his ritual. Everything had to go according to plan. He''d spent a long time in the Gate working with his bare hands to obtain the purest mavale resin, and then he''d chosen the purest sacrifice. No mere rebellious undead would ruin this ceremony for him, especially not one he could so easily control. Fi was fine allowing the wight to have its freedom, but if it needed to be forced to obey his will, he was not opposed to doing that either. Mind control helped Fi think better, it opened up his mind to new possibilities. He forced Makoto to activate its mana arrows, its body moving to fire at the trembling sacrifice against its will. The arrow struck the sacrifice¡¯s throat, the blood flowing into the chalice with the mavale resin. The karma from the sacrifice¡¯s blood was absorbed into the resin and the sacrifice¡¯s body gruesomely transformed from the flesh embodiment of Mictlantecuhtli into a skeletal representation of the death-god as the sun rose. The rain of corrupted water filled the altar as Fi knelt before the altar and began to pray. Black rain soaked his entire body, lips swollen from days of endless praying. The surrounding Shadowmancers raised their Void Gems, chanted his name and pleaded to The Unknown to accept his karma and allow the mavale to awaken corruption inside him. The world blurred in and out of focus as the corruption slowly condensed, getting sealed by the unauthorised void magic. <> Fi heard the voice of The Thousand Undead ask. Fi was suddenly sitting on the third oak throne in his hometown, watching his family. He remembered that day, it was a special occasion¡ªJoh¡¯s coming-of-age ceremony¡ªnearly thirteen years ago. It was one of the rare days when the crown prince¡¯s gift allowed him to spend time with the family. ¡°They look happy without you,¡± the skeletal dog sitting next to Fi said. Mari danced with Joh, laughing all the while. Chima was regaling the aides with the exaggerated tales of his adventures, and as usual, Vos sat next to him, hanging on every word while subtly casting glances at one of the aides. ¡°They always did. But I never cared about that,¡± Fi said, avoiding the bright face of the skeletal dog, fearing that its endless karma might consume him. The skeletal dog laughed. ¡°You know better than to lie to the apparition of a god, child.¡± Fi looked at one of the aides sitting inside the circle with Chima. Linora saw him look and nudged her, causing Riman to turn. Riman caught Fi¡¯s eye and smiled. Even in the dream, she was dazzling, and he couldn¡¯t bring himself to summon his anger and pain as he waved back to her. ¡°I have changed since then. Please do not deny me this path, Master,¡± Fi said, tearing his gaze away from Riman. Without her, there was nothing left for Fi but to forge ahead and obtain the entirety of his family''s inheritance for himself. Fi didn''t hate his siblings except for Vos, and getting rid of them was a means to an end. When he killed them and added them to his undead army, it would be for practical purposes, nothing personal, except again, for Vos. ¡°This path will be difficult for you, child. Choose Death instead,¡± The Thousand Undead said. ¡°If you choose Death, I will Bless you endlessly. You have an unlimited Affinity for it. I can make you great without you sacrificing your freedom for his power.¡± Fi was determined to plead his case, and his master was obligated to hear his request since he was invested in his growth. Nearly a hundred thousand years ago, The Thousand Undead had lost his Visage, a seraphim at the time, during the last Great Corruption War. His distress at losing his beloved Visage led him to make a covenant that he would not take another Visage unless it was from his bloodline scattered across multiple worlds. 13 years ago, The Thousand Undead announced that he would honour the covenant with the Kindaro family. It was no secret that the god favoured the crown prince, Chima, and Vos the most. However, of all the siblings, Joh was the most gifted and had been Chosen to enter the Deiwos Tower while the rest, besides Chima, had to wait for integration. Joh had a headstart, and Fi intended to close the gap as soon as possible. Fi wasn¡¯t charismatic like Chima, wasn¡¯t talented like Joh, wasn¡¯t as honourable as Vos, and he wasn¡¯t as rebellious as Mari. All he had was deception and hard work. ¡°I don¡¯t want to choose, my lord. I want everything. I am your child, I will persevere and become your Visage,¡± he said. ¡°I embody everything you are, Master. You used your mind to manipulate, corruption to destroy, and your undead army to trample over your brothers. You took Mictlan for yourself and never looked back. I want to be as great as you, Master. Like you, I choose the power of corruption. Let it take me. Let me Awaken.¡± ¡°You excel at manipulating people¡¯s perceptions. Becoming a voident would limit your resources. Are you fine with that?¡± the skeletal dog asked. Fi smiled. It was time for him to make another plea, the real purpose of this ritual. ¡°I won¡¯t be limited if I can get the Legacy of the Lost Race. Master, let me steal and complete Joh¡¯s quest,¡± he asked. The Shadowmancer Pirates were bitter enemies of Joh¡¯s guild. They tried to sell Fi lies to get him to join them, but his Mind Magic worked wonders at reading their true intentions. They planned to use him against his brother since Joh was a threat to them obtaining The Legacy of the Lost Race. Fi welcomed their assistance in helping him take the path towards voidentism. He would be damned if he allowed his younger brother to obtain the power of a race so feared they had been hunted down to near extinction in the last Great Corruption War. ¡°I will admit that you are resourceful to have discovered the truth of that quest, but you are too weak. Do you think you can do something your brother has tried and failed at in five years?¡± he asked. ¡°I will do it,¡± Fi said determinedly. ¡±Provided that I receive as much assistance from you as Joh does.¡± The skeletal dog cackled. ¡°What an audacious child. Very well, Fi Kindaro III. If you prove yourself worthy, I will give you access to the Legacy of the lost race,¡± he said. [Quest: A Conch for a Festival Quest Rank: S Description: 373 years ago, Mictlantecuhtli gifted a portion of his holeless conch to his seraphim to use during a Clash of the Celestials. Unfortunately, the seraphim met an unfavourable match and was defeated by King Maetrolugy, Hotesect¡¯s foolish but strong seraphim, who received the holeless conch as a reward. The seraphim who holds the holeless conch may blow it during the days of any festival of the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Clan and use Mictlantecuhtli¡¯s Lesser Authority once. King Maetrolugy is nearing Ascension and has not used the Lesser Authority yet. It is against the Edicts of The Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Clan for an unaffiliated constellation to have one of their deities'' Authorities without the approval of The Plumed Serpent. If King Maetrolugy Ascends without using the Lesser Authority, The Thousand Undead may have to face The Plumed Serpent''s judgement. Convince King Maetrolugy to use the Authority before he Ascends. Rewards: ???? Karma ???? EXP Divine Artefact Path to the Legacy of the Lost Race] Fi trembled. The Lost Race had been hunted for millennia, and their deities devised multiple methods for them to hide from regular mortals. If he obtained Legacy of the Lost Race and performed a partial race change, it would allow him to wield the power of corruption without the repercussions that came from being either a voident or a Branded. But for power that great, the Challenge was devastatingly difficult. ¡°Can you give me any clues as to what King Maetrolugy wants? What can I use to confound his mind?¡± Fi asked. ¡°You think you can manipulate a seraphim?¡± The Thousand Undead asked. ¡°I know I can,¡° Fi said confidently. ¡°There are very few clues I can give you. Someone whose karma recently got bound to yours for all eternity possesses something that is the key to completing that quest,¡± the skeletal dog told him. "I cannot say who it is as it contains a mortal¡¯s right to free will." ¡°Thank you, Master,¡± Fi said with a bow. He would meditate on that information later. ¡°The Demon Reaper has already set in motion events that will ensure they are at the required place during the last days of Huey Tozoztli so if you can convince that idiot to use the conch, he will be able to use the Lesser Authority without breaking The Unrivalled¡¯s rules,¡± he said. ¡°By the way, Fi, with your underhanded tactics you could be of use to Xolotl in his quest to take the 36th Floor.¡± That came out of nowhere. ¡°The whispers of the constellations are true, then. Your clan wants a share of The Deiwos Tower?" Fi asked, not missing a beat. ¡°Not just a mere share. Xolotl''s thirst for vengeance knows no bounds, he is out for karma. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve read the stars. If we can take the 35th to 39th Floor, giving us a Two Storey majority, we¡¯ll be able to sponsor more players in this Tower and contend for a share of it from the Deiwos Clan. The 37th Floor, your world, is mine, so if you conquer the 35th, Xolotl and I can put our differences aside for a second in our dislike of Picciari, En Dohhasieda and Adtonifulmin.¡± ¡°Then I will be the first of my siblings to reach the Third Storey. I know you don¡¯t get along, but if Lord Xolotl offers me power, I will take it,¡± Fi said. ¡°I would not expect any less from you, deceitful child,¡± the skeletal dog said with a laugh. ¡°Forgive me for asking, but why would you give Joh this quest, my lord? Playing mind games is not his strong suit,¡± Fi asked, genuinely curious. "That is not the only way to complete this quest." The skeletal dog shrugged. ¡°He and the seraphim have a similar mental capacity,¡± he said. ¡°I hoped perhaps they would form a connection.¡± In Fi¡¯s understanding, that meant the seraphim was extremely powerful and talented but dumber than a manaless rock. ¡°Before the end of the festival of The Great Vigil of Huey Tozoztli, I will prove myself by completing a quest your Chosen failed to do in five years.¡± ¡°You may indeed. As I said, one who you recently got linked to through karma has the key, and you do have a vested interest in the 36th Floor," he said then flinched. "Oops, the lady has made it impossible to give you any more clues. Set yourself apart from your siblings, my child, Fi. Work harder because I can tell you, right now, you are sitting in fourth place.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Fi was suddenly thrust out of the dream and back into reality, his head throbbing. He was still kneeling on the altar, but the resin was fully condensed now. ¡°I take it your ritual was a success,¡± Dayetriq, the Shadowmacers¡¯ Administrator, said. He picked up the now fully condensed Void Pearl and handed it to Fi. ¡°The Shadowmancer Pirates have kept our end of the deal. As soon as you awaken the Void Pearl, you will become a voident with the ability to wield corruption. It''s your turn to make good on your promises now.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Fi said, already feeling the pull from the corrupted karma inside the Void Pearl, begging him to bind himself to it. The vile energy stirred up his death mana, considering how many lives the initiates had taken to seal this much corruption. Of course, Fi wasn''t going to awaken himself just yet. Not until he found the Legacy. ¡°Infiltrating my brother¡¯s guild isn''t a problem. Once I''ve established myself and turned his force into yours, you can have Joh¡¯s head.¡± ¡°I look forward to working with you, Third Prince,¡± The pirate said and bowed before he left with his subordinates. * Fi consulted diviners, Seers and other mind mages for days, until finally, he locked himself inside a crypt and drew the magic circle. He had obtained the divine artefact: The Libram of Meditative Wisdom from one of Lord Quetzalcoatl¡¯s constellations as a reward for completing the tutorial. It was an excellent item, almost as useful as his skeletal mask. It helped him hone his mental powers and once he slipped into a meditative state, his mental capacity improved. His Mind stat and the special stat: Wisdom were increased by 100%. It meant that with the Libram open, he was the smartest person in the room...which really wasn''t all that different from normal if he was being honest. He was surrounded by idiots. He de-summoned Makoto as he needed his entire mental capacity for this session. He also drank a Potion of Lucidity that allowed the mental lucents in the air to gravitate towards him. He opened the Libram, laid it down, and began to meditate. It was time to put his mind to work. If he wanted to make the Floor Overlord use an Authority he¡¯d held on to for years before the end of The Great Vigil, he had to make it seem beneficial to him. The mental lucents swirled around him, the Libram at work. What could a seraphim want more than anything? It wasn¡¯t that hard an answer to arrive at. There were only three things seraphim would sacrifice anything for; obtaining stars, participating in divine wars to earn karma, and having their own divine domain. The reason why most seraphim worked as Floor Overlords for The Unrivalled for hundreds of years, was to gain fragments of stars in order to complete their constellations and Ascend to deityhood. If The Thousand Undead wanted to entice King Maetrolugy, it had to be either the promise of a divine domain or a star. If someone Fi knew was the key, he could deduce a few things already. There was no way a Tier 1 player could have a divine domain, that was impossible because they could only be obtained by people with Stars and only with the permission of The Great Quartenity. A Tier 1 player possessing a Star was almost equally unlikely, but it wasn¡¯t impossible for someone to have found a fragment of a star in an area where absurdly powerful rewards could be obtained. There was only one such place for a Tier 0 or 1 player, and that was inside abandoned worlds during tutorials. He was beginning to piece everything together, he could feel it. The Libram told him he was close. Someone whose karma was bound to Fi must have received a fragment of a star during the tutorial. It was frustrating how tightly The Unrivalled controlled the deities from sharing private information about mortals with other mortals, so they had to find creative ways to steer their followers, including such things as Seers and diviners. The Thousand Undead couldn¡¯t tell him exactly who had the fragment of a star. Who could it be? One of his siblings? If Vos or Mari had received a fragment of a star, at such an early stage in the Tower, it would be a problem. Thankfully, he knew it was someone only recently bound to his karma. The only people who recently had an impact on his karma were his tutorial teammates. It irked him that one of them had obtained such a treasure right under his nose. He immediately dismissed the useless Viking since he was, well, useless and his mana control was atrocious. He also hadn''t had time to complete any side quests. Fi also dismissed the lionkin as there was no way a mere brute of a beastkin could¡¯ve gotten such a good reward and still been so terrible at magic. That left Liv¡¯Kungsadu and Langa. Fi thought for a moment. It couldn¡¯t have been Langa because he''d seen his Calling, it was a unique weapon. Fi touched his eye and felt the scar left below it by that fucking weapon. It had to be Liv¡¯Kungsadu. If he''d known that filthy demigod received such an amazing reward, Fi would have sacrificed both Ghol and Makoto to enslave Liv¡¯Kungsadu¡¯s soul instead. The demigod had been very shifty about his side quests, and Ghol had been unable to follow him when he was completing them. He gritted his teeth, lamenting the fact that he was stuck with such a useless aide. If he had someone like Linora or Riman by his side, he''d be unstoppable. But why did his master mention the 36th Floor twice? While Liv¡¯Kungsadu was the logical choice, Langa was from the 36th Floor. ¡°Ghol,¡± Fi called. The acolyte immediately came into the crypt and bowed to him. ¡°Yes, Your Highness?¡± she asked. ¡°Come inside the circle. Today, even as unworthy as you are, I shall let you enjoy the effects of the Libram,¡± he said. ¡°Divine something for me.¡± ¡°Thank you, My Liege,¡± she said. ¡°You won¡¯t regret sharing this power with me.¡± Fi watched as she laid her tools inside the circle and began to pray. Her eyes turned dark pink, and she stared into the crystal ball. ¡°What knowledge do you seek?¡± He held out his hands to her as his manacore converted his death mana into mental power to force his will upon her. He used the power of the Libram to connect their minds so she could see exactly what he was looking for. While Fi was 90% sure that Liv¡¯Kungsadu had the star fragment, he needed to confirm it before he told the Floor Overlord who to target. The Libram had never steered him wrong. Fi took out two of the bones he used to keep track of his karma-bonded people and placed them in the circle. ¡°This one represents aura, and this one represents lightning,¡± he said, pointing to the one on the left. ¡°Which one of them has what the seraphim needs?¡± Ghol bit her lip and then placed a hand on the two bones. Once again, the mental lucents surrounded her in the air, mixed with the arcane lucents, vibrating with so much energy that Fi had to cycle his death mana to repel them, so he wouldn¡¯t get overwhelmed. She cursed loudly and let out a groan. ¡°They are both Shrouded, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s him,¡± she said, pointing to the right bone. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if it''s the left one or not.¡± That made no sense. Why wouldn¡¯t it be Liv¡¯Kundgsadu? ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t tell?¡± ¡°Master won¡¯t let me see,¡± she said, rubbing her temple. ¡°My level is too low. And whoever you''re looking for was touched by another deity''s Seer.¡± ¡°Who''s the deity?¡± Fi asked eagerly. Was he about to find out who Liv¡¯Kungsadu¡¯s mystery parent was? ¡°The Eye of Sinitian Darkness,¡± she said. Fi frowned. He didn¡¯t know who that was, but a quick search through the Dent confirmed it to be a constellation of The Deiwos Clan. There was no way Liv¡¯kungsadu¡¯s parent was a Deiwos Clan member. His karma alone testified that his parent was at least an Ancient level god. He could even use advanced aura at his age. But the only other explanation was Langa. The only person karma-linked to Fi that The Deiwos Clan would protect was Langa since he was one of their bonded. ¡°How the fuck did a lost-worlder obtain a star fragment right under my nose?¡± Fi said angrily. He closed his eyes, letting the mental lucents in to calm himself. As smart as he was, Fi was in denial. He couldn''t believe Langa had received such a ridiculous gift as a star fragment! Granted, he¡¯d also gained a ridiculously overpowered skill that helped him begin his necromancy journey, but that was different, he was special. ¡°Master said The Demon Reaper will make it so that they hasten to their doom. Where will they go that the seraphim can use The Lesser Authority without violating the rules?¡± he asked. Ghol¡¯s eyes went blank as she stared at the crystal ball. ¡°I see four people, they walk within the rules of the Tower, but outside its confines. One of them holds what he seeks, and as long as it¡¯s within the festival month, the lock will turn, allowing the aggressor to do as he pleases. As long as Master¡¯s power is active,¡± she said. She looked like she didn¡¯t understand what she was talking about, but Fi did. It meant that the Floor Overlord could use the Lesser Authority, as long as the stars aligned. What did it mean to walk within the rules of the Tower, but outside of it? Of course, he thought, shaking his head at the fact that it took him even a second to conclude that it had to be a Gate. Gates were under the Tower''s laws, but they were typically passageways to worlds outside the Tower. If the Floor Overlord was able to catch Langa and lock him inside the Gate using the Lesser Authority, he could get the Star he needed and Ascend without repercussions. Of course, if he failed to Ascend, The Unrivalled¡¯s wrath would destroy him. But that wasn¡¯t Fi¡¯s concern. All he really needed to do was get him to use the Lesser Authority during the festival days. * Arranging a meeting with a Floor Overlord wasn''t easy, but The Shadowmancers used their connections to organise it for Fi. It just meant that he owed them even more now. He was an investment to them, and if he failed to deal a blow to Joh, he''d be in trouble. The office was a dry desert with a sweltering heat. Fi¡¯s homeland was ripe with rivers and nature so he disliked the environment immediately. The 1st Floor Overlord, Manticore King Maetrolugy sat on a savion, his cold eyes fixed on Fi as he approached. ¡°Child of The Thousand Undead, to what do I owe this disturbance?¡± the manticore asked, gesturing for him to sit. ¡°If you have disturbed me for nothing like your brother is oft to do-¡± Fi knew he had to tread carefully, so even though he found the seraphim repulsive, he bowed his head, ¡°King Maetrolugy,¡± he said, calmly offering a smile. "I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me. I brought you a gift." He handed over a primere quasi-modiaki. The manticore took it in his clawed hand and examined it. ¡°Quasi,¡± he said, his eyes narrowing. ¡°This is useless to me.¡± Fi resisted the urge to insult him because of the amount of karma he¡¯d lost purchasing that modiaki. It would all be worth it, though. Once he completed this quest, he¡¯d earn unimaginable amounts of karma. The manticore¡¯s penchant for items that raised the quality of his karma preceded him, and it was common knowledge that in the Deiwos Tower alone, he had already received two warnings for his conduct towards players from the System Administrators. "That fruit is but one part of the gift I am here to offer you.¡± The mental lucents struggled against the fire lucents. Well, it wasn''t like Fi was strong enough to control a seraphim, so he had to do it the old-fashioned way. With words. King Maetrolugy raised an eyebrow, and bit into the modiaki, his interest piqued. "Go on." Fi took a step closer. "I heard that you possess a part of Master¡¯s holeless conch. I have a proposition that I believe will be of great benefit to you." ¡°I am not interested. The Lesser Authority granted within the conch will offer me great leverage against The Thousand Undead once I Ascend,¡± he said. ¡°He will have no choice but to pay me in karma to prevent me from selling it. After all, an unaffiliated seraphim is one thing, but an unaffiliated deity using his Authority would be such a blow to him.¡± ¡°A masterful plan,¡± Fi said with a smile. Was the manticore really so foolish that he would sell the Lesser Authority instead of using the power himself? Fi lamented the fact that the Lesser Authority could only be used by a seraphim, deity, Visage or a Daeva. ¡°I''m most interested to see what you will bargain for the conch if you Ascend.¡± King Maetrolugy''s eyes narrowed, suspicion growing across his face. "Do you, a mere mortal, question my ability to Ascend?¡± Fi resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Mere mortal? The manticore may have been seraphim rank, but that just meant he was at peak mortal level. ¡°I¡¯m not questioning anything. I¡¯m just worried because next month is your 13th review from the System Administrators,¡± Fi said, hating that the heat was making him sweat. ¡°Haven¡¯t you had two Inscribed warnings since the inception of the 1773rd Deiwos Tower?¡± ¡°What is your point, boy? Did your master send you here to insult me?¡± The heat intensified because, no matter what, they both knew that three Inscribed warnings in less than 13 years meant a dismissal from his position as Floor Overlord, meaning his chances of obtaining a star fragment would take even more years. ¡°Not at all.¡± Fi leaned in, his expression serious. ¡°You just need to Ascend before the 13th Review!¡± Maetrolugy snorted. ¡°Sure, I will find a star or a fragment in less than 30 days when I¡¯ve been searching for years to complete my final star.¡± ¡°What if I told you where you could find a unique star fragment from an abandoned world to complete your constellation so you can Ascend as soon as possible?" Fi asked. King Maetrolugy''s breath sharpened, and his eyes flashed with barely concealed greed. "Where?" ¡°You must have heard the whispers from the constellations,¡± Fi said, leaning back, and talking out of his arse. He was sure the constellations would be talking if what he deduced was true. "A player from my tutorial batch has a star fragment." ¡°So the agitation of the lesser constellations¡¯ seraphim wasn¡¯t unfounded. I wondered about the sudden influx of essence from distant Towers. They must know that there is an easy target in this Tower, even if their deities cannot tell them the truth directly. Who is it?¡± King Maetrolugy''s lips curled into a sinister smile. He stood up, pacing. ¡°No, don¡¯t tell me. It will just haunt me to know my Ascension is so close, yet I have no means of taking a star fragment from a mortal." ¡°His name is Langa Zulu,¡± Fi said readily. ¡°He calls himself Blitzhunter now, and they say he is bound to The Lackadaisical Herald.¡± [The Deiwos Clan God: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, briefly turns his gaze towards you, and, finding nothing of particular interest, turns away.] Fi ground his teeth in frustration. How petty. "Did you have to tell me that, my lord?" The god could have just looked away in peace without belittling Fi. Well, it didn''t matter because he couldn''t warn Langa, and The Unrivalled couldn''t interfere with the natural order of things, even if she knew they were planning to bend her rules. In exchange, if they failed, if they broke instead of bent the rules... well, then it was over for King Maetrolugy. ¡°Ah,¡± King Maetrolugy laughed. ¡°That ancient petty war between your master''s clan and The Deiwos Clan is still going strong, I see. But as much as I want that star fragment, The Relgte of The Unrivalled does state explicitly that a Floor Overlord may not directly engage in combat nor incite an attack on any mortal within the Tower.¡± ¡°What about outside The Tower, in a Gate? If you blow the holeless conch on any day of Huey Tozoztli, The Thousand Undead will allow you to use his Authority and also lock Langa Zulu and his companions inside the Gate. Free from the rules of the Tower,¡± Fi offered. ¡°I am a seraphim, even within a high-ranking deity¡¯s Lesser Authority, I cannot directly attack a player or explicitly send other players to attack them,¡± King Maetrolugy said. "It would be different were it a Sovereign Authority." ¡°Do I have to tell you everything?¡± Fi asked, his annoyance leaking out. ¡°With Master''s Lesser Authority, you can enter into a temporary Sponsorship Contract with a maestril. Sponsorship is not a direct attack, especially if the Daeva prays for it themselves.¡± For a moment, the seraphim stared at Fi blankly, and he wanted to punch a wall. How did someone this dense, who had lived for over 800 years, reach peak level? He supposed that was the consequence of being born a mere beastkin. They were all born stupid. He probably put all his stats into something like strength or agility neglecting his mind. He sneered in disgust but hurriedly schooled his expression. ¡°Oh!¡± The Floor Overlord said finally getting it. ¡°I will have to speak to the maestril Gatekeeper to make this work. Thank you, Fi Kindaro III,¡± he said. ¡°But why has the great Mictlantecuhtli chosen me to carry out his will against The Deiwos Clan?¡± he asked. Fi couldn¡¯t very well say it was because he was close to Ascending, and the Thousand Undead didn¡¯t like his Lesser Authority in the hands of a stupid seraphim likely to be hunted for karma as soon as he Ascended. ¡°You are precious to your clan. If you succeed in this, you may create a path to an alliance with the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Clan,¡± Fi said. ¡±This is a sacred time for the followers of Lord Tlaloc. He waters the most promising seeds from his brethren¡¯s desires. The remaining few days of Huey Tozoztli are your last chance, King Maetrolugy. Will you blow on the conch without holes, and receive Lord Mictlantecuhtli''s Authority?¡± The seraphim stroked his chin as if he hadn''t already decided. ¡°What if Langa Zulu does not enter the Gate in time?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Demon Reaper has promised to back my master. He will use his followers to ensure Langa Zulu enters the Gate before the end of the festival. I know Langa''s greatest weakness too,¡± Fi said, deciding to add something he didn¡¯t have to, just to be petty. ¡°He has no mental resistance.¡± ¡°How annoying,¡± King Maetrolugy said with disdain. ¡°Weak people shouldn¡¯t possess such valuable items. Relieving him of it will be doing him a favour.¡± King Maetrolugy then eyed Fi with interest. ¡°Joh Kindaro V comes twice every year trying to convince me to use the Lesser Authority. According to him, great power awaits him when he completes this quest. You would betray your own brother for that power?" Fi''s eyes hardened. "My brother''s personality threatens the stability of both the kingdom and Master¡¯s glory. He is an immature child whose rule would see Master¡¯s reign torn apart. I seek to unite and strengthen our kingdoms. Joh does not embody Master¡¯s will like I do. I am the only one who deserves to be Master¡¯s face. Sometimes, difficult choices must be made for the greater good." King Maetrolugy studied him for a long moment, with a sinister smile. Finally, he nodded. ¡°Alright, Fi Kindaro III. Once I Ascend, I may give you a divine skill for your assistance.¡± Fi didn¡¯t think he¡¯d want a divine skill from someone like him, but he smiled. ¡°You are very kind, King Maetrolugy,¡± he said. ¡°Before you kill Langa Zulu, and rip out his star fragment, can you give him a message for me? Tell him I said, ¡®Power justifies all actions. For if you can not protect the power you have, then you do not deserve to wield it.''¡± Fi touched the scar on his eye again. It was a shame he wouldn¡¯t be present to see the seething hatred and anger in Langa¡¯s eyes when he discovered he¡¯d betrayed him. Again. 58. First Celestial Clash (1) Thick black drops of rain poured over the soot-filled ground that was covered in bones, as an essence drifted into the quiet domain. ¡°It seems I am the last to arrive,¡± the essence said, transforming into a small red fox and settling on top of a newly formed dry patch of grass untouched by the bones. There were two other essences here already, waiting for him. ¡°It looks like our conversation will have to wait,¡± one of the essences said as a pile of bones came together from the dry ground to form a bipedal skeleton. "Good morrow, and welcome to my corrupted world." The black rain stopped, and thunder rumbled in the distance as the third essence transformed into a long, jagged bolt of lightning. "Hello, Ji¨³w¨§ih¨², it''s been a while,¡± the lightning bolt said. ¡°Really?¡± Ji¨³w¨§ih¨², the fox, asked, curling around himself. ¡°Hasn¡¯t it only been what, 100 years since the business with your Incarnation''s Avatar?¡± The skeleton snorted. ¡°You forget that Adtonifulmin is still young, Nine-Tailed. To him, a hundred years is a long time.¡± ¡°Well, considering that you spent longer than that as a constellation and I spent exactly zero years as one, I''d expect it to feel long to you as well,¡± the lightning bolt snapped. "It has been almost 200 years, by the way." "Arrogant fool," the skeleton said with a laugh. ¡°You¡¯d think your Apostle losing the whole world of Candoria to my lesser constellation would humble you, but no. You''re as disrespectful as ever against your seniors.¡± The lightning bolt flashed yellow as more thunder raged on nearby. ¡°Well, you know me, Mictlantecuhtli, I don''t care for beings that tried to bully me when I was still mortal. Who cares about seniority when I outrank you? And unlike you, I respect my followers¡¯ wishes if they want to pull out of an unnecessary battle. I don''t force them into servitude to The Demon Reaper,¡± Adtonifulmin said. ¡°Tell me, does Aapep¡¯s arse drip karma? Is that why your ugly head is always buried under there, sucking up to him.¡± Ji¨³w¨§ih¨² brought out a flax of pure liquid modiaki from his domain and started comfortably drinking it as the two continued to argue like juvenile mortals. The flare of death essence disintegrated many of the bones remaining in the domain, as Mictlantecuhtli spoke. ¡°We have a mutually beneficial alliance. I don''t want to hear about fawning from someone who chases after Lady Unrivalled like a dragonkin in heat.¡± ¡°Wow, don''t let your new best friend hear your derisive comments about dragonkin, it might sour your alliance, considering the last lover he took was one,¡± Adtonifulmin piped back. "I think I know the reason why you are being so sour today, Mictlantecuhtli. I bet it''s because you know my newest Avatar will obtain more karma points than yours in this Celestial Clash," he said tauntingly. "How dare you insinuate that I would be wary of The Avatar of a fraud who flaunts another being''s power?" Mictlantecuhtli said in outrage. Oh, the warm modiaki tea was heavenly on Ji¨³w¨§ih¨²''s tongue, but what really sparked his tastebuds was the palpable flare of the two opposing types of karma in front of him. He released some essence to fuel it even more. It was entertaining for Ji¨³w¨§ih¨² to watch them squabble. While he watched them, he took a moment to check how his essence which was currently at war with Vai?rava?a was doing. It was going splendidly well and he empowered his constellations and Avatars to destroy half of that universe. He wagged one of his tails pleasantly as his essence enjoyed the hot modiaki tea seasoned with strife, especially if it turned violent. He wondered if he should further aggravate the two gods in front of him, forcing them into a real battle. "That''s big talk for someone who wasn''t worthy of that ''fraudulent'' power," The Lackadaisical Herald was saying. "Fool. You enjoy playing games, don''t you? I will take that bet of yours, Adtonifulmin, and when Vos defeats that human of yours, I want you to remove Glaridinus and his army of principalities from Maselion," The Thousand Undead proposed. "Immediately." "Ho, how daring. Fine, but I have full faith in Langa, so when he brings your Avatar to his knees, I want a drop of the Ambrosia you received from Hades," Adtonifulmin said. "How do you know about that? But a whole drop? You''re mad, you have no idea how many souls I had to pay to get it. You can have half of one pure nektari from Mictecac¨ªhuatl''s garden. Final offer." "Deal, I haven''t tasted a life nektari in many years," the lightning bolt pulsed, clearly excited. The Nine-tailed Fox watched the two of them with interest. He wondered how he could get into the wager and earn himself a nektari too. Would Mictecac¨ªhuatl''s garden have fire nektaris? Unfortunately, before he could ask, The Exuberant Arbiter''s essence washed over the domain. "Gentledeities, please have some decorum, and remember why you are here," he said. "The children are waiting to start playing, so please decide what rewards you will give your bonded should they win, or I will make the decision for you." ¡°You''re wasting your time, Arbiter. I doubt that these two will ever agree on anything, let alone a reward for both their bonded," The Nine-Tailed Fox said, hatching another scheme to amuse himself. He had no desire to meet his reborn Avatar. The last time someone had wronged Ji¨³w¨§ih¨² to the point that he turned his face away from them, he had not interacted with that constellation for over 10 thousand years. How dare that child plead and cry when it had been less than 200 years since he turned away from her? He could not believe the nerve. She barely even remembered those years, so as far as she knew, he''d ignored her for less than a month since her rebirth. She still had a thousand years of punishment left for betraying him, which was why Ji¨³w¨§ih¨² made a bold suggestion to avoid meeting her. "I think we should just do things the old-fashioned way," he said. "What do you propose?" The Arbiter asked. Ji¨³w¨§ih¨² smiled deviously. * When Langa woke up, there was a lucent tile under his door with an invitation to a festival held in Sorrento Creek. It was an open invitation to all players in tutorial batch 4, and they could bring two guests. Since today was the day set aside in the Tower to welcome players of batch 4, festivals like this were going to be widespread. The invitation implored all those who received it to invite those from batch 4 that they had in their contacts, so that as many people as possible would come. Langa could only hope and pray that one of his family members found it, and came. He scrolled through the mana signatures he had on his comcer. He sent the invitation to all the members of their batch whose contacts he had, including Fi Kindaro III. He doubted that the son of a bitch would show his face, but it was worth a try. He already knew who his guest would be. ¡°Hello, Langa!¡± Di Etta answered when he called her. ¡°How have you been? ¡°Great, thank you. How are you?" Di Etta and her friends had helped him on his very first voident hunt at Theria''s Hollow and he had promised to treat them once he got to the capital. "I can''t complain... well, actually, I can. I am in the middle of the most boring job in the Tower," she said, sounding annoyed. "Well, if you want to take a break,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be participating in the Celestial Clash close to the capital, so I was hoping I could pay you guys back for helping me out.¡± ¡°Really? You''ll be in the exhibition match? I¡¯ll ask our Guild Administrator if she has any extra tickets, and I¡¯ll come watch,¡± Di Etta promised. "Do you want to meet after the match?" ¡°Yeah, my friend is hosting a dinner party for the Batch 4 Festival at Sorrento Creek. I wanted to thank you for coming to help me back at Theria''s Hollow. I was wondering if you, Gria and Gertina would like to come as my guests.¡± ¡°I don''t know. Gria and Gertina are on the 5th Floor and I¡¯ll be joining them tomorrow, so I have to finish the job today," she said, sounding unsure. "Come on, there''ll be plenty of exotic food you haven''t tried before," he said, dangling the bait, knowing that Di Etta could pass up free food. "Oh, that does sound tempting," she said happily. "Okay, you know what? Screw this job. I''ll see you later, let me go find out about the tickets.¡± "Awesome." It was a pity that the other two couldn''t make it, but this was good enough. * It was early afternoon when Langa went down to the tavern, and after helping himself to a plate of food, he spotted Undkese sitting by the window. "Hey, did your father manage to find the children''s families?" he asked, sitting down across from him. "Oh, Blitzhunter, you startled me," Undkese said looking up at him in surprise. "They''ve contacted most of the families, and according to the Magistrate, Teyin''s mother has arrived at the base. Father is offering them shelter for now." "Good," Langa smiled. He hoped the other children would see their families soon too. He hoped he would see his family too. Undkese stirred his porridge absentmindedly as he stared out at the street. Langa frowned, a part of him wanting to ignore the situation and eat his breakfast in peace. Then he sighed, cursing his sister for raising him to care about people when all he wanted was to be left alone. "You seem out of it, is something wrong?" "Am I that obvious?" Undkese sighed, setting his spoon down. "Father wants me to return home and rejoin the Federation Police. He says I can do a lot of good for the people on this Floor, like him." Langa was no stranger to being weighed down by expectations from family. He''d spent some time on the lucent bus with Undkese, so he thought he knew him quite a bit. "But that''s not what you want, right? You want to be out there, exploring the world and helping places like Ginora Village." ¡°I''ve made a lot of mistakes trying to prove I''m worthy to be the High Commissioner¡¯s son when he can''t even claim me publicly.¡± Undkese looked down at his hands, probably thinking about his part in trafficking the children. "I do want to be a player, Langa. I want adventure, to be like the heroes in my mother''s stories. But I''m Father''s only child now and he doesn''t want to lose me to voidents or monsters.¡± Langa leaned back in his chair, contemplating the halfkin''s dilemma. "Undkese, you have to pave your own path. Your father may have your best interests at heart, but ultimately, you decide what''s best for yourself. You can''t live your life for someone else''s expectations, it sucks and drains the life out of you." That was a lesson Langa learnt the hard way. Undkese looked up. "But what if something happens to me as I climb? I mean the higher my level, the less time I can spend on the lower Floors. I know Floor Overlords make exceptions for players if the Floor is their home world, but....what if I never see my father again?" "I can''t help you there," Langa said sadly. In the first place, he wasn''t the best person to give out family advice. "You have to decide if you''re willing to live with that. Life is full of shit, but in my opinion, the worst thing is regret. Don''t let anyone hold you back." Undkese nodded. "You''re right. I know, you''re right. It''s just hard to leave everything behind, I guess. You know, I talk about grand ambitions, but I don''t even have a party anymore,¡± he sighed. Langa tilted his head in confusion, drinking his tea. ¡°Isn''t Synn your partymate?¡± He shook his head, putting down his spoon. ¡°No, she joined because we were short one person for the job. As you know, she was actually investigating the Vonelle Heilliege guild for The Maluta Syndicate. She''s the type of person who likes to do her own thing, I couldn''t ask her to form a semi-permanent party with me as much as I could ask you.¡± If Synn wasn''t in any guilds or parties, Langa wondered if she would be willing to join Liv''s guild. He made a mental note to ask her once they established it. ¡°Maybe you should join a guild,¡± he suggested. Undkese visibly shuddered. ¡°I''m a bit wary of guilds now, given what happened with the Vonelle Heilliege Guild. Are you going to join a guild? I trust you, so if you endorse one, I might consider joining it.¡± ¡°The guild I''m joining hasn''t been formed yet,¡± Langa said nonchalantly biting into a bun. Undkese¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Awesome, you''re forming your own guild, aren''t you? Please let me join!¡± ¡°It''s actually my friend''s guild. I''ll ask him if you can join, though,¡± he said. Then a thought came to him. ¡°You know, Aquila¡¯s team needs a tank, maybe you should ask them if they''ll have you.¡± ¡°Really? They seemed really nice when I met them, and they helped the children out. I don''t know, though. They don''t know me that well,¡± Undkese muttered. Before Langa could offer to talk to Aquila about it, someone called out to him, and he received a reminder that he needed to meet up with Zavi, one of the organisers of the Celestial Clash. * Tishiba Celestial Stadium was a diamond-shaped area ten times larger than the Moses Mabhida Stadium, where the FIFA World Cup had once been held. The high, silvery wall surrounding it was covered in lucent tiles. There was a large stage made of glowing bluestone, behind which the six of them stood. Strangely, it appeared to be floating in thin air at the centre of the stadium. On the stage, there were eight seats as well as an undecorated altar to The Exuberant Arbiter of Games. Two closed-off compartments that looked like large rooms were floating on either side of the stage. The bright green field of the stadium gave way to the massive stands that loomed overhead, filled to the brim with eager players and NPCs waving flags and banners in support of the patron deities of the players taking part in the clash. The stands themselves were divided into main areas with open chairs and benches on the ground, where the majority of people sat. Multiple roving square boxes that were suspended in the air, constantly moving around, were also present; these were shining with silver and gold and were occupied by the rich and famous. The roving boxes allowed the audience to select and follow one player, for instance, but those in the regular seats could not zoom in or move closer to a scene. As he glanced around, Langa could see the bright lights of the lucent tiles surrounding the entire area, capturing every moment of the scene for viewers at home. All the people watching were carrying large Lucent goggles. Langa had been interested in how people could watch the Celestial Clash live if it took place inside a dungeon. Depending on the type of seat and the rarity of the lucent goggles, they could see and feel what was happening in the clash as if they were there. It was like watching a movie in 3D-4DX. They would be able to feel the sting of the wind, the muted heat of the fire, and the players as if they were right next to them. The only thing they couldn''t do was interact with the players. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Langa stood in a wide room behind a large stage in the middle of the stadium. He was the last player to arrive, and the other five were already standing in individual booths separated by a see-through lucent tile, waiting to enter the stage. All the players participating in the exhibition match needed to wear armour sponsored by a crafting guild called the Perusia Guild, otherwise, they would not get paid for their participation. Even though he didn''t like it, Langa was used to that type of politics, where the sponsors had to be appeased regardless of what the athletes wanted. Langa selected a red and white light leather armour set that gave +2 to his Agility and provided 120 Defence. It wasn''t as good as his jumpsuit armour, but for aesthetics, it was better. He got to keep his boots, gloves and headband on, though. The other players all wore Perusia armour as well, with Vavuciadsforenkka and Coraloa in leather armour like him, while Vos and Synn wore magical robes. Liv wore red chainmail armour, which Langa hadn''t chosen because it was way too heavy, and would likely slow him down. He had been apprehensive when one of the stylists tried removing his headband to wash and style his hair because he''d been using the same products for years. They assured him that the product was specially alchemically formulated for human hair, so he took the risk, and afterwards, his hair smelled and looked good. The ceremony began as a priestess who was a Disciple of The Flaming Blade sang the Deiwos Clan anthem since the event had to start with praise for the Tower Administrators. The commentators sat perched at the top of one roving box close to the stage, their voices echoing through the stadium as they discussed the upcoming match. The lead commentator was the demonkin called Zavi, who had invited them to participate in this match. "Amazing, Matt, I can feel the karma of thousands of Tier 2 players watching from the stands," Zavi said, his voice thundering above the crowds'' chatter. "There are even a few Tier 3s scattered around. The Floor Overlord must have been feeling generous today. He usually never gives more than an hour on the 1st Floor to players over level 25." "Generous? Please, Zavi. It''s more likely some modiakis exchanged hands." The co-commentator, a human, said as he laughed. "It''s no surprise that the place is packed, it''s guild recruiting season and these rookie rankers are the cream of the crop. Batch 4 is already making waves." "That''s wonderful!" Zavi said. "Is there anyone in particular you''re rooting for?" "Well, I am a bit biased today," Matt said. "One of the players is from my home world, so I am very excited about this match." Zavi glanced at him amidst the muted murmurs from the crowd. "Oh, that''s right Matt. I heard you''re originally from the 36th Floor. Weren''t you Chosen years before the integration of The Third Storey?" the demonkin asked. "Chosen is a strong word Zavi. I was just out buying groceries one day when BAM! I got hit by a truck, and the constellation Glaridinus had the brilliant idea to bring me into this Tower as a Chosen One," Matt said with a laugh. Langa tilted his head to get a good view of Matt. He was the first person from Earth that he had met so far, after all. He looked like the typical American unlucky enough to get isekai''d, a white guy with black hair, and blue eyes. He was just surprised his name didn''t start with a J. "Interesting. Well, we''ve kept you waiting long enough folks. Let''s welcome the six members of tutorial batch 4''s top ten who will be clashing today," Zavi said. "May the stars of the celestials bring them karma." " I doubt that anyone doesn''t know these players'' feats, given that they are all over the various leaderboards for their batch," Matt said. "The introduction will be, as always, in order of their deities'' karma rankings." Langa frowned. Adtonifulmin was the youngest of all the players participating today. Their deities had to have more karma and be higher ranked than he was, right? Well, it didn''t matter if he was called in last, he would still walk out there proudly. "Please welcome the Avatar of The Sun God, The Neutriarch of Fire, Leader of the Ter Netjer Pantheon. This player is the overall first-place Ranker in tutorial batch 4! Liv''Kungsadu!" Matt shouted, and Liv stepped forward with a smile as he went onto the stage. Roars of chants and praise for The Sun God erupted from the crowd as he stood there, oozing charm. Langa rolled his eyes. Liv really loved to play it up for the crowd. Matt spoke up again. "Moving on, we have the Avatar of The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, Deputy Leader of our Tower Administrators, the Deiwos Clan. This player is the so-called Blazing Blitzhunter currently leading most of the speed-related leaderboards for tutorial batch 4. Please welcome Langa Zulu!" Langa stilled, not just in annoyance at the fact that his nickname was sticking, but because he had not expected to be called before Synn or Vos. Both of them were bound to gods he fully expected to have a higher ranking than his master. Hell, Adtonifulmin had Ascended from the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Tower, the clan where Vos'' god was from. He walked forward, still perplexed, as he stepped onto the stage. Even though Adtonifulmin had stated that he was holding a lot of his master''s power, Langa hadn''t thought he would be ranked higher than deities millions of years older than him. If Adtonifulmin was this high-ranking, how powerful was the sleeping god of corruption? Langa looked around, blinded by the banners the crowd was lifting for him. He gave a small wave when he saw the logo of the Deiwos Clan and the Guardians Guild in the crowd. Were any of his family members here? He saw the Magistrate of Tishiba''s Peak sitting in the cushiest roving box, right in the front row, with her guards, her eyes fixed on him. The weight of her expectant eyes made him uncomfortable, as she must be here representing the High Commissioner. He could not remember the last time he was this nervous before a race; it had to mean that today would be a good day. But what made Langa''s heart race even faster was the sight of a short dark-haired, brown-skinned, and beautiful woman sitting in a gold box. Their eyes met, and Liberty smiled at him. What the hell was she doing here? Was she even allowed to be on the 1st Floor for this length of time? Langa closed his eyes and willed his heart to calm down as he squared his shoulders and stood next to Liv. As the crowd cheered for him, Langa knew that he could lie to himself and pretend he was doing this only for exposure so his family could see him, or that he was doing it to bring glory to Adtonifulmin but the truth of the matter was that competition ignited his blood. This was something he was doing for himself. Once the crowd''s cheers died down, Matt continued. "Next up is the Disciple of Aquarius, Deputy Leader of the oldest and highest ranking constellation Clan, the Zodiacs. This player is the first in her tutorial batch to receive the Blessing of The Unrivalled Tower Master! Rumours say it''s a Higher Blessing, so she might be our next Guardian Knight. Please welcome Coraloa Aquarius Winter!" The mermaid stiffly walked onto the stage to polite and curious clapping. The flag of the Guardians shone the brightest among those raised for her. Langa knew some constellations had more karma than gods, but he was surprised that the Zodiacs were this powerful. "Now we have the Avatar of the Mystical Nine-Tailed Demon Fox God, of the Mount Kunlun Clan, The Destroyer of Kafeng. She is his only bonded mortal in this Tower and she currently holds the first place position on batch 4''s Pure Mage leaderboard, SynnForessa!" Synn was smiling as she waved at the crowd and came to stand next to Langa. "Next up is the Avatar of The Demon King of The Thousand Undead Knights, the Alliance Coordinator of the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Clan. This player is the overall second-place Ranker for batch 4 and the newest member of The Hallow Reaper Cult. Please welcome the Second Prince of Raluka: Vos Kindaro II!" As soon as Vos stepped onto the stage, a strange wail erupted from the crowd as someone started singing a song, followed by the lifting of the Hallow Reaper Cult''s flags. Their theme song was creepy but in spite of himself, Langa glanced up at Liberty and found her standing up, singing and clapping. "Last, but far from least, is the Disciple of The Living Dragon Wing, Leader of the Konissia Clan. He is the preferred heir of the Veskka Nest that once ruled over thousands of enclaves. Please welcome: Vavuciadsforenkka!" For the first time, the crowd did not erupt in cheers, instead, a mixture of cheers and shouts of outrage erupted from the crowd as Vavuciadsfonkka walked onto the stage. The dragonkin raised his scaly hands and flipped the crowd off, leading to more boos. "I haven''t seen such a cold reaction at the Celestial Clash since Unbound Jareeksha challenged The Artmaker three years ago," Matt said, shaking his head. "I don''t know Matt, I think The Pioneer saying how boring the match was after single-handedly taking out all 5 of the Rejooveilla players in the Tier 3 Quarterfinals two years ago was worse," Zavi said, shaking his head. "It''s understandable though, as a demonkin myself, I''m not too pleased with him. He has continuously proclaimed his support for Queen Kaniraveskka, the leader of a Nests that oppresses our kind the multiverse over." "Indeed, Zavi. Who knows, maybe he can win the hearts of the crowd with his performance to-" Matt started, but Zavi cut him off. "Wait! Take a look at that, Matt! Isn''t that King Maetrolugy?" Zavi asked, pointing to the stands. Langa followed his gesture and saw a strange manticorelike figure in a golden box similar to the Magistrate. He had a pale-skinned face, his head resembling that of a human, yet his body had fur like a tiger''s and a tail protruded from his back. "It is! Holy Glaridinus, why is the 1st Floor Overlord here? You''d think he''d be brooding in his castle after the last reprimand he got from The Unrivalled for misplacing players," Matt asked. A low, dark karma pressure emanated from the manticore, there was unimaginable power contained in it but it was not oppressive, just a warning. "Erm.. allegedly, of course." "Careful Matt, you shouldn''t gamble with your life, he could ban you from ever setting foot on the 1st Floor," Zavi said with a short laugh. "Not if he''s learned anything from his past warnings. But that doesn''t seem to be the case considering the large number of Hallow Reapers I see in the crowd. Clearly, he doesn''t care for the High Commissioner''s disdain for the Insurgents if he''s giving them passes to stay for over three hours on the 1st Floor," Matt said in a low voice that carried throughout the stands. Some people gasped and others burst out laughing. "Matt, I swear to The Flaming Blade, man, shut up if you don''t want to die," Zavi said. "Anyway, speaking of high-rankers here to watch the rookies..." Langa''s attention was drawn from Zavi when he felt the eyes of the manticore bore into him. The gaze was pointed and intense as if he was searching for something, and it creeped him out. "Did you offend him somehow? Surely even you aren''t dumb enough to provoke a seraphim, right?" Synn whispered next to him. Floor Overlords were all seraphim, meaning they were past the mortal maximum level of 100, and were collecting stars in order to Ascend to deityhood, even Langa wasn''t stupid enough to antagonise such a being. "I''ve never met that guy before in my life," Langa said, as the manticore''s eyes shifted to his chest. He felt a deep violation in his karma, as if the manticore was looking deeper than his heart, into the essence of his soul. An inexplicable hunger filled the manticore''s face at that moment, and Langa felt a stir in his Void Star. Shit. Adtonifulmin had warned him that constellations and seraphim would be interested in his Void Star. But...the Floor Overlord was physically unable to hurt him, right? [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, informs you that he has sent a warning to The 1st Floor Overlord to stay away from you. The Unrivalled will protect you as long as you remain in The Tower.] Sure enough, the manticore looked up and flinched before he turned away from Langa. Dammit, would Adtonifulmin always have to throw his weight around to protect him? He really hoped this wouldn''t be a problem in the future. He couldn''t worry about that right now, so he focused on the commentary. "...look at the characters seated inside the third Clelestoseye box! I never thought I''d see the four of them in one room," Zavi was saying. "The Samael Clan''s Phonak and The Guardians'' First Storey Administrator look ready to risk The Exuberant Arbiter''s wrath and kill each other right here. Why in the world would they seat Khalifhari with the man who killed her teacher?" "Yeah. Whoever seated these Tier 2s and 3s together has a nasty sense of humour," Matt laughed. "But there''s an even worse pairing in the fourth box, Zavi. The First Storey Administrators for the Incantatrix Sorcerers and The Hallow Reapers are sitting together. Palinkeru is looking at Liberty like a starving maestril watching karma." "Palinkeru looks stunning today, but next to Liberty, it''s like she''s a lucent crystal sitting next to the sun. I''ll tell you one thing about that woman, Matt, she may be terrifying but Liberty can pull off a skinsuit, my gods!" Zavi threw out praises like he was paid to. Even though Langa agreed with his assessment, he did not show it. "Hold your tongue, Zavi. You will die if she so much as breathes in your ear. Don''t forget the tragic demise of Stian Huvic," Matt cautioned him. "I can almost feel her poisonous aura from here, and it''s freaking me out." "At least I''ll die happy, Matt," the demonkin said. "At least I''ll die happy." "Alright, passing over Zavi''s death wish," Matt said. "Shall we give the people what they want?" "And now, players, NPCs, halfkin and fullrots, it''s time for our players to choose teams," Zavi said, arms wide open. "The drawing of straws will be led by a representative of the Anukirtum Federation since they generously allowed us to use Tishiba Stadium for this event. Please welcome, Magistrate Bir Gent of Tishiba Province!" The Magistrate''s roving box travelled through the air and settled down in front of the stage. "Thank you all for coming. I would like to thank the Perusia guild and the Madeuw Clan for helping us organise this event. I extend a warm welcome to all players of Tutorial Batch 4 to the 1773rd Deiwos Tower," she said. "I won''t waste your time since I know you are all eager to start playing." She held out a goblet with two golden feathers inside it. "The rules are simple, the captains of the two teams will be the top two rankers, Liv''Kungsadu and Vos Kindaro II. Whoever gets the black-tipped feather will pick their teammate first." Liv and Vos both approached her as she held out the box to them, and they put their hands inside. "May the light of the Celestials shine over you," she said before closing the box. "Reveal your hands." Both of them opened their hands, and it turned out Vos'' feather had black tips. "Would you look at that, Liv''Kungsadu has drawn the short straw, which means, Second Prince Vos, you get to choose first. Who is going to be your first teammate?" Matt asked. Vos turned back to the rest of the players and said without hesitation, "Langa Zulu." "What?" Langa asked. Why the hell would Vos choose him? He''d been expecting to be on the same team as Liv, so this was unexpected. Still, the audience was watching them both excitedly and expectantly, so he walked over to the dark elf''s side. Liv was frowning since it was now his turn to choose, and Langa was no longer available. "I choose Coraloa," Liv said finally. Without seeming to need a moment to think about it, Vos said, "SynnForessa." Synn walked up to Langa, leaving Liv with Vavuciadsforenkka. She was fidgeting with her robes looking rather uncomfortable in them. Her hair was up instead of wild and down, and she kept tugging at it in annoyance. Langa couldn''t pass up the opportunity to tease her. He leaned in and whispered to her, ¡°It''s always easy to tell who''s not used to fancy clothing." Her brown eyes narrowed. ¡°It''s a white robe. Who the fuck wears white to battle?¡± she whispered back disdainfully. ¡°If you want to talk about fancy clothing, wait till you see what I¡¯ll be wearing to the festival tonight. You will bow at my feet." Langa raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Whoa, don''t tempt me, Synn. You''re always calling me a simpleton¡­ I didn''t know that''s what you were into.¡± She rolled her eyes. "Argh. In your dreams,¡± she scoffed, as she tried fixing her hair. Meanwhile, Vavuciadsforenkka swore under his breath and went to stand behind Liv as if he were being forced to walk into hell itself. "Wonderful! Now, players, you''ll see two boxes on either side of the stage. Those are your team''s infirmaries. Please change your respawn point to the infirmary, otherwise, if you die in the Clash, you will wake up somewhere else and miss your rewards. Plus, if you set your respawn point here, The Exuberant Arbiter will reduce your death debuff," Matt told them. "If you have no respawns left, well, then I hope you left your affairs in order." Langa''s respawn point was currently Sorrento Creek, so he hastily changed it. "The infirmary also acts as the teleportation wheel that will transport you into the dungeon. Team Kindaro is to the left and Team Liv''Kungsadu is to the right. Good luck, players!" Zavi said, and before Langa could say anything else, the boxes were opening and he and his team were ushered inside. It really pissed him off that he was part of something called Team Kindaro of all names, so once they were inside the infirmary, Langa turned to his new team captain. "Why the hell was I your first choice?" he asked. Vos smiled. "You and Liv''Kungsadu are friends, there is a high probability that you work well together. If you were on the same team, that would be disadvantageous for me, so I simply took the option away from him." "Diabolical," Langa said with a resigned smile. Honestly, he wasn''t too upset about it. This was going to be his first real battle against Liv, and he was itching to show him how much he had grown since the tutorial. Synn didn''t bother asking why she was chosen, instead, she put down her bag and said, "If you have more than the specified requirements for weapons, the system will punish you and take away all your weapons," she told Langa. He''d almost forgotten that part. According to the rules of the Celestial Clash, he could only keep one main-hand weapon and obviously, he chose Tonare. The harder choice was which consumable item and off-hand weapon to choose. In the end, he chose a level 12 lightning manacore so he would be able to use his divine skill at least once. He also took a set of five throwing daggers, which counted as one off-hand weapon. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, says he doesn¡¯t want to pressure you, but he hopes you earn more karma than Vos Kindaro II because he bet something very important on your performance.] [All the deities of The Deiwos Clan are watching this match closely.] [The mid-tier constellation Glaridinus, states that he is invested in your performance because an entire world''s fate and religious future rests on the results of this clash.] "What?" Langa knew that gods had a stake in Celestial Clash matches but why was Vos his competition, not Team Liv? He knew there was bad blood between the Deiwos Clan and the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Clan, but was it necessary to compete against his teammate? There was a resigned look on Vos'' face when he shook his hand. ¡°Let me guess, our deities are pitting us against each other?¡± he asked in that quiet, elegant tone of his. "At least they are doing something," Synn muttered, looking and shaking her head. "Unbelievable. He won''t even wish me luck? What if I throw the match and embarrass him?" It seemed she was still struggling to communicate with The Nine-Tailed Fox. "Well, who knows how gods think? I wonder why they are pitting Vos and me against each other, though," Langa wondered. ¡°You do realise this is probably the only time you and I will ever be on the same side of a battle, right?¡± Vos told him. "We should make the most of it." Langa frowned. ¡°Just because our deities are enemies doesn¡¯t mean we have to be too,¡± he said. It would be nice to get along with someone who seemed to have an even bigger grudge against Fi Kindaro than himself. ¡°Perhaps, but are you not joining the Guardians? Then I''m afraid we would be on opposite sides either way, as not only our deities, but our guilds will be hostile as well,¡± the dark elf reminded him. Why did everyone assume he was joining the Guardians? "I will say, though, that I will get the most karma points in this Clash and bring glory both to my master and The Demon Reaper," Vos declared. "Oh really? Bring it on," Langa said with a smile. "Alright then, Synn, Vos," he said, reaching out for a handshake to which Vos obliged. "I''m looking forward to working with you." "You better not drag me down," Synn warned, but she was smiling. This was his first public showing as the Avatar of The Lackadaisical Herald, and he was determined to show off his power and increase his faith. It was the least he could do for all Adtonifulmin had done for him. He wanted to have fun and prove himself today. After that, he and Liv would go take on the maestril Gatekeeper inside the Floor Gate. The teleportation wheel whirred and opened, and then all he saw was blue. 59. First Celestial Clash (2) Langa swayed unsteadily and opened his eyes as a bitter cold wind brushed against his face. He looked around. His heart sank when he realised he wasn''t standing on solid ground, instead, he was standing on a small, tattered, wooden boat and the vast, endless ocean surrounded him. ¡°Fucking hell,¡± he muttered in disbelief, after all, he couldn''t swim. The boat rocked with the moving water, pushing Langa uncomfortably around. Steadying himself, he equipped his Avatar title and tried to sense any life around him. It was fascinating because through his title he could feel the life of the ocean itself overwhelming his senses. Everything inside the water felt alive. Less than a second later, he had to dodge to the edge of the boat, barely managing to keep his balance, as a fucking tentacle emerged from the water, trying to grab him. Langa peered down and saw a large squid-like creature trying to ram into his boat, its tentacles stretched out towards him. Lesser Kraken Level 11 HP: 664/664 He didn''t want it to sink his already falling apart boat with its weight, so he thrust Tonare into its eye, and the squid howled in pain, as he lifted the glaive again and sliced off one of its tentacles. It screamed, falling back into the water. Langa hastily picked up the oars and started rowing the boat away from where the lesser kraken had emerged. The map on his comcer indicated that his team¡¯s shrine was not too far away. A large wild wave approached him from behind, and he rowed even faster, narrowly escaping with only a spray of cold seawater. Before he could relax, however, his title alerted him to the fact that something had jumped into his boat. He instinctively swung Tonare towards the life he sensed, only to feel the hot, piercing strike of a Flame Spike on his shoulder. "What the fuck?" he cursed, turning around to find Synn, her Fire Ring surrounding her as she stood, her white robes soaking wet. "Why did you attack me?" She snorted, giving him an annoyed look. "First of all, if I wanted to attack you, you wouldn''t still be standing. And second, you swung at me first." "You jumped onto my boat," Langa protested as the boat swayed again. "What happened to you?" She grimaced, using the flames to dry herself. "I got dropped off inside the fucking ocean. I almost got eaten by a shark. Do you know how hard it is to use fire when you''re in the water?" she said, teeth chattering as she warmed herself up. "Thankfully, I spotted this boat and decided to steal it from whoever was in it." Langa could not help but shiver. If he had landed in the ocean, he''d be dead already. That would be embarrassing. "Are you cold? Do you want my jacket? It''s just for aesthetics, it doesn''t have any defensive properties," he offered. She shook her head, moving the Fire Ring up and down around her body. "It''s fine, I''m almost dry." At that moment, Langa''s system interface lit up, showing him the party menu with a message there from Vos.
@vosthesecond: Come to the shrine both of you. Follow the green light.
"Did no one ever teach him to say please? Who does that boy think he is?" Synn muttered as a flashing green light appeared from the lighthouse in the distance. "Our team captain," Langa said, handing her one of the oars. "Let''s go before our opponents see the light and follow it." They were close to land, so the waves were low, and the light that Vos was sending kept changing direction so that they moved away from the lesser krakens. The lesser krakens became more numerous as they neared land, and they could not avoid all of them even with Vos guiding them. Langa infused mana into his glaive and thrust it into a lesser kraken''s head, the lightning numbing it as it died. He felt a small amount of backlash shaking his hands as lightning damage was applied to them because of the high-density water mana in this place. The lighthouse was located on a tiny, crescent-shaped strip of land, that could not be more than 500m2 in size. It made Langa wonder how the massive ocean did not overrun it since it was so small. They saw Vos dispatching a lesser kraken by cutting off its head with his scythe. A white wisp came out of the fallen creature''s body and Vos instantly absorbed it into himself before turning to face Synn and Langa. "That boat won''t work, it''s too small compared to what the Hlazis are piloting," he said when the two of them stepped off the boat. Two lesser krakens jumped from the water, their tentacles extending out to grab Synn and Langa, but Vos raised his scythe and the krakens were pushed back, seemingly stopped by a transparent barrier. They fell back into the water. "We need karma points if we are going to win, you realise that., right? We have to fight," Synn told him. "I do," Vos said, walking towards the lighthouse. "You will satisfy your hunger for blood in due time, once we have a plan." Langa resisted the urge to groan. It wasn''t that he wanted to fight against the unknown with no plan, but jumping in headfirst was half the fun. He wanted to finish the celestial clash as quickly as possible, win and be named the Celestial. He was itching to test his power against his peers, who were closer in strength to him. Vos shared a roughly drawn map from his system interface with the two of them. ¡°This is as far as my Sight can see,¡± he said. Langa was impressed with the map as it showed various land masses scattered around the sea, black dots that signified ships and red dots signifying enemies. ¡°Your Perception must be insane,¡± Synn commented. ¡°How many kilometres is this?¡± ¡°Please focus, SynnForessa, that is neither here nor there," Vos said calmly. "Now, when I was scouting around the area, I saw three types of monsters in this dungeon. The lesser krakens are mainly stationed close to land; they vary in level from 10 to 12. There are also the Hlazinis that travel in ships, some of which have ice assault weapons. They can easily destroy that tiny boat of yours," he paused. "The final monsters are flying types, but I could not get a clear look at them, so watch out for those as well." The light of a massive vicomcer flashed above them, and knowing that this was being watched closely by both guilds and other players, Langa wanted it to look like he was contributing to the conversation even though he wasn''t one for plans, so he said the simplest thing he could. "Okay, so one of us has to take on the role of the Sentinel and stay here to protect the shrine. We need a Flighter to carry the Sovorb and a Striker to go after the enemy''s sovorb, right? Who''s going to play what?" Synn raised her hand. "I''ll stay. I have an AOE skill that would be good for slowing down any enemies that may try to breach the shrine." "Do you have any large-scale shield-type spells? What if they decide to overrun the shrine with monsters? Can you protect the building and prevent our opponents from taking it over?" Vos asked, and Synn shook her head. He turned to Langa questioningly, but he shrugged since he did not have any defensive skills. Well, in its description, his Lightning Lance skill stated that it could be used for defence as well, but he had not tried that yet. "I will stay. I will enact a defensive barrier around the shrine and stay here to protect it," Vos said. "I''ll kill whoever tries to take it from us." "What about your perception skill? Won''t it be better if you''re out there in the ocean, scouting?" Langa asked. "My skills are not the best for large-scale offensive combat, the two of you are more suited to that," Vos said with a concerned frown. "Coraloa may be able to attack us from beneath the water, and Vavuciadsforenkka can fly, so his range of perception is far more exceptional than mine." "Please," Synn snorted. "He won''t be able to see far with those tiny, pathetic wings of his." "While I agree that the size of his wings is quite pitiful, especially in comparison to his pride and arrogance, none of us has air power, so we must be careful," Vos said. The way the two of them spoke made Langa curious about the wings in question. Vavuciadsforenkka had kept them folded in the tavern. "Anyway, the biggest problem, naturally, is Liv''Kungsadu. From what I''ve seen on the Dent, he is an all-rounder. Maybe we can make him burn out his stamina so he can''t power his aura." Langa frowned, shaking his head. "That sounds good on paper, but I don''t think Liv has a limit. Even when we were fighting the maestril boss in the tutorial, I never saw him tired or low on stamina. Besides, he''s half dragonkin, so he has a lot of mana that he can convert to stamina too," he said. "The best way to strike at Liv is to do it from a distance. We should instakill him with a divine skill or something. Once he gets close to you, it''s over. Trust me, I have the emotional scars to prove it from the multiple times I sparred with him." Vos stared at the map furiously and said, "That''s not good. He''s a Paladin now, which means he must have some defensive or self-healing skills. Wasting mana on a massive divine attack only for it to fail would be a huge blow to us. Rather get him to expend his mana and get his defensive skills on cool-down first before finishing him off with a divine skill. How''s your mana control?" "Terrible," Langa said honestly. He did not have a manacore, so he had to circulate the mana himself manually. "Mine''s decent. I guess that means I''ll handle Liv''Kungsadu," Synn said. When she saw Langa''s frown, she rolled her eyes. "I''m not first in our tutorial batch''s Mage rankings for nothing, you know." ¡°Good. There are only three Temporary Blessings available for our team to purchase, and they require 100 karma points,¡± Vos said. ¡°Let¡¯s decide who will take which Blessing so we don¡¯t have problems later.¡± ¡±Why agonise over it? I¡¯m sure our patron deities put a Blessing that each of us needs, so let¡¯s just each buy what our patron deity offered,¡± Synn suggested. Langa checked on his interface to see what Blessings were available for purchase and frowned when the effects of the Blessings were not explained adequately. ¡°What the hell is up with these descriptions?¡± ¡±Oh, that¡¯s just The Arbiter of Games being funny. He doesn¡¯t explain what the Blessings do, so most deities are just literal with the Blessing names,¡± Synn said with a shrug.
Temporary Blessing Effects Cost Deity
Flying Mount If at first you don¡¯t succeed, fly, fly, fly again! 100 KP Adtonifulmin: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm
OverMana When I attack, I overflow and my mana is on overload. 100 KP Ji¨³w¨§ih¨²: The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox God
Soul Assimilation One man''s soul is another man''s dinner 100KP Mictlantecuhtli: The Demon King of The Thousand Undead Knights
Langa didn''t know what type of flying mount he''d get but he was excited to try it. If only it was permanent. Now he just needed to kill some monsters to earn karma points so he could buy the Blessing. Vos produced a small, glowing blue sphere from his robes and handed it to Langa. "You''re the fastest, so you''ll be the Flighter. Make sure they don''t get their hands on our sovorb. It contains the essences of our three gods, all very powerful, very proud, and very wrathful. I don''t have to tell you the hefty punishment you will get should you lose it." Langa took the orb from him and felt the three separate energies flowing freely inside it. "I will guard it with my life." "Let me show you what you need to do," Vos said, leading him towards the shrine inside their lighthouse. The shrine was a large room whose walls were empty except for three paintings, a fox, a lightning bolt and a skeleton. In the centre of the room was an obelisk, and on top of that obelisk was an orb identical to the sovorb Langa was carrying. Synn went and stood in front of the painting with the fox and closed her eyes. "So when I get to Team Liv''s shrine, I just remove the orb from their obelisk and place ours, right?" he asked. "Yes," Vos nodded. "Don''t forget to infuse it with your mana first to begin the assimilation." "Got it," he said, looking around. Below the obelisk were three level 12 manacores. One was a lightning manacore, the second was a fire manacore, and the third was a death manacore. "Hey, can I-?" "No," Vos said sharply. "The manacores help connect the shrine to the essences of the three deities. Do not let your greed ruin this clash for us." "I was just asking," Langa mumbled. Because of the clash''s restrictions, he had one lightning manacore with him, and he would have liked one more to ensure he could use Lightning Lance at least twice in this clash. "Can I take the ones from our opponents'' shrine?" Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "Do as you please. It would weaken their shrine''s connection to the deities," he said. "Hold on, there will be three cores. We must share them. I call dibs on the sunstone," Synn said greedily. "I''m the one risking my life to go into their shrine. I decide who, if anyone, gets which core," Langa told her. He hoped at least one of them was compatible with his lightning mana. "Let''s go, Synn." * Following the guidance of Langa''s Avatar title and Vos'' map, Langa and Synn rowed their boat against the thrashing waves, towards a large ship carrying monsters. They alternated rowing and fighting the lesser krakens that came for them. They had a close call when a large green shark rammed into their pitiful vessel, but they took it down easily with the two of them. "There it is," Langa said when the ship he''d been sensing finally came into view. Synn used her Slumbering Smoke to obscure them from being detected as they rowed closer. "We need to board them, but we don''t have any ladder or rope," Langa said, looking around. He could probably jump up there easily using his boots'' Jumper skill, but Synn would struggle, and there was no way he could take the ship on his own. The sheer number of breaths of life he could sense was more than thirty, and his title wasn''t 100% accurate, which meant there were probably more of them that he couldn''t sense. Synn looked thoughtful, and then she grinned. "We need to improvise. Carve out the shark''s teeth for me, and I''ll show you something interesting," she said. While Langa wanted to protest, there was no time for that because they were taking in water. He took out his dagger and had to infuse it with lightning in order to break through the shark''s skin, but he managed to pull out the teeth. It was disgusting and reminded him of an animated series that Khaya used to watch where one of the villains was a shark, and the protagonist used his teeth as a weapon. Synn, however, thankfully did not put the teeth in her mouth as the protagonist in that series had done. Instead, she used her fire to carefully mould the teeth into a hook shape. She pulled out a long red whip from inside her robes. She also took Langa''s dagger and tied it together with the teeth. Then she tied the tip of her whip around them like a rope. "You made a grappling hook with a dagger and shark teeth?" Langa said in disbelief. "The dagger will help with the grip, and I will burn the teeth slightly so they melt into the wood, making it easier for us to climb up." "I should have said this before you did all that, I can jump up there and throw the whip down for you. You use fire, can''t you use it to propel yourself upwards like a rocket?" Langa asked curiously. She rolled her eyes. "Do you have any idea how much mana it would take for Fire Ring to propel me forward? Or maybe I could use Incinerate and send my highest damage skill into cooldown as I land on a ship full of hostiles? This is better," she said. "But you''re going to jump what ten or fifteen metres in the air into hostile enemy territory?" "I''ll be quiet. Give me the whip, I''ll anchor it just in case I get overrun before you can climb up, cool?" he said. She shook her head. "I''ve thought this before from all my days travelling with you, but Langa, you love gambling with your life, don''t you?" "Anything for a little excitement," he said, taking the whip and activating Jumper, feeling his mana drain rapidly as he jumped into the air. He made sure to choose the side with the lowest concentration of breaths of life. Langa landed quietly on the ship''s deck, thanks to the extra effect from his boots. He pulled himself up and surveyed his surroundings. The ship had odd metal structures and dark green lanterns placed around the deck by the scaly-skinned hlazinis who were busy placing the lanterns around the deck, and there were only five of them up here. Fledgling Hlazini Level 10 HP: 596/596 The hlazinis were strange little humanoid creatures standing about a metre tall. They looked like lizards, with jagged teeth and sharp nails. Their scales were a dark green colour. They looked disproportionate because they had no tails and had squiggly feet that made it hard for them to walk. The nauseating smell of brine clogged Langa''s nose, and the sound of waves crashing against the ship filled his ears as he quietly crept along the deck, careful to avoid the patrolling monsters. He knew he had to move quickly to find a safe place to pull Synn up before alerting the monsters to his presence. He moved towards an emptier side of the deck and quickly tied the whip to a pole. He sent a message directing Synn to that area on the party menu. Once she confirmed she was there, he threw down the length of the whip. Synn grabbed onto it and Langa pulled hard as the leather burned his hands, even with the gloves he''d gotten from Nitract¡¯s Ravine. He wished he had put more points into strength, but he wasn''t stupid enough to tell a woman that she was heavy. Finally, her hand grasped his and he pulled her up. Her landing was less graceful than his, and the noise caused the monsters to turn their attention towards the intruders, their claws sharp in the fading light. Synn removed the shark teeth from her whip and twirled it in a circle, flames licking the edges of the weapon as she channelled her magic through it. She lashed out at the nearest hlazini, the flames searing through its scaly skin. The monster let out a screech of pain, stumbling back as Synn''s Flame Spikes filled the air. Meanwhile, Langa sprang into motion, as he moved between the monsters, dealing quick stabs. This was easy work for him and Tonare, he made no mistakes, not after the Legacy¡¯s gruelling spearmanship training. He struck quickly as he sent his lightning mana through the weapon to incapacitate the monsters as he dodged the swipes of the sharp claws. He tolerated the pain as he moved his mana through his nerves, even though he wanted to scream. The deck of the ship became a battlefield, but they managed to protect themselves. "Langa, I felt a surge of mana below. Go check it out," Synn told him. "It might be a magic weapon." "What about these-" "I''ll take care of them," she said, gesturing to the remaining hlazinis. "Trust me, the mana I feel is violent. It could be dangerous if we leave it alone." He hesitated for a moment but decided to leave her to it. There were still more hlazinis down there, he could sense them. Langa listened intently for any signs of movement. Breaths of life overwhelmed his senses, and he used that to avoid the monsters, but it was making it hard to think. Slipping through the hatch, Langa found himself in a dark corridor, lined with doors on either side. He could hear muffled voices coming from one of the rooms and cautiously approached, pressing his ear to the door. Through the crack, he saw several monsters standing around a table, infusing mana into a large spell scroll. They spoke in screeches, a language he didn''t understand. He had no idea what spell it was, all he knew was that he had to stop it. Langa smiled, Tonare in his hands and attacked. As he fought against them, their sharp claws were raised in alarm as they scratched him. Thinking quickly, Langa drew his glaive and swung it in a wide semi-circular arc at the hlazinis'' feet, knocking the monsters off balance. Unfortunately, the scroll had already lit up, producing a large cannon from thin air. Three hlazinis remaining alive infused mana into it. An ice cannon ball flew towards Langa and he dove down to avoid it. He had terrible water resistance after all. Enough was enough, he thought and used Flash Step to appear behind the hlazinis stabbing two of them in the back with Tonare. The third one had been infusing mana into the ice cannon and when Langa struck it, the spell backfired, creating an explosion of ice that sent Langa flying through the roof, breaking wood and shooting up until he used his Jumper skill again, jumping onto what was left of the deck, groaning in pain from the water damage. The hlazini died from the explosion. [-79 HP] "Where''d you come from?" Synn asked. He looked around, whatever was left intact on the deck was filled with the charred remains of dead hlazinis. Synn had cleaned up a lot of the monsters, and he was about to compliment her on the good work, but at that moment, a dark shadow swooped down at her from the sky. If not for Langa¡¯s speed, the creature would have bitten her neck. As it was, Langa used Flash Step to cross the distance between them, using the extra damage from the skill when he stabbed the monster¡¯s eye. The shark fell onto the deck and straightened itself up. ¡°A shark with wings,¡± he said. ¡°I''ve seen it all.¡± Flying Shark Level 11 HP: 537/675 The creature opened its mouth and a stream of hot water vapour emerged from it and sprayed all over the place. Langa ducked but the steam caught him in the shoulder and scorching hot pain filled his shoulder. His lack of water resistance did not help him any. He Flash Stepped away before its sharp teeth could sink into him. A Flame Spike from Synn struck the shark, sending it flying back into the water. "Okay, go into the water, push the shark out, and I''ll toast it," Synn instructed, looking down into the sea. Langa scratched his head. "Um, that''s a really great idea, Synn, except I can''t swim,¡± he said. ¡°What?¡± She turned to him, bewildered. ¡°Why the hell can''t you swim?¡± ¡°I''m black,¡± he told her with a shrug. ¡°I have no idea what that means.¡± More hlazinis poured onto the deck from the destroyed interior of the ship. ¡°It''s a race of humans that can''t swim," he said, lying through his teeth. "I''ve never heard that before." She stared at him incredulously as she wrapped her whip around a level 11 Hlazini, pulling and setting the whip on fire so that it cut the creature in half. "Why the hell can''t you swim?" "Because I''m scared of the water, obviously. Even the best swimmers can drown. I find it best not to tempt fate like that. The ocean is dangerous, why would I go in there willingly?" he asked, taking a step back, causing his Hlazini to lose balance before he slashed it across the chest with Tonare. That was half the answer, though, seeing as he had almost drowned while locked inside the car during the accident that killed his father. Water triggered his claustrophobia as well. "It''s important to know how to swim. What if you find yourself stranded in a massive body of water with nowhere else to go?" She asked, activating her Fire Ring again as more than ten Hlazinis approached them from below deck with their ice and water guns. Langa stepped in front of her, taking the defensive stance of Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship. "Life isn''t going to just drop me in a body of water." He spun the glaive as fast as he possibly could to create enough wind and force to stop a few bullets. The wind made Synn''s Fire Ring burn even brighter, melting the ice bullets quickly. "What if you''re in a flying carriage and lose control, falling into the sea, what then?" She asked him pointedly. "Then I''ll just die quickly instead of struggling to survive only to die later," he shrugged. He sped into the middle of the huddle of Hlazinis and painfully infused his lightning mana into Tonare. The glaive was humming contentedly today, and he had a sinking suspicion that it was because of Synn. He used it to sweep the creatures'' feet by turning it in a semi-circle as he pivoted. At intermediate rank, this was easy for him. He leapt out of the way as Synn shouted, "Incinerate!" and two large red balls of angry fire materialised from her Fire Ring and scorched the poor creatures as their screams filled the air. "You''re an idiot. What are you going to do about dungeons and gates that are water-based like this one?" Synn asked, plopping down onto the deck to recover her mana, while Langa went around stabbing any hlazinis that had not perished from her attack. "After this, I''m going to research all known water-type dungeons and gates and stay the hell away from them." "Instead of just learning how to swim?" she asked incredulously. "How many times must I repeat that I''m scared of water?" he repeated. She shook her head, eyes closed, as she absorbed lucents from the air into her manacore. "The 10th Floor is made entirely of a massive ocean in the sky, with less than 100 small islands in the entire world. How are you going to survive that?" Langa grinned. "I will live by the grace of The Lackadaisical Herald." She shook her head at him again and stood up. "Un-fucking-believeable!" Synn said, and jumped into the water. She disappeared under the sea Water bubbled under the surface, as Langa watched, alert. He couldn¡¯t help goosebumps from running up his skin, even though he knew Synn was unlikely to drown. A jet of water shot up into the air, bringing the injured shark with it. Langa stepped back and threw the lightning-infused Tonare at the shark without wasting a second. It pieced its head, killing it instantly just as Synn¡¯s head emerged from the water. ¡°Be a dear and retrieve my spear for me,¡± he called to her with a smile. She glared at him. ¡°Please?¡± She dove back into the water, and when he used her whip to pull her back into the ship, she had the glaive with her. The two of them explored the ship as they headed towards the area on the map where Vos suspected Team Liv''s shrine was located. There were no useful weapons on the ship, in fact, the only good thing from the encounter was that he had found an empty spell scroll on one of the dead hlazinis. Langa checked his karma points but he was at 33 karma points. He needed to kill more hlazinis before he could afford to buy a Blessing. While Synn was figuring out the helm and how to move the ship forward, Langa felt something coming their way ¡°Living beings! hundreds of them,¡± Langa shouted, warning Synn. He pointed, and both of them turned in that direction. A massive wave hurtled towards them, carrying five ships of Hlazinis. ¡°Flee! Hard to port!¡± he screamed at her. That wave was going to swallow them. ¡°I''m trying!¡± she snapped back, and she tried turning the ship''s lucent helm, but before she could, the wave stopped unnaturally a bit of a distance from them, completely dissipating before it should have reached them. What the hell? ¡°Dammit. It''s Cora,¡± Synn said, squinting. "She must have run out of mana before reaching us." Langa saw that one of the ships was moving towards them while the rest were moving slower but trying to catch up to the leading ship. The leading ship was moving unnaturally fast and not along with the wind. "I don''t think so," Langa said. The ship stopped a few metres ahead of them. Inside it, he could see Liv, sword in hand, standing on the deck. A mermaid emerged out of the water, jumping into the ship, her tail disappearing in the air, giving way to beautifully toned legs that landed on the ship''s deck. A red leather outfit draped itself over her, drops of water dripping down her legs. She looked so good during that transformation that Langa whistled. "Seriously?" Synn glanced at him. "That is not the head you should be using for thinking right now." How did she expect him to ignore a sight like that? ¡°Well, excuse me. I¡¯m just looking. I¡¯m a simple man, she may not be my type, but she¡¯s a beautiful woman,¡± he said defensively. ¡°Anyway, I was caught off guard. I''ve never seen a full beastkin transformation like hers before.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? You literally saw me grow a tail when we were fighting Sasani,¡± Synn told him in exasperation. ¡°You don''t have your tail now?¡± he asked, glancing at her backside. ¡°No. Beastkin can choose their appearance post Tier 1. You know, if you were a smarter man, I''d suspect that you were using that as an excuse to check out my ass.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Control your desires, it¡¯s gross.¡± ¡°Excuse me? I¡¯m just being myself. You know, I know a woman who can sense people¡¯s feelings and stuff, and she told me that I have beautiful emotions,¡± he said smugly. Synn rolled her eyes. ¡°Well, I hope you¡¯re not dating that woman.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°If she¡¯s an empath,¡± she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Then she¡¯ll always know when you¡¯re lying. Wait, why are we talking about this right now? Our opponents are almost upon us!¡± What? Her statement made Langa pause. Did that mean Liberty knew he was lying about Amalgam¡¯s key? But then why didn¡¯t she make her goons kill him? He shook his head. He¡¯d think about that later. Right now, he had a fight to prepare for. ¡°You say that as if them being here is a bad thing. It''s better to face them now, isn''t it?" Langa said. He smiled brightly and waved at Liv¡¯s ship. "Hey Liv, have you come to receive the arse-whooping I promised you?!!¡± he shouted. Liv raised his eyebrows. ¡°Langa, SynnForessa. Hand over the sovorb and I''ll let you live,¡± he called. ¡°Sure thing, oh heavenly demigod! Why don''t you jump into our lowly ship and get it?¡± Synn said with a devious smile, activating her Fire Ring again. ¡°I''ll take that as a no. I guess we just have to set those hlazinis in the ships behind us out on you and wait until you''re out of mana and stamina,¡± he smiled. Taking over one ship of level 10 weak monsters with Synn was one thing, but even with both of them, there was no way they could defeat four ships filled with at least 70 hlazinis each and fight Liv at the same time. It was just impractical. ¡°Hold on, Liv. Kindaro isn''t with them,¡± Coraloa said. ¡°What''s the plan?¡± ¡°He must be guarding their shrine,¡± Liv told her. "I''ll kill these two here. You go take over the shrine." Coraloa hesitated. ¡°Are you sure? There are two of them, plus those hlazinis I dragged with my Vibration Wave will reach here soon. Will you be okay?" she asked. ¡°Don''t worry, Coraloa. I can take both of them in my sleep,¡± Liv said with a smirk. Langa¡¯s blood boiled as Synn scoffed at the disrespect. Coraloa jumped into the water again, and a large wave rose from her, causing the four ships filled with hlazinis to be propelled towards Langa and Synn¡¯s ship, putting them between theirs and Liv¡¯s. Coraloa disappeared under the water as she started swimming away. ¡°Go after her,¡± Synn said, struggling with the helm as the wave jostled their ship about. "I''ll take him." "Do I have to repeat that I can''t swim?" Langa asked. "Besides, in case you haven''t noticed, Vavuciadsforenkka''s not here. Vos can deal with her, let him pull his weight. We need to defeat Liv and Vavuciadsforenkka, then take over their shrine." A loud noise caused the two of them to face forward as the hlazini raiders jumped onto their ship and a new battle began. Surprisingly, two of the ships set their attacks on Liv. A wave crashed against the sides of the ship as Langa and Synn battled the monsters on the unstable deck of their vessel. One of the enemy''s ships was firing ice cannons at them from a distance. ¡°Look, I can see the hunger in your eyes, I know you want to fight Liv''Kungsadu, but you need to get our sovorb into their shrine. If it means that much to you,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll take the sovorb while you remain here and hold him down, but at the end of the day, I¡¯m not that fast.¡± ¡°I know, there will be plenty of time to challenge Liv,¡± Langa said with a nod, even though his nerves burned to test his strength against the demigod. ¡°I¡¯m not losing this clash, too much is riding on it.¡± The Magistrate of Tishiba¡¯s Peak was watching, which meant that the High Commissioner was too. If Langa wanted answers regarding the Brand, he needed to impress him in this clash. This was his first venture as The Avatar of Adtonifulmin, and he wanted to show him that he''d made the right choice. ¡°Liv is occupied right now, and we can''t let him get all the karma points from killing the hlazinis. Let¡¯s take down a ship each, get 100 karma points and purchase our Blessings,¡± he said. Synn was way ahead of him, having already cast Incinerate. The large red ball of fire struck the nearest ship of hlazinis as Langa used his Jumper skill in conjunction with Flash Step to board the ship. He needed to carve a path for Synn towards Liv while raising his karma points. The hlazinis¡¯ ugly faces twisted maliciously as they manned the ice cannons, firing relentlessly at Langa as he dodged and slashed through them. Once he and Synn cleared the first ship, Langa saw that Liv was almost done tearing through one ship and knew he had to act fast. The water rose, and a ship full of hlazinis was blown into smithereens as Synn unexpectedly used her divine meteor to take down the second ship, which left only one more. The scent of burning wood smoke mingled with the heat from steaming water, misting up the entire area. It seemed to take all her mana and she doubled back to their ship and knelt down to recover. Langa was sure she had enough karma points to buy a Blessing now. Liv was done with his ship, and he jumped into last one. Langa made a bold decision to use his divine skill as well so he could raise his karma points. He knew it wouldn¡¯t be enough to take Liv down, but it should make things easier for Synn. Langa ran over to the ship¡¯s cannon and plastered the spell scroll on top of it, quickly drawing the magic circle. He infused mana into the magic circle and, at the same time, launched the ice cannon. He felt a surge of raw electricity coursing through his nerves. The air buzzed with electricity as dark storm clouds gathered overhead, and a massive spear of lightning came down from the heavens. Langa swayed as the mana exhaustion filled him. ¡°Crap!¡± Liv said, and suddenly a massive dome-like force field emitting golden light surrounded him. The lightning bolt struck the last ship with a roar, splitting the sky as it descended. Streaks of lightning flickered, illuminating the horrified faces of the hlazinis as it tore through their ship with an alarming fury. The inverse damage of the ice cannon mixed with lightning fuelled the screams of the hlazinis as the ship was torn to shreds. ¡°Don¡¯t let him win,¡± Langa shouted to Synn, even as his headache started to subside as his mana regenerated. He bought the Flying Mount Blessing from the Clash store, and to his surprise, a large flying shark descended from the sky above, landing in the water in front of him. "Awesome!" He took a deep breath, hoping he wouldn¡¯t fall, and climbed onto the shark. 60. First Celestial Clash (3) Liv wanted to chase after Langa since he was sure he was the one carrying Team Kindaro''s sovorb but there was no way this woman would just let him go. He did not like fighting against mortals he had no quarrels with, but this game was an important way to introduce himself to the public. He wondered if he should be merciful, rush out and kill her in one shot, if he should hold back and make it an even fight or if he should toy with her and show everyone how weak she was compared to him. He was admittedly curious about her for two reasons, she seemed close to Langa and his den-brother was second to her on Batch 4¡¯s Mage leaderboard. How could she be a better mage than the Dragonslayer who had been training with the Living Wing''s priestesses his whole life? Dragonkin were masters of mana manipulation, and while he did not support his grandmother''s view of beastkin being lower lifeforms, he didn''t understand how a normal foxkin could have better mana control at Tier 1 than a trained dragonkin. Liv expected her to test the waters with a light attack first to gauge his defences, but the moment Langa disappeared into the sky, a massive bright red ball of fire flew his way as she shouted, ¡°Incinerate!¡± He drew his shield, and allowed his mana to trickle through his sealed manacore, activating the skill on the shield, Damage Absorption. Using his high physical strength, he raised the shield above him and planted his feet on the floor of the ship, stopping the ball of fire. He blocked and then forcefully pushed it away. To his surprise, his arm ached from the impact. SynnForessa was a mage, so he had to defeat her at close range. He jumped onto her ship, still holding the shield. As he ran towards her, however, black smoke filled the air, and his body felt sluggish, causing him to halt his charge as he coughed. [Debuff: Slumbering Smoke has reduced your movement speed by 10% and slowed your thinking capacity by 15%. -20STA/s while inside the Slumbering Smoke.] The storm raged on outside, the ship being tossed around in the hands of the angry sea. A flurry of Flame Spikes descended on his barely moving body and he was slow to raise his shield to protect himself. The piercing fire bolts stung deep into his skin and some burned through his chainmail armour, but pain was never something that bothered Liv. What did bother him was how much health he was losing thanks to both the fire and the debuff slowing him down. Without any other choice, he activated his Scale Armour skill and thin durable blue dragon scales covered his entire body. The pain receded since the spikes couldn''t penetrate his armour. Once she saw that her attacks were no longer effective, SynnForessa cut her losses and stopped the flames. Before she could send a new attack, the smoke dissipated and the debuff expired. Liv didn''t want to waste his mana and stamina blocking another fireball, so he charged towards her with his sword drawn. Her dark hair flowed in the wind and without a word, SynnForessa raised her hand, and a ring of fire surrounded her. He could feel the intense heat coming from it and was unsure if it was a defensive or offensive skill. As he closed in, she shot three Flame Spikes at him, from the ring surrounding her, and the mana in them was more intense than the ones from earlier, so he dodged them, each one exploding dangerously close to his feet. That would definitely have penetrated his armour. The bottom of the ship started to catch fire, and she gathered those flames into her ring and threw the exploding bolts at him. Liv had no choice but to use up his mana and Stamina to keep his Scale Armour active, coating his body to protect him from the heat. ¡°You''re so damn wasteful,¡± SynnForessa shouted, licking her lips hungrily as if she were ready to devour him. ¡°Excuse me?¡± he asked. ¡°You¡¯re gifted with all this mana, and it''s annoying to see you waste it like this,¡± she said, a large red ball of incinerating fire flying towards him. How was she able to hurl so many attacks, one after the other, at him so quickly? Didn''t her skills have a cool down? Liv raised his shield as he did not want to retreat, not when he was so close to getting in range to use his sword. Even with his shield''s Damage Absorption, the Fire Ring boosted Incinerate''s damage to unimaginable levels, overloading the shield and heating it so much that the force forced it out of Liv''s hands. What remained of incinerate burned into his arm and caused a massive ripple of scorching pain through the scales. Liv ignored it and didn''t retrieve the shield. ¡°I don¡¯t use mana that much, so I won''t waste time learning to control it,¡± he said and swiftly swung his sword with his unijured arm at SynnForessa, but she reacted instantly, using her whip to deflect the blow, trying to create distance. But this was Liv''s element. No one ever had, and no one ever would defeat him at close range. He refused to allow it as he burnt his stamina into solar aura, moving along to the stances of the Sword of The Veskka Nest skill. Liv was flawless at this skill, extending his limbs like a dragon on the hunt, not allowing her room to retreat. ''How strange,'' he thought as she raised her arm to block his fist, but the force shattered her arm. SynnForessa screamed but tried to use her whip to parry his blows. The Fire Ring surrounded her, defending her from him, but he did not care about being burnt, not when his armour was protecting him. His leg found her abdomen, and she choked in pain, getting pushed back as he kicked at her knees effortlessly. She staggered and sent a wave of fire racing towards Liv through the whip, forcing him to leap back to avoid being engulfed in flames. Her movements were good, as if she had been trained in armed combat, but her body was weak. It felt like fighting an old master whose talents were limited only by his weak body. If she had more health and more stamina, she might have given him a run for his gold. As Liv lunged forward to finish the fight, she released another cloud of smoke that enveloped him, and he felt his stamina getting drained again, slowing his movements and making it harder for him to see. Liv gritted his teeth, she had planned that, making him forget about this debuff skill only to throw it at him when he least expected it. What a cunning little fox! Enough was enough. Even if he was slower than normal, Liv channelled his solar aura into his fists and feet, enhancing his attacks with the golden energy, draining his stamina rapidly for every second it was active. He converted more mana into Stamina and activated Charging Ray Burst. This was a new spell he¡¯d unlocked as part of his Aura Mastery skill once it reached Intermediate rank. It bolstered his tanking abilities. The Imbued Aura gave the illusion of his karma pressure as he charged, forcing the enemy to focus on him. It worked best against monsters as a pseudo-taunt. If he got hit, then all the damage taken from that charge would be converted into a devastating burst of damaging light rays of aura. He attacked SynnForessa, his punches and kicks infused with an aura that drained her health with each strike. She wobbled under the force of Liv''s assault, her Fire Ring was flickering weakly as it burnt through Liv''s arms every time he struck at her. The charge had built up, and he let it loose, directing the rays with full force towards SynnForessa. He was sure this would take all her health at once, earning him an instant kill that would spread his name across the Floors. However, SynnForessa muttered something, and his ears picked up something that sounded like ¡°70%¡±, and then the rays struck her fragile body. She didn¡¯t scream, and he didn¡¯t receive a kill notification. When he looked up, he was alarmed to see his solar rays flying back at him with such speed that he did not have time to cover himself in aura, instead, only the Scale Armour protected him as his own attack tore into his body. The pain was intense, but it was of no consequence to him. What was bad was his health was dropping alarmingly even with his endurance supplementing it. He wondered who in the cursed Duat this woman was as he looked up to see her body covered with mouths. Did she use a divine skill or her attribute? It was ironic that Liv¡¯s own power brought him to his knees. How did she still have enough mana to do that? No matter how good her mana control was, that should be impossible unless she bought a Blessing that increased her mana pool. ¡°You¡¯re half god, so I suppose even that is not good enough,¡± Synnforessa¡¯s voice said in the middle of the smoke, and her whip was like a rope with a mind of its own as it wrapped around Liv¡¯s neck. ¡°Goodbye, Liv¡¯Kungsadu.¡± SynnForessa raised her hand, and he sensed the massive amount of karma through her Spiritual Path without meaning to. His attribute always alerted him to strong divine skills. "Kelpercutieyin! Meteor Strike!" She shouted, and as Liv looked up into the sky, he cursed. He''d seen her use this before. It was a damn meteor... a ball of fire hurtling towards the sea with incredible speed. His karma raged inside him, cursing him for holding back. He hadn¡¯t even done a single thing! He had been naive to think he could win without using more than half his power. He hadn''t even used his divine skill against her, so it was time to show the glory of The Sun God. With an uncontrolled burst of mana that his opponent would no doubt call wasteful, the magic circle for Solar Constructs glowed inside his manacore as it regulated his mana into every symbol on it. Unstable as his manacore was, the ring still held it steady enough that it did not shatter from his excessive mana pool. As a paladin, he had to say a Word every time he used a divine skill. His Faith was easy to draw on, his Faith in the Sun God was faith in his mother, and he had that in abundance. He hurriedly summoned a single mana-concentrated golden Solar Shield to protect himself from SynnForessa''s incoming meteor. He hastily let go of his solar aura as fast as he could and covered his entire body with demonic aura. He could feel his father''s demonic power in every part of his veins, invading his karma, taking over his mana pathways, whispering and burning, burning, burning. His hands shook, but if he had gone all out from the start instead of hesitating, he wouldn''t be in this situation. His karma stirred as he used both mana and demonic aura at the same time. Liv closed his eyes, praying for it not to go out of control. He was holding back as much as he could without losing, but it was getting harder. The Solar Shield surrounded him like a barrier as his demonic aura covered his entire body. The meteor slammed into the shield, hard. In a battle between two divine skills, the ranks of the deities mattered, but what made the most difference was the mortal¡¯s Faith. His mother¡¯s tears fuelled his Faith as he bade the shield to hold fast. But whatever SynnForessa believed in was strong too because the meteor was strong enough to crack the shield. Thankfully, the flames of the meteor had lost power by the time it struck Liv¡¯s body. His demonic aura absorbed the rest of the blast even though the force crashed him against the ship. His tough skin burned with the first real amount of pain he''d experienced since his Sponsorship Challenge. He forced himself up and stood tall, ready to continue the fight, acting as if he were not in pain. SynnForessa, on the other hand, was nearly mana exhausted. When she saw that he didn¡¯t die, he heard her say in exasperation, ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me.¡± It was as if she took the words right out of his mouth. He had underestimated her, and it nearly cost him his life. She was strong, so he wondered if it would be okay to tap a little more into his demonic aura. The demonic power begged for release. If he wanted people to gravitate towards him, he had to be strong, and for that, he could not lose control. "Just a little," he breathed, allowing a fraction of the demonic aura out. A brilliant red light burst out from Liv''s sword as he tapped into the power he¡¯d inherited from his father. The demonic aura seeped into the sword, but fortunately, he had not brought his Bloodserpent sword into this battle. Bloodserpent amplified his demonic aura, which was dangerous for him. Burning his third use of the divine skill, Liv constructed a smaller golden shield that he could hold in his hand and thrust it through SynnForessa''s Fire Ring with all his might, the demonic aura shattering the fire into a million sparks that fizzled out harmlessly. It flickered and died out, leaving her undefended. It was ironic how well Amun-Ra and Aapep¡¯s powers worked together here, considering their relationship. SynnForessa cried out in pain as she was thrown back by the force of Liv''s aura, and her body fell to the flaming deck of the ship. No matter how much extra mana the Blessing gave her, using what he assumed was a divine skill, and her attribute back to back had taken everything she had. ¡°I barely fought back, yet I''m still going to win. You¡¯re strong,¡± he told her. "But I am much stronger." ¡°Fuck off,¡± she replied, but there was no bite in it as he plunged his sword into her chest. This was the best outcome of the battle. She had her time to shine but he proved that he was superior, taking her down like a warrior. The storm began to calm, the sound of the raging sea fading into the distance. Liv sheathed his sword, his tough skin still steaming from the battle. He knew he didn''t have to kill her brutally, but his attribute demanded reverence, and he wanted everyone watching the match to marvel at his power and fall to their knees before him in worship. He closed his eyes, willing the dark thoughts from his Obsession away. He once more covered his whole body in demonic aura and bought a Blessing from the Clash Store that allowed him to walk on water. The aura fuelled his muscles so that he could run faster. He had to stop Langa, as he wasn¡¯t sure if Vavuciadsforenkka would be able to. * When the flying shark reached him, Langa leapt onto its back, but there was no saddle. Thankfully he had taken one of the ropes from the ship so he tied it around the shark¡¯s dorsal fin to use as reins. He used a part of the rope to secure the sovorb inside the inner pocket of his leather jacket as well. The thought of soaring through the sky on the back of a powerful, dangerous beast thrilled and terrified him. He could feel denticles on the shark¡¯s scales digging into his bottom as the Temporary Blessing came alive. A link formed in his mind, the docile shark waiting for his instructions. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Langa said, thinking about flying into the air, towards Team Liv''s lighthouse. The shark swam in the water for a few seconds before it took off into the air, water spraying like a whirlwind in its wake. He laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll call you Nado! Get it, Sharkn-! Yhoo!!¡± he screamed as it flew up. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. At first, Langa''s heart pounded in his chest as the shark''s wings beat against the wind, propelling them higher and higher, and he felt a rush of excitement pass through him. The sensation of flying was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, not since flying with Jandri on her falcon, and he found himself grinning from ear to ear. This was better than the time he''d bought a modified Ducati motorcycle and sped on the open road until he crashed into a railing and his sister forbade him from ever riding a motorcycle. The wind whistled past him, carrying freedom with it, and he felt exhilarated as he gazed down at the world below, the sea rushing by in blue. The thrill of the ride fuelled his desire for more speed, and he urged Nado to go faster, following the map Vos made for him. The wind fought against them as they ran into flying monsters. It took him a very short time to get used to aerial combat because The Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship skill was designed for thunderbirds, and they excelled in aerial combat. He only had to adjust the stances a bit by relying on Nado as his feet and wings. Once he got the hang of it, and with his class'' increased speed on a mount, the level 10 and 11 flying sharks could not keep up with him and were thus easy prey for Tonare. He laughed as he fought, as it was thrilling. Finally, over ten minutes later, as the stormy sea churned below, Langa could see a lighthouse in the land he was approaching. Vos'' estimations had not been too far off, and he was sure the less time he took to win this match, the more Karma Points he would earn. He pulled on the reigns of the shark so that it moved even faster. He was just about to dive down when he felt a breath of life bolting towards him, and he dove in time to avoid it. A scaled arm flew over him, and then over twenty knife-like sharp objects flew so fast towards him that he had to use Nado to weave around them. When one of them sliced into the thin leather armour on his arm, Langa realised they weren''t knives but sharp scales, and he looked above to see Vavuciadsforenkka hovering in the air; his wings unfurled. Langa smiled ruefully. No wonder there weren''t any flying sharks nearby, this guy must have hunted them all by now. ¡°Will you look at that? I''ve finally found some worthy prey," the dragonkin said with a satisfied grin. "And what do you know, it''s the devil''s friend." Langa urged Nado to fly towards the dragonkin, his spear pointed straight at his tough scales, but Vavuciadsforenkka twisted in the air, his wings propelling him out of harm''s way just in time. He was able to evade the brunt of the attack, but Langa was fast enough that he managed to graze his side, drawing a thin line of blood. Seeing the blood, the enraged Vavuciadsforenkka let out a hiss. He tried to slash at him with his talons, but Langa was a Lightning Lancer. He had the lightning part down, but now that he was on a mount, he understood that this was where a lancer belonged. He was fast, and his class gave him bonuses to movement speed while on a mount. He belonged on the road, running, flying, chasing speed, and stabbing enemies along the way. Langa flew around the dragonkin at breakneck speed, slashing his scales over and over with Tonare. He took over 200 HP from him, and still the dragonkin remained flying. He shot forward on the flying shark, his spear held fast in one hand, the way he always saw knights doing when they were jousting in European movies. Again, the dragonkin twisted away too slowly, and the force of the speed drove the spear deep into Vavuciadsforenkka¡¯s leather breastplate, breaking it instantly. ¡°Fuck this shit!¡± Vauvuciadsforenkka said and tore off the upper leather armour, leaving the thick, dark blue scales all over his body in view. When Langa rushed him again, Tonare failed to penetrate the scales. The dragonkin kicked him back after his failed attack, and Langa quickly pulled the reins and bent backwards so that the dragonkin''s leg passed right in front of his face. Just as he thought he was safe, Vavuciadsforenkka sharply turned, and something long and spiky dug into the side of Langa''s leg, ripping his useless sponsored armour into shreds. A massive outpouring of blood stained his armour as hot pain tore at Langa''s sensitive nerves, darkening his vision as he yelped. [Critical Hit! -133HP] What the fuck? One hit had taken nearly half his health at once! Nado swayed, and they almost lost altitude. When he looked up, Langa could finally see what had struck him. On the dragonkin''s back, he had sprouted a long tube formed by five barrel-shaped segments with a sharp stinger on the end. It looked like a scorpion''s tail except that it was barbed all along its length with metallic nails. He didn''t have that when they met in the tarven. "System, convert 300 Stamina to Health," he said. He was loathe to do this considering how many of his skills needed Stamina, but skills were useless if he bled to death. He received only 30 HP but it was enough, along with his Regeneration skill, to stop the bleeding and reduce the pain to just a severe ache. He needed to think of a strategy, so he flew up, towards the tip of the lighthouse, but the dragonkin was flying fast on his tail, his mouth wide open. Langa changed course and dove down quickly, swerving away just in time as an angry jet of magma was released exactly where he had been flying a second ago. Vavuciadsforenkka''s short wings beat the air fiercely as he closed the distance between them. Langa found it strange that he was flying faster than a dragonkin, and to give himself time to catch his breath, he decided to get under his skin. "You''re so slow! Synn was right, your wings are pathetic," Langa taunted. "Nado here has bigger wings than you, and he''s just a shark." "At least I still have my wings, stupid human!" he shouted, his blue scale knives reddening as magma poured out of them, heading for Langa. "Unlike the devil''s spawn, I didn''t get mine clipped because of insolence." Langa and Nado weaved through the knives, and he wondered why Vavuciadsforenkka hated Liv so much. "Don''t worry. By the end of this fight, you''ll be the same. I''ll cut at least one of your wings off," he shouted. Vavuciadsforenkka charged towards him with another roar of magma. In a daring move, Langa flew straight up towards the blast instead of away from it. The magma splattered through the air, the heat sending chills down his spine as he approached the dragonkin. He''d take a more direct approach if he couldn''t cut through the scales. "No, you fool. The prey is you," Vavuciadsforenkka said. "If not for me, then for that devil. The closer you are to him, the more likely he is to take everything from you. The Dragonslayer learned that the hard way." At the last second, Langa swerved left, but he still felt the blistering heat of the magma since he was so close to him. When the dragonkin took a deep breath in, Langa drew his glaive and infused over 50 Mana into it, and plunged it straight into the soft tissue of Vavuciadsforenkka''s wide-open mouth. Lightning shocked through the wound, and Vavuciadsforenkka spluttered and flew back, hands over his mouth. A burning pain shot through Langa''s hand as it came into contact with the magma. He quickly flew away from the heat as fast as he could, but the entire front of his body was covered in burns. His health was plummeting, and he felt his Regeneration skill increased in level once more, even though it was essentially useless at Beginner Rank. Vavuciadsforenkka was hurt, blood oozing out of his mouth, and he couldn''t pass up this opportunity, so he ignored the pain and thrust forward with Tonare again, but the dragonkin''s talons reached out and struck the weapon from his hand. It sailed off below him. "Shit! Catch it!" he said as he urged Nado to fly downwards. Scale knives penetrated his back as he flew down, and he screamed, wanting to fight back, but there was no way he could win without Tonare. To use his divine skill, he needed to be at full mana, and if he used it all, he would have no mana left to control Nado, causing him to fall into the ocean. His Jumper skill wouldn''t be able to save him at that point. For now, he held off on using Lightning Lance until he was closer to land. Thankfully, he managed to catch the glaive before it fell into the water. He turned around and used the defensive motions of Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird to spin the glaive in a circle and block the scale knives. It seemed Vavuciadsforenkka''s magma skill had a long cool-down because he would have been defenceless against it at the moment. The dragonkin was more adept than Langa at flying, and if he wanted to leverage his speed, he needed to slow him down. Looking down at the dragonkin''s body, Langa realised that the places with the least amounts of Scale Armour protecting him were his joints. That was the best place to strike. The dragonkin opened his mouth wide, and the mana surrounding him suddenly thinned. Heat filled the air as another large red blob of magma erupted from his mouth, and even though the heat was stealing his air, Langa let go of Nado''s reins and stood up unsteadily. The magma blinded Vavuciadsforenkka too and he had to take advantage of this. He gave Nado explicit instructions as he activated Flash Step. Langa landed on top of the dragonkin''s back, and using the extra damage from Flash Step, drove Tonare into the joint connecting one of his wings to his body. He infused mana into the glaive and activated Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike. The lightning-covered glaive tore through the joint cleanly, severing the dragonkin''s wing and cutting into his arm as well. As much as he wanted to cut his head off, the Scale Armour on his neck was thicker than the rest of the body, so he had to take his wing. The howl of pain that reverberated through Vavuciadsforenkka''s body threw Langa off him, especially combined with the backlash damage he received from Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike. Thankfully, Nado knew to follow orders and caught Langa as he fell through the air. [Critical hit!! (Vavuciadsforenkka) - 532HP Lightning discipline damage: (Vaviciadsforenkka) - 532HP Backlash (Langa Zulu) - 79HP] "I told you I''d take a wing," Langa grinned, even though he felt disheartened. That was fucking insane. This skill had dealt over 1000 damage, and yet even combined with the extra damage from Flash Step and double lightning discipline damage, it was not enough to instantly kill his opponent? How high was his HP? Did he get a Blessing related to his health or defence? He knew his HP was below average, but that much damage would have instantly killed Langa over three times. His opponent didn''t even seem to be mortally wounded! He checked his combat log for the armour''s defence and sure enough, it was bad. [Dragonscale Armour Negates 326 Damage] Still, he was sure Lightning Lance would be able to take away all of Vavuciadsforenkka''s health at once. He pulled out the lightning manacore and started infusing mana it for a clean kill. A hateful glare was shot at him as blood soaked the dragonkin''s scales. "Let me show you how flawed your thinking is, human," Vavuciadsforenkka said, one arm clutching his broken wing. Bright blue light engulfed the dragonkin, taking the form of a large pair of wings extending from his back. The light had an unnatural shimmer to it as it converged on his broken arm and wing. [70% of all damage received negated by Beating Wings of Suleria Hhif.] "No fucking way!" Langa cursed. What kind of a divine skill was that? "You''re a damage dealer, right?" Vavuciadsforenkka burst out laughing. "Well, you''re useless against this skill because no matter how much damage you deal, for the small price of 900 MP, my divine skill will always heal me right back." Shit, how was he supposed to defeat this guy if he had such an overpowered divine skill? How was it fair that the dragonkin¡¯s natural mana pool was more than three times Langa¡¯s own? If he had more mana he could summon more than one Lightning Lance at a time. He immediately stopped infusing mana into the external lightning manacore. He couldn''t waste Lightning Lance yet, not if the dragonkin''s divine skill combined with his Scale Armour could negate it. Would he be able to instantly kill him with Lightning Lance? Fuck, he could only use the lance one more time today and since he had a manacore, Vavuciadsforennka could use his divine skill two more-...wait. Langa was sure the announcers had said he was a Disciple which meant that he could only use his divine skill a maximum of two times, assuming he was at Faith level 1. "We''ll see about that," Langa said, pleased with himself for the discovery as the light dissipated. Langa wanted to follow up and strike at him again while he was distracted but something strange was happening in the air. Blood red mist flowed from the blood that had been on Vavuciadsforenkka''s wound, and it surrounded him. When Langa tried to attack through that mist, he could not breathe. [You have been poisoned by Venomous MistBlood. -26HP/s] Langa backed away from the mist as fast as he could since his Poison Resistance was only 1%, but the dragonkin flapped his wings, chasing after him in the sky. The only skills that could penetrate those scales were Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike and his Lightning Lance, but Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike still had a few more minutes on cooldown. In order not to waste Lightning Lance, he needed to bait the dragonkin into using his last (hopefully) divine skill. There was one more fighting combo that he could use, but it was not as strong as Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike. His heart was already thrashing against his chest, so activating his attribute was easy. "Impulse Pulse," Langa whispered, activating Flash Step for extra damage and infusing Tonare with his mana so that he could deal double lightning damage. Since Nado was his Blessing, he should be able to use his Velocity while on the flying shark. 50% of his total stamina was consumed, and he was dangerously close to less than 10% of his maximum Stamina remaining. The time perception was only slightly slowed, and instead of being completely still, Vavuciadsforenkka appeared to be moving in slow motion. Langa shot forward on Nado, using the dragonkin''s back as his landing point again. Thanks to the slowed-down time, the venomous mistblood had very little effect on him. He once again tried to pierce through his chest, but the dragon scale armour just wouldn¡¯t budge. In the end, he drove the sizzling glaive into Vavuciadsforenkka''s shoulder. There was resistance from his Scale Armour, but thanks to Flash Step and Impulse Pulse''s Velocity all adding up against the weaker joint armour, the glaive stabbed deep into his scales, and he dragged Tonare along his back to meet the other freshly healed wound on his wing as time returned to normal. Langa quickly used his boots'' Jumper skill, jumped back onto Nado''s back, and gritted his teeth, feeling the effects of the venom burning his skin as the two of them flew away quickly and escaped from the mist blood''s radius. [Critical hit! Impulse Pulse activated! (Vavuciadsforenkka) -375 HP. Lightning discipline damage: (Vavuciadsforenkka): -375 HP] The damage was laughable considering that he could have dealt more than triple that amount if Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike hadn''t been on cool-down. It drove Langa mad to think that the amount of damage he dealt right now would have instantly killed him, but for his opponent, it was only a (albeit very painful) broken arm and bleeding back. "Are all all humans as stupid as you?" Vavuciadsforenkka shouted, even though he was clearly in pain as the glowing wings of the divine skill surrounded him again. Good. Now Langa could defeat him. He had to strike before the magma skill came off cool-down. There was another problem though, even if the divine skill healed him, Vavuciadsforenkka still collected his toxic blood and spread it through the air as venomous mistblood, making it difficult to see. Langa had to bait him into thinking that flying towards the lighthouse was better than prolonging the battle, so the mistblood would spread thin over a wider area and be less concentrated. He instructed Nado to fly down towards the shrine but Vavuciadsforenkka pivoted in the air and launched his tail at the shark, the spikes slicing through the creature''s flesh with a squelching sound. The shark struggled to maintain altitude in the sky as the venomous mist blood increased in radius and Langa felt the venom enter his skin as well as Nado¡¯s wound. He couldn''t see Vavuciadsforennka and the poisoned, injured shark began to spiral downwards, one of its wings hanging limply by its side. Instead of summoning the Lightning Lance to strike Vavuciadsforenkka, when the mist clouded his vision, Langa decided to let the dragonkin find him. He could feel Vavuciadsforennka''s breath of life fast approaching as he felt Nado''s breath vanish. Fuck, he was going to fall to his death! A large, taloned hand grabbed him from the dead flying shark. "I caught you," the dragonkin said in gleeful satisfaction. Langa breathed a sigh of relief and allowed the dragonkin to grab him by the throat, keeping them at close proximity so Langa inhaled as much of his venomous mist blood as possible. The reason Langa didn''t struggle was because right now, Vavuciadsforenkka was the only thing preventing him from falling into the sea. The air was thin as his skin melted and the venom penetrated deep into his bones. He could feel his Regeneration skill struggling to keep him from dying, weak as it was. He infused his mana into the lightning manacore in his clenched fist. He thought about how much he wanted to win, both for himself and for his master. He was the Avatar of a Deiwos Clan god inside a Deiwos Tower. He was not going to lose, not while so many people were watching, and he did not want to embarrass the only father figure he had in this world. His master believed in him, even bet on him, so Langa concentrated on letting that Faith create Lightning Lance. The Lightning Lance materialised on his hand and he gripped it tightly and tried to use his Faith to keep it stable, ignoring the pain from the venom seeping into his skin. The lightning blinded him as it streaked along the lance, trying to break free from his hand. "What the-" Lightning illuminated Vavuciadsforenkka''s shocked face, and Langa did not hesitate as he plunged the sizzling spear of lightning right through the arm holding him and pushed it upwards towards his chest until it came out on the other side. An agonised scream filled the air as Langa lost control of the Lightning Lance. More toxic blood filled the air and he was suddenly falling, the dragonkin getting electrocuted on top of him, his blood choking him. Coming directly into contact with the venomous blood sent a whole new explosion of pain into Langa''s arm. Anger, pain and humiliation flashed on Vavuciadsforennkka''s face and then his body went limp. [You have killed a level 11 Player (Vavuciadsforenkka) Rewards will be issued once the Celestial Clash is complete. Please wait.] Without Vavuciadsforenkka''s wings slowing down their momentum, Langa was falling even faster. The pain was unbearable; it felt like his skin was melting off of him. He couldn''t see straight as he fell towards the landmass with the lighthouse. With what little mana he had left, he used his Jumper skill to land gracefully, but then he collapsed on the hard ground, breathing heavily, trying to take in real good air. He was low on Stamina, HP and mana, so he could not speed up the healing. He had to go into the shrine and place the sovorb inside. He was so...close. Darkness ate at his vision and he fell onto the ground on his knees, losing consciousness. [Your Skill Regeneration (F - Evolvable) has increased to Beginner Level 8 Passively regenerate 3.5% of your maximum health over a minute when in combat. Passively Regenerate 6% of your maximum health over a minute when out of combat] When Langa opened his eyes again, a few minutes had passed because his health was now over 30% of its maximum. Even though his health was regenerating normally, it did nothing for the venom. The only thing helping to clear the venom was his Regeneration skill, but it was doing so very slowly. He was impressed that his Regeneration skill could also treat poisoning. He gripped Tonare and stabbed the blade into the ground so that he could walk, using it as a cane for balance. He started limping towards the lighthouse slowly, with his numb legs, as he didn''t want to expend too much of his regenerating Stamina. Suddenly, Langa¡¯s body protested in pain and exhaustion when he sidestepped the sword thrown towards him. There was a breath of life coming fast towards him, and he couldn''t believe his eyes when he saw that the person was walking on water. Was that something all children of gods were capable of? His heart started racing as his opponent reached him. ¡°Hey Liv, you must be really eager for that arse-whooping I promised you,¡± he said with an exhausted yet excited smile. 61. First Celestial Clash (4) "Amazing, Matt! Now this is a battle!" Zavi shouted from the commentators'' booth. "I''m floored, Zavi. I thought this was supposed to be a Rookie match, rankers though they are, such talent is astounding," Matt said. "SynnForessa''s mana control puts me to shame. I honestly expected her to fall much sooner, but she held her ground against batch 4''s number 1! What a woman!" "Indeed. She had him on the ropes, but as expected, the demigod was a monster. I got chills watching him use Aura better than most people below Tier 3, except monsters like Riot. I wonder who his parent is. Either way, I''m sure big guilds will be lining up for him," Zavi said. "Speaking of guilds, did you see the look on Marcerio''s face during the entirety of Blitzhunter and Vavuciadsforenkka¡¯s battle? His team is missing a Flighter after all. I daresay that with his speed, any team would be lucky to get Blitzhunter for the Tier 1 league!" There was a loud noise of both delighted screams and boos from the crowd. "I have a controversial take, Zavi. He is faster than some of the Flighters from last year''s league. I''ll make an even better wager: seeing how effortlessly he moved on that mount, he must be even faster on land. I daresay that if Langa Zulu got his health and defence up, I think he might even sub for a Tier 2 team," Matt said. Zavi shook his head. "Whoa now, don''t get carried away, Matt. He seems to have very little fighting experience. He barely managed to keep Vavuciadsforenkka off him. Granted, he made flying circles around him look like a caryon to a queen bee but it was still a struggle. " "I''m not impressed, Zavi. The dragonkin should have had this in the bag. He''s been flying his entire life, his Mana Pool is off the charts and his dragonscale armour is much better than Liv''Kungsadu''s. Blitzhunter looked like he''d just flown for the first time today, yet he destroyed him. It was humiliating, and you can hear from the crowd''s cheers that they loved to see Vavuciadsforenkka fall," Matt argued. "Cut him some slack, he did well enough, but he was outmatched. Alright Towerpeople, it looks like another battle is on the horizon. It''s time to see if Second Prince Vos can take down The Unrivalled''s newest Blessed One," Zavi said, moving the commentators'' box towards Team Kindaro''s lighthouse. While the commentators gave their opinions, a man sitting in a silver box smiled broadly as he watched Vavuciadsforennka die. "Look at him go, your uncle is having the time of his life," Pranav whispered as the crowd roared in delight, chanting the Blitzhunter''s name. "Why aren''t you cheering for him?" The egg in Pranav''s hands glowed, but he couldn''t feel anything else coming from inside it. That was to be expected since it had been nearly 36 hours since he had fed it any lifeblood, but a response would have been nice. "I don''t want to draw attention to myself," the young woman next to him said, looking at her uncle with awe and pride. ¡°He¡¯s really in his element. I''ve never seen him so focused. This is where he belongs, in the sky, flying high and fast above the rest of us. Free from the shackles of our family.¡± Pranav rolled his eyes. Khaya¡¯s nauseatingly sweet love for her uncle was one thing the system hadn''t changed about her. She was no longer the spoilt girl who clung to her brother and uncle, seeking a soft life with the people who loved and protected her. She was as fierce as the wind now, and she carved her path with a bloody sword. Still, seeing her awed expression made Pranav remember that she was still a naive young woman, and for the hundredth time, he wondered why she had chosen to stay with him instead of going to her beloved uncle. As Langa lay recovering on the ground, Pranav wondered if he would be back up in time as Liv''Kungsadu ran on water towards him. "Why aren''t you cheering for Liv''Kungsadu, then? You stalk him so often on the Dent, I thought you liked him," he asked, genuinely curious. It was unfair that she glared at him in response. "Yeah, he''s cool, but I''m not rooting for someone on the opposite team to two people I care about." He decided not to ask what the hell she was talking about and watched Langa. Pranav still hadn''t forgiven that bastard for getting him locked up. He''d been framed for something he didn''t do, and his investigation led him to believe that Langa was behind it. With Neo gone, nothing stood in the way of him getting his revenge. He''d been planning on discreetly ordering a hit on Langa back on Earth, but the system had descended. No one fucked with Pranav and got away with it. Unfortunately, he needed to put his grudge aside for now since he needed Langa''s help, just as much as he needed Khaya''s. He promised himself that he would bleed Langa dry first before he destroyed him. Pranav smiled. Yes, he would pay him a visit tomorrow, for old time''s sake. He stroked the egg gently, and the heartbeat inside it soothed him. There was only one more trial left and then The Hallow Reaper Cult would give him what he wanted. He had to win, otherwise, he would have sacrificed Neo for nothing. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to save the soul inside this egg. Pranav watched Langa stand back up, trying to reach the lighthouse. ¡°He runs like he is setting his whole self on fire, as if instead of blood, lightning flows through his veins. I wonder what would happen if I fed Langa¡¯s lifeblood to-¡± ¡°It won''t work!¡± Khaya snapped, her patience thinning. ¡°The ritual clearly stated that it has to be Neo¡¯s sibling or parent! Don''t...don''t you dare involve Langa in cleaning up you and Neo''s stupid mess again.¡± The venom in her tone made Pranav pause. He''d only been asking, of course, he knew that Langa¡¯s blood wouldn''t work. Her vehemence was totally unwarranted. She was getting on his nerves, and if he could kill her, he would, but she was one of his subordinates now, insufferable as she was. And he did not harm his subordinates unless they fucked up royally. Fuck, he missed Neo. His hand caressed the egg once more. There was still a long way to go. The box shifted and Pranav was about to snap at Khaya to stop moving them around when he saw that she had moved them closer to the next battle. He sat up, watching The Hallow Reapers'' newest recruit curiously. He couldn''t help but feel bitter, as Vos Kindaro II was the only person accepted into the main guild without a trial. * Multiple monstrous lesser krakens circled the water and Vos Kindaro II held up his scythe, slicing a kraken in half in one go, a few metres ahead of Coraloa. She floated gracefully in the water, her siyotanka, the ice flute-trident, held in front of her, and wondered if the creatures would distract him enough that she could slip into the island and take over the shrine. She was a bit worried because her crowd control skills were designed specifically to be effective against corrupted monsters and voidents, not neutral players, but she could handle herself in a fight. Coraloa swam along the shore so she could reach the lighthouse quicker, but the moment she tried to land, Vos'' Eye snapped towards her. A spectral viper emerged from Vos'' scythe, and he rode it, landing in front of her. ¡°How is she?¡± Vos asked, and at first, Coraloa was confused about who he was referring to since there were only two of them there. To her surprise, however, her Summoner¡¯s Link caught sight of something next to Vos. There was a floating spectre of a woman who appeared to be the deceased soul of a young moon-elf. ¡°Incompatible,¡± the spectre said. ¡°You''re never going to find a perfect one. I have told you multiple times to stop, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Pity,¡± Vos said, disappointment evident in his tone. ¡°The body of a future Guardian Knight would have suited you so well. I guess that means I can kill her then.¡± "Don''t take her spirit energy, please," the spectre said. "I don''t like it when you do that." Coraloa frowned. Was that his bonded spirit? For dark elves, if they chose to bind with spirits, it was usually elemental or natural force spirits. However, he was bound to a deceased moon elf¡¯s spirit, which was impossible with mere death magic. He was using some form of demonic soulfusion. Demonic soulfusion was only possible if he killed the woman himself. In most cases, it had to be a traumatic death in order for the soul to bind to him and haunt him. That poor girl¡¯s soul was forcibly bound to him, and she would free it. That was unacceptable, and anger rose like waves inside Coraloa''s heart. ¡°How dare you kill and imprison a lost soul, denying her peace?¡± she asked, her Siyotanka raised in anger. Having lived in a desolate world, Coraloa firmly believed that those who were strong had a duty to protect the weak. She would never accept the offence of someone powerful standing by and allowing injustice to happen without acting against it. This dark elf was the prime example of what was wrong with the multiverse; instead of using their power to help others, the strong used it to oppress them instead. The spectre''s eyes widened, and she stared at Coraloa with interest. ¡°She can see me, V.¡± Vos¡¯ eyes narrowed. ¡°Spare me your righteous indignation, scale-tailed dog of the saints,¡± he said calmly, his voice casual as if he were not just insulting her and her world¡¯s constellations. "You know nothing of my life." ¡°Of course, you would resort to vile insults,¡± she scoffed. For years, the saint gods and their constellations had battled the demon gods and their constellations, so it wasn¡¯t strange that their morals differed. She was done talking. Vos'' scythe cut through the air in front of her, souls shrieking inside it. Coraloa pushed air through her manacore, activating her Vibration Wave, the sound vibrations forcing the water behind her to move fast as a wave towards the dark elf. She was hoping to either drown him or send him flying, but he floated away on the spectral viper, taking the fight away from water. Coraloa countered by holding her Siyotanka horizontally, infusing mana into the ice lucent crystal inside it. Bullets of pure ice fired off from the three tips of the trident towards Vos, and she sent Sonic Blast into the ice bullets. The force of the impact knocked him back hard, a critical hit that sent him flying towards a nearby ridge of rocks. She used the Temporary Blessing she bought with her Karma Points to whisper through the Summoner''s Link and extend her control over a few of the krakens that had been circling her, coaxing them to attack the dark elf before he got up. Another spectral viper emerged from Vos¡¯ scythe, binding the creature''s movements like a chain as he struggled to get back up. The spectral viper surrounded Vos, lifting him to his feet as he slashed through the beasts, moving with simple but elegant footwork. The krakens'' bodies dissipating into mist as their souls were reaped by his scythe, and he absorbed the death energy. Coraloa knew that this was her chance, so she jumped onto the land and activated the Vibration Wave on the ground so that she moved faster towards the lighthouse. She only needed to place the Sovorb inside it and guard it for thirty seconds. With Vos distracted, she neared the entrance, but her body suddenly got stuck in a sludgy barrier. The scales on her arm shrivelled up as if burned by magiscrill, eating away at her skin. [You are in contact with a caustic ectoplasm barrier. -65HP/s] Coraloa jerked back and pulled out her hand. The barrier was invisible, but when she tried to pass through a different spot, it seemed the barrier went around the lighthouse. Using her Summoner''s Link, Coraloa saw the spectre from earlier hovering in front of her. She would have to use her divine skill to get through the barrier; thus, she first had to let her mana regenerate since she had used so many mana-consumptive skills consecutively. If she could just activate the divine skill for two seconds, she would make it to the lighthouse. "I''m sorry, you seem like a nice lady, but I can''t let you pass," the spectre said. It seemed Vos was using her to protect the shrine. ¡°Why are you helping him? Tell me where to find your soulblood gem, I can get you away from him," Coraloa said, holding up her Siyotanka and shooting ice bullets at the barrier. "I can set your soul free." Another Sonic Blast made sure the bullets exploded inside the barrier, slowly weakening the death magic. The girl shook her head and raised her arms. "If he lost me again, that would break the last shred of mortality he still has. I am his mortality, his power, his anchor, his everything." Three balls of caustic ectoplasm formed in front of her, and she hurled them at Coraloa. The spectre lady''s words made it sound like the prince was obsessed with her. "And what is he to you?" she asked, using her Vibration Wave to move back out of the way. The girl smiled sadly. "The one who stole her life," Vos said quietly behind Coraloa. Something hard and sharp slammed into her back, causing her health to ooze rapidly out of her, and Coraloa let out a startled gasp. She poured mana into her Summoner''s Link and called forth her first summon. It was a large turtle named Gurini that grew in size until it was larger than her and stood in front of her. His shell acted as her shield, and he positioned himself between Coraloa and Vos as a shield. The scythe came down, getting stopped by the turtle''s shell. If not for Gurini, she would be dead. ¡°Diminhtium,¡± Vos whispered, and the spectre lady let out a hollow scream that sounded like a wail of grief. A fluid wave of caustic ectoplasm gushed towards her like a violent ocean storm, and it struck with a heavy blast against Gurini''s shell. Acting quickly, Coraloa activated the Vibration Wave to push herself, and instead of being thrown back, she rode the wave back towards the water. If he followed her, she could use the Vibrational Wave on the water, but the range of her skill wouldn''t reach him from this far away, as the wave would lose power before reaching him. However, the dark elf wasn''t baited to follow her and stood on land, watching her. Whether he killed her or not, he would receive points for protecting the shrine, but if she didn''t go back to try and take over the shrine, her team would lose. She could only summon another water beast once more today. She used the Vibration Wave to push herself towards the dark elf, Siyotanka raised. The ice bullets she shot from the trident were coated with the poisonous slime from Gurini''s shell. Since she had bound to him during the tutorial, the turtle''s poison did some corruption damage as well. Vos erected a smaller ectoplasm barrier in front of him, trapping her bullets. She cast Sonic Blast into the stuck bullets, and they erupted in an explosion of ice, penetrating the thin barrier and striking the dark elf''s leg. Coraloa had to pour more mana into Gurini so that the poison coating his shell exuded more corruptive energy as it sprayed out. Vos rushed her, and ectoplasm covered his wounds, but they didn''t seem to be healing, only sealed. His scythe failed to cleave through the turtle''s defence as he kept striking at the shield without relenting. The more Gurini¡¯s shield held up, the more mana the Summoner''s Link took from Coraloa. Still, she continued to feed it because she had low health and she could see that Vos was exhausting his mana. ¡°I suppose you think you''re in control of the battle. I''ll show you how foolish you are for using spirit magic against me. Soul Possession,¡± Vos said, and suddenly, unceremoniously, Coraloa¡¯s Summoner''s Link to Gurini broke. The spectre lady dove into Gurini''s body, and the chord connecting him to Coraloa snapped, creating a backlash in the skill as it sucked her spirit energy and shook her mind to the core. ¡°What in the depths?¡± she asked as the turtle''s eyes turned red, and instead of releasing its poisonous slime at Vos, the slime targeted her. ¡°No!¡± She would not allow her summons to be enslaved. Even though her karma protested at the injury to her spirit from the broken link, she reached into the Summoner''s Link again. She tried and failed to desummon the turtle. Dammit. He had only one sapient spectral soul. There was no way he could take control of two summons at a time. She decided to summon her two-legged blood koi-fish, and it appeared in front of her, its sharp teeth bared at Vos. He lunged at the dark elf, and he spun around, trying to cut it, but the weapon slipped through Koma''s slimy skin. Instead, Koma latched onto Vos'' arm and sunk his teeth inside it, consuming his blood. He was only thrown off when Gurini suddenly rammed into him under Vos'' control. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Give Gurini back to me!¡± Coraloa shouted, instructing Koma to leech Vos'' mana through the Summoner''s Link. "I don''t want to," the dark elf said. But even as Koma pounced at him, Vos effortlessly dodged around, using the spirits from his scythe to shield himself, his keen eye fixed on her, reading her emotional state. There was a flash of interest in his eyes when he saw her determination. "Shall I test your resolve, Highly Blessed One?" He was mocking her, knowing she couldn''t use the Blessing of The Unrivalled against him since he wasn''t corrupted. Gurini suddenly emerged from his shell, Vos swung out hard, and his scythe sliced through the turtle''s soft skin, reaping the soul of the summoned creature and absorbing its strength along with the corruptive damage. "Gurini!" Coraloa screamed, anger ripping through her. The spectre lady, now outside of Gurini''s body, wrapped herself like ectoplasm around the scythe. There was nothing in the dark elf''s eyes when his scythe bubbled with poison as he turned it towards her. She could see a spiritual viper among other ectoplasmic spirits clinging to it along with the poison from Gurini''s spirit. If she let that scythe touch her, she was sure to die. She had to use her trump card, so she drew into her manacore. It was in the shape of an octopus, and she moved her mana along two of the legs before the core took over, regulating the mana into the magic circle for her divine skill. She believed wholeheartedly that Aquarius would not approve of the dark elf''s actions, and she used that unwavering belief as Faith to fuel the divine skill. She felt her body shift into a more unstable state. In an instant, she had the fluid body of a water spirit, and the scythe passed right through her, and she didn''t even feel it. [You are 100% immune to physical and magical damage as long as the skill: Rippling Body of Aquarius is active.] It cost 150 mana per second, which meant she could only keep it active for three seconds before her mana was exhausted. She hastily deactivated the skill. Anger burned through her like hot steam as she closed the distance between them. Still, her plan worked; Vos absorbed and assimilated the corrupted energy in Gurini''s poison, which meant she could use her Siren''s Song on him now. With her mana low, she tapped into a stat she rarely used: Stamina, and converted 85% of it to mana. She placed her Siyotanka on her lips, the water guiding her as she began to play Siren from her Siren Song, the haunting melody latching onto the corruption inside him and disorienting Vos for a moment. Her mana fell with every note she played, but she didn''t stop. His eyes went blank white as she continued to move and play simultaneously, willing the sound waves to confuse his mind so he would lose focus and be unable to think straight. She could see the fog of disorientation in his eyes, so she directed the blood koi fish towards him, aiming to drain his mana through his life force. She used the Summoner''s Link to steal his mana, using Koma to replenish her own. She kept him disoriented as she activated the Vibration Wave, sending ripples of sound through her Siyotanka as she thrust it forward, trying to stab into Vos¡¯ chest. His armour resisted the magic, but she pushed a Sonic Blast through the weapon, pushing deep into the dark elf¡¯s armour. Blood tipped the ice-white Siyotanka even as Vos¡¯ scythe independently flew from his hand and struck him in the back. "What?!" Coraloa asked. Red eyes flew open, and she jumped back. She wondered if Vos had high mental resistance, as it seemed he had injured himself to break free of her control. Gritting his teeth against the sound, Vos seemed to focus his will, showing emotion for the first time since they started fighting. This time the wail of grief came from him, and the pain inside it was filled with fear, clutching his still-bleeding chest. The scream reached Coraloa¡¯s manacore with such intensity that it tore through her Siren''s Song, releasing her grip on him. He unleashed a mass of death energy, his scythe turning blood red as the souls of the fallen lesser kraken he had slain gathered around him, sealing the wound. ¡°You''ve done it now,¡± the spectral girl whispered solemnly behind Coraloa. ¡°There is nothing he hates more than mental magic.¡± Sensing that its master was in danger, the two-legged koi-fish sprang for the dark elf, sucking away his free-flowing blood as Coraloa jumped back. She once again activated the Temporary Blessing she''d bought, using the Summoner''s Link to instruct any nearby lesser krakens to attack Vos. She had leeched enough mana from him to use Rippling Body again, so she activated Vibration Wave to push herself towards the lighthouse, while the koi fish distracted her opponent. Then she activated the divine skill, and her aquatic body easily passed through the ectoplasm barrier, incurring no damage. Surprisingly, the barrier was quite long and it took her nearly two seconds to get through it. Her mana plummeted again and the skill deactivated but thankfully, she was out of the barrier and could see the entrance to the lighthouse now. Unfortunately for Coraloa, the moment she touched the door, it felt like her hand was stung by magiscrill once more as the entire door was dripping in a layer of clear ectoplasm. A wave of it travelled up her arm and she wished she had brought Fulimi to cleanse it, but it was too late. [You are in contact with a caustic ectoplasm layer. -65HP/s] "No!" she screamed. "What''s the matter?" A calm, quiet voice spoke from behind her. "Are you out of mana?" Coraloa clutched her Siyotanka with trembling hands as she struggled to remain upright, her head throbbing from mana exhaustion, her arm aching with ectoplasm. Vos didn''t even have the decency to look smug. His face was as impassive as always as he limped towards her from behind, Koma at his tail. He was badly injured, his entire chest covered in ectoplasm, with blood leaking through the wound. Even though she could see the strain her Siren''s Song had inflicted on him, she had no more mana to play it again, and the corruption from Gurini was gone from him. Koma bleeding and battered latched onto Vos¡¯ leg, desperately trying to leech more mana for her. Eyes bloodshot, Vos whispered, ¡°Soul Extermination.¡± If the possession had been painful, then this was pure torture. Inside Coraloa, the spirit of Koma screeched as it was torn apart, the pain passing through the bond, severing their connection as Vos reaped the soul of the blood koi-fish, draining its strength. Tortured souls emerged from his scythe, and the spirits engulfed the blood koi-fish in death, before dissipating into nothingness as Vos absorbed them. At that moment, Vos brought his scythe down on her, but he made it incorporeal, a non-physical blow that allowed the scythe to pass through Coraloa''s body, its tip resting next to her heart. ¡°Strange,¡± the dark elf said quietly. His face was calm and neutral, as if his scythe were not wrapped around Coraloa¡¯s heart. ¡°You are a decent mage, but nothing outstandingly special, so why is The Unrivalled interested in you?¡± Coraloa gasped. Her skills worked better as support magic and for hunting corrupted monsters and voidents, rather than for PVP. If she could, she would use her attribute to show him why she had The Unrivalled¡¯s favour. It was exceedingly powerful, but she couldn''t use it on herself. Ironically, if she used her attribute on Vos, it would only make him defeat her quicker. ¡°No matter. I¡¯m guessing you can¡¯t use whatever it is she sees in you. Perhaps the conditions have not been met yet,¡± he said. ¡°Feast my dear Riman, I''m sure you will enjoy the unique spirit energy of a saint player.¡± The spectre lady¡¯s mouth opened wide, and uneven rows of skeletal teeth sunk into Coraloa¡¯s throat. Her body was a vacuum, and it felt like her spirit was being sucked through her heart by the scythe. Blissfully, she received the message. [YOU ARE DEAD.] * On the other side of the ocean, Langa¡¯s body was heavy, and he was on the verge of collapse, but there was no time to catch his breath as Liv ran towards him. He wasn''t confident he could defeat Liv at full health and stamina, so he knew there was no way he could do it now. He weighed his options. Was it possible for him to make a dash for the lighthouse and leave Liv in the dust? He wouldn''t know unless he tried. Langa forcibly pushed his lightning mana down to power his legs and explosively ran towards the lighthouse as fast as he could, right into something solid. His speeding body collided with an immovable wall that not only stopped him in his tracks when he reached it, but the force of smacking into it pushed him onto his arse. ¡°Demonic Aura Territory,¡± Liv said. Liv had slammed his scaly, demonic aura-covered hand into the ground, causing cracks to form in the sandy earth as a dark red aura seeped from his hand, crawling across the ground like a living thing. The aura rose, twisting the earth, its crimson darkness reinforcing an earthen wall that encircled both of them. ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Langa cursed, getting up and looking at the solid demonic aura barrier surrounding him and Liv. ¡°Leaving so soon? We haven''t even gotten a chance to catch up yet,¡± Liv said sweetly, his purple eye glowing almost as red as his red eye. Gods, Langa hated it when he acted cocky. Langa sighed and stood back up. If there was no running, he would have to show Liv how far he¡¯d come since their spars in the tutorial. His whole body trembled. He was barely at 50% health, his mana was dangerously low, and all he had was his regenerating stamina, but he wasn¡¯t going to back down from a challenge. Liv must have seen something in his eyes because he raised his fists, taking on a fighting stance. ¡°Come!¡± ¡°Pick up your sword,¡± Langa demanded. He didn¡¯t intend to let the battle drag on for too long. Liv smirked, picked it up, and sheathed it. ¡°For you, that¡¯s overkill.¡± It seemed Liv hadn''t changed at all since the tutorial. Blood, adrenaline and lightning filled Langa''s legs as he rushed at him. He didn''t like the fact that Liv always held back in his fights. He especially didn''t want him to hold back against him. "By the end of this battle, I will force you to use that sword," he declared. "That''s my first step in surpassing you." Liv¡¯s guard was up, so Langa dropped low, stepping to the right as Liv¡¯s fist struck the air above him, then he slashed upwards with Tonare but Liv''s scaly left arm met the glaive¡¯s shaft, the strength in it successfully parrying the blow and nearly knocking the glaive out of Langa¡¯s hands. He caught the twitch of Liv¡¯s legs as he attempted to move in closer and reflexively stepped back quickly so that Liv¡¯s foot whizzed mere centimetres past his face, its golden aura nearly blinding Langa. He breathed. That was close. He¡¯d neglected to take into account how much taller Liv was than him, which meant he had longer arms and thus longer reach. He had to extend Tonare¡¯s shaft to 2 metres to maintain his distance, as allowing Liv near was too fucking dangerous. He thrust his glaive and twirled it at a speed so fast that his opponent didn''t see it coming in time. The glaive sank deep into Liv''s sternum, drawing blood, but he tanked the blow, not even flinching and changed his stance. Langa instantly whipped around using his superior speed, so that Liv¡¯s leg swung over his head. But the demigod was nothing if not well-balanced. As soon as he found his footing, a roundhouse kick covered in a red aura struck Langa''s side, knocking the wind out of him. The dark, demonic energy seeped through the strike into his body and he felt one of his organs rupture, and he was bleeding internally. [Critical Hit! -101 HP] ¡°Fuck!¡± He was down to 20% HP again, so he couldn¡¯t move as fast as before. This was the first time Liv had actually tried to kill him, and damn did it hurt. Langa couldn¡¯t understand why he was grinning as he coughed out blood. No, he knew why he was excited. This was more thrilling than any race because his life was on the line. ¡°You think you can surpass me with just this power? Don¡¯t mock me!¡± Liv¡¯s sword came hard on Tonare and broke Langa¡¯s defensive stance with brute strength. He Flash Stepped back, arms aching painfully, lightning dancing on his nerves. He was huffing, and Liv was pushing the fight away from the lighthouse. ¡°Maybe my sights are set higher now!¡± he said, twisting around before he circled behind Liv, trying to use his speed to rush from the back, but Liv spun and nearly succeeded in backhanding Langa in the face. But he hadn¡¯t expected to catch Liv off guard anyway; his real purpose was to catch Liv off balance instead. Langa bolted forward, shrinking Tonare into its shortsword form and stabbed up into Liv¡¯s unprotected neck, hoping for an instant kill with Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike. But the demigod managed a last-minute guard with his arm, and Tonare sank deep into the arm, the skill shattering his Scale Armour and slicing through bone, reddish blood flowing out. Dammit, if his body wasn''t so sluggish, Langa would have been fast enough to slice through his neck. ¡°Higher than me?¡± It had to hurt, but Liv barely showed any reaction even as his shattered right arm hung limply at his side as his left arm elbowed Langa on his injured side. Thankfully, Langa was already pulling back, so the hit wasn¡¯t deep. ¡°Yeah,¡± Langa said, pulling Tonare back and extending the shaft again. He infused his mana into it. ¡°The Pioneer and all the other top rankers would make easy prey of you, so that¡¯s who I¡¯m chasing now.¡± Liv suddenly crowded him, launching a series of fast aura-filled palm strikes with one hand while the other recovered. Of course, Langa didn''t just take it. He used The First and Second Steps of his Spearmanship skill to evade, and retreat before Liv caught him with a knee on the abdomen. But he was not done, his leg extending instantly like a serpent''s head, the power in his aura sure to be devastating. Langa had no choice but to block with Tonare''s shaft held horizontally, lightning sizzling on the glaive. "Forget about The Pioneer, The Unbound, Merreddyd, Anarchist, and all the other hidden and rising masters," Liv said as the force from Langa''s block pushed him back into the demonic aura wall. "I will surpass all of them, so you just need to focus on me, and I''ll lead you to the top." Langa gaped at him. "You''re a conceited arse," he said. "You do realise they might be watching this, right?" "It''s not conceit if it''s the truth!" Liv''s golden palm came down and Langa darted away. "It doesn''t matter either way because I''m not letting anyone run ahead of me, especially not you!" Langa¡¯s Stamina had regenerated to a reasonable level now and he sensed that the life inside the demonic aura barrier was shrinking. Liv¡¯s hand swiped towards him and Langa bent backwards to dodge so that he ended up looking up. ''Wait a second,'' Langa thought, dropping and rolling on the ground to avoid a kick. ''Unlike his golden force field, this barrier is a circle, but not a dome.'' It looked to be about ten metres high. If he couldn''t break through the demonic aura barrier, perhaps he could jump over it. "That''s fine, Langa. Test your power and speed against mine. Walk beside me, fight against me, fight alongside me! Grow stronger until we are equal in power. I will always walk ahead of you so you don''t lose direction or slack off in your path," Liv said. "Try to catch up." "Can you shut your arse up for a second," Langa snapped. "I can''t hear myself think." "Wow, I didn''t know that was something you could do," Liv said, charging towards him again. If there was something Langa learnt from his battle with Vavuciadsforenkka it was how to creatively use his Jumper skill. He thrust the glaive into the ground and used it as both an anchor to the ground and a springboard to jump. Langa''s feet landed hard on Liv¡¯s chest, and he activated Jumper, knocking Liv back and letting the skill carry him high into the air and over the barrier. He landed gracefully on the ground. "Impulse Pulse," he said. This fight had filled Langa¡¯s body with adrenaline, and his heart was already overworking, so now that he was out of the barrier, he activated his attribute and Flash Step simultaneously. His mind reeled as time slowed to a crawl. Since his heartbeat was nearly double its normal rate, it felt like he was experiencing the world ten times in one second and couldn''t keep up. This was the second time since he unlocked his attribute that his mind struggled to keep up with his time perception as the world blurred by. This was a potential problem because, as his agility kept increasing, would his mind fail to keep up with his speed? He pushed through the lighthouse door and slid into the shrine, ignoring his aching leg. On top of the large obelisk in the centre of the shrine was an orb slightly bigger than the sovorb Langa was carrying. He quickly infused his team''s sovorb with his mana, removed the shrine¡¯s orb and then placed the sovorb on the obelisk. The sovorb lit up, and the fluid inside it started whirring, filling the entire shrine with three powerful essences as the countdown started. [29 seconds left until Sovorb Assimilation.] Liv would be here any second, so Langa had to guard the sovorb for the next 30 seconds to take over the shrine. If he had been allowed to bring his exploding orbs, he could use those to set a trap for Liv. As it was, he looked under the obelisk and found the shrine''s three manacores: a sun manacore, a blood manacore, and an ice manacore. He removed them to reduce the shrine''s connection to Team Liv''s deities, and the assimilation time went down drastically. [14 seconds left until Sovorb Assimilation.] Langa quickly pocketed the ice and blood cores. He didn''t know if he would have enough time, but he began drawing the magic circle for Lightning Lance on the sun manacore since it was the closest to lightning, as quickly as he could. Fuck, why did the magic circle need to have over a hundred symbols? He''d never hated not having a manacore as much as he did now and he wished the Clash hadn''t restricted the items he could bring. If he had Nitract''s Page, it would improve his Casting Speed right now. [6 seconds left until Sovorb Assimilation.] Liv came bursting through the door before Langa finished drawing the magic circle. Langa knew it would take too long to finish the circle, as Liv wasn''t going to just stand there and watch. He infused mana into Tonare and charged at Liv, slashing down at his side. Langa''s legs were on fire from how much he''d abused them in the last two minutes, and he knew without looking at his debuffs that his movement speed was severely reduced as Liv spun away from his attack and palm-struck him right in the chest. ¡°You reckless, crazy bastard! You''re amazing,¡± Liv said, breathing heavily. ¡°You have improved so much that it¡¯s as if I¡¯m fighting someone else entirely!¡± He didn''t even let the compliment sink in before he lunged from the floor and tackled Langa, grabbing him by the waist. Liv twisted in mid-air and arched the two of them towards the wall, easily angling Langa head first, into the wall. [3 seconds left until Sovorb Assimilation.] Langa''s head screamed with pain and dizziness as his body hit the hard floor. He knew that he should be in unimaginable pain or dead right now, but everything was blurry, and the world spun on its axis. Liv¡¯s entire body was on top of him, his right hand pinning him down, so he couldn''t move. He blinked and saw Liv raise his sword and throw it towards the sovorb on the obelisk. Langa''s mind cleared. Shit, he couldn¡¯t let the sword hit the sovorb and stop the assimilation, not when victory was so close. His stamina had fallen drastically, but all he needed to use Flash Step was 30 Stamina and one step. His head was ringing, his health was below 5%, and his heart was racing. If the path of lightning was the track, then he was on the last lane, his opponent miles ahead of him. This wasn''t a sight he wanted to see. No one was allowed to walk ahead of him. Who cared if his health and stamina were pathetically low? He was going to burn it all for this moment, this one win. He was a nobody from a lost world, yet he was standing on the same stage with a half-god, half-dragon, and fighting almost evenly with him. This was it¡ªthe stimulation he¡¯d been looking for his whole life. Those on the path of lightning had to have a calm mind and a burning heart. In this life, Langa would live fiercely for that stimulation. He would burn everything¡ªhis mana, his stamina, his health, his karma, his soul, his body, his very existence¡ªhe would burn it until every fibre of his being surged with the fire of lightning, burning it until he consumed everything for this stimulation. If he burned everything and died in this high state, he could die happy. He burned all the Stamina he had to push himself up, catching Liv off balance from throwing his sword, and it didn''t hurt that he was using his injured hand to pin him down. That one moment was enough for Langa''s foot to touch the ground, and he was able to activate Flash Step. [1 second left until Sovorb Assimilation.] He Flash Stepped in front of the Sovorb, and he felt the explosion of pain in his chest as Liv''s sword penetrated deep into his chest instead of striking the sovorb. [Sovorb Assimilated.] Langa staggered and smiled at Liv. "I told you, I''d force you to use... your sword," he choked out as he crumbled to the ground. [Congratulations! You have taken over Team Liv¡¯Kungsadu''s shrine!] [Congratulations! You have won the-] [YOU ARE DEAD.] 62. First Celestial Clash - Rewards [YOU ARE DEAD.] [Death Debuff: 100% Level Experience loss Random item loss 1 x (Level) Hours of life loss You are level 11. 1100 Available Karma loss] <> a deep voice said. <> [You died inside a Celestial Clash Match. Death Debuff reduced by The Arbiter of Games.] [Death Debuff: 0% Level Experience loss 1 x (Level) Minutes of Life loss 100 Available Karma loss] This time when Langa died, he did not feel the pull of Life and Death fighting over his soul. Instead, he felt the eyes of Death watching his soul as he floated along a river of stars towards the light of Adtonifulmin''s Resurrection Stone bringing him back to Life. He woke up on a bed in the infirmary behind the stage of Tishiba Stadium. The karma loss sucked, and he was left with only two more respawns on the 1st Floor now. At least he only lost 11 minutes of life instead of 11 hours, thanks to The Exuberant Arbiter. "Langa!" A delighted voice called his name before Synn threw herself into his arms. If not for his improved reflexes he would have toppled over, but he managed to catch her as she hugged him. "I thought we''d lost for sure. Thank you!" "We still won even though I died?" he asked. "Of course! You took over the shrine!" she said, pulling away from him. "You should have seen Liv''Kungsadu''s face when his sword struck you instead of the sovorb. I wonder if I can have that image Inscribed and hang it in my room." "That''s not very sportsmany of you," Langa said with raised eyebrows as he finally stood up. She snorted. "Who cares? That bastard killed me." The side door opened, and Vos entered, his face calm as always. He looked at both of them and smiled genuinely. "Well done, both of you." "You too, you destroyed Cora!" Synn said, wagging her tail. "Ooops," she said, realising the tail had come out in her excitement, and the tail disappeared. "By the way, Vos, you''re very creepy. I got chills watching you." Langa was about to say that was a rude thing to say when Vos'' smile widened and he said, "Thank you." One of the ushers came in, telling them to get ready because the crowd was waiting for them. "Alright Towerpeople, please welcome our winners, Vos Kindaro II, Langa Zulu and SynnForessa! It''s Team Kindaro!" Zavi announced and the crowd''s roars were deafening when Langa and his team were called back onto the stage. Vos kept his head down and walked straight ahead ignoring the noise. Langa looked at all the people clapping for them and waved, he was used to being in the spotlight after all. Team Liv was already sitting on stage, looking both sullen and exhausted. Vavuciadsforenkka glared daggers at Langa, who just smiled at him smugly while Synn scowled at Liv and he shook his head at Langa. Coraloa and Vos did not acknowledge each other. The three of them sat down opposite the other team, with Zavi and Matt sitting at the centre. "Welcome, welcome! You put on a wonderful show, players, but let''s not waste time. Matt, pull up the Karma Points leaderboard," Zavi said. "Certainly. Just to remind you, folks, this is treated as a Low Tier 1 League match, so there is no penalty for dying. The players get 1 point per monster killed, regardless of level, 20 points for stealing the enemy sovorb, preventing the enemy from taking over their shrine, 50 points per player killed, and 50 points for assimilating their sovorb with the enemy shrine and taking it over," Matt said, pulling up the leaderboard.
Player Karma Points Earned (Monsters Killed+ Players Killed+ Sovorb Stolen + Sovorb Assimilated)
1. Vos Kindaro II (Team Kindaro) 221 + 50 + 20 + 0 =291
1. Langa Zulu (Team Kindaro) 191 + 50 + 0 + 50 = 291
3. Liv''Kungsadu (Team Liv''Kungsadu) 146 + 100 + 0 + 0 = 246
4. SynnForessa (Team Kindaro) 189 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 189
5. Coraloa Aquarius Winter (Team Liv''Kungsadu) 172 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 172
6. Vavuciadsforenkka (Team Liv''Kungsadu) 157 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 157
Total Points: Team Kindaro 771
Total Points: Team Liv''Kungsadu 575
"Oh my fucking gods," Langa muttered. Where did Vos find so many monsters to kill? Why were the two of them tied in Karma Points? What did that mean for whatever bet Adtonifulmin and The Thousand Undead had made? "Well, at least you didn''t beat me in Karma Points," Vos said, probably thinking the same thing. "Yeah, if we''re on equal footing, then neither of our gods can be mad. I mean, we both took first place, right?" Langa asked hopefully. Vos raised an eyebrow. "Not if I get chosen as the Celestial. That would put me way ahead of you." Langa glanced at him. "I''m the one who won this Clash for us, and it cost me my life. Why would they choose you?" "Because I found and destroyed an entire den of lesser krakens after I defeated The Unrivalled''s Blessed?" he stated matter-of-factly. "Bullshit. I have this in the bag," Langa declared. "Will you two shut up?" hissed Synn in annoyance. "Otherwise, you''ll miss the announcement." Vos and Langa straightened up as the announcer spoke again. "And now, by unanimous vote, all the deities have chosen the Celestial of this Clash. Are you ready?!" Matt bellowed and the crowd roared. "The Celestial of this match IS LIV''KUNGSADU!" Trumpets were sounded, people screamed and Langa saw Vos curse under his breath. Liv himself seemed surprised, but as the crowd chanted his name, his face broke into a grin and he lifted his hand to wave at them. "Good work, and congratulations to Liv''Kungsadu. It is hardly surprising that he was chosen, though, given his amazing performance in the Clash, Matt," Zavi said approvingly. "He took out entire hordes of monsters, killed two of his opponents, and if Blitzhunter had been a fraction of a second slower, he would have won the Clash for his team. He proved why he is the top ranker of batch 4." While Langa was happy for Liv, this meant he hadn''t managed to beat Vos after all. Adtonifulmin had bet on him, and he hadn''t managed to deliver. He ground his teeth. He should have been faster, should have learned how to control his attribute better, should have put more points in strength to improve his stamina regeneration, should have put more points in Vitality to improve his health, and should have- [The Deiwos Clan God: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, is pleased with your performance in the Celestial Clash and brags about his Avatar''s achievement to all the members of The Deiwos Clan] [The Deiwos Clan goddess: The Red Flaming Blade of Menika, congratulates you on your achievement and thanks you for bringing glory to the Deiwos Clan] [The Deiwos Clan goddess: The Lone WitchSeer of Kally, is annoyed by The Lackadaisical Herald''s constant bragging, and ponders how she may get back at him.] Langa blinked. What had he been thinking? Of course, Adtonifulmin wasn''t like his brother-in-law, who always expressed his disappointment if Langa failed to earn a gold medal, no matter how good his time was. He had done his best in this Clash, and his master had been with him the entire time, so he was proud of how far Langa had come and how hard he had pushed himself. "May the members of the winning team and the chosen Celestial please go and stand before the Exuberant Arbiter''s altar to receive the rewards from their patron deities!" Matt said. The altar was in a small room on the side of the stage and as soon as the words were out of Matt''s mouth, Synn stood up and ran towards the altar first. Langa supposed she was eager to speak to The Nine-Tailed Fox after such a long separation. She came out a moment later, shoulders slumped. It seemed the altar was similar to when he had gone to Adtonifulmin''s domain and no time passed in the real world. "What''s wrong? Are the rewards bad?" he asked when she came to sit down. "No. He used the most elaborate and sly plan to get out of having an audience with me," she said shaking her head. She looked up at the sky. "If you don''t want anything to do with me, why don''t you let me go?" The Nine-Tailed Fox didn''t respond. Now that Langa thought about it, the tutorial world of Zamone was cursed because she betrayed The Nine-Tailed Fox. Had he still not forgiven her? "Sorry," Langa said as Liv went into the altar next, and then Vos followed after him. Vos cast a strange glance at Synn when he returned, but he seemed pleased with whatever reward he received. Finally, Langa was the last one to approach the altar. As soon as Langa stepped onto the altar, he was ready to gloat to Adtonifulmin about his win. To his surprise, however, it wasn''t Adtonifulmin or his Incarnation that he saw when he opened his eyes. Instead, standing in front of him was a two-legged serpentine creature with red bloats of blood all over his body. His face was skin stretched tightly over bone, and his eyes had an unending depth as they bore into him. "Who the hell are you?" Langa asked, stepping back. "I am Hm¨¹?ith¨¹, the Incarnation of The Demon King of The Thousand Undead Knights," he replied, voice echoing in the darkness. "Mortal, bow down to receive the edict of The Thousand Undead." What was the Incarnation of the Kindaro siblings'' god doing here? Langa knew that the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Clan and the Deiwos Clan did not get along, so he was suspicious that they had hijacked him. He folded his arms, "I don''t bow down to anyone except Lord Adtonifulmin," he said unflinchingly. He wasn''t going to break his promise to his master. Brown tendrils of suffocating karma emanated from the Incarnation as his anger filled the room. Langa felt his Shroud activate to protect him from the karma pressure as Hm¨¹?ith¨¹ spoke. "You dare stand upright in the presence of-" he started to shout, then stopped, eyes going blank. He then released his karma pressure and said, "As you wish, Master." The tendrils disappeared, and Hm¨¹?ith¨¹''s hollow eyes fixated on Langa. His posture changed and his karma seemed to tighten around him until it reached a point where Langa could no longer feel it. "Hello, child of Adtonifulmin," he said hoarsely. Instinctively, Langa knew that The Thousand Undead had Descended into the Incarnation''s body. Even in the absence of the god''s karma, Langa''s knees felt like jelly, his karma suddenly overwhelmed. He felt the essence of Adtonifulmin stir up inside him as his Shroud surrounded him again, keeping him upright. He took a deep breath. ''I am in control,'' he told himself. "Eh...Mr Thousand Undead? What are you doing here? Where''s The Lackadaisical Herald?" Langa asked, his voice surprisingly normal. Mictlantecuhtli tilted his head to the side. "Your master and I could not agree on what rewards to give our bonded should they win the Clash. In the end, The Nine-Tailed Fox suggested we do a random draw in the presence of The Eternal Scribe. My die landed on you." "Lord Adtonifulmin agreed to that?" Langa asked sceptically. He''d gotten the impression that his master could be very stubborn. "Aren''t your clans enemies? What if you give me a bad reward?" "Fret not, child of Adtonifulmin. The system is watching. She will ensure that the rewards are neither too little for the achievement earned nor too much." The Thousand Undead''s tone was amused. "You see, teams in Celestial Clash matches usually consist of players belonging to the same deity or, at the very least, allied deities. It''s uncommon for enemy deities to have players on the same team; hence, this is an opportunity for our bonded to obtain skills, items, or Legacies from our enemies." That made sense. Langa doubted that The Thousand Undead would willingly offer him a Challenge knowing that Langa might one day encounter his bonded players in a divine war. This was the only way he could obtain anything from him. "Okay, so what are you going to give me? I don''t like death magic or mental magic. Isn''t that all you are about?" he asked suspiciously. "You just don''t like the way Fi uses death magic and mental magic. Let me see, what can I give Adtonifulmin''s Avatar that the system will consider a good reward, but may turn out to be harmful for him in the long run?" he mused. Wow, he wasn''t even hiding it, was he? Langa received a system prompt that asked him to choose the type of reward he wanted. There were no specifics but he could choose between a Skill, a Title or an artefact. He had already maxed out his Tier 1 Title slots, so he chose the skill. "Seriously? Listen, since I took first place, I should be able to make requests, right? I want a Mana Manipulation skill or something to improve my Stamina," Langa said at once. "You are rather direct, aren''t you?" Mictlantecuhtli asked. "Should you not ask me to give you what is best for your growth, since I am a god and know everything?" Langa shook his head. He knew what he wanted; whether that was good for him or not, didn''t matter. His choices did, and if he made the wrong decision, then it would be his screw up, and a learning experience. He would deal with the consequences as they came. "No, I want a skill to help me manipulate my mana since I don''t have a manacore." The god smiled. It was a gaunt, haunted look on the Incarnation''s skeletal face that sent chills through Langa. "Very well," he said and a black book materialised in his hand. He reached out to give it to Langa but when he tried to grab it, his hand went right through it. [Error! Skill: Death Mana Manipulation (A) is too excessive a reward for the player''s achievement. Please choose a more appropriate reward.] "That blasted woman," Mictlantecuhtli cursed. Langa had honestly expected The Thousand Undead to do the opposite and give him a reward too low for his achievement, but the system was saying the reward was too much. Something suddenly clicked in his mind, and he narrowed his eyes. "I have full lightning affinity and you were going to give me a skill for death mana? That''s incompatible with me!" Mictlantecuhtli roared in laughter. "Precisely. I wish I could have seen your face once you learnt the skill and discovered you had wasted a skill slot with something useless for you." This god was diabolical as fuck. No wonder Fi Kindaro loved him so much. "Let''s see. If I cannot prank Adtonifulmin through you, perhaps I should stir things up for my ally''s son," Mictlantecuhtli murmured to himself. "He does seem to care for him, and I could use you as leverage against that boy should the alliance fail. Demigods can be so unstable, after all. It might interfere with Xolotl¡¯s plans though¡­ but it will be interesting to watch him fail¡­ Yes, I''m sure the system will accept this gift." White smoke swirled around the black book in his hand, turning it into a scroll. This time, Langa did manage to touch the scroll. Before he could even open it, pain shot through his head and images filled him. Knowledge packed into his mind like a speeding train and he gasped, falling to the ground and clutching his head. [You have learned the skill: Two Eyes of Nahuke (Unranked) Active Skill Effects: A skill created by the demon hunter Nahuke during his time in Mictlantecuhtli¡¯s second hell. The Left Eye grants the ability to see through the demonic fog of hell as far as (Mind/2) metres and observe motion in detail, making it easier to see an opponent¡¯s weakness and anticipate their movements. The Right Eye can only be opened in the presence of demons. Cost: Left Eye: 5% of total mana per second + 5% of total stamina per second. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. This skill is Unranked, and is therefore permanent to the player and cannot be unlearned.] Langa had read about unranked skills before. They were skills that didn''t follow the normal Beginner to Grandmaster Rank routes. Instead, they remained static, and could not be switched out. The skills could either turn out to be complete trash or be as unique as some attributes in rare cases. "It''s an observation skill," Langa said, unsatisfied. He already had his Avatar title for sensing life. "The power of the skill depends on the player," the god said. " One can use it to elevate themselves to the highest of Tiers, while for another, it becomes a useless burden they cannot utilise correctly." "If you say so. What''s the catch on this one?" Langa asked him suspiciously. "I told you, Lady Unrivalled is watching. There is no catch," Mictlantecuhtli promised. "Here are the rest of your rewards." [Congratulations! For your performance in the Celestial Clash, you have been awarded +3413 Karma + 1180 EXP +3% Renown] "Thanks," Langa said. He was close to reaching the 10 000 karma he needed to clear the 1st Floor. The experience was excellent, too. "I have only given you what you deserve. You may leave now, child of Adtonifulmin," Mictlantecuhtli said. "My name is Langa," he corrected him with a frown. "Your name does not matter to me," he informed him. "I only look forward to seeing you grow strong enough to become a stepping stone for my Avatar." "Sorry, but that son of a bitch won''t ever have me on my knees again. I swear on The Lackadaisical Herald, that when I kill Fi Kindaro III, I will make sure he suffers first," Langa snarled. The Thousand Undead let out another hollow laugh. "You are confident, I will give you that. But to me, you are not important as anything more than fuel for my Avatar and perhaps, given your future together...as a weapon to keep Liv''Kungsadu in check. That skill should help supplement the large gap between you." "I don''t care about being important to you," Langa told him. "But if you think I will be content to be an extra in someone else''s story, think again. I walk the Path of Lightning. I like to blaze through my path to the heavens so I will not allow anyone to walk ahead of me. I will run faster, and strike through anyone that dares to stand in my way, mortal or immortal." "Oh? How nostalgic. You may not believe this, but nearly 100 000 years ago, your master said something similar to me. He was a mere mortal like yourself and rejected my Sponsorship. He called my rules suffocating to his whims," Mictlantecuhtli smiled. "He proved his strength and worth in Achievements. Although I am loathe to admit it, he went further in the path of power than I would have been able to take him. I shall watch you, child of Adtonifulmin, to see if your conviction is worth anything." "Watch away, I don''t care. But this is so weird," Langa muttered. "What is?" the god asked, even though Langa was sure he could read his thoughts. "You''re scary looking, and a bit of a dick, but otherwise you act normal, even though in the legends of our world you were kind of evil. Besides, you''re a demon god, and your followers are arseholes, so I''m sure you are evil," he said. "Evil?" The skeletal face let out a hollow laugh. "Mortals like to distinguish things in such extremes. There is no such thing as good and evil, only intent and action. Whichever side of the spectrum your actions fall under is largely dependent on your intent." Langa snorted. "Spoken like a true villain." The Thousand Undead tilted his head, "If in your mind, I am evil, does that mean Adtonifulmin is good?" Langa frowned. Was that a trick question? "He is to me." "Do you even know why he Chose you? Well, you will find out in time, I suppose. Shall I tell you a story about your master, child of Adtonifulmin?" He continued without waiting for Langa to respond. "A little under 200 years ago, during a divine war, my brother Xolotl''s Visage killed the Avatar of Adtonifulmin''s Incarnation. They were both seraphim, so it was a fair battle. Death happens every second of every day, but Adtonifulmin must have cared for that child." There were very few stories of Adtonifulmin''s achievements in his Relgte, so despite not trusting The Thousand Undead, Langa listened intently. "As a high-ranking god, Adtonifulmin couldn''t interfere directly with the life of a seraphim without just cause, but that did not stop him. He gifted the dead Avatar''s lover with Stars and unleashed her upon Xolotl''s Visage. She killed him brutally, setting his soul alight and burning away his karma and part of his existence. Adtonifulmin dared to hold a mere Incarnation''s Avatar''s life on the same level as a god''s Visage... over a war he started. Tell me, who is good and evil in this story?" Mictlantecuhtli asked. "The Avatar''s lover was good¡ªI mean, she got her revenge, right?" Langa said, digesting the information. "They defied the rules, though. She got away with it because that rule only applies to mortals and seraphim, and after killing Xolotl''s Visage, she Ascended and became a constellation. She couldn''t be judged according to mortal laws anymore. Adtonifulmin couldn''t be held accountable either because she wasn''t his Avatar. He knows The Unrivalled better than anyone else, including her brothers, so he is very good at bending the rules without breaking them," Mictlantecuhtli explained. Langa understood what he was trying to tell him but he refused to be baited. "This isn''t fair, I don''t know the whole story. For all I know, you''re painting a different picture from the truth. You''re telling the story from your perspective, which is not the only truth," he said. "So you agree that from Xolotl''s Visage''s perspective, Adtonifulmin is evil?" he asked, his face ripe with interest. Langa shrugged. "I guess, but I probably would have done the same thing Master did. I will always put my friends and family''s lives above everything else, even above right and wrong," he said. "And in that fashion, Fi Kindaro III took my friend from me, so to me, he is evil and must be stopped. He did this to get stronger and please you, so to me, you are evil." "Why do you think Fi is doing it for me? None of those five children does anything for my glory. They all just want the power that comes to whomever I choose to be my Visage," Mictlantecuhtli said, shaking his head. Langa frowned. When Fi Kindaro told him his motivations during the tutorial, that he was in a contest to become a god''s Visage, he didn''t really understand what he was fighting for. However, now that he understood, he found it more unbelievable. "So Fi Kindaro is doing all this shit, hurting innocent people, just so he can become your Visage?" "You are new to the Tower, child of Adtonifulmin, so perhaps you do not understand the significance of being a god''s Visage. I have existed for over a billion years, yet in that time, I have only ever had two Visages. Neither of them managed to Ascend," he said. It was hard to tell with the bony face, but he looked slightly pained. "For a god to share a part of himself, not just his power, with a mortal...to give the mortal insight into his Being and to give a mortal that much power over the entirety of his people''s Faith is truly unthinkable. It is a risk beyond any other, therefore, I will accept nothing but the very best for my Visage." It was something so precious and important, yet Adtonifulmin had just casually asked Langa to be his Visage after knowing him for barely a week. Was his master foolish or optimistic? "Oh, is that so? Well, he has always been impulsive, your Master," The Thousand Undead said. "Don''t read my mind!" Langa snapped. "Do not worry, I cannot share the information with anyone unless you reveal it yourself. So, will you accept his offer?" Mictlantecuhtli asked curiously. "It was nice meeting you, Thousand Undead," Langa said, stepping back, and willing himself away from the altar. "Goodbye." The god''s laughter faded into the background as he left the altar. * The bright lucent lights of the stadium shone down on Langa as he sat on stage with his teammates, lost in thought after his conversation with The Thousand Undead. They received their payment from Celestial Clash League participating in the Clash, according to performance, and Langa was happy with the 150 silver he received. The crowd''s cheers and applause echoed in his ears as Zavi handed each of the players a jewel-encrusted vicomcer. "Now that you have your rewards, we can discuss the match fully. And what a match it was out there tonight! How are you feeling after that incredible performance?" he asked, looking at Liv. "Thank you, Zavi. It was a tough match, but we worked hard as a team and, although we didn''t come out on top, I couldn''t be prouder of my teammates," Liv answered. The neutral answer elicited an eye roll from Langa. Matt the commentator raised his eyebrows. "Wow, you''re more benevolent than I am, Liv''Kungsadu. If one of my teammates ignored my order to stay close to the lighthouse and protect the shrine and instead flew into the sky on an ill-fated hunt that cost my entire team the Clash, I would be pissed!" Laughter resounded from the crowd and Vavuciadsforenkka''s face reddened as he shifted his permanent glower to Matt. "Don''t be too hard on the rookie Matt, we all have to start somewhere," Zavi said, stifling his laughter. "Now, let''s see the beautiful final moment of the Clash again." The large lucent tile in front of them replayed the scene where Langa entered the lighthouse and placed the sovorb on the shrine until the moment Langa stepped in front of the sovorb, taking the hit of Liv¡¯s sword. It was crazy that the entire sequence in the shrine was less than thirty seconds since it had felt like a lifetime to him. He looked like a mess, but even when the sword struck him, he had a shit-eating grin on his face. "Blitzhunter." Matt looked at the tile before asking. "You took over the shrine in the final seconds of the clash. Walk us through that moment." It had been a while since Langa had done any interviews. Back home he''d been throwing his races, so there hadn''t been room for him to brag about his performance. "One thing you need to know about me is that I hate losing. Liv had me pressed hard on my back, and I had to stop him, even if it killed me," he paused as this earned him a few chuckles. "On a serious note though, Liv has always been in my way, and fighting against him was the biggest challenge of this Clash." Vavuciadsforenkka snorted loudly. ¡°It was the only challenge of this Clash,¡± Langa stated. ¡°What the hell did you say, you filthy hu-¡± Vavuciadsforenkka barked at him. ¡°Voetsek. Did I fucking stutter?¡± Langa asked, arms folded. The scowl that filled Vavuciadsforenkka¡¯s face made Synn chuckle in satisfaction, and he considered cheering her up a win. The dragonkin stood up and stretched his arms, as though ready for a fight. ¡°Now, now, settle down, boys. Your turn will come, Vavuciadsforenkka, you can give your opinions and talk your shit then,¡± Zavi said. Vavuciadsforenkka growled but he sat back down. Pity, Langa wouldn''t have minded killing him again. He had a punchable face. Matt focused on Vos and Synn next, praising their efforts throughout the clash. On the lucent tile was a calm Vos wielding his scythe elegantly, even as he faced off against both Coraloa and lesser krakens. His expression barely changed, but the power he showed was incredible, and Langa thought Coraloa¡¯s skills were awesome too. She would have won against him with that mental attack. ¡°You bravely defended your team''s territory and managed to steal the opposing team¡¯s sovorb. Was it challenging?¡± Matt asked. ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t hard at all,¡± Vos said with a shrug. Thankfully, Coraloa didn''t react to his statement. In fact, she didn''t look at Vos at all. If Langa''s opponent said that, he would have been upset. Matt waited, thinking Vos was going to continue, but he stared straight ahead and said nothing. Unfortunately for him, Vos was an elf of few words. ¡°Oookay¡­ SynnForessa, your manipulation of mana is out of this world. I saw the Administrator of The Incantatrix Sorcerers salivating when she was watching you. A guild offer from them wouldn¡¯t be surprising. They only accept mages in their guild after all. Are you interested?¡± Zavi asked. The lucent tile showed Synn, fire surrounding her, her face fierce as she shot a fireball towards a startled Liv, who hastily defended with his shield. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of them,¡± Synn said. ¡°I¡¯m not taken, so who knows if I might agree. It depends on my mood. If any of you think you can hold this firefox down, you''re welcome to try me.¡± "Whoa now, I gotta ask, my dear lady," Matt said flashing her a charming smile. "Are you only accepting guild offers?" "Like I said, Matt. If you think you can hold this firefox down, hit me up," she said, blowing him a kiss. Matt clutched his chest and pretended to faint. The crowd cooed and Langa laughed. At least she seemed to have gotten out of her funk. ¡°Please don''t encourage this sleaze, SynnForessa," Zavi said shaking his head. He turned to the other side. ¡°Now. Liv¡¯Kungsadu, how does it feel to be the Celestial?¡± The lucent tile showed Liv mercilessly pummelling Synn, his close combat skills on full display along with the power of his aura. It then showed him and Langa fighting outside the lighthouse. Langa cringed, he looked terrible in that clip. Liv smiled. ¡°It feels great. I honestly didn''t think I would get chosen considering that my team lost. I would like to thank The Sun God for his grace, and all the deities who chose me to be the Celestial, despite amazing performances from their own players. I am truly humbled.¡± Humbled? Langa couldn''t believe his ears. This was the same guy who''d bragged about being the best. He noticed Synn was scanning the crowd with a determined look on her face. "Are you looking for someone?" he whispered. "It''s futile; there are too many people; it''s just that my Sear tells me she''s close." "Sorry." ¡°What would you say was your favourite part of the Clash?¡± Zavi asked Liv. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. SynnForessa fought very well, and her mana control was outstanding. I can only hope to be that good one day,¡± he said with a smile. Synn looked up and raised her eyebrows as though unsure whether to be flattered or annoyed by the compliment. ¡°So did Langa. He has actually improved a lot. You wouldn¡¯t believe it, but back in the tutorial, I could take him down without any weapon or armour.¡± ¡°That was just sparring!¡± Langa protested indignantly, much to the crowd¡¯s amusement, laughter ringing out as Liv shrugged. Why would he hang him out to dry like that? "Ah, a fight between friends is always the most exciting, isn''t it?" Matt said with a smile. "Is that why you chose Langa to be your teammate, Second Prince Vos?" "Correct," the dark elf said. "Great strategy, and it paid off for you. Now, before I move on to the others, Liv¡¯Kungsadu, you made a bold statement to Blitzhunter, that you would surpass some of the biggest players in this Tower. Were you just saying that to stir up some controversy?¡± Zavi said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to be controversial, Zavi. I¡¯ve seen a lot in this Tower that needs fixing, and as I am now, I am limited in how I can help the people that need me, so I have to get stronger,¡± Liv said. ¡°I will prove how wrong the assumption that demigods burn bright for a time and burn out quickly is, by being the first person to clear the 1773rd Deiwos Tower. Langa is someone who likes to challenge himself, so I was just letting him know that it¡¯s useless to waste his time chasing after people I¡¯m going to overtake anyway, and just follow me.¡± Langa couldn''t tell if the noise the crowd made was positive or negative, but it seemed Liv was using this stage to establish himself and make it so that people became interested in both him and the guild he would form. Matt laughed. "What say you, Blitzhunter?" If this was the stage Liv chose to draw attention to them, then Langa would double down. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the names The Pioneer, Anarchist, and Merreddyd, among others a lot since coming here. To me, these are rankers that I have to reach and surpass at some point," he said. "I know there are many other people who are much stronger than me who aren¡¯t on that list either. I don''t know if I can surpass them, but believe me, I will die trying.¡± ¡°Are you both idiots? What if they come down here and crush you to put you in your place?¡± Synn said. Langa shrugged. ¡°I know I can¡¯t take them all now, but I will climb as fast as I can to reach them. There¡¯s no need for them to come down here. As long as there is someone ahead of me, I will keep running forward until I surpass them and the path I''m running on is clear.¡± ¡°That is a bold statement indeed! Some might say you¡¯re still green, and that¡¯s why you can say that with ease,¡± Zavi said. He sounded delighted. ¡°Given how disappointing Batch 3 has been since their Rankers besides Anarchist are either voidents or complacent fools who pay to win, this Tower could use a bit of a shake-up.¡± "I couldn''t have said it better myself," Matt agreed. "As a member of Batch 3 myself, I am ashamed of our lacklustre performance and presence in this Tower, Zavi. I hope these rookies can really set the Tower on fire and humble us. Give us the motivation we all lost four years ago." "Now, there''s a challenge for all the Batch 3s in the crowd," Zavi said. "Are you going to let Batch 4''s rookies overtake you?" The crowd roared. Finally, Zavi turned to Team Liv again. ¡°So, Coraloa, Vavuciadsforenkka, what did you enjoy about this Clash? Were you disappointed in how it ended?¡± he asked. In Langa¡¯s opinion, that wasn¡¯t a very tasteful question, and Vavuciadsforenkka seemed to agree with how his already annoyed face soured even more. Coraloa was the first to answer. ¡°Thank you for having us here. I have never seen this many people in one place in my life,¡± she said. ¡°Before I answer that, Mr Zavi, I would like to express my disappointment in everyone here. Look at all these lucent lights. I was in Feiran Village last week, where there was only one lucent light in the entire village, yet you sit here and waste them here for aesthetics?¡± "Uh, hold on now-" ¡°How much mana does this stadium consume to run? The 9th Floor regulates the usage of mana fiercely because of the shortage of lucents in the air, yet you waste it like this?¡± she asked, standing up. Langa shivered. Damn, she was one of those. Admittedly, he always avoided activists and justice-mongers pushing their agendas (noble and important as they may be) on him. The crowd seemed to agree as boos filled the stadium mixed in with some clapping. He heard Vos snort with disdain beside him, while Synn looked amused. Liv was smiling at Coraloa proudly. ¡°Mock me all you want, but the wealth gap on this Floor is nothing to scoff at. Many of you have this sense of superiority just because you are players and are kinintolerant against NPCs. It¡¯s like there¡¯s a Tower vs 1st Floor gap. I know some players view themselves as travellers, just passing by, but would it kill you to give back to the Tower? Is it so hard to help develop the Floors you visit?¡± she asked. "Um, you''re going a little off-topic there Miss-" Zavi started. ¡°Huh! Develop? Wow, spoken like a true Guardian, pretentious as ever,¡± Vavuciadsforenkka said with a laugh. ¡°Unfortunately, just because you are happy to sacrifice your personal growth for the greater good of lesser beings doesn¡¯t mean the rest of us players are as foolish as you. The only thing that could help this Floor develop would be if the den-mother brought her forces here and the Dragonslayer tore down the current useless regime to take over the-¡± ¡°Shut up, and sit back down,¡± Liv said sharply. A bright, oppressive force of karma suddenly pressed down on the entire stage. Even though it was not directed at him, Langa felt his karma stirring up, ready to protect him from the pressure. He looked up to see that Liv was standing, surrounded by a golden aura, as his karma pressure descended on Vavuciadsforenkka. All six of them got up on their feet and Vos took out his scythe. At the same time, Coraloa¡¯s whole body vibrated with anger. "Is this really the type of world we want to build in this Tower? One where the strong hoard power and oppress the weak and innocent?" she asked the crowd at large. Liv''s karma pressure was oppressive, and Vavuciadsforenkka struggled to stay on his feet, releasing his own karma pressure. Unfortunately for him, Liv was a demigod, and there was no way he could beat him in karma. He fell to his knees, gasping and baring his fangs in anger as he fully transformed again. The crowd''s noise was deafening, probably hoping to get another battle on top of the Celestial Clash. Honestly, Langa wasn¡¯t opposed to it. He wouldn¡¯t mind another go at Liv, or maybe to see what Vos was made of. Unfortunately, the security of the stadium, the members of a mercenary guild, made their way to the stage, weapons in hand, watching them like hawks, which was fitting because they were hawkkin. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll end the interviews here. Do you see how much fire the rookies have? I hope Liv''Kungsadu is right and he doesn''t burn out on the 6th Floor like the last demigod who tried to save this Tower. I want to see them shake things up!" Matt said, looking at the six of them with a grin. "Once again, welcome to the Tower, all players of Tutorial Batch 4. We look forward to you doing great things." As the mercenary security guards walked them off the stage, Langa wondered if Neo, Khaya, or his sister were watching right now. His heart lurched in his chest with worry, but he reminded himself that Adtonifulmin had promised that he would make sure they received Sponsorship Contracts¡ªthose who were still alive, at least. He shook his head. There was no point in winding himself so tightly when there was nothing he could do. "To all of you old folks, before you go party with the rookies tonight, don''t forget that while the Floor Overlord may have permitted you to be on this Floor, some of you are wanted by the Federation Police," Zavi said. "Don¡¯t be overconfident, and remember, the longer you spend on this Floor, the more of your skills are sealed. Oh, and I know it''s a festival, but drink responsibly, Towerpeople.¡± Today was a good day. Langa had fun and received a good reward, and finally, it was time for him to party with his new friends and celebrate his victory. He would not be drinking responsibly tonight. 63. First Meetings and Complicated Reunions (1) Sorrento Creek looked nothing like it did when Langa left this morning. There were glowing lucent lights in the streets, music filled the air, and children ran around happily playing on the road. Multiple rows of stalls were lined up along the streets, with the players walking around buying food from NPCs and laughing. Lucent crystals of all colours shone brightly and Langa cringed when he remembered Coraloa¡¯s words about the wastage of the precious resource. Perhaps she had a point, after all, Lucent crystals were expensive. The festival reminded him of the Market at the Sheds in Pretoria, but on a much, much larger scale. Langa couldn''t help but notice how the increased presence of the high-level Federation Police added more security to the festivities. A large lucent tile sat just outside Sorrento Inn''s entrance, where Liv¡¯s informal dinner party was going to be held, and next to it, a long platform filled with casks, tankards, and bottles of alcohol caught Langa''s attention. There was a high table next to a bar with twelve seats, presumably for the six players and their guests. There were also various foods on the table, including bowls of selanre soup and colourful salads next to sliced roast unknown meat that smelt divine. "Wow, you''ve really outdone yourself, Liv," Langa said, genuinely impressed. "Thanks. You would not believe how much it cost to set all this up, even with support from the Federation. At least I saved on hiring mercenaries to protect the townspeople since the Magistrate volunteered the Federation Police to provide security for free,¡± he said wearily. "For free? Why?" ¡°I think they are hoping to use this opportunity to catch some high-level criminal players,¡± he said with a shrug. "Makes sense. Why did you go all out? I thought this was just a festival to welcome our batch into the Tower," Langa said. "I had to, I used most of my savings to buy this place. This is a rare opportunity to have high-level players down on this Floor, and they have money to burn. More players being here is good for Sorrento Creek''s economy," he said. "Hopefully, when people are drunk, they won''t care how much they pay for alcohol, because we need that money to renovate our 1st Floor guildhall." Langa fished out the 150 silver he received as payment for participating in the Celestial Clash and handed it to Liv. "Put that towards the guild¡¯s funds as well," he said. "What? Are you sure?" Liv asked in surprise. "I was probably going to blow all that money on alcohol tonight anyway," he said, clapping him on the shoulder. "This is a lot of money, Langa," Liv said hesitantly. "You said you weren''t gonna help out with the guild''s admin stuff." "I know. I could have bought a lot of uncommon lightning mana potions with that," he said. If this guild was going to help save Earth, he figured contributing to it wouldn''t hurt. Besides, he still had some silver left from the High Commissioner''s quest. "Don''t embezzle my money, okay? I''m hungry, so let me go change and get ready to party." "Thank you," Liv said after him. * After he took a bath and got dressed, Langa was happy to find Di Etta waiting for him downstairs. ¡°Hey. I''m glad you could make it. You look great,¡± ¡°Langa!¡± she said with a smile, rushing over to hug him. She wasn¡¯t wearing her long coat and armour today, but a long black leather dress. ¡°Thanks, you too.¡± She grinned mischievously. ¡°I see you tied your headband up properly today.¡±. He laughed. ¡°Yeah, I can''t be too careful.¡± He did not want to repeat what had happened the last time he got wasted with her and her friends at Risa¡¯s Plateau, so his headband was secured on his head as it was the only thing protecting him from mental attacks. ¡°Well, good. Your match was awesome!¡± she said. "I don''t think I''ve enjoyed watching a Tier 1 League Match this much before! You did so well in the Clash that our guild master wanted me to ask you to join The Speedrunners after watching you.¡± ¡°Di Etta. Slow down.¡± Langa placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Thank you for coming. Tell your guildmaster that I appreciate the offer, but I¡¯m taken.¡± ¡±You are? She¡¯ll be disappointed. Which guild are you joining?¡± she asked. ¡°It''s a secret. Come on, you must be hungry,¡± he said as he led her outside. ¡°Gods, I am starving!¡± she confessed, eagerly following him. It didn''t surprise him; after all, the reason the two of them even met was because she was hungry. "You know, I made a bet on you on The Hallow Reapers'' Blackbets and won. I earned 10 silver.¡± ¡°Really?¡± he asked. If he''d known bets were going around, he would have bet on himself too. ¡°Good for you.¡± The outside dining area had elaborate decorations like banners and flags with different guild logos. The tables were set with clean tablecloths, sparkling silverware, and pewter cups. A lot of players gathered around the area, so Langa hoped Liv would make a lot of money tonight. The pathway leading up to the high table was lined with fire-lucent crystals and the sound of soft music floated through the air as an NPC band played odd instruments outside the inn. Once they reached the high table, they found Coraloa and her guest, who was, surprisingly, Aria seated. Well, she was a Guardian so it shouldn''t have been surprising. Vos and Linora sat whispering together at the end of the table and Langa was glad that Vos treated his aide better than Fi Kindaro ever treated Ghol. ¡°Langa, can you introduce me to that woman? She is a knockout!¡± Di Etta said with awe. Langa followed her gaze and it landed on the approaching Synn who wore a tight-fitting brown dress the same colour as her eyes. ¡°Sure,¡± Langa said as Synn came to sit next to him. "Hey, Synn, nice dress. You cleaned up surprisingly well today.¡± ¡°Just today?¡± she said in mock offence and then laughed. ¡°Thanks.¡± Di Etta nudged his arm. ¡°Oh right, this is Di Etta. Di Etta, Synn." "Hi," Di Etta said, extending a hand with a blush. "Hey, it''s nice to meet you,¡± Synn said, shaking her hand politely. ¡°Wow, Langa, I didn''t think you had other friends besides Liv''Kungsadu!" The fact that she looked genuinely surprised annoyed Langa. He would have argued with her if he wasn''t hungry. He got distracted by platters of succulent roasted meats and mouth-watering desserts. He immediately grabbed a tasty-looking large leg of lamb and put it on his plate. He sank his teeth into the spicy, tender meat and moaned in delight. ¡±Would you like a moment alone with the meat?¡± Synn asked, watching him in amusement. He ignored her and reached for more meat. "Langa! Man! It''s been so long!" Someone shouted. Langa looked up to see Liv walking towards the table, followed by their former tutorial teammate, Sigurd Magnarson, with a joyful grin on his face. "Hey, man!" Langa smiled as he shook the older man¡¯s hand. The wrinkles on Sigurd¡¯s face were more pronounced, and he looked weary. It had been less than a month since the end of the tutorial, and he already looked so much older. Still, he immediately pulled a plate towards himself and began to eat as soon as he sat down. Introductions went around as Langa stuffed his face with more food. After making more small talk, Sigurd asked. ¡°Have you heard from any of the others from our tutorial?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. Just you and Liv,¡± he replied, pouring wine into his cup. ¡°I see.¡± Sigurd looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s Makoto? I expected him to still be following you around the way you two were so close.¡± Liv tensed up immediately and the drink Langa instantly downed tasted bitter as his emotions swelled. Hadn''t Sigurd seen that Makoto¡¯s name was missing when they completed the final tutorial quest? ¡°Makoto¡¯s dead. Fi Kindaro killed him,¡± Langa said, allowing himself to breathe. ¡°What? Oh man, I¡¯m so sorry, I-¡± Sigurd''s shock turned into an apology. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Langa said, brushing it off. He did not want to talk about this. Vos¡¯ eyes flashed towards him, but he pretended not to notice. ¡°What about Eniche? Have you heard from her?¡± ¡°No,¡± Sigurd said sadly. ¡°I sent her a message a while back, but she didn¡¯t respond.¡± ¡°You wouldn''t happen to mean Eniche Tigris Vale?¡± Di Etta asked, her mouth full. Langa turned to her. There were millions of people in their tutorial batch. What were the odds that Di Etta knew Eniche? ¡° Yeah, you know her?¡± Di Etta nodded. ¡°Sure do. She joined the Speedrunners a week ago. She''s very fierce.¡± ¡°Oh, if she¡¯s okay, then that¡¯s good,¡± Langa said, nodding. He didn¡¯t know much about Di Etta¡¯s guild, but if Eniche chose it, he was sure there was a reason; after all, she was from the 6th Floor. The table was long enough that they could have separate conversations and small enough that they could hear what each of the conversations were about. Vos and Coraloa sat on opposite sides of the table, with Coraloa constantly looking at something beyond the dark elf¡¯s shoulder and Vos ignoring her completely. Once Sigurd spotted Synn, she had all his attention. He downed his cup of wine and moved closer to her. Liv helped himself to some very rare meat and turned to speak to Coraloa instead. Laughter filled their table, and even though there were two empty seats since Vavuciadsforenkka wasn¡¯t there, no one cared. "We¡¯re from the same batch, right?¡± Aria asked Di Etta. ¡°You look familiar.¡± ¡°Are you a Guardian?¡± Di Etta asked, swallowing a large chunk of meat. When Aria nodded, she continued. ¡°Then you probably know me from the Pailin Heist. Your deputy guildmaster raised a massive ruckus over that incident.¡± Aria blinked. ¡°That was you? Do you know how much the loss of the Pailin necklace cost the sun elves? Are you even allowed on the 5th Floor?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Di Etta said, taking the wine Langa poured into her cup. ¡°You¡¯re a thief?¡± Langa asked, mouth full. ¡°Occasionally,¡± she replied. ¡°If the money¡¯s good. I gotta eat.¡± ¡°How did you do it? Their priestesses are excellent at detecting changes in mana. I''m sure the safe has a mavale shield.¡± Aria asked curiously. ¡°I¡¯m from the 30th Floor,¡± Di Etta answered. Aria nodded as if that were a sufficient answer. ¡°How is that relevant?¡± Langa asked curiously. The one who answered was, surprisingly, Coraloa. He hadn''t realised she and Liv had been listening to their conversation. ¡°Magic doesn''t work on the 30th Floor. It¡¯s a highly advanced technological world. They harnessed the world¡¯s manacore and used up all the lucents. All that''s left in the air are mavale particles, which can seal magic.¡± ¡°That''s not what happened,¡± Di Etta muttered, but it was so low that only Langa heard her. ¡°Magic doesn''t work? Please. There¡¯s always a way, so I will consider it a challenge when I get there,¡± Synn said, stuffing a slice of cake into her mouth. ¡±Well, you better not get caught then,¡± Di Etta told her. ¡°Anyone caught trying to use magic gets Strapped.¡± Synn¡¯s face darkened. ¡°There are worlds that still use Strapping as a punishment outside of The Quartenity¡¯s Carciere?¡± she asked, her voice low. ¡±Of course there are. The 12th Floor is like that too,¡± Aria told her. Langa was about to ask what all of that meant when Aramaga, Aquila, and Ormeth came looking for him. He poured them a few drinks, and they spoke for a while about the dungeons they had to clear. It seemed they had struggled, Ormeth more than the others, but they had made it without dying. Aramaga even received a Sponsorship Contract. They congratulated him on his victory, discussing the match in detail. As they were doing that, Matt, the commentator from their match, stopped by and sat down for a few drinks, replaying the highlights of the match on a large lucent tile. Aquila and his team left a while later with Undkese to enjoy the festival and look for people they knew. A lot of people from the festival passed by their table to talk or buy them drinks as the night went on. There were quite a few players from the 36th Floor, but no one that Langa knew. He''d thought he would be overjoyed to see people from back on earth, but there wasn''t much to say besides asking about any loved ones they might have met. Most of them were Americans and a few Europeans with whom he had nothing in common. He drowned himself in ale when he didn''t get any news from his family. For some time, the high table was swamped with Celestial Clash team recruiters, but none of the rookie rankers were interested in joining any teams. By far the most popular people at the table were Synn and Coraloa. More and more chairs were pulled towards their table. The girls were hounded by so many players and propositions that Liv had to ask a party of Federation Policemen to surround their table and filter out who could pass through to meet them. "I meant what I said at the post-match ceremony. You guys may not realise it but you are the last batch with the ability to catch up to The Pioneer. From batch 5 and after, the gap will be too big to close," Matt, the commentator, said. "A 2 Tier gap is hard to close, but not impossible. Any more than that is just wishful thinking." Di Etta patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I know what you mean. My friends and I cleared the first four Floors in half a year. The 5th Floor took a bit longer, but we cleared it three years ago, and we''ve been stuck there all this time,¡± she said. ¡°I''ve decided, fuck it, I''m going to pay my way through the 6th Floor. I''m tired of battling level 10 to 15 monsters for trash loot. Since I''ve cleared the first 5 Floors, I''m not gaining experience down here anymore.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Matt looked down in shame. "That''s how I did it too. I paid the Sumo Feints off, and they gave me one month to clear the 6th Floor without being hunted," he said. "I just got to the 9th Floor last week, and while I hate what I''ve done to get there, I''m also one of Batch 3''s highest climbers right now." "Lucky you. I don''t even have the option of paying my way through the Floor as a Guardian. We are actively hunted by Anarchist''s Sumo Feints," Aria sighed, looking pensively into her cup. "I''ve been thinking about Undercrawling to the 7th Floor." There was a collective, shocked gasp throughout the table. "You can''t be serious!" Coraloa said. "You could lose The Unrivalled''s Blessing if you did that!" Synn gave her an incredulous look. "That''s what you''re worried about? There are no respawns if she dies from Undercrawling! Not to mention the karma loss? Surely there has to be another way." Matt shook his head gravely as he downed another bottle. "There isn''t. More than 30% of the players from Batch 3 who died tried to Undercrawl. Some tried to band together to take over the 6th Floor, but that was an even bigger disaster considering the deal The Hallow Reapers have with the 6th Floor Overlord. No wonder they call us Batch Flee.¡± Di Etta slammed her fist on the table. "That''s enough. Let''s just drink." Once everyone shook off their despair about the 6th Floor and focused instead on eating, drinking, and making good conversation, it became a night of fun despite the differences between guilds and deities. "Oh my gods!" someone shouted. "What''s wrong?" Aria asked. "All of us from Batch 2 just received a system announcement that GM Merreddyd earned a Unique Achievement! She is the first person from our batch to enter the Third Storey!" she said. She wasn''t the only one excited; everyone was buzzing below, and there were shouts of both joy and indignation over the announcement. "Wait, how is that possible? Last I heard, she was on the 29th Floor. GM Nocnitsa has been stuck on the 30th Floor for months now, how could the Guardians have cleared it before the Hallow Reapers?" Vos asked. Aria laughed and stood up. "I have no idea. Our Merreddyd is a miracle worker, that''s for sure!" Shouts of celebration from Guardians erupted all over the festival, gloating at any Hallow Reapers they saw. Thanks to the Federation Police, no serious fights broke out. "I hope this means she can rest a little. She''s been working too damn hard for the past year." Langa was impressed with Merreddyd''s achievement. Merreddyd being on the 31st Floor was a good thing since it meant she would be one of the first people to reach the 36th Floor, hopefully before the Hallow Reapers. While The Pioneer and Kimi''Ndashin from Menika Shin were always the first to clear any Floors, they weren''t extremists and cared mainly about earning all the firsts they could over helping the locals or oppressing them. ¡°I''m so giddy, I want everyone to know!¡± Aria shouted. ¡°Merreddyd is on the 31st Floor!¡± "Even though you are loud, no one will hear you over the festival. Let me help transport the sound waves for you," Coraloa offered. She placed her hand on Aria¡¯s neck, and when she next spoke, her voice boomed all over the festival. ¡°GUARDIAN KNIGHT MERREDDYD IS ON THE 31st FLOOR!¡± ¡°Holy Adtonifulmin!¡± Langa said, covering his ears. Aria dug into her bag and produced a few silver coins. "Liv''Kungsadu, bring out your best bottles of wine. It''s on me!" More alcohol was always welcome and Langa drank the night away. "Um, we''ve turned away most of the men asking for Miss SynnForessa and Miss Coraloa. But Blitzhunter, Liv''Kungsadu and Prince Vos, there are a lot of women down here looking for you," one of the Federation Police guarding their table said. "It''s becoming a mob." Langa looked down and sure enough, beautiful women of all races waving up at their table, but he shrugged. "Not interested." "There are a few men too," the policeman said. "That''s not it," Langa laughed. Most of them looked younger than him, and besides, this was too easy; he liked a challenge. Linora nudged Vos. "My Liege, perhaps you should-" "You know the answer, Linora," he said, cutting her off. "I have eyes for only one woman." She sighed in defeat. Liv stood up. "I will go entertain the lovely ladies," he said. Sure enough, he went down there all smiles and spoke to them, letting them touch his arms and buying them drinks. "Cora?" Synn said, looking at Coraloa who was engrossed in conversation with Aria. "What?" she asked. Synn gestured at Liv. Surrounded by an army of people who were inclined to worship him, Langa knew Liv must be having the time of his life. "You don''t care?" Coraloa frowned, looking genuinely confused. "About what?" Synn sighed. "Forget it," she said, turning back to her plate. "I don''t get it. Why is everything so casual nowadays? Am I too old, or is romance truly dead?" Langa didn''t know what Liv and Coraloa''s relationship was, and he honestly didn''t care. Di Etta reached over Langa to pat Synn''s hand. "You are not too old. You are adorable," she said. "I am also of the same mindset." "Finally, a sane person," Synn said. "Wanna play a game?" Langa was happily buzzed and swimming in the ''poisoned'' debuff while he, Di Etta and Synn played a drinking game, but he couldn''t for the life of him remember who was winning, so he took another shot. ¡°Langa, don''t be an idiot,¡± Synn laughed. ¡°I was supposed to drink!¡± Liv finally managed to detangle himself from his fans and caught the whole table''s attention when he produced a large calabash from his inventory. "As promised, Langa, Sigurd, this is Callistria, the strongest dragonkin ale blend I have." "Oh, you are a demigod of your word, aren''t you?" Langa laughed, remembering that Liv had promised him and Sigurd a drink of the gods back in the tutorial. "Are you serious?" Di Etta eyed the calabash excitedly. "Callistria? Are you trying to kill them? They are human! That''s a drink for seraphim!" Synn exclaimed. "Relax, I''m going to dilute it," Liv said, pouring lime juice into a pewter jug and then pouring barely a quarter of a cup of the brown liquid of Callistria. "That''s still too much," Coraloa said, looking worried. Langa and Sigurd immediately passed their cups over to Liv, but he shook his head, pouring them each a shot. "If you don''t want to die, this is all you''re getting." "I feel like you''re underestimating us, Liv," Langa said, frowning. "A drop would be underestimating you," Liv said. "Vos, Linora, would you like some?" "Oh, His Highness doesn''t drink strong liquor," Linora said. "It''s a special occasion, Linora. Let us not be rude to our host," Vos said dismissively, and Liv handed them both a shot. He poured himself a cup, and Synn, Di Etta and Coraloa a shot as well. He raised his cup. "To the rise of Batch 4," he said. Langa drank the surprisingly sweet liquid, and it evaporated in his mouth, burning his throat slightly as if he were drinking whiskey. "Holy Destroyer of Light!" Sigurd said, and his eyes were suddenly unfocused, and then his head fell onto the table, unconscious. Langa still didn''t feel any different, but he suddenly had to stand up and step away since, for some reason, Synn had activated her Fire Ring and it was spewing a bunch of Flame Spikes into the air. Matt reacted too slowly and got blasted away. At the other end of the table, Linora looked slightly dazed, and Vos was blinking rapidly. "How are you not affected?" Liv said, pouring himself another cup. "Maybe I''m an alcoholic and I need another shot. Come on," Langa said, and Liv shrugged and gave him another shot. A young dwarf ran to their table and whispered something to Linora and she stood up abruptly. Langa thought he heard ''guild'' and ''administrator'' in the conversation. "The Lackadaisical Herald better not visit his wrath on me if you die," Liv said as Linora half-dragged and half-supported Vos towards the inn. Coraloa started singing something that sounded like opera, and Synn climbed on top of the table, her Fire Ring still active, and started fire dancing. She bent her body back, dancing along to the flames licking her dress as her hips swayed to the soothing sound of Coraloa''s singing. Langa''s head felt woozy as he watched her. "You are a lucky man," Di Etta said, watching her in awe. ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s not happening.¡± Langa heard himself answer, even though his head felt like it was miles away. ¡°Are you celibate?¡± She asked. "You''re not interested in the mass of pretty young girls or Synn.¡± ¡°I never said I wasn''t interested in her. She''s kind, beautiful, and an amazing woman¡ªthe kind you could really fall for. But she''s my friend¡­and besides, I prefer my women a little less emotionally available,¡± he said. Langa stood up, his eyes blurry as he felt needles and pins all over his body. Fuck, this was some strong liquor. He hurriedly staggered towards the tavern bathroom. He didn¡¯t throw up, but when he came out, he saw Vos and Linora talking to a familiar person at the corner of the tavern. He squinted his eyes as he saw brown skin, short, dark hair, and a floral tattoo on her cheek. The woman¡¯s green eyes found Langa and for a moment, his heart sped up, his body recognising her before his mind did. Before he could call out, he was pushed aside as a group of Federation Police stormed into the tavern. ¡°There she is! Attack!¡± One of them shouted. The woman cursed and jumped out of the tavern through the window as the Federation Police chased after her. Langa¡¯s mind snapped awake, drunkenly equipping his Avatar title, trying to find her breath of life. He ran through alley after alley, but he couldn''t sense her. Finally, he stood alone in the middle of a street, wondering what the hell he was doing. "Looking for me, sweetheart?" A smoky voice with a soft accent asked, and Langa turned around to find Liberty leaning against the wall, watching him. ¡°Hi, ntombi. You look lovely today.¡± Langa''s mind swam as he looked into her eyes. Green, a piercing contrast to her dark skin. She wore a bright red dress whose colour complemented her and flowed along her skin like water. With alcohol coursing through his system, his inhibitions were lowered, and he allowed himself to appreciate how attracted he was to her, despite how dangerous she was. She licked her lips, reading his emotions. ¡°Gods, can''t you try to hide it a little?¡± "Nope." He smiled, noting that she wasn''t discouraging him at all. ¡°So, what are you doing here?" Liberty glanced around. "I don''t know why you''re following me, but I have to go," she said. He shook his head. "If you didn''t want to talk, you wouldn''t have waited for me. You''re acting pretty detached for someone who''s claimed me," he said. He wasn''t sure if it was her, but her reaction confirmed it. "Are you hurt? Which one of the guildmaster''s hounds came after you? I made it explicitly clear that you are a person of interest to me," she said sharply. Her anger simmered under the surface of her already violent karma, and it stabbed outward like a thousand needles. "It was Octavius, wasn''t it? When I kill him this time, I''ll make it much slower. How dare he try to undermine me?" "Hey," Langa said, touching her arm. "I''m fine. And Octavius didn''t hurt me. He was there for Liv." Langa decided not to tell her that Octavius had brought Statia to kill him. He didn''t want Liberty to fight his battles. She was only protecting him because she suspected he had Amalgam''s Key. She took a deep breath, and her karma returned to its neutral state. Langa sensed a couple of breaths in a nearby alley and felt Liberty tense. "I have to go," she said curtly. "My bodyguards are leading the Federation Police away so I can escape. It was nice seeing you again, Langa." "Hold on," Langa said, his hand still on her arm, stopping her. "Why are the Federation Police chasing you?" "Anarchist killed the High Commissioner''s daughter. The Federation Police have a kill-on-sight order for all Insurgents. I can only use two skills right now; everything else is sealed, and my level is locked on the 1st Floor. I don''t wanna tempt fate," she said. If she really wanted to, she could pull away from him. Her repulsive aura, or as she''d called it before, her cadence, screamed at him to run and save himself, but it made his heart race even more. If he''d been sober, he might have realised just how messed up he was. Now, however, he stepped even closer to her. "I know a place where you can hide for a bit. Come on," he said, letting go of her arm and holding out his hand. She hesitated before finally taking that hand. Smiling, Langa re-equipped his Avatar title, led her towards Liv¡¯s old mansion, and used his set of keys to open it. The inside was dusty and dark, but thankfully one of the lucent lights in the sitting room still had power, so it turned on. "What is this place?" Liberty asked, looking around. "I kind of own it," he said, locking the door behind him. Technically, Liv owned it, but Langa had invested silver in the guild. The sitting room was clean even though some of the old furniture was broken, and the sofas were dusty. The cleanest place was the large dining room table, so he led Liberty there. She smoothly slid on top of the table and sat with her legs dangling on the side. "Thanks for the help, but I only have ten minutes left until I''m forcibly kicked out of this Floor. I should probably just return to the 20th Floor now," she said, watching how the lucent lights bathed Langa''s whole body in light as he approached her. She bit her lip. "...before I do something stupid." "There''s a lot we can do in ten minutes," he whispered. Langa stood in front of her, placing a hand on her cheek. ¡°I think we''d have a great time together.¡± ¡°You''re drunk,¡± she said, leaning into his hand. ¡°So? That just means my inhibitions are lowered a little more,¡± he murmured, inching closer to her. She breathed and closed her eyes. "If you''re going to come onto me, do it when you''re sober." "Sober me doesn''t like to fuck with evil women," he said. "Good for him," she whispered, placing a hand over his mouth. "Unless your Poison Resistance is higher than 5%, the venom in my mouth will instantly kill you if you kiss me." "Damn it," he cursed, making a mental note to research ways to increase his Poison Resistance. He sighed and then sat on the table next to her. "So, why were you talking to Vos?" "Jealous?" she asked, crossing her arms. "I came to give him a gift from the guild for winning the Clash." "Why would someone as important as you be doing something so trivial?" She shrugged. "Vos is important to the guild. He''s a token of the alliance between The Demon Reaper and The Thousand Undead. But you''re right, this was supposed to be the duty of the Ground Storey Administrator. But when your boyfriend is the guildmaster, and he is upset over being overtaken by Merreddyd, he can order other people to do your job if he wants to have you all to himself." "That doesn''t sound fair," Langa said as he inched closer to her, feeling the buzz from the alcohol settling in. "I also did well in the Clash; how come you didn''t give me a gift?" "You rejected me, remember?" she laughed. "Not you, your guild," he said. ¡°Oh? So, why didn''t you listen to me?¡± Liberty asked. ¡°I told you to lay low, and you go and challenge Anarchist?¡± Langa looked at her. ¡°There''s one thing you should know about me, ntombi. I don''t like looking at anyone¡¯s back. I spent too much of my life allowing others to run ahead of me in my path. No more,¡± he said. ¡°If only the world would stop and let us all overtake those who stand in our way. Challenging those ahead of you is admirable, but Langa, not everyone will race you on your terms,¡± Liberty said, her eyes blazing into Langa¡¯s own with intensity. ¡°Sometimes you have to burn the entire path and everyone on it to ashes to prevent anyone from getting ahead of you.¡± Wow, she really did believe in anarchy. "Is that why you work with voidents?" Langa asked. ¡°To burn the path?¡± "I don''t work with voidents," she said sharply. "The only reason I associate with those interlopers is because I know Anarchist wants to try every other option before he accepts that anarchy is the only true path to freedom for our kind. He still thinks there might be another way, but as soon as he accepts the truth that the only path to liberty is anarchy, I am burning my bridges with voidents." None of what she said made any sense to Langa, but maybe that was because he was drunk. Was that why she hadn''t done anything, even if she could sense in his emotions that he was lying about Amalgam''s key? He wanted to ask, but what if he was wrong and she didn''t know? "Can you tell when someone is lying?" he asked. She smiled. "It depends on how well I can read them." She could read him very well. "Then why..?" he let the sentence trail off. Her green eyes met his, and she seemed to understand what he wanted to ask. "Why indeed?" she muttered. "Voidentism is not the answer. Maybe I just don''t want Anarchist to get lost further down the wrong path. Besides, I know where it is. You''re a good person, so I know you would rather die than let it fall into evil hands. You won''t misuse it either." "So I''m just a pawn to you?" he asked. "Of course," she said. "Similarly, I''m just a distraction to you." He smiled. Oh, she was perfect. Langa was tempted to ask for her story, but he honestly wasn''t looking for anything real with her. ¡°Can I ask you a strange question? Is Alchemy similar to cooking?¡± he asked She was an older, emotionally unavailable woman, and so dangerous that the idea of chasing her set his nerves on fire. "That is a strange question,¡± she said, frowning. "Stalking me, are you, sweetheart?" ¡°If we''re going to be friends, we should get to know each other, right?¡± Langa said. She raised an eyebrow. ¡°You think you and I can be friends?¡± ¡°Hey, if you want more, you know I''m all for it,¡± he grinned. ¡°Fine. I can cook up poison, among other things," she said with a smile. "I learnt how to do it since I lived alone when I was young." Langa remembered from stalk- erm, researching her on the Dent that she was a Chosen, not from any Floor in the Tower. The more he learnt about her, the more curious he became, but he shut those thoughts out of his mind. "Hmm. So, since you''re an Alchemist, you could give me an antidote for your venom, couldn''t you?" he asked, changing the subject. She shrugged. "I''m an Apothecary, not a mere Alchemist. Now why would I give you the anti-venom, granting you power over my greatest weapon?" "We can trade. I''ll give you something hundreds of Alchemists have been begging me for," he told her. "What could a Tier 1 rookie possibly have to entice an Advanced Apothecary like myself?" she asked sceptically. "I happen to have a large quantity of allemak lifeblood," he said, dangling the bait. "I heard you weren''t selling." There was interest on her face. "I can''t give you my anti-venom but I guess I do need to raise my pawn. You put me in a good mood tonight, so I''m going to give you a gift for winning the Clash after all. You struggled to use your divine skill in the clash, right? Is your manacore unstable?" Even half-drunk out of his mind as he was, Langa knew it was a bad idea to tell her that he didn''t have a manacore, so he nodded. She took an empty scroll from her inventory and handed it to him. ¡°Draw the magic circle for your divine skill here for me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Do you want to ruin the surprise gift?¡± He only hesitated for a second before drawing the magic circle. Even if anyone else knew how to draw the magic circle for Lightning Lance, they couldn''t use it without the divine skill from Adtonifulmin. "Okay, sweetheart, now take off your shirt,¡± she said. He grinned, removing the shirt. "Oh, you''ve changed your mind, I see." ¡°Now lie down on the table," she said softly. Langa lay on the table, and she climbed onto the table after him. "Do you trust me?" she whispered, straddling him. Her hands brushed over his skin, lingering on his bare chest, where she could feel his quickening heartbeat. He placed his hands on her back, pulling her closer. "No ntombi. Not one bit," he whispered back. "Good," she said. She opened her comcer interface and took out a needle and some strange green liquid in a flask, dipping the needle inside. "My gift to you will be to make it so you don''t have to use artificial manacores and spell scrolls anymore. I usually charge a few silver coins per symbol I Inscribe, and the magic circle of your divine skill has over a hundred of them." "Thanks," Langa said, genuinely surprised. "Will you take the lifeblood?" "Not yet. You''ll owe me. I''ll need an excuse to come visit you next time after all." When she smiled at him, her face lit up, and she looked so beautiful that his heartbeat picked up again. Fuck, he wanted her. She gasped. ¡°Did you forget that I can feel your emotions?¡± ¡±No,¡± he said. ¡±You really do love flirting with danger,¡± she whispered. "The poison in the auink will knock you out, so I¡¯ll see you around, Langa." She bent down, and he felt her breath on his neck, making him shiver as she kissed his cheek softly. He was about to respond, but then he felt the sting of her needle on his chest, and his mind went hazy. * The terrible itch on his chest was so bad that it woke Langa up. The first thing he noticed when he awoke was that he was sleeping alone. He whispered, "Liberty?" "Seriously?" an annoyed voice said. Langa looked around. He was lying on a mattress on the floor, with a blanket draped over him. He was in Sorrento Inn but this room was much bigger than his, and there was a large, king-sized bed next to the wall. Liv stood in front of the bathroom, a towel on his head. "That''s the first name on your lips when I had to carry you, passed out, into my suite last night. The Sun God forbid if I ever give you alcohol ever again. You almost ruined my night." "Almost?" Langa asked, and Liv pointed at his bed, where, sleeping peacefully, was Coraloa. He raised his eyebrows. ¡±Wow,¡± he said, impressed. ¡°She didn¡¯t strike me as the kind of woman who¡¯d be willing to worship you.¡± Liv rolled his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not like that with her; she¡¯s just using me,¡± he said. ¡±You say that like it¡¯s a good thing,¡± Langa said. ¡±Why wouldn¡¯t it be? Our goals align somewhat. She needs my influence, and I need her connections, so we¡¯re keeping each other close,¡± he said, then grinned. ¡°Besides, she may not worship me, but I''m sure I can get her on her knees." ¡±Ew. Argh. Ew, for the gods¡¯ sake, Liv, a little respect goes a long way. I didn¡¯t need to have that image in my head,¡± Langa said, wondering if he was going to be sick. Liv brushed his hair and levelled him with a look. ¡°By the way, Langa, should you really be questioning my choices when yours are the reason why your chest is being eaten away by poison?" he asked. What? Langa looked down at himself and found the source of the itching on his chest. There was a strange circular tattoo the size of a fist drawn there, and it stung his skin as if it were alive. "What the hell?" "That''s exactly what I thought when I couldn''t find you at the festival last night. I contacted your comcer only for it to be answered by-" Liv looked at the bed to make sure Coraloa was still sleeping, "¡ªthe freaking Hallow Reapers¡¯ First Storey Administrator! What happened?" "So I did meet Liberty last night?" Langa asked, his head throbbing. "Yeah," Liv said, then pulled a jar of cream out of his drawer. "She left this with you; I''ll assume it''s to counteract the poison in that magic circle." [IL''s MoorootSap Cream Rank: Uncommon Alchemist: ??? (Insurgent Liberty) Effects: Clears 50% of all DOT effects from MoorootSap poison when applied within 12 hours. Grants immunity to MoorootSap poison for an additional 60 seconds. Warning: Not for oral consumption! Cool-down: 120 seconds] Langa took the cream and looked down at the tattoo again. Now that his vision was clear, he could see that the tattoo was an Inscription of the magic circle for Lightning Lance. He searched his mind, and flashes of last night came back to him as he remembered what happened. He exhaled, smiled, and applied the cream over the tattoo. The itching ceased instantly, and the poisoned debuff disappeared. "Well? What''s your relationship with Anarchist''s left-hand woman?" Liv asked, still waiting for an answer. "Hmm? Oh, we all have our secrets, Liv,¡± he said with a shrug. He honestly had no idea. Liv shook his head. "And you made fun of me for my type? At least I don''t want a dangerous woman who has both the power and incentive to kill me at any moment." ¡±You don¡¯t know anything, Liv. That¡¯s what makes it exciting,¡± Langa said. ¡±Langa. I say this as your friend," Liv said, shaking his head. "You have issues. You need help.¡± Langa glared at him for flipping that line back at him. 64. First Meetings and Complicated Reunions (2) Nothing could beat Langa''s hangover like eating meat in the morning, although some pap would have been nice. He was relaxed since the tavern was half empty, as most people were still asleep after the festival the previous night or had already returned to their main Floors, including Di Etta. ¡°Hi Langa,¡± a familiar voice said. Langa looked up, and his body immediately tensed. Pranav Chandra sat across from him with a lazy smile. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Langa asked. ¡°Is that any way to treat an old friend who came to visit you?¡± he asked, shaking his head in disappointment. ¡°You''re always so sour, Langa.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Langa said, clenching his fists. ¡°The only thing I wanna hear from your mouth is Neo¡¯s location.¡± The smile disappeared from Pranav¡¯s face, replaced by a flash of sorrow so intense that it made Langa uneasy. His heart lurched. ¡°Where''s my nephew, Pranav?¡± Pranav sat up straight and closed his eyes. ¡°Neo¡¯s dead.¡± Langa¡¯s world stood still, and his heart sank in his chest. No, he refused to believe it. The few people around him gasped as his karma oozed out of him, the pressure he emitted making them tremble in fear. ¡°You¡¯re lying! You¡¯re fucking lying to me!¡± he shouted at Pranav. This couldn''t be happening. The last time he saw Neo, he''d been happy. He had just been released from prison and was having fun. ¡°Why would I lie to you about that?¡± Pranav asked, looking him in the eye. "If you don''t believe me, I have someone who can..." Langa''s mind swam in sorrow and confusion, even as the tavern walls closed in on him. The world around him narrowed, boxing him in, and there was no escape from the darkness plaguing his mind. "Get in the box, Langa!¡± Kgosi screamed at him in a distant memory, and he dug his nails into the table to keep himself grounded. He needed to get out of this box and free himself from this darkness suffocating him. ¡°Langa?¡± a calm voice said, reaching out to him in the darkness. ¡°Can you hear me?" ¡°Khaya?¡± Langa choked out, the voice of someone he loved grounding him. He opened his eyes, and Pranav was sitting next to him now, wrist out, his comcer next to Langa¡¯s ear. ¡°Hey, yeah, it''s me. I''m sorry I couldn''t come see you,¡± she said. "How are you? Are you doing okay?" He grabbed Pranav¡¯s wrist, desperate for answers. ¡°Pranav said that Neo¡¯s... he''s...¡± He couldn''t say it. ¡°I''m sorry, malume, but it''s true,¡± she said quietly. ¡°You know how Neo is. He and Pranav did something reckless and dangerous as usual, and this time it got Neo killed.¡± Tears bubbled up in Langa''s eyes. Neo''d always loved cheap thrills, and Pranav gave him more than his fair share. He couldn''t handle dealing with this right now, so he pushed the pain away and shoved his grief into the depths of his mind. "Where did you bury him?" Langa asked. Neo hadn''t followed his mother''s religion; he wasn''t a believer in the ancestors either. ¡°We didn''t," Pranav said, and Langa''s eyes snapped open. Anger overcame his grief. "I know we have different customs, but you need to lay him to rest so his soul can find peace. I won''t let you deny him that. I will kill you first," he said, his lightning mana seeping out of his hand, shocking Pranav''s wrist that he was holding. "Calm down, malume, please; it''s not like that," Khaya said. "Pranav has a quest, and I know you hate him, but if you listen to him, we may be able to-" Langa suddenly froze. Now that he pushed his grief away, the absurdity of the situation struck him. ¡°Khaya," he said quietly. "Why does Pranav have your mana signature? Where are you right now?¡± She didn''t respond. ¡°Khaya!¡± he snapped impatiently. ¡°Pranav and his...friends have been looking after me for a while. I promise you, Langa, I¡¯m fine,¡± she said. A ball settled in Langa¡¯s throat, and he swallowed it down. ¡°I''ve been a damn flashing beacon of light, letting you know where I was. I was sick with worry, trying to find you every day! And you chose to go to this fucking shithead who ruined Neo¡¯s life instead of coming to me?" ¡°Hey!¡± Pranav protested. ¡°I''ve taken good care of your niece while you were out chasing speed and fame as usual!" ¡°Shut up!¡± Langa said. ¡°Answer me, Khaya.¡± ¡°I''m sorry, malume, but I came here because Neo sent for me. I stayed, even after what happened, because Pranav needs me to bring Neo back.¡± Langa squashed the seed of hope that started to bloom in his chest. ¡°The only way to bring back someone who''s permanently dead is as a mindless undead. If you think I''m going to let you defile Neo like that, then you have another thing coming!¡± "I get why you wouldn''t want to trust him, but I promise that doing the ritual was Neo''s choice. This isn''t what Pranav expected to happen when he sacrificed him, but-" Khaya started, but Pranav yanked his wrist away from Langa and ended the call. The world shook again as Langa''s anger and disbelief threatened to overwhelm him. He grabbed Pranav''s neck and squeezed, trying to steal all the air he could from him. "You sacrificed my nephew?" he asked in a calm voice that contrasted his raging emotions. "Listen...Neo''s not permanently dead, so I.... can still bring him back whole,¡± Pranav said, trying to pull away Langa''s hand. Mana seeped from Pranav, making the blood in Langa¡¯s hand burn up painfully, and red blisters started to appear on his hand. He did not let go. ¡°You may be able to manipulate Khaya into working for you, but don''t try that shit with me,¡± Langa said. "What the hell happened? Why would you sacrifice Neo? He loved you!" Langa squeezed so hard that Pranav''s face turned purple, the lightning from Langa''s hands numbing him. "I''ll tell you what happened, so stop choking me, dammit," Pranav gasped. ''I am in control.'' Langa thought. He walked the path of lightning; he had to have a calm, cold mind and a blazing heart. Calm, cold mind. He took a deep breath and let go. Pranav coughed and immediately started talking. "It was Neo''s idea. You know how it is in this world, Langa; the more precious something is to you, the better the rewards you get if you sacrifice it to your deity," Pranav said. "He was already attempting a race change, so we figured we''d do the sacrificial ritual at the same time. We''d get some power, and then he''d respawn all fine and new." How was it a sacrifice if they knew he would return to life? "You tried to trick a deity?" Langa asked. "It wasn''t a trick. It was a true sacrifice. The race change into a vampire was going to be the permanent end of Neo''s human life. Something went wrong, though. The process of the sacrificial ritual killed Neo as expected, but when I found him at his respawn point, it was just his body, dead without his soul. I would have lost him forever if not for the Hallow Reapers. Discord collected his soul into an egg for me," Pranav explained. "The egg is a temporary vessel, and it feeds on Khaya''s lifeblood to keep it alive.¡± Back in Risa''s Plateau, when Langa asked about his family, the Seer had said two were dead, two were in mortal peril, and one was Shrouded. According to Adtonifulmin Langa¡¯s sister and Khaya were alive, and his mother was dead. Adtonifulmin hadn''t responded when he asked about Neo. Was it because he was technically dead, but there was a chance to bring him back? ¡°Why do you need Khaya¡¯s blood?¡± Langa asked. He hadn''t even had time to ask her if she was eating well, keeping warm, or safe. Pranav looked away. "The ritual requires the blood of Neo''s immediate family to feed the soul vessel." ¡°Fine, let''s say I believe you," Langa said, straightening up. "Give her to me. Take my blood instead of hers.¡± ¡°Blood magic is tricky. Your blood won''t work. It has to be someone Neo is directly related to¡ªhis mother, father, or sibling. As his uncle, you''re too distant,¡± he explained. ¡°Look, I''m not going to hurt the girl. Even if I managed to bring him back, Neo would never forgive me if I failed to protect his sister.¡± Langa did not like it one bit. He needed to get Khaya away from this man. He couldn''t be trusted, and she wasn''t safe with him. ¡°Why are you here, Pranav?¡± ¡°Well, I heard from a reliable source that you had a private meeting with the High Commissioner of the 1st Floor. I need you to use that connection to steal something for me,¡± Pranav said. ¡°Are you fucking insane? He¡¯s level 25; if I try to steal from him, I''m dead,¡± Langa hissed in disbelief. ¡°Not from him. We need to steal a soul vessel called the Nimaredo from the Pharaoh of the 3rd Floor. To enter his palace, you need a recommendation from the High Commissioner of the 1st Floor, and one of the War Chiefs of the 2nd Floor," Pranav said. "Then why don''t you do it? A manipulative bastard like you can probably easily worm his way into the High Commissioner''s circle." Langa crossed his arms, glaring at him. Gods, what did Neo see in this bastard? "What, are the police in the Tower not as easy to bribe as the ones back home?" "I''m not in good standing with the Federation Police. I¡¯ll try my best to gain the favour of a War Chief but I won''t be able to get a recommendation on this Floor and I don''t trust anyone else but you with Neo''s life," he sighed. "Right now, I¡¯m busy trying to earn a guild token to register the Jahreela Saamp as a guild. A guild that will protect your niece, I might add." "Unbelievable," Langa said, rubbing his temple. "I¡¯ll do my own research to verify your claims." "Good. Now, shall we exchange mana signatures so we can communicate easily?¡± Pranav offered. Reluctantly, Langa held out his wrist and exchanged signatures with him. He couldn''t believe the nerve of this guy. First, he introduced Neo to a life of crime, then got him killed, and now he was using Khaya like a damn bloodbag? He even had the nerve to make demands of Langa! As swiftly as he could, he pulled out Tonare in its short sword form and stabbed it deep into Pranav¡¯s abdomen before he could even react. ¡°Argh!¡± he screamed, slumping back on the chair as red stained his black robes. "You damned-" [You have attacked another player in a neutral zone. Create a PvP zone? Yes/No] Langa ignored the prompt, leant in, and whispered in Pranav''s ear. ¡°That is for getting Neo killed. If anything happens to Khaya, the next strike is going in your throat,¡± he said, adding a bit of karma to his next words. "I will hunt you down and enjoy killing you over and over again until all your respawns are used up." Pranav grimaced, and he detached himself from Langa''s hold. A dark shadow wrapped around him as he stood up, groaning in pain. The blood from his wound gathered up in his hand, and he pressed it over his abdomen and then exhaled in relief, completely healed. ¡°Play the hero all you want, but don''t forget whose screw-up it was that led Neo to meet me in the first place. If I didn''t need you, you bhosdike, I''d kill you right here. I haven''t forgotten that you''re the one who got me locked up back on earth... and I don''t forgive," Pranav said, eyes burning with fury. "You''re welcome to try," Langa sneered. "Piss off before I stab you again." If looks could kill, the glare that Pranav levelled at him would have cut him in half. He pulled his cloak over himself and stalked out. As soon as Pranav left, Langa activated the Distortion skill on his jerkin and went after him. Invisible, he followed the man into a dark alley where multiple dirty and unkempt NPCs lay huddled under tattered blankets. Dirt and piss filled the place, contrasting with the cleaned-up town centre where the festival had taken place just the previous night. Coraloa and a few other players were serving a queue of homeless NPCs some warm porridge. This place was crowded, and Pranav mixed in with the crowd, pushing through them. With his Avatar title active, Langa was assaulted by the mixture of many new breaths, clouding his senses. He couldn''t sense Pranav''s breath, but he could see his cloak as he hurried through the crowd. Pranav rounded a corner, and he followed him. Instead of continuing to hurry away, however, the figure stood still, waiting for him in the middle of the alley. "Stop following me. I can''t let you have Khaya," Pranav said, his voice like a growl. "Let me see her," Langa demanded. "No! Neo needs her." Pranav leapt forward, and Langa instinctively raised Tonare and stabbed him while he sidestepped the attack. To his surprise, the glaive went through the body like it was water, and the cloak fell to the ground, soaked in blood. "What the hell?" Langa asked, bewildered. There was no one under the cloak. All that remained was a large pool of blood. Had Pranav made the switch and slipped away when they were in the crowd? Langa was frustrated, as he had no choice but to walk back to Sorrento Inn. He needed to calm down, so he returned to his table, but his appetite was gone. He checked the contacts on his comcer, wondering who to ask about soul vessels and rebirth. Ironically, the person with the most knowledge of death magic he knew was Fi Kindaro, but no matter how desperate he was, he wouldn''t ask his enemy for help. He had no idea what to do, so he welcomed the distraction of a new message on his comcer.
@InsurgentLibertyHRC to @langelihle Morning, how''s your chest? Did the poison kill you yet?
He snorted. He''d passed out in front of her. If she wanted to kill him, it wouldn''t have been hard.
@langelihle to @InsurgentLibertyHRC I''m doing better than ever, sorry. I had a great time last night. Thanks for the magic circle, but when can I see you again?
Looking around the tavern, Langa spotted someone else who could help him and walked over to him. "Is this seat taken?" he asked. "No. Good morning, Langa. You look terrible," Vos Kindaro II said, as Langa sat across from him. He was a follower of The Thousand Undead, so if anyone knew about souls and resurrections, it was him. He looked as elegant as ever, his long white hair neatly tied back. "Did we even drink the same thing last night? How come you don''t look like someone ran you over with a truck?" Langa asked. A server brought Vos purblan bread and quail eggs along with tea. "I have no idea what that is, but my eldest brother always hated making public appearances, so I usually entertained the nobles in his stead since I was a child. I''ve learned to look perfect no matter what I''m feeling inside." "That can''t be good for your mental health," Langa muttered. "Can I ask you something about souls?" Stolen story; please report. "Of course. What is it?" Vos asked, drinking his tea. "Hypothetically, say a person attempted a race change and sacrificial ritual, died, and respawned without his soul. Is it possible to bring him back to life?" Langa asked. The dark elf raised an eyebrow. "From which race to which one?" "Human to vampire." "Hmm. If someone collected or reaped his soul, I suppose it''s not impossible. However, it depends on how the race change was done." "What do you mean?" "There are many ways to change your race, but the most important thing is that a deity needs to approve it. The safest method is to complete a Challenge and receive a complete race change token from your patron deity. That way, you can choose whether you want a full race change or a 25 to 75% race change; essentially, you''d be a bit like halfkin," Vos said. "Another method is to do a sacrificial ritual to ask for a deity''s approval. For this, it depends on who initiated the ritual because only a Tier 3 or above can facilitate a race change. They would need to find somewhere to store your hypothetical friend''s soul so it doesn''t get corrupted." Langa would have to read up on race change rituals and their effects later. "Would something called a Nimaredo work?" Vos glanced at his side for a brief second, then looked up at him, his calm expression shaken. "Do you have one?" "No," Langa said, his arms folded. "We are speaking purely hypothetically, of course." "Of course," Vos said with a clipped smile. "There are many different types of soul vessels, and the one you mentioned is a part of a dangerous Legendary Artefact. It can be used to store a soul for an infinite amount of time, but it can also be used to enslave a living person by keeping their soul locked in the Nimaredo. No one who isn''t well versed in soul magic should attempt to use it." Great, so Pranav''s plan could work; however, it might also keep Neo shackled to him. "Thank you for your help, Vos," he said. The frustration was like a noose choking Langa now, so when his comcer beeped, he hastily checked the message.
@InsurgentLibertyHRC to @langelihle I''ll be off the grid clearing the 21st Floor for a week or so. I''ll let you know when I''m back. Besides, you should miss me a little, so you grow fonder, sweetheart.
Despite the worries plaguing him, Langa smiled. "Langa," Vos said, snapping him out of it. "Even if you have a soul vessel and perform the many rituals needed to resurrect your hypothetical friend, there is one final thing that needs to be done. For any True Resurrection, you must give a life for a life. For maximum efficiency, it has to be the life of a blood relative directly linked to them." Langa froze, his smile vanishing. Was that why Pranav wanted Khaya by his side? But Neo would never agree to his sister being used as a sacrifice to bring him back to life. Shit. He had to get the soul vessel first. "Thanks for letting me know," he said, standing up. "One more thing, before you leave," Vos said. "I''m guessing you didn''t check your system notifications yet, but the third prince earned a Unique Achievement this morning. He''s the first person from our batch to clear the 1st Floor." "What? Fi Kindaro has Ascended?" Langa said and hastily sat back down, surprise and anger rising out of him. "How?" Vos shrugged. "I''m guessing he earned 10 000 karma and cleared a level 10 unclaimed dungeon." "Yeah, no shit, Sherlock." Langa gave him an annoyed look, checking the Batch 4 Overall Leaderboard. Liv was still number 1 and Langa was still number 4, but Pranav had fallen to sixth place and Fi had joined a guild and was now in third place after Vos. "He''s joined the Soh Piquamu Guild. What''s so special about them?" Langa asked. "Our youngest brother is the master of the guild. Fi is in a hurry to get back home. He''s probably manipulated Joh into letting his guild speedrun him through the Tower," Vos said, staring at his plate in thought. "I bet Mari is enraged." Fi had mentioned that one of his brothers had already been Chosen long before their world was integrated into the Tower. If Fi wanted to reach the Third Storey first, then he didn''t care about achievements, because if he was being carried, he wouldn''t receive a lot of karma from the system. "I bet he will probably slow down once he reaches the 31st Floor. That devious son of a bitch. Er, no offence," Langa added to Vos. "None taken. We all have different mothers, and that word is not nearly enough to describe our father," Vos shrugged. "I am Ascending to the 2nd Floor today. I will tell you this in case I run into any complications. A bird informed me Fi''s waiting for an artefact so he can do a divine ritual on the 2nd Floor. He has to wait until the last day of Huey Tozoztli, as it is the most auspicious. It ends on the 13th day of Earth. That means we have 12 days to catch him on the 2nd Floor." Ten days. That was plenty of time, but Langa didn''t know how to feel about Vos possibly getting to Fi before him. "Why are you telling me all this?¡± Langa asked. ¡°Are you fine with me being the one to kill him?¡± ¡±No, you are my plan B. We can each take a respawn from him. Besides, revenge is only my secondary goal; all I want from Fi is Riman¡¯s engagement mask,¡± he said. When it was clear Langa didn''t understand, he continued. "The white skull he always wears. She was special, a rare moon-elf, beautiful and strong. He couldn''t stand that she chose me... that she wanted to share her life and power with me, not him, so he took her from me. He stole and kept the last remaining piece of her soulblood in there. If you kill him and it drops, I want you to bring it to me. Not Mari, me. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to hunt you down and kill you for it.¡± At least Vos was honest. He didn''t know who Riman was, and it was unnerving that Vos would reveal something that Langa could use against him in the future so easily, but that just meant he was confident in himself, which made Langa like him more. ¡°Fine. If you permakill Fi, I want you to release the soul of a boy he enslaved named Sato Makoto. If you choose to enslave Makoto¡¯s soul too, then I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to hunt you down and kill you for it,¡± Langa said and infused mana into his comcer then held out his hand. ¡°Deal?¡± Vos smiled and held out his hand too. ¡°Deal,¡± he said, and the two of them exchanged mana signatures. * When he went up to his room, Langa found Synn lying on his bed. "Welcome home," she said, opening her eyes when he came in. "What are you doing in my room?" he asked with raised eyebrows. "You know, for someone who''s stingy with her stuff, you sure like to sink your paws into other people''s belongings." She rolled her eyes and sat up. "I came to return these," she said, handing over three regular mana potions. "I don''t like owing people, even my friends." He took them from her and frowned. "These are all common mana potions. I distinctly remember giving you one uncommon potion." "Says the guy who''s only alive because of my Void Star. Hey, check this out. Your master''s Incarnation gave me this awesome weapon upgrade," she said, throwing a black, snakelike whip towards him. Langa scanned the weapon and raised his eyebrows. "Wow, how come Lord Tarquinius didn''t give me something this nice?" he asked. [Musco''s Corrosive Whip Rank: Rare Effects: Decomposing Haemorrhage: Any being struck by the whip will bleed, and the wound will fester, causing 10% corrosive damage. All skills channelled through the whip deal an extra 5% darkness damage. Equipment Restrictions: Min Level 10, Darkness Affinity 10% or higher, MP: 500 or higher, Special Stat: WIS - 250 or higher.] Adtonifulmin was a god of decay too, and Langa sometimes forgot that because he mainly used lightning and life. "I think it''s because Lord Tarquinius and I have history, though I''m not sure why he was so kind to me," Synn said, snatching the whip back. Langa saw her eyes glance over to Tonare again. Tonare had been bound to Tarquinius when he was mortal, and Langa had received his Calling inside Synn''s shrine back in Zamone. He was curious about the relationship between Synn and Tonare, but she didn''t look ready to share. "I''ve put it off long enough," Synn said. "Take care of yourself. I''ll see you when I see you." Langa blinked as her meaning dawned on him. He sat down on the bed next to her. "You''re leaving? Why?" "Are you going to miss me?" "Honestly, a little." "I''ve been swamped with guild offers, but none of them is all that appealing to me¡ªnot more than spending time with my friends." She shrugged, her hands running through her hair. "If I keep moving, maybe I can find some poor people to save along the way and raise my alignment. I can''t stay here with you, Cora, Undkese and everyone. I might want more, and that''s dangerous for me." Langa didn''t understand. He hadn''t had many friends in his life, and she was a bit special to him considering their karma bond. "What''s wrong with wanting more?" "I don''t want to end up desiring to have everything again. I promised myself that I needed to find my world''s Legacies and make sure they landed in the right hands. Maybe that way I''ll find redemption for destroying that world, whatever redemption is," she sighed. "Maybe Master will finally look at me." "Where are you going to go? Will you return to The Maluta Syndicate?" "I have to. They have information on Zamone''s Legacies, and they owe me," she said. "Then I''ll go to the 2nd Floor as soon as I''ve cleared this one." "You''re not beginning The Infinite Challenge?" Langa asked in surprise. "I couldn''t even if I wanted to. I''ve already completed it before, and one awakened mortal soul can only enter that place once in the beginning," she said. "I can retry when I''m Tier 5 or a seraphim." "Really?" Langa asked. "So if I am a reincarnated soul, I can''t take the Infinite Challenge?" "No, you can. It depends on a few factors, like whether you remember taking the Infinite Challenge. Part of what makes it a Challenge is that you never know what the right choice is. The Quartenity will be watching you, so make good decisions," she said. ¡°I don''t remember much of my former life, but I know this. If you thought a bit more and stopped being impulsive, you''d make a decent deity." He laughed at the jab. Was she really going to leave? Fuck, this was why he liked keeping his distance from people, because once he got attached, it was very hard for him to let people go. He put an arm around her shoulders. "Don''t go," he whispered. She shook her head, looking uncertain. "I made a promise, Langa," she said, her head resting on his shoulder. "I''ve already broken too many promises to the people who believed in me." "I''m not asking you to break it..." He paused, then blurted out without thinking. "Do you want to join our guild?" "What?" "Liv is starting a guild. You said you want to spend time with your friends, but you don''t want it to distract you from your mission, right? If you join our guild, we''ll help you find information on your world''s Legacies. You can do both," he said. His words were flowing over each other. "I know you''re the top Mage of our batch and you have hundreds of stronger and more established guilds asking you to join, but ours is going to take this Tower by storm. We have a vision and-" "Yes," she said, cutting him off and turning to face him so abruptly that he dropped his arm from her. "Seriously?" He stared at her. "Why?" "My resolve is shaky at best. And, I think you and Liv''Kungsadu have potential, but you need someone to put a leash on you before you bark at stronger wolves in more powerful packs," she said, smiling. Her eyes again looked at Langa''s glaive. "I also have a weakness for ambitious, reckless, idealistic men." Her smile turned sad, and he clapped her shoulder. "You''re mad if you think you can put a leash on either of us." "Well, Langa, you and I have something in common. We both like a challenge," she said with a grin. "By the way, do you even have the authority to recruit me? Liv''Kungsadu doesn''t like me, you know." Langa was sure he could convince him. "I''m the deputy guildmaster. I have a voice." Just then, there was a loud, urgent knock on the door. Langa wasn''t expecting anyone, so he said, "Come in!" Coraloa barged into the room, her skin greyer than normal, looking out of breath. "Langa, there you are. Let''s go!" "What''s going on?" Langa asked her in confusion. She took a deep breath and smiled brightly. "GM Merreddyd is in the Guardians'' Guild territory. She wants to see both of us." Synn raised her eyebrows. "Didn''t she clear the 30th Floor like yesterday? Shouldn''t she be resting?" "She''s a Guardian Knight. As long as there is injustice in the Tower, she can''t rest." The awe in Coraloa''s eyes was almost sickening. "Come on, Langa. AD Jandri said you have an entry token too." "Okay, I''m coming," Langa said, removing the token from his Feathervault bag. He was curious about the famous Guardian Knight. "I better not find you in my room when I get back," he called to Synn as he left. She laid back down on the bed with a whine. "But your bed is so comfortable. I think Liv''Kungsadu had my bed filled with bricks." Coraloa led him to Sorrento Creek''s teleportation wheel, but unfortunately, there was a bit of a queue with the last of the festival goers using the wheel to return to their homes or Floors. He prayed to The Lackadaisical Herald to deliver him when Coraloa spent the entire time in the queue talking about how nervous she was to meet Merreddyd and how she hoped the Guardian Knight would like her. Finally, it was their turn, and the two of them placed their tokens in the slot of the teleportation wheel. When it next opened, the Guardians'' deputy guildmaster, Alfsol stood in front of the teleportation wheel. The sun elf had a weary look in his eye, but he smiled at them and extended his hand. "You must be Coraloa. It''s lovely to meet you," he said. Coraloa bowed her head. "DP Alfsol...the honour is mine, sir." "Lift your head, you''ll outrank me soon enough," he said, shaking her hand. "Oh, I could never presume to..." Coraloa said hastily. Alfsol waved her off as his eyes turned to Langa. "Hi, Langa. I thought you were full of it when you said you''d improve our guild''s reputation on the 1st Floor but you are making good progress." "Hey," Langa said with a wave. "It''s been a while." "For you, maybe. For me, it''s been months since I saw you. The final rift on the 29th Floor was brutal," he said wearily. ¡°You look like shit. Was it difficult to defeat the 30th Floor Boss?¡± Langa asked. Alfsol gave him a hollow laugh. ¡°I crashed out after clearing the 29th Floor. GM Merreddyd cleared the 30th Floor alone.¡± "Holy Zodiacs, isn''t she just the pinnacle of diligence?" Coraloa marvelled. "Sometimes I wish she would just stop," Alfsol sighed. "Coraloa, please step outside and come with me to the guild domain. There''s something I wish to discuss with you while Langa meets GM Merreddyd." "Of course," she said, and with another bow, she stepped out of the teleportation wheel. Alfsol placed another token in the teleportation wheel''s slot. "She''s waiting for you up there. Don''t freak out." He stepped into the darkness as the wheel closed. When it opened again, Langa walked out and found himself standing high in the air on top of a fluffy, white cloud. The sky stretched out below him, but the sun was missing. "Whoa," he said, marvelling at the sensation of walking on clouds. "Beautiful, isn''t it? Hello, Langa. I''m Saint Merreddyd,¡± a soft voice said. Langa turned to see a pretty woman standing on the cloud behind him. She had bright, golden hair and pale, nearly translucent skin. She was a short angelkin, barely 1.3 metres tall, and her eyes were pure white with no pupils. She held a white cane and using it to feel her way as she walked towards him. "You¡¯re young," Langa muttered, staring at her. Whatever he expected coming here, it wasn''t that the Guardian Knight, leader of the Guardians Guild and the only player directly bound to The Unrivalled in this Tower was a blind girl. ¡°Appearances can be deceiving,¡± Merreddyd said, and a sudden violent storm of karma tore into the clouds, engulfing everything and surrounding Langa, nearly choking him. The pressure wasn''t trying to hurt him, but he couldn''t help but be overwhelmed by it. "Holy shit," he said when she let it go. She almost knocked him on his arse! She was strong as fuck. "I was 17 years old when my world was integrated into this Tower nine years ago," she said. "Thanks to my attribute, ya, I have lived more lifetimes than you can imagine." Merreddyd yawned, and her shoulders sagged as she moved from cloud to cloud ahead of him. ¡°Are you alright? You look exhausted,¡± he said. ¡±I haven¡¯t slept in 7 months planning how to not only catch up to Abcanthu Nocnitsa, but to overtake him,¡± she said wearily. ¡°It didn''t make The Guardians take The Hallow Reapers¡¯ position as the second-place guild in the Tower, ya, but ever since Anarchist defeated Kerafonika, things have been so bleak for my guildmates. As their leader, I had to shine bright and pave the way for them.¡± ¡±Well, it worked,¡± Langa said reassuringly. ¡°You should have seen how happy Aria and the other Guardians were when the news broke last night. They love you.¡± ¡°Really, ya?¡± She asked, looking up at him, and even though her eyes were blank, he could tell she was happy. ¡±Really. So you need to take care of yourself for them,¡± he told her gently. Perhaps it was because this powerful and fierce Guardian Knight reminded him of his life before integration, as someone with too much to bear on her young shoulders. ¡±I am tired,¡± she confessed with a heavy sigh. "Well, relax and take it easy. Sometimes you gotta say fuck those responsibilities and take a little holiday for yourself," he said. She laughed. "I wish." She was surprisingly easy to talk to. He had this strange feeling inside his karma, as if he''d known Merreddyd for years. A strong essence in his instincts naturally wanted to protect her. At first, he didn''t understand it, but later, he attributed it to Adtonifulmin''s connection to The Unrivalled. "Where are we going?" he asked. It wasn¡¯t cold up here, and there was no wind. "I want to show you something. Follow me,¡± Merreddyd said, her voice now lively. "By the way, I wanted to thank you for what you''ve done for Jandri, ya." "Jandri? I haven''t done anything,¡± Langa said, thinking of how he¡¯d accused her of not doing enough in the Tower. "I was up all night reading the latest Guardian reports. You must have done something because she has been deploying team after team to raid the Vonelle Heilliege Guild''s outposts and territories," she said. "Jandri has been dissatisfied with her position for a long time. She single-mindedly chased after Amalgam, perhaps neglecting the voident problems of regular NPCs unintentionally. I ordered her to stop climbing the Tower and fix The Ground Storey first, but she deserves better than that. I hate it, but I keep having to ask her to sacrifice more than she already has.¡± It wasn''t Merreddyd or Jandri''s fault that the NPCs turned to voidentism out of desperation. ¡°I think you''re too hard on yourself. You¡¯re both doing your best.¡± ¡°Perhaps. You and the other freelance bounty hunters help us tremendously. If there is anything I can do to thank you for preventing two disasters on the 1st Floor and helping save all those children, please let me know," she said sincerely. "That''s not why I did it," Langa said with a shrug. "You can spar with me if you''re up for it." "Absolutely not. I don''t know how to hold back, ya? I''d kill you and then suffer massive backlash," she said. That just made him want to fight her even more, but he decided to ask for something else. Liv and his popularity could only go so far in getting people to pay attention to their guild. "Alright. If you really want to help, perhaps you could give us an endorsement. Liv and I are starting a guild, and a recommendation from The Guardian Knight would go a long way in helping us solidify our position in this Tower,¡± he said. She looked up at him. It was strange since she couldn¡¯t see, but he could feel her karma focused on him. "You''re asking me to go out on a limb for your guild, ya? I don''t know what you stand for." "Our guild will pick up the Guardians'' slack. The Unrivalled''s rules don''t require you to hunt red players, so we''ll take care of that on top of saving those oppressed by voidents," Langa said confidently. Interest flickered on Merreddyd''s face. "So a whole guild of people like Unbound Jareeksha?" she muttered. "Building a roving guild territory costs a lot of gold and karma, ya? Oh, wait, it''s free if you''re the first in your batch to establish a guild. Is that your plan?" "Yes, totally," Langa said with a nod. "But how will you manage to hunt voidents as non-Guardians?" she asked. All Guardians had a Blessing from The Unrivalled that protected them from pseudovoid territories and allowed them to destroy Void Gems and Deiform Amulets to capture and arrest voidents. "Well, if you give us Deiform Amulets and Rings like the ones I have-" "Absolutely not," Merreddyd said sharply, her karma pressure rising again. "Why not?" Langa asked. He was curious why he seemed to be the only person with those artefacts when they weren''t as restricting as The Unrivalled''s Blessing and would go a long way towards attracting more players to work for the Guardians. "I know what you''re thinking, and when I first became a Guardian Knight, I also thought Master wasn''t selecting enough people for her Blessing. I was quick to test, assess, and select strong individuals and offer them Deiform Artefacts after signing a system contract," she said. "But I got burnt, Langa. Instead of using my precious Artefacts to hunt voidents, they used them to command voidents instead." Her karma radiated both pain and anger. "They started their own gangs, staying neutral while controlling the voidents by threatening them with the Deiform Artefacts. Eight years later, and I''m still dealing with the repercussions from then. So, no. I no longer choose. If anyone wants to hunt voidents without suffering the penalties of their void territories, then they should just do The Unrivalled''s Blessing Quest like the Guardians do. Let her choose; she knows best." Langa hadn''t even considered the possibility that Deiform Artefacts could be abused like that. "Wait...you chose me, though. Why?" She sighed. "I was desperate, so I used my attribute... I told myself I''d choose just one person, and I bribed your Floor Overlord to send me someone she felt aligned with the Guardians, someone in the top ten. Remember I sent Khalifhari to check your fate first, ya?" she said. "Besides, you''re weak. If you go rogue, it''s easy to destroy you." "That''s fair," he agreed. "Alright. I''m climbing to the 31st Floor in 3 days," she said. "On that day, I will make my State of The Tower Address, to all players and NPCs in this Tower. I want to see a fully Inscribed Guild Charter notarised by the system listing your policies so I know what you stand for before I make my decision." ¡±Thank you,¡± Langa said, hoping Liv had all these documents ready. ¡±Good, because we''re here,¡± she said. There was a flutter of wings as Mereddydd lifted off the clouds, took to the sky, and hovered in front of him, short white wings on her back. A building materialised in front of them behind large, white, pearly gates. There were four symbols weaved into an infinity sign posted on the gate: a flower, a bone, a black ball of darkness, and a bright, shining light, the logo of The Quartenity. The building was a long tower that seemed to be made entirely of white crystals, with the symbol of The Quartenity upon every surface. From the gate, there was a long pavement with streets of gold, yet there was no sun or moon. The gardens surrounding the tower were vibrant with white flowers. ¡±Where are we?¡± he asked. ¡±Jandri said you wanted to see The Carciere," she gestured to the building. "This is the prison where all arrested voidents from the Deiwos Tower are locked up." 65. First Meetings and Complicated Reunions (3) "This is a prison? This looks like heaven," Langa exclaimed, looking beyond the gate. Merreddyd shook her head. "Trust me, it''s not. I actually didn''t want to bring you here because one of the prisoners wants to talk to you,¡± she told him. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to grant his request since he may know you, but you haven¡¯t met him yet.¡± ¡±What does that even mean?¡± Langa asked in confusion. ¡±You¡¯ll understand later. Come on. Put on your Deiform Artefacts," Merreddyd said, her hand on the gate. "This place is mentally taxing and exists to restrict the freedom of mortals." "I always have them on," Langa replied, showing her his left hand, on which he wore the Deiform Ring and the Deiform Amulet. "Good. I don''t want to lose you," she said, pushing the gate open and flying inside. Langa stepped onto the golden street, and three things happened instantly. His karma pooled inside him, Adtonifulmin''s Shroud covered him, and he felt the oppressive embrace of the Void for a mere second before it was gone. [You have entered the Void Domain: The Deiwos Clan Carciere] [The Onslaught of The Dark Void is watching you.] Langa gasped. This was an actual void territory, not a pseudo one like the ones voidents created with their Void Gems. The last time he''d experienced a true void territory was during the tutorial, and back then he nearly lost his mind. Why wasn''t he being affected now? The Void Star inside him was quiet, so he wanted to ask Merreddyd if the Deiform Artefacts were protecting him, but he got distracted looking at their surroundings. Around them was a pure white mineral garden, however, the atmosphere reeked of despair. The streets they walked on were paved with golden tiles, and the walls of the distant tower were illuminated with a golden light. What struck him the most was the overwhelmingly high number of maestrils with chainlike tattoos on their bodies walking around the garden, supervising what appeared to be mortals dressed in dark brown robes, tending to the garden. Langa looked around in confusion. ¡°Why are maestrils the prison guards? Won''t they drain the prisoners¡¯ karma and escape into the Tower to terrorise innocent people?¡± ¡°Balance must always be maintained, Langa. The Quartenity is in charge of this place, and the maestrils are the chosen vessels. Don''t worry, they are bound to this place by system contracts and they can''t leave," she said, disdain in her tone. "Chaos is invested in punishing voidents because they steal the power of the void to seal corruption in their Void Gems and wield corruption," she said. "How is that different from what he does with his Void Eruption in corrupted worlds?" Langa asked. "Because when he releases a Void Eruption, it is to seal corruption, and stop it spreading. He sends in maestrils to feed on the karma of corrupted beings...well, they end up feeding on all karma so there is that," she said. "He doesn''t gain anything from the voidents." "Oh." So if he gained karma from voidents, would he support them? "The point is voidents disrupt the creation-corruption balance, ya, and that''s what The Great Quartenity was created to maintain. Whether he likes it or not, that is Chaos'' job," Merreddyd said. The maestril wardens watched the two of them walk by hungrily. Their eyes flickered to Langa but stayed mostly on Merreddyd. It made sense, after all, she had way more karma than he did, and maestrils fed on karma. Langa could hear many voices crying out all over the mineral garden, trying to beg him to free their souls, and the voices made it hard for him to breathe. "Don''t look into the prisoners'' eyes, Langa. Focus on me," Merredyd said, her voice sounding like it was coming from far away. "Let''s talk, ya. Isn''t there anything you wanted to ask me?" Langa blinked, trying to focus his mind. He knew she was doing this to distract him so that he wouldn''t get lost in the void territory, so he grasped for something to talk about. ¡°I¡¯m from a lost world, so I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m allowed to ask about your eyes,¡± he said after hesitating for a second. She tilted her head to the left. ¡°Did you not have blind people in your world?¡± ¡°No, we did,¡± he clarified. ¡°But I guess I figured in a world with magic and gods, then there''d be no disabilities.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± she said. ¡°From Mavalisticus, to the curse of the dragonkins'' infertility, to karma-attenuance, among others, there are some things the deities cannot, or rather will not, fix.¡± ¡°Dragonkin infertility?¡± Langa asked. He knew that Liv¡¯s mother was a dragonkin. ¡°It''s a long story," Merreddyd said, flying right in front of him, feeling her way along the clouds with her cane. "An old cautionary tale passed down amongst all the original races about the dangers of kinintolerance." "I love old stories," Langa said, remembering his father''s stories. "Please tell me, it will help me not to get lost in the void territory." "Alright. The priests used to say that from ancient times the dragonkin have always been kinintolerant puritans. They, along with Demonkin, Angelkin, and the Lost Race, were among the first mortals to ever exist. Because of that, they despise halfkin and any children born outside their race are considered inferior. After the 11 000th Great Divine Corruption War, a gifted dragonkin king named himself the Dragon Slayer and led a revolution where the dragonkin hunted down their kinned beasts, the dragons, slaying them for the power of eternal youth. Because of that massacre, dragons are rare creatures to this day,¡± she said sadly. Langa listened intently as she continued. ¡°Leviathan, The Sea Dragon King, The Neutriarch of Water, was angry with the dragonkin as the blood of the slain dragons cried out to him for salvation. He used their karma to curse the dragonkin with Obsession and infertility. He made it so the likelihood of them reproducing with their own kind was less than 0.0000001%. Even with other races, their chance of conceiving a child is less than 5% but they don''t want to dilute their blood, ya,¡± she said. ¡°Currently, in the entire infinite multiverse, there are less than one hundred known dragonkin enclaves. They are a dying race hell-bent on breaking their curse. It''s difficult, though. Any deity that tries to lift the curse risks war with The Neutriarch of Water.¡± ¡±Oh, that¡¯s harsh,¡± Langa said. "Why should innocent descendants have to suffer because of their ancestors?" He was cursed with the Brand because of something an ancestor did too. ¡°The elders leading the remaining enclaves are mostly the survivors who benefited from the longevity of slaying dragons for eternal youth. They haven''t changed at all, ya, so I don¡¯t think Lord Leviathan was harsh enough,¡± Merreddyd said, her karma flaring. Now Langa could understand why Synn was wary of Liv as well as why no one seemed to like Vavuciadsforenkka. "I see," he said, returning to the topic at hand. "So your eyes were cursed too?" ¡°Yes. My mother gazed upon the face of a fallen angel while she was carrying me, and we were both cursed with blindness,¡± she said. ¡°There is no cure for it, except for me to Ascend to deityhood." Langa had been surprised when he found out what angels were in this world when he''d been researching demons because of the 36th Floor. Angels were children of gods with other gods. They were as rare as demigods since, in order to form a union, the karma of the gods had to be compatible. They were normally classified in the same rank as seraphim, neither mortal nor immortal. The golden garden opened up, and more prisoners came into view. About twenty people were tending to the gardens under the watchful eye of maestrils. They picked the gemstones and put them in baskets, but every time they picked one, a new one regrew. It was an unending cycle. ¡°Grion Fidser?¡± Langa asked when he suddenly recognised a prisoner he knew. A goblinkin that was bent over picking up a white gem turned around at his name, and the look in his eye chilled Langa. Fidser was the first voident Langa ever hunted. He was not a criminal mastermind by any means, but he had stolen Anarchist''s Opus Key from the Accari Crows¡¯ guildmaster, Amalgam. He was smart and tried to make enough money to cut his losses and run before he was caught. Throughout their fight, he¡¯d kept calm and composed, but this goblinkin staring vacantly at Langa didn''t even look like the same person. He turned away from Langa and continued to pick up the gemstones. ¡°What happened to him?¡± Langa asked, disturbed. ¡°He¡¯s only been imprisoned for less than a month.¡± ¡°Oh, that? He¡¯s Strapped. His soul isn''t really here,¡± Merreddyd said nonchalantly. "What''s being Strapped mean?" he asked. He''d briefly heard Synn and Di Etta talking about it before. "It loosely means their souls are suppressed. Here they harvest mavale crystals and flowers, keeping their mana locked up. The lack of lucents in mavale gardens messes with prisoners'' mental lucents and combined with the Chaotic Mind Debuff of void territory, it''s a disaster in their heads," she said with a shrug. "This is barely a worthy punishment for their crimes, though." Mental and mana torture made Langa uncomfortable. "Is everywhere like this?" ¡°No. Compared to mavale mines, this place is tame, at least their bodies won''t succumb to Mavalisticus. This gardern is where the G and F-rank voidents work off their sentences," she said. "The higher-ranking voidents are forced to participate in the Infinite Challenge against their will," she told him without explaining further. "You''ll understand when you begin it. If they love corruption so much it''s only fair that they spend the entirety of their sentence trying to clear corruption in uninhabitable places.¡± Merreddyd pointed to the building up ahead. "The prison tower has 10 floors. The ground floor (R) is for red players, regardless of level, who prefer to improve their alignment here instead of NPC prisons. Floors G, F, E, D, C, B, A, and S are where voidents are imprisoned according to their ranks. And let''s not talk about the last floor.¡± ¡°How many of the floors currently have prisoners?¡± Langa asked. ¡°Floor R, and G to D are occupied. It¡¯s harder to catch the C-rank voidents, even for me and Alfsol. It took everything for me to take down Khamani and tear down the Pathfinders. Besides, there are currently only 8 known C-rank voidents in our Tower," she said. "Let''s go inside." Merreddyd flew higher up along the Tower and Langa was surprised to find himself floating up below her. Once she reached the 7th-floor window, she waved her hand and the window opened for her to fly inside, pulling Langa in with her. There was a sudden surge of karma as a maestril came bursting into the dark corridor they landed in. The breath of life Langa felt coming from this maestril¡¯s karma was so overwhelming that it made his head spin uncontrollably, overshadowing every other sensation. The maestril had the normal body of a mortal with the face of a warthog. If he couldn''t feel the void karma coming from it, Langa would have believed this to be a regular beastkin mortal. "Who goes there?" he roared and Langa hastily scanned the maestril. Warden Bissilsim (Maestril Raid Boss) Level 53 HP: ????????/????????? Karma: ?????????/???????? Level 53? What the fuck was going on? Even if she was Tier 3, Merreddyd didn¡¯t stand a chance against him. The maestril could kill them both and drain their karma with very little effort! ¡°It¡¯s just me, Bissilsim,¡± Merreddyd said, unfazed by the creature¡¯s appearance. Bissilsim stopped walking and looked at her. "Ah, Guardian Knight. I wish you would follow the protocol and come in through the entrance door. I could have accidentally killed you thinking you were an intruder,¡± he said as he licked his lips, a hungry look on his face. ¡°And all that delicious karma on your soul would be mine.¡± Merreddyd tilted her head to the right. "Why would I walk through the entrance when I can fly?" ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this? Did you bring me a snack, Guardian Knight?¡± The maestril asked, looking at Langa. ¡°There¡¯s not much to eat on him, but even only a few thousand karma is karma, I suppose.¡± Merreddyd ignored his taunt. ¡°Quit your jesting and leave us alone. I¡¯m here to see Prisoner 46B, is he here?¡± Langa frowned. Why wouldn''t a prisoner be here in prison? ¡°Of course, my lady,¡± Bissilsim said. "The Venerable One''s favoured is currently enjoying his peaceful slumber. I had an interesting conversation with the honourable player, and he was much more pleasant than you, Guardian Knight." Langa didn''t understand why a maestril was being polite to a player. Was it because she was The Unrivalled''s Chosen? Did that mean even the agents of Chaos knew better than to mess with her? The maestril stepped aside, and Merreddyd led Langa along the corridor of the B-ranked floor with cold walls and crystalline metal inscribed with all manner of dark runes. He wondered why they were on this floor when she said only voidents up to D-rank were locked up in this prison. It seemed his questions would soon be answered as they reached a massive door guarded by two stern-faced bull-like maestrils. The maestrils¡¯ eyes betrayed their hunger for Merreddyd¡¯s karma, even when they bowed to her. With a nod from Merreddyd, the door opened, revealing a large chamber behind crystalline bars. An old person lay on the floor, with crystalline snakelike chains encircling his wrists, ankles, and neck that kept him restrained. His long, unkempt hair fell over his face, partially obscuring his eyes. He wore tattered red robes, yet the air around him seemed alive. Merreddyd waved her hands, and the crystalline chains loosened. ¡°Are you awake?¡± she asked. Langa couldn¡¯t tell what race the player was as he sat up. His wild red hair was matted and streaked with grey, his skin was dark brownish-grey, and his eyes were dark green. There were three scars over his left cheek, winding over his nose like he had been clawed by a particularly nasty cat. What puzzled Langa the most, though, was his karma. It was alive and lashing out as if it wanted to escape the prisoner, and it reminded him of the way Liberty¡¯s cadence acted, independent of its owner. The difference was that while Liberty¡¯s cadence was intent on inciting fear in her victims, this prisoner was a beckoning disaster, inviting Langa to come closer. The prisoner''s shackles loosened; he knelt on the floor, and when he spoke, his voice was hoarse, as if hot oil had permanently burnt his throat. ¡°Guardian Knight,¡± he said, his whole body shaking. ¡°Sizone... please.¡± With a sigh, Merreddy produced an empty, clear container from her inventory and lifted it. Silver liquid tears fell from her unseeing eyes, and she collected them into the container. The prisoner trembled as his eyes watched her longingly. Merreddyd placed the container in his hand through the crystalline bars, and he reached for it carefully. As if he had conjunctivitis and this was a relieving eye drop, he poured her tears into his eyes. His body convulsed, and he moaned before he bit his lip, showcasing long yellow teeth as if he were trying to restrain himself. After that, the prisoner lay on the floor, twitching as his pupils contracted. ¡°Na¡¯koma can you hear me?¡± Merreddyd asked, wiping her eye with a handkerchief. ¡°He is asleep, Guardian Knight,¡± the prisoner said. ¡°Wake him up! We need to speak to him,¡± she said coldly. It was strange hearing her talk like this, given how friendly she had been to Langa. The prisoner¡®s green eyes looked at Langa. ¡°Hmm? Why is he in the Carciere? He is not a Guardian.¡± ¡°He¡¯s here because you asked to speak to him,¡± Merreddyd said impatiently. ¡°Langa,¡± the prisoner muttered. ¡°Langa. We haven¡¯t met yet, not outside of your-¡± The way in which the prisoner said his name as if he were familiar with Langa made him uneasy. ¡°Na¡¯koma, wake up or else I¡¯m leaving. I have better things to do than speak with this aberration. You¡¯re sated for the time being, aren¡¯t you?¡± Merreddyd said as she cut him off. "Wake up!" The prisoner closed his eyes. When he reopened them, they were no longer green, but blue. His hair curled in on itself, the scars on his face disappeared, and his red hair turned grey. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Only when the prisoner¡¯s eyes looked at him did Langa finally recognise him. He¡¯d seen those blue eyes burning under his mask in his hunting videos. This was someone he''d heard of before and watched plenty of times with Aquila and with Undkese. ¡°Na¡¯koma? The voident hunter, Na¡¯koma? The Black Fist? Why is he here?¡± Langa asked sharply. ¡°Why is someone people in the Tower revere as a voident hunter locked up in a prison for voidents?¡± Even though Merreddyd had her back to him, he saw her stiffen, and Na¡¯koma flinched. ¡°Langa, calm down,¡± Merreddyd said gently. Sure, Black Fist Na¡¯koma used dark magic, and his reputation as a voident hunter who never captured his prey alive was widespread. But he had always fought hard, as if he hated voidents more than anything. Langa knew videos could be edited to give off a certain impression, but he had admired Na¡¯koma¡¯s methods, thinking he was authentic. But was he actually a voident himself? Langa¡¯s head was spinning a mile a second. Whatever faith he had in the Guardians started to fall. ¡°He''s a B-rank voident? Why do the Guardians let someone who has a Void Opus run around the Tower pretending to be a bounty hunter? How many people did he kill for that Void Opus? How many innocent children-?¡± ¡°There is no Void Opus in this Tower," Merreddyd said stonily, her voice cutting through his tirade like a knife. "I will not allow that to happen. The highest-ranking Void Gem in this Tower is a Void Ruby. As long as I am a Guardian Knight, I will not allow the voidents to succeed in creating a Void Opus. I would break the fabric of time first.¡± She sounded so confident that Langa decided to use his Team Player title on Na¡¯koma, to confirm his alignment. He wasn''t ready for what he saw, though, and he immediately unequipped the title because it felt like someone was pouring hot coal inside his brain.
Name: Currently: Na¡¯koma Zuberi Race: ???
Age: 67 Character: Player
Level: 28 Class: Chaotic Berserker
Available Karma: 11 752 Total Karma: 280 125
Deity: [Chaos-The Onslaught of The Dark Void]. - Disciple Highest Floor 17/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: Dual Wraiths Available Respawns: 1/3 (Respawn Zone: Floor 16: Elis Grove)
Two things stood out the most in his status: The first was that his race was not shown, and the second was his deity. People had speculated that perhaps Na¡¯koma was Unbound as he never praised his deity, nor tried to bring him glory, but no. Na''koma was the second person in this Tower directly bound to a member of The Great Quartenity. No wonder Langa''s head was on fire. The higher the rank of the deity, the harder it was for Langa''s title to read through their Shroud. This also confirmed something Langa had been afraid to confront for a while. His title allowed him to read the information of mortals through the Shroud of deities lower ranked than Adtonifulmin or Adtonifulmin''s master. Chaos was a member of The Quartenity, the highest-ranked gods outside of The Creator, yet Langa could see through his Shroud. So Adtonifulmin¡¯s master really was more powerful than The Quartenity. Langa took a deep breath and calmed down. Now wasn''t the time to think about that. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Merr, don''t get angry. Hello Langa, it''s been a... ah... this is our first meeting, isn''t it?" Na¡¯koma said, his voice icy. "First, let me assure you that I¡¯m not a voident. This prison is the only way to control my... Brand,¡± Na¡¯koma said. ¡°I can''t say more than that, but please just know that the Guardian Knight protects my kind from persecution by letting us destroy ourselves in here, instead of out there.¡± Langa had no idea what Na''koma was saying, and it didn''t seem like he was going to elaborate either. He closed his eyes. He, of all people, shouldn''t have jumped to conclusions about Na''koma''s alignment. If someone found him using his Void Star, they would assume he was a voident too. There had to be a reasonable explanation for this. ¡°Your kind? Is it because you are a Disciple of The Dark Void?¡± Langa asked, calming down. "Is that why you can use void magic?¡± Voidents used unauthorised void magic, disrupting the chaos-order balance, but as a disciple of Chaos, Na¡¯koma would naturally be able to use void magic, especially if he was Branded. Both Merreddyd and Na''koma were startled, and Na¡¯koma fixed him with a stupefied gaze. ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say any more than that,¡± Langa echoed the prisoner¡¯s earlier statement, just to be difficult. Merreddyd giggled, and Na¡¯koma¡¯s eyes were unfocused for a second before he said, ¡°Yes, it is partly because of The Dark Void¡¯s power. Master says that I can trust you and he is interested in you.¡± But can you trust him? Langa wanted to ask. Instead, he folded his arms and cleared his throat. ¡°Tell him I''m not interested. Besides, I''m taken," he said instead. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of the Lightning Storm, once again warns The Dark Void to stay away.] [The Onslaught of The Dark Void, laughs] Langa turned back to Na''koma. "Merreddyd said you wanted to see me. Why? We¡¯ve never met.¡± Had Chaos told his Disciple about Langa? The gods were unable to share unknown information about mortals with other mortals, though. He frowned. Did that rule apply to The Quartenity as well? Surely, The Unrivalled regulated them too, right? "Every time someone uncovers something related to the Legacy I am inheriting, I can feel it," Na¡¯koma said. ¡°I wanted to see you because there was something in Psike''s Grotto that belongs to my Legacy." "What are you talking about?" Langa asked, even though he knew exactly what the item was. He wasn''t stupid enough to hand it over for free, since, even though he couldn''t equip it, he knew it was valuable. That was why he hadn''t sold it. "I sold everything I couldn''t equip from Psike''s Grotto." Na¡¯koma''s gaze was sharp, and his eyes locked onto Langa as if he could see through his soul. "Even without Motyan confirming to me that you obtained the item," Na¡¯koma said. "I can feel it on you." Motyan again? Who the hell was this Motyan and why did he keep telling people about Langa? First Synn, now this guy? Langa snorted. "So what? Surely you don''t expect me to hand a hard-earned item over to you for free, do you?" he asked. "I doubt you can take it from me by force since even without the backlash, you''re locked up." Merreddyd''s karma observed them, her hand resting on her cane. The old man''s eyes narrowed. "For me to bargain with you, I need to see the item''s effects." That was fair, and since he was still behind bars, there was no danger in showing it to him. Langa reached into his Feathervault bag and pulled out the pair of gauntlets he¡¯d taken from Psike¡¯s treasure chest. [Hdragucjy¡¯s Berserker Gauntlets Rank: Uncommon A pair of gauntlets especially designed to control the 14th Affinity from consuming the newly Attuned. Effects: Zimu Berserker When Zimu Berserker is used, the effects of the 14th Affinity are amplified and more control is possible. The special stat: Endurance will increase by 15% for 60 seconds. Restrictions: Level 13 and Above. May only be equipped by members of the lost race or those who possess the 14th Affinity. Must have the special stat: Endurance.] Did that mean Na''koma was a member of the lost race, or was he just inheriting their Legacy? The moment the item emerged, the room seemed to darken, and Na¡¯koma¡¯s blue eyes flared. The maestrils outside the cell focused on him, their weapons drawn as his body shook again. ¡°Na¡¯koma! Focus!¡± Merreddyd snapped and whacked him in the head through the bars with her cane. Na¡¯koma''s eyes burned green with desire. "That''s it. Hand them over to me, give them... Now... I can put them to good use." "Why should I trust you? You''re Chaos'' Chosen, and you clearly can''t control the void magic inside you," Langa said. "If I give this to you, the negative karma from you hurting people or whatever with it will be added on to me." Na¡¯koma''s expression turned serious. "Do you think The Guardian Knight would let me out if I were truly dangerous? She would kill me herself. I need those gauntlets to control my Legacy. Do you have any idea how terrible it feels when someone else gets a piece of a Legacy that has become an integral part of you?¡± he asked. Langa blinked. If anyone else got a piece of Tonare¡¯s Legacy before him, he would strike them down and pry it from their cold, dead hands. That was how integral it was to him. ¡°I don''t know, If it¡¯s worth so much, I could probably sell it for a lot on the Dent,¡± Langa mused, taunting him. ¡°That item is worth more than mere gold. I will give you this,¡± Na''koma said. ¡°According to Motyan and Tibuana, this is an item that will be of great use to you.¡± He fished something from his robes and Merreddyd stepped forward to receive it before showing it to Langa. It looked like an incomplete compass. It was small and round with a polished lodestone bar, that featured a distinct groove at one end, inscribed with magical glyphs. [Mlela''s Dira Item Rank: Uncommon Description: An artefact created by the Mlela people during their war with the Okonma, to divine the location of their people due to rampant kidnappings. Effects: Singular Tracking: Once bound to the findee through a personal item, the dira guides the bearer towards their location. To activate this artefact, the bearer must bind the artefact with a personal item of the findee, establishing a karma link that guides the dira. The binding item used must either contain the findee''s mana signature/karma bond/blood tie, establishing an unbreakable connection to the findee. The groove at the lodestone''s end displays letters that constantly shift, guided by magical forces, to indicate the findee¡¯s direction and proximity. Restrictions: This artefact will only work if there is a karma bond between the bearer and the findee.] Langa frowned. Could he use this to find Fi Kindaro? Na''koma had just mentioned one the people Langa disliked the most in the Tower. The fucking Seer Tibuana who''d made that shitty prophecy about him. No wonder this Motyan seemed to know stuff about him if she worked with him. ¡°An uncommon item for an uncommon item? But you need your Legacy more than I need this,¡± Langa said, annoyed. Na¡¯koma sighed. ¡°Fine. I will also owe you a favour,¡± he said. ¡°I will do anything for you that is within my power on any Floor, anytime. Merr can Inscribe a system contract for me.¡± Merreddyd gasped as if she couldn¡¯t believe it. Was a favour from Na¡¯koma a big deal? Langa¡¯d seen him fight, so he supposed if he was in a pickle, he could call this guy for help. While it would be good leverage to have the Disciple of a member of The Great Quartenity owe him, he didn¡¯t trust this guy. Langa took a deep breath, weighing his options. ¡°Do you really trust him?¡± he asked Merreddyd. ¡°Of course not, but because of the nature of his power, he can infiltrate the voi-dens easily, he knows the voidents from the inside out. He has access to intel that we need, so we have to use him,¡± she snapped. ¡°Him owing you a favour is a big deal.¡± Langa sighed. He couldn¡¯t use the gauntlets since he didn¡¯t meet the requirements to equip them and none of his friends did either. He took Merreddyd¡¯s small hand and placed the gauntlets there. ¡°If he misuses these gauntlets, it''s on you,¡± he said. ¡°I will cash in my favour when I need it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make him sign the system contract when I give this to him... once he''s clear," Merreddyd said, putting the gauntlets away. ¡°They are mine!¡± Na¡¯koma suddenly shouted, his eyes turning green again, his hair wild again as he lunged towards them and Langa activated Flash Step, moving back. Light burst from Merreddyd¡¯s cane and struck the prisoner in the chest in a single flash before Langa could draw his weapon, and he slumped onto the floor, unconscious. She waved a hand and the chains snaked around Na¡¯koma again. ¡°Must you aggravate him so?¡± she asked. If she could, he knew she would be glaring at him. She lowered herself onto the floor, and her wings disappeared. She pointed to an empty cell along the corridor and said. ¡°Get in here. Before you leave, I''ll take you up on your sparring offer.¡± She walked into the cell and he followed her, both surprised at her changing her mind and intrigued. ¡°I saw your interview at Tishiba Stadium. I was not going to say anything, but your fearlessness with Na''koma just now worries me. You need to learn something. You are in no position to challenge me or any other rankers. This is my Tower,¡± she said, her back turned. ¡°What?¡± Langa asked, standing still. She¡¯d only cleared the 30th Floor last night; how did she already know about that? ¡°Your Tower? Prove it,¡± he said stubbornly. This cell was different in that it didn''t have the mavale crystalline bars, meaning they could use mana inside it. Merreddyd straightened up and drew a pure white katana from inside her cane. ¡°Begin.¡± Langa smiled, his heartbeat slowly picking up. ¡°What about the backlash?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have locked my level, and all the pain you feel will be reduced; I won''t really hurt you,¡± she promised. "I want to teach you something. But let''s not use divine skills. I don''t want to accidentally kill you." Langa stood at one end of the empty cell and sped forward, Tonare cutting through the air between them. Merreddyd barely reacted, lazily parrying the blow with her sword. She wore a calm expression but the pressure of power from her lazy strike on the glaive pushed down on him, letting him know he couldn¡¯t win a battle of strength. He infused lightning into Tonare and Flash Stepped behind her, stabbing straight towards her side, but she twitched ever so slightly, and Tonare missed her by less than an inch. Langa tried to outpace her, using his speed to move around the cell quickly, trying to strike from different angles with Tonare but even though she appeared to be standing still, he couldn¡¯t touch her. She moved only an inch or two, effortlessly throwing his attacks off course. She turned to face him, and there was nothing in her eyes. He didn''t know how to distract her or feint to fool her gaze since she couldn''t see. Could he use his jerkin to hide from her? No, the jerkin''s Distortion Skill specifically worked on distorting the light and hiding him from sight so it would be useless against her. Was she relying on the sound of his movements to anticipate his attacks? The only explanations were either that she was faster than him, dodging in real-time, or that she could read his movements before he made them. Merreddyd calmly and easily disarmed him time and time again. She would throw his weapon back to him before he even realised it was gone and beckon him to try attacking her again. The maestrils watched them, cheering and jeering. Langa could hear them laughing at him from outside the cell, betting karma on how soon she would take him out. He couldn''t stand creatures of The Dark Void making fun of him as he grunted in pain, feeling the strength of her most recent parry. He tapped into his stamina and mana activating his new skill, and Nahuke''s Left Eye opened. He could see Merreddyd clearly, and noticed every small movement she made, and yet the Eye didn''t show him any weak points. Had The Thousand Undead given him a useless skill after all? Despite his best efforts, Langa found himself unable to strike her, even though she hadn¡¯t moved from her spot throughout the entire fight. His heart was overworking to give him the energy he needed and he was getting annoyed now, so he decided that, screw it, he was going to activate his attribute and Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike simultaneously. With his raging heartbeat, time slowed down, and he used his velocity to rush at her, only for her hand to grab his wrist and twist it painfully with brute force, forcing him to drop his weapon. ¡°What the hell?¡± he muttered, shocked at her ability to move inside his slowed-down time. Merreddyd raised her arm, her katana flashed, the blade stopping just short of his neck. "You''re too slow, ya," Merreddyd said, her voice amused. ¡°Rule number 1. Never use spatial magic against me. I operate in my own time and space.¡± Time came crashing back at him as she kneed him in the abdomen, the disproportionate power from her small body sending him flying. She was toying with him and he couldn¡¯t stand it. He gathered his mana and moved it through his nerves towards his heart. He could feel a sharp pain as the lightning came alive inside him, and envisioned the magic circle Inscribed on his chest. He decided to break the rules and try out Liberty¡¯s gift. He began to infuse every symbol inside that tattoo with mana. Electricity surged inside him, and the current flowed into the magic circle as if it were a part of his nervous system too. "Cheating, are you?¡± Merreddyd asked. She could probably feel the increase in his mana. The increase in mana made the maestrils outside even rowdier, shouting, and growling. ¡°You¡¯re free to defend yourself,¡± Langa said, concentrating on summoning the Lightning Lance. She sighed. ¡°There¡¯s a reason I said no divine skills, ya, but I suppose your arrogant self can only learn things the hard way.¡± For the first time since he started using Lightning Lance, he felt resistance in his Faith as he tried to activate it. It was not the tattoo, the magic circle activated quickly and perfectly, but it was almost as if the divine skill itself was reluctant to go against Merreddyd. But Langa wasn¡¯t one to let anything, not even the power of a god, control him, so he focused his will on the Divine Nexus and forced the Lance to materialise and home in on Merreddyd. As the massive spear of pure blue lightning soared through the air towards her, the aura surrounding Merreddyd hardened, and her body grew as new armour appeared on her. The armour was blindingly bright, and her golden hair was tied back neatly as a halo appeared above her head. The armour did not seem to be made of metal, leather, or any other material Langa had ever heard of. All he knew was that it was filled with light magic that radiated unimaginable power. All the maestrils outside the cell scattered and ran off in one fell swoop, except Bissilsim the warden. It wasn''t surprising. They were creations of Chaos, and she was the Avatar of Order. On her neck was a silver gorget leading to the black breastplate that covered her torso, with the large logo of the Guardians on it. Around her wrists were gauntlets decorated with red rubies. Below the waistguard were silver cuisses and silver greaves with black knee pads. Her katana glowed with silver energy, and she sprouted silver wings on her back as she looked down at him. She was the Guardian Knight of Justice. Langa felt his control on his Faith slip and the Lightning Lance trembled in the air. How could he believe in anything else when a divine angel was standing, clad in heavenly robes, right in front of him, ready to pass righteous judgment on him? The Guardian Knight raised her holy white sword and it met the Lightning Lance in the air, colliding with it. Rapidly, the Lance became consumed, and the Faith Langa had been holding onto fizzled out, and he couldn''t breathe. His mana was dangerously low, as Merreddyd turned the glowing sword towards him. Langa couldn¡¯t move. Oh shit, she was going to run him through with her sword! She thrust the sword onto the ground next to his head, and he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Rule number 2, Do not EVER use divine skills against someone with both a higher ranking deity than you and a higher Faith level. It¡¯s a quick way to die, and I guess no one told you, but it can lead to karma-attenuance, which is permanently fatal,¡± she said. Her voice was no longer that of a young woman but that of a holy knight. "Rule number 3. If your Faith is so easily shaken, do not ever battle Anarchist because you will lose before you even begin the battle." Throughout this session, Merreddyd hadn''t used any skills except for the divine one, and it reaffirmed what Langa already knew. He was not a match for her. There was someone so far ahead of him on his path that he couldn''t even see her back. Langa swallowed hard, feeling not embarrassment but admiration for the angelkin. "You are amazing," he told her honestly. He could feel the essence of Adtonifulmin inside him, basking in The Unrivalled''s holy power. It was warm and comforting, and it filled him with the desire to do only what was right. He could tell that Adtonifulmin''s feelings for The Unrivalled weren''t just myth or for show, he genuinely loved being in her presence. Merreddyd looked like an extension of The Unrivalled herself and it made Langa wonder if he could do the same with Adtonifulmin¡¯s power. Could he wear it like a second skin, and carry a godly presence inside him? Once again, he knew the easiest way to do this was to accept Adtonifulmin''s offer to be his Visage. Langa didn''t want to think about that right now, but he looked forward to the day when he would be able to fight evenly with Merreddyd because that day would come. The armour disappeared, and Merreddyd shrank back to her normal self, tilting her head to the side, her blank eyes observing him. "You don''t feel subdued; ya? You seem excited and determined," she said, puzzled. "You didn''t learn anything, did you?" Langa grinned. "I learnt that the day I cut through your armour with my spear, I will taste sweet, sweet, victory," he said. "Fool." Merreddyd just sighed in resignation. 66. BOOK 2 - END As soon as he got off the teleportation wheel, Langa sent messages to both Liv and Synn to meet him at the tavern, as he needed to see if Merreddyd¡¯s request was doable. It was late afternoon when he arrived, but Synn was already knee-deep in mead at the bar. "Seriously?" he asked. "Is your hangover from last night even gone?" "This is mead, it barely counts as alcohol," she said, raising her cup defensively. "I wouldn''t have even come down here if you hadn''t asked me to. What''s so urgent?" "Let me talk to Liv first, and then you can join us, okay?" he said looking around and spotting Liv. "Sit here and look as docile and non-threatening as possible." "Sure," she said with a mischievous smile that made it hard to trust that she would do as he said. Liv was sitting at a corner table writing something on a scroll. He looked up when Langa walked over and sat across from him. ¡°Hey, I know your message said you had something to tell me, but I think you should also know something, it¡¯s about Fi Kindaro III,¡± Liv said, his face grave. ¡°Is it that he already Ascended to the 2nd Floor and joined a guild? I know, Vos already told me,¡± Langa said dismissively. ¡°I don''t want to deal with that right now.¡± Liv sat back on his chair. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be more upset that you missed him on this Floor,¡± he said. ¡°Are you shelving things away so you don¡¯t have to deal with them, again?¡± ¡°I didn''t come here for therapy, Liv. It doesn''t matter if Kindaro goes to hell itself, I will find him and burn his worthless body with lightning until he screams himself ragged. Then I will heal him and begin the torture over again... but we¡¯ve got bigger problems right now," Langa told him. There was a pause where Liv looked at Langa as though contemplating whether he should send him to a mental institution to get his head checked out or agree with his sentiment. Liv sighed. "Alright. It sounds like you have a plan. What''s so urgent?" "Okay, I¡¯ll go step by step. First, you might not like this but IaskedSynntojointheguildandshesaidyes,¡± he said in one breath. ¡°What? Why are you talking so fast, I can¡¯t understand you?¡± Liv asked with a frown. Langa looked away. ¡°I asked Synn to join our guild and she said yes.¡± Liv stared at him in surprise, a frown on his face. ¡°Why?¡± he asked. ¡°What do you mean, why?¡± A tankard of mead was roughly placed on the table and Synn slid into the chair next to Langa. ¡°I¡¯m a smart, experienced Mage with a decent crafting skill and the Avatar of a high-ranking demon god. Of course, he¡¯d ask me to join.¡± ¡°Wow, aren''t you a humble one? I told you to wait,¡± Langa said with an eye roll. ¡°I got bored,¡± she said. ¡°You misunderstood me, SynnForessa,¡± Liv said. ¡°You are all those things, and I acknowledge your strength. You must have hundreds of guilds asking you to join them. Why would you want to tie yourself to a brand new guild that hasn¡¯t even been formed yet?¡± She blinked and tilted her head. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know any better, Liv¡¯Kungsadu, I¡¯d think you were giving me a compliment.¡± ¡°Thankfully, you do know better. Answer the question,¡± Liv said, putting down his pen. She shrugged, ¡°All those other guilds want me for my potential. They want to offer me a lot of support so I can level up faster, and offer me a large assortment of skills and assistance. To them, I''m just a rookie with a promising future that they want to recruit. But there are plenty of Mages from our batch with potential,¡± she said. ¡°You guys are different; you have nothing to offer me except the one thing I want. You guys need me.¡± ¡°We need you? For what?¡± Liv asked, looking stung at her comment that the guild couldn''t offer her anything. ¡°Who manages your guild¡¯s finances, who assigns quests? Who applies for the guild to participate in the Tower''s Main Guild Quests? I¡¯m pretty sure I''ve managed a clan before.¡± She took a deep breath. "Anyway, I¡¯m good at that stuff, besides all my other good qualities. You''d be a fool not to consider recruiting me just because you don''t like me.¡± ¡°I neither like nor dislike you, and I certainly would never let that get in the way of me... of us... obtaining more power in the form of you," Liv told her. "If you really want to join us, then help us obtain the guild token,¡± he proposed. Synn crossed her arms. ¡°Is this a scam? Why should I fork up the money for you guys to buy a guild token? I¡¯m broke¡­I don¡¯t have money. I¡¯m not rich like you.¡± She had money, and all three of them knew it. The greedy little foxkin just wasn''t willing to part with it. It didn''t matter right now, anyway. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± Langa told her with a grin. ¡°We¡¯re not buying the token. We¡¯re getting it the old-fashioned way with our blood, sweat and tears." ¡°You are going to slay the 1st Floor Boss?¡± She asked, looking from Langa to Liv. ¡°Do you have a quest for it?¡± ¡°Yes, I do. So are you coming or not?¡± Liv asked. ¡°Who else is on this party with you?¡± she asked, her eyes bright with interest. ¡°So far me, Langa and Coraloa. The quest requires a minimum of four and a maximum of six players,¡± Liv answered. "Let me share it with you." ¡°Maximum of six? Who else are we going to take then? Should we ask Vos?¡± Langa wondered. He seemed like a decent person. ¡°No. First of all, I don¡¯t trust him and second, he is a Hallow Reaper. The quest only allows people who are not already in a guild to participate,¡± Liv explained. ¡°Isn¡¯t Coraloa a Guardian?¡± Langa asked. ¡°She¡¯s holding up on joining officially until she finishes The Unrivalled¡¯s Higher Blessing Quest,¡± Liv said. ¡°There is no need for anyone else. We should be fine completing the quest with just the four of us.¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? Do you want to slay the 1st Floor boss with only one level 12 and three level 11 players against a level, what,15 maestril?" Synn asked. "We all know the rules, right? When confronting maestrils, everyone in the party should be at least the same level or one level lower than it. And that''s for five-person parties!¡± "You levelled up?" Langa asked her jealously. He was halfway to level 12, but now she was on the same level as him. "I did, yeah, just wait, I''ll overtake you soon," she gloated. ¡°Anyway, Liv¡¯Kungsadu, The Unrivalled put the minimum requirement on quests so that crazy people like you don¡¯t go there with only two or three people!¡± she said, shaking her head. Langa could see her logic. Maestrils were very different from normal corrupted monsters. They were sapient beings who could think and had intelligence like mortals and were always hungry for the karma of players. ¡°It''s a first clear, so the maestril won''t be level 15 yet, probably 12 or 13,¡± Liv said, folding up his scroll. "Even so, first clears are harder because of the lack of information about the Gate''s environment. And in that party of yours, who''s going to heal us?" she asked. "Are we going to waste money on health potions?" "I''m a paladin," Liv said as if that answered everything. Synn raised her cup and didn''t budge. "Paladins have notoriously weak healing skills." "You don''t have to worry, for being named the Celestial I received a good healing skill. I have this covered, trust me," Liv promised. "Fewer players means more rewards and fewer people to share loot and experience with. This could be our chance to pull away from the rest of the top ten. The first party to clear a Gate gets double experience for a few hours." Synn eyed him for a bit and sighed. "Fine, let''s do it. Let''s be reckless with our lives and confront a maestril with only four players. In exchange, let''s have a solid plan." Langa knew why Synn was worried. Unlike them, she only had one respawn and had used it up during the Celestial Clash. Most people assumed that since she was an Avatar, she had four respawns, but he supposed due to the strained nature of her relationship with The Nine-Tailed Fox, she only had one. If she died, then that was it for her. He didn''t say anything though, because he wasn''t supposed to know that, and the effects of his Team Player title were invasive. ¡°The fewer people we have, the more rewards we will get,¡± Liv said. ¡°Even better if we combine whatever we get. There''ll be three of us in the same guild and only one other person after all." ¡°So you do accept me in your guild?¡± Synn said with a smirk. Liv looked away. ¡°Only if you perform well in this quest.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another problem. We only have three days to complete the quest, defeat the Floor Boss and register our guild,¡± Langa told them. ¡°What? There¡¯s plenty of time. The Sun God gave me 29 days to complete it and there¡¯s still over a week left,¡± Liv said. ¡°Yes, but I spoke to the Guardians¡¯ guild master about working with us. She promised that if she likes our fully detailed Guild Charter, then when she makes her State of The Tower Address in three days she will give us a recommendation,¡± Langa explained. ¡°That is a great opportunity. Wow, I¡¯m impressed. I thought you weren¡¯t interested in running the guild when you said you''ll do whatever you want,¡± Liv said, sounding touched. Langa cleared his throat. ¡°There was an opening, and I just took it. I didn¡¯t go out of my way to ask for her help or anything.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Synn said. ¡°Where¡¯s your Guild Charter?¡± "I haven''t compiled it yet. These are the guild policies." Liv dug into his pile of scrolls and gave Synn a couple of scrolls. ¡°There is no way I can prepare everything and defeat the boss within three days. The NPC contractors I hired to renovate our guild hall are starting today, and while I trust that they need the work, I have to be here to oversee it, at least in the beginning. Otherwise, they might waste our already limited resources. Also, I''ve looked everywhere, and I haven¡¯t found someone with an Inscription Skill to notarise our documents in the system and Inscribe our guild Charter.¡± The only person Langa knew with an Inscription Skill was Liberty, and he doubted she would be willing to help them. His enchanting skill also had Inscription inherent to it, but he couldn¡¯t use it to make system contracts as that required an actual Inscription Skill. ¡°Well, then you¡¯re in luck because I happen to have a specialised Inscription Skill called Fire Sear. All things will be Inscribed in the firebase auink but it is an Inscription skill,¡± Synn said perusing the scrolls with a frown. ¡°What the hell is this awful Guild Charter, Liv¡¯Kungsadu? Where did you go to school? Oh, my gods, this is a travesty to administration.¡± ¡°Hey, I did my best,¡± Liv said defensively, looking annoyed. Langa decided to give all the bad news at once before they started arguing. "Listen, guys, we need to raid the Gate tomorrow," he said, his voice urgent. "We can''t afford to wait any longer if we want to be the first party to form a guild.¡± Synn shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s crazy. This isn¡¯t something to rush into Langa, we haven''t prepared enough potions or weapons," she argued. "And we don''t even know what creatures are in the Gate. It''s too risky. Maybe the Charter alone will be enough to convince the Guardian Knight." Liv sighed. ¡°I hate to agree with her, but she''s right," he said. "Three days is tight, but if we buy all we need today and spend tomorrow training together, we should be fine. We can''t go into this Gate unprepared. We need to plan carefully and gather more information before we attempt to defeat the Gatekeeper." Langa leant back in his chair, frustrated. "I know it''s risky, but we can''t afford to wait," he insisted. "One of our Batch''s Rankers, Pranav is in the process of obtaining a guild token. If he obtains it and the Jahreela Saamp becomes the first guild from our tutorial batch, we¡¯ll lose out on a lot of benefits, won''t we?¡± ¡°How could a rookie player have enough money to buy a guild token? It¡¯s impossible even if he is in the top ten,¡± Liv said, surprised. ¡°That¡¯s a moot point considering you own a fucking town, Liv¡¯Kungsadu. Being the first to obtain a guild token means that you get a free roving domain. All you need to do is build a guildhall on the 1st Floor, and then we don¡¯t have to worry about coughing out the insane amount of Available Karma required to buy a roving guild domain,¡± Synn said. "We need this win." ¡°I understand but we haven''t trained together to finalise our team play," Liv argued, uncertainly. "Pranav won''t wait. He''s involved with the Hallow Reapers somehow, and if they help him get that token before us, it''ll be too late to plant our feet into this ground." Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Liv''s face immediately hardened. "So, The Demon Reaper is instigating his followers to get in my way, is he? Dammit. I suggested four players under the impression that we''d have time to train together first." ¡°You and Langa have worked together, you and Cora have worked together, me and Langa have worked together and me and Cora have worked together. Hopefully, we can practice on the lesser monsters before we confront the boss. Then we can formulate a strategy. That should be good enough, don''t you think?¡± Synn said. ¡°Unless you aren''t confident in leading a team of four strong-willed players?¡± Langa sighed, running a hand through his dreads in frustration. "I know it''s risky, but this could be our only chance. I will not lose a damn thing to Pranav again," he said, his voice pleading. "Please, Liv." Liv glanced between them, his expression conflicted. Finally, he shook his head. "Fine, I also can''t let The Demon Reaper get what he wants," he relented. "But we need to make sure we''re fully prepared before we go in." He looked at Synn. "What do you think of the policies, SynnForessa? Can you make the Charter by the end of the day today?" ¡°Yeah, well, this is terrible,¡± Synn said taking a swig of her mead. ¡°I¡¯m just going to spend the rest of the day fixing these scrolls for you. Liv¡¯Kungsadu, I need a list of all your assets, and liabilities, and in addition to the guild policies, everything about the financial aspects. I also need to know the guild''s entry requirements.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got everything written down here¡­somewhere,¡± Liv said pushing all the scrolls towards her, looking relieved that he wouldn''t have to deal with the paperwork. ¡°Okay,¡± Synn said perusing them. "You know that a guild must own a physical territory, right?" "Why do you think I used all my savings to buy this dead-end washed-up town?" he told her pointedly. "Savings? I''m pretty sure those are stolen funds," Synn muttered. "Why because I''m half dragonkin? Wow, SynnForessa, I never pegged you for a kinintolerant," he said, folding his arms. "Me? Excuse me, do you know how many wars the Nine-Tailed Fox has fought against The Living Wing because your people keep trying to expand into foxkin territory? All they do is steal from us," she said. "If you fight, fair and square, and kill someone, then take their treasure, is it theft?" Liv countered. "You-" "Guys, I get it, there''s a lot of politics between your people, but we don''t have time for this. What else do you need, Synn?" Langa asked since he could almost see a vein bursting from Synn''s forehead while Liv looked as calm and collected as always. She took a deep breath. "You also need at least five members to register a guild, and you must have three executive officers. Do you have those?" "I do have the five members required to register the guild. As for the guild structure, I''m not planning on building a big guild. There''s no need to have a lot of officers or executives. A small council of raid leaders will be responsible for most of the day-to-day functions, but the final decision will lie with me, always," Liv replied. "Ah, not going full dictatorship, are we? Your queen must be tossing around in her sleep," Synn muttered, scribbling on the scroll furiously. "It says here that I also need the names of the five guild members and their role in the guild." "Well, I''m the guildmaster, Langa is the deputy guildmaster and Konsti''Belin will be the Communications and Recruiting Officer. Other members that we currently have are Sigurd Magnarson and Kamfu''Belin, they don''t have any specific positions,¡± Liv paused, then said. ¡°If she performs well in the Gate, SynnForessa can be the Guild Administrator." Langa knew Liv was just being difficult, he had already decided to let Synn join. Synn looked up at that. "You mean the job she¡¯s already doing for free?" Langa snorted. "Anything else?" "Just the logistics. What¡¯s the ownership of the guild like? I know you said that Sorrento Creek is the guild''s territory but Is Sorrento Inn your property or the guild¡¯s property?¡± she asked. ¡°The Inn is mine, but the rest of the territory I own including the guildhall, belongs to the guild," Liv said thoughtfully. ¡°As for shares, I currently own 75% of the guild, and Langa owns 25%.¡± ¡°25%? Isn''t that a bit much? What about investors? I''m sure people will want to sponsor us and buy a stake in the guild. We need the money, don''t we?¡± Langa said, both in surprise and concern. ¡°If Merreddyd likes our proposal, the Guardians might want to buy a share in our guild. They lack manpower, but not money so we could really use their help.¡± ¡°I actually wanted to give you 50%, Langa, but because of the issue of investors, I settled on 25%,¡± Liv explained. ¡°You can do with your shares as you wish, but before you sell to any investors, please let me know. I want you and I to always own at least 51%. SynnForessa, if you perform well in the quest, you can get 1%.¡± The trust Liv seemed to put in him made Langa pause. Wasn''t he afraid of what would happen if Langa collaborated with other people for a hostile takeover? Actually, Liv probably knew that Langa wasn''t interested in that kind of stuff. ¡°One? I want 10%,¡± Synn said at once, eyes narrowed with greed. ¡°If you want 10%, invest 100 gold right now,¡± Liv offered. "That''s the best offer you''re ever going to get." Langa coughed. He¡¯d only invested 150 silver and received 25%! By Liv¡¯s logic, he should have invested 25 000 silver. ¡°What? Where the fuck am I going to get that kind of money so early in the Tower? How much did Langa invest?¡± Synn asked, outraged. ¡°I invested all my money and a self-sustained dungeon that produces vitality saffrons,¡± Langa said defensively. Rila¡¯s Garden was nearly done with reconstruction by now, though he hadn¡¯t visited it yet. ¡°Fine, give me 5%, Liv¡¯Kungsadu,¡± Synn relented. ¡°3%, and I want 5 gold as soon as you have it,¡± Liv said. "While you''re at it, use your Inscription skill to draft a system contract for yourself. For the shares, you will get no pay for the first three months. Don''t argue; for what this guild will end up being worth, I''m basically giving you the 3% for free. That''s your signing bonus. You are a talented player, so this is a sacrifice I''m willing to make in order to keep you. Take it or leave it." Synn pouted and threw a money pouch onto the table. "That¡¯s 90 silver. I''ll take five months of no pay. I don''t have any more to spare; instead, I will get you a person with a good construction skill to work on supervising the renovation of your guildhall for free. Undkese owes me, and it''s time for him to pay up.¡± ¡°Deal,¡± Liv said, happily pocketing the money. ¡°Good, I''ll work on the Guild Charter and contract for the rest of the day. I think that''s it," she said, looking at the notes she''d written. "Since I''m busy, I won''t have time to buy the materials I require for the Gate. Let''s exchange mana signatures, Liv¡¯Kungsadu, I''ll send you the list of things I need, from potions to flammable among others.¡± Before Liv could protest, Langa piled on, ¡°Me too, actually. I need to finish enchanting my lucent powder bombs for the Gate. I''ll also send you a list of the things I need," he said. Liv sighed in resignation. ¡°Fine, I guess I have to go and buy everything that we need for tomorrow by the end of the day today. I hope to The Sun God Coraloa is free for the next three days.¡± "Is there an enchanting forge anywhere near here?¡± Langa asked once Synn left the two of them alone to begin working on the Charter. ¡°My enchanting kit is common rank, which is fine for practice when I¡¯m travelling or for personal karma projects, but I would like to work in an actual enchanting forge for my bombs.¡± ¡°Of course. I''ll introduce you to one of the forges in town before I leave to go shopping,¡± Liv said. ¡°But first I need to place a skill point into my healing skill." "What kind is it? Is it a Heal over time or instant?" Langa asked, curious. "Instant, but a Beginner Level 1, it heals for less than a common health potion,¡± he said. "It''s a light-based skill called Healing Rays that clerics of the goddess Isis use, and I think it will suit my paladin build." ¡°Wait a second.¡± Langa raised his eyebrows. "How will you be able to heal us against a maestril with a brand-new skill?¡± ¡°I guess I have to stock up on health potions.¡± Liv chewed on his lip as he concentrated on his system interface. ¡°Are you really going to give your dungeon to the guild?¡± he asked. Langa shrugged. ¡°Sure, but I want control over who can enter Rila¡¯s Garden. I don''t want people to hurt the allemaks for their lifeblood.¡± Liv nodded. ¡°That''s probably for the best,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you.¡± Langa figured he should do at least that much if Liv gave him such a large share in the guild. Changing the subject, he asked. "By the way, do you have any crafting skills? I may have told Merreddyd that we are excellent crafters. I have Enchanting, Synn has Cooking, do you have one?" "I just got Herbalism recently, so I can grow my own garden," he said. Langa looked at him with amusement. "I never thought you would have such a peaceful hobby." "My mother was a Herbalist. I just want to do something to bring me closer to her," he said with a small smile. "Oh." That was a more plausible explanation. "In Rila¡¯s Garden, can the allemaks only grow vitality saffrons? Would it be possible to grow some liva flowers in there?" Liv asked hopefully. While Langa had no idea what liva flowers were, he guessed they were important to him. "I don''t know. I''ll give you access to the dungeon once it''s done renovating, and you can ask the allemaks yourself." Liv nodded as Langa¡¯s comcer beeped with a message. ¡°Oh, Synn says she forgot to ask the name of the guild.¡± Liv frowned. ¡°I want a name that embodies my mother''s dreams for me. Something that gives glory to the Sun God too,¡± Liv said. ¡°The liva flowers I was named after blossom in the sun after all.¡± Langa gave him a stern look. ¡°You want to name the guild after yourself?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said shaking his head. ¡°I need to pay homage to my master, so I want us to have a name which shows that while we''re not the sun yet, we are the rays of a rising star." He looked at Langa as if he just had a brilliant idea. "This is your guild too, so what''s the name of the sun in your language?¡± ¡°Langa,¡± he said. ¡°What?¡± Langa smiled. ¡°My name means the sun,¡± he said. He continued talking, barely noticing how still Liv had gotten. ¡°Well, Langa means both the sun and the day. Langelihle means a beautiful day or a beautiful sun.¡± ¡°Your name is the sun?¡± Liv asked as if he just had a profound revelation. ¡°Yeah,¡± Langa said frowning. ¡°What''s wrong with you?¡± Liv laughed in disbelief. ¡°''You must always stand by the sun.'' I thought my mother''s vision meant that I should stand by The Sun God, but maybe it meant you,¡± he muttered. ¡°Or perhaps both of you.¡± ¡°You''re not making any sense,¡± Langa said. ¡°I''m even more sure now. I was right to Choose you." ¡°Okay, whatever. I don''t want the guild to be named after me,¡± Langa said. ¡°Think fast; Synn¡¯s waiting for an answer.¡± "Hmm, in your language, what''s a name that embodies the brightest stars, to show that our guild is a rising star that will overshadow all the others?¡± Liv asked. Langa thought for a moment. ¡°In my culture, we believe that the morning star, ikhwezi, shines at dawn, signalling the end of the night and the beginning of a bright new day. The brightest morning star is called ikhwezikazi.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Liv stroked his chin. ¡°We are the rays of the brightest morning star. I''ve decided. We will be named The Khwezikazi Rays Guild.¡± That was a beautiful name, and Langa sent the message to Synn. He''d chosen Morningstar because Liv''s public face may have been that of an angel, but there was a devil inside him too. What path would the bright Morning Star guild take? What Legacy would they leave in the Tower? "Liv," Langa said quietly. "We have to work harder. We are just kneeling at the starting line, and there is a long way to go and a lot of people ahead of us." Liv frowned. "What are you talking about?" "I witnessed a fraction of Merreddyd''s power. That girl is no joke; she tossed me around like a fucking ragdoll," he told him. "Is that so?" Liv asked with interest. "If you got your arse handed to you, then why do you look so excited?" ¡°I can''t help it. I just can''t seem to stay away from things that make my heart race,¡± Langa said with a grin. ¡°Come on, let''s get going. We''ve got a maestril Floor Boss to prepare for.¡± * Langa took out the compass, Mlela''s Dira. He knew he wanted to use it to find Fi Kindaro. The two of them were already linked by karma, so he was sure the dark elf would work as a target. The problem was that he didn''t have any personal item containing Fi Kindaro''s karma, blood or mana. Did that mean he couldn''t link the device to him? He contemplated for a moment before the idea hit him. He may not have something with Fi''s mana, but he had something with Makoto''s mana. The mana stone Makoto made from his attribute. Since Makoto was now technically Fi''s property (the thought caused a surge of anger in him) it meant what belonged to Makoto belonged to him. Langa also had Makoto¡¯s karma inside him that he¡¯d received when he died. According to what Rancho told him, he should be able to use that to enchant an item linking him to Makoto. He''d already started making something over a week ago, but it was incomplete. It had already been nearly a month since the tutorial, so he knew that he needed to use the karma and resentment as soon as possible before it fully assimilated into him. He pulled out the darkness crystal in which Makoto''s mana stone was encased, which Instructor Rancho helped him craft. He hadn''t known what to enchant it with, in order for the negative karma between him and Fi Kindaro to produce an effect he could use against him but now he knew what to make. Even though he was in an enchanting forge, Langa took out his Portable Enchanting Kit, an enchanted tablet with all the tools a common enchanter needed. It improved his learning speed by 5% and it was an item he had a personal attachment to, which was the main thing when forging karma-rich items. He needed this to be successful, so of course, he asked Adtonifulmin to watch over him as he worked. First, he took out the woven reeds and beads he¡¯d bought from Ginora village. He¡¯d soaked them in his blood and lucent fireblood auink, but he still couldn¡¯t enchant them directly. It didn¡¯t matter though. He just needed them for aesthetics as they reminded him of the materials used to make tribal necklaces back home. He placed the beads on the woven reeds, then hung the black darkness lucent crystal with Makoto¡¯s mana stone as the necklace¡¯s pendant. On its left, he placed a bone from the corrupted goat boss monster he¡¯d slain to represent Death and on the right he placed the Living Wing''s blood manacore that he''d earned during the Celestial Clash. He could probably sell it for a lot of silver since blood was not a common Mana Discipline, but he wanted it to fuel his revenge and strengthen his likelihood of enchanting the necklace. So far, he hadn''t been able to enchant lucent stones or crystals directly. Aria''s theory was that his skill was still too low and needed to be either Intermediate rank or above Beginner level 5. During his journey on the Lucent bus, the Portable Enchanting Kit had helped him raise the skill to Beginner Level 6, so he needed this to work. Langa used his lucent dark blood ink to inscribe the enchanting glyph, "Inferior Mana Absorption," on the modified darkness lucent crystal. He poured as much of his mana as he could into the enchantment, as well as as much of his karma pressure, and kept his thoughts only on revenge, on spilling Fi Kindaro''s blood. The dark thoughts made his Brand stir, and despite knowing how risky using it was, he needed all the help he could get, so he didn''t try to forcibly suppress it, but he didn''t encourage it either. He willed himself to lose a portion of his existence, his karma. He specifically sent the karma he''d inherited when Makoto died into the enchantment. [-692 Available Karma deducted] The Inscription darkened as soon as he finished drawing the glyph. Instructor Rancho had warned him that items born of negative karma like this could have terrible effects on players, but he could only hope it turned out okay. [Enchantment Successful! Due to the immense resentment in your karma, you have created a Unique Item. Please name your item.] Unique? He''d been hoping for uncommon at best. But he supposed unique just meant it was one of a kind, but that could be trash or legendary. A name, huh? "Umgexo Wegazi," he said. It meant the necklace of blood. [Congratulations! Your skill, Lucent Enchanting, has increased to Beginner Level 7] [Name: Umgexo Wegazi Item Rank: Unique Description: A tribal necklace forged from the karma of Player Langa¡¯s Zulu¡¯s desire for revenge, born out of the tragedy of losing a child he had sworn to protect to Player Fi Kindaro III. This necklace was forged with a unique mana stone given to him for protection. Effects: Enhanced Mana Regeneration: Boosts mana regeneration by 50% when facing Player Fi Kindaro III, his bloodline or bloodbonded. If you spill the blood of anyone in Fi Kindaro III¡¯s bloodline or bloodbonded to him, the necklace will amplify your emotions and warp your mentality with a dark frenzy for 1 to 3 minutes, pushing you to shed more blood and attack with heightened ferocity. Durability: 25/25 Restrictions: Only equipable by Player Langa Zulu, his bloodline or bloodbonded. Only active against Player Fi Kindaro III, his bloodline or bloodbonded.] That was a good thing, right? The mana regeneration was awesome, but Langa didn''t like the dark frenzy part. He already had to deal with an uncontrollable Brand. He pulled out the compass and then infused mana into it, placing the necklace on top of it. To his surprise, the compass danced in the air, disappeared and then reappeared as a pendant on the necklace, next to the darkness lucent crystal. [You have successfully bound Umgexo Wegazi with Mlela¡¯s Dira. Your karma bond with Player Fi Kindaro III has increased in strength. You may now use Mlela¡¯s Dira as a guide to Fi Kindaro III¡¯s location.] ¡±Where is he?¡± Langa asked, infusing his intent into the necklace as mana. The arrow from the compass spun and the words on it disappeared. It pointed up and the number 2 appeared on the arrow. Langa grinned. As soon as he got to the 2nd Floor, this necklace would lead him to Fi Kindaro and then he¡¯d finally kill the bastard. More than ever now, he wanted to accept Adtonifulmin''s offer to be his Visage if only so he could get something to improve his Mental Resistance so that when he went to fight Fi Kindaro, he would have no leverage over him. Becoming a Visage would give him access to his divine domain, offer some protection from mental attacks, bring him closer to Adtonifulmin and earn him more divine skill slots. He knew why he was hesitating to take the contract, though. It would mean giving full control of his skills and growth to Adtonifulmin and as Adtonifulmin''s mortal face, he would have a lot of responsibilities over all his followers. Langa didn''t know if he was ready for that. He didn''t have to decide now, but he figured he needed to involve himself more in Adtonifulmin''s affairs if he wanted to make an informed decision, so he decided to kill two birds with one stone. "Um...Lord Glaridinus?" Langa asked, putting his hands together. "Can I ask for a favour?" [The mid-tier constellation Glaridinus, is listening to your prayer.] Glaridinus was Adtonifulmin''s Apostle and the head of his Divine War Council, so Langa was sure he was busy. Still, he needed to be assertive given that he was one of Adtonifulmin''s few Avatars. "I read in Master''s Relgte that you''re a constellation of espionage and war," Langa started. "I was just wondering if you could get me in contact with some of your followers who have skills in information gathering. I need help investigating the voidents'' message about the 3rd Floor, and I don''t know if our guild would have enough influence to find that much information by then." It would be nice if Synn could get them in contact with The Maluta Syndicate, but since Langa heard that Tibuana worked for them, he didn''t trust them anymore. [The mid-tier constellation Glaridinus, is pleased that you came to him for help and states that he will have a representative meet you once you reach the second Floor.] [The mid-tier constellation: Tarquinius, asks if there is anything you would like to ask from him.] [The Deiwos Clan god: The Faceless King of The Hidden Mask, wonders why you did not ask for his help in information gathering.] Langa shook his head. "Not at this time, Lord Tarquinius, but I''ll need your help to find Tonare''s Legacies at some point," he said. "And Lord... En Dohhasieda, Synn is already in contact with the leader of The Maluta Syndicate, he''s your Disciple, right?" The reason he''d asked Glaridinus instead of En Dohhasieda was simply because he wanted to improve his relationship with Adtonifulmin''s constellations considering they would be working together in the future. He would get to the rest of The Deiwos Clan later, but En Dohhasieda was a good place to start considering he and Picciari were said to be Adtonifulmin''s closest friends. He could feel that Adtonifulmin was pleased with his effort to get closer to his circle as well. "Lord Adtonifulmin." There was one more thing he had to say. It was prompted by his desire to battle Fi Kindaro III evenly, but it was also something he''d been thinking about for a while. "When I get to the 2nd Floor, I''m going to open a box. Please help me out." He needed to do something about his Mental Resistance, and the only way to permanently increase it was to face things. He''d been reading up on rituals that could help him, but all of them required him to open his mind up first. There was a stream of surprised messages from the deities watching him and Langa shrugged. "I know you guys can tell how hard it is for me to do that, but I don''t want to be like this forever," he said. "Lord Adtonifulmin, one day I will open every single box of my locked traumatic memories, but I want to do it step by step, to raise my Mental Resistance and take care of my mental health a bit more." Dealing with his mother''s death had been hard, but it had also been comforting. He wanted to take care of everything else he''d locked away like that. <> Adtonifulmin''s voice whispered to him through the Divine Nexus, his essence filtering through. "Thank you, Master." Alright, it was now time for Langa to work on enchanting materials that would help him and his friends within the Gate. For the first time in his life, there was no boredom filling Langa¡¯s heart, he was happy and had a lot to look forward to. It was funny because he had always lived his life passively accepting that he would die young, but now, he would be fucking pissed if he died before catching up to all the superstars in the Deiwos Tower. It was time for him to face his first Gatekeeper and obtain enough karma to clear the 1st Floor. After that, he''d climb to the 2nd Floor and slay his enemy. For now, though, Langa''s excitement about fighting a maestril again couldn''t be contained. 66.5. Book 2 Epilogue The hideout of Sasani''s gang was silent, and the air was full of blood. Mbakulini Enam infused more mana into the symbols written on the papyrium to stabilise the orb-web concealing the voi-den. He made it so even the 5th Floor¡¯s sun-elf priests would have trouble detecting the abundance of dark magic in this area. He looked around. He had killed many people in his life, but right now, looking at the bodies beneath his feet, even he could barely hide his revulsion. The bodies of over thirty men, women, and even a few unfortunate children littered the floor. The walls were smeared with blood, the floor covered in severed limbs, lifeless eyes staring blankly into the air. Even though he had performed countless rituals in order to earn the power of corruption, and sacrificed plenty of lives to make himself stronger, the sheer brutality of this slaughter was overwhelming. Just because he was an assassin did not mean he had to enjoy murder. Poor things; it would have been better for them if they never heard the name Perinda Housci. Mbakulini took a deep breath and cradled his Void Emerald, the dark, persuasive voice inside it calling out to him. If he did not get his fix now, he was in danger of being consumed. He reached out to the sealed corruption of the Void Emerald and assimilated some of it into himself. He could feel the corrupted energy inside him burning his veins as he absorbed the karma from the dead. He took in just enough to sate the void inside his manacore, no more. It wouldn''t do to relapse into addiction at this stage. He had to remain in control, especially considering who was there with him. Perinda Housci stood up, his blade still covered with fresh blood. He was dripping wet, his black robes flowing with blood as if he were an angel of death, especially with the horn on his forehead. His eyes, cold and dilated with corruption, scanned the bloody room with satisfaction. It reminded Mbakulini of the first time they met, five years ago, in the tutorial. Perinda let the blood on his blade drip onto the floor as soon as Sasani finished off the last member of the gang. Sasani''s whole body was trembling, his face soaked with sweat as he took in the slaughter of his people, the gang he had once led with pride. Even though Perinda and Mbakulini had done the bulk of the work, he had killed a lot of his subordinates too. ¡°I know this was necessary, what with Jandri Kila Kaurion ruthlessly sniffing our guild outposts and sending her forces to raid our voi-dens but¡­¡± Sasani looked down at the dead. ¡°They trusted me. They swore their lives to me. Couldn¡¯t we have moved the base?¡± Mbakulini resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I do not want to hear a word from someone like you. You went and got yourself killed by two level 10 rookies,¡± Perinda said, his voice unusually low. For someone prone to mood swings, he was too calm for Mbakulini''s liking, so he stepped away from the two of them. He retreated to the far edge of the orb-web so he would not be caught up in whatever attack the demonkin was planning. ¡°10?" Sasani blanched. "No, they were at least level 13. B-besides, they may be rookies, but they are rankers. I was outnumbered! That''s why I awakened, but that Langa Zulu... could wield corruption without a Void Gem!" That statement made Mbakulini blink in surprise. Branded. There were no mortals he hated more than those. In his world, they were actively hunted, and any child born with the Brand of corruption died in the cradle. Those who slipped through the gaps¡ªthose who had any dark magic at all¡ªnaturally turned their power against the world. He''d been a weak child when he watched the Branded terrorist who called himself The Artmaker tear down the entire system of his world, taking away the 30th Floor''s access to magic before integration. The world had despaired its loss, turning to science to replace magic, but Mbakulini craved the power of corruption for himself. The Branded had no idea how lucky they were to bathe in the ashes of the creator of the lost race. They had no idea how hard regular people had to work to get a taste of that power, how much they had to sacrifice, being labelled as voidents, and losing alignment just to obtain a sliver of that precious power. They took the gift for granted, and he hated them for it. So now hearing that a stupid rookie had only managed to best Sasani, who had spent years painstakingly raising the rank of his Void Gem, just because he was Branded, awoke the anger in his heart. It awoke his desire to become connected to a greater purpose by using the Branded as a sacrifice to raise the rank of his Void Gem. He closed his eyes, feeling the stolen corruption inside himflare up. He looked around tracing the scars on his left wrist absentmindedly. He had to calm down. When he opened his eyes, Sasani and Perinda were still talking. "Did I not teach you never to fight a losing battle? If you saw that you were cornered, why didn''t you do the cowardly thing and run?" Perinda asked. "They killed my Piria. She didn''t have any respawns left, and they killed her," said Sasani, his voice rising. "I''ll never forgive them for it. Send me back down, sir. I¡¯ll bring you their heads, I swear.¡± "You''ve got to be fucking pulling my horn," Perinda said, and immediately, his karma intensified, exerting pressure on the surroundings as his anger grew. It was all Mbakulini could do to grit his teeth and ensure that the orb-web remained standing amid the karma pressure of a Tier 2 player much stronger than him. The walls of the treehouse crumbled under it, and Sasani staggered until he fell to his knees. "Sir? Why are you doing this?" Sasani croaked out, confused. The fact that he even had to ask was exasperating to Mbakulini. ¡°The Vonelle Heilliege Guild means everything to me. I helped Hintazo build it into the mercenary empire it is today. I was the one who found us a way to elevate it to the top ten of this Tower,¡± he said. ¡°I did the same for you. You were nothing, Sasani-Zine. I created you, built you up, and trained you from the goodness of my heart. I made you our liaison to the Accari Crows on this Storey because I trusted you. I promised Hintazo that you would be discreet. I promised her that the guild would always come first for you, but what? You lost it because of a fucking familiar?!¡± Looking at his outraged face, Mbakulini couldn''t help but remember that, at first, Perinda had worked so hard on the guild because he was angry that he hadn''t been allowed to join The Hallow Reapers, but with time, it became a passion of his. It was something he had achieved on his own without his brother''s help, so he was proud of the guild. It was something Mbakulini could relate to, given how close-knit his crew was. Sasani''s head hung low. "I''m sorry, sir. I didn''t mean to disappoint you. Please give me a chance to make it up to you." ¡°I''m glad you said that, Sasani, because you have disgraced me. Your inability to protect the guild has put me in a very difficult situation," Perinda said, looking down at him and withdrawing his karma pressure. "To sway public opinion, we need to show the Tower and the Guardians that we, as The Vonelle Heilliege Guild, do not tolerate voidents in our guild. Your head will be proof enough.¡± It was at that moment that Sasani finally understood his predicament. Mbakulini shook his head. The fool should have fled instead of running back to his mentor for help. Sure Perinda was a voident too, but in public, he was a rogue former member of The Vonelle Heilliege guild, running loose and tarnishing their good name. "Perinda, please." Sasani''s voice was a desperate whisper, his hands held up. "I made a mistake, I know, but we can fix this. We can¡ª" Seeing the unimpressed look on Perinda¡¯s face, Sasani knew that there was no changing his mind. There was only one way to save himself, and that was to fight back. If he was panicking this much, it meant that he did not have any respawns left and was desperately looking for a way to survive. There was a significant level difference between them, and there was no way to win against the person who taught him his magic. Of course, such rational thoughts were discarded when his life was in danger. The flow of lucents in the air was disturbed as Sasani hurriedly activated his divine skill, covering his body in impenetrable earthen armour. Perinda''s lip curled into a sneer, and then there was a tiny flash of light in the otherwise dark orb-web. When Mbakulini blinked, Perinda''s divine artefact, Valefar''s Ghostblade dagger, was plunged into Sasani¡¯s throat. The armour Sasani was so proud of, the armour that had saved his life countless times and made him a fearsome opponent, was penetrated as easily as butter by the ghost blade. Perinda''s movements were quick and merciless, his expression unchanging as he twisted the blade and ripped it out, blood pouring out out of the gaping wound. Mbakulini tried not to flinch. Even he had no defence against Perinda¡¯s divine artefact or many of his maladies. Making an enemy of a monster like him was foolishness. Sasani crumpled to the ground, clutching his throat. "Please... don''t," he choked out, his eyes pleading. The only thing Perinda did not do was hesitate. He covered his hand in a black shadow and drove it into Sasani''s chest through his muscle and bone. The sound was a wet sickening noise as Perinda''s hand plunged into the wound, and tore out Sasani''s heart. The organ pulsed weakly in his grasp, blood dripping from his fingers onto the floor. Sasani''s eyes glazed over, his body going limp. Perinda raised the heart to his mouth and bit down on the pink flesh, blood dripping down his mouth. He ate it without caring that he was being watched and licked the blood off his lips. Once he was done, he wiped his bloodied hand on his robes. Disgusting. Mbakulini thought. It was even more unsettling when Perinda turned to Mbakulini, his eyes cold and indifferent as if he hadn¡¯t just killed one of his most precious subordinates. Corrupted mana danced around him and this time when Mbakulini picked on the scars on his wrist, he drew blood. In times like this, Perinda reminded Mbakulini of his brother. It reminded him that no matter how ruthless and cold he could be, Perinda was the much, much tamer of the two. He was playful at times but passionate about what he loved and unforgiving to those who crossed him. At his current workplace, Mbakulini specialised more in espionage and political sabotage, with once-off assassinations here and there. It had been a while since he had seen such slaughter. He was getting rusty, but he didn¡¯t think that was a bad thing. Still, he reminded himself to live with this because Perinda paid well. In their line of work, loyalty was often bought with coin rather than respect. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. "Go ahead and clean this shit up. We can''t leave any traces behind. Or else those damn elves will be on our asses." Mbakulini nodded. This was the real reason he¡¯d been hired, after all. The killing was just an added extra for more pay. He made an opening for Perinda and himself to exit the orb-web so he could do the cleanup. The outside was a floating grassland populated by pretty flying butterflies and glowflies. The sun shone lazily in the sky, making the entire area bright and warm. To Mbakulini, this was almost as revolting as the murder scene, especially once Perinda took down his void veil. The reason they had used his orb-web instead of just a void veil was because of how sensitive the 5th Floor was to dark magic. The sun elves worshipped the unsleeping golden sun as if it were a god. Anyone who used unauthorised dark magic was hunted down and brought before the sun priests. Mbakulini understood why they placed so much importance on the sun, after all, there was never night in this place, it was sunny all day long. He hated this Floor with a passion. How did they even tell the time with such a shitty daylight system? Once he was done cursing the scorching sun, he got to work. First, Mbakulini drank a mana potion and then he wrote a khatt on the papyrium and uttered the incantation. His manacore was in the shape of a spiderweb, and it allowed his mana to follow specific directions at his command with his mana circulation method. Once the incantation was active, the orb-web surrounding them came alive, wrapping all the dead bodies inside it and then crushing them. He then poured digestive juice over the body and liquefied it. He did not feel comfortable using the juice in front of Perinda so he poured it into a jar and stored it inside his inventory. Once he was done, he turned to see the demonkin speaking to someone on his comcer. "Yeah, I killed him too; it was one less loose end," he said. "Don¡¯t worry, Hintazo, there is nothing to fret about," he said. He listened for a moment, then turned to look at Mbakulini with a smile. ¡°The assassin? Of course, I killed him too; I¡¯m not stupid. You just concentrate on playing the victim card. It always works. Everybody loves you.¡± Mbakulini snorted as Perinda took another pause. ¡°No. I keep telling you that it isn¡¯t the right time for us to abandon the light. I¡¯ll let you know when we¡¯re ready to crush them,¡± he said, then laughed. ¡°You know me; I¡¯m optimistic. Alright. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± He sighed once he ended the call. ¡°Tsk, tsk. She doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m the one you hired, does she?¡± Mbakulini asked. If Hintazo knew, she would have been against it because Perinda wouldn¡¯t kill him after the job was done. ¡°You could have called any other disposable assassin, so why me?¡± Instead of answering, however, Perinda levelled him with a shrewd gaze. ¡°You make enough money at your regular job. You didn¡¯t need to take this job, so why did you come?¡± He shrugged. ¡°More money is always welcome,¡± he said, dodging the question. ¡°Speaking of money, when are you paying me?¡± ¡°Alright, calm down.¡± Perinda fiddled with his comcer for a moment, and then Mbakulini¡¯s comcer beeped as the silver was deposited into his coin purse. ¡°It was lovely doing business with you,¡± Mbakulini said, eager to return home. A hand touched his shoulder. ¡°Please wait. I¡¯m not feeling too good right now." Perinda produced two vials of purple powder from his bag and held them out. "Maybe you and I could-¡± ¡°No,¡± Mbakulini said firmly. If Perinda did not move his hand, he would release his third arm and burn it off. Perhaps Perinda''s instincts warned him of the danger because he instantly let go. ¡°Are you still mad about Miliana''s bad voilus powder? That was a long time ago.¡± Mbakulini closed his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not it. I just have a little more self-respect now. I don''t use that crap anymore, so get it out of my face. Do you really want to burn bridges with me, considering I''m the only friend you have?" "After everything we''ve been through together, are we ever really going to be just friends?" Perinda asked, with a somewhat sad look in his eyes. "Don''t say it like that, it sounds weird." Mbakulini took a deep breath. "Are we done here?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± Perinda pouted. ¡°But there is something I want to talk to you about.¡± ¡±What?¡± he asked in annoyance. ¡°I have a confession to make,¡± Perinda said, looking up at the sun. How was it not burning him in those stifling black robes? ¡±Keep it to yourself or go to The Sullied Demon Cloud¡®s temple. I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± he muttered. Of course, Perinda ignored him. ¡°This entire situation was actually kinda my fault. I was playing around taunting the Guardians and at the same time trying to recruit a rookie,¡± he said. ¡°How was I supposed to know he¡¯d resent me and plunge the whole guild into chaos? The truth is, Sasani was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, and I put him there.¡± That was typical of him. ¡±So? Do you want me to say you''re forgiven? Because you''re not¡ªnot for this, I don''t care about Sasani, but for Kerafonika,¡± Mbakulini told him. It was true. He hated his part in that tragedy, and it all started with Perinda playing around with other people¡¯s lives, as he always did. ¡°Enam. She made her choice. I¡¯ve told you this multiple times before, but you and I were just stepping stones that Anarchist used to turn this Tower into disarray,¡± he said quietly. ¡°No one knows or cares about our part in that story.¡± Did he have any idea how cruel those words were? ¡°It must be nice not to feel guilt.¡± ¡±What¡¯s something useless like guilt going to do for me?¡± Perinda asked with a shrug. Gods, he was infuriating. ¡°If there is nothing else, I¡¯m leaving,¡± Mbakulini said as he put his mask back on. ¡±Wait,¡± Perinda called out. ¡°I¡¯d like to hire you for a job.¡± "Oh? Who do you want me to kill?¡± ¡°This is a serious job, it¡¯s not just a kill. I want a permakill. No respawns left,¡± he said. ¡°The target is the rookie named Langa Zulu. He amused me, and I wanted to see where his path went, but this time, he pissed me off. I¡¯ll pay you extra if you can also permakill the one named SynnForessa.¡± Oh, so he wanted to get rid of the two players who defeated Sasani and exposed the Vonelle Heilliege Guild¡¯s voident ties? Mbakulini was admittedly tempted by the opportunity to snuff out the potential of a Branded rookie and turn him into nothing more than karma for himself. But what if the Branded rookie took control of his Void Emerald as he did to Sasani? This was a risky job, and it was surprising that Perinda was not jumping down to handle them himself. ¡°I¡¯ve never known you to shy away from bullying those weaker than you. Are you afraid of the backlash? Is that why you won¡¯t do it yourself?¡± He asked suspiciously. ¡°No. I''m not going down to the lower Floors anymore. I¡¯m done with this Storey,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s time to Ascend. The 12th Floor is waiting for me.¡± Even though he was a master at concealing his emotions, Mbakulini could not help but let out a gasp of surprise. Why did Perinda want to brave The Great Tree that was the First Storey? Was he insane? He was not even level 25 yet! Mbakulini liked the Ground Storey because it was filled with rookies, cowards from Batch three, and untalented stragglers from the first two batches. Here, as a high ranker from Batch 3, Mbakulini was one of the strongest players, especially on his home base on the 3rd Floor. ¡°Why?¡± he asked in surprise. Perinda grinned. ¡°Unlike you, I¡¯m not fond of being a big fish in a small pond, Enam. It makes me uncomfortable being the strongest down here while he continues to climb and grow stronger. We entered this Tower together yet he''s on the 21st Floor now. That¡¯s the curse of growing up with a monster, I guess.¡± His words didn¡¯t bother Mbakulini. He liked going into battles he knew he could win; it wasn¡¯t cowardice, but instead being smart enough to choose his battles. ¡°When will you start living for yourself and stop chasing your brother? You and I both know he doesn''t care about you." "That''s rich coming from you. V-...Anarchist cares for me, in his own way. He would never let anything happen to me,¡± Perinda said sadly. ¡°Even if I were to tell him how much I hate him, he wouldn¡¯t take me seriously because I wouldn¡¯t truly believe it.¡± ¡°Then why are you walking into a psychopath¡¯s den for someone like that? Aren¡¯t you scared to enter Na''koma¡¯s hunting grounds?¡± Mbakulini asked. Everyone knew the bounty hunter considered the First Storey his hunting ground, and any voident gangs he targeted were annihilated without a trace. Na''koma was rumoured to be in late Tier 2, so Perinda would be easy prey for him. A lazy smirk graced the demonkin¡¯s face. ¡°Are you worried about me, Enam?¡± ¡°No,¡± Mbakulini said sharply. ¡°Good luck climbing The Great Tree. As for the job, sorry, but you know I¡¯m too busy to go down to the 1st Floor to hunt some rookies for you.¡± Perinda gave him a pointed stare. ¡°Come now; we both know you are addicted to hunting the Branded. Besides, I¡¯m sure the 3rd Floor¡¯s royal family can spare you for a couple of days.¡± ¡°I said no,¡± he told him firmly. ¡°Fine, then I guess it¡¯s your loss,¡± Perinda said with a shrug. ¡°If you permakilled Langa Zulu and SynnForessa, I would have considered your debt paid.¡± Mbakulini turned to him sharply. Was he serious? For two years, he had owed Perinda a massive debt that cost more than his life for his help in clearing the 6th Floor. Living with the burden of not knowing when the demonkin would call in his favour was nerve-wracking. ¡°If I do this, I won¡¯t owe you a damn thing anymore, right? You swear it?¡± Mbakulini asked. ¡°On The Sullied Demon Cloud''s honour," he swore. ¡°Fine. I guess I¡¯ll be making a trip to the 1st Floor then,¡± he said. He needed to find their respawn points first to know how to permakill them. ¡°Is it an urgent job?¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t have to go down to the 1st Floor. They will reach the 3rd Floor within a few months, then you can take them out. Get them to let their guard down a little,¡± Perinda said. Well, if he wasn¡¯t in a hurry, then Mbakulini could wait too. Even though he was itching to get his hands on the Branded player, he firmly believed that the longer the chase, the more satisfying the catch. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll let you know when it¡¯s done.¡± ¡°The Guardian Knight will be making an announcement condemning our guild for working with voidents soon,¡± Perinda told him. "I hear she plans to go hard on us to make us an example in her passive-aggressive war with The Hallow Reapers. I sure hope Khan can salvage this situation." The Guardian Knight was known for her ruthlessness, and Mbakulini knew that while The Vonelle Heilliege guild would not completely disappear, it would be heavily crippled. Mbakulini wondered if he could use the desperate Vonelle Heilliege members to peddle auzone for him or to assist with his plans for the 3rd Floor. He wasn''t going to tell Perinda that, of course, but desperate people made for cheap labour, and he was nothing if not thrifty. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked. Perinda shrugged. ¡°Just, if you want to get hold of me, do so through Discord''s connections.¡± Mbakulini couldn¡¯t help but feel the repulsion that filled his entire body at the mention of that name. Meeting that person once every three months was more than enough. ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait for you to contact me. Be careful, Perinda,¡± he said. ¡°Oh, my dear Enam. I knew you still cared about me,¡± Perinda said with a smile. Mbakulini activated his Silken Veil, writing the khatt in his papyrium scroll. The veil wove around him, and he went into his stealth state. As he made his way home, Mbakulini allowed himself to be excited about hunting a Branded player. How much could Mbakulini torture him to bring out the monster inside? How delightful would it be to feel and destroy Langa Zulu''s entire being? Ah, Mbakulini''s karma stirred, tempting the addiction he''d worked so hard to temper. He would savour the moment life left his eyes and his Void Emerald absorbed whatever corruption remained inside his Brand. 66.6. Book 3 Prologue Prologue 1: Earth A god stood in the body of his Daeva, taking in the untapped potential of the 36th Floor of The 1773rd Deiwos Tower. Xolotl, The Soul Guide of Misfortune, could not linger here, he had already decided how he was going to use his demons to take over this Floor. It was time to get into action; before the bonded player of the Deiwos Clan named The Pioneer cleared the 31st Floor and made his way up here. Mictlantecuhtli''s alliance with The Demon Reaper made Xolotl uneasy, and if he wanted to maintain his ranking in the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Clan, he needed to start his plans to take this Tower from the Deiwos Clan, and the 36th Floor was just the beginning. <> * Hazacuri opened his eyes, fire in his veins, expecting to see the moment of his death once again but no, he was alive. Fire. That was what stood out the most when Hazacuri died. Nine giant foxes born of fire took everything from him. His last memory was vivid as if the universe would not allow him to forget his humiliation. He remembered a woman with long brown hair who wore the fury of hell on her face. He remembered the multiple mouths covering her body and the bodies of every one of her flaming, living foxes consuming the stars he had collected over hundreds of years. Born from the Nine-Tailed Fox¡¯s ninth hell, brimstone consumed all Hazacuri was. The fury and anger on the woman¡¯s face remained etched into his memory as she took his head. He was burning up, screaming in pain as he wondered how the hell she could be more powerful than him, the Visage of a high-ranking god. He would never forget why he died, even as his soul left his body, she made sure of it. No matter how he looked at it, Hazacuri found his death to be unfair. He had been so close to Ascension that his blood, his soul cried to his master for vengeance. He wanted to be brought back as a mighty horrendous undead to wreak havoc on the Deiwos Clan and The Avatar of The Nine-Tailed Fox. But his master refused, absorbing his soul and asking him to be patient. Hazacuri never let go of his anger and resentment. He would find a way to destroy those who unfairly took everything from him. So his soul slept within his master in the afterlife, waiting. And now, he had been summoned from the depths of purgatory to his master''s side. Hazacuri¡¯s spirit hovered before the divine throne of Xolotl, the god''s essence covering him. He looked around, trying to find his bearings. ¡°Lord Xolotl?¡± Hazacuri asked. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. What is happening? You''ve pulled me from purgatory.¡° ¡°For over 200 years you have served me well in death, Hazacuri,¡± Xolotl said. ¡°I know I paid little heed to your prayer when you died, but I refused to let your soul pass on because you cried out for vengeance. Well, the time for waiting is over.¡± ¡°I am sorry. You made me your face, and yet I was unable to Ascend and make you proud,¡± Hazacuri said as he bowed before his master. ¡°You honour me, my lord. Tell me how I might serve you further.¡± ¡°I am offering you a chance to destroy those who took you from me.¡± Xolotl¡¯s smile was cold. ¡°Your task is simple. I will bind your demonic spirit with my essence to the body of my Daeva. A human body that is strong, healthy, and alive. He is on the 36th Floor of the 1773rd Deiwos Tower.¡± Anger, pain, fear and a desire for payment for all he''d suffered gripped Hazacuri at the mention of the clan that had made his death possible when he was a seraphim. During a divine war against Tarquinius'' seraphim, Hazacuri had nearly lost his life when he killed that damned Tonare Thunderbird and yet that victory had doomed him. How was he supposed to know how precious the thunderbird had been to his patron deity''s master? How was he supposed to know that killing Tonare would reignite the divine war between the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Clan and The Deiwos Clan? How was he supposed to know that he would never be able to Ascend to deityhood because, carrying the Blessing of the deputy leader of the Deiwos Clan, Tonare¡¯s lover would hunt him down until he exhausted all his lives? ¡°I will do it!¡± He said at once. ¡°Who is this man?¡± ¡°His name is Roldan Beltran. He is an NPC but I have been cultivating his daughter, Sarahi, for years. She is not just gifted, Hazacuri. She is Branded with living potential, I have blessed her with the ability to manipulate and amplify magic at a scale rivalling the greats,¡± his master said. ¡°Through her, you will turn the 36th Floor into a kingdom of nightmare, a fortress of darkness to defy The Deiwos Clan and our first step in taking the 36th to the 40th Floor. But to do so, you must deceive her. You will wear the guise of her father, earning her trust. Bend her will to mine.¡± Everyone knew the rules. The pantheon that owned a Tower had to have at least one temple on every single Floor of the Tower. If he could take the 36th Floor before the players of the Deiwos Clan arrived to build temples, and the same happened in the other four, and they tipped the alignment scale of the Floors to the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan Clan, and they owned 5 consecutive Floors, they could Challenge the Deiwos Clan for ownership. Then they could have a percentage of all earned karma in this Tower. Even if they lost, the fact that another pantheon managed to snag 5% of the Tower from them would damage the Deiwos Clan¡¯s reputation. ¡°If you can manipulate the girl, she will be the harbinger of destruction against The Deiwos Clan¡¯s players. By using Sarahi¡¯s powers, you will unlock a forbidden magic that transcends the realms. You will be the first true demon to be born inside this Tower.¡± Xolotl told him. ¡°But Master, Lady Picciari and Lord Adtonifulmin will not sit back and allow us to steal the Tower they worked hard to obtain,¡± Hazacuri said with a concerned frown. ¡°I don''t know what class this Roldan has, but at the stage of how fractured my soul shard is, I can barely summon three low-level demonic spirits! What kind of magic could I possibly use to take over the 36th Floor?¡± ¡°The magic of the eclipsed moon,¡± Xolotl explained, with a satisfied smirk on his lips. ¡°You can use Sarahi to create a convergence of lunar energies so potent that it will tear open the veil between realms. You will be able to summon legions of demons, dark creatures of the night that will answer only to you. Together, you will build a kingdom that will stand as a bastion against The Deiwos Clan¡¯s players so they cannot build a temple to their masters.¡± Lunar magic? That mana discipline was not open to anyone. If Sarahi was human, there was no way for her to use it. ¡°For that, I need an eclipse-born moon elf. Those are rare,¡± Hazacuri said. Dark elves were everywhere but within them, moon elves were born at a slow rate. Within those moon elves, an eclipse-born would be even rarer. Within the eclipse-born, the possibility of being blessed with the lunar mana discipline that gave demonic power to break through the realms would be so rare, that it was impossible to find. ¡°Hazacuri, you used to know me well through the Divine Nexus. I would not suggest something impossible. There is one that exists. She is dead but her spirit and soulblood are being held by two of Mictlantecuhtli¡¯s followers," Xolotl told him. "If nothing goes wrong, they will reach the 36th Floor as they Climb, you must ally with them and merge her spirit and soulblood.¡± ¡°What if they free the moon-elf¡¯s soul before I can use it?¡± he asked. If one had both the spirit and soulblood, there were a number of rituals that could be done to free her, and untether her from this world. ¡°They are two brothers whose love for her and disagreement over how to use her abilities led to her death. They will never work together to free her soul because only one of them desires that,¡± Xolotl said. His essence let out waves of unhappy karma. ¡°Trust me, I have seen their hearts. Besides hatred between brothers is something I know well. I detest my brother, Mictlantecuhtli, but for the sake of your revenge, my dear former Visage, I will yield to him on this matter. Find his two followers. Because of the rules, I cannot say who they are, but you will know when the time comes.¡± Xolotl¡¯s essence was filled with malice and when he spoke, his voice was full of contempt. ¡°The moon elf is the final piece. Bound to them by a Blood Oath, her soul contains the essence of the lunar realm, a power that complements Sarahi¡¯s own. Sarahi¡¯s abilities will create an endless conduit of magic, a river of power that will flow directly into you. But raw power is chaotic and unstable. That is where the moon elf comes in. Her soul¡¯s connection to the lunar realm will act as a prism, focusing and transforming that chaos into a weapon. With her, you will be able to summon demonic spirits from not just the first, but the second level of Mictlan to strike down The Deiwos Clan¡¯s players. You will become a true demon, not just in form but in essence.¡± Hearing this, Hazacuri''s spirit was filled with eagerness. He would be unstoppable if he became a true demon lord and used those two to summon even more terrifying monsters. He was touched that his master was willing to go sar, just so he could have his revenge on Tarquinius and Adtonifulmin. Of course, there was one more person he needed to destroy. ¡°And once we have this power, can I Ascend again? I want to find and kill Tonare¡¯s bitch that killed me,¡± he asked ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Xolotl said. "That is why your spirit refused to find peace after all." ¡°The FireFox Queen still alive, right? She must be a constellation now. I saw her consume my karma and Stars to Ascend. Where is she?¡± he barked. The burns on his soul were itching for relief. He would find none until he killed her. He was weak now, but he would Ascend again and become a deity, even if it took thousands of years. ¡°I cannot say,¡± Xolotl said. There was an amused glint in the eyes of his essence. ¡°You know The Unrivalled restricts that kind of information, right?¡± Hazacuri frowned. That rule only applied to mortals, though¡­ Did that mean she was still a seraphim, even after more than 200 years? No, he was sure he felt her begin to Ascend when he died. So how could she be mortal again? ¡°How indeed,¡± Xolotl hissed. ¡°Go now. You have three days until the child is done with the Gate. If Sarahi suspects your deception too soon, all will be lost. Earn her loyalty, guide her, and mould her into the weapon she was born to be. Do not fail me this time, Hazacuri.¡± "Yes, Master." Hazacuri felt his spirit fall, and this time when he opened his eyes, he was alive. He was not just a soul anymore, he had a body. He lifted his hand and stared at it, feeling the essence of The Soul Guide putting the body back together. He was a human. The world he landed in was low in mana density and he seemed to be in a destroyed forest. The downgrade from an exalted Visage to a mere Daeva was humiliating, but it was better than being dead. He blinked as multiple system messages filled his vision. [Error! A new soul shard has been detected inside a Daeva''s body!] [Contacting System Administrators. Please Wait] [System Administrator: Soul Shard Identified as Hazacuri Xeqina, former Visage of The Soul Guide of Misfortune.] [System Administrator: Checking if the rules were followed and whether the Daeva signed the Sponsorship Contract willingly. Please wait.] Hazacuri could not help but snort. The system knew that the rules had been followed, the System Administrators were just being difficult because The Unrivalled detested The Soul Guide''s methods of tricking mortals into doing his bidding, even though they were the ones who chose to give up their free will. He didn''t understand how anyone would willingly give up their body and soul, because he had always had to fight for his right to live. Even when he died, his fading soul had begged his master to turn him into a demon so he could wreak havoc in the Deiwos Clan¡¯s Towers and kill the followers of The Firefox Queen who had killed him so brutally. But his master had refused, placating his soul and telling him to be patient because he had great plans for him. [Body and Soul Shard connected. Welcome to the Deiwos Tower, Roldan Beltran] Finally. Hazacuri took a quick scan of his stats and grimaced. He was a Level 1 Soul Cleric, and as a Daeva, he had no respawns. He closed his eyes, anger filling him again. He had gone through all the motions, cleared a Tower, earned Stars, completed The Infinite Challenge and done nearly everything required to Ascend to deityhood for over 700 years. Now he was reduced to a mere level 1 mortal? When he caught that Firefox bitch, there would be hell to pay. Hazacuri... no, Roldan sat in front of the Gate; waiting. He had to become this man if he was to deceive his daughter. In those three days, he assimilated himself with the memories of the body he was now inhabiting. He had only one chance, one life, and he would not be able to rise to player status without the eclipse moon-elf. He would have to make do with what he had. To use every single resource in his head. When he reached the memories about Roldan''s daughter, he finally understood what kind of a game his master was playing. He laughed. Yes, he would prove his usefulness to his master this time. He would take the 36th Floor, and he would make it the Ilhuicatl-Omyocan clan¡¯s prize. He would unite this world and build it into his own Kingdom. He was just a Daeva, and he would not be able to upgrade his contract, but it didn''t matter. The foundation was already set, and he had a daughter who could end up being the most powerful Non-Player character in this Tower. Together, they would take the 36th Floor. By the time the Deiwos Clan¡¯s players got here, it would be too late. One Floor was only a small blow, but if his master could trick other NPCs from the 31st to the 40th Floor, the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan clan could own the entire Third Storey of The Deiwos Tower. He could coordinate with the followers of the Thousand Undead when they climbed up here since the dark elves of Raluka were located on the 37th Floor. He was curious which of them would reach here first. If the Ilhuicatl-Omeyocan clan could take this entire storey, or even just the 36th to the 40th Floor, they could severely stunt the growth of the Deiwos Clan¡¯s players and prevent them from earning karma. That would be his revenge. His greatest mistake was killing The Tonare Thunderbird in a divine war. He had died multiple times because he had killed a seraphim dear to a high-ranking member of the Deiwos Clan, and that god sent his constellations¡¯ seraphim to hunt him down until he permanently died. He was butchered and set on fire by The Firefox Queen because he had killed her lover. He had not forgotten. He would never forget. Three days later, the gate opened and a young woman stepped out. For her, though it had been three years inside the Gate. Those three years had aged her and made her spirit stronger. ¡°Papi!¡± Sarahi cried, running towards him. Roldan smiled and opened his arms. His weapon of revenge was here, and he would do whatever it took to bring the Deiwos Clan to its knees and take this Tower for his master.
Prologue 2: Prelude to the Special Gate Arc The walls of the old dam shook as Funduvus sealed the corrupted maladic fluid into her body, boosting her tolerance for it. Thanks to the legendary water-lucent crystal, she no longer needed to wait between sessions. The corrupted water fuelled the darkness inside her and she absorbed the karma of the larvae that failed to live through the transition. It was annoying now that she had killed all the mortals in this domain, because her karma was starting to drain again, and she needed to feed. She closed her eyes and reached into the Void, but it rejected her. Again. She still owed The Venerable One more karma. "Have you thought about my offer, maestril?" The grating voice of the 1st Floor Overlord greeted her when she stepped out of the cocoon. His spirit hovered above the corrupted water, watching her. "I will never lower myself to the level of accepting power from a mere mortal, powerful though you are, seraphim," she said. She was a creation of The Dark Void, and she would only bow to him. "I appreciate you wanting to use your gifted Authority on me, Floor Overlord, but it makes me wonder what could be so important about these incoming players that you would jeopardise your standing with your employer for it." Perhaps if it was a constellation of The Dark Void offering her Sponsorship, she would consider it, but a mere seraphim of Hillius? "You are weak. No constellation will allow you to become their Daeva," King Maetrolugy said. "They only start looking from the 10th Floor Boss. I am your only salvation, maestril. The players coming to defeat you are the very best of their batch. You will lose." Funduvus would not be defeated by mere agents of Order. She refused. She would kill the lot of them and consume their karma. Over and over again, players would fall before her cleavers, and she would earn enough karma to redeem herself before The Venerable One. Even in the unlikely event that players killed her, she would respawn, but as a Daeva, that death would be permanent. "Leave me alone, Floor Overlord. I will not take your Contract." "So you say," King Maetrolugy laughed. "But I shall leave. When you are ready to accept my help, you just need to call out to me in desperation, and I will elevate your power to Tier 2, and crush those players in your stead. Perhaps Lord Chaos may be impressed by the karma I will earn for you, and allow you to be recreated in his image." Before she could snap at him to begone, the seraphim disappeared, leaving only his laughter behind. A Tier 2 Daeva against Tier 1 players...It went against The One who claimed to have no rival''s rules, and skewed the balance in Funduvus'' favour. The offer was indeed tempting. She stepped back into the cocoon to hibernate, so that her powers would be improved when the players arrived. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
MINI STAT SHEETS: LIV, SYNN, CORALOA LIV
Name: Liv¡¯Kungsadu Race: Demigod
Age: 25 Character: Player
Level: 12 Class: Solar Paladin
Available Karma: 17 102 Total Karma: ??????
Deity: [Aapep (The True Deathbringer of The Demon Reaper)] - [Deity Rejected] [Amun-Ra (The Sun God, Neutriarch of Fire)] - [Avatar] Highest Floor 1/101 (Deiwos Towers), 2/101 (Duat Towers)
Attribute Spiritual Paths Available Respawns 4/4
SKILLS Skill Rank Skill level Skill Spells
PASSIVE SKILLS (1/5)
Sword of the Veskka Nest B Advanced Level 2
Baleni¡¯s Martial Demonic Arts C Beginner Level 3
ACTIVE SKILLS(3/10)
Herblore C Beginner Level 2
Aura Mastery S Intermediate Level 1 1. Imbue Aura 2. Charging Ray Burst
Dragon Scale Armour A Beginner Level 7
Healing Rays C Beginner Level 1
Divine SKILLS (2/10)
Ra¡¯s Solar Constructs Divine Faith Level: Avatar 1
Aapep¡¯s Demonic Aura Territory Divine Faith Level: Rejected -3
SYNN
Name: SynnForessa (The Star-Eating Fire-Fox Queen] Race: Foxkin
Age: 532 Character: Player
Level: 11 Class: Flamestitcher
Available Karma: 8495 Total Karma: ?????
Deity: [Ji¨³w¨§ih¨² - The Mystical Nine-Tailed Demon Fox God.] - Avatar Highest Floor 101/101 (Mount Kunlun Towers) 1/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute Star Eater Available Respawns 0/1
SKILLS Skill Rank Skill level Skill Properties
PASSIVE SKILLS (1/5)
Mana Stitching S Intermediate Level 1
ACTIVE SKILLS (3/10) 7 LOCKED
Fire Ring A Beginner level 8 Spells: 1. Flame Spike 2. Incinerate
Sear D Beginner Level 6 Spells:
  1. Inscription.
  2. Slumbering Smoke.
FireFox Lisen¡¯s CookBook B Intermediate Level 1
Divine SKILLS (1/10) 9 LOCKED
Nine-Tailed¡¯s Meteor Strike Divine Faith Level: Avatar -1
CORALOA
Name: Coraloa Aquarius Winter Race: Mermaid
Age: 24 Character: Player
Level: 11 Class: Mage
Available Karma: 10 243 Total Karma: 15 546
Deity: [Ancient tier constellation, Saint Aquarius] - [Disciple] Highest Floor 1/101 (Deiwos Towers),
Attribute Second Support Available Respawns 1/2
SKILLS Skill Rank Skill level Skill Spells
PASSIVE SKILLS (1/5)
Targeted Mana Manipulation C Beginner Level 7
ACTIVE SKILLS(3/10)
Spiritual Link B Beginner Level 8 Spells:
  1. Summon Water Beast
  2. Summoner''s Link
Vibration Wave A Beginner Level 6
Siren¡¯s Songs (3) S Intermediate Level 1 Spells:
  1. Siren
  2. Sonic Blast
  3. Acoustic Impedance
Divine SKILLS (1/10)
Rippling Body of Aquarius Divine Faith Level: Disciple Level 1
Langa Full Stat Sheet
Name: Langa Zulu Race : Human
Age : 27 Character: Player
Level: 11 Class: Lightning Lancer
Available Karma: 11 687 Total Karma: 13 727
Deity: [Adtonifulmin: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm] - Avatar Highest Floor: 1/101 (Deiwos Towers)
Attribute: Impulse Pulse EXP: 8354/11 000
HP: 330/330 STA: 620/620
MP: 220/220 (+10)
STR: 29 AGI: 52 (+5)
MND: 22 (+1) VIT: 33
Free Attribute Points: 0 Alignment: (+3) NEUTRAL
SPECIAL STATS:
VEL: 74 (+6, +2) REN: Level 1: Familiar Newcomer (56%)
FAI: Avatar Level 1 (19%)
Skill Points: 0 Available Respawns: 2/3
Regeneration Rates: STA: 0.29STA/s (+1) Calc: [(STR/100)]/s MP: 0.22MP/s Calc: (MND/100)/s HP: 0.66HP/s + (Reg) Calc: [(2xVIT)/100]/s
SKILLS Skill Rank Skill level Skill Properties
PASSIVE SKILLS (2/5)
Legacy of the Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship: S Intermediate Level1 You are proficient in spear techniques, cuts, blocks, and thrusts. +15% damage on consecutive heavy attacks against a single target when using a spear. +10% extra lightning damage when using skills of the lightning discipline.
Regeneration F (Evolvable) Beginner Level 8 Passively regenerate 3.5% of your maximum health over a minute when in combat. Passively Regenerate 6% of your maximum health over a minute when out of combat.
ACTIVE SKILLS(3/10)
Flash Step A Beginner Level 8 Promptly move to a target location within a radius of 8.5 metres. If there are any foes at the target location; 2x Agility damage is dealt. Cost: 30 Stamina cool-down: 25 seconds.
Lucent Enchanting C Beginner Level 7 You gain the knowledge required to disenchant and imbue any non-living items containing lucents with glyphs, runes, auink and threads to give them diverse abilities. Raise the skill level to gain more enchantments. Cost: 50 mana (Base) Cool-down: 100 seconds. At Beginner Level, only Common Rank or lower items can be disenchanted
Two Eyes of Nahuke - Unranked Effects: A skill created by the demon hunter Nahuke during his time in Miclantecuhtli¡¯s second hell. The Left Eye grants the ability to see through the demonic fog of hell as far as Mind/2 metres and observe motion in detail, making it easier to see an opponent¡¯s weakness and anticipate their movements. The Right Eye can only be opened in the presence of demons. Cost: Left Eye: 5% of total mana/second + 5% of total stamina per second. Cooldown: 30 seconds. This skill is Unranked, and is therefore permanent to the player and cannot be unlearned.
Divine SKILLS (1/10)
Lightning Lance of The Herald Divine Faith Level: Avatar 1 Passive Effect: Enhanced agility and reflexes when using polearm weapons. +15% Movement Speed when riding a mount. Active Effect: Upon activation, the Lightning Lance skill allows the user to summon one or more pure lightning lances from anywhere within the range of their sight. The lances read the intent of the caster, and home in on the target, unleashing devastating electrical energy upon impact. Alternatively, the user can choose to wield the lightning lance in hand-to-hand combat. Damage dealt is dependent on both mana and faith level. Cost: 200 Mana per lance. The base spell to activate the skill: Lightning Lance of The Herald requires a magic circle with 113 runes, 24 glyphs, and 17 symbols. Mana must be infused through each rune, glyph, and symbol for activation. Casting speed may be severely reduced because of this. Cool-down: 2 minutes
DISCIPLINE AFFINITY RESISTANCE
Life 15% 7%
Death 0% 0%
Air 7% 2%
Water 0% 0%
Earth 2% 0%
Fire 11% 13%
Light 3% 5%
Darkness 12% 40.5%
Lightning 100% 20%
Mental 0% -9% (+5%)
Arcane 1% 9%
Physical Body 21% 23%
Poison 1% 1%
TITLES Rank Effects
Team Player Rare You play well with the team, but you also play the team well. You are good at reading people. You can see the first 11 values on a mortal¡¯s status (Name, Race, Age, Character, Level, Class, Available Karma, Total Karma, Deity, Highest Floor, and Attribute) given that they are within 10 levels (or 1 Tier) of you. For those Shrouded by a deity, you can only see their values if the deity you serve (or the deity that your deity serves) is of a higher rank than that mortal¡¯s deity. You can also see the number of available respawns that the mortal has.
Third Avatar of Adtonifulmin: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm Divine As the Avatar of a god of life, you are sensitive to the breath of life. You become attuned to the subtle breath emitted by all living beings, enhancing your spatial awareness with the ability to track and sense the presence of living beings close to you. You are 20% more likely to detect tracks and signs left by living beings in the vicinity.
Beginner Voident Hunter Uncommon You induce and increase fear in mortals when inside the void veil of any Void Gems. You exude an ominous aura proportional to your karma pressure when battling against mortals designated as voidents. The greater your Total Karma, the more the target¡¯s perception of you may be altered. Target movement and casting speed may be slowed. Beginner: Only affects E-rank or lower voidents in the same Tier as you.
67. Special Gate: The Unrivalleds Blessed (1) Langa was late. He could tell Synn was getting impatient by the way she was sending messages to his comcer over and over again. He bit his lip and concentrated on inscribing the final ignition glyph on his newest enchanted product. He had spent the entirety of the previous night working on his new exploding powder, and he made progress as his experiments only blew up in his face three times. He used Exploding Elemental Orbs as a reference, and since he couldn''t enchant orbs, he had to improvise. He managed to create two types of explosives successfully. The first was an improvement on his current lucent powder bombs that used Lucent Patches and excess lucent stone powder to create the explosion. [Explosive Lucent Powder (V2) Common enchanted fire lucent powder wrapped inside lucent patches. When the lucent patch is infused with mana, it ignites the powder. Deals 50 to 80 Fire damage in a 1-metre radius Expiry date: 05/05/12 MDXXI] The second type of explosive he''d made was currently his magnum opus. It wasn''t easy and cost him an entire common lightning-lucent crystal. Even after he''d managed to enchant his Umgexo Wegazi necklace, he still couldn''t directly enchant any other lucent crystals. So during the previous night, he''d come up with an alternative. It was an explosive that combined residue from lucent crystals soaked in lucent auink to create a colloidal solution. The colloid was then poured into Lucent Patches. If he had the money to spend on lucent crystals he knew he could improve it. For now, he was happy with what he could make with just one common lightning-lucent crystal. He even named it number 1, because he was sure he would make upgraded versions later. [Electrospark Colloid (V1) Particles of a common lightning-lucent crystals suspended inside liquid darkblood auink. An external source of ignition is required to activate the lesser ignite enchanting glyph on the lucent patch containing the colloid. Deals 100-150 lightning damage in a 1-metre radius. Expiry date 3/05/12 MDXXI] He could only make ten of the Explosive Lucent Powder V2 and three of the Electrospark Colloid V1 because he ran out of time, fire lucent stones and lightning crystal particles. He also renewed the Sharpness enchantment on his daggers making them more useful, and since the auink he used this time was lucent fireblood, it meant that there was a small chance his daggers could deal minor fire damage. Once he was done with the enchantments, he used his speed to run across town. Langa found his three party mates outside Sorrento Inn checking their weapons and equipment. Synn was dressed in new black robes with red floral patterns, and her new whip, a gift from Adtonifulmin, on her hip. Coraloa''s wavy green hair was down and she wore a tight-fitting black leather armour set with a scaly green breastplate, her icy-white trident held in hand. Liv had dispensed with his usual bodysuit armour, and wore heavy scale armour with reinforced metallic alloys on areas like his chest and back. He was carrying a large round shield instead of a buckler and his Bloodserpent sword was sheathed and hanging from his belt. Langa felt under-armoured in his pronghorn leather jumpsuit armour, headband and boots. It couldn''t be helped though as his class disallowed medium or heavy armour. ¡°Langa, you are the one who rushed this entire quest, and you''re late,¡± Synn said spotting him, annoyed. She was placing a bunch of flaxes of liquids, flammable oils and potions to increase the reach of her fire into her bag. She wore multiple accessories to improve her mana regeneration. ¡°I know. I''m sorry. It took longer than I expected to complete my enchantments,¡± he said. "But it was worth it." "I hope so. Here, I managed to buy nearly everything on your list,¡± Liv said, handing Langa a small leather bag filled with health potions, mana potions, and stamina pills. "Unfortunately, I only managed to find two rare lightning-lucent stones at Tishiba¡¯s Peak." "Thanks," Langa said, using them to charge up Tonare. It sucked because it meant he could only use Thunderbird¡¯s Stunning Strike an extra two times. "Can we go now? We need every second we can spare, don''t we?" Coraloa asked, closing her feathervault bag. Liv hired a lucent carriage and drove them to the location of the Gate, using The Sun God''s map as a guide. The short ride allowed Langa to catch up on his sleep. The scent of life awoke him an hour or so later, and he looked down. The dense forest enveloped the lucent carriage as the four players flew above it. Large trees filled the landscape below them, their branches swaying in the wind. Langa had never been good at sensing lucents in the air, but surprisingly, here, he could easily detect the lucents of life all around them. Synn, as the most seasoned Mage of the group, seemed to be in bliss, taking in the mana when Liv slowly lowered the carriage. ¡°I can hear the spirits of the forest wailing. Something is disturbing the air in that direction,¡± Coraloa said with a frown as she pointed towards their right. She was quiet today, especially considering how animated she had been the previous day when she and Langa were summoned by Merreddyd. Was she upset, or was it Langa¡¯s imagination? He didn''t know her very well, so he could be wrong. Langa closed his eyes and listened to the breath of the forest, scanning their surroundings for any signs of danger. Finally, after focusing on the area Coraloa had pointed out, he felt something different. Something was breathing quietly, but it wasn''t doing so in tandem with all the other living things in the forest, so he told Liv to drive the carriage in that direction. "Look at that!" Synn said, spotting something out of place on a large willow tree standing proudly in the centre of a small grove. As the lucent carriage approached it, Langa saw that its bark was marked with a series of unfamiliar symbols. Liv circled the tree twice, making sure nothing was lurking about to ambush them before landing the carriage in front of the willow tree. He traced his fingers over the markings on the bark. ¡°This is it. The Gate to the Floor Boss¡¯ domain is in this tree,¡± he said. ¡°Okay, let''s go in,¡± Langa said, stepping forward excitedly. Liv held out a hand to stop him. "Hold your dragons there, Mr Impulsive. We need to lay down some rules," he said. "First of all, I need you guys to understand that when it comes to roles and formations, what I say goes.¡± ¡°Of course. It''s your quest,¡± Coraloa said, her arms folded. ¡°But obviously none of us is going to step into certain death just because you said so.¡± ¡°Yeah. I, for one, won''t hesitate to tell you if you''re making a stupid call,¡± Synn said. Langa just nodded. He didn''t care who was in charge as long as it wasn''t him, and he could fight however he wanted. ¡°Good,¡± Liv said. ¡°Now, since this is a new Gate that was born with our Batch''s entry, we don''t know what kind of terrain is inside, and we may end up separated. Let''s form a party before we enter so we can communicate with each other." No one objected to what he said, and Langa impatiently accepted the invitation to join the party. Through the party menu, he could see the location of each player as a dot, as well as the HP, MP, and Stamina bars. It didn''t show the exact number, only the percentages. [You are in Player Liv''Kungsadu''s party. 10% extra damage to critical hits] "I made sure we all have an idea of each other''s abilities, so what''s the plan?" Synn asked once everyone joined the party. "I was getting to that," Liv said with a touch of irritation. "I''ll be the primary tank and healer, which I know doesn''t go with a traditional party formation. Normally you want your healers in the back line, but you don''t have to worry, I''m very durable. If I''m too preoccupied to heal, please use the health potions I got you. I bought more than enough for everyone,¡± he said sternly. ¡°SynnForessa, I know you''re okay at hand to hand, but as our ranged damaged dealer, I do not want to see you in the front line. Coraloa, you''ll be the main support. If things go south, one of your summons can be the secondary tank, and any others you can summon to help with damage dealing are welcome,¡± Liv paused. ¡°But please make sure that you don''t run out of mana. Your attribute is the key to my entire plan. It''s why I am confident in raiding the Gate with only the four of us." Langa wondered what Coraloa¡¯s attribute was. With his Team Player Title, he could see that it was called Second Support, but he didn''t know what its effects were. She did not offer up the information. If Liv thought she was the key to the whole raid, then he was sure her attribute had to be powerful. "That''s fine, but I won''t be able to summon my blood koi, Kota. I can''t find my Spiritual Link to him ever since that damned dark elf exterminated his soul," Coraloa said with a dark cloud over her face. "Look on the bright side, he only exterminated one of your summons'' souls. What if he''d done it to all of them?" Synn tried to comfort her. "Or to you?" Coraloa glared at her. "Should I be grateful that a devil-worshipper showed me mercy? I would rather die first." "You did, didn''t you?" Langa said with a raised eyebrow. He''d seen the footage of Vos and Coraloa''s fight from the Celestial Clash. He just wanted this whole discussion to be over. Why were they wasting time planning for something they didn''t even know when the Gate was literally right in front of them? Before Coraloa could snap back at him, Liv continued. "Hey, focus all of you. Langa, besides being the melee damage dealer, I need you to also scout ahead. You''ll check the paths for us for anything unusual, whether it''s any enemies or any traps, got it?" Langa frowned. "Hold on, I''m not a Rogue, I don''t have any trap-disarming skills or observation skills." Actually, now that he thought about it, that was a lie. As a reward for winning The Celestial Clash, Mictlantecuhtli had given him the skill: Two Eyes of Nahuke, and from the description, he knew it was an observation skill. He had not seen how it worked just yet, though. "You''re fast, and you''re a decent tracker. You can even sense enemies before they show themselves," Synn said, raising her eyebrows. ¡°You have the highest Mind stat of all of us, that means you have the best perception," Langa argued back. ¡°My Agility is in the pits.¡± She rolled her eyes at him. "I use my Mind stat for mana, not awareness and perception." "She''s right, you''re the best person for this job. You have a stealth skill as well, don''t you?" Liv said pointedly. "Have you ever seen a rogue using a spear?" he asked. The skill that made him invisible was Distortion, a skill from Psike''s jerkin. "I''m a Lancer." "A Lancer?" Coraloa scoffed. "What kind of a Lancer doesn''t even have a mount?" Langa glared at her. That was a low blow. Granted, he''d taken a low blow at her earlier too, but it stung. He sighed. "You know what, fine. I will be your Rogue/Ranger. Can we go now? You''ll drain my excitement at this rate." "Before we enter, drink these all of you," Synn said, handing them each a small bottle with red viscous liquid inside. Langa immediately downed it all. It tasted like blended purblans. [You have ingested SynnForessa''s Foxy Purblan Juice (2) +1 VIT for 2 minutes Cool-down: 2 hours] "Oh, nice. I thought you said your food couldn¡¯t give attribute effects?" Coraloa asked. "Yeah, but I cooked a lot for the children when we were on our way to Tishiba''s Peak. I tried a few new recipes and managed to raise the skill to Intermediate Rank,¡± Synn smiled. ¡°I can only apply effects to juices at the moment, though, and they need to ferment for a while, so don''t get used to it. Plus they have a long cooldown." "Thank you," Liv said. "Yeah, Synn, this is awesome,¡± said Langa. ¡° Let''s not waste the bonus and get in there." "Alright. All of you, stay behind me," Liv said. He stepped forward gathering his mana and Langa watched the scales on his hands stand up as he infused it into the runes on the tree. The bark lit up, the symbols glittering in the darkness of the forest like neon lights. The lights formed a square shape that grew until it was the size of a normal door. [Congratulations! You have discovered the location of a Gate.] Suddenly, a translucent figure appeared before the door, startling Langa. The figure had pale skin, with a human-like head, a furred body and a sharp tail. Langa recognised him as the manticore who had given him the stink eye before the Celestial Clash. It seemed Langa was the only one surprised by his presence because the other three looked at the seraphim expectantly. Once again, he looked at Langa intensely before turning to the others. His gaze still made Langa nervous. "Hello, players. I am King Maetrolugy, the Floor Overlord of the 1st Floor. Since this is the first time this Gate will be opened, I am here to unlock it for you. Are you ready to enter?" he asked. His voice was bored as if he had better things to do. ¡°Yes,¡± Liv said. The manticore raised his hands, and the door slid down, creating a dark, narrow opening within the tree that seemed to lead deep into the earth. "Go on in," the manticore said, floating behind them. When Langa stepped into the opening after Liv, he expected to see some stairs leading down, but in the next moment, he was transported into a different world. "Good luck...you will need it," the Floor Overlord said, and his translucent form disappeared. [Welcome to the Gated world: Funduvus'' Swamp Entry Requirements: Min Level 10, Max Level 14 Min party members: 4, Max party members: 6] [Your party is the first from tutorial batch 4 to discover the Floor Gate. Because this is a newly found Gate, +500 experience and +2% Renown. +480 karma +100% Extra EXP gained for the first 52 hours inside the Gate. No rewards will be issued until you complete your quest.] [Warning! Although the rules of The Tower govern this area, it is outside of the Deiwos Tower. There are only two ways to leave the Gate: Death or Clearing it. Gate Clear Conditions: Defeat the Floor Boss Funduvus The Cleaver Agree: Yes/No] Of course, Langa agreed. If he didn''t then he couldn''t enter the Gate. The experience bonus was great. Langa legitimately believed that with double experience, he would be able to earn enough EXP to reach level 13 since he was already close to 12. But that was only if they defeated the Floor Boss, of course. It was interesting that the maximum level required to enter was 14, yet The Sun God''s Quest had a maximum level of 12. Langa guessed he wanted to see Liv at a disadvantage in order to bring out his potential. Langa¡¯s nose was immediately assaulted by the musty smell of wet earth. His boots sank into the wetland below them as he walked up to Liv. Synn and Coraloa appeared behind him as a hot breeze swept past, leaving goosebumps on Langa¡¯s skin, even though he wore a warm jerkin over his jumpsuit armour. ¡°Langa,¡± Liv whispered. Langa nodded. ¡°I know. Scout ahead,¡± he said. "Hold on," Coraloa said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. [Party Member Coraloa Aquarius Winter has shared The Blessing of The Water Bearer with you. +2% Darkness Resistance, +2% Death Resistance as long as you are in the same party and she has this Blessing equipped.] It was a swampland as far as Langa could see. The earth below his feet was a white muddy mess. Vegetation was short and sparse, but that did not mean that the area ahead was easy to traverse, as a thin white fog obscured the air. This area was on the lower elevation, and it looked like corrupted black water was flowing down from a higher area in ridges and collecting into ponds filled with algae. Langa was no longer inside the Tower and had entered a chaotic domain belonging to a maestril. He hadn''t realised how comforting the constant presence and protection of The Unrivalled inside the Tower was until he felt distant from it now. He beckoned the others forward as he led the way past smaller ponds and towards an area with the absence of life. Once they got closer, he stopped them, activated Distortion on his jerkin and went invisible. There was a series of larger ponds ahead of him, and he knelt before one of them and closed his eyes. Liv took a step forward, and just before he placed his foot next to the muddy surface of another pond, Langa felt a surge of breath from below and whirled around instantly, plunging his spear deep into the pond. Now that he attacked, he was visible again. There was a shriek as his spear made contact with something squishy, and the water turned green. Langa felt another sudden surge of breaths from the nearby ponds, and before he could step away from it, Coraloa raised her hands. The water in one pond rippled, creating a sudden sound wave that nearly caught Langa off balance. ¡°Behind me, now!¡± Liv barked, and once Langa saw what was contained by Coraloa''s Vibration Wave, he did not hesitate to comply. A huge, perhaps three-metre-long, segmented creature with a large head and long thorax wriggled out of the water like a deformed worm. It has over 50 long and sharp teeth, and its harpoon-like tongue snaked out at him. Over a dozen similar organisms floated to the surface from the other ponds around them. Corrupted Larvae Level 11 HP: 950/950 Liv cursed and activated his aura, Charging Ray Burst active. He was outwardly emitting his karma pressure and the larvae turned their heads and focused on him. ¡°I told you guys before we started that I was no good at scouting,¡± Langa said defensively. "Focus," Liv said. "Since I''ve never worked with SynnForessa, I''ll be with her for our first battle so we can learn to coordinate first before we try full-party play. Langa, you''re with Coraloa. there may be many of them, but these monsters aren''t strong. Don''t use your divine skills or attributes just yet, unless you''re in true danger. Those are limited per day, and we don''t know what''s up ahead." Two of the larvae crashed into Liv''s shield, and he kicked them back, drawing his sword and stabbing one in the abdomen. With the larvae focused on Liv, Synn threw a vial of Kiribo''s Sweat at the larvae, wrapped two concentrated rings of fire around both hands and hurled a slew of Flame Spikes targeting four larvae to Liv''s left at once. The Kiribo''s Sweat enhanced her fire damage setting the larvae alight. Coraloa raised her hands and summoned three bipedal marine iguanas only a few centimetres shorter than Langa, carrying short swords. The iguanas sped up to join the front line. ¡°Thanks for the save,¡± Langa said to Coraloa, referring to what she had done by the pond. Watch the vibrations, though; I could have fallen over." ¡°Impossible. Your agility is high,¡± she said. "Target the three to Liv''s right. I''ll paralyse them. It''ll only last for about three to five seconds on all three." She closed her eyes as she held her trident up to her mouth, covering two of the holes on its shaft, and played a mellow, slow tune on it like it was a flute. The three larvae froze in their attempts to latch onto Liv, and she didn''t have to tell Langa twice as he sped towards the paralysed larvae, slashing one larva right in the thorax. It howled at him, spitting strange green liquid. He shifted too fast for it to hit and swung at the second, stabbing Tonare deep into its eye before focusing on the third. Coraloa created another Vibration Wave, pushing two larvae away from Liv. One of the iguanas cried as a corrupted larva spewed out the green goo from its mouth, spilling on the iguana so that red blotches appeared on its skin before it went rigid, falling to the ground. The larva opened its mouth wide and consumed the summon. ¡°Damn! Don¡¯t get in contact with the maladic fluid. It causes a dangerous skin malady,¡± Coraloa shouted, running back and raising her trident to shoot a mass of ice bullets into the larva¡¯s wormlike abdomen. It was a chaotic battle, as more larvae rose from the nearby ponds. Synn¡¯s Incinerate spell engulfed the larvae, turning them to ash with each explosive blast. She was dealing the most damage, and Liv constantly had to hurry over to her to pull back the larvae that tried to target her. His sword sliced through the creatures, his shield deflecting their erratic attacks. Langa¡¯s spear burned with lightning as he cut between the creatures, striking their thoraxes one after the other, trying to get into the fight, but with so many people and monsters, there was very little room for him to use Flash Step freely. Having so many people on the battlefield meant he had to work twice as hard as he would on his own. There was nothing he hated more than teammates who dragged him down. He hadn¡¯t worked in a full party like this since the tutorial. With Aquila¡¯s team, he stood back and watched their backs while they battled the monsters, and only helped when they were in trouble. Coraloa''s remaining iguanas struck at a massive larva close to him. Unfortunately, their presence was restricting his movements and Langa''s frustration grew. He Flash Stepped in front of a paralysed larva and stabbed it in the abdomen as another approached him from behind. There was a bullet wound on its leg and it was moving slower. When he tried to turn, he found one of Coraloa¡¯s iguanas blocking his way as it bit into the larva''s side. The fucking iguanas were in his way. Frustrated, Langa kicked the iguana towards the larva as a distraction, then turned and slashed the larva¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Hey, what the hell are you doing?¡± Coraloa shouted, as her summon was sent tumbling into the swamp. ¡°If you don¡¯t have enough control over your summons to know where they are not needed, then I¡¯ll use them as my shields!¡± Langa said as he shrank Tonare into its short sword form before stabbing it into another larva¡¯s neck. "I don''t need to carry dead weight." ¡°Langa, play nice! I won¡¯t have you turning on allies!¡± Liv called out, bashing a larva away from Synn as she wrapped her flaming whip around another''s thorax. ¡°This side is too crowded. Coraloa and I''s fighting styles don¡¯t match. Let me work with Synn,¡± Langa protested. ¡°No. She deals too much damage, you can¡¯t protect her as well as I can. Learn to compromise for the gods¡¯ sake,¡± Liv snapped. ¡°Coraloa, make sure your summons are at least a metre away from Langa at all times, he needs space to move freely. And watch your vibrations as well, you almost interrupted SynnForessa¡¯s spell a moment ago.¡± ¡°What about m-¡± Synn started. ¡°Stop standing in one place like a princess, we all hate the bog, but you need to fight moving forward, or else I¡¯ll leave you behind,¡± Liv cut Synn off before she could finish her question. The smell of death was gradually overtaken by the scent of burnt flesh from Synn''s attacks. There were only four larvae left now. One was right between Langa and Coraloa and he didn''t want to deal with her vibrations displacing him or her summons getting in his way, so he focused on the others. Liv''s taunt pulled three of the larvae in, and they ganged up on him. He filled his legs with solar aura and kicked one in the head before slamming his shield into the other''s ridges. He wasn''t fast enough to intercept the third, and it blew out the maladic fluid at Liv. Langa hurriedly ran over and plunged Tonare into its side, interrupting its spell. Three fireballs floated through the air, striking the other larvae simultaneously, and a loud grunt caught Langa''s attention. The fourth larva had just gobbled up Coraloa''s iguana, and the only reason she was still standing was because she hastily fired ice bullets at it, the explosion of ice slowing it down, before skilling it. Unfortunately, another larva unexpectedly emerged from a pond behind her. Since she tried to turn and shoot at it instead of paralysing it or pushing it away with her Vibration Wave, Langa guessed her mana was extremely low. The larva¡¯s tongue tore into Coraloa¡¯s leg, catching her by surprise before she could shoot as it started to drag her into the swamp. Shit, Langa thought, crossing the distance as quickly as he could and hurriedly pulling out a lucent powder bomb, throwing it at the monster. It lit up in an explosion that sent guts flying everywhere. A sudden flash of pain on his arm told him that some maladic fluid got on the arm, causing him to bleed and erupt in an itchy rash. He stabbed the larva''s thorax with his good arm for good measure. Finally, all the larvae were destroyed. Liv gave everyone an unhappy look. ¡°Well, that teamwork sucked. If we can''t work together, we won¡¯t get an S-Rank clear or an S-Rank guild token.¡± Langa clutched his bleeding arm, and after healing Coraloa, Liv placed his hand over the arm and muttered a spell. Warm golden light flowed from his hand into the arm, slowly healing the rash. ¡°Langa, what was that last play? I told you to work together! You shouldn¡¯t have turned your back on Coraloa,¡± Liv said. Langa blinked, confused. ¡°You had three of them on you. You needed help.¡± ¡°A few more hits wouldn¡¯t have killed me! SynnForessa was preparing a spell to get rid of them while I held their attention. Your leaving Coraloa alone at near mana exhaustion after all the larva she paralysed and slowed down to make damage dealing easy for you could have gotten her killed!¡± Liv snapped. ¡°But-¡± Langa was a little annoyed. Shouldn¡¯t Liv be glad that he¡¯d saved him? ¡°But nothing. You agreed to follow my commands, and I told you to work with her!" Liv said. "The entire battlefield was a mess! I made a call based on my judgment," Langa said defensively. "I didn''t think I needed your permission for every single move." "Oh so, you don¡¯t wanna lead, but you don¡¯t want to follow my orders either?¡± he asked. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Langa asked, appalled. As far as he was concerned, he¡¯d followed the commands just fine. He glanced at Synn and Coraloa for support, but neither met his eye. ¡°Do you agree with him?¡± ¡°You say the battlefield was a mess... but that''s because you were everywhere, Langa,¡± Synn said, placing a hand on his arm. ¡°Everyone in this party is capable, and we can hold our own provided we each do our part. Trust us, and observe the battlefield to know where you¡¯re most needed. You don''t have to try to do everything.¡± Her gentle scolding made the anger bubbling in Langa¡¯s heart fizzle out. Fuck. He thought he''d moved past this, but he still carried the doubt that had been ingrained in him after all those years of having to carry his country''s entire team through the relay races. The team''s performance always hinged on him and made him take all the responsibility, doing everything... It made him lose trust in his teammates, relying only on himself. He took a deep breath. ¡°Sorry, Coraloa. I''ll be more observant next time,¡± he said through gritted teeth. ¡°Hmm? Oh, it¡¯s fine, you''re not the only one who made mistakes today. I should have managed my mana better,¡± Coraloa said. ¡°On that note Liv, you''re the main tank, you need to strike a balance with Synn in the damage you deal. I can only do so much to support you.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right. You lost aggro a couple of times, and she had to intercept and slow the larvae for us. That''s how she lost so much mana,¡± Synn told Liv. ¡°I know your health is absurd, but getting hit isn''t the only way to tank.¡± ¡°Yeah, I noticed that. I¡¯m sorry, it''s my first time playing the main tank,¡± Liv said. ¡°Let''s practice some more on these lower-level larvae until I get the hang of it.¡± Since they had cleared the nearby ponds of monsters, the group moved steadily forward. Langa went ahead of the others. He needed a moment alone to cool down a bit. The white fog that covered the swamp seemed almost alive, and he did his best to be attentive, scanning the ground for signs of traps, even though he had no idea how to spot them. Up ahead a dark wind began to stir, rustling the leaves and carrying with it a whisper of life. Langa''s breath caught in his throat, his Avatar title screaming a warning of hundreds of breaths of life approaching him. A high-pitched insisted buzzing began to rise, growing louder. He activated the Left Eye of his Two Eyes of Nahuke Skill, allowing him to see further into the distance. What emerged was a swarm of large creatures that broke through the actual fog, a mass of his worst nightmare buzzing towards him. Mosquitoes. The mosquitoes were nearly the size of a man''s hand, with needle-like proboscises that protruded from their heads. Langa''s body shivered as he remembered his worst encounter with mosquitoes back on Earth. ¡°Nope. No fucking way!¡± Langa screamed. He was not going to get bitten and be infected with another disease by mosquitoes. He turned and bolted back towards his party. The mud clung to his boots, and he struggled to gain traction as the swarm closed in. Bursting through the fog, Langa stumbled into the small clearing where they waited. "Fuck! There¡¯s a massive giant mosquito swarm headed our way!" Langa gasped, pointing frantically behind him. ¡°Calm down. If it¡¯s just mosquitoes, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to get rid of them,¡± Synn said, confused by his reaction. ¡°Tell that to the millions of people who died of malaria!¡± he snapped. What kind of diseases could corrupted mosquitoes cause? He shuddered to think about it. ¡°Fuck, I can¡¯t escape these things even in a fantasy world.¡± ¡°What¡¯s mala-¡± ¡°Positions,¡± Liv said. ¡°Ready your ranged skills so we don''t get overrun by the swarm. I don''t do ranged, so I''ll observe. I can hear them now.¡± They did as told and Coraloa whispered. ¡°Why do you hate mosquitoes?¡± ¡°One time the CAA held the Athletics Championships in Mozambique, and I forgot to take my malaria prophylaxis medication before we arrived. Unfortunately, when we went sightseeing, our truck got stuck overnight near a forest,¡± Langa said, pulling out a lucent powder bomb. ¡°Do you know what happens if you forget to take malaria prophylaxis and get stuck in a hot damp mosquito-infested area in Mozambique?¡± ¡°You get malaria?¡± Coraloa guessed. ¡°You get fucking malaria,¡± he said angrily. ¡°They are almost here. Incinerate those bitches Synn. I want them to feel the heat I felt when my body was so feverish I couldn¡¯t breathe.¡± Synn tapped his shoulder. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get revenge on the pesky flies for you.¡± Coraloa raised her flute-trident to her lips and played a quiet tune that dazed and disoriented the mosquito swarm mid-flight. Two streaks of crimson flame flared as Synn cast the Incinerate spell. The fireballs were bigger than before, which meant the skill had advanced. Langa hurled his powder bomb at the swarm and it was ignited by Synn¡¯s fireballs. The resulting double explosion of flames consumed the swarm like a rain of fire from the sky. Their buzzing turned to screeching that intensified as the mosquitoes were burnt to ash. They dropped useless things like wings, legs and maladic sacs. Liv made sure they picked everything up, including the ash, figuring that some classes could use them as crafting ingredients. Langa, Synn and Coraloa weren''t happy about this but they couldn''t really say anything considering the money for all the consumables they were using today came from Liv¡¯s pocket. After fighting off another swarm, Langa could admit that he''d been impatient with the way the quest started, so he extended an olive branch. "Hey, Coraloa. I um...I work mainly with speed and lightning. My Spearmanship skill is decent, and I don''t have a lot of health or mana, since I put most of my attribute points in agility," he said. "Can you please tell me more about your skills?" Coraloa raised an eyebrow, amused. ¡°I know the gist of your skills, Langa. Synn sent me a summary of your kit last night,¡± she said. ¡°Did she not send you mine?¡± Langa cringed. ¡°I was too busy enchanting, sorry. I didn¡¯t see the message. All I know is what I saw from your fight with Vos.¡± "Oh, well, that''s not a clear indicator of my skills," she said and gave him a small smile. "Okay.¡­ I specialise in Crowd Control with my Siren''s Song skill. I have three songs that I can play with my Siyotanka. You''ve already seen the first, Siren, where I use low-frequency tones that cause neurological disturbances, mostly paralysis, but thanks to The Unrivalled''s Blessing, if I target a specific organ, there''s a chance to make eyes explode, make the heart beat too fast or disorient the brain." "Neat," Langa said, jumping over a shrub. He wondered if she could target his nervous system and stimulate his heartbeat to forcibly activate his attribute. "Unfortunately, I''m still completing The Higher Blessing quest, so it''s a bit...." she sighed, her face downcast again. "Anyway, I can make my ice bullets explode with a Sonic Blast through my Siyotanka and I can also use Acoustic Impedance to steal the sound in an area, preventing corrupted beings from casting spells. It doesn''t work well on regular players, but it works excellently on voidents thanks to the corruption inside them." She raised her hand, where she wore one of her summons, the chameleon Fulimi, as a bracelet. "I can use this little guy to purify certain mental and poisonous status effects too." Oh, so her flute-trident was called a Siyotanka. It sounded like there were a lot of benefits that the Blessing of The Unrivalled could grant, and Langa wondered if he should have chosen to become a Guardian after all. But then again, Jandri had said those Blessings came with strict regulations. Coraloa seemed to be struggling to bring the full effects of the Blessing out, so perhaps that was why she''s equipped Aquarius'' Blessing instead. "Alright, I got it," Langa said, as they were moving steadily uphill and now the fog was much thicker. "Give me a second." Langa closed his eyes as he went ahead of the others, concentrating on using his Avatar title to feel for something. There were no more swarms of mosquitoes coming, but he saw another pond full of corrupted water. Inside it, something enormous breathed, and he opened his eyes, trying to see it. The pond looked like a muddy area except that it twitched. He frowned realising that the entire pond was a monster. King Larva Level 12 Corrupted Pond Mini-boss HP:1534/1534 Quietly, he slinked back to the others and told them about the creature. The battle against the King Larva went much better than the others before it as the four of them tried to fix their weaknesses by changing their fighting style. Synn was working on controlling her damage output without putting herself in danger or overusing mana while Liv concentrated on learning how to hold aggro no matter how much damage Synn dealt. He faced the King Larva with just his shield and sword, no aura, to sharpen his skills. Langa and Coraloa were still working on their coordination and once he let himself trust that she had his back, he found that it was fun to try something new. He took advantage of Coraloa''s Crowd-Control skills, combining paralysis and her ice''s slowing effect with his speed while ensuring that neither of them took damage. They played around with the King Larva, switching formations until they brought its health below 70%. The King Larva roared, activating a spell and corrupted water rose out of the swamp coming like a seawater wave in the wind towards Langa but Coraloa shot a quick stream of ice bullets at the wave. Her Sonic Blast exploded the ice, freezing the maladic wave mid-air. Langa rode the frozen wave immediately, infusing his mana into Tonare and spinning the glaive hard to generate more power as he plunged it into the creature¡¯s eye. Now blinded, it roared in fury, and mind-numbing pain suddenly shot through Langa¡¯s foot as something sliced deep into his ankle. The King Larva¡¯s tail had crawled underground the swampy water and attacked his feet! Shit, he wouldn''t be able to step away on time with an injured ankle as its tongue jutted out towards him. A well-timed Incinerate fireball from Synn cut through the tongue causing it to open its mouth in pain, spewing green maladic sludge. Liv was suddenly in front of Langa, shield raised, giving him time to down a health potion. Liv flawlessly swung the heavy-looking magic weapon hard at the King Larva¡¯s carapace at once and then shifted easily, the force not knocking him back as the creature roared again, trying to raise another wave of green corrupted water, but Coraloa''s Acoustic Impedance stole the sound from the air, and the corrupted wave fizzled out. Liv glanced at Langa and nodded. Langa charged forward dodging the oozing green maladic fluid while spinning around and driving Tonare into its back. The wound was immediately increased when spikes of fire poured into it, making the King Larva roar again, this time in pain. As he retreated, Liv¡¯s fist hit the King Larva''s throat and he spun around and kicked the big writhing body, sending it rolling towards Langa. No other cue was needed as the giant monster sped uncontrollably towards him, Langa met it head-on, and using both his speed and the force of its momentum, he infused mana into Tonare and stabbed its thorax, the lightning damage killing it in two strikes. [You have killed a level 12 King Larva. Rewards will be issued by contribution. Please wait.] ¡°Seriously?¡± Langa cursed as he breathed heavily in relief, glaring at Liv. If that rolling beast had slammed into him, he''d be toast. ¡°What was that?!¡± ¡°Good work. You''re as fast as ever,¡± Liv said, grinning. ¡°I¡¯ve missed fighting next to you.¡± Langa couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. Fighting against Liv was fun, but fighting alongside him was even better. ¡°Did that last part all on your own, huh boys?¡± Synn said from behind them. ¡°I hate to break up this beautiful moment, but more of those things are emerging from the pond up ahead.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Liv said, picking up the dead body of the King Larva and shoving it into his inventory. Langa frowned. How many inventory slots did he have? After battling another two King Larvae, the mini-bosses dropped a map of the surrounding terrain. Liv added it to his system map and shared it with everyone. At least now Langa wouldn''t be moving around blindly. 68. Special Gate: The Unrivalleds Blessed (2) The ground was covered in multiple ponds filled with larvae and Langa and his teammates used them for training, getting used to working together as they blasted through the creatures. Their teamwork was getting better, and the more fights they had, the more Liv was able to keep his feet planted without getting knocked down. He was also able to switch quickly between his shield and sword. Most of them didn¡¯t drop anything, but Liv still picked up every single body and threw it into his inventory. They also picked up anything unique or that seemed valuable, including a few herbs and corrupted plants that they saw along the way. Langa took the opportunity to practice the skill he''d gotten from The Thousand Undead, Two Eyes of Nahuke. [Two Eyes of Nahuke (Unranked) Active Skill Effects: A skill created by the demon hunter Nahuke during his time in Miclantecuhtli¡¯s second hell. The Left Eye grants the ability to see through the demonic fog of hell as far as Mind/2 metres and observe motion in detail, making it easier to see an opponent¡¯s weakness and anticipate their movements. The Right Eye can only be opened in the presence of demons. Cost: Left Eye: 5% of total mana/second + 5% of total stamina per second. Cooldown: 30 seconds. This skill is Unranked, and is therefore permanent to the player and cannot be unlearned.] When he''d sparred with the Guardians'' guild master and tried to use it, nothing happened. It hadn''t worked on Merreddyd but maybe that was because she was just too high level for him and had no weaknesses. He could only use the Left Eye at the moment. It was demanding on his MP and Stamina and unlike his other skills, it didn''t take a fixed amount, but a percentage per second. It took him a while to understand how the skill worked, but he eventually learned how to control it. As they followed the map up a hill, the four players came across what appeared to have once been a large settlement buried in the mud. All the stone buildings had sunk into the swamp, and they could see broken pieces of what used to be the gate into the city. More ponds with King Larvae were hidden around the gate preventing them from entering the destroyed city. Thanks to their training, they made quick work of the King Larvae. When they tried to enter the gate, the wet ground beneath them rumbled, and an army of corrupted snakemen emerged from the mud. They were short, muscular creatures whose bodies were covered in green snake scales and wearing tattered armour. Some of them had shackles either on their feet or their hands. Langa fell back immediately, letting Liv take the lead as the snakemen observed them with disdain. ¡°The minions of the maestril Funduvus have returned, comrades," the snakemen leader said. "We cannot allow her to breach our city walls. Advance! Defeat her corrupted aides." "Uh, is he talking about us?" Langa asked as the snakemen got into formation and attacked, their movements slowed by their shackles. Why were corrupted creatures calling them corrupted? "Shut up, maestril dog!" the snakeman shouted, his sword targeting Langa even as he dragged his shackles behind him. They didn''t look strong, but there were many of them, rushing the group. Langa spun Tonare at high speed in front of him to deflect the arrows their archers shot. "We must protect the water plant at all costs!¡± the leader said as the army attacked with corrupted weapons. ¡°The Alchemists will create a remedy to purify our water supply and defeat the encroaching Void!" Liv''s legs were planted firmly on the ground, his shoulders low and tense, and his upper body leant forward as he held his shield with both hands. He ran forward, glowing with his Charging Ray Burst, drawing all the snakemen''s attention. They ganged up on him and rammed onto the shield with a force that caused it to emit a whirring sound. Most of them were sent flying back and the rest remained dazed. Synn activated and released Incinerate, but Coraloa suddenly threw up a Vibration Wave pushing the snakemen back, so that Synn¡¯s attack missed. ¡°Don¡¯t attack,¡± Coraloa said. ¡°They are remnants of corruption." "Do not falter!" the head snakeman said, trying to hack through her Wave. ¡±What the hell? I know,¡± Synn said through gritted teeth. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted to quickly put them out of their misery.¡± Seeing this probably reminded her of what happened in her homeworld of Zamone when her world fell to the maestrils. ¡°There¡¯s a better way,¡± Coraloa said. ¡°Liv, your holy light aura can purify them, right?¡± Liv tensed, watching the scrambling snakemen. ¡°I¡¯ve never used it for that before.¡± ¡±You¡¯re a Paladin. This is something you¡¯ll have to learn to do. I''ll help you out now. When I tell you, begin the prayer,¡± she said. A beautiful hum sounded as she started singing softly. Waves of sound flowed from her mouth through the Vibration Wave into the ears of the snakemen and they stopped struggling. The bracelet she wore came alive and her chameleon, Fulimi spit out a wave of water as she sang. Langa felt his Darkness Resistance fall as she unequipped the Blessing of Aquarius and switched to the Blessing of The Unrivalled. "We are not agents of the maestril boss. The Unrivalled sent us here to clear the corruption and save this world from the Void," Coraloa said in a singsong voice, and the creatures'' eyes glazed over. "Blessed child of the Holy One!" the snakeman leader said and bowed. "You have come to save us." A tear ran down Coraloa''s cheek. "Liv, now please," she said, raising her Siyotanka. Langa saw Liv hesitate, but he touched her Siyotanka and coated it in his solar aura, mumbling a prayer. Light shone from him as Coraloa shot golden ice bullets reinforced by Fulimi''s water into the dazed snakemen''s hearts and her Sonic Blast made them explode. The sound explosion tore through the creatures and into the surrounding pools of corrupted water, which suddenly cleared, and everything the golden light touched lost its corruption. Liv stepped back and looked at his hands as if he couldn¡¯t believe something so pure had come from him. ¡°Did you amplify it using The Unrivalled¡¯s Blessing?¡± he asked. Coraloa wiped her tears. ¡°Yes. They won¡¯t rise again. I can¡¯t believe the maestril would conquer them and then use their corrupted bodies as her obstacles,¡± she said, clutching her Siyotanka tightly. "We have to destroy that evil witch.¡± The light faded and the snakemen''s broken shacklesclattered to the ground. There were four pairs of them, and Langa inspected them as Liv picked them up. [Manacles of Arcane Suppression (DAMAGED) Item Rank: Uncommon. Description: Manacles crafted by a skilled enchanter for transporting mortal prisoners. They are made from mavaled steel inlaid with three glyphs and one Arcane rune. Repurposed by Funduvus the Cleaver to force residents into submission. Effects: Arcane Nullification: When worn, the manacles suppress a mortal''s ability to cast spells by creating a mana dampening field around the captive. While the manacles are active, the wearer cannot cast spells of Intermediate Rank or lower. Duration : 5 minutes. Binding cost: 50% of target Mana Pool. May be re-bound after 5 minutes for the same cost. Restrictions: May only be used on immobile targets lower levelled than the binder or a maximum of 5 levels higher. Durability 3/20] "Did that work to improve your Blessing to a Higher Blessing?" Synn asked. "I don''t know," Coraloa said. "The Higher Blessing Quest is stuck at 99%. I don''t know what to do. At this rate, I won''t complete my Class Change in time. Being stuck with a basic Mage Class at Tier 1 means I''m losing out on a lot of stats." "Maestrils are dark creatures," Liv said. "I think if we can slay the Floor Boss, your quest will be complete." "Can I have those manacles?" Langa, who was only half-listening to them, asked before Liv could put the manacles into his inventory. Coraloa eyed him suspiciously. "Why do you want them? Those are dangerous items, and I''d rather we just destroy them than have them fall into the wrong hands. Can you imagine if voidents had those manacles on top of their Void Gems?" "I won''t misuse them. I need them for Bounty Hunting," he said. "Why? Don''t you have Deiform Artefacts?" she pressed. "The Deiform Artefacts only work on voidents," Langa explained as Liv handed the manacles to him. "But our guild will go after normal players too, so it''s better to bind them and hand them over to the NPC authorities than just kill them without knowing where they will respawn." "Oh," Coraloa said. "That makes sense, I suppose... please don''t lose them." He nodded and decided not to tell her that he was planning on disenchanting some of them to learn the runes or glyphs used so he could make more manacles for his guildmates. "I don''t think they will be too useful, though," Liv said. "I mean, those who don''t rely on magic and use physical attacks or aura will be able to break free, won''t they?" "Not necessarily," Synn said. "They are reinforced with mavale, and that suppresses all lucents, even Physical Body ones. Aura is a bit complicated though. I think the main issue is the cost. Langa wouldn''t be able to bind people from races with naturally high mana like you or Vavuciadsforenkka." She was right, of course, but Langa was sure that as his Lucent Enchanting Skill levelled up, he''d be able to tailor the manacles more to his specifics. However, mavale crystals were hard to come by and only available outside the Tower, in places like Gates or the tutorial. It would be a struggle to get the materials. After that, they explored what remained of the settlement in silence. The group searched around any building that they could enter for items but there wasn''t much left as the whole city was buried and corrupted by the swamp. After searching all standing structures, they had to give up because they kept getting attacked by swarms of mosquitoes and gaining nothing. Still, Liv picked up the building materials of any building he could lift, throwing them into his inventory. It made Langa wonder how much inventory space he had. * ¡°I think we might be able to complete this quest by tomorrow,¡± Liv said, looking at his map. ¡°The maestril boss¡¯ lair isn¡¯t far. If I look at the distance we¡¯ve travelled, we should be able to reach her in less than twenty kilometres.¡± Langa paid close attention to the map since he would be the one walking at the front. It showed the large tree they had used to enter the Gate, then the wide swamp field where they fought against the larvae, as well as multiple mosquito swarm farms they had passed through to get to the buried settlement and the small clearing they were in now. ¡°According to the map, we have to follow this path through those two enormous trees up ahead,¡± he said. Damn, he hoped the path was wide and not a closed space; otherwise, it would be difficult for him to lead the team through it. It seemed the largest area on the map came after that tree path. It was something called the Agoda Ruins where there was the Pond of Trust, which Langa guessed was where the Trial of Trust would take place. After that was Funduvus¡¯ Bog, where the Boss resided. ¡°The problem is that this map only shows the key areas; any of those could hold the maestril miniboss,¡± Synn said, chewing on her lower lip. ¡°The mosquito swarms weren¡¯t on the map until after we defeated them.¡± Coraloa sighed, ¡°The map is better than nothing, but I think we should rest for a bit before we continue.¡± Langa shook his head. ¡°We can¡¯t rest here, we need to cover more ground. We got here in the morning, but it¡¯s already getting dark. I don¡¯t think this place has a sun to start with,¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to navigate this whole area in the dark!¡± ¡°But rushing into the tunnel without a plan is too reckless,¡± Coraloa argued. ¡°I know we are on a schedule, but we also need to be careful. Maybe you can go check out the tunnel first and let us know if it¡¯s safe.¡± Langa resisted the urge to smack Tonare into the ground in frustration. "That is easy for her to say when your life in danger at the front, you''ll be waiting at the back," he said crossing his arms. Coraloa levelled him with a look. "Yes, at the back, where I''ll be ready to shoot anything that tries to attack you." ¡°Still, it''s too dangerous. I don¡¯t mind scouting ahead, but I don¡¯t want to face any monsters alone while you guys wait out here. We should all go in, you guys closer behind me so that if I spot something, we can engage it before it spots us,¡± he said. Her face seemed to say that she thought it was worth the risk, so the two of them turned to Liv, since he was the party leader. He seemed only to be barely listening to their conversation as he and Synn pored over the map. Liv looked up. ¡°You¡¯ve both got a point, but we should cover more ground. We need to consider our safety as well, we don¡¯t know if there are more swarms nearby either. We were able to detect them thanks to Langa, but staying here isn¡¯t safe." "I agree. We¡¯ll rest after we get out of the tunnel.¡± Synn pointed at a small dot on the map, next to the ruins. ¡°In Inscription terms, that symbol means there¡¯s a safe zone there.¡± ¡°What symbol?¡± Langa asked, seeing nothing but a dot. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t see anything either,¡± Coraloa said, squinting her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s probably something only those with an Inscription Skill can see,¡± Synn said in realisation. ¡°The point is, there will be a safe zone where monsters can¡¯t spawn and we can rest there after we get through this tunnel.¡± ¡°If we get through the tunnel,¡± Coraloa muttered, disgruntled. Liv placed an arm around her shoulders. ¡°Hey, if we run into something we can¡¯t handle, you¡¯re free to use your attribute, Coraloa.¡± ¡°What?¡± she asked, her grey skin paling even more. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s just sacrifice 50% of my total Mana and Health, why not?¡± Langa was about to ask how strong her attribute had to be to take away that much power, but he sensed over a hundred breaths of life coming from behind them. ¡°There¡¯s like four swarms incoming, let¡¯s go!¡± he shouted, and the other three did not need telling twice. The mosquitoes were annoying to deal with and it would waste time. The fog filled the air as Langa and his party entered the tunnel between two mangrove trees. Their roots were submerged in the wetland, and the upper parts intertwined, creating a natural tunnel. The water beneath was dark and murky. The mangrove leaves arched overhead, forming a shade that barely allowed any light to penetrate. Langa led the way, Tonare held tightly, his Avatar title nearly driving him crazy with how much insect life was in this area. His steps were silent despite the squelching ground. He prodded the ground ahead with his spear, testing for hidden traps. The ground beneath their feet shifted slightly, and Langa''s heart skipped a beat. He motioned for the others to stop, as he focused on his title on the source of the disturbance. Synn held a small flame in her hand, the light making it easier to see. There, partially hidden among the roots, was a wooden gadget with multiple glyphs and symbols inscribed on it. It emitted a rotten breath that he¡¯d come to associate with poison. "Trap," Langa called back to the others. "Coraloa, freeze it." Coraloa held her Siyotanka over her shoulder and fired a bunch of ice bullets into the wooden gadget and it froze, but she didn''t Sonic Blast it. Langa carefully approached the trap, and bashed it with Tonare¡¯s shaft, shattering it. "Clear," he said, motioning for the others to follow. He picked up the pieces, hoping he could disenchant them later, and learn some new enchantments. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "Don¡¯t go too far ahead," Liv called out to him, his voice barely carrying through the dense fog. "Visibility is too low, and we might lose you." ¡°I know,¡± Langa said. He had to skirt around rotting tree stumps and tangled vines and almost turned off his Avatar title. After keeping it on for nearly the entire day, his head was ringing, and he could not concentrate with all the breaths he was sensing. It made his head spin, and he would rather navigate by sight. He noticed a low-hanging hive of wasps from one of the trees and he instructed Synn to burn it before the insects came out to sting them. The further into the tunnel they went, the darker it became. Langa prayed that it didn¡¯t narrow any further because he could feel his claustrophobia rearing up. It would be embarrassing for him to have an episode right now. Still distracted, Langa felt a shift in the ground where there was a sudden influx of dormant life that set his instincts on edge. "Stop!" he shouted, holding up a hand. "There''s something bel¡ª" But his warning was too late. The ground beneath them gave way, their bodies sinking into the mud and they plummeted into a hidden pitfall. Synn activated her Slumbering Smoke spell, and black smoke surrounded the four of them, slowing them down as they continued to fall. ¡°I can¡¯t hold four people for long,¡± Synn said as they hung in the air. ¡°Can you see if we won¡¯t die immediately as soon as we land?¡± Did she think Langa''s title was that specific? He could only sense traps if the life of the one who set it still remained on it. Even that didn¡¯t happen all the time. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore his ringing head. Titles had no cooldowns but he was beginning to see the side effects of keeping one active for too long. ¡°I don¡¯t sense any traps, but I do sense life below us,¡± he said finally. ¡°Liv, please keep your shield ready as soon as we land.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Liv replied as they fell into a dark, cramped space, filled with strange, glowing monster eggs the size of basketballs that were covered in thick shells. The moment their feet touched the ground, the eggs started to glow even brighter. There was barely anywhere to move around as the eggs were all over the place. The breath Langa felt from the eggs was no longer dormant, instead, it was unstable, as if the mana inside was on the verge of bursting apart. ¡°Liv, cover us. I think they are going to explode!¡± Langa shouted. To his surprise, Liv didn¡¯t move. He stood frozen still, and Langa was horrified as he realised he might be caught in another trap. He''d told him to have his shield ready, but now it looked like something was holding him back. "Shit! Brace yourselves!" he yelled to Synn and Coraloa. "I''ll use my speed to push you out of harm¡¯s way." "There''s no need." Coraloa stepped forward. ¡°Stand back,¡± she said. ¡°I''ll handle this.¡± The eggs began to quiver and then erupted in an explosion, sending shards of chitin and bursts of toxic maladic gas into the air. But before the shrapnel could reach them, Coraloa raised her hands, causing the air around the group to vibrate with a loud rumbling sound. The Vibration Wave absorbed the impact of the explosion, the force pushing the shrapnels back. The gas emanating from the exploding eggs was pushed back by her wave as they slowly moved back. "Thanks, Coraloa," Langa said, breathing a sigh of relief. When he was about to use Legacy of The Tonare Thunderbird Spearmanship¡¯s defensive stance to relieve her, she stopped him. ¡°No. Conserve your mana, both of you.¡± Her breathing was heavy as she struggled to keep her Vibration Wave active, pushing away the force from the exploding eggs. ¡°But we can help,¡± Synn said, confused. ¡°Yeah, we need to get this over with so we can figure out what''s wrong with Liv,¡± Langa agreed. ¡°He''s fine.¡± Coraloa¡¯s eyes scanned the area. ¡°Listen. In about three seconds, I will be drained of mana completely. When that happens, you two must do whatever Liv tells you, no matter how absurd it sounds, okay?¡± Liv was still standing completely still, and a halo was slowly forming over his head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Langa asked in concern. ¡°Let¡¯s just say you¡¯re about to find out why I¡¯m The Unrivalled¡¯s Blessed,¡± Coraloa said. ¡°You used your attribute?¡± Synn asked as Coraloa¡¯s Vibration Wave dissipated and she fell to the ground, kneeling in exhaustion and clutching her head in pain. Synn activated Slumbering Smoke again, this time to neutralise the toxic gas from the broken eggs. Coraloa didn¡¯t have to answer as Liv snapped awake. He suddenly charged forward, his breath of life so overwhelming that Langa nearly choked on it. Liv''s mana surrounded him like a tumultuous wind as he called it forth. Three massive golden shields taller than Liv materialised from thin air and surrounded the four of them. The dreary atmosphere of the underground was suddenly warm and welcoming as if they were basking in warm sunlight. Langa was about to ask Liv why he¡¯d just activated a divine skill out of nowhere and why the hell there was a halo around his head counting down from 30 seconds, but Liv started dishing out instructions. ¡°SynnForessa, take three steps back, prepare your most powerful Incinerate fireball, and in exactly 12 seconds I want you to fire it at a 45-degree angle high to your left, understood?¡± he said. ¡°Sure,¡± Synn said, stepping back without questioning it, so Langa thought maybe he was the odd one out since he didn¡¯t fully understand what Liv said next. ¡°Langa, in exactly 4 seconds, I want you to leave the Solar Shield and strike the monster on the rear with your highest damage skill while it''s disoriented,¡± he said. What monster, Langa wanted to ask, but he figured if Liv had time to explain, he would. Langa infused mana into Tonare, activating Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike. From the foggy remains of the eggs, a dizzyingly fast breath of life lunged at them and slammed into Liv¡¯s shield. Liv gritted his teeth and kept the skill active as the monster stumbled back. Only then did Langa see what it looked like. A mantis-like creature lunged at them. It was a terrifying fusion of a mantis and mosquito, with strong chitin armour covering its entire thin body. It had a head, long thorax, an armoured abdomen and thin but firm legs. Its blade-like forearms shone in the light, and it shook its head when Liv slammed one of the shields into it again. Langa opened Nahuke''s Left Eye, looking for a weak spot as he Flash Stepped behind the monster. It was like he was wearing a visor over his left eye, and seeing two different layers of reality. Two dots appeared on the creature''s back, one yellow and one red. From the time he''d practised on the larvae, Langa knew that red dots meant weak spots that he could get a critical hit from, while yellow was regular spots where he could score a hit. He stabbed Tonare deep into a red dot on its upper back.DamageLightning sizzled and burned through its armour until it struck flesh and drew green blood. The extra damage from Flash Step scaled with the skill. [Critical hit! (???: -701HP) Lightning Discipline damage! ???:-701HP Extra Damage: 70.1HP ] [Backlash! (Langa Zulu:-87HP)] The backlash from the skill was bearable, and Langa barely noticed it as the monster screeched and he reacted instantly, aiming for the creature''s joints. But it was fast, parrying his strike with one of its bladed arms. The arm stretched out, trying to stab him but one of Liv¡¯s golden shields moved until it was in front of Langa, protecting him. At the back, Coraloa was kneeling on the ground, face screwed up in pain, and instead of a single highly concentrated incinerating fireball, Synn stitched her mana through her Musco''s Corrosive Whip. Both the whip and her hands were coated in Swaran Grease and again she threw a vial of Kiribo''s Sweat at the ground to enhance her fire damage. She unleashed a pair of purple fireballs at the area Liv had told her to target. There was a startled yelp, and she released another purple fireball. The yelp came from a stick-thin creature that fell from the shadows above her, and it landed just outside Liv¡¯s golden shield. Its head resembled a mosquito, complete with a long proboscis and it had eyes that glowed with a red light. Unlike the other one, its front limbs weren''t blades but thin with needle-like ends. The wings on its back were transparent but veined with a dark, almost oily substance. Once down, the creature¡¯s arms swelled up and the hairs on its arms turned into tiny needles. It expelled the needles at Synn, but thankfully, one of Liv¡¯s golden shields was in front of her, protecting her. Now that both creatures had shown themselves, a description was available when Langa scanned either of them. It seemed they were two parts of one monster. Twin Mantisquitoe (Maestril Miniboss) Level 11 HP: Needle-Arm - (2662/3731) HP: Blade-Arm - (1317/4714) Karma: 6235 Both of them counted as one level 11 maestril. If the boss was going to be level 13, then this was a test for the group, as everyone knew that maestrils were not like regular monsters, and the system advised that a party of at least five members of at least the same level or one level lower than the maestril should face it. Three of them were level 11, with Liv at level 12, so if they couldn''t defeat this miniboss, they had no chance against the boss. Liv¡¯s shields surrounded the group as Coraloa finally stood up after taking two mana potions and a health potion, looking refreshed. Both twins of the maestril circled them, watching for weaknesses in the shields. ¡°What happened?¡± Coraloa asked. ¡°Were the maestrils too strong? Why did I send you back?¡± ¡°The eggs exploded, and I managed to protect us. The shield was still active when Blade-Arm attacked,¡± Liv said and covered his arms with solar aura. ¡°Needle-Arm over there ambushed us while we were dealing with the other one. It targeted SynnForessa who has the lowest health, and since I was occupied with the other one, Langa tried to tank for her, but-¡± ¡°Did he die for me?¡± Synn asked, looking horrified. ¡°No, but those needles are dangerous and paralytic. It broke his leg and he couldn''t move for a while. We were screwed, as his damage was pitiful without his speed,¡± Liv said. ¡°I have no idea what you guys are talking about,¡± Langa said, keeping his eyes on the twin maestril. Blade-Arm kept hacking away at the solar shield while Needle-Arm watched them unblinkingly. ¡°That''s what happened before I sent Liv 30 seconds back in time,¡± Coraloa said, looking at him. ¡°30 seconds?¡± Synn gasped. ¡°I thought you could only do 10 seconds!¡± ¡°Yeah, The Unrivalled¡¯s Blessing is really boosting my attribute,¡± Coraloa said excitedly. ¡°The downside is it makes it harder for me to summon my familiars. If I can get the dual patron deities, I could control the backward flow of time even more!¡± All alertness was forgotten as Langa gaped at the mermaid. ¡°Your attribute allows you to turn back time,¡± he asked, awed. Her smile was infectious, as she explained. ¡°Not exactly. It allows me to distort a gap in the space-time continuum and send someone else''s consciousness back to-¡± ¡°Hey! Focus, all three of you! I''m losing 50 mana every second keeping these shields active. You need to counterattack before I run out because I can''t use any other skills as long as Solar Constructs is active!¡± Liv shouted at them. ¡°Right, sorry,¡± Langa said, remembering that they were still in the middle of battle. He''d known that Liv had a massive mana pool, but 50 MP/second for over 15 seconds was still insane. He would only be able to keep a divine skill like that active for 4 seconds! ¡°Synn ignite these for me!¡± Langa said, throwing three of his enchanted lucent powder bombs at Needle-Arm. A few Flame Spikes later, and Needle-Arm''s entire lower half exploded in flames. Blade-Arm screeched and a strange green substance came out of his mouth. Too late, Langa realised it was a swarm of small mosquitoes and tried to step away. The mosquitoes left large blisters several centimetres wide on his skin. The blisters were full of fluid, and when he scratched them, they became loose before breaking open. When they ruptured, the skin underneath was moist and unbearably painful. Langa tried to hold it in, but a pained gasp escaped him. [You have been infected by maladic spores. -41HP/s] He hastily took a health potion and the blisters disappeared. Just when he thought he was safe, they reappeared a second later. [Maladic spores have reinfected your skin -41HP/s] [Your Skill: Regeneration (F) has cleared the blistered skin malady] [Maladic spores have reinfected your skin -41HP/s] [Your Skill: Regeneration (F) has cleared the blistered skin malady] [Maladic spores have reinfected your skin -41HP/s] "My regeneration isn''t working. The malady keeps coming back," he shouted, unable to use his arm. "If it''s a corrupted malady, only holy magic can clear it!" Coraloa shouted, firing ice bullets at Needle-Arm. "Hurry, get Liv to heal you." Liv laid a hand on Langa''s arm, closing his eyes. "Nishkur Lord Amun-Ra, cast your holy aura over this corrupted malady." The healing this time was a warm sunlight that washed over Langa and the blisters on his skin disappeared. They did not return, even after a couple of seconds. "Thanks," he said, relieved. "Sure," Liv nodded. "I should probably take that one on. SynnForessa, can you use your divine skill to strike one of the maestrils down?¡± Liv asked as he blocked Blade-Arms parasitic spores. She shook her head. ¡°No. I can only summon my meteor from the sky. Even with my superior mana control, it would be hard to target the maestril accurately at Tier 1. If I summoned it, we''d all be flattened along with the maestril when the tunnel buries us.¡± ¡°Crap, then-¡± ¡°I can use mine, but I also have trouble controlling it," Langa said. "So if any of you have lightning resistance lower than 25%, you might want to steer clear of it.¡± "Alright, use it when Needle-Arm is below 50% health. I will kill the other using my Solar Constructs too," Liv said with a nod. Now that Liv¡¯s solar shield disappeared, he instructed Langa and Coraloa to focus on Needle-Arm while he and Synn took on Blade-Arm. Synn tried to strike at Blade-Arm but its chitin armour resisted her Incinerating fireballs, the flames sliding off its surface. She had more success when she coated her whip in flames and lashed the creature''s torso, its diseased effect eating at the armour. Liv charged in, his sword burning with solar aura. He swung with all his might, aiming for the creature''s head. The Blade-Arm dodged to the side, countering with a slash of its arm. He raised his physical shield just in time, the impact sending him staggering back. Synn lashed at it with her flaming whip again and Blade-Arm knocked away the whip without looking, but the action distracted it enough for Liv to thrust his sword into the joint between its leg and abdomen. It screamed once more, trying to stab Liv with its blade, but he parried with his shield. The blade cleanly slid across the surface of the shield, and Synn blasted it with two fiery hot incinerating fireballs. Meanwhile, a quick flurry of ice bullets rained on Needle-Arm from Coraloa¡¯s Siyotanka as they were the only things that could reach it when it flew above them. It flew down alarmingly fast, its needle poised to stab her. Langa closed the distance and raised Tonare, deflecting the incoming needle-like arm with the edge of his glaive. Unfortunately for him, the creature''s other arm slipped through his guard, striking his thigh. The needle tore through his flesh and shattered bone. It was excruciating. He could feel his body flying backwards until it hit a protruding root of the mangrove tree. Thankfully, Coraloa''s Siren took hold of the maestril, causing it to stop moving, and she took aim, and fired a mass of ice bullets at the creature, aiming for the joints in its armour. The Sonic Blast she sent through the ice bullets chipped away at the chitin and slowed the creature''s movements. While he downed a health potion, Langa decided to use Two Eyes of Nahuke and when he focused on Needle-Arm, he felt his mana and stamina drain as the Left Eye opened. Four dots appeared on Needle-Arm''s iced joints and eye. Three yellow and one red. He hastily closed the Eye so it wouldn''t drain his already low Stamina. Coraloa played Siren, and instead of paralysis, she caused the creature to be disoriented. Langa dashed forward, infusing his spear with electric energy. He aimed for the red dot, the exposed joint between the creature''s thorax and abdomen, driving his spear deep into the vulnerable spot. The creature shrieked, its body convulsing as the electric energy surged through it. He had to use Lightning Lance to finish it off before it consumed its karma to heal itself. "Watch out, Langa!" Liv shouted, and Langa barely had time to dive down as Blade-Arm''s maladic spores filled the air, targeting wildly, now that Needle-Arm was critically injured. Liv lifted his blue shield to stop the barrage, but while most of the maladic spores were stopped by the shield, the ones he missed flew in a straight line and buried themselves in Synn¡¯s arm. She let out a loud agonised scream as Langa hurried to relieve Liv so he could heal her before the malady could spread. This left Coraloa to hold Needle-Arm by herself. Maestrils were sapient creatures who had been studying their group dynamic, therefore, it shouldn¡¯t have caught them off guard when, while Liv placed his hand on Synn¡¯s arm, repeating the prayer, Needle-Arm broke free from Coraloa''s paralysis and made its move. Coraloa hastily chugged down a mana potion as both of Needle-Arm¡¯s arms swelled alarmingly and the hairs on its arms were released as multiple tiny needles. ¡°Oh shit!¡± she screamed, using her Vibration Wave to try and get away, but the maestril could fly, so it was faster. The maladic needles struck her body, no matter how fast she tried to dodge. ¡°Liv, switch!¡± Langa shouted as the maestril¡¯s proboscis attached itself to her neck and it began to suck from her neck. He prayed for Coraloa to hold on as he drew inside himself, concentrating on the magic circle Liberty drew for him. The auink came alive as he infused his mana into each glyph, symbol, and rune slowly and carefully. The page from Nitract''s Ravine helped to improve his Casting Speed. He could feel Adtonifulmin in the lightning that coursed through his veins, so he concentrated on his belief that Adtonifulmin would want him to save his friends. He used that as his Faith and he felt his mana leave him. It connected in the air to form a large spear, only three metres long. Streaks of electricity sputtered out from the lightning lance as he tried to control it. The magic circle was the plug, his nerves were the wire, and his mana was the current. To control the output of electricity, he had to control the way his mana circulated in his nerves. The more mana he circulated through his nerves, the more pain he felt, and sparks of electricity heated the air as he gripped the lance, willing it to shrink to just two metres. He bolted towards Needle-Arm holding the volatile lance in his hand. Coraloa¡¯s body, still covered in needles like a pincushion, had gone limp as when he reached her. Shit, she couldn¡¯t summon any creatures to help her after using her attribute. He was worried that she wasn¡¯t moving as he stabbed the lightning lance into the feeding maestril¡¯s back. The lance burnt a hole right through its armour and made it scream as blood poured out of the wound. In doing so, it detached itself from Coraloa. Its karma began rapidly decreasing as it used it to heal itself. He placed his hand on her back to steady her, but to his surprise, his hand went through her, and her whole body dissolved into a pool of water below him. ¡°What the hell?¡± He''d seen this before from her match with Vos, but holy Aquarius, it scared the shit out of him when the pool reformed into her, in her mermaid form. She took a deep breath as he helped her out and transformed her tail back into legs. Synn pulled out her whip, and there was an outpouring of zigzag-shaped bolts of fire, along its length. She threw out the whip, wrapping it around Blade-Arm''s leg, restricting his movements as it howled hearing the death throes of its twin. It threw its entire body at Liv, and while his shield held strong, he staggered back, meaning that strength-wise, the maestril was better than him. Skill-wise though, it was pitiful, and after throwing in a series of his strong, excellent martial arts, his sword lengthened like a dragon''s talon now that he didn''t have to tank for everyone anymore. He left multiple cuts on the maestril''s body, but it used the last of its karma to heal itself. Synn used her half-healed arm to fire Flame Spike after Flame Spike at it while Liv attempted to cast his divine skill. Three golden shields emerged from Liv¡¯s hand, and they went flying and pierced through the chitin like it was butter, the sunlight energy frying the creature''s brain. It let out an ear-piercing shriek, but before it could even attempt to use its karma to heal itself, Blade-Arm collapsed, its body twitching from the instant kill. The group stood there, breathing heavily, their eyes scanning the surroundings for any more threats. The fog swirled around them, but the immediate danger had passed. [You have killed a level 11 maestril mini-bosss. Rewards will be issued by contribution. Please wait.] The miniboss dropped a few poisonous items none of them could use, and they each picked a reward. Langa took the most interesting thing he saw. It was a green necklace, woven from thin poisonous reeds from the swamp. [Maladic Reed Necklace Item Rank: Uncommon Effects: While wearing the necklace, the wearer gains +1 Skill Level to two Poison Discipline skills of Intermediate Rank or lower. Restrictions: Poison Affinity: 10% or higher. Level 15 or higher] No one in the party fulfilled the equipment restrictions so Langa picked it up as it was a perfect gift for an alchemist with expertise in poisons. It matched her eyes. "That could have gone really badly," Synn said. "Liv''Kungsadu, your planning is in dire need of work.¡± "It''s a good thing I have you to constantly point out my mistakes, then," Liv replied, sheathing his sword, and hurrying to heal Synn again as he chugged another health potion. While the two of them argued, Langa was searching for a way out. Using his boots, he activated the Jumper skill and jumped out of the hole they''d fallen into. He made sure he was balanced before checking out the surroundings for threats and monsters. Once he was sure it was clear, he helped the others out of the pitfall trap. There were no major issues as they followed the map to get out of the tunnel. They were attacked only once more by another swarm of mosquitoes, which were easy to defeat. 69. Special Gate: The Unrivalleds Blessed (3) As soon as the four of them emerged from the tunnel, the fog began to thin slightly, revealing the outlines of ancient ruins that lay ahead. The ruins were barely visible as the whole area was darker than it had been when they went into the swamp, and it would take over an hour to walk there, provided they did not meet any obstacles. "Where does your map say the safe zone is?" Langa asked as there were no buildings between the tunnel exit and the ruins, only a mass of small hedges and a few tall trees. Synn''s eyes were unfocused for a second. "It''s inside one of the trees. It should take us about ten minutes to get there." "What''s the plan?" Coraloa asked Liv. He also checked his map and then said. "Are you sure this safe zone is legitimate? Won''t there be any traps between here and there?" Synn seemed to think for a second before shrugging. "I don''t know. It looks real to me, but if you''d rather we rest here, then it''s fine." "Let''s take the risk. Safe zones in Gates are usually gifts from the gods and we may have a resting bonus in the morning. Langa, if you sense anything amiss at all, let me know and we can double back here," Liv decided. Langa nodded and led the way towards the tree under Synn''s direction. They didn''t meet any monsters on the way, and he sensed nothing out of the ordinary. The only shelter was a hole inside the tree big enough to crawl in. It was a crappy safe zone, but it was better than nothing. Synn made a fire and cooked some elk kebabs and potato and lentil stew. They ate it with rye bread and Langa, as always, appreciated good food. He moaned contentedly as he devoured the food. Synn gave him an annoyed glare. ¡°If you look at me while making that sound again, I will feed you a flaming hot fireball.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, raising his hands. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m really attracted to women who can cook.¡± ¡°Well go be attracted to them somewhere else, or I will never make food for you ever again," she said folding her arms. ¡°That¡¯s a very specific quality to be attracted to, Langa. Did you not eat well when you were growing up?¡± Coraloa asked curiously. ¡°The opposite actually,¡± Langa said, mouth half full. ¡°I mean yeah there are days when we didn¡¯t have enough to eat but I can cook because I used to look after the kids by myself but I am not great at it. On the other hand, my mum was an excellent cook, my sister is a great cook too and my niece, Khaya is a decent cook as well. I didn''t live with my mum, so I always wished to eat more of her good food, you know.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Coraloa said, gulping down some water. She gave him a mischievous smile. ¡°So you have mummy issues then.¡± Langa nearly choked on his drink. ¡°Wait, really?¡± Synn asked as Langa dissolved into a coughing fit. ¡°You talk about him all the time, so I always figured you as having Daddy issues.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Langa said, getting annoyed at the teasing. ¡°Is there a law somewhere that says you can¡¯t have both?¡± Liv, who¡¯d been quietly poring over the notes of today¡¯s battles, looked up, and clapped Langa on the shoulder. ¡°Nope, none at all. There¡¯s nothing weird about having both.¡± Everyone burst out laughing and then Synn suddenly frowned. ¡°Wait a second, Langa. You said your mother, sister and who¡­?¡± ¡°My niece, Khaya,¡± he said, helping himself to the leftovers. She inched so close to him that he flinched back. ¡°You have the same eyes, same skin tone, and you¡¯re from the same world,¡± she said. ¡°Langa, I think I might have met your niece.¡± ¡°What?¡± He asked, standing up, the joking atmosphere forgotten completely. ¡°When? Where did you meet Khaya?¡± ¡°She and her friends gave me food when I was stranded in the Dayin Forest, and I saved them from Vavuciadsforenkka,¡± she said. That was a lot of information at once, but Langa latched onto one thing. ¡°Vavuciadsforenkka was threatening my niece?¡± he asked in outrage. ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know what happened between them, but look, it might not be her,¡± Synn said. ¡°If it is her, that¡¯s not good. Vavuciadsforenkka is a hunter. He won¡¯t stop until his hunt is complete,¡± Liv said. ¡°I know, but I marked him with my Sear. I¡¯ll know if he gets close to her,¡± she said. ¡°In fact, I think she was there at the Celestial Clash, because I felt that he was a few hundred metres from her when we were in the stadium.¡± ¡°Fuck. I should have killed that bastard three times and permanently sent him to hell,¡± Langa said. Dammit. This was why Langa wanted Khaya by his side, so he could protect her. ¡°What did she look like?¡± he asked. ¡°She was young, with very thick curly black hair and a bit naive honestly but she was a decent fighter for her level.¡± That was her. It had to be. ¡°You said she was with friends? Were any of them human?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah, she was travelling with a demonkin and another human named Ayanda,¡± Synn said. ¡°Oh my gods, it''s her,¡± Langa said in disbelief. ¡°She and Ayanda went to the same university¡­ they were probably placed in the same tutorial. Do you have her mana signature?¡± ¡° I do,¡° Synn nodded. ¡°Let me talk to her,¡± Langa said desperately. ¡°We can¡¯t communicate with people inside the Tower from here, Langa,¡± Synn said, placing a gentle hand on his arm. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re her uncle that she¡­ well, I promise I¡¯ll call her as soon as we get back to the Tower.¡± Langa took a deep breath and got his emotions back in check. ¡°Thanks, Synn. I really appreciate it.¡± They were all tired, and while a safe zone made it so they wouldn''t be attacked by wild monsters, they couldn''t risk sleeping without anyone on watch. Since he would be leading the team again the following day, Langa decided to take the first watch so he could have a restful sleep later. Nighttime was quiet and made it easy for Langa to train himself to use his Avatar title. The only life inside the safe zone was that of his friends, and he took turns focusing on each of them, familiarising himself with the differences between each breath so he could tell them apart. The girls were huddled together under Synn''s blanket while Liv was covered by Coraloa''s blanket because, unsurprisingly, both he and Langa had forgotten to bring blankets. While the girls'' breaths were even and quiet as they slept, Liv was awake. He was whispering something unintelligible and although Langa wondered what he was doing, he chose not to disturb as he looked around the safe zone area, checking for threats. ¡°Go to sleep, there¡¯s still an hour left before we change shifts,¡± Langa whispered a couple of hours later when he felt Liv¡¯s breath of life beside him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m awake now, so what¡¯s a few more minutes of sleep?¡± he asked, sitting down on the log next to him. ¡°You can go get some rest early.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Langa nodded, "What were you whispering about earlier?" "You heard that? I was praying. As a paladin, I need to pray at least once a day, but I''m trying to get myself used to praying three times a day so it becomes a routine," he told him, taking out his pipe and lighting the herbs on it up. "You have a prayer requirement in your Sponsorship Contract?" he asked, surprised. "Not exactly, but praying helps to increase the quality of your Faith, and improves your relationship with your deity," he told him, blowing out smoke. "Pretty soon, I think I''ll be able to feel the essence of The Sun God and hear his word even when he''s not speaking to me through the system." Langa was puzzled. "You don''t already communicate with him? I mean, I can always feel Lord Adtonifulmin''s essence watching over me and comforting me, even right now." "What?" Liv gaped at him. "It''s only been a few weeks since you received the contract! Langa, are you sure you''re just an Avatar?" Langa hadn''t known that his relationship with Adtonifulmin wasn''t normal. Even now, he could feel his essence passively watching him through the Divine Nexus and knew that the second he asked for help or guidance, Adtonifulmin would turn to him immediately. He wasn''t comfortable revealing that he had been offered a Visage contract. "Yeah, it''s probably because he likes me," he said then hesitated as he changed the subject. ¡°Liv, what is The Trial of Trust like?¡± Liv breathed in deeply from his pipe. ¡°I don¡¯t know, exactly. Apparently, a System Administrator walks you through the trial. It¡¯s one of those situations that can¡¯t be filmed, but from what I¡¯ve read on the Dent, it¡¯s basically, two souls diving into the unknown and learning how to trust each other.¡± That was rather unclear. ¡°So, what? Like a trust fall? I throw myself off the bridge believing that you¡¯ll catch me?¡± Langa asked. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be faith, not trust?¡± Liv asked, with a frown. "No, from what I found out, the Trial accesses some of your worst memories, especially from a time when you didn''t trust yourself, and your partner has to get the you from the memory to trust them." Langa was curious about Liv''s past with his father and grandmother, so it would be interesting to see one of his memories. He still didn''t fully trust Liv, so perhaps a look into his memories would be helpful. As he pondered Liv''s words, Langa went still. "Wait, both of us?" he asked, unlocking a new fear. "Does that mean you''ll see one of my worst memories too?" Liv nodded. "Of course. It can''t truly be trust if only one of us trusts the other, can it?" Langa clenched his fists. He''d locked so many bad memories away inside the depths of his mind, and he wasn''t ready to face them. Was he ready to share that with anyone? Which of his worst memories would Liv see? "I don''t like it, Liv. It makes me uncomfortable," Langa said honestly. "Some of my memories are really bad." "It''s okay." Liv crushed more leaves and placed them into his pipe. "If you can''t trust me with your memories, we can omit the Trial. Hopefully, we''ll make enough money to buy a guild token from this quest," he offered. If they delayed, Pranav would be the first person in their batch to form a guild. Langa would never let that happen. He sighed and leaned heavily into Adtonifulmin''s comforting essence. He had told him that he would be there for him when he wanted to face things, and he knew he needed to open up to someone, one step at a time. He wasn''t sure if Liv was that person, but he figured, he had to at least try. "I really don''t like it, but I suppose if we''re going to work together, I also have to let you see the mess in my head," Langa said in resignation. More smoke puffed out of Liv''s pipe and he looked away. "Believe me, I don''t like it either. There are a lot of things I''ve done that I''m not proud of, but I want you to see me as I am," he said. "I don''t let people see me as I am, Langa. It''s okay if you decide you can''t trust the person you see in those memories." "Let''s just see what happens when we get to the pool," Langa said, standing up. "I''m going to sleep." Gods, he hoped this would turn out alright. * Synn woke him up gently a while later. "Morning," she said. "Breakfast is almost ready, and if you want to freshen up, there''s a pond with clear water close to the safe zone." "Thanks," Langa said, yawning. Once he was done freshening up, he joined Coraloa by the fire. Liv was doing his morning prayers off to the side. "Good morning," Coraloa said with a smile. "Did you sleep well?" He sat down on the log as the aroma from the pot Synn was stirring wafted into his nose. "I did, yeah. I was exhausted last night, and sleep rejuvenated me as always." She beamed. "That''s great. You know, there is nothing more important to do in a day than sleep." "Yes," Langa agreed enthusiastically. "So, what''s up with your attribute, if you don''t mind me asking? Why didn''t you use it in the Celestial Clash against Vos?" "I can only send someone else''s mind, thirty seconds into the past. It takes 50% of my total mana and another 50% of my total mana from the past me. It also takes 25% of my HP from both versions of myself. I can''t go myself," she explained. "Oh," Langa said, realising she couldn''t have used it during the clash. The cost was too much, though. He''d thought his attribute consuming 50% of his total Stamina to activate and Velocity per second it was active was too much. "What happens if past you has less than 50% of her total mana available?" "It won''t activate. That''s why I try my best to conserve my mana usage, but sometimes it''s impossible," she sighed. "Time is a subdivision of order, so The Unrivalled has a natural interest in people who can wield space-time magic. Most Guardian Knights have that power, and The Unrivalled can elevate it." Was that why The Unrivalled had shown interest in Langa and offered him a Guardian Knight class after the tutorial? "Does Merreddyd have time-based magic?" he asked, remembering how she could move within his slowed-down time. Coraloa nodded gravely. "I''ve heard that she can literally stop time for long periods," she said. "Others say she can turn it back days or even months, and that it leeches off her age when she does that. I don''t know what the truth is, though." Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Langa couldn''t stop time, all he could do was improve his perception of it so that it appeared to be moving slower. If Merreddyd could do either of what Coraloa suggested, then to her it must have seemed like his attribute was child''s play. ¡°How did your meeting with GM Merreddyd go?¡± Coraloa asked quietly. ¡°Uh,¡± Langa paused, sure he wasn''t supposed to mention that he''d been to The Carciere and met the voident hunter Na''Koma in prison. ¡°It was good. Our karma was compatible, and she was very nice to me.¡± ¡°I see. She spent over an hour with you but¡­ I only got three minutes,¡± Coraloa said, looking down. Oh. Was that why she''d been upset? He knew how much she looked up to Merreddyd after all. ¡°Have you heard the rumours about me?¡± she asked. ¡°That you''re The Unrivalled¡¯s Blessed?¡± he asked. She shook her head and twisted the cloth in her hands. ¡°That I''m the next Guardian Knight.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Langa looked up in surprise. ¡°Congratulations. That''s awesome! But aren''t Guardian Knights supposed to be bound directly to The Unrivalled?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I''m Lady Aquarius'' Disciple, and I''m sure you know that Disciple Sponsorships can be delegated," she said. "I can''t handle a direct Sponsorship from The Unrivalled, but a Co-Sponsorship through Lady Aquarius is the next best thing. It would change my life, and the lives of my people." "I see," Langa said. "So when are you getting the class change?" ¡°GM Merreddyd asked which form of order I would guard, and I said I wanted to be a guardian of peace, like Aquarius was when she was mortal. She asked me to invoke The Unrivalled''s Blessing, and I did, but Langa... I''ve never seen someone look as disappointed as she was that day,¡± Coraloa said. ¡°She said I wasn''t ready for the Guardian Knightship because I haven''t fulfilled the Higher Blessing quest.¡± Yikes. It must have felt terrible for Coraloa that her idol was disappointed in her. "Is there anything I can do to help you complete the quest?" Langa asked. She smiled slightly. "Make sure I''m pushed to my limits? I''m starting to think that maybe Coraloa must die, and a Guardian Knight must be born,¡± she whispered. "Breakfast''s ready," Synn called from the fire. Coraloa hastily turned to her, leaving no room for Langa to continue their conversation. Breakfast was ginger tea and smoked fish that melted on Langa''s tongue. When Liv returned, they discussed their party tactics and made some new attack patterns now that they knew each other''s fighting style better. Finally, they were ready for what was hopefully their last day in this godsforsaken Gate. [You have spent 5 hours resting in a safe zone and consumed SynnForessa''s Smoked Fish meal with ginger tea +1 VIT for five minutes] They began their journey before the vitality boost ran out. It didn''t take them long to defeat the larvae and other swamp monsters since they were now used to their attack patterns. None of the monsters they met posed a challenge to them until they finally reached the ruins. Langa led the way to a large, half-collapsed building. The ruins were partially submerged in the swamp, with moss and vines creeping up the old stone structures. Broken columns lay half-buried in the mud and the remnants of an archway were barely visible beneath the layers of moss. They stopped outside the main entrance as they saw hundreds of rusted metal pipes, their surfaces covered in old inscriptions and remnants of the network that had distributed water from the ruins to the old kingdom they passed the previous day before the Void swallowed this land up and turned it into a maestril domain. Now, however, only black corrupted water flowed from the pipes. "According to the runes on that archway, this used to be the main water plant for the snakemen kingdom," Synn said, holding a scroll and scribbling the letters on it. "The map says the Pool of Trust is inside, then we can go to the boss'' lair." Liv nodded. "That''s not all, let''s take everything of value in this place. We must leave nothing for the people who come to this Gate after us." Langa knew from his research that The Dark Void gave the Gatekeepers a few respawns so they could suck karma from players to make themselves stronger. But Gates were not like dungeons where after a respawn, the Boss could rebuild them, but this was a real world, and whatever they took would not be replaced. This was another main advantage of the First Clear of a Floor Gate. The entrance to the ruins was partially blocked by rubble, but Liv coated his sword in solar aura and blasted through it. What looked like a giant stone wall had collapsed, most of it hidden inside the swamp. ¡°It looks like whoever lived here holed themselves up in this building, hoping it would deter the maestrils and their corrupted creatures,¡± Coraloa said, bending down to examine a stone column with enchanting symbols written on it. ¡°Be careful where you step,¡± Langa warned as they neared the door. ¡°This place is falling apart, and it could collapse on us.¡± ¡°Yeah, let''s get to the Pond of Trust, beat the boss, and get out of here,¡± Synn said. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll have time to revise the Guild Charter before handing it over to the Guardians if we go straight for the boss¡¯ location after this.¡± As Synn surmised, when they entered the ruins, they saw that the fallen walls were covered with faded drawings that depicted water flowing through the buried kingdom they''d passed through the previous day, nourishing crops and filling fountains. Stepping carefully on the uneven stone floor, the group moved inside the ruins. The air grew cooler, and the sounds of the swamp faded, replaced by a dead silence punctuated only by the sound of dripping water that could be heard through the corridors. Synn kept stopping to look at and jot down the remnants of magical runes inscribed into the walls. Langa didn¡¯t say much as he led the way since he was nervous about the Trial. "Did you figure out what these runes do yet?" Coraloa asked. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, actually. These runes once powered the plant, to purify and distribute water to the kingdom below," Synn said. "This one, however, is filled with prayers. The last thing written here is a prayer to their god as corruption overwhelmed the world. They were asking why their gods have forsaken them, as if that''s something new." In the next corridor, it looked like a tree had grown right over the walls, but only the roots cracked through the floor, submerged in black water. The tree had to be massive if its roots were this big. The roots were scattered in three different directions. "Where to next?" Langa asked, not sensing any life nearby except the tree itself. "That way," Liv replied, checking the map. "That''s where the pool is." They moved deeper into the ruins, following the map towards the Pool of Trust and continued through the corridor, as the fog seemed to thicken, obscuring their vision even further. "We''re getting close," Synn said softly. "I can feel the mana growing stronger." The air was dry as if all the moisture had been sucked out. The roots led them to a large control room. Large water pipes were in the centre, crawling down to the other rooms. The chamber was beautiful, with a large, cracked stone fountain at its centre feeding into the pool. Inside, the air was musty, and the interior was a maze of rusted metal pipes and broken machinery. The room had a cracked wall on the side, whose roof had fallen in. The stale wind from the swamp filtered in through the broken windows. Black, corrupted water filled the floor, with the black roots of a tree inside it. Glowing lucent stones floated around in the corrupted water. "This magic feels... strange," Synn murmured, crouching down to look closely at the roots. "There''s a ton of darkness and water lucents here, a byproduct of some ancient and powerful enchantment up ahead." "I can feel it too," Coraloa agreed, her grip tightening on her Siyotanka. "It''s making me uneasy, but it looks like this was the water plant''s main control room." Langa looked around the large chamber, and shattered glass was everywhere. The control panel itself was unknown ancient technology, covered in water-lucent crystals and stones, levers, glowing with runes that had once regulated the plant''s operations. Synn approached the corrupted stones, but before she could touch them, without warning, a dark breath of life filtered through the darkness, sending a shiver down Langa''s spine. He froze as he scanned the shadows for the source of the breath. Something was slithering through the water. Langa''s voice tensed. "We''ve got company." A creature emerged from the water; its form was serpentine. The snakeman''s body was covered in thick, armoured scales, and its mouth was filled with rows of black teeth. It wore ancient armour, covered with symbols, and it wielded a spectral spear. "Intruder!" the snake man hissed, its voice echoing through the chamber. "You shall not defile this sacred place. No corrupted creatures are allowed here." Synn took a step back. "I meant no harm," she said. "I was just looking for some magic." Liv stepped forward, his shield raised to protect Synn when the snakeman attacked. He swung his sword at the snakeman''s head. It hissed and swung back with its spear, but Liv''s shield deflected the blow, and he quickly swung his sword, cutting the snakeman''s head off. "There are more of them here," Langa whispered as his eyes caught the scent of life in the water below. His teammates all straightened and looked where he pointed. From the corrupted water underground, emerged a pack of reptilian snake men larger than wolves, their bodies dripping wet with corruption as they closed in on the group. "Can we purify them?" Liv asked. "No. They are too far gone," Coraloa said, shaking her head. "Advance!" Liv shouted, his sword now unsheathed. Langa''s spear struck through one creature''s skin. It let out a roar, its body shaking as the electric energy from Tonare surged through it. The inverse effect of lightning and water made the damage even more. But its companions wasted no time, attacking in unison. The heat from Synn''s Flame Spikes seared their scales and forced the snakemen''s charred bodies to fall limply back into the water. Liv moved to the front, his shield raised when one of the snakemen ran at him and his sword cut through the beast''s neck with a golden glow of solar aura. The creature crumpled to the ground, lifeless. Coraloa''s ice bullets slowed the creatures down and made the battle much easier for everyone. With each strike, another creature fell, no matter how hard they fought in their frenzy. Langa and his friends were a better team than yesterday, their movements were coordinated and their attacks well timed. In the end, the ground was littered with the bodies of the fallen creatures, their blood mixing with the swamp water. The snakemen were now defeated. Drips of water fell from the broken pipes and into the roots and once Coraloa infused mana into a light-lucent crystal, they could see the rest of the room. There was a large altar on top of a large pool with a large open slot. The most fascinating thing about this was that the water inside the pool was clear and uncorrupted. Its depth couldn''t be measured, no matter how hard Langa tried to look down. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Coraloa gasped, looking at it. ¡°It¡¯s a slot for a Legendary water-lucent crystal,¡± she told them, eyes wide. ¡°If recharged completely, it could fill multiple entire oceans with water.¡± ¡°It looks like Funduvus stole it, then?" Liv said. "If that''s her treasure mentioned in the quest, then that''s an amazing reward." "Why would she only take the crystal and leave all these water-lucent stones here?" Langa asked as they loaded up all the stones and broken pieces of crystals into their bags and inventories. "Some of them are even uncommon." "A legendary lucent crystal can only be recharged by rare and above water-lucent stones,¡± Liv said. A thought occurred to Langa. Did that mean Tonare was embedded with a legendary lightning-lucent crystal? Was that why it only accepted rare and above lightning-lucent stones to recharge it? ¡°Who cares,¡± Synn said, eyeing the empty crystal container greedily. ¡°I¡¯m sure we could earn some money if we sell it. This could be what we need to elevate the guild to the high status!¡± ¡°Sell it?¡± Coraloa was appalled. ¡°A treasure like that could help out a lot of communities with water shortage and-¡± Despite himself, Langa snorted. ¡°Why? This is our reward, we are working our arses off for this.¡± ¡°How can you guys be so selfish?¡± she asked. "Can all of you stop counting your legendary water crystals before we earn them?" Liv said. "SynnForessa, do you know how we start the Trial of Trust? The forum only stated it was supposed to be started by a System Administrator, but I haven''t received any system messages asking if I want to begin the Trial." At the centre of the chamber stood an altar, above the fountain and pool, its surface covered in strange symbols and runes. Synn carefully examined the wall, her fingers tracing over the symbols inscribed into its surface. "These runes are instructions," she said. "It just states that whoever wants to take part in the Trial of Trust must pass the test. For the record, I¡¯m not taking this Trial with you." ¡°Of course not. I would be crazy to want to open up to you,¡± Liv snapped. ¡°Langa and I will do the Trial of Trust together." "You''re sharing souls now? You two are never beating the allegations," Synn said, shaking her head. "What allegations? The ones started by you?" Langa asked. "She''s not wrong," Coraloa chimed in, stifling a giggle. "Liv left me half naked on his bed the other night to check on you." "That''s because he was a drunken mess and he needed me," Liv said unhelpfully. "I wasn''t happy about it either." Langa was about to retort when he noticed movement next to the altar and tensed. "Someone''s here," he said. How had he not felt their breath when they were so close? ¡°You¡¯re here already? Did no one tell you that you need to rest before confronting a boss monster?¡± a voice said. A loud yawn echoed through the chamber, the sound sending a ripple throughout the air. From the shadows emerged a figure, cloaked in a flowing white robe. She was a short, red-skinned apekin. The being fixed her eyes on them and yawned again. For a moment, Langa was worried they''d entered the boss'' domain without the system letting them know, however, the more he looked at the being, the less likely it was the boss. First, she was the wrong type of creature, as this Gate was mainly insect-themed. He was sure she wasn¡¯t a monster, but no karma or breath was coming from her, yet he knew she was strong. When Langa tried to scan her, there wasn¡¯t much to see. Name: ??? Race: ??? Level: ??? Langa was unsure whether to attack or flee. Synn was looking at the being with her mouth agape. When he looked at Liv to see if he had any orders, he found him standing in front of the group, his sword burning with demonic aura, eyeing the being as if he would attack any moment. He probably would have if not for Coraloa suddenly sinking to her knees and bowing her head. ¡°Exalted Saint Benkoffyouri! What an honour for you to grace us with your presence!¡± Coraloa said. The being smiled and scratched her head. ¡°Oh wow, somebody recognised me,¡± she giggled. Liv''s face was furious, his demonic aura radiating off him as he suddenly charged towards the being as if in a daze. ¡°None of that now, demon child,¡± she said, raising her hand, and a white light flashed from it, causing Liv to stop and blink as if he''d woken up from a trance. "There is no need to die a pointless death.¡± "Dammit, Father!" Liv said, sheathing his swords and clutching his head. ¡°What are you all doing?¡± Coraloa hissed, staring at her party mates. ¡°You should show your respect to her. Saint Benkoffyouri is a seraphim and a former Guardian Knight! Bow.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t bow to anyone except The Lackadaisical Herald,¡± Langa said, wondering why a seraphim was here. ¡°What a fascinating party. Three of you have received The Unrivalled¡¯s favour, One the scorn of The Dark Void, one the favour of Death, and another the interest of Life,¡± the woman said. ¡°I knew it,¡± Synn said, nodding as she circled the woman with stars in her eyes. ¡°Madam, your essence control is astounding.¡± "Thank you. That means a lot coming from a former-" she paused, and looked up. "Oh, right, professionalism. Sorry, Master," she said, and then cleared her throat and stiffly stood up. When she spoke, her voice was more authoritative. "I am Randi Benkoffyouri, a System Administrator. I am here to oversee the Trial of Trust." Ah, now Langa understood why she was here. But Floor Overlords and System Administrators? The Unrivalled was singlehandedly keeping seraphim employed across the multiverse. "Guilds, clans, groups, cults, and any organisation recognised as such by the Tower may only be founded by someone who receives the acknowledgement and trust of at least one of their followers," she said. "Although some people sell the tokens or steal them, anyone who possesses a guild token can start their own organisation. So if you pass, you better guard the token with your life, understood?" "Understood," Langa said. "To prove your worth, you must jump into the undefined Pool of Trust and pass the trial. Only then will the guild token be issued," she said. "Liv''Kungsadu, this is your quest. Please state whether you will take the Trial of Trust, and choose your partner." Liv straightened. "I will. My partner will be Langa Zulu." Synn snickered, and everyone ignored her. "Langa Zulu, do you agree to take part in Liv''Kungsadu''s Trial of Trust? Do you agree to open your soul to him, test your trust in your chosen leader, and in turn allow him to test his trust in you?" the seraphim asked. "Yes, I do," Langa confirmed. [System Administrator: You have agreed to share a portion of your soul with another player. This action is irreversible. Confirm decision- Y/N?] Well, that wasn''t helping his confidence. What the fuck did sharing his soul even mean? He''d already promised, so he wasn''t one to turn back on his word. "Confirm." "Get ready," the seraphim warned them. "Show your Faith by diving into the Pool of Trust. I will be waiting on the other side if you pass." ¡°Alright, while Langa and I take the Trial of Trust, you two continue exploring the ruins. Take anything useful, we¡¯ll share the loot later,¡± Liv instructed Synn and Coraloa. "I don''t want to waste any time, we need to complete this Gate today. You know if we finish it within 52 hours, we can get the full double bonus experience for defeating the boss as well." ¡°Sure, of course,¡± Coraloa said with a nod. She placed a hand on Liv¡¯s arm. ¡°Good luck.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, tensing slightly. ¡°Oh, and Coraloa, please watch that Synn doesn¡¯t pilfer anything. I know her hands are twitchy,¡± Langa called as he stepped towards the altar. Synn, who had been eyeing the scattered lucent stones, snapped towards him. ¡°Excuse me?¡± she said indignantly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Langa,¡± Coraloa said with a chortle. ¡°The party menu records everything we loot, even if she tries to hide it.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Synn¡¯s voice was cut off as he entered the altar. The seraphim rolled her eyes as she lit up the runes. "I''m opening the pathway to link your souls," she said. "Remember, only those who choose to trust each other no matter what can overcome the pool of the soul." Langa nodded. "It''s fine. I''ve faced worse," he said, trying to psych himself up. "I can handle this." A blinding light filled the Pool, as the symbols on the pool started to glow. "See you on the other side," Liv said, and Langa jumped into the pool, even though he could not swim. 70. Special Gate: The Trial of Trust (1) Langa opened his eyes to find himself in a dark underground cell. The inside was pitch black and cramped, with only one lucent crystal at the far end of the wall. The cell was closed with walls except on one side, where crystalline bars separated the room from the corridor outside. He tried to move out of the room through what he assumed to be an open space between the bars, leading into the dark corridor, but he could not pass through it. Whenever he attempted to squeeze through the bars, they glowed multiple strange colours, and he could not move past them. Dammit, the bars seemed to be made of mavale crystals, the same material used in the Deiwos Clan prison to suppress voidents. The magical barrier was trapping him inside. Langa took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down before he realised something strange. He was in a cramped cell like this, yet he didn''t feel his heart racing; he didn''t feel the walls closing in on him, and he was not suffocating. With his claustrophobia, he should have been having a major anxiety attack right now. A groan alerted him to the fact that he wasn''t alone. He tensed up slightly and looked around. The person groaning was a pathetically skinny child, with short cropped blue hair and scattered blue scales on his arms. He was sitting on the floor, hugging his knees, and leaning against the wall. Even though Liv was looking down, Langa could feel the uncontrolled energy around him, biting the air. ¡°Liv?¡± Langa asked. He reached out to touch him, but his hands went through the child''s body as if he were a ghost. [Welcome to Liv¡¯Kungsadu¡¯s Soulhold. To complete the Soul¡¯s Trial of Trust, earn the trust of Liv¡¯Kungsadu¡¯s soul.] As expected, this was part of the Trial of Trust. Langa had no idea how he was supposed to get a soul to trust him. It occurred to him that he should have researched this trial for more information, but it was too late now. His eyes watched young Liv brooding in the dreary atmosphere of the cell. Before he could figure out how to get the child version of his friend to trust him when he couldn¡¯t even see him, Langa heard a shuffling noise from outside that made him look up. Someone landed quietly in front of the cell from above and looked around nervously. It was hard to tell what he looked like in the darkness, but once the dim light of the lucent crystal hit him, Langa could see that he was a young dragonkin, no older than fourteen. He was short for a dragonkin, had red scales covering parts of his body, and a cowl covering his face. When the newcomer looked into the cell, sure that no one heard him, Liv perked up immediately. ¡°Maipsatenkka...! You¡¯re here,¡± Liv whispered as he crawled towards the front of the cell. ¡°I thought... maybe not coming...today.¡± Langa frowned. Was Liv the only dragonkin with an easy name? How the hell did they expect people to pronounce their names correctly? ¡°Sorry,¡± Maipsatenkka said. He reached into the bag he was carrying and retrieved what looked like a leg of lamb, then he took a deep exhale as if he were preparing for a spell, only to slowly push his hands through the gap in the crystalline bars. Langa was surprised when the mavale bars did not glow to repel him; instead, Maipsatenkka handed the meat to Liv. ¡°I know I¡¯m late, but I brought you a peace offering. A change from all the bland dungeon rations.¡± With anticipation in his eyes, Liv took the meat like it was a precious treasure and bit into it. His breath shuddered. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said sincerely. Langa wondered what the hell this was. Why was Liv acting like he hadn¡¯t eaten in days? As a matter of fact, why was a child who looked barely 8 or 9 years old locked up in a cell that suppressed his mana? He did not like the way Liv spoke either. His voice was hoarse off his throat, and the words did not flow out coherently. He took pauses between the words as if he were looking for the right word to use, and it was as if he was just now learning how to speak properly. Maipsatenkka smiled at Liv with a pained look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s the absolute least I could do,¡± he said, his voice small and choked. If he cared about Liv, why the hell was he letting him stay in here? The bars clearly did not affect him, so Langa wondered why he couldn''t set Liv free. Liv did not seem to pick up on his visitor¡¯s sombre mood as he asked between mouthfuls, ¡°Where were you?¡± ¡°I had to go to lead the prayers at a rite,¡± Maipsatenkka said, clearing his throat. ¡°Did something happen?¡± Liv asked with interest. Maipsatenkka sat down in a lotus position, eyes closed as if in prayer. ¡°Another hatchling died this morning.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Liv asked, his mouth full. ¡°That happens... all the time. Surely... didn''t expect the hatchling to live.¡± Maipsatenkka looked at him sternly. ¡°Liv, remember our lessons about mortals and sensitivity? This is one of those times when you have to be compassionate. Mortals need comfort after a loss like this. If you say this was expected, it hurts their feelings.¡± Liv tilted his head in confusion. ¡°But...the truth. You said...important to tell the truth...all times, as The Living Wing commands.¡± ¡°Sometimes a lie is better to keep things safe and normal,¡± Maipsatenkka explained. ¡°Like right now, the den-mother thinks that I am doing Mana Control training. If she found out that I used my superior mana control to sneak in here and visit you, both of us would be in trouble.¡± Langa knew that Liv did not get along with his grandmother, but to think she kept him locked up like this, cut away from other mortals, and ignorant of simple everyday things made him understand why Liv was the way he was. Liv nodded. ¡°Alright. What happened to...hatchling? If...survived until hatching day, something... wrong?¡± ¡°Ah, the father is an Enclave Elder, almost as old as the den-mother, and he previously produced a healthy pureblood hatchling, so we were all hopeful. But The Sea Dragon King can be really cruel. We¡¯ve only had three purebloods born in the past five centuries, you know. The curse is getting progressively worse,¡± he said with a defeated sigh. Liv said nothing, sitting down with his arms folded as he finished his food. The look on his face showed something suspiciously like satisfaction. Maipsatenkka frowned at him. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll teach you how to school your expressions. Even if your words don¡¯t, your face might give away your true feelings,¡± he said. ¡°Anyway, today''s prayer was harder for me because Vavuciadsforenkka was upset. I had to stay longer so I could comfort him. He was looking forward to being a big brother too.¡± Liv looked up from the meat. ¡°What¡¯s a big brother?¡± he asked. Maipsatenkka thought for a moment, probably trying to decide how to phrase it. ¡°Family," he finally said. "A big brother looks after his younger siblings, teaches them things, and greatly cares about them. He protects them from anything that would hurt them.¡± Liv put down his food and looked up at Maipsatenkka with wonder. ¡°Are you my big brother, Maipsatenkka?¡± he asked. ¡°What?¡± Maipsatenkka was visibly flustered. ¡°You are... the only person who cares about me and wants...protect me. You...not my brother?¡± the boy asked. ¡°I can¡¯t be your brother, Liv,¡± Maipsatenkka said quietly. ¡°I¡¯m not worthy of it¡­ and we don¡¯t share blood.¡± Liv deflated and looked down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Of course, you... not have cursed blood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Maipsatenkka said vehemently, pushing his hand through the bars to touch Liv. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Liv asked, trying to push his hand away. ¡°The mavale will hurt... you...move the lucents.¡± The crystalline bars glowed. ¡°I need you to understand this. I don¡¯t deserve that title, Liv,¡± Maipsatenkka said. ¡°A brother would do more than bring you food and teach you how to speak, read, or write. He would do more than teach you how mortals live. A brother would set you free to see the world, not cowardly sneak into your cell to teach you about it.¡± ¡°...Don¡¯t care about that,¡± Liv said earnestly. ¡°I want you to be my brother. If ... blood only...stopping us, then¡­¡± He lifted his hand and bit hard into his thumb, despite Maipsatenkka¡¯s complaints. Blood trickled out of the wound. ¡°Stop! Your blood is more precious than mine,¡± Maipsatenkka said, then sighed, and acquiesced. To Langa¡¯s surprise, when he bit his hand, the blood that flowed was a lighter shade of red, almost purple. The two of them linked thumbs, blood mixing. ¡°If this is what you truly want, then from today onwards, I will be your den-brother, Liv. I promise that I will find a way to set you free.¡± Liv¡¯s face broke into the first genuine smile Langa had seen on his face. ¡°I have a brother,¡± he said with delight. Langa was sure that the pained expression on Maipsatenkka¡¯s face mirrored his own, except his was mixed in with anger. Maipsatenkka cleared his throat and stood up. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s practice the Third Stance of The Veskka Sword.¡± Liv hastily stood up and took on a fighting stance. Before Langa could watch the lesson, he felt something pulling him away as the air in front of him shimmered. The scene dissolved suddenly, and Langa found himself standing inside a large temple. The ancient temple walls were made of black rock, and so were the seats inside. It was filled with multiple dragonkin and demonkin. One of the dragonkin sat on a rock chair much higher than everyone else, and she looked different from them too. She had blue hair and blue scales just like Liv, but both her eyes were red, and the scales covered her whole body. The similarities in their features led Langa to conclude that she was Liv¡¯s grandmother, even though she did not look a day over forty. There were around five or six dragonkin sitting at the front, but everyone else was a demonkin, and there was a clear separation between the two races. None of the demonkin were seated; instead, they all stood watching the stone altar where, to Langa''s chagrin, Liv was tied up. This memory had to have taken place a few years after the last because he looked older. Langa could see Maipsatenkka sitting in the space between the dragonkin and demonkin, looking up at the altar with sorrowful eyes at Liv. It was hard for Langa to stomach the fact that Liv''s wrists were bloody from the metallic ropes that bound him to the stone pillar in the centre of the temple. It seemed as though the scales on his wrists had been plucked away, and not gently. He had a beautiful, scaly blue wing on his back, but even with that, he couldn¡¯t break free and fly away from the demonkin who surrounded him. "Kungsadu," The demonkin chanted in a strange language, their voices carrying through the air like a song. The mavale holding Liv lit up again as they hissed. "Spawn of the devil. Your blood shall be our remittance for letting you live." Liv''s body convulsed with pain as the demonkin priestess, a beautiful woman in red robes, stepped forward from the horde. The chants grew louder the more she neared the altar. She approached Liv, holding a pair of large shears made from the same mavale material binding Liv¡¯s wrists, the same material that the bars in his cell had been made of. The demonkin circled him like vultures; their whispers echoed off the temple walls, chanting "Abomination! Abomination!" The sound was deafening, and it seemed to force Liv''s mood to plummet even more. Liv looked up, and only Langa could see the tremble in his body. What he showed his captors were determined eyes and an unflinching expression. Langa hated this. He hated that he had to watch powerlessly while his friend was hurt, unable to help him. "You were never meant to exist," the priestess proclaimed in a loud voice, gripping Liv''s wing. "The devil lied and lured the Veskka Nest¡¯s princess away from the path of The Living Wing. He tempted her with worldliness and made her forsake The Sun God. The devil defiled our princess and gave life to his cursed spawn. Kungsadu. A monster like you should never see the light of day.¡± This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Liv''s scream tore through the silence as the shears sliced through his wing, and with each cut, feathers fell to the ground, stained with his blood. He screamed, the sound burning through the temple from his throat. Another demonkin held a chalice, collecting the purple blood that poured from Liv. Strands of karma flowed from his body with his blood. Suddenly, the point of view changed, and Langa''s ghostly form could feel the way Liv¡¯s mana surged within him, a chaotic storm of energy that threatened to break free of him. He could feel the excruciating pain that ran through Liv''s body, igniting his demonic aura. He could feel the dark power stirring within Liv, making him writhe like a caged beast, desperate to be free. His vision blurred, and he bit down on his lip until he tasted blood, trying to hold back the inferno raging inside. <> a disembodied voice said from inside Liv, startling Langa as he became aware of the demonic spirit inside Liv. "No..¡± Liv gasped, blood and tears mingling with the sweat on his face. "I won''t... can''t..¡± There was nervous shuffling in the temple as the demonic aura surged within Liv''s body, almost tangible in the air. ¡°Be not afraid, brothers. The Living Wing''s ring and the mavale shackles are enough to suppress his mana and, by extension, his demonic aura,¡± the priestess assured them. ¡°Rejoice, brethren, and denounce The Demon Reaper as the devil he is! Embrace our true goddess, The Living Wing!¡± she shouted, filling the chalice with Liv''s blood. Langa felt Liv¡¯s pain as if it were his own. He hated seeing Liv''s desperate struggle for his mortal soul against the devil''s karma. He was desperate to free him, to do anything to take Liv''s pain away. A soft, quiet voice broke through to Langa. ¡°I used to pray to her, you know. The Living Wing.¡± Karma strands yanked Langa out of Liv''s body, and his point of view shifted again, and he turned to find a different version of Liv, fully grown, in a ghostly form standing beside him, watching his younger self''s blood get passed around. It seemed he could converse with this version of Liv¡¯s soul. ¡°I prayed that she would have mercy on me and kill the demonic aura I was born with," he continued. "I used to pray that I could become a normal dragonkin, not the devil''s spawn.¡± The anger in Langa¡¯s heart escalated at those words. That was not a prayer a child should be making. No child deserved to be made to feel like he should deny himself and be something that society deemed normal. ¡°And your father just watched all this bullshit happen?¡± Langa asked, his voice barely steady. ¡°He wanted me to give in to him, to allow the demonic aura to consume me so I could be more like him,¡± he said. ¡°You can see his demonic spirit urging me on. Besides, why would he care about my blood being spilt? That is what demigods are born to do, after all.¡± ¡°What?¡± Langa asked incredulously. Sure enough, as young Liv cried out in pain, a demonic spirit came into form beside him, telling him to destroy everything in the temple. The aura inside him snarled, creating an ugly sound that filled his mind with dark thoughts. <> Langa could see everything through the eyes of his ghostly self, yet he could feel what Liv was feeling. For all intents and purposes, a part of him was Liv. He could feel the demonic spirit urging him, begging him to set it free, begging him to destroy everything, begging him to let go of the control he was clinging to. But Langa could also feel Liv''s resolve as he refused. He didn''t want to become like his father, a demon who revelled in chaos and destruction. He fought against the urge, his mortal side clinging desperately to control. Meanwhile, Liv''s soul watched the demonkin who drank his blood and they seemed to be in bliss. ¡°The blood of a demigod is the most coveted sacrifice in the entire infinite multiverse, especially if the mortals sin. The demigod has to be willing to give up their life to atone for their godly parent¡¯s people, of course. Demigods spilling their blood and giving up their lives for their godly parent''s people has been going on for billions of years. Most of the demigods come back to life at least once if they have enough Faith. The experience of self-sacrifice for the sins of others helps demigods to control their divine karma a bit more, you know. They get in touch with their godly side,¡± Liv explained. ¡°Did you not have demigods in your world?¡± Langa knew a similar story from back home, but it had been preached as a message of hope and salvation for many people, his sister included. He didn''t like it when it was happening to his friend, though. ¡°This is wrong!¡± Langa shouted. ¡°If they volunteer for it, that¡¯s fine! Does this look right to you? You didn¡¯t want this!¡± He gestured to the screaming Liv who was bleeding out, half his wing severed. "Deep in my soul, I always regretted my choice on this day," Liv said. "But what would you have done? Would you have made a different choice? Show me a better path." The karma strands pulled him in again, and Langa found himself corporeal. Liv was in so much pain that Langa couldn¡¯t bear it. He rushed towards the altar and crouched down in front of the writhing Liv, and the entire temple froze as if time was suspended, like when his attribute was active. Langa placed a hand on Liv''s shoulder since he could touch him now. Being thrust back ceremoniously into Liv''s perspective again was jarring, especially with the demonic spirit hovering around him like a tempting snake, trying to get him to break. He was corporeal, right in front of Liv, but he was also feeling what he felt. Liv''s body shook with pain and fear, his wing now hanging loosely behind him. Langa could feel the power building inside Liv, a terrifying force on the verge of being released. The demonic spirit that fuelled the aura inside him roared louder. <> the demonic spirit whispered. Liv cried out in pain, the karma bursting at the seams of his being as he wailed, trying to keep it under control. ¡°You¡¯re not helping!¡± Langa shouted at The Demon Reaper¡¯s spirit. Langa couldn''t think straight, but he knew one thing: if he truly was Liv in this situation. He would have let go a long time ago. He was all for control when it was warranted; in fact, he was constantly trying to maintain that in himself. But after the atrocities he¡¯d seen done to Liv, he wanted him to murder all these people. "Liv," Langa said as gently as he could from his crouching position in front of the boy. "You have to let go. Use your power to save yourself." ¡°Who are you?¡± Liv asked in a small voice. He looked up, finally able to see him. ¡°I¡¯m Langa. I¡¯m someone who doesn''t want to see you in pain. I¡¯m someone who cares about you,¡± Langa said as softly as he could. ¡°Cares?" Liv asked as if the concept was foreign to him. "You seem familiar... like I know you, but...Are you my brother too?¡± ¡°No," Langa said with a smile. "I¡¯m your friend.¡± His curiosity seemed to quell the pain a little. Liv looked at him with wide eyes. ¡°What¡¯s a friend?¡± "There are different types of friends." Langa squeezed Liv''s shoulder. He smiled, even though it pained him that he didn¡¯t know something so basic. ¡°But I am the kind of friend who will always protect you, no matter what you do. It doesn''t matter who I''m protecting you from¡ªgods, demons, dragonkin, yourself¡ªI won''t let anyone hurt my friends. Do you trust me, Liv?¡± "Even against Father?" Liv asked, his eyes wide, his breath slow. "Will you protect me?" "Yes, I will," Langa told him, and it was true. He wasn''t someone who went around looking for trouble, but there was nothing he wouldn''t do to protect his loved ones. "Consequences be damned, Liv. Set yourself free. Destroy the people hurting you. You have the power." "But... I can''t. I can''t control it," Liv said, shaking his head, the pain where his wing used to be intensifying as blood poured out of him, even in the frozen time. "The demonic aura is a divine skill that I was born with. Because my karma is too low to contain it, it grows erratic. I can''t let it go... I''ll kill them all... I can''t control it." ¡°So what? Look what they¡¯ve done to you!¡± Langa said, pointing at the blood and the frozen demonkin drinking it. ¡°I know. I want to destroy them, but I can¡¯t hurt him,¡± Liv said, looking across the room. ¡°My den-brother.¡± Maipsatenkka''s frozen face was full of sorrow, but Langa did not empathise with him. ¡°He¡¯s just standing there. Watching! He¡¯s not helping you!¡± he shouted. "If he truly cared about you, he would have freed you a long time ago!" Liv lifted his hands. "Maipsatenkka switched out one of my shackles, so I could set myself free from the mavale shackles without it messing with my mana. As much as I want revenge against them, if I give myself over to the demonic aura, it will take everything from me. The divine demonic power will stir up the karma inside me, and nothing of me will be left behind,¡± he said. ¡°It would kill everyone...including him. I can''t control it, Langa.¡± Langa''s ghostly hand tightened around his shoulder. "You can, Liv. I know you can. You have to trust yourself. I know you have the strength to control it, because I''ve seen you stop yourself from overusing your aura. I''ll never say this to your face, but your strength inspires me, and I hate that you always have to hold back. I''m here with you, so let me help you." "Really?" Two eyes looked up at him, one red, one glowing purple. Those two mismatched eyes looked at Langa with so much desperation that he paused, trying to think of a way to help Liv control his mana. When he was using his magic, he thought of an electric circuit, with his body as the wire and magic as the current. He had to find a way to explain it to Liv. ¡°There is life in your mana,¡± Langa said. He could always feel the breath of life in magic spells. ¡°That demonic aura is a divine skill that comes from your father, but it is yours. Let go, but hold on to your mortality. Let the life inside you hold on to your den-brother''s heart. Let me be your anchor point, and will the life inside your mana not to hurt the one you care about. Destroy everything but him. Use your life, burn your willpower, Liv. I know you can.¡± Liv trembled and nodded, tears streaming down his face. "I don''t want to be like him," he whispered, his voice barely audible. Langa let go of Liv''s shoulder and took his hand, squeezing it in his, a comforting pressure. "You''re not like your father, Liv. You''re strong enough to resist him. You''re better. Let me guide you. Close your eyes." He would do for Liv what Tonare had done for him. Liv closed his eyes, focusing on Langa''s voice. He let a calmness wash over him, even as the demonic aura inside him roared in frustration, but he clung to Langa''s presence like a lifeline. Langa felt his karma intertwine with Liv''s as a steady, anchoring force that tempered the chaotic aura within him. Slowly, he felt the demonic aura start to flow, barely contained like water in a leaking pipe and then Liv let go. The mana surged through him, and a flood of dark red fluid waves burst out of him, engulfing the temple in a blinding red light. Time started up again, and the ground shook violently. The demonkin priestess backed away, her eyes wide with terror. With a scream, Liv freed the karma inside of him, giving power to the demonic aura, a wave of red fluid that kept moving outward, eating through anyone who came into contact with it like acid. The screams of the gathered demonkin who''d been closest to Liv were filled with the agony of fear. They were in severe pain as their lives were consumed, fuelling the wave which increased the force of its power and began breaking the temple. The walls crumbled, the ceiling collapsed, and the dragonkin sitting at the high seats were thrown back, the aura overwhelming them so fast that their bodies were lifeless before they even hit the ground. The storm of aura raged, tearing through the temple and leaving nothing but ruins in its wake. When the light faded, Liv was swaying unsteadily in the rubble of the temple. Nearly all dragonkin and demonkin lay lifeless on the ground, their bodies unrecognisable. Liv¡¯s grandmother was the only one from the high seats remaining alive. She stood up and raised her hands to cast another protection spell over herself, but it was too late. The demonic spirit that had been egging Liv on earlier tore out of him with a wail, and the red, consuming energy ripped into the den-mother. The demonic aura filled her body and tied her hands together. Liv surrendered himself fully to his father¡¯s power, the dark energy raging through him like a tidal wave. Dark purple scales erupted across his arms and crept up his face, a physical manifestation of the unimaginable divine demonic aura now burning within him. Langa knew he had to release this power upon his grandmother before it consumed him from the inside. A cloud of red fluid began to swirl around her body, rapidly expanding and merging with the dragonkin''s body. Streams of red liquid oozed from her eyes, resembling bloody tears. Liv''s purple eye burnt intensely as he regarded the dragonkin unflinchingly. Her agony did not stir any pity or sorrow within him. Instead, after everything she had put him through, her screams satisfied him. The red fluid continued to flow out, syphoning away her life force until her body withered and shrivelled. Her life was extinguished, and she collapsed lifelessly on the shattered ground. Liv¡¯s purple scales receded, and his mortal form returned to normal. Liv sank to his knees, what remained of his wing drooping, his strength spent. He had controlled his power, but at what cost? The temple was destroyed, the demonkin dead. He looked around at the devastation, the bodies of the demonkin scattered among the rubble. He felt no joy in their deaths, only resolve. They had tried to destroy him, but in their cruelty, they had only made him stronger. Everything was gone, turned into rubble, except one. One person stood unharmed amid all this destruction. It was as if the world around him had gone up in flames, and only he remained untouched by them. Maipsatenkaa stood alone, not a scale on his body out of place. ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt him,¡± Liv whispered wearily. ¡°And I didn¡¯t fully transform. I controlled it.¡± He had not become the monster he feared. He had not lost himself to the darkness. Langa smiled at him. ¡°Yes, you did. That was well done.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you,¡± he said, looking up at him. ¡°No.¡± Langa shook his head. ¡°You controlled it. All I did was guide you through it.¡± ¡°I wish this was what happened,¡± he said quietly. ¡°If I¡¯d let go and freed myself, then I wouldn¡¯t have lost control later. Then I wouldn''t have destroyed everything. Then I wouldn¡¯t have killed them all. Then he wouldn¡¯t hate me so much.¡± "Dwelling on the past only makes it harder to move on," Langa said. "Learning to control how much of your past you allow to influence you is a skill I wish I had too. All you need to do is remember how you controlled it this once, and it will be easier next time." ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose this feeling again.¡± Liv¡¯s pleading eyes looked up at him. ¡°Will you continue guiding me?¡± ¡°I told you, I¡¯m your friend. Of course, I will,¡± Langa told him honestly. ¡°You promise?¡± Liv''s ghostly soul looked both doubtful and hopeful, and Langa knew it would take work to wipe away that doubt. ¡°I promise.¡± "You helped me, and you were my first friend," he said. "I¡¯ve never trusted anyone before, but you''ve shown me what trust can do. Thank you, Langa.¡± Langa smiled as a door appeared behind Liv''s ghostly soul. [Congratulations! You have earned the trust of Liv¡¯Kungsadu¡¯s soul. Proceed through the door for the final part of the trial] 71. Special Gate: The Trial of Trust (2) Liv opened his eyes to a world he¡¯d never seen before. He was standing outside, and there were strange-looking metallic carriages parked in an orderly fashion around him. A large dome-like building was in front of him with labels around its walls glittering like lucent lights. It looked like a place with different kinds of shops, most of which sold thin clothes. He couldn''t understand why the fabrics were so thin. Did the humans in this world not get winter? He knew he was in the middle of the Trial of Trust, so that explained why he could not see anything familiar. He looked around until he spotted two children walking in front of him among the masses of people entering the dome-like building. The sign outside called the building ¡®Eshowe Mall¡¯. [Welcome to Langa Zulu''s Soulhold. To complete the Trial of Trust, earn the trust of Langa Zulu''s soul.] One of the children walking in front of him was a dark-skinned young boy, no more than eleven years old and he was holding the hand of a small girl, maybe four or five years old. She had the same skin tone as him, and her hair was neatly braided as she looked around the mall. Langa bent down to tie the little girl¡¯s shoelaces and Liv couldn''t help but notice that Langa had been small as a child. ¡°Malume, I want a lollipop,¡± the girl said to Langa when she spotted someone selling sweets on a stick. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t eat too many sweets, your mum will be mad if you get sick,¡± Langa said. The girl¡¯s face screwed up and tears formed in her eyes. Langa sighed and placed a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Khaya. Just wait a bit, I¡¯ll buy you an ice cream cone instead, okay?¡± he promised her. So this was Khaya, the niece Langa spoke about often. It seemed they were close, even while growing up as she nodded and happily clutched her stuffed lion toy. They walked around the mall and occasionally, Khaya would point at something with her free hand, looking excited as they walked past the shops. Something felt off about Langa¡¯s demeanour, though. Liv wasn¡¯t sure if it was the worried glances he kept casting around or the slight tremble in his hand, but he was convinced something was bothering the boy. The Trial of Trust was supposed to bring out powerful, life-changing memories so, there was no way this was just a normal shopping trip for Langa and his niece. "Look, malume! A big teddy bear!" Khaya exclaimed, pointing to a store window filled with oversized stuffed animals. With a sad smile, Langa indulged her curiosity and stopped to admire the toys with her. "Can I get the giraffe?" "We''ll have to come back for that," he said, smiling down at her. "But first, how about something to eat?" They made their way to the food court and Langa ordered a large portion of hot, fried potatoes and orange juice. He then bought the child a vanilla ice cream cone. Once they got their food, they found a table near the centre of the food court, and Langa helped Khaya into a seat. ¡°Khaya, I¡¯ll be right back, so just sit here and wait for me," he said, zipping up her jacket and wrapping a scarf around her neck. He gave her the plastic bag containing all the food. "If you get hungry, you can eat the hot chips.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± the girl asked, worry and fear on her face as she held Langa¡¯s hand. He smiled, but it was strained. ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom. Just wait for me here, and don¡¯t go anywhere okay?¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t be long, I promise.¡± Langa looked around, making sure no one was looking at them, and then he hesitated before he hugged her tightly. This, more than anything, convinced Liv that something was wrong. Khaya, however, just nodded and watched Langa leave. Dark strands of karma rippled from Langa''s body and attached to Liv, dragging him away from there. When Liv opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the mall but standing inside the kitchen of a small house he presumed to be Langa¡¯s home. Langa was standing in the middle of the kitchen looking both down and stricken. Liv could feel his emotions overflowing as if they were his own. It was hard for him to separate and understand what Langa was currently feeling. It was still the same day because he still wore the same clothes. Two adults were with him: a man with a furious look on his face and a woman with the same colour eyes as Langa. Her eyes looked weary and frustrated at the moment. Looking at the two adults, Liv surmised that these were Langa¡¯s sister, Thandiwe, and his brother-in-law. Something terrible must have happened because the tension in the room was nearly overpowering and even though he was looking away, Langa must have felt the glare his brother-in-law directed his way. ¡°How did you lose my daughter?¡± Langa¡¯s brother-in-law asked aggressively. Langa shifted on his feet, still looking down. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I went to the bathroom for a minute and when I got back, she was gone,¡± he said. ¡°I searched everywhere and I couldn''t find her anymore.¡± ¡°Why are you asking him that, Kgosi?¡± Thandiwe asked. ¡°When I went to work this morning, I left you with the kids. Did you go out and leave Langa to watch Neo and Khaya by himself again? He''s ten years old, mani. What was so important that you had to leave?¡± Kgosi clenched his fists. ¡°Come on, Thandi. I was looking for a place for my new store. I thought it would be fine since he''s watched them before. I didn''t think he''d be stupid enough to take Khaya to the mall and lose her!¡± he said defensively. ¡°And how are we going to pay for a new store? Do you have any idea what kind of disaster it could have been if Maria didn''t work in the mall? What if she didn''t recognise Khaya and called me out of work?¡± Thandiwe shouted. ¡°How could you be so reckless, Kgosi?¡± Kgosi¡¯s jaw tightened. ¡°Why are you blaming me for this? I left her safe at home with your fucking brother!¡± He turned his glare to Langa, who cowered under it. He grabbed Langa by the shirt and lifted the trembling boy. ¡°Huh, you know what? I bet you left her alone on purpose, didn''t you?" he sneered. "The way you cling to Thandi is unhealthy! I bet you didn''t like Khaya getting all the attention from her, did you?¡± ¡°N-no, I-¡± Langa tried to talk through his tears, but his brother-in-law spoke over him. ¡°Shut up. Do you know what kind of sick people exist in this country? The best-case scenario would be if someone handed her over to the police. We''d get into trouble but at least she would be alive. Perverts and murderers walk our streets! That''s who could have grabbed my daughter because of your stupidity!¡± he shouted. Thandiwe placed her hand on her husband¡¯s arm. ¡°Let him go now. He''s just a boy. I''m sure he was distraught too. You know how much Langa adores Khaya,¡± she said sternly, and the man loosened his grip, causing Langa to fall to the floor. Thandiwe knelt in front of him and continued, ¡°Khaya isn''t Langa¡¯s responsibility but yours. You were supposed to be here, Kgosi.¡± ¡°I was out trying to make money for my family. He¡¯s the one who took her to the mall. Hell, he is the reason why our finances are tight right now! This is the last straw, Thandi. I want him gone. I want him out of this house,¡± Kgosi said, his face hard. ¡°No. He¡¯s not going anywhere. This is Langa''s home,¡± his sister said, crossing her arms defiantly. ¡°He¡¯s an orphan, he has nowhere else to go.¡± ¡°He has a mother who is still alive! She doesn¡¯t even send us maintenance money for him,¡± he said. ¡°You know she won''t take him. Mama says Langa¡¯s spirit is too dark, and clashes with hers,¡± Thandiwe said. ¡°Bullshit! She¡¯s the one who got knocked up after fucking a man young enough to be her- ¡± he shouted back. ¡°Kgosi! This isn''t something we should be talking about in front of Langa,¡± Thandiwe said. She looked down at him. ¡°Langa, dear, go play with Neo and Khaya, I¡¯ll-¡± ¡°He is not going anywhere. Not until he learns his lesson. You know the drill, boy. Get in the box, Langa,¡± Kgosi said quietly. Liv felt Langa¡¯s fear rise at those words, nearly choking him with how intense it was. He trembled in his sister¡¯s arms. ¡°No!¡± Thandiwe said, clutching him tighter. ¡°You can''t do that. You know he gets scared.¡± ¡°That''s the point, Thandi. An hour in there should teach him his lesson,¡± Kgosi growled. ¡°If he knows he¡¯ll be punished for doing irresponsible things then he won''t do them again.¡± Kgosi pried the two of them apart roughly, and Langa¡¯s eyes teared up even more, his breath hard and fast in his throat. ¡°Please, no,¡± Langa whispered, desperation in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Liv could feel the distress and dread in Langa''s voice. He''d never seen him like this, not unless he counted the time in the tutorial when he found him trapped by the Void. Liv didn''t like seeing him so terrified. Langa''s pleas were ignored and with a rough hand, Kgosi grabbed Thandiwe by the arm and dragged her away from Langa, kicking and screaming. Kgosi pointed to the corner of the room where a large wooden box lay waiting. The box was old and worn, its surface rough. It was barely big enough to contain a child of Langa¡¯s size. "Get inside the box, Langa," Kgosi ordered again, his voice abiding no argument. His grip on his wife tightened. "You''ll stay in there until you learn your lesson." ¡°No! Don''t do this!¡± Thandiwe cried. Langa''s legs trembled, but he seemed to force himself to stand. Body shaking, he climbed inside the wooden box. This action surprised Liv immensely. He didn''t understand why Langa would do this voluntarily. Wasn''t he severely claustrophobic? Sure Liv had been in a cage his entire life but once he left that place, he would never willingly go back inside it himself. Liv looked at Kgosi Tlou. He didn''t look that strong, and if it came to a fight, then- He paused, realising that this was a lost world. There was no magic and no way for Langa to fight back. This man knew how powerless Langa was since he was a child, and was using his power to hurt him. He held back his wife who was trying to break free and save Langa. Fury rose in Liv¡¯s chest, and for the first time in his life, he felt anger for someone else. It wasn''t all-consuming like his own anger, instead, it was a sickening powerlessness that maddened him. He wanted to unleash his demonic aura, tear Kgosi Tlou to pieces and save Langa. He tried to unsheathe his Bloodserpent sword and attack but he was a ghostly incorporeal being in this memory. These were Langa¡¯s memories in his soulhold, so Liv couldn''t save him. The world tilted as soon as Langa stepped into the box, the wooden walls pressing in on him immediately. The karma connecting the two of them flared and Liv''s point of view shifted. The darkness that descended on Liv was immediate. He was inside the box with Langa and he could hear the scrape of the lock being secured from the outside, sealing them in. Through the darkness, Liv could hear the two adults quarrelling. ¡°Give me the key now!¡± Thandiwe shouted. ¡°No! You know I used to think all that bullshit your mother said about him being cursed was just an excuse to shirk her responsibilities but the more time I spend with the boy, the more it starts to make some sense,¡± Kgosi said. ¡°What the hell are you saying?¡± Langa pounded on the box, his small fists forming bruises whenever he came into contact with the wood. "Help!" he screamed, his voice cracking. "Please, let me out!" ¡°I¡¯m saying that ever since he came to stay with us, things have gone downhill. I lost my family¡®s business! A business that was my great-grandfather''s, then my grandfather then my father''s. I was supposed to raise it and build the greatest fucking enterprise!¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re going to blame Langa for that and not your poor money management?¡± Thandiwe shouted back. The darkness was a living thing, wrapping around Langa, squeezing the breath from his lungs. He was overcome by the feeling of being trapped, unable to escape. And now, that fear was all-consuming, threatening to swallow him whole, and Liv felt all of it. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°I am just saying that ever since he came into this house, things have been terrible. You had two miscarriages in one year, Thandi,¡± Kgosi yelled. ¡°Because I have PCOS, not because of Langa. Let him out of the box, he¡¯s not going anywhere. He¡¯s staying here with us.¡± She sounded exasperated. ¡°Let him out!¡± Langa clawed at the walls, his fingernails splintering against the rough wood. ¡°Please,¡± he sobbed, his voice barely a whisper now. ¡°Someone, help me. Let me out.¡± The two adults'' voices were muffled, and Liv only caught snippets of conversation. ¡°If I''m letting him out of there, I want him out of my house. He put my daughter in danger!¡± Kgosi shouted. ¡°He¡¯s a child!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not my child. I want him out, Thandi, that''s final.¡± The darkness was nearly suffocating now as Langa banged on the box, their voices both irritatingly loud and far away. When she next spoke, Thandiwe¡¯s words were filled with sobs. ¡°You can¡¯t, Kgosi. Please, don''t send him away.¡± ¡°Why not? Why do you care about your brother so much? Are you really putting him above your own child?¡± ¡°It''s not like that. You can''t send him away. Please promise to be angry with me, not Langa?¡± Thandiwe said. "Sibusiso gave his life for him... I''m all that child has." The words were muffled now, the argument hard to hear over the pressing darkness. Liv only caught snippets of conversation after that. Kgosi said something then Thandiwe said something. Langa''s banging muffled her voice even more, and the banging intensified as she spoke softly. Silence. A scream. More darkness. Words floated through the suffocating darkness. ¡°How is that any of my business? He''s not my fucking family!¡± Kgosi¡¯s shout was so loud that it broke through the darkness ¡°He''s Neo and Khaya''s family!¡± Thandiwe begged. "He''s my family. Please Kgosi!" Langa wouldn''t stop banging on the box. He was screaming so much that he barely heard as a door was slammed and Thandiwe screamed for her husband to come back so they could talk. * Thandiwe walked into a tiny bedroom with two bunk beds and a small table in the corner. She carried Langa in her arms and laid him down on the bed. He was still shaking and his face looked grey and sick. Another young boy sat by the corner of the room and he watched them come in. ¡°Did Baba hurt him?¡± the boy asked, something in his eyes darkening. ¡°Neo,¡± Thandiwe said. ¡°Go check if your sister is still sleeping in my bedroom.¡± ¡°Did Baba hurt him?¡± Neo asked again. ¡°No. Now please go,¡± she repeated, sitting on the side of the bed. The boy approached his mother and narrowed his eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t have those marks before. What happened to your arm, Mum?¡± Thandiwe tensed and rolled down her sleeves, covering the handprints that remained from when Kgosi grabbed her. "Nothing." Liv knew Neo was younger than Langa but the fury in his eyes was like a sharp knife cutting the silence in the air as he looked between his mother and the shaking Langa. "Where is he?" he asked venom in his voice. ¡°What are you going to do, huh? Neo, can you please listen to me for once? Go watch your sister," Thandiwe said. "Langa needs me right now.¡± The boy''s lip curled in defiance, but after glancing at Langa''s shaking body, he left the room. ¡°You¡¯re okay, nkanyezi yami,¡± Thandiwe whispered, wrapping a blanket over Langa. She soothed his back with her hand until his shaking slowed. ¡°Come back to me. I promise you aren¡¯t alone. You''re not trapped, you¡¯re in a big wide-open space, and I¡¯m here.¡± Langa opened his eyes and looked up at her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have taken me out. Bhuti''Kgosi said I should stay in the box for an hour," he said slowly, voice parched. "What if he comes back and I¡¯m not in there?¡± Thandiwe bit her lip. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, I¡¯ll talk to him. You know how emotional Kgosi can be sometimes. He''s not usually like this, he''s a bit stressed out. He¡¯s just upset about Khaya, and he needs some time to cool down.¡± ¡°Is¡­is he going to send me away?¡± Langa asked in a small, trembling voice. ¡°No,¡± his sister said. ¡°Never. I won''t be separated from you again, no matter what I have to do. But Langa, you have to promise to do something for me if you want to continue staying here, okay?" The boy looked up at her and she continued. ¡°What happened today, you can¡¯t do that again, okay? Don¡¯t do anything to aggravate him. That¡¯s the only thing I can do to protect you and ensure that you get to stay.¡± Langa nodded vigorously. "I promise. I won''t cause trouble for you and Bhuti''Kgosi. Sis¡¯Thandi,¡± he said, teary-eyed. ¡°About today...about Khaya, I need to tell you something, I-¡± ¡°I know,¡± Thandiwe said, and wrapped her arms around him. ¡°But-¡± She held him tighter. ¡°I know and it¡¯s okay, Langa. Everything turned out fine, so I forgive you,¡± she said. ¡°You''re my pretty little star, nkanyezi yami. I wasn''t there for you when I should have been, and I can''t make up for it. I love you, Langa and I''ll try to spend more time with you, I promise.¡± Langa seemed to be in disbelief that she knew and still defended him. ¡°I know I''ve taken a lot more shifts at the hospital lately, and Khaya''s really demanding on the little free time I have. Everything is messed up, and it''s all because I¡¯m such a terrible mother,¡± she said. Langa pulled away from her instantly. ¡°No!¡± he said sharply. ¡°You are a great mother, Sis''Thandi. Neo and Khaya are lucky to have you. All the time, I find myself wishing my mother was more like you.¡± If he thought that would comfort her, he was wrong because it made Thandiwe cry even more. ¡°Oh, Langa. I wish I could do more for you. I wish I could give you a better life than this," she said in a choked voice. "No. I just really wish Sibusiso was still here. He always knew the right thing to do.¡± Langa¡¯s hands shook. ¡°Me too. I miss him so much I could die,¡± he said, sniffling. ¡°I don¡¯t have anywhere else to go, so I promise I will be good. I won''t make Bhuti''Kgosi angry. I¡¯ll be quiet, I won¡¯t ask for anything, and I¡¯ll look after Khaya and Neo too. I¡¯ll do all the chores in the house, so please don¡¯t send me away.¡± "I''m sorry, nkanyezi yami," she said. My star. "Kgosi will listen to me, so just wait for me to fix everything. I promise you, whatever happens, I will always be your home." Thandiwe held him for a little bit longer before leaving in distress. Liv decided that for all her pretty words, he didn''t like Langa''s sister. She held and comforted him in a way no one had ever done for Liv, but she offered no solutions, no change to Langa''s environment. If she cared about him, she would do something to remedy the situation. If she really cared about him, she should have killed her worthless husband to protect Langa. Once Thandiwe left, Langa started shaking again. He clapped a hand over his mouth so he would not scream. Something strange was happening as Liv felt as if the world itself was shaking and Langa fell from the bed. The entire room went dark as he knelt on the floor. Since Liv was in Langa¡¯s soulhold, the memories he was experiencing were from Langa¡¯s perspective. The walls of the room started coming closer together as if they were trapping him. The darkness was complete, an unending vacuum that seemed to press against Liv¡¯s skin. ¡°I am in control,¡± Langa whispered, shakily standing up and sitting on the edge of the bed. "I am in control." Liv could feel the walls, the ceiling, the floor¡ªevery surface was too close, too confining. The space seemed to shrink around him, squeezing his chest and taking away his breath. Was this how it felt for Langa every time? Liv wanted to help him, to somehow stop his world from closing in on him, with only the oppressive silence and the sound of his own frantic breathing. Tears streamed down Langa¡¯s face. ¡°I am in control,¡± he whispered, clutching his head. He banged on the bed, weaker this time. "Please... please let me out..." Liv may not have known what mortals considered normal, but he knew this was wrong. How was he supposed to comfort Langa right now? He hated how the world taught Langa to withdraw into himself and cling to control. How the world taught him to diminish his light and walk into the box voluntarily. ¡°Do you regret choosing me?¡± a voice asked from behind Liv. He turned to see a fully grown form of Langa¡¯s soul, standing behind him and watching the scene. ¡°Is this how it feels for you every time, the claustrophobia?¡± Liv asked, instead of answering. ¡°Yes. Enclosed spaces make it worse but I could have an episode standing in a wide open field. It¡¯s not always because of a physical reaction. It happens wherever I feel as if I¡¯m trapped. I have to regain control otherwise I can¡¯t breathe,¡± Langa whispered. "Kgosi was right, you know." ¡°About what?¡± Liv asked as his point of view shifted again. ¡°I left her there on purpose,¡± Langa confessed, looking down. ¡°Sis¡¯Thandi had to divide her affection among the three of us. Neo''s a bit of a maverick so he didn¡¯t hog that much of it, but Khaya did. Because of her, I lost a lot of my sister¡¯s time. I had no one but her, Liv. I was lonely and scared that she would forget about me, so I wanted Khaya to go away. I thought without her, I could have my sister¡¯s attention back.¡± His jaw tightened and his eyes clouded. ¡°Kgosi was right. Khaya could have gotten abducted or killed. She must have been so scared in that big mall all alone," Langa said. "You know what the worst part is?¡± ¡±What?¡± Liv asked. ¡°The very next day, that child looked up at me with her beautiful eyes, she took my hand and trusted me as if I hadn¡¯t nearly fed her to the wolves,¡± Langa said, his voice breaking. ¡°I promised myself then. I will always protect Khaya. I will always put her first. I will earn that trust that she gave to me so freely. I know it will never make up for what I did, but it was the least I could do.¡± Liv gave him a solemn look. In all honesty, he didn¡¯t understand why Langa felt so badly about this. The girl returned home fine, no harm was done. Maybe it was because Liv had never had anyone relying on him for protection. The only thing he understood was how much Langa cared for his family. ¡°You were a child. You made a mistake,¡± Liv told him. He knew how haunting mistakes could be. His mistakes had led to the destruction of an entire demonkin enclave, after all. ¡±Perhaps,¡± Langa said. ¡°But I still did it on purpose.¡± The younger Langa had his head in his hands, trying to keep his grip on reality. ¡°This is who I am, Liv. Selfish, out of control, cursed, damaged. It¡¯s who I¡¯ve always been. I love the attention, I love being needed,¡± Langa said. ¡°I told myself I stayed in the spotlight to make money for them, but the truth was I liked it. I thought that if I was in the public eye, then even if I died young, I would be remembered. I understand if you regret your choice.¡± The bedroom had closed in so much that it looked like the wooden box Kgosi had locked him in, and the young Langa gasped, his whole body trembling. Inside, there were other small boxes upon boxes of locked memories that threatened to descend on Langa like a storm. ¡°I don¡¯t care about what baggage you carry, Langa. I still want by my side,¡± Liv said. "Really? I''m stuck in this cycle, stuck locked away in a little box, unable to escape," Langa said. "Can you help me? Let me see if you can." Karma pulled at Liv again, and the older Langa disappeared. There was a flash and one of the boxes of memories flew open. Suddenly smoke was all over the room and both Langa and Liv were trapped in a burning car. A distressed man was looking in on him, trying to open the door. Then water poured into the car and Langa screamed as he started to drown. Black shadows swirled around him before the memory was pulled away and locked inside a smaller box. ¡°It¡¯s too much!¡± Langa screamed, clutching his head. ¡°Langa!¡± Liv reached out to him. He curled up into a ball on the floor, leaning against one side of the box. The memories swirled around him like a violent storm and he tried to hide. Liv wanted to comfort him but he didn¡¯t know how to interact with a child. No, this wasn¡¯t some child. This was his friend. He knelt in front of him, and when he placed a hand on Langa¡¯s hand, this time he was able to touch him. The boy looked up at him. ¡°Get away,¡± he whispered. ¡°You¡¯ll get hurt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Liv said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m strong.¡± He grasped his hand and helped Langa sit up. ¡±Who are you?¡± Langal asked; a flash of recognition on his uncertain face. ¡±My name¡¯s Liv,¡± he said. "Do you remember me?" Langa frowned. "I think so," he said. "You''re... a friend¡­ but¡­ I don''t want to hurt you, so you should get away from me." "I told you you can''t hurt me," Liv insisted. ¡°It''s cramped in here, and all these flying memories make it hard to talk. Why don''t you take my hand and come out of the box?¡± "I can''t. I have to stay here." Langa shook his head. ¡°I...I¡¯m cursed.¡± ¡°So am I,¡± Liv told him, still kneeling before him. ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± The boy looked up at him. ¡°They said that my curse¡­ no... that I killed my father.¡± Liv was feeling all sorts of strange things in his heart that he¡¯d never felt before. Anger at whoever hurt Langa, anguish at the pain in his friend¡¯s eyes and... was that compassion? It was overwhelming. He had never felt so many conflicting things at once. Was this how mortals felt all the time? Then how did they know which instinct to follow? He felt the urge to share something he''d always known but hated to acknowledge. ¡°They say¡­I killed my mother,¡± Liv whispered. ¡°My grandmother never ceased to remind me. I¡¯m cursed like you, so I promise you won¡¯t hurt me. Take my hand. I will lead you to a world outside this suffocating box. A world of wide open fields where you can run to your heart''s content.¡± "I can run?" Langa asked, looking up at him with eyes full of wonder, but he took one look at the hundreds of locked boxes of memories and slumped back onto the box. ¡°No. I can¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I have to stay in the box. Controlled. I can¡¯t make mistakes because I¡¯ll be sent away. I gotta open the memories to leave the box. I¡¯m afraid of the darkness inside the box, but at least it¡¯s safe here,¡± he said. So Langa¡¯s soul wasn¡¯t ready to face his memories and leave the box. He was not ready to let go of the control he had over his emotions. Except when he was running. Liv didn¡¯t know what was considered a normal response in this situation as Maipsatenkka hadn''t taught him about anything like this. He decided to follow his instincts over reason. He had no idea what Langa needed, only what he could give. Liv sat down in the box next to him. ¡°Okay, if you don¡¯t wanna leave then I¡¯ll stay here with you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Langa asked in surprise. Liv hated that Langa¡¯s soul was trapped in fragments of his memories. He promised himself that he would free him from everything locking him away. "I don''t understand why, but it pains me to leave you alone like this. So, I want to stay. And once you¡¯re ready to leave just let me know. Whatever it is out there, we can face it together," Liv said. ¡°You promise you won''t leave?¡± Langa asked. "Even if I hurt you?" ¡°I promise. You don¡¯t have to be alone anymore,¡± Liv told the child. ¡°I''m not going anywhere. Believe me, Langa, I need you more than you need me. Will you let me stay here with you?¡± Langa looked up at him. Desperate tears streamed down his face as he nodded. ¡°Yes, please stay." [Congratulations. You have completed the Trial: Earn the trust of Langa Zulu¡¯s soul. Proceed through the door for the final part of the trial] A door appeared inside the box, meaning it was time for Liv to leave. He wasn¡¯t going to break his promise to stay with Langa, so Liv left a significant part of his karma inside Langa''s soulhold to keep him company. That way, his friend wouldn''t be alone, and Liv would know when he was ready to face his demons. 72. Special Gate: The Trial of Trust (3) [Merging Trial locations. Please wait.] Once Langa walked through the door, he entered an area where the soulhold expanded into two clear rooms with an open space in front of them. Child Liv sat in the left room, which resembled his cell, playing with a ring on his finger. He looked around nervously, as though afraid someone would walk in. The second room was familiar, similar to the one Langa used to share with Neo when they were children. Child Langa sat inside, and the room¡¯s walls looked like a half-open box. He was separated from Child Liv by a thin glass. Many locked boxes similar to the one that always stayed in Kgosi¡¯s kitchen surrounded Child Langa as he sat hunched over in the only empty space of the room. It made Langa wonder why his soul looked so damn depressed and pathetic. Suddenly, adult Liv appeared by his side, and Langa was about to ask what was going on, but then his head started to hurt. A sharp pain filled him, cutting into his memories like a hot knife as he was shown Liv''s trial. Memories of the mall, the punishment, the claustrophobia, the conversation the two of them had and how Liv got Langa¡¯s soul to trust him, all swam inside his mind and he held on to Tonare to calm himself down. Shit. Why would The Unrivalled remind him of that memory now, of all times? He clenched his fist, closing his eyes to snuff out the memory of the walls closing on him. It was distant, but he could feel a wash of essence helping to comfort him as he relived that painful memory. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Liv asked hesitantly. ¡°Dammit,¡± Langa cursed. ¡°Of all the memories, why did she choose the most shameful one?¡± Liv¡¯s face fell, and he scratched his neck nervously as he walked towards Langa. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to see that memory,¡± he said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my proudest moment.¡± Langa blinked. ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You know what I mean. I hate that you had to see my desire to kill the people who were just following the edict of their masters¡¯ gods,¡± he said. ¡°I know it was shameful. I should have accepted the suffering as my yoke for being born a demigod, but-¡± ¡°What? Why would you be ashamed of standing up for yourself? I wasn''t talking about your memory. I was talking about mine,¡± Langa told him firmly. Liv had nothing to be ashamed of. If anything, the ones who should have been ashamed and grovelling at his feet were the demonkin who used their useless grudge against The Demon Reaper against Liv. Now Liv was the one who looked confused. ¡°Why would you be ashamed of someone stronger mistreating you? It''s a bad reflection on them, not you,¡± he said. ¡°You were hurt, yet you pressed everything down so you wouldn¡¯t worry your sister. You didn¡¯t allow yourself to break until you were alone, until you couldn¡¯t hurt anyone else. If anything, I envy your self-control.¡± Langa snorted. ¡°My compartmentalisation isn''t something to envy. My psychologist used to say I force things away because I¡¯m afraid I can''t control them. I wish I could be as outwardly destructive as you, instead of continuously destroying my mind to maintain a semblance of sanity.¡± ¡°Trust me, that¡¯s not the solution either. Losing control may be freeing in the moment but when you stand over the destruction you¡¯ve wrought, it hurts you too,¡± Liv said. So was there no other solution for Langa than to break out of the box and let those memories free? To face them? He took a deep breath, turning back to Liv. ¡°I finally understand why you hate your grandmother,¡± he said quietly, watching as Liv''s soul cast glances at Langa''s soul across the glass from him, as though he was unsure what to make of him. Langa¡¯s soul sat hunched against the wall, muttering to himself, hands on his head. ''What a fool,'' Langa thought. Was this seriously what it was like inside him? No wonder his Mental Resistance was atrocious. Why was a boy whose worst memories were being trapped, drowning in a car, and being locked in a box looking more traumatised than a boy who''d had to kill before he was even ten years old? Trusting someone didn¡¯t mean that it was easy to close the gap first. Even if Langa was trying to change, he had lived his whole life keeping people at a distance. He had been told that he was a curse, a plague that stole fortune from those he got close to. So he would never approach Liv¡¯s soul first. ¡°Yeah, for someone who has lived for hundreds of years, my grandmother still fails to take accountability for her actions. She hated me as if she didn¡¯t push my mother towards the path of self-destruction,¡± Liv said, shaking his head. "As if she wasn¡¯t the one who allowed my mother to taint her bloodline by mixing it with the demon snake of the underworld.¡± ¡°You said you want to topple your grandmother''s kingdom, right?¡± Langa asked, looking at the scars on the back of Liv¡¯s soul, where his wing used to be. ¡°I¡¯m with you all the way. I want that bitch to pay for what she did to you. You were a child and didn¡¯t deserve to be tortured or forced to stay locked inside a cage.¡± ¡°Of course, I did,¡± Liv said, looking puzzled. ¡°That cage sealed my mana, demonic aura, and divine karma. It protected me, and it protected them from me. When I lost control, I killed a lot of people that day. Some had never wronged me. Innocents.¡± Langa was quiet for a moment. ¡°Children?¡± he asked. Liv hesitated. ¡°I lost control,¡± he said. Langa could let it go. Pretend everything was fine, since it was the past and he couldn¡¯t change it. He could choose not to face the truth of who his friend was. But no. He¡¯d promised himself he¡¯d stop pushing things away. ¡°Children?¡± Langa asked again, looking up at Liv. Liv¡¯s lips tightened. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. Langa closed his eyes. He¡¯d known the answer. Of course, he had. ¡°Is that a dealbreaker for you?¡± Liv asked. ¡°It should be,¡± Langa said. ¡°But I¡¯ve found that I forgive in the people I care about, things I wouldn¡¯t forgive of others. Like Neo. I don¡¯t like it, Liv. What¡¯s the point of having a moral code if it doesn¡¯t apply to the people close to me? Doesn¡¯t that make me a hypocrite?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand mortals all that well, but you all seem to be hypocrites when it comes to the people you care about,¡± Liv said. ¡°Then I guess I¡¯ve discovered something else I want to change about myself,¡± Langa said. ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy killing, but I¡¯ll do it to protect myself, to protect others, to keep my promises, and to punish those who hurt innocent people. I won¡¯t hold you or the other people I care about to my standards. We¡¯re both broken, but in different ways. I need that self-control to stay sane. But I think I do have a dealbreaker, even for my people.¡± He turned a fierce gaze towards Liv. ¡°Promise me that you will never kill an innocent child ever again.¡± ¡°This is important to you,¡± Liv said, observing him. ¡°Yes, I promise.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Langa nodded. ¡°I trust you¡¯ll keep that promise, or you will lose me and my support.¡± ¡°I will,¡± Liv said, looking at their souls. ¡°So you see, my grandmother was right to lock me up after all.¡± ¡°Liv, this is the infinite multiverse. You¡¯re telling me there was no other way to protect you or protect others from you? Are you saying she couldn¡¯t find a way for you to live a normal life?¡± Langa asked incredulously. ¡°I suppose she could, but why would she?¡± Liv asked, bemused. ¡°Because you¡¯re her daughter''s child, Liv, that is the decent thing to do,¡± Langa shouted. ¡°Because if a child is an orphan but has your blood, you take them in. You care for them, and you give them, at the very least, the bare minimum!¡± ¡°Not if you''re the queen of an imperialistic nation that thrives on producing an elite number of indoctrinated, controllable dragonkin soldiers to colonise multiple surrounding worlds in your solar system. Especially when you''ve lost a lot of them over the centuries,¡± Liv said with a wry smile. ¡°Besides, just doing the ¡®right thing¡¯ when you don¡¯t want to doesn''t always work out either. I mean, your brother-in-law treated you like crap.¡± Langa watched his soul whispering over and over again, ¡®I am in control.¡¯ ¡°He did more than he was obligated to. I don¡¯t blame him for not liking me; the family fell on hard times as soon as I joined them, and I was an extra mouth to feed when things were already hard for him and Sis¡¯Thandi. He didn¡¯t have to raise me, but he did,¡± he said. ¡°I don''t care what you say; I¡¯ve memorised his face. Do you hear me?¡± Liv said aggressively. ¡°If I ever see him, if he ever crosses my path, I swear to The Sun God, I will unleash the entirety of my demonic aura on him, and I will rip his head from his body and feed it to my demonic spirit.¡± ¡°Liv-¡± ¡°He knew you were claustrophobic, and he still forced you into that box!¡± Liv said, his fists clenched. ¡°Liv. It¡¯s fine,¡± Langa said. ¡°He did the best he could. My sister begged him to keep me and he listened to her. He could¡¯ve thrown me out, but he didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Langa,¡± Liv said quietly, approaching him, ¡°Maybe I¡¯m biased because I only saw one memory. One horrible, unforgivable memory. Maybe I''m wrong, so I''ll ask you this. Was your brother-in-law good to you?¡± Langa''s jaw tightened, and he looked away. ¡°He...he took care of me when he didn''t have to.¡± Liv grabbed both his shoulders and gently forced Langa to look at him. Mismatched eyes locked on his as Liv repeated. ¡°Was he good to you?¡± ¡°No.¡± The word came out as a whisper. Langa¡¯s whole life he¡¯d been taught to be grateful because Kgosi didn¡¯t have to take care of him. He¡¯d been quiet, diminished himself, and taken the mistreatment as a consequence of being an unwanted child. But gods, sometimes Kgosi had been truly awful to him. He raised his hand and wiped the tears that fell from his eyes, and he felt the comforting presence of Adtonifulmin¡¯s essence as Liv squeezed his shoulder. ¡°Sorry,¡± Langa said. ¡°I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡±It''s okay to let go of that control sometimes; otherwise, it will burst out of you at the worst time. It is okay to allow yourself to fall,¡± Liv said as his soul took a tentative step towards Langa. ¡°If I fell, who would carry me?¡± Langa asked as Liv''s soul extended a hand to his. ¡°I would. And you¡¯re always looking far into the distance when all you really need is right beside you. I won¡¯t abandon you, Langa, and neither will he,¡± Liv said, pointing at something above Langa¡¯s soul. While the child sat in agony with his head in his hands, the boxes drawing ever closer, they couldn¡¯t touch that small space he inhabited. Stepping closer, Langa realised that he was inside an invisible cocoon. An invisible shroud surrounded him, not allowing the darkness to overcome his mind. ¡°Master,¡± Langa whispered. Why did he always forget that he wasn¡¯t alone any more? Even if his soul couldn¡¯t feel him, Adtonifulmin was there, watching over him as he promised, and that was enough. He watched as his soul cast an unsure glance at Liv''s extended hand. Trusting him didn¡¯t mean he was ready to let him in after all. [Congratulations! Your Mental Resistance has increased by +1%] "Seriously?" Langa muttered, directing his ire at The Unrivalled. Why was his Mental Resistance so low that merely admitting that he had suffered from abuse made it go up? He supposed it was because he''d never wanted to admit that no one, not even the sister he loved so much, had protected him from this. The only one who ever tried was Neo. Maybe that was why Langa always ignored Neo''s wrongs, because he was the only one who had protected him after his father''s death. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to let go, so that one day, you''ll find the strength to smash through that box and face your fears,¡± Liv promised. ¡°I will help you to free your mind from all that plagues it and find yourself.¡± Alright, Langa could accept that, but not without giving anything in return. ¡°Fine. I hate seeing you hold back because I know how suffocating that is. I''ll find a way to teach you control. So that instead of holding back, you can use your full power without losing to the darkness,¡± Langa said. ¡°I don''t know how, but I will.¡± ¡°You are the one indeed,¡± Liv smiled. ¡°My anchor.¡± The irony was not lost on Langa. An impulsive, fearful child obsessed with staying inside a box and an out-of-control demigod were each other''s anchors. Langa''s soul took Liv''s hand, and they sat next to each other. The System Administrator appeared in front of them with a smile. ¡°Well done, boys,¡± she said. "You have completed the Optional Objective: Complete The Soul Trial of Trust. Once the full quest is completed, you will receive your guild token rank according to your quest clear rank.¡± She handed a fist-sized coin to Liv. ¡°Don¡¯t lose that token. I¡¯m not allowed to say how well you did, but that combined with this being the first clear of this 1st Floor Gatekeeper means that token is very valuable. Mortals have been killed for far less,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you,¡± Langa said. His compulsive need to be polite to people who could give extra rewards for it taking over. She smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again,¡± she said and hesitated. ¡°Be vigilant. I can feel that your final battle in this Gate will be a troublesome one. Master has already begun damage control because of the ripple your and his actions will cause.¡± Langa frowned. ¡°If The Unrivalled knows we¡¯re going to cause a disaster, why doesn¡¯t she just stop it beforehand?¡± he asked. It wasn¡¯t the System Administrator who answered, but Liv. ¡°Free will.¡± Langa tsked. That damn pesky thing. ¡°Good luck, child of The Lackadaisical Herald and child of The Sun God,¡± the System Administrator said and disappeared. [The Trial of Trust has ended. You may exit the Soulhold in 120 seconds.] Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Why is it counting down? Can we still do something in this place? Isn''t the trial over?¡± Langa asked, needing to get out of here. ¡°I''m sure the system senses that there''s something I want to do before we get back to the girls,¡± Liv said as he took a deep breath. He appeared to brace himself as if he were swallowing a bitter pill. ¡°The reason why I wanted us to do the Trial of Trust wasn¡¯t just so we could get the guild token. I told you that there was a favour I wanted to ask you.¡± ¡°Right. The guild thing,¡± Langa said, wondering where Liv was going with this. "You said there was something else." ¡°Yes. Vavuciadsforenkka was right about me being a mass murderer. When I was sixteen years old, I committed a great sin that resulted in the eradication of an entire demonkin enclave because I lost control of my demonic aura. I took everything from my den-brother. My divine karma fuelled my mana so much that it leaked endlessly out of the seal my grandmother made me,¡± he said. ¡°After that, I entered the Duat Tower, hoping to earn my father¡¯s favour so he could temper the divine karma inside me because that¡¯s what¡¯s expected of a demigod. It didn¡¯t work out, and I had the system reset my level so I could start again in the tutorial.¡± That explained why Langa had seen that Liv had climbed the 1st and 2nd Floor of Duat Tower when he¡¯d used his Team Player title on him and that he¡¯d rejected his father¡¯s patronage. He had no idea why he was bringing this up now. ¡°The second favour I wanted to ask you is tied to this.¡± He lifted his hand, and on it was a ring. It was black with multiple letters etched all over it. There had to be over 100 runes, symbols, and glyphs written on it, and that could only mean one thing. ¡°That''s a divine artefact,¡± Langa said, fascinated. Liv had that ring since the tutorial. He hadn¡¯t really been able to tell its power then, because he didn¡¯t know magic circles, but now that he did, he could tell it was the magic circle for a divine skill. ¡°That¡¯s right. My grandmother gave it to me. It¡¯s a divine artefact from the Living Wing. She used it to seal my mana, but even if it is a divine artefact, it only works best for people below Tier 1. In other words, at Tier 1, my mana started leaking again.¡± He closed his eyes and muttered an incantation. The magic circle on the ring glowed black, and then black mist surrounded Liv¡¯s finger. With his other hand, he pulled something else from that finger and handed it to Langa. Puzzled, Langa looked at the strange black object in his hands. It was another ring. It looked almost identical to the one Liv had. When he focused on the crown of the ring, Langa could see that inside it there was a small orb similar to a snow globe. Inside the globe was a strange golden flower with ten petals, seven of which were shrivelled up while three were vibrantly alive. The seven withered petals had blue chains drawn on their surface and below the flower, there was clear glittering water as well as a violent red liquid that threatened to taint the water. It was a beautiful ring, yet the nervous, fearful look in Liv¡¯s eyes gave Langa pause. What was the purpose of this ring? Langa raised his eyebrows, trying to ease the tension. ¡°Wow, you¡¯re not even going to get down on one knee? As far as proposals go, Liv, I¡¯m not impressed. Especially since you said I wasn¡¯t your type,¡± he said. Liv blinked, rolled his eyes and smiled. ¡°It''s not a mating band. If it was, I''d be disrespecting you, after all, a dragonkin¡¯s mate accepts nothing less than heaps of pure gold for an engagement,¡± he said. His face turned serious again. ¡°This is something else entirely. A contract more binding than a mating bond.¡± Langa looked at the ring, puzzled. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked. ¡°I can never have full control of my own mana. Before Tier 1, I only had access to 20% of my maximum mana, now it¡¯s up to 30%. The divine artefact has a twist, though, I either keep living like this, out of control with my sealed mana leaking out to the point where it can destroy me or I can give control of the divine artefact to someone else. Someone I trust to be my anchor, to have control over me. All demigods have the choice to go through something similar to this,¡± Liv said. ¡°What you''re holding is my mana core¡­ or a visual representation of what it looks like in my abdomen. It¡¯s in the form of a liva flower. My mother¡®s favourite flower, the one she named me after.¡± Langa¡¯s eyes widened as he realised what Liv was saying. He couldn¡¯t quite comprehend it, but he looked back down at the ring in his hand and scanned it. [Mana Sealing Ring Name: Atem-mahjukan Artefact Rank: Divine (Suleria Hhif: The Living Dragon Wing) Description: The Mana Sealing Ring is a sacred artefact designed to safeguard and regulate the flow of mana within a demigod. Effects: Mana Regulation: The anchor can manipulate the ring to either nourish the mana core, allowing the demigod to wield more mana, or drain it, reducing their mana capacity temporarily. Overflow Alert System: The ring provides visual cues or magical alerts to the anchor, indicating when demonic aura and divine karma are encroaching upon the mana core within the demigod. Depending on the severity of the overflow, the anchor must either find a way to calm the demigod¡¯s aura/karma down or allow them to wield more mana to let it out. If the overflow is not attended to promptly, karma implosion may occur, permanently killing the demigod and destroying everything in his proximity. Demigod Sealed: Liv¡¯Kungsadu Usage Restrictions: Restricted to an anchor chosen by demigod Liv¡¯Kungsadu through a binding System Contract or The Dragon Slayer Chosen by The Living Wing. Demigod Liv¡¯Kungsadu cannot use this item, regardless of permission from his anchor. Note: The anchor may perform routine cleansing rituals and periodically cleanse the mana core to purge the accumulated demonic aura and maintain optimal mana flow. Handle with care, as mastery of this divine artefact can control the power, life and death of a demigod.] ¡°Oh my gods,¡± Langa gasped. If anyone got a hold of this item, they would have the power to control the most powerful player of Batch 4! Why the hell did something like this exist? ¡°In the dark, liva flowers are poisonous to most mortals, but in the sun, they shine brightly and emit life energy that rejuvenates the stamina of mortals,¡± Liv said. ¡°My mother had the gift of the Sight, and I don¡¯t know if she named me that way because she was predicting the outcome of my life, but she told me to always stand by the sun.¡± He gave Langa a meaningful look. ¡°Wait. You think when she was talking about the sun, she was talking about me?¡± Langa finally realised why Liv had been so shocked to learn the meaning of his name two days ago. ¡°My name could just be a coincidence. You can¡¯t trust me with something so powerful. She was probably talking about The Sun God, wasn¡¯t she his Visage?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I chose to follow him. I thought he was the sun I needed to pull me out of my father¡¯s darkness, too. She might have been referring to him, I don¡¯t know,¡± Liv said. ¡°At the end of the day, though, I Chose you even before I knew the meaning of your name.¡± ¡°Chose me? There you go again with your god complex,¡± Langa sighed. ¡°Liv. I can¡¯t take this. You want me to have the power to control you? This is too big of a responsibility. I don''t want it.¡± To his surprise, Liv smiled. ¡°Do you know how many people would kill to have power over a demigod? For millions of years in the infinite multiverse, wars have been waged over the power to be a demigod¡¯s anchor. Yet you reject that power. I''m convinced there is no one better suited to it.¡± ¡°You barely know me. There has to be someone else you trust!¡± Langa tried again. ¡°There is no one else. You are my closest friend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true! What about Coraloa and your den-brother?¡± ¡°Coraloa and I have a different kind of friendship. I told you, she and I are using each other. My den-brother is the Dragon Slayer and a cleric of The Living Wing. Giving him this ring would be giving my grandmother and her goddess power. Besides, I want you. I care about both of them, but neither of them has seen inside my soul. Langa. After trusting you with my soul, what is my manacore?" "It''s too much, Liv," Langa said. "I don''t want to control you." ¡°I need you to stop thinking about it as you controlling me, okay? It¡¯s worded that way because, frankly, my grandmother and the Living Wing didn¡¯t want me to choose someone to be my anchor, they wanted the Dragon Slayer to have control over me. They wanted me suppressed under their claws for their imperialistic goal. They would have made the Dragon Slayer unleash me at full power over the innocents and-¡­ never mind,¡± Liv sighed. Langa saw red demonic water in the ring travelling up the flower before dissipating. "Giving you this power is giving you the power to protect me... even from myself,¡± Liv said. This was a big responsibility; having the means to control someone as powerful as Liv didn¡¯t sit well with Langa. He didn¡¯t do well with responsibility. ¡°I don¡¯t have a good track record in that department. I promised Makoto I¡¯d protect him, and he was killed right in front of me while I was powerless to save him. I promised Khaya and Neo that I would always love and protect them, but Neo¡¯s half-dead, and Khaya would rather stay with the person responsible for his death. I¡¯m not good at this,¡± Langa said, remembering that he¡¯d promised Liv¡¯s soul that he would protect him. ¡°If I continue holding onto this ring with no one to control it externally, my power will overflow, and I¡¯ll make another mistake. I¡¯ll destroy even more people and lose to my father. I¡¯m so tired of hurting people just to gain a fraction of control,¡± Liv said, his voice breaking. ¡°How can I be a good leader if I don¡¯t know when my power will overflow? Can you please help me, Langa?¡± How could Langa deny such an earnest request? Liv was the first friend he had in this new world, the first person he''d allowed in. Liv had chosen to stay even after seeing the mess in Langa''s head, and if Langa could help him, of course he would. "Okay," he said. He supposed it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try and see how this ring worked. He infused the lightning travelling through his nerves into the ring, and he felt a strange pull, like the water inside the ring was greedily sucking away his mana. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Langa said, his mana draining until he was kneeling on the floor in mana exhaustion. The ring took away 90% of his total mana. [Current mana stability for demigod Liv¡¯Kungsadu: Currently active, 30% of total mana: 429/555. Excess mana leakage: 120MP/s Demonic aura encroachment: 1.5% per 26 hours. Divine Karma encroachment: ??? Increase mana wielding: Yes/No?] ¡°No,¡± Langa said, taking a deep breath as mana exhaustion settled on him. ¡°What the hell, Liv? 30% of your total mana is 555! That''s more than double of my current total mana! This is fucking unfair.¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s why my Tier 1 body can¡¯t handle that much mana," Liv said. "Once it gets above 50%, the demonic aura encroachment goes up to 25% per hour, then it just spirals from there with my karma fuelling it. Anything above that will cause the karma to implode and kill me and everything around me. That''s why it has to be controlled.¡± Okay, so that was dangerous. "This ring took away almost all my mana just to access the details,¡± Langa said worriedly. ¡°I don''t know how it''s supposed to work either," Liv said. "I''m sorry. There''s no benefit at all for you, so I understand if you decide not to do it." "Liv, if my friend needs help, I will help him, whether it''s beneficial for me or not," Langa said, standing back up. "I promised to protect you, so if you''re sure about choosing me, then yeah, let''s do this." [Player Liv''Kungsadu has requested to bind you to the divine artefact: Atem-mahjukan as his anchor. Accept: Yes/No? Please note: This is a binding System Contract, valid until the permanent end of your mortal life whether to Death or Ascension] There was no turning back now, Langa thought. "I accept." The ring squeezed his finger, and he felt it seal itself inside him. It was now a soul bound item, and he would never drop it if he died. The only way to lose it would be to give it away. [Congratulations! You have completed The Sun God''s Hidden Quest: An Anchor for my child!] [The Sun God, The Neutriarch of Fire would like to offer you a reward. Reward: Conditional Blessing.] "Uh... yeah, absolutely," Langa said. This would fill up all his Blessing/Title Slots for Tier 1. [Solar Inverter Blessing Blessing Type: Conditional Deity: Amun-Ra, The Sun God, The Neutriarch of Fire Effects: When you are within a radius of 100 metres from Solar Paladin Liv¡¯Kungsadu, you can convert the mana leaking from his mana core using solar energy into lightning mana. You can passively absorb and utilise the mana leakage up to a maximum of 50% of your total Mana Pool. Restrictions: Active as long as your relationship with Liv¡¯Kungsadu remains neutral to positive.] ¡°Holy shit, Liv, I just apparently completed a hidden quest from your master!¡± Langa said. ¡°I think he just found a way to help both of us.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Liv asked and Langa filled him in on the effects of the Blessing. ¡°So, that means I won¡¯t be affected by the excess mana, and if you need to control the ring or if you''re fighting next to me anytime, you won¡¯t run out of mana. Wow. He did say he would help me, but I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be this generous. Maybe my prayers worked.¡± [The Ter Netjer Pantheon goddess: The Dreaded Desert Plague, watches the proceedings of your quest with interest.] "Lady Sekhmet?" Liv asked with raised eyebrows. "Why is Father''s former wife interested in us?" Langa frowned. "Wait, your dad was married to The Sun God''s daughter, then after he split from her, he had a child with The Sun God''s Visage? I''m sensing a pattern here." "Langa, don''t bother yourself with the relationships between the gods. When you''ve lived that long, you don''t care about who your lovers are, whether you share blood, karma or essence with them. Frankly, I think it''s weird too," Liv said. "But Father is obsessed with taking things from The Sun God, so if Lady Sekhmet is interested in me, I welcome her attention. She can use me against him." As soon as those words left Liv¡¯s mouth, there appeared a chain of prompts that would change Langa¡¯s life forever. [The Ter Netjer Pantheon goddess: The Dreaded Desert Plague, proposes a conditional invitation to The Flaming Blade of Menika to visit the domain of the Ter Netjer Pantheon''s Faction: The Descendants of The Sun.] [The Deiwos Clan goddess: The Flaming Blade of Menika expresses keen interest in The Desert Plague''s proposal.] [The Ter Netjer Clan goddess: The Desert Plague, states that she would be willing to discuss a conditional alliance between The Deiwos Clan and The Descendants of The Sun if The Avatar of Adtonifulmin and The Avatar of Amun-Ra complete Amun-Ra''s current quest with an S-Rank or above clear on the first try.] [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, states that his Avatar is never one to back away from a challenge, and he has full faith in him.] [The Ter Netjer Pantheon god: The Sun God, The Neutriarch of Fire, states that his Avatar has always desired to leave a mark in history and he will not waste this legendary chance to do so.] [The Deiwos Clan goddess: The Flaming Blade of Menika, accepts The Dreaded Desert Plague''s Proposal.] [The Duat Pantheon god: The True Deathbringer of The Demon Reaper watches the proceedings in outrage and hurriedly meets with Anubis to discuss a way forward.] [The Duat Pantheon god: The True Deathbringer of The Demon Reaper, requests a meeting with The Sea Dragon King, The Neutriarch of Water to renew their ancient treaty.] [The Deiwos Clan goddess: The Flaming Blade of Menika, calls an emergency meeting of all gods, constellations and seraphim of the Deiwos Clan.] [All 13 gods of the Deiwos Clan are watching your Quest with much anticipation.] [Congratulations, Players Langa Zulu and Liv¡¯Kungsadu! Your actions have rekindled an ancient enmity and bolstered a new alliance among deities. You have earned a ??? Achievement. Your karma has increased by ??? Your rewards will be issued once the current quest is complete.] The messages came in such a quick flurry that it took Langa a while to process them. All he''d done was agree to help his friend out, but because both he and Liv were Avatars whose actions had a great impact on their patron deities'' karma, suddenly high-ranking gods were interested in the young, up-and-coming Deiwos Clan. ¡°Wow!¡± Langa said. The Descendants of The Sun was a small faction of the Ter Netjer Pantheon, also known to Langa as the Egyptian Gods, but they were quite influential since they were the children of Amun-Ra. If the Deiwos Clan managed to ally with the faction, they would no doubt become more renowned among the older godly clans. Langa finally understood why deities invested so much karma into Towers and bonded players. He could not help but wonder how much more influence and power he would have if he just agreed to become Adtonifulmin''s Visage. Why was he still hesitating? Adtonifulmin had proven himself both faithful and sincere. He was always with Langa¡¯s soul, watching over him. Liv, however, was frowning. "Langa, I think The System Administrator was right. Something is wrong with this Gate.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Langa asked. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have attracted that much attention from such high-ranking gods, no matter how powerful our deities are. Those are ridiculous rewards. If the maestril is level 13 or 14, we¡¯d have to be like Tier 0 and defeat it for that much attention," Liv said, looking at him with wide eyes. "There¡¯s no way a simple Gate would cause this much stir amongst the gods. For us to earn enough karma for the gods to move like this; clearing this Gate should be impossible. I think if we¡¯re able to complete this quest with an S-Rank Clear, despite whatever makes it impossible, it will somehow be us making history." That should have deterred Langa. Before; the pressure to perform and the weight of the responsibility that a portion of the future of his master''s godly clan depended on him would have been suffocating, but not any more. He could feel the essence of Adtonifulmin through their Divine Nexus. It was strange, but he knew he didn''t have to be weighed down by any expectations any more because his friends and Adtoninufulmin wouldn''t want that for him. "Let''s go and make history," Langa said, both nervous and excited as the two of them were thrust out of the soulhold, and back into the ruins. 73. Special Gate: Purification Was this Gate a good place to die? Synn wondered as she and Coraloa made their way from one door to another along the narrow collapsing corridor looking for any salvageable loot. It would be nice if they could scout out the boss¡¯ lair, then she could come up with a solid plan of attack before the boys returned. Looking around the ruins, Synn hated seeing what little of the plant workers'' lives remained scattered around them. What used to be the residential rooms were eerily quiet, the only sound caused by the creaking of wood where the two of them stepped. This place was so empty, yet so lived in, that it made Synn uncomfortable as it triggered the missing memories of the homeworld she had doomed to corruption. Was this a good place to find salvation, then? If she killed the creature that destroyed their home, would she finally be able to live with herself? On one side of the corridor, was a small and cluttered room that looked to have been an infirmary. There were broken beds on the floor and pushed against one wall was a large cupboard covered in dust and cobwebs. Synn summoned a Flame Spike, holding it in her hand to illuminate the room as they searched for anything useful. The cupboard was locked. She studied it, checking the lucents for any signs of magic on the lock. Since she found none, she surmised that it was a physical lock, and she didn''t want to use heat to open it up as there might be flammable substances in there. ¡°Help me out here, Cora. Maybe we''ll get some health potions,¡± she called out as Coraloa shoved some books into her Feathervault bag. ¡°Do you really think we''d find any stable ones right now? It looks like it''s been decades since the maestril boss and her swarms took over this place,¡± she said sceptically but still came to help. Coraloa shot a weak ice bullet at the cupboard lock and then stabbed it with her Siyotanka, breaking the lock. Together, they opened it to reveal a collection of vials and jars of potions, syrups, and other odd mixtures that Synn shoved inside her bag. Her memory swayed in and out of focus as if she recognised some of the potions but nothing tangible surfaced. "These potions might still be usable," Synn said, scanning the vials. "Healing, mana restoration, and... this one is a maladic-spore repellent lotion." She supposed the locals would have had to develop an antidote to the corrupted mosquito swarms if they occurred nearly every day. There were also five jars of expired mosquito repellant mist. [Corrupted Mosquito Swarm Repellant Mist Rank: Common Alchemist: ??? Effects: Repels corrupted mosquito swarms from their target and inhibits them from biting the target. Has a 10% chance of killing the mosquitoes. This product has expired and may no longer work as intended.] Synn decided to take it anyway. It was better than using up her mana to burn the swarms when they could save that for the boss. Coraloa picked up one of the books whose leather cover was well preserved. "A journal on water purification," she said, flipping through the pages. "It might have some useful information about this plant and the history of its people. Someone has to remember them. Plus, we could use it back in the Tower to help out people who can''t afford water-lucent crystals to purify their water supply." "Sure, sure," Synn said, resisting the urge to shake her head at how absurd it was that Coraloa was always thinking of other people. This was the reason they became friends after all, since Synn was trying to find something worth dying for. She figured hanging around Coraloa would help her improve her alignment. Hanging around Liv''Kungsadu, on the other hand, she had a strong suspicion it might lead to the opposite. Joining their guild was her being selfish, her forgetting that living was her punishment. Her hell. Once she took all the potions, she moved to the desk. There were test tubes, beakers and a broken cauldron. There was even a wick of an old spitfyre under a tripod stand. If the system wasn''t recording all the loot, then she would have taken it for herself to purify her mana. The fire lucents inside it called out to her, but she tempered her greed, figuring they could use it to recruit alchemists into the guild. They cleaned out the room, and then moved on to the next one. They found more old maps and a few enchanted trinkets that had managed to withstand the passage of time and some that were well past their durability. An enchanter could disenchant them for skill practice. At last, they reached the end of the corridor and found themselves in a circular chamber. In front of them stood a massive stone door, covered in runes that depicted water flowing from the hands of a perfect white figure resembling Hephaestus. The chamber was large, its high ceiling lost in darkness, and the walls were lined with religious symbols. There were also rusted metallic pipes all over, some broken, while others lay intact. To their left, a partially collapsed wall revealed another room, with the remnants of a shrine, and what used to be the altar lay broken on the floor. There were offerings, beautifully crafted jewellery, and metallic sculptures that were salvageable from the debris. ¡°Look at this!¡± Synn exclaimed as she hurried inside and picked up a small rusted silver necklace. She couldn''t wait to sit down once the Gate was done and study everything. ¡°Imagine the magic that once flowed through this place! Ah, I love first clears.¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Coraloa said. ¡°It¡¯s impressive, but we need to be careful. Defiling a god¡¯s shrine and taking the people¡¯s desperate offerings doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± Synn shook her head. ¡°Do the saint gods and constellations teach you to be so hypocritical that you have to oppose everything grey? We¡¯re not leaving this treasure here,¡± she said. Her eyes darkened, thinking of her world. ¡°If Lord Haphaestus cared about his people, he¡¯d have saved them from corruption. What is the loss of a single world to a god?¡± She hoped her pointed criticism would rouse The Nine-Tailed Fox¡¯s anger and he would berate her, but he was quiet as always, not even looking at her. Coraloa crossed her arms. ¡°I''m serious, Synn.¡± Synn knew that deities protected their shrines, she wasn''t stupid, but as always her attribute filled her with the desire to take all the treasure for herself. She took a deep breath, deciding to be careful not to be overcome with greed. She moved past Coraloa, her instincts heightened as she approached a large, rusted bronze chest at the far end of the room. She augmented her perception with Mana Stitching using her mana sensitivity to check if there were any manabased traps. ¡°Synn!¡± Coraloa warned. ¡°Relax,¡± Synn urged, brushing off the dust that had settled on the lid. "I don''t sense any magic protecting it." There could be something physical or mechanical though. She knelt beside the chest, lifting the heavy lid, but just as she pulled out the Spell Scroll inside, a rumble sounded through the chamber from above. Synn and Coraloa exchanged worried glances as suddenly, the second stone door behind them slammed shut, trapping them in. A mechanical trap then. Was it connected to the weight of the chest? ¡°I don¡¯t want to say I told you so, but dammit, I told you so!¡± Coraloa said as both of them looked up just in time to see a section of the ceiling begin to collapse. The pipes overhead creaked, and with a violent crash, a mass of black, corrupted water fell down from the broken pipe, coming towards them. "Shit, we''re gonna get flooded in!¡± Synn yelled, activating her Fire Ring. ¡°We have to break down that door!¡± Coraloa activated her Vibration Wave, the wave of air creating a barrier between them and the raging wall of water. The force of her magic pushed against the oncoming tide, but Synn knew she could feel the strain as the corrupted water fought back. ¡°Synn, hurry and get away, I can handle the water, but you can''t!¡± she urged, maintaining the barrier. ¡°I can¡¯t hold it for long!¡± Synn needed to get the door open so the water would flow outside instead of escaping. She focused her energy on her mana core, moving the mana through her mana channels and stitching them together, conjuring a pair of small Incinerating fireballs in her hands. She hurled them at the stone door, and the old worn stone began falling apart. It blew up, sending debris of stone flying in all directions. ¡°Cora, it''s open!¡± Synn shouted. She tossed her whip up, the hook grappling onto an unstable pipe, and pulled herself up into the air. Coraloa let go of the skill, and the water washed over her as she transformed into her mermaid form. She was covered in The Unrivalled¡¯s Blessing, so the corruption in the water had very little effect on her. Once the water was exhausted, Synn jumped down and the two girls just lay on the floor, breathing heavily. Synn burst out laughing. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Coraloa asked. ¡°Nothing,¡± she said thinking of an idiot who would be screaming in rage right now since he couldn¡¯t swim. After a few minutes of regenerating their health and mana, the girls picked the shrine clean. To Synn¡¯s disappointment, the Spell Scroll from the treasure chest was for enhancing Blacksmithing Skills, so she had no use for it. As they continued their exploration, they came across a large, broken magical pipe that ran through the ruins. The pipe was connected to the main control room and covered in mould and grime. "The lucents are disturbed," Synn muttered. The lucents surrounding the pipe were heavily corrupted and she could feel the magic in the air crying out for purification. "I think this may lead us to the source of the water plant''s corruption." "Wouldn''t that be the boss monster''s lair? Let''s follow this pipe, maybe there''s a shortcut," Coraloa suggested. Synn agreed, and they followed the broken pipe through the corridors, occasionally checking the rooms for loot. ¡°How long is the Trial supposed to take?¡± Coraloa asked quietly. Synn shrugged, peering into an empty room. ¡°Even if they fail, the Trial of Trust isn¡¯t going to kill them. They seem close, so it''ll probably be fine,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m a little worried. I don''t know Langa that well, but he seems decent, and AD Jandri spoke highly of him. Liv, though, he''s nice, kind, and dependable, but he has¡­ issues, and I feel like that kind of trial could be hard on him. I don¡¯t think he gets along with his godly parent." That was something they could agree on. "That''s not surprising. I can count on one hand the demigods I know who have a good relationship with their godly parents by choice rather than necessity," Synn said. "I get why he chose a Neutriarch for his patron because demigods are an investment to gods. His parent can''t be pleased about losing him, but unless they''re a Neutriarch themselves or one of The Quartenity, they can''t really do anything about it." Coraloa snorted, opening another door. "A child of The Quartenity? They can¡¯t find a seraphim compatible with their essence considering they were never mortal," she said. "It''s always a disaster whenever Chaos tries.. we have enough angels roaming around." Just as those words left her mouth, a buzzing sound began to fill the new room. It was a hive filled with large insects. Synn shuddered. ¡±Please don¡¯t tell me that¡¯s what I think it is.¡± Before Coraloa could answer, a swarm of large mosquitoes burst out from the hive, creating a buzzing sound. She instinctively raised her Siyotanka. With such small targets, all she could do was use Sonic Blast to make her mana inside them explode in order to deal more damage. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Wait, Cora, I have a crazy idea. I wanna experiment something,¡± Synn shouted, eagerly. It had been a long time since she had a new type of magic to play with...at least she thought it had been long. "Please don''t tell me you want to play around with magic experiments while we are surrounded by mosquitoes!" Coraloa snapped. ¡°I''m not playing. Remember the expired bug spray mist we found?¡± Synn asked, her flames burning through the swarm. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s still toxic to them. Spray it around. We need to know if it''s effective so that we can use it against the boss if it works!¡± Coraloa fumbled in her Feathervault bag, retrieving one small container. She shook it, spraying the mist into the air. The toxic vapour spread quickly, enveloping the immediate area in a stinking mist. The mosquitoes'' speed slowed and a few started dropping while others started flying around erratically. The poison was a slow killer, and the swarm was far too numerous. An idea popped into Synn¡¯s mind. Poison and Fire disciplines were always disastrous when combined. So, when Coraloa sent another wave of the alchemical compound, Synn set the mist on fire. The moment the flames met the toxic vapour, an explosion of flaming mist erupted in the air. It formed a circular vortex of misty fire, the flames igniting the mist. The fire raged, fueled by the toxic spray, and the mosquitoes shrieked in a high-pitched chorus of terror as they were engulfed. "Wow. You could have warned me," Coraloa said, impressed. ¡°Damn, we should try this with those Lucent Patch Bombs,¡± Synn said. She loved trying new combinations with her magic. The heat was intense, and Synn watched the flames consume the swarm. The remaining mosquitoes began to fly around frantically but in the end, they fell to the ground, leaving only the faint smell of toxic fire in the room. ¡°Those things are annoying.¡± Coraloa glanced around the room, now that they were done picking up the salivary glands, the mosquitoes dropped. ¡°But we need to move. We don¡¯t have a scout to sense them, so we might get swarmed again.¡± They passed through another room full of empty piles of pipes, and while Synn didn''t know how valuable the half-rusted metal and other types of pipes would be, a new guild needed everything they could get. She did find a few thin strips of jaericium metal, so she put those in her bag too. Her inventory was full and her feathervault bag no longer weighed the same as a feather, and it was starting to take a toll on her. "Nice. Jaericium is good for absorbing lightning," Coraloa said. While they followed the main pipe, she cast Synn a glance. ¡°I noticed you''re okay with Langa. Didn¡¯t you say lightning was a trigger for you?¡± Synn opened a door and looked inside, but it was empty. ¡°I can bear it. Besides, it will only be an issue during the month of Lightning. If anything, I¡¯m gaining tolerance by spending time with a lightning user." She had told Coraloa her issues with that mana discipline were because her partner was killed by lightning. She couldn''t help but smile at the thought of how offended Tonare would be at the mere insinuation that lightning could kill him. Because of how she lost him, the month of lightning was sure to be hell. It was already bad enough feeling love and loss without the accompanying memories. Hopefully, she would have paid her debts and given her life for someone who deserved to live, so she wouldn¡¯t have to suffer. She didn¡¯t tell Coraloa any of that, instead, she said, ¡°Hopefully when the time comes to face my wounds, I won¡¯t break down and I''ll be able to handle the curse.¡± Coraloa shook her head. ¡°You know what works for me when I¡¯m down? A distraction. Instead of wallowing in despair, I find someone pretty to decorate my bed so I don¡¯t have to think. Once I feel better, I can toss the decoration away.¡± Synn couldn''t understand people who deflected and distracted themselves from their problems. She wasn¡¯t like that. No matter how much it hurt, she faced it head-on. But when it came to memories of Tonare¡­even she wanted to curl up in a ball and hide from the world. ¡°I don¡¯t think much of your taste in ¡®decorations¡¯, by the way. I mean Liv¡¯Kungsadu? Really?¡± she asked. ¡°What? He¡¯s a pretty one,¡± Coraloa said dismissively. "We understand each other, and our goals align. A mutually beneficial partnership, both personally and professionally. He said he believes in creating a better life for everyone in this Tower, especially NPCs.¡± She gave Synn a sad look. ¡°Ever since word got out that I might be the next Guardian Knight, I''ve had people try to suck up to me. I have a whole world looking to me for salvation. Everything in my life holds too much weight. It''s nice to have a friend with whom I can spend time and have it not mean anything." Synn supposed she could see the appeal of a meaningless relationship, but not for her. Even though she didn''t remember everything, she knew she''d experienced something real that filled her heart. She may not remember but she knew that when she lost it, when she lost him, she lost a part of herself and Ascended. She ended up betraying her master and dooming her people to die from being overwhelmed by corruption without a god to protect them. Right now, she had to focus on earning karma and gaining The Nine-Tailed Fox''s forgiveness or repaying the people whose lives she had destroyed by dying to save others.. "He''s from the Veskka Nest, Cora. Their queen thinks what''s best for everyone is to be suppressed under her talons," Synn said in exasperation. So many mortals had fallen to that Nest, and she was not about to trust Liv''Kungsadu just because he claimed to be different. "If it weren''t for the Seraphim Intergalactic War Council banding together to strip her of her colonies all those years ago, who knows how many more people would be suffering right now?" "I know you''ve seen the horrors of the Veskka Nest¡¯s expansion across multiple worlds, but they¡¯ve fallen hard. They are just a mere shadow of what they used to be,¡± Coraloa said. ¡°Someone needs to fight for the weak people, and Liv''s willing to do that with the power and influence he has. When the Menika Shin Guild asked us to join them, he didn¡¯t hesitate to say no. He called them out for their nonchalance and negligence of their territories. I admire someone who understands that the role of the strong is to protect the weak. It''s unfair for you to judge him for the sins of his queen.¡± "I know, but Cora, he''s half-dragonkin. I''m not being kinintolerant when I say this but that blood compels you to follow your Obsession to the end. Nobody knows what his Obsession is," Synn said. "I already have too much red in my karma, I don''t need to be associating with people who can make it worse. How can I hope to find redemption if I keep making the same mistakes?" "I don¡¯t understand how you can say that when you¡¯re the one who¡¯s joining his guild! What''s your excuse? I thought you didn''t want to make lasting ties," Coraloa said, looking up at her. "Why are you joining his guild?" Wasn¡¯t that a question? Synn pondered her answer carefully. ¡°When I came here, I wanted to keep to myself, but then I met you, Khaya, Undkese, Langa... and I wanted something more,¡± she said. Having friends made her want to live and that was dangerous. ¡°You all have something that I want. Khaya is selfish like me, but she''s not greedy, and she will do anything for her brother. Undkese is passionate about what he aspires to do. He doesn''t stop until he has it and single-mindedly chases adventure. You are good, Cora. You inspire me to be a better person, even though sometimes I think it''s exhausting for you to be as virtuous as you are. Langa has a very soft heart. If he sees someone suffering, he will complain the entire time, but he will help them.¡± Synn looked to the ceiling. ¡°I joined them because I want a different ending this time. I am worried that maybe this time instead of not doing enough, I¡¯ll end up doing too much. They have good intentions, and I need to have good intentions to raise my alignment." ¡°Action matters more than intent to me,¡± Coraloa said honestly. "No matter how good your intentions are, if you do something awful, I won¡¯t stand for it," she said and stopped. "The pipe ends here." The pipe led them to another massive room with a set of doors, this time leading out of the ruins. The doors were sealed shut, meaning they would have to use magic to break through them. "Should I ice the door?" Coraloa asked. "It looks strong but I''m pretty sure my Sonic Blast can shatter it." Checking the location against the map, Synn saw that it led in the direction of the boss'' lair. "Wait, the boss'' guards might be lurking around. It''s best not to make unnecessary noise." The distant sound of rushing water caught their attention, so they pushed past the rusted door and walked outside, weapons raised in case there was something hostile there. The corrupted water from the plant flowed into a murky swamp. Synn glanced towards the far end of the chamber, where a series of broken pipes lined the walls. As they approached the source of the sound, they discovered an opening in the wall, partially hidden behind a tangled mass of vines and debris. Peering through the gap, Synn was surprised to see a large underground river. The water flowed calmly, frothing at the surface as it rushed over the fallen debris of the ruins. The water fed into the roots of a massive, corrupted tree that stood just outside the ruins in the centre of the swamp. Its bark was blackened, and its branches were torn up thanks to the corruption. Strange-looking purple fruits hung from the branches, their surfaces brimming with sickly lucents. Since the roots of the tree were deep underground, water flowed from both the water plant and the hill further up ahead. The water from the hill pooled around the tree and was covered in a thick, oily sludge. "According to the map, that hill leads to the source of the corruption," Synn said, guessing that meant the boss'' lair was up there. The location was a problem because it meant the boss would be able to see them coming. "That tree, though, I''ve never seen anything like it before." The tree branches were also corroded when in contact with the corrupted water. Coraloa nodded, as Synn reached out to touch one of the fruits, but quickly pulled her hand back as a jolt of dark energy rippled through her and a snakeman jumped out of the sludgy swamp water. The snakeman¡¯s body was covered in thorny vines and it carried a rusted halberd oozing with black sap. "Protect...must...home," the snakeman said, swinging the halberd, targeting Synn. . There were a few more snakemen, a all mindlessly protecting the tree. Coraloa played her Siyotanka, and the snakeman was paralysed, and stopped moving for a moment, giving Synn time to cast Flame Spikes to attack both it and its companions. She hated fighting against corrupted creatures because she couldn''t help but wonder if that was how her people suffered when she''d been trapped in the Void. The battle was quick because Synn and Coraloa fought with the intent to put the creatures out of their misery. Synn''s flames tore through the corrupted snakemen, and they fell one by one into the oily sludge that surrounded the massive tree. Synn took a moment to catch her breath and, once she surbveyed the area and was satisfied that they were temporarily safe, she looked up at the hill. Far above, at the top of the hill, she could see the source of the contamination. It was a dam whose stone wall was partially broken and overtaken by vines. It seemed to have been the main source of water for the kingdom, and where Funduvus the cleaver had made her base. The dam had mostly dried out seeing as how little water flowed down the hill but it was responsible for this whole domain being a swamp full of small pools. She could see the silhouettes of creatures patrolling the paths near the dam wall. "We can''t just charge up there," Coraloa said. "No," Synn agreed as she scanned the hillside. She glanced towards the swamp bushes to the east, thinking they could be thick enough to give them cover. "We need to go around." Coraloa followed her gaze and sighed. "I don¡¯t have a perception skill, but I can practically feel that it¡¯s a breeding ground for mosquitoes. But better than getting shot full of arrows from those guards, I guess." They came to a stop at the edge of the treeline, where the hill began to slope steeply upward towards the dam. Between them and their goal stood a narrow ledge, barely wide enough to navigate without slipping. To one side, the hill dropped off into a ravine, while on the other, an intact section of the dam wall rose high, blocking their path, but also blocking them from view. Synn counted the number of king larvae standing at the entrance of the old dam. "If we can get to the wall there, I can use my Vibration Wave to propel us over the larvae¡¯s heads," Coraloa whispered, pointing to a series of vines clinging to the rock wall. Synn agreed, already calculating the climb in her mind. They could probably take out the larvae quickly and get to the boss before she had time to prepare for them. Hopefully, she didn¡¯t have too many elite guards with her. They quietly made their way back to the ruins until they stood in front of the massive tree. She knew they couldn¡¯t let this corruption spread any further, as she sensed the high concentration of lucents within the fruits. "We need to find a way to cleanse this tree so we can use the fruits," she said. Coraloa nodded, her gaze fixed on the strange fruits. "I agree. It breaks my heart that even after their deaths, these snakemen are still trying to protect their world. We need to give them peace." Synn tried to think of possible solutions. She knew how passionate Coraloa was when she believed something was unjust, and would do anything in her power to correct it. She, on the other hand, was sure that setting the snakemen free from corruption would help raise her alignment a little bit more. "Can you read Adderion? That water purification book may have a few things here that can help," Coraloa said, pulling out a book from her bag. "My Adderion is awful." Synn supposed she would know more about water purification rituals, so she took the book and flipped through its pages. She could decipher the words enough to understand the basic principles of the purification described within. She hated that she knew this language but didn''t remember when or where she''d learnt it. The two of them pored over the book for a bit, until Coraloa found what she was looking for. Coraloa knelt beside her, her keen eyes scanning the pages. "I think this one should work since it doesn''t require much material. I have the enchanted sea shells that we use in purification rituals to turn seawater into drinkable water back home," she said, pointing to a specific passage. "I might be able to adapt one of them to cleanse the tree using Fulimi and The Unrivalled''s Blessing." Synn studied the passage, working to translate the steps. Once the sea shells were laid, and the runic circle drawn according to the snakemen''s notes, Coraloa poured one of the potions they''d found into the water and began the chant. She focused on her magic, channelling it through the trident into the tree. She picked up a fallen piece of bark and raised her left hand, infusing mana into the coiled bracelet she wore, activating her Spiritual Link. Fulimi the chameleon came alive. The chameleon spit out a small wave of blue water, and the blue waves and frost intertwined, wrapping around the trunk and branches as she muttered an incantation, a prayer to Aquarius as she invoked the Blessing of The Unrivalled. Golden light surrounded the mermaid as Synn watched. She was getting closer to unlocking the Higher Blessing, it seemed she''d learnt something from combining her Blessing with Liv''Kungsadu''s holy aura. The tree shuddered, its bark absorbing the magic. The corrupted fruits thrummed more intensely as if reacting to the power of the ritual. The sickly pallour of the fruits, was replaced by a blue light. The oily sludge that covered the ground slowly began to recede, the dark water clearing up. Coraloa plopped down on the ground and took a mana potion as Synn watched some light return to the tree. She was itching to examine them now and see if she could make some juices with extra effects for the party before the battle. "Oh, Liv sent a message in the party menu," Coraloa said. "They''re done with the Trial. I guess all that''s left now is the boss." 74. Special Gate: The Floor Boss: Funduvus the Cleaver (1) ¡°How did it go?¡± Coraloa asked Liv as soon as he and Langa found the girls waiting by a large tree with a clear pond of water. This was the first source of fresh water Langa had come across in this entire Gate. "Surprisingly well," Liv told her with a smile. "We got the token, so now all we need to do is defeat the boss and go home. I see you cleared some of the corruption in this place by yourself; impressive.¡± ¡°I could only clear the area around the tree,¡± she said. ¡°I''m getting closer to fully utilising my Higher Blessing; I can feel it. We found a way to sneak up the hill to the boss'' lair.¡± "Did you guys get all the loot in this place?" Langa asked. ¡°We sure did. I guess the question is if you two are up for the fight now, or if you think we should rest and do it tomorrow?¡± Synn asked. After all that emotional shit, Langa was desperate to lose his mind in speed. He didn''t want to be alone with his thoughts right now. ¡°Has anyone ever actually cleared the 1st Floor Gate in two days on the first clear?¡± he asked. ¡°Let''s do this; we might earn a Rare Achievement.¡± ¡°Nuh, it''s probably an Uncommon Achievement at best,¡± Liv said. ¡°None of us has used our attributes or divine skills today, so we''re all at two or three. As I said before, let''s clear the Gate before the 52-hour experience bonus runs out. The Sun God will have to give us double Experience for the quest in that case.¡± They rested for a bit, and Liv informed the girls that the Gate might be impossible to clear, but they didn¡¯t seem too worried. Synn crashed the fruits from the tree using the Portable Cooking Kit she''d received from the Guardians to mix them with her fermented juice. There were a few failures, and Langa got bored watching her and focused on checking if his Electrospark Colloid bombs were still stable. Once she was done, they began going towards the hill using the path Synn and Coraloa found. The two king larvae guards weren¡¯t looking in their direction, but that wouldn¡¯t last long. ¡°There are, I think, three stronger guards up there. I can sneak up on them, but there¡¯s no way you guys can reach the others without being seen,¡± Langa whispered, using his Avatar title. ¡°Alright, go,¡± Liv said. ¡°If you can take out at least one of them, that''s great. We¡¯ll get the jump on the king larvae and then come join you." "Here, Langa." Synn handed a flask of blue fruit juice and another clear juice as well. "I was only able to make two of this type; it will give you +1 Agility for 60 seconds. It''s not much, but use it if you need it." "Thanks," he said, downing the blue juice and pocketing the clear one. [You have drunk SynnForessa''s Foxy Purbla/Plum Juice (1) +1 VIT for 2 minutes, +1% Poison Resistance for 60 seconds Cool-down: 2 hours] [You are in Player Liv''Kungsadu''s party. +10% extra damage to critical hits.] Langa activated Distortion, going invisible. The inside of the dam was a muddy mess with scattered ponds around it. Pink mist was emitted from the pools, making it hard to see. The only patch of dry ground was next to a guarded coccoon up ahead. The guards were giant humanoid black beetles whose bodies were covered in a black carapace. Using The Eye of Nahuke, Langa noticed a gap in the carapace, so he had to aim for that accurately. Pupa Guard Level 12 HP: 2100/2100 Using Jumper, he landed on the narrow ledge just above the guards, holding Tonare in its short sword form, and leapt down silently, landing behind the first pupa. The lightning-infused blade slashed it across the throat, and it fell down into the bog. Thanks to a successful sneak attack, it was a critical hit and an instant kill. [WARNING! YOU HAVE ENTERED THE CORRUPTED ZONE: FUNDUVUS¡¯ BOG!] The others¡¯ killing of the larvae as well as the sneak attack on the pupa alerted the rest of the pupae guards to the party¡¯s presence. Langa sensed that there were five more of them, but the pink mist in the area suddenly darkened, hiding the pupae from sight. Langa felt his teammates arrive behind him. ¡°Hello, mortals,¡± an echo of high-pitched pupae voices said. ¡°Mother expected you on the morrow, but it seems King Maetrolugy was right. You are a special lot.¡± Langa frowned, getting an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Why would the Floor Overlord inform the boss that they were coming? "Show yourselves!" Coraloa said. "You have to answer for the corruption you spread in this world." "We spread? Mother was merely banished here when this world''s Void Erupted because of corruption," the pupae said, sounding offended. ¡°We helped Mother seal this world away, saving it from being destroyed by corruption.¡± Langa resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "You can''t actually believe that," Coraloa said angrily. "Yes? Would you be so kind as to give Mother a few minutes to finish the incubation?" the voices asked. "You are agents of order, are you not? Let her finish growing her power so we can have a stimulating battle." "Like hell, we will," Liv said. "Positions." Even though the fog made it hard to see, the group took their positions. Liv in front, Langa behind him, with Synn and Coraloa at the back. Light from Liv¡¯s aura cut through the fog and Langa held out his hand, pointing when his title caught the massive breath of a powerful creature. Behind the pupae was a massive, cocoon-like cylinder with pipes leading down onto dry ground like tree roots, and inside it, in a pink mist, was the breath of what Langa assumed to be the boss. Five humanoid swamp beetles like the one Langa killed were guarding the throne inside the cylinder. Liv whispered, "We can''t waste time taking out the guards. They¡¯re regular corrupted monsters, not maestrils. Langa, you and SynnForessa take the two on the right; there is no need to pull your punches. Coraloa, you''re with me. We''ll take the ones on the left. You bind them; I cook them. Let¡¯s interrupt the boss'' incubation. Understood?" Liv had put away his shield, which meant he was abandoning his role as a tank for a bit to focus on close combat. Langa grinned. ¡°You got it, boss. Synn, shall we?¡± Synn nodded, already starting to mutter an incantation. "Ready when you are." She activated her Fire Ring and unleashed her rare artefact of a whip, setting it on fire. Langa swept Tonare at both pupae''s feet, drawing their attention and forcing them to focus on him. One pupa swung its club, but Langa was too quick, dodging the blow and striking the back of its head with the glaive, then pivoting on his left leg to stab the second before it could react, leaving a deep gash under its abdomen. Synn blasted the open wounds with Flame Spikes, further damaging the monsters. The blow that finally took them out, though, was the bleeding effect from her whip lashing deep into the wounds with the extra damage leading to a critical hit. Langa could hear the sound of Coraloa''s soothing flute, her song paralysing the beetles for an instant. She focused her ice bullets on one pupa and activated Sonic Blast while Liv ran towards the other two, his sword glowing with solar aura as he slashed at the pupa¡¯s legs, forcing it to stagger. Liv''s solar aura-filled foot slammed into the other dazed one''s head, cracking its shell and killing it in one blow. As soon as the last pupa fell, the large cylinder opened up, and the maestril sat inside the cocoon made of corrupted dead branches that were held together by the maladic substance from the eggs. Funduvus was a large humanoid creature with the head of a massive mosquito, two sets of antennae, and two pairs of compound eyes that focused on the players who had just defeated her guards. The rest of her body was mostly made of exoskeleton. Inside the cylinder, she was surrounded by a large mass of glowing eggs, that could probably explode like the ones the mini-boss had. Langa could see why she was called The Cleaver. Her arms were an improved version of the maestril miniboss they''d fought. The left was extended into two sharp pincers, and the right was a long blade that narrowed into a needle tip at the end. Her proboscis was long and sharp, clearly designed for piercing damage. Funduvus The Cleaver ( Maestril Gatekeeper) Level 14 HP: 10 850/10 850 Karma: 10 750 Wasn''t she supposed to be level 13? And what was up with that astounding amount of health? Well, it looked like the real battle was about to begin. "What a fascinating party,¡± Funduvus whispered. ¡°A demigod that smells deliciously of uncontrolled karma, a fallen star destroyed by the Behemoth, one who stinks of the Blessing of The Venerable One¡¯s foe and the bonded of the deserter, who carries the persistent seraphim''s desired item.¡± A blazing red Incinerating fireball shot through the air, crashing into the cocoon but Funduvus unfurled her wings and flew into the air before landing right in front of the players. Synn didn¡¯t seem inclined to let the boss finish her speech. ¡°Rude. Would you be so kind as to offer your blood as nourishment for my babies?¡± Funduvus asked. ¡°You have killed their siblings, the larvae and the pupae, so the eggs are rightfully upset to be born with nothing to feed on.¡± ¡°No, thanks,¡± Liv said, casually stepping forward, shielding Langa enough for him to activate Distortion and go invisible. They needed to test her defences before wasting their more powerful skills. He dashed to Funduvus¡¯ side for his first strike using the extra speed for more attack power, and stabbed Tonare into her thorax, expecting to draw some blood, but the glaive slid off her without harm. [Physical Body Resistance on target = 100%] ¡°Shit! She''s resistant to physical attacks!¡± Langa yelled. This was a problem because it meant that he and Liv would only be half as effective against her. He would have to infuse his lightning mana into every attack and Liv would have to use his aura for every blow. Funduvus spun, her massive pincers in Langa''s direction, and he arched back as far as he could, narrowly dodging her attack, the pincers striking the ground and sending shards of the dam¡¯s stone flying into the air. The pincers could easily cut through his armour if they made contact. Liv filled his sword with solar aura and, with one hand on his shield, activated Charging Ray Burst, taunting her to focus on him as he struck it into her abdomen. Funduvus¡¯ blade arm clanged against Liv¡¯s shield, the force of the blow pushing him back. She reared back to strike again as Liv struggled to find his footing, but Coraloa shouted an incantation and blasted a Vibration Wave from her trident. The shockwave shook the ground, pushing Funduvus back slightly and causing the boss to lose her balance. Taking advantage of this, a mass of black necrotic Flame Spikes from Synn slammed into her exoskeleton, burning her up and filling the air with the scent of burning and decaying meat. Langa changed his grip so that he was holding Tonare in both hands, closer to the end of the shaft, and took a step forward with his left foot, using The Legacy¡¯s Second Step, before pushing the glaive deep into the burning leg bone of the boss and infusing as much lightning as he could into it. He was following the strategy the four of them had come up with. Langa would deal massive damage and Coraloa would cover him until he was invisible again, while Synn hurled endless fire into the wounds Langa left on the boss, and Liv held the aggro as much as possible until they got her health low enough to use divine skills consecutively. ¡°Why did you destroy this land so much?¡± Coraloa asked. ¡°I know plenty of worlds where a Void Eruption wasn''t the end, especially a small world like this. The Void could have existed in balance with the world.¡± Funduvus laughed. ¡°Spoken like a true dog of the detestable one who claims to have no rival,¡± she said. ¡°I was cast away with nothing. I had to feed on the blood and karma of mortals. I prevented corruption from leaking to the surrounding world. All for the glory of The Dark Void.¡± "He cast you out, yet you still worship him?" Langa asked, using Jumper to leap into the air as he aimed for her wings, hoping to bring her down, but flying, Funduvus was faster. She spun in midair, her pincers clashing against his glaive, and knocked Tonare aside. ¡°Enough!¡± the boss screamed. "Cleaving Fissure!" The mana in the air trembled, her karma rapidly falling. Instead of using karma to augment her health, she was using it to bolster her skills. ¡°Take cover!¡± Liv shouted, planting his shield on the ground like a wall and activating Solar Shield. Synn and Coraloa immediately hid behind it. Langa was a bit far from him since he¡¯d been trying to sneak up on the boss in his invisible state. There was nowhere to take cover since they were inside an old dam, except for the cocoon, but that was filled with explosive eggs. After stabbing the ground with her pincers, fissures appeared on it. Massive metallic blades rose out from the ground, dripping with maladic fluid, forcing Langa to Flash Step away from her frantically to avoid the massive area-of-effect damage. Liv managed to shield the others from some of the cleaving blades, but even from his distance, Langa took a heavy hit with Flash Step on cooldown. He screamed as the poisonous blade tore into his foot, cutting through bone and cleaving right into his leg. Blood poured out of him, and he fell to the ground, losing his balance. His whole body would have fallen on top of the blades if not for Synn¡¯s Slumbering Smoke skill that slowed his momentum. Synn''s whip wrapped around him and carried his broken body behind the shield, as he couldn''t think straight with all the blood loss. His mouth was forced open, and liquid was poured into it. Warmth flowed into his bleeding leg, and something was applied to it too. When he came to, Synn was pouring Flame Spike after Flame Spike at the boss, who had eggshells as armour wrapped around herself, and Liv was now using his sword, glowing red with demonic aura to break the massive cleavers, while Synn used Slumbering Smoke and hurled an incineration fireball at Funduvus. Coraloa had just finished feeding Langa another uncommon health potion. ¡°Are you okay? Can you move your leg?¡± she asked. He tried to move, but his leg screamed in pain, and he grunted. ¡°Fuck!¡± ¡°Sorry, Liv¡¯s healing skill is still Beginner. I''m glad the health potions helped,¡± she said, standing up. ¡°If I¡¯d activated Acoustic Impedance on time, I could have prevented her from using that skill.¡± ¡°She caught us all off guard,¡± Langa said. Except Liv. He''d activated his Solar Shield in time to protect the other three. It took Liv¡¯s healing, two uncommon health potions, and his Regeneration Skill to heal him. Langa stood back up. Without warning, Funduvus launched herself into the air, her wings buzzing furiously. "You killed my poor babies,¡± she said, looking at the dead pupae on the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother will give you a second chance.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. She raised her hands, and the glowing eggs from her cocoon flew towards the party. Instead of an egg explosion, however, the eggs wrapped themselves around the bodies of the fallen pupae like armour, and they stood back up. A Yolk core glowed inside the creatures, now egg golems. A chorus of ¡°Thank you, Mother.¡± rang through the chamber from the golems. She created another mass of larger golems from the eggs, and all but one of them stood motionless behind her cocoon. The moving one''s abdomen swelled, and the egg golem released a shower of eggs from its body towards the group. The eggs exploded on impact, releasing a swarm of diseased mosquitoes that immediately started flying towards them. Synn sprayed a mist and unleashed a wave of two Incinerates that burnt through most of the swarm. However, she couldn''t get them all, and a few of the pests managed to latch onto Coraloa, biting through her cloth armour and injecting their venom into her arm. Red, angry welts immediately began to spread across her skin, and she downed a health potion. Langa threw a Lucent Powder bomb at Funduvus, but she dodged it with ease, her movements quick. ¡°Get rid of the golems; I''ll hold her off as much as I can before that cleaving skill is off cooldown!¡± Liv shouted, his shield glowing with solar aura as he rushed at Funduvus. Coraloa summoned a mud crab to join him, assisting in holding the maestril back. An egg golem charged at Synn. Its glowing shells vibrated against her Fire Ring, starting to burn up. She activated Slumbering Smoke, slowing it down before reaching inside it with her burning hand and pulling out a glowing yellow Yolk core. The golem fell lifeless to the ground. ¡°Baby!¡± Funduvus said, hurling two massive orbs of green liquid at Synn, but they clashed against Liv¡¯s shield, the maladic fluid dripping down it as he skilfully defended against the attack. While Synn peppered another golem with small Flame Spikes, Langa crept behind the second golem silently in his invisible state, then he infused mana into Tonare and stabbed into its shoulder egg, the lightning momentarily stunning it. He whirled around and kicked it on the side, knocking it into the one Synn was fighting, and she activated a chain of Flame Spikes on the egg golem, burning both it and its injured companion. Langa lunged with his spear just as the egg golem recovered and thrust the tip of his spear through its mandibles as Nahuke¡¯s Left Eye pointed that out as the weakest point. In doing so, the golem jumped back, arms flailing, exposing a small gap where the egg connected to the dead beetle, and he thrust his spear into the narrow gap with the Yolk core. Coraloa easily paralysed two more of the egg golems, preventing them from using their blasts, giving Langa time to throw a lightning-infused dagger that struck the Yolk core of the golem, instantly killing it before it could turn around, while Synn severed the other¡¯s Yolk core with her burning, necrotic whip. The last two ran and hid behind Funduvus with the remaining larger egg golem. Coraloa called her mud crab to her and went straight for the remaining golems, freeing the other three up to gang up on the boss. She had the highest poison resistance in the group, so when the golems poured out toxic sludge at her, she was able to deflect it with her sonic Vibration Wave. The mud crab acted as a defender, giving her ample time to fire a series of ice bullets at one of the golems'' glowing Yolk core and joints, causing it to stop moving. She kept it frozen and didn''t blow it up because that would be problematic for the others. The strategy Liv and Synn had proposed for the usage of divine skills was simple. Langa was to first use his divine skill to get her to 60% health or lower, then Synn would use hers to get her to below 50% health. This was so they wouldn''t waste them while the boss used karma to heal herself. Langa used Liberty''s tattoo and concentrated on his Faith to activate Lightning Lance. Instead of making it target Funduvus, he held the unstable spear in his hands and activated his attribute. Time slowed down as he stacked Flash Step, Lightning Lance and his attribute into one attack, hoping the 100% extra lightning damage would deal a critical. [Critical Hit! Funduvus The Cleaver -965 HP Bonus Lightning discipline damage: -965 HP +Extra Critical damage -96.5 HP] "NO!" Funduvus screamed, and three more egg golems formed from the broken eggs on the ground, and she absorbed them like armour to heal herself. While her healing the damage sucked, it reduced her karma to less than 5000, and her HP didn''t regenerate to full either. She was at 65% health now. ¡°I won this world through shedding the blood of the previous owners. You are the invaders in my chaotic domain," she screamed. ¡°I have to protect my home. Every time I wipe out a party of players, The Venerable One reduces my sentence, and if I can absorb enough karma, I will be allowed to return to the void.¡± "How in The Unrivalled''s Tower is this your world? You destroyed it!" Coraloa said and hastily began playing a paralysis tune to stop the golem from releasing more eggs. ¡°Strange, is it not?¡± Funduvus asked. ¡°That you would fight for a dead world.¡± ¡°It''s called having empathy or having lived through the surge of corruption,¡± Synn shouted. ¡°You and your oh-so-venerable Chaos are opportunistic!¡± Funduvus¡¯ karma pressure increased. ¡°Blasphemy!¡± she cried. ¡°Do not utter The Venerable One¡¯s Name, filthy mortal!¡± Funduvus swooped down again, her leg extending like a spear. She jabbed it at Synn, but Liv efficiently raised his shield in time so that the leg clanged against the metal. Before he could redirect the blow, Funduvus flew in the air, her needle-like arm slipping past his guard and piercing his shoulder. "Argh!" Liv grunted in pain. ¡°For The Sun God¡¯s sake, SynnForessa, can you please stop taunting the boss when you¡¯re so squishy!¡± he shouted, activating Charging Ray Burst again to redirect Funduvus'' attention. The remaining egg golem''s Yolk core glowed. "Guys, I can''t hold this any more," Coraloa said as the egg golem began to glow, similar to the eggs they had faced back in the tunnel. It was preparing to explode and release more mosquitoes. ¡°Synn, if the egg golem explosion were made of fire, how much could you absorb and reflect?¡± Langa asked. She frowned. ¡°I''m not sure. With the mana I have now, I can probably do 50 to 80%, but that means losing that much mana too.¡± ¡°Okay. Liv, I have a plan. Can I try it?¡± he asked. ¡°You have a plan?¡± Liv asked. The fact that he wasn''t even mocking him but was actually surprised made it worse. ¡°Sure, let''s hear it.¡± ¡°Coraloa, can you switch with Synn while she takes a mana potion?¡± Langa asked. ¡°I''ll deal the damage. Once the explosion is up, we can reflect it.¡± They did as he asked, and he threw one Electrospark Colloid and three flask of Kiribo¡¯s Sweat at the egg golem, then he threw an exploding fire orb into it. ¡°Baby, Wait!¡± Funduvus said, but it was too late; the golem had already begun to flame on and charge up. The heat inside its Yolk core ignited the colloidal lightning, and the resulting explosion with the colloidal fire bomb tore through the air. ¡°73%,¡± Synn muttered, and then multiple mouths appeared on her body as she stepped into the explosion. The Reflected Golem explosion tore into Funduvus, and even with her eggshell armour, she got hit hard. Coraloa, playing her Siren''s Song caused Funduvus to be disoriented for a second and fired a series of ice bullets to slow her movements. The bullets enclosed parts of her wings and legs in ice. But Funduvus, with her enhanced flexibility, shattered the ice with a powerful beat of her wings, sending shards flying in all directions before Coraloa could make them explode. "Cleaving-" Funduvus started, pincers stabbing into the ground to activate her cleave again, but Coraloa ran forward, raised her hands to her mouth, and began a high-pitched whistle that filled the whole area until it was the only sound in the battlefield. This was Acoustic Impedance, meant to interrupt spells and incantations by stealing all the sound in the area. Funduvus opened her mouth, but nothing came; her spell was interrupted, leading to a backlash that had her staggering back. Now was the time for the second phase of the team''s strategy. "Kelpercutieyin! Meteor Strike!" Langa hurriedly Flash Stepped back as Synn''s meteor came down, and she downed a mana potion. The boss couldn''t move as Paralysis kept her still. Another egg golem scattered into eggshells and surrounded her to reinforce her egg shield. The flaming rock crashed into the maestril, sending shards of eggs flying everywhere, the impact shaking the ground as it tore through the eggshells. "Filthy players!" Funduvus screamed as the dust settled. Her arm was missing, and she was bleeding from the shoulder down and limping badly as she tried to use her karma to heal herself again. Liv didn''t give her a moment to gather herself, activating Charging Ray Burst and charging right for her, but she flew up with her one wing. ¡°Liv''Kungsadu, the Sear¡¯s marked her. Aim for her wings! I¡¯ll slow her; we need her on the ground!¡± Synn activated Slumbering Smoke, the skill slowing the boss¡¯ movements, and Liv threw his aura-filled sword, striking Funduvus¡¯s wing joint. The moment it broke, ice bullets embedded themselves into the joint, causing Funduvus to falter in the air. Coraloa blew on the Siyotanka, the sound waves exploding the ice. Funduvus landed hard on the ground, using up over 50% of her karma to heal herself. Watching how seamlessly they worked, Langa felt adrenaline rush into him, setting his heart ablaze. ¡°In the Path of Lightning, the mind must be calm and controlled, but the heart must be blazing,¡± he muttered to himself. Coraloa activated her Vibration Wave, propelling herself forward and landing on the boss¡¯ left side so that she and Liv flanked her. Funduvus whirled around, turning her back to Langa so she could keep both Liv and Coraloa in her sights. This was a mistake on her part, as now that she wasn''t looking at Langa, he could activate Distortion again and go invisible. Coraloa acted as a screen, and while Funduvus was distracted, Langa gathered Liv¡¯s excess mana, combined it with his own, and concentrated on his Faith and magic circle, activating Lightning Lance. By the time Funduvus looked up, Langa was holding the volatile Lance in his hand, and, thanks to the adrenaline of the fight, Langa was already overworking his heart and used his attribute to slow down time, hacking away at the weak spots of the eggshell armour before driving the Lance straight into her chest. When time finally righted itself, he tumbled helplessly onto the ground, his stamina gone and her health down to 35%. Funduvus thrashed on the ground, but before she could recover, another meteor came down for her. An egg golem sacrificed itself, standing in front of her to slow down the attack. It did help the boss as she absorbed its karma, and then she converted the last of her total karma into health and armour. Still, the force of the divine skills forced her to rear back, and a blast of green goo energy soared towards them, covering the area in maladic fluid. "Blood Syphon!" she said, her proboscis extending, and she lashed out with her one arm, the needle nearly latching onto Langa''s arm as he ate a stamina pill. "Rippling Body of Aquarius!" Coraloa shouted, and Langa was suddenly drenched in water as Funduvus'' Blood Syphon struck Coraloa in her divine water spirit form, and she took no damage. Liv taunted with Charging Ray Blast again, released his overwhelming karma pressure, and grabbed the maestril''s attention, baiting her with his karma. ¡°Give me your karma so I can heal myself, demigod!¡± she said, charging towards Liv. The mellow sound of Paralysis floated through the air, but it only caught Funduvus for one second. Synn didn''t waste this opportunity, channelling diseased fire through her whip and wrapping it around Funduvus¡¯ legs so that even when she shook off paralysis, she stumbled unsteadily. Synn managed to send out two consecutive Incinerate fireballs that struck right under Funduvus¡¯ pincers. Synn let loose Swaran Grease to exacerbate the fire. She was spotting two flaming tails that seemed to increase the intensity of her spells. Her incinerating fireballs were larger and burnt purple, as did her Flame Spikes, dealing more damage. Liv, as always, was amazing during the fight. Because every time Funduvus activated an egg explosion, a fissure, or a swarm to distract the crew so she could attack and kill them while they were swarmed, he alone stopped her. He alone defended against every attack, his endurance terrifying as he tanked blows that would have taken out the other three combined instantly, giving them time to recover. Meanwhile, Langa was lurking behind her, waiting. Langa wasn''t an experienced fighter, and his Left Eye was bleeding tears of blood as he consumed his stamina to use Nahuke¡¯s skill. In the first place, this skill was flawed because it was created by someone who''d been battling demons for a long time and knew their patterns. When facing a new kind of monster, it was not easy to predict its movements without experience. This was how he used his Eye. He studied his teammates and predicted them. He attuned himself to every single one of their breaths. He could tell from Liv¡¯s stance and the subtle movements of his muscles that he was going to bash her with his shield. Langa darted in and hit her with a sneak attack that was in perfect sync with Liv¡¯s shield bash. ¡°I am losing?¡± Funduvus asked, her body in shreds and at 20% health. ¡°No! I would rather bow to the seraphim than disgrace The Dark Void!¡± she shouted. Her karma raised it back up to 30%. Langa''s Left Eye showed him a small area under her thorax that was still suffering from the burning plus bleeding effect of Synn¡¯s meteor. As soon as the rays from Liv''s Charging Ray Burst struck, he infused his lightning mana into the glaive and slashed right through that spot with Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike, cracking her eggshell armour and drawing blood. The moment he pulled out Tonare, a slew of ice bullets came flying into the wound, and he hastily Flash Stepped away from her as Coraloa made them explode from the inside. [Coordinated Effort! Critical Hit! Triple Critical Hit! Total: Funduvus The Cleaver -2934 HP] Langa frowned. What was Synn doing? She could have made that a quadruple critical. He shook his head as Funduvus commanded the egg golem to scatter, and the eggs formed a wall to protect her. Langa couldn¡¯t see what she was doing inside that cocoon, but if video games had taught him anything, it was that a boss monster buying time could only be readying an ultimate skill. He had to take her out now. She was less than 5% health, it was time to deliver the killing blow. Just as he started infusing mana into his magic circle to activate his final Lightning Lance, a whip snaked around his waist, catching him off guard as he was yanked away from the boss and thrown to the ground by Synn. ¡°What the fuc-¡± ¡°Yes! I almost didn''t make it! Why the hell are you so fast, and why did you stand so close to the boss?¡± Synn asked. A halo surrounded her head, counting down to 14 seconds as Coraloa crawled on the ground in mana exhaustion. "Liv''Kungsadu! Divine Shield! Now!¡± Synn shouted, and even though he had no idea what was going on, Liv activated the surrounding construct of his Solar Shield, and a golden glow surrounded the four of them. ¡°What happened?¡± Liv asked, handing Coraloa a mana potion, his eyes never leaving the boss. ¡°Her health is like 4% now! Langa would have killed her if you didn''t pull him out!¡± ¡°That would have killed him and lost us the battle,¡± Synn said as Coraloa struggled to stand, her body weak. She was pointing at the boss. "Any attack right now will backfire." The egg suddenly began shaking, and something enormous abruptly rose from inside it. A trio of massive cleaving blades surrounded by a green beam of maladic sludge rose out in all directions, stopped only by Liv¡¯s Solar Shield. Everything else was run through by the attack. Liv gritted his teeth and raised his arms, Langa seeing his mana sharply deteriorating on the ring as he continued to maintain the shield. "I don''t know why, but you told me to tell you to use your attribute on her," Synn said. Liv''s red eye glowed gold as he stared at the maestril, still maintaining the shield. ¡°What the hell? Seraphim can''t sponsor maestrils!¡± he said indignantly. ¡°They aren''t deities!¡± ¡°Actually, they can if they receive an Authority from a god,¡± Coraloa said through gritted teeth. ¡°But nobody really does that much because they can only offer Daeva contracts to sapients, and it means the seraphim''s soul will be indentured to the god whose Authority they used!¡± The exceedingly terrifying Cleaving Fissure finally stopped, and Funduvus re-emerged from the cocoon. She was still a humanoid insect; her body was no longer slender, but now she had a lionlike torso that was elongated and covered in exoskeleton and muscle. Her elongated proboscis was dripping with maladic sludge, and her eyes were unnatural and hypnotic. Two massive veined wings extended from her back, and Langa could almost taste the bloodlust filling the air. "I Invoke The Deathly Conch Ensnares all, for there are no holes to escape through," she said, voice hoarse. [You are under the Lesser Authority of The Demon King of The Thousand Undead Knights.] [WARNING! Maestril Funduvus the Cleaver: has been upgraded to Tier 2.] Daeva Funduvus (Maestril Gatekeeper) Level 20 Karma: 25 678 HP: 21 235/21 500 [WARNING! A System Violation has occurred! Please vacate the area immediately!] [All players within the Gate: Funduvus¡¯ Swamp are to be removed. Please Wait.] [System Administrator: Error! Players signed a Binding System Contract: There are only two ways to leave the Gate: Death or Killing the Gatekeeper.] ¡°So¡­we are screwed,¡± Synn said matter-of-factly. Coraloa didn¡¯t have to say anything. The disrespect to The Unrivalled¡¯s rules seemed to have left her speechless and furious. "Twenty-one fucking thousand HP?" Liv said in outrage. "25 000 karma?" The fact that Liv was cussing at all proved that the situation was dire. Langa seethed in anger. Even if he dialled up Liv''s mana to 100%, there was no way in hell they were beating this Daeva. Of course, the mastermind of this entire thing was Mictlantecuhtli. [The Unrivalled Tower Master warns the seraphim, King Maetrolugy, that he is not permitted to use the Lesser Authority of his non-patron deity inside the Tower] [The Onslaught of The Dark Void states that since Funduvus'' Swamp is a chaotic domain, it is a void territory outside the Tower and within his jurisdiction. Since the stars of Tlaloc have aligned, he allows the Lesser Authority until the last day of Huey Tozoztli.] [Multiple deities from far-reaching clans watch the unending battle between Chaos and Order with interest] [The Unrivalled Tower Master issues a Divine Judgement against King Maetrolugy. Once the Huey Tozoztli lapses, as long as he remains a seraphim, he will be stripped of his karma and he will be wiped from existence.] [Multiple deities wonder if the seraphim will be able to Ascend before the lapse of Huey Tozoztli or will be wiped from existence] [Mutiple constellations inform their seraphim to lurk outside of King Maetrolugy''s domain, ready to battle for his Stars should he be wiped from existence.] "You vultures preying on my downfall will taste my fury once I Ascend," Funduvus, no King Maetrolugy, said through her. ¡°Lay down your weapons, children; you cannot defeat my Daeva.¡± ¡°What business do you have with Mictantecuhtli? You¡¯re not bound to him,¡± Langa asked. "Langa Zulu. The Thousand Undead''s messenger directed me to you," the Daeva said. "He said I should tell you this: ''Power justifies all actions. For if you cannot protect the power you have, then you do not deserve to wield it.''." Langa knew that quote. It was Kindaro''s favourite line from The Relgte of The Thousand Undead. Shock filled him. Fi fucking Kindaro was screwing with him. He had laid a trap for him, and it worked. Langa swore he would make sure that bastard suffered when he killed him. ¡°You do not need to battle my Daeva,¡± King Maetrolugy said. ¡°If you give me what I want, I will let you go.¡± ¡°What could we possibly have that you, a seraphim, would risk losing the entirety of your karma that you''ve spent centuries gathering for?¡± Coraloa asked, perplexed. The Daeva looked at Langa''s chest, and everything fucking clicked. ¡°You want my Star Fragment," he said. ¡°Precisely,¡± King Maetrolugy said with a smile. Both Liv and Coraloa gaped at Langa. "You have a-" "Now''s not the time, guys," Synn said as eggshells started gathering below their feet. "You do not all have to die. I just want Langa Zulu," King Maetrolugy said. "The rest of you are free to leave once I lift the Authority." Langa frowned. "Synn, you should take his offer," he said, knowing that she was on her last life. "No," she said, shaking her head. "I gave you that Star Fragment. This is my fault. If I, once again, leave someone I care about to die, I couldn''t live with myself. I won''t do it again." "Coraloa-" "Don''t even think about it. This seraphim dares to ally with Lord Chaos and shirk The Unrivalled''s Rules. As a future Guardian Knight, I have to stand and fight for my master''s honour," Coraloa said. Langa sighed in resignation, and Liv raised his eyebrows. "Hey. How come you''re not asking me to give up?" he asked. That made Langa laugh bitterly. "Because you''d walk laughing, straight into hell with me, even if I begged you not to," he said, and Liv grinned. "So, you want to die together, then? They are all yours, Funduvus. Kill them and get me that Star Fragment," King Maetrolugy said, and the eyes returned to the compound colour of Funduvus''. "Fine by me," she said. "Divine Cleaving Fissure." 75. Special Gate: The Floor Boss: Funduvus the Cleaver (2) The Divine Cleaving Fissure was worse than before since Liv couldn''t recklessly waste the last use of his divine skill to protect the team. The floor erupted in a series of fissures, snakelike cleaving blades shooting up like living things. They dripped with maladic fluid and moved like a manticore''s tail, heading straight for the four Players. "Behind me, now!" Liv shouted, and everyone complied. "Demonic Aura Territory!" He said and slammed his Bloodserpent sword into the ground, creating cracks through which a blob of his red demonic aura rose and crept along the muddy ground. A circular barrier of demonic aura-reinforced earth rose to surround the four of them. Inside Liv''s ring, Langa saw the red water encircling the liva flower that represented Liv''s mana core with alarming speed. This wasn¡¯t good for Liv, but it held against the Cleaving Fissure. "How are we going to defeat her? There is no way for a mortal to defeat a Daeva. That''s the whole point of a Divine Wish, that you are assured a win at the cost of your soul!" Coraloa said. "For a deity''s Daeva sure, but a seraphim''s weaker. And you''re wrong. There is a way to defeat a Daeva, and that''s with your own Descent," Synn corrected her. [Multiple deities watch the proceedings with fascination and are prepared to offer Daeva contracts to any of your party members who would denounce their current deities.] Coraloa glared at Synn. "I hope you''re not suggesting that one of us offer up our souls and accept a god''s Descent, because I would rather die. At least that way, The System will punish King Maetrolugy for bending the rules, but only after we''re out of the Authority." "I was just pointing out your error," Synn mumbled. Langa knew a way for them to get a Descent without anyone but him sacrificing anything. He didn¡¯t know if he could give up control like that, though. "If I die, he''ll get the Star Fragment he needs and Ascend. The punishment for a constellation won''t be the same as for a seraphim," he said instead. "He''ll get away with a slap on the wrist." "Coraloa¡¯s right," Liv said, breathing hard. Langa could see he¡¯d activated his Scale Armour under the heavy plate he wore to protect himself from his demonic aura. "The Gate is locked and the only way out is for me to die and forfeit The Sun God¡¯s quest as soon as I respawn. If you can flee from her, you''ll still be alive by then." Liv was level 12, which meant it would take him 12 hours to respawn. Langa knew there was no way he, Synn, and Coraloa would survive for 12 hours hiding from the Daeva without Liv. Besides, this was Synn''s last life. He wasn''t going to let her die here. "Forget it," Coraloa said. "Maybe we can pull this off if we throw all our divine skills at her." Liv, Synn and Langa were left with only one use of their divine skills each, and Coraloa''s divine skill was for self-defence only. The cleaving blades slammed hard into the demonic aura barrier, and the more Liv sustained it, the more the red on the ring surrounded Liv''s mana core. Steaming sweat dripped through his scales as one blade pierced through the barrier, cracking it. Synn''s flaming whip snaked towards the crack and the black flames managed to melt the blade that broke through. Thankfully, the Divine Cleaving Fissure subsided after a few seconds, and Liv stumbled onto the ground, gasping as the demonic aura barrier broke into pieces. The floor of the dam was a mess of cracks and holes, and no level ground remained. "Close." Funduvus watched them, then looked down at her body in satisfaction. "Do you see me now, Players? The Venerable One is watching me," she said. "I know I can rejoin him in The Dark Void if I take your lives." Once the demonic aura barrier dissipated, Langa activated Distortion, going invisible, and Flash Stepped behind Funduvus. With his right foot, Langa executed the Legacy''s Fourth Step, transferring his weight to the left foot so that the added weight put more strength into Tonare, infused mana into the glaive, and slashed at her abdomen, hoping the extra damage from Flash Step and being invisible would help. The glaive didn''t even scratch the surface of her lion-like abdomen, and she grabbed Tonare by the shaft, her eyes finding Langa now that he was visible again. He wrenched Tonare away and fled back when her bladed arm tried to stab him. "The messenger told King Maetrolugy your weakness, you know," Funduvus said, her compound eyes glowing. "Bow down and give me the Star!" Langa''s mind went hazy as he felt compelled to follow the command. His Mental Resistance was in shambles, and all he had to hold onto was his Faith. He had promised Adtonifulmin that he wouldn''t bow to anyone but him. "No!" he screamed, his head on fire. Something was clawing against his mind. ¡°If you will not bow, then I will force you onto your knees,¡± Funduvus said, and then suddenly, from the eggs on the ground, large mosquitoes that reached Langa¡¯s legs erupted. He used Flash Step to get away, spinning Tonare around in a circle, using it as protection. He struck and stabbed, infusing it with lightning, but more and more mosquitoes swarmed him, overcrowding and suffocating him. He couldn''t breathe as they descended on him. Why wasn¡¯t Liv coming to draw the aggro? Suddenly a sweet song sounded in Langa¡¯s ears, and a jet of ice-cold water splashed against his face. Langa opened his eyes to find himself crouching on the ground, hands trembling and holding onto Tonare. Coraloa handed Synn her bracelet and said, ¡°You got it from here?¡± ¡°Yeah, go help him,¡± Synn said, gesturing to Liv, who struggled to hold his shield against the Daeva¡¯s unending poisonous, exploding egg attacks. ¡°What happened?¡± Langa asked, confused. ¡°Cora had to splash you to bring you out of the mental debuff. Wear this." She placed Coraloa''s bracelet on Langa¡¯s wrist. "It will cleanse you." ¡°Mental?¡± Langa asked. Sure enough, his status showed he''d just broken free of an illusory attack. Fuck. Those giant mosquitoes weren¡¯t real. Coraloa kept firing her ice bullets, but Funduvus kept flying higher, avoiding them and preventing Coraloa from using her Sonic Blast. ¡°Yeah, you just suddenly stopped moving. I don''t think she has good Mental Affinity, because she only targeted you with that skill,¡± Synn said. ¡°As long as Cora¡¯s here, her Siren¡¯s Song and Fulimi can help. You will be fine.¡± Langa clenched his fists, hatred burning in his heart. Fi Kindaro told the seraphim to use his mental weakness against him. Funduvus'' proboscis elongated and tried to latch onto Liv''s neck. Liv''s Bloodserpent sword grew teeth and cut through the air with a dark red demonic aura, aiming for the boss'' wings to hinder her mobility. ¡°We can''t win this without you. Can you fight?¡± Synn asked as she sent out a wave of black Flame Spikes that continued to eat at Funduvus¡¯ armour, their heat intensifying as she poured more of her magic into the attack. Liv''s Charging Ray Burst drew Funduvus¡¯ attention, forcing her to focus on him. Langa let his anger fuel him as he activated Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike now that it was off cool-down. The worst part about this battle was that he was on edge. He didn''t know what was real anymore, and it made him a liability to his team. He had never been a liability to any team. He used Jumper and Nahuke''s Left Eye to leap into the air; his glaive aimed for the yellow-marked small ridges on the mosquito''s thorax, driving Tonare into the ridges, but Funduvus¡¯ tail swatted at him, interrupting the attack and sending him flying back. [Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike Incomplete (Funduvus - 234HP) Bonus Lightning Discipline Damage (Funduvus - 234HP) Backlash (Langa Zulu -12HP)] He''d been able to do three times more damage than that in the tutorial! It seemed to irritate Funduvus more than anything. She stabbed her arms into the ground once more. Coaraloa whistled for Acoustic Impedance the moment Funduvus started uttering her incantation, but nothing happened. "It''s not working. She''s too high-level now. She''s immune to my crowd control," Coraloa said helplessly. "What? Even with The Blessing?" Synn asked as the three of them rushed to hide behind Liv''s demonic aura territory. Coraloa clenched her fists. "I''ll make it work. I promise. I''ll unlock The Higher Blessing today." The battlefield became a disaster, and the broken rocks and cleaving blades covered the entire ground. Red aura started to seep out of Liv¡¯s skin and he pulled back, trying to suppress the demonic aura. Unfortunately, that was the moment Funduvus combined three cleaving blades into one and struck. The blade tore through Liv¡¯s metallic armour like paper and buried itself in his side, penetrating his scales and causing blood to pour out of him like a waterfall. He was thrown to the side, and his demonic aura barrier shattered. ¡°Liv!¡± Coraloa screamed, her song combining with her Vibration Wave, reeling a forceful sound wave that pushed Funduvus back. Langa hastily fed Liv a health potion, and even with him healing himself, his insane Vitality and special Endurance, the wound was going to take a while to heal. "Cora, create an opening for me," Synn said. "I''m going to burn my mana recklessly for a bit to get her below 20 000 health. Liv''Kungsadu, get your Ray Blast ready because she''s going to gun for me after." Coraloa raised her trident, her hands steady despite the chaos around her. She took a much longer shot with her Siyotanka than ever before. A massive ice cannon ball flew from the Siyotanka, struck Funduvus'' head, and sent a wave of frost spreading across her shoulder blade. Her health only dropped by 200, but she slowed down. Synn''s arms had transformed into her foxkin form, and she moved up to the close-range, Fire Ring surrounding her. She lashed hard and fast at Funduvus with her flaming whip, leaving red diseased blotches on the boss''s arms and abdomen. Langa struggled to follow her movements as the whip snaked in and out of motion as Slumbering Smoke slowed down Funduvus. It gave Langa an opening to get some hits in too, but Synn was still doing the most damage. Funduvus'' eggshell shield absorbed a lot of the damage, but she couldn''t resist the darkness damage from Synn''s whip, and wherever it hit, she bled heavily. They worked well together, with Langa using Nahuke''s Left Eye to anticipate his teammates'' movements. He took advantage of Synn¡¯s attacks by striking with infused lightning at the diseased scars. Coraloa shot more ice bullets at the shield as they kept Funduvus on the defensive and slowly chipped away at her health. Instead of taunting the boss, once he healed, Liv froze, a halo on his head, counting down from 20 seconds. Before Langa could alert the others that something was wrong, Coraloa activated Sonic Blast. The eggshell shield surrounding Funduvus blasted open. "Maladic Blood Syphon!" Funduvus shouted, her proboscis suddenly elongated. More green orbs of maladic fluid floated in front of her. Coraloa collapsed on the ground, and just as Langa Flash Stepped before her to defend her, he realised Funduvus wasn''t aiming for her at all, but Synn was her target having dealt the most damage. An egg golem hurled four explosive poisonous egg orbs towards Synn, but then Liv stepped in front of her and raised his physical shield so that the exploding eggs detonated over it, cracking it open and showering him with poison. "Get out of close range," he told her. Langa hurled his remaining Lucent Patch bombs at the boss'' back, but it was already too late, as Funduvus'' elongated proboscis struck even as her back was showered in flames. The proboscis latched onto Liv''s shoulder and Funduvus sucked away his blood and absorbed all the blood before she licked her lips. She cradled her egg golem. ¡°Thank you for the meal, my baby.¡± What the hell? Had that been Liv''s grand plan? To get numbed by poison and take the hit for Synn? However, the Daeva groaned and jumped back, clutching her abdomen as Liv''s free hand pulled out a bloodstained demonic Bloodserpent from her. The sword''s mouth was also open, licking away her blood. Funduvus flew back towards her cocoon and slammed both arms on the ground. "Double Divine Cleaving Fissure!" Liv¡¯s last Solar Shield formed a dome that surrounded the group just in time because what happened next was not a fissure. It was a mass of craters that erupted all around them and the cleavers were gigantic snakelike things that were double in number from the previous attack. They had a life of their own, slamming against the shield over and over again, but the Solar Shield was a divine dome that allowed nothing in. The Maladic Blood Syphon was so bad that it reduced Liv to less than half of his HP. Red pimples erupted on his neck faster than ever before. The halo was still on when he approached Synn with anger on his face. ¡°You should have told me you had no respawns left,¡± he shouted. Synn bristled and stepped back. ¡°Did I die?¡± ¡°Yes! Why didn''t you give up in the Celestial Clash? I wouldn''t have killed you if I knew that was your last respawn,¡± he said ¡°It''s none of your business,¡± she said. ¡°It is my business if someone I recruited permadies on my watch,¡± Liv said, placing his hand on his neck as he healed himself. ¡°We wasted a use of Coraloa¡¯s attribute because of you!¡± "And yet, you couldn''t come up with a better plan than taking the hit for me?" she asked. "Maladic Blood Siphon is a targeted homing skill. I deflected it the first time, and I blocked it the second time, but it homed in on you the third time and killed you. It remained on after every block or deflection. The only way for it to stop was to hit someone!" Liv said. ¡°There''s another reason why I came back. Langa, it''s time. I need more mana and more demonic aura!¡± "What?" Coraloa asked. "Are you sure?" Langa asked hesitantly. He knew they needed Liv''s demonic aura, but his inability to control it was a risk. "We have a Divine Quest and are about to make history. I''ll be damned if I don''t do my hardest." Liv said through gritted teeth. ¡°Even if it means lowering my head to my Father." "I have to try to use The Unrivalled¡¯s Higher Blessing to stop her from casting," said Coraloa. "Synn, it''s your last life, so stay back. We''ll take care of things." ¡°Stop it!¡± Synn said. ¡°If any of you die because of me, that won''t make me feel better, it''ll just make me hate myself more.¡± ¡°You-¡± Liv started, and Langa could see he was about to shout at her again, so he stopped him with a hand on and then he crouched in front of Synn. Langa wiped away the tears from her eyes. ¡°Then you understand how we feel,¡± Langa said. He knew how agonising it was to feel responsible for the deaths of people he cared about; it had made him feel like he didn¡¯t deserve to live. Desperate brown eyes looked up at him, her face raw and full of emotion, and she looked away. He wanted to tell her that he would help her find a reason to live, but he knew from experience that was something a person could only find for themselves. The best he could do was keep her alive on this day, as she had been doing for him. Was a Descent truly the only option? "Argh, Fuck," Synn said, tears running down her cheeks. "You''re all stupid fucking idiots, you know that? I''ll tie her up and use Meteor one more time." Langa needed to use The Sun God''s Blessing so that when he increased Liv''s mana usage, he wouldn''t drain his own. Titles were like Blessings, except that using them depended on Faith. For deities other than a player''s patron deity, Faith wasn''t measured in just the player''s relationship with the deity, but their patron deity''s relationship with the deity also contributed. To equip the Blessing, Langa had to unequip his Avatar title. Once The Solar Inverter Blessing was active, Langa infused his mana into the ring. As expected, he lost 50% of his mana, but it was instantly replenished by converting Liv''s excess mana into lightning. [Current mana stability for demigod Liv¡¯Kungsadu: Currently active, 30% of total mana level, 329/555. Excess mana leakage: 120MP/s Demonic aura encroachment: 1.5% per 78 hours. Divine Karma encroachment: ??? Increase mana wielding: yes/ no?] The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Langa tried to increase Liv''s maximum mana to 33%, but suddenly, the demonic aura overwhelmed the liva flower and Langa couldn''t control the overflow as it went up to 35% before he finally stopped it. Langa tried to reduce it to 33%, but the artefact was now on cooldown. [Current mana stability for demigod Liv¡¯Kungsadu: Currently active, 35% of total mana level, 593/647 Excess mana leakage: 131MP/s Demonic aura encroachment: 17.5% per 26 hours. Divine Karma encroachment: ???] "Whoa!" Liv said, with demonic aura on his hands, and his sword grew more teeth, feeding on the demonic aura and increasing in size until it was a great sword taller than Langa. Both his eyes were bright purple, and the leaking aura was everywhere as Liv began to transform. Tiny scales appeared on his face, his teeth looked like fangs, and a single blue wing shot out of his back. "Unholy fuck," Synn said. Coraloa surrounded herself with light from Aquarius'' Blessing. "Damn, that much demonic aura might actually kill me," she said. "Maintain a distance of 2.5 metres from me at all times. I''ll try to keep the aura at a controllable level," Liv said, his red aura crawling like fluid along his arms and legs. Funduvus flew towards them, and Coraloa''s ice bullets struck her wing, slowing the Daeva''s movements as the ice took hold. Liv hurriedly went in close, striking hard at Funduvus¡¯ temple with his red legs, then turning around and slashing her back with Bloodserpent, eliciting a pained screech. Even though they were more than 3 metres away from him, Funduvus'' next blow caused a wave of red fluid demonic aura to be expelled from Liv, and it flew wildly in all directions, leaving no room to escape. Langa took on the defensive stance of his spearmanship, twirling Tonare in a circle to disperse the aura. While he managed to reduce its concentration, it still slammed into him. Langa instantly felt his health and stamina start to drain, but suddenly, the hit stopped and his right eye started bleeding. [You are in the presence of raw demonic power. Nahuke''s Right Eye has been forcefully opened. +10% demonic essence resistance. Resistance increases by 1% for every second the eye is open.] Langa finally knew the effect of Nahuke''s Right Eye but the problem was that it took as much mana and stamina as the Left Eye and it steadily increased per second. If it wasn''t for Liv''s excess mana, he''d be out of mana already. Even flying, Funduvus was faster than Liv, so Coraloa had to step into Liv''s demonic aura range to cast paralysis on Funduvus, but Langa could see from the party menu that the demonic aura was sapping her HP and Stamina more rapidly than the others. Langa infused more lightning into his spear. He sprinted towards Funduvus, he struck again and again, each hit sending jolts of electricity through her body. But Funduvus unleashed a wave of green maladic egg orbs that exploded on impact with the ground. The resulting battle was intense as Synn channelled her black incinerating fire through the whip, tying the Daeva''s hands together. She had sprouted two flaming tails on her back, and her nose was bleeding heavily. Langa, on the other hand, was struggling the most. One moment everything would be fine, and then the next, Fulimi''s water would be jolting him out of the mental debuff again. He felt like he was dragging the team down. Liv had ditched his shield, and propelling himself up with his one wing, he spun in the air and threw out a roundhouse kick targeting the shoulder joint just below the healing thorax. The intense aura caused the bone to crack, sending Funduvus crashing to the ground. Liv was hard to predict, his whole body brimming red with aura as he seamlessly switched from a perfectly executed double kick to blocking the malady with the length of Bloodserpent. Purple light flickered through the empty eyes of Liv''s blue-scaled face. Bloodserpent licked its lips coated in demonic aura, ready to feast as its master stared down the boss. Coraloa''s body was trembling; the light surrounded her, but Langa could see Liv¡¯s demonic aura consuming the light inside her. Even with Liv¡¯s mana supplementing him, Langa couldn''t keep up with him, and he hated it. Liv, the most prideful mortal Langa knew, was willing to bow his head and tap into a power he despised to protect them. So why was Langa refusing to bow? Not to the seraphim, that creature was unworthy of his subservience, but to someone who was? There was only one reason why Langa refused to bow to Adtonifulmin and become his Visage. He didn''t want to give up control over his future. Coraloa desperately whistled Acoustic Impedance trying to steal the sound and interrupt the spell, but she failed. The Blessing did not take and she cursed. Another uncontrolled wave of Liv''s demonic aura erupted, filling the whole area. Coraloa was gasping in pain, her health below 30%. As soon as she fell back, Langa made a decision. "Coraloa, send me back," he said. "I have a plan." Even as Synn struggled under the impending mana exhaustion, she didn''t miss a chance to make fun of him. "Damn another plan? You are two for two today, Langa, are you sure you''re okay?" "To send you back, I have to release my Blessing, so I won''t be able to hold back the demonic aura and I''ll probably die," Coraloa said as Liv activated another demonic aura territory. She drank an uncommon mana potion, quickly refilling herself. "I''m sorry," Langa said. "Tell past me that to unlock the Higher Blessing I need to use Forsaken Icebearer. Tell her I know it hurts and the backlash is a bitch because of my low Water Affinity, but if I can sing Acoustic Impedance in that state and stop a Daeva from casting, even The Unrivalled should set the quest to complete," Coraloa said. She smiled, touched his head, and muttered over five incantations. A large chunk of Liv''s demonic aura spliced off and latched onto her, but she gritted her teeth and continued the chant. Langa trembled as red overtook her body. [Party Member Coraloa Aquarius Winter has been consumed by a demonic aura. Party Member Coraloa Aquarius Winter has died.] The ring on Langa¡¯s finger shook, and the red water overwhelmed the flower. Funduvus absorbed the black strands of Coraloa''s karma. Shit! Did it not work? Langa''s body was violently pulled backwards and he felt dizzy. [You have been affected by the attribute Second Support. Your consciousness has been sent 30 seconds back in time.] "What happened?" he heard Synn ask and opened his eyes. This was just before Liv lost himself to the demonic aura. "Blast her with meteor now, we need to talk!" Langa shouted. Synn didn''t hesitate to use her last divine skill, the meteor falling with a loud crash directly on the paralysed Funduvus. Her egg golem jumped in front of her to block the large flaming ball of incinerating fire. It crashed into her partially frozen body. The combination of fire and earth caused the Daeva¡¯s exoskeleton to shatter. Liv and Coraloa fell back towards Langa. First, he gave Coraloa her message. "Damn," she said. "Why didn''t she do it? She left me to suffer, didn''t she?" ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± Liv asked. "Yes, I can defeat her," Langa said. It wasn''t a sacrifice. Not really. Adtonifulmin had proven himself to be faithful, always in Langa''s corner. He hadn''t pressured or forced his doctrines on Langa. He listened and was always there. His presence comforted and relieved Langa''s loneliness. The looks the others gave him showed that they thought he was mad. "What do you mean?" Synn asked. He was doing this more for her than anyone else. "A Descent, you¡¯ll see. I¡¯m sorry, Liv, but I need you to sacrifice yourself for me. I don¡¯t know how long my plan will take, but if it works, I can assure you we will win,¡± Langa said. "If you dialled up your demonic aura a bit more, how long can you hold her?" Liv didn¡¯t protest. "I don''t know. The highest I''ve ever gone was 40% and that was nine years ago, Langa. I can already feel my control over my mana slipping. The divine karma is begging for release, and the demonic aura is overflowing. I¡¯m losing control of it, but if you need me to sacrifice myself, I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Buy me some time. No matter how far into the darkness you go. I¡¯ll pull you back, I promise,¡± Langa said, raising Liv¡¯s mana-wielding to 40%. ¡°I trust you,¡± Liv said. He and the other two moved forward, shielding Langa. Funduvus towered over the three of them, her eyes glowing as Liv''s Bloodserpent sword flared with demonic aura. The ground Langa knelt on was littered with the remnants of broken eggs. "Lord Adtonifulmin, hear my plea," Langa prayed. He felt a stir in the Divine Nexus. " I accept the offer to be your Visage. I beg you, save my friends. Descend into my body!" As soon as the words left his lips, Langa could feel the Divine Nexus inside him come alive. The air grew antsy with divine energy, and his karma trembled as he felt the powerful and divine essence filter into him through the Divine Nexus. Suddenly, the battlefield was gone, and he was kneeling on a crystalline glassy surface, and the black sky loomed above him. All he could see were stars upon stars. He couldn''t gaze upon them, for these were all the constellations centred around a single bright, lightning bolt. Every single one of Adtonifulmin''s constellations was gathered here to witness this historic moment. The main Incarnation of Adtonifulmin, Tarquinius shone the brightest. <> Tarquinius'' voice echoed in his mind. <> Before Tarquinius could finish, the lightning bolt shot forward. <> <> Tarquinius protested. <> the lightning bolt said and struck the kneeling Langa. <> Adtonifulmin''s voice echoed in Langa''s mind. <> [The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, Adtonifulmin has proposed a Sponsorship Contract for you. Contract Type: Visage For more information on the rules and regulations for Visages, as well as the specifics of this type of sponsorship contract, please read The Relgte of The Unrivalled Tower Master, Scroll 4: Chapter 6 Accept: Y/N? Time Limit: Unlimited] "Accept!" Langa said hastily. [Your Sponsorship Contract has been temporarily upgraded to Avatar (Temporary Visage)] [Please note: This contract is currently Temporary and most benefits are LOCKED. An Induction Ceremony in which all your patron god¡¯s constellations are to show respect to you as the High Priest of their god must be held before the Contract is finalised. As an Avatar (Temporary Visage), you are the mortal face of your patron god. All actions of the Avatar (Temporary Visage) are a reflection of the god they serve. You must always act in a way that shows the glory and splendour of your deity. In addition to your benefits as an Avatar, you are currently only entitled to: + Once per tier, you can accept your god¡¯s Descent into your body or use one of your patron god''s Sovereign Authorities without facing karma implosion. +One (1) Extra Blessing/Title Slot on top of the mortal maximum of three per Tier. Restrictions: -13% of all karma earned will automatically be given to the patron deity. This amount of karma will be already deducted by the time you receive system announcements of karma earned.] [To fulfil your Divine Wish, The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm would like to Descend into your body. Please note: As an Avatar (Temporary Visage ) you will not suffer from karma implosion once the Descent is over, however, you may not invoke another Descent and you may not use any of your patron deity''s Sovereign Authorities until you reach the next Tier. Accept: Y/N?] "Accept," Langa said. An incomplete contract was better than nothing. [Current Faith Level: Avatar (Temporary Visage ) - Level 1 Descent is limited to (1) minute. Due to the unfulfilled contract, your patron deity is restricted to using only your skills, attributes, titles and Blessings, however, all of your skills, attributes, titles and Blessings will be increased by 100%.] The light around Langa intensified, his body trembled as he felt Adtonifulmin''s essence merge with his own, becoming a vessel for the god''s power. * ¡°Coraloa, Synnforressa. I¡¯m going to activate a stronger form of my demonic aura territory. I cannot control it, so I need the both of you to stay away from me or you will die,¡± Liv said, once Langa went into a trance. He tried to keep it together, as he didn''t want the girls to see their party leader shaking in fear of his power. The Daeva was strong and he honestly didn''t know how long he would last against her. All he knew was that she threatened people who were important to him and that more than anything was amplified when Langa increased his mana wielding. ¡°Hold on. If you overuse your divine karma, you could suffer karma implosion and die!¡± Synn said. ¡°Langa will save me before that happens. You must protect me until then, using your Slumbering Smoke to slow Funduvus down and pepper her with as many fireballs as you can,¡± he said, leaving no room for her to argue. ¡°Fine, but-¡± ¡°And this is an order from your guildmaster and party leader,¡± Liv said, exerting his karma pressure. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare die.¡± Despite the situation, Synn smiled. ¡°Yes, sir,¡± she said. He turned to Coraloa. ¡°Being a Disciple of a saint constellation, you¡¯re more vulnerable to demonic aura. You will die. Get out of here.¡± ¡°No,¡± Coraloa said. ¡°I¡¯m deactivating my Blessing and equipping my Forsaken Icebearer title. It will lower my Darkness Resistance, but there¡¯s no way you can take her on by yourself, even with Synn''s support. You need me to use my Siren Songs.¡± Liv already had too much blood on his hands. ¡°It''s too dangerous. If I killed you-¡± ¡°Then I will respawn. Don¡¯t patronise me, Liv''Kungsadu,¡± she snapped. Small patches of ice appeared on her face and hands. ¡°I am the Disciple of a saint constellation. I will not run from a demon,¡± she said sharply, then her eyes softened. ¡°Especially not if that demon is my friend.¡± "Suit yourself," Liv said. He let go. Divine karma fuelled his unstable mana, and the demonic aura inside him charged up even more. Whenever he''d given himself over to the demonic aura before, it was to free himself. This time he wanted to protect his¡­ friends. He had friends, now. The unstable mana core thrummed, and his demonic aura went haywire. He didn''t suppress it this time. Dark blue scales covered his body, and both his eyes turned purple and both his mind and vision turned hazy. Blood red aura covered his entire body, and his Bloodserpent sword feasted on it as he lost himself to the movements of the Sword of The Vesska Nest. One wing grew out of his back as he burnt his life force. Cleaving blades cut into his skin, poison seeped into his scales, and blood flowed from his body as he hacked at the Daeva¡¯s eggshell armour, Bloodserpent feasting on her spilt blood and consuming her life force with demonic aura. He tried to hold on to his sanity, but Bloodserpent screamed for more blood. In his haze, he saw golems, eggs, and strange, green liquid trying to attack him, but someone set them on fire to destroy them. He was aware of moments when he nearly failed to dodge the attacks from the Daeva, and then suddenly the Daeva froze. Someone was helping him. He wasn¡¯t alone. That was all he held onto the only thing stopping the mana core from exploding, the only thing stopping him from fully letting go, breaking down into pieces and burning himself. When the sea of karma threatened to drown him, the words of a friend floated in his mind. ''Let me be your anchor point, and will the life inside your mana not to hurt your loved one¡­ Use your life, burn your willpower, Liv. I know you can.¡¯ He would destroy everything but his friends. When the sword''s demonic aura finally burnt through the Daeva¡¯s flesh, she muttered an Incantation. Her tail lashed across his durable scales, tearing them to pieces and cutting Liv¡¯s chest open. Blood flowed from him like a wide-open river, and even though Liv knew he was about to bleed out and die, he craved more blood. Someone sang a beautiful song, even as the Daeva''s massive proboscis elongated, aiming to latch onto him and drain his free-flowing blood to finish Liv off, that beautiful song silenced everything and stopped her from casting. Two massive Fireballs flew into the Daeva¡¯s abdomen. Their attacks gave the demonic aura time to consume parts of Liv¡¯s already unstable divine karma to repair his body. Liv knew he was waiting for someone, but it was getting harder and harder to control the demonic aura. ¡®Free me!¡¯ the demonic spirit inside Bloodserpent cried out and Liv felt the exhilarating power inside it, the aura burning, burning, burning everything in his surroundings, burning his karma. Consuming him, setting his unstable heart aflame, his karma ready to implode inside him, destroying him, destroying the world, destroying every- ¡°Calm down, child of Aapep,¡± a familiar voice said. Liv felt Langa¡¯s mana flow into him through his ring. That mana forcibly seized control of his mana core, bringing him down from the demonic high, sealing the demonic aura, and tempering his karma. ¡°You are more resilient than I gave you credit for. You did well buying time for us. Rest for a bit. We will finish this.¡± Liv was dazed. The person looked like Langa, yet his eyes were not black but lightning yellow and his karma was overwhelming. * The Avatar (Temporary Visage) of Adtonifulmin opened his eyes. The first thing he felt was lightning coursing through his body naturally. Wind blew on his face, and the rough ground under his knees was littered with sharp objects. Knees? A great being like him was kneeling? His anger fuelled the karma in him to erupt, but there was barely any essence. What was wrong? Ah, he was in his Visage''s body. <> Adtonifulmin said through the Divine Nexus. He allowed Langa to experience the Descent actively so that now, in this body, it wasn''t a fraction of Adtonifulmin''s essence in Langa''s body, but Langa himself, fuelled by Adtonifulmin''s essence. Langa blinked. His body felt stronger since all his stats were doubled and his skills were also twice as strong. He surveyed the scene and the sight of Synn and Coraloa still attacking the Daeva even though Liv had fallen to the demonic aura, his karma on the verge of imploding and killing everyone in this Gate warmed and ignited his heart. He had to save Liv first, as he promised. ¡°Calm down, child of Aapep,¡± he said, dialling the ring down to 1%. Liv staggered as power left him, dazed as he came back to himself. ¡°You are more resilient than I gave you credit for. You did well buying time for us. Rest for a bit. We will finish this.¡± He looked at the other two. Adtonifulmin¡¯s karma had forced them to kneel on the ground, and they watched him wide-eyed. "It is always a pleasure to see you, SynnForessa. And you, future Guardian Knight, you held your own against demonic aura. No wonder my beloved favours you." "Um...Langa, or Lord Adtunifulmin¡­" Synn said, scrunching up her eyes as The Daeva struck the ground with her pincers, about to activate Cleaving Fissure again. "Currently, I am both," he answered. "Right, well, Both, can you make it snappy?" Synn asked, gesturing to the impending attack. "Of course." Adtonifulmin didn''t need anything else. Langa''s skills were enough; he just needed to bring out 100% of his potential. He dodged a sideways blade and, using The Second Step, easily blocked a living snakelike blade from behind with Tonare. He thrust Tonare into the ground and poured mana into the glaive, activating Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike. Lightning ripped through the earth like a storm, lifting it and displacing all of Funduvus'' cleaving blades. The three mortals were unaffected. "The... the deserter..." Funduvus gasped, trying to fly away now that she realised her predicament. "Help me, King Maetrolugy!" "We can''t have that," he said and tapped into his Void Star. He couldn''t believe a seraphim would risk obliteration for an incomplete Void Star. The star was eager, sucking away Langa''s mana as soon as he made it the centre of his mana. He passed the electric charge through the Brand, causing it to stimulate his heartbeat, and then he gathered Liv''s excess mana to bolster his already doubled Mana Pool. Except for enchanting, he had every single one of Langa''s Active, Passive and Divine skills, along with his attribute, active for that one second. His mana control prevented overvoltage as his velocity propelled him forward. Drawing upon Langa''s Faith in him, Adtonifulmin moved the lightning mana into the magic circle and summoned the power of the heavens. The sky darkened, and unnatural storm clouds gathered, activating Lightning Lance. "How dare you harm my Chosen and his comrades, creation of Chaos?" Adtonifulmin''s voice resonated through Langa''s lips. Thunder rumbled, and Langa raised his hands towards the sky, calling forth Adtonifulmin''s divine wrath. Three massive Lances streaked down from the sky in a lightning storm that illuminated the battlefield; the ear-piercing strikes of lightning drowning out Funduvus¡¯ screams. Adtonifulmin''s power was absolute, the fury in his lightning refusing to relent. Funduvus howled in agony as her body began to disintegrate, but even King Maetrolugy couldn''t save her now. Where Funduvus The Cleaver once stood; only ashes remained. The storm began to dissipate, the clouds parting to reveal the clear sky once more. [You have killed a Level 20 Daeva Rewards will be issued by contribution. Please Wait] Adtonifulmin had been given one minute of Descent, and he defeated the Deava in half that time. She didn¡¯t even have time to move. What puzzled Langa the most, though, was that he did this with just his skills. Sure, they were amplified by 100%, and The Relgte had said Adtonifulmin was a prodigy, but this was just absurd. Langa had to work harder. <> Adtonifulmin said through the Divine Nexus, his voice now softer. <> The light inside Langa faded, and he felt Adtonifulmin''s presence withdraw, leaving him feeling weak and empty. 76. Special Gate: The Floor Boss: Funduvus the Cleaver (END) Liv hurriedly searched through Funduvus¡¯ cocoon, presumably looking for her treasure so they could clear the Gate. Langa¡¯s body ached and felt empty. No matter how many health potions Coraloa fed him, he didn''t feel better. Adtonifulmin''s departure left his whole body shaking, and he could only hope clearing this Gate would level him up. Synn struggled to sit up, her eyes watching him with amazement. "Langa, are you a Visage?" Langa lay exhausted on the floor. "Temporary," he grinned. "I still have to finalise the contract on the 3rd Floor." Coraloa clapped him on the shoulder. "That''s ridiculously amazing. That''s got to be a Unique Achievement, right?" "It might even be Legendary," Synn said. "Given that The Lackadaisical Herald has never had a Visage before." "Speaking of Achievements," Coraloa said, looking at Liv, who held a golden treasure chest. "How many levels do you think we¡¯ll get from this quest?" "With the double experience, hopefully at least two. It depends on our contribution," Synn said. "Liv''Kungsadu and Langa will probably get the highest contribution by a mile." "We may get the highest contribution, but not by a mile. I would have died ten times over against the Daeva if not for you two," Liv said. "I''m pretty sure that excluding the final attack, no one dealt more damage in this entire Gate than you, SynnForessa." "Yeah, I was shit for most of the last battle. The mental debuff would have taken me out, and I wouldn''t even have known how I died if not for Coraloa," Langa said. "The Unrivalled is fair in her assessments; I think we will all contribute equally." ¡°Well, hurry it up. I want to go to one of the temples at Tishiba¡¯s Peak to complete my Class Change as soon as possible,¡± Coraloa said. Synn¡¯s smile widened, and she hugged her. ¡°Cora! You finally unlocked the Higher Blessing?!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she laughed as Synn squeezed her. ¡°I¡¯m gonna become a Guardian Knight, thanks to you all. This Gate pushed me to my limits.¡± They all congratulated her, and then finally Liv held out Funduvus¡¯ chest. "Let''s find out how we did," Liv said. "Does anyone have lockpicks or feel like searching for a key in this mess?" "Give me the box," Langa said. He took out Amalgam''s Opus Key and used it to open the box. Thankfully, the key appeared unassuming to everyone else, so no one could tell it was the key to creating a Void Opus. "And you claimed you weren''t a Rogue," Coraloa said with raised eyebrows. As soon as Langa opened the chest, blue light filled the room, and as expected, a massive lucent crystal was inside. Before he could scan it, a sudden influx of karma approached the four of them, and they all looked around in alertness. The karma condensed into the figure of a woman. She stood taller than even Liv and had three heads: a bull, a goat, and a lion, as well as two wings that extended from her back. Langa sighed. Why did Incarnations always choose such terrifying forms? There was no karma coming from her anymore, and Langa knew she was suppressing it on purpose; otherwise, she could unintentionally kill them with her mere presence. "Greetings, Lady Nasira," Liv said when she finally reached them. "Liv''Kungsadu. Bow your head to receive The Sun God''s Edict," the constellation said. To Langa''s surprise, Liv knelt before the Incarnation and bowed his head. It was a strange sight because Langa had never thought he''d see Liv willingly bow to anyone. "I am ready to receive it," he said. Synn and Coraloa also bowed their heads in respect and a bright light suddenly emanated from the Incarnation as her eyes closed and reopened. The Sun God was here. "Stand up, child. You have proven your worth to me as a leader," The Sun God said, placing a hand on Liv''s head. "Your team may lift their heads as well. Your ability to command a team of such wild characters with strong wills is marvellous. I am greatly pleased with your performance, Liv''Kungsadu. Although I have no part in my children''s sect, it pleases me that you have made them take notice of you." "Thank you, Master," Liv said, standing up. "Well done to all of you as well, children," The Sun God said. "As I promised my Avatar, I shall reward you all well for completing this quest." He raised his hands and a silver chest appeared out of thin air, which he handed to Liv. A prompt filled Langa''s vision that instant. [You have completed the quest: Prove Your Worth (1) Contributions: Expected Contribution per player: 25%
  1. Langa Zulu - 28.1%
  2. Liv¡¯Kungsadu - 25.0%
  3. Coraloa Aquarius Winter - 23.7%
  4. SynnForessa - 23.2%
You have exceeded your expected contribution percentage. Quest Completion Grade: S Quest Rewards: +21 453 EXP (Includes Bonus EXP for permanently killing the Gatekeeper on your first clear. Includes Bonus EXP for defeating a maestril 9 Levels above you) ) + 21 453 EXP (You receive 100% Bonus EXP in the first 52 hours For being the first party to discover this Gate) + 20 769 Karma +3116 Bonus Karma for S Grade Completion + 1740 Karma for fulfilling the optional objective of the quest: Complete the Soul''s Trial of Trust +The Sun God''s favour (Your Faith in The Sun God has increased by 5%) +25% Renown +135 silver coins] [Congratulations! Level Up! Level 12 +12 karma +3 AGI, + 2 MND +1 VIT +1 Special Stat: VEL You have 5 free attribute points to distribute.] [Congratulations! Level Up! Level 13 +13 karma +3 AGI, + 2 MND +1 VIT +1 Special Stat: VEL You have 5 free attribute points to distribute.] [Congratulations! Level Up! Level 14 +14 karma +3 AGI, + 2 MND +1 VIT +1 Special Stat: VEL You have 5 free attribute points to distribute.] [Congratulations! Level Up! Level 15 +15 karma +3 AGI, + 2 MND +1 VIT +1 Special Stat: VEL You have 5 free attribute points to distribute.] [Uncommon ACHIEVEMENT! Congratulations! Your party is the first and only party that will ever clear the Gate: Funduvus'' Swamp. Your party has received +2 skill points each. +1 (1/4) maestril Gatekeeper karma core to each party member] [Daeva-Funduvus'' Karma Core (1/4) Item Rank: Unique Properties: (1/4) of the Daeva Maestril Boss Funduvus'' karma core. Contains (2100) karma. Infuse your mana to absorb the karma. For maximum absorption, a state of meditation is required to reduce excess karma loss] He¡¯d gone up four whole levels! Langa also noticed something new. The karma from levelling up wasn''t taxed. Had it always been like this? He rolled his eyes at the fact that he was still a Temporary Visage yet the System was already taking 13% of his karma and giving it to Adtonifulmin instead of the Avatar''s 5%. "Sick!" Synn said triumphantly. "I can''t believe I went from level 11 to level 14 in one day! This would have taken weeks or months normally!" Langa couldn''t resist raining on her parade. "Just 14?" he said, shaking his head. "I''m already mid-Tier 1, Synn." "Aw fuck," she said. "I''d just caught up to you." Coraloa laughed. "I''m sure you''ll catch up to him again soon; don''t worry. But do you guys realise we are about the same level as the average Batch 3 player who has been in the Tower for five years, right?" Now that Langa thought about it, the highest level player from Batch 3 he knew was Perinda at Level 23, and Di Etta, at Level 17 was considered one of the higher level players from that Batch. He was sure Anarchist was mid-Tier 2 as well, so besides him, what the hell were the rest of them doing? "Holy shit. Batch 3 players are not serious," he said. "Hold your tongue. You''ll understand soon enough. Good luck finding any monster that will give you enough EXP to raise your level now on the first five Floors," Synn reprimanded him. "Besides most of them have cleared the first five Floors, so they no longer gain Experience down here, except with quests. This was an extremely special case that should have ended with all of us dead. The only reason we aren''t is because of Lord Adtonifulmin." "Yeah, he''s awesome, isn''t he?" Langa said proudly. He¡¯d almost forgotten there was an Incarnation in their presence until he spoke again. "You have gathered amusing people around you, Liv''Kungsadu. With them by your side, I hope you create a guild that will live and grow for ages to come," The Sun God said, looking at the three of them. His eyes lingered a moment longer on Coraloa. "It''s a pity about that one, though." Coraloa blanched at being addressed directly. "She''s a future Guardian Knight. Even if I wanted her to join my guild and become one of my people, I have to let her go, unfortunately," Liv said. "Hmm? Ah, yes. That one''s future is most...winding," The Sun God said, and for a moment his gaze fell on Langa. He looked up. "Of course, I will mind my words, Unrivalled One; there is no need to watch me so closely." The Sun God turned back to address Liv. "To tame the Visage of such a volatile and rebellious being will be no easy feat, child," Amun-Ra said gesturing at Langa. Langa crossed his arms defiantly. He was not going to be tamed, especially not by Liv. He decided not to say anything for now because he didn''t want to mess with Liv''s rewards since this was a leadership quest. ¡°Yeah. I have my work cut out for me,¡± Liv said, grinning at the look on Langa¡¯s face. "The Gate will permanently lock in one hour. Take everything you need, as you must leave before then. The Dark Void will probably give this chaotic domain to some other maestril," Amun-Ra said. "Yes, Master," Liv said. "Thank you." With that, the Incarnation disappeared. "What''s in the box?" Synn asked, eyes hungry as she snatched away the chest The Sun God had given Liv. She drooled as soon as she opened it, and the rest of them gathered around her as she pulled a few items out. There was a set of flowing blue robes made from wind-blown silk decorated with silver feathers, and a silver helmet with golden runes covering its surface. She also pulled out a polished set of grey leather armour, a pair of radiant golden gauntlets engraved with the symbol of the sun and a staff made of black wood with a red crystal at the centre. Finally, there were two accessories. One was a small earring with a clear gem dangling from it and the other was a white pearl necklace. [Faily Lane Vestments Item Rank: Rare These robes were produced by The Fairy Lane Sigma to enhance their Mages'' ability to manipulate the winds and sound waves. Effects: Special Stat: Wisdom +5 When the wearer uses a sound-based spell, they can choose to extend the duration of any one of its effects to double the normal duration. Cooldown: 2 minutes] [Ureni Crystal Helm Item Rank: Rare Effects: +2 Levels to Leadership Skills When Aura in an area of 5 metres is unleashed, there is a 20% chance of resisting crowd control from threats within that area. Restrictions: Minimum Level 15. Must possess the Special Stat: Aura. Must possess at least one Leadership Skill.] [Slimesleek Leather Armour Set (Trousers, Chestplate and Hooded Jacket) Set Rank: Rare Individual Armour Pieces Rank: Uncommon Chestplate: Defence +140 Hooded Jacket: 20% of all Physical Attacks slide off the slimy surface of the Hooded Jacket Trousers: Agility increases by 2% with every 13% decrease in HP. Set Effect: Reduces the Stamina Cost of movement skills by 15%. Restrictions: Minimum Level 15 with Agility of 60 and above.] [Reagen¡¯s LightFist Gauntlets Item Rank: Uncommon Unarmed strikes deal an additional 3% Light Damage for every monster killed, up to a maximum of 39%. Restrictions: Light Affinity 10% and Above. Must be bonded to a deity of Light.] [Black Vista Staff Item Rank: Rare Effects: All Magic Damage cast through this Staff: +20% according to Mana Discipline used. Mana Consumption for all pure magic spells reduced by 10% Restrictions: Pure Mage Variant Classes only. Minimum Level 15. Minimum Mana Pool: 700] [Holden Ashstone Earring Accessory Rank: Uncommon Effects: Increases mana regeneration rate by 2 mana points per second when not casting.] [Egira Resonance Pearls Accessory Rank: Uncommon Effects: Amplifies the range of all magic spells of ONE of the 13 Main Mana Disciples by 2 metres. Cost: 50 Mana/second Cooldown: 30 seconds] It wasn''t a hard choice by any means, and Langa took the three pieces of leather armour. It was a pity, but he wouldn''t be able to equip the whole set, as using the hooded jacket would mean removing his jerkin. He couldn''t do that as it contained the Distortion Skill that allowed him to go invisible. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Liv took the helm and gauntlets, Synn the staff and ring, while Coraloa got the vestments and necklace. Happy with their rewards, the four of them ransacked Funduvus'' boss room and took everything they could, including her treasure, which was, as expected, a legendary water-lucent crystal. Synn whistled as she looked longingly at the large blue crystal. ¡°It''s so beautiful,¡± she said. ¡°It''s going to make us so rich.¡± Langa was admittedly also enchanted by it. He wondered how many colloidal bombs he could make with it once he perfected his Lucent Enchanting. Well, he wasn''t compatible with Water Mana but, damn it it would make such a beautiful explosion. Coraloa folded her arms defiantly. ¡°We are not selling it,¡± she said. ¡°This crystal would be a saving grace to a lot of communities. Where I come from, our oceans are drying up because of the saints¡¯ war, and merpeople are losing their habitats. Those below Tier 1 can barely transform and survive outside of water. I''m sure we can put this to good use for either them or any other people in the Tower struggling with water shortage and-¡± ¡°This Legendary water-lucent crystal belongs to the Khwezikazi Rays Guild. As the guildmaster, I decide what we do with it,¡± Liv cut her off. ¡°Sorry, Coraloa, I''ll pay your share in the relevant amount of gold once I get my finances straight.¡± ¡°You can''t just decide that. The loot distribution for this party is by consensus,¡± she argued. ¡°Great. I love democracy. Let''s vote. All in favour of the water crystal being taken by the Khwezikazi Rays, and non-members being paid off in equivalent gold, raise your hands,¡± Langa said, raising his hand. Of course, Liv and Synn raised their hands. Synn patted Coraloa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Better luck next time, Cora.¡± ¡°I hope the Gate locks you guys in again,¡± she said, walking out. Ouch. Just as they were about to reach the exit of the Gate, there was another slew of notifications. [Uncommon Achievement! Players Liv¡¯Kungsadu, Langa Zulu, SynnForessa and Coraloa Aquarius Winter are the first party to defeat and permanently close a Floor Gate on the first Clear in the 1773rd Deiwos Towers] [Uncommon Achievement! Players Liv¡¯Kungsadu, Langa Zulu, SynnForessa and Coraloa Aquarius Winter are the first party to defeat a maestril 1 Tier above them in the 1773rd Deiwos Tower] ¡°We did it. We made history,¡± Liv said, looking at Langa with a grin. ¡°You do realise we just created a target on our backs with D Rank and above voidents, right? They''ll know we earned a lot of karma from those Achievements. The more karma you have, the more likely they are to come after you,¡± Coraloa said. Liv closed the chest. ¡°Let them come. Well, kill ''em all.¡± ¡°Better us than innocent kids,¡± Langa said. While they made their way back to the entry Gate, Langa and Liv received another wave of notifications. [DIVINE ACHIEVEMENT! Congratulations! Your actions have resulted in the formation of a godly alliance. For your Divine Achievement and your contribution to the growth of the Deiwos Clan, your name will be written in The Relgte of The Deiwos Clan. The Red Flaming Blade of Menika has given you a (25 000 karma) Karma Voucher to spend on any item in The Deiwos Tower Karma Store. +5 Inventory Slots +1 Floor Bypass Token in any Deiwos Tower] [Floor Bypass Token Item Rank: Divine: Picciari: The Red Flaming Blade of Menika This Divine Artefact is consumable. It allows you to bypass the clearing of a single Floor below the 50th in any Deiwos Tower excluding the 1st and every Storey End Floor. You will receive the minimum Karma required to clear the Floor you bypass and the Floor Clear Quest will be marked as complete. However, no Experience will be earned. Soul Bound to: Player Langa Zulu.] [System Announcement to all mortals in all Deiwos Towers: Thanks to Players Langa Zulu and Liv''Kungsadu, The Descendants of The Sun Sect of the Ter Netjer Pantheon have formed a Non-Aggression Pact with The Deiwos Clan.] [The Deiwos Clan goddess: The Red Flaming Blade of Menika, states that a 25 000 karma voucher is the maximum amount of karma she can offer to a mid-Tier 1 player. She promises to make it up to your Achievement by offering you a divine challenge once you reach Tier 2.] "What the hell did you two do?" Synn asked, exasperated as she read the System Announcement. "We passed the Trial of Trust," Liv said. Synn glared at him. "And somehow ended up fostering an alliance between two groups of gods who''ve never interacted before?" she asked, and Liv merely shrugged, which infuriated her further. "Liv, tell me the truth. Who is your father? Is he a Neutriarch?" Coraloa asked. "Who knows, is he?" Liv said nonchalantly. She frowned and turned to Langa. "You know, right? Who is he?" Langa shrugged. "It''s not my secret to tell." They barely made it out before the Gate locked again. They emerged back in the willow tree again and got on the lucent carriage to return to Sorrento Creek. Thankfully, no one else knew the location of the Gate, otherwise, they would have been ambushed as soon as they got out. Now that they were out, they could freely access the Dent again, and boy was it buzzing with their recent achievements. Discussions filled the forums about how they could have permakilled a Gatekeeper on the first clear when Floor Bosses usually had at least 13 respawns. However, in the end, Langa and Liv¡¯s contribution to The Deiwos Clan and The Descendants of the Sun¡¯s alliance was the main topic, overshadowing all others. "Wow, we just took over Batch 4''s Level leaderboard, Karma leaderboard, and Overall leaderboard," Coraloa said with a smile as Liv drove the lucent carriage back to Sorrento Creek. "Really?¡± Synn said. ¡°Let me check.¡± Langa opened his interface and checked the Batch 4 level leaderboard.
Tutorial Batch 4 Level Leaderboard
Name (Epithet) Race Deity Guild Highest Floor Level
1. Liv''Kungsadu Demigod Amun-Ra: The Sun God, The Neutriarch of Fire. None 1 16
2. Langa Zulu Human Adtonifulmin: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm. None 1 15
3. Coraloa Aquarius Winter Mermaid High-Tier Constellation: Aquarius of the Zodiac None 1 14
4. SynnForessa (???) Foxkin Ji¨³w¨§ih¨² - The Mystical Nine-Tailed Demon Fox God None 1 14
5. Fi Kindaro III Dark Elf Miclantechutli: The Demon King of Thousand Undead Soh Piquamu Guild 2 13
6. Vos Kindaro II Dark Elf Miclantechutli: The Demon King of Thousand Undead Hallow Reaper Cult 2 12
7. Joan Williams Human Picciari- The Red Flaming Blade of Menika Menika Shin 2 12
7. Mari Kindaro IV Dark Moon-Elf Miclantechutli: The Demon King of Thousand Undead (Hidden) 1 12
7. Hidden (The Rising) 2 12
7. Pranav Chandra Human Raktab¨©ja- The Demonic Blood Seed None 2 12
7. Maipsatenkka Dragonkin Suleirahif - The Living Dragon Wing None 2 12
There were 11 names on the list, and while Vavuciadsforenkka was no longer on the list, Liv''s den-brother was. Langa turned when Synn exclaimed angrily. "What the fuck? I''m fifth place in the karma rankings!" She said. "How the hell did Fi Kindaro III overtake me after all the karma I just earned?" Langa hurriedly checked the Karma Leaderboard and it was largely the same as the Level Leaderboard, except without Pranav, and Synn and Fi Kindaro¡¯s ranks were switched. Langa clenched his fists. "The bastard probably earned a lot of karma from inciting the seraphim and getting The Thousand Undead his soul," he said. "When I kill Fi Kindaro III, I''ll make it hurt.¡± This was too much, and Langa decided that he would Ascend the following day, find Fi on the 2nd Floor, and then kill him. While contemplating revenge, he received a new message.
@AlfsolSereneaDulenta.GG to @ langelihle Those are some insane Achievements you''ve made there. I guess you and your friend are not all talk after all. The guildmaster says your Guild Charter is adequate. She is making The State of The Tower Address at 7PM tomorrow. If your guildmaster can register your guild before then, Coraloa can bring him to our domain to meet Merreddyd. This is a one time offer only. Don''t blow it.
"Oh my gods," Langa said. He briefly explained Alfsol¡¯s message. ¡°I don''t know how many people will be watching the Tower Address tomorrow, but-" "It''s the Guardian Knight''s Tower Address. Everyone will be watching across all three Storeys," Coraloa said. "I have to talk to her. I can''t miss this chance to join the Guardians." "Isn''t there something you want to say to me, Liv''Kungsadu?" Synn asked with folded arms. ¡°I transformed your pathetic guild charter into something exceptional after all.¡± Langa didn''t have the heart to tell her it was only adequate. Liv cleared his throat and watched the air ahead. "You can add 0.5% to your guild shares," he said. ¡°Welcome to the Khwezikazi Rays, SynnForessa.¡± She blinked and grinned. "I was just fishing for a thank you,¡± she said. ¡°You never have to say thank you to me ever again. I prefer gratitude in money and shares from now on." When they returned to Sorrento Creek, Liv immediately dropped Synn and Langa off, deciding to go to Tishiba''s Peak and register the guild before anything happened to the token. Once the two of them reached Sorrento Inn, they were swarmed by players and NPCs and while hiding behind Synn, Langa activated Distortion, went invisible, and snuck up to his room to take a long, well-deserved bath. He abandoned Synn to deal with the public. [Congratulations! You have co-founded the guild: Khwezikazi Rays (S)! Guild Patron Deity: Amun-Ra, The Sun God, The Neutriarch of Fire!] [Unique Acheivement! You (Players Langa Zulu and Liv''Kungsadu) are the first players from tutorial Batch #4 to co-found a guild. A System Announcement stating this achievement will be broadcast to all players of tutorial Batch 4.] [As Khwezikazi Rays is the first guild to be founded by a player from tutorial Batch 4, and it was founded with an S-rank guild token, it receives the following rewards: +3 Skill points to the First Twenty-Five Members to join the guild. +1 500 Guild Karma +20% Guild Renown + 1 Free Roving Guild Territory] [Your Guild Khwezikazi Rays has been offered 4 Blessing Quests from the following Deities: Order: The Unrivalled Tower Master Amun-Ra: The Sun God, The Neutriarch of Fire Adtonifulmin: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm Ji¨³w¨§ih¨² : The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox God Build Shrines/Altars to the above deities inside your Roving Guildhall to unlock these quests!] [Congratulations! Guild Master Liv''Kungsadu has appointed you the Deputy Guildmaster of The Khwezikazi Rays Guild! +435 Karma +3% Renown] [For information on Guild Territory, Finances and Membership, Please open the ¡®My Guild¡¯ Tab on your System or comcer Interface] Langa''s comcer exploded with beeping, and he chose to ignore everyone and then collapsed onto his bed in exhaustion. * Langa was no longer asleep on his bed. His essence was floating through over a hundred different places. No, he was in an infinite number of places, watching over many people. He was untethered as if he had no body and only existed as karma. He didn¡¯t understand it, but something compelled him to concentrate only on the three events occurring simultaneously that concerned him, and so he found himself in three places at once, having three separate conversations. Adtonifulmin¡¯s essence floated into the seraphim''s domain. It was pathetically empty for a seraphim over 800 years old. There were only 10 Tiers, 147 Steps and 998 Stars. The fool tried to rush Ascension and fell into an old trap. Adtonifulmin didn''t care about his plight. Given enough time, that broken soul would fall to the judgement of Order and King Maetrolugy would cease to exist. Adtonifulmin couldn''t let that happen. He needed to show the deities that his Visage was not to be trifled with. [System Administrator: You are about to enter the domain of the seraphim: King Maetrolugy, Avatar of Hotesect. Please state your purpose.] <> Adtonifulmin asked, ensuring that his anger permeated through to the System Administrator who dared to question him. He knew it was just one of The Unrivalled''s constellations just doing their job. Gods weren''t allowed to directly attack seraphim under normal circumstances after all. <> The system messages disappeared, and a voice spoke to Adtonifulmin''s essence. It was a voice he could listen to for all eternity. Even now as his essence emitted wrath in waves, her voice soothed all his concerns. <> he said, taking a step into the domain and instantly erasing 50 of the seraphim''s Steps. Elsewhere, Order spoke to him. <> <> Adtonifulmin told her gently, even though he wanted to release his karma and rip through the fabric of reality. <> <> she said. <> he said. <> He loved the annoyance in her voice when she responded. <> He felt her presence vanish from his side, and it was replaced by the unending hollow loneliness in his being. The always-something-missing that he could never fill since he lost his daughter and betrayed his master was back and threatening to overwhelm his existence again. Even connected to all his mortals, listening to their prayers, Blessing and comforting them did nothing to fill the void. Suddenly, a tiny slice of karma leaked from the Divine Nexus into that hollow and filled a part of it with someone. Ah, Adtonifulmin smiled. He wasn''t alone with his karma anymore. There was a child who shared in his experiences, a child who was here with him, even now. His Visage. Maybe, Adtonifulmin might finally feel whole again. The seraphim¡¯s broken essence wailed across the domain. "Come out, and I will make it quick," Adtonifulmin whispered. "I''d hate to destroy this domain, after all, my child Makinare should be attaining seraphim rank soon. This domain will make a most lovely gift for her." He didn''t release his karma pressure. He didn''t have to. His very Presence in this domain was consuming every achievement the seraphim had to his name and, by extension, his karma. A pitiful form appeared in front of him. The manticore was haggard, face fallen, karma leaking into Adtonifulmin. "Lackadaisical One," King Maetrolugy said, kneeling on the ground. "Please grant me mercy." Adtonifulmin did not waver. "You have worked as a Floor Overlord in The Deiwos Towers for over 300 years. When have you ever seen me show mercy to those who hurt my own?" King Maetrolugy trembled. ¡°I am sorry, My Lord.¡± "Why? After all, you think me beneath you, seraphim, do you not? I specifically instructed that child not to bow to anyone but me, yet you commanded my Visage, my Face, to bow before your mere Daeva?!" Adtonifulmin¡¯s voice rose to a growl as his anger agitated his essence, karma flaring. "M-my Lord. I was tricked. I didn''t know he was your future Visage, I-" "Chaos knew. Mictlantecuhtli knew. You embraced their support without considering the consequences of it," Adtonifulmin whispered. "Well, I am that consequence. I will eradicate you, take all your Stars and keep them safe for my Visage. State your last words, Seraphim King Maetrolugy." There was nothing King Maetrolugy could do. He''d risked everything and lost. He had two Divine Judgements against him, and he was doomed. "I don¡¯t have enough karma to curse the gods, however, I can curse the messenger. Fi Kindaro III. May whatever remains of my negative karma haunt you until the day you die." Adtonifulmin took one Step forward and walked through King Maetrolugy''s body. The seraphim died. King Maetrolugy had existed for 934 years. He became a seraphim at the age of 279. He collected 998 complete stars and 253 Star Fragments, yet all it took to kill him was 1 Step. In truth, half a Step could have done it but Adtonifulmin was angry so he wanted to demonstrate to all who were watching, mortal or immortal, that his Visage was off limits. Langa had already used up his once per Tier Descent, so he had to protect him any way he could. He allowed the negative karma from Maetrolugy''s anger to pass through him into Langa through the Divine Nexus, and it was absorbed by the Void Star. He refused to lose another child. Adtonifulmin''s Electromagnetic Field encompassed the entire domain. Nothing was allowed to exist here. The seraphim scatted into Stars and he collected them, he would give them to his Visage when he was able to handle them. He reached out to retrieve the seraphim''s soul, but another essence snatched it from him. "I''ll take that, thank you," Mictlantecuhtli said, his essence floating into the domain. "He did promise it to me in exchange for the Lesser Authority. You understand, right?" Indeed, the system confirmed that the soul belonged to Mictlantecuhtli. ¡°I will pay you back for this, just wait,¡± Adtonifulmin promised. ¡°Must you be so incorrigible, Adtonifulmin? I mean, we both got what we wanted. My Avatar convinced the seraphim to use the Authority and got me back my holeless conch. He also earned me a seraphim soul, which I shall feast on later tonight. Your Avatar was put in a situation where he had no choice but to accept to be your Visage which, frankly, with how indecisive he is, he might never have made that choice.¡± ¡°Do not mock me, Mictlantecuhtli. Langa may be an impulsive child, but this was not a decision he made thoughtlessly. This was something he¡¯d been thinking about since the moment I proposed the contract to him. All that happened was he found an opportunity that pushed him in the right direction," Adtonifulmin snapped. "This was not thanks to you. You did not design it. Do not take credit for his choice. He does not owe you anything.¡± ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s pretend it is as you say, then I believe this battle ended in a tie. I received my Authority back and you received a Visage,¡± Mictlantecuhtli said. ¡°This was not a battle, but even if it was, I obviously won as I always do," Adtonifulmin said. "One Visage is worth over 13 million Lesser Authorities.¡± ¡°A Tier 10 Visage, yes. Not one so fragile and mentally weak,¡± the other god whispered. ¡°Not one so easy to crush.¡± Adtonifulmin¡¯s essence flared. ¡°I am warning you. I have lost enough of my children to you. If you come for my Visage, there will be no stopping me from using Master¡¯s power against you.¡± There was a pause. ¡°Surely you jest, Adtonifulmin. With how tightly The Quartenity has bound you, there is nothing you can do to me with his power if you don¡¯t want to suffer their wrath.¡± Adtonifulmin did not back down."You know me well, so you know just how far I will go to protect my own.¡± ¡°For a child who is still only Tier 1?¡± Mictlantecuhtli asked. ¡°This is your weakness. When it comes to affection, you are even worse than the mortals. This is a premature decision. You should¡¯ve waited until he was at least Tier 5." ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern. I will not forget this slight, Mictlantecuhtli. According to your Divine Covenant, one of those five children or their descendants is destined to be your new Visage, right? No other mortal except for those carrying that blood can do it. I wonder what you will do when my Visage wipes the entire Kindaro bloodline from existence. You will never get a Visage again for all eternity." Mictlantecuhtli''s essence became fixated on the minuscule karma of Langa inside Adtonifulmin''s Divine Nexus. "I underestimated that child. No more. Since he is your Visage now, he is officially fair game. You can send him to war now, so if you are so proud of him, why not set him loose?" "Do you think I''m stupid? I won''t send him to war until he''s at least Tier 3," Adtonifulmin said. "That will take too long," Mictlantecuhtli said. "If you interfere in my Visage Trials, why, I might even skip the line to take this Tower from you, and Xolotl would have another reason to resent me." "Xolotl''s plan is flawed. Your foolish Avatars squabble like the hateful brothers they are. They will fight over that poor moon-elf''s soul, as they always do," Adtonifulmin said. "The last time, their fight killed her, and this time will be no different. Someone else will get her soulblood and Xolotl will have no way to get his Daeva to summon his demonic army to the 36th Floor." "The entire Third Storey will be ours. Once The Demon Reaper''s Avatar arrives to Overturn all of those Floors, we will own This Tower and the Deiwos Clan will become a laughing stock among-" Mictlantecuhtli started, then paused. "You cunning bastard! You''re cheating again. This isn''t information your Visage should know." Adtonifulmin smirked. He wished he could have gotten Mictlantecuhtli to say more. "I am not cheating. I didn''t share this information with a mortal. I am merely conversing with you. If my Visage happens to overhear us, it is because I have poor control over the newly formed Divine Nexus." "Don¡¯t play games with me, Adtonifulmin. I can crush you with less than half of my power, and that is me being generous because of your master''s karma," Mictlanecuhtli snapped. "Nothing can stop a raging lightning storm. Come at me," Adtonifulmin said. "Instead of using the petty Celestial Clashes over territories of our seraphim, and over the Tower Floors above 50, declare war on The Deiwos Clan, let us end this." "Why don''t you raise your Clan to a higher Tier? If you do, then The Plumed Serpent will accept the incessant declarations of war you keep trying to throw at us. The Illhucatl-Omeyocan Clan does not engage in war with lesser clans," Mictlantecuhtli said, and then his essence withdrew. [The relationship between The Deiwos Clan and The Illhucatil-Omoyocan Clan has deteriorated from Bitter Enemies to Irreconcilable Foes] ¡°Glaridinus,¡± Adtonifulmin called. A vast constellation of stars descended and surrounded Adtonifulmin. "You called, Master?" Glaridinus asked. "I did. I¡¯ve spoken to Picciari, En Dohhasieda and The Three Fallen Siblings," he said. "You, Amarosa, The Cunning Deliverer, and Rael will lead a divine war against The Hosamosef Pantheon''s constellations. Do you have an objection?" "None, My Lord," the constellation said. "In fact, I thank you for arranging this war. As a gift to you, I promise at least one of my seraphim will Ascend to deityhood in this war.¡± ¡°You know my will, Glaridinus. I have faith in you, but if the battle is lost, save my people first,¡± Adtonifulmin said. ¡°Win.¡± ¡±I will not waste the precious opportunity your hallowed Visage has given to us. I¡®ll lead the raid on Hosamosef and swallow all of their constellations¡¯ Stars. The Deiwos Clan must rise to the level of being worthy allies of The Descendants of The Sun,¡± Glaridinus said. The sky darkened as more of the constellation¡¯s Stars fell around Adtonifulmin, illuminating his essence. ¡°This I vow in my Name. I will lead your army, and once I tear down that Pantheon, I will add their universes to The Deiwos Clan''s collection of worlds." The Vow was binding, and Adtonifulmin accepted his child''s resolve and bid him farewell. "You walk your own path, Glaridinus. Walk it with fervour." With the seraphim dead, Adtonifulmin returned to his domain. "Did you see that, Langa?" he asked. "It''s my first time on the other side of the bond. I will try to control it so your dreams aren''t always filled with my exploits. Sleep now, my dear child. I have destroyed the one who tried to lead you astray. Good night.¡± Langa had the most restful sleep of his life that night. 77. The Khwezikazi Rays Guild - Formation (1) "Hey, you bastard, you better not still be sleeping," Langa shouted, banging on the door to Liv''s room, the following day. He needed to make sure Liv arrived at Merreddyd''s Tower Address on time. It would be taking place later that day but Langa needed to finish the High Commissioner''s quest so he wouldn''t have time to check on Liv later. "If you lose us the opportunity for Merreddyd''s endorsement after the pain I endured sparring her for it, I will rip you a new arsehole!" "Oh my." Langa stopped short when the door opened. Coraloa stood, leaning against the door frame, wearing only a seashell bra and a towel on her waist. She was brushing her hair, her eyebrows raised. "Rip him a new asshole? I didn''t realise you two were the same kind of friends Liv and I are," she said with a grin. Langa wanted to crawl into a hole in embarrassment. He wouldn''t have been so crude if he''d known she was here. Liv''s deliberate misinterpretation of innocent phrases must be rubbing off on her. Liv''s deep voice came from the bathroom. "Even if that were the case, there is no way in the Duat I would be the one getting his asshole-" "Okay, thanks both of you for putting that image in my head. Yikes," Langa said, cutting Liv off with a shudder. "Sorry to disturb you, Coraloa. I just wanted to make sure Liv was ready for the meeting with Merreddyd." "We''re going together to the Address, so don''t worry, I''ll make sure he''s on time," she said. "Okay," Langa said. "Liv! Make us look good so that people become interested in joining our guild. But if you don¡¯t want to give Synn a stroke, don''t say anything too crazy during the Address." "When have I ever said anything crazy? What are you doing after the Address? I have to show you something," Liv called from the bathroom. "I have to go complete a quest at Tishiba''s Peak now," Langa said. "The High Commissioner''s a busy man so I''m not sure how long I''ll take." "When you''re done, I''ll come pick you and SynnForessa up so we can go and view our new roving guild territory," Liv said. "Sure," Langa said. He wondered what it looked like since every guild had to have a separate dimension as a territory. It was a place any guild member would be able to access through a teleportation wheel from any Floor, player or NPC. "Bye Coraloa, I''ll see you later." "Actually," she said, holding him back. Langa frowned. If she asked him to join her and Liv in their activities, he was really going to run away. "Holy Zodiacs, Langa, don''t look so scared; I''m not going to jump you. I know I''m not your type... although I suppose I''m not Liv''s either, so that won''t reassure you, will it?" She laughed. "What is it?" he asked. "I just wanted to say goodbye, because after the Address I''m getting my new assignment from GM Merreddyd," she said. "I might be off the grid for a while. Thanks for your help in the Gate. Let''s do it again some time. It was nice working with you." "You too," Langa smiled. "I''d hug you, but you''re half-naked right now, and I don''t want to make you uncomfortable." "Who''s uncomfortable?" She asked with a laugh. She held out her arms. Well, if she didn''t mind, he certainly didn''t. After saying goodbye to Coraloa and exchanging mana signatures with her, he left. * Langa waited outside the High Commissioner of The Anukirtam Federation''s office for over an hour before he was free to meet him. He almost left out of sheer annoyance, but remembered the only reason he was even able to get this meeting at such short notice was thanks to the High Commissioner''s son, his friend Undkese, going out of his way to arrange it. He also really wanted to get his reward for completing the Floor Leader''s quest. Inside his office, the owlkin was as intimidating as always; however, his aura no longer felt unreachable. ¡°Good afternoon, High Commissioner,¡± Langa said. "Hello, and congratulations on forming a guild." Randika Anukirtam looked up and surveyed Langa. Surprise registered in his eyes. "Wow. It''s only been four or five days since I saw you. Was the incident with King Maetrolugy so bad that you earned four levels in such a short period?" Seeing as Randika was the leader of this Floor, it made sense that he knew what had happened with the Floor Overlord. Langa did wonder who the new Overlord of the 1st Floor was now that Adtonifulmin had killed King Maetrolugy. "That whole ordeal was terrifying," Langa said. This meeting helped him realise how much danger he was in. At level 15, he could now be attacked by level 25 mortals like Randika without them receiving backlash. Level 25 was the maximum level of the Ground Storey and any high-level players who came down here were locked at Level 25. He needed to be careful the next time he ran into C-Rank voidents like Perinda. "That''s why it took me so long to return here. So, where''s my gift?" he asked. "Straight to the point, huh?" The High Commissioner shook his head. "Very well. It will probably feel underwhelming after everything you''ve no doubt earned in the Special Gate." [You have completed the MAIN TOWER QUEST #1 Quest Objectives: Win the exhibition match of the Celestial Clash. Quest Completion Grade: B Rewards: You have access to Floor by Floor Leadership Quests +The High Commissioner¡¯s gift +350 EXP +174 karma +1% Renown + Floor Leader Recommendation Letter +1 Book of your choice from The Floor Leader''s private library] His quest completion Grade was B? Langa frowned. Was it because he¡¯d died at the end of the Celestial Clash, because he tied with Vos for first place, or because he didn¡¯t get chosen as the Celestial? Actually, there were a lot of reasons why he wouldn¡¯t have gotten an A. Those rewards were awful, and he could only hope the book he received would have the answers he was looking for. Randika stood up and led Langa towards one wall of his office. He waved his hand and a massive transparent lucent tile that lined the wall appeared, showing Langa a section of the Floor Leaders'' library. Already he could see the numerous scrolls and books floating around inside, and he itched to get his hands on the information he needed. "As promised." Randika pulled out a small golden lucent tile shaped like a crown from his inventory. ¡°This tile doesn''t just allow you to enter the roving library. It is also a recommendation letter from me. Any Floor Leader will recognise it," he said, "and only they can read what I wrote about you on it. Bind this lucent tile to yourself with your mana signature." Langa took the lucent tile and infused his mana into it. The tile lit up, showing a hundred different lines. The only thing written on it was the number one on the first line and next to it was the symbol of the logo of the Anukirtam Federation, containing a recommendation letter he couldn''t read. "How does this work?" Langa asked. When Langa first started this chain quest, The High Commissioner had stated that he was choosing him to be the link between the Floor leaders. This lucent crown tile had to be tied to that. "On the 1st Floor, I am the world leader recognised by the system; however, other Floors are different. The 2nd Floor, for instance, has seven recognised leaders, the dwarven War Chiefs and the 8th Floor has over 20 recognised Floor Leaders, the Alphas of each wolfkin pack. You need to get at least one Floor Leader on every Floor to place their Royal Seal on your lucent tile in order to continue with the chain quest." So this was what Pranav needed to get into the Pharaoh''s Palace on the 3rd Floor. If Langa could get a recommendation from one of the War Chiefs on the 2nd Floor, he wouldn''t need to work with Pranav to steal the Nimaredo. Once he got the soul vessel, he would use it to negotiate with Pranav to release Khaya. "Thank you," Langa said. scanning the lucent crown tile against the library entrance. It felt like he was stepping into a teleportation wheel. The library was on the 1st Floor but in a different dimension. He walked around for a while, looking at the floating scrolls and books, occasionally reading the summaries outside. It was not very well organised, and he couldn''t find what he was looking for. Finally, Randika was fed up with following him around. "What knowledge do you seek?" he asked. "There is a limit to which books you can see given your level and the Floors you''ve cleared." Langa thought about it for a moment. Knowledge generally wasn''t hard to obtain in the Tower as long as you had money; however, there were some topics blocked by The Quartenity. "I''m looking for information on the Infinite Challenge, those who are Branded by corruption and the use of Void Gems," he said. "Wow," Randika said. "You want the very things The Unrivalled restricts the most, don''t you? You won''t find reliable information on the Infinite Challenge anywhere. I don''t know much about it myself except that any player who hopes to one day become a deity must go through it. As for the other two," he said and waved his hand around. Seven books suspended themselves in the air in front of Langa. "At Tier 1, these are the only books available to you that mention those topics." There was honestly not much to choose from, so he read the system''s summaries of the books'' contents. There were only three books that had a fraction of what he needed. One was a thin leather-bound book with less than 50 pages called ''Void Gems and How to Use Them: A Brief Overview by The Greenwitch Academy of Dark Magic''. He was doubtful if it would have all the information he needed to properly use the Void Star, but it was better than nothing, especially considering how unlikely he was to find anything even mentioning how to use Void Gems inside the Tower. He knew it was for good reason, as restricting information was one of the only few ways The Unrivalled could prevent people from turning into voidents. Another was a book named ''Gatekeeping Deityhood: A Deconstruction of the Limitations of NPCs by Reisha - The Untethered''. It had a small section that briefly covered the Infinite Challenge. Nothing else in this library seemed to even mention it. The final one was a series of articles written on scrolls talking about what he presumed to be the Brand or his curse. It was called ''The Danger Posed By Those Who Bear The Mark of The Nameless by Unknown Author.'' Looking at them, Langa decided to discard the one about the Infinite Challenge. It didn''t seem to have any answers for him. Even though she couldn''t tell him everything, he could ask Synn for pointers on that since she had already completed it. He hesitated. His choices were finding out about the Brand, the curse that had plagued his father''s entire family and made him an outcast his mother rejected, or finding out how to use his Void Star to trap Fi Kindaro III inside his void territory so he could kill him over and over again until all his respawns were used up and free Makoto''s soul. The answer was surprisingly easy. Learning how to control the Void Star was the main priority. He''d waited 27 years to learn about the curse; he could wait a little more. "Was my performance in the Celestial Clash satisfactory?" Langa asked once they returned to The High Commissioner''s office. He was trying to steer the conversation towards the real reward, the continuation of his First Main Tower chain quest. ¡°It was. Although your recklessness with your life worries me," High Commissioner Randika said. "I told you before that the leaders of the first ten Floors used to have a way to communicate with each other privately across the Floors, right? That was how we kept tabs on the voident gangs and red players. Well, that line is linked to how you players get from one Floor to the next. Do you know how that happens?" Langa was interested in any means of private communication that did not require the exchange of mana signatures. ¡°We can use any teleportation wheel once we clear a Floor to go to our Floor Overlord¡¯s office," he said. "They give us the pass we need to enter the Divine Lucent Lift and get to the next Floor." ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not what I am asking. Let me rephrase. Do you know how the Floors are connected?¡± Randika asked. When Langa shook his head, the High Commissioner continued. ¡°The pathways connecting the Floors are called the 13 Lucent Steplines. When you travelled from the tutorial into the Tower you must¡¯ve seen these pathways.¡± Langa blinked, remembering the strange lines he''d seen right after the system integration when he entered the Floor Overlord¡¯s office. He''d seen them again the first time he died and right after the tutorial. ¡°Yeah, I remember them. But weren''t there fourteen of them?" he asked. The High Commissioner stood up abruptly, and then, in a single stride, he was in front of Langa and grabbed his face. He turned it left and right then said, ¡°Lift your head and show me your neck!¡± ¡°What?¡± Langa said, perplexed. ¡°Show me!¡± The High Commissioner lifted his head and then muttered an incantation. Langa felt a wave of magic wash over him and felt his Brand rage uncomfortably, then nothing else. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Randika took a deep, relieved breath and said, ¡°Thank Lord Anitari.¡± ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Langa demanded, touching his face. ¡°I apologise,¡± Randika said. ¡°I had to make sure you¡¯re not one of them.¡± ¡°One of what?¡± Langa asked, his Brand still feeling heavy and his chest hurting as if he had severe heartburn. ¡°You must¡¯ve seen wrong,¡± the High Commissioner said, ignoring the question. ¡°There are only 13 pathways corresponding to the 13 Affinities, or, as they¡¯re commonly called, the 13 Mana Disciplines. Those Lucent Steplines connect every Floor within the Tower to each other using The Unrivalled''s divine-¡± ¡°Yeah, great, awesome, but don''t dance around the subject," Langa interrupted. "What the hell did you just do? What do you mean, one of them?¡± The High Commissioner sighed. ¡°We do not speak of them. I don¡¯t know what kind of a world you¡¯re from, but you¡¯ll find that most worlds in the Infinite Multiverse have no love for those who possess the 14th Affinity. Thankfully, you are not one of them.¡± ¡°Wait, you thought I was one of the Lost Race? Aren''t they extinct?¡± he asked, intrigued. He had an item that led to the Blood Clone Legacy of The Lost Race, but he only met 40% of the requirements, so he hadn''t been able to obtain the Legacy. ¡°They still exist, but they live in hiding. Do you want to waste time talking about ghosts? I have a meeting after this, so let¡¯s finish this up. Shall I continue?¡± Randika asked. ¡°Fine.¡± Clearly, the topic made him uncomfortable. Langa was eager to learn more about the quest, and this guy didn''t seem interested in sharing information on the Lost Race. Should Langa have searched the library for information on them instead? Well, he would do that when he completed his next quest. "Go ahead." "The 3rd Floor was our biggest trade partner when it came to textiles and enchantable paper for magic scrolls. We used to get them at a discount, but now we have to buy through The Hallow Reaper Merchant Group, which has a monopoly on all InterFloor Trade, and they bleed us dry. Unless we can re-establish our own trade routes, we are going to keep increasing the wealth gap between players and NPCs on this Floor and our children will continue to choose voidentism because it is more lucrative for them," Randika said. That was not the kind of quest Langa wanted. He wasn''t a merchant or a trader! "Hold on, are you asking me to take on the millions of Hallow Reapers with my newly established guild that has only 5 members?" he asked. "Because I can mess with The Accari Crows since the Hallow Reapers will deny any affiliation with them because they are voidents, but disrupting their trade routes will get the entire guild obliterated." ¡°I know; now please let me explain what I need from you. I''m sure you already know that most worlds are integrated into a Tower to prevent a Void Eruption. and inside the Tower, the void seals corrupted areas into dungeons and red monster zones," Randika said, standing up and pacing around the office. "What do you think happens to the erratic void energy after The Unrivalled separates safe zones from corruptible areas?¡± Langa thought back, trying to remember the time he spent reading up about the Tower. ¡°Rifts. They are like breaks in space, right, connecting the Tower directly into the void, right? They can appear in red or yellow zones unexpectedly...but not safe zones.¡± ¡°Precisely. Some of those rifts can be right on top of the Lucent Steplines. Certain dark, chaotic rituals can allow players to Undercrawl and cross over between Floors that way. Obviously, this isn''t the right way to climb the Tower, and it''s incredibly dangerous because you can get lost in the void. The Unrivalled not only discourages it, but she actively punishes it,¡± he said. ¡°Okay, what does that have to do with my quest?¡± Langa asked, remembering the controversy of Batch 3 players who permanently died when they tried Undercrawling from the 5th Floor to the 7th Floor. ¡°Someone reopened the rift between the 2nd and 3rd Floors, so we are unable to use the mana within the Lucent Steplines to contact the Pharaoh Djet of the 3rd Floor. The reports from the players coming from the 3rd Floor are unbelievable. Pharaoh Djet is keeping his daughter prisoner. It''s worrying because he always wanted to leave the crown to her," Randika said. ¡°There are rumours of him working with red, negatively aligned players from Batch 3, and hiring voidents as his guards. It makes no sense to me, he wasn''t that kind of person.¡± ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± Langa asked. The High Commissioner took a deep breath and sat back down. ¡°I need you to close the rift between the 2nd and 3rd Floor, then restore our communication with the Pharaoh. I don''t know how you will do it, but please, I''m counting on you, Langa. Show me that Undkese''s faith in you is not misplaced. If you can find out if someone is forcing Djet to act against his will, that would be ideal," Randika said.
TOWER MAIN QUEST #2
Quest Rank: Main Tower Quest
Quest Objectives:
Close the Void Rift between the 2nd and 3rd Floors. Re-establish trade between the 1st and 3rd Floor.
Time Limit:
Unknown
Optional Quest Objective:
Find out why Pharoah Djet of the 3rd Floor has changed. Fill your Lucent crown tile with Royal Seals from at least one Floor Leader on every Floor.
Quest Limitations:
Hidden
Cautions:
Quest Rewards:
Access to more sections of the Floor Leaders'' Library
Failure Penalties:
Loss of Renown on the First Floor Access to the Main Tower Chain Quest revoked
"I''ll take care of it; don''t worry," Langa said. The 1st Floor had been good to him, the least he could do was pay them back by improving their living conditions, even a little. Once he accepted the quest, Langa returned to Sorrento Inn. He was eager to start reading, but first, there was a call he needed to make. * "Are you ready?" Synn asked later that day when Langa went to her room. Ever since he found out that Synn and Khaya knew each other, he''d been desperate to speak to her. Since Synn had her mana signature, she was Langa''s only link to Khaya. "As ready as I''ll ever be," he said. He wasn''t going to shout at Khaya. He would calmly ask her to explain what happened. "I know you''re upset she didn¡¯t come to you, but she has a reason... It''s best you hear it from her," Synn said, placing a hand in his. There was a sad, sympathetic look in her eyes that Langa didn''t understand. What did Synn know? "Don''t say anything until I tell you to, okay?" She made the call. "Hello? Synn?" came Khaya''s voice. She sounded like she had just woken up. Langa clenched his fists and closed his eyes to calm himself down. "Hey, are you alone?" Synn asked. "I need to talk to you about something private." "Private? Is everything okay? I saw all those announcements yesterday. A lot of people were talking about how you must have earned a good reward and what they¡¯d do to get it from you. Are you in trouble?" Khaya asked, concern in her voice. Gods, she hadn''t changed one bit. Always worrying about others. "I''m fine, I promise," Synn assured her. "Okay, that''s a relief. Hold on, let me go to my room," she said. There was the sound of movement for a bit, and then she spoke again. "What''s up?" "I have someone who really wants to talk to you," Synn said. "I didn''t tell him what you told me, so don''t freak out, okay?" "What are you talking about, Sy-" "Hi, Khaya," Langa said quietly, and Synn gave him an exasperated look. There was silence at the other end of the line. "Langa?" she asked. "Yeah, it''s me," he said. He forced down the millions of reprimands and questions of why she would trust Pranav over him. "How are you? Are you safe? Are you eating well? Are you not hurt? The 1st Floor is cold, so make sure you''re wearing warm things, okay?" A sob broke through from the other side. "You''re so..." she sniffled. "I''m doing fine, malume. I''m in a neutral zone, so there are no monsters here. Pranav assigned me a bodyguard who protects me everywhere I go, so I''m safe. The food here is different from home, but it''s good, so I''m eating well." Khaya''s voice cracked with another sob. "I did get hurt in the tutorial, and the first few days on this Floor were rough, but I had my friends, and Synn protected me. Everything was fine once I found Neo. He took good care of me and my friends, so no, I''m not hurt, and I''m dressing warmly," she said. "I miss you, Langa." His heart hurt, but knowing she was doing well alleviated some of his worry. "Then come to me, Khaya. You saw the announcements, right? I have created a guild. My friends are in it too, and we will protect you. Just please come to me," he said. Khaya took a deep breath. "I can''t. Neo needs me. I have to help bring him back." That was the answer he expected. "Tell me what happened to him," Langa said. "Pranav didn''t tell you? After Synn saved me and my friends, I went to Neo. He and his... crew had taken over a small village in the Kirtisn Valley and he and Pranav were doing some secret trial for The Hallow Reaper Cult. They seemed to be having fun, and me and my friends had a place to sleep and rest after days on the run. So everything was great. I even got a Sponsorship Challenge from one of The Lackadaisical Herald''s constellations, Lady Dinitius," she said. Langa muttered a silent word of thanks to Adtonifulmin for keeping his promise. "So The Hallow Reapers did the race change ritual for Neo?" "No. Neo just thought vampires were cool, like amazimu from your dad''s stories, you know? He found a Deiwos Clan god willing to offer him a Sponsorship Challenge if the ritual was successful," she said. "Pranav had just finished doing his Sponsorship Challenge at the time, and since his patron deity is a demon god, Neo thought it would be a good idea to obtain some divine artefact that Pranav needed by doing a sacrificial ritual. You know as well as I do that besides breaking the law, there''s really only one thing Pranav loves the most." "Neo," Langa said through gritted teeth. "Yeah, so Neo offered to do the sacrificial ritual and died. But when Neo respawned, his soul was just gone. His body is there, not decaying, but soulless," she said, her voice full of sorrow. "Hold on. Sorry to interrupt, but what deity was this?" Synn asked. "Neo''s deity is Lord En Dohhasieda, The Faceless King of The Hidden Mask," she said. "But if you''re asking about Pranav, it''s Lord Raktab¨©ja, The Demonic Blood Seed." "You''re telling me your brother and his boyfriend sacrificed him to an Asura, and were surprised they didn''t get the soul back right away?" Synn asked. "How are you planning to bring him back, because I have never known an Asura to relinquish a soul?" "I''m not too sure about the details, but apparently one of the Insurgents of Anarchy stepped in and collected fragments of Neo''s soul. I think The Faceless King made a deal with The Asura through The Demon Reaper," she said. "Anyway, the point is, Neo''s soul is in an egg that needs his lifeblood... my lifeblood to survive until we can bring him back. Pranav said you agreed to help him get the item he needs to do it, Langa." "He''s using your lifeblood and planning to do a full resurrection ritual?" Synn said with a frown. "Listen to me very carefully, Khaya. I asked around about that. I have... an acquaintance who told me that in order to bring Neo back, another soul must be sacrificed. To ensure the ritual works 100%, the best sacrifice is someone he is directly related to. Do you understand what I''m saying?" Langa said, reiterating what he''d learnt from Vos Kindaro II. There was silence from Khaya''s side. "You think Pranav will use me as the sacrifice." "I know he will. That''s why he''s keeping you with him," Langa snapped. "Tell me where you are, and I''ll come get you. Now." "No. Even if what you say is true, if Neo doesn''t get my fresh blood every 26 hours, his soul will become untethered to the living world, and he will truly die," she said. "I can''t leave him." Dammit. The whole situation was fucked up. "What if we steal Neo''s soul?" Langa asked. "That''s going to be hard, Langa, because Pranav keeps it next to his heart, always, and he''s got Hallow Reapers all over him. You won''t be able to get close," she said. "It doesn''t have to be me, right? The sacrifice? Pranav knows Neo wouldn''t agree to that." "There is nothing equivalent to a mortal''s soul, except another," Synn said. "Unfortunately some gods, and by that I mean demon gods like mine, weigh mortal souls against each other. The Asura might demand 100 specific types of souls in exchange for your brother''s, or he may request a million. It depends on his whim and whether Death accepts the price. Would you both be willing to sacrifice however many souls it takes to do that?" For a moment, Langa wanted to say that there was nothing he wouldn''t do to bring Neo back, no matter how many people had to die. But then he thought about what if the deity asked for the souls of a hundred children? No, the soul of one child... and he knew in his heart he wouldn''t be able to do that and live with himself. "We''ll cross that bridge when we get there," he said, and Synn gave him a sympathetic look. "Is there anything you need me to do? I left my bodyguard downstairs, but he¡¯s going to come up here in a second since I told him I was going to the bathroom,¡± Khaya said. ¡°Here¡¯s the plan, well it¡¯s not really a plan but for now, I¡¯m going to do as Pranav asked. I¡¯m going to get the soul vessel on the 3rd Floor," he said. "Once I have it, I''ll let you know through Synn, so begin making plans to leave that place, or else I¡¯m going to come myself and tear it to the ground to save you. Once I know you''re safe, I will use the soul vessel to negotiate with Pranav for Neo¡¯s soul.¡± ¡°Okay, but I¡­ wait, Langa,¡± Khaya said as if she just thought of something. ¡°I don¡¯t think Pranav was planning on using me to bring Neo back at all.¡± ¡°Khaya, don¡¯t be na?ve,¡± Langa said, exasperated. ¡°No, I¡¯m not being na?ve; it¡¯s just that Ayanda and I accidentally found out something that we thought was strange. Pranav was searching for my dad and I think he had a lead on him,¡± she said. ¡°He was looking for Kgosi?¡± Langa asked in surprise. ¡°Yeah. Apparently, he''s alive on the 1st Floor somewhere. I was surprised why Pranav would be looking for him, considering that Dad hates his guts, but after what you just told me... I think he wants to use him to bring Neo back," Khaya said, then her voice shuddered in panic. "Oh, gods. We¡¯ve got to save him. I don¡¯t even know where Mum is either! What if he tries to use Mum-¡° ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Langa said. Everything was finally coming together. It made more sense that Pranav would use Kgosi rather than Khaya. But that was only if he could find him. ¡®Two are dead, two are in mortal peril and one is Shrouded¡¯.'' That was what the Seer had said when Langa asked her about his family back in Risa''s Plateau. According to Adtonifulmin, one of his family members was an NPC, so by the process of elimination that meant¡­ ¡°Your mother isn¡¯t here, Khaya. Don''t worry about her. Pranav won''t find her because she is an NPC on the 36th Floor,¡± he said. ¡°What? Are you sure?¡± Khaya asked. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m sure.¡± Adtonifulmin wouldn''t lie to him. ¡°Okay, that means she''s fine, right?¡± Langa didn¡¯t want to lie to her. Considering there was a demon on the 36th Floor, he wasn''t sure of his sister''s safety. ¡°I don¡¯t know, honestly. But we aren''t sure of Pranav¡¯s plans, so let¡¯s follow the plan I told you earlier.¡± ¡°Okay. My bodyguard is outside the door," Khaya whispered. "I gotta go.¡± ¡°Khaya,¡± Langa said quietly. ¡°You can come to me anytime, okay? I love you.¡± He could hear the smile in her voice when she said, ¡°I know. I love you too, Langa.¡± Once he ended the call, Synn gave Langa a questioning look. ¡°You didn¡¯t promise to save her father,¡± she said. Langa shrugged. ¡°I don''t make promises I can''t keep. If I¡¯m asked to choose between saving Neo or Kgosi, I don''t even have to think about it,¡± he said. If his shaky plan to get Khaya away from Pranav didn''t work, Kgosi would have to be his Plan B. He had to find Kgosi and exchange him for Khaya in case something went wrong. That way, Pranav would be able to use Kgosi for the ritual to bring Neo back. Langa was grateful to Kgosi for raising him after his own mother threw him away. Sure, Kgosi had been awful to him and was responsible for a lot of his childhood trauma but Langa didn''t hate him, not really. He didn¡¯t want to allow the people who hurt him to occupy space in his heart anymore, so Kgosi meant nothing to him. Neo, however, was someone very dear to his heart, the first friend he ever had, someone he grew up with, and someone he would always choose. 78. The Khwezikazi Rays Guild - Formation (2) Restricted Records of The Scribe Book 179: The Dark Path of the Voident The Mechanics of Wielding Void Gems The rise of the voidents marked a turning point in the balance of power within the infinite realms. What began as a pursuit of mastery over corruption in order to hunt the Lost Race spiralled into darkness as these individuals became corrupted by The Nameless One. To forge a Void Gem is to bind one¡¯s own karma to corruption. This process requires a significant sacrifice; usually the karma of another, uncorrupted being. This is an academic research scroll, but I know The Great Quartenity will not allow my book to see the light if I explain in detail how Void Gems are created, so I will omit that. The ritual is often conducted in secrecy and a Void Gem; a conduit for corruption is born. Langa sat down on his bed in the inn reading the book. He already knew most of the information that was written there. What he was most interested in currently was how to use his Void Star effectively. The last time he''d used his Void Star in his fight against the E-Rank voident Sasani-Zine, he''d used it to protect himself and then allowed the excess corrupted energy from the charge he had consumed into his body. It was similar to how voidents assimilated corruption, so he wanted to learn how to control it in the hope that he would one day be able to control his Brand without relying on Adtonifulmin''s master. If Langa would one day take Chaos'' Divine Challenge which was offering him Void Mana Channels to control his mana flow, then he needed to exercise some form of control over the star fragment. If he chose that path, the Void Star fragment would become his manacore after all. The reason why he chose this book specifically, though, was shortsighted. Adtonifulmin had told him before that Void Stars could be used like Void Diamonds to seal a Player inside the voident''s pseudovoid territory so that even if they died, they were forced to respawn inside the territory instead of their respawn point. If he could access that power, then he might be able to permanently kill Fi Kindaro III without relying on working with Vos Kindaro II. However, it didn''t seem likely because, at the moment, all he could use his Void Star for was to protect himself against void territories that his Deiform Artefacts could not protect him against. He still had a lot to learn about assimilating the corrupted energy inside the Void Star without triggering his Brand. He wanted to have as many options as possible when he fought against Kindaro just in case he couldn¡¯t gain enough items to boost his Mental Resistance. He flipped to a different page. [Chapter 4: The Three Paths of Awakening It is common knowledge that there are only four ways for mortals to directly interact with corruption, according to the principles of The Great Quartenity: Assimilation, Harnessing, Sealing and Clearing. Voidents use the first three, and to destroy a Void Gem, the fourth is used. When a voident chooses to awaken the corruption within their Void Gem they must allow the infection to fester inside them and force their will upon the Void Gem. 1. Sealing Corruption Voidents can seal corrupted creatures within their Void Gems and, upon awakening, can summon them to fight at their command. Higher-ranked Void Gems, Void Opus and above, may even seal maestrils and use them as minions. These summoned creatures are bound by the voident¡¯s will, though maintaining control over such malevolent creatures is a strain on them. The corruption used in summoning consumes large amounts of the Void Gem¡¯s power, and thus the karma requirement grows with each use. 2. Assimilating Corruption Through assimilation, a voident allows corruption to invade their own body, transforming them into something resembling both a mortal and a corrupted being. This Awakening State enhances physical strength, mana reserves, speed, and resistance beyond mortal limits. However, the corrupt mana stokes the voident¡¯s aggression and bloodlust, often pushing them into a battle craze they cannot always control. In this state, they are unpredictable, and this power devours their Void Gem¡¯s reserves rapidly. 3. Harnessing Corruption Lastly, a voident may harness corruption to taint the area around them, creating an aura of corruption influence. This territory effect can sap karma from any living being within, transferring it into the Void Gem to fuel the voident further. Though powerful, the corruption spreads indiscriminately, endangering allies and innocents alike. The voident has the ability to exclude other people from the effects of their pseudovoid territories. Every use of a Void Gem¡¯s corruption leaves it craving more. After each Awakening, the gem demands karma to replenish its power. Initially, a small sacrifice will suffice, but each subsequent awakening deepens the gem¡¯s desire. A voident who has spent much of their Void Gem¡¯s essence must sacrifice again to sustain their power, though even this is only a temporary relief. If a voident fails to feed their Void Gem adequately, the artefact turns on them, feeding upon their mind and sanity. Their mental state slowly deteriorates, plagued as corruption consumes them, until they are nothing more than a living puppet of The Nameless One.] Most of the low rank voidents used the harnessing power and some the assimilation. Langa had yet to meet someone who used the sealing power. Still, all those powers sounded dangerous. Thankfully Langa wasn''t a voident, he''d earned his Void Star fragment fairly. Langa closed his eyes and sat in the lotus position. He looked inward where there should have been a manacore. The Void Star sat next to his heart with the black ball of fluid of the Brand, right next to it. "System, scan the Void Star," he said. [Void Star (Fragmented) Artefact Rank: Divine (Chaos: The Onslaught of The Dark Void) Sacrifice: ? Effects: ? Total karma: ???????????? Charges: 7/???] The charges on it had gone up since Adtonifulmin killed King Maetrolugy. It seemed the negative karma he¡¯d allowed to flow into Langa charged up the star fragment. If Langa wanted to increase the charges on the Void Star he didn¡¯t need to kill and sacrifice innocent people. No, since it was born from the death of a constellation, the star fragment only accepted karma sacrifices of seraphim or constellations. It was a good thing Langa wasn¡¯t planning on using it to Awaken himself but to control his mana flow. Harnessing the corruption seemed to be what he needed to do to create his own Void Veil and modify the properties of his pseudovoid territory. He couldn''t do that without first activating the fragmented Void Star. Langa took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "And here goes nothing," he said. He started by activating his lightning mana through his nerves and using the Void Star as a conductor, moving his mana slowly into the Void Star. He was careful not to have the mana go anywhere near his Brand, but that wasn''t something he had much control over because the Brand had a mind of its own. As soon as his mana was infused, Langa exerted his will upon the star fragment. "Create a pseudovoid territory," he said, and then suddenly his whole body felt like it was on fire. He felt black strands of karma emerge from the Void Star and absorb the mana he infused into it. He didn''t even have time to consume a single charge. His nerves started burning, and he screamed as a tiny little sliver of corrupted energy flowed from the Brand, travelling up the nerves carrying his mana, trying to create something tangible from his hands. The moment his lightning mana became slightly corrupted his whole nervous system went haywire, and he felt like he was holding a live wire with his body covered in water. He shook and trembled as he heard himself start screaming. When he opened his eyes, he was lying on the floor, defeated. Warmth was coursing through his body, and a flask was pressed against his mouth. His head was lying on Synn''s lap, and she had her hands on his chest, glowing with light. That was where the warmth was coming from. He could feel her mana soothing him. "Synn?" he said, getting his bearings back. "Hey," she said. "I heard you screaming from next door. I found you passed out from mana exhaustion. What happened?" He sat up and drank the regular mana potion. He only received half the mana it offered due to his full affinity, but he wasn''t going to waste his lightning mana potions outside of battle. "I was trying to use the Void Star," he said. "This damn thing almost got our entire party killed, so I wanted to get some use out of it. "Well, be careful," she said. "You almost fried your nerves again. Damn it! He''d been doing so well. Adtonifulmin had warned him to be careful about circulating corruption through his nerves after the fight against Sasani. His nerves had stopped filling with pain whenever he moved mana through them. But he was worried it would start again. "I know. Thanks, Synn," he said. "Hey¡­¡± She looked up at him and he took both her hands in his. ¡°About what happened in the fight against Funduvus,¡± he started and she tensed, looking away. ¡°I know how you feel. I used to be like that too, I thought if I died, I would be free.¡± Synn refused to meet his eyes and said quietly, ¡°It''s not the same. You didn''t destroy an entire world because of greed.¡± ¡°I think you''re too hard on yourself, and so is your master. I know this isn''t something anyone else can give you, and it has to come from within but I want you to know, Synn,¡± he said, squeezing her hands gently. Her brown eyes met his, unreadable and filled with worry. ¡°I promise I will help you find a reason to live.¡± She didn''t cry, but sorrow filled her eyes. ¡°I don''t know if anyone can do that for me, but thanks for wanting to try. I don''t hate my life; I just don''t deserve this second chance.¡± ¡°Synn-¡± ¡°I''ll say this though, despite promising to live for those who died because of me, I selfishly liked doing the dungeon with you guys,¡± she said. She pulled her hands away, and leant closer, kissing his cheek. ¡°You''re a good friend, Langa, so I promise not to throw my life away.¡± Langa knew that was all she could promise right now, so he nodded and changed the subject. ¡°Has the broadcast started?" he asked. "Yeah," Synn said, standing up. "We should go watch it and hope Liv''Kungsadu doesn''t make a fool of himself." * The tavern at Sorrento Inn was packed with local NPCs, all gathered to watch The Guardians¡¯ State of The Tower Address. There was the usual sound of chatter, laughter, and music. Langa and Synn ordered their drinks and joined their friend Undkese at a small table near the back, watching the large lucent tile above the bar. ¡°Wow, it feels like the whole town is here,¡± Langa said, scrunching up his nose at the smell of sweat, food, and beer. "I didn¡¯t know the Address was so popular.¡± The Address was taking place inside the Guardians'' roving guildhall, in front of over a thousand Guardians sitting inside a hall. Currently, Khalifhari, The Guardians¡¯ First Storey Administrator, was giving a speech. Langa only half listened to her and then Alfsol¡¯s reports on the state of the First and Second Storeys and how many voident gangs they took down since he didn¡¯t know half the people they were talking about. Undkese tore into a chicken leg and said, "My sister and I used to sit together in the sitting room watching the Address every year, from back when Alfsol Seren was the Guardians'' guild master. I remember the historic moment when he announced he was stepping down and letting the Guardian Knight take over as guild master," he smiled. "My sister was so inspired by Merreddyd that she decided to be a player in Batch 3." Langa froze for a moment as he remembered Liberty telling him that the reason she and the other Insurgents of Anarchy weren''t allowed on the 1st Floor was because Anarchist had killed The High Commissioner''s daughter, and that was Undkese''s sister. Thankfully, the topic of conversation shifted as Jandri¡¯s face filled the screen now. Murmurs of discontent went through the crowd as she spoke about some massacre on the 8th Floor. ¡°Well, the existence of voidents affects everyone so they all listen to the Address,¡± Synn said with a shrug, putting her cup of mead down. "Plus, it seems the Guardian Knight is really popular even if people don¡¯t like The Ground Storey Administrator.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. It made Langa unhappy to see NPCs cursing at Jandri as she spoke, given how much she had sacrificed for this Storey. ¡°Turn it up, the Guardian Knight is about to come on,¡± an old goblinkin shouted from the back, and Langa had to cover his ears as Jandri¡¯s voice increased in volume. "I would like to let all the mortals of the 8th Floor, my people, know that I will not stop until I bring the fugitive known as Amalgam to justice,¡± she said. ¡°All the lives lost in the last ritual will be paid back in the blood of The Accari Crows.¡± Jandri stepped off the stage, and then Aria came on the screen, dressed formally. Her hair was dark brown today, and Langa had no idea what that colour meant. ¡°Thank you to our three Guild Administrators for their commendable work in keeping this Tower safe from voidents,¡± Aria said. ¡°Without further ado, this is the moment you¡¯ve all been waiting for. Making her first public appearance in a year since the destruction of The Pathfinders, please welcome our guild master, the Guardian Knight of Justice: Saint Merreddyd the 5th.¡± Cheers went through the crowd as Merreddyd walked up to the stage. Langa whistled. Gone was the exhausted girl he¡¯d met a few days ago. She had transformed into her angelic version, had a cloth over her eyes, and was dressed in her Guardian Knight Armour. Even across the lucent tile, he could tell her karma was astounding. ¡°Damn! Cora said she was young, but I didn''t think she was this young. How is she carrying this Tower alone?¡± Synn asked and Langa couldn''t help but agree. Merreddyd stood in front of the podium, flanked by Alfsol and a tigerkin Langa had never seen before. ¡°Thank you, Aria, Jandri, Khalifhari, Alfsol and Baneiline. It has been over a year since I last Addressed this Tower, ya. It is good to stand before my guildmates and the Tower again," she said with a smile. "She is so sweet," one goblinkin NPC whispered as everyone clapped again. "My dear Towerpeople," Merreddyd''s voice was enhanced and it silenced the tavern as everyone observed. "The people on this stage with me are, as you know, my most trusted officers. Today, we stand here united in our mission to uphold the law and protect the innocent. You have heard the reports of how hard we work to ensure The Unrivalled¡¯s laws are kept," she said, looking directly at the lucent tile. ¡°Right now, I am paving the Guardians¡¯ way into the Third Storey, but I don¡¯t want the people of the lower Floors to think I¡¯ve forgotten them. Alfsol, Khalfhari and Jandri have been doing an excellent job, ya, however, we still need more Guardians,¡± she said. ¡°I have prayed endlessly to my master for assistance, and I am pleased to say she finally found someone worthy of her co-Sponsorship.¡± The crowd went dead silent, all waiting for the announcement as Merreddyd looked across the curious crowd of Guardians before her. ¡°I would like to introduce to you Batch 4''s very own, Coraloa Aquarius Winter: The Guardian Knight of Peace,¡± she said, raising her arm with a smile. Claps and hoots of joy erupted from the Guardians as Coraloa stepped onto the podium. She wore armour similar to Merreddyd¡¯s, but hers was lighter, and silver and green instead of gold. People in the tavern started cheering as the Guardians in the audience all stood up and bowed. Merreddyd whispered something to Coraloa before stepping back. ¡°Thank you very much for the introduction, Saint Merreddyd," Coraloa said. She waved at the Guardians and the people watching through the lucent tiles. Langa was relieved at how confident she looked. He hadn''t realised it, but he''d been worried that her nervousness in front of Merreddyd might make things harder for Coraloa. "I¡¯m new to this Tower, but I am not new to the dangers of rampant corruption. My main patron, Lady Aquarius, used to be a Guardian Knight herself when she was mortal. I¡¯m honoured to be walking the same path as her as well as Saint Merreddyd," she said. Her voice was so strong and authoritative that Langa couldn''t help but be proud of her. "To all the NPCs and Players watching. I vow upon the names of my patron deity, Lady Aquarius of the Zodiacs, and my sub-patron deity, The Unrivalled Tower Master, that I will restore peace and order to the Ground Storey. Voidents should beware, for there can be no peace without a war to eradicate the corrupt.¡± ¡°Wow, look at my girl go,¡± Synn said proudly as the Guardians chanted Coraloa''s name. "I guess the Class Change went well." Coraloa bowed, stepping back and Merreddyd took the stage again. ¡°Thank you. That was obviously the biggest news I had to announce to you all, ya. I figured it was best to start with the good news before I got into the bad news.¡± As soon as she said that, the buzz that had been created by Coraloa''s appearance died down and everyone watched her silently, her charisma compelling them to listen. ¡°The 1773rd Deiwos Tower is in shambles. There is a reason why my master decided to grant Coraloa a Class Change. The creation-corruption balance on the lower Ground Storey is tipping against us. Coraloa and Jandri are going to be working very closely together to fix that issue, but that is not why I am angry." Gone was the smiling, benevolent Guardian Knight who claimed to be happy to be Addressing the people. Instead, there was a hardness in her face, even without seeing her eyes. "Recently, a disgusting incident took place on the 1st Floor,¡± she said. "We uncovered an awful operation by the voident gang known as ''The Accari Crows,''. They were responsible for the cruel and inhumane treatment of NPC children. They kidnapped and planned to corrupt these innocent, unlevelled, and unintegrated children!" Merreddyd paused, allowing her words to flow into everyone. Langa didn''t know if it was her charisma or his memories of the incident, but he felt his anger rise as he thought of the children he couldn''t save. Murmurs of disgust rippled through the crowd in the tavern. Undkese looked down shamefully. It seemed he was still feeling guilty over his part in the children''s kidnapping. "The individuals involved in this vile undertaking have been apprehended," Merreddyd continued. "Thanks to the bravery and vigilance of our Ground Storey Administrator Jandri as well as three new players from Batch 4. " ¡°Batch 4 again?¡± someone in the tavern asked. ¡°It¡¯s only been a month since their integration, though. They are progressing rather fast.¡± "Here''s the thing about players, friend," the eaglekin beside him said. "Those who stand out do so blindingly. Nothing can stop them." "It came to our attention that a neutral mercenary guild was not only complicit but actively participating in these crimes. This betrayal of trust is a reminder that we must remain vigilant. We cannot allow such corruption to take root in our community, both literally and figuratively," Merreddyd said. ¡°It pains me to say that the guild in question is The Vonelle Heilliege Guild.¡± "She is not pulling any punches," Langa said. He hadn''t expected her to just announce it like that. It wasn''t as if the whole guild had been involved, just a small portion. "Yeah, everyone should know what they did," Undkese sighed. "This is going to destroy them." Merreddyd held up a scroll. ¡°I hold an Edict from The Unrivalled Tower Master herself. It is an old law employed across many Towers, and I finally managed to earn enough Achievements to convince her that we require it to be implemented in the 1773rd Deiwos Tower,¡° she said. The light reflecting off her armour was almost blinding as she continued. ¡°This Edict states that any neutral or positively aligned guild proven to be in cooperation with known voidents will have their alignment dropped by 100. Every. Single. Guild. Member. Complicit in their scheme or not.¡± It surprised Langa that such a drastic Edict existed. A neutral Player who lost that much alignment would automatically become a red Player, meaning they couldn''t enter safe zones unless the safe zone Authorities gave them restricted access. ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s harsh,¡± Undkese said. "They do that in all the Towers, but this type of Authority usually doesn''t come into effect until like the Fourth Storey is open," Synn said in surprise. "That girl must have prayed and worked her little heart off to unlock it so soon." No wonder Merreddyd hasn''t slept in months and had been exhausted when Langa first met her.¡°. ¡°My Master is a fair queen, so even though I do not like it, I have to give every single member of The Vonelle Heilliege Guild 13 minutes before I employ this Edict. That means, those whose loss of alignment will turn red, have 13 minutes to leave safe zones or hand yourself over to the safe zone authorities and be stripped of your mana, health and stamina or you will be forcefully removed by the system," she paused. "And just so we are clear, by forcefully removed, I mean instantly killed. Starting now. Of course, all Vonelle Heilliege Guild properties and land inside safe zones naturally will be seized by the Guardians¡¯ Search and Seizure squad.¡± ¡°What about the innocent guild members that aren¡¯t watching the Address?¡± someone in the tavern asked. ¡°Sucks for them,¡± another person said. "That''s what they get for working with murderers." It was a bit unfair to punish everyone for what a select few had done, but hopefully, this would help deter any other neutral guilds from associating with voidents. ¡°Additionally, for the first offence, 30% of ALL the guild¡¯s assets will be reverted to the Guardians Guild to assist in the efforts of purging the Tower of corruption,¡± she said. ¡°The Guardians will all be getting a raise, so anyone who wants to join should hurry to their nearest Guardians Guild outpost." Langa was impressed that Merreddyd was not-so-subtly recruiting for the guild. If people didn''t do it from the goodness of their hearts, they could do it for money. Merreddyd wasn''t done yet, though. "My deputy guild master, Alfsol has outdone himself and captured the guild master of Vonelle Heillege. She wisely confessed to her crime and agreed to serve time in the Carciere. We recorded her confession." Merreddyd waved her hand, and the lucent tile was suddenly filled with the image of a badly bruised woman in crystalline mavale chains wearing no armour. ¡°I, Latiga Hintazo, hereby admit my guilt in mismanaging the Vonelle Heilliege guild. My failure to capture and bring to justice my former guild member Perinda Housci has caused this shame to fall upon us. As compensation, I will enter the Carciere for atonement and to improve my alignment. There I shall take my penance and return as a better leader. For now, the guild will be headed by our Chief of Staff, Khan," the woman on the screen said. "I hope he can expel and get rid of the voident known as Perinda Housci. He¡¯s been a terrible influence on my guild members and led them on the wrong path. I fully admit my wrongs in being unaware that such a scheme was being carried out under my nose." ¡°Poor girl,¡± Undkese said, with compassion in his eyes. Gasps of shock and anger echoed through the tavern as people either cursed Hintazo, pitied her or praised Merreddyd. ¡°Poor, my arse. That Chief of Staff person...he¡¯s working with Perinda, I¡¯m sure he told me that the first time we met," Langa said, watching the screen. This had to be just a publicity stunt for Hintazo to seem humble and apologetic so that people would feel sorry for her and empathise with her guild. He knew Merreddyd wasn''t stupid, so she probably knew that too. But this was a chance for her to show that high and mighty guild masters were not exempt from punishment. Even masters of top ten guilds. Langa could guess why Merreddyd would make this show of force. It was a clear warning to The Hallow Reapers since they were the greatest merchant group in the Tower and had a lot to lose if their voident connections were proven beyond just rumours. Merreddyd''s voice grew even more authoritative. "Let me be clear: anyone caught associating with The Accari Crows or any similar voident gangs will face the full force of the law. We will not tolerate such behaviour. Our Tower deserves better, and we must ensure that justice always prevails." She removed her blindfold and her blank, blindingly white eyes stared into the lucent tile. "If you have any information about ongoing illegal activities, I urge you to come forward. Together, we can root out this evil and restore safety and integrity to our Tower. Stand with us, and stand for what is right." Claps filled the air, everyone agreeing with her. ¡°To that end, I would like to extend a special thanks to the people who did not stand idly by in the face of this injustice. They were outnumbered, the odds against them, but they still followed the path of order.¡± The lucent tile showed the footage Langa had sent to Jandri, of him and Synn confronting Sasani. It also showed Undkese defending the kidnapped goblinkin children from voidents. It then showed Coraloa leading a party of Guardians into a voi-den and destroying it. ¡°Besides Coraloa, the three people you see on that screen are not Guardians. They are regular good people who hunted the voidents and saved innocent children on their own.¡± There was footage of one of the children they''d saved: Teyin sitting on her mother¡¯s lap, and Langa felt a warmth spread through his chest. "We were just doing what was right,¡± Undkese said. ¡°But I guess that''s not the same for other people, huh?" Synn raised her cup. "Nope. To us, who almost got children sacrificed and then saved them." Undkese clinked his cup against hers, and they both took a long sip as Merreddyd continued talking. ¡°The three players you see are actually connected and I would like to introduce the person who leads them. Without his help, this incident would have escalated. He has a few words he would like to share with you all. Some of you may know him from the unending announcements of his Achievements, from being named the Celestial in the Batch 4 Celestial Clash exhibition match, or from the fact that he is the only player directly bound to a Neutriarch in this Tower. Please welcome the number 1 ranking player from Tutorial Batch 4, Liv¡¯Kungsadu.¡± "She is really talking him up," Synn said with a snort as Liv stepped up to the podium to polite applause. "Making him seem like a big old hero." "She fibbed a little, but she''s not exaggerating," Undkese said. "He has amazing achievements. I''m happy for you two being in his guild." Langa wondered what Liv and Merreddyd''s plan was considering Liv hadn''t even known about the Vonelle Heilliege incident until recently. Liv shook Merreddyd''s hand on the screen. ¡°Thank you, Guardian Knight. You honour me,¡± Liv said. ¡°The truth is, this incident had nothing to do with me personally. It had everything to do with upholding the rule of light and order in the Tower. As a Solar Paladin, I must be a Beacon of Light to the oppressed innocent. I¡¯ve got a message of hope to those of you living in fear of the voidents or mortals who keep their alignments neutral while doing heinous things." Langa knew how good of a liar and pretender Liv was, but as he stood on that stage, pretending to be a hero of light, with a golden solar aura on the sword he raised high, he almost believed him. He almost believed that Liv was a righteous man on the path of light, and since it wasn''t true, Langa could not help but want to make it a reality. To make it so Liv would stop pretending and become the idealistic hero he strived to be. "Batch 4 Players no doubt received the notification already, but I recently formed a guild. My guild members and allies were instrumental in exposing the Vonelle Heilliege Guild," he said. "I would like to thank my deputy guildmaster Langa Zulu, SynnForessa and Undkese Anukirtam for their decisive judgement in delivering the children to safety. That is the core of the Khwezikazi Rays Guild.¡° Liv looked directly at everyone through the screen, face earnest. ¡±All of you who are oppressed have a voice, and we will listen to you. We want to lessen the burden on the Guardians.¡± "He makes it sound like everything wasn''t my fault," Undkese said with a sigh. ¡°Of course, it wasn''t. You were tricked by Vonelle Heilliege. Hey, Undkese, you said before that you''d join a guild if I endorsed it, right?" Langa said. "Do you want to join the Khwezikazi Rays?" "Are you serious?" he asked, eyes wide. "Of course. I don''t know what the joining requirements are, but Liv will never say no to me," Langa promised. "Absolutely. Wow, that''s-" "Will you both shut up? Your dear soulmate who never says no to you is still talking," Synn hissed. Before Langa could complain about a second pairing with Liv today, he continued talking. ¡°It may take time, but when I say our goal is to free the oppressed, I mean it. It¡¯s not just voidents that infringe on mortal rights. I know words without actions are pointless, so we¡¯ll show you our resolve by saving the most oppressed people on this Ground Storey," he said. His charisma was just as commanding as Merreddyd¡¯s and the light surrounding both of them was almost too bright, too overpowering. "I, Liv''Kungsadu, make a vow in my honour as The Solar Paladin of The Sun God. I will lead the Khwezikazi Rays on a mission to tear down the regime of anarchy on the 6th Floor and restore the rule of light and order. We¡¯ll start the mission within three months,¡± Liv declared. The entire tavern went dead silent. Goosebumps spread over Langa¡¯s body at the confidence and conviction in Liv¡¯s declaration. Even on the screen, Merreddyd was stunned into silence. He guessed that wasn''t something Liv had discussed with her. ¡°That bastard is insane,¡± Langa said as the entire tavern erupted in cheers and Merreddyd recovered from her shock. "I told him not to say anything crazy." ¡°Three months?¡± Synn banged her head on the table in frustration and her comcer started beeping non-stop. "Three fucking months? Why would he say something so absurd? I''m never going to get a restful night ever again." ¡°You heard him yourselves, folks,¡± Merreddyd said, recovering instantly. ¡°The newly formed Khwezikazi Rays Guild will be working closely with the Guardians to hunt down those who break my master''s laws. This is a new era for the 1773rd Deiwos Tower.¡± Liv shook her hand again and left the stage. The Guardians¡¯ Administrators joined Merreddy one more time on stage and bowed. She smiled and said, "I will end the Address here; after all, it is time to collect what The Vonelle Heilliege Guild owes this Tower." 79. The Khwezikazi Rays Guild - Formation (3) ¡°Welcome home,¡± Liv said as the doors of the teleportation wheel opened. Synn and Langa followed him into their newly acquired roving guild territory. It was in a separate dimension from the Tower, an area only guild members could access, both Players and NPCs. All that guild members needed to enter the domain was to scan their comcer on the lucent tile of any teleportation wheel on any Floor and pay the transportation fee. Their guild territory would always be among the destination locations. Once they chose it, they would be transported here. They could issue entry tokens to non-guild members as well, but that was limited. The entire ride here had been filled with complaints from Synn about Liv needing to run all his speeches by her first in the future before setting unrealistic goals for the guild. She stopped talking as soon as they entered the domain. Whatever Langa was expecting a guild territory to look like, it certainly was not what he saw as he stood at the base of a large volcanic mountain range. The sky above was an unsettling shade of crimson, the sun white against its darkness. At the peak of the tallest mountain was a massive building. The only path forward was a series of rock stairs with lava flowing at their sides that seemed to deter any mortal from climbing them. ¡°Our guild territory is in a volcano? How did this happen?¡± Synn asked in surprise. ¡°I designed it like this. I was inspired by a mixture of my home on Veskka and the Sponsorship Challenge I took on The Sun God¡¯s path to power. My grandmother built her palace at the top of a volcano so only dragonkin, those who could fly, could reach it," Liv said. "It wasn¡¯t meant to be reached by ''lesser mortals'' like us. I want it to mean something else here. The Guildhall is the goal, and anyone brave enough to join our guild should be able to rise all the way up there." ¡°So you want us to go through a path of lava just to see the guildhall for the first time?¡± Langa asked with dread. Liv raised his hand, and a spell scroll appeared in the air in front of him, producing a large floating rock. ¡°You two are spared the trial of ascent, but you may have to take it next time." The three of them climbed on top of the rock, and it rose high above the mountains, showcasing the world below. There was an enormous cave carved into one of the mountains but there was no path to that area. ¡°Wait a second... this¡­. Are you hoping to get a dragon sometime?¡± Synn asked Liv. He looked away, eyes focused on that cave. ¡°Because I hate to burst your bubble, but even if they weren''t nearly extinct, there''s no way The Sea Dragon King will grant you a dragon after all the years your queen and the other Den Leaders spent hunting and murdering them.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Liv said. They finally reached the top of the caldera, as the rock stopped in front of the guildhall. The sight took Langa''s breath away. It was a pagoda that rose from the centre of the caldera, each of its five tiers visible. The base was made from a pure black stone that reflected the orange light of the caldera''s molten lava. Each tier rose higher and higher with crystals embedded in the walls. The topmost tier had a large light-lucent crystal that caught the light of the sun and transmuted it to the world below. Around the pagoda, the volcanic rock had been carefully sculpted into a series of terraces and pavements, with pools of lava serving as both barriers and light sources. It was oppressively hot, reminding Langa of home. "Wow," he said. "You actually created this place?" "We did," Liv said as he led them towards the entrance of the pagoda. The doors were large, made of enchanted metal, and on them was drawn the image of a beautiful, but fragile-looking blue dragonkin in flight. ¡°Who is that?¡± Synn asked, looking at the painting. ¡°My mother.¡± Liv scanned his comcer on the door, and it swung open. "Accepted guild members can bind their comcers to the lucent tiles on the doors. That way, instead of landing on the main gateway below when you use a teleportation wheel from the Tower, you can choose to land here." In the interior, the floors were smooth and cool underfoot. Columns of enchanted metal rose to support the high ceilings, their surfaces covered with more sun crystals that bathed the space in warmth and light. The central hall of the first tier had a reception area, a leisure area, and an area of worship with four empty altars. The majority of this tier, though, was 25 empty residential rooms. The rest of it was blocked off. On the second tier, they passed through a meditation chamber, an empty library, and a treasure room. On the third tier, they saw a meeting room and more empty rooms that could be repurposed later. The fourth tier was a training and crafting area, but it was also empty. Finally, they reached the fifth tier. It was divided into three sections with five large golden residential rooms, a larger training and crafting area, and an empty chamber. ¡°This is the Executives¡¯ Floor. Currently, we can only have five executives, but as the guild levels up, we''ll be able to promote more people,¡± Liv said. He pointed to a metallic door at the end of the corridor. ¡°That door is also linked to the teleportation wheel outside, so the executives can bind their comcer here instead of the entrance doors." They doubled back to the executives'' meeting room and sat down, with Liv at the head, Langa on his right and Synn on his left, surrounded by empty chairs. ¡°This is a recording of the first-ever executives'' meeting of the Khwezikazi Rays Guild. Agenda: Discussing the future of the guild. Participants: Guildmaster Liv¡¯Kungsadu, Deputy Guildmaster, Langa Zulu, and Guild Administrator, Synnforessa. The meeting may commence,¡± Synn said, unrolling a scroll and placing a lucent tile on the table. The moment she said that, all three of them went quiet, and the significance of this moment filled them. They were inside their guild domain, having the very first meeting; it was surreal. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you. I¡¯ve never truly created anything before in my life,¡± Liv said. ¡°This is the first time I''ve made something that is actually mine. Usually, I take from others. It feels like a new beginning. I don¡¯t know what feeling this is, but I think mortals call it being overcome?¡± Uncertainty filled Liv''s face as he tried to process the emotions he was currently feeling. Langa knew that Liv sometimes struggled with mortal emotions and how to articulate them, so he filled in for him. ¡°It is a bit overwhelming. I¡¯ve been part of teams; I even had to lead a couple, but I''ve never created one.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve destroyed so much more than I ever created,¡± Synn said. ¡°I hope we can build something we¡¯re all proud of.¡± She tapped the lucent tile. ¡°Okay, first things first, we need to discuss what our Guild Initiation Trial will be. What are the joining requirements? We¡¯ve been swamped with requests ever since your bold¨C that is me putting it very delicately¨Cspeech at the Tower Address, Liv¡¯Kungsadu." ¡°What are other guilds'' trials like?¡± Langa asked curiously. ¡°Depends on the guild. Most guilds just give their initiates a quest or send them into a dungeon. For others, they do mini Celestial Clash matches between the initiates," Synn said. "You don''t have to win to join, like in our exhibition match, Liv¡¯Kungsadu wasn¡¯t part of the winning team, but he still got named the Celestial. You just need to be someone with the potential to elevate the guild." "What about the top five guilds?" Langa asked again. ¡°I know for the Guardians, the entry requirement is that you have to complete a Blessing Quest from The Unrivalled.¡± ¡°The Hallow Reapers send their initiates into Gates or dungeons. They sometimes bury great treasure in there and whoever finds it first wins. Whoever doesn¡¯t find something rare or valuable can join one of their subordinate guilds,¡± Liv said. ¡°Menika Shin doesn¡¯t have any entry requirements, acceptance is invitation-only.¡± ¡°You were invited, right? Why did you say no?¡± Synn asked. ¡°I don¡¯t like how they do things," Liv said. "They don¡¯t care about their image or leaving a mark. The Pioneer and his guild master keep running ahead, collecting information and Achievements but leaving everything behind.¡± "Well, as a Tier 0 guild, we can only have 25 members, so I think we need to choose our first initiates carefully," Synn said. "Should I set it to invitation only?" ¡°Yeah, I don''t want just anyone to join. I¡¯d like us to have powerful people, but at the moment, I think it best to select people we trust,¡± Liv said. ¡°Make it an invitation-only, but we¡¯re looking at people from Batches 4 and 3 only at the moment.¡± "Why not the others?" she asked. "If there is still anyone from Batch 1 or 2 on this Storey, they are not worth looking into. Batch 3 is full of untapped potential; I think they are the key," Liv said. "We already have five members. Langa, I know you don''t like doing too much work, so you can have five invitations. SynnForessa, you can have eight, and I¡¯ll take the remaining seven.¡± [The Khwezikazi Rays Guildmaster: Liv''Kungsadu has granted you permission to invite (5) members to the Khwezikazi Rays Guild.] Langa immediately sent one invitation to Undkese. He hesitated for a while but decided to wait before inviting Aquila. He would talk to him about his team first. ¡°Good. Once they join, I can start issuing quests to our members," Synn said. "The second thing is, Liv''Kungsadu, your speech got eyes on us, so we''ve got momentum now. We need to capitalise on it on the 2nd to the 5th Floor." "I have something important to do on the 2nd Floor, I won¡¯t have time to focus on guild matters," Langa said. "Hunting Fi Kindaro III?" Liv asked. "Hunting Fi Kindaro III," Langa confirmed. "Also, Pranav is going to start his guild soon, and we can¡¯t let anyone catch up to us, not after everything we¡¯ve been through to get this token.¡± "I had a chat with The Guardian Knight, and she interceded for us with The Unrivalled, that in exchange for The Guardians buying 5% of our guild¡¯s shares, she would give us a Blessing Quest and gold," Liv said. "I know the Guardians have a lot of money, but the amount she gave us is enough to buy our whole guild twice over." "What''s the catch?" Synn said suspiciously. ¡°We have a quota per Storey on the number of voidents we need to capture or permakill," Liv said. "How many?" Langa asked with a sinking feeling in his heart. "100 000," Liv mumbled. "One what? How the fuck are we going to take out 100 000 voidents with just 25 to 30 people between here and the 10th Floor while also saving the 6th Floor from the undead?" Langa asked. "How long does it take to complete The Unrivalled''s Blessing Quest? Because I know that besides me, Merreddyd isn''t giving anyone else Deiform Artefacts!" "Yeah, and that''s not even accounting for the fact that even if we complete the Blessing Quest, we only start with nullifying 25% of the effects of pseudovoid territories. The number goes up depending on your Faith in The Unrivalled,¡± Synn said. "You bit off way too much, Liv''Kungsadu!" "I do not aim low," Liv said, looking unfazed. "I know it''s a tall order, which is why we should raise our guild to Tier 1 as soon as possible so we can have at least 100 members." Langa pulled up his system interface and checked the guild menu.
Guild Name: Khwezikazi Rays Guildmaster: Liv''Kungsadu (Solar Paladin) Guild Patron Deity: Amun-Ra - The Sun God, The Neutriarch of Fire Guild Tower Rank: 764/764 Guild Level: Tier 0, Level 5 EXP: 1356/5000 Progress to Next Tier: EXP: 1356/35 000 Guild Members: 2/20 Guild Executives: 4/5 0. Own a Roving Guild Territory (1/1) 1. Own a Physical Guild Territory at least 13 square kilometres in size (1/1) 2. Own at least one Guild Outpost per unlocked Storey (1/1) 3. Complete one 20-Person Guild Raid (0/1) OR Complete two 10-Person Guild Raids (0/2) 4. Win One Celestial Clash Match against another Guild (0/1) OR Take over another guild''s territory (0/1) 5. Build a Shrine to the Guild''s Patron deity in the Guild''s Roving territory (0/1)
¡°The guild earns experience and karma every time a member earns them. We just need to grind as much karma and experience as we possibly can on the 2nd Floor,¡± Synn said. "We also need to earn as many uncommon and above Achievements. Then we¡¯ll be able to unlock other things.¡± ¡°The good thing about this is that, as a Boon for being an S-Rank guild, the guild earns experience 25% faster than normal. I¡¯m sure the experience from the raid will bring us over the edge,¡± Liv said. ¡°I''m sure you saw that four deities want to offer our guild members Blessing Quests: our three deities, and The Unrivalled. To unlock those quests, we need to build shrines or altars in the guild territory for the four of them," Liv continued. "For now, as much as I would like to start with a shrine for The Sun God, we need to build one for The Unrivalled first so that all our members can take her Blessing Quest and we can start hunting voidents." Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. As he listened, something occurred to Langa. "Since The Deiwos Clan owns this Tower, can''t we build a temple to Lord Adtonifulmin instead of a shrine? Won''t that elevate our guild''s Faith?" he asked. "Ah, but maybe we can''t since the guild''s patron deity is The Sun God and he might not like another god¡¯s temple in his territory." "Yeah, that would be a big ask for a Neutriarch," Synn agreed. "They don''t like to share glory." "I''ll ask him." Liv looked blankly into the air for a second. "He says he''s fine with it, but only if he has a shrine inside the temple." "Whoa, that''s an even bigger request," Synn muttered. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, says he will not allow a shrine to any non-Deiwos Clan god in ANY of his temples.] Well, that settled that. "Lord Adtonifulmin says absolutely not," Langa said. [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, says after a.... discussion with The Deiwos Clan leader, he has agreed to allow the altar of The Sun God inside this one temple as a token of his clan''s alliance with The Ter Netjer Pantheon Sect, The Descendants of The Sun. However, the condition is that The Sun God must grant Divine Skill Challenges to The Lackadaisical Herald''s Three Avatars inside the 1773rd Deiwos Tower.] "Oh, wait, Lady Picciari has forced him to compromise. He says an altar is fine if The Sun God gives Lord Adtonifulmin''s three Avatars in this Tower Divine Skill Challenges," Langa said. "The Sun God is agreeable, provided the Challenges can be delivered any time between Tier 1 and Tier 10," Liv said. "That''s okay," Langa said before Adtonifulmin could add another condition. "So, why did they use you two as mouthpieces instead of settling it between themselves in less than a second?" Synn asked. "They are gods," Liv said with a shrug. "They can do whatever they want." [The Deiwos Clan god: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, says that you should wait to construct the temple until you finalise the Visage contract. There will be more benefits for the entire guild that way.] "I guess it''s settled then," Langa said. "You two can create a shrine to The Unrivalled, and once I get to Lord Adtonifulmin''s temple on the 3rd Floor, and complete my new Sponsorship Contract, we can begin construction on our temple." "Good. Let''s make an altar to The Sun God and The Nine-Tailed as well. I can''t make a shrine, but Master won''t complain since this place is brimming with fire," Synn said. "Anything else?" ¡°We¡¯ve proven we are strong by permakilling the 1st Floor Boss, and our hunting skills were proven when you two slayed a notorious voident," Liv said. "Now, we need to save people. We can¡¯t go to the 6th Floor right now, but if we want to stay on people¡¯s radar, we need to work hard.¡± ¡°I thought about that too, so I set some roles for all of us. I''ll take care of the information-gathering section for now. Undkese finished construction on the 1st Floor guildhall, so I¡¯m going to meet with the recruiting officer you hired, Liv''Kungsadu and see if any applications are worth it,¡± Synn said. "Then, I''m going to see if I can get into the Night Market on the 2nd Floor, find The Maluta Syndicate and somehow get them to work with us to gather information.¡± She unrolled another scroll and read from it. ¡°Liv''Kungsadu, you will be in charge of the image of the guild, get Achievements, First Clears, and make an explosive entrance everywhere. I want to get sick of hearing the system call out your Achievements," she said, not looking up. "You will be the face, the life and the whole damn package of the guild because ironically, out of the three of us, you have the best image. You are the bright shining light Paladin of The Sun God. We need to capitalise on that.¡± "Now you''re talking," Liv said, pleased. "That''s exactly what I want." "Uh-huh, Langa, you¡¯ll take care of the bounty-hunting side of the guild," she said. "Get some videos of you and other guild members doing cool shit against bad guys and have the Guardians put it on the Dent." "Hold on," Langa said with a frown. He''d been promised he wouldn''t have to do too much for the guild. "That sounds like a lot of work." Synn placed her scroll on the table, not gently. "I am asking you to keep doing what you were doing already, which is hunting voidents," she said. "You may occasionally have to take other people with you. You can choose your team, and I promise I will find someone more suited to the position in the future. Now, can you please do this one thing for me?" "Fine, but if we¡¯re talking about something explosive, the 3rd Floor is the best bet. I have a quest and a side mission regarding the Pharaoh of that Floor,¡± Langa said, pulling out the cloth from Heilliege''s Gorge. ¡°We found this on one of the voidents who died at Heilliege¡¯s Gorge. According to Jandri, there''s a group of voidents planning something for the last week of the Month of Fire. I already spoke to my master¡¯s constellation whose followers are good at information gathering. I¡¯ll be meeting them on the 2nd Floor. Synn, can you check with the Syndicate if they have anything on the 3rd Floor?¡± Both Synn and Liv cast surprised glances at him and then at each other as if wondering who the hell had just said all that. "It seems bounty hunting is the one thing that brings out your diligent side," Liv said. ¡°That''s solid, Langa. I don¡¯t like that Motyan, but I¡¯ll try to find him and his Seer; they will help us out whether they like it or not,¡± she said. Langa guessed she was still pissed at The Maluta Syndicate for giving her information that had gotten her captured by The Vonelle Heilliege Guild and Accari Crows. ¡°So our agenda right now is to gather information on the 3rd Floor, figure out what¡¯s going on with the Pharaoh and then complete a guild raid.¡± Since they were being such jerks, Langa decided not to tell them that he had a plan for the 6th Floor as well, or that it involved using Liberty. ¡°Let¡¯s meet on the 3rd Floor. I¡¯m going to breeze through the 2nd Floor so that I can get the Unique Achievement of being the first in our Batch to reach the 3rd Floor,¡± Liv said. "Ideally, tomorrow." "You''re not taking the Infinite Challenge?" Synn asked in surprise. "Of course I am," Liv said. "But I already cleared the 1st Floor in the D...in my father''s Tower a few years ago, so I already started The Infinite Challenge. I can only continue after I clear the 10th Floor." "Ah," Synn nodded. "I''ve also started it already." Langa thought that was a severe understatement, considering she had actually completed The Infinite Challenge hundreds of years ago... although she couldn''t remember it completely. "So, I''m the only one who doesn''t know what The Infinite Challenge is all about?" Langa asked. "Can you guys give me a clue?" Synn looked up. "Not with The Unrivalled watching. All I can say is prepare as if you are going on a dungeon run for months, with all the supplies you would need for yourself and a large party. " "What kind of Infinite Challenge did you get?" Liv said with a frown. "He just needs his weapon, potions and the ability to make good decisions. Oh, Langa, make sure you have enough internal storage." "Absolutely," Synn agreed. "That''s the most important thing." "Internal? Why? I''ve got my Feathervault bag," Langa said with a frown. For internal storage, he only had 17 inventory spaces. "Are you saying it won''t be enough?" "That''s because you can''t b-" Synn started, then flinched. "Sorry, I can''t say anymore." Okay, that did not help Langa at all. ¡°Forget it, thanks for trying. I''m going to begin the Infinite Challenge tomorrow, so we won''t see each other for a few days,¡± Langa said, placing a hand on the table. The three of them put their hands together. ¡°See you on the 3rd Floor.¡° * The five guild executives'' chambers were similar in size and appearance from the outside, and Synn chose one furthest away from Liv and Langa. As soon as she went inside, her name appeared on the door, showing that she¡¯d claimed it. ¡°The chambers are a blank space that warps to accommodate each person. You can spend karma to redesign and change them a bit, though,¡± Liv explained. ¡±I may have splurged a little on your room with some of the karma I had left over. To say thank you...for everything. This wouldn¡¯t be possible without you.¡± "What?" Langa said. "You know I don''t care about fancy shit. All I need is a bed and a hot bath." "It''s not like that. I don¡¯t know exactly what it¡¯s going to look like, but well, you¡¯ll see. Goodnight, Langa," Liv said, clapping him on the shoulder. "See you on the 3rd Floor." He left after that, and Langa curiously opened the last door in the corridor. [Player Liv¡¯Kungsadu has issued you with the gift: ¡®A place called home.¡¯ Scanning memories to complete construction. Please Wait.] [Construction Completed. Please bind your mana signature to the room.] Langa stepped inside and immediately lost his train of thought. The chamber looked nothing like the medieval style of rooms on the 1st Floor. Instead, it looked like a two-bedroom flat from Earth with a kitchen, bathroom and a balcony overlooking the volcanic mountains. That wasn''t what got Langa, though; it was the fact that the design of his bedroom looked almost exactly like his childhood bedroom. Not the one at his sister¡¯s house, but the one at his father¡¯s house. His father had inherited a small, worthless plot of land in their home village from his parents and built a three-roomed brick house with Langa¡¯s bedroom, Sibusiso¡¯s study with his book collection, and his bedroom. The kitchen had been a thatched hut outside of the main house, and the bathroom was outside the main house. This bedroom looked like an upgraded version of Langa¡¯s childhood room. "That fucking idiot, Liv," Langa said, wiping a tear from his eye. He felt Adtonifulmin''s essence soothing him as his heart filled with sorrow, missing his father. This was quite possibly one of the best gifts anyone had ever given him. Langa lay on the bed for a moment, feeling like half the man his father was. He shook his head and appreciated the memories he had of his father instead. He had more important things to plan for currently. First, he sent Aquila a message telling him to contact him when he reached the 2nd Floor. He wanted to talk to him about the guild. Then he thought about his growth. Langa had 20 free attribute points to distribute from his four level-ups. Having a Legendary Class was amazing indeed. If he still had his initial Common Class, he would only have 12 free attribute points. He needed to distribute them now, and he had to think about this logically because, as much as he wanted to dump all 20 into Agility and improve his speed, he had to be practical about this. One thing he learnt in his battles in the Gate was the importance of mana. Adtonifulmin had used Liv¡¯s excess mana very effectively and controlled it amazingly. Langa needed to increase his Mana Pool to be able to use more than just one Lightning Lance at a time. He was thankful for Liv¡¯s excess mana, but he wasn¡¯t going to spend the rest of his life fighting alongside Liv. Another thing that he really needed to work on was his Strength. He didn¡¯t use Strength all that much and had neglected the stat ever since he came into the Tower, but unfortunately, it was the only stat responsible for Stamina Regeneration. It was also partly responsible for increasing his stamina pool. While Berruka¡¯s ring also helped with stamina regeneration, it wasn¡¯t enough on its own. His Two Eyes of Nahuke, his attribute and Flash Step all depended on Stamina, and with his low Stamina pool, he¡¯d had to consume a lot of stamina pills in the Gate. He dumped 10 stat points into Agility, six into Mind, and four into Strength. He probably could¡¯ve dumped 5 points into each stat, but since he gained a few more points in Mind, Agility and Vitality from the level-ups themselves, and he didn¡¯t gain anything for Strength, he chose to sacrifice Vitality. With his Regeneration Skill now in Intermediate Rank and close to becoming an E-rank Skill, Vitality was just going to have to take it backseat. ¡°I hope this doesn¡¯t come to bite me in the arse,¡± Langa muttered, after all, Vitality determined his Health Pool. Hopefully, for now, he could use his Agility to avoid getting hit, so his low health wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Once he started the Infinite Challenge, his next goal was Ascending to the 2nd Floor and hunting Fi Kindaro III. According to what Kindaro¡¯s brother Vos had told him, Kindaro needed to do a ritual on the last day of Huey Tozoztli on the 2nd Floor, and after that, he¡¯d be speedrunning the Tower with help from The Soh Piquamu guild. Langa needed to catch him before he left the 2nd Floor, so that gave him seven days. He had another problem, though. If he was going to confront Fi Kindaro, then he needed to be practical about it. First of all, he needed to improve his Mental Resistance. Right now, with the +5% he got from his Rare headband, it was up to -4 %. Going into a fight against Kindaro with negative Mental Resistance was just suicidal. Langa needed to improve it to at least zero so he would be on a level playing field with him. He wouldn¡¯t be able to resist it, but he also wouldn¡¯t be extremely susceptible to it either. At the Deiwos Clan Karma Store, he couldn¡¯t afford a single Elixir that improved Mental Resistance, even with his Karma voucher from The Flaming Blade. The only other way to obtain Mental Resistance items would be underground auctions, and the only guild with a monopoly on the black market was The Hallow Reaper Cult, along with their subordinates. Their next auction was unfortunately only in a year''s time, and it was by invitation only. There was only one person he could ask for help, but he didn¡¯t want to reveal his weakness to her. Langa plopped down on his bed and found her mana signature on his comcer. ¡°Well, this is a surprise. Hello, sweetheart,¡± Liberty¡¯s smoky voice said, getting his heart racing again. ¡°Hey. I know you told me you¡¯re busy clearing the 21st Floor right now, but there¡¯s something I need to ask you,¡± he said. ¡°Can you spare me five minutes? I want your professional opinion on something, it''s a business matter.¡± ¡°Business? Let¡¯s see. Right now, I am in the middle of tearing down a sect I infiltrated from the inside out, and it¡¯s going pretty well,¡± she said. ¡°I should be able to clear this Floor in a few days, so I can take a short break.¡± ¡°Great. Give me five minutes and then go back to doing your evil shit,¡± he said. She laughed softly. ¡°What do you want, Langa?¡± "Well, I heard that you guys have some items that you sell that aren''t on the Dent auction site, but that someone can get access to if they know the right people," he said. "Oh," she said. "I am the right people. What do you need?" "I was just wondering if you have any items to improve Mana Discipline Resistance?" he asked. "Is there any way I could get them before the Black Market auction?" "You assume you will receive an invitation¡­very bold of you," she said. "Resistance items are in high demand, Langa. Even if I pulled a few strings, there''s no way GM Nocnitsa would allow such an item to be sold outside of the auction. And that is if we have any. They are extremely rare." "I know, I know," Langa said. "I¡¯m willing to pay a lot of money for them." "No way. For items like that, we only accept Available Karma as payment. The cheapest start at maybe 50 000 karma," she explained. ¡°But they¡¯ve been known to go all the way up to over 150 000. I¡¯m talking around +2 Resistance items, by the way.¡± Damn, Langa''d have to clear up to at least the 5th Floor to obtain that much karma. "Our initiates and subordinate guilds scour the dungeons, rifts and Gates for rare items all over The Tower, trying to source what our clients need," she continued. ¡°Right now, the only Resistance items that we have in stock that are not reserved for a client improve Poison Resistance by 1% and another that improves Arcane Resistance by 1.5%. You can only bid for them at the auction, though. Are you interested?" "Well, I''m tempted by the Poison one since it would improve my chances with you, but no, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m looking for," Langa said. She laughed again, then said, "Which resistance item are you looking for?" If he straight up said mental, she would know something was up, but if he wasn¡¯t specific, and she searched for something else, that would be a problem too. "I need four Resistance items: Death Resistance, Darkness Resistance, Lightning Resistance, and Mental Resistance." It was true too. To resist being consumed by his Brand, he needed more Darkness Resistance, and to reduce the backlash from Thunderbird''s Stunning Strike, he needed more Lightning Resistance. Kindaro had full Death Affinity, so resistance to that was crucial. Langa''s resistances were not going up on their own anymore. "Okay, priority?" she asked. "Mental, death, lightning, darkness." "I got it." She hesitated. "You know, if you truly want something for Death Resistance, I can arrange a backdoor deal and my men can get it for you," she said. "It''s my side business, however, they''d have to do some of the ''evil shit'' you hate so much." "What do you mean?" Langa asked, frowning. "Last year, we were lucky enough to obtain an item that improved Death Resistance by 2%. The guild sold it for exorbitant amounts of karma through an anonymous bid,¡± she said. ¡°I happen to know who bought the item." Ah, so her side business meant stealing from the clients. There was no way anyone would allow such a precious item to be stolen from them. They''d have to kill them over and over again until they dropped it or ripped it off their permanently dead corpse. Could Langa live with that? Langa swallowed hard, maybe he could minimise the damage. "Can you sell me the name of the client?" "No way," Liberty said again. "We''re an honourable merchant group. If we sold client information, how could they trust us?" ¡°Seriously?¡± Robbing clients was fine, but breaking guild rules was where she drew the line? "Forget it. I don''t want that. Is there something I can use temporarily?" "Hmm, doesn¡¯t it suck to be a good person, sweetheart?¡± she asked. ¡°I''ll talk to my subordinates on the 2nd and 5th Floor, and I''ll call to let you know if they have any products that can help you." He ignored her question. "Why call? I''ll be done starting the Infinite Challenge in a few days, and you''ll be done clearing the 21st Floor, so why don''t we meet on the 2nd Floor?" he asked, trying his luck. She laughed again. "Sure, let me know when you''re back, and I''ll come to meet you." "And Liberty? Bring the antidote that¡¯s going to make me able to withstand your venom this time. I''m hoping to do more than just kiss you, and I don''t wanna die doing it," Langa said. "Hmm, tempting,¡± she said. He could almost hear her licking her lips again. ¡°I''ll think about it." She ended the call. Well, that wasn''t a no. Alright, he was finally looking forward to the 2nd Floor. He just needed to start the Infinite Challenge, whatever it was. 80. The Infinite Challenge -Myths of Creation * Note I would like to apologise in advance for the amount of exposition in this chapter. Believe me, it''s all necessary and I cut out a LOT of words. Lore galore. -Rhea * Once Langa was sure he had everything he needed for a new challenge, including potions, pills and Exploding Orbs, he stepped into the teleportation wheel and pressed the button for the 2nd Floor. He stood in front of the 36th Floor Overlord, Lady Mira''s office, and opened the door, expecting to have another lovely conversation with her. To his surprise, however, the vampire 36th Floor Overlord was not behind the desk. Instead, seated there, was the System Administrator he had met inside Funduvus'' Gate. "Huh, Randi Benkoffyouri? What are you doing here? Where¡¯s Lady Mira?" Langa asked. He felt a sudden, strange sense of anticipation and a glimmer of happiness inside him. He blinked it away in confusion. "How rude, child of Adtonifulmin. Were you not taught to greet your elders before you speak?" she asked. Her voice was deeper than it had been before. "I suppose your attitude should not surprise me, given how often you have questioned my Authority." There was no karma coming from the seraphim''s body, and yet wisdom filled her eyes. When he stared into them, happiness flooded him, and Langa''s spirit felt content, as if everything in his life was as it should be. As if he were at peace. He knew who this was. "You''re L...Lady Unrivalled?" he asked. His heart sped up, and it felt like sunshine and flowers were blooming inside him. "For fuck''s sake, Master, can you please control your feelings?" [The Deiwos Clan God: The Lackadaisical Herald of The Lightning Storm, says his essence flows freely in the presence of his beloved.] She rolled her eyes. "Persistent, isn''t he?" she asked. "Yeah," Langa said. "So, your Incarnation is a seraphim? I thought only constellations could be Incarnations?" "Randi Benkoffyouri is my System Administrator. Since she is the only one you know, that is who you see me as," The Unrivalled said. "I¡¯m not really here, but your mind has constructed a form you can converse with. There is not a being in existence that can handle my raw essence, mortal or immortal." "Okay? So, why are you here...eh...Your Holiness?" Langa said, kicking back into polite mode. It wouldn''t do to offend the System herself and his master''s beloved. "Do not force respect that is not there; it''s pathetic. For all Players, on the Floors in which you take the Infinite Challenge, the essence of The Quartenity will escort you through the Gate. I am always at the beginning to teach you about what the Infinite Challenge is," she said. "But first, let me give you your 1st Floor clearance. You have received most of your rewards, therefore, you only need the pass." [You have cleared the FIRST FLOOR MAIN QUEST Clear Rank: A You have Cleared an unclaimed Level 10 dungeon solo. You have earned 36 268/10 000 karma You have Chosen a deity to serve Quest Rewards: Ascend to the 2nd Floor] "That''s it?" Langa asked in disbelief. "Yes, that''s it. You¡¯ve already received your karma and experience. You will not be getting an item because you are over-levelled for this Floor, unfortunately," she said. "What? How is that my fault? Your Floor Overlord caused this whole mess!" Langa complained. The only thing he received was the pass to enter the 2nd Floor. "So, because he broke the rules, must I do the same for you? Above level 13, you don''t get the item reward. It''s to stop Players from waiting to clear the Floor until they''re higher level. This was clearly stated in the extended words of The Tower Rulebook that Alfsol gave you when you first entered the 1st Floor," she said. "You just skimmed it, didn''t you?" "If I had known there was fine print, I would have been more thorough. I thought it was just a guideline," Langa said defensively. He was very meticulous when signing contracts because of some of the messy contracts his brother-in-law had signed for him when he was a child, which took forever to get out of. "Well, the rules are there to discourage people from staying too long on the 1st Floor after they clear it," The Unrivalled said. "Now, will you keep complaining or would you like to begin the Infinite Challenge?" Langa placed his pass in his Feathervault bag. "Let''s do it." ¡°Go ahead with the questions I know you want to ask; I can hear them swirling around that tiny little head of yours,¡± she said. She reminded him of his primary school teacher¡ªa stern, no-nonsense woman. ¡°Okay, what is the Infinite Challenge?" Langa asked. "All I know is that completing it is one of the requirements to become a deity. I know we can only begin it on the 1st Floor and then we have to continue it on every 10th Floor until we complete it at 101st Floor.¡± ¡°That is correct. Do you know what percentage of players Ascend to deityhood per Tower?¡± The Unrivalled asked. ¡°10%?¡± Langa guessed. ¡°0.13%,¡± she said. "There are two primary conditions that hamper them. Completing The Infinite Challenge and Obtaining a Divine Domain. Luckily, you already have the second, so we shall see if you can get the first." Langa found it hard to believe that so few people made it through the Infinite Challenge. ¡°You will learn soon. My brothers and I will tell you all you need to know about the Challenge,¡± The Unrivalled said, reading his mind. She stood up and held out her arm. ¡°Come, there is more I wish to speak with you about.¡± Langa took the lady''s hand, and she led him out of the office into the corridor outside. Surprisingly, the corridor seemed endless. "Will you tell me why you dislike me so?¡± The Unrivalled asked. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike you," Langa said as they walked down the endless corridor. Strangely, it reminded him of the time he''d walked in the Carciere with Merreddyd. "That is unsurprising. There is a reason I chose that child. She is very dear to me. As is Coraloa and as was Kefaniroka. I care for all my Guardian Knights," she said with a smile. "You offered me a Guardian Knight Class after the tutorial. Why?" Langa asked, ignoring the fact that she just read his mind again. She stopped walking, and her rich blue eyes, clear as light, bore into him. "I was trying to save you from your fate, but in the end, you chose Toni," she said. "So, if you do not hate me, then why do you disagree with my Guardians¡¯ rules?" "I appreciate what you¡¯re doing with the Guardians. I just don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough," Langa said. "You¡¯re the closest thing to the type of god my sister taught me about growing up. You are very powerful, yet you allow the people you claim to care about to still suffer." ¡°What? Do you want me to make sure that every living mortal in every single world in the infinite multiverse is happy, healthy, and unharmed?" she asked incredulously. "That is unrealistic.¡± ¡°How is it unrealistic? I¡¯m not asking for every single mortal, I¡¯m asking for the innocent children. You are one of the most powerful active gods of all time-" Langa started. ¡°I am the most powerful active god of all time, but I cannot do what you ask. That would be a positive action." She paused. ¡°How do I put this in a way that you will understand? I have to remain neutral for everyone, Langa Zulu. Positively aligned mortals, neutrally aligned mortals, negatively aligned mortals, and voident aligned mortals. I must be fair to all of them." ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. You just admitted that you favour certain Players. You are Merreddyd¡¯s patron deity, and you co-Sponsor Coraloa!¡± he argued. ¡°How is that neutral?¡± ¡°I do favour them. The problem is that you mortals think there is only one line. You already know this from your status sheet but I measure Neutral Alignment in mortals as anything between -100 and +100. Above that, it is a Positive Alignment and below it is a Negative Alignment. If someone is -99 and someone is + 99, they are both classified in the system as neutral. But are they morally the same? No," she said. Langa hadn''t thought about it like that before. Alignment was notoriously hard to improve, a good example being Synn who kept trying to improve her Alignment back to positive by saving people. ¡°Alignment is a spectrum, and it is the same for me. To maintain order in the Infinite Multiverse, I have to stay within that neutral range. I cannot step over the line, whether it is to the positive or negative side,¡± she said. ¡°If I were to use my power to ensure that every single innocent child in the infinite multiverse is happy, safe and healthy, that would be me stepping over the line to Positive Alignment, and I won¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Why won¡¯t you do it? You¡¯re a goddess!¡± Langa asked. The Unrivalled turned, her face suddenly filled with pain and anguish. It surprised Langa and he flinched back when she gripped his shoulders tightly. ¡°If I were to step one toe out of line just once, order would cease to exist. Do you understand? Because I would¡¯ve broken the rules I created. Life, Death, Chaos, Order, Creation and ???. I am the System that governs all of them. If the System disappears, we will return to the time before the First Divine Summit, before Mother gave me form. A time when Chaos reigned supreme and could do whatever he wanted to the worlds of mortals. When Death could force mortals to die and become undead without consequences. When Life let mortals live forever without becoming seraphim or constellations, and filled the multiverse with thousand-year-old mortals who could stomp on the worlds of newborns. That is the multiverse that awaits mortals if the System is gone.¡± She looked ready to both cry and shout in anger as she kept her hands tightly on his shoulders. ¡°So no, Langa Zulu. I don¡¯t even walk anywhere near the line. Why? Because I need to protect the order that governs your very existence. The covenant of Karma itself. Why do you think Chaos pokes me over and over again? Why do you think Life and Death send their agents, the demon gods and saint gods, to war, time and time again, knowing that it is futile? Because they want me to finally snap and say enough is enough. They want me to take the law into my own hands to punish them outside of the rules of the System, bringing an end to order. If I did that, the Chaos/Order imbalance would cause the Creation/Corruption balance to be disrupted even more than it already has. ¡° ¡±So to protect order in mortal worlds, you can¡¯t use your full power to do anything you want?¡± Langa asked. She was the most powerful active god in the world, and yet she chose to limit herself to keep the infinite multiverse safe. He couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her, considering how much he valued the freedom to do whatever he wanted. The Unrivalled frowned and let him go. ¡°Do not look at me like that. It reminds me of how Toni used to look at me when he was mortal,¡± she said. ¡°I do not need your pity, and I do not need another foolish mortal to fall in love with me.¡± ¡±Huh?¡± Langa shook his head. ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s not like that at all. I just understand you better now. Besides, I¡¯d never step on Master¡¯s toes. You¡¯re more like my stepmother, really.¡± ¡±Absolutely not. I do not have that kind of relationship with your master,¡± she said, looking away. ¡°We¡¯re here. It¡¯s time for you to go.¡± Langa blinked and saw that they had arrived in front of what looked like an elevator, and when it opened, the inside was the same as the door he¡¯d used to Ascend from the tutorial to the 1st Floor. The only difference was that there was what appeared to be a glass capsule with a bed inside, like a coffin. ¡±Get inside the Divine Strapper,¡± The Unrivalled instructed him. ¡°Once your body is Strapped, we will send your Karma through the Soul Gate, and you will emerge in a corrupted world.¡± Strapped. He¡¯d heard of this before. It was the punishment given to voidents, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°Why can¡¯t you just send me through the Gate?¡± he asked. ¡±Because, unlike the submortals who have adapted to living in corrupted worlds, you are mortal, and the amount of corruption in the atmosphere is a million times greater than anything you¡¯ve experienced in the Tower. You will cease to exist if you go in there with your body,¡± she said. Langa thought he detected a note of annoyance in her tone. ¡°Now, I am very busy, Langa Zulu, so get in the Divine Strapper and receive The Quartenity¡¯s assessment or forfeit the Challenge, and the Divine Lucent Lift will take you to the 2nd Floor. Only your body can get into the Strapper. Leave your bags here, so put your armour and everything else you need into your inventory," she said. Damn, so this was why Synn had advised him to get more inventory slots. He did as he was told, placing only essentials in his inventory. ¡±Okay,¡± Langa said, getting into the coffin and lying down. She looked down at him, blue eyes filled with sorrow and pain. "Langa Zulu, I will not be in charge of your Infinite Challenge again for four cycles, and by then it will be too late. So I will say this now. You are a child Branded by my father and a child dear to my friend. I have seen your future. I will continue to steer you towards the right path, but when the time comes that you make the choice that creates a rift between us, I want you to know, as always, that I did my best to save you from your fate.¡± She closed the lid of the coffin, and golden water started to fill it. ¡°Wait!¡± Langa said, trying to process her words while also horrified that he was trapped inside a small space like this, and the water was rising to cover him. He feared he would drown, but that didn''t happen. * Langa found himself in a familiar river of stars, yet he couldn''t remember when he had been here before. He saw the thirteen mana pathways lit up in front of him and the strange fourteenth one flickering in and out of existence. Four essences that he immediately recognised as The Quartenity surrounded him. He could also faintly sense two other essences somewhere in the background. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "Welcome to the Infinite Challenge," the voice of Life said. "This is where we test what kind of deity you will become, should we allow you to Ascend." The dark essence of Death spoke over Life. "It''s not just a test. These are real people whose deaths will be in your hands. You can choose to take control of their fear or faith in you. Or you can discard it." "I don''t understand," Langa said honestly. ¡°To use an expression from your world, we are killing two birds with one stone, as your work in the Challenge gives a doomed world a third chance against corruption,¡± The Unrivalled said. Langa frowned, thinking about what he knew regarding corrupted worlds. Once the corruption of a world became inevitable, Chaos would make the world''s Void Erupt and seal the corruption before it became rampant and fully razed that world and all those surrounding it. If they were lucky, The Unrivalled would save the world and integrate it into her Towers. But what happens to an unintegrated world after the Void Eruption? He knew some of them, like the tutorial world Zamone became abandoned. "If being integrated into the Tower is the second chance, then what''s the third?" Langa asked. "If the world has fallen too far or been completely razed by the Behemoth, it is in danger of being stuck in the Abyss of corruption. Those are the worlds seraphim go to war over. The Infinite Challenge gives regular mortals like you the chance to obtain worlds that haven''t completely fallen to the Behemoth," The Unrivalled said. ¡°I have no idea what half of what you said means,¡± he told her. What the fuck was a Behemoth? Langa shuddered as the essence of Chaos filled him, and whispered in his ear. "To understand that, you should know the history of the one we Erased. The one whose Name you will not find in any Relgte. Only those who take The Infinite Challenge are entitled to the truth about him." "No matter how much we Erase, a conceptual being will always exist in myths and legends. The same is true of him. He is present in every Creation Myth," Life said. "Tell us about your Creation Myth. How do you view The One Without Existence? According to Langa Zulu. How did the infinite multiverse come to be?" It surprised Langa that they wanted to know that. There were so many Creation Myths from different religions back home, and when he tried to reconcile them with what he''d learnt in the Tower, the age-old question was... "If, in the beginning, The Creator created the infinite multiverse, who created corruption?" Langa asked. ¡°Even before I was created, I existed,¡± The Unrivalled said. "What do you think would have happened if there were only creation and no corruption?" ¡°What?¡± Langa was becoming even more confused now. ¡°Order. There can be no creation without corruption, there can be no death without life, and there can be no order without chaos. Karma demands balance, and when the balance tips to one side, like the First Divine War between Life and Death, it leads to rampant corruption. It caused corruption to overtake creation, and the world fell into chaos." "Do not disparage us in our presence, little sister," Life said, sounding scandalised. "Hush, Order speaks the truth," said Death. "Everyone has their own understanding of Mother and Father''s relationship. Show us, Langa Zulu, how you see them. Will it be from the outside, or from one of our perspectives?" Four massive stars flew through the river towards him, and Langa felt the water overpower him. The wave of stars violently thrashed his karma around like wind until an overwhelming essence called out to him and he latched onto it. * Langa¡¯s perspective suddenly changed as over a trillion memories flooded through him. Similar to the vision he had in Adtonifulmin¡¯s body, he was no longer human, no longer himself. He focused on one memory. His spirit floated in the black pool of the Abyss. Or was he the Abyss, Non-Existence, itself? In the beginning, nothing existed, not even him. The Abyss wasn¡¯t the kind of emptiness in which something was missing. It was the kind where nothing had ever been, an Abyss of non-existence. At first, he wasn¡¯t alone in the Abyss. Another concept was one with him. However, he suddenly felt her separating from him when she chose to become Existence itself. She tied his emptiness to herself and converted it into karma. Her will created the first world, but he consumed it, attempting to return her into nothingness with him. No matter what she created, he ended up consuming everything in his wake until finally she created life. She became The Creator of Worlds, the Mother of life, death, chaos and order. She became Karma itself. The memory of her proximity haunted him. No matter how much he chased after her, corrupting everything she created, she just kept creating. Each creation he corrupted was a pitiful attempt to fill the void she left inside him, but in time, he grew to enjoy turning existence into non-existence. Since he was a reflection of loss, a manifestation of the nothingness that had turned into despairing existence, he became her Adversary, running counter to her creation. He became a force that pulled her creations back into the Abyss of Corruption, where he originated. The Nameless One was Non-Existence, yet to return the world to its natural state, he had to give form to his Abyssal spirit. He called all iterations of the spirit the Behemoth. Across many realities, Corruption and Creation battled. Once, she overcame him and he slumbered in the Abyss to replenish his Karma. When he awoke, he found that thousands of years had passed, and her reality was an infinite multiverse now. In rage, he corrupted it. Buildings lay crushed beneath the Behemoth¡¯s massive feet, and it silenced every scream. The repulsive laughter of children, the warmth of sunlight, and the taste of sweet fruit. The rampage was endless, but not mindless. It opened its mouth and consumed everything that existed, living, dead and inanimate, elevating the flaw that was existence into the Abyss of nothingness. Her mortals were weak, and in exchange for his power, they allowed The Nameless One to Brand them as his own. His goal was to take away the one gift she gave these sapient creatures - free will. If they signed the contract for their children, one day, the world would be filled with those who carried his Brand, and he could bring them all, every piece of her karma, back to him, back to nothingness. Each razed creation, each broken soul, was saved and returned to non-existence. In that war, he overcame her, and her reality ceased to exist. She slumbered in the Well of Karma and returned to non-existence. When she awoke, she created a new reality, and the cycle never ended. In this memory, the multiverse was devastated. His Behemoth mated with the Branded, creating a brand new race of mortals. Parasitic eldritch horrors who were born with the power of corruption. If The Creator was going to deny his non-existence, then she should have protected her creations from him. The Behemoth consumed an entire universe using his new race of mortals and the Branded. His parasitic horrors hid among regular mortals, destroying them from the inside. He could do this infinitely, and there was nothing she could do to stop him. Before he could rampantly spread his corruption to the next universe, however, a weight of karma pressed down upon his spirit. Karma Pressure. He could almost taste her presence, the disgusting essence of her existence, but surprisingly, it was divided into four entities in the bodies of mortals. The Behemoth recoiled, but The Nameless One forced it to attack, to consume her essence inside them, but it failed. These creations¡­ were made in both hers and his image. They carried pieces of The Nameless One¡¯s power. ¡°Hello, Father. It¡¯s lovely to finally meet your existing form,¡± one of them said. He was a creature cloaked in shadow and approached the Behemoth first, holding black mist in his hands. The Nameless One recognised them now, they were four concepts that she had plucked from him when they were together and mixed them with her essence to give them form. The second concept was beautiful, with long, flowing white hair and a living feminine figure. Life¡¯s energy rippled from him, trying to assimilate with the Behemoth, taking its corruption and absorbing it. <> The Nameless One asked through the Behemoth. ¡°How should we know?¡± the third, Death asked. He was small, stick thin and quiet as he raised his scythe, and the icy grip of death harnessing the Behemoth¡¯s corruptive energy. ¡°She¡¯s probably out creating more things and abandoning them to fend for themselves as she always does.¡± <> The Nameless One asked. <> The youngest child watched him without moving. She had the form of a woman who looked extremely ordinary yet perfect at the same time, as she radiated warmth and purity. ¡°We came into existence to restore the balance between you and Mother,¡± Order said. ¡°A version of us will always exist. You cannot corrupt us, Father.¡± He could feel her gaze piercing through the Behemoth¡¯s corrupted existence, seeking to burn away the sickness that had followed it. She was the clearest reflection of her mother and reminded The of the non-existence he had lost. The Behemoth shrieked in fury as The Nameless One¡¯s essence fuelled it even more and it lashed out. Corrosive black flames of karma ripped through the air, but the four children all moved as one. Chaos coiled around the Behemoth¡¯s monstrous form like chains sealing away its strength, and binding it. Green branches of life wrapped around the sealed Behemoth, syphoning its corrupted karma and absorbing it. Death took the energy of the flame and harnessed it. The black flames that had been the Behemoth¡¯s weapon now burned within its chest, consuming its insides and forcing it to destroy itself. The Nameless One felt the hollow place within him, the Void that had always been there, filling with the cold, devouring emptiness of Chaos. He thought their assault on his vessel was over since they could assimilate, harness and seal corruption, but they couldn¡¯t destroy it. Surprisingly, pure light flowed from Order and engulfed the Behemoth¡¯s body. The corruption that had clung to its skin and the rot it had spread across nations burned away, clearing the entire world of the sickness it had spread. The Nameless One felt his essence unravelling, pieces of himself being pulled away from the Behemoth, and he watched his children through the eyes of the dying Behemoth. <> he said. <> Chaos shrugged. ¡°We¡¯re not alike at all. I don¡¯t destroy, I merely seal away karma. It all exists inside my darkness, and I embrace my existence. If you gather enough karma to awaken again, the four of us will stop you.¡± The Nameless One laughed. <> he said. The beautiful Life gave his father a sad smile. ¡°What makes you think we don¡¯t already know that?¡± So they knew and still did as she asked? Why? <> The Nameless One said. << When she awakens, she creates a new reality, a multiverse. Again and again, as death circles life, chaos circles order and corruption circles creation. You will repeatedly awaken to battle me until you tire of Creation, as I have. It is all vanity, my children.>> All four of them remained silent for a moment, none of them surprised. How could they be? This may have been the first time they had physical form, but it wasn¡¯t their first reality, after all. ¡°You¡¯re right, but don¡¯t worry about the future, Father,¡± Order said. ¡°Even asleep, you see everything, so I cannot hide this from you. I am doing something different in this reality. Giving Mother¡¯s creations a chance to be immortal like us. That way, even if we lose the corruption war, their essences will be reborn along with us in Mother¡¯s new reality, and we can start over. Just as Mother bound you with existence, I will bind all of them, including my brothers with my own System.¡± The Nameless One detested Order the most out of all his children. The last thing the Behemoth saw was her face, the face of Light, who looked so much like her mother that it aggravated him. And then, there was nothing, and he was back in the Abyss of Non-Existence. His only connections to The Creator¡¯s worlds were the mortals he Branded, and he vowed to raise another vessel. He needed an immortal vessel similar to them, which could not be destroyed. He would have to raise one from his corrupted race of mortals. Langa gasped as he found himself back in the river of stars, surrounded by the four essences of The Quartenity. That had been a lot. None of that information was in The Relgte of The Quartenity, and he hadn''t read either The Creator or The Nameless One''s Relgtes. Did they even have Relgtes? ''I am in control,'' he thought. He was Langa. He wasn''t The Nameless One. ¡°What the fuck was that? What did you do to me?" he demanded, for a moment not caring that he was back to being a puny human, and The Quartenity could destroy him for his rudeness. "Fascinating," Chaos whispered. "You owe me 2000 elven souls, Death. Don''t forget that I bet he would see it from Father''s perspective." "Yes, but that''s because he''s Branded and the Visage of Father''s Visage," Death said. "Not necessarily. How can you say for certain that the child saw the memory the way he did because Adtonifulmin Chose him?" Life asked. "It may be that Adtonifulmin Chose him because he can see it the way he saw it." "I will give you the souls, little brother, but only because the idea of agreeing with Life revolts me," Death said. "While it may be more common for mortals to see the memory from the outside or from one of our perspectives, it is not uncommon for the Branded to see from Father''s perspective. The ones who truly impress me are the rare ones who see from Mother''s perspective." "I''m always right, Death. No matter how hard you try to deny it. I suppose you-" "Enough. Stop talking amongst yourselves," Order said, cutting her brothers off. Irritation swirled through her essence. "The child asked a question." "Ah, yes. Langa Zulu, what you just witnessed is a Creation myth,¡± Life finally answered. Listening to their conversation had given Langa a moment to get his bearings back but Life''s statement threw him off. ¡°What do you mean by a myth? You¡¯re saying your father isn¡¯t a force hell-bent on bringing the Creator and all creation back into nothingness?¡± he asked. ¡°That is what some people believe. Others believe he is the force that guided her, and she used his essence to create existence. Therefore, by corrupting creation, he is taking back the essence she stole from him,¡± The Unrivalled said. The air in the river of stars darkened, like a graveyard at sunset. ¡°Others believe he reduced a prior reality to non-existence, but The Creator survived it because she planted the seed of existence, karma, into her creations," Death said. ¡°Many also believe he existed as the black water of the Chaotic Abyss. Mother uttered a word and created existence, thereby shattering his peaceful non-existence," Life added. Chaos'' essence blew around Langa like wind on a stormy night. ¡°I heard a story where they didn''t exist together. The Creator existed first, and because she existed, karma brought him into being for balance.¡± ¡°What''s the truth, then?¡± Langa asked. He sensed confusion in Life¡¯s essence. ¡°We just told you.¡± ¡°You told me like five different stories," Langa protested. ¡°Life, he cannot comprehend the infinite number of realities that have existed for us,¡± The Unrivalled said. ¡°Every reality has its own creation myths, Langa Zulu, because it is a new world. All you need to know is that Father, even in his formless state, constantly brings the Behemoth into existence. Worlds consumed by it exist, destroyed as they are." Would that have happened to Earth if it hadn''t been integrated? "The Behemoth razes worlds not sealed by a Void Eruption. Anything unlucky enough to survive it has to exist in a karmaless world. Generation by generation, because of the lack of karma, mortals lose their mortality and devolve into submortals from the infection of corruption,¡± The Unrivalled continued. ¡°It becomes the closest thing to Father''s world, hopeless non-existence.¡± The essence of Chaos danced around Langa, pricking him uncomfortably. ¡± To bring these worlds back into the infinite multiverse, deities, angels and seraphim wage wars. Unfortunately, corruption spreads faster than mortals Ascend into deityhood. Thus, the Infinite Challenge was born," Chaos whispered. "These corrupted worlds vary in levels, but if there is any hope of them becoming a natural world, someone needs to bring them light to clear the corruption, darkness to seal it, life to assimilate it and death to harness it." "The worlds we send you to will be increasingly more corrupt as you Ascend the Tower, and they will become yours if you can save them," Death said. "One day, you''ll have to face the Behemoth, but not just yet." The Behemoth? Why did they keep this knowledge hidden from regular mortals? If voidents knew they were hurting the entire reality, they wouldn''t seek the power of corruption. No, he shook his head. Mortals wouldn''t give up their powers. Langa wondered if the reason The Quartenity only shared this information with Players who took the Infinite Challenge was tied to something Adtonifulmin had once told him: that every time a god''s word, achievements, deeds and Name spread, they gained more karma and more life. Did The Quartenity hide knowledge of The Nameless One so he wouldn''t get stronger? He sighed. "So, it was true, then? He''ll rise again?" The Unrivalled''s karma was solemn as she explained. "We have existed for over a trillion years in over a trillion realities. Every 13 000 years, without fail, Father would Awaken at full power and consume all of existence. These are known today as The Great Divine Corruption Wars. If Father won the wars, the entire multiverse would cease to exist. Mother would sleep and then restart creation after 13 000 years," she said. "The Quartenity would be reborn, the same, but different. Then all the deities of the previous reality would be reborn. Depending on how much karma they had, they lost karma, believers, and some of their memories of the previous reality. There would be another war after 13 000 years of the Creation/Corruption Cycle. The longest we ever went without the Great Apocalyptic Reset was five cycles, in the cycle before the last." That meant they had defeated The Nameless One five consecutive times. Langa was impressed, then disturbed at the realisation that nearly all the deities in existence besides The Creator struggled against one. "Of course, the cycle before the current one was a disaster for us. Father won the war in less than 500 years. We didn''t stand a chance," Life said, sighing dramatically. "Father got himself an immortal vessel so that even during his slumber, he could corrupt the multiverse early. And that vessel''s Affinity for him was so astounding that it made the behemoths look like ants." An immortal vessel. "Lord Adtonifulmin," Langa said, realisation dawning on him. "Wait, if that''s the case, then hasn''t this been the longest cycle?" "Yes, they won, and the universe was reset 91 000 years ago. But Father wasn''t a very nice or kind master, so while playing nice, his Visage agreed to hold his power while he slumbered, then joined with us to betray Father, and we Erased his Name, sealing him in the Abyss with the help of the Neutriarchs. Most of Father''s power remained inside his Visage," Chaos said. "Father has been asleep for all those years, and there has been no Great Divine Corruption War. Without his Name, Father is dormant, just a passive force. Ironically, there is one person who can give him his power back.¡± ¡°Lord Adtonifulmin,¡± Langa said again. If everything he''d experienced so far was corruption in dormancy, what happened when The Nameless One was active? How bad did it get? "Precisely," Life said. "He has to stand trial every 13 000 years before us, on the days Father should have woken. We monitor everything he does, and that includes you. But because Adtonifulmin Chose you, you are special to us. Well, Chaos just wants to play with your broken mind, so there''s that." The fact that Chaos didn''t deny it made Langa uneasy. "Father will not wake soon as long as the Creation/Corruption balance remains stable. Like all Players, to begin the Infinite Challenge, you will be sent to a world whose seal was broken when the Behemoth walked past it. You must reconnect or claim it, otherwise, it will cease to exist,¡± Chaos said. ¡°The Challenge is infinite because as long as Mother creates, Father will continue to corrupt.¡± So, the Infinite Challenge would just be Langa saving increasingly corrupted worlds and claiming them to prepare for becoming a deity one day? "The Infinite Challenge is the key that many players fail because they do not understand what it means to be a deity," Life said. "They do not know how to act when they encounter a hopeless, corrupted world that needs guidance. A deity must be able to build something from nothing, otherwise, they will not survive Father. Faith or Fear? Will you aim to become the kind of deity mortals look up to or one they fear? Either is valid, but it has to be earned.¡± ¡°If it wasn''t for Karma, we would be the only ones fighting against the corruption of those worlds. Constellations fight to obtain more uncorrupted worlds for themselves so they have more followers," Death said. "Seraphim and angels fight to protect these worlds so they can earn enough Karma to Ascend to deityhood." Langa wondered if he had reached the wrong conclusion. "Are you saying that the entire road to Ascension from Players to seraphim and angels to constellations, even gods... all started as a way for you to gain soldiers to stop corruption? You''re telling me the whole point of deityhood is so you have strong immortals willing to lead people into battle against corruption?" Chaos laughed. "Exactly. We lured mortals to fight for us with immortality. Yet only 0.13% can obtain it. Some fools choose to fight on Father¡¯s side, but many will go to war to keep their existence during the Great Divine Corruption Wars. It does not matter to us as long as balance is maintained." ¡°If you wish to become a god one day, that is the path you have to walk. This is something we tell all mortals before they begin this journey. We give them a choice,¡± Order said. ¡°So, Langa Zulu. Do you want to walk the path to immortality? Will you begin the Infinite Challenge?" [Deity: The Great Quartenity: Life, Death, Chaos and Order Challenge Level: Divine Challenge: Overall Challenge: Obtain the World Core Orbs of at least 13 corrupted worlds. Floor 1 Challenge: Earn the Faith/Fear of at least 50% of the submortals in the first world to obtain your First Step to Immortality. Time Limit: Overall Challenge: None. Floor 1 Challenge: All who complete the Challenge within 13 days will receive +25% extra karma Reward: Overall Challenge: Ascend to Deityhood (MANY Other Conditions Need to Be Fulfilled Before This) Floor 1: One Step to Immortality Restrictions: This Challenge may only be taken and continued after clearing Floors 1, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 101. It may only be resumed after the end of the divine temple wars on Floors 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 of any Tower. This Challenge is forfeited if the player dies during any of the Challenges.] [Accept The Divine Infinite Challenge: Yes/No?] "Yes. Of course, I do, but I need to know more about this," Langa said. "Tell me everything about Lord Adtonifulmin and your father. This affects me too." "That''s all the information you will get before you begin the Challenge," Death said. "Goodbye.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Langa said, startled. ¡±It¡¯s okay, child, you''re safe,¡± The Unrivalled said, her essence filling him and calming down his panic. "We will be with you, as we always have and always will." The river of stars disappeared, and then Langa was falling as darkness overcame him and his soul left his body and went through a rift.