《Aurora Scroll》 Glossary Path of Power ¡ª A practice of mastering the mana of the world and improving their own. There are many ¡®Paths¡¯ to gain power. Pathseekers ¡ª People who walked the Path of Power. High-level Pathseekers can crush mountains and split seas. At the current age, humanity mostly followed the cultivation system of Intio Magisterix, creating an Intio inside their own body and nurturing it. Mana ¡ª Mysterious energy that exists in all of nature. In the earth, air, water, plants, animals, everything. Many believe mana is life itself. Intio ¡ª An imaginary core of Pathseekers power. Just like there are no identical people, Intio¡¯s shape varies for each person. Pathseekers'' journey begins by making their own Intio. Level ¡ª Indicates the number of Intio¡¯s Advancement. Level 0 is people who have only forged their Intio. Level 1 is people who have advanced once. The higher the Level, the stronger the Pathseeker. Level 5 is the limit of mortals. Idler ¡ª Common people that do not or cannot become Pathseekers, not even Level 0. The term is considered rude and not advised. Victa ¡ª Personalized mana for each person. Manipulating nature¡¯s mana directly is too hard and inefficient. Using Victa to cast Arte is easier and more powerful. Victa is an imaginary magical substance that is produced continuously and automatically from Intio. The higher the Pathseeker¡¯s Level, the higher quality their Victa is. There is no limit on how much one can hoard their Victa. The downside is, it¡¯s relatively slow to generate Victa. Every Pathseeker feel their Victa generation is lacking. Pathseekers without Victa is no different from normal humans. No one can use the Victa of other people¡¯s. Arte ¡ª Magical techniques. From simple fireball to meteor strike, from body strengthening to arcane ritual. One can learn Arte from other sources such as books, scrolls, and other people or create them from scratch for themselves. They needed Victa to be invoked. Affinity ¡ª Each person has different degrees of affinity to the elements that exist in the world. To become a Pathseeker one must have sufficient affinity to a particular ¡®Path¡¯. People commonly have affinity to the four basic elements, fire, water, wind, and earth. People with uncommon affinity such as ¨Cbut not limited to¨C wood, metal, light, darkness, lightning, space, and time, exist. Those with fire affinity become fire Pathseeker and use fire Artes. Affinity Limit ¡ª Similar to Level, there are affinity 0 to 5. The higher the affinity, the stronger their latent talent is. Affinity also specifies the limit of one¡¯s Level as a Pathseeker. Affinity 0 can only become Level 0 Pathseeker. An affinity of 5 means it is possible to become a Level 5 Pathseeker in the future. Someone¡¯s affinity is decided from the moment they were born. It¡¯s possible to raise one¡¯s affinity but it is not common knowledge. Those with dual affinity are rare but not unheard of. Triple or above affinity is only spoken in legends and rumors, the truth is unknown. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Monster ¡ª Fearsome beings more powerful than ordinary beasts. Mostly have the shape resembling animals but plant monsters also exist. Every monster has a core inside it. Most monsters only have animal level of intelligence. They are more beings of instinct than reason. Monsters do not have Victa, they only have raw mana inside their body. Unlike humans that turn raw mana into Victa, monster¡¯s Path of Power is to let raw mana saturate their body and improve it. That is why every monster has powerful bodies, a feather from a strong monster can be used as a sword. Monsters become stronger by absorbing mana from the environment or eating other monsters and Pathseekers. When a monster has its fill of mana, it could evolve to another variant or next stage. Monsters Core ¡ª Upon the death of the monster, three out of four monster cores disintegrate on its own but those that do not can be taken out. Monster cores are very precious and have a substantial monetary value. It can be used in the making of magical items, blacksmithing, alchemy, and others. Pathseekers also can meditate using it and if successful, create a powerful new Arte based on the monster¡¯s special abilities. Monster Rank ¡ª Designations given to monsters based on its power. 4 Rank monsters are about equal with Level 4 Pathseekers. All monsters have tough bodies and even the weakest of them have a limited regeneration ability so unless the Pathseeker is exceptional, it is normal for two or three Level 4s to hunt a single 4 Rank monster to avoid a long fight. Since basically monster''s Rank is the same as Pathseeker''s Level, many people didn''t bother to differentiate and simply label them in Level. Zone ¡ª Classification of areas based on their hazard. Green Zones are areas safe for human habitation. Orange Zones have some monsters in them but can be lived in or traveled through with caution. Red Zones are very dangerous areas with strong and aggressive monsters that attack on sight. Black Zones are forbidden places because most who went to that place never return. Purple Zones are places with other races¡¯ sovereignty of it. Unsurprisingly, the stronger the monster usually means the higher mana quality in the region. There are cases of a simple rock from a Black Zone was sold for a hefty sum because of the precious mana inside it. Biome ¡ª A pocket dimension. Generally, it is a place rich with mana and resources, making monsters'' existence a matter of course. People can visit a Biome through a Rift, a crack in space that can appear absolutely anywhere. It can appear at the top of a snowy mountain or at the bedroom of someone¡¯s house. Biomes can be a boon or a calamity. Boon in case finding an untapped goldmine. Calamity if the residents of the Biome are too strong and come out to feast. Biomes can cause Green Zone to turn into Red Zone overnight. Chapter 1 - Flight From the Nest The sun had already set and darkness blanketed all underneath the sky. A lone human walked the winter-touched road. Snow was falling earlier that day, albeit lighty, unlike the snowstorm barely a few days ago. Lately, the weather had been whimsical, which meant that it wasn''t the ideal time for anyone to be traveling. The weather¡¯s respite from its angry tantrum was one of the reasons the man kept walking after nightfall. His visage was hidden under a black cloak. The area of his face was darkened by the shadow of his hood and night-time for twice the effect, just the way he liked it. He exhaled white breath in the rhythm of a tired person. Long had he traveled and there was still quite the distance between him and his destination. ¡°...You know what this is? This is a call to adventure! It is a cosmic force as mighty as the power of creation! Why, it¡¯s the beginning of most epics! Now we¡¯re out of our little corner of the world, ready to fly to the sky and chase stars. A catastrophe that fell on our town is the shout of destiny telling us to set off. Mark my words, friends, wonders and miracles will be laid at our feet. Whether they are good or bad.¡± The man said to no one in particular, seemingly conversing with himself. ¡°...Usually, an adventure ends after saving the world or something similar¡­ Here¡¯s what I say, if the world needs someone like me to save it then Mister World has messed up. Saving the world is a hero¡¯s gig and I¡¯m most certainly not one.¡± His voice was young, a teenager around sixteen years old. ¡°...See, before I got this¡­ thing, taking over the world wasn¡¯t in my agenda. Now, though? It certainly is on the table, just for the experience of it. A few years as king of the world? It will be interesting, don''t you girls think?¡± The journeyer paused his sentence, as if waiting for an answer from the void. ¡°...I hear ya, almost all evil overlords take world domination as their reason for existence. Most of them fail, slain by heroes or by their own stupidity. Among those who succeed, well, 90% of them, in the end, are ultimately vanquished. After years, or decades, or a thousand years of darkness. A kid will pull a magic sword from stone, or the son of a farmer will somehow thwart your grand plan of wiping away all life, or your distant descendant with a bleeding heart of empathy shall obliterate your source of evil power and call it redemption.¡± The youth stopped walking for a second and turned his face upwards to the sky. ¡°Villains who achieve true success are very rare¡­ I do not think I¡¯m invincible, so death might be what¡¯s waiting for me in the end,¡± he muttered before making another step forward. ¡°But, young kittens, I have something most villains don¡¯t.¡± ¡°...What sets me apart from them, my friends of little faith, is that I have the infamous Evil Overlord List. A list of one hundred ways about how to avoid the doom of many common villains¡­ Of course you never heard of it. It only shows itself to the worthy.¡± The youth chuckled before continuing. ¡°And that list is only one of many... arsenals that I have.¡± The seemingly self-talking served as a distraction from his weary body and lifted his spirit somewhat. ¡°...Ah, curious enough to finally ask, are you? Stick with me long enough and you¡¯ll find out eventually. But I¡¯m feeling generous so I¡¯ll tell you one of them. Rule 35: I will not grow a goatee¡­ Yes I kid you not. That¡¯s real! The reason you failed to see its importance is because you¡¯re unlearned in the ways of the Fable.¡± He allowed petty amusement to come to him as he waited for their response. ¡°...That¡¯s the interesting part. We¡¯ll find out ourselves,¡± he smiled lightly. ¡°Enough talk about that. I¡¯m just saying I might, emphasis on ¡®might¡¯, do world domination in the future. It¡¯s not something I¡¯m gonna do immediately. Stop making a fuss. In my opinion, the journey is more important than the destination. So let¡¯s make the most of our time here, shall we?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ 30.28% now,¡± the youth muttered while in deep thought. His legs were on autopilot. He used neither torch nor lantern to light his way. Celestial objects in the sky provided him with adequate illumination so far but it might change shortly. The sky was becoming increasingly cloudy as the night deepened. He was at a hilly grassland, legs tired after hours without respite. Under his feet was a road of earth and dirt, not of stone. The ¡®road¡¯ was more traditional than an actual road, a path where grass didn¡¯t grow because people trod upon the pathway often enough. The road was a bit muddy and slippery, thanks to the snowy season. Cold winds gave him a greeting now and then, sapping warmth and stamina away from him. Even though the youth had higher physical strength than the common human, the elements had taken a toll on his body after days on the road. The exhaustion assaulting his body made him sigh a long and deep white breath that faded in the wind. ¡°Looks like rough weather is coming,¡± the youth said dejectedly after seeing the clouds thickening and the wind gradually getting stronger. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The weather changed as it pleased, without caring about the feelings of any life affected by its alteration. The youth cursed as he walked because what more could he do? Gritting his teeth and accepting the situation didn¡¯t lessen his hate for the sudden proto-blizzard. About ten minutes later, when he started to seriously consider seeking shelter because it started to become unwise to press on, the youth stopped in his tracks and looked behind him. An orange light, coming towards him while swaying left and right a bit. As it got closer, the youth saw a horse pulling a wooden cart driven by a skinny man. He was in his early twenties wearing a thick fur overcoat and something similar to a trapper hat. Stopping the horse near the youth, the driver took a lantern hanging next to him and shined some light upon the black-clothed youth. ¡°Evening. Thought you were a ghost or something for a second back there. You alright there, kid?¡± Asked the driver. ¡°Greetings. I¡¯m slowly freezing to death, but thanks for asking.¡± ¡°Aye, you look like you have seen better days,¡± the driver eyed him for a few seconds before asking. ¡°Hop on if you like, the blizzard is getting stronger. We better find some shelter quick,¡± the driver spoke while gesturing to the carriage with his chin. ¡°Oh?¡± The youth was taken aback by the offer. ¡°Truly? To be honest, I¡¯m in quite a bind so your offer is a godsend.¡± ¡°Makes no difference to me,¡± the driver replied. ¡°Get on fast willya? It''s freezing and I don¡¯t want to be out here a second more than necessary.¡± The driver said with an impatient tone. ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll take up your kind offer.¡± The youth climbed up the coverless cart. He shared the place with a couple of boxes and barrels. It was a bit cramped, but he didn¡¯t complain after getting a free ride. ¡°There¡¯s a shack nearby, we can go there and rest for the night.¡± The driver said and cracked the horse¡¯s rein, the horse briskly trotted forward. ¡°¡­Ah, how convenient. Must be my lucky day then,¡± the youth smiled. ¡°Right you are kiddo, right you are.¡± Both didn¡¯t talk more after that, each minding their own business. Just as the driver said, there really was a shack although a bit away from the road. Only fifteen minutes or so had passed before the duo reached it. Rundown, but better than nothing, at least there wasn¡¯t a hole on the roof. A roofed stable stood nearby. ¡°There she is. Ain¡¯t she an old beauty? Looks like it''s unoccupied, we¡¯re in luck. Go in first while I¡¯m settling the horse.¡± ¡°Kay,¡± the youth didn¡¯t argue. Slowly, the youth approached the shack. He pushed the door lightly and found it wasn¡¯t locked. The inside was barren, there wasn¡¯t even a chair or a table. Only a wooden floor with a hearth in the center and some firewood at the edge of the room. It seemed there were two straw beds as furniture in the past but it was too derelict now and unfit to use. There were signs of people using this place in the last few days. At least it¡¯s dry here, the youth thought. After he had looked around the room, the youth placed his backpack nearby and started to make a fire. He unequipped his weapon, a sword, from his waist and put it on the floor nearby. He kept the sword close, no more than an arm''s length away from him. As the fire ignited, the driver came inside while shaking off the snow hugging his clothes near the entrance. ¡°Got something to chase away the cold,¡± he said while carrying a small metal pot and a small bag. ¡°Won¡¯t fill our stomach to the brim but better than nothing,¡± the skinny man smiled. ¡°Again, my thanks.¡± The youth nodded in gratitude and both started to settle down while the wind was blowing outside. The youth took off his cloak and showed his chubby face and young countenance. His hair was cut very short, only a few centimeters. He sipped a drink from his waterskin bag, the water was cold but he felt thankful it wasn¡¯t frozen. The driver warmed his hands on the fire for a while before preparing to boil some soup. They both smiled at each other for the prospect of a warm meal. As their body temperature rose to a comfortable level, they became more cordial. ¡°You saved me a great deal of trouble, sir. May the Goddess bless you,¡± the youth said. ¡°Hahah! It¡¯s nothing. Want some?¡± The skinny man offered the youth an alcoholic drink which he refused. ¡°So what¡¯s your name, kid? And what¡¯s yer doing traveling so late?¡± ¡°Ah, let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Cain of Ur, pleased to meet you,¡± the youth said. ¡°Long story short, I ran away from home.¡± ¡°Arnold, at your service¡­ of Ur?¡± The driver cocked his head slightly. ¡°It¡¯s a village where I come from, sir. It¡¯s a small village near the Horrul forest in the south. I¡¯m not surprised you don¡¯t know about it. I want to register as an adventurer at the guild but the distance is longer than I thought.¡± Cain said while scratching his head. ¡°Adventurer, eh? I also had a similar dream a few years ago¡­ Wish you luck, boy.¡± Arnold gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Mm,¡± Cain nodded strongly. ¡°What¡¯s your occupation, Mister Arnold?¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m a humble merchant. I have a small shop in Mokash town, which I assume is your destination, considering where I found you.¡± Arnold stirred the soup. Cain gave him a gesture of affirmation before asking him another question. ¡°This shack is yours?¡± ¡°Not exactly. I¡¯m part of a merchant¡¯s collective. We built a few rest spots just like this shack around major roads. It proved invaluable during harsh weather such as this.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Cain agreed. ¡°Very wise...¡± Eyes reflecting his deep consideration. ¡°There¡¯s a sudden business opportunity for good coins so I have ta procure supplies from the next town. I hope the weather is clear by morning or I¡¯ll lose money, gahahah!¡± Arnold laughed positively. ¡°Man of opportunity, aren''t you? Cheers to that,¡± Cain raised his waterskin bag. ¡°May fortune come to us both.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that, the soup¡¯s done,¡± Arnold said while reaching for the nearby bowl. ¡°Ah let me help with that. It''s the least I can do,¡± Cain rose to his feet. With a swift and practiced movement he grabbed the handle of his sword next to him and unsheathed it like a flash of lightning. ¡°Thanks lad¨C¡± Arnold¡¯s head dropped from his neck. His friendly and cordial expression was frozen in time. The neck spurted a gush of blood and some went into the soup. Without delay, Cain stabbed the headless body¡¯s heart. For a few seconds, he looked down on the corpse with a stare colder than the raging blizzard outside, confirming his kill. He knelt before Arnold¡¯s head and whispered softly with an ominous tone. ¡°Want to know a secret? I see dead people.¡± Chapter 2 - Counter and Counter ¡°...Why? You¡¯re seriously asking why? That guy is shady as fuck and he brought me to a place full of death! Must I wait until I ate the most likely poisoned soup and be at his mercy before killing him? I think not!¡± Cain started to speak to himself again. ¡°...So you girls can¡¯t see that? Okay, we learn new things every day,¡± Cain wiped his bloody sword with Arnold¡¯s clothes. If that was even his real name, the youth thought. ¡°...Yes, I know he can¡¯t hear me tough-talk him after I beheaded him. The line is not for him but for me! Never use a premortem one-liner. It''s challenging fate to end you before you kill your opponent. That is number 6 on that hallowed list I mentioned.¡± Cain sheathed his sword and relaxed. ¡°...Well kittens, people die if they are killed,¡± looking pleased and somewhat smug as he said that. No more than two heartbeats later, he was stabbed from the back. ¡°Ghhrg!?¡± A dagger pierced his heart and the tip could be seen coming out from his chest. Panic and confusion were in his eyes. The pain impeded effective thinking. Before he could mount a response, a whisper came to accompany him before he went on a journey to the afterlife. ¡°Die, mad boy.¡± The assailant pulled his dagger and Cain fell face-first to the floor, blood flowed from the wound like water from a leaky bag. *** Demetrus didn''t know what went wrong tonight. He was waiting for his apprentice to come with supplies before going together on a mission. Years on the field made him have a certain habit other people might find peculiar. Demetrus was more comfortable staying hidden in the shadows rather than walking under daylight. Which he demonstrated tonight, despite being alone in a rundown shack under snowy weather. Tarakai showed promise as an assassin. He had talent, will, and cunning thanks to his less than fortunate upbringing. He turned poor birth into his advantage, something most people failed to do. All in all, a good seedling to raise and in the middle of his trial to become a full-fledged member. The Bone Ravens -what most people called the assassin''s guild- had an unusual way of inducting new members. They must kill five people on the same Level as them. It''s up to them how they kill their target, by guile or brute-force. When his apprentice came with another Pathseeker, Demetrus knew what Tarakai was planning. Like a hunter stumbled upon a game and decided to make it tonight¡¯s dinner, his apprentice led the unfortunate chubby youth into the jaws of death. Demetrus didn¡¯t lend a hand or intervene, this was Tarakai¡¯s show and he would stay a spectator until the end. Silently, he remained seated at the edge of the room without emitting any sign of life. His breath was as silent as the grave and his heartbeats were as soft as falling feathers. A bodily feat he achieved after years of training with the Ravens. Demetrus remained still inside the shack and invisible to the naked eye by using his trusted Arte. The youth went inside the shack first and failed to detect anything. As it should be, Demetrus thought, because he was a Level 1 and the youth was a Level 0 Pathseeker. Demetrus was confident his technique would fool someone on the same Level as himself, let alone this na?ve and fat fawn. Okay, not so na?ve then, Demetrus thought. The youth remained vigilant, his sword stayed within an arm¡¯s reach and he never showed his back to Tarakai. Nice sword though, I can tell even from just the hilt¡­ Did my apprentice find a descendant of blessed birth dreaming of slaying monsters and saving princesses? Demetrus mused. Demetrus suspected the boy, who introduced himself as Cain of Ur, would not touch the soup Tarakai was making. At least the boy isn¡¯t a complete idiot who trusts a stranger he just met. Well, what¡¯s your next move apprentice? Creating an opportunity to launch an assassination is an important skill. If no opening can be found, retreating to find a better occasion later is also a valid option. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Demetrus watched the performance of his ward like a teacher grading a test paper. If Tarakai messed up and this turned into a fight, Demetrus wouldn¡¯t help Tarakai but wouldn¡¯t let him die either. Experiencing the sting of failure was one of the better ways to learn, Demetrus thought. Then the boy separated his apprentice¡¯s head from the rest of his body. Demetrus¡¯ vision went black for a moment; he couldn¡¯t believe what he just saw. The boy¡¯s slash was so quick and without hesitation whatsoever. It had the decisiveness of a lightning strike from the sky. What was more unbelievable, he didn¡¯t show any sign of killing intent until the very last moment. By then, even if Demetrus wanted to react to save Tarakai¡¯s life, it was already too late. ¡°...Why? You¡¯re seriously asking why?¡± The boy started to speak and Demetrus¡¯ heart skipped a beat. He thought that his cover was blown and the boy was addressing him. Hells and Damnations! Is this boy actually an expert!? Did my apprentice think he found a fat chicken to skin but it turns out to be a Babadoa Dragon? Am I going to die tonight!!? A thousand panicked thoughts flashed inside Demetrus¡¯ brain. He was carefully picking his next actions that wouldn¡¯t make this expert in weakling¡¯s skin kill him like an afterthought when the boy spoke again. ¡°...So you girls can¡¯t see that?¡± A few moments later, his fears proved false. The boy started talking to himself about topics unknown to him. He concluded Tarakai was just unlucky meeting a rabid dog. Demetrus couldn¡¯t save his apprentice but he could still do him justice. So the assassin stabbed the youth in the back. In the same decisiveness Cain of Ur bestowed upon his apprentice. An eye for an eye. A life for a life. ¡°Die, mad boy.¡± Demetrus whispered to the soon to be departed. This wasn¡¯t the first time he stabbed a heart, so he didn¡¯t make a mistake impaling Cain¡¯s beating organ. It was a fatal blow. Demetrus pulled out the knife with a yank and the chubby boy¡¯s body fell like a puppet with its strings cut. He didn¡¯t pay any more attention to his victim and hurried to his apprentice instead. Tarakai was beheaded and stabbed through the heart. Even a child would know with one glance that he was no longer alive, let alone an experienced assassin like Demetrus but human feelings were a mysterious thing. He approached the body and knelt before it. ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to be this way¡­¡± Demetrus weakly said. A gush of sadness and regret hit him like rushing water from an opened dam. In that moment of weakness, Demetrus failed to prevent a sudden chokehold on him. ¡°Ackk!¡± Someone choked him from the back! Cain, strangled him with his left arm. While a rear naked choke needed two arms to perform, his other hand was occupied. Cain held a knife in reverse grip with his right hand and thrust it to Demetrus¡¯ chest from the front with a vengeance. *** Despite the fatal wound, Cain of Ur was standing once again. The revenge stab he delivered to his assailant was less deadly than he wanted because of his injury. A hole in one¡¯s chest wasn''t exactly something one just walked off. Cain wanted to perform the stab multiple times but Demetrus broke free before he could strike a second time. Demetrus had a hole in his left lung, but he struggled and freed himself from Cain¡¯s hold. After he had taken some distance, Demetrus viewed Cain with eyes full of disbelief. ¡°How?¡± He rasped, voice like scraped wood. ¡°You should be dead!¡± Demetrus screamed. His hand was on his chest, trying to stop the blood from flowing out. Cain¡¯s mouth was open for a second before he changed his mind and closed it tight. His answer was a steel-cold killing intent on the man in front of him. Cain¡¯s injury did not miraculously heal and while his condition was far from ideal, he was not helpless. Gone was the flippant demeanor he showed earlier. His very being was in a kill-or-be-killed mode. Cain attacked first, wanting to capitalize on Demetrus¡¯ initial disorientation. However, the man was not a greenhorn, Demetrus parried Cain¡¯s blade with his dagger. He picked a second dagger with his left hand and thrust it to Cain¡¯s neck. In response, Cain jumped back, but even in retreat he attacked. From Cain¡¯s sword, he slashed three times in the air and three blades of water rushed toward Demetrus. Water Slash! So he¡¯s the same as me, a water Pathseeker. Demetrus thought. He parried the water blades and launched a counterattack. ¡°Water Javelin!¡± Demetrus shouted. A two meters long javelin made of water materialized and attacked Cain. In response, Cain ducked but the dodge was too close for comfort. The sound when the javelin pierced the air felt like a brush with death. The javelin went through the shack¡¯s wall and disappeared outside. A strong enemy! Not the time to hold back! Cain wiped the red on his lips before attacking again with thick killing intent and boiling blood. Chapter 3 - Head Even though he was still hurting from his injury, Cain decided to fight with full power. He allowed magic to course through his veins, heightening his body capability. Cain dashed forward, the initial step made the wooden floor crack. In a flash, he appeared in front of Demetrus and swung his sword down in the fullness of his physical might. Anticipating close quarter combat, Demetrus also strengthened his body with magic before meeting Cain¡¯s overhead slash with both of his daggers. The impact was heavier than he thought. His arms felt numb as if they were struck with a metal bat. One of his knees touched the floor, fracturing the rundown wooden floor. ¡°What!?¡± Demetrus was once again taken aback. His opponent was stronger than he expected. He coughed a mouthful of blood, a hole in his lung made breathing difficult. He already applied magical first-aid but it didn''t heal him completely. ¡°You¡¯re a Level 1! Shit!!¡± Still in locked weapons, Demetrus cursed Cain in the face. This bugger hid his true strength. Hells and Damnations! Cain proved harder to kill than he thought so the assassin felt the need to adjust his strategy. They were both Level 1 and both had water elemental affinity. Fighting another with the same element was inefficient. They both were resistant against each other¡¯s attack which could lead to a drawn-out fight and every Pathseeker worth their salt wisely avoided such a thing. One way to solve this dilemma was to use non-elemental Artes or physical attacks. They both had the means. Steel in their hands could kill a man, whether said steel was magical or not. Pathseekers were, in the end, still mortals. But is it wise to continue the battle? Demetrus weighted the merit and demerit in his head. He didn''t know how Cain was still alive, and fighting well, despite his heart being stabbed less than two minutes ago. Meanwhile, his own injury needed tending immediately. The first aid allowed him to be temporarily in a fighting fit but it wouldn''t last long. Should he get bogged down, he would simply die. Demetrus realized this, which was why he changed his objective to retreat. ¡°Shredding Water Needles!¡± Demetrus gritted his teeth and cast a wide-effect Arte with considerable power. I will run while he is defending against the water needles, the assassin thought. Just like the Arte¡¯s name, a hundred liquid needles appeared near the caster. Each of them had the length and thickness of a pen. Demetrus had once killed a rhino monster famous for its thick hide with this Arte. He had full confidence Cain would be too busy defending himself which would give him the opening to retreat. In response to Demetrus¡¯ magical needles, Cain cast a defensive Arte of his own. His body was covered with a membrane of protective water from head to toe. That is Water Barrier Arte, the most basic of basic. Such a flimsy barrier will not be able to guard against my Shredding Water Needles! Even with elemental resistance, the sheer force of the needles would severely injure him. Demetrus felt seventy percent assurance that he had won. Demetrus noticed that Cain¡¯s Water Barrier had a green shimmer on it but didn¡¯t pay too much attention to such a minor thing. After building his defenses, Cain charged forward like a rushing bull. His face was like stone which made reading his thoughts difficult. ¡°Die!¡± The assassin snarled. This fight was no longer about his pupil but about survival. Demetrus willed his Arte to attack, the water needles rushed forward with the speed of a nail shot from a nail gun. A normal human would be reduced to shreds if such an Arte hit them. It was no different than a hundred crossbow bolts shooting at the same time, making a wall of piercing death. Cain met such a wall head-on and the water needles burst apart in splashes of water. Cain was like a tank charging through a barricade of sharp wooden branches, not even a single needle managed to pierce his barrier. ¡°Impossible!¡± Demetrus had a face of half denial and half terror. Cain had no regard whatsoever for Demetrus¡¯ state. Riding the momentum of his rush, he tackled Demetrus with his shoulder. ¡°Aarrgghh!¡± Cain¡¯s charge was no ordinary one. Demetrus was hit with the force of a giant boulder rolling down a hill and was sent flying. The wooden wall of the beat-up shack was incapable of containing such force, so the man was thrown outside accompanied with a hundred broken wood splinters. But Cain was not done. After his shoulder made a satisfying contact, while Demetrus was getting thrown away, Cain grabbed Demetrus¡¯ wrist with his left hand. A fierce glint flashed in Cain¡¯s eyes and while Demetrus¡¯ right hand was outstretched, Cain unleashed a savage downward slash. Like a butcher¡¯s cleaver cutting through bone, Cain split apart Demetrus¡¯ arm near the elbow. As a parting gift, Cain kicked the man in the stomach, sending him out with even more force than before. It all happened almost in the blink of an eye. After getting tackled, Demetrus rolled on the snow outside, creating trails of blood from his chest and the place where his arm used to be. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Most men would need some time to think, to make sense of what happened, of what they should do next. Demetrus, despite his spinning head and burning pain on his two major injuries, forced his battered body to move. A wise decision, for Cain was not letting up his aggression. Now that he dealt major damage on Demetrus, Cain was no different than a predator aiming at its prey¡¯s jugular, utterly merciless. Cain followed Demetrus to the outside, jumping out from the newly created hole. His barrier of water was no longer active. Other than the first backstab, he had no other injury. Cain¡¯s breathing was rough; he didn¡¯t fight for long but it was intense, the wound had also taken its toll. He knew he couldn¡¯t keep fighting for long and wanted to finish the fight as soon as possible. He found the man down on a patch of snow not far from him, unarmed. Demetrus¡¯ two daggers had fallen a while back, so Cain sprinted toward him with the intent of ending his life. He had no qualms about attacking a downed man or an unarmed one. All the adrenaline from fighting made him have tunnel vision. In his intense desire to kill, unbeknownst to him, Cain had fallen into a state of bloodlust. ¡°Arggh,¡± Demetrus grunted. The bruises from the tackle made his muscles ache. On the contrary to Cain, despite being on the back foot Demetrus remained cool-headed. Using his only good arm, the assassin took something from inside his clothes and threw the object to his enemy. Because Cain was charging, the object seemed faster than it was. When he could see it, the object was already in front of his face. It was a bead with swirling yellow lightning inside it. Then it exploded with the force of a hand grenade. Lightning erupted in the area, enveloping Cain in the elemental wrath. Demetrus was not too far from the scene of detonation so the blinding flash and rumbling thunderclap reached him almost at the same time. The blast threw him backward along with snow and wind. For a moment, the world seemed silent. Got him! Demetrus heaved a sigh of relief. He ate a Thunder Bead to the face, no Level 1 can survive that. His ears were ringing unpleasantly. Demetrus rapidly blinked his eyes in an effort to quickly recover his eyes from the flash blind. It wasn''t perfect but in a few seconds, his eyes recovered enough to see his enemy. He could only see the silhouette of Cain inside a cloud of smoke and snow. The shadow was unmoving and deathly still at first. Then it moved. Demetrus saw the shadow take a step forward and the sight filled him with dread. It was common sense that a Level 1 water Pathseeker would be dead if struck with the Thunder Bead head-on, but Cain wasn¡¯t dead. That meant Cain wasn¡¯t ordinary¡­ and it was very bad news for him. I must get out of here! He¡¯s too strange! Demetrus renewed his desire to flee. Earlier, he wanted to run because the fight was unfavorable to him. Now, because in all his life, the threat of death was never more real. Throwing all else to the wind, Demetrus bolted toward the trees. His posture was unseemly because he prioritized speed above all else. The crisis alarm in his head was blaring non-stop. Like a death knell, Demetrus heard a sound from behind him. ¡°The Grudge¡­¡± Demetrus felt a chill that traveled through his spine from the hips all the way to the back of his neck. It was a different coldness from the frost all around him, something more primal. His limbs felt heavy as if they turned to lead. He was already short of breath since earlier but somehow it gradually became harder to breathe. Demetrus felt a tug on his foot. He looked down and saw a hand. A wispy hand, as if made of smoke. It came out from the ground, a hand made entirely of bones. ¡°What the fu¨C¡± His surprise was cut short. Tens of skeletal hands burst out from the ground and grabbed his body. They gripped his foot, trousers, belt, cloak, anything they could latch their hands on. The hands didn¡¯t disturb the snow or dirt from the ground, as if they were only illusions. But Demetrus felt the skeletal touch of the hands and convinced he was not imagining things. ¡°Aaaahhh!!¡± The assassin panicked and strode forward, breaking the smoke-like skeleton hands. To his surprise it wasn¡¯t hard, the hands were fragile. As if they were between the state of gas and solid. Demetrus¡¯ relief was short-lived for the bizarre hands kept sprouting out all around him. He flailed his remaining arm to resist but every time he broke two hands, three more soon took their place. The skeletal bindings obstructed him greatly and lowered his speed, as if he was stuck in a bog of mud. While Demetrus was doing his best clearing the obstacles, he witnessed something that made his blood freeze. Materializing from thin air right in front of him, were three figures. The first was a man with no skin. Blood vessels, muscles, organs, and beating heart could be seen from outside. His lizard-like eyes were blood red and he had shark-like teeth. He had the gaze of a ravenous man after a week without food. The second was a black-haired woman with her entrails hanging out from her stomach. Her face was hidden by her long hair; one could feel her icy gaze from behind the veil. The wound was still oozing with black blood and her black nails were very long. The third was a woman with a white blouse reaching her knees. Frighteningly, her head from the lower mouth upward was gone. One could see the tongue, lower jaw, and teeth. From her throat flowed a gush of red blood, dyeing the white blouse red. Demetrus¡¯ mind was stopped by extreme fear. O holy mother of mercy¡­ save my soul. Demetrus pleaded the Goddess for salvation. It didn¡¯t come. The ghosts attacked with a ghastly wail. Like a deer assaulted by a pack of wolves, Demetrus was scratched and bit all over his body. The ghosts shrieked madly while unleashing their attacks. Biting and gnashing and scratching. They seemed feral and crazy, consumed with severe hate of the living. The assault went on for ten seconds, then the wraiths went into his body like mist sinking into a lake. For a moment nothing was happening, then there was a pulse of severe pain and Demetrus felt as if every bone in his body had been broken. Demetrus lay unmoving as a mangled person. His body had lacerations everywhere and he had lost the ability to move. The man was certain that he would soon be dead. Like the god of death, Cain approached him. The sound of rustling snow as he made his steps were very menacing to Demetrus¡¯ ears. With his remaining eye, he looked at his would-be killer. Cain¡¯s face was burned quite badly. It would leave quite a scar even after the wound healed. It was because of my retaliation, the realization made Demetrus feel a little bit better. The fact that the Thunder Bead should have killed Cain instead of only burning his face¡¯s skin didn¡¯t even cross Demetrus¡¯ thoughts at this point. Heh, Demetrus smirked. He wanted to say something snarky but what he saw gave him pause. Little by little, the wound on Cain¡¯s face mended. That¡­ isn¡¯t because of an Arte! Demetrus realized. ¡°What¡­ are you?¡± Demetrus rasped his question with difficulty. Cain didn¡¯t answer. He silently approached Demetrus step by step. The blue sword on his right hand was akin to the reaper¡¯s scythe. ¡°Say something, you bastard!¡± Demetrus screamed full of indignation. Wordlessly, Cain swung his sword. Separating Demetrus¡¯ head from the rest of his body. The head rolled once and stopped near Cain¡¯s foot. Demetrus'' eternally frozen expression was of extreme injustice and unwillingness. Snowy winds under the night closed the curtain of the battle. Only then Cain spoke. ¡°You should have gone for the head.¡± Chapter 4 - Mokash Town "Finally!¡± Cain was overwhelmed with emotion as he saw the town of his destination from his two weeks'' journey. Mokash town was not special by any means. To Cain, the town was just a place amongst many. Still, it was hard not to feel relieved when seeing civilization after so many days in the wilds. The sight of Mokash town was like finding an oasis during a journey in the desert. Longer than I thought¡­ that encounter made me lose a few days. Thankfully that Arnold/Tarakai brought some food with him. Or I might have had to scavenge or hunt¡­ which would have made the travel time even longer. A few days had passed since his encounter with the assassins. Cain suffered a fatal wound, but he showed no sign of any injury now. With the town in view, Cain¡¯s steps were lighter and his mood brightened. It was early in the morning and the sun¡¯s rays greeted him at an angle that shone almost at eye level. There were other travelers besides him walking to the same destination, more and more people around him as Cain got closer to the town¡¯s entrance. ¡°Brrr¡­ It¡¯s cold,¡± Cain shivered. That¡¯s it! I¡¯m sick of eating almost frozen meat and sleeping on the hard ground. I''m gonna have a warm meal and sleep in a cozy bed tonight! Cain resolved himself to complete a grand quest. ¡°¡­What did you expect, girl? A floating island above the clouds? Of course it looks ordinary! It¡¯s a human settlement¡­ and not a particularly remarkable one.¡± Cain was suddenly talking to himself again. A man that walked in front of him turned around and gave him a strange look. Cain smiled and nodded apologetically. The man dismissed him after a few seconds of silence and continued on his way. That must not happen again¡­ Damn voices in my head. Cain kept his mouth shut and followed after the man to the town. Before entering the town, I must confirm something first. ¡°Mmm¡­ 31.04% huh,¡± Cain muttered after checking something. ¡°That¡¯s better than I thought.¡± With all things in order, Cain entered a line for people that wanted to enter the town. The good mood he had soured after the town guards at the gate detained him. Cain had no identification, no letter of recommendation, no one that could vouch for him, and no guards around that can confirm his Ur village exists. Which was logical since he made that up from 100% lies. In short, he could be a criminal or a runaway slave or something along that unsavory ilk. The guards brought him to a station where they could ¡®question¡¯ him in more detail. The gatekeepers brought him to a small office with a fat middle-aged man wearing the guards¡¯ nicer clothes, signs of a higher ranking. ¡°Name?¡± The fat man asked with a bored tone. There was a blank parchment on the desk and the man had a quill ready. ¡°Cain of Ur,¡± the boy responded. ¡°What is your purpose here?¡± ¡°To register as an adventurer.¡± ¡°Anything or anyone that can confirm your identity?¡± The fat man scribbled something. The writing was so ugly that Cain couldn¡¯t even read it. ¡°No,¡± Cain placed a pouch of 5 silver coins as he answered. The man took the pouch, looked inside it, and then put it in the drawer without batting an eye. ¡°Any criminal records?¡± he continued. ¡°No,¡± Cain put yet another 5 silver coins. ¡°You can pick up your identification in three days,¡± said the fat man while collecting the coins skillfully. He must have a lot of practice. Cain rolled his eyes, sighed a little, and then placed 10 silver coins at once on the table. He had successfully resisted the urge to throw the coins straight to the fat man¡¯s face. The fat town¡¯s guard took out a different parchment, signed it with special ink, and put a red wax seal on the document before handing it to Cain. ¡°Enjoy your stay at Mokash town, Mister Cain,¡± said the man with all smiles. Money is, and most likely always will be, a universal language. *** Cain took in the sights of the medieval town from the town¡¯s main street. Compared to Earth¡¯s version of the medieval town, there were many improvements to the standards of living. For example, there were no heaps of garbage left outside of the residents¡¯ houses nor were there horse droppings on the streets. Cain was thankful for the existence of magic in this world. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Bureaucracy, humph! Cain still felt a little bitter about his experience earlier. Adventurer¡¯s guild tag should suffice for the next time I go to human settlement. Granted, I don¡¯t have any identification right now, so becoming an adventurer should take care of my identity dilemma. The day was still young but Cain was already exhausted from the long journey, he wanted to rest as soon as possible. After some thinking, he decided to endure the temptation of a comfortable room for a little bit longer. First, he would register as a fledgling adventurer then seek an inn affiliated with the guild. Because unlike last time, he planned to make a living as an adventurer. Finding the Adventurer¡¯s Guild wasn¡¯t hard, Cain just needed to ask a couple of pedestrians for direction. The guild of Mokash town was smaller than the one he visited before. The inside of the building was more compact and the room had a rustic feeling about it. The wooden furniture and walls really gave a classic impression. After Cain went in from the door, he saw that there was an eatery with adventurer-like people eating loudly and heartily. He went to the left because the guild employees were doing office work behind a counter on that side. ¡°Welcome to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, how may we help you?¡± A young woman wearing neat and proper guild attire smiled professionally. ¡°Yes, I would like to register as an adventurer please,¡± Cain said. Here we go again¡­ let''s have a real adventure this time. The youth thought as he strived for grand aspirations. 20 minutes later he had finished the registration. It wasn''t hard or complicated, even less so since he already knew the procedure. The clerk mainly asked about his identity, was he able to read and write, his ability as a Pathseeker, did he have experience fighting monsters, and the like. It was about formality and rough record-keeping, in Cain¡¯s opinion. They also had a magic item to investigate his Level. Cain panicked a bit but since the result was Level 0, he regained his composure. My magic item managed to hide my Level as intended, phew¡­ After finalizing everything and paying the registration fee, Cain was a member of the Adventurer''s Guild. ¡°This is your guild tag,¡± the clerk gave a military dog tag look-alike with a tray. ¡°With this, you¡¯re an adventurer. Pleased to have you with us, Mister Cain,¡± the woman bowed. ¡°Thank you,¡± Cain took the glass-colored tag with his name on it. Not my real name but it will do, he thought. ¡°As I said before, I need a place to crash. Any recommendation?¡± He asked. ¡°I recommend the Olopo Inn two streets to the left. The inn is well kept and adventurers get a discount. The guild can guarantee that there are no ticks in their bed,¡± the guild lady said with a faint smile. ¡°That will do. See you later, miss.¡± Cain nodded before leaving the counter. ¡°Thank you for your visit. We look forward to meeting you again,¡± she gave a slight bow. The newly minted adventurer''s next stop would be the inn where he would spend the rest of the day recharging his battery but since he was already there, Cain wanted to observe the guild and other adventurer¡¯s situation. Cain approached the somewhat crowded wall. There was a board with various quests posted, adventurers could pick the ones suitable for themselves. Alrighty then, let¡¯s recap a bit to refresh my memory. Quests are ranked based on their difficulty. From easiest to hardest: Glass, Obsidian, Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. This world¡¯s guild classified the danger involved into these seven categories. An adventurer¡¯s rank is based on their ability to accomplish these quests. Basically, Silver rank quest for Silver tag adventurers. Since I¡¯m a newbie, I¡¯m at Glass rank. Let¡¯s see what quests are available. Cain scanned the board, reading the quests¡¯ details. He didn¡¯t have high expectations about the Glass rank quests so he wasn¡¯t disappointed when he failed to spot anything interesting. He examined the higher difficulty ones next. The highest difficulty quest in this town is Bronze, which should be for a Level 3 Pathseeker or a top-notch group of Level 2s¡­ Investigate the castle that sprung overnight, about four days travel in the south-west direction, huh? Is there a Level 3 in this town? Cain moved back from the board, giving room for others who wanted to use it. Cain turned to the other side of the room where the adventurers ate. They¡¯re mostly human except three, two beastfolks and a dwarf. Hmn, not enough racial diversity to scream fantasy, Cain thought. Back to observing the adventurers, there were around 30 of them. About 10 were not Pathseekers, just normal humans who hadn¡¯t mastered mana. From the 20, half were teens with simple adventurer gear. Cain guessed they must be fledgling adventurers like himself. Other than his sword, the rest of Cain¡¯s equipment was nothing special. The other half of the bunch were older, veterans. Cain tried to discern their Level. The youth with buzz-cut hair picked up just one Level 2 among the veterans. A man that looked like a thug, he was eating loudly and surrounded by underlings. Cain could sense his Level because he didn¡¯t bother to conceal his ¡®aura¡¯ - for the lack of a better term. The rest of the bunch were Level 0 or 1 or concealed. I¡¯m Level 1 but by using a magic item my aura is Level 0. I shouldn¡¯t be able to tell that thug is Level 2 normally but he flaunted it. As for the rest¡­ Cain¡¯s eyes went from person to person until he stopped at a woman wearing a pointed hat. Her. She should be a Level 2 too. Her aura is concealed but I have a feeling she¡¯s strong. Certainly, he couldn¡¯t be sure. It was more of a feeling rather than deductive reasoning. Still, Cain had seen and even conversed with Level 2s before so it wasn¡¯t a complete shot in the dark. The woman stopped eating her pasta, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and drank a glass of water before sending a wink at Cain. Cain was surprised for a split-second before making an apologetic face. He didn¡¯t dare to look in her direction anymore, afraid of inviting her ire. Stupid, stupid! Don¡¯t mess with people stronger than you, fool! Cain berated himself. ¡°Hey, you.¡± A person called out to him from the side. ¡°Hmn?¡± He saw a hulking tower of muscle approaching him. Chapter 5 - A Life of Adventure Cain turned to the direction of the call, a man in his mid-twenties with a well-toned body extended his greeting. ¡°My name is Paul¡­ Saw you register a while ago¡­ We have a spot open in our group.¡± Paul was muscular and tall, almost 30 centimeters taller than Cain. He talked with a stone face and rigid tone. He wore a higher than average quality metal breastplate. It had signs that it experienced combat but well kept. Paul¡¯s towering stature made Cain want to step back. He didn¡¯t like other people invading his personal space, which was 1 meter around him. ¡°Uh-huh¡­ so?¡± Cain replied, changing his posture to be more defensive. ¡°¡­You, join,¡± Paul said with a firm tone. While Cain¡¯s brain was working in overdrive how to best respond to this out of nowhere threat, someone intervened. ¡°Aaaand stop. Better not make it more complicated,¡± a woman about 21 to 23 years old placed herself between Cain and Paul. ¡°Sorry about that, he¡¯s a bit awkward when speaking to new people. I hope he¡¯ll get better by conversing a lot so I sent him to you first. He meant no harm so don¡¯t take it the wrong way, okay?¡± ¡°¡­If you say so,¡± Cain replied. ¡°We have a proposition, are you willing to hear us out? I¡¯ll treat you to a warm meal for your time. You look like you went through Hell.¡± ¡°Wilderness, not Hell. I have no plan of visiting Hell¡­ at least not until I¡¯m a hundred years old. But if you¡¯re offering free food, lead the way.¡± ¡°Good, right this way,¡± chuckled the woman at his not joke. The woman¡¯s shoulder-length red hair fluttered as she led him to a table in the guild¡¯s eating area. Cain already had an idea about what she wanted and followed her. The awkward man named Paul silently followed Cain from the back. There were two other people at the table, a boy and a girl about his own age. ¡°Waiter, one of today¡¯s special please. Oh, and a serving of chapuri,¡± she called a waiter while taking her seat. ¡°Please sit down,¡± she offered Cain. ¡°While we¡¯re waiting for your food, let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Lena. This one is Oliver and the girl is Irene.¡± The young woman named Lena seemed to be the leader of the group. Oliver was looking toward Cain with smiles while Irene was eyeing him judgingly. Lastly, Paul the muscular took his seat silently beside Cain. The table had four mugs of drink, the group must have been in the middle of a discussion before inviting Cain to their table. ¡°Cain,¡± he said curtly. ¡°So, long story short, we want you to join our group for two or three quests in the coming days,¡± Lena said. ¡°Thought so¡­ but why me?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing complicated. We need quick cash so we band up to tackle a quest with higher difficulty. I¡¯ll be frank, this party is just assembled. Paul agreed to help me out but we haven¡¯t fought together before, while Oliver and Irene are newbies. Considering the kind of quests available, I figured we need another person.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Cain hummed, he studied the four. Lena and Paul were Level 1, Oliver and Irene were Level 0. At least they¡¯re Pathseekers, Cain thought. Other than their Levels, only the older pair had the markings of people who had been tested in the fires of combat. ¡°If you want a helper, aren¡¯t there a lot of people here who fit the bill?¡± Cain used his neck to point out the adventurers flocking the quest board. ¡°They¡¯re Idlers, not Pathseekers. They won¡¯t be able to keep up with us. Well, perhaps they can serve as shields when the time comes,¡± Oliver answered mockingly. ¡°Olie! I told you before, you shouldn¡¯t talk like that! Just because you can use Victa doesn¡¯t mean you should think of them as lower!¡± Lena berated the younger boy. ¡°Fine, fine, sis Len,¡± Oliver said, putting his hands on his head, making the catapult pose. ¡°Please forgive him. He¡¯s young and brash but doesn¡¯t really mean it,¡± Lena cut in. You know Oliver, in a more... civilized age. Other people would treat comments like that very negatively, Cain thought. He said the truth though. Idlers wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up. ¡°One of today¡¯s special and one serving of chapuri coming up!¡± A waitress brought a tray to the table. On it was a bowl of hot chicken stew and a plate with ten round balls. Although Cain was starving, he didn¡¯t immediately put the food in his mouth out of politeness. ¡°To answer your question, even if this is just a temporary party I don¡¯t want anyone to die in this group. Safety first,¡± Lena said firmly. ¡°Therefore Level 0s are the minimum¡­ ¡± Yeah, asking ordinary humans with an ordinary sword to fight a magical tiger isn¡¯t exactly an image of safety, he lampooned internally. ¡°Irene joined us earlier and there¡¯s not a lot of options to begin with. And then you came into the room, a Level 0 who has experience fighting monsters. Perfect timing,¡± Lena said. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Wait, what? You have fought monsters before?¡± Oliver showed his surprise. ¡°Olie, if you observe more before you speak then you¡¯ll have less trouble in your life¡­ So, what do you say, Cain?¡± Paul and Irene didn¡¯t open their mouth, letting Lena do all the talking. Cain leaned on the back of the chair while thinking. Now then, what should I do about her request¡­ actually, do I have a reason to refuse? This suits my objective just fine. Lena calmly waited for his answer, a glint of hopefulness in her eyes. Oliver was mumbling something, mainly about how unfair someone his age had already slayed monsters. Paul drank from his mug as if the discussion had nothing to do with him but his eyes were fixed at Cain. All the while, Irene kept her silence and mysteriousness. ¡°Depends on the quests,¡± Cain answered not long after. ¡°Lovely. Please eat first, don¡¯t mind us. We¡¯ll talk again later,¡± Lena took one of those chapuri things and took a bite. Cain saw the inside of it looked like croquettes. As she offered the snack to the others, Cain ate the stew. The taste was okay, and too little salt in his opinion. Lena ate a couple of chapuris, Paul and Irene took one each for the sake of politeness, the rest went to Oliver¡¯s stomach. After Cain finished eating, Lena showed him a quest paper. ¡°I use the liberty of picking our first quest, have a look.¡± ¡°¡­Deliver three eggs of Giant Chicken¡­¡± Cain read it aloud. ¡°Basically, monster egg poaching. Obsidian rank?¡± ¡°Yep, among the easiest Obsidian though. Giant Chickens kinda hibernate during winter, keeping their eggs warm. We find their lair, me and Paul distracts them or lure them away, you three get the eggs. Simple,¡± Lena clarified. I don¡¯t think chickens hibernate in winter, but this is another world so maybe they do. Kinda cruel though, kidnaping baby chicks, eggs or otherwise. Lena explained further while Cain was thinking. ¡°The area is half a day walk from here. I¡¯ve done my research, the other thing to watch out for are the Tukukus. They¡¯re ice owls that make frostbites with their wings. Alone they¡¯re no big deal, but a whole flock is another story. They are very active in cold weather but I already made preparations to deal with them too. If all goes well, we can get the eggs without fighting at all.¡± ¡°Aww, we ain¡¯t gonna fight them?¡± Oliver disapproved. ¡°Be silent! Fighting monsters is no joke! Stop dreaming rubbish about dragon hunting. The songs and stories you heard have more lies than truths.¡± Cain held back the urge to snort in derision. ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Cain asked. ¡°Just to be sure, you¡¯re on board?¡± Lena said. ¡°If the plan is sound.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Lena moved closer and whispered her plan in a small voice. She must be afraid of other people using her plan if overheard. ¡°¡­and that¡¯s it. What do you think?¡± Sounds good. If her plan was nonsense I would have refused but as things stand¡­ ¡°Okay, I¡¯m in.¡± Cain said. ¡°Great,¡± Lena nodded. ¡°Use today to prepare whatever you need. We depart tomorrow morning, any objections?¡± The other three had no objections but Cain had one. ¡°We should have breakfast together before leaving.¡± They didn¡¯t reject Cain¡¯s idea, although Oliver made a snide remark about it. Something about his chubbiness. Lena knocked his head and apologized again for the loudmouth although Cain assured her it was fine. The main reason he was adamant about eating first was a bit silly but it was something uncompromisable. Take a quest, egg delivery, frost and snow¡­ I refuse to go ¡®monster hunting¡¯ without my meal first! A shame there won¡¯t be a round, grandma cat with adorable meows making my Chef¡¯s Choice Platter. I must have my plus 50 health and 50 stamina¡­ should I get a 2 meters long sword from a bald smith? They agreed to meet up here for breakfast tomorrow. A few rounds of small talk later, Lena gave a simple composition of the party. She and Paul were the frontliners with Paul as the tank and herself as a speed-focused fighter. Oliver had some training but this would be his first quest. Lena said Irene was really good with the bow but she¡¯s lacking in close quarters. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Irene, making sure enemies don¡¯t get close to you is our job as frontliners!¡± Lena assured her, Paul and Oliver had the same mind by the look of their face. That¡¯s true in a party I suppose, Cain calmly drank water from the wooden mug. Lena asked where Cain would be staying, apparently Irene was staying at Olopo inn as well. Lena, Paul, and Oliver went to a different inn. ¡°See ya tomorrow kids,¡± Lena waved her goodbye from across the street, the other two were on her side. ¡°Mm,¡± Cain waved back. ¡°If you have other business, you don¡¯t have to guide me. I¡¯m sure I can find the inn myself,¡± he said to Irene next to him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m going there too,¡± Irene replied. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take your kind offer.¡± Irene walked in front while Cain followed. They walked not fast but not leisurely either. There were no conversations between them. Cain was content seeing the sights of the streets and Irene didn¡¯t try to fill the silence. When they arrived at the Olopo inn, the girl led him to the reception before taking her leave. ¡°This is it. Until tomorrow,¡± Irene curtly dipped her chin. ¡°Thanks. Until tomorrow,¡± Cain returned the courtesy. Cain checked-in with the sleepy-looking man at the register, picked a single room with a bath service option and paid the fee for a three days stay. Cain took the key and went toward his room. He picked the room on the ground floor so it wasn¡¯t far. Along the way, he saw a boy about eleven carrying a bucket full of water with difficulty to another room. Cain suspected that must be the bath service. He kinda felt sorry for the boy since he wanted a bath himself, which meant more work for him. It was a simple room with minimal furniture but it was clean. It was more than adequate so Cain felt satisfied. He dropped his baggage with a relieved sigh, removed his traveling cloak, and sat down on a chair. Not a home sweet home but it will do. It was around 11 o¡¯clock, the sun was shining bright. The room was pleasantly warm so Cain planned to take a nap but he opted to do some reading first. Cain closed his eyes and went into a place inside himself called the realm of consciousness. This realm was virtually limitless like a human mind and there were many things inside it. Some were entirely his own, some were mysteriously there without him knowing, some even took residence in one corner of his mind. The girls seem to be sleeping, better not wake them up. Cain went to a place where he kept his special ¡®collections¡¯. In front of him was a ball of pale blue flame the size of a volleyball. There was a face on that ball, with eyes closed. It seemingly felt Cain¡¯s presence, both eyes opened and the face¡¯s expression changed to terror. ¡°Hello Arnold, or Tarakai, how are you today? I¡¯m in the mood for some reading, let me read more of your memory,¡± Cain smiled brightly. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Where did I leave the bookmark last time?¡± Cain muttered while rummaging the soul¡¯s mind, ignoring the book¡¯s silent scream. Chapter 6 - Vanity Cain was awakened by a voice. It was neither a magical nor a mystical one, just a loud conversation from the next room. Sounds like people arguing¡­ His mood soured when he returned from his peaceful slumber because of some trivial unwelcome interruption. Still, he had slept for a few hours and his body had rested enough to shed the fatigue clinging to it. Cain looked outside and found it was near dusk. The ¡®reading¡¯ made him tired, it was akin to mental exercise. He fell asleep naturally after a while, possessing knowledge he had not before. Mmmnn, my proficiency at soul search is still low. The memory I glimpse is random, fragmented, and often too blurry. Need more practice then. At least it¡¯s not reducing the soul to insanity now. A quick check¡­ 31.15%. Cain felt the needs of the body and went to the toilet, bringing his sword with him. As he closed the door of his room, he gave a look of annoyance to the next room. Like I thought, not home sweet home¡­ In the hallway, there was a window. A series of uniformly dull sounds made him look sideways to the lawn. Under the dusk sky, a girl strung her bow. Her form was disciplined, and so there was beauty in it. She held still for a moment, eyes focused on the target. She loosened the arrow and the target practice was shot in the center. It was almost full at this point, arrows after arrows were embedded on the wooden target. The girl¡¯s face didn¡¯t change, showed no joy or accomplishment. She simply took the next arrow and nocked it to her bow again. Cain kept going to the toilet. He did his business, washed his hands, rechecked his appearance, and splashed water onto his face a little bit before going to the lawn. Grooming oneself to look tidy before meeting someone was simply good manners, in his opinion. He approached her slowly, treading on the short grass as softly as possible. He didn¡¯t want to distract her practice. ¡°How about you take a break?¡± Cain said to the dark-haired girl after she finished loosening an arrow. Irene lowered her bow and turned her body in his direction. Beads of sweat filled her brows and she seemed a bit out of breath. Nevertheless, her eyes were filled with drive. ¡°Practice makes perfect,¡± Irene replied coldly. ¡°It does. And practicing until your hand bleeds should suffice for the day. We have a quest tomorrow, remember?¡± The fingers on her right hand were scraped until they bled. Too many arrows had been loosened by that hand. She didn¡¯t answer back but she sat on a tree stump like it was a chair. There was a waterskin near it, Irene sipped a few mouthfuls from it. Cain approached the wooden target she peppered with arrows to take a closer look at it. I should learn archery. ¡°Nice shots, you¡¯re a marksman? Err, markswoman? Or hunter? Huntress?¡± Corrected Cain a few times. He wasn¡¯t really sure the proper form of address. ¡°My father was, and my brother,¡± she wiped her sweat. ¡°I¡¯m just practicing what my father taught me.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Cain pulled the arrows from the target carefully to not break them. ¡°Sounds like a good father.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re a swordsman?¡± Irene asked after a period of silence, looking at the sword Cain had in his hand. ¡°I¡¯d like to think so. Still in the process of becoming one, I think,¡± Cain said. ¡°¡­Are you going to practice too?¡± She asked. ¡°Hm? Oh no, I just prefer my weapon close by. I make a habit of it, might be the difference between life and death one day.¡± Cain just said it on the fly but it seemed to strike something in Irene. ¡°¡­Lena said you¡¯ve slain monsters, is that true?¡± ¡°Just a few, and that¡¯s including the rats I killed in my house¡¯s cellar,¡± Cain replied, completely honest. At this point, he had fought and killed more humans than monsters. Depending on how one looked at it, the count was at a staggering amount. ¡°You have been around then,¡± the girl with gloomy countenance said, completely misunderstanding that Cain was being humble. ¡°Where are you from?¡± ¡°From Ur village, south of here. It''s a little village in a secluded location so you might not know it,¡± Cain lied. That village did not exist on any map nor known by any living soul. ¡°...Have you seen a three-eyed wolf?¡± Irene asked with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. ¡°No, never heard or seen it.¡± Cain gathered the arrows and put them in her almost-empty quiver. ¡°I see,¡± Irene already half expected the negative answer. ¡°If you see one, please inform me.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out,¡± Cain said. ¡°What¡¯s your deal with it?¡± He picked up something from her words. ¡°It killed my father and brother,¡± Irene replied with an icy tone. ¡°Ah, my condolences then¡­ Is it the reason you picked up the bow? For revenge?¡± ¡°What about it?¡± Her eyes turned hostile. ¡°You also think I can''t do it?¡± ¡°Nothing is impossible in this world. I think you have a fair chance of accomplishing it. From your hands, I could see you haven¡¯t been using a bow for long but your aim is spot on,¡± Cain pointed at the now empty target. ¡°You¡¯re also stronger than the other boy, Olie was it? Anyway, you have a good prospect if I say so myself.¡± Irene had a faint change of expression that subdued quickly. It was like her feelings had a hard time showing themselves. Cain was starting to get an idea about the girl he just met. He figured the passing of her father and brother was fairly recent and she¡¯s still in the process of coping with it, thus the doom and gloom face. The desire for revenge must be an outlet for her grief. ¡°So, tell me more about this three-eyed wolf. What is its Level? What color is its fur, size, method to kill, things like that.¡± ¡°¡­It was night and the village was dim, I couldn¡¯t look at it well. It was as big as a horse and its fur was dark-colored. The most notable feature was its eyes. The existence of a third eye on its forehead, all three were bright red like hellfire¡­ The first and last time I saw it, it had the head of my father in its maw. The weak me was frozen by the sight. The wolf looked at me for a moment, then ran like the wind, fading into the darkness.¡± Irene narrated her experience with the wolf, clenching her right hand tightly. ¡°You don¡¯t know at what Level it was?¡± Cain asked, trying to not cause unnecessary pain for the girl. ¡°No. I only know it was beyond me, above Level 0.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell you the bad news first. Even if it¡¯s Level 1, the best-case scenario, you won¡¯t be able to kill it soon. You¡¯re too weak. Prepare yourself for a long hunt. Not to mention it most likely has a higher Level than 1 and the lack of clue to find it. This revenge you seek¡­ might cost you years, maybe more.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene was silent but Cain knew mere words from a stranger she basically knew from less than a day wouldn¡¯t be able to sway her. ¡°Another warning, fighting monsters as adventurers is a dangerous job. Most newbies die in their first year. You didn¡¯t enter the Training Center, right? That is another of your dilemmas. If you want to have your revenge on that three-eyed wolf, you must survive first.¡± The Training Center was like a prep-school for would-be adventurers. In the course of one year, the kids were taught basic adventurer knowledge and building their foundation as Pathseeker. But the price of enrolling was quite steep so only the more financially capable were able to put their kids in one. Clearly, Irene was not so lucky. A cold wind blew, the light of day grew fainter as the sun slowly set. ¡°Two pieces of advice I got for you. One, get into a good party as soon as you can during your beginner days. On this you¡¯re quite fortunate, Lena seems trustworthy and experienced. Two, learn how to fight in close-range.¡± ¡°¡­I want to kill the wolf with the archery my father taught me,¡± Irene¡¯s eyes were indomitable¡­ or stubborn, Cain couldn¡¯t tell the difference. ¡°By all means, polish your archery. But you should have ways to defend yourself when enemies come close. Monsters¡­ or people!¡± Suddenly, Cain pulled his sword and bared it at her neck, stopping a few centimeters from her skin. Irene looked shocked mixed with a bit of fear. ¡°If that wolf is Level 2 or above, then naturally you must have a similar Level to have a chance of defeating it. However, remember what the road that we Pathseeker walk is called? The Path of Power¡­ and at some point in that path, you¡¯ll face other people. Whether you choose to or not,¡± Cain said solemnly. ¡°To be a Level 2 is not easy, let alone the higher Levels above it. The farther you go on the Path of Power, the bloodier it gets. Conflict between fellow Pathseekers is inevitable. Humans can be viler than monsters and devils. There are Pathseekers that see Idlers as an inferior race. Even further, Pathseekers that treat those below their Level as cattle. Killing cattle was not a big deal for them, ending lives they deemed lesser than their own is no different from squashing ants. Irene, have you killed other humans before? Are you prepared for that?¡± Cain spoke while looking Irene straight in the eye. ¡°When you face other humans, targeting the healers, wizards, and archers first is a matter of course. Just like what I¡¯m doing now. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you¡¯re using knives, swords, shields, spells, bare hands, or even using your very bow and arrow. Learn ways to defend yourself in close-quarter combat, for we only have one life.¡± He removed his blue sword from her neck and returned it to its sheath. ¡°Do you understand now?¡± ¡°¡­W¨C¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°What are you getting cocky for! You¡¯re the same Level 0 as me and you scold me like I am a little girl! I might not be from somewhere far away but just because you are, do you think it automatically makes you a big-shot or something!? I know what you said! I already understand it without you telling me! Get off your high horse!¡± Irene was red-faced and fuming. Like something past a boiling point, she blew up. Cain was taken aback for a moment. Frankly, he expected her to accept his advice and a thank you. Certainly not an outburst of scorn. Then again, when Cain looked back¡­ ¡°¡­Heheh, Bwahahahah!¡± Cain laughed heartily. ¡°Ahahaaha!! Oh, what a fabulous day! Merrily, merrily! ¡± Irene¡¯s anger rose again. She thought Cain was mocking her. Before she opened her mouth, Cain opened his first. ¡°You¡¯re right! What was I thinking, getting cocky like that? Wahahah, what do the likes of me know? Did my nose grow longer? Khekhekhe,¡± Cain kept laughing like he was hearing comedy gold. The truth was, Cain forgot he hid his true Level. Irene could only sense he was a Level 0. And he admitted he looked down on Irene because of his many superiorities. ¡°Aqua Heal,¡± he suddenly cast an Arte. Irene¡¯s bloodied fingers were covered with water out of nowhere, enveloping her wounds. She felt nice and cool. After a few seconds, her fingers were healed. ¡°My apologies for the boastful talk earlier, my lady,¡± Cain politely bowed like a gentleman. ¡°It¡¯s not much but please accept the healing as my token of apology. The day is late, this one shall take his leave. Until tomorrow, my fair lady.¡± As he left, he hummed the London Bridge nursery rhyme. He held no bitterness and was genuinely pleased. He didn¡¯t sing aloud the lyrics, only the melody. London Bridge is falling down, Falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, My fair lady. Irene was left alone on the lawn with a confused look. ¡°What the heck was that?¡± Chapter 7 - Ghosts of the Past Carrying the precious experience of being reprimanded by someone close to his age for being smug, Cain returned to his room without so much of a speck of bitterness. Arrogance was the reason for the demise of more villains than he could count. He would not fall into that pit so foolishly. After closing the door of his room and locking the door, Cain once again went to the world inside his mind. Some might liken it to the Method of Loci, or the mind palace. For him though, he always found the experience no different than being AFK. Leaving the computer hardware after hours of immersive gaming behind to go to the kitchen for a glass of water. A bit disorienting for a few seconds but it was mostly a smooth transition. The purpose of his visit this time was to see his tenants. Inside his realm of consciousness, there was a created space. He went inside the space like one went through a thick fog. When he came to, a meadow of white flowers under a star ocean unfurled before his eyes. He appeared not from the edge of the meadow but in the middle of it so he materialized not far from the residents there. As soon as he appeared, three women realized his presence. ¡°Oh, umm. Hi Viers,¡± Paina meekly said. ¡°My Lord,¡± Farley respectfully bowed. ¡°Good evening,¡± Clarissa amicably smiled. ¡°Hi girls, how are things?¡± Viers showed his true self. *** Cain of Ur was an alias, his name before that was Viers Isuel. Because of a complicated state of affairs, the person named Viers was supposed to be dead so Viers used another name and cut his hair in an effort to make it harder for people to recognize him. However, nobody knew that Viers Isuel was not his true name either. He was a person from Earth that somehow awoke in the body of 15-year-old Viers Isuel, with both persons'' memories intact. It was the so-called isekai-ed. As clich¨¦ as they come. Correction, not full clich¨¦ because he was not sent to another world by Truck-kun. In fact, the him from Earth and the previous Viers didn''t die or encountered any mishap. One day, ¡®he¡¯ simply found himself in the body of Viers in a world of sword and magic. He was on cloud nine. No godly figure told him to defeat the demon king nor was there any objective forced upon him. It was as if he was given free rein in this life and so he had no intention of wasting it. His head was filled with dreams of what he could do and achieve here. Seeking a way to return to Earth? Not a chance. Obviously, it was more interesting living here than being a corporate slave. He kissed his previous life goodbye, cremated it, and threw the ashes to the seas without regret. Now that ¡®he¡¯ was given a second chance at life, ¡®he¡¯ decided to live it to the fullest. ¡®He¡¯ took up the identity of Viers Isuel and set his heart on experiencing the new world. Eight months after he arrived in this world, a town was destroyed. Not because of him but he couldn''t say he was unrelated either. Viers hoped he was presumed dead in the calamity and took up the name Cain of Ur for dealing with other people. The three women before him were people who got tangled by the web of Viers¡¯ actions. Their bodies had become dust but he anchored their soul to him and managed to preserve their ego and soul. In this field of flowers, Viers gave their souls human form. Paina was his classmate, a raven-haired girl with a demure demeanor. Her mother died leaving her alone in the world. She wished to find her father that left the family for some unknown reason. Farley was another one of his classmates. A petite short-haired brunette. She was also the fourth child of a devil-worshiping family. Only two of her family were not completely dead, herself included. Clarissa was a lamia, demi-humans with the lower body of a snake. Straight dark brown hair that reached her back, white-skinned, and a pair of amber-colored eyes. She was actually a lamian royalty and 9000-year-old. ¡°Pretty good. Constantly feeling sleepy but not as bad as before,¡± Paina said. ¡°The Soul Vitamin you provided is also essential. Too long without it feels like my mind slowly dissipates,¡± Farley added. ¡°I¡¯m used to being just a soul so I¡¯m the least affected. They need time to adjust,¡± Clarissa spoke behind a cage. On the meadow of flowers, there was a big golden birdcage, the lamia was inside it. Clarissa¡¯s circumstances were different from Farley and Paina''s, thus the extra precaution. ¡°As I thought, it''s a performance issue. You three need Victa to be active. The less Victa I supply, the more you need to sleep. While Soul Vitamin is like nutrition your soul needs,¡± Viers mused. Housing other souls had complications. Viers imagined it like having cars in the garage. As long as there was space, he could put as many cars (souls) as he wanted. But for the cars to run, they needed fuel (Victa). Cars also needed batteries for their electronics, oil for their engines, air for their tires. These were the Soul Vitamin¡¯s role. ¡°Victa is a precious resource, as things stand I cannot allocate too much of it for you three. You¡¯ll have to sleep a lot. As I increase my Level, this problem should gradually become irrelevant. Please be patient,¡± Viers said. ¡°Just be more careful Viers. You almost died not long ago,¡± Paina worriedly pleaded. ¡°True. How did you heal that fast anyway? You shouldn''t have a healing Arte capable of brushing off a mortal wound,¡± Clarissa pondered while making a small circle with the tip of her tail. ¡°Lord Viers has many secrets. I believe in him. Please do not hesitate to tell me how I may be of service,¡± Farley spoke reverently. Viers looked at Farley with deep thought. Among the three, his relationship with Farley was the most complicated. Then he looked at the fourth resident of this place. ¡°Still no changes about Gwen?¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Gwen was Farley¡¯s little sister. She was placed atop a bed of flowers, like a little sleeping beauty. Unlike the other three, she never opened her eyes. ¡°None,¡± Farley looked and sounded worried. ¡°...I refuse to believe there¡¯s no solution to her condition. Do not give up on her,¡± Viers said to Farley with strong resolve. ¡°As you say,¡± Farley bowed subserviently. ¡°...Clarissa, how about the thing I asked?¡± After a moment at a loss of what to say, he changed the topic. ¡°Almost ready. I¡¯ll compile the complete thing in just a few days more.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Viers sounded his approval. ¡°If I have that, how could some random assassin stab me in the back?¡± ¡°...You showed amazing resilience in the face of death,¡± Clarissa cocked her head a little, fishing answers from Viers. ¡°It''s a special technique, Rissa. I don''t want to use it often. The price is... substantial,¡± Viers didn''t give a straight answer. ¡°Fine, fine, keep your secrets,¡± the lamia princess grumbled. ¡°You said people die if they are killed. It didn¡¯t apply to you.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t dead. And yes people die if they are killed, but shadows die twice,¡± Cain smiled smugly. ¡°¡­You¡¯re making less and less sense. Interesting town by the way, I¡¯m amused by how much civilization has declined instead of evolved after nine millennia.¡± ¡°You should know that the era you lived in is called the Age of the Gods for a reason,¡± Viers answered. Or maybe we¡¯re in a more backwater place than I thought, he further thought. ¡°Well, I should go. There¡¯s much to do. I¡¯m already close to Level 2, Clarissa¡¯s technique is very helpful. I¡¯ll spend a few days solidifying my foundations before Advancement to the next Level. If there are no unexpected developments, we¡¯ll stay in this town for a week.¡± ¡°Kay¡­ take care,¡± Paina said softly. ¡°May fortune be with you,¡± Farley followed. ¡°I¡¯ll finish your request as soon as possible,¡± Clarissa assured him. ¡°Mm,¡± Viers nodded then faded from existence. Leaving the girls behind. ¡°...¡± Paina stayed silent, dark and brooding air emanated from her. Farley, who was sensitive to other people, picked up the signs. ¡°Paina? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°...He almost died.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°...If he dies, we die too.¡± Paina¡¯s voice was trembling. ¡°...I suppose we do,¡± Farley said calmly. ¡°I¡¯m pathetic. You worried for your sister and Clarissa for her race¡­ while I¡¯m worried for myself,¡± Paina walked away, holding back the tears in her eyes. ¡°Truth is¡­ I¡¯m not as noble as you think,¡± Farley whispered softly with a similarly dark expression. ¡°...¡± Clarissa watched the two girls from behind her gilded cage in silence. While the girls were struggling with their own situations, Viers went to another part of his inner world. Unlike the meadow of flowers from earlier, this place was a reverse counter. It was a dark hall supported with giant stone pillars. The floor was covered with otherworldly mist as high as his ankle. The place was illuminated by tens of candles emitting pale blue light. Wispy and ethereal ghostly figures were floating in the air. This place was the place he created to put the human souls he harvested from the people he killed before they went on to the afterlife. The dreary and creepy theme was inspired by the desolation of the underworld. Viers called this place the Soul Prison. He put the human souls here in a thoughtless manner, unlike the girls in the flower field. Sometimes he came here to practice soul search on one of the unlucky ones but he didn¡¯t come for ¡®reading¡¯ this time. While looking at the apt atmosphere, Viers was thinking about his recent near-death experience. ¡°Souls¡­¡± Viers was wrecking his head to solve a dilemma, how to best use his soul power. Not long ago, Viers gained two enormous great fortunes. One was working smoothly and properly while the other was his new tier 5 soul affinity. The strength of Pathseekers was closely related to their elemental affinity. The most common of affinities was the affinity to the four basic elements, fire, water, wind, and earth. However, there were other elements, more obscure ones such as light and darkness. Originally he only had an affinity for water, and then Viers gained soul affinity by paying a bloody price¡­ but now he was hesitating to use that power. How should I use it? How to best use souls? Viers had used his mastery over souls in a very limited manner. Mostly by holding souls of the dead before they completely moved on from this world and seeing their memories with soul search. The catch was that those two methods almost do nothing for his battle capability. A few days ago he almost died. The ability to defend his own life was very important. He had no intention of dying, and he was well aware that his death meant the death of the four others. Until I recreate their body and settle my debt with all of them, their life is my responsibility. No more dilly-dallying, I must make up my mind¡­ About the solution, similar to a teen movie plot, Viers was convinced the answer to his problem was inside him all along. Viers was an avid consumer of fiction. Video games, movies, novels, comics, anime, manga, and other things; he filled his head with the exquisite culture birthed by the information age. Like a panda loved bamboo, like a dragon loved gold. Naturally, among those fictions there were other stories where people use souls. Most of these people fell under the category of the necromancer class. Master of the art of death and user of dark magics, binding the souls of the dead for their own purpose, a one man army. Fair warning, the side effects of being a classic necromancer might include but not limited to: loss of hair, rotting stench, deathly pale skin, ugly look, stark raving madness, and eternal damnation. In the past, they were typical villain figures, although MCs -main characters- with necromancy had been gaining popularity lately. Because who didn''t like the idea of unleashing hordes of zombies at their enemies? But the MCs were always immune to the previously listed undesirable side effects, of course. Their exalted title as MC brought immeasurable benefits. Anyway, Viers¡¯ dilemma was the fantasy world he reincarnated into abhorred necromancy. Walking into town with a skeletal dog would result in burning-at-the-stake from inquisitors and witch-hunters for him and the dog before sundown. If he was strong enough then he wouldn''t care and do whatever he wanted, but Viers was still weak and the world was filled with countless beings far stronger than him so he used his common sense. Granted he could be a recluse that lived far from human settlements and frankly, he wasn''t too opposed to that idea but being incapable of human interaction was detrimental to his other power, so the idea was out. Even if he spent his days in the woods killing monsters every day, mere news, rumors, or signs of necromantic activity in the region would send the hounds of the church and other necro-haters to him, let alone a witness. Necromancy was considered taboo and heretical, a desecration of the sacred afterlife. Among the souls in his possession, there was one who although weak, dabbled in necromancy. By forcefully extracting the information from his memory and modifying it a bit, Viers created the Grudge Arte that he unleashed at Demetrus. It was a basic Arte and very simple. The reason it had so much power was the location. People had died in that shack so the ground was rich in negative energy. The moment Cain/Viers opened the door to the shack, he saw and felt the suffocating lingering resentment of the people that died there. That was the main reason Viers killed the man who introduced himself as Arnold with extreme prejudice. For a few weeks, Viers was unsure whether he wanted to commit to practice necromancy. The advantage of a necromancer was clear, it was the matter of whether he could stomach the disadvantage. After thinking long and hard, today he decided he would not be a lord of death with legions of the living dead at his command¡­ at least for the time being. It is¡­ unsuitable for my current situation, Viers judged. With Animate Dead off the table, he would need to find another way to use his power over souls. Thankfully, he had thousands of stories that he could draw inspiration from. Chapter 8 - Egg Hunting Preparations Viers woke up with the sunrise. While shedding the leftover drowsiness Viers tootled to a bucket filled with water and splashed his face. The coldness of water reminded him of the low temperature of the winter outside but it helped for freshening up in the morning. After he was done, Viers did his morning routine. He sat cross-legged on the floor with his palms upwards on his knees, basking under the morning sun from the window. At one glance, he was doing meditation which was not too unusual for a morning activity. Meditation was useful for calmness and a sharp mind, but Viers wasn¡¯t doing it for religious practice or mental health. It was a magic technique ritual. 15 minutes later, he opened his eyes. They were clear like pristine water and full of vitality. ¡°Fuu,¡± he sighed positively. ¡°Serpentes Renovamen¡­¡± Truly, having it makes all the difference. With that complete, Viers got ready for the meet up with Lena and the rest. When changing his clothes, Viers saw the big wooden tub that he used to bathe yesterday and his mind went back to the night before. After his journey to his inner world, Viers called the innkeeper for a bath. Not long after, a child came bringing a bucket full of water. The amount was nowhere enough to fill the tub so the little inn-helper would need to make half a dozen more trips. Feeling pity for the boy, Viers offered to help which he refused strongly. ¡°If Mister Crosh finds out I let guests do that, I¡¯ll be fired,¡± the boy said. His hands were tied so he let the boy do his job. When the tub was full, the innkeeper -which Viers guessed was Mister Crosh- dipped his hand in the cold water and turned it steaming hot in less than 30 seconds. With his job done, the innkeeper politely bid his leave. Stealthily, behind his back Viers tipped the boy with 2 pieces of silver coins while whispering a thank you and that he should keep this a secret from Mister Crosh. The boy¡¯s eyes were beaming with gratitude and nodded repeatedly. Viers suspected the tip was more than the boy¡¯s salary for a week. Viers separated a bucket¡¯s worth of water for tomorrow morning and took the hot bath in the winter night with gratitude and warm feelings for doing a good deed. Aah, it seems I still have a spark of benevolence in me, Viers thought. See? I¡¯m not a complete degenerate. Remembering his small act of kindness yesterday, Viers left the room with a smile. *** Om nom nom, om nom nom nom. Lena and the gang looked at Cain eating his food with bewilderment. Cain ordered a series of dishes right off the bat. Beef stew, creamy potato au gratin, and mushroom soup. Some sausage, banquette, and cheese as side dishes. To complete the set, he ordered milk for the drink. Cain imagined the ¡®chef platter¡¯ was cooked by a round Grammeow Babushkat, while letting out her most adorable purr. To not eat the food with gusto was an insult. ¡°¡­That¡¯s a lot of food,¡± Lena said. ¡°I think he¡¯s preparing to hibernate for the rest of the winter,¡± Oliver put a spoon in his mouth. ¡°Phuah!¡± Cain let out a breath after eating a few mouthfuls from each of the dishes. ¡°Well, come on. The food will get cold! You don¡¯t want granma to hit you with a ladle, do you?¡± Different from the game, he simply couldn¡¯t eat them all. So rather than waste a perfectly good meal, he shared them with the party. Taking Cain¡¯s offer, they also ate the imaginary meowster¡¯s love-filled food. ¡°Oh? This one is better than I thought,¡± Lena commented while tasting the gratin. ¡°Mmm, delicious¡­¡± the normally few-words Paul said. ¡°¡­¡± Irene didn¡¯t say anything, but she ate her portion obediently. ¡°Nyom nyom nyom¡­ Pass me some of that, please,¡± Oliver ate as if the food would run away if he didn¡¯t eat them soon. One of my dreams has come true. Got to cut a few corners though, some dishes aren¡¯t exactly alike and the chef is not a true Babushkat¡­ It will have to do for the time being. My first monster hunting quest, must start with a meal at the canteen, Cain happily thought. After the meal, even though it was just a placebo effect, Cain felt he had got an increase in health, stamina, and attack up (L). Pity, his trusty partner cat was not around. Satisfied and full-bellied, the five embarked on a glorious quest of stealing chicken eggs. Uplifting BGM sounded out in Cain¡¯s mind, raising the spirit of adventure within him. The party had prepared well for the hunt, bringing not too much baggage but not too little either. Each of them pitched in carrying the baggage. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The peak of winter had passed and the weather gradually changed warmer bit by bit. It was still cold though, grasses at the roadside had thin frost on them instead of morning dew. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re young for a Pathseeker. You started since 15?¡± Lena asked. She used the time on the road to converse with everyone. ¡°Yeah, I turned 16 a few months ago. When you look it that way, I can be considered among the blessed ones. I know most people didn¡¯t have the opportunity or the privilege to start as soon as possible,¡± Cain answered. ¡°Well, not all people are aiming to be high-level Pathseekers. Me for example, but it¡¯s true that the earlier you started the better your prospect is. Oliver and Irene are a bit older than you but you¡¯re more experienced than them¡­ you must have taken risks, life-threatening ones,¡± Lena asked a question that kind of wasn¡¯t a question. ¡°¡­I¡¯m still alive,¡± Cain spoke with a melancholy tone. ¡°I know it''s not my place to tell you what to do but as a party member to another, I hope you know what you¡¯re doing. In the field, we¡¯re one misstep away from the grave.¡± ¡°Appreciate it,¡± Cain felt Lena''s concern was real. ¡°Why the sudden need for money? The season isn''t exactly suitable for adventuring,¡± he changed the topic. Even for Pathseekers, unless they were using their abilities, the cold of winter affected them just like normal humans. Cain noticed the dropping numbers of active adventurers during the weeks he traveled. ¡°Oh, it''s nothing special. My village ran low on winter supplies, food, clothes and the like. So I need quick money to cover the shortage,¡± Lena said lightly. ¡°You should have gotten them ready before winter came,¡± Cain said brashly. He didn''t mean it but it came out harsher than he imagined. ¡°Eheheh, you¡¯re right,¡± Lena laughed weakly. ¡°I did, actually¡­ but something came up. It can''t be helped,¡± she sighed lightly, showing a complicated smile. Cain picked up that she must have encountered some difficulties. He kept his mouth tighter after that. Turned out Paul¡¯s speech was no longer stilled and awkward after Cain made some small talk with him. The five journeyed on, by 3 o¡¯clock they reached the destination. In front of Cain stood a woodland in hilly terrain. The trees remained leafless and had a white-colored trunk. Despite the absence of snowfall in the last few days, the ground had accumulated quite a bit of it. ¡°Hampuna Woods, Orange Zone with Rank 1 designation. Rank 2 for the inner area, which we won''t venture into,¡± Lena spread out her arms to the trio of young ones with the panorama behind her. Colored Zones were the classification of how dangerous a region was. Orange stands for caution, which was pretty mild compared to the red and black zones. The Rank represented how strong the monsters were in the area. It seemed monsters with the power of Level 2 resided in these very woods. Cain saw that vegetation was scarce in the woods and the trees¡¯ bare bones branches were not impeding sunlight. Cain reckoned his sight wouldn''t diminish too much when he inevitably went inside. ¡°Alright, let''s set up camp around here and get some rest. We¡¯ll steal the eggs during the night, just as planned.¡± Lena directed them to a suitable campsite not far from there. Right, we are supposed to go inside during the night¡­ moonlight then, Cain corrected his analysis from earlier. The party started erecting camp. With the exception of Irene, the other four knew what they were doing. Lena and Paul were not green adventurers while Cain had training. Oliver seemed awkward at first but pulled his own weight soon enough. Irene made herself useful by unpacking the luggage and gathering wood for the fire. ¡°You good to go Paul?¡± Lena asked the giant of a man next to her which he answered with a nod and a huff. ¡°Alright people, the camp is ready. Our next schedule is a light exercise. Paul has kindly offered to be your practice opponent, pick up your weapon and show him what you got... Ah, no using Arte until I say so, got it?¡± Lena called the younger members of the group. ¡°Ooh sweet! Me, me, me first!¡± Oliver dashed forward. Cain and Irene magnanimously conceded the honor of first blood to the boy. While the overeager boy was trying to get a hit on the tank, Lena, Irene, and Cain watched from the side. Paul had a big round shield on his left hand and an axe on his right. Oliver wielded a one-handed sword with two hands. His movement showed some degree of training but not great. Paul managed to tank him without using any of his abilities. Cain was sitting on a fallen log while Irene was watching while standing. Lena took a spot on the log between the two of them. ¡°Do you believe me if I say he has come a long way?¡± Lena said while observing Oliver¡¯s ¡®performance¡¯. To him, Oliver was doing a monkey dance. During the earlier stage of the fight he showed promise, but as time went on, the frustration of being unable to land a hit on Paul made Oliver swing his sword like a 5-year-old child. Cain wanted to say that he would rather not imagine how it looked like at first but he chose the ¡®paragon¡¯ conversation option rather than the ¡®renegade¡¯ one. ¡°We all have to start somewhere,¡± Cain masterfully said, a faint smile on his face. ¡°You two seem close,¡± he tested the waters. ¡°Mmm, he and I are from the same village. It''s just a small village two days'' travel from Mokash town, about 50 people live there. Only he and I could forge our Intio,¡± ¡°And you take him under your wing ''cause?¡± ¡°So in case anything happened to me, he can protect it in my stead,¡± Lena said. Cain turned his head to the side. Lena actually didn''t feel like an adventurer, she was more of a village girl type. Calloused hands, tanned skin, rough hair, accustomed to physical work. Rather than a warrior, she had the air of a villager that often had to take up arms from conscription. After Oliver, it was Irene¡¯s turn. The archer was bad at melee as expected, Lena and Paul gave pointers but one short guidance session wouldn¡¯t miraculously turn her into an expert in a day. After a while, they changed the training. Paul was moving irregularly in the distance while Irene tried to shoot him. A simulation of shooting moving monsters. Paul didn''t seem to mind being turned into a target practice. What a considerate person¡­ he also went straight into the most troublesome task during camp raising, Cain observed. Lena wants to see our capabilities so she can direct the team better, Cain guessed the purpose of this while glancing at the older girl beside him. Also to give the two newbies helpful tips before the real thing. ¡°Alright. Cain, you¡¯re up,¡± Lena loudly said so Irene could hear from the distance. ¡°Roger,¡± the youth stood up. During the time he was thinking about how much power and skill he should display, he heard someone¡¯s voice. ¡°Well, well. If it isn''t my sweet Leny. Working hard to pay your debt, I hope?¡± Chapter 9 - A Must Have ¡°Wollter¡­¡± Lena looked at the approaching man with apprehension. Cain saw the man with a big body. Black haired, thin beard, and wore a leather armor that showed his big biceps. This Wollter walked closer with two other men with him in the center. All three are Level 1¡­ Is this what I think it is? Cain thought. ¡°The hell you bastards are doing here?¡± Oliver spat out, standing near Lena. ¡°Oh, nothing but a coincidence kid,¡± the man smiled evilly. ¡°We were in the middle of a quest, then saw the lot of you. Figured I should say hello, considering we¡¯re acquainted and all.¡± ¡°Seems like an unpleasant man,¡± Irene muttered quietly to Cain. I¡¯m of the same mind. ¡°You have said your piece. We¡¯re busy here so I don''t have time for you. You do your quest and we¡¯ll do ours,¡± Lena stonewalled him. ¡°Aww, don''t be like that, sweetie. I know you don''t like me but a debt is a debt,¡± Wollter moved closer until his face was just a few inches from Lena¡¯s. ¡°I hope you can get the money ready soon. It would bleed my heart if I must separate a couple of small children from their parents. Slaves have it tough these days,¡± he showed the grin of a sly dog. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll get the money,¡± Lena tried to hide her revulsion against Wollter, unsuccessfully. ¡°And all is well should you do so. By the way, the amount is 70 silver coins now.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s more than double of what the village owed!¡± Lena turned aghast. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the total plus interest. Shishishi,¡± Wollter snickered, his two underlings followed suit. ¡°No way! That¡¯s a scam!¡± Oliver looked like he would pounce at the guy. ¡°But that¡¯s¡­¡± Lena bit her lower lip and clenched her hands, at a loss of what to say. ¡°That¡¯s all I have to say, have fun hunting¡­ whatever your quest is. Bwahahah!¡± Wollter and his gang left boisterously. ¡°¡­Sis Len,¡± Oliver looked at Lena with worry. ¡°¡­You all stay here,¡± Lena followed them after some thinking. Lena chased them and Wollter stopped leaving to talk. Paul and the others were too far away to hear what they were talking about and being upwind didn¡¯t help either. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Back to the camp. We shouldn¡¯t stare,¡± Paul urged the younger three. ¡°I won¡¯t leave her,¡± Oliver growled. ¡°She will feel more miserable if we watch,¡± Paul turned around and gave Oliver a pat on the shoulder. Oliver, although very reluctant, followed Paul eventually. Irene was also unwilling but what Paul said made sense. While she tried to leave, Cain sat on the ground with his back towards Lena and Wollter¡¯s gang. ¡°Cain?¡± She called. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for her here. No need to worry. This way, I won¡¯t be able to stare,¡± Cain said. ¡°¡­¡± Irene didn¡¯t say anything and let him be. But I¡¯ll be able to hear, Cain thought. Because of a certain event and diligent training, Viers/Cain now had an extraordinary sense of hearing, at a superhuman degree. Combined with Enhanced Hearing Arte, he could hear the sound of someone¡¯s heartbeat if they were both in a quiet room. It wasn¡¯t always active nor perfect. His near-death experience by the hand of a mere Level 1 assassin was a stern reminder. Still, it was very useful. Cain focused his ears on the conversation behind him. Eavesdropping while maintaining a fake fa?ade to all. ¡°It''s final, the contract is clear. This is the sign of your village chief, is it not?¡± Lena sounded more and more desperate while Wollter maintained his cool. ¡°Fair point, I might be able to do something about it. And I¡¯m in the mood of¡­ honeyed persuasion,¡± Wollter¡¯s hand touched Lena¡¯s chin. Wollter¡¯s voice made Cain feel so filthy to the point he wanted an immediate bath despite being so far away. Hard to say what Lena felt since she was so close to the epicenter. ¡°¡­Let me¡­ think about it,¡± Lena¡¯s voice was filled with helplessness and surrender, moving away from his touch. She wanted to refuse but the reality of the situation made her unable to outright say rejection. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to make preparations, take your time. Gahahah!¡± Wollter laughed more happily than before. He was convinced the fish had already swallowed the bait. All he needed to do was pull his fishing pole. Lena stood alone in the middle of a plain. Head downcast and remained still, looking like an image of pity. She needed a little time to organize her thoughts. She held back her tears and kept her eyes on the immediate future, the quest. Wallowing in pity and sorrow wouldn¡¯t make her problems go away. She led her team here and she would not fail them because of her personal matter. Lena gathered the pieces of her will after being broken and held it close. She had a job to do. The first thing she saw when she started walking back was Cain with his back on her. ¡°Cain?¡± She said when they were close enough. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°...Yes, thanks for asking. Let¡¯s go back,¡± Lena had a faint tone of gratitude. ¡°Mm,¡± he answered curtly. Lena walked in the front, Cain maintained a few steps behind her. Her red hair swayed in the cold wind. Neither of them opened their mouths at first. ¡°...You aren¡¯t going to ask?¡± Lena said without turning her face. ¡°No need. I¡¯m just making sure you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°...Thanks,¡± her voice was a touch meek. They didn''t walk far before reaching the recently raised camp. The first thing she did was addressing Paul and the others who looked at her with worry. ¡°Sorry you guys had to see that. I assure you, there¡¯s no need for concern. I¡¯m okay and we still have a quest to complete. I wanted to see Cain¡¯s mock battle first but we¡¯re running out of daylight. We¡¯ll now go inside the forest, seek the Giant Chicken''s nest and areas with Tukuku¡¯s presence. If we manage to find them then great, if not, that¡¯s fine too. Remember, scouting only. Avoid battle as much as possible. We¡¯ll get the eggs when we return later at night,¡± Lena directed. ¡°We¡¯ll split into two teams to cover more grounds. Me and Oliver, Paul and you two,¡± Lena said to Irene and Cain. ¡°Follow Paul¡¯s command to the letter. If he says you run then you run, if he says you hide then you hide. Do so right away, no talkbacks. Got it?¡± Cain and Irene nodded. ¡°We only got one or two hours before sunset. When the sun has fully sunk, whether you find the nest or not, you make the trip back here. Any questions?¡± Lena paused. ¡°Good, get ready immediately. The camp will be empty so don''t leave anything valuable.¡± A bit too detailed for my taste¡­ then again Lena is a cautious type. The party prepared their gear quickly enough then went into the woods with 100 meters distance between them. Lena and Paul exchanged a few words before they led their group into the woods of leafless trees. Unlike on the outside, the ground inside the forest had a blanket of snow at the height of an adult man¡¯s ankle. It didn''t make taking every step like walking on a bog but an obstruction nonetheless. This was the wilds. Monsters, instead of humans, reigned here. Paul¡¯s expression was very serious, watching for every sign of an anomaly. Irene had her bow and arrow on her hands, similarly on guard. Based on the team allocation, Lena seemed to think Paul was stronger than her. Because he has to nanny two Level 0s. Or maybe because it''s just the issue of compatibility, she and Oliver are from the same village after all. ¡°Why is there a snow buildup this high just inside the forest?¡± Irene asked, keeping her voice down. ¡°Higher mana density in the area. In places like this, the environment can be very abnormal compared to the outside. There could be a desert region despite the winter season or a mountain covered with eternal typhoon. Monsters often appear on those grounds. As a rule of thumb, the crazier the environment means the stronger the monsters inside. All because of mana.¡± Paul answered without letting down his surveillance on his surroundings. Irene said her thanks and the scouting continued. 15 minutes in, Cain started to walk a few meters farther than the group to look over a higher ground. ¡°Cain, you¡¯ve strayed too far. And your movement is bad, you¡¯re muddying our tracks,¡± Paul reprimanded. ¡°The snow is an inconvenience but we can turn it to our advantage. If by any chance we get separated, follow the tracks we leave behind in the snow. It''s easy to get lost in the woods. Particularly during a heated situation when a monster popped up.¡± Huh, I actually didn''t think of that. Good advice. ¡°I see. Thanks, Paul,¡± Cain said. A rustle on the bushes made the three turn their heads in that direction with weapons at the ready. A few tense moments later, a cute white rabbit showed itself. The tension eased down since it was not a threat. ¡°Not gonna shoot it?¡± Cain talked to Irene. ¡°It could be our dinner.¡± ¡°...Unsuitable time. We still need to scout and carrying a bloody carcass could draw in predators. Leaving it here after killing it is a no go either, same reason.¡± Irene said. Her father was a hunter so maybe she¡¯s right, Cain assessed. ¡°Right. There¡¯s still some ration in the camp. It will do,¡± Paul approved. Time passed and the trio ever went deeper into the woods, combing it for monster trails. Paul made a mark with nearby stones at regular intervals, a set of stones piled together. Cain watched with interest. Must be for direction indicators, the youth thought. He had experienced going into the wilds before but he was always alone. Cain knew he could learn a thing or two from other adventurer veterans and wasn''t ashamed of admitting it. After some time, Irene filled the silence. ¡°Mister Paul, do you think Lena is okay?¡± ¡°Just Paul, we¡¯re in the same party and I¡¯m only a few years older than you. As for your question¡­ I do not know. And frankly, there¡¯s not much that we could do,¡± Paul answered. ¡°...There are people like that guy in my village too. Money hyenas, making wealth at the cost of other¡¯s suffering,¡± Irene scowled. ¡°Mmm¡­ she actually has it tougher than that. If you want to help then focus on clearing the quest, which in itself will lower her burden.¡± Irene stayed silent, Cain was the same. They kept walking forward. About three minutes later, they finally found a lead. ¡°There,¡± Paul pointed. ¡°A Tukuku¡¯s feather. They must be close, keep a sharp eye.¡± Cain saw a bluish-white bird feather fall near a tree. I wonder what kind of monster this Tukuku is. Chapter 10 - Camping Leisurely ¡°Eyes up,¡± Irene said. Following her line of sight, Cain saw three birds perched on a tree branch at his 2 o¡¯clock direction. There was still quite a distance between them and the monsters didn''t seem to realize their presence yet. Cain noted that the Tukukus were similar in shapes and sizes to owls. Most of their feathers were white with some black or blue mixed in. One of the owls flew away, leaving only two Tukukus left to observe. The one that left made snowflakes with each flap of its wings. The shape of their brows made the birds look like they were scowling. Other than the white pupils, the rest of their eyes were black. I expected Hedwig¡­ but they¡¯re kinda scary looking. Not pet material, mrrggh, Cain cringed. I¡¯m sure there are cute and cuddly monsters out there, I just haven''t found them yet! Viers had seen quite a few monsters since he came to this world. Not a great many samples but the lack of cute type monsters disappointed him. They all were either eerie, ferocious, or dangerous. A common slime he fought was the closest thing to a pet candidate. Eyeless, formless, wriggly jelly that closely resembled an oversized amoeba. Yeah, those guys don''t have a speck of Rimuru adorableness in them. Kinda gross, to be honest. ¡°Further in must be their territory. We¡¯ll circle around the perimeter to investigate. Make sure you don''t get too close,¡± Paul led the younger ones away. Paul was correct, they found more Tukukus in the area. Some were still sleeping inside a hollowed trunk, some were just flying out to begin their nightlife. These owls, like their Earth counterpart, were nocturnal and the day grew increasingly dark. ¡°It''s time. Let¡¯s go back,¡± Paul suggested. ¡°Irene, take point. Lead us back. Cain will follow behind and I shall guard the rear.¡± Cain followed the instructions like a chick followed its mother hen. Nothing noteworthy happened on the way back. The sky was almost cloudless tonight and the two moons were reflecting sunlight brightly. At the camp, Lena and Oliver were already back. ¡°Good news, we found a Giant Chicken nest. We¡¯ve also confirmed she had eggs in the nest,¡± Lena smiled, seemingly back to the confident young woman before that episode with Wollter. ¡°And we found the Tukukus,¡± Cain replied. ¡°Nice! Alright people, it''s break time. Eat something and get plenty of sleep. We¡¯ll begin the hunt around midnight. Get plenty of rest, it''s more than six hours away.¡± They made a campfire and took salted jerky and fruits that they brought from town. Well, so much for Granma Meow¡¯s food bonus. Reality¡¯s knocking, Cain thought while taking a bite out of a piece of chewy jerky. Then Oliver brought the carcass of a chicken lookalike, much to Cain and Irene¡¯s surprise. ¡°Fresh meat! We found the nest faster than expected. On the way back, we found this and Oliver hunted it. It''s an Odon, a guineafowl monster. Just a rank 0 monster, not much different from regular animals except for the existence of monster core. This one¡¯s destroyed though, but we can have a warm meal.¡± Paul and Cain praised the boy, and he seemed happy and sheepish. After they processed the fowl, hot meals enough to satisfy the five of them were served. After a fulfilling meal, time to divide the night''s watch. The three males volunteered for the first watch. But thanks to his contribution, it was decided that Oliver should get some shut-eye. The task fell to Paul and Cain. An hour later, besides the fire. Cain was watching the fire burning with Paul not far from him. The heat from the firepit felt very special right now. ¡°Pwuooo...¡± Cain let out a childish voice while opening both palms for the flame¡¯s warmth. ¡°...You appear accustomed to camping out,¡± Paul spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve learned to enjoy it, at a place called Camp Yuru,¡± Cain grinned like the Cheshire Cat. Off-season camp is the best¡­ or so Shimarin said. The cold of winter is perfect too, kishishisshi. ¡°Never heard of it but good for you,¡± Paul also took refuge close to the fire, absorbing the higher temperature. Stolen story; please report. Cain eyed the muscular youth in his early twenties and steered the conversation in a more serious direction. ¡°So, how long have you been in this line of business?¡± Cain asked. ¡°Three-four years ago, I registered when I just became Level 0.¡± ¡°Hmn, you must be good at this trade then. No limbs lost, not dying, and have advanced to Level 1. Quite a feat in this line of work,¡± Cain spoke frankly. ¡°During my first quest ever, two out of five members of my group died. I only survived thanks to luck. I persisted, learning things and getting stronger. I thought I already outgrew my weak self. Then similar things happened six months ago, only this time I was the sole survivor. Again, thanks to luck, I was out on a supply run when the monster was eating my friends. I¡¯ve decided to retire then, to a simple life. Next time, my luck might not save me,¡± Paul shared. ¡°...Six months ago, and yet you''re still here,¡± Cain let the question linger in the air. ¡°I want to open a blacksmith shop, as I have some skill hammering metal,¡± Paul took a sip from his mug. ¡°So I¡¯m saving money. Because I mainly took safe jobs, gathering the targeted amount took longer. I almost reached the goal.¡± ¡°And yet, you are in an Obsidian quest. Normally, an Obsidian is quite risky for Level 1s. Not impossible to accomplish flawlessly, but risky. Contradictory to someone who painted himself in playing it safe¡­ Lena?¡± Cain utilized his Sherlock deduction skill. ¡°...We¡¯re acquainted from a few years back, she started adventuring not long after I started but she only sporadically took quests. Pushing herself too far each time she did. I found out later that she¡¯s only adventuring to make extra money for her village, she''s just a farmer. Villages around here often have difficulty, poor harvest, high taxes, stray monsters incursion¡­ hard to sufficiently stockpile enough supplies for winter. This year seems especially bad. Lena¡¯s village was forced to borrow money from that loan shark. She¡¯s a strong and kind woman that treasures her home and family¡­¡± He paused and took a deep breath. ¡°And I want to help her,¡± Paul said from the heart. Cain smiled, that was a sufficient answer to his question. On the other note, his super ears also picked up a faint gasp from the girls¡¯ tent. One woman was being naughty, listening to the man-to-man conversation. It didn''t sound like Irene so there was only one candidate left. His smile grew wider because of the interesting development. ¡°Yo! You girls seeing this?¡± Cain hollered the onlookers inside his head. ¡°Of course, I support them one hundred percent!¡± Farley said passionately. ¡°He¡¯s so sweet, I hope the feeling is mutual for both of them,¡± Paina added. ¡°So this is human¡¯s mating courtship... very informative,¡± Clarissa was genuinely piqued. With his permission, the girls inside his head could see and hear what Viers experienced. Because of the similarity, Viers called it real-time video streaming. A screen appeared on the flower field where the girls could watch the ''Viers Today'' channel. Viers often streamed his journey when it was possible. He did this to prevent boredom and mind atrophy. In addition, to give them hope for the future. The more motivated they are, the more Viers would receive help from them. No matter the world, girls always like love-talk. It must be embedded in their genetic code, Cain thought while making fun of it, but the truth was he also liked it. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s grateful for your consideration towards her,¡± Cain gently approached the topic. ¡°She¡¯s pretty dense so I don''t think she realized it after all this time,¡± Paul added. The secret listener¡¯s sound of breathing was smothered. Cain imagined she must be using her hands to cover her mouth, all the while having an apple-red face. Cain was very amused thinking the cool and collected Lena had the face of a heroine in a romantic comedy situation. ¡°I think the wind is blowing on your tail, my man. She really appreciates you being here with her,¡± Cain spun a flowery speech. Yeah, she definitely knows now. My money¡¯s in them being together after this venture. ¡°...The reward from quests we take after this one should be enough to pay off her debt,¡± Paul said while putting in another wood log to the fire. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s about right,¡± Cain calculated. Two or three more quests should cover it. ¡°I¡¯ll ask her hand in marriage at that time!¡± Paul resolutely said. Paina and the others were making girly noises like middle school girls witnessing their classmate¡¯s confession. Kya-kya-ing and talking very fast with each other, especially Paina and Farley. Although age-wise, they really are teenage girls. Lena¡¯s, the secret snooper¡¯s breathing sound disappeared. Either she fainted or dived into what passed for a blanket in the tent. A thousand horses must be trampling on the fields of her mind right now. Despite her reliable demeanor, her reaction was very fresh and interesting. But unlike the girls, Cain¡¯s face cramped in a smile. Holy Shit! A death flag! The talk halted for a while. Sounds of cracking wood in the fire and faint bird hoots from the trees hang in the air. Cain was in deep thought. ¡°...It''s strange. Talking to you doesn''t feel like talking to a younger man.¡± Paul broke the ice first. ¡°Strange indeed, I could¡¯ve sworn I¡¯m just a teen the last time I saw myself in a mirror.¡± Cain replied. ¡°I gotta go, I think I ate too much. I have to take a shit.¡± ¡°Mm, don''t go too far. We¡¯re in an Orange Zone,¡± Paul reminded. ¡°Righto, sorry for leaving you alone. I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible,¡± Cain left while walking hastily. Just a quick check, Cain thought. 31.73%... Chapter 11 - Fury of the Owls ¡°You¡¯re late!¡± When Cain came back, Lena, Paul, and Oliver were waiting for him. Oliver was the one who rebuked him. ¡°Sorry, I should¡¯ve eaten more green food,¡± Cain apologized. ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s enough. Time to change shifts. Paul, Cain, good work. Get some sleep. We¡¯ll take over from here,¡± Lena said, nothing unordinary in her voice and appearance. ¡°Kay, good night.¡± ¡°Stay safe,¡± Paul said. There¡¯s a bit of fatigue in his voice. The two went inside the tent and slept their allocated rest time. The night was peaceful and nothing unexpected happened, Cain slept soundly until the time to depart. Donning their full combat equipment, Cain and the others ventured into the woods in the deep of night. *** ¡°So what¡¯s your story?¡± Cain asked the only person next to him, Oliver. ¡°I didn''t take you for the chatty type,¡± the boy showed a little annoyance. ¡°Now, now,¡± Cain assured him. ¡°We¡¯re in the same team and most likely will be together for a few more quests. Knowing each other better will increase our teamwork and success rate.¡± Besides, I already got the other three backstories. Might as well complete the collection with yours. Cain left that part unsaid. Both of them were deep in the woods, inside the ice owls¡¯ territory. Hiding and covering their body with a coat, waiting for the go signal. ¡°There¡¯s nothing special, I¡¯m just a newbie adventurer from the boonies. Big sis Len seems to think you¡¯re better than me so I¡¯m gonna prove her wrong!¡± Mhm, I¡¯m sensing some hostility here. A young boy wanting to prove himself? ¡°Easy there, we¡¯re not enemies. I heard you and Lena are from the same village?¡± ¡°She told you that, didn''t she? Tch, gossipers.¡± ¡°Lena seems an okay person,¡± Cain replied with a smile, keeping his calm and serene demeanor. ¡°She expects great things from you.¡± ¡°Sis Len wants me to be the village¡¯s guardian dog,¡± Oliver complained. ¡°Ah¡­ You think the village is too small for you, hmn?¡± Cain gave a sideway glance. ¡°Exactly! I¡¯ll do great feats worthy of songs and legends, no one shall underestimate me again! I¡¯ll show them bastards who looked down on me!¡± Oliver''s childish boast was not taken seriously by Cain. Having grand aspiration was good and all, Cain had nothing against him. It''s entirely up to him whether he could make such imagination a reality or not. It seems he doesn''t have a good impression about his village. Cain thought. ¡°Good spirit, certainly better than those motivationless people. By the way, are you a true brother and sister with Lena?¡± ¡°Nah. It''s a small village, we often played together when we were kids. The calling stuck¡­ You ain''t gonna mock me?¡± Oliver was guarding against insults that never came. ¡°Why should I? It''s your dream. I wish you well but the way I see it, you take care of your dream and I¡¯ll take care of mine.¡± ¡°Hmmnn, quite an arrogant line you got there.¡± Oliver was displeased. ¡°Hehehe, Irene said the same thing. Out of pure curiosity, imagine it for a moment. You left the village behind and one day heard news it had been destroyed, the villagers were all killed, no survivors. Your family, friends, neighbors, the guys that used to irritate you, all gone. What do you think you would feel?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Oliver didn''t answer, showing a complicated expression. Huh, so he still has a sense of belonging to his village after all. Not a heartless type that would pursue his objective despite all else. That¡¯s normal I suppose. Not a degenerate then. ¡°Food for thought, but if you would pardon me one more arrogant line?¡± Cain condescendingly said. ¡°Fine. Tell me, junior.¡± Oliver matched Cain¡¯s challenge in teenager¡¯s standard. ¡°You don''t need great deeds to have people stop looking down on you. You just need to be stronger than your enemies, and then¡­¡± Cain¡¯s eyes glinted with ruthless savagery then his lips curled upwards. ¡°Let¡¯s just say it''s hard for someone to look down on others when that someone is lying six feet under.¡± Oliver saw Cain¡¯s eyes and what he found brought a shiver down his spine. This guy¡­ he has killed people before. He had speculations from the start but Oliver had no doubt about it now, and not just because of his words; his tone was bone-chilling and there was no untruth in his eyes. ¡°You-¡± Oliver stopped short because they both saw a fire lit in the distance. ¡°Come on Oliver, eyes and ears sharp. It''s showtime,¡± Cain put his game face on. *** To get the Giant Chicken eggs, Lena planned to lure it away then the others steal the eggs. The problem was the Tukukus in the area, ice owls that would attack trespassers of their territory. When Lena was luring away the chicken she might also get attacked by the owls. That was too risky for her to handle so she devised a plan. After determining the positions of the chicken and owl nest, the group would neutralize the Tukukus first. By using a hot bait. ¡°So you want to burn the forest, audacious.¡± Cain was amused, imagining the sight of a blazing forest. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°No! Just make some medium size bonfires near their territory.¡± Lena was shocked at how much of a leap Cain¡¯s logic took when she suggested using fire. ¡°Tukukus are ice monsters that don''t like heat. In fact, they react aggressively to it. That¡¯s why we¡¯ll make fires in three places, like the points of a triangle. The five of us will split into two-two-one, each responsible for one fire. After the first fire is lit up, the person starting it will run away. The owls will come to snuff the fires out, then they¡¯ll be seeking the perpetrators in the area. Before they could find our comrades, we lit up the second fire, then replicated the earlier process with the third fire.¡± A kiting strategy! And they said games are bad for your brain, phhhssh. Cain dissed the non-gamers in his brain. ¡°Then back to light up the first fire point. Repeat the cycle as many times as necessary until the Tukukus are tired. My guess is two cycles before they become too tired to threaten us when we made a move for the eggs.¡± Cain agreed to the plan and joined the group. When it was time to divide the group. Cain was assigned with Oliver and Lena with Irene, Paul shall handle his duty alone. This must be why Lena recruited me in the first place. To have someone with field experience handle the third fire spot. Well, igniting a fire shouldn¡¯t be too hard, even for a non-Pathseeker. Must be just in case something happened. Since Cain was named the leader between the two, Oliver had a bitter feeling. He was older but Cain was more experienced. He got the logic but it didn''t mean he liked it. In the darkness of night, the light of the fire was very eye-catching despite Cain having quite a distance between Lena and Irene¡¯s spot. Lena had begun the kiting operation. The bonfire was quite large and seemingly came out of nowhere instead of gradually growing bigger from little flame. Well, she IS a fire Pathseeker. Must be easy for her to get things burning. The pair waited, not moving nor saying a peep. Before long, there was a shriek, joined with another dozen more shrieks. Holy cow! Sounds like the owls version of wolf¡¯s howl, but angrier. Tens of furious owls zoned in from the deeper part of the woods. Cain saw them leaving trails of snowflakes in their wake. ¡°Like starving vultures to carrion,¡± Cain commented. ¡°What¡¯s a vulture?¡± Oliver asked, never having seen a vulture before. ¡°Oh? Well, it¡¯s a bird that¡¯s famous for eating other animal¡¯s carcasses. They rarely hunt live prey for food, they mainly eat the leftovers of what other animals hunted. They often wait in flocks, watching while a lion or something else dined then swooped in after the lion was full.¡± Cain watched as the ice birds were battling the fire, fully intent on snuffing it out. They flapped their wings in unison, creating ice and frost hurling towards the fire. ¡°Hou,¡± Cain exclaimed. Not to the point of freezing the fire but should be around the level of a fire extinguisher. And that¡¯s the power of only one of them, getting focused attacks from a dozen of them must be very cold indeed. From another direction, Cain saw that another fire was just created. This one was still small and needed a little time to grow big. ¡°That¡¯s Paul''s spot,¡± Oliver said. ¡°Hmm,¡± he nodded. ¡°We should get ready as well.¡± Lena¡¯s fire did not hold for long but before the Tukukus could rejoice, they shrieked in anger once again. They flew straight to Paul¡¯s position. Cain couldn''t be sure but he thought he saw one of the owls shot down by an arrow. It was the last one of the pack. Irene? Nice shot. The owls repeated what they did to Lena¡¯s fire, sending gusts of cold energy to smother Paul¡¯s fire. Only this time their power went down a bit. Lena appears to be right. Cain became more optimistic. ¡°Looking good, let''s do our job as well.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Oliver answered. In front of Cain and Oliver were three stacks of dried wood and foliage placed somewhat apart from each other. The pair gathered on the leftmost stack. ¡°Pour the oil,¡± Cain said. Oliver uncorked a flask and poured the flammable liquid onto the stack. The oil was Lena¡¯s, she bought them at the town and shared it with the group. Immediately afterward, Cain set it on fire using sparks from a flint. ¡°Good, it''s burning nicely¡­ Let¡¯s go!¡± Cain observed the fire for a few seconds to make sure it wouldn''t go out on its own then bolted with Oliver away from the soon incoming airstrike. Behind a short rock 15 meters away, Cain and Oliver hugged the ground, covering their bodies with a mantle. It masked their body heat from the owls. The Tukukus were in front of them soon enough. Cain was not an expert in reading human expressions, let alone avian ones but the Tukukus fury was very clear he could taste it in the air. The birds were swooping to the scene like gallant firefighters to stamp out the fiery menace. Full of ire to the ones that kept creating it. If someone set my lawn on fire multiple times I would be wrathful as well. I feel you, I really do. Cain privately bantered in his head. With a dozen furious monsters so close in the pair''s proximity, Cain saw that Oliver was faintly trembling with the corner of his eye. Understandable, I suppose... Before long Lena and Irene¡¯s place lit up once again, beginning the cycle anew. By the end of the second cycle, the Tukukus were too tired to douse Cain¡¯s fire and went away, returning to their nest. They waited for a full minute before putting out their fire. Cain set his palm up and Oliver slapped it with his own, giving a satisfying sound. They both rendezvoused with the others at a designated place, giving each other praises. Irene shot down a total of four Tukukus and looted their monster cores. This meant more valuables for them, which was good news. Then the five went straight to the place where Lena found the Giant Chicken¡¯s nest. ¡°There it is. Time for the last step guys,¡± Lena said, raising morale. There was a hollow at the base of a cliffside, the monster nest was built inside the hollow. It was not deep so Cain had a clear sight of the chicken monster. It was two meters tall and three meters long. Thick white feathers that made it look very fat and a red comb atop its head like a crown. It was sleeping peacefully. The strategy was simple, someone lured it away and then the rest took the eggs. It was Lena¡¯s plan so she volunteered to be the bait. Lena was light on her feet and the most suitable so the role fell to her. Paul expressed his worry, he wanted to follow her. ¡°Thanks Paul, but you are not suited for speed. It has to be me. Look after the young ones. Perhaps another Giant Chicken is around. I¡¯m counting on you,¡± Lena said gratefully. Paul, an earth user, had the role of a tank. Speed wasn''t his department. Paul and Lena were also the only Level 1 in the group. One of them should stay with the younger group. This was the wilds where anything could happen. It was false of course, but Cain was masquerading as a Level 0 so there¡¯s that. After they tacitly consented with each other, they separated to their own positions. When they were ready, Lena gave the signal to start. The signal was a fireball to the Giant Chicken¡¯s face. ¡°BWAAAK!¡± As natural as the sun rises, the monster was angry. With blazing red eyes, it scanned its surroundings, finding the perpetrator right after. Its head and face was burned but nowhere near something fatal. Monsters were famous for their tough and resilient body, even its feathers had some resistance to fire. With great stride, the chicken charged at the impolite attacker, filled with murderous intent. ¡°Come get me!¡± Lena said as she ran away from the minitruck-sized monster. ¡°...Let¡¯s go!¡± Paul urged, dashing to the nest. The rest unquestionably followed. Five eggs were lying in the nest. Like thieves, the younger trio swiftly took one each with Paul keeping watch. Each egg was a bit bigger than an ostrich egg but a lot heavier. ¡°Urrgh, heavy.¡± Oliver said. ¡°Un,¡± Irene also agreed while running away from the nest. As they discussed, they only took three eggs and no more. They hoped with eggs remaining in its nest, the mommy chicken would not be too crazy in pursuing them. Cain was skeptical but didn''t complain, he followed what the group decided to do. Shortly, they were already in the cover of the woods. ¡°Phew, that was easier than I thought!¡± Oliver was red-faced with excitement and basking in the success of the plan. Meanwhile, Cain had the face of someone just struck by lightning. Fuck! He said it! The FLAG!!! ¡°KYAAAAHHH!¡± Lena¡¯s scream reached their ears immediately. Fate does love irony. Chapter 12 - Bump With Chicken ¡°Shit!¡± Paul cursed before sprinting towards Lena¡¯s position. He used his Victa to raise his movement speed as high as possible. The sight prompted Irene and Oliver to follow. They only took one step before Cain spoke. ¡°Leave the eggs to me! Put them on the ground then go!¡± The pair did so before hastening to Lena¡¯s direction. Cain realized this was a time for quick action so he didn''t dawdle. He put the eggs under a tree and cast Water Barrier Arte before following them. Irene and Oliver only had a head start of six seconds. This is supposed to be a simple egg poaching quest! SIMPLE! When he arrived at the scene, he saw Lena frozen like a statue. Her posture indicated she was in the process of running away but abruptly stopped. The Giant Chicken was hot on her heels and almost upon her. ¡°Away with you!¡± Paul roared and tackled the three meters long white-feathered hen with his shield, staggering it and saving Lena from being stomped. ¡°Bwaaakkk!¡± The chicken roared aggressively to Paul. ¡°Come on!¡± Paul taunted, hitting his shield to make some noise. He wanted the monster to focus on him. ¡°Wind Arrow!¡± ¡°Wind Slash!¡± From her bow, Irene shot an arrow glowing with green light while Oliver slashed the chicken¡¯s side using his sword. The arrow hit its neck but failed to do significant damage. ¡°Gurururu,¡± the chicken was annoyed and swatted Oliver away with its wing. Oliver jumped back just in time to avoid it. ¡°You two, don''t be reckless. Rock Armor!¡± Utilizing the time window Irene and Oliver bought for him, Paul cast his defensive Arte. His skin was covered with rock and his defense raised a notch. ¡°My arrow, it didn''t even pierce it.¡± Irene was shaken. ¡°Yeah, the response from my sword is strange as well. Its skin is very tough.¡± Oliver grimaced. So this is a monster¡­ A true monster, both of them thought. Oliver gripped his sword a little tighter and Irene felt cold sweat forming on her forehead. They were steeling themselves for the fight ahead. ¡°KKAAAKK!!¡± The Giant Chicken extended its wings, making it seem far bigger than it actually was, and roared. The cry traveled far in all directions throughout the dark woods. ¡°Earth Strike!¡± Paul attacked using the axe in his right hand. The other two followed his lead and resumed attacking. Paul¡¯s strike would have destroyed a sturdy rock boulder but when the monster got hit on the side of its face, the chicken only turned its head slightly as if it was only a slap. Meanwhile, Cain was running towards the unmoving Lena. After seeing that Paul could put up a fight against the chicken, or at least stall it for a time, Cain made the recovery of Lena his first priority. When he arrived at her side, he immediately examined what was wrong with her. What is this? Her muscles are hard as stone. She can¡¯t move, even her eyes are frozen. Paralyze? Don''t tell me this is¡­!? His mind flashed like a computer. He cross-referenced the symptoms with the thousands of fantasy monsters he encountered when playing video games in the past. One particular monster archetype came to mind. ¡°It''s a Cockatrice! Watch out for its petrifying gaze!¡± Cain shouted. Paul was busy holding the oversized chicken¡¯s attacks, Cain was unsure if he heard him or not. He¡¯d just repelled a beak peck with his shield. An ordinary bird¡¯s peck didn''t matter much but a peck from a monster chicken possessing the weight of more than one ton was a different case. The fact that Paul only stepped back a few steps was the proof of his strength. Cain was in a dilemma; he had no method to cure Lena¡¯s status. I have Aqua Heal but that¡¯s for HP, not status effects. Damn it, this is an oversight on my part¡­ Wait! She¡¯s only paralyzed, not turned to stone. She might recover in time! To prevent Lena from getting caught in the battle, Cain attempted to move her but he found out he couldn''t. Some sort of magic prevented Lena¡¯s body from being moved. Is this also the Cockatrice¡¯s doing? Damn it! ¡°Lena, Lena! Can you hear me? Listen, you¡¯ve been paralyzed. Use your Victa to shorten the effect. We¡¯ll hold the monster off!¡± After giving the message, Cain joined the battle. He didn''t know if Lena received his advice or not but what else could he do? Paul, Oliver, and Irene kept attacking the monstrous chicken. Sometimes they used Arte, sometimes not. Truth was, other than Paul¡¯s Arte, no other seemed to have fazed the monster. Because it was a Rank 1 monster, Oliver and Irene¡¯s Arte didn''t have enough power to pierce its body''s natural defenses. ¡°BWAAKAKK!¡± Annoyed by the flies buzzing around it, the monster changed its aggro to Oliver on its left. Like a gigantic charging bull, the monster was barreling down on Oliver, leaving deep tracks in the snow with every step. Caught off guard, Oliver fell into a dangerous situation. The terrifying sight of the charging monster made his muscles tense up. ¡°Oliver!¡± Paul tried to intervene but his position was bad; he wouldn''t make it in time. It was Cain who prevented Oliver¡¯s death. With a water membrane covering his body, he tackled Oliver out of the way. Oliver was thrown out of the line of fire but the charging Cockatrice hit Cain instead. ¡°Grrhhhgg!!¡± Cain grunted. Even though he already protected himself with Water Barrier Arte, a significant force still hit his body. Cain was tossed to a tree and slumped down, seemingly unconscious. ¡°Cain!¡± ¡°Cain, no!¡± Oliver and Irene raised their voices in worry but the monster was already readying its next attack, its eyes glowing with purple light. Thanks to Cain¡¯s warning, Paul was prepared. He raised his shield to cover his body as much as possible before the gaze hit. ¡°Kwakkk!¡± Paul felt a magical wave wash over him. After it had abated, he pulled down his shield and found the Cockatrice momentarily still after using its gaze. Paul wanted to attack during the opening but found his legs were paralyzed. Not to the point of being unable to move, but it became heavy as if the nerves were slowed down to the level of a caterpillar. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. He wasn''t able to completely block the gaze with his shield. Paul cursed, although he reckoned the effect would have been far worse if he was exposed to the monster¡¯s direct gaze. ¡°You two, run!¡± The worst-case scenario was in Paul¡¯s mind right now. ¡°Take Lena and Cain then run!¡± ¡°Kkkaaak!¡± But the monster was still aggressively attacking. It jumped towards Oliver and Irene''s position. At the moment, they weren''t far from each other, which was why the shockwave from the monster¡¯s landing hit them both, flinging them apart from each other. ¡°Aaahh!¡± ¡°Kyaah!¡± The blow made Oliver crash with a tree, dislocating his left shoulder. While Irene was hurled towards a pile of snow, somewhat cushioning her fall. The monster placed its head downward, almost kissing the ground, then it charged towards the unmoving Paul. When it got close, it threw its head upwards, giving Paul an upward headbutt. As fate would have it, the man landed just in front of Lena. He hit something hard as he landed, possibly a small rock. His forehead was bleeding, blood was spreading out to his face. ¡°Paul.¡± Amidst his spinning eyes, Paul heard Lena¡¯s gentle voice. Her paralysis had not dispersed completely but she could speak and slowly moved her body now. She walked and stood in front of Paul. ¡°Lead the three out, I¡¯ll suicide attack the monster and buy you guys some time,¡± Lena said resolutely. The chicken was roaring but Paul could hear her voice clearly. He didn''t answer, he simply grunted while rising up and standing next to Lena. ¡°I will never leave you,¡± his tone was as steady as a mountain. Paul¡¯s voice was like a gentle wind on her heart. ¡°...You really are, too good for me, eheheh.¡± Lena genuinely smiled. The pair stood side by side. Their body glowed because of the intensity of their Victa. One was yellow and the other was red. They planned to put their all in a suicide attack and hoped it would be enough to bring the Cockatrice down. Irene was peppering the monster with arrows from the side but it paid her no mind. Its attention was on the pair that emitted intense energy. Intent on answering the challenge, the monster charged at them head-on. Time seemed to slow down. ¡°RAAAHH!¡± ¡°YAAAHHH!!¡± They roared, putting their heart and soul into their final attack. But during the monster¡¯s charge, a figure appeared. With a mighty blue slash of his sword, he made a big gash on its neck. Because of that, the huge chicken veered off to the side. It crashed with a particularly big tree, felling it down. Disoriented, the chicken also collapsed. ¡°This isn''t over yet.¡± Cain stood in front of the pair, radiating an aura of blue Victa no less powerful than them. His visage was the very picture of the Big Damn Hero moment. ¡°Cain!¡± ¡°Level 1!¡± Paul and Lena were consumed with emotion. To them, a light had appeared in a dark abyss. ¡°Cain, is that really you?¡± Oliver approached slowly, one hand holding his injured shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Level 1!¡± Irene was still shocked by the revelation. ¡°We will talk later, here¡¯s the plan. Lena will hold the Cockatrice for a moment, just keep it busy. How¡¯s your paralysis?¡± Cain asked. ¡°Almost gone, I can do it! I won¡¯t get hit by its gaze again.¡± ¡°Good. Paul, you will restrict its movement, can you make a bog?¡± ¡°I can.¡± ¡°Perfect, make it. When it''s ready, Lena will lead the monster to the bog.¡± Paul replied by nodding strongly. Cain turned and faced Oliver and Irene. ¡°While the monster is restricted, you two will take out its eyes. Fan out to its left and right then wait for my signal.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± Riding the momentum of the situation, Cain took charge of the group. Because Cain was radiating utter confidence, they found it hard to gainsay him. ¡°Gwururu...¡± The Cockatrice had recovered, it menacingly approached the five. The greeting it received, was a fireball to the face, again. ¡°Over here, you overgrown poultry. Your opponent is me!¡± Lena said. ¡°BWAAAKK!¡± Lena was piling up the earlier grudge and it worked. Using her speed, she dodged and evaded the monster¡¯s attacks at a reasonable distance from Paul who was setting up the trap. Irene and Oliver stood ready at the left and right wings, waiting vigilantly for their turn. As for Cain, he moved forward to support Lena. Lena danced like a butterfly, not letting a single attack hit her body. Her equipment was light and emphasized speed. Her weapons were a pair of short swords. Unlike Paul¡¯s style that was built to take a beating, she chose the agile approach. In gamer¡¯s language, she was dodge-tanking. Looks like she didn''t need my help, Cain thought. Convinced Lena got it handled, Cain focused on another thing. He created a sphere of water above his palm, seemingly readying for something. He maintained a somewhat close distance with Lena in case she needed assistance but other than that, he was passive. Cain did not launch a single attack to the chicken. The flow of battle had changed. The biggest reason for this was Lena; she was no longer a sitting duck. Thanks to Cain, the group had time to strategize and move in unity. Based on its power, the Cockatrice was a Rank 1 monster. By combining their strength, three Level 1 and two Level 0 could definitely defeat it. ¡°Done! Lena, over here!¡± Paul shouted. The bog transmutation was done, Lena ran in Paul¡¯s direction and the enraged monster followed. She stopped just before stepping into the bog, waiting for the monster to be close enough¡­ then jumped to the side with higher speed than before. ¡°Arte ¡ª Flickering Fire Haze!¡± Lena successfully moved out of the way but it was too late for the minibus-sized monster. The bog Paul made was big enough to swallow half of its body. Its movement temporarily halted. The monster raged, wanting to break free from the bog. ¡°Now!¡± Cain shouted to the two wings. ¡°Hit!¡± Irene yelled as she shot an arrow. ¡°Wind Slash!¡± Oliver jumped towards the monster¡¯s eye. The arrow hit first, it stabbed the right eye. The monster immediately shrieked and its reflex action made it move its head. Oliver wasn''t as fast as an arrow loosened so he was a bit late, his attack missed the eye. ¡°KWAAAAKAKK!¡± ¡°Shittt!¡± Oliver cursed. ¡°Oliver, NO!¡± Lena was aghast. Infuriated, the Cockatrice remaining eye glowed with sinister purple light. It was the petrifying gaze. Oliver was in no position to dodge. ¡°Water Mirror!¡± But Cain was ready to counter it. The sphere on Cain¡¯s hand transformed into a clear, flat mirror and appeared in front of the Cockatrice¡¯s face. Wide eyed, the monster got hit by its own gaze and its body became rigid. ¡°Now¡¯s our chance! All-Out Attack!¡± Cain urged with fervor. Cain could see a cut-in for all of them, including his own as they unleashed their most powerful Artes. The four saw an opening and held nothing back, fully intent on slaying the monster right here and now. ¡°Windforce Arrow!¡± ¡°Gust Wheel!¡± ¡°Mountain Rampage!¡± ¡°Flare Cross Edge!¡± Cain¡¯s attack hit the monster after the other four. His sword was glistening sharp with water elemental empowerment and he thrust it to the chicken¡¯s chest. After the stab, he jumped upwards, creating a rising slash wound. In the air above the Cockatrice, he corrected his posture and swung his sword downward for a second attack as gravity did its job, completely severing its neck! ¡°Spirit Helm Breaker!¡± Cain rarely shouted the name of his techniques but the flow of the events compelled him to do so this time. He could not resist the occasion. In his mind, he could see his own visage with a cool look, straightening his red glove, as the tagline ¡®THE SHOW¡¯S OVER¡¯ was plastered on the Finishing Touch screen. Cain was feeling mighty pleased about himself, a certain silent protagonist would be proud. The headless body of the Cockatrice twitched before it collapsed to the side. The five witnessed this without a sound, only heaving their breath because of the intense moment. ¡°...We won, WE WON!¡± Oliver exploded with jubilation. ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ so it seems,¡± Paul wiped the sweat and blood from his forehead. ¡°Haaahh¡­ It''s over¡­ so glad,¡± even Irene showed a rare smile. ¡°Hah¡­ hah¡­ Cain, it''s all thanks to you. Thank you for saving my life,¡± Lena conveyed her gratitude. ¡°Pheew¡­ it''s fine,¡± Cain sat down. Even though the ground was still a bit wet because of the bog Paul created, he didn''t mind. ¡°More importantly, what do you think? Is the money we can get from this Cockatrice enough to fill your village¡¯s debt?¡± Hearing that Lena and Oliver perked up. She fell into thinking for a while then her face bloomed with a smile. ¡°Yeah¡­ Yes! Even if we cut it five ways, the money is more than enough!¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy for you,¡± Paul put a hand on her shoulder, which Lena replied with a tight hug. Paul wasn''t expecting that and his face was turned to stone. But he gathered his courage and hugged her back. ¡°Thank you! Thank you to all of you! Uwaaaahh¡­ I was so scared!¡± Tears of happiness rained down from Lena¡¯s eyes. The younger ones of the group watched the hugging pair with warm eyes. ¡°Awright¡­ let¡¯s go home,¡± Cain suggested while smiling. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, apologies but that Cockatrice belongs to us.¡± Wollter and his henchmen crept out from the darkness. Chapter 13 Wollter made his entrance after an intense battle against the Cockatrice. His aim was Lena, as long as Lena couldn''t pay her debt then she would become his. The failure of her quest was something he wanted to see, not success. However, a Cockatrice suddenly appeared. And what¡¯s more unbelievable, Lena¡¯s group managed to kill it. With the materials left behind by the rare monster, Lena would be able to clear her debt, which would put Wollter''s dream into jeopardy. He couldn''t just accept it. So he would make sure the Cockatrice wouldn''t be their gain. Wollter said some bullshit like the Cockatrice was originally his and he was hunting it but Lena and the group "kill-steal" Wollter¡¯s prey. Naturally, Lena and the others disagreed but they had just finished a hard battle and were exhausted. Wollter and his cronies appearing at that time put the loan shark in a very advantageous situation. Cain¡¯s Level 1 reveal was unexpected but in the end, Wollter¡¯s side still had the upper hand. Both sides refused to budge and bitterly they fought. During the fight Wollter did as all villains do, gloating, taunting, mocking, the usual practices. It was three Level 1 versus three injured Level 1 and two Level 0. The battle was going well at first but just as villainous characters do, they started gunning for the weaker ones. With that Paul and Lena moved to the defensive, losing their initiative. After a drawn-out and costly round for both sides, Cain and the others gradually pushed the attackers back and would have emerged victorious, but Fate must have its drama. During the battle, Lena was in danger and Paul jumped in to protect her, suffering a grievous injury. Cain managed to defeat and kill Wollter but the good villain didn''t fail to convey threatening curses and foreshadowing last words before moving to the afterlife. Paul lay in a pool of blood and bid the tearful Lena a touching farewell before his last breath leaving him. The younger trio solemnly offered prayers to the departed while hearing Lena¡¯s sobbing cry. The mood was dark as the remaining four made their way back to Mokash town. And yet tragedies shaped characters, those left behind grew stronger, wiser, and more prepared for the challenges ahead. End of arc 1 ¡ª Journey¡¯s Start. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ ¡­ Or that¡¯s what would¡¯ve happened. *** ¡°-and Cain leaped to the sky! His sword shined watery blue, like a fang from the azure heavens! He unleashed a phenomenal downward strike that cut the monster¡¯s head clean off! An attack worthy of legend!¡± A round of cheering and merry shouting rumbled the tavern. Air of merriment enveloped the guild¡¯s tavern this evening, where the five celebrated their success. Lena and her group were carting the corpse of a Cockatrice in broad daylight. Their entry was very eye-catching and memorable. It was high noon and the street was busy while a giant headless chicken¡¯s corpse was being hauled into town. The body of the Cockatrice was no different from a pile of money. They could carve parts of it for easier transport but felt it was too much of a waste so they made a simple wood cart and brought the Cockatrice back whole. Paul, the blacksmith aspirant contributed greatly in the making of the cart. The monster was so big and heavy. Although it made their travel time longer and more troublesome, it was overall a smooth journey to Mokash town. No extraordinary thing happened. Nothing unexpected happened. Smooth journey? Smooth journey! The five reached the gate of Mokash town tired but their heart was full of satisfaction. They stopped at the guild to report and let the guild staff handle the dismantling. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this. Let''s meet again at the tavern in the evening. Go get some rest, you guys well earned it.¡± Lena said to the group but Paul insisted on accompanying her. Her face was a bit red as she accepted. Seeing this, Cain, Oliver, and Irene read the situation and left them alone, agreeing to meet again later. Cain returned to the inn, cleaned himself up and relaxed until the promised time. ¡°To us!¡± The five clucked their wooden mugs together as they sat on the same table. This tavern was where they had breakfast and it was also suitable for having dinner. ¡°How did it go with the guild?¡± Cain asked. ¡°Good, I made sure they did not skimp on us. The guild offered a fair price for the monster materials. Oh, oh, thanks to the three eggs you recovered, we not only completed our original request but got a hefty bonus too!¡± Lena explained. ¡°Hey, aren''t you guys the ones that hunted the Cockatrice?¡± A young adventurer interrupted. The five had eyes on them since the time they entered the tavern. ¡°Indeed, you have keen eyes mate,¡± Oliver crossed his arms and nodded like a sage. ¡°Come on, tell us the tale!¡± Another adventurer on the next table added. ¡°Mmm, there¡¯s a saying that a smart eagle hides its talons¡­¡± Oliver looked hesitating. ¡°Barkeep, five mugs of ale for this table. I¡¯m paying,¡± the adventurer said. ¡°Well, if you put it like that. How could I refuse, dear sir? Come, come and know the tale¡­ It began under a lightless sky in a forest of white dead trees¡­¡± Oliver started to weave the story of their earlier experience, but it was longer, had ample exaggeration and artistic interpretation. Cain was actually impressed. Oliver might have talent as a bard. ¡°Barkeep, change one of the ales into fruit juice, cold if possible,¡± Cain said. ¡°Make that two,¡± Irene followed. Oliver was in the zone, fully immersed in the story. He took a couple of chugs from someone else¡¯s mug and stood on top of a table while the rest of the tavern listened to the story with 50% falsehood. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Shouldn''t you stop that?¡± Cain pointed at Oliver. ¡°It''s fine. They know most of it is an exaggeration, but all adventurers love a good story.¡± Paul stoically sipped his drink. ¡°So how much did we get?¡± Cain asked bluntly. ¡°400 silver coins for the Cockatrice body, feathers, meat, core, the whole package¡­ are you sure you don''t want the monster core?¡± Lena asked again. ¡°It''s fine, just put it all in the pot and convert it into money.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve all agreed to give you a bigger cut,¡± Paul said with appreciative eyes. ¡°Nonsense. It''s a team effort. Let it split five ways equally.¡± Cain shook his head and showed humility. Lena and Paul let go of the matter after seeing Cain¡¯s adamant stance. ¡°There¡¯s also the eggs. The egg poaching quest¡¯s reward plus bonus makes us another 100 silver. Into a total of 500, split into five then we all get a full 100 silver coins each,¡± Lena clarified. ¡°1 gold coin for each person¡­ it''s a lot of money,¡± Irene muttered to herself. ¡°At first, my target was a total of 300 silver after two or three quests but we shot past it in one, 500 silver right off the bat. Again, my gratitude to you.¡± ¡°No need to mention it.¡± ¡°No, you don''t understand. This money means a lot more to me than its monetary value,¡± Lena¡¯s face bloomed bright. Well, I heard your talk with Wollter so I know. When Oliver reached the part where Cain cut the head of the monster, some people turned to look in his direction. Cain only raised his glass and meekly avoided meeting their inquisitive stare directly. Oliver then finished the story but the audience threw him with questions so it was getting rowdier. Oliver¡¯s face was red, was he drinking alcohol? When the revelry was in full swing, someone charged into the tavern and screamed with a loud voice. ¡°WOLLTER IS DEAD! He was found dead!!!¡± Every head in the tavern turned to the sweating man¡¯s direction. They were so silent, a cluck of a mug could be heard by the whole tavern. ¡°Wollter the loan shark?¡± Someone asked. ¡°Yeah!¡± The newcomer furiously nodded. ¡°HORAAAY!¡± ¡°YEEESSSS!¡± ¡°WHOOOHOO!!!¡± ¡°HE IS FINALLY DEAD!¡± Everyone in the tavern burst out in jubilation, dwarfing the previous revelry in scale. ¡°Oh?¡± Cain was surprised. He¡¯d never thought Wollter¡¯s death would be received as a joyous event to this degree. Lena was petrified as if she was hit again by the Cockatrice¡¯s magical gaze. She couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. ¡°How did he die?¡± An eager man asked. ¡°Unknown, someone found lots of blood flowing down the river. When they investigated upriver, they found him and two other bodies. The other two corpses were dismembered to pieces, scattered all over the site, while Wollter¡¯s was arguably worse¡­ He was gutted then his severed head was stuffed into his stomach. Half of his face was burned before the murderer cut his head off. All bones on four limbs were broken and his male parts were charred into black cinders. Intestines adorned its body like accessories. And then there was a plank with writing on it: Wollter, the illustrious money-lender and woman-eater.¡± ¡°Shhh...¡± ¡°My Goddess...¡± ¡°Brutal...¡± ¡°Whoever did that must have a grudge as big as a mountain.¡± Someone drew his breath loud enough for all to hear. Some felt sick about the cruelty inflicted. Most people that imagined the barbaric scene had the urge to vomit. ¡°As expected, the Blood Skull gang¡¯s boss vowed revenge. Cold-heart Ajoss offered a massive bounty for the killer!¡± ¡°So who¡¯s the killer? Who¡¯s Wollter got done with?¡± A middle aged man enthusiastically asked. ¡°No one knows! Despite a number of investigative methods and Artes used, the culprit left no trace. That¡¯s why Ajoss is in a frenzy right now.¡± People were talking among their little groups, speculating, analyzing. The fervor by the Cockatrice hunt was nowhere to be found. ¡°Sis Len, this is...¡± Oliver struggled to find the right words. He was obviously happy but somehow it felt like there¡¯s a black lump in his throat. ¡°Shuush, don''t speak about it. It has nothing to do with us.¡± Lena whispered. Paul looked down to his mug, then glanced at Cain. Could it be him? No¡­ it couldn''t be¡­ could it? Cain felt Paul¡¯s gaze but didn''t react. His face was still as incomprehensible as ever, no one knew what he was thinking. What was outside his expectation was not just Paul that eyed him, there was another. Now why would Irene be suspicious of me? Coincidence? *** Viers decided to take a shit. It meant he decided to act. After he separated from Paul during the night¡¯s watch, he went hunting. His prey was clear, of course. Viers had foreseen the future. The pattern of existence, the flow of events, the clich¨¦s¡­ It all led to one thing: Wollter was an enemy. According to his future sight, if Paul didn''t die because of the Giant Chicken, then it would be because of Wollter. Scenario after scenario transpired in Viers¡¯ mind and whatever Wollter¡¯s actions were, it would be disadvantageous to the party and also to him. So he would nip the problem in the bud. Decisively. Permanently. Hunting for Wollter was a simple affair. He knew Wollter came for Lena and to make trouble so she wouldn''t succeed. That meant he and his henchmen wouldn''t be too far from the area. And sure enough, Viers saw Wollter¡¯s campfire from afar. The tiger had come to hunt. *** ¡°Gyahaha! Finally she will be mine. For a mere village girl, she is really playing hard to get.¡± ¡°Yes boss. Your scheme to create an ¡®accidental¡¯ fire at their storehouse worked out perfectly.¡± ¡°Now we just need to give a little shove before another beauty falls into your arms. Congratulations, boss Wollter.¡± ¡°Huahahaha! What can I say? I¡¯m Wollter, the illustrious money-lender and woman-eater! Bahahhaha!¡± The three were gathering near a fire pit, a chunk of deer meat was being grilled above it. ¡°I just rememb- Ghweekk!?¡± While making a ridiculous sound, Wollter dived face-first to the fire. ¡°Boss!¡± ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± Viers hit Wollter in the back of his head using a jumping knee kick. He¡¯d already empowered his body with Victa so it was more powerful than it should be. Seeing their boss kiss the burning earth, the two henchmen were moving aggressively. Unfortunately for them, Viers was more aggressive. Henchman A was in the middle of standing up but Viers already cut his arm off with one slash. He screamed like a squealing pig. Henchman B''s danger instinct kicked in. He realized the youth that just came was not playing around. Before he could unsheathe his sword Viers gave him an elbow straight to the face, breaking his nose and a few of his teeth. Wollter pulled himself out from the fire pit. He was seeing stars, his face burned, and he had a severe headache. Before he could differentiate which way was left and which was right, Viers blasted him away with a water Arte. He landed five meters away after rolling on the ground a few times. ¡°Close your eyes,¡± Viers said to the head of a dead deer lying nearby. ¡°Bastard!¡± ¡°Dieee!!!¡± Henchman A came first from the right, raising his remaining fist. Viers dodged and directed the punch to hit Henchman B then he plunged his sword into Henchman A¡¯s heart in one uninterrupted flow, leaving the sword embedded in the corpse. Henchman B was reeling. He turned his head up and found Viers was right in front of his face. He let out a desperate punch which Viers caught with his right hand and stabbed him in the throat with a burning dagger with his left. Seven seconds since Viers first attacked, Henchman A and B were no longer alive. Viers threw the dagger that seemed to be made of lava to the ground and pulled out his blue sword from the newly made corpse as he walked in Wollter¡¯s direction. Still on the ground, Wollter¡¯s eyes were as wide as humanly possible. He was consumed with extreme dread and panic. ¡°Y-y-you! What the fuck do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± The loan shark yelled like a frightened boy. Viers decapitated him before answering in the most badass tone he could muster. ¡°Killing monsters.¡± Chapter 14 - Stirrings Knock knock. A man in his fifties opened the door of a makeshift office after there was no answer, just as he expected. There was a young woman looking at a parchment very intently; her desk had a tall stack of it. She didn''t even realize someone entered the room. She was beautiful like a flower. Her face looked scholarly and academic, yet enchanting. She had bob-cut black hair and onyx black eyes. He put a freshly brewed cup of hot tea on the table right in front of her before she noticed. ¡°Freya, take a break. I¡¯ve got you some tea.¡± ¡°Master! You shouldn''t have,¡± the young girl apologized as she stood up. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± The man wore a grey robe suited for his old and wizened countenance. He gently sat down on a nearby chair. ¡°How¡¯s the investigation?¡± ¡°Stone cold. Whoever did this, did it in a way that¡¯s very hard to trace without peering back in time. Unfortunately, time is not my specialty.¡± ¡°Disappointed?¡± He studied the girl¡¯s expression. ¡°I have prepared for a cold trail. No witnesses, next to no evidence, charred buildings¡­ dead men tell no tales indeed. Unless one is a necromancer or can go to Heaven to directly ask the souls of the fallen,¡± she jested a little bit. ¡°...To think this all happened in just a few hours. Almost like the work of several Level 4 or 5s,¡± Freya stood up and took the tea. The taste of tea was dimmed since she was looking at a half-burned town outside of the room. ¡°Still, no matter how skillfully one hides their sins, no can escape the justice of the Radiant Lady,¡± her words were filled with conviction. ¡°What do you plan to do now?¡± ¡°It''s too early to give up. I plan to check the surrounding settlements for clues, survivors, eyewitnesses. If I turn enough rocks, something will come out.¡± ¡°The neighboring towns are Bunham, Zaker, Govlar. Which one do you plan to visit?¡± ¡°Zaker town. If I''m the culprit, Zaker offers more prospects for running away. Bunham¡¯s direction is a dead end and the road to Govlar is filled with dangerous monsters.¡± ¡°Good reasoning. Logical and matched with facts. However, let me share something that I picked up after all these years chasing criminals, sometimes even if your deduction couldn''t be more correct, the answer is just entirely different.¡± The girl accepted the advice of her mentor. She knew her experience couldn''t hold a candle to her master¡¯s so she did not disregard his counsel. But no one can escape the Light, her faith was burning bright in her heart. *** Cain sat alone at the table, eating his meal slowly while keeping his ears on the ebb and flow of the conversations all around him. ¡°Last night, there was a commotion. The Blood Skull gang led by Ajoss launched an investigation. Actually, more like a raid than an investigation. They are trying to find Wollter¡¯s murderer by forcing everyone who seemed to know something to confess by breaking their fingers. They got about a dozen people before the authorities stopped them. It was bloody business I tell you.¡± ¡°Psst! At the coal mine in the north, a monster arrived and made its nest there. I heard it eats coal and farts fire. Has a hundred legs, iron carapace, and moves in the earth like it was swimming underwater. The guild¡¯s officials are in a bind because they can''t find suitable adventurers to fight the beast. At this rate, the blockheads might start throwing bodies at it. Our! Bodies! We should leave town immediately before they issue a mandatory quest.¡± ¡°There was a battle between two Pathseekers at Golodoro Hill. Their battle carved a cliff out. Turns out there was a vein of precious metal inside the hill. The Pathseekers left, must be too insignificant to them, but Poyut and Rubaas Company are in a fierce struggle for claiming it.¡± ¡°Hear this, hear this. My friend heard this real story from his friend¡¯s acquaintance. He saw a mysterious light fall on a plain. When he went there to look around, there was a woman with pure white wings on her back inside the crater. He nursed her until she regained consciousness and then she disappeared in a flash of light. He had a white feather left behind by her as proof.¡± ¡°You know the mayor of Ninnac city? His wife ran away with a bandit. The bandit is a dashing young man with a shining smile. There were many witnesses so the mayor became a laughingstock. Served him right, an old fogey like him shouldn¡¯t have married a young flower. The wife must be too unsatisfied with her married life so she ran away with a dashing young man! Hahahaha.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°I heard a rumor, Luxore town was destroyed around two weeks ago. I don''t know if it''s true or not. People said a Demon King appeared and ate the souls of the townsfolk before burning down the town to ashes... You have a family there, right? Do you know anything about this?¡± Rumors and gossip entered Cain¡¯s ears unabated. Some were true, some were false, all were interesting. The eatery at the Adventurer¡¯s guild naturally had a lot of adventurer customers. There wasn''t a newspaper or morning news in Mokash town so this was the next best thing. He waited for the other four to arrive while digesting the tittle-tattle. ¡°Happy new year!¡± The red-haired Lena said cheerfully. Paul, Oliver, and the silent Irene also said their congratulatory line. ¡°Same to you,¡± Cain returned the greeting. Today was the first day in a new year¡­ for people living in the Coalition, anyway. People in this world weren''t as connected nor united as people in modern Earth. There were multiple calendars in play. Although normally new years are seasons of holidays, people in this medieval world have no concept of such things. Except for special days or events, it¡¯s work all day and all year. They don''t even have a day off on Sundays. That was why Cain and company had been out in the wilds, hunting chicken eggs on New Year¡¯s Eve. Naturally, the rich and powerful could have holidays whenever they wanted. For there existed men and women with superpowers in this world. Last night, the news of Wollter¡¯s death made the town enveloped by a dangerous scent. Lena and Paul urged the group to disband and return to the inn early. The party unanimously concurred to hide the fact they had met Wollter before he was killed and never spoke about it. True enough, there seemed to be a gang war of sorts that night. As agreed yesterday, today they met to discuss future plans. ¡°Our agreement is to do a few quests but as luck would have it, we have enough money on us to cover that amount. What do you guys think? Shall we go on more quests?¡± Lena asked. Faster than anyone, Cain spoke. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must decline.¡± ¡°Eeehh? Why? Let¡¯s go hunting more monsters,¡± Oliver whined. His dislocated shoulder already healed. In fact, everyone¡¯s injuries were already healed. ¡°We can kill more of Cockatrices. They¡¯ve got nothing against us!¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m pretty sure we have got nothing against real Cockatrices. They might not look like it but Cockatrices are draconic you know? That one was not fully grown, or just a lesser variant, or something. Lena didn¡¯t get turned to stone. If she did, well¡­¡± Cain didn¡¯t finish. He didn¡¯t need to. ¡°Anyway, I will leave shortly so I think it''s wise to stock up some Victa. The fight with the chicken burned quite a bit of my reserves.¡± The statement caused ripples in the water and got the others on the table thinking. ¡°Oh¡­ you¡¯re leaving. That¡¯s a shame¡­ Actually, I wanted to formally make a party with us here¡­ no?¡± Lena said. ¡°Apologies, but I must go to a place.¡± Cain promptly said. ¡°Where?¡± Paul asked. ¡°Valkut city.¡± ¡°Hell. That¡¯s far away! Like, a whole Coalition away,¡± Oliver was surprised. ¡°Will be quite a journey, I hope,¡± Cain calmly sipped his beverage. According to his calculation, the distance from Mokash town to Valkut city was similar to the distance between Perth and Sydney. ¡°That being said, I¡¯ll stay in this place for another week or so. I need to take care of some things,¡± Cain added, chasing the unsmiling mood away. I¡¯ll use this week to rest, build up my repertoire, honing my skills, stock up Victa, maybe create a new Arte or two and improve the existing ones. Most of all, I need to Advance to Level 2. I¡¯m so close! The stronger I am, the better my chance of surviving the journey. ¡°But enough about me. What¡¯s next for you guys?¡± Cain changed the topic and with a cheery tone. ¡°You already know about my debt. I¡¯ll pay what I owe then back to the village,¡± Lena looked upward to the ceiling. ¡°Since Wollter is dead, how¡¯s the debt?¡± Cain asked. ¡°Well, I still need to pay to the firm but the unreasonable interest is gone. It''s quite a sum but thanks to the Cockatrice and you people, I have more than enough.¡± ¡°Why not borrow money from someone else?¡± Irene asked. ¡°Wollter had the favor of a vicious gang boss and had the monopoly of loaning business in this town. Thanks to the backing, he crushed the competitors violently and raised the interest as much as he wanted in the past,¡± Paul shook his head. ¡°Good riddance, the world is better with him gone. For me, I¡¯ve decided to follow my dream. I¡¯ll make it big as an adventurer! See this? It''s my grandpa¡¯s journal. It recorded his aaawesome adventures. I¡¯ll carry on his legacy as an adventurer!¡± Oliver said with beaming eyes. ¡°Oh? How about the matter about guarding the village?¡± Cain touched his chin. ¡°Lena''s got it covered, and she has help now.¡± Oliver sneered. ¡°Hmmmm,¡± Cain glanced at Paul whose face was as expressionless as it could be. ¡°They stayed in one room yester- Ouch!¡± Oliver whispered to Cain but Lena kicked his leg under the table. ¡°Hohou...¡± Cain looked at the pair like a sage. Lena¡¯s face was as red as a tomato. Paul tried to maintain his poker face but Cain saw his lips were wavering, holding out a smile. Cain gave Paul a wink. ¡°What about you?¡± Cain asked the aloof and mysterious archer. ¡°Nothing much¡­ I¡¯ll be hunting monsters and polishing my skills, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Hehehe, a Monster Hunter! I¡¯ll toast to that,¡± Cain raised his mug. ¡°To our future!¡± And so the five exchanged a toast for a new chapter of their lives. Chapter 15 - Villainous 33.26%, nice increase. Mon-hun gives good experience. Viers was doing a casual check about something inside him. Seeing the number steadily rising every time he checked was very gratifying. ¡°...Done,¡± Viers let go of the hand of a girl he had been holding for quite some time. ¡°Thanks,¡± Paina replied. After the discussion with his fellow adventurers, Viers returned to his room in the inn and did some soul maintenance for the girls. He had just finished with Paina¡¯s share after Farley and Clarissa. ¡°You look like you have something to say. Just lay it out, it''s not like we¡¯re strangers,¡± Viers calmly said, hoping to clear the heavy air between them. ¡°...Why are you so cruel to them? Not just them, but to the assassins from before too.¡± Paina meekly asked. Ah, so it''s about that. The thought that his cruelty towards his enemies might be too much for the girls slipped through his mind. Viers closed his eyes and started thinking. In this White Flowers Meadow, Clarissa and Farley were never far. The topic seemed to interest them also. ¡°...The time was just after the fight with the Cockatrice¡­ ominously, someone crept out from the shadows. ¡®Apologies, but that Cockatrice belongs to us,¡¯ the man said.¡± Viers told them the future he had foreseen and prevented. ¡°...and so the survivors returned. Stronger, wiser, more prepared for the challenges ahead¡­ The End.¡± He opened his eyes and saw the girls were giving him a dubious look. ¡°There¡¯s another thing. We only know this later but turns out Wollter got a guardian devil, some gang leader named Ajoss. In the timeline where I didn¡¯t ambush Wollter, he would die fighting us; me, Lena, and the gang. Somehow, Ajoss ¨Cwho most likely will be at least Level 2¨C will get wind of it and I will have to deal with that shit.¡± ¡°You saw the length I go to and how extensively I erased signs of my presence at the scene of the crime right? That paid off. It''s exactly to deal with situations like this. The case of Mr. Shit is an asshole so Mr. A killed him, but there¡¯s Mr. Big Shit behind Mr. Shit and he sets out for revenge against Mr. A. The good Mr. A got inconvenienced, hurt, struggled, got saved by someone he helped in the past, yadda-yadda, but triumphed in the end¡­ Guess what¡¯s next after Mr. Big Shit?¡± ¡°Mr. Big Big Shit?¡± Clarissa with her peerless intellect answered. ¡°Thus,¡± Viers made a gesture as if he had just opened a hand of royal straight flush in poker. ¡°I changed the future. Quite well, I might add.¡± Viers felt very pleased with how things unfolded. ¡°...Lord Viers, can you actually see the future?¡± Farley asked. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°So it''s a guess then,¡± Clarissa the lamia said. ¡°An educated guess,¡± he replied confidently. ¡°How can you be educated about it?¡± The lamia pressed further. Those who read as many power fantasy and xianxia novels as I do also can make the same deduction as me. It''s not a special ability or anything, just ¡®education¡¯. ¡°I read a lot of books,¡± Viers grinned. The girls knew Viers well enough: if he didn''t want to answer then he wouldn''t. ¡°Fine, maybe that might happen but what meaning is there to brutalize their remains?¡± Paina asked the thing that disturbed her the most. ¡°What about it? They were already dead. It''s not like they were still alive when I dismembered their body. I don¡¯t do torture unless I¡¯ve got a very good reason to. I get that the sight might be disturbing but that¡¯s just it, in my opinion.¡± When I soul searched, the souls still got hurt a lot¡­ but I am getting better. The memories become clearer and they hurt less when I want it to. Therefore it¡¯s not torture, it''s practice. No need to feel bad, it is necessary¡­ For Science! Viers rationalized his take on human soul experiments. ¡°But still¡­ It''s too cruel,¡± Paina protested. Sigh, another one with a bleeding heart. Among the three, Paina is the most normal. Is her opinion the general consensus of most people? Viers mused. ¡°...CLVR. B. It''s a Fable about magic knights of the kingdom of Clover. C-238,¡± Viers stated a code, which was incomprehensible to the girls. ¡°What? What is that?¡± Clarissa said. ¡°The villain had the hero in his grasp. The bad guy was too strong for the young wind prince. Then the supposed to be great villain stabbed him in the chest and left his bone sword there before vanishing without a trace¡­ Tell me, will the hero survive?¡± ¡°Err, no?¡± Paina answered. ¡°Yes?¡± Farley said. ¡°I think¡­ yes,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°The answer¡­ is yes. Fucking YES! That is a world of magic for god¡¯s sake! There are healing magics and recovery items there, just like in this world! Imagine that, the villain is practically too inept to kill someone he just stabbed through the heart!¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The girls were surprised to see Viers speak in such a fiery and passionate manner. They had never seen Viers act like this before. ¡°What do you think would happen next? Well, the hero made a full recovery, got stronger in a VERY short time, then kicked the villain¡¯s ass. THE END!¡± Viers was huffing, the trio didn''t know what to do except for letting him cool down on his own. ¡°...I¡¯m not like that guy. I¡¯m the Anti-Existence of villains like that! When I decide to kill someone, I kill them. Then to prevent their coming back in my Fable, I kill them in body and soul as thoroughly as possible. Now, tell me how do you revive a guy with his head stuffed inside his stomach and have his innards on the outside and his soul in my Soul Prison?¡± ¡°...¡± The girls could only be silent. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. And that¡¯s number 13 on the Evil Overlord List.¡± ¡°By the way, about that CLVR Fable, I don''t intend to demean it. I even enjoy it. It''s just I have something to say about that particular villain¡­ It''s like the glory of plot armor in full majesty,¡± he muttered the last sentence very softly. ¡°...Viers, I think you¡¯re mad.¡± Clarissa frankly told that to his face. ¡°I don''t deny it, call me mad if you wish. Sanity is overrated.¡± Viers smiled defiantly. ¡°It is crazy. Besides, why do you always talk as if death isn''t a big deal? How can you talk of revival and resurrection like it''s easy?¡± Paina exclaimed. ¡°Paina, look at our own situations at the moment. We are for all intents and purposes, dead. But we are still aware, able to think, have emotions, and can talk with each other. Yes we don''t have a body but Lord Viers has given us a priceless boon. Do you think other dead people can experience what we have?¡± Farley tried to soothe her friend. Farley¡¯s words got Paina''s thinking. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s why I destroy the corpse of the people I killed. Villains that failed to kill someone weaker than them have the mark of small fry on them.¡± ¡°Lord Viers, why are you so obsessed with the concept of heroes and villains?¡± Farley curiously asked. ¡°Good question Farley! Look at me and tell me what you see, villain or hero?¡± Viers opened his arms wide. ¡°Villain,¡± the three unanimously answered. ¡°Mm,¡± Viers nodded. ¡°In the Fables, small fry villains get defeated then fade into obscurity.¡± ¡°I see. So Lord Viers strives to be the great ones amongst his peers, isn''t it?¡± Farley got a flash of an idea. ¡°Heheheh¡­ As for great villains, they ALSO got defeated! They just don''t fade into obscurity like the small fries.¡± Viers let out a big har-har. ¡°...Uhhh, so you think you¡¯ll get screwed no matter what in the future?¡± Paina was confused. ¡°Nay! There exists another classification¡­ the Exalted Ones¡­ above the greats, those who truly succeed in their Fable despite their villainous standing.¡± ¡°But people aren''t split between heroes and villains.¡± Paina insisted. ¡°Indeed, but the ones who matter are the superhumans. And those superhumans easily fall into the category of either heroes or villains, with a minority residing in the grey area.¡± Whether it was the marvelous universe and the D-C in the west, or the shonen mangas, xuanhuans, mahwas, and novels in the east, the focus is the superhumans! Heroes and Villains! ¡°Why don¡¯t you become a hero instead? In the first place, why do you view good people so negatively?¡± Paina now became the angel on Viers¡¯ shoulder. ¡°You see, I like heroes but I don''t want to become a hero.¡± ¡°How come? What¡¯s the reason?¡± Farley asked. ¡°MEEEEEAT!¡± Viers screamed to the sky. Inviting another round of confused look. ¡°Now there¡¯s a plate of meat in here, juicy and delicious and fulfilling.¡± Viers gestured as if he carried an imaginary plate of meat on his hands. ¡°A hero will share the meat with others. I want to eat the meat for myself.¡± Since they had been a resident in Viers¡¯ mind, they had witnessed many of Viers¡¯ antics. Sometimes, Viers descended into something that they eventually dubbed Insanity Episodes. This was one of those times. ¡°Hahaha, look at your faces. Hilarious,¡± Viers broke into a laugh. ¡°Would you take this seriously?¡± Paina was a little annoyed. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just a part of it. The main reason is their ¡®route¡¯ to power. As Pathseekers, we walk the Path of Power. Whether you¡¯re heroic or villainous, the farther you get, the stronger you are. Villain¡¯s route has less restrictions¡­ It has more freedom.¡± ¡°So that''s what this is about¡­ power.¡± Paina analyzed his motivation from every action and word she knew about Viers since they met. ¡°That¡¯s it? You seek power for power¡¯s sake? Sounds like a petty and sad way to live.¡± The mood took a 180-degree turn. The air turned heavy because of Paina¡¯s armor-piercing question. Farley and Clarissa were looking worriedly, afraid this turned out to be a fight. After some time of silence, Viers just smiled. ¡°I don''t deny I seek power, but power for power¡¯s sake? Come on, that¡¯s so third rate villain. I seek life. Not just any life, a life of quality. For that, having power is a prerequisite for a lot of things.¡± His tone was amiable, gentle even. ¡°Take your own situation for example. You got killed by some nobody because you didn''t have the power to prevent it. Your very existence right now is because I have the power to hold your soul,¡± Viers said the harsh, undiluted truth. Paina felt like her heart was cut in two. ¡°I¡¯m not a good person Paina, but don''t be so arrogant to sum my way of life in just one sentence.¡± ¡°I¡­ but-¡± Paina looked distressed. Viers turned his face above and stared at the perpetual starry sky for a while. ¡°I should go. Goodbye girls,¡± Viers¡¯ body started to fade, leaving the girls on their own. ¡°...Paina, are you okay?¡± Farley put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ I just want to be alone for a while.¡± Paina walked away. Viers¡¯ consciousness returned to the real world. In the quiet room he closed his eyes and contemplated the earlier discussion. He wasn''t bitter about Paina, not one bit. He knew he was a deviant in most people¡¯s eyes. Paina¡¯s reaction and response were very normal, in his own opinion. Exalted Ones... Earlier, when he was looking at the ocean of stars, he imagined those lofty figures were looking at him from the high heavens. Three figures stood out in particular. One was a Necromancer. The lord of death who has slain death, a Calamity of Yggdrasil. He ruled over Midgard after banishing the gods from his domain. He escaped Hel and imprisoned her in turn. The deathless snake god of Nastrod. One was a Warlock. The sovereign of sins, greatest of Magus and Gods. With his super A.I. that had fused with his soul, the man walked the path of the bloodline. He broke free of his bloodline limits and became the patriarch of the Targaryens. Immortal, infinite, and eternal. One was a Venerable. The one who refined the heavens, destroyer of Fate. Using time travel, hard work, wisdom, power, and cold-blooded ruthlessness he clawed his way to the top of the Five Regions and Two Heavens. Mortals couldn''t defeat him, Immortals died at his hands, other Venerables unable to suppress him. A demonic human who sought eternal life. What are the common things between these men, Viers thought. They all sought immortality, pragmatic, ruthless to others and ruthless to themselves. Without saying, they all have their cheats¡­ and they all are reincarnators. What did they have that Viers didn''t? Viers thought of this and he had his answer: nothing! He opened his eyes and it glinted with burning ambition and unyielding resolve. Hotter than hellfire. Firmer than diamond. I will become like them... Become the Apex in my Fable! Chapter 16 - My Fair Lady Thunk. In a pleasant morning weather, an arrow hit the target at its exact center. Irene blew a breath and took another arrow in the quiver. Her white breath scattered like enchanted mist. Thunk! A knife came from behind her and also hit the target albeit a bit off to the left. ¡°As expected, my accuracy isn''t comparable to yours,¡± Cain said as he approached her. Irene didn''t say anything, she resumed training as if Cain did not exist. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s cold. Is there anything troubling you, My Fair Lady?¡± ¡°...Don''t call me that. I¡¯m not ¡®fair¡¯.¡± Cain looked at her from the side. Her left arm extended holding the bow and her right pulled the string with an arrow placed on it. Her gaze was unwavering and sharp with concentration. She held her breath for a moment, exhaled, then released the arrow. Her body jerked a little, swaying her bangs and the faint beads of sweat on her forehead. An arrow sprouted on the center of the target practice, releasing a satisfying sound. ¡°Right now I¡¯m looking at you and I can''t believe, you don¡¯t know oh-oh, you don''t know you¡¯re beautiful oh-oh, but that¡¯s what makes you beautiful~¡± Irene looked at Cain with a genuine look of surprise. A shade of healthy red colored her face. Never in her wildest idea Cain would praise her so openly and sing it aloud. Cain then sang One Direction¡¯s What Makes You Beautiful from the start. Cain wasn¡¯t a great singer, neither were there accompanying instruments, so the song was a far cry from the original one. Still, the great song and lyrics themselves elevated his performance. He didn¡¯t sing the complete song, only one segment of it. It was more than enough. ¡°Y-you, wha-- Why are you singing all of a sudden? Stop it! It''s embarrassing! Stop it I say!¡± Irene, the cold beauty akin to a thorny rose, tried to interject during the singing but Cain didn''t care and kept singing. Someone opened the window on the second floor, much to Irene¡¯s surprise. An auntie wanting to know who made a racket so early in the morning looked below and found the two of them. After a few awkward seconds while Cain was continuously singing, she warmly smiled before giving Irene an understanding look and re-closed the window. Aaah, youth. The auntie remembered her own love episodes of times past. ¡°Khhh~!!¡± Irene grimaced, she didn''t know what to do about her first ¡®public confession¡¯. ¡°¨Cbut that¡¯s what makes you beautiful¡­ You¡¯re right, I shouldn¡¯t call you ¡®My¡¯ Fair Lady. Just Fair Lady is more appropriate.¡± Cain smiled honestly. ¡°H-hmph! You¡¯re not making any sense!¡± Irene threw her face away, avoiding Cain¡¯s gaze. She hurriedly nocked and loosened another arrow. It was way off the mark and didn''t even hit the target. Her face turned redder. Cain wondered if he really saw steam coming out of her head or he was just imagining it. ¡°How cute,¡± Cain commented while touching his chin. He said ¡®O kawaii koto¡¯ in another language, Kaguya-sama style. ¡°Shut up! You¡¯re distracting me!¡± Cain bowed like a butler that received an order from his lady, then he silently practiced his knife throwing skill. Irene, saved because Cain did not pursue her retreat, also resumed her archery practice. Only a rotating knife and arrow sound hitting the target existed between them. A few minutes passed like that before Irene broke the silence. ¡°...Did you kill Wollter?¡± ¡°...No.¡± As in, Cain didn¡¯t, Viers did. I¡¯m Cain right now so that¡¯s true¡­ from a certain point of view. Thank you Obi-Wan. Viers didn''t have a split personality disorder, he only wore masks suitable for the situation. At his core, he was the guy from Earth that reincarnated into the body of Viers Isuel, possessing memories of both lives intact. Cain knew Irene was unconvinced. Thankfully, a distraction presented itself. ¡°Heyyy, I¡¯m here! Gosh, you both are early¡­ What did I miss?¡± Oliver came. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Nothing. Come Oliver, let¡¯s start combat training immediately!¡± Cain jumped in at the opportunity. ¡°O, ooh kay¡± Oliver was a bit taken aback by how much enthusiasm Cain had. ¡°Just how I like it!¡± ¡°En Garde! Cut the Crap!¡± Cain attacked using a wooden practice sword very suddenly. ¡°Gwahgh!?¡± Unready, Oliver got hit in the forehead and lost in an instant. *** A few more rounds afterward, Oliver lay on the ground with his face upwards and red forehead, panting for breath. Cain repeatedly aimed at his forehead. ¡°Pheeew¡­ I¡¯m hungry. Moving the body makes you hungry faster,¡± Cain said. ¡°Perhaps a bit of hunger is good for you,¡± Irene commented. ¡°Oh yeah, I get that a lot, and I want to¡­ It¡¯s just so hard to slim down, man¡­ Damn, cause I¡¯m so hungry I''m imagining things. Mmm, the taste of that Cockatrice was so good. I should have eaten more.¡± When they were in the middle of transporting the Cockatrice back to Mokash town. Cain, with permission from the rest of the party members, took some of its meat and barbequed it. The smell was so inviting that the rest of the party also partook. ¡°The taste was pleasant,¡± Irene agreed. ¡°I also want to eat more of it,¡± Oliver, sprawling on the grass ground said. ¡°Did you know Cockatrice meat was so good before yesterday? That explains why you insisted that we must eat its meat so persistently.¡± Oliver pondered. ¡°Nah, it''s just a hobby of mine. I want to have a taste of every monster if possible. I¡¯m a gourmand you see,¡± Cain pointed to his not-slim belly. A mixture of truth and half-truth and un-truth. Since I didn''t lie, I felt no sin. Damn Obi-Wan, you¡¯re good. Now I can ¡®lie¡¯ as much as I want without dirtying my conscience. ¡®From a certain point of view¡¯¡­ I learn from the best, hur-hur-hur. The fact was known to the party that Cain was Level 1. At his behest, the four kept the fact to themselves. Yesterday, Lena suggested Oliver and Irene do a training session with Cain since their age was close to each other. Surprisingly, all three agreed. Unbeknownst to them, while the trio was training, Paul and Lena went on a date. Lena the tactician dumped the baggage (Oliver) to Cain to have a little vis-¨¤-vis between her and Paul before she returned to the village. ¡°You hold the knife like this. Against a humanoid enemy, you aim at this, and this, and this spot. Similar to where you aim with your arrow, really. Knives are fast and compact weapons, make sure your movement is fluid.¡± Cain taught Irene how to use a knife. ¡°Arm straight¡­ don''t grip the handle too tight¡­ feet should be at shoulder width¡­ breathe normally¡­ focus¡­ the rest is practice.¡± In return, Cain requested to be taught archery. Irene straight up said she didn''t know much which Cain didn''t mind. He only needed someone in the know to correct him if he was doing something wrong. Time passed and noon arrived. Cain kept rotating between Irene and Oliver. ¡°Cut the Crap. Cut the Crap! Cut the Craaap!!!¡± ¡°I am! I am already. Why do you keep saying that? Am I the crap!?¡± Oliver desperately tried to block Cain¡¯s flurry of attacks. Cain swung his wooden sword while saying ¡®Cut the Crap¡¯ numerous times. Little did Oliver know Cut the Crap was Cain/Viers¡¯ Arte name. In this practice session Cain didn''t use any Arte, only practicing the technique. Cain admitted the sight of his must be quite comical. That was why he didn''t shout the name of his Artes most of the time. ¡°Huahahaha! It''s practice, don''t mind me,¡± Cain said with glee. ¡°Gahagh!¡± Oliver got hit again on the forehead. ¡°Irene, your turn!¡± Cain turned to the eager looking Irene. Under the gaze of the winter sun, the three continued to sharpen their skill. Time flowed forward. ¡°As I said, efficiency! Your fighting policy should be to kill or defeat your enemy as fast as possible. Drawn out battle is a big no-no. You both are wind Pathseekers, wind Artes are fast and strong. This is a plus for you both. Your Victa is too precious to waste.¡± Cain lectured while tapping the practice sword on his shoulder. ¡°...Hey Cain. Why are you hiding your strength?¡± Oliver asked during the rest period. Even now, Cain was using a magic item in the form of a tribal bracelet to hide his true Level. ¡°I prefer others to perceive me as weaker than them. They are usually less guarded against me then. Looking weak has its advantages you know?¡± ¡°I never thought about it, actually¡­ Isn''t it preferable to be seen as strong?¡± Oliver asked. Oliver was a normal boy raised in a village. He never went to school and had a formal education. His situation was the norm in this world and age, since education was still the privilege of the few. Cain understood this so he didn''t blame Oliver when he said something ignorant. ¡°Strong reputation can be useful. It¡¯s just a matter of preference, I suppose. You both, just remember to treat others with respect, at least don''t make them your enemy. No matter their appearances, no matter their status. Even that someone looks weaker than you... even if they¡¯re an Idler. You never know if they¡¯re actually a tiger in cat¡¯s clothing.¡± The words all Young Masters in xianxia should adhere to. Oliver and Irene heard him. Whether they would remember and follow his advice, Cain could not say. But Cain wasn''t their mentor or anything, he didn''t have the obligation to hold Oliver and Irene¡¯s hand. He was just here to give some pointers. Whatever Oliver and Irene made of his advice was up to them. It was almost dusk. While Cain was practicing parrying Irene¡¯s arrows with his sword, a voice resounded in his mind. ¡°Viers, your first request is finished. It has been compiled.¡± Clarissa the lamia spoke. Finally! And the other good news is I can perform the Advancement! I shall become a Level 2 today! ¡°Okay guys, that¡¯s it for today. Good work,¡± Cain wiped the sweat on his brow. ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯m unavailable. I want to buy a horse. See ya.¡± After Viers left, Irene spoke. ¡°Oliver, do you think I¡¯m beautiful?¡± ¡°Ehhh!? Beau- I uhh, I¡­ guess?¡± Oliver stuttered. ¡°Never mind,¡± Irene also left, leaving the flabbergasted boy alone. ¡°...What the hell was that? Was she hitting on me?¡± Chapter 17 - Level Up Viers shed the persona he wore all day and became simply himself when he was in private. As smooth as changing gloves. The sun had fallen and night loomed. When it was possible, Viers preferred to separate training, socializing, and the like during the day. Villains, him included, had inexplicable harmony with shadows and nights. After dark was the time to improve his ¡®unvirtuous powers¡¯, so to speak, since he obtained those not by heroic means. Improving his power, plotting his next move, perfecting his dark magic, experimenting on souls of the fallen, weaving intricate vile intrigues¡­ Like a sword, all these villainous qualities needed to be tempered before he could use them as a sharp edge against his enemies. In this fantasy world he found himself in, gaining new power to cut his enemies down was one of his raisons d''¨ºtre. Actually, without power he might as well be dead. He knew there already were people hunting him. If his power wasn''t up to par when he encountered them¡­ it might be his turn to be beheaded. I¡¯ve fulfilled the requirement to advance to Level 2. My everyday training paid off. When Viers returned to the sanctuary of his rented inn room, he put Clarissa¡¯s call on queue and focused on raising his Level base first. As an avid gamer, Viers held raw levels very highly. In an RPG, a character¡¯s level represented one¡¯s strength in plain numbers. As his level rose in the game, he could defeat enemies that he formerly had trouble with. Viers carried the same logic during his reincarnation here. He understood perfectly this wasn''t a game and yet he couldn''t deny that he approached problems with a gamer¡¯s mind. He much preferred grinding for levels first before fighting a tough boss. One of the reasons he didn''t really like MMORPG was the level cap. Whatever the game¡¯s storyline was, the char didn''t really get stronger anymore. The end game content usually consisted of raids, veteran dungeons, PvP, faction wars, etc¡­ all for better gears. As if human potential has limits. Needless to say, Viers understood why level caps exist in MMOs. Without it the game¡¯s balance would be out of control. Viers knew many people enjoyed gaming together with each other and a healthy game environment was a necessity for that. Viers didn''t blame them, as they couldn''t blame Viers for having his own opinion. For example, the world isn''t fair or balanced like a carefully crafted MMO world. His own existence was the very definition of unfairness. When was there a case where a reincarnator¡¯s isekai life was fair? He didn''t find a single story about such things. No system boundary to restrict or limit him and so Viers fully intended to exploit the Hell out of it. He couldn''t care less about naysayers. He had his own way of doing things. Level, Level, Level. After almost a year living in this new world, Viers comprehended that Pathseeker¡¯s Level was the same as xianxia¡¯s major cultivation realm. It didn''t have fancy names like Body Forging stage, or Qi Creation stage, or Spirit Severing stage. However, every Level¡¯s rank was no less powerful. Unless the practitioner was special, Level 1 couldn''t defeat Level 2 and Level 4 couldn''t defeat Level 5. Unlike in the games where a level 60 could defeat a level 65, a Pathseeker¡¯s Level represented a massive disparity of power. Viers knew full well that if he challenged a Level 2 in a straight fight, the other side would wipe the floor with him, despite all of his reincarnation advantages. But Viers wasn''t one for playing it fair, and he had no interest in fighting someone who was obviously stronger than him. He wasn''t a battle junkie and there were many ways to skin a cat. From Level 0 to Level 5, that was the limit of mortals. Viers knew about Level 6 and beyond but it''s too far and out of reach for the current him so reaching Level 5 was his current goal. One step at a time. Level 2, here I come! Viers began his Advancement, the process of breaking through to the next Level. Every Pathseeker started at Level 0. They absorbed external mana and bit by bit infused their Intio with it. The lower quantity and quality of the mana, the longer this process became. After reaching the threshold and breaking through the limit, Pathseekers then rose in Level. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Viers gathered the mana from all around him and forcefully infused it into his Intio. Since the Intio was already at the limit of a Level 1, it didn¡¯t absorb any more mana. The situation was akin to a bucket that had been filled to the brim, pouring more water into it was useless. However, the bucket could be made bigger¡­ by forcefully making it hold more water than possible. That was Advancement, filling one¡¯s Intio with mana and trying your best to keep the mana inside the Intio for a certain amount of time. ¡°¡­Mhhrg,¡± Viers grunted. His first effort failed, mana leaked out from his Intio. He¡¯d failed to make a breakthrough. Oh well, time to try again, Viers began his second try. He had experienced this ordeal before, when he transitioned from Level 0 to Level 1. It took him twentysix times before the Advancement succeeded. Viers already prepared his heart for tens of failures. *** Floating in a black space, there was an object glowing. Viers was looking at this object with tired yet excited eyes. The object was an octahedron object the size of a basketball. Like two glass pyramids glued together at their flat side. It was pulsating with power, power that he formerly didn¡¯t have. This was his Intio. ¡­Not much difference, except that. Viers observed his Level 2 Intio. Inside the glass-like object, there was a flower. The flower resembled a White Camellia, its center emitted a faint golden glow. After his rise to Level 2, the flower became more vibrant. This flower was very mysterious, it saved his life once. Viers didn¡¯t know much about it, only that his healing factor came from the flower. When Viers got stabbed in the heart by Demetrus, the reason he didn¡¯t die on the spot was because his healing factor was working in overdrive. It also burned a massive amount of Victa but it was a cheap price to pay for canceling one¡¯s death. After his fight with Demetrus, Viers fought Wollter and the Cockatrice. The consecutive battles drained his Victa reserves thus Viers decided to stay in Mokash town for a week while waiting for his Victa to refill. Nothing I can do about it but wait and see, Viers eyed the flower. Still, only eighteen times for Advancement this time? Far better than my estimate¡­ Serpentes Renovamen is really great. After a few hours of struggling Viers had succeeded and opened his eyes as a Level 2 Pathseeker. He felt powerful, power welled up inside him. He used a bit of his Victa and the difference was obvious. The potency of it increased significantly. Let''s test my current spec. From his Intio space in his realm of consciousness, Viers went to his personal underworld-themed prison, there was no lack of test subjects here. ¡°Hello, hello, miss me?¡± The soul of Tarakai, the lowlife that wanted to kill him using poisoned soup was in Viers¡¯ grasp. The soul had the form of a white-blue ball of fire with his human face inside it. Tarakai¡¯s face shuddered and seemed to be pleading something. ¡°Sorry mate, can¡¯t hear you. Your sacrifice -however unwilling- for the improvement of science has been noted.¡± Viers started rummaging Tarakai¡¯s memories. The subject¡¯s soul tried to run away so Viers clenched it a little tighter. Fascinating, he could not do that before. Oops, focus, focus¡­ There was a faint resistance but Viers forced his way in, like breaking a flimsy wooden door with a sledgehammer. Viers saw visions and heard sounds, memories of Tarakai. ¡°Oh wow! This is so much easier than before. Nice! Hmn¡­ mhm¡­ ooh, so that¡¯s what would have happened if I ate your poisoned food. Damn, your second victim didn¡¯t have it easy. What¡¯s this¡­ assassin¡¯s guild entrance exam, pshh! What happened to ¡®stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent¡¯ hmm? Killing five people on the same Level as you¡­ Well, your luck ran out mate, you met me. Shame, poison affinity huh? Who knew a small fry like you could have such a rare affinity.¡± Let¡¯s move to subject number 2. Viers tossed Tarakai¡¯s soul aside and grabbed another one. ¡°Demetrus! How are you, old buddy? Dead, I hope? Smashing! Lesse, lesse¡­ Yep, like watching Y-tube with a laggy internet but it¡¯s still somewhat doable¡­ So you were in the middle of a job when you encountered me, eh? The target was¡­ a businessman? That guy owes me his life then, since I automatically saved him by killing you¡­ Oh, you¡¯re married? Daaamn, you slept with your friend¡¯s wife? Poor frieney~¡± It¡¯s harder than when it was with Tarakai. In the future I should dig deeper about this assassin''s guild. His invisibility Arte seems to originate from the assassins¡­ Onward to test subject number 3! ¡°Wollter! You have no idea how happy the town folks were when they heard you are dead¡­ did you say something? Ah, you must be threatening me, yes? Ajoss¡­ Ajoss¡­ so that¡¯s the guy, I¡¯m gonna be honest with you man, his face kinda scares me. Good thing I don¡¯t plan on meeting him, ever. Now this is interesting, password to your secret bank account! Ooo, so much!? Not even Ajoss knew, eh? Naughty boyyy, skimming funds before you send them upstairs huh? Mine now. Gwehehe! You shouldn¡¯t have man, shouldn¡¯t have¡­ Ew! I don¡¯t wanna see you naked. Now it¡¯s in my brain! Not cool dude! Not cool¡­ Hmm, you really were after Lena¡­ burning her village¡¯s warehouse? That¡¯s low¡­ You didn¡¯t even love her. You just want to use her then toss her aside. God, what a prick you are.¡± Three test cases. Tarakai was a Level 0 while Demetrus and Wollter were Level 1. Now that Viers had become a Level 2, he had an easier time using soul search on them. The easiest was on Tarakai, Level does matter I suppose. The soul search training started to bear fruit. Also, I now have an idea about how to use souls in a suitable way for me. Hehehe, It¡¯s gonna be glorious. Tarakai, Demetrus, and Wollter certainly were not the only souls in his possession. He had about fifty of them, not counting the girls in the flower garden. ¡°Pheew, okay guys, that''s it for today. I¡¯ve got a date with a cute lamia princess. Adios, dead losers.¡± Viers left, feeling no guilt or remorse. His next power-up was waiting. Chapter 18 - Euryale Sight ¡°I have what you requested. It took quite an effort to complete this. Mother¡¯s mind was a mess,¡± Clarissa said to Viers who appeared in front of her. ¡°I expect as much. The tearing between her and you was not gentle. I¡¯ll take what I can.¡± Kala¡¯risyah -before Viers bestowed the name Clarissa upon her- was a unique existence. Viers found her already in soul form, her flesh long returned to the earth. The caveat was that she also had another soul latched onto hers. The Lamia Queen, Kala¡¯risyah¡¯s mother. Because of a certain... disagreement, Viers robbed the Queen¡¯s most prized treasure and kidnapped her daughter. Viers never did know the full picture of what transpired between this mother and daughter pair. Clarissa wasn¡¯t inclined to share either so what he knew was limited. She was a former Level 5 from 9000 years past, from the era called the Age of the Gods and she didn''t have a good relationship with her mother. Clarissa even seemed glad to be separated from the Lamia Queen. Unlike her mother, she was affable to Viers. Viers considered her his friend. That was why she was here with Farley, Paina, and the ever sleeping Gwen, people he attempted to return to the land of the living. But because of so many unknowns Viers was still wary against her so unlike the girls, she was put in a golden cage. ¡°Alright, teach me.¡± Viers'' eyes were glowing like a child receiving his Christmas present. ¡°Very well. This is the best investigative Arte of my people, even I wasn''t qualified to learn it. Wisdom Snake¡¯s Unveiling Gaze. Let falsehood and illusion cloud your eyes no more.¡± Clarissa said with pride. *** Clarissa was a fountain of ancient and powerful Artes. Before her death she was a Level 5, the peak of mortal existence could achieve. Naturally, Viers desired those powerful techniques. If a Level 1 like him could use the Artes of a Level 5, even if he couldn''t truly replicate its power, he would have no enemies in the same Level that could rival him. However, as Viers expected, it wasn''t that easy. Clarissa was a fire Pathseeker. Her Artes obviously were fire Artes. Something Viers with water and soul affinity couldn''t use. And yet there was another way. According to her, the Lamia Queen knew almost all the Artes of the Lamia race. Clarissa told him she still had partial and fragmented memories of her mother¡¯s. Using the remaining portion, Clarissa could try to compile Artes and then pass it on to Viers although it would take a long time to complete even one of them. With the facts before him, Viers'' first request was an investigative Arte. ¡°Lord Viers, why did you choose a supportive Arte? Why didn''t you choose a highly destructive Arte for your water or soul affinity?¡± Farley asked when he told Clarissa his first request. ¡°So I won¡¯t miss an opportunity,¡± Viers did not clarify further. His reason of choice stemmed from xianxia stories he read in the past. The fact that he was a reincarnator was not something he would share with anyone. In the stories, the MCs often could see what others could not, feel something others do not. It could be because of their ¡®spirit sense¡¯ which was more powerful than normal, or they got special eyes, or the ¡®spirit mentor¡¯ inside their head spoon-fed them directly. Because of that sharp perception of theirs, the MCs could find a treasure other people think as trash. When they found a hidden tomb, they could discern the right way to the deepest area in the trial of fire and pick the most valuable treasure in the vault. In another scenario, the MC could unveil some bad guy disguising themself as another or detect a hidden danger. Afterwards, the MC foiled the bad guy''s plot, saved the kingdom, and scored the princess. The king was grateful then bestowed the MC a secret technique or a powerful treasure. Anyway, each of those was a tremendous opportunity to raise one¡¯s strength. Viers was still weak, he still had a long way to go before he could stand shoulder to shoulder with the foremost experts of the world. He refused to let any of those chances escape his grasp. The sooner he had paranormal radar the better. For the next few hours, Clarissa taught Viers how to use the long-named Arte. Viers found it ironic that how to cast an Arte had similarities to mathematical formulas. It went like this: number combined with number produced result, that result was the effect of an Arte. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Suppose number 5 was a fireball. The Arte formula to achieve that could be 2+3. Naturally, 1+4 or 10-5 or 1x5 gave the same results, the same fireball. The more powerful the Arte usually meant a more complex formula. To get 21.0781 would need 7.9082+9.6812+3.4887¡­ He needed to accomplish that on the fly. This was why Pathseekers had to practice invoking their Arte regularly, so they could use the Arte smoothly in the heat of battle. For if there was an error in the invocation, an imperfection in the formula, a backlash would occur. To create a new Arte meant experimenting with numbers. Would the Z from X+Y=Z give the desired Arte result or not. What Clarissa taught Viers was the result number, the Z. Naturally, by simply knowing the Z didn''t mean learning the Arte. There were more rules and complications involved but now Viers had a guiding light from a lighthouse in the pitch-black sea. He knew the direction he should go. Who would have thought I''d have to polish my mathematics in a medieval-era fantasy world? My university calculus grade is just C minus damn it! Why can¡¯t it be grandiose chanting or traditional spellcasting? Did I reincarnate in the wrong world? Despite the grumble, Viers spared no effort to learn the Arte. He got a second chance in life, he doubted he would get a third. Farley and Paina watched from nearby but didn''t disturb them. Over time, with Clarissa¡¯s guidance, Viers managed to invoke it at last. ¡°Wisdom Snake¡¯s Unveiling Gaze!!¡± Viers opened his eyes in the real world and saw a whole other world. The feeling was exhilarating, like seeing the very fabric of creation. ¡°You did it!¡± Clarissa said from inside his mind. ¡°Congratulations Lord Viers. Your might grows further.¡± Farley followed. ¡°Wow, this is so spectacular.¡± Paina and the others saw what Viers saw using the V-streaming service and were impressed by the revelation. ...Awesome¡­ but I have seen, experienced, something similar, Viers thought without letting them know. He could see far like using a binocular, could see small like using a magnifying glass. He had a vision that pierced through walls. He saw mana in the air and the Victa inside a person. He saw traces of magic like spilled coffee on a white floor. He saw a colorful world yet black and white at the same time. So this is how Ezio sees the world¡­ now I have it too! ¡®To see sounds and hear shapes¡¯, is it? Truly extraordinary. ¡°Look at a mirror Viers,¡± Clarissa urged. ¡°Oh? Right,¡± Viers acquiesced. At a nearby table mirror, he saw his eyes when he was using the long-named Arte. ¡°...Dragon eyes? No, snake eyes¡­ kinda pretty.¡± The pupils of his eyes were no longer a circle but a vertical slit like a reptile. Formerly brown, the irises now glowed viridian green with shades of rainbow. ¡°That¡¯s unexpected. Your eye color should turn watery blue because of the water affinity, perhaps the green represents your soul affinity?¡± Clarissa pondered. No, it is some other thing, Viers corrected the lamia but kept the thought for his own. Viers wasn''t keen on sharing all of his secrets. ¡°A bit showy. It''s rad but will need extra precaution when using it in front of witnesses. Coolness has its price, but I¡¯ll take the deal.¡± Viers showed his approval. ¡°Pheew¡­¡± Viers relaxed and cut off the Arte, the eyes returned to normal. He dived into his realm of consciousness again to talk with the girls face to face. ¡°Good job invoking the Arte but you have not fully mastered this Arte. You have only scratched the surface, keep practicing with it.¡± Clarissa warned. ¡°Got it, and I¡¯ve got an announcement. Ever since you told me the Arte name is Wisdom Snake¡¯s Unveiling Gaze, I¡¯ve been thinking about an easier to say name. I hope you find no issue with this?¡± Viers asked Clarissa. ¡°It''s yours now. Do as you will with it. It''s not as if there are any other users of the Arte out there... Besides, you already did similar things before.¡± ¡°Glad to hear it. From now on I dub this Wisdom Snake¡¯s Unveiling Gaze as Euryale Sight.¡± ¡°Question, who¡¯s Euryale?¡± Paina asked. ¡°She is one of three snakes siblings. There¡¯s a story about her. Euryale was the second daughter among three female siblings. She and the eldest were born immortal while the youngest was born mortal. People treated them as monsters and goddesses at the same time. Time passed and the sisters retreated to an island, living in each other''s company.¡± The three girls listened with attention. ¡°Although they lived secludedly, humans, especially males, kept coming to the island. To kill the monsters¡­ or to wed the goddesses, there are many versions of the story. Anyway, they came and the sisters killed them.¡± ¡°Their reputation grew and they became a menace. Then the gods bestowed boons to a particular hero. The hero killed the youngest because she was mortal and cut off her head.¡± Viers moved his hand across his neck as a gesture. ¡°The eldest and Euryale were furious and tried to kill the hero but one of the boons from the gods was a cap that granted invisibility. The two failed to find him, the hero carried the beheaded head off the island and returned triumphantly, showered by the praises of the masses. He became a king and had many descendants.¡± From their faces, especially Clarissa''s, Viers knew the hero didn''t leave a good impression on the girls. Oh Perseus, I don''t know if I should hate you or not. ¡°Grieving, Euryale later developed a divine ability to see through smokes and mirrors, to pierce through the mists of falsehood¡­ thus I shall call Wisdom Snake¡¯s Unveiling Gaze as Euryale Sight henceforth.¡± The last part of the story is just my interpretation but who can say it didn''t happen? ¡°Snake goddesses¡­ I wonder what they look like,¡± Clarissa the lamia¡¯s mind going places. ¡°Euryale and the eldest sister have similar appearances as if they were twins. Petite girls, 134cm tall and 30kg weight. They wore snow-white goth loli dresses and had purple hair in twin tails. I gotta go, bye-bye.¡± Viers skedaddled. The confused girls looked at each other. ¡°That¡¯s unnaturally specific. Did he meet them in the flesh before?¡± Paina guessed. ¡°What¡¯s a goth loli?¡± Clarissa tilted her head. The other two had no answer. Chapter 19 - Closure Why not Stheno Sight? Because Euryale is the ¡®Archer¡¯ that¡¯s why! Hur-hur-hur. Viers chuckled while praising his own good naming sense. After finishing his power-up segment, Viers looked at his pocket watch. There were only four hours left until sunrise. Thankfully, I don''t need much sleep anymore. Viers did his before-sleep-training-routine then hit the bed. The sun rose and Viers also rose with it, a bit sluggish but fit. As a person from modern Earth, the idea of new years equal to holidays was strong. He indulged himself by spending his time leisurely after finishing his morning mana training routine. A few hours later. ¡°Sorry boy, no horses for sale.¡± The old man said to Cain. He could only half smile and scratched his head. ¡°This is unexpected¡­ I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve come all this way for nothing Cain,¡± Paul said. Because Cain told Oliver and Irene that he wanted to buy a horse yesterday, Oliver let Paul and Lena know. Before Cain left the inn, Paul offered to come along to a horse trader he knew. The gang joined Cain in his shopping trip, alas, Cain failed to acquire a horse. According to the old horse trader, someone bought all the horses for sale about one week ago. He could take Tarakai''s horse but he didn''t. He might be spotted riding Tarakai''s horse by someone who recognized the horse and get hunted. To prevent that outcome, he released the horse to the wilds. A slim chance maybe, but Viers didn''t want to take the risk. It paid off because it turned out they were members of the dangerous assassin''s guild. ¡°Well¡­ guess I still have to walk then.¡± If he had a horse, the trip to the next town would be easier. ¡°Do you have other plans for today?¡± Lena asked. Cain looked at his surroundings, he was at a ranch of some kind not far from Mokash town. There were cows and sheep grazing under the sun. ¡°I refuse to leave empty-handed¡­ I¡¯ve got a good idea,¡± Cain said confidently. *** Cain was brushing the side of a goat. The goat bleated but Cain did not know if it was because of pleasure or annoyance or simply because it was a goat. ¡°Who¡¯s a good goat? Who is? Bweee~ Ahaha,¡± Cain talked goatish. Cain then sheared a sheep. He did it carefully, he didn''t want to cut the sheep. The animal had a very thick wool, grown during winter. Cain got permission to shear two of them because with spring approaching, the weather was no longer overly cold anymore. ¡°So soooft. You know what sheepy? If you weren''t smelly, I might have used you as a pillow.¡± Cain had his hand on a cow¡¯s udder. Left, right, left, right. He got the hang of milking cows after a while and the rhythm became pleasant. ¡°Mooo~ This doesn''t mean we¡¯re engaged or anything. Although... this is the biggest mammary I¡¯ve ever touched. Gasp! Let¡¯s keep that between us. What happens in the barn, stays in the barn, okay madam cow? Ow! Stop with the tail whip. I¡¯m complimenting you, mmooohh!¡± The rest of the gang watched curiously while Cain was playing with the barn animals. Cain paid the owner so he could experience some animal husbandry. Noon. ¡°Whewww. That was more fun than I thought. You guys should have joined me.¡± The five were currently doing a picnic not far from the barn. The owner gave Cain a lot of farm products including processed milk, cheese, and handmade sandwiches. Cain¡¯s payment was a bit generous so the barn owner lady returned the kindness. ¡°No thanks. This is your idea of a good time? Doing barn work?¡± Oliver was amazed. ¡°I don''t know. It looks fun, right Paul?¡± Lena asked. ¡°Mmm,¡± Paul replied with a nod. Cain told them he wanted to buy a horse yesterday but the group ended up joining him anyway. With Cain leaving in a few days and the rest walking their own paths soon, perhaps they simply wanted their time together to last a bit longer. ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask. What kind of name is Cain of Ur anyway?¡± Oliver asked. Before Cain could answer, Paul did. ¡°It¡¯s an old naming style. In the past, people didn''t have last names save for the nobles. So they just used the name of where they came from.¡± ¡°...Yeah, like he said.¡± Cain smiled awkwardly. I didn¡¯t have such deep consideration when picking the name. ¡°So! Tell me why you¡¯re so strong. Only 16 and already a Level 1? How did you do that?¡± Oliver changed the subject. Irene was also interested although she tried to feign indifference. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Well, I use crystals. Don''t tell anyone.¡± Cain trusted them enough to share that bit of information. Mana crystal as the name implied, was a crystal with mana inside it. Pathseekers absorbed mana from their surroundings to strengthen their Intio. Mana crystals could be used for the same purpose. ¡°You¡¯re rich?¡± Oliver moved his face closer to Viers¡¯. Mana crystals are also used as currency. Each crystal has the value of 3 gold coins. 1 gold equals 100 silver coins and 1 silver equals 100 copper coins. What Cain did was no different than eating money directly. ¡°I¡¯m... comfortable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what a super-rich person would say! You¡¯re rich!¡± I¡¯m not Crazy Rich Asians. I just have a bit more money than normal. Viers only smiled. ¡°Olie, don''t be crass. You shouldn''t ask about other people¡¯s purses,¡± Lena scolded him. ¡°Fine, fine¡­ so if I have the funds, I can become a Level 5 in an instant?¡± Oliver fantasized. ¡°No. First, there¡¯s the issue of affinity. Unless your affinity is 5, you won¡¯t reach Level 5. You and I have an affinity of 3 so that¡¯s our limit.¡± Lena explained. ¡°...Bummer,¡± Oliver grumbled. ¡°Cheer up, crystals might not shoot you to level 5 directly but it can buy you a lot of good things. Magic equipment or accessories... If you want something more personal, there are exotic mana ingredients from the Wilds that can boost your magical prowess. Using crystals to boost your leveling speed isn''t all good. Using too much in a short time will make your Intio brittle. Shallow foundation.¡± ¡°Whatever, I won''t have the luxury of experiencing it. Not for a long time anyway.¡± Oliver snorted. ¡°Leveling to 1 and 2 are normal but I heard Level 3 is different from the rest. You need something called a Profound Codex to reach it,¡± Paul added. ¡°What¡¯s a Profound Codex?¡± Irene joined the conversation. ¡°Dunno. I only know it''s a rare thing,¡± Paul said. ¡°It¡¯s a manual. A magical know-how to reach level 3 and beyond. Teaches you unique ways to gather mana and temper your Intio. The practices vary from Codex to Codex. For example, you must practice in a certain environment or at a specific time of the day or some other requirements. I know one that the user must kill a person every week to practice that Profound Codex,¡± Cain explained. The others turned their heads towards him. The more they knew about Cain the more mysterious he became. ¡°...Are you using that Codex?¡± Lena asked. ¡°Naaah, too bloodthirsty.¡± ¡°Do you practice another Codex?¡± Oliver starred as if he wanted to drill a hole into Cain¡¯s brain. ¡°I might be,¡± Cain replied plainly. ¡°...Who are you?¡± Irene inquired. ¡°A noble?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a simple traveler on a cross-Coalition journey to Valkut city,¡± Cain left it at that. ¡°Profound Codices, plural for codex, are heavily regulated by the people upstairs. Hoarded by distinguished houses, organizations, governments... basically pompous people who call the shots. Still, there are ways for small folks like us to get it. Become a vassal for said houses, as merit from joining the army, passed down from master to disciple, or get it from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡± Or you know, befriend a 9000-year-old lamia and get her to teach you extinct ancient techniques. Seeing the other four weren¡¯t privy about this topic, Cain decided to elaborate it a bit further. Mainly for Irene and Oliver who wanted to make their mark in the world. Lena and Paul were still young, who knew what the future would bring. ¡°Adventurers could gain Profound Codices from the guild but you must have reputation and credibility by completing many quests. That¡¯s one of the reasons many adventurers are fervently questing, to raise their adventurer ranking.¡± ¡°This is the first time I am hearing this,¡± Paul explained. ¡°So am I,¡± Lena too. ¡°After you become Level 2 and have a stellar questing record, the guild will reach out to you¡­ or so I heard anyway.¡± I heavily expect those Profound Codices wouldn''t be good though. Just mediocre ones that the truly powerful won''t feel troublesome even if spread to the masses. After the picnic, Cain bid them goodbye. He returned to the dorm, cleaned himself up and left again in the evening. This time, he left the town. The girls are sleeping, better keep this a secret. He left like a ghost, keeping it a secret as much as he was able. Viers moved through the night with speed and he reached his destination in a few hours. It was another town, not too far from Mokash. Peja town¡­ I¡¯m back. Viers thought with emotion. The old Viers came from this town, the ''him'' before the one who came from Earth awakened. It was his birthplace. Viers walked the night town¡¯s street with nostalgia. He covered his face and avoided other people as he made his way inside. ¡­I¡¯m home. Viers stopped before the house he lived in since he was born. The house was dark, the residents must be sleeping. ¡°¡­¡± Viers remembered the face of his parents and his siblings. The memories he had. The good, the bad¡­ and how precious it was. Father smoking on the lawn, mother baking bread in the kitchen, fighting his younger brother over a toy, and changing the diapers of his youngest sister. And now I must leave you all. The youth placed a box in the front door. It was full of gold coins and some crystals, the wealth was enough for his family to live in luxury for years. It was not dirty money that he got from killing people or something he stole, the money was from his own effort. It didn¡¯t feel right to give money with blood on it to his family so Viers didn¡¯t. Where I go, there will be many dangers. For their own good and safety, it¡¯s better to leave them. Let them have a life of tranquility¡­ for mine will be drenched in blood. Viers knocked on the door loudly until he became an annoyance and the house showed signs of activity. Viers left before the door was opened. A middle-aged man soon went out the door with a cudgel in his hand, warily examining his surroundings. Viers watched from the shadows, motionless and soundless. After he saw with his own eyes Viers¡¯ father opened the box, Viers turned around. Viers wondered if it was suddenly raining, his cheek was wet. There was a letter inside the box. You do not know me, but I know you. Viers has helped me a great deal. He didn¡¯t show it but he cared for all of you very much. This is my way of showing gratitude, please accept it. I apologize, mundane wealth is the best I can do. Keep this happening a secret, or it might draw a calamity upon you. Farewell, may you all live in peace and happiness. Chapter 20 - Leaving Town Viers would make enemies in the future, lots of them. This was something unavoidable whether he was a villain or a hero. All stories in his head told him so. He feared that one day his enemies or someone that had a grudge against him would go after his family. This was particularly a frequent occurrence in xianxia novels. The MC offended someone - most likely by killing a pretentious young master prick. He managed to get away, but then the bad guys went after his family. His parents, siblings, clan, or someone important to the MC fell into a predicament. The bad guy¡¯s side publicly proclaimed that unless the MC surrendered himself, his family would suffer. The MC already had some renown, the very act of offending the bad guys might be the reason or it might be some other thing. The peanut gallery far and wide speculated the MC wouldn¡¯t show himself unless he was a fool. Lo and behold, the MC gallantly appeared. People around the world lamented the loss of a bright rising star but commended his sense of righteousness and familial love. There were two divergent paths at this point. The first was where the MC triumphed by trashing all the bad guys and sending them all to the Yellow Springs to meet their ancestors. Wreathed in flames of fury and clad in righteous cause, the MC satisfyingly ended the lives of the young master, his guardians, and his clan¡¯s higher-ups. Old guys with atrophied brains that allowed things to develop until that point. The second was the MC didn''t manage to win. He struggled valiantly, exposing OP techniques he previously kept hidden and used one-of-a-kind treasures with heaven-shaking effect. His fight was impressing foes and allies alike but the opposition¡¯s might was greater still. And when all seemed lost, the MC got saved. Either by a beautiful love interest or by some righteous expert cultivators. The first path was all and good, it was the second path that Viers dreaded. It suspiciously smelled like plot armor. The closer he was to his family, the more likelihood this scenario became a reality. This terrified him. Should this scenario really happen, if Viers had the strength to go through the first path then all is well. However, if his enemies were too strong for the ''him'' at the time then Viers would not show himself. No surrendering to the enemy, even if his family and loved ones were in their hands. Viers shuddered to think about what might happen to them afterward. Xianxia novels must value family and depict filial piety. Therefore novels that depicted the MC abandoning his family didn''t pass censorship and thus didn''t exist. At least, Viers never read about it. But Viers was different. He would survive, not because he was sure a plot armor would save him but because he prized logic more than feeling. In time, his power would grow continuously, eclipsing his enemies. At that time, all parties responsible would experience his terrible vengeance. All losses and grudges shall be paid a hundred times over. Still, Viers didn''t want this to happen. As with everyone, he wanted his family and loved ones to be happy. Therefore Viers must leave his family behind and let them believe he was gone. Just another victim of the town-destroying catastrophe. It''s for their own good, Viers convinced himself as he went back to Mokash town in the darkness. His steps were heavier than before. *** ¡°Halt. Where are your credentials?¡± A guard stopped him at the town¡¯s gate. ¡°Here it is. Is there anything wrong officer?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Something came up. We¡¯ve been told to tighten the security. Especially against new arrivals without the necessary papers¡­ All is in order. You may pass,¡± the guard passed him back his identification. Viers saw around him that the rest of the guards were doing their jobs zealously. Carriages inspected, goods counted, people searched for anything illegal. They were doing things in a meticulous manner. ¡°Hear ye, hear ye. By the decree of the mayor of Mokash town and the Estellian Church, anyone who entered the town for the first time must submit themself for inspection.¡± It was still early in the morning but the crier¡¯s voice was really loud. There was a long queue at the gate. Viers had the parchment that he got by bribing the fat guard so he managed to return back without complication. There! This must be the ripples from Luxore town¡¯s destruction. They must be searching for the ones responsible and imposed a security net around the surrounding towns¡­ Thankfully I have anticipated this. After he escaped Luxore, Viers traveled with astounding speed. Covering a large swathe of land, Viers crossed what a normal journey took five weeks in just two. Forgoing luxury and comfort, Viers prioritized speed above all else, cutting sleep time and rationing food. He even used his Victa and cut across perilous terrain to arrive at Mokash faster. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. He avoided closer villages, neighboring towns, and settlements as he made way to Mokash town, a pretty distant town from Luxore. Viers also went one step further by making a large detour. Luxore was located at Mokash¡¯s east, but Viers came from the south gate. Viers highly suspected that even his family had not heard that Luxore town was destroyed. Thinking Viers was still receiving education at the Training Center. The news has started to reach this place. If I had just arrived at this time, they would have definitely questioned me. With security this tight, bribing the fat guard for identification papers might take a significantly higher amount of coins or might not be possible at all. I should leave. I¡¯m already at Level 2 and got the Euryale Sight. Although I was hoping to stock up Victa for another two or three days, this changes things. The farther I am from Luxore the better. I¡¯ll buy supplies for the journey today and leave tomorrow. Viers, who had just arrived at Mokash town, was already making plans to leave it behind. His first order of business was going to the Adventurer''s Guild to pick up a quest as a cover. Deliver letters to Osemore town, perfect. It''s to the east, just where I need to go. ¡°Confirmed,¡± the guild lady gave him six sealed letters. ¡°Please complete the delivery one week from now at the latest. If the seal is no longer intact, there will be a penalty so please take note.¡± ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll leave at first light tomorrow. See ya,¡± Viers left the guild. Next, Viers walked to a three-story stone building. It looked big, steady, and secure. There were two guards at the entrance, unmoving like statues. ¡°Welcome to Florenzi Bank. Would you like to make a withdrawal or deposit?¡± The bank lady greeted him. ¡°Withdrawal please.¡± ¡°Of course. Right this way,¡± the nice lady led him to a counter away from prying eyes. Viers didn''t know whether banks existed in Earth''s medieval era but it did here. Yesterday he also visited this place. Before he went to Peja town, he took most of his clean money from his account to be given to his family. His coin pouch was very light and needed more coins to buy the supplies he needed. From Wollter¡¯s secret account. He got the account number and password so there was no snag. It took some practice to copy Wollter''s signature but Viers managed to copy it to an acceptable level. He took a bit to fatten his coin pouch and sent the rest to his account. Naturally, the name on the account wasn''t Viers or Cain. It was something else entirely. Now that he had the funds, Viers went to the shopping district to buy the goods he needed. When he was in front of a clothing shop, it got Viers thinking. Should I buy clothes? Viers checked his attire. Still wear worthy. I¡¯ll buy a replacement at the next town. Without a horse, he decided to travel light once more. Too many items might slow him down. Although¡­ I can buy magic shoes to make my movement speed higher! Yes! I should do that. ¡®Sides, Wollter¡¯s buying. Viers decided to buy movement speed-boosting items in place of a horse, with money Wollter generously saved for him. Just like in DOTA, I always buy boots first. I wonder if they have Power Treads around here? Viers sought shops that sold enchanted items. *** ¡°Hmm hmm hmnnn~¡± Viers finished his shopping spree and walked back to the inn in a pleasant mood. While humming a familiar tune, he spotted a stall. ¡°Vendor, give me this Bubude flavor ice cream. The big version!¡± ¡°Righto boss¡­ Here you go!¡± ¡°Thanks, keep the change.¡± Viers tossed a coin and took the ice cream. He licked the cyan-colored treat and enjoyed the flavor, then a light bulb lit up in his head. Let¡¯s try it¡­ hmph! Inside his realm of consciousness, three ice creams floated in front of Clarissa, Farley, and Paina. ¡°Hehey, it worked! As a Level 2, it seems I now can replicate things for you girls. Enjoy the ice cream.¡± Viers¡¯ voice resounded from the meadow¡¯s starry sky. ¡°Thank you, Lord Viers.¡± Farley accepted the ice cream. ¡°Oooh, what a nice flavor~ It''s been too long since I tasted food. Thank you Viers!¡± Clarissa was very pleased. ¡°...Ice cream,¡± Paina gave it a lick while remembering something from the past. ¡°It¡¯s sweet...¡± she said melancholically. Only Farley felt something was off. The Viers I know would use every second he has to train, train, and train. If he didn¡¯t train then he would do something to increase his powers. There are many options for him, such as constructing Arte, polishing his soul search, or even push-ups to build his muscles. His actions are a bit different since we left Luxore town. Is he loosening up since we managed to escape? Impossible, he also knows we aren''t in the clear yet. What gives¡­? Viers returned to the inn, ordered a bath once again, and slept early because he had not slept yesterday. Tomorrow morning, at the town¡¯s gate. Lena and the rest of the group gathered to send him off. ¡°Here, a little gift to commemorate our time together,¡± Viers gave them gifts that he bought yesterday during the shopping spree¡­ once again, with Wollter¡¯s money. Viers felt it hilarious that this particular monster gave him money after he killed it just like Japanese RPG games in the past. Dark green scarf for Irene, sword belt for Oliver, Lena got a homely apron, and he gave Paul a pair of thick gloves. ¡°You can use this when blacksmithing,¡± he said to Paul. ¡°And that is for the kitchen when you¡¯re cooking a meal for your family,¡± Viers mischievously smiled at Lena and Paul. ¡°Here¡¯s an extra.¡± Viers gave Oliver and Irene two vials of health potion to each of them. A bottle of wine for Paul and Lena. He actually already treated both of them as an item. ¡°When things get bad, this might save your life,¡± Viers nodded to the younger pair. ¡°And this wine is special, best to finish it within five days,¡± he offered the wine bottle to the soon to be newlywed. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll cherish it.¡± Lena said while holding his gifts with both hands. ¡°Good luck. Take care of yourself,¡± Paul gave a firm handshake. ¡°We¡¯ll meet again. I¡¯ll become stronger than you at that time,¡± Oliver hit his own chest confidently. ¡°...Farewell,¡± Irene, a woman of a few words didn''t say much. Although, Cain felt she truly wished him well. ¡°I enjoyed our time together, despite how short it was. Goodbye everyone. May our paths cross once again.¡± Viers waved his hands and turned around. Farther and farther he walked, to the next journey. ¡°What a good day,¡± Viers muttered about the weather. Interlude - The Silver Council A bustling city filled with people from all corners of the world. Despite being in the middle of winter¡¯s cold, the city was lively and prosperous. Merchants calling customers loudly in the market, blacksmiths hitting red hot metals in the smithy, housewives cooking warm meals in the kitchen for their family. People flowed in from the city gates into the clean, well-maintained streets. Buildings made of white stones were built in an orderly manner. Dignified and disciplined soldiers were manning the walls to maintain the peace. This was Sephoria, the seat of power of the Goddess¡¯ faithful. The City of Silver Guardians, the City of White Chalk, the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Sephoria was called with many names. The city itself was filled with historical landmarks and architectural achievements. Awe-inspiring magical towers, sacred trees, glistening waterways, lifelike statues of saints and saintesses. Most magnificent of them all was the Grand Cathedral. The symbol of faith for uncountable people from all corners of creation. From one of the rooms inside the cathedral, a woman was watching the city below her solemnly. She had long silver hair and a face without blemishes. Her blue eyes held deep wisdom and serenity. She wore a regal long white robe with golden embroidery, a befitting garment for someone of her status. ¡°Your Holiness, it is time.¡± Her attendant reminded her of the time. ¡°Thank you.¡± The woman turned and moved away from the window to attend to her duties. The attendant led her to the conference room where five people were waiting. When the woman entered the room, they respectfully bowed. For they were in the presence of Popess Sallustia Amaris, the head of the Estellian Church, the most prominent religion on the continent. ¡°May the Goddess smile upon all of you. Without further ado, let us convene the scheduled meeting,¡± Popess Sallustia kindly greeted them before taking the main seat. ¡°By your will,¡± the other people in the room returned her greeting and took their respective chairs. On top of the exquisite marble table, stood a magical projection of the continental map. ¡°First, let us have a brief look at the situation as a whole. Siora, if you would?¡± The Popess turned her face to a woman with pointy ears, an elf with golden hair. ¡°Certainly,¡± Cardinal Siora Watermoon spoke. ¡°The situation in the Latias Kingdom is messy, to say the least. The King is dead and the great houses are reacting aggressively to take as much benefit as they can in this political unrest. Unfortunately, the likelihood of a civil war erupting in the realm is high. One more thing worthy of note, the devil cults have abnormally high activity within the Latias territory and we don¡¯t know their aim yet. The situation is volatile in the Kingdom of Knights, perhaps the illusive cults are fanning the flames of turmoil from the shadows.¡± ¡°Thank you Siora. Adeline, what about the Zetel Sultanate?¡± The Popess asked another person. ¡°The human supremacist sultanate of Zetel is currently having problems with the beastfolk from the south. Not to the point of a full-blown war but there have been a few large-scale skirmishes. Mostly, the beastfolk¡¯s attack is to free their enslaved brethren. Also, the Zetelians¡¯ reckless exploitation of resources led by the Magisterium made the desert kingdom¡¯s weather erratic. The sandstorm hitting their capital has not ceased for a week.¡± Hearing the beastfolk situation made one of the cardinals look grim because she was a beastfolk herself. ¡°What about the Buried Kingdom? Any movement from the bones?¡± Another fellow cardinal asked Adeline. ¡°At the moment, none. I have been keeping a close eye on the undead and there are no signs of stirrings either for the past century. It is as if they have fallen asleep.¡± ¡°Or they¡¯re preparing for something big. Don¡¯t get complacent and relax the observation, Adeline,¡± a woman with the air of a veteran warrior spoke. ¡°Of course,¡± Adeline knew the woman meant well. She¡¯s just direct. ¡°Josephine, what news comes from the north?¡± Popess Sallustia asked the other cardinal responsible for another land. ¡°The Harkelan Empire has the usual problem, famine. It seems the people in their government take the situation as the norm and have no intention of easing the burden of the populace. The poor get poorer and the rich get richer. It¡¯s no wonder their civilians have the poorest living standards among the four great nations.¡± Josephine¡¯s white leopard¡¯s ears sulkily bent. The cardinal of the harsh winter empire was a snow leopard beastfolk. She also had a very fluffy tail with leopard-like spots. ¡°And unlike the situation in the south, the undead from the Dreadnorth are making waves. The empire¡¯s northern garrison has fended off several incursions this year but some bones are still slipping past their borders. If nothing else, the Harkelians are tough people. They¡¯re already familiar with situations like this and can deal with the skeletons on their own,¡± Josephine added. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°The northern border of Latias has no sightings of the undead as far as I know. Seems strange Harkelan is being raided while Latias isn¡¯t,¡± the elf cardinal, Siora voiced her thoughts. Harkelan Empire had borders with Latias Kingdom in their east. The two countries had a hostile relationship with each other and centuries'' worth of bloodshed between them. While the northern region of both countries was mostly a frozen wasteland filled with danger and death. The Dreadnorth was a place of the walking dead and fearsome ice beasts strong enough to survive the extremely hostile environment. ¡°Thank you for making it clear to us, Josephine. Judith, if you would?¡± The Popess asked the last cardinal. ¡°Unlike the other three, the Free People Coalition is mostly peaceful¡­ but that¡¯s just on the surface. Their problems do not come from the outside but from the inside. The prosperous trade with Zamrud Archipelago brought great wealth to the Governor-Kings of the Coalition. As their coffers swell, so too does their ambition. We don¡¯t know why, but Rifts are forming more often lately in the Coalition soil. This means more Biomes to explore for the adventurers and other interested parties. Most of them shall perish, but those who survive will quickly rise in strength using the resources they got from the Biomes. Level 4 Pathseekers are still rare, but Level 2 and 3 have become more numerous. With the rise of these Pathseekers, the rate of human-caused problems and tragedies rises tremendously.¡± After Judith finished her report, Popess Sallustia fell silent for some time, sunk in deep thinking. The others patiently waited for her to finish because they were already familiar with her habit. ¡°Flavia, how fares the Silver Legions despite all of this?¡± The Popess questioned the warrior-like woman, Supreme Commander of the Silver Legions, Flavia Marianus. Chief of the greatest military force of the Estellian Church. ¡°Strained but manageable. Insidious elements like the Seven Devils Cults are making petty havoc all over the place and problems keep coming up. We have prevented some true catastrophes from erupting but casualties keep rising nonetheless. I advise you to not take this lightly, Sallustia. We¡¯re beset by threats, from inside and outside of our borders. We need to take a firmer stance and unite these short-sighted and selfish rulers under the banner of the Goddess.¡± Flavia sharply said to the Popess. Her manner of speaking was frank and somewhat disrespectful but the cardinals didn¡¯t object. Because Sallustia preferred them to talk to her like Flavia if possible. Towards Flavia¡¯s suggestion, the Popess just kindly smiled. ¡°This world is a gift from the Radiant Lady. We¡¯re mere gardeners tending to the trees and flowers of her bountiful garden. Let us not forget that we¡¯re keepers of peace first and foremost. Conquerors, we are not.¡± Hearing the Popess¡¯ answer, Flavia rolled her eyes. She sighed and leaned her back on the chair harder than before. ¡°But there are fires in the garden and we must take action,¡± the Popess added. ¡°Will you help me, my friends?¡± The elf cardinal stood up. ¡°For the sake of this world,¡± Siora said. The other cardinals followed and replied to her words. ¡°For the sake of this world.¡± Flavia too rose to her feet and said the words. They all knew, this woman only had the good of the church and by extension, the world, in her mind. Popess Sallustia was looking at the five individuals before her with pride. She trusted them and they trusted her. Their faith in the Goddess bound them all together in sisterhood. ¡°For the sake of this world,¡± she lightly nodded. ¡°Let us continue the meeting.¡± The meeting went on for a few hours. Being guardians of peace was not an easy task. *** A few hours later in Judith¡¯s office, she received a visitor. ¡°Flavia, this is quite unusual. What do you want to talk about?¡± Judith asked while putting down the quill she used to write on a paper. After the meeting, Commander Flavia sought Cardinal Judith to discuss something. Judith led Flavia to sit and began making tea. ¡°It¡¯s about the destruction of Luxore town two weeks ago. This incident feels like a fishbone stuck in my throat. The report is not too detailed so I want clarification.¡± ¡°Luxore town¡­ I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s not much that I can tell you. By the time I got news about Luxore¡¯s massacre, a few days had already passed. The Cult of Dumuzin¡¯s mark is all over this incident but that¡¯s all we concretely know. No eyewitness about what happened, no signs of the perpetrator, and the burning town made collecting evidence and clues difficult.¡± The blind black haired cardinal showed regret in her expression. ¡°3500 to 4000 people estimated dead¡­ You know more than anyone, that, although tragic this may be, there are many pressing matters more important. What¡¯s so special about this one?¡± Judith knew Flavia rarely did something like this. ¡°What piqued my interest is the report about the souls'' disappearance, is this the work of a soul user? A necromancer?¡± Flavia asked. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you, the report contained everything we know. Even if you send time Pathseekers to investigate now, too much time has passed and the hope of bringing the truth to light is dimming each day.¡± Judith felt hopeless. ¡°Nevertheless, I¡¯ll send someone to investigate. I have a gut feeling that I should,¡± Flavia said after some thinking. ¡°That would be helpful. I too desire to know the truth and punish the ones responsible. Who do you have in mind?¡± Judith got curious. ¡°My granddaughter. If she can pick up something in Luxore then great. If not, there are many Rifts opening in the Coalition at this time. She might be able to find her fortuitous encounter there. And she won¡¯t be alone¡­ just in case.¡± ¡°My, my, still the doting grandma is it?¡± Judith let out a soft giggle. ¡°It comes with age, Judith. I¡¯m already 187 years old,¡± Flavia smiled. ¡°You look no older than 30. And don¡¯t say that in front of Siora. She has become sensitive about her age lately. I don¡¯t get what she¡¯s worrying about though, she¡¯s just a bit past 400 and still looks as young as ever.¡± Despite being blind, Cardinal Judith Tanaquil could ¡®see¡¯ her surroundings perfectly. Having peak mastery over wind, she felt the very air around her to have a near-perfect sight. Flavia took the cup of tea Judith brewed earlier while they were speaking and sipped it lightly. ¡°I hope that child can have as many years as we have,¡± she said with heavy melancholy. ¡°As do I, my friend. As do I,¡± Judith replied. Chapter 21 - The Unfortunate Man He had new boots. He had become Man in Boots. Man in Boots delightfully ran through the land like a maniac. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Man in Boots eyed a short bush just right in front of him and jumped over it flamboyantly. ¡°Ett! Ot-to-to-to...¡± The grass was slippery because of the morning dew. His landing was less than graceful. It took all he had to keep himself from falling as his legs were sliding. ¡°Ack! There¡¯s dirt on my new shoes,¡± Viers complained. ¡°Oh well, at least the shoes didn''t disappoint.¡± Some distance away from Mokash town, Viers tested his magic footwear. On the way was an open plain of grass, somehow it made Viers want to run. After brief testing, his running speed clearly increased. Faster by about 20 to 30 percent, I guess? Not bad. I really should fill my equipment slots. Currently, Viers had 5 items enchanted with magical effects: Sword, knife, pendant, bracelet, and the latest addition, boots. The sword could absorb water and release it at will. It was only a so-so quality item but it synergized well with Viers'' water affinity. The availability of water increased his water Artes effectiveness. The knife had a blade that looked like red iron when activated. Viers picked this up in case he met an enemy with high water resistance and when he wanted to set things on fire. Although Viers didn''t possess an affinity for fire, he could still use fire magic items just fine, like a normal human using a stove. The pendant was the hero in the shadows. The crescent moon shaped pendant that he wore had the effect of raising his Victa production by 10%. Victa was the personalized mana for each person, it functioned similar to the MP in games. No MP, no fancy techniques. Since there was no limit of how much Victa one could have, even a mere 10% increase would make a great difference in the long run. The bracelet was how he became a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. It looked positively tribal but Viers liked the design, the combination of black, red, and green colors was pleasing to the eye. At the moment, Viers was Level 2 but had the aura of a Level 0. But this was the limit. Should he become a Level 3, the item would be unable to function properly. However, he was still far from Level 3 so this was not a problem. Lastly, the boots. It was enchanted to be very comfortable, increased durability, and ¡®faster movement¡¯. Truthfully, Viers didn''t really understand how it worked. There was a boost as he stepped on the ground that made him cover more distance. That was the limit of Viers¡¯ understanding. Viers didn''t mind though, he was too happy to be able to travel faster. Two weapons, one of water and another of fire. Two accessories and leg equipment. Not exactly a balanced gear set but it is what it is. Viers hastened towards Osemore town, his next destination. A few hours later, at noon. Sometimes the fascinating fact of life was the unpredictability of it. Viers was minding his own business, peacefully traveling when he felt an anomaly. ¡°Hm?¡± It was faint, like the sound of dripping water in a totally quiet room. He picked up something with his senses. He knew not what. ¡°What is this?¡± After the phenomenon repeated itself a few times, he was convinced he was not imagining it. Viers let curiosity guide his actions and he approached the source. He stumbled upon a log house at the mouth of a forest. It was a crude house, nothing special about it. Viers had seen many houses such as this here and there during his travels. Not everyone built their house in towns and villages. This was a Green Zone, monsters rarely appeared here. In front of the house but still inside the fence, Viers saw a man in his thirties. He wore a simple worn-down white shirt and brown pants. The man knelt before two mounds of dirt, they seemed freshly made. One was smaller than the other. The man hollowly looked at them, unmoving. Looking at his sweat, he must have just finished not long ago. Daaang¡­ that guy has the look of a man whose world has just ended. Viers observed from afar, not yet ready to show himself. The man stood up, went inside the log house and came out after a few minutes carrying something. The moment Viers saw the man carried a rope, he decided it was time to act. ¡°Hello there,¡± Viers slowly stepped forward. The man glanced at Viers. ¡°If you want to rob me, go ahead and take whatever you want from the house. Burn it if it suits your fancy. Now go away an'' let me kill myself in peace,¡± his depression and hopelessness transmitted through his tone. He had a little bit of an accent. ¡°Uhh, yeah. I can see what you¡¯re going to do, sir. I¡¯m hoping to talk to you before you did the deed.¡± Viers tried to calm him down, unsuccessfully. ¡°Look kid, I don¡¯t know you. Stop bothering me,¡± his voice became harsher. The man¡¯s hands were not idle; they were readying the suicide instrument, making a noose. Sigh, this isn¡¯t working. Viers unsheathed his sword partially and water came out from it. The liquid transformed into chains and swiftly bound the man¡¯s body. The chains stabbed themselves on the ground, preventing the man from moving. The man looked surprised. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Arte ¡ª Water Chains. Apologies for the rough treatment but I really want to talk to you.¡± ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re a Pathseeker. Am I supposed to be afraid of you? I¡¯m just an Idler but I¡¯m a man ready to die, you don¡¯t frighten me. Just slit my throat an'' be done with it.¡± The man grew increasingly defiant. ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t mean to threaten you, nor have any intention of harming you. I just want to talk.¡± Viers pleaded as politely as possible. ¡°An'' why should I talk to you?¡± He looked annoyed. ¡°¡­Because I am asking you politely,¡± Viers gave a half-smile. The man in water chains silently stared at Viers. Viers canceled his Arte, the water chains dissolved into ordinary water and reabsorbed into his sword. ¡°Let¡¯s start from the top. Greetings sir, my name is Cain of Ur, a simple traveler.¡± Cain said with a slight dip of his head. ¡°¡­Mercer, a simple lumberjack.¡± ¡°Well met, Mister Mercer. I was just passing by and caught sight of you. I can¡¯t, with good conscience, just pretend to un-see what I saw and do nothing. The very least I can do is talk to you, asking you why do you want to end your own life¡­ although I can haphazardly guess.¡± Cain¡¯s vision moved towards the two graves. ¡°Your wife and child?¡± He asked gently. ¡°¡­Yeah,¡± Mercer nodded. Now Cain noted Mercer¡¯s eyes were unusually red. He must have cried until his tears ran out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss¡­ May I ask what happened?¡± Cain said with sympathy. Losing one¡¯s family was not an easy thing. ¡°¡­They died this morning. It was a difficult birth¡­ my wife didn¡¯t survive, an''-¡± the man looked hesitant, the next words were stuck inside his throat. ¡°An'' the child¡­ was- was stillborn.¡± Mercer cupped his face with his hands. Cain waited for him to let out his grief. He didn¡¯t know what else he could do other than hold his silence. ¡°¡­I know you mean well, kid. I appreciate that. But I want to be with my family now,¡± the broken man picked up the noose again and walked beneath a tree beside the graves. ¡°...Mister Mercer, is there anything else you might want from your life?¡± ¡°None. All reason to live has been taken from me¡­ Unless you can bring my wife an'' son back to life.¡± That line got Cain thinking. Mercer no longer paid attention to him and hung the noose on a tree. ¡°Wait,¡± Cain said. ¡°Don''t stop me, boy. Just¡­ let me be with my family.¡± The broken man hopelessly replied. ¡°I can make you meet with them one last time.¡± Cain took a deep breath and said the words. For the briefest of moments, hope sparked inside Mercer¡¯s dead heart, but it didn''t last. He dismissed Cain¡¯s claim, even becoming a bit angry because of the lie. ¡°...Impossible. It can''t be done¡­ don''t lie to me because of pity.¡± ¡°This is no lie. You¡¯ll meet them again, face to face.¡± Cain¡¯s tone was serene. ¡°STOP LYING TO MEEE!¡± The man lashed out. He grabbed Cain¡¯s collar with both hands and screamed in front of his face. The man pushed him until Cain¡¯s back hit the log house¡¯s wall. Cain only watched as Mercer exploded. ¡°It is. No. Lie.¡± Cain looked at him straight in the eye. Saying the words slowly and without wavering even the slightest. Seeing no lies in Cain¡¯s eyes, Mercer¡¯s expression slowly changed from anger, to doubt, to yearning. ¡°...Can you¡­ truly?¡± Mercer was like a man dying of thirst who suddenly found a water well. He realized that he was still holding Cain by the collar and released his grip. ¡°I apologize. That was rude of me.¡± ¡°Don''t mind it. If I were in your position, I might have had the same reaction, but this is not a charity. First, let''s talk about my price.¡± Cain spoke like a certain white-haired man carrying two swords. ¡°...I see,¡± the haggard man said dejectedly. ¡°I¡¯m just a simple lumberjack. I¡¯m afraid even everything I have will not be enough,¡± he gestured to his log house. ¡°I do not desire conventional wealth like gold. I have no need for such things. I seek something rare or unusual or mysterious. Books written in an unknown language, strange stones, bizarre plants¡­ do you have something like that?¡± Mercer turned silent while thinking. ¡°Information is also good. Secret places, rare monster sightings, hidden ruins, interesting rumors, and similar things. If I judge it valuable enough, I¡¯ll receive that as the price.¡± ¡°...I have something. Wait a bit while I search for it,¡± Mercer spoke after a while then went inside the house. Cain waited with anticipation. I didn''t think he would have it. Even if he didn¡¯t I might help him nonetheless but this is good. Cain happily thought. Mercer came out and showed Cain a hexagonal wooden token with a strange symbol carved on it. ¡°My father told me a story. In the past, he had helped an elf on the verge of death. He found the elf bearing grievous wounds and unconscious. He brought him to this very house an'' nursed the elf until he woke. The elf left soon after but not without leaving this as gratitude. The elf said to my father that the token is only given to a benefactor of the elf kind and will be welcomed in their abode.¡± Cain eyed the wooden token with curiosity. ¡°Father passed away without ever using it neither did he encounter any elf ever since, an'' so this came to me. I¡¯ve never met an elf either¡­ I also don''t know if the story was true or not but that is what I¡¯ve heard¡­ Would this be enough?¡± ¡°Excuse me a bit,¡± Cain took the token from his hand and examined it. Euryale Sight. Cain¡¯s eyes turned mystical and sparkled with rainbow hues as he invoked the best investigative Arte of the lamias. Mercer saw the spectacle and was shocked. He couldn''t help but take a step back. There is¡­ magic inside it. Enchantment? Some kind of rune or mark? The mana is foreign to me and I don''t recognize the symbol¡­ This might be a thing that truly comes from the hands of an elf. ¡°Girls, do you recognize it?¡± Cain called his ¡®streamers¡¯. ¡°I don''t know anything about elves,¡± Paina said. ¡°Me too. Apologies.¡± Farley followed. Cain expected as much from the two and placed his hope on the last of the trio. ¡°Sorry, I don''t know either¡­ What? Why do you say ¡®eeeehhh?¡¯ as if I''m suddenly supposed to be an elf expert!? It was a period of war back then. I didn¡¯t have the luxury of going out of the capital whenever I wanted! There were no elves near my home! Why don''t you ask me about ratlings instead of elves, huh? I¡¯ve been fighting them since I was twelve!¡± The hope popped like soap bubbles. Cain left the rampaging lamia princess on her own and had to make the call himself. Well, there is merit in receiving this. Even though I don''t know what it is just yet, let¡¯s just collect as many plot items as possible. Cain¡¯s gamer mind calculated. ¡°...Very well. I¡¯ll take this as payment,¡± Cain returned the token to Mercer. He would take it after he had done his job. He had to be professional about this, or at least look like one. Because he had Euryale Sight, an extraordinary Arte for investigation, Cain said such as the price. He was sure he could uncover the mysteries unexplainable to common people. Even if he couldn''t, he could at least recognize if the thing was truly special or not. The token was sufficient to be placed in the Key Items category. ¡°The price is settled. If you now swear to never talk or inform others about this matter forever, I¡¯ll start the preparations.¡± Cain spoke of his next condition. ¡°I swear to take this matter to the grave,¡± Mercer solemnly vowed. ¡°...Let''s get started.¡± Chapter 22 - What Dark Magic Is This? Mercer was confused. A stranger came to him when he was in the abyss of misery. He thought the boy was Death itself, coming to visit him at the endpoint of his life. But the boy stopped him from killing himself and offered to let him see his family again. If that was true, Mercer would pay anything, would do anything. So Mercer thought that he was wrong. The boy was not Death but an agent of the Devil, the Devil¡¯s Envoy. Like the stories priests at the church used to tell, they would offer something precious to take your soul to the dark path, away from the light of the Radiant Lady. Even so, Mercer was ready to sell his soul to the Devil. The sun of his life had been taken away, abruptly. The joyous day he was supposed to hold his firstborn in his arms became a day of tragedy where he dug two graves to lay their lifeless bodies to rest. Mercer was filled with anguish and despair. He lived his life following the teaching of the Estellian Church as best as he could. He did good to others, toiled honestly, put food on the supper table, and loved his wife with all his heart. What did he do to deserve this? In despair, Mercer renounced his faith. He had even cursed the Goddess, blaming her for this tragedy. When the representative of Hell made the offer¡­ If it was the Seven Devils that would grant his modest wish, then so be it. The broken man was sure the boy would ask for his damned soul before he would reunite him with his wife and son. To his surprise, the Devil¡¯s Envoy asked for a very modest price, a trinket with no value to him whatsoever. Mercer would give up a hundred of those things for the things he offered. He didn''t know how the Devil¡¯s Envoy would accomplish his wish. Perhaps this would be the so-called ¡®necromancy¡¯ the priests of the church warned him about. Mercer didn''t really understand Pathseekers'' affairs but so what? He wanted to see his family again, terribly so, hopelessly so¡­ dangerously so. The Devil¡¯s Envoy seemed satisfied with the price and started the preparations. Mercer imagined it would involve dark magic, blood ritual, animal sacrifices, and many other terrifying stories that he had heard since he was a child. Instead, the Devil¡¯s Envoy asked him this. ¡°Are you a religious man, Mister Mercer? An Estellian?¡± ¡°I was. Some time ago I¡¯ve renounced my faith. The priests lie! Following their teachings did not bring me happiness.¡± ¡°Okay, let me stop you right there. Here¡¯s what you''re gonna do. Clean yourself up and pray to the goddess. Ask her to take care of the spirit of your wife and boy.¡± ¡°Wha-? But, I have renounced my faith.¡± Mercer hesitated. ¡°It was a momentary mistake made in a moment of passion and grief. Sincerely ask for her forgiveness and you will be forgiven.¡± ¡°...Will she?¡± Mercer looked doubtful, afraid. Like a child that made a mistake was being told to apologize. ¡°Goddess Estelle is merciful and compassionate. She will understand, Mister Mercer. And if she doesn''t... then she is not Goddess. And you need not worry.¡± Cain said a memorable line from a certain crusader movie. ¡°...If you say so,¡± Mercer was dubious but decided to follow his direction. ¡°When I said clean up, I didn''t mean for you to simply wash your body with water. You must clean your body and soul. The method is up to you, just keep praying to the goddess and hold your wish dear. Treat it as if they are listening directly to your prayers. Remember, the most important thing is your sincerity.¡± Mercer went to the nearby creek, using the water there to cleanse his body. ¡°O Goddess, I ask for your forgiveness¡­ Martha, wife, I miss you. Very, very much¡­¡± Mercer made a cup with his hands and dipped it into the water. He washed his face gently with it. It was not yet spring so the water was cold. Mysteriously, Mercer somehow found it not as cold as it was supposed to be. When he returned, he saw the door to his house was open. He went inside and saw the Devil¡¯s Envoy in the kitchen. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Apologies for the intrusion. You must be hungry, haven''t eaten anything since morning, right? I only have simple rations but I¡¯ve prepared some bread and water. Eat a little to recover your strength.¡± Mercer took a seat before the dining table. Gingerly, he gave the bread a small bite. Sweet¡­ he must¡¯ve used sugar. This is one expensive bread. After slowly munching the bread, he drank the water to wet his throat. Cain patiently waited for Mercer to finish, he saw a confused look in the man¡¯s eyes while drinking. ¡°...Why does the water taste like wine?¡± Cain¡¯s brows twitched. ¡°...I¡¯m sure that¡¯s just a coincidence. Yes¡­ coincidence.¡± Mercer didn''t press further. ¡°We still have a few hours until sunset. Keep praying, Mister Mercer. I¡¯ll take care of the rest,¡± Cain said. Mercer retreated to his bed. The log house was small, there wasn''t even a wall separating the kitchen and the place with the beds on it so Mercer wasn''t far. Cain gave him the space to be alone so he can pray uninterrupted. His faith and prayer is his matter¡­ I simply have to do my part. Cain closed his eyes and meditated. At twilight, when the sky was a blend of orange and purple, Cain and Mercer stood before the graves. ¡°Let us begin. Do not be alarmed,¡± the Devil¡¯s Envoy said. The man simply nodded. After he sincerely prayed, Mercer felt a serenity he hadn''t before. His emotion was in great turmoil since this morning, since he¡¯d lost his family. He felt somehow closer to a holy presence. Naturally, he wondered why the Devil¡¯s Envoy wanted him to pray to the Goddess¡­ until he remembered one of the priest¡¯s sermons. The Devils desire our faith, our prayers, was it? Perhaps this boy was preparing my soul before being taken by his master. Like a chef processing the ingredients before cooking. Mercer¡¯s musings were interrupted as the Devil¡¯s Envoy began calling his master. Mercer expected an unholy ritual with fiery eyes peering from the darkness and sinister voices murmuring in the background. What the Emissary of Evil did instead was simply clasping his hands together and closed his eyes. ¡°In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.¡± What kind of vile, impious devilry is this? Mercer nervously thought. The Devil¡¯s Envoy words were not in his realm of understanding. ¡°Pater Noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum.¡± The boy stood before the graves solemnly, continuing the prayer. Strange, the Devil¡¯s envoy''s way of praying to the Devil is similar to the priest''s way of praying to the Goddess, the grieving man thought. Mercer watched the Devil¡¯s Envoy finish his unknown, otherworldly chanting. Weird, he felt after a while, it didn''t feel sinister or bad at all. On the contrary, he felt the opposite. Mercer¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a wave passing through him. It was like the sound of a bell that reverberated throughout the body. ¡°Oooh¡ª¡± Mercer couldn''t help to let out a sound. Light. Little orbs of lights emerged from all around him. Some from the air, some from the earth. The lights moved around like impossibly beautiful fireflies, leaving trails of faint rainbow behind them. Mercer tried to touch one that flew close to him. It passed through his hand. It felt, warm¡­ ¡°-sed libera nos a malo¡­ Amen.¡± Cain finished his prayer and then he saw it. Faint at first but he wouldn''t mistake it. The form became increasingly clearer until the woman who was his wife was standing in front of him. She was like a phantom, made real by powers beyond his understanding. ¡°M-Martha¡­ My love¡­ ¡± his mouth was agape. Her body was semi-transparent and covered with faint light-blue glow but Mercer didn''t mind such small things, nothing was more important than the one in front of him. She reached out her hand to him, caressing his cheek. The touch he experienced was a marvel that transcended the boundary of life and death. Mercer¡¯s tears that he thought were already dried up, began to flow once again. Martha rescinded her hand and slowly unraveled the cloth-covered bundle on her bosom. Could it be? Mercer didn''t dare to hope. He saw the little thing with his eyes opened, looking at Mercer unknowingly. The tiny human was squirming in his mother¡¯s arms, perhaps feeling uncomfortable. Both of his parents only looked with a smile on their faces. The father saw his son¡¯s opened eyes for the first time. They were similar to his mother¡¯s. When the baby extended his soft little hand and touched Mercer¡¯s beard, it was at that moment that life returned to his dead heart. ¡°Mister Mercer, I shall take my leave here. You have one hour,¡± Cain spoke. Only then was he reminded of Cain¡¯s presence. Mercer immediately said his gratitude. ¡°Thank ye! Thank ye!¡± Cain gave them a nod, which the wife returned with a deep and respectful bow. It was a family moment, Cain had enough tact to remove himself since he was an outsider. ¡°...Husband,¡± Martha called after the boy left. ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve met an angel of the Goddess.¡± ¡°Is he? To be honest I thought he was the Devil¡¯s Envoy¡­ Did he not conjure you using dark magic?¡± ¡°No, I don''t¡­ feel bad. When I was enveloped in darkness, he called out to me. Making me remember myself again. Cain talked to me, about you.¡± ¡°...Martha, I-¡± ¡°Shuush¡­ I understand,¡± she hugged his husband close. ¡°We don''t have a lot of time, let¡¯s not waste this miracle.¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Mercer held his cry back. Hugged by his parents closely, the baby cooed. Chapter 23 - Excavation ¡°That went well.¡± Inside the log house, Viers conversed with the girls while looking at Mercer hugging with the Force Ghosts he called. ¡°With this I¡¯ve confirmed I can now make you three manifest in the real world as well.¡± ¡°Lord Viers, I don''t understand. You can simply make the soul of the wife and child appear in front of the man. And yet you spoke something in tongues and reinforced Mercer¡¯s faith first, whatever for?¡± Farley asked. ¡°It was a prayer. As for your question¡­ well, I don''t want to be suspected of necromancy. So I tried to make it as holy as possible¡­ did it work?¡± ¡°Only he can say,¡± Paina replied. ¡°A prayer you said... to whom?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°Not to Estelle.¡± Viers answered. ¡°To the Devils!?¡± Paina was shocked. ¡°Hell no! Not to them either.¡± ¡°Who then? Stop dodging the question.¡± Clarissa was very curious. ¡°I¡¯m precisely dodging the question. Let''s leave it at that, shall we?" There was a reason Viers never said ''goddess'' with a G when speaking about Estelle. "Now, this matter with Mercer is done. A bit slower traveling time in exchange for an elven token of friendship is a fair trade, if I say so myself.¡± Viers nodded, giving himself a pat on the back. ¡°It would be good if he didn''t perceive you, Lord Viers, as a devil worshiper.¡± Farley, the short-haired brunette tactfully informed. ¡°Whaaat? Why?¡± Viers didn''t understand. ¡°During my time as Dumuzin¡¯s cultist, I¡¯ve heard other members helping other people for a price¡­ just like you did. Although, you actually just asked for a trinket instead of a steep price such as a lifelong servitude. It¡¯s actually common practice for all the cults, so the church warned their believers to be wary against it.¡± ¡°...Damn. It really is hard to do good deeds nowadays.¡± Viers scratched his head. One hour in the future, while Viers was sitting cross-legged on the floor he sensed that the wife and the child were fading. Mmm¡­ this is all I can do for them. What drew Viers here in the first place was the wife. She died with extreme unwillingness, her spirit couldn''t move on. Viers thought if he left it at that the wife might become an evil spirit haunting this house in the years to come. The soul of the child also had not passed on to the other side. When Viers laid eyes on the graves for the first time, he knew this. May the both of you find peace in the next life. Viers wished them well as their form vanished, their soul no longer within his reach. Mercer stood still on the lawn, unmoving like a stone. Viers let him be alone with his thoughts. About fifteen minutes later, Mercer went inside. He saw Viers looking at him. Behind the boy¡¯s deep gaze, lay something Mercer didn''t understand. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Cain asked Mercer who just went through the door. ¡°I need to think. Thank you, for giving me a precious opportunity¡­ Cain of Ur, was it?¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± the boy nodded. ¡°I don''t have much but please stay for the night,¡± the man offered. ¡°I¡¯ll be troubling you then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do. Please, make yourself at home. I¡¯ll excuse myself first, benefactor,¡± Mercer bowed and went away. He has a different look in his eyes now, the edge of Viers¡¯ lips curled upwards. It doesn''t change the fact that his family is dead but he¡¯s no longer consumed with despair. The night was still young so it was far too early to sleep, Viers refused to let his time slip away unproductively, not when he still had so many things to do. *** It was dark, a dark room with candles burning with unnatural sinister crimson light. ¡°Do you swear to uphold the interest of the one and only Lord?¡± A cloaked man in the center of the room spoke to the figure kneeling before him. ¡°I swear.¡± ¡°Do you swear to never betray the order and forever strive to enact the holy mandate of our Lord?¡± ¡°I swear.¡± The pair was circled by five more hooded figures, watching the ceremony whilst clasping their hands in front of their chest. ¡°Do you swear to continue the great work until the Lord called you to his side?¡± ¡°I swear.¡± The leader presented a chalice to the kneeling man. ¡°Drink, and rise as one of us. As a Raven.¡± The kneeling man pulled his hood back and respectfully sipped the red liquid in the chalice. The taste of iron spread from the mouth to the throat. He was filled with vitality and kneeled no longer. ¡°Ravens, let us welcome our newest sibling, Demetrus!¡± Demetrus was welcomed by a round of applause. It was at this moment he felt the proudest moment in his life. All those training, pain, and sacrifice were all worth it. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Glory to Lord Banbenxi!¡± ¡°Glory to Lord Banbenxi!¡± They chanted as the clapping continued. ¡°Demetrus, go to Pale Shadow. He will be responsible for the next stage of your training,¡± the leader spoke. ¡°By your will, Elder.¡± Demetrus bowed. *** ¡°...Hmm...¡± Viers contemplated what he just saw deeply. ¡°Bone Ravens¡­ Banbenxi¡­ ¡± He decided to consult with an expert. ¡°Farley, does the name Banbenxi ring any bell?¡± The petite girl answered after a flash of surprise. ¡°Yeah. One of the seven Devils.¡± Just as I thought. He had an inkling about it and now confirmed it. The other two girls came closer to join the conversation. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Paina asked. ¡°Remember the guy that stabbed me in the heart? Apparently, that guy is a member of the Bone Ravens, AKA the Assassin¡¯s Guild, which also doubles as a Devil Cult.¡± ¡°Interesting. I¡¯ve heard rumors that the guild is related to a cult but don''t know the specifics, perhaps my father knows more,¡± Farley shared. ¡°Cult, like yours and Farley¡¯s?¡± Paina recalled the two of them had a history with a different cult. ¡°Yes, Dumuzin Cult, also one of the seven. But I¡¯ve never served him, I was only employed. She on the other hand...¡± Viers looked in Farley''s direction. ¡°I asked Lord Viers to kill my father, a high priest of the cult''s branch at Luxore. My father was doing a ritual to Dumuzin before Lord Viers destroyed his scheme and said ritual. I¡¯m pretty sure Dumuzin does not see me as an exemplary follower at the moment. Perhaps I am already excommunicated?¡± Farley explained. ¡°...So, you¡¯re no longer Dumuzin¡¯s cultist now?¡± The black-haired girl asked her friend. ¡°No Paina, I¡¯m now in Lord Viers¡¯ service. All that I am is his. I have already given him my everything.¡± Farley spoke as if it was a very normal thing. ¡°Viers¡­ you,¡± Paina grimaced, with a hint of disgust. ¡°I didn''t do anything! You already heard the rough gist of things, right? We¡¯ve had an agreement, I broke the promise first. I felt guilty so I tried to make amends by binding her soul and her sister¡¯s to me and resurrect them in the future. I told her since I failed to uphold the end of my bargain she is no longer mine, I gave her a full refund! But as you can see yourself, despite my encouragement, Farley still calls me Lord.¡± Viers tried to defend his image, unsuccessfully. ¡°Without you, my sister and I would just be corpses at this point. Just as mother said, you are our savior. Seeing you all this time, I have no doubt. You will definitely find a way to resurrect us sometime in the future. Until then, my whole self is at your disposal. Please allow me to assist you in my full capability,¡± Farley bowed like an experienced English maid with impeccable etiquette. ¡°...Just don''t take advantage of her,¡± Paina gave him an icy glare. ¡°I won¡¯t! You three have been together the whole time. Did you see me taking advantage of her? Of you?¡± ¡°...I don''t know. By your own words, you are a liar.¡± Paina remained skeptical. ¡°Oh I am a liar, no denying that. That¡¯s why you should just watch my actions. Rissa, you have been quiet. Anything to add?¡± Viers flowed the conversation to the spectator. ¡°Mm? It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m perfectly content watching your show of friendly affection to each other. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this in the lamia royal court, this is nice.¡± Clarissa mischievously smiled. ¡°Uh-huh¡­ suit yourself. Anything to add on the Devil''s topic?¡± Viers crossed his arms. ¡°Well, to begin with, I don''t know Dumuzin, Banbenxi, and the rest of the seven. I didn¡¯t exactly have the means to monitor the world from my Biome.¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s odd. The great war you participated in was between gods and devils, wasn''t it?¡± Viers recalled the bits and pieces he knew about that time of history. ¡°True but there were thousands of them, on both sides. A mere Level 5 like me, mere mortals weren''t able to participate in the important war theatres. I also don''t know a goddess named Estelle. She wasn''t among the big names¡­ to think she became the only one remaining from the god¡¯s side¡­ Who are the names of the seven devils again?¡± Clarissa asked with a finger on her chin. It seemed to be her pose while thinking. ¡°Oh, now that you mentioned it I don''t know them either. The church doesn''t exactly spread their names to the masses. It was considered taboo,¡± Paina said. ¡°They are-¡± ¡°Stoppp!¡± Viers interrupted Farley mid-sentence. ¡°Enough to be said for today. No info dumping!¡± ¡°Info dumping?¡± Clarissa parroted. ¡°Shelf this topic for another time where it is more relevant. Now, go to sleep girls, you¡¯re wasting Victa.¡± Viers berated the three of them as if they were three children wasting electricity. ¡°Yes nanny Viersss,¡± Clarissa answered. ¡°True, I feel a bit sleepy,¡± Paina felt her eyes a bit heavy. ¡°Good night, Lord Viers,¡± Farley the faithful maid said. ¡°Go to sleep, voices in my head,¡± Viers said half-jokingly. Then he returned to the Soul Prison for more ''reading''. ¡°Hey Mister D, missed me? Nonono, don''t break down yet. I still need your next memories, I need the Arte that made you invisible. That is great stuff by the way, so I want it. Granted I didn''t have super sight as I have now but you passed through my extensive check. Be a dear and cough it out will you?¡± Viers saw the face on the ball of soul writhe in agony as if he was being tormented in the depth of Tartarus. ¡°Now, now, no need for such exaggeration. It can''t be that bad,¡± Viers cussed. Or is it? *** Somewhere in a plain of yellow grass. ¡°Rmhm¡­ Did I pass out?¡± A human picked himself up from the ground. With great confusion, he scanned his surroundings. ¡°Where am I? I don''t know this place¡­¡± He summoned his weapon, a familiar instrument of death. With it in his hands, he felt calmer already. [Welcome Player, to the world of Dunias. First Mission: Follow the marker to obtain your next objective.] A blue screen floated in front of him and there was a yellow mark on his HUD minimap. ¡°That¡¯s new. Is this a new feature? Perhaps this is some kind of event. No point in staying here, I better get going then.¡± After walking for fifteen minutes, he finally reached the marked place. Ping. His radar picked up something. A red dot, and another, and another. Tens popped up at the edge of his radar. ¡°Finally, something else other than walking! This better be good or I¡¯ll complain to the dev.¡± The youth broke into a run. When he was close enough, he slid towards a rock, automatically crouching to hide better behind it. Pointing his weapon behind cover, he saw the true visage of the red dots. Height of children, poorly equipped, long ears, yellow eyes, bad teeth, green-skinned. ¡°What the hell? Goblins?¡± The youth couldn''t believe what he was seeing. There weren¡¯t supposed to be goblins in this world. But he wasn''t able to contemplate long. There were a dozen goblins, three were far bigger than the others, signs of a different species. The band was carrying three unconscious young women but one of them started to wake up. Golden-haired and white-skinned, her temple was bloodied as if she was struck with a blunt weapon before she lost consciousness. As soon as she came to, she looked surprised. Her hands and feet were bound but she thrashed around in a panic. The goblins were marching quietly before but now, they had become rowdy. In an unknown language, they talked to each other, pointing fingers and hissing. One of the greenskins pulled out a rusty knife and bared it at the teary-eyed girl. Suddenly, in front of the girl¡¯s eyes, the goblin''s head exploded and a thunderclap resounded at the same time. The goblins were agitated, they all looked to where the sound came from. They saw a youth with strange clothing and a black¡­ thing emitting smoke. The youth summarily aimed his rifle to the head of the big goblin and pulled the trigger. [New Objective: Defeat all the goblins and rescue the captives.] Chapter 24 - Savior It was early in the morning and his host wasn¡¯t up yet, Viers let him sleep. After yesterday, he would need much rest. Viers went to the lawn of Mercer¡¯s house, tossing a ghostly pale blue ball into the air. As it slowly fell downward, Viers slashed it with his sword in one swift stroke. Unlike the usual watery blue, the sword was wreathed in milky green color. ¡°Hmph!¡± The bluish-white ball split into two parts. ¡°Hyah!¡± Another stroke and the ball separated into four. ¡°Shih!¡± Again, and again, and again. After Viers reduced the ball into tiny pieces, he continued observing it, eyes picking up the slightest of details. Before long the soul dissipated. Slowly, he returned the sword to the sheath like a samurai, finishing it with a satisfying click. Even with that I still couldn''t destroy it completely. Some part of the soul simply¡­ went away, not destroyed. Did they really go to Heaven or Hell? The soul just now was Tarakai, the one who tried to give him a poisoned soup and wanted to kill him. Viers already excavated any memories worth noting -although it wasn''t much- and decided to discharge him from his service. Simply releasing the souls he captured was a simple affair. They usually floated to the sky then disappeared, beyond even the reach of his tier 5 Soul affinity. With Viers forgoing the necromantic facet of his power, he experimented with many things, such as what he was trying to do now, soulkill. I managed to harm the soul, gravely. But I am unable to completely extinguish it from heaven and earth¡­ at least the current me that is. It will have to do. In the stories, unlike bodily harm, injury to the soul is often very difficult to heal. I¡¯m sure it will be useful in the future. ¡°How are you holding up, Mister Mercer?¡± Cain spoke to the person watching from behind, his ears were sharp. He knew Mercer had been watching since a short while ago but it seemed the older man didn''t want to disturb his training. ¡°I feel¡­ refreshed. How can I not be, after you bestowed a kindness I¡¯m unable to repay for my whole lifetime.¡± ¡°Glad to hear it,¡± Cain turned around, looking at Mercer¡¯s face. ¡°Still thinking of taking your own life?¡± He already knew the answer from what he saw but Cain still asked for politeness'' sake. ¡°No, it would¡­ make Martha sad,¡± Mercer smiled bitterly. ¡°The burden you bear is heavy. How you live with such a burden I cannot tell you, no one can. You must decide, despite the pain and grief. Dying is easy, living is hard. What can mere mortals such as us do other than living the best we could in this world?¡± Cain said, trying to convey some words of wisdom. ¡°It is as you say, lord benefactor.¡± Thanks to Cain¡¯s show of power yesterday, Mercer took Cain¡¯s words as revelations from an angel. ¡°I must leave soon,¡± Cain saddled his backpack up. ¡°May the Radiant Lady light your way,¡± Cain said his farewell. ¡°And to you, envoy,¡± Mercer kneeled on the ground with his hands joined in front of his face. Oh no, I hope not. Aunt Estelle might smite me for all the bad deeds I have done, Cain thought while smiling bitterly. ¡°Remember, don''t tell anyone anything about this matter and myself.¡± ¡°I will hold the sanctity of our pact. I swear this once again.¡± Cain nodded with satisfaction and turned around. With that as the parting words, Cain left towards his next destination. Mercer watched until his figure was no longer visible, the golden light from the morning sun warmly enveloped him. It felt like the embrace of his family yesterday night. ¡°Thank you, lord angel...¡± Mercer whispered. Viers, the maverick mistaken as an angel of the Goddess Estelle was walking in a good mood. Doing something good and getting rewarded for it brought warm feelings to his heart. It''s been a while, let''s do a quick check. It''s now at... 36.57%, huh? Very good. Keep on rising, my power. Hahaha! Viers¡¯ mysterious number kept rising. *** ¡°HOLD THE LINE!!!¡± The man who said that braced the impact of a 200 kilograms hamster the size of a tiger. ¡°Rggghhh!¡± The man grunted, clenching his molars very, very hard. He was not alone in this, left and right of him stood men and women of various ages. They too were holding their ground against other hamsters although not as big as the one in front of the man wearing a dark-colored metal plate. One used a wall of earth, one used a rampart of wind. Each of them were using different ways of fighting against the horde. ¡°Iron Spike!¡± A cone of metal jutted out from the ground. It had a diameter of 1 meter at the base, becoming smaller until the tip was a sharp point. The cone-shaped metal pierced the stomach of the hamster monster, making the unnaturally sized monster squeal. ¡°Raahhh!¡± Using his sword, the man embedded his weapon in the skull of another monster that came from behind the orange-furred hamster he just defeated. Before he could breathe, another one came from the side, wanting to take a bite at his stomach. In a hurry, the man moved his left arm between them. The hamster gnashed his vambrace with frenzied fervor, its two front teeth looked very menacing. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°DIE!¡± His hand turned metallic and gave the hamster a punch on its skull, smashing its head to a pulp. The man saw his friend beside him was almost overwhelmed under the assault of three hamsters. ¡°Aldo! Let him go, you beasts! Iron King¡¯s Decapitation!!¡± The man created a massive sword of iron and swung it downward, slashing the three hamsters in one go. ¡°Thank you Captain, I-¡± ¡°Shut it! Next wave incoming, Frag Explosion!¡± The man threw a sphere of metal he created with his Arte into a clump of five hamster monsters. The sphere burst into tiny slugs with such force that the hamsters lost their lives in a heartbeat. That only brought a moment of respite before the man must again kill another monster that replaced the ones he just killed. Those men and women were like a wall, battered with waves of water. Still, the wall stood valiantly, not giving an inch. For an unknown amount of time, he kept fighting. At last, he witnessed the last tiger-sized hamster monster slain by one of his comrades. Then the cheering came, they had claimed victory on this ground. ¡°Captain Jarret, news from the left wing.¡± A messenger called him out. ¡°Haah... haah... what?¡± Jarret wiped the splattered hamster blood on his neck while catching his breath. ¡°Sir, the left wing is almost broken! Hansen, Tommy, Vurg, and Sharon have fallen. There was a big one among the hamsters assaulting the left wing, we suspect it is the alpha, A Tiger-striped Hamster. It¡¯s a Rank 2 monster, sir.¡± The messenger said with a pained expression. ¡°...Those fools, I told them not to die...¡± Jarret knew he shouldn''t let emotions overwhelm him in a battlefield but he couldn''t stop the feeling of sadness from approaching him. His discipline allowed him to focus once again after a few moments. ¡°Mister Holt, I¡¯ll assist the left wing. I leave the center in your command!¡± Jarret said to a man much older than him. Holt¡¯s hair was all white, he had been retired for years. Even so when the Tide came, he volunteered to stand at the front line. ¡°Understood, Captain. May the Goddess be with you.¡± ¡°And with you. Juggernaut Armor!¡± Jarret invoked another Arte. This time, he became covered in sturdy black armor from head to toe. ¡°Siiir! E-emergency report from the right wing!¡± Before Jarret could move to the left wing¡¯s aid, a different messenger came in a panic. Jarret knew he would not bring good news. ¡°Speak.¡± Even he himself was surprised at how weak-willed his voice became. ¡°A-another Beast Tide came from the east! At least a hundred apes led by a Rank 3 Thunder Orangutan are approaching the right wing as we speak. They must be drawn by the battle, for the meat and core of the dead hamsters! Your orders, sir?¡± The message was another nail in the coffin for these men. They were barely hanging on against the hamster¡¯s tide. The appearance of the orangutans would break their defense line like a knife against paper. Ten of them were in the center, now they were only seven. The swarm of teeth had claimed the lives of three of them. When the crisis was nigh, they came forward to fulfill their duty to protect the town. Now, after hours of fighting, they still stood despite being full of wounds. Healers were casting their magic full-force. One healer was trying to attach the severed arm of the unconscious Rudin. ¡°A Rank 3...¡± ¡°We¡¯re finished¡­ The town is finished¡­¡± ¡°Damn those adventurers! They had to drag the whole town into their mess. May the Devils take those idiots!¡± Jarret saw the hope and will of his comrades-of-war around him fade like mist. How could they not? There was nothing he -a mere Level 2 Pathseeker- could do against a Rank 3 monster. There was nobody in Osemore town that could match the boss monster in combat. Even if he tried, it would be great if he could delay the Rank 3 for a few seconds. All seemed lost. ¡°Is this the end?...¡± Jarret closed his eyes. His heart felt like ice. A loud blast jolted him to open his eyes. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Captain Jarret, look!¡± A blaze of flame ten meters high could be seen from where they were standing. ¡°That¡¯s from the left wing.¡± Jarret used the Arte Farsight to see the hamster boss being engulfed in explosions. At a nearby hill, Jarret saw a lone figure carrying a smoking metal tube on his shoulder. ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°Kate? What are you doing here?¡± Jarret saw his younger sister coming from the direction of the town. ¡°We have come to help,¡± she said with an excited expression. ¡°No! There¡¯s nothing we can do. A Rank 3 monster is coming! We must tell the town to begin evacuation immediately.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry brother. Someone strong came along with me!¡± Strange, Jarret thought. His sister looked so confident. While they were talking there were a couple more explosions from the left wing¡¯s side. The hamsters on that side had been blown away, not a single one left standing. Was it him? Jarret looked at the youth on the hill wearing strange clothes and a strange weapon. ¡°By the Goddess!¡± ¡°How could it be!?¡± ¡°He¡¯s flying! Is he a Level 5?¡± After he was finished with the left wing, the youth rose to the air and went to the right wing, passing Jarret¡¯s position in the process. The mysterious stranger had some kind of fire coming from his shoes and back. He flew so fast and arrived above the apes¡¯ location in a short time. He hovered in the sky, surveying the monkeys below him like a deity. Because he was so eye-catching, it didn¡¯t take long until the apes noticed him. The biggest of them all, the Rank 3 Thunder Orangutan took it as a challenge. It had the size of an elephant, very muscular and imposing. Its white fur bristled and crackled with lighting then a thunderbolt appeared in its arm. ¡°UHHOOHH!¡± It let out a primal roar and threw the lance of plasma to the flying youth, enveloping him in a blinding violet explosion. ¡°Not good!¡± Jarret wanted to go to assist but his sister held his hand back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry brother. He¡¯s strong,¡± Kate smiled. The smoke receded and he saw the flying youth once again. He was indeed fine, no signs of injury. A spherical shield covered his body without a blind spot. The barrier had a strange pattern on it, it was like something he saw in a beehive. The youth with silver hair retaliated. He unleashed a strange¡­ exploding arrow. The power was massive. From a tube on his shoulder, the arrow jetted forward leaving a trail of fire and smoke. It exploded with fiery fury and deafening sound. Jarret witnessed the mysterious youth create another ''arrowhead'' with his empty hand, put it on the strange tube, and shot another exploding arrow. A hailstorm of explosions came upon the monkey Beast Tide. A hundred apes or so were powerless before the explosions. The Rank 3 managed to hold against the first three blasts but the seventh overwhelmed it. The flying attacker used something different to finish the Thunder Orangutan. Jarret only saw a streak of blue light and the apes¡¯ alpha exploded to smithereens. Seeing their leader in such a sorry state was the final straw, the monkeys scattered in all directions. Screaming. But the silver-haired death god didn¡¯t let them go. ¡°¡­Heavens, what did I see?¡± Jarret muttered. His sentiment was shared with the people around in the center battlefield. ¡°He¡¯s Sigma, I told you about a strong Idler that saved me from the goblins before, right? That¡¯s him,¡± Kate explained fondly. Chapter 25 - Road Bump ¡°Sir, it¡¯s this way.¡± The young guard said to his superior while whispering. They were moving under the cover of the dark woods. ¡°You sure this is the Gigadia Crab? If you mistake it for the usual Jagjag Crab, I¡¯ll have your hide for interrupting my sleep.¡± ¡°Sir, the pattern on its shell is unmistakable. You¡¯ll see. Right this way.¡± After the pair went through a thicket, below the cliff, near a shallow river was a Rank 2 monster crab. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be¡­ It truly is a Gigadia Crab,¡± the older guard was amazed. ¡°What¡¯s the call, sir?¡± ¡°The water and earth dual affinity monster core and shell are worth a shiny penny. Tomorrow morning we¡¯ll round up the boys and hunt it down. You¡¯ll have a bonus for this. Hahaha!¡± ¡°Thank you, sir¡­ Eh? What¡¯s that?¡± Under the moonlight, there was another crab approaching the resting Gigadia Crab. It was the lesser variant, Jagjag Crab. ¡°It attacked!¡± The younger guard was surprised. The Jagjag Crab was a Rank 1 while the Gigadia was a Rank 2. Monsters fighting other monsters to eat their flesh and core was a common thing but for a weaker monster to attack first was an oddity. ¡°What a stupid crab that one,¡± the older guard chuckled. The two watched the two crabs battle. At first, they were thinking it would be over soon but as it went on, the Rank 1 Jagjag was gradually gaining ground. It was the way it fought. There was a certain intelligence in the manner the Jagjag fought which allowed it to gain the upper hand against the Gigadia. Near the end of the battle, the two crabs stumbled and fell down the river, out of the two peepers¡¯ sight. ¡°Ah shit! Let¡¯s go, lad! If we¡¯re lucky, we can get them two¡¯s cores tonight!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Because of the terrain, the two went the long way. They tried to search for the monsters but there was no sign of the crabs but they found tracks and blood traces so the two followed them. ¡°Halt! Who¡¯s there?¡± The older guard drew his sword because he saw a cloaked person in front of him. ¡°Me? I¡¯m just a humble traveler,¡± the person said. ¡°What are you doing this late in the wilds?¡± ¡°As I said, I¡¯m a traveler. My camp is near here but I heard monster sounds so I tried to get away.¡± ¡°Monster sounds you say? Where?¡± The older guard asked. ¡°That way,¡± Viers pointed. The two guards went away, leaving the traveler alone. They really leave just like that? Fools¡­ Well, there are no elementary schools here so what do I expect? Viers patted his stomach. Ahhh, Gigadia Crab¡­ Delicious. *** ¡°Halt, traveler.¡± A wild bandit appeared. ¡°Hmn?¡± Viers suspected that one of the oldest clich¨¦s in the book was happening in front of him right now. The bandit stood in the middle of the road as if he was the owner, he had a spear in his hand. Meanwhile, a group of bandits appeared around Viers, boxing him in. ¡°Good day. What can I do for you gentlemen?¡± Viers started counting. There were half a dozen of them, give or take. ¡°To pass through this road, you must pay a fee,¡± the first bandit spoke, he seemed to be the leader. ¡°Why must I pay? This is public property, is it not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tax. You do know what tax is, right boy?¡± ¡°I know of it. My family pays a lot of taxes. Town tax, property tax, environment tax, trade tax¡­ I heard to be married you must pay tax too?¡± Viers put a finger on his temple, remembering the taxes his parents paid. ¡°That¡¯s right. We keep this road safe from monsters and bandits, so you must pay security tax to us.¡± The man in front of him said with brimming confidence. ¡°...Forgive me sirs, but aren''t you people the bandits?¡± Viers cocked his head slightly. ¡°No, we¡¯re taxmen. If you don''t want to pay, you can return the way you come from¡­ with a lesser tax,¡± Viers heard the other bandits chuckle. ¡°...Apologies, have we met before? Your face looks strangely familiar.¡± ¡°He¡¯s Romell the Stinger, Lord Viers. We saw his wanted poster in Mokash,¡± Farley spoke from inside his head. ¡°A well-known bandit band leader in the area. Uses a dark green spear and his way of fighting was like a bee. Illusive movement with a deadly thrust as his signature Arte.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Oh yeah, Romell the Stinger wasn''t it? Nice to meet you, sir. Your reputation precedes you.¡± ¡°Ohoh, you know of me, eh? Hear that boys?¡± Romell talked to the other bandits around him. ¡°I¡¯m indeed the one and only Romell the Stinger! Good, good. You¡¯re in luck boy, I¡¯m in a fine mood. You can pass through here with only half the usual price.¡± ¡°And how much is that, sir?¡± ¡°Half of what you have, of course. You are a polite kid but I can''t lower the tax more than this. We¡¯ve got to keep our reputation clean as a whistle, you see. So! What will you choose? Peace, or violence?¡± Romell sneered, so cocksure of himself. ¡°Sir, look at myself. There is only one of me and many of you. I¡¯m fully aware of the only logical choice to be made.¡± ¡°Smart kid,¡± Romell tapped the spear to his shoulder. ¡°Violence,¡± Cain smiled innocently. Viers conjured a ball of water covering each of their heads. He was a Level 2 now, his mastery of water had improved leaps and bounds compared to his former Level 1 capabilities. The sudden attack with blinding speed and astonishing precision caught them all off guard. The lesser bandits tried to break free from the suffocating prison but no matter what they did, the water latched onto their heads firmly. One of them tried to attack Viers by casting a fire missile. Viers dodged it without any effort. Their power as Level 0 was nothing compared to Viers¡¯ Level 2. Romell, the only Level 1 among the bunch, managed to break free from the sphere of water covering his head. The rest of the bandits were not so capable. Not that it helped him in the grand order of things. Viers already took action. From Romell¡¯s point of view, it was as if Viers suddenly appeared beside him. ¡°Level¡­ 2,¡± Romell who no longer had anything attached from the neck down uttered his last words. The glint from a blue sword that slashed his neck was the last thing he saw in the Goddess¡¯ green earth. ¡°That is my water Arte, Almost Heaven. How was it? The sensation of drowning and being out of breath truly made you feel like you¡¯re on your way to heaven, amirite?¡± ¡°He can''t hear you Viers,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°I know! I¡¯m just enjoying myself here. Don''t be such a spoilsport, lighten up!¡± Before long, the rest of the bandits suffocated to their death. ¡°Viers, when you taught me about this technique I was skeptical that it would be as easy as you said¡­ to think it really is,¡± Paina was amazed. ¡°Humans must breathe air and can''t breathe underwater. As water Pathseekers, we can conjure water out of thin air. I¡¯m amazed this wasn''t a bread and butter technique for water users.¡± ¡°Paina, what you witnessed is how easy a Pathseeker with two Level higher can snuff out your life. And you only saw the result, not the underpinnings of it. It actually wasn''t that simple,¡± Farley who had more experience in Pathseekers battle told her friend. ¡°Indeed. Firstly, this Arte requires a high degree of control. Viers used the time while they were talking to prepare this Arte. Secondly, this works best against people with a lower Level than you. Rommel managed to cancel Viers¡¯ water sphere by hitting it with his own Victa and he¡¯s already one Level lower than him. Against an opponent of the same Level, I doubt this Arte would work.¡± Clarissa the former Level 5 told her analysis. ¡°Yes, but look at my Victa expenditure. So, so, user-friendly. The ratio of cost-effectiveness is incredible!¡± ¡°Mmm, true. Normally, you would need to spend twice as much. That is without factoring their struggle.¡± ¡°Yeah. The main reason is it''s not me who killed them -except Romell- but the natural way of the world. Humans are not fish, hehehe.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. If you can do this with water then can another do the same thing with wind? You know, making us unable to breathe? Wind users mainly manipulate the air around us anyway, this should be right up their alley is it not?¡± ¡°Good thinking Paina! I¡¯ve had the same thought myself. Although I can''t say much because I¡¯m not a wind user but I¡¯m already preparing a countermeasure should some bloke attempt that against me.¡± ¡°And that is, Lord Viers?¡± ¡°Making breathable water with my Arte,¡± Viers said proudly with sparkling eyes. ¡°If there¡¯s no air, I can create a sphere of breathable water around my head. This also would work if I¡¯m forced to go underwater for a fatal period of time. I¡¯m also human and therefore cannot breathe underwater. If I can create my own oxyg- air tank, two birds with one stone.¡± ¡°Your preparation, as always, is so thorough Lord Viers. I¡¯m in awe.¡± ¡°Alright, alright, no more stroking my ego. Let''s get this head to the next town to get our reward before it rots. My purse is too light for my liking. It should be close.¡± Like a true gamer, he looted the bodies of the fallen one by one. Since he had no magical space to store his inventory, what he could bring without impeding his travel was limited. Mainly, he only took their coins. For Romell though, he took his head and put it in a sack that formerly belonged to one of the bandits. He needed proof of termination to get the bounty. It was a dead-or-alive thing and transporting a living person was more troublesome. He held the sack containing Romell¡¯s severed head in front of his face. ¡°Taxes¡­ He reminds me of something unpleasant. You know what girls? I don''t want to pay taxes, ever!¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ that¡¯s super illegal isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Clarissa! Do you pay taxes?¡± Viers answered Paina¡¯s question with another question. ¡°What are taxes?¡± The 9000-year-old teenage lamian princess genuinely did not know. ¡°EXACTLY! Huhuhu, muahahaha!¡± Viers laughed out loud and walked to the next destination, leaving corpses drowning in their own blood behind. Viers stabbed their brain through their eye socket while he was looting the taxmen, for precaution. He left no witness alive. When I become a living nuclear weapon, who will dare to tax me? *** The next town was about three hours away by foot. When he got there, Viers was barred from entry as if he was a leper. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that I have business with the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and I want to eat decent food? I¡¯ve got money, alright? See these coins? I¡¯ll pay for what I eat.¡± ¡°And how many times do I have to tell you that no adventurers are to be allowed to set foot into the town. We don''t want your kind here.¡± ¡°Oh, I get it¡­ Very well officer. Please let me through, and this is a little something for your troubles.¡± Cain said in a whisper and slipped some silver coins into the man¡¯s pocket. ¡°You misunderstand me. I don¡¯t need your bribe, go away!¡± The guard returned his coins brashly. ¡°This is ridiculous! Would someone tell me what the heck is going on here?¡± Cain said with a bellyful of anger. Apparently, the guards refused to let him enter the town because he was an adventurer. Cain felt they were looking at him with disdain. Naturally, Cain didn¡¯t simply nod and obediently leave. In midday, he protested with a loud voice, inviting glances from other people. Mainly, people who tried to enter the town like himself. ¡°Franco, I¡¯ll take it from here.¡± Someone with a high station came, just as Cain planned. He made a ruckus for this. ¡°Captain Heskins, sir.¡± The man called Franco saluted his superior and retreated. ¡°Good, I want to talk to the manager. Now, would you explain to me this absurd treatment against my person?¡± Cain didn¡¯t hide his expression of displeasure. Chapter 26 - No Entry ¡°My name is Jarret Heskins. Little buddy, I¡¯ll explain to you as plainly as I can. Two days ago, there was a new law in effect in Osemore. No adventurers may enter the town¡¯s borders and conduct business here. Any act of wanton ¡°adventuring¡± shall no longer be tolerated,¡± the mid-twenties man overflowing with the charisma of a leader said to Cain with a patient face. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a shitty law that¡¯s what. Let me in, I got a quest to complete with the guild.¡± Cain no longer bothered with politeness. After days of sleeping on the ground and multiple times jolted awake in the night because of crawling insects, animal hoots, and monsters wanting to eat him, his current tolerance against bureaucratic bullshit was very low. ¡°Unfortunately the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in Osemore town has been decommissioned and closed. It¡¯s been gone since the law came into effect.¡± ¡°You kidding me? I have a quest to bring letters to Osemore. You want me to just burn these things then? There¡¯s also the matter of the bounty of this one sorry bandit, well genius?¡± Cain took the letters from his backpack and waved them in front of the important man. He¡¯d also taken the severed head from the sack and threw it on the important Captain¡¯s feet. Not important to Cain of course, but to others. He wasn¡¯t blind to the fact that his show of disrespect to this man angered the other guards. ¡°¡­We¡¯ll take the letters and give confirmation of delivery. You can show that at the next guild establishment to receive your reward. As for the bandit¡­ On behalf of the people of Osemore, I give my gratitude but since the bounty was issued by the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you. Normally, I would give you the compensation from my own pocket if I have to but the town had just been through a difficult time. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Oh, so this bandit who has been terrorizing the area is dead because of me and you just give me a thank you, isn¡¯t it? I used precious Victa to turn your roads safe from this parasite, I¡¯m not a charity.¡± ¡°I understand¡­ perhaps you can try the guild at Mokash town?¡± ¡°I came from that direction! Now I have to go back to claim the bounty? I don¡¯t have time for that shit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little buddy but that¡¯s the only way.¡± ¡°Haaaaaahhhh¡­¡± Cain looked to the sky and sighed in an exaggerated manner. Seeing words fell on deaf ears, Cain tried a different approach. ¡°Fine, in return for the bounty. Just let me in to get a warm meal and buy some supplies. Your town is in a tough spot right? I¡®m offering an honest and fair transaction.¡± Cain emitted his Victa with the intensity of a Level 1, perhaps showing he was not a snotty brat that can be pushed around would change things. ¡°...So, you¡¯re a Level 1. Does not change a thing.¡± ¡°Why are you pushing me out? Yes, I¡¯m an adventurer, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Cain¡¯s tone was low, he felt very annoyed. ¡°Everything! Your kind nearly ruined this town and thousands of lives inside it.¡± Jarret finally showed some emotion. He sighed and told Cain the story of five days ago. According to him, a foreign reckless adventurer group killed the pup of a local monster king. The Rank 2 monster king was enraged and created a Beast Tide. Osemore town was implicated, many lost their lives. The battle sparked another Tide, this time a Rank 3 monster even appeared. Fortunately, an expert Pathseeker passed by the area and saved the town. The incident created a severe distrust against adventurers and the law to prevent adventurers from operating in Osemore was created. ¡°Firstly, you know this kind of ridiculous ban won¡¯t work for long, right? You¡¯re obstructing the travel and trade of your own town. With the sheer amount of adventurers in existence, this makes no sense! Secondly, what did I ever do to you? Fine, I¡¯ll compromise. Let me in for an hour to eat then I¡¯ll be off your hair. How many decent meals you think I can find in the wilds?¡± ¡°Sorry little friend, I still can¡¯t let you in¡­ That is the law.¡± Cain had been living like a caveman so he wanted some warm meal and bed but these people didn''t want to budge. There were days when one''s patience just had a very short fuse. ¡°Fucking LAAAAAW!¡± Cain threw the letters to the air and slashed them to pieces using his sword. Then he turned away from the town¡¯s gate. Jarret watched Cain unsheathed his sword like a tranquil lake. He gave a hand signal to prevent the other guards ready to pounce on Cain to stop. While Cain was leaving with clear anger in his steps, the captain of the guards remained a picture of calm. ¡°Captain Heskins, should we-¡± ¡°It''s fine, Roger. Let him go. When you think about it, that kid really hasn¡¯t done us any wrong. We rudely closed our door to him simply because he¡¯s an adventurer,¡± there was even a hint of sympathy in his eyes. ¡°But his impulsive behavior¡­ it¡¯s yet another proof those adventurers are hot-headed and an unruly bunch. Sooner or later, they will bring another disaster,¡± Roger, who lost a brother because of the Tide spat out. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°¡­You are right. Someone¡­ please clean this up,¡± Jarret couldn¡¯t leave a severed head in the middle of the town¡¯s entrance in bright daylight. An hour later. ¡°Captain, may I come in?¡± Someone knocked on the door of his office. ¡°Come in,¡± Jarret was writing something on a parchment. ¡°Report,¡± he said without stopping his work. ¡°I¡¯ve put a tracker on adventurer boy from earlier using my Arte. I think he snuck into town,¡± Franco said. *** After five minutes of anger walking, Viers had an epiphany. That he didn¡¯t give a shit. He wanted to eat and buy some food for the journey to the next town. He had run out of supplies two days ago from a desperate escape from three Doberman-sized Rank 2 possum monsters and Viers had lost his supplies during the escape. So he sneaked in, rules be damned. He was trained in the art of breaking into fortified places by the best of the best. The bat human of Arkham, hooded Medjay from Egypt, ghost of a certain Mongol-invaded island, and many more. He had infiltrated the fortress of Vatican to fist-fight the pope, this town¡¯s flimsy wall was nothing compared to that. It wasn¡¯t high enough or manned enough. Considering Viers could jump over five meters high now, going in from an area less guarded unseen was child¡¯s play. He put up the hood of his coat but he expected someone who had seen him at the gate would recognize him so he prioritized getting his much-needed essentials without delay. ¡°Thank you for your patronage,¡± the shop¡¯s clerk said as Viers went out of the shop. ¡®Food pill¡­ Just like that time,¡¯ Viers felt nostalgia while looking at the ration he bought. Food pills were very popular amongst travelers. It was small, easy to carry, doesn¡¯t go bad easily, nutritious and curb hunger. For adventurers who normally went from place to place, this was the first go-to choice. Viers also bought other food from the store, he didn¡¯t want to eat only energy bars for the rest of the week. But pills, huh? A bit similar to xianxia cultivation pills¡­ Next, he bought some clothes to change the tattered garment he currently wore then went to an eatery wearing fresh new clothes. Klong¨C klong¨C klong¨C With a plate of curry rice and a bowl of salad on the table, Viers watched the festivities on the far side of the street. There was a church there and a wedding was underway. The ceremony seemed to be over since the bride and groom went out accompanied by the tolls of the bell. The newlywed looked happy, showered with flower petals their guests and families threw at the two. Wow, so young¡­ Viers muttered. The groom was only about 15-year-old. The bride was visibly a little older, one or two years above the groom perhaps. Viers once again felt the difference of culture between this world and Earth. The young couple''s wedding was perfectly normal in the eyes of this world¡¯s society. Congrats, Viers raised his glass of fruit juice before taking a drink from it. And here they come. Viers leisurely ate the rest of the dishes while three men made their appearance at the restaurant¡¯s entrance. They talked to the owner for a bit before continuing walking to Viers¡¯ table. In a picture of elegance, Viers put the last spoon of the delicious spicy curry rice down and wiped his mouth with a white napkin before answering perfectly as the three arrived. ¡°Hello, officers. What can I do for you?¡± Viers said, not one bit intimidated. ¡°Little friend, you are under arrest.¡± The one who spoke was the captain Viers argued with at the town¡¯s gate. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Viers took another sip from his drink. ¡°On what charges are you arresting me? Vagrancy?¡± ¡°Illegal entry. Seeing this is your first offense, I¡¯ll let it slide but make no mistake, there won¡¯t be a next time. Men, take him.¡± ¡°Humph. Really, what an unpleasant town. Don¡¯t touch me.¡± One of Jarret¡¯s men put his hand on Cain¡¯s shoulder and he shrugged it off, along with a pressure of Victa from a Level 1. The young guard with only a Level 0 power looked surprised and scared by Cain¡¯s display of power. The guards escorted Viers out of town. Viers followed without a fuss, he already got what he came for. Viers didn¡¯t let down his guard, always ready to unleash his power should any of them tried anything funny. He was a Level 2 after all, only the captain could match him. ¡°On behalf of the town of Osemore I apologize for this rudeness, but please leave.¡± Jarret spoke to Viers after they arrived at the exit gate. ¡°You should have just let me in. What a waste of everyone¡¯s time and energy.¡± Viers dryly said the issue. ¡°¡­The law is absolute,¡± Jarret replied. ¡°Then I hope that law won¡¯t strangle you to death one day.¡± ¡°You little brat! Do you think you can talk that way to the Captain!?¡± Franco raised his hand, wanting to slap Viers in the face. Naturally, Viers wasn¡¯t going to let it happen. He was a survivor, his fighting experience might not be overly wealthy but he was no longer the inexperienced Viers from one year ago. Viers grabbed Franco¡¯s wrist, easily. ¡°Feeling lucky, punk?¡± Viers squeezed his grip tighter. Eyes flashed with ruthlessness. Franco was hurting from the grip. ¡°Grgh! You¨C¡± Viers only used Level 1 strength while Franco was also a Level 1. They raised their Victa at the same time, ready to fight. ¡°Enough!¡± The pressure from the Level 2 Jarret enveloped them both, a clear warning. ¡°Please. Leave.¡± It seemed Jarret¡¯s patience against Viers¡¯ behavior reached his end. ¡°Humph.¡± Without delay, Viers left. He had no other business here. Twenty minutes later. On the road to the next town, just outside a nearby forest, he found something. It was a patch of blood on the ground. Looking at the amount, whatever made it must be quite big in size, bigger than a human adult. The strange thing Viers found about it, there was no body or signs of the body being transported. As if the corpse suddenly disappeared into thin air. The patch of blood was strange, so Viers decided to look around for a bit. He found bullet shells not long after. ¡°¡­¡± Viers squinted his eyes, his face was unreadable, nobody could know what he was thinking. Chapter 27 What he found changed things. Viers examined the area to confirm his suspicions. He went deeper inside the nearby forest. According to the amount of blood, it must have originated from something bigger than a human. High were the chances it came from a monster. If the bullet-user hunted monsters, he might find the next clue where there were a lot of monsters, inside the forest. ¡°Lord Viers, what¡¯s wrong? Weren¡¯t we going to the next town as soon as possible?¡± Farley called. ¡°Sorry girls, something came up. Go to sleep for the time being.¡± Viers closed the V-streaming service so the girls couldn¡¯t see what¡¯s happening next. With the girls out of the picture, Viers started investigating in full power. Arte ¡ª Euryale Sight. Arte ¡ª Enhanced Hearing. Euryale Sight was a supreme Arte, it made him able to see the unseen and pick up the smallest detail. On the other hand, Enhanced Hearing was a regular Arte. It was common and not special, it just made the user¡¯s hearing better. But Viers didn¡¯t have regular ears. About a year ago, because he ate something very special, Viers had the ability to sharpen his senses permanently by sacrificing his Victa. Since then, he allocated a great deal of Victa to raise his hearing bit by bit. Amongst the five senses, Viers chose to solely focus on the aural faculty and not all at once. Viers thought it was better to have one special tool rather than five mediocre ones. At this point, Viers had no problem hearing a whispered conversation from 20 meters away. Combined with Enhanced Hearing Arte, Viers could hear the heartbeats of another person to serve as a lie detector. I want to improve my nose next so I can be like Tanjirou but I don¡¯t have the Victa to spare. For the time being, I¡¯ll have to make do with sight and hearing. Viers scoured through the forest with his superhuman senses. Not long since he started, he found a monster¡¯s trail. Four legs, hoofed¡­ nose marks? Some kind of pig? He followed it until the tracks ended in another patch of blood. Viers kneeled near it and touched the blood. It¡¯s been quite a while since this happened¡­ No human footprints in the area. Have to keep searching. Deeper into the forest, he found another crime scene. A blood lake beside a fallen tree. The tree is huge! From the spread of the blood, it seems the monster was sniped from afar with an anti-materiel rifle. The spread of the blood indicates the bullet hit the tree after piercing the monster¡­ This guy has serious firepower. Sinon¡¯s Hecate level or above. The next clue he found was a rock with many holes on it. As if shot with an assault rifle. Based on the pieces of evidence, this guy has a cheat that can create various firearms. I haven¡¯t met any monster since I got here. Did he already eradicate them all? This means he¡¯s far stronger than me! Viers felt a cold sweat fell down his neck. Viers perked his head up. His super-hearing picked up the sound of gunshots. There! Viers sped up and ran through the forest, agile like a tiger in a jungle. And then he found it. The sight brought a chill through his spine. He suspected it, all evidence he found pointed towards it but he hoped it wasn¡¯t the case until the end. He hoped he was special, the only otherworlder in this world. Such a na?ve delusion was shattered by the harsh reality. The visage of a youth around 17 years old with silver hair sitting under a tree on a hill. Just as I thought, an otherworlder! After he laid eyes on the suspect, Viers was convinced. Age: Perfect for isekai. Can snu-snu from the get-go. Looks: Unnaturally silver-haired, cool, handsome, lean, bishounen. A sweet eye-candy for his inevitable harem members. Gear: Futuristic green visor, futuristic clothes like in Mass Effect. No armaments sighted at the moment. He tried to hide the eye-catching clothes with a coat but the coat still looks sci-fi. The lack of monster corpses means he has a storage space. More importantly, he just sat there as if reading something in front of him with a finger seemingly scrolling and clicking something on empty air. Other uninitiated people might simply pass that trivial gesture but I KNOW he is interacting with his SYSTEM cheat!!! Viers didn¡¯t dare to get close to an extremely dangerous enemy. He maintained distance as far as possible, using his Euryale Sight to observe the target from afar. Even then, he didn¡¯t feel at ease. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Did he have a radar or minimap? Is it picking up my presence? Can it differentiate those friendly and hostile to him by green and red dot on the map? Such thought plagued Viers¡¯ mind. Is he from Earth? My Earth or alternate version? Did he come from the future or is he from outer space? How advanced is the weaponry in his arsenal? WWII degree? Modern Warfare degree? Or, God forbid, Destiny degree!? Fuck! Viers didn¡¯t make any rash move, only observing from afar. When the silver-haired youth moved, Viers followed. He saw the new otherworlder hunting monsters using various weaponry but mainly using an assault rifle to fill the monster with lead until it died. Viers collected a lot of information such as he didn¡¯t sense any sort of mana from the gun-user. He¡¯s not a Pathseeker? That means he¡¯s a bug-in-the-system type. A super out of place kind of guy. Raygun shooter in a medieval fantasy world. Most likely he couldn¡¯t use any sort of Arte nor have any Affinity to begin with. In other words, he¡¯s an Idler¡­ then again, with firepower like he has, does he even need magic? Viers analyzed his findings. Viers saw him hunting monsters with quite a zeal. Rank 0 until 2 monsters were powerless against his rifle. The otherworlder killed them then the corpses disappeared into thin air. He truly has dimensional storage space, how enviable¡­ Does he want to sweep all the monsters in the area? Viers thought. At the climax, Viers witnessed the otherworlder fight against the alpha monster of the jungle. It was a Rank 3 Karachi, a lizard the size of a tank, very agile and poisonous. It moved from tree to tree, using it as a cover to maneuver against the silver-haired youth. Viers was thankful for his reconnaissance. He witnessed as the other isekai-ed man tanked the Karachi¡¯s poison breath using a beehive barrier, and his extraordinary agility to dodge the monster¡¯s physical assault thanks to his power suit. The futuristic guy then used some kind of grenade launcher to force it out of its element. He blasted the trees and the lizard at the same time. After a while, he killed the Karachi. When the otherworlder returned to Osemore town, Viers needed his observation. I¡¯m a Level 2, can I eat a full clip of direct hits from his assault rifle? No. Can I defeat a Rank 3 monster? No again. This means he¡¯s stronger than me, period. Viers¡¯ face turned grave. Viers closed his eyes. He was on a very crucial crossroad, a misstep now might be a lifetime of regret. He must make a choice about his next course of action. 40.05%... I hope it''s enough to give me an edge. When his eyes were opened, he had the resolute eyes of someone ready to die. *** Wheew. With this, I have cleaned all the monsters in the area. This region should be much safer for the time being. ¡°Sigmaaa~¡± Sigma saw Kate waving her hand from across the street. ¡°Kate, hi. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you, shall we?¡± ¡°Shall we what?¡± Sigma was puzzled. ¡°Dinner, you haven¡¯t eaten, right? I¡¯ll bring you to my favorite restaurant. As someone from far away, I hope you¡¯ll find the local taste to your liking,¡± the young girl gave a thousand-watt smile. ¡°Uh, yeah¡­ Um, thanks. I¡¯ll be in your care then,¡± The no-girlfriend-as-long-as-he lived awkwardly accepted Kate¡¯s invitation. ¡°It¡¯s us who should be thanking you, silly.¡± Kate giggled. ¡°You saved the town from two Beast Tides. Come on!¡± Kate led him by taking his hand. So soft! Are all girls'' hands this soft!? Like a red-faced baby chicken, Sigma followed the cute girl to an open-air restaurant. They got a table near the street. He had to admit, the place gave him a good impression. The d¨¦cor was very fitting for a restaurant. Sigma let Kate order the food. While waiting, the two of them pleasantly talked. The dishes came and it was spicy. Horrendously so. If this was in the webtoons he loved to read, then he would be spewing fire right now. Now he was in a dilemma, he couldn¡¯t say it was bad because Kate said this was her favorite place and the dish was her recommendation. If he said it was bad, she would lose face. So Sigma had no choice but to eat the super spicy food while furiously sweating bullets. His eyes were tearing up, he didn¡¯t know if it was because of the spicy food or something else. Thankfully for Sigma, Kate was not a person with zero observation skills. She looked all around her and saw her brother with two of his friends from the guards with him. She gave them a dagger-like stare. Again brother? Oh sheesh¡­ ¡°Here, have some of mine. Aaahhnn~¡± Kate offered him a spoon from her plate gently. Sigma became red-faced and unsure for a while until he saw Kate¡¯s expression. She was also embarrassed and red-faced but her bright hopeful eyes and a touch of meekness on her face showed the girl¡¯s courage. To show her he was a man, Sigma gulped Kate¡¯s offering. Ah, she¡¯s a good girl. Sigma thought. It was then he decided to come clean. ¡°Kate, I want to tell you something. Actually¡­ I come from another world.¡± After finishing the food on their plate, Sigma told her about himself. It took him a while but Sigma told her all that he wanted to say. That he was from another world called Earth, that he didn¡¯t know how he became his avatar from a VR game. Sigma explained that he wishes to find a way back to where his family and friends are. ¡°¨Cand that¡¯s the gist of it.¡± Kate calmly listened while Sigma told his story, never interrupting even once. ¡°¡­So you¡¯re from another world¡­ How mystical,¡± Kate looked to the sky with dreamy eyes. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Sigma asked, puzzled. ¡°Whatever do you mean?¡± It was Kate¡¯s turn to be puzzled. ¡°No questions?¡± ¡°There are a lot of what I don¡¯t understand but Sigma is Sigma, right? Then all is fine,¡± Kate replied honestly. Sigma was stunned. He didn¡¯t think Kate would be so accepting. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s one thing that confuses me. Why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°Eh? I, uhh¡­ You¡¯ve been good to me so I don¡¯t want to lie to you,¡± Sigma bashfully looked away from Kate¡¯s pure gaze. While he looked downward, a hand touched his cheek and guided his face back. Sigma saw the pretty face of Kate just inches away. ¡°Thank you for trusting me.¡± Then he felt a warm kiss on his lips, the first-ever kiss of his life. God, thank you for bringing me to this world, Sigma thought. Drowning in the sweet sensation of absolute bliss. [Warning: Extreme danger detec¨C] The next moment, he felt a prick. Then he felt a strong gust of wind. Followed with a voice: ¡°Welcome to the family, son.¡± Before oblivion took him to unknown reaches. Chapter 28 ¡°Stalking Kate again, Captain Jarret? Is this really necessary?¡± Franco said to his commanding officer. ¡°Of course it is, Franco. This is my sister we¡¯re talking about.¡± Jarret peered from the shadows, looking at the happy couple taking a seat at the restaurant. ¡°Old friend, she¡¯s not a kid anymore. She can make her own choices. You¡¯ve got to trust her judgment.¡± Roger said. Thinking how big the little girl had become. ¡°Right¡­ and who got herself captured by goblins a week ago?¡± Jarret asked Roger back. ¡°Uhhh¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. She¡¯s still reckless. I swore to my late mother to protect her and keep her safe, Roger. If that Sigma guy wants to take advantage of her, I won''t allow it!¡± ¡°Captain, Kate is a beautiful young woman, okay? It is a natural outcome if he fancies her.¡± ¡°Franco is right, cap. You¡¯re too protective, that¡¯s why she doesn''t have a boyfriend. Every boy she got close to, you interrogated them like they are criminals smuggling drugs. The last kid was particularly pitiful, man.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? What happened?¡± Franco asked. ¡°By Jarret¡¯s orders, after their date, I escorted the boy to the guard¡¯s HQ and grind him to fine powder until he confessed what¡¯s his motive for approaching Kate. It was embarrassing even for me, the listener, man. It was a soapy, bubbly confession I tell you... He returned home crying.¡± ¡°Dang¡­ poor kid.¡± Franco looked sympathetic. ¡°I agree, that¡¯s worse than the last time. How about trusting her a bit more, cap? At this rate, your cute little sister might end up alone all her life. My sister¡¯s already married at her age.¡± Roger, Jarret¡¯s best friend, spoke frankly to him even though he was his superior in the town¡¯s guard. ¡°Bah, whoever wants to marry my sister has to go through me first. Look, look, look! I told the chef to put a lot of chili in his meal. There won''t be a romantic dinner for the two of them tonight, hahaha!¡± At the open-air restaurant, Sigma started sweating a lot after his first bite. The sillier Sigma looked, the better for the overprotective brother. ¡°Oops, Kate realized there¡¯s something wrong. Aaand she glanced at us. Wow, she looked positively pissed,¡± Franco smiled. ¡°Ouch. You¡¯ll get an earful later, captain. Steel yourself, eheheh.¡± Roger said to Jarret. ¡°Humph, Sigma won¡¯t get my sister so easi- eh? Waitwaitwait, what¡¯s she doing!?¡± ¡°Awww, that¡¯s sweet. She gave him an aaan~. From her own spoon no less. She seems serious this time, cap. Better get ready for a brother-in-law, kishishi.¡± Roger grinned. ¡°Gununununu...¡± Jarret ground his teeth. His effort to sabotage their date backfired instead. A short while later. ¡°...Since after the meal, they¡¯ve been talking seriously for a while now,¡± Franco observed. ¡°A heavy topic perhaps. Sigma is too mysterious. His weapons¡­ I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡± Roger commented. ¡°I agree¡­ eh? What is she doing? Is she moving for a kiss!? Impermissible!!!¡± Jarret wanted to go over there immediately, like an elephant at a china shop to stop this outrage but Roger already prevented him from going. ¡°Okay buddy, calm down, calm. Let''s not become uncouth men, okay? We all want Kate to be happy.¡± Roger had an arm at Jarret¡¯s neck, holding him back. ¡°AAArrgghhh!! They kisseddd! This is too fast! Too fast I tell you. He got to ''kiss'' on the first date? Would they go all the way on the second!? What if he thought Kate is a cheap woman? This cannot be allowed to continue, uwoohhh!¡± Jarret looked like he was crying tears of blood. ¡°Calm down. That won''t happen, Cap. Sigma seems to be an honorable guy. He helped us a lot in the short time he was here. Let''s be supportive okay?¡± Franco said. Suddenly, there was a gust of wind. The three¡¯s silly banter was stopped by the arrival of something unexpected. A cloaked figure dashed out of nowhere and stopped at the open-air restaurant. For a few seconds, the three battle seasoned town guards were unable to believe what they witnessed next. *** ¡°Welcome to the family, son.¡± ¡°...Eh?¡± Kate opened her eyes. Blood. Warm blood splattered on her face. Sigma¡¯s headless neck. A masked stranger holding a severed head. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Nooooooo!!!¡± Kate wailed as she frantically attacked out of reflex. An arrow of fire aiming towards the masked stranger¡¯s head. The assailant easily dodged it and put his palm on her face. She felt the closeness with death once again. She couldn¡¯t see his face because of the mask but the eyes¡­ He had the eyes of a cold-blooded demon. *** Viers¡¯ action was based on several things. The most important among those was he didn¡¯t want another player fucking up his single-player experience. Another otherworlder? Give me a break. This world is mine! MINEEEEE!!! You fuckers are all unwelcome here. Viers was very clear how much change a single otherworlder could bring to the world. Was Viers happy he found another reincarnator or otherworlder in this world? He was livid. It was like his single-player sandbox game-experience was being invaded by other players. Viers shall not tolerate it. Especially otherworlder idiots who thought of themselves as THE hot shit. Sigma wore futuristic garments impossible to obtain in a medieval sword and magic world and he blatantly used firearms. What an idiot. To Viers, it was no different than wearing a neon sign on his head broadcasting to everyone that he was an otherworlder. There was a reason Viers didn¡¯t use his Earth¡¯s knowledge to make a living. Granted, he let loose some Earth¡¯s references here and there but he was being careful overall. What if there were other people who got isekai-ed in this world? What if the people in this world were hostile against otherworlders? If I''m a super strong native cultivator, what''s stopping me from capturing that man from another world and splitting open his head to learn otherworldly knowledge? Viers pondered upon these questions from the very first day he arrived here. So when he met a guy blatantly using bullets to kill monsters, he was amazed by the sheer balls that guy possessed. Viers certainly didn''t have the guts to do that. He didn¡¯t know yet if he would kill every isekai-ed person he met but he certainly would kill otherworlders who were too dumb to live. If someone was harpooning fishes in troubled waters, whose fault was that when a shark decided to bite them in the face? Even if the other otherworlder was a toddler it didn''t matter, they were already an adult if their Earth''s life was included. It was the same if they had the female form. Viers knew they might be a middle-aged man on the inside and just the fact they have breasts wouldn''t save them from Viers¡¯ blade. If Viers was much stronger than Sigma when they first met, Viers would have killed him then and there. But Sigma was stronger than Viers so he had to use his brain. After Sigma returned to the town, Viers also sneaked back into town. At this time he actually still had the tracker placed on him by Franco but Franco failed to realize this. He didn¡¯t check. He didn¡¯t expect Viers who already sneaked in and left would return to Osemore town once again. First, he needed information, so he nabbed a lone town guard and gave him a thorough soul search. He knew about the hamster and orangutan Beast Tides, the otherworlder¡¯s appearance, and the weapons he used. A hundred ammo rocket launcher? Master Chief shield? Power suit? Was that a railgun at the end? So, he called himself Sigma. Even the name is futuristic. While intel on the enemy was great, his next find was greater. Sigma and a certain girl he rescued showed interest in each other. I can use this! Viers thought happily. Main Characters¡¯ IQ tends to drop to an abysmal level when they want to put their D in a woman. He released the soul searched Level 0 guard. The man wasn¡¯t injured, only unconscious, Viers dumped him in an alley before shadowing Sigma once again. When he found Sigma was in the middle of a date with a pretty girl, Viers bid his time. Patiently waiting for an opening while his ears picked up their conversation. Kate kissed Sigma and Viers knew that would be the moment the otherworlder was most vulnerable. Viers didn¡¯t hesitate. Arte ¡ª Speed Up x 2! Arte ¡ª Rapid Water Steps x 9! Arte ¡ª Cut the Crap! From his hiding place, Viers dashed towards the kissing couple using his maximum speed. His sheer speed made strong winds as he moved, pushing other people and stuff away. The idiot otherworlder couldn¡¯t do a thing when Viers cut off his head with his strongest attack and sucked his soul out of his too perfect body. I did it¡­? I DID IT!! Time to get out of here! ¡°Nooooooo!!!¡± Kate screamed and shot a fire arrow to his face. Ah yes, the heroine. Better take care of her. Viers dodged the flaming arrow of the Level 1 easily and had his palm on her face. Arte ¡ª Water¨C ¡°Let her go, you bastard!¡± Viers dodged a great sword that would¡¯ve cut his arm, forcing him to release his grip on Kate. The metal Level 2 Captain, Jarret was it? Others are also coming, better split. I¡¯ve already got what I want. Viers ran carrying Sigma¡¯s head. There were a lot of onlookers, but they didn¡¯t dare to bar his way as he ran. ¡°Captain!¡± ¡°Captain, how¡¯s Kate?¡± Franco and Roger arrived a moment later, their speed wasn¡¯t as high as Jarret¡¯s. Instead of immediately chasing Viers, Jarret put his full attention on his sister. ¡°Kate, are you hurt? Talk to me,¡± Jarret got her in his embrace. Eyes unfocused, her knees were weak and she couldn¡¯t keep standing. Fear of death, shock, sadness, confusion, all of those made Kate disoriented. ¡°Brother... he, he killed Sigma. Uuu, uwahhh...¡± Kate buried her face in her brother¡¯s chest and broke into tears. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re fine now. Big brother is here. You¡¯re safe,¡± Jarret tried to calm his sister. ¡°Jarret, Sigma¡­ Sigma¡­ is he¡­ is he? Please Goddess¨C¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. It''s¡­¡± Jarret struggled to say the words, ¡°already too late for him.¡± Kate cried louder, heartbroken. ¡°Captain, it¡¯s the adventurer from earlier. My Arte, Dusty Trail showed that was him.¡± Franco said. ¡°I know¡­ even if he masked his face, he couldn¡¯t change his body shape. That was the fat boy from this afternoon,¡± Jarret said while holding the crying Kate on his chest. ¡°Should we chase him, Captain Jarret?¡± Roger asked, eagerly. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Captain Heskins?¡± Two guards came to investigate the commotion. ¡°Chase him,¡± Jarret answered Roger. ¡°Neil, Ed, I¡¯m leaving my sister to you. Bring her home. The three of us will go after a murderer. He¡¯ll pay for killing our savior and making Kate cry.¡± Chapter 29 - First Blood At the town eastern gate. ¡°He went to the east, Captain Heskins, to Coulis Forest. We tried to stop him but he was too fast. He injured a couple of guards during his escape,¡± the guard responsible for this gate explained the situation to Jarret. Apology was written all over his face but Jarret¡¯s fury only burned stronger. Jarret, Franco, and Roger spoke to their fellow guards. The scene around them was as if a rampaging elephant passed through. ¡°I need two from among you with us. We will chase and neutralize the criminal adventurer. Franco, Roger, ready your gear. We¡¯ll go to Coulis Forest.¡± ¡°Got it. What about you, Cap?¡± ¡°For precaution, I¡¯ll send a message to Motipa town. They¡¯ll send some guys from the opposite direction and we can pincer the murderer, Adventurer Cain of Ur.¡± Jarret was determined to arrest Cain. ¡°We depart ASAP!¡± ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡± The men answered. During the chase, when the party of five were running on the road. ¡°¡­Captain Jarret, I¡¯ve been thinking. He managed to kill Sigma who can kill a Rank 3 monster¡­ doesn''t this mean the perp is Level 3 at least?¡± Franco looked shaken. ¡°No. He was only a level 1. Yes, Sigma killed a Rank 3 monster but it''s because of that special skill of his. We all sensed Sigma wasn''t even a Level 0. The perp ambushed him like a coward¡­ What¡¯s worse, he killed Sigma in front of my sister! I¡¯ll never forgive him.¡± His eyes turned sharp. ¡°I¡¯m the Captain of the town guard. I¡¯ll never forgive those who break the law!¡± Jarret confidently said, easing the rest of the party. They reached Coulis Forest not long after. ¡°He definitely went through here, Cap. My Arte is still in effect.¡± Franco threw a fistful of dust on the ground and it showed footsteps, Cain¡¯s trail. ¡°Dusty Trail, was it? Good Arte,¡± Jarret commented. ¡°Thank you, sir,¡± praise from the captain he respects so much meant a lot for him. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go in. Eyes and ears sharp. Franco, lead the way.¡± The five followed Jarret¡¯s direction. The tracker, Franco was at the lead and the other four followed, ready to react should anything happen. Into the forest they went, to bring a criminal to justice. ¡°Mm? That¡¯s strange, the trail ends here.¡± After they went deep into the trees, the trail they followed abruptly ended. ¡°Did he realize he¡¯s being tracked?¡± Roger scanned the trees. ¡°Possibly. Squad, split up.¡± Jarret split the group into three. Franco and Roger were a pair and the newcomers, Victor and Philip were another. Jarret would be alone. ¡°Is this wise, captain? I dislike the idea of splitting our forces.¡± Roger cautioned. ¡°You all are Level 1. I trust as a pair you won¡¯t be bested by a single Level 1 adventurer scum.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Enough! We¡¯re wasting time. Let¡¯s go.¡± Jarret turned around and went deeper into the forest. ¡°Roger¡­¡± Franco whispered. ¡°I know. He¡¯s angry, for Kate¡­ for Sigma too,¡± Roger sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this. Victor, Philip, always be on your guard.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± The pair answered their superior. *** Coulis Forest was not flat land, it was filled with steep inclines and even a gorge. As the party went deeper, they climbed the treacherous terrain ahead. The ground they put their feet on was filled with vegetation and foliage. The mana in this area was quite thick, mists clouded their vision as they proceeded ever deeper. Five people separated into three groups to look for clues as to where Viers went, maintaining a set of distance from each other. ¡°What a mess this day turned out to be,¡± Victor grumbled. ¡°Focus Victor, we¡¯re against a murderer here.¡± Philip looked much more serious than the other guy. ¡°Just a Level 1 Pathseeker, Cap will apprehend that guy in no time. He shouldn¡¯t have run and made things difficult for us. Now we have to work overtime,¡± the man was annoyed. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°You didn''t see him Vic, but I did. His speed is something else. There were four of us back at the gate but he went through us like we weren''t even there.¡± ¡°Bah, he¡¯s still a Level 1, not much different than us¡­ isn''t it?¡± Victor double-checked the info. ¡°Well yeah, but...¡± ¡°But what? He could be hiding his Level? Why would anyone do that?¡± His tone was getting cockier by the moment, Viers could not stand it. Viers emerged from the thickets, a knife stab to the thigh followed by submerging Victor¡¯s head in a sphere of water. The knife was blazing hot, it cauterized the wound as it burned. Whilst he screamed, he inhaled water through his nose and mouth, making an ugly gurgling sound. By the time Philip turned around because of the noise, Viers was already launching his next attack. He hit Philip¡¯s temple with the hilt of his sword and while the subject was staggering, he moved behind him to give him a triangle choke. Philip tried to break free but Viers had higher physical strength. When that failed, he tried to use his Arte but the simple ones he cast had no effect on Viers. The Wind Arte he used was blocked by Viers¡¯ Water Barrier he cast prior to launching his attack. Philip soon lost consciousness while Victor was still gargling his throat. Viers let go of Philip, dismissed the water sphere and severed Victor¡¯s left leg. Victor¡¯s gasping for air turned into a painful wail spreading throughout the forest. ¡°Uuaaahh!! MY LEG! MY LEEEG!¡± ¡°Even with a similar Level, I can still defeat a weakling like you,¡± Viers disappeared into the thick foliage again. ¡°Victor!¡± Jarret came, drawn by the scream, just as Viers wanted. Their spread was like this: Jarret in the center with the other two groups at his left and right. After Viers attacked, he drew the attention of Jarret and the other group. Jarret reached here first, checking the condition of the crying Victor and the passed out Philip. Meanwhile, Viers climbed a tree and passed Jarret on the way to ambush the other group. When he saw Franco and Roger running to Victor¡¯s location, Viers delivered an ambush from the trees. Death from Above. No, I didn''t want to kill them, Viers corrected. Non-lethal Death from Above Takedown. Viers gave Franco who was behind Roger a Rider Kick to the face. ¡°Bgggrhh!!¡± Franco didn''t expect a foot on his face and fell. ¡°Franco!?¡± Viers threw his red-hot knife to the turning Roger. ¡°Khf!¡± Roger moved by reflex. Roger managed to block the knife using his sword. But the second knife Viers threw hit him on the shoulder. ¡°Aaarrghh!¡± He screamed. But these two were more experienced than Victor and Philip. Franco created tendrils of dust to capture Viers while Roger conjured tens of water arrows, shooting towards Viers. Viers let go of his sword and drew water from inside it, shaping it into spears in each hand. Viers jumped to avoid the dust tendrils and gracefully evaded the arrows whilst in the air, spinning like a wheel. He also threw his water spears to both of them, piercing them at the gut. Roger was nailed to a tree while Franco nailed to the ground. ¡°Im¡­ possible,¡± Roger couldn''t believe what he saw, coughing blood. His speed, power, precision, judgement¡­ He¡¯s only Level 1, Franco thought. How could he be so strong? Even now Viers only used Level 1 strength to deal with the two of them. ¡°FRANCO! ROGER!¡± Jarret¡¯s voice grew closer, Viers knew he had little time left. So he picked up his sword and cut off both of Franco¡¯s arms. ¡°Franco! Nooo!¡± Roger yelled. His pained expression was as if it was his arms that were being slashed. ¡°AAAAAAHHHHHH!!¡± Even a grown man like Franco couldn''t help but shout. Viers picked up his blazing knife and placed the edge of his sword to the immobile Roger. It was at this moment Jarret arrived. He saw his friend defeated and bloodied which made him more than furious. His face turned into an ogre and looked towards Viers. ¡°Move one muscle, and this guy dies.¡± Viers calmly said before Jarret could do anything stupid. ¡°You adventurer bastard. We were right! You¡¯re all no different than violent thugs!¡± Jarret cursed. ¡°Take off your mask, Cain. You¡¯re not fooling anyone.¡± Viers, who was wearing a white Hannya mask from his cult days, did not react against Jarret¡¯s insult nor accusation. Like an aloof demon, he stood there as if he was in control. Jarret might not be able to see Viers¡¯ face but his eyes¡­ those were the eyes of someone looking at trash. ¡°I could have killed¡¯em all.¡± He said with a deep voice. ¡°Get him Jarret! Don''t mind me, hrgh...¡± Roger bravely said while coughing blood. Viers made a slight slit on his neck then continued on as if he didn''t hear anything. Jarret eyed him warily, his friend¡¯s life was on the line. ¡°I could have killed you.¡± He said the cold hard fact. ¡°In town you¡¯re the law, out here, it¡¯s me.¡± The words made Jarret twitch. Viers gave him one last chance. ¡°Don¡¯t push it. Don¡¯t push it, or I¡¯ll give you a war you won¡¯t believe.¡± Viers did not raise his voice but the intensity was felt by everyone, even the extremely hurting Franco. ¡°Let it go,¡± Viers pressed his sword closer to Roger¡¯s neck. ¡°Let it, go.¡± The masked youth created a floating sword-shaped water and used the flora around him to disappear from Jarret¡¯s sight. ¡°If you don¡¯t give your men treatment soon, they will die,¡± Viers left them alive but wounded precisely for this. The cannon fodders would be very effective for stalling this leader hero type. As expected, Jarret did not pursue. Viers went deeper into the forest. After he went away, the water spears and the water blade he left for threatening Jarret dissipated. ¡°Cap, tain¡­ I¡¯m, sorry,¡± Franco passed out. Jarret¡¯s heart was colder than a thousand-year-old glacier. Cain slipped away, leaving blood and destruction in his wake¡­ and he, the Captain of the town¡¯s guard, was powerless to stop him. He didn''t even have the chance to trade blows with the murderer of the town¡¯s savior, Cain dishonorably went after his men. Now, Roger and Franco were heavily injured and needed medical attention. He never felt something like this. The humiliation was unlike anything he had ever felt. Chapter 30 - System Breach Before Viers engaged Jarret and the others, he opened a war council. ¡°Viers?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Paina and Clarissa asked respectively. ¡°Here¡¯s the current situation. I killed a potential enemy in broad daylight on the streets of Osemore. I have successfully gotten away from the town at the moment but pursuers are hot on my heels. They have a tracker on me which I¡¯ll use to my advantage later. What are your thoughts about this?¡± Viers dropped the bomb. ¡°What? Why?¡± Paina asked. ¡°You¡¯ve done something crazy again, haven''t you?¡± Clarissa sighed. ¡°Lord Viers, what¡¯s the estimate of enemy forces?¡± Now that¡¯s the response that I want, Viers thought. ¡°Five Pathseekers, one Level 2, four Level 1.¡± ¡°I assume your objective is to kill them all?¡± Farley followed his line of thought. ¡°Yeah. Using the tracker they placed on me, I¡¯ll lead them to a nearby forest before ambushing them. Some guy just eradicated all monsters inside the forest so I can focus on killing the pursuers and hide if necessary.¡± ¡°The Level 2, how strong is he?¡± Viers recalled the info he got from soul searching that lone town guard. ¡°Metal Pathseeker, quite strong. I can kill him but honestly, I don''t want to fight him.¡± ¡°May I suggest an alternative?¡± Farley spoke like a competent war strategist. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Disable the other four pursuers. Wound them heavily but don¡¯t kill them. Avoid trading blows with the Level 2. If he values his comrades, then he would take care of them instead of pursuing you. We can escape out of his reach in the meantime.¡± Ruthless, I like it! ¡°Very good. I just became a Level 2, killing a more experienced Level 2 would pose some trouble for me. Not to mention the Victa expenditure. I¡¯ll follow your suggestion.¡± Viers looked pleased. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Lord Viers.¡± Farley bowed. ¡°But one more thing. I need to soul search the guy I just killed immediately so I might not be able to run away after disabling the first wave of pursuers.¡± Farley frowned. ¡°Can it wait, Lord Viers?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. I feel an anomaly in his soul. If I tarry too long, I might lose it.¡± Viers said the truth. He felt Sigma¡¯s soul was different from the rest. Despite Viers'' hold on his soul, the soul fought back! This never happened before. Viers could still contain it at the moment but his grip was slipping. The soul would eventually escape his grasp so Viers must examine the soul before then. Viers had to factor in the risk of fighting Jarret in this situation. According to Viers'' estimate, he was a bit below Jarret in battle power. He would not win easily and might get injured in the process. If he definitely could win without injury then Viers would lethally deal with Jarret, no sense on leaving an enemy alive. But with Sigma''s condition being time-sensitive, the otherworlder was at a higher priority. As expected of the soul of an otherworlder with cheat. Even in death an MC is special. Farley started thinking. Paina looked toward Farley with admiration of the competence she displayed. Clarissa on the other hand, gave Farley the look of an approving master, which did not escape Viers'' attention. ¡°Lord Viers, you still have Romell¡¯s soul? The bandit you killed?¡± ¡°Obviously. Souls are valuable stuff, of course I took it,¡± Viers didn''t know where Farley was going from this. ¡°Search his soul. Since he¡¯s a well-known bandit in the area, odds are high he has a hideout nearby. You can rest and finish your task safer there.¡± ¡°Nice idea! I¡¯ll get to it.¡± ¡°Also, get info on the other bandit groups in the area. We can use them.¡± ¡°To reinforce us? Why would they do that?¡± Clarissa asked Farley. ¡°Tell them the town¡¯s defenses are weakened. They might attack the town to pillage and plunder,¡± the short-haired brunette said with a straight face. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Farley! There are civilians in the town, innocents!¡± Paina, ever the voice of reason, complained. ¡°No need to worry Paina. If things go south, the church will move. The town will not suffer catastrophic damage.¡± What a devilish idea, and I like it. Farley was raised as a cultist of Dumuzin for all of her life. Even if she isn''t one anymore, you don''t simply dismiss more than ten years of upbringing. ¡°You wanna put out an oil fire, Paina, you set off a bigger explosion right next to it. Sucks away the oxygen. Snuffs the flame,¡± Viers copied Captain Price. ¡°...That¡¯s a terrifying way of thinking,¡± Paina met his eyes. ¡°But it worked. Council dismissed.¡± *** Ever since Viers was a little boy, he¡¯d always wanted a secret base. What he saw stoked the feeling of envy in his heart. Romell¡¯s bandit cave was a three-star comfy establishment. The floors and walls of the cave were covered by solid stones. There were a few beds made of animal hide, earth-made furniture, barrels and crates filled with supplies and loot, a clean and dry environment with good ventilation. This was a superb establishment considering this was made in the middle of a monster-infested forest. The cave¡¯s entrance was skillfully hidden by trees and camouflage, and the tunnel after that led to a more spacious space than he expected. Viers was envious, but there was a silver lining. With Rommel and his gang¡¯s passing, he could claim this splendid real estate for himself. And so he did. Truly the very definition of hostile take-over. Romell¡¯s gang of bandits must have had an earth Pathseeker. I can''t make this¡­ earth-shapers are incredible. Perhaps a Level 5 earth Pathseeker could make cities and fortresses at will. After taking care of Jarret and the others, Viers went to the empty bandit hideout. Now that he had some leeway, he penned letters to all the bandit gangs Romell knew and spread the information. Viers hoped they would draw some ¡®heat¡¯ away from him. Romell kept a few messenger birds at the hideout, Viers used them to send the letters. It was time to look inside the head of his fellow otherworlder. Soul search! Viers dived into the sea of memories. [Intruders detected. Deploying countermeasures.] ¡°System, I have been expecting you. The legend of your OPness ends now!¡± Viers had the face of someone fighting the final boss. Viers was not only fighting Sigma¡¯s system, this was his challenge against the legendary and undefeatable system-holders across the entire universe. MCs with system cheat were invincible. Even if they were not invincible they were very, very strong. That guy who¡¯s always solo leveling, that sugar who death-marched, nai wa~ spider, two-comers gluttony, the ashen battle healer, and many more. Viers would defeat Sigma¡¯s system then prove he was capable of surmounting the system! To show the ¡°have not¡± can triumph against the ¡°have¡±! This action of his was also based on some amount of envy. Because he didn''t have one himself and so he resented others who had it. The following hours were a high level battle of offense and defense. Sigma¡¯s soul had the protection of the system. Viers expected this, there must be something causing the anomaly he felt earlier. Viers knew he wasn''t fighting Sigma but the system. And it was weaker than expected. Sigma¡¯s system must be the type that grows stronger with the user or needs something to unlock its higher functions. Common tropes in power fantasy stories. And how long has Sigma been here? From the guard that I soul searched, about one or two weeks since he first showed his face. And that, boys and girls, is how you kill an MC. Kill them before they get convenient plot armor items, before they get deus ex machina, before they get the power of friendship or love. Then dispatch them with your full strength. Don''t be afraid to get your hands dirty and throw away useless matters of pride or face. Kill them before they leave their starting area. To add another layer of guarantee, nuke them when they are ¡°mating¡± with the love interest. Preferably you kill them when they are still in the first 10 or so chapters in their story, 30 in the latest. Longer than that then the plot surrounding the MC would make things very complicated. MC could find an OP treasure at the side of the road just by walking. MC could find a god who needed help and gave him super cultivation techniques as thanks for helping him. MC could be struck by lightning when he was in the latrine and mastered the power of heavenly tribulations the very next chapter. Anything is possible nowadays! So kill them fast, before they can mature. While Viers imagined himself giving a lecture in a classroom full of readers of web novels, he was slowly breaching the system¡¯s protection. The flow of battle was like a siege. Sigma¡¯s mind was a well-defended fortress while he himself was the invading army. If Viers was simply using brute force, high were the chances that he would be repelled. So he didn''t attack head-on. He used a line of thinking from the 36 stratagems: Clamor in the East, Attack in the West. It was a three-pronged approach. First company attacked the fortress from the front, second company attacked the walls in another area, and third company sneaked into the compound from the sewers. The fortress¡¯ defenses came crumbling down soon after. The invaders neutralized the fortress¡¯ guards and defenses swiftly. The men were in high morale as they went deeper into the complex. It was only a matter of time before they found the treasury. They went in by blowing up the treasury¡¯s door using dynamite. The men, all with Viers¡¯ face, cheered upon the sight of gold and wealth inside the treasury. His true name¡­ is Sumeragi Renji. Hmph, even his real name sounds like a protagonist. A 21-year-old NEET¡­ World ranker in the game Virtual Bullets of Fate? From year 2019? How come I¡¯ve never heard of that game? He played the VBoF for 1 year. One day, he was in the middle of playing when he fell off from the map as if suffering a glitch then he arrived in this world when he woke up. Hmm... and what¡¯s with his world¡¯s VR tech? So advanced¡­ too advanced. The game is at SAO level. He¡¯s from an alternate Earth then!? My Earth sure as hell didn''t have that kind of tech. His dad remarried to a beautiful MILF and Renji got a cute little sister and a cool elder sister that he doesn''t have a blood relation with? Holy Hell! This guy¡¯s life before he got isekai-ed is like an eroge protagonist! No wonder he wants to go back to his old world. His death is well deserved then, riajuu bastard. Viers¡¯ initial soul search revealed much more than he expected. [Emergency. Illegal access from malicious intelligence detected. Executing purge.] GLaDOS got serious now. Chapter 31 - Warpath Night, Osemore town. Jarret was walking to the infirmary when he overheard his men talking. ¡°Bandits¡­ What makes them suddenly so bold? They still retained some common sense and are not attacking the town directly but travelers, caravans, farms... everything outside the walls got attacked. Hells and Damnations, what is happening?¡± ¡°Apparently, they got news we¡¯re lacking in manpower. With the people we lost in the Beast Tide¡­ and considering the condition of Franco and the others, we really are shorthanded.¡± ¡°Fools, the lot of them. Captain Heskins led the guards and went out in force. The radicals died fighting and the majority surrendered and went to the slammer. Their broken bones should remind them of their folly for the months to come.¡± ¡°True. Cap looked like a fierce metal typhoon that time, battling a dozen bandits alone. Damn it! I regret I¡¯m too weak to be of help. If only I- Captain Heskins, sir!¡± The guard promptly gave Jarret a salute. ¡°Carry on,¡± Jarret replied before going to the infirmary. Leaving a pair of awkward guards. ¡°He looked haggard,¡± one of the guards said. ¡°Can you blame him? This month has been a disaster... troubles after troubles.¡± *** Jarret was looking at Franco whose face was covered with a white sheet. The guilt swallowed him from head to toe, a silent desolation. Seeing Franco¡¯s bandaged shoulders made him recall the healer¡¯s words earlier. ¡°My sympathies, Captain Heskins, he is with the Radiant Lady now. His injury was too grave and the treatment was too late,¡± the most senior healer said apologetically. It was the issue of affinity. Victor who had his leg severed was undergoing treatment and the healers were in the process of attaching the nerves. Because Victor was an earth Pathseeker and there were healers using the same affinity. Franco had one of the rarer affinities, dust. Unfortunately, no healers were capable of using an affinity compatible with Franco¡¯s dust in Osemore. Pathseekers injuries were hard to cure, this was widely known. To receive positive results, they need to be treated with healing Artes from the same affinity or it wouldn''t be as effective. A healing Arte from water Pathseeker might only show 20% of its effect when used on a fire Pathseeker. Naturally, the Level of the healer still played a major part in this. A high Level and experienced Pathseeker might be able to help Franco no matter what his or her affinity was but no one in Osemore could do that right now. Jarret was a metal Pathseeker, he wasn¡¯t suited for healing. The first aid he had given Franco was not enough. With the help of Philip who Cain only strangled, the two brought the other three to town. By the time Jarret reached Osemore, the healers told him Franco¡¯s chance was slim. Even if he survived, Franco would be a cripple since they couldn¡¯t reattach his arms. Once again because of the incompatible affinity. Not long after that, reports of bandits attacking the surroundings of Osemore reached his ears. Like rats they came, Jarret didn¡¯t even have time to reorganize his thoughts. What¡¯s worse, they lacked the manpower to cover such a huge area. If there were still adventurers in town then normally they would issue an emergency quest and bolster their manpower but that well was dried by their own hand. In fact, some bandits were former local adventurers who became jobless after the adventurer business in Osemore got abolished. They returned with a vengeance against the town¡¯s decision. Jarret didn¡¯t make the rules banning adventurers from Osemore but he supported it. The town was currently in a tight spot and it was like giving someone a kick when they were down. Jarret couldn¡¯t deny he felt a little regret for the hasty decision. The church gave the much needed help but it was nowhere near enough. Jarret made a difficult choice to leave some areas uncontested for the scums in favor of the more important areas. And so there were people who died because of his call. When Franco exhaled his last breath, Jarret was bashing bandit¡¯s skulls with his fist. The fact Jarret couldn¡¯t be there with him at the end was another knife to his conscience. Only now after the bandit threat had been contained, he had the time to visit Franco. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, old friend.¡± Jarret¡¯s voice was heavy with the weight of guilt. This was his fault, thought Jarret. If he didn¡¯t bring Franco to pursue Cain, would Franco be in this situation right now? As Jarret turned around, he saw Roger standing behind him. His bandaged stomach had a touch of red on it and his face was as pale as a ghost. ¡°You¡¯re going?¡± Roger asked. ¡°...Yes,¡± Jarret noticed Roger¡¯s tone carried his disapproval. ¡°Do not... do this. Cain is strange. He might be a Level 2. You might die, Jarret!¡± Roger spoke passionately. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°...I must make things right,¡± Jarret felt his guilt become heavier with each passing second. ¡°Even if you defeat him, so what? It won''t bring Franco back! It won''t bring Sigma back! Let the fucker go, the Goddess will mete out his judgement soon enough.¡± Jarret didn''t reply, he simply walked towards Roger, towards the exit. ¡°I won''t let you do this! This isn¡¯t you. Get your head straight, man! Kate needs you, Jarret. If she lost you too, she-¡± Jarret gave Roger a chop behind his neck, incapacitating him. ¡°Franco¡­ wouldn¡¯t want this¡­ ¡± Roger said before losing consciousness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Roger,¡± Jarret left both of his injured friends that he would trust with his own life. On the way, guilt, regret, ire, these emotions festered in his mind like a sickness. ¡°Captain Heskins, all men are standing by.¡± At the town¡¯s gate, Jarret looked in front of him. 20 Pathseekers, guardians of Osemore. All clad in full battle gear, ready to deploy. Guilt to himself, by letting a murderer loose and his men injured under his very nose. Regret to himself, that he didn¡¯t mobilize the full force at his disposal to pursue the vile adventurer. Ire to Cain of Ur, the source of it all. ¡°Once again, this is not an order¡­¡± The Captain paused. ¡°Franco is dead,¡± Jarret looked into their eyes, the bond between every guard that they forged under his leadership. The will he found in their gaze made him proud. ¡°Who among you will help avenge him?¡± And so they roared. As one, they roared. Just as his father did, Jarret made them his family, brothers-in-arms. Men and women united by a singular purpose. The loss of one was felt by all. One person had provoked them. As one, they responded. ¡°Onward!¡± Jarret led his men to war. *** ¡°Fuck!¡± Viers was reeling in pain, it felt like someone cut his arm with a sword of fire. In Sigma¡¯s soulspace, Viers was fighting against the system¡¯s defense mechanism. Viers called them drones. They had the shape of a sphere with a center eye as its core. The smallest of them was the size of a basketball while the biggest had a diameter of 3 meters. There were dozens of them and they shot bullets, missiles, and laser beams. Viers found it funny that their ¡®lasers¡¯ were not true lasers. It did not travel at the speed of light. It might even be slower than bullets, just like a Stormtrooper¡¯s blaster. Viers stabbed one of the smaller drones with his sword and it disintegrated into bits of data. Viers had destroyed many but their numbers kept increasing. The soulspace was a grid, the lines emitted dark yellow color. The grid extended as far as the eyes could see as if it was limitless. The sky was jet black and there was a white-shining pillar in the center of the soulspace. Despite the dark space, Viers could see the drones clearly. Fucking system! Viers had to defend himself from their attacks or his soul would be injured. The drones could fly while Viers could not. He was at a disadvantage. He dodged a laser aimed at his head and thrust his sword to the eye of one of the spheres nearby. He jumped before the sphere exploded, landing on the ground after a backflip. Viers created a shield to block a concentrated laser beam from five drones. It held for three seconds before it melted and Viers dodged out of the way not a second too soon. The white pillar was the access-point to Sigma/Renji¡¯s soul. Viers had breached the primary defense system and got inside its defenses, now the system wanted to purge him out. Viers was like a virus that had infiltrated the body. To combat the infection, the body deployed white blood cells to destroy him. White blood cells¡¯ job was to fight infectious disease and foreign invaders, an apt description of the drones. [Malicious intelligence is damaged. Intensifying countermeasures.] ¡°You¡¯re so proactive for a system. Most of your kind are more passive, learn more from your brother and sister!¡± Viers shouted to the sky. They don''t give me the chance to access Sigma. At this rate, let alone soul search him for valuable information, I might actually die from this! Should I back out now? Viers was considering his options while dealing with the drones. ¡°Lord Viers, allow me to help you!¡± ¡°Let me out! I¡¯ll help you deal with those things.¡± Farley and Clarissa¡¯s voices reached him. They were watching via V-stream. I figured it might come to this one day, Viers thought. ¡°Paina?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯ll help too. As much as I can.¡± ¡°Good. Come to me!¡± Viers raised his right hand to the sky. The drones didn¡¯t stay still, they focused their laser beams at Viers. A bridge of rainbow descended from the dark heavens, three women he knew well appeared ready to fight. Viers mimicked the Bifrost so they would appear more dramatic. Like a scene from the movies, they took care of the drones¡¯ attacks with a flourish. They each had their own way of dealing with the lasers. Farley twisted it, Paina curved it, Clarissa burned it. Farley with her spear, Paina held a staff, but Clarissa appeared empty-handed. With Viers¡¯ permission and help, Farley and Paina had the weapons they used when they were still alive but Clarissa said she didn¡¯t need weapons so the lamia appeared empty-handed. Viers only gave Clarissa a glance then returned his eyes to the front, to the drones. He stood on the same line as the girls. This was in Sigma¡¯s soulspace, the domain of the soul. Viers had no problem calling the trio¡¯s soul from inside him. ¡°Who said the power of friendship is exclusive for the good guys? I have it too,¡± Viers gloated. ¡°Friendship, is that what we have?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°Of course, no matter how shallow that friendship is. I never wanted any of you to die.¡± Viers smiled. Except for Farley, when I thought she deceived me. Not anymore of course, Viers added in his head, still smiling. ¡°And you don¡¯t want me to die, so we¡¯re buddies.¡± [Additional malicious entities detected. Allocating more resources for purging.] Viers pointed the tip of his sword to the biggest sphere, behind dozens and dozens of drones. ¡°That is the objective. Get the big one then the other drones should stop.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Paina asked. ¡°It¡¯s a common pattern. That eyeball just screams ¡®boss¡¯ doesn¡¯t it? Let¡¯s go!¡± If this was a manga, Viers imagined this scene would be a two-page spread. Four people against hundreds of black spheres controlled by the system. How cool. Chapter 32 - Water, Water, Fire He always thought that soulspace was a strange place. Perhaps it was just another name for the realm of consciousness. Physics applied but at the same time it did not. If some conditions were met, people could create something out of nothing. And yet he couldn''t simply create an atomic bomb and blast the drones to pieces, invisible rules prevented him from doing so. What about this cybercentric soulspace then? Was this the inside of Sigma¡¯s soul or simply an arena provided by the system? Viers couldn''t find a clear answer but it didn''t matter. His objective didn''t change. They would simply fight on top of this yellow grid arena. Because of his soul affinity, Viers could do more things than others. Most Pathseeker couldn''t ¡®invade¡¯ and ¡®battle¡¯ inside another¡¯s soulspace but he did, and through him, others did too. ¡°Battle Dance, Water Enchantment, Spears of Falling Rain!¡± ¡°Water Shield, Water Sprout, Tidefall!¡± ¡°Fire Hydra, Flare Explosion, Searing Sunray!¡± The girls invoked their Artes, fighting the black drones. Farley was a spear user so she was a melee fighter. Farley evaded the projectiles as if she was dancing, gracefully evading bullets and lasers. Sometimes she evaded them by a mere inch from her skin, half a step to the side, then a somersault like a professional gymnast. She boosted her spear with another Arte before letting loose a flurry of thrusts, annihilating tens of drones in a single go and another dozen the next moment. Paina was a classic mage type, using spells to defeat her enemies from a distance. Her approach was very textbook. Shielding herself from harm first, then an area of 10 meters wide gushed upward as water sprouted like a volcano, enveloping tens of drones. The AoE was a good Arte for disruption and crowd-control but the actual damage was weak so Paina finished them off using a high-pressure hammer of water from above, flattening them to the ground. Clarrisa¡­ at first glance she was a mage type like Paina but to Viers¡¯ eyes, she was something else. She was purely¡­ strong. A gigantic eight-headed beast made of burning bright orange flames wreaked havoc among the drone¡¯s ranks. The hydra seemed impervious from the attacks of the black spheres, each head gave the impression of having a mind of its own and hunted the drones with their mighty jaws. With that move alone Clarissa had destroyed more drones than Farley and Paina combined but she was not done. With the regal poise of a princess, Clarissa snapped her fingers and an area simply exploded. The drones caught inside that area were violently erased by the heat. A mere two Artes took care of the drones protecting the biggest one, the one that Viers said was the one controlling all the smaller drones, and now Clarissa had a clear line of sight to her target. The lamia princess pointed her delicate finger to the biggest drone and a thin line no thicker than her finger pierced through its central eye. Clarissa moved her finger as if making a cross before releasing her Arte. The battlefield was silent. The drones didn''t move and the invaders including Viers looked at Clarissa with awe. There seemed to be nothing wrong with the main drone at first, but it slowly started to split apart. Clarissa had cut it into four pieces using a super high-temperature laser cutter. The part where the drone was cut was like burning metal in a factory. To think¡­ It was to this degree, Viers thought. Clarissa was a Level 5 before she died, her strength at her peak was not something Viers understood. Because he was currently a Level 2, the girls were also only able to use Artes and power to the degree of Level 2, Clarissa was not an exception. Despite that, Clarrisa displayed destructive power and techniques far above Viers and the others could do. This is the skill of someone who has reached the pinnacle of the mortal realm. Viers smiled. He didn''t feel bitter or dejected at all. He was eager for the day he could wield such power himself. ¡°Clarissa, woah.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Amazing¡­ ¡± Paina and Farley were wonderstruck by Clarissa¡¯s strength. Farley was fighting in the thick of it but the hydra and the blast didn''t hurt her in any way, proof of Clarissa¡¯s high degree of control. Clarrisa turned to them with a nervous look. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry guys, I used too much power! Now I made you all look bad¨C It''s just been so long since I have had a chance to battle. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I didn''t mean to flaunt my powerrr,¡± Clarissa apologized profusely. ¡°Not at all. You did great.¡± ¡°Un, we¡¯re on the same side so don''t mind.¡± ¡°Right, we won thanks to you.¡± Viers, Paina, and Farley respectively replied. FHROOOM¨C Like titans manifesting from thin air, three more main spheres appeared. They looked no different than the one Clarissa just destroyed. ¡°Hey! Destroying the main drone didn''t do anything. There are even more of them now!¡± Clarissa was fuming in anger. ¡°I can see that! Sorry girls, my analysis was mistaken,¡± Viers looked bitter by the twist. ¡°Goddess, they make so many drones!¡± ¡°What do we now, Lord Viers?¡± Even Farley had a nervous look. ¡°Plan B. Clear me a path to that white pillar!¡± Viers naturally meant the access point to Sigma''s soul, under the three great drones. With them churning lesser drones like factories, Viers was diving into a sea of enemies. Alone, he wouldn''t make it but he got help. Farley ran beside him, providing much timely assistance in the chaotic melee. Paina stayed behind but she gave buffs to Viers and Farley while disrupting the drones from overwhelming the pair. Clarissa took the role of artillery, potent AoE Artes mowed down throngs of drones, clearing the path for Viers and Farley. We could do it! Viers thought. A drone shot bullets at Viers like an automatic rifle. Viers dodged out of the way and bisected the spheres in two. Viers took a step forward. Another drone launched a missile at Viers. His posture was not ideal so he wouldn''t be able to react but Farley altered the missile¡¯s trajectory using the combination of a water Arte and the softness of her spear movement. Viers took a step forward again. The drones above Viers were preparing to focus fire on Viers. But Clarissa waved her hand and a curtain of fire cleared them all. Viers kept going, getting closer to the white pillar every moment. One of the main drones unleashed a laser beam more powerful than any they had seen so far. Paina gritted her teeth, exerting every power she could muster and created a five-layered shield of water to protect Viers. It wasn''t enough. The beam from a mini Death Star pierced through Paina¡¯s defenses and went straight to Viers¡¯ location, creating a bright explosion as it touched the ground. ¡°Viers!¡± ¡°No!¡± Clarissa and Farley were panic-stricken. Paina fell to her knees, unconscious. She already gave 120% of her effort and overtaxed her soul but even then it wasn''t enough. While all eyes were on the smoking crater, Viers magnificently appeared beside the white pillar as if he was a teleporting Anti-Mage. Trusting your friends is good and all but that is no excuse for sitting back and doing nothing. This might be your arena, system, but this is still a soulspace and I have a soul 5 affinity. Hmph, to take this long to prepare a Blink¡­ I still have a long way to go, Viers thought while being unsatisfied. Seeing Viers was okay brightened the girls¡¯ faces. ¡°You forced me to do this. Die!¡± Viers attacked the pillar with the violent might of a tsunami. *** ¡°Thanks for coming,¡± Jarret shook the hand of a thin man with a thin beard. ¡°I have already deployed my men to encircle the area. Good to see you, J.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the sudden request and thankful for your willingness to provide assistance.¡± ¡°Hey, you were there when things went south for me. I¡¯m glad to be able to repay the favor. Still, we can¡¯t be sure this Cain is still here. He might have already escaped our encirclement,¡± Roy said. ¡°No, he¡¯s still here.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Roy raised an eyebrow. Jarret took out a small globe the size of a fist. ¡°Goodness gracious, is that a divination item?¡± ¡°It is. It can¡¯t pinpoint his exact location but I¡¯m sure he¡¯s still in Coulis Forest.¡± ¡°Mmm, seems so¡± Roy muttered after observing the globe. ¡°But to think you use this kind of one-off magic item for a single no-name adventurer. Are you sure you¡¯re not blowing things out of proportion J? Hell, you even ask to bring as many people that I can spare. What kind of demon are we hunting here?¡± ¡°The worst kind. The kind that goes after his objective no matter the cost, no matter the suffering he inflicts to others,¡± Jarret spoke solemnly. ¡°¡­Then we better catch him soon. Level 1 water Pathseeker, correct?¡± ¡°Yes. His Artes are top class for a Level 1 though. He might be a Level 2 hiding his Level.¡± ¡°With how young you said he is, I doubt that, but I¡¯ll tell the boys for extra precaution. There are forty Level 1s here. With us leading them, this Cain will get the justice he deserves.¡± Roy spoke with the confidence of a Level 2. Chapter 33 - The Battle Begins [Error. Error. Malicious enti¨C enti¨C STOP: 0x010010WK¡­ Host: Error. Data corruption detected. More than 80% of the system¡¯s functions are corrupted.] ¡°Well, that¡¯s that then,¡± Viers observed the aftermath. Other than ending a volatile variable that was Sigma/Renji, Viers also aimed at his system. Viers already had quite an assortment of cheats himself but he wouldn''t say no to another cheat in his arsenal. If Viers could supplant Sigma as the system¡¯s host then wouldn¡¯t his strength rise by leap and bounds? Alas, he failed. With the system¡¯s defensive mechanism effective to that degree, Viers didn''t have the time to perform detailed observation and delicate operation. Viers didn''t forget that his grip on Sigma¡¯s soul was weakening, somehow wriggling out of his hands. By tomorrow, Sigma¡¯s soul would be out of Viers¡¯ reach. Viers was a greedy person. He refused to do anything without some kind of profit and would wring out every value of the defeated to fuel his growth. So rather than letting Sigma¡¯s soul leave scot-free, Viers destroyed Sigma¡¯s ego. It was like making a person brain dead. Now that ¡®Sigma¡¯ was no more, Viers manipulated the empty soul to access the system. Simply put, Viers used a mindless body to access a computer locked by a fingerprint lock. As a result, the otherworlder¡¯s soul was no longer mysteriously slipping away but the system also suffered massive damage. All in all, he took this as a win. Viers had triumphed against a bonafide MC with a cheat. Granted he must be one of the unluckiest MCs ever because he met Viers but victory was victory. Even 80% damaged, a system fell into Viers¡¯ hands A shame Renji¡¯s memories are also gone, I can''t get more info about Earth Alter but you get some you lose some. Well, I¡¯m sure I can find some use for this crippled system. For the time being, the immediate danger has passed. Viers turned around, the girls were waiting while he accessed the white pillar. ¡°It¡¯s done. Considering the circumstances, this is a good result. I thank you girls for the assistance.¡± Farley had a few wounds here and there but nothing serious; she gratefully accepted Viers¡¯ praise. Clarissa looked like a satisfied princess; it must have felt nice to cut loose after years and years of inaction. Paina on the other hand, seemed dejected and gloomy. ¡°Paina, your soul is injured¡­ you tried to draw more power than you can handle. Go get some rest, you deserve it, all of you.¡± ¡°But Viers, I-¡± ¡°It''s fine. You''ve done your best. All of us can see that,¡± Viers tried to soothe her. The raven-haired girl looked unconvinced but Farley came to the rescue. ¡°Paina, don''t mind.¡± Farley cheerfully said, injecting her with positivity. During the battle, she contributed the least and she¡¯s the weakest. Paina must have realized that¡­ In this kind of situation, a friend¡¯s words are needed. I¡¯m counting on you Farley. Viers teleported with the girls to the White Flowers Meadow. This was their home now, after such a battle, Viers saw that the girls looked more relaxed upon their return here. ¡°I know it''s too soon to be asking but how¡¯s the progress about that Arte you mentioned?¡± Viers conversed with Clarissa who was back in the golden birdcage. ¡°Nowhere close,¡± the dark brown haired lamia princess shook her head. ¡°After Wisdom Snake¡¯s Unveiling Gaze, or Euryale Sight as you call it, I still need a lot of time to compile another Arte. It won''t be ready anytime soon.¡± ¡°I thought as much¡­ I have to go. We¡¯re not in the clear yet. Later girls, enjoy your pajama party.¡± The girls saw him off as usual, but this time Clarissa waved him a goodbye. She¡¯s beaming¡­ the princess must be really happy blowing things up, Viers made half a smile before he logged out. *** The earlier conversation with Clarissa was about his next ancient Arte. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. After Euryale Sight, naturally Viers wanted more Arte from the Age of the Gods buried inside the Lamia Queen¡¯s mind which only Clarissa could excavate. He was torn between what kind of Arte he should choose. Euryale Sight covered his weakness in the investigation departement so he wanted another skill to bolster his versatility. Viers still didn''t choose an attack type Arte for his second inquiry. Rather than more destructive power, he preferred to have something lasting for long-run survivability. He knew full well that many problems couldn''t be solved with firepower alone. My survival is more important than the death of my enemies. What is their death¡¯s value compared to my life? In the end, Viers narrowed down what he wanted to two. The first option was a stealth or speed Arte. The benefits were without saying, he could run or hide from enemies he couldn''t beat yet. Besides, his movement type Arte was starting to feel lacking now. Rapid Water Steps was a very elementary water attribute Arte, it raised his movement speed and agility for a short period of time. Viers so far coped by casting that Arte multiple times to raise its effect but it had diminishing returns after the sixth multiplication. The second option was an appearance-changing Arte. Viers would be a criminal in the future; his villainous way of life practically assured him of that. There was no need to mention the future, Viers was already being hunted down because of his identity as a survivor from Luxore town alone. Perhaps someone would recognize his face when he simply walked on the streets. If he could change his face then such a thing would not be a problem. It would be very useful for infiltration and spy missions too, a very useful ability to have. Whether stealth or appearance-changing Arte, both are actually a quite common ability for xianxia novels MC to have. Viers realized he was in a world very similar to those xianxia novels. With the Fables in his head, he had no shame of using those MCs as a reference. Viers was standing on the shoulders of giants. Ultimately, he chose the second option, appearance-changing Arte. How ironic Viers really became a wanted man as soon as he left Mokash town. But the Arte was not ready and so Viers landed in this situation. Viers opened his eyes in the real world. The outside was dark now, his struggle with Sigma¡¯s system lasted more than five hours. So tired¡­ I¡¯m exhausted in mind and body. Let''s check the situation first before hitting the bed. Euryale Sight! Viers went out from the bandit¡¯s hideout and climbed to an elevated place, he observed his surroundings using his super eyes. Five¡­ Ten¡­ Twenty¡­ Forty¡­ About forty people. Jarret must be hard at work. It occurred to him to try slipping through their net now but Viers was too tired. They are all still far, I have time although not much. I¡¯ll sleep for a few hours then make my move early in the morning. Also¡­ 42.39% huh? Not bad. With the healing factor, Viers was rarely exhausted to this degree. He destroyed Sigma''s head thoroughly then he went to bed. Viers fell asleep seconds after hitting the pillow. Bandit Romell¡¯s bed was very comfy. *** A man opened his mouth widely, yawning. He also scrubbed his eye because of the sleepiness that made his eyelids heavy. The night was cold and hours of search didn''t bear fruit. Tiredly, the man looked at his pocket watch. It was almost 4 o¡¯clock in the morning, not even first light yet. ¡°Hey, focus on the job. You want to die?¡± A nervous-looking teenager berated his sleepy-looking friend. ¡°Piss off, Liam. We haven''t got any rest since yesterday. Is the guy we¡¯re looking for still here? There might be forty of us but he might have slipped away already.¡± ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case,¡± Liam said in a small voice, looking left and right in a twitchy manner. ¡°What, you¡¯re afraid?¡± The sleepy man mocked. ¡°Use your common sense, doofus. You and I are Level 0. If he appears before us, you think we have a chance?¡± ¡°Relax, squad leader Tomburn is with us. We just need to back him up when this Cain fellow shows up. IF he shows up. Ain¡¯t that right leader?¡± No answer. ¡°Leader?¡± the sleepy man looked to his left, where Tomburn should be. Nothing, not even Tomburn¡¯s shadow. A sound from his right, the sound of something falling. The sleepy man turned his head as quickly as possible. A faint creeping terror welled up from the pit of his stomach. He saw Liam lying on the ground. Eyes opened, neck bloody. ¡°Eeek!¡± His eyes bulged at the sight and a nervous gasp escaped his lips. His sleepiness faded like a drop of water in a desert. Crack. Was something broken now? The man wondered. Why is everything upside down? Wait, why am I falling face-first to the ground? Darkness. While he was in the dark, he felt someone moved him somewhere. Ah, sleep at last. How peaceful. The sleepy man felt content. *** Viers was absorbing the souls of three people he''d just stealth-killed. Their souls were part of the loot to Viers. Naturally, he would collect them. The Level 1, he assassinated while hiding from a bush. In one practiced move, the victim¡¯s body also went into the bush after Viers was done with him. The two Level 0 after that were easy. A clean slit to the throat for the first and a 180-degree neck twist for the second. Killing Spree. Triple Kill! Viers heard the announcer¡¯s voice in his head and went towards the next group of people under the cover of darkness. Ready yourself Radiant heroes. A single Scourge hero is coming to kill you. Chapter 34 - Kill Streak Dominating! Viers killed his fourth victim, a man with a big helmet. He was in the middle of doing ¡®number one¡¯. Viers didn''t even have the honor to uphold the sanctity of bathroom break. A flash of light came from the body and went up to the heavens. A firework brightened up the night sky. It was like a star shell right above Viers¡¯ position. Did I trigger something? Viers was being very careful but his cover was now blown. ¡°Guys, over here!¡± The forest was dark and misty but the star shell was no common flare; it did more than simply lighting up the area. Viers was detected and sighted by his pursuers. Viers looked to the Level 0 youth who shouted about fifteen meters away. When the youth met the eyes behind Viers¡¯ masked face, he knew he screwed up. Viers was looking at him like a hungry lion looking at a lone baby zebra. ¡°AAAHHHH! HEEEEELP!!¡± The lion naturally aimed for the baby zebra¡¯s jugular. The boy ran away with all his might but his speed was no match for Viers. A Hannya-masked man stabbed the boy through the heart from behind. Idiot. You should think before you shout. Viers commented while absorbing his soul. The boy might be an idiot but his soul might be of some use to Viers. A flash of thought passed through Viers¡¯ mind. If the boy knelt down and obediently surrendered, would he kill him still? Viers leaned on letting him live, but only if he was really sincere and letting him live did not result in him biting Viers back in the ass someday. Shame he chose his actions poorly in front of Viers and lost his life because of a lack of wisdom. Mega Kill. The reliable announcer announced his victory over another Radiant hero. This only happened in Viers¡¯ head. ¡°There! Someone''s already down!¡± ¡°Get him!¡± ¡°Set a perimeter around him, don''t let the bastard get away!¡± With the star shell marking him, people originally scattered all around the forest started to converge. After his Mega Kill, Viers picked up movement from all around him. The silent forest was suddenly bursting with activity. Rapid Water Steps! Unwilling to let himself encircled, Viers aimed for a single point breakthrough. He chose one direction and dashed. Three people barred his path. A quick glance and Viers saw two Level 1 and a Level 0. Viers didn¡¯t fear them. Onward! ¡°He¡¯s coming here!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold him off. Arrey, do your thing. Kit, back me up!¡± The Level 1 young woman directed her team. ¡°Water Discs!¡± The woman threw a pair of flat water discs from her hands. The Arte moved like chakrams. The Level 0 was preparing his Arte. ¡°Hmph!¡± Viers parried one disc and it veered to the side, slicing a tree down. The other one Viers cut right in the middle using his sword and then the sword absorbed the water. Viers¡¯ sword had the ability to absorb water. All his water Arte got a boost of effectiveness because he pulled out water from his sword from time to time. He wouldn¡¯t say no to an opportunity to replenish his water container sword. ¡°What the!?¡± The woman showed a face of disbelief. Like a swooping falcon, Viers appeared in front of the woman, blade overhead, ready to swing down and end a life. I¡¯ll be killed!! Viers radiated thick killing intent, the woman saw her life flashing before her eyes. ¡°Hrgh!?¡± Viers suddenly had a severe headache. His swing was off the mark, the woman was slashed on her torso. A lot of blood was splashed but it wasn¡¯t a fatal injury. It could still be if she wasn¡¯t treated immediately. ¡°Yuli! You bastard!!¡± Arrey angrily shouted. What the fuck happened? Was it him? D- i- e-, y- o- u- Viers'' body somehow moved slowly, just like his thoughts. ¡°Fireball!¡± A blast of fire hit Viers from the back, it was the Level 0 Kit. ¡°I did it! I hit-¡± ¡°RUUAAHHH!¡± Viers roared, exploding his Victa full-force, expelling the foreign sensation. The trio got blown away by the shockwave as Viers exerted his Level 2 might. Stolen story; please report. My mind was slowed? Shit!! The woman was half dead and a water user. The Level 0 was a fire user, the remaining suspect was the Level 1 guy, Arrey. Water Moon Fang! Viers wasted no time releasing a killing blow. Arrey was still groggy after being blown away, he raised his head and a slash of flying water blade went through his head. The last thing Arrey saw was the sight of the masked Viers colored with blood, his very own blood. Unstoppable! Viers absorbed his soul then- ¡°Baltoreas Wind Arrow!!¡± For the first time tonight, Viers felt a sense of crisis. From the darkness of the forest, an arrow aimed towards his heart was coming with the force of a whirlwind. FUCK! I¡¯ve got to dod- His thought and body reaction was not quick enough. The arrow hit his left shoulder despite his effort to evade. The wind arrow was buried on Viers¡¯ left shoulder. ¡°Aaargh!¡± Viers¡¯ face was filled with pain. He got blasted to a tree by the force of the arrow, breaking a tree trunk in the process. ¡°For Mister Arrey and Miss Yu-¡± Kit bravely approached the fallen Viers for the sake of his friends, brandishing his sword to deliver the finishing blow. ¡°SHUT THE FUCK UP!¡± Viers gave Kit an uppercut at his chin, throwing him five meters backward. Five teeth were broken. ¡°Huff, huff¡­ Shit,¡± Viers cursed as he pulled the arrow out. ¡°Pain Tolerance,¡± Viers cast an Arte very useful for this situation. Urgh, much better¡­ Eh? He wasn¡¯t dead? Viers saw Kit still moving from where he was standing. He was forced to let go of his sword when he got shot earlier so he used an uppercut with his bare hands. ¡°You!¡± Viers heard an angry voice. A Level 2! Not Jarret. Was he the one that shot the arrow? Viers immediately stood up, took his fallen sword then ran away to the darkness. ¡°Coward! Fight me with honor!¡± Roy shouted. To hell with honor, Viers naturally kept running. Roy felt something strange, his Arte didn¡¯t kill Cain! Baltoreas Wind Arrow Arte that he put his utmost confidence in didn¡¯t kill a measly Level 1 adventurer. Did he really hide his Level? Roy thought while he pursued. After a while, Roy lost Cain¡¯s tracks. ¡°Where did he go? Searching Wind!¡± A gust of gentle wind blew outward but even with that Roy didn¡¯t find Cain. ¡°Captain Roy!¡± His men approached him. ¡°He¡¯s still around here, search him!¡± *** Viers had escaped the pursuit of the Level 2. Thankfully I now have this stealth Arte, very practical. Aqua Regen. After escaping from immediate danger, Viers applied a healing Arte to mend his wound. He might have a healing factor but it wasn¡¯t as good as Wolverine¡¯s yet, Water Regen Arte would speed up his regeneration. Water and earth attributes are suitable for healing, nice to have. As a downside, the attack department is lacking compared to other attributes¡­ Hm, the healing is slower than usual. That Level 2 is quite good, I¡¯ll create chaos a bit more before the final act. The guards now knew Cain was actually adept at hiding. They faced a dilemma, to find Cain in such a wide area with lots of places to hide they had to split up but if they did that Cain would decimate them one group at a time. The only ones that had a chance were the Level 2s but they were only two people. ¡°¡­And where the fuck is Jarret?¡± Roy irately said. He didn¡¯t see Jarret since they split up at the start. ¡°AAAHHH!¡± Roy heard another scream from a distance and another star shell lit up. ¡°BEEEEN!!¡± ¡°DON¡¯T COME HERE! DON¡¯T COMEEE!!¡± Another screams from the forest depths. ¡°Fuck! Are we hunting him or is he hunting us? All of you, get into a group of ten. No more splitting up. Treat Cain as a Level 2 threat!¡± Roy gave his order and ran to the source of the screams. He didn¡¯t find Cain, only four fallen bodies. Roy grimaced and checked one of the bodies. ¡°Hey, all you alright? Help¡¯s on the way.¡± He turned the body that lay with his face to the ground upward. ¡°Eh?¡± BOOOOOM!!! Roy was engulfed in an explosive situation. *** A little while ago, after Viers escaped Roy and gave himself first aid. Wicked Sick! Viers ambushed a party of four. Viers stabbed the first one in her throat from behind. He wasn''t noticed at first but another star shell shot upwards from the woman''s body, telling everyone someone had fallen. How annoying. At least not everyone has that star shell. ¡°Amari!¡± Her companion threw a stone blast at Viers but he used Amari¡¯s body as a human shield. The sight of Amari¡¯s body pulverized by his own Arte made the man frozen for a second. Viers used that opening to hide once again. ¡°Fuck!¡± ¡°There!¡± A masked man appeared not far from them. ¡°Earth Blast!¡± ¡°Thunderbolt!¡± The two of them fired at the masked visage with their maximum firepower. ¡°AAAHHH!¡± The masked man became a splash of water and broke apart. While their earth and lightning Artes hit their own friend behind the water decoy. ¡°Oh fuck!¡± ¡°BEEEEN!!¡± M-m-m-m-monsterkill! Double Kill. ¡°That¡¯s only a water clone,¡± Viers whispered from behind the one releasing a thunder Arte. After opening his throat with a knife and draining his soul. GODLIKE! Triple Kill! ¡°DON¡¯T COME HERE! DON¡¯T COMEEE!!¡± The only one remaining had his resolve tested and he failed. He¡¯d fallen into madness. The human mind¡ªfragile like a robin¡¯s egg. Viers dodged his unfocused Arte attacks from the front and inserted his sword into the man¡¯s heart three times. Viers is Beyond GODLIKE, someone kill them!! HOLY SHIT! Ultra Kill! Done! That should be enough chaos. Ten lives were taken in one life, a true kill streak! Of course, if Viers really counted how many kills he had since his reincarnation then the announcer would say holy shit all the time but Viers was a sporting man. This was a fresh match so the count started at zero. The rank and file should be too scared for coming after me. Only the Level 2 would have the confidence to come after me, sooo- Viers booby-trapped one of the bodies. It was a bomb made from the monster core of a Rank 2 fire monster that he got from way back, from his cultist days. I hope it will get one of the Level 2. Viers enacted his final act, and that was ''quitting while ahead''. He sunk back into the darkness, leaving the forest. When he heard the sound of a bomb going off, Viers smiled. Rampage? Chapter 35 - Law The sun¡¯s light was starting to chase away night¡¯s darkness but the forest still provided ample cover because of the foliages and mists. Leaving the scene of the battle, Viers strode away. If a normal human was standing five meters away and looking right at him now, they would only see a vague blur in their vision. Arte ¡ª Fade in Shadow. Viers used this Arte a few times in the earlier battle and now he used it to escape. Viers got this Arte from Demetrus¡¯ memory, this Arte made the user invisible. Not simple obscuration of form either, Fade in Shadow reduced sounds of breathing and footsteps and raised movement speed. The first attack when breaking invisibility would be infused with the dark energy that was making the user invisible, forcefully injecting the victim with magical damage. The stronger the invisibility, the higher the damage. In short¡­ a certain scarab¡¯s ultimate move? Hehehhe ahaha Nyx, Nyx, Nyx, Nyx! Viers laughed in a very particular way. Should I change this Arte name to Vendetta? Viers had such thoughts when he first acquired this Arte. In the end, he decided to keep using the original name. Fade in Shadow Arte was aptly named, the user first faded into shadows before it was the victim¡¯s turn to sink into the dark maw of death. The strength and complexity of invisibility depend on a lot of factors such as the Level of the user. This is a non-attribute Arte so every Pathseeker can use it no matter their affinity but from Demetrus¡¯ memory, this Arte¡¯s effectiveness increased exponentially when used by dark, shadow, and space Pathseeker. I¡¯m not any of them so it would have to do. This Arte was the trademark of the assassins guild, which was also a devil¡¯s cult so how could it be weak? The true assassins from the guild were famous for slipping into places unseen and killing their target like ghosts. They had been around for thousands of years, cementing their sky-high reputation with the skulls of the fallen. One of the reasons for their dreadful notoriety was the Arte Fade in Shadow. Which Viers now stole. Soul-fuckin¡¯-search! This was a staple technique in xianxia novels but it has so much more potential. Can extract true information from the living and the dead? Every intelligence agency in modern Earth would literally sell their soul to have agents with this ability. Viers went east, where the sun¡¯s rays shone upon him. The only way to leave the Coulis Forest was through a narrow path, tall rock cliffs on the path¡¯s left and right. Only one carriage might pass through one at a time. Jarret was standing right in the middle of the entrance like a stone guardian. Fully clad in armor, a broadsword was planted in front of him. Well¡­ shit. So even with all that, I can¡¯t avoid the boss fight. Now it¡¯s up to my strength to carve open a path. As it got brighter, Fade in Shadow¡¯s effect began to decrease. A user at higher mastery might overcome this negative trait but not the current Viers. He didn''t find any way around and the only way forward was guarded, so be it. He dispelled his invisibility and slowly walked towards Jarret. ¡°...How many did you kill?¡± ¡°If you care about them so much, why bring them here?¡± Viers chided, dropping his backpack nearby. ¡°For justice.¡± Jarret¡¯s voice was pained but resolute. "Justice... What a funny way of saying vengeance,¡± Viers smiled behind his mask. ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Jarret scowled. ¡°Cain of Ur, by the powers granted to me by the law of Osemore town, as the Captain of the town guards I charge you guilty of illegal entry, resisting arrest, and mass murder. If you surrender peacefully, you will be given a proper trial before your sentence. What say you?¡± For several seconds VIers didn''t believe what he was hearing. This Jarret guy wanted to arrest him? ¡°...Are you an idiot?¡± Jarret pulled his sword from the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a refusal,¡± Jarret made a stance. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°It seems you didn''t hear me clearly the last time. I warned you. Don¡¯t push it. Don¡¯t push it, or I¡¯ll give you a war you won¡¯t believe.¡± Viers unsheathed his sword as he made a stance of his own. The left side of his body and left foot forward, both hands on the hilt of the sword, slowly raising it to eye level while keeping the sword pointed to the enemy. Knees bent slightly to make the center of gravity lower. Viers hunched a bit to be able to dash with the highest efficiency. ¡°I drew first blood. You spilled the rest.¡± Viers coldly said. ¡°...I have never met a person as selfish as you. Talking is useless, receive your comeuppance!¡± Jarret charged. ¡°The only law out here is the law of the jungle! The weak perish! Haaahh!¡± Viers slashed with all his strength. Sword met sword, steel met steel, force met force, will met will. *** Jarret¡¯s father was an honorable man. He was the Captain of the town guards. Strong, dutiful, honest, just, loved by his subordinates and the populace. That honorable man raised his son to be honorable too. When he was little, Jarret asked his father a question. ¡°Father, why did you become a guard? Why not become the mayor or become the king? You definitely can do it if you want.¡± Jarret¡¯s father replied to his son¡¯s innocent question. ¡°Son, I have lived all my life in this town. This is home. I live a good life. I have a family I love so much. A good neighbor, a good town, good subordinates. The world might be large but to me, this is a slice of paradise, the place where I belong.¡± His father put his big palm on Jarret¡¯s head, stroking his hair with a calloused hand. ¡°The foundation of this is the law. The rules that bind us all together equally. A just law will make lives better. My life, uncle Hugh¡¯s life, neighbor Moli¡¯s life, you and your sister¡¯s life too. That¡¯s why I choose to become a guard, son. To protect the law and all of you.¡± Jarret etched his father¡¯s words deep into his heart. A few years later, his father died of sickness, leaving Jarret and Kate alone in the world. In the years after that, the public order of Osemore declined rapidly. Corrupt town officials raising taxes for their own greed and burdening the masses which turned to stealing and banditry. Jarret saw the legacy of his father crumble and how true his father¡¯s words were. ¡°If I do not uphold the law, who will?¡± ¡°If I do not protect the town, who will?¡± ¡°To stay true to yourself, to make the difficult choices for the good of the many¡­ That, my son, is called integrity.¡± With difficulty, Jarret joined the town guards and swiftly rose to the rank of Captain, the same rank as his father. He rebuilt the organization and returned order to Osemore. He was young, only in his twenties but his power, leadership, and just actions gained him respect from many. Years of peace followed, reinforcing his beliefs. Until Cain came. For the first time, he had met an adversary with utter disregard of the law. He was also as cunning as a fox and an honorless coward, always aiming at the weaker ones. Viers even had the gall to tell Jarret that he was the law to his face. Humiliation, pain, regret, hastiness, and¡­ the burning feeling of unacceptableness in his heart. For law, for justice, Jarret convinced himself as he led the men to hunt down Cain. With how young Cain was, he truly didn''t believe Cain would possess the strength similar to him, someone ten years older. Roy and forty men would capture Cain hiding in the forest, exposing the hidden snake. He was only afraid Cain would somehow slip out from the encirclement. That was why he stood guard here, at the only path east. Cain came from Mokash town in the west, it was only logical his destination would be the east. He knew Cain was stronger than he thought when he saw the light signal on the dark sky. It meant someone had died. Since Sigma already cleared Coulis Forest of monsters then only one person could be responsible for the act. When Jarret laid eyes on Cain, walking leisurely towards him, it took all he had to control his temper. Against the encirclement of forty men and Roy, he''d only got a minor injury on the left shoulder. Jarret blamed himself for underestimating Cain and his men had paid the price, the ultimate price. Still, he convinced himself he was doing this for the right thing. To uphold the law, for justice. "Justice... What a funny way of saying vengeance.¡± That reply cut Jarret to the bone. But it didn''t matter. Nothing was more important than defeating this outlaw. He must face trial and be given a just sentence for his wrongdoings. It was the only way he could repay the fallen. Jarret¡¯s broadsword met Cain¡¯s blue colored one-handed sword. Cain¡¯s sword got blown away and Jarret delivered a front kick to Cain¡¯s chest. Jarret felt his kick crack Cain¡¯s ribs. *** ¡°Keee-¡± Two people were riding horses on a dark road. All of a sudden, a white eagle landed on the shoulder of one of them. ¡°Albus Eagle, how rare.¡± The old man took a message tied to the bird¡¯s foot. Albus Eagle. It''s only used to deliver messages of utmost importance by the church¡¯s higher-ups. What could have happened? Freya wondered. Her master read the message intently then it burst into flames until nothing remained. ¡°Master?¡± The old man raised his hand and both of them flew to the sky, leaving the horses. ¡°The Interpreter of Fate has spoken. You¡¯re needed immediately,¡± the old man spoke. ¡°Eh? Where are we going?¡± Freya asked. ¡°Osemore.¡± Chapter 36 - Finisher Clang! What the hell!? So much force!! Viers didn''t expect Jarret¡¯s strike would overpower his own so greatly. Gritting his teeth, Viers managed to avoid the broadsword¡¯s path and successfully evaded the first strike. But the hasty evasion made his posture thrown out of order and Jarret kicked him on the chest. ¡°Megaton Kick!¡± Viers conjured a water barrier by reflex, a feat that saved a great chunk of his HP. Using his left hand, Viers pulled a knife with a magma-like blade and jammed it into the knee, at the joint of Jarret¡¯s armor. It¡¯s harder than I thought! Viers expected to make Jarret¡¯s knee severely injured but Jarret seemed fine. Viers curbed the pain of cracked ribs by using Pain Tolerance Arte once again. ¡°Your aura¡­ you truly are a Level 2. So young and already on that Level, impressive. Horisso Rhino Strike!¡± Jarret charged at Viers like a rhino, his broadsword was like a rhino¡¯s horn. The Victa put into the attack was incredible, the tip of the sword was glowing with metallic gray light. Water Sleet! Unlike the other people, Viers didn¡¯t shout the name of his Arte while releasing it. ¡°Gah!?¡± Jarret slipped because his footing suddenly turned wet and slippery. Viers reposed Jarret¡¯s superior Arte and momentum by using a tiny bit of terrain adjustment. Cut the Crap! Viers swept his sword to the fallen Jarret¡¯s neck without hesitation. Striking an enemy when they were down! Clang! Instead of seeing a splash of red, Viers heard the sound of metal hitting metal. Viers felt the sensation of hitting a metal telephone pole on his sword arm. ¡°Porcupine Form!¡± All the metal on Jarret¡¯s person changed shape into sharp needles 30 centimeters long. Viers was forced to jump back and he dashed towards the narrow passage. Viers was running away! Power, speed, endurance, skill, he¡¯s harder to kill than I thought. The wiser action here would be to leave him in the dust. ¡°I knew you would do that, Iron Cage of Honor!¡± Metal bars rose from the ground, entrapping Viers and Jarret in a cube of metal. The length and width were ten meters and the cage prevented anyone caught inside from climbing over it. WWE¡¯s steel cage? Shit! ¡°I have been preparing this Arte for hours. Now you won¡¯t be able to get away. And reinforcements are coming. As long as I keep you here, my victory is assu-¡± ¡°Cut the Crap!¡± Viers attacked him midsentence, he had no patience of listening to his bullshit while he was on the clock. Viers slashed Jarret¡¯s neck once again, at the same spot from earlier. This time, there was a chink on the metal. Juggernaut Armor was damaged? I really can¡¯t underestimate him. I must go all out! Jarret didn¡¯t expect a water Pathseeker which wasn¡¯t known for their attack power would be able to pierce his defenses but the fact showed otherwise. ¡°Iron King¡¯s Valor!!¡± Jarret¡¯s power and speed went up a notch, suddenly unleashing an upward rising slash. Fast! With a hair¡¯s breadth, Viers dodged. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Tluk. But his Hannya mask was cut at the string, dropping to the ground. ¡°Only a coward hides behind a mask,¡± Jarret said. Viers¡¯ eyes turned sharp, like a lion challenging a tiger. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯ll soon be dead,¡± he replied. They both resumed their dance of death. In a cage of metal, both men clashed blades. Sparks of fire were created when they traded blow by blow with their weapons. Fast yet delicate footwork as they traversed the limited space to achieve superiority against their opponent. Each side threw magical Artes into the mix, making the chaotic situation more unpredictable. A single mistake would be fatal. In the beginning, they were about even but the balance didn¡¯t last long. Jarret slowly achieved dominance over the other, because of Iron King¡¯s Valor Arte. Pathseekers raised their physical capability by coursing Victa to their body. Iron King¡¯s Valor was a technique a step above that. It was a body strengthening Arte, which Viers didn¡¯t have. He didn¡¯t have the time! Viers was currently on the run and there were so many things Viers had to do. Viers wasn¡¯t superhuman, his time and energy were limited so he had to make a judgement call on what he should prioritize. Creating a water body strengthening Arte was not at the top of his list. In addition of body strengthening, was metal Artes durability. Combined, a straight-up battle was very disadvantageous for Viers. His water Artes couldn¡¯t really pierce Jarret¡¯s defenses. Fuck! So hard! It¡¯s like hitting a rock with bare hands. I¡¯m really at an elemental disadvantage here. Viers realized he was on the back foot. In other stories, against hard opponents like these, water users would use a water cutter technique. A high-pressure stream of water that able to cut diamond¡­ but I can¡¯t do it yet! Viers knew the theory but to put it into practice was another thing entirely. First, there was no body of water in the vicinity, limiting his options. His sword contained water but the amount was not much, about two barrels tops, which kept dwindling as he used them to empower his Arte during the fight. Second, Viers simply didn¡¯t have the skill to create a water jet cutter at the moment. Clang! Viers lost his sword, blew away by Jarret''s strong strikes. His hand was numb from parrying too many of Jarret¡¯s attacks. This is the end!! Jarret was convinced of his victory. A powerful head-butt hit Jarret on the nose. Viers was bleeding from the forehead instead of Jarret. Iron King¡¯s Valor also provided the user¡¯s body the hardness of metal. ¡°It¡¯s useless,¡± Jarret taunted. ¡°So what?¡± Viers gave a stronger head-butt. Again, and again, and again. Viers didn¡¯t stop even after his face was covered by a great amount of blood. Defying all expectations, Viers used his flesh and blood to hit the metal face of Jarret¡¯s. Viers¡¯ head-butts weren¡¯t useless, Jarret was reeling. Amazing will and drive. His battle sense is incredible, combined with that ruthlessness of his, truly a formidable opponent¡­ but I will be the winner! ¡°Megaton Strike!¡± Jarret countered with a head-butt of his own. The strike made Viers¡¯ vision spin. They were grappling at close-range, Jarret big broadsword was unsuitable at such range so he abandoned it. Both hands free, Jarret placed them on the outlaw¡¯s neck as he drove Viers to the cage¡¯s metal bars. ¡°Khhhkh!¡± Viers¡¯ back was hurting. Jarret tightened his grip on Viers¡¯ neck. The thought of capturing him alive was no longer in Jarret¡¯s mind. He was intending to choke Viers to death. Viers tried to break free, hitting Jarret¡¯s arms from above but Jarret was stronger than Viers. Despite both of them using Level 2 Victa, Viers was at the losing end. There were three reasons for this. The first was Jarret was physically stronger than Viers. The second was despite similarly being a Level 2, Jarret progressed further as a Pathseeker than the newly advanced Viers. The third was Jarret used a body strengthening Arte while Viers did not. Don¡¯t fuck with me!!! Viers jammed his left hand¡¯s index and middle finger on Jarret¡¯s right eye. ¡°CAAAAAAAAIIIN!!¡± Arte ¡ª Metalgigas Slam. With a primal and pain-filled roar, Jarret smashed Viers to the solid ground whilst still choking him. The force was so great it made a deep crater. ¡°Ghakh...¡± Viers coughed blood. His inner organs were injured. Jarret wasn''t letting up; he raised his metal right fist, ready to send it down to Viers¡¯ face. Blood streaming down from his right eye. The look on his steel face was of focused hate. ¡°For Franc-¡± ¡°Shut the fuck up and die!¡± Blood covering most of his face, Viers¡¯ expression was no less intense. But his was not of hate, it was the expression of a deep calculating predator from the netherworld. When the first syllable entered Jarret¡¯s ears, Viers already invoked his Arte. His first self-created soul attribute Arte. Viers made a rectangle with his thumb and index finger on both hands. Viers peered from the other side of that metaphorical lens and unleashed might! Arte ¡ª Fatal Soulframe First Form: Horror! Jarret was blinded, engulfed by a flash of brilliant white light. ¡°UUUAAAAAAHHHHH!!!¡± Jarret''s earlier scream was because the pain of the body, now was the pain of the soul. The latter was far, far, more excruciating. The metal Pathseeker fell backward, unconscious. His eyes were wide open, showing only whites. A single photo fell to the ground while Viers was coughing, desperate for air. What a strong bastard¡­ Viers was taking a few seconds to catch his breath. He wanted to move immediately but his body wouldn¡¯t listen to him. Lying on the ground, Viers saw the cage of iron was dissolving because Jarret was unconscious. He¡¯s¡­ still alive. Viers was struggling to get back on his feet when he heard the sound of other people. Huff, huff, reinforcements? I¡¯ve got to run! Urh¡­ Viers took his sword, mask, backpack, and that photo before limply moving through the narrow pass. ¡°Look! That¡¯s Captain Jarret!¡± ¡°He¡¯s still alive!¡± ¡°Give Jarret some healing. The rest of you, go after Cain. He must be injured after fighting Jarret,¡± Roy led a dozen men through the pass. Cain was nowhere in sight, not even his shadow. A red sun had risen, as if signaling their defeat. Chapter 37 - Dread It, Run From It, Destiny Still Arrives Jarret was in a strange place. A dark place without any light. ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an idiot.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± He looked behind him and saw Franco. Without arms. ¡°Look at me! I became a cripple because of you, I am dead because of you!¡± ¡°No, no, I-¡± Jarret took a step back. ¡°Worthless brother. You can¡¯t even catch a single criminal. Father would be ashamed to even look at you now.¡± ¡°Ah!?¡± He turned again, this time he saw Kate. His sister was looking at him with unbridled hate. ¡°You failed to avenge Sigma. You failed to protect your men. You failed to uphold the law. You. Just. Keep. Failing!¡± ¡°Nonono! I-I did my best!¡± ¡°I told you not to do this, Jarret. Look at what you have done. You said this is for justice? What a joke, phuih!¡± Roger spat to his feet. ¡°Captain Heskins, I joined the town guard because I adored you, sir!¡± Tomburn said with a sword impaling his chest. ¡°Cap Heskins, I do not fall asleep on the job! Not at all sir, I was just resting my eyes,¡± a sleepy-looking man said. His head was twisted upside and down. ¡°Captain¡­ You said you would protect us¡­ You lied. Who¡¯s gonna take care of my sick mother now?¡± Liam sadly said while blood flowed from the slit on his neck. ¡°You guys¡­ no, no way. This isn''t real!¡± ¡°Hey big shot. I¡¯m from Motipa town. Now I¡¯m dead because of you. Happy?¡± A man with a big helmet said. Yuli, Arrey, Amari, Ben, the earth and thunder duo; people suddenly kept appearing from outside his field of vision, encircling him, each with their own deadly injury. The walking dead approached one step at a time. Jarret fell to his knees. He had the expression of a frightened child. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯msorryI¡¯msorry. Forgive me¡­ I-I didn''t mean any of this to happen¡­¡± He cupped his face with his hands, too afraid of looking at his mistakes. ¡°Son,¡± a gentle voice came from in front of him. Jarret lifted his face up and saw his father. ¡°...What a disappointment you are.¡± ¡°NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡± Flames. Flames were burning the dark world. Enveloping Jarret and the others in an inferno. Jarret screamed while his soul was set ablaze. *** Kate put a wet towel on her brother¡¯s forehead. Her brother¡¯s right eye was covered with bandages. The healers said the eye was lost for good. ¡°Jarret...¡± she said worriedly. After the battle, the guard brought Jarret back to Osemore. Except for the eye, Jarret seemed to suffer only minor injuries but he wouldn¡¯t wake up; he flailed around in pain as if suffering from a nightmare. The best healers couldn''t find anything wrong with him. They came to a conclusion that this must be the effect of Cain¡¯s Arte. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ It''s because I said that. Please O Goddess, let my brother live. Don''t take him away.¡± Besides Kate, there were many people in the infirmary. They were all concerned about Jarret. Suddenly, Jarret opened his one remaining eye, screaming. ¡°NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡± ¡°Brother! Are you okay?¡± ¡°It burns! It buuurns!! Aaaahh!¡± Jaret trashed around as if his body was on fire. ¡°Master healers, please!¡± ¡°Step aside missy,¡± a few healers examined Jarret immediately¡­ but they still could not find anything wrong with him. Their healing Artes didn''t seem to have any effect. The sight of his brother in pain, the only family she had left, brought excruciating agony to her heart. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Everyone in the room looked helpless, even the healers. Jarret was enduring something painful but there was nothing they could do to help. ¡°O Goddess, Radiant Lady, please help my brother. Someone, anyone, PLEASE SAVE HIM!¡± Kate prayed with all her heart. Blam! Someone entered the room after opening the door forcefully. Everybody turned their heads. A girl dashed towards the screaming Jarret and bloomed with light. ¡°Angel¡¯s Touch!¡± The room was bathed in warm golden light. Soothing¡­ sublime¡­ holy. Some Pathseekers with sharp eyes saw the silhouette of a pair of angelic wings on the girl¡¯s back. Seconds later, Jarret started to calm down and lost consciousness again. This time, he looked calm and peaceful. ¡°Pheew¡­ Master Gregory,¡± the young woman that just saved Jarret spoke to the old man who just entered the room with slow steps. ¡°Mmm,¡± he nodded. ¡°A direct attack to the soul. Quite skillful.¡± ¡°A soul user¡­ Finally we have a trail about Luxore¡¯s destruction,¡± the black-haired girl looked excited. ¡°Good folk of Osemore town, apologies for the sudden intrusion. My name is Freya Marianus and this is my master, General Gregory Simon of the Silver Legion.¡± ¡°Silver Legion? They are members of the legion?¡± ¡°A general?¡± ¡°That girl saved Captain Jarret!¡± The crowd was in awe because of the august presence in front of them. ¡°Girl, how many times I have to tell you to not introduce me like that? I¡¯m retired.¡± The wizened Gregory berated his pupil. ¡°Apologies, master,¡± Freya bowed. ¡°Lady Freya... is my brother alright?¡± Kate demurely asked. ¡°...His soul is injured, badly. I¡¯ve done all I can but the rest is up to him. I¡¯m sorry I couldn''t do more,¡± Freya sincerely apologized. Kate looked disappointed but she wasn''t blind. ¡°Without you, my brother would have died. Thank you, Lady Freya,¡± Kate bowed. All the guards in the room bowed too. ¡°It was the guidance of the Radiant Lady. Now please, might I ask what happened here? Especially about the one who injured this man.¡± *** Viers weakly leaned on a tree, panting. He looked very tired. After his fight with Jarret, Viers kept going without regard to his injuries. The youth did not half-ass his breakaway effort. He used every trick at his disposal such as laying false trails to confuse the pursuers. Ultimately, he managed to escape. And that is Evil Overlord List No. 58. When it is necessary to escape, you better damn well do so without being an idiot about it. It''s just common sense when someone actually thinks about it. Now that he had some leeway, he decided to rest a little. While putting a food pill into his mouth, Viers looked at the photo in his hand. Fatal Soulframe¡­ As expected of an Arte of my creation. It didn''t disappoint. Fatal Soulframe was very versatile. It would sever a part of the soul of the target and turn it into a photo. How much of said soul got absorbed into the photo would depend on their strength and soul resistance. If Viers used the Arte on someone weaker without any resistance, they would become a soulless husk. Because the photo was a part of the original soul, Viers could use it to sense the original¡¯s location or inflict curses upon them using the photo as a medium. Also, this Arte was very good for interrupting the enemy¡¯s Arte. The pain from the soul splitting was not small. Horror, the concept of the first form. Very fitting. And this Arte is not finished. I already have the blueprint to make it to form five. Each with different effects. I just need to raise my Level as a Pathseeker before creating the second form. Heh, Viers faintly smiled. Viers took out his magma knife and burned the photo using it. You are strong, Jarret of Osemore. Farewell. May we never meet again. Viers watched as the fire turned the photo into ashes. When only a little of it remained, the fire flickered before the photo was completely burned. His soul must be cinders by now. Pity, with this method of killing, I can¡¯t obtain his soul. For ten minutes, Viers rested. Deep breaths, healing his wounded body, reviewing his earlier fights. Jarret was strong. My water techniques didn''t affect him very much. In the end, I had to resort to one of my hidden moves. Fatal Soulframe First Form¡­ a direct attack to the soul. Better that than exposing my ¡®transformations¡¯. I''ll have to change my identity again. Cain of Ur will be a criminal name. Sigh¡­ this is slightly troublesome. After ten minutes were up, Viers stood up. His body still ached as he wasn''t completely healed from the battle with Jarret but well enough to travel. The next town is at the other side of this valley, Viers thought while looking at the vast expanse in front of him. Ciref Valley¡­ might take a few days to cross this place. Thankfully, it''s not as dangerous as it is written. Ciref Valley was a valley between two mountains with a rapidly flowing river in the center. Orange Zone, Rank 4 classification. Although the danger level was high, the valley was actually quite safe. Several villages were erected here. Almost 1000 people lived in the area. Viers traveled the riverbank, he went downstream. He made multiple shortstops for a while but he was in a hurry overall. The farther he got from Osemore the better. He may have thrown the pursuers off his trail but they might pick it up again if they persist. Thankfully, the terrain in Ciref Valley would be hard to pass by horses. The terrain gave Viers an advantage since he could only use his feet. It was at noon, when the sun was shining bright at the peak of the sky. ¡°Hm?¡± Is it a bird? Viers saw something in the far off sky. No, it''s¡­ people. They''re flying? Powerful experts! Viers didn''t expect to meet flying people and they flew very fast too. In no time, they were already very close to Viers¡¯ position. Wreathed in the light of the sun on her back, they descended like heavenly beings. Carrying the poise and body-language of experts. Viers frowned as the pair landed in front of him. He didn''t want to deal, talk, or have any contact with people far stronger than him. ¡°Cain of Ur, I presume?¡± The girl said. She was young, a girl of his age. Raven black hair in bob haircut. A scholarly beauty, but Viers felt a cold gaze, her gaze of disapproval towards him. ¡°You are charged with the crime of mass murder in Osemore and we suspect you have connections to the massacre of Luxore. Please cooperate and come with us quietly.¡± Chapter 38 - The Warrioress of Light So, they caught me. From her words, she picked up my trail at Osemore? Sigh... ¡°Girls, we have a situation here,¡± Viers called the others with his mind. Viers didn''t answer the girl, he eyed the old man. The black-robed old man seemed more dangerous than the girl. He looked old and decrepit, Viers couldn''t sense his Level but the hair on his back stood when he looked at the old man. And yet the old man did nothing, only observing him from behind the girl. ¡°Viers, the old man is a Level 5. Only those who have reached Level 5 can fly,¡± Clarissa solemnly said. ¡°Yeah, I only feel bad vibes coming from the gramps. And the girl? Is she a Level 5 too?¡± Viers asked. ¡°I don''t know. I can only see them from inside you. But¡­ I feel she¡¯s not a Level 5.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Viers ended his telepathy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Not going to say anything?¡± Freya observed him from head to toe. ¡°¡­I refuse. I have no obligation or intention to acquiesce to your demands.¡± ¡°¡­Your refusal to cooperate shall be taken as a sign of guilt.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°It shall be within my rights to detain you, by force if necessary.¡± ¡°Can you?¡± The whole time Viers didn¡¯t look at Freya but at Gregory. The lack of acknowledgment felt like an insult to her. ¡°¡­I hope it would not come to this but you give me no choice,¡± Freya took off her grey traveling robe, exposing the light armor beneath and took out her rapier from the sheath. Normally this would be the point where Viers unleashed a sudden iai slash at her, a full-powered Cut the Crap Arte. But with the Level 5 so close in the vicinity, even Viers wasn¡¯t that daring. The rapier was very majestic. It had a simple design with minimal decoration but its blade looked like it was made of moonlight. Comparing Viers¡¯ own sword with it was like comparing a 20-year-old second-hand car with a new BMW. Viers knew he was currently in a deep shit situation. In front of a true powerhouse, what Viers could do was limited. But Viers didn¡¯t find the option of surrendering acceptable. What do I do¡­ the old man can end me in an instant if he wants. While Viers was thinking about how to get out of this dead-end, the old man spoke. ¡°Freya, as the Interpreter¡¯s decreed, I will not interfere between you and the boy¡¯s battle. My directive was to bring you here. I am forbidden to help you if you lose or assist in the boy¡¯s capture. Whether you convince him to surrender, forceful capture, or execution¡­ It is all your decision to make.¡± Freya? Norse goddess¡¯ name? Interpreter? The girl named Freya seemed to hear this for the first time, she looked surprised. ¡°¡­Understood. It shall be done as the august one wishes.¡± ¡°Your armor¡­ Silver Legion?¡± Viers asked. Farley told him she might be one. ¡°I¡¯m the one asking questions. Why did you kill someone you have no relations with in broad daylight at Osemore?¡± ¡°Shall we trade questions then? Fine. I killed him because he killed my friend. It was revenge,¡± Viers said. Her rosary glowed. ¡°Lies. Your attempt at deception shall not succeed.¡± Damn. Anti-lie magic item? ¡°Hmph, rich bastard. Fine, I killed him because he had something I want. How did you find me?¡± Viers tried to trade one worthless answer for a very important one. ¡°The Light of the Goddess guides me here. What is your involvement in Luxore¡¯s destruction?¡± ¡°Light¡­ what hell is that anyway,¡± Viers wasn¡¯t satisfied by the ambiguous answer. ¡°Hmph!¡± Viers struck first, she parried his sword. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°No more talking. Take the answer from me, if you can.¡± ¡°Afraid of taking responsibility for your actions? Weakling!¡± Freya knocked him away from the sword lock. I don¡¯t trust what the old man said about not interfering. I must probe him¡­ by fighting this lass. I don¡¯t have many choices. For starters, I should defeat her lightly. Freya raised her aura, ready to battle. Her Victa was bright, characteristic of a light user. Light Pathseeker? Silver Legion must love employing light users, I¡¯ve met two of them already. Isn¡¯t light supposed to be a rare element? Silver Legion is the military branch of the church but still¡­ Then¡­ Freya, who was standing in front of him, disappeared. She appeared on his side, slashing her rapier in full swing. Teleportation? No! She¡¯s just fast! ¡°Lost in thoughts in the middle of a fight? You underestimated me far too much!¡± Viers kept some distance between them, but Freya¡¯s speed was far above his expectations. Viers blocked her rapier with his sword¡­ before the sword shattered. Ghh!!? Speed and power, she was above Viers, by a big margin at that. Her slash turned into a thrust at Viers¡¯ left shoulder which was wounded by a Level 2¡¯s wind arrow a few hours ago. Viers tried to dodge, a rolling maneuver. He was successful but the rapier tore out his backpack, scattering his belongings. A mask was among those. ¡°¡­A cultist¡¯s mask. That style, Dumuzin¡¯s? Now we have evidence,¡± Freya said. ¡°Fiiih!¡± Arte ¡ª Water Slash Eightfold! Viers attacked with a strong technique using his broken sword. Close to the maximum attack power he could use at his disposal. Freya parried it like it was nothing. For someone who looked like she spent most of her time in a library, Freya was very adept in the art of battle. She countered using a flurry of thrusts, utilizing the rapier¡¯s specialty. Viers managed to prevent stabs to vital areas but too many hits went through his defenses. He fell to his knees. Clothes torn, blood seeping from his wounds, scratches all over his body and a burning feeling on his skin. ¡°Arte ¡ª Breaking Dawn¡¯s Flash Flurry¡­ Is that all? For one that talks so big, you are weak.¡± Freya looked down on him. Behind her dark eyes, she conveyed only contempt. I am¡­ so outclassed by someone on the same Level? Viers bit his lip. Viers didn¡¯t want to believe it. He knew he wasn¡¯t the best in the world but with all the skills and superiorities he has amassed since he got reincarnated in this world, Viers thought his strength had reached world-class level. The girl broke his na?ve illusion into a thousand pieces. ¡°Hehehe ahahaha! Huahahahah!!¡± Viers laughed ominously. He rose up slowly, a dark will burning in his eyes. He was filled with fighting spirit. ¡°Hmph,¡± Freya snorted. ¡°One last hurrah before the end? How very villain-like,¡± she tightened her guard. ¡°You are strong, Freya. Now I¡¯ll show you my true power. The power of villains.¡± Freya gripped the handle of her rapier stronger than before. Even Gregory who stood silently behind had a change of expression. Some kind of forbidden move? Berserk? Freya thought. Demon summoning? Using Hellish energy? Gregory presumed. ¡°ARTE ¡ª Rapid Water Steps Ninefold!¡± Viers said the Arte name like a whisper. He grabbed something small and shiny from his scattered inventory and bolted like a rabbit. ¡°After all that show and talk you are actually running away? You are a coward, Cain of Ur!¡± Freya pursued. ¡°Sky Crossing Light!¡± She invoked her own movement Arte. ¡°It''s called a strategic retreat!¡± Viers screamed back. Meanwhile, Gregory was looking at the two¡¯s gradually smaller visage without moving. He let out a snicker. Heheh, it¡¯s been a while since I saw someone pull that one. Still, that boy is quite skilled. Not to Freya¡¯s degree but he¡¯s better than most. He only knows elementary Artes but he layered it to achieve commendable results. This showed his poor background and his ingenuity. But his Artes¡­ how come they¡¯re stronger than they should be? He hasn''t used any of his soul abilities yet. Is he wary of me? Gregory followed them by flying, his black robe was swaying in the wind. In Viers¡¯ retreat, Freya hounded him every step of the way. Viers used his full speed but Freya still managed to keep up. She¡¯s a light Pathseeker. Light¡¯s characteristic is blindingly fast. She¡¯s still far faster than my top speed! Viers observed while dodging a spear of light thrown in his way. The old man has not interfered yet, that¡¯s the only good thing in this situation. ¡°How long will you keep pursuing me?¡± Viers shouted. The bleeding all over his body intensified by the heavy movement. It would be difficult for Viers if he didn''t have the Pain Tolerance Arte. ¡°Until you receive the judgement you deserve!¡± ¡°Then don''t blame me for being ruthless!¡± Viers warned. Hyper Arte ¡ª Rapid Water Steps Ninefold! Rapid Water Steps was an Arte with a distinct visual. The users would create splashes of water with every step as they ran. When Viers re-cast Rapid Water Steps in Hyper Arte mode, the water gained viridescent luster in it and his speed rose exponentially. ¡°Wha-?¡± Freya was taken aback. Cain possessed an almost unbelievable speed for a Level 2. The distance between them was widening. Gregory also thought the same. Incredible speed. What is that green color? Is he combining water and soul attributes in one Arte? Impossible. He shouldn''t have that kind of skill yet and it doesn''t feel like a soul attribute. Forbidden Arte then? Seems like this boy has a lot of secrets. Gregory saw the direction of his escape and frowned. I see. So that¡¯s your plan. For one so young, you¡¯re quite the ruthless one aren''t you? Ciref Valley was a Rank 4 Orange Zone. Viers was planning to invite the masters of this place to the party. Chapter 39 - Release the Slug Viers recalled the information he gathered about this place. In the region known as Ciref Valley, there were not one but two famous Rank 4 monsters here, one in each mountain sandwiching the valley. Earth Starfish and Acid Slug. They had been hibernating for years and sometimes woke for a short while. When one monster awakened, the other would too. The duo then would battle, destroying the area in the process. They would then mate, breed, lay eggs, then go back to sleep. The spawns of the starfish and the slug would then battle each other but unlike their parents, they would eat each other afterwards. Seriously? They are both hermaphrodites then, Viers was amused. When Viers read the records, no one knew why the Rank 4 monsters had been repeating that cycle since 200 years ago. However, their existence was actually a boon. Their powerful presence warded off other monsters and made fungi rich with mana grow in the area. The fungi became a local specialty product. Before waking, each would give clear signs, giving time for the villagers to evacuate. The spawns of the two monsters also served as resources of sorts. Their monster cores provided another income for the locals. Even if the starfish and slug¡¯s progeny were driven to extinction, their parents kept their inaction. The duo Rank 4 monsters¡¯ uncaring attitude about the fate of their spawn made many wonder why they even mate in the first place. A wonderful and unique ecosystem was made because of two Rank 4 monsters. No wonder the villagers kept coming back even if their villages were destroyed each time the monsters woke. It was like a volcano eruption. After the eruption, the soil becomes rich. Good for farming¡­ and other things, I forget the rest. Viers found the interesting history of Ciref Valley when he was at Mokash town, preparing his travel route ahead. Now, he had no qualms of using that information to his advantage. As Viers dashed to one of the mountains, there was a sudden change in the air. A smidgen of killing intent leaked out from Gregory and Viers felt it. Khhsss! Viers felt a hair-raising sensation like a reaper¡¯s scythe on his neck. Is he coming? But nothing happened, and the killing intent abated. So the old man really won''t interfere in my and Freya¡¯s battle. This is a fortuitous situation for me but why? Why did he stay his hand? Is this a trial for her of some kind? And he said Interpreter¡­ Viers didn''t have the time or the leisure to contemplate that topic right now. Only one thing occupied his mind, strategic retreat! Considering his situation, Viers had no doubt that retreat was the wisest course of action. Even if he fought Freya with no holds barred, he had no assurance of victory. By this point, Viers was convinced the master and pupil pair were from the Silver Legion. The Silver Legion was one of the most famous powerhouse organizations in the whole continent. They were the Estellian Church¡¯s sword for battling monsters and devils. Their influence reached far and wide, renowned for being the first line of defense against dark and malicious beings. Their mandate was to protect the world and spread good no matter where they go. All of their members were very talented and trained by the best of the best. Viers didn''t want to have anything to do with them. Especially when he was still this weak. There are two crimes in my head at the moment. Osemore¡¯s mass murder and Luxore¡¯s destruction. The Luxore one should be the higher priority. That means they want me in custody for interrogation. But this is absolutely unacceptable! Viers had a lot of secrets. First and foremost, he was a reincarnator, an otherworlder. The knowledge of other world¡¯s existence alone should be something he kept in absolute secrecy. And then there was the fact that his soul attribute indeed came from the event at Luxore. He reaped the benefits borne out of thousands of deaths after butchering the one really responsible for the town¡¯s destruction. Thanks to that he had the soul affinity of 5. To become a Level 5 Pathseeker, affinity of 5 was one of the prerequisites. As someone aiming to be a Level 5 himself, he couldn''t let the opportunity pass. The mysterious white flower, his healing factor, super senses, transformation, the girls¡¯ existence, the boon he got from the Lamia Queen¡¯s treasury, a demi-god bull¡¯s monster core¡­ All were things that must not be known by other people! Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Viers could soul search someone for information, wouldn''t the Silver Legion have someone that can do the same? Viers already confirmed the existence of mind Pathseekers at his killing spree earlier. If he fell in their custody, they might extract his brain juice! The youth had no intention of being the fodder for someone else¡¯s growth. If all seemed lost, Viers was ready to utterly destroy his own body and soul. If I can''t have it, no one else may have it. Such was his determination. But Viers didn''t let go of hope that easily. He would struggle. He would sacrifice. Above all else, he would survive. That¡¯s why I must have power! Why I must become strong! To live! After some time, Viers had climbed the mountain. The place where a rumored Rank 4 monster slumbered. Euryale Sight! ¡­There. Viers picked up the presence of a gigantic monster with his super eyes and went into its lair. I must hurry. I don''t know how but Freya is gaining on me. She must be a core disciple level in xianxia stories. Core disciple of the Silver Legion, groomed to lead the legion in the future. I bet my second heart she has powerful life-saving items. All the more reasons not to fight her. Viers had accurately deduced Freya¡¯s true identity, the granddaughter of Silver Legion¡¯s Supreme Commander, by his mere sensitivity to xianxia clich¨¦ development. As expected, the mountain was bereft of human activity. It was a wilderness untouched by unnatural meddling. The flora was rich but he didn''t find any fauna in the mountain, no insects, no birds, nothing. The Rank 4¡¯s presence must have driven them away. Viers stood in front of a 15 meters cave, peering into the darkness with his viridescent snake eyes. What incredible mana, Viers gulped nervously. Thump, thump, thump. He heard heartbeats from the big beast, vibrating the very air to the extent that Viers could feel it on his skin. Either the starfish or the slug. Why is there a starfish this far inland anyway? Viers steeled himself and went in. Without a doubt, this would also be a dangerous endeavor for him but he didn''t have a choice. Freya and her master would hound him no matter where he went. Viers didn''t have the ability to outrun a flying Level 5. So he must muddy the waters. Create an opportunity. Viers could see in the dark thanks to Euryale Sight; he navigated the cave and finally laid his eyes on the slumbering monster. It was a yellow slug, curling, immobile. Its height should be about 15 meters, a veritable titan. Its skin was smooth with transparent sticky slime covering it. So I get the slug. Acid Slug, was it? ¡°Stop!¡± A girl¡¯s voice came from behind. Agitated but hushed. ¡°Why should I?¡± Viers asked. ¡°There are about 1000 people living below the two mountains. If the monster wakes, it would be a disaster for them!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the plan,¡± Viers said as naturally as it could be. ¡°The old man and you would be busy evacuating and saving them while I run away.¡± ¡°...You would use innocent people as hostages!?¡± Freya looked vexed. ¡°I very much prefer not to, but I will if I must,¡± Viers made a square with his thumbs and index fingers on both hands. ¡°Last warning, go away and leave me be. Kill some demons in the western reaches or slay the undead at the Dreadnorth. There is no lack of opportunities to do good or justice or whatever, just stay away from my business.¡± ¡°And let you go? So you can murder and pillage and whatever else despicable act you might do unchecked?¡± ¡°It is not in my nature to do senseless acts of destruction and barbarity but I suppose you won¡¯t believe me. It doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is, are you ready to have the blood of innocents on your hands?¡± ¡°¡­My hands?¡± Freya wasn¡¯t sure she heard correctly. ¡°Right. If some poor villagers died because of the slug¡¯s awakening, then you¡¯ll also bear the responsibility. Because you MADE me do this.¡± ¡°Rubbish! You choose to do this yourself!¡± Freya didn¡¯t accept Viers¡¯ reasoning. ¡°Certainly, but everything has a cause and effect. You wanted to arrest me so I planned to wake the monster to escape. If any villagers died then they died because of the monster, me, and you. I am ready to bear the sins of causing their deaths¡­ are you?¡± Freya was silenced. Words of rebuttal stuck in her throat. Although she loathed to admit it, his words had a certain truth in them. She was mute for five seconds. ¡°I-¡± ¡°Horror!¡± Viers suddenly attacked the sleeping slug without waiting for Freya¡¯s answer. Like a photographer¡¯s strobe, a flash of light illuminated the dark lair. ¡°FAAAAAAAHHH!¡± The yellow slug jolted and roared as it awakened. Its massive body was hitting the cavern¡¯s walls, making the very mountain itself shake. ¡°Kahahah,¡± Viers laughed as he saw Freya looking at the active monster with a surprised face. ¡°You think I¡¯ll let you stall for time? You underestimated me far too much!¡± Viers returned her own words back at her. ¡°CAAAAAAAAAIIIN!¡± ¡°FAAAAFFAAAHHH!!¡± Freya¡¯s scream of anger was drowned by the slug¡¯s roar. The last thing she saw was Viers¡¯ triumphant smirk as the mountain came crashing down on all of them. Chapter 40 - Snatching Victory From Defeat Viers¡¯ soul Arte didn¡¯t actually deal much damage to the Rank 4 slug. He was too weak to deal real damage to it. One couldn¡¯t torch a forest to the ground in minutes with a single match. Viers suspected the slug felt the ire of someone who got woken up by a long needle prick on their foot. Not fatal but certainly painful and unpleasant. Gregory was in the closest village below the mountain, evacuating the villagers when he heard a roar and the mountain quake. He truly attacked? So daring and decisive. Reckless for sure but he truly knows how to struggle¡­ Dangerous traits for an adversary, Gregory thought. ¡°What is happening?¡± ¡°By the gods, the Acid Slug has awoken!¡± ¡°Run! Run for your lives!¡± The villagers broke into a panic. ¡°Humph!¡± True to his Level 5 capabilities, he evacuated around 50 people of this village in a flash. The old man then flew to another one of the villages scattered in the area. If only I had a little more time¡­ Gregory sourly thought. On top of the mountain, the gigantic yellow slug monster emerged from its lair, causing landslides in all directions. No longer prone, its full height reached 30 meters. ¡°FAAAFAHAAAHHH!¡± Like a grumpy bear whose hibernation was interrupted, the slug was in an aggressive state. It felt the threatening presence of Gregory and put all the blame on him. Khhh! I have to protect the people! The old retired general went around saving people in peril from falling rocks as the slug entered its battle mode. Meanwhile, Viers slowly crawled out from the rubble. ¡°Cough, cough,¡± Viers cleared his lungs. Holy fuck! I almost got crushed to death. Even with all the defensive Artes I prepared beforehand. Viers was currently standing very close to the Acid Slug. As it broke the ceiling of its lair, Viers remained close by to take advantage of its size and movement. Since Freya was farther to it than Viers, she wasn¡¯t so lucky. Viers concealed his aura and presence as much as he could so the monster wouldn¡¯t take notice of him. The tribal bracelet magic item showed its usefulness once again. Viers felt happy when the slug seemed to turn its two antennae-like eyes in another direction. Freya¡¯s definitely still alive beneath all this rubble. I must get out of here while I can. This place shall be a battleground soon. Eh? I lost my knife! Did it fall somewhere beneath this rubble? Shit! I have no time, Viers made a split-second decision. When the Acid Slug started to secrete yellow miasma, melting the rocks around it, Viers was already tens of meters away from the giant yellow slug. Crack, crack, crack. Earthquakes came from the other mountain, trees fell and hills changed shapes. The other Rank 4 monster had ceased its sleep. *** ¡°Ah!!¡± A mother yelled as she saw a boulder of solid rock falling towards her. Instinctively, she held her baby close to her chest and turned around. It wouldn¡¯t save them but let whatever may happen, happen to me first, the mother thought. ¡°Split!¡± A brilliant line of fire cleaved the rock in two, ultimately falling on each side of the mother. She looked up and saw an old man wreathed in flaming armor. ¡°Hurry!¡± The old man urged. ¡°Y-yes. Goddess bless you,¡± the mother said her thanks. The retired general with full white hair looked at the moving monster on top of the mountain. It spit an acidic discharge from its mouth. ¡°Curtain of Flames,¡± Gregory evaporated 1000 liters of acid in an instant. Gregory was stronger than the slug but he couldn¡¯t defeat it in a short time and he was more concerned about saving the villagers scattered around the region. After bringing all the people in one village to safety, he immediately flew to the next. Furthermore, he must destroy a big rock falling down, prevent the acidic miasma¡¯s progression, or halt a landslide swallowing a village. Gregory had his hand full containing the disaster. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. And the other monster is now active. There are people living under that mountain too! I must hurry. Booom! An appendage emerged from the other mountain. It was long and had flexible movement. One, two, three, more and more orange colored tentacles emerged from the mountain¡¯s core. Slowly, the Earth Starfish started to unbury itself. Unlike common starfish, this monster had 18 arms. Each was tens of meters long and covered with hundreds if not thousands of sinister-looking spikes. The main body was like a giant pumpkin, also covered with spikes. Unlike the slug, this monster didn¡¯t roar or growl. While destroying the terrain, it only moved towards the slug, to its old enemy. To fight, to mate. The Acid Slug also noticed the appearance of its rival. From its neck area, it grew a lump of bulbous meat. Before long, that meat became a second head. ¡°HHAAAFFAAAA!¡± The stage was set and the cast had assembled. As the monsters resumed their age-old battle, Viers¡¯ scenario was complete. *** ¡°Huff, huuuff,¡± Viers was starting to feel that his physical and magical stamina would hit their limits soon. From the killing of Sigma, the Rambo warning, the system¡¯s usurpation, the DOTA match, the boss battle with Jarret, and the current clash with Freya. Those chain of events really drained his Victa. Viers didn¡¯t have much Victa left. In the distance, Viers saw a scene from a kaiju movie. A monster starfish was wrestling with an aberrant slug. Their battle created a lot of disturbance to the area. In the future, will I see Godzilla vs. Kong in the flesh? Viers thought while running away. Since Viers came from the upper area of the mountain, he now made his way downhill. His wound from Jarret hadn¡¯t fully healed and Freya also damaged him. His healing factor couldn¡¯t keep up. However, even with his body in this state, Viers managed to create a hole in the fisherman¡¯s net. Now he must go through it. Like a thunderbolt in clear weather, Freya dropped from above, doing a superhero landing. Her grand entrance created dust and smoke, obscuring Viers¡¯ vision for a brief moment. They were in steep and rocky terrain on the side of the mountain. There was not much footing here and Viers¡¯ path forward was cut short. On the front, Freya. On the left, high rock wall. On the right, cliff¡¯s edge. On the back, kaiju showdown. Sword broken, inventory lost, low in HP and MP, tougher boss battle than Jarret¡¯s¡­ Viers was in a desperate situation. As the dust cleared, Viers could now lay eyes on Freya¡¯s form. Despite getting buried by tons of earth and rocks earlier, she didn¡¯t look injured. Her clothes didn¡¯t even have a speck of dust. Freya appeared different. Her short black hair was now shining gold and became longer, reaching her waist. A circle of light floated behind her like a halo. She was clad in mighty power and looked like an avenging angel. ¡°Arte ¡ª Shining Star Impulse,¡± her voice was clear and determined. ¡°No more games, I will use my full strength.¡± ¡°So you chose to pursue me instead of saving the innocents? I hope you choke on their blood,¡± Viers was still defiant even when he was literally trapped on the edge of a cliff. ¡°Shut up!¡± Freya swung her sword. ¡°Water Slash!¡± Viers invoked his Arte. His hand was coated with water as he met Freya¡¯s rapier. His left hand was severed like tofu. ¡°Hkkkh!¡± Viers endured the pain. Now! ¡°Water Blast Fivefold!!¡± A torrent of water jetted towards Freya from inches away, hitting her with a massive volume of water. This Arte might not inflict any injury to Freya but water had weight! It would make her unsteady and hard to move. Viers used the split-second opening to run towards the cliff, his only route of survival. Freya¡¯s rapier cut through his sword. Flesh and blood, even with Arte wouldn¡¯t stand up to that. So Viers ruthlessly decided to sacrifice an arm, just for a chance to hit her from close proximity. This is the final stretch! The cliff is very high but there¡¯s a river below! It¡¯s my only hop- A laser hit his back and bore a hole through his stomach. ¡°Ahakh!?¡± Viers coughed blood and fell to the ground. ¡°Arte ¡ª Luminous Sunbeam,¡± Freya walked towards the fallen Viers, the water blast didn¡¯t faze her in the slightest. With her golden eyes she looked down on Viers. ¡°It¡¯s over. Surrender with dignity.¡± Dignity? DIGNITY!? Viers felt his emotion boiling. To hell with dignity! Rather than a clean and honorable defeat, Viers would have picked a mud and dirt covered victory. Every. Single. Time. With difficulty, Viers crawled. Like a maggot, he crawled. With no regard of how unseemly the sight of it was, Viers kept struggling. Blood flowing from his hand and stomach, mouth full with the taste of iron, blurred vision. But still he crawled to the cliff¡¯s edge inches by inches. Freya raised him up by holding him on the neck using only one hand. She was smaller than Viers but she showed no difficulties doing so. ¡°You¡¯ve lost, just as Fate decrees,¡± she said with a deep, freezing voice. Her shining form not marred with imperfection in the slightest. ¡°¡­If, cough¡­ If I were to die,¡± Viers gurgled because of his own blood. ¡°I would die by my own terms,¡± he smiled. From his mouth, severed left hand, and hole on his stomach, sharp barbed wires made of blood shoot towards Freya¡¯s eyes with snake-like movements. At the end, convinced of her victory, the young Silver Legion let down her guard. After her grip on Viers¡¯ neck loosened, Viers squeezed out every last remaining strength in his whole being and jumped off the cliff. With his half-closed eyes, Viers saw the astounded look on Freya''s face. I win. Viers fell to the river below, relishing in his complete and utter victory. Chapter 41 - The Lonely Girl The Sunlight fell gently on a small village. It was a common village like any other. Most of the dwellings were modest huts with cone-shaped roofs made of thatch. The folks here were doing their routine just like the day before and the day before that. A bit boring for some of them but most were content. A peaceful and tranquil place surrounded by nature, giving them bounty and protection from the chaotic world. The trees that had shed their leaves during autumn had started to grow fresh greeneries as if cheerfully welcoming spring. Delicate flowers of multiple colors were blooming here and there, providing fresh paint to the formerly white and grey world of snow. Wildlife also became active like their flora counterpart, arising from winter¡¯s sleep then seeking food after a long hibernation. Birds migrating back, chirping, whistling, and warbling. Love was in the air as various species tried their luck in a mating game, to attract mates and shoo away rivals. They were following a tradition thousands of years old, as their ancestors did since their earliest presence on creation. The adults looked to the clear skies with smiles. Fresh air like no other entered their lungs, refreshing their spirit. The season for tending the field was here. They tightened their belts and tucked their sleeves, carrying hoes to till the field. Dreaming to be rewarded with a bountiful harvest as the crystallization of all of their toil. Little kids that had been bored out of their minds after being cooped up in their houses during winter¡¯s cold, happily embraced the first opportunity to play outside with their friend as the weather grew warmer. Smiling and laughing loudly, carving a trivial yet precious moment of childhood fun to their psyche. On this particular day, a group of two boys and two girls were playing tag. From behind a tree not far from them but not too close, a small girl was peeking at them. Uuu¡­ Like mother said, I must be brave. I just got to gather my courage and ask to join Daniel and the others. But¡­ but¡­ what if they don¡¯t want me? The group looked like they were having so much fun, the little girl was envious. ¡°Hey look, it''s the Purple Imp! Go away, ugly. Stay away from us you freak!¡± One of the boys shouted. ¡°New plan, throw mud balls at the witch! Those with the most hits get a sweet fruit from the other three.¡± ¡°Yaaay, look at my new move! My super mud shot becomes the witch killing super destroyer exploding mud shot!¡± ¡°Eeep!¡± As the group started to pepper her with mud projectiles, she ran away. She didn¡¯t want to get covered with mud from head to toe again. Her mother had had a hard time cleaning her clothes after that. Thankfully, she kept her distance and ran away fast enough so no mud balls hit her. Uuu¡­ even though I decided to make some friends this year¡­ Alas, the first step ended up in a disaster. The girl had no friends close to her age, no playmates. She realized she was a bit different. Her hair was dark purple and sometimes, her shadows got weird. Thankfully, she never harmed anyone but nobody liked to interact with her, not other uncles and aunties, not other children. The ones kind to her in the village were only her parents and one other. Last year she cut her hair short like a boy¡¯s haircut to minimize her differences with the other kids but it was useless. Currently, her hair that was bringing her so much misery was at shoulder length. In the past, she¡¯d even thought of cutting her hair completely bald but in the end, didn¡¯t go forward with the idea. She was too afraid to do such a daring idea. She hated her cowardice. After evacuating from the witch hunters armed with the dirty projectiles, the little girl went to the river close to the village. It was her sanctuary, where she usually played. Other villagers also used this river for a lot of things such as washing and fishing but she¡¯d found a nice hidden little spot upstream one year ago, unbeknownst to the villagers. The water there was shallow and not fast. There was a tree bearing delicious red fruits nearby¡­ A beautiful slice of paradise. If only she had someone to share it with. I hope there are lots of misters fish and misters shrimp today, the girl thought. Perhaps we can play tag like Daniel and the others? Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Not for catching and eating them. The girl wanted to play so it would be catch and release¡­ If the water wasn¡¯t too cold. Unn? Instead of the usual scene, there was a body of a person on the riverside. Is he¡­ is he dead? The girl thought after the initial shock abated. She carefully approached. The person looked as white as a sheet. His clothes almost had no difference from rags and were still wet. Wavy brown hair and a bit round on the stomach. His left hand was gone as if cut by something sharp but no longer bleeding. Most importantly, he was still breathing. The girl ran back home as fast as she could to inform her mom and dad. *** He felt some movement on his skin and jolted awake. Eyes wide opened, he suddenly raised his upper body. His right hand ready to unleash a water arrow against hostiles. ¡°Eeeep! M-Mom! Dad!!¡± The girl was startled by the youth''s unexpected awakening. She was just trying to cover him with a blanket. He saw a little girl running away then felt a deep staging sensation on his stomach and left hand. Urgh¡­ I, I¡¯m alive? Soon, three people were approaching him, led by a young man. ¡°Easy there, stranger. You have been injured quite badly... How are you?¡± He showed concern but also looked wary. ¡°...I,¡± the boy replied after some consideration and looked around. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± They don¡¯t seem like guys from the church or the legion and this doesn¡¯t seem to be a prison. He concluded before answering. Dismissing the water Arte he readied. ¡°I¡¯m Arim, Arim Irving and this is my wife, Susan. And that little girl is my daughter, Luca. What¡¯s your name, stranger? Arim and Susan were a young couple, both seemed to be less than thirty. Since they got a kid about ten years old then they must have wed quite young. The father of the household had light brown hair and the wife had an even lighter brown color, almost flaxen. Strangely, the little girl from earlier clearly had hair of a contrasting tone. Their garments were very plain. Compared to the clothes people wore in towns, theirs were clearly below in quality. Some parts were clearly patched with different fabrics. The place he was in was more of a hut than a house. A big circular place, only eight meters in diameter with some room divider made of bamboo acting as pseudo-walls. The floor was made of wood and there was barely any furniture. One part of the house was clearly a kitchen while the other end were beds made of straws like the one he had. ¡°My name is Ca-, ahem, Avel. Yes, Avel... of Javia,¡± he corrected mid-sentence. ¡°Ah! My rings!¡± Avel suddenly remembered. ¡°Here they are. Even unconscious, you clutched them very strongly. Those must be very precious to you,¡± the wife had two rings on her palm and gave them to Avel. Avel sighed in relief. ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am,¡± the slightly chubby youth examined his body. His stomach was bandaged, same with his left hand. ¡°Where am I and what day is it?¡± Arim told him that this place was called Pecan Village, a remote and secluded little village. When Arim told ''Avel'' the date, it seemed six days had already passed since his battle against Freya. So it should be four days traveling and two days unconscious. The youth calculated. ¡°You people¡­ saved me?¡± ¡°It was our little girl that found you,¡± Arim said. ¡°That her? Luca, is it?¡± ¡°Eeek!¡± Luca gasped as Avel noticed her, hiding behind Susan. He left the bed with straw filling while wincing. His body still ached, especially the hand and stomach. ¡°You okay? Don¡¯t push yourself,¡± Arim said. ¡°Ergh¡­ It¡¯s fine. Just need a little adjustment,¡± he replied. He took a moment on his feet and gently approached her. Luca seemed very meek, hiding her hair with her left hand in a childish and futile effort while hugging her mother¡¯s thigh like a koala. ¡°Hello little cutie pie. Thank you very, veeeery much for saving me.¡± Avel kneeled to match her eye level, trying to be as un-intimidating as possible. She didn''t find the usual disgust and apprehension that usually exist in other people¡¯s eyes. ¡°Not¡­ strange?¡± She said with her upturned black eyes. ¡°Hm?¡± Avel didn''t catch her meaning at first. ¡°Oh, you mean your hair?¡± Luca winced. ¡°It''s beautiful, I like it. That purple hair matched your eyes perfectly,¡± Avel said with a big gentle smile plastered on his face. ¡°Ho?¡± She gasped upon the unexpected answer. Luca was astounded. Somehow she knew it wasn¡¯t false or contained hidden disgust. This person really gave her ¡®acceptance¡¯, something that she craved so vehemently. While Luca was stunned, not knowing what to do and Avel felt awkward because she didn¡¯t answer him. Luca¡¯s parents looked at each other and felt a little relieved in their hearts. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t have much but how about a meal? You woke up just in time for breakfast.¡± Arim kindly offered, Susan didn¡¯t seem to object. ¡°That would be wonderful. Thank you sir, ma¡¯am, little one,¡± Avel addressed them one by one. He didn¡¯t feel hostility or sense anything dangerous so he accepted. ¡­It appears I managed to escape from Freya and that Level 5. It¡¯s been six days¡­ If they could find me, they already would have at this point. But my injury is quite severe¡­ I might need to stay in this place for a while. I wonder what this place has got to offer. Something interesting I hope. Hm, 50.21% huh? Not bad. Chapter 42 - Oath of Revenge The breakfast was terrible. It was just a chunk of stone-hard black bread with two small potatoes and water. No salt or seasoning was used. Even before becoming a Pathseeker, his family in Peja town was better off than the Irvings. He wasn¡¯t accustomed to eating food of such¡­ sad quality. However, it was worthy of note that despite their monetary condition, this family offered him kindness. Avel ate the food on his plate with an appreciative heart despite his tongue¡¯s protest. He had some small talks with the Irvings during the meal, it helped to distract him from the bland taste. He¡¯d found that Arim was a potter and Susan was a housewife and a seamstress. Luca was staring at him when she thought Avel wasn¡¯t seeing. She always bashfully broke eye contact when Avel turned his eyes her way. Cute kid. ¡°So, mister Avel. Forgive me for asking but you¡¯re a Pathseeker, are you not? And your injuries¡­ from a battle with a fellow Pathseekers?¡± Arim respectfully asked after finishing his meal. The air turned solemn. His wife was also paying close attention. ¡°...I am. And I did receive these injuries from a battle with someone.¡± ¡°...Is the village in danger?¡± Arim asked a question with many possible meanings. ¡°Not to my knowledge,¡± Avel answered honestly. ¡°Rest assured that I will leave before implicating you, your family, or the village.¡± They stared at each other for a while then, still sitting, Arim bowed his head. ¡°I will put my trust in you.¡± Avel returned the gesture. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your trust.¡± Uncomfortable with the atmosphere, Luca leaped out first. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll play outside,¡± Luca said near the exit door. ¡°Be careful out there,¡± the mother reminded her. After that, they ended the conversation in an amiable term. The young couple returned Avel''s belongings that were on his person when Luca found him. Arim and Susan had work to do and Avel got some free time. He decided to take a walk outside. Hearing that, Susan provided a cloth to be used as an arm sling for his left arm. Avel didn¡¯t really need it but accepted and wore it. He also put a cloth to cover the stump on his left arm. Freya cut his hand around the wrist. When he stepped outside, the day was already bright. He didn¡¯t see any clock in the house and his own was no more but it felt like about 9 o¡¯clock. The air tasted delicious as it entered his lungs. Like an old man with rickety bones, he slowly walked on the lawn and stood still there for a while, observing the rest of the village. He noticed there was a small field nearby and some shacks beside the main house. Arim and Susan¡¯s workplace perhaps? Avel thought. And then he heard a conversation between Arim and Susan, a feat only possible because of his special ears. ¡°What do you think? About Avel?¡± Arim asked. ¡°He seemed to be a reasonable lad but I can¡¯t help to worry. Pathseekers are powerful beyond our imagination.¡± Susan said with an uncertain tone. ¡°I understand. I too have the same concerns¡­ but helping others is a good thing, no? And¡­ if it is possible, he might have some answers about Luca¡¯s condition.¡± ¡°Luca¡­ Oh, my poor little girl,¡± Susan¡¯s voice was filled with sadness. Hmmm¡­ Avel walked away, he had heard enough for the time being. He spent the next hour or so moving his rigid body while taking in the sights. Pecan Village was a small village but it occupied quite a large area. The dichotomy was caused by the villagers building their houses so far apart from each other. Most houses had their own farming field and he saw some villagers working on them. Perhaps the villagers here have to grow their own food? Viers felt the idea of self-sufficiency very interesting. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. In a place like this, where people recognized each other, a fresh face like himself was very eye-catching. Avel remained polite and dipped his head to every other person he met. He didn¡¯t engage in a conversion with any of them, not yet. Avel saw young kids during his walk, playing whatever it was kids their age liked playing. I don¡¯t see Luca. Where is she? After seeing there¡¯s nothing extraordinary about the village, Avel stopped at the village¡¯s edge. He sat on a round rock, resting. Pecan Village, surrounded by nature on all sides. About one hundred people lived here? There might be nothing special in this place but the tranquility is nice. No other Pathseekers as far as I know¡­ I¡¯m the only Pathseeker among Idlers. Like a god among men. Avel contemplated his own condition. Even in my weakened state, I¡¯m the strongest in this place¡­ Would reaching max Level give a similar feeling? The feeling of invincibility in the whole wide world¡­ A light walk was just something he needed to clear his thoughts. Now, Avel turned his attention to his tenants. In his realm of consciousness, White Flowers Meadow. Viers manifested there and saw the rest of the girls sleeping. In this place, he too had his left hand cut off. A representation of the connection between the body and the mind. Since they didn¡¯t receive my Victa, they became dormant. Kinda like a laptop with an empty battery. Viers placed his right hand on their forehead and they started to wake one by one. ¡°Good morning angels,¡± Viers mimicked a certain Charlie. ¡°I¡­ uhh, good morning Viers. Angels?¡± ¡°Lord Viers, how¡¯s your condition?¡± ¡°Are we safe? We lost consciousness during the escape.¡± Paina, Farley, and Clarissa respectively replied. ¡°First things first. It seems we have managed to escape from Freya and that Level 5 old man. We¡¯re in Pecan Village, a small village somewhere in the wilderness. It has been six days since my fight with Freya. I traveled for four days and was unconscious for two. Since we haven¡¯t been caught yet, I think it¡¯s safe to say we¡¯re not in any danger for the time being.¡± Viers explained his findings. ¡°It seems you all are fine too. As far as I can tell, no negative effects fell on you three. Good. Since I¡¯m not dead or captured, this is an astounding victory. Successful escape against a massively superior force is a victory in my book.¡± After making sure the girls were fine, he moved on to the next order of business. ¡°Now, let us begin the council meeting.¡± Viers sat on the meadow. Paina, Farley, and Clarissa also sat nearby. ¡°Despite the victory, my losses are substantial. Let us tally the losses from the minor thing first, material.¡± Most of his equipment was gone. His sword was broken and his lava dagger was lost. The bracelet magic item that helped him hide his true Level was no more. With some tuning and practicing, Viers might achieve the same feat on his own but not now. Other than the loss of equipment, he had no money, food, or clothes. He was no different than a homeless poor beggar at this point. ¡°But not all is lost. The magic boots, the moon pendant and the most precious thing of them all, the two rings from Luxore are still in my possession. Most of my money is in the bank so the material losses actually are not so bad to the point we can¡¯t recover from.¡± The three nodded. ¡°Now I must check the state of my injury. I haven¡¯t done a thorough analysis yet. One moment,¡± Viers closed his eyes as if meditating. The girls waited patiently. After a while, Viers opened his eyes and they saw fury. ¡°¡­That bad, Lord Viers?¡± ¡°Mm,¡± he nodded. ¡°How bad?¡± Paina tensely asked. ¡°Freya''s Victa Stigma in my body is quite substantial. The hole in my stomach needs months to completely close. Same with my hand. My internal energy veins are a mess. I would have difficulty using Artes until they are healed. Artes would be 50% less effective and the activation won¡¯t be as smooth as before. Healing the energy veins would need some precious medicine and the longer I leave it untreated, the worse it¡¯s gonna get. Most importantly, I only have two years left of lifespan.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Clarissa thought she heard the last sentence wrongly. Her analysis included all what Viers listed except for that part. ¡°Two years!? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Positive,¡± he answered Paina¡¯s question. ¡°That is¡­ a problem,¡± Farley closed her eyes and frowned. She was also filled with worry. Viers suddenly rose to his feet, turned away from them and shouted to the sky. ¡°Freya¡­ DAMN YOUUUUUU!!!¡± The perpetual starry sky was suddenly filled with purple, rumbling lighting. Clouds the size of islands covered the starlight, large thunderbolts stroke downward. Far away hills exploded after the lightning fell on them. Wind and shockwave of the explosions enveloped their bodies whole. ¡°Revenge!! I shall have my revenge! I¡¯ll flay her alive, tear her body apart from limb to limb, and boil her soul for a thousand years! I will never stop until I evened the score. Death! Whoever stands in my way will be met with death! If all those in the Silver Legion would deny me my vengeance, then all of the Silver Legion will die!!" Viers stomped his foot and the earth cracked. Creating fissures thousands of meters deep. The whole meadow was shaking. It was as if the world was ending. ¡°Viers, stop!¡± ¡°Lord Viers, please calm yourself!¡± The girls watched Viers as he professed his oath of vengeance. They were scared, especially two among them. Clarissa heard Viers¡¯ hate-filled speech and was afraid Viers would make true of his words. Of mountains of corpses, of rivers of blood, and of a world burning. With the apocalypse in the background, Viers turned around. Slowly. Ominously. ¡°Gotcha! Did you think I would say something like that?¡± He smiled like an innocent child on Christmas morning. Chapter 43 - The Living After using apocalypse as a prop, Viers mended the White Flowers Meadow to its former appearance as if nothing had happened. ¡°Now listen up, all of those damages and injuries are true. To an ordinary Pathseeker, such a massive setback might cut their future short and drive them to the pits of despair but not me. I have a way to recover from all of that. It was actually just a matter of time before I got wounded to this degree. It happened a lot sooner than I expected but no matter. I¡¯ll be back in tip-top shape soon enough. Including this,¡± Viers waved his missing left hand in front of the girls. Looking at Viers¡¯ usual self, the girls started to calm down. ¡°Here¡¯s the plan. I will hunt a lot of monsters¡­ then eat them. The mountains and forests around this village should have no lack of monsters. Their flesh shall be my nutrition.¡± ¡°Oookay¡­ and?¡± Clarissa wondered what his next step was. ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯ll be just like new after I eat enough monster meat,¡± Viers had a hand on his chin and looked upward. Perhaps imagining the taste of monster steaks. The girls looked at each other with confusion. Basically, Viers¡¯ plan was to eat and feast and dine until he was healed. Insanity. ¡°If all goes well, I will be fully recovered in a month.¡± Viers confidently said. ¡°Well, it also depends on whether the Silver Legion busybodies can follow us here or not. I¡¯ll scout the area later. But I think there¡¯s a good chance we can peacefully recuperate here. In the meantime, I might have to stay in this village and do villager stuff.¡± ¡°What are you going to do about the two years of lifespan remaining?¡± Clarissa was puzzled. Viers was too calm for someone about to die and she knew him well enough to know Viers didn¡¯t plan on dying in this century or the next. ¡°Aaah yes. Well¡­ Fine, I¡¯ll tell you girls about one of my secrets.¡± Viers was torn whether to tell them one of his special abilities but decided it would be fine telling them. After all, they had accompanied Viers through many dangers. Sharing is caring. The girls were listening intently. Viers was too mysterious for them and kept a lot of things hidden. Clarissa leaned forward inside her golden birdcage. ¡°I can raise my life energy by eating something rich in vitality such as monsters.¡± The girls were stunned. ¡°I can feel my life energy. The higher my life energy, the longer my lifespan¡­ I think. I never actually lived that long so I don¡¯t know the specifics. My current life energy is very meager. I have used too much of it for healing various wounds and during the battle with Freya. If converted to lifespan, there are only about two years remaining. That¡¯s the life energy of a decrepit grandpa.¡± While Viers knew there were monsters that have lived for hundreds of years, not all monsters were so lucky. Most monsters didn¡¯t live that long. Not because of their short lifespan, but because they were hunted. By people and other monsters. To evolve and rise in Rank, monsters needed to eat other monster¡¯s cores as a consequence, they were usually hostile against other monsters of different species than themselves. The world of monsters was a place where the strong eat the weak. Eat or be eaten. The purest form of the law of the jungle. Nevertheless, generally, monster meat was rich in vitality and a luxury item. There were Pathseekers who made a living by hunting dangerous monsters to sell their meat. That was why Viers insisted to eat the Cockatrice he hunted with Lena and the others. The small portion that he ate from the Rank 1 Cockatrice added about a week¡¯s worth of lifespan. Naturally, other people couldn¡¯t reap such benefits from eating monsters. What Viers could do¡­ it was an inhuman feat. ¡°Long story short, you know I can regenerate abnormally fast, right? That¡¯s because I used my life energy to boost my regeneration. Since the well is almost dried up, my healing rate is also slowed. All will be fixed after I eat lots of monsters¡­ Okay then, got things to do. I mainly came here to tell you that there¡¯s no need to worry. Treat it as if you¡¯re riding on a big ship and relax. See ya.¡± ¡°Viers¡­ is this ability related to how you transform into monsters?¡± Paina dropped the question bomb. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. He was stunned, he didn¡¯t expect this. He saw Farley and Clarissa also had the same look of inquiry. They must have seen it during the escape¡­ Six days ago, he escaped Freya by jumping off from a 150 meters cliff to the river below. Despite his heavy injury, Viers used his full capacity as a water Pathseeker to survive the fall. And then, when he was underwater, Viers transformed into a fish with red scales as if it was magic. In a similarly magical fashion, his fish body had no wound on its body. The pain and tiredness he felt with his human body disappeared like a drop of water on a sizzling frying pan. Because his fish form was smaller than his human body, his tattered clothes, Power Treads, and other things came off but Viers grabbed them using water control and swam upstream. Anyone with a brain would think to search for him downstream. Viers was truly on his last legs, Freya would not miss that fact. Even if Viers survived, the general area he would be was the area down the river. However, she didn¡¯t know that Viers could transform into a fish. Thus, to deceive all of his pursuers, Viers swam against the currents. The salmon-sized fish kept swimming vigorously. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed, Viers was very frantic at the time. If he got caught then his fate might be worse than death so he swam like there was no tomorrow. When he got to a branch in the river, he moved to the other stream and this time, followed the current. For days he put in great efforts of moving his tail and fins to be as far away as possible from his hunters. He was up against a Level 5! The peak of mortal prowess. In the end, he got too tired and washed ashore unconscious. Then Luca found him. The girls must have seen me transform and swim as a fish. After that, they fell asleep because I didn¡¯t supply them with Victa. At that time, my head was too preoccupied with Freya, the old man, and escaping so I made an error. It seems they found out another one of my secrets. ¡°Perhaps. To be honest, I do not completely understand my powers yet,¡± Viers spoke plainly. Since the secret was out then it was out, but he had no obligation of sharing everything. Paina had her left hand gripping her right elbow. Her body language looked so anxious and defensive in Viers¡¯ eyes. ¡°Who are you? Are you really human?¡± Viers answered in his usual tone. Carefree with a touch of playfulness, as if there was nothing in the world that troubled him. Or was it simply because he had no concern about what other people thought about him? ¡°I¡¯m more human than you could have ever imagined.¡± *** Character development. Viers knew what it meant, what its significance was in the novels he liked so much. The character grew during the course of the story, becoming ¡®more¡¯ than they were before. For example, an untrusting man decided to extend a little trust. Or, a coward chose to do a valorous deed to save someone he loved. Or, a power-hungry youth with a misguided idea of seeking strength at all cost realized the error of his ways. If Viers was in such a novel then this would be the perfect time for his ¡®character development¡¯ moment. Viers might realize his coldblooded action of killing Sigma and the others almost resulted in his demise therefore starting to rethink the entire philosophy driving his actions from the ground up. Turning a new leaf and becoming a heroic figure. Saving people left and right like a saint. He would become a paragon of good, champion of light and justice. On the other end of the spectrum, instead of positive character development, Viers might get a negative one instead. Like those popular stories with revenge formulas on modern Earth. A hero betrayed by his companions after saving the world then was resurrected and started his revenge. A cultivator got betrayed by his fianc¨¦e, became crippled, and abandoned by his clan. Then he started thousands of chapters long journey of revenge. A god of war started his roaring rampage of revenge against a whole pantheon. A guy started his roaring rampage of revenge because of a car and a puppy. A bride in yellow spandex wanted to kill someone named Bill for revenge. A healer got ravaged and humiliated then turned back time and swore revenge. A black berserker who sought revenge on a white hawk. A titan who attacked the world as revenge by rumbling it underfoot. A guy who wanted to exterminate all goblins for revenge. A younger brother who wanted revenge on his older brother because he killed their whole clan but the older brother turned out to be a good guy instead. So the younger brother began another revenge plot against his home village, armed with new badass red eyes to boot. Revenge this¡­ Revenge that¡­ Actually, doesn¡¯t almost everything have revenge in it nowadays? As interesting as those stories were, Viers didn¡¯t stray from his ¡®Path¡¯. He had his own way of doing things. It began with a quote: Living well is the best revenge. Viers didn¡¯t know who first said that but Viers remembered those words very clearly. So Viers would not jump into a whirlpool of revenge. While he felt bitter because of Freya, he fully acknowledged the entire situation was his fault. Because it was his karma for killing many people? For doing bad deeds? Nay. It was because he simply was not strong enough. He got wounded because he was weaker compared to Freya. He lost his stuff because he was less skillful than Freya. Why blame the bigoted Silver Legion brat when the fault clearly lay on him? So he would live well while getting stronger in the process. He already had very suitable abilities for that. Well, I still wouldn¡¯t say no when given the chance to punch her in the face. Hey, that¡¯s part of living well too, right? Chapter 44 - The Dead (1) Paina Wattle didn¡¯t like Viers. She felt Viers was full of lies, his intentions were covered with fogs. He¡¯s powerful but dangerous, a volatile combination. She also couldn¡¯t accept Viers¡¯ readiness to murder fellow humans if need be. She was from a poor fatherless family. Her mother, her sole family in this world was no more. With what little money she had left, Paina enrolled in Luxore town¡¯s adventurer¡¯s Training Center. To receive education, to become an adventurer, and find the father who mysteriously left her and her mother. She first met Viers and Farley there. The three of them had water affinity so they were grouped together for water-themed training. Farley was friendly and her assertiveness towards the shy Paina broke the ice between them soon enough. They became best friends. Paina remembered Viers was a nice and a very diligent person back then. He was always busy training by himself. His attitude seemed like he was pushing people away but Paina saw things differently. Viers was just awkward. When she talked to him, he wasn¡¯t as scary or distanced as it seemed. There were ups and downs during her one year term in the Training Center. She wasn¡¯t the best, but to meet her father and to know the truth Paina took her studies very seriously. There was another who practiced far more than her, Viers. Even with all his training, Viers was weaker than the rest of his classmates. Paina and Farley were a touch stronger. Still, Viers¡¯ managed to keep up with the others and overcome the stigma of lower affinity using practice and ingenuity. Viers had more solo training sessions than with their group but when he did, he often taught Paina helpful tips and tricks. Seasons went on, spring became winter in the course of months. The Training Center¡¯s term was one year. Paina thought she would safely graduate and become an adventurer soon. Moving village by village, town to town, until Valkut city. The address her mother told her before she died. ¡°Find your father in Valkut city,¡± she said on her deathbed. Then on winter¡¯s solstice, calamity struck Luxore town. Her graduation never came. Blood, darkness, and death. When she came to, she was already inside Viers¡¯ soulspace. Viers told her the gist of things. Somehow, she survived as a soul because Viers considered her a friend. He offered to take her to Valkut city to see her father and resurrect her and the other girls when he can. Paina¡¯s mind was a mess. She hadn¡¯t come to terms with her situation yet but Viers had to move. People would want to know what happened in Luxore and Viers was a lead so she and the rest of the girls got dragged forward by Viers. On the way, she felt the most useless. Viers somehow became so strong, or was he simply showing the strength he kept hidden? Paina did not know. Farley became so devoted to him and always eager to help him. Clarissa the lamia princess was so powerful and a fountain of ancient knowledge. Helping Viers in a way Farley and Paina couldn¡¯t. During their battle together with the ¡®drones¡¯ as Viers called them, she was the most useless of them all. Paina knew among the three souls inside Viers, she was also the one who disagreed with him the most. She and Viers¡¯ views on morality differed too much. Even Farley and Clarissa didn¡¯t really mind when Viers killed someone. Farley was a cultist and Clarissa was a warrior princess, both had killed people. Only Paina hadn¡¯t. Despite her dislike of Viers, she wished to have a body again and to see her father. Viers was the only one that could fulfill that. She hated herself for not being able to do anything. Viers once told her about the importance of strength. But she was weak. Viers set on his journey to Valkut city solely for her sake but she contributed the least during the journey. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. She was only an ordinary girl. She wasn¡¯t like Farley, a former cultist with a wealth of experience about the world. Neither was she like Clarissa, a princess from the age of myth with a plethora of ancient knowledge. What was the point of her existence? What was her role here? The thought plagued her mind lately. Was her dislike of Viers stemmed from her envy of his strength? *** Farley Styra was extremely afraid of Viers. She felt he might be the most dangerous man she had ever seen. Oh, she laid eyes on many people with stronger Levels than him but Viers had something else they don¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t fathom Viers¡¯ depth. She always felt for some inexplicable reason that what would have killed those Level 3s or Level 4s wouldn¡¯t kill Viers. Farley was from a family of devil worshipers and had met various dangerous people from the underworld. The fact that now she deemed Viers more dangerous than mass murderers, shadowy manipulators, and fanatical zealots told something about the recently turned 16-year-old boy. Her fate with Viers began when her mother prophesied she would die soon and her daughters, Farley and Gwen, would die two years after that. ¡°Sweetheart, there¡¯s no hope for me but there is for you. You¡¯ll die at winter solstice two years from now. I see you and Gwen together, not breathing and lifeless¡­ but, you¡¯ll meet someone that can prevent that fate.¡± ¡°In my vision, it was a wolf, a gluttonous black wolf. Its paws were dyed red with blood but its body smelled like wine. Its fangs were sharp but always kept hidden. The wolf was cowardly and cautious, selfish and solitary. It likes to be seen as weak by other animals but it was all a fa?ade. The black wolf was a vicious and remorseless predator. Its enemies only had one end, killed then eaten. Each time it fed, it grew stronger and stronger.¡± ¡°I foresee you¡¯ll meet the wolf, in what form, when, and where, I do not know. If you tried to manipulate it, no matter how clever and meticulous your plan is, the wolf won¡¯t help you; there¡¯s even a great chance you¡¯ll end up in its jaws instead. The wolf was wandering and it crossed path with you by chance. If you fail to seize the initiative to make contact with this dangerous being first, then it won¡¯t pay attention to you as it continues to wander.¡± ¡°In my vision, there¡¯s only one way you would survive¡­ by giving your everything to that wolf." Farley didn¡¯t believe her at first but her mother really died. Officially it was because of sickness but Farley found out it was by the hands of her own father. So Farley sought the wolf out. And after careful observation, her classmate Viers seemed to fit the bill. He was weak when they first met. A person seeking strength, she had seen many like him before. She approached him, offering strength. And Viers joined the cult, as a mercenary of sorts. Viers only had a water affinity of 2, after using her family¡¯s method, he possessed an affinity of 4. She observed him more closely after that. More and more she was convinced Viers was the wolf in her mother¡¯s vision. She came clean and told Viers¡¯ everything, including her mother¡¯s words. Farley asked his cooperation to kill her father before he killed her and her sister, offering her everything to Viers. Viers accepted. But there was one sentence from her mother¡¯s prophecy that she didn¡¯t tell Viers. ¡°In my vision, there¡¯s only one way you would survive¡­ by giving your everything to that wolf ¡ª and even then, the wolf won¡¯t be your savior. It will be your salvation and doom both¡­ I¡¯m sorry my sweet, mother couldn¡¯t do more for you. Choose carefully about what you¡¯ll do when you find the wolf, my daughter. My only wish is for you and Gwen to find happiness.¡± At winter¡¯s solstice, her father sacrificed the lives of Luxore¡¯s residents to Dumuzin, one of the seven devils. Many lives were lost during the calamity, including hers. When she came too, she was in Viers¡¯ soulspace. Gwen was with her as well. Unlike Paina, she wasn¡¯t too perturbed by the fact that they were ''dead''. In the White Flowers Meadow she was ''alive'', that was all that mattered. Unlike the rest of them, Gwen never woke up. Viers suspected her soul was injured. He promised to heal her and eventually resurrect the sisters along with Paina and Clarissa. Farley thought she understood him after all the struggles they went through together in Luxore¡¯s underworld but that illusion was shattered. Viers held powers and secrets beyond her imagining. Somehow he became a dual affinity Pathseeker, affinity 4 of water and affinity 5 of soul. He also had an abnormally fast healing rate and those mysterious Fables he often made reference of. She hoped for Gwen to be alive and live happily, her sole purpose was only that. For that to happen, Viers would need to grow strong and stay alive. So she would help him with all she had. But Farley was full of worry. Viers was very vocal and clear in his priorities. If there came a time when Viers had to choose between saving his own life or another¡¯s life, he would choose his life without hesitation. He would only save another¡¯s life when his own wasn¡¯t endangered. Logical. Just as her mother prophesied, Viers was her salvation and doom. Now she and her sister¡¯s fate were tied to this dangerous wolf. Farley didn¡¯t hate Viers, but she was afraid. Afraid of him and afraid of the future. Perhaps because of her mother¡¯s words, she¡¯d always seen Viers as a wolf. A dangerous beast that walked perilous lands where dangers lurked everywhere. If she wasn¡¯t a qualified person accompanying the beast in his journey then somewhere along the way, wouldn''t she be forsaken? Or her help was inadequate and the beast died. Both were not the results she wanted to see. So Farley was desperately making herself useful. To be helpful to him so she would be more beneficial to keep around rather than be left behind. While racking her brain on how to be a more capable subordinate. Until the time she and Gwen would be resurrected and Viers released them from his service. ¡­If he released her at all. Chapter 44 - The Dead (2) Clarissa felt Viers was interesting. She was born as Kala¡¯risyah, the sixth daughter of the Lamia Queen. Born at the end of the first millennium. Genesis Advent calendar year 988. It was in an age embroiled in war. Gods and devils battle for the right of ruling over creation. Her race, the lamia was just one insignificant chess piece in that Great War but even a chess piece had a role to play. The lamia fought under the banner of the gods. Even from a young age, she was raised as a warrior. Fighting ratlings that besieged the lamia¡¯s kingdom. She was a princess so she had no lack of resources. From a powerless lamia, she became a Level 0 and eventually, a Level 5 at the age of 16. She wanted to protect their home and the ratlings were a plague that consumed everything. At the age of 12, she had stood on the battlefield. From day in to day out she fought, as did her sisters. They had dreams of seeing the beautiful world beyond the horizon, not the wasteland of blood and death right in front of their kingdom¡¯s doorstep. But the tide of vermins was endless. The years looked increasingly bleak. She¡¯d heard rumors the gods were on the back foot and her own kingdom was tethering on the brink of collapse. Among the eight sisters, only she was left alive. On the night before her kingdom¡¯s collapse, her mother the Lamia Queen summoned her. Kala¡¯risyah had never seen the Lamia Queen. She might have given birth to her but the queen didn¡¯t raise her. She played and had supper together with her sisters but the queen was never there. Kala¡¯risyah didn¡¯t even know the queen¡¯s name. The lamia princess found her mother was wearing a veil, obscuring her face. ¡°The kingdom is lost. Daughter, a sacrifice is required of you.¡± ¡°Yes, my queen.¡± Kala¡¯risyah bowed. She was told to obey and thus obeyed. No lamia defied the will of the queen. The queen¡¯s words were absolute. The next thing she knew, her soul was already separated from her body. The queen was the same as her, in soul form. Only the queen and she were inside this place. A Biome filled with the riches of their race. ¡°Our souls are now one. You are me and I am you. This is a place of trial. The Biome will open from time to time across the thousands of years forward. To those who had the fortune of coming here, I shall bestow upon them three trials,¡± the Lamia Queen spoke. ¡°You shall be the guardian of this place.¡± Kala¡¯risyah complied. ¡°This is your heart,¡± the queen showed Kala¡¯risyah a ruby. Her blood-pumping organ had been turned into a gem. ¡°I¡¯ve infused it with a special power. To the most worthy of the trial takers, I shall bestow upon them a precious boon beyond measure.¡± And so began Kala¡¯risyah¡¯s long and lonely guardianship of a tomb. Mostly she was asleep until someone ¡®led by destiny¡¯ stumbled upon this place between the dimensions. Only eleven people came during her 9000-year-long vigil. By interacting with them during the trials, Kala¡¯risyah learned that the devils had been defeated. Only one goddess remained alive and only seven on the devil¡¯s side. The world was more or less at peace. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. She couldn¡¯t deny her desire to see the world. How much beauty was there in a time bereft of war? What happened to the rest of her people? She wanted to know but the queen commanded her to be the guardian of this place and so she would, until the day her soul also died. And then Viers came. He was so interesting. He treated her like a living breathing person. Talking to her, asking questions, telling stories, sharing dreams. His idea about freedom was also something foreign to Kala¡¯risyah. She was an instrument of the Lamia Queen¡¯s glory and thus all the lamia¡¯s. She would do what the queen told her to do. Because the trial required one to be virtuous, Viers failed. The Lamia Queen judged him not worthy. The Biome would reach its end soon. The eleven before Viers didn¡¯t even dent the riches there. All of those treasures and knowledge would be lost to the void. Such was the Lamia Queen¡¯s decree if the one worthy of her boon didn¡¯t appear. For the first time ever, Kala¡¯risyah helped Viers in obtaining a treasure fitting for his situation. All those treasures would be void dust soon anyway so Kala¡¯risyah didn¡¯t see the harm of letting one treasure go. After all, Viers had called her a friend, something that she never had. She bid her goodbye, fully aware they might never see each other again since her time was almost over. Viers soon returned after gaining tier 5 soul affinity using the treasure Kala¡¯risyah bestowed upon him. Viers barged into the treasury and forcefully took out her ruby heart. The Lamia Queen showed herself, furious by Viers¡¯ disrespect. ¡°You cannot judge me! I AM JUSTICE ITSELF!¡± It seemed Viers felt it was unacceptable for someone to have the gall to pass judgment upon him. Even now, she remembered his boast to the Lamia Queen very clearly. Kala¡¯risyah witnessed as Viers bested the Lamia Queen and separated her from the queen. Viers successfully escaped, carrying the lamia princess with him. Viers persuaded her to help him in his journey. In return, he would resurrect her and show her the world. He promised to show her what it really meant to be ''alive''. Kala¡¯risyah never saw a person so free-spirited. He refused any kind of chain binding him and his way of life. His answer to problems was to hammer it until it broke. If it didn¡¯t break with a hammer, nuke it. He refused to answer what ¡®nuke¡¯ was. The polar opposite of herself. Kala¡¯risyah felt no love for the Lamia Queen. She had never understood her. She only did what she was told. Kala¡¯risyah had done her duty to queen and country but their war was over. Viers offered her a new life and Kala¡¯risyah accepted. She asked Viers for a new name because the lamias had a culture for changing one¡¯s name before beginning a new life. He named her Clarissa. The fact this usually was the role of a lamia¡¯s husband, was something she didn¡¯t say. She was born 9000 years ago but most of the time she was asleep and unconscious so her mental age was still that of a teenager¡¯s. Viers sometimes made fun of her by calling her 9000-year-old teenager, much to Clarissa¡¯s dismay. Her friends had been good to her, Farley and Paina. They were really supportive of her and accepted her warmly despite the racial differences, perhaps because they were all in a similar situation. She also wanted to be friends with the ever-sleeping little Gwen. Viers¡¯ journey was fun. Full of things she had never seen, filled with many surprises. There was always something happening. They were now journeying to a city, to reunite Paina with her father. To her, the destination didn¡¯t really matter, the journey was more important. Even when Viers almost died multiple times, against that Freya most recently. Her ruby heart, the greatest treasure of the lamia, had been used by Viers. She didn¡¯t know what its effect was, Viers never told her but it definitely would make him very powerful. The fact that Viers was not very powerful right now meant its effect was not the simple kind. When he swore revenge and his lightning of fury filled the sky, Clarissa was afraid Viers might start another war that torched the world. For she didn¡¯t know how much stronger Viers would become. But it turned out it was only another one of his jokes. Clarissa sighed in relief. Good grief. What an unpredictable person¡­ but that¡¯s what makes him interesting. Ah, is this what love feels like? Chapter 45 - Viers Isuel ''He'' was an unremarkable guy. As an insignificant little cog in the great machine of society in modern Earth, he was fed up with the constraints of rules and regulations. After he reincarnated here, he took up a new name and identity, Viers Isuel. He wanted to have something he didn''t before, freedom, unfettered freedom. And have a prosperous, long, exciting, good life. He realized he was in a xianxia-esque world where someone could become a superman if they have the will, talent, opportunity, and luck to struggle for that position. In the novels, he often read something along the lines of ¡®with one slash of his sword, XXX killed millions¡¯. Viers didn¡¯t want to become among the millions in that sentence, to become mere statistics. That was why he needed strength to be able to defend his own life. Strength was a prerequisite for freedom and the good life he sought. Just as important as food and shelter. Viers understood the journey to the summit of power wouldn¡¯t be easy. Xianxia novels with almost unending chapters taught him so. Must he become a cultivation maniac forgoing comforts and pleasures of life until he reached the peak of might? In closed cultivation for tens or hundreds of years like a hermit? If that was the only path before Viers then he might do so. But because he met Clarissa and the Lamia Queen, Viers had the idea of forging a brand new path. The Lamia Queen¡¯s trials would give a certain boon to those who passed with flying colors. The rest would receive treasures of different quality depending on the trial result. Those treasures were from the Age of the Gods so even the mediocre ones were really, really good for today¡¯s standard. It was the ¡®only-the-strong-but-virtuous-shall-pass¡¯ kind of trial. Since Viers wasn¡¯t virtuous and he couldn¡¯t lie in the trials, he failed. Viers only got 25 points out of 100. Using those points Viers picked an affinity raising treasure. Because of pity or whatever else, Clarissa got him a better treasure than his points were able to get. Viers never forgot her kindness. And then, about a month ago at winter¡¯s solstice, Farley¡¯s father Sebastian, sucked the souls of all the residents of Luxore town to sacrifice them to Dumuzin, the Devil he worshiped. More than 3000 lives were lost. Viers survived because he made extensive preparations. When Benjamin was basking in his success, Viers obliterated him. With Benjamin dead and the ritual to send the souls to Dumuzin stopped, the souls were floating aimlessly. What Viers didn¡¯t know before was that the treasure from Clarissa could also bestow the user with new affinity according to the provided ¡®catalyst¡¯. It reacted to the souls. Viers didn¡¯t hesitate. He used the souls to ascend to affinity 5 soul attribute. Along with the water affinity of 4, Viers now became a dual attribute Pathseeker. Using his new mastery over souls, he kidnapped Clarissa and took the most valuable treasure of the Lamia Queen, a heart of ruby which she saved for ¡®the worthy¡¯. Viers gave the queen the middle finger to her judgment of him before he took the treasure and used it for himself. Like Sun Wukong stealing and eating the pills of immortality. Clarissa already explained that the treasure would bestow an Aspect to the user. She further explained that Aspects were something of a miracle ability Pathseekers forged when ascending from Level 5 to Level 6, when they were breaking through the limits of mortals. When forging that Aspect, Pathseekers could make any ability they wished as long as it was in line with the ¡®essence¡¯ of their being. A killer could only make an Aspect with ability related to killing. A protector could only make an Aspect suitable for protecting others. Every Aspect was different from person to person. When Viers claimed his Aspect, he chose the concept of ¡®newness¡¯. He still remembered the exact words he said. ¡°I am a seeker of the new! Experiencing something I never have, and enjoying the wonder that comes with it! To accomplish that I need power! And by broadening my horizon, power I shall have!¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Every experience in my life shall fill the water of my well of power. Everything I have done, and everything I will do! By doing things I have never done, my power will grow! Every new food I eat shall make me stronger. Every new book I read shall make me stronger. New sights I see, new places I visit, new people I meet, new knowledge I understand, new items I touch, new sounds I hear, new friends I make, new enemies I kill, anything and everything new for me shall empower myself!¡± ¡°The name of my Aspect is Horizon! If what people can experience in the world is truly infinite, that limitlessness shall be my power! That is my prayer¡­ That is my wish. Now! Grant it¡­ Incubator!!¡± It was the high point of his life. After quoting Tyrael and shoving an ¡®I am justice itself¡¯ down the Lamia Queen¡¯s throat, he copied the line of a certain magical girl before she became a god. Kyubey wasn¡¯t there, it was just Viers being Viers. He actually said it to the heart of ruby but his wish was granted all the same. If Viers experienced something ¡®new¡¯, his power would rise. The Aspect was a game-changer to Viers¡¯ life from that point forward. His Intio was added with the Aspect. He felt it clearly, like having a growing sun inside himself. For reasons unknown, the Aspect quantified itself by using percentage numbers. Perhaps it was because of Viers¡¯ lingering wish of some sort. He didn¡¯t get a system when reincarnated so the Aspect manifested as a pseudo-system instead. In the beginning, it was at 0% but it rose quickly. The effect was simple. If Viers used an Arte, an extra power was added to the Arte depending on that percentage. Currently, Viers has around a 50% boost. If Viers used an Arte with the power of 500 he would get 50% extra because of his Aspect so the released Arte power was 750. When he reached 1000% boost then using an Arte with 500 power would become 5500. It was nothing less than a divine ability. To increase his Horizon, he must experience something new. Viers then experimented with a lot of things. Turned out, almost everything was new all around him. Just by walking the town and seeing the sights, his Horizon would rise. Not to mention interacting with new people and killing monsters he had never before. Even by sleeping all day locked in his room, Viers¡¯ Horizon would rise. Because even if he had slept ten-thousand times before, then this sleep would be the ten-thousand-and-oneth time. The air he took into his lungs by breathing was different than the air he took one breath before. The planet was spinning and orbiting the sun so his existence in ¡®space¡¯ was different even if he didn¡¯t move away from his room. Even walking the same road every day would be new as long as he stepped the ground with a one-millimeter difference. However, the increase from doing such trivial things was marginal. After some testing, Viers found that the increase would be high if he truly experienced something new and whether that newness was significant or meaningful to him. Viers took the words ¡®broadening one¡¯s horizon¡¯ to a whole other level. It was the missing piece of his ideal build. Since Viers reincarnated in this world one year ago, he had five crucial power-ups in his life. The first was finding a mysterious flower when he was at death''s door. It saved him somehow and now resided inside his Intio. The flower gave him his healing factor and the ability to gain life energy by consuming high vitality ingredients. Viers felt this flower still had other hidden capabilities. The second was meeting a godly bull. It was a Rank 6 or above sentient monster, similar to the spirit beasts in xianxia stories. Viers guessed it was some kind of river or sea godling. When he met the bull, it only had one breath left inside it. The bull offered to be his spirit advisor, its soul taking refuge inside him. Viers refused and the bull died. Viers ate the bull¡¯s flesh and gained the ability to transform into water attribute monsters after absorbing their core and gained super senses. The life energy he got from the bull was massive. The third was press-ganged by Farley to join her cult. He was weak back then, without backing, resources, and influence. His powers had not matured and not as varied, he couldn''t refuse. As a result of joining, after paying a suitable price, Viers¡¯ water affinity rose from 2 to 4. The rise was crucial. From a below-average practitioner, he became a skilled one. He later found out it was only temporary but he still had time before it expired. Viers also saved quite a lot of money during his time with the cult. The fourth was gaining the soul affinity of 5 during the calamity of Luxore town. The rare and mysterious mastery over souls opened a lot of doors previously closed for Viers. He also gained Paina, Farley, and Clarissa¡¯s support because of this, whether they were willing or otherwise. The fifth was obtaining his Aspect. Everything he experienced would make him stronger and so the longer he lived, the better for him. His first and fifth improvement complemented each other like a match from heaven. With all the factors combined, Viers had the perfect build for enjoying life and getting stronger in the process without becoming a cultivation maniac. Therefore Viers prioritized survival above all else. However, life was certainly filled with the unexpected. His encounter with Sigma forced him to make a judgment call that had a far-reaching effect and he almost died in the process. He admitted it could be done better. But so what? He would not waste a reincarnation into a fantasy world to be a powerless, cog in the machine once again. Which MC protagonist did not take risks in their journey? Which of them did not elude death multiple times in their journey to become the strongest? Did they all make a 100% perfect call every time a choice presented itself? People could make mistakes and could learn from them. As long as he did not die then he was the victor. What doesn''t kill you makes you stronger. Viers Isuel was the living embodiment of that sentence and he would become stronger still. Because there was a limitless horizon before him. Chapter 46 - A Touch of Shadow The air of the village was refreshing, even more so for a recovering person like him. He walked slowly and lightly around the village, committing the lay of the land to his memory, until the sky was red because the sun almost set. Alright, time to head back. I need to make plans about how to live here. The Irvings seem like decent enough folks but they are poor as dirt. Perhaps they don''t even have enough to fill their bellies. I mustn''t leech off of their kindness like a parasite. With the speed of a grandpa with rickety bones, Viers made his way back to the house. Along the way, he saw another clich¨¦ in the midst of happening. *** ¡°Today is the day we shall defeat the witch! Cid, she went that way!¡± ¡°Got it! Take this!¡± the kid threw a mud ball at a running little girl. ¡°Anne, Ilse, why aren''t you both attacking?¡± The biggest kid among the bunch asked the remaining two girls. ¡°Daniel stop it. The freak might curse us. Father said to stay away from her. We might get cursed and have purple hair too.¡± ¡°Ilse is right. Just leave her alone. She might transform into a monster like last time.¡± The two boys, Daniel and Cid managed to corner Luca. She had no place to run. ¡°Hah, cowards. You guys and the others too. Look here, my special weapon. Mudball with horse dung mixed with dead cockroaches. A direct hit from this and the monster will be dead. Take this!¡± Daniel threw the abominable weapon towards the frightened girl. ¡°EEEP!!¡± Something swatted the mudball from the air before it hit her. It wasn''t Viers. Luca¡¯s shadow seemed to be alive. Tendrils of shadows protected Luca from the bullies. ¡°It came out!¡± ¡°The monster¡¯s true form!¡± ¡°Daniel, let''s run, run!!¡± ¡°Stand your ground Cid. It never attacked us,¡± Daniel stood his ground even though his voice was trembling. ¡°Kill it!¡± He took a fallen tree branch and poked the shadow multiple times. Cid also followed Daniel¡¯s lead and did the same. Dark shadow curled up around her. Shielding her from harm. ¡°No. Stay away¡­ don¡¯t hurt me¡­ HEEELP!!¡± Darkness exploded out from the little girl no older than ten. It knocked back the two bullies but they weren''t injured. The ground was blackened in the aftermath, like the bottom of a burned pot. ¡°MONSTER! MONSTEEEER!¡± ¡°MOOOOM, heeeelp!¡± ¡°FREAK!¡± ¡°Run! Run away before she eats us!¡± The quartet of kids ran away, leaving a sobbing little girl behind. Uuuh¡­ uwahhh¡­ I hate this. I¡¯m a monster¡­ I should just die. Uggghhh. But, but, I¡¯m scared¡­ uuuu. While Luca was crying in the foetal position, she heard footsteps coming closer. With a face full of tears, she looked up and saw the man she saved from the river. He looked at her straight in her eyes, as if seeing the innermost of her being. Did she really see his eyes were green with rainbow hues or was she just imagining it? ¡°Hicc,¡± she stuttered her words because of the crying. ¡°S-stay away, hic¡­ I¡¯ll hurt you¡­ ¡± ¡°...No. No you won''t.¡± Avel wiped her tears gently using a cloth. Luca felt his care transmitted from the cloth. ¡°Hicc¡­ I, I am a monster.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Unlike them, I have seen many monsters. That¡¯s why I know you¡¯re not one.¡± Avel wiped her face slowly. ¡°I see a kind and beautiful girl.¡± After he was done, he offered his hand. ¡°Let''s go home. Shall we walk together?¡± Like a lost child, Luca took Avel¡¯s hand. She was still sobbing and looking downwards all the way. She didn''t remember much, only the warmth on her hand. *** ¡°She''s asleep,¡± Susan sat on the floor beside her husband. ¡°Mmm,¡± Arim, held his wife¡¯s hands. He too looked worried. To think I witnessed a Mushoku here¡­ that novel really kickstarted the isekai trope to the point of critical explosion. Everything is isekai nowadays. ¡°She¡¯s fine. I checked¡­ has this happened before?¡± Avel asked. The Irvings didn''t have tables or chairs. They sat on the floor using cushions, the cushions were filled with straws. They ate breakfast the same way, similar to the Asian cultures. ¡°Yes¡­ after that she¡¯s always tired. We found her passed out on the road once,¡± Susan answered. ¡°We don''t know what to do. It seems her¡­ power manifest when she¡¯s on edge. Mister Avel, please tell us¡­ What¡¯s wrong with our little girl?¡± Arim and Susan looked at him expectantly. Avel was younger than them but he was a Pathseeker, different from Idlers like them. They were very respectful to Avel. ¡°Nothing is wrong with you daughter. She¡¯s just more talented than most, so much so.¡± Avel¡¯s words brought relief to their hearts. Before they could ask another question, Avel clarified. ¡°People have a certain degree of affinity to the elements in the world. Most people have an affinity to the big four: fire, water, earth, and wind. There are also those fortunate enough to have the rarer affinities. Like your daughter, darkness affinity of 5, the highest affinity possible.¡± They were stunned. ¡°But we both are Idlers,¡± Arim said. ¡°Children could be born with high affinity even from non-practitioner parents. Life is miraculous that way.¡± ¡°Luca can become a strong Pathseeker?¡± Arim¡¯s eyes were beaming. Susan had a similar look. Perhaps all parents would be like that when they were told their child was talented in something. ¡°She has the potential to become one.¡± ¡°This¡­ Mister Avel¡­ can I trouble you to teach Luca to be a Pathseeker?¡± Arim asked. Avel didn''t immediately answer. Arim worried he might have overstepped. ¡°The life of a Pathseeker is filled with danger and strife. It might be different than the life you both imagined. And she¡¯s too young to understand the burden and responsibility of power. If I were to teach her to master her power now, what do you think the consequences would be if Luca killed the other bullies?¡± The young couple was silent. ¡°But leaving her like that is also irresponsible, she needs guidance. Your family has been good to me, all of you. I¡¯ll teach her how to control her power and herself. If she chooses to become Pathseeker after knowing the truth then it would be her choice.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mister Avel.¡± ¡°We won''t forget this kindness.¡± Arim and Susan replied to Avel''s decision with gratitude. ¡°I¡¯ll go to sleep first, my wounds are hurting. I have already eaten so there¡¯s no need for dinner.¡± Avel excused himself. He hunted a couple of small animals around the village earlier, for lunch and dinner. *** ¡°Wow, darkness affinity of 5, huh? That little human is blessed,¡± Viers heard Clarissa¡¯s voice when he was lying down on the bed of straw. While his body was resting, he went to the meadow to talk with the girls face to face. ¡°It was the first time I saw someone with such a clear affinity at such a young age. That reminds me, Clarissa, did you have a tier 5 affinity when you were born?¡± ¡°No. I raised my affinity later though.¡± ¡°As did I¡­ Is Freya a tier 5? She was so strong, it seems likely. Then there was the old man beside Freya. Since he¡¯s a Level 5 then his affinity should be 5. Are they both born with tier 5 affinity? Luca seems to be a natural-born. How rare is such a thing.¡± ¡°I don''t know but the Estellian Church is one of the biggest organizations in the world. The Silver Legion is the church¡¯s subsidiary. They definitely have ways to raise someone¡¯s affinity to tier 5,¡± Farley answered. ¡°She hasn''t made her Intio but her power over darkness already showed itself. Is that common?¡± Viers asked. ¡°I can''t help you there. I haven''t seen enough cases to know what is normal or not. Still, her powers seem to go berserk when she¡¯s in peril. It could be dangerous if unchecked. It would be good for her if you teach her the basics. You made the right call,¡± the brown-haired lamia princess approved. ¡°The bullies didn''t get hurt though. She must have subconsciously held back. What a kind heart she has,¡± Viers pondered. ¡°But darkness affinity¡­ Your brother had it too, right Farley?¡± ¡°By the way, something''s bothering me. Viers, you said the church often employs light users, is it true?¡± Paina cut in, changing the topic. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve met two¡­ We¡¯ve met two. Ciel and Freya.¡± Viers remembered. During Viers, Paina, and Farley¡¯s time at the Training Center in Luxore town, a Silver Legionary named Ciel saved them from a bunch of vicious goblins. I was a Level 0 back then and she was a Level 2. I wonder, is she already Level 3 now? That was before I was forced to enter the cult. I and Farley indirectly clashed with Ciel that one time but better not tell Paina about that. ¡°Ah yes, her. I wonder where she is now¡­ back on topic. Does the church prosecute those with darkness affinity?¡± Paina was worried for the girl. ¡°I don''t know the specifics but it shouldn¡¯t be the case, Paina. The affinity itself isn''t bad. It is the user who matters.¡± Farley answered. ¡°Oh good. I was worried that was the case.¡± Paina sighed in relief. ¡°Although, it seems those possessing the light and darkness affinity are regarded a little more important than ordinary members by the church and cult respectively. Maybe because they have secret techniques that can only be used by light and darkness users?¡± Plak. The girls were looking at Viers who was doing a facepalm. If Viers had two hands then he would do a facepalm with both hands now. Foreshadowing¡­ Now Luca definitely will be entangled with the devil cults in the future. FUCK! Chapter 47 - Back to Nature His first priority was mending his wounded body. The main problem was Freya¡¯s Victa Stigma. When Freya wounded Viers, her Victa residue made its mark in Viers¡¯ body when she injured him. Viers likened it to ¡®infection¡¯, magical ones. Pathseekers¡¯ wounds were hard to heal and this was one of the reasons. Victa Stigma hampered their healing effort. That was why some Pathseekers needed months or years to heal from a grievous injury. Next was repairing his inner energy veins. Victa originated from Intio. If Intio was like a heart then the ¡®inner energy veins¡¯ were like blood vessels, pathways for Victa circulation. Inner energy veins¡­ I¡¯ll call it Magic Circuit from now on. Yes, the Fate franchise taught me much. Sounds cooler too. Viers was in the state of ¡®half-crippled¡¯ in xianxia stories. Very troublesome to heal. Those people who had trouble utilizing their qi or whatever else passed for that in that universe. But Viers was not a normal cultivator. The first thing Viers did after waking up was training. He moved outside and sat cross-legged basking in the light of the sun, palms, or palm for the current him, facing upward on his knee. He would appear like he was meditating to other people. This was the training method of Profound Codex Serpentes Renovamen, the very first technique he received from Clarissa. Although he might be injured, Viers didn''t stop his Intio development. He was only Level 2, and a fledgling Level 2 at that, still far from Level 3 threshold. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Compared to my previous mediocre cultivation manual, this one is a hundred times superior. If I train in a mana-rich environment then my cultivation speed would rise even more. This particular Profound Codex also had a tasty side benefit, it would raise his vitality or life energy, something he sorely needed right now. This Profound Codex must be trained in a set. The first was after sundown and the second was after sunrise. The optimal time to practice the Codex was before the user fell asleep and just after waking. The two steps must be done in order and completed or it wouldn''t be effective. Doing only the morning step was useless, the same case if only the night step was done. ¡°The lamias are a race with long lives, one part of the reason is because of this Profound Codex. The Profound Codex that the masses used were the lesser kind derived from this Codex. This version is the best one, only the lamian royalty was permitted to learn it.'''' That was what Clarissa said to him the first time he learned Serpentes Renovamen. The original name was different, Viers changed it to be easier to use. What¡¯s with lamias and long-winded names? Wisdom Snake¡¯s Unveiling Gaze, Immortal Snake¡¯s Death and Life Esoterica, seriously? Euryale Sight and Serpentes Renovamen are easier to say. Did they need to chase word count too like web novelists? After his morning cultivation session was complete, Viers went back into the house and continued meditating. Yesterday, Viers walked around the village but today he remained in the house for the whole day. He sat cross-legged like a statue. The Irvings left him alone, they didn''t want to disturb him. Despite his outside appearance, Viers was hard at work healing his body. There was a massive construction effort inside him. The source of Viers¡¯ healing factor was his life energy. Since his life energy had gotten dangerously low, the automatic healing he usually enjoyed was hampered and slowed. Viers forcefully overrode the limitation and reduced his life energy even more in exchange for a faster recovery. With Viers directing the healing factor directly, invoking healing Arte at times, exterminating the Victa Stigma, and operating on the delicate part like a surgeon, his body rapidly returned to a healthy state. In the late afternoon, Viers opened his eyes and stretched his body to feel the difference. Although he wasn''t healed completely, he regained his smooth motor control and became much better than yesterday. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Truly, you cannot appreciate the meaning of health until you become sick. On the other hand, his life dwindled even further. He calculated he only had a few months left of life span. I feel¡­ old. I can''t really explain it but it strangely felt that way. Thankfully my face isn''t wrinkled and my teeth aren''t falling off¡­ I must eat some monsters soon. Gasp! Is this my karma for making fun of Clarissa!? Did I really become a 9000-year-old teenager? I¡¯m still 16, right? RIGHT? And then there was the issue of the Victa in his possession. During the battle with Freya and the escape after that, he had almost used up all of his Victa. Although new Victa was generated during the time he was unconscious, it didn''t change the fact that his Victa was at a critical level. Viers must eat monsters, it most likely would involve a battle with the said monster. Battling used Victa, which he was in very short supply of. Guess I have to be smart when doing it then, Viers determined. He walked outside the house and spotted Arim. The young father was inside the nearby shack, making pots from clay. ¡°Ah, Mister Avel. Are you well?¡± ¡°Much better. Where¡¯s Susan and Luca?¡± ¡°Susan was procuring dinner and Luca¡­ should be playing near the river by now.¡± ¡°...It''s almost dark, shall I pick her up?¡± ¡°Uhhh, there''s no need to trouble yourself, Mister Avel. She usually comes back on her own.¡± ¡°It''s fine, I need the walk.¡± Viers asked Arim for directions and went to the river. The reddish sky on the horizon was very picturesque. He found her, playing alone in the riverbank with a straw doll, talking to fishes, and playing house with colored rocks. Poor girl¡­ Her gift is also a burden. Oh well, guess I must do something. Viers promised to teach Luca but he must get closer to her first. That meant creating a bridge between them. With a plan in his head, he returned first. At the house, Arim had just finished working clay and started tilling the field with a hoe. Viers told him his plan and asked for a bit of clay. Arim happily gave some. Susan and Luca returned home not long after Viers, before it got dark. During dinner, the Irvings and Viers ate another¡­ humble meal. A bit fancier than before, perhaps because VIers agreed to help Luca yesterday. No wonder they all looked a bit skinny. ¡°Mister Arim, Madam Susan, and little Luca, thank you for the hospitality you have given me. My wounds have become much better. I¡¯ll earn my keep starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°Apologies Mister Avel, we couldn''t do more,¡± Susan spoke apologetically. ¡°Not at all, I¡¯m very grateful you gave help to a complete stranger like me. I might need to buy some stuff for daily necessities. Where do I go if I want to buy things here?¡± Granted, Viers was broke at this point. He didn''t possess a single copper coin but he figured he could still make a deal with the seller. ¡°No one,¡± Arim looked amused. ¡°People create their own goods and or barter the rest.¡± ¡°...No uses of money here?¡± He was shocked. Viers didn''t expect to wind up in such a backwater place. ¡°Pecan Village has been closed from the bigger world since a decade ago. We¡¯re surrounded by monster-infested areas and the only relatively safe route outside was blocked. A particularly dangerous monster moved in from somewhere and made a lair in the area. There used to be small caravans or individual traveling merchants visiting us now and then but no more since that monster came.¡± Secluded village indeed. I didn''t really pay attention at the time but perhaps the river I rode on is also filled with aquatic monsters? ¡°Oh, how I missed that apple candy that the big bearded merchant used to bring when we were little. Remember that darling?¡± Arim said. ¡°Every time a caravan came, it was like a festival. What a precious time, ufufu.¡± Susan also remembered the past fondly. ¡°Shame Luca hasn''t been able to experience that,¡± Arim gently caressed Luca¡¯s hair. ¡°Hmm¡­ ¡± Viers touched his chin and started thinking. ¡°But no city officials came to ask for taxes either so not all is bad,¡± Arim added. ¡°Since this village did not get attacked by monsters despite being surrounded by them, we are mostly on our own here. We create our things ourselves. Mister Avel, what do you want to buy?¡± ¡°Mmn? Clothes for starters. My previous ones are ruined and the one I wear now are borrowed from you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a seamstress so my job is to make clothes. We have some spares, feel free to use that,¡± Susan amiably said. Viers nodded but determined to pay them back. ¡°So there has been no coming and going since a decade ago?¡± ¡°Well¡­ there was one person who came here about one year ago. He stays at the edge of the village. He¡¯s¡­ a bit unique.¡± Arim carefully replied. ¡°We are all a little different, dear. He isn''t bad,¡± Susan said. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I was insensitive, sorry,¡± Arim nodded a few times. Luca seldom talked during dinner. She also didn''t talk to Viers because of shyness. Since the topic didn''t involve her, she seemed bored. Still, no place to buy stuff, huh? What was I thinking? Did I subconsciously expect a 7-Eleven to exist in this place? Chapter 48 The rest of the dinner was filled with pleasant conversations. The youth said that he wanted to cultivate some crops too. He wouldn''t be here for too long so he needed fast-growing vegetables. Turnip was his first choice. I refuse to leave this place without a true Harvest Moon experience! I must till the soil, plant the seeds, water them every day, and harvest them! Every experience made him stronger so why not? He liked those games. Unfortunately, the Irvings didn''t have turnip seeds. They only had plant seeds that needed quite a bit of time to mature, which was outside Viers¡¯ timetable. Eh, I¡¯ll find some alternative then. Viers was determined to plant some crops. Luca seemed to want to say something but didn''t open her mouth. The next day, Viers was well-rested and looking hale. At least he no longer needed to walk like a 100-year-old grandpa. His left hand had started growing too. It was like a baby¡¯s hand at first, small and disproportionate. It was quite a disturbing sight so Viers always covered it with a cloth. He still used the arm sling so it didn''t look out of place. ¡°Alright, I need to go outside. I¡¯ll return in the evening.¡± Viers went outside of the village, seeking monsters. Later that afternoon. ¡°HOORAK!¡± ¡°GAAAAU!¡± He witnessed two monsters in a territorial dispute, battling each other. Gnashing and biting and mauling each other as if they were mortal enemies. One was a medium-sized pig but very heavy. Its black mane and tusks looked menacing. The other was a feline creature with a single glowing green-colored horn. It had three tails. If I¡¯m not wrong, those are Barbar Warthog and Ajrut Tiger. Viers spent the whole morning scouting the area. The deeper into the forest, the stronger the monster became. But the entrance area of the forest wasn''t as dangerous, next to no monsters but plenty of normal animals. Perfect for the villagers to forage some woodland products or hunt some game. Using Euryale Sight, he took note of the dangerous ones in the far distance. Monsters attacked on sight, this is a Red Zone. Viers used his Euryale Sight almost constantly during his first visit. Thankfully, the monster¡¯s Rank isn''t that high. Almost none in Rank 3. I just have to be careful and stay away from them. Depending on the monster, Orange Zones might be more dangerous than Red Zones and vice-versa. Viers was looking at the dueling monsters from the branch of a high tree. He decided to intervene. His fingers made a square, a taking photo gesture. Fatal Soulframe First Form: Horror! A flash brightened the area for a split second but since it was high noon, it didn''t stand out. Two photos were created, appearing from thin air. One depicted the pig and the tiger on the other. The two monsters became still and fell like marionettes with their strings cut. They were still breathing, eyes opened but there was only blankness inside them. Although First Form: Horror can be used for cursing, its main purpose is to attack so I made the attack power quite high. Against those without soul resistance, I can completely capture their souls and turn them into photos. Even if they resist, their soul would be injured. The photo disappeared, he absorbed them. And just like that two Rank 1 monsters met their demise. Monster souls couldn¡¯t be soul searched but why waste it? I still have some use for you. Viers killed the monsters who had become soulless husks painlessly before cutting them open and bringing some of their meat back, along with the pelt from the warthog and horn from the tiger. He brought his loot to the forest entrance area where monsters didn''t dare to get close for some unknown reason. Perhaps something in the village is scaring them? And no monster cores, just as I thought. He felt it was quite a waste to leave the carcass behind, many edible parts remaining but he had no choice, they were too heavy. Viers couldn''t bring them without using Victa and he didn''t want to waste his precious MP. Where¡¯s my bag of holding? Where¡¯s my inventory ring? Why didn''t I find those early like the other MCs in their stories? It would make my life a whole lot easier! Viers grumbled while hauling big hunks of meat. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Finally, Viers made a campfire and had a barbeque. He cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and put them on skewers. After they were cooked enough, Viers chomped on them like a hungry beast. He truly was hungry. The Irvings didn''t have a lot of food and he was a freeloader, how could he ask for a bigger portion when they themselves were lacking food? The meat was tough and hard to bite. They were passable but not particularly good. I wish I had some salt, even a sprinkle would make these much better. The chubby youth ate enough meat for four people to have a full belly. ¡°Aaaahhh¡­¡± Viers blurted a voice of satisfaction. About a month¡¯s worth of life energy gained? It might seem a lot from one meal but I¡¯ve been spending my life energy like water anyway so it actually isn''t. From the scouting, he was 60% convinced Freya and the Level 5 old man did not know his location. Or at least weren''t close enough at the moment. Well, I¡¯ll make preparations to vamoose if it comes to that. Is it time already? I¡¯ll bring a souvenir for tonight. The Irvings need to eat more meat. They¡¯re so skinny. Viers went back to the village. *** ¡°Hello Mister Fish. This is Lulu. I¡¯ve made the green bread you requested. I hope you and Madam Fish will like it.¡± Luca was playing by herself again near the river. She heard the sound of someone coming and turned her head. It was the slightly round-bellied one-handed man she saved. He was carrying a doll in his hand. ¡°Hear me, plebeian. I am the magnificent Poupou. The Lemon King. I come from the yellow moon. What is your name, hairless monkey?¡± Luca was taken aback, unsure how to answer. ¡°Do you not hear me? Or speaking is too hard for you? Or are you simply in awe for my magnificence?¡± Avel approached, making it as if the yellow-colored clay doll shaped like a snowman he made yesterday was walking closer to Luca. ¡°Lu-Luca,¡± the purple-haired girl replied nervously. ¡°Come now, speak for this king. Mine patience isn''t unlimited.¡± Avel moved the doll as if it was staring at Luca¡¯s straw doll. Luca looked like she had a flash of an idea of what was Avel trying to do. ¡°Lulu! My name is Lulu, a villager.¡± ¡°Pou-pou-pou,¡± Avel laughed like a silly man. He got into character. ¡°Villager Lulu you say? Very well, at least you can speak. As king, I demand you give me a tour of this place. I must say this place is really amazing. Not as amazing as the magnificent me, of course. But almost.¡± Avel turned the clay doll left and right. The Lemon King from the moon inspecting the area. ¡°Now who are these fellows you were talking to earlier? Introduce them to this king.¡± ¡°Y-yes, Mister Poupou.¡± Luca replied. ¡°KING Poupou! Address me with my title, Villager Lulu, or I''ll have you executed!¡± ¡°Yesss! Sorry, ahh, a-apologies,¡± Luca stuttered. ¡®Lulu¡¯ guided ¡®Poupou¡¯ to the river with a lot of fish. ¡°Mister Fish? Why does he look so boney? Has he eaten anything for the past year? And which one is Madam Fish? They all look the same to me. Hard to differentiate.¡± ¡°This Mister Crab of yours is really peculiar. I can''t imagine having two giant claws instead of my hands. Look at this round and smooth design! Perfection!¡± Avel showed his clay doll who had round balls as hands, because making fingers was too difficult. He tried to pass his design defect as a selling point instead. ¡°Now what''s that lanky thing creating those greenies? Trees? Can you eat them? You can''t? What¡¯s the point for their existence then?¡± ¡°So this is called a river, hmn? Where does it go? Ocean? What is that?¡± ¡°On the moon there¡¯s no need for such things. It''s all lemons there. Lemon fruits as far as the eye can see. Why do you think one of the moons is yellow? That was because of the magnificent me! Lemon King Poupou! Bask in my magnificence, villager! Pou-pou-pou-pou!¡± Luca started to laugh. Her laughing face was like a cheery morning sun. Avel played with Luca until the day was late. ¡°Here, it should be done. Careful, it¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mister Avel.¡± Avel caught two fishes from the river. He skewered them and grilled them on a firepit. He gave them both to Luca since he was already full. ¡°Don''t mention it. And Mister Avel sounds off. Call me big brother.¡± ¡°Un, big brother!¡± Luca happily replied. Hehe, what a cute and obedient kid. Luca was busy munching the fishes while Avel was leisurely watching the sunset. ¡°Big bro...¡± Luca said in a small voice. ¡°Hmn?¡± ¡°Why aren''t you afraid of Luca?¡± Avel already prepared his answer and had been polishing it for a whole day. ¡°In a land far, far away, there was a mother duck.¡± Using his water affinity, he showed Luca the scenes using a water-shaped diorama from the water in the river. She looked remarkably impressed, her eyes were beaming. ¡°The duck had a lot of eggs. When the eggs hatched, one of the baby birds was different, she was seen as ugly. Her other siblings and the rest of the ducks treated her cruelly. Hitting her with their beaks and speaking ill of her.¡± Avel directed the opera like a maestro. The water show was very magical, especially for a 10-year-old Luca. He planned to give her an unforgettable memory for a lifetime. ¡°The ugly duckling was driven away, alone. One day, she saw a flock of white swans flying in the sky.¡± Avel showed the ducks and swans very clearly so even if Luca had never seen them, she had a visual idea about what he was trying to tell. The ugly duckling was walking alone with its head down, looking like a picture of pity before Avel showed the swans. ¡°The little ugly duckling was excited, she wanted to fly with them, but she was too young and could not fly. From place to place the duckling wandered, alone. She was always hungry and many foxes wanted to eat her.¡± ¡°In winter, the ugly duckling couldn''t find a house to stay in so she had to take shelter in a cave near a frozen lake. When spring came, the swans she saw in the past descended on the lake.¡± The maestro made the swans descended majestically, wings opened like a regal spectacle. ¡°The ugly duckling had grown up and matured. She couldn¡¯t stand a life of loneliness anymore so she approached them, thinking it would be better if she were killed by such beautiful birds like them rather than living a life of misery.¡± ¡°To her surprise, the swans actually accepted her. They gave her a warm welcome and a place among the flock. Only now when looking at her own reflection in the water the ugly duckling realized she was not a duck but had been a swan all along.¡± ¡°The swan group flew to the air, and the gorgeous swan spread her splendid wings and took flight with her new family.¡± For the climax, he made the gorgeous swan turn into a crystal clear mirror mid-flight, showing the reflection of a cute young girl with purple hair. Chapter 49 - Trust Avel and Luca returned home, walking side by side. He held her hand the whole time. After the water performance, Luca didn¡¯t speak. ¡°There, we have arrived. Ouph?¡± Luca suddenly hugged his thigh, burying her face. ¡°...Big bro, thank you.¡± She ran away back home, embarrassed. Avel smiled, feeling a great sense of accomplishment. Pheeew. Did I chase away the darkness inside her heart? Avel also went inside the house. Arim and Susan were already there. ¡°I brought some meat. Let¡¯s eat until we¡¯re full!¡± Before he played with Luca, Avel also hunted an animal in the forest to feed the Irvings. On one part was to convey his gratitude, on the other was because he didn¡¯t want to eat such a poor meal anymore. ¡°Venison?¡± ¡°My, how precious!¡± The young couple happily welcomed the occasion. The dinner that day was an improvement. It seemed the family didn¡¯t eat meat much. ¡°Big bro,¡± Luca called when they were eating. Her parents looked at each other when she called Avel big bro. ¡°You want turnip seeds, right? Perhaps Mister Horse has some.¡± ¡°¡­Mister Horse?¡± He wondered if he misheard. *** Viers was playing with the two rings on his hand. When he lost most of his belongings during the fight with Freya, these two rings were the items he recovered before he made his escape to awaken the slumbering slug. These were the most precious items in his possession, inventory rings. But not his. The rings belonged to the leader and vice-leader of the Dumuzin Cult of Luxore branch. Farley¡¯s father and older brother respectively. There were unmistakably a high amount of riches inside. After my time in this Pecan Village is over, I should go into a city and crack these bad boys. Unlike in other xianxia stories, inventory items in this world had enchantments that worked like a lock. Only a specific user or users could use them. Even if someone stole them or killed the original owner, the assailant couldn¡¯t access the content. Logical, but annoying! Why did this have to happen to me specifically? Viers still experienced the woe of having too much luggage even after taking someone else¡¯s inventory ring. Well, since they can lock it then there must be ways to unlock it. Someone well-versed in enchantments should be able to do it. Viers planned to visit a big city next, not mere villages or towns. A true congregation of people from all walks of life. That¡¯s for the future. The now is¡­ Viers reviewed his recent undertakings, contemplating a lot of things. Yeah, that¡¯s what I figured. There should have been better ways to deal with Sigma. Did I become too focused on him and lose sight of my surroundings? Because he¡¯s an MC with a cheat? Viers frowned on his bed while looking at the ceiling. ¡­I¡¯ll do better next time. Viers convinced himself then closed his eyes. He went to his realm of consciousness. Soul search! Soul search! Soul search! He looked into the memories of the people he killed during the DOTA killing streak. One man stood out in particular, it was the mind mage, Arrey. He truly is a mind Pathseeker¡­ So there¡¯s soul, then mind, would there be a body Pathseeker as well? Just like my soul attack, his mind attack is hard to defend against. Divination item? Jarret found out my location using a divination item? How did it ¡®divine¡¯ my location? What are the rules and limitations? Most importantly, how can I defend against it? My safest bet is raising my Level. The stronger a person is, the harder to divine he becomes. That¡¯s the common pattern in power fantasy stories. Then he reviewed his encounter with Freya. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Freya, as the Interpreter¡¯s decreed, I will not interfere between you and the boy¡¯s battle. My directive was to bring you here. I am forbidden to help you if you lose or assist in the boy¡¯s capture. Whether you convince him to surrender, forceful capture, or execution¡­ It is all your decision to make.¡± ¡°The Light of the Goddess guides me here.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve lost, just as Fate decrees.¡± Interpreter, Light, Fate, the old man¡¯s restriction¡­ So that¡¯s how it is. Viers arrived at a conclusion. Fate, or something along that line, wants me to be Freya¡¯s whetting stone! In other words, if Freya is an MC then ¡®Fate¡¯ wanted to make me a side-character to be her fertilizer! Yes, yes¡­ first is her seemingly na?ve disposition. She wanted to be a paragon of justice and protect the innocents and whatever. Against my villainous realistic method, she would be forced to see the reality of the situation. If I¡¯m a third-rate villain, then I might become someone obsessed with defeating her! I already have the background of one. I got OP powers compared to most of the people my age. Freya wiped the floor with me and so my pride is in pieces. Then it would be my life¡¯s great undertaking to defeat Freya. But she won¡¯t be defeated! Because she represents the ¡®good¡¯ and I the ¡®bad¡¯. There¡¯s another possibility. If I¡¯m a second-rate villain then I might become her nemesis. That cockroach villain that would not die even after reaching thousands of chapters in xianxia stories! Their sole purpose of existence was to be defeated by MC and making the readers satisfied!! Again, I fit into the mold. If my life is at risk, I will have no qualms descending into doing acts of depravity. Such as the killing of Sigma in broad daylight despite him never doing anything and me unleashing a monster against the innocents. The point is, Fate wants me to become the villain in Freya¡¯s story! And the Estellian Church has someone that can see or influence the workings of Fate, that ¡®Interpreter¡¯. Using his sharp instincts of clich¨¦d developments, and because he had read too many fantasy books, Viers arrived at a horrifying conclusion. Freya¡¯s character would have already grown even further now. She would be even stronger. And that ¡®Fate¡¯ thing must be what brings them to me! Combined with my shoddy work at Osemore because of the lack of preparations and I had to improvise most of it, they managed to pick up my trail. Viers felt he had seen the weavings of Fate. ¡°Clarissa!¡± ¡°Whoah! You startled me. Don¡¯t suddenly appear like that!¡± Viers appeared before the lamia, outside her golden cage. ¡°Fate, what do you know of it?¡± ¡°You mean, about the predetermined occurrence of events?¡± ¡°Not the meaning of the word! Is there a fate Pathseeker?¡± ¡°Not that I know of,¡± she denied. Viers peered deep into her eyes and didn¡¯t see lies. He was sensitive to this since she was a ¡®bare soul¡¯, so to speak. ¡°Fine. Are there gods or devils or other beings associated with fates? I know you can¡¯t say too much about the Age of the Gods. Since it didn¡¯t really matter for the current me, I didn¡¯t push it. But now this particular thing suddenly becomes relevant. I must know the answer,¡± Viers¡¯ tone was firm. ¡°¡­There are.¡± Clarissa weakly answered. She knew resistance is futile. Viers could force her to answer even if she refused. ¡°Good. That answer is enough. There¡¯s a change in priority. Cease piecing together the Arte about changing appearance. Seek something about Arte preventing fate divination and mind techniques.¡± ¡°Divination? Mind?¡± ¡°Yeah, anti-divination, or scry, or augury. Fate manipulation and the like. I also want things to protect my mind. The last mind user caught me off guard. It was fortunate he wasn¡¯t at a higher Level than me.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s two different things,¡± Clarissa protested. ¡°Is it? I think both are actually quite similar. In any case, just rummage through Lamia Queen¡¯s memory for Artes capable of those feats. If you can¡¯t find something that fits into both, the anti-divination takes precedence.¡± Shame shape-shifting my face must be postponed. But Fate shall play no part in my life. ¡°Those with divination or mind capability should be rare. Are you sure you want me to search for it anyway?¡± The lamia princess warned. ¡°My ¡®privacy¡¯ is very important.¡± I want to be unhackable, now more than ever. As for the mind, they don''t know the terror of having someone named Zorian as an enemy. Starting now, I must build my defenses against malware and hackers. I would be too late if I begin later. Viers took his security measures very seriously, both for his ¡®software¡¯ and ¡®hardware¡¯. ¡°¡­Alright. I¡¯ll get to it,¡± Clarissa replied. ¡°¡­Sorry if I seem forceful. This is important,¡± Viers apologized, he truly meant it. ¡°It¡¯s fine. This is my role after all.¡± Clarissa closed her eyes and started working. With that task completed, Viers turned around and saw two worried-looking girls. ¡°No need to be alarmed, this is just precaution. Paina, this is for you.¡± Viers gave Paina a flute. ¡°I tried to make it look similar to the one you lost. Did I get it right?¡± ¡°Eh? Yeah, but why so suddenly?¡± ¡°Cause I feel like it. And your flute music was beautiful.¡± Viers heard Paina playing the flute once before. He remembered it fondly. Also because I sense you become more and more restless. Might be a good stress relief. They were souls and Viers was a soul Pathseeker with maximum affinity. He could sense what they were feeling to a certain degree. ¡°As for you, I couldn¡¯t think of a suitable gift. Do you have any requests?¡± ¡°No need to trouble yourself over me, Lord Viers. May I ask a question instead?¡± Farley¡¯s expression betrayed nothing but as Viers became more and more experienced with his soul mastery, he vaguely sensed Farley¡¯s fear. ¡°Just ask. No need to be so formal.¡± ¡°During the battle with Freya, why didn¡¯t you call me? I can fight by your side.¡± ¡°First, Freya was unbeatable at that time. Escape was better than fighting¡­ and you wouldn¡¯t be useful even if I called you out.¡± ¡°¡­I apologize for being useless.¡± Farley bowed, deeply. ¡°Sigh¡­ Look, both of you. Stop thinking you¡¯re disposable. I will never treat all of you badly. And when all is said and done, I¡¯ll free you from my service.¡± They both looked surprised and unsure. Didn¡¯t know what words to say. ¡°¡­Why?¡± Paina softly asked. ¡°You all are precious to me,¡± Viers turned to Clarissa. ¡°All of you.¡± The golden cage imprisoning her slowly faded like sands in the wind. A sign of trust from him to her. The lamia looked straight into his eyes. ¡°It is I who have debts to pay. Me to you three. Not you all to me. I¡¯ll give you your life back, or die trying.¡± Chapter 50 - Strength Another great morning and the weather was perfect for a walk outside, which is precisely what Viers did. He was accompanied by Luca, on the way to the place of ¡®Mister Horse¡¯. ¡°So what do you usually do every day?¡± ¡°Umm, playing by myself?¡± ¡°Kids around your age were mean to you, right? Because of your purple hair?¡± ¡°Nn,¡± Luca nodded. I don¡¯t get what the fuss is all about. It''s dark purple, almost black. Not so different. ¡°What about the other adults in the village?¡± He wanted to know the family¡¯s standing in the village. ¡°Village uncles and aunties are better. They don¡¯t like me but they don¡¯t beat me or yell at me. When I¡¯m doing an errand, they aren¡¯t mean¡­ Sometimes I help Mom and Dad in their work.¡± ¡°Making pots and sewing, hm? Oh yeah, can you read or write?¡± Avel asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Your parents didn¡¯t teach you?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know how to read or write either.¡± ¡°¡­Oh,¡± Avel muttered. The pair passed the center of the village. Some villagers gave them a wary look. Luca kept walking with her head down, avoiding eye contact. Avel gave a nod here and there. And then, he saw something unusual. ¡°Luca, why are those people praying and giving offerings to a tree?¡± There was a withered white tree in the center of the village. People were kneeling before it, presenting foodstuff they gathered from the forest, saying their prayers and wishes to it. Avel and Luca stopped walking for a moment, watching from the distance. ¡°Dad said that during his great grandfather''s time, this village was very prosperous. A goddess bestowed her divine protection to this place, creating wondrous plants and fruits. Crops also grow big and healthy.¡± ¡°Hold up, the goddess. Is it Estelle?¡± Avel asked. ¡°Who¡¯s Estelle?¡± Luca looked confused. The church didn¡¯t spread to here? Avel wondered. ¡°Sorry for interrupting, carry on.¡± ¡°Un, so the goddess, she also planted that tree in the center of the village. Since then, no monster has come close to the village.¡± ¡°I see¡­ even until this day?¡± ¡°Un,¡± she confirmed. ¡°But it looks almost dead now.¡± ¡°Dad said the goddess died during great grandfather''s time. The wondrous plants and fruits disappeared and monsters became lots. Harvest is also not as good. Because of that tree, the monsters don¡¯t dare to come close to the village but the surrounding area is filled with monsters. Some think the goddess is still alive since the tree is still protecting the village.¡± This place is an island surrounded by dangerous seas. What would happen when the tree completely dies? How much longer could that tree last? A decade? A few years? Less? ¡°¡­So that''s why this village is so cut off from the rest of the world,¡± Avel spoke after some thinking. ¡°Mhm,¡± Luca bobbed her head. ¡°Big bro is smart!¡± ¡°Now, now. Don¡¯t praise your big bro too much or his head might become bigger,¡± Avel smiled. ¡°DIE!!¡± Someone screamed from behind, thrusting a spear at Luca. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Luca yelped. ¡°Hmph.¡± Avel kicked the spear at the shaft. It left the assailant¡¯s hand and fell away. ¡°This is not a joke. You idiot,¡± Avel felt quite a bit of anger by the unreasonableness of it all. It was Daniel, one of the bullies that Luca repulsed a while back. A boy about the age of 11 to 13. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± The big boy screamed injustice. ¡°That¡¯s my line you ignorant little snot. You wanted to spear her to death!?¡± He raised his voice. Luca was already hiding behind Avel, hugging his thigh like her life was depending on it. ¡°I am killing a monster that snuck into the village. A stranger like you shouldn¡¯t butt in!¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Plak! Avel slapped the idiotic boy, strongly. He fell to the side. Eyes wide and filled with confusion. One hand holding his cheek. ¡°Y-y-you, you hit me¡­¡± ¡°Of course I hit you. Your parents obviously weren¡¯t stern enough in raising their kid. What a failure on their part.¡± ¡°Uwaaahh!!¡± Daniel fought back, wanting to hit Avel with his fist. The youth with one hand easily dodged and slapped the stupid kid again, on the same cheek. ¡°Move away for a bit,¡± Avel said to Luca. ¡°AAAAHHH!¡± Daniel turned feral, wildly attacking Avel but it was no use. Avel dodged or parried the attacks then countered each of them with a slap. The youth still used his arm sling so he really fought using only one hand. There was a shadow of training in Daniel¡¯s movements but Avel beat him down all the same. Daniel¡¯s left cheek was really swollen after tens of slaps, his tear ducts were welling up. ¡°¡­Hiks, uuughh¡­¡± ¡°Oh you¡¯re crying now. Not so tough now are you?¡± Avel looked down on Daniel who was on the ground. ¡°I-Iwyll¡­ hiks¡­ telldad bout this, higg.¡± The bully stuttered through his crying. Avel replied by focusing his ¡®killing intent¡¯ on the boy. Daniel was stunned, hands trembling, eyes wide, throat dry. ¡°You think you¡¯re strong so you bullied this little girl who you thought is weaker than you. Surely you have no complaints if someone does the same to you in turn? You almost killed her. It is my God''s given right to almost kill you.¡± Avel¡¯s voice was like ice, full of disgust by what the boy tried to do. Pishhh. A puddle of water was created, wetting Daniel¡¯s pants and a distinct smell was in the air. ¡°Uwahhh! Daaaaaadddd!!¡± Daniel left like the small fry he was. Running with his tail between his legs with a bawling face. ¡°Phuih. What a shit stain.¡± Avel spat to the side of the road. Kids can be cruel. Mostly because they don¡¯t truly understand the meaning of their actions. Avel took up the spear that Daniel left. Hm? Quite a good spear he brought. In the distance, a few villagers had seen the spectacle between Avel and Daniel. ¡°The brat tried to spear Luca to death,¡± he showed the spear to the onlookers. ¡°I taught him a lesson.¡± The four or five villagers whispered to each other, discussing Avel¡¯s acclaim. Avel cared not for their gossip and approached the waiting Luca. He kneeled to match her eye level. ¡°Was it scary?¡± She shook her head but Avel felt she forced herself. He patted her head as gently as he could. ¡°Let¡¯s walk a bit before we talk.¡± He took her hand and walked away from the onlookers and the smell of urine. He carried the spear by tucking it under his armpit. Luca kept silent the whole time. Avel sat her down on a wooden log after they walked far enough. ¡°You are different. I think you already have an inkling about that. That¡¯s why you stood out from the group.¡± Avel talked to Luca beside him while looking at the distance. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to be different.¡± ¡°What you have, is a gift.¡± ¡°It is a curse.¡± ¡°Unfortunately we can¡¯t choose how we are born. Not you, not me, not anybody else. We have to deal with it, and move on.¡± Luca didn¡¯t answer. Couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°Do you know what a Pathseeker is, Luca?¡± ¡°¡­People with special abilities¡­ like you. Dad said I might be one.¡± ¡°Close enough. What you have is a talent. If you trained it, then you might become an exceptional Pathseeker.¡± ¡°¡­So I was born to become a Pathseeker?¡± ¡°No. You must choose. To be one or not. The life of a Pathseeker is not easy and full of dangers. Living in this peaceful village might make you happier.¡± ¡°¡­Big bro Avel chose to be a Pathseeker?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s something I want. That¡¯s why I struggle for it.¡± ¡°¡­Luca¡­ Luca wants for Mom and Dad to be happy, and so they can eat lots of food. They always eat less than Luca when there¡¯s not enough to eat. Luca also wants to give them lots of good clothes. Luca wants to play with the others¡­ And, and, and Luca don¡¯t want to be bullied anymore.¡± The little girl tucked her knees and buried her face on it. ¡°¡­But Luca can¡¯t do any of those,¡± she said dejectedly. Avel patted her head. ¡°I saw you use your shadow that time, remember?¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Luca mumbled. ¡°You didn¡¯t hurt the other kids. I know you didn¡¯t have control of it so you must be unconsciously holding back. Because you don¡¯t want them to get hurt, even if they are cruel to you.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Luca mumbled again. ¡°You¡¯re a kind girl. For now, I¡¯ll teach you to control your power. Leaving it unchecked might be dangerous. To others and to yourself. With your kind heart, I know you won¡¯t abuse it.¡± ¡°Kay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll only teach the basics. Then you can protect yourself from something like earlier. One day, when you are all grown up, you can choose to be a Pathseeker or not. So cheer up, yeah?¡± Avel lifted her face. She was on the verge of tears. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a piece of advice I heard from a king. The words are this: Seek strength. The rest will follow.¡± ¡°Seek strength¡­ The rest will follow?¡± ¡°Yes. Strength or skill.¡± ¡°So big brother Avel is telling Luca to be a Pathseeker?¡± ¡°No. There are many kinds of strength. Even a non-Pathseeker like your mom and dad have strength. They have the strength to live and raise you. They have the skills to make pots and sew clothes and feed you. Blacksmiths have the skill to create tools. Merchants have skills in trading. To live in this world, we all need some kind of strength. The greater the strength, the wider your path in life.¡± That is true on Earth, in this world, and in any other world out there. Luca was contemplating what she heard deeply. ¡°As for you, little Luca, you¡¯re still young so there¡¯s no need to rush. In the future when the ugly duckling has grown up into the swan, at the very least, have enough strength to protect yourself and those you hold dear.¡± ¡°¡­Un,¡± she nodded strongly. As for me, I¡¯ll settle for the strength to kill my enemies. ¡°Okay then. Let¡¯s go to this Mister Horse¡¯s place. Gooo!¡± ¡°Kayyy!¡± Luca seemed to get some of her spirits back. She hopped down the log and tugged Avel¡¯s hand forward, smiling. *** Paina was looking at the screen floating on the air with Farley and Clarissa. ¡°Seek strength. The rest will follow¡­ Nice advice. I wonder which king said this,¡± Clarissa pondered. ¡°Very fitting for Lord Viers¡­¡± Farley sighed. ¡°¡­Seek strength¡­¡± Paina felt the words echo inside her very soul. Chapter 51 - Mister Horse Avel and Luca reached their destination, it was an orchard. The place was not big but there were quite a variety of trees and shrubs in the orchard. Winter had just ended so the greeneries were a bit lacking. ¡°Wow, what a nice place.¡± ¡°Mister Horse!¡± Luca ran to the person drinking tea leisurely outside the house near the orchard. ¡°Hello, little flower. Healthy, yes?¡± Avel walked at his own pace, approaching the pair. So that¡¯s Mister Horse. Well, I already had an inkling. Mister Horse obviously was beastfolk, a race of people with animal-like characteristics. They were mostly humanoid. Avel had seen a few here and there but he wasn''t particularly close or familiar with any of them. Their race mostly occupied the southern part of the continent so seeing one in the Coalition lands was not too rare but not too common either. The beastfolk had the head of a horse. His skin was dark brown and had a reddish mane. He could speak fluently despite having the mouth structure of a horse. Other than his animal head, the rest of his body was no different than humans. He had hands and legs instead of hoofs. He was a bit similar to the Ox-Head and Horse-Face depiction in Chinese mythology. His height was a bit taller than regular humans, about 180 cm. ¡°Greetings, apologies for interrupting your day, good sir,¡± Avel said his hello. ¡°Ah yes. The stranger that got washed away by the river. I have heard of you,¡± the beastfolk¡¯s voice was friendly. ¡°You heard about me?¡± ¡°Rumors spread fast in a little village like this. I am Shlomo, son of Tholmo. Well met, young human.¡± ¡°Avel of Javia, nice to meet you.¡± Avel and Shlomo shook hands. Because of the close contact, he felt something. This one¡­ Level 2? But something feels different. Clearly Avel wasn''t the only one getting feedback from the handshake. Shlomo gave him an approving look with his big horse eyes. ¡°So young and already possessing such strength. Impressive, young Avel¡­ I welcome you to my humble abode.¡± ¡°Thank you for your praise. I hope me and Luca are not intruding.¡± ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m happy guests came. Come inside, allow me to offer you something to drink.¡± The inside of the house was modest but better than the Irvings. There was a lot of tapestry and stuff with exotic designs. Somehow, Avel got an African feeling from the house¡¯s interior. ¡°Little Luca wants her favorite fruit juice, yes?¡± ¡°Un!¡± Luca seemed happier already by hearing the words. ¡°What about you? Would you like some ale?¡± Shlomo asked. ¡°I¡¯ll have the same as Luca. I don''t really like alcohol,¡± Avel replied. The beastfolk gave his guests superb refreshments. Luca was enjoying her juice very much. ¡°Mister Horse, big bro Avel is seeking turnip seeds. Do you have some?¡± ¡°Turnips? Let¡¯s see¡­ I think I have some. What for?¡± ¡°Why, for planting it of course. During my stay here, I have to plant something or I¡¯ll regret it for all my life.¡± ¡°For a Pathseeker, I have other seeds more suitable.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Avel was intrigued. ¡°Yes. Just by watering it with water mixed with your Victa, they would grow quickly and beautifully.¡± ¡°Ahahah,¡± Avel weakly laughed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m a bit short of Victa at the moment. I¡¯ll take the regular seeds please.¡± Avel and Shlomo talked for a while and Luca seemed bored. ¡°Little apple, would you like to play with Ojoko?¡± Shlomo offered. ¡°Can I?¡± She looked expectant. ¡°Excuse me for a bit,¡± Shlomo said to Avel as he went outside the house. Naturally, Avel followed. ¡°Come forth, the swift hoofs of sandy wind.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Avel saw the back of Shlomo lit up with the tattoo of a horse. Even hidden below his clothes Avel could see it. The tattoo turned into a real horse made of sand. The sand was shifting and flowing, very mystical. ¡°Ojoko! Hello, hello! Long time no see.¡± Luca hugged the sand horse, she seemed familiar with it. ¡°Heiggh!¡± Ojoko gently nudged little Luca with its mouth. It looked happy. Ojoko smartly laid down so Luca could climb on its back. Then they went riding out. ¡°Yaaaayyy! Bye-bye bro, bye-bye Mister Horse!¡± Luca said from a distance. Shlomo waved, so did Avel. ¡°She will be fine. Ojoko will not hurt her.¡± ¡°I don''t recognize it but Ojoko should be a monster, right?¡± ¡°Correct. Akahalam Horse, from a place near my birthplace.¡± ¡°I am unfamiliar with the technique. Is it some sort of Arte?¡± ¡°No. This is Custora Branding. A different Path of Power from humanity¡¯s Intio Magisterix.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­ may I ask what is the concept of Custora Branding?¡± ¡°We achieve symbiosis with compatible monsters. While other races seek to kill and defeat monsters, we beastfolks coexist with them in harmony.¡± Avel found it was a novel idea. Ojoko was a Rank 2 so Shlomo should be a Level 2 Pathseeker. ¡°If you don''t mind, I would like to ask some more questions,¡± Avel¡¯s curiosity had awakened. ¡°I¡¯d love to. As you can see, most humans are turned away by my appearance. Especially those who are not Pathseekers.¡± Avel found it hard to believe horse-faced Shlomo could smile with his face but he couldn''t deny what he was seeing. With Luca sufficiently distracted, both Pathseekers could speak more freely. ¡°Why are you doing your transformation in such a half-hearted manner, Mister Shlomo?¡± While Shlomo truly had the face of a horse right now, Avel knew beastfolks were not all like that. They usually looked very human. Ox tribe beastfolks would have horns growing out of their head, cat tribe had cat ears. Most beastfolks had tails depending on what manner of animal their traits were. Avel didn''t know why Shlomo chose to show a full horse face for all to see. He should only be having horse ears and tail. ¡°Mmm, I can see you¡¯re close to Luca. The girl is quite hated by the villagers because she was different. I am the same. I am very happy to meet people like you, those who are not prejudiced toward others who look different.¡± Shlomo looked up to the sky. ¡°My people, beastfolks are a people of nature. We value harmony and bravery¡­ Sadly, we are often misunderstood because of our similarities to animals and monsters.¡± ¡°To the north of our territory, lies the powerful Zetel Kingdom, with an ideology of human supremacy. Some Zetelians treat us no better than animals. They hunted and made slaves of us, for labor or amusement.¡± Avel heard the heavy topic patiently. The Zetel Kingdom lay on the east of the Coalition. A neighboring country which Avel never visited. ¡°Even a dog can bite when its young is threatened, let alone the various tribes of the beastfolks. And it was bloody, for both sides. Even now skirmishes happen.¡± ¡°Generations passed and the blood feud ran deep. Some of my people would stop at nothing to kill all humans¡­ But not me. Were we not a people of harmony as we claimed to be? So I set out, to seek ways to coexist. Even if some of my compatriots called me a coward,¡± Shlomo said with melancholy. ¡°...I see. So the reason you stay in this village is...¡± ¡°I was a merchant once. I traveled from the land of my birth from place to place. Until I arrived here, the Free People Coalition. One year ago I arrived in this village. A small secluded place such as this is perfect for what I have in mind, to create a safe haven for beastfolks and humans. I showed this form because I wanted to be accepted among them even with a face like this.¡± He¡¯s right. Compared to the Zetel Kingdom, the Coalition people are more accepting of other races, Avel thought. ¡°As you can see, it''s hard to be accepted when you are different. The surplus of food I grew with my orchard, I shared them with the villagers. Thanks to that, they all made it through the winter without deaths and they were opening up to me. Still, I feel their hesitation. I¡¯m afraid it will take more time.¡± ¡°...Humans are afraid of things they don''t understand. Mister Shlomo, may I offer a suggestion?¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°One of the simplest things to get through to someone is through their stomach. ¡°You mean...¡± ¡°A barbeque party.¡± *** Trok! Viers tilled the no longer frozen land with a hoe. ¡°Lalala la la la la, la la la~ Lalala la la la la, la la la~¡± Viers hummed an unforgettable tune from his childhood memories. He borrowed a small place from the Irvings and created his own field from scratch, for HM and SDV full experience. After coming back from Shlomo¡¯s house with the turnip seeds, Avel went to work making his field immediately. Viers focused his healing factor mending his other injuries such as regenerating his left hand so the stamina benefit he usually enjoyed was no more. Since he also didn''t use any of his Victa, Viers felt farm work was quite tiring. Trok! ¡°There! Pheeeew...¡± He completed his small field with that last stroke of the hoe. The seeds were next, he planted them carefully. Naturally, he planted them in 3x3 soil formation. Next came the watering. Viers used the old watering can he borrowed from Arim. After all was done, while panting and wiping the beads of sweat on his brows, he heard the sound of a flute. Paina? She really is talented in using that flute. If she was born on Earth, she might have had a future as a musician. His body was tired but his heart was satisfied after a hard day''s worth of work. He leaned on a tree and unexpectedly fell asleep soon after, Paina¡¯s melody was like an angel¡¯s lullaby. *** Paina finished her piece after blowing the last note. She was a soul so why she needed to take breaths was beyond her. The V-stream was dark, it seemed Viers had fallen asleep. The fact that her song contributed to that made Paina feel a little bit of pride. Seek strength¡­ Yes, Viers is right. I¡¯m sick of being powerless. Even for the current me, there must be something I could do. Piana clenched her little fist and looked at the flute in her hand. ¡°Ah!¡± A light bulb lit up inside her head. ¡°Viers! Viers wake up!¡± Chapter 52 - Overture Viers was looking at a dark cave while his eyes were shining green with rainbow hues, his pupils were like snakes. His left arm was covered with cloth and held up by an arm sling while his right was gripping the shaft of a spear. He went inside, slowly. The dark environment didn''t faze him. His eyes could see just fine despite the darkness. It didn''t take him long to find his target. Wakey wakey. Zlub! ¡°GRAAAWL!!?¡± The monster¡¯s roar filled the cave. A few moments later. ¡°Uhukh, ohough, shit!¡± Viers ran back out the cave while coughing, his eyes were tearing up and he got a runny nose like a snotty brat. The monster followed him out menacingly. It was a bear, almost two meters long. Its body was covered with a variety of mushrooms in many colors. It was a Gnarku Bear, this particular one was a Rank 1 monster. Fighting monsters on the same Level was difficult. As Viers was still injured and wanting to save up his Victa, he targeted monsters weaker than him. The earlier battle was a mess. Viers managed to deliver a critical hit with his first attack to the sleeping monster but the battle turned sour not long after. Viers danced with the angered bear when it was simply doing physical attacks, then the Gnarku Bear started emitting spores. Since the inside of the cave was a closed area with minimal air circulation, the spores kept filling up the space. Viers ran away before he choked to death. ¡°Alright Paina. Let¡¯s have it a go!¡± ¡°On it!¡± Paina started playing her flute. The piece she picked was one with a battle-y feeling to it, a fitting choice. While Paina was creating a melody, Viers didn¡¯t do nothing. He mixed that melody with soul magic. Paina¡¯s music only resounded in his head but Viers heard it clearly. Arte ¡ª Combat Overture! Viers successfully cast the Arte and felt his body filled with power. ¡°GRRRRR!¡± ¡°Haaaah!¡± Like a bolt of lightning, Viers dashed to the bear with his spear in the front. His weapon pierced the bear¡¯s heart. It came out still stuck on the spear tip from the bear¡¯s back. Viers pulled the spear and backed away so he wouldn¡¯t be crushed as the bear fell. ¡°Wow¡­ The effect is better than I thought. Good job Paina. Very well done,¡± Viers praised her highly. Paina bashfully nodded. She didn¡¯t say anything but Viers felt her happy mood clearly. Viers took some of its meat and cooked it on the spot. This time, while his body was eating in the real world, Viers¡¯ consciousness was with the girls. The three girls and Viers were eating the bear skewers Viers created. ¡°Mmm~¡± Clarissa with a blissful expression. She always became like that when Viers created food for them to taste. Paina and Farley hadn¡¯t been souls for as long as Clarissa so they didn¡¯t miss the taste of food that much but even they seemed happier having something to eat. As souls, they didn¡¯t need to eat per se, even the thing they ate now was merely Viers¡¯ replication of taste and texture he¡¯d tasted but as long as this made them happier, Viers didn¡¯t care. Bear meat was hard to cook, I know this from Souma. However, this tastes great despite the way I cooked it, I only burned it over the fire with almost zero cooking preparation. In fact, most of the monster meats I¡¯ve eaten were delicious. It seems this world is more like Toriko¡¯s universe. Since I need to eat lots and lots of monsters, this suits me perfectly. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The four of them were sharing a meal for the first time and the mood was excellent. ¡°Nice food. Girls, thank Paina for this meal we all enjoy.¡± Viers made small talk. ¡°Thankies, and congrats for creating the Arte. It was a splendid technique,¡± Farley smiled, pressing her cheek to Paina¡¯s. ¡°Thank you Paina, and Farley¡¯s right. You both achieved a sound Arte effect despite not having any affinity to sound. It is similar to Ixi Arte but different¡­ fascinating,¡± Clarissa pondered. Combat Overture was an Arte Viers and Paina created by combining Paina¡¯s music and Viers¡¯ soul magic. This particular Arte boosted Viers strength, defense, and speed while the music was ongoing. An overall buff to his stats. The name came from Viers of course. ¡°¡­You guys are praising me too much. It was mostly Viers,¡± Paina tried to be humble. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do it on my own so credit is where it¡¯s due. Be proud of what you achieved. And technically Clarissa, it¡¯s not Ixi Arte. Combat Overture is still in the soul Arte category,¡± Viers bit a chunk of chewy meat. Viers created mugs with black liquid inside them. ¡°This is a good opportunity. You all have greatly helped me in these few months. Cheers to all of you!¡± Viers raised his mug. ¡°Cheers!¡± They drank from the mug in one go but the girls¡¯ eyes bulged when the drink touched their tongue. ¡°Ack! What is this!?¡± ¡°My tongue stings!¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold, sweet, and bubbly-bubbly!¡± Viers watched the girls¡¯ reaction to having a cold cola for the first time in their life with a smile. After they finished their lighthearted lunch, Viers asked a more serious question. ¡°Paina, why the sudden desire to help me?¡± Viers asked her in front of the others. ¡°You¡¯re dead and I have a small hand in causing your death. In my effort to make things right, I now journey to Valkut city, see how¡¯s the situation there about your father, then revive you when I can. Even if you just sit back and do nothing, it will be fine¡­ I know you¡¯re reluctant since the start so why?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m just an ordinary person. Unlike you, Farley, or Clarissa. I don¡¯t have a great background and my water affinity is just 3. You never ask for my help and never expect anything from me. I had doubts about my place here from the start,¡± Paina took a deep breath. ¡°But one thing I do know, is that moping around inside you wouldn¡¯t make my miserable condition get better. It would only make it worse¡­ I¡¯m sick of being powerless so I¡¯ll seek strength, just like you advised little Luca.¡± Paina said resolutely. ¡°This is what I came up with,¡± Paina held her flute with her hand. ¡°It¡¯s pretty underwhelming but I¡¯ll make something out of it.¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you against me, killing other people? Especially innocents.¡± ¡°I do, and still am. Hence I¡¯ll do something so innocents won¡¯t have to die.¡± ¡°And how would you accomplish that?¡± Viers looked at her amusedly. ¡°That¡­ I¡¯ll think about it from now on! Ahh, don¡¯t laughhh!!¡± Viers chuckled. ¡°Eheh, sorry. I don¡¯t hate people trying their hardest to make a world a better place, just remembering similar people with your motivation.¡± Her simple motivation is like those shounen protagonists with clear eyes and pure heart, hehehe. She¡¯s so simple it¡¯s cute. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t like killing innocents either. I will if I have to, since I¡¯m not a saint nor a good person. But if you can give me a better alternative, then I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± ¡°¡­Yes,¡± Paina¡¯s eyes were no longer filled with uncertainty. She had found purpose. ¡°¡­You were right. I didn¡¯t expect anything from you. But if you really seek strength, truly from the core of your being genuinely seek strength, then you¡¯ll become strong. I have seen more examples than I could count in the Fables. I believe in you.¡± Viers honestly conveyed his feelings. ¡°I will. Thank you for believing in me,¡± Paina looked gratified. ¡°Still, it¡¯s very fortunate you come to this realization so early. Let me tell you a story. There was a girl with initial S. She was in a group of three people, with a fox boy and a red-eyes boy. While the boys were getting stronger and stronger, S rarely did anything. During the early arcs, her role was either pitifully crying or become the red-eyes boy''s fan girl. Unlike the boys, she was very ordinary. She didn¡¯t have special parents, special lineage, special powers, special anything.¡± ¡°Well, to be fair, the protagonists of this Fable were the fox boy and the red-eyes boy so it was the author¡¯s fault but that¡¯s no excuse for making her like that. She was more like an extra despite supposedly being the main heroine¡­ even the three¡¯s teacher got fleshed out waaaay better than S.¡± ¡°S got stronger in the end. But it took 28 books for that to happen and it was far too late by then. And sadly, after that, she¡¯s still pretty much outclassed by the increasingly stronger enemies. Until the Fable was over, her role was pretty much a minor one.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be like that,¡± Viers looked straight at Paina¡¯s eyes. ¡°If you decided to stay as an ordinary girl then all is fine. As a passenger in a carriage, I¡¯ll bring you to your destination then we¡¯ll separate, for we live in a different world, you and I. But now that you¡¯ve decided on your free will to embark on this Path, then prepare yourself. Viers Corporation does not accept incompetent employees.¡± Paina was silenced by CEO Viers¡¯ stern voice. ¡°And let me correct one thing. You said music is underwhelming? A certain renowned philosopher would have disagreed with you. He said: Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.¡± Plato did have a way with words. Chapter 53 - Asking Nicely The feast had ended, in the real world and the unreal. It had been three days since he visited Shlomo and told him his plan. The one-armed youth and his new horse beastfolk Pathseeker friend had hunted many monsters since. Frankly, two Pathseekers wouldn¡¯t be able to clear the many monsters roaming the wide areas all around the village. They focused their efforts on the ¡®safe¡¯ blocked road that formerly connected Pecan Village to the outside world. Apparently Shlomo had tried to kill the monster before but its regeneration was far too potent for Shlomo to kill alone however with Viers, they had a greater chance. Because Viers was still injured, he suggested to thin the monsters in the vicinity first while waiting for his wounds to heal, so they wouldn¡¯t interfere when the time came. The monsters also served as the barbeque ingredients. Winter had just ended, people¡¯s food stores should be low. They might forage in the forest for sustenance but meat is still a rarity and there are risks. If we suddenly prepared more meat than they could eat and give them cured meat for souvenirs, it would do wonders for my and Shlomo¡¯s reputation. Incidentally, Combat Overture Arte also took three days to make but it was mostly Paina¡¯s work. He only provided the power, Paina created the Arte from scratch. Combat Overture can be considered my body strengthening Arte, like Jarret¡¯s Iron King¡¯s Valor and Freya¡¯s Shining Star Impulse. Oh yeah, almost forgot. The Gnarku Bear¡¯s cave had a lot of mushrooms growing inside it. The mushrooms had quite a bit of mana inside them, making them magic mushrooms. Perfect for giving Viers extra life energy. Viers went back into the cave to pick a big sack worth of mushrooms. Not only monsters, I can also eat other things to increase my life tank, hur-hur-hur! When he came back out, Ojoko was waiting for him. The horse monster bound to Shlomo came with a cart after seeing the smoke from the fire. It was their agreed signal. Ojoko helped Viers in bringing the bear¡¯s remains to the village. He shared the mushrooms with the helpful horse. Viers rode on the cart, thinking while his body felt the rhythmically swaying ride. ¡­I have to lose weight, heh¡­ Viers let out a mocking smile to himself. Without appearance changing Arte, even if he disguised himself, his belly would give him away. Just like the incident at Osemore. Shame about the mask though. That mask was from his cultist days with Farley. It wasn''t an ordinary mask. It changed the voice of its wearer and had enchantments to prevent see-through spells. The coincidental Hannya design was nice too. It was lost during the battle with Freya, along with most of his things. I¡¯ll get a new mask later in the future. As for slimming down¡­ with my current monster-eating spree, it would be almost impossible. Physically impossible too, my stomach can only eat so much. I can share it with my other monster forms but I don¡¯t want to expose that ability of mine too much¡­ What a dilemma. ¡°Big Bro! Mom, Dad, Avel came back. Wow! He brings a bear this time. It''s huge!¡± They agreed that the party venue would be at the Irvings place. Luca saw Avel when she was helping Susan process the food. Avel and Shlomo brought around ten monsters already. Shlomo even killed a Rank 2 yesterday. The life energy Viers got from eating some of its meat was substantial. ¡°Hello, Arim, Susan, how¡¯s the preparation going?¡± ¡°Almost ready. It will be ready for this evening.¡± It was hard work for the Irvings to be sure but Viers and Shlomo allowed them to get more benefits later. ¡°Good, Shlomo should join us soon. Tonight will be a merry one, hahah.¡± That night at Pecan Village there was a barbeque party. Viers mimicked the ¡®festivals¡¯ in the games, only this event was self-created. Two days ago, he and Luca went around the village. He introduced himself and informed the villagers about the barbeque gathering. The promise of free food was a strong lure and their reaction was very positive. Avel also used this opportunity to allow Luca to interact with them since she handled the invitation part of the conversation. The villagers, despite their dislike for Luca, turned into obedient children because a Pathseeker was standing beside her and there was also the promised meat utopia. They also went to Daniel¡¯s place, the one who wanted to kill Luca before. Turned out he was the village chief¡¯s son. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The little shit is an effing Arrogant Young Master! Who would have thought? But they didn¡¯t meet Daniel or his dad. Luca told the servant about the barbeque party then they left. At the day of the self-made festival event, guests had been coming two hours before the promised time. Avel wouldn¡¯t compromise and told them to wait, politely of course. The party was an astounding success. Most of the whole village was there, around 50 people. Plenty of meat to go around and a full belied guest is a happy guest. The producers, meaning the Irvings, Shlomo, and Avel used this opportunity to build up a reputation and spread a good impression. Even though it wasn¡¯t to Luca¡¯s degree, Arim and Susan naturally got their share of shunning from the other villagers. When the party was a full swing, Avel addressed the villagers. ¡°Welcome and greetings, people of Pecan Village.¡± Avel became the center of attention. ¡°I was injured and almost died but by a stroke of luck, I luckily ended up in this wonderful place. The young couple and little Luca saved me when I was on the verge of death. They nursed me and took care of me, gave me a roof to stay under. My heartfelt gratitude to them, I¡¯ll definitely not forget this kindness.¡± That invited some murmurs. ¡°Throughout the days, I¡¯ve learned about the predicament of this village. About how closed you all are from the outside world and surrounded by monsters. The sacred tree might be able to protect you for some time yet but it wouldn¡¯t last forever. If monsters become able to get close to this place but you don¡¯t have anywhere to go then you are doomed.¡± ¡°To that end, together with my new friend Mister Shlomo, I, Avel of Javia shall strive to open the closed path to the outside world!¡± Shlomo was now standing beside him. The villagers looked at Avel with hopeful eyes. ¡°I might take one month. In the meantime, we¡¯ll reduce the monsters in that area. We¡¯ll share the meat with everyone so you all don¡¯t have to worry about food for the time being.¡± They cheered. ¡°Okay, okay, calm down. I would like you all to remember that I couldn¡¯t do this alone. Mister Shlomo here would do no less than me. He and little Luca faced discrimination from all of you. I know what you¡¯re thinking. You¡¯re afraid, afraid because they are different. I urge you to look past the appearance and see their true selves.¡± Now they looked worried, feeling awkward. ¡°Shlomo might be a beastfolk but he has feelings just like us. Luca possesses purple hair but she cries and laughs like all of you¡­ We are all stronger together. Be kind to your neighbors, see past the outer layer, then you¡¯ll see them like I did, good people both.¡± At that timing, as if by design, two people approached. Nadiem, the village head and Daniel¡¯s father. His son also followed behind him. Nadiem was a stocky man in his forties. Despite most of the villagers being thin or skinny, he wasn¡¯t. Proof he had been living quite well. ¡°Hail, Lord Pathseeker. I heard you slapped my son,¡± Nadiem said in a flat voice. That¡¯s strange, why is Daniel¡¯s other cheek swollen too? That one looked freshly made. ¡°You should be grateful I did not break his neck. After he tried to spear Luca to death.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Nadiem bowed. For a moment, Avel doubted his ears. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I have nothing but gratitude for your leniency, Daniel!¡± Nadiem used his hand to make Daniel bow his head. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± the kid looked like he was about to cry. ¡°Arim, Susan, I¡¯m really sorry about my son¡¯s reckless behavior. I¡¯ll be sure to thoroughly tell him about this. Please find it in your heart to give a shred of forgiveness.¡± Nadiem¡¯s tone carried his desperation. ¡°And of course, Luca.¡± The big and grown man bowed before the girl. ¡°I am truly sorry.¡± The Irvings looked at Avel which he ignored. This was their choice to make. ¡°¡­Please raise your head, village chief. Of course, I felt angry about the attack on my daughter but she was not harmed. Just make sure this won¡¯t happen again.¡± Arim forgave them. The two households talked for a while, they seemed to make peace with each other. Oh well, Avel thought. Perhaps with the chief at the helm, the discrimination would diminish over time. ¡°Well, since we¡¯re making peace. Here, the spear I took from the kid. Looks quite expensive.¡± Avel offered the spear back. ¡°Nonono. Please, take the spear. May it serve you well.¡± Not to a magic item degree but it¡¯s still a very well-made spear. ¡°Then I respectfully accept! Come come, chief. We have plenty of food. To new friends, cheers!¡± Avel raised his mug. ¡°Cheers!¡± The revelry resumed. Avel moved closer to Nadiem and whispered. ¡°Be good to Luca and her family. If something ever happens to them because of you or your son, I¡¯ll turn your son into a meat pie and make you eat it. Before that day ends, your body will be nailed to the front door of your house, alive. After days of bleeding out, after you¡¯ve exhaled your last breath, you¡¯ll find no peace in death. Your soul will spend an eternity burning in my personal hell, along with your precious, precious son. I have marked you just now. Even if you run to the edge of the world I can find you. We understand each other, yes?¡± Nadiem¡¯s back was wet from cold sweat. Avel left while maintaining his smiling face. The sight of his clear and innocent face that was hiding such an evil personality was a sight of horror that Nadiem wouldn''t forget for all his life. This village chief Nadiem is smarter than I thought. He didn''t react hastily when his son came home with a swollen cheek. He observed the situation instead. He knew my strength so he kissed my ass. Well, regardless of what he truly feels, as long as the guy knows his place then fine. With some basics, Luca could take care of herself. Time to pig out. I refused to let all this food filled with life span go to waste. Let¡¯s start with the Rank 2 monster meat, nom nom. Chapter 54 - A Cheaters Cheat on top of Cheat Among that truth, he had hidden one lie. He did not mark Nadiem, he couldn''t. But the threat was conveyed clear enough. Would an Idler such as Nadiem dare to test it? The party ended and the guests returned with a belly full enough to burst and lots of meat as a souvenir. The Irvings were exhausted, they went to sleep very early. ¡°Thank you for doing this, young Avel. I can see the eyes of the villagers looking at me more positively. We¡¯ll meet again another day, have a good rest.¡± Shlomo said before he returned to his home. As for himself, Viers did his first step of Serpentes Renovamen then rested on his straw bed. While waiting until he fell asleep, he inspected the thing he got from Sigma. So this is my harvest¡­ sigh. After days of exploring the broken system, Viers tried to salvage what he could. Most of the system¡¯s features were unavailable to him. He found one that was still relatively intact, making guns. Since the system was 80% broken, he needed to supply the materials and the ammo. The original material was something else but Viers found a working replacement. He could use souls to create guns that use souls as bullets but he was hesitating. I killed Sigma cause he used guns like an idiot. Now I have to use guns too? Well guns are cool but aren''t the setting very out of place here? What should I do¡­ Truly, dealing with Sigma was a messy business. He didn''t even gain much from it. But what other choice did he have? Let Sigma strut around the world like a peacock? Simply watching him as he created harems and changed the geopolitical power balance in the world using his railgun? In the end, Viers blamed fate, god, system, or whatever that put Sigma in his path. Viers slept with a sour mood. *** White Flowers Meadow. V-stream had gone dark. The girls also started to feel sleepy. The fact that they always slept in open spaces didn''t bother them. The flowers and grasses were very comfortable to sleep on and the weather was warm and cozy. ¡°Paina,¡± Farley said to her friend who was lying just beside her. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Are you serious about entering Viers Corporation?¡± ¡°...He said that earlier too but what does that even mean?¡± ¡°Eheheh, I also wondered at first. Viers said the same to me a while back, when we were at Luxore. During the Corn Festival, he hired me that evening. Basically, it is a company with the purpose of making Viers stronger and bringing him benefits. We, the employees, would be given compensation for our work.¡± ¡°...Sounds business like.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose our connection with Viers is similar to a business relationship¡­ We¡¯re getting sidetracked. Are you serious about joining this company?¡± ¡°Are you? Didn''t Viers already free you from his service?¡± ¡°Basically, my fate is tied to Viers. Clarissa is in the same boat so we had no choice but to enter Viers Corporation¡­ But it is also my own choice. It is the best course of action for me. How about you?¡± Paina didn''t answer but looked to the eternal starry sky above the meadow. ¡°The more I see the world, the more I realize how beautiful it is, how fun it is¡­ and how dangerous. I¡¯m starting to understand why he seeks strength so single-mindedly. This journey to Valkut city¡­ No, Viers¡¯ very Path wouldn''t be easy to travel.¡± Farley patiently listened. ¡°This journey is for my sake. At the very least, I want to be able to accomplish something with my own power,¡± Paina said firmly. ¡°Good,¡± Farley seemed convinced. ¡°Just like you, I have been thinking about what I can do to help Viers. I have formulated an idea. I haven''t told Viers yet because this idea can also apply to you. I don''t want to force you to participate if you¡¯re unwilling.¡± Farley¡¯s face changed, showing her hesitation and unease. ¡°...You see, my father is practically the cause of your death. I-¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Paina put her finger on Farley¡¯s lips. ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need to talk like that to me¡­ We¡¯re besties, right?¡± Paina giggled. ¡°...Thank you,¡± Farley showed her embarrassed smile. ¡°Muuuuuuuuuuu...¡± Clarissa, forgotten by the other two, conveyed her displeasure with a childlike sound. ¡°Not fair! Involve me too. I want to be besties too~¡± Clarissa pouted. The lamia rolled over Farley and Paina, making the three of them roll down the meadow like barrels, creating many flower petals that flew into the air in the process. ¡°Ahahah, I¡¯m spinning!¡± ¡°Waow! The princess is jealous!¡± The sounds of merry laughter spread in all directions. The trio of teenage girls bound by similar fates bonded closer. *** When the sun was shining in the sky, Viers stood on the bank of a nearby river, away from prying eyes. He manipulated water in the river to create a solid sword, floating in the air. This was merely manipulation, a technique one step lower than Arte. Pathseekers could manipulate elemental things which they had an affinity to in wondrous ways. Such as what Viers did when telling the Ugly Duckling story to Luca. It still needed Victa to use but since this was a basic ability, it didn''t cost much. Slowly, two other weapons were created from the river water, a spear and a sword with a different shape from Viers¡¯. ¡°Alright girls, let''s test it out.¡± Viers¡¯ water sword clashed with the other two weapons. The three instruments of battle began dancing in the air, clashing and parrying against each other. From an outsiders¡¯ point of view, it was as if Viers manipulated the weapons by himself. Like someone playing chess against himself or playing rock paper scissors with one¡¯s left hand and right hand. After observing for a while, Viers was satisfied. ¡°Good, good. Let¡¯s try something else.¡± Viers turned to a nearby rock boulder. ¡°Arte ¡ª Water Slash!¡± Viers normally used the Arte by coating his real sword with it, increasing the overall power, but this time, he used the water from the river to make a flying slash at the boulder. Srak! Srak! Srak! Three water blades in the shape of a crescent moon hit the boulder almost simultaneously. ¡°Hmn¡­ interesting.¡± Viers was contemplating the result. It was very positive. This morning, Farley told him an idea. Basically, using her as a second brain to cast Arte. Therefore in a battle, Viers could cast more Arte than his opponent or cast a single Arte with unprecedented speed and precision. If Paina joined, since she also had water affinity, Viers would have three brains calculating and or dishing out Arte! That meant whoever fought Viers, it would be as if they were fighting three people at once! When Viers first heard of the concept, he felt it was a very novel idea and worth pursuing. The first test was the sword Viers made against the other two¡¯s weapons. Viers only controlled his weapon, Farley and Paina controlled theirs. The result was promising, Viers not burdened with extra mental load and the weapons moved fluidly as if held by real humans. Viers tried using Arte for the second test. The three of them would cast a single Water Slash Arte, an elementary Arte which they all knew the formula for. Once again the result was good. Viers only made one Arte and the girls made their own, without disturbing or troubling Viers¡¯ own Arte. The gashes on the rock were the indicator of the Arte¡¯s strength. Viers figured with his current Level 2 strength, a basic water Arte such as Water Slash could cleave an adult cow in two, the normal animal kind that is. Incredible! Based on the similar gashes, all our Water Slash had equal power. Farley¡¯s water affinity was 4, similar to mine, while Paina¡¯s was 3 before their death. They were Level 1 back then but the power they displayed now is equal to Level 2. That means they have the power of the current me! Also! Their Arte got a boost from my Horizon! Free extra damage! It might seem similar to Viers'' casting the same Arte multiple times as he had done before but this was fundamentally different. Viers could only calculate the Arte formula so much on his own, now he got two more brains. Three CPUs! His processing power tripled! ¡°This¡­ this is wonderful. Truly! You girls have outdone yourself!¡± Viers wasn''t shy of saying his praise. Farley and Paina looked very gratified. ¡°Me! Me! Me! Me next!¡± Clarissa was very eager. She raised her hand and hopped many times. She could do such a feat, even though her lower body was like a snake. ¡°Alright! Let''s do this!¡± Viers did not refuse. ¡°Yaaaayyy!¡± A few moments later¡­ ¡°Muuuuuuuu¡­¡± The lamia princess was sulking. ¡°So it truly is not possible,¡± Farley muttered. Although Farley and Paina seemed to create their Arte on their own, it was actually done with Viers as the medium. Since Viers had no affinity with fire, Clarissa¡¯s Artes couldn¡¯t be used. ¡°Cheer up girl. You''ve already helped me plenty. Serpentes Renovamen, Euryale Sight, my soul affinity, all because of you.¡± ¡°Yeah! You can do things we can¡¯t.¡± Farley added. ¡°Clarissa, we¡¯re all in this together, alright?¡± Paina soothed the heartbroken lamia. ¡°But, but, I want to fight too. Making things go boom¡­ It¡¯s been so long.¡± If this was a manga, this would be the part Viers and the other two had a falling sweat drawn on their picture. ¡°Well, we all have our roles. Don¡¯t worry princess, do your job well and I¡¯ll reward you. You want to make things go boom? I¡¯ll make it happen. Do your homework first. I need that anti-divination Arte.¡± Viers'' power grew ever stronger. Chapter 55 - Slow Life It¡¯s great but there¡¯s one glaring drawback. Victa consumption. Victa generation was one of the major woes for Pathseekers. The Victa generation rate was too slow. Pathseekers used Victa as the main fuel for their superhuman capabilities. Without Victa, most Pathseekers would be no different than normal people. Besides improving their Intio via absorbing mana through various means, Pathseekers grew by refining their skills. The most obvious one was training their Arte. Other than using Artes in battle, Pathseekers needed to be accustomed to using them first by using them over and over beforehand, lest they risk the backlash in case the Arte failed its activation in the midst of heated combat. Besides familiarizing themselves with their Arte, Pathseekers could also upgrade their Arte in many ways. Raising the Arte¡¯s destructiveness, shortening the formula for faster casting, adding extra quirk, etc. They could also make new, more suitable Artes from scratch depending on their imagination and ability. Not to mention Pathseekers could raise their physical strength using Victa and how convenient it would be using magical abilities during day-to-day life. On the other hand, Pathseekers could choose to not expend any Victa and live leisurely. To let their Victa pile up to a shocking degree since there was no hard limit on how much Victa one could hoard inside them. If these ¡®Pathseekers¡¯ were content in their life and security, then there was nothing wrong doing just that. But for Pathseekers who constantly strive to better themselves as they walk the perilous Path of Power like their very epithet, there was never enough Victa. Battle with monsters, battle with other Pathseekers, battle with themselves¡­ A Pathseeker¡¯s life was a life of battle. In Viers¡¯ case, his Victa consumption was way higher than normal. The very existence of his ¡®tenants¡¯ drained his Victa, even more so when they were active. Then there was the fact that he was a fugitive. Viers was always on the run since his departure from Luxore, only taking short breaks in between. In the journey, he battled monsters and people. He also boosted his speed using Victa to make the journey from town to town faster, not to mention the Arte training and creating new ones ¨Csuch as Fatal Soulframe¨C in the background. After his fight with Freya, his Victa stockpile had finally hit the bottom of the barrel. Viers was very starving for Victa. Not even his moon pendant, a magic item that raised his Victa production by 10% could fulfill his gargantuan need for Victa. His Victa consumption after arriving at Pecan Village was still as intense as ever. To recover from his injuries, he needed to eat monsters, which he battled, which used Victa. While I can use additional brains to dish out more Arte in a fight¡­ but I can¡¯t afford to do it too much! Not enough Victa in the tank! This was the kind of situation in games where one had a powerful ability but couldn¡¯t use said ability because they couldn''t meet the necessary requirement. This is getting unbearable. I have to find alternative energy sources to solve my Victa energy crisis! I want to be swimming in Victa!! His plight over his Victa situation also forced Viers to limit his Arte to an elementary level, such as Water Slash, Water Barrier, and Rapid Water Steps, which didn¡¯t use much Victa in the first place. Naturally, Viers also had special Artes in his arsenal but he kept those hidden in case of emergency. Now that I¡¯m a Level 2, another door has opened for me. I can start training in Ixi Arte. The fundamental of Ixi Arte was using another element closely related to one¡¯s affinity. Such as Viers using his blood at the climax of his battle with Freya despite not having an ounce of blood affinity. Hells and Damnations! There¡¯s so much to do, so much to train. I basically don''t have enough time for them all! Viers had so many ways of getting stronger now. So many that he became confused about which he should prioritize. For the time being, I won''t focus on my monster transformation. Sure, it seems powerful and full of potential. It also saved my life more than once but it is best to keep it as a secret method. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The monster transformation was something he didn''t fully understand, it was basically another branch of Path of Power. It allowed him to change shape into other monster forms but Viers was a human. He must train to fight as a human rather than a monster. Martial comprehension, body coordination, mastery of weapons, battle intuitions, etc. Viers could only attain these if he fought as a human, not a monster. Even though Viers had the boost from his Horizon Aspect, he didn''t want to make one of the classic second-rate character mistakes: having great power but being unskilled in using it. He must have the fighting skills to match his own power. It doesn''t mean I won''t be using it though. The uniqueness of this ability is perfect for solving problems in unusual and peculiar ways. Like how I escaped from Freya and the old man. How could they know their target would turn into a fish and swim upstream? Viers was banging his head against the wall over the next phase of his training. 54.98% hmn? Not bad at all. Seeing the number of his Horizon alleviated his stress a little. *** 2 weeks had passed. A youth with short brown hair was holding a spear with one hand. His eyes were closed as he stood completely still in his stance. His clothing was very simple, just a white shirt and brown trousers made from ordinary materials, but his shoes looked somewhat better. A moon-shaped pendant was hanging from his neck. The youth was a bit chubby in the stomach, although, his body structure was quite good so it wasn¡¯t too out of place. His arms and legs looked like they had some muscle on them. His height steadily approached 170 cm at the moment but he was still growing. He was not handsome by any means, there was nothing special about his looks. Just another face in the crowd without special distinction. A wind blew, carrying a leaf towards his direction. Viers, eyes still closed, thrust his spear forward. He opened his eyes, the leaf was pierced at the tip of his spear. ¡°High perception, pinpoint precision and just enough strength to pierce but not break the leaf. Your progress is astounding considering you never wielded a spear before, Lord Viers.¡± After he lost his sword, Viers took up the spear he looted from Daniel. Farley had been teaching him the basics. ¡°Well, this is the only decent weapon I found. The others are too low quality. It¡¯s a small village. Even the smith is more apt in making tools and other metal works than weapons. Got to do with what I have on hand.¡± Plus, killing something with a spear then killing its kind later with a sword is counted as something new, more Horizon points for me, hehehe. Instead of the spear, I would have preferred learning the bow but while my other hand is like this¡­ Can¡¯t be helped. Viers had made various progress these past two weeks, especially in his recovery. His Magic Circuit had been healed completely, and the Victa Stigma was purged without a speck of taint remaining. All that was left was his missing left hand, which was still growing like the tail of a lizard. It was quite disturbing to look at so Viers always hid it with a cloth. He still wore the arm sling. This arm still needs one or two more weeks. Since I am mostly healed, I can start stocking up my life energy. I definitely can¡¯t afford to be injured to this degree again so I suppose I must play it safe for the time being. Viers had seen not even a shadow of his pursuers despite his best efforts observing his surroundings in this period of time. Therefore, being in relative safety, he had been living the ¡®slow life¡¯ worthy of a farming game¡¯s MC. Waking up, training, eating, taking care of his farm, socializing with the villagers, hunting monsters, eating, training, then sleeping. Roughly in that order. Although not much, he also managed to save up some Victa for future use. Taking a page from someone else¡¯s book, Viers created a Fa Ram. It was only a small field next to the Irvings. He planted turnips there. In the middle of the field, stood a scarecrow. It was made of straws, wearing ragged clothes, and had a chicken head. A sign was hanging on its neck. Beware of Cock. After his spear training, he went back to his temporary dwelling. Every time Viers returned to the Irving household, the sight of that chicken-headed scarecrow put a smile on his face. Creating and doing little things like that, referencing various kinds of my past life¡¯s enjoyments, truly resonates with my Aspect. The percentage gain was quite good. So Viers did not make the scarecrow or was doing farming activities purely for fun, it was his way of cultivating while enjoying life. Viers, or rather Avel, politely greeted the working Arim and Susan as he made his way to the newly built shack. ¡°Time¡¯s up Luca. How was it today?¡± Inside the purposefully made dark shack, Luca was meditating. Since she had a dark affinity, she must train in an environment suitable for her. ¡°Big bro Avel, it¡¯s getting clearer.¡± ¡°Mn,¡± he nodded. ¡°No need to rush, and don''t push yourself too hard. Your body has not fully grown yet to withstand the magical burden. Just baby steps for now.¡± ¡°Kay.¡± ¡°Come on, it''s time for our other lesson.¡± They went into the house and Avel taught Luca reading and writing. Most of the villagers were illiterate, Arim and Susan also couldn''t read or write. Considering Luca¡¯s age, teaching her a basic skill such as this would be very important. ¡°Work hard so you can help your Mom and Dad.¡± ¡°Un!¡± Avel taught the young couple words and letters too but Arim and Susan had to work during the day and could only learn at night. He let Luca teach what she learned earlier that day to her parents to motivate her. Luca was no longer the brooding lonely girl he met at first, she looked and acted like a child her age, many smiles and full of energy, eager to learn interesting things. Children really learn fast. Perhaps I might be able to teach some basic maths before I leave. The food condition had improved too. Viers and Shlomo regularly hunted monsters. Most were shared with the villagers but he naturally left more than enough share for the Irvings. And the dishes Susan made tasted better. As they hunted monsters together, Viers and Shlomo''s friendship grew. Life was good and Viers felt the simple village life was not quite so bad after all. He went to sleep content. The next morning, Viers found something he didn''t expect. Why is there a dancing plant in my vegetable field? Chapter 56 - Overgrowth You know, even in those ¡®slow life¡¯ stories, some kind of battle will always happen. Against bandits, monsters, jerk people, demons, shitty government officials, the usual stuff. So the moral of the story is, as long as you¡¯re living, conflict is inevitable. A few days ago, while being covered by the blood of the monster he just killed, Viers had an epiphany about the truth of the world. And then this is not a mere slow life situation, I must search for treasures! Because in a little secluded place like this, there usually are a lot of hidden power-ups. MCs always get lucky in places like this. No reason I shouldn''t check around. Having Euryale Sight for precisely uncovering hidden power-ups opportunities, Viers was eager to search deep into the surrounding forest. But he was still injured and his Victa stockpile was worrying. ...I¡¯ll do it later, after I¡¯m healed, near the end of my stay here. I''m afraid I might trigger something if I carelessly move around. Let me enjoy this peace and quiet slow life for a little while longer. The wise will not recklessly seek danger. *** ¡°Big bro?¡± ¡°Luca, stand back!¡± In the middle of his turnip field, now exists a strange plant. The green stem was lanky and long, branching to the left and right. On the top of the plant, there was something similar to a bundle of lettuce. It looked oddly humanoid. The torso was thin, so were its ¡®hands¡¯. The lettuce part was like its head. The plant reached the height of his chest. He was sure there was nothing like this yesterday so this plant must have grown that fast in one night. Unlike trees swaying in the wind, this plant was really moving. Its torso shook left and right, while the hands went up and down. A truly bizarre sight. Did a Groot sprout from my field? ¡°Luca, get my spear.¡± Viers stood vigilantly and very wary. He asked Luca to fetch his spear from inside the house. Luca obediently did as she was told. In the meantime, Viers continued observing the dancing plant. Euryale Sight! What he saw took him aback, the plant was brimming with life energy. ¡°Incredible, I haven¡¯t seen something like this in a long while,¡± Clarissa commented. ¡°What is it?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Don¡¯t know. But this plant is undoubtedly a precious life-extending mana ingredient. Even royalty would covet it.¡± ¡°And how come a mystical plant like that suddenly grew in my field!?¡± Viers refused to believe he was that lucky. There must be some kind of trick. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me,¡± Clarissa looked helpless. ¡°Big bro, here.¡± Luca came back, bringing his spear. ¡°Thanks, now go back to the house. Tell your parents to stay inside too.¡± ¡°¡­Be careful big brother Avel,¡± Luca said worriedly then went away. Spear in hand, Viers approached the plant cautiously. He poked it with his spear but the dancing plant wasn''t perturbed. After his extensive check and founding nothing wrong with the plant and his surroundings, Viers touched it. As if reacting with the touch, the plant stopped dancing and the lettuce, leafy, part of its head bloomed as the rest of the plant withered. ¡°Gggiiiiiffftttt¡­¡± Viers heard the plant saying something before it wilted completely. A green fruit the size of a cherry bloomed from the lettuce, it was all that remained from the plant. It was packed with more vitality than a hundred servings of monster meat. ¡°¡­What the fuck just happened?¡± Viers took the green fruit after another check. After he was convinced it wasn¡¯t dangerous, he kept it inside the house. He gave the house a once over, making sure the Irvings weren¡¯t in danger then left to meet Shlomo. Viers told the beastfolk about what happened but even he had no idea. He spent the rest of the day feeling restless. Gift? Did I hear that right? Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. *** The next day, strange phenomena were enveloping the whole village. Hundreds, thousands of flowers in all colors and varieties sprouted and bloomed all around the settlement. Ordinary grass grew as tall as wheat. Trees produced abundant fruits despite being the wrong seasons. Grass and fungi grew on the houses'' walls and roofs. Crops matured and mutated. Viers¡¯ supposedly ordinary white turnips turned navy blue. And there was pollen in the air, lingering in the air thick enough like fog. ¡°Mister Avel, what is happening?¡± Arim asked worriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t know. I must talk with Shlomo. Stay inside the house.¡± Viers used a cloth to cover his nose and mouth but the pollen was too thick. The cloth proved to be useless so Viers had to do something he loathed. ¡°Water Barrier!¡± The Arte enveloped Viers¡¯ body with water from head to toe, giving him full-body protection. What is happening? Is this an attack? Viers made his way to Shlomo¡¯s house. What he saw was a jungle. Plants were growing all over the half-destroyed house, surrounding it. The most dangerous plant looked like a giant version of Venus flytrap. It seemed to possess awareness because it moved as if searching for prey. Viers was getting a dangerous vibe from it. ¡°Shlomo!¡± Viers shouted from outside. ¡°Avel, is that you? Don¡¯t come closer. My seeds turned berserk. They were the ones with magical properties in them. They are now akin to plant monsters. One of them is particularly dangerous. The Haukosoh plant is a carnivore plant that eats any life forms approaching it. Stay away, it¡¯s a Rank 3!¡± Shlomo¡¯s voice came from inside the house. ¡°What about you? Are you safe?¡± Viers was concerned. ¡°I sort of turned my body to sand so I¡¯m not flesh¡­ I¡¯ll be fine but I can¡¯t move from here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s crazy out here. What the hell is happening?¡± ¡°You should already have a guess. Mana concentration is rising rapidly, this is a Biome Outbreak!¡± ¡°¡­Biome Outbreak, hsssshhh,¡± Viers hissed nervously. Sometimes, places from other dimensions become connected to the material world. The connection was called the Rift, a crack in space. The other side was a place called Biome. Biomes were separate worlds from this one, residing in their own independent pocket dimension. The size varied from Biome to Biome, some could be bigger than a whole continent. Biome Outbreak was no different than a natural disaster. Whatever the reason was, a Rift had been opened in the vicinity and the mana from the Biome seeped outside. That meant whatever resided inside the Biome, could now come out. Monsters, most likely. The richer the Biome with mana, the stronger the monster. ¡°The mana quality must be very high because it provoked such potent reactions from the plants. This particular Biome should be closely related to wood affinity. You might encounter plant monsters soon, strong ones at that.¡± This mana concentration¡­ an environment like this could breed Rank 3... no, should be Rank 4 and 5! If even one such monster comes out, this place is finished! Viers had suddenly encountered a crisis, and a major one at that. ¡°¡­Avel, you still there?¡± Viers was silent for a while so Shlomo asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­What should we do?¡± No doubt Shlomo also reached the same conclusion as him. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll scout first. Perhaps the residents of the Biome are the benevolent kind.¡± ¡°Ehm¡­ Yeah, you might be right. I¡¯m sorry, it seems I am stuck here.¡± The chances for such a thing were small but not impossible, Viers and Shlomo both knew this. They were both out of options. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go now. I¡¯m afraid I can do nothing to this Haukosoh flytrap.¡± ¡°I understand¡­ Avel, in case we don¡¯t meet again, just know I consider you as my friend,¡± Shlomo¡¯s voice was filled with regret. ¡°Me too, Shlomo¡­ Let us meet again.¡± ¡°Friend Avel, be careful.¡± Viers scanned the surroundings using Euryale Sight. It was harder than usual, the thick mana was obscuring his effort, but he succeeded in determining the place where the mana leak came from. ¡°Farewell.¡± Viers bid his goodbye, fully aware they might not meet again. Pecan Village might be doomed. Viers wanted to scout first, to see what he was dealing with but at the first sign of trouble, he would run. ¡­If it comes to that, at least I¡¯ll try to bring Luca with me. Should the worst-case scenario come to pass, Viers had already made a cold-blooded decision. In a miserable and somber mood, Viers made his way to the forest. He saw many monsters entangled by tree roots, shriveled as if all the liquid in their body was sucked out. The pollen and dangerous situation made Viers maintain the Water Barrier the whole time. Hegh!? After traveling for a while, Viers saw life signs using his super sight and heard some kind of voice in the vicinity of the source. Viers moved closer to the source, step by step. Finally, he stopped behind a bush. Viers¡¯ heart beat fast, he had a cold sweat. He stopped a moment to take a deep breath then split the bush slightly so he could see forward. ¡­Alright, I¡¯ve prepared my resolve. What kind of monster am I dealing with here? Viers¡¯ throat was dry from nervousness. He saw the Rift, it was a portal located in the trunk of a big tree. It was as if the tree was a gate, grown for sustaining the portal. The portal looked like a galaxy and swirled with energy, thick mana radiated from it. And a naked little girl was panicking in front of it. ¡°Awawawa¡­ Close! Close I say! Auauau¡­ Everything is messed up now and it¡¯s all my faaaaault! Ei! Ei! Please close! Uuuuu¡­ What should I do?¡± The naked girl was¡­ seemed to be trying to close the portal. ¡°¡­Girls, what am I looking at?¡± He sought the opinion of his council. ¡°This is unexpected. I didn¡¯t think I would see one here,¡± Farley spoke. ¡°Oooh! I¡¯ve never seen one before,¡± Clarissa was curious. ¡°She¡¯s the one causing all of this?¡± Paina sounded dubious. ¡°¡­Is that what I think it is?¡± ¡°Yes Lord Viers. That girl¡­ is a dryad.¡± While Viers was still making heads and tails over this, the naked little girl suddenly looked in his direction, as if she could sense his presence despite Viers hiding very carefully. ¡°Kin! I¡¯m so, so sorryyyy!¡± Chapter 57 - Biome ¡°Kin? As in relatives?¡± Paina covered her mouth with her hands. ¡°Lord Viers is a dryad?¡± ¡°Impossible. All dryads are female!¡± The lamia strongly denied. While the girls inside his head were in the middle of confusion, Viers was no different. Kin? Did she really mean me? I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m 100% human. I don''t have mysterious ancestry like those MCs with unknown parents, Viers¡¯ parents were normal humans¡­ could it be ¡®that¡¯? Seeing the naked girl with greenish skin and leaves for hair was looking and waiting for him expectantly, Viers decided that hiding was useless. Since he didn''t feel hostility and the dryad wasn''t overly powerful in his eyes, he slowly came out to greet the dryad. As the declared kin approached, the dryad was fidgeting. ¡°Umm, I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯ve been a bad girl,¡± she said while looking downwards, like a child caught wetting her bed. She seemed¡­ sincere. ¡°Are you a dryad?¡± Viers asked while keeping his guard up. ¡°...Grandpa said that word too, maybe I am? I don''t know.¡± The green-skinned little girl answered. ¡°Don''t know?¡± Viers didn''t believe her. ¡°What is your purpose coming here?¡± ¡°Hiii!¡± She flinched because of Viers¡¯ tone. ¡°T-to, to meet you...¡± Me? Seriously? ¡°Why? Are there others besides you?¡± ¡°...Cause, I¡¯m bored¡­ and lonely.¡± The dryad looked like she was about to cry. ¡°Viers, please don''t bully her,¡± Paina said. ¡°I¡¯m not. Just asking questions. Don''t let appearances deceive you. She might be faking it.¡± Viers¡¯ firm voice reached all of his tenants. Viers eyed the Rift, the swirling white portal in the trunk of the tree. ¡°You come from there?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°Can you close it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been trying, but it won¡¯t close,¡± The dryad said. ¡°Viers, if the Rift stays open like this then the whole area will be drowned in mana, mutating this place,¡± Clarissa warned. ¡°I can see that. But this dryad said she couldn''t do it. What are our options?¡± ¡°If there is a Biome Master inside, he or she should be able to close it,¡± the lamia clarified. Among all of them, Clarissa had the most knowledge about Biomes since she was in one for 9000 years. ¡°Girl, tell the Biome Master to close it,¡± Viers informed the dryad. ¡°Biome¡­ Master? I don''t know who that is.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Viers raised his tone. ¡°Hiii! I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Lord Viers, she said she was alone earlier,¡± Farley reminded him. ¡°If that is true then...¡± Viers and the others caught on. ¡°She''s the Biome Master? But she couldn''t close it though?¡± ¡°She seems¡­ cut off. To close the Rift voluntarily, an enormous amount of energy is needed. She must return to the Biome and close it from the inside.¡± Clarissa explained. ¡°...Apologies, I didn''t mean to shout. Girl, if you go back inside then you can close it.¡± Her unwillingness was showing on her face. ¡°I don''t want to go back¡­ I¡¯m all alone there.¡± ¡°Didn''t you say you have a grandpa there?¡± Viers pressed. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Grandpa¡­ never talks to me,¡± some of her leaf hair visibly wilted. Did that happen because she was sad? ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. She¡¯s lonely so she came out to meet you. Mostly by carving a path from the Biome by force. That¡¯s why the mana was leaking to this degree. I found this odd since the leaked mana was too much and should be regarded as a loss to the Biome itself.¡± Clarissa deduced. ¡°Lord Viers, I don''t think she¡¯s lying. I don''t feel any hostility.¡± Viers trusted Farley¡¯s ability to read people. Her upbringing and education as a cultist required her to discern people. Neither do I actually. Viers kneeled on one knee to meet the naked dryad¡¯s eyes. ¡°Girl, look at my eyes. The portal you created is a bit dangerous to the outside world. It must be closed.¡± ¡°Un,¡± she nodded. Viers gently grabbed her wrist. The touch made the dryad flinch again but it soon passed as Viers did not harm her. The dryad felt something strange as if she was touching the surface of water. But it didn''t hurt or feel malevolent so she didn''t mind it much. ¡°You said you¡¯re lonely and you wanted to meet me. Do you want to hurt me?¡± ¡°No! I-I only want to talk and play.¡± ¡°Is there anything inside that will hurt me? Will your grandpa?¡± ¡°No. Everyone just stays still every day.¡± The soul touch told Viers this dryad really didn''t mean him harm and was not lying. ¡°Clarissa, if I go inside, can I get out?¡± ¡°Viers! You want to go in? We don''t know what¡¯s inside!¡± Clarissa protested. ¡°One thing I know when dealing with children, give them the benefit of doubt. I touched her soul and she really didn''t mean any harm.¡± ¡°How come you know she¡¯s a child?¡± Paina asked. It was Viers himself who said appearances could be deceiving just earlier. ¡°Her soul is young, just like her appearance. She is about¡­ ten years old? Same as Luca. Rissa, my question?¡± ¡°...If the Biome Master allowed you to go out then sure. But I must protest. This is like walking into the maw of a monster.¡± ¡°...We can''t allow the Rift to stay open like this or it will endanger everyone. I still hope to stay in this village for a couple more weeks if possible. And then there¡¯s the issue of opportunity. You see, in the Fables, hidden realms such as this are no different than treasure troves. Power and wealth to those worthy to take it.¡± And if I treated mysterious beings such as this dryad coldly instead of cordially, it might bite me in the ass later. ¡°Girl, how about this? I go in with you then, we close the portal. Then you can give me a tour about your Biome. After that, we play.¡± ¡°Un, un, un!¡± She nodded happily. ¡°But there are two conditions. Firstly, you don''t like pain, right?¡± ¡°Nnn, no?¡± she cocked her head while answering. ¡°I don''t like it either. So if there¡¯s anything dangerous inside that might want to hurt me, I might run away.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll protect you!¡± the naked little dryad bravely offered her protection. ¡°Thanks, but that¡¯s just in case. Secondly, let me leave this evening.¡± ¡°Ehhh? You won''t stay with me forever?¡± She looked like Viers just condemned her to hell. ¡°Now, now, don''t panic. If there¡¯s nothing dangerous inside then I¡¯ll be back tomorrow and we¡¯ll play again. Agreed?¡± ¡°...Okay!¡± She said after some thinking. Pheew. She agreed! Secret realm tour, here I come! ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go inside and close the portal. My name is Avel.¡± ¡°Avel¡­ Avel¡­ Un, I remember it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s yours?¡± The dryad showed a troubled face. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t have one,¡± she dejectedly admitted. ¡°...I see¡­ Let''s go inside first. Shall we?¡± Viers was holding the hand of the child dryad as they went through the Rift, to the other side. Viers expected a grand sensation, like experiencing the molecules in his body torn piece by piece and reconstructed without a slightest error. Instead, he felt something similar to entering a comfortable building filled with air conditioners from a hot outdoor. The Rift brought him to a small clearing. What he saw in front of him, took his breath away. ¡°Wow¡­¡± It was so full of life, a plant paradise. The green of leaves and grass were joined by vibrant colors from other flowers and vegetation. The trees grew strong and healthy, bearing fruits he never saw before. The trees didn¡¯t look cluttered at all, neither were they artificially arranged, as if magically creating optimum spaces between them. The dryad peeked at Viers¡¯s amazed face and giggled. She was glad Viers liked it. Viers took a step forward and the formerly green grass changed color to blue. ¡°Ahaha,¡± Viers took a few more steps. A few centimeters from where his foot landed, the grass changed color like drops of vigorous blue atop a green canvas. The grass eventually returned to its natural green color after a while. A moderately strong wind blew across. Viers witnessed hundreds of small white seeds carried by the air currents. They looked like jellyfish, flipping their thin membrane in the air. Viers approached a nearby group of flowers. These blossoms looked similar to bellflowers. Viers was curious because they made ringing sounds. He lightly blew on them and the sounds of metallic wind chimes came from them, melodious. Not far from there, he saw a yellow tree with a honeycomb-shaped trunk. No leaves on any part of its body. Sweet and mellow smell of honey brushed his nose. Below the tree, was a small puddle of golden syrup. A little bit in the distance, atop a small lake filled with crystal lotus flowers, were many trees with leaves similar to banana trees. These trees were discharging water from their leaves as if they were showerheads. The water was glistening as if mixed with diamond dust. It was bright in the Biome, Viers searched for the source of light by looking above. He saw a giant sunflower, hundreds of meters tall, radiantly glowing with light. Viers saw that there were others in the distance. There was no sun but there were clouds. ¡°Is this your home?¡± Viers asked the small girl he was still holding hands with. ¡°Mhm,¡± she smiled. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± Chapter 58 - Plant Life ¡°First things first, let¡¯s close the portal so the outside won''t be affected.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The dryad extended her hand to the crack in space and the air changed. A tide of power was approaching, as if a pack of solid clouds had descended on the area. The fulcrum was the dryad, Viers who was standing beside her felt it clearly. Incredible intensity. How much stronger is she now? Level 3? 5? More? ¡°Clarissa, what is this?¡± He asked the closest expert he had in hand. ¡°Biome Masters receive empowerment when they are inside their territory. The greater the Biome, the more power at their fingertips.¡± ¡°...Your mother was a Biome Master, wasn''t she? I take it her power was greater than this?¡± Viers said while remembering the past. ¡°You made the right call to fight her outside the Biome. Inside, she would have crushed you like a bug, soul affinity 5 or not.¡± Viers and the girls watched as the dryad commanded the mana to mend the Rift. It didn''t take long for it to close. ¡°Interesting¡­ There are signs that this Biome was sealed. The dryad must have broken the seal in the process of getting out, forcefully. That¡¯s why the mana leaked out to that degree. Like going through a locked door by breaking the door,¡± Clarissa added. ¡°Kin, I¡¯m done!¡± She approached Viers like a child after doing an errand, expecting praise. Viers patted her head. Her hair wasn¡¯t silky smooth since it was made of leaves. ¡°Good job. I knew you could do it.¡± The dryad fidgeted happily. If she wanted to destroy me now, she could have done so without trouble, Viers hesitated. No, believe in myself. I touched her soul and felt she is not malevolent. Her soul is young and innocent. ¡°How about we talk a bit, little one?¡± ¡°Okay. I like having someone to talk to, since no one ever talks to me back.¡± She¡­ regards the other plants as if they are sentient. Viers mused. A vine dropped down from a tree, carrying two red fruits. One the dryad picked up and the vine moved to Viers. ¡°Eat, eat! This is delicious.¡± She took a bite. ¡°Thank you,¡± Viers did the same. It was delicious indeed, tasted like peaches. She sat on the grass plains, Viers did the same. ¡°Sooo, what should we talk about?¡± ¡°Um, before that, do you have any clothes?¡± ¡°Clothes? What''s that?¡± The naked dryad replied. ¡°Like what I¡¯m wearing now. Garments to cover your body.¡± ¡°Oooh, that. I saw you and other people wearing those at your place, kin¡­ Seems uncomfortable. Why are you wearing that?¡± ¡°...To protect my body.¡± Viers wasn''t sure what to say. ¡°Then I don''t need it. My body is tough!¡± She puffed her chest. Naked, flat, chest. ¡°And I don''t have any clothes here.¡± Viers facepalmed. I¡¯m not a lolicon for God¡¯s sake. ¡°Okay, how about I help you? Let''s make it a game. With your control over plants, we should be able to create something good enough for you.¡± ¡°Okay then!¡± The dryad was more enthusiastic doing something with Viers than the notion of making her own clothes, and so they got to work. It was mostly the green-skinned little girl¡¯s work, gathering and weaving the necessary materials. Her control was incredible, she used thin vines like threads to sew leaves together. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Viers helped to design the thing¡­ though he was just relaying what Paina told him. Viers had no experience in making clothes and surprisingly, Paina did. ¡°Done! Looks good.¡± The dryad commented. She put it on immediately. It was a one-piece dress made mostly of leaves. Since her skin was already green, Paina suggested adding more color to the dress. The dryad managed to make dyes easily enough, coloring some parts in bright red in flower patterns. The skirt part reached her knees and no shoes. ¡°You look nice. Here, this is from me.¡± Viers presented a crown of white flowers that he made himself. ¡°Oooo, thank you!¡± The dryad was elated. Luca taught him how to make it, Viers was glad he was able to make someone happy. Viers let the dryad run around while examining her dress for a few minutes before getting to the heart of the matter. ¡°So, why are you calling me kin?¡± Viers was sure he was born human, even Clarissa did not sense anything different from him. ¡°Mmm, I don''t know it either. But I feel a familiarity to you that I can''t sense from anything else.¡± It must be because of the flower. Viers suspected. The mysterious white flower that saved his life and gave him the healing factor. Since he obtained it, Viers wasn''t sure his body was purely human anymore. Perhaps she can sense it because she¡¯s very attuned to plant life. Does this mean I¡¯m closer to a humanoid plant than a human? ¡°So what''s your story?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The dryad started to tell him her origins. *** She was born here, a long time ago. She wasn''t sure how long it had been. She felt strange, alien. She could speak and walk around but the others couldn''t. Her form was also different from the others, she had feet, hands, and everything else while the other trees didn''t. She had eyes and could feel the touch on her skin while others¡­ were almost no different than stones. Still, she liked them, no matter how they looked and behaved. Some of them produced delicious things, reinforcing her fondness of them. She explored around. She didn''t need anything. If she felt hungry, she could grow roots then absorb nutrients from the earth or take some fruits from the trees. There was no change of season in the Biome so the temperature was mostly the same. But it could rain here, and when it did, she felt happy. In the whole world, there were trees and plants but no animals. She knew about animals since she was born. She knew what birds, fishes, and insects looked like but there were none here. After getting from one end to another, she was disappointed to find no other like her. Only she and Grandpa had the ¡®voice¡¯. She couldn''t stand the boredom and loneliness so she decided to plant herself and sleep. Grew roots deep into the earth and entered a peaceful slumber, just like everyone else. After an unknown amount of time, she felt something resonating with her. It came from the outside. The ¡®outside¡¯ of the world she was in, she knew this. She couldn''t let the chance pass so she broke out. The process of tearing a path to the outside was tough, there was some kind of obstruction. But with the unending power from the earth, she managed to get out. The world outside was opening up before her. The mana was far thinner there but it was¡­ full of diversity. She saw beasts that she recognized but had never seen before. There were monsters too. She knew she was weaker than before but she wasn¡¯t helpless. She crushed one to a pulp using her bare hands, its claws and fangs couldn''t even pierce her skin. Out of curiosity, she tried to eat the meat. It was disgusting. She liked leaves, vegetables, and fruits more. Her feet were guided by the sense of familiarity that kept getting stronger and stronger as she got closer. Then she found wooden constructs and the mammalians that lived inside them. They bore her semblance, although the skin was different in color and they covered it up using rags. Their hair was different too. When she laid eyes on one among them, she knew that one was the source of her familiarly. Her kin. She observed her kin was making little kids in the field, tending them lovingly and showering them with water of love. It brought warm feelings in her chest. Ah, her kin also had the ¡®voice¡¯. How extraordinary. Her kin also seemed close to the¡­ other two-legged animals. She vaguely remembered they were called humans? No matter. Since she was trespassing, she decided to not harm her kin¡¯s ¡®pets¡¯. She wanted to get closer and make contact but felt shy. In the hope of building a cordial relationship with her kin, she decided to give that person a gift. The dryad felt her kin was kind of withered. Not vibrant and brimming with vitality unlike her and everyone in her place. Her kin was injured! Later that day, when the big ball of white in the sky had died, she snuck into her kin¡¯s field and planted a seed filled with her life force. It made her weaker and hollow but it didn''t matter. She could go back to her place and fill herself up again. She hoped her kin would be happy when a part of her grew tomorrow, and eat her flesh with affection. She went back to her place then slept in anticipation of tomorrow. But when she came out the next day, the surroundings changed. Plants grew uncontrollably and chaotically. No! She messed up her kin¡¯s place. The crack that she slipped out from was the cause and she couldn''t close it. She panicked but not long after, her kin showed up. He, yes, he was a ¡®he¡¯ while she was a ¡®she¡¯. Her kin was a male while she was a female and males were delicious. Eh? She wondered why such a thought suddenly popped up in her head but that didn''t matter now. He looked wary¡­ ooh, she had made a bad first impression. She hoped her kin wouldn''t be too angry. Chapter 59 - Symbiosis ¡°-and then I met you.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± The young dryad finished her story. He felt some parts were a bit off. ¡°Can I meet this grandpa you talked about?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The girl always replied to his requests with enthusiasm. The dryad led the way and gave him a tour of the place. She explained about the trees and plants they came across. The Biome was huge, similar to the size of Madagascar. Thankfully, this grandpa wasn¡¯t far. There was no member of the animal kingdom here, Viers wondered if bacteria existed in this place. The giant sunflowers became the pseudo-suns in this place and the light dimmed as time passed. According to his own internal clock, it should be around late afternoon. During the way, Viers and the dryad talked a lot. ¡°That¡¯s grandpa,¡± the dryad pointed her finger. Viers saw a tree and skeleton jutting out from its trunk. It was as if the tree was in the process of swallowing the person. The skeleton¡¯s lower body was already inside the tree, only the torso and above remained. Naturally, the skeleton had no life remaining in it. The skeleton was just dangling there. Whatever his clothes were before, they were only tatters now. ¡°Bones¡­ What happened here?¡± Viers asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Grandpa is always like this.¡± ¡°Why are you calling him grandpa?¡± ¡°Get closer and you will see.¡± Viers did so and saw a visage of a kind-looking old man with an orderly trimmed beard. He was quite handsome, despite looking in his sixties. Soul? No¡­ just a projection. ¡°To whoever finds this place, I pray my efforts weren¡¯t in vain. I am Reverend Purity, a humble priest of the Estellian Church.¡± ¡°Reverend Purity!¡± Viers heard Farley gasp. ¡°Lord Viers, he was a well-known Level 5 and one of the most powerful experts of the church. He went missing about a century ago and his fate was unknown.¡± Viers figured Farley must have remembered such a thing because she was raised in a family of devil worshippers, remembering the names of the enemy comes with the territory. ¡°In my travels to spread the faith of the goddess to the world, I stumbled upon a big thriving village. It was protected and prosperous, growing many wondrous plant produce. However, the sparse existence of the male gender above the age of 15 aroused my curiosity. I didn¡¯t find much welcome in the village. The matriarch rejected my presence, they said they already have a goddess protecting them.¡± ¡°Finding things odd, I stayed in the village for a while, masquerading as a non-Pathseeker. Three days of investigating and I uncovered a terrifying truth. The village was sending the males to their goddess, a Level 5 dryad, a Biome Master. In the Biome, there were a hundred or so males inside. She¡­ had her way with them and turned them into fertilizer when they got too old or unable to satisfy her. The dryad was old and powerful, already at the cusp of shedding her mortal shell.¡± ¡°Unable to tolerate such barbarity and to prevent the birth of an Ascended, I planned to inform the church about this but the dryad had found me infiltrating the Biome. She closed the entrance and left me with no other choice, we battled. She refused my offer of peace and a fight to the death ensued. Regrettably, the people inside the Biome were caught in the crossfire. None survived.¡± ¡°After battling for four days and three nights, we struck each other down.¡± ¡°The Biome was big and rich, a top-grade Biome. Afraid the Biome residents will go berserk after the master¡¯s death and wreak havoc on the outside, I used the last dregs of my power to seal this place. My wounds were severe but I could still do so and left my inheritance.¡± ¡°Normally, I would have designed a trial before passing on my life¡¯s work but the circumstances did not allow such luxury. I can only pray to the Radiant Lady that one with a virtuous heart would arrive at this place in the future.¡± Motes of light came out from the bones and went towards Viers. It probed his Intio then went back to the skeleton. A bulbous flower bloomed from the earth below the skeleton. ¡°Ah!?¡± The dryad was surprised. ¡°That never happened before.¡± I see¡­ The earlier motes of light were checking if I have Intio or not, whether I¡¯m human or not. Since humans are most compatible with Intio Magisterix Path of Power. The flower opened like a basket, there were three objects inside. ¡°Inheritor, I bestow upon you neither power nor Arte but a Profound Codex of my own making, my magnum opus. Scripture of Purity.¡± A scroll floated from the flower, hovering in the air Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Most of my magical items were destroyed in the battle, and I didn¡¯t bring many valuables to begin with so only these two remained.¡± The other two were a pair of red gloves and a silvery stone the size of an adult¡¯s head. ¡°Dragonweave Gloves, made from the muscle fibers of a dragon. Very durable, you can use them as a shield of sorts. Only weapons and Artes that have the sharpness of a dragon¡¯s fang could pierce it. Should it get torn, it would mend itself given time.¡± ¡°The stone was something that fell from the sky. It fell in a Black Zone a long, long time ago and was infused with potent mana ever since before I took it. I called it a Comet Shard. It should make a wonderful material for forging magical items.¡± ¡°Inheritor, I give these all to you. In exchange, I ask three things from you. One, do not use my gifts for evil. Two, make the world a better place. Three, share the Profound Codex with the Estellian Church. I was often traveling and didn¡¯t take any disciples. I wish to share my Profound Codex with my fellow members of the faith, to help scour evil from the world of the Goddess. Inheritor, I implore you.¡± ¡°I pray that I leave the world a better place from the one I was born into. O Radiant Lady, I surrender my soul to you.¡± The visage of Reverend Purity faded, his face was full of contentment. He returned to the Radiant Lady with a smile. Viers was thinking deeply. So that¡¯s how it is. This Purity guy killed the dryad¡­ Luca talked about a goddess in her great-great-grandfather¡¯s time. Similar timeframe. But the dryad survived¡­ or is she an offspring? Perhaps she reincarnates? There are a few possible cases. Did the priest suspect the dryad could still be alive? ¡°Girl, it seems this guy killed you a long time ago.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± she looked at the skeleton but there was no hatred in her eyes. ¡°I heard the earlier part a hundred times already.¡± ¡°Do you hate him?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t remember any of it so it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Truly, she is like a pure child. There really is no malice in her. Whatever her previous self was, she is no longer that person¡­ then¨C ¡°I see¡­ Well, this is his stuff. Want it?¡± ¡°Is it delicious, kin?¡± She asked. Viers looked at the scroll, gloves, and rock. ¡°I don¡¯t think they are food, so no.¡± ¡°Then you can have it. It¡¯s no use to me.¡± ¡°¡­Okay, thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± As always, she replied energetically. I¡¯ll let the items be for now. The dryad takes priority. ¡°Girl, sit here.¡± Viers patted the grass in front of him as he sat, the dryad followed. ¡°What are your plans now?¡± ¡°Mmm, living with kin?¡± She said after some thinking. ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t live here with you. This is your place, not mine.¡± The little girl looked sad. ¡°But, but, this can be your place too. I¡¯ll always open my gates for you, kin!¡± She pleaded, tugging at Viers¡¯ sleeves. ¡°I still can''t. I have to go somewhere else and more importantly¡­¡± Viers paused. ¡°I can¡¯t trust you fully yet.¡± The dryad eyes were wide open. She let go of Viers sleeves and slowly slumped as she sat. There was silence for a few seconds before her eyes became watery. Soft sobs entered Viers¡¯ ears. At this point, Viers was ready for battle. In case the dryad went berserk but she didn¡¯t. ¡°Hicc¡­ will you leave me too, kin?¡± ¡°No¡­ I¡¯ll return from time to time. For the coming days, I¡¯ll spend time with you. We can still be friends.¡± ¡°I¡­ want a family.¡± Amidst her cries, the little dryad eked out a sincere wish. ¡°¡­You want me to be your family?¡± The dryad nodded once. Slowly, gently, but surely. Viers made a difficult face. He didn¡¯t enjoy making a little girl cry but to become a family was not a light matter. That status wasn¡¯t something he would grant easily, especially to someone he just met today. ¡°Do you truly mean that?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± the dryad wiped the tears on her face. ¡°If you want me to be your family then are you willing to entrust your life to me?¡± Viers¡¯ tone was as cold as steel. The girls inside her head were shouting something but he didn¡¯t pay attention to them. ¡°Hicc¡­ My, life?¡± She repeated. ¡°Yes. If you¡¯re willing then from then on we¡¯ll be together. We¡¯ll take care of each other. If you¡¯re sad then I¡¯ll be sad. If you¡¯re happy then I¡¯ll be happy.¡± The dryad was still crying but she opened a smile. With her hands, she guided Viers¡¯ hand and put it on her chest. ¡°My life is yours.¡± The whole area exploded with mana. Trees shook and the air trembled but the dryad and Viers were like in the eye of the typhoon, undisturbed. Viers didn¡¯t think she would accept, he didn¡¯t even know what she was doing. But his confusion didn¡¯t last longer than a couple of seconds, he felt a connection was forming between them. ¡°Kin, please bestow me with a name.¡± The connection was like a thread, continuously weaving more and more upon itself until it became a bridge. The foundation of that bridge was massive, the Biome itself was pouring its strength laying that foundation. I see. Viers now had an idea of what she meant to do. ¡°I name you Dia. The dryad who is reborn. I care not for your past but for your future. As long as you do not betray me, I¡¯ll care for you as if you are my own. Giving you my care and protection. This oath I give to you.¡± Viers pulled his sole working hand from her chest and created a small amount of water from the palm. He gently poured the water on her head. ¡°Dia¡­¡± the dryad closed her eyes for a moment to embrace her new identity, relishing her christening. ¡°I, Dia, now swear to¨C¡± ¡°My true name¡­ is Viers Isuel. A name that I won¡¯t share with people I don¡¯t trust.¡± Viers interrupted, gently stroking her hair. He fondly looked at her like looking at his own child. Dia¡¯s smile brightened. ¡°I, Dia, now swear to Viers Isuel. I give him my life in exchange for a true bond between us, a symbiosis. Like a sprout under the protection of a strong oak, I accept him as my master. By the earth and water, I swear this.¡± The whole Biome thrummed. Every single blade of grass, each leaf in every branch, all plants in the Biome reacted. They glowed with a luminous viridescent green, very vibrant. Two oaths were exchanged and the bridge between them was forged. The mana in the Biome enveloped them and the trembling stopped. Viers and Dia were showered by the hundreds of glowing leaves falling from the trees all around them. Viers gained a familiar. Chapter 60 - A Happy Return ¡°Kin!¡± Dia hugged him with all her might. ¡°Yes, I suppose that calling is fitting now.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Naturally, the trio witnessed the rite between Viers and the newly named Dia. ¡°A Biome Master as a familiar, ahaha¡­ What has the world turned into?¡± Clarissa was in a posture similar to a kneeling human, hands on the ground, as she weakly laughed. Only she understood the absurdity of it. It almost shattered her beliefs. ¡°Did Lord Viers take her up as his child?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure. Looks like a marriage ceremony to me.¡± Farley and Paina exchanged their opinion. ¡°Well, now that the complicated matters have been resolved, as promised, how about we play?¡± ¡°Un, un! What should we play about?¡± ¡°Hehehe. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like it. It¡¯s called¡­ Hide and Seek!¡± Viers determined the boundary of the game and told Dia the rules, including no Arte or any magical means permitted. Viers let the dryad hide and he became the seeker. After the count of 50, Viers started to look around. It was quite fun since many of the plants were something he had never seen before and most were quite beautiful. After he found her and after another match with Viers being the one hiding, Viers taught her about a few more simple games such as rope jumping using vines, playing catch using a round fruit, and chasing water bubbles that Viers made. They both spent the time filled with laughter until the sunflowers¡¯ light had grown dim. ¡°Okay. I guess it¡¯s time for me to go home. Awww, cheer up little flower, I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡± Dia was reluctant but she let him go in the end. ¡°You can feel me right? And I can feel you. We¡¯re now connected. Don''t worry, we¡¯ll be together for a long, long time. Have a good sleep for now,¡± Viers assured her. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be waiting for you. I¡¯ll open the way out now.¡± ¡°Wait, wait. First, let us say goodbye to grandpa Skely.¡± The skeleton had fallen from the tree because of the shaking of the Biome earlier. It witnessed a certain villain¡¯s significant harvest. It was now a pile of bones. Accidentally, the skull was currently facing right at Viers. Viers bowed while making a prayer gesture with one hand like a buddhist monk. Dia mimicked him. The both of them gave the remains of Reverend Purity his last rites of sorts. Thanks bud. Thanks for all that you¡¯ve done. You killed Dia¡¯s previous self then she returned and became my familiar. You also gave me gifts. I¡¯m in awe of your generosity. Just so you know, I¡¯m a villain. But I¡¯m not the killing-everyone-he-sees kind so you can rest a little bit easier¡­ hopefully. Clack. Coincidence or not, the jaw on the skull opened with a dull sound. Now it looked like the bones of Reverend Purity had a jaw drop. ¡°This Reverend Purity fellow was quite good. To be able to strike down a Biome Master inside their Biome was a feat worth recording,¡± Clarissa commented. ¡°Yeah well, his flesh is dust now. Speaking of remains, I hope his soul is well tended to since I¡¯ll take his bones.¡± ¡°Viers? Whatever for?¡± Paina was distraught by the idea. ¡°Bones from a Level 5 Pathseeker are useful. It would be a shame to leave them behind. I¡¯ve heard about alchemists and blacksmiths and others who would go crazy for such a thing.¡± Farley chimed in her approval. ¡°Viers, don''t disrespect the dead.¡± The kind-hearted lady appealed to his better nature. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. And she succeeded. ¡°...You know, you¡¯re right. He did us a solid. I''ll just take one bone then bury the rest,¡± Viers found the middle path. Paina still protested but Viers was already at peace with his conscience and had no qualms taking the bone whatsoever. Other than the one he took, Viers buried the bones there. As for the three gifts the good reverend left behind, Viers naturally claimed them as his possession but he had no intention of bringing them out at the moment. After all, it was safer here, inside his familiar¡¯s Biome. I¡¯ll deal with them later. After that was done, Viers talked with Dia about how he would be getting out. The simplest thing was to make another portal but Dia confessed she didn¡¯t know how. Thankfully, Clarissa could and she extended her knowledge to the immature Biome Master. Her control over the Biome is lacking. Perhaps some practice is in order. ¡°There, a proper Rift that can be closed and opened according to her will. If the portal is closed shortly after you go through, there won¡¯t be any mana leaking out from here.¡± ¡°Thank you, princess. Your expertise saved us once again,¡± Viers gave his praise, lightheartedly but not falsely. A portal that looked like a swirling vortex within a black mirror circle appeared before Viers. ¡°So, Dia, let me tell you first that as wonderful as this place is, there¡¯s a whole world out there. So much bigger than this place and filled with many things, both good and bad. I¡¯ll introduce you to the outside world little by little, okay?¡± ¡°Un, I trust you.¡± ¡°Good girl. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find the world outside to your liking. I might even introduce you to the others, look forward to it.¡± ¡°You mean the other humans? Your pets?¡± Dia innocently asked. ¡­It seems she¡¯s in dire need of education about common sense if she is ever to walk the outside world. ¡°Well, yes, the humans. But they¡¯re not ¡®pets¡¯. I¡¯ll explain about it next time. For now, bye-bye buttercup.¡± Viers waved and Dia waved back. He came out at the place he met the dryad the first time, somewhat deep in the woods. If I¡¯m going to visit her regularly, perhaps arranging a closer entrance is high on the priority list. Viers sighed and started walking back home. The plant disaster at Pecan Village had begun to die down. Viers assured the villagers that it would be fine. The source of the anomaly had been taken care of. He visited Shlomo¡¯s place and according to his observation, the Rank 3 plant would die because of the lack of nutrients in a few days. While Viers told Shlomo about how he managed to close the portal, he didn''t explain too much, certainly not a peep about Dia. Shlomo didn''t pry. He was glad the disaster had passed and assured Viers that it was fine waiting for the monster plant to die, he had no trouble maintaining his sand form for a week. An explosive growth because of mana, because it didn''t come into existence normally, the Rank 3 plant monster couldn¡¯t last. What a fleeting existence. After a long day, Viers finally returned to the Irvings place. Home ¨Chowever temporarily¨C with people waiting for his return. The scarecrow with the famous words/title on it welcomed him, and so did Luca who jumped and hugged him with a relieved smile on her face. ¡°Welcome home, big brother Avel.¡± ¡°I¡¯m back. Who¡¯s been a good girl, hmn?¡± Viers stroked her purple hair like they were made of silk. Susan hurriedly met him at the lawn with Arim following right behind. ¡°Mister Avel. We¡¯re overjoyed by your return. The strange happenings are gradually disappearing so we figured you must have succeeded. Please, I¡¯ve prepared a lavish dinner for you. Though, mostly using the ingredients you procured, ahaha.¡± ¡°Thank you Madam Susan. That would be lovely,¡± Viers looked at the family that gave him such a warm welcome. ¡°It¡¯s good to be back.¡± *** It had been the most productive three weeks. After the excitement with Dia, Viers¡¯ slow life began again. Despite the self-dubbed slow life, Viers had done many things. He had introduced Dia to the Irvings, in the hope of human interactions could cure her ignorance. To that end, Dia practiced so she could change her appearance to be more similar to humans. Farley and Clarissa informed him that dryads were capable of such a feat. Her skin was now healthy brown, like a healthy child often playing under the sun. Her hair was still ¡®leafy¡¯ but it was tidier. Viers gave a rough introduction to the Irvings, telling them that he had found the long-lost goddess of the village but her power had weakened and she lost her memories. He hoped the Irvings would be amiable to the idea of adding another person under their roof. ¡°O Goddess, welcome to our humble abode. Forgive us for not being able to provide a more worthy accommodation for someone as great as you, Your Holiness.¡± ¡°Your Holiness. Please bestow your divine blessings upon this village.¡± Arim and Susan were kowtowing to Dia. ¡°¡­This feels familiar,¡± Dia muttered, which Viers heard and made a forceful smile. ¡°Ahahaha. Mister Arim, Madam Susan, come come, there¡¯s no need for such servility. Please, we¡¯re merely guests.¡± Viers managed to make them act normally after a lengthy persuasion. As for Luca¡­ ¡°He¡¯s my kin!¡± ¡°No! He¡¯s my big brother!¡± ¡°Kin!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°KIN!¡± ¡°BROTHER!¡± The two of them screamed at each other like they were each other¡¯s mortal enemy. Arim and Susan looked at each other and then looked at Viers who only smiled awkwardly. The stated kin and brother held them up before they could do a full prostration to Viers too. Chapter 61 - The End of Winter Viers had made progress in his endeavor to find a replacement for Victa fuel. Gasp! I just remembered a marvelous quote. A certain Dread Empress ¨Cdon¡¯t remember which one¨C already told the answer to me! "You''d be surprised at the breadth of things that can be powered by the souls of the innocent. Fortresses, swords, my favourite chandelier." Goddamn! It really is a guide of evil practicality. I give it a rating of seven stars out of five. Although, unlike her Dreadful Majesty, I¡¯ll be gentler in my treatment of the souls of the truly innocent. As for the not truly innocent, ask your god or goddess to save you. I have souls, some are gathering dust in my Soul Prison. Those that don''t have much value after I extract their memories. Not only humans, but I also have animal and monster souls too. Perhaps this is the way, turn Soul Prison into Soul Power Plant! Now! Time to find ways to process my ever-growing soul collection and turn them into renewable clean energy¡­ get it? ¡®Clean¡¯ cause it causes no pollution and ¡®renewable¡¯ cause there are souls all around me. I just need to kill the next poor bastard that chooses to be my enemy. There will be no lack of such people when I¡¯m in a xianxia-esque world. Those bastards are basically volunteering for suicide by my hand. *** Just as he planned before, Viers searched the area surrounding the Pecan Village with Euryale Sight to find other power-up opportunities and he indeed found some. The most noteworthy of them all was a buried grimoire under a bodiless unmarked grave that he couldn¡¯t open no matter what he did. If Dia and the Biome did not steal its thunder, Viers would be all over it. Shame Viers no longer had much enthusiasm towards it. Naturally, he still regarded the grimoire as important but a former Level 5 dryad plus Biome Master as his familiar was hard to top. The other special things he found were a Grey Mandarin and a Hundred Poisons Cleansing Herb. At first, Viers didn''t know about them, neither did his tenants. His Euryale Sight showed they were special but what were they best used for, Viers had no idea so he consulted someone that knew. Among the souls in his grasp, there was one that had the knowledge about herbology, one of the people he harvested in Osemore. He used to be an apothecary apprentice, I believe. Since I wasn¡¯t blessed with extensive knowledge about magical and medicinal plants like those xianxia MCs with pill making as their side job, I must make do with reading the soul of one who is well versed in the matter. How quaint. The herb was self-explanatory while the odd-colored mandarin fruit was a cure for a certain rare digestive disease. ¡°Girls, prepare ourselves to be poisoned or catch a novel stomachache in the near future.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°In the Fables, this is called Chekhov''s gun.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Chekhov?¡± ¡°Actually I have no idea. Never met the man. I don¡¯t even know his face.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a gun?¡± ¡°A weapon.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with a fruit and a herb?¡± ¡°...You know what? Never mind.¡± *** ¡°Woaaah¡­ Dia, your place is amazing, amazing, amazing!¡± Luca jumped around in excitement. ¡°Hmn, hmn,¡± Dia looked pleased as she puffed her chest. ¡°Praise me more.¡± ¡°Thank you for inviting me. I have a gift for you.¡± ¡°Me too Luca. Here, have a super sweet syrup.¡± Luca and Dia were giggling as they exchanged gifts. They turned from mortal enemies into best friends in a matter of days, kids¡­ Viers shook his head as he sighed lightly. The three of them were in Dia¡¯s Biome, Viers brought Luca here. Naturally, the purple-haired girl was astonished, so was Viers the first time he arrived here. ¡°Alright girls, as promised, you both can explore and play around for a few hours as long as it''s not dangerous. Dia, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Okay, kin.¡± ¡°Luca, take care.¡± Viers turned to the other girl. ¡°I know, Avel big bro. Ah! Dia, not fair!¡± Dia ran out first with a giggle and Luca chased after her. ¡°Viers, you won''t tell little Luca your true name?¡± Paina asked. ¡°There¡¯s no need to burden her with a secret that might harm her. She is still young and hasn''t chosen her Path.¡± ¡°Lord Viers, aren''t you planning to make her join your camp one day?¡± Farley guessed as much. ¡°...She saved my life, Farley. It is only natural to repay her actions. As for the future, I have no intentions of forcing her to do anything. We all have our own choices to make.¡± ¡°After that splendid swan water performance, Isn''t it already set in stone? It certainly is unforgettable for a young girl like her.¡± Clarissa twirled the edge of her tail. ¡°Well, life choices are hard. As you all well know. Whatever she decides, I¡¯ll respect it. Come on, this is my first time cultivating in an environment with mana as rich as this. I wonder how much faster it would make me to Level 3.¡± Viers picked a spot under a tree and meditated, absorbing mana from the outside and channeling them to his Intio. Only when his Intio was full of mana he could attempt an Advancement to Level 3. Clarissa reached Level 5 at the age of 16. What I do know, that Age of the Gods record is too dazzling compared to this age. A Level 3 at the age of 17 is already very extraordinary. Even Freya, the core disciple of the best sect in the world is only a Level 2 and she¡¯s around my age. The current me is still far from Level 3. Viers focused himself on the task, his tenants naturally didn''t bother him. The mana quality is so different from the outside. I could cultivate at twice the speed¡­ no, thrice? More? Incredible¡­ While Viers was in the zone and earnestly cultivating, time passed. ¡°-ter¡­ Big brother¡­ What should we do? He isn''t waking up.¡± ¡°No worries. You both can sleep here. It''s very safe. Ah, kin!¡± Viers finally opened his eyes. The Biome had gone dark. ¡°Shoot! Apologies. I lost track of time. Let''s go back.¡± ¡°Kin, why don''t we all stay here for the night?¡± ¡°Some other time, I promise you. After we informed Luca¡¯s parents. If we all don''t return tonight, they¡¯ll become very worried.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Dia became a bit pouty but she accepted Viers¡¯ decision. Viers brought the kids home. Dia -like Viers- had been sleeping under the roof of the Irvings since he introduced her to them. They came out not far from Luca''s house, Dia had been practicing her Rift-making ability. When they got close to the house, Viers suddenly halted his steps. ¡°Girls, we shall wait in that shack for some time.¡± Viers pointed to Susan¡¯s workplace, where she made clothes. ¡°Ehhh?¡± ¡°Why?¡± The two kids were confused. ¡°Your mom and dad are busy at the moment. Come come. Don''t be noisy and let them do their thing in peace.¡± Perhaps Luca will have a sibling next year. They are no longer impoverished and have enough food to feed another mouth. I improved their farm too so it might be a suitable time indeed, Viers nodded like a sage. Viers became the gentleman and led the girls inside. The night was a bit chilly so they covered themselves with fabrics that were in the vicinity. They all cuddled together, feeling the very last remnants of winter. They conversed in small voices about small and trivial things. Like how many letters Luca could now write, that Dia wrestled with a pig a few days ago, and Viers was retelling the story of Cinderella for the fourth time. Wrapped in blankets and under the gentle light of two moons, Viers felt he must immortalize this moment. ¡°Girls, never tell anyone about this, okay? This shall be our little secret,¡± Viers said to Dia and Luca at his side and the three tenants in his head. Viers gathered the children¡¯s hands and clasped them with his own. He activated his soul magic. A sound, a song resounded in their hearts. The five listeners were astonished. ¡°Ah! What?¡± ¡°Ooohh?¡± ¡°This tune¡­" ¡°...So peaceful.¡± ¡°I don''t know the language but this is incredible.¡± ¡°Girls, calm down and listen. Close your mouth and open your ears.¡± They did as Viers told and they were taken by magical melody. The song was complete with the melody, music instruments, and the female singer¡¯s voice. The start was the guitar and they were all spellbound soon after. ¡°Hitai ni kanjiru sunda kuuki¡± The fresh air brushes across my brow ¡°Haku iki ga hazumu¡± Each breath I blow is white ¡°Tomaru koto mo naku aruki tsuzuketeita no¡± Put one foot in front of the other and don''t stop walking ¡°Koko de furikaeru mou sugu da yo¡± Turning back I finally see the first beams of light ¡°Asahi ga noboru¡± The sun rises ¡°Watashi wa tabi suru¡± I am on a journey ¡°Atarashii hi ni jiyuu wo suikondara¡± To breathe in the freedom that comes with a new day ¡°Atatakai hi wo kakonde suwarou¡± Let''s sit down and huddle around a warm fire ¡°Tawaimonai koto hanashi nagara¡± Chatting about all the things that come to mind This is the reverse of soul search, he let out something from his own soul. The kids fell asleep as Viers kept transmitting the sound from his soul to the others. Luca leaned on his right, Dia on his left. ¡°Fwaaa¡­ I became sleepy too.¡± ¡°Good night to you, Lord Viers.¡± ¡°Taken to sleep by a song, Viers, you¡¯re surprisingly romantic.¡± One by one, his tenants fell asleep too. As the only one left, Viers looked at the tranquil night sky and the two moons above. Yuru Camp¡¯s ending song, Fuyu Biyori. What a perfect song for this occasion. Viers offered the song to these people that he held dear. Chapter 62 - The Call of Spring ¡°Haup.¡± Viers ate the cherry-sized fruit from the mystical dancing plant. A taste of grape spread throughout his mouth and he swallowed it with great relish. He could feel life, a potent life force was spreading all over his body. From the core of his stomach to the tips of his fingers. His life span had been replenished greatly. ¡°Incredible...¡± Combined with all the monsters he had eaten since he arrived at Pecan Village, Viers now had about 40 years of life span in his tank. He¡¯d come a long way since his old age crisis a few weeks ago. The only injury he still had was his left hand that hadn''t finished regenerating. With the ample life force at his disposal, Viers could hasten it. It would be fully grown by tomorrow if he so wished but Viers didn''t do so. It would consume more life span in exchange for recovery speed and Viers had no need to rush. *** Freya beheaded Viers with one clean stroke. ¡°Aaargh!¡± The beheaded Viers dissolved into streams of data and a new Viers respawned in his place, grunting hurtfully. ¡°Shit!¡± He cursed while touching his neck. ¡°Again!¡± Viers was holding a spear using one hand, he battled Freya in earnest. They were atop a chequered arena, the floor was empty squares with yellow edges. It was as if the two were fighting on a floating platform in space. The Grid, the place where Viers battled Sigma¡¯s system. Viers had usurped the foolish otherworlder¡¯s system and salvaged some of its features. Ultimately, he managed to make a virtual simulation from the splintered and incomplete system. The projection of Freya had the real one¡¯s power, speed, and techniques embedded in it. At least, to the degree of what Viers witnessed and experienced. Since Viers didn''t have to worry about Victa in this place, he battled without holding back. All of his skills and Artes were unleashed. And she still wiped the floor with him. Freya dodged his thrust with minimal movement and pierced his heart with her rapier. Viers was defeated for the 19th time. It¡¯s been a week since I started a virtual battle with her, 19 losses out of 19 matches¡­ She is an opponent worthy to be included in the Dark Souls series. Of course, a design alteration is first in order. She should be made more Duke''s Dear Freja-ish¡­ or Witch of Hemwick rather than Crossbreed Priscilla. Viers opened his eyes and returned to the real world. The sun was shining and the sky was particularly blue. Viers was sitting cross-legged on the grass nearby his field. A scarecrow stood in the middle of the vegetable field. The crops looked big and healthy, despite the odd color. Beware of Cock, was written on a plaque that the chicken-headed scarecrow wore on its neck. You know what Jin buddy? As much as I respect you and your life¡¯s choices ¨Cand I certainly see the appeal of it¨C I feel I must travel the world and experience¡­ more things before I put down my sword and take up a hoe as you did. However, after I was tired of the blood and death, you showed me how I should spend my retirement days. Cheers. Viers raised his waterskin to the scarecrow before drinking from it. The virtual reality idea came to him while he was bathing in the river and a crab pinched his toe. Even he didn''t know how that idea came to be. Naturally, the crab became his dinner that night. ¡°Awright. Time to harvest the navy blue turnips. I wonder how they taste?¡± Viers rolled up his sleeves and walked briskly to the field. *** Viers was looking at the vast landscape of the Biome in front of him. There were hills, mountains, lakes, rivers, and plains¡­ a virgin land of tremendous potential. Dia was sitting cross-legged on the grass not far from him. Her eyes were closed and she was in deep concentration. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. A Biome was a place coveted by every faction in the world. An environment with rich mana and resources. People usually raided or even invaded Biomes to take and plunder. Which country or man didn''t want to possess a mystical land? Viers was the master of the master of this place. Dia became his familiar, willingly. He could extinguish her life if he wanted to. If he told Dia to transfer the ownership of the Biome to him then she would do so. But he had no intention of doing such a thing. Viers had no intention of doing any ill to Dia, she had already thrown her lot with Viers thus they were on the same side. Family. Clarissa told him a strange thing, that this Biome was different from the other Biomes. Dia was connected to the Biome more tightly than normal. In a sense, every plant in this place was a part of her. Like cells in human bodies. That was why this Biome did not generate animals or monsters in the first place. Plant monsters were a thing, that none of the trees had turned into monsters were enough to warrant investigation. ¡°Perhaps when the previous dryad died, she became the plants of this place. One of those plants possessed more of her than usual and became Dia.¡± Clarissa thought of a possibility. At any rate, Viers naturally had plans to develop this place into prime real estate. A seat of power for him and his allies. Cultivating here is very beneficial and that is only the first merit. I could sell the already abundant products of this place for a great sum of funds. Planting rare and precious herbs that are hard to grow is an option too. Introducing and raising animals and monsters to this place should be beneficial in the long run, as long as I¡¯m careful. Also, a safe haven to run and hide if I was pursued. A great defensible fortress, Dia is very strong in this place¡­ I could even raise armies here. Holy hell, what a home. Viers had envisioned a grand dream for this place. ¡°I did it! Kin, I did it!¡± Dia proudly showed Viers a seed in her hands. ¡°Good girl. I¡¯m so very glad I met you.¡± Viers patted her head. ¡°Ehehehe.¡± Dia too felt very blessed to meet Viers, the one who saved her from the despairing grip of utter loneliness. Before he left the Biome, Viers unfurled the cloth covering his left hand. His left hand had fully grown back. Viers clenched and unclenched it a few times then his lips curled upwards. I have fully recovered and gained many harvests. My power grows but I can¡¯t become the strongest only by staying in this place... It¡¯s about time for me to depart. *** The three treasures of Reverend Purity. Scripture of Purity Profound Codex, Dragonweave Gloves, and the Comet Shard. Viers tested the gloves for their durability. Despite him putting them through the wringer, there wasn''t a tear on the pair of gloves. Cool. It should be able to stop swords and bullets then. Chainmail is better but beggars can''t be choosers. As for the Comet Shard, Viers smashed it to craggy rock and the rock gave. This in itself is a blunt weapon. If I haven''t found a smith to make a weapon from it, I¡¯ll smash the next rock-headed fool with a suicide wish with this. Muahahahah! Viers was the type to eat his favorite food last so he left the Profound Codex for the finale. Giddily, Viers opened the scroll. As he read, his smiling face froze. To summarize, Scripture of Purity was a Level 5 Codex, A Profound Codex that could bring the practitioner to Level 5. The benefits of practicing this Codex were very tempting, it tripled the Victa generation of the practitioner. To practice this Profound Codex one must be a virgin, male and female alike. As they continued practicing the Scripture of Purity, they would gradually lose all carnal desires and sexual intent, thus maintaining their purity forevermore. It took all Viers had to not burn the Codex on the spot. This¡­ This is a heretical scripture. It must not spread and plague the masses. It is an insult to the natural order of things. Men and women must be joined to have children! Viers had an ugly expression, as if he was suddenly drafted to participate in D-Day. I shall not let this stand. Think of the children! What would happen if there are no next generation of kids in this world? Humanity would end! Viers shuddered if such a Profound Codex was unleashed into the world, especially to the Estellian Church. Would it spread like a global pandemic? Certainly he wasn''t the only one in the world to seek power, was he? What if those men and women were desperate enough to practice the Codex¡¯s nefarious way? The church would definitely weaponize this Codex and spread it far and wide in the name of purity and whatnot. I don''t care if the men become ED but the women must not catch this disease! Whatever could Viers mean? That is my intent. I definitely do not have any ulterior motives. He lied. Hmph! Instead of a dual cultivation technique, I found this? Is this the workings of Fate too? So I cannot have se- Viers left that trail of thought unfinished. Ahem! It falls to me to take custody of such vile, sinful, apocalyptic scripture. Perhaps some good things could be extracted from the bowels of such dark creation but until then, no matter what, this scripture must remain hidden from the good honest fellows of the world. Viers resolved himself to save the whole generation after him. No matter how heavy the burden. ¡°So, Viers, what does it say?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°The contents of that unholy scripture shall never see the light of day. It is enough for me alone to bear its burden.¡± Viers spoke with the resolve of a martyr. ¡°Ehhh? Don''t be so petty. Tell us,¡± Paina teased. ¡°NO! This is not something for girls like you three to see. It will corrupt you!¡± ¡°...More than you?¡± Clarissa challenged his claim. ¡°EXACTLY!¡± And so Viers Isuel became the eternal guardian of the Scripture of Purity. Chapter 63 - Clearing the Way Forward But not all of Viers¡¯ projects were progressing smoothly. ¡°Aaaahhh!¡± Clarissa held her head in pain. ¡°Clarissa, no!¡± ¡°Don''t force yourself!¡± Paina and Farley aided the fallen lamia princess who had lost consciousness. ¡°...She bit off more than she could chew,¡± Viers examined her worriedly. He then plucked out a few monster souls, mixed them up with his Victa, and created a floating jelly-like substance on his hand. He pressed his hand on Clarissa¡¯s chest, just below her neck. ¡°Gasp...¡± Clarissa soon opened her eyes again. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°How are you feeling?¡± The other two girls asked with worried faces. ¡°I¡¯m okay. Just dived too deep, that¡¯s all.¡± Viers knew she only acted tough. Excavating Arte from the Lamia Queen¡¯s fragmented memories was not without danger. It was like searching for a sunken treasure among thousands of shipwrecks in stormy seas. Clarissa could be swallowed by the streams of memories and lose her mind. To put it in analogy, during her earlier dive, her diving suit had a tear and the water came in. She almost drowned. Viers knew this because he also experienced something similar with his soul searching. But the difference between Clarissa and Viers was the owner of memories Clarissa tapped into was at least Level 5, possibly above. Since Clarissa currently had the spec of Viers -Level 2- that meant she was diving in far more dangerous waters. Although Vier healed her, Clarissa had not fully recovered, she looked tired and pale. ¡°I¡¯m almost there, just... a bit... more.¡± She said to Viers as if the fault was hers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn''t have pushed you. The fault is mine.¡± At Viers¡¯ behest, Clarissa was searching for anti-divination Artes, preferably getting results as soon as possible. He didn''t know how much she pushed herself until now. Clarissa was a soldier. She was raised as one. If a superior told her to charge and take the hill, she would do it to the best of her ability, even with the risk of personal harm. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you have this Arte when it is time to leave this place,¡± Clarissa made a forceful smile. ¡°...Yes, that is preferable.¡± ¡°Viers!¡± Paina screamed. ¡°But-¡± Viers cut her off. ¡°But I don''t want you to get hurt. I can deal with some pervert spying on me for some time but I can''t deal with losing you.¡± As if chastising a child, Viers patted Clarissa¡¯s hair. ¡°Get some rest, princess. No more reckless diving. You are more important,¡± he said while smiling. Clarissa was asleep for three days after that. I played Frostpunk so I know how to balance hope and discontent of others while achieving results. What can I say, I don''t want to be executed as a despot. His alternative energy project had also met with a snag. No matter how much he tried, he could not turn souls into fuel yet, his mastery over souls was lacking. Damn. Guess it¡¯s still theoretical at this moment. Perhaps when I¡¯m Level 3 or 4 things would be different? So this is how it feels to be limited by technology in my time¡­ *** ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. You have 26 siblings?¡± Viers was astonished. ¡°Perhaps that is too many compared to humans? Well, my father has been alive for a long time, and has multiple wives.¡± The horse-faced beastfolk looked a bit shy. ¡°Perhaps that number has doubled now. I haven''t been in touch with them for almost two decades.¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­ How old are you?¡± ¡°Should be 76 this year.¡± Viers was drinking tea at Shlomo¡¯s house, it was one of his daily routines. They traded stories of their travels. The friendship between them was growing stronger. Most of the monsters in the ¡®safe pass¡¯ had become cured meat, only the big bad Rank 2 monster was left. Viers was almost healed and Shlomo was concocting a brew that would further weaken the monster. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°So you are old enough to be my grandpa, Shlomo. Guess I shouldn''t be surprised you can do anything.¡± According to his knowledge, Shlomo was skilled in trading, building, gardening, farming, cooking, sculpting, and traveling. He had knowledge befitting his age, which he shared readily with Viers. He was no slouch in battle and also dabbled in enchantment. But perhaps because of his age, he was also prone to play it safe and take the wait-and-see approach. His lack of progress with the villagers before Viers came was the proof. ¡°The villagers seemed to have accepted you as one of their own. What are your plans now?¡± ¡°When the path to the next town is cleared, I figured it might be time to send letters to my family. Perhaps some of them would be willing to move to this place.¡± ¡°...While three or four beastfolks won''t be drawing too much attention, it would be different if tens or hundreds of them live in the same place. It wouldn''t escape the eyes of the authorities¡­ You¡¯ll need power or permission for that.¡± Viers heavy heartedly spoke his concern. The Coalition is still a human dominant country after all. ¡°I know, friend Avel. I¡¯ll approach matters carefully and one step at a time.¡± ¡°...I see. I have enjoyed our time together, friend. I¡¯ll miss our conversations.¡± ¡°Ah. It is time then?¡± Shlomo said while looking at Viers¡¯ left hand, it was no longer covered in cloth. He sensed the time of his friend to leave was near. ¡°Yes. Tomorrow, we shall slay the path blocking baboon monster.¡± Viers said with confidence, he was itching for a fight. *** In the Prime Material Realm, there were multiple ways for monsters to come to be. From natural birth between two monsters, or evolved from normal animals and plants, or migrating from other realms such as Biomes, or spontaneously spawned from nature. Other than the first, the rest usually only happened in a mana-rich environment. But there were always exceptions to everything. According to Shlomo, the Rank 2 Root-limbs Baboon just emerged one day, blocking the path. ¡°It is a slothful monster isn''t it?¡± Viers spoke to Shlomo next to him. They both wore full battle gear. Although, Viers¡¯ gear was not much compared to the other guy. ¡°When the Baboon dug in, it spread its roots deep into the earth, making it immobile but gaining amazing regeneration and defense. It is very territorial so it attacks everything that gets close.¡± This area really has a lot of nature-themed monsters. Perhaps Dia¡¯s Biome has something to do with it? The duo looked at the 5 meters tall baboon monster. Its four limbs were made of roots and were absorbing nutrients from the earth. Shrubs and foliages grew on its back. The baboon was covered with grey fur and it was very thick on its chin area, making it look like a sleeping bearded monkey. Path-blocking monster¡­ Snorlax is much cuter than you. ¡°Shall we?¡± Viers tapped his spear to his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± Shlomo threw five pots made of clay filled with purple liquid to the ground beneath the baboon monster. Viers smelled a foul odor and heard sizzling corrosive sounds from the concoction dissolving the roots. ¡°Graaaaaa!¡± The baboon woke with a fury. Its roots snapped and it charged at Viers and Shlomo like a rabid dog. The original plan was that Shlomo would handle the defense while Viers would attack. Shlomo had prepared detailed strategies for battling the Rank 2 Root-limbs Baboon but frankly, Viers didn''t think they would need that much strategizing. The reason was simple, he was strong. ¡°Okay girls. Let''s do it.¡± Viers held the spear in a reverse grip, ready to throw it like a javelin. Arte ¡ª Combat Overture. Paina started playing her flute, raising Viers¡¯ overall strength. Victa was pulsing gallantly around Viers¡¯ body. Arte ¡ª Water Enchantment - Pierce. Farley buffed Viers¡¯ weapon, raising its penetrating power. Magical blue lines appeared on the surface of the spear. Arte ¡ª Water Drill. Viers added his own Arte to the mix. The spear was now cloaked with spiraling water. The three put their full strength on their Artes. Viers was like a lit keg ready to blow. The power Viers was ready to unleash was so palpable, Shlomo unconsciously took a step back. I knew he was strong from the start and didn''t use all of his power when we hunted monsters together but I never thought the power he was hiding was so massive. He is no less powerful than those gifted children in the tribes! It was no wonder Shlomo would think so. Viers was currently using three Artes at once, courtesy of Paina and Farley. It was more than simply the sum of the Artes individually, they were synergizing with each other. And each of those Artes were yet again amplified by Viers¡¯ Aspect. Horizon: 73.43%! Using his right foot as the bracing pillar, Viers threw his mighty spear like Poseidon throwing his trident. None of the Artes were particularly high-level or special, but the three of them made those elementary Artes into a legitimate life-extinguishing weapon. ¡°Gagaaahh!¡± Realizing the danger of the water spear of death, the baboon pounded the ground with both of its hands. A thick wall of earth covered with roots rose from the ground. The spear pierced the baboon¡¯s shield as if it was made of paper. ¡°Gaaaahhh!¡± Unnaturally agile despite its size, the baboon managed to twist its body slightly. The spear hit its right arm and obliterated the arm alongside half of its torso. The spear continued its path until it disappeared into the trees. ¡°Gaagh¡­¡± The baboon monster hit the ground like a fallen elephant. Shlomo opened his horse mouth in awe. ¡°...Avel, you-¡± ¡°It ain''t over yet.¡± Viers saw the baboon¡¯s bones, flesh, muscle fibers, all regenerating at a speed visible to the naked eye. Its regeneration was far more potent than his own. Well, it seems my current strength wasn''t enough to one-hit a Rank 2 monster. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Shlomo! Arte ¡ª Waterfall Strike!¡± Viers jumped a few meters high. His right fist was covered with water and he punched the baboon¡¯s head as he went down. Hehe. I must show him that this old man still has some tricks up his sleeves. The horse beastfolk joined the battle. Chapter 64 - Packing Up Viers was contemplating his familiar¡¯s future. Was Dia a monster or not? He asked that question to the girls and they answered. Dia, or rather, dryads, were not monsters therefore they belong to the other race category. Just like beastfolks, lamias, orcs, elves, and so on. The reason was simple, monsters had monster cores. Dryads are categorized as monsters in other fictions but it seems not in this world. Okay then. At any rate, she was not a monster so she could cultivate. Her physical strength was substantial, she was durable too. Her skin had the toughness of a mana-infused tree. If she wanted to, she could tear a lion apart with her bare hands. She had other abilities too but that was mostly because she had a Biome at her back. Dia wasn''t a Pathseeker, because she didn''t walk the Path of Power. As Viers¡¯ familiar, that must change. When Viers asked, Dia wasn¡¯t against the idea, she was eager to be able to help Viers. Although, she admitted she doesn''t remember what her previous self¡¯s Path of Power was. She only vaguely recalled some detail, it needed soil and light. Since Viers and the girls also didn''t know a cultivation method that was suitable for her, they couldn''t teach her how. The human''s Path of Power was called Intio Magisterix. Thanks to his beastfolk friend, Viers knew the beastfolk¡¯s Path of Power was called Custora Branding. Clarissa said the one for her race''s was called Eametia Inniah. So with her permission, Viers soul-searched her. Although the person herself didn¡¯t remember, her soul would. The search was hard. It was delicate work and Viers didn''t want to hurt Dia. Not to mention he was searching the memories of Dia¡¯s previous self, not Dia herself. After a week of tiring work, he succeeded. Beneath the hazy consciousness, Viers managed to pick up some basic information. It was called Sun¡¯s Gift and Earth¡¯s Bounty. She must bathe in the light of the sun, absorb nutritious organic compounds, and have plenty of water. It is actually frickin¡¯ photosynthesis! Viers had the urge to scream to the sky. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t the usual photosynthesis. She couldn''t become a Level 5 simply by putting roots anywhere. A mana-rich environment was required. Was that why her previous self ate men? For sustenance? Heh, Viers snickered. Having the knowledge of four Path of Power -five if he included the monster¡¯s one- Viers realized the similarity between them. All of them had the concept of absorbing power, especially mana. Makes sense, I suppose. To become stronger, you have to gain power from somewhere. It¡¯s about energy¡­ How can an ordinary human become able to generate a fire blast from their hands? How can one have super strength? How can a wingless creature fly? Magic? Sure. But even magic has to originate from somewhere. Viers felt he now understood the principles of this world a little better. Anywho¡­ This Biome is the perfect place for her to train. *** Having a place to call one¡¯s own was a fine thing. I always thought it wouldn¡¯t be an easy thing to have, especially for a wanderer like me. But life really is full of surprises. Dia had made a tree house according to Viers¡¯ direction. The structure was made with a tree as the base. The house had a few rooms separated by walls of naturally growing wood and a second floor. The overall space was quite small but it was more than adequate for Viers¡¯ needs. ¡°Do you like it, kin?¡± ¡°Hehe. Yes. Wood bends to your will. Very impressive, Dia.¡± Viers playfully pushed her nose, to which she replied with a giggle. Unless she was in front of other people, her skin returned to her original green color. She said it was less stuffy that way. The inside was filled with some furniture, mostly made of wood. There was a bed of fluffy cotton in case he needed to crash. Although, Viers reckoned he wouldn''t be staying here much. He mainly needed a place to store some things. Without an inventory item, bringing heavy or valuable items was a chore. So he decided to leave some in Dia¡¯s Biome, the most secure place at his disposal. The mysterious grimoire, Comet Shard, Scripture of Purity, were left in the Biome. They were too valuable and the Comet Shard was a pain to bring in a long journey, too heavy. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. And one more thing, the elf token he got from the unfortunate man. It survived the encounter with Freya because he had the token in his pocket. He put them all in a container very similar to a pirate¡¯s treasure chest. He decided to bring only the necessary magic items for the journey. The moon pendant, Power Treads, Dragonweave Gloves, and two locked inventory rings. They were small and not conspicuous. After putting his things in order, Viers walked outside the house. He took a deep breath, the air was filled with the scent of earth and greeneries. He observed the large swath of paradise where he built his first home. I can make a country here. Under my rule, it can be a haven for all races to live without discrimination¡­ Viers imagined a grand city, humans, beastfolk, elves, dwarves, all were living harmoniously. A place of progress and beauty where he stood at the top. But I must be strong enough before such a thing is possible. I have no delusion that peace is possible without someone or something enforcing it. The sad truth of the world. Where there were people, there would be conflicts. And although Viers couldn''t say for the other races, he knew the human heart very well. Their greed was insatiable. If he carelessly opened his door to others, it wouldn¡¯t be wise. Killing someone then taking their property was a very normal occurrence in this world. War, invasion, theft, plunder, all was a normal occurrence in this world where power speaks the loudest. That is why I cannot tell Shlomo about this place. Shlomo wished for a place of peace for his people. Viers could give it to him. But he didn''t do so. His gains would be meager and the risks were sky-high. Viers wasn¡¯t the type of person that moved because of his emotion. I¡¯ll miss this place. *** After she met big brother Avel her life had changed. The days that were filled with grey loneliness became colorful. Others treated her like a monster in human skin but not him. He was kind, he was smart, he could do magic, he could do anything. They played together until she was tired, his stories were interesting, he turned scary monsters into tasty food for her and her parents. Big brother Avel was Luca¡¯s hero. Not too long ago, a new day meant a new unpleasantness. Hungry, cold, loneliness, scorn, insult. Her mood was always dreary. Big brother Avel was a gust of wind that chased away the clouds and brought a clear blue sky. Every day was fun. She was happy. Her parents were happy too, she could tell. From the hum of her mother when she was sewing, to the smile on her father¡¯s face when he was baking clay. Even Mister Horse had his fair share of happiness. He always enjoyed the conversation he had with brother Avel, Ojoko told her so. And then Dia also came and lived with them, the house became a little cramped but the fun doubled. She couldn¡¯t recall the last time she played with a girl her age. Dia was so easily impressed so Luca showed her a lot of things. Every time she saw Dia¡¯s amazed face, Luca felt the pride of a big sister. Big bro Avel told her that Dia might be older than her by a lot but that was not possible. Luca was convinced big bro was just teasing her. But the fun was not to last. Big bro Avel and Mister Horse defeated the monster blocking the safe pass. That night, there was a celebration. It was fun, just like the first bar-be-kyu big bro organized. The whole village was there, thanking big bro and Mister Horse like the saviors they are. It seemed the villagers would be able to travel farther now and there might be new people visiting the village. Luca didn¡¯t really understand but that was good, right? Shame Dia must hide and couldn¡¯t participate, big bro Avel told Luca and her parents to keep Dia¡¯s existence a secret. Luca was a good girl so she did. And since she was Dia¡¯s big sister, she brought her a souvenir. Huhuhu, Luca¡¯s brilliant idea moved Dia so much that she shed a tear. After the party was over, big bro told Luca and Dia that he would leave. Mom and Dad were there too, watching. She knew it would happen sooner or later but just one more day, just one more day later, she always hoped. The thing was, the three of them would be separated from one another. The village was no longer isolated and Dia¡¯s existence was too sensitive so big bro Avel decided she must be hidden and her magic space closed. Meanwhile, Dia would be starting her journey as a Pathseeker and training inside the place with magical plants. Luca horrifically realized she would be left behind! Dia¡¯s expression was like hers, they both didn¡¯t want to be separated from each other and from big bro Avel. They both cried, she and Dia. Luca feared the days before she met big bro Avel would return. ¡°Come on, girls. It¡¯s just two or three months, we''ll meet again. Dia, it would just be like a nap to you. Grow roots, bask in the giant sunflower¡¯s light, and sleep. Luca, your place is here, your parents are here¡­ Have you decided if you want to be a Pathseeker or not?¡± Big bro Avel had been teaching her a lot about Pathseekers, mostly the bad parts. About how tiring, painful, and dangerous it was. She suspected he wanted to dissuade her to become a Pathseeker. But big brother Avel is a Pathseeker and Dia was becoming one. If she didn¡¯t, then would she still be able to be with them? So Luca only had one answer. ¡°Yes. I want to be a Pathseeker.¡± Big bro Avel replied after making a half-smile half-frown. ¡°So be it. But humans mustn¡¯t start training to become Pathseeker before the age of fifteen. It is too dangerous. I¡¯ve explained this to you multiple times. Even I am not an exception. Keep practicing the basics I taught you then, diligently. It would be your foundation¡­ Awww don¡¯t cry, you little flowers. We still have a week. Let¡¯s make the most of it.¡± A week went past in the blink of an eye. Big bro was so handsome that day, wearing the new garb Mom made for him. It was early in the morning, the sun had not yet come out. Only her family and Dia were there to bid him goodbye. ¡°This is it then. Please take care of Shlomo, he drank so much alcohol yesterday night I¡¯m afraid he will have quite the hangover.¡± Big bro Avel had become a bit slimmer. Shame, Luca liked using his stomach as a pillow. ¡°Leave it to us. Mister Avel, Godspeed on your journey. Thank you, is not enough for what you¡¯ve done.¡± ¡°It has been the most joyful time. Please do visit us again when it is possible.¡± Arim and Susan said their farewell. ¡°I will. Dia, don¡¯t be afraid. We might be temporarily apart but we¡¯re not disconnected.¡± He tapped his finger on Dia¡¯s chest. ¡°I feel you. Can you feel me?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not afraid. Be careful, kin.¡± Dia was holding back her tears. Finally, big brother turned to her. ¡°Well, little duck. Do you remember what you are?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m a swan.¡± ¡°Do you believe it?¡± ¡°¡­I do.¡± ¡°I look forward to your growth then, lady swan. Farewell.¡± Big brother Avel walked to the distance, the four of us kept watching. After he was some distance away, he turned around and gave a big wave one last time. He saw Luca smiling despite the tears on her face. It was a strong smile. A smile that looked forward to a brighter tomorrow. Chapter 65 - Sin City In the nation of Free People Coalition, human settlements are categorized into four. From small to big, they are hamlets, villages, towns, and cities. While the term is mainly used to differentiate the density of population in other nations, it is not so in the Coalition. Even if a town grew to the population of millions and millions of souls, it will not be called a city if it lacks something crucial. A Level 5. Free People Coalition is a nation born from the ashes of a great empire. The empire couldn''t stand the test of time and perished. The surviving nobles hated each other¡¯s guts and couldn''t set aside their differences. The empire became splintered as a result. The nobles retreated to their own fiefs and ruled independently. These powerful families drew boundaries, created laws, and defended their sovereignty. They made their own kingdoms in all but name. Over hundreds of years, people flocked to the places where they resided, seeking protection from the harsh and dangerous world. Their seats of power became cities. The Free People Coalition is a collective of these dynasties and areas under their jurisdiction. Only when there is a serious external threat they would band together. In time, people began to call the head of each noble family Governor-Kings. Excerpt from the Atlas of Civilizations, written by Bartholomew the Grand Voyager. *** Tlok. Tlok. Tlok. On a well-trodden road, there was a man riding on a horse. His face was covered by a black veil in the style of the desert people. There was a small opening around the eyes so he could see. ¡°Easy, Brownie.¡± The reddish-brown mare¡¯s pace slowed down to a trot. Using the reins, the man steered the horse to a small mound. Brownie was a good horse, docile and obedient. The man wasn''t with her long but he already liked her. The horse halted its hooves atop the mound. The man pulled down the veil on his mouth and took a deep breath while looking at the city from a vantage point. ¡°It¡¯s in sight. Our destination,¡± Viers spoke. Thirteen days had passed since Viers left Pecan Village. He had put serious miles behind. Through hills and rivers, through wildlands and obstacles, Viers reached a city at last. ¡°That certainly isn''t what I imagined.¡± ¡°A city¡­¡± ¡°What a dump. We¡¯re staying there?¡± The girls were commenting, and like a trusted host, Viers narrated. ¡°Marakkus city. The city of crooks and criminals with a heart as black as tar. A vermin pit of all sorts of nasties. Cruelty, poverty, inequality, insanity, iniquity¡­ The privileged live like kings while the middle and lower classes eat each other up to survive. At Marakkus, for those without power or influence, life is cheap. Rumor has it if travelers die there, the hobos would eat their corpses till only bones remain. You¡¯ll never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy-¡± Viers solemnly said. He looked at the city as if it was a terrifying beast that would swallow him whole. Paina gulped her saliva despite not actually having any because of the tension. Even Farley and Clarissa felt uneasy. ¡°-in this province¡­ We must be cautious.¡± Viers added a line after a dramatic pause and the tension took a sudden drop. Paina suspected Viers did so on purpose, that he must be playing her. She was correct. The world was wide, Viers didn''t want to make false claims but he just couldn''t pass up the opportunity to say that famous line. It really is a fucking shit city though, mark my words. Viers strode to the mouth of the beast. After he was near one of the city¡¯s numerous entrance gates, Viers went off from Brownie¡¯s back and led her forward by walking beside her. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The people around him were rough-looking and dirty, who knew the last time they took a bath. In all fairness, Viers wasn''t looking too different, he had spent days on the road but he was eager to clean himself up. In front of him, he saw men and women that were in chains, brought into the city by unsavory-looking men. Slaves. A terrible fate that happened to uncountable people in this world. Viers kept walking to the gate, only two guards could be seen at the gate of such a wide entrance. The people that walked in front of Viers didn''t pay any attention to the guards and went in without showing any papers or undergoing any check. One city guard was leaning on a wall under a shade while drinking from a bottle that smelled like alcohol, unconcerned who went in or out from the gate. The other had the eyes of an unconscious man. It took a few seconds for Viers to realize that he was sleeping while standing while on duty in broad daylight. Viers wore a veil covering 90% of his face and had no identification. He was already preparing ¡®these are not the droids you¡¯re looking for¡¯ but the guards¡¯ state was outside his prediction. Yeah, welcome to Marakkus city. Viers pulled the reins on Brownie and stepped foot into the streets of the Vice City. He saw beggars on the side of the road, stalls with questionable hygiene were selling rat meat. On the other side of the road, there was a man wearing the written sign of ¡®killer for hire¡¯ on his neck. And nobody batted an eye to any of them, except for newcomers like Viers. A skinny man with lizard-like eyes approached him. ¡°Ey, wanna buy Angel Dust?¡± He whispered with the voice of a devil. A drug seller. How lovely. Before Viers could answer, things were already in motion. ¡°Oi.¡± A man with a big scar on his lips put a hand on the drug seller¡¯s shoulder. As he turned, the scar guy slipped a knife to the drug man''s chest. He gasped and fell as the knife was yanked out. ¡°That¡¯s for selling me fake stuff the other day,¡± the scar guy said. His face was red and he reeked of booze. He must have been drinking despite the fact the sun was still out. While the drug-man was bleeding out, the scarred guy took a pouch from his victim and took a sniff. ¡°Hoh. You got the real thing this time, huh? You¡¯re forgiven. What are you looking at, brat?¡± the thuggish man snapped at Viers who was watching the whole thing. ¡°You got something to say?¡± ¡°No.¡± Viers resumed his steps and left them to their business. A hundred paces later, a pickpocket no older than 7 years old tried to steal his pouch. Viers grabbed her hand in defense then let it go. She bolted to the dark alleys. ¡°What a horrible place¡­¡± Nobody disagreed with Paina. A wretched place Marakkus might be, it was still a city. Like the laws of gravity, the wealthy and powerful resided in the nicer parts of the city, usually in the very center, not at the fringe. Even Viers had standards so he kept walking in the main road while he searched for lodging. He found a few but decided to keep walking to the better and better parts of the city. In the middle class area, he passed by a few inns until he found one that called to him, an inn named Bird Nest. Because he was currently a migratory bird, Viers simply felt he must stay in this place. He put Brownie in the stable and went in. ¡°Give me the cleanest room, two beds. I want a meal and a bath. Take care of my horse, treat her like the queen of horses,¡± Viers spoke to the guy at the counter. He eyed Viers from head to toe, weighing how much he could get if he sold Viers to the butcher. Before his imagination ran wild, Viers put a few silver coins on the table, showing his ability to pay. ¡°If you die, your belongings that remain in your room become the inn¡¯s property. Have a nice stay,¡± the innkeeper said with the tone of someone reading an advertisement on the bottom page of the newspaper. The inn man slid forward a key that Viers took without question. ¡°I want an immediate bath.¡± ¡°I will get it ready. Room to the right,¡± he showed the direction with his chin. Viers went inside the room with the same symbol on the key. It wasn''t a disappointment at least. The room was quite nice and comfy. Viers put down his luggage and sat on a chair to relax a bit. The innkeeper came carrying two buckets of warm water and poured them into the big empty wooden tub in the room. He repeated this two more times. ¡°Thanks. Bring the meal here when it is ready, please.¡± He left and Viers enjoyed some cleanliness at last. While he was dipping in the tub, there was a knock. ¡°Come in,¡± Viers spoke loudly. A girl came in with a plate of food. ¡°A-apologies for intruding, great sir.¡± ¡°Thank you. Just leave it at the table and you may leave. You can take the coin there. It''s your tip.¡± ¡°Eh? B-but sir, it''s a silver coin!¡± The thin girl was imagining she was accused of stealing and her hand was cut off. ¡°Yep. Keep it a secret from the owner, yes? And spend it wisely.¡± ¡°Y-yes! If there¡¯s anything wrong, just call me whenever, great sir, err, great noble sir!¡± Viers appreciated her enthusiasm. ¡°Don''t forget to close the door.¡± Viers waved with his back towards the girl. The tub was quite high so he was able to lean on it. What the girl could see was the backside of his shoulder and head. For obvious reasons, Viers didn''t want to show his face. I¡¯m already halfway to Valkut city. No signs of pursuers from the church thus far. After I¡¯ve concluded my business here, should I stay for a bit or leave immediately? There are risks staying in this Sin City but also opportunities. Decisions, decisions¡­ Chapter 66 - Third Times the Charm Viers spent the rest of the day cooped up in his room, resting and recharging his enervated body after all that time he¡¯d live on the road. The sun came up on the next day and Viers was refreshed. He had an ample good night¡¯s sleep, on a decent bed. He cleaned his body before bed and had a healing factor as a pick me up. Viers was ready to butt heads with the Sin City head-on. Wearing his partly tattered clothes, Viers left the Bird Nest inn to get his first objective done. First order of business¡­ this place. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Viers was looking at the big building with complex emotion. I must register as a newbie adventurer¡­ for the third time! I swear this is the last account reroll. My identity as Avel of Javia will be an adventurer without criminal records. Mark my words! Enough is enough! As soon as Viers went in, judging eyes fell upon him from the other adventurers. Viers took a moment to assess the company/competition then he went to the clerk. ¡°Greetings. I want to register as an adventurer.¡± The receptionist girl threw the glass guild tag like throwing a dog treat to a mangy dog. ¡°There¡¯s your tag. Go complete some quest, tiger.¡± Just like that. There was no test, no interview, no exam, no nothing. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Viers asked. This was too different from his two previous registrations. ¡°When you get to obsidian rank, then you¡¯ll be worth my time. The available quests are over there. At least try not to die on the first day.¡± The receptionist girl gave him an ice-cold welcome and shooed him away with her hand. Huh. Didn''t see that one coming. The other adventurers smirked and talked in whispers, mostly about ¡®another lamb coming to the slaughter¡¯. Viers was visibly wearing new clothes and his equipment was spick and span. He looked just like a green rich kid who just bought some gear with his parents¡¯ money. He paid them no mind and went to the quest board. After a while, he picked up two quests. It was at high difficulty for Glass-ranked adventurers which mainly consist of Level 0s and 1s. Since Viers was a Level 2 those two quests would be a cinch. He would take Obsidian quests if he could, the same rank quests where he hunted Giant Chicken eggs with Lena and the others. But Glass adventurers must take Glass quests if they are solo. Oh? Something caught his attention. There was a section on the guild where posters of wanted criminals were displayed. Viers¡¯ face exists among them. WANTED Cain of Ur 150 gold Alive Only The poster was issued by the church so it must be the work of Freya and her master. There was a bit of detail about his Level, affinities, abilities, histories, and charges. Since Viers wore face covering as if he was in the harshest desert of Arabia, nobody had seen his face. 150 gold coins should be about... the price of a house plus land? Not bad for my first bounty. Alive only? They really want to look inside my head. The wanted name is Cain, a false name but the face is Viers¡¯, my true face. Can''t be helped, I didn''t have a face-changing Arte and still don''t. If this has spread to Peja town, my parents and some others might have recognized my face. There¡¯s a possibility that my true identity will come to light. Fortunately, Viers had already cut relationships with his family. Even if they investigate that angle, they would only find a dead end. Unless they use some bizarre mumbo-jumbo like divination or some such. His train of thought was interrupted by a rowdy sound. Viers turned in that direction and saw the other adventurers were placing bets on when he was going to die. Most bet on the first week, a sizable portion on the first three days. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Adventurers in a city of sin, how can you expect them to be a decent bunch? Viers, unintimidated, walked to the boorish man that seemed to be the organizer. ¡°I want to place a bet.¡± ¡°Sure, kid. Bet away, hehehe.¡± The man was looking at Viers as he was giving them free money. Naturally, Viers bet for himself to reach obsidian. ¡°I have had training so I¡¯m confident in reaching obsidian. 5 gold coins,¡± Viers placed the coins on the table and the crowd went wild with jeering. ¡°Damn. That¡¯s a lot of money!¡± ¡°What a poor boy. He will lose his hard-earned money, kakaka!¡± ¡°What are you talking about, man? It is our duty as adults to teach children about the dangers of gambling.¡± The boorish man chipped in his words of wisdom. ¡°Bwahhahaha! Look kid, we have seen people like you croak in the first day fighting Giant Cockroaches in the sewers. They are kids with ¡®training¡¯ and ¡®experience¡¯ like you. Go back to your mommy¡¯s tits, kid, before the monsters take a bite of your fatty butt.¡± Clearly he mistook Viers as a sheltered boy from the surroundings of Marakkus dreaming to be a grand adventurer. The face covering was unusual but that was it. As for the youth himself, there was nothing remarkable about him. The people that hang out in the guild were almost all Pathseekers, But since Viers did not let any of his Victa leak out, they thought he was a Level 0. ¡°Excuse me, sir and sirs, have you ever heard the saying that one shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover?¡± All this time, his tone was polite. ¡°Book? You mean those collections of paper things with words in them? I have no use of it. I don''t need to read, I have people doing it for me! Ha!¡± The guy¡¯s companion cheered as if he was saying something badass and not something tragic. ¡°It appears talking is useless. Good day gents. I¡¯ll seek you out when I reach obsidian.¡± Another round of mockery as Viers walked out. There was even a thrown vegetable which he dodged with a slight sidestep. ¡°You better be ready to pay up, Crunch-mouth Ago.¡± Someone spoke after Viers left. ¡°Ahhh, Mister too-cool-to-speak-up spoke! To what do we owe the pleasure, your highness?¡± Ago, the boorish man spoke with an undermining tone. The one called ¡®your highness¡¯ was a handsome young human in his early twenties wearing a rogue-style outfit in brown and black colors. The most eye-catching thing about him was the bandolier filled with knives across his chest. He didn''t reply to the question, walked to Ago¡¯s table, and put a bet on that Viers would reach obsidian. Another 5 gold coins. ¡°He reeks of strength,¡± said Alan. A Level 3 and Bronze ranked adventurer, also known as the Prince of Thieves. He left after saying his piece. The guild floor went still like a frozen pond. The people who had bet against Viers were having second thoughts, some were regretting their decision, as did Ago. *** When he walked the streets, Viers did so with vigilance. He felt eyes on him, judging, assessing, weighing the risk. It was no different than being surrounded by man-eating beasts, hundreds of them. But Viers did not become a Pathseeker yesterday. He didn''t flaunt his strength to threaten the potential attackers but he simply walked without giving any openings to exploit. Confident but not cocky. His senses spread out, one arm hidden beneath his robe. Was it grabbing the hilt of his sword? Or was it hiding small weaponry? Perhaps an Arte was ready to blast the head of the first attacker? Such thoughts made some pause. And those who saw his gait soon understood that Viers was not an easy prey. I wonder how I can find ¡®that¡¯ place¡­ Oh! I got an idea. He moved to the next street and started walking absentmindedly. He also looked left and right at interesting landmarks as if he was a tourist. Sure enough, 15 minutes later, a brave soul decided to take a swing. A street urchin, face dirty with soot. The boy was about 12 years old, only skin and bones but his hands moved with the precision and smoothness of a well-oiled machine. ¡°Perfect! Thank you for volunteering to be my guide.¡± ¡°Aaah! Let me go!¡± Viers caught his hand before he could steal his coin pouch. Viers took a silver coin with his other hand and dangled it in front of the boy¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m in need of direction. If you can lead me to the place, then this is yours.¡± ¡°...Where?¡± The boy warily said. Viers whispered two words then he let go of his hand. ¡°...Follow me.¡± See? Local guide. So helpful. ¡°If I find what I want from the place you recommended, I¡¯ll give you two coins. Give it your best shot,¡± Viers added an incentive, giving the boy more motivation. Viers followed the street urchin without question but he kept being vigilant. Getting mugged then stabbed was not in his to-do list today. In this city, the order of those two might be backward. After twists and turns through the alleys, Viers was led to the bad part of the town. Worse than the main street. Not in a sense that it was full of trash and smelled like a pile of dung, no. The streets were cleaner and more well maintained. The shops were nicer looking, and the people around Viers wore better clothes. It was a place where the people that belonged to the underworld came to visit. The place where the guards turned a blind eye. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± the boy spoke to Viers before shouting to the inside. ¡°Hey boss, got you a customer.¡± A man in his fifties with sunken eyes and a round belly wearing expensive formal clothes greeted Viers. ¡°Welcome to my humble establishment, honored customer. My name is Barnabas, at your service. We have all kinds of merchandise for sale. What kind of slave are you looking for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking for a combat slave. Gender or race doesn''t matter. Young, Level 2 or below.¡± Chapter 67 - Legal but Unethical Viers was experiencing an energy crisis. Victa might be a renewable natural resource but the supply couldn''t keep up with the demand. He had stocked up some Victa during his time in Pecan Village but the travel afterward drained a significant amount of it, again. Viers didn''t seek out trouble this time. He even tried to avoid them but things kept happening that required him to use Victa. Viers¡¯ soul energy project was far from finished. He lacked the ability to make breakthroughs. He needed to find another way. The gears inside Viers¡¯ head turned to solve this crisis until he had a eureka moment. What produced Victa? Pathseekers. I just need to have more Pathseekers in my party, problem solved! Viers had just awakened to the benefits of a group. If there¡¯s another person with the same Level as me, the collective Victa generation would be twice as much. God, what a simple solution! I should have thought about this before. Now that he got a solid idea, he must find ways to implement it next. So how would Viers do it? Joining another adventurer group? Forging friendship and becoming buddy-buddy like his previous experience with Lena¡¯s group? Unsustainable. More people meant more clashing interests. Viers wanted to go to Valkut city, they might not want to go there. There was also Viers¡¯ trust issue, would he trust a bunch of strangers that he just met? Moving in a group might expose his secrets and Viers didn''t want to share secrets, he was petty that way. He was also a criminal, would there be any group that would accept him still? Hire bodyguards? There were Pathseekers that provided bodyguard service. Alternatively, he could post a quest in the adventurer¡¯s guild to ask for a company escort to Valkut city. Unlikely. Viers had some capital but the cost would be too high. He¡¯d rather use that money to grow as a Pathseeker. Buying mana crystals to speed up his cultivation and buying better gear or wildland products. He also couldn''t trust them. So Viers needed to be in a group but the group must be with people that he could trust, or at the very least, people that wouldn''t go against him. Unrealistic. Paina, Farley, and Clarissa were the best candidates for the group making but they were souls. They had no body thus they couldn''t cultivate thus are unable to produce Victa. Since he couldn''t trust people, how about dead people? He had soul affinity, he could create an undead. He could control them so Viers¡¯ trust issue was not a problem. Unsafe. Other than the uncertainty whether the dead produced Victa or not, the risks were too high. People regarded the walking dead as dangerous, let alone the man walking beside the walking dead. Viers would bring down loads and loads of Silver Legion upon his head. He needed a living, flesh and blood Pathseeker. Fine, people living or dead had their drawbacks. Viers changed his thinking angle, how about minimizing his own Victa expenditure? His Victa expenditure was because of battle, so let others do the battle for him. Viers had a few ways off the top of his head. Taming monsters, making golem constructs, or demon summoning. Unobtainable. They were just¡­ out of his reach. He didn''t have a way of taming monsters. He didn''t have the knowledge to make or the opportunity to buy a golem. As for demon summoning, diabolism wasn''t his shtick. He didn''t want to get screwed by demons like thousands of other small fries. This is getting tedious¡­ hold up, hold up! I know a Fable. The man had trust issues after he was betrayed. He needed to level up by killing monsters but he couldn''t because he was a defense specialist so he bought a slave! A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Shieldbro shows the way!!! Viers was hit by a thunderbolt of inspiration. That was one of the reasons he chose to go to Marakkus city. *** While Viers was led to the inside of the slave shop by Barnabas, Paina protested, just like he thought she would. ¡°I object! Viers, owning a slave is immoral!¡± ¡°I agree with you completely.¡± ¡°Then why are you still buying a slave!? It is like saying lying is bad but you keep lying anyway! It is not enough to agree in principle but you must show it with action as well!¡± ¡°Well, murder is bad but people keep murdering each other. Famine is bad but how many times have you heard of the wealthy starving themself to feed the poor? Besides, slavery is legal. I¡¯ve done many illegal things without batting an eye if it needs to be done, you think I¡¯ll balk at doing something legal?¡± Slavery was part of human history, it was undeniable. Even on modern Earth, there were still victims of slavery despite the illegality of it. Human trafficking, forced labor, child soldiers, the ugly facet of human civilization. In this world, where social justice and technology were not as sophisticated as Earth¡¯s, slavery naturally existed. There were cases where people voluntarily sold themself to slavery because of debt and poverty. Famine and natural disaster resulted in parents selling their children, Viers had seen it happen. Those were the lives of the non-Pathseekers, for Pathseekers they were no different. If a Level 5 wanted to make a Level 3 his or her slave, the weaker one would be powerless to resist. They could comply or valiantly choose death. Governments and authorities made laws to regulate slavery so it didn¡¯t go out of control. A person couldn''t go to his neighbor and put a blade to his neck and make a slave out of him. The Estellian Church was firmly against slavery and made significant efforts to abolish slavery but the church¡¯s helping hand couldn¡¯t reach every slave there was. The continent was full of warlords, Level 5s that had the power to create mountains and seas. Would they tolerate others to dictate how they rule their domains? He was not an otherworlder with a heroic disposition like those Japanese high school students that got isekai-ed as a hero to defeat the demon king. He was a bad guy. ¡°Paina, calm down. See, not all slave owners made a hell of their slave¡¯s life. Those children who are too poor to buy a slice of bread? Those without a roof to sleep under? Slavery might be better for them. Unbought slaves live in misery because they are a burden to the slaver. Lord Viers is not the type of person who would torture slaves for fun. Think of it this way, Lord Viers would save the slave he picked.¡± Farley, ever faithful, tried to placate Paina and defend Viers but Viers himself paid no attention. He didn''t need to justify anything to anyone. If having a slave is beneficial to him then he would have a slave. If his Victa was always at a critical level, what would happen when he didn''t have enough Victa but must fight? Gracefully accept death? Viers refused that fate. Those who disagree were free to stop him, if they can. Viers muted the heated debate inside his head as Barnabas opened a door to the places of the slaves. It was a big warehouse-like room. Cages with people inside them. ¡°The slaves with the criteria you seek are this way, or would you like to look around first?¡± Barnabas asked. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m in no rush.¡± ¡°Take your time, dear customer.¡± Euryale Sight. The place was dim so Viers¡¯ glowing green eyes were more eye-catching than usual. Time to settle once and for all if I¡¯m in a harem story. It didn¡¯t escape his attention that most members of his group were female. Paina, Farley, Clarissa, Luca, Dia¡­ all of them were girls. Young, beautiful/cute/cool girls at that. Viers didn''t have any romantic inclination to any of them but he couldn''t say anything for the future. He didn''t purposefully gather them to make a harem, it was just how things happened. But after five people, not even he could deny it was starting to look suspicious. People with potential that were in his inner circle were females? Five times in a row? Coincidence? Not impossible but not probable either. That was why he intended to choose his slave solely based on his or her potential in combat. Gender or looks wouldn''t sway his judgment. He didn''t plan to buy a slave to treat him or her as a meat shield. Viers would nurture the slave to become a major ally. If the slave I pick is female, then there¡¯s some cosmic intervention at work. I might be a protagonist in a harem story! That is both good and bad! Dismissing his harem protagonist paranoia, Viers scanned the slaves with his super eyes. His criteria were thus: Young, because young slaves had more potential to grow. Level 2 or below, because a young Level 3 would be too extraordinary. His or her background must be complicated and Viers didn''t want a stronger slave than him. The slaves were looking at him with varied looks in their eyes. Some were hopeful, some were afraid, some had already given up on life. They wore rags, ribs showing because of how thin they were. Most of them were human. From other races, there were beastfolks, lizardmen, and halflings. I¡¯ve seen some of them before, no elves yet though. There were more female slaves than males, Viers wasn''t surprised. The female gender had a higher price, as he expected. A few slaves begged him to buy them. There were also those in a state that invited pity. Viers¡¯ steeled his heart. It wasn''t like he didn''t feel any sympathy, he simply realized he couldn''t help every single one of them. ¡°Show me the others. The ones you kept in reserve. Show me the sick slaves too,¡± Viers demanded from the slave trader. He reserved judgment until he had seen all of them. The slave trader hesitated but seeing Viers wouldn''t budge, he capitulated. The next round was¡­ harsher to Viers¡¯ conscience than before. In the end, he announced his decision. ¡°That one.¡± Viers pointed at one slave. It was a boy. Chapter 68 - Underdog ¡°Is this your pick, sir?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Viers firmly nodded. After getting pointed at, the boy kept looking straight at Viers¡¯ eyes. He was a small and skinny boy, caucasian with walnut hair color. ¡°Human male, Twelve years old. Level 1, halfway to Level 2. Earth affinity of 4,¡± Barnabas the slave trader spoke of his credentials. ¡°Twelve-year-old Pathseeker? Forced early cultivation?¡± Viers frowned. ¡°Yes. At ten. That¡®s why he hasn''t grown one inch since then.¡± ¡°If that is all then he¡¯s very lucky. Three out of four who cultivate that early would be dead or crippled.¡± Viers replied. His soul is strong and his eyes still radiated strength. This is a boy who doesn''t believe it is his fate to die here. Yes, not only strength but there¡¯s will also. A will to live. Nice eyes. Affinity of 4 is not the best but still very good. Earth, huh? I can work with that. As a bonus, there¡¯s something strange about his body. Special bloodline? Very faint though. Viers approached the caged boy closer. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Donk.¡± ¡°Hmn?¡± Viers eyed Barnabas for an explanation. ¡°He had been a slave before he came here, dear sir. His previous master called him Donk. Donk for donkey. His original name had been erased.¡± ¡°Erased how?¡± ¡°Why, by the slave seal of course.¡± Viers took a second to close his eyes and washed away his sentimentality. ¡°I want to make you my slave. Your main objective is to battle, killing monsters and if needed, people. Are you willing or do you prefer to stay here?¡± Viers addressed Donk. ¡°Sir, he has no right to refuse. If you buy him then he will be bound by a slave seal to you. He will do whatever your command or will experience excruciating pain.¡± Barnabas reminded Viers about the slave seal. A tattoo using the blood of the master and the slave, magically binding the slave with more restriction than an iron collar. Viers threw Barnabas a look. ¡°If he should be my slave then the matter of how I treat him has no relation with you. I want to hear from him,¡± Viers turned his head. ¡°Kid, I asked you a question.¡± ¡°...May I ask for one request?¡± Donk replied with a small and tired voice. He must have been starving for some time. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Please allow me to live with dignity.¡± Viers was silent for ten seconds. Parsing, thinking, and admiring. His eyes glinted with expectation. ¡°Not freedom but dignity, huh?¡± A brief chuckle escaped his lips. ¡°I accept.¡± Viers paid Barnabas the necessary coin and the price for the slave seal. A drop of blood was taken from Viers and Donk, Barnabas mixed it with something to make some kind of paint. Barnabas drew a circular crest on Donk¡¯s chest. The paint disappeared after a while as if sinking into his skin. ¡°Thank you for your patronage. We look forward to seeing you again.¡± I¡¯m not. Viers replied in his mind. Viers left the slave shop with Donk walking behind him. The street urchin was waiting with a bored expression. ¡°Thanks kid. Spend it wisely.¡± Viers already gave the boy a silver coin before he went into the shop and he gave his other half because he managed to buy a suitable slave. If there was no suitable candidate in Barnabas¡¯ shop, Viers would seek out another place. He had strict potential requirements. The street urchin took the coin from Viers then left after giving Viers a look. Viers smiled under his face covering and waved him goodbye as he disappeared into the alley. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go Donk¡­ No, I¡¯m not gonna call you that. You really don''t remember your birth name?¡± Viers caught Donk absentmindedly looking at the sky with one of his hands shielding his eye from the light of the sun. Viers suspected it had been a while since he last saw the sky. ¡°No¡­ What should I call you, sir?¡± ¡°My name is Avel but you can just call me Master because I¡¯ll teach you a lot of things. Do you prefer to choose your own name or shall I pick it for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m dumb so please call me however you like, Master.¡± ¡°Fine. Let''s get some food and clothes for you along the way.¡± Donk¡¯s clothes were very inadequate and he needed food badly. The mention of food made Donk perk up for a second but he swiftly regained control. Good kid. Viers brought Donk to an eatery but they were refused entry because Donk was too dirty. Viers was not unreasonable, the eatery¡¯s opinion was valid. That was why Viers had no problem eating outside. Viers ordered warm soup and some well-cooked meat. ¡°There, eat while it''s hot. No need to rush.¡± ¡°Master, there¡¯s meat.¡± ¡°Well yeah. You need to eat lots of meat to grow big and strong. Vegetables too.¡± ¡°My portion is bigger than yours.¡± ¡°I have eaten earlier so I¡¯m not hungry. Eat.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Donk tried to dig in with his hands which Viers stopped. ¡°Use the spoon. Slow down, the food won''t run away.¡± ¡°Mm¡­¡± Donk ate the meal heartily, holding back his tears. Viers had enough tact to pretend he didn''t notice anything. After filling Donk¡¯s belly, Viers bought a couple sets of clothes. Cheap ones but comfortable. Viers didn''t let Donk wear the clothes immediately because he needed a bath first. ¡°What about shoes?¡± ¡°It is customary for slaves to not wear footwear, Master.¡± ¡°Well I don''t care. Here, this looks like your size. Try it,¡± Viers picked one among many. ¡°...Thank you very much.¡± They both carried the sack of clothes to the public bath where Viers cleaned Donk with buckets of water and soap. Because of the existence of magic items, toilets and baths were not too uncommon even in this pseudo-medieval age. With all the grime and dirt washed off from Donk, he looked like a normal boy wearing new clothes. When he was changing, Viers saw whip scars on his back. He is only fucking twelve¡­ What a shitty world. While walking, every so often Donk looked down at his shoes. It was like Viers gave him shoes made of gold and not ordinary leather. Donk seemed very moved, it showed in his face. They returned to the Bird Nest inn. The inn man behind the reception desk threw Viers a look and to Donk beside him for a second before deciding it wasn''t his business and kept writing something in a book. Viers rented a room with two beds precisely for this. ¡°Alright. This will be our place for a while.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯s already sundown. Let me see your ability as a Pathseeker then we can have dinner.¡± They went to the back of the inn where there was space for Donk to flex his earth muscle. Viers had him test a bunch of things to see what his current capabilities were. They only went at it for a while before Viers decided it was enough and they ate dinner together. Viers allowed Donk to sleep early and it didn''t take long until the slave was in deep slumber. Soul search. His birth name was forgotten. His mother died birthing him. His father often hit him. Aunt Jolie, his mother¡¯s sister, became a mother figure. Until she died of illness when he was nine. On her deathbed, she left some words to him. ¡°Live. Live with dignity. As long as you¡¯re alive, good things will happen to you. Remember, your mother loved you, always. As will I.¡± Because of those words, he has a strong desire to live. Despite the hardships, despite the pain. Even after his father sold him as a slave for drinking money. When he got examined, he had an earth affinity of 4 so he got bought by a quarry owner. Forcefully awakened as a Pathseeker despite his young age. Fortunately, whatever the reason was, he came out without too many negative repercussions. There were a dozen slaves in the quarry. All humans and all had earth affinity. The master called him Donk, because his main job was to carry rocks like a beast of burden. Life as a slave was tough. Cried, got beaten. Didn''t work, got beaten, no food. He felt the sting of the whip many times. The master was not a good person but Donk was able to survive under him. As a Pathseeker, even though he was only Level 0, Donk was able to do the work of ten non-Pathseekers in the quarry. After a few months of hard work, to make him able to work better, the master gave him resources to Advance and become a Level 1. Roughly one year after he was bought, the master died. Donk heard rumors it was because of a monster. The master¡¯s son took over but because he was not skilled in business, the quarry went under. The son sold some of the slaves as a result, Donk was one of them. He got transported to Marakkus and Viers bought him. Viers ended the soul search. It was painless and didn''t have any negative effect. Viers spent a lot of time thinking deeply about his newly bought slave before he went to sleep himself. The next morning, Viers was practicing Serpentes Renovamen while waiting for his slave to awaken. ¡°Mmm¡­ HAH!? I-I¡¯m sorry for oversleeping!¡± ¡°It''s fine.¡± Viers stood up and spoke solemnly. ¡°From now on, your name is Boram. Boram Rockboa. You will be my hammer against my enemies. I promise you this: You''re gonna eat lightning and you''re gonna crap thunder. You''re gonna become a very dangerous person.¡± Chapter 69 - Entrance On the outskirts of the city, outside of the protection of the walls where monsters roamed, two boys were conversing. One was wearing weather battered clothes. The originally white fabric had become stained with dust and mud. He wore a face covering, dark blue cloth that hid his hair and mouth. Only his brown eyes could be seen clearly. The other was younger and shorter than the first boy. He had walnut-colored hair cut short. He looked like a child that had not yet hit puberty. He looked nervous and twitchy, unaccustomed to the wilds where monsters exist. ¡°Do you have a preferred weapon?¡± Viers asked. ¡°...I¡¯m most familiar with pickaxes and hammers. I have worked in a quarry before,¡± Boram answered. I know. ¡°Okay, I''ll get you a hammer later. Not an industrial hammer, a weapon hammer. War hammer. Aaand that¡¯s our target. Fight and kill it.¡± Viers pointed at a monster approaching them. ¡°Y-Yes Master!¡± Boram looked like a man being sent to his death. ¡°Calm down. It''s only a Rank 1 and quite weak. You¡¯re more than able to defeat it. Go!¡± ¡°Uuu¡­ Uaaaahhhh!¡± Boram dashed with a loud voice to conquer his fears. ¡°Roooowrl!¡± Boram and the Stonehead Dog clashed. Boram¡¯s fist was covered with yellow Victa as it struck the rock-headed monster. Viers observed his slave''s first solo fight. Since the monster had the size of an average dog, it should be easier for Boram. Bigger-sized monster tends to have more HP, much harder to kill. It took him ten minutes to finish. Viers and Boram were doing the adventurer¡¯s guild quest. This was the second quest that he took from the guild. The first was gathering medicinal herbs outside of the city, which they already did earlier. He favored defense too much. Not enough initiative and lacked battle experience, Viers concluded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± Boram walked back to Viers like a child after a failure. ¡°Don''t be sorry. Be better.¡± ¡°...Yes, Master.¡± ¡°Viers, that''s a bit cold,¡± Paina commented. ¡°That¡¯s the truth,¡± Viers replied in his head. Viers and Boram searched for the next Stonehead Dog. They met a few wandering alone, which Viers sent Boram to dispatch them. Boram used Stone Skin Arte so he suffered almost no damage. His battle style so far was bashing his fists wildly. Pummeling the dogs until they were dead. Then they found a pack of Stonehead Dogs led by a Stonehead alpha. The alpha monster was clearly stronger, still a Rank 1 but a bit bigger and there were bones growing out of its head. Making it look like a helmet for head butting. ¡°Watch me,¡± Viers spoke to Boram. Viers unsheathed his sword and dashed towards the pack. Viers exterminated the lesser dogs with ease, slashing and stabbing their vulnerable spots to deal a lethal blow until only he and the alpha monster remained. Viers was fast, the alpha dog¡¯s attacks were dodged easily. The water effect of his Artes was showy too. Streams of water danced in the air, beautiful and deadly. Viers fought with it for two minutes before he bound the alpha dog with water snares and disemboweled the monster. ¡°First time seeing a Pathseeker battle?¡± Viers spoke to Boram who was dumbstruck seeing Viers¡¯ fight. The little boy nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to do this too. I¡¯ll be troubled if you can''t. Now I¡¯ll show you how to skin and dismantle our prey. Fangs, claws, pelt, they can be sold later.¡± Boram looked at the blood and guts of the alpha dog and became as pale as a sheet. He didn''t dare to protest. Cute kid. Boram threw up when his hand was red with gore and Viers showed the alpha dog¡¯s heart to him. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Viers, you¡¯re so bad!¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m teaching him about monster anatomy, eheheh.¡± Paina berated him while he bullied the kid a bit. As an unexpected bonus, he found a monster core inside the alpha dog. For this particular session, unlike other people, Viers did not dismantle the monster for parts but for meat. The Rank 1 monster parts were too ordinary and the time needed to process them was a hassle. Viers made a fire pit nearby and ate the fire-grilled meat with Boram. ¡°There¡¯s something called a food chain in this world. The grass gets eaten by grasshoppers, which then get eaten by frogs. Snakes eat frogs and eagles eat snakes,¡± Viers suddenly said. Viers paused, Boram was listening to him intently. ¡°I want to be like the eagles. Without anything hunting it for food. Top of the food chain. We call them apex predators.¡± ¡°Apex predators¡­¡± Boram heard that term for the first time. ¡°For humans, there is something similar. The non-Pathseekers are oppressed by Pathseekers, the weaker Pathseekers get stepped on by stronger Pathseekers. Those stronger Pathseekers will then be crushed underfoot by even stronger beings. Men, monsters, demons¡­ Do you understand what I''m trying to say?¡± ¡°Master wants to be the strongest Pathseeker.¡± ¡°Close enough. Here, this one is ready,¡± Viers gave meat on a stick to Boram. He ate it happily. Viers waited a bit before continuing the conversation. ¡°Your battle experience is lacking. There¡¯s more to a battle than simply punching your opponent. You¡¯re too defensive and you¡¯re slow.¡± Boram looked downward in shame. ¡°No need to think less of yourself. We¡¯ll work on those. I¡¯m not expecting you to be a perfect warrior from the start. You¡¯ll get better.¡± ¡°Y-yes Master!¡± Boram strongly replied. ¡°My element is water, so I¡¯m having a tough time against opponents with high defense and armor. That¡¯s where you come in. Your earth will crush them with power and weight, armored or not.¡± ¡°Earth Pathsekeers¡¯ good point is their sturdiness which you are clearly aware of and heavily favored during the fight. The downside being that earth Pathsekeers are also prone to being slow. I¡¯m not saying you should forgo defense completely but we must work on your speed.¡± Viers told Boram a bit more about his analysis as they continued to eat their lunch. ¡°Can you read and write?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s a lot you have to learn then,¡± Viers smiled. They finished eating then returned while riding Brownie. Viers obtained the mare in a side-quest involving a goat, a shovel, and an ungrateful neighbor. It was a ridiculous side-quest but he was glad he finally got a ride. The mare helped him greatly in traveling. While riding Brownie, Boram sat in front of Viers. They looked like brothers. Marakkus city was huge, more than twice as large than any town he had visited thus far. Getting in and out of the city took some leg work. Viers felt like he was returning to the city of barbarians. People fighting and dying on the road. People washing their clothes near a water well meant for drinking. Trash and human waste could be smelled in the air. Not all of the city¡¯s entrances were like that though, there were specific gates for the city bigwigs and important people to come in where it was definitely cleaner and not filled with distasteful sights right off the bat. From the lower class area that was at the peripheral of the city, Viers went through the wall separating the middle class and the lower class area. The surroundings gradually got better as he went deeper and deeper into the city. This was still a city, a civilization. The public security in the middle class area was a bit better here than in the outskirts. The Bird Nest inn was in the middle class part of the city. It was still bad though. Viers saw a head on a pike in front of the house across the street. It seemed the head was caught sleeping with another¡¯s wife. The wife¡¯s head in question was also on a pike next to it. And everybody treated it as normal. How come the city is not drowning in disease and filth and violence at this point? Viers was curious so he asked the local resident nearby. He said the cleaners from the city office would sweep the trash and dead every morning. As for sickness, you pay the healers. If you can''t, work harder to be able to pay. The city gets a cut from the healers so more money for them. As for keeping order, city guards kept the high class districts where the bigwigs live safe and orderly. The middle class districts get a similar treatment although it was to a far lesser extent. The low class districts and slums didn''t make the cut in the guards¡¯ priority. It is incredible what people could treat as normal after it went on long enough. There are so many holes in that system in my opinion. Idiots. Viers opened the door to the Adventurer''s Guild and walked in as if it was his own home. Many pairs of eyes darted towards him, following him as he made his way to the bored-looking receptionist girl. Viers left two pouches on the counter. Boram was teetering behind, most adventurers were a rough-looking bunch. Never before had he walked into a den of monster killers. He made himself as small as possible as he stuck to Viers like his own shadow. ¡°Stonedogs'' eyes and the herbs. Proof of completion of these quests. And a monster core, I¡¯ll sell it to the guild.¡± ¡°Oh, you ain¡¯t dead¡­ Good. I¡¯ll check these and prepare your reward.¡± Viers found the bet setter, Ago, and approached him. The boorish man didn''t look too pleased. ¡°It won''t be long now,¡± Viers smiled behind his veil. ¡°...You got lucky, kid. Happens to all of us. But getting to Obsidian won''t be as easy as you expect. Many of us took months.¡± ¡°Thanks for the heads up.¡± Viers looked straight into Ago¡¯s eyes. Before the tension could explode, a person walked into the guild. That person took the attention of everyone there, including Viers. ¡°Oh my, did I miss something? Hm?¡± She was a redhead woman wearing a pointy hat like a witch, a wooden staff was in her hand. She had a dynamite body and wore revealing clothes. While other men were swooned by her body and pretty face, Viers¡¯ heart skipped a jump because of another reason. She was the Level 2 pasta-eating adventurer that he met in Mokash town, the one who winked at him. The woman was looking right at Viers with recognition in her eyes. Chapter 70 - Izabella Thyris ¡°Iz!¡± ¡°Izabella the Red Enchantress?¡± ¡°That her? Wow, do you think she¡¯s single?¡± The other adventurers greeted and waved to the woman. They sure looked happy to meet her. ¡°Ago, bullying newcomers again? That¡¯s a no-no,¡± the sorcerer lookalike sashayed to Ago and Viers¡¯ direction. ¡°Iz¡­ When did you return?¡± Ago called. ¡°Yesterday. Your family is healthy I hope?¡± Izabella hugged him tightly. ¡°And why are you chewing this guy out? Freddy? Jeff?¡± She asked the two people sitting next to Ago, Ago¡¯s teammates. ¡°Well, we bet on this new adventurer whether he would become Obsidian or not. This guy bet on himself he would, 5 gold. So did Alan.¡± ¡°Holy moly that¡¯s a lot of money,¡± Izabella said in a rhyme. ¡°Feeling the pressure, eh? Bud, keep your gambling habit in moderation,¡± the redhead turned to Viers. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Izabella. That¡¯s a mouthful so you can call me Iz. What¡¯s your name?¡± She was giving a thousand-watt smile. ¡°...Avel.¡± ¡°Hi Avel, nice to meet you~¡± she trailed her words. ¡°Ei!¡± Iz suddenly tried to hug Viers, which he evaded by stepping back. ¡°A shy one aren¡¯t you. Tsk-tsk, I don''t know why a Level 2 like you acts like a Level 0 but clearly you will reach Obsidian rank in no time,¡± Iz eyed him like looking at a rare animal. ¡°Level 2!¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°Why is he wearing a face mask? Is he someone famous?¡± Whispers and murmurs broke out from the audience. Ago, a Level 2 who looked like he almost hit 30 years of age, showed an ugly expression. Viers wasn¡¯t that old and already a Level 2, he was not a common Pathseeker. ¡°Avel, I reckon you would win and Ago would be hard-pressed to pay the bet, so everyone¡¯s favorite sister Iz has a proposal. Rather than continuing with the bet and making enemies of each other, how about abolishing the bet and we become friends?¡± Iz diplomatically said. ¡°Ago will return your 5 gold but in return, you can call Ago on one favor.¡± Before Ago could protest, Iz raised a finger and stopped him. ¡°The favor must not be monetary in nature and not excessive. I¡¯ll fairly judge it. How about it? Avel, you don''t want to go to war with a fellow Level 2 for a few gold coins wouldn''t you?¡± ¡°...Fine. I¡¯ll take the favor.¡± Viers accepted. ¡°But Alan¡­¡± Ago added. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Alan later. Now we''re all friends, yaaay! Everyone, the first round¡¯s on me!¡± A shout of jubilation followed. ¡°Come Avel, I¡¯ll treat you to a drink,¡± Izabella called Viers with her hand as if calling a cat. ¡°No thank you, I have other business to attend.¡± ¡°Omigosh who is this sweetie pie?¡± Iz didn''t pay any attention to Viers¡¯ rejection and scooped up Boram in her arms, hugging him like a plushy. ¡°Sooo cute¡­ but so light. You need to eat more, much more. Feeding time~¡± ¡°Whuah!? Umm, waah!?¡± Boram looked at Viers with confusion but Izabella already kidnapped Boram to the table and ordered drinks. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Viers sighed from his nose. She¡¯s a Level 3! I thought she was Level 2 before but turned out I was wrong¡­ Is it simply a coincidence that we met? Tluk. Viers turned the other way because the guild receptionist girl threw peanut shells at him. ¡°Here¡¯s your reward. If you brawl inside the guild then you¡¯ll be fined for the first offense and expelled for the second. I also will have an extra job of tidying the hall. So go ahead and kill each other on the outside but not here. You can go away now.¡± She left a pouch at the counter and returned to her seat, writing something in a ledger while eating peanuts. Viers exchanged one last look with Ago then he left. He took his reward and tried to save his kidnapped slave. ¡°I see, you¡¯re his slave, huh? Oh calm down little guy. No one here is going to eat you,¡± Izabella was playing with Boram¡¯s hair, while the other looked like a trembling chihuahua. ¡°What do you want?¡± Viers said while taking the seat across the table. ¡°Nothing. Only want to get along with everyone, including both of you. What¡¯s your name, little guy?¡± ¡°...Boram.¡± ¡°Ahaha, good to meet you.¡± A waiter arrived and put three mugs and a lavish dish on the table. ¡°To new meetings, toast!¡± Iz raised her mug but the other two didn''t. Viers was looking at her warily and Boram was too occupied looking at the dish. ¡°Oh booo. Have it your way then,¡± she chugged her mug alone. ¡°Well, why are you just looking at that meal, Boram? Eat.¡± Boram looked at Viers, asking for permission. Viers nodded and allowed it. ¡°Avel, not gonna drink?¡± Viers pointed his fingers to his covered mouth then silence. ¡°Where are you from Avel?¡± Iz changed the topic. ¡°Javia.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it. Where is it?¡± ¡°Somewhere in the south,¡± Viers left it at that. Izabella was a talker and a smooth one at that. She seemed to have endless topics of conversation. When she talked about the recent happenings that Viers didn''t know, it was a saving grace. She was quite knowledgeable so Viers was quite impressed but he hoped Boram would finish his meal faster. He caught Boram looking at the wall behind him with fascination. It prompted Viers to turn his head backward. There was a map there, the map of the continent. ¡°First time seeing it?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°That is the most widely spread map of the land that we know,¡± Viers stood up and walked closer to the map. He transformed into a university lecturer, he treated the map as his whiteboard. ¡°We¡¯re in a place called the Lumen continent. Home to uncountable living beings, wonders, and horrors. The size of this gigantic land boggles the mind. Most people wouldn''t be able to reach the other end of the continent even if they spend a lifetime traveling.¡± Viers spoke to Boram and he listened intently. Viers pointed to the very center part of the map. ¡°This is the Human Dominion. While there are many countries with their own kings and queens, the human land is basically carved into four territories, under the umbrella of four great nations.¡± About 80% of the map was about the human dominion Viers just mentioned. He moved his fingers slightly to the bottom right of that human land. Izabella looked at Viers¡¯ action with interest. ¡°This is where we are, the Free People Coalition. Born from the bones of a great empire. Borders are drawn to place which area falls on the jurisdiction of which city. Cities are ruled by Governor-Kings, some ruled benevolently, some ruled however they want. The only thing these Governor-Kings hate more than each other are foreign interests meddling in their affairs.¡± By now, Viers had garnered some interest from the other tables and adventurers. ¡°It is a coalition of cities tied together like loose fabrics because of the lack of cooperation between the Governor-Kings. Unlike the other three great nations, the Coalition has no centralized government, but problems still arise throughout their territories. Unique problems create unique solutions. That is us, adventurers. We go from place to place, solving problems these great people are too lazy or too inept to solve.¡± Shouts came from adventurers that listened, shouts of pride. Some raised their mugs toasting each other. How could they not, after Viers worded it so? Or so most people think. Adventurers are actually just glorified janitors of the Coalition. They take quests, they fight, and they die. Their blood is the lubricant in the machine known as the Coalition. Such are adventurers, except for the few outstanding ones. As for me, it is but a means to an end. Viers commented in his head. ¡°These are interesting times for us adventurers,¡± Izabella cut in. ¡°Recently, many Biomes appeared all over the Coalition, providing many opportunities to those bold enough to seek it and lucky enough to not die.¡± That invited laughter from the gallery. Viers paused and looked at her. He didn''t talk overly loud, the target of this explanation was Boram and only Boram. He didn''t mean to start an open lecture about geography. The other adventurers merely closed their lips so his voice was heard clearly. ¡°Well don''t stop there, Avel. Please, continue the story,¡± Izabella had her elbow above the table and rested her chin on her joined fingers. She was enjoying the lesson of teacher Viers very much. Chapter 71 - The Four Great Nations The air of the eatery of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild was different. While it should be loud and boisterous befitting a tavern, they were all listening to Viers like obedient children in the classroom. ¡°It has been a while since there were any wars between cities and the power behind them. One of the reasons there¡¯s peace among the Governor-Kings is because of a war. About fifteen years ago, the Latias Kingdom, one of the four great nations, tried to invade the Coalition. The invaders were repulsed but at great costs. The Governor-Kings, their families and vassals, adventurers, and civilians¡­ many lost their lives. Some sort of arrangement was struck between the invader and the invaded and now we have enjoyed a period of peace. How ironic. The greater the war, the greater the peace.¡± Some adventurers turned solemn. War was always a tragedy. They might have lost people they know because of the war, friends, or families. ¡°It is now called the War of the Greedy Pigs, because the church later uncovered the truth behind the invasion. Gullible nobles of the kingdom were tempted by the devil cults. The wise -which I don''t believe- King Luthor of Latias, who apparently had no part in the invasion, personally called them greedy pigs and purged the nobles and their houses.¡± ¡°Hmph, greedy wine-bellied bastards. Phfft!¡± One of the adventurers spat to the ground in anger. Like the start of an avalanche, many more followed suit. ¡°Latians, curse them for coming at us with steel, phuih!¡± ¡°May the greedy pigs burn in hell, bffp!¡± There were other reactions too. ¡°My father died in that war... blessed be his memory,¡± an adventurer poured the beer from his mug to the floor. Not a small number of people did the same. Viers saw the receptionist frowning in disgust. He suspected the receptionist girl would take some sort of revenge against the adventurers who forced her to have more work. Wait, why was she staring daggers at Viers? Surely she didn''t blame Viers for all of this didn''t she? Viers was worried, very worried. ¡°Anyway, that is the rough outline of the Coalition.¡± Viers moved his hand to the upper right of the map. ¡°The Latias Kingdom, the kingdom of chivalry and honor and lords with perfumed asses.¡± Another round of merry laughter broke out, even Izabella smiled. ¡°Unlike the Coalition, a single king sits on the Jewel Throne, ruling over his domain. The aristocracy is very prominent here, the idea that nobles are so much greater than the commoners originates from Latias. Below the king, there''re the dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, and barons. They are famous for their Knights, Pathseekers that co-cultivates another Path of Power besides the Intio Magisterix. I¡¯m not clear about the specifics, only it has something to do with ¡®oaths¡¯ and not everyone can become knights.¡± Viers paused to take a breath. ¡°Men are also regarded as so much better than women there. Wives are expected to obey the husband. Again, this idea is planted in the heads of their young since a tender age. Womankind is supposed, no, required to marry. Marry then take care of their husband, take care of the household, and give your husband sons, the importance is not necessarily in that order. The nobles that I was talking about, often bargain and make alliances with each other by arranging marriages for their daughters as if they are a trophy.¡± ¡°Booo! That¡¯s rubbish! I am my own woman.¡± A woman adventurer jeered at Viers. Some other women also showed their displeasure. ¡°You are free to kick the balls of the men of Latias if you like. You¡¯ll hear no complaints from me,¡± Viers shortly replied. ¡°The church dislikes such social injustice against women and provides other ways of life for women, become nuns in their convent, join the Silver Legion, and the like.¡± ¡°...And that¡¯s all I know about the Latias Kingdom,¡± Viers said. ¡°While we are enjoying peace, King Lahar, the next king after King Luthor, died a few months ago. Plots, intrigues, assassinations. Alliances forged, enmity sown. Oaths were made and oaths were broken. The flames of war for the throne now rages in the Latias Kingdom.¡± Izabella added a bomb in the form of news. ¡°Iz, that true?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s about to be king?¡± There was no newspaper in this world, let alone social media. News traveled at a glacial pace to those without the means to know. Many of them did not know of such happening in the Latias Kingdom. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Including Viers. ¡°...Moving on, the Zetel Sultanate.¡± Viers¡¯ finger was on the map¡¯s bottom left. ¡°The most advanced place about Arte knowledge and magic craftsmanship in the Human Dominion. Education is rated very highly there, for the privileged.¡± Viers continued to teach Boram, disregarding the peanut gallery. Since they did not pay Viers, why must Viers entertain them? ¡°While the lands are rich and bountiful in the Coalition and Latias, the lands of the Zetel Sultanate are not so. Most of their lands are arid, dry and dusty. The sun is very strong and there are lots of deserts. Water is scarce and precious. In some regions, water is more precious than gold.¡± Boram imagined a scene from his past. A dusty quarry, working under the burning sun, and the almost constant thirst. It was not a pleasant memory. ¡°One example of their knowledge prowess is the Magisterium. The Magisterium originates from the Zetel Sultanate. At first, it was a small research institute for researching and developing Artes. Now, it is a global organization with branches almost everywhere, holding a monopoly over Arte trade. It is one of the few organizations in the world that have the resources and clout to rival the Estellian Church. In the Human Dominion, every city certainly will have a branch of the Magisterium. Since you¡¯re a slave you might not know but Magisterium is a place where you can buy Artes. If you don''t create your own Artes, then the Magisterium is the place to gain more, if you have the money for it.¡± Viers created his own Artes but not all people have the knowledge and inspiration from the loads and loads of 21st-century fiction like Viers. Even Viers bought a few in the past. ¡°The Zetel Sultanate is also a horrible place for a demi-human. The Zetel Sultanate believes that humans are the greatest species and therefore oppress the other races. Naturally, the beastfolk tribes just south of their border fell victim to this misguided idea. The beastfolks -and not only them- are often taken as slaves, treated as playthings by their human master. As a consequence, many beastfolks hate humans, especially Zetelians. The bad blood between the Sultanate and the beastfolk tribes has crystallized into a gem of hate. It is only a matter of time until both sides bitterly tear each other apart.¡± Viers stopped there. Racial differences were bad enough between humans, let alone between other species. The difference in skin color was enough to make humans enslave one another. What about if the other side not only had different skin colors but also had horns and tails like beasts? Humans are petty beings. Someone spoke with a womanly voice. ¡°The environment of the Zetel Sultanate has always been bad but tolerable. In the past years, the Magisterium''s wanton exploitation of resources has made it worse. Sandstorms... monster outbreaks because of environmental change¡­ I wonder if the Zetelians have what it takes to fight nature itself, human supremacy or not. On the latest tragedy at the Sultanate''s border, the town of Tahivv, population two thousand souls -famous for its slave market- was put to the sword last month by the beastfolks after saving their enslaved brethren in the process. In return, the Zetelians had taken one of the beastfolk''s princesses captive and¡­ made an example of her.¡± Izabella added another important piece of news. The other adventurers were taken aback and murmured with each other. Some beastfolk adventurers were angered beyond comparison. Boram looked conflicted. ¡°...Last of the four, the Harkelan Empire,¡± Viers pointed to the upper left of the map. ¡°It has the largest territory among the four great nations. Tough and hardy people. While Zetel has problems with the sun and sand, Harkelan''s problems are ice and snow. The land makes for poor farming, famine is a normal occurrence. Harkelans like to drink alcohol¡­ that is all I know about them. Because of the distance between the Coalition and the Empire, I wasn''t able to find much.¡± Viers was a reincarnated person, of course he sought information about the new world he was in. Yet what he could find wasn''t perfect. ¡°Yup, that pretty much sums up the Harkelan Empire,¡± Iz added. ¡°Their land is poor for farming but has many precious stones and mineral veins. Since their founding, they are also beset by two major troubles, trouble in the north, trouble in the west. At times, those two troubles ail the Empire at the same time¡­ such as now.¡± ¡°Seriously Iz? The dead are on the move?¡± ¡°And the demons? Radiant Lady protects us,¡± an adventurer made the Goddess¡¯ sign. Learned woman, this Izabella. Viers was impressed by the broadness of her information-gathering ability. ¡°To sum it up, the Harkelan Empire in the northwest, the Latias Kingdom in the northeast, the Free People Coalition in the southeast, and the Zetel Kingdom in the southwest. There are many countries left in the entire Human Dominion but they all fall under the jurisdiction of these four.¡± Boram was fascinated by the map. ¡°But there is one more faction that we must mention. They have no land under their sovereignty save for a city but have the power to rival any of the four if not greater¡­ The Estellian Church.¡± ¡°Praise the Radiant Lady!¡± Someone suddenly shouted. ¡°Praise the Radiant Lady!¡± ¡°Hell yeah! Praise the Radiant Lady!¡± Others soon followed, like wolves in howling. Faithful wolves. ¡°They do not govern, they do not rule. Almost all humans on the continent are Estellian. The church¡¯s sole purpose is to bring the light of the goddess Estelle to the world. Not only the humans but the other races too. As I know it, the church has four cardinals below the pope and three of them are not humans. The church has a sword, a mighty sword to combat evil and monsters of the dark, the famous Silver Legion.¡± ¡°Hoah!! Toast to the heroes of the Silver Legion!¡± One of the adventurers raised his mug. ¡°Let the sword remain unbroken for eternity!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? They have never failed before. They have the Goddess¡¯ blessing!¡± Almost every child dreamed of becoming a Silver Legion, even Viers, before his otherworldly memories awakened. ¡°Boram, do you know why people create villages, towns, cities, and nations? Do you know why they gathered together? Why has the Human Dominion become so big?¡± The Coalition alone was as big as Australia. With the other three great nations in the tally, the Human Dominion was as big as the whole landmass of Earth. Boram shook his head. Some adventurers pricked up their ears since they too didn''t know. ¡°To repel external threats that they can''t handle themselves.¡± Chapter 72 - Dangers Outside the Borders The map did not contain many depictions outside the borders of the four great nations. Viers disregarded the bustle from other adventurers and pointed to the south of the Human Dominion. ¡°Untamed South. Steppes, jungles, marshes, mountains, valleys, deserts, life-seeking lightning bolts, flesh-dissolving mists, spontaneous volcanoes¡­ and many more. You''ll see the many faces of nature there and they are not kind. In the relatively safe areas, many of the beastfolks live there as tribes. Centaurs, harpies, lizardmen, ents, and many others there too. According to the hearsay, the domain of the elves lies far to the south, inside a magical forest so beautiful explorers that set foot there didn''t want to ever leave.¡± Viers pointed to the west. ¡°The land of the vile and strife, the nest of demons. Supposedly, the earth there is black, from the corruption of hellish energy or because of the sheer amount of blood spilled, I don''t know. Boram, demons are beings that are touched by the energy from hell. It gives them strength and power far beyond normal but at a terrible cost. Still, the enticement of power is great, some people willingly choose to become demons. Humans, monsters, other races, all can be demons. As for the terror of the demons, only those who have fought them will understand. If you think demons are merely stronger monsters, well, there are many graves filled with people that never underestimate the demons, let alone those who underestimate them.¡± Viers took a few gulps from his mug. He had talked a lot and became thirsty. ¡°Rumours are that the monsters there make the monsters in the Human Dominion look like kittens in comparison. Orcs, goblins, ogres, dark elves, ratlings, and the like live there. There are humans too, devil-worshiping humans that is. Much is unknown about that place, not many braves or fools that managed to see those lands and return to tell the tale. What is known is their frequent incursions to our land. The Zetel Kingdom erected magical fortresses while the Herkelan Empire raised mighty walls at their border. The Forbidden West.¡± ¡°Avel, it is called the Menace West,¡± Iz corrected. ¡°...What she said.¡± Should be Forbidden West though. I like it more. ¡°And then there¡¯s the Dread North, the lands of bone-freezing ice and snow and death. Walking skeletons, ghastly wraiths, vampire counts, rotten abominations, beings with an insatiable hunger for the life of the living. The land wasn''t always like that. Thousands of years ago, one man changed everything. A necromancer with a power so great arrived there and created an undead horde that almost drowned the entire continent. To the south he marched, engulfing territory and armies in a tidal wave of corpses. Legend has it that angels were forced to descend to put a stop to the King of Death¡¯s advance.¡± ¡°How can there be so much undead coming from the north in the first place?¡± Someone asked, a couple others nodded because they also had the same question. ¡°Supposedly there was an ancient battlefield there. Mountains of bones, undried seas of blood even after a thousand years, eternally vengeful ghosts with wails that slice the soul, the King of Death had all the ingredients he needed to make his army of the damned. Not only human bones, no. Mighty dragons, giants, legendary monsters, even demons and devils. He raised them all.¡± ¡°...Is he still alive?¡± Boram asked. ¡°I don''t know if active undead can be called alive but if you mean he¡¯s still kicking or not then yes. His legendary first invasion had failed but he wasn''t permanently defeated. If the stories were true then he managed to survive Estelle¡¯s angels, quite a feat. Since then, this King of Death whose name has been purged from every historical record that I could find, sends incursions to the south every now and then. For what, I do not know. The Herkelan Empire and the Latias Kingdom bears the brunt of it.¡± ¡°Sheesh¡­ Zetel, Herkelan, and Latias had tough neighbors. What about us in the Coalition?¡± A youth adventurer asked. ¡°The Coalition is blessed. The wicked things of the north and west couldn''t reach us, Herkelan, Latias, and Zetel became a bulwark for us. As for the southlands, we had no border with them. Whoever wanted to reach the Coalition from the south by land must pass the Zetel Kingdom territory. Considering almost all the southern races are demi-humans, I figure not many are motivated to visit.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Finally, Viers pointed to the east of the Coalition. ¡°To the east lies the Zamrud Archipelago. Thousands of islands strewn above the waters. Tropical jungle and stable temperature. No winter there. Only the rainy season and dry season. There are many colonies and outposts there. Plethora of marine products and the location makes it a great trading partner for its neighbor, the Coalition. Many trade routes coming and going from the Coalition to the Latias Kingdom and the southern races, bringing gold and crystals. Oh, it is also swarming with pirates and outlaws. Past the Zamrud Archipelago is a vast open sea with permanent harsh weather and monstrous leviathans, the Stormy East... Rumour has it that there''s another continent should you manage to cross the perilous ocean.¡± ¡°The Coalition is better than the other three then,¡± Boram muttered. ¡°The Coalition still has their own problems but look at the Human Dominion as a whole. While the other three great nations are bleeding from the disasters in the west and north, is it okay if we sit just fat and protected? Would the other countries allow that? Should the demons or the dead breakthrough and swallow the other nations then the Coalition would be screwed too. That is why the Coalition provides assistance to the other three. One of such assistance is the dispatching of high-ranked adventurers to the frontlines. That is why you will not find many Gold ranked adventurers loitering about in the Coalition.¡± ¡°Oooh!¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°I had no idea.¡± What Viers said wasn''t as restricted information but many of the other adventurers weren''t privy to that information. ¡°And that is the current situation in the Human Dominion and its surroundings. Boram, why am I talking this long to explain this to you?¡± ¡°Eh? Uhhh, to, to let me know?¡± ¡°Yes. Even though we managed to fend off the hostiles and eked out a living, the situation of humanity isn''t as secure as you thought. Who knows when the next disaster will strike and break the balance. That is why you and I must get stronger. Become better Pathseekers and do our part. That is our responsibility as those born with power,¡± Viers spoke solemnly. ¡°Well said!¡± ¡°Good man!¡± ¡°A model citizen indeed.¡± The other adventures showered Viers with praises. ¡°Go questing, get money and resources, become stronger, repeat. Come Boram, we¡¯ve got a job to do.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!!¡± Viers walked to the door and Boram followed him with reverence in his eyes. ¡°Everyone, big applause to Avel of Javia, the exemplary! Whoooo!¡± Iz shouted and clapped her hands. ¡°Avel!¡± ¡°Avel!¡± Viers walked in the midst of cheering like some sort of war hero. Before Viers reached the exit, Ago barred his path. ¡°Young man¡­ I have misjudged you. I apologize for my behavior,¡± he dipped his head a little. ¡°...No hard feelings,¡± Viers patted his shoulder and left without looking back. ¡°Yosh! I can''t be left behind. I¡¯ll take this quest!¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take this one!¡± ¡°Hey, that quest is mine! I picked it first!¡± The other adventurers became motivated after hearing Viers and scrambled to take the available quests. Iz smiled while looking mischievously at Viers¡¯ back. As for Viers himself, he also smiled under his face coverings, sinisterly. Operation Charm the Masses is a success. *** The history and geography lesson was a nice opportunity and Viers jumped right in. Other than for making Boram more aware, he appealed to the other adventurers as a somewhat patriotic youth. Since Viers planned for Avel of Javia to become a high-ranking adventurer, he needed good rapport with his fellow adventurers and the guild. It was also a show to prevent making more enemies in the future. He wanted to become Obsidian rank in Marakkus before leaving this city because the adventurer guild here wasn''t as strict as the other branch. The guild in other towns and cities might make a big deal for his totally nonexistent past and dubious origin but not here. The problem is that Izabella¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure she remembers me. Would this become a problem? She¡¯s a Level 3 so I hope it won''t come to a clash. It was starting to get dark so they both went back to the inn. After bath and dinner, Viers spoke to Boram. ¡°Use this,¡± Viers dropped a few crystals the size of a baby¡¯s fist. ¡°Mana crystals!¡± ¡°Use those to get to Level 2 as soon as possible. For the time being, your main focus is to cultivate so you¡¯ll be able to contribute more.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master! I¡¯ll not disappoint!¡± He doesn¡¯t have a Profound Codex yet. It is better to have one but not overly crucial. Anyone can reach Level 2 without profound codex as long as there¡¯s enough mana. It is needed in the future though¡­ Viers looked at the gear that he currently wore. Other than ragged clothes, his sword was inadequate, he did not even have armor. It¡¯s time to improve my equipment. I¡¯ll go shopping tomorrow. Chapter 73 - Gear Up The next day Viers left Boram in the inn, letting him cultivate in peace. He went into the nicest equipment shop in the middle class area. The shop had a good variety of items and the displayed items were of good quality. The shop emblem was a drawing of a fat, round goblin with a spear and an axe in both hands. Rich Goblin¡¯s Vault. Weapons and Armors for Level 2 and below. Accept requests for Level 3 gear and above. The shop was wide and all kinds of equipment were on display. From armor to weapons. From mean-looking axes to elegant-looking knives. Some were in enchanted glass casings, the expensive ones. There were two bouncers at the entrance, not hiding their Level 2 aura. Level 2s as door guards? The city is really different. The shopkeeper briskly came to welcome him. He was an average height man in his thirties, a Level 0. Viers doubted he was the owner of this shop but whatever. Viers saw one of the shopkeeper¡¯s teeth was made of gold. It glinted under the magic lamp in this bright shop. ¡°You got storage items here?¡± Viers asked the most important question right off the bat. ¡°Apologies sir but those are extremely rare. Unfortunately there are no such items in the shop,¡± the shopkeeper replied. ¡°Then where can I obtain one?¡± Viers used the word ¡®obtain¡¯, not ¡®buy¡¯ on purpose. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that is above my reach. In the rare case a storage item was sold, it would be at the auction. And the price is always sky-high.¡± Hmph, auction. The part where MCs showing their wealth in xianxia stories. A waste of resources if you asked me. Viers didn''t like paying for items with sky-high prices. For face slapping? Viers preferred to let his enemy buy the item then take it from his cold, dead hands. With his attempt to gain dimensional storage foiled yet again, Viers started a shopping spree for new equipment. The road was not kind to travelers. Monsters, bandits, weathers, terrains, all were working against the men and women on the road. His magic items, the boots, pendant, and gloves were safe. Viers took extra care to not lose them but the rest was pretty much in a state of disrepair. The nice clothes that Susan nicely made for him had many tears on them. The spear was broken when he fended off a giant bird a week ago. He took some equipment from a few human enemies along the way but he felt them not quite fit or too low of quality. Even the sword he currently had felt incompatible when he used it. A great warrior does not need to choose his weapons, they said. Well, try to make a popular MMORPG without any equipment, says I. Considering the time and place, Viers decided to don a higher tier of equipment. In other words, buying more expensive gear. Torso armor, waist armor, forearms guards, and a pair of greaves. They were a set, all made of the leather of some goat monster. The shopkeeper demonstrated their toughness by thrusting it with a spear and not even a scratch. Must be made from a Level 2 monster, the price is¡­ higher than I thought. Well, they say the price is comparable to quality. I can afford it. The armor set was categorized as light armor. Viers favored mobility over thick and heavy protection, besides, he had his healing factor in case an enemy managed to wound him. Viers didn''t like to rely on equipment but he didn¡¯t undermine their use. However, his Level, body, skills, and Artes were the better investment of resources in his opinion. Since he could grow. Equipment could not. Of course, there are exceptions. I have seen Fables with living weapons that can grow super strong but I don''t have such a weapon in my hands now, do I? If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Is there anything else, sir?¡± The shopkeeper was all smiles now. Viers was a big spender and he was certainly happy about that. ¡°A cape.¡± Viers was a sucker for capes. He always wore long traveling robes or something similar above his usual clothes if the occasion permitted it. It always made him feel like a superhero, a superhuman. Oh it sometimes got in the way in a fight, he didn''t deny that but that was a small price to pay for coolness. He also liked the motion of taking off his robe before a serious fight. Very climactic. He had done it before and the very first time gave him a full percent increase of his Horizon. The shopkeeper showed him the available selections. There was even a bright red cape one like the man of steel wore. In the end, Viers chose a dark-green cloak with a hood, perfect for blending in places with much vegetation. The cape was enchanted with minor tear-resistance and wet prevention. A little extra protection and good for rainy days. ¡°I¡¯m in awe of your keen eye for style, honored customer. Would that be all, sir?¡± ¡°A helmet. The helmet must be a full face.¡± ¡°A helmet? A most unusual pick, if I say so myself. Most adventurers are people that want to spread their name and reputation so the helmet has become out of fashion despite the solid protection it provides to the vulnerable area on the face.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not most people,¡± Viers replied plainly. When he was in Pecan Village, Viers had a realization. Since he wouldn''t get a face-changing Arte anytime soon, Viers must find another way to protect his identity. After some hard thinking, he realized he had become overly reliant on magic. I simply need to cover my face! If nobody knows what I look like, problem solved. Viers then started using cloth on his face. He resolved to get a proper helmet in the city. Mando would be proud, Viers thought, secretly pleased about himself. The shopkeeper with a gold tooth led him to the wall display with lots of helmets. The design was quite different as if custom made and not mass-produced. Most of them didn''t fully cover the face. Some had the mouth part open, like a certain caped crusader with bat obsession had. Might be adequate but I don''t want to compromise¡­ Ah, this one looks familiar. Viers picked a metal helmet with two slanted vertical slits for the eyes and small holes in the mouth area for breathing. The face area was a little jutted outward. It lacked any decoration but it was well made. Overall, it looked like a knight¡¯s helmet. ¡°Excellent choice, sir. It was made in the style of the famous Knights of the Latias Kingdom. The metal used to make it is also of high quality. It is light but very durable.¡± ¡°One knight¡¯s helmet then. I¡¯ll try it with the rest of my equip, give me space.¡± Viers unfurled the desert-style face covering and put on the helmet and the other equipment. He sent the shopkeeper away when he was changing. When Viers was finished, he was like a proper adventurer from fantasy games. He was protected from head to toe but it was light and easy to move in. His sight became narrower because of his helmet. He would need to test how it played out in combat. If it was too distracting, Viers would modify it. Knight¡¯s helmet and dark brown leather armor below it. There were forearm braces and dark-red colored Dragonweave Gloves for both his arms. The waist armor part was made from the same set of leather armor, grieves for his shins, and the self-dubbed Power Treads boots for the footwear. Last but not least, the dark-green cape that reached his ankles. ¡°You look positively dashing, sir. The clothes really do make the man,¡± the shopkeeper spoke. ¡°Hehe, you compliment me or you compliment your own product?¡± Viers chuckled. He was in a fine mood so he jested. He did like how he looked in the mirror. Other than his metal helmet, all of his armor set was in the darker shade of coloring. Perhaps some paint is in order¡­ That reminds me, is Monhun''s helmets all made of metal? Is it possible to make a helmet from leather? What a mystery. He did some stretching exercises before to test their practicality then moved on to the main event, choosing his weapon. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll take them all. Now, what kind of swords do you have here?¡± ¡°We have many excellent swords that can cut monsters like jelly. I am confident you¡¯ll find them to your liking. Right this way.¡± Viers was biased about swords. Swords were cool. 90% MCs used swords. He had tried using a spear before but it only reinforced his fondness for swords. There was another reason. He wanted to achieve a certain martial mastery. If he used too many varieties of weapons he might become a jack of all trades but master of none. This was not something he wanted. In Viers¡¯ plan, his main weapon would be a sword, one-sword style. No fancy dual-wielding until he was able to wield a sword as an extension of his limb. Knives or fists for secondary and he would use the bow for long-range. Swords were displayed on the wall. Shining steel that reflected his own face when he observed close. Not a speck of dust on any of them as they were polished daily. One-third of the displayed section was empty. ¡°As you surely know, swords are the most popular weapon of choice. Some are already bought by other people.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Viers said nonchalantly, he was busy scanning the swords in front of him. Nice make and material. There are magic swords too. For fire, water, wind¡­ None for earth affinity. Hammers are better for them? Well there are two for darkness and one for light, wow. The price too is wow. ¡°Mm?¡± Viers picked up a sheathed sword that was placed in a barrel with half a dozen more swords. The best swords were on the wall display, these were the ordinary and cheap ones. But one of them caught Viers¡¯ eye. Because of its shape. ¡°A katana¡­¡± Chapter 74 - Second Coolest Weapon Seeing that specific sword shape made his eyes glitter. So I finally found it. A remnant shadow from my previous world. ¡°Dear customer, you know about this sword?¡± The gold-toothed shopkeeper spoke. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± Viers asked, holding the black lacquered scabbard. ¡°Nothing special, katanas are unusual in the continent but they are not rare for the people in the Zamrud Archipelago.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Viers pondered a while before unsheathing the sword. White grip, unadorned handguard between the grip and the blade. The steel was still in good quality, the edge was sharp. The reflection of Viers¡¯ eyes on the blade turned viridescent with rainbow hues. Euryale Sight! The shopkeeper was oblivious to Viers¡¯ change. ¡°Dear customer, that sword is an ordinary weapon without any magical abilities. We have many swords more suited to you.¡± Using his super eyes, he found nothing extraordinary about this sword but Viers managed to see through an inscription on the base of the sword, hidden beneath the sword grip, it was in Japanese kanji. Muramasa¡­ Are you fucking kidding me!? As a halfway decent Japanophile, Viers knew Muramasa was a legendary Japanese swordsmith. There was no way this sword could be made by him. Someone from Earth outright made this sword or influenced the creation of it. Viers swung the sword a few times in the air. It felt perfect in his hand. Whether the rule of cool contributed to that feeling or not, Viers didn''t know. ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it,¡± Viers said. A sharp click was heard when he put the sword back to its scabbard. But so what if it wasn''t made by the real Muramasa? Samurai sword is the second coolest sword in existence. Viers didn''t want to pass it up. And the sword itself was very decent. Not outright magical but Viers was still very satisfied. Viers adjusted his belt and fastened the katana on his left waist. Perhaps one day I might get the coolest sword in heaven and earth. Who knows? ¡°...Very well. Would that be all, sir?¡± The shopkeeper felt a bit of regret since Viers didn''t buy any of the expensive ones. ¡°I see you have no bows here,¡± Viers looked around the shop. ¡°Unfortunately we are not specialized in bows, magical staves, and other magical curios. Although the other shops nearby should have what you need.¡± ¡°I see, shame. I also need a hammer. For someone I know. Just a standard quality one would do.¡± Viers picked a hammer with a long handle suitable for Boram¡¯s small stature and finally concluded his shopping spree. ¡°...The price of all is 66 gold coins. How would you like to pay for the goods?¡± Viers dropped a pouch on the table. The shopkeeper opened the pouch and found it was filled with gold coins with dried blood on them. ¡°How curious. Might I inquire where one could gain blood-soaked coins, dear customer?¡± ¡°There are a lot of ways but I reckon you could get one easily from those who permanently wouldn''t need it anymore. Is there a problem?¡± Viers said with a slightly cold voice. His journey to Marakkus wasn''t free of troubles. ¡°Oh no, perish the thought,¡± he gave the business smile or devilish grin, Viers couldn''t tell. ¡°No problem at all. Thank you for your patronage,¡± the man replied while giving the change. ¡°Dear customer, should you perchance acquire items that people lost and are in need to¡­ exchange those into other values, we might be able to assist you.¡± In other words, illegally obtained items could be brought here to be sold. ¡°Does this service guarantee the privacy of the user?¡± Viers made half a smile under the helmet and the shopkeeper could sense it despite being unable to see it. He smiled back and rubbed his hand together. ¡°Absolutely, dear customer. We treat gentlemen such as yourself with the highest regards.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°We shall see¡­ I might need to find an enchanter able to break locked magical items. I suppose you have an idea where I might find such a person?¡± ¡°Ah, what a happy coincidence. Our establishment is affiliated with such a person. Although, it is up to that person to accept your request or not.¡± The shopkeeper wrote an address and gave it to Viers. ¡°This is the address.¡± Viers tossed a silver coin to him using his thumb. The coin made an arc and there was a clear ring of metal before it landed on the palm of the shopkeeper. ¡°Thank you for your patronage. We look forward to your return, honored customer,¡± the shopkeeper politely bowed. Viers left the Rich Goblin¡¯s Vault with a new equipment set and an almost empty wallet. Viers planned to make inquiries about the backchannel of the trading business later but they already made contact first. That meant this city¡¯s underworld influence was more prominent and widespread than he thought. As expected of a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Viers looked like a beggar when he entered the equipment shop but he went out after taking a step upward in coolness with his new gear. He returned to the inn after buying lunch for Boram and dropped his baggage. Boram seemed to like the hammer. He left again to accomplish the other main reason he came to Marakkus city for. Viers was walking quite happily. ¡°Someone¡¯s in a fine mood,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°Why shouldn''t I be?¡± ¡°How long are we staying here?¡± She asked. ¡°Until I become an Obsidian rank adventurer. Should be less than ten days. Why?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just don''t like this city very much.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll finish my business as soon as possible then. How is your end coming along?¡± ¡°It''s done. I¡¯ll give it to you now if you want.¡± ¡°Hehe, good news often come in pairs. No, let''s wait until tonight. Thank you Rissa, get some rest.¡± He walked to the address the gold tooth shopkeeper had given him. When he reached there, there was a line. Ten people were waiting to get inside a building. Thyris Enchantment was written above the door. ¡°Woah, busy place.¡± Viers didn''t expect the line. He lined up obediently at the eleventh place. ¡°What, you didn''t know? Thyris Enchantment is the best shop about enchantment in the middle class area of the city,¡± the person in front of him opened a conversation. Enchantment could also be called formation or array. The core point of the technique was about creating magic circles to do wondrous feats. From refrigerators to fireballs, from alarm gadgets to flying carpets. Not only for attacking or defending but also for imbuing objects. Half of the magic items in existence were created by enchanting mundane things. It was called with many names across thousands of xianxia stories depending on the author¡¯s imagination but the essence remained the same. Other than healing experts and alchemists, this is the most common second profession for xianxia MCs. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± Viers asked the man in front. ¡°Not long, just about fifteen minutes,¡± he smiled. ¡°We should be going in soon.¡± ¡°Hmn? Enchanting should be a complicated process is it not? How could this shop complete it so quickly?¡± ¡°Well, not all of us are going to be customers,¡± he explained. ¡°You must prove your worthiness first. The owner is eccentric that way. Good luck.¡± A person who looked like an employee came out from the building and opened the door. Ten people came out dejectedly. ¡°Next,¡± he shouted. The people orderly marched in but Viers was stopped. ¡°Ten people per turn. Please wait a bit.¡± This reminded Viers about lining up for attraction rides at amusement parks. ¡°See you later bud, wish me luck.¡± The man in front of Viers said as he went in. Oh well, fifteen-minute wait, huh? Viers was considering diving into the Grid and doing a virtual battle session with Freya or the other opponents but the new arrival made him pause. A fat youth was riding in a carriage pulled by a giant of a man. The youth was sandwiched by two gorgeous women in sexy clothes, a rabbit and a cat beastfolks. The youth was eating a grape that the rabbit beastfolk offered him while his hand was groping the cat beastfolk chest. Behind the carriage was a squad of city guards. All of them were Level 2s. The girls and the man pulling the carriage are slaves, Viers thought after seeing the collars on their neck. The youth went down from the carriage, his clothes looked so high class. All his fingers had a ring on them, some fingers even had two rings. All magical items. ¡°Y-Young Master Irkun! Welcome to Thyris Enchantment,¡± the employee nervously said. ¡°I''m here to visit your mistress,¡± the pompous fat youth spoke. ¡°P-please wait! Mistress is busy at the mome- AH!¡± The employee was struck by Irkun and flung to the side. A blast of fiery ash made half the torso of the employee suffer burns. ¡°I¡¯m not killing you in consideration of your mistress,¡± Irkun went in, followed by his two beastfolk slaves and some of his city guard chaperones. One of the remaining city guards helped the injured employee. ¡°Young master is in a bad mood.¡± ¡°The harpy slave that he just bought committed suicide. Apparently, he still hasn''t tasted her enough.¡± ¡°That explains it. He loves female demi-human slaves.¡± Viers just watched the earlier while eavesdropping on the city guards¡¯ conversation with his enhanced hearing. ...Tenryuubito? Well shit. I¡¯m not as strong as Luffy at the moment. ¡°What a distasteful guy!¡± Paina said. ¡°No shit,¡± Viers replied. ¡°And I¡¯ve dodged another death flag.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Dia. I didn''t want to separate from her either but look. Suppose I¡¯m an idiot that goes into a sin city filled with people with more power and influence than me with a dryad, what do you think would happen when we meet that annoying young master just now?¡± ¡°...Since that guy likes demi-human slaves then he¡¯ll take Dia as a slave?¡± Farley said. ¡°Exactly! I¡¯ll need to save Dia since she is too precious but I¡¯ll get into conflict with that fucker, who clearly comes from a family of influence. It won''t surprise me if that guy is a direct descendant of Marakkus¡¯ Governor-King. Oh I will kill him in the end but then his daddy and granddaddy will come after me. The template development!!¡± Chapter 75 - Smooth Strangely, the previous ten people did not run out after the young master forcibly went in with his entourage. Since he must wait, then Viers wisely waited. Even an hour of waiting was a small price to pay for avoiding a death enmity with people stronger than him. Some people would call it cowardly, Viers called it wisdom. With the free time he had, Viers observed the man pulling the annoying young master¡¯s expensive carriage. He was a gigantic muscular man about three meters tall. What a big person. Is he really human? Is he a body cultivator or perhaps because of the Profound Codex he uses? He wore a slave''s grey garment. Most importantly, Viers couldn''t fathom his depth. This guy¡­ is he Level 3? Feeling Viers¡¯ gaze, the giant man looked at Viers too. Viers politely nodded and turned away. Five minutes waiting, just as Viers was about to dive and fight a virtual battle, the door opened abruptly. The previous ten people who went in hastily ran out with a fearful expression. A terrifying power was seeping out from the opened door which startled even Viers. Level 3? No, Level 4 power! Viers hugged the ground and with an explosion, the pompous young master was flung out of the door like a boulder from a trebuchet. The fat man was on fire, literally. ¡°Arrggh! Don''t you fucking know who I am, you bitch!¡± The burned man looked a little worse for wear but he was fine. Viers deduced it wasn''t because of his life-saving item or whatnot but because the Level 4 was holding back. ¡°I don''t care! Leave my sister alone you disgusting swine! And never come here again!¡± A feminine voice resounded from inside the three-story building. It radiated with power, so much pressure came from the intent and voice Viers felt he was caught in a gravity field, his whole body felt heavy. ¡°My grandfather would hea-¡± The swine on fire tried to speak but a red thunderbolt hit his chest from the opened door and he lost consciousness. ¡°Get out of my sight.¡± The pressure of the Level 4 that enveloped the area disappeared. Phew¡­ so that¡¯s a Level 4. As expected of a city. There must be many more powerhouses here and there. Most of them should be in the high class area. I didn''t expect to find one here. The other people who went in with the young master came out and tended to their unconscious master. As for the other city guards that remained on the outside, like Viers, they were on the ground because of the Level 4¡¯s pressure. But one person didn''t. Huh, fancy that. The giant slave man managed to handle the pressure. Only he stood straight-backed in the midst of the display of power. Carrying the unconscious son of a bigshot, the two beastfolk slaves, the big man slave, and the city guards hurriedly left the area. As for Viers, he patted his clothes to whisk away the dust and straightened his helmet before resuming waiting in front of the shop. A few servants had come and taken the injured employee in before closing the door. Viers kept waiting. Five minutes. Ten minutes. After fifteen minutes, a different person came out. ¡°Please come in, dear customer.¡± Viers nodded then went in, the door closed behind him and the room became pitch black. In the next second, torches on the wall lit up. He was in a long corridor with no end in sight. Uncountable doors were on his left and right. Teleport? No way. Space nonsense? Too high level. Illusion then. ¡°I only want to get enchantment. Is there a need for such a display?¡± Viers said out loud. ¡°We are artists and our enchantments are works of art. Giving our services to those who don''t understand the value is no different than casting pearls before swine. If you find the exit in fifteen minutes, you pass.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The voice was scrambled, Viers didn''t know the speaker was male or female. When in Rome¡­ Viers observed his surroundings in more detail. The walls are filled with inscriptions. Opening an incorrect door would trigger another effect, worse effects¡­ So this is this world¡¯s array technique. Truthfully, Viers didn''t understand anything about arrays or enchantments. He didn''t have the opportunity to learn them before. Not that he wasn''t interested but as always in the xianxia stories, whether one becomes an alchemist or an array master it would need massive wealth and time. Viers wasn''t poor but compared to the truly wealthy, his wealth wasn''t anything special. And since he basically had zero experience in arrays, he shouldn''t be able to uncover the mysteries within to break the illusion. But what a shame, this is useless against me. Euryale Sight! The world he saw was now different. Viers saw how the inscriptions worked, how they connected with each other, and although he still didn''t know what each array did he could make a deduction. He walked slowly while looking at his surroundings. This array looks important, poke. Viers touched the magic circle and the illusion broke apart with the sound of cracking glass. He was actually in an empty room with only one door. I walked about 10 minutes in a straight line, this shouldn''t be possible in such a small room. Didn''t the array mess up my perception also? With only one path forward, Viers opened the door and stepped in. ¡°Impressive.¡± Viers heard a familiar voice and sighed. I should have known. How could I have missed the flags? It was a room only with a single table with two chairs. One chair was already occupied by a redheaded woman with a dynamite body and amber eyes. She wore a revealing witch''s garb and a pointy hat. She looked delighted to see Viers. ¡°Hi, hi. Welcome, Avel. New look I see? It suits you. Still can''t see your face though. We meet again so fast, is this fate?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interrupting am I? Is the Level 4 still angry? I can leave if it is inconvenient.¡± ¡°It''s fine. She¡¯s not the type to lash out at innocent bystanders. Are you here to visit sister Iz?¡± She winked. ¡°I want two things enchanted. First is this sword,¡± Viers disregarded her sweet and friendly attitude and went all business. He put the sword on top of the table. ¡°Oooh. So serious. This sister likes serious boys too~ Lesse, lesse¡­ Just a normal sword without any enchantment. Unusual shape though. What enchantment do you want?¡± ¡°I was thinking just basic durability enchantment¡­ and self-repair if you have the skill?¡± ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to? Sister Iz is a great enchanter, you know.¡± She harrumphed. ¡°Those two are very simple enchantments. Are you sure that¡¯s what you want?¡± Viers was thinking for a bit before speaking. ¡°I¡¯m a water user. The previous sword I had could absorb water and release it in battle. I¡¯m actually quite fond of that gimmick but that sword broke.¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ unfortunately the item material isn''t compatible with that kind of storing enchantment.¡± Izabella frowned. ¡°...You know enchantments better than I do. Recommendations?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re a Level 2 water Pathseeker, how about...¡± Izabella informed Viers about her pick. ¡°...Quite good. Alright, I¡¯ll take that enchantment. As for the other, it is this,¡± Viers pointed his finger to his own knight¡¯s helmet. ¡°Yes, wearing that doesn''t make you conspicuous at all.¡± ¡°There are indeed not many in the adventurer¡¯s guild who wore helmets,¡± Viers nodded. Adventurers sell their reputation after all. Who would know who they are if they covered their face? ¡°In any case, I want this helmet to be enchanted with anti-see through, durability, and comfortability.¡± ¡°Comfortability?¡± She questioned. ¡°It can get very hot and stuffy in here...¡± Viers explained. Izabella tried to not laugh but a chuckle escaped her lips. ¡°Alright, I can do all of that.¡± ¡°Good. How long would it take and how much is the price.¡± ¡°Just two hours is enough. You need to take off that helmet so I can work on it though.¡± Viers raised his hands to his helmet and took it off. Izabella had giddy anticipation in her eyes. Below Viers¡¯ helmet, was his face covered with his dark blue face covering. ¡°Not fair!¡± Izabella protested. ¡°My face isn''t anything special. I¡¯m shy you see.¡± Viers spoke as if it was a matter of course. ¡°The price?¡± ¡°Five mana crystals. Three if you take off the cloth on your face.¡± ¡°Five mana crystals it is,¡± Viers put the fifteen gold coins on the table, the equivalent. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in two hours.¡± ¡°Ooh boo¡­ Is that all, Cain of Ur?¡± Izabella sharply said. ¡°...Who?¡± Viers¡¯ body language and tone betrayed nothing. ¡°Pretty impressive surviving the encounter with Freya Marianus and Gregory Simon, the Level 5. I suppose there¡¯s no way you want to share that story with sister Iz?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else.¡± Viers went out of the room as if leaving a friend¡¯s house. No awkward movements whatsoever. ¡°...Was I really mistaken?¡± Izabella muttered. ¡°Perhaps not,¡± a person silhouette appeared in the room as if she teleported. ¡°Big sis, what do you think?¡± ¡°I didn''t sense any special power from him but his eye technique is quite good. He saw through your array in an instant.¡± ¡°...You plan to bring him there?¡± Izabella was a bit surprised. ¡°Let''s not make any conjectures. This is a crucial time for us. No time for distractions.¡± The Level 4''s form faded into thin air, leaving Izabella alone in silence. ¡°Avel¡­¡± Chapter 76 - Funneling After leaving Izabella¡¯s shop, Viers wandered the streets with no destination in mind. No one is following me. Did I deceive them or do they think I¡¯m not important enough? There should be many criminals here in Marakkus. My situation isn''t overly special. Viers sighed, half relieved and half annoyed. Still, have to abort my original plan though. It was about the inventory rings. He wanted to crack the locking enchantment and access the inside but the second he laid eyes on Izabella who would break the lock, Viers hit the abort button. He made it seem he wanted to enchant his sword and helmet in the first place. Hmph! Thousands of people live here in this city but I encountered her twice. What shitty luck! ¡°We must be on guard about that Izabella character, Lord Viers. Especially the faction behind her.¡± ¡°I know. They are already proven to have a Level 4 and a vast information network. Izabella herself is a Level 3. I don''t want conflict with them.¡± ¡°So what are your plans now?¡± ¡°...I think it''s time to contact our old buddies from the Cult of Dumuzin,¡± Viers said to Farley and ended the conversation there. Viers had two hours to burn. Since his purse felt light, he visited a bank. ¡°Welcome to Florenzi Bank. How may I help you.¡± ¡°I would like to make a transfer from this account to this account,¡± Viers spoke to the man behind the counter. His masked face raised no issue in the bank with a Level 4 aura in full display to deter any unwise thoughts. ¡°Certainly¡­ The signature and password are in order. What¡¯s the amount of transfer?¡± The clerk said. ¡°All of it,¡± Viers replied. ¡°As you wish¡­ It¡¯s done. Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Next is from this account, the destination is the same.¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± The clerk simply did what Viers requested. Viers gave out four different accounts, sucked those funds dry, and put it all into one account, his own. The owners of those accounts were people that had fallen by his blade. Viers soul searched them for their signature and password. He took their money as spoils of war to fill his coffers. It took some practice to falsify another¡¯s signature but Viers was almost a professional signature forger at this point. Florenzi bank was the biggest bank in the Coalition. While they provided higher security protection such as mana signatures to those who requested it but it came with a cost. Regular people with regular accounts were way easier to crack. The account that Viers funneled the funds into didn¡¯t have Viers¡¯ name in it, not Cain or even Avel. Viers used an entirely different name and it was fine. While it was hard to steal the money directly by storming the physical bank because of the extensive protection, Viers circumvented the protections by making the departed souls give their money to him, willing or otherwise. He funneled funds when he visited different towns during his travels. While he didn''t break any regulations, he could bring suspicion if he did it too much in one place. ¡°Don''t look at me that way. Pathseekers always need money. No one gets far in the Path of Power while being poor,¡± Viers said to one person in his mind. ¡°But...¡± Paina was unconvinced. ¡°Relax. I only take from the bad guys and those with plenty.¡± Viers always felt the MCs in xianxia stories didn''t utilize soul search to its full potential. That is why Viers often soul-searched the souls in his possession. I haven''t gained game-changing information from these people though. Too low leveled? At least I can have more gains. It¡¯s not polite to have leftover food on your plate. You have to clean it. Usually Viers only did transfers from one or two accounts per town but he felt a bit poor after the shopping spree. After the transfers, Viers made withdrawals in mana crystals and gold coins. Mana crystals could be absorbed by Pathseekers to speed up their cultivation. A single mana crystal was normally priced at three gold coins. I need these to make Boram a Level 2 as soon as possible. The stronger he is, the lesser my Victa burden. Not to mention my regular cultivation session. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Viers spent the remaining time sightseeing the city, visiting the nearby equipment shop and the Magisterium to browse the Artes they sell here. He only saw two robberies and three corpses lying in the street, a slow day, according to the locals. He returned to the enchanter after the time was up. While he looked relaxed, he actually was in full battle readiness. He didn''t want to get close to Iz or the Level 4 but if he didn¡¯t show up it would make him more suspicious. ¡°Done and done. Thyris Enchantment pride themselves by giving their customer full satisfaction,¡± Izabella spoke. Viers examined the sword and helmet. ¡°Good. Our business is concluded. Farewell,¡± Viers brought the two items with him without equipping them. ¡°No need to make it sound so final. We¡¯ll meet again in the guild very soon. Bye-bye, don''t be a stranger,¡± Iz waved her thin fingers and gave a warm smile. Viers left as smoothly as possible. At the same time, two people were looking at the scene using a crystal ball. ¡°I want you to test that kid. He broke Izabella¡¯s illusion array as if he was the one who made it himself. His knowledge about unraveling arrays might be what we need,¡± said the woman. Her face was hidden under a red hood. ¡°Understood, Blood Exarch.¡± Alan, the adventurer with the moniker the Prince of Thieves and famed as one of the most promising Level 3 felt how small he was compared to the Level 4 in front of him. There was no discharge of power, no Victa seeped out from her body but Alan felt he was in front of a boiling volcano, separated by a paper-thin distance. Dangerous. *** When Viers returned to the Bird Nest inn, the first thing he did was thoroughly examine the sword and helmet. ¡°Euryale Sight didn''t find anything wrong with them. What about you girls?¡± Viers conferred with his confidants. ¡°You asked the wrong person. Don''t know anything about enchantment,¡± Paina said. ¡°Me too. Apologies, Lord Viers,¡± Farley followed. ¡°Me three. Making magical items and inscriptions are not my forte,¡± Clarissa also gave a negative. ¡°Well, at least there¡¯s no hidden danger on them that I can see. That is either good or bad.¡± Good in the sense that the items were really clear of tampering or bad because Iz or others were skilled enough to plant something that he couldn''t see. ¡°Well, we failed this time. Let''s try another enchanter.¡± ¡°Viers, why don''t you just ask that Izabella to unlock them anyway?¡± Paina asked. ¡°I went to this shit city to break the enchantment on the rings. In other cities, it would be more complicated. This city is notorious for the selling and buying of illegal or stolen items, you can even sell human corpses here. Every criminal organization has a presence in this city. Breaking it here would obscure our tracks more. Other than the accumulated riches of Farley¡¯s family, which are sensitive items since they might contain clues to Luxore town, there¡¯s also a more precious thing inside. I want it done as secretly as possible.¡± Viers sighed. ¡°Perhaps I might be too optimistic about breaking the lock here incognito. Iz already sniffed out my identity. She¡¯s connected to the underworld and well informed about the happenings on the continent. What are the odds she or her organization didn''t have eyes and ears in this very city?¡± The girls were silent, they agreed with Viers. ¡°So we won''t break the lock here?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°No, too early to decide. Let''s seek more info from Farley¡¯s former colleagues first,¡± Viers decided. ¡°On another note, how is the progress with your projects?¡± ¡°The Symphony, as you called it, is forming nicely. There¡¯s still much room for improvement but even now it should be able to greatly aid you in battle.¡± Viers gave Paina free rein about what she wanted to do. Paina followed her music and soul buff route, a great feat since she did not have sound or soul affinities. Is she actually a musical genius? For now her main was still using her flute as the medium for her Artes but who knew about the future. Since Viers pulled Yuru Biyori music from his memory, she showed interest in the different instruments, songs, and genres in Viers¡¯ possession. ¡°Other than improving my coordination, I have made some leeway about that water Arte concept that you told me. Unfortunately, it is beyond my ability to accomplish on my own. The power is very great but it is such a complex and precise Arte. I can''t even do the second step yet. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. I know it is too much for a single person at our level. That is why we¡¯ll do it together.¡± Farley focused on her idea as a second brain for Viers. They have trained extensively in the Grid together, fighting against various monsters and people. Paina occasionally joined them although she was more focused on her own music project. To put it simply, Farley was a specialist. She was so helpful. Need to defend? She already prepared a defensive Arte just in case. Need a rapid attack? She landed her own Arte at the same time as Viers or just a moment behind for maximum effect. Need one big attack? She integrated herself in Viers¡¯ casting process, making the Arte more stable, more powerful, and more explosive. She was like a super automated AI for defense and offense, providing efficient assistance to Viers¡¯ battle style. Viers wasn''t bad in battle, although he lacked formal training and most of his style was self-created. Farley¡¯s existence empowered Viers¡¯ strength and covered the department he was lacking. She¡¯s been so helpful in a fight I¡¯m afraid I might become overly reliant on her. ¡°As for me, I¡¯ll need a bit more time. Even with your insight, the progress is not smooth. I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m lagging behind, I¡¯ve never done something like this before,¡± Clarissa regretted her progress wasn''t as good as the other two. ¡°It''s fine. This is not a race,¡± Viers calmed her down. He met the eyes of the three, thanks to whom his strength soared ever higher. Naturally, he didn''t dump his cultivation responsibilities to the other three so he could play around and experience something new. Viers didn''t forget how much weaker he was compared to Freya and how wide the world was. But that¡¯s what makes this journey worthwhile. ¡°Alright, council adjourned.¡± Chapter 77 - Water Heaven Shring! The sound of metal leaving its sheath with a purpose rang out. A leaf was cleaved in two whilst dancing in the air. Like a swallow¡¯s flight, the blade¡¯s trajectory changed to cut a different leaf. A gust of wind blew, carrying many more leaves with it. Viers welcomed the gifts. Some moved almost in a straight line, some approached like drifting clouds. Others were flickering chaotically, because of their different shapes, holes from caterpillar bites, or a slight change in the turbulence. One, five, ten, twelve leaves were cut the second they entered his range. All the while his eyes were closed. The air became still as the wind abated and Viers returned the sword to its sheath. No. Not this. Something felt off inside Viers¡¯ mind. This was one of Viers¡¯ sword training excercises that he devised for awareness and precision. He had done this many times but for the first time, he felt something was imprecise. Not because of his result, it was his best record thus far. What do I seek from this katana? What kind of swordsmanship do I want to have? Viers opened his eyes and saw a tree. It had the diameter of a man¡¯s waist. It was tough, robust, firm, durable, and resilient. Its roots and trunk were undoubtedly strong, as the tall tree had stood there for many, many years. One word came to his mind, obstruction. Obstruction = Cut! Viers curled his body to the side, his left hand was holding the katana¡¯s sheath and his right was hovering just an inch above the handle. Breathe in, breathe out. He felt his consciousness reaching out to his entire body, every muscle, every bone, every drop of blood. He knew what he wanted. Mind and body moved with one purpose, joined in one purpose. Viers slashed. The katana had left its sheath, right arm fully extended. The blade was fixed in the air for the wielder¡¯s body was as still as a statue. The tree had a slit on its body. Slowly, oh so slowly, it slid diagonally. The tree fell, loud noise, birds flew in surprise. And yet Viers looked at the piece of metal in his hand as if he was having an epiphany. This is it! This is what I seek! Viers broke into a run. He had a spark in his head, a picture, an ideal. He feared it would melt and disappear unless he acted quickly. He stopped in front of a tree. The same kind as the last one but bigger, three times as much. Viers made the same posture but his Victa was blaring full force. The fallen leaves near his feet were cleared away by the wind pressure he unintentionally created. More. Viers was preparing to unleash a slash with the full might of his power so he didn¡¯t hold his Victa back. More. Blue aura covered his body, an aura that would make people suffocate if they were too close in his vicinity. More! Viers wasn¡¯t satisfied. He had reached this stage before but he wanted to take it a step further. More refined, more¡­ honed. And he manifested that intent in the real world. Arte ¡ª Cut the Crap! Not only using his body but also with his spirit, Viers drew the katana on his waist in the most perfect motion he¡¯d ever done before. No Victa was wasted. Every drop of his power was contained in that motion of acute severing. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Flashing sound of metal, the weighty feedback on the hand, and the deep exhilaration from the heart. The katana was wreathed in a blue aura. Not with water because Cut the Crap wasn¡¯t an elemental Arte. It was the color of Viers¡¯ aura, seeped into the Arte. Nevertheless, no one would underestimate Viers¡¯ strike if they witnessed it. It was as if Viers made a razor-sharp cut on the space itself. A simple, thin blue line lingered on reality and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Viers put his katana back in its sheath. The click that the sword made when the sheathing was complete became the signal. The tree was no longer connected to its lower part and followed the laws of gravity. The shockwave produced as the wooden titan met the earth caused Viers¡¯ clothes to sway backward. Viers enjoyed that sensation very much. Sharpness. Sharpness beyond compare. That is what I want in my swordsmanship. ¡°¡­Boram,¡± Viers suddenly said. ¡°Yes, Master?¡± Boram¡¯s voice came from Viers¡¯ back. ¡°The target is coming. Prepare yourself.¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± Boram gripped the handle of his hammer tightly. From the forest¡¯s direction, it seemed like the trees moved. Creatures were shaking the crown of the trees. Boram laid his eyes on them soon enough, on the big-eared monkeys. Ears so big they seemed to have three heads. They were only a little bit bigger than normal monkeys and only Level 0. There must have been twenty of them, not that many. Boram felt relief because he was the one tasked with fighting them. ¡°Mustsilent Monkeys. Their ears are very sensitive to sounds, to the point that they hate loud noises with a vengeance, especially in their territory. They have bred too much and the quest is to cull them. You can handle it, yes?¡± ¡°Yes Master,¡± Boram had a fire of confidence in his heart. ¡°Since I made such a loud noise, the whole big ears happy family might be coming here. That is just the first group. If you don¡¯t want to be swarmed by one or two hundred monkeys, better make quick work of this rabble,¡± Viers sneered. And Boram¡¯s confidence was doused by the ice-cold water of his horrible master. The pack of silent monkeys with angry eyes cared not for Boram¡¯s plight and pounced on him with teeth and claws. *** Viers allowed the twelve-year-old slave to fall asleep as soon as they returned to camp. He had wounds all over his body but nothing fatal, Viers made sure of that. He even discreetly took action to prevent Boram from suffering fatal strikes. Boram fought valiantly, he had swung his hammer as if there was no tomorrow but the blasted monkeys just kept coming. The eerily silent monkeys finally overwhelmed him at the fourth wave. Viers watched the fight while being protected by a water sphere of his own conjuring. As an Arte from a Level 2, the barrier stood unflinching from the assault of the monkeys. After Boram was pushed to the brink of collapse, Viers took action and finished the quest. The forest had a hundred fewer Mustsilent Monkeys now. As Boram''s master, not only in the matter of slavery, Viers healed most of his wounds and bandaged the rest. A few scratch wounds would do well to remind him of this lesson for the next few days. He made a simple meal for himself and Boram after he woke up. Brownie was grazing lazily near the camp. He stroked the mare¡¯s neck and offered an apple which she took with a happy whinnying. While letting Boram rest, he recalled his earlier swordsmanship and went to the White Flowers Meadow. ¡°I have a grand announcement,¡± Viers said to the girls. ¡°Yes?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°As you all know, I have no martial teacher and my swordsmanship is self-taught. Therefore I¡¯ll create my own sword style!¡± ¡°¡­Ooo kay?¡± Paina didn¡¯t really know how to reply. Viers made a grin that split his face ear to ear. ¡°It''s gonna be glorious. I call it, Suiten Mitsurugi-ryuu!¡± If a crow existed in Viers¡¯ realm of consciousness, its cry would be heard now to fill the awkward silence. ¡°Lord Viers, what language is that?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. It means Water Heaven Govern Sword Style!¡± Viers paused, waiting for their reaction. ¡°¡­Congrats?¡± ¡°Thank you Paina! I now formally added its first technique, Cut the Crap!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering about this for a long time. Do you really name your Arte that?¡± Clarissa was piqued. ¡°Of course. What¡¯s the problem?¡± It was his first self-created Arte, basically it was a quick draw technique. It could also be done without sheathing the sword although the power would go down. Now that he has a katana, the quick draw would be smoother than using a common straight sword he used before. In Viers¡¯ opinion, whether it was a sea splitting cut, sun cutter sword, or a dimension slash, ultimately, they were all a slash. A stroke of the blade. Viers would continue infusing and improving this Arte with all the martial attainment he had until he could cut all creations merely with one swing of his sword. One day, I want to cut down pompous gods and devils while shouting Cut the Crap on the top of my lungs. While they are looking down on me and delivering exposition with an I-am-holier-than-thou attitude¡­ How glorious that would be. ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± Viers magnanimously ignored the amusement in Clarissa¡¯s eyes. ¡°So what¡¯s your sword style''s core essence, Lord Viers?¡± ¡°To kill, period!¡± Viers stressed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t every martial style or technique do that?¡± Paina said the obvious. ¡°Well¡­ to kill efficiently. With speed and power. Coming down on the enemy like the wrath of God. Offense is the best defense. That¡­ sort of thing.¡± Why the lukewarm reaction? ¡°I don¡¯t doubt your power Viers but you need to work on your sales pitch.¡± Paina went away. ¡°As long as it gets the job done. Do your best,¡± Clarissa was also disinterested. Strange, it seemed so much better in my mind. ¡°I think it¡¯s great,¡± Farley, the only one remaining, tried to feign interest. It would have worked too if Viers couldn¡¯t sense her true mood. She really was a good liar. ¡°Water Heaven¡­ nice name. Are you intending to control all the water under the sky, Lord Viers?¡± Viers was grateful for the idea and replied with a devilish grin. ¡°That was not my intention when making that name but now that you mention it, why not? Nobody has a claim on all of them, right? Might as well be me.¡± 89.51% Chapter 78 - A Slaves Worry He had a new name, Boram Rockboa. His third master said the name was taken from two people, a soldier and a boxer, great people both. When his second master sold him off from the quarry, he was worried but also had hoped that life would turn for the better for him. After learning where he ended up and the stories from other slaves, he didn¡¯t have much hope. Then he came along. He strutted to the slave¡¯s quarters with a piercing inquisitive gaze, as if nothing could be hidden from his eyes. From tens of slaves, he picked him and named him Boram. A few days later, Boram wasn¡¯t sure if his life had taken a turn for the better or worse. His third master had fed him and clothed him. His demand wasn¡¯t much, train and fight. Boram could do that. It could be worse, according to the stories from other slaves. Boram didn¡¯t have much experience fighting. He exchanged fists with a kid that lived next door for a toy and once more during his time in the quarry. Those two instances were the sum of his fighting record. Suddenly, his third master told him to kill a stone dog with his bare hands. The first fight was a blur, Boram didn¡¯t remember what he was doing and moved on instinct. He utilized his arms that used to break rocks and defended against the dog¡¯s bite and head-butts. The dog was defeated, its head caved in. Boram struggled to keep his breath. It felt tiring, strangely. Carrying boulders ten times heavier than this dog didn¡¯t make him sweat so why did he feel so tired now? Blood and death didn¡¯t faze him though, he was very familiar to them. He had seen other slaves die, from sickness or from the barbarity of other people. Seeing his master¡¯s disapproval, he thought he would get another whip, or verbal lashing if the master was feeling generous. At least Boram was familiar with pain. After much whipping and beating he acquired the skill of creating defenses just before the hit landed to mitigate the pain. He didn¡¯t make it obvious so the foreman didn¡¯t realize. He figured he would need to polish that skill again after a month without use. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. Be better.¡± He didn¡¯t get hit but Master Avel made Boram fight a couple more dogs. Boram was determined to fight better. If he didn¡¯t, perhaps he won¡¯t get any food tonight, who knows? Boram didn¡¯t want to find out. ¡°Watch me.¡± Master Avel fought a dog pack with the dogs¡¯ big boss in it. The smaller dogs that gave Boram much trouble were killed with impunity by Master Avel and his match with the dog boss was awe-inspiring. He is already so strong, why would he need me? He also seemed very rich. Otherwise, how could he bestow tens of mana crystals to him like candies? Boram at least understood that one of those mana crystals was worth three gold coins, and he could have a full belly every day for a month with a single gold coin. The dismantling that followed was memorable, to say the least. He thought he was used to blood but he was wrong. He had dreams of a bloody liver chasing him that night. One thing he liked about Master Avel was that he expanded his mind. There were many lessons, not only cultivation and fighting pointers but reading, cooking, maths, stories, Boram enjoyed those. When he talked about the map, Boram only then realized how small his world had been. His life at the quarry was a constant dull and tiring repetition: break rocks, carry boulders, eat, sleep, repeat. Following Master Avel, it had been constantly new things at the very least. It almost made him remember his life from before he was enslaved. On a particular day, he saw his master training his swordplay. Boram wasn¡¯t an expert but he felt his master¡¯s sword was very fast as he cut the leaves. Master really is strong. Next, he made a stance in front of a tree. Boram disapproved, even he knew that using an axe was better for hacking a tree down. What would a flimsy sword do? The tree fell and his doubt was cut down at the same time. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. But Master Avel didn''t have enough, he wanted to cut down an even bigger tree. Boram wondered how many strokes of an axe he would need to bring it down and how many for his master. It was then he witnessed Master Avel unleashed his power. Boram witnessed this from a distance with an opened mouth, the blue aura that acted like a beast unchained. Then, the aura changed. He was an amateur Pathseeker, unversed in the ways of cultivation but he realized Master Avel had done something more than simply emitting his Victa. Master¡¯s aura became refined, no other word was more fitting for what he witnessed. The tree fell before the incredible slash and Boram felt awe and fear in equal measure. Before he could put his feelings in order, the pack of silent monkeys swarmed him and any thoughts of contemplation were drowned in the heat of battle. He must have lost consciousness because when he awoke, he was already back at the camp. He tried to move but the pain made him wince. ¡°You¡¯re awake? I¡¯ve made some food, eat up.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Boram picked the meat on the leaf plate. He watched his master while he was eating since Master Avel was doing something strange again. He was making a small monkey sculpture from ice using magic. As always, he was wearing his new full-face helmet. Boram had never seen what his master¡¯s face looked like. He seemed to be in deep concentration, although Boram only guessed it. ¡°Mmm? Curious about this?¡± Boram nodded. ¡°This is an ability that Pathseekers can access at Level 2, to change their innate elemental affinity to something closely related to it. You know that water turns into ice when it''s cold, right? That is what I¡¯m doing.¡± Boram was silent, what else could he do? ¡°My affinity is water, since I don''t have ice affinity from the start, I need a lot more control and effort to utilize ice properly.¡± ¡°So Master can use ice too? What else?¡± ¡°I was about to ask you. What else is closely related to water?¡± ¡°Ice when water is cold and steam when it is hot,¡± Boram answered. ¡°Right. Those aren''t all though.¡± ¡°Why use other forms? What¡¯s the use?¡± ¡°Suppose there¡¯s a monster that is highly resistant to water, or even made of water. If you¡¯re a water Pathseeker, how would you defeat it?¡± ¡°...Using items?¡± ¡°Yes, that could work. Or you could use ice, steam, cloud, mud, blood, to defeat it. The Arte you used by changing your element to other closely related elements is called Ixi Arte. The effect is often limited though. If you¡¯re resistant to water then you¡¯re supposed to be resistant to other forms of water, right? That is the case, to some degree.¡± Boram remained unconvinced. It seemed a hassle. ¡°The easiest way is to bring other people that use different elements than yours. That¡¯s why I have you.¡± ¡°What can earth change into?¡± He was curious about his element. ¡°Metal, magma, mud, and gravity.¡± ¡°What¡¯s gravity?¡± Boram asked about the strange term. ¡°You¡¯ll understand in due time. It¡¯s a powerful thing.¡± ¡°Master, are you urging me to be a Level 2 as soon as possible so I can make those other forms of earth? To use the Ixi Artes?¡± ¡°Not really. I want you to rise to Level 2 so you become stronger. Using other forms of your affinity does not instantly make your Arte more great and it comes with a drawback. It is harder to use. Most people just stick to their original affinity and don¡¯t bother with Ixi Artes. Well, they¡¯re not wrong.¡± ¡°So why did you?¡± ¡°For adaptability. Eventually, I want to be able to handle all my problems by myself, without relying on other people. But it isn''t possible for the current me. That is why I employ your help. I make an effort to that end though. So I¡¯m polishing my Ixi Artes.¡± The ice sculpture was now fully formed. Master Avel slammed both of his hands to the ground. ¡°Ixi Arte ¡ª Ice Wall.¡± A two meters high and three meters wide wall of ice was conjured into being. Boram saw the sculpture shattered and turned into that wall. Something that small definitely couldn''t make a wall of ice that big so Master must be compensating using his Victa. ¡°Naturally, there¡¯s also an advantage using Ixi Artes, making use of that particular element''s good points. For example, ice is good for defending and sealing while blood is the strongest of all water forms for attacking. If completely equal casters are clashing with the same Arte with the same power, one using water and one using blood, then the one utilizing blood would win the Arte clash. Don''t ask me why, it¡¯s magic. I don''t know everything, it just does.¡± The ice wall turned into water again, making a puddle on the ground. ¡°Water is the broadest in terms of Ixi Arte, it would be a shame if I don''t take advantage of it. Though, I would just focus on one or two elements. Too many and it would be a burden.¡± Master Avel then turned in his direction. ¡°But enough about that. Let''s talk about you. You have fought a few types of monsters but unlike those before, the monkeys are agile and small. They are hard to hit with your strength and hammer, yes?¡± Boram nodded. He was overwhelmed by the sheer number of monkeys in the end. ¡°It was a bad match for you. With the right technique or Arte they might not matter but you don''t have it. Now you know your weakness and strength, let''s work on that. I promise you will become a very dangerous person, you will become strong. I don''t know what kind of dignity you seek, I can only teach you to become stronger. But it is definitely easier to live with dignity if you¡¯re strong and not powerless. Which is why diligently cultivating serves your purpose and mine. Work hard or you will be left behind. My powers grow stronger every day.¡± Boram still didn''t know whether his new master would be a boon or disaster for him but one thing he knew for sure, his days would no longer be boring. Chapter 79 - Gathering Intel Viers left Boram in the inn to cultivate as he went about his business. He wore different clothes today, even exchanged his easy-to-remember helmet and sword for other things. He still wore a face mask and sword as he went outside though. Dusk had just passed, it was the time when taverns and pubs were having happy hours. People that wanted to drown in their sorrows with alcohol, those that wanted to celebrate, and many in between. Viers picked a tavern in the lower middle-class area since he had a better bet of finding his contact there. The Troll¡¯s Brew was packed with customers, there was a band playing a merry jig and a particular group of people that were laughing very loud. On the sidewall, Viers saw three men playing darts, only that they used forks and the target was just above a tied man¡¯s head. He wasn''t there willingly by the look of his face. Most of them were humans but he saw some of the other races too. Two dwarves and five beastfolks. ¡°Welcome to the hive of-¡± ¡°Yes yes, the hive of scum and villainy. Stop saying that.¡± Clarissa countered him in his head. His entrance wasn''t unnoticed by the customers but Viers paid it no mind and strolled right in. ¡°Welcome to Troll¡¯s Brew, whatcha want?¡± The fittingly troll-like barkeep said. ¡°A glass of something non-alcoholic, cold. Your recommendation is fine.¡± ¡°A¡¯right,¡± the troll whipped something up. His hands were big but surprisingly dexterous. ¡°Let me borrow two empty mugs,¡± Viers gave a few copper coins to pay for the drink and a little extra. Viers took his drink and extra mugs to an empty table. A bit to the side of the tavern but visible enough. Viers pulled out a few fruits from his backpack and arranged the fruits and the mugs on the table in a specific order. The bait and hook were set, the line was cast. Viers would now wait to see if the fish would bite. He took note of the tavern¡¯s visitors. The Pathseeker and Idler¡¯s ratio reflected the real world. From 100 people, there would be around 50 born with affinity but 20 of them would only reach Level 0, the bottom rank Pathseekers, mostly because their affinity wasn¡¯t high enough. Another 20 would be the mediocre ones, ranging from Level 1s and 2s, they might get lucky and reach Level 3. As for the remaining 10, they were the elites with the potential of reaching Level 4 and 5 but whether they really reached that cultivation height was another matter altogether. Every Pathseeker¡¯s Path of Power was filled with corpses. In the tavern, there were one or two Level 3s with the Level 0s and Idlers in the majority. Viers¡¯ Level 2 standing placed him at the stronger side of things. This is a city, there must be many more Level 3s and 4s, perhaps even a couple of 5s but they should be in the central district. It is a xianxia law that powerhouses don¡¯t mix well with their lessers. ¡°So girls, what are the odds there¡¯s someone from the Cult of Dumuzin in this rabble?¡± Viers conversed telepathically. ¡°Fifty-fifty, Lord Viers. All the seven devil cults maintained some sort of presence in every city in the Coalition. It is only a matter of which cult stands a head and shoulders above the others in that city,¡± Farley explained. ¡°If there¡¯s no one approaching us tonight?¡± Paina asked. ¡°My suggestion is we wait for two hours before moving on to another tavern and try our luck there. I¡¯m sorry for wasting your time Lord Viers, but I don''t have any other way of contacting them.¡± ¡°Can''t be helped I guess,¡± Viers felt many eyes on him. They might be assessing if he was an easy mark to bully or not. He was alone and extorting the weak was very common in Marakkus. But Viers had the aura of a Level 2. He didn''t flaunt it but he didn''t keep it hidden either. Since his cover was already blown. He might as well be showing a little muscle in an area rife with conflict. He didn''t want every small fry courting death to bother him. ¡°My, my. We¡¯re in luck it seems.¡± A man in his thirties ¨Ca Level 1¨C approached Viers with one hand on his back and carrying his mug in a specific way, another part of the code that Farley told him. It was a sign of informing the call setter that he was here to help. ¡°Howdy stranger. Haven''t seen you here before. Where are you from?¡± The man asked with a husky voice. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Hello there. I¡¯m from the south, where the birds sing every morning and night.¡± ¡°Ah, the south. How¡¯s the weather there?¡± ¡°The usual. Sunny with a chance of clouds and troubles.¡± Viers dipped his finger on the beverage and drew a specific pattern on the table with it. The secret code exchange was concluded. The man seemed satisfied. He sat in a more relaxed manner but kept his guard up, against Viers and the rest of the tavern. ¡°You can call me Jix, brother. What do you want to know?¡± He talked softly. ¡°I¡¯m Tanael,¡± Viers replied. ¡°Anything big is currently going on in this city? Any special news?¡± ¡°The top dog in the city, the Y group is behaving strangely. They might be up to something big.¡± ¡°Y group should be the Cult of Yasterah, Lord Viers. Their members don''t call themselves that but the Blood Church. They have the ambition to replace the Estellian Church,¡± Farley informed Viers. ¡°What are they up to?¡± Viers opened his mouth. ¡°We don''t know yet at the moment. They do it in such a clandestine manner. Their activities are in the central district though, where the city big shots reside and mingle. What we do know is that they¡¯re bolstering their forces in the city,¡± Jix said. He had no intention of withholding intel. ¡°I see¡­ I seek someone that can break locks on storage rings. Preferably this someone can keep a secret.¡± Jix made a difficult face and that was all Viers needed to know that his business at Marakkus city was about to go awry. ¡°Actually, enchanters have started to go missing or have shown up dead, even in their own house. It started this week and four enchanters have already been implicated. Two dead and two missing. This news is not public yet.¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± Viers scoffed. ¡°This must be the Y¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°What makes you think so, brother? Do you have a mission concerning them?¡± Jix assumed Viers was a Dumuzin cultist from another cell here on a mission. It wasn''t uncommon, there were many cases where other cultists that worshiped the same devil were sent out to other towns and cities on a mission. The local cell was instructed to cooperate by the higher-ups. ¡°I have my sources. Unfortunately, I can''t divulge you in this manner. Just keep an eye on them.¡± With the enchanters being targeted, it seemed less and less likely he would be able to find a suitable person to break the locking enchantment on the storage rings. His plan had hit another snag. Then again, can I really trust a stranger to handle the rings? So be it. Time to take matters into my own hands. Viers ¨Cusing yet another fake name¨C was formulating a plan. ¡°Very well. I need info about how to heal an injured soul.¡± ¡°¡­Soul, brother? That¡¯s a tricky one.¡± Viers asked this for Gwen, Farley¡¯s sister. Viers could heal minor and superficial soul injury thanks to his soul mastery but he couldn¡¯t do anything about Gwen¡¯s condition. If he was a Level 5 Pathseeker he might be able to heal her by sheer force but since he lacked the power, it might be better to find another way. ¡®Sides, if I don¡¯t show some effort, Farley¡¯s loyalty meter might drop. ¡°Nothing comes to mind. I know high-level Pathseeker¡¯s cultivation touches the matter of soul but I don¡¯t know much since it¡¯s too early for me.¡± ¡°So he says, sorry Farley,¡± Viers thought. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Thank you for the concern, Lord Viers.¡± Viers asked a few other matters, mostly about the movement in the city¡¯s underworld: gossip, rumors, dangerous people to avoid, and other things. The man known as Jix was very helpful in filling Viers in. After a while, Viers felt it was enough. ¡°One last thing, the enchanters that died, tell me their identities and do you know where they¡¯re buried?¡± ¡°Hm, one was Level 2 and the other was Level 3. I don¡¯t know where they¡¯re buried but it¡¯s pretty simple to deduce. The city has three gravesites. One is for those with money and status, one for the middle class, and the last is for the dregs, the poor, and the leftovers. The Level 3 enchanter is quite wealthy and famous, he should be in the nicest gravesite, as for the other one, I don¡¯t know him so he might be a traveler. That guy would be thrown to the third gravesite, outside the city.¡± Viers was satisfied with Jix¡¯s information. ¡°You¡¯ve been very helpful,¡± Viers slid him a gold coin under the table and rose up. ¡°Keep the news of my coming a secret. My mission is highly sensitive and just like we have spies on the other six, they have spies in our camp.¡± ¡°Farewell brother, good hunting,¡± Jix dipped his head. Viers left the Troll¡¯s Brew without drinking any of his beverages. Oh? It¡¯s quite misty tonight. How unusual. Viers walked back to the Bird Nest inn through the main road. There was some illumination from mana crystal-powered street lamps that glowed with warm orange light. The misty night made Viers feel like he was walking the streets of London from a couple of centuries past. It was night but not dead in the night, there were many other people walking the streets. Vendors still displaying their wares, food stalls offering discount prices for their remaining goods, quite a few carriages pulled by horse passed by. Hey, the mist is getting thicker. Bad weather? It was starting to impede his sight and a slight worry crept in. When the people gradually vanished after twenty more steps, Viers¡¯ readiness condition went to DEFCON 1. Somehow, he was alone in the middle of the city street and the only existing sound was his footsteps. No, there were other footsteps coming from the mist cloud in front of him. Viers unsheathed his sword, not his katana since he used different equipment for his rendezvous with Farley¡¯s old cult. A cloaked man with a white mask leisurely walked towards him. The man was overflowing with fighting intent and his Level 3 aura was unhidden. Chapter 80 - Blade in the Mist A young handsome man was meticulously checking his gear before donning them as if he was about to go to war. ¡°Where are you going?¡± The young man turned behind him to speak to the caller. He knew who it was from the voice, he had heard it for years but he turned around anyway. It was the polite thing to do. ¡°Assignment from the Blood Exarch. I¡¯m supposed to test that guy who saw through your illusion array so easily. According to you, he is also suspected to have clashed with Freya and managed to get away?¡± Hearing him say that made the woman raise her eyebrow. She wasn''t currently wearing her trademark pointy hat so her long silky red hair was dropping behind her like a waterfall. Her face was of a girlish beauty that just attained more mature, womanly charm. If he didn''t see her as family, the man would be using all at his disposal to woo her to his bed. The man and woman appeared to be of the same age, in their mid-twenties. A pair of handsome and beautiful people. ¡°Cain of Ur, 150 gold bounty. This Avel guy uses a different identity and name but since he now wears a mask, it might be the same person.¡± ¡°Illusion breaker and formidable fighting prowess. I have high expectations for him. He might be the edge you need.¡± The man didn''t equip his trademark bandolier of knives. He was on a mission for his other identity. Anonymity was important. ¡°About that¡­ I¡¯m uncomfortable when we gather array masters and people so forcefully, it is too reckless. Even sis should be able to see the risk.¡± ¡°...Iz, you realized why she does this right?¡± Izabella massaged the bridge of her nose after hearing Alan¡¯s question. ¡°For the upcoming big operation. Should my camp show more achievement than Irkun¡¯s, my engagement with him would be annulled,¡± she said so in a heavy sigh, trying to exhale her mental burden. ¡°Even if we belong to the same cult, there are factions. When the time comes, I¡¯ll be under his camp so before that, I¡¯ll bolster your camp¡¯s power. I¡¯ll scout and gather more talented people for you.¡± ¡°Alan, I¡¯ve said this again and again but your loyalty to that pig is wasted.¡± ¡°It took all I had not to laugh when I heard he was trashed by the Blood Exarch. I don''t like him, Iz, but my hands are tied. He saved my life¡­ At any rate, Irkun¡¯s background is deep. He has secured many competent enchanters and people, you¡¯re at a disadvantage. I hope to lighten your burden even if it''s just a little.¡± ¡°He only wants my body. I¡¯ll not meekly accept to be a lump of warm meat on his bed, even if his grandpa is a Level 5.¡± Izabella had a red magic circle floating on her palm. ¡°If it comes to that, I¡¯ll use this to un-man him.¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Alan laughed. ¡°I don''t doubt you, but it wouldn''t solve your problem. Force is not the answer, the Blood Exarch knows this. Your engagement was decided by her superior so it gets tricky. She called in favors and made it so you can have a way out should your contribution eclipse his. This operation is too important to fail and now, both you and Irkun will give 120% effort. The top brass is happy to let this happen.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ Be careful then. Your opponent might be stronger than you expect.¡± ¡°Freya has killed several Level 3s while still being Level 2. I¡¯ve met him before at the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. He reeks of strength but I don''t know how much power he kept hidden. This guy might be in the same league as Freya, I wouldn''t let my guard down.¡± Alan donned his white mask and went to seek his target. He gave her a pat on the shoulder as he passed her by. Izabella looked at the back of someone she could consider her brother with worry. *** Alan found his target conversing with someone at a tavern, he waited until Cain or Avel or whoever that guy¡¯s name is to leave before making his move. When he managed to trap his target inside his Misty Isolation Globe, he felt disappointed. While this magic item was very extraordinary in isolating its target, Alan expected more resistance from someone of Freya¡¯s caliber. The target realized something was wrong midway but it was already too late. Inside the isolated space where no one will bother them, Alan showed himself before the target. ¡°Show me your strength.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The mask also changed his voice. ¡°A cultist? I have no intention of joining you. Any of you!¡± Avel said, his sword at the ready. Alan activated his Haze Night Murderer Arte and his form disappeared from sight. This space created from his most prized magic item boosted his powers several times. ¡°Eh? Hkkh!!¡± The target showed confusion when he melded with the mists but managed to parry a slash to the neck. He seemed more flustered than Alan expected, another minus point. ¡°But adequate reaction time. Show me more.¡± When he spoke in this form, his voice seemed to come from multiple sources, making the target more disoriented. A neat trick that he picked up over the years. It was easier to handle panicked people. Alan didn''t completely turn into mist, only partially. He stayed inside the mist like a fish submerged underwater, almost invisible. This environment was the best for a mist affinity Pathseeker like him. Alan attacked from the right, charging in a straight line. The target parried his dagger with his sword but Alan wasn''t done. As a speed type, multiple continuous attacks was his style. The mist assailant engulfed his target in a flurry of blades, most of them came from blind spots of the victim. Alan wasn''t holding back, his opponent might be a Level 2 but the Prince of Thieves attacked using his Level 3 Victa. It wasn''t an all-out-attack, Alan left some leeway in case his target counterattacked with a burst of energy since he considered the target was no weaker than him. That was why the target wasn''t completely at his mercy. The defender managed to respond to his attacks quite well. ¡°Is defending all you can do?¡± Alan¡¯s form appeared right in front of the target. ¡°Raaah!¡± Avel swiftly cut the figure but it scattered like mist. ¡°Can you find the real one?¡± Alan¡¯s voice reverberated from the surroundings and a brigade of Alan appeared from the mist. Fifty of him encircled Avel and attacked with the dagger in their hands. They were as fast as him. Avel tried to defend but was encircled. Alan landed a cut on the shoulder. The rest of the Alans did nothing, they were simply hollow projections. Avel groaned from the injury. ¡°Here I come again. This time I¡¯ll take an eye.¡± Alan with his brigade attacked again from all directions. ¡°Water Spikes!¡± The target created spikes all around him like a sea urchin. The approach was good, he attacked when Alan was attacking him to guarantee a hit. The fakes disappeared while the real one did not, but Alan was ready for such a thing and remained unhurt as a result. Alan simply sunk back into the mist and another brigade of him appeared again. ¡°Mirage Mist Brigade Arte. I can create as many phantoms as I want in this place. This won''t end unless you see through it.¡± Avel used precious few moments of opening to pull something from his waist pouch, a paper. Hm? What is that? Alan didn''t recognize it. The paper glowed and he put it back into the pouch. His eyes glowed with green light. He looked around all the Alans and focused on one of them, the real one. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Alan erased the other phantoms and created five wolves, they were very lifelike. Each emitted different growls and behavior. They pounced on Avel with bestial fury. Avel did nothing. When the wolves were upon him, jaws aiming at his flesh, they went through him like false images. ¡°Hmmm,¡± Alan mummed curiously. Alan created four eagles this time and sent them to Avel once more. Avel focused on the rightmost eagle and cut it with his sword but the eagle exploded. A deafening sound rattled the eardrums of Alan in the distance, let alone Avel at the epicenter. ¡°My illusions should be indistinguishable by a Level 2 but you somehow can see through them. As for the eagle trick, you know only one is a real attack but failed to pick up the nature of the attack that I tweaked using Victa. Signs of having useful means but unskilled using it.¡± Avel was struggling to get up from the ground. The damage was minor because he shielded himself with a water barrier at the last minute. ¡°Did you really survive a fight with Freya?¡± Avel didn''t need to be sharp to pick up the other man¡¯s disdain. ¡°Shut up!!¡± Avel howled and engaged in a melee fight with Alan. Alan was happy to oblige. He was wary Avel might be a superhuman like the hateful Freya and welcomed the opportunity to cross blades with him. Alan used daggers in both hands while Avel wielded a single sword. Both created Arte after Arte, skill against skill in an intense exchange of life and death, at least for one of them. Since one was a Level higher than the other, the weaker one was naturally suppressed. It was within Alan¡¯s capability to destroy Avel in a few moves but he held back and didn''t overextend in case Avel was a tiger in sheep''s clothing. And yet as time went on and Avel got battered and battered, it seemed that wasn''t the case. Avel¡¯s mysterious glowing eyes also shined no longer. ¡°Mist Solid Impact!¡± A clump of tangible mist swallowed Avel up, only his head and right hand were free. The cloud-like mist carried Avel with a frightening force as he got slammed into a wall. ¡°Khah...¡± If he didn¡¯t raise his defense in time, he would have turned into bloody wall graffiti. ¡°How weak. I¡¯ve seen a caterpillar stronger than you.¡± The target¡¯s response to his provocation was unexpected. ¡°Someone heeeeelp! Murder! Murdeeerrr!¡± The target ran while erecting a water shield around him and screaming for help. Alan had seen this kind of behavior from his previous victims, from the weak. Never from the strong. Is this the sum of you, Avel? What a waste of time. Chapter 81 - Ejection Seat Protocol Alan observed him a little longer, Avel was running towards the mist engulfed road in a straight line but it seemed to have no end. ¡°It¡¯s useless. Unless you break the fulcrum of this space, you¡¯re trapped here,¡± Alan¡¯s voice was all-engulfing, giving the impression that the target was only dancing at the palm of his hand. His power is only so-so, only a bit better than average Pathseekers. Let''s hope he¡¯s better at dealing with illusion at least. After deeming he overestimated Avel, Alan tried to salvage the situation. Avel had proven himself quite good at breaking arrays so Alan let Avel do his thing without attacking. The attacks ceased and Alan was silent. Avel kept running and calling for help as if his life depended on it. But like a powerless fish in a glass bowl, he was unable to get out from the special space made from the globe magic item. Come on¡­ what are you doing? Start striking the key pillars already. Misty Isolation Globe was a magic item capable of meddling with space. The target was taken to a closed space full of mists. Here, Alan could battle without outside interference. Although the item was a masterpiece that he obtained in a lucky encounter, the target on the inside could break out if they possess the means. The key pillars were not easy to find but surely Avel could do it, right? While Avel was running straight, he was actually only running in circles in this closed space. He had passed by many invisible key pillars already but he didn''t seem to notice them. ...Enough of this farce. Using the Misty Isolation Globe was not free, Alan¡¯s Victa was drained every second it stayed active. He wasn''t willing to spend so much of his precious resources on a failure. After staying his hand for a while, Alan was determined to bring this pointless test to a close. ¡°You failed. Hmph!¡± Alan appeared before Avel and struck him straight in the chest. Avel rolled on the ground a few times from the momentum and groaned in pain. That strike was no ordinary punch. It was an Arte, Mist Piercing the Mountain. The inner organs of Avel were injured. ¡°I held back. Killing you is not my objective. You¡¯ll live since you can still be useful.¡± Alan didn''t care if Avel was still conscious or not and took out the mysterious paper that Avel previously used. It was only a blank paper. I see. The paper should be how he was able to see illusions and hidden formations, not his own ability. After examining the paper was bereft of any magic left, Alan assumed the paper could no longer be used and crumpled it in chagrin. Worthless. Alan kept looting Avel but he found no worthwhile item in his persons, except one. ¡°A magic item for boosting the Victa generation, it is wasted on you.¡± Alan yanked the moon-shaped pendant from Avel''s neck. After the Prince of Thieves confiscated Avel¡¯s pendant and money pouch, he only had one more thing left to do. ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s under the mask.¡± Alan took the bindings on Avel¡¯s face. Seeing Avel¡¯s unveiled face with a bleeding mouth and empty eyes that stared at the sky, Alan scoffed then dropped the cloth on Avel¡¯s face once again. Alan walked deeper into the mist until his form could no longer be seen and the mist gradually cleared. ¡°Woah?!¡± ¡°What the hell? That guy just appeared in the middle of the road?¡± ¡°Oi, you¡¯re still alive?¡± A few pedestrians were caught off guard by the sudden appearance of a lying, bloody guy. ¡°First come first serve.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. One of them boldly tried to loot Avel¡¯s remaining possessions but before his hand could touch his skin, Avel grabbed his wrist. ¡°Grrrrrr¡­¡± He growled like an irritated beast and broke the looter¡¯s wrist without warning. The man screamed and ran away, so did the other people that started to swarm him like crows to carrion. Avel coughed and spit out the blood in his mouth. He covered his face once again with trembling hands. It was much more difficult tying something when the hands were unsteady but Avel did it in the end. He rose to his feet with difficulty and made his way forward despite his wobbly legs. More than once he had to put his shoulder on a wall to prevent himself from keeling over. Despite the odd glances he earned along the way, Avel made it back to the inn. That was when Alan¡¯s observation of Avel was over. In the end, he felt like he was on a useless errand. A few hours later, Alan reported back to the Blood Exarch. ¡°Your opinion?¡± The Level 4 Blood Exarch had watched the recording from a magic item in Alan¡¯s possession but she still asked. ¡°His senses are adequate and he¡¯s a decent fighter as well but nothing worth mentioning. His ability to see through illusion also seems to originate from a magic item. It was no longer usable as the charge was spent. There¡¯s no need to specifically recruit him. He¡¯s an adventurer, the bait will be enough to lure him to that place.¡± ¡°Disappointing. I had some hopes for that kid but I trust your judgment. Very well, let him go inside the viper¡¯s nest on his own.¡± *** Viers¡¯ return to the inn shocked Boram. He asked for Boram¡¯s help to treat his wounds then went to bed early. Boram¡¯s slave seal prevented him from betraying his master so Viers trusted him. But his mind went to a meeting with the Viers Corporation¡¯s stakeholders. ¡°Alright, you better have a good explanation about your actions.¡± ¡°Lord Viers, how are you holding up? Any hidden injury or danger?¡± ¡°It is obvious that Viers didn''t want to expose his strength but even if he did, would he have been able to defeat that Level 3? That one wasn''t a newly ascended Level 3 you know.¡± Paina, Farley, and Clarissa started their inquiry which Viers took in stride. ¡°Ladies,¡± Viers summoned a table at which he sat in the head position with three additional chairs. Clarissa had no problem sitting in a normal chair despite her snake''s lower body. ¡°Let us examine this debacle from the start,¡± Viers said in the poise and calmness of a CEO that had it all under control. ¡°First, what is the assailant¡¯s objective?¡± ¡°He wanted to test you,¡± Farley spoke. ¡°Yes, and why did he want to test me?¡± ¡°How should we know. He might want to recruit you or something,¡± Paina said. ¡°Based on the way it goes, the mist guy showed interest in two things, Viers¡¯ fighting power and illusion discernment. Two things which Viers clearly suppressed,¡± Clarissa added. ¡°I haven''t shown any extraordinary fighting power since I came to Marakkus but there is that one time where I broke through illusions in a smooth manner, at Izabella¡¯s shop. That is a mistake on my part. I didn''t consider they would come after me just from that¡­ Considering the mist guy also knew I battled with Freya, it should be safe to assume he was from the faction behind Iz. They -which I can already guess- wanted to use me for their own ends. It required a strong person with the ability to pick up hidden details.¡± ¡°That seems logical,¡± Paina nodded. ¡°Second, what¡¯s in it for me?¡± Viers clasped his hand and assumed a pose like a villainous godfather. ¡°Well¡­¡± Paina hesitated. ¡°Showing your superb capacity on both criteria should make you an important piece in their plan,¡± Clarissa spoke. ¡°That is correct Rissa, but Lord Viers doesn''t like joining groups.¡± Farley already said one reason so Viers added the others. ¡°Piece, Rissa, a piece in their plan. No matter how important the piece is, so what? I would still be a tool, a subordinate, a cog in the machine¡­¡± Viers scowled angrily. ¡°The idea disgusts me.¡± ¡°...And getting yourself beat up is the answer?¡± Paina continued. ¡°Third, I need an out. The best way is to not be their prime target but there''s a catch. If I am too weak then the mist guy might kill me for being too trashy, if I¡¯m too strong... Well, I can only show that by actually fighting him, can''t I? Fighting a Level 3? Exposing my hidden cards and spending a massive amount of Victa... for what? For being their bitch? Fuck no! So I toed the line of not being too weak or too strong. Running away to seek help is also a sign of me having no other way, good that he bought the act.¡± ¡°You also made it as if the Euryale Sight is an effect from a magic item, to further your ruse¡­ crafty. It was just a piece of useless paper,¡± Clarissa commented. ¡°Provided there are no more attacks, I¡¯d say you got out from that confrontation lightly, Lord Viers.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Viers nodded. ¡°If he really went all out, my injuries would be much more serious than this, that¡¯s for sure. The Victa Stigma is also minor. I drank a health potion before I went to bed. If I add my healing factor and healing Arte then I should be quite healthy by tomorrow. We can grasp something from this. Whatever these assholes are planning, it will happen in the near future. He could have put me on a bed for weeks but he pulled his punches too much otherwise. The overall losses I actually suffered are minor.¡± ¡°You lost your pendant and money though. Putting aside the money, the 10% Victa generation you enjoyed all this time was lost. Considering you are still hard-pressed for Victa, that is quite a blow,¡± Paina said. ¡°I expected he would loot me afterward. The only precious piece of equipment on my person was that moon pendant. I weighed it out and considered it an acceptable price for an out. The loss stings but bearable. Should I happen to wear the Dragonweave Gloves though, it would be a different story. Still, I have Boram to minimize my Victa usage now, so it¡¯s not too crucial¡­ more or less.¡± The silence that followed left the girls hanging. ¡°Sooo, what are your plans now?¡± Paina shot the question they all wanted to know the answer to. ¡°Tomorrow, we go grave robbing.¡± Chapter 82 - An Eye For An Eye Is Insufficient ¡°Grave robbing? You¡¯re up to no good, aren''t you?¡± ¡°Clarissa, I¡¯m up to no good more often than the opposite.¡± Viers sneered. ¡°What are your plans considering the faction that had taken action against you, Lord Viers?¡± ¡°Have you realized who they are?¡± Viers asked back, testing the waters. ¡°The Blood Church, most likely.¡± Seeing Viers nodded in confirmation of Farley¡¯s answer, Paina cut in. ¡°Wait, how do you guys know?¡± ¡°The prominent power in this city is those Yasterah worshipers. We know they¡¯re up to something big. Put the two and two together and we have our answer.¡± ¡°Is there any proof?¡± Paina pressed further. ¡°Just normal reasoning,¡± Viers spoke. ¡°That¡¯s not gonna hold in the court of law or evidence enough to take to the authorities.¡± Viers chuckled hearing Paina¡¯s reply. ¡°Oh you sweet summer child¡­ still so green.¡± Paina looked displeased but before the discussion spiraled out of topic, Clarissa progressed it. ¡°Since we can deduce it from such limited info, no doubt there are others who would¡¯ve thought the same, right?¡± ¡°Perhaps, but only two factions in this city are capable of contesting the Blood Church: the city administrators and the Estellian Church, the probability they would take action is slim,¡± Farley said. ¡°Right. The Blood Church must have hooks in the city¡¯s movers and shakers, those men under the Governor-King. Hell, the GK might be a Blood Church member for all I know. Deals under the table, secret cooperation and what not. No underground organization can get prosperous without a strong connection with the big people above. Officially, the seven cults of the seven devils are mortal enemies of mankind and their presence is met with sword and fire but ugly truth is always hidden under pretty pretenses.¡± Viers paused to take a deep breath and exhaled in a slow and long manner. ¡°As for the church of the goody-goodies, they won''t move until the pot boils over.¡± ¡°And why would that be?¡± Paina frowned. ¡°Politics. See, Governor-Kings -like their name- are people with authority and these people don''t like other people challenging their authority. If there is indeed a plot brewing under this city¡¯s black innards, what action could the church do? Send in the Silver Legion to nip the problem in the bud? That is an armed intervention. Letting armed interventions occur uncontested would set a dangerous precedent for the GKs.¡± ¡°Surely it can''t be that bad.¡± ¡°It is an attack on their authority. If you¡¯re a queen, would you allow foreigners to come and go freely to your kingdom? Let them destroy things they don''t like and make things the way they want? Various GKs throughout the coalition would not take kindly to such transgression. Authority is power, Paina, and the majority of people don''t like to share or dilute power.¡± Paina didn''t have words to return. ¡°It might be a different case if the church possesses solid evidence or receives a request of assistance. Otherwise, the church would only move when demons started to come out.¡± ¡°Despite the Estellian Church¡¯s massive power, they seem pretty passive and hand-tied in this situation,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°They are defenders of peace, Rissa. Defenders, not attackers. There are no attackers of peace. Crusades and Inquisitions are attacks. The Estellian Church can do that but it might cause wars if they don''t have a valid cause. That is why the bad guys usually have the initiative and the good guys only act after they got struck by the first blow. Yep, good guys have it tough. Thank all the gods that I¡¯m not one of them.¡± Viers looked to the sky with a very satisfied expression. ¡°But, it is undeniable the church has great power. I won''t count them out just yet in this Marakkus conspiracy. Normally, this is the part where I ask about the Blood Church since they are clearly my enemy but not today. I¡¯m tired and want to sleep. The mist guy really did a number on me.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°As you wish. Are you really okay, Lord Viers?¡± ¡°Okay enough. I have a healing factor and fortunately, that guy didn''t want to kill me.¡± ¡°What would you do if the mist guy truly tried to kill you?¡± Paina curiously asked. ¡°I can tolerate a lot of things Paina but death is not one of them. I would¡¯ve fought him tooth and nail.¡± ¡°But can you beat him though? He¡¯s a Level 3. Defeating a Level 3 while being a Level 2 is no small feat, let alone killing him,¡± Clarissa probed, even she didn''t know the full extent of Viers¡¯ power. ¡°And that¡¯s the big question, isn''t it? Why spoil the surprise? Let¡¯s leave it at that,¡± Viers tried hard to not be smug but he failed. When Viers decided to not talk about something, then any future inquiries were useless. ¡±...You seem pretty okay with all this. As if this is just another hole in the ground you accidentally stumbled in. Are you not bitter?¡± Paina said after observing Viers. Hearing Paina¡¯s question, Viers went still. He looked upwards with closed eyes and heavily sighed. ¡°Haaaahhh¡­¡± The three girls first felt it on their skin, the sharp and prickly sensation of uncomfortableness. Then came the chill, the ice-cold killing intent that made the hair on the back of their neck stood on end. They saw Viers opened his eyes and they were blazing with the fires of fury. Clarissa had seen this kind of reaction before, during the great war all those years ago. Clarissa¡¯s second in command, one of the kindest lamia she¡¯d known, metamorphosed into a berserker after she heard her homeland and family were eaten by a tide of ratlings that had breached the lamia¡¯s defense line. She fought like a wrathful demon in the next battle. Charging headlong to impossible odds and still able to take the head of the ratling¡¯s leader. On the other hand, Farley was reminded of her experience meeting an extremely merciless assassin when she was a little girl. Even her sickening father could only bow and didn''t dare to speak without that person¡¯s permission. The eyes of that assassin were completely devoid of compassion and had become a sight she shall never forget. ¡°Oh no no no, my dear bright-eyed girl. I assure you, I am quite displeased by all of this. It is most unpleasant indeed. In fact, it is now quite high in my priority list to mess up whatever plan they are concocting.¡± The contrast between his gentle and amiable words compared to the razor-sharp bloodlust was deeply shocking. ¡°I can only say they really, really have no idea who they tried to mess with. How much ruin and destruction I can bring on them after they have sown animosity with me.¡± His words were so full of spite they might as well have been corrosive acid. ¡°I just wanna buy a slave, break locks, become an obsidian adventurer then go on my way to the next city but nooooo¡­ That is too luxurious, too high of a demand. Wishing a rain of mana crystals has a much better odds of happening. I arrived in this stinking city, just in time before the Blood Church enacting their plan of god-knows-what and as luck would have it, become implicated. How exciting! Perhaps the one running the show is thinking that I should kiss his or her feet for having a role in all of this. Well I might!¡± Viers started rambling, his killing intent became stronger and stronger. ¡°...Viers, you¡¯re scaring me,¡± Paina said with a slight tremble in her voice. ¡°Oh I¡¯ll do more than kissing. I¡¯ll YANK their feet apart and shove them in their throat!!¡± Viers slammed the table with his fist. Farley winched with the sound. The stifling presence of suffocation receded. Clarissa was hoping Viers¡¯ face turned into a clownish smile like he had done before, saying that it was all a joke. Viers¡¯ face had become a mask of ice without expression. ¡°Freya, mist guy¡­ Do note that I¡¯m not a person to be trifled with. Apologies for the ruckus, girls. Good evening.¡± Viers left. It was then that Clarissa realized that Viers was serious. Oh shit. *** In the morning of the next day, Viers was eating breakfast with Boram. His upper face was still covered with covering cloth but the mouth part was open. His bodily wounds were mostly healed but the same couldn''t be said to his mood. The empty feeling on his chest, where the moon pendant had always been, only served as a constant and bitter reminder. Boram was able to sense that his master was in a dreadful mood and tried to lighten the air. ¡°Master, it is good to see you¡¯re healed.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± Viers continued eating. Boram didn''t give up on the first try. ¡°Master, I have questions about the Arte you taught me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Boram but I¡¯m not in the mood. Just be silent and finish your breakfast. Don''t dawdle because I want to hit something, preferably a monster.¡± ¡°Yes Master!¡± Boram ate with the gusto of a starving lion. After they had finished eating, Viers equipped his armor and weapon then left the inn with Boram in tow. Viers walked the streets like a person in deep thinking, only half seeing where he was going as the feet went automatic. Before Viers knew it, he had reached the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. As he went through the main door, another person was in the middle of coming out. ¡°Whoops,¡± the other person said as he got caught off guard. He was a handsome Level 3 man. Viers recognized this man. Not from his face but from his soul. The same soul of the man who beat him up yesterday. Cut the Crap. Like a lightning, Viers drew his sword and separated the mist guy¡¯s head from the rest of his body without regard to the consequences that might follow. The fountain of blood that came from the headless neck was a refreshing morning shower. ...Or at least, that was what Viers hoped he had done. Chapter 83 - Assimilation ¡°Move it,¡± the guy said. It had the natural commanding tone of people with higher standing to those lower than him. Understandable, since he was a Level 3 and Viers was a Level 2. Viers didn''t do anything suspicious, giving nothing that could be seen as a recognition. He simply took a step back and made way for the man. He had to be satisfied by simply imagining the guy¡¯s head flying for now. The Level 3 only gave him a cursory glance as he went out and walked away, only then Viers went in. ¡°Good morning Avel. The weather is good today, isn''t it? Oooh, you¡¯re wearing my gear. How are the enchantments? Any complaints?¡± Viers turned to the one who greeted him, the source of his troubles yesterday. ¡°Do you know the guy that just left? Who was that?¡± So Viers said, as natural as possible. ¡°Hmn? His name is Alan, a Level 3 and a Bronze rank adventurer. His nickname is the Prince of Thieves. Why do you ask?¡± Izabella had a slight worry in her heart. ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just unlike you, his ¡®presence¡¯ is very strong. I haven''t seen many Level 3s before so I got curious.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey. Big sis Iz doesn''t like the sound of that. Are you implying I¡¯m weaker than him?¡± Izabella had her hands on her waist as she pouted. Although she was a few years older than Viers, she was more childish than Viers thought. She was a great red-haired beauty and had the impression of a mature woman at the first look, just like when Viers first met her in Mokash town but that impression turned 180 degrees after she started speaking. ¡°In terms of presence, yes,¡± he said straightly. ¡°That miiiiiight be the case but I¡¯ll have you know that my specialties lie elsewhere. Unlike him, battle is not my forte but my enchantments are so, so much more versatile.¡± ¡°If you say so. Now excuse me,¡± Viers walked past her. ¡°Good morning, miss Izabella,¡± Boram said his greeting then trotted behind Viers. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s cold! You won''t get any girls to like you by acting like that you know,¡± Viers heard Izabella¡¯s protest from behind but acted as if he didn''t hear anything. Viers was channeling the spirit of MCs with zero observational skills, like those guys in Japanese manga who had a childhood friend that lived next door that always woke them in the morning for years but never had the tiniest bit of an inkling that the girl might have feelings for them. Viers certainly didn''t know that Alan was the one who attacked him yesterday and Izabella definitely was not involved in any manner. He is blind and dumb. All is good in the world, time to do some quest. He went to the guild today because he remembered seeing a quest about some trouble in the graveyard. He thought he might as well investigate since he was going there anyway. Sure enough, he found the quest still available on the quest board. Viers wanted to confirm with the receptionist but this morning was busier than usual, he waited his turn in a line. ¡°Morning kid. How¡¯s it going?¡± ¡°Yo. Going on a quest? Be sure to check your equipment and supplies before going out, yeah?¡± ¡°Friendly advice, don''t underestimate the Glass quests even though you¡¯re a Level 2. A guy I know lost his life because of that.¡± Many adventurers were there in the guild, coming and going. Some people greeted him and some even gave adventuring tips. Viers guessed it must be because his geography lecture had elevated his standings among the adventurers. Viers observed the adventurers while waiting. The majority were at Level 2, some were in their teens like him while some were nearing forty. The level 0s and 1s were there but not too many. The reason was that the quests in the city were a tad harder. The younglings were urged to spread to the surrounding towns and villages since more quests fitting for their strength kept sprouting like mushrooms there. The Level 3s were rare; he had only met about half a dozen in the guild, including Izabella and Alan. It was because reaching Level 3 from Level 2 was harder and stricter. It was a well-known cultivation bottleneck. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. As for Level 4s and 5s, Viers had yet to see any adventurers of that stage. Viers was sure they exist in a city as big as Marakkus though. ¡°Next...¡± The lazy voice of the receptionist was Viers¡¯ cue. ¡°I¡¯ll take this quest,¡± Viers gave the quest paper to her. ¡°Mmm¡­ Investigate the cause of graves being dug up and solve it,¡± the receptionist read it out. ¡°As you can see, the last adventurer group had investigated it and found it was a rank 1 corpse-eating ghoul monster that only came out at night. From a group of three people, only one came back and reported the failure of the quest. The reward is high because the potential danger involved might be higher than Glass rank quests. Are you sure you want to take this quest?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Suit yourself. If you die too, the quest difficulty will be raised to Obsidian,¡± the receptionist stamped the quest paper before giving it back to Viers. ¡°Pick a nice grave before you fight the monster, just in case. At least it is close.¡± Towards the receptionist''s rude remark, Viers made a chuckle. He didn''t find offense in her but found her to be amusing. ¡°Thank you for the advice, I¡¯ll make sure to do that.¡± Viers turned around and saw Boram¡¯s face was a white as a sheet. ¡°What? Afraid?¡± Boram nodded rigidly. ¡°Good. Now you have the opportunity to find courage. Let¡¯s go and prepare.¡± Boram let out a whimper but still chased after his master. *** Another day has ended and night is coming. How strange, shouldn''t it be just moments ago that the sun rises? Oh yeah, It wasn''t. There was that guy that was walking around for some time today. He was looking at me earlier like examining an antique¡­ Was it? I forget so much lately. Normally he wouldn''t remember but today was a bit different than the usual. By the way, what was I doing? How long have I been here? What is my purpose? The confusion only lasted for a moment before it scattered like morning mists. Time was a blur and his mind felt like drifting away. He walked around a little bit. Wait a second, am I floating? I am, aren''t I? ...Oh well, it doesn''t matter. He found it was easier to think and move when night had fallen. Strange, since when did he think like that? He saw there were mounds all around him. Some with nicer stone steles than the others. He couldn¡¯t put a finger on what it was called. As if his thought was blocked by something. He knew there were dead people under the mounds but the very term eluded him. By mere coincidence, his eyes caught the writing on the closest stone stele. Turfon¡­ Wait, isn''t that my name? ¡­ Maybe? ¡­ I guess? While Turfon was thinking, the strange man came near the vicinity again along with a smaller kid. ¡°Alright Boram, I¡¯ve given you time since this morning to prepare. What have you been doing?¡± Turfon heard the man¡¯s voice quite clearly. It felt like it had been a hundred years since he¡¯d heard a voice. The smaller kid spoke but unlike the strange man, his voice was only murmurs. Turfon couldn''t make heads or tails about any of it. His lips were certainly moving so it is certain he was saying something. Just like every other person that he had seen, their voice couldn''t be heard by him. But the strange man¡¯s voice was conveyed to him flawlessly. ¡°...Good, at least you didn''t come here blank. You brought a smelly animal carcass as a lure and sprinkled it with poison. Might work, might not. The bit about you going to the church and asked for a blessing on your hammer is a nice touch though, I didn''t expect that. What I want you to learn is that you must use your head. Don''t expect me to tell you what to do all the time. Knowing your enemy and making the right preparations can be the difference between life and death. You- It¡¯s coming. This will be your toughest battle thus far. Have fun~¡± Something jumped and landed near Turfon, only a meter to the side. It had a humanoid shape, adult man¡¯s size, rotting flesh with blackish blood, a tail made of bones, and teeth like spikes. Turfon only gave the monster a passing glance. It was of no concern to him. Nothing was. It also didn''t seem to realize his presence. It was normal, after all, no one that had come to this place know he was here. The smaller kid and the monster started to battle but Turfon didn''t care. It wasn''t important. Ah, he felt it again. The pull. There was a tug, an invitation to go somewhere else rather than staying here but Turfon refused. He didn''t even remember why he refused. A reluctance? Unfinished business? He didn''t remember, his mind was getting hazier by the day. He must have dozed off because when he came to, the fight was already over. Good. Turfon hoped they would leave soon. He needed the peace and quiet to think. ¡°Before we go, remember to stay quiet no matter what happens, alright? Good.¡± Turfon felt a hand on his shoulder and he instinctively turned. ¡°Turfon the array master I presume? Your retirement by death has been canceled. I have a need for your expertise. Welcome to the Collective. Resistance is futile.¡± There was a green flash then everything went dark. Chapter 84 - Graveyard Cleaning Viers could see dead people, figuratively and literally. When a person just died, their soul didn''t immediately disappear to the great unknown. He didn''t know the details though, since he usually sucked the soul of those he killed not long after he had done the deed. That was why the trip to the graveyard was very informative. After he gave some money to Boram and told him to prepare however he wished, Viers went to the quest location early, to scout the land and other purposes. Just as he expected, his soul affinity picked up the presence of other souls in the graveyard. He spent the day looking around and learning what he could. There were hundreds of graves but the ones with ghosts or souls attached to them only amounted to two dozen or so. They looked like ethereal, half-transparent stone statues. Men and women that are simply standing or floating there, oblivious to the changes around them. Viers didn''t rush and took as much data as he could. There was a family visiting a grave with the soul of the departed still there. The ghost did not react to them at all. He even met his target, the enchanter that died a few days ago that Jix told him about. He looked like an old man in his nineties. Was he really killed or did he die of natural causes? After a day of looking around, Viers realized a few things. Normally, the soul of people that died roughly one and a half months ago still lingered on their remains. Most of the graves¡¯ resident souls had already moved on. Perhaps the limit is 49 days? I vaguely remember something about that. There were cases where the soul was still there before and after the 49 days mark. He guessed that the ones that died peacefully had an easier time moving on. On the other hand, those with grudges and whatnot, stubbornly remained. And yet their stubbornness might prove useless since they didn''t seem able to do much. The oldest ghost that he met at the graveyard died 35 years ago according to her tombstone, a suicider. A woman wearing white clothes hanging in the air, a noose was around her neck. Streams of tears constantly flowing from her dead fish-like eyes. Uncomprehending her own circumstances, a tormented soul. It wasn''t Viers¡¯ policy to waste his Victa but he decided to pity the woman and acted. After making sure no one was watching, he plunged his katana wreathed in green energy into the chest of the woman. Her face changed into the look of a realization as if she had just woken up from a coma. Starting from her feet, she turned into motes of light and faded away. At her last moment, before she completely faded away, her face was filled with nothing but gratitude to the man who released her from her personal hell. A man whose face she couldn''t see because he was wearing a helmet. ¡°...Thank you...¡± Viers sighed. What am I doing? I am a villain, a bad guy. I should have just used her as fuel¡­ As Viers struggled with his own good and evil side, the last drops of her tears fell into Viers¡¯ hands and willingly melted into his soul. Viers felt his soul becoming a little stronger. The woman¡¯s soul moved on to somewhere beyond Viers¡¯ understanding, Viers was certain of this but she gave some part of her to Viers and it strengthened his soul. Viers didn''t know it was possible. ...A soul is complex and mysterious. Affinity 5 or not, there¡¯s still much more about the soul that I don''t know¡­ Well, it is good to be rewarded, I suppose. It was then that Viers realized the other potential of his soul abilities. He could bind a soul and raise them in his service as undead, or he could use it to lay restless souls to rest, guide lost souls to nirvana, and exorcise the malevolent ones. He could become the bridge between the living and the dead, bringing peace to both sides. ...Meh, sounds like a pain in the ass. Pass. I have enough problems on my own. I¡¯ll use my power according to my wishes. If I am in a saving mood, then I might do some saving. As for bringing good to the whole wide world, I¡¯ll think about that once I have godlike power. He continued his observation and did not ¡®save¡¯ any more souls that day. A person came and kindly warned him to not stay here after dark, evil spirits will come out, the gravekeeper said. Viers thanked him and said he was an adventurer on a quest. He chatted with him a while before the gravekeeper wished him good luck and left. Come nightfall, the ghosts in the graveyard became more active, contrary to their behavior as unseen furniture when they were under the glare of the sun. Some ghosts wandered farther from their graves, some tried to attack him while others didn''t. There was also something else in the air, some kind of dark and unpleasant presence. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. It felt like death¡­ Is there death or life affinity? Death or life Pathseekers? For reasons unknown, there were no Level 4s or 5s in this graveyard. A malevolent ghost of a Level 3 made him wary and he stayed clear of that ghost. Thankfully his target didn''t undergo a sinister transformation and remained in the form of an absent-minded old man. Perhaps because it hadn''t been that long since his death? The graveyard was not thick in mana but not without either. Perhaps the mana from the city reached this place. And when mana exists, mysterious things come to be. Not long after, Boram came. He didn''t waste the time he was given and brought a few things to combat the ghoul monster. Most notable was the blessing on his hammer. It was of light affinity, not an incredible blessing but should prove quite effective to this particular monster. Apparently, he went to a church in the city, explained what he was about to do, and asked for advice. A kind priest blessed his hammer and gave a bottle of holy water. Boram left a donation using Viers¡¯ preparation budget in his person. Huh, so you can get buffs in the church. I didn''t know about that. The monster came not long after Boram arrived. It looked like a corpse that had risen again. Its size wasn''t gigantic, agility type then, might be too much for Boram. As always, Viers let Boram fight the ghoul alone at the beginning but he was ready to intervene when the need arose. Boram was a long-term investment for Viers. He didn''t want him dead or permanently injured because of his reckless training. Boram lacked real battle experience and it showed. Nothing Viers could do to remedy that in a short amount of time. The battle went well at first, the blessing on the hammer was effective against the monster. The holy water that Boram threw hit the ghoul¡¯s chest and it weakened the monster quite a bit. Still, Boram was not at the level of killing the monster alone and Viers helped him out in the end. Yep, no eating that. Viers lightly kicked the rotting carcass of the dead monster. Even I have standards. Boram heaved heavily like an asthmatic. He looked like a boxer after 12 rounds but still standing. ¡°Good job. Before we go, I have to do something. Remember to stay quiet no matter what happens, alright?¡± Viers absorbed the ghost of his primary target, Turfon. It was easier than he expected. ¡°So, what do you see?¡± Viers asked Boram. Apparently, Boram felt Viers did something but didn''t know what. Viers also found out he couldn''t see the ghosts all around the graveyard. ¡°...Master, are you saying there¡¯re¡­ g-g-ghosts all around us? So the eerie feeling that I¡¯ve been sensing is true?¡± Boram''s fear meter rose to a critical level. ¡°Calm down. Your master will take care of it. You don¡¯t have to do a thing,¡± Viers refreshingly smiled. Souls were his specialty. When Viers and Boram left, there were a lot fewer ghosts in the graveyard, only those that Viers deemed too troublesome to collect. *** In a dark room lit only by dim candle lights, three people sat at a table. The main seat was currently empty, there was a big mirror in its place instead. ¡°-but that is not an excuse for you to strike my son!¡± ¡°Then you should rein in your horny monkey of a son before I do it for you, Haghen. My sister¡¯s joke of an engagement will be annulled soon enough.¡± ¡°It appears your new rise to the position of Blood Exarch has made you forget your standing. Let me remind you of your place girl!¡± ¡°Try me, old dog.¡± Two of them, a man and a woman, were in a heated conversation. The third member in the room only spectated without saying anything. ¡°Enough!¡± Before Artes started flying, the mirror showed the form of a hooded man. The three stood up and bowed immediately, giving the man their respect. ¡°We are ever at your disposal, Blood Vicar.¡± All three of them were Blood Exarchs, Level 4s, but compared to that man, they were like cats before a tiger. ¡°Haghen, Ursula, let the young ones deal with their own matters. For the next operation, I expect nothing but success. This petty conflict because of your wards shall not be tolerated. Do I make myself clear?¡± The hooded Blood Vicar spoke from the mirror. ¡°Your will be done,¡± Haghen and Ursula knew the consequences of trying to rebuke the Blood Vicar. ¡°I shall not repeat myself a second time. Ursula, what¡¯s the progress on your end?¡± ¡°Reporting to my lord, the Rift is ready to be opened at your command.¡± ¡°Haghen, what about your matter?¡± ¡°Reporting to my lord, all the preparations are in place. That person didn''t realize a thing. His death is certain.¡± ¡°Lim, keep the Estellian heretics off our back.¡± ¡°Reporting to my lord, I shall not disappoint you.¡± ¡°Good, because if I am, you will directly suffer my displeasure. All of you.¡± The words of the Blood Vicar startled the three. ¡°My lord, you¡¯re coming here?¡± ¡°To ensure this operation¡¯s success, there¡¯s been a change of plans. I¡¯ll oversee this matter personally. The Blood Pope agrees.¡± Haghen, Ursula, and Lim bowed deeper. It meant the Blood Vicar¡¯s voice carried the authority of the Blood Pope. ¡°Let it be written in history that the Blood Church supremacy began at Marakkus. The power of the Demon King shall be ours!¡± A pair of fiery red eyes could be seen from the hooded face of the Level 5. Chapter 85 - Self-Improvement In the realm of consciousness, Viers was sitting cross-legged as if in meditation and Clarissa was watching him closely. ¡°Feel the center of your mind¡­ Your thoughts are your own¡­ Reject outside interference¡­¡± She spoke softly to Viers so as to not disturb his concentration. Since she taught Viers the Arte of mind protection a few days ago, he had not been able to cast it even once. Although the Arte wasn''t exclusive to mind Pathseekers, it still belonged to the domain of the mind. Viers who had no affinity to mind had difficulty making the first steps. But he¡¯s getting better though. He should be close- oh? She sensed Viers successfully invoking the Arte. ¡°Arte - Mind Curtain!¡± Although there were no visible changes on the outside, the Arte was without a doubt, in effect. ¡°Pheeew. At last,¡± he exhaled and smiled. ¡°Congratulations. Let me explain it to you one more time. Mind Curtain Arte protects your mind from all kinds of mental effects.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Not only direct metal attacks, it also protects from charm, invasion, control, suggestion, hypnosis, and any other mind-fuckery. I remember.¡± ¡°True, the good part of this Arte is the sustainability. Once cast, it will remain active until it is un-cast or broken by the enemy. It doesn''t need Victa for upkeep but the initial cost is quite high.¡± ¡°Still good. I¡¯m satisfied,¡± Viers nodded. ¡°Now the bad part. Mind Curtain¡¯s defense power is quite low. It is ¡®curtain¡¯ after all, not ¡®rampart¡¯ or ¡®fortress¡¯. Those are beyond your current ability. Against true mind users, it can be pierced. Nevertheless, it offers some protection and lets you know if your mind is under attack. While the curtain is being ruffled and taken down by the enemy, you can take defensive measures.¡± ¡°In the end, I¡¯m not a mind Pathseeker. Of course there are areas where I¡¯m lacking.¡± Viers acknowledged he couldn''t become the best in every department. ¡°The important thing is, my mind is no longer unprotected. That¡¯s enough for now.¡± Viers requested Clarissa for Artes that can protect him from fate and mind, and now he had both. For guarding his mind, Mind Curtain Arte. For guarding -kind of- against fate, Insignificant Fate Arte. Without some kind of protection from fate¡¯s meddling, Viers wouldn''t leave Pecan Village. The space nearby twisted and two girls came out from the distortion. ¡°Ah, welcome back. How¡¯s your training?¡± Viers asked. ¡°It went well. I and Farley fought many kinds of enemies. It was fun,¡± Paina answered positively. ¡°It is a very rewarding experience. It is very realistic, no risk of injury, and we can experiment with our Arte without Victa usage. With this, a clan or a faction can train many powerhouses. The Grid is a treasured artifact that every faction will salivate for,¡± Farley said in awe. Viers put the remnants of the system from Sigma to good use. The virtual reality was a top-grade training apparatus. He and the girls went in frequently. Viers could recreate monsters and people based on the data he had. There were more than a hundred monsters there and fifty human opponents. Even Freya and Shlomo could be simulated. Paina could experiment with her music and experience some battle, Farley went inside to resharpen her battle instinct, and Clarissa boom-ed monsters to kingdom come for relieving stress. ¡°And it seems you¡¯ve succeeded as well. Congratulations, Lord Viers,¡± Farley said. ¡°Yep. Now that we''re all here, want to see my next magic trick?¡± A few minutes later, in his room at Bird Nest inn. ¡°Remember, there¡¯s no need to panic. Whatever strangeness you see, just observe. I don''t think it¡¯s possible but in case you¡¯re in danger, defend yourself first and foremost.¡± ¡°Yes Master!¡± Boram replied. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. There was a table put in the center of the room, basic enchantment tools and ingredients that Viers bought earlier were neatly on top of it. ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± Viers pulled out one of the souls inside him, it was the Level 3 array master from the graveyard. ¡°Turfon, Hyoi Gattai!!¡± And Viers let the ghost possess him. *** Viers had no knowledge about arrays and formations. He could see through arrays thanks to Euryale Sight and break them using brute force but he couldn''t make or skillfully unravel arrays. He could use soul search on someone well versed in arrays but while it gave him knowledge, it didn''t give him the skill required. Having the knowledge about canvas, paint, and painting techniques did not make one automatically able to make a painting magnum opus. But Viers was well versed in superpowers, 21st century Earth was overflowing with fictions and fantasies. He got many inspirations from them and one technique where he could solve his problem came to mind. His soul power opened a lot of doors where he could take advantage of his vast wealth of stories. Raising the dead was only a small piece of what the soul affinity could do. After performing the possession, Viers(?) opened his eyes. He looked confused. Boram watched with worry. What kind of insanity did his master do this time? ¡°I am the great enchanter Turfon! Bwahahahaha!¡± Viers(?) laughed like a maniac below his cozy enchanted helmet. ¡°I¡­ I want to enchant this room! Yes, yes! That is my life¡¯s purpose! And I already prepared the tools, as expected of me. Let''s get to it! This room shall be under the protection of my enchantment!¡± Viers(?) took up the brush on the table and dipped it into a mixture of ingredients made of powdered monster core and other special mixture. He then began to make scribbles and patterns on the floor. He did it with a passion bordering zealotry. Ten minutes later. ¡°...There! Just a simple detection and protection array but I''ve given it my all! It only needs mana crystals or someone¡¯s Victa to power it. Hahahaha!¡± Boram watched the one-man comedy act in silence. ¡°Now¡­ now I want¡­ to inspect the rings! Yes, yes, YES!!¡± Viers(?) examined the locked inventory rings as if they were divine artifacts. ¡°Three by four enchantments¡­ Holduri formula¡­ One failsafe¡­ I¡¯ve got it! Two weeks. Two weeks and I can unlock the rings. I¡¯ll become the greatest enchanter. It is my dream! I¡¯ll stop at nothing to do so. This measly locking enchantment will not hold a candle to-¡± In the middle of heated self-talk, Viers(?) dropped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut and seemed to have lost consciousness. Boram struggled to decide whether to come to his master¡¯s aid or not for a few seconds but the body moved before he could come to a decision. ¡°Urgh, my head hurts like having a nasty hangover¡­ and I¡¯m so tired. In fact, my body and soul are tired¡­ Well, at least the test is a success. Definitely need more practice. It¡¯s okay now Boram, relax. You can put the hammer down.¡± *** Viers let Boram cultivate in peace while reviewing his earlier performance. He didn''t have the time and drive to learn enchantments from scratch so he made use of someone who was already an expert. Inspired by a certain series about shamans, Viers devised a plan to make use of the skills of the dead. Using Hyoi Gattai he could make use of the soul¡¯s skills from the time they had been alive. Using Turfon¡¯s soul, Viers became an expert enchanter. Naturally, Viers didn''t let down his guard while performing something as dangerous as a possession. He let the foreign spirit control his body but he also manipulated the spirit from behind, meticulously and vigilantly. Viers drew out his skill as an enchanter and suppressed his other memories and ego. it wasn''t a complete possession and Turfon acted half crazy as the result. The rings were too precious so Viers made a test run by making Turfon construct a protection array in his room first. There could never be enough security in a place like Marakkus. As an expert enchanter, Turfon managed to easily create the protection array without difficulty even though he was using Viers'' body. Viers was satisfied and let him examine the inventory rings. I¡¯ve come to Marakkus to find an enchanter to unlock the rings. In a way I did. But the possession took quite a bit of stamina and making a single array uses Victa. It¡¯s fair to think the opposite also needs Victa. Since there¡¯s something big brewing in Marakkus right now, perhaps I should hold it off until things start to calm down or after leaving the city. I need to maintain my combat readiness. ¡°Boram, it''s already noon. Buy something to eat for both of us,¡± Viers said. ¡°Yes Master,¡± Boram went out of the room swiftly. While waiting for Boram, he absorbed mana from his surroundings and his mana crystals but while alone, his was mind often going places. Heh, after Hiten Mitsurugi-ryuu now Hyoi Gattai, huh? People should call me Shaman King X! Mwuahaahaha! Viers kept filling his intio with mana, only after it was full he could try to make a breakthrough to Level 3 but he still needed quite a bit. He was halfway there though. Serpentes Renovamen, Dia¡¯s Biome, and regularly burning money (absorbing mana crystals) made him have significant cultivation growth. Level 3 at the age of seventeen was an extraordinary feat and Viers still had six months before his seventeenth birthday. The sound of Boram opening the lock returned Viers from his contemplation. ¡°Master, the streets are going crazy. Apparently a new Biome has just been discovered this morning.¡± The smell of the hot meal Boram brought was delicious but the news he conveyed was more appetizing. Chapter 86 - Crimson Lotus Deep in the ruins of a castle, there were the sounds of a battle. However grand and majestic the castle used to be, it was now just a dark, dank, and dusty place. Rarely were there fools who willingly chose to venture to the bowels of the sleeping stone giant, but such people exist nonetheless. Adventurers. Two people went in. Technically, only one of them was an adventurer while the other was his slave. The slave had fallen, unconscious on the floor. A nasty bump was on his head, from a strike of a blunt weapon. Blood flowed from his head wound. The slave¡¯s master was in heated combat. Tens of carcasses lay at his feet and a new one was made almost every second after. But the tide of greenskins didn''t relent. Nasty creatures with the height of a child, ugly like misshapen imps from hell. Yellow eyes, uneven sharp teeth, pointy ears and nose: goblins. ¡°Giiiiikk!¡± A goblin squealed as a man wearing a knight¡¯s helmet impaled its face with his sword. There was a new mark on the helmet that wasn''t there before, a red X on the left cheek. The man pulled the sword forcefully and avoided a spear to the body. The blade of his katana was very red, as if the very blood of his victims clung to it. Arte - Water Sword Rain! He¡¯d managed to buy time to unleash a wide area Arte despite being surrounded by goblins from three directions whilst protecting his unconscious slave/apprentice. Swords of water appeared in the air and hurled themselves to the horde of goblins. The swords impaled the goblins with speed and power. Some tried to defend, their wooden buckler couldn''t stop the Arte. Some tried to dodge, the sword might have missed a fatal spot but the next sword finished the job. All their efforts were in vain. The goblins let out a series of death throes before they went silent. The man with dark-colored armor swiftly raised his left palm. Most people couldn''t see what he was doing but those who could, would see the souls of the goblins were forcefully gathered by him. That was not the only gathering that was happening. Streams of blood flowed from the goblin corpses to the katana in his right hand. The sword was getting redder and redder for every drop of blood from the fallen. A roar from the depths and the sight of an approaching goblin company from the far end of the hall made him realize that time was a luxury he couldn''t afford right now. I have to leave before the third wave comes! After harvesting as many souls and blood as much as he could, Viers grabbed Boram before running to the exit. He retraced the path he took earlier but he frowned at the unexpected. There were goblins blocking his path. Not too many of a number so he jumped past them. His delve was smooth but his exit was not so. Somehow, there were goblins chasing him from all sides. Goblins burrowing out from the hole on the wall and ground. Viers was astonished by the sheer number of the green infestations of this place. 90% of them were mere goblins, rank 0 monsters. Though there were others, hobgoblins and other variants. Viers was sure the roar he heard was from a rank 3 Goblin Warchief. It wasn''t hard for Viers to kill 50 or so Rank 0 goblins but the Victa expenditure was not worth the cost. Let alone the fact that he was currently chased by hundreds of goblins including the stronger variants. Fleeing was the wiser course of action. Goblin stampede from behind, goblin crawling on the walls, goblin dropping from above, what is this? A chase scene from an action movie? As he went through a wooden bridge, a big muscly hand grabbed his leg from below. The hand¡¯s size was so big it could grab the entirety of Viers¡¯ leg from knee to ankle. Viers didn''t hesitate to deal with the newly emerged threat. ¡°Sever, Guren Muramasa!!¡± Viers unleashed his shikai¡­ or so he imagined. The reality was the blood-coated katana released the accumulated blood from dozens of victims in the form of a slash. Viers acted so quickly that the Rank 2 Goblin Ogre didn''t have time to react. It roared in pain as two-thirds of its hand was severed by the powerful slash. Viers used the opening to pick up speed once again. Viers guarded Boram and himself from a peppering of arrows and magic projectiles let loose by the goblins on the upper floor. After heart-thumping minutes that felt like hours, the sight of his lovely steed meant he almost reached the finish line. Viers put Boram on Brownie¡¯s back before he sat on the saddle. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Come on, girl! Before we become goblin¡¯s dinner!¡± Brownie galloped like the wind, leaving the vicinity of the ruined castle behind. Viers took a glance behind him and saw no goblin in pursuit. *** In a camp that evening. ¡°Well, suffice to say that any adventurer less remarkable than me would have died at that castle.¡± ¡°...Yes Master,¡± Boram answered while lightly touching the bandaged wound on his head. ¡°Adventuring is a dangerous job and adventurers die all the time. Look at this,¡± Viers showed him the quest paper. ¡°Glass rank quest, Glass! This should be an Iron or Bronze quest instead.¡± The objective of the quest was to recover an antique from the castle. Minor monster activity was estimated, Rank 0-1. The reality couldn''t be more different. ¡°If you¡¯re a normal adventurer, you would be dead now. I managed to save you this time but who knows about the next? You better believe it that getting stronger is also in your best interest. Get some rest after eating, Boram. think about what I said. You also need to work on your ability to self-heal. Don''t expect me to heal you every time. A water healing Arte isn''t as effective on an earth Pathseeker like you.¡± Not too bad either though. About 60-70% effectiveness? But he doesn''t need to hear that part. ¡°Yes...¡± The kid was asleep not long after, his head wound pained him. ...It is a dangerous profession to be sure but those who survived the jaws of death countless times, those who survived the fires of conflict, will become strong. This is life¡¯s way of separating the wheat from the chaff... For him and for me, Viers thought. Viers was never lonely in the wilderness since he was always in company, and he was not talking about Brownie. ¡°You named your sword. Why am I not surprised...¡± Clarissa spoke inside his head. ¡°All good swords have a name, mine¡¯s Guren. It means crimson lotus in another language.¡± ¡°And Muramasa?¡± ¡°A signature on the sword¡¯s tang. Perhaps it¡¯s the maker¡¯s name, who knows.¡± ¡°Crimson lotus since it¡¯s got an enchantment about blood?¡± Farley asked. His katana could now be categorized as a magic item since it got magical properties. The slash wound inflicted from the katana had a bleeding effect, it would bleed profusely. The katana also could coat itself with blood, raising its attack power. The more the blood, the stronger it became, there was a limit about how much blood it could hold though. Lastly, it could unleash one super attack using all the accumulated blood. Viers didn''t need to use Victa to use the katana¡¯s special abilities, which was good for a Victa miser such as him. In a drawn-out battle, a bleeding enemy would be at a disadvantage. Since Viers was a water Pathseeker, he could also manipulate the enemy¡¯s blood to his advantage. The downside was the coating of blood wouldn''t last long, that was the difference with his previous water container sword. The helmet was also quite comfortable to wear after the enchantment. ¡°Yep. Whatever that hateful Izabella is cooking up, at least her enchantments are top-notch,¡± Viers lovingly stroked the sword. ¡°Viers, it is as if you¡¯ve fallen in love with that sword,¡± Paina chided. ¡°Well, there¡¯s this thunder god with his hammer¡­ or a bunch of death gods with their soul-cutter¡­¡± Viers spoke in a reminiscing tone. ¡°Oh My Goddess, Farley, he didn''t deny it!¡± Paina had a horrid expression. ¡°...As expected of Lord Viers,¡± Farley replied as smoothly as possible. ¡°You''re just saying that. Tell me you¡¯re just saying that! Am I the only one who thinks this is weird?¡± The four of them conversed with each other in a togetherness about a bunch of minor things, lightening the mood. ¡°By the way, why not explore the newly discovered Biome, Viers? Instead, you picked this minor quest. Turned out it¡¯s a flawed quest and you failed to complete it too,¡± Paina didn''t understand. Viers didn''t answer immediately. ¡°...Don''t you think it is fishy?¡± He said with a hard expression. The conversation died down and Viers turned his mind to dissect the patterns, to predict the future and how to reap as many benefits as he can. There was something brewing in Marakkus, and he suspected this might be the first spark that would blow the powderkeg. After some time of silent planning, and since there were no witnesses, he took off his helmet and looked at it from the front, especially on the X mark on the cheek. ¡°Oh yeah, why did you draw that before you went to the ruins?¡± The lamia asked. ¡°It¡¯s a charm of sorts. A mark of a powerful swordsman. I hope to be as skillful as him one day.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯s a nice mark if you asked me. It''s simple but- Hey! Why did you erase that?¡± Paina reacted. ¡°Having the X too long will make me a pacifist who doesn''t like killing.¡± ¡°Really? You should keep it on then.¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± Viers scoffed in a friendly manner. Jokes aside, Viers wanted to hide his identity as an otherworlder, no way he would be leaving the X mark permanently like a brain-dead MC. Just having it for a single outing was enough to raise his Horizon. Heart of sword, baby. Heart of sword¡­ The song''s tune wouldn''t leave his head that night. Chapter 87 - Early Birds The master and slave pair returned to the guild to report their quest. Viers was taken aback by what he saw, it was like a fish market there. There were many adventurers he¡¯d never seen before, all eager to have a piece of the action. ¡°Avel!¡± Someone called him, Viers turned to the caller. It was one of the friendlier adventurers in this city. ¡°...Carl,¡± Viers replied. ¡°Callahan! When will you remember my name?¡± The brown-haired young man said. ¡°Apologies. I¡¯m not good with faces and names. This is because of the new Biome, I take it?¡± Viers pointed to the situation. ¡°Yup. Adventurers that rarely go questing, on vacation, retired, or stuck in a bottleneck; every man of fortune that smells the opportunities that lie in the Biome are converging here. Some of them came from the neighboring towns and villages.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the situation? I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s a new Biome opening in the vicinity but no idea after that,¡± Viers crossed his arms. ¡°Why are you acting like a big shot? Oh well, forget it. I¡¯ll tell you. The Biome was actually discovered four days ago but the news came out only yesterday. This one is not the spewing-disaster kind of Biome but the filled-with-riches kind. Only, the Rift only opens for an hour in the morning and another hour in the evening. The morning Rift can only be used to enter the Biome while the evening Rift served for exiting the Biome. ¡°Mm-hm,¡± Viers listened to Callahan while watching the guild staff acting like ants on a sugar rush because of the adventurers¡¯ numbers. ¡°Noticed that most adventurers are Level 2s? That¡¯s the thing in this Biome, Level 3 or above cannot go in. In the case where the Biome¡¯s power ceiling is too high, the riches and resources inside usually are swallowed by the high-level Pathseekers. The weaker ones only get the leftovers. Therefore this Biome is the perfect stage for Level 2s like us! And that¡¯s not the only good news. The earlier groups that went in reported the Biome is very, very laden with resources! The monsters inside are not too dangerous either! Oh-la-la!¡± Callahan was getting excited simply by explaining it. He wanted to dive into the Biome as soon as he could. ¡°...Yes. Perfect. Surely no one wants to miss this golden moment,¡± Viers said, in a very skeptical tune. ¡°What are they lining up for?¡± He bobbed his chin to the long line of adventurers in front of a counter as if it was a Disneyland attraction. ¡°It seems the rumor that you¡¯re quite young under that helmet and voice changer is true if you don''t know. If a Biome is discovered in the close vicinity of a city or town, then it falls under the jurisdiction of that city or town. Unlike Biomes in the wilds where you can enter at your leisure, you must get permission to enter. This happens often enough so the city officials usually delegate the job to the Adventurer''s Guild. The guild register the adventurers, regulate how many can go in per day, and take a cut of the adventurers'' harvest for themself and the city. The current rate is fifty percent.¡± Viers turned his face to Callahan in shock. ¡°They get half of the earnings without doing anything?¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s normal,¡± Callahan didn''t find anything wrong with it. Viers wanted to puke. Fifty percent taxes? How absurd. His unwilling groan was heard by Callahan. ¡°As I said, the Biome is rich and big. You¡¯ll still strike a fortune if you went in. Speaking of it, if you want to get a slot tomorrow, you should start lining up now.¡± ¡°What about you? Why¡¯re you not in the line?¡± Viers asked back. ¡°I¡¯m already done,¡± he grinned. Viers watched the faces of the adventurers on the line. Young and old, eyes shined with the light of hope. Each of them carrying their dreams and burdens. ¡°I see¡­ thanks for the talk. C¡¯mon Boram.¡± ¡°Hey wait, the last of the line is over there.¡± ¡°I obviously know that.¡± Viers went to a guild staff to report the inaccurate quest difficulty. It seemed he had no interest in the Biome whatsoever. Callahan only shook his head. He thought Viers didn''t fully understand how precious a Biome is. The earlier they went in, the higher their chance to find something truly precious. Goddess willing, the Biome might provide himself a shot to become Level 3. ¡°Early bird gets the worm Avel~¡± Callahan shouted from behind. True, and yet to me, you all little birdies seem to be going into the open maw of an alligator. Might not find any worm there, but stomach acid and closed exit, Viers thought. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Day 2 since Viers had the opportunity to enter the Biome; he flipped the bird to the Biome, again. *** What a beautiful day. Irkun Marakkus woke up with two young women beside him on his bed, naked. Both were gifts from lesser nobles that wanted to curry favor with him. Irkun had grown desensitized to such things because of how often it happened. Their beautiful sleeping faces reminded him of last night''s passionate activities and his lips curled upwards. A nice midnight snack. ¡°Clean this up and I want a bath,¡± Irkun clapped his hands to call his attendants. Three female servants came to Irkun¡¯s chamber and enacted his orders. For the young women on the bed were no longer breathing. Their essence had been sucked dry by Irkun last night. The bathroom was the very definition of lavish luxury. In the pool of warm water mixed with flower petals, Irkun¡¯s body was being washed by the hands of half a dozen women with transparent clothing, each from different races. Their soapy touch made his body clean without him doing a thing. After the bath, he was also dressed by his female attendants. Irkun watched himself in the mirror as they dressed him with the clothes he picked. Handsome face thanks to his impeccable lineage. No unseemly fat on his body. Six-pack chiseled stomach. His physical beauty was easy to gain. He only needed to thin his wallet a little. Granted, the sum was enough to buy a hill or two but a meager amount for one as rich as him. With a luxurious and enchanted battle garb, Irkun walked the halls of the manor. As always, the giant Takju followed behind him. The Level 4 was a member of Gigantes race. Irkun recalled he was a chieftain before his grandfather captured the man from the Menace West. He was now a loyal bodyguard and a useful beast of burden for Irkun. In a room in the manor¡¯s basement, there was a magical portal. Irkun went through it without a thought. When he came out, he was in front of a gigantic megastructure. The giant stayed behind since he couldn''t come. The mausoleum made entirely of black stones was truly imposing. Irkun imagined it was how ants felt when they saw human houses. The mausoleum was as big as a whole city. The whole area was covered by walls but there were hundreds of gates. All protected by various enchantments. They called it the Tomb. The first task of the Blood Church''s expedition was to pick the suitable gate and unravel the enchantments so they can gain entry. Irkun watched the enchanters under his command working together to solve the protective barrier of a gate with an angel carving on it. They deduced this gate was the easiest to solve and to travel through. There were 20 enchanters. Some were forced, some were hired. The forced ones wore slave collars to ensure obedience. There were others too, 30 cannon fodder Pathseekers for the challenges inside the mausoleum. The wealth promised made the hired ones willing to risk their lives. Too bad for them though. Father will not keep them alive after the job. The secret inside is too important. Irkun might be the leader of this group but he was only Level 2 while the forced human resources were a gathering of Level 2s and 3s. Even if some of them were here because they were unwilling and bitter, none dared to attack Irkun. The imposing 20 Level 3 Deathsworn of the Marakkus family would protect Irkun at all cost. Not to mention the various magical items Irkun himself possessed. Pathseekers above Level 2 could not enter the Biome, the adventurers were subject to this rule but the Blood Church had broken it. The enchanters had been working on the gate for a whole day and it would open very soon. Twenty-one gates apart from Irkun¡¯s gate, another team of the Blood Church was doing the same thing as Irkun. Invoking an Arte for farsight, Irkun scouted in that direction. The other camp had smaller numbers than his. Amidst the people, he saw the exquisite Izabella. She was wearing her signature pointy hat. Her long red hair that reached her back, her unblemished skin on her neck and ample bosom always stoked his ember of desire. Her black skirt was long but there was a slit near the left thigh for ease of movement and fashion style. Her long milky white legs always captivated his eyes. There was nothing Irkun wanted more than to ravish that body. Unfortunately, Izabella had a sisterly bond with Blood Exarch Ursula. Irkun wanted to pluck the fruit and sow the field immediately but that was not to be. Still, they were engaged. The Thyris house may have fallen from grace but the Blood Church top brass wouldn''t want to lose such a valuable bloodline. Irkun¡¯s lineage was great and the union between him and Izabella was expected to produce children with exceptional aptitude and talent. A task that Irkun would gladly do with zeal. To make that dream come true, he must do his utmost in this ¡®match¡¯ that the top brass arranged. If he lost, then Izabella would no longer be his fiance. I¡¯ll not let you go, my sweet. You are mine, Irkun unconsciously licked his lips. There was a sound of glass breaking and the massive stone gate opened with the creak of a moving giant. ¡°Alan, you know what to do,¡± Irkun said. ¡°I¡¯ll be off then,¡± Alan went in first with four others. He was to lead a forward party to scout ahead. With the first barrier broken down, Irkun reported his progress. A mirror in his tent showed the image of his father, the Blood Exarch Haghen. ¡°Father, we have gained entry to the Tomb,¡± Irkun said. ¡°Good. Now we begin the hard part. Do not let down your guard inside. It is a dangerous place.¡± ¡°I understand. I will be extra careful,¡± he answered. ¡°How are the fuels?¡± ¡°Reporting to father, the adventurers have come in droves like moths to the flame.¡± ¡°Hehehe, the outer region is safe currently and the peasants would make great harvest foraging there. Savor it while it lasts, peasants. Your lives shall be the key to awaken the slumbering power in this place.¡± As the father smiled like a devil in the mirror, the son also smiled. Chapter 88 - On the Prowl Day 3. ¡°Hahaha. Yesterday, I got three pieces of Majet ore.¡± ¡°Oooh, lucky you. I only found some Pilici beanstalks. Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning.¡± ¡°Phhft! You two call that boasting? Here! Look at my newfound sword from the Biome!¡± ¡°Hear this, I¡¯ve heard that the Grey Irons adventurer group found a mana crystal deposit! Unfortunately, there¡¯re many strong monsters in the area. They¡¯re recruiting helpers.¡± ¡°I saw Glenn the Champion kill an enormous monster. The monster core was huge! I wonder how much he got for selling it.¡± ¡°Do you know if Izabella is on a quest? I went to her shop yesterday but it¡¯s closed.¡± ¡°Hells and damnations! You remember the locked chamber that we passed by? Some dude that came after us spent the effort to unlock it, and found a Profound Codex inside! We¡¯ve just missed a true treasure!!¡± While picking today¡¯s quest, Viers listened to the gossip among his fellow adventurers. Most of what he heard was boasting about their lucky encounter in the new Biome. ¡°Avel,¡± Callahan greeted him. ¡°...Cajan.¡± ¡°Cal-la-han! You did that on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± Viers riposted the accusation. ¡°I take it your venture is satisfactory?¡± ¡°Eh, could go a little bit better. Look, I¡¯m telling you that the Biome is a gold mine. I see no reason you shouldn''t go.¡± Viers answered after some thinking. ¡°Actually, you¡¯re right. The appearance of the new Biome also opens new opportunities. I¡¯ll make preparations to go in.¡± ¡°Great! Good luck bud. I gotta go. Need to prepare some supplies for my group for today¡¯s delve. See ya inside.¡± After the friendly adventurer left, Viers eyed the long line of adventurers. It was even longer than yesterday. People that were eager to pay the entrance fee so they can go to the oh-glorious city-owned Biome. The entrance fee was also higher than yesterday. ¡°Hmph,¡± Viers scoffed and walked to a free guild staff. It was that sullen girl that told him he was not worth her time until he became an Obsidian. Viers dubbed her Peanut because she threw peanut shells at him once. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I want to go inside the Biome,¡± Viers said. ¡°The line is over there, if you have eyes. Shooo,¡± Peanut lazily said. ¡°You misunderstand, I mean the other Biome.¡± *** Viers and Boram arrived in a clearing inside a lush tropical jungle. Tall trees that blocked out the sky, humid air as if they were in the equator. ¡°Woah...¡± Boram was awed by the extreme change of scenery. ¡°Yep, this is a Biome alright. C¡¯mon B, let''s go hunting.¡± Boram diligently went after Viers¡¯ back. As he expected, this Biome was deserted. The lack of hunters led to the abundance of prey. Therefore it wasn''t long until Viers and Boram found a fitting quarry. A wild bipedal lizard with four arms showed itself. ¡°Boram, I choose you!¡± ¡°...Choose me, Master?¡± The boy looked confused. ¡°Just go and beat the monster.¡± Shame that he didn''t get the reference. Boram did as he was told and started running towards the lizard, he¡¯d already begun the process of invoking an Arte. Mere moments after the lizard realized his presence, the two meters tall monster turned one head shorter. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Overhead Earth Smash!¡± There was something satisfying in defeating enemies with a single blow, Viers thought as he watched. Boram¡¯s hammer was infused with yellow-colored energy and fell with magnificent power. The lizard¡¯s head burst like a crunched fruit and it died. Viers wondered how much effort it would cost him to defend against Boram¡¯s strike head-on. ¡°Master, I did it!¡± Boram smiled like a child eager to be praised after doing his homework. Though, the Arte was one of several that Viers bought from the Magisterium at Marakkus. He modified them a bit and let Boram learn the Artes. ¡°Good, take out the monster core in its chest area.¡± ¡°...How do you know there¡¯s a core in this one? Don''t only one in four monsters have cores?¡± ¡°Common misconception, but that¡¯s a topic for another time. Get the core please,¡± Viers¡¯ eyes had become like a snake¡¯s turned green under the helmet. Boram did so and really found a monster core, a red sphere the size of his fist. His master¡¯s mysteriousness kept piling up. ¡°Let¡¯s find a vantage point to look around,¡± Viers led the way. Viers climbed a suitable tree that he found in the next hour, a truly tall tree. Boram volunteered to guard their luggage on the ground and Viers let him. No need to torture the poor boy. He had a deep thought while viewing his surroundings at a similar altitude to a thirty-story building. Mmm¡­ I must find an opportunity to perform a Leap of Faith one day. You know, for my Horizon. Haystacks are out though. I have enough IQ to understand that a bundle of hay doesn''t cushion your fall like in the game¡­ and Leap of Faith to water is too similar to a high dive. Well, there are magic and magic items in this world, I just need to keep a lookout for the chance to perform one. Without any Arte if possible. This was the third Biome Viers visited but the first of the ¡®normal¡¯ kind. The first was Clarissa¡¯s place, it had the size of a castle room. Clarissa¡¯s mother had turned it into a warehouse/tomb. The second was Dia¡¯s Biome, a plant paradise but an anomaly. This was the third, a normal Biome. Mana concentration was higher here, monsters spawned at a reasonable rate. And it was currently almost empty of competitors. Folks go to the new Biome, leaving this hunting ground open, Viers chuckled. Marakkus city had been standing for a long time, there had been several Biomes that opened in the vicinity throughout the years. Just like the new one, adventurers could go inside the city-owned Biomes through the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Using Euryale Sight, Viers scouted the area. He saw a few things worth examining from the vantage point. Viers climbed down after a while. He led the way and conversed with Boram in the way. ¡°I found what we¡¯re looking for. It¡¯s quite close. So why do you think I go inside a Biome at this time?¡± ¡°To search for treasures?¡± ¡°This is a well-known Biome, Boram. All treasures worth taking would already be taken a long time ago. If we¡¯re lucky, we might find newly appeared natural treasures but I wouldn''t count on it. After a newly opened Biome is thoroughly exploited, usually they become a place like we¡¯re in now. As a farm of sorts. Monsters appear, breed, and grow in the Biome. We hunt them for cores and materials, bringing income to the city.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Boram replied. ¡°There are only a few people around so we practically have this place for ourselves. As for specifically why we¡¯re here¡­ There¡¯s a monster here with a fitting ability for you. You''ll kill it then use the core to create an Arte.¡± ¡°Yes Master.¡± ¡°It is notoriously hard to find and quick to run away. A Groundslider Mole. I¡¯ll help you find it but you¡¯ll be the one to fight it. After all this time, a Rank 1 monster should pose no threat to you, provided you¡¯re careful.¡± The task was the same as usual, Boram felt a bit relieved. ¡°After that you¡¯ll stay here for three days. Alone. You cannot leave the Biome, find food and water yourself. Rejoice, Rank 2s are rare and there are no Rank 3 monsters in this place. Survive nature, fend off the monsters and be vigilant while you¡¯re resting. This is training for the real thing in the wilds.¡± Boram almost whimpered but he mastered his urges at the last moment. He was starting to wonder if his life mining rocks at the quarry was better. ¡°...And you, Master?¡± ¡°I have things to do in the city. I¡¯ll come to pick you up after three days and three nights. Try not to die.¡± Boram felt like he was thrown off a cliff to a valley filled with dangerous beasts. Certainly not his preferred place to be but his master was a horrible person and didn''t balk at doing such a thing to his student. *** ¡°You are a bad master,¡± Paina said. ¡°He must learn to not depend on me to save him every time he is in a bind. I¡¯ve done so too often.¡± ¡°Lord Viers, what are you up to?¡± Farley asked. Viers had returned to his room after dropping off Boram. He then swiftly changed his clothes and equipment, took off his helmet and wore a mask. His attire was now entirely different from Avel the adventurer¡¯s usual set. ¡°I¡¯m gonna rob people.¡± The new Biome was too suspicious. He had no plans to ever set foot inside the new Biome but he was also unwilling to let such fortune slip through his fingers like that. The earlier boasting of the adventurers stoked the envy in his heart. ¡°Since I cannot harvest my fortune inside, I¡¯ll harvest it from people that leave the Biome,¡± Viers sneered. Paina¡¯s protests were muted by him while Farley started spinning the gears in her head. ¡°Gods, the nerve of this guy¡­ Don''t you think that¡¯s a bit cruel to your fellow adventurers?¡± Clarissa said. ¡°It¡¯s their fault if they¡¯re weak enough to be robbed by me.¡± Viers left the inn through the window. The sun was setting, according to Callahan, it was almost time for the exit Rift from the Biome to open. People would be leaving the pocket dimension with bags filled with loot. The twilight cast long shadows and Viers blended into them using the Arte Fade in Shadow. Chapter 89 - Among Thieves Day 3 - Evening. The Rift to the new Biome opened not far from the city. From there, the returning adventurers would need to pass through the more unsavory part of the city. Not outright slums but certainly had a horrendous public order and inadequate living standards. On a road with many pedestrians, a group of four adventurers was walking with light steps. Smiles were on their faces. They look tired and a bit ragged but clearly had a good day. The party was three males and one female. A standard composition. A sword-wielding damage dealer with an average build, a tank with a robust physique, and a skinny scout. The female carried a staff and clearly a spellcasting type. ¡°How about a drink to celebrate?¡± The sword guy said. ¡°Good idea. I¡¯m dying for a beer,¡± the big guy licked his lips. ¡°The usual place? By the way, do you think the tavern girl from yesterday has the hots for me?¡± the skinny guy daydreamed. ¡°Sigh¡­ Just do it in moderation please,¡± the woman voiced reason, holding her own smile back. Suddenly, there was a figure that fell from the rooftop. No, not fell but dived from the heights and landed right in the middle of them. ¡°Watch out!¡± The scout warned but it was too late. When the figure landed, there was a strong splash of water as if a boulder with a thousand kilos of weight dropped into a lake. The wave of water knocked back the party of four to the walls and floor. Arte - Raging River Steps. An evolution of Rapid Water Steps that Viers created. Other than the higher overall speed, the Arte could generate a knockback effect. Perfect for swiftly getting close to an enemy and breaking their posture or stance, leaving them open for a deadly strike from the user. ¡°Guys! Are you okay?¡± The damage dealer asked. ¡°Sandra is down! She¡¯s- Incoming!¡± The scout didn''t have the luxury of time before the enemy re-engaged. The damage dealer and the scout got off lightly from Viers¡¯s initial strike, thanks to their speed. The woman mage¡¯s head hit a wall and seemingly lost consciousness, an unexpected but welcome development. The tank got hit with the full knockback effect of the water wave. He was still struggling to get on his feet when Viers dealt a follow-up offensive. The other pedestrians screamed and ran to avoid being swallowed in the fight. There was chaos in the street. Arte - Water Chains of Silence. The tank and scout were entangled by the chains of water that suddenly appeared all around them. The scout tried to escape but the chain was faster than him. The tank got covered by many chains that made him look like a caterpillar. The two found out that they couldn''t open their mouths. The unconscious woman got bound too, Viers was thorough. As for the damage dealer, he put up a fight. ¡°Wind of Rebuke!¡± The damage dealer created a blast of wind to repel the chains around him. He was the strongest, used a sword, and his role as a damage dealer in the group, Viers dubbed him the leader from then on. ¡°Who are you and why are you attacking us?¡± He said angrily. Viers didn''t speak. He dashed towards the leader to end the fight as soon as possible. He couldn''t linger because the risk of failure rose for every passing second. Seeing the enemy dashing towards him made the leader¡¯s temper reach its peak. ¡°Do you have no shame in attacking people weaker than you!¡± The leader shouted while locking swords with Viers. Viers parried the leader¡¯s sword, leaving him wide open. To Viers, it was easy to kill him but he didn''t. Like a snake, Viers¡¯ left hand grabbed and latched onto the leader¡¯s face. ¡°Paina!¡± Viers communicate telepathically. ¡°Yes!¡± Combination Arte - Black Out Down! Goooonggg¡ª The leader heard the sound of a gong that washed over his mind and felt all the liquid in his body shaking. He lost any sort of cognitive ability as his mind¡¯s connection to the body was obliterated. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The leader slumped to the ground, alive but he didn''t look like one. Black Out Down, an Arte that can only be used by working together with Paina since it was a mix of sound, water, and soul paths to achieve a non-lethal victory. This guy would be out for an hour, even if you burn his limbs he would not awaken. Mostly made and constructed by Paina to avoid bloodshed but the name was Viers''. Inspired by a war film that he liked. Viers used three seconds to examine the four, making an extra check they had been subdued. They might be Level 1s, not a match for a Level 2 like him but Viers didn''t take any chances. Letting his guard down because they were weaker was a big red flag for a villain. After being satisfied with what he saw, Viers rummaged through their belongings. The scout and the tank were the only ones conscious. They tried to break free but the Arte of a Level 2 was too strong for mediocre Level 1 Pathseekers like them. A weighty sense of defeat and despair descended upon them. They could do nothing as the unknown assailant took the rucksack that contained the day¡¯s labor. Their mouths were bound, even harsh words to the enemy were beyond them. The man with the blue mask ran away as swiftly as a thief, his Arte dissolved sometime after. For ten minutes they were like caterpillars on the streets. Normal people were too scared to help them, fearing they would be implicated. During their time immobile, they heard a few explosions not too far from their position. Perhaps the unknown bandit had attacked different prey. ¡°...How¡¯s Bruce,¡± the tank asked. ¡°Alive, fortunately,¡± the scout said while checking their leader¡¯s condition. ¡°...We aren''t dead or fatally injured. Could be worse,¡± the tank spoke with a heavy tone, carrying the unconscious woman mage in a princess carry. ¡°Yes, Norman. It could be a whole lot worse. I suppose we should praise that guy for not robbing our lives too. No, that¡¯s not enough. We have to bring gifts and buy him a drink too. We¡¯ll toast his boundless compassion and tell the bards of his gallantry,¡± every word was spoken with bitterness. ¡°FUUUUUCK!!¡± The skinny scout screamed to the sky with indignation. The giant tank closed his eyes and dipped his head downward. Disappointment clung heavily to his heart. *** BOOOM! There was an explosion in the middle of the street, an Arte from a Level 2 Pathseeker. From that cloud of dust, a figure dashed out. The guy was unhurt. ¡°Who is this guy?¡± Someone spat in disbelief. ¡°How is he so strong?!¡± ¡°Shut your trap. He¡¯s coming here! Water Javelins!¡± ¡°Earth Wave!¡± ¡°Dire Firebolt!¡± Under the rain of Arte, Viers went forward beautifully like a dribbling Maradona in the field. His speed beggared belief. In no time at all, he got close to his target. An adventurer with braided hair tried to defend but the assailant gave him an uppercut with his left hand while his right nabbed a pouch on his belt. The braided hair adventurer was down for the count and his teammate tried to cover him. ¡°Fucking thief!¡± Viers kicked the charging guy on the chest and used that momentum to flip backward, landing his two feet on the face of an adventurer that tried to attack from the back. The sudden weight of a man on his face made his head rapidly fall down to the cobblestone street. Viers jumped away to avoid encirclement. ¡°He went over there. Cut him off!¡± ¡°What the fuck are you bastards doing? Five Level 2s can¡¯t hold him?¡± Viers had stolen loot from more than fifteen people. His first target was a group of four, all Level 1. Seeing they didn''t pose any threat, Viers gradually targeted stronger and stronger groups. Even without using his trump cards, his Horizon already gave him all the edge he needed. Arte - Raging River Steps. Viers ran like a cheetah and gave a Level 2 adventurer a knee to the face, knocking him out instantly. Viers took off his belt before leaping off again. By now, his modus operandi was taking anything that caught his eye. Euryale Sight ensured he always took something of value. Unlike the first group, he no longer bothered putting all his enemies to sleep so he was being swarmed by people he slighted. Almost two dozen people were chasing him by now. Broken bones, twisted muscles, missing teeth, wounded pride, but not one of them lost their life. Viers made sure of that. Thanks to his heightened physical ability, leaping ten meters in a single jump was no big deal. Viers jumped from rooftop to rooftop while a bunch of people were hot on his heels. If the place was coming crashing down then it would be just like a scene from video games. I think that¡¯s enough for today. Time to retreat. Hm? Not far from him, he saw something oddly similar happening. There was a guy carrying a big sack being chased by other adventurers. Viers saw him and he also noticed Viers. Viers grinned under his mask. Whaddya know, I¡¯m not the only one who thinks of banditry. ¡°Hey chum. Good night, right?¡± The thief said politely. He and Viers were running in a similar direction. If he saw the expression on Viers¡¯ face, he wouldn''t be. Arte - Water Moon Fang. ¡°The fu-¡± Viers suddenly attacked the other thief using a crescent-shaped blade of water. The thief looked shocked, despite his polite surface he was actually very on guard but Viers¡¯ Arte was far faster and more powerful than he expected. He managed to defend but he lost speed. Viers attacked again, a kick was coming to his face. ¡°Wai-¡± The thief used his left hand to block. ¡°I-¡± Arte - Water Chains of Silence. After momentarily slowing down the thief, the Arte hit him completely. The thief¡¯s pupils constricted like a pair of needles in surprise. All efforts to breaking free of the bindings were unsuccessful, signs of the one casting the Arte was much stronger. Without words or nonsense, Viers grabbed the sack that the thief was carrying, adding it to his loot. The chasing adventurers that had become one big group saw what happened. They had a hard time believing what they were seeing. From the rooftop, Vier jumped down to a shadow cast by a house. Night had fallen so Viers looked like he was sinking into darkness in front of their eyes. Arte - Fade in Shadow. The group of robbed adventurers lost sight of Viers, another dose of surprise on top of another. Some invoked their investigative Artes but the result was nothing. Leaving a bound caterpillar in the midst of a bunch of angry mobs. They looked like wolves eyeing a newborn trembling fawn. ¡°Mmmm! MMM! MmMm MMMM!!!¡± There was no honor among thieves today. Chapter 90 - The Whole Shebang Day 4. ¡°This is an outrage!¡± The man said emotionally as he slammed his fist on the table. ¡°Your balls have grown to the size of your head if you think this kind of behavior would be tolerated! There are limits that must not be crossed and one among you has crossed the line.¡± ¡°Yesterday was certainly an interesting evening. Many poor boys sought my girls for solace, seeking a remedy for sorrows. Aaah, almost every room was filled to capacity. What a passion-filled night indeed,¡± the woman representing the courtesans said in a playful tone, waving a hand fan in front of her mouth. ¡°As Lord Homen said, someone must have been feeling ballsy yesterday,¡± the representative of the smuggling business in Marakkus cast a glance at the man sitting next to him. ¡°It wasn''t us!¡± The thieves¡¯ spokesman ruefully said to all the seated at the table. ¡°Whoever that masked man was, he has no relation with me or my men. Hell, he even broke the code of no stealing among thieves! The son of a bitch attacked one of my most accomplished members and threw him to the lions! The mob cooked him alive, literally!! Isn''t the cut we pay to the city guards precisely for preventing something like this? Where were your men, Homen?¡± ¡°Watch your tone, pickpocket. Before I put you in a dungeon so dark you will beg for the sun,¡± the man called Homen, said with a hard tone. ¡°...Hmph,¡± the thieves¡¯ spokesman was cowed and slumped deeper into his chair. ¡°I will make things clear. The guy is not one of ours. My bet is he¡¯s an outsider. Perhaps a big shot wannabe from the gangs?¡± ¡°That is also false,¡± the envoy of the most powerful gangs in Marakkus flatly informed. ¡°My bosses deny having any hand in yesterday¡¯s matter. As a matter of fact, some of them wished to recruit this¡­ bold spirit to their fold.¡± ¡°Who among you all have intel on yesterday¡¯s ruffian?¡± Homen asked. The chief of the city guards exerted influence on this table filled with members of the city¡¯s underworld. Nobody answered. ¡°Fine, my turn to ask. The ruffian used the Arte Fade in Shadow. It was clear as day. What do you have to say for yourself?¡± Homen went to the heart of the matter. A single person became the center of every eye on the table. A hooded figure who didn''t make a peep from the very beginning. Actually, the representatives also knew about it. But they didn''t dare to irk the fearsome killers. They kept their toes in line, letting Homen test the waters first. Fade in Shadow was the signature Arte of the assassins from the Assassins¡¯ Guild. It allowed them to come and go like ghosts. Tens of adventurers couldn''t even glimpse the bandit¡¯s silhouette once he used the Arte. Disappearing like a phantom, wasn''t that very similar to the legendary Arte the assassins employed? Under so many eyewitnesses, news spread easily. Those in the know certainly could see the similarities. ¡°...The man is a stranger and a blasphemer. No one is allowed to desecrate our art, our gift. Chief of the guards, the Ravens will take this matter into our own hands,¡± the hooded figure spoke with a voice neither male or female. ¡°A rogue then, very well. Hunt the target as you please but my guards will also investigate from their own ends. Hopefully, the bastard is foolish enough to show up again today. I¡¯ll post my men in the area. In the meantime, I want you all to not stir up the pot any further. Remember, your activities are sanctioned by the city within imposed limits. Those who break it will face severe consequences. That is all.¡± Homen left and so did a few others but most of them stayed. ¡°The chief seemed prickly today. Wouldn''t you say, darling?¡± A stocky man that represented the drug lords said. ¡°Can''t blame him. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild was like a burning beehive. The guild master himself lodged a complaint,¡± the madam slaver added. ¡°The blood fanatics are busy doing Goddess knows what, then this little fish suddenly stirs the pond,¡± the info broker grinned. ¡°The water is muddied now. Sounds like an opportunity to me, or rather, my bosses. Isn''t that right, my fellow upstanding citizens?¡± The organ dealer sounded excited. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, as we suspected, it looks like the powers behind us are not gonna take this lying down. We¡¯ll have a party soon,¡± the agent of the illegal merchants raised his glass. ¡°To our health¡­ Goddess helps us all.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. *** ¡°Kyah!¡± A teenage girl was hit by a blast of water. Her fire shield mitigated some of the damage but it aggravated her previous injury. She no longer had the strength to get up. ¡°Hahaha! Take her stuff!¡± A thug sneered at her. ¡°Thanks for the hard work. We¡¯ll take it from here, gyahahah!¡± Another thug mockingly said. ¡°Better yet, how about we take all five of them? I promise you all a night to remember, bwahahaha!¡± ¡°Ooooh, nice idea. I call dibs on the bunny beastfolk!¡± ¡°Then the wolf girl is mine. Her savage eyes are unbearable,¡± he licked his lips. ¡°I¡¯ll train her well. Changing those rebellious eyes into obedience, nyihihi.¡± A group of all-female adventurers was surrounded by multiple scummy thugs. The adventurers were aware of the banditry yesterday so they were on guard but the number of the assailants was enough to overwhelm them. ¡°Try it, you low-life! I¡¯ll kill you even if it''s the last thing I do before I die!¡± The wolf woman defiantly said. ¡°Mary, are you okay?¡± A human with black eyes and black hair applied healing to the fire mage of their group. ¡°...I¡¯ll manage. What do we do, Rita? At this rate...¡± Mary said worriedly. Rita, seeing her comrades¡¯ fear, knew she must make a call as the leader of the group. She threw a satchel at one of the thugs. ¡°That is what we got from the Biome today. Take it and leave,¡± Rita said while clenching her fist. ¡°Heeeh, wise choice. What¡¯s the call, boss?¡± The thug that had the satchel offered it to a man with a blue mask. It was the same mask like the one who robbed close to twenty adventurers yesterday. ¡°Take the bunny one and the dog one. The color of their fur is nice. They will fetch a nice price in the slave market,¡± the boss said without a shred of compassion in his voice. ¡°Khhh!¡± Rita grimaced, so did the rest of her party. As the thugs were approaching them with bestial looks, Rita and the group prepared to make their last stand. The boss watched from the rooftop. ¡°Hehehe- Urggg!?¡± There was a slight pain in his chest. He looked down and saw a sword sprouted there. ¡°Ghagh...¡± The sword was pulled out violently, making blood gush out like a fountain. Next, his neck was chopped off. Like a falling tree, the head fell to the street along with his body making a red sauce splatter on the ground. ¡°BOSSS!!¡± ¡°Holy Shit!¡± Rita¡¯s group and the thugs looked at the murderer. It was a he, and he was wearing the same mask as the recently deceased thug boss. ¡°It¡¯s him, definitely him!¡± ¡°Run!¡± ¡°The maniac is here!¡± The thugs ran to the four winds, Rita¡¯s group and the new arrival did not pursue. The killer looked downwards at the group of adventurers and they did the same. The silent eye contact continued for a few seconds. Rita broke the silence first. ¡°I and my party thank you for your help. We-¡± The man wearing the blue mask left without letting her finish. ¡°...We¡¯re saved?¡± A dog beastfolk said. ¡°Pheeew...¡± Mary sighed. ¡°Rita¡­ he took the satchel,¡± the wolf girl grimaced. In the end, the girls still lost their loot. ¡°Damn it all,¡± Rita cursed. *** When the sun sets, it was as if the city suddenly became the playground of anarchy. The adventurers that were returning from the Biome delve became the prime targets. Their packs were laden with loot, some of them worked extra hard to offset the robbery they suffered yesterday. The guild assured them that measures had been placed to prevent something like yesterday from happening again. City guards were patrolling the streets and rooftops. It seemed today would be alright. One or two thieves would be swiftly apprehended. But what was happening was outside of their prediction. Instead of a couple of daring or desperate thieves, it was as if every criminal in the city was on the move. Some targeted the adventurers, others broke into stores, robbed people in public places, even banks were attacked. Chaos was on the streets of Marakkus as fighting took place in many places of the city. The high class districts where the rich and powerful resided were mostly untouched. The middle class districts got involved but the damage was not great. The low class districts, however, became an arena for a feeding frenzy. Adventurers were certainly not a powerless bunch. They were Pathseekers that had faced the monsters beyond the safety of the walls; they fought to protect what was rightfully theirs. Artes flying, metal clashing, and blood spilling on the city grounds. Not only them, there was fighting everywhere. Store owners defended their shop from violent looters using explosive magical items, an Idler head of a family took up a bat while his door was being broken down, gangs fighting each other for grabs of power, assassination operations launched, bank heists, prison breaks, and many more. And those were only the visible ones. Who knew what was happening backstage. The law enforcement officers tried to bring a semblance of order back but they were clearly overwhelmed. It was as if the whole criminal factors were on the move. Viers who had just dispatched a copycat of him watched the city consumed with violence. People were screaming and fires broke out in multiple parts of the city. This has nothing to do with me. Yep, nothing whatsoever. Chapter 91 - Boogeyman ¡°Arte - Galeblade!¡± Bruce wounded one of the vultures that wanted to take a bite of their flesh. The bandit got a nasty gash on his arm and backed away. Bruce and his party closed ranks. ¡°They¡¯re good,¡± one of the bandits said. ¡°That¡¯s good news for us. It means their harvest from the Biome is greater,¡± a different bandit eyed the group of four like they were smorgasbord. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of them. Their group name is Rising Fortune. A promising new bunch.¡± The adventurers were all Level 1 and so were the bandits. The attackers chose prey suitable for their ability. There were many pockets of conflicts like this in the vicinity. The bandits were masked but those wearing a blue mask in a certain design made up half of their number. As the group of bandits was about to make a move, a person approached one of them in a hurry. That person looked like he was chased by a ghost. ¡°Ket, KET! Hurry and take that damn thing off!¡± ¡°You fool, don¡¯t say my name! What happened, where¡¯s your mask?¡± ¡°Just take off your mask before-¡± A person landed on the rooftop. His gear was cheap and nothing noteworthy. He had a sword sheathed on his waist and wearing a blue mask. His left hand was carrying a sack almost filled to the brim and his right was holding a severed head. The head was wearing the same blue mask that he wore. The adventurer group made an ugly expression when they saw the new arrival. ¡°He¡¯s¨C!¡± ¡°Yesterday¡¯s¨C¡± ¡°Holy shit, again?¡± ¡°How bad is our luck to meet this monster twice?¡± The Rising Fortune adventurer¡¯s group, they were the first group that Viers robbed yesterday. Not only the adventurers but the bandits were also shaken by the form of a man holding a severed head still dripping with blood. ¡°Hurry up and take the goddamn thing off! The original kills every copycat he sees without so much of a warning! He¡¯s mad I tell you. Mad but strong!¡± The running bandit warned his friend, the one he called Ket. His mere presence cowed the Level 1s bandit. Viers turned his head in the copycat¡¯s direction and the bandit hastily took off his mask, exposing his identity for all the world to see but that was better than being dead. Viers didn''t make any sound, seeing the bandits had become tame and there were no longer other copycats, he didn''t waste any more time. After throwing the head to the maskless Ket, Viers jumped from the two-story roof and landed in front of the Rising Fortune adventurer group. ¡°You already robbed us yesterday, go bother somebody else!¡± The leader, Bruce, said on behalf of the group. Viers walked towards them, his intent was nothing else but antagonistic. ¡°Khhh, hang on guys!¡± Bruce gritted his teeth. ¡°Fuck it, we¡¯re not giving up without a fight!¡± Will, the skinny scout charged at Viers with a hatchet wreathed in fire. ¡°Stall him! The city guards should be nearly here!¡± Sandra¡¯s hand was glowing faintly. ¡°Norman, use it,¡± Bruce said to the tank. He talked softly and in a whisper but Viers heard it thanks to his sharp ears. Norman nodded and took out something from his bag. The Rising Fortune struggled valiantly against Viers but they were clearly outclassed. In seconds, the vanguard that consisted of Bruce and Will were down like the Black Hawk. Viers disabled them using non-lethal Arte. In fact, every adventurer that he robbed didn''t suffer any heavy injuries. The copycats were another matter though. If he found any bandits wearing the same blue mask as him, Viers killed them with extreme prejudice. They tried to pass the blame onto him, so they had no grounds to complain when they lost their life. That was Viers¡¯ reasoning. Viers wasn''t trying to lessen his infamy, he just didn''t like people using him no matter the reason. Since Viers disregarded the other bandits'' existence, they watched the mysterious Viers defeating the adventurers with ease. When Viers set his target on the remaining Norman and Sandra, he was hit by a sudden attack. It was a beam of yellow light that hit him on the shoulder. There were tendrils of smokes rising from the place it hit. If Viers didn''t react quickly enough by deploying his shield Arte, his shoulder might have a new hole. He smothered the sensation of pain and raised his caution. The beam came from the muscular tank, Norman. He now wore a circlet with a yellow gem in its center. ...Mind Stone? Is he an android made of Vibranium? The beam shot again, Viers couldn''t dodge and got hit in the chest. Viers was fast but the beam was faster. Before the third attack launched, Viers dashed to the side. The stalemate continued for almost thirty seconds. Sandra pitched in by dishing out earth Artes at Viers from a distance. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The circlet must be today¡¯s harvest from the Biome since they didn''t have that yesterday. The balance was soon broken as Viers found a countermeasure. He created a thick shield of water in the form of a pyramid. The beam was refracted by the unique shape water shield. Norman grunted and kept shooting, there was smoke coming from his forehead. It seemed using the tool continuously made it very hot. Viers kept charging from the front and tackled him into a stone wall. The house¡¯s section crumbled and fell on the tank. He lost consciousness and Viers took the circlet from his forehead. One down, five more to go till the snap. Heheh... Sandra, the only one left, looked at Viers with a mixture of hate and fear. ¡°Found him! Captain, over here!¡± A new voice signal new player had joined the party. The young man wore the city guard¡¯s blue uniform, showing his affiliation. Three other city guards were coming from a distance. Viers decided to retreat. They were all Level 2s and Viers had nothing to gain by fighting them. The circlet already made the Victa expenditure he invested worthwhile. Norman was a Level 1 but the beam had the power of a Level 2¡¯s Arte. A good find for Viers. Seeing Viers run away, one of the guards shouted. ¡°This is the city guard, running person with the blue mask, halt!¡± As Dom said, when I see flashing lights in my window, I don''t stop. Channeling the spirit of Fast & Furious, Viers traversed the district like a speeding supercar. His upgraded movement type Arte, Raging River Steps improved his speed and made him cut corners like a pro racer but the city guards were no slouch either. They must be used to chasing criminals down because they managed to keep up with Viers, although with difficulty. ¡°By powers of the law, I order you to surrender!¡± The one that looked like the captain was throwing the weight of the law at Viers. If Viers was in a talking capacity right now, he would have screamed a counter to his face. A law is only as powerful as the ones who enforce it. No matter how good and righteous it is. Your words are hollow. Viers intruded many other acts of criminality along the way but the city guard kept hounding him. Viers was confident he could lose them with the combination of Raging Rivers Steps and Horizon but that didn''t seem to be the case. Fed up with the chase, Viers changed his approach. Arte - Fade in Shadow. Viers¡¯ figure disappeared into the darkness, the city guards were in disarray. Viers used the time window to change direction, further throwing them off. Viers felt it was time to call it a day and wanted to return to the Bird Nest Inn unseen but a sudden explosion of light disoriented him. The area lit up and exposed his form. And whatever that was, it damaged him. His skin felt like it was covered with corrosive acid. What the fu- Even though his vision went white by the sudden flash, he sensed the blade coming to his neck and heart. To avoid that, Vier put power into his legs, leaping ten meters upward. While he was in the air, a ball of fire as big as his body was waiting. Viers couldn''t dodge in midair so defense was his only option. He invoked Water Shield Arte just in time before the fireball swallowed him. The impact violently threw him into someone else¡¯s house. While Viers was submerged into the house, the attacker who stood on the rooftop opened his mouth and a torrent of fire came out like dragon¡¯s breath, drowning Viers in blazing fire. Two more people showed themselves, they similarly took a place on the rooftop, boxing Viers¡¯ position between the three. Since that was so showy, it took people¡¯s attention. Some adventurers and bandits that were in the vicinity stopped fighting to watch. ¡°Are they...¡± ¡°Assassin''s Guild...¡± ¡°I knew it! That was Arte Fade in Shadow. The Arte of the assassins.¡± ¡°You mean the blue mask guy uses their Arte? They didn''t look like they were on the same side though.¡± ¡°Perhaps he stole it? He got balls doing that. Don''t he know it was a slap to the face for stealing an org¡¯s signature Arte?¡± The peanut gallery commented. ¡°Captain, should we...¡± ¡°No, Remus. Don''t meddle with the business of the assassins. They don''t take kindly to interference in their matters and they are above our paygrade.¡± The city guards that chased Viers earlier also caught up. The captain told his men to stand down. From the burning rubble, Viers emerged. He raised his head to the three people that looked down on him. All three were Level 2 Pathseekers. ¡°Pretender,¡± one said. ¡°Faker,¡± the fire-breathing assassin said. ¡°Blasphemer,¡± the most leader-like assassin said. Viers didn''t react to the assassins'' words. He dropped his sack of stolen items and cracked his neck left and right. ¡°Farley, Overclock Mode. Let''s wrap this up quickly,¡± he said in his mind, almost lazily. ¡°I¡¯m ready anytime, Lord Viers,¡± Farley was eager to help. The ensuing battle didn''t last long. The first assassin, the one that said ¡®Pretender¡¯, got slammed on a sharp piece of broken fence, impaling him in the chest. His blood was drunk by the flowers near the fence. A Shish kebab that no one will buy. The second one, ¡®Faker¡¯, got his upper body exploded after Viers squeezed his throat while he was doing the fire breathing act. Your Arte can be used against you, hothead. The third assassin, ¡®Blasphemer¡¯, seeing he was no match against Viers, tried to suicide bomb Viers. Blasphemer used an Arte to create a chain that connected Viers and himself, preventing both sides from moving far away from each other. He took out a bomb in the shape of a stick. Just with a glance, Viers knew the bomb was dangerous. Getting hit with it would be bad news. Blasphemer started doing the villainous cliche, bragging about everyone that crossed the Ravens would die a painful death¡­ or so Viers guessed anyway. Viers was not interested and acted while Blasphemer was just beginning his monologue. Viers encased him in a sturdy dome of ice. Blasphemer exploded meaninglessly inside. Literally, go out with a bang. The gallery watched the battle with bated breath. It was like watching a lion brutalizing three pigs. Awe and fear came with equal measure. The assassins were not normal Level 2s but they were no match for the blue masked stranger. The assassins had a terrifying reputation, who would have known the stranger was even more terrifying? When Viers was leaving after the fight, no one tried to prevent him. Not the adventurers he robbed, not the bandits lusting after his loot, not the city guards sworn to uphold the law. The eyewitnesses of the battle spread what they saw and the name of the Silent Boogeyman traversed from lips to lips. Chapter 92 - Should I Stay or Should I Go? (Rewrite) Day 5. In one of the rooms in Bird Nest Inn, there was a pile of mana crystals and trinkets worth a small fortune. Like a crow taking shinies to its nest, raider Viers did the same. It was almost fate that he stayed in an inn with such a name. The room had been reinforced with additional security in the form of arrays and enchantments, courtesy of a certain ghost. The inn was pretty safe from the riot thanks to its location in the middle class district. The rent was high, but Viers could afford it. Now more than ever. If this was a cartoon, Viers would see the pile with dollar signs in his eyes. Boram was still struggling in the wilds in the name of training so Viers was by his lonesome, physically anyway. His acts might be too much for Boram; there was no need to trouble the boy further, Viers thought. Viers was examining the many items he¡¯d stolen. Currently, he was twirling the circlet in his hand. This item is good. It can unleash a beam of burning light without the user¡¯s Victa. The power is equal to a Level 2 Arte. Compared to my Artes that got a boost from Horizon, it is quite weak but the 0 MP is too good to pass. Frequent use can make it very hot. There¡¯s a usage limit though. Someday it will break, but until then¡­ Viers named the circlet with yellow gem Sunburn and moved on to the next item. He separated the ones that were useful to him and the not. And these are Boram¡¯s presents. It was a Ring of Regen that gave the wearer lesser regeneration from injuries and an Orcish Belt that raised the user¡¯s brute strength. Those two were items with plain but practical effects. Viers could clad Boram with high-end equipment but he didn''t want Boram to grow reliant on powerful items so he gave just enough. Viers sold the loot that didn''t have much use to him to the Rich Goblin¡¯s Vault, the place where he bought his adventurer gear. Viers was wearing a disguise to prevent recognition. The shopkeeper gladly accepted the items. Viers reckoned his business must be booming. Since Viers was not in the haggling mood he let the shopkeeper to lowball a bit, turning the not useful items into cold hard cash that he put in his bank account, along with most of the cash he stole. If Viers had a storage item he would have kept them but that wasn''t the case, and having too many items would only hamper his mobility. The Florenzi Bank cared not for the amount Viers deposited. It was nothing compared to the wealth of tycoons and other high-level Pathseekers. Viers didn''t suddenly jump into the list of the wealthiest men in the city, he was only a mere Level 2 after all. Still, Viers was currently the wealthiest he had ever been. The numbers in his account almost made him salivate. After sorting and cleaning up his inventory, Viers visited the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Viers imagined people in a refugee camp after a nasty earthquake would have the same look as the adventurers in this place right now. On the other hand, the scenery on the streets might make that sentence not far off. Battles between Pathseekers were not exactly the preserving environment kind. ¡°Robbed, again. Fuck my life.¡± ¡°-so I made a turn in the alley but the Silent Boogeyman was waiting for me in front! I swear he was behind me just a moment ago. He used some kind of Arte on me and I passed out.¡± ¡°Shit! Do those bandits think we¡¯re fat pigs for slaughter or something? If they want the riches in the Biome then fucking get in there!¡± ¡°-then the Silent Boogeyman emerged from the continuous breath of fire, clad in water from head to toe. He squashed the neck of the fire-breathing assassin. The poor guy¡¯s entire torso rapidly exploded in a rain of gore and fire. The Silent Boogeyman walked away as if he was just crushing an annoying bug. Not one scratch on him.¡± Viers heard various conversations taking place with his sharp ears. A certain title caught his attention. Silent Boogeyman, huh? A bit of a mouthful. There were quite a few adventurers currently in the guild. Some were drinking alcohol even though the sun was still up. This bunch were the ones who didn''t delve into the new Biome today. Perhaps they got fed up after being robbed, by Viers or by other bandits. Not all adventurers became prey for the bandits though. Some adventurers had enough teeth to turn the hunter to the hunted. The ones who still hadn''t given up and had the will to try should be in the new Biome by now. As for Viers, he was here to complete his ¡®main quest¡¯. ¡°I¡¯ve completed the quest. Please check it,¡± Viers said to the guild staff. The sharp-tongued and my pace guild girl, Viers nicknamed her Peanut. ¡°Mmm¡­ Congratulations, you have finished the qualification quest for becoming an Obsidian,¡± Peanut said in a flat tone as if she was reading aloud a pamphlet. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Are you really congratulating me?¡± Viers teased. ¡°Not really but it¡¯s a requirement for me to say it. Good job to not die after all this time,¡± she took up a book and started writing something. ¡°Name?¡± ¡°Avel of Javia. Am I worth your time now?¡± ¡°Uh-huh...¡± she finished scribbling and gave viers a different guild tag. ¡°Continue your ¡®not dying¡¯ streak during your Obsidian status if possible, though I doubt it,¡± she said the last part more softly than the rest. Her attitude didn''t change at all, much to Viers'' amusement. He found this girl with an attitude truly refreshing. It was a wonder she wasn''t fired yet. ¡°You know, I never caught your name. What should I call you?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Ask again when you¡¯re Iron-ranked. Until then, stop hitting on the guild¡¯s staff and do some work. We¡¯re very busy today.¡± Viers scoffed playfully. ¡°You wish. But I¡¯ll take on that challenge. See ya later, Peanut.¡± If we¡¯re both still alive and somehow able to meet again. ¡°...What did you call me?¡± Viers didn''t answer and left the guild. *** Day 5, almost evening. For the past few days, it was the hunting time for Viers. Today, Viers was contemplating. He¡¯d finished his two objectives. He just needed time to unlock the rings and the Obsidian guild tag was hanging from his neck. As a bonus, he also got Boram; a slave with quite a high spec. All in all, his business at Marakkus had been concluded and he should resume his journey to Valkut city. Viers was watching the orange sky and the setting sun from the window of his room. Two choices were before him now, to leave or to stay. ¡°Leave of course. Why risk it? You¡¯ve already got what you wanted,¡± Paina felt it was a clear choice. Why was Viers hesitating? ¡°True, but here¡¯s the thing, my gains are way less than I expected,¡± Viers said as if he was an all-knowing sage. ¡°What, you want to rob them more of their pennies? Isn''t your illicit funneling of bank accounts more profitable? We¡¯ve seen the numbers,¡± Paina said with more emotion than she used to. ¡°In the Fables-¡± ¡°Here we go again. Your ¡®Fables¡¯,¡± Clarissa sighed. ¡°Those have not failed us so far, Clarissa. Lord Viers, please continue.¡± ¡°The MCs must gain massive benefits from each arc and turn them into their foundation. Therefore, when the next opportunity or calamity comes, they have become strong enough to gain even more benefits. Creating this snowball effect is imperative in the journey of cultivation.¡± ¡°Let''s say we buy that, what are you going to do if you stay? You already got a plan?¡± Paina remained unconvinced. ¡°Truthfully? None.¡± Viers didn''t try to hide it. ¡°There are Level 5s in the city, at least one. I wouldn''t dare to presume much, Lord Viers, but I think you¡¯d rather not clash with those people. After you destroyed the three Ravens so thoroughly yesterday, they should be looking for your trail like hounds. The Blood Church is planning something big which we know next to nothing. On top of that, there''s also the matter of grudges you¡¯ve sown after your previous wanton thievery¡­¡± Farley paused meaningfully. ¡°Staying might not be a wise course of action, Lord.¡± ¡°I know. I also have the same reservation as you three¡­¡± Now it was Viers turn to pause. He closed his eyes to dive deep into his thoughts. Should I really slink away? I¡¯m not satisfied with what little gains I got, but the risk¡­ If I don''t manage to create the cultivation snowball effect, how can my strength rise sky-high in a short amount of time like those xianxia MCs? ...Fine, let''s use it. Viers took out a small red candle with runes carved on its body. ¡°That¡¯s-!?¡± ¡°You''re gonna use it? We just got it!¡± ¡°S-Shouldn''t we save it for a more important time, Lord?¡± Despite the girls¡¯ protests, Viers had made up his mind. He cut himself and a drop of blood fell on the candle. ¡°Snowball effect, angels. I need it! If I didn''t make sure, I''ll regret the decision for the rest of my life!¡± The sound of the match struck was like the fall of a great tree and the candle was lit. It was called the Fortune Guiding Candle. It was, without a doubt, the most precious thing he obtained from his round of banditry yesterday. Whether the previous owner got it from the new Biome or found it through a stroke of luck, it ended up in Viers¡¯ hand. While the user thought of their future endeavors, put blood on the candle before lighting it up. The more danger or difficulty involved, the blacker the flame would be. Conversely, it would turn golden if it indicated fortune and good tidings. ¡°Hauh¡­ I hope it''s worth it,¡± Paina said nervously. Viers and his three tenants were watching intently. Shortly, the room gained darker shades of color. ¡°Black. Not jet-black but quite black,¡± Clarissa observed. ¡°Not impossible but the risks are high.¡± ¡°Welp, I suppose I should pack up now.¡± Viers tried to appear positive but he couldn''t help but feel disheartened. Suddenly, there was a surge of power. It was as if the air became solid and he was encased by it. Viers¡¯ mind turned into combat mode. He thought he was under attack. However, the feeling only lasted for three seconds before fading. ¡°Lord, window!¡± Euryale Sight! Viers saw three streaks of light in the sky, fading to the distance. ¡°Level 5s. Only Level 5s can fly and emit pressures like that,¡± Carissa said. ¡°They seemed rather angry.¡± ¡°They are¡­ leaving the city?¡± Paina said. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I have some ideas. You see, in the Fables, the MC often, scratch that -always- got unexplainable happenings near their vicinity. Possibly a natural treasure maturing or secret realm opening or something along those lines. A friend needed help or a world-ending threat. I always wondered why the matter seemed tailored to the MCs¡¯ degree of power when they occurred. If that is so common, I suspect there should be many happening like that all around the world. I called it the ¡®plot point¡¯ and this should be one. Seeing the Level 5s are on the move, I suppose it''s out of my hands.¡± ¡°Lord, look!¡± Viers turned around. He looked surprised at first and then the edges of his lips curled upwards. The candle was burning with pale golden fire. Not deep golden but it was still a golden fire. ¡°Change of plans, girls.¡± Chapter 93 - Escalation ¡°Report, Most Honorable Blood Vicar,¡± Haghen came before the red-skinned man that sat on a throne made of lava. ¡°Speak,¡± Tobias spoke. ¡°The Level 5s have been successfully lured away by our comrades. They will keep them busy while we¡¯re moving to Phase 3.¡± ¡°Good. We shall proceed as planned. What about the last Level 5? Your father the governor?¡± ¡°His fate is sealed,¡± Haghen smiled heartlessly. *** Adventurers and the guild that managed them were not fools, after two days of similar happening they tried something different for the third day. After coming out from the Biome, the adventurers did not disperse. The guild provided an enchanted carriage just at the Biome¡¯s exit. Adventurers that wanted to, could put their earnings inside which they could withdraw later at a safe place. Other than the carriage being enchanted with extensive physical and magical protections, multiple Level 3s also stood guard protecting the carriage. Viers knew this because the guild spread the word to assure their adventurers. The Level 3s guarding the carriage were adventurers that took the special quest issued by the guild. Therefore, unlike the explosive situation yesterday, the early part of the evening was pretty tranquil. The fishermen were ready but there were no fish in the pond. But Viers knew this was the calm before the storm. Why? One answer, escalation. The Biome prevented Level 3s and above to go inside. The artifacts, loot, and unique ingredients inside were also suitable for Level 2s and below. That made the Biome unattractive for Level 3s since it did not concern them much. That was why the conflicts surrounding the matter of the new Biome mainly stayed among Level 2s and below. But the Level 3s had now stepped up to the stage. When one side broke the balance, the other would compensate. Like Mr. Gordon said: We start using semi-automatic, they buy automatic. We start wearing Kevlar, they buy armor-piercing rounds¡­ When the man wearing bat costume descended upon Gotham, The Clown Prince of Crime popped up from a hole on the ground. It was the classic good and evil seesaw. Therefore Viers wasn''t surprised when he spotted a congregation of gangs and bandits in the city¡¯s outskirts stalking the enchanted carriage like wolves. He knew some of their faces from yesterday. Naturally, they also had Level 3s in their ranks. Viers didn''t know why the Level 3s on the criminals'' side were doing it. The value of the riches inside should not be too significant for them. Perhaps it was for personal fame or orders from their superior or something else entirely. They were well hidden but Viers found out using his Euryale Sight. Their Intentions were obvious and Viers welcomed their presence. He did not join them, opting to examine the situation from a distance. Viers knew full well his reputation was not stellar on both sides. The carriage was a lumbering weighty thing pulled by eight horses. Viers guessed he didn''t have the power to break through the protection of that thing so Viers let the criminals do the heavy lifting. Criminals other than him, Viers was under no impression he wasn''t a criminal himself. The criminals¡¯ plan was simple. As the carriage made its way to Marakkus from the outside of the city, they made a pitfall to stop its tracks before moving in. The criminals must have had a skillful Pathseeker since none of the guardians of the carriage realized until it was too late. A battle broke out, Viers wished he had popcorn to chew on as he watched. The dark road that the carriage tread on was lit by torches, now colorful lights from various Artes brightened the area like fireworks. Although, even if the lighting was not ideal, Viers had no problem seeing in the dark with his not Sharingan. He already had a plan. Unless there was something really crucial to him, he wouldn''t make a move tonight. There were Level 3s in the battle royal. If the criminals did not launch their attack today, Viers was happy to sit this day out. He had more than enough gains in the past two days. But they did, so Viers was eager to snatch some benefits if the right opportunities presented themselves. Munch munch¡­ so those are Level 3s. Quite formidable. They are people that managed to harness the power of their respective Profound Codices, giving unique quirks. Munch munch¡­ note to self: avoid clashing with a Level 3 head-on¡­ Can Freya defeat them? I think some of the Level 3s down there are still weaker than Freya, Viers thought while munching imaginary popcorns. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Viers observed the battle unfolding. The people duking it out down there would add a nice variation in the Grid, taking advantage of his ability to conjure perfect virtual enemies according to what he witnessed. There were more than fifty Pathseekers fighting it out down there, the biggest large-scale battle Viers had witnessed to date with his own eyes. After some time, the attacking side achieved their goal. One of the Level 3 blasted the carriage open with one of her Arte. The carriage burst open like a volcano, making a rain of coins and treasures. Arte - Euryale SIGHT!! Viers was standing by precisely for a moment like this. He invoked Euryale Sight with full power, trying to discern the most valuable treasures. While Viers was doing that, the battlefield became a free-for-all. Some of the adventurers made a fuck-it-all decision and tried to grab the treasures for their own, just like the bandits did. They acted more similar to beasts than people. Mmm!? That is¡­ Viers¡¯ eyes were focused on one object. That is¡­ It has to be! I¡¯m sure of it! The object was small and had been grabbed by one of the bandits. The surrounding people surrounded that person as the bandit tried to get away. That thing is mine! Many people that had grabbed something of value scattered in all directions, trying to lose the pursuers. Viers kept the item in his sight and continued pursuing the one holding it. *** ¡°The dinner¡¯s ready,¡± Sandra said. ¡°Come everyone, eat while it''s hot.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sandra. You guys go ahead and get some rest. I¡¯ll keep an eye open in the meantime,¡± Bruce the leader said. ¡°It¡¯s you who should take some rest. You¡¯re still injured from the earlier delve,¡± Will urged but Norman the tank put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Just let him do this. He felt responsible for our losses the past two days,¡± Norman shook his head. The Rising Fortune didn''t put their loot into the batch because the guild¡¯s protection did not come without a price, even after the 50% tax. So instead they made camp in a hidden area, still in the Marakkus periphery but not too close either. They planned to return to the city in the morning, after the feeding frenzy was over. ¡°...That¡¯s not his fault,¡± Sandra commented. ¡°I agree but he still feels somehow responsible. He-¡± ¡°Incoming trouble!¡± Bruce¡¯s shout cut the conversation short. Two people were speeding above the treetops, using branches and the like as their footing. One was pursuing the other. Just beside the Rising Fortune¡¯s campsite, the pursuer caught up with the runner and slammed her to the ground. The female runner was lying unconscious while the pursuer wearing a blue mask stood right next to her. ¡°Goddess Holy Mother, he¡¯s here!¡± ¡°BOOGEYMAN!!¡± ¡°How the hell does he find us!?¡± The group felt their hearts were dipped in ice-cold water. Viers took a small item from the runner and gripped it tight in his fist. He basked in the exhilaration of success for three seconds before facing the group of adventurers that he met for the third time. Before he could act, the leader threw him a pouch. ¡°That is half of our earnings today. Please let us go,¡± Bruce took the initiative. Viers stood still for a few seconds, for each second passed, the group became more nervous. Only when Viers left did they exhale the breath they unknowingly held. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry everyone. That is the only thing I could think of,¡± Bruce apologized with a miserable face. ¡°...We managed to keep half. It can cover our expenses for some time. Your quick thinking will keep us afloat. You¡¯ve done good, Bruce,¡± Norman the tank tried to soothe their leader. ¡°That is well and good but what do we do tomorrow? Keep delving? Our Victa is too low. We must take some time off to let it accumulate,¡± Will informed dejectedly. ¡°...We should change our group name,¡± Sandra softly said in the middle of the silence. No one disagreed with her. *** Viers stopped in a cave in the woods to lay low a bit. I¡¯ve got it. Finally¡­ Storage Ring! Viers opened his palm and gently touched the ring with bronze color. Yes, yes, yes! After all this time, Viers finally got his hands on a working storage item. ¡°Congratulations, Lord Viers,¡± Farley said. ¡°Yeah, congrats¡­ even though you stole it from some unfortunate guy,¡± Paina grudgingly said. ¡°Must you also extort the last group though?¡± ¡°Well, I didn''t actually plan to extort them this time but they gave me things on their own. I won¡¯t say no to free things.¡± ¡°You know Viers, there¡¯s a saying that you reap what you sow,¡± Paina said. ¡°I am familiar with the saying and the meaning. I-¡± The conversation in his mind died down because Viers spotted a figure standing in front of the cave. He wasn''t there a second before, it was as if he appeared out of thin air. ¡°Well, well-¡± Viers felt the danger on his skin and immediately tried to destroy the ring in his hand. But an unexplainable force stopped him from doing that. ¡°Impressive decisiveness, but useless.¡± Viers¡¯ Victa flow was impeded. He was unable to use any Arte. The first thing Viers did, was becoming as calm as a still pond. He kept watching the man who slowly walked towards him. He was a man in his thirties wearing clothes that resembled the city guards¡¯ uniform, albeit nicer. ¡°The calm and silent type, hmn? Are you not going to say anything?¡± What do you want? Viers constructed the sentence using writing made from water. His body movement and posture showed not an ounce of fear. ¡°I can kill you as easy as breaking a twig yet I sense no fear from you. I wonder which you are, fearless or mad.¡± Your objective isn''t to kill me. Seeing another water writing made the Level 4 scoff. ¡°You¡¯re right, Boogeyman. I¡¯m here to recruit you and this is not an offer,¡± Homen said. Chapter 94 - Plan Failure Day 6 - Morning. Homen, the chief of the city guards, was sitting in the study of his mansion. There was a cup of imported red wine from the Latias Kingdom on the table. He sipped it from time to time while reading reports from his subordinates. It was about the attack on the adventurers that happened yesterday night. Not that he needed the report to know, Homen was watching the whole thing. Two days ago, the city went mad. Not only the low-leveled small fries but the big players were moving too. Homen himself went left and right to put out fires, dealing with Pathseekers no less stronger than him. As he watched the banditry, he got an idea. Why not make himself the biggest winner of them all? Homen put his plan into action yesterday, he caught the most promising of thieves and press-gang them into his service. Using his superior capabilities as a Level 4, catching the thieves was not difficult. However, he didn''t bring any of them to jail despite his standing as the chief of the city guards. He had grander plans for them. They would be his proxy for taking care of dirty matters without soiling his own hands. His ambition didn''t stop at merely being the chief of the guards. Most of them weren''t inclined to work for him but the weak didn''t have the luxury of choice. Those that did not bend, Homen broke. For those who submit, a gentler treatment was necessary for the time being but unbeknownst to the recruited bandits, they already had an invisible leash on their neck. Homen encouraged them to keep stealing from the adventurers but he would be taking a small cut for himself. The reason was twofold: it would weed out the weaker candidates and let himself obtain potentially good things. The inventory ring for example. He already had spatial items but they were rare. It was quite common for Level 3 Pathseekers to possess but they were not sold like cabbage in the market either. Homen thought it would make a great present for his grandson. The most promising of them all is the Boogeyman. More than his capabilities, it was his mindset. He would rather destroy the ring than let it fall into others¡¯ hands. But such an act is futile in front of absolute power differences. Homen glanced at the ring he had taken from the Boogeyman on his desk. What a lieutenant he will become if I could gain his loyalty, Homen sneered. But if I cannot make him bend, then I¡¯ll personally kill him before he can grow and threaten me. Homen closed his eyes and felt the soul marks he left on the ten robbers he caught earlier. They were wild dogs that needed to be tamed and Homen already held the leash. Ring¨C ¡°Hmn?¡± A magical item let out a repeating sound. It indicated someone was trying to contact him. He frowned when he realized who was contacting him. Getting a call from a superior in the morning usually meant trouble. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat before picking up the communication magic item. *** Inside the Tomb, two groups led by Irkun and Izabella kept going deeper and deeper inside the structure. The Tomb was a maze, designed to keep the thing inside to stay there, intruders were not met with a warm welcome. Corridors and rooms as if made for giants tens of meters tall, otherworldly plants and bones they¡¯d never seen before. Murals of the forgotten era, cracks on the black stones that made up the whole place. The Tomb radiated nothing but ancientness and solitude. It was a place filled with death traps and now, hostile beings. They both had suffered casualties, either by array traps or by creatures that lived in the dimensional cracks. As Irkun and Izabella unravel the arrays, the space fabric of the Biome continuously got thinner and more frequently these creatures wound up in the Tomb, falling through spatial holes. These grotesque space monsters heavily impeded the Blood Church''s expeditions. Their form varied but there were some traits they all shared; they all possessed tentacles and had poor vision if were not outright blind. The space monsters were very aggressive and very strong. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. To reach their destination, Irkun and Izabella needed to keep breaking the arrays blocking their way. Ironically, the arrays also served as pillars of this space. As they went deeper, the rate of the space monsters spawned rose accordingly. ¡°...and that concludes the report, Blood Vicar,¡± Haghen reported to his superior. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± The Level 5 asked. ¡°There¡¯s an issue of fuel, Your Grace. Because of a thieving problem, the number of adventurers going inside the Biome is 50% lower than expected,¡± Ursula said while holding a smile. Haghen who stood next to her cast her a hostile look. The Tomb was located inside the same Biome that the adventurers delved in droves but not a single adventurer had reported seeing a massive structure inside. It was because they were located in different dimension layers. Without a special method, the adventurers would never reach the place where the Blood Church conducted their expedition. ¡°...Haghen, all the problems related to the city are under your jurisdiction¡­ Deal with it,¡± the Blood Vicar ordered with annoyance in his voice. ¡°I will see to it immediately. Excuse me, Your Grace.¡± Haghen returned to his room and took a communication apparatus. When the line connected, Haghen immediately responded. ¡°HOMEN! Fuckin¡¯ get the city¡¯s in order or I¡¯ll hang you upside down by the balls you lazy idiot!!¡± And so Homen¡¯s plan for the thieves went up in flames. *** Adventurers¡¯ Guild. If yesterday these people were like refugees after a natural disaster, today they had become refugees after a natural disaster that had lost their relatives. And although his face was covered, there was one who also had a mood just as bad. The reason Viers was mingling here was that adventurers were chatty people and this was the closest thing he had to the morning news. The loss of the storage ring yesterday was still hurting him. Farley and Clarissa tried to cheer him up while Paina was regretting what she said. She thought she jinxed it and Viers would be angry at her. Viers felt her inner turmoil and felt that it was absurd. The fault was on him, he was too weak to contest the Level 4 who introduced himself as Homen and that was that. While in the middle of his inner conversation, Viers¡¯ ears picked up a few topics worth noting. Although many of the adventures got robbed, many of them still reaped benefits. And then, as days went by, more and more good things were uncovered by the adventurers. One of them was being told three tables away from Viers. There was an adventurer group telling stories that there was a tree that had wondrous effect on souls that were below it. The tree could strengthen souls and heal an injury to the soul. But there was a monster guarding the tree so they gathered allies. Everyone that contributes could enjoy the benefit. ¡°Lord Viers...¡± Farley couldn''t stop herself from asking. That was precisely what his little sister, Gwen needed. Contrary to Farley that would jump right into the godsent opportunity, Viers became warier. He intended to be the one fishing for benefits but if he looked at it from another angle, he might be the fish from an outsider¡¯s point of view. Right now, a juicy bait was being dangled. Viers was not an unintelligent fish though. The more delicious and tempting the bait was, the more averse he became. ¡°...I have a bad feeling about this. We¡¯ll sit this one out.¡± ¡°But-¡± Farley wanted to protest. ¡°My decision is final,¡± Viers said sternly. Farley didn''t like it but Viers was adamant and she could only follow. *** Day 6 - Evening. ¡°AAARGH!¡± ¡°Wait, I give up- Hweek!¡± ¡°Shit! Run, run, run!¡± Unlike the days before, the thieves and bandits were like chickens hunted by wolves. The city guard was out in force, cracking down criminals with an iron fist. Those that obediently surrendered got to keep their lives and were taken prisoner while those who were not, died in a desperate fight. City guards and vengeful adventurers ripped the caught thieves into pieces. It was a massacre. Even the Level 3s on the thieves¡¯ side weren''t spared from the fallout. The matter escalated until a couple of Level 4s criminal bosses appeared. But the chief of the city guard, Homen and a couple of the city¡¯s big shots cowed the thieves¡¯ powerhouses before they traded blows. Homen brought every force at his disposal to impose order and scour the thieves. While the criminals'' side were numerous, they were a ragtag bunch without unity. They were more concerned about themselves than the fellows next to them. The strays became easy pickings. While the purge was reaching its peak, Homen didn''t stay still. What a mess. For Homen, the protest of the adventurers or even the guild master was of little consequence because they were his ¡®lessers¡¯. But because his boss had given him a thorough chewing and mortal threats, Homen acted like his life was on the line. Because it was. Since his plan to use the thieves was dead in the water, Homen decided to erase the evidence of his involvement yesterday with his own hand. Crack. Homen broke the neck of one of the bandits he recruited yesterday. No matter how adept they were at hiding, the soul marks on them were like torches in a dark night to Homen. Only the Silent Boogeyman remains. How unfortunate it has come to this, boy. Homen moved like the wind, befitting of his Level 4 power. The mark was outside of the city. Homen thought the Silent Boogeyman must have had a hideout in that area and he was staying there. Homen was like a god of death coming to collect his dues. Level 2 Pathseekers would be reduced to dust if he really unleashed his power at them. ¡°What the...¡± When he reached the location of his soul mark, he found not a human but a tree. There was a carving of a face with the tongue out on the tree''s trunk. Chapter 95 - Prelude The higher a cultivator in the cultivation stage, usually meant they had extra, more novel means of dealing with others. Viers was no stranger to this, xianxia and xuanhuan taught him such. A Level 3 could do what a Level 2 couldn¡¯t and so on. While Viers truly hoped the world would not throw Level 4s or 5s at his face since he was still Level 2 like a balanced, progressive story chart, he had taken measures just in case he stumbled upon one. The source of information was a former Level 5 lamia residing in his mind. Clarissa told him high-level Pathseekers would start dabbling in soul and a Level 4 could place a soul mark on someone. From there, Viers already knew what he had to do. He couldn''t outrun superior Level 3s yet, let alone Level 4s but he could do something in case he got captured and marked. Despite the lack of use in combat, Viers¡¯ soul affinity was stronger than his water affinity. His ability to use souls was far above the standard of his Level. Before he got marked by Homen, Viers was wearing a metaphorical suit above his soul. It was a suit made of the human soul, one among many in his possession. When the mark landed on his soul, it actually landed on that other soul. If Homen was a soul Pathseeker then he might notice but he wasn''t so he didn''t notice such a subtle thing. Viers wasn''t able to lift a finger in front of him and the storage ring was taken but he was able to wriggle out from the Level 4¡¯s grasp. After sufficient time had passed, Viers planted the marked soul to a tree, only then he returned to the city. Another debt that needs to be settled before I leave the city, Viers thought with a sharp expression. A good person might forgive and let go but he was a bad person. Turning the other cheek was not in his programming. *** Day 7 - Morning. Viers watched Boram as he fought a yellow iguana the size of a bike. He dodged the acid spit of the monster by moving as if he was skating on ice. Using the Arte Boram¡¯s speed and maneuverability had risen by a notch. Hmn, it looks like he has a lot of practice with that Groundslider Arte, Viers mused. Good to see the Arte from that monster core is of use. ¡°Haaaah!¡± Boram landed a slap to the iguana''s face using his hammer, making use of the momentum of his sliding. While it was stunned, Boram used the opening to prepare a strong Arte. He stood still for three seconds, stones the size of marbles floating from the ground. ¡°Arte - Stone Barrage!¡± Tens of small stones hit the monster with the speed and power of a shotgun. Boram aimed the Arte at its head. The head was torn apart by the high-speed bullets in a show of blood and gore. Viers made his presence known by clapping his hands. He managed to push the Arte I taught him to a satisfactory level. He couldn''t do that three days ago. I hoped to name the Arte Shotgun since I took the concept of a shotgun but that¡¯s too otherworldly. ¡°Master,¡± Boram bowed. Despite his dirty and miserable appearance, he looked stronger than before. He seemed tempered. He¡¯s grown a bit. More used to battle and blood, more decisiveness, and his Artes are quite polished too. But his Victa has become quite low, finally spent after all that training. ¡°Good job, that¡¯s a good look in your eyes. I can see you¡¯ve not wasted your time here,¡± Viers patted his head. Boram was 12 years old but his physique was still that of a 10 years old child. ¡°Let¡¯s go home and get plenty of rest, you¡¯ve earned it.¡± Boram held his smile back so his face didn''t become a goofy smiling face. ¡°Master, I have got a lot of monster cores for you,¡± Boram took out a sack with a dozen cores of the monsters he fought the past three days. ¡°Nice,¡± Viers gave a thumbs up. ¡°I''ve got presents for you too.¡± Before they went back -while Boram carved the monster for its core- as always with the monsters he killed, his master did something to the carcass although Boram didn''t know what. *** Boram was sleeping comfortably on the bed while Viers was looking at the situation in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. He sat alone with a beverage on the table. The guild was still busy despite it being nearing dusk. More people were registering to enter the Biome now that the situation had improved. No one wanted to miss the hype train. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Can you drink that with that helmet on?¡± An adventurer asked him. ¡°...Cayden.¡± ¡°Callahan,¡± he sighed. ¡°But you know what, call me whatever you like.¡± Viers softly chuckled. ¡°How are you, Cay?¡± ¡°Sigh, I wish the big people upstairs acted sooner,¡± Callahan took the empty chair on his table. Viers chatted with the friendly adventurer about what had been happening since they last spoke. He complained about the injustice of robbery his group suffered, although the one who robbed him wasn''t Viers. I asked around and no one has seen Izabella or Alan lately¡­ Adventurers with their safety guaranteed would begin delving in earnest again. If the Biome is truly some sort of plot, it won''t be long until it moves to the next stage. There was peace that evening. The thieves plagued the adventurers no more. The taverns were filled with merry laughter. Viers also didn''t act. He knew the risk was too much even for him. He didn''t act but he didn¡¯t do nothing. Viers sharpened his blades while he waited for his next opportunity. *** Day 8. Viers let his feet take him to the high class districts in the central part of the city, it was like another world there. Well maintained white cobblestone streets, mansions with luxurious gardens, enchanted carriages pulled by magical creatures, expensively dressed men and women, hells, Viers even saw a dog wearing enchanted gem collar walked by its owner. The collar had more magic than all of Viers¡¯ adventurer gear. Other than expanding his Horizon, Viers had another purpose here. So that¡¯s his house¡­ Homen¡¯s house was a pretty thing. The very picture of wealth and class. Comparing the palace-like house with his room in the inn was akin to comparing a lame crow to an eagle. The security was too tight for Viers to sneak in so he stopped at reconnaissance. An opportunity will come. If not, I¡¯ll come back after I''m strong enough. Viers returned to the inn and spent the rest of the afternoon training. The training was purely physical since he sensed he would need a healthy amount of Victa stockpile for the coming days. After the robbing-spree, Viers¡¯ Victa fell quite a bit. One thing of note was a special Arte he and Farley were developing. It was very complex and hard to pull off, even with two people constructing it. On the upside, it would be a very powerful Arte worthy to be called a finishing move, if they could invoke it. Viers was constructing his most powerful water Arte to date. It¡¯s close to completion, I just need a bit more time¡­ I hope it''s ready by the time I fight the boss of this arc, Viers was certain he would fight at least a formidable enemy before his adventure at Marakkus ended. In the evening, Viers went to the guild again to scout and gather information. ¡°Avel! Alone again I see,¡± Callahan approached him. His face was beaming with a touch of red. His smile seemed plastered to his face. ¡°Someone¡¯s in a good mood. How¡¯s your day, Cameron?¡± ¡°In the Biome, I found this pendant that makes me feel happy-happy,¡± he showed Viers. ¡°...Are you sure that¡¯s safe?¡± ¡°Ehh, safer than drugs,¡± Callahan took it off and his condition returned to normal. ¡°Oh yeah, congratulations on your rank up to Obsidian. I haven''t gotten the chance to say it yet.¡± ¡°Mmm, thanks.¡± ¡°I¡¯d buy you a drink but you never drink,¡± Callahan saw another untouched mug in front of Viers. ¡°It''s fine, I drink liquid through my skin.¡± ¡°...Dude, you¡¯re wearing armor from head to toe. Why do you keep ordering drinks that you¡¯re not gonna drink?¡± ¡°Why indeed,¡± Viers replied amusingly. ¡°...Are you really human under all that armor?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I-¡± The sound of a fist hitting a wooden desk turned both of their heads. ¡°Ago, I heard you almost butted heads with him?¡± ¡°Not anymore,¡± Viers leaned backward. Since Ago was complaining quite loudly, Viers and Callahan picked up the topic easily. ¡°So he''s got to accomplish mandatory quests, huh? What bad timing. Now he can''t go into the Biome tomorrow or even a few days after that depending on the task. All those benefits fall into another''s hands. In his shoes, I would be upset too,¡± Callahan sympathized. ¡°Oh yeah, the guild gives unreasonable quests to adventurers from time to time. I haven''t had the honor of being chosen for such glorious tasks,¡± Viers replied sarcastically. ¡°Well, Obsidian ranks start to bear that burden. If you''re lucky, mandatory quests won''t fall on you more than once a year. I got mine last month, lucky it was not overly difficult. Fungus outbreak near a town. Refusing mandatory quests would incur heavy penalties though, your guild membership might even get revoked.¡± ¡°The woe of corporate slaves,¡± Viers said. ¡°I don''t know what that means exactly but I can guess,¡± Callahan laughed. ¡°See you around, Avel.¡± ¡°You plan to go to the new Biome again tomorrow?¡± Viers asked. ¡°You betcha.¡± ¡°...You look tired. Perhaps you should take a few days off.¡± ¡°Are you kidding? Now¡¯s not the time to take a break. Who knows how much longer this gold rush will last.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Well, be careful out there,¡± Viers waved his hand. ¡°You too buddy. Let''s eat together tomorrow. The restaurant on the fourth street has a spiced steak that you simply must try. It¡¯s my favorite.¡± ¡°...If I¡¯m not busy, sure.¡± Viers watched as Callahan left the guild like a drunk man. He had put the happy necklace on again. Well, there goes another flag. *** Day 9 - Evening. From the 116 adventurers that went in that morning, not a single one of them came out. Chapter 96 - Know Your Enemy Day 10 - Morning. The show was in motion, Viers now armed himself with knowledge of the enemy. It was morning in the real world but night in the White Flower Meadows. Viers felt it might be good to change the brightness of the sky in his soul space sometimes. Especially since there were people living there. ¡°Now¡¯s the time, tell me about this Blood Church,¡± Viers spoke to Farley, the cult expert in their ranks. If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles, thus spoke Sun Tzu. ¡°The Cult of Yasterah or the Blood Church, is an organization with similar structure with the Estellian Church, only they worship the devil Yasterah instead of the goddess Estelle. While the good church¡¯s objective is to safeguard the realm and preach virtue to the masses, the evil church¡¯s tenets were more depraved. Pursuit of pleasure, selfishness, and desire.¡± Hearing Farley¡¯s exposition made Viers raise an eyebrow. ¡°Principles that I can relate with.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you can,¡± Paina grumbled. ¡°These ideas resonate well with the powerful and the mighty, bringing many believers from well-off backgrounds. The Blood Church doesn''t usually use force to further their own ends, they prefer subterfuge and plots. They thrive in the upper societies because of noble houses and their intrigues.¡± ¡°So they¡¯re plotters, not fighters?¡± Viers asked. ¡°They do have powerful combatants in their ranks, only seldom seen. Their Level 4s are called Blood Exarchs and their Level 5s are called Blood Vicars. Their current Blood Pope -the de facto leader- is said to be the son of Yasterah herself.¡± ¡°Oh? Yasterah is a woman? I thought all seven devils are males.¡± ¡°So did I.¡± Paina followed Clarissa¡¯s comment. ¡°Well, the people from the good church don''t exactly tell much details about the devils to the ordinary folk. Only that they¡¯re terrible and vile. Frightening them so they are more pious to the lady of light and savior.¡± Viers said nonchalantly. ¡°So, blood this, blood that. I assume they¡¯re all about blood Artes and techniques? Are they blood fanatics that drink the blood of their enemies while screaming blood for the blood goddess?¡± Farley shook her head. ¡°Actually, no. Yasterah is actually not a¡­ blood goddess -as Lord Viers put it- but more of a fertility goddess. The Blood Church¡¯s proficiency in blood affinity is one of the best in the realm but their true expertise is about bloodlines and progenies.¡± ¡°Hoh...¡± Viers made an O with his mouth. His interest was piqued. ¡°The Blood Church is famous for their¡­ debauchery.¡± Farley looked troubled by the topic, similar to Paina and Clarissa. Viers simply turned his face into stone. ¡°Some say it is the way they walk the Path of Power. They have many Profound Codices that centralised in¡­ intimate acts. Some might bring benefits to both parties while some simply use the other as fuel for their own growth. It is said that they regularly conduct org-¡± ¡°I believe we all get your point. Thank you, Farley.¡± Viers interjected before the delicate topic went further. Farley sighed in relief after saying thank you, Paina looked downward with a red face, and Clarissa tried to avoid eye contact by looking to the side. So it is an evil sect with dual cultivation techniques as the core. I get it. ¡°About bloodlines, I¡¯m not too clear about the matter but having strong bloodline is undoubtedly beneficial. It is known that they could implant a bloodline to another. An earth Pathseeker with the bloodline of a Tremorfoot Elephant? I wouldn''t think of becoming his enemy.¡± ¡°So bloodlines are about having the blood of a strong monster?¡± Paina asked. ¡°Not necessarily. You can also have the bloodline of demons, other powerful races, or even your ancestor, if you''re lucky to be a descendant of an exceptional individual. The most common way of gaining a bloodline is by injecting monster blood into your body but it is also looked down upon because the subject becomes more similar to the beastfolk. And using demon blood is very dangerous so it is not common practice. The more frequent use of the BC¡¯s bloodline expertise is unlocking your hidden potential.¡± The other three were listening to Farley''s lecture intently. ¡°Great houses with deep backgrounds usually originate from a powerful progenitor, a Level 4 or 5. These people often have special quirks such as an extra sense, the ability to generate special fires, or make a connection with special magical beasts. The progenitor¡¯s ability might not pass down to their child or it becomes less and less common as the bloodline gets diluted over generations. The Blood Church often approaches the lesser heir of a house then awakens their power, raising the prospect of the heir. After the heir becomes the patriarch of that old and powerful house, the Blood Church reap the benefits.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Quite the scheme on their part. So these people like to play the long game, huh.¡± Viers scratched his chin. It wasn''t necessary since he was a mere projection in the realm of consciousness. He only did it for the feels. ¡°But even that is not the greatest lure they have. The Blood Church¡¯s main attraction to some people is that they can make your child a prodigy.¡± ¡°Mmm? Please elaborate,¡± Clarissa was very confused. ¡°As you know, affinity is fixed from the day you are born. People with the affinity of 1 will never become a Level 2 Pathseeker unless they raise their affinity first. The Blood Church has ways to make your child come to the world with high affinity¡­ for a suitable price of course.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Viers was contemplating the impact of Farley¡¯s explanation. ¡°There¡¯s more: rare affinities and dual affinities, the Blood Church can raise your child¡¯s chances of obtaining this. Which parents don''t want their child to be born healthy and special?¡± ¡°Designer babies...¡± Viers muttered the term. The BC sells the promise of a grand future... ¡°And they also like arranged marriages among their children. To make powerful lineages, so to speak. Many of their long-time members are connected by blood. A random guy from the Blood Church might have a sibling in this prominent organization and a cousin which is the spouse of a powerful grandmaster, you wouldn''t know. ¡± ¡°Blood is thicker than water. They strengthened their bond by marriage and keeping it in the family? A unique approach¡­¡± Paina said. ¡°Lord Viers, should you clash with the Blood Church, I expect they will use rare elemental Artes. Please be on guard because they might have dual affinities like you.¡± ¡°Rare affinities are overrated. The user¡¯s skill is still the most important factor,¡± Clarissa showed her displeasure. As a fire Pathseeker -a common affinity- she didn''t like the premise that rare affinities are better. ¡°It is as you say,¡± Farley agreed. ¡°But there are specializations. Magma triumphes over fire in destructiveness and lightning is way above wind in terms of speed. Perhaps a certain family has a mighty signature Arte that can only be used by a descendant of the blood, who knows. The point is, the people from the Blood Church are usually well-connected to other powerful people, have many siblings, and use varied elemental affinities.¡± Contrary to Farley¡¯s expectation, Viers wasn''t worried. ¡°Don''t worry Farley. I always expect my enemies to be related to some muscle-brained strong old man.¡± *** As he suspected, the people in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild were like chickens with their tails on fire, adventurers and staff alike. The adventurers appeared agitated. Some demanded answers, some were worried about their trapped friends, some simply placed the blame on the guild for allowing the situation to happen. ...He¡¯s not here. Viers didn''t see Callahan among the crowd. A sigh escaped his mouth. ¡°Silenceee!¡± The word was spoken strongly, loudly, and laced with power. Viers and the others looked to the second floor, where a man in his fifties stood proudly. He radiated the power of a Level 4. ¡°I am the guild master, Floyd. In light of the extraordinary incident yesterday, an emergency mandatory quest has been issued.¡± Uh-oh. Viers didn''t like the sound of that. ¡°Every Level 2 with guild rank of Obsidian and above is required to participate. They will embark on a scouting mission tomorrow into the Biome to find out what happened and rescue our stranded brethren.¡± The guild exploded as if someone just threw a bomb in the middle of the crowd. Cries of denial and anger were the most prominent sentiments. ¡°Your concerns are not without reason. It is ill-advised to send so many people to a place where people of the same Level had encountered mishaps. Unfortunately, we are left with no choice. Only Level 2 Pathseekers and below can go into the Biome. If I could I would have already sent Level 3s and 4s but I cannot. As always in a rescue operation, time is of the essence. The longer we wait, the more likely those adventurers will be lost for good.¡± ¡°So you send us to our deaths instead!?¡± Someone shouted the thought many of them shared. Most of the adventurers eligible to enter the Biome had already done so. Only about twenty Level 2 adventurers were left. From the lost adventurers group, two thirds of that number belonged to Level 1s. The guild master must be thinking drafting Level 1s would be too dangerous. ¡°The guild does not think of you all as expendables. There will be reinforcements from the city guards and other organizations. This has been discussed and planned to great length yesterday. We will equip the rescue party with various magic tools and weapons. Not only that, there will be great rewards waiting for you upon your return. These are the examples.¡± The guild master showed the crowd a list of treasures and benefits that made many adventurers¡¯ reason eclipsed by greed. ¡°Honor and glory for those who participate. Those that did not shall have their adventurer¡¯s license revoked and shall not be permitted to become adventurers again permanently. Men! More than a hundred lives are counting on you. Tell me, are you going to abandon your brothers and sisters, only saving your own hides?¡± ¡°No!¡± The crowd replied with fire in their hearts. The whole fake righteous speech made Viers sick. The stupid adventurers that got roped in also made him sick. He couldn''t care less about the mandatory quest. If this was the past Viers, he would have let his guild license revoked but he didn''t want to exchange identity again and to restart from Glass rank for the fourth time. So he must get clever. While the adventurers were still sorting their heads in order, Viers already took action. He approached one of them and put his hand on his shoulder. The man turned around. ¡°Ago, my dear friend. I heard you already have a mandatory quest, yes? I¡¯m an Obsidian now, see the proof?¡± Viers showed his guild tag. ¡°Now for the favor you owe me, I want to join you and your group¡¯s mandatory quest. The guild cannot force adventurers into a mandatory quest if they are already on a mandatory quest.¡± Chapter 97 - Shaking Foundation Day 11 - Morning. Thanks to the carrot and stick offered yesterday, Level 2 adventurers that luckily escaped the jaws of death, willingly jumped into the maw once more like braindead zombies. Not all of the adventurers were willing, some decisively quit as adventurers yesterday but the majority of them joined the crusade of rescuing their lost brethren, with grandiose accolades from the guild master. The rescue party was 100 people strong after various organizations sent their Level 2s. Enchanted equipment and utility items were given to them before they embarked into the Biome like angels of salvation. A group of Level 1 adventurers watched the rescue force walk outside the city while the city folks threw flowers on the street, praying for their safe return along with the stranded people with an unknown fate. ¡°...Thank the goddess we didn''t continue Biome delving.¡± ¡°Damn right. Through a strange work of fate, we being robbed thrice ended up saving our lives.¡± ¡°The Goddess works in mysterious ways.¡± ¡°If you put it that way, perhaps that thief is an angel sent by the Radiant Lady?¡± The lady of fortune smiled upon the Rising Fortune adventurer group. *** ¡°Good day to you all,¡± Viers said with a smile. ¡°Introductions are in order. I¡¯m Avel of Javia and this is Boram, my companion. Boram, greet our fellow party members.¡± ¡°H-hello.¡± Viers and Boram joined Ago¡¯s group at the city gate. The rendezvous point before they all embark. ¡°...You sound pretty chipper. Happy to escape the drafting are you?¡± Ago asked. ¡°Are you not the same? Do you prefer joining them?¡± Viers pointed a finger to the other adventurers walking to the entrance of the Biome. ¡°I don''t like you, tinhead. You¡¯re an opportunist. People like that will cut and run, leaving their comrades behind when things go south. You and your slave better not become our deadweight,¡± one of two Ago¡¯s party members said. Viers had enough observation skills that the other person and Ago also shared the sentiment. ¡°Well, I shall have to remedy that won''t I? Come on gents, we have an adventure ahead of us. The Firehands Troll will not kill itself.¡± Viers took the initiative to put their baggage to the back of his steed Brownie and walked by leading the horse. *** ¡°It''s breaking!¡± An array master shouted. Yet another array formation was broken by Irkun¡¯s entourage. The wall of force that barred his path broke like a pane of glass. The captured adventurers really speed things up, Irkun thought. The Blood Church¡¯s ploy to trap the adventurers had worked like a charm. Since this was the Blood Church¡¯s plan for the start, the human resources were divided equally between him and Izabella, much to Irkun¡¯s chagrin. At the moment, Irkun¡¯s progress was better among the two. The reason was Irkun chose the brute force option since he had more men and resources. He could afford to throw more bodies into the obstacles in his path. Izabella didn''t have as many men as Irkun and so chose to take the long way if she and her group found a deadly obstacle. Irkun¡¯s casualties were higher but what does he care? The ground shook and the walls vibrated. Dust and small pebbles fell from the ceiling. The men were looking at their surroundings with their guard up. The earthquake ceased after a few seconds. Another tremor. We should be close to the main objective, Irkun clenched his fist. ¡°Lord Irkun, incoming!¡± Irkun didn''t need to be informed because the creature was coming from straight ahead and they were in a corridor, not many alternatives where a threat could come from. The threat in question, however, was still beyond their means. A hydra with black and green scales was coming at them with ravenous intent. Already some people got their body chomped by the monster¡¯s many mouths simply because they were the closest to the beast. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Rank 4 monster!¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± Irkun cursed. He had hoped they would not meet a strong monster this early. Thankfully, he had reinforcement. Blades of light impaled the hydra¡¯s heads and long necks, followed by a blinding light blast. ¡°Back, you foul creature.¡± Before Irkun¡¯s eyes could recover from the spots, his father¡¯s voice brought calm and stability back to his mind. The uncowed hiss reply from the beast showed the hydra¡¯s intent. ¡°Tch.¡± Haghen didn''t want to give battle but he was forced to, lest his son and the expedition were put at risk. Irkun and his group, in this place by free will or otherwise, promptly left the area before the battle between Level 4s could begin. Their organs would liquefy if they were hit by a stray minor shockwave. After some time, the work resumed. Irkun and Haghen conversed while the array masters were attempting to solve a room filled with very potent corrosive acid. ¡°There are some setbacks but overall, things are proceeding smoothly,¡± Irkun said. ¡°That is true but never let your guard down until the end, son.¡± A crying adventurer had her life force sucked dry until she shriveled into skin and bones. Thanks to that energy, the array masters had made the crack on the array bigger. ¡°What about the Estellians? Have they picked up our trail?¡± ¡°Lim is surprisingly able to keep this under wraps. Not bad for a church¡¯s turncoat.¡± ¡°So no Silver Legion is coming our way yet. Yasterah guided our way,¡± Irkun made a prayer¡¯s gesture. ¡°Yasterah guided our way,¡± Haghen mirrored. ¡°What about grandfather, is he¡­¡± Irkun said worriedly. ¡°All is well. He¡¯s dead.¡± That was the greatest news he had heard all of his life. ¡°Father, I think it is time to open your prized century-aged wine from Zetel.¡± ¡°All in due time, son.¡± *** Day 11 - Evening. ¡°To Avel of Javia, adventurer extraordinaire,¡± Ago raised his waterskin filled with wine. ¡°Damn right he is,¡± Freddy, Ago¡¯s companion, did the same. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, too kind. I couldn''t have done it without all of you. The Arte that tore a hole in the troll¡¯s chest was very well done,¡± Viers said. This morning, he was treated like a black-bellied rat. In the evening they were buddy-buddy with each other, trading praises and pats in the back. ¡°No no no, wrong. You do it like this. Watch your footing and grip. Don''t think of your small stature as a weakness, kid. You¡¯ve more raw power than two grown men. Incorporate that into your hammer swings.¡± ¡°Yes, mister Jeff. Like this?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re getting it. Man, you¡¯re talented¡­ and almost a Level 2 at that age. No wonder Avel picked you.¡± ¡°He he he. It was thanks to Master.¡± A bit away from the fireside, Ago¡¯s friend taught Boram tips and tricks of using a two-handed weapon since he was using the same weapon himself. Viers couldn''t claim this was the result of his charm, no. It was thanks to Farley. The social expert greased the wheels so the friendship wagon moved smoothly for the group. The advice and responses from Farley were very helpful. There was also the matter of how effective Viers¡¯ role in taking the Rank 2 Firehands Troll down. It needed mention that Viers had already dropped his fighting strength to half. It dropped a core, which could bestow the Flame Pillar Arte if consumed by a fire Pathseeker. It was useless to Viers and Boram so Viers did not contest it. When they found a small treasure hoard thanks to Viers and split it four ways, the gratitude of Ago''s group to Viers multiplied. ¡°By the way, Marakkus city confuses me. I confess I haven''t seen much of the place. For being reputed to be the city of blackguards, I find mostly almost decent people there.¡± ¡°Bwahaha! Almost, so not yet decent?¡± Ago guffawed. ¡°How many times have you seen truly decent people, instead of people putting a pretense of decency? I and yourself included.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll give you that. We adventurers are mostly a decent bunch, I suppose. The ones I know anyway,¡± Ago munched a salted jerky. ¡°The poor, the sick, and the hungry in the slums have it tough. Hard to be decent people in a place like that and not enough people care about them. Many took to crime. The merchants squeeze money out of their customers like making fruit juice. Boram is fortunate to have a master not abusing him but not all slaves are that fortunate. Loan sharks and gangs hounding the populace in the outer districts. And the most thirsty bloodsuckers of all, are the rich and powerful. They act as if it was their godsdamn given right step on our heads.¡± The last was spoken with enough spite to let Viers know it was Ago¡¯s real thought. ¡°We in the middle class have some measure of normalcy. If you want to experience real unpleasantness, either go up or go down the status ladder,¡± Freddy said. ¡°Mmm¡­ I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± *** Day 12 - Morning. Viers and Ago¡¯s group went their separate ways. Ago, Freddy and Jeff would stay at a nearby village for a few days to lay low. They were all worried to get drafted to the Biome if they returned too early. Viers also of the same mind but he had unfinished business in Marakkus so he needed boots on the ground, so to speak. Viers sent Boram to gather information in the city while he waited outside the city walls. If the guild still wanted to shove him in the Biome, Viers wouldn''t return just yet. After a few hours, his apprentice returned. ¡°Master, no one came out from the Biome again yesterday. The guild has decided the Biome is too dangerous and barred all entry. You should be able to return safely now.¡± ¡°Oh, great. Terrible for all that involved, of course. What a stupid idea¡­ sending more people in,¡± Viers scoffed. The absence of the Level 3 Alan and Izabella made Viers doubt the reality of the Level 2 limit in the Biome. The mere suspicion of Blood Church¡¯s Level 3s prowling in the Biome made Viers avoid the place like radioactive earth. ¡°There¡¯s more. Word on the street is that the Governor-King is dead.¡± A Level 5 is dead?? Holy Shieeet. Chapter 98 - Rising Action ¡°At last.¡± Irkun said with emotions as his cohort finally reached the deepest place of the Tomb. The days leading here were certainly not a walk in the park. It was a giant hall hundreds of meters wide, filled with sinister energy. Wickedness seemed to seep into the very stones of this place. However, two things were different. The holy feeling they gave was the very opposite of this place. The first was a big sphere of light, floating in the center of the hall between two obelisks. It was like looking at the sun itself, only the light was far gentler. Runes and mystic markings floated and pulsed around the miniature sun. The other was a white-golden spectral knight, decked with full armor. His golden eyes opened once Irkun¡¯s group entered the hall. His armor was battered and broken in many places, as if it had gone through a hundred battles. He didn''t wear any helmet so his face was in clear view. The knight was a man in his prime but the expression he had was the very opposite. He seemed ancient and archaic. ¡°Turn back, intruders. You¡¯ll find only evil and corruption in this place.¡± ¡°Evil and corruption are exactly what we seek,¡± Haghen strutted in with big steps. ¡°By my eternal oath, as long as my existence remains, the seal will stay shut. Begone, followers of evil!¡± The knight brandished his sword and valiantly attacked Haghen. Haghen laughed and knocked the sword out of the knight¡¯s hand and defeated him in one blow. Despite the ancient knight¡¯s defiance, he had no speck of strength inside him. The spectral knight struggled to get up as if he was an old man on his last breath. While he was on the ground, Haghen stepped on his chest. ¡°How does it feel Grand Templar Eaton, hero of the Eighth Crusade, to be reduced into a powerless, impotent ghost.¡± ¡°You have no idea what you are meddling with. The fragment of the Demon King must never be released. Even after being sealed for two thousand years by the greatest holy seal of the Estellian Church, its corruption still spread,¡± the ghostly knight spoke solemnly. ¡°The Demon King¡¯s power will serve Goddess Yasterah,¡± Haghen replied. ¡°Your endeavor is useless. The seal will not be broken even by the power of Level 5.¡± ¡°Khukuku, ah yes, the obelisks. And you left the part where it will kill even Level 5 Pathseeker if touched without the Pope¡¯s permission. The seal is truly a marvelous creation but the world has developed in the last two millennia. We¡¯ve found a way, by using overlapping formation, Level 2s array masters can begin to slowly deconstruct the seal. Your role ends here, Templar, sink into darkness and despair,¡± Haghen smugly said. Eaton found no lies in Haghen¡¯s face and sighed with the weight of two thousand years. ¡°...And so ends my long vigil. I failed, in the end. However, young cultists, let this old man remind you,¡± Eaton met Haghen¡¯s eyes that were looking down on him with one last defiance. ¡°Those who are sworn to uphold the Light, never stand alone.¡± The spectral form scattered into motes of light starting from his lower body. Before he disappeared completely, he still smiled with a heart lit by hope. Unpleasant, Haghen felt. Truly an unpleasant sight, because the half corporeal smoke spoke with complete surety¡­ and it worried him. Haghen directed his son to hurry. As Irkun and the group of enchanters prepared to tackle the last obstacle of this place, the more martial-oriented Pathseekers strengthened the defenses of this place for there would be a great battle here. It didn''t take long for them to be interrupted. A pair of women arrived with a group of enchanters, fighters, and captured adventurers. Irkun¡¯s face turned ugly. Izabella¡¯s arrival was far too early. He thought he was ahead of Izabella by at least six hours. Is it because of that bitch Ursula? Irkun grimly thought. ¡°Well, well-¡± Blood Exarch Ursula just opened her mouth but the swiftly forming spatial crack cut her words short. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Battle formations!¡± Blood Exarch Haghen and Ursula shouted in uniform. Monsters that dwelled in the space between dimensions ravenously pouring out like a broken dam. *** Viers was currently at the gate of Markkus city and surrounded by at least three Level 3s. Thanks to the recent death of the Governor-King, security was very tight. The guards demanded Viers take off his helmet to confirm his identity. How absurd. If I¡¯m the killer, why am I trying to get into the city using the main gate in broad daylight? ¡°Very well officer,¡± Viers slowly pulled the helmet above his head. The confirmation startled Boram. He¡¯d never seen his master¡¯s face. Curiosity made him peek sideways. ¡°Shhh.¡± ¡°Urm...¡± A couple of the guards grunted uncomfortably when they saw the unhidden face. Nasty burn marks covered most of Viers¡¯ face, not only that, there were horrendous scars over the burn. One of his ears was cut off and he had no nose. ¡°Apologies for the look. My pretty boy days are over,¡± Viers said with an even tone. ¡°Ehem,¡± the officer cleared his throat. ¡°Yes, all clear. Carry on.¡± He didn''t even check the list of wanted posters in his hand. ¡°Good day, gentlemen,¡± Viers put his helmet back on and led Brownie and Boram inside the city. After tens of paces in, he spoke to his apprentice. ¡°This is the result of one who didn''t have enough power. Train hard Boram, before you suffer the fate of those who lack the power to repel calamity.¡± ¡°...Yes, Master,¡± he said with more intent than before. ¡°You did it to yourself, Viers,¡± Clarissa said in his head. ¡°But all the words I say are true. I¡¯m still weak so this is the price I have to pay so people will not recognize my criminal face. The face-changing Arte of yours won''t be ready for a long time so this is the only solution I have left.¡± Viers mutilated his own face shortly after leaving Luca¡¯s village. With the abnormally strong Freya and a Level 5 chasing him, Viers didn''t think it was too extreme. Besides, it''s not permanent. I can heal it later with my healing factor. I¡¯ve checked¡­ If I paint my skin white and cut off my other ear, I reckon I can cosplay as Voldermort, hehehe¡­ For now, crisis averted. No subplot about me dealing with identity leak or capture. Onward to whatever the main plot is in the Marakkus arc. *** Lim Crumens was a clever man, at least that was his opinion. Through years of maneuvering, he now held the position of a Bishop of the Estellian Church and a Blood Exarch of the Blood Church. His loyalty was to the latter. The Blood Vicar charged him to keep the church¡¯s bright-clothed killers in the dark while the children released the sealed Demon King. He¡¯d done a good job, or so he prematurely assumed. The sudden sight of tens of silver armored legionaries with two Level 4s at the helm arriving in the church in the middle of Marakkus city unannounced signaled that shit was about to hit the fan. One was a petite young woman with dark hair with a conflicted expression while the other was a stern-looking man wearing grey-colored robes. ¡°Vestal Mita, Ash Priest Shay¡­ leading two companies of the Silver Legion. Friends, this is a pleasant surprise. What brings you to Marakkus?¡± ¡°Fudging the teleportation formation in the church is not enough, traitor. There are others, hidden even to the local leaders. The Radiant Lady sees all and Cardinal Judith is a very attentive woman,¡± Ash Priest Shay spoke. ¡°Surrender peacefully or we will use deadly force. This is your only warning.¡± ¡°Lim, please. We don''t want to fight you. We still think of you as a friend,¡± Vestal Mita pleaded. ¡°Oh, doll, that¡¯s sweet. It was fun while it lasted. A bit stuffy with the sermons and masses and whatnot but still fun. I¡¯ll pull my punches if we meet on the battlefield.¡± Lim¡¯s figure faded like a mirage. The man had accumulated enough tricks from both churches to be able to flee even from the gaze of two veterans of the Silver Legion. ¡°Damnit, Lim¡­ why?¡± The Ash Priest muttered with a painful tone but the Level 4 steadied his bearings in the next second. ¡°Alright, some of you have not yet been debriefed because of the emergency deployment. I¡¯m Shay and this is Mita. We will be in charge for the time being. There¡¯s a red alert in the HQ and we¡¯re here to find out why. At least one devil cult is definitely involved so stay alert and move as a group. Cardinal Judith treated this situation important enough she sent Holy Inquisitor Malcolm to take command. The Holy Inquisitor is a Level 5 and when he gets here in six hours, we better have concrete information for him by then. I¡¯ll now give you your assignments...¡± Shay and Mita led 100 legionaries, 50 Level 2s and 50 Level 3s. The age bracket was very wide. Some were in their forties while others in their teenage years. One among the group was a young girl about 16 years old with short raven hair with a red rose hairpin on her head. Her hands were trembling a bit. ¡°Calm down, new girl. We¡¯re with you,¡± an older girl next to her said. ¡°Nervous on your first mission?¡± A Level 3 boy whispered. ¡°...Yeah,¡± the young girl said. ¡°The devil cult¡¯s presence also worries me.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, you said your friend died fighting a cultist then your hometown was destroyed by some cultist plot. I suppose you must be dying for reveng- Ouch! What gives, June?¡± ¡°You lack delicacy, Conn.¡± The other girl said. ¡°Rose, where did you say you come from again?¡± ¡°...Luxore town.¡± Chapter 99 - Little Friend Day 12 - Evening. The Blood Church¡¯s expedition force in the heart of the Tomb was in their final stretch. Tens of array masters on each obelisk that served as the foundation of the sun-like seal. The number of practitioners on each side was not uniform or evenly divided. If anything, they were racing who would solve their ends first. The work they used was called the overlapping array procedure. Despite the simple name, it was actually a revolutionary product borne out of years of research. The development began in Zetel, the forefront of magical matters in the continent. And that was only one of six major investments the Blood Church invested in so they had a shot for the Demon King''s power. The overlapping array procedure consists of two interlocking works. The obscuring group and the unsealing group. On each obelisk, Level 3 array masters created and maintained magical arrays that hid the Level 2 array masters from the seal¡¯s detection while the Level 2s were unraveling the seal. But their work was not smooth. These Level 2s were trying to unlock a cage made by the best practitioners of their time. They were out of their depth, too many confusing symbols and illusions, hampering their progress to a crawl. The unsealers needed to be well versed in arrays or had an eye for discerning fakes. On the obscuring part, It also wasn''t easy work, Izabella and the other Level 3 enchanters had to use their full concentration. If they slipped out, the defensive system would retaliate and burn the transgressors. Basically, the unsealing would be left in the hands of a bunch of Level 2s. The idea didn''t sit well with the higher-ups of the Blood Church. How could such a vital role be left to such weak individuals? But they had no choice. Strong Pathseekers would be too hard to obscure and invited the retaliation of the seal. So how could they smoothen the process? The devil-worshipping cult gave a simple answer: blood sacrifice. The array masters were using the life of the captured adventurers to empower the unsealing. Morality was not the highest value in the Blood Church. Irkun¡¯s progress was at 60% while Izabella¡¯s was trailing at 35%. By this point, more than a hundred adventurers had already been sacrificed. It had been steady progress thus far but a live bomb always had the danger of exploding. A small mistake on Irkun¡¯s side created a catastrophe, most of the Level 2 array masters were cooked from the inside out. While Izabella -a skilled array master herself- operated the obscuration effort personally. Her group¡¯s work was superior to Irkun¡¯s. Irkun¡¯s camp was ahead of Izabella¡¯s but the disaster made the boat he was sailing on almost dead in the water while Izabella¡¯s was intact and pursuing from behind. ¡°No no no no, NOOOOO! We¡¯re so close, so close!!¡± Irkun screamed. Izabella would have smirked if she had the leeway but she didn''t. Her full attention was on her array. The remaining array master at Irkun¡¯s side got back to work, willing or otherwise, while Irkun was doing damage control after his hysteria. At this rate, Izabella would finish her obelisk before him and he would have lost the match. Their engagement would be annulled. Since most of his Level 2 array masters died, Irkun desperately needed replacements. ¡°Give me names of Level 2 array masters you know of. I don''t care if they are your family or friends, give me names!! This is the deciding factor where we will succeed or fail! Do not try to hide them from me. I¡¯ll take their names directly from your head if I must,¡± Irkun spoke loudly to his followers with a tone bordering insanity. Under threat, some gave names of the Level 2 they knew of including their addresses, and then the Prince of Thieves opened his mouth. ¡°Avel of Javia, adventurer. He stays at the Bird Nest Inn. I haven''t seen him among the adventurers so he must be still outside. He is a good illusion breaker and surprisingly adept array master.¡± With this, Irkun would lose the match. Those guys are only subpar Level 2s and that Avel guy couldn''t do shit about arrays or illusion. Izabella would finish her obelisk first and be freed, Alan thought. Irkun decided to oversee the emergency recruitment himself. That would mean returning to Marakkus. The Blood Church had managed to create three portals connecting here and the outside world. Time was of the essence so Irkun did not delay walking to the portal but his father stopped him. ¡°This is where things might get really dangerous. If something happens, prioritize your safety,¡± he gave Irkun a key. ¡°This opens the vault under our manor. The protection there would be enough to wait out the storm. Go and triumph, son.¡± ¡°Fortune in battle to you, Father,¡± the son replied. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Haghen watched as his son left accompanied by a few Deathsworn. Lim¡¯s coming meant the Estellians had begun to move. The three Blood Exarchs were now contacting the Blood Vicar to update him of the latest development. The three Level 4s went inside the pocket dimension the Blood Vicar created. It was a realm of fire and brimstone. They needed to employ defensive Arte by merely standing there. In the center of a lake of lava, Blood Vicar Tobias sat on a fiery throne. After hearing the report from the three, the man with red skin smiled. ¡°Prepare to open the Hellgates. Let''s give those demon slayers demons to kill.¡± *** Bird Nest Inn. In a particular room, a master and his slave were having dinner from one table as if they were brothers. Because he was eating, Viers didn''t wear the helmet, only cloth covering the upper part of his face. He imagined Boram would lose appetite seeing his unmasked face. ¡°Boram, here¡¯s another lesson for you. Right here, at this moment, you¡¯re letting your guard down. That is a no-no.¡± The difference was shown not only in their attitude but also in the placement of their weapons. Viers¡¯ katana was placed at an arm¡¯s length from its user while Boram¡¯s hammer was leaning at the far wall of the room, less than two meters out but Viers deemed it not close enough. ¡°But Master, haven''t you personally laid down defensive enchantment in this room? Why must we be on edge constantly?¡± As if it was ordained by Fate, a man was charging from the window, breaking it in the process. It didn''t end well for the intruder because a zap of almost a thousand volts of arcane lightning electrified the black cloaked man. A heartbeat later, a laser of light blasted his face. Viers used the newly acquired Mind Stone look-alike he dubbed Sunburn to follow up the attack. ¡°Because of this,¡± Viers replied to his apprentice while stabbing the trespasser in the heart. ¡°Ready yourself. This is not over.¡± Viers felt another three Level 2 Pathseekers in the area. *** Five hours had passed since the Silver Legion arrived in Marakkus, the hundred or so legionaries were now fighting tooth and nail against the horde of demons on the black stone corridors of the Tomb. The Silver Legions caught up with the Blood Church¡¯s scheme soon enough. With the speed of light they struck at the heart of the enemy. The Biome¡¯s Level 2 restriction was broken and the bringers of justice stormed the Tomb. However, their enemy had prepared for their coming. They had summoned demons directly from hell. The corridors were wide enough for a hundred people to line up in a straight line. The sight of silver armored guardians on one side and the fiery, savage, beast-like demons was as magnificent as it was terrible. On the demon¡¯s side, there were also people from the Blood Church, cultists of the Devil Yasterah. Vestal Mita was fighting Blood Exarch Ursula and Ash Priest Shay was trading blows with Blood Exarch Haghen. Flying above the battlefield, was the Holy Inquisitor Malcolm and Blood Vicar Tobias. The strongest combatant on both sides. It wouldn''t be wrong to say that the match of the Level 5s was more impactful than the rest of the combatants combined. ¡°You use a Biome to crash on the Demon King¡¯s prison and make a space bridge to gain entry. Quite the scheme, Tobias.¡± ¡°Inquisitor Malcolm, how¡¯s your son these days? I regret I failed to kill him together with his mother. Your wife must be so lonely on her way to Heaven, khekhekhe.¡± If the inquisitor felt fury it didn''t show on his face. ¡°My wife will be avenged today,¡± Malcolm¡¯s Victa warped the space around him. A silhouette of an armored white-winged angel five meters tall was on his back. ¡°Just like before, you¡¯re too late. For all your power, always a step too late. The seal is almost broken. The power of the Demon King will fall to the Blood Church! Glory to Yasterah!¡± The demon-like Blood Vicar laughed mockingly as he attacked the inquisitor. There was a phantom of a demon made of smoldering magma with a savage snarl at his back. Both Level 5s went into a sealed space they both created, a place where they could fight without making the lower level Pathseekers in the battlefield into meat paste. *** News after news of successful capture made Irkun¡¯s heart alight with hope. He still had the chance to win the race and Izabella¡¯s body. ¡°Master Irkun,¡± one of the Level 2 Deathsworn said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°There are complications in our target, Avel of Javia.¡± Irkun was displeased and frowned. ¡°You two failed?¡± ¡°There were four of us, but two had been killed¡­ but we were successful on our mission. However, there are complications about the target.¡± ¡°Well? What is it?¡± Irkun grew impatient. ¡°It is difficult to explain. We suspect he is hiding something extraordinary in his body, very powerful. For precaution, we placed him separately from the other prisoner. It is best for Master Irkun to see it for himself.¡± ¡°Is it safe?¡± Irkun asked. ¡°Completely, sire.¡± The Deathsworn couldn''t lie to him so Irkun trusted their words. ¡°Very well. Bring me to him. Takju, you guard the prisoners.¡± Irkun left an order for his Level 4 bodyguard and the two underlings led him to a room with a man with his face covered with black cloth. He was seemingly unconscious and bound on a chair in the center of the room. Irkun smoothly entered the room. Click. Irkun heard the sound of a lock turned and the two underlings who undoubtedly possess absolute loyalty to the Marakkus house strongly grabbed his arms, holding him in place. ¡°You! What is the meaning of this!?¡± Adding Irkun¡¯s surprise, was the captured man standing up and pressing a strange weapon to his forehead. A sharp sound briefly entered his ear but in the next moment, all he knew was darkness. He felt his consciousness was no longer connected to his body as if he was falling into a bottomless abyss. Meanwhile, the man blew the tip of his jet-black revolver like gunslinger cowboy. ¡°Say hello to my Little Friend.¡± Chapter 100 - Boiling Point She had done it. She had finished unlocking her obelisk faster than Irkun. Her engagement with Irkun Marakkus was no longer. Alas, she¡¯d found she was not as exhilarated as she thought she would be. She was in the middle of a battlefield between good and evil and it wasn''t a great place for celebrating. Demons and cultists were fighting the Silver Legions. Like their name, the demons fought like demons, with otherworldy savagery. Some cultists wore a disguise and others didn¡¯t. On the other side, were men and women that hunted demons as an occupation. With steel and magic and faith they fought against the tide of teeth and fire. And despite being outnumbered three to one, the Silver Legion had the upper hand! Their reputation as the number one fighting force in the continent was not an empty boast. But the cultists of Yasterah were not without hope. After unsealing half of the seal, the miniature sun was no longer blinding to look at. The light dimmed and people could see an object floating in the center of it. It was a severed human head. The face¡¯s expression made it look like it was sleeping peacefully before the neck was separated from the rest of the body. But everybody that laid eyes on the head would have their attention focused on its left eye. The left eye was open. The skin around the eye was bulging with mutated veins. The eyeball moved around eerily to look at its surroundings as if it was a separate entity. Cultists and legionaries alike felt incredible dread from that eye. ¡°Stop them!¡± Ash Priest Shay ordered. ¡°Do not let the Demon King¡¯s left eye get free from its seal!¡± The Silver Legion pressed the attack with a renewed zeal. Even with new demons continually arriving from the Hellgates, the cultists were on the precipice of buckling. ¡°Izabella, hurry!¡± Blood Exarch Ursula¡¯s voice resounded in Izabella¡¯s head. Izabella¡¯s group started to work on the other obelisk, reinforcing the few workers that survived from Irkun¡¯s camp. The completion was already at 94%. The Blood Church¡¯s goal was almost complete. Just a little more¡­ *** Knowledge is power. Viers soul-searched the assailants and turned the information in their brains into an opportunity. Four people attacked him in the inn, intent on capturing him alive. Viers easily dispatched two of them and disabled the others before reading their memories through soul gazing. It was then Viers got a glimpse about the Blood Church¡¯s plot and the ongoing operation. The Deathsworns were not privy to all of the details but they knew just enough for Viers to make informed decisions. Viers treated this revelation as a Godsent opportunity. Decisively, Viers marked his target. It wasn''t the Biome where the two churches of good and evil were clashing for the Demon King¡¯s fragment, but Irkun Marakkus¡¯ vulnerable position. The Biome battlefield was a stage where Level 5s do battle, Viers knew his limits and didn''t try to dip a finger in that pool. He planned to get to the boss of these two Deathsworn and get massive benefits from Irkun, the scion of the Governor-King of Marakkus city. It was the lesser prize but most of the strong fighters were at the Biome. Viers was like a shark that had caught the scent of blood. After leaving instructions to Boram, Viers also told him to pack up. No matter what, the two of them would no longer stay in this city after tonight. The first step was infiltration. Viers needed to access the compound the young master was in without raising suspicion. For that, he used a new soul Arte, Soul Hack. An Arte heavily inspired by Jedi Mind Trick and Witcher¡¯s Axii. If he could ¡®dominate¡¯ the soul of someone, Viers could implant suggestions and instructions to their very souls so they would do his bidding. As the usual pattern, the Arte had a very limited effect on people stronger than him. But for people ¡®weaker¡¯ than him, even if they were on the same Level, it was a magical swiss army knife. When Viers first arrived in Marakkus city, if the guards denied him entry because of his suspicious origin, Viers would have used this Arte, waved his hand, and said: ¡®these are not the droids you¡¯re looking for¡¯. He didn''t have the opportunity that day but he swore he would say the line on the next suitable occasion. After faking capture, Viers let the Deathsworn bring the silkpants young master and put a soul bullet through his head. The body was unharmed but not so for the soul. It was that kind of bullet. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The revolver was the product of the system he snatched from Sigma. It could create any kind of firearm, even futuristic or sci-fi ones if the requirements were met. At the moment, Viers could only use the revolver. He named it Little Friend and it made an explosive debut. The revolver disappeared into thin air. The system¡¯s strange and otherworldly abilities allowed Viers to summon and un-summon the gun whenever he so wished. Now I will never be unarmed. Unlike the person he got this ability from, Viers was determined to use his gun as a situational weapon, away from eyewitnesses. Viers chose a soul attack because Viers was sure Irkun would be protected by many artifacts and whatever others. He was rich. A soul attack would be harder to defend than conventional elemental Arte and physical harm. Seeing Irkun¡¯s state, he was glad to make the right call. After the first bullet was shot, Viers said an iconic line for his enjoyment and Horizon, he made sure Irkun¡¯s soul was not functional. Unlike the body, a soul was immortal. At least, the current Viers was unable to truly destroy a soul. Irkun¡¯s soul was as ¡®injured¡¯ as it could be. He was not dead but he was definitely no longer a threat to Viers. Blam! A gigantic man blasted through the door and part of the wall. He was raising his fist at Viers. His charge immediately killed the two Deathsworn Viers had hacked. The bodyguard slave had sensed something was wrong with his master and took action to protect him. The Level 4 could move with more speed and power but considering his master was in close vicinity, he took a milder approach. Which gave Viers the precious microseconds to prevent a disaster. ¡°STOP!¡± Viers manipulated Irkun to stop the giant before he was killed. The giant¡¯s fist was about ten centimeters in front of his clothed face. Viers couldn''t help but shed a cold sweat. ¡°Nothing is wrong. Keep guarding the place. Nobody is going in this room,¡± Irkun spoke again. His eyes were hollow but the voice was clear. Viers experienced intense several seconds of silence but the giant seemed to follow the order. The Level 4 backed away and exited the room, standing guard outside. Viers let out a long relieved sigh. That was the reason Viers didn''t outright kill Irkun, to deal with the other hostiles in the area. Now, soul search! In ten minutes, Viers had known all the information he needed. His daily soul search training made Viers very proficient in extracting information from other people¡¯s souls. Then Viers used the Soul Hack Arte on Irkun too. The next thing on his agenda was cleaning house. He gathered all of the Deathsworn to one place and ordered them to stay put. Since they couldn''t resist Irkun¡¯s order, they were neutralized. There were also half a dozen or so people in the big room, Level 2s that supposedly assist the unsealing, bound there. Viers didn''t bother with them and left them bound and immobile for the time being. Through Irkun¡¯s memories, Viers had found there was a portal that was connected to the eye of the storm. Viers made his way there as quickly as he was able while Irkun walked behind him like leashed cattle. *** The sound of the breaking seal pierced the hearts of the legionaries. Despite giving their all, the cultists had freed the left eye! ¡°It¡¯s not over. We have sealed it before, we can seal it again. Fight on, warriors of the light!¡± Holy Inquisitor Malcolm¡¯s rallying cry fanned the fading spark of fire in their hearts. ¡°Take it away! Do not give them anything!¡± Blood Vicar Tobias¡¯ directed his followers. The seal was broken and both churches chased the same object albeit for different objectives. The evil church wanted to bring the head containing Demon King¡¯s left eye to the outside, through one of three portals they created nearby. The good church wanted to prevent the cursed object from getting out. If Viers was here, he would see a scene of a chaotic, football match with a severed head as the ball. The Blood Church¡¯s quarterback was tackled and mangled and blasted by all manners of attack. When the person could do no more, a different cultist took the head and ran towards the portal. After prying the head from a dead Level 3 cultist, Shay tried to carry it back but Haghen almost speared his heart from behind. The dodge gave the opening for the cultist to toss the ball in the air. Ursula struck Mita with red lighting to prevent her from getting the head while a legionary squashed the head of an imp-like demon that snatched the head. In the center of the chaotic madness of blood and magic, the eye emitted demonic energy that became stronger by the second. Pathseekers on both sides felt it. The left eye of the Demon King had started to awaken. One cultist, a true believer of Yasterah but just a normal member without any importance, through a stroke of luck, managed to bring the head to a couple of meters from a portal. ¡°No! Stop him! No matter what it takes!¡± Mita desperately shouted. A legionary caught his legs with plant roots, and the cultist cut off his leg without hesitation. He only managed to take a few steps with his unwhole legs before a legionary threw a shining sword and stabbed the cultist in the back. The cultist fell to his knees. The portal was so close he could send the Demon King¡¯s left eye if extended his arms but he had squeezed his stamina dry getting here. Breathing had become a daunting task. He felt his life was swiftly fading. But he was so close to the portal and he saw a visage on the other side of the portal. ¡°Here¡­ take it¡­ ¡± He let out the words while coughing blood. His eyes were bloodshot. The last spark of his life refused to go out until he had seen the glorious purpose of the Blood Church fulfilled. The cultist saw the man on the other side of the portal extend his hand. And destroyed the portal. The cultist was consumed with despair and died in the next second. The other cultists and legionaries were too far and the portal was quite blurry from afar. They weren''t able to see what the cultist saw in his last moment. They only knew that the portal was closed just when the cultist was on the precipice of scoring a touchdown. ¡°The Goddess is with us!¡± Someone from the Silver Legion shouted and their morale surged to the seventh heaven. Chapter 101 - War and Heist Viers arrived exactly at the crucial moment. If he¡¯d just extended his hands, Viers would get the prize but Viers didn''t do so. In fact, Viers had no desire for such power from the beginning. The power of the Demon King that the Blood Church coveted so greedily, Viers treated it like a radiation-leaking faulty nuclear warhead. Dangerous to everyone, the user included. Viers already predicted what would happen if he took the Demon King¡¯s fragment for himself. It would become a pain in the ass. Something from a dangerous entity far stronger than himself won''t be easy to tame and control. The most common development was the fragment parasitized on him. Oh Viers would get a power boost, there was no doubt, but the power was a double-edged sword. For example, the eye would corrupt his body and mind. If he didn''t get ¡®something-something plot device¡¯ in a few weeks, he would become insane or demonized. Viers would be forced to enter a tournament for some prize, or dive into a Biome for a phantasmal item, or search ancient ruins for lost documents, or kill a high-ranking demon in Hell to eat its heart, or something along those lines to prevent the Demon King¡¯s power from destroying him from the inside. According to Viers¡¯ learned opinion, MCs that met a similar dilemma would prevail in the end. Always. After hundreds of chapters -according to his web novel standard- of twists and turns, after multiple arduous and difficult chain-quests, the MC would master the toxic power and make it his own, gaining the reward the author planned for him from the inception of his creation. But Viers didn''t like it. He didn''t like his journey to be determined by something other than himself. He¡¯d refused a spirit advisor before and insanity-inducing corruption certainly wasn''t more acceptable. This was his Path of Power and nobody dictates where he should walk. Even If he walked himself to the abyss of oblivion in the end then it would be because of his own free will. His will and nobody else¡¯s. Last but not least, there was something else. Evil Overlord List number 22: No matter how tempted I am with the prospect of unlimited power, I will not consume any energy field bigger than my head. Supposedly it was about a villain having too much Phlebotinum, destroying himself or his base because he tried to absorb something more than he could handle. Viers thought the toxic power of the Demon King could be included. Besides, Viers could become stronger without relying on something as malignant as that. Back on Earth there was a saying that the world was wide, and this world was bigger than his previous one by at least four times. Viers was confident there were many paths to be the strongest other than the Demon King¡¯s fragment route and the Horizon Aspect inside him was yet another source of his confidence. For now, Viers had bought some time to rob this place blind. ¡°Come on, boy. I¡¯ll need you to open the vault under this manor. I hope there are many good things inside,¡± Viers said to his moving puppet. *** In the midst of the Silver Legion¡¯s cheering, the eerie left eye from the severed head popped out and jammed itself into the left eye of the dead cultist that was carrying it. Within moments, the corpse started twitching furiously, as the fragment of the Demon King jacked his brain and nervous system. ¡°Hehehe, fine, we¡¯ll go out the hard way. Stepping on all of your fuckin¡¯ corpses!¡± Blood Vicar Tobias laughed and brandished a gigantic sword of magma able to split a mountain at Malcolm. ¡°You have no idea what you¡¯re dealing with. Half of the continent had to make an alliance to defeat the Demon King at the height of his power. The Demon King serves no one but himself. He¡¯ll turn on you, fool!¡± The phantom of an armored angel behind his back slammed his fists together to make a heaven-rending shockwave. If they battled outside of their separate space their people would be implicated by their earth-shaking battle. The area around them would have turned into a wasteland of rock and dust. Tens of tentacles of meat came out from the back of the Demon King-possessed corpse. It launched to the other carcasses and the still alive legionaries. Four Level 2s were killed in an instant while the Level 3s managed to avoid a grisly fate. The tentacle brought all the corpses of any ally or enemy then added their biomass to itself, becoming a mass of bulbous, red lump of meat. There were bits of metal armor, demons¡¯ faces, human limbs, an amalgamation of repulsiveness. ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°Where are you going, Inquisitor? Your opponent is me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you drawn and quartered before incinerating your remains with sacred flames, Tobias!¡± The clashes between Level 5s continued in their separate space. Meanwhile, Haghen felt something odd about the abruptly closed portal. ¡°Alan, you¡¯re the fastest among the Level 3s. Use the tertiary portal and find out what happened to the primary portal,¡± Haghen commanded. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Yes, Blood Exarch,¡± Alan nodded in compliance. ¡°And make sure Irkun is okay,¡± the fatherly side of Haghen spoke out words of worry. After watching Alan go through one of the two remaining portals, he returned his gaze to the battlefield, filled with determination. Haghen took out a red pill with an incredible aura, pulsating. It was as if the pill was alive. It¡¯s time to pull all the stops, Haghen thought and swallowed the pill. Tobias and Malcolm paused their battle because they felt a power growing at an astounding rate. The battlefield shook and trembled, Haghen became the eye of a typhoon of mana and energy. The swirl of power kept growing, pushing all others away from his position, even the Level 4s couldn''t hold their ground. Suddenly, it stopped. From the smoke and dust, Haghen walked out emitting the aura of a Level 5. The expression of disbelief from his once equal political rival, the incensed Ursula was a delight for Haghen. My breakthrough is a success. How could it not, after making my own father into a pill and eating him whole? ¡°History will remember this day as the day when the Silver Legion¡¯s invincibility was broken!¡± Haghen shot to the air, barging in the sealed space and started double-teaming Malcolm together with the Blood Vicar. ¡°AHAHAHA!¡± Tobias laughed maniacally. The wind was completely on his sails. The destruction of his hated enemy was at hand. ¡°WREEEEEEE!!¡± The corpse inhabited by the Demon King¡¯s left eye let out a shrieking no human mouth could produce. It had become a tower of flesh, of bodies mashed together. The original corpse had absorbed the remains of the corpses in the field, including the flesh of demons. Just by possessing a mediocre Pathseeker it managed to raise its power no less than the other Level 5s. A small fragment of the Demon King already had so much strength, and it had yet to completely recover from two millennia of sealing. Three Level 5s were now on the Blood Church¡¯s side while Holy Inquisitor Malcolm was the only one for the Estellian Church. Outgunned and outnumbered, the Silver Legion was in a precarious position. None understood this better than the Inquisitor. He thought Cardinal Judith had overestimated the importance of events in Marakkus when she sent him to oversee matters. She had pulled him from his hunt of a mind-jumping criminal Level 4 with a body count of triple digits. Never in his right mind he would guess it wasn''t enough. Goddess preserves us, Malcolm quietly prayed. *** The manor Viers was in, was one of the properties of the Marakkus family scattered throughout the city. It was supposed to be a summer house or somesuch, Viers didn''t really understand the mentality of the overly rich. The important thing was, there was a vault under this manor that contained some of the Marakkus family''s treasures. Some, because Irkun knew the existence of other vaults. The vault that daddy dear gave the key to Irkun was just a minor vault that didn''t contain heaven-shaking artifacts but the protection was pretty solid. Haghen meant to give Irkun a nuclear shelter in case things got out of hand but it had fallen into the hands of an outsider. Mine now, Viers thought as he watched Irkun unlocked the door to the vault. The protective enchantments deactivated and the heavy metal door slowly creaked open. The wait made Viers giddy. ¡°Yes!!¡± The vista that welcomed him made Viers clutch his fists and yelled a victory cry. There were rows of precious medicine bottles and potions neatly placed and magical items grandly on display without a speck of dust on them. It was a beautiful sight. The problem is how to carry them out of here. Thankfully, Irkun memories presented a solution. Viers and Irkun walked to the artifacts area. As soon as Viers saw the object, he broke into a slight run and raised the item gently with both hands. It was a small ornate jeweled box about 20 centimeters in length. ¡°Thousand Treasures Casket¡­ My storage item, at last,¡± Viers said with deep emotion. ¡°Congratulations, Lord Viers,¡± Farley said. ¡°Wow, you really want this thing bad, huh?¡± Paina didn''t think Viers would be so moved. ¡°...Well, not as good as the one I used to have,¡± Clarissa gave a frank assessment. Four seconds of wallowing in his achievement were all the time Viers gave to himself. He realized he was not in the clear yet and mastered his emotions. Viers promptly bound the box to himself with a drop of blood. The unbound storage item accepted his claim without issue. Viers opened the box and saw white fog inside it. Viers grabbed a fistful of mana crystal from nearby and placed it above the opened box. The crystals sank into the fog smoothly. Viers shook the box and didn''t hear any clatter from the inside. Viers grabbed a shield with a bull carving on it next and tried to put it in. The shield was much bigger than the 20 centimeters magical box but it could store the shield just fine. The shield¡¯s shape became warped as it went in, not unlike an object becoming elongated when sucked by a black hole. Space hocus-pocus indeed. Viers put his hand inside the white fog and pulled the shield again just fine. Viers had a big fat grin on his face, thankfully no one could see it. Viers became a one-man horde of all-consuming locusts and cleaned the place out. Every valuable was pried out and stolen. The first priority was the rare artifacts. After taking the Thousand Treasures Casket, he took the Mask of Unrecognizable Face, a flamethrower the size of a bazooka, a barrier shelter stone, a yellow wood bow, a picture scroll with the drawing of octopuses, a pair of scrying bowls, and many more. There was also a big stock of consumable items. Bomb beads, paper talismans, potions, medicines, and ingredients Viers didn''t know about. The vault did not contain much hard cash, only a pile of mana crystals and a dozen gold bars. Viers still took them to the last crystal. He imagined finding 500,000 dollars lying on the street would feel like this. On the downside, there were no affinity ingredients, treasure herbs, or cultivation resources. Not a single book about Arte, valuable scrolls, or profound codex. Viers thought they must be in separate treasuries. Wise, not putting all the eggs in a single basket. Clearly the vault he just robbed was mainly used for storing magical items. However, the lack of such things didn''t lessen his joy. There must be a heist in every GTA game and this is one! Taking a lesson from someone named Meng Hao, Viers even took the magical lamps, item casings, and the marble tiles before leaving the vault utterly barren. *** Alan the Prince of Thieves moved as fast as he could after his exit from the other gate. The manor Irkun resided was right in front of him. The lack of any living presence inside was a sign of disaster. Chapter 102 - Reversal Day 13 - Midnight. The date had changed after the clock went past midnight. In the Tomb, a great battle was raging. For the combatants of the Silver Legion, every second was a matter of life and death. Half of their members had already fallen. Holy Inquisitor Malcolm fought valiantly like a god of war but three Level 5 were too much for him. Vestal Mita and Ash Priest Shay, the two Level 4 pillars were on their last legs as well. Blood Exarch Ursula and Lim matched them blow for blow. The rest of the legionaries were outnumbered by the continuously arriving demons from the opened Hellgates. Wounds taking their toll, prospects getting increasingly negative. The Silver Legion faced the possibility of total annihilation. As if that was not enough, the Demon King¡¯s left eye had started to awaken to its full strength. The now towering mass of meat emitted an invisible pulse that everyone felt. Half of the church¡¯s personnel fell down, holding their heads and screaming excruciatingly. The other half managed to defend against the mental attack but not completely, even Malcolm was affected. So much power from a mere fragment. The Demon King¡¯s tales of dread are not exaggerated! Tobias and Haghen didn''t let the chance slip through their fingers. Tobias conjured an upside-down volcanic mountain in the air and sent it falling down on his enemy while the newest Level 5 shot a gigantic five-colored twister of crystal dust that made crackling sounds from his hands. ¡°Arte - Angel¡¯s Aegis!¡± The armored angel avatar behind Malcolm turned almost corporeal as he deployed the strongest defensive Arte in his arsenal. His body was encased in a sphere of white light. The shield met the attacks and a deafening sound resounded throughout the sealed space as the spider nest crack appeared in the air, getting bigger very ominously. Ursula was huffing and coughing out blood while looking at the unconscious Ash Priest half-buried on the wall. They were almost equal in strength but the priest¡¯s multiple assists on the lower leveled legionaries tipped the balance to Ursula¡¯s favor. She glanced at the other battle between Level 4 and found Lim also victorious against Mita. ¡°Finish it,¡± Mita said defiantly. The bleeding on her shoulder flowed like a river. She was bound in place by chains of metal. ¡°For what it''s worth, I also still consider you a friend,¡± Lim¡¯s hand glowed with yellow light. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if you touch her!¡± A young Level 2 girl stepped forward, placing herself between Mita and Lim. The teenage girl had a red flower hairpin on her hair. Her body was covered in wounds but her grip on her rapier was still strong and steady, pointing it at the Level 4. ¡°Rose, get out of here!¡± Mita said, perplexed. ¡°No, I won''t let my master die!¡± ¡°Master, eh? To be able to make your disciple willing to die for you, still popular as always, Mita.¡± Lim observed the drama. ¡°He¡¯s not your match. Don''t throw your life away. There¡¯s still much you can offer to the world,¡± Mita persuaded her usually obedient student, hoping she would see reason. ¡°You always teach me to follow what my heart tells me,¡± the girl¡¯s body glowed with green light, her power rising. Just like him, Rose thought. ¡°And my heart tells me this is where I should be!¡± The rising power from the body of a Level 2 Pathseeker was abnormally high, Lim raised an eyebrow. Not about the wood attuned Victa the girl emitted, but about something else. ¡°A Blessed,¡± Lim muttered. ¡°But still too weak. An angel¡¯s blessing does not make you invincible, little girl,¡± he smiled. The crisp sound of a space torn washed over the battlefield. A figure fell, bloody and hurt. Tobias and Haghen slowly descended on the near-death inquisitor. ¡°Any last words?¡± Tobias cackled mockingly. ¡°KHHHEEEEE!¡± The tower of flesh that housed the Demon King¡¯s left eye screamed again. Their leaders defeated, the Demon King¡¯s fragment was unsealed, demons kept coming from Hell, the legionaries'' hearts sank to the absolute bottom. All seemed lost, many resolved themselves for a last fight to the death. It began, with the soft opening sound and a single point hanging in the air. Turning into a portal made of light. Three figures walked out from the blinding light. Two Level 5s and one Level 3. Seeing the familiar figures, hope bloomed again for the legionaries. ¡°How? This is not possible!¡± Blood Vicar Tobias gnashed his teeth. One of the Level 5 was a woman while the other was an old man. The woman¡¯s voice thundered on the silent battlefield. The last of the three was a young woman not yet twenty years old. ¡°Stand! Stand tall, warriors of Light! We are the bulwark between the terror of the dark and all that is good in this world. We have done so for thousands of years without failure and we will not fail now. Light eternal!¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Tens of portals opened the moment Flavia Marianus, Supreme Commander of the Silver Legions rekindled the fading spark of hope. Like a tide, an army of silver-clad warriors charged through. Steel and magic in hand, they met the forces of evil like a hammer striking an anvil. ¡°LIGHT ETERNAL!¡± The legions roared as one, the vanguard and the reinforcement both. The Blood Church¡¯s leaderships weren''t able to keep calm in the face of such a righteous force. The tide was turning. As light glowed stronger, darkness was chased away. Flavia Marianus, Gregory Simon and Freya Marianus also preparing to join the fray. ¡°Last chance to back out, Buttercup,¡± Flavia said. ¡°Grandma!¡± Freya replied with a dismayed expression to her childhood calling name but returned to normal soon enough. ¡°I too am a member of the Silver Legion. How could I back out now?¡± Freya resolutely said. Flavia felt a hard pride for her answer despite the conflicting desire of the grandmother inside her. ¡°Gregory...¡± ¡°Relax, I¡¯ll keep her safe.¡± Flavia nodded, thanking her friend from the same generation before drawing out her sword. ¡°Let¡¯s clean this place up.¡± ¡°KREEEEEE!¡± Among all the combatants, only the Demon King¡¯s fragment found joy in the new arrival. Its otherworldly shriek conveyed a challenge to everything and everyone. *** ¡°By my authority as your master, I now free you from slavery,¡± Irkun said from his own mouth. Viers was standing beside his puppet while watching the women of many races looking at both of them confusingly. They were Irkun¡¯s slaves. Women that he collected for¡­ nefarious purposes. The order Irkun just said didn''t make sense for those who know Irkun¡¯s personality but they all felt the slave seal restricting them dissolved. ¡°Now go away immediately. You¡¯ll be in danger otherwise,¡± Irkun spoke as if reading from a script. The twenty former slaves had mixed responses. Some were glad and weeping from the freedom, some realized the man standing beside Irkun was the one responsible and thanking profusely, some took a more drastic approach. ¡°DIE, you piece of shit!¡± Viers stopped a woman he suspected from a tiger tribe beastfolk from slitting Irkun¡¯s neck with her claws. ¡°Why are you protecting him!?¡± She cast a disgusted glance at the masked Viers. ¡°Killing him will brand you with a tracker mark from at least a Level 4,¡± he answered. ¡°I don''t care. Do you even kno-¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Viers cut her off. ¡°Leave immediately because I have too many things to do. Don''t waste the life you¡¯ve regained.¡± Viers let loose his Victa to pressure them to leave. He didn''t have time to deal with them, no matter how callous that sounds. None of the former slaves were Level 3 and the Level 2s felt Viers was much stronger than them. With Viers establishing the pecking order, the women calmed down somewhat. And then, because Paina became noisy in his head, and the sympathy remaining in his villainous black heart, Viers threw a pouch full of gold coins to the most mature-looking slave. ¡°That should be enough to cover the immediate expenses for you all. Now go. It¡¯s going to get dangerous.¡± After the slaves, Viers sent the non-Pathseeker servants away. They were people just working on the mansion. Viers didn''t want them to get involved. He also released the captured people that were supposed to reinforce Irkun in the Tomb. Viers sent them away more curtly than the slaves. Continuing on, Viers stepped into a hall filled with the black cloaked people after Irkun walked in. The Deathsworns were the private army of the Marakkus family. When the family needed something dirty done, they ordered these people. Their mind was programmed to not defy the order from their masters. Not much different from slaves. There were a dozen Level 3 Deathsworns here, a mere fracture of the whole. Proof of how much power a line of Governor-King was. The resources needed to raise these people were very extensive. ¡°I order you to do what the person next to me says, whatever it is,¡± Irkun said. ¡°Yes, master,¡± they said uniformly. Viers took a step forward, making a grandiose pose of covering his left eye with his hand before releasing it. ¡°Lelouch Viers Britannia commands you¡­ All of you, die.¡± A heartbeat of silence and blood flowed. Each of them died by their own hand. The room bloomed with splashes of red. Viers watched the aftermath with regret. He very much wanted them to say ¡®Yes, Your Highness!¡¯ before dying. Alas, not everyone was a man of culture such as him. After removing the hostiles from the board, Viers raised his hand facing up in front of him as if holding an invisible cup. A dozen souls of Level 3 Pathseekers were gathering above his palm. He closed it after the harvesting was completed and twelve new souls were added to his Soul Prison. Hmn? For the first time ever, Viers felt full. As if his soul was filled to capacity. So there¡¯s a limit of how many souls I can store inside me. The strength of the soul also played a factor. After proving his royal hegemony, Viers opened the window in the room and closed it, repeating the action three times. After the signal was sent, he entered the next room. There was only one person waiting there, Takju, the Level 4 giant slave. Now what am going to do with you, Viers wondered. Takju and Irkun stood still like statues, Viers was firing neurons in his brains, then a person joined the three in the room. ¡°Master, I came.¡± ¡°Yes, very good, Boram.¡± Viers placed Boram on standby nearby the mansion. In case there were no storage items he could use, Viers might need to haul the loot the old fashioned way. It didn''t matter now but Viers liked to be prepared. As per the code, Boram brought Viers his equipment. Viers was happy having Guren Muramasa on his waist once more, along with the rest of his gear. ¡°All right, here¡¯s what we''re gonna do,¡± Viers had decided. *** Alan ran in a narrow corridor underground. The mansion was compromised. The Deathsworns were dead without resistance, the vault was pillaged to the last rock, and Irkun was found dead. The cause of death was drowning¡­ in a chamber pot. Alan caught the trail of the perpetrator of the whole incident. They went through a hidden passage under the mansion. It was supposed to be for evacuation in case of emergencies, the rich often had such passage under their dwelling. The trail was too obvious so it must be left on purpose. After a long twist and turns throughout the tunnels. Alan arrived at a spacious area. An underground cavern filled with soft blue illumination. It was filled with mana because of the existence of the spirit spring that the city tapped for resources. The spring was like a small underground lake. On the bank, stood a man in full battle gear. He was showing a thick battle spirit. Alan knew the identity of this man, even though his face was hidden by a helmet. ¡°It¡¯s payback time,¡± Avel of Javia drew his exotic sword and enacted a boss battle. Chapter 103 - Boss Fight Irkun Marakkus had to die. Viers had no great enmity with him. Viers'' decision was based on the fact that Irkun was a loose end and Viers had a habit of dealing with loose ends before they bit him in the ass. The fact that Irkun was pretty much a scum of humanity made Viers pass the judgment without feeling bad about it. Viers wanted to test a question he always had from a long time ago. In xianxia stories, characters with background on them usually cannot be killed without consequences. One of the most common templates was because if they were killed, the killer would get marked so the clan or sect or teacher of the departed would know the identity of the killer. What would happen if Irkun died by drowning in a chamber pot? Would the soul mark tell the recipient Irkun died by an object or it could somehow identify Viers as the one responsible? A fascinating question. There were many ways of killing someone without dirtying one¡¯s hands, especially if that someone could be moved like a puppet. Viers could make Irkun slit his own throat with a knife or jump into a ravine -if there was one nearby- or make him choke to death by making him place his head in a chamber pot full of water. After taking all of Irkun¡¯s high-class and expensive life-saving treasures, Viers was watching Irkun drowning himself from the other end of the room with amusement and curiosity. Viers could make a soul inside him get hit by the marker and cast it off as he had done so against Homen, the big shot chief of the guards of Marakkus but there was no need to waste a soul when he didn''t have to. As he suspected, the moment Irkun asphyxiated to the grave, the soul mark from his Level 4 father was searching for a person to blame but it didn''t latch on Viers. He was ready in case he got implicated but he was glad his untested solution about killing someone with a soul mark was a success. If I spread this method in a xianxia world, it definitely will become very popular, heheh. I wonder why this method is not widespread already. Aren''t those places filled with wise people thousands of years old? Are their brains not working anymore? Stagnant technology in the xianxia world is bad enough but stagnant innovative thinking? It''s the death of progress. After making sure Irkun was undoubtedly dead and the body did not contain any booby trap, Viers ripped his soul for his own purposes. Irkun¡¯s soul could still be soul searched for all kinds of information. He had robbed the vault and dealt with the residents. Viers summarily left through a secret passage, leaving an obvious trail for whom it may concern. Viers had an inkling. ¡°Why didn''t you leave under the protection of that Level 4?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°Making him my bodyguard might be the safest option to take but I still have a couple of things I need to do on my own,¡± Viers was treading the underground path holding a torch. He walked in haste. ¡°He¡¯s escorting Boram and Brownie outside of the city. We¡¯ll talk then.¡± ¡°Is that related to this insane notion of yours? Why are you bloody leaving a trail for pursuers?¡± Paina cut in. ¡°You¡¯re always making a point of being untraceable after doing murder and mayhem.¡± Before Viers could answer, Viers saw a light at the dark tunnel in front. Viers arrived in an expanding underground cavern. He was still underground but the rock ceiling was pretty high and there was a lake of water there. The chamber was pretty much divided between half ground and half water. ¡°Mana spring...¡± Clarissa muttered. The rich mana Viers felt on his skin was confirmation enough. This was one of the power sources that the city above tapped as natural resources. A nice place and useful place but it was the area that Viers took note of. One look at the expanse and it all clicked. Viers had played too many video games. ¡°How fitting, Fate gives me a boss area.¡± Viers chuckled. ¡°We¡¯ll wait here.¡± ¡°Uuuh¡­ what?¡± Paina was not the only one confused. ¡°Look around us. Isn''t this the perfect stage for fighting a formidable enemy? I¡¯ve seen enough Fables to know what I see. The only thing missing is the boss music.¡± ¡°Alright. I give up. The nonsense is too much for me,¡± Paina said. ¡°Why do you suspect you¡¯ll fight an enemy, Lord?¡± Farley was trying to understand him. Viers opened the small box storage item near the mana lake and let it suck some of the special water while he communicated with his tenants. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°I¡¯ve been too involved with Marakkus¡¯ plot. The threads of causality entwine me. The Blood Church¡¯s scheme of releasing the Demon King¡¯s left eye is at the final phase and I choose this time to play my masterstroke. All that¡¯s left is the climax to close the circle. I¡¯m sure Fate has already prepared a fitting foe.¡± ¡°Your way of thinking does not make any sense,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°Not everything does. Not everything has to,¡± Viers replied with a quote from an MCU movie. ¡°This one behavior of yours is contradictory to everything you usually do. It¡¯s baseless,¡± Clarissa criticized harshly. ¡°You¡¯re right. My conduct is usually about avoiding enemies that can give me trouble. But that¡¯s not going to work this time. Like I said, the threads of causality, Fate if you want to be dramatic. There will be a battle before this all comes to a close,¡± Viers replied calmly. ¡°I only choose the stage.¡± Besides, what good is chasing power if you can''t use it? It¡¯s precisely for times like this. Having the power to smash problems away. ¡°...What if you¡¯re wrong?¡± Paina challenged. ¡°I¡¯ll wait five minutes. A bunch of Silver Legion arrived in the city by teleport and the scene past the portal was total chaos. All the big players should be busy with whatever is going on inside the Biome. Just five minutes,¡± Viers firmly said. The girls sighed because of Viers¡¯ antics. He closed the Thousand Treasure Casket, taking half a dozen barrels'' worth of mana-rich water. Viers then stood in the center of the stage and stood still. Waiting. Preparing his body and spirit for the battle ahead. Because it seemed in this boss battle, he was in the boss¡¯ role, not the challenger¡¯s. A boss had to play his part, like standing menacingly in the center of the room. ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood so I¡¯ll begin with diplomacy,¡± Viers said. ¡°How nice of you,¡± Paina dourly replied. The sound of footsteps made Viers¡¯ lips edge curled upwards. Alan arrived in three. ¡°Goddess Holy Mother, someone really came!¡± Paina gasped. ¡°He¡¯s the Level 3 of that time...¡± Farley¡¯s eyes turned sharp. ¡°It¡¯s like predicting the future¡­ What is this Fable he keeps talking about...¡± Clarissa murmured. Alan stopped his run ten meters before Viers. ¡°Avel, you¡­ did all this?¡± he asked, half believing. Under the helmet, his eyes glowed with green light as Euryale Sight was invoked. When he saw the pendant on Alan¡¯s chest under the clothes, Viers smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you. Blade in the mist,¡± Viers said leadingly. Just in case Alan took him for a fool and thought Viers hadn''t realized he was the one who attacked him two weeks ago. ¡°Since we¡¯re only enemies because of circumstances without prior great enmity, I¡¯ll give you one chance,¡± Viers¡¯ icy words flowed. ¡°Give my moon pendant back and I¡¯ll let you live.¡± A couple of long seconds came and went in utter silence. Alan didn''t believe what he was hearing. ¡°I have no time for this,¡± Alan shook his head. ¡°Did you kill Irk-¡± Viers kicked the earth. Arte - Raging River Steps! A flash of steel. Arte - Cut the Crap! Alan¡¯s eyes widened and he felt the cold kiss of metal. Viers¡¯ blade was at his neck. In an instant, Viers had closed the distance between them and put Alan inside the range of his sword. ¡°Oops. My hand slipped. No, no, by all means, keep your guard down. Showing wariness to a younger and weaker person is definitely the logical thing to do. I¡¯m not a threat to you at all.¡± There was a small cut on Alan¡¯s neck. The realization just dawned on him. If he did not raise his defensive Arte in time, he would have died already. ¡°Haaah!¡± Alan was blasting mist at Viers for a counter but Viers already jumped back. I know I said I want to fight him but I just can''t help it, man. He¡¯s so defenseless. My hand is so, so itchy. If he really died because of that, that is also an interesting development, Viers thought. The wound he suffered was a minor one but not so for the wound on his pride. Alan pulled the twin knives and assaulted Viers with a flurry of attacks. Four strikes were all Viers could weather despite fully concentrating on dodging and defense. The fifth had grazed him and the ninth would have hit him somewhere important so before the sixth strike landed, Viers disengaged by jumping away. Alan and Viers were watching each other warily. ¡°The gloves are off now, angels. We¡¯re doing this seriously. Farley, Paina, Overclock Mode!¡± ¡°Lord Viers, you can count on me.¡± ¡°A sword to the throat and an insult when it failed. That¡¯s your idea of diplomacy? Sigh...¡± Like flipping a switch, two new consciousnesses were linked to Viers¡¯ Victa reserves, primed and ready. ¡°Try not to die too quickly,¡± voice like iron and Victa blaring threateningly. His dark green cloak swayed in the air. ¡°At least make me use half of my hidden cards. Surely it''s not too tall of an order for a Level 3 such as yourself?¡± Alan sharpened his senses and invoked an investigative Arte. It wasn''t a false feedback that he received. The man in front of him was really weaker than him by a whole Level. So why did he speak as if he was the stronger one? And Alan¡¯s warrior¡¯s instinct picked up something was changing inside his opponent. He didn''t know what but it was bad news for him. ¡°Paina, start the Symphony. Farley, do the usual,¡± Viers directed. Thanks to many drills, Paina and Farley were doing their thing like a well-oiled machine. Paina started playing her flute while Farley weaved Arte preparations. When the first tune resounded, an Arte made of Viers and Paina¡¯s effort was kindled. Arte - Combat Overture. ¡°Come,¡± Viers pointed the sharp end of his katana at Alan¡¯s face. ¡°Let¡¯s dance.¡± Viers was hearing boss music in his head and he was damn well happy about it. Chapter 104 - Payback Music made everything better, even when Viers was embroiled in a storm of violence. Viers¡¯ was under the effect of buffs from the musician and the technical assistant inside his soul space. Viers¡¯ katana clashed with Alan¡¯s twin daggers in a dizzying offense and defense. Before the power-up, Viers was not able to keep up but it was different now. As Viers¡¯ physical specs became close to Alan¡¯s own, the two suffered increasingly many small injuries. Nothing fatal yet because neither was committed to using everything from the get-go. ¡°Small tricks!¡± Alan scoffed. Viers¡¯ physical capabilities were still a step short of Alan¡¯s but it was no longer a decisive thing. The fact it was so, surprised the Level 3. A Level 2 matching a Level 3? Very rare. Alan blocked the opponent¡¯s sword with his left hand and used the other to aim for the eyes. Viers ducked to dodge the knife¡¯s edge, using the momentum to roll forward. The katana was smartly placed so it nicked Alan¡¯s thigh as he rolled. Alan answered by shooting Viers¡¯ back with a spear of mist. The attack failed, a shield of water was conjured without a moment of delay. Viers didn''t even look behind him. Alan gnashed his teeth. That wasn''t the first time it happened. The response of his opponent was unnaturally precise. As if he was always aware of his surroundings and responded smoothly. After the roll, Viers turned and re-made his stance. The irritation on Alan¡¯s face made him smile. This was the power of Overclock Mode, one of two Viers¡¯ special battle forms. Bringing a consciousness able to think independently -not unlike A.I.- to assist him in battle. Paina was playing her flute, applying a magical buff on Viers¡¯ body as long as she kept playing. Farley¡¯s role was more subtle but no less crucial. Always ready and always anticipating. ¡°Heart of Battle! Solid Mist Impact!¡± Alan changed his approach to brute force. Realizing Viers was using a body strengthening Arte, he used it too. He followed through by releasing a burst of mist that looked like clouds at the opponent. Viers dodged out of the way by Raging River Steps. The solid-like mist hit the ground with the force of a battering ram. Undisturbed with the dodge, Alan intensified his offensive, releasing a barrage of Solid Mist Impact. ¡°Paina, speed!¡± Viers urged. The answer came in a change of tune. A new verse. A new piece. Adding another buff on top of the previous one without overwriting it. Everyone in Viers Corporation contributes to the prosperity of the company. The CEO wouldn''t tolerate otherwise. Paina was no exception. Accelerato. Viers¡¯ speed went up a gear. He weaved and swayed under the barrage like a butterfly. In the case where he wasn''t able to dodge, a shield bloomed and held the mist knuckle back for a short time. The shield wasn''t that durable enough to completely defend against an Arte from a Level 3 but Farley¡¯s effort wasn''t in vain. It bought the split seconds Viers needed to move away from the attack. Defending wasn''t Viers¡¯ style. He let loose a sting like a bee. ¡°Shield!¡± Alan raised his barrier in front of him and it would have been enough to blunt the charging attack but the sudden water swirl on the sword made Alan twist his body. The adjustment allowed him to continue the battle by paying a lesser price. Alan was bleeding from the stomach although his organs were unhurt. How can he run so many Artes without bursting his head? It was against Alan¡¯s common sense. Viers dashed using Raging River Steps whilst under the buffs of Paina¡¯s Combat Overture and Accelerato. If only those then Alan¡¯s shield would¡¯ve held but Farley¡¯s Water Drill gave enough push to pierce the protection. The attack just now wasn''t simple. Alan might not know the name of the Artes Viers used but he recognized the activation of multiple Artes almost at the same time. ¡°Once, you asked me to show my strength. Well? Your verdict?¡± Viers asked just for riling him up. A face slapping now and then is good for health. ¡°You hid your true strength. Clever. You would have made a good pawn,¡± tone still condescending. The leeway was proof that he was still hiding something up his sleeves. The fact that was not missed by Viers. ¡°I would tip the balance to be sure,¡± Viers admitted. The fact he was a weakling in the arena where multiple Level 4s and Level 5s battles didn''t matter. If he supported the Blood Church, he would somehow contribute to its success. Viers was sure of it. ¡°Shame it wasn''t to be. How are your fellow Blood Church members in the Tomb? Or have the Silver Legion killed them all?¡± Alan was taken aback. Viers wasn''t supposed to know that. If he knew that then who knows how much classified information he was privy to. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°You know too much. I can''t let you live.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Only one of us will live to see the next dawn,¡± Viers aggressively said. Alan touched his bleeding stomach. He had applied some healing but the bleeding was still quite severe. Alan glanced at the katana that wounded him, it had become quite red. ¡°The cut from this sword gives a bleeding effect. Courtesy of Izabella, your fellow cultist.¡± Hearing Izabella''s name infuriated Alan, Viers saw. The battle resumed in a flash but neither had let down their guard. Viers slashed his katana downward from an overhead stance. Alan received the blow by crossing his daggers in defense. They exchanged a few more rounds of slashing until Alan¡¯s form blended with the mist that now filled the cavern. ¡°It¡¯s time to finish this,¡± Alan¡¯s voice came from all around Viers. Making Viers unable to pinpoint the speaker¡¯s location. Alan had activated the magic item Misty Isolation Globe. The previous exchange was him buying time until the item whisked them away in a separate space. It was the place where they battled last time. A place filled with mist and thus gave Alan the terrain advantage. And Viers allowed it to happen. ¡°The place where it began. The place where it ends,¡± Viers raised his katana in a defensive posture. Eyes like a hawk on his surroundings. Glowing reptile-like green eyes with rainbow shades. Viers fully invoked Euryale Sight full force but there was a complication. He didn''t fully see through the mist. His Euryale Sight was not at full mastery and Viers was up against a stronger person. But, Viers wasn''t helpless. Viers might have a superior vision sense than most but he didn''t rely on it like a one-trick pony. While the initial mastery of the Euryale Sight had not failed him so far, he knew he would meet something he couldn''t discern sooner or later. Viers was the type to prepare multiple contingencies. Surrounded by obscuring mist, Viers still managed to glimpse Alan¡¯s form if he got close enough -a testament of the greatness of the peak of Lamian Arte-. Viers combined his sharp sight with equally sharp auditory perception. Only the two of them were inside the silent arena and so the sound of parting air was like an alarm to Viers¡¯ ears. Boosted by Combat Overture and Accelerato, Viers¡¯ reflexes were almost supernatural. But the speed of the attack was greater still. He¡¯d mitigated the damage as much as he could, even Farley was pitching in. Blood sprouted from the gash on his arm. Better than a lost arm, Viers thought. Alan was using the Arte Haze Night Murderer. It allowed him to move blindingly fast in a straight line. He could only use the Arte in a place filled with mist but there was no lack of mist in the space created by the Misty Isolation Globe. Alan was an experienced Pathseeker. He had years to make the items and Artes at his disposal work in synergy. The combination of Haze Night Murderer Arte and Misty Isolation Globe magic item was highly destructive. Viers was caught in a storm of cutting wind. Alan striked from Viers¡¯ right, Viers blocked the incoming dagger with his katana but Alan was already at Viers¡¯ left and launched another offensive. Viers¡¯ injuries were getting more numerous. At first glance, Viers was at Alan¡¯s mercy but Alan himself didn''t think so. His blood was coming out of his body at an alarming rate from the wound on his stomach. And every time Alan got close enough, the sword on his enemy¡¯s hand drank his blood like a demonic blade, coating itself with the red liquid of life. The fact he was moving his body in a high-speed manner only made it worse. Alan paused his attacks to drink a healing potion. Alan was deep in the mist so the action was unseen by his enemy. Viers was standing still in one place, tightening his defenses. I¡¯ll finish it with the next strike! Alan resumed his offensive, fully intending to kill his enemy. In the high-speed charge of Haze Night Murderer Arte, Alan saw a glint of green light under his enemy¡¯s helmet and he knew he fucked up. Viers didn''t get hurt for nothing. He ate the damage to bait Alan for a risky charge while committing his attack pattern to memory. A feat he often used in souls-like games. The attack was seen through. Viers broke the charge using a perfectly timed parry to knock the arms of Alan¡¯s away. The parry made Viers¡¯ arms numb, even with the increased muscle power thanks to Combat Overture, but he gritted his teeth and chained his next move. Viers conveyed his telepathy to Paina. ¡°Now! Bravura!¡± Paina¡¯s flute played yet another tune. This time it was an attack-up buff. The tune she played with her flute was in the color of bold and passionate melodies. Viers¡¯ aura became more mighty. Alan felt a premonition of death. He had to do something, anything! But his posture was broken and he wouldn''t be able to raise his guard in time. Even if he did, a hastily created defense would not stop the big technique his opponent was on the cusp of releasing. But this was not the first time he had to pull himself out from the chasm of death. Alan chose to double down and attack. His decision was praiseworthy but Alan stumbled in his first step. What the- Before he could move his dagger-wielding hand, all four of his limbs were bound by chains of water that came out of nowhere. It was so unexpected, Alan¡¯s mind was washed by a tidal wave of panic. Him? Impossible! How can he still have the leeway to disturb me while preparing his big attack!? Alan wanted to scream injustice. Good job, Farley! Viers saw his opponent was like a fish on the chopping block. This is my chance! ¡°Mortal Severing!¡± All the blood coating on Guren Muramasa was consumed as Viers made a slashing motion with all his strength. The slash left a trail of red in the path of the blade that hung in the air. The smell of iron suffocated the nose. The power of the slash was extraordinary! Alan was consumed with an explosion of mana while Viers jumped backward and made a sword stance. For combat readiness and for looking cool. Even though no one was watching, as far as Viers was concerned, the cool part was working. Chapter 105 - Vortex Out of all the soulslike games Viers had tasted, Sekiro was his favorite. The Japanese world setting, the gameplay, the rhythm, and most of all, the thrill. Sure, he wanted to smash his computer more than a few times in a fit of rage but he had enough sanity to not do something he knew he would regret. The satisfaction he felt when he defeated those hellishly vicious bosses was like the elixir of heaven upon his soul. Despite the annoyance and rage, he loved it. Viers loved it so much that he centered the self-created Suiten Mitsurugi-ryuu based on the immortal one-armed shinobi¡¯s combat style. To pierce through an opening on the enemy''s posture and deliver a decisive blow. Viers called Guren Muramasa¡¯s final skill Mortal Severing. The name was heavily inspired by the Mortal Draw technique that exists within the game, because of the similar visuals. Viers fancied this enchantment-created Arte very much. Not only because of the pleasing aesthetic but also for its pure power. The slash released all the accumulated blood on the sword in a single powerful slash. While Viers was the guy that advocated short battles, the enchantments on Guren were tailored to the opposite. So he would be prepared in case he had to fight an enemy he couldn''t defeat in a short time. The slashing wounds he inflicted on his enemy -no matter how small- would keep bleeding. The longer the battle went on, Viers¡¯ enemy would continuously lose stamina while the blade sucked the overflowing blood to empower itself. When the time came for a decisive strike, an explosion of power could be released to sever the life of Viers¡¯ foe. Since Viers¡¯ Suiten Mitsurugi-ryuu was all about breaking the enemy''s posture for delivering a finishing blow, Viers combined it with the katana¡¯s enchantments to make a lethal fighting style. I have parried the strikes of Sword Saint Isshin, you dolt. You¡¯ve got nothing on the guy, Viers thought with pride. All the while Paina was strengthening him with three buffs. Once, it was just a simple body strengthening Arte, Combat Overture. Now, Viers and Paina had expanded the whole structure and created a brand new Arte. Arte - Anima Symphony. It was soul-powered, music-conveyed magic empowerment. Anima Symphony was a series of different musical pieces put together into a melodious tune. The beginning of it was Combat Overture. It slightly raised Viers¡¯ strength, defense, and speed. It was a balanced buff and easy to cast. Perfect for immediate combat situations Viers often found himself in. From the overture, Paina could layer another empowerment based on the situation without overwriting the previous one. Viers lent his inspiration from the multiple buffs in MMORPG while Paina and Clarissa handled the Arte development. Stacking multiple buffs was the core concept of Anima Symphony. Since Paina had created the Combat Overture in Pecan Village, she had created three more musical tunes. Accelerato was a tune for increasing his speed. The graceful maneuvering in a fight or the wind in his legs when he needed to run from danger. Bravura was the piece when Viers needed to smack his enemies with extra oomph, giving him more power. The last of the tunes was saved for the end of the night. The techniques were created by Paina but the names came from Viers. Musical terms for music-based Artes. Viers was very satisfied. Since the tune was vigorous and battle-ly, Anima Symphony always made Viers feel like his battles were accompanied by BGMs. Just like he always wanted. Viers¡¯ offensive was successful and Alan ate his big move. Viers didn''t let down his guard and kept his sword stance solid. ¡°Did we win?¡± Paina paused from playing her flute, panting. Tired from maintaining the Arte. Even though she was a soul and didn''t actually breathe, she still maintained a semblance of normalcy. ¡°Urgh, you had to say it...¡± Viers held back the urge to roll his eyes. The enemy¡¯s form was obscured by smoke and someone said that super cliched line. Viers already prepared his heart so when Alan came out unhurt after receiving his devastating Mortal Severing Arte, Viers wasn''t surprised. ¡°Never, ever say that line again when fighting,¡± Viers scolded Paina and returned his attention to the fight. Alan emerged with bluish-white aura on his person. His expression was a mask of clay. The epitome of seriousness. ¡°I apologize for looking down on you,¡± Alan¡¯s aura surged. ¡°I¡¯ll fight you with no holds barred.¡± ¡°...Unreality Field,¡± Viers muttered. ¡°Correct,¡± Alan said. ¡°The ability of Level 3 Pathseekers. The essence of your Profound Codex forged into unbreakable armor. Only those possessing the same Unreality Field could damage one another.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Viers challenged. ¡°We shall see.¡± Alan felt bitter. His opponent was too much of an enigma. He hid too many things. He really kicked a steel plate this time. He really shouldn''t have gotten involved with this crazy but strong maniac. Twice death had come close, too close. Alan¡¯s first impression of Viers was erased and constructed anew. Alan might be facing his killer if he made a misstep. Almost losing his life brought clarity of mind. Alan must fight as if his life depends on it. Because it does. Viers made the first move, sword slashing at Alan¡¯s neck. Alan didn''t respond, standing as cool as a cucumber. The protection of the Unreality Field was absolute; it was common sense. Viers rose to challenge that cliff head-on. The slash turned into a feint into a thrust. A thrust to the eye. Viers invoked a water Arte, Paina resumed her music, and Farley added another Arte on top of Viers¡¯ own. The power was staggering, Viers gauged it even the toughest Rank 2 monster would not be able to take the attack without a price. Viers¡¯ sword was stopped an inch before Alan¡¯s eye. Tanked by only his aura. Viers felt as if he was thrusting his sword to a mountain of solid metal. ¡°Solid Mist Impact.¡± The extremely close proximity worked in Alan¡¯s favor. The counterattack hit Viers without any room to dodge. Viers was sent tumbling away as if he was hit by a battering ram. He¡¯d raised his defenses before the hit, Viers and Farley, else he would be a blood smear on the wall. The girls were voicing their concerns but Viers¡¯ mind was somehow reminded of his talk with Boram some time ago. On one of Viers¡¯ lessons. ¡°...So Pathseekers are still mortal. They can be killed. They have times when they let their guard down, especially humans. Death by poison, throat slit when they sleep, dark curses, and many more. Even a Level 0 can kill a Level 5 if the stars align and the specific condition is met. It is not, however, a simple feat and should not be tried lightly. Remember that a Level 5 can flatten a mountain. And the higher level the Pathseekers are, the more methods they have in protecting themselves in their non-battle condition. Using Artes, items, wards, Profound Codices, things like those.¡± Boram was listening to him like a good student. ¡°But in battle, fighting a higher Level opponent should be avoided at all cost. Fighting an opponent stronger than you by a whole Level often ends with death. During the start of our Path of Power, the occurrence of a Level 0 defeating a Level 1 and a Level 1 killing a Level 2 can still be heard here and there. But Level 3 is a clear divider. The rise to Level 3 is the first bottleneck for every Pathseeker. They could use the Unreality Field, a special power born from the Profound Codex that they cultivate. Monsters have something similar. I do not train you to be an idiot that takes unnecessary risks. Know your limits and fight enemies that you can handle. Do not, I repeat, do not fight Level 3 monsters or people at all cost.¡± Unless you are special enough you can cut open a path to victory. Viers left the last line unsaid. And now, Viers was doing the very opposite he taught his apprentice. Not because he was bored of living, no. Viers had no intention of dying anytime soon. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But sometimes, a touch of insanity is required. Viers needed tempering. A truly formidable warrior was born from the fires of combat. There was almost none that could give him the tempering he needed among his Level 2 fellows so he must expand his choice. And because I need to pay him back for the beating he inflicted on me, Viers¡¯ fighting spirit soared. Alan was coming at him. Now the phase two of the boss fight begins. Viers and Alan clashed again. Each side refused to back down. Slashing, piercing, hitting, kicking, blasting. They exchanged martial and magical attacks. Artes invoked one after another, they were burning their Victa at a horrifying rate. Alan reused one of his Arte from his previous clash with Viers, Mirage Mist Brigade. The misty cavern was filled with a hundred Alan clones. He wanted to use the phantoms as distractions to create an opening in Viers¡¯ defenses but Viers showed the full potential of the Euryale Sight. He saw through the real one without much difficulty. ¡°You also hid your illusion-seeing ability...¡± ¡°How does it feel? To be tricked by a scrap of paper?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Alan dispelled the illusions and battled Viers in a close-ranged infight. His offense forwent all sorts of defense. It wasn''t recklessness. It was a valid strategy when his opponent didn''t possess the means to break through his absolute defense. Viers managed to avoid fatal wounds by the skin of his teeth. ¡°I don''t understand. We wouldn''t be able to hold If he used the high-speed attacks where he moves like lightning from mist to mist. Not unless Lord Viers goes Hyper Arte Mode or uses other hidden cards,¡± Farley said. ¡°Not that he doesn''t want to, he can''t. Maintaining an Unreality Field is not simple.¡± Clarissa clarified. The lamia might not be able to take part in this battle but she made herself useful by giving analysis and advice. ¡°He is wary of Viers¡¯ counterattack so he must keep the Unreality Field up as protection.¡± Alan kept his aggressive approach. Viers was unable to scratch Alan while the Unreality Field was on so he tried his best defending and dodging Alan¡¯s Artes. But Viers¡¯ Overclock Mode was starting to cause him to ¡®overheat¡¯. He couldn''t maintain it for much longer. Paina was strained. The more buffs Viers had, the harder Paina would be in maintaining the Symphony. Farley¡¯s assists overburden his Magic Circuit, his Victa pathways. Viers basically used Artes at a rate higher than his body¡¯s tolerance. If he kept going like this then he might become a cripple, destroying his magical nervous system. Viers was also expending Victa at an incredible rate since three people were draining water from one pool. Overclock was aptly named indeed. Viers was weighing his options. He was considering using his soul Artes. No. I still can- Shit! A moment¡¯s lapse and Alan got one of his lungs. Alan clenched his fist in joy but to his surprise, Viers was fine. Something on Viers¡¯ left wrist glowed. The light could be seen from under the clothes Viers hid it under. ¡°That¡¯s Irkun''s life-saving treasure!¡± Alan blurted out. ¡°Hah. He won''t be needing it anymore, so finders keepers, dude.¡± Viers put his hand in a pouch containing the Thousand Treasure Casket and pulled tens of protective paper talismans. ¡°Come! Attack me if you dare!¡± Alan¡¯s attacks were starting to lose their effectiveness as Viers started to use items. Some were Irkun¡¯s, some he got from the plundered vault. Viers only used the defensive ones, most of them were disposable items. Alan¡¯s plan had gone awry. He observed Viers¡¯ mysterious power-ups would not last long under his barrage of attack but with Vier pulling all those items -from what Alan suspected a storage item- the battle turned into attrition. It didn''t last long. ¡°Using items against me!? Then you¡¯ll know why I¡¯m called the Prince of Thieves!¡± Alan had his means of dealing with this brand of combat style. ¡°Disenchant!¡± Viers¡¯ paper talismans that gave him the translucent barrier turned into blank papers and the barrier was gone. Viers saw the bracelet he took from Irkun lost its luster. Realizing his protections were gone, Viers attacked before he could be attacked. Fully embracing the idea of offense is the best defense. ¡°Arte Taker!¡± The flying crescent blade of water created by the Water Moon Fang Arte was taken. It winked out before reaching the Prince of Thieves. Alan flicked his wrist and the same Arte Viers just cast was sent back to him. Viers hastily defended using his katana and his left hand was going into his pouch to pull out something else. ¡°Great Thief¡¯s Invisible Hands!¡± To Viers¡¯ surprise, his katana and the pouch containing Thousand Treasure Casket flew out from his person. ¡°No more tricks from you,¡± Alan said as he slid his knife on Viers¡¯ stomach. It was aimed at his heart but Viers changed the trajectory using his hand at the last second. In a panic, Viers jumped backward. His priority was creating some distance between them. He landed on the surface of the mana lake but he didn''t sink. Viers fell on one knee, left hand on the water¡¯s surface as if it was solid ground. He looked in pain under the metal helmet. A sufficiently adept Pathseeker on Level 3 or above could walk on water. Viers had it easier because of his natural water affinity. The mana water was slowly being tainted red. Viers was bleeding from the stomach. Not heavily because the knife was still stuck there and served as a plug. The pain was agonizing. ¡°So, it really is a storage item,¡± Alan said. ¡°Already bound to you so I can''t use it, but now you can''t either.¡± He dropped the small casket to the ground. So too the katana he swiped from Viers. It seemed Alan preferred using knives. ¡°You¡¯re strong. The strongest Level 2 I¡¯ve ever seen¡­ and you¡¯re too dangerous to let live. As a sign of respect, I¡¯ll make it quick.¡± He tried to hide it but he was out of breath. On Viers¡¯ side, the deep stab wound from Alan burned like acid. The Victa Stigma that seeped into his body made it worse. Alan also suffered the Victa Stigma but Viers was dealing with the Victa from a higher Level Pathseeker while Alan experienced the opposite. The Victa Stigma effect was much milder on Alan. In this matter, Viers had no answer. The Victa Stigma was dealing continuous damage on his body and every new wound he received was intensifying that DoT(damage over time). Viers was an offensive-type fighter, durability in a fight wasn''t his forte. He could heal his wound after the fight thanks to his healing factor but the regeneration was not fast enough to be impactful in an ongoing fight. His Victa stockpile that he¡¯d saved up was starting to look dangerously low. But Alan didn''t have it easy either. Maintaining the Unreality Field, the Misty Isolation Globe, and all other Artes consumed too much Victa. His unstopping bleeding also needed to be tended to. As expected, this isn''t an easy fight. The gulf between Level 2 and Level 3 was vast but not insurmountable. The extraordinary had proven it. Those that achieved the feat were as rare as diamond meteors. Their name was gilded in gold and spoken in respect. Today I will take my place among the greats! Viers burned with determination. ¡°Paina, get ready for the finish. Farley, we¡¯ll use our ultimate.¡± Viers¡¯ form appeared on the White Flowers Meadow. He wanted to speak to them face to face. ¡°Will you help me?¡± Viers extended his hand. ¡°I will,¡± Farley placed her hand above his. ¡°Me too,¡± so did Paina. The three¡¯s synergy rose to new heights. Clarissa witnessed this and smiled. In the real world, Viers stood back on his feet. He raised his right hand at chest level, palm turned upward as he glared straight at Alan who stood on the bank. Streams of water were coming together on top of Viers¡¯ hand and soon a sphere was visible. There was a thorn of worry on Alan¡¯s heart. The green glint of Viers¡¯ eyes under his helmet gave him a bad feeling. His opponent wasn¡¯t giving up. His fighting spirit had not died. On the contrary, it was burning fiercer than ever. Alan¡¯s foe was cornered and the Level 3 knew Viers was now more dangerous than ever. Men could do incredible things when it was do or die. Foolish things or great things. More and more water the sphere absorbed¡­ and the water inside was moving in a spiral. Not in one direction but chaotically. The absorbed water was getting sucked in faster and faster. The sphere grew until it was as big as a basketball but no more. The volume of the sphere did not match the water it contained. Absorbing and compressing. Injecting Victa and intensifying the sphere maelstrom. Farley wholly focused on the former and Viers on the latter. In just a short while, the sphere of Viers¡¯ hand gave off a truly destructive impression. The sphere was like a humongous whirlpool compressed in miniature without losing any of its energy. No, it was still growing. Furiously. It was an Arte unlike any other, Alan thought. The sheer complexity to create something like that was beyond him. All that formula, all that mass, all that power in the shape of a mere spinning sphere of water. Alan¡¯s danger sense going haywire. He must not let him succeed growing the Arte into its maximum might. The three seconds he stood stupefied was an error already. Alan ran on the lake at his maximum speed. ¡°DIE!¡± Alan attacked with Haze Night Murderer Arte. Putting all his weight into his knife. ¡°PAINA!¡± Viers screamed because of the tension and Paina answered using the sound of her flute. Finale! For 11 seconds, before ending the empowerments completely, all the buffs on Viers would be overcharged! Multiplying their effects as a trade-off for an extremely short duration. Combat Overture, Accelerato, and Bravura. Thanks to that, Viers could respond to Alan¡¯s incredible speed. Dodging was not an option, not without abandoning the water sphere. But slight actions were possible, Viers merely put his left hand on the path of the knife. A hand with a red glove. The knife met the hand and it shattered. Enchanted knife, of steel hardness, shattered like brittle glass. Alan¡¯s eyes widened as humanly possible. Like a claw of a dragon, Viers left hand grabbed Alan¡¯s fist which was now holding only the hilt of his knife. ¡°I refuse to die,¡± Viers rasped. ¡°Until I become Hokage.¡± Viers said to the soon-to-be-dead man. With his hand caught, Alan couldn''t get away. Viers invoked the full scope of his power before unleashing his ultimate attack. Viers roared and pushed the sphere of destruction into the Level 3¡¯s solar plexus. There were viridescent lights in the center of the blue sphere as Viers put his life force inside the Arte to further bolster the attack. Viers¡¯ other hidden card beside Overclock Mode, Hyper Arte Mode! Arte - Anima Symphony: Finale! Horizon - 105.55%! ¡°Hyper Arte - Vortex Nova!!!¡± The super-concentrated force of water ruination met with Alan¡¯s one last hope, his Unreality Field¡­ and the might of water wrecked the filament of higher-tier defenses in a deafening blast. Unreality Field, like all things, could be broken with enough force. It was only a matter of how much. Alan¡¯s torso exploded by the sphere of extermination, leaving only his four limbs and head intact. Chapter 106 - Outcome When Viers was in a deathmatch with Alan, there was another battle ongoing on a much grander scale. The valiant guardians of light were fighting the forces of evil. The group led by Holy Inquisitor Malcolm was almost massacred but the timely reinforcement had turned the tide to the Estellian Church¡¯s favor. Six Level 5s were on the battlefield, three on each side. Their battle was space-shattering, literally. With the unsealing of the Demon King¡¯s left eye, the very fabric of space was slowly losing integrity. The battles between the Level 5 Pathseekers were accelerating the space¡¯s collapse. Because of that, the Level 5s could no longer create a closed space when they battled, displaying the world¡¯s peak power to the rest of the combatants. Spatial cracks were everywhere, interdimensional monsters barged into the battlefield like crashing a party. From Rank 0 to Rank 4, from the size of a dog to a house, making everything more chaotic. Inside that cauldron of life and death, a mere Level 3 like Izabella was like a leaf caught by a tornado. The battle had been going long enough for it to be clear that the Blood Church¡¯s side was losing. The Silver Legions were killing monsters and demons left and right. Many cultists were caught and subdued. Those that kept struggling, were put down like a rabid dog. The Silver Legion only gave the cultist one chance to surrender. ¡°Aaahhh!¡± Izabella¡¯s barrier was broken and she got struck by the backlash. Her signature pointy hat was already torn to pieces some time ago. Items after items that she created for this day were used and spent. She knew the reason she lasted this long was more attributed to luck than ability. But it seemed her luck had run out. A speck of splash effect from a Level 4¡¯s Arte brushed against her barrier and it was all it took for her to cough blood, her Victa pathways were damaged. Not that it mattered much. Her Victa was almost dry. She wouldn''t last much longer anyway. A legionary that she had been fighting in the last three minutes pointed his sword at the downed Izabella¡¯s neck. ¡°Surren-¡± A streak of red lightning blasted the silver-armored warrior to a pack of space monsters that looked like piranhas with six pairs of eyes and three mouths of razor-sharp teeth. He got shredded almost immediately. ¡°Sis...¡± Izabella said weakly after seeing Ursula that appeared to save her. The pair of sisters that weren''t connected by blood observed each other. They both had hideous wounds, clothes torn almost to the point of immodesty. The battlefield was too intense. The fact they were not dead yet should be a reason for celebration. The Level 4 approached her sister after erecting a barrier of lightning. ¡°The battle is lost,¡± Ursula cradled the blood-stained Izabella with one arm. The only arm she had left. ¡°You must flee. I¡¯ll hold them off.¡± ¡°Together,¡± Izabella coughed. ¡°We go together,¡± squeezing Ursula''s hand with what strength she had left. ¡°They won''t let a Blood Exarch like me go. Alone, you might have a chance,¡± gently, Ursula swiped the hair on Izabella''s forehead with blood-stained fingers. ¡°They¡¯ll lock me up in their prided prison forever. This is goodbye Little Iz.¡± Ursula gave a gentle kiss on Izabella''s forehead before making the barrier explode outward. It knocked back all the hostiles in their vicinity, giving her the opening to shove Izabella into the spatial rift. Izabella screamed from the spatial crack while seeing Ursula''s peaceful expression. Tears streamed down her face. The last vision she saw before it all went dark was the smiling Ursula being surrounded by Silver Legionaries. She would never abandon her sister but Ursula made the choice for her. Losing a family member once again drowned Izabella in a sea of grief. She didn''t know where the spatial crack would carry her. She might still die here -because of a space anomaly or a monster ate her as a snack- but there was a chance she would come out in the Prime Material Plane. Out of the Tomb, out of the Biome, into the surroundings of Marakkus city. But she couldn''t just run away like this. She would only get caught by the time she went outside. The Estellian Church definitely would hunt for every escapee they could find. Unwilling to let her sister¡¯s sacrifice in vain, she gathered the last remnants of her Victa to cast an Arte. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Izabella''s last hope was using an Arte that only a precious few knew she was able to cast. Arte - Shapeshift. *** Viers put 5 years'' worth of life into that one attack using Hyper Arte mode. A technique he created when he was overflowing with vitality after eating the flesh of a demi-god bull. After Freya, he wasn''t so keen on using his lifespan for empowering his Arte anymore. Only for special occasions. After multilayered power-ups, ten times the power of a standard Level 2 able to unleash was apparently enough to crack open the Unreality Field of a Level 3 Pathseeker. If that didn''t work, Viers would start using his soul magicks but it was not to be and he was happy with the outcome. Or perhaps Vortex Nova is just too strong, heh. So what if you have A.T. Field? My Kung Fu is stronger than yours! The Arte was a technique worthy to be called an ultimate move. Viers had taken the inspiration from a certain ramen-loving fox boy. While that person used wind and chakra, Viers used water and Victa. The result was more than satisfactory and frighteningly similar. The difficulty of the technique was also the same. Viers couldn''t do the technique without Farley assisting him. For now. Since the beginning, The majority of Artes that Viers used was something that he created on his own, perfectly tailored to himself. All the Arte he created was all very high quality. The three girls, even the former Level 5 Clarissa, were amazed by Viers¡¯ Arte-making ability. Normally, it shouldn''t be possible. Creating an Arte was a time-consuming process of trial and error. The Victa wasted in case of failure was also great. That was why most people either buy a finished Arte from the Magisterium or consume a monster core to gain an Arte. But Viers didn''t. There were two reasons for this. The first was rooted in the fact he was an otherworlder. In Viers¡¯ mind, there were loads and loads of fiction he enjoyed as a person from the 21st century. He got all the inspiration he needed for creating an Arte. After all, Viers believed all superpowers in existence had already been created in some way or another. And the knowledge of them was safely stored inside his head. Ready to be unearthed for his benefit. But seeing a painting does not mean one can paint with the same skill. To create the various techniques he envisioned in their Arte form, Viers needed to construct them from the ground up. That was where his soul search came into the equation. The Pathseekers he killed had their own Artes. Viers performed open surgery on their souls, studied their Artes formulas for his own. If Viers wanted to create an Arte that was able to store and release power, Viers combined the formula from Donor A that was able to store power and from Donor B to release power. Like an artist, Viers sculpted an Arte to creation upon this world. A ghastly artist that used dead men¡¯s souls as materials to build his great works. Naturally, Viers had limits. Vortex Nova was the peak of his capability at the moment and he didn''t think he would be able to create a better Arte any time soon. No matter, because simply creating an Arte didn''t mean he had mastered them. There was so much that Viers could do to perfect his arsenal of Artes. Vortex Nova was his answer for tough and high-defense enemies. He always felt his water-based attacks were ineffective against that kind of opponent. It frustrated him. No longer. At any rate, he had killed Alan. Viers had won against a true Level 3 foe. Viers didn''t come out unscathed and was hurting badly. The knife on his stomach was already removed. He bandaged the wounds and drank a healing potion, his healing factor was also working in full gear. Not as bad as that time with Freya though. Is he stronger than her? Viers took a moment to contemplate. No. No he was not. Viers was too tired to walk that line of thought further. Much like himself, Paina and Farley were exhausted. They went into slumber after Viers recognized and thanked them for their role in his victory. Next, as only proper in the wake of a victory, Viers looted what was left of Alan¡¯s corpse. There was nothing much of earthly wealth on his person. He didn''t have a storage item and his intact equipment was of no use to Viers. Except one. The moon pendant that once was Viers, was now his once again. Viers hit Alan¡¯s solar plexus instead of the chest because he was afraid to destroy the precious Victa-boosting item. Welcome back, my precioussss¡­ hmn? When Viers put the pendant on his neck, he felt something different. The Victa generation is higher than before! From 10% to 30%! Alan must have upgraded the pendant somehow. Whoooa¡­ Thanks buddy. If I had known, I might have given you more of my precious items for you to steal. Such a shame. Heheheh. His chuckling created a sharp pain in his stomach. Viers¡¯ mind returned to seriousness. After taking the Prince of Thieves¡¯ soul as part of the loot, Viers recovered the Thousand Treasure Casket and sheathed Guren Muramasa. He pulled an exploding bead from the jewel box that he got from the vault and tossed it to Alan¡¯s head, destroying it completely. Viers just wanted to be sure. Even Irkun got his share of death-confirmation measures. After his clean-up was done, his gaze turned towards the exit. The Marakkus city arc is at its end. Before I leave the city, there¡¯s one last debt to settle. Chapter 107 - Compulsions How long has it been, since his mind was his own? Takju mused. To be imprisoned within his own body, his own mind for more than a decade was cruel torture. He used to think he was strong, that he was mighty. When he was young he was undefeated in battle, always showered by the love and adoration of his people. He stood side by side with his clan-brothers to fight the dangers of the wilds and the horrors of the night. His was a small clan but it was full of people dear to him. Takju Kul Porudin of the Gigantes race was soon elected to become the patriarch and he swore he would lead his clan to prosperity. He succeeded... for a time. All it took was a defeat and he lost it all. Despite his might, there were others mightier still. Broken in battle, he was hoisted to the lands of the humans as a lowly slave. What had become of his clan he did not know. Remembering that day brought him nightmares that still haunted him to this day. Not of his defeat, but of his failure protecting his clan. How easily his life turns by a whim of fate. Just like the day he lost everything, his life was now undergoing a massive change. Irkun, a young human tyrant that he owed absolute loyalty to because of the slave seal, was dead. Before Irkun died, he transferred his master¡¯s right to the one who killed him. Quite the comedy. His first order was to guard Boram, his new master¡¯s other slave, to the outskirts of the city. Takju couldn''t resist, nor did he want to. At least his mind was not frozen like before. Perhaps he might have a chance to break free of his bondage now. Should he fail, death was also an acceptable alternative. And so here Takju stood, overlooking the chaotic city with young Boram. Not long after they arrived, without warning, packs of monsters that resided in the place between dimensions were flowing out from the spatial cracks. Suddenly, the city was invaded by monsters that were literally falling from the sky. While the city was erupting with activity under the still night sky, Takju and Boram were witnessing the kicked anthill from a serene hilltop. Both waiting for their master¡¯s arrival as per his order. The three meters tall man turned towards young Boram, with the build of a child. Like himself, Boram¡¯s mind wasn''t shackled. He wanted to converse with this pitiful child that had become a slave at such a young age. *** As a slave, Boram was given a wide breadth of freedom, he thought. His master didn''t make him do something utterly repulsive or compel him to the master¡¯s every word and whim, a fact he was very much appreciated because not all slaves were so lucky. He could do with less desperate battles that pushed him to the limit but it couldn''t be denied he was growing stronger to the point he thought it was possible. But I think I took liberty too far this time¡­ Boram was holding a black cat in his arms, almost covered entirely by a cloth. Which made the boy look like he was carrying a baby. The cat was currently sleeping. While on the way here, Boram stumbled upon the cat. Bleeding on the side of the street, broken legs, and perhaps internal injuries. Boram just wasn''t cold-hearted enough to let the cat¡¯s life flickered out on the street. He fed it a healing potion -given by his master for emergencies- and applied first aid before bringing it along when he went outside of the city. Boram had no plans whatsoever about the cat. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Even with the potion, it wouldn''t survive on its own. Ai, I hope Master is not too upset. After foiling the capture attempt at the inn, he chose to feign capture so he could strike at the heart of the mastermind before walking out with plundered strength and riches. The plan was simply recklessness in Boram¡¯s mind but not to his Master. True to his word, he succeeded. And then, after their short meet-up, Boram was tasked to get away from the city along with a crazy big person and waited for his arrival. Boram was tasked with safeguarding the Master''s backpack and steed, while the giant was safeguarding himself. He knew he shouldn''t but curiosity got the better of him so Boram took a peek inside the bag. There were some valuables but the rest were strange things. For the love of him, Boram couldn''t fathom the reason Master Avel walked around with a human bone. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Just yesterday Boram was still busy with his reading homework and muscle training. Now his head was spinning about how to convince his master to let him care for the cat, looking at a city turned warzone, standing beside a scary giant, and worrying about where they would go from here. He envied Brownie. The horse was grazing lazily as if there was nothing wrong with the world. ¡°Boy,¡± the giant man¡¯s voice made him jump out from the mire of his thoughts. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Er¡­ should be twelve this year.¡± ¡°Twelve¡­ how long have you been,¡± the man hesitated, ¡°a slave?¡± ¡°I don''t know. Three years at least. My memory from even farther is hazy.¡± ¡°I, see...¡± Takju¡¯s voice was heavy. ¡°Is your master¡­ cruel to you?¡± The giant spoke hesitantly as if asking a delicate subject. Boram didn''t understand the need. It was just a normal question. ¡°Not this one,¡± he answered. ¡°At least he hasn''t hit me since he bought me a couple of weeks ago.¡± A stretched silence. Uncomfortable. ¡°Do you¡­ want to escape?¡± ¡°From what?¡± ¡°From your master, from slavery!¡± The giant said with leaking hate. It was Boram¡¯s turn to be silenced. If he was freed from slavery at this moment, what would he do? Where would he go? Boram didn''t have family or friends. Where would he stay? Going alone into the unknown frightened him. And there was one more thing that didn''t sit well with him. ¡°No. I¡¯ll think about freedom once I have learned more about the world and paid Master Avel the kindness he showed me.¡± Yes, Boram didn''t want to escape. He would live his life with dignity. The source of hope in his being. Escaping, even when he could, would be dishonorable since his master had done so much for him while he hadn''t repaid what was given. The giant paused and Boram added more. ¡°Besides, I have no family left. No home to return to.¡± ¡°No!¡± Tajku growled. ¡°If you want, I can...¡± The big man didn''t finish. He didn''t know what he should say and he felt someone approaching. The Level 4¡¯s senses were sharp. Boram was thankful, he didn''t really want to talk about it. The pair waited in silence as the conversation died down. In a few minutes, their master finally arrived. ¡°Yo,¡± Viers called as he approached. ¡°What a night, huh? Good thing I got out before the barrier locked down the place.¡± ¡°Master! You¡¯re hurt,¡± Boram looked worried. His master looked like he had been trampled by a hundred horses. He was limping a bit as he walked. ¡°Eh, I¡¯ll get better,¡± Viers shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve got what I wanted.¡± With a grunt, Viers sat down on the grass while leaning on a rock. Looking at the city in the distance. The city was a mess but not long ago, the city¡¯s defensive barrier was coming to life, enveloping the city in a dome of bluish light. The barrier prevented other monsters from getting inside the city. Those that were already there, would soon be dealt with by the city¡¯s defenders. Burning houses, monsters on the streets, screams everywhere¡­ kind of similar to Luxore town when the calamity struck. It brings back bad memories. At least Farley and Paina aren''t seeing this horrid spectacle. Viers watched with a somber mood. Rest well, Callahan and other adventurers that perished. Find peace in the next world, Viers offered them a prayer. The city is mostly okay so perhaps Peanut, that restaurant cook, and the little inn helper survived. I hope so. May fortune be with you. On the other note, I hope Izabella and the other cultists are dead in the Tomb. May all that know or suspect my identity be buried in the battle. Less trouble for me. Unlikely, but a man can hope, right? His hand touched the pouch that contained the Thousand Treasures Casket then moved on the moon pendant on his chest But I''ve gained plenty from this endeavor. Shame that the magic item that created that misty space was destroyed. It would be very useful¡­ Well, can''t win them all, Viers. ¡°Alright, time to settle your matter,¡± Viers raised his body up and stood before the unusually tall man. ¡°Takju, was it?¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°I will use the slave seal to compel a set of instructions to you,¡± Viers said as if it was the most natural thing to do. ¡°I am your servant,¡± Takju said. A different hand holds the leash but the leash remains, Takju thought. Takju¡¯s slave seal was essentially an array embedded in his body. Since he was a Level 4, the slave seal was much more powerful than Boram¡¯s. Viers invoked his master status and commanded him. ¡°You will not kill, injure, or sabotage me, my own, and my causes. Directly or indirectly.¡± Takju felt the compulsion branded onto his soul. It seems the helmeted man was not as lax as he thought since the first compulsion was about ensuring his safety. ¡°You will not mention, divulge, or inform others about any information about me without my permission. Directly or indirectly.¡± Secrecy for the second compulsion? It was good, Takju thought. It meant he would be granted a measure of free rein unlike his time under Irkun. He might not be able to harm this new master but he might be able to escape. Since his master was so much weaker than him. ¡°You will not exploit any loophole in those two compulsions and obey the core means of the terms.¡± Reinforcing the compulsions was a sign of prudence. It was almost unheard of. Slave owners usually didn''t bother, believing themselves secure. He might be dealing with a more troublesome master than Irkun, Takju cursed. ¡°Under these three compulsions, I release you from slavery. Go away now.¡± Chapter 108 - Next Stage Viers had things to do, such as murder, mayhem, theft, arson, and payback. Letting a Level 4 loose could throw a monkey wrench in his plan. Therefore, he placed Takju away from the board and released him only after the game was over. ¡°Why?¡± Takju said with a stupefied face. As if the sky was just turned upside and down. ¡°I have no use for you,¡± Viers shrugged. ¡°So you¡¯re free now.¡± ¡°...I am stronger than you. You can use me as a bodyguard.¡± ¡°Other people¡¯s strength doesn''t interest me. I¡¯m getting my own strength,¡± Viers proudly declared. Takju made a difficult expression for a while then fell on his knees and wept, crying tears of joy. Viers sighed in his heart. He didn''t want to deal with drama but doing something crass might ruin the moment. He let the older man cry his heart out. Meanwhile, his thoughts go to a darker place. Relying on bodyguards is a definite no. It might create a false sense of security and having him around might limit my growth. It would also defeat the purpose I¡¯m traveling in the first place, experiencing, avoiding, and solving dangers. Nourishments I need to become a mighty Pathseeker. On a more realistic side, I doubt Irkun¡¯s family has been wiped out. Having such an eye-catching slave will attract attention to me. Killing him doesn''t benefit me either. I can''t absorb a Level 4¡¯s soul. Letting him go and let him owe me a life debt is much better. ¡°Virtuous youth, can you release him too?¡± Takju pointed to Boram. ¡°Unlike you, I have use for him. I have grand designs for him, you see. That being said,¡± Viers turned to Boram. ¡°I never planned to make you a slave forever. I have given you a new life by buying you from the slave trader and taking you as an apprentice. Therefore, you must save my life once or pay me back my investment in full before I release you from my service.¡± Boram listened and visibly hugged the bundle he was carrying a little tighter. ¡°Do you understand?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Boram¡¯s reply was resolute and he was glad of his apprentice¡¯s response. ¡°But-¡± Takju was cut off. Viers¡¯ reply was instant. ¡°It is done. This is between me and him. Outsiders shouldn¡¯t intervene.¡± ¡°...I understand.¡± Takju took a step back. ¡°Avel, was it? I will never forget this kindness. By my honor as a Gigantes.¡± Takju conveyed his gratitude to the helmeted young man. Wow, he really is from another race. ¡°Where will you go now?¡± Viers asked. ¡°I-¡± Takju hesitated. ¡°I actually don''t know. Back to the land of my birth, I suppose.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A place you humans called the Menace West.¡± Forbidden West, Viers corrected in his head. ¡°There? But If you go west from here by land then you must pass the Zetel nation¡¯s territory. That place has a harsh policy about non-humans. It is better to go to the Untamed South first. It seems our destination coincides, to the port city of Regidana. From there we could board ships to each of our destinations.¡± Viers and Boram to Valkut city to the north and Takju to the south. From the southern lands, he could make way to the Menace West without entering Zetel¡¯s borders. Viers left Takju to his thoughts and addressed Boram next. ¡°Now show me what you carry. That¡¯s not a baby is it?¡± Gingerly, Boram showed the black cat inside the cloth and explained what happened. ¡°You picked an injured stray cat,¡± Viers said in a disbelieving manner, face turning into a scowl -unseen because of the helmet-. They would soon be traveling in the wilds and the kid wanted to bring a pet. It was absurd in Viers¡¯ mind. Look at him, he picked up a Level 4 Gigantes. At least the big guy could be relied on to take care of himself. ¡°Oh fuck it. I¡¯m too tired for this shit. It will be your responsibility. Take care of its injuries and feed it yourself. If it makes a mess, it is on you.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Boram¡¯s face was beaming. After a long sigh, Viers took one last look at the chaotic Marakkus city. It was two and a half hours past midnight so the sky was still dark. Viers focused his sight on one of several burning buildings in the city. Because it was his own doing. Enjoy my gift, Homen. That¡¯s the price of taking MY inventory ring. Shame I won''t be able to see your face when you find out your home is cinders. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. As chief of the city guards, Homen must be busy in a time like this. He must have a hundred fires to put out at the moment. Little did he know his home was consumed by one such fire. The lack of his presence in his own home at sleep time was proof enough, making Viers¡¯ arson go smoothly. Viers¡¯ revenge was now complete. He had already got what he needed from Marakkus city and it was time to continue his journey. Viers rode on his steed, putting his hand on his stab wound, grunting. He had stopped the bleeding but it was far from completely healed. ¡°Now let''s get out of here before trouble finds us.¡± *** They had won. The Silver Legion had won. The two Level 5 cultists had died. The Demon King¡¯s left eye was sealed anew. The lower-ranked cultists were captured or killed. The Hellgates were broken and the demons were all slain. But the price of victory was great. Rose¡¯s Victa channels felt as if they had been stretched to the point of snapping. Her Victa was produced at a much higher rate thanks to her blessing so she had more Victa than most. She had been using her healing Artes nonstop since the Legion had evacuated from that horrid place. Too many had died and the number might still rise. She pushed herself to the breaking point because she was the only one who could help her friend. I won''t lose another friend. I won''t! ¡°Ixi Arte - Life Dew of Restoration!¡± A flower bloomed from the seed on her palm, the last of the three seeds she got from a fortunate encounter. A white flower bloomed and dripped a single drop before wilting to dust. Using the seed as a catalyst to cast a high-grade Arte, Rose was able to stabilize Conn¡¯s condition. Four holes on his chest were closed and the Victa Stigma was mitigated. ¡°Rose!¡± June stopped Rose who almost fell over. ¡°...I¡¯m fine. Just tired. Conn is okay now. He would still need an experienced healer to look after him,¡± Rose wiped the sweat from her brows. ¡°Heh,¡± June said mirthlessly. ¡°We¡¯ll hear him brag he is immortal for weeks, mark my words.¡± Despite what she said, June held Conn¡¯s hand tightly and looked at his unconscious face gently. They knew each other before Rose met them. Rose didn¡¯t want to interrupt so she moved away after giving a pat to June on the shoulder. Rose and June also suffered their own wounds from the battle although they were not fatal. Rose looked around at the Marakkus¡¯ church that had been turned into a makeshift infirmary. Many Legionaries were lying on the beds because of their wounds. After the battle of the Tomb, before the place was falling into the void completely they managed to evacuate. Two dozen people sacrificed themselves to buy time. Stabilizing the space so the rest of them could make it out safely. Including a Level 4, Ash Priest Shay. Rose saw her master, Mita was talking to Holy Inquisitor Malcolm and Supreme Commander Flavia. Probably about how to deal with the aftermath, settling the prisoners, pursuing the stragglers, and finding a new place to permanently seal the Demon King¡¯s left eye. The place was still busy with healers and helpers moving to and fro. Rose wished she could do more but her nerves were burning up. She retreated to some corner and leaned her back on the wall. Her feet were too tired and she slid to the floor. They had won but the injured people in front of her and the lives that were lost painted a darker shade on everything. I wish I could do more to help. The angelic blessing inside her pulsed, giving her a warm feeling. The blessing approved her intent. ¡°Phew...¡± Rose sighed and heard another sigh from next to her. There was a person there now. A teen woman of her age, wearing worn and battered legionary armor. ¡°Tough day?¡± The woman asked. ¡°This is actually my first official mission,¡± Rose answered. ¡°You¡¯re unlucky. There has been no mission like this since the Zombie Plague of Jizam. That was¡­ six years ago, in the Herkelan Empire.¡± ¡°Or perhaps this is precisely where was I meant to be¡­¡± Rose replied. ¡°The path of the Blessed is laid by the angels, I know the saying,¡± she smiled understandingly then offered her hand. ¡°Freya.¡± Rose knew the name and her status. She was her superior in standing and reputation. She struggled whether she should offer a proper legionary greeting but Freya kept holding her hand out expectantly. ¡°Rose,¡± she replied, shaking her hand. ¡°I¡¯m happy you took my hand. Almost everyone is too afraid of my grandma.¡± ¡°Commander Flavia Marianus is regarded as the symbol of might and guardian of peace. I¡¯m sure it was a sign of their respect,¡± Rose cringed a bit. ¡°Yes, she is¡­ I look up to her a great deal but there are times I wish she didn''t constantly cast a shadow over me, you know?¡± Freya said in a hush, one hand covering her mouth. Supreme Commander Flavia -the Level 5 grandmother in question that looked no older than thirty- who stood across the room turned her head in their direction before continuing her conversion. ¡°I think she heard you,¡± Rose replied. ¡°Yeah¡­ Aww, shoot.¡± They both exchanged giggles, chasing the dark mood on them a little. A couple of small conversions later, Freya broached a new subject. ¡°I heard you''re from Luxore town.¡± ¡°...Yeah. I was not there when it happened. Even now we don''t really understand what happened there,¡± Rose said darkly. ¡°That is my fault. I was tasked with the investigation. I managed to catch the tail of one that might be involved but he gave me the slip.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°To avoid capture, he awakened two monsters and unleashed them upon villages. I was left with two choices: to pursue him or save the villagers. Believing he will commit more atrocities if let loose, I pursued him¡­ consigning the innocent villagers to their fate.¡± Freya¡¯s tone was like a bare nerve, exposed, vulnerable. ¡°Convinced I¡¯d cornered him, I let my guard down and he managed to escape. Thanks to my master, the casualties were zero¡­ But if my master wasn¡¯t with me, their deaths would haunt me forever.¡± Rose didn''t reply. She didn''t have the words to console her and consolation might not be what Freya wanted. ¡°I was made aware of my immaturity but the trail has gone cold. I haven''t given up though. I might have failed to bring him in but I saw his face.¡± Rose¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Freya showed Rose the wanted poster of Cain of Ur. Rose¡¯s eyes widened and her breath left her lungs. ¡°V-Viers!?¡± Interlude - Aurora Scroll Inside the inner chambers of the Cathedral of Sephoria, there was a room that less than five people were permitted to enter. Currently, there were two women inside the room. On the room¡¯s ceiling, there were tiny, flowing lights like a river made of golden dust. The walls were made of pure gold. The floor was made with the best quality polished stone. One woman standing in the center of the room, peering into a crystal ball on a dais. The woman was white-skinned, white-robed, and had a bald head. On her body, there were countless tattoos full of religious meaning. Her blue eyes were bloodshot. She was forcing herself into seeing something she shouldn''t see. She was the Interpreter of Fate, the 99th of her line. Suddenly, there was a throbbing pulse from the crystal ball and the Interpreter fell on the floor, knocked back. ¡°Master!¡± The other woman was her apprentice, who would become the 100th Interpreter of Fate. The younger woman¡¯s dark hair reached her ankles. She hurriedly came to the aid of her master. She watched in horror as her master was bleeding from the eyes. ¡°W-what happened, master? You¡¯re scaring me. You have been acting weird since we heard about the news of the Demon King yesterday.¡± ¡°I¡­ I have made a terrible mistake. I have sinned,¡± Interpreter sobbed. ¡°What have I done...¡± ¡°Master, please...¡± the apprentice pleaded. ¡°...The Demon King¡¯s left eye... was supposed to get away,¡± Interpreter reluctantly. ¡°Ah!? But Commander Flavia confirmed it herself that it had been resealed before anything catastrophic happened,¡± the apprentice dismayed. ¡°Indeed¡­ Fate, has changed.¡± ¡°That is¡­ good, isn''t it?¡± The apprentice softly asked. ¡°No¡­ Oh, it was not, dearest. Because a small ripple might change into a wave in the future. The Demon King is a crucial existence in the Flow of Fate. With a change as big as this, the deviation would be unpredictable,¡± Interpreter was trembling. ¡°...Master, months ago you and the senior disciples conducted a secret ceremony to influence Fate. It has been our policy to let Fate flow naturally. What have you glimpsed from the future?¡± ¡°Apocalypse, child. And I fear I might have made it worse.¡± The Interpreter of Fate kept sobbing tears mixed with blood on the arms of her apprentice. *** In a mysterious place where no gods dared to enter carelessly, there was a scroll. It floated in stasis in the middle of a realm without earth or sky. As if inside a dream, the space itself was filled with protective and warding runes. The scroll was called with many names. Its true one was lost in time. The scroll was small, a short roll would unravel it entirely. It contained symbols that no being could understand but the value of the scroll was not its markings but where it took the reader. There was a world where only those who saw the scroll¡¯s content would see. It was a carpet of white, as big as the sky and stretched on to infinity. The reader would be standing on the carpet, under a sky filled with aurora borealis. The carpet of white was filled with writings. Of events that had come to be and could be. Every sentient being had a place here. From the lowest of mortals to the highest of gods. A long time ago, the gods deduced the scroll was recording the Flow of Fate with complete accuracy. Somewhere in the infinite carpet was writing about a person. Genesis Origin Year 9667. Viers Isuel was born as the first son of Adrios and Sana Isuel. While the writing was concise, the reader of the scroll could glimpse in further detail. The scroll could replicate the events of what was written and witness them in third-person view. From that line, there were lines and lines of records. Only short sentences of happenings of remarkable importance but the reader could concentrate and the scroll would elucidate. From what Viers ate for breakfast that day to the color of his clothes. The lines continued until they depicted Viers¡¯ death at the age of 41 because of a Rank 3 monster. He was married and had four children before the end. There were countless names on the carpet, records of people from birth to their death. However, Viers¡¯ records didn¡¯t end like everyone else¡¯s. Revision 1. Viers Isuel, 15 years of age. Genesis Origin Year 9682. A soul from another world stumbled and fused with Viers¡¯ original soul. The resulting fusion altered his actions slightly and he came across the Everlife Goldbloom Flower. The entity that emerged was an anomaly. He took the identity of Viers Isuel and began his journey to gain power, changing his Fate forever. Viers refused the guidance of Guo Song, a Sea Rumbling Bull of the Xian Continent, one of four Guardian Beasts charged with protecting an ancient seal. After refusing the bull¡¯s soul taking refuge inside him, Viers ate his flesh and gained unusual powers, consuming the destiny of the Rank 7 Spirit Beast. Viers took his Pathseeker studies seriously and trained diligently. Viers explored his special powers. Viers was forced to join the Cult of Dumuzin and temporarily became a Pathseeker with a water 4 affinity. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Viers Isuel, 16 years of age. Genesis Origin Year 9683. Viers entered the Trialground of the Lamia as the fourth challenger but failed the last trial. He received a way to raise his affinity as a reward and vowed to return. Viers survived the plot that resulted in Luxore town¡¯s destruction and gained a soul 5 affinity. Viers returned to the Trialground, banished the Lamia Queen, and abducted a Lamia princess. Viers traveled the land. To avoid pursuers, he hid his identity. The Interpreter of Fate of the Estellian Church interfered with the natural flow of Fate, trying to nudge Fate into giving the result she desired. Viers met another otherworlder and killed him, usurping his gift. Viers was caught by Freya and Gregory. Viers lost against Freya but managed to escape with his life. Viers ended up in the Pecan Village and was saved by Luca. Viers bonded with his first familiar. Viers healed up before leaving Pecan Village. Viers met with Izabella in a friendly fashion before reaching Marakkus city. Viers bought a slave. With Izabella''s help, Viers achieved success putting his roots in Marakkus city. Viers went inside the new Biome to gain cultivation resources. Viers ended up captured by the Blood Church¡¯s plot. Izabella arranged that he was not killed. During the unsealing of the Demon King¡¯s left eye, using the chaos between the Blood Church and the Estellian Church, Viers snatched the Demon King¡¯s left eye and managed to escape. He thought it was his only chance of survival. The Demon King¡¯s left eye went inside Viers¡¯ body, becoming a parasite. Absorbing his vitality and slowly converting him into a demon. Viers Isuel, 18 years of age. Genesis Origin Year 9685. Viers Isuel had found a way to remove the demonic influence of the Demon King. But in doing so, he would also lose his healing factor and other abilities. Left with no choice, Viers continued utilizing the demonic energy inside him. Viers Isuel, 23 years of age. Genesis Origin Year 9690. Viers Isuel became a Level 4 Pathseeker. Viers Isuel, 34 years of age. Genesis Origin Year 9701. Viers Isuel had gathered all the fragments of the Demon King and subdued it. Becoming the new Demon King and a Level 5 Pathseeker. He roamed the world consolidating his old powers and influence while gathering new ones. Viers Isuel, 36 years of age. Genesis Origin Year 9703. Viers Isuel¡¯s status as an otherworlder was spread to the whole continent. Viers Isuel, 37 years of age. Genesis Origin Year 9704. Viers killed the Dead King of the Dreadnorth and crowned himself the King in the North. Viers Isuel was unsatisfied with his peak Level 5 power and sought ways to break through to Level 6. Viers Isuel, 55 years of age. Genesis Origin Year 9722. Viers Isuel was regarded as the strongest Pathseeker of the age. His influence extended throughout the whole Human Dominion and beyond. He was a revolutionary and brought many technological and magical advances. A known tyrant and dictator but the people under his rule prospered. The continent was his in all but name. Until the angels intervened. Viers Isuel, 58 years of age. Genesis Origin Year 9725. The Angelic War became the third bloodiest war in the history of the Lumen Continent after the Twilight of the Gods and the Fifth Hellwar. During the war, the angels managed to disable the Everlife Goldbloom Flower inside Viers¡¯ Intio, rendering him unable to gain more lifespan. His vengeance was swift and diabolical. The chief perpetrator, Angel Merael was subjected to every torture in existence and the process was broadcasted to the entire continent for 44 days. After that, the angel¡¯s soul was perpetually tormented in Viers¡¯ Soul Prison, spending every moment in agony. Viers managed to kill an angel. A feat unheard of since the Age of the Gods. The war raged throughout the continent for three years. Viers refused many offers of help from the Goetia Nobles of the Nine Hells throughout the war. Eventually, Viers Isuel¡¯s forces were decimated. Finding he was hopelessly outmatched, Viers escaped to the Xian Continent in the east, searching for ways to become a Level 6. Viers Isuel, 65 years of age. Genesis Origin Year 9732. Viers reached half a step Level 6. His constitution as a Demon King hindered his ascension. His only hope for a full breakthrough lied in the Holy City of Sephoria. Sensing his life was at an end unless he ascended to Level 6, Viers led a small elite force from the eastern continent and attacked the holy city. The Battle of Sephoria was participated only by a handful of combatants but it became the fiercest battle ever waged by a mortal Pathseeker. Viers skinned the Guardian Dragon alive, sank half of Sephoria into the sea, filled the sky with raving mad ghosts, decimated 70% of the Silver Legion, and sent the three of the four Cardinals to the third layer of Hell. In the climax of the battle, he slew seven angels and one, an archangel. Viers was on the verge of destroying the Pope''s body and soul for barring his way to Level 6 but his nemesis, Freya, stopped him. From decades of multiple support from the Interpreter of Fate, she had been forged into a weapon to stop Viers¡¯ rampage on this day. Interpreter of Fate¡¯s ultimate aim was to recover Viers¡¯ resources such as the Everlife Goldbloom Flower and his attainments so that the Estellian Church would be ready against the approaching End Times in the dawn of the tenth millennium. But Viers was unwilling to let someone else benefit from his death. Viers utterly destroyed his body and soul, taking many of his foes in a suicide attack. No matter what the Interpreter of Fate did, the Estellian Church would not gain Viers¡¯ amassed power and resources. But Freya survived and with her, the Estellian Church survived. A single ray of hope for the End Times. This was the extent of the Interpreter of Fate¡¯s vision. The convergence of Fate led to here. Unbeknownst to everyone, Viers had a backup plan. The records of Viers had more stories to tell. Viers Isuel perished but he had already sown the seeds for his revival in the Xian Continent. His ascension to Level 6 was hampered because he took the Demon King''s power into himself in his youth. With his death in the Battle of Sephoria, Viers lost all of his special powers and must start walking the Path of Power from zero once more. Before Viers departed for the final battle at Sephoria, a woman who loved Viers asked what words he would like to have on his tombstone in case he failed. ''A minor setback'', Viers answered. Viers now rode a new Fate in the Xian Continent and his time as Viers Isuel came to an end. Revision 2. Viers Isuel, 16 years of age. Genesis Origin Year 9683. The Interpreter was not aware Viers had knowledge from another world. Viers suspected someone was using Fate to plot against him. Viers asked Clarissa to search ancient knowledge in the memories of the Lamia Queen for defensive measures against Fate¡¯s meddling. Viers healed up and cast the Insignificant Fate Arte before leaving Pecan Village. Without the nudges of Fate, Viers arrived in Marakkus a little bit later and didn''t meet with Izabella. Viers bought a slave. Viers¡¯ first interaction with Izabella made him wary of her and he took his next actions carefully. Viers didn''t enter the Biome that the Blood Church set as a trap. Viers didn¡¯t take part in the unsealing of the Demon King¡¯s left eye and robbed one of the Marakkus family¡¯s vaults. Viers left with his group to Regidana city. Inside the mysterious scroll, under the eternal aurora, the lines after lines on the infinity carpet continued. Telling tales that already happened and not yet happened at the same time. Chapter 109 - Insignificant Fate Viers was surprised at how adaptable he had become. In the past, he was a city person. He liked to be at home, with the comfort of his bed, electricity, a hot shower, and the internet. The sum of his cooking skill was instant noodles and boiled eggs. He used laundry service instead of doing it himself. He didn''t like dirt and mud on his shoes. Camping in the wilderness was too bothersome. He enjoyed nature but the insects -especially the mosquitoes- evened the score back to zero. In this new world, traveling days on horseback, sleeping near on the dirt, hunting, skinning and cooking the animals he caught himself, getting lost in the wilds, constant vigilance against bandits and monsters, all had become the norm for Viers. Now, Viers Isuel, the otherworlder from Earth, was leaning on an old tree log near a fire pit. The pot above the fire was being heated nicely. Two igloos made of earth and stone were standing nearby. The sun was high in the sky but the tall trees created the shade around the camp. An even-tempered horse and a quiet cat were Viers¡¯ companions in his grand effort of securing this outpost in the monster-filled wildlands. To another person''s eyes, Viers was taking a nap but it was not true. Nine days after the fight with Alan, nine days of my healing factor working in full capacity and finally I managed to return to full health. Unlike before, the Victa Stigma is really hampering my healing. If I was like this, how much more troublesome would it be for others? A month? More? Not everybody got a healing cheat like me. Viers opened his eyes and he looked to the ¡®construction scene¡¯ a hundred meters away. Takju and Boram were busy clearing the path from a landslide. Should be finished today. Viers shook his head in silence. Good grief. This is just like a game side-quest before reaching a new area. After leaving Marakkus city, Viers and his gang went east. They didn''t use the major roads and opted to slog through the wilderness to avoid prying eyes or potential pursuers or road check or whatever else. Viers wasn''t certain it would be necessary -since he was thorough in erasing any evidence of himself in the city- but it was better to be safe than sorry. And then, he and the gang stumbled upon a village. They rested awhile and the village chief told them that the way forward was closed because of a landslide a month prior. Because Viers was an adventurer, the chief begged for Viers¡¯ help. Normally Viers wouldn''t care. He was a water Pathseeker. Moving earth wasn''t his forte. But he had Boram now. Even then, Viers wouldn''t care. The reward the small, poor village offered was next to nothing. Viers could just lead his group through another way, bypassing the landslide. Why should he waste time, effort, and his slave¡¯s Victa for strangers without benefits? Viers wasn''t running a charity. But Boram wanted to -for whatever nonsense reasons- and Takju offered to help. As luck would have it, Viers was still injured and needed time to heal and digest the gains he got from the sin city. So Viers said, ¡°Oh, what the hell. Do whatever you want.¡± For four days, Boram and Takju were busy at work while Viers was chilling. But only physically. Viers¡¯ hunger for power wasn''t sated. So what if he could kill a Level 3? He still had a long, long way to go. Now that I¡¯m back to 100% health, let''s take care of other things. First, souls. When Viers was cosplaying as a Geass-user, he made a dozen Level 3s suicide. Like a noble gentleman, Viers didn''t leave anything unfinished on his plate. Their souls were taken. However, for the first time ever, Viers felt he was reaching the limit of what he could store. Must be because I¡¯m storing Level 3 souls while I¡¯m only a Level 2. Truly a xianxia style development. Currently, Viers was holding about a hundred human souls. Non-human souls were easily thrice that number. Including Alan, the dead enchanter Turfon, and a few others, Viers had sixteen souls of Level 3 Pathseekers. So it seems I can''t mess up the afterlife system in this world by hoarding billions and billions of souls inside of me. And as luck would have it, I already found a way to use these souls. After all, even gold is useless if you can''t use it for anything. Crack. Viers turned to the source of the sound. It was a rock, as big as his fist. There was a marking on it, a golden rune. There was a crack on the rock that wasn''t there a moment ago. The third broken rock in nine days. Just as I feared, there really is someone plotting against me using Fate. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Arte - Insignificant Fate. Clarissa fished this Arte in the ¡®dangerous waters¡¯ of the Lamia Queen¡¯s memories. Clearly, the Queen felt this Arte was important. The Arte allowed the user to create a ¡®false signal¡¯ of their Fate. According to his research, Fate exists as a flow in this world. In that flowing great river, he was like a droplet among uncountable others. Depending on the person, his or her droplet could be more easily distinguished than others or vice-versa. A person who is famous, accomplished, strong, grand, destined, or many other things, would stand out. Viers carved a rune to a stone so his Fate seemed as insignificant as a piece of rock. Unremarkable in every way. A far cry compared to his otherworlder status with all the cheats he possessed. After much digging, Viers found out from Clarissa that it was outside the means of the gods to influence Fate in its entirety but influencing the droplets inside the Flow of Fate was possible, even for not-gods. The Flow of Fate operates with its own rules. The Flow of Fate was a grand, massive thing beyond mortal grasp. If someone wanted to influence others from their Fate, the clearer the identity of the influenced the better. Even if they had Viers in custody, they would also need to find his strand in the Flow of Fate. It would be much simpler since naturally there exists a connection between Viers and his own Fate but Viers was on the loose. Very secretive and wary about pursuers, avoiding capture at any cost. And Viers had made his droplet inside the Flow of Fate incredibly hard to find, like hiding a leaf in a forest but it was buried underground. Simply put, Viers made an ordinary stone as his ¡®body double¡¯. Any insidious influence from others that wanted to alter his Fate would now be tanked by the stone first instead of being unknown like the past. Of course, Viers didn''t think he was completely safe from merely this. He didn''t think an Arte that he could cast had cut him off from the great flow. He was still a droplet in the Flow of Fate. There were also other methods that someone could use to influence his Fate: the leverage they had on him, the understanding they grasped about him, persons with significant bonds with him, objects tied to his Fate, the crucial point in time, and so on. It was very dizzying, even for Viers. Fate wasn¡¯t his forte and messing with Fate often ended up badly for those who tried. Viers didn''t want to manipulate his Fate for the better or whatnot, he only wanted to protect his Fate from outsiders¡¯ tinkering. Viers knew the working of Fate was beyond him and just focused on the now. The prime candidate of this vile offender is the Interpreter of Fate dude or gal from the church. That asshole should be at least a Level 5. Like a fool, the Interpreter doesn''t know that messing with Fate is literally courting death, same with prophecy and the like. I already have a rudimentary defense system against the Interpreter¡¯s malicious design but it is far from enough. To eliminate this threat, what I must do is actually very simple. This is a frickin¡¯ xianxia world where power dictates everything. The stronger I am, the harder it would be to influence me. It¡¯s just common sense. So here¡¯s the plan: Get strong as fast as possible, as strong as possible. Don''t get caught by the church. Always using Insignificant Fate Arte until I find something better. When I''m strong enough, wring the head of the ones responsible off their neck. That''s it. Viers picked up the cracked stone and traced the fissure with his finger. A small crack means a slight attack, a big crack means a major attack. The stone cracked in half so it must be a major attack. Since the stone didn''t turn to dust it means the attacker failed to get through my Arte¡¯s protection. Before Marakkus, my substitute stone did not have a single fracture. After Marakkus, I had to change stones three times. It seems they found a clue about me and their divination attempt against me strengthened. Perhaps they found out Viers Isuel''s identity? Since Freya saw my face I knew it was only a matter of time until they made a connection from Cain to Viers. Viers frowned in annoyance. Hmph, now I must waste Victa to carve the rune to a new stone. If I didn¡¯t have the upgraded moon pendant that gives 30% Victa generation then it would truly trouble me. ¡°Meow.¡± Viers turned to the black cat. Boram¡¯s cat that the boy named Chacha. ¡°Hungry, huh?¡± Viers spoke. ¡°You¡¯re quite smart to not wander around. There are monsters out there that would gladly put you in their belly.¡± Viers met its green eyes with amusement. ¡°Heheh,¡± Viers scoffed. ¡°It¡¯s about time they return from work,¡± Viers¡¯ thoughts went back to Boram. At least it wasn''t a complete waste of time and energy. Takju, like Boram, was an earth Pathseeker. The member of the Gigantes race instructed Boram in the ways of the earth elements of his own volition. All Gigantes had a natural affinity to earth, or so Takju claimed. Boram¡¯s ability in using the force of Gaia grew leaps and bounds, which was happy news for Viers. The giant is quite attached to the kid, strangely so. Now, if I¡¯m just like other unenlightened MCs then I¡¯ll be foolishly oblivious as to why but I¡¯m not. So, it seems Boram¡¯s faint bloodline is that of the Gigantes. There¡¯s a Gigantes somewhere in the family tree. Since it¡¯s faint, I doubt it¡¯s his parents or grandparents. Must be from even above¡­ Okay then. Let¡¯s hope his bloodline awakening would be a great boon. Making use of his genre-savvy nature, Viers already made a connection. Despite spending most of his time recovering, Viers used these nine days to the fullest. Reviewing his Artes, taking note of their strengths and weaknesses to polish them further. Gaining real combat experience against a true Level 3. Testing what might work and new ideas he didn''t use last time. Sparring a couple more times in the Grid. Making countermeasures of the enemy¡¯s Artes for the future. Viers extracted every value that he could of that one battle. Suddenly, Viers perked up. At the same time with the cat. Brownie became agitated a couple of seconds later. By then Viers was already on his feet and hand on the hilt of his sword. What kind of monster is coming this time¡­ It was smart. It hid behind the bushes and trunks, trying to circle around the camp. But Viers¡¯ senses were sharp, Viers didn''t lose track of it one bit. Come to be my dinner¡­ The monster seemed to understand Viers was onto it so it emerged menacingly. Brownie was panicking, trying to yank the leash off. Chacha was bolting away. Viers stood his ground, not giving off any sign of weakness. Its black fur covered its body like a coat of darkness. Its mouth was filled with sharp teeth in plain view as it growled slightly. The quadrupedal monster was as big as a Brownie but far more muscular. Its three red-eyes were burning with bestial ferocity. A Rank 3 wolf monster with three eyes¡­ Don''t I know someone who seeks this monster? Chapter 110 - Knight Errant Size, matters. In monster physiology, the bigger a monster was, the more difficult it was to kill. In other words, big monsters had more HP than small monsters. Also, Viers noticed that there were no mini-sized monsters. There were no monsters the size of small insects. The smallest monster on record was a Rank 0 fish as big as a sardine. It seemed all monsters grew bigger as they got stronger. While a monster¡¯s size did not directly relate to its strengths, it was a clear warning sign. Viers had seen Rank 4 monsters the size of a building during his escape from Freya. While he had the power of a world-class Level 2 Pathseeker, able to kill a Level 3, Viers suspected that he might not be able to kill a building-sized Rank 2 monster. Other than their strong and resilient bodies, all monsters possessed some form of regeneration which made them hard to take down without very powerful attacks or special methods. Against the sudden lupus monster intruder, Viers acted decisively, immediately invoking his Overclock Mode. The sudden burst of power was the sign, the wolf pounced upon Viers immediately, baring its teeth. Viers dashed to the side just in time, dodging the wolf¡¯s teeth. It gnawed a big chunk of a tree behind Viers¡¯ prior position and Viers brandished a strike with his katana. The water Arte-coated strike landed true but it didn''t feel like cutting flesh. Without any special tricks, the fur of the wolf monster managed to receive Viers¡¯ full-powered slash without injury. The beast retaliated, it moved unnaturally agile for a being of that size. A paw would have mauled Viers¡¯ left leg if Viers didn''t make the beast miss its aim by hitting its face with a laser beam of Sunburn. The man and wolf continued their effort of murdering each other. Each wanted to establish which was the predator and the prey. Seeing his normal Artes didn''t work, Viers used his stronger Artes. He managed to injure the wolf but the wounds he inflicted were only superficial. Meanwhile, the wolf also fought for real. With a howl, it jumped up high and turned into a ball of fire. Its fur became flames itself and the flaming wolf aimed to fall on top of Viers¡¯ location. Viers dodged out of the way but a circle of fire that the landing created engulfed him all the same. Viers¡¯ Water Barrier Arte managed to hold out thanks to the elemental advantage. The battle raged on. Viers had wounded the wolf many times and Guren had turned red but Viers frowned. Some of the three-eyed wolf¡¯s earlier wounds had already healed. Its regeneration was extraordinary even for a monster¡¯s standard. On the other hand, the wolf¡¯s fire-based attacks -such as fire claws, fire breath, firetail sweep- lost much of its potency against Viers¡¯ water defense. The battle was at a stalemate with neither side having the advantage against the other. The battle didn''t last long but it raised a big commotion. ¡°Master!¡± Boram screamed. ¡°Mu? Vile beast!¡± Takju rapidly approached. The wolf might have sensed that Takju was stronger than it or realized Viers was a lump of tough meat to chew so it quickly retreated. ¡°You think you can attack me and retreat without a price?¡± Viers made a square using both hands¡¯ thumbs and index fingers. Arte - Fatal Soulframe First Form: Horror! A blinding flash of white light lit up. The wolf yelped in pain but it still dashed deeper into the woods. A single photo of the wolf¡¯s backside floated in front of Viers. Hmph. Not photogenic at all. Who wants a photo about a wolf¡¯s ass? Viers grabbed the photo and pressed the wound on his left arm. The wolf¡¯s fangs punctured his leather armor like paper. Viers had a moderate wound on the arm and his left little finger was broken. Considering what he fought against, a Rank 3 monster, Viers exhaled in relief. A normal Level 2 Pathseeker would suffer much more serious consequences than this. ¡°Master, are you okay?¡± Boram worriedly asked while eyeing the bleeding wound. His sincerity was pleasing to Viers. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Can I ask the two of you to put out the fire?¡± Since the wolf used fire, the area around Viers still had fires burning. Since they were in a place with a lot of vegetation. The fires might become a forest fire if they are left alone. ¡°Of course. It was a splendid battle, young Avel.¡± Takju now had the appearance of a forty-year-old man with short black hair. His body was no longer a towering three meters of muscle but a normal person¡¯s. Without Viers¡¯ urging, Takju used his own method of disguise. They would be traveling in human lands. Takju¡¯s original height would be too eye-catching. Since he was a Level 4, his disguise was quite powerful. ¡°I gained nothing from that battle. What a waste of Victa...¡± Viers grumbled and returned to the camp, tending his wounds. While Viers was thinking furiously about his next course of action, Takju managed to confirm his suspicions. A soul Arte¡­ he truly is a dual attribute Pathseeker. His soul affinity should be even higher than his water. Who is he? What is his background? Why is a talented young man like him traveling alone in the wilderness like a vagabond? Any tribe or organization would be glad to have him. And earlier, from what I¡¯ve seen, even when battling a formidable foe he didn''t rely on me despite being relatively nearby. With his suspicion confirmed, Takju applied another defensive measure on his soul. Just in case. At least we aren''t at odds. He saved me from slavery and he wants his privacy. It¡¯s good enough. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Takju helped Boram put out the fires. Using earth manipulation to smother the flames. A few hours later, at dusk. I have used Insignificant Fate on another rock and I¡¯ve made up my mind. ¡°We are going separately. I¡¯ll go after the wolf, you two keep working on the landslide or whatever, then we¡¯ll rendezvous at Regidana.¡± Boram looked surprised, he¡¯d dropped the spoon on his hand. Takju slurped the rabbit stew and put the bowl down before talking. ¡°It will be dangerous, young one,¡± he cautioned. ¡°I¡¯m not going to fight it. My main objective is scouting. It is going east, the same way we¡¯re going. If it wanders too far then I¡¯ll let it be before continuing to Regidana.¡± Viers took out a bowl from his Thousand Treasure Casket and gave it to Boram. ¡°A scrying bowl. I have the other pair,¡± Viers pulled another bowl and showed it to the other two. ¡°Fill it with water and inject some Victa then we can communicate from afar.¡± ¡°Whoah...¡± Boram observed the bowl as if it was a heavenly artifact. Viers snickered under the helmet. We can video chat in a medieval world. Magic is so cheating. ¡°We can go together,¡± Takju said. ¡°It¡¯ll be safer that way.¡± From his expression, Boram was of the same mind but Viers shook his head. ¡°This is just my whim. Perhaps It¡¯ll be a wild goose chase. You two go straight ahead to the city. Takju, can I ask you to keep Boram safe?¡± ¡°Of course. Be careful, young Avel.¡± Viers finished eating and drank some water before rebinding the lower part of his face wrappings. He put on his metal helmet and rode on the mare. ¡°Regidana is only two days away. We¡¯ll meet again soon.¡± Viers left with Brownie, in the direction of the fleeing wolf a few hours past. For the next two days, Viers was riding in pursuit of the wolf. Despite not having any skills in tracking, Viers managed to stay on the wolf¡¯s tail without fail. The reason was simple, Viers¡¯ Fatal Soulframe Arte. Despite not being able to kill the wolf outright, Viers managed to tear a part of its soul and confine that part to a photo. Using the photo, Viers could sense the direction of the monster¡¯s main body. Fatal Soulframe has many functions other than attacking the soul. It can capture, curse, track, and kill¡­ very versatile. How could my first soul Arte be weak? And this is only the first form, hehe. Viers pulled out the photo now and then, sensing the wolf¡¯s location. The traces he¡¯d found was proof he was going in the right direction. The wolf only had one-tenth of its soul inside the photo. Its soul was injured but not fatal. The wolf acted like normal, leaving traces of destruction in its trail. Viers didn''t follow it too close. He knew wolves had a good sense of smell. He¡¯d applied Deodorant Arte on him and Brownie for precaution. The reason he¡¯d followed the wolf was mainly because of curiosity at first, and then as his investigation proceeded, he had a gut feeling this wasn''t a simple monster case. Irene, the archer adventurer that he met in Mokash town was seeking the three-eyed wolf. If this was indeed the same monster, it had roamed very far, unusual. The monster¡¯s behavior was also strange, it was very aggressive. The wolf monster fought and killed every living being in its vicinity, from animals or other monsters. Viers found the trail of bodies of the wolf''s victims. The wolf didn''t eat them, which was strange. There were monster parts that could be sold for a little sum, which Viers put inside the Casket. It also kept going east, to the Regidana city. Coincidence? The fact that the little village from earlier didn''t have complaints about a monster as dangerous and aggressive as this means the wolf only arrived here recently. Viers suspected it was intelligent, not to a human mind degree but it was not a being of mere instinct. When they fought, the wolf could change strategy and make feints. It realized Takju was dangerous and the monsters it killed were always weaker than itself. But if it was intelligent, the aggressive behavior was a paradox. When Viers was riding on a simple road in a forest a few hours away from Regidana, when the sun was shining bright on the sky, Viers heard something. ¡°Aaaah! Save me!¡± ¡°Uwaahhh!¡± ¡°No no no! Stay away!¡± The cries for help entered his ears. The voice sounded young and it was coming straight at him. Viers used Euryale Sight immediately, and what he saw blew his mind. It was three kids about twelve to fourteen, two boys and one girl, chased by a monstrous black wolf with three eyes. Impossible! The wolf should be much farther than this, unless! The realization hit Viers, there was more than one three-eyed wolf. Viers had no intention of fighting a fight where he had no guarantee to win to save three little children. Viers turned Brownie around, ready to run away. It was what he saw with Eurylae Sight that gave him pause. There were actually four three-eyed wolves in his vicinity. These ones were like chameleons, blending in the surroundings and giving no aura. Viers wouldn''t know about them without Euryale Sight. All of them were Rank 3! What the fuck! Unknowingly, Viers had walked into a death trap. Viers could not move recklessly, it was at this moment the three kids stumbled upon Viers. One of the boys saw Viers wearing the helmet of a knight and his eyes shone like a star. ¡°A Knight! We¡¯re saved. Mister Knight, save us!¡± The children gathered near Viers. It didn''t take long until a wolf as big as a horse came out from the bushes with a bestial gnarl. Unlike the chameleon ones, this wolf was ready to sink its teeth on something. If this one attacks, the other wolves will definitely join in! Viers made a decisive decision like lightning. He dismounted from the panicking mare and blared his Victa full force. The kids looked at his visible blue aura tinged with green motes of light. Viers was ready to burn his life force and use Raging River Steps Arte in Hyper Mode, leaving the mare and the kids behind! He dismounted because he could run faster than Brownie. He also thought that if the wolves eat Brownie, he would have a great chance of getting away. As for the kids, Viers was ready to abandon them to their fate. But in the next moment, when the wolf was about to pounce, it suddenly perked and calmly turned away. So too did the other hidden wolves. Viers was perplexed. What happened now? Viers¡® green eyes darted to his surroundings and he saw a visage of two people far from his location before disappearing. Did someone intervene? The wolves went away, Viers was in deep thoughts but he was jolted awake by the hugs he received. ¡°Thank you, thank you, Mister Knight! I know that wolf is no match for you!¡± The starry-eyed boy looked at Viers as if he was a figure larger than life. ¡°Uwahhh¡­ We¡¯re alive! I thought we were gonna die, uwwehhh,¡± the boy cried. ¡°We¡­ We¡¯re saved...'''' the girl flopped on the ground, weak on the knees. To the kids, Viers¡¯ grand display had scared the wolf away and saved them, completely oblivious Viers was about to let them become wolves¡¯ dinner. ¡°...Un,¡± Viers nodded. ¡°The most important thing is you¡¯re all okay.¡± He made his voice as heroic as possible. As if he was a real knight who had just slain a dragon. Chapter 111 - Regidana Regidana, the city of warm sea breezes, palm trees, and trade ships. Located in the easternmost part of the Coalition. A city of perpetual tropical climate. Undeniably, one of the most prosperous cities on the continent. The city serves as a crucial maritime trade hub from the four cardinal directions and brings goods from abroad to the rest of the Free People Coalition. The Beckoning Dragon is a structural wonder. From the exquisite work of art of its huge body to the unforgettable brilliant orb clutched on its mouth. The lighthouse was made in the image of a serpentine dragon from the mysterious eastern continent¡¯s mythology. Its undying light guided the sailors on the treacherous seas. The place is a blending of multiple cultures from far and wide. Tradesmen and visitors from all over the world come here seeking their fortune and destiny. Uncountable exotic goods from the land beyond yonder changed ownership from barters, coins, and services every day. They say you can find anything in this city, provided you have the capital to obtain it. Excerpt from the Atlas of Civilizations, written by Bartholomew the Grand Voyager. *** The view of the sprawling city on a blue coast was magnificent. There were wide swathes of fields for crops and livestock just outside of the city. Unlike Marakkus, there were no tall walls surrounding the city, giving the impression of openness. As a place touched with multiple cultures, the buildings were often constructed differently from each other, bearing their unique styles from different lands. ¡°Regidana...¡± Viers watched with a breeze hitting his face and the sounds of seagulls above his head. Clear skies and slowly traveling clouds. From afar, the most eye-catching was the dragon-shaped lighthouse. It was located on a nearby hill. Its scales were gleaming under the sun like emeralds and the jewel on its mouth sparkled like diamonds. ¡°Looks like a nice place,¡± Viers said. ¡°Is it? Aren''t other places more amazing than this, Mister Knight?¡± The knight-loving boy said. ¡°Hehehe. Stories of grandeur aren''t always true, Harry. Learn to appreciate your home while you still can,¡± Viers replied. ¡°I¡¯m just glad we¡¯re back without meeting any other monsters. Mom and Dad will give me an earful after I get back,¡± the other boy weakly said. ¡°Same here... Ohhh, why did I accompany you two again? Boys and their adventures,¡± the only girl in the group grumbled. ¡°C¡¯mon Marc, Milly. It¡¯s not an adventure without something unexpected happening!¡± Viers chuckled. The trio of kids that he ¡®saved¡¯ were -unsurprisingly- from Regidana. Harry the adventurous, Marc the timid, and Milly the cautious. They snuck out from town to a nearby forest to find some ruins. Harry found a record of it in his house and roped Marc and Milly to go together. ¡°You should know that you three almost got severely hurt. It was a very dangerous thing you three did. Imagine what would happen if I didn''t stumble upon you, hmn?¡± The three didn''t answer and lowered their heads. ¡°It is a dangerous world out there. You can get hurt or worse,¡± Viers stressed. ¡°Listen to your parents when you get back. Be thankful if they scold you. It means they care for your well-being.¡± ¡°Yes Sir-¡± They trailed their answer. ¡°Hehe. Well, let us go then. It has been days since I slept under a roof.¡± Viers placed the three kids on Brownie while he led the mare on foot. Along the way, Harry asked Viers about all kinds of things. Viers told a few of his adventures. They soon reached the borders of the city. The street was somewhat nostalgic. Regidana was bigger than Marakkus and with far more people packed inside. It reminded Viers of the metropolises on his Earth. Stone buildings packed together and stalls of shops immediately after the entrance of the city. The scene was of a run-of-the-mill busy market except for one thing. The races. Other than humans with different skin colors wearing clothes from far away places, there were many folks Viers only had seen in the work of fiction. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The humanoids that shared characteristics with mammals, the beastfolk. The robust bipedal lizard-like beings, the saurians. The winged and feathered tall individuals, the featherkin. The stout and skilled craftsmen, the dwarves. And Viers finally saw elves. The pair were purchasing wares from a shop. There were also other races as well, such as: halflings, centaurs, etc. Harry and Marc said they had seen insectoids in the city a few months ago. Out of ten people in the streets, five were human while the other five belonged to different races. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me Regidana¡¯s public order is better than other cities?¡± Viers said skeptically. The kids asked Viers about the outside world and Viers asked the opposite. There was much he could learn from the locals. ¡°That¡¯s what my father always said, Mister Avel. He led a trading caravan to other cities,¡± Marc said. ¡°I find it hard to believe. This place is very diverse and very populous. Foreign customs, loads of merchants aiming for profits, underworld dealings¡­ I¡¯m willing to bet that there are many more people-related disputes here,¡± Viers challenged. ¡°The government deals with crime very seriously and there are laws for everything. Fights are forbidden inside the city, hostile Artes will not be tolerated. There is a division in the city¡¯s administration that specifically regulates or mediates trade-related matters. In addition to the city guards, there are law enforcers to make sure the city is functioning smoothly.¡± Milly explained with a measured tone. Among the trio, she was the wariest towards Viers. They had just met him after all. Did she just subtly warn him to not do anything against them? Viers was impressed. ¡°A lawful city¡­ might be the place for me,¡± Viers pondered. ¡°So where should I drop you three off?¡± ¡°I don''t think you should worry, Mister Knight. Our pick-up is here, look.¡± Harry pointed to a group of people in front of them. ¡°Milly! Oh you almost gave this old lady a heart attack!¡± ¡°Marc, your assignments just doubled this week. Prepare yourself, young man.¡± Milly got hugs from her parents while Marc¡¯s face turned blue from his father¡¯s punishment. Other than the parents of those two, there were people in city guard uniforms. The leader of the guards stepped forward and talked to Harry. ¡°Young lord.¡± ¡°Franz,¡± Harry greeted back. ¡°Right this way please. Your parents have been worried sick about you,¡± Franz turned to Viers. ¡°I can guess what happened but may I ask about the details?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± While Viers explained his involvement, the kids were saying goodbyes to each other. ¡°Rank 3 three-eyed wolves, multiple of them you say. It is unsettling how close such a group of monsters are in the vicinity. Two days ago there was a report of similar sightings but only of one wolf. I¡¯ll bump this upstairs. Thank you for your cooperation, sir,¡± Franz said. ¡°Just reporting what I saw. Am I done here?¡± ¡°Not quite, mister Avel. Harry¡¯s parents would like to meet you. They want to give you rewards.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m just there by chance. There¡¯s no need for a reward.¡± ¡°Sir, I¡¯m afraid I must insist,¡± Franz¡¯s stance was firm. ¡°...Lead the way,¡± Viers couldn''t refuse the Level 4¡¯s offer. The city guard prepared a luxurious carriage for Harry and Viers but the kid insisted on staying mounted on Brownie. He wanted to talk more about knights and the outside world with Viers. The guards couldn''t force Harry so they all went deeper into the city as is. ¡±Hmm¡­ Harry is a child of a big shot. He dressed like a commoner so he must have sneaked out. I didn''t find a clue before. Odds were, at least one of the trio was a rich kid. At first, Viers wanted to reap some benefits from ¡®saving¡¯ their lives but once he saw Harry was important enough to warrant attention from a Level 4, Viers threw the idea away. He didn''t want to deal with people stronger than him. Alas, Viers couldn''t unmount from the horse he¡¯d saddled. Franz and a small group of city guards led Viers to the central parts of the city. The nice districts with nice buildings where the elites resided. When it seemed he was making a direct way into the palace-like building in the very center of the city, Viers sweated. Scratch that. Harry is more important than I thought. Did I just meet another scion of a GK? What are the odds? Damnit. Urghhh, I am not ready for this. No, V. Stay positive. I might not meet any Level 4 or 5. In the stories, those strong people usually didn''t place any importance on a nameless small fry Level 2 like me¡­ right? Viers tried to find a way out of the situation he found himself in. A worried, sharply dressed man with a round belly and full beard was waiting in the nicest garden Viers had ever seen, far beyond the garden¡¯s gate. A similarly plump woman with bunned hair and a motherly face stood next to the man. Viers couldn''t fathom how strong they were so they must be at least Level 4. They rained down hugs and kisses on Harry as the kid placed his foot on the ground. ¡°My boy! How many times do I have to tell you? You must be accompanied by guards when leaving the city!¡± The man harrumphed. ¡°I didn''t go far¡­ the forest is always safe.¡± ¡°Except it wasn''t this time, correct? I¡¯ve heard the report. You met a Rank 3 monster!¡± The father¡¯s voice was getting firmer. The fourteen-year-old boy looked like a humbled cat. ¡°Son,¡± the mother called. ¡°We don''t want to lose you.¡± ¡°...Father, Mother, I¡¯m sorry for worrying you,¡± Harry bowed. The family moment extended for a bit then their attention turned to the savior of their son. ¡°And this must be the noble knight Harry told us about. Knight Avel, correct? Welcome to Regidana. I am Craig Regisea and this is my spouse, Madeline.¡± ¡°My lord and my lady, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re all quite mistaken. I¡¯m just an ordinary adventurer,¡± Viers replied with a polite attitude. Chapter 112 - In the Hall of the Santa King ¡°O ho ho ho, what a curious young man,¡± the bearded man who looked like a middle-aged wealthy shopkeeper rather than a governor-plus-king said. ¡°You have done me a great service. What would be the fitting reward, I wonder.¡± ¡°I just happened to be nearby, sir. The wolf retreated on its own. If it attacked, I would be shredded meat right now.¡± In Viers¡¯ version of the story, he was following a trail of a tri-eyed wolf monster then saw Harry and the two other kids get chased by a different tri-eyed wolf. He didn''t talk about the wolves that were hiding like chameleons or the fact that he glimpsed two mysterious figures at a distance. Humility is a virtue. Viers didn''t want others to know his true capabilities. ¡°Dear, how about we postpone this until tomorrow? A more fitting occasion, no?¡± Madeline, the GK¡¯s wife said, completely disregarding Viers¡¯ refusal. ¡°Ah, how forgetful of me. You¡¯re right, love. Young Avel, look forward to your reward tomorrow. Meanwhile, please allow me to extend my hospitality. Naim, prepare the guest room for our guest.¡± ¡°Mister Governor, it really is not nece-¡± But the GK and his wife wouldn''t take no for an answer. Harry was happy and said he would be visiting later for more stories. Naim, a butler, asked Viers to follow him to his room with a professional attitude. Franz took his leave, saying he still had paperwork to do. Left with no choice, Viers could only follow. What else could he do, run away? Other than the rudeness of it, he wouldn''t succeed. Even a butler here is a Level 4. The Governor-King lived in a palace befitting a monarch. The design was similar to European architecture. Viers walked a long way following Naim the butler, passing by servants and securities until he opened a room. It was the most luxurious room Viers had ever been in, a far cry from the raggedy road inn he sometimes stayed in when not camping out. Viers felt so out of place visiting the five stars hotel equivalent of this world. ¡°The governor will call you around tomorrow noon, dear guest. Until then, please enjoy your stay. Ring the bell on that table and someone will come to satisfy your every need. Feel free to use everything in this room as if it is your own. Is there anything else?¡± ¡°...It is fine. Give my thanks to Harry¡¯s parents.¡± In Viers¡¯ precious little stay at the hotels in old Earth, he¡¯d snagged things such as towels, blankets, and soaps. He now wondered if he should do the same here. As he observed around the room as big as a basketball court, his hands started to itch. Most of the things in this room looked very, very nice and the Thousand Treasure Casket in his pocket seemed to be screaming to be used. Nah Viers¡­ Don''t be so petty. Just as soon as he thought that Viers heard a knock. A maid brought Viers beverages. What exquisite teacups! Would the GK mind if I nabbed one of them? In the end, Viers¡¯ self-control won and he curbed his impulse of taking anything. I¡¯m not gonna slight a Level 5 over teacups. What the hell was I thinking? A different maid excused herself inside the room and she offered to wash Viers¡¯ clothes. Viers looked at himself in the body-sized mirror in the room. How long has it been since he washed his cape and armor again? Did I stink? ¡°Please do,¡± Viers stepped into the bath after giving the maid his laundry. Viers kept his face hidden from the maid, only removing his cover when he bathed. After he was clean and refreshed, Viers sat on the bed in Sam Porter Bridges¡¯ pose after a hard day of portering. Unfortunately, there was no baby in a tube nor floating caterpillars as snacks. Well, here I am. In Regidana, in the GK¡¯s palace¡­ What should I do now? ¡°Nice place. Oooh, what is that?¡± ¡°Incredible painting¡­ I think I¡¯ve seen the artist¡¯s other work before.¡± ¡°Viers, the bed looks as soft as Bakuntel Sheep¡¯s wool. Can you replicate it here?¡± The girls in his head enthusiastically enjoyed the new environment. Viers sprawled on the bed, rolling left and right a few times, hugging the pillows a few times, then recreated the same bed in the White Flowers Meadow inside his soulspace for the girls. The bed was big enough for three girls to fit, even if one of them had the lower body of a snake. From the voices, Viers knew they enjoyed it. Viers then started thinking about his current circumstances, his short-term goals in this city, and what were his future actions. Viers cultivated, entertained the visiting Harry, ate dinner, and slept. *** ¡°Sir, I must ask you one more time. Are you sure you want to meet the governor wearing ¡®that¡¯?¡± Naim the butler had a few beads of sweat forming on his forehead. ¡°This is who I am, mister butler. An adventurer that walks in the mud and fights monsters.¡± ¡°Sir, everyone else is wearing formal attire. It would be more fitting for the occasion. Please change into the garb we delivered to your room,¡± Naim persuaded. ¡°And what occasion is that? You won''t tell me.¡± ¡°The Governor specifically asked me to not tell you,¡± Naim sighed. ¡°If you¡¯re adamant, mister Avel, very well. Don''t say I didn''t warn you. Please come with me.¡± Wearing his adventurer garb that had been cleaned, Viers walked the corridors of the palace. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The both of them stopped in front of a big closed door, while the width was only two meters it was more than five meters tall. Viers could hear the faint voices of the GK from inside. The voice had the characteristic of something that sounded in a big room. The big door slowly moved open accompanied by the scraping sound of humongous objects moving. Two people from where Viers was standing pulled the door open, finally giving Viers a vision of the interior. It was a hall, a truly luxurious and majestic hall. This particular place was the apex of extravagance. Many eyes darted towards Viers who stood in the middle of the opened gate. ¡°And now we come to the last of this month''s award ceremony. Presenting, Adventurer Avel of Javia.¡± The master of ceremonies¡¯ voice rang loud and clear. Ah¡­ so that¡¯s how it is, Viers finally realized. The fifty other people in the room, mostly human, watched in confusion as Viers walked straight without fear. Gasps of surprise and covered whispers were exchanged, as if a goat had been invited to a dinner gala. Wearing a dark green cloak above his leather armor, the helmeted Level 2 trod the red carpet in the middle of the hall where the governor waited at the end. On the podium, there were two thrones. Craig sat on the highest and Madeline¡¯s throne was a step lower. The Governor King didn''t wear a crown but there was a jeweled scepter in his hand. He sat on the throne wearing a kingly garment under a long red cloak with white fur on the edges. To Viers, the round-bellied man resembled Santa Claus now. There was a man who stood closest to the pair of rulers. A man with thick sideburns wearing polished ornate armor with the eastern dragon sigil, the emblem of the Regisea¡¯s house. Even Harry¡¯s standing position was inferior to this man. Viers stopped walking a few steps away from the Governor King and after two seconds of silence, he spoke. ¡°Good afternoon, lord governor,¡± he bowed lightly. Farley, who was well-versed in the manners of nobility, told him that he should kneel to one knee before addressing the GK but Viers didn''t. The audience gasped anew. The man wearing the ornate armor blazed with fury. ¡°Scoundrel! You show up here wearing boorish clothes, covering your face like a thief and you dare speak to the king that way? KNEEL!¡± Viers was hit by the pressure of his aura and took a step back. It felt like somebody just punched the whole surface of his body. The man tried to make Viers kneel but Viers held on. ¡°Ho ho ho, that¡¯s enough, Marlin. He didn''t do anything wrong,¡± Craig spoke. The pressure resided and Viers straightened his back anew, looking at the seated GK. ¡°Apologies for the treatment of my brother, young Avel.¡± ¡°It is nothing, lord governor,¡± Viers replied using double entendre. Craig and Madeline watched Viers with a glint of amusement. The Court of King Craig was a bit unusual today. ¡°Out of curiosity, would you mind telling us why you show up here wearing that attire? Did no one send a fitting outfit to your room?¡± Naim the butler was sweating bullets, afraid he would be blamed. ¡°A nice set of clothes was delivered to my room this morning, governor, I simply chose to meet you without using it.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m simply an adventurer. Nothing more, nothing less. I¡¯m not an important person like the people in this room. I present myself to you as it is. Different clothes will not change what I am inside.¡± There was silence in the hall. It was as if the air had become lead and started crushing Viers. But Viers¡¯ back was as straight as a pole, not letting the atmosphere get to him. The man with the most power in this city brought his hand together and clapped. His spouse also clapped albeit more elegantly. Only then the audience followed, with Harry contributing the largest. Only the GK¡¯s brother remained unmoved. ¡°Marvelous, young Avel. I applaud your trueness to yourself. Are you sure you¡¯re not a knight?¡± Craig smiled. ¡°Positive, sir. I¡¯ve never been to Latias. I¡¯ve never been knighted.¡± ¡°Won''t you remove your helmet? I would like to see the face of my son¡¯s savior.¡± ¡°My face under this metal bucket is hideously scarred, milord. I shall spare you from a gruesome spectacle. Forgive me for rejecting your wish,¡± Viers bowed again, respectfully but not servilely. ¡°That is a shame indeed. Well, this has been a great opener. Let us continue the proceedings. Young Avel, do you know what this is about?¡± ¡°A reward ceremony, I heard the master of ceremonies¡¯ announcement earlier.¡± ¡°Oh, you know about the position of the master of ceremonies? How unusual for a ¡®mere¡¯ adventurer,¡± Madeline teased. Urk¡­ shot myself in the foot there. Riposte! ¡°...I read it in a book, milady.¡± ¡°Every month, there is a reward ceremony for my vassals who have done meritable deeds. Since you saved my son from danger, you¡¯ve earned the right to be here,¡± Craig explained. ¡°Now, about your reward, would three thousand mana crystals be satisfactory?¡± The GK offered a great sum. Some of the other vassals became green with envy. Their reward was not as great. ¡°It is a generous sum, milord. But I¡¯m afraid that much money is wasted on me. It is better to use it to feed the less fortunate in your city.¡± Money? I have more than enough, thankyouverymuch. ¡°Hou¡­ very well,¡± Craig wasn''t a tiny bit upset. ¡°How about this, I can offer you a station in the Regisea household. You¡¯ll have a steady income and a stable job.¡± Naturally, Vers refused this too. This is basically vassalage. Is this really a reward? After the second refusal, the Governor offered Viers a great variety of rewards. A girl slave, a pet monster, works of art, magic items, discounts to all the shops in Regidana, etc. but Viers kept refusing. He stopped a bit for thinking when the Governor-King offered cultivation resources, then dangled supreme Artes, finally, a Profound Codex. Each one was more precious than the last. When the Profound Codex was offered, the gallery finally couldn''t hold it anymore and disturbed the session, talking among themselves, some even protested. Never before a Profound Codex came out as a reward in the monthly reward ceremony. Marlin, the GK¡¯s brother, swept the hall with his pressure again to return the order. ¡°You put me in a difficult position, lad. Rejecting all my gifts,¡± Craig massaged his temple with his fingers. ¡°Sir, your goodwill has been made loud and clear. The sentiment is more than enough for a small figure like me.¡± ¡°Not rewarding you is unacceptable, young Avel. Meritorious deeds shall be rewarded lavishly, that is Regisea house¡¯s way of doing things. Look at the men and women standing in this hall right now. That is how these people with talent came under my service. If saving the life of my son doesn''t get you a generous prize, where can I put my face in front of my men?¡± Craig explained to shed some light on his circumstances. A meritocracy system and this display of generosity witnessed by many eyes. Running a city certainly isn''t a one-man job, even if he¡¯s a Level 5. If I am a job seeker, I might apply here. But I¡¯m a CEO y¡¯know. CEO of Viers Corporation! I have no intentions of entering somebody else¡¯s company. Viers Corporation shall be Amazon or Google-level global organization, I swear it! ¡°How about this then¡­ Adventurer Avel, how do you find this city, Regidana?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve traveled to many towns and cities, milord. Regidana is famous for its prosperity and beauty. Now that I¡¯ve seen them with my own eyes, I see that the rumors are not unfounded.¡± ¡°Very good,¡± Craig hummed in understanding. ¡°Then I shall bestow you with a house that you can call your own. A place to return to from your adventures. An abode to shed your fatigue away from your travels. Naim, give him a class 3 residence in the central district. Tax-free for three years!¡± The audience broke into a great clamor. ¡°I shall arrange it, my lord,¡± the butler bowed. ¡°Sir, such a grand gift is too much for me!¡± Viers insisted. ¡°The matter is closed! I¡¯m in a fine mood today. Ahh, another great day in Regidana. Brouhaha!¡± Craig rose on his feet and left with a merry laugh. Madeline smiled kindly at Viers. ¡°Welcome to Regidana,¡± she sweetly said. Chapter 113 - New Home ¡°What are you planning, dear?¡± ¡°Hmn? Are you objecting too?¡± Madeline and Craig conversed in private, enjoying tea imported from Latias Kingdom. ¡°Not at all. I am simply curious. You have the look.¡± ¡°Look? What look?¡± Craig asked. ¡°You are making the face when you find a treasure,¡± Madeline smiled. ¡°My beloved wife, I can''t hide anything from you, can I?¡± Craig chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯ve found a treasure.¡± ¡°Young lad Avel?¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Craig nodded. ¡°What is your take on him?¡± ¡°Shady, vigilant, interesting,¡± Madeline lifted her finger one by one as she spoke. ¡°Our son is quite fond of this young man.¡± ¡°He was very wary of us. As if merely talking with us carries danger.¡± ¡°Perhaps he had a bad experience with stronger Pathseekers.¡± ¡°Perhaps. He¡¯s also hiding something great.¡± ¡°Oh? You probed him?¡± Madeline raised a brow. ¡°Nothing quite so direct, no. I only feel his potential. And my gut tells me, this Avel hides his true strength deeply.¡± ¡°A Level 2 that young surely has something special.¡± Madeline agreed with her husband. ¡°So you wanted to rope him in. Won''t be an easy task.¡± ¡°Money, cultivation resources, Profound Codex, he rejected them all. Either he really didn''t need them or he didn''t want to have dealings with us. The fact he didn''t call me king or Your Majesty shows he didn''t like authority hanging above his head. He¡¯s the type that treasures his freedom. Therefore I gave him a house, to bind him to Regidana. Whether he makes use of the house or not is up to him. A house or two isn''t anything big anyway.¡± ¡°What do you mean to do?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll let him do whatever he wants, extending hospitality now and then. Should he grow into someone great then we benefit from a good relationship. In the meantime, perhaps his existence would be a boon to the city. Goddess knows we need many more competent adventurers.¡± Madeline watched Craig¡¯s face for a while then changed the topic. ¡°Alright. What about the wolves? Imagine my surprise when I heard Harry almost got eaten by our hidden forces?¡± ¡°The handler was trying something out and lost control. He realized Harry and his friends were implicated and regained control in the end. Franz gave me the report.¡± ¡°Even so, Harry was an inch away from death. How could this happen?¡± ¡°Our boy stole a disappearing cloak. The lookout in the forest didn''t realize someone sneaked in but the noses of the wolves did,¡± Craig sighed. ¡°Thankfully, nothing happened and I can use the excuse of saving Harry to gift Avel a house. A silver lining.¡± *** ¡°And this is the bathroom. It has been recently refurbished with the latest water magic items. You can...¡± Naim dutifully explained the rooms of Viers¡¯ new house but the owner of the building didn''t pay much attention to what the butler was saying. His mind was weighing the pluses and negatives of his situation. As for the house itself, it was a nice two-story building as big as a basketball court with ample garden space. It was a nice house, in a nice district, in one of the most prosperous cities on his side of the continent. It was a really nice house in which Viers had no complaints but he was unable to be enthusiastic about it. Not before settling his indecisiveness. ¡°And that concluded the tour. Should you need servants for household work, please feel free to contact me. Would that be all, Mister Avel?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you, mister butler.¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°I shall take my leave then,¡± the butler bowed. ¡°One more thing, as the Governor said, the house will be free from taxes obligation for three years. I recommend getting citizenship before the term expires.¡± ¡°...Citizenship?¡± That word caught Viers¡¯ interest. ¡°Indeed. At Regidana, we have a much more complex law for our citizens such as legal documents of citizenship. It has many uses, such as a much cheaper tax.¡± ¡°...I see. Thank you for your help.¡± ¡°It was my pleasure, Mister Avel.¡± Viers accompanied Naim until the front yard. After the butler had gone away, Viers turned to look at the house that was now his. His head was full of considerations. I can pretty much guess what the GK wanted. The thing is, would the advantages outweigh the disadvantages if I make this place my base? What did Viers mean by ¡®base¡¯? He meant laying some foundation in a place, a base of operations. After Luxore town¡¯s destruction, Viers'' destination was Valkut city. Paina¡¯s mother said to Paina in her deathbed that her father who for some reason abandoned his family was in that city. Paina wanted to see her father for¡­ reasons. Viers didn''t really care or understand what her reasons were but since Paina died and Viers felt he owed her and he needed to get the hell away from Luxore town, Viers journeyed to Valkut city. Viers wanted adventure and the destination matters not. Since one of his companions wanted to go to Valkut city, why not go there? He would be adventuring to get stronger anyway. The distance between Luxore town to Valkut city was similar to going from Australia''s west coast to the east coast. Half a year¡¯s worth of traveling and Viers was finally only one step away from Valkut city. From Regidana, I can take a ship north and directly reach Valkut. If I go by land from Regidana, there¡¯s still a long way to go. It would mean more adventures that way though. Hopping from town to town, city to city, one quest to another¡­ but no. It is better if I reach my destination faster. Why? The reason linked with why Viers wanted to make a base. Viers had become the master of a Biome master, he planned to make use of the power that came with that status to the fullest. Is it time to plant the seed? Through his familiar, Viers had access to a stable pocket dimension. Before Viers left Pecan Village, he already hatched a plan. A grand plan with Dia¡¯s Biome at the core! Dia¡¯s Biome did not exist in the material plane. To go there, one would need a dimensional entrance, a Rift. As a master of the Biome, Dia had the ability to create that Rift. At this time, there was only one entrance, at Pecan Village. Dia couldn''t make a new Rift wherever she wished, especially not to a place far away she¡¯d never seen before. That was where Viers came into play. After consulting with Clarissa that his theory was plausible, the gears in Viers¡¯ head were turning like an industrial machine. At Viers¡¯ behest, Dia made Viers a seed. A special seed that Viers could plant. After it grew sufficiently, it would allow Dia to lock on to the plant¡¯s location and make a new Rift. From the newly created Rift, Viers could reach the Biome and he could go through a different Rift to a different place. Viers ambitiously wanted to create a teleportation network that encompassed the whole continent with Dia¡¯s Biome as the hub! This world is vast and I want to experience them all. Teleportation would make going from place to place very convenient. ¡°This is¡­ incredible!¡± ¡°Lord Viers¡¯ ideas never cease to amaze me.¡± ¡°How in the Nine Heavens can you be so lucky? A Biome master that can do this just fell onto your lap?¡± When Viers shared his plan to his fellow Viers Corporation members for the first time, the girls were amazed. Teleportation was a thing in the current age, Farley knew the Estellian Church had the capability, so did the Cult of Dumuzin, but they achieved it through different methods from Viers. Not everyone had a Biome master as their ally and not all Biome masters could do this. Dia¡¯s ability to make an ¡®antenna¡¯ for pinpoint Rift creation from afar was unique. The seed was part of Dia¡¯s body. The plant that would grow from the seed was basically the dryad¡¯s clone. That was why Dia could make Rifts despite their distances so far apart. But Viers couldn''t just plant the seed willy-nilly. The Gate Plant -as Viers decided to call it- needed to be nurtured and protected. Planting it in the wilderness would attract monsters -it was magical after all- and what would happen if a strong Pathseeker found it? Best case scenario the Gate Plant would simply be taken, turned into potion ingredients. Worst case scenario would be he or she realized the function of the plant, a gateway to a Biome and invaded it. No, Viers needed a secure environment for the seed. Thus, he needed a ¡®base¡¯. One of the reasons he went to Marakkus was to establish this base. While a city chock-full of criminals seemed to be the contrary of a safe place at first glance but Viers thought the opposite. Viers planned to crush or subdue a gang or two, by blackmailing, threatening, kidnapping, or outright killing people to create his first fledgling underworld organization. A small one, of course. Just enough for his purposes and without drawing the eye of the big shots since he was just a Level 2. The famous black market of the sin city -among other things- would also serve as a channel for him to flow the resources from Dia¡¯s Biome to the outside world, discreetly. Alas, it didn''t come to be. His plan at Marakkus city colossally sank to the bottom of the ocean like Titanic. But Viers still needed to plant a teleportation point in this area so Regidana port city became his second choice. After careful consideration, Viers made up his mind. Well, perhaps this is for the best. Regidana is famous for its commerce and the city looks well-governed, making a base here might be better. Viers¡¯ eyes glinted with savage intent. If it doesn''t work out, I can always find another place. That¡¯s what my strength is for. I pity the ones who became my enemy. Chapter 114 - Homeworks Viers regarded self-strength very highly. In a world of swords and magic, why shouldn''t he strive to be a superhuman? The cost would be steep, including blood, pain, and death. There were others that disliked that way of life. Too much suffering, too much destruction. Disregarding others and the world¡¯s well-being for selfish gain. Viers was aware of this, very much so, but he chose to do this nonetheless. His transmigration or reincarnation into this fantasy world was fairly recent, a bit less than two years ago. Before that, he was simply a very mediocre white-collar worker, a man going through the motions in life. To him, his life was freedomless and he was a powerless existence. Prisoned in the cage of society. When he arrived in this world, he decided to live his life to the fullest. Who didn''t want a second chance at life, in a fantasy world to boot? Determined not to live a life as he had on Earth, Viers sought happiness, to enjoy life as a person of this world. He wanted a life of freedom. However, he knew freedom without power to back it up was as fragile as a soap bubble. Therefore, Viers sought power so vehemently. The most reliable kind of power, self-strength. Through power, he would live a good life. Viers believed it so single-mindedly. The mindset he achieved without some dramatic tragedy fell on him. His family didn''t get murdered, he didn''t get crippled, or experienced any particular dark circumstances. The idea was just ingrained in Viers¡¯ head because of the uncountable fictional entertainments that Viers consumed. If he didn''t have power, sooner or later tragedies would happen to him. That was just life. But if he had power, he could avert such tragedies. On Earth, tragedies could happen in a heartbeat and change one¡¯s life forever. A car crash and one might die but what if they had a body harder than steel? A bullet might kill one''s family but what if they could move faster than bullets? A liner ship could sink in frozen cold water after hitting an iceberg and drowning many people but what if one could walk on water? World War III could turn Earth into a radioactive wasteland because of some petty political disagreement but what if one were immune from nuclear blasts and radiation? On Earth the physics-defying feats were impossible but here, there was magic! Reaching the highest tier of cultivation was his goal now. No matter the cost. Viers did not know a single example where powerlessness was better than having power. However, Viers knew that power was a volatile thing. It could destroy the possessor. But Viers was not worried, he could learn from the failures of his predecessors. From the villains in the Sunday morning cartoons, the antagonists in the comics, the bad guys in the movies, the final bosses in video games, even real-life controversial figures; all of their defeats and demise became the guiding light in Viers¡¯ journey. If there were still problems that still couldn''t be solved after he had done everything right then it was simply because he didn''t have enough power yet. All for a life of quality, hell of a thing¡­ This is my Glorious Purpose! Viers¡¯ egotistical desire burned even more fiercely than ever. Since the start of his cultivation journey, Viers had amassed means to strengthen himself, so he could walk further in the Path of Power. He wished he could say that he earned the power he had through his own efforts but he wasn''t blind. The keenness of perception was a requirement for a man to be as genre-savvy as Viers so he knew that luck played a crucial factor in how he reached his current strength. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. But what of it? Other MCs, especially in xianxia, all had their share of luck. However, unless it was a deus ex machina kind of story, luck was not enough. Viers made sure he utilized his fortunate opportunities to the fullest, chaining them to the next link of opportunities. By going from one fortunate encounter to another, his cultivation would soar many times faster than normal. That was how the xianxia MCs did it, how an MC with the age of twenty was able to defeat a century-old opponent. Viers simply copied the tried and true formula. Cultivation wasn''t simply about journeying to a dungeon, defeating the dungeon boss, and reaping the reward though, at least not in this world. So after his latest ¡®arc¡¯, Viers wanted the time to properly digest his gains and consolidate his power. Before I set sail to Valkut city, I must reach Level 3. In the past, I stayed clear from the center of civilization. Only visiting rural and desolate areas where strong people rarely exist. I grew pretty fast according to this world¡¯s cultivation standards but so what? If I¡¯m not strong enough when the next disaster happens, I¡¯m dead. In a city, I could cultivate faster. My target is to reach Level 3 in the next six months. Although¡­ It seems this city is also brewing something. Originally, Viers was chasing a wolf monster with three eyes. He tracked it using a piece of its soul that Viers gouged and turned into a photo. When he got surrounded by the wolf¡¯s friends, they retreated on their own. Is this the so-called plot armor? Might be, but I¡¯m not gonna depend on it. Actually, it''s probably something to do with the kids, Harry in particular. He¡¯s the son of a Level 5 after all. Might not be a good idea harming the son of a living nuclear weapon. He caught a silhouette of two people before they disappeared so maybe they were the ones that controlled the wolves. After Viers got left alone in his new home, Viers pulled the photo of the wolf¡¯s ass and sensed its location. Turns out, the wolf was somewhere inside the city. Is there someone breeding a bunch of Rank 3 monsters inside Regidana city? How the hell do they do that? Viers was having a headache. Everywhere I go, there¡¯s an event¡­ Am I in Detective Conan or something? Wherever the kid detective goes, there¡¯s a corpse! The anime and manga have already passed the 1000 mark. How many bodies are behind his trail by now? He must be cursed, cursed I tell ya! Viers shook his head. Anyway, it can''t be helped. It¡¯s not like any other place is completely safe. There¡¯s no safe place for the weak in this world and I¡¯m still weak. I just need to be smart about it, not drawing any troubles that I can''t solve. For my continued livelihood, I must be as strong as possible, as fast as possible. Why was Viers in a hurry to raise his cultivation Level? Why didn''t he spend his days leisurely? Wouldn''t his Horizon eventually solve all of his problems? My enemies are coming. Viers lived dangerously, killing monsters and -frequently enough- humans. That had consequences. The Church, those busybodies¡­ The Cults, those devil-worshiping radicals. I¡¯ve tussled with Dumuzin, Yasterah, and Banbenxi followers. According to the trend, will I become enemies with all seven? Last should be the cryptic warning I got from the spirit bull about pursuers from far away. These people should be coming in the next two or three years. Level 5s at the very least, possibly stronger. With such a threat looming above his head, Viers didn''t dare to be complacent. Hmph. There are gains and there are risks. Anyway, there¡¯s much to do here at Regidana. Viers had to travel far because he had relations with Luxore town¡¯s destruction. Although he got caught by Freya, he¡¯d managed to get away. Regidana was very distant from Luxore so there was no problem if Viers stayed for a couple of months. Viers wanted to find a soul cure for the fourth resident in his head, Farley¡¯s sister Gwen. He couldn''t just pay lip service to Farley, could he? She¡¯d helped him in no small amount. Viers also needed to find how to make flesh and blood bodies. He had four girls waiting in line. Viers had no idea how he''d accomplish that but he¡¯d better get started. He owed them. Viers wasn''t a good person but he still recognized debt when he saw one. I doubt I can truly succeed in six months so the reunion of Paina with her dad will be conducted with the daughter in ghost mode. A bit amusing. If he could, he also hoped to solve the matter of his water affinity. Currently, he was at affinity 4 but originally he was only affinity 2. According to Farley, the boost should last for another two years but the sooner he finished his homework, the better. My soul department could use improvement also. In an effort to hide I¡¯m a dual affinity Pathseeker, I seldom use my soul magic in front of other people but I shouldn''t be neglecting to develop my soul. I¡¯ve already got a few ideas. With my Soul Prison almost at full capacity, I should¡­ make use of them. It''s time to upgrade my soul, baby! Viers opened his eyes, watching the blue sea in the distance. He was standing on the rooftop of his new home, winds flapping his dark green cloak, arms crossed. He¡¯d scried his apprentice and Takju, telling them about this place earlier that day. They had come as expected: a kid, a giant, and a cat. Viers had been waiting for a while on the roof, just so he could look cool. He''d even managed to organize his to-do list thanks to the long wait. When they reached the front yard, Viers gave them his greeting as the master of the house. ¡°Welcome, dear guests, to my new house!¡± Viers said loudly, looking down on them from above. Chapter 115 - Offer ¡°The bathroom is that way. Clean yourself up first before touring the house. There are no servants here so it''s just us. Ah-ah-ah, where are you going, kitty?¡± Viers grabbed Chacha by the neck. The cat tried to wander around but Viers caught her first. ¡°No way I¡¯m gonna allow you to bring ticks into my less-than-a-day-old home.¡± Viers pushed the struggling cat to the one responsible. ¡°Clean her up. Thoroughly. Not one inch of her body should be without scrubbing. Get me?¡± ¡°Yes, Master. Come on Chacha. It¡¯s bath time.¡± The giant, the kid, and the cat went towards the bathroom. Viers grinned below his helmet. *** Viers was doing a lot of reading lately. With his body still recovering from the battle with Alan, he needed to rest his body. His reading materials were not books of scrolls but memories. Memories of other people, accessed by soul search. Truthfully, it was more akin to ¡®watching¡¯ than ¡®reading¡¯. But whether it was reading or watching, all was knowledge. With how often he searched the souls inside his soul Prison, Viers gained much, such as the information about Regidana and its surroundings. So this port has been around since before the Coalition was formed, since the time of the Coriz Empire¡­ neat. Ah, this is interesting. Every few years, around three to five years, there will be an attack by the sea-dwelling monsters. A beast tide, but fish version. Sounds interesting¡­ Well, this guy is quite knowledgeable about the city, including the Wildland areas nearby. You got a sister who lives here, huh? Welp, tough luck. You¡¯re dead now. Because a certain girl inside his head might consider it unethical and make a fuss about it, Viers generally kept his soul-searching activities a secret. The recent arrival was heavy reading for Viers¡¯ standard. Many of them were Level 3, Alan first and foremost. Reading their memories proved to be difficult for the lower leveled Viers. Still, through repeated attempts, Viers got almost a complete idea about what happened in Marakkus. Demon King¡¯s left eye¡­ Viers got a feeling it would be important in the future but Viers didn''t want anything to do with it at this time so he moved the matter to the back of his head. ¡°Master, we¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Long bath you all have there. Feeling better I hope?¡± Viers replied to his apprentice¡¯s question. ¡°The hot water is nice. And the bathroom is wide too! Ehehe.¡± ¡°Refreshing. Thank you for your hospitality, young Avel.¡± ¡°Meow...¡± Takju¡¯s form-changing technique made him look like an average human now, not a three-meter tall tower of muscle. They all wore a fresh set of clothes. The black cat was in Boram¡¯s arms. Her not-fully-dry appearance and scowling face looked very amusing. ¡°Alright gang. Let''s have dinner. I¡¯m curious to taste the local delicacies. Takju, if you¡¯re sure your disguise can''t be breached then you can come. No hard feelings, just precaution.¡± ¡°Your caution is warranted,¡± Takju who was now only a head taller than Viers replied understandingly. ¡°Unless a Level 5 examines me directly, I¡¯m certain people won''t know I¡¯m a wanted giant.¡± ¡°Okay then. Dinner time! Oh, bring the cat. We can''t let the poor girl starve, can we?¡± Viers led the gang out of the house. He didn''t forget to give Brownie an ample amount of food and water in the stable. They walked under a red sunset sky while sightseeing the streets. Because the high-class district they were in was too, well, too high class for them, Viers¡¯ group walked quite a distance to the middle-class area and picked a restaurant there. The people looked less stuck up here, thus more tolerable for Viers¡¯ standards. Viers ate the seafood paella and had a coconut for the drink, the whole fruit. Boram and Takju ate heartily. Their background did not allow them to eat such luxurious food. Viers didn''t wear his helmet while eating, of course. But his face was still covered with face wrapping to hide his hideous and scarred face. Regidana was a melting pot of cultures and races. The mingling of many races could be clearly seen in the restaurant. In a place such as this, many topics of conversation were exchanged. One, in particular, caught Viers¡¯ attention. About two tables across, they were talking about the things in Marakkus city. There are no Level 5s in Marakkus currently. The GK, his son, and his grandson all died. The church spread the word about a plot to unseal a dangerous demon but the Silver Legion prevented it. Things were very chaotic there¡­ I expected as much. Not that it has anything to do with me. I¡¯ve washed my hands clean of the matter. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Chacha was also listening. She ate her food less enthusiastically afterward. ¡°Master, what are our plans tomorrow?¡± Boram asked after finishing his meal. His food was different from Viers. ¡°Questing?¡± ¡°Naw¡­ There¡¯s much to do in this city. But that¡¯s my job. As for you, becoming Level 2 is your current priority. No questing before that.¡± Viers took a sip from the hollowed coconut fruit to drink the water inside. Money¡¯s not a problem for now and my schedule is full. ¡°What about you?¡± Viers asked Takju. ¡°Not to be rude or anything but I¡¯m not certain how long you¡¯ll be in the clear. Unlike us, you¡¯ve been under the grip of a Level 5 for years. Who knows what kind of mystic methods they have to find you. The family might be busy with their internal troubles currently but it won''t last long. They don''t want to lose such strong personnel. The sooner you leave, the better.¡± ¡°Speak for yourself, Viers,¡± Clarissa¡¯s voice resounded in his head. ¡°Rather than taking back a slave, the remaining family of the so-called Governor-King might have targeted you. You¡¯re the one who killed the succeeding scion and robbed their treasury.¡± ¡°They don''t know it¡¯s me,¡± Viers replied to the lamia. ¡°And even if they do find me, I plan to make use of this city¡¯s security to get some time to grow. No fighting in public, let alone killing. I won''t rely on it completely but it gives me a buffer at least. Besides, smart rabbits create three burrows. I also have contingencies.¡± Takju also finished his dinner. He ate quite a lot. ¡°Your words are true. I¡¯ll ask about ships going south tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°I hope you find a way home, mister Takju.¡± ¡°Thank you, young Boram.¡± Viers responded by raising his coconut to make a toasting gesture and drank the remaining sweet water. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, shall we?¡± *** Deep in the night, a figure stepped on the dark hallway. Each footfall silent, each breath noiseless. The figure was moving like a shadow, near unperceivable in the dark. It went down from the second floor to the first floor. The residents should be all asleep now. No better time in the day to act. ¡°Good evening.¡± The soft greeting startled the figure, breaking the perfectly measured stride. There was a pair of eyes glowing with eerie green light watching the figure from the dark. The speaker was totally covered in darkness save for the eyes. ¡°Take a seat, please,¡± the man with green eyes spoke. ¡°Meow...¡± the figure replied. The man chuckled and snapped his fingers. Like magic, the curtains in the living room were no longer covering the windows. Pale moonlight of soft silvery glow fell on the man. He sat on a one-man fit sofa, legs crossed, both arms were on the armrest before he clasped them together in front of his chest. There was no helmet on his face but it was covered with cloth save for the eyes. His posture radiated absolute control, bathed in the radiance of the moon. The eyes were no longer green, making all who saw doubted if that was an illusion. Chacha felt a shiver run along her spine and bolted to the kitchen but the door suddenly clamped shut. Viers didn''t move, nor there were any signs of Victa being used. First the curtains and now the door, it was as if Viers was moving things with his mind. ¡°I know you unlocked a window in the kitchen earlier. Before you leave, I want to have a chat. Please, sit.¡± The cat felt something. An unsettling presence. No, not one. One, two, three, she counted. They were looming on her tiny body. Her heart was plunged into a sea of fear. ¡°You¡¯re shaking. Feeling cold perhaps? I have brewed some tea. Fortunately, the new house¡¯s pantry is not empty.¡± The man took a sip after pouring the tea into two cups. He was like a shark playing with its food and the cat knew it. After seconds of indecision, the cat moved. The black feline transformed into a human woman with long red hair. Despite morphing from an animal shape, she was wearing a black shoulderless dress and an elegant pointy hat. She sat politely across the man, putting the hat on her lap. ¡°Mister Avel.¡± ¡°Miss Izabella. Fancy meeting you here,¡± Viers jested. ¡°...How did you know? Since when?¡± There was trembling in her voice. ¡°It was an impressive technique,¡± Viers praised. ¡°But not enough to fool me. From the beginning, miss Izabella, from the very beginning.¡± Their greeting wasn''t unnoticed. Takju walked into the living room, eyeing the surroundings with wariness. The Level 4¡¯s senses were sharp. His gaze remained on Izabella for a few seconds. A look of recognition, and something else. Gratitude? Curious. ¡°Is everything alright, young Avel?¡± Takju asked. ¡°Completely,¡± Viers replied. ¡°Would you mind giving us some privacy?¡± His tone was firm. ¡°...I¡¯ll be outside, watching the surroundings.¡± ¡°Much appreciated.¡± Takju went past the living room and went out using the main door. With his back on the door, the Level 4 had his eyes on the front yard. ¡°He didn''t seem to resent you,¡± Viers said. ¡°Not that you have many interactions with him considering he was Irkun¡¯s slave but I figured it was a possibility.¡± ¡°...I healed his injury once.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Viers sipped his tea once again, mimicking royalty. ¡°How much do you know? About Marakkus?¡± Iz asked. ¡°Just the outline. Yasterah worshipers sacrificed hundreds of people to free the Demon King¡¯s left eye but the Silver Legion stopped them. A bit of a shame really. All that effort and your cult didn''t gain a single thing, only losses. ¡°What do you want, Avel?¡± Izabella said with a bit of a hiss. ¡°If you want to kill me then do it!¡± There was despair in her eyes, Viers could see it even without using his super sight. ¡°Kill you? No, I¡¯m not in the habit of wasting lives.¡± Viers put his teacup down and resumed his Godfather sitting pose. ¡°I want to make an offer you can''t refuse.¡± Chapter 116 - Unrefusable ¡°That is not an offer. That is a threat,¡± the red-haired beauty said, holding back a scowl. ¡°Think of it in any way you wish,¡± Viers tilted his head slightly. ¡°Before my offer, I¡¯ll ask you a question. Is Blood Exarch Ursula dead?¡± Izabella didn''t answer but Viers saw her expression waver. Loss and guilt but also hope. It was all the clue that Viers needed. ¡°I see, then after you leave this house you¡¯ll try to get in touch with the Blood Church to clarify the status of the woman you love like a sister.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Izabella was shocked. She didn''t think Viers would know so much, including her personal relationship. ¡°H-how? Are you a spy? No, more importantly, who are you working for? One of the other six?¡± ¡°Incorrect. I don''t worship any of the seven devils but enough of that. That is not why we''re having this conversation. I want to make a deal.¡± ¡°...What kind of deal?¡± Izabella¡¯s back was drenched. Her position in this discussion was horribly disadvantageous. Ambushed into this meeting, the other party understood her personality, and she was surrounded by the mysterious presence. Three of them. She could feel the three were standing just right behind her seat. Invisible to the eye. ¡°Simple. First, I want you to borrow your cult¡¯s extensive information network. Second, you tell me about the Blood Church¡¯s movements. Secretly.¡± Izabella¡¯s face blanked out for a second while she parsed the information before she dawned with realization. Her expression turned blue. ¡°You want me to be your spy.¡± ¡°I prefer the term informant,¡± Viers grinned. Although, Izabella couldn''t see it because of the mask. ¡°If I refuse?¡± Izabella said then a light gasp escaped her lips. Her neck felt the kiss of metal. Three knives were on her throat, silently. Izabella watched the man in front of her this whole time and he didn''t do any movement, let alone using his Victa. Izabella had been observing him very intently and she still didn''t feel any Arte was in use. Just like earlier, is Avel moving objects with his thoughts? How? That is not an ability a Level 2 could have! ¡°Then I¡¯m saddened to say our fleeting association has come to an end. I shan''t tolerate loose ends,¡± Viers¡¯ tone was very even as if he was saying something trivial and not about life or death. He¡­ is not joking. ¡°...I will do it, khhh.¡± Izabella bit her lips, sounding defeated. ¡°Very good,¡± Viers still maintained his calm and composed pose. The knives no longer posed on Izabella¡¯s throat. ¡°There¡¯s no need for concern. I won''t ask you to dig up dangerous information or lead your fellow cultist to a trap, no. Just go about your days normally. You do your thing and I do mine, giving me news once in a while.¡± For now, Viers left some words unsaid. ¡°Then we will enter a pact immediately. Take my hand and don''t resist.¡± Izabella could only agree. She took Viers¡¯ extended right hand with her own. The very gesture of a handshake. Arte - Soul Pact! Izabella felt her body shiver, while in fact, it was her soul. At this stage, she still lacked the awareness of her soul. Izabella saw a contract inside her mind. ¡°If you agree then give it your consent,¡± Viers said. Magical oaths were nothing new, Viers had known many variations of it in Earth¡¯s fiction. In this world, there were similar things. Viers learned the Arte by soul-searching a few of the guys that he killed. Viers modified their version and created the soul version of it, Soul Pact Arte. But was his version better? Arguable. Viers simply wanted to deal in the field he was familiar with. Viers had a transient thought about making the Arte kiss-based but he scrapped the idea since he might have to enter a contract with another male. Viers simply wasn''t attracted to males. He was an old-fashioned straight man. Izabella read the contract slowly and thoroughly, word by word. It was mostly similar to the compulsion he forced on Takju with a few additions. She must not harm Viers in any capacity, maintaining their ¡®affair¡¯ a secret, Izabella couldn''t tell lies to him but she could choose to remain silent unless the information was critical, an agreement of not exploiting any loopholes, and breaking the vow meant death. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Izabella was surprised, apart from the detail about certain death, the contract was quite lenient. She wasn''t forced to do anything dangerous. ¡°Hyaaah!?¡± She suddenly cried. ¡°Hmn?¡± ¡°N-nothing. I just felt a chill on my nape all of a sudden,¡± Izabella returned to reading the contract with full concentration. While Viers kept a stoic front, he praised Farley for her independent approach. She played the role pretty well. After checking the clauses five times, Izabella signed the contract inside her head. Viers and Izabella felt the binding between them immediately. Like a stone thrown into a pond of their soul before the ripples ceased and everything went back into tranquility. Viers made the contract loose on purpose. It was more like a ceasefire agreement than blackmail. He could make a strict contract no different than slavery but Viers wasn''t aiming for short-term benefits. Having an insider in one of the seven devils cults should prove useful. ¡°Contract signed,¡± Viers said in a satisfied manner. ¡°...Viers, not Cain. Is that your real name?¡± Izabella asked. The disadvantage of my Soul Pact is that I must use my real name or the binding will not be as strong. Can''t be helped. If she tells anyone she would die anyway. ¡°You can call me Viers if you like, although you might spontaneously die if someone overheard,¡± Viers cocked his head to the door where Takju left. Izabella snapped her head in that direction and sighed in relief after she didn''t die. Actually, Viers¡¯ Soul Pact didn''t work like that but Viers didn''t need to tell her that. But since Izabella didn''t know what kind of oath Arte was used on her, she didn''t doubt Viers¡¯ words. ¡°I-uh, I¡¯ll keep calling you Avel then,¡± she looked slightly more relaxed since her life was no longer on the line. If Viers wanted to kill her, why would he make her sign a magic contract? ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave if that is alright,¡± she wanted to leave as soon as possible. There was still inexplicable uncomfortableness in this room. ¡°Not quite, Miss Thyris. First, take a look at this,¡± Viers conjured something beside him. ¡°A-Alan!?¡± Izabella promptly stood in surprise when she saw the transparent human shape. Alan was hanging in the air as if he was a puppet supported by strings. He wasn''t conscious. Viers showed Alan wearing the same garment that he wore when battling Viers. ¡°He¡¯s your friend, correct? One of the few people that still support you after your house¡¯s fall from grace.¡± ¡°What did you do to him?¡± The woman was turning fiery. All fear had turned into anger. ¡°Careful now. It would be a shame for you to lose your life so soon.¡± ¡°What. Did. You. Do?¡± She was still very agitated. Realizing that a long-winded explanation was not the best approach, Viers changed the order of the discussion. ¡°I want you to bring him back to life.¡± Her angry face turned to slight confusion, then a blank as she processed what she¡¯d heard, and returned to confusion once more. ¡°What?¡± ¡°This is Alan¡¯s soul, completely intact. I want you to find ways to create a body so I can put his soul back inside. Aren''t you a well-connected person? Ask your devil-worshiping friends.¡± ¡°What happened to his original body?!¡± Izabella spat out. ¡°I believe it is no longer functional,¡± Viers replied. ¡°You-¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Viers was imposing control. He let loose his aura and rose to his feet. ¡°I can defeat a half-dead woman like you with my eyes closed. Your injury is far from healed and you want to fight me? This guy couldn''t finish the job and you think a heavily injured enchantment specialist without enchantment poses any threat to me? You¡¯re inside my territory now. Tread... lightly.¡± Izabella didn''t answer but she stared straight into Viers'' eyes with a hate that could set things on fire. Impressive, considering her eyes were already wet with tears. ¡°It is you guys who drew first blood, not me,¡± Viers replied without sympathy. ¡°If you want your friend back, find a proper body so I can shove his soul back into a container. Be grateful you still have a chance to get him back. You are excused,¡± Viers dismissed Alan and Izabella. The scene was very unusual, a Level 2 was talking down to a Level 3. Izabella stood unmoving for a while before turning to the door. ¡°Oh, I forgot something. If I die, he dies too. Best of luck to you, Miss Izabella Thyris.¡± Izabella stopped at the half-opened door to listen to Viers¡¯ last jab before stepping out completely, passing by Takju who was standing guard. She wiped her teary face with her sleeves and kept walking into the dark night. As for Viers, he sat back down on the sofa. Taking a sip on the now cold tea. ¡°Young Avel-¡± ¡°All is well. There¡¯s no need for concern. Go back to sleep¡­ both of you.¡± Boram who had woken up during the last heated part also went down. He tried to be stealthy but Viers easily found out. ¡°Then I bid you goodnight, young Avel.¡± ¡°...Night.¡± After Takju and Boram went back upstairs, Viers was now alone, but only for the untrained eyes. Including Viers, there were four people in the living room. ¡°Thank you for your cooperation, girls. The negotiation is a success,¡± Viers spoke first. ¡°Was there a need for us to be here? You just asked us to move objects and stand menacingly,¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°Theatricality and deception are powerful agents,¡± Viers simply replied. ¡°She treasures him. I believe she will strive to save Alan to her utmost. Impressive as always, Lord Viers,¡± Farley said. ¡°Sigh, I understand why we¡¯re doing this but I can''t help but pity Izabella. Poor girl,¡± Paina looked outside of the window with a complicated gaze. Viers wasn''t without sympathy but he didn''t let his heart dictate his actions like a hero with the heart of gold. ¡°These are simply consequences of the Blood Church¡¯s action in Marakkus. Messing with me is not a sane thing to do. Izabella got off lightly, in my opinion.¡± Chapter 117 A few days had passed since the talk in the night. While Viers gave the impression he was in control the whole time, it actually involved big guesswork. Viers couldn¡¯t see through Izabella¡¯s method. Even with Euryale Sight, all that he saw was a cat. Her ability to transform was like Takju¡¯s, indiscernible to Viers. The fact that a Level 3 could accomplish a Level 4¡¯s feat meant Izabella¡¯s technique was that good. But while Izabella¡¯s disguise was one of the most novel techniques he had seen to date, her acting was not as great. ¡®Chacha¡¯ was too smart for a cat. From there, Viers had drawn two conclusions. Either she was a sentient beast or a person in hiding. His Euryale Sight couldn¡¯t see through her true form but he could see she was heavily injured, grievously so. From the Victa Stigma in her body, it was clear it was from some kind of battle. So Viers confronted the cat and forced her to reveal herself before she could fully recover. From Chacha¡¯s behavior, Viers deduced she knew him. Most of the people that knew his look were adventurers and most of them had died, which narrowed the possible suspects. Izabella was among them. Well, I¡¯m glad it was really Izabella and not a Level 5 in cat¡¯s clothing. The next few days Viers spent by being holed-up in his room. Normally Viers would act like a tourist when arriving at a new place but not this time. He spent most of his time hidden in his room and only came out to eat or when nature called. There was no immediate issue at the moment. He had gone far from Luxore town and thrown his pursuers off his trail. He was not swimming in money but it was up to his knees. His wallet was as fat as a plump elephant. Viers made a little renovation to the house, adding a small indoor garden. It was there Viers planted Dia¡¯s seed, his future teleportation gate. Viers added a few extra protections on the house by using Hyoi Gattai with Turfon, the old array master. Viers¡¯ base was more secure than before. It was worth mentioning that Viers had swept the house clean for hidden arrays, surveillance methods, bombs, skeletons, ghosts, ¡®parasite¡¯ in underground secret basements, and so on before truly being at ease with his new home. Viers was paranoid that way. Viers¡¯ Insignificant Fate Arte against fate-influencing sorcery seemed to be holding at the moment. The downside was the rock that he carved a golden rune on, broke regularly. It happened often enough that Viers had stockpiled rocks that he picked up on the road into his Thousand Treasures Casket. Whoever was on the other side was tenacious but Viers managed to withstand their ¡®attacks¡¯. However, the balance would shift if the other side obtained more ¡®threads¡¯ about Viers that they could pull. Since the otherside was probably a Level 5. Viers redoubled his determination to keep a wide berth from any Estellian Church¡¯s personnel if he could help it. All in all, things were going well. Not only for him but also for the others. Takju had found a ship to the southern lands and obtained passage after talking to the captain. The transport ship would set sail in a few days'' time. The Gigantes paid the fee by hunting a few monsters in the wilderness and sold their parts, solidifying the fact that money came easily for those with power in this world. Viers reminded him to not go overboard and draw eyes on them because the Marakkus¡¯ upheaval was still fresh. Boram had been obedient and diligently cultivating to become a Level 2. Viers gave him a big amount of mana crystals for him to absorb, maximizing the mana amount in his Intio, the source of Victa. Only after it was full could a Pathseeker attempt to breakthrough to the next Level. The kid was in the final stretch now. He should be able to make breakthrough attempts shortly. Unlike Viers, Boram wasn''t yet able to sit still for hours and hours. He trained with his hammer and Arte in the lawn when he was bored. He was an honest kid and diligence had been beaten into him thoroughly by Viers. Takju could often be found at his side, patiently guiding the young boy who looked like a 10-year-old who had stopped growing. ¡®Chacha¡¯ had gone missing, much to Boram¡¯s dismay. Viers consoled the boy that cats did that sometimes. She would be back when she felt like it. Viers didn''t know where and what Izabella was doing but he wasn''t worried. He had a very precious soul hostage. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. With his external matters settled, Viers¡¯ attention went inwards. While Boram¡¯s breakthrough was just around the corner, it was not so for Viers. His Intio was only half-filled with mana, even with all the money he¡¯d burned. He couldn''t get to level 3 yet, not for a few months so Viers chose to cultivate another facet of him for a boost of power: strengthening the soul. His Soul Prison was full because the input was far greater than the output. Viers¡¯ current one and only way of using the soul inside him was making bullets for Little Friend, a revolver from the usurped system. A soul from Level 0 Pathseeker could be converted into six Level 0 bullets. Level 2 Pathseekers would give Level 2 bullets in the same amount, six per soul. Viers had tested the power of Little Friend before its first official use on Irkun. Viers could adjust the gun to shoot physical bullets for material damage or soul bullets for damaging their spirit. A single shot from the Level 2 physical bullet had the destructiveness of his current full-powered ¡®normal¡¯ Water Slash Arte, which meant without going Hyper Arte. In battle, Viers couldn''t let loose such full-powered attacks easily. He needed time to concentrate, draw in his Victa, and mold the Arte before letting loose. Naturally, ¡®ultimates¡¯ such as Vortex Nova were a different case. But the gun could shoot six of those attacks as easily as pulling the trigger. The price of the bullets wasn¡¯t cheap -logistically speaking- but the power was considerable. As expected of a weapon generated by a system cheat, Viers was very satisfied. The soul bullets¡¯ power was similarly remarkable. Level 2 monsters that he shot with Level 2 bullets got into a state the Viers decided to call Soulwreck. The body was still breathing and well, only the soul was too injured so to the point of no longer being capable of any action. They essentially became living husks, like people in vegetative states. At that point, they were still ''alive'' but susceptible to Viers'' soul magicks such as Soul Hack. Viers also could suck the Soulwreck soul out of their body with the same ease of taking a soul from a corpse. Two out of four Level 2 monster test subjects needed two shots before Soulwreck, signifying some degree of possible resistance but Viers wasn''t complaining. An injured soul would cause horrendous implications and soul injury was not easy to cure according to the 99% Fable in Viers¡¯ head. A very devious attack. While the power of the system-crafted gun was wonderful, Viers couldn¡¯t use it like a gunslinger. Viers kept 30 Level 2 bullets for later occasions but did not turn any more souls into bullets. Viers didn''t see much use in turning weaker souls into lower leveled bullets because his normal Arte would be just as strong so, sadly, ¡®Little Friend¡¯ couldn''t solve his Soul Prison¡¯s fullness. Viers¡¯ answer was an Arte he pillaged from the memory of the only soul affinity Pathseeker in his collection. Arte - Myriad Souls in One. The source was Benjamin Styra, Farley¡¯s father. The one truly responsible for the destruction of Luxore town and the loss of more than three thousand lives. He was a former Level 3 who got injured decades ago until his Level went down to 2. Benjamin had a secret, he was actually a fire and soul dual affinity Pathseeker. However, even though he had fire 4 affinity, his soul affinity was only 1. The low affinity caused his soul Arte to become very weak. If his fire Artes were like a blazing flame, his soul Arte was only a puny matchstick. He¡¯d tried to raise his soul affinity but to no avail and once he got heavily injured, he channeled his energy to cure his injury although he failed at that one too. Finally, before his lifespan came to an end he hatched a plan to sacrifice a whole town''s worth of lives to the devil Dumuzin, including his children. Farley, Gwen, and three of their half-siblings all died. In exchange for the souls and sacrifice, he hoped to get his youth back, his injury healed, and get soul 5 affinity. Whether he would really get his wish or not was not certain and he would never know because Viers killed him and stole the fruit of his labor when he was one step away from succeeding. By now, Benjamin was a shriveling old man begging for Viers to finish him off but Viers didn''t do so. The first reason, as a former Level 3, Viers had difficulty soul searching him, even more so when he resisted. Weak though he may be, he was a soul Pathseeker with decades of experience. The second reason was for Farley, her father¡¯s ultimate fate would be hers to decide. One of the most valuable harvests Viers got from his memory was the Myriad Souls in One Arte. This was an Arte not for combat but for tempering the soul. Benjamin paid a high price for this Arte from the Cult of Dumuzin¡¯s higher-ups so he could cultivate his soul after the plot at Luxore passed. A pity it all fell into Viers¡¯ hands. In the locked room, Viers was holding a human soul in the form of a ball in his hand. This was the soul of a Level 0 that fell to his blade a long time ago. Viers had soul-searched him and made sure he didn''t have anything worthwhile left. ¡°Alright,¡± Viers said to the girls. They were watching with complicated expressions. ¡°My soul tempering begins today.¡± ¡°Aauumm.¡± Viers tossed the soul into his opened mouth. ¡°Chomp, chomp, yom, yom.¡± While Viers was munching, he got a mixed reaction from the girls. Viers gulped the chewed food and burped a wisp of ghostly blue smoke. It had the face of the man he ate earlier, shrieking as if Viers had peeled off all of his skin, fading into the air. The man was finally going to the afterlife but the scream yet lingered, spiritually. ¡°Ewww, gross,¡± Paina covered her ears and closed her eyes. ¡°I can''t believe you really went through with this.¡± ¡°...It is quite morbid,¡± Farley paled as she watched the spectacle. ¡°Holy smokes¡­ Isn''t this cannibalism?¡± Clarissa also made a disgusted face. ¡°It is only cannibalism if you and the food are equal,¡± Viers answered without missing a beat. ¡°Arte - Myriad Souls in One!¡± Viers said loudly, invoking the Arte without any hint of hesitation. Chapter 118 - SOUL PAWAAAH!!! Viers had first glimpsed the Arte about one moon past. The fact that days, months, and years worked the same in this world even though this world was far bigger than Earth and there were two satellites orbiting the planet, remained a matter of bemusement for him. A lot of time had passed since Benjamin became the very first occupant of his Soul Prison, merely seconds after his power up into a soul Pathseeker last winter. One might have thought Viers had drained all the secrets and knowledge inside the old cultist¡¯s head by now but Viers had not. Benjamin was a former Level 3 and he was a fellow soul Pathseeker. No matter how paltry his soul ability was, one was better than zero and he had decades of experience. It allowed him to resist Viers¡¯ soul search. Benjamin¡¯s effort was commendable but Viers¡¯ Level rose while his Level was stagnant; Viers was also getting better at soul search thanks to the abundance of practice. It was only a matter of time until the former head-cultist of the Luxore town branch was under his boot. When he got the Myriad Souls in One Arte, Viers was ecstatic. He wanted this, he needed this. But Viers was playing it safe. Viers did not blindly use a tool he got from strangers, let alone an Arte from a man that killed his own flesh and blood for power. All this time Viers had been conducting examinations and experiments to make sure the Arte was completely safe to use, without hidden dangers. Just in case Benjamin was plotting against him. The Myriad Souls in One Arte was a very dark technique, to strengthen one''s own soul by consuming the soul of others. Viers was very wary of using a technique straight up used by dark lords in fictions. Even if Benjamin did not lay a trap and the Arte was legit, Viers had to be certain that his soul wouldn''t become an amalgamation of hundreds of different people. Viers had no interest in making his soul have chimeric traits and losing himself. Viers would reach the top of cultivation as himself or not at all. Apologies, Strange Supreme. I have no intention of following in your footsteps. What was the use of having role models without learning from their mistakes? Those dark lords would have wished they knew what Viers knew before they got vanquished by the hero or blew themselves up because of their folly. After some slight modifications, Viers finally had the confidence to use the soul-tempering Arte. But what was the benefit of having a strong soul? Just until recently, even Viers himself wasn''t clear, at least not in this world¡¯s standard. According to what Benjamin knew, the soul was the foundation of soul Pathseekers¡¯ powers. Just like how physical Artes would be stronger when used by someone physically robust, having a strong soul improved all manner of soul Artes. Every living being had a trinity of mind, body, and soul. They were all connected with each other and complement one another. Among the three, the mind and the soul were harder to strengthen than the body. It was not like one could tell their mind to do push-ups to have more muscles. Normally, building up the inner qualities required discipline, wisdom, enlightenment and so on over a long period of time. Supporting Artes such as Myriad Souls in One would reduce that said time drastically. Along with Myriad Souls in One Arte, Viers also received information about soul cultivation information from Benjamin. According to this world¡¯s classification, there were stages called Mortal Soul, Grand Soul, and Hallow Soul, depending on how strong a soul was. Naturally, the majority of people in this world only had Mortal Soul. The purpose of Myriad Souls in One Arte was to raise his soul into Grand Soul stage then Hallow Soul stage after that. It seemed there were even higher stages after Hallow Soul but Benjamin didn''t know any details and it was still too far beyond anyway so Viers didn''t sweat it. To become a Level 4 Pathseeker, one must have a certain degree of foundation on their soul. Clarissa the former Level 5 also confirmed this info. It wasn''t only human, even the other races were the same; although the soul didn''t need strengthening to the degree of Grand Soul. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. That was why Level 4s could have some manner of soul ability such as the soul mark Viers encountered before. However, because the majority of them weren''t soul Pathseekers, their soul mastery was meager at best. Level 4s couldn''t even sense souls that well, let alone those below Level 4. The lamia princess added that to become a Level 6, Grand Soul was the minimum. As for Viers, he didn''t want to wait so long to reach the Grand Soul stage; he wanted to reach it as soon as possible¡­ By eating other souls and then fusing them with his own using the Myriad Souls in One Arte. ¡°Hm?¡± After Viers just ate his first soul, new information suddenly appeared in Viers'' mind. He fell into deep contemplation, ignoring the inquiry from the girls. What a horrible Arte... The Arte gave a unique way of measurement of soul strengthening. Pathseeker¡¯s soul in different Levels gave a different amount of power. Level 0 - 1 Level 1 - 10 Level 2 - 100 Level 3 - 1,000 Level 4 - 10,000 Level 5 - 100,000 To reach Grand Soul stage, Viers would need to have 1,000,000 Soul Power or SP for short. That meant consuming ten Level 5 Pathseekers or a hundred of Level 4s. Since Viers was a human, he needed human Pathseekers'' souls or the Arte won¡¯t work. As for the amount of SP needed to become Hallow Soul, it was staggering. Viers shuddered on the many zeros¡¯ that represent human lives. He decided to not think about it for now, for his sanity. Power comes with a price¡­ I can either go full-on crazy and do multiple mass-genocides on the magnitude of World War II or I treat human Level 4s and 5s as food from now on. No wonder so many villains are insane¡­ This morning, Viers was troubled by having too many souls and now Viers realized he needed to have seas¡¯ worth of souls. He also couldn''t simply dump all of those humans he killed into his gullet. He needed to soul search them for important information and some might be more useful left unconsumed, such as how he used Alan¡¯s soul to hold Izabella by the neck. I¡¯ll cross that bridge when I get to it. For now, just one step at a time. One soul at a time. Viers put a couple of more souls that he¡¯d already scoured clean for anything of value. Among them, there was Demetrus. The guy from the Assassins¡¯ Guild, old adversaries that should have gone for his head. His disciple, Tarakai was already subject to a soul extermination experiment a while back. God, it seems so long ago now¡­ I¡¯ve come so far. Viers gave him a good amount of extra chewing. The screams were heart-piercing but Viers had no sympathy to give to his enemies. He did try to kill him in that blizzard-covered shack after all. If Demetrus had gone for his head instead of the heart, Viers might have died instantly. Viers only survived because he burned 70% of his lifespan to bolster his Water Regen Hyper Arte and healing factor to the max to survive the fatal blow. That was why after his encounter with Freya, Viers only had two years left of lifespan. He had centuries of lifespan before that because he ate the flesh of a demi-god bull. After Viers ate the souls again, he breathed out blue smoke with the faces of the souls he just ate this time too. This was the result of his modification on the Myriad Souls in One Arte, to filter out the¡­ indigestible part. Every time Viers tried to destroy a soul, some part of it remained unscathed and went away beyond his reach. Viers suspected that was the very, very core of the soul. The original version of Myriad Soul in One Arte swallowed that part too but it remained inside the depths of the consumer¡¯s soul, indestructible and unchanging. In a sense, Viers ate the flesh but not the bones. What was the point of having dregs in the depths of his soul? Viers treated them as pollution. Viers didn''t want such impurities inside him so he spat ¡®them¡¯ out. That core of the soul -the ¡®existence¡¯ that was once living- would then go to whatever afterlife in this world. Viers didn''t know where but he hoped to pay a visit someday. Although Viers let the core of the soul go, most of its parts were taken by Viers, becoming his SP. Viers also made absolutely sure that the core of the soul was a blank slate, with neither ego nor memories. It wouldn''t do if they somehow revived and plotted revenge against Viers, after all. Viers was paranoid that way. Lastly, only those with soul affinity would be able to use Myriad Soul in One Arte. Therefore even if Viers shared the Arte with Boram, he wouldn''t be able to use this method to strengthen his soul. After consuming a few souls, he felt full. Similar to bodily training, soul strengthening wasn''t a one-day process. Viers stopped and examined his soul. Even though my soul remained a Mortal Soul, it is stronger now because of the many Soul Power from the other souls. When I reach 100 SP, I wonder how much stronger my soul Artes will become? How exciting! Viers had tens of Level 3s in his Soul Prison, mostly from the death squad under Irkun¡¯s charge. It was enough to push his SP past the 10,000 mark. But Viers didn''t want to rush it. He wanted to cultivate his soul with the proper foundation. Viers¡¯ concentration was broken as he felt a surge of power. Boram has broke through to Level 2. Viers smiled. Chapter 119 - Profound Codex ¡°Congratulations on reaching Level 2.¡± ¡°It is all thanks to the mana crystals you gave me and uncle Takju¡¯s guidance,¡± Boram replied humbly. ¡°Mmm,¡± Viers hummed. ¡°It is time to teach you about Profound Codex. To reach the next step, you¡¯ll need to know about this highly sought-after thing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± While sitting, Boram straightened his back. ¡°In the Path of Power, after you take the first step and become a Level 0, it is quite easy to raise your Level. If you have enough mana for your Intio then it should be smooth sailing until you reach the peak of Level 2, provided your affinity isn''t less than 3. You should realize this after absorbing those mana crystals.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But to reach Level 3 from Level 2, it is not enough to have an Intio full of mana; You need to have a Profound Codex. Simply put, it''s a form of cultivation manual. The Path of Power from Level 0 to 2 is basically a wide, well-maintained road but from Level 3 onwards, it branches into thousands of different paths because of the Codices people have developed throughout history.¡± The master and disciple were talking seriously in the living room while facing each other. Boram was an obedient kid. He always listened to Viers¡¯ lessons with his full attention. ¡°The stages 0 to 2 are about gaining mana, accumulation of power. Raw mana that we turned into personal mana that we call Victa. From a powerless person, we become capable of lifting rocks far heavier than our bodies and able to create blades of wind or pillars of fire, but this is only the basic kind of utilization. The true utilization of the power we accumulated begins at Level 3. Profound Codices are the different ways of utilization.¡± ¡°Each Codex is unique. Some are great, some are inferior products. The good ones also encompass other aspects of cultivation, such as making your cultivation faster and the like. The training is very varied depending on the Codex. For example, Profound Codex: Fireman¡¯s Pain. You need to immolate yourself at least once every week. The greater the pain you feel, the greater your gains. Another example, Profound Codex: Unseen Rogue. Every time your skin is directly seen by other people, you¡¯ll feel as if you got stabbed by needles.¡± Boram shuddered and hesitation started to appear in his eyes. ¡°Relax, those are the extreme examples of the inferior Profound Codices¡­ Actually, saying ¡®Profound, Profound¡¯ many times tires my tongue. From now on I¡¯ll call it PC instead. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°Good, back on topic. The most mainstream PC types are separated into two, element type or job type. The element type is easy to understand, a PC that develops your elemental affinity further. It is the job type that is a bit more complex. If you want to be a great swordsman -regardless of your original affinity- you can cultivate a PC to make your sword skills better. A king usually has an army, he gives them a PC about being soldiers. A general PC will make that individual better at commanding his men, perhaps involving buffs when he¡¯s present.¡± ¡°Oooh,¡± Boram was impressed. ¡°PCs are not limited to combat jobs. You wanna be an alchemist, pick PCs that give you a concocting edge. Spearman, archer, healer, builder, blacksmith, enchanter, chef, all kinds of jobs, if you can find those PCs. The non-combat profession is usually weaker in straight-up combat but they compensate for that by crafting wonders. Sometimes, crafter Patherseekers are more useful than combat Pathseekers. You shouldn''t look down on them.¡± ¡°Hm. Hm.¡± Boram nodded twice. Alan and Izabella might be the example of those profession PCs. Alan¡¯s thieving skills and Iz¡¯s enchanting skills. ¡°Of course, you can still become skilled in a profession even if you don''t have the PC for it. Just learn it the old-fashioned way. Study the heck out of it. The only limitation is yourself.¡± While Boram was thinking, Viers continued. ¡°PCs also give you¡­ quirks. The Fireman¡¯s Pain will gradually make you immune to fire damage, although it would take a thousand years for the version I know to actually reach that stage. Another point to consider when choosing a PC. Although, most people don''t have the luxury of choice.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°The defining trait of a Level 3 is the Unreality Field. Only after you have an Intio full of mana and successfully created the Unreality Field can you become a Level 3. Now you might wonder: What is Unreality Field? It is the initial manifestation of a Pathseekeer¡¯s power, intervening with the laws of the world. That is what lies further on the Path of Power, making the world bend to your will.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Boram¡¯s eyes had a sparkle. He too wished to be strong and awe other people with his might. ¡°The initial stage of Unreality Field is deploying them to protect the user from harm, not much different from barrier Artes that we can cast. Level 3s usually keep their Field dormant but it would emerge instantly the moment their life was in danger. If they receive just a tiny whiff of danger, the Field would emerge and protect them. Even if a Level 3 got poisoned, paralyzed, petrified, or any other status ailments their Field can scour it clean¡­ Provided those things do not carry the Unreality Field too. Oh yes, Unreality Field is not only for defense but also can be used for attacks. That is why you might hear Level 2s sometimes get killed by weaker people by sneak attack or poison but rarely does Level 3 suffer the fate from people at a lower level than them. Not unless your ambush is so godly or the poison so deadly it murdered the Level 3 instantly.¡± Viers took a pause before continuing. ¡°To forge an Unreality Field you need to master a Profound Codex to a certain degree. There are Artes that give you some form of tempering or cultivation support but if they cannot give birth to Unreality Field, they are not a PC.¡± That¡¯s why Myriad Souls in One is a cultivation Arte. It can strengthen my soul but it won¡¯t take me further into the Path of Power on its own. Not unless I modified it extensively but such a feat is beyond the current me. ¡°Now that¡¯s enough explanation about Profound Codex for one day. Unfortunately, I don''t have a good PC to give you right now. I plan to find one for you in this city. Shouldn''t be too hard to obtain if you got the money for it. All right, you can go now. Go get some rest for today. Familiarize yourself with your current strength.¡± Boram said thank you and walked towards the door but stopped when the door was only half-opened. ¡°Do you already have a PC, Master?¡± ¡°Yes. But my PC isn''t suitable for you.¡± ¡°I understand. Excuse me then,¡± Boram stepped out and closed the door. Left alone, Viers spoke after a while. ¡°Don''t just stand there, come in. Was there some mistake in what I said? Do you have something to add?¡± Viers spoke. ¡°No...¡± Takju entered the room. ¡°You are well-learned, young Avel.¡± ¡°Hehehe. It is only natural to do research about something that you enjoy.¡± ¡°Path of Power is fun to you?¡± Takju frowned. ¡°Of course,¡± Viers said without elaborating. ¡°While it is not my place to teach you, would you heed some words from an old man?¡± Viers corked his head slightly, inviting him to proceed. ¡°You are young and talented. Humans begin their journey at fifteen if I remember correctly. Only a few years and you have such power. It is only logical that you strive for higher and higher heights.¡± Viers kept his gaze straight at him. ¡°But you haven''t seen the true horrors of this journey. The cruel trials that still lie ahead of you. The journey to the top would be harsher the higher you are. The path would be steeper and more narrow. Countless geniuses no less talented than you have perished throughout history.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say, Gigantes?¡± Viers asked. ¡°In your eyes, I see a great ambition,¡± Takju''s voice became rough. ¡°You know there would be carnage in front of your path but you do not shy away from it. Anticipated it, even. I do not know whether it is folly or resolution. ¡± Takju saw a pair of shining green eyes with elongated pupils watching him. Very similar to the wyverns that lived at the mountain ranges in the far west. The body in front of him had gained draconic inheritance, Takju was not surprised. ¡°I sincerely hope for you to turn back before you lose yourself in that pit of conflict and suffering.¡± ¡°That is not happening, Takju. I¡¯ll either reach the top or perish.¡± There was no wavering in Viers¡¯ voice but Takju had expected it. How could this young man in the prime of his youth be convinced with a few words? ¡°This top you speak of, Level 5?¡± Viers grinned. ¡°Higher.¡± Takju¡¯s eyelids¡¯ dropped, giving a look of pity. ¡°Even reaching Level 5 is a colossal undertaking. I mean you no harm, young Avel. You saved me from a life of slavery and I will be forever in your debt. And as someone who has seen what lies ahead, I implore you¡­ reconsider.¡± ¡°You mean to say I shouldn''t become stronger? Just a Level 2?¡± ¡°No. I mean to say you should change the view that there¡¯s only the Path in life. With your talent, you can make a decent living in any city. Seek happiness that is not marred with blood. If I have a chance to redo my life, I don''t wish to walk the Path of Power.¡± And how¡¯s that working out for you? A mighty Level 4 can get enslaved. Let alone a non-Pathseeker. Viers chided. ¡°...This isn''t about me, is it? It¡¯s about Boram.¡± Takju¡¯s face betrayed nothing but Viers knew and Takju knew too he had been found out. ¡°...He looks up to you. The boy would follow you to that life of fire and war. Please don''t take him there,¡± Takju pleaded. ¡°He¡¯s innocent.¡± ¡°You speak as if I¡¯m about to do some great sin to him,¡± Viers chuckled. ¡°If you¡¯re so concerned about him, why don''t you help him grow then.¡± Takju had been alive longer than Viers¡¯ two lives combined. He was a leader of his tribe. At this moment, Takju had a flash of realization. ¡°You knew about his bloodline and you wanted me to give him a suitable Profound Codex,¡± Takju said while taken aback. ¡°Why, that is a heavy accusation, isn''t it? If you want to give him a PC, then give him one. You¡¯re a free person now, Takju. I¡¯m not forcing you to do anything. Just do what you wish to do¡­ Well, there are still rules and regulations despite being free. We''re not animals.¡± Viers was hinting about the compulsions before rising to his feet. ¡°You¡¯re setting sail tomorrow morning, right? Boram and I will see you off. Good day, mister Takju. Rest well.¡± Viers calmly left, leaving the member of the giant race alone with his thoughts. Chapter 120 - Parting Gifts Viers was disappointed with Takju''s way of thinking. His mentality is old. He no longer has the ambition to rise up. Viers shook his head in pity. The fire in his heart is no longer burning and ashes are what¡¯s left. Dreaming of simple life and small contentment. Viers looked into himself and he saw a blazing fire. Hot and cruel. There¡¯s momentum in cultivation. Once you''ve lost it, it is hard to gain the traction back. Viers didn''t realize the steps he took became firmer. The Path of Power is a stage for the young people, or for the hungry, despite their age. Me? I¡¯m not stopping. Why should I? I¡¯m hungry! Hungry for power and the wonders of life. Hmph, if Takju hoped for me to become a farmer in a cultivation world, I can only say he was born in a wrong story. There was still much to be done. He was not yet seventeen so youngness was his right. And Viers knew youngness was like an EXP multiplier when it comes to cultivation. He didn''t want to waste it. Viers returned to his room but an unexpected guest was waiting outside the window. ¡°Meow...¡± A black cat lightly tapped the glass with her paw. Kinda cute, actually. Viers smiled and permitted her entry. ¡°Good call to not try to sneak inside. There would be explosions otherwise,¡± Viers said while removing his helmet and placing the metal on the table. He was still wearing a face-covering though. ¡°I know,¡± the cat morphed into a human. ¡°That¡¯s why I waited. What kind of man places bomb traps inside his own sleeping room?¡± What¡¯s wrong with it? Evil overlords often place a self-destruct button in their bases, right? Viers sat down and gestured to Izabella to do the same. Her condition seemed better now, the face was looking healthier than before. Her fashion sense was still the same though, bold and sexy witch¡¯s clothes with a big pointed hat. Combined with her pretty face and long red hair, it became a lethal combination. ¡°How come you still have your clothes after you shapeshifted? You''re supposed to be naked,¡± Viers was honestly curious. ¡®Cause I ended up naked every time I changed my form, he thought. ¡°...My clothes are enchanted,¡± Iz shifted her sitting posture a bit, trying to change her posture. ¡°Hehe, apologies. I don''t mean to stare,¡± Viers chuckled. ¡°To business then?¡± Izabella asked. ¡°To business,¡± Viers nodded. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you came back. I didn''t think you would.¡± ¡°Says the hostage-taker,¡± Izabella grumbled. ¡°So, where have you been?¡± Izabella explained that she had been taking refuge in the Yasterah cult¡¯s branch in the city. She also got treated there. ¡°The Blood Church¡¯s situation is quite bad. We put enormous resources into the operation in Marakkus and it ended in total failure. We even lost two Level 5s, some Level 4s, and many other members. The Blood Church has been weakened significantly.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°I met someone in the city, Blood Exarch Lim. He¡¯s one of the three Level 4s other than Irkun¡¯s father and my sister. He¡¯s the only higher-up that managed to get away from the debacle. He also came here after Marakkus.¡± ¡°Hoh.¡± ¡°He told me that my sister is still alive but has been taken to the Tower of Remorse,¡± Iz grimaced. Ah, this world¡¯s Azkaban. I¡¯ve heard of it. ¡°Lim has offered to be my patron. The Blood Church needed to rebuild its strength so they would lay low for the time being.¡± ¡°Is the BC so frail that losing a pair of Level 5 shook its very foundation? I thought this Yasterah fellow is on par with Estelle in terms of strength,¡± Viers asked. ¡°Of course there are still a bunch of Level 5s left on our side but they''re all busy people. For the time being, the¡­ BC¡¯s influence in this sector would be minuscule. As for me, I also have to do a lot of tasks from the cult in order to recoup the losses.¡± Busy people, what a convenient excuse. Who knows what they are doing right now. ¡°And I didn''t find any body-creating methods.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± ¡°So¡­ that''s it. What do you want me to do?¡± Seeing Viers just listened to her while replying almost half-heartedly every time, Izabella asked the heart of the matter. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Viers¡¯ turn to be confused. ¡°You want me to be your spy, right? What do you want me to do?¡± Izabella said in the manner of a school kid who didn''t want to do any homework but only did so because it was a requirement. ¡°I don''t have any assignments for you, just chatting like this is enough. Perhaps I¡¯ll ask something occasionally but not now.¡± ¡°So what am I supposed to do then!?¡± She unconsciously raised her voice. These few days Izabella had been lost. Floundering in the dark without guidance. Unsure about the future. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Viers replied back. ¡°I want to save my sister!¡± ¡°Then save her.¡± ¡°Are you not listening? Nobody has escaped the Tower of Remorse, not in the last five hundred years!¡± ¡°Ah, so there has been a breakout before. Not so impossible then,¡± Viers said lightly. A bit disappointed that the prison wasn''t so ¡®impregnable¡¯. His remark seemed to irk Izabella but Viers cut her off and spoke first. ¡°How important is your sister to you? How far are you willing to go for your dear sister?¡± ¡°She means the world to me,¡± Iz replied without missing a beat. ¡°I¡¯ll not hesitate to trade my life for hers.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that. So your course of action seems clear to me. Get stronger and rise to the top of the Blood Church then storm the Tower with the whole might of the Blood Church at your back.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s lunacy,¡± Iz took a sharp breath. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s just my opinion. If you have another option, I¡¯m all ears.¡± Izabella fell into silence for a while then she perked up. ¡°I can be a menace, creating plagues and disasters to demand my sister¡¯s release. Or I can make arrangements to take down the Tower rather than forcefully breaking in. Or-¡± Viers smiled when seeing Izabella had rekindled her fighting spirit. ¡°Whatever the case, it is better if you have a high position and have more resources to make use of. You''re in luck then, aren''t the BC currently lacking in people? Suffered a deep loss? There¡¯s a power vacuum above you. I smell opportunity,¡± Viers said his sweet whispers. ¡°...It won''t be easy...¡± ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± ¡°...I might need help.¡± ¡°You might.¡± Izabella looked straight at the mysterious man in front of her. Background unknown, means unknown, but he couldn''t be underestimated. He had been leading her by the nose to this point. ¡°...Will you help me to get to the top of the Blood Church?¡± Viers crossed his legs and arms perfectly resting on his sides. It was the second time Izabella saw the Godfather pose. ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡± And so Izabella struck a deal with the devil, she just hadn''t realized it yet. There was a sudden knock on the door that took away the serious atmosphere out. ¡°Come in,¡± Viers said after putting his helmet back on. ¡°Master, you have guests. It¡¯s- Ah! Chacha! You¡¯re back!¡± Boram said and he was surprised to see the cat again. She¡¯s quick, Viers thought about her transformation. Viers was about to ask who but three kids popped out their heads. ¡°Ehehe, We¡¯ve come to play, Mister Knight,¡± Harry said. ¡°And to properly thank you for saving us,¡± Marc added. ¡°...Apologies for intruding,¡± Milly lightly bowed. So many unexpected happenings today. ¡°Welcome kids¡­ Kids, this is Boram, my apprentice. Boram, they are Harry, Marc, and Milly. Be nice to each other, yes?¡± Viers lifted Chacha by the neck despite her protest and put her on Boram¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯m a bit busy today. How about you all play together?¡± ¡°Master?¡± Boram looked confused. ¡°It¡¯s your reward for becoming a Level 2. Go have fun.¡± ¡°Woooah! You¡¯re a Level 2? But you look younger than me! How did you do it? Tell me, tell me!¡± Harry became like a hamster on caffeine. ¡°Have fun~¡± The kids went away together as Viers waved his goodbye. Phew¡­ so tiring. *** While walking, Viers was strategizing. About his approach to his latest ¡®business venture¡¯. Viers decided he wasn''t going to spoon-feed Izabella. Having a high-ranking insider in the BC would be great but it would mainly depend on her ability. Viers would act when there were enough benefits but he wasn''t going to risk his life for Izabella. Viers only planned to gain as much value as he can from her. They still might well turn into enemies in the end. It is an investment. If it does work out then great. If it does not, mehhh, time to cut my losses and move on. The world of business is cruel that way. ¡°Woah¡­ Master, so many ships! Amazing!¡± Boram¡¯s cry of wonder chased away Viers¡¯ daydream. The port of Regidana was a splendid sight indeed. The place was overflowing with activity. Sailors tying the ropes of a ship, merchants hawking their wares, a minotaur moving humongous crates, and so on. Just like Boram, he too enjoyed the sight. Viers, Boram, and Takju were wearing disguises and came to the port because it was time for Takju¡¯s ship to set sail. The disguise might not be necessary but it was better to be safe than sorry. ¡°Well, this is goodbye then.¡± Viers extended his hand. ¡°Good luck to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in your debt, young Avel¡± Takju shook his hand. ¡°I hope our paths cross again. Take care of yourself. This is for you, as a token of my gratitude.¡± Viers took the cube of smooth metal and nodded. It was a nice gift. ¡°C¡¯mon Boram, say your goodbyes,¡± Viers lightly shoved Boram forward. The kid looked like he was about to cry. ¡°Mister Takju...¡± The giant in disguise knelt so their eye levels were at the same height. ¡°There¡¯s no need for tears, boy. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll become someone great. I¡¯ve one last gift for you. Take this.¡± Takju poked Boram¡¯s forehead with his finger. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to use this well,¡± Takju said kindly. Boram looked confused at first then he gave Takju a hug. And Takju hugged back. The two of them stood on the port while sea winds blew somewhat strongly, watching the ship Takju was on becoming smaller and smaller on the horizon. ¡°What did he give you?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Profound Codex, Earthborn Amalgam,¡± Boram said while holding his tears back. Ah, my gamble pays off then. Nice. Chapter 121 - Earthborn Amalgam Viers and Boram were standing side by side. They were looking at a pile of rocks two meters tall. After their visit to the port, Viers bought various rocks and ores from merchants that he saw along the way and put them out on the house¡¯s lawn. Viers had got a magic item to create barriers from the Marakkus family¡¯s vault and he made use of it here to guard their privacy. ¡°Boram, eat it!¡± Viers said enthusiastically. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Boram replied with the same enthusiasm. The boy touched the pile of rocks with both palms and shouted. ¡°Earthborn Amalgam!¡± Boram glowed with grey light and the pile of rocks was engulfed with the same grey light. The Profound Codex¡¯s effect was starting. Viers let loose a wide grin. Boram grunted but kept persisting, determined to give it his all. The earthly minerals slowly disintegrated, erased from existence as their atoms changed into energy which then went inside Boram. It took Boram 15 minutes to completely absorb the two meters pile of materials. He made ugly faces as time went on until the pile was gone. Viers was watching closely with Euryale Sight, examining every aspect of it. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Viers asked. ¡°...My cultivation has increased but just a tiny bit. The real effect is on my body. I feel¡­ strong!¡± Boram clenched and unclenched his palm; eyes bright and tone high. ¡°My skin, my bones, my muscles, all are feeling better. This is just like you say, master, a form of body-refining technique.¡± ¡°Takju gave you a great gift,¡± Viers patted Boram¡¯s head. ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t waste it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Boram said resolutely. ¡°Good,¡± a hand on his chin while Viers was thinking. ¡°I didn''t see any drawbacks. Do you feel anything uncomfortable?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Boram looked embarrassed. ¡°It tasted quite bad, like, really, really, bad,¡± putting his index fingers together. ¡°It¡¯s like eating porridge made of mud.¡± ¡°In other words, it¡¯s like eating shit,¡± Viers said frankly. ¡°...Yes,¡± Boram extended his tongue. Before leaving, Takju imparted the knowledge of the Profound Codex Earthborn Amalgam to Boram. It was a Level 5 Codex, meaning it was able to raise a Pathseeker to Level 5; a top-tier Profound Codex. It was a simple PC but very resource-heavy. To practice it, the user must ¡®absorb¡¯ all kinds of rocks, metals, gems, or any kind of minerals. The more precious the mineral, the better. Viers liked the main benefit of the PC. It also automatically strengthened the physique of the user. Even without using any Victa or Arte, the practitioner of this PC would be able to go toe to toe with fearsome monsters and their no less monstrous body using only their bare hands. In hindsight, it was similar to Viers¡¯ Myriad Souls in One Arte. However, Earthborn Amalgam was able to create Unreality Field while Myriad Souls in One could not so the body technique was more high level. The PC was easy to practice but it demanded a gargantuan amount of resources. The two meters pile of rock was far from enough. Boram would need to absorb a hill to reach the small accomplishment stage. The higher one went, the higher quantity and quality of the minerals that the body demanded. At first, absorbing normal rocks would not be an issue but to reach a higher level of mastery, more precious earthly products would be required, such as gold ores or mana-laced materials. ¡°Also, gems and shinies tasted better, huh?¡± Viers shook his head. ¡°Boram, you might be a bigger glutton than I am.¡± Boram shrunk hearing Viers¡¯ jest. But despite such a price, would Viers tell Boram not to practice Earthborn Amalgam? Impossible, it was still the best PC for Boram, where would he get anything better? Making Boram cultivate second-rate Codex was unacceptable either. Viers could only grit his teeth and go forward with this. ¡°I don''t have a mountain of gold inside my purse to feed you,¡± Viers grimaced, thinking how much the little boy in front of him would be sucking his money. ¡°You also need to pull your weight for this.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Boram acquiesced. ¡°Umm, is your PC not using this much resource, Master?¡± ¡°No. I might as well tell you, my PC is called Serpentes Renovamen. I might be the only practitioner of this PC in the world right now. The Profound Practice -how one trains their PCs- is quite simple. You¡¯re already familiar with it. Every morning after I awaken and every night before I sleep you see me meditating, right? That is me practicing on my PC. I can only do so at sunrise and after sundown.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Seems so much simpler than mine,¡± Boram commented. Oh, the drawback is no less huge, I assure you¡­ Viers disagreed inside his head, determined to hide this fatal weakness as much as possible. ¡°Well, this is actually pretty normal. A Pathseeker needs resources to grow, which means valuables and money. No money, no resources, no cultivation. Alright then. You¡¯ve become a Level 2 and have a PC. Shall we get back to work?¡± ¡°Adventurer¡¯s Guild, Master?¡± Boram asked. ¡°Where else for adventurers like us?¡± Viers asked back. *** Wearing their standard gear, Viers and Boram entered the building where the quest giver and quest taker come and go. ¡°Next.¡± The voice traveled with the boredom and lifelessness of a fed-up office worker. In the nice and modern -to this world¡¯s standard- building Viers did not expect to be pleasantly surprised but he sure glad he did. ¡°Peanut!¡± Viers greeted, much to the young woman¡¯s shock. ¡°You¡¯re still alive! And you¡¯re in Regidana now! I thought we¡¯d never meet again but I¡¯m so glad to see your face again here.¡± ¡°Hm? You¡¯re that newbie from Marakkus¡­ Ironhead?¡± The guild staff answered after a short period of remembering. ¡°And who gave you permission to give me nicknames?¡± ¡°Well, Peanut, you never told me your name so I made one up,¡± Viers tsk-tsked with his finger. ¡°So the fault is entirely yours.¡± ¡°...Whatever,¡± she rolled her eyes with unhidden annoyance. ¡°What can I do for you, adventurer Ironhead?¡± ¡°Oh no no no, that¡¯s not fair. I already told you my name. It¡¯s you who didn''t even bother to remember. No nicknames from you, peanut butter. But Ironhead? It¡¯s about the helmet, isn''t it? You shouldn''t make fun of someone¡¯s face,¡± Viers said playfully. ¡°Since when did that rule exist? Sigh, just tell me what¡¯s your business here, honored adventurer...¡± Peanut really didn''t want to say that word to Viers. ¡°Ahem!¡± Before Viers could answer, a pissed-off-looking middle-aged man cleared his throat and took Peanut¡¯s place after shoving her out. ¡°Honored adventurer, please refrain from flirting with our guild staff in broad daylight.¡± The man had similarities with Peanut so Viers guessed he must be a relative. The man¡¯s smile didn''t fall off but he was not fooling anyone with the bulging veins in his face and tone. ¡°Guildmaster,¡± Peanut showed not an inch of gratitude but irritation instead. ¡°Instead of loitering around here, please get back to your paperwork. There are still three stacks waiting in your office.¡± Guildmaster, eh? Fancy that. ¡°Bah! What are mere papers compared to my cute little niece?¡± ¡°Uncle...¡± Peanut growled with the ferocity of a kitten. ¡°You!¡± Uncle of Peanut pointed his finger at Viers. ¡°We¡¯re very busy today so state your business!¡± Viers turned around to take in the sight. There were less than ten adventurers in the guild at the current time. With a place this big, it should handle fifty adventurers with no problem. The other guild girls who were doing nothing but acted all pretty behind their counter, held back their smiles professionally when Viers¡¯ gaze went towards them. ¡°Right¡­¡± Viers replied. ¡°Ehem, forgive me, sir. I¡¯m just happy to be able to meet my favorite guild girl once more.¡± ¡°Oh? You''ve got a good eye. I praise you, youngster. If you understand the beauty of my niece then you shouldn''t be a bad person.¡± Unexpectedly, the Guildmaster¡¯s friendliness went up. ¡°UNCLE!!¡± ¡°But!¡± The Guildmaster disregarded Peanut¡¯s outburst. ¡°I shan''t allow my niece to be approached by bad stocks. To receive my permission to even glance at her, you must first prove your worth. Until then, I won''t even bother to remember your helmet!¡± Wow¡­ How similar. Like uncle, like niece I suppose. The fit and robust man took up three quest papers from the archive and put them on the table. A monster-slaying quest, a criminal-capturing quest, and a rare ingredient-gathering quest. ¡°Choose, youngster,¡± the Guildmaster sneered with a challenge. Viers¡¯ guild tag was at Obsidian, the quests were all Iron-ranked, a tier higher than Viers¡¯ rank. Since Viers was only showing the aura of a Level 1, either this Guildmaster wanted to see him fail or he had seen through Viers¡¯ actual Level and gave suitable quests as a test. Viers was inclined to the latter. ¡°Got it,¡± Viers took the criminal capturing quest in the middle. The target was a Level 2. ¡°Peanut, Uncle Peanut,¡± Viers dipped his head to both before leaving. Boram also bowed his head to both before chasing after his master. After Viers went through the door, the Guildmaster spoke. ¡°Answer me honestly, how long have you two been dating?¡± He said in all seriousness. ¡°Back to work, you lazy bum!¡± Peanut kicked him on the butt. *** A few hours later, when the guild was filled with adventurers eating supper after a hard day of questing, a person walked in as if it was the most natural thing in the world. An adventurer caught a peek of him from the corner of his eye and spat out the beer he was drinking, showering the person next to him before getting a punch to the face. Another adventurer choked on the steak he ate until his tablemate helped him. One waitress was paralyzed as she was pouring ale, a dwarf adventurer shoved the mug out of the way and put his mouth below the bottle. There were other reactions as well. Those that fainted, those that ran away screaming, and those who pulled out their weapon. The man was wearing a metal helmet with a similar design to a knight from the neighboring country. Dark brown leather armor under his dark green long cape. An uncommon sword was resting on his waist. He did not look like it under all that gear but he seemed a bit plump to the trained eye. The people were not in awe of his appearance but of the thing that he carried. Viers approached the counter where Peanut was writing a report and put a bloody head on the table. ¡°Here¡¯s your criminal.¡± Chapter 122 - Title Two people were being surrounded by a dozen unsavory-looking men. One of the two was wearing a metal helmet that covered his face, acting as if he was taking a stroll; while the other was a small-statured boy looking no older than ten, uneasiness was oozing out from his body language. ¡°You¡¯ve got guts to barge in the Vile Gorilla gang''s HQ! State your name!¡± The boss-like guy said. ¡°Rowler,¡± Viers matched the face on the wanted poster. ¡°I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold,¡± tone as flat as possible. ¡°Men! Turn these two into minced meat!¡± Rowler roared. ¡°Arte - Almost Heaven~¡± Viers made a light stomp with his foot, trailing the Arte¡¯s name as if it was part of a tune. The gang members were choked as a sphere of water encompassed the entirety of their heads. ¡°See? Efficient isn''t it? Most humans, monsters, and animals cannot breathe underwater,¡± Viers proudly demonstrated to Boram. Almost Heaven Arte was Viers¡¯ main Arte for dealing with low-level mooks. The victim of this Arte would feel as if they were gradually reaching heaven as seconds went by. Boram nodded then the Level 2 Rowler broke free, just as Viers expected. Almost Heaven Arte still carried its inherent weakness of not being that effective against people not under Viers¡¯ Level. ¡°Last chance to surrender,¡± Viers said. Since the gang leader¡¯s answer was a roar, Viers took that as a no. ¡°Boram, as we practiced.¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Master and disciple combined their Victa to cast an Arte. ¡°Arte - Water and Earth Burial!¡± ¡°Wha-!¡± Rowler¡¯s whole body first got submerged in a sphere of water before being confined with a coffin made of earth. An upgrade of the Almost Heaven Arte. The two were maintaining the Arte while Rowler raged inside, a few times almost breaking free. However, it didn''t take that long until there was no longer any activity inside the coffin. Viers was victorious. ¡°Oxygen Not Included inside,¡± Viers commented while smiling silly. *** ¡°Boram, do you know that among the four basic elements water and earth are considered second-rate elements by some?¡± ¡°Really, Master?¡± ¡°Oooh yeah. In the stories, the MCs always have flashy elements, like fire and lightning. It was visually more impressive, you see. I understand it though, making things blow up feels good and looks good. If the story is about elemental powers, then the MC usually uses fire element while his party members have any other elements. Take my water and your earth, for example. Water is usually an element used by a girl in this kind of story, possibly the main char¡¯s love interest while earth is the big guy element. Y¡¯know, just to show that the guy can take a hit.¡± ¡°Uhhh, okay?¡± On the manga side, there''s Natsu the Fire Dragonslayer from Fairy Tail and Kamado Tanjiro who uses the more fiery sun breath than his water breath. In xianxia novels, there¡¯s Xiao Yan from BTTH and Wang Lin from RI. ¡°Meanwhile, how many MCs use water and earth as their main element? Almost none! Even if they do, it is mostly because they can use multiple if not all elements!¡± Such as Linley Baruch from Coiling Dragon and Yun Che from Against the Gods. Wait, that Yun Che guy still mainly uses fire moves, innit? ¡°Well, I¡¯m not blaming them, Boram. I get them, I really do. Their battle needs to be explosive! Blood-boiling fight scenes! What more suitable element for that than fire? There are alternatives, of course. The top picks of these MCs are fire, lightning, light, and darkness. These are the most common powers of MCs! The ¡®cool¡¯ elements.¡± Actually, there¡¯s also the soul element mixed in there but that is that and this is this. ¡°And why are you telling me this, Master?¡± ¡°Just to tell you we¡¯re gonna prove them all wrong, Boram. We¡¯re gonna use our water and earth elements and be just as ¡®cool¡¯ as them! Hahaha!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s ''them''?¡± ¡°However, while water affinity will remain my main element,¡± Along with my soul affinity, ¡°it is alright to use other elements sometimes.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°...Right. Again, what¡¯s the point of all this?¡± So you don''t misunderstand that I will gradually use every elemental power in the world in the future. Water and Soul will always remain my central power while others will be merely extra. Viers didn''t answer as he pulled out a bow from his Thousand Treasures Casket. He nocked an ordinary arrow he recently bought and aimed at the distance before letting the arrow fly. The arrow turned into a phantom of a fiery dog and hit the target, setting the person on fire. ¡°Enemy attack! To arms!¡± Viers heard from afar. ¡°But sometimes using other elements is okay,¡± Viers answered Boram¡¯s question. ¡°Go get them, apprentice. I¡¯ll shower them with arrows from here.¡± While Boram was fighting on the front lines, Viers was using the Bow of Four Beasts that he acquired after cleaning a certain family¡¯s vault. Using the bow, Viers¡¯ arrow could transform into four phantom shapes: ox for earth, dog for fire, eagle for wind, and marlin for water. After the battle, Boram couldn''t help but think that his master¡¯s archery sucks, very different from his swordsmanship. *** ¡°Trap card open!!¡± Viers unfurled a scroll with octopuses drawing on them. Suddenly, pink octopus tentacles entangled the female bandit in front of Viers. ¡°Ah! What is this? Let go of me!¡± Only then Viers realized his mistake. ¡°Boram, look away. This is called 18+ and you mustn''t see it!¡± ¡°AAAAAHHHHHH!!!¡± The scream turned into a painful wail as the woman¡¯s body melted. ¡°...Oh, I didn''t think it would do that,¡± Viers glanced at the scroll on his hand then at the disgusting gunk of meat. At some point, Boram already closed his eyes using his hands, hoping his master had warned him sooner. I didn''t think the effect would be so¡­ nasty. Apologies, woman. I didn''t mean to kill you, not by melting your skin and bones anyway. Sorry¡­ *** A beam from the Mind Stone look-alike Sunburn hit a man on his chest before he slumped to the ground. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m from the Cloud Scattering Fist School! You can''t kill me unles-¡± ¡°The words ¡®dead or alive¡¯ are written on your wanted poster,¡± Viers wiped the blood on his sword after the decapitation. ¡°That means I got a license to kill. Your surrender has been denied. You should have done so from the start.¡± *** Boram was facing off against a Level 1. Viers was watching while crossing his arms. He didn''t show any intention of lifting a finger. Boram was hesitating. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Viers spoke loudly. ¡°His Arte is still ongoing. If you don''t finish him off shortly, the Child Skinner will take the life of his sixth victim. You still remember the picture of the kidnapped girl, didn''t you? Do you want to let her die, apprentice? Do what must be done.¡± ¡°Uuu¡­ Khh¡­ Ruaahhh!¡± Boram charged after making up his mind. It was a difficult battle for Boram even though he was already Level 2 while the enemy was a Level 1. The Child Skinner was quite crafty which created many awful surprises for Boram. It took a while but the young boy finally smashed the head of the serial kidnapper and killer. After the fight, Boram was trembling. There were splotches of blood on his face, not of his own. He was looking at the corpse of the first human he killed. ¡°You made it by the skin of your teeth. A few more seconds and the girl would be dead,¡± Viers spoke. ¡°Master¡­ would you interfere if I didn''t make it in time?¡± ¡°...No,¡± Viers¡¯ voice fell like a hammer. ¡°...Why?¡± Boram hoarsely said. ¡°I¡¯m your teacher, not your savior. I¡¯m here to teach you that there are cruel people out there that do things incomprehensible to you. I¡¯m teaching you that failure will have consequences, sometimes even tragic ones. That kind of thing will leave a scar on you until the end of your life.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...But through your own strength, you changed the outcome today,¡± Viers placed a hand on his tiny shoulder. ¡°Take pride in your success; you¡¯ve saved a life. Let¡¯s bring the girl back to her parents.¡± ¡°...Yes, Master. Uuuugghh,¡± Boram broke into tears, hugging Viers¡¯ thigh. Viers let him. ¡°You¡¯ve done well. Let¡¯s buy your favorite food today.¡± *** ¡°Now, tell me why you killed a woman in broad daylight in the middle of a frickin¡¯ market?¡± Viers was inside a room, being interrogated by Franz, the Level 4 city guard who he had met before. ¡°It was self-defense, officer. Surely there are many eyewitnesses about what happened? She screamed, revenge, revenge, quite loudly.¡± ¡°...The woman was a widow. You killed her husband. There are people who witnessed her try to strike first but you lopped her head off before she did anything.¡± ¡°Ah, I get it. Well, as I said, it was self-defense. In fact, if it wasn''t because of me, there would be innocent bystanders that got hit by her. ¡°...You haven''t been in this city for a month yet you¡¯ve left quite a body trail on your wake, Avel,¡± Franz eyed him sharply. ¡°Is this about the wanted posters from the guild? I don''t see the complications. I¡¯m a bounty hunter and they have bounties on their heads. I came to collect and they were resisting arrest. What can I say, officer? I¡¯m an instrument of the law,¡± said Viers with the air of justice. *** ¡°Have you heard? There¡¯s an amazing guy cleaning the wanted list left and right.¡± ¡°Rowler the Gorilla, Hroppand the Green Maniac, Toothless Thurlow, Payton the Jackal, The Child Skinner, Poison Billy, Joia the Thorn Daisy¡­ Holy Goddess Mother! So many!¡± ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± ¡°Avel of Javia. He¡¯s a rookie. You¡¯ve seen him. He¡¯s the guy with the helmet. A small boy is always following behind him.¡± ¡°Oh, him. Wow, this year¡¯s kids are quite something aren''t they? There¡¯s the formidable Ivory Flame, Second Amends School''s prodigy Jaime, not to mention all the scions from the noble side.¡± ¡°Those noble guys won''t bother to take plebeian quests so they have their pissing match for all I care. It''s these super rookies that we need to watch out for.¡± ¡°True, they might not leave any good quests for us if we dawdle.¡± ¡°By the way, what¡¯s that Avel guy¡¯s title?¡± ¡°He didn''t have one.¡± ¡°He does now?¡± ¡°How could he not, after he kept bringing heads to the guild? He¡¯s only taking quests about finding wanted guys like a vampire thirsting for blood. Word is, if you don''t surrender at the start, you¡¯re dead. Men or women don''t matter. Folks have been calling him¡­ the Slayer.¡± Chapter 123 - Adventurers Life ¡°I see¡­ So that¡¯s why the number of adventurers in this place is lacking.¡± Viers was chatting with his fellow adventurer after returning from a quest. ¡°That is so. In Regidana, other than the usual quests, there¡¯s a bunch of merchants needing security detail to guard them and their goods. One of such trips might take them very far away, potentially weeks until these adventurers come back. If they come back to Regidana. And then there¡¯s the sudden mishap in Marakkus not long ago. More than a hundred adventurers died there, last I heard. The city wanted to attract new muscle so the quest rewards there spiked. Well, it''s working. Some of my friends went over to Marakkus.¡± Forss, a fellow adventurer, helpfully clarified. In the lively guild tavern, a certain new arrival drew many eyes. It was a tiger beastfolk with a heroic demeanor. ¡°Who¡¯s he?¡± ¡°This is the first time you saw him, Avel? He¡¯s-¡± Before Forss spoke further, the heroic tiger beastfolk was walking towards Viers. The beastfolk looked not much different from regular humans except for his ears and tail. He was young, in the same age bracket as Viers. ¡°You must be Avel of Javia, the Slayer,¡± the tiger youth said. ¡°I am,¡± Viers rose up from his chair, readying himself for a physical or magical confrontation. ¡°Do you need something?¡± Viers expected the usual thug development that wanted to make trouble with him but the tiger youth only extended his hand. ¡°My name is Khalmar. As you can see, a beastfolk of the tiger tribe,¡± he said with a refreshing smile. ¡°...Avel. Well met,¡± he shook the offered hand. ¡°...You¡¯re strong.¡± Viers didn''t mean it in a physical sense. Just like Viers had perceived the other side¡¯s power, the opposite was the same. ¡°...So are you¡­ I do not see the signs of bias humans usually have for my kind from you,¡± Khalmar curiously asked. ¡°You mean racism? I don''t really care about that.¡± ¡°Heh, that¡¯s good to hear. I¡¯m here for a greeting and to tell you one thing.¡± ¡°Oh? I¡¯m all ears.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the best rookie this year. Not Ivory Flame, not you, me!¡± The tiger youth left after having the last word. There was arrogance in his words but more than that, there was conviction. He did not want that best rookie of the year, he needed it. ¡°...Ooo, kay¡­¡± Viers was confused. ¡°What was that about?¡± he asked Fross. ¡°The Noble Tiger is talking about the rookie adventurer award, Avel. The governor of Regidana will award a few of the most accomplished adventurers that just joined this last year. Since you can ask a Level 5 for a reward, many adventurers are aiming for this. You don''t know?¡± ¡°No¡­ but this award is quite interesting.¡± The reason he was questing lately was only for a little bit of fame. He wanted to raise his reputation as an adventurer. Now that he got his adventurer title, he already achieved his goal. Slayer is not a bad title. Not bad at all, hehehe. ¡°How long until the award is given?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Should be in two months.¡± I started too late then. I don''t think I can bridge the gap with the other adventurers in just two months. Well, I might if I go all out but I have other things to do. Viers curbed his desire to compete after it was just born. ¡°So, Noble Tiger, huh? I assume this Ivory Flame is another adventurer?¡± ¡°Yeah. Noble Tiger and Ivory Flame¡¯s rivalry is quite famous. Both are young Level 2s that have a good chance to become Level 3. Many schools and houses are trying to rope them in.¡± ¡°Hm...¡± Viers hummed absentmindedly. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Well, including you there it might become a three-way rivalry but there¡¯s also someone quite good that just showed up. This Jaime guy is younger by a year than you three but already got scouted by one of the best Schools in Regidana, the Second Amends School.¡° ¡°Hmmm...¡± Viers still hummed absentmindedly. It didn''t catch his interest. *** Viers continued taking quests on wanted criminals. However, Boram was the one who mainly did the fighting. Should he act, it was mainly using items that he got from the vault. For familiarizing himself with them and saving his Victa. He took quests where the target was weaker than him with occasional Level 2 opponents so Viers plus Boram were mostly fighting people weaker than them. He allowed the ones that surrendered at the very start to live but not after they came to blows. Viers took their souls and turned in their carcass to the guild for money. His main objective were souls, human souls. Since Viers was killing people under the aegis of the law, he got through with minimal repercussions. Speaking of wanted criminals, Viers finally saw his own face and real name among the wanted posters. The Estellian Church updated Cain¡¯s wanted poster with the name Viers Isuel. That meant they already knew that Cain was an alias. What they didn''t know was that Viers was living under a new alias. His identity as Avel was safe. A helmet and a disfigured face did the job. Hideous disfigurement which Viers accepted as an appropriate price. My bounty went up from 150 gold coins to 500. Now I know what Luffy felt when he saw his bounty go up. The increase was very large. There are also additional rewards that the church coughed up such as Arte, PC, or magical item¡­ It might be related to their Fate manipulating thing. They really, really wanted to capture me. My wanted poster is among the few with ALIVE ONLY written on it. Too bad! You¡¯re not gonna catch me, fellas. The current lifestyle allowed Viers to stockpile Victa. If Viers generated 10 Victa a day, he only used 3 for cultivation and other necessities. The Harry, Marc, and Milly trio sometimes visited Viers¡¯ house. Harry got a chaperone every time he went out now, a Level 3. Surprisingly, they hit it off well with Boram. Viers expected they would look down on him because of his status as a commoner and a slave. Glad that was not the case. Once every few days, ¡®Chacha¡¯ the black cat came to visit, which made Boram happy. The boy still thought the cat was a normal cat and Viers didn''t bother correcting him. She didn''t live in Viers¡¯ house, her main residence was at the Yasterah Cult¡¯s branch in Regidana. Sometimes she and Viers traded information and news but mostly they just left each other be. Viers got info, Boram got a playmate, Izabella got rest from her assignments, all three sides benefited. Because of her packed schedule, she did not resurface to resume her adventurer job for the time being. Viers didn''t forget to send a letter to Mokash town for Irene. Viers had been observing the movement of the three-eyed wolf that he took a photo of and he was certain there was an organization in Regidana behind the monster. Irene was searching for clues about the monster that killed her family and Viers had found it. Viers sent a letter not because he must but simply because he felt things might develop in an interesting manner. He might be able to fish for benefits in turbid water. He also wanted to test the church with this. He needed to know the church¡¯s investigative power so he could make informed decisions in the future. Viers took many precautions so the letter couldn''t be traced back to him. What Irene knew was Cain, not Avel. and Cain(Viers) was a criminal with a bounty on his head. *** ¡°It should be here...¡± Viers was looking around while riding Brownie. Viers, Boram, and Brownie were in a rocky canyon a day¡¯s ride away from Regidana; they were led into the middle of nowhere by none other than Viers himself. Viers always soul-searched the souls in his possession. Viers pooled what these souls knew while they were still having living bodies and amassed a great deal of precious knowledge. Their Artes Viers re-used as is or after he modified it. Their bank accounts got emptied. Their secrets got plundered to their marrow. Sometimes, there was also valuable information that Viers could harvest. One of the wanted men that Viers ¡®arrested¡¯ had found a hidden cave in this canyon in the past. Inside the cave, there were the bone remains of a powerful monster, at least a Rank 4. The bones would make a valuable alchemy or crafting material. Alas, there was a monster that had taken residence in the cave. The bones also benefited this monster. The now-departed wanted man couldn''t take the bones because of the guardian and he planned to return here once he became strong enough to defeat the monster. But that future would not come to pass for Viers had come in his place. Wrrrlll. Wrrrlll. ¡°Hello there,¡± Viers greeted the wriggling monster in Obi-Wan Kenobi¡¯s style. It was a big yellow-colored Rank 2 slime. Just as his soul search showed, the cave was littered with precious bones. If Viers had to guess, the skeleton belonged to a worm or snake-shaped Rank 4 monster that had died decades ago. The slime had been absorbing the energy remaining on the bones to further its own evolution and didn''t like uninvited guests so it attacked Viers almost immediately. It took twenty minutes until the battle was over, a long time for Viers¡¯ standard. The slime¡¯s jelly body was really resilient against physical attacks while possessing high resistance to Veirs¡¯ water and Boram¡¯s earth Artes. The battle was also an informative one because Viers¡¯ soul Arte did not really work on it. Not because its soul was strong but because it had no soul in the first place. This confirmed Viers¡¯ suspicion. His soul Arte would not be very effective against soulless beings. Still, Viers predicted he would encounter a situation like this in the future so he¡¯d made preparations a long time ago. Using Ixi Arte - Freezing Breath, an Arte from his fallen enemy, Viers froze the slime¡¯s semi-liquid body bit by bit before Boram reduced it to pieces. ¡°Arte - Rocky Smash!¡± The sight of a small child pulverizing an ice statue the size of an elephant was quite awe-inspiring. ¡°Phew¡­ Nice one, Boram. Alright, just as you can see there''s a lot of ore veins here. Go eat your heart out. Meanwhile, I¡¯ll gather these bones¡­ oh? The slime dropped a core, lucky.¡± Viers often made the time to exploit small benefits like this while he was traveling. Viers was piling up small benefits so it would turn into a mountain of benefit in the future. And in the blink of an eye, one month had passed since Viers'' arrival at Regidana. Chapter 124 - Letter and Wealth Dear Irene. I hope this letter reaches you just fine¡­ actually, I¡¯m pretty sure this piece of paper will most definitely reach you. The reason for it you¡¯ll know later if not so already. Let¡¯s begin by saying that Cain of Ur is not my real name. I cannot tell you my real name because knowing my true name will jeopardize the time-space continuum so don''t hate me too much, kay? We met by chance, during the time I still roam this plane of existence. Our time together with Lena, Paul, Oliver, and you was truly short but I had lots of fun. Anyway, you once asked me about a monster that killed your family. Should your desire for revenge remain unchanged, come to Regidana city and you¡¯ll find a clue about what you seek. Whether you can grasp this thread of destiny and follow it to the source will be up to you. There will be danger waiting for you so take precautions. Take heed that I shall not come to your aid even should the worst happen to you. I¡¯m pretty busy, you see, making sure the world still exists in the next millennium. I do not, cannot, and will not intervene. Oh, I understand the confusion. A shady guy that you¡¯ve met just for a few days telling you some grandiose crap. You¡¯re right to be wary. Whether you come to Regidana or not is your choice. Farewell for now. Should the stars align, we might meet again. Say hi to the rest of the party for me if you can. Signed Not Cain of Ur. P.S. To the voyeur people of the Estellian Church, shame on you. Reading a letter meant for a young girl, huh? Awesome perversion of power and authority. I¡¯m feeling magnanimous today so I¡¯ll let it slide but give this to the intended recipient. Well, you can keep chasing my tail if you¡¯ve got nothing better to do. No, really, do your worst, I dare ya. It is like watching an ant colony marching towards a volcano. It is pretty entertaining. P.P.S. Religious zealots of the Estellian Church, harm a single hair on the people that have been good to me in the past and I¡¯ll have a stern word with Estelle. Test this on your peril, Freya. *** Freya and Gregory read the copy of the letter that had been passed on by scrying from thousands of miles away. The cost of this single connection would be enough to make a non-Pathseeker skip Level 0 and become a Level 1 Pathseeker but it was like pocket change to a super organization like the Silver Legions. The master and disciple duo were at a small town near the Zetel Kingdom and the Coalition¡¯s border. The very opposite of Regidana. ¡°...Your opinion, Master?¡± The young girl said after reading the letter thrice. ¡°What is your opinion about this? You make the call to any incident related to Viers Isuel.¡± The old man replied back. ¡°Absolutely bogus and sacrilegious,¡± Freya¡¯s tone was serene. ¡°Mmm, and? What are your actions?¡± ¡°...My mission is to go to Zetel. I¡¯ll obey the order from my commander,¡± Freya turned to the priest in the mirror. ¡°Pass the letter to Irene normally. Tell the others to not do anything impolite towards Viers Isuel¡¯s family and friends. Not because of the threat but because it is right¡­ I doubt Viers is still in Regidana but alert our brothers and sisters there just in case.¡± The priest on the other end of the magical communication bowed before the mirror returned to normal. Freya returned to her meditation, her body emitting a faint glow. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Viers Isuel¡­ There¡¯s no escaping justice. We¡¯re bound by Fate. Sooner or later you¡¯ll face the Radiant Lady¡¯s judgment. *** Meanwhile, the wanted man was in a state of euphoria. ¡°Hahaha! Open up, you bad boys!¡± Viers laughed to the ceiling after recalling Turfon¡¯s spirit back and recovered from his possessed state. Two inventory rings from the leader and vice-leader of the Cult of Dumuzin from the Luxore town, the reason he went to Marakkus, had been successfully opened. The inventory rings were no longer functional and broke apart because of the forceful access, thus the riches inside were strewn all over the room. ¡°Congratulations, Lord Viers,¡± said Farley, unconcerned that all the riches originally belonging to her father and family were falling into Viers¡¯ hands. ¡°Thank you, Farley.¡± Viers¡¯ immediately searched for the Arkenstone equivalent among the riches of Smaug¡¯s hoard -divided by one thousand- and he found it shortly. A blue crystal of immense beauty the size of a heart radiating power more than anything he had ever seen. It was the main reason he persistently tried to open the rings. ¡°Is that really what I think it is?¡± Clarissa was in awe. ¡°...So beautiful,¡± Paina was enchanted by the blue crystal. ¡°Yes, the core of a sentient monster above rank 5,¡± Viers spoke. ¡°Can you see its specific Rank?¡± ¡°No, but it¡¯s above Level 5 for sure. Possibly Rank 6 but it might be higher. How did they get their hands on something like this?¡± The lamia princess asked. ¡°It was originally mine. I witnessed a fight between the monster bull and three flying cultivators who were also above Level 5. They struck each other down. I was just Level 0 at the time, just by watching the battle I was seriously injured. Long story short, I killed the only survivor among the three -the woman was already dying you see- then refused the bull¡¯s request to latch his soul onto mine then ate the bull¡¯s flesh raw.¡± ¡°...Goddess Holy Mother...¡± Paina muttered. ¡°So I got many benefits such as lifespan, some artifacts from the foreign female cultivator and the bull. And then, Farley¡¯s family stole them from me before forcing me to join their cult. In a few months, I got everything back after arson, murder, and jaywalking.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Farley said. ¡°All water under the bridge, girl. Come on, let''s tally the loot. Fingers crossed we¡¯ll find something to help Gwen.¡± Viers and the girls started sorting the treasures inside the room protected by a double-layered barrier. An hour later, Viers listed the newest additions to his material wealth. Viers didn''t even bother to count the gold, gems, mana crystals, and other monetary valuables. He simply jammed them into the Casket and went to the next item. There were many knick-knacks and trinkets. They were not bad since it was the accumulated wealth of an organization with a century of history behind them but Viers only got his eye on the cream of the crop of these riches. ¡°A Magic Carpet! A flying magical item! NOICE!¡± ¡°What a menacing hammer! Ouff, super heavy too. His physical strength is already higher than mine at this point. I can still match his muscle strength if I use Arte though. Should be a nice present for Boram. I¡¯ll call it¡­ the Skull Basher!¡± ¡°Windwings Buzzard Heart, this can raise someone¡¯s affinity to wind 4! Shame there isn''t something for water affinity 4. Mine is only temporary so I gotta find something to make it permanent else my water will return to affinity 2.¡± ¡°Evil Dagger of Broken Promise. You know we Pathseekers often agree to magical promises and binding contracts, right? Like what I had with Freya and Takju? If they have this dagger, they might be able to break the chains. Good stuff! I shall become an even better liar! Benjamin traded for this from a devil he summoned from Hell, you know. I¡¯ve seen his memories.¡± ¡°Sick full set of soul affinity gear! Blithe Lich Robe? Making me look like Necrophos. Woahhh¡­ You may be a shitty father and person but you got a good fashion sense, Benjamin. I can look even more badass when I wear this!¡± ¡°Profound Codex, Self-Serving Degenerate. Make the one who loves you suffer. The more that person suffers, the greater the effect¡­ Good Lord. Suffice to say this will immediately be locked together with the diabolical Codex of Reverend Purity.¡± ¡°Ah, the trinkets I looted from the foreign Pathseeker above Level 5. An unknown hairpin, a mysterious pair of earrings, two magical healing pills that can bring someone almost dead back to life. I know, I¡¯ve tried one of them. Wait, wasn''t it supposed to be three pills? Shit, they must have taken one. Oh bummer. Last but not least, the woman¡¯s broken spear. Whatever magical artifact it was supposed to be in the past, the enchantment had been broken but it is still sharp beyond comparison. I might be able to repair it in the future. I shall call it the Spear of Leonidas! No, the woman is not named Leonidas but I know a Fable where a certain demi-god Misthios uses a similar weapon. Gotta respect the Fable, girls.¡± ¡°Now, the main dishes, the artifacts I got from the bull. See this pair of sapphires containing incredible profundities? They were actually the bull''s eyes. They turned to gemstones after I pried them out. Oh c¡¯mon. It¡¯s no different than skinning a rabbit. What¡¯s cruel about it? It¡¯s the Circle of Life. The important thing is you don''t waste what nature has given you. Speaking of waste, the bull¡¯s carcass that I couldn''t eat ended up being taken by some random guy. What a shame. Well, I already took that with the most value. The core, the eyes, and this! This silk thing is actually the bull¡¯s tail. Imagine what super artifact I can make with this, bwahahah!¡± Viers¡¯ heart experienced satisfaction. The side-quest that had been in his quest log for so long had finally been completed and the rewards were not disappointing. Except for one thing. ¡°Still no soul recovery medicine? Am I underestimating its rarity? Sorry Farley.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure it won''t be long until Gwen¡¯s awakening. Please, don''t let the mood become gloomy on my account.¡± ¡°I appreciate your patience. C¡¯mon girls, I¡¯ll buy all your fav¡¯s food today. Let¡¯s celebrate!¡± Chapter 125 - The Calm Viers was living the cultivator¡¯s life. Days had come and gone. While the area surrounding Regidana was always tropical thanks to the unique mana in the region, the rest of the continent was welcoming the beginning of summer. But by this time, Viers had already gotten used to the Caribbean climate. One month was neither short nor quick. In this period of time, there had been no pursuers thus far. Not the Estellian Church, not the Blood Church, not the Bone Ravens, nada. Viers was glad he gave them the slip. All that planning and work to do things stealthily had paid off. It gave Viers time to grow. Cultivation was not only about constantly battling and bashing the enemies¡¯ head but also resource acquisition and management. Viers always regarded his personal power as his number one asset and developing it was his top priority. This meant his Level as a Pathseeker which was growing in an unwavering manner. Now that he no longer spent most of his time on the road, Viers could put more time and effort on his overall cultivation and power progression. Viers was pleased about his cultivation progress. He had ample mana crystals that he could absorb so the problem was the digesting period. Even though one had a mountain of mana crystals in front of them, that mana needed to be absorbed into their Intio but the Intio¡¯s ability to integrate mana was limited. Most Pathseekers didn''t have this problem because they were lacking in resources. A Level 2 going to Level 3 needed a huge amount of mana. It wasn''t uncommon for Level 2 Pathseekers to be in their thirties or forties before they managed to fill their Intio with enough mana for a Level 3 breakthrough. Thanks to his ¡®daring¡¯ activities Viers was as rich as a favored son of a big clan. This month he had been absorbing mana crystals too much so he needed to cease for some time to allow his Intio to do its thing. However, Viers didn''t want to wait. He wanted to reach Level 3 as soon as possible. The faster the better. Thus was one of his reasons to stay in a city, cultivation arrays. In the past, he used the digesting period to unwind and relax, enjoying life while raising his Horizon but it was too much of a waste for his time in the city. Six hours a day meditating inside one such array became his routine now. There were many variations of the array but the effect was the same, to help the user¡¯s Intio¡¯s absorption and integration speed. However, this kind of array was very sophisticated and expensive to make. Even Turfon, the Level 3 array master, couldn''t make it. In the Free People Coalition, only cities had them because the smaller towns didn''t have the need. Unlike towns, there were many houses and organizations that nurture their young with abundant resources in the cities. With demand, came supply. Viers¡¯ stay in Regidana allowed him to make use of this cultivation feature, for a price of course. It was quite pricey but that was why Viers went after wealth in the first place. The poor would have a really hard time walking the Path of Power. It was one of the fundamental truths of cultivation which Viers grasped very early, since before his reincarnation in this world. With the help of the cultivation array, combined with his habit of burning money, Viers calculated that he would only need two more months and not five until he was able to try a breakthrough to Level 3. By that time he would finally hit the age of seventeen. Viers'' cultivation speed was faster than average but it was still a far cry from the people that lived in the Age of the Gods. Clarissa became a Level 5 at sixteen! The people in this age couldn''t compare to that kind of speed at all. Viers had the mana part of his cultivation covered but there was one more thing he needed to do before he could become a Level 3, practicing his Profound Codex to the degree of small accomplishment. Until he was able to create Unreality Field, Viers would remain a Level 2. Viers¡¯ Profound Codex came from Clarissa, her own Profound Codex which she taught Viers. Its original name was Immortal Snake¡¯s Death and Life Esoterica which was too long so Viers renamed it Serpentes Renovamen, latin for snake¡¯s rebirth. It was still the best Profound Codex he ever got his hands on, even better than Takju¡¯s Earthborn Amalgam. Not only it was very suitable for him, it also matched Viers¡¯ envisioned Path. Therefore, even if the practitioner would be shouldering a massive risk Viers still chose to practice the Serpentes Renovamen Profound Codex. There were no shortcuts like the cultivation array for Profound Codex practice, not to Viers¡¯ knowledge at least. It depended solely on the individual. Except for diligently practicing everyday, there was nothing else Viers could do. Still, he was optimistic he would be able to achieve small accomplishment in the months to come. His soul cultivation was also going smoothly. Viers selectively chose the souls he ate so he didn''t lose out and had reached 1000 Soul Power. Viers could feel the effect of his soul getting stronger. His soul search became easier and clearer, his soul Artes became more intense and efficient; there were only benefits and no drawbacks. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. On the opposite side, his swordsmanship and Artes experienced stunted growth. Viers¡¯ lack of intense battles of late and more time allocation on cultivation didn''t push his martial prowess forward. For his Artes, Viers did what good leaders do. He delegated. The three tenants in his head, Paina, Farley and Clarissa trio were tasked with improving Viers¡¯ Arte besides improving their own crafts. Improving, not creating. The three did not make a book¡¯s worth of new Artes because quality is more important than quantity and Viers had enough Arte as it is. From offense, defense, speed, support, finishing moves, Viers had no blind spots in his battle style; top-notch Artes for every aspect. It wasn''t a coincidence, Viers had been constructing his battle style since the start of his cultivation journey. Viers might be focusing on cultivation, almost bordering on closed cultivation, but he still took the time to explore the city in whatever free time he could spare. As expected of a big city that served as a center of trade, Viers had found many rare and good things, such as items to heal a wounded soul for Gwen. Alas, each time Viers tried to get them the price was sky high and immediately got bought by a powerhouse or a superforce. Viers couldn''t compete with them at all, in terms of might or financially. Thankfully for Viers, Farley took the disappointment well. She was certain Viers would be a Level 3 in a few months and he should be able to improve Gwen¡¯s condition as his power went up significantly. On another note, there was no progress about getting a body for the girls, both on Viers and Izabella¡¯s front. Viers had a thought that he might need to cultivate his soul magic to such a degree that he could turn soul into corporeal but it was a thought for the future him, when he was at least a Level 5. But for now, he couldn''t do anything to solve the ¡®lack of body¡¯ problems of his tenants. About Izabella, their partnership which began with a rocky start was stabilizing. After getting assurance that Alan¡¯s soul wasn''t mistreated, her relationship with Viers was starting to mend little by little. The reason she accepted the situation so easily was that she found out about precedents from the Blood Church¡¯s archive. If the soul was intact, someone could be brought back to life. Boram was also growing nicely. Last but not least, his Horizon unceasingly improved his power by the second. 121.77%¡­ God, I love the prospect of unlimited growth. One more week until the Plant Gate was fully grown and he could be reunited with Dia. By then, he could begin developing Dia¡¯s Biome and selling the abundance of high quality materials inside the Biome for his cultivation resources. Viers was anticipating the profit very much. *** On a luxurious terrace in a no less luxurious mansion, there were two youths. They both were topless, showing their perfectly toned muscles and abs, beads of sweat glistening their torso. The maids serving refreshments stole glances towards those manly youths with red faces and quick breaths. The two of them had just finished sparring and were speaking cordially. ¡°Brother Troy, you''ve grown much since our last spar. The Righteous Brave School¡¯s reputation is not unfounded, each generation producing geniuses such as you.¡± ¡°What are you saying, brother Oscar? If you use your full strength, how could I win? As expected from someone from the house of Regisea.¡± The two continued their talk of praising each other for a while until Troy, the younger of the two, changed the topic. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve heard interesting rumors about the adventurers recently. There are some interesting rookies that have made a name for themselves. Ivory Flame, Noble Tiger, Backlasher, and the newest one, Slayer. Super Rookies, people say about them.¡± ¡°Bah, just commoners who got lucky. Not worth mentioning.¡± ¡°Well, people have been saying the lot of them might be better than schoolers and housers,¡± Troy grinned as he wiped his sweat with a towel. ¡°Hmph, what do the masses know? Let them say whatever they want. Next month, they will all know the difference between the commoners and the elites.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re going to compete this year, brother Oscar? Then perhaps I should too...¡± ¡°Hahaha, let us meet at the finals then, brother Troy. This year¡¯s Regidana U-18 Tournament should be somewhat interesting at least.¡± *** At Regidana airport, a flying carriage had just landed. From a small carriage that should be just enough for four people, eleven people came out. Ten of them were young people wearing green and gold uniforms except one. ¡°So this is the Free People Coalition, huh¡­ What a dump. I had some expectations because they said this is one of the most prosperous places in the nation¡­ Consider me disappointed.¡± ¡°What do you expect, Prefect Monus? Of course they don''t have flying landmarks like in our cities. Don''t blame the backwater apes for their lack of innovation.¡± The ten laughed mockingly. ¡°That¡¯s enough, students. No more insults. Remember that you''re here because of the Governor-King''s hospitality. Mind your manners or the Level 5 might reduce you to dust. I won''t be lifting a finger should that happen, nor can I prevent it.¡± ¡°Yes, Dean Carlo,¡± the ten of them replied before the most senior of the ten, the one called Monus spoke. ¡°Guys, shall we see what passes for a saloon around here?¡± Dean Carlo massaged the bridge of his nose as he saw the students were running away towards the city. He was already feeling the stress of being their overseer. ¡°I should have stayed in Zetel. Goddess¡­ it will be a long month until the tournament comes.¡± The dean went after them slowly. *** A slender and beautiful young woman wearing foreign clothes walked out from a merchant ship. She bid the captain and the crew who had been helping her and ferrying her to this city goodbye. The black-haired girl looked towards the city with determination. I finally arrived on the continent. Otou-sama, please hang on. This unfilial daughter will definitely find the cure. Chapter 126 - The Wind ¡°You little metal dumpling, stop bringing bloody heads here! How many heads have you brought here the past month? Cleaning the aftermath is a pain in the butt!¡± Adventurer ¡®Avel¡¯ and the Regidana Guildmaster whose name was Bert were in a conversation. To other adventurers, Avel the Slayer seemed to finish another quest. In this kind of quest, the proof of completion didn''t have to be a whole head but Avel kept doing so. Berated by the Guildmaster, Boram who was standing behind Avel was bowing and apologizing quite seriously but Avel just made an apologetic smile and a head dip. ¡°Indeed, sir. Giving a nice girl heads seems to be too extreme¡­ May I be so bold to ask what things your niece is fond of?¡± ¡°Keh! Like hell I¡¯m telling a prit-prat youngster like you that. Listen well, you need to be a Bronze rank adventurer first before your name worms its way inside my head. Until then, don¡¯t even dream about it!¡± ¡°Wasn''t it Iron rank before? ¡± ¡°It¡¯s Bronze now! Anyway, if you bring another head in here, I¡¯ll make you eat it! Now, shoo.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. Good day to you,¡± Avel turned to a certain guild girl and greeted her too before leaving. ¡°You too, Peanut.¡± ¡°Stop calling me that...¡± The guild girl whose real name was Jean, grumbled. Bert snuffed a long breath from his nose while crossing his arms, watching until Avel was far enough before whispering to his niece. ¡°How much stock do you put in him? Want a couple of dinner dates first before marriage?¡± ¡°Uncle!¡± Jean or Peanut, as her colleagues and other adventurers started to call her, snarled. To her dismay, the nickname was starting to stick. ¡°What? You¡¯re 21. Your mother had you when she was 19. This Slayer kid might be your ¡®right one¡¯. Stop being picky and pick a groom already.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not having this conversation again, hmph!¡± Jean went away, irritated. ¡°Haiz¡­ What am I going to do with her,¡± he scratched his head. Guildmaster Bert, a Level 4 Pathseeker expert with the moniker Big Bison Berserker, was helpless against his young niece. *** This one is too far, this one too troublesome, this one too strong¡­ My pool of choices has run dry. Viers was standing before the quest board. Although it wasn''t every day, Viers kept taking hunting criminals'' quests and now he had run out of suitable quests of that nature for him. Needless to say that the main objective of it was to gain human souls for his Myriad Souls in One Arte, not the paltry reward. ¡°Yet another easy quest, Avel?¡± Viers turned towards the voice of contempt behind him and found Khalmar, the Noble Tiger. ¡°It seems I overestimated you,¡± the tiger beastfolk chose an Iron rank quest before leaving with his party of four. They were all beastfolk. ¡°How could he compare with brother Khalmar?¡± ¡°Unlike this guy, brother Khalmar has already gotten promoted.¡± ¡°Hmph, he only took easy quests and rumors are he let his slave do his battles for him. What a disgrace for adventurers everywhere. Perhaps Avel only became Obsidian thanks to that little boy?¡± Khalmar¡¯s group made snide remarks about Viers. While Viers was like a steady rock in the river, Boram was not able to keep himself calm. ¡°Master is strong! Don''t talk trash about him!¡± Khlamar¡¯s teammates paused for a second before breaking into a laugh. They spoke in a more derogatory manner. ¡°Hiding behind the skirt of your kid-slave? Talk about cowardice.¡± Boram was fuming but before he could answer Viers put a hand on his shoulder. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Enough. Let¡¯s go, fellas,¡± Khlamar¡¯s voice was firm and so they left. Before the tiger went out of the fluid completely, he gave Viers a disappointed look. ¡°I expected better of you.¡± The exchange was witnessed by other adventurers. This time, a hand landed on Viers¡¯ shoulder. It was Forss. ¡°What was that about?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Come on, let''s talk somewhere else.¡± Viers, Boram, and Forss went to a nearby park. It began with word of mouth from an eyewitness that Viers only sat back while actually Boram was the one fighting. Then folk began giving more attention to the details, such as Viers only picked ¡®easy¡¯ opponents. Viers and Boram -two Level 2 adventurers- group mainly picked Level 1 criminals with occasional Level 2s. Viers did not ¡®pick someone on his own size¡¯ so to speak. It wasn''t as if it was not allowed, only held in contempt, especially for new rising stars. In contrast, Noble Tiger and Ivory Fire -which Viers had yet to meet- kept taking ¡®difficult¡¯ quests and magnificently accomplished them. Their opponents were high-end Level 2s and sometimes even Level 3 monsters or people. Noble Tiger had become an Iron ranked adventurer, Ivory Flame was also close to promotion but Slayer was nowhere close. Rumors began to spread: Avel of Javia¡¯s strength was fake. The Slayer was actually a coward. With the rookie adventurer award approaching, one of the hot candidates might be a sham. It naturally drew derision from some. ¡°I see,¡± Viers only nodded. ¡°Also, your flirting with the guild girl is one of the factors,¡± Forss informed. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Well, she¡¯s a cute girl. She only just arrived from another city right? Some people are jealous of you. She is cold to everyone except you, they say.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re paying attention, you know that¡¯s not true,¡± Viers said. ¡°She¡¯s cold to me too.¡± ¡°Either way, that¡¯s what people say.¡± The negative rumors about him didn''t really matter to Viers. Avel of Javia was just Viers¡¯ fake identity, an above-average adventurer. It was Viers¡¯ face as he interacted with other normal people. As long as he maintained that identity clean of criminal records then all was fine. But Viers was a bit irked about the matter of Peanut. The girl was somewhat interesting and Viers wanted to befriend her. Since he was always going from place to place, a familiar face was something precious. Since she was only a Level 0, Viers also didn''t have to be so tense and on guard in front of her, unlike when he was dealing with other Pathseekers. With the negative rumors about them, Peanut would also become implicated which would disturb his befriending efforts in turn. Viers hated the ones who started spreading this rumor. Can a man not be friends with another woman? Damned virgins! I hope they die as virgins! As for any matter romantical in nature, Viers didn''t have them. Not even one bit. If I have a girlfriend, it would be a painful thing for the girl. My way of life is not good for a healthy relationship. My enemies might, nay, WILL aim at her to get to me. So many xianxia novels with that subplot, I won''t make the same mistake. I¡¯ll only think about love after I become strong enough to protect the ones I love. I guess I should keep my distance from Peanut then. Shame. I still haven''t found out her name. ¡°I see,¡± Viers nodded deeper this time. ¡°Thank you for telling me. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°No prob, bud.¡± Viers appreciated the friendly fellow. He was a bit older than Viers but his ability was pretty average. He was still in Glass rank, the lowest one. ¡°By the way, it seems the city is getting merrier. Is there some kind of event approaching?¡± There were efforts to beautify the city. Flags and accessories were starting to get put up. Viers passed by more people of ¡®not simple origin¡¯ on the road. Viers thought something must be up. ¡°You don''t know? Regidana U-18 Tournament is starting next month. You aren''t 18-years-old yet, right? You should join.¡± ¡°Ooohhh¡­ a tournament, is it? Hmph!¡± Viers scoffed with disdain. Viers had an unnatural dislike of the word ''tournament''. Forss didn''t get why Viers seemed to be upset. ¡°Thanks for the talk. Let''s go back. Looks like it will rain. Bye, man.¡± They bid their goodbyes and went their separate ways. It was 3 o¡¯clock and the sky was starting to show signs of incoming rain. Black clouds were gathering, winds blowing stronger than usual. Viers was glad he would reach his home before water started falling from the sky. When Viers was just about to unlock the front gate to his house, someone appeared from thin air just a few steps away from him. ¡°Whoa!¡± Viers was surprised. He had already half-drawn his sword until he realized the identity of the person. It was Harry, the son of the GK. His face was already at half-cry before breaking into a full bawl. ¡°Mister Knight! Please help me. I don''t know what to do. Uweeehhh¡­¡± ¡°Calm yourself. What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my friends, Mister Knight, Marc and Milly. They were kidnapped!¡± Harry spoke amidst the intense sobbing. ¡°Kidnapped?¡± Viers raised his brows. ¡°No!¡± Boram was aghast. He had become friends with them too. Viers had a bad premonition. ¡°Well, tell the city guards then. Why did you come to me?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Your parents then. They¡¯re Level 5!¡± ¡°They¡¯ll kill them if I tell Mom and Dad or the guards! You¡¯re my only hope, uweehhh...¡± Chilly winds blew, carrying dead leaves with them. Their chill was incomparable to the one Viers felt under his skin right now. Gah! So troublesome. Chapter 127 - The Storm Viers didn''t like this. Viers didn''t like this at all. ¡°Sigh¡­ Let¡¯s get inside first then tell me about it.¡± In front of the house was hardly the place to have this kind of conversation so Viers invited him inside. It was not like Viers could shoo him away. Vier also found out Harry''s sudden appearance trick as they went inside. Invisibility cloak? And his name is Harry? Wow, the coincidence¡­ Once inside, Harry started to talk. Yesterday Harry was approached by a stranger. The stranger wanted Harry to bring him a specific book from the Governor-King¡¯s treasury. Naturally, Harry refused but then the stranger gave Harry something that changed his mind. ¡°He gave me this...¡± Harry said dejectedly. Harry showed Viers two fingers, human fingers. ¡°Milly and Marc¡¯s finger, that guy said. Refuse and there will be more Milly and Marc to follow. He warned that if I speak to my parents or the authorities, they will kill my friends immediately...¡± Viers got a massive headache. Dazed and desperate, Harry stole the book successfully. He had to act because they put a time limit. Harry needed to give them the book today. But after he got the book in his hand, Harry was afraid they would not make good on their promise. Harry was also concerned these people would do bad things with the book so he wanted to find help. This help must not be related to his parents or city officials. It was then Harry thought of a certain knight that had saved him before. Viers¡¯ head almost exploded by the plot holes in Harry¡¯s story. Where are Harry¡¯s chaperones? No one thinks Harry''s condition and actions are suspicious for a whole day? Can the GK''s vault be so easily broken into? A couple of mighty Level 5s allows their only child roaming with so little protection? If you¡¯re gonna take a risk anyway then just tell your parents, damn it! ¡°They must have agents among Father¡¯s men,¡± Harry speculated. Eyes still red. ¡°Or, you¡¯re being watched,¡± Viers said grimly. Viers bolted out of the house immediately. Harry was surprised by the abrupt action. He wasn''t alone in this, Boram was the same. They were stunned for a few seconds before going after Viers. Viers, eyes already shining green like a snake eyeing for prey, scanned the perimeter and immediately attacked three suspicious people in different areas. Arte - Black Out Down! Viers made physical contact with them and each felt a loud sound resounding in their heads before falling into the unknownness of the dark abyss. ¡°Come on, bring them back before anyone sees,¡± Viers said to Boram who¡¯d just arrived. Viers immediately soul-searched them after returning home. The first one was just a Level 1 normal guy. The second person, not so much. ¡°Hmn?¡± I cannot see her memories? This never happened before. Even when he was soul-searching someone stronger than himself there was still feedback. In the case of this woman, it was like her memories were protected by a wall. Time was pressing so Viers didn''t probe any further. Just finding a suspect was enough. The third person also turned out to be a normal civilian. ¡°Boram, secure this woman as we practiced. Remember, she¡¯s a Level 2. Be thorough,¡± Viers¡¯ sudden ambush didn''t give any chance for her to act. There was nothing odd in her belongings, as Viers expected. While Boram did what was instructed, Viers was feeling bitter. Suppose the woman was connected to the ones blackmailing Harry, chances were they already found out about his involvement. The woman might have informed the rest of her group before she got taken down; she also might not be the only one following the kid. Viers was in a bind. He didn¡¯t want to act because it would put himself in danger for nothing but he already got implicated even if he refused. There was also Avel of Javia¡¯s reputation; he needed to have a ''not stinky'' reputation for Viers¡¯ future projects. At least not in Regidana, the place where he was building his base. This is the chain of society. Damn it! This identity is starting to become more trouble than it''s worth. In the Marakkus Incident, Viers had a war mindset. It was personal and he wanted payback. He considered many angles and had weighed the potential risk and benefit. This time, Viers had no personal stake in this and there was no clear reward for doing this rescue mission. Also, refusing the call of help from the son of a Level 5 isn''t wise. Now that it has come to this, I must help Harry and his friends. At least, Harry must see me already putting in a great effort. Viers recalled the faces of Marc and Milly for a split second before steeling his heart. Even for innocent children, Viers was not willing to trade his life for them. Let alone two children, even if there were a thousand of them Viers still wouldn''t trade his life! Viers was not a hero. He never was. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you. Show me this oh-so-important book.¡± Harry¡¯s face went beyond happy and showed the book to his hero figure. It was a book in white and black leather bindings with a unique symbol on the front. It was as thick as a dictionary. The book was visibly very old, the title on the cover was all but unreadable from the erosion of time. Viers opened the book and only saw empty pages on yellowed paper. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Viers¡¯ Euryale Sight gave him nothing new. Clarissa also didn''t know anything. Failing to find a new angle of approach, Viers picked his course of action. ¡°Alright, I have a plan,¡± Viers told Harry. ¡°Remember, you must follow my instructions.¡± *** A man was watching three people leave a house from far away. All three went in different directions. If he hadn''t been informed about the subject using invisible methods he might have missed them. He just didn''t think there would be two people using invisibility. ¡°Fajrin, the boy is coming to you. Alone,¡± he communicated. ¡°Does he have the book?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. Complications?¡± ¡°None,¡± the Level 4 said without hesitation. ¡°Got it. Follow the rich boy until he arrives here.¡± ¡°Acknowledged,¡± the man said before cutting the transmission and made a fearful expression. ¡°I¡¯ve done what you asked,¡± he nervously looked at the person behind him. ¡°No no, wait wait-¡± ¡°Thank you, dear,¡± the Level 5 made him unconscious with a slap in a heartbeat. The man couldn''t even mount any sort of resistance. ¡°Sigh,¡± Madeline sighed as she watched her son go towards the port under churning dark clouds. Oh, my poor boy. He might have our methods and isn''t in any mortal danger but what a horrible experience for him. You better be protecting him properly, Slayer, or I¡¯ll give you a special slap myself. *** ¡°No, this is what you promised! You said you¡¯ll release my friends!¡± Harry said indignantly from inside a cage of magic alongside Marc and Milly. ¡°I lied,¡± the stranger who made contact with Harry before said. ¡°Stay there until all is over.¡± ¡°Harry...¡± Marc and Milly, both short a finger, looked at him with despair. Harry hugged them tightly. ¡°Don''t worry. Everything is going to be fine. It¡¯s going to be fine, definitely.¡± The black and white book was given to a hooded figure with the nicest cloak. The figure examined it a bit before speaking with a satisfied voice. ¡°It¡¯s the real deal. Prepare the ritual. We will leave immediately once everyone has arrived.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± A dozen or so people replied. *** The rain had started falling. In no time at all the trickle became a downpour. Flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder accompanied the rain¡¯s arrival. The flash of lightning revealed the silhouette of a person on the warehouse''s roof. The man was watching the ongoing play stealthily. Viers had changed his gear so it wasn''t obvious it was Avel the adventurer in one glance. Expecting a serious battle, he equipped his Dragonweave Gloves. Phew¡­ they didn''t harm Harry. Good. Viers¡¯ plan was simple. Let Harry give the book as intended then he would serve as a hidden protector until the city guards that Boram called arrived. Viers gambled that Harry definitely had life-saving treasures or the like from his parents. As long as the son of the GK didn''t die, Viers would be able to avoid the worst-case scenario. Now I just need to mess things up so their ploy does not succeed. The people that threatened Harry appeared to be members of the same organization. There were no Level 4 or above but there were ten or so Level 3s, above Viers¡¯ capability to handle. C¡¯mon¡­ where¡¯s the diversion? Viers was waiting for the next stage of his ploy but the people below him were doing something strange. ...They¡¯re using some kind of ritual on the book? Tsk. Viers stayed still under the Fade in Shadow Arte as the ritual progressed. Viers hoped the signal would go off before the ritual was finished but it seemed it won''t be going as he wished. Biting the inside of his lip, Viers took out a bow and arrow. Must disturb whatever was going on down there. Okay Viers, you got this. You definitely can shoot it. Viers was as still as an archer statue while the rain was hitting his body. The book was in the center of a circle of ten men chanting gibberish. A lightshow emerged befitting a magical ritual. The book was stationary but the target was quite small from where Viers was. He didn''t dare to get too close. This must be a one in a million shot¡­ Crisp air entered his lungs after a deep inhalation. ¡°Use the Force, Viers.¡± He softly muttered, imagining it was said by a wise old ghost. Viers¡¯ concentration rose to the limit. ¡°Use the Force...¡± The ritual was almost complete, it was the perfect moment to strike. Viers didn''t let the opportunity go and released the arrow. The arrow became an eagle and pierced through the air like the very bird itself but with much faster speed. Viers was using the Bow of Four Beasts¡¯ wind arrow to deliver the swiftest ranged attack at his disposal. The attack undeniably hit the book dead center. ¡°Yes!¡± Viers clenched his fist. Remember, the Force will be with you, always. Viers paused before adding more. Even after the cash grab trilogy sequel. Hmn? Due to the unexpected happening, the ritual was disturbed. The ten circling the book tried to stabilize the ritual but it failed and gave a mighty magical explosion! Almost instantly, another explosion went off in another warehouse. A fireball went up high into the air despite the intense rain and wind. Great timing! The blackmailer wanted Harry to bring the book to one of the warehouses in the port district. Since Boram¡¯s call for help might not be taken seriously by the city guards, Viers decided to rig an explosion in one of the warehouses not too far nor too close using a candle and exploding beads. It would definitely send the city guards running. The book exploding was not within his expectation but it was a welcome one. The warehouse was filled with smoke and mana residue. The blackmailers were scattered and injured. Viers dashed to the cage where the kidnapped trio was and set them free. ¡°Run, NOW!¡± Harry helped his friends and they ran as fast as they could. Meanwhile, Viers was taking the rearguard, preparing for the certain retaliation. ¡°You!¡± The leader angrily said. The strongest Level 3! ¡°You have ruined everything!!¡± Oh boy, Viers grimaced. Reinforcements are coming. I just need to not die for a few moments! The leader with a now tattered cloak chased with terrifying speed. His body radiated power as if on the cusp of releasing an Arte. The intensity of power was above Alan¡¯s. Shit, this is gonna hurt¡­ However, before Viers and the leader traded blows, a massive surge of power enveloped both of them. It was so fast and immediately drowned them in it. No, not only them. The surge was so wide it went on to other districts, to the city limits, to miles beyond Regidana! What the hell is happening!? Viers was confused while the blackmailer leader went ballistic. ¡°NO! No, no, no! Damn you! Lowly scum, I¡¯ll make you beg for death!¡± Viers felt some manner of magic on his body and it wasn''t because of the hostile Level 3. ¡°Clarissa! What is happening?¡± ¡°This is¡­ teleportation? No, something¡¯s different. Vie-¡± Viers saw that the Level 3 got sucked into the direction they both came from while still screaming words of hate. Not a second later, Viers also got sucked in. He tried to resist but nothing he could do had any effect. Before his vision got interrupted, Viers saw a majestic pillar of white and black light piercing the clouds. That day, hundreds of people disappeared from Regidana. Chapter 128 - The Players ¡°Look, kid. We promise we''ll look into it. I just need to make some calls and gather a few people...¡± ¡°No, you don''t understand. This is an emergency! We must go now, there are lives at stake!¡± Boram was talking aggressively to a lazy-looking guard. As per his master''s instruction, he went to a guard post near the port district and reported there was a kidnapping incident. The guard did not dismiss Boram¡¯s report but he didn''t take him seriously either. Boram was a kid, there was a storm outside, he had just finished patrols, there were only three people beside him in this post¡­ In short, the guard felt it was a chore and wanted to do the bare minimum according to the books. But how could Viers not foresee this when sending Boram? An explosion from one of the warehouses could be heard even amidst the heavy rain. While the guard was shocked and snapped in that direction, another blast followed. There was a fireball rising ten meters into the air. One more explosion than Viers predicted but he had successfully kicked the butt of the lazy guard into action. ¡°Dave, you stay here. Gion, come with me. Boy, you-¡± While the guard was hurrying and giving out orders, a pillar of light went up to the heavens and a wave of light washed over them. When the guard opened his eyes, Boram had disappeared. *** ¡°Phew¡­ finally I finished this enchantment. The twelfth assignment is complete,¡± Izabella wiped the sweat from her brows. After coming to Regidana she¡¯d taken many assignments from the Blood Church like a woman on a mission. From hunting monsters, enchanting items, repairing old magic circles, to killing rats in the Blood Church¡¯s secret cellars. Don''t worry Little Iz, your big sister will handle it. Izabella had heard her sister say that many times and remembered her voice nostalgically. She didn''t realize how much she had lost until she had lost them. Without Ursula¡¯s presence, Izabella had a tougher time making a living among the cultists of Yasterah. But hardships make hardy people. Izabella, who was always protected by a loving Level 4, did what must be done with much zeal and without complaints. I will save my sister, whatever it takes. Without the overprotective doting sister, Izabella became more mature and independent. A few months ago, all inside her head was how to avoid marriage with Irkun Marakkus. Now more mature, she also had more worries. Even if I worked like a mule, at this rate I won''t be able to rise to the Blood Church¡¯s top. Izabella clenched her fist, imagining Ursula and Alan¡¯s visage. On top of that, she had another dilemma: marriage offers, four of them. As if I don''t have enough on my plate already¡­ Well, I¡¯m the last of house Thyris. It¡¯s enough bait for some. The Blood Church was an organization with a heavy emphasis on ties between houses. Izabella was young, beautiful, talented, and the last member of a house with a long history within the church. She was the hottest bachelorette in Blood Church¡¯s Regidana branch right now. None of these people are easy to deal with, even ignoring them has consequences. Sigh¡­ I¡¯m just too weak at the moment. The next moment, a magical wave of black and white swept through her room, ignoring every security enchantment she had. Izabella¡¯s figure was nowhere to be found. *** ¡°Rest well, dear friend.¡± A handsome blond youth wearing light armor was standing before a tombstone on a hill not far from Regidana. ¡°It¡¯s been a long journey that takes me far from home but I¡¯m glad I made the trip.¡± The youth placed his hand on the newly erected stone. ¡°May you find peace, in the land of your birth.¡± There was no body under the grave, only a lock of hair. The youth went through a great deal of trouble to bring that simple thing to this place. Thunder grumbled from above. The sky was dark. A storm was coming. All of these didn''t bother the youth in the slightest. The youth stood there for some time, reminiscing of times gone by. ¡°Neigh...¡± A white horse nudged the youth on the back. The beast was tall and regal. A very fine horse. ¡°I know, Baster¡­ We should return to Latias. Good grief, it is really chaotic back home with the war of succession and all. I prefer to not get involved but as a squire, I have my duty.¡± The youth¡¯s face was pensive as he looked to the heavens as the first drops of rain fell. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°For king and country¡­ There is a king no more and the country is in shambles. What would become of Latias?¡± ¡°Neigh!¡± Another nudged, with more force this time. ¡°Hehehe. Yes, you¡¯re right. I can always count on you. Let¡¯s go back then.¡± The squire wore his helmet and rode his white horse, giving one last look to the grave before making his way down the hill. ¡°Ohhh!?¡± It wasn''t long until he saw a magnificent spectacle from the city, a majestic pillar of light. From his higher elevation, he could see a tidal wave of light coming towards him like a rising sea. ¡°Neigh!¡± Baster was agitated. Not good. It¡¯s too fast! Powerless to do anything, the squire and the horse were whisked away. *** ¡°You cowardly piece of shit! I¡¯ll pay you back for this. I swear!¡± ¡°Resorting to something as underhanded as poison, have you no shame?¡± Rain and wind battered the window. In a private room in a restaurant, there were four teens. Three were on the ground, poisoned and paralyzed, one male and two females. The girls shouted anger at the one who poisoned them. ¡°...Is this about Piera?¡± The poisoned youth said. He was handsome and lean and tall. Despite being unable to move a muscle, he showed no fear. ¡°She¡¯s my fiance and you took her away from me!¡± The other youth said. He wore nice clothes depicting his well-off background but his formerly handsome face was now distorted by ugly expressions. ¡°Engagement from a time when she wasn''t even born by your parents!¡± One of the girls said. She was a wolf beastfolk with silver fur. ¡°You lost the contest to Aravin fair and square. The engagement is no longer valid. Piera is free!¡± The other girl said. She was a pretty girl wearing religious garb. The poisoner was livid. After he got defeated by Aravin, he experienced the worst humiliation. Every gaze he received seemed to mock him, saying: ¡®Look, that¡¯s Jaime. It''s the young master of house Sigley that lost to a commoner and also lost his fiance. The girl went into the arms of the one who he lost to. He got cuckolded! Hehehe, what a loser.¡¯ ¡°Naya, Sabine, enough. Let me do the talking,¡± Aravin said serenely to his companion before addressing the person with too much enmity between them. ¡°After you kill me, please don''t harm Naya, Sabine, Piera, and my parents.¡± Hearing his nemesis'' request, Jaime clenched his teeth in anger. ¡°A mere talentless commoner¡­ became so strong in the blink of an eye and defeated me like it was a bad joke¡­ DIE!!!¡± ¡°Nooo!¡± ¡°Aravin!¡± The girls screamed but Aravin simply closed his eyes, calmly waiting for death¡¯s embrace. Before the young master¡¯s Arte was released, light washed over through walls like it wasn¡¯t there, leaving an empty room in its wake. *** The sky was crying. Similarly, there was a girl weeping while watching the raging seas, gazing eastward. Her white kimono with flower motifs were drenched by the rain as she despaired. There is no more medicine. All the stores had run out. It was rare to begin with. Even if I go further inland, I won''t have enough time to make it back. Otou-sama won''t last that long. Oh heavens, gods, what should I do¡­ As if answering her prayer, a phenomenon that changed the heavens itself appeared. It was the grandest sight she had ever seen in her life and she was witnessing it from close range no less. A pillar of black and white? What is the meaning of this? Khh!? She saw the coming tide of light emerging from the pillar. Swiftly, she took out an ofuda -paper charm- from inside her kimono and created a protective barrier. Alas, her efforts were useless. The girl was like a leaf on a river, carried by the currents. *** ¡°Aa~aaah... wrong again.¡± A black-haired girl jumped on the bed of an inn. She¡¯d just returned from a quest, following a rumor hoping it was the one she sought but it was a dud. The girl was very cute, with eyes like the brightest onyx and lips like the freshest cherry. Her skin was very smooth like the silkiest satin without a single blemish or imperfection. After returning to her room, she disrobed her armor, letting them fall messily on the floor before relaxing in comfortable light clothing. It¡¯s been a year¡­ Mother, where are you? Hearing the pitter-patter of rain made her relaxed, slowly drifting into sleep, recalling the happy memories she had with her dear mother. Suddenly, she was jolted awake. Mother¡¯s aura!? Like everyone else, the girl was gone the next moment. *** Regidana was in uproar. In the span of seconds, hundreds of people had disappeared as they evaporated into thin air. Craig Regisea, the Governor-King of Regidana landed on the warehouse, the base of the now-gone pillar of light. ¡°Father!¡± Harry gave his father a hug. ¡°Son, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°Husband.¡± ¡°Madeline,¡± the plump governor greeted back. It began with a simple ploy. An organization was making a move on an artifact in his belongings, the old book. Craig always felt it was hiding something extraordinary but he didn''t manage to unravel its secret even after spending a lot of time and effort. So he let the organization steal it with him and Madeline watching closely. Even when the organization used his son, the Level 5s didn''t make a move. Craig wanted his son to experience some tempering because Harry was too kind of a person. It wasn''t easy convincing his wife. ¡°Father, mister knight helped me but he disappeared. He didn''t die, right? He helped us so please, please save him.¡± ¡°It will be okay, son.¡± Craig hugged his son then went to his spouse. Harry¡¯s friends who were standing beside Madeline, children of his old buddies, were already healed of any injury, including their finger. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you two got injured. I¡¯ll definitely make it up to you both. Madeline, what have you learned?¡± The Governor-King and his wife watched the levitating book inside the half-ruined warehouse. Three more Level 5s were coming. One was Marlin, Craig¡¯s brother. The other two were Level 5s who reside in the city with their own organization. Craig greeted them all before gesturing to Madeline to continue. ¡°I deduced they either got teleported to an unknown place¡­ or got sucked into the book itself. The one who made this book is more powerful than any of us,¡± Madeline said. ¡°Why does such a powerful artifact only take Pathseekers Level 3 and below? Shouldn''t it be for Level 5, normally?¡± One of the Level 5s said. ¡°What should we do, brother? I saw Oscar disappear in front of me and there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± ¡°I see, your son too...¡± Craig muttered. From the initial report, hundreds of Level 3 and below Pathseeker were gone from Regidana and its surroundings. Young Pathseekers with much promise and potential. The ordinary book he had examined hundreds of times in the past was now radiating power even higher than himself. They couldn''t move the book, open, damage, or do anything to it. ¡°This is beyond me, beyond us. I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s nothing we can do. Their fate is in their own hands now.¡± Chapter 129 - The Book ¡°Where¡­ am I?¡± When Viers opened his eyes he found he was in a fantasy-like place. Viers was floating in a massive space of many colors, like liquid paint of various colors mixed and blended together. Despite the chaos, there was some beauty in it, similar to an abstract painting. How did I get into the Quantum Realm? Hm? Those are¡­ The space was empty but there were other things here other than him; hundreds of white silhouettes with human shapes. Viers deduced they are people just like him, only their identity was veiled. He guessed he would also look like that in other people''s eyes. Where¡¯s the hostile Level 3 from earlier? If that pillar of light is the cause, he should be here too. Oh? The people are starting to awake. ¡°...What in the Goddess'' name?¡± ¡°Ah? I am in the middle of taking a bath, you bastards!¡± ¡°What is this magical place?¡± ¡°What a strange dream...¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared. Mom! Dad! Where are you?¡± Their voice was also scrambled to almost unrecognizable. While the others were shaken by the abrupt change, Viers had already calmed down and chose to do something more productive. ¡°Girls, are you all okay?¡± Viers communicated with his mind. ¡°We¡¯re fine, Lord Viers. No problem on our end. I¡¯m ready to Overclock anytime,¡± Farley replied. ¡°Glad to hear it. I already have a conjecture about what is happening but don''t let your guard down.¡± After checking the tenants inside his head were fine Viers checked his condition and inventory, which had become very simple because he now possessed the super-duper convenient storage item. Can¡¯t use my storage item at the moment but it''s there. Can''t use Arte too. Temporarily while I¡¯m in this place, I assume. All is in order on my end. Come what may, I¡¯m ready! Amidst the hustle and bustle, a form emerged. It appeared like a mirage, bearing the appearance of a man wearing white garb. ¡°Welcome, young ones, to this place of opportunity.¡± The man¡¯s form was huge, fifteen meters tall. His form was not solid but a bit blurry. His countenance was dignified and calm, eyes containing deep wisdom, very sage-like. The people summarily shut themself up when this being appeared in the colorful space. ¡°Well now, this is unexpected... Most peculiar,¡± the huge phantom muttered as he examined the tiny people before him. ¡°Who are you and what do you want with us?¡± Someone asked. ¡°First, allow me to apologize for bringing you all here so abruptly. Be assured that I¡¯m not going to harm you. On the contrary, I¡¯m here to give you a boon,¡± the man smiled. ¡°As for me, you can call me Aletro.¡± Brown hair and face without wrinkles, the man was at the age of his prime but he smiled so austerely like a kindly grandpa. ¡°Aletro?¡± ¡°Is there a person with that name in Regidana?¡± ¡°What do you mean by opportunity?¡± The masses went ooh and aah with their questions and remarks, the solemn space became similar to a noisy vegetable market. ¡°A-Aletro? By the Goddess! I¡¯ve heard of him. He¡¯s an enigmatic figure from a thousand years ago!¡± Someone shouted. Some people started to pay attention to the shadowed person. ¡°Legend is Aletro spent most of his life teaching and guiding people to greatness. He has become a teacher of many prominent figures throughout history. He is called the Great Awakener Sage! O great one, this humble junior pays his respect.¡± The white shadow who knew Aletro kowtowed. Ah, thank you, expository guy, Viers thought. Viers counted on someone to blabber and offer some backstory that he didn''t understand, just like in xianxia novels. How nice he got one such guy with him at the moment. Among the hundreds of people in this space, about half chose to bow to the gigantic phantom of Aletro. The other half was still skeptical and did not bow. It didn''t need saying which group Viers was in. ¡°Get up, there¡¯s no need to bow. I¡¯m not Aletro in person, only his remnant will. A phantom with his consciousness. As this young one said, you¡¯re here so I can bestow some opportunities to you,¡± Aletro explained. ¡°A fortuitous encounter!¡± ¡°Lucky chance!¡± ¡°Golden opportunity!¡± They shouted many different things but the meaning was the same. Every one of them had experienced this kind of fortune, although the degree of said fortune differed from individual to individual. Some more than others. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Sage, what prompted such a blessing to us? And why us?¡± A voice resounded, not few had the same questions. ¡°This situation is a bit irregular. My trials are usually aimed at Level 5s and only a few get in at a time, certainly not hundreds. This time, however¡­ is the product of a ritual incomplete and the activator of this event is in your power bracket. That is why those who are here don''t have too much difference in your cultivation Level.¡± Viers felt the phantom¡¯s gaze upon him for a second before moving on. Me? Was it that arrow? Viers was getting a little worried about the attitude of Aletro¡¯s projection. ¡°Well it doesn''t matter, the artifact is functioning without problems. The trial will continue as intended and the difficulty will be adjusted accordingly, be at ease. As for why I chose you people, it¡¯s because you are all seedlings with the most promise among the previously mentioned power bracket. My main body created the artifact to only accept those above certain aptitude and potential.¡± ¡°The qualification isn''t our cultivation strength?¡± Someone asked. ¡°Correct. My main body has his own objective for doing what he does. At any rate, the trial has already begun and you¡¯re all the chosen participants. You¡¯re all currently inside a book my true self created but unlike me, you possess your own flesh and blood. There will be five stages of opportunity. Whether you will be able to grasp it or not is up to you.¡± Although they were brought here against their will, they were all Pathseekers. They knew a golden opportunity that might never come again in their lives was right in front of them. The young Pathseekrs were all eager, their hearts danced in anticipation. ¡°However, power without purpose is meaningless. Those with great power are also burdened with great responsibility. The powerful have a duty to take care of those weaker than themself. Understanding and cooperation will lead to a better tomorrow for all. I do not wish to aid those with petty and selfish ambition in their heart. Only those with virtuous heart and the willingness to serve the greater good shall partake in the following opportunity.¡± The dignified voice of Aletro resounded and it felt like a bucket of ice-cold water had just been poured on top of him. Viers was not alone in this. Another trial for the goody two shoes? Damn it! Viers had been burned by such a trial before and experienced failure. ¡°Not so fast!¡± With the thunderous voice, space twisted, and a humongous presence appeared. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Another Aletro?¡± ¡°How could this be?¡± The new arrival was very similar to the original Aletro. Their faces were the same like identical twins. However, they gave different impressions. The first Aletro was grand and sage-like while the second Aletro was wild and seemed more sinister. One was wearing white and the other was wearing black clothes. ¡°You...¡± The White Aletro frowned. ¡°Bwahaha! This party won¡¯t start without me!¡± The Black Aletro guffawed. The clear hostility between two phantoms as big as a building made the tiny Viers and the other nervous. ¡°So the legend is true¡­ In his youth, to progress further in the Path of Power Aletro tried to purge the dark and negative part of him. It was a success and failure at the same time. There have been two personalities inside him ever since. Good and noble on one side, evil and wicked on the other.¡° The exposition guy strikes again! Viers thought. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re quite knowledgeable, kid. To know things from so many years ago. I¡¯ll give you a small reward later,¡± Black Aletro''s attitude and manner of speaking were different from his other self. ¡°Listen up, kiddos! I reject this pathetic version of me and all the things he stands for.¡± Black Aletro declared loudly and proudly! ¡°Responsibility? Protecting the weak? Greater good? Bah! That is not how a man is supposed to live. You reduce yourself to being a servant of others. I do not agree! Life is about freedom! About chasing your passions and goals. Why should you care about others? Sure, take care of your close friends and families but be honest with yourself, how much do you really care for those you never know or meet that live at the other end of the world? The weak die and the strong survive. That is the natural order of things, survival of the worthy!¡± White Aletro''s disgust was not hidden. I like this guy, Viers gave a mental thumbs up. ¡°Of course you do,¡± Paina rolled her eyes. ¡°...There! I¡¯ve opened a new path for those with a different ideology than this naive guy,¡± Black Aletro fierily said. ¡°Regardless of your moral compass, the worthy shall rise!¡± ¡°...Although this deviant intervened, the trial itself will undoubtedly be fair. This is an iron-clad rule made by our true self. I stand by what I said. Good is better than evil. It is a harsher and thornier path, that is true, but the reward is far greater than the other side¡¯s¡­ and a much more meaningful life to have. ¡°Hmph, you and your blabbering. Enough talk!¡± Black and White Aletro created a majestic sun above their head. One black, one white. ¡°Life is a choice.¡± ¡°You who wish to live a virtuous life choose the white spark.¡± ¡°You who wish to live an unrestrained life choose the black spark.¡± There was a silent pause after the white giant and black giant spoke their piece. In this opening, Viers struck. ¡°Chacha! Chacha comes home! Choose the one you believe in! Aletro, I choose the black spark!¡± Viers shouted loudly and all the other participants heard him. Because his voice and form were obscured nobody knew who he was, just like Viers didn''t know who the shadow not a meter beside him was. A piece of light from the black sun split off from the main body and floated towards Viers. It didn''t take long until the others came to a realization and shouted their own message. ¡°Brothers and sisters of the Righteous Brave School, we will choose the white spark!¡± ¡°Fellow students of Luvicas, the black one is more interesting. That is what I, the prefect, pick.¡± ¡°Red door and black horse! Follow what your heart tells you.¡± Among the intense shouting match, one small figure came to a realization. ...Master? Oooh, he speaks in tongues! As expected of Master! ...For what though? No one will recognize him except me, right? Why not call me directly? Boram was confused. Anyway, I¡¯ll do what Master asks. I¡¯ll do my best and make him proud. A white spark came above Boram¡¯s palm. It was a tiny flame thing, even smaller than candlelight. The other recipient also understood the message. Yeah, of course he¡¯s here. He also addressed me with that sentence¡­ Choose what I believe in, huh? A black glimmer came towards Izabella. As the other several hundred made their choice, Viers was enjoying the unexpectedness of life. Another trial of fire, this time with proper rival competitors! Five stages of competitions with the good and evil flavor mixed in, hm? How interesting¡­ Time for my evil side to shine! Chapter 130 - Tyrant Viers: The Adventurer of the Mysterious Book Viers was trying to discern the mystery of the black spark that was floating above his right palm to no avail. Viers guessed the tiny black fire the size of a bean would be crucial in this trial. With a thought Viers made the spark disappear. Aletro told them they could make the spark appear and disappear at will. ¡°All participants have chosen their spark. Hm, so out of 382 individuals, 176 chose white and 206 chose black. See, other me? My way is more popular.¡± The black-clothed Aletro said to the other Aletro with a smug face. ¡°We shall see, whether your way is better or not. I have faith in these brave souls who picked the harder path.¡± White Aletro calmly said. ¡°Hmph. As always, we never get along. Listen up, little chicks, this is your objective inside the trial: you must make your spark grow. For the sake of simplicity, we even make it easy for you. Simply gather as many spark shards as you can during the five stages of the trial. The more shards you have, the higher your spark quality becomes. Your reward at the trial¡¯s end will be based on the quality of your spark!¡± Black Aletro spoke while leaning his face forward. The hugeness of his body made some people uneasy. ¡°In the five stages, you¡¯ll have many opportunities to gain these shards. To make things fair, all of your cultivation strength has been adjusted to the average, Level 2 middle. Those who were Level 3 will not be able to use their Unreality Field for the time being,¡± White Aletro¡¯s voice was calming and filled with dignity. It reminded Viers of how experienced professors spoke in seminars or universities. ¡°What? That''s not fair to us Level 3s isn''t it?¡± ¡°Yeah! Why should we compensate for the weakness of others?¡± Some of the participants did not like what they heard. ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Black Aletro roared, accompanied by the flashes of lightning as well as rumbling winds as the space churned. Viers felt very small and helpless in front of such might. He had no problem believing either Aletro could snuff his life out with a thought. With fear in their hearts, all the participants became more obedient. ¡°Techniques and skills you have mastered will be your tools to differentiate yourself from the others. Unique methods, special Artes, rare constitution, enlightenments, Our main body seeks more than having something that can be bridged in a few months. Those with the ability to excel will excel and gain a worthy reward.¡± White Aletro gave more to the silenced gallery. ¡°Same case with your equipment. You can use every item at your disposal should you be lucky enough to have them in person before being transported here. Feel free to use every magical and mystical item you have. Blessed shield, cursed weapon, it makes no difference. If you can use said item, it is also counted as your ability. There is one exception though, items and methods with power above Level 3 will be rendered moot. Some of you have been blessed enough to possess things like that but most don''t. If you can destroy another participant with a weapon from your parents or teachers it won¡¯t be a trial anymore so that kind of thing is unusable.¡± ¡°Too bad~¡± Black Aletro grinned mockingly. ¡°What about those that didn''t bring anything? I was in the middle of a bath.¡± ¡°Blame your bad luck. In case you don''t know, that is a real thing that can happen to everyone. Deal with it.¡± No one was willing to retort. Among the silence, a big structure was conjured. An obelisk was erected in the middle of the colorful liquid paint space. ¡°Stage 1 is simple, for seven days you can take quests depicted in the obelisk. Shards for your spark are the quests¡¯ reward. There will be no elimination in this round so all of you will participate in Stage 2 after seven days but those with the better spark will gain more advantages.¡± ¡°How long will the whole trial take? Is there any danger?¡± Someone asked again. ¡°We cannot share that information with you. Just know that Stage 5 will last longer than the other four combined. However, time works differently inside the book. One way or another, you¡¯ll return to the outside world precisely ten days from the time you were transported inside the book. None can leave prematurely.¡± ¡°Kheh! Powerhouses are tempered by overcoming one danger after another. Of course there are dangers in this trial. But the other me took pity on you so on the first and second stage we¡¯ll safeguard you from death, guaranteeing your life,¡± Black Aletro chided. ¡°Is gaining a reward from the trial the only way to gather spark shards?¡± ¡°Hah! Of course not. As some of you have already guessed. Other than that, to gain shards you can also transfer, trade, extort, or anything else you can think of. No murder though. Unlike me, this naive guy won¡¯t allow deaths¡­ not this early anyway, hehehe.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°When you take the first task, the obscuration will dissolve naturally. If you don''t want your identity known to others, feel free to wear a disguise. For those that unfortunately got transported in an inappropriate time, basic supplies and gear will be given without cost.¡± These were all pretty standard information, Viers was torn whether he should ask more specific questions or not in front of the whole group. ¡°I can see you all still have many questions but that is enough talking for now.¡± White Aletro waved his slightly transparent hand and a floating mask appeared near Viers¡¯ shoulder. Not just Viers, everyone had their own floating mask. The design had similarities with tribal masks in old Earth to Viers¡¯ eyes. The mask disappeared shortly. ¡°Ask the rest of your questions to that mask. It is a communication device of sorts. Alright, brats. Stage 1 begins now. From now on you can use your time freely. You can sleep, you can eat, you can date, you can poop, do as you wish. Your progress shall be measured by how much your spark develops on the seventh day but remember, the choice you make when choosing black or white matters, as will your conduct from here on.¡± That sounds like video games promise. The devs always tell the choices in-game have significant impacts and long-lasting consequences but that¡¯s not always true. This one¡­ I won''t test it, that¡¯s for sure. Near the obelisk, there were seven giant white candles but only one was burning. There were time indicators on the candle¡¯s body to help clarify the time as it burned. I suppose digital timer is not a thing yet, huh? Viers thought so as a person from the information age. Well, the fire has been lit. Time is counting down I will not waste even a second here! ¡°Girls, are you hyped up for this?¡± ¡°I don''t really understand but it seems important. Let¡¯s give it our all.¡± ¡°If it is Lord Viers, you will definitely reap a great harvest from this opportunity. Your power will rise even higher.¡± ¡°Hmn, let''s see what kind of trial this Aletro fellow made. I¡¯m also interested in witnessing the prowess of others ¡®with talent¡¯ as the phantom put it.¡± Paina, Farley, and Clarissa replied. ¡°Speaking of which, are these two Aletro the same as us? Soul or ghosts in charge of this place?¡± Paina asked. ¡°I wonder¡­ I can''t use any Victa here so no Artes. Besides, both Aletros seem to be from a projection or will or anything else of someone very powerful. Rissa, could you create something like this back in the day as a Level 5?¡± Viers asked. ¡°If I got help from specialists and used some artifacts of the lamia race, then maybe. My specialty is combat, you see. Delicate matters such as constructing a wide-scale trial ground aren''t my strong suit.¡± ¡°It would be wise to not provoke either Aletro while we¡¯re here even though they said they can''t intervene. Lord Viers, perhaps you should ask some more questions to the mask for more details.¡± ¡°Later, Farley. My adventurer spirit can¡¯t wait anymore. Onward to the quest obelisk!¡± Viers went to the tall structure that black and white Aletro created. He moved around via flying because there was no gravity or floor in this place. He was not the only one, hundreds of white shadows flew across the colorful space like shooting stars. Ahhh, flying. I could get addicted to this. Oooh! Horizon up! Wow, I¡¯ll definitely experience many new things here. Hehehe, marvelous! Viers reached the obelisk in no time. The obelisk was as tall as a five-story building and seemed to be made of quartz. It was covered with quest cards like sticky notes, hundreds or even thousands. Each quest card was a quest for the 382 trial takers. The bottom part of the obelisk had the most quest cards. The higher the obelisk went, the fewer cards available. I see, difficulty, huh? The quest¡¯s difficulty was clearly defined. Viers flew from bottom to the top and found there were five degrees of difficulties: easy, medium, hard, expert, impossible. There were only 5 quests on impossible difficulty, located at the top part of the quartz obelisk. On the quest cards there were more things of note, some were written on white paper, the other was black. Only those possessing the white spark could accept the white quest and vice versa but Viers saw there were cards made half white and half black here and there. Solo or group limits also exist. As for the quests themselves, it isn''t overly special¡­ lots of varieties though. Fighting XXX monster, Defeat XXX as fast as possible, gather XXX item, make XXX item, survive against XXX for a specified time, the standard video game quests that Viers had seen a hundred times before. Most are about fighting but there are quests for crafting professions also such as making arrays or crafting armors. Some were quite interesting though. Purify a polluted lake, reach the deepest part of a maze, drill a tunnel through a mountain, protect a village from a tornado, raise a dead cat, make a bridge for the populace? There are people involved? Interesting¡­ Not all trial takers examined the quests as Viers did. Some immediately picked a suitable quest and Viers saw they got teleported somewhere. Most picked the easy quest for the first time but not few selected the higher difficulties. There were even some daredevils who challenged the five impossible quests. ¡°Searching for a group, I¡¯m an ice mage.¡± ¡°Tough tanker here, seeking members to tackle this quest. I possess the black spark.¡± There were some who tried to form groups before taking a quest. Well, enough about other people. I won''t waste any time. I¡¯ll take this one for my first quest. Viers took one easy difficulty solo quest card from the quest obelisk and before summoning his black spark. To activate the quest Viers pushed the card to the black flame, burning the card completely in two seconds. Viers made a savage smile as he disappeared. Benefits! Rewards! Profits! I will have it all! Chapter 131 - The Honor of Viers Isuel Viers was in the middle of a dance. Realistically, his partner wasn''t a woman with jade-like skin and heavenly beauty that caused the downfall of nations. His partner was a freak of nature, a bipedal zebra with the physique of a bodybuilder. The zebra monster was fighting with the style of a boxer, giving Viers combinations of left and right hoof punches. The quest transported Viers to a private arena where the monster was waiting. As soon as Viers appeared, the battle began. Others might find themselves unready but Viers had practiced fast-pulling his katana from the dimensional Casket for times like this. Arte - Water Slash! Viers used one of the most basic versions of water Arte. At Viers¡¯ stage, most Pathseekers already replaced elementary Artes such as this and seldom used them in battle but not Viers. His water-wreathed sword cut the neck of the zebra abomination but it didn''t go all the way. The monster¡¯s body was too tough. That wasn''t all, my power went down¡­ Not much though. Because of the cultivation limiting feature of the trial, all participants¡¯ cultivation was made the same, Level 2 middle. Before the reduction, I should be about Level 2 high so I¡¯m above average, huh? Good to know. No, I damn well should be, after all my hard work and cheats! Viers ducked to avoid a right hook from the Zebra Ray Robinson. A left swiftly followed but Viers let it hit empty air with the help of his sword. No abnormalities in my body, my physique and my motor skills are basically the same as before. ¡°Nghieh!!¡± Boxer Zebra let loose a one-two. For something with a weight above 250kg, its punch was really, really fast. If Viers was a normal person he would have been sent to the hospital but he was not. Victa-infused, his body moved faster and sharper. Viers dodged and parried the strikes, eyes glowing viridescent green. All green on Euryale Sight. I was a bit worried it would be banned. Glad I was wrong. Euryale Sight Arte didn''t simply give Viers abilities to zoom in faraway objects, see-through all manners of illusion, magical x-ray, and highlight traces of mana. It also helped Viers in battle. With sharper vision, Viers could read the bodily movement of his enemies. Therefore, reading and anticipating their attacks. That was why Viers often used this ¡®investigation¡¯ Arte in battle before. The primary use of the Arte was not for battle though. Viers picked it up so he didn''t miss opportunities and be deceived. Euryale Sight allowed Viers to pick up many missable benefits and razor-sharp observation but it wasn''t omnipotent. Lately, he started to see things that he couldn''t see through, signifying the power of the opponent or the mysteriousness of an item. Euryale Sight was an exceptional Arte that he got from Clarissa but an Arte was only as good as the user. Using Euryale Sight Arte also consumed Victa so he didn''t have it on all the time. There were times where Viers got caught off guard, like where Harry approached him under an invisible cloak. All things considered, Euryale Sight was one of the most important Artes Viers ever had and he was eternally grateful he gained the Arte very early in his Path of Power. I pretty much have figured it out. Time to finish this! Viers stepped in to close the distance amidst the barrage of punches and struck like lightning. Arte - Water Slash! It was the same Water Slash but the power was twice as strong compared to the previous one. The zebra¡¯s torso was diagonally severed as a result. Because this time, Viers turned on his Horizon Aspect. Every Arte would receive 127.16% boost but without additional Victa cost! Since everyone''s cultivation was the same, just with my Horizon alone should place me in as the top contenders among the contestants. Only¡­ Viers allowed a pause to pass and nothing happened. Viers was worried his Aspect would be banned because it clearly wasn''t a normal Level 2 ability but since there was no red alert afterward and the ability was working as intended, Viers sighed in relief. Horizon is at 127.16%. I should note that down. I wonder how high it would get after the trial, after loads of new and exciting new things here. He-he-he¡­ It''s only ten days in the real world, right? Like DBZ¡¯s Room of Spirit and Time. Classic! The monster now lain dead, Viers had finished his quest. A fleck of pure light and a portal appeared near Viers. Viers summoned his black spark and the little thing greedy absorbed the fleck of light similar to a hungry baby. That must be the reward Aletro was talking about, a shard. I wonder what will happen when my spark becomes big enough¡­ Anyway, that portal must be the exit. Hmn? Wait a minute¡­ If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Viers examined the zebra monster he had defeated. Is this¡­ real? Flesh and blood monster? Loot! Viers cut the monster up for loot and ingredients. Other than the spark shards, we also can get benefits from the quest itself. The implications of it¡­ Those without storage items would be at a disadvantage. Viers did not process the monster completely, it would take too much time. It was from the stage 1 easy difficulty quest after all, how valuable could it be? He judged his limited time was infinitely more precious. Still, it was a Level 2 monster so Viers took some of the most valuable parts of it. ¡°I wonder how fierce the competition will be¡­ Alright girls, pay attention. I¡¯ll summon the mask for questions and answers.¡± Viers utilized this private space to have a chat with the powerful being that put hundreds of people inside a book world. He stood straight and mind his manners. ¡°Whaddya want to know?¡± The mask spoke with Aletro¡¯s voice. From the tune, it must be the black-clothed Aletro. ¡°Greeting, Honored Aletro. This humble one seeks your guidance.¡± The floating mask emitted an amused voice. ¡°Polite arentcha? Ask.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll do so. Is the trial broadcasted to the outside?¡± ¡°Broadcasted?¡± Too modern of a term? ¡°Transmitted. I¡¯m thinking that perhaps the book is showing our actions inside the trial to the outside world as if this is a show.¡± ¡°Oh, no need to worry. What happened in the book cannot be observed from the outside. Not even by Level 5s.¡± Veirs was relieved. He was afraid that he was in a show watched by an untold number of eyes. ¡°Good to know. And how is the secrecy inside the trial? That is, how many¡­ observers? Other than you and the white guy, of course.¡± ¡°...I see, you¡¯re worried about revealing your secrets, right kiddo? Bwahahahah! Relax, there¡¯s only me and that other me. If your secret goes out, it would be through other contestants that have witnessed your secrets. No other existence observing the trial. Our function is to create a suitable trial for the trial takers and keep it working as intended. That is what our main body desires.¡± ¡°To create powerhouses, right? Why? Why do all of this for free? Speaking of which, this is free, right? Or does it take some kind of payment from us? I would like to know if that is indeed the case.¡± ¡°Heh, twitchy guy. The main body wanted the world to have many strong people. That¡¯s all I can tell you. There are no traps and the like, only opportunities. The worthy, rise. Good thing you shot the book, eh?¡± Viers winched. ¡°I apologize for the rudeness. I did not know what it was at the time nor the consequences.¡± ¡°No big deal, you won''t be able to scratch it anyway. This is just how things are. The trial is on the way and all is well.¡± ¡°Your magnanimity is without compare, sir. Since you and mister white are the highest authority in this trial, might I ask what are the taboos around here?¡± ¡°Taboo?¡± ¡°Yes. Necromancy, blood sacrifice, that kind of thing.¡± ¡°Mehhh. If you can use it, then feel free to use it. Those we find unacceptable won''t be able to work inside the trial. As simple as that.¡± ¡°Even against the other participants, sir?¡± ¡°The world is a dangerous place, kid. Hehehe.¡± ¡°What about the rules of engagement and conduct? Can people assassinate others freely? Wanton theft? Acceptable degree of wounding and severity? Crippling and maiming?¡± ¡°The main hub is a safe zone, the place where you were before. No violence or theft is possible. Not on our watch. No killing until Stage 3 but other than that, it''s a lawless land. Do whatever evil you want but you shall be responsible for your own actions.¡± Viers dipped his head in gratitude. ¡°I¡¯ll remember the pearl of wisdom you gave me just now, sir. Next question, please forgive me for being frank: Will you move against a participant because of their abilities, possessions, and secrets?¡± Viers¡¯ neck felt damp from the cold sweat but this question was too important. ¡°Hehehe Ohohoho! Hah! Kid, you¡¯re worried we¡¯re gonna snatch the flower inside you?¡± ¡°!¡± ¡°Or Aspect? Your dual-affinity? Your transformation ability? The tag-along three souls inside you? The rank 7 monster core?¡± He knew¡­ ¡°Perhaps it''s even about your ¡®past¡¯, hmn?¡± That sentence stabbed deep. Does he really know about my otherworlder status? No! Stupid, don''t think about it. Blank your mind, blank your mind, blank your- ¡°Hmph, cool your head, kiddo. I have no interest in any of it. It is true that you have many good things but making powerhouses is my only objective. You have the potential to become one so naturally I won''t impede your growth. This trial is just one instance of fertilizer so you trial takers might grow big and strong. No, I won''t plunder your things. Does that ease you, worrywart?¡± Viers did not take what black Aletro said at face value but there was not much he could do either. If Aletro really wanted to harm him, could he resist? Viers might be no different than an ant to the mysterious figure. ¡°Well, it''s not certain you¡¯ll become one yet. I¡¯ve seen countless geniuses wilt before they could bloom. Just do your best.¡± ¡°...I will. I am grateful for your instructions, sir.¡± Viers bowed. Not with servility but with respect, respect for the strong. ¡°Besides, if you think you can take the top spot in this trial using a fraction of your strength then it is a dream of a fool. You better compete with all you have if you want to become among the top 10 in this place. As for the top spot, even after considering all your assets, the way I see it the chance you get it is pretty much zero. You¡¯re not the favorite in this race, kid.¡± The mask conveyed Black Aletro¡¯s voice full of belittlement. Far from discouraging Viers, it put fire in Viers¡¯ belly. Intensely, he clasped his hand like a Daoist in the epics past. A palm covering a fist. Eyes and spirit burning. ¡°It would be my honor¡­ to prove you wrong.¡± The floating mask was noiseless for some time then Viers felt it, the attention. It was as if Viers was under the direct gaze of a sentient sun. How powerful was Aletro for a mere projection of his to possess such power? Even so, Viers was unbending, eyes straight and true, watching the inanimate proxy mask. ¡°Good. Good! Struggle! Struggle like a caterpillar in a desert struggle for water! Diamonds in the rough clashing against each other, swallowing the destiny of the defeated, that is how a true expert rises! I¡¯ll be watching you, Viers Isuel!¡± The mask disappeared as both parties had said all that needed to be said. All that remained was the action. Chapter 132 - Path of Paradise A dashingly handsome man appeared in the colorful world. The man had the face of a warrior-hero, young and faultless. His green eyes were clear like the freshest lake in the spring morning but also emanating hidden fierceness. The shape of his eyebrows was like swords pointed to whosoever the man gazed upon. He was clean-shaven without a single facial hair. His dark-blond hair was neither short nor long, a delicate blend of tidiness and wildness. 177 centimeters tall with a chiseled toned body untainted with an ounce of unnecessary fat. His white and red clothes were the perfect marriage between style and function, raising his charisma. This man was none other than Viers Isuel. His emergence wasn''t unwitnessed. He saw a nearby young woman staring at him. The woman was immediately flustered by being caught but Viers¡¯ reply was a wink and the flash of a smile showing his pearly white teeth. The young woman¡¯s heart was struck by the cupid¡¯s arrow. Her face turned beet red as she covered her mouth with her hand. Viers flew away because he didn''t want to make her faint on his handsomeness. ¡°Wow, Viers. You became a lady-killer,¡± Paina said. ¡°Face indeed matters,¡± he replied. After the first quest, Aletro said that the trial takers would no longer be seen as white silhouettes like before. Therefore, before Viers went through the exit portal after defeating the zebra he wore a disguise. The Q&A with Black Aletro was very informative. After long and hard thinking, Viers decided he would not do the trial as Avel of Javia. He didn''t know the ultimate reward of this trial yet but he didn''t want to regret missing the prize because he didn''t try with all his might, because he didn''t muster every inch of effort and means inside him. That meant Viers couldn''t afford to play nice. Avel of Javia was an identity he used to interact with the public. He wanted Avel the adventurer to have a good reputation. To put it in xianxia terms, he had to maintain his ¡®face¡¯. To reap the full benefits of the trial, he wouldn''t do things normally like a goody-goody, he couldn''t. Viers already had an inkling he would need to unleash his dark side to succeed in this trial. Viers had to do things differently. And so Viers created another identity. One that would bear the stigma of bad reputation instead of his true self. From now on, I¡¯m Tanael! Viers had this plan from a long time ago, one identity for good and another one for evil. Avel and Tanael. Since Viers wasn''t strong enough yet, keeping Avel¡¯s criminal record clean was sufficient for now. He had used the name Tanael once in the Marakkus city when he was collecting info from a member of the Cult of Dumzuin, the night where he fought Alan for the first time. Today was Tanael¡¯s reemergence. I wasn''t aiming to be ¡®good¡¯ per se, it isn''t in my nature. I¡¯m evil but not 100% evil. If doing good sometimes benefits me, why not? Not to mention I have Horizon. I also planned to have a long, long life. Experiencing life from both sides is very suitable for me. Aletro¡¯s trial set the stage so no superstrong person could intervene. All participants had the same cultivation level. The arbitrators, both Aletro, also said they wouldn''t intervene excessively. Viers analyzed that with Horizon alone Viers was already stronger than the vast majority. Doesn''t this mean I can do evil unscrupulously without fear? Man oh man! Freed from the fear of a Level 4 or 5 slapping him to death because of his wicked deeds, Viers was like a wolf in a henhouse! Added with the fact he chose the black spark, Viers opted to transform from his Good Guy not into Great Guy but into Bad Dude! Ryan Reynolds would be proud, hehehe. To contrast Avel and Tanael, let''s make Tanael super handsome! Viers achieved the feat of otherworldly makeover thanks to the Mask of Unrecognizable Face, a magic item he looted from the vault in Marakkus. Changing one¡¯s appearance was very important, especially for someone with Viers¡¯ lifestyle and mentality. He had asked Clarissa for this kind of Arte but was forced to prioritize other things. Turned out he made the right call and didn''t waste any effort. Who knew I would gain an appearance-changing magic item as an alternative? The Thousand Treasures Casket alone made the risks I took at Marakkus worthwhile, woohoo! However, the name is too long. I¡¯ll call the mask¡­ Impersonator from now on. With Impersonator on his face, Viers no longer wore his knight¡¯s helmet. The magic item also gave an illusion that changed others¡¯ perception of his body shape. Viers¡¯ real body was still somewhat round near the stomach and with much less muscle. The very non-cultivator-like body was the result of his not-completely-normal-human physique, healing factor, insufficient workout, and huge consumption of monster meat. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Sigh¡­ Other MCs have it easy, to have a six-pack body in a few chapters. If my life is a web novel, my story should already be over 100 chapters, right? Why am I still fat? Gah, woe is me¡­ Can''t be helped, I¡¯ll just enjoy this super-perfect super-handsome Tanael body for the time being. It¡¯s like temporary plastic surgery. One day, my real body will become as good! The clothes were real though. Viers had taken more than just money, magic items, and souls from the defeated. Trinkets such as unenchanted but stylish clothes were not spared from his looting thanks to the incredibly convenient Doraemon¡¯s pocket. Viers made his way to the quest obelisk once again. The structure was sufficiently big but it was swarmed by the trial takers. Viers¡¯ approach to the middle area with the medium difficulty quests turned a lot of heads. Just like they observed Viers, he also observed them. Since they were no longer shadowed, they could see each other¡¯s appearance. These were the people that had finished their first quest. Viers¡¯ completion time wasn''t long but his chat with Aletro took a bit of time. By the time he appeared, there were already a lot of people in front of the quest obelisk. Most were young people but there were people in their late twenties or even in their thirties. The majority were human but there were other races as well. Some were picking the quest on their own while others were doing it in groups. There were some groups with similar attire so maybe they were from the same faction from the start. Viers found some familiar faces among the crowd such as the beastfolk adventurer Khalmar, the Noble Tiger. Oh? That¡¯s Boram. Hehehe, I bet he¡¯s grateful for all the reading and writing exercises I gave him. What would he be in this trial if he couldn''t even read? Viers looked around but didn''t see Izabella. Most likely she also disguised herself. Although he couldn''t use any investigative Arte in this place, there were a few people that stood out from the rest. After a short cursory observation of the others, Viers¡¯ concern returned to himself then to the quests. Next is this one. Viers picked a quest about monster-hunting again only in medium difficulty this time. He burned the quest card with his black spark and got teleported to another place. The place he appeared in was different from before, he was in an open grass field. Viers didn''t waste any second to make a square with his index and big fingers on both hands, giving the kobold a photoshoot. Arte - Fatal Soulframe First Form: Horror! It had been too long since Viers unleashed his soul Arte attack in full power and the result was a photo and a corpse. ¡°All too easy,¡± the handsome Tanael smiled. Viers absorbed the flecks of light for his spark, took some of its meat, then went out of the portal without delay. The speedy return of Viers drew some interest. The fact he returned signified he completed the quest already and that garnered scrutiny from the community. ¡°Oi, isn''t that the earlier guy?¡± ¡°Yeah, the white-red clothes are the same.¡± ¡°My! What a dream¡­ Does anyone recognizes him?¡± ¡°Who cares about his face? He took the medium difficulty, didn''t he? He finished it so fast?¡± ¡°You there, may I have a word?¡± Viers ignored the man¡¯s request with a hand gesture before taking another monster-hunting quest but this time on the hard difficulty. Viers repeated the action against the giant chicken monster. This time his Fatal Soulframe didn''t instantly kill the monster, it made the monster berserk. Finally, some challenge! By the way this monster¡­ isn''t it the evolution of that monster chicken that I hunted with Lena, Irene, Paul, and Oliver a long time ago? ¡°Haha! Give me your meat!¡± Viers suddenly got a hankering for some KFC. It took some time but the chicken was still a Rank 2 monster and Veirs defeated it without complication. 42 minutes later¡­ ¡°Ruuuaaah!¡± After letting loose Mortal Severing from his katana for the second time, a hard fight against a heron-lizard hybrid was concluded. With the monster¡¯s fall, Viers fell on his butt in exhaustion. Hah, hah, hah¡­ should I say it is as expected for expert difficulty? What a difficulty spike from hard to expert. Viers found some solace seeing his black spark eating the spark shards. The flecks of light were certainly in greater numbers than before. After a short break, Viers chugged a health potion before stepping out of the portal. We¡¯re here using our real bodies¡­ Heavy injury would be troublesome. Those who got maimed would have a dim prospect in this week-long trial. This stage one also tests our judgment-making ability. Hmmm¡­ I should try those non-monster-hunting quests, see if the efficiency is better- NUOOOH? Out of the portal, Viers expected to see the empty, dizzying colorful paint liquid space with the quest obelisk as the only place of importance. What he saw was something he didn''t expect. Las Vegas? The neon lights on both sides of the red carpet, the grand fountain of water, the masterfully arranged exotic plants, fireworks above the sky, and the regal building that belonged in the busiest part of the city. Viers was like looking at the 30 stories hotel from the streets of Vegas. What is this? Viers was not the only one stunned. He joined the others that streamed into the grand architecture. The design was not similar to Earth¡¯s and bore many traces of this world¡¯s magical culture. Although he could fly, from the red carpet that extended from the building¡¯s grand entrance Viers lost the ability to levitate and must walk. Viers was greeted with extreme fanfare the second he set foot in the lobby. Rows of sharply dressed men and women greeted him with a smile. Waiting for Viers and the others were the two Aletro. This time they were no longer a projection 15 meters tall and appeared just like normal humans. Both were wearing formal wear on the same level as tuxedos in this world, one was white and the other was black. ¡°Welcome! To the Path of Paradise Resort!¡± The black and white uniformly said. ¡°We are pleased to announce that this place will be your accommodation during the stages of the trial. There are shops, restaurants, healing centers, recreational facilities, training rooms, and many more for your enjoyment! Enjoy your stay, your satisfaction is paramount in our priorities!¡± The crowd let out a shout of happiness. Sweet Jesus! How much more game-like is this going to get? MAGNIFICENT!!! Chapter 133 - Rise of the Hobo ¡°Goddess Holy Mother¡­ I¡¯ve never seen a house so tall!¡± ¡°So luxurious, from the velvet carpet, the floating mana chandelier- Goodness! The floor is made of sky marble!¡± ¡°Look at them! Top-grade beauties!¡± In the lobby equivalent of the building, people were in high spirits, feasting their eyes. Some commented towards the decor, some immediately captivated by the enchanting mien of the staff. Likewise, Viers was also watching the maids and butlers, although for different reasons. There was something off about them¡­ Puppets? Projections? Whatever the case, they weren''t real people. The resort¡¯s staff are pretty much all NPCs. Although Viers couldn''t use any Arte, he had soul 5 affinity. The staff, no matter how lifelike they were, didn''t feel like beings with souls. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, from now on your attendant will explain things for you. Enjoy your stay,¡± the Aletros said together. Each participant was promptly approached by the resort staff. Males approached by the maids and the butlers drew near on the fairer gender. The staff was not all human race. There were elves, dwarfs, beastfolks, and others. Those of the other race got approached by the same race of the opposite gender. Elves¡­ Viers¡¯ mind wandered as he watched a skinny elf male participant. An approaching maid interrupted his train of thought. ¡°Honored guest, this humble one¡¯s name is Kaari and I¡¯ll be your personal aide in the resort. Pleased to make your acquaintance.¡± Kaari was like a high school fashion model. Black and white maid uniforms accentuate her pale skin. The lacy maid headdress on her curly blonde hair was a nice touch. ¡°Hello,¡± Viers curtly answered. ¡°Before we begin, please write down the name you wish to be known while the trial is ongoing, my lord. You can use your real name or an alias. This is mandatory for all the participants.¡± Kaari gave Viers a paper and a feather quill. How very game-like. Viers didn''t hesitate and wrote ¡®Tanael¡¯. ¡°Are you sure this is correct?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Certainly. Please follow me, I¡¯ll explain everything to the best of my capability.¡± This NPC¡¯s demeanor, facial expression, body language, are all very life-like. Incredible¡­ ¡°ARAVIIIIIN!!!¡± Suddenly, Viers heard a shout and snapped his head. Viers saw a guy trying to attack another guy with two pretty girls on his side, one wolf beastfolk and one blonde priestess. However, the assailant¡¯s attack was thwarted by a protective shield that knocked him back. ¡°No hostile actions are permitted in the hub area,¡± White Aletro spoke. The attacking guy gritted his teeth until his lips drew blood and watched the Aravin guy with undiluted hate. Viers turned his head around, no longer paying attention. Those people must have a complicated history with each other. Nothing unusual. By the way, the green-robed guy, the leader of the gang that kidnapped Harry¡¯s friends should be here too since I saw him disappear before me. Considering I threw a monkey wrench on his plan, he must have wanted me dead. Good thing I wear a disguise. Wait! Since in this trial everyone''s cultivation is the same, I should try to kill him while we¡¯re in the trial! To tie up loose ends! Hehehe, watch out for yourself, Green Robe. The other side should think the same. Our game of deadly hide and seek begins now. ¡°Kaari, continue.¡± ¡°Certainly.¡± And so began Viers¡¯ tour on the Path of Paradise Resort. The first place Viers visited was the cafeteria on the ground floor, just beside the lobby. There was every kind of food available from all corners of the continent. The appetizing smells and visuals were very appetizing but Viers managed to rein in his gluttony and went on with the tour. Kaari led Viers upstairs for the other facilities. While there were stairs built -or conjured- on the 30 stories building, the elevator equivalent was very interesting. There were no boxes with mechanical mechanisms that went up and down but a no-gravity area inside of the building, from the top floor to the lowest. On the zero gravity area, Viers could fly just like on the outside of the resort. Reaching the 10th floor was as easy as floating up. Since the ¡®elevator¡¯ area was 30x30 meters, there was no problem of overcrowding even for 382 participants. ¡°This is the shopping floor,¡± Kaari led Viers to the 2nd floor. ¡°My lord can buy things from mundane to magical, from straw sandals to moon essence. Feel free to take your time as long as you need.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll browse for a bit.¡± The shop floor was as big as a mega supermarket with the goods on display. There were also books that projected 3D images for easy item-browsing. The staff there were eager to help. Viers expanded his horizon on the things sold here for a short while, just so he could measure the store¡¯s versatility. There were many good things but outside¡¯s coins and crystals were unusable. And apparently, there was no selling function. ¡°Next is the entertainment fl-¡± ¡°Kaari, can we skip to the rooms first?¡± ¡°As you wish, Lord Tanael. The rooms are different according to your pick. The higher one goes, the better the accommodation. For you, sir, I recommend the-¡± Kaari went on and on, enthusiastically explaining the greatness of the resort. About 30 minutes later, Viers had seen most of the resort and a thought formed inside his head. ¡°It¡¯s a trap!¡± Viers said like a certain Mon Calamari admiral. Since the goal of the trial is to gather as many spark shards as you can, the resort is an anathema. This whole place is a colossal spark shards sinkhole like those time-limited ultra-rare waifu gatchas in mobile games! ¡°It is,¡± Farley agreed. ¡°Not a subtle one either,¡± Paina said. ¡°I guess we¡¯re done here then?¡± Clarissa asked. The resort was certainly great and comfortable but there was one glaring thing: Everything cost spark shards. On top of that, everything was expensive! From getting a sleeping room, ordering dishes at the restaurant, buying items, using the healing center¡­ spark shards and only spark shards could be used as the currency. Not to mention the shop and cafeteria, the healing center that Viers scouted charges steep prices for even a minor recovery. There were already occupants, a dozen or so people. The unlucky or the fools that challenged too hard of a quest and got injured. There would be no deaths but broken bones or missing limbs were not illegal in the first stage of the trial. The entertainment is nothing but a giant waste of time. What use are casinos, swimming pools, zoos of exotic lifeforms, and God forbid, brothels filled with NPCs!? Viers was amazed by the detail Aletro used to construct such useless features. The training center was somewhat interesting to Viers. Doing cultivation there would improve one¡¯s cultivation greatly but the effect would only be visible after the trial was over since everyone¡¯s cultivation level was suppressed. It costs an arm and a leg for every hour. Viers did the math and concluded he had better use of his time and spark shards. Those that unfortunately didn''t bring any supplies also must endure their bleeding heart to buy food and supplies for their day-to-day living. Unlike in most xianxias, superhuman Pathseekers might be, but even Level 5s still need to eat food lest they die of starvation. No, they can still take monster-hunting quests and eat the meat. The resort is really alluring but those with a clear head should already see the traps of this place. Cafeteria¡­ Even if the food is Hell''s Kitchen-level delicious, I can''t afford to waste my shards on them. They might be worth tasting if they are giving buffs or cultivation benefits, but even addiction-inducing level taste isn''t worth my shards! Viers went into the building with high expectations and the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment when not met. Viers returned to the mega shop on the 2nd floor in the hope to find something useful for him since he only browsed roughly before. C¡¯mon¡­ let this not become a waste of time. In the stories, the MCs often found an edge by buying things others didn''t think useful and benefited greatly from it. Viers had hoped with his ¡®education¡¯, he would be able to find something similar like those cheat-users in their Fable. There were no such things this time and Viers was disappointed twice as deep. The good things do not disappoint but it¡¯s hella expensive¡­ A simple bread costs 5 shards? Normal difficulty quests only give around 3 shards¡­ This legendary weapon priced billions? Elixirs in the millions? Who could afford that? Even finishing an impossible difficulty quest only yields 1000 spark shards. Seven days is nowhere enough¡­ Ah, perhaps there will be another opportunity to shop in later stages. ¡°But that¡¯s strange¡­¡± Clarissa commented. ¡°Yeah. If the main objective of Aletro¡¯s trial is to gain spark shards, what would happen if you spend shards in the shop? Would it still count?¡± Paina said. ¡°The more shards you have, the higher quality is your spark¡­ If we buy items, the spark would lose shards. This is another trap from Aletro. Perhaps some people find something they hopelessly need in this shop and prefer to buy it directly. To them, it might be better than the uncertain reward at the end,¡± Farley analyzed. ¡°Another choice that is thrust to the participants. To do or not to do, that is the question¡­ Hm?¡± There was a girl of his age browsing the shop beside him. Her foreign clothes really stood out. Kimono? Her face look Asian too¡­ I know there¡¯s a place with Japanese culture in the Zamrud Archipelago to the east of Regidana, is she from there or is she another otherworlder? The girl¡¯s face made a deep frown and closed the 3D book with a sigh. She saw Viers was staring and looked a bit embarrassed. She slightly bowed to Viers then went away. ...Wait and see approach for the time being. It¡¯s not like I can do anything to her right now. Anyway, I¡¯m done here. Let''s get out of this lotus-eaters island. I should go back questing¡­ Oh yeah. I have to visit this one place first. A few minutes later Viers went out of a room with the sound of flushing water. He washed his hands and saw the maid dutifully waiting for him outside the toilet. Viers did not feel embarrassed because she was an NPC and finally returned to the lobby, fully intent to leave the lotus-eaters island behind. ¡°Lord, are you sure you don''t want to acquire even the cheapest room?¡± Kaari pleaded with a worried face. Soulless she might be but the exterior was no different than a human woman. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m used to sleeping outdoors,¡± Viers reaffirmed his intention to begin a homeless life. He went out through the front door. ¡°May fortune be with you, dear guest,¡± Kaari accompanied Viers until the entrance. It seemed the staff cannot leave the resort. ¡°See ya,¡± Viers waved his hand once. Watching the grand fountain just outside the resort, Viers had an idea. Viers took out his empty water canteens from the Casket and took the water from the gorgeous fountain. Some caught Viers in the middle of a hobo act to which Viers greeted them with a smile, showing his pearly-white teeth. Hehehe. This whole resort got treated as a fancy toilet and glorified watering hole by me. What a shame, what a shame indeed. Chapter 134 - Pigs for Slaughter There were other people that didn''t stay long in the resort just like Viers. During the flight, some chatted and greeted each other, some preferred being their own company. Either way, they all flew towards one direction, the quest obelisk ¨C the sole place where they all could get more spark shards. Oh? So that¡¯s why they are taking our names. Near the quest obelisk, there was a new addition that wasn''t there before. A ranking list. The ranking was written on a smaller obelisk. All 382 names were listed, with the top depicted the name or alias of the highest spark shards holder while the lowest was written on the bottom. Those with black spark had their name written in black and white letters for the chooser of white spark. This way everyone knew which camp the ranker belonged to. ¡°Viers, go go! Let¡¯s see it!¡± Clarissa urged. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m also curious,¡± Paina added. Viers already flew toward the smaller obelisk. There was already a crowd in front of it. Uwahhh... What are these names? Viers was taken aback. Lord Ultimate, Blue Orchid, Youallsucks, Jam-man, 303, Mountain Iron, Flazzz, Airmaster, Viper Lady, Mr. Great, Divine Punishment, Lioness, Eat Shit, I Am Number One, Killing Shot, DIE, Big Boss 69, Dark Zero, Fairy Ice, EEEaziii, Emperor of Storms, Night Bloom, and many others. The solemn air of the super-great-unprecedented-inside-the-book trial is ruined now. This is just like MMORPGs back home¡­ There are normal ones though, Ivory Flame, Noble Tiger, Squire, Anne, Boram, Black Cat, etc. Ivory Flame and Noble Tiger are their adventurer nicknames, Anne and Boram are real names, Black Cat¡­ could it be Izabella? This Squire¡­ not Catherine I hope. Viers shuddered imagining he must fight the girl who would later be called the Black Queen. Let¡¯s see, mine is¡­ there. Tanael barely squeezed into the top 60. Well, it''s still early, Viers wasn''t discouraged. Even if he was in the last place, so what? What mattered was that he was at the top at the end. Although it wasn''t too significant at this time, Viers took note of the name of the top ranker: Oscar Regisea. Harry¡¯s cousin, huh. Nephew of the GK. His father is also a Level 5. Time stopped for no one. The candle was still burning. Viers promptly left the rank list with a bunch of chuunibyou names and took a quest, hoping to waste the bad taste in his mouth. ¡°Alright, let''s get down to business,¡± Viers, who was very handsome right now, psyched himself up. Viers changed things up this time and didn''t continue monster-slaying. This time Viers chose a quest of a different genre on normal difficulty. Viers burned the quest card and found himself in a room with thousands of statues. ¡°Whoa¡­ Nice terracotta soldiers.¡± Find the one true statue among the fakes, that was the quest¡¯s objective. ¡°Euryale Sight!¡± Viers¡¯ eyes glowed green. This was the source of his confidence when choosing this quest. *** Hard Difficulty Quest: Gather 10 Uluputi fruits. In a lush jungle filled with monsters, Viers must gather the fruits. Viers sneak-sneaked from shadow to shadow using the Arte Fade in Shadow. His stealth got blown and he was forced to fight but he¡¯d managed to gather 4 fruits at that point. Viers bulldozed the monsters until the quest¡¯s completion. *** Hard Difficulty Quest: Escort a merchant caravan through a valley filled with monster monkeys. The more wagons preserved, the higher the rewards. The caravan was filled with people -correction- NPCs dressed like merchants. Viers fought waves of monkeys of various sizes while waiting for the slow-moving wagons to move forward. Out of 10 wagons, 5 survived the trip to the other side. The quest allowed up to four people which resulted in Viers having difficulties guarding the caravan alone. The quest lasted for two hours, much to Viers¡¯ chagrin. *** Expert Difficulty Quest: Survive for a minimum of 10 minutes. The longer you last, the greater the reward. Viers found himself in a dim space, in the middle of a circular arena. Before long, skeletons were approaching him from the darkness of the arena¡¯s edge. The skeletons walked slowly with weapons in their hands, hacking at Viers without a voice. Viers smacked the skeletons with his sword to clear them out. They crumbled easily but more skeletons just kept pouring in from all directions. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Seeing his offense was useless, Viers turned to defense and activated Water Barrier Arte. The skellies knocked their weapons against the barrier futilely. This quest seems to be geared to those with high defense. Mu? Over time, Viers felt the force hitting his barrier increased. They are getting stronger!? Viers then changed his approach from the soul angle, using Fatal Soulframe before the barrier of water was broken. It wasn''t effective at all. On closer observation, these skellies are soulless. The thick necromancy muddled my senses. They are moved by energy like puppets with strings, not using souls. 3 minutes in, Viers opted to come out from his shell and cleared the arena before the skeletons buried him. Using his Horizon-empowered Water Sword Rain AoE Arte, Viers managed to clear the bones. 7 minutes in, Viers was forced to fight for real before the skeletons became too strong. They were no longer naked and thin skeletons but armored and menacing. 9 minutes in, the skeletons were only a bit weaker than him who was already buffed with Anima Symphony. Viers felt like he was fighting 30 Alans at the same time. Viers immediately stopped the quest the second he reached completion of 10 minutes. He didn''t want to risk getting heavy injuries on the first day. Expert quests are no joke¡­ That was close. Viers sighed in relief while his black spark absorbed the reward of his labor. *** Stepping out of the portal Viers found himself back in the place he dubbed ¡®Quantum Main Hub¡¯. Viers¡¯ brain was hard at work, compiling the data he gathered, analyzing. The data would be beneficial in the coming six days. While he was doing so, he was taken aback by the sight of someone he didn''t expect. ¡°What?¡± ¡°He¡¯s-!¡± ¡°Is that Max?¡± Viers, Paina, and Farley let out their surprise. The person in question was a young boy in the middle of a talk with another person. The guy talked with smiles but there was a gloominess on his face that never went away. He looked like a person shouldering a heavy burden. In the past, before Luxore town¡¯s destruction Viers, Paina, and Farley were attending a class for becoming adventurers there. Max was one of their classmates. ¡°I thought he died,¡± Paina said. ¡°To think we¡¯ll meet him in this kind of circumstance,¡± Farley couldn''t hide her disbelief. Since Viers wore a different face, Max didn''t recognize him. After the chat, Max went away, taking another quest. Viers approached Max¡¯s conversation partner. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You know that guy?¡± ¡°Of course I do. He¡¯s the Ivory Flame, a famous adventurer.¡± *** Viers was watching the grilled meat on top of the fire somewhat absentmindedly. There was no sun in this place but Viers had a clock. It was already time for supper so Viers took a normal quest, killed the monster, then set up camp in that small but private space without passing through the exit portal. He had spent the whole day doing all kinds of quests from easy to expert difficulty. He believed he had gathered enough samples. Although, his mind wandered for something else entirely. Max didn''t die. He somehow survived Luxore town. It wasn''t impossible, he could have been just away from the town at that time. The thing is he¡¯s now Ivory Flame, a great adventurer. He¡¯s always been the top of the class but I don''t think he¡¯s super talented, a little above average at best. The fact he¡¯s in here means Aletro acknowledged him¡­ meaning Max thrived since the last time I saw him. While others in Viers¡¯ position would be overjoyed having seen an old friend, Viers¡¯ was thinking whether he should terminate him or not. Viers Isuel¡¯s name and face are already in the wanted poster, Max should have seen that. Is he blaming me and seeking revenge? He would, wouldn''t he? He must have lost someone in Luxore¡­ Worst case scenario, he¡¯s lost everyone. Boy, family died, home destroyed, sounds like the start of a hero¡¯s journey to me. No cliches escaped his scrutiny. The ¡®Hero¡¯ would definitely seek the truth or find out about the origin of the tragedy that befalls him. It just so happens that I am¡­ or at least I have a hand in that tragedy. We¡¯ll clash. I should kill him before he knows the truth. Naturally, Farley and Paina didn''t know his thoughts of homicide. Viers sighed hard and long. Remembering with melancholy the fishing trip he had with Paina, Farley, Max, and one other. Viers took a huge bite from the cooked monster meat. Shame it has come to this, boy. Viers wasn''t one for being squeamish when push comes to shove. He recognized this as what it is: a threat to his life. Part of a hero¡¯s journey was the death of the villain. After making up his mind, his breathing was a little easier. He put the matter of Max to the back of his head. The most important thing for him now was the trial. *** After filling his belly, Viers went right back to questing. There was still time before it was sleeping time and only the foolish and the lazy didn''t make use of their limited time to the fullest. ¡°I¡¯m Tanael. Nice to meet you,¡± Viers smiled brightly and refreshingly. ¡°Three-oh-three,¡± the girl said. ¡°My name is I Am Number One. Let¡¯s get to it then,¡± the guy shook Viers¡¯ hand. Because Viers was magnanimous, he didn''t comment on their names and held down the urge to cringe. Viers teamed up with trial taker 303 and trial taker I Am Number One in a group quest. The three of them were all on team black. A while later, the elephant monster was defeated. ¡°Hahahaha! Good job everyone,¡± I Am Number One spoke loudly. Out of the three, he looked the oldest, in his mid-twenties. ¡°It¡¯s because of 303''s support,¡± Viers praised. ¡°Nonsense. The timing of your shield and Number One¡¯s offense are the main reason for our victory,¡± 303 praised back with all smiles. ¡°What a good fight. What a good fight!¡± I Am Number One laughed heartily. After absorbing the spark shards evenly the three parted ways cordially. ¡°I don''t get it,¡± Paina said. ¡°You said you want to do evil, but you¡¯re working together so well,¡± Clarissa pondered. ¡°Changed your mind?¡± Viers¡¯ sinister grin would make a serial killer wince. ¡°Girls, it¡¯s basic animal husbandry. What¡¯s the point of slaughtering thin pigs for meat? You must let them fatten up first. Only then will their meat be juicy and delicious. In the coming days, we must gather information about other participants. Who¡¯s prey and who¡¯s not. Those two? They''re prey. Come on, let¡¯s find more piggies. At the same time. ¡°How about him, Brother Asef, shall we target him?¡± 303 spoke. ¡°It is clear he¡¯s not someone used to battle. My bet is he¡¯s a pampered young master born with a silver spoon. We should put him on the menu,¡± I Am Number One nodded. The other group also thought the same things as Viers. Birds of a feather flock together. Thrust under matching circumstances, those possessing the black spark pretty much thought of something similar: to rob other¡¯s spark shards at a later date. Chapter 135 Khalmar, son of Adhalmar thanked the ancestors of his ancestors all the way up to the Origin Spirits for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he found himself in. Now he would do everything he could to not squander it. The beastfolks were almost no different from the human race except for the existence of animal ears, tails, and some animal characteristics on their body. Khalmar stood in front of six others, all beastfolk. Their support and confidence in him gave him strength like no other. ¡°Hail, Khalmar.¡± Just like Khalmar, there was a person representing his group. A beastfolk with bull horns. ¡°Hail, Ubah son of Ubos,¡± Khalmar said. ¡°We¡¯re both busy people. You want to talk so talk,¡± Ubah haughtily said. ¡°Alliance,¡± Khalmar simply said. ¡°...Why should I accept? Bull tribe and tiger tribe have been enemies since the Treachery of Red Fields a thousand years ago.¡± ¡°Grudges, old wounds, pride¡­ That''s why the humans beat us, heir of mighty horns,¡± Khalmar¡¯s voice was loud and clear. ¡°Look around you, from 382, more than 300 are humans.¡± ¡°...Your point?¡± ¡°Together, we will be stronger than apart. Let us reap the benefits of this place together.¡± Ubah snorted. ¡°You¡¯re a disgraced scion that ended up in the human lands. I¡¯ve heard the rumors. You¡¯re prideless beastfolk and a beggar!¡± Khalmar knelt. The six behind Khlamar held their breath. Ubah¡¯s group -all beastfolk- surprised. Ubah himself squinted his eyes in disbelief. ¡°A hundred tribes, a hundred differences, a million grudges. All in the name of pride¡­ That is our way of life. Must we, beastfolks fight each other until extinction? It. Must. Change.¡± ¡°...What is your aim, tiger cub?¡± ¡°To restore our race to greatness,¡± Khalmar met Ubah¡¯s gaze. ¡°To defeat the invaders of our land. To protect my brothers and sisters down in the south. For that, I¡¯ll do anything, even casting my pride away and begging for help.¡± Those who heard, had their heart touched. Ubah however, was a leader. He had a responsibility to his group. ¡°I¡¯ll not ally with a weakling. Fight me,¡± Ubah¡¯s physique bulged with muscle and took up his mace. ¡°If that is what it takes,¡± Khalmar rose to his feet. The two fought, and Khalmar defeated Ubah in one hit. ¡°Cough¡­ ¡± Ubah coughed blood while lying on the ground. Khalmar walked towards him and extended his hand. To Ubah, this was unexpectedness akin to the sky falling on top of his head. ¡°You¡¯re this strong and still beg for help? Why?¡± ¡°My strength is nothing. Unless we unite, the humans will kill us all. Let us show them. First, in this place, the unity of the beastfolks,¡± Khalmar sincerely said. Ubah silently gave Khalmar a long and deep look¡­ before taking the offered hand. *** ¡°Hmph! Truly, a revolting person. To think the poisoner loser also came to this place¡­ That Aletro guy should have left him outside to rot. Isn''t he supposed to be a great sage or something?¡± A silver-haired wolf beastfolk said angrily. ¡°Calm down, Naya. He couldn''t hurt us,¡± a handsome teen poured a beverage he found in the room into empty glasses. ¡°It certainly wouldn''t stop him from trying. He will come for you, Aravin. Please be more concerned,¡± the last member of the group, Sabine, the priestess with blonde hair said with concern. ¡°Noted,¡± Aravin gave the glass to his two companions. ¡°Here¡¯s to us. The spark shards are coming along nicely.¡± ¡°Yeah! Aravin is in 12th place!¡± Naya raised her glass excitedly. ¡°It could be higher though if we didn''t use this room,¡± Sabine softly said. ¡°Now, now. I couldn''t possibly allow you two to sleep on the streets, right?¡± Aravin added. ¡°Just relax, enjoy the moment. Oh? This drink is very nice.¡± ¡°Phuaah!¡± Naya sighed after finishing her part with big gulps and slammed the glass to the table with a loud sound. ¡°It better be, since it¡¯s so expensive. Aravin, the next time we meet Jaime, we¡¯re taking him down, got it?¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I got it, I got it. You two have been Jaime this, Jaime that the whole time. We¡¯re in a book for Goddesses'' sake. Isn¡¯t this far more important? Anyway, I¡¯m really glad you two are here with me. Naya, what did you talk about with Khalmar earlier?¡± ¡°Well, he wants me to get into his group.¡± ¡°Are you okay? The talk was a bit heated,¡± Sabine asked. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I''m staying with Aravin and you. This is my tribe now, hehehe,¡± the silver-haired girl hugged Aravin and Sabine both. ¡°I, for one, am grateful. I wouldn''t be able to get this far without you two.¡± The human youth said. ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do,¡± Sabine sipped her drink. ¡°Good you think like that. I want a reward,¡± Naya suddenly kissed Aravin and the sight made Sabine spurt out her drink. ¡°Cough, cough¡­ You two¡­ for shame,¡± Sabine said with a red face. ¡°...Naya, aren''t you tired after all that? We¡¯ve been fighting nonstop for a whole day,¡± Aravin wasn''t as calm as he let on. ¡°I still have energy for this. Come on, Sabine. We¡¯re taking a bath first,¡± Naya urged the beautiful priestess, pulling her hand. ¡°Ehhh?¡± Sabine¡¯s cute voice spread to all corners of the room. ¡°If the prim and proper priestess doesn''t want to, I suppose I¡¯ll be having Aravin for myself this time then,¡± Naya teased. ¡°...I don''t want that,¡± Sabine said with a voice so minuscule it was almost audible. The beastfolk kept pulling her hand and Sabine did not resist. The two girls went to the bathroom, leaving Aravin alone in the living room. After they went away, Aravin broke into a dance by his lonesome. The excitement was too much and he couldn''t stay still. ¡°Yes, yes, yes, YESSSSSSS!!!!¡± *** ¡°We¡¯ve already met all the participants but the guy we seek is nowhere to be found. He is probably already disguising himself¡­ In the best-case scenario, he wasn''t taken into the book but I doubt it.¡° ¡°There are only five of us from the Garden of Perfection. The rest must be left out in the real world. I''ve checked around while scouting.¡± ¡°The guy with the name ¡®Killing Shot¡¯ is the most suspicious. Although, there''s no way we can be sure if he¡¯s the one that shot the book.¡± ¡°What should we do now, boss Fajrin? The plan is falling apart.¡± There were five people in the room, they were asking the leader for directions. Although they were all similarly Level 2s at the moment, the leader was a top-tier Level 3 on the outside. Even without his cultivation level backing him right now, the four understood that the youth was still stronger than all four of them combined. They were inside one of the rooms in the resort. Their room was not the cheapest one but far from the most expensive. The youth had been closing his eyes while listening to the report. ¡°There¡¯s no choice. We have to accomplish the mission. The thing will appear in this trial. Ready yourself, lads. If we cannot give Garden Warden Lejek what he wants, he¡¯ll surely give us the Green Hell treatment.¡± While the four grimaced, Fajrin continued. ¡°Until we find our target, we must keep going to the deeper stages of this trial. Let go of personal goals you have and focus on the objective. If we fail, you won''t be enjoying whatever benefits you reap from this place.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Under the threat worse than death, the group was tied by a bond of steel. *** A separate space of a finished quest, that was the place Viers chose to spend the night. It was now almost midnight on his pocket watch and so Viers put an end to this questing spree and rested his body. ¡°I¡¯m taking a bath, girls. Good night.¡± Viers closed the V-stream and unrobed. His body was caked with sweat, blood, and mire after all he¡¯d been through today. ¡°Bath time. Arte - Water Sphere.¡± There was no water in this place but Viers created a big floating sphere of water big enough for him to take a dip out all of a sudden. Viers scooped some water from the big floating sphere and used the soap from his storage item. As Viers often found himself traveling on the road, he always prepared some toiletries in his bag. Before long, Viers finished his bath, dried himself with a towel, moved some distance away from the place, and donned fresh clothes. Viers was now spic and span, which made his fake handsome face¡­ handsomer. The magical water that Viers created with his magic was not safe to drink, neither would it last permanently but it was still water. Taking advantage of his status as a water Pathseeker he could bathe in a waterless place without a problem. As for where the water he created disappeared, Viers didn''t think too much about it. ¡°God, I¡¯m tired...¡± Viers said as he sprawled on his camping bed. This is not how I expected this day would go. Yesterday, Viers had a clear plan for one week ahead. He had been training peacefully while anticipating his reunion with Dia, Luca, and her parents. Now, he was inside a book and would be out ten days later in the real world but for him? It would be significantly longer. Months? Years? Viers didn''t know. Before ending his day, Viers did his before-sleep routine, practicing his Serpentes Renovamen Profound Codex. After that, finally, he was done for the day. It¡¯s getting late, I should get some sleep. Pathseekers still needed sleep. Although, they could stave the need for days if necessary. Outside, he had no doubt there were people still doing quests for collecting the shards at the expense of shut-eye but Viers had no intention to do so. Cultivation was not a sprint, although he wouldn''t say it was a marathon either. However, sleep didn''t come to him even after shutting his eyes. There was something stuck inside his mind. This will not do! Suddenly, Viers summoned the mask Aletro gave him for asking questions. ¡°Back so soon? What now?¡± Aletro -the black-clothed one- sounded out. ¡°I have one more question, in the short term, this might be the most important matter for me,¡± Viers spoke in all seriousness. ¡°Hoh, speak.¡± ¡°In the five stages of the trial¡­ will there be a one-on-one tournament?¡± ¡°...No.¡± ¡°Very good! Thank you, sir. I believe I can sleep soundly today.¡± Viers was no longer plagued by a heart devil. ¡°...Okay¡­ Weird kid¡­¡± Aletro faded away. Marvelous. I¡¯m afraid the next arc will involve a tournament since there are signs of it before, U-18 something. Yes I know the signs are outside in the city and not inside the book but tournaments in cultivation stories are as common as weeds! You can have one there and have one here. The xianxia authors are happy for the easy word count but the reader -Me!- became fed up with tournament arcs and grew up hating it! Viva no tournament! VIVA! Viers drifted to sleep with a smile on his face. Chapter 136 - Oh My Crab ¡®Tanael¡¯ came out to the Quantum Main Hub after a whole night inside a separate quest space. Out of the seven large candles Aletro used to tell the time, one had been burnt out. It was six in the morning despite the lack of day and night cycle and the activity around the quest obelisk was as busy as ever. Tanael took a deep breath and shouted to the world: ¡°GOOD MORNING EVERYBODYYY!!!¡± He liked it here. Oh, the adventure that was waiting for him. Tanael was anticipating tomorrow with a dancing heart. Why not spread some of that positiveness to the outside? There was a saying in his old world, meat from pigs with less stress tasted better. A hundred pairs of eyes of the busy folks darted towards the fakely handsome Tanael. Most ignored him, some replied good morning back. Get fattened up, dear pigs¡­ Awright, let''s get started raking in those spark shards! *** Viers¡¯ experience with the varieties of quests yesterday taught him much. Was it better to go as a group or solo? How much difference between difficulties? Was it more efficient doing multiple easy or one hard? What would be the best course of action possible to do this with as little cost as possible but with as much benefit as possible? Viers also learned about the resignation penalty. After taking a quest, the people could give up whenever they want but some shards would be taken as the price. How many shards were taken was based on the quest¡¯s reward. If giving up a quest that would give 10 shards without completing the quest, Viers would end up minus 10 shards instead. Yesterday, Viers tried a normal difficulty quest about bridge building. He needed to create a bridge that connected land separated by a river but he resigned. It would have taken too much of Viers¡¯ time to complete so he cut his losses early. Viers thought he could fell a couple of trees to make a makeshift bridge but there were no trees in the vicinity, only stones and mud. Boram should be able to transmute a bridge easily but I can''t. Not in a short time, at least. The quest is incompatible with me. Good thing it is only a normal quest. Easy quest - 1 shard Normal quest - 5 shards Hard quest - 10 shards Expert quest - 50 shards Impossible quest - 5000 shards There were minor differences depending on the quest itself but that was the normal reward for each difficulty. Viers had done 3 easy, 3 normal, 8 hard, 3 expert quests yesterday. He concluded hard was the most suitable for him. Expert quests were tough and risky although he could still finish them. With no spending and 5 shards reduction, his current total was at 243 spark shards. His black spark was no longer a speck of black light, it turned into tiny candlelight. Viers glanced at the ranking list. Seeing no one suddenly gained 5000 shards, no one had completed any of the 5 impossible quests yet. My rank is¡­ 79th. Oscar is 2nd now. The top place is someone called Airmaster with 375 shards. Both of them are black spark holders, the same as me. Viers paused his thoughts to look at an armored guy riding a white horse. He took a white quest card from the obelisk, burned it with his spark then disappeared. White armor¡­ Silver Legion? And that horse¡­ a familiar? Now that Viers was conscious of it, he looked around and picked up others with familiars accompanying them. Viers felt a significant amount of regret. If I have Dia at my side I could do so much more¡­ What a pity. After a day, there were more groups forming. Most belonged to the same School and since black and white took separate quests save for some exceptions, a group pretty much consisted of the same holders of the white or black spark. School in this world wasn''t exactly the institution for educating children like in Viers¡¯ old earth but more akin to martial arts¡¯ dojo. A School taught the disciples techniques and Artes, adding their own unique recipe to them. The teachings were usually based on their Profound Codex or geared to those with a specific affinity. Basically, Schools are just xianxia Sects with another name. Viers called it as it is. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Based on the available data he gathered yesterday, Viers arrived at the opinion that defeating monsters solo in hard difficulty was the best way for him to gain spark shards. Take the quest, kill the monster quickly, get out, repeat. However, a certain problem immediately came to mind, his Victa. Everyone¡¯s cultivation had been made the same, Level 2 middle. Actually, other than that, their Victa pool was also spread out evenly. Seeing the rate of Victa generation -even after the 30% increase from the moon pendant- it was clear to Viers that he couldn''t repeat a questing spree like yesterday. He wouldn''t have enough Victa. Not only me, everyone is on the same boat. After the initial surge, the rate people take quest will lessen because they don''t have enough Victa to keep going gung-ho. Resource management¡­ taking quests willy-wally would make their Victa dangerously low, and what about the mysterious stage 2 then? Would anyone dare to get into the next stage dried up with nothing in their tank to cast Arte? I sure as Hell wouldn''t. So many decisions were thrust on our faces by Aletro. ¡°So what are you gonna do now, Lord Viers? The Victa problem is a big issue. A problem made clear from our discussion yesterday,¡± Farley asked. However, Viers was not a normal Pathseeker. ¡°Naturally, we¡¯re gonna go questing until we drop. Don''t stop, make it pop!¡± Viers crazily replied with telepathy. While the girls were stupefied by Viers¡¯ response, a song started playing. It was upbeat and sung by a female voice. Wake up in the mornin'' feelin'' like P-Diddy Grab my glasses I''m out the door I''m gonna hit the city ¡°A song? Again?¡± ¡°What language is this?¡± ¡°Is this the music of the current era? So different from my time...¡± Like he had done so in the past, Viers pulled a memory from his soul and played it out as an MP3. The song was in English but the girls didn''t recognize it. The language of this world was different. Following the rhythm of the beat, Viers took one of the hard quests and activated it, just in time when Kesha TiK ToK¡¯s chorus was playing. A dino monster that looked like a velociraptor was waiting in the battle space. Viers took off his mask and the battle began. There was no Artes flinging immediately, only the sound of ripping clothes. Viers¡¯ body bulged so much his shirt was in tatters. His form twisted, changed beyond the category of humanoid. Viers¡¯ limbs grew in number as his skin was covered by yellow exoskeletons. ¡°SHHHULULULU!¡± Viers¡¯ mouth was no longer capable of speaking human speech. Instead of a pair of legs, he had four pairs. Instead of arms, he had great pincers. A yellow crab monster the size of a van stood before the velociraptor! ¡°This is¡­!¡± ¡°Viers¡¯ monster transformation?¡± ¡°It was fish-form before. He¡¯s a crab now?¡± The girls didn''t expect this development. They couldn''t see Viers¡¯ new appearance from V-stream so they went out in ghost form and Viers allowed it. Seeing its fellow monster, the dino shrieked with challenge but the yellow crab was not intimidated; Viers stomped forward with his legs, pincers opened wide, fully intending to choke the life out of the lizard. The raptor leaped forward, claws bared. Viers snatched it from the air, pincer of its long neck, and slammed the dino down to the ground! The pincer tightened. The appendage capable of tearing steel squeezed down mercilessly. However, the dino wasn''t going down without a fight. The lizard knocked Viers away with a lightning blast from its maw. ¡°That is¡­ Jagjag Crab?¡± Paina tried to guess Viers¡¯ species. ¡°Jagjag Crab shouldn''t be that big. And that pattern on the shell¡­ that should be Gigadia Crab,¡± Farley said. ¡°What¡¯s the characteristics? I¡¯m not familiar with the monster,¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°A crab monster often found near rivers, overwhelming physical might, armored body, minor earth control especially mud,¡± Paina explained. ¡°It''s a pretty rare monster though¡­ Jagjag Crab is the minor and lesser variant.¡± The three watched the deathmatch between the two monsters. Both were Rank 2 monsters but one had a human mind and intellect under that monstrous body so the battle tipped to the one side before long. The raptor, animal it might be, still possessed some form of cunning. It employed a circling strategy and hit-and-run approach. Gigadia Crab was not known for its agility and mobility, Viers had difficulty pinning the lizard down. ¡°ZHULLULU!!¡± The raptor¡¯s legs were caught by something. The dino yelped in surprise and fell because of the sudden stop of momentum. ¡°Water Chains?! Viers can still use Artes in monster form?¡± ¡°The toughness of those chains¡­ The Arte also got strengthened by Lord Viers¡¯ mysterious ability!¡± ¡°Physical quality of monsters, human intellect, and Artes on top of that¡­ This Viers¡­ If he keeps growing like this...¡± ¡°HULU SHUHUSSH!!!¡± Veirs raised his pincers up high and brought it down, twin hammers striking an anvil! The ¡®Hulk Smash¡¯ shattered more than fifty bones in the raptor¡¯s body. It no longer had the capability to fight against Viers. It was time to put it out of its misery. The dino only managed to leave some scratch marks of no import on Viers¡¯ yellow exoskeleton. Unusual result for a battle between monsters of the same Rank. Viers raised the mangled body of his opponent and raised it overhead, showing the world of his glorious victory. ¡°SHUHULULU!¡± A mighty jerk to left and right, the raptor split apart into two, bathing Viers in the blood of his enemy. Chapter 137 - King of the Monsters Viers didn''t have many chances to cut loose with his monster transformation. In fact, this was the first opportunity he had. Away from prying eyes, except one. It wasn''t as if he trusted Aletro unconditionally but the shades/wills/simulacrums of the guy knew his secrets already. So why not do this with a bang? If he wanted me dead, it''s not like I could do anything worthwhile to him. I¡¯ll still put some contingencies though, useless it may be when it comes to it. Viers kept taking quests and killing monsters like a war train smashing through obstacles on its track. With monsters'' natural regeneration plus Viers¡¯ healing factor, any wounds he suffered in monster form healed abnormally fast. If necessary, Viers would put down his Water Regen Arte too. Against monsters of the hard difficulty, Viers could fight all night until he saw the sunlight, just like the lyrics of the song. Seeing Iz had the ability to change into an animal, he asked her about it and found out the difference between his transformation and her Shapeshift Arte; a hypothesis of one, anyway. Hers was an Arte, a technique. A rare one but a human technique nonetheless. Viers¡¯, however, was an innate ability. Like fishes could swim, birds could fly, and dragons could breathe fire. Viers could absorb the core of water affinity monsters and transform into the monster¡¯s form. ¡°This ability of yours¡­ Viers, your luck is bordering on ridiculous,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°The MCs in the Fables have their own share of ridiculous luck. Of me, perhaps it is as you say, but it is also rooted in my own efforts. This monster transformation is an ability I got after eating the flesh of a demi-god bull. How many of you would choose to kill such a being?¡± *** Hard Difficulty Quest: Defeat the Lightningpad Rabbit in 15 minutes. The rabbit monster was small in size for a Rank 2 monster, only a bit bigger than a normal rabbit. It also had weak battle strength. The rabbit monster had one specialty and one specialty only: superfast speed. The rabbit had agility like lightning, the cowardly rabbit would sprint at the first sign of trouble. In the quest space that was a wide meadow, a Lightningpad Rabbit was leisurely chewing on the grasses. Its ears perked up to one side but it didn''t see or hear anything unusual and returned to its business. An invisible predator suddenly snuck up on it from the side. The rabbit tried to bolt away but it had been caught and it was too late by then. ¡°Water Ghost Spider!¡± Paina held her breath. ¡°A very speedy and stealthy monster. How could Viers catch this elusive monster and get its core? Wait, the spider is only Rank 1.¡± ¡°So the monster transformation is not reflecting Lord Viers¡¯ cultivation then? And look, Fade in Shadow Arte is very compatible with Lord Viers¡¯ spider form. It made him like a real ghost; the rabbit with a sharp sense of hearing didn''t realize a thing.¡± *** Hard Difficulty Quest: Defeat 5 Holiopen Pronghorns in 30 minutes. A blue frog with black spots the size of a soccer ball stood majestically in the middle of a pronghorn pack. The pronghorns had fallen to the ground, muscles twitching and paralyzed. From the look of their state, the simple act of breathing was a monumental task that was getting more impossible by the moment. They¡¯d charged right into the small frog without a second thought, not realizing the frog had been emitting invisible killer agents in the air. ¡°Terribilis Frog, death¡¯s emissary of the swamp. Among the most poisonous of monsters. Its mere presence is lethal, direct skin contact will be even more so. Shhh¡­ Lord Viers could poison a town to the death in hours if he wanted to. He simply needs to hop about or slip into the water supplies!¡± ¡°Only If no one stops him, Farley. If every dangerous monster killed our town, humanity would be extinct by now.¡± ¡°Yes, you''re right, Paina. I was too excited.¡± During the battle, Frog Viers jumped around the battlefield, avoiding the Pronghorns while spreading his poison. The quest was finished in about 10 minutes, 3 more minutes of waiting until the neurotoxin made a catastrophic failure of their organs. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The frog turned into a human, put on his pants, took the souls, and put the pronghorn''s remains in his storage item. *** Hard Difficulty Quest: Defeat Metalta Rhinoceros in 50 minutes. A crab was sent flying back tens of meters by a rhino with metal for its skin. The crab¡¯s defense and power couldn''t match the veritable tank¡¯s charge. ¡°Viers! Heal yourself, quickly!¡± ¡°Are you okay? Should we go Overclock Mode? Paina¡¯s Symphony would also-¡± ¡°Get up, you! Kill this stupid big dumb animal!¡± The crab stood up before the count of five but it was wobbly. There were cracks on its yellow carapace. His left pincer was mangled after a rhino as big as an elephant brutalized it with its horn. The girls looked at their host with worry. Since they couldn''t witness Viers¡¯ form in all its glory with V-stream, they went out, watching the fight with their own eyes in their spectral form. Viers allowed it because unlike the outside, there were no risks. ¡°Gruhhh...¡± Viers¡¯ painful grunt resounded in the three¡¯s heads. ¡°Even though Gigadia Crab is made for physical combat, I¡¯m outclassed. Relax girls, it''s just an issue of battle compatibility and I have the answer.¡± The Metalta Rhinoceros was preparing for another charge but its opponent became smaller. The crab was no longer a crab; it became an amorphous bright-green jelly. ¡°A slime? How are you supposed to win using that?¡± Clarissa said with wide eyes. ¡°Something''s happening¡­ It grows bigger?¡± Farley gasped. ¡°It¡¯s not the slime¡¯s ability. Viers used an Arte!¡± Paina pointed out. Arte - Size Up! How long has it been since I used this Arte? Not once since Luxore. The rhino was undaunted and gave a mighty charge once again but the green slime had grown to the point it could envelop the elephant-sized monster whole. It did just that. The slime was so viscous and so resistant to physical attacks that the rhino¡¯s dreaded charge was reduced to impunity. And it wasn''t as if Viers could feel pain as a slime. The slime gave the rhino a loving embrace with its body. A body with corrosive toxicity. The rhino thrashed around, fearing for its life. Even with all of its mass, the Metalta Rhinoceros couldn''t get away from Viers¡¯ embrace of death. Before long, its unprotected skin peeled away, eyes melted, and its organs corroded as parts of the slime went into its body; all the while its lungs were eroding and asphyxiating at the same time. Viers receded after the life of the rhinoceros was no more. ¡°What a horrible way to die,¡± Farley muttered. ¡°I concur. I hate to think what the victims of this method of killing felt in their last moments,¡± the lamia princess sighed. What the girls didn''t know was Viers used a variation of this move to kill Benjamin. Farley¡¯s father who was, at the time, much stronger than him. It was how he survived the destruction of Luxore city. Uncaringly, Viers took its soul, monster core, the metal plates that survived corrosion, and all the remaining valuable parts of its body. Viers only felt pity that the meat was no longer fit for eating. *** Viers was on a break, more accurately, Crab Viers was in the middle of healing. The damage from the rhino fight was quite deep. Viers let his Water Regen Arte and healing factor do their thing while he was frothing bubbles from his mouth, involuntarily. The damage he sustained in monster form was confined in that form, it didn''t transfer into his human form as if the two possessed separate HP pools. However, there was a quirk. Since his crab form was heavily injured, Viers ''paused'' the damage when he changed into other forms. In the future when he assumed the crab form again, the damage would not magically heal and remained. That was why Viers was healing himself right now. After multiple times changing between monster forms in a short period of time continuously, Viers felt deathly tired and his body ached all over. He thought he could fight all night long but Viers was forced to revise his presumption. Well, good to find out about the drawbacks, I guess. ¡°You said you can only absorb water monster cores, right? But your forms don''t look all water-based to me,¡± Paina asked while Viers was resting. ¡°True, the elements are pretty haphazard. The only similarities tying them all is that the monsters he changed into are somewhat aquatic in nature but one is different,¡± Farley closed her eyes to think. Frog, fish, crab, even the spider was a river or lake-dwelling monster. The slime, however, was an oddity. Terribilis Frog was more poison-attuned than water. Gigadia Crab had water and earth affinity. Water Ghost Spider''s stealth ability was based on the combination of water, light, and shadow affinities. ¡°The answer, my dear angels, is I evolved my forms!¡± Viers transmitted his voice to their souls. ¡°E-evolved? But that''s the monster''s Path of Power!¡± Clarissa didn''t hide her surprise. ¡°Blup blup blup blup¡ª¡± The Viers-turned-crab let out more bubbles as he laughed. ¡°Take this Gigadia Crab for example. The original was Rank 0 Jagjag Crab, a common water monster. I grew it into Rank 1 Jagjag and when it was time to evolve to Rank 2, I changed into Gigadia Crab; a water and earth dual affinity monster. As you all know, having multiple affinities is quite common for monsters compared to humans.¡± ¡°That''s¡­ amazing, Lord Viers,¡± Farley was drunk by the sheer possibility of it all. ¡°Hur hur hur, praise me more. For I am¡­ King of the Monsters!¡± Chapter 138 - Doctorate in Monsterology Four members of the Viers Corporation were having a talk in the White Flowers Meadow. Viers¡¯ body was currently busy but his soul was not. ¡°Question. Why are you calling us ¡®angels¡¯ sometimes?¡± ¡°Paina¡­ Of all the things we should be asking, that is what¡¯s on your mind? Seriously?¡± Farley put a hand on her forehead and shook her head left and right. ¡°But¡­ Well, I¡¯m curious¡­ Aren''t you?¡± Paina¡¯s reply was like a meek squirrel. Viers and the other two gave her a penetrating gaze and so she was fidgeting. Viers decided to humor her. ¡°There¡¯s this guy, called Charlie. He got these three women that worked for him. He called them angels. Seems similar to our situation, don''t you think?¡± ¡°By the way, I want to know more about the songs. You¡¯ve pulled out two. How many more have you got?¡± Clarissa drove the conversation in a more awry direction. Farley looked as if she had just been betrayed and gasped sharply. ¡°You too, Clar?¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s so catchy and I like it. The first song was good too,¡± Clarissa shrugged. Paina¡¯s face showed that she agreed with her. Kesha''s Tik Tok grasped their heart already. Viers chuckled in amusement. ¡°All in good time, angels.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, the music was nice. Can we return to the monster topic, please?¡± Farley became the mature one compared to the 9000-years-old lamia. ¡°Fine, fine¡­ so you need a water monster core to transform into one¡­ Ah! The Rank 7 monster co-¡± Clarissa realized what was in Viers¡¯ possession. ¡°I¡¯m stopping you right there. I can only absorb, transform, and evolve up to my Level so what you''re thinking of is impossible at the moment. What do you think my first attempt was when I found out I can transform into monsters? I tried.¡± ¡°Lord Viers, you said you evolve your transformations from their baser type. Does it mean you can control the direction of your evolution?¡± ¡°In a way,¡± Viers said flatly. ¡°Monsters can''t do that, right?¡± Farley asked her fellow souls. ¡°More like they lack the cognition to attempt such a thing. They are beings of instinct rather than mind. When they evolved, they let the body develop naturally and it worked out okay for thousands of years. Monsters are still thriving in this age, right? There are exceptions though, sapient monsters exist. Better not to meet one. They are usually very old and very powerful,¡± Clarissa gave the scholarly answer. ¡°That is so cool! You can become a water dragon! So what if you must start from Rank 0 dragon, go for it! Evolve into it!¡± Piana urged. ¡°Sigh¡­ It''s not so simple. My forms are based on the core that I absorbed but to evolve to something different, I need to have the genetic information required to pull it off.¡± ¡°Genetic information?¡± Clarissa tilted her head. ¡°From cores or flesh. Let me give you an example. My Water Ghost Spider is Rank 1 from the start because the core I absorbed was from a Rank 1 monster. I can evolve to Rank 2 Water Ghost Spider just fine but to become a different, greater species, I cannot do it at the moment.¡± While they were processing the information Viers went on. ¡°My slime is a simple water slime at first but to evolve it into the corrosive amoeba horror you saw earlier I had to consume many other monster cores or bodies that have the corrosion ability. As for water dragon, where can I find a baby water dragon¡¯s core?¡± ¡°Considering what¡¯s been happening to you so far, I think you¡¯ll stumble upon one in the near future,¡± Paina scoffed. ¡°What¡¯s the name of your slime monster form?¡± She asked. There were too many kinds of slime monsters in existence. She didn''t recognize Viers¡¯ version. ¡°Don''t know. Evolution doesn''t exactly come with a name, you know. I named it Toxicell Slime for the time being.¡± ¡°Genetic information, huh? Interesting term,¡± Clarissa mused. Clack. Clack. Clack. In the real world, Viers tested the left claw that had been mangled, moving it around and making clicking sounds. After a few hours of recuperation, the Gigadia Crab had returned to full health. ¡°It¡¯s done. Now¡¯s the right time. Want to see me evolving?¡± Viers asked his tenants. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The answer was a unanimous yes. *** ¡°Urgh, I think I¡¯m going to throw up.¡± Paina, the girl who only exists as a soul without a digestive system, said. ¡°...¡± Farley also wasn''t exactly comfortable looking at the sight of a frog swallowing a snake that was much bigger than the frog¡¯s body. Mysteriously the small frog seemed to have no problem eating many times more of its body mass. The snake¡¯s body seemed to be slowly disappearing into a bottomless pit. ¡°So that¡¯s where the monster meat and cores you¡¯ve looted have gone to. I¡¯ve always wondered,¡± Paina said. ¡°To monsters, eating other monsters is one of the ways they get stronger. This isn''t unique to Viers. All monsters possess this ability,¡± Clarissa explained. ¡°Believe it or not, you get used to it, even something like this,¡± Viers conveyed with his mind talk, or soul talk, Viers wasn''t sure. Viers took out a plethora of monster corpses and cores from the Thousand Treasure Casket and started to wolf them down with its toothless amphibian mouth. Where else would he have the privacy to do this wantonly other than the secure quest space? In the world outside the book, Viers was very vigilant about his monster transformation. Every action he took as a monster was reserved for times of great need which was few and far between. He could be dissected like a lab rat if some powerhouse found out. Inside the book, at least only Aletro knew. And the guy seemed disinterested in Viers'' unusual abilities. After eating a lot, Frog Viers stopped. ¡°Girls, I¡¯m evolving.¡± The Terribilis Frog started emitting a dense poisonous purple cloud that covered its whole body; hiding it from sight. For 15 minutes, Viers fell into solemn silence. There was no fanfare or light show but when the fog receded, The Terribilis Frog was now a Rank 2. ¡°That¡¯s it? There are no changes from before.¡± Piana confusedly examined Viers from every angle, still a blue frog with black spots the size of a soccer ball. ¡°No¡­ the poison. It became so much more potent. I can feel it from here.¡± Farley grimly said. ¡°If we¡¯re flesh and blood, without defensive Arte we would already be in critical condition.¡± The girls were able to sense things because of Viers¡¯ skill in the soul department. He gave them the five senses occasionally, such as when Viers recreated the tasty food he had eaten for the girls. He did this because it was good for their mental health. ¡°...Oh. Good thing we¡¯re only souls, right?¡± ¡°Don''t be so sure, Paina. There are poisons that can affect the soul,¡± Clarissa warned. While the girls were talking to each other, Viers was relishing the euphoria of evolution. If this is a LitRPG, this is the part where the updated status screen and new skills are shown. A parade of numbers and specs. Shame I don''t have it; I''ve got no system. ¡°Odd, Lord Viers should be bigger though,¡± Farley noticed the abnormality of the frog¡¯s size. ¡°Don''t all monsters get bigger when they evolve?¡± ¡°I converted almost all of my evolutionary power to my poisons. What little remained got used for several minor mutations. My physical spec doesn''t change much from before the evolution.¡± ¡°Lord Viers, won''t that make you brittle against damage?¡± ¡°Farley, that¡¯s what his water Artes are for. Haven''t you realized his monster forms are specialized for one thing?¡± Oh? Viers didn''t expect that talk from Paina. He was pleased with her growth. ¡°Right¡­ Viers has the offense, defense, and mobility trifecta covered with his Artes so he chooses to specialize, no, overspecialize on the monsters¡¯ distinctive traits!¡± Clarissa came to the correct conclusion. ¡°I see,¡± Farley touched her chin while thinking. ¡°Terribilis Frog¡¯s poison, Water Ghost Spider¡¯s stealth¡­ Gigadia Crab and Toxicell Slime are pointed towards battle though?¡± ¡°Different genres. The slime has great resistance against physical attacks. It¡¯s too good to pass,¡± Viers said. ¡°The added corrosive toxicity makes it a bane of all physical oriented beings. Imagine the future where the slime corrodes absolutely everything, from iron to adamantium. Kishishi,¡± Viers dreamed of a beautiful future. After the frog¡¯s evolution, Viers changed into Water Ghost Spider and ate the rest of the feast of monster corpses. He also wanted to evolve the spider to Rank 2 in one go. The white, sleek spider with eight pointy legs was only the size of a cat but it bit, gnashed, and swallowed its food like a starving grizzly bear. ¡°How many monster forms do you have, Viers?¡± Clarissa asked while Viers was busy eating. ¡°Five.¡± ¡°Other than the four we¡¯ve seen, the last is the fish transformation from when you escaped Freya, huh? Why not have more?¡± Paina inquired. ¡°Too many varieties would be a burden. I need to evolve them, you know? It takes resources. Quality rather than quantity. I¡¯ll evolve them all to their legendary forms! And I¡¯m still looking out for more¡­ exotic species to be added to my repertoire. Got to keep some space open, heh.¡± ¡°Lord Viers, aren''t there many unknowns about monster evolution? There are many monsters who got stuck until their lifespan ran out without evolving further. How can you be so confident?¡± About the matters of evolution, hehehe¡­ How many monster evolution stories have I consumed so far? Too, too many! Goblin, slime, snake, undead, ant, dragon, Pokemon, Digimon, all kinds of things! I have too many references to chart the best evolution path for me. Who is my rival in this? I¡¯m a walking fantasy monster encyclopedia, bwahaha! ¡°Don''t underestimate me, Farley. I have a doctorate degree in monsterology,¡± Viers shamelessly boasted. ¡°Oh, oh! The thought just came to me. Can you change into soul monsters?¡± Paina wanted to know. Nice question, Farley and Clarissa were also piqued. ¡°Don''t know. Never met monsters with soul affinity before, let alone getting the core of one. Water Ghost Spider is named so because of its ghost-like stealth, not because it is a real ghost, therefore soul.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a shame. I would love to see one,¡± Paina said. ¡°Those are rare, but you can find them in specific places. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet one eventually,¡± Clarissa pitched in. Well, I¡¯ll add a monster form and evolve it to something with soul attribute if I really need it¡­ Damn, I''m good! Chapter 139 - Changing Tempo In gaming, there was something called a ¡®meta¡¯. In essence, a meta was a generally agreed upon strategy to be the most optimum way to win. Most effective tactics available. Viers was combining two things to achieve the meta available to him. Monster Viers rampaged and decimated the quest enemies Aletro prepared for the trial takers. Most of Viers¡¯ enemies were monsters and so Viers ate their carcasses to make his monster forms even stronger from each kill. He especially avoided enemies that he could not consume such as golems, phantoms, NPCs, and the like. ¡°What a FEAST!¡± Viers happily exclaimed. ¡°This is a monster cultivation paradise!¡± Aletro¡¯s monsters were varied and quite rare in the Coalition borders. Some outright of foreign origin. How Aletro brought them in, Viers didn''t know, didn''t care. He was thankful for the genetic wealth, Horizon experience, rare monster parts, and the souls. They might be only Rank 2 monsters but they were all in the upper caliber of Rank 2 monster strength. Some of them even gave Viers trouble and forced him to use his Artes. From conversations he picked up, there were expert quests that had Rank 3 monsters in them. Viers was not going to try fighting them though¡­ not alone. After defeating a Rank 2 civet made of flowers, Viers did not revert to his human form, summoned his black spark and burned another quest card with the spark without returning to the Quantum Main Hub. Viers got transported to another private battle space and pounced upon the awaiting monster. ¡°Is this allowed? How many quest cards did Viers take?¡± Paina asked. ¡°Nine. Don''t worry, everyone was doing it. While you were sleeping, Lord Viers saw someone else take multiple cards from the obelisk. Lord Viers regretted he didn''t realize it sooner. If they can maintain the intense rate of battle, that is also counted as an ability,¡± Farley said. ¡°It¡¯s already evening. The second day is almost over. You still spent a lot of Victa though. The expenditure of your Victa today is still greater than your gain. Tomorrow, you won''t be able to do this again,¡± Clarissa reminded him. ¡°Don''t worry, girls. I have a plan. Alright. Let¡¯s make the next one today¡¯s last. We try the impossible difficulty!¡± *** ¡°Phew,¡± Boram wiped the sweat on his brows. The appearance of the spark shards signaled the completion of the quest. He summoned his white spark to absorb them. Good thing I¡¯ve experienced clearing the earth with mister Takju. Boram looked at the massive farming field that was ready for planting. He had cleared it of debris, weed, and tilled the earth using a mix of his earth manipulation and good ol'' fashioned hoe. ¡°Thank ye, traveler. Now the village can make it in time for this season¡¯s planting. Thank ye so much!¡± The old village elder conveyed his gratitude to the little boy. Not all quests involved fighting monsters. Boram accepted it and bid him goodbye, walking through the portal of light to return to the place with the quest obelisk. Every time, it amazes me. Uncle Aletro can send me all over the world in the blink of an eye. How awesome! As always, Boram hung around the quest obelisk for a while. Observing the other participants that flew to and fro like busy bees. But where¡¯s Master? It''s been a day. He¡¯s here but he didn''t call me or make contact with me¡­ I see! This must be his way of telling me to rely on myself. I won''t disappoint him. My ranking is¡­ 148th out of 382. I know I can''t compete for the top spot with all the strong people here but I must work hard to gain results! At the very least, I must get into the top 100. Boram went forward with pure devotion to his master. *** ¡°It¡¯s done, elder. The cabinet can be opened now.¡± A woman with black hair wearing a mage robe told a very old elderly who sat on a rickety chair. ¡°Much obliged, traveler. How careless of me to forget the opening enchantment. Now then¡­ what was your reward again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already got it,¡± Izabella said while taking the spark shards. ¡°Farewell.¡± ¡°Safe travels,¡± the wizened grandpa waved. She got teleported in front of a house in an unknown town and then the elder just asked her to open his cabinet of documents. The young woman compared him to the previous people she¡¯d met in the other quests. They aren''t people¡­ right? At any rate, compared to the unsealing of the Demon King, it was really easy. The hour was getting late and Izabella thought she should call it a day. She wasn''t thrilled about what she had to do next. Upon returning, she appeared near several people. ¡°Eh?¡± She tried to fly to the resort but she felt a tug, like someone was holding the hem of her clothes. She looked around and saw a young man flying towards her. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Hello,¡± the handsome blondie said. ¡°Hi,¡± Iz replied back. Is he¡­ ¡°I¡¯m Tanael.¡± ¡°...Black Cat. Um-¡± ¡°Ah, ah, ah. None of that,¡± Tanael wiggled his finger. ¡°Let¡¯s do our best. Laters.¡± And he left, just like that. Back to the quest obelisk to the opposite of her direction. They both wore disguises but the two now knew each other¡¯s identity. It¡¯s him. He must have a special method to sense me. Was it the pact we made? No, more importantly, his stance is clear. He wants us to do our own thing. At least for now. Iz flew to the resort while busy with her own thoughts. She made her way to a certain room, a pretty high-class dwelling, and she went in using her key. ¡°Ah, Black Cat. Welcome back,¡± a handsome guy greeted her. ¡°Dorren.¡± ¡°No, no. Address each other as their aliases while we¡¯re in this book world.¡± Iz scoffed in her mind. ¡°Of course, Lord Ultimate. Where are the other two?¡± ¡°Resting in the back. So, today¡¯s share?¡± The guy that named himself Lord Ultimate took out his black spark and Izabella did the same. Spark shards came out from Izabella¡¯s and went into Lord Ultimate¡¯s.¡± ¡°Good. We of the Blood should stick together, right?¡± The nerve of this guy¡­ Dorren, Izabella, and the other two were from the same social circle and Dorren was the strongest of them all. He also had the biggest backing and the best heritage. Therefore he crowned himself the leader. Under the pretense of teamwork, the three others were ¡®persuaded¡¯ to give seven out of ten of their earnings to him. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see today¡¯s ranking,¡± he took out a curio that projected an illusion of the ranking lists. The list¡¯s position was dynamic, meaning there were others still questing for spark shards at the moment. ¡°How do you get that?¡± Iz asked. ¡°From the store, of course. There are many useful things there. Mmm¡­ there¡¯s my name. 46th, not bad.¡± 46th - Lord Ultimate. It was written in black, all four promising youths from the Blood Church chose the black spark. Dorren, Iz didn''t want to call him with his outrageous name in her mind, had real abilities to back up his actions. Combined with the other three¡¯s points, he reached the top 50. He was also one of the guys that sent a marriage proposal to Izabella. ¡°Can I borrow that for a second?¡± Iz asked. ¡°Sure.¡± Iz scrolled the illusion upward. Part of her wanted to believe that a certain guy¡¯s name wouldn''t be there. It was a mixed feeling of hoping to find it and not wanting to find it at the same time. Because it would be less terrifying that way. 36th - Tanael. Iz took a deep breath to calm her mind. This is good¡­ right? He¡¯s an ally, we¡¯re not enemies. Ally, ally, ally. Iz repeated that like a mantra then scrolled down to seek her name. Down and down she went to the list. She found it at 297th place. ¡°Don''t worry, kitten. Let one of us get the highest ranking possible so he can share the benefit with the rest. We¡¯ve discussed this,¡± Dorren caressed her hand. It involved a gargantuan self-control from Izabella to prevent herself from shuddering in disgust. ¡°Very true. Excuse me,¡± Iz went to her room. In the privacy of her abode, she clenched her fist, hard. The fool doesn''t yet realize the situation. Mommy and daddy cannot protect you in this trial. I¡¯ll get my shards back with interest! Iz took out a tiny, red needle from her spatial necklace. From a single look, those that could sense power could feel behind the harmless appearance, it was a really dangerous item. Her previous spatial ring had been broken at the Tomb but as an exceptional enchanter, Izabella made her own afterward. The storage space was quite small, only the size of a bag but it suited her needs. She certainly couldn''t flaunt this object in the open. ¡°Aletro?¡± Iz called. ¡°What?¡± The mask appeared. ¡°To be clear, there¡¯s no problem using this, correct? You¡¯ve seen me enchant this item by myself.¡± ¡°Of course. Quite a good thing you made there. In the right circumstances, even a peak Level 3 would be dead if pierced by it. In this space where you all are Level 2s, you have the ability to kill anyone you wished,¡± Aletro chuckled. ¡°Well, most of them, anyway. Some would survive.¡± Aletro disappeared after the question, leaving her alone once again. She sat cross-legged on the floor and invoked a magic circle. One, two, three. Three red, glowing magic circles of intricate pattern and the needle was lightly floating in the center of it. I¡¯ll show you the power of an enchanter! Izabella started to add more enchantments to the small object, perfecting her trump card. Once, she had seen the power of the Demon King from up close. She didn''t come out empty from the brush with death. *** Viers yawned after waking up from a not very good sleep. ¡°Bleh. My mood is still sour,¡± he frowned. ¡°Impossible quest¡­ If all five are like that, won''t it be really impossible?¡± Farley said. Viers had a go at the impossible quest yesterday and failed spectacularly. He¡¯d even used up Irkun¡¯s Life-saving item but still only reached 50% completion. So that''s why Aletro made the first try on the impossible quest free from penalty or lasting damage. After seeing the challenge with our own eyes, very few would even try for the second time. Only the very confident or the very desprate will try again. ¡°Damn it...¡± he scratched his itchy cheek. The Impersonator Mask felt like human skin when activated. Even though he had been wearing the mask for a whole day, it didn''t feel uncomfortable one bit. Viers could still scratch from above the mask no problem if he had to. At the Quantum Main Hub, Viers saw a spectacle that made his mood worse. He saw other people hobo living too, most of them gathered at the periphery of the Las Vegas hotel-like building. Sleeping in under one of the many eaves in front of the resort, bathing near the fountain, drying their dirty clothes out in the open. Some just straight-up slept while floating in the Quantum Main Hub. Aletro made sure the participants couldn''t hurt each other in the neutral zone so there was no risk for them sleeping in the open. Viers had no doubt there were others who slept in a quest space just like he did. It¡¯s gonna get worse, isn''t it? The third day began on a sour note. ¡°Enough! Is this a grand never before seen trial of fire of the age or a homeless association? I will not have it!!¡± Aletro -the black-clothed one- appeared like a gigantic phantom just like the first time. Viers did not doubt his angry roar had been heard by all the participants. ¡°Hmph! We¡¯re changing things up. Have some respect for me, you ungrateful brats!¡± Chapter 140 - Patch Because of Aletro¡¯s displeasure, the third day began with an announcement. People flocked to the Quantum Main Hub as there was a national assembly. Aletro released a ¡®patch¡¯. An update. Hobo living was no longer tolerated. Sleeping out in the open would be penalized heavily in spark shards. Littering was punishable by deportation. Pricing update. The private quest space that Viers had used as his own room would no longer be permanent and the contestant must exit within an hour of the quest''s completion. Other than that, Aletro also fixed some loopholes, additional adjustments in the resort¡¯s features, every contestant could now see other people¡¯s aliases with a little concentration, and many more. Wow, this is the third day so, patch 1.3? ¡°That¡¯s all. Because you¡¯ll now lose shards every day, do take care to not end the day with 0 spark shards.¡± ¡°What would happen if we did?¡± Someone asked. ¡°You don''t want to find out,¡± Aletro replied. ¡°Great Sage, has the impossible difficulty been adjusted?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°B-but no one has completed any,¡± the guy pressed further. ¡°Only those destined or those that can make the impossible possible can finish any of the 5 impossible quests. It is called impossible for a reason. You already got the chance to free-try one without penalty if you fail and you want more? Naive child. If you feel it is unreasonable, how about you create your own trial, hm?¡± Aletro¡¯s annoyed gaze turned the guy¡¯s courage into tofu. ¡°Now put your back into it. I swear, kids these days...¡± Aletro disappeared while grumbling and the gallery scattered soon after. Viers went to the quest obelisk just like the other 99% of them. In other words, Altero said: Git Gud. That¡¯s true, I suppose. The impossible quest indeed came with a crutch that any injury, no matter how fatal, would be exempted upon failure for the first time. That was why Viers dared to try the impossible quest. There were 5 of them and Viers¡¯ quest was about a test of martial might. Viers fought shadow warriors using different weapons and styles to reach the higher floor of a tower. There were ten floors and Viers got defeated on the fifth floor. He should be half dead according to his injury but Viers returned without a scratch. He concluded impossible quests were beyond him. Destined people, huh¡­ As the one who wasn''t destined, Viers wasn''t fond of that word. Viers repeated his questing-spree right from the start. After the update, one could only take five quests at once. Viers must follow the rules. After picking the suitable five, Viers burned one of them to start another round of massacre. One thought plagued his mind. Is it just me or is the solo quests are getting scarcer? ¡°So what¡¯s the plan, Viers? Repeating the questing sprint until the last day? You¡¯ll burn out your Victa.¡± Clarissa said. Before Viers, the water tiger monster was already ready for battle. ¡°Surely you three didn''t forget about this, did you?¡± Viers summoned a jet-black metallic revolver out of nowhere and cocked the revolver¡¯s hammer. ¡°I make it a point for me to come out of conflict with benefits. Although there are a few black marks in my history, that fool Sigma is not one of them.¡± BANG!! Viers opened fire without hesitation. Little Friend didn''t require any Victa to use, only bullets. Bullets made of soul. And Viers had just harvested a lot of monster souls after two days of intense questing. *** Half a day into day 3, Viers slowed down his spark shards'' sharp rise. ¡°Fairy Ice, the monster went that way.¡± ¡°Yeah. Let''s pincer it just as planned.¡± A man and a woman ran across the field. When they came out from the bushes to the clearing, they saw the monster had lain dead. ¡°Whoa, that was quick,¡± the man with the alias Mr. Great said. ¡°It¡¯s all this guy. I just found the monster,¡± Tanael replied. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°...¡± The last member of the four, Backlasher kept silent. From the start, he was a guy with few words and a permanent dark expression on his face. Viers judged he had enough spark shards for now and mingled with the rest of the trial takers. The reward divided itself evenly for the four of them and they parted ways. ¡°Hey,¡± Tanael called Backlasher who was already halfway flew to the obelisk. ¡°What?¡± He said curtly. ¡°You look desperate.¡± The words made him twitch slightly. Viers would have missed it if he wasn''t paying attention. ¡°I stake everything on this trial¡­ Everything.¡± Backlasher left a determination-filled parting words. Viers made a mental note. Mr. Great and Fairy Ice, prey. Backlasher¡­ not prey. *** ¡°Well, this is new,¡± Viers hummed. The quest card was of black and white color. According to the description, it was a race competition. A never before seen format. Those from black or white spark group could join. I should use this chance to observe those white spark guys. Viers took a card and burned it. Unlike solo quests, the competition would start once 10 people had registered. In less than half an hour, the quest started and Viers got transported to a jungle wilderness. The reward will be based on the performance. 1st and 2nd place will gain different amounts of spark shards. Let¡¯s see my competitors. Six from white and four from black. Viers knew after concentrating and their name was written on top of their head, in black or white according to their choice of spark. Blade of Justice¡­ Isn''t he among the top five? He even rose to the top once. I should observe him closely. And then, Viers was at a loss for words about another unusual contestant from the white side. Anne, just Anne. A girl about fifteen? Sixteen? Super cute¡­ and she¡¯s a Level 1. Viers¡¯ brain took a moment to process. How the hell, she could be Level 1!!? Shouldn''t all of us be Level 2 according to Aletro? The cute girl with petite clear eyes and silky black hair noticed Viers¡¯ gaze and waved back at him with a very refreshing smile. The race got underway shortly. The jungle was filled with obstacles and monsters. They were supposed to use their judgment to find the best path. But the Blade of Justice guy just went straight through, cutting down any obstacles in his path. Trees, bushes, boulders, monsters, his sword cut them all. Incredible. His swordsmanship is very amazing, beautiful and fearsome at the same time. Definitely not prey. On the other hand, Viers turned to the one not far behind. She¡¯s¡­ not helpless. In fact, in Level 1 she has power greater than the average level 2. How is she doing it though? She must have something like my Horizon. She¡¯s too weird. And weird prey is often poisonous. I better stay away from her. Far, far away from her. Viers was warier about the harmless-looking girl than the top talent noble warrior because the girl was an enigma. Who knew what was hidden under that pretty face. In the end, Blade of Justice got 1st place, Tanael at 3rd, and Anne at 4th. The participants had a meet-and-greet for less than a minute before leaving. *** Viers continued his blending-with-the-sheep session. While he was in a group, Viers didn''t use any of his elemental Arte, water or soul. His role in a group was a supporting one. Thanks to his sharp senses, thanks to this unusual physique, combined with Euryale Sight and Enhanced Hearing, Viers made a good scout. When he battled, he used items instead. In the Marakkus¡¯ vault, Viers got many bomb beads. Each of these red beads had the destructiveness of a stick of dynamite. Viers had about a thousand. When he was alone, he also used Sunburn, Octo-melt Scroll, and other items to save his Victa. Of course, his gunslinger style was still going strong. By the second half of the third day, the spectacle of the participants furiously questing had died down significantly. That was because most of them had their Victa at critical levels, but not Viers. And Viers wasn''t the only one with such a stock of consumables in his person. Day 3 ended peacefully and Viers was at 41st place. His rank went down because he spent half a day scouting others but Viers didn''t mind. As long as he was in the top 50. Grudgingly, Viers procured a room at the resort, the cheapest one. *** ¡°Hahaha! You all look like shriveled fish. Not enough Victa huh? Rejoice! You¡¯re about to get more Victa to keep the competition hot! Some of you, anyway.¡± Aletro made another announcement. After the black Aletro had spoken, it was the white Aletro¡¯s turn. At the Quantum Main Hub, Viers watched the announcement like with many others. A vial appeared in front of Viers. It contained blue liquid. ¡°Those in the top 50 will get a vial of blue colloid as a reward for your efforts. Top 150 will get the pink colloid. These colloids are an alchemical mixture that will replenish your Victa.¡± An MP potion! I always thought it existed somewhere in this world. The way he says it, the blue one should have a superior effect than the pink one. ¡°As for the rest of you, too bad. Want a reward, get those spark shards,¡± the black Aletro taunted those below the rank 150. Login reward, like in the mobile games! Or is it a ranking reward? This trial¡¯s format is really game-y. I love it! I hope the next stage is even more interesting. Viers chugged the blue energy drink, which was quite delicious and sweet, immediately. Many others did the same. A significant amount of Victa welled up from deep within him. Viers¡¯ situation was unique. He still had some left in the tank and now he had even more. ¡°Here¡¯s a lesson for you baby chicks. In this world, those who are strong often get stronger. While the weak often remain weak. Rich people get richer and poor people get poorer. Those who are behind must put in a greater effort to catch up with those already ahead. That''s just life. If you don''t accept your circumstances, then struggle. Struggle to change your fate!¡± ¡°While my other self can say that more tactfully, he wasn''t wrong. The Path of Power is a difficult road to travel. You¡¯ll suffer many hardships and setbacks. You who are in the lower rank, do your best to rise up. Think how to best those above you and act. Those in the high rank, don''t be blinded by arrogance and let down your guard. Geniuses felled by an ordinary person are a common occurrence.¡± Both Aletro disappeared after the message and the fourth day began. Chapter 141 - Pit Day 4. ¡°Well, this is new.¡± Today, there was a new quest archetype. A group of people would band together to accomplish a great challenge. It¡¯s a Raid! We can fight Raid Bosses now!! In the quest obelisk, there were a few of such raid quests, for black and white holders alike. It garnered people''s attention because other than higher-than-normal spark shards reward there was also an additional benefit. Most raid quests offered a blue colloid upon completion which was a very juicy temptation especially to those below the rank 150. Viers made up his mind to join a raid. It would make for one hell of an experience. What followed, however, was a messy group division. People want to join in the fun but who was to say they got what it takes? What if the stranger they barely knew dragged them down? To make matters worse, the black spark top-dogs, installed themself as the judges. It didn''t cause many problems for Viers though. ¡°I want to join in the support position,¡± Viers said to one of the black spark groups organizing a raid party. ¡°Aaahhh? What ranking are you?¡± The haughty youth said. ¡°37th, last I checked.¡± ¡°Among the top 50, hm? Fine, you can come. With you, we have six people. I¡¯ll tell you this beforehand though, incompetence won''t be tolerated.¡± ¡°That is only natural, Airmaster.¡± The haughty youth was Airmaster, the top rank position was contested by five people, constantly changing places. Airmaster was one of them. Expert Difficulty Quest: Infiltrate the palace with your party and steal the King¡¯s crown. Escape the pursuers and the city with the crown in tow to finish the quest. Members that died, did not escape the city, caught by the guards shall be marked as having failed the quest. 6/8 Members. Recommended Members: Fighters: 4/4. Casters: 1/2. Supporters: 1/2. Time Limit: 16 Hours. Reward: 300 spark shards and a vial of blue colloid for all participants that succeeded. Hehe. I wouldn''t say no to more Victa. All raids are on expert difficulty, truly fitting for end-game content. This won''t be a walk in the park. In a few minutes, the party was taking shape. Airmaster and two of his cronies, another high ranker called the Green Scorpion and his female partner, and Backlasher who he didn''t expect to meet once again. With Tanael, that was seven slots. Seven high rankers. Even Viers admitted they seemed to have good odds. Only the last support position was open. ¡°I want to take up the slot,¡± a young woman approached the group. ¡°What rank are you?¡± Airmaster. ¡°...306th.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re out. Bother someone else,¡± Airmaster rejected heartlessly. ¡°Airmaster, I vouch for her ability.¡± ¡°Tanael?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a good support. She can pull off her own weight.¡± Airmaster took a moment to think. ¡°Fine, but only because supports are rare. If this goes south because of you two, then it''s also on your head, Tanael. Let''s not waste time and begin soon. First, an introduction on your abilities and roles, your strong and weak points. I¡¯ll begin. My forte is air manipulation, and I¡¯m a caster by trade-¡± While the group was discussing, Viers whispered to the newest member. ¡°You won''t disappoint me, will you?¡± ¡°I won''t,¡± Black Cat replied in a heartbeat. ¡°Then I look forward to it, fellow supporter.¡± ¡°Next, Tanael.¡± Airmaster hollered like a drill sergeant. ¡°Yessir. My name and alias are the same, Tanael. My elemental affinity is wind. My support consists of extreme scouting via sight and hearing. I can see through enchanted walls if the enchantment is below the Level 3 category. Illusions won¡¯t trouble us if you have me. Other than that, I have many consumables suitable for support such as healing potions, buff potions, debuff items, and protective talismans. Since we¡¯re going to steal a crown in a castle, stealth should play a major part. I¡¯ll point out the guards¡¯ locations and provide the best route to the objective. I¡¯m not a really good fighter up close so I¡¯ll throw explosive beads from the backline. Pleased to meet you all.¡± ¡°...Hmph. Let¡¯s hope your scouting is as good as you say. And there¡¯s no ¡®wind¡¯ elemental affinity. It''s air! Lastly, you.¡± ¡°Black Cat. I¡¯m an array master with fire affinity. In this mission, I¡¯m a lock breaker. Other than that, I can-¡± After clarifying their roles and the final check, the eight invoked the quest and got transported to another space. The eight appeared in the middle of a square inside a walled city. There were people but they didn''t react to Viers and the others sprouting out from thin air. The dark shape of the tall and grand palace could be seen looming on them despite it being nighttime. ¡°All right people. Let¡¯s get started.¡° *** ¡°A few hours of scouting? I can get it done in one.¡± ¡°How did I get in, you asked? I just stole the guard¡¯s uniform and sneaked in from the front door. The power of clothes is amazing, isn''t it? My 47th brother¡¯s favorite trick.¡± ¡°The upper floor is filled with enchantments so I think that¡¯s where they keep the crown.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°From here, there are two points of entry, both guarded. A fight is unavoidable but the east side has fewer men than the other.¡± ¡°Stop! This harmless empty hallway is actually filled with poison. We can take a detour but¡­ Ah yes. Airmaster can just clear the air for us. Me? My humble talent lies more in hearing whispers in the wind¡­ or air as you put it.¡± ¡°Wait. Black Cat, run a check on this wall. Is it a secret compartment like I saw it is? Of course it is. Surprise! Nice extra loot, right guys?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a strong guy waiting for us in the big room behind this door. Looks like a knight. Much stronger than the 2 mini-bosses earlier. Might be the final boss, so get ready for a tough fight. The room after that has the strongest enchantment in the entire palace. I bet that¡¯s where the crown is.¡± That was where Viers passed the baton to the hammers to hit the nail. The fight went as expected. Airmaster, Scorpion, and Backlasher became the main combatants because they were a cut above the rest in terms of battle strength. The other five including Viers and Izabella did what they could to support them. I always prefer to play carry rather than support but to think I ended up so comfortable as the support position in this fantasy world. Such is life, Viers mused about the irony. ¡°Tanael, the Chief Knight is calling more minions!¡± Backlasher said, dodging the boss¡¯ great ax. ¡°Already on it. I¡¯ll handle it just like before. Keep hammering the big guy, buddy. I trust you!¡± Viers said with fake passion. He was feeling almost languid inside. Viers kited the knight that spawned -which came in from the side door- away from the boss. The rest of the supports also helped in dealing damage to the minor knight until he was dead. All in all, the battle was going well. Viers didn''t even sweat. Mainly thanks to the party being filled with strong people, especially the main three. Viers observed the players. More data would mean greater advantages for him in the future. The virtual simulation in the Grid would play a major role in the devious schemes Viers concocted. Stealthily, Black Cat passed him a small object. An earring of some kind. Holding it in his hand seemed to be enough for it to work. ¡°Things are going well in this quest it seems,¡± Izabella¡¯s voice resounded in his mind. ¡°We have a strong party.¡± While talking, they both peppered the boss with minor damage or helped the combatants, reapplying their buffs or giving them fresh shields. ¡°Your scouting ability is extraordinary¡­ If we had you at the Tomb, we might have been able to unseal the Demon King before the Silver Legion was able to prevent it.¡± Iz¡¯s fire bats that she summoned from a magic circle attacked the Chief Knight from above. ¡°Who can say?¡± Viers tossed a bead that exploded at the boss¡¯ feet. ¡°And why would I help you guys in the first place?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry for all the wrongs I have caused you.¡± ¡°...I, huh? You¡¯re a bit similar to another cultist I know. You''re not a fanatic. Your loyalty is not to the cult,¡± Viers said. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Iz didn''t understand. ¡°That means you can still be saved,¡± Viers spoke plainly. And I can make use of you. ¡°Your apology, I accept. Let¡¯s work cordially to achieve both of our goals, starting with getting the top spots in this trial.¡± Izabella took a glance at the man with four names she had known so far. The man whose real name might be or might not be Viers spoke words that carried no hostility or unpleasantness but the more she interacted with him, the more she felt this man was a pit. A pit with an unseeable bottom but there were eyes gazing at her from the darkness, accompanied by the hisses of snakes. During the time she was traveling with him as Chacha, she had never seen the man¡¯s true capabilities -even now he didn''t show his water or soul abilities- but she didn''t doubt she had chosen to ally herself with an extremely dangerous individual. He is a pit that swallowed Alan. If I don''t take extreme care, he will swallow me too. I must not give him a single reason to. While Iz was struggling with her inner dilemma, the boss had fallen under the combined effort of the party. For Viers, the raid boss fight was somewhat a disappointment; he didn''t even get hit by the boss¡¯ attacks. Unfortunately, the Chief Knight didn''t drop any loot. The corpse disappeared. ¡°Black Cat, your turn. Open the door to the next room,¡± Airmaster commanded. None of the top three were heavily wounded although they looked tired. Iz moved her fingers like an artist, unraveling the geometrical seal that barred the metal gate to the next room. Viers opted to serve as a lookout at the boss room¡¯s entrance. How the hour-long battle didn''t make the whole guards swarm to this place, Viers didn''t know. He blamed the quest mechanic. Airmaster, definitely wind 5 affinity, must fight close if possible and don''t give him time to cast big Artes. Green Scorpion, a fast and strong earth user with incredible defense, gives the enemy ticking damage¡­ poison? Backlasher, a melee fighter that uses strange techniques to interrupt enemy actions, leaving them open for attack. Black Cat told them it would take about 40 minutes to open. While Viers was analyzing the data he gained, the party took this chance to rest. Fortunately, no enemies spawned to interrupt them. They were in a safe area. After some time, the sound of the seal breaking indicated Black Cat had succeeded and the group gathered. For a raid with a 16-hour time limit, Viers¡¯ group reached this point in less than 4 hours. ¡°The enchantments are weird. It is designed to become weaker the more time passes by. When I think about the time limit¡­ My estimate is it should become breakable by an ordinary punch at around the 14th hour,¡± Black Cat said. ¡°You mean we should be grateful for your existence, are you?¡± Green Scorpion chided. ¡°There are deadly traps embedded with the seal. Can you even touch the door without dying, smartass?¡± Black Cat replied. Airmaster didn''t pay them any mind and pushed open the door. The crown was there, on top of a pedestal in the middle of a room. ¡°I thought it would be inside a treasure room or something. Not in an empty room such as this,¡± Green Scorpion¡¯s partner complained. ¡°What¡¯s left is escaping the city with this crown,¡± Airmaster took the crown and put it in his spatial ring. ¡°Won''t be that easy guys, look.¡± Tanael was eyeing past the window. They were on a high floor in the palace and the palace itself was built on top of a hill with the city built around it. From the vantage point, Viers could see the knights had been amassing. They had locked down the city and had surrounded the palace. Fortunately, the encirclement was still thin. ¡°See how they keep pouring in from a distance? I think the longer we spend inside the palace, the more numerous our enemies will become,¡± Tanael said. ¡°Then we should depart immediately. Everyone, be on your guard,¡± Airmaster said. *** 12 hours and 24 minutes. That was the time of the raid quest completion. All eight of them returned to the Quantum Main Hub with a bright abjuration of light. It was a new mechanic. The more difficult the completed quest, the grander the return became. All were looking worse for wear, except three: Airmaster, Green Scorpion, and Backlasher. Although in Viers¡¯ case it was only for show. The escape from the palace became their greatest challenge yet. Turns out, the Chief Knight wasn''t the final boss, and afterward, the pursuers were tenacious. They spent a lot of time being hunted down. Hehehe, how fun. Less than ten seconds after his return, Tanael was jumped upon by seven people. All flying at high speed. After the initial surprise, he wanted to blast them in the face but he couldn''t use Victa. He could only fly but the seven blocked his route of escape. The seven piled up upon him, burying him with their body, preventing his movement. ¡°You guys-¡± Viers was quite helpless in a power-play without his Victa. One of the seven took out a quest card and burned it with his spark. Viers felt a familiar sensation immediately. The sensation of being teleported. Ah, I was wondering when the radicals would blow the powder keg. What are the odds that it would start right under my feet? Oh well, Viers smiled in a way that most would have called nasty as the light of teleportation engulfed him. They¡¯ve drawn the extreme opposite of the jackpot. I must give them suitable gifts. The seven plus Viers were gone by the next second, transported to the killing ground. But a killing ground for who? Seven picked an answer and one picked a different answer. Chapter 142 - HK Protocol ¡°There they go,¡± a youth said. ¡°It seems the civil period is over. We''ll see a lot of people biting each other tomorrow,¡± another boy said. ¡°The way they did it is correct. Even I don''t think I can escape from that ambush with my Victa sealed. But, they picked the wrong target,¡± Airmaster said. ¡°What do you mean, Prefect Monus?¡± The group was from Zetel, participants for the U-18 Regidana Tournament. Among the ten, six got transported into the book. ¡°This Tanael is not so simple. Don''t let his flippant and carefree attitude fool you.¡± Airmaster turned to the other two. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we cannot watch the show. Let¡¯s wait a bit for their return. It won''t last long.¡± *** Fajrin, the youth with the alias of Green Scorpion, was cool watching his teammate get waylaid by some chumps. He glanced at the woman who seemed to have some relationship with this Tanael. She was looking thoughtfully at the empty place where the pile of bodies used to be. ¡°Worried about your friend?¡± ¡°Him? I pity them.¡± The lack of doubt in Black Cat¡¯s voice told Fajrin all he needed to know. Hm, perhaps I should examine this Tanael more closely. His element is wind, isn''t it? The eagle arrow that sniped the book was also of wind affinity¡­ *** In the Path of Paradise resort suite, there were two youths conversing cordially. The place was the best accommodation the resort had to offer and the price was no less stellar. But to people like Oscar Regisea, they were more concerned about maintaining their face and appearance rather than a fistful of spark shards. The laughter between these two people was a common occurrence in their friendly chat. ¡°Blade of Justice? Hehehe, brother Troy. I didn''t expect such a corny name from you.¡± ¡°Urgh, don''t remind me. It seemed such a great idea at the time,¡± Troy hid his embarrassment by drinking a beverage with orange color. ¡°Oh right. I heard you tried the impossible difficulty twice, brother Oscar. How did it go?¡± ¡°Wasn''t it obvious looking at my score? There are no extra 5000 shards aren''t there?¡± Oscar created lines on his forehead with his scowl. ¡°They are too difficult. I dropped to the 5th place because of the healing cost and the loss of time.¡± Oscar clawed back to the top spot despite the shard loss because of his extraordinary fighting ability. His Victa took quite a hit though. Troy replied with an understanding smile. He too had experienced the impossible difficulty quest with his body. ¡°To think we were talking about the Regidana tournament just a week ago. Now we¡¯re here. Life is really unpredictable.¡± ¡°We pretty much secured the position among the top five until the second round of the trial. Other than questing, what did you do to pass the time, Troy?¡± ¡°Same like everyone else, Profound Practice, mingling with the people, you should try that, Oscar, instead of holing up in your castle alone,¡± he gestured to the nice suite around them. ¡°Bah. A royal cannot ¡®mingle¡¯ with commoners.¡± Troy had been with Oscar long enough to know that his friend had a flaw in his social views despite his best effort to amend it. Unwilling to go further in this line of conversation, the Blade of Justice changed the topic. ¡°Well, there are interesting gossips to be found in the tavern, such as this Tanael guy.¡± ¡°What about him?¡± Oscar asked. ¡°He quests often.¡± ¡°So? We all did.¡± ¡°Like, often-often. He easily had already completed double the amount of quests than the average folk. His ability is still mostly unknown.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Oscar remained unimpressed. ¡°Lots of guys tried to hide their ability but they are forced to go all out to get into higher ranks. So, he is one of the few who succeeded, huh?¡± The heroic-faced Troy nodded. ¡°The top 50s are filled with guys that can complete a string of expert quests reliably. There are a few exceptions, such as Tanael who climbed to the top 50 with the sheer amount of hard difficulty quest grinding.¡± Viers was 39th. When he was close to getting kicked out of the top 50, Viers finished a bunch of quests to keep his rank. He had no intention of rising too high. He still waited for the opportune moment, at the feeding frenzy between black spark holders. ¡°But?¡± Oscar asked. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Because of the blue colloid, being in the top 50 is a highly desirable position. Those who barely missed the cut would want nothing more than to snatch a spot for tomorrow¡¯s reward. When Tanael groups with other people, he only uses items to fight. Some said he was actually weak and only rose to the top 50 by the virtue of his luck and wealth,¡± Troy added. ¡°Ah, so it''s only a matter of time until someone tries to take a swing. If the nail that stands out does not have the foundation to back up its appearance, it will get hammered,¡± Oscar finished his shot of liquor. *** His name was Darian the Barbarian. The ambush was going as planned. He and the other six chose to break the unsaid truce among the black spark holders, therefore, the target must be someone worthwhile; fat enough with shards or they would have wasted their initiative. As they aimed at the top 50 positions, defeating someone already in that position was the sensible action. The group led by Darian had done their research. As expected, none were easy pickings. They rose to their position because they had the strength to back it up. Real, tangible strength. With a few exceptions. Darian and his gang also made use of the group quest feature. When someone made contact with the non-group member while the quest was activating, if the quest still had an empty participant slot, the guy automatically became counted as a group member and got transported to the quest space. It would be where they fought their target. How many spark shards would he get by defeating this meaty prey? Darian anticipated the result very much. It was with such feeling Darian emerged from teleportation. Now, go into formation as pla- ¡°EEEEAAAAHHHH!!¡± A female scream resounded like a sonic burst. After piling up on Tanael, they were supposed to get away from him immediately and encircle him. However, right off the bat, there was a complication. One of them, a young woman -with quite a beautiful face if one might add- was writhing in pain on the floor as if she was on fire. The group wanted to aid her without delay but the guy who was the likely culprit was standing right next to her. ¡°Mina!¡± Someone shouted worriedly. ¡°What did you do to her!?¡± Against their aggressive inquiry, the handsome Tanael stood unflinchingly. His reply was conveyed in a strange manner. ¡°Initiating HK protocol. Observation: This one has accepted the collective death wish. Would the next meatbag please step up for termination?¡± ¡°Whatever you¡¯re doing to her, stop it or-¡± The blustering youth -who most likely had feelings for her- got blasted by Tanael. It was an Arte, a fast-moving pale-white ball of energy as big as a basketball. There were two big black eyes-like designs on the speeding force of energy. ¡°Guahh!?¡± The straight moving Arte broke his shield and continued on to his body, passing by his body as if it was not there before submerging into the wall. The youth was wide-eyed in surprise then screamed in pain, just like the girl before. Arte - Vengeful Spirit. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Arte of some kind! It¡¯s fast!¡± An enemy appeared behind Tanael as if he used a Blink. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that!¡± His voice was barbed like thorns. He slashed his sword diagonally but Tanael was gone. His eyes darted left then right but he couldn''t see Tanael anywhere. ¡°Above! Watch out!¡± Darian shouted. But how could Darian''s warning be in time? From five meters above, Tanael dived with even more speed than he jumped with in the first place, fist first. ¡°Mockery: I can hear the sloshing liquid inside your squishy organs from a mile away.¡± The guy tried to use his sword to defend with its flat side but the attack came nonetheless. When the glowing fist made contact with the metal, it shattered like porcelain stepped on by an elephant and the fist went on to hit the guy¡¯s chest. Because of the angle, Tanael sent the guy to the ground, between his fist and the stone flooring. His ribs were undoubtedly broken, heart and lungs were damaged too. In the aftermath, a white shockwave of power spread out on the ground, extending up to a few meters from the epicenter. The ground pound shook the stone room¡¯s very foundation; they all felt the vibration beneath their feet. ¡°Bwahaagghh¡­¡± The guy said his last words and lost consciousness. It should have been a fatal wound but he mysteriously didn''t die. Arte - Desolate Dive. ¡°Statement: Three meatbags down, four remain. The probability of them winning against this superior lifeform has plummeted even further.¡± ¡°DO NOT FEAR! Attack together!¡± Darian shouted an order before the fear set in. Driven by the instinct to act, the remaining three out of four charged towards Tanael. Darian himself opted to remain at a distance. One charged in for a melee while two let loose ranged attacks. Tanael, after taking a glance of their position, snapped his fingers. They were readying for an attack but didn''t expect the direction would come from right beneath their feet. The mystical blow appeared in the form of ghosts. Spectral ghost heads, to be exact. They were not realistic-looking, only the shape of two empty holes for eyes and one of for mouth, all open as if they were letting out an inaudible scream. There were big heads and small heads, attacking from the ground to up above like the three had suddenly stepped on a landmine. After the initial blow thrust them upwards, gravity brought them back down. None of them made so much as a twitch. From their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, blood flowed. Arte - Howling Wraiths. Tanael turned his head to the only enemy left. A duet of screaming still colored the background. ¡°Fact: The last meatbag is trembling. The subject has a 50.38% probability of fluid expulsion from the lower body.¡± ¡°Wait! I give-¡± Tanael blasted the stocky but muscular youth with three Vengeful Spirit Artes in rapid succession. If he gave up and got transported out from the quest, how could he get his hands on Darian¡¯s spark shards? The first one Darian blocked with his magical shield but the shield also broke into fragments. The second one Darian endured thanks to the life-saving treasure on his person although the treasure expired after withstanding the mysterious white orb with two big black eyes-like designs. The third hit his torso and went out through his back. ¡°GWOOOOHHH!!?¡± Darian felt as if his insides were a pane of glass and someone had hit it with a sledgehammer before gathering the pieces, turning it into burning molten glass then pouring it back into his body again. He fell to the ground unconscious, face first. Tanael stood before the fallen body. ¡°Commentary: The meatbag¡¯s request of surrender has been denied.¡± Chapter 143 - Macbeth The debut of his soul ability gave a stellar result. The Myriad Soul in One Arte shows its worth. More than 10,000 Soul Power, still far from the 1,000,000 needed for the Grand Soul but even then my soul Artes are already much stronger than my water Artes. Hidden fact, Viers didn''t even use his Horizon boost during the fight earlier. While standing tall surrounded by the broken remains of his enemies, Viers invoked one last Arte. The two screamers received Veirs¡¯ mercy and curse at the same time before losing consciousness. ¡°Goodness gracious, Viers¡­ ¡®Meatbag¡¯? Seriously?¡± Paina was amazed how Viers could even come up with that term. ¡°I must teach them something called the food chain. When I¡¯m through with them, they''ll know their position in the natural order of creation,¡± Viers replied. ¡°I know they attacked us first and they deserve what they got but I can''t help feeling pity for them a little,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°Suggestion: Shall we try to kill them for real to cheer us up?¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking. Hahahah!¡± Viers was in a good mood. Vengeful Spirit, Desolate Dive, Howling Wraiths. These soul Artes were something that Viers had already possessed for some time but only now he used against his enemies. Viers took inspiration from another HK to create the Artes. From the ¡®corpses¡¯ of the seven, spark shards came out. Viers summoned his spark and the little thing absorbed the shards. Because this was a ¡®casual¡¯ defeat, according to the rules Aletro set, Viers would gain 10% of their total spark shards. I got about 50 spark shards from them so their original pool is at 500? Much easier than an expert quest. ¡°As the rules depicted then. What would you do if they went with Formal Challenge?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°Beat them down all the same, of course. None of them are in the Not Prey category. More shards for me.¡± After gaining his rightful bounty, the bodies disappeared. Teleported to the infirmary in the Path of Paradise resort. Although Viers hit them with his soul Artes, their lives were never in danger thanks to Aletro¡¯s mysterious means. ¡°Now, shall we finish the quest?¡± Viers said chipperly. ¡°I don''t want to get a penalty. It¡¯s only medium difficulty. It shouldn''t be too hard.¡± *** Tanael returned to the Quantum Main Hub before a group gathering. Tanael donned a stylish garment in white and red, making his look clean and charming. The raid quest ruined his clothes; he knew he would face an audience once he got back so he dressed up a bit. ¡°Look! He¡¯s back.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not even hurt.¡± ¡°The attackers weren''t nobodies. They were all in the top 150, led by the Barbarian. He was ranked around the 90s this morning. He¡­ beat them just like that?¡± ¡°Tanael, tell us what happened. Your rank went up so you won, right? But what happened to them?¡± Someone spoke up. ¡°They¡¯re in the infirmary, folks,¡± Tanael catered to the needs of the masses. ¡°Now if you¡¯ll excuse me, I still have irons to grind with them.¡± He flew to the resort. ¡°Oi, let¡¯s follow him. We might be able to see a good show.¡± Like a school of sardines across a colorful sea, the spectators went to be entertained. Meanwhile, the seven were grunting hurtfully on their beds. ¡°Healer, you said our injuries have been healed. Why am I still feeling this pricking pain in my chest? We paid good money for this. Do your job!¡± ¡°Yeah. Urgh¡­ It¡¯s like, I¡¯m wearing a shirt of barbed wires.¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Rrrhh, the pain! How can we frickin¡¯ go questing like this? Make it stop...¡± The infirmary was filled with NPC healers, all women in pure white garb and cared for the sick with the skills of saints. Paid saints. ¡°Dear guests,¡± one of them spoke with a concerned face. ¡°We¡¯ve certainly healed all of your injuries but what ails you is not injuries. To heal your malady you must pay a hundred spark shards. Because-¡± ¡°Because I left a ¡®thorn¡¯ in your soul with my Arte, Soul Sting.¡± Tanael¡¯s voice heralded his presence and he swaggered boldly into the infirmary, more than fifty people at his back. Viers paid them no mind and walked to the seven¡¯s beds. ¡°Did he say soul? I didn''t mishear it? A soul user!?¡± ¡°What? Does it mean he¡¯s a taboo user? No wonder we never hear or see this guy despite being Regidana locals. He must have lived under a rock all this time.¡± Darian projected a deep-red hatred to Tanael¡¯s tranquil green eyes. He tried to say something but Tanael spoke first. ¡°Rejoice, meatbags. I¡¯ll remove the thorn if you pay me 70 spark shards each.¡± There was a moment of silence as they tried to parse what Viers offered. Then the unrelated onlookers broke into discussion among themselves as if this was a market and not a sacred sickbay. ¡°Oh my Goddess! He''s extorting them!!¡± ¡°How heartless¡­¡± ¡°Good idea! I would have done the same in his shoes.¡± ¡°Can he do that? Is that allowed?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t he? Why can''t we? We chose the black spark, remember?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll do the same as him later.¡± ¡°Fool. First you have to find a way to leave lasting damage to your opponent that normal healing cannot heal. Do you have that? Damn this Tanael. His soul affinity is such an unfair advantage.¡± Viers had this plan from the start. Other than meeting the seven, Viers also had to know the market price for the healing for his blackmail to work. He had only set the price just now, after hearing the healer¡¯s words. ¡°You, blasted-¡± Darian the Barbarian¡¯s hatred grew. He tried to rise from his bed but the minor movement made his body jolt with a wave of pain and he let out a painful gasp. ¡°Friend Tanael, may I offer a suggestion?¡± A calm and collected voice came from the gallery of watchers. Viers turned to face his caller. It was the Blade of Justice, the white spark holder¡¯s top ranker. ¡°Friend, after victory, you have gained their spark shards. They¡¯ve paid the price for their wrongdoings to you and lose out once again by paying the medical treatment. They have been sufficiently punished. There¡¯s no need for further retribution.¡± Blade of Justice''s words had weight. Not a small number among the gallery agreed with him. What he said was reasonable as well. But while Avel of Javia might be shackled to maintain a reasonable person persona, Tanael was not. ¡°I haven''t gained enough,¡± Tanael said loud and clear. ¡°Taking the spoils from the defeat is the privilege of the victor. Outsiders¡­ shouldn''t butt in,¡± giving the Justice guy the sight of his back. There were muffled sounds from the masses, surprised Tanael did not give even a little bit of face to the famous. Although Blade of Justice was an alias, most Regidanan knew his identity since he didn''t disguise his face. As for Troy himself, he took the rejection well. He was serene, calm, and dignified. ¡°Friend, your might has been seen bright and clear, now people are looking at your character. Is this the way you want the world to see you?¡± Viers was still facing Troy with his back but he turned his head sideways a bit to reply. And so Macbeth said¡­ ¡°For mine own good, all causes shall give way,¡± Viers said with a tone as hard as steel. He approached the seven people who were lying in bed in a sorry state. They were in pain but fully awake to hear the entirety of the conversation. ¡°So what is it gonna be, meatbags?¡± Whether my Fable ends in tragedy is not yet written. *** Out of pride or hatred, only 4 out of 7 took up his offer despite it being the more cost-effective one. Darian was one of the three that refused. On the fourth day, Viers gained 305 from the raid quest plus an extra, 338 from defeating his ambushers and gained another 280 from extortion for a total gain of 923 spark shards. Viers gained 243 spark shards on the first day, mainly because he was testing the waters. Thanks to his monster transformations, 320 spark shards on the second. His gain dropped a bit to 282 on the third day because of the grouping with others and not as intense questing. The fourth day¡¯s harvest was more than all three previous days combined. Tanael¡¯s ranking jumped from 39th to 5th with 1768 spark shards. While Viers slept with a smile on his face, his tale spread like wildfire that very night. Time passed and the fifth day had started, only three candles remaining and one of them was burning. There was something different in the eyes of the black spark holders today. They were more on edge, even when in an area of no harm permitted. Ambition and anticipation wreathed their being. They all understood the truce was over and from today onwards, the dog-eat-dog competition had started for real. Aletro stoked the fire further when he gave the daily ranking gifts and today¡¯s patch. The black solo quests had been reduced significantly while the group quests sprouted like mushrooms after rain. Perhaps this was Black Aletro¡¯s aim from the start. Black solo quests were getting fewer and fewer as days passed across all difficulties. Meanwhile, white quests had no such change. ¡°Hehehe, are you excited yet, kids?¡± Black Aletro smugly said while being a tall giant shade. ¡°There¡¯s one last thing. From this point onwards, you can choose to make the Formal Challenge option always active! Go and fight to your heart''s content!!¡± Chapter 144 - Formal Challenge A young woman with a long ponytail and green clothes ran across the woodland, three men were in hot pursuit. She ran across a tall cliff, a dead-end that allowed the men to catch up with her. She prepared herself for a fight. ¡°Come. I¡¯ll make you regret looking down on a woman,¡± she said to her attackers. ¡°Lady, we- GWAHARGH!!¡± The men slumped down after being hit by some white-ball thingy that moved very fast. A man, tall, blonde, handsome, wearing stylish white and red clothes emerged slowly from the thickets. ¡°Hello there,¡± Tanael greeted. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°...I don''t need your help,¡± the woman with the alias Viper Lady said. ¡°I can defend myself.¡± ¡°Not hurt then? That¡¯s a shame.¡± Viper Lady thought what was the shame about it? She felt something wasn''t right. ¡°And your character¡­ Strong Female Character?¡± Tanael mused, a hand on the chin, looking at her from head to toe. ¡°...You¡¯re the type that thinks women are weaker than men?¡± She spat out poisonously. ¡°Oh no, not at all. But in the Fables where there are characters like you, the rest of the cast are incompetent clowns, especially of the male gender.¡± A slight change in the air. The man bared his teeth in a grin. ¡°I always wondered, what if a man just barged into the story? Not just any man, a real man. Not some silly, bumbling, idiotic trash that serves as a prop for the Strong Female Character to flex the soul-destroying wokeness of the Fable¡¯s creator. Will there be some eldritch cosmic force that reduces my competence?¡± Tanael pondered the secret of the universe. ¡°I don''t know what crazy thing you¡¯re talking about but-¡± ¡°Viper Lady, 82nd place. I¡¯m here to take your spark.¡± Tanael cut in. ¡°Formal Challenge. Will you surrender it obediently, or must I beat you first?¡± ¡°EAT SHIT!!!¡± Viper Lady created a giant spectral snakehead bigger than Tanael¡¯s body. The teeth-laden maw opened wide. There was some kind of black mist surrounding her body that wasn''t there before. She suffered somekind of a weakening effect. Arte - Vengeful Spirit. A ball of white tore the snake to pieces and hit the Viper Lady¡¯s stomach while her eyes widened with shock. ¡°Gahckh¡­ ¡± She fell to her knees, spouting blood. Not only because of the enemy¡¯s attack but also because of the backlash of her Arte being broken. ¡°Oh? You¡¯re still alive. Ah, life-saving treasure. Can it block this?¡± Mercilessly, Tanael continued. ¡°Arte - Soul Sting.¡± ¡°AAAAAHHHHHhhh...¡± Her left earring turned to dust. After inserting his curse for future blackmail, Viper Lady lost consciousness after a wail. Motes of light like fireflies came out from her body. At some distance the men that Tanael defeated earlier also emitted spark shards. ¡°So, spouting feminism doesn''t give you universal greatness.¡± I understand now. It isn''t that men are better than women or vice versa. It¡¯s just bad stories and bad characters, Tanael absorbed the spark shards as he lamented the way Earth¡¯s entertainments were laced with political agendas the way stray dogs had fleas. Sigh. They didn''t make movies the way they used to be. *** Viers¡¯ victory wasn''t purely based on his abilities. The Formal Challenge mechanic also had a role to play. Viers goaded Viper Lady for a Formal Challenge but she didn''t accept. Thus she got weakened and became easy pickings for Viers. Those who¡¯d lost against other trial takers couldn''t be challenged again for 6 hours. Aletro was giving them a grace period to gain more spark shards by questing. From today onwards, the Formal Challenge became the center of the matter in a fight between the spark holders. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. In battle, one side can issue for the battle to be ¡®formal¡¯. If the other side refused, the battle became ¡®casual¡¯ but the act of backing down was penalized by 50% debuff of his or her ability. Their stats would be cut in half, their Artes would only be half as effective. Those who were afraid to commit were at a disadvantage before the battle began, dimming their prospect of victory. In a casual battle, the winner got 10% spark shards from the loser¡¯s possession. When both sides accepted, the battle became formal, it became much more sacred. The Formal Challenge consisted of two matches as a whole. The first match was something normal, a clash between two sides. The loser would lose 30% of their spark shards but the loser could challenge to fight again. If so, the winner couldn''t refuse. This was where the Formal Battle got interesting. The loser¡¯s power would be doubled for the duration of the second fight. If the loser lost again, they would have lost 100% of their spark shards and the twice defeated could no longer gain spark shards until the end of the first stage of the trial, effectively ending their career. But if the loser of the first match won the second match, the redeemed victor would regain all of the shards lost in the first match back plus a 50% spark shards cut from the second match¡¯s loser. Viers read the rules of the Formal Challenge with great scrutiny over five times. This heavily disadvantages the stronger side so the issue is whether the winner of the first round can defeat the loser so thoroughly until they are unfit to battle in the second round! Without saying, Viers was not the only one who realized this. Even then the risks were immense on both sides. The ensuing matches were assuredly brutal and serious to the knife. Even if there would be no deaths, grievous injury and permanent loss were very much possible. That was why Formal Challenge was a serious matter. What Aletro changed in the 1.5 patch update was they now could make Formal Battle to be their default mode in a fight. If they got attacked and the other side didn''t similarly have the Formal Battle stance, the other side would suffer a -50% ability penalty from the start. On the fifth day, questing properly was something far away from the black spark holder¡¯s minds. Those with confidence in their strength naturally chose to always go with Formal Challenge. These men and women eyed others like wolves eyeing sheep. Viers Isuel was one such person and he was on a hunt. In the Quantum Main Hub, there were numerous aerial dog fights reminiscent of the Star Wars space battle, without the lasers. Truthfully, it was more like people playing flying tag. When the ¡®it¡¯ gave someone a hug of death, the individual or group burned their quest card to forcefully transport their prey to the hunting ground. Most of the ¡®tag¡¯ players were the black spark holders. Tanael was among them. *** In a quest space, there was a dome of wood and plants. Someone was inside the defensive Arte and the other was burning the dome from the outside. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Tanael was using the bazooka flamethrower he looted from the Marakkus¡¯ vault. ¡°Burn, baby, burn!¡± ¡°Damn it Tanael! Why are you so persistent? I don''t want to fight you!¡± The guy glowered. The wooden protection wouldn''t last much longer. ¡°But I do, meatbag! I¡¯ll get your shards, put a curse on you, and blackmail you for more shards! Wahahahaha!¡± Tanael set bazooka to spit hotter flames. The guy was in a dilemma. If he fought Tanael who had the Formal Challenge stance, he would get -50% penalty. Even at full strength he wasn''t confident winning against the infamous soul blackmailer, let alone at half strength. That was why he didn''t want to fight, he wanted to run and retreat. But how could Tanael let his prey go? ¡°Why are you so focused on me! I don''t even have that many shards!¡± ¡°Your name offends me,¡± Tanael grinned. ¡°DAAAAAAAAMN IT!!¡± Youallsucks screamed in indignation as his dome broke, and gave battle before getting spectacularly trashed by Tanael. The name he casually made became his doom and he cursed his stupidity. He didn''t dare to answer with Formal Challenge. Better 10% spark shards plus 70 shards blackmail than any other options. Youallsucks was only one among many. Tanael aimed his mainly swine-butchering cleaver at fat pigs with silly names. Eat Shit, EEEaziii, Big Boss 69, Mr. Great, and so on. Naturally, Tanael blackmailed them all after putting them in their rightful place in the food chain. He also told them about the reason they got targeted by him, their names. ¡°Give up, meatbag I Am Number One and meatbag 303. In regards to our past relationship, I¡¯ll let you off with 10% and 50 shards blackmail instead of 70.¡± ¡°I refuse! I, no, WE have our pride!¡± I Am Number One stood before 303. Tanael suspected these two were brother and sister. ¡°Fine, prepare for a beat down. For the record, I don''t like your name, Number One. If you want to boast, boast correctly. Like this, I Am Number Four!¡± After 10 fights plus blackmails, Tanael was ranked 4th, his highest record yet. There were setbacks as well, Bright Sun, Lord Ultimate, Blue Orchid, and a couple others. After the initial clash, Tanael and the other party did not choose to continue. If both parties back away, there would be no penalties. This was a common occurrence when the top rankers met one another. ¡°Green Scorpion¡­¡± ¡°Tanael.¡± The two were talking on separate banks of a river. ¡°I never thought you would hide your great strength so deeply. I wonder, what else have you kept hidden?¡± Green Scorpion sneered. ¡°Meatbag you might be, this is not the time for us to clash. If the time comes, I¡¯ll come for your head,¡± Tanael turned around to leave but he felt something odd. Tendrils brushed upon his mind like paint on a canvas. He stopped his steps and turned his face to Green Scorpion again. Tanael recognized his look of surprise despite his best efforts to hide it. ¡°Well, well¡­ You¡¯re a mind user,¡± Tanael gave him a green, piercing gaze. ¡°And you have always active mind defense, praiseworthy foresight. What is your background? Which organization backs you?¡± Green Scorpion was similarly observing him. ¡°...We will meet again.¡± Tanael was the first to leave the staring contest. He had better things to do. Green Scorpion just went up in his kill list. Chapter 145 - Night Bloom The Mind Curtain Arte worked. Viers knew his encounter with another mind mage was only a matter of time. He had lucked out the first mind user was a small fry that he dispatched quickly before doing any real damage. If he met this Green Scorpion fella without mind security, who knew what kind of intelligence he would gain from Viers¡¯ beautiful mind? ¡°Green Scorpion used earth, right? And now mind. He¡¯s a dual affinity Pathseeker, just like you.¡± ¡°It was a dangerous encounter, Lord Viers.¡± Paina and Farley said respectively. ¡°Quite. Clarissa, what¡¯s the status of the next generation mind-fate defense program?¡± ¡°Damn it, Viers. I¡¯m a warrior-princess, not an Arte developer!¡± Clarissa said in dismay. That¡­ hit very close to home. Viers had been asking her to do something outside her expertise for a long time now. After Insignificant Fate and Mind Curtain Artes, a long time had passed and Viers didn''t gain a single Arte from the Age of the Gods ever since. He spent his research points elsewhere. ¡°And?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Nowhere near ready, you doofus! Do you think telling me to make these two Artes better will somehow work out a couple of months later? Send me to fight instead!¡± The lamia princess seemed to be thirsting for blood. Must be the environment, Viers thought. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll solve the problem the old-fashioned way. Before the trial ends, this Green Scorpion must become Dead Scorpion.¡± *** ¡°I¡¯ve got to say, it was brilliant! To lead the monster by the nose then collapse the earth below it, sending it down the gorge, bloody brilliant!¡± ¡°Master always says to be wary of my surroundings and make use of the terrain. If you¡¯re smart, you can turn nature to your advantage.¡± ¡°Sounds like a wise guy.¡± Boram made a new friend, Squire and Baster, Squire¡¯s horse. After the group finished a quest, they exchanged pleasantries. Looking at the Squire and his horse, Boram remembered about Brownie, his master¡¯s steed who got left behind in the real world. He hoped someone would feed the mare while he and master Avel were gone. The horse would be too pitiful otherwise. ¡°Still, forceful awakening, huh.¡± Boram¡¯s child-like appearance was very eye-catching. ¡°It must be tough on you,¡± Squire sympathized. ¡°Thanks. Things are not so bad now. And I¡¯ve got to see the wonders of the world. Like this one. I never thought one day I would come into a world inside a book.¡± ¡°Yeah. Good thing you picked white spark though. The black spark holders are eating each other right now.¡± While Black Aletro changed and doctored the black quests heavily, the White Aletro didn''t do so for the white quests. Therefore the white spark holders¡¯ days didn''t change too much from the first day. Master¡­ should be in the black team, right? I hope he¡¯s okay. *** ¡°Pleasure doing business with you, meatbags.¡± Despite the occasional walls he found too troublesome to break down, his shard''s gain was streaming in like a flowing river. Viers just left the infirmary after his latest round of treatment of the soul wound he created himself. The sickbay was filled to the brim after a day of war and Viers couldn''t take all the credit for it. The fifth-day candle was getting quite short. ¡°Lord Viers, congratulations on gaining so many shards,¡± Farley said. ¡°Capitalism, HO!¡± Viers replied. ¡°I don''t know what that means but I like the sound of that. Capitalism, HO!¡± Clarissa repeated merrily. ¡°2,900 spark shards, huh. Wanna buy something in the store? There are some good things there. Things that you might need,¡± Paina suggested. Viers gave it some thought but preferred to keep his spark shards for Stage 2 of the trial. Just a little more and they would say goodbye to this place. By the end of the day, In the ranking list, the top 50 were dominated by the black spark holders with a few white names here and there. Concurrently, the names written in black also filled the bottom of the list. The black spark holders took the high risk and high reward approach. There were a significant number of black spark holders that possessed 0 spark shards. After a day of feeding frenzy, the meat on the table had been picked clean and the better part of the feast was over. ¡°In the end, no one gets into a Formal Challenge with me,¡± Viers said dejectedly. ¡°Whoever does, would be a fool,¡± Farley said. ¡°I wanted to experience it at least once,¡± Viers said. For Horizon. Even now the three didn''t know about Viers¡¯ Horizon Aspect. They knew Viers had an Aspect and its significance but they didn''t know the effect. Viers played some things close to the chest. There was still time before bed. Viers observed the hunting ground and found it sparse of people. Most had called in a day early. Suppose I should check on the quest obelisk then. Oh? His rank went down to 8th. The ranking list was very dynamic today. Some rose to high ranks in a single jump and some high ranks fell to the bottom. As long as I''m in the top 10, I should be fine. Viers did not aim for the top place, it would take too much investment on his part. It wouldn''t be an easy feat, even for him. While Viers was browsing for some light quest to accomplish before bed, he found something unique: a quest with special rewards. Three free spa tickets? It has the effect of purifying the body and healing. Aletro wanted his work about the resort to not be in vain, I see. Piqued and he wanted to relax a bit, Viers took the quest card and burned it with his spark. The black spark was now the size of a tennis ball, thanks to all the shards he¡¯d gathered. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Expert solo quest? I thought you wanted something easy. This is more like a heavy workout before bed,¡± Paina said. Viers summoned his system-made revolver and started shooting. Three dozen bullets later, the monster breathed its last breath. ¡°You were saying?¡± Veirs smugly said. ¡°This ¡®gun¡¯ of yours is so unfair!¡± Paina retorted. ¡°Imagine if the guy that I got it from ran amok with things a hundred times better than this. You still question my judgment about his immediate termination after seeing this?¡± That being said, I look forward to getting a better gun in the future. You know, the right power in the right hands and all that. While Viers thought about something contradictory to what he said, he gained 50 spark shards and three tickets. Huh, ¡®only valid in Stage 1¡¯. Guess I should use one every day then since there are only three days left. Tickets in hand, Viers flew to the resort. People gave him a wide berth for the blackmailer with a jet-black reputation. Kaari, his NPC assistant, faithfully guided him to a place in the building where he could use the ticket. ¡°Please enjoy yourself,¡± she said. Only open for an hour at a certain time each day, huh? Weird. Other rooms don''t have this restriction. One of the tickets disappeared as he opened the somewhat stylish door on the entertainment floor. Inside, there was a changing room then another door. Viers eagerly opened the next door, which was a showering room with cypress flooring. Further in was a sliding door. Viers opened it with both hands in a grandiose manner. What welcomed him was the sight of a beautiful outdoor onsen. It didn''t look indoor at all. The natural spring was very spacious, surrounded by white stones. It was night, the area was lit by lanterns. Shadow of mountains stood far in the distance, elegant twin moons shone up above. The water of the onsen was like the clearest spring and the steam coming from it promised temperature delight. ¡°I. Am. Envious.¡± Clarissa spoke with a heavy emphasis on each word. He had no doubt, the other two agreed. ¡°I¡¯ll let you try later. See ya girls,¡± Viers turned off his streaming service and made preparations for the relaxation session. ¡°Ahhhh~¡± Gokuraku, gokuraku. Viers thought something in Japanese, something that he didn''t even know the meaning of. He only thought that because anime characters often said those words in their onsen episode. A few minutes in, he felt his fatigue from today melt away. Clack. Clack. Clack. The holy sanctuary of Viers¡¯ zen was disrupted by the sound of the sliding door¡¯s opening. From deep in the steam Viers opened his eyes. ¡°Uwah¡­ Kirei~¡± A feminine voice reached his ears. The girl was naked save for the towel she carried in front of her body. The cloth covered her front in a natural manner. It was¡­ a beautiful sight. After a few microseconds of having a short circuit in his brain, Viers regained the ability to think once more. She is¡­ that Japanese girl? Is this a mixed bath? Come to think of it, there was no gender separation thing in the rooms before. The girl with raven hair and milky white skin dipped her toe in the hot water gingerly before slowly dipping her full body. Her face was a mix of delight and contentment. ¡°Ehem,¡± Viers coughed out. The longer he stayed silent, the worse it would get. The girl let out a small sound of shock. She realized there was someone else hidden by the steam and she was not alone. By the sound of it, the other person was a male. If Viers was in his usual state, he would realize for some reason, the steam in his area was particularly thick, obscuring his figure. But he was¡­ preoccupied. ¡°Apologies, my lady. I was here first,¡± Viers said, readying himself for the reaction to come. He expected a shrieking scream the way of a banshee. The girl¡¯s surprised face was replaced by calm and poise. It was enough for Viers to raise an eyebrow in amazement. ¡°Konbanwa,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I apologize for intruding. May I be excused?¡± The girl regretted her choice of words as soon as it passed her lips. If she stood now, she would be fully exposed! But thankfully, Viers¡¯ response gave her an olive branch. ¡°This isn''t my place. You can stay, if it is alright with you.¡± ¡°...O-okotoba ni amaete,¡± she replied politely with a touch of shyness. Viers could guess why. They spent the next moments in silence. There were only two meters between them but it might as well be a continental chasm. Viers didn''t want to be seen as a creep so he laid back on the stone edges and looked outward to the distant mountains. That is¡­ unexpected. I thought this would be an anime-esque guy stumbling on a girl in a bath trope. Usually ends with a hysterical scream and a red slap mark on the guy¡¯s cheek in the next scene. While Viers was appreciating the girl''s self-control, she tried to alleviate the awkwardness by striking a conversation. She didn''t speak while giving him her back because it wouldn''t be polite. ¡°Ii oyu-jyanakatta,¡± she corrected midway. ¡°Nice bath, isn''t it?¡± ¡°...Night Bloom,¡± Viers said suddenly. Knowing other people¡¯s alias was not hard after the patch. ¡°In your language, night is ¡®ya¡¯ and bloom is ¡®saku¡¯. Is your name Sakuya?¡± The girl was taken aback. ¡°You know our language?¡± ¡°A little,¡± he turned to her eyes. He took special care so his gaze didn''t wander anywhere else. ¡°Was I right?¡± He spoke in Japanese. ¡°H-Hai! Sakaki Sakuya desu. Hajimemashitte, um¡­ Tanael-sama.¡± ¡°No need for ''sama''. We¡¯re of the same age and equal in status,¡± Viers¡¯ meager skill in the Japanese language that he polished by watching tons of anime and games emerged after years of hiding. By finally having some common ground, they began conversing to distract their thoughts. *** Somewhere in the Book World, black-clothed Aletro was snickering. Mwehehe. Your mind houses such interesting things. This is my thanks for contributing to the making of the trial, Viers boy. You always wanted to have this kind of development with a girl at least once -even though you won''t admit it- so there you go. As for the girl, I presented a good opportunity for her wishes. It is up to her if she could grasp it or not. *** In consideration for Sakuya, Viers went out of the onsen first after he bid her goodbye. It wasn''t as if he wasn''t embarrassed; he was just coping with it by making his face like stone. When he returned to his cheap room in the resort, Viers went straight to bed. He had trouble sleeping that day and blamed his body¡¯s teenage hormones. *** Clack. ¡°Fuu...¡± Similarly, Sakuya went back to her room and let out a sigh of relief after closing the door. Then she squatted down and buried her face on her thighs. Her mask of calm was nowhere to be found as her face became tomato-red up to the ears. I¡­ I just took a bath with a man! In a panic, I used Mother''s teachings to calm my emotions but-but did he think I¡¯m a shameless woman instead!? Uwaahhh, blunder! What a blunder! In fetal position, Sakuya rolled on the floor to her futon. Calm yourself. Calm yourself, Sakaki Sakuya. He¡¯s Tanael. Rumors are he will extort you if he doesn''t like your name. But-but, he¡¯s so handsome! Gasp! I blabbered on and on since he asked about my home. What if he thinks I¡¯m a loudmouth? Uwaaahhh, another blunder! Sakuya stopped her writhing on the floor to imagine Tanael¡¯s appearance, especially his blonde hair, green eyes, chiseled chest, and muscular abs. Just imagining it made steam come out of her head. He didn''t ogle my body with lustful eyes, his manner was like a gentleman of high birth, he was well versed in the village¡¯s culture, he wanted to eat cold sushi with soy sauce and wasabi, khhhh~ Sakuya bit the bottom of her lip. Her first close contact with a male was too much stimulation for a woman with a special upbringing like Sakuya and a teenage girl wasn''t immune to the charm of good looks and body attractiveness. Suddenly, her father¡¯s stern face and voice appeared in her mind. Her beloved father was the personification of discipline every time he interacted with his daughter. ¡°A person of the Sakaki house should always be composed and act rationally. You must not tarnish the reputation of the house and bring shame upon yourself.¡± Yes, Otou-sama. And then, her mother¡¯s kind countenance appeared on her other shoulder. It was an advice she told her when Sakuya had bloomed fully as a woman. ¡°Listen well Sakuya. If you find a man you like in the future, you must pounce upon him and not let go. Get him into bed and unleash the night techniques I taught you to make him yours for life. You¡¯re my daughter, I''m sure you can do it.¡± Ahhh, Okaa-sama, how could you say such an embarrassing thing? The Yamato-Nadeshiko was writhing on the floor once again like a worm in a desert. Then as she remembered the remaining two free tickets, she was caught in a storm of passionate anticipation and womanly embarrassment. Chapter 146 - Finishing Touch ¡°Good morning to all of you,¡± it was the white-clothed Aletro turn''s today. ¡°Here¡¯s the daily reward for those in today¡¯s rankings. Also, a few new adjustments.¡± Viers got another vial of blue colloid; It was his sixth. Three from the daily reward, the rest came from other avenues. After consuming five of them, It had been a long time since he possessed this much Victa. Viers put this blue colloid potion in his Casket for future use. Patch 1.6 opened a new breadth of PvP features. There was no need to make a false pretense of grouping to go on a quest before turning on each other or playing tag first. From the Quantum Main Hub, they could invoke battle requests. Both sides must agree for it to work but there was a gimmick involved. Every one of them, black or white spark holders alike, got three duel requests to give. If the invoker rank was lower than the opponent''s, the battle request couldn''t be refused. Those who¡¯d lost against other trial takers couldn''t be challenged again for 6 hours. Aletro was giving them a grace period to gain more spark shards by questing. Invasion feature also had been enabled. In a quest, people could now intrude on an ongoing quest to battle with the quest taker, solo quests or otherwise. A new feature that got popular use immediately. Day six was almost the mirror of the previous day but with less intensity. The unruly black spark holders kept oppressing their fellow trial takers to gain benefits at the expense of others less powerful than them. For the common masses, they were like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. They needed spark shards but if they went questing, they might get invaded then must fight the invaders lest they get hurt plus fail their quest. Challenging those in higher ranks naturally carried its own risk. If they were not strong enough, the higher rank would simply give them a beat down. And most were still plagued with Victa deficiency. The list of names with spark shards less than 50 grew longer. A few hours after the day started, high black rankers got the incessant challenges from the small fries and there were instances when that worked. Those with scant spark shards felt they had nothing to lose and became bolder. Those high up certainly didn''t want to fight because they would not gain anything if they won but the rules were clear. It wasn''t long until the first tale of success emerged. Someone in the 80th rank got swarmed by the lower ranks until he had no Victa left and got defeated. A victory for the underdogs only emboldened the desperates. Meanwhile, there was trouble in the white team too. Looking at the rate the black spark holders rose easily in the rankings by illicit means of robbing and forcing others, they felt a pang of envy. They were only people, young, talented people with potential else Aletro would not bring them here. They wanted shards too and felt threatened by the upper ranking dominated with names written in black color. The black quests were geared towards competition while the white quests were leaning towards cooperation. Playing well with others to achieve mutual benefits. ¡°You who wish to live a virtuous life choose the white spark.¡± Those were the words Aletro said to them before they chose the white spark. They had been playing nice and buddy-buddy with their fellow friends of the same spark color but as the time became pressing, external threats, and desire for self-benefit, these upright people descended to their¡­ baser instinct. Conflicts became more frequent as they divided loot and benefited from the quests. Dueling others and taking their shards on the first half-decent reason. Some outright did the same wanton banditry like the black spark holders were doing. Of course, there were people who stood fast to their ¡®paragon¡¯ belief and didn''t pick the ¡®renegade¡¯ option but those were mainly the well-off ones. Those less fortunate or the not strong enough or the hungry didn''t have the luxury of keeping their hands clean if they wanted to have more than a pittance of shards when day seven ended. Both black and white sides were embroiled in chaotic conflict. Viers, wearing the ruthlessness of Tanael asserted his dominance and gained more shards for himself in the whirlpool of commotion. Against the high ranks that were hungry for more spark shards, the people with less battle strength developed their own survival mechanisms. Some banded together to resist the vultures swarming them, others spent all their shards in the resort to prevent robbery, and still more engaged in other methods. Later that evening, Viers visited the onsen again. He did this for the benefits of the magical spring and not for the company of a cute girl, at least, that was what he tried to convince himself of. However, only after the sliding door opened and Sakuya bashfully came in, Viers felt his day had been completed. Both of them had made more preparations this time though, such as carrying bigger towels. They didn''t talk much about their day in the trial, as if they purposefully avoided the topic. They focused instead on the other¡¯s background, trading stories about their places. Just conversing and maintaining polite distances. Both didn''t want to cross the line. ¡°I see. So your people in the Zamrud Archipelago came from the rumored eastern continent. What¡¯s it like? The other continent, I mean,¡± fake-handsome Viers asked. ¡°I don''t know. It was my ancestors that came from the far east. I only know the stories the elders told to the young. If possible, I wish to visit that place one day,¡± Sakuya looked at the moons wishfully. ¡°Me too.¡± *** ¡°This is the last day. Your reward will be based on the spark shards you possess at the end of the day. Good luck.¡± The last day came and began with disturbing normality. Those with fewer shards than they hoped started their last-ditch effort like a student cramming before the finals. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Meanwhile, the top rankers were cementing their position. On a high rocky cliff, two men stood in opposition. One was Tanael and the other was Oscar Regisea. The current 1st place ranker. This black spark holder was possibly the strongest person in the whole trial. This morning, he challenged Viers out of the blue. ¡°So you¡¯re Tanael,¡± the youth in his twenties said. Haughtily. ¡°The one and only. What do you want?¡± Tanael replied no less proudly. ¡°You¡¯re useful. Work under me in this trial.¡± ¡°Fuck off.¡± Oscar chuckled. ¡°Heh, a man with a leviathan-sized ego, as rumored. First, listen to my offer. I-¡± ¡°One more word coming from your mouth, I¡¯ll throw a Formal Challenge at you, it would be an unrefusable one.¡± Tanael stone-walled him. That irked Oscar. ¡°You think I¡¯m afraid of that? Fighting you?¡± ¡°You better be,¡± Tanael walked away first. Viers didn''t give Oscar face at all. The princeling of Regidana city was fuming, never before in his life had he been treated this way. He was one step away from taking Tanael¡¯s offer of Formal Challenge but he managed to rein in his anger. Tanael¡­ you¡¯ll regret stepping on my offer. *** ¡°Tanael, I challenge you! Unrefusable, formal!¡± A few hours later, a trial taker with the alias of Flazzz said loudly. ...Isn¡¯t he one of Oscar¡¯s ass-kissers? I¡¯ve seen them hang around sometimes. This is supposed to be the number one¡¯s warning? Disappointing. ¡°I accept,¡± the two got transported to the duel arena under the gaze of many eyes. Shame they weren''t able to spectate. Flazzz was one of the silly names in his target but he was quite good. His ranking was in the twenties. If not for Oscar''s instigation, the two wouldn''t have fought. Not in this stage, at least. The battle began, Flazzz moved lightning fast immediately, leaving trails of yellow light in his wake. Viers let loose a couple of soul Artes but Flazzz did something strange. He purposefully made the Artes hit him even though it was light. Then he returned to his keep-away-and-see strategy. I see, so that¡¯s his aim. There was a loophole in the Formal Challenge. It was about the gimmick of whoever lost in the first fight would get the double strength boost for the second fight. Why not lose the first fight intentionally to reap the benefit? Since the cultivation of everyone was the same, having the double strength boost was pretty much a free win card. But it was risky, a fake defeat could turn out to be a real one. And in a formal challenge, no one could afford to hold back lest they got destroyed in the second match. Nevertheless, it was possible. Veirs knew some people who used the strategy to both success and failure with failure being the more common of the two. He thinks with his speed he can pull it off, huh? The way Tanael smirked brought a chill to Flazzz¡¯s neck. ¡°Your funeral,¡± Tanael said. *** Tanael was in the infirmary, standing beside a bed. The patient had no arms, no legs, no sight, no hearing, no tongue, no teeth, charred skin, broken bones, crippled Victa pathways, and a mutilated soul. Despite that, Flazzz didn''t die. He wished he had. ¡°Whatever Oscar promised you, is it worth it?¡± He said. He knew Flazzz couldn''t hear him but he said it anyway. They didn''t go to the second match, Viers annihilated him too thoroughly. The pseudo-immortality was pretty interesting, Viers prodded the limits of human endurance, body and soul alike. When Viers turned around, there was a woman who he had blackmailed before. ¡°Heyya. I¡¯m great at holding back, am I right?¡± Viper Lady looked at the pitiful state of Flazzz and remembered her own. It was the difference between heaven and earth. *** When evening arrived, the top dogs were clear, black and white holders alike. Viers was looking worriedly at his position; he got pushed to rank 10. Some went to great lengths to get into the high rankings, emboldening someone with the group¡¯s collective shards, betrayal among friends, and many more. Real world compromises, bribes, and dark dealings had also been involved. Some of these guys managed to shove into the top ten positions. Viers might be a great fighter but he didn''t have the backing and social circle like them. As a result, he was now at 10th. ¡°This isn''t good,¡± Viers said telepathically. ¡°What is? Your aim is to be in the top 10 at the start, right? The gulf between 10th to 11th is wide. Considering only 30 minutes remaining, you should be safe,¡± Paina assured. ¡°Is it the Fables again, Lord Viers?¡± Farley was getting familiar with Viers¡¯ way of thinking. Viers touched his chin with his hand. ¡°In a gathering of heroes such as this, it is very common for a dark horse to appear at the last, last minute. My position is too precarious.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll bite. Your Fables are accurate often enough to have credibility,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°What are you planning?¡± In the Quantum Main Hub, Viers approached a group of people surrounding one person. With how little time remained, they were in a relaxation period. ¡°9th ranked Dark Zero, I invoke my unrefusable challenge on you. Formal!¡± Viers¡¯ shout was loud enough to gather the attention of the hundreds that awaited the end of the day. The people in the group had ugly faces, especially their leader, the man called Dark Zero. ¡°...Tanael. I¡¯ve heard you¡¯re crazy and ruthless but I didn''t think you would be an idiot. We¡¯re both in the top 10, what use is a serious fight between us? Only risking injury for the next stage.¡± ¡°Enough of your drivel, ¡®Volod¡¯. That¡¯s your real name, isn''t it? Now, are you gonna surrender and give me 10% or shall we fight first? I¡¯ll tell you now. I¡¯ve no intention of backing down.¡± Viers¡¯ fiery spirit was reflected in his eyes. They''re gathering a crowd now. Would this become the first formal battle between two people in the top 10? ¡°...Tch, you fucking idiot. And I¡¯ll be the bigger idiot if I answer your challenge. Fine, have it your way. I concede the casual battle. Happy?¡± Now that Viers gained 10% of Dark Zero¡¯s shards, their position swapped. Tanael at 9th and Dark Zero at 10th. Despite this, the gap from the 11th was still far. Only then Viers smiled. ¡°Pleasure doing business with you.¡± The people returned into their own little groups. Some stood alone, like Viers. Waiting, for the last bit of the candle to burn away. Any moment now. Aaaaaany moment. A flash of rainbow light tens of meters in diameter shot to the sky. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening!?¡± The trial takers were startled by the sudden light show, all except one. This is the display when someone returns after finishing a quest! The harder the quest, the greater the display. Since this never happened before, that means¡­ A similar thought dawned on the competent ones. Someone completed an impossible quest! People¡¯s eyes darted to the ranking list. Oscar, the former 1st with 4610 spark shards got kicked down to the 2nd place! An impossible quest gave 5000 spark shards! Viers kept his eyes on the blinding light that slowly went dim, revealing the figure of the one who accomplished the grand feat. It was a girl. ¡°Eh? Why are so many people looking at me?¡± The beautiful girl with black hair showed a surprised and bashful face. The last of the time-telling candles winked out, signaling the end of Stage 1 of the trial. She was the enigmatic, sole Level 1 among 382 people. White spark holder Anne, 1st place with 5000 spark shards! Chapter 147 In the wilderness untouched by human hands, there lived a woman and her daughter. There were only two of them but they were happy. The mother taught her daughter about people; how they lived, their good, and their faults. One day, the mother mysteriously disappeared, leaving the daughter alone. And so the daughter began to wander, hoping to meet her beloved mother once again. It was perplexing at first but she adapted. As time passed, she grew wiser and stronger. She had been blessed by meeting good companies and friendly people. When she found herself in a world inside the book, she was excited because she felt the aura of her mother. The first lead she had since she began the journey. ¡°Yes, I know your mother and in this trial, there are things that originated from her. If you wish to find the truth about your mother, it will be in your interest to obtain them. Whether you can or not depends on you.¡± Thus said Aletro when she asked in private. The daughter resolved herself to keep advancing in the trial. The intensity of the trial shocked her. She was serious about the trial and so too everyone else but there were lines that she wouldn''t cross but they would. That Tanael guy was especially cruel. His battle with Flazzz left the defeated in a truly horrible state. The daughter was visiting a new friend she¡¯d just made in the infirmary when he saw Oscar, the frequent number 1, standing before the mangled body of Flazzz. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. The cost to heal you is too high. Your sacrifice will be remembered. Ample reward will be waiting for you in the real world.¡± Even after Flazzz used up all his spark shards for healing, it wasn''t enough for a full recovery. After Oscar left, the still mangled man cried in silence. Her mind told not to but her body just moved on its own. ¡°Healer, take all of my shards. Heal him,¡± the daughter said. 2000 shards disappeared into thin air and the man was healed in moments. ¡°...Why?¡± Flazzz asked, thinking he was in a dream. They were strangers, never even speaking to one another before. Furthermore, she chose the white spark while he had the black spark. ¡°Mother said to help people if you can.¡± It was the seventh day, the daughter¡¯s spark shard was at zero. Taking shards from others was unacceptable for her so she only had one way left. She put all her hope on the impossible difficulty quests. There were five of such quests and she picked the one that resonated most with her: Fire. The quest was to endure the burning heat and reach the center of the space. Hundreds of people had tried and failed. The flames charred their body and soul. The daughter¡¯s first visit to the burning realm was welcomed by a blaze far stronger than any that tried before. And it failed to even singe the tip of her hair. Like thousands of court officials bowing to an empress, the tongues of ember receded with every step she took. Opening a path to the sovereign of flames. The daughter also didn''t know why this happened. Her feet eventually reached the center of trial space, the source of the ever-burning inferno. It was a life-like statue of a red bird. Opulent feathers of rubies, jadeites for eyes, a magnificent statue like none other. Only a magnum opus such as this was able to capture the divinity of the Phoenix. Mother... *** ¡°Stage 1 is hereby concluded,¡± both Aletro appeared as phantom giants. ¡°The final result is as follows.¡± The ranking list was magnified for all to see. Anne was at 1st with 5000 spark shards, the girl that snatched the highest throne from Oscar who was at 4610 shards. Blade of Justice was close behind, then Airmaster and Green Scorpion. These were the top 5. Tanael defended his position as the 10th with 4125 shards. Izabella is in the top 100. Considering her start, that''s not bad. Boram... 127th. Shame. Better than average but it seems he wasn''t able to get into the top 100. Shows the difference in experience between Izabella and him. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Viers stole a glance at the former 10th place, Dark Zero Volod. He was looking at his own name in the 11th of the list with an open mouth, dumbstruck. ¡°My congratulations to the high achievers and to those with less than stellar results, you still have another chance to redeem yourself at Stage 2 because there are no eliminations in this round.¡± Aletro silenced the bustle that followed. ¡°However, Stage 3 will not be so freely accessed.¡± In the Quantum Main Hub, that wondrous realm of yellow and blue and green liquid paint mixed together in abstractness for a sky, the quest obelisk no longer existed and six portals of different colors appeared as soon as Aletro stopped talking. ¡°These six portals will take you to separate areas full of natural treasures. Each with a different emphasis on a particular element. Fire, water, earth, wind, light and dark. The fire realm will have more fire-attuned treasures and so on. You¡¯ll spend a moon''s turn inside. The objective is the same as Stage 1, to gather as many spark shards as you can.¡± Aletro showed a leather pouch on his hand. ¡°Each of you will be given this pouch, a shard deconstructor. The treasures you put here will disappear for good but you¡¯ll gain spark shards of equivalent value. The more precious the item, the higher your shard gain. Only treasures you gain from the realm can be turned into shards so putting in your personal belongings won¡¯t work. Of course, you¡¯re free to keep the treasures you gain for your own use. Keep the treasure or destroy it to gain spark shards, this is the choice you must make.¡± ¡°From 382 people, the average of spark shards you all have is 2184. Therefore, after adjustments, only those with 3000 shards by the end of Stage 2 shall have the qualifications of entering Stage 3.¡± Since I already qualified, I have the advantage of more leeway to keep more treasures, Viers realized the fruit of his efforts from Stage 1. ¡°Those with high distinction in the rankings will be rewarded. The top 10, top 50, and top 100 will have their advantages once they arrive at Stage 2.¡± ¡°Similarly, Stage 2 will have rankings. Securing a high ranking will gain you advantages in Stage 3 so getting shards way above the minimum 3000 is also an option. This time, the ranking won¡¯t be seeable to you all. The unknownness of your rivals¡¯ position will be another test for you.¡± ¡°A word of caution. There will be no healing center in Stage 2. None will lose their life but as many of you have experienced, not losing your life doesn''t mean you¡¯ll be safe. Pick your actions and battles wisely. Stage 2 participation is mandatory but you can quit and retire from the rest of the trial after Stage 2 is over. Stage 3 is a place where death is a real possibility. Take this into account in your planning.¡± ¡°This concludes the explanation. Take your well-earned rest tonight, Stage 2 begins tomorrow morning.¡± With the dismissal, the tenseness on the trial takers¡¯ shoulders loosened. Rest. After a few days of brutality, rest was a most welcome word. They dispersed to the path of Paradise Resort, still standing grandly like a five-star hotel of Las Vegas. ¡°Wait, Tanael! You knew about this, didn''t you? Somehow you knew and you set me up! Fuck! FUUUUUCK!!!¡± Viers stopped his flight for a moment and looked Volod in the eye. ¡°My condolences,¡± Tanael gave him a gaze of pity. And he meant it too but it was better for the other guy to take the fall than him. ¡°Tanael...¡± ¡°He¡¯s the one that reduced Flazzz to such state¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s a crazy one. Better stay away from him.¡± ¡°Tch. Just a lucky guy born with soul affinity. Fortunate bastard.¡± Viers heard the whispers thanks to his sharper-than-normal ears. The people gave him a wide berth. Just as planned. Viers was infamous now, just the way he wanted it. Viers was not the first to heavily injure his opponent in a formal battle but he was the first to inflict such grievous damage. It was all to send an important message to others. Fuck with Tanael and you¡¯ll pay. Viers executed a chicken to warn a hundred. There were still further stages ahead in the Book World Trial, having a fearsome reputation would repel the small insects that otherwise saw fit to make trouble with him. In the Fables, especially with good-hearted MCs, they were averse to doing what Viers did because of their morals. But Viers, and furthermore, Tanael, had no such shackles. Only¡­ Viers remembered the last of the free spa tickets. He felt it was a shame that Sakuya would be reluctant to approach him now. His true colors were out for all to see. Which girl would want to approach a man such as him? As Niccol¨° Machiavelli once said: If you cannot be both, it is better to be feared than loved. Until Viers possessed the necessary power to gain or even forced to have both, he would pick fear. Every. Single. Time. Viers tried to cheer himself up by thinking soaking in hot water in his lonesome had its good points as he opened the sliding door. He found that she was already there. ¡°Konbanwa,¡± a certain Yamato Nadeshiko said from inside the hot water pool. Her visible visage was only from the neck up but she was still as graceful as ever. ¡°...Konbanwa,¡± he replied, stifling his smile. *** There was no sun to indicate the arrival of the morning but clocks still showed their place in chronological order. ¡°You may pick your portals now. Good luck to you all,¡± Aletro said. The trial takers split into six groups of their own choosing. Viers placed his right foot inside the blue-colored portal of the Stage 2 water area. And here, we, go. When Viers¡¯ eyes recovered from the bright light, he and the others found themselves on a square of a settlement. It was hot and the sun was shining bright. The town was full of people doing their own thing. In the distance, they could see glittering blue seas surrounding the island. Hey, my clothes changed. Viers and the rest were dressed poorly. While in the middle of finding their bearings, a voice resounded on each of their heads. ¡°You¡¯ve left your old life behind to pit yourself against destiny, for a fresh start in these waters. You''ve been drawn by a rumor about a great treasure that no one has yet claimed. Will you be the one who finds it and rise to greatness?¡° After he heard the extremely simple introduction Viers walked to the edge of the square to gaze beyond. To the sight of the open skies, seas, and thousands of small islands in front of him. I¡¯m a bloke seeking a great treasure¡­ Uncharted? Chapter 148 - Charted: Viers Fortune Before Stage 2 began, happened the third of a borderline scandalous secret soir¨¦e. ¡°Konbanwa,¡± a certain Yamato Nadeshiko said from inside the hot water pool. Her visage might be only visible from the neck up but she was still as graceful as ever. ¡°...Konbanwa,¡± he replied, stifling his smile while making his way to the stone-crested pool. ¡°I thought you wouldn''t come.¡± ¡°Naze? Why wouldn''t I come?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not blind or deaf. Surely you¡¯ve heard of my reputation by now.¡± Her oriental-descent face hardened for a second before returning to normal. ¡°Yes. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°But I understand the necessity of it. Father said to give mercy if you can afford it but never hesitate to be ruthless when you have to.¡± Sakuya said in one breath, eyes straight into his. ¡°...Hm,¡± Viers hummed, mainly because he wasn¡¯t sure how to answer. It wasn''t as if he sought justification for his actions, but hearing that someone understood¡­ didn''t feel bad. ¡°And¡­¡± her voice went up then down. ¡°I want to talk to you more¡­ so I came.¡± It was as direct as it could be and very unexpected for Viers. He was more accustomed to the roundabout conversations of all the rom-com Japanese mangas. Viers let out an unhidden snicker in amusement. ¡°You can talk to me anytime but you chose to do so while we¡¯re in a bath together? How bold.¡± The other side wasn''t able to deal with the direct counterattack as gracefully as Viers did. From Sakuya¡¯s expression, he could imagine her brain was just hit by a storm. ¡°T-this is¡­ Auu¡­ Nnn.¡± She sunk deeper into the hot spring until her mouth was below the waterline. Red as a lobster was an apt depiction. ¡°Well, we got the limited free tickets to a magical onsen, didn''t we? Shikatanai.¡± ¡°S-Sou desu! Shikatanai!¡± Sakuya lit up, taking the extended olive branch eagerly. ¡°Very true, Tanael-san.¡± Actually, the effect of the supposed ¡®body purification¡¯ of the spa was the last thing on Viers and Sakuya¡¯s minds. It could even be said they didn''t really care about it. The silence that followed was not the stifling kind. Both were seeing the mountains far, far away. ¡°And so Stage 1 is over,¡± Viers spoke first. ¡°It is.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your rank?¡± ¡°San-juu-san.¡± 33rd¡­ higher than I thought. ¡°A-Ano,¡± Sakuya reached out, nervously. ¡°W-Which portal will you choose tomorrow, Tanael-san?¡± ¡°Yeah, I have a bit of a headache there. There¡¯s no soul world so my choices are open. I¡¯ll go with my gut feeling. I¡¯ll pick the water area. You?¡± ¡°My affinity is wood so perhaps the earth area is best suited for me.¡± ¡°A most impressive deduction, Sakuya-hime.¡± Splash. His jab was gifted by a splash of water to the face. Sakuya smiled playfully. ¡°If I¡¯m truly a hime, a princess, will you become my retainer?¡± ¡°I think I will make for a lousy retainer,¡± Viers said. ¡°You should seek someone better.¡± The small talks continued. Both thinking a little more, just a little more. Stretching the time, chaining one second to the next. Until the time limit came. ¡°It has been a pleasure meeting you. So, here¡¯s where we part then. Best of luck to both of us.¡± After the third time, they had become skilled in moving while hiding the sight of their sensitive area. The other generally looked away out of politeness and was appreciated by the other side. ¡°Watashi mo desu, Tanael-san. Oyasuminasai.¡± ¡°Oyasumi,¡± Viers replied. And so their last meeting ended. In the future, there might be no opportunity for them to converse like this again. They both realized this and the goodbyes were heavier than before. Alone at last, Sakuya¡¯s thoughts were in a jumble of knots. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Kore wa ai¡­ dewa nai. This isn''t love, so she realized. As naive as Sakuya was, she knew her own feelings towards a man that she only met three short times were not love. It was a bud, which might either wilt or bloom. However, she could choose to water it or not. If you find a man you like in the future, you must pounce upon him and not let go. Pounce upon him and not let go... Pounce upon him... Pounce... Her mother¡¯s words echoed as if her mind was a valley. I¡¯ll try, Okaa-sama! In that secret onsen filled with special memories, Sakuya made a cute fist pump. *** Stage 2 water area was similar to Regidana¡¯s climate. This place felt tropical. Viers checked his disguise and sighed in relief when it was still intact and his Thousand Treasures Casket followed him here. Good, the Impersonator Mask is still on and my unequipped stuff is all stored in the Casket... What¡¯s this? Got two extra items, one was a map. There was something written on the bottom right: Top 10 reward. The other item was some kind of wooden handle the size of his palm. Aaand that¡¯s it. No more direction on what to do from here¡­ Aletro chose a hands-off approach for Stage 2. ¡°Hells and Damnations! That monster Tanael is here!¡± ¡°Shit¡­ I was hoping I won''t meet him ever again.¡± ¡°It was because of him I didn''t reach the top 100...¡± The cursings brought Viers attention to his surroundings now that his internal affair was in order. Ten¡­ Twenty¡­ Fifty¡­ Sixty-two. These are my rivals in this Stage. Including me, that¡¯s sixty-three. After the scan, Viers was glad he didn''t find many high rankers. The most dangerous one was the currently standing aloof elf. He was blonde, tall, and didn''t talk much. He was the 8th ranked white spark holder. Viers made a special note of his potentially biggest obstacle. The rest of the gang was pretty much small fries. Not to be dismissed out of thought but compared to Viers, they were very much lacking. And then¡­ ¡°So,¡± Viers cocked his head to a certain person standing not far from him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°...Ikenai?¡± Sakuya swallowed her bashfulness as deep as she could but the sudden red makeup that appeared on her face gave it away. She was no longer in a kimono. She was now wearing a men¡¯s attire for ease of movement, shirts and trousers. Just like Viers and the rest of the players. ¡°Do as you wish.¡± It was unexpected but whatever. He wasn''t here for playing nor courting. Viers took pride in the fact that he was a guy who didn''t use his dick to think. The sun was staring at them from up above in the fullness of its might. Beads of sweat started forming on his neck. With nothing else to do, Viers started walking to the sorry-looking town. From the square, he could see that most of the buildings were wood shacks. The starting location was not a prosperous one. ¡°Tanael, we can achieve more if we act as a group.¡± Seeing him leaving, someone said that to Viers. ¡°I don''t play well in a group. Good luck, hunters. Treasures or shards,¡± He kept walking without turning and waved to those behind him. *** While Regidana was a well-maintained city in the center of civilization, walking in this shantytown gave Viers a sense of nostalgia as if he walked the sandy roads of Nassau. Not the 21st-century one -he¡¯d never been there- but he had been to the 18th-century Nassau as a hooded pirate-ninja-assassin with the stabby-stabby tendencies. I should wear something white in this place. Something that comes with a hood. Perhaps add a pair of cutlasses and four pistols? What he needed the most right now was information and where else would he get it other than the tavern? Years of oldie JRPG games conditioned him to think so. ¡°Bartender, I seek the greatest treasure in these waters. What do you know about it?¡± He stepped into the establishment -a decent establishment because there were no visible rats- like a badass and walked to the counter. ¡°You buying somethin''?¡± The bartender asked. ¡°Your best drink,¡± Viers slid a gold coin forward. The bartender whisked the coin away and whipped something up. With his square chin, pointed to a person drinking alone in the corner. Viers took a sip from the yellow drink and it tasted like piss. It would make a perfect gift for the person in the corner. He seemed like a guy who appreciated this kind of beverage. ¡°Hey man. I¡¯m searching for treasure, the best there is. Whaddaya got?¡± The man looked at Viers with half-focused eyes and replied with a drunken drawl. ¡°First~, I¡¯ll need to refill my drink...¡± Viers had already filled the man¡¯s empty mug with the piss-flavored drink he¡¯d just bought. That was enough to loosen his tongue. ¡°Treasure you seek, eh? Crazy Pete, they all call me. Unaware that I¡¯m the only sane one in this stinking town. And I know where to find the legendary place with treasures to fill ten whole ships with more to spare.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Viers demanded. ¡°The legendary City of Pearl, long lost 500 years ago. Destroyed overnight, sank into the sea. We all know the tale but few folks believe it nowadays.¡± ¡°What kind of treasure is inside? Rusted big fork? Painting of a naked lady?¡± Viers asked jokingly. ¡°Many, young man. Extraordinary ones, in riches and power. The surrounding islands speak for themselves. The instances of valuable trinkets washing ashore or someone finding a magical bauble underwater happen frequently. That¡¯s why this place is full of men of fortune, such as you. But those are nothing compared to the greatest treasure of all, hidden in the depths of the city.¡± ¡°Hard to believe there¡¯s still treasure washed ashore after 500 years but whatever. Well go on, out with it. The numero uno treasure is?¡± Crazy Pete, leaned forward, tone deep. He got a few points for theatrics. ¡°The Crystal Trident¡­ Legends are it is imbued with the power of the Sea God. Whosoever possesses the trident shall command the tides and storms itself!¡± Viers rolled his eyes. Oh, where have I heard that before? ¡°Girls, what do you think?¡± Viers sought counsel. ¡°Considering everything is made by Aletro, this sunken Pearl City might really exist, Lord Viers,¡± Farley said. ¡°Or it might be a made-up story by this drunk. This Crystal Trident sounds like a divine weapon to me. No way it exists,¡± Paina was skeptical. ¡°Why not? Consider Aletro¡¯s power for a second. Is it strange for a person such as he to possess items worthy of legends? If this Book World is akin to a storage item, the Crystal Trident¡¯s existence is not improbable to me,¡± Clarissa argued. City of Pearl and Crystal Trident¡­ Is this Stage 2''s main quest? ¡°Okay then, Crazy Pete. Do tell, where is this legendary sunken city?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Aye, Crazy Pete knows how one might find the City of Pearl,¡± he took big gulps and showed his yellow teeth with a few missing. ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± voice sterner than he realized. ¡°But first you must do something for Crazy Pete.¡± Sigh¡­ Here it comes, the bothersome chain quests. Chapter 149 - Pirates ¡°Heave-ho. Heave-ho. That¡¯s the last of them. Get the barrels next.¡± For such a hot day the night was surprisingly chilly. Viers in the disguise of handsome Tanael was in the quay, thinking. Nearby, there were sailors unloading cargoes from a ship. While seeing the misty seas he pondered. Crazy Pete wanted him to find something in the neighboring islands. Earlier in the day, Viers wandered the island. The starting island was small and with only the shanty town as anything noteworthy. Although, not everything was run-down and in disrepair. It was now certain that the sunken city was the main quest in Stage 2. Viers knew about the City of Pearl through Crazy Pete but there were many other NPCs giving the same quests, the players knew. The City of Pearl was now public knowledge. Viers searched for natural treasures of any kind with Euryale Sight but failed to glimpse even one. The starting island was barren so the first priority was to get out of the island to search for treasures, which meant procuring a ship. Swimming was¡­ ill-advised. A player got sliced and diced by a school of piranhas the size of Doberman a hundred meters past the shoreline. Why were there piranhas in the seas? Viers didn''t care. But if that was the case, would using flimsy wooden boats be safe? Apparently so, there were many NPCs already doing that and they were fine. How and why? Once again, Viers didn''t care. There were a dozen side quests involving ship passage, Viers only needed to pick his poison. The means of transportation seemed to be pivotal because of the vastness of the area. The map Viers bought of the surroundings, depicted dozens, perhaps hundreds of islands of varying sizes. The side quest was just catching a ride until the specific island or something similar, temporarily or one way. Permanently getting even a dinghy that must be rowed by hand involved a more complicated side quest. In the early parts of Stage 2, the players¡¯ ability to move around these waters seemed to be severely hampered. While other players frantically searched for an NPC that gave the best passage quests. Viers took out his flying carpet, fully intent on cheating his way out and devouring the treasure first in the surrounding islands. But his flying carpet was not working. Aletro¡¯s cheating prevention software was online, much to Viers¡¯ dismay. And so the day came to an end and Viers was at the wharf, thinking. Crazy Pete¡¯s request was on an island to the east but the still unknown top 10 rewards pointed at an island to the west. This is a bit troublesome, however¡­ Viers was hatching a plan while keeping his gaze fixed on a certain anchored ship. And then there were footsteps coming closer from behind. ¡°Ghastly night, don''t you think?¡± Viers said. ¡°Terribly,¡± a female voice answered. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not here to invite me on a moonlight stroll,¡± Viers joked. ¡°It would be most unromantic.¡± ¡°No I¡¯m not. I¡¯m here with a request,¡± Sakuya said. ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Viers turned around. ¡°I¡¯ve been asking this to everybody I¡¯ve met in the trial so it isn''t overly special but it is extremely important to me. If you have it, I would very much like to buy it from you.¡± Huh¡­ Truthfully, Viers thought she would ask for cooperation and be buddy-buddy in the trial. By not doing that, Viers¡¯ opinion of Sakuya rose by one step. ¡°Very well, what¡¯s your request?¡± Viers asked. ¡°It is-¡± There were millions of ways of disturbing a conversation but the sound of rumbling waves by an ascending ship from the depths of the sea was quite unconventional. Without saying, Viers and Sakuya were shocked by the development. ¡°Oh, crap.¡± Fog churned and roiled surrounding the ship as black as night. Red as blood was the sail¡¯s colors. Shadows were seen moving from the deck. The grand galleon was still spewing water from the gun ports on the hull, reaffirming Viers did not mistakenly see the ship rise from the sea. From each of those three rows of dark windows, burning flashes erupted like a beast opening its eyes from the darkness. ¡°Grandma''s beard! That¡¯s the Abyssal Scream!¡± ¡°Run! Run for your lives!¡± The dockhand NPCs nearby shouted as they ran away. ¡°Whoa whoa, incoming!!!¡± Viers did a diving jump to avoid a speeding cannonball. Without warning, the ship opened fire to the town, raining fire and metal on the sleeping residents. Houses splintered, roofs crashing down, fires lit, screams split the tranquil night. Viers reoriented himself as he got back to his feet. Sakuya was nearby and looked fine. They exchanged glances but the surprise was not over. From a water barrel, a skeleton dressed in tattered sailor shirts emerged. The moving bones locked on to Viers and Sakuya and charged at them brandishing its cutlass. They both jumped backward to create some distance, but Viers jumped too close to the edge of the wooden dock. A hand grabbed his ankle. ¡°Tanael-san!¡± Sakuya said worriedly. ¡°Hmph!¡± Arte - Howling Wraiths. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. A cone of force blasted Viers and the emerging skeleton to the air from below like a landmine explosion. Viers was also affected by the soul Arte burst but his soul magic shield absorbed all the damage. ¡°Focus on the enemy,¡± Viers said as he landed without injury. ¡°Hai!¡± Sakuya replied from his back, Viers didn''t break eye contact with skeleton number two. ¡°It-it¡¯s here! The Crew of the Damned! Goddess preserve us, oh Goddess preserve us!¡± One of the dockhands fell on his butt after the cannonball almost hit him. He had become delirious. Viers cast Vengeful Spirit Arte on the skeleton, setting it to inflict pure soul damage. He was expecting it to crumble like bones without magic afterward but it had no effect. The skeleton had no soul thus his soul Arte didn''t work. Viers shot Vengeful Spirit Arte the second time, this time focusing on magical damage. The skeleton shrugged it off and kept charging like a crazed zombie. They are tough¡­ Viers -already invoking Euryale Sight- saw Sakuya was in the same boat. Skeletons were supposed to be brittle and weak but for some reason, their enemies were uncharacteristically tough. Far in the direction of the town, Viers glimpsed other trial takers also in the middle of a battle. He saw a skeleton emerging from a puddle of water on the street. Each got their own skeleton to fight. Viers started hammering the skeleton with a more intense barrage of Vengeful Spirits. They were tough but not invincible. Viers didn''t pull out his sword. As Tanael, he didn''t want to show too many similarities with Avel. And his opponent was not too great to force him to. The skeleton lay broken in a small crater that Viers created using Desolate Dive Arte. What a tough bastard. What about her? On Sakuya¡¯s part, the skeleton was still active but while Sakuya was standing still, the skeleton was hacking at empty air far away from Sakuya¡¯s position. Euryale Sight allowed Viers to pick up the irregularities. ...Genjutsu? ¡°Tanael-san, are you okay?¡± She asked. ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s- What the hell!?¡± Above the black ship, formed a gigantic head as big as the galleon itself. It was a mustachioed man but the left side of his face was skinless bones. The uncomfortable aura coming from the head was like sticky smoke clinging to his body. ¡°D-Dread Pirate Pyke! We¡¯re doomed! Aaaahhhhh!¡± The dockhand was now running away while pissing himself. ¡°Pirates¡­ Of course there are pirates,¡± Viers said in a satirical tone. ¡°Tanael-san, this looks bad. We should run.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± As the two of them dashed away, the spectral head shouted with the voice of a titan. ¡°FEAR ME!¡± Viers saw white and the world exploded. Bizarre shapes and forms swam in front of his eyes and his ears were ringing. Wait, wasn''t that his voice? Was he screaming? His body felt cold and the rest of his senses were in disarray, not coordinated and his brain unable to process the information. Viers felt he was drowning in liquid fear. Fear without equal. *** The before-the-storm morning weather was just like Viers¡¯ mood. Last night was the most embarrassing moment in his entire history as an otherworlder. When he came to his senses, he was trembling under his bed in the inn, covering himself with a blanket like a hermit crab hiding in its shell. The girls informed him it had been several hours since Dread Pirate Pyke¡¯s appearance. ¡°What the fuck was that? Mind attack? Didn''t feel like it! I was scared! ME! Reduced to a helpless child by a scream? Unforgivable!¡± Viers was quite frantic. ¡°Not mind, emotion. You were flooded with extremely dense emotion. I¡¯ve heard of this kind of attack before but never witnessed it in person,¡± Clarissa said. The girls informed that it was not only him, the whole town was affected by the fear flood, every trial taker was the same. Fortunately, the girls inside his soulspace weren''t affected. They said Pyke retreated after causing moderate destruction to the town. ¡°If the Dread Pirate can do this at will, confronting him would be very dangerous,¡± Farley said. ¡°What was his purpose? He just came out, made a mess, then frightened all of us? The skeletons didn¡¯t take anything from the town,¡± Paina added. ¡°...Cutscene,¡± Viers answered. ¡°Villain introduction. The ghost pirate will be a major obstruction in Stage 2.¡± Come morning, the NPCs were, unsurprisingly, forlorn. Not only that, the weather indicated that a storm was brewing. Viers asked the NPCs for information. ¡°It¡¯s always like this, lad. After the Dread Pirate¡¯s arrival, he created a massive storm. It was a show of power by Captain Pyke. It might last days. Seems like the storm will be a big one but there¡¯s a couple of hours still. If you must sail then you better do it soon.¡± Viers and the other trial takers realized, if they missed the window to set sail before the storm was fully formed, they might get trapped on this island for days. They had to leave now. No time to mop around because of Half-face. Time to go! Most of the players raced to the ships that were readying to set sail. Viers, however, was in a prison. Breaking into a prison, to be exact. He¡¯d disabled the guard and taken the keys. He sauntered in front of the prisoners while playfully twirling the keys. He¡¯d already confirmed there were people in the prison yesterday. ¡°Any of you can sail, lads?¡± Many raised their hands. Thunder sounded more frequent. ¡°There''s a catch to this favor; you''re sailing with me,¡± Viers said while opening the prison cages. ¡°Of course, mate. Where¡¯s your ship?¡± ¡°There''s a ship over there just waiting for us to take her,¡± Viers sneered. ¡°You mean, we¡¯re stealing one?¡± The crew asked. ¡°I¡¯ll clear the way. You lot follow me when the way is clear.¡± ¡°Aye aye!¡± The crew saluted. *** Viers was stealing a brig. It wasn''t a walk in the park but Viers pulled it off. He himself did not doubt that. Rain was falling, winds like angry giants awakening after a hundred years of slumber. ¡°Lay aboard, lads!¡± Viers shouted from above deck after securing it. The NPCs gladly did so, cheering when they placed their foot on the deck. ¡°Save your singing for Davy Jones, you jagabats! There''s a hard wind coming!¡± Fuckin¡¯ A! I always wanted to say that. ¡°You lot weigh anchor, as for the rest; half at the foremast and half at the main! Let''s outrun this hurricane!¡± Viers shouted like an experienced sailor. He was not, but his crew knew what they were doing and acted accordingly. Thank the heavens for that, because Viers didn''t know anything about sailing. The sails unfurled and the ship pushed forward. The seas were raging, lightning clawed the sky. The ship was picking up speed. They sniffed the sweet taste of freedom with their nose. A fitting BGM was playing in Viers¡¯ head. As water from the heavens splashed onto his face, Viers let out a clarion call to his crew. ¡°Yesterday we were prisoners. Today we¡¯re going to the High Seas, AS FREE MEN!!¡± ¡°YEAHHH!¡± ¡°HIGH SEAS!¡± ¡°INTO THE STORM!¡± There was a boom and the pillar of water rose high at the starboard. It was from a cannonball. It came from behind them, from the quay. It seemed someone wasn''t happy Viers stole a whole ship. So petty. There were still three ships of this size left. ¡°Full speed ahead! Hahahaha!¡± Viers¡¯ heart soared. The music Stealing a Brig in his head couldn''t be more perfect. Chapter 150 - Land, ho! ¡°So let me get this straight. You all know about this thing?¡± Viers said. ¡°What¡¯s unusual about it, Lord Viers? It¡¯s a cannon. It shoots things,¡± Farley said. Paina and Clarissa also looked at Viers strangely. ¡°Gunpowder technology exists?¡± Viers raised an eyebrow as he pointed at one of the ship¡¯s cannons. ¡°Gunpowder? It uses magic, usually fire, to eject projectiles. It¡¯s common knowledge,¡± Paina brushed her hair back. ¡°It already exists even during my age,¡± Clarissa, who had slept for 9000 years and still a 17-years-old said. Viers fell into silence for a couple of seconds then shook his head. ¡°Magic made the tech tree all messed up.¡± ¡°What tree?¡± Paina asked but Viers didn''t answer. Since they were in a medieval age, Viers thought they didn''t know about cannons. Turned out it wasn''t true. Now Viers felt he was a fool. They had left the storm behind and sailed under the clear blue sky. Viers didn''t need to handle the ship; the crew of twenty knew what they were doing. Viers only gave them the direction where he wanted to go and they obeyed him without a question. NPCs¡­ Now that I think about it, Dread Captain Pyke¡¯s Crew of the Damned are also NPCs. The skeletons had no soul. Rather than undead, it was more accurate to say they were golems or puppets in undead skin. So my soul Artes are not effective against them. They also seem to be able to appear from any form of water. From the sea, inside of a water barrel, or a puddle¡­ quite dangerous. I also need to find a way to endure the Captain¡¯s Fear Flood. That''s not in the parameter of a normal Pathseeker ability so chances are there should be a quest to counter it? ¡°Sir,¡± one of the crew hailed Viers who was looking at the sea in deep thought. ¡°There¡¯s a small island ahead.¡± It was land in the middle of the sea only a hundred meters large. Viers commanded the stolen brig to sail west, to the island where the top 10 reward was hidden but it would take at least two days to reach there. They would encounter many small islands such as this along the way. ¡°Good, stop the ship. I want to pay the island a visit.¡± ¡°Aye aye,¡± the crew obeyed without complaint. Let¡¯s find some treasures, Viers¡¯ eyes glowed green and his iris elongated like a snake as the Euryale Sight Arte activated. He hoped he would find something worthwhile in the first treasure island. *** ¡°It feels like I''ve been chasing treasures too much these days,¡± Viers mulled to his tenants. Since Marakkus, no, even further back; since Dia¡¯s Biome Viers had gathered treasures and prizes, valuables and cultivation resources of high and low significance. As his list of wealth kept increasing, his standard rose with it. Minor treasures no longer seemed like treasures but knick-knacks instead. In two days, Viers had explored six small islands. Ruins, shipwrecks, abandoned villages, and monster warrens. The treasures he found were not bad per se but pretty underwhelming overall. Gold coins, water affinity cultivation resources, and some monsters. Viers converted them all to spark shards. From those six islands, Viers only gained about 100 shards. A big disappointment. It wasn''t a complete miss though. On the fourth island, Viers found an unusual small stream. There was something unique about it so Viers tried to glean its secrets. Unknowingly, Viers fell into a trance for two hours. When he came to, he felt his mastery over water increase a bit. Quite nice. I should seek more places like this. ¡°Sir, your destination is in sight.¡± ¡°So I see,¡± Viers replied to the helmsman. The top 10 rewards island¡­ bigger than the other treasure islands. I hope the reward is worth it. However, it should be time for the ¡®obstacle¡¯ to appear, isn''t it? Can¡¯t have the protagonist have a troubleless and smooth journey. Twenty minutes later, Gamemaster Aletro bequeathed Viers one such ordeal. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The Abyssal Scream, ghost ship of the Dread Pirate Pyke, emerged from the sea on the left side of Viers¡¯ ship in its dreadful glory. ¡°Fire!¡± Viers gave the pirates a warm welcome in the form of cannon fire. He had called the crew to battle stations twenty minutes prior. The hostile ship emerged without warning or sign. Nevertheless, Viers was ready and retaliated without delay. Sixteen guns on the port of the ship roared, spouting smoke and metal balls. However, the Abyssal Scream was protected by a mysterious force. Water rose from the sea, acting as a shield from Viers¡¯ cannonballs. Is this a cutscene invulnerability or Pyke¡¯s ability? Viers bit his lip. The two ships were side by side on the open seas in close proximity. Viers saw the deck of the other ship was filled with snarling skeletons. At least fifty of them. Behind the ship¡¯s wheel, Viers finally lay eyes on the Dread Pirate¡¯s true body. He looked like the head projection from before: a male pirate wearing tattered regal clothes with a grey tricorn hat. The left side of his face was only bones, with a red spark inside the hollow eye socket. His right eye was looking at Viers as if he was floating trash. Just looking at him filled Viers with fear, despite his best effort to resist it. ¡°Seagulls told me,¡± Pyke said with a deep voice. ¡°That there¡¯s a bunch of mangy dogs recently arrived at this place seeking the Trident. Here¡¯s news for ya, soft-bellied scallywag: it is mine. It is my destiny to possess the Trident. FIRE!¡± The ship rumbled and shook as Viers felt the hull got bombarded, making multiple ventilation holes. ¡°Return fire!¡± Viers shouted. Unfairly, Viers¡¯ arsenal was unable to do the same to the pirate¡¯s ship. The Crew of the Damned proceed to board Viers¡¯ ship. ¡°To arms! Helmsman, hard to starboard!¡± Viers roared his orders and fought against the skeleton invaders. Soul Artes were not effective so Viers tried water Artes. There weren''t any other players to witness it so Viers didn''t refrain from using his other affinity. However, he tsk-ed before long. Resistant against water too, figures. Physical attack then? ¡°Paina, Symphony!¡± Viers applied status buffs on himself as Paina channeled Anima Symphony Arte. Viers punched a skeleton on the head and the head fell off. He was about to change target but the headless skeleton was still lively. How troublesome! Viers took out a scroll from his storage item and unfurled it on the skeleton. Octopus tentacles as black as ink entangled the bones and melted them shortly. The Melting Octo Scroll might do the job. Haha! It is effec... tive. Viers¡¯ triumph was short-lived as the melted bones were restored anew. It took up the misplaced head, put it on its neck and screamed ¡®shaaa!¡¯ at Viers. Raise again after defeat? How the hell am I supposed to beat them!? ¡°Throw the enemies overboard. We must flee!¡± Viers told the overwhelmed crew as he threw the skeletons to the sea. His improved physical constitution helped Viers as he did physical work of bone disposal. ¡°Discard every water source on the ship! No, belay that!¡± Viers used his Casket to prevent the skeletons¡¯ water teleportation by stashing the water supplies. ¡°Sir, we won''t last long with their bombardments!¡± A crew worriedly said. Viers didn''t need to be reminded by him because the sound of roaring cannons was enough. ¡°Full speed ahead! We¡¯re crash landing on the island!¡± In Fables like this, the cursed usually couldn''t set foot on land. Viers desperately defended the ship against the Crew of the Damned. Thankfully, Dread Captain Pyke didn''t make a move. Three fish-head people behind the Captain that were clearly elites also only stood menacingly. If they all swarmed Viers¡¯ ship or used the Fear Flood then Viers¡¯ defeat was all but assured but they didn''t. Must be scenario reasons. Under much difficulty, Viers managed to reach the island. His ship was very beat-up. Viers and the crew immediately roped down the ship to step on dry land. ¡°Hah! We made it. Now they can¡¯t¡­¡± The screeching skeletons stepped on dry land just fine. Fuck! How stupid of me! Didn''t I fight the first skeleton on land? ¡°Flee! Run deeper into the island!¡± It wasn''t that Viers was helpless against the bones but what was the point of him fighting? They would just resurrect and he would only waste his Victa. Viers and his eighteen remaining crew were chased by at least triple that number of skeletons and they got split up in the woods. One hour later. Viers was cradling a crew member with severe bleeding on his stomach. ¡°Sir, this is it for me, cough...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give up. You can still make it,¡± Viers said. ¡°Sir¡­ it has been an honor.¡± With a weak voice, the man breathed his last as his hand fell to the ground. Viers sighed heavily and closed the eyes of the NPC whose name he didn''t know. The crew was incredibly loyal to a man who they knew less than three days ago, very illogical though that may be. Viers was saddened by their loss. The skeletons¡¯ pursuit ceased after a while. Viers made another cliche hypothesis that they couldn''t move too far from the ghost ship or the pirate captain. But they had killed all of the crew before they did. Viers, the sole survivor, gazed upon the Abyssal Scream on the coast from high ground, hoping they would leave. With Viers out of their reach, they indeed left but not before they completely destroyed Viers¡¯ ship. The brig had already suffered heavy damage before landing on the island but it was well and truly dead this time. ¡°JACKDAAAAAAAW!¡± Captain Viers mournfully wailed from deep in the island. He showed more remorse by the death of the ship rather than the NPC crew. How could he leave the island now? Was this Castaway? Should he give a volleyball a bloody handprint and call it Wilson? Viers¡¯ thoughts were spiraling down negatively. Still, Viers went forward. Not all hope was lost. Somewhere on this island, a top 10 reward was waiting for Viers. He hoped whatever it was, he would not be marooned for the rest of Stage 2. Chapter 151 - Under the Black Flag ¡°This is the place,¡± Viers said solemnly as he stood before the entrance of a dark cove. ¡°You sure? This is the fourth time you¡¯ve said that,¡± Clarissa sneered skeptically. ¡°I¡¯m sure! Look, the landmarks on the map all fit!¡± His voice came out a tad more defensively than he liked. He hoped he got a digital minimap on his HUD, or a wayfinder, or a go-to function; finding places was a real pain sometimes. Viers walked into the dark cove. The sun was still out but light got increasingly less as he went further in. By the state of the ground, the place or at least his footing would be underwater when high tide came. In the dark, Viers didn''t need a torch. Euryale Sight provided excellent night vision and just like Viers, there were things that didn''t need light to see. Viers saw the monster on the ceiling. Inert. Viers was preparing his preemptive strike but the big bat monster turned active immediately, flapping its wings to pick up speed, charging toward Viers. Viers side-stepped out of the way, preventing any damage. As the bat monster the size of a horse went past him, he gave it Vengeful Spirit Arte as a parting gift. It screeched and dived into a wall as a result. The cave was rumbling and Viers had to swat down a stalagmite. A miniboss. Let¡¯s kill it. Viers hit it again with Vengeful Spirit, the attack was twice the size as the first time and twice as destructive. As it staggered, Viers approached it to plant Guren Muramasa into its neck but the bat was not done yet. It swung its wing in Viers¡¯ direction. The attack was anticipated, Viers parried it perfectly but was sent flying by the force of the strike. Bah! This never happened in Sekiro, Viers fell victim to his game logic and picked himself up from the ground. The bat monster managed to rise into the air in the meantime. Flying enemies, huh? Don''t fight much of your kind. Because it wasn''t his expertise. This time though, refusing battle wasn''t an option. Viers equipped the katana and summoned a revolver. Little Friend on the left hand, pale green magic on the right hand. ¡°Come at me!¡± Typical of flying monsters, its movement was fast and tricky but Viers'' attack power and rate of fire were too high. Bullets after bullets, Artes after Artes. Viers maintained his distance and dealt steady DPS. The battle in the complete darkness didn''t last for long but not because of one party¡¯s death. ¡°Stop!¡± When the bat screeched its death throes and Viers was about to relieve it from its misery, a figure appeared between him and the bat. ¡°Please don''t kill my friend,¡± the man said. Viers raised an eyebrow. ¡°Curious... mind telling me what¡¯s going on, mister ghost?¡± *** The ghost introduced himself as Charles. He said he came to these waters with four others, searching for the legendary City of Pearl. Three friends and a pair of brothers. ¡°Pyke is my older brother,¡± Charles said as he led Viers deeper into the cove. They were a tight-knit group that got along well with each other. It took many years but they found the City of Pearl and had seen the trident with their own eyes. However, they found out a terrible truth. The trident was left there for a reason: to seal an evil entity. ¡°He called himself the Deep Dweller God.¡± Subtly, since the five set foot on the City of Pearl, the entity tempted them. Showed illusions and visions. Planted seeds of doubt against each other. Promised them immeasurable power, riches, glory and longevity. ¡°And oh, he was so very tempting,¡± Charles shuddered. Pyke was the first to accept. He struck at his former friends and his own brother without hesitation. The three he twisted into half-fish half-man, they were corrupted by the Deep Dweller God¡¯s influence. Viers remembered seeing formidable three fish-headed people standing behind Pyke when he sent the Crew of the Damned to attack Viers¡¯ ship. He guessed Charles must be talking about those three. ¡°Binve, Phic, Noban¡­ They are my brother''s lieutenants now. The men they once were are long gone.¡± Charles was more fortunate than the other three. He managed to escape for some time but Pyke got to him in the end. He cursed Charles to this island. Unable to die, unable to leave. His fleshy body died but his spirit was unable to move on to the next plane. His own brother condemned Charles to a prison of loneliness. ¡°That was about twenty years ago. That bat is one of the few friends that I made over the years. I hope you find it in your heart to forgive her.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Viers hummed noncommittally. ¡°I got a feeling you want to ask me something. You want me to find a way to break your curse?¡± ¡°Pyke already told me how to break the curse from the start. By basking in the light of the sun, I will be free. But as you¡¯ve no doubt realized, the island is perpetually misty under dark clouds. Another present from the evil god that sunk its claws into my brother.¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°So you want me to bring you out. Yeah, about that. Your brother destroyed my ship. I''m pretty much trapped here on this island the same as you. Worst case scenario, I¡¯ll have to build a raft using tree logs.¡± But you have a way out, don''t you? This was an ¡®event¡¯, Viers expected nothing less. ¡°Also,¡± Viers realized something. ¡°You got cursed to be unable to leave the islands but you¡¯re asking me to bring you out of the island to break the curse. That¡¯s a contradiction.¡± C¡¯mon Aletro. This is not lazy writing, is it? ¡°Indeed. But I didn''t spend twenty years doing nothing. Here¡¯s what I want to show you.¡± Charles and Viers reached the deepest part of the cove, thick with mist and low temperature. Charles waved his ghostly hands and the deep mist dispersed, unveiling the visage of a ship. The ship was the same size as Viers'' recently deceased brig. It was a wreck likely risen after a century underwater. The wood was barely holding the frame together. However, the ship was emitting smoky, milky vapor as if the whole ship was made of dry ice. On the bow of the ship, there was a figurehead of a mermaid. While Viers was awed, Charles continued. ¡°I plan to make my prison mobile. Nearly two decades I spent constructing the ship. Ironically, I am only able to do this because I¡¯m a ghost. At first, she was only the remains of a sunken ship but I fixed her.¡± Viers and the ghost toured the second bona fide ghost ship Viers had seen in the Book World. ¡°Can she sail?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Almost¡­ There¡¯s something missing. The spirit of the ship was incomplete. She-¡± While Charles was trailing on, Viers saw the problem. The ship¡¯s wheel was missing a handle. Viers smiled and placed the piece of wood that he mysteriously received from the top 10 reward along with a map to this island, completing the wheel. There was a thrum, like something stirred and awakened from a deep slumber. ¡°She¡¯s ready now,¡± Viers grinned. ¡°...Yes,¡± Charles was halfway to tears after the initial shock. ¡°Yes, she is,¡± he caressed a railing on the deck. ¡°Shall we go then, mister Charles?¡± ¡°Wait, I have a second request.¡± ¡°About your brother, I assume. You want me to save him.¡± ¡°That too but the focus is the Crystal Trident. I humbly asked you to protect it from my brother¡¯s hand. The Deep Dweller God must never be free.¡± ¡°Oh? I thought the evil god had been freed,¡± Viers pressed for details. ¡°He''s in the head of your brother, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Not yet. Pyke was only touched by a sliver of its power. The Trident possessed the blessing of the Sea God. The Deep Dweller God had been using my brother and friends to weaken the seal. It won''t be long until they come to take the trident from its pedestal and break the seal completely.¡± ¡°You do know that I want to take the Trident for myself, right? I¡¯m a treasure hunter. I want that Trident for myself,¡± Viers replied. ¡°Without the Trident in the City of Pearl, the evil god will break free. When that happens, calamity will fall upon these waters. The City of Pearl itself houses more treasures than you can carry. Just, leave the Trident alone.¡± Bleh, Viers put his tongue out in his mind. What do I care about the fate of a fake world inhabited by a bunch of NPCs? ¡°Even if I wanted to, this protection detail will set me on a collision course with your brother. I met him twice now. He got this fear power thingy, courtesy of the god in his head, I think. I can''t fight him.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Charles nodded. ¡°But there¡¯s still hope. My brother''s fear and my curse originates from a similar source: the Deep Dweller God. I can teach you how to ward yourself from it.¡± Ah, the key to defeating a boss neatly fell to my hand. Very RPG-like. ¡°How can I get to the City of Pearl?¡± Viers asked the ghost who claimed he had been there. ¡°The locals should be able to tell you more. The way to enter the sunken city has changed since my time.¡± In other words: talk to other NPCs. ¡°...Your knowledge of the outside world is very substantial for a prisoner on an island in the middle of nowhere,¡± Viers said to the soulless NPC ghost. ¡°I have my ways,¡± Charles replied curtly. ¡°Oh really,¡± Viers'' skepticism was sky-high. ¡°I¡¯ll decide what to do with the Trident when I see it with my own eyes. Now teach me this fear blocker. I¡¯ll make sure your brother gets what he deserves.¡± ¡°Very well. This method requires some skill in soul utilization. Fortunately, you seem well taught in that regard. You should master the technique in a week.¡± Time passed. With Charles¡¯ guidance, Viers'' understanding and skill pertaining to the soul expanded. Coincidence? I wager not. Aletro must be giving tailored gifts for the other nine. Viers mastered the fear countermeasure in three days but he didn''t stop there. ¡°The deal is one week. Now teach me the opposite, how to weaponize fear like Pyke.¡± It was outside of the NPC¡¯s programming but Viers was adamant. Through soft and hard persuasion, Viers learned deeper secrets for the next four days. *** Seven days had passed since the day Viers met with Charles. Viers stood before the remains of the ship that Pyke destroyed, the one he used to sail to this island. Torch in hand, he looked sad. ¡°Merry¡­ Thank you for carrying us all this time.¡± Viers set the timber remains on fire. ¡°You are a splendid ship, Going Merry¡­ Your spirit will live on within our hearts, always,¡± Viers said his farewell. ¡°Didn''t he call the ship ¡®Jackdaw¡¯ last time?¡± Clarissa whispered. ¡°Just let him be, Clar,¡± Paina replied. ¡°Shhh! Don¡¯t ruin Lord Viers¡¯ moment!¡± Farley added. Soon, the small fire became a great blaze. Viers turned his back to the splendid pyre and the ghost ship was waiting for him at the coast. He made his way to the deck and the crew greeted him. ¡°Captain.¡± ¡°Welcome back, Captain.¡± ¡°She¡¯s ready to sail, sir.¡± These were Viers crew that died on the island. When Viers successfully raised the ghost ship, they appeared. Ready to offer the great captain their service once more. Viers¡¯ steps made thumping sounds like the heartbeats of the ship. The crew was not the only people on board. There were new additions. Viers walked past Charles, to the upper deck where the ship¡¯s wheel waited for the touch of his hand. Paina, Farley, and Clarissa materialized and stood on his left and right. These three deserved a special place by his side. ¡°Frozen Siren...¡± The ship hummed eagerly as if it was a puppy who heard its name called by the beloved owner. As the Captain, Viers had the responsibility to address his crew. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the sea lies before us once more. I have failed you in life, but I won''t fail you in death. This¡­ I promise you.¡± The crew¡¯s enthusiastic cheer went past the crow¡¯s nest and reached the clouds. ¡°Hoist the colors of the jolly roger and let the steel taste the blood of our enemy! Those who are with me shout AYE! And those who don''t¡­ whimper nay. The time has come. Let us sail¡­ to the Grand Line! This is Romance Dawn!¡± A white skull on a black flag fluttered in the wind, showing Viers'' true colors. As the white ship traversed the waves to the open seas, Viers hummed the tune of One Piece¡¯s first opening song. Horizon, both inside and outside of his body, sang in joy. 151.04%! Chapter 152 - Crazy Pete A few nautical miles later -although Viers didn''t know that- they had left the isolated island under perpetual dark clouds. After one parting, came another. ¡°Sunlight¡­ Ohhh¡ª¡± Charles the ghost was deeply moved as the sun rained down its rays on him. The ghost started to disperse into motes of light starting from the bottom part of his body. ¡°Thank you, Tanael. You have freed me from my prison.¡± ¡°Good luck to you on your way. Enjoy heaven,¡± Viers waved. Charles nodded. ¡°Beware the Deep Dweller God or you¡¯ll end up like my brother.¡± The ghost said a warning as his last words and any trace of him was gone. Viers looked up at the sky for a minute before charting a course back to the starting island. The ghost crew did their job as deftly as they were alive. The Frozen Siren was faster than Viers¡¯ precious ship. The trip was quite leisurely. Blue seas as far as the eye could see. One couldn''t help to have their spirits lifted. ¡°Nice view...¡± Paina used her hand to shield her eyes from the sun¡¯s rays. Viers¡¯ materialization gave her bodily sensation even if she remained a bodiless soul. ¡°Farley, look, look! There''s a bunch of dolphins swimming with the ship!¡± Affected by the schoolgirls-on-a-trip mood, Farley also became looser with her actions. She was always donning the role of a devoted servant while she was inside of Viers. The stiffness of that role was no longer visible on her smiling face. Her master, Lord Viers, was in the middle of eating human souls in the captain''s quarters. ¡°Mm, this is really great. I wonder if the sea in the real world is as grand as this? Do you know, Clarissa?¡± The lamia, was a lamia no longer. She had a pair of legs below her torso now. Viers made it that way. He said he didn''t want his enemies to know her true form. This was why Clarissa was walking in baby steps using unfamiliar limbs. ¡°Urgh, feet are so inefficient. I should float instead,¡± Clarissa grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m a soul-being!¡± ¡°You okay there, warrior-princess? Vanquisher of four Rat Lords, savior of the city of Ao Yeptu, champion of Veqqre,¡± Paina jabbed at her, using the tales of Clarissa¡¯s past exploits that she shared with Paina and Farley. ¡°I¡¯m fine. About the real world¡¯s seas¡­ The stories I¡¯ve heard from my sisters are that many seas have been destroyed, dried up, or sent inland in tidal waves in my time. I¡¯ve never seen seas with my own eyes back then. As for this age, they should be already back to normal, after what we¡¯ve seen in Regidana.¡± ¡°I suppose beautiful landscapes are a rarity during the War of the Gods¡­ What a shame. I would love to see the beauty of the world at that time before the war wrecked everything. I bet it¡¯s a thousand times more mystical than anything we¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Paina said. ¡°This view is enough,¡± Farley gazed at the line where the sky met the sea. ¡°I really hope Gwen can see this,¡± she said softly. ¡°Gwen will be alright,¡± Clarissa put her hand on Farley¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Once Viers reaches Level 3, he will definitely be able to wake her up then.¡± ¡°Is Viers really unable to heal her soul right now? She¡¯s a non-Pathseeker while Viers¡¯ soul affinity is 5. Shouldn''t be too difficult, right?¡± Paina asked. ¡°Viers lacks the skill and understanding of the soul to properly heal her. He¡¯s got the best affinity for souls, but his ¡®mastery¡¯ of using it isn¡¯t up to par. This isn''t a problem when he uses soul Artes offensively however, destroying a vase is easy. Putting them back together is a very different matter,¡± Clarissa explained. ¡°And becoming a Level 3 will give him the ¡®mastery¡¯ he requires?¡± Farley looked downward. ¡°Mastery isn''t the same as raising your Pathseeker Level,'''' Clarissa shook her head. ¡°It takes time, practice, and knowledge to deepen your understanding and touch the fundamental law of the elements. But in this case, with greater power at his command, he should be able to bridge the necessary step of waking your sister. I watched the last time he tried. He was missing just a bit but he didn''t push forward. With Gwen¡¯s well-being in mind, it is better for him to heal her as a Level 3. If Viers spent his time healing people¡¯s souls instead of mutilating them, perhaps he could wake Gwen right now.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Yeah, good luck with that,¡± Paina scoffed. ¡°I don''t see that¡¯s happening with Viers.¡± ¡°He would,¡± Farley said to the contrary. ¡°If the benefits are great enough.¡± Viers emerged from his cabin dressed like a true pirate captain, wearing a tricorn hat and an eyepatch on his left eye. For some unfathomable reason to the girls, he was dead set on reducing his field of vision for nothing at all. Be that as it may, Viers¡¯ ¡®presence¡¯ was not like before. The girls were tethered to Viers and they could feel the power emanating from his soul. ¡°Lord Viers has gotten stronger again,¡± Farley said with complicated feelings. ¡°Arte Myriad Souls in One¡­ He might really be able to pull it off, assimilating a myriad of souls,¡± Paina understood the immensity of its cost. ¡°He said he planned to hit 20,000 Soul Power today. Against the people without soul defensive measures, his soul Artes would be very devastating,¡± Clarissa said. Viers¡¯ Soul Power was around 10,000 before. He¡¯d just consumed the rest of the Level 3 Deathsworns, Irkun¡¯s bodyguards. Viers¡¯ Soul Power was now the equivalent of consuming twenty Level 3s. Viers approached the girls at the ship¡¯s bow. ¡°Good afternoon, angels. How¡¯s the skin? Got a tan yet?¡± ¡°The warmth of the sun is pleasant, Lord Viers. We¡¯re grateful,¡± Farley gave Viers a proper curtsy. ¡°White Flower Meadows is always night so a change of pace feels good,¡± Paina said. ¡°Glad to hear it. As long as you have fun,¡± Viers extended a spyglass and scanned the surroundings with it. Truthfully, he didn''t really need the thing. He could do the same with Euryale Sight. Viers used it for the feels. Not long after, he shouted. ¡°Look alive, you shivering barnacles!¡± Viers turned to the ghost crew. ¡°Prey in front! Full sail!¡± Viers caught the shape of a ship and made his way to the wheel to take command as he barked orders. ¡°Well, he¡¯s having fun. That¡¯s for sure,¡± Clarissa said. The three looked towards the grinning Captain of the Frozen Siren and unanimously agreed. Soon, the Frozen Siren caught up with the traveling ship. He crippled the smaller ship using the cannons and boarded it once they were dead in the water. Like an experienced pirate that had done this a hundred times, Viers defeated the NPCs that tried to resist until there were none. ¡°Victory!¡± Viers roared and the crew answered. ¡°Savor the taste of our first triumph but there are countless more to come!¡± Then, to test if his conjure was right or not, he combed the ship for its cargo and any valuables. ¡°Haha! I was right!¡± The coin, goods, and precious material that he plundered could be turned into spark shards. The gain wasn''t much though. The ship he plundered was small and ordinary. He looked forward to besting Man O'' War class ships in the future. ¡°Let¡¯s keep an eye out for more prey as we return to the starting island.¡± Two days later, Viers returned to the starting island like a prodigal son; proud, on top of the Frozen Siren. He returned for one thing only. ¡°Crazy Pete, how are you old drunk?¡± ¡°Ah it¡¯s you again. Did you get what I asked?¡± The man was still sitting in the tavern just like the day he found him, rum in hand. Had he stayed there these past ten days? Viers was curious. ¡°No, but I got you something better.¡± Viers dropped a pouch full of coins. The sound of that hitting the table was satisfying. ¡°You told me that you wanted me to get you some rocks that you can sell for money so you can send money to your family. There, I gave you the money directly. No need for whatchacallit rocks. Now tell me how to get to the City of Pearl.¡± The logic was sound in Viers¡¯ mind. ¡°I can''t accept this coin. Get me the rocks, then we¡¯ll talk.¡± ¡°...Is it the currency?¡± What Viers gave was the gold coins from the real world. ¡°I have just the thing.¡± Viers put out another full pouch beside the first. This one was filled with the coin that he plundered from the ships in Stage 2. Crazy Pete shouldn''t have complaints now. ¡°No. Crazy Pete wants you to get the rock.¡± Viers sighed. ¡°You really are Crazy Pete. I have just given you enough money to purchase three houses. Oh well. I already half-expected this result.¡± If Crazy Pete was a living person, he would have shuddered looking at Viers¡¯ slasher smile. ¡°Welp, you left me with no choice. Have it your way.¡± ¡°Wha-? What are you doing?¡± Viers pounced on him, dragged him out of his chair, and wrangled him with thick ropes. Crazy Pete became a human caterpillar. ¡°If you had a soul, I would have already pried the location from your brain but you don''t, so I invite you to my ship. Let¡¯s see if I can''t change your mind. If I can''t, I¡¯ll get these damn rocks of yours but returning here again for a fetch quest is too troublesome. You¡¯ll come with me, bud.¡± ¡°R-Release me. Criminal! Murder!¡± The people of the tavern didn''t dare to act. Viers walked out after leaving some coins to the bartender with Crazy Pete on his shoulders. Viers planned to throw him overboard in the middle of the sea once Crazy Pete had outlived his usefulness. Because Crazy Pete represented all the annoying fetch quests Viers had done across all the games he had ever played. Viers wanted an outlet to channel that vexation. And if this unconventional act toward the quest giver resulted in the quest failing, Viers already took another quest from a different NPC that claimed he knew where the City of Pearl was. It was worth the risk. Viers sprinted to the Siren while Crazy Pete screamed for help unceasingly. Boldly, he took the main road to the port. Not a single townsperson reacted, just like when Viers moored his ghost ship in broad daylight. ¡°Wahahaha! Weigh anchor, lads! To the sea once more!¡± The Frozen Siren rode the waves with a new attachment. Crazy Pete was bound to the mast upside and down. ¡°HEEEEELP!!!¡± Chapter 153 - A Pirates Life ¡°Haha! That will teach them.¡± Felix, a youth that used the alias ¡®Youallsucks¡¯ had just fended off pirates. This was the second unsavory company that tried to rob Felix¡¯s vessel today. The pirate ship slunk away because of all the damage. ¡°Ooh, look what they have done, my poor girl,¡± Felix lamented the damaged hull. It wasn''t easy to complete the quests that gained him a ship of his own. ¡°Sir, ship sighted to the west.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Felix used the telescope to observe his crew¡¯s warning. Felix saw the approaching ship was bigger than his own. That¡¯s not good. Felix saw the approaching ship was flying pirate colors. Gah! That¡¯s not good at all. Felix saw the approaching ship was white in color and emit a smoky white fog. A magic ship! I hope it¡¯s just passing- Felix saw Tanael at the bow of the ship. His face went blue. ¡°FULL SPEED AHEAD!! Sail you idiots, sail like the devils are behind us!¡± Like a rabbit seeing a pouncing lion, Felix tried to get away as fast as he was physically able to. Unfortunately for him, it wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°Not good. The maniac is catching up¡­ AH!?¡± Tanael¡¯s ship shot its chase guns, launching blue projectiles. After a couple of missed volleys, one projectile finally hit the sail of Felix¡¯s ship. Felix was wide-eyed as he saw the inevitable happening. The sail turned frosty, spreading until the majority of the cloth became frozen. ¡°AAAHH!!¡± The wind blew and the sail came crumbling down like a broken pane of glass. The rabbit¡¯s legs were broken and the lion leisurely came closer. When the two ships were lining up board to board, Tanael greeted his fellow trial taker. Felix saw Tanael and no other people on that ship. ¡°I know you. You¡¯re one of those guys with pretentious names¡­ Ah, mister Youallsucks. We¡¯ve met again, ya?¡± The lion was playing with its food. ¡°Tanael¡­ There¡¯s no need for a quarrel between us.¡± It sounded meeker than he would have liked. ¡°Oh, but we do. You see, I have been occupied for one week so my shards¡¯ count is lacking. It is in that spirit I came. Would you kindly¡­ donate?¡± Without shame: high seas robbery in broad daylight. ¡°Khhh,¡± Felix gritted his teeth. ¡°I wonder, what is the preferable amount, Tanael?¡± ¡°Not much, not much¡­ Just half will do.¡± Felix summoned his black spark and split it into two. One flew to Tanael. ¡°Much appreciated. I like sensible people. See ya around.¡± Tanael turned his back and Felix was really, really hoping he would go away. ¡°But naaah...¡± Tanael turned back. ¡°You surrender too easily,¡± Tanael leaned on the hull, looking down on Felix with the eyes of a predator. ¡°What are you hiding?¡± ¡°Shit! To arms!¡± Felix shouted after his cover was blown. The seawater churned, pulled, and a big cube of water was floating above Felix¡¯s head. ¡°Tanael! Don''t get cocky. I have the environment advantage here! You already have my shards. Just leave me alone!¡± ¡°Hahaha! I too have the terrain advantage,¡± Tanael blared his ghostly green-colored Victa. It was twice as thick as the last time they fought. Not only that, the ship creaked with the sound of cracking wood. It was as if the ship was alive and displaying its displeasure. ¡°When I¡¯m near this beauty, the Frozen Siren will give my soul Artes a boost!¡± What the hell is that ship? Why does this bastard get such a good thing? ¡°Kill all who resist, capture the rest. That guy with a boisterous name is mine. Charge!¡± Along with Tanael¡¯s command, the ghost crew emerged from the ship and jumped to board Felix¡¯s vessel. Tanael himself made a beeline to Felix. Unlike the skeletons in Pyke¡¯s Crew of the Damned, Tanael¡¯s men were spectral-like. ¡°Damn you, TANAELLLLL!!!¡± Felix roared and the battle commenced. Artes were exchanged and clashed against each other. Felix attacked with all he had but Tanael received everything with ease. ¡°My heart bleeds for taking so much of your stuff. Let me give you compensation. Do you know Green Scorpion? He¡¯s a dual affinity of earth and mind. Take extra care against him. He might have gotten inside your head already.¡± ¡°Wha-?¡± ¡°This has been a delightful reunion. So long.¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Viers punched him in the gut -unnaturally strong- and ¡®Youallsucks¡¯ buckled from the force. ¡°Hwuoogh!?¡± Arte - Black Out Down! Tanael invoked the Arte along with the punch and Felix fell face first to the wooden floor. After Tanael had found out that Green Scorpion was a mind Pathseeker, he¡¯d spread the news to the people he encountered. The first was Izabella. Tanael blocked the information leak from his end but Izabella knew about him too. After Iz had been warned she should be able to defend herself from Scorpion¡¯s mind peek. She had also been instructed to spread the news to others. Hehehe, I will make #MindReaderScorpion viral. I won¡¯t make this trial easy for him. We are already enemies to the death! Next up¡­ Soul search! While he had warned others against Scorpion¡¯s mind probing, Tanael had no qualms of using his own soul probing. ...Hoh, Tanael smiled. So that¡¯s what you¡¯re hiding. Three hours later, Felix woke up on the floor of the deck. After releasing the bound crew right in front of him, he ran to his room. He found that a section of the flooring had been pried out. It was the place where he had hidden a treasure map he gained from a quest. Tanael also left a note. Writing on the wall. Sucks to be you. ¡°Sir,¡± a seaman said. ¡°The pirates have also taken all the cargo in the hold.¡± Youallsucks looked to the ceiling with a blank face. It was the face of a man who had his world crumbling all around him. Meanwhile, the pirate who was responsible for it all was making a big hole in the middle of nowhere, shoveling dirt one stroke after another. "Buried treasure, buried treasure, dubidu dubidu bidam~¡± Someone was in a good mood. ¡°Lord Viers, why did you take only half? Why not all of his shards?¡± Farley asked. ¡°There¡¯s a term called catch and release in fishing. This is that.¡± Viers didn¡¯t decimate Youallsucks out of kindness but because he hoped the man would gain more treasure and shards. So he could plunder him again. Dukk! The shovel hit something hard. Viers cleared the surroundings and unearthed a chest. It was smaller than he expected but it was heavy. Filled to the brim. Which was a good sign. Viers broke the lock forcefully and found gold, gems, and glory. Well, not glory¡­ Viers searched the inside for something else but didn''t find it. Riches through and through. But Viers had more than enough riches, at least not right now. Viers converted them all to shards. I got Horizon from it. Let¡¯s call it a win. Time marched on. To the players, there were now two Dread Pirates. Pirates infested these waters but these two were in a different league. One was Pyke and the other was one of their own. They were the scourge of these seas. Pyke was an unkillable force of nature but the other was no less dangerous. Riding his enviable ghost ship, Pirate Tanael came and went as if he could fly. He demanded shard tithe or he would sink your ship while you were gathering treasures in the scattered islands. His latest act of atrocity was that he would leave curses on the island after cleaning all the treasures to the peril of those who came after him. And he had the gall to sell information on which islands he left curses on to you! Fed-up players formed a coalition of ten ships to put Tanael in his place but it only resulted in a disastrous defeat. The Frozen Siren gave an ungodly advantage: The magical ship could catch wind as it pleased and maneuvered like a turning hurricane. With the command of its captain, the Siren could leave trails of obstructing frost behind it and a single shot on the sails from its cursed cannons would turn the cloth icy and brittle. When the gust of wind shattered the now brittle sail and your ship was dead in the water, the Siren would spit out her supernatural crew at you. Since brute force didn''t work, it was time for an alternative approach. Tanael was still human thus needed to sleep. He also needed to anchor his ship sometimes. Boarding and taking the enchanted ship would reduce the menace that is Tanael significantly. They should have known that a ghost ship would hide horrors below its deck. Three female wraiths with veiled faces made all that ever stepped on the Frozen Siren without the Captain¡¯s permission come to regret their decision. Captain¡¯s orders, said the warrior wraith as she speared you through the guts. This one wraith would unhesitatingly swat you down like a pest. Captain¡¯s orders are absolute, stab. No men dead or alive shall disturb the Captain¡¯s rest, stab. Leave your blood as payment for trespassing, stab. The other wraith was a mage woman haunted with bottomless regret, the victims said. An uncanny sorceress, this wraith. Her water magic application was unorthodox. She kept saying, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, while denying your basic human right of breathing as she performed a water burial on you, alive. Sigh¡­ I¡¯m on rat duty, again, the third wraith complained with a deadpan expression. This one didn''t move around like the other two, perhaps she was a cripple when she was alive. Her rat disposal technique was using the ship¡¯s cannons on you. A sadistic ghost, for she always smiled enjoyingly as the cannons blasted through your shield and crushed your torso. Boarding the stronghold of the dreadful pirate was a fool¡¯s game. Twice such an attempt had been tried. On the morrow, the folks could see the result, the Frozen Siren sailed while dragging a bunch of people tied with ropes. As the players spied horridly using telescopes from afar, Captain Tanael waved to them. A big board with the writing ¡®Shark Fishing¡¯ was put on deck for all to see. *** A man with a pair of rainbow-hued green irises and vertical pupils rose from the sea holding a seaweed stalk in his hand. Bluestripes Seaweed. Can raise affinity to water 3. Get. Viers climbed back to the Frozen Siren and dried himself with a towel. ¡°Alright, lads. Continue.¡± The ship sailed forward again. Stage 2 is actually a forgiving round. Treasure everywhere. The farther one goes from the starting town, the more valuable the natural treasures are. The trial takers definitely will reap benefits here even if you¡¯re weak. There¡¯s no need to go into the further regions if your strength is insufficient. Viers put the seaweed into his casket, not putting it in the pouch that turned every treasure into spark shards. Still, the greater the risk the greater the reward. Viers had been finding treasures with an uncanny proficiency, the reason was his eyes. Usually, the more valuable the treasures, the more visible they are to Viers¡¯ eyes. More and more he praised this versatile Arte that had helped him so much inside and outside of battle. After days of traveling, Viers caught a shadow of an island on the skyline. ¡°That''s a big island.¡± It was far bigger than the islands scattered throughout the region by far. ¡°So that¡¯s the place?¡± Viers asked Crazy Pete who was still tied upside down to the mast. ¡°...Yes. There you¡¯ll find the Favor of the Sky. One of two items to find the City of Pearl,¡± he said lifelessly. He had not eaten for a week but was not a tiny bit skinnier for it. ¡°Good boy. Here¡¯s your reward.¡± Viers put a bottle of rum into Crazy Pete¡¯s mouth and walked to the front of the ship. ¡°Favor of the Sky...¡± Chapter 154 - Precious Days ¡°Hm, my treasure senses are tingling. Stop by that island, lads.¡± Despite the island with the ¡®Favor of the Sky¡¯ thingy -a key item for the main quest- that was right in front of his eyes, Viers instructed the crew to make a stop at a nearby island. ¡°What kind of treasures have you picked up, Lord Viers?¡± Farley asked. This happened frequently enough during their ship travel. ¡°I don''t know. Even using Euryale Sight I cannot unravel it,¡± Viers confessed. ¡°There have been a lot of those things lately,¡± Paina said. Alan¡¯s illusion, Izabella¡¯s cat form, the mysterious people that tried to steal Aletro¡¯s book, and many more instances inside the Book World. ¡°Viers hasn¡¯t mastered Euryale Sight. At full mastery, it is said that nothing less than godly influence is able to escape the sight,¡± Clarissa defended the greatness of her people¡¯s secret art. ¡°This is already the most used Arte in my life. HOW do you master it, Rissa?¡± Viers also didn''t like the limitation. ¡°In the old days, there were methods for it but I wasn¡¯t privy to it. I wasn''t qualified to use that Arte, remember?¡± ¡°So what''s left is to use it a lot. I have done so already,¡± Viers sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go girls, we¡¯re investigating that ridge. The mana is very strange over there. Keep your guard up. The last time we were a little bit careless we got chased by a hundred Reitzes Hornets.¡± ¡°That was mostly you, Viers,¡± Clarissa retorted. ¡°Hey, it was a team effort!¡± Things with power or profundity beyond his grasp would appear like a haze in Viers¡¯ sight. Thankfully, Stage 2 of the Book World was full of natural treasures so what he found were mostly valuable things. If this was in the real world, Viers would not investigate the unknown so readily. If it was a natural treasure, usually there existed a guardian already munching on its benefits, probably strong monsters too. Also, not all natural treasures were beneficial. There were those with negative effects, such as venomous plants with a wide range of inflictions or cursed objects. ¡°Can you afford to waste time in a place like this?¡± Paina asked. ¡°What if other people get the Favor of the Sky while we¡¯re here? We already got stuck inside a cave for one week.¡± ¡°Paina, you didn''t hear it cause you were sleeping but Crazy Pete said the place can only be entered at a certain time each week. The next opening is tomorrow. We still got time,¡± Farley said. ¡°That¡¯s how it is. Let¡¯s keep going,¡± Viers went while carrying the tenants inside his head. He wanted to keep the illusion that the girls were part of the ghost ship. For an ambush when necessary. The island had different variations of vegetation like a lush rainforest. Viers climbed a high tree to ¡®synchronize a viewpoint¡¯ and observe the surroundings. ¡°Oh? There¡¯s a ship over there. Looks like we¡¯re not the only people here.¡± Viers continued his trek to the ridge through the woods, weeds, and bushes. Collecting minor valuables and fending off small fry monsters. ¡°Medallion''s humming, place of power¡­ gotta be,¡± Viers said solemnly when he was close. ¡°Eh? You don''t have a medallion. What are you talking about?¡± Paina asked. ¡°It is¡­ tradition,¡± Viers sneered while remembering Gerald of Rivia. Viers heard it before he could see it. It was a beautiful waterfall in a little hidden paradise. ¡°Waow¡­ Nice pla-¡± Viers dodged and defended against a flurry of water attacks. This attack¡­ This one is not a nobody. Just when Viers was about to counterattack, the assailant revealed himself from behind the trees. ¡°Wait! I mean you no harm.¡± The elf? ¡°You attacked first!¡± ¡°Yes, and I truly apologize for that. The spirits were agitated. I thought you were an undead monster,¡± the tall and thin elf seemed sincere. ¡°Overwhelmed by their emotion, I attacked. I cannot control them very well yet. Forgive me, Tanael.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The male elf before him had the appearance of by-the-book classic elven. Long blonde hair, pointy ears, fair skin, green eyes, and a beautiful face. Viers picked up that he bore no fear of him. The majority of the players reeked of it when seeing him but this elf did not. That meant he had the confidence to match him. Viers expected as much from the elf. Rank 7 white spark holder, Fithel. Perhaps he got that spirit power recently in Stage 2. Just like I got my reward for being in the top 10. Fithel gave him a piece of his spark. ¡°Please accept this as a token of apology.¡± Viers received 250 shards. ¡°...Fine. No harm done,¡± Veirs did not pursue the matter. ¡°...Truly? I didn''t expect such an answer from a man of your¡­ reputation,¡± Fithel tried to pick any falsehood from Viers. His guard was still up. ¡°You don''t seem to be an easy opponent that I can crush with impunity.¡± The elf looked confused. ¡°You treated me differently based on my strength? Would you do the same to your fellow humans?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°The elders were right¡­ Humans are a barbaric bunch.¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Viers laughed loudly, amused. ¡°It¡¯s called diplomacy. And your elders are right. We humans are a brutish race. We multiply like pests, fight our own neighbors for selfish gain, suck dry nature''s resources without a care, then move to someplace else to repeat the cycle.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°...You hold such a low-esteem for your own race?¡± Fithel looked like he was seeing an alien from space. ¡°Mehhh,¡± the youth shrugged. ¡°There are decent folks among my kind. Feel free to seek them out. Not to brag or anything but I¡¯m a villain. I represent the bad side of humanity. It would be wise for you to judge the whole human race using me as the standard.¡± ¡°...The way of human society confuses me,¡± the elf said after a long pause. ¡°Hell, I''m 100% human born and bred but human society still confuses me. I don''t think too much about it,¡± Viers put the matter to an end and changed the topic, looking at the waterfall. ¡°I take it you¡¯re here for this too? What is it?¡± ¡°I followed the spirits¡¯ whispers and they led me here. The mystical waterfall gives you¡­ insight. The more secrets you comprehend, the more benefits you¡¯ll gain. I¡¯ve been here for two days.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ I think I¡¯ll stay,¡± Viers squinted his eyes at the waterfall. ¡°Do you have objections?¡± ¡°Feel free to partake in nature''s blessing. It is not my place to object,¡± Fithel replied with the serenity befitting of an elf. ¡°Truce then.¡± ¡°Truce,¡± Fithel gave a nod. Viers and Fithel gave ample space to each other before sitting down and unraveling the waterfall¡¯s uniqueness. The place Viers chose was a moss-covered rock in the middle of the pond. He was close enough to the waterfall that tiny droplets touched his body now and then. ¡°Girls, keep an eye on Fithel.¡± Viers sharpened his mind and peered on the screen of moving water. He saw shapes and shadows too abstract to make out. It wasn''t unclear but his mind had a hard time determining the appearance. Interesting. Viers was reminded of the small stream that raised his water mastery that he found before. This waterfall had some resemblance to it. Arte - Euryale Sight! The shapes were clearer and started to coalesce. Viers felt like he was on the right track and concentrated harder. It was strange; his mind was unusually calm and sharp. Moments later, Viers finally pierced the obscuring fog and witnessed the elusive shape¡¯s true form. It was a pair of snake eyes; green with rainbow hues just like his own. What Viers gazed upon was big, as if there was a giant snake truly looking at him beyond the waterfall¡¯s veil. I understand! Everything clicked and Viers woke up from his trance. ¡°Welcome back,¡± Clarissa greeted him. ¡°How long was I out?¡± ¡°A bit more than three hours, Lord Viers.¡± ¡°That long? It felt like an instant to me. Any changes on our elf?¡± ¡°He didn''t try anything. Just watching the waterfall, same as you,¡± Paina answered. ¡°Good. Clarissa, I think my Euryale Sight-¡± ¡°Has evolved, yes. We three felt it.¡± ¡°It was¡­ hard to explain,¡± Viers said. ¡°I think the waterfall gives different results depending on the person. Did you three try?¡± ¡°We did but it has no effect on us,¡± Farley said with a touch of regret. ¡°Hm, give this¡­ Waterfall of Clear Insight another go.¡± The girls were now materialized outside of Viers¡¯ body. They were still ghost-like but they could experience the world more completely compared to watching from the V-Stream. After fifteen minutes, they informed Viers that it was no good. ¡°I see. That¡¯s a shame. Alright, Farley and Clarissa, you two explore the island and take valuable treasures you find to me. Paina and I will stay here.¡± ¡°Got it~¡± ¡°Count on us.¡± Clarissa and Farley went away to do their chore. ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless. Run away at the first sign of trouble,¡± Viers warned them. ¡°Now then,¡± Viers faced the last of the three tenants. ¡°You keep me by your side because I¡¯m the least trustworthy of the three?¡± Paina didn''t speak with the venom of hate in her voice, more of resignation and a sense of hurt. ¡°Don''t be ridiculous. I need your expertise. Among us four, you¡¯re the most accomplished in the matters of sound. This waterfall¡¯s sound, does it feel mystical to you?¡± ¡°...I, uh¡­ Yeah. W-Waterfall, sound, right...¡± The unexpected answer made her awkward. Viers then screenshotted the stupefied-plus-relieved face of Paina to share with her roommates later. Meanwhile, Viers used his new Euryale Sight to glean more things from the waterfall. It took some time but Paina confirmed Viers¡¯ suspicion; the sound was mystical too. It had a mind-calming effect, perfect for supplementing a meditation session. ¡°Can you replicate it?¡± Viers the greedy asked. If he could bring the waterfall with him, he would. ¡°I want to use this as a lullaby.¡± ¡°How in the Heavens can I do that?¡± ¡°I don''t know. Use your flute or something.¡± ¡°My flute is better used for smacking you in the head. Don¡¯t ask the impossible!¡± ¡°Just try. There¡¯s nothing else to do until they come back.¡± A few hours later, the other two girls returned bearing gifts for their landlord. ¡°Whatcha two up to?¡± Clarissa felt she missed something fun. ¡°Sound, huh? No offense to her but I don''t think it¡¯s possible for Paina, Lord Viers. This is totally sound affinity Pathseeker territory and she isn''t one,¡± Farley eyed her friend. ¡°Or are you actually dual affinity too?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Well, I wouldn''t call it impossible. There are rare cases where someone awakened to a new affinity from practice or happening. Usually to the thing they like. Paina is a great musician so there¡¯s hope there,¡± Clarissa explained. ¡°Let¡¯s be real. Chances are I¡¯m not gonna be able to do it in one day. Didn''t we have somewhere to be tomorrow? Something about sky favor?¡± Paina said. ¡°Ehem,¡± Farley coughed. ¡°Paina can''t replicate it but what if we bring the sound with us? Didn''t we find a Sound Recording Clam a few days ago?¡± Viers¡¯ face turned to stone. ¡°Viers¡­ did you¡­ turn it to shards? Pfft,¡± Clarissa couldn''t help but feel a bit of schadenfreude. ¡°It seemed worthless at the time...¡± Viers sounded defeated, a rare occurrence for him. ¡°Haah,¡± Farley lightly sighed. ¡°Good thing I found another just now. Lady luck has blessed you, Lord Viers. Although, I don''t know if the sound recording will retain-¡± Farley was caught unaware by the big hug and a kiss on the forehead. ¡°That¡¯s my girl! Whoohoo!¡± While Viers was preparing the clam to steal the waterfall¡¯s sound, the girls huddled together for a little gossip. ¡°How is it? The kiss of a boy? Was it your first? You can tell your best friend, or as Viers calls it, BFF. There¡¯s no secret between us, right?¡± Paina shot first. ¡°Farley~ Why is your face red? Have you gained a body because of a kiss? Is this the power of love in the stories?¡± Clarissa loosed a second arrow. ¡°Cough, cough¡­ It¡¯s the weather.¡± *** Fithel had met a peculiar human. The nature spirits were very afraid of the human. They warned him that the human carried death with him. It was like the instinct of shooting a frenzied tiger coming straight at you. Thankfully, Fithel regained control before the fight had gotten worse. He might not be afraid of this Tanael but he certainly wasn''t looking forward to fighting him either. And indeed the human was drenched in the smell of death. But this one could be reasoned with so they stayed out of each other¡¯s way. Tanael¡¯s talent might be above Fithel¡¯s own. It only took him a few hours to reap the waterfall¡¯s benefits. Fithel needed twice as long. When he saw Tanael summoned the three dead spirits, Fithel wondered if he was actually a lich. However, Fithel sensed something very odd in the human. A presence similar to the Sacred Tree back home. It was faint but he was sure of it. The world is wide. I would never have known if I never left the Grove. ¡°Yo.¡± Fithel opened his eyes from the call. Tanael was standing nearby and tossed him an apple. ¡°I¡¯m leaving first. Your objective is the Favor of the Sky too, isn''t it? Don''t forget it¡¯s tomorrow. Long-lived races like yours often forget appointments by months, sometimes, years.¡± ¡°Your reminder is appreciated but I¡¯ve only passed fifty springs, still young. I¡¯m not yet like the elders that trivialized the passage of time,¡± Fithel said. ¡°Hah! There are fifty-year-old humans with grandkids you know. But I also know a fifty-year-old green baby. Hehehe, he got you beat, ¡®youngster¡¯. See ya around.¡± After Tanael left, Fithel observed the apple five times to make sure he didn''t miss anything malicious before he took a bite. ¡°...A bit sweet.¡± Chapter 155 - Favor of the Sky Viers -in the mood for something grandiose- felt that he had graced the gigantic island where the Favor of the Sky slumbered with his presence. His arrival was not unnoticed, coming from the front as he was. In fact, everyone with eyes and ears who had seen the famous white ghost ship approaching cursed its Captain in the same breath. Viers made his way alone to the island after anchoring the Frozen Siren. Telling the crew to protect the ship. No players dared to give him trouble, by now they all knew that Viers was among the strongest and no one could match him in straight combat. Seeing other players from afar, Viers had a question. Why do they have Ta Moko? After leaving the coast behind and entering an area with vegetation, Viers saw two groups of ten fighting over a single yellow fruit on a tree. About half of them had markings on their face. Viers recognized one of the group¡¯s leaders. It was Big Boss 69, a player in the top 50 that he had brutalized for shards in Stage 1. Quite a formidable Pathseeker. The people were in an uproar, thinking Viers would take the fruit for himself. However, Viers gave a pitying smile before making his way deeper into the island. A Euness Fruit. Increases bodily endurance when eaten¡­ Hehehe. Viers remembered a time when he found an entire tree bearing dozens of that same fruit hanging on its branches in Dia¡¯s Biome. They were also of much better quality than this one. Viers ate about thirty of them until he didn¡¯t gain any more stat boosts from it. Viers made sure to eat all the permanent stat boosting items he could get his hands on while he could access the mystical plant Biome. It was one of the factors why Viers was so strong in battles. He might not choose to be cooped up in that place for decades while he grew to Level 5 but Viers took every advantage that he could get. In the center of the island, there was a mountain range. Only a single path was available upwards, through hundreds and hundreds of stairs. Viers started to climb. The steps he took reminded him of the time when he climbed the Great Wall of China on Earth. The fact that he was not out of breath, not even a little bit, was a far cry from the old him. At the end of the mountain trekking, Viers found a plaza and a big magnificent gate thirty meters tall with intricate carvings. There were dilapidated stone buildings that used to be fit for lodging some centuries past. The ancient place was located high up in the mountain, befitting of its name. ¡°The place Crazy Pete told us about, the Sky Temple.¡± There was still time until the sun reached the peak and the gate opened. Viers picked a spot and crossed his legs to meditate. Viers was not the only one waiting in the plaza. He chose to deepen his understanding of the upgraded Euryale Sight rather than picking up treasures below the mountain like the others. Unlike before, he didn''t let the girls out on their own. As soul beings, they were more resistant and more vulnerable to damage at the same time. Viers didn''t want to risk their well-being. Hours passed, the players were gradually gathering in the plaza. Viers was as still as bedrock in the river. When the time came, the gate opened with an awe-inspiring sound of a massive contraption moving. This must be what Nathan Drake was feeling when he saw the opened gates to Shamballa. He waited with anticipation as the gate opened wider inch by inch. What he saw was not a grand spectacle but a wall. Walls, walls, and more walls. This¡­ is a maze. There were paths on or between the walls that people could enter. There were no instructions or anything else, only an opened gate giving its silent invitation. Before long, some people went in. Out of 63 people in the Stage 2 of water world, 56 were here and there was only one path forward. The trial takers went in groups or solo according to their preferences. Sakuya offered him a nod before going in on her own. After using Euryale Sight, Viers sighed. The labyrinth would be a pain to complete. It was a maze with multiple dizzying paths. There were plenty of pocket rooms with puzzles, traps, and roadblocks such as monsters. Viers could see through the walls and he knew which direction he should take but he still got lost in the maze. If he could break through the walls and go in a straight line he would have done so already but the walls were unbreakable. My Raseng- ahem¡­ My Vortex Nova doesn''t even scratch it¡­? Fine, I got the message, Aletro. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. It was a blind maze dive. There were choices given to the players in the maze, such as taking the long but safe path or the short but dangerous one. The individual¡¯s ability played a huge role in progressing. After twenty-one hours of left and right, of going up and down the stairs, of doubling back after wrong turns, Viers finally reached the final obstacle. ¡°Wait for it¡­ Wait¡­ I¡¯m ready now.¡± The rock troll was sleeping in the middle of the room until Viers blasted it with Vengeful Spirit Arte. Predictably, it went after Viers in a straight line. It stepped on a seemingly ordinary floor and got enveloped in an explosion of soul Arte from below. It was tough and kept going, disregarding its injury. It ate another blast another step in. Explosions after explosions with the visual of screaming faces, Viers had used multiple Howling Wraiths Artes and planted them like mines. Unlike in the game where he got the inspiration for this technique, Viers could invoke the Arte from a distance, exploding it directly or laying it dormant. Currently, he could cast the Howling Wraiths Arte at any place in an area of ten meters with him at the center. The rock troll with a hardy body and potent regeneration fell prey to the damage to its soul. Soulwreck, as Viers named it. If Viers had the time to prepare, it would mean his enemies would be walking into a deadly soul minefield. Mmhmm, Viers nodded satisfyingly. Gotta give a personal touch to my Artes. A stark improvement from the Hollow Knight version. The maze was fair though, with easy and hard encounters. He had gone through an unavoidable fight with a golem that gave him trouble a few hours past. Before that, there was also the encounter with a very annoying water elemental. After ¡®processing¡¯ the remains of the troll. He was a step away from completing the maze. Euryale Sight allowed him to see through walls so he knew the general direction to go and which paths to take or not take. He had a vague feeling that he couldn''t do that if his Arte didn''t get an upgrade earlier. Viers went into the final area as the first clearer. His eyes gave him a clear advantage against the others. It was an empty open-roof area high in the mountain peak. From the edge, he could see the plaza and the entrance from hundreds of meters below from where he was now. Thin air, strong sunlight, and the sky seemed so close. A beam of light from the sky as thin as a needle hit the back of his left hand. It was so fast Viers couldn''t react. He panicked but calmed down after realizing it wasn''t an attack. There was now a sigil on one of his hands. The mark was quite cool and there was a ¡®1¡¯ on it. Viers¡¯ place. Viers received the Favor of the Sky. ¡°...That¡¯s it?¡± It was so anticlimactic that Viers thought there would be more cutscenes to follow. After a while, there really was nothing new happening. Welp, just like a bad ride in an amusement park. Long lines but over in an instant. With nothing else to do, Viers tried to return back to the maze because there was no other way but he found that he couldn''t. An invisible barrier prevented him from leaving. ¡°What¡­?¡± Despite his best efforts, he couldn''t do anything to the barrier. He was stranded on the peak of a mountain on all sides. Unless he had a wingsuit, jumping out would mean his death. Do I have to wait until the others get here? Left with no choice, Viers waited. Fortunately, Pathseekers were well suited for waiting. On Earth, Viers would be bored out of his mind waiting without a smartphone for hours but here Viers could just do some light cultivation to pass the time. At least the mana here was of high quality, perfect for cultivation. If I had wind affinity, the effect would be greater. The Book World limited the players¡¯ cultivation to the same degree but his true cultivation remained. Any cultivation improvement he made might not be visible but it would show itself when he returned to the real world. As the hours passed by, more and more people reached the peak of the Sky Temple. They had the same confusion as Viers but there was nothing else to do but wait. As expected, Fithel is among the quickest. Sakuya did well too. When the last participant received his mark, a giant head of Pyke appeared! ¡°Hahahaha! You didn''t think it was going to be that easy, did you?¡± Viers and the others were hit by a gust of wind from all sides. The wind was so strong Viers hugged the ground to prevent getting blown away. Screams of panic could be heard among the wind¡¯s roar. ¡°Those who want to take the Trident will suffer!¡± Each player had a miniature hurricane enveloping their bodies. Many tried to resist but to no avail. The hurricane lifted them from the ground and blew them away in all directions, scattering them like human fireworks. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!¡± Viers couldn''t fly and a fall at this height would be lethal. He screamed like a person riding a jet coaster without wearing seat belts. The wind carried him very fast mercilessly, several G¡¯s worths of pressure squished Viers¡¯ body. ¡°VIERS, we¡¯re coming down!¡± Clarissa loudly said. ¡°Kyaaaaah!¡± Paina was screaming her lungs out inside Viers¡¯ head. ¡°W-Water Barrier full force! Eh!? We can''t!¡± Farley tried to do everything she could. Viers¡¯ Victa was sealed. No Arte could be used. ¡°Shit! Come out! Water Barrier, Water Barrier, Water Barrier!¡± Viers also tried a last-ditch effort but even if the barrier manifested, at the speed he was in, it might not make a difference. Like a falling meteor, Viers hit the surface of the sea, raising a pillar of water to the air. I¡¯m¡­ unhurt? It seemed the ¡®cutscene¡¯ was harmless to the players. Thank God¡­ I almost pissed myself there. Viers really thought he was going to die. If he had known then it might have been the greatest theme park attraction he¡¯d ever ridden but the realism was too much. ¡°We¡¯re alive!¡± ¡°Phew...¡± ¡°Gods... That was too nerve-wracking.¡± The girls also shared his relief. Still disoriented, Viers clawed his way to the surface and took a deep breath. Wait, water? Sea? Not good! Stage 2¡¯s open water was dangerous without a ship. When the realization hit Viers, his sense of danger went haywire. Viers linked minds with Paina and Farley then used Euryale Sight in less than a second. Piercing the deep blue, he saw a pair of purple eyes barreling up right at him. Chapter 156 - Devadom ¡°ICE SHIELD!¡± A half-dome shield of ice was raised by Viers in an instant. He created the toughest defense he could in anticipation of what was coming. The assailant did not slow down. It broke the shield and slammed Viers behind it, making both of them rise meters above the water¡¯s surface. Amidst the broken icicles, Viers saw the form of his attacker. A body of black and white, elegant and fearsome, cute face and predatory. Its purple eyes left light streaks in the water and the air. ¡°A killer whale?¡± The girls were as surprised as Viers. ¡°Gasp! Is that¡­¡± Paina was agape. ¡°Devadom Orca!!¡± Farley said with a grim face. ¡°A Deva-class monster!? Are you sure?¡± Viers corrected his posture while falling from the air. The orca made a big splash as it returned to the sea first but Viers used his water mastery to stand above the water¡¯s surface, drenched with brine from head to toe. ¡°What? What? Tell me,¡± Clarissa was the only one who didn''t know. ¡°Throughout the continent, there exist monsters powerful beyond people¡¯s understanding. Not even Level 5 Pathseekers can tangle with the best of their kind. We call these special monsters Deva-class,¡± Farley explained. ¡°Their numbers are few and very rarely seen. But their strength is without question. Devadom Orca is one of the twelve Deva monsters in the seas,¡± Paina added. ¡°Among the known ones,¡± Farley disagreed. ¡°Who can say we have seen every monster in existence?¡± ¡°Whoa¡­ no such list existed in my time,¡± Clarissa commented. ¡°We¡¯re in a bad situation, though. What will you do, Viers? We¡¯re on its home turf.¡± Menacingly, with a fin jutting from the water like in the Jaws movie, the orca circled around the alerted Viers. ¡°Thank goodness it¡¯s only a Rank 2. A Rank 3 would be very, very bad.¡± ¡°Keep moving Lord Viers! If that¡¯s really the Devadom Orca then we must not get caught by its ability.¡± He felt the space constrict, as if the air was turning into concrete. Not good! Viers moved ten meters away using Raging River Step Arte, dashing on the water as if he was walking on solid land. ¡°That is space manipulation!¡± Clarissa said. ¡°Yes. Master of water and space, Great Hunter of the Seas: Devadom Orca,¡± Viers felt threatened. It has been a long time since he felt a sense of crisis from a monster encounter. The last time was when he met Harry, Marc, and Minty, surrounded by chameleon wolves. ¡°What¡¯s your call, Lord Viers? Fight or flight?¡± ¡°Viers, transform into a water monster first! You¡¯ll have more freedom that way,¡± Paina said. ¡°...I can''t. I don''t have monster forms to fight underwater effectively! Hrggh!?¡± The orca didn''t wait until Viers finished his discussion and attacked with a water blast from its mouth. Behind his shield, Viers felt like he had been hit by a hundred firemen''s hoses at the same time. ¡°Y-Y-You don''t!?¡± Paina was aghast. ¡°You can become every aquatic monster out there and you don''t have even one form for fighting underwater?¡± ¡°How often do you think I get to fight underwater? It is not a priority!¡± And he had not found one monster that was worthy of a special mention. He had a fish form but it was this world¡¯s equivalent of Magicarp. One wrong move and the orca could swallow him with one gulp. That form was not for battle. Viers returned fire with Vengeful Spirit Arte but the orca disappeared, even some of the surrounding waters on its body seemed to be moved from the material plane until the sea corrected it. Viers¡¯ soul Arte faded into the distance and the hair on his neck stood on end. It was by the skin of his teeth that Viers dodged a maw of the orca that came from the side. Blink! If it can do that multiple times, can I even get away? In an instant, Viers made his resolve. Guren Muramasa was pulled unsheathed from the Casket. Sword at eye level pointing forward to the enemy, the sharp side of the katana facing the sky. The grip on the sword was not too firm or too loose, calm breathing and green eyes sharp. Left foot in front and knees slightly bent, lowering the center of gravity for ease of movement. This was Viers¡¯ most natural stance. He didn''t possess a single martial arts experience before his reincarnation but he had fought many life-threatening battles since then. Viers was now a blooded warrior that had brushed with death multiple times. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The air changed as the creator of the Suiten Mitsurugi-ryuu sword style took his stance. ¡°So be it. You shall be my main form for underwater combat. Devadom Orca, I accept¡­ your existence.¡± The orca did not care and charged. Viers sidestepped and placed his sword to the side, using the monster¡¯s momentum to injure it. Since so many monsters used changing attacks, Viers did the maneuver with polished skill. The cut was shallow because of the orca¡¯s toughness and had started to heal. Man and whale embroiled in single combat on the open seas. Orca created whirlpools in the area, denying Viers footing. He hung on with difficulty. Thinking it was its chance, the orca jumped out of the water to pounce upon Viers but it got hit by Howling Wraiths Arte from below. Viers had baited the Devadom Orca. Viers attacked while it was staggering. The battle went on, ten minutes felt like hours to Viers. He could no longer hit the orca using the soul mines. It seemed to be able to sense it somehow. Finding no purchase in close quarters combat, the kingly orca species changed strategy, trying to pull Viers into the depths. Disturbing the water Veirs stood on, creating a water pit, space prison, and so on. It caught Viers eventually but Paina saved him. She used the characteristic of water that was a better medium for sound than air to jolt the orca with a high pitch attack using Viers¡¯ soul as the outlet. Viers decided to call it Soul Sound Stun and hoped to make it a proper Arte in the future. For now, the orca had let go of his leg and was no longer chomping it. Thanks to Paina his leg was not bitten off and only mangled. Viers raised his body from the water with much difficulty, blood flowing profusely from the injured leg. ¡°Zeeh¡­ zeeh¡­ zeeh.¡± Viers heaved heavily. The Devadom Orca had the upper hand. The terrain was too advantageous towards the marine mammal monster. ¡°Viers¡­¡± Clarissa warned. ¡°I know¡­¡± Their battle had attracted other beings. Most were small fries but Viers could sense that some were not. I have to finish it quickly. Viers went all in for the next offensive. Farley chained down the orca while Paina gave him Combat Overture, Accelerato, Bravura, and Finale buffs. Viers stabbed the sea with his sword to free both hands. The katana did not fall down. He made a square with the thumbs and index finger on both sides. ¡°Fatal Soulframe: First Form - Horror!¡± The killer whale let out a sound that Viers would call adorable. But no matter how cute it sounded or looked, it was a kill or be killed moment for Viers so he didn''t hesitate to deliver the next attack. With sword in hand, he unleashed a stabbing attack to the orca¡¯s blowhole on the top of its head. Viers¡¯ sword was stopped centimeters above the skin as if the orca was wearing invisible armor. Space barrier? Hmph, I have just the thing to use against cheeky whales like you! Viers pulled out his trump card, a blue crystal the size of a heart. The Rank 7 monster core! Injecting Victa and soul to rekindle the being it once was. ¡°MUOOOOOOOO!!!¡± Viers conjured the majestic visage of a white bull bearing splendid horns and possessing a mighty body with tails like a flowing river. An oppressive feeling before the presence of something greater spread out throughout the area. Sometime in the future when the Devadom Orca matures, it might not be any less impressive than the Rank 7 demigod bull but the whale was still far from living up to the reputation of its predecessors. All marine life in the area were shocked and stunned by the sudden emergence of a massive, god-like presence. Some had their fish guts crushed to paste and swam away frantically. The even lesser ones died on the spot. In the center of it all, bearing the full force of the intimidation, the Devadom Orca couldn''t maintain his space barrier and became wide open. It couldn''t resist the presence of a superior monster. This is my chance! Viers burned his life force to stab the katana deep inside its blowhole, at the top of the head. No space barrier prevented him this time. The Devadom Orca let out a piercing cry but Viers was not yet done. Guren Muramasa immediately drank the blood and Viers used blood Ixi Arte to violently expel the gathered blood while the sword was still stabbing the orca, ruining its insides! The monster had its body and soul devastated and lost its life; its purple eyes lost their luster. But Viers had no time to enjoy his victory. Using Euryale Sight to find the core, Viers violently carved his way through the orca¡¯s flesh and jammed his hand inside to touch the core; he attempted to absorb it immediately. He must be quick before something interrupts this crucial step. The solid core melted and absorbed through his skin. Viers instinctively felt it. He had a new form. ¡°Gotcha!!¡± Viers took its soul, stored the orca¡¯s body in the Thousand Treasures Casket, and made his way out from the blood-soaked water. Using the bull¡¯s core might deter most monsters but it could also provoke! And these ones were the kind of monsters that Viers didn''t want to tangle with. Monster Transformation! Ripping his clothes apart, Viers body became the complete copy of the monster he had just defeated. Viers had become the Devadom Orca in all its glory. He might not care much about ripped clothes but he couldn¡¯t leave his storage item behind. He manipulated water to carry it with¡­ No. Viers realized he¡¯s got a better idea. Viers stored the tiny object in a small pocket dimension. A feat he was able to do only in Devadom Orca form. ¡°We go!¡± Viers was in a hurry to leave. He felt the attention of something worse from the depths. The sea is always a fish-eat-fish world and there¡¯s always a bigger fish. He might not die permanently because of Aletro¡¯s grace but he would suffer setbacks and injury upon respawning so not dying was the best course of action. He wanted to be among the top 10 in Stage 2 too and gain the rewards that came with that position. As Orca-Viers swam away, a daredevil eel monster barred his path. The surrounding monsters had begun to recover from the bull core stun. Get out of my fucking way!! Viers manipulated water to give him a speed boost, strengthened his fish body using Victa -a feat that pure monsters weren''t able to- and invoked the latent ability of the Devadom Orca, Blink! The result was a speeding whale-shaped rocket that appeared with an open maw centimeters in front of the eel monster¡¯s face, followed immediately with violent chomps. The eel¡¯s body, now missing a head, was fought over by the other aquatic spectators as Viers swam far, far away while eating a light snack. The long trails of purple light from his eyes were proof of his speed. FREE WILLY, SUCKERS!! Chapter 157 - Favor of the Sea After he swam back and the Frozen Siren was in his sight, only then did Viers¡¯ adrenaline level start to return to normal. The Bull Shadow Intimidation was a paper tiger technique but it was very convincing. How could such an illusion give off an aura of a high-level monster? It was the same reason why a fake painting could be mistaken for a real one, because the fake had been given a soul. But at the end of the day, a fake was still fake. If the Devadom Orca saw through it or if Viers did it multiple times, the shock and awe effect would be lost. That was the reason Viers didn''t hesitate to burn 10 years worth of lifespan to make sure a lethal blow was dealt. ¡°My glorious return!¡± Viers declared so when he was back to the ship, amidst the ghost crew¡¯s cheer. He covered himself with a tunic made of water magic. He couldn''t make a permanent one so it was only temporary. He couldn''t walk around butt naked after all. He would change into real clothes in his cabin. I need to have my clothes enchanted like Izabella¡¯s. I¡¯m starting to get low on clothes. Monster transformation wasn''t good for shirts or robes in general. ¡°So,¡± Viers leaned on the mast where Crazy Pete was bound. ¡°Here¡¯s Favor of the Sky. Where¡¯s the other key item?¡± ¡°The other is called Favor of the Sea and it lies to the east from here,¡± the NPC gave another quest. ¡°We should be quick. It will take a day to get there and the Sea Temple will open in three days.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get to it then.¡± Before he left the island that spat him out with a hurricane, as the first player to return back, Viers tried to sink the other player¡¯s ships to cement his advantage but Aletro did not allow that. The ships were impervious to the Frozen Siren¡¯s cannons. Viers shrugged then set sail according to Crazy Pete¡¯s heading. He wanted to reach that place as fast as possible. No stops for side-quests because he was on an eating spree for the whole trip. Viers carved the Devedom Orca to pieces. Eating some of its meat in human form to get back some of the lifespan that he¡¯d used. The rest of the five tons of orca meat got eaten by Viers¡¯ various monster forms. The meat he ate as a monster did not contribute to his lifespan but to the monster¡¯s strength and evolutionary energy. The Siren was faster than normal ships so by tomorrow¡¯s first light the destination was in sight; It was a big island just like before. Instead of mountains in the center of the island, this island had the shape of a donut. The center lake was so big it might as well be an inland sea; the Sea Temple was submerged there. When Viers set foot on the island, he found out that it was infested with plant monsters. In the water world of Stage 2, the players were mostly water Pathseeker so they would have a hard time fighting these plant monsters. ¡°BURN BABY, BURN!¡± Viers was having a jolly good time burning weeds using a flamethrower that he got from Marakkus¡¯ vault. So how could he not have the song ¡®Make It Bun Dem¡¯ playing in his head? We mash up the place, turn up the bass, and make them all have fun. A-we a blaze the fire, make it bun dem~ ¡°I¡¯ve got it!¡± Viers raised the flamethrower to the sky. ¡°Your name is Fire Cry 3! Bwahahahahaha!¡± The plant genocide continued. The girls were looking at each other as Viers lost himself in the fun. Viers reached the inland sea quickly enough. Thinking he still had time, he sent the girls out to search for some treasure that they could find. With some luck, he might find something good enough to keep and not to turn to shards. A few hours later, the result was in. The island was too big so they only searched the nearby area. Other than some shards, Paina told him she found a river of silver so Viers went there. ¡°It truly is a river of silver¡­¡± Viers awed. The color wasn''t because of silver-colored water but because it was filled with hundreds of silver-scaled fish. Silver-pink Salmon, a highly sought-after gourmet food. Farley informed that not only was the salmon very delicious and worth their weight in gold, it was also very nutritious. Many confirmed that children who ate a lot of this salmon grew healthy and became smart. You mean it¡¯s rich in protein and omega-3, lampooned Viers in his mind. ¡°Mmm, shame I can''t put live animals into the Casket. Perhaps I can grow them in Dia¡¯s Biome¡­ Wait a minute!¡± Viers caught a bunch of salmon for eating in the near future and stored the thousands of eggs hidden in the crevasses of the riverbed into his storage item. The salmon were in the middle of the egg-laying period. When he saw ships of other players on the horizon, Viers went on to the main quest. Viers recognized the leading ship; he¡¯d seen it before. It was Fithel¡¯s. As the elf was also in the top ten, he also got a ship on par with Viers Frozen Siren. Viers dived and found the submerged Sea Temple. It was not too complicated to find the temple as Orca-Viers but other players might have a hard time reaching the temple three hundred meters below the sea. Unlike the previous temple, the gate was already open. Viers, fearing another player already took the lead, charged right in. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. For a submerged building, there was an unnaturally ample amount of air inside. Viers walked around the ruins with his feet. There were no mazes, no monsters, no obstructions. Viers reached the deepest part of the temple smoothly. It was a room with a dome as a ceiling. There was a circular arena surrounded by water creating a ceremonial feeling. Viers walked into the circular arena and got the Favor of the Sea mark on his right hand. Just like the Favor of the Sky¡¯s mark on his left, there was a number of 1. First place in both. Perhaps this will factor during the event in the City of Pearl? Viers tried to leave but couldn''t so he waited. It took hours but the players finally finished trickling in. There¡¯s less than before. 56 people contested for the Favor of the Sky but only 49 people reached here. Viers assumed they encountered mishaps from the goodbye hurricane. Now that we¡¯re all here, the reveal. Viers, and the rest of them, were already in battle mode. ¡°Wuahahaha!¡± Pyke¡¯s head hologram laughed. ¡°Foolish treasure hunters seeking my Trident, you all will die here!¡± It was clear to anyone with a brain that Dread Pirate Pyke would lie in wait at the other temple so when the skeletons rose from the water, Artes were flying and steel brandished to meet them. Tsk, they are still unbeatable, seeing the skeletons he crushed raised back up, Viers knew it wasn''t the time to fight yet. ¡°Hohoh,¡± Pyke¡¯s half bone and half flesh head mocked. ¡°You all hold up quite well. Very brave¡­ Let¡¯s put some fear in you, KHHIEEEEKKK!¡± With the inhuman scream, the fear flood washed all the players just like the first time. What was different was the players themselves. ¡°I must not fear,¡± Viers whispered. ¡°Fear is the mind-killer,¡± he found his center. ¡°Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration,¡± Viers¡¯ faint trembling on his fingers stopped and he made a firm fist with both hands. ¡°I will face my fear!¡± Using the method that Charles the ghost taught him, Pyke¡¯s fear ability could no longer affect him. Viers custom-named this method, the Bravery of Dune! Viers¡¯ mind was as clear as a still pond. No abnormal emotion clouded his judgment. He glimpsed his surroundings, of the other players¡¯ situation. Ah, the tattoo, the Ta Moko is the top 100¡¯s reward. This is the version available for them while I got a stronger and better vision tailored to me ¡®cause I¡¯m in the top 10. While the majority held firm from the terror, their enemies were immortals. Fighting was useless so they must flee. The problem was they must break through the skeleton¡¯s encirclement. Even worse, Pyke¡¯s pelagic lieutenants had joined the fray. Binve, Phic, and Noban. They had marine life fused into their bodies, impressive visuals. They would have a place in the octopus headed Davy Jones¡¯ crew for sure. Still, their powers were no joke, far above the normal skeletons. Even Viers didn''t want to fight them so they all ran back to the entrance. Fithel the elf led the charge, Viers happily let him. The Sea Temple was not a maze but it was not a straight path to the entrance. Combined with the pursuit from hostiles, many got separated or left behind from the group. Tsk! Whether it was by bad luck or design, Viers got obstructed more than normal so he was lagging behind. When he reached the entrance of the Sea Temple, they had to swim to the surface. There were two big gondola-like bubbles waiting there. Viers saw the other three bubbles were already floating to the surface. Each bubble had ten people and were being attacked by the Crew of the Damned. Out of the two remaining bubbles, one had nine people while the other was still empty. Thinking that only after ten people inside the bubble would launch, Viers chose the occupied one. ¡°Gheh!?¡± ¡°You!¡± ¡°We don''t want you here!¡± They were a small fry group with Big Boss 69 as the leader. ¡°Shut the hell up and get ready to fight.¡± The bubbles went to the surface. It wasn''t slow but the ones inside felt it went at a turtle''s pace. Meanwhile, skeletons by the hundreds and undead fishes tried to burst their bubble. Viers and the other nine attacked the undead from inside the bubble without a problem. Their Artes did not damage their ride. Amidst the furious attacks, the three pelagic ones joined too. Fitting to their pelagic nature, they seemed stronger underwater. Four bubble gondolas were under siege. Fithel and Sakuya were on the first while Viers was on the fourth ride. The second bubble gondola was destroyed, unable to withstand the frenzy. The ones inside tried to make it to the surface on their own but only a couple succeeded. Then ten giant tentacles crept in from the depths. I didn''t see any sign of it earlier. How could I miss a frickin¡¯ Kraken? Suddenly, Viers got a push. Viers managed to react by grabbing the arm and turning to his pusher. ¡°This is the fate of villains. You get what you deserve.¡± The rest of Big Boss 69¡¯s group also shoved Viers out of the bubble and the Kraken tentacle grabbed his ankle. With a stone-like expression, Viers saw the group''s sneering faces rising upward while he was pulled downward. Viers had involuntarily drawn some attacks away from them. If this is a movie, this is the part where I have a Disney Villain Death scene. A villain that got his comeuppance upon his wrongdoings¡­ Viers was as calm as a statue of ice, falling deeper by the second. But this is not. ¡°That¡¯s what you get, dogwad! Your oh-so-great soul affinity can''t save you now, huh?¡± Big Boss 69 gloated. ¡°That¡¯s what you get for being a mountain-sized bastard!¡± Big Boss 69 had been at the end of Viers¡¯ blackmail multiple times, in Stage 1 and Stage 2. He had quite a grudge against Tanael. The rest of his group also had no love for Tanael. With a face twisted by emotion, Big Boss 69 gave Tanael the middle finger as the tentacle covered his body entirely. ¡°Suck it, shit-¡± BOOOOOOM!! Big Boss 69 and the other eight experienced a closed room explosion. Sensing the vibration, Viers smiled under the tentacle''s wrap. Earlier, Viers slipped a live bomb bead into Big Boss 69¡¯s pocket while Viers tangled with him. Did you know that a certain AI possessing six infinity stones, a robot that had erased all life in the universe, got defeated by a bunch of misfits because of a space thief¡¯s sticky fingers? Pfft. Let alone you. Viers opened his eyes, shining vicious green and grinning like a viper. Orca-Viers easily escaped the krakens'' hold and Blinked away. The tentacles that lost their prey soon found new ones: Big Boss 69 and the other eight people in his group. Their bubble was broken because of Viers and now they became fish food. Viers offered an ¡®Amitabha¡¯ in his mind to them and moved his tail. After making sure there was no witness, Orca-Viers moved with speed underwater by using water manipulation. As he made his way to safety, Viers shook his head at the robot¡¯s ultimate fate. All that power at his fingertips and he still lost¡­ Mister robot certainly did not read Evil Overlord List number 5. If I got a source of power which is also my weakness, I definitely will not plaster them to my chest! If I really, really have to, the first thing I will do is to take every precaution so it cannot be STOLEN! You have control over space, power, reality and three others for God¡¯s sake. Have some imagination, man! Viers had both Favor of the Sky and Favor of the Sea. The way to the City of Pearl was now open. Stage 2 will soon be concluded. Chapter 158 - The City of Pearl The last day of Stage 2 was a beautiful one, two full moons illuminating the dark night. The waves were shy and there was barely any wind. The Frozen Siren floated in tranquility amidst the watery desert. The crew was singing a sea shanty adding more colors to the atmosphere. After getting both Favor of the Sea and the Sky, Viers took his pirating duty very seriously, preying on NPCs and fellow players alike. If the Crystal Trident was as good of an item as rumored, Viers wanted to keep it for himself. By doing so, he would not be getting any shards. Since he still wanted to get into the top 10, he needed to get shards from elsewhere. Piracy was a lucrative business. Other than Fithel and Pyke, none could contest with Viers¡¯ might. His tyranny ran rampant. He didn''t plunder everyone though. Fithel was left alone because he didn''t want to fight him and Sakuya was also spared. It was a bias. Plain and simple. At 17,600 spark shards, Viers undoubtedly had the most shards out of everyone in the Stage 2 water world, surpassing even Fithel by a thousand shards at least. His worry was about the other players in their respective worlds. He had done all that could be done and hoped it was enough. At Stage 2, the stronger a player was compared to his defeated opponents, the fewer shards they would gain from their victory. If White Aletro didn''t make that rule Viers would have at least twice the number of spark shards than he had now. And yes, Viers¡¯ blackmail and tithing also got imposed with limitations. Gamemaster Aletro didn''t want anyone getting a bunch of spark shards with ease. As for the defeated, while some of their sparks flowed to their opponents, Aletro also penalized them for losing by axing a portion of their shards, resulting in less shard wealth in circulation. At any rate, this would be the last twenty-four hours. Either way, Stage 2 will end next midnight. And now, in the middle of nowhere, Viers would spend the last stretch of Stage 2 at the City of Pearl. ¡°So, one minute until midnight. If the path does not open I¡¯ll make you into fish food.¡± ¡°Relax, you¡¯ll see it soon enough.¡± Crazy Pete said while bound upside and down. Almost a month without food, without toilet break, only occasional rum and he¡¯s still as right as rain. He really is not human. Giving the Frozen Siren a wide berth, were the ships of other players. They too converged at that place, near the supposed entrance to the sunken city. At the stroke of midnight, a change happened in the sea. A patch of water sunk as if there was an aquatic antlion making a circular hole in the sea itself. From tens of meters wide, it became a hundred meters in the span of minutes. Suddenly, Viers and the other players were on top of a cliff of water, looking down on the last dungeon far, far below: the City of Pearl. The city was emitting its own light, all of the buildings were glowing lustrous white. Cool, but how am I gonna get across? Waterfalls greater than the Niagaras separated Viers and his place to be. He didn''t wait for long before the problem solved itself. Stairs made of water just wide enough for one person appeared near the Frozen Siren, leading to the supposed city of unfathomable riches. Viers knew an invitation when he saw it. Viers addressed his crew, the loyal crew that followed him even after death. ¡°Gentlemen, I don''t know if I will return but if this is it,¡± Viers took a deep breath. ¡°It has been an honor.¡± ¡°The honor is ours, Captain. Uuu¡­ ¡± The guy was half crying already. ¡°Go get the Trident. It belongs to no one else but you.¡± ¡°Aye! I¡¯ll have one hell of a boast in the afterlife for this.¡± In the middle of the spirited goodbyes, Viers bid the last member of his crew, knocking the wood on the Frozen Siren. ¡°You are one hell of a ship, my pride.¡± A light wind blew and the black flag flapped. Viers stepped on the water stairs and descended to the main event. After the long walk down the stairs, Viers had focussed his mind. This was the crucial moment. Finally, he stood on the seabed. The City of Pearl was even more impressive up close, a beauty of a city. The corals and underwater signs only added its marvel. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Good design, Aletro, Viers praised in his mind. And yet, he felt a wrongness in the city. Interesting¡­ The city felt sacred and cursed at the same time. Pyke¡¯s brother did say there¡¯s some kind of god in the city. The final dungeon is normally harder than normal. Gotta keep it together. The sight from where Viers stood was incredible, he stood at the base of a kilometers-long waterfall. Like tunnels, there were stairs cutting through the tall wall of water and from there the other players came in. The destination of the stairs was the same, the place where Viers was on. ...37 people. The rest didn''t come, Viers counted. Either they chose to back out or are not qualified to enter. Since the rivals had arrived, the race was on. Viers and the others dashed deeper into the city. Because the place was underwater just recently, there were many places with pockets of water in the area. The floor was also rocky and uneven but the players ran across the historical city as if in the middle of a wild marathon. Some picked natural treasure along the way or even broke off entirely from the group to scour the alleyways. Viers stayed in the main path. Hmn? What is that? There were buildings, roads, doors, covered with thick black mist. He observed that a player couldn''t open or go through the black mist. They encountered more and more black mists as the players went deeper until only one path remained. Viers, Fithel, and four others were the first group to reach the end of the black mist path. The moons and the pearl buildings provided all the illumination required. It was an open space just like a city plaza or square. There seemed to be a giant hole in the middle where the black mist originated. Also, there were people waiting for the players. Crazy Pete? Viers recognized one of them. ¡°Tito? No, it can''t be. You¡¯re dead!¡± ¡°Heiness? What is the meaning of this?¡± The others let out words of confusion about meeting the people that weren''t supposed to be here. ¡°Welcome, to the City of Pearl.¡± They spoke in one voice. ¡°Your arrival has been expected.¡± The black mist closed the path the players used to arrive at. They were all trapped in the plaza. One person merged with the other, Crazy Pete included. Precisely 37 people, the same number as the players. The person showed his true form. ¡°The rumors about the City of Pearl, the riches, the favors of Sea and Sky, are all my doing. Why? To lure you people here! KHAK KHAK KHAK!¡± Dread Pirate Pyke guffawed grandiosely. Gehh! The NPC turned out to be the bad guy cliche! I even checked Crazy Pete before. There are no signs he¡¯s Pyke. Alas¡­ Pyke walked to the hole behind him. Turned out it wasn''t a hole but a body of water. It was so big it might as well be a lake. He stopped when he stood in the middle of the lake. ¡°Come and see, let me introduce you to the host,¡± Pyke said amicably. Half of his face that still had skin attached looked like he was enjoying this. Viers wasn''t the fool that approached the unknown -possibly very dangerous- when a stranger told him to. He remembered a scene in the Alien: Covenant movie. The bad guy tricked a guy to come closer to an alien egg and the man did so like a braindead person! Viers had no intention of making the same mistake. But the other players were not smart like Viers so after some hesitation, a few stepped forward to the edge of the lake. After nothing happened to them for a while, only then did Viers approach. The black mist cleared out, letting Viers see what was inside the lake. He couldn''t help but hold his breath. The lake was full of human skeletons. Surrounded by the human remains like a king surrounded by his subjects, was a red kraken. The black mists were actually the kraken''s tentacle that coiled throughout many parts of the city. The massive tentacles covered with suction cups had been covered by the black mist and still were but no longer obstructing what really lay beneath. From the glimpse above the lake, how much of its entirety Viers was actually seeing? Enormous was a fitting word. Although its two eyes were open, it hadn''t even made so much as a twitch since the beginning, the same with all those tentacles outside of the lake of death. The observable part of the kraken was like the head of an octopus and there was a human-sized rainbow-colored trident radiating holiness stabbed on the middle of the red kraken''s forehead. Viers realized the kraken was still alive. It had the shape of a kraken but it was not. No soul but there exists a stark difference from NPCs. What is this¡­ being? Not NPC, that part I¡¯m sure. Is it real? Like the flesh and blood monsters? ¡°Behold, my eternal liege!¡± Pyke shouted while the treasure hunters were awed. ¡°The Deep Dweller God, the Land-Swallower, Sovereign of the Lightless Depths. He was dead but no more. You all can feel just a thimble of his magnificence at his current state. Imagine how great he would be when fully revived.¡± Viers was amazed how Pyke could be so proud serving a half-alive carcass, god or not. ¡°Decades! I have been getting food for the Most Honored One. Today, He shall need my service no longer. Today, He will wake from his slumber!¡± Pyke was ecstatic. ¡°Rejoice! For you shall become the one with a GOD!¡± The skeletons stirred and rose from the lake. This was the true form of Pyke¡¯s unkillable underling, the Crew of the Damned. To make matters worse, the three fish lieutenants of the Dread Pirate also arrived, teleporting using water. The players slowly walked backward as hundreds of skeletons emerged from the lake. They were trapped and grossly outnumbered. Worry and panic started to spread like a plague among the players. ¡°Hehehe,¡± Pyke chuckled. ¡°My liege needs to eat but there is no need for all of you to become dinner. So, I have a proposition. Those who pledge eternal fealty to the Most Honored One shall be spared from the menu. KHAK KHAK KHAK! Patience isn''t my strong suit. Decide and decide fast!¡± Chapter 159 After the Dread Pirate''s offer, information appeared in the players'' minds. If they accepted the Deep Dweller God¡¯s offer and swore fealty to him, they would instantly gain 3000 spark shards. When Stage 2 came to an end, automatically qualified for Stage 3. Or they could refuse and prevent the revival of the Deep Dweller God. One choice gave a clear benefit while the other specified nothing specific. ¡°I-I will join you,¡± one player said with a hoarse voice. ¡°Hey! Are you fucking crazy? That is an evil god you¡¯re about to sell your soul to! Use your head before speaking!¡± ¡°You use your head!¡± The surrendered player raised his voice. ¡°My spark shards are far from 3000. Even if this city holds treasures, it will be just like before, monopolized by the strong.¡± He cast a hateful look towards Viers. The youth in question replied with a smile as if watching a comedy show. ¡°Besides, this is not real. Any of it!¡± His words shook the resolve of some. ¡°This is the world inside a book, Aletro said so himself! This must be all a made-up story. So what if we join the camp of an evil god? I haven''t given up to reach the peak of the Path of Power. If I must bow my head then so be it! How about you? Are you content being a small fry, always at the mercy of those above you?¡± After the first had paved the way, the second and third became easier. The desperate, the weak-willed, and the reckless got tempted by the whisper from the sealed god¡¯s herald. 18 people had taken the offer, leaving 19 people that refused, surrounded by all sides. Pyke summoned a chalice and extended his hand. ¡°Drink and partake, accept the Blood of God into your body.¡± The Tempted -as Viers decided to call the group- loudly swore fealty and drank the kraken¡¯s blood that Pyke offered. Power comes easier to those who chose the Dark Side, Viers thought. Not so great for the person though. Power always comes with a price. They groaned in pain before they mutated. The Tempted got an eldritch power up instantly. They became fish-like, like the three lieutenants. Through his eyes, Viers confirmed although their Level as Pathseekers remained the same they became several times stronger. ¡°Salvation comes to the believers,¡± Pyke spoke as a mouthpiece of his god. ¡°Go and capture the heretics but don¡¯t kill them. They still can be of use. Their life belongs to the Most Honored One.¡± ¡°So much power¡­¡± Youallsucks muttered as he looked at his own body. ¡°It''s time to settle the score between us, TANAEL!¡± Youallsucks, Big Boss 69, and almost every betrayer who got a grudge against Tanael rose up in anger. Those who rejected the Deep Dweller God¡¯s offer avoided a certain man like a leper, moving away from him. ¡°Tanael¡­ I¡¯ve been dreaming of this moment.¡± ¡°Don''t think your end will come easily.¡± ¡°I will pay you back for all the humiliation that you bestowed upon me.¡± The fish-men with a grudge walked closer through the open path. Viers himself was not perturbed. He had sown seeds of grievances so he reaped grievances. It was only natural. Viers had no place in the group that kept their humanity, the Tempted decided to make him the first sacrifice, and Pyke, with his Crew of the Damned, was making sure the feast for their god didn''t run away. It was as if Viers was a lone force. Hmph, so what if I¡¯m by myself? Viers'' fighting spirit was burning. ¡°You¡¯re not alone, Lord Viers. I¡¯ll accompany you even to the darkest of days.¡± ¡°I don''t always agree with your actions¡­ but I don''t want you to die. I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Outnumbered and surrounded on all sides by hostiles, brings back memories. You will not lose this, right Viers?¡± Farley, Paina, and Clarissa gave Viers the power of friendship! Damn right! Hm? To Viers surprise, a woman approached and stood beside him. ¡°Night Bloom, you really want to side with him?¡± ¡°What an idiot. What is she thinking defending a scum of humanity like Tanael?¡± ¡°Hehehe, have some sense. Can''t you see? The sow is attracted to Tanael¡¯s pretty face. She''s just a slut. What a waste of a pretty face. Oi Tanael, how was her ¡®taste¡¯?¡± The Tempted laughed loudly and mockingly. Amidst the rain of insults, Sakuya remained still and silent. Her resolve was unwavering. ¡°Psst,¡± Paina asked Farley. ¡°When did Viers get acquainted with the new girl?¡± ¡°I don''t know. She¡¯s the girl that wanted to ask Viers something before being interrupted by Pyke¡¯s first reveal isn''t it?¡± Farley said. ¡°Her actions pointed to a connection. And it isn''t a minor thing. At least for her,¡± Clarissa added. Ignoring the gossiping ladies in his head, Viers stilled his mouth from forming a smile. Firmly, he put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve got this.¡± His confidence was as absolute as the rising sun. The purity of it was transmitted to Sakuya by his voice and she took a step back as Viers took a step forward. ¡°Mongrels howling after eating a contaminated soup of piss,¡± Viers walked like a boss. Green-colored Victa blazing more intense with each step. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Bottom-feeder small fries somehow think cheap doping would be enough to win against me?¡± Viers was like a savage primordial beast baring its fangs to the Tempted. A stone was weighing down on their hearts. ¡°You have eyes but cannot see Mount Tai,¡± Viers glared and it was like a scythe of will cutting through a swathe of grass. Many of the Tempted took a step back. ¡°Who the hell do you think I am!?¡± Fear. Fear. FEAR! Fithel, Sakuya, and the rest also felt the effect. Their hearts trembled and their psyche shook. If even they felt it so intensely without Viers actively aiming for them, it was much worse for the betrayers. Viers draped a pressure over a wide area, violently erupting the full force of his soul! ¡°I¡¯m Tanael! The man who will become the Pirate King!¡± A blast, a force, and they felt their soul crushed, powerless to resist. Those few that could, their meager defenses were pierced by the soul violence. The traitors fell to the ground with his declaration. Some lost consciousness, some were trembling like a newborn fawn. They had their own harvest from Aletro¡¯s trial. They wanted to show their new skills, new gears, and new powers. Viers made them all moot. Their indignation, no matter how extreme, couldn''t bridge the continental fissure difference between them and Viers. Viers¡¯ Arte had no name. Out of respect for the creator he got inspiration from, Viers would only name it after he had knocked out 50,000 people at once! Not quite Haoshoku Haki yet but I¡¯ll get there. Viers swore it. The basis of this technique he learned from Charles, the ghost of Pyke¡¯s brother. Not only did Viers learn the Bravery of Dune, he''d also managed to harness and reproduce the lesser version of fear utilization. Combining Pyke¡¯s very own fear flood and the enormity of his 20,000 Soul Power, Viers created a soul pressure technique. Because he already possessed a similar Arte, by incorporating parts of Black Out Down Arte Viers made this new technique in a relatively short amount of time. ¡®Haoshoku Haki¡¯ Arte was the more refined, AoE version of single target soul stun Black Out Down. The hero in the shadow that made Viers¡¯ display of power so effective was his Horizon Aspect. Since the start of his arrival in the Book World, Viers had never fought another player using his soul Artes¡¯ full potency. Weeks ago, Viers¡¯ Horizon gave his Artes more than 150% bonus damage! At 100% boost, his half-strength half-Victa Artes hit his enemy as if it was at full force, let alone now. Added with the terrain advantage from the Frozen Siren and 20,000 Soul Power from Myriad Soul in One Arte, Viers was already a veritable soul juggernaut! He had his reasons for doing this. With Aletro¡¯s protection, his enemies would not die no matter how high his Arte power was so there¡¯s no point in using his full power if using 40% or 50% was enough. Viers had been brawling with one hand tied behind his back the whole time but a heavyweight world champion boxer had no problem fighting a skinny brat in middle school with such a handicap. Viers liked appearing weak to explode in badassery at the opportune moment. And Viers also got something from holding back: saving his Victa expenditure and training in Arte control. In the Book World, because of so many new and interesting things, Viers gained about a 10% increase in Horizon in one week. Horizon - 175.35%! Today, Viers could make his Artes hit his enemies with 275% power at any time without additional cost! Viers¡¯ soul suppression astounded all! He had taken the attention of allies and enemies alike. Even his tenants were awed. While Viers presumed the skeletons would not be affected by Viers¡¯ pseudo-Haki, they actually did. Some skeletons fell to the ground, unmoving. A happy miscalculation. Viers had defeated the 18 Tempted and about 100 skeletons in one move. Tanael-san¡­ How dashing. Seeing the back of the straight-backed Tanael despite the formidable adversaries, Sakuya blushed. The bud inside her was starting to bloom. Viers put his right foot on the head of a fallen Tempted. He was the one that spoke vulgarities about Sakuya earlier. ¡°This¡­ This cannot b-¡± Viers stomped. Using Desolate Dive Arte with his foot without jumping. The ground cracked with spider web lines and a shockwave blasted his surroundings. ¡°Did your mother never teach you to speak politely to a lady?¡± Viers left the bloodied head on the floor. His life was hanging by a thread only because of Aletro¡¯s intervention. Viers would not have let him take another breath otherwise. Viers stood among the broken bodies of his enemies emitting his own version of Dragon Fear. The whole field was still like a picture. ¡°Hoh, Pirate King to be, you say?¡± Pyke was amused. ¡°You meant to assert sovereignty upon me, Dread Pirate Pyke? Know your place, sea monkey.¡± With Pyke¡¯s voice, the seemingly stopped time began to flow again. ¡°You¡¯re just a pet of a corpse,¡± Viers said sharply. ¡°Like your master, not dead and not alive. It is time for your long overdue cremation, half-face.¡± ¡°Bold words. Men! Give these people God¡¯s Mercy. Let the Most Honored One feast on their body and soul.¡± Pyke let the mooks fight first, led by the three pelagic lieutenants. Heh, the ¡®let the mooks fight but I¡¯m not because I¡¯m a lazy bad guy¡¯ cliche. What an amateur villain you are, Pyke. The three fish-head mini-bosses ran towards Viers. He was ready, balling his fists for a three on one but Fithel the elf took one and Sakuya also took one. ¡°We will fight them,¡± Fithel loudly said, holding twin blades in his hands. ¡°Everyone else kill as many skeletons as you can!¡± ¡°If we want to survive, we must work together!¡± Sakuya added, flowers bloomed around her feet. This works too, Viers thought. According to the characteristics that Charles told him, Viers got the lieutenant named Phic. He was strong but Viers was stronger. He had the leeway to observe the battlefield. Fithel skillfully wielded his twin blades as if he was dancing, the addition of his water Artes made him look dreamy. He looked like he could handle his opponent without help. Sakuya nimbly used a hit-and-run approach, roots with sharp ends attacked and restricted her enemy. She was not as strong as Fithel so she struggled quite a bit. When the lieutenant broke free of Sakuya¡¯s obstruction and tried to stab her in the gut, Viers almost intervened but he changed his mind. Sakuya¡¯s body turned into scattered leaves and she appeared some distance away. Illusion, not teleport, Viers thought. As for the others fighting the skellies, they too were doing well. Using flashy AoEs and various power-ups they got during their time here, the Crew of the Damned were dying in droves. Yes, they died. They didn''t rise again like the many previous instances. It seems the skeletons can be defeated permanently in the City of Pearl. But the skeletons still vastly outnumbered them so it wouldn''t be easy and the balance could be broken at any moment. Viers turned his attention to Phic and his boss Pyke who was standing while crossing his arms, watching the show. So defenseless¡­ Against me? That¡¯s a death wish! Viers baited Phic until he and Pyke were in a straight line then Viers acted, conjuring two soul swords in each hand. He¡¯s a two-sword user too? Fithel thought. Then Viers conjured another one and bit it using his mouth. T-Three swords? Absurd! Is this a common human craft? Fithel was taken aback. Tanael-san¡­ Sakuya also looked at him with worry. Viers put great power into his limbs and moved forward like lightning. ¡°Onigiri!¡± Sakuya thought it was written with kanjis that meant demon slash but Viers actually wrote it with the kanji of the food. The ground Viers dashed on had his foot mark on it and he stopped behind Pyke, making a still pose. Phic¡¯s body, one of the three ¡®fearsome¡¯ fish people suddenly had three lines of blood as it separated into pieces while Pyke¡¯s head fell to the floor. The Dread Pirate¡¯s face had a dumbfounded expression. Two deaths in one move. Pirate Frickin¡¯ Hunter Zoro! Badass warrior extraordinaire, Hell yeah! Chapter 160 - Dead Men Tell No Tales After seeing the unimaginable, the short-lived silence turned into a cheer. The remaining players that refused the evil god¡¯s offer felt like they had been saved from a death trap. The hundreds of weapon-bearing skeletons stopped dead in their tracks, no longer moving like the dead thing they were. Fithel and Sakuya managed to defeat the remaining two pelagic lieutenants not long after. They had been greatly weakened by Pyke¡¯s decapitation. While the people let down their guard, Viers cast Howling Wraiths Arte again and again and again. Stacking as much as he could near Pyke¡¯s headless body. ¡°Tanael-san. What are you doing?¡± Sakuya asked. ¡°Getting ready. Use buff skills or items on yourself while you have the chance. This isn''t over.¡± Sakuya, like the good girl she was, did as she was told. Viers didn''t speak loudly but Fithel, who was standing some distance away, also mirrored her actions. Ah, elven hearing. Have my ears reached the same capabilities, I wonder. True to his word, Pyke¡¯s corpse began to move. He picked up his head and put it back as if nothing happened. Trashy and boastful talk followed then he transformed after wreathing himself in black fire. What emerged was a black skeleton with a still-beating heart on his chest. Two red specks of light were inside his empty eye sockets. Tentacles adorned his head like a crown. If one looked closely, the tentacle grew out from inside his skull. It was as if his brain was a deep-sea creature that punctured its way out of the head. So begins the fight with Pyke¡¯s second form. When fighting a final boss, always be ready for THREE transformations! This is a golden rule in games! ¡°Death cannot-¡± Viers, the unsporting man he was, blew up all the planted Arte mines and engulfed Pyke in a chain of soul explosions. The Arte was different from the one he used against other players before; Viers put his back into it and it became much more powerful. One good blast from the Arte was enough to KO the ¡®prey-tiered¡¯ trial takers. Pyke ate two dozen. The black skeleton almost looked uninjured, almost. This will take some time, Viers thought. ¡°Useless struggle. Your end had been decided the moment you entered God¡¯s temple,¡± Pyke¡¯s voice became more hideous than before. The battle began anew. The Crew of the Damned resumed their attacks as Pyke conjured a big cutlass made of black water and swung it at Viers¡¯ head. Viers dodged because he was no longer using his makeshift three soul swords but Pyke¡¯s returning slash was faster. Viers was about to counter but an elf received the blow with his swords crossed. ¡°Cooperation?¡± Fithel asked. ¡°Cooperation,¡± Viers answered and prepared his next Arte. ¡°Deal struck.¡± Someone beat him to the punch. White flowers bloomed from the bones on Pyke¡¯s shoulder. It turned to black first before turning to ash, only leaving a faint corrosive sign on the bones. ¡°The honekui flower can melt bones in seconds but it isn''t effective at all¡­¡±'' Sakuya stood on Viers¡¯ right. ¡°There¡¯s three of us,¡± Viers said. ¡°Cleaning the dirty bones shouldn''t be too hard.¡± From the water around them, Pyke created a hammerhead shark. The shark attacked the still weapon-locked Fithel. Viers repaid the favor by punching it with his fist. The shark disintegrated back into liquid. Fuck, that hurts! Viers wasn''t really good with barehanded combat but he didn''t want to use his sword. He already used three when copying Zoro earlier but the less connection between Avel and Tanael, the better. Besides, with the three on one, Viers wasn''t so hard-pressed against Pyke. The course of battle continued. Pyke hit fast and strong in a wide area. His power level was definitely at the top of Level 2. But he was still weaker than Alan, Izabella¡¯s friend, therefore Viers and the other two could handle him despite their Level limitation. That wasn''t to say fighting Pyke was easier than fighting Alan. The Dread Pirate had unique methods that were hard to deal with. The whole water world in Stage 2 had abundant water terrain, water Pathseekers would gain a boost here. Pyke and the trial takers were not excluded from the basic law of the world. Ironically, Viers must contend with Pyke¡¯s strong water methods with soul methods. If Viers used water to defend against water, it would have a greater effect because of the same element resistance. That was what Fithel was doing, using water against water when he had to but attacking Pyke with physical attacks of his blades. ¡°Dance of Yellow Pine!¡± The elf became a whirlwind of slashes. His elven way of fighting was very refined and dance-like compared to humans. ¡°Razor Leaves!¡± A bunch of sharp-edged green leaves swooshed at Pyke. Is that¡­ a Pokemon move? Viers lampooned. On the other hand, Sakuya¡¯s wood affinity and her use of plants were very effective against Pyke, for attacking or defending both. Although, it seemed she didn''t have the role of a damage dealer in the past. Her attacks were quite weak. Viers¡¯ soul Artes inflicted more damage to Pyke than her. After a while, under the assault of the trio, Pyke was reeling. ¡°Grrrrr, drown in fear! KHIEEEEE!!!¡± Pyke screamed and a wave of emotion engulfed the whole City of Pearl. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Fear is the mind-killer¡­ Viers chanted in his mind and used the Bravery of Dune. Fithel, a fellow top 10 ranker, also used a different method to withstand Pyke¡¯s ability. Sakuya and others with the Ta Moko on their bodies also resisted the fear debuff. The few that did not, got defeated by the ¡®instant-death¡® skill. They became catatonic and became easy picking for the skeletons. For each defeated player, the greater the burden for the surviving combatants. It became clear that soon the skeletons would overwhelm Viers and the others. Viers also saw that Sakuya¡¯s Ta Moko on her neck became increasingly fainter. Her fear ward won¡¯t last long. Better to finish this quickly! ¡°Night Bloom and I will make an opening, go!¡± Viers said to the elf. While Pyke was in the middle of an offensive, Viers intercepted. He kicked Pyke¡¯s right hand away and Sakuya entangled his left hand with ivies; the two gave Fithel an opening at Pyke. ¡°Dance of Misty Birch!¡± Fithel used another blade dance, slashing fast and precise, very offense-oriented but it created more openings to himself. Viers and Sakuya gave him the opportunity to use this dance. Naturally, the target was the red heart inside Pyke¡¯s ribs but some kind of force field prevented the blades from reaching it. The trio¡¯s effort was not in vain though; Pyke was visibly injured. ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Like video game bosses, because of low HP, Pyke entered his super mode. The black skeleton clothed himself with darkness. It clung to him like a mantle of dark smoke. Viers and the other two took some distance immediately. Their danger sense was warning them. I knew it! He has a third form. We¡¯re in the last stretch now. They made the right move because Pyke¡¯s shadow grew in a wide area and attacked them. Maws in the dark. Viers jumped because the attack came from ground level, the edge of his trousers got bit and ripped. This attack¡­ similar to Pride¡¯s in FMA! Fithel dodged by a very thin margin but Sakuya got injured. She immediately applied healing to herself. Her wood affinity had a knack for healing arts. Pyke made another move. ¡°Darkness takes you!¡± He opened his mouth and all manner of corrupted marine creatures, spectral black and vicious, flowed out. Soul method! Viers immediately felt it. Wait, not entirely! Similar to how Viers made use of ice using Ixi Arte, Pyke used darkness to invoke a soul attack. ¡°Incredible,¡± Clarissa commented while watching the V-Stream. ¡°This darkness¡­ The profundities are at a higher level than my fire when I was at my peak. Is this because of the Deep Dweller God? That octopus?¡± ¡°I thought the only remaining god was Estelle,¡± Paina stopped playing her flute temporarily. ¡°Was I wrong?¡± ¡°Perhaps. But can we, mortals, know the limits of what gods can or cannot do?¡± Farley frowned. She couldn''t help Viers like Paina as usual because Viers was hiding his water talents. At the outside of Viers¡¯ head, the fish ghosts attacked all the players. There were only two people among the fifteen that fared well against the attack: Fithel and Viers. Sakuya grimaced when the schools of horned sardines passed through her arm. The flesh was well but she felt as if the arm had been gnawed to the bones. And then, there was silence. She saw the back of a man when she opened her eyes. Viers disintegrated every fish that came close in a sphere. ¡°Tanael! Get rid of these fish!¡± Someone said with a pained voice. ¡°Stop Pyke, Tanael! Arghh!¡± Another player added to the chorus of agony. Viers let the voices enter his left ear and flow out from his right. Fithel had his hands full taking care of himself. He was in no position to extend a helping hand. Swarmed by the fishes of darkness, one by one they got teleported out. Not few cursed Tanael¡¯s name as they retired. This was what could happen in Stage 2 when someone was too severely injured. It wasn''t a definite occurrence. Aletro acted as he pleased. The Tempted also were not spared. Argh! Hells and Damnations! I haven''t extorted them yet, my shards!! When the soul attack passed, only Tanael, Fithel, and Sakuya remained as the living in the City of Pearl. And then there were three, Viers was feeling poetic. Fithel came near the other two to close ranks. ¡°I¡¯ll praise you for lasting this long but this is the end. Behold the power of my liege and kneel in awe! Curse of the Deep!¡± Sorcery seeped into Viers¡¯ body despite his best effort to resist. Seaweed and barnacles grew on Viers and more kept growing upward. The unsavory sight was not only aesthetics, Viers felt like he was forcibly being changed into something other. Viers didn''t know what but had no intention of finding out. Just when Viers was about to stop holding back, a warm light bloomed. Sakuya was holding a white paper with red mystic writing and sigils. An ofuda! ¡°Charm of Purification!¡± Sakuya shouted and the curse was purified. ¡°Tanael-san, Fithel-san, it is a consumable item. I only have one.¡± ¡°Then we better finish this before he can use it again,¡± Viers was eager to go. ¡°Agreed,¡± the elf nodded. Viers and Fithel attacked while Sakuya kept the light of purification going, keeping the Crew of the Damned at bay. ¡°Vengeful Spirit!¡± ¡°Dance of White Magnolia!¡± Viers punched Pyke and metal-hitting-metal resounded; he shot the full-powered Arte at point-blank. The ball of spirit came out through Pyke¡¯s back and then Viers jumped to the side to make room for Fithel¡¯s follow-up. ¡°Annoying pest!¡± Pyke was angry and about to use a big attack but Sakuya¡¯s eyes glinted. ¡°Wood Prison!¡± Trapped but not cowed, Pyke was raging inside. ¡°You think this flimsy cage could hold me?¡± His shadow stirred again, maws lined with saw teeth gnawed on the wood. But it wasn''t broken. ¡°What?¡± Pyke said in disbelief. ¡°This is the Sakaki wood. It is sacred in my religion. Your wicked darkness won¡¯t work!¡± Good job! I didn''t think she had it in her. Viers and Fithel moved in for the final attack. Cleyera japonica or Sakaki, was a tree considered sacred in the Shinto faith. Sakuya¡¯s family name was similarly, Sakaki. It was written in the same kanji as the sacred tree. This time, only Viers charged forward, Fithel was preparing something in the back. In his hand, Viers held a spear with a broken shaft like a dagger. The metal spearhead had a unique pattern similar to Damascus steel. The Spear of Leonidas! Recovered from the locked rings alongside the Rank 7 monster core. Taken from that bull¡¯s enemy. It was the most powerful weapon in Viers¡¯ possession bar none! Against an evil god¡¯s herald, Viers didn''t stint in his killing blow. Pyke was not about to let the spearhead stab his heart without a fight. His two red sparks that were his eyes, glowed brighter and brighter. Shit! Is he about to shoot lasers from his eyes now? An arrow sprouted in the skeleton¡¯s right eye socket before the attack came out. The arrow shone bright like the light of the morning sun. ¡°ARRRGHHH!¡± The Dread Pirate wailed in pain. ¡°Arrow of Sun Sycamore.¡± Viers heard Fithel¡¯s voice. Thank you Legolas! ¡°HAAAAA!!!¡± Viers shouted a battle cry and the Spear of Leonidas stabbed true at Pyke¡¯s beating heart! ¡°This¡­ This cannot be! I am¡­ chosen by God¡­¡± Pyke uttered the words while cracks formed all over his black skeleton body. If Viers was a more refined person, he would have a good, philosophical retort ready. Instead, he simply replied: ¡°Shut up and die.¡± The red spark faded from Pyke¡¯s remaining eye and his bones crumbled into pieces. Chapter 161 - Deep Dweller Viers, Fithel, and Sakuya, the three survivors, were putting black bones into their sacks. Hm, I¡¯ve gained 3,333 shards. Since we split Pyke¡¯s remains into three, Pyke¡¯s full worth is 10,000 spark shards then. Now there¡¯s only one thing left. Viers didn''t do the logical thing to maximize his chances of getting into the next top 10 rankings: taking the whole remains of Pyke for himself. He reckoned he had a fair chance to begin with. Fithel and Sakuya might be somewhat hard to deal with but Viers was confident he could get 10,000 spark shards if he went all out. But he didn''t! Heh. I really can''t win against Fang Yuan¡­ Still too soft-hearted. Sighhh¡­ Viers thought in mockery of himself. He let that train of thought choo-choo away and moved on to other matters. Whilst in deep thought, Viers stood at the lake¡¯s edge, looking at the shining trident embedded in the kraken¡¯s head. The lake was no longer filled with skeletons. The Crew of the Damned had turned to dust the moment Pyke was defeated. ¡°You wish to take it?¡± Fithel asked from behind. ¡°What would happen to us if we did?¡± Viers asked back. ¡°Isn¡¯t it sealing a god? I don''t fancy being eaten the second I take the trident.¡± ¡°I won''t.¡± That wasn''t Fithel¡¯s voice. Viers suddenly turned his body around in haste. A child, looking no older than four or five years old was there. Viers found that Fithel and Sakuya were no longer moving, so too the waterfall in the distance. All was frozen in time. ¡°Mister Deep Dweller, I presume?¡± ¡°¡®Tis I.¡± ¡°Let me guess. You want me to be Pyke¡¯s replacement,¡± Viers said. ¡°All I asked is that you pull the trident. You can keep the trident afterward. It is useless to me. As an additional boon, I can fulfill your heart¡¯s every desire.¡± ¡°What about my safety? The actions of your chosen person didn''t inspire confidence. So too was your treatment of him.¡± Viers was talking about Pyke, of course. ¡°A mere sham,¡± the boy dismissed. ¡°None of this is real, except for myself. What you call Pyke is an empty puppet that person crammed my power into. I had no choice in the matter. Everything is directed by that person.¡± ¡°Speaking of ¡®that person¡¯, this is inside Aletro¡¯s book. You think you can still get away?¡± ¡°Aletro,¡± voice laced with annoyance. ¡°For a weakling, he has a lot of tricks. There¡¯s no need to worry about that. My bargain with you, Higher Being, is simply to remove the trident. If it is safety you are worried about, this one shall make an Absolute Vow to never harm you.¡± Higher Being, Viers thought. The Rank 7 monster bull told me I had a gift from a Higher Being, the flower, I suppose. ¡°Don''t I only have a gift from them?¡° ¡°Not yet... but we are kindred, thou and I. Young one, you seek power. Free me and I can show you the path to godhood.¡± The little boy spoke like an old man. Viers didn''t answer. He put it into thought for three seconds and he smiled. ¡°...Very well. You¡¯ve made up your mind. Beware of the one you know as Aletro. He serves his own agenda,¡± the child warned. ¡°And he cares nothing for your well-being.¡± The world returned to normal. ¡°...What¡¯s wrong, Tanael-san?¡± ¡°...Did you two got a visit from the Deep Dweller God as well?¡± Viers said in a serious tone. ¡°What? N-No. Are you okay?¡± Sakuya looked worried. ¡°I also did not. What did you see?¡± Fithel asked. ¡°He tempted me to release him, promising whatever I wished for and the Trident,¡± Viers laid it out. ¡°Congratulations, for reaching the end.¡± Both Aletro appeared, two people with similar faces like a mirror of another. The only difference between them was their clothes¡¯ color: one wearing all white and all black on the other. ¡°You¡¯ve defeated a powerful adversary and the greatest treasure lies before you. Now you three have to make a choice. To take the trident and let the sealed entity free or to give it up and purify the trident from impurities to strengthen the seal.¡± A ball of light appeared on the trio¡¯s hand. ¡°Put the ball of light into the water if you choose to purify the trident,¡± Aletro in white said. Viers wanted to ask a glaring question. ¡°Aletro, is-¡± The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Is the entity that called himself Deep Dweller God real?¡± Black-clothed Aletro cut in. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that to your imagination.¡± ¡°What will we gain if we choose to purify?¡± Viers changed the question. ¡°Nothing,¡± they both spoke as one. ¡°If we three decided to take the trident? Who will get it?¡± ¡°You will decide that among yourself.¡± ¡°...Well, guess it¡¯s up to us then,¡± Viers shrugged. ¡°Thoughts?¡± Fithel and Sakuya stepped forward and ready to put their light on the water. They looked at Viers as if waiting for him. Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Viers smiled and also crouched down. ¡°Are you all sure?¡± Black Aletro goaded. ¡°The Crystal Trident is not a real divine weapon but it has been genuinely blessed by a Sea God. After being used to seal the kraken, a part of the evil god¡¯s strength is also mixed into the Trident, making the weapon more powerful and weakening the kraken permanently. A rare blessed and cursed item. Most Level 5 don¡¯t even have a stronger weapon.¡± He looked at Viers. ¡°It is even better than your broken spear.¡± I see. So that¡¯s why the city feels somewhat sacred. But- Viers was the first that let the light on his hands fall to the lake, Fithel and Sakuya soon followed. Sigh¡­ Bye, divine weapon. Viers concluded the Deep Dweller God is a real existence. The god put on a good show. Viers doubted if he was really an evil god and enlarged Viers¡¯ distrust of Aletro. Either way, if the kraken was freed, Viers path would definitely be entangled with the being once more. Viers smelled trouble from that. In the future, he would fall into a predicament because of the Deep Dweller God, malevolent god or not. He had read too many xianxias with similar enough plot. Viers could see the cliche development from one light-year away. Viers did not let the glimmer of the Crystal Trident blind him and he erased that particular alternate timeline from existence. Even if it turned out that the kraken was a righteous god and Aletro was revealed to be a bad guy that captured him to suck his power, it was not Viers¡¯ problem. He had enough problems of his own. The lake¡¯s water turned into the color of a rainbow. The three marveled at its beauty. Meanwhile, the Deep Dweller God¡¯s enormous body turned into stone. ¡°The choice has been made. At midnight, you all will be teleported out as Stage 2 ends. Feel free to roam the City of Pearl to gain any treasure you can find,¡± White Aletro looked pleased. ¡°Before that, all of you gained marks on your hands during the visit to the Sky Temple and Sea Temple. Combined with your result in the final battle, you¡¯ll gain an appropriate reward. First place, Tanael. Second place, Fithel. Third place, Night Bloom.¡± ¡°The reward is placed somewhere in the city. The mark on your hands will guide you,¡± Black Aletro added. ¡°The other trial takers cannot return to the City of Pearl so there are only you three. Use your time wisely.¡± Without further ado, Both Aletros left, leaving the three to their own devices. ¡°Excuse me, you two. I have to find some treasures.¡± Viers moved first, giving a nod to the others before running out. Fithel and Sakuya exchanged glances before saying farewell and separated, much more polite than Viers. ¡°It should be here.¡± The city was pretty wide. The previous black mist was actually Deep Dweller God¡¯s tentacles that coiled all around the city. They were now stones and no longer prevented travel. Viers finally reached the gate of a ruined building where he felt a call. The marks on his both hands disappeared as he pushed the gate open. It was an empty hall with murals on the walls. ¡°...Martial art¡¯s kata?¡± The murals were showing pictures of a man doing a sword technique. Viers found the title written on the upper part. ¡°Sea Universe sword style, first stance¡­ Big words. Where¡¯s the second stance?¡± Viers looked around. ¡°Looks like there¡¯s only the first stance, Lord Viers.¡± ¡°Shame. Mmh!?¡± Viers was startled by the sudden emergence of a swordsman-phantom. Like a hologram, the swordsman was displaying his sword technique. He was only using one stance, showing how he used that stance to deal with many situations in various conditions. ¡°It seems this is the reward, a water element centric sword technique,¡± Farley¡¯s eyes were glued to the phantom¡¯s movements. ¡°And this phantom is an impartment, like a master showing how it''s done to a disciple,¡± Clarissa clarified. ¡°Well, better get observing, Viers. Profound techniques won''t be easy to learn. You have about¡­ 22 hours till midnight? Even that might not be enough. Without the impartment, it will be significantly harder, might take weeks or months. Let''s hope 22 hours is enough.¡± Yeah, learning xianxia''s tech can take years. If the author wants to make it so¡­ or just minutes if the MC is the one doing it. MCs are such an unfair creature after all. Viers watched the holo-video for one hour before all the ¡®kata¡¯ was finished showing and started to play again from the beginning. Hmn¡­ Viers was studying it diligently. After watching it for the second time, Viers got an idea. There¡¯s no supernatural impartment at play here. No mystic understanding digging its way into my head. The holo might be a magic trick but it is no different from a recording. A very REAL recording but I must learn by my own comprehension¡­ Let me watch one more to be sure. Viers watched the first stance of the Sea Universe sword style for the third time. ¡°All right, I¡¯ve got it. Let''s leave,¡± Viers happily said. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve learned it? Took you long enough. Show me,¡± Paina said. ¡°Impossible!¡± Clarissa raised her voice. She was the one with the most understanding about the subject. ¡°Even with constant Euryale Sight, you would need at least fifteen hours to pull it off! And this is assuming you are a talented genius! Normal people would be lucky to grasp it under seventy-two!¡± ¡°Ha-ha-hah! Of course not. But cooped up here is a waste of time, isn''t it? I¡¯ll bring the recording with me,¡± Viers made a shady smile. ¡°B-Bring it with you?¡± Clarissa stuttered. ¡°...Ah, so that¡¯s how it is. As expected of Lord Viers,¡± Farley nodded in understanding. Clarissa watched the exact copy of the recording in the Grid with her mouth open. The Grid was a virtual space capable of replicating Viers¡¯ past enemies, salvaged from the system cheat of an MC. It was not a common thing. From the most miniscule muscle twitch or the one-millimeter difference in footing, Viers recorded them all and could rewatch the sword stance impartment anytime he wanted. Viers and the other two left Clarissa standing in disbelief, shaken by Viers¡¯ resourcefulness. Linking benefits to gain more benefits, creating a snowball effect. Every power fantasy MC''s style of cultivation¡­ This is the Way. ¡°What are your plans now, Lord Viers?¡± Farley asked. ¡°We have about nineteen hours left.¡± Paina answered. ¡°Treasure hunting, obviously. Do you need to ask?¡± ¡°Bzzt! Wrong answer, Angels! I¡¯m going skinny dipping!¡± Viers declared proudly as if he had uttered the most brilliant thing ever. Chapter 162 ¡°Hey look. There¡¯s another ¡®marked¡¯ ruin over there. Must be housing other good things like the one we¡¯ve just entered. Not going to go in, Viers?¡± Paina pointed out. ¡°My marks from the two temples are gone. I won''t be able to go in.¡± Viers said. ¡°Use your space-jumping whale form then,¡± she suggested. ¡°What use are walls before the power of teleportation?¡± ¡°Actually, there are plenty of ways to prevent teleportation. Enchanted walls, space disruptors, anti-teleport magic circles, and so on. Not easy to make or cheap, but it¡¯s there,¡± Farley said. ¡°Aletro can prevent Viers teleporting in with a thought if he so wished,¡± Clarissa chipped in. ¡°And my transformation isn''t free. It cost Victa. The stronger the monster, the greater the price. Then I must turn back to human form, which cost Victa yet again. So no,¡± Viers put in another hit. Paina, after the three-hit combo, sulked. ¡°So serious... You guys are no fun. Where are you going?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°Not seeking treasures? We¡¯ve passed by quite a lot while you¡¯re running. This isn''t like you, passing opportunities,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°If I''ve still got time left then sure, but this takes precedence.¡± ¡°Is it so important¡­ This ¡®skinny dipping¡¯ of yours? You aren''t actually skinny though¡­¡± Before Viers could answer Paina¡¯s question, Farley cut in. ¡°Lord Viers, let me out to forage. I¡¯ll bring those treasures to you.¡± ¡°No,¡± Viers¡¯ tone brooked no argument. ¡°This is the place where an evil god is sealed. Who knows what kind of hidden danger lurks here. I won''t risk any of you even for ten thousand shards.¡± ¡°You really think the Deep Dweller God is real?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask you. This Deep Dweller God, ever heard of him?¡± Clarissa shook her head. ¡°So it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.¡± ¡°Hmn¡­¡± Clarissa hummed noncommittally. ¡°This direction¡­ You-¡± ¡°Catch on, did you?¡± Viers smiled. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. I refuse to leave without any gain from the divine trident!¡± Viers stood before the rainbow lake in the middle of the city of Pearl, the very place where he fought Pyke. Under the lake, the stone-turned kraken slumbered. ¡°You just said it is better to be safe than sorry but now you wanted to take a dip with the evil god? Are you insane?!¡± Paina jabbed. ¡°With the Trident. Just look, the lake has become rainbow-colored. Sacred feeling oozing from it. The octopus is definitely suppressed. I¡¯ll leave if there¡¯s a slightest bit of abnormality. Anyway, since I cannot gain the Trident, I¡¯ll absorb its divinity.¡± ¡°How do you intend to do that, Lord Viers? Do you have a method to absorb divine essence from something?¡± ¡°Not quite, Farley. Mmm, rather than absorb, it might be more accurate to let it rub on me.¡± Viers disrobed and turned into a red carp. Rank 0 Tomalica Carp, the first monster form that he absorbed. It was one of the weakest monsters in the world. He used this form when escaping from Freya. ¡°Angels, be a dear and keep an eye out will you?¡± ¡°Hahhh, just be careful,¡± Paina sighed. Viers sent his tenants out to keep watch and injected some soul energy into them. Not materialized, but out of the container that was his own body. The girls were very ghost-like, imperceptible without special means. Good scouts. Without Viers¡¯ Victa and the necessary soul sustenance, they would have fallen into sleep. Normal ghosts were different; they didn''t need such things but they gradually lost themselves, becoming malevolent entities. Viers was a major reason the girls maintained their humanity -or lamianity, in Clarissa¡¯s case-. After laying down some security, Viers concentrated on the matter at hand. Carp-Viers flopped his way into the lake, entering it with a splosh. Viers had read enough stories where monsters evolved into something great just because they lived in the vicinity of a great treasure so he put that knowledge into use. A Tomalica Carp swam in the rainbow-colored water of holiness. Viers suffused and basked in the divine energy of the Crystal Trident. Viers felt like he was being baptized by a saint. He felt the cells of his fish body taking in all the sacredness around him. HOLY COW¡­ Is this what god-blessed recreational drugs feel like!? It must be mentioned that Viers never tried drugs before. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Viers spent the next hours just chilling, enjoying bliss. He felt as if he was drinking pure, distilled happiness. Two hours after Carp-Viers had started to bathe in the sanctified water. ¡°POWER OVERWHELMING!!!¡± Viers suddenly shouted in the manner only the girls could hear. ¡°Hikhh?¡± Farley flinched. ¡°Waaah!? Don''t startle us like that!¡± Clarissa was puffing. ¡°Apologies, I just feel so GREAT!¡± Viers wiggled his fish body gleefully. ¡°But are there any side-effects? Are you okay? No corruption from the Deep Dweller God?¡± Voice of worry came from Paina. ¡°Thanks for the concern but I''m taking every safety measure available. I can take in the holiness at a much faster rate than this but I¡¯m taking things slow,¡± Viers said. ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± Paina went back to scouting. Ten hours after Carp-Viers had started to bathe in the sanctified water. Oh? I can feel the divine energy absorption''s starting to slow down. Eighteen hours after Carp-Viers had started to bathe in the sanctified water. Yep, the tank is full. Nothing more to be gained here. Damn shame. There¡¯s still so much left but my cup can''t hold any more. Even after Viers successfully munched off some holiness from the sacred object, the Trident¡¯s divinity didn''t seem to diminish in the slightest. Well, my Tomalica Carp is just a Rank 0 monster. How much can I take, really? Still, I¡¯m certain there¡¯s an effect. When my Magicarp evolves to Gyarados, it will be a sea god-blessed divine water dragon! It¡¯s gonna be glorious as hell! Mwuahahahaha! Viers didn''t evolve the Rank 0 carp yet because he wanted to turn it into a dragon and he didn''t yet have a draconic monster flesh for it. The strict eating regulation was necessary for the carp¡¯s evolution into a dragon. ¡°Lord Viers, it seems you have concluded your business. Just in time. You have a guest,¡± Farley informed. When Fithel saw Viers, he was in the middle of putting on his clothes with his back on the visitor. Viers already put on the Impersonator mask and became the handsome Tanael instead of the disfigured Viers. ¡°...Did you just bathe in a lake where a god-like being sleeps?¡± Fithel squinted his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a free city,¡± Viers simply answered. ¡°Need something?¡± ¡°The trial will end in less than an hour. With the short time remaining, I want to invite you and Night Bloom to my table.¡± ¡°...¡¯Your table¡¯?¡± ¡°A modest gathering to talk. We¡¯ve defeated a formidable enemy side by side. It would be regrettable if we simply separated as strangers.¡± ¡°A celebration?¡± Viers raised his brow. ¡°We might yet fight each other, you know?¡± ¡°Perhaps. I¡¯m extending an invitation nonetheless. It would honor me, should you choose to join,¡± the tall elf said serenely. ¡°...Do you have meat?¡± *** ¡°Apologies, a human body cannot have that many green extracts in their bodies. It is harmful,¡± Viers said with a somewhat blue face. ¡°Intriguing. I¡¯ll dishonor myself and offer you plain water instead.¡± Viers just had the most disgusting vegetable juice in his life. It was like the essence of a hundred kilos of spinach was packed into that wooden cup. Viers almost threw up after two sips. He took Fithel¡¯s water and gulped it to wash the bad taste in his mouth. ¡°Ufufu, he¡¯s just joking Fithel-sama. Tanael-san, good kids eat their vegetable desuyo~¡± Viers looked at Sakuya as if he was slapped. ¡°You are a traitor to the whole human race, unforgivable!¡± ¡°Ufufu, then this criminal shall absolve herself with this sashimi. Ice cold thanks to our wonderful host, Fithel-san.¡± ¡°Mmmm,¡± Viers licked his chops after taking a slice. ¡°You are forgiven.¡± ¡°Fascinating¡­ Why do humans eat their fish raw? Is there some religious or biological reason for it?¡± The fifty-year-old elf¡¯s eyes were not joking. The late-night celebration was more fun than expected. Viers could spend the remaining time to treasure hunt but how many could he get in that small amount of time? Viers estimated about one to two thousand if he was lucky. If he attended the party, he might learn more info about Fithel and Sakuya which might be of use should they clash in the future. A few non-alcoholic drinks later, the talk drifted towards dreams. They were pretty open about it. Fithel wanted to join the Emerald Circle, elven warrior elites, and Sakuya sought a medicine ingredient for her dad. Aletro told her the ingredient definitely exists in the trial but she had to find it. ¡°That¡¯s what I was about to tell you before we got interrupted with Pyke on the first day of Stage 2. If you stumble upon Asteyule Herb, please trade it with me. I¡¯ll compensate you handsomely.¡± Sakuya depicted the appearance and characteristics of the herb to Viers and Fithel. They both promised to keep an eye out. During the conversations, Viers¡¯ mind drifted to the elf friendship token that he got from a certain unfortunate man. He wondered if every elf would become buddy-buddy if Viers showed them that. Meh, forging relationships is not Tanael¡¯s role. Better leave it to Avel. Besides, I might still have to kill Fithel later. Although, I wish I don''t have to. He seems to be a good bloke. All good things must come to an end, only minutes remained until lights out. Since I¡¯m a guest, I should show my appreciation. In the ruin of a breathtaking sunken city, in this soothing moment, Viers wanted to give it a touch of his color. Of all the money that e''er I had I spent it in good company Viers conjured a phantom of a singing woman. Red-haired, clear voice. Fithel and Sakuya set their eyes on her. And all the harm I''ve ever done Alas it was to none but me Viers shared the song from his past. The other two relaxed and enjoyed the moment. And all I''ve done for want of wit To mem''ry now I can''t recall The song was slow, tender, and gentle. Involuntarily drawing the listener in. Viers approached them, a finger on his mouth. He filled their cups. So fill to me the parting glass Good night and joy be to you all Silently, Viers raised his wooden cup and offered a toast. From the next verse, Paina added the sound of her flute, while Fithel took up a harp. The musicians played matching tunes on the song they¡¯d never heard before. As Anne Bonny¡¯s phantom sang the Parting Glass, the three were smiling. Music crossed the barrier of language, race, and world. The song accompanied them until they were enveloped with light. Their current adventure had ended but the next part of their journey now began. Chapter 162 - Parting Glass Chapter 163 - A Matter of Survival The trial takers found themselves back in the Quantum Main Hub. The Path of Paradise resort still stood out like a sore thumb in the distance. What welcomed them was the ranking list plastered in the air, big and bold. Anne - 33,990 spark shards. Rank 1 Blade of Justice - 33,210 spark shards. Rank 2 Daystar - 24,860 spark shards. Rank 3 Divine Punishment - 24,800 spark shards. Rank 4 Oscar Regisea - 24,530 spark shards. Rank 5 Tanael - 21,010 spark shards. Rank 6 Noble Tiger - 20,700 spark shards. Rank 7 Airmaster - 20,520 spark shards. Rank 8 Green Scorpion - 20,440 spark shards. Rank 9 Backlasher - 20,290 spark shards. Rank 10 Viers smiled when seeing his alias¡¯ name in sixth place but it turned to a frown after seeing how significant the difference was between him and the first rank. The top 10 changed quite a bit. Anne is still in the first place. Oscar fell to fifth? Who are these Daystar and Divine Punishment? And Backlasher, that super serious guy got tenth place¡­ He shut out the yells of ¡®yeeeah¡¯ and the groans of ¡®noooo¡¯ to concentrate on the other listed information. In the water world, from 63 people, 28 qualified for Stage 3. I thought I squeezed them hard enough but more than two dozen still passed the 3000 spark shards minimum, huh? On the other hand¡­ in the fire world, 59 people got in and all are qualified? Weird¡­ was there no conflict between the players there? ¡°Out of 382 of you,¡± both Aletro showed up as giant phantoms. ¡°247 fulfilled the condition to enter Stage 3, congratulations,¡± The white-clothed Aletro said. ¡°While I want to begin the exciting deathmatch immediately, this softie here won''t budge on giving you some rest time,¡± black-robed Aletro scoffed. ¡°So you got six hours of free time. Use it wisely, little chicks.¡± Hearing the word ¡®deathmatch¡¯, the bloodthirsty ones were like sharks who caught a whiff of blood. The compassionate half of Aletro continued without minding his twin. ¡°You can use this opportunity to heal up in the infirmary, gather intel, make alliances, buy what you need in the shop, or simply rest. Five minutes before your departure, we will give an explanation about Stage 3. We will not disclose anything before that time except this: Stage 3 will last for one month.¡± Amidst the murmurs, the orientation continued. ¡°Feel free to use your shards in the store to buy supplies, techniques, and things you feel you lack. The rankings are already fixed so your ranking will not drop no matter how many shards you used. Remember, preparation is vital. Losing some shards now is better than losing your life later. Be prudent.¡± ¡°To those who did not make the cut for Stage 3 or the jelly-willed boys and girls that already lost the will to continue or are too afraid about the upcoming deathmatch, this will be your last six hours in this place. Any treasures and material you''ve gained you will keep but your shards will go up in smoke. For your own good, buy something in the store before they expire.¡± In a glimpse, Viers could see in the face of dozens of players that what Sinister Aletro just said resonated with them. ¡°I can see what some of you are thinking. Too baaaad~¡± Black-clothed Aletro showed his tongue. ¡°As of now, no shard exchanges are permitted with other trial takers, and the items you buy will become dust if you give it to another person. Same as before, this place forbids all forms of violence. Dismissed.¡± Before Viers left, he examined the names in the ranking list further. Ivory Flame - 11 Dark Zero - Rank 12 Fithel - Rank 13 Squire - Rank 18 Night Bloom - Rank 26 Emperor of Storms - Rank 30 Black Cat - Rank 74 Boram - Rank 98 And then, there¡¯s still quite a lot of silly names plaguing the list¡­ Get ready people, I¡¯m gonna harvest you. *** In the top room of the Path of Paradise resort, two trial takers had just finished talking. In the real world, one was the boss of another. A youth with the alias Dodoronomcho showed Oscar his arm that had scales growing on it. Needless to say, he was now regretting his choice of accepting the evil god¡¯s offer. His power came with a price. Oscar examined them closely before letting him continue. ¡°And that¡¯s all I know about Tanael. After getting the boost from the Deep Dweller God, Tanael knocked me out using some sort of soul method then I became collateral damage when Pyke fought for real. I didn''t witness the final part of the water world.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done well. Retire from the trial. Stage 3 will be a bloodbath and you will die if you participate.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Tanael will hunt you down. His aggression against people with¡­ unique names is no joke. The matters of your curse will be attended to in the real world.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The relief on the youth¡¯s face spoke clearer than any shout. The youth recalled the time when Tanael prodded his soul like a child playing with clay and how he got bound to the ghost ship afterward to become shark bait. The bottom half of his torso was gone before Aletro teleported him to safety. Oscar read that the underling would have asked to retire even if he didn''t order it. Dodoronomcho bowed in gratitude. ¡°One last thing, Young Master¡­ When he starts addressing you as ¡®meatbag¡¯, expect the most brutal kind of violence to ensue.¡± At this moment, this was not the only conversation with Tanael as the topic. *** ¡°Situation report,¡± Viers said telepathically. The recipient was not the usual three. Izabella and Tanael were exchanging information. They pretended to be browsing the list of items in the shop but they were actually using telepathic communication. In Stage 1, Izabella gave Viers a magical item that allowed them to do just that. ¡°The six different worlds in Stage 2 each had a divine weapon. All the six worlds, although with different stories, centered around gaining the weapon. Only two people got the divine weapon, Anne in the fire world and Troy, alias Blade of Justice, in the dark world.¡± ¡°Anne kept the weapon but Troy turned his into shards. That¡¯s why there¡¯s such a big gap from second to third place.¡± Viers felt something was off. ¡°If Anne kept her divine weapon, how the hell did that Level 1 girl managed to topple Troy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing¡­ Anne was very, very lucky. They said she stumbled upon treasures left and right. Somehow, things seem to be always going her way¡­ The girl could hold her own in a fight but from the info I gathered, she¡¯s not some powerhouse juggernaut. And yet, she could triumph against opponents outside her league. She also had a lot of allies in the top 50 and even top 10.¡± ¡°...She¡¯s even younger than me, isn''t she? Perhaps sixteen years old or less. How the hell could she do this in less than one year walking the Path of Power?¡± Twice now Anne had snagged the top spot. Viers had an ugly worry that the girl might be something beyond his ability to handle. It was still just a slight suspicion but it was there. ¡°...This Anne must be very special. Now''s not the time to poke the unknown. Keep observing her but don''t clash with her no matter what.¡± Viers gave Izabella the only sensible direction. ¡°I have some suspicions about the Green Scorpion. I suspect he and his group are...¡± ¡°Well now, that¡¯s interesting.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the info about Daystar and Divine Punishment.¡± ¡°Knowing your enemy is important.¡± ¡°Boram is fine. He grew quite a bit.¡± ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± ¡°You escaped Devadom Orca? Impressive. The guy that encountered Devagi Roc only managed not to become bird food thanks to Aletro.¡± They touched on many other topics according to their importance. While they were conversing, Viers finished buying 3000 spark shards worth of supplies in the shop. So what if he spent 3000 spark shards? He would gain much more when the killing spree started. ¡°My brain is starting to get warm from all the info¡­ Is there anything else you want to talk about, Black Cat?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Yes. Tanael, I want to kill Dorren. He has leeched off my shards long enough. It is time for him to pay me back with interest. With your help, the success rate will go up significantly.¡± ¡°Rank 15, Lord Ultimate? Hehehe. Just because of his name alone I will break his nose.¡± He¡¯d heard about this Lord Ultimate¡¯s true identity from Izabella. The most promising youth in the Regidana branch Blood Church and he wanted to get inside Izabella¡¯s skirt. If he was gone, Izabella¡¯s goal of rising to the top of the devil cult would be one step closer. ¡°Well, we got a license to kill. The big guy upstairs said so himself. Let''s put it to good use. I¡¯ll need a favor from you though.¡± ¡°Our relationship is give and take. Speak your price,¡± Izabella replied resolutely. *** Meanwhile, many people bought items or methods for defending against soul attacks, shards be damned. They were still young and relatively new as Pathseekers, barring special reasons, the soul was a curriculum from far above their capability but they had to study it now. They had no choice. Those who chose to participate in Stage 3 were basically trapped in a limited space with a murderous grim reaper. Anyone with half a brain would think that without any soul defense whatsoever, Tanael would eat them to the bone. And they were damn right. ¡°Shit¡­ I blew 2000 shards for this. I hope it''s worth it.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need this too. Take it.¡± ¡°Another 2000 shards? What the fuck for? It¡¯s hella expensive!¡± ¡°For guarding your mind. Don''t you know? Green Scorpion is a mind user and he¡¯s no less vicious than Tanael. He dominated the earth world. You wanna let someone like that get inside your brain?¡± ¡°Fuck me¡­ Trapped in a cage with a Mind and Soul Pathseeker. I hope they both die soon.¡± *** ¡°Those who choose to participate in Stage 3, summon your spark.¡± Viers took out his spark with a thought. The originally tiny speck of black light was now a dark sphere the size of a watermelon. There were tiny motes of light in the center of the spark. The size of the spark indicated how many shards the owner possessed. ¡°Hmn¡­ Of 247 qualified people, 226 chose to continue the trial. I¡¯ll address the retirees later.¡± Aletro swiped his hand and only those who took out their spark remained. The other disappeared like dust in the wind. ¡°Now, the time you¡¯ve been waiting for¡­ Stage 3¡¯s reveal.¡± The air was tense and silent, Viers heard the person next to him gulp. ¡°Stage 3 is a barren land. Water and food are scarce, the terrain is unforgiving. You¡¯ll directly face the harsh face of mother nature. And then there will be loads and loads of enemies that want to have you for lunch.¡± ¡°All 226 of you¡¯ll be teleported to the same dimension, not separated like in Stage 2.¡± ¡°The first thing you need to do is to find your settlement. There you¡¯ll find precisely 100 people. These people will look up to you for leadership and they will be your responsibility. Your objective is¡­ to survive.¡± ¡°There will be no other avenue of gaining spark shards except from your fellow trial takers. Defeat other people and you''ll gain all of their shards. If multiple of you gang up on a person to defeat them, you¡¯ll gain shards based on your contribution to their defeat.¡± ¡°How you manage your settlement will be crucial. The people under your charge won''t be your burden if you¡¯re smart. You can utilize their skills to improve your settlement. The more prosperous your settlement is, the more likely new people will migrate to your place. Should you choose to, you can merge your settlement with other players. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. You can consult further with your ¡®assistant¡¯ on the ground.¡± ¡°Against the harsh world and enemies that want you dead, you can modify your settlement with a variety of options to keep you and the people under your charge alive. Also, you¡¯ll gain various ability boosts while you¡¯re inside the border of your settlement. Theoretically, improving your power tenfold is possible. Do it right and even the most bloodthirsty players here will think twice before invading your base. Remember, you no longer enjoy the perks of my protection. Death is a very real possibility.¡± ¡°Should you find yourself in a hopeless situation, shout ¡®I surrender¡¯ while crushing your spark and you¡¯ll be teleported out. You¡¯ll lose the qualification to progress further in the trials and your spark shards will go to your opponent but you¡¯ll suffer no more harm. Know that you¡¯ll gain nothing. No benefit whatsoever if you surrender midway.¡± ¡°The ranking this time won''t be based on the number of shards you gathered but the number of survivors under your charge at the final clock. To pass Stage 3, your settlement must have at least one person alive at that time. Should the number of people under your responsibility become zero at any point during the trial, you will be disqualified and your shards will be shared evenly among the still active participants.¡± ¡°Lastly, your choice of choosing white or black spark and the action you¡¯ve done ever since now will show its effect during this trial. Look forward to it.¡± ¡°I wish you the best of luck. Don''t die.¡± A very motivational speech as always, Aletro. Viers replied in his mind. So Stage 1 had MMORPG¡¯s unending quests theme. Stage 2 was an adventure game, Uncharted with a pirates theme. And the theme for Stage 3 is¡­ Base-building survival! Chapter 164 - Death Unbanned Before Aletro explained about Stage 3, someone wasn''t having a good time. ¡°Hells and Damnations!¡± Green Scorpion, whose real name was Fajrin, threw his drinking glass to the ground, shattering it. ¡°Fucking Tanael¡­ Now everyone knows I¡¯m a mind user. Gathering information has become significantly harder!¡± Fajrin was fuming in front of the other four of their little group, the Garden of Perfection. It didn''t take a genius to suspect Tanael spread the rumor to make things hard for him. Fajrin¡¯s mind affinity was only 3, compared to his earth 5 affinity it was way weaker. Now that everyone¡¯s guard was up, gone was his plan to subtly pile advantages without anyone knowing. Thanks to that, his gains in the earth world weren''t as high as he expected and far more troublesome. Fajrin admitted he¡¯d underestimated Tanael. He made a bad call of trying to probe Tanael without preparation and it had far-reaching consequences. Despite the setbacks, Fajrin still sat in the top 10. It was proof of his ability. ¡°Shall we dispatch this thorn in our side during the next stage, Boss Fajrin? Let¡¯s teach this cocky cock a lesson. You are more than a match for him, let alone with us involved,¡± one underling spoke. ¡°Oh yes¡­ but there¡¯s no need to get our hands dirty. I already have someone in mind for the job,¡± Fajrin sneered. ¡°I suppose Tanael has gathered enough animosity for others to take a swing at him. Most people already want him gone.¡± ¡°I was thinking of sending an assassin after him,¡± Fajrin said. ¡°Who? Not many can contend with Tanael, let alone kill him.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve all seen her. She is the foreigner wearing an exotic garment called a kimono and asked us about Asteyule Herb.¡± ¡°Night Bloom?¡± ¡°What¡¯s special about her? There¡¯s plenty of other strong people. Besides, why would she listen to our request?¡± ¡°Hehehe,¡± Fajrin wore the devil¡¯s smile while taking out the Asteyule Herb from his storage item. ¡°Since she searched desperately for this medicinal ingredient, it must mean there¡¯s someone she cares about close to death. Besides, you all don''t know her origin. I have one more string to pull if she refuses.¡± *** ¡°When you step into the portal, Stage 3 will begin. You¡¯ll be transported randomly around the land. 10 km from your settlement. May fortune be with you.¡± People went into the portal of light at their own pace, wearing various expressions. Viers saw Boram take a deep breath before jumping in. As Boram¡¯s master, he was worried about the kid. Izabella gave a very subtle glance at Viers before going in. He caught Sakuya looking at him before she abruptly ended eye contact, face twisted with agony. As if escaping, Sakuya ran into the portal. She looks strange. Yare-yare¡­ looks like there will be a troublesome character development with her soon. Oh well. It was bound to happen sooner or later. ¡°Girls, prepare for battle,¡± Viers instructed ¡°Expecting trouble so soon?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°That too. But mainly, if there are other players close to our location, I¡¯ll eat them immediately. They are food for my growth.¡± ¡°Spoken like a true powerhouse, Lord Viers,¡± Farley said. Viers scoffed. ¡°Call it as it is. A tyrant.¡± Wearing a smile, Viers put a foot on the portal of light before bright light blinded him. After so many times, Viers had gotten used to the sensation of spatial transference. A degree of discomfort and disorientation was expected. What he did not expect was experiencing a 30m drop from the air. Viers¡¯ reason took control after the initial shock and started to conjure a bed of water 3m thick on his landing area. It was only half done when Viers hit the ground so Viers curled up and strengthened his body using magic before the impact. The water softened his landing a bit but he was feeling quite sore after the fall. It felt like the motorcycle accident he had a long time ago. Owww¡­ quite the welcome. The sky seemed to be spinning and the ground shaking. ...Wait, the ground really is shaking! The hill not far from his location quaked; he felt a sudden rise in temperature, the puddles of water created after the water landing pad broke were boiling. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. This is¡­!? Viers ran in the opposite direction two seconds before the hill erupted magma with a deafening roar and loads of smoke. Viers didn''t stint on using his Victa for speed, avoiding volcanic projectiles along the way, from marble-sized pebbles to car-sized boulders. He ran quite far before feeling he was in the clear. While slightly panting, Viers watched the mini-volcano. Volcanic eruption from a hill? The surrounding area is flat grassland too¡­ I¡¯m not a geology professor but is this possible? With the leeway window, Viers scanned his surroundings with Euryale Sight. He saw many weird happenings in the distance. Other than the volcanic eruption, he saw hail, two tornados, two burning forests, a misty valley, and a meteorite falling. What is this place? A disaster simulator? But first things first. By climbing to a vantage point and using his eyes that could zoom in like a telescope, Viers saw a human congregation about 10km away. Just a run-down village by the looks of it. A very run-down village, but at least there are some standing walls and roofs. The settlement was located beside a red lake. Viers wondered if it was blood. After finding out the direction where he needed to go, Viers searched for prey. He¡¯d found one such unfortunate soul. She was quite a ways off and busy running away from a stormcloud. The lightning bolts strangely seemed to be aiming for her head. Viers did not recognize the girl so chances were she was nothing special, a prey. He ran there like a cheetah in the savannah. Crossing large distances at a speed that put Olympics¡¯ runners to shame thanks to his physical and magical means. After he was close, he invoked an Arte. Arte - Fade in Shadow. With the weather in tumult, there were many shadows. Viers¡¯ version of the Arte gave him a moving speed boost besides the invisibility when he was in the dark. Viers gradually closed his distance to the exhausted girl like an invisible grim reaper. The proverbial reaper¡¯s scythe struck at the young girl¡¯s neck from behind without a sound. The girl felt no pain, let out no scream, and didn''t know she was dead when Viers collected her soul. The girl was pretty, full of youthful vigor, and looked like a kind girl. She must have her own hopes and dreams on her shoulders. Perhaps a loving family was waiting for her return. Viers robbed the future from a young girl not yet seventeen and had even done so with maximum efficiency. He didn''t let sentiment make his hands unsteady. I have no grudge against you. I kill you because of selfish reasons. A painless death is the least I can do. I won''t ask for forgiveness. May you have a better life in your next life. After a short prayer, Viers took everything the girl had of value, erased proof of his presence as much as possible, and left the scene of the crime like a ghost. Viers would not kill without reason, that was his aesthetic. But in other words, if he had cause for the deed or great incentive to, if the gain outweighed the risk, he would murder his fellow man with no hesitation. His way of walking to the Path of Power¡¯s top was a pragmatic one. From this vile act, Viers gained about 2500 spark shards and other benefits. Viers made way to his settlement. He didn''t regret what he had done but he didn''t make any conversation or joke along the way. He was just silently traversing the terrain while being alert of his surroundings. Similarly, the girls inside his head were as silent as the grave. *** Along the way, Viers encountered an area of sudden sinking sand and a locally fallen acid rain. He made a water rope and coiled it around a tree to pull himself out from the sinking sand. As for the acid rain, Viers manipulated the sizzling raindrops to form an umbrella. Water and acid were both liquids. Using the Ixi Arte principle, Viers made it through the acidic plains in a straight line. He reached his settlement by late morning. ¡°Look!¡± Someone on the lookout pointed at Viers. ¡°The Chief has returned.¡± ¡°Huzzah!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be alright now!¡± The villagers happily welcomed him. Viers saw the villagers¡¯ age ranged from children to elderly. Their garments were simple and thin. Some villagers were busy raising wooden homes and a few others were in the middle of fishing in the red lake. A couple of children tugged the hem of his clothes playfully before their parents took them away after apologizing. Before long, a person who seemed to be in charge showed up. ¡°I''m glad for your return, Chief. Come, we have much to discuss.¡± Viers raised his brow quizzically. ¡°Kaari?¡± ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± She returned the puzzled look. Kaari was Viers¡¯ personal maid in Stage 1. She was no longer wearing a maid uniform, changing it into something more practical. Her curly blonde hair remained the same though. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Did the resort go out of business?¡± ¡°Resort? I¡¯m afraid I do not understand. I simply followed your order of settling the migrants while you were scouting, sir,¡± Kaari explained. ¡°...Situation report.¡± Viers had no idea what Kaari was talking about but he acted as if he was in control. ¡°Certainly, please follow me to your office. I¡¯ll brief you on the way.¡± The two went through the swamping villagers. ¡°As per your instructions, I¡¯ve led the people of our faction on an exodus after the Last City fell to internal troubles. Anarchy ran rampant and there are still many brothers and sisters trapped inside the City. If our settlements grow, they will surely come. But that¡¯s a problem for another day. Our immediate concern is to establish a permanent settlement.¡± Kaari led Viers to the center of the village. A flagpole as tall as an adult man with a blue flag was planted there. ¡°The flag I received from you will help tremendously in our continued survival in this harsh frontier,¡± Kaari said. ¡°The magical artifact creates a safe area in our immediate surroundings that shields us against natural disasters. Although, its power isn''t almighty nor without limits. If it comes to it, we can move the flag to establish a different settlement in another place. It is a very important artifact. If it is lost or broken, we no longer have a safe zone.¡± ¡°The provision of food our people brought will last for only two more days. I¡¯ve raised the settlement in the most ideal location I could find, which is the current location. There are places nearby where we can gather resources for building and food. However, you can choose to move the settlement whenever you wish.¡± ¡°I suggest erecting some defensive structures to protect our home before sending parties for resource gathering. That concludes my report. What are your next orders, Chief?¡± Kaari asked. Chapter 165 - Playing the Right Game Viers could admit without shame that he had never ruled a village before or sat on any other position of leadership. Not even a class rep at school. He was an introvert rather than an extrovert. But base-building video games were right up his alley. Confidently, Viers took note of the manpower he could utilize, divided them into groups, and sent them to work. Those who needed to go outside of the village were sent with protection details. Among his 100, there were 20 children, 50 workers, and 30 fighters. The children didn''t need saying but the workers were very weak in terms of fighting because their skills lay in crafting, even traversing the wilds was dangerous for them. Out of 30 fighters, 25 were Level 1 Pathseekers and 5 Level 2s, one of which was Kaari. Each worker got something they were good at and Viers told them to do just that. Viers witnessed that a worker who said he was good at wood-cutting could cut down a tree with a few swings of an ax while a regular worker needed dozens. A worker that had a hunter¡¯s perk seemed to have game animals pass by right in front of him regularly. So this is how living inside a game feels like. All stages had elements of video games in them but Stage 3 seemed fabricated at a deeper level. Raising a building here was more magic than construction. While Viers watched a worker waving his hands in the air like a conductor and logs of wood arranging themselves into a wooden watchtower, Kaari came to him. ¡°Chief, the material and food gathering is coming along smoothly. The cooks have already begun processing the raw food. It is chilly at night and it will be dark in a few hours. We should make sure there¡¯s enough shelter for the people before nightfall comes, else they might get sick and decrease their work efficiency.¡± Frostpunk! Viers lampooned in his mind. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do that.¡± Viers had to bail the resource gathering groups out of trouble a few times today, from monsters or from nature. At this point, the settlement would need a lot of help before it was able to stand on its own. While the horizon was rife with all different kinds of nature''s fury in the hours Viers arrived, it became calmer as time went on. Viers guessed it must be a special event because of the emergence of the players. Just like how a volcanic eruption welcomed him. Darkness descended and the chill crept in fast, stealing their bodily warmth to the degree of discomfort. Thanks to the safe zone effect of the magical flag, the temperature didn''t drop too deep inside the settlement¡¯s borders but it was snowing. A step outside the border and Viers felt the harsh temperature difference. In the middle of the night, while Viers was meditating, Kaari suddenly barged into his room. ¡°Chief, there¡¯s trouble! In one hour, I sensed a disaster coming from the direction of the lake!¡± ¡°...You ¡®sensed¡¯?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Yes, I can sense disasters. That is why you made me your second. Have you forgotten, Chief?¡± How useful¡­ it cuts the surprise factor from the unpredictable natural disasters significantly. Does every player have a precog assistant? Oh, I get it. It must be the top 10 reward. ¡°What more can you tell me?¡± Viers pressed. ¡°From a scale of one to ten where one means the settlement will be fine even if it hits and ten means complete annihilation if we remain, this is a five.¡± ¡°Except the lookouts, gather the fighters near the lake. I will be there shortly. Alert the villagers that we might need to evacuate.¡± ¡°As you command.¡± Kaari bowed and closed the door. Viers made preparations for combat. But can I fight natural disasters? One hour later, along with the rest of the villagers, Viers witnessed the lake rise up. The lake became a bulbous, red water slime thing 30 meters tall. Just as Viers was about to order evacuation because there was no way in hell he could fight that thing, the gelatin monster simply moved away. Unheeding of the ants near it. It went to the side, leaving the village untouched, dragging its body out of the lake. It moved slowly like a snail and left a slimy trail in its wake. From that trail, smaller slimes came to being, dozens of them. Most were Rank 1s, only a couple of Rank 2s. These ones were humanoid in shape and aggressive, approaching Viers and the rest. Against this force, the settlement would be overrun if Viers wasn''t there to help. ¡°Attack but keep it as quiet as possible,¡± Viers took the first strike with his Vengeful Spirit Arte, a spherical soul missile that blasted a humanoid slime to pieces before it coalesced back together. Thankfully the fighters possessed a variety of elements, fire attacks, in particular, were very effective against these lake slime offshoots. Viers helped burn them down using the flamethrower Fire Cry 3. He waited until the momma slime moved some distance first before burning them in earnest. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Viers went to the highest point of the settlement to look around, eyes turning green. The lake had been reduced to about half but that was the least of Viers¡¯ worries. In the distance, Viers saw the bigwigs that awakened. In the distance, other than momma slime, there was a moving mountain, a cumulonimbus cloud with a face descending, and something that could only be called a Shai-Hulud¡¯s cousin emerging from the ground. Closer to home, Viers was shrouded by a shadow as a monstrous four-winged beetle went over his head, obscuring the moonlight. When Viers zoomed in with his super eyes, its body was made of metal. Any of those monsters were at least Rank 4. ¡°We should avoid having activities at night, Chief,¡± Viers heard Kaari¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°The place is far more dangerous at night so stepping outside the settlement is unwise. If the place is noisy and busy, it might attract one of them to the settlement.¡± Surviving in this place won''t be easy, Viers¡¯ heart grew cold. *** The temperature returned to normal after the sun came up. Viers hadn''t slept since the lake slime¡¯s event; he was strategizing the whole time. At the early stage, the settlements were vulnerable. The players needed to protect their home and yet, to get shards, they needed to attack other players. The ones with low battle strength might have had no problem hunkering down until the end but it was a big problem for Viers. There were no treasures to be found in the mine or forest, only building materials. There really was no wealth to be found here that could be of use for the next stage. Viers liked base-building. Seeing a patch of land gradually turning into a prosperous base was great, watching waves of enemies decimated into smithereens as they assaulted your walls was glorious. But Viers wasn''t sure he was playing the right game here. The most important thing was the spark shards. It was still the hot currency so he needed to have as many as possible. Viers was aware that the time to attack was now, when the other players had not turned their settlements into strongholds. He should use his greater battle prowess to defeat as many competitors as he can during this period of time. But his own settlement became a burdening factor; His own settlement couldn''t survive without him. Viers was sure the other players also thought of something similar. The game was built to balance offense and defense. If this proceeded normally, the battles between players would only start after they raise sufficient defenses in their settlement, around the middle part of the trial. Viers couldn''t afford to wait that long. If you chase two rabbits you will lose them both, huh? There was a knock on the door before a curly blonde woman came in. ¡°You called for me, Chief?¡± ¡°Come in and close the door. Kaari, do you trust me?¡± ¡°Completely, sir.¡± ¡°If I told you to stay behind stalling a tide of monsters while I led the villagers to safety, would you do it?¡± ¡°I will do as you command, Chief. It is not my place to question your judgment.¡± ¡°If I made a bad decision that resulted in the village¡¯s destruction, what would you do? You must know that I¡¯m not a perfect being, especially in a place like this. There¡¯s no guarantee you or any of the villagers would survive.¡± ¡°Chief, you are the person I entrust my life to. My sole purpose is to support you with my full capacity; your cause is my cause. I will follow your orders without question, even if it resulted in my death. Rest assured, Chief.¡± For a moment, Viers forgot he was speaking with a soulless NPC. ¡°Then heed my command, Kaari. Here¡¯s what you¡¯re gonna do.¡± ¡°Certainly, Chief.¡± *** Moon Muun Chuun felt that today would be a good day as she inhaled the crisp morning air. Despite the giant monsters passing relatively close to her settlement, there was very little damage to it, which she took as a lucky sign. This place is more dangerous than I thought. I should invest even more resources in security. Moon Muun Chuun was overseeing the construction of a magical turret tower when she heard a piercing warning cry. ¡°ENEMY ATTACK!¡± She saw two dozen people attacking her settlement¡¯s front gate; her own fighters were already engaging them. Invasion from other trial takers! And the numbers¡­ Did they leave their own settlement undefended? Moon Muun Chuun was unprepared for an all-out invasion from the start but things were going well. She¡¯d raised some archer towers and applied strengthening buffs to her fighters yesterday. With the home-field advantage, her side was clearly getting the upper hand. Good, this is good! This is going well! Moon Muun Chuun wasn''t a formidable fighter so she did not join the front line and remained behind the walls. Wait! Where¡¯s the head of the snake? A silver screen automatically prevented an attack from hitting her body from behind. Her 2500 spark shards item showed its worth. S-s-soul attack? That means- ¡°Quite a strong shield. It will take about ten shots from me before breaking.¡± She turned and saw Tanael¡¯s extended left hand glowed as he prepared his Arte. ¡°Wait! Don''t kill me! I¡¯ll come under you, okay? My people will be absorbed under your camp. I will make myself useful. Also, I only have about 700 spark shards. The rest I¡¯ve used for buying items. There¡¯s little merit for defeating me permanently,¡± she made her case in haste. ¡°If you didn''t have that soul shield or bought a cheap one, you would already be dead. Good job,¡± Viers praised. Viers summoned the Little Friend into his hand and shot her immediately. Blood sprouted out from the forehead as the physical bullet pierced her head. Moon Muun Chuun¡¯s expression was that of blankness. ¡°But you¡¯re still dead if I wanted to. You should have decisively quit after surviving the first blow.¡± She did not recognize Viers had summoned an instrument of death thus resulting in slight confusion. Viers utilized that small window in her defense to deal a fatal blow. After her body had fallen to the ground, Viers shot her in the chest thrice to be thorough before absorbing her soul. 700 shards? Even a mosquito is meat, or so the saying goes. And I''m starving for souls. Viers didn''t forget to loot her for anything of value, morality be damned. And yet Viers still closed her eyes with his fingers. ¡°I pray you have a better life in your next life.¡± With the death of the ¡®chief¡¯, the battle died down. Moon Muun Chuun¡¯s assistant, the equivalent of Viers¡¯ Kaari, led fighters to surrender. ¡°We surrender ourselves to you, Milord,¡± the man said. ¡°Where should we migrate?¡± ¡°Migrate? To my settlement? There¡¯s no such thing,¡± Viers took Moon Muun Chuun¡¯s magical flag and stored it in his Casket. ¡°Those of you that can fight, follow me. To the next settlement we go.¡± ¡°Very well. Sir, what about the rest of the villagers?¡± The assistant asked. He himself was a Level 2 Pathseeker so he followed Viers. ¡°I wish them good luck,¡± said Viers as he led his marauding murderous band away. Chapter 166 - Lightning Struck By the morning of the second day, Viers had already taken two lives. Viers and his marauders found another settlement before noon. He aimed to hit five before nightfall. The third settlement was a bit strange. This one was so much better. The buildings were nicer, the fighters were more numerous, they even had a farm set up. How? They shouldn''t have the time or resources to afford those. This means their starting goods were better than mine. I¡¯m in the top 10, how is this possible? Piqued, Viers determined to find the truth. He went in with more prudence than usual, sneaking in with his Water Ghost Spider form, a monster form specialized in stealth. He left the NPCs after ordering them to stay put and raised the safe zone. There were so many holes in the defenses that Viers could sneak into without problem even in his human form. He found the other player in a chapel, the nicest building in the settlement. I know him. He¡¯s Choir Boy, from the Church. Viers put special attention on those with roots in the Estellian Church, after all, they wanted his juicy brain and to put him in eternal torment. The guy was in the middle of his morning prayer. So devout and dedicated was the youth that he didn''t realize a transparent spider was hanging upside and down on the ceiling. The Water Ghost Spider was a monster without a deadly attack but Spider-Viers was not a mere monster. As he freefell from the ceiling, Viers beheaded Choir Boy with Water Slash Arte, as smooth as drawing a line on an empty canvas. The combination of Fade in Shadow Arte and stealth-specialized Water Ghost Spider was too good. Two seconds after Viers¡¯ eight legs landed on the ground, the head was also at ground level. Red spread on the floor. You are pious, I¡¯ll give you that. Perhaps Estelle will reward you once you reach Heaven. The chapel was quiet and there was no other person here so Viers soul-searched him then and there. Choir Boy, real name , was the most promising person in the Regidana¡¯s branch. High hopes for becoming a Silver Legion candidate. Wind 4 affinity. Yadda-yadda, blah blah blah, skip skip skip¡­ Ah, this is more interesting. White spark holders have a more advantageous start. There¡¯s more information that black spark holders like Viers didn''t get told. According to what the White Aletro said to Choir Boy when he first reached his settlement, white spark holders will gain spark shards at the Stage 3¡¯s end based on the number of survivors while the black spark holders will not. Aletro also said that there were those that chose white spark at the start but it turned to black spark because they chose to do evil deeds such as attacking other people in Stage 1 and causing misery in Stage 2. Ah, so that¡¯s why my black spark got a bit of white glimmer. Must be because I didn¡¯t take the Trident and ¡®let the Deep Dweller God destroy the world¡¯ at Stage 2. Doesn''t matter though. My karma meter is too red. Still, this is clearly a biased treatment that rewards white spark holders¡­ On the other hand, they also had a lot less freedom than the black spark holders from the start. Those that stay true to their belief and live righteously get rewarded, huh? The reason Choir Boy settlement¡¯s was prosperous was because he mainly took on quests that helped people in Stage 1. For example, according to the memories, Choir Boy had helped the sick son of a farmer in Stage 1. At Stage 3, the son had grown up and remembered him, joining his exodus group. The son had skills in farming and held Choir Boy in high esteem. Viers remembered he mainly killed monsters and didn''t bother helping NPCs. Wait, is that why my initial area has many wild animals and few monsters compared to the other settlements? Cause I killed a bunch of them in Stage 1? And the good people in the Church got a directive from the higher-ups to seek a certain Viers Isuel''s tail, hmph! After Viers had finished taking what he needed, he searched for the next prey. Choir Boy and the fighter NPCs from those Viers killed obeyed his orders without question. Utilizing the fresh NPCs under his command, Viers spread them out for scouting. When they returned, Viers found a couple of settlements to attack. Rinse and repeat. Viers¡¯ spark shards rose sharply. On the third day, At the eleventh settlement, Viers finally got stuck. The invasion went wrong and he got repulsed, suffering mild injuries. Not only had the settlement raised good defensive measures, but the players were also tough. Yes, the settlement was a merger from two players and they had swallowed two others. Viers only realized that after the attack and when things started to go south, Viers cut his losses and retreated. From twenty-one NPCs before the fight, only six made it back. Viers had to take a day off recuperating. He had no settlement but he brought his safe zone flag. Raising it as a temporary camp allowed them to spend the night in relative safety. But just as Kaari said, it wasn''t absolute. That night, despite Kaari¡¯s warning, the woods became alive. Branches and roots were chasing them on all sides. Viers sent two more NPCs to die so the rest could escape the disaster area. He had done this twice before already. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. It was clear that Viers¡¯ lifestyle wouldn''t be sustainable in the long run. In Stage 2, Viers treated the ghost crew of the Frozen Siren like a great Captain and they loved him back in turn. In Stage 3, Viers spent the lives of NPCs under him like water. Including the NPCs that he¡¯d left to fend for themselves in the wilds, the number of casualties was already close to four digits but Viers didn''t have the slightest bit of guilt in doing so. Why? My heart is tempered by playing Darkest Dungeon, Viers thought calmly. How many NPCs have I led to their death? First Death: Unforgettably Tragic Fifth Death: Unavoidable Consequences Fifteenth Death: Acceptable Losses Fiftieth Death: Necessary Sacrifices How many have been kicked out of my service after getting inflicted by nasty diseases? Newbie heroes were not worth placing in the sanitarium. Simply letting them out to the world as broken men and women was more EFFICIENT. Just like someone said about the game: You start having a much easier time the moment you stop thinking like a hero and start embracing the cold, calculated sociopathy of a would-be corporate CEO. Viers doubted anyone would be able to finish playing the Bloodmoon difficulty of Darkest Dungeon with their empathy or even sanity intact. Still, he made sure Kaari alone would survive, the rest were expendable. Not only for the condition that at least one settler must be alive at the end to pass, her ability of disaster precog was too useful. I have recovered¡­ Still, those two are quite the pair. They are in the top 50 rank, aren''t they? If I went all out then I might yet prevail but the cost and risk are too high. Viers¡¯ marauding force had been reduced to him and four NPCs. He was clearly outmatched attacking the settlement that could detect his sneaking in and the various invader¡¯s debuffs of the place. Time to think up some strategy. Viers knocked on the gates of another joint settlement in the area, led by someone that he knew. ¡°Goooooodmorning Viper Lady! Want to kill women-torturing scum together?¡± It wasn''t easy to make her listen to him but Viers could be very persuasive when he wanted to. He told her about the duo that made him retreat. Which was no small feat and Viers wanted payback. ¡°The first is Macho Hunk, a slaver. He possesses charm ability and uses that ability to enslave women to be his weapon, meatshield, and plaything. Not too shabby in a fight either.¡± ¡°The second is xXxGentlemanxXx, a deviant. Lightning is his thing. His hobby is hearing women scream. Paired with his Profound Codex that is about torturing people, you can imagine what he does everyday. Hint: it involves electrocution.¡± ¡°These two are friends in the real world; they hit it off like soulmates and have become best buddies. Two female trial takers have already become their victims. So, what say you, Strong Female Character? You''re gonna let this injustice against womankind go unanswered?¡± ¡°...How do you know all of this?¡± Viper Lady''s voice was full of doubt. ¡°I have my ways. And I brought proof.¡± Viper Lady might be a Strong Female Character but there was a reason why she became one. It was her Profound Codex. A high-quality one but by using it she became compelled to raise her voice and sword to those who mistreat women. Combined with her personal past trauma caused by patriarchy, she became the person Viers met. Before Viers talked face to face with Viper Lady he already knew she wouldn''t refuse. Because Viper Lady had a good female friend, that friend had a brother, the brother Viers killed and soul-searched. Thus Viers knew about Viper Lady¡¯s background. Soul search OP. After smoothing out the details, Viper Lady and her group were successfully roped in by Viers to attack the two degenerates. ¡°We¡¯ll keep the two of them busy at the same time, that way they can''t make use of the full capacity of the settlement¡¯s defensive measures. The most dangerous among them is a lightning tower that can zap you anywhere inside the settlement. Top 50 perk, I suspect. You girls take care of Macho Hunk. I¡¯ll take care of the other guy. His name offends me.¡± Viers marked xXxGentlemanxXx for death. His sin was a bad name and a bunch of other things but the bad name was first on the list. The day of the battle. ¡°Arrrgh!¡± Viers groaned in pain after getting hit by lightning bolts. First from Gentleman and the follow-up attack from the lightning tower. ¡°Hahahaha! You got cocky, Tanael! So what if you sent people after my sworn brother? It will be a repeat of the last time where you tucked tail like a whipped dog. This time you won''t escape. All of your shards will be mine!¡± Gentleman said while wiping the blood on his chin. He was prepared for Tanael¡¯s soul abilities and prepared himself accordingly. In the course of the battle, he suffered fairly serious injuries but Tanael was in worse shape than him. The deviant was sure of his victory and gloated. Viers was thankful for his inanity. Seven seconds, I was right! The tower zaps every seven seconds! ¡°Arte - Calatran Thunderbolt!!¡± Viers responded by raising a soul barrier. Gentleman kept channeling the Arte continuously, forcing Viers to keep defending. ¡°This will be the same as the last time. Your shield is not strong enough for the next attack. Prepare to be charred to cinders!¡± ...five, six, now! Viers jumped and reflexively pulled out a sword from his Casket, Guren Muramasa. He brandished the steel to the sky and a lightning bolt struck the steel from the tall tower. Lightning coursed through his body like blazing blood but Viers gritted his teeth and pulled off the next maneuver. ¡°Water Moon Fang!¡± Full powered Horizon and lightning-imbued crescent water slash was sent flying toward the surprised Gentleman''s face. An executioner''s blade of water crackling with yellow lighting was coming to take his life! Gentleman was still casting his Arte! Too late to raise a shield to defend himself. His mind raced, everything slowing down, his life flashing before him. Gentleman drew a blank as there was nothing he could do, nothing but watch the melding of water and lighting extinguishing the life out of his body in a brilliant flash. A magnificent explosion announced Viers¡¯ victory. Viers hit the ground with wobbly legs and fell to his knees, smoke coming out from his body. To catch and send back as much of the lightning¡¯s power, Viers didn''t put much resistance against it when he got struck midair. Sekiro¡¯s Lightning Reversal, I managed to pull it off! Hell yeah! Much room for improvement though. Too damaging to myself, too little got sent back. But it''s freaking difficult! The guy makes it look easy! Generally, lightning was water¡¯s weakness. This was one of Viers¡¯ answers to remedy that weakness. Viers got back on his feet with a grunt then started absorbing the soul of the xXxGentlemanxXx. His atrocity of a name had been cleansed from this world. Well, one step at a time, Viers. There are still tons of techniques to make, try, and master. By the way, no one seen me using water and Guren, right? Phew¡­ I need another good sword. Oh? It seems Viper Lady has also finished on her end. The living trial takers in Stage 3 continued to dwindle. Chapter 167 - Morning Show ¡°What happened to you?¡± Viper Lady asked when Viers approached her. She and her group were consoling the two women that the scum duo had captured. Macho Hunk was lying on the floor with a spear in his chest, lifeless. ¡°I won.¡± Viers said the words without emotion. His clothes were in tatters and his skin was at medium-rare thanks to the lighting strikes. He extended his hand to the corpse and the Lady jumped back out of caution. She felt the wrongness in the air with her own soul. ¡°Tanael, what did you do!?¡± ¡°Soul recycling. Don''t worry, you already got his shards, no? I¡¯m just taking something worthless to you.¡± Viers absorbed Macho Hunk¡¯s Level 2 soul for his own use, ¡®recycling¡¯ was an apt term. ¡°Well, that¡¯s that then. I¡¯ve taken my share so the rest are yours. Cheerio then, unless there''s something else?¡± Viers cocked his head slightly. ¡°...Viper, I bet we can take him now,¡± one of the women in the Lady¡¯s group whispered. Even without his super-hearing, Viers could tell what they were thinking. Viers¡¯ smile grew. ¡°Ah, wanna take a swing? Be my guest.¡± ¡°Go away, Tanael.¡± Viper Lady made the call. ¡°I don''t want to see you again.¡± Even when he looked like a lightning-struck beggar, she felt the man was dangerous. Her instinct screamed so. ¡°I can''t promise you that. Anywho, ladies,¡± Viers dipped his head and waved before walking slowly to the exit. Perhaps they would change their mind, he never knew. But his steps were unhindered until he left the settlement and rendezvoused with Kaari. ¡°Chief, I¡¯ve been waiting for your return. Let me tend to your injuries.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Viers nodded. Every assistant NPC was very versatile. They could do a little bit of everything, such as first aid and dressing wounds. The NPCs -except for Kaari- under Viers¡¯ command were all dead after the assault on the degenerate duo¡¯s settlement. Since he let Viper Lady and her gang take over the settlement, he didn''t gain a single NPC for his labors, only loot and shards from the Gentleman. It will only be harder from now on, attacking strongholds. Guess it''s time to meet up with Iz, enacting our plan. I¡¯ve defeated ten people already. If there are easy pickings on the way then great. With luck, I might find Boram. Hope he isn''t dead. This Stage might be a bit much for him. A certain raven-haired girl¡¯s face flickered in his mind. ...That kimono-wearing JK will be fine. We will meet again. I¡¯m sure of it. *** Viers and Kaari began to traverse the vast and dangerous land. There were many hazardous areas, natural disasters occurring frequently, and monsters of every variety. In other words, it was a fitting world for base-building survival games. Stage 3 was huge and the trial takers were separated all over the place. Finding a specific person among them was not easy but Viers wasn''t doing this blindly. ¡°The Last City¡­¡± The medieval megalopolis was quite a sight. Sky-reaching, clustered buildings were made possible because of magic rather than technology. It was built in a crater and protected on all sides by material and magical means. The setting of Stage 3 was a dystopian world where that city was the last bastion of humanity and other races. But it got eaten by cancer on the inside and the city imploded. Order fell, anarchy ruled. The city became a ¡®Mecca of madness and morbidity¡¯. The people were safe from the monstrous beasts of the outside but in danger from the people next to them. Fed up, Viers and the other players became the leaders of expeditions to create a new home. That was Stage 3¡¯s story setting. ¡°When your settlement becomes better, people will migrate¡­ True enough,¡± Viers talked to himself as he watched bands of people coming out in groups from the Last City to various directions. Viers only needed to follow the fresh NPCs to find the other settlements. It was only a matter of time until all the players realized the same and knew the location of their rivals. On a separate matter, Viers had tried to get into the city but couldn''t, forcefields forced him back. Viers shrugged and walked back. After gathering enough data samples, he concluded that the Last City was at the center of Stage 3¡¯s map, and the player settlements were placed all around it. They could not move too far out from the City because the places became more unforgiving there, beyond the limit Level 2 Pathseekers could tolerate. For example, a mist ocean that absorbed Viers¡¯ Victa when he got too close. Viers and Kaari went from one place to another, filling the empty places in their map one step at a time. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. *** The sun¡¯s light was knocking on his closed eyelids and there were multiple loud noises in the distance. Viers roused himself up from sleep. Rrrhh, what is it? Didn''t get much sleep after running from knee-height exploding gremlins last night¡­ As Viers booted up his brain, he moved to the edge of the ridge to see the source of the commotion. He found war. ¡°Aaaaaaahmmm...¡± Viers yawned while stretching his hands upward. Some distance away, two sides were warring. An attack on a settlement. The invader committed an all-out attack, even the non-fighter NPCs were sent to fight. ¡°Hot towel, Chief.¡± ¡°Xie xie, Kaari.¡± He pressed the moist hot towel onto his face, washing and freshening it. Viers enjoyed the luxuriousness of airplane travel thanks to Kaari. The attack itself was foolish, in Viers¡¯ opinion, no different than a suicide attack. The NPCs were dying in droves assailing a fortified position of another settlement but they served their purpose. Srek srek srek srek. Garg garg garg garg. Viers brushed his teeth. The inside of his mouth felt wrong otherwise. After rinsing it with water, he gargled loudly. In the battlefield, Backlasher managed to sneak attack the leader of the defender. ¡°Rank 3, Daystar...¡± Viers recognized the guy. Backlasher tried to kill the guy on the first day in the Path of Paradise resort. ¡°If I remember correctly, Backlasher called him¡­ Aravene?¡± ¡°Water, Chief?¡± ¡°Merci.¡± Viers slurped the hot water Kaari boiled as if he was having tea. Veirs kept watching the battle as if it was morning news. Unfortunately, he had no tea on his person or it would have been perfect. And he hadn''t found any coffee in this world. Backlasher fought Daystar. One used darkness, one used light. The way they fought was quite flashy, a crowd-pleaser. They were both skilled but Daystar had the upper hand since the beginning of the battle. Backlasher unleashed his attack with the intention to kill but Daystar clearly didn''t. ¡°Breakfast is ready, Chief.¡± ¡°Spasibo.¡± Nyom nyom nom. Meat skewer, Viers¡¯ breakfast menu for the last few days. The same menu but made using different monster ingredients every time. In Viers¡¯ Thousand Treasures Casket there were many varieties of monster meat from the accumulation of the Book World¡¯s prior stages. Viers munched on the chewy meat while watching the two duking it out. Viers didn''t need to be a genius to realize they had a history. He was too far to hear the conversation but the heated way they fought, the rich expressions on their faces, Viers seemed to stumble upon something months or even years in the making. Viers lamented that he didn''t have any popcorn. ¡°A-a-aaa. Aiueo, aiueo¡­ Ladieeeeees aaaaand gentlemeeennn! Thank you for tuning in to the Viers Stream today. As always, this is your host, Viers Isuel, reporting live in the Book World¡¯s trial of fire, where the worthy... shall rise.¡± Viers talked like a boxing match¡¯s Emcee. ¡°Keep it down¡­ People are trying to sleep here,¡± Paina replied sullenly. ¡°Mrrrmm¡­ Who¡¯re the gentlemen? We¡¯re all ladies here. How rude...¡± Clarissa¡¯s voice came out in a dawdle as she rolled on her bed to the other way, trying to drift back to sleep. ¡°...Good morning to you, Lord Viers. It makes me glad you¡¯re in a fine mood so early in the morning,¡± Farley, God-bless her soul, was the only one trying to keep up with Viers¡¯ antics. Viers acted as if he didn¡¯t hear them. ¡°For those of you just joining in, there¡¯s a battle among the top 10 happening right in front of your eyes. In the blue corneeeer, master of darkness, edgy and brooding anti-hero type, Back-lasheeeeerrrr! In the red corneeer, the dazzle-dazzle, handsome hero with a thousand-watt smile, Daaay-starrrrrr! Give them a round of applause.¡± ¡°It is a classic dark versus light, dear viewers. The battle is in its middle stage. Oooh, Backlasher just went whoosh and Daystar counter with pew pew pew. Things are heating up! They speak to each other, trading insults perhaps? Backlasher¡¯s face turned ugly from the twist of emotion. He¡¯s going all out now.¡± ¡°Uwwwohhh! Backlasher sacrificed the men under his command, draining something from them until they were reduced to husks. That clinches it. He¡¯s a villain. Dark tendrils of energy went toward the dark Pathseeker. What¡¯s this? He isn''t done! He also burns his life force for good measure. Ohhh, now that¡¯s commitment.¡± ¡°To answer the cheering of the fans, the opposition, our ¡®hero¡¯ also accessed his limit break. Look at that blazing light aura, doesn''t it remind you of something? At any rate, they won''t last long. The two¡¯s fight has reached the crescendo, trading blows at a degree of power unseen before!¡± The battle was a showy contest of light and darkness vying for supremacy. Viers¡¯ Euryale sight caught a few NPCs and players also watching the fight. ¡°An upset! The hero¡¯s powerup was spent first! That normally didn''t happen. Would this be the case where the villain defeated the hero? Backlasher got an opening, a golden opportunity for a fatal blow!¡± ¡°Victory is in his hands¡­ Wait¡­ W-w-what is he doing? Is he¡­ gloating?¡± ¡°Why in the BEJEEZUS¨C!?¡± ¡°You¡¯re yapping your mouth instead of delivering the killing blow? Oh man, oh man! Dude, fer real!? Villains that do that always lose, you numbskull. I can''t watch this shit anymore. Aaaaaaand look, now the hero got saved by deus ex machina. You see it yourself, dear viewers, a silver wolf saved the hero from defeat¡­ and now the tides are turning¡­ Ooops, darkness guy got hit by a combination attack from the hero and the silver wolf. Hooray! The good guy wins again because the bad guy is incompetent. That¡¯s it folks, another one for the history book. Now is the hero¡¯s turn to end the villain¡¯s menace once and for al¨C Oh for God¡¯s sake! Can you believe what you are seeing, my spectators?¡± ¡°The hero. Let. The villain. Go.¡± ¡°Can''t believe this could get any worse. Turns out the hero has the mentality of a Sunday morning¡¯s cartoon show. Bleeeh. Backlasher looks injured but managed to get away uncontested. He looks livid but a loss is a loss¡­ Daystar can chase and kill him but he is busy trading saliva with the silver wolf that turns into a hot beastfolk girl. Figures¡­¡± ¡°...Well, what a match, what a match indeed. Feel free to apply for a refund, ladies and gentlemen, I know I would if I were you. Thanks for watching. If you are entertained from THAT, you need better quality entertainment. I¡¯m Viers Isuel, have a nice day¡­ Now I need a piss. I feel like I have a kidney stone after watching that or something.¡± The screen faded to black in front of Farley¡¯s eyes. Perhaps Viers was really answering the call of nature. Farley patiently waited, trying to make sense of what she¡¯d just seen. The screen went back on shortly. ¡°Apologies, dear spectators. I forgot to tell you something. How about an interview with the loser? Perhaps mocking him would make the irritation in your chest go away? Stay tuned for our next program.¡± Chapter 168 - Jaime Sigley ¡°Urrrggghh¡­¡± Jaime coughed a glob of blood as he lay broken after the attack of the hateful Aravin and his accursed wolf-girl pet. As if rubbing salt on injury, Dark-Life Invigoration Arte¡¯s after-effect was ravaging his already smashed body. The battle was over. Seeing their leader lost, the surviving forces of Jaime were routed to the wilds, less than a dozen of them. Aravin¡¯s fighters were in hot pursuit as per their lord¡¯s command. If they got wiped out, even if he didn''t kill Jaime he wouldn''t be going to Stage 4, that was what Aravin thought. Victorious, Aravin stood before the defeated. ¡°I will not, cough¡­ stop.¡± It was hard to breathe with the clogged up throat. ¡°Your existence is something I will never tolerate. Even if I have to sacrifice everything, only you¡­ definitely¡­¡± Jaime¡¯s eyes dilated when he saw Aravin¡¯s face. No¡­ Stop, stop, stop! Don¡¯t you fucking dare to look at me with eyes of pity! ¡°Don''t you realize you only make her sad by doing this?¡± Aravin said softly. ¡°Piera-¡± ¡°Stop saying that name! Cough, cough¡­ After, after I kill you, that betraying thot is next!¡± The pity in Aravin¡¯s eyes grew. ¡°...You¡¯re too far gone. You let your hate consume you. I told her as such but even then she still believes there¡¯s good in you. Don''t you get it? She¡¯s the only one that still believes you can turn a new leaf! More than your own parents that abandoned you, more than yourself!¡± Aravin¡¯s voice kept rising as he reached the end of the sentence. Jaime¡¯s mouth wavered, trying to let out something, anything. But words failed him. He raised his body with difficulty, unceasingly glaring with unbridled hate at Aravin until he limped away. The silver wolf morphed into a silver-haired silver-tailed beastfolk girl. ¡°We should kill him now. He¡¯s an avatar of vengeance now, blind and deaf, singular to his purpose. A desperate rat will bite the cat. Who knows what he will do in the future.¡± ¡°I know, Naya¡­ But it can''t be helped. Piera has known Jaime since they were children. Those years are worth something. Besides, I can¡¯t hold her with hands drenched with her childhood friend''s blood right? That would be cruel,¡± Aravin gave a sad smile then felt Naya hugging him from behind. ¡°Sheesh. You¡¯re always too kind for your own good¡­ That¡¯s why I¡¯ve fallen for you.¡± ¡°Naya...¡± The two exchanged a tender long kiss. ¡°Phuah¡­¡± Naya moved away, misty-eyed, red-faced, and short-breathed. ¡°We should stop. Sabine would sulk otherwise.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Aravin cupped her cheek, Naya''s wolf ears twitched cutely. ¡°But isn''t she so adorable when she looks like that?¡± Aravin jokingly replied and took another kiss from the wolf beastfolk in the middle of battlefield aftermath. ¡°Well, how unfortunate she isn''t here¡­ Hey Ary, it''s been some time since it was only the two of us, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Powerless against Naya¡¯s seductive look, the two retreated to the settlement, away from prying eyes for some quality time together. *** Damn it, damnit, dammit all!!! Jaime¡¯s heart burned with so much fury the wrecking pain on his body was numbed as he limped in the middle of a dusty wasteland. However, as a human being of flesh and blood, he¡¯d finally hit the physical limitations of his body and fell face-down to the ground. His blood and sweat and tears were watering the cracked dry earth. Was he really crying? Jaime himself didn''t know. He crawled forward but the after-effect of the forbidden technique assaulted every inch of his body. He felt like his flesh was being peeled one inch at a time as his head throbbed with a severe headache. Enduring the pain was not the only price that Jaime had paid. His hair turned white, muscles atrophied, bones deteriorated. Using one¡¯s own life force was not a joking matter. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Uuuaaargghhhh!!¡± Jaime screamed until his throat was sore. The wilds were a dangerous place. He was in no condition to defend himself; Jaime realized this. He had gambled for a shot to kill Aravin and he¡¯d failed. He¡¯d thought Aravin would soon grow beyond his ability to handle, no matter how hard to swallow that truth had been. The guy had always been followed by two girls. Jaime couldn''t win three on one, let alone killing Aravin. Therefore he took the shot when he found Aravin was alone in Stage 3. Who knew if there was another shot at Stage 4 and 5. ...Even if I retire from Aletro¡¯s trial and manage to heal my injuries, how long would it take? On the other hand, Aravin would gain massive benefits and my blade will no longer be able to reach him¡­ Is this it? Is this the end of my revenge? With the intensity of his tears and the sobbing that entered his own ears, Jaime couldn''t deny he was indeed shamefully crying, just like a child that cried after losing a fight with another child. In that shameful display, a pair of feet stopped before his body. Jaime moved his eyes only because moving his neck was too tall an order for him. He could only see up to that person¡¯s chest before hearing his voice. ¡°Twelve places with fracture, deep second degree burns, two major lacerations, but muscles, bones¡­ these are the minor matters. Your Victa pathways are severely frayed, unless treated immediately there''s a risk of permanent damage. And the light user¡¯s Victa Stigma hampered the healing progress¡­ This is the most potent Victa Stigma that I have ever seen, curious. Doctor¡¯s verdict: You¡¯re out of the picture until Stage 3 is over, my man. On top of that, you¡¯ve led all the people in your settlement to their death. You can''t pass on to Stage 4 anyway. Wow¡­ This just isn''t your day, is it?¡± Jaime barely heard two-thirds of the latter part of the tirade but recognized that voice. ¡°Ta...nael...¡± They only went on one mission together in Stage 1 and have not interacted since then but Jaime never forgot about the man whose reputation for callousness and cruelty grew by each Stage. Jaime somehow cracked a faint smile. Now it is all over. Tanael will kill me. I¡¯m just a dying bag of spark shards¡­ Hehe, even after all I¡¯ve done, I still failed. I¡¯ve cornered him twice and twice he got lucky. The world is really unfair¡­ Aravin, even after I die, I will haunt you as a ghost. Darkness took him. His golden life had turned to shit after his disastrous loss to Aravin and it was only getting worse from there. He felt some relief in the end, that he died not at the hands of that cursed Aravin. *** ¡°Well shit.¡± Viers scratched his scalp. ¡°How can I interview him when he¡¯s out cold?¡± While Backlasher was busy with his thoughts and dealing with his pain, Viers had to swat down a few pests. The other players naturally thought that one of the top 10 was now an easy picking. Like an alpha lion, Viers claimed the position of first in line. Brutalizing anyone that disagreed. Afterward, he approached Backlasher at his own pace. Kaari followed close behind like she did when she was Viers¡¯ maid in Stage 1. The other players only dared to observe from afar. Naaaaaaw, just kidding. I have something better. Soul! Search! Viers cared very much for his own privacy but not for others¡¯. One hand on Backlasher¡¯s head and Viers felt the sensation of seeing a whole new world after opening a gate. Memories flickered in the thousands as Viers peered into Backlasher¡¯s psyche. Viers was quite skilled in soul search by now; he had been doing this almost every day for a year. He could make the process painless or make them feel as if their brain was melting out from their ear holes. Viers chose the former for this occasion. Jaime Sigley¡­ The life of the man with that name was Viers¡¯ to behold. He gleaned the memories at a very fast pace and developed many techniques to help him in this endeavor. A day¡¯s life was derived in tens of seconds, searching for specific memories was no longer as difficult as it used to, important moments in the course of their lives were easy to find because they stood out. Crucial secrets, traumas, weaknesses, Viers could take all of them from a resistance-less soul as easy as taking candy from a baby. Viers refined his skill to ¡®read¡¯ quickly because he had an endless amount of ¡®books¡¯. Without it, Viers wouldn''t have the time for himself. ¡°Hmm¡­ Mm-mmm¡­ Ah¡­ Hm.¡± Viers saw the life of a man that lived in luxury and plenty, thinking he was someone born to stand above the ordinary masses. Years went on, bolstering his ego. He then suffered the greatest humiliation in his life on his wedding day and became an embodiment of vengeance. In three minutes, Viers had seen enough to make the call. ¡°Kaari, give him first aid so he won¡¯t die. We¡¯re taking him with us.¡± ¡°Certainly, Chief.¡± After Kaari tended his wounds, Viers carried him to a more restful place. Still in the wilderness but at least there was a shade from the sun. There, Viers convened a meeting with his Viers Corporation employees inside his mind. ¡°You usually don¡¯t bother with bothersome things. The fact that you didn''t kill him and be done with it means he has a greater value to you alive,¡± Paina said. ¡°Would you elucidate why Lord Viers?¡± Farley asked. ¡°Backlasher¡¯s real name is Jaime. I¡¯m familiar with Jaime¡¯s archetype. In the Fables, I¡¯ve seen thousands of the likes of him,¡± Viers paused, clasping his fingers in front of his mouth with both elbows on the table, eyes piercing. ¡°We call them¡­ Arrogant Young Masters.¡± The ominous tone he used permeated the girls¡¯ soul bodies. ¡°...And?¡± Clarissa voiced out. ¡°Fables MCs -Main Characters- encountered these Arrogant Young Masters, always. The MC got oppressed by the AYM when he was mere talentless trash, suffering humiliation and indignation. Once the MC changed his fate, he paid back the AYM with an epic beating. MC won, AYM lost.¡± ¡°Right¡­ and then?¡± Paina went along. Once Viers was like this, it was better to go with the current. ¡°We just saw Jaime the Arrogant Young Master defeated by Daystar, from the context, he is a ¡®Main Character¡¯, as Lord Viers put it...¡± Farley tried to think ahead but grasped only clouds. ¡°Where are you going with this, Lord?¡± ¡°I was thinking¡­ Maybe the Arrogant Young Master should win for once.¡± The girls recognized Viers¡¯ smile. It was the smile he made when he was envisioning something insidious. Death was usually involved. Chapter 169 - Dark Invitation Jaime gasped as he opened his eyes. I¡­ I am not dead? ¡°Yo,¡± a frivolous voice said. ¡°Welcome back to the world of the living.¡± ¡°Tanael¡­ Why did you save me?¡± Eyes still fixed to the night sky, unfocused, tired, empty. ¡°Oh? You said it like you wanted to die. Are you sure about that?¡± Bonfire crackling, soup boiling, an appetizing aroma was in the air. ¡°...You did not answer my question,¡± Jaime said. ¡°Neither did you. And because I¡¯m a nice guy, I¡¯ll answer first. It¡¯s because the living isn''t done with you yet,¡± Tanael sneered. ¡°Kheh...¡± Jaime did not deign Tanael with an answer other than a scoff. ¡°...Wow. This is how you treat someone who just saved your life? Not even a thank you? Your kind is really something else. I wonder why you aren''t all extinct already,¡± Tanael said in an amused tone. ¡°...What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Just my musing. I watched your fight with Daystar. Seems like there''s a deep history behind you two. Mind telling me what¡¯s that about?¡± ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± ¡°Think of it as a payment for saving your ass from the other trial takers that wanted to slit your throat and take your shards. I scared them away and took care of you, in case you didn''t notice. Kaari, give our guest a drink.¡± Because Jaime was still weak and unable to move much, Kaari carefully slipped the water into his mouth while he was lying down. ¡°Why do you care?¡± ¡°Because I love good stories,¡± Tanael lightly said. Why else would I watch movies, play video games, and read novels by the thousands? Tanael left those unsaid. Jaime didn''t answer nor start talking so Tanael gave him another push. ¡°You once said to me that you¡¯re staking everything in this Trial of Fire. Now let me put it this way. You can tell me your story or your path ends here. Without help, you won''t be able to survive this stage, let alone pass to the next one. Is this what your ¡®everything¡¯ amounts to? You do realize I¡¯m your only hope of making it out of this, right? Hell, If I leave you here you won''t even survive the night.¡± Arrogant he might be, Jaime wasn''t blind to his own situation. The scowl on his face didn''t go away though. Tanael sat beside Jaime. Half of his face was shadowed by the orange campfire. ¡°Let¡¯s start by your name, Backlasher. What should I call you?¡± ¡°...Jaime. Jaime Sigley.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Jaime. I¡¯m Tanael. That¡¯s my real name,¡± Viers lied as easily as he breathed. ¡°Pray tell, the circumstances that landed you here, especially your deal with Daystar.¡± And Jaime began telling his tale. Tanael might have saved him but not out of the kindness in his heart. The killing intent he emitted made it clear to Jaime that it was either start talking or else. Tanael, on the other hand, sighed inside his mind. Finally! So much trouble to get him yapping. Tanael already knew Jaime¡¯s life story because of soul search. However, this is a necessary process if he didn''t want to let others know he could soul search. *** The gist of Jaime¡¯s life was this: Firstborn of the vaunted Sigley house. Kind of a Marquess-rank house in the ¡®kingdom¡® of Regidana. Talented in dark affinity, gifted in fencing, entered the Second Amends School -cultivation sect- from a young age and successfully trained in a certain difficult-to-use Profound Codex. Being able to induce backlash on his opponent made Jaime a formidable foe. His future was bright. Jaime had a fiance, Piera. Their engagement was decided by their parents before the two had been born but Jaime ended up quite smitten with her. Since they were little, the two were close. However, as the two grew to adulthood, it was clear that Piera thought of Jaime like a brother and not as a lover. It was a one-sided love from Jaime. Piera had a friend, Aravin, a commoner. Despite being a noble, Piera didn''t look down on his standing, even admired his effort and character. As the years passed by, the two became attracted to each other. Jaime found out. Burned with jealousy, he crippled Aravin, who was doing his best as a ¡®lowly outer disciple¡¯ of the Second Amends School and humiliated him in public. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Aravan was just trying to support his parents and to prove he was worthy of Piera. He was a good kid and filial. Of course, Jaime didn''t care about that. But Aravin, a now cripple, was forced to leave the School in disgrace. After finding out Jaime was the cause, Piera was furious. A big crack was formed between each of the three¡¯s relationships. Two years later, Piera and Jaime were to be married. Piera didn''t want to but she had a duty as a daughter of a noble house. On their wedding day, the previously unknown whereabouts Aravin appeared, challenging Jaime for Piera¡¯s hand in marriage. Some drama ensued and the two youths fought. Jaime, so sure he wouldn''t lose, indeed lost that day. Jaime¡¯s parents erased Jaime¡¯s name from the Sigley house¡¯s family tree for the humiliation, naming Jaime''s younger brother as heir. Second Amends School exiled him. No longer wanted to be associated with him. While he was drinking his sorrows in the pub, he heard what people were saying about him. The cuckolded young master from the Sigley house. Tortured with indignation, he hatched a plan to poison Aravin and kill him. *** ¡°...I cornered Aravin and his party in a restaurant they always visited. I was just a step away from killing him but we all got transported here. That¡¯s it.¡± It¡¯s finally over, eh? Good job me for not falling asleep. Veirs held back yawns a couple of times. He had seen Jaime¡¯s story with soul search but he had to keep up appearances. ¡°So let me get this straight. Including today, Aravin survived twice because you gloated before killing him.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s right. Lucky bastard.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s put aside his luckiness for the moment and focus on yourself,¡± Tanael gestured with his hand. ¡°Why, by all that is holy, did you think gloating before killing him is a good idea?¡± Jaime paused for a moment, lost. As if he never thought about it before. ¡°...I must give him a piece of my mind before killing him. Else there would be no point. Besides, it was only for a few seconds.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Tanael¡¯s disdain was as deep as a continental trench. ¡°Lies. It was more than a few seconds. But even if it is, it is a very stupid thing to do. Do you know that after beating you today, Aravin got lovey-lovey with his wolf beastfolk companion? A very great contrast with your situation, no? That¡¯s what you get for ¡®giving him a piece of your mind¡¯. Your defeat and a good life for Aravin.¡± ¡°Shut. Up.¡± ¡°Oh reflecting about why you lose must be the last thing on your mind right now. I can see it in your eyes, the smoldering hatred. There¡¯s also the sickening lump you felt in your gut because you can''t reach your goal yet again,¡± Tanael emphasized. ¡°The question is, what are you going to do now? Challenge Aravin again? How many times does that make now? You said so yourself, Aravin grew stronger every time you saw him. Today you had to burn half of your life force to defeat him. What about the next?¡± ¡°What are you trying to say, Tanael?¡± Jaime hissed like a snake. Visibly irritated. ¡°I¡¯ll be teaching you how to kill Aravin,¡± Tanael struck at the heart of the matter. ¡°...Why does this matter to you?¡± Jaime frowned. ¡°You and Aravin, you two represent something far greater than you could¡¯ve ever imagined. Aravin and his ilk have always won. I want to prove that sometimes, you, and by extension, our side, can win also.¡± Silence stretched between the two. Jaime tried to find falsehood in Tanael¡¯s eyes. He¡¯d found none. ¡°I-¡± ¡°Ssst.¡± Tanael shushed. ¡°Someone¡¯s here.¡± Tanael stood up, instructed Kaari to stay close to Jaime, and fixed his gaze into the thickets for some time. ¡°Ho, you noticed me? You¡¯re quite good.¡± A youth walked out from behind a tree. Looking smug and confident. ¡°Dark-blond hair, piercing green eyes, battle-hardened aura¡­ You must be Tanael. We really met. Lucky~¡± the youth with sunken cheeks chuckled. ¡°Folks have been saying Tanael this and Tanael that but that¡¯s only because I allowed it.¡± The youth murmured something and two wraiths came out from his body. Black-cloaked and heart-chilling. ¡±Your shards will be mine, Necromancer S-¡± The necromancer was wide open. Because of the speech and in the middle of utilizing his Victa. Tanael struck just before the enemy¡¯s Arte was complete. In martial art¡¯s terms, Tanael struck at the enemy¡¯s lull. The gap that exists between stillness and movement or vice-versa. No tricks, no words. Tanael kicked the earth, created a shining spectral red sword in his hand, and slashed with all his might. Arte - Cut the Crap! What happened next didn''t need to be said. Shortly, near Tanael¡¯s feet were the necromancer''s four limbs. ¡°Mockery: Nice to meet you, Necromancer Meatbag.¡± For someone so weak, he sure talked big. How did he survive all this time? ¡°Any last words?¡± Tanael said. The fear inside the youth¡¯s eyes was tasteable. ¡°I-¡± Tanael planted his Desolate Dive Arte-laced foot to the guy¡¯s face, caving it in. Dirtying his boots with brain matter. ¡°Apologies. I messed up the order of events. I¡¯m supposed to ask you AFTER I¡¯ve dealt a fatal blow. Let''s try this again. Ehem, any last words? ...No? Excellent. Now I¡¯m going to loot you while your body is still warm. I¡¯m sure you don''t mind, yes? You can''t bring your money and items to where you¡¯re going, after all, no sire¨¦. Your soul is getting shoved to the Soul Prison though. No need to fuss. Think of it as an indefinite vacation before judgment day while the monsters and flies feast on your carcass. Adios, meatbag.¡± Tanael was filled with the wonder of the overabundance of people like that in every xianxia world. Then he turned to Jaime who was watching. ¡°And that is the basics of killing someone like Aravin. Don''t give them a chance to turn the table. No last words, no last favor, last cigarette, no ¡®before I kill you, there¡¯s something I need to know¡¯. NO to everything!¡± ¡°This is the elementary stuff. The advanced stuff is along the lines of making the target die without him realizing it, while you¡¯re having a beach party, drinking coconut milk, half a world away for an alibi. The first rule is very simple. No gloating, yes killing. understand?¡± ¡°If you must gloat, do it after your enemy is dead like I did. But make sure they¡¯re really, really dead. You have no idea how many people got the rug pulled under their feet because they are too stupid or careless to check.¡± Jaime opened his mouth after a pause but no words came out. ¡°You still have much to learn,¡± Tanael spoke, voice deep. A red, humming sword in his hand, fire-light flicking across his green eyes as he gazed down at Jamie. ¡°Follow me and I¡¯ll show you the true power of the Dark Side.¡± A specific part of Darth Vader¡¯s theme music was playing gloriously inside Tanael¡¯s head. Chapter 170 - The Enemy of My Enemy Viers was walking with an earring on the top of his open palm. ¡°It¡¯s this way,¡± he said to his companion after getting a reaction from the item. ¡°...Just kill me,¡± Jaime said hopelessly. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Viers controlled expression as much as he could so the amusement didn''t surface on his face. ¡°You¡¯re gonna get revenge on Aravin aren''t you? ¡®Man up¡¯ and endure some discomfort.¡± Jaime, unable to move because of his injury, was being carried by Kaari. Princess-carry style. No matter how petite Kaari might have looked like, she was a Level 2. Carrying one person¡¯s weight was no biggie. ¡°...Kill me,¡± Jaime muttered more softly. ¡°Shouldn''t be too far now. Do your best,¡± Viers let him be and went on pathfinding. He did feel a bit guilty but his amusement eclipsed the guilt. A few days had passed since Viers took Jaime under his wing. Viers had been traveling in the direction that Izabella¡¯s earring reacted to. At too far of a distance the telepathy didn''t work but it could still give a vague direction of the other earring''s location. Just like how Viers could sense the soul pact between the two of them albeit with a more limited distance than the earrings. ¡®Sides, Stage 3¡¯s arena is shrinking. Making the settlements closer to each other. What is this, Fortnite? The result was more clashes between the players. Viers and company witnessed a bunch as they trekked the treacherous wilderness. Less space meant more fighting or more cooperation between the players. By now a settlement usually consisted of two or even more mergers. He foresaw a drastic decrease in players for Stage 4. ¡°Hm?¡± The earring blinked. ¡°Tanael,¡± Izabella¡¯s voice resounded in Viers¡¯ head. She sounded somewhat relieved. ¡°It¡¯s about time you arrived. Are you injured?¡± Her voice hid a sense of excitement, a feeling shared by Viers. ¡°Our arrival place was too far from each other. Can''t be helped.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your settlement? Is it close by?¡± The enchanter asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t need them,¡± Viers said honestly. ¡°I¡¯m making my way to you now. I¡¯m ready to go. What about your end?¡± ¡°We know Green Scorpion¡¯s position,¡± she conveyed. ¡°The plan is viable.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get started, shall we?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell Dorren and the others about your arrival,¡± Izabella said. *** ¡°...And so I introduce to you, Tanael. A surviving member of the Blood Church Marakkus branch.¡± In front of the big settlement that the four Blood Church youth, Izabella said to the other three. ¡°Imagine my surprise,¡± Lord Ultimate, the self-installed leader of the four, said. ¡°When Izabella said we have a hidden ally. To think it was you. Well met, Tanael.¡± ¡°Ultimate,¡± Viers gave a courtesy nod. ¡°Black Cat should have informed you, yes? Have you considered my proposal?¡± ¡°I did,¡± the Blood Church¡¯s young leader said. I and not we, Viers realized. ¡°And a tempting offer. Not to mention our clashing ideology with them.¡± ¡°I can''t defeat them on my own anyway,¡± Viers shrugged. ¡°It was you guys that uncovered their hidden form. Impressive, considering I have no idea how you pulled that off. Since it was them who originally tried to steal the book, it is safe to assume letting them proceed further into the trial will not be wise. Since you have accepted, then let''s exterminate these Teorph worshipers side by side.¡± Green Scorpion and his group turned out to be the same group that kidnapped Harry and friends for the Book of Aletro. The Blood Church told Viers that their identity was one of the Seven Devils Cults, the same as the Blood Church. ¡°They called themselves the Gardeners of Perfection. Gardeners, can you believe it? Suffice to say, we do not wish to see their lot succeed in whatever they are planning. Having you with us will be a boon,¡± Lord Ultimate paused. ¡°However, you surely didn''t expect we would believe what you say solely based on your words, would you?¡± The air between them changed for the worse, the tenseness of a storm brewing. Viers himself remained poised and composed. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± ¡°First, let¡¯s see the proof you are what you said you are.¡± ¡°Would this suffice?¡± Viers produced a ring with a gem-encrusted on it. ¡°That ring¡­ A Purple Bloodstone?¡± One of Lord Ultimate¡¯s followers gasped. ¡°Only a direct descendant from a high-ranking house in the Blood Church has it.¡± Viers put the ring on his finger and it reacted to him, proof that the ring was indeed keyed to his person. ¡°Good. I hope you don''t take offense, Tanael. One must always be wary of strangers,¡± Lord Ultimate spoke more cordially. Tanael¡¯s status was not lower than his own. ¡°As one should be.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll forgive us for one last insurance,¡± he produced a scroll and unfurled it. ¡°A binding pact of not harming or betraying each other. This kind of place can bring out the beast inside a man after all. Let us be¡­ civilized.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Viers looked at the scroll and read it line by line. It was essentially an agreement of alliance with the prohibition of harming each other. Viers saw four red signatures below. The penalty for breaking the agreement was death. Very normal. Viers glanced at Izabella and she nodded. After that, he cut his finger with a knife and added his signature to the scroll. ¡®All¡¯ five Blood Church members in the Book World had put their signature on the magical contract. ¡°Once again, I welcome you to our humble abode, brother from another land,¡± Lord Ultimate grinned widely. ¡°Welcome.¡± ¡°Glad to have you with us.¡± The two Blood Church youth were also gladdened by Viers casting his loth with them. ¡°Glory to Yasterah,¡± Viers said, something he did not believe in. It was as if he was an Allied soldier saying Sieg Heil during WWII. ¡°And those two are? Isn''t that Backlasher?¡± Naturally, they asked about Kaari and Backlasher behind Viers. He allowed Jaime the dignity of standing with Kaari propping him up. ¡°They are with me. They will not participate in our matters and are my responsibility. No need to concern yourself with them.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± Lord Ultimate conceded. ¡°When will we attack the Teorph cultists?¡± ¡°Soon. In two or three days I imagine.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be relying on your hospitality until then, my brothers,¡± Viers asked. ¡°Extraordinary circumstances made me abandon my settlement.¡± ¡°And you shall have it. We have plenty of empty tents. If you prefer, my place is op-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay with Black Cat,¡± Viers interrupted. ¡°She and I go waaay back.¡± A cramp showed on Lord Ultimate¡¯s face for the first time. He didn''t seem amused, but Viers was. ¡°Would that be okay with you, kitty?¡± Viers teased. ¡°...Of course. Right this way,¡± Izabella played along, taking Viers¡¯ hand as she led him inside the compound. And so Viers and his company entered the settlement of the Yasterah worshipers as one of their own. The ring Viers used to prove his ties to the Blood Church was Irkun¡¯s. Turfon, the old ghost enchanter that Veirs used, made the ring keyed to Viers. It wasn''t hard once Izabella, a competent enchanter, told him the Blood Church¡¯s security matrix. Soon, two devil cults will clash with one another. A very common occurrence, considering the seven didn''t like each other. Each of the seven disagreed about how the world should be. *** ¡°Status report.¡± Viers asked as soon as they were in private and sufficiently protected. Viers didn''t trust that he was in a safe environment and covered Izabella¡¯s tent with another layer of defensive protection of his own after Izabella¡¯s. The other three Blood Church members would not be able to see or hear anything from the outside, further stoking Lord Ultimate¡¯s imagination and jealousy. ¡°Now?¡± Iz¡¯s eyes moved to Jaime. ¡°Yes. Izabella, meet Jaime. Jaime, Izabella. We¡¯re all friends now.¡± Jaime and Izabella exchanged stares in silence before she broke eye contact first. ¡°At this point of time, the trial takers have more or less consolidated. People flocked to the strong, the top 10s in particular,¡± Iz took off her signature pointy hat and explained after they were all seated. ¡°No doubt the ability to predict disasters in advance was a very useful ability. Of course, there are exceptions like you two who did not bind themselves to others.¡± Iz moved on to explain the notable alliances in the surroundings. In no particular order: Team 1: Anne, Blade of Justice (Troy), Ivory Flame (Max) Team 2: Daystar (Aravin), Silver Tail (Naya), Hays (Sabine) Team 3: Boram, Squire, Fithel Team 4: Noble Tiger (Khalmar), Ubah, Gunin Team 5: Oscar Regisea, and the small fries Team 6: Dark Zero (Volod), and the second-rate villains Team 7: Airmaster, and his group Team 8: Green Scorpion and his group ¡°And there¡¯s us: the Blood Church Alliance.¡± ¡°Nobody knows where Divine Punishment is. Perhaps he¡¯s like you, marauding without raising a settlement.¡± ¡°Team 1 is dangerous. They do not have the biggest settlement but the most prosperous. Noble Tiger united all the beastfolk under one banner. They have been quite successful. Their unity is strong. Oscar Regisea gathered the most underlings, mostly white spark small-timers. On the other hand, Dark Zero scooped up the black spark holders. Airmaster and their group are confirmed as people from Zetel...¡± Iz continued feeding Viers information. ¡°Boram is doing well, it seems,¡± Viers said. ¡°Squire has his origins in the Latias Kingdom. The two seemed to have struck a friendship as early as Stage 1. Fithel the elf is also formidable, though you seemed to understand him better than me.¡± ¡°I only met him twice and fought together once. Hardly a close relationship. However, I don''t believe he would do anything sinister. Boram¡¯s position seems stable for the time being. How many times have you supported him from the dark?¡± ¡°Two times.¡± ¡°Wooow. Chacha is a good cat,¡± Viers grinned. ¡°You asked me to keep an eye on him...¡± Iz pouted, tone sour-sweet. ¡°By the way, got medicine? As you can see, he¡¯s injured,¡± Viers pointed a thumb over his shoulder to Jaime. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do. Jules, would you please take a vial from the upper cabinet?¡± Izabella¡¯s NPC assistant came carrying an expensive-looking potion. ¡°That seems too precious to give to a person you¡¯ve just met,¡± Viers commented. The medicine was above his expectations. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I got a feeling we¡¯ll be together as a team after this.¡± Viers¡¯ unbroken smile said it all. ¡°What is the plan for Scorpion?¡± He changed the topic. ¡°By now, every settlement has been strengthened considerably. Defensive towers, fortifications¡­ Attacking from the front is very risky. If they¡¯re holed up in their settlement then it would be a lot harder. However, as luck would have it, they seem to be brewing something outside of their settlement. Near a Rank 4 abhorrent monster, Putrepos Skunk. Perhaps it is Green Scorpion''s Profound Practice? The cult is known for its rot and decay after all. At any rate. The next time he leaves, we will ambush him.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Viers nodded firmly. ¡°Until show time then.¡± *** ¡°What¡¯s the call, leader?¡± Dorren -Lord Ultimate- answered his underling¡¯s question. ¡°After we take care of the worshiper of the false god, we take care of Tanael.¡± He postponed the decision since Izabella informed him about the hidden ally but after seeing the real thing, Dorren was convinced Tanael had no place in their group. The soul-user challenged his authority and infringed on his woman! Dorren was the alpha of this pack of four, but now there was another alpha. How could Dorren accept this? ¡°But fighting him head-on will be costly,¡± the underling further said. ¡°Not to mention our blood pact.¡± ¡°True,¡± he agreed. ¡°That''s why we¡¯ll strike at his assistant. She''s his last settler, I think. With her gone, Tanael would be out of the game. Though, sadly, we can¡¯t gain his shards. No matter, we got Backlasher to slake our shard thirst.¡± To not be listed in the top 10 was a serious blow to Dorren¡¯s pride. He didn''t want to accept that the top 10 were all greater than him, he who was already supported by three others. Chapter 171 - Fighting Together In a closed, magically secured tent, four people were sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed. Rhythmic breathing, in a peculiar state of mind. In the center of the circle, a white clam was emitting the sound of a waterfall as if it was a bizarre music box. The magical sound of the waterfall was soothing and calming, making Viers, Izabella, and Jaime smoothly progress in their cultivation meditation. The fourth member was Kaari. Cultivation was useless to her so she didn''t meditate but cast healing Arte on the injured Jaime instead. As an NPC, she didn''t seem to be running out of Victa so Viers dumped a lot of Victa usage in daily life to her since Boram was not at his side. Thanks to the extensive healing Jaime received, his condition was a lot better than before. His hair was still white though. Lifespan lost was not easily replenished. But it looked cool to Viers and Jaime didn''t seem to mind. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Jaime suddenly asked. Of course, not about the meditation session but about why Viers helped him. ¡°I¡¯m selfish,¡± Viers hid nothing. ¡°Killing Aravin is risky, even for me. That is why I¡¯ll help you kill him.¡± Aravin was different from Sigma. In his genre-savviness, Viers deemed both of them had MC Factor but unlike the stupid gun boy, Aravin already ¡®grew¡¯. His Fable had already progressed for quite some time. Who knew what kind of cheat the guy had inside his body. Since there was already a blade that wanted to stab Aravin, Viers sharpened that instead. Naturally, Viers wasn''t blind that he also had MC Factor. ¡°Aravin dies, you get your revenge, I fulfilled my objective. Everybody wins.¡± Izabella kept meditating as if she¡¯d heard nothing. ¡°Raising me as an undead after killing me would save you a lot of hassle.¡± Viers broke into a smile. That little, confident smile with a touch of daredevilry. ¡°I am a calm and reasonable person. Don¡¯t I seem like a calm and reasonable person?¡± Jaime was surprised that he thought the answer was yes but he didn''t answer. Just like he didn''t when Viers invited him to the Dark Side that day. But Jaime didn''t refuse either, so Viers took him in. Well, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll take care of the B-O-Y. Everybody that watched Mandalorian knows that armed bounty hunters make excellent nannies. Viers was an adventurer, a profession not much different from bounty hunting. *** ¡°What the heck are you doing here? I said I don''t want to see you again!¡± Viper Lady was irritated looking at Tanael¡¯s handsome face that was smiling brightly. Viers wanted to be sure that the counterpart of Jaime¡¯s Arrogant Young Master was indeed a ¡®Main Character¡¯. Therefore, he sent fresh meat to bait a reaction from the guy. ¡°Hahaha, nice to meet you too, Lady.¡± Viers told her about Daystar, he who was in the middle of an evil quest of gathering a harem of a hundred girls. The guy had an unceasing appetite for devouring girls'' bodies, from petite lolis to mature vixens. From teen virgins to a thousand-year-old elf spinster. ¡°The guy¡¯s settlement is pretty close to here. Since you¡¯re an all-female settlement, I kindly warn you about him. Luckily for you, Daystar is pretty much cooped up all the time inside his settlement nowadays, making the flag on the top of this tent sway even though there was no wind together with his two beautiful companions: a silver wolf beastfolk and an Estellian Priestess. Who knows who the next victim of his poisonous fang otherwise? Since you¡¯re all nice ladies, I give you a heads-up warning.¡± Viers paused after a long talk. ¡°To be able to charm a priestess for polygamy¡­ Quite the guy, don''t you think?¡± ¡°...Why are you telling me this?¡± The Lady tightened the grip on her sword. ¡°Nothing much. Just telling a friend to watch her back.¡± ¡°We are not friends. Get. Out.¡± Viper Lady hissed. Viers bid them goodbye and returned to the road but he¡¯d achieved his purpose. I hope Viper Lady interacts with Aravin sometime after this. Looking at their relation I can make sure whether Aravin is a harem MC protagonist or not. A regular MC is already intolerable but a Harem MC? Viers would have to triple his resolution to kill Aravin. ¡°Viers, you seem to be picking a fight against someone dangerous to prove this bizzare conviction of yours, wasting a lot of time and effort just to kill a guy who you barely know. What do you even gain from this?¡± Paina wondered. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Paina. Every MC is a walking treasure trove. Take Sigma for example. I got the Grid and the gun-creation system, super helpful, and they are only incomplete spoils of war. Who knows what manner of advantages I can gain from Aravin¡¯s cold, dead corpse?¡± ¡°What makes you think Jaime will let you gain anything from his kill, Lord Viers?¡± Farley asked. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°What makes you think Jaime will survive against Aravin, Farley?¡± Viers asked back. *** Blam. Blam. ¡°Hyah! Hyah!¡± Boram was swinging his hammer on a great metal ore thrice his size. Sweat-drenched, tired-faced. More than that, he seemed vexed. A white horse looked at the little kid with worry but its neck snapped to attention immediately. ¡°Too far from the settlement, Boram. There were four surveillance methods on you. This place is dangerous.¡± A familiar voice entered Boram¡¯s ears. ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Looking good, champ,¡± Viers greeted back. He was wearing his iron helmet and the rest of Avel¡¯s gear. Wreathed in mist for further obstruction. He caught Boram who was hugging his stomach. ¡°Master¡­ I¡¯ve disappointed you,¡± he said sullenly. Boram experienced many defeats during the Stage 1 until 3. As the Stages went further, the enemies were getting stronger. He only got this far thanks to others, especially Squire. He was bitter about his inadequacy. ¡°Nonsense. You have done well against these people despite your lack of experience. Very well done. You¡¯re still alive and have grown splendidly. That is more important than your defeats.¡± The horse neighed threateningly at the stranger. ¡°Calm down, horsie. I¡¯ll not harm my own disciple.¡± Viers put a satchel on the ground. ¡°This is for your master. Please relay my thanks for looking after Boram. And this¡­ is for you, kiddo.¡± Viers gave Boram a big bag, filled with ores, metals, and other precious gems. He also imparted a dozen suitable Artes for the kid that had done his best. Lastly, Viers gave him an enchanted hammer. ¡°Skull Basher. The you right now should be able to wield this.¡± Taking the hammer, Boram was at a loss for words by the sudden gifts. ¡°The materials are for your Earthborn Amalgam¡¯s Profound Practice. Learn some of the Artes to complement your fighting style after. To cover what you lack and complement your strengths. Skull Basher is not a super-tier weapon but it is on the same level as my katana, Guren Muramasa. A decent enchanted weapon. Remember, no matter the tools, your own abilities are more important than external equipment. Do not go outside the settlement until Stage 3 is over. You are at too much risk. The things I gave you should keep you busy enough.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Boram missed the surety given by his master. ¡°Now this is the most important. If you want to proceed to Stage 4 then you make the decision yourself but no matter what, you cannot die in this trial. I expressly forbid it. If you must give up, give up. If you must lose a hand then lose a hand. Using whatever means necessary, you will not die. Don''t care about your pride, don''t care about me. Do you understand this?¡± ¡°I do, Master.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be watching you. Hidden among the remaining people. But I will not save you if you are in danger. Remember my words, disciple. Avoid the strong and survive at all costs. There¡¯s no training like the real thing. How much stronger are you compared to what you were before the trial?¡± Viers gave Boram a pat on the head. ¡°Good luck.¡± Viers left his disciple yet again. Unnatural mists obscured his form as he walked back. Alone with the horse, Boram tightly gripped the handle of his new hammer. Master is really the best. He blew away my worries so easily. ¡°Come on Baster. Let¡¯s get out of here!¡± Boram smiled. *** Viers -already returned to Tanael¡¯s disguise- was thinking about a certain girl. Among the Artes that he just gave Boram, some were Jarret¡¯s. The brother of Sigma¡¯s ¡®heroine¡¯. The recent event made him think of that time long gone. What happened to the girl and Jarret himself? Jarret died or not? Did Freya get to them? Should I kill the girl because it might turn into a revenge story? But she¡¯s so far away now¡­ Ideally, Viers would have killed everyone that might possess a grudge against him but it was not always easily done in reality. ¡°Hm?¡± On his way back to the Blood Church¡¯s settlement, Viers saw a group of four people. Three NPCs and one player. The player was a girl centaur. Hohoho, a random encounter. En garde! Viers pounced upon the centaur, stealthily, intending to assassinate from the shadows but as expected of the participant that survived until this time, the girl somehow found Viers. After the color of her face changed when she saw Tanael, she ran like the wind. Directing the three Level 2 NPCs to obstruct the assailant. Wise move. But do you think you can get away? Viers defeated the NPCs and gave chase. The girl was spark shards, his prey. The centaur was fast, only a little bit slower than his ¡®normal¡¯ top-speed. It took some time to chase her down. ¡°Kyaaaa!¡± The young centauress screamed at the possibility of her death. ¡°Got you!¡± Viers said in the tone of Gondar, Dota¡¯s Bounty Hunter as he unleashed his soul Arte. ROOOAAARRR! A heroic youth saved the girl by hitting Viers¡¯ ranged attack with his fist. ¡°Noble Tiger,¡± Viers muttered. ¡°Tanael. You will not harm a single beastfolk under my protection,¡± Khalmar was furious, fighting intent radiating from his body. ¡°Khalmar, thank you. I-¡± ¡°Windhooves, keep running. This guy¡­ is strong.¡± The centaur looked conflicted for a split second before leaving the two men locked in a staring contest. There were no words, no signal. The two moved at the same time. Their bodies became a blur. Fist against fist! The leaves rustled as the shockwave went past them after the clash of strength. ¡°Your barbarity will not harm my people, Tanael!¡± ¡°Do you have enough power to protect them from me, princeling?¡± ¡°Beastly Blow!¡± ¡°Vengeful Spirit!¡± The second exchange also created an equal explosion. Then the third, the fourth, until the tenth exchange. ¡°It¡¯s a draw. Nice meeting you, princeling. We¡¯ll meet again in a grander stage.¡± Viers backed away gracefully. Now was not the time to have a full-blown deathmatch with Khalmar, not when he was about to fight another with just as strong as the tiger beastfolk. Khalmar did not pursue. His senses told him the reinforcement from his settlement were closing in. Khalmar lightly sighed in relief. Tanael¡­ a troublesome opponent. The rumors about his strength are real. People were right to fear him. *** Viers made a circular motion with his shoulder. His skin was blue around that part. Viers and Khalmar suffered minor injuries in the skirmish. Ouch. He¡¯s strong. What a tough body. ¡°Tanael! Where were you?¡± When Viers got in range of Izabella¡¯s telepathy, he got an urgent call. ¡°Already nearby. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°The Gardeners are moving earlier than expected. We¡¯re attacking now!¡± Viers smiled a wolf¡¯s grin. ¡°No problem. I¡¯m ready to fight.¡± ¡°Good. All of the Blood are mobilizing in one minute,¡± Izabella informed. ¡°Time to exterminate a scorpion,¡± Viers sent back his thoughts. Chapter 172 - But Still My Enemy ¡°What are they doing? Demon summoning?¡± Viers plus four of the Blood Church were observing Green Scorpion and the gang. Both sides were all far from any settlement, near one of the giant Rank 4 monsters, Putrepos Skunk. The monster¡¯s decaying presence turned the area into a wasteland devoid of flora and fauna. Dead trees, animal bones, and dusty earth but somehow the Gardeners made a thirty meters wide strange garden in the middle of it. The plants and flowers were abnormal-looking. Bizarre-shaped fungi, meat-like trunks, colorful moss, and the garden was gradually expanding. ¡°Demon summoning is impossible here. We¡¯ve tried.¡± Dorren -Lord Ultimate- replied to Viers¡¯ question. ¡°Rituals of some sort. They really like doing rituals, it seems. Well, we¡¯re far enough from the big monster so some ruckus will not disturb it. Preemptive strike?¡± ¡°Ambushing them is the right call but we¡¯re too far for any attack to be effective,¡± one of the Blood said. ¡°That means we need to get closer¡­ I don¡¯t like the idea of stepping foot in that sickly garden but do we have a choice?¡± Dorren asked but received no objection. ¡°There are five gardeners and five of us. One kill each.¡± ¡°I volunteer to take the strongest among them, Green Scorpion,¡± Viers confidently said. ¡°As a fellow top 10 ranker, I believe it is my duty. I¡¯ll keep him busy until you guys deal with the others.¡± ¡°Not so fast,¡± Dorren was irked. ¡°I¡¯ll fight Scorpion. Rankings aren''t everything. I can deal with the likes of Scorpion easily.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Viers showed a worried face. ¡°Weren''t you unable to get into the top 10 even with their support?¡± Viers mercilessly and purposefully poked at Dorren¡¯s sore spot. ¡°Tanael! What is the meaning of your words!¡± ¡°Are you insinuating Lord Ultimate is weaker than you!?¡± The two underlings of the Blood barked to defend their boss. ¡°Calm down you two, Tanael spoke the truth.¡± Viers knew Dorren was feeling angry and disgraced but he had done a hell of a job hiding it. ¡°I will fight Scorpion. A leader fighting a leader, as it should be. There¡¯s no need to burden yourself, brother.¡± ¡°...Then I leave it to brother Ultimate.¡± Viers¡¯ tone made him sound humbled but he was rejoicing inside. Viers and Izabella¡¯s plan of showing fake lovey-lovey successfully made Dorren move. Of course Dorren wanted to show off in front of the girl he liked and volunteered to fight Green Scorpion, the most dangerous of the bunch. Izabella informed Viers that Dorren didn''t believe he was under any of the top 10 in ability. And so the guy jumped at the first chance to prove it. What a fool. Phase 1 is complete. *** Things went south almost immediately. ¡°Hahahaha! We knew you would come, blood-sucking ticks!¡± ¡°Wha-!?¡± ¡°Arrgh!¡± Not long after the Blood stepped foot in the strange garden, they got trapped inside a battlefield-type Arte. ¡°Green Scorpion, you-!¡± ¡°You really are Lord Ultimate, ultimate from behind, that is. Wahahahaha! Now you all will be fertilizer for my Profound Codex in this Putrid Foul Garden. Your final resting place!¡± Scorpion sneered. ¡°Tanael, so you¡¯re with them. The matters between us will be resolved today.¡± The whole area¡¯s power captured Tanael in a cage of dark-green poisonous gas. One of the Gardeners controlled the terrain, removing Tanael and his soul techniques threat from the board while strengthening the remaining four Gardeners. Tanael screamed. He couldn''t move as the miasma seeped into his body. The gas cage also weakened his soul ability somehow. Tanael curated a protective layer on his body but how long would that last? Meanwhile, the battle broke out immediately. Caught off guard in the enemy¡¯s home turf, the Blood Church was at a disadvantage from the start. How could they not be, when Viers anonymously informed the Green Scorpion that Dorren and the others were coming? To prevent suspicion, Viers leaked the Blood''s real ability, including his own. Teorph cultists were wary at first but as the battle went on, they found out the info was legit and they countered the Blood¡¯s Artes. Dorren roused the team. With their backs to the wall, the Blood Church members fought like demons. The Gardeners of Perfection fought using rot, poison, and decay abilities, which were enhanced by the special terrain. The Blood knew who they were fighting and also made their own preparation against the signature Teorph cultist¡¯s elements so they possessed the means to fight back. ¡°Pestis Poison Pests!¡± Scorpion unleashed a cloud of green locusts. ¡°Red Mosquito Swarm!¡± Ultimate fought back. The crux of the battlefield was still the battle between the two leaders. ¡°Decrypt and Decay! Insistent Infection! Pustule Bomb!¡± ¡°Blood Rush! Sanguine Cloak! Gore Rain!¡± ¡°What?¡± Scorpion was surprised that Ultimate could still match him toe-to-toe. ¡°You and everyone else¡­ All of you fucking bastards¡­ How much do you look down on me!? By focusing on Tanael from the start means you see him as more of a threat than me! DIE for your blindness!¡± ¡°Urgh-!¡± Dorren was by no means weak. The evaluation of Ultimate¡¯s status in Scorpion¡¯s mind rose a notch. More Artes were exchanged between two followers of different great devils. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Scorpion let the damage over time do its work while staying behind the sturdy defense of his earth abilities. On the other hand, Dorren¡¯s offensive was like an unceasing storm. Each time he used blood Artes they seemed to heighten his bloodlust and his Artes became stronger because of it. The morbid battlefield was now dyed with a lot of red. If there was not a clear sky above them, one would think this was the inside of a gigantic creature¡¯s stomach. Gradually, bit by bit, Dorren increased the pressure on Scorpion. ¡°Hmph. How about some of this, Confusion! Mental Bludgeon!¡± Scorpion mixed in mind Artes in his offensive. It created holes in Dorren¡¯s defense. He was attacked on two fronts, the mind and the body. The corrosive nature of Scorpion¡¯s attack would assure Dorren¡¯s defeat if this went on too long. ¡°Grrr, fucking maggot! Fountain of Blood! Vampiric Drain!¡± After closing in while evading the barrage of poisonous earth spears, Dorren bit Scorpion¡¯s neck. ¡°Aaakkkhhh!¡± A desperate poisonous explosion by Scorpion separated them, at the cost of some injury to himself. ¡°Lord Ultimate!¡± Izabella caught her fellow cultist before he hit a corrupted meat tree. Despite her injuries, she had run to his rescue. ¡°Urg¡­ Thank-¡± Finally his charm swayed the girl. The joy Dorren felt was soon washed away as he could do nothing but watch Izabella jamming a red needle into his chest. ¡°UUUAAAAGHH!!¡± Dorren shoved Izabella away in a horrified panic. ¡°Wha-wha-what did you do!?¡± There was rainbow-colored liquid flowing out from his chest. ¡°My Victa¡­ My Victa is coming out!!¡± Like a punctured water bag, Dorren¡¯s Victa was gushing out from the wound on his chest. He¡¯d never even heard or thought this kind of feat was possible. He tried to scoop up the spilled precious fuel of his Artes, to stop the leak, and to absorb it back into his body but nothing he did was effective. Izabella''s left arm dangled limply and her left cheek was ripped from the battle with an enemy cultist, yet her eyes still contained the freezing coldness of disgust while watching Dorren¡¯s descent into hysteria. ¡°I-¡± she rasped, bitter and grim. ¡°-am not your trophy.¡± ¡°Ahahah, bwahahaha!¡± Green Scorpion was high on the sight of his enemies killing each other at a time like this. ¡°You two lovebirds can die together. Rapid-¡± A loud bang came from his side. Out of reflex, Scorpion looked in that direction. Tanael emerged from the smoke of poison and decay. Bloody and skin flayed. There were patches of wounds oozing with pus all over his body. Sickening miasma clung to his body like a cloak as he dashed like a bat out of Hell. Tanael¡¯s gaze promised maximum savagery to the man reflected in his eyes and Green Scorpion could see his own reflection. ¡°-Rot!¡± Green Scorpion changed the aim of his Arte; his palm releasing a cloud of deadly gas like a flamethrower. Even the plants attuned to foulness wilted very rapidly. Scorpion was a Level 3 in the real world. Although his Level as Pathseker went down, the Arte was infused with all of his might. Shield in hand, Tanael charged straight through. Tanael¡¯s form was obstructed by the dark-green gas. When Scorpion saw him again, he was right in front of him, fist clenched and ready. The shield Tanael got from the Marakkus vault had melted and become misshapen. Muscles under the skin were exposed and black spots smudged his body. Tanael coughed blood as the cells in his throat underwent rapid necrosis but he had reached his target. Green Scorpion¡¯s eyes widened like a big-eyed goldfish. ¡°New Order¡­ I, Tanael, will not decay! Eat this, poor man¡¯s Shigarakiiiii!¡± Tanael¡¯s right fist was shining dazzlingly. Hyper Arte activated. Paina was playing Anima Symphony Finale. Quirk: Horizon¡ª ¡°200% Detroit SMASH!!¡± *** Izabella was spellbound by Tanael¡¯s display of power. She was still in a dangerous situation but she couldn''t help but watch her partner-in-crime¡¯s incredible Arte. Unbelievable¡­ Is this, the power that defeated Alan? Green Scorpion let out a sound like a frog run over by a carriage. The punch sent him flying through a tree and a rock, finally stopping half-buried in a cliff. No, not yet¡­ Tanael is in bad shape too. The rest of the Gardeners are still- Just as Izabella was about to support Tanael, a soul-crushing presence enveloped the area. She felt it for only an instant before the weight subsided. If the power fell on her fully, she didn''t think she would be able to stay conscious. Among the Blood, one killed a Gardener at the cost of his life. One lost completely before getting killed. Iz defeated her opponent before attacking Dorren. The Gardener that controlled the Putrid Foul Garden was suffering a backlash from Tanael breaking free but the guy was still alive. Since Tanael smashed Scorpion, there were still two Gardeners left but Tanael spread out his ¡®Haoushoku Haki¡¯, knocking them out. At long last, Izabella let out a breath of relief. ...In the end, he came through. Phase 2 is complete. ¡°H-How¡­? Why¡­?¡± Izabella heard a soft and weak voice. ¡®Lord Ultimate¡¯, was now a man without Victa. As if he pissed himself, a puddle of rainbow-colored liquid spread out from his fallen body. The man¡¯s body was also paralyzed, a simple side effect of the needle. No doubt Dorren was wondering why Izabella didn''t die after breaking the non-betrayal magical pact. The answer was simple, Tanael used the Evil Dagger of Broken Promise on Izabella and himself. Izabella¡¯s needle was her magnum opus as an enchanter. If one got hit by this weapon, their Victa would leak like a broken dam until they had none left. A Pathseeker without Victa was no different than a wingless, crippled bird. On the downside, she had to prepare it for another month before being able to use it once more. Izabella dragged her body to Dorren¡¯s side. Their eyes met. No doubt the guy was expecting an answer coming from her lips. The answer he received was a slit to the throat. Tanael made it loud and clear. No gloating, no last words. Be a good boy and die, Dorren. I will not miss you. And thus the most promising youth of the Blood Church in Regidana lost his life, at the hands of someone he gave a marriage proposal to be his third wife. ¡°You alright?¡± Tanael asked from a distance. He was munching on some herb. ¡°I¡¯ll be alright,¡± she answered. ¡°Good. Kill the other two gardeners. I will finish Scorpion,¡± he said with heavy breaths. ¡°We should tend to your wounds. Those look nasty. It will get worse later on.¡± ¡°Hundred Poisons Cleansing Herb,¡± Tanael waved the thing in his hand and turned his back on Izabella. *** Arghh, my body aches all over¡­ Fucking Nurgle worshipers¡­ Thank God I already have a Chekhov''s gun for this. The Hundred Poison Cleansing Herb was something he got in Pecan Village, the village where he met Luca and Dia. The poisons in his body were remedied by the herb and the other injuries were being healed by his healing factor. It would take time until he was healed completely but his condition would not worsen. ¡°Going somewhere?¡± Viers asked while seeing Scorpion limping away. Viers might have only let loose one punch but his time in the cage of poison and sickness was not a walk in the park, defending while waiting for the opportune moment inside the cage of death had a price. ¡°Kahaggh¡­¡± Scorpion coughed a fistful of blood. His chest caved in by Viers¡¯ smash. His inner organs were definitely injured. Multiple bone fractures were unarguable. ¡°You fucking-¡± Izabella took his lesson to heart, how could Viers not? Viers made a square with his fingers as if he wanted to immortalize what he saw in a painting. Sensing Viers was preparing an Arte, Scorpion hastily roared. ¡°How long are you going to keep waiting? COME OUT!!¡± Arte - Fatal Soulframe First Form: Horror! A whirlwind of leaves appeared between Viers and Scorpion. Fatal Soulframe First Form was an Arte that sucked the soul of the target and turned it into a photo. The one who intervened managed to prevent that. Amidst the chuckling laugh of Green Scorpion, Viers stayed still. The whirlwind of leaves gradually died down and revealed the newcomer¡¯s appearance. She wore a plain dark-blue mini skirt sleeveless kimono. The tip of her toes to above the knees were covered with mesh stocking, creating a zettai ryouiki. Her long raven hair was tied in a ponytail and she wore a mask that covered her nose and mouth that ninjas wore. Viers, still in the ¡®taking a photo¡¯ pose, looked at the girl from behind the ¡®lens¡¯. ¡°Love your new kunoichi look,¡± he smiled and spoke sincerely. ¡°It suits you¡­ Sakuya.¡± Chapter 173 - Asagao Viers and Sakuya were in a standoff, the heavily injured Scorpion didn''t continue his escape, to Viers¡¯ bedazzlement. Perhaps he¡¯d rather watch a good show. ¡°...Tanael-san, I-¡± Sakuya stopped as the words stuck in her throat. Viers didn''t react or show any uneasiness. He knew in one glance that she was here not because she wanted to be. Stage 3 was a place where natural disasters were common. The ground shook as an earthquake struck the area. It was mild and didn''t last long. The three were in an open area so the effect was minimal. Dust coming off from a nearby cliff swam through the air. ¡°Hehehe, took you long enough. I¡¯ll let go of the matter of you not attacking him during the earlier fight. Night Bloom, by the honor of your bloodline, I demand you to kill Tanael or die trying!¡± Green Scorpion was looking smug despite his injuries. ¡°Didn''t expect your friend to be here, eh Tanael? Do you even know her true origins? No, I expect not. There¡¯s no way the girl would tell you of her blood-soaked lineage.¡± Sakuya stayed silent but seemed hurting, as if she was enduring a verbal lashing. ¡°Her family¡¯s trade is assassination. Nowadays they aren¡¯t as numerous as the Banbenxi cult¡¯s killers but their abilities were equal to their top personnel. You are doomed, Tanael!¡± ¡°Mmhm,¡± Viers hummed, still as serene as ever. Perfectly willing to go along with the enemy¡¯s narration as his healing factor slowly healed the damage from the last fight. After some time, seeing both fighters had no intention to move, Scorpion barked at Sakuya to start. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Sakuya whispered before throwing three shurikens with a flick of her wrist. Viers was already in motion before the shurikens left her hand, closing in the distance in an instant while dodging the throwing stars. Victa gathered in his fist before he delivered Desolate Dive Arte with a punch. Sakuya made the decision to jump backward. Her opponent''s soul Artes were uncharacteristically able to influence the physical, different from what she knew. Viers¡¯ soul ability to inflict physical destruction was on par with the likes of metal affinity users, much to her surprise. She crossed her arms mid-air in anticipation of the Arte¡¯s second effect. She had seen the technique before in the City of Pearl. The shockwave created after the fist hit the ground was almost as strong as the punch itself. Sakuya grunted, arms numb but her opponent was not giving her any breathing room. In the Fables, especially in Japanese manga, fighting a former friend was a common trope. It was part of a character development arc for the friend. The shonen MC also got his fair share of positive development such as determination¡¯s emergence or casting away his naivety. Or the MC could refuse to fight entirely and lose because he was still their ¡®friend¡¯ no matter what. Viers, on the other hand, didn''t hesitate to attack Sakuya. It was all a plot that didn''t even enter his mind. Viers would think about it after the fight, after his opponent was defeated. With the nimbleness of a cat, Sakuya dodged Viers¡¯ second punch. Bamboo spears arose from the ground. Viers broke the first spear with his fist but the second and the third and the rest were too much. Tens of razor-sharp leaves swirled from both of Viers¡¯ sides, curling at him like lethal boomerangs. Viers stepped to the side using a movement-type Arte, caught Sakuya¡¯s vine whip with his left hand and unleashed Vengeful Spirit with his right. The ball of soul buried its way into her stomach and went out from her back. Her face twisted with pain, normal people would have been incapacitated by now but Sakuya threw four kunai in retaliation instead. Unwilling as she might be, Sakuya was about to fight a known soul user; she''d made preparations. The high-speed exchanges resulted in Sakuya¡¯s near death, twice. Fast attacks and all lethal, the core of Viers¡¯ fighting style. He might not have used a sword and fought barehanded; his face and name might have changed but Viers was still the same person. Viers¡¯ damage was only two minor injuries, a red slit on the right cheek and one on the left shoulder. Both by the last kunai throws. Where did she store these things? Viers wondered. ¡°No hesitation, huh? As expected of you, Tanael. But this is nothing. Her clan has been honing assassination arts for hundreds of years! Poison is naturally one of them. Hahaha! A small graze is enough. All descendants of the clan were trained under the best and underwent rigorous training. The weak will be cast out mercilessly! She-¡± Viers¡¯ figure faded from sight. He appeared at a punching distance from Scorpion. The earth-mind cultist felt a horribly unpleasant deja vu and grimaced most pleasantly to Viers¡¯ eyes. Fool. You think just because there''s an obstacle you are safe from me? This is what you get for blah-blah-ing about Spartan culture that I already know! Viers didn''t expect Scorpion''s body to be scattered as flower petals when the hit landed. Illusion! Sakuya¡¯s! Euryale Sight! In succession, the world changed. The land and the sky, everything twisted and rearranged itself into something else. When it stabilized, Viers was in the middle of a straight road with hundreds or even thousands of red torii gates. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Hm!? Euryale Sight... is not working? Viers was seeing an illusion; he was dead sure of it but his magical eyes didn''t recognize the world as an illusion. A single road with cobbled stone lay in the front and the back of Viers. Numerous torii gates that stretched into the distance. The road was enclosed between tall bamboo trees. Viers was sure if he tried to wade through the trees, he would simply emerge at the other side of the road, still trapped in the illusory world. ¡°Impressive genjutsu, Sakuya,¡± Viers showed no sign of panic, maintaining his composure. ¡°Genjutsu - Senbon Torii,¡± Sakuya¡¯s voice resounded from the sky. ¡°Your eyes are special Tanael-san, but they are useless here because this is an illusion inside your own mind.¡± ¡°Ho-hou¡­¡± Viers taking in the gorgeous sight. He recalled there was a similar place in his world¡¯s Japan that he never had the chance to visit. This would do. ¡°Tanael-san, there¡¯s no excuses for what I must do. But I, I will definitely¡­ Khhhh¨C¡± While Sakuya sounded like she was at war with herself, Tanael saw that his body was slowly changing into a tree starting from his feet. Little by little, his skin became bark. A tree did not move so Viers couldn''t move his feet even if he wanted to. This might be just an illusion but he knew there would be bad consequences if he really got turned into a tree. Dia would be happy, I suppose. But I don''t fancy living as a treant. Time to end this. ¡°Sakuya. In this illusion world you created¡­ the difference between it and my soul world is paper-thin!¡± With his hand, Viers made a slashing motion and a tear was created in the fabric of space. Behind the spatial crack was a different world from Sakuya¡¯s Senbon Torii; a world of beautiful darkness, filled with white flowers and splendid stars. Like a princess arriving at a party, a young woman with the lower body of a snake composedly went through the opening. The lamia wore a yellow bedlah that showed a lot of skin. The traditional garment of the lamia, according to her. A golden snake tiara decorated her dark brown hair that reached her waist. White skin and amber eyes. The snake part of her body was covered with scales of similar color to her hair. Her scales had patterns akin to rattlesnakes. Sakuya gasped. ¡°Th-this is!?¡± Clarissa glanced at Viers, who was already halfway to becoming a tree, replied by smiling. ¡°Go explode your stress, princess.¡± Clarissa replied to Viers'' tease with a scoff, igniting her hand on fire. In the real world, Clarissa couldn''t use her fire abilities because Viers had no fire affinity. In the soul world, however, the former Level 5 could use her abilities just fine with only one limitation: Viers¡¯ Level. In their sparring session in the Grid, despite being in the same Level and having affinity advantage, Viers had never won against Clarissa even once. The temperature rose sharply, air twisted by the temperature, bamboo leaves caught fire. Hand clad in fire of the highest attainment, Clarissa swept her hand in the air. She didn''t need to hit anything because everything was already inside the range of her Arte. ¡°Arte - Blazing Snake¡¯s World Immolation.¡± It was a glorious sight: the trees burned, the torii burned, the soil burned. A wave of incineration spread out with the lamia as the center, engulfing the whole illusory world. As always, Clarissa¡¯s Artes have long names. Viers didn''t feel hot in the slightest while everything was ablaze. He heard Sakuya¡¯s scream as the illusion broke and his perception became aware of the real world once more. He saw Sakuya on her knees, looking a bit charred. The illusionist was caught in her own illusion. ¡°...Tanael-san. You¡¯re really strong,¡± Sakuya pulled down her mask and gave a sad smile. ¡°Hmph. Who do you think you¡¯re talking to?¡± Viers said haughtily. Their gaze spoke a thousand words. ¡°Hahaha! Tanael, don''t feel smug after breaking free from the illusion. You don''t know that your life is already at her hand. Do it Night Bloom! By your ancestor¡¯s oath!¡± Viers frowned slightly. He didn''t feel Green scorpion was lying. ¡°...You''re somehow able to combat the poison,¡± Sakuya began. ¡°But during our short skirmish, I have put Arte seeds in you. With my Victa as the trigger, I can make Hametsu no Hana, Flowers of Destruction Arte bloom from inside you in an instant.¡± In the way she conveyed it, it was as if she was the one on death''s edge and not Viers. The man with the supposed noose on his neck simply crossed his arms and ticked his fingers. ¡°Will you do it?¡± Viers asked. ¡°...I-¡± ¡°Why are you stopping? Night Bloom, kill him!¡± Sakuya was trembling. An intense conflict was ongoing inside her mind. Of consequences of doing it and the repercussions of not doing it. ¡°...I, can¡¯t...¡± She fell to her knees, tears flowing out. ¡°Sasori-sama¡­ I will bear any punishment for my choice but please, please don''t make my family accountable. Aaauu...¡± The kunoichi sobbed, wailed; her heart crushed by the weight of her choice. ¡°Coward!¡± Scorpion shouted. ¡°Oathbreaker!¡± He slapped the kneeling Sakuya hard enough to draw blood. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll finish the job myself.¡± Green Scorpion made two steps in Viers¡¯ direction, there were still ten steps between them but he didn¡¯t continue. Viers didn''t flaunt his Victa, on the contrary, it was subdued. He couldn''t move because of the side effect of his body turning into a tree in the illusion but he was far from helpless. Because of that gaze of absolute zero coldness, Green Scorpion¡¯s instinct told him to stop. He felt those ten steps would be his ten steps to death. Moving forward would result in a grave outcome but he could not simply back off either; he needed an excuse. Fate deigned to give him one. ¡°...Other trial takers are coming. You¡¯ll die and I¡¯ll live. The end result is the same. As for you,¡± Green Scorpion turned to Sakuya, Asteyule Herb pulled from his storage item. ¡°All of your clan will curse you for this. You¡¯ve chosen him over them.¡± Sakuya watched with an empty gaze as Scorpion¡¯s poison turned the herb to ash. The last of the Gardeners of Perfection left; Viers¡¯ own condition was not ideal, leaving him and Sakuya alone. ¡°Tanael-san¡­ Hontou ni¡­ Moushiwake-gozaimasen.¡± Sakuya uttered her deepest apology before passing out. Not only because of Clarissa¡¯s attack but also because the physiological burden was too great. Viers was the last man standing; he was indisputably the victor. The victor didn''t have a victor¡¯s expression. He massaged the bridge of his nose. A massive headache was coming his way. ¡°Mmm¡­ For now, let¡¯s go home.¡± Chapter 174 - Ajisai ¡°When you left to kill Scorpion, I expected you to return with his head,¡± Izabella commented. ¡°Instead, you¡¯re carrying an unconscious girl in your arms. Should I be worried?¡± ¡°Shuddup,¡± Viers curtly replied. He had informed her that Scorpion managed to slip away. ¡°Your condition?¡± ¡°Nothing major. I just thought this would be a lot more¡­ difficult,¡± Izabella contemplated. She had killed people before but never from the same side as her. She chose to betray the Blood Church and it wasn''t a light decision for her to make. ¡°Enough about me. Weren''t there some uninvited guests coming your way?¡± ¡°I scared them away,¡± Viers spat on the ground. ¡°Annoying bastards.¡± ¡°So¡­ Phase 3?¡± ¡°Phase 3,¡± Viers nodded. ¡°You go back first, I need to loot these corpses¡­ and bring this with you.¡± He handed Sakuya to Izabella. The plan consisted of three steps. He kept it simple because the more convoluted a villainous plan was, the more likely it would fail. Something he learned from the Fables. Phase 1, make both cults fight each other. Phase 2, neutralize both sides, prime targets: Green Scorpion and Lord Ultimate. Scorpion managed to escape because of unforeseen interventions but 80% of the objective had been achieved. Phase 3, Take over the settlement of both sides. Viers cast away his settlement and now usurped a new one. ¡°If you want something done right, steal it from someone who did.¡± When they concocted their plot, Viers gave Izabella these words of wisdom from a certain Dread Emperor. ¡°Do you have more words of wisdom from these ¡®Dread Emperors and Empresses¡¯?¡± Clarissa was piqued. ¡°Oh, lots. Such as this: With great madness comes great possibility.¡± *** The Blood Church¡¯s settlement was a merger of its members and their settlements. With Izabella as the sole survivor, she naturally became the owner of the camp. Gardeners of Perfection¡¯s settlement still had an owner so it wasn''t ripe for the taking. In an ideal world, Viers would have absorbed the settlement and joined it with Izabella¡¯s but he couldn''t. He settled for less: to inflict as much damage as he could before Scorpion returned. Viers¡¯ ¡®Smash¡¯ was almost as strong as the Vortex Nova that defeated Alan. Scorpion¡¯s survival was unexpected. Perhaps he had a lifesaving item or some sort of ability to stem the damage. But his injury was not light and he should be undergoing emergency treatment. If Scorpion was already there then Viers would have called off the attack but he wasn''t. Viers slipped through the perimeter defenses, killed as many NPCs as he could and destroyed the important buildings. After an hour of sowing destruction, he left. It was never good to overplay one¡¯s hand. The losses on Scorpion¡¯s side were substantial. But just as what he could do unto others, others could do the same unto him. When he returned to the Blood Church¡¯s settlement, it was under attack by Dark Zero and a few others. Jaime and Izabella were precariously defending despite their less than optimal health. The defensive measures and settlement buffs helped somewhat but they were losing ground. Dark Zero was the one that Viers kicked out of the top 10 during Stage 1 of the Book World. He naturally had a grudge against Viers. Viers rampaged on the attacker''s ranks like a wolf among sheep. When the tide turned, Dark Zero sounded the retreat. Viers chugged a vial of blue colloid to replenish his Victa. His Victa consumption was considerable. After Stage 1, Aletro no longer gave them MP potions. Viers only had two vials of blue colloid left. Thankfully, he had a dozen pink colloid vials. The effect was less than the blue ones but it was still very precious. Always looting the people he killed paid off. Well, Dark Z Volod¡­ I will have my revenge for your revenge. Just you wait. After intense battles, a period of recuperation followed. Viers made the Blood Church¡¯s settlement into his home until Stage 3 was over. Izabella transferred the ownership to him. *** Since the first time he had met Sakuya in the Book World, she always had a form of melancholy hidden in her expression. Now, it looked as if she was hollowed out from the inside out. Sakuya was sitting on a bed, staring vacantly at the wall. Kaari or Izabella had changed her fight garment after it had gotten dirty during the fight, a white tunic akin to what patients wore in hospitals. Kaari had applied some healing in the past two days. The NPC assistants were very versatile. Viers visited carrying two cups of warm herbal tea. He wordlessly offered one to her and stayed in that position for a whole minute because Sakuya was unresponsive. He then placed one cup in her hand and sat on a chair. Facing the same wall Sakuya stared at and started sipping his tea in silence. Time drifted at a glacial pace. ¡°...Why haven''t you killed me?¡± Sakuya finally said something in a weak voice. ¡°I reserve my judgment until I hear your story.¡± ¡°...Story?¡± ¡°Each and every life is a story. You may begin when you are ready.¡± ¡°...I might still kill you, Tanael-san...¡± ¡°Talk, and I will listen,¡± Viers responded. The quiet that followed was unlike the stagnant stillness of before. This one felt like the pause before the exhale. Slowly, Sakuya put the rim of the cup to her lips, drinking the herbal brew. ¡°My ancestor¡­ came from a continent in the far east. What I didn''t tell you before is that he was an exile.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Sakaki was a shinobi, a chuunin that failed a mission of importance and was exiled as punishment. He was ambitious, wanting to do great deeds that would be told among the ages. Since he couldn''t succeed in the eastern continent, he tried his luck in this continent. Using his skills as a shinobi, he found success. People whispered the name of a fearsome assassin.¡± ¡°One day, Sakaki took a job to kill a person. It was a woman, a saintess from a certain religious organization. She came from a bloodline that had been nurtured carefully for a hundred generations. Sakaki¡­ fell in love with her. A shinobi¡¯s mission is sacred. We will accomplish the mission at all costs. That is our commitment and honor. And yet my ancestor broke the shinobi¡¯s code, for love.¡± ¡°In time, the woman returned Sakaki¡¯s feelings but their union was not so readily approved. One was a killer vagrant while the other was a saintess of the highest importance. As a test, the people of the religious organization gave Sakaki one hundred missions. They gave him impossible tasks fully expecting him to die midway. But Sakaki succeeded.¡± ¡°The leader of the religious organization at the time, the woman¡¯s father, could not allow the main bloodline to be mixed with someone so detached from the order so he gave another condition to Sakaki: to accept the Flaring Wither Curse. He and his descendants will not be able to live past one hundred years, just like normal people even if they are Pathseekers. In addition, every descendant of Sakaki must accomplish one task from the order or the curse will activate.¡± ¡°Sakaki accepted these conditions. A shinobi¡¯s life expectancy was always short. He became the killing blade of that religious organization, showing the worth of his shinobi skills before passing his way of life to his descendants. This was the origin of the Sakaki clan... my clan.¡± ¡°To put it simply, the Flaring Wither Curse is a shackle in my bloodline. It was said that pain would flare up as our joy of living withered, until we felt nothing but suffering in our existence. If a Sakaki descendant is unable or fails to do their one mission, the curse would punish us all. The young and the old without distinction. Therefore the whole clan would band together to complete the mission. In the clan records, there were many times when the curse was activated. The worst incident lasted for eight years¡­ They said-¡± Sakuya paused. Shoulders trembling as her face turned as white as a sheet. ¡°-Mothers killed their babies to spare them from suffering.¡± Sakuya sobbed, crumbled by the guilt of what suffering she might have inflicted on her own family. Viers remained still, not saying a thing. ¡°After a century, fed up with the killing and death of his clansmen, the third head led the clan to live in an isolated region in the already remote Zamrud Archipelago, away from the religious organization. Some people from the continent of the east sometimes drifted there and a village was created. To prevent them from compelling us to do a mission, those possessing the blood of Sakaki were forbidden to visit the continent¡­ And then there¡¯s me.¡± ¡°My father, the sixth head, was sick. Asteyule Herb is needed to cure him. ¡®Don''t mind it¡¯, he said to me. ¡®I only have two decades to live anyway,¡¯ my father told me¡­ And now I have not only doomed my father but my entire clan.¡± Sakuya put her hand on her chest. ¡°I can feel the curse is already activated inside me¡­ It will be slight and faint at first, growing in frequency and intensity as time goes by. Even if I don''t kill you, others will come for you, Tanael-san. My uncles, my cousins¡­ To them, it is your life or their entire world.¡± After telling her story. Sakuya hung her head, as if offering her neck to the executioner¡¯s ax. She could hear Viers rise from his seat. She was already prepared for a visit to Hell. For surely a woman as vile as she would have no place in Heaven. Instead, she felt a strong hand on her shoulder, like a hand of salvation. ¡°ALETRO!¡± Viers shouted. ¡°¨CWhat?¡± A mask appeared and Black Aletro¡¯s voice came from it. ¡°You hear that?¡± ¡°Obviously,¡± Aletro said in a drawl. ¡°Is this curse too difficult for you?¡± ¡°Hmph! Who do you think you¡¯re talking to?¡± Sakuya was astounded by Viers casual conversation with a being such as Aletro. ¡°So speak the price,¡± Viers demanded. ¡°500,000 shards. If the girl survives Stage 5, she can buy the method of curse removal from me.¡± ¡°A simple matter,¡± Viers replied without a hint of doubt. ¡°Eh? Eh? Wh-¡± Sakuya¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t process what was happening. ¡°You were so deep in your thoughts that you couldn''t see that the answer was right in front of you all along. Now tell me about your father¡¯s sickness.¡± Sakuya didn''t answer, still steadying her mind after a world-shaking revelation. ¡°C¡¯mon! Hurry up!¡± ¡°H-Haiii!¡± Sakuya mewled like a startled squirrel. After hearing the details of the father¡¯s sickness and symptoms, Viers wrote something on a patch of paper and took out something from his Casket. ¡°Follow these instructions and give it to your father. The remaining ingredients are pretty easy to find. Your father will be right as rain.¡± ¡°Th-this is¡ª!¡± Viers gave a medicine recipe to Sakuya. The main ingredient was the Grey Mandarin, the fruit he got from Pecan Village. Sakuya trembled as the implication hit her. The dark clouds in her mind turned into clear skies in an instant, reversing jet black despair with shining hope. ¡°B-but I tried to kill you,¡± she stuttered. ¡°Bah. You''re a thousand years too early before you could kill me.¡± Was Viers really at the edge of death during their fight? Perhaps he was, there were a lot of wondrous techniques in this world. Sakuya might really be able to bloom her Flowers of Desolation from the inside of his body but Viers was ready to transform into a monster should that ever happen. When he transformed into a monster, the condition of his human form had no meaning whatsoever; every Viers¡¯ form had different HP pools and existed separately. Would the flowers really matter whether they bloomed or not when Viers¡¯ body consists of toxic liquid such as Toxicell Slime? She didn''t really try to kill him in the Senbon Torii illusion world and didn''t use her deadliest poison. When they were traveling in the wilds, she had a few opportunities to ambush Viers or kill Kaari but stayed her hand. All in all, she pointed a gun at Viers but she didn''t pull the trigger. One of the reasons Viers didn''t kill Sakuya. How did Viers know about this? How did Viers know the medicine prescription for Sakuya¡¯s father? Had he become a divine doctor like so many xianxia MCs out there? Soul search! As with Jaime, Viers soul-searched Sakuya when she was unconscious. Viers already knew her story before she told him from the start! Viers knew everything about Sakuya. Everything! From her weaknesses to her strengths, her way of thinking, the secrets she buried, the most embarrassing moments of her life, Viers knew them all! Privacy? What was that? Against other people Viers would have killed them without feeling guilty whatsoever, Sakuya was already given special treatment. Knowing ahead of time gave Viers the time to make various considerations and preparations. A guy that he killed had a mother that suffered the same sickness as Sakuya¡¯s father. A doctor made medicine with the Grey Mandarin to cure her. The guy was the one who procured the ingredients, watching intently as the doctor made the medicine. Soul search is OVERPOWERED! Viers realized the technique¡¯s potential years before he arrived in this world of might and magic. He squeezed its worth to the fullest. Two of the three Chekhov''s guns from back then have served their purpose. The last is the mysterious grimoire. I wonder when it will matter. ¡°This is¡­ Truly¡­ Arigatou gozaimasu! Hggh uaaaahhh¨C¡± Sakuya cried in joy, cradling the fruit and paper as if it was the most precious thing in the world. ¡°I''m sorry! I¡¯m sorry for attacking you. And-and thank you so, so much¨C Uuuhh uwaaaahhh¨C¡± Sakuya cried her heart out, beads of tears dropped on the bedsheets. ¡°Heh, gratitude or apology, pick one you idiot,¡± Viers smiled and left the room after saying what he wanted to say. Sakuya needed some time alone. His steps were light, reflecting his good mood. As Viers walked, the shadow from the moonlight colored half of his face with darkness. ¡°You¡¯re giving them to her for free? I thought you would impose a more severe hold on her, after she tried to kill you and everything... Very lenient by your standard.¡± ¡°Paina, I don''t need to do anything,¡± Veirs calmly responded, smiling faintly. ¡°She already tied herself to my chariot using a rope called love.¡± In her case, is it the red string of fate? Viers leisurely walked in a settlement that belonged to his enemy in the middle of the night for his next objective. Time was precious and Viers had a lot of things to do. ¡°Let¡¯s wrap up Stage 3, shall we?¡± Chapter 175 - Pitiless ¡°Oscar¡­ What have you done?¡± Troy felt sinister energy close to his friend¡¯s location so he came to investigate. He found Oscar standing in the middle of a field of corpses. They were the trial takers that flocked to Oscar, followed him, and trusted him. Oscar had killed them all. ¡°Troy, who am I?¡± Oscar said to Troy with his back facing him. Troy didn''t answer. ¡°I am¡­ Oscar Regisea. I was born as the sole son of a Level 5. I received the best training and the best education. I was supposed to be the best¡­ I have always been the best.¡± He let the words sink in. ¡°So why¡­ am I losing?¡± Oscar turned, his face was blank and calm. ¡°Anne, you, Daystar, Divine Punishment¡­ Except you, these people who sat on top of my head were unknown nobodies. Then there¡¯s that pompous Tanael, who is just one step away from me. The rest are not far behind either. If I just do the same thing as I alway have, would I even stay in the top 10?¡± ¡°Oscar,¡± Troy said softly. The man was not in his right mind so he chose his words and actions carefully. ¡°The world is far wider than our city. There is always a sky beyond the sky. That¡¯s why we must strive to always better ourselves. Believing we are the best is dangerously arrogant.¡± If Viers was here, he would say: ¡®Ah, I see. You¡¯re undergoing puberty, bro. Deal with it, you pampered posh.¡¯ ¡°I realized the problem, Troy,¡± Oscar said. ¡°And it''s that I didn''t make use of the entirety of the means available to me. Take Tanael for example¡­ He had no qualms killing people without remorse, didn''t hesitate to do underhanded tricks, and betrayed those on the same side for maximizing his betterment. Not only him, there were others who did well for themselves in Stage 3. Meanwhile, I didn''t. Because I am of House Regisea. I have a reputation to maintain so I cannot be unscrupulous. These lowborn and I are the same black spark holders but they are gaining sparks at a much faster rate than me. Despite their abilities being lower than mine, I am actually losing¡­ And then weak people flocked to me, for safety and whatnot; further chaining me down with their incessant needs!¡± The madness in Oscar¡¯s eyes grew. ¡°I realized it, Troy. The true form of those below us. Not those that we should be protecting because ¡®noblesse oblige¡¯ or ¡®they are our responsibility¡¯ crap. They are our stepping stones. We make use of them so we can rise to a higher sky!¡± Oscar spread his hands, gesturing to his victims. ¡°No doubt you have felt traces of dark magic on them. Not only did I get their shards, I also grew stronger from their lives. If I do it in the real world, it would be really messy, but here?¡± Oscar chuckled. ¡°How foolish of me to not realize this earlier. There are no strong Pathseekers that tell us what to do here. The STRONG make the rules! Here, is our playing ground!¡± Troy¡¯s Victa blared in fury as he drew his sword. ¡°You are walking a dangerous path, brother Oscar. I cannot let you walk one step further,¡± Troy took a deep breath. ¡°As your friend.¡± Oscar¡¯s aura similarly thundered out. ¡°Stop me if you can, brother.¡± Troy, a space affinity swordsman and Oscar, a lighting affinity lancer moved at the same time. Their clash sent out a mighty shockwave in all directions. *** Stage 3 was no longer a sprawling land of wilderness. Settlements clustered all around the Last City in the center and impenetrable mists surrounded them all. Because Aletro gradually shrunk the space without trial takers¡¯ presence, the distance between Viers¡¯ settlement and others¡¯ was like a far place in the same city block. Natural disasters and monster disturbances were still a thing so barring special reasons, the trial takers usually stayed at their fortified settlement. Those that dared to come out had to be confident in their self-defense ability because the people hungered for shards. Easy prey would be swallowed whole. But Viers, or rather Tanael as the people knew him, was anything but. ¡°So that¡¯s the clash of energy I saw in the distance. Oscar and Troy¡­¡± ¡°They fought quite intensely but I believe it ended with a draw. Both sides retreated without major injuries,¡± Izabella said. ¡°Not the time yet for the conflict to be resolved, Iz. We¡¯re still in Stage 3.¡± ¡°Mm-hm. We¡¯re here. Far closer than I remembered,¡± Izabella looked at the corrupted land where they fought with the Gardeners. They returned here once more but not because of sentimentality. ¡°Devil-God Teorph has tainted this place.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Garden, plague and putrid¡­ Yep, Teorph is Papa Nurgle¡¯s kin, no doubt about it. Viers kept the thought to himself. ¡°So can we make use of it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try. It is an interesting idea though. I¡¯ll give you that,¡± Izabella took the staff that Viers handed over and started preparing her craft. Viers suggested absorbing the land¡¯s ¡®taint¡¯ to use it at a later date; it seemed a shame to leave the place like that. Of course it couldn''t be done easily but the Book World was full of treasures and Izabella gained a staff that fit the requirements of what they wanted to do. ¡°An enchanter¡¯s specialty is infusing an object with magical properties but I¡¯ve never done something like this before. It might fail and it will take some time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for. Do your work in peace. I¡¯ll take care of the pests.¡± Izabella started creating a complex magic circle on the ground. In the past, she had enchanted Viers¡¯ sword and helmet but Viers didn''t see how she did it. Viers was not familiar with enchanting but her method seemed different from Turfon¡¯s. The old ghost that Viers collected from the grave. The skilled enchanter that was fond of dressing as a witch started infusing the staff with the essence of rot and decay. Watching Iz¡¯s work, Viers admitted it involved a skill that he didn''t possess. ¡°Hey¡­ Does the inscription pattern look familiar to you?¡± Viers said telepathically to the girls. ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°...Mmm, nothing comes to mind.¡± Farley and Clarissa failed to recall anything. ¡°Don''t the patterns look similar to the grimoire that you couldn''t read?¡± Paina connected the dots. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Viers had a eureka moment. There you have it. The book contains knowledge about enchantments. All three of Chekov¡¯s guns went off at Book World¡¯s Stage 3. It is somewhat poetic. But the grimoire was still in Dia¡¯s Biome. I didn''t have the Thousand Treasure Casket back then. Can¡¯t bring all of my items all the time. Anyways, how should I use this... Viers¡¯ mind was plotting something yet again. After some time, Iz finished her work. The wooden staff of sickness and plague¡¯s appearance was as tall as Iz¡¯s neck. Green veins were all over the object¡¯s body. On the crown of the staff, grew colorful tropical flowers that left glittering pollen when it was moved around. ¡°Despite containing an unpleasant power, it sure looks beautiful,¡± Viers commented. ¡°That¡¯s because the enchanter appreciates beauty,¡± the red-haired witch huffed. ¡°So what are you calling it?¡± ¡°Staff of Pestilence,¡± Izabella replied. ¡°Awfully simple isn''t it?¡± Veirs almost felt offended. ¡°I made it. I get to name it,¡± Izabella stood her ground. Perhaps it was her artisan¡¯s pride that was talking. ¡°Pestilence¡­ It is almost as if-¡± Viers stopped abruptly, a lamp lit up in his mind. ¡°...Tanael?¡± Izabella asked. ¡°...Good¡­ Yeah, what a good idea¡­ What about¡­¡± Viers mumbled to himself as he started walking back to the settlement. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t ignore me¡­ How rude,¡± Izabella chased after him. *** ¡°Once again, thank you for your assistance,¡± Aravin smiled refreshingly. ¡°Don''t mention it,¡± Viper Lady replied. ¡°Sure you don''t want to stay? I really want to pay back your generosity.¡± ¡°Thank you for the offer but the girls in my place are waiting for me.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Aravin looked disappointed but turned that frown upside and down just as quickly. Viper Lady gave him a light peck on the cheek. ¡°Eheheh¡­ If you run into trouble, let me know. I¡¯ll come running,¡± he hit his chest with his hand. ¡°I will. See you, Aravin.¡± ¡°Un, best of luck to you, Jody,¡± Aravin waved. Viper Lady walked alone on the road. Her thoughts were somewhere else. It was clear because she sometimes broke into a gentle smile. ¡°Un-fucking-beliveable,¡± a baleful voice slithered into her ear from a close distance behind her. She jumped sideways in surprise. ¡°Tanael! What are you doing here?¡± ¡°In the short time I haven''t seen you, you¡¯ve changed this drastically? What happened to your Strong Female Character stereotype? I¡¯m pretty sure you like girls too, but in one week you¡¯re readily falling into the embrace of Aravin? What the fuck is this shit?¡± Viers accosted with an enraged expression. ¡°You have no right to tell me what to do,¡± she said aggressively. ¡°True. But I have the right to deprive you of your life.¡± Unlike their last two meetings, this time Viers was filled with killing intent. It dawned on Viper Lady that the dangerous man in front of her had resolved to kill her. ¡°And what right is that, you homicidal maniac?¡± She was well aware that her chance of survival was pretty much zero. ¡°The divine right of power. Now perish,¡± Viers¡¯ eyes were freezing cold. Before the face of death, Viper Lady stood defiant. ¡°Men like you always-¡± A gunshot resounded and Viper Lady fell to the ground. There wasn''t a single injury on her body but she was dead. ¡°Foolish woman. Ain''t men like me except me,¡± Viers replied. He looted what he could loot and erased his trace of existence from the scene of the crime. He put the corpse into his casket for thorough disposal. Then, with practiced efficiency, Viers left without leaving a single clue. A minute and a half later, Aravin ran along that same road. Hastily and dramatically. I¡¯ve got a bad feeling¡­ Jody, you¡¯re okay, right? He went past the place where Viper Lady lost her life and kept running in the direction of her settlement. ¡°...Hmph,¡± Viers scoffed from far away. ¡°Fucking Harem MC.¡± The case was made clear, Viers had ascertained Aravin¡¯s nature as an MC. Able to make women fall into his arms left and right as if they were brainless people? What was more clear of a sign than that? He and Jaime would fight Aravin eventually. If he left Viper Lady as is, she would intervene to save Aravin in a crucial moment. Viers could see the pattern already. Therefore she must be removed from the board. Letting her give up in the trial would suffice but why would he let her soul go? Some people were Level 3 in the real world. Aletro reduced the power they could use in the Book World but the soul remained the same, Level 3. And Viper Lady was a Level 3, high-grade nutrition for Viers¡¯ soul. Viers needed souls to eat. This wasn''t the first atrocity Viers committed and it wouldn¡¯t be his last. Chapter 176 - Gloomsiders At the late phase of Stage 3, a gigantic war broke out. The start was a three-sided conflict between Noble Tiger, Dark Zero, and Oscar. At first, it was just the first two but Oscar joined to reap some benefits. From that, the powder keg blew up. Many more trial takers dipped their toes in the troubled waters. The trial takers¡¯ Ranking for Stage 3 would be based on how many NPCs they had under their command. Strictly speaking, a war between settlements where the NPCs were dying in droves was counterproductive to that end. However, these people were aiming for something else: shards. By killing fellow trial takers, they would get a substantial amount of shards. Aletro repeatedly made it clear that the ultimate reward of this trial would be based on how many spark shards one had. The hostilities there were a bloody one with a high death rate. But not all trial takers took part in that crucible of death. *** The perpetrator of this violent altercation was chilling in his home. Viers was watching his enemies kill each other with the same delight as a stock trader seeing the stock prices go up. He did this to reduce the prosperity of their settlements. Those people had so many NPCs under them so if Viers wanted to get a spot in the top 10 rankings of Stage 3, he must reduce their numbers. It wasn''t too hard. Using fake banners and disguises, he attacked a beastfolk and put the blame on Dark Zero. Khalmar retaliated and then Viers kited the ambitious Oscar to further muddy the waters. From there, the conflict spread like a forest fire. Meanwhile, Viers was practicing his Profound Codex, sharpening his skills, and improving his power. His Level was stuck at Level 2 middle in the Book World but Viers had many, many ways of increasing his strength. But today, he wanted to try something different. ¡°You called for me, Chief?¡± Kaari, his beautiful and loyal assistant NPC, opened the door after knocking. ¡°Kaari, you¡¯ve been a valuable and dependable ally,¡± he gave praise and meant every word. ¡°I have a question for you.¡± ¡°Please ask me anything, Chief.¡± ¡°Would you be willing to undergo soul experimentation?¡± Viers said something absurd. ¡°Certainly, Chief. I live to serve,¡± Kaari replied without missing a heartbeat. Astounding loyalty. Or is it slavery? I don''t know but damn I want an A+ assistant like her. ¡°Kaari, you have a real flesh and blood body. You breathe, you can eat, biologically speaking, you¡¯re alive. You just lack one thing from a true human: a soul.¡± Viers conjured a wispy ball of white into his hand. ¡°This is the soul of a human. Through unfortunate circumstances in life, she ended up getting killed by me. But she¡¯s a good girl in life and nothing vile. Normally I let these people''s true souls go after I absorb their soul power painlessly but maybe I can do something better.¡± Viers offered the soul to Kaari. ¡®She¡¯ was someone Viers killed during his DOTA killing spree a long time ago, during the chase because of the killing of Sigma. ¡°My previous experience of stuffing people¡¯s souls into corpses and objects was disappointing. But if it is you, perhaps¡­ I have erased the soul¡¯s memories so she should be a blank slate but I don''t know what will happen should you accept the soul. Are you still willing even then?¡± She looked at the white sphere intently. ¡°If I have this, I will be able to serve you better, Chief?¡± ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ll die, or we won''t meet again. Two days left until Stage 3 is over so maybe I won''t be able to see the end result. But if we meet again at Stage 4 or 5 then it might have interesting consequences.¡± Viers didn''t do this experiment earlier because Kaari¡¯s presence was a useful one. Only now near the end, he had the courage to do this. Because should it fail, his loss would be kept minimal. ¡°Chief Tanael,¡± Kaari saw straight into his eyes. ¡°It would be my pleasure to accompany you in your endeavors,¡± she smiled gently. Viers gave a nod of great approval and a pat to the head. Good girl¡­ both of them. With the consent of Kaari and not the consent of the original owner of the soul, Viers proceeded with the amoral human experimentation. It could be argued what he was doing was worse than vivisecting someone alive because he was playing with a persons¡¯ soul. FOR SCIENCE! Those two words were enough excuse for Viers to assuage the infinitesimal moral he had left. After a long and difficult procedure on par with the surgery to transplant a vital organ, Kaari fell into a comatose state despite the procedure¡¯s success. Unfortunately, Kaari didn''t wake up before Viers¡¯ time in Stage 3 ended. *** Viers was sliding his finger across the blade of a sword around a fire under the open night sky. It looked like the Sword of Gryffindor but with a black blade. The sword seemed to drink the light from the fire because not a single spark from the fire was reflected on the black metal. ¡°A fine blade¡­ Sigley¡¯s house heirloom you say?¡± Viers returned the sword to Jaime. ¡°I¡¯m surprised they let you keep it. Didn''t you get disowned?¡± ¡°They will want it back for sure. It¡¯s just this whole Aletro thing happened before they got the chance.¡± Viers, Jaime, and Izabella sat beside a fire in the settlement borders for a round of bonding. This was the last night of Stage 3. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Your equipment is good but Aravin¡¯s might be better. Perhaps he kept a godly weapon hidden, you never know. Always assume Aravin has something up his sleeve,¡± Viers progressed Jaime''s education. ¡°Iz, what is your opinion about how to kill someone stronger than you? You¡¯ve just succeeded in killing your bitter enemy, right? Share your thoughts with Jaime.¡± Izabella was twirling the Staff of Pestilence in her hands before Viers called her. She seemed fond of the pretty staff, carrying it in hand most of the time. With her signature pointy hat, she looked more and more like a witch. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ the first strike is crucial. Ambush them, make them unable to use their greater strength against you,¡± Iz said. ¡°Hmph, I have done that already. You said nothing special, woman,¡± Jaime scoffed. Viers thwacked him in the head. ¡°She killed her target. You didn''t! Clearly you were doing something wrong. Admit it! And why are you antagonizing her? What do you get from it? We are your allies, Jaime. She¡¯s also gonna help you kill Aravin. Get along with her, you doofus!¡± Viers berated him harshly. ¡°When you¡¯ve done something wrong, even a kid knows what to do¡­ Well?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. I mean no harm,¡± Jaime reluctantly apologized but it seemed he realized the truth in Viers¡¯ words. Hmph¡­ daddy and mommy didn''t raise their child with enough attention. Now that burden falls to me. ¡°It is okay,¡± Iz replied. ¡°We¡¯ll be a team. Let¡¯s work together cordially to achieve our objectives.¡± ¡°Umm¡­ may I join you three as well?¡± Sakuya walked dithering to the people who were circling the fire. After she gave instructions to the NPCs in her settlement to come here, her admission to the team was already decided but this was the first official meet and greet that Sakuya had with Izabella and Jaime. Clarissa¡¯s attack that destroyed her illusion world damaged her quite a bit. At that time, Viers only told Clarissa not to kill her so the lamia princess should have held back quite a bit. It still packed quite a punch though. Sakuya was unconscious for two days and another three were needed until the headaches stopped. ¡°Welcome. You both already heard about her. She¡¯s the last member of the team, Night Bloom Sakuya. Sakuya, introduce yourself,¡± Viers said. After the short introductions, Viers went on to formalize the group. He made a magical contract similar to what the Blood Church did to him. The agreement was similarly loose, simply about cooperation and acceptable behavior towards each other. Since Viers could break it, it would be wrong to think others could not but having an extra lining was always nice. Besides, Viers already knew what they wanted so the cohesion was different from his previous group. And two of the three had been thoroughly soul-searched. Viers was confident he understood them enough. Viers shared some magical fruits that he got in Stage 2. Jaime complained about the lack of alcohol and took out two bottles of wine. Izabella and Sakuya also took out an assortment of snacks from their inventory. Ha, all four of us have inventory items, Viers was pleased. The oldest was Izabella, followed by Jaime then Viers. Sakuya was the youngest of the four. Izabella had just turned 21 while Sakuya was close to her 17th birthday. I was 17¡­ but how long till we got out? Tallying one¡¯s age after spending some time in a place with a time-dilation effect would be a pain... Jaime was trying to mend things by talking to Izabella and she seemed to be quite tolerant of Jaime¡¯s style so that was good. Whilst Sakuya moved closer to Viers and whispered something. ¡°Tanael-sama, may I offer an apology to O-hebi-kami-sama, the serpent goddess for offending her Chosen?¡± Sakuya pleaded softly. Viers¡¯ expression turned blank for a moment to process what she said. ¡°Hear that Clarissa? It seems she thought you¡¯re a goddess and I got your divine grace or something,¡± Viers said telepathically with an amused tone. ¡°Yep, seems about right to me,¡± Clarissa chuckled. ¡°I do give my divine bestowal to you now and then.¡± ¡°Sakuya hit the nail on the head,¡± Farley also let out a giggle. ¡°Your verdict, O serpent goddess?¡± Viers teased and Clarissa played along. ¡°...She forgives your sin. You were forced to do it against your will. But beware¡­ There shall not be another,¡± Viers whispered back. ¡°And keep this matter a secret, okay?¡± ¡°My thanks for the benevolence, kami-sama¡­ and Tanael-sama too,¡± Sakuya smiled cheerfully. After their reconciliation, Sakuya called Tanael with ¡®sama¡¯ as a sign of respect. ¡°Alright!¡± Viers stood up. ¡°The four of us will support each other¡¯s backs so we can all be winners in this Trial of Fire. From now on, our group¡¯s name will be Gloomsiders!¡± ¡°Gloomsiders¡­?¡± Izabella repeated. ¡°Yeah, because Darksiders and Undersiders are already taken,¡± Viers said with a regretful face. ¡°Anyway, where I come from, there is a legend about four horsemen that will appear heralding the apocalypse. Friends, I will give you the most fitting epithet.¡± Viers turned to Izabella first. ¡°The first horseman, rider of the white horse, you shall be known as Conquest.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, I can''t even ride a horse. I use carriages,¡± Izabella protested but Viers paid her no mind and continued on. ¡°You want to ¡®conquer¡¯, to rise far in an organization for the sake of your sister. This title is most fitting to you. Incidentally, in some versions, Conquest is known as Pestilence,¡± Viers pointed at her staff. ¡°You have both,¡± Viers grinned. ¡°Next is you.¡± Jaime was next. ¡°The second horsemen, rider of the red horse, you shall be known as War.¡± Jaime looked pleased and intrigued. ¡°You have waged ¡®war¡¯ against Aravin. Make no mistake, that guy is powerful. But do not sell yourself short,¡± Viers approached Jaime until their faces were inches away. ¡°You will bring RUIN to Aravin.¡± Jaime felt his chest burn with fire. The name really resonated with him. ¡°The third horsemen, rider of the black horse,¡± Viers faced Sakuya. She also had that glint of anticipation in her eyes, the same as Jaime. ¡°You shall be known as Famine.¡± In the prolonged silence, only the sounds of insects and the crackling of burning firewood could be heard. ¡°...Wait, wait, wait! I don''t think that suits me at all. I couldn''t start a famine or anything close,¡± Sakuya panicked. ¡°And Famine? It''s scary! Somehow it sounds really unpleasant!¡± ¡°I have to agree with her,¡± Jaime said. ¡°She doesn''t have anything linking her with famine.¡± ¡°I third it,¡± Izabella raised her hand. ¡°Me four,¡± Viers said. ¡°What? I¡¯m not blind but it¡¯s the only seat that is open,¡± he shrugged. ¡°Sorry girl. Deal with it.¡± ¡°It can''t be...¡± Sakuya looked very dejected. Izabella gave her a shoulder hug to cajole her. It really can''t be helped, Viers also didn''t want to make it ¡®unfit¡¯ but he already had three out of four. He had to do this. There might not be another chance. ¡°Lastly, me. The fourth horsemen, rider of the pale horse, I shall be known as Death¡­ For I carry death with me and that is what I shall give to my enemies.¡± In the shadows behind him, the other three saw souls. Men and beasts, hundreds of them. Viers let them take a peek at his Soul Prison, of a swirling space filled with the souls of the dead using his shadow as a window. At this moment, Viers was emitting a dense aura that put pressure on their souls. This also served as a reminder for them. He was the head of this group. Not long after Viers¡¯ display of power, a gigantic fire shadow of a being manifested in the sky. The being was very eye-catching at nighttime despite appearing far away. Viers¡¯ eyes went wide. His face was one of unfiltered shock. ¡°Was that a fucking¨C¡± A majestic screech resounded throughout Stage 3. Chapter 177 - Coalescing Light and Darkness ¡°There, how are you feeling?¡± Anne extinguished the fire in her hands. ¡°Much better,¡± Troy checked his body. ¡°Incredible healing Arte. Not only extremely rare for fire elements, but it works wonders despite my space affinity.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it is my mother''s fire,¡± Anne, the young girl around sixteen years old, became squeamish with the praise and changed the topic. ¡°The talk with your friend isn''t going well, right? Is there anything I can do to help?¡± ¡°Thanks for asking but this is something I must do myself,¡± Troy felt ashamed that he made a girl younger than him worry. ¡°I¡¯ll smack some sense back into his head, you¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°But don''t be reluctant to ask for help, okay?¡± ¡°Certainly, My Lady,¡± Troy made a grandiose formal bow and they both giggled. ¡°Is it done? Then if you would, Anne,¡± the newcomer spoke. ¡°Max,¡± Troy greeted the sullen youth. ¡°Do you both really have to do this?¡± ¡°She promised,¡± he replied. ¡°Yes, I did. I¡¯ll keep my promise,¡± Anne nodded, assuring Troy. ¡°...Very well. But if it gets out of hand, I¡¯ll stop you both. No matter what it takes. I won''t allow my friends to be severely injured.¡± The three went to a clearing not far from their settlement. Max was facing Anne. ¡°As agreed, on the last day of Stage 3, we will fight. If I beat you, then you¡¯ll give up the divine weapon you got in Stage 2,¡± the youth said. ¡°Un,¡± Anne nodded. ¡°I remember.¡± ¡°Max, the weapon acknowledges her,¡± Troy said. ¡°It went to her on its own! That¡¯s what I can''t stomach, Troy. It¡¯s like I lost before being given the chance to compete. My heart won¡¯t settle down before she bested me,¡± Max said heatedly. His fighting spirit soared. ¡°I understand. That¡¯s why I accepted. But it is important to me so I can''t give it to you. I¡¯m sorry but I have no intention of losing,¡± Anne had an apologetic expression but resolute to not lose. ¡°Then we fight. Ready yourself!¡± Max¡¯s Victa was visible as a white aura. ¡°Arte - White Air Burning!¡± Anne was enveloped by the ivory-colored fire as the air around her combusted. Anne coated herself with orange-red fire and started to move around the battlefield, retaliating with fire arrows. Max dodged a few and swatted down the rest. Moving at high speed, he launched strike after strike, as if to not give Anne any chance to act. Max was using his Victa without holding back. One was using regular fire while the other was white in color. In general, unusual-colored elements were the higher-tier ones but the two were currently equal. At first they exchanged ranged attacks, then they crossed swords. Max¡¯s swordsmanship was rough and wild, the result of his training in various battles as an adventurer while Anne¡¯s was very structural and elegant. Anne was like a dancing black-haired flame fairy. The sight of her was otherworldly. To compensate for the difference in skill, Max attacked with greater intensity. They were together in the Stage 2 fire world so he realized he was the weaker one. Therefore Max aimed for a quick match from the start. The two fire users were clashing splendidly. A confluence of skill and determination. Increasing wounds on both sides, hair-raising moments, every movement was critical, every Arte might be the last. The duel was a splendid work of art. Troy felt blessed he was able to witness it, picking up tricks for himself here and there. But it wouldn''t last forever. Anne was superior from the start and didn''t make any mistakes for Max to exploit. Max himself understood he was on a track to his defeat. ¡°No¡­ I won''t lose! I can''t!! Ivory Hell Inferno!¡± Troy covered his eyes with a hand and jumped back. The flames¡¯ brilliance and heat had affected him despite standing at a safe distance. ¡°Aaaarghhh!¡± It was not Anne but Max, the Arte¡¯s invoker who let out a scream of pain. ¡°Max, please stop. You can''t control this degree of flames yet. You¡¯re damaging your own body!¡± Anne worriedly said. Her form could not be seen in the blaze. ¡°So what? If I show my flames are stronger than yours then the divine weapon will surely see me as being worthy,¡± Max refused to back down. ¡°Mmmmrrrgh¡­ You''re too stubborn! Ha!!¡± What followed the irritated sentence was a blast that tore open the white flames inferno. A clear path was created between the two fighters. The girl''s clothes were singed and there was soot on her face but she still appeared regal and otherworldly. Anne dashed to close the distance, Max was unable to stop her. ¡°Wha-!¡± Max gasped. Instead of an attack, Anne gave Max a gentle embrace. ¡°You are lost in the darkness,¡± Anne whispered to his ear. ¡°Let me help you find your way back to the light.¡± A power unlike any other rose into the sky. Anne enveloped Max with flames but Max wasn''t hurt in the slightest. He felt as if he was finally able to see after being blinded. A fan appeared above Anne¡¯s head. It appeared from her body. It was a red feather fan. The feathers were splendid and beautiful as if they didn''t belong in this world. Max recognized it; it was the divine weapon that he couldn''t get in Stage 2. Anne¡¯s and the fan¡¯s power merged, infusing the flames around them with holiness. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Max always wondered what manner of beautiful creature those feathers originated from. The answer to that question was right above him. A resplendent bird coated in flames displayed its magnificence to the world. Its tails were of a colorful grandeur, its feathers were more bedazzling than any jewel, its fiery crown was splendorous beyond a mortal¡¯s reach, and its eyes contained boundless wisdom and compassion. The Phoenix''s majestic cry that resounded was heard by every being in Book World. Max fell to his knees in awe, unable to stand straight before the form of such a sacred being. Anne was still embracing him, keeping her flame alight. ¡°You carry a heavy regret Max, but you¡¯re blaming yourself too much.¡± Max constructed his words carefully before Anne¡¯s statement. ¡°Since I lost everything, there¡¯s this unquenchable fire inside me. Pushing me to find out why¡­ Why my family, my friends, my home was destroyed. They said one man is responsible. I knew him. We were friends¡­ If he really was the cause of it all, I¡¯ll burn him to ash.¡± Max put the festering feeling rotting inside him into words and let it out. ¡°I burn during every waking moment¡­ Now, This revenge of mine is the sole purpose of my flames.¡± And yet he felt at peace. The orange flames of Anne were melting, no, purifying his hatred. ¡°Would they be happy seeing you torturing yourself?¡± She asked with the gentleness of a mother. Max felt as if he was being slapped. ¡°Anne, I-¡± ¡°Can you feel it? Your flame is crying. Your beautiful ivory fire is not meant for inflicting suffering and destruction. You¡¯re feeding them the sadness and regret inside you¡­ Remember for what you seek strength, Max. Mother told me that revenge is never the answer. Find out the truth before you decide to do something you regret.¡± Max¡¯s whole body was trembling, letting out tears of pure emotion. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said. ¡°What for? I¡¯m just helping a friend.¡± Her reply painted a smile on both their faces. Her flames receded, so too the image of the phoenix in the sky faded. ¡°...We¡¯re drawing a bit of a crowd,¡± Max said. The other trial takers were watching. ¡°Awawawa! Are they angry that I disturbed their sleep? Ahhh! I have to apologize to them.¡± To the flustering Anne, one man approached. ¡°Legend has it that in an era of turmoil, a bird wreathed in sacred fire will bring peace back to the land. Seeing you¡­ I¡¯m starting to believe it. I, Troy of the Righteous Brave School, pledge my sword to the Child of the Holy Phoenix. For an era of peace!¡± Like a knight, Troy unsheathed his sword and knelt, offering his sword to the shocked Anne. The others were watching with complete silence and solemnity, waiting for the answer. ¡°Uhhh ummm¡­ Thank, you?¡± Anne gingerly accepted the sword. ¡°Child of the Holy Phoenix, hail!¡± Someone in the crowd said that and the shout was repeated by many. ¡°Holy Child, I pledge my sword to you.¡± ¡°Me too. My skills and abilities are yours.¡± A couple of others also raced to pledge their fealty to Anne. No doubt they thought Anne was divine in nature. It wasn''t strange for them to think so. The phoenix¡¯s appearance was at the level of an angel¡¯s manifestation. Such a sight was able to overturn a person¡¯s faith entirely. Yet not all people went towards Anne to offer their respect. Some were still unsure of the stance they should take, some turned and faded back into the darkness, as Viers did. *** ¡°Darkness rises and light to meet it¡­¡± An apt quote. That whole trilogy might be a mess but the films were not without good quotes¡­ But good quotes alone do not make a fine movie.¡± Viers was brooding in his room. The sole illumination in the room was from the moonlight coming from the window. Phoenix¡­ is a mainstream, recurrent, customary appearance in Chinese novels. You know, like dragons. Xianxia novels without those two are like dishes without salt. I had a feeling Anne was unique but to think she wields the fire of the phoenix¡­¡± Despite its over-regular emergence in the stories, underestimating the power of the mystical bird was only something a fool would do. And Viers was not a fool. Legend? In an era of turmoil? Every era is an era of turmoil! Just look at Earth for example. Even in the so-called era of peace, so many turbulent happenings. Human history is a history of conflict. ¡®Peace¡¯ is just a rest period before the next war starts. ¡°In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war¡­ I can see that happening.¡± It is freaking awesome though. Terrible for the people living there, of course, but awesome for everybody else. ¡°What are you mumbling about?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve got what you asked.¡± ¡°Is it done? Thank you,¡± Viers¡¯ consciousness went into his inner world, White Flowers Meadow. He spoke to Clarissa face to face after constructing a body there. ¡°You have been most helpful.¡± Viers had anticipated he would fight an epic battle in the final phase of the Book World ¡®arc¡¯. Therefore he started asking Clarissa for his first-ever Age of the Gods combat Arte in the Lamia Queen¡¯s fragmented memories not long after Stage 2 began. He didn''t ask Clarissa for a lot of Artes because it was dangerous for her. Her soul was injured during the excavation of Insignificant Fate. It was already healed but Viers didn''t want to risk losing her. The Artes that he made or amassed from the soul-searched victims were enough to satisfy his need so far. Only when there was an extraordinary need Viers would ask Clarissa to dive into her mother¡¯s memories. Aletro¡¯s trial was one such time. Viers had a feeling he would need a very special Arte to win Aletro¡¯s trial. After seeing Anne¡¯s display of power, that feeling was only reinforced. In an important cultivation Trial of Fire, Viers would not let the greatest prize that belonged to the first place escape his grasp. For the sake of triumphing against others no matter who they are, Viers finally sought a combat Arte from the Age of the Gods. After Euryale Sight, Insignificant Fate, and Mind Curtain, the new Arte would become the fourth link in the chain. Viers asked Clarissa to get him the most vicious and the most potent soul affinity attack-type Arte that was in his current ability to cast. Oh? Damnnnn¡­ The Arte¡¯s name is so badass! ¡°The you right now, can¡¯t even invoke a hundredth of this Arte¡¯s full power,¡± she informed. ¡°That¡¯s why I will start training this Arte now and not a day before the final battle in Stage 5,¡± Viers replied. ¡°Final battle? You sure there¡¯s going to be one?¡± Paina wondered why Viers¡¯ mind always gravitated towards conflict. ¡°There¡¯s always a final battle before the curtain falls on this kind of thing,¡± Viers said with certainty. ¡°I gave this Arte with a warning. Its power¡­ is not meant for mortal men. Use it wisely.¡± ¡°Clarissa,¡± Viers spoke softly. ¡°You should know by now that I am no ¡®mere¡¯ mortal man.¡± The boast sent a shudder to the girls¡¯ incorporeal spine. Viers¡¯ water ultimate was Vortex Nova. Now he gained a soul ultimate. Soul Snake¡¯s Disintegration Decree. Chapter 178 - True Self Stage 4 was the grandest Stage thus far. The sight of a towering tree appeared before the trial takers, its trunk larger than a city, reaching far above the clouds and into the heavens took everyone¡¯s breath away, including Viers¡¯. Out of 226 people that entered Stage 3, only 65 people made their way to Stage 4 of Aletro¡¯s trial. Stage 4 was a 1-month-long marathon race. Inside the World Tree¡¯s trunk was full of uncountable maze-like paths, where they had to trek upward. They were free to quit anytime but only those who reached the top would be qualified to enter Stage 5. The place was treasure-laden not unlike Stage 2 but the goods¡¯ quality was far higher. To take them, Viers and the others had to satisfy the item¡¯s ¡®request¡¯. It could be winning a fight, solving a riddle, having a specific item, so on and so forth. And similar to Stage 2, the treasures could be turned into spark shards. The Gloomsiders climbed together, deepening their bond and cooperation. It was a Stage that emphasizes teamwork because of the request¡¯s variety. Stage 3 had laid the groundwork for this. For example, the item that Jaime needed, requested to witness a beautiful dance. After realizing the higher one went the better the treasures became, the team mostly ignored the usual treasures in favor of speed. In the matter of rankings, Viers and the gang also managed to get into the top 10. Interestingly, Sakuya¡¯s black spark became a white spark. Viers transferred the leadership to her so she got extra shards that were reserved for the white. Because the other three were black spark holders only Sakuya got the reward but she insisted on sharing four ways. The reward for the top 10 this time was a magical-infusion to an item of theirs. Viers picked his Impersonator mask. Jaime his heirloom sword. Izabella upgraded her red needle. Sakuya chose her tantou, a short sword that she received in Stage 2. The paths inside the trunk were very complex and intertwining but there were many intersections with other paths. Time-consuming roadblocks usually existed at the choke points so the trial takers had a tendency to meet up. Conflicts usually ensued. Under Viers¡¯ leadership, the Gloomsiders bulldozed through the weaker groups. They let the strong ones be and robbed, threatened, or killed the rest. However, the incompetents were not able to reach Stage 4 thanks to natural selection. Viers¡¯ adversaries were people of real abilities. Even though they were weaker than him, killing them proved troublesome. Viers'' kill count was only four people. It wasn''t long until only groups with powerful battle strength competed for the top spot in the race. The weaker ones competed for scraps that the strong groups didn''t take. Because of the group¡¯s bad behavior, Sakuya¡¯s spark returned to black. She didn''t mind. The reason she picked the black spark in the first place was because of her upbringing as a kunoichi. It wasn''t about right or wrong, only the mission. Viers was not hiding the fact that the group took the four horsemen of the apocalypse as inspiration to the others. Actually, he had been giving quite a lot of signals since Stage 1. He threw references left and right as a probe, a bait for the ones that understand. He was in an isolated world where no other people were significantly stronger than him, except one; Where else would be better to find out how much this world¡¯s people knew about the otherworld¡¯s existence? Doing that outside the Book World was courting death. And his Horizon increased drastically while he was indulging his fancy. If he found a person that realized he was from another world, Viers planned to soul-search that person. Most likely without asking their permission first. Alas, not a single one showed signs that they knew what Viers was on about. Either they were uncultured people or they really were no other world travellers than him. Four days before the one-month deadline, the Gloomsiders finally reached the uppermost area of the World Tree. A few days after Stage 4 began, they already reached the elevation where there were clouds. Viers wondered why they hadn''t reached outer space by now. Breathing wasn''t an issue because the World Tree had a lot of vegetation. The look from the top was magnificent, flying islands floating in the cloud sea. Aletro congratulated them. Those who reached the finish line early got the benefit of having time to treasure hunt the flying islands. Anne¡¯s group was the first to reach the top. The Gloomsiders were second but the difference with third place, Aravin and his harem, was only minutes away. Aravin and Jaime exchanged a deep-meaningful look but Viers explicitly forbade Jaime to even say a word to Aravin. They went their separate ways, for now. Viers and the others gained many valuable treasures. Their storage items were a lot fuller than before. Iz¡¯s storage item was the smallest among them and was filled to overcapacity. Viers gave her a storage ring from someone that he killed. The skilled enchanter claimed ownership of the ring without breaking it. The most notable of the natural treasures that Viers obtained was a white cloud. It had a trace of divinity in it. The original cloud was as big as a hill, Viers only managed to carve a piece the size of a melon. He hoped to be able to ride the cloud like Sun Wukong or Chinese Immortals one day, showing disdain to the rest of the world. He didn''t know if it was still possible with such a little cloud but Viers dreamed big. The Gloomsiders also went after a loose end, Green Scorpion. Viers soul-searched the other Gardeners of Perfection that were killed so he knew the inside of their heads and their aim. They were after the World Tree¡¯s Essense Sap. Apparently, that was why they wanted to get Aletro¡¯s book in the first place. The Gardeners¡¯ higher-ups had some understanding of Aletro¡¯s many past trials and the world tree always appeared. The Essence Sap was a crucial component for a big evil plot of theirs. Although, getting it was not easy. The crucial sap only existed at the top part of the World Tree and needed a special method to extract it. Viers let Fajrin -Scorpion¡¯s real name- extract the sap before ambushing him. Viers gathered a bunch for himself and the other horsemen. He figured it would make a nice present for his dryad familiar. Yet he failed to kill Fajrin yet again. The cockroach villain¡¯s tenacity and preparations were astounding. When the 1-month time limit ended, about 30 trial takers remained. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Then Aletro unveiled Stage 4¡¯s reward. From the World Tree¡¯s center, branches grew as broad as a highway. At each end of the branches was a fruit containing enormous profundities. In total, there were twenty branches and twenty fruits. Aletro labeled the branches with simple terms and told them to choose one. The labels were Elemental, Martial, Bloodline, Awakening, Unlock Potential, Creation, Metamorphosis, Curse, Honor, Inner Demon, Redemption, Death, and so on. But the reward was fewer than the participants. When two people or more picked the same fruit, they must fight. The winner obtained the fruit and the loser didn''t get any fruit at all. That was why those with a weaker battle strength let the strong ones pick first. Viers picked the one that resonated the most with himself, True Self. Jaime picked Demise, Izabella chose Enchantment, and Unlock Potential for Sakuya. Sakuya actually only had wood 3 affinity. She hoped to become wood 4 or 5 with this. Boram chose Strength. Khalmar went for Bloodline. Airmaster selected Elemental. Anne claimed the Awakening fruit. No one else picked it despite some people clearly desiring it. Viers didn''t blame them but it wasn''t the time to concern himself with others. Troy, the Blade of Justice, one of the strongest trial takers picked the same fruit as Viers. Not only him, Jaime and Sakuya had to fight for their choices. One by one they fought in a battle festival with both Aletro as the judges and the participants as spectators. This was too similar to a tournament for Viers¡¯ tastes. Thankfully, it was only one battle for him so Viers could still stomach it. It wasn''t forbidden to kill one¡¯s opponent. Oscar killed Divine Punishment at the battle for the Inner Demon fruit. Naturally, not killing was acceptable as well. Aravin defeated Squire at the Honor fruit battle. White spark holders now didn''t need to kill to gain shards. Squire was defeated but lost no shards while Aravin gained shards depending on how many Squire had. They forged a friendship after the battle and parted ways cordially. Unfortunately, Boram lost the battle for the Strength fruit. Viers¡¯ little disciple fought well; he used a new Arte that turned himself into a giant rock serpent but was still defeated despite his admirable efforts. Boram was almost at the bottom in terms of ability among the remaining participants. While the opponent did try to kill him, the boy survived, as per his master¡¯s instructions. Viers was proud of his growth. Conquest didn''t need to fight and the other two horsemen, War and Famine emerged victorious. As if done intentionally, the most anticipated fight was the last. Death Horsemen Tanael versus Blade of Justice Troy. The two fought, showing their exceptional fighting skills. Viers won. It was a hard fight. After an exchange of normal Artes, it was decided by their specialties. Besides the usual three, Vengeful Spirit, Desolate Dive, and Howling Wraiths, Viers had shown a new Arte of his called Spirit Ally. Farley¡¯s soul body was unaffected by the frighteningly lethal spatial slash of Troy and he was defeated. The two thought of each other was an eye-sore. Troy hated Viers'' callousness and Viers hated Troy because he was a good guy template that got in his way. After his defeat, Troy was about to speak something profound about morality but before the first sentence was uttered Viers threw Troy off the super big tree. In the movies, good guys always survive a sharp fall. Viers wondered if Troy would actually survive. If there was an actual cosmic force at work, Viers must know now so he could counter it in the future. And Viers indeed beheld a cosmic force at work, although, not in the form he expected. A streak of red flashed, diving after Troy into the sea of clouds. Three breaths later, Anne with a blazing pair of splendid wings on her back, carried Troy in her arms. ¡°You have the fires of the phoenix. You can fight the best of us toe-to-toe using Level 1 cultivation. Your skills with a sword are higher than a swordmaster. A divine weapon came to you like a lost puppy. People by the throngs adore you. You are even younger than me and beautiful like a fairy. Now you can fly. Is there anything that you cannot do or do not have, Anne?¡± It was the first conversation between Viers and Anne. ¡°Tanael, Mother taught me to get along with everyone¡­ But I don''t think I want to get along with you. I don''t like you.¡± Even her angry face was cute. ¡°I feel the same, Anne. I also don''t like you.¡± You are too perfect. *** ¡°Yo.¡± Viers was greeted by a twin of his. ¡°Figured I would find you. This is a journey to the soul after all. What else is ¡®True Self¡¯ supposed to mean?¡± Viers smiled. After eating the True Self fruit, he found himself in a dark space of nothing. Only a single light illuminated his body from above as if this was an opera stage. When another stage light lit up showing his twin, Viers had anticipated the cliched development. ¡°In every other story, this is the time where I show you your ugly deeds, tell you about regrets inside your subconscious, give cryptic warnings, and plead you to change your ways isn''t it?¡± Other-Viers showed the all-familiar sneer, because it was his own. ¡°Or you telling me to fully embrace the Dark Side. Blabbering about all the things I could do, to let go of self-restraint and discipline, to indulge in power and authority, probably something about the growing number of girls around me, amirite?¡± Viers chuckled. ¡°Kishishishi~¡± Other-Viers snickered. ¡°Yeah, you don''t need that.¡± ¡°I don''t need that. I already know my true self,¡± Viers fondly smiled. Facing his true self, Viers wasn''t confused or shown some erudite revelation. Ever since Viers got reincarnated into this world, he was always embracing his true self. He did evil because he was Viers. He did good because he was Viers. Viers didn''t feel ashamed of what he had done. He had no intention of changing his beliefs and way of thinking because of some outside influence. The chains of society that strangled him until he was choking was no more. Viers was true to himself. In this, he had no doubt. ¡°So,¡± Viers extended a hand to his other-self. ¡°Shall we?¡± ¡°About time. It¡¯s getting boring in here anyway,¡± Other-Viers smiled mischievously. ¡°I need a name though. Shall I choose a mythological one? Wait, don''t answer that. You already planned to forge me since you took the alias Tanael.¡± ¡°Correct,¡± Viers nodded. ¡°Speak the words, please. My Horizon demands it.¡± ¡°Then here goes¡­¡± Other-Viers disappeared. The dark world turned into a blue sea with a green sky. "I am thou¡­¡± A deep voice resounded. Viers¡¯ heart leaped with ebullience. ¡°Thou art I¡­¡± A pillar of water rose from the sky as something emerged from the sea. ¡°From the sea of thy soul, I come..." The curtain of water was expelled with a blast of force, showing the form of a humanoid thing. Viers let out long, unbridled laughter. ¡®He¡¯ was dressed in a water blue and soul green tuxedo, the colors evenly split in the middle of the suit. Under the tuxedo was a white shirt and red tie. His face was covered with a mask styled after a grinning demon, along with a jet-black top hat on the top of his head. Red gloves covered both hands and modern formal black shoes under his feet. Viers basked in the pressure of power his other self emitted and it was powerful. ¡°I am the Heavenly Thief, Ars¨¨ne. All the wonders of this world are ours for the taking. Those who resist, we¡¯ll crush them underfoot!¡± ¡°Ars¨¨ne S. Tanael¡­ I thought it would take far longer to be able to meet you, the other half of my name. Let¡¯s raise hell together, partner,¡± Viers raised his hand. ¡°Even with all the allies you¡¯ve gathered, what you trust the most is still yourself. I know you all too well. We¡¯ll reach the apex of existence together, partner.¡± The high-five between Ars¨¨ne and Tanael crumbled the mysterious space. ¡°Now wake up, get up, get out there!¡± Ars¨¨ne roared. ¡°Of course!!¡± Stage 5 awaits. Chapter 179 - The Last Briefing Once more Viers and the rest of the trial takers found themselves in the Quantum Main Hub where they were all floating as if in zero gravity. The sky was a blend of bright colors like many painting dyes jumbled together, slightly ever-flowing. The two Aletro, one wearing white and the other wearing black garments, loomed over them like titans made of smoke. From the 382 people at the start of the trial, 26 was all that was left. Not all of the lost were dead, some chose to back out from the deadly trial. It could be argued those were the wise ones. At the very least, 100 young talents had perished chasing opportunities, power, and glory. ¡°Here are the placings for Stage 4.¡± White Aletro whisked his hand and a list of names hung in the air. Anne - 993,870 spark shards. Rank 1 Tanael - 575,400 spark shards. Rank 2 Oscar Regisea - 521,360 spark shards. Rank 3 Airmaster - 308,230 spark shards. Rank 4 Noble Tiger - 301,750 spark shards. Rank 5 Daystar - 293,490 spark shards. Rank 6 Ivory Flame - 261,600 spark shards. Rank 7 Backlasher - 227,290 spark shards. Rank 8 Dark Zero - 219,360 spark shards. Rank 9 Fithel - 211,220 spark shards. Rank 10 Viers managed to land in second place. His and Oscar¡¯s shards were higher than the rest because they managed to defeat high shards holders who were in the top 10, Troy and Divine Punishment. Oscar killed his opponent so he got all of Divine Punishment¡¯s shards but Viers only got 50% of Troy¡¯s. Because Troy wasn''t dead, Aletro said. Viers naturally protested. Troy survived because of Anne. He was already on his way to the grave, others were not allowed to intervene. The rules Aletro made for the fight of the fruits was a one-on-one battle. Aletro -the white one- told Viers that when he decided to throw Troy from the World Tree he was already ending the match so if someone saved Troy after that, it wasn''t a violation of the rules. Viers felt cheated. Troy¡¯s shards should all be his but he buried any indignation deep inside. Just as I feared, villains throwing heroes off balconies, cliffs, or waterfalls will only end in the heroes¡¯ survival. Should have just squashed his head then and there. When Viers strayed from his usual modus operandi, things went wrong. He took this experience to heart and intended to learn all he could from it. Viers still got 50% of Troy¡¯s shards. Which was about 150,000 shards for him and Troy was kicked out of the top 10 as a result. Since Stage 4, white spark holders didn''t need to kill for shards. As far as he knew, Anne was yet to kill a single person since the trial started while Viers had his hands drenched red in blood. Emotion momentarily took hold of Viers¡¯ thoughts. At the moment, Viers forgot that the black spark holders also had their own advantages. How convenient. Of course, Viers was thinking about Anne. She didn''t need to sully herself with the ugly business of taking life from others, hm? And how the fuck does she has almost twice than my shard count anyway? Oscar killed Divine Punishment so his shard count soared but Anne? From the eyewitness that I soul-searched, her luck is borderline ridiculous, finding great treasures one after another. She still has that many shards even after sharing some opportunities with her followers. It is as if the world is giving her special treatment. It is as if she¡¯s¨C The memories from their first meeting crossed Viers¡¯ mind. It was as if a streak of lightning appeared in Viers¡¯ mind, connecting the dots and unraveled Anne¡¯s mysterious nature. So that¡¯s how it is¡­ Viers¡¯ face was grim. I finally realized her true form. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Viers put Anne¡¯s matter on the backseat for now and refocused on the ranking list. More than half of the 26 were white spark holders. Despite being more numerous at the start, the black spark holders had cannibalized each other and culled their own number. A certain soul user contributed no small part in this debacle. ¡°The next Stage will be the last. You all have done well to reach this far but don¡¯t let down your guard. The last step is the most precarious,¡± the white one said. ¡°You¡¯ll experience the tribulation of every dynasty and era: war,¡± the other Aletro added. ¡°The lucky ones might live their lives without experiencing the horrors of it but the threat is ever-present, always nesting inside the hearts of men and women of high standing. Either you make war or war comes to you.¡± ¡°The bane of stability, mother of myriad tragedies.¡± ¡°The engine of progress, evolution¡¯s sweet whispers.¡± Both Aletro spoke in turns. ¡°Stage 5 will give you a taste of that,¡± white-clothed Aletro gave them a stern look. ¡°Those who chose the white spark will become heroes of a kingdom while the black sparks will rule as tyrants in their kingdom,¡± evil-pro Aletro had the signs of suspense in his expression. 17 heroes and 9 tyrants¡­ A nice number, Viers thought. However- ¡°Are we to fight each other? The advantage is clearly tipped to one side,¡± Oscar voiced Viers¡¯ thought. ¡°This is also the result of your own actions. Either you blame yourself or make it work despite the circumstances,¡± white Aletro was clearly unsympathetic. ¡°Hmph, the other me doesn''t understand us, little chicks. Whether you are at a disadvantage or not compared to them remains to be seen,¡± the other Aletro waived Oscar¡¯s concern. ¡°Either way, you can fight against the other camp but this isn''t a conflict between two sides, but three.¡± A map appeared before them. The land was separated into three colored parts: white, black, and red. The three were sharing equal borders with one another. ¡°The third party is the Aberrants,¡± Good Aletro pointed at the red. ¡°Think of them as otherworldly invaders to our world. They cannot be reasoned with and they exist solely to destroy. They are endless and will gradually spread to the whole land. Defend your kingdoms from their onslaught.¡± ¡°The objective of this trial is still to gain the most spark shards. Defeating the Aberrants will grant you shards. There are no natural treasures to be found in Stage 5 so you must fight if you want more shards. Ah, and any Aberrants killed by the troops of your kingdom will count as your kill, rewarding you with shards. The theatre of war is massive. Use your troops to your advantage. Don''t underestimate the aberrants, killing you is their reason for existing.¡± ¡°In the heart of each kingdom there is one, big, immovable crystal. If it is destroyed, your kingdom will fall, knocked out from the board and never to rise again. If you as an individual are still fine, you will still remain in Stage 5 but you¡¯ll no longer be able to generate soldiers to contribute to the war effort. When all 26 crystals are destroyed, Stage 5 will end. Theoretically, you are able to stay for a maximum of ten years but I doubt you¡¯ll last more than three.¡± So a Romance of the Three Kingdoms for Stage 5? Viers was digesting the information thus far. The longer we keep the Aberrants¡¯ advance on hold, the more shards for us. ¡°In the first month, the Aberrants will be dormant and won''t launch any offensive. Use this time to organize the matters of your kingdoms for the upcoming war. As some of you have thought, whatever color your shard is, both sides working together is in your best interest. Do what you will with this information.¡± The trial takers¡¯ heads were heavy with considerations. They looked at each other with complicated looks. ¡°When Stage 5 ends, those who''re still alive, including those who have lost their kingdoms can purchase many things from me with their spark shards. Not only material things such as weapons or potions. Raising your affinity, curing sickness, lifting curses, permanent blessings, bloodline infusion, ancient secrets, forbidden knowledge, and so on. All can be obtained if you have the shards for it.¡± Purchase¡­ As if he¡¯s some sort of super ability merchant. Great Awakener Sage Aletro, huh? ¡°We did say kingdoms but each will have its own distinct differences. To spice things up, all of your¡­ factions will be modified by us. We will give you the most fitting faction based on our observations of you since your coming into the Book World.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a special gimmick that you should know. After this, in a private area, you can make sacrifices. As long as it is something that belongs to you, you can offer it to us. The greater your sacrifice, the more important it is to you, the stronger your troops will become. But it is also proportional to your spark quality. For example, you. Yes you, with the lowest spark shards of 50,000.¡± Evil Aletro¡¯s frankness made the guy want to hide in a hole. ¡°Even if you sacrifice all your belongings down to the last underwear, your kingdom¡¯s soldiery might still not be worth a candle to Anne¡¯s despite her only giving a small sacrifice.¡± ¡°That means the lower in the ladder you are, the more you will have to sacrifice if you mean to catch up to those above you. Such is the reality of the world.¡± Good Aletro lamented. ¡°Or, you can also choose not to sacrifice at all. Your starting faction will be decent and by no means weak. You can improve them as Stage 5 goes on. It is optional but to those who chose to do so, sacrifice wisely. Keep in mind what you need for facing the adversaries ahead and the cost of what you choose to let go, because the loss is permanent.¡± ¡°Our explanation is concluded. We will begin momentarily. But, as with the previous stages, the chance to retire will be given. Those who feel like they have gained enough, or that the risks are too high, or simply have had enough of all of this, can choose to back down. We will not force you. The shards you have are already yours, the crystallization of your efforts. Like the others that bow out before, you are still able to buy things from me.¡± If this was any other stage then some might have quit but this was the last stage. ¡°No doubt some of you blame me for wrestling you out of your ordinary lives without permission. My only wish is to see as many powerhouses rise, not to make a killing game. Unfortunately, it is also the truth that only those that come out through these kinds of hardships and trials multiple times can become a true powerhouse. You all know the risk. Make your own choice to proceed or not.¡± The final 26 trial takers all stayed. ¡°Very well. We¡¯ve accepted your resolution. After you all have made your sacrifices, Stage 5 will begin. May fortune be with you.¡± There was a flash of light and Viers found himself in an empty white room with only him and black-clothed Aletro. ¡°So Tanael,¡± the evil half of the mysterious owner of this magical book asked. ¡°What are you willing to sacrifice?¡± Chapter 180 - I Sacrifice ¡°Greetings, Aletro,¡± Viers gave a respectful bow. He didn''t like bowing and loathed kneeling but he understood that Aletro had given him so many opportunities and he was much stronger now because of it. Villain he might be, Viers knew gratitude. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about our first conversation.¡± Viers implied about the time Aletro told him he was not the candidate for number one and that he would prove him wrong. ¡°So Anne is the most likely champion in this competition, isn''t she?¡± He said dryly. ¡°The magnificent Child of the Holy Phoenix.¡± Viers had defeated Troy, although it was by no means an easy fight. Troy represented the leading prowess of this place''s participants and Viers had confidence he could defeat the others such as Oscar, Airmaster, even Aravin Daystar, the Harem MC. However, Anne¡¯s strength was off the charts. Viers, with a complete understanding of his abilities, didn''t have the assurance he could defeat her even should he use all of his power and trump cards. Anne¡¯s threat was that massive. ¡°Mmm,¡± Aletro hummed. ¡°Her destiny is beyond your imagination. Fate has grand plans for her. So, do you still have the confidence to surpass her as you did back then?¡± His eyes were looking down on Viers. Viers had been walking smoothly in his Path of Power for quite some time. The last major obstacle he faced was Freya. After realizing Anne¡¯s true form, Viers branded her as a threat on par with the Church¡¯s golden child. ¡°Heh,¡± Viers scoffed. ¡°Mister Sage, you will know soon enough. My actions will be the answer to that question. So, factions,¡± he changed the topic. ¡°No spoilers will be given,¡± Aletro lightly laughed. ¡°Just the way you like it.¡± ¡°Yes for games, movies, and stories but for investment? Seems a bad idea to invest in something without an informed decision,¡± Viers replied. ¡°All the others are in the same boat. You¡¯ll know your kingdom when you get there. I made sure it is all balanced.¡± ¡°And yet we can make sacrifices to unbalance it,¡± Viers pointed out the contradiction. ¡°Too much ¡®pay-to-win¡¯ for your tastes?¡± the shadow of the mysterious man said. Viers looked upwards to the ceiling of white nothingness and took a couple of breaths before meeting Aletro¡¯s gaze and answering. ¡°In life, to gain something you must sacrifice something. I have no complaints. How many ideas have you taken from my head to construct this trial anyway? There is too much familiarity for it to be a coincidence.¡± ¡°Just enough,¡± Aletro devilishly smiled. ¡°Are you not entertained?¡± He said with the right intonation. They digressed, talking like fellow people with the same hobbies. Viers never had the chance to talk with someone who understood so the conversation branched into small talk. Aletro could manipulate time, a little delay wouldn''t inconvenience him. ¡°I suppose there¡¯s no way to know what other people sacrificed and how strong their troops are?¡± Viers asked. ¡°None. Sacrifice too little and it won¡¯t make any impact. Sacrifice too much and perhaps it will weaken you instead.¡± ¡°Other than the value of the thing sacrificed, the more precious it is to the individual, the more the sacrifices¡¯ worth, was it?¡± Viers put two fingers on his beardless chin. ¡°Sounds like a devil¡¯s bargain, Aletro.¡± ¡°Think of it as you will,¡± the black-clothed man shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ve taken enough time. What are you willing to sacrifice, trial taker?¡± ¡°Fine. Here comes the villain¡¯s bargain with some dark god for power,¡± Viers¡¯ face was solemn. ¡°I sacrifice¡­ most of the treasures I got from the previous four stages.¡± From the Thousand Treasures Casket Viers pulled out a small hill of natural treasures. *** Boram had thought long and hard about what he was going to sacrifice. The problem was, everything he had gained was Master Avel¡¯s. He felt bad selling off his master¡¯s things. Then again, his master made it clear he wanted Boram to be as strong as possible, that meant survive and, if possible, thrive during Stage 5. The boy realized his powers were lacking, so he must find ways to even the odds against the other people. Except for the important ones, I¡¯ll give uncle Aletro the treasures I gathered from the worlds before. Boram sacrificed his material wealth, the same choice as his master. Naturally, many others too. People gathered what they needed in the previous stages and kept what they found precious. Sacrificing these items was the most common course of action. Some sacrificed different things. Max the Ivory Flame and Jaime ¡°Backlasher¡± Sigley the Horsemen of War outright sacrificed a portion of their spark shards. Spark shards were precious and they knew it. The two of them willingly made the choice. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Oscar Regisea drew water from his blessed origin. He gave away his loads of money and the belongings of his family. Especially the life-saving treasures that could not work inside the Book World because their power was above the permissible limits. Airmaster Monus, the foreigner Pathseeker sacrificed his Artes. Heh, compared to the backwater monkeys in the Coalition, I have too many Artes from the Zetel Kingdom. I can¡¯t use them anymore because the memory of them has been erased from my head but I still have my core Artes. My fighting strength is not affected. Stage 5 was where the battle would be the fiercest. Most didn''t want to sacrifice their direct battle strength but not all share that sentiment. Khalmar sacrificed a third of his beast brand, lowering his battle strength significantly. With stronger soldiery to call upon, I can protect my brethren better. For everyone in the Alliance! And then there were people who made the most unique choices. Green Scorpion Fajrin wished to sacrifice the life of his friend then got struck by a lightning bolt by Aletro. ¡°The life of your friend is not yours, jackass!¡± Dark Zero wanted to sacrifice his future firstborn son. ¡°...Are you an idiot?¡± Aletro said with an amazed expression at the smoking, twitching husk of Dark Zero after the lightning. ¡°You think this is a bargain with the devil? Do this properly you little shit!¡± Troy didn''t sacrifice anything, he wanted to beat Tanael using his own strength. In Aravin¡¯s private space, besides the handsome youth himself, there was white-clothed Aletro and a small girl with heavenly countenance wearing a golden robe. The girl gave some sort of shining orb to Aletro despite Aravin¡¯s protest. ¡°The sacrifice is accepted,¡± Aletro replied. Anne¡¯s offering was three drops of Phoenix Source Blood. *** ¡°The sacrifice is accepted,¡± Aletro said without expression. He felt disappointed by Viers¡¯ mundane -yet worth quite a bit- sacrifice but kept a straight face. The otherworlder might think he could rely on his guile to obtain first place but Aletro very much doubted he could succeed. Viers sacrificed most of the material gains that he got in the Aletro¡¯s trial save for a few of the truly important. ¡°I wish you go-¡± Aletro was about to teleport him away but Viers cut him off. ¡°And one tier of my water affinity,¡± Viers spoke. ¡°Hoh,¡± a mite of interest returned to Aletro. ¡°Lowering your battle strength? Are you sure?¡± ¡°I won''t fight using my water side during the trial anyway. Cut it down,¡± Viers replied. His water affinity was 4 but it was only temporary. His original affinity was 2 but Viers decided to sacrifice one tier of it anyway. ¡°Accepted,¡± Aletro¡¯s voice entered Viers'' ears, almost inaudible because of the girls¡¯ inside his head. ¡°Then I wish-¡± ¡°And take my left arm.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Aletro replied almost giddily. ¡°Don''t regret this. Is there any more?¡± Viers grasped his soon-to-be-gone left arm with his right hand. Before giving away his limb, he was thinking of sacrificing his Soul Power, at least half of it. Soul Power was the strengthening that he possessed because of the Myriad Souls in One Arte. Viers had 20,000 Soul Power, the equivalent of 20 Level 3 Pathseekers or 2 Level 4 Pathseekers¡¯ souls. Viers needed 1,000,000 Soul Power to evolve his Mortal Soul into Grand Soul. It would set his soul cultivation back significantly and his soul Artes would be weaker. It was undoubtedly a major sacrifice on his part. That was why the sacrifice had meaning. But considering the difficult battles ahead, weakening his soul skills might prove fatal. He¡¯d given up his arm instead. Unbeknownst to Viers, his sacrifices at this point were equal to Anne¡¯s three drops of blood. ¡°And I sacrifice my right of possession. Any gains I make in Stage 5, I will forgo it all if I am not ranked 1 by the end of this trial! My shards, my cultivation progress, everything. If I¡¯m not rank 1 at the end of the trial it would be as if I never entered Stage 5 at all!¡± Viers was giving his sacrifice with the same resolution as a man named Griffith. ¡°Unusual sacrifice¡­ Like a restriction rather than a sacrifice. You mean to make this an all or nothing, eh? I¡¯ll allow it! What¡¯s next, struggler?!¡± ¡°Lastly, one hundred years of my lifespan!¡± Viers shouted with unwavering eyes. ¡°HAHAHAHAHA DAHAHAHAHAH!!¡± Aletro was consumed with manic euphoria. ¡°A greedy revenant trying to devour a golden phoenix! Do it if you can. You have been most entertaining, Viers Isuel!¡± Aletro extracted Viers¡¯ sacrifice and the trial taker screamed his heart out from the pain. ¡°Lord Viers!¡± Farley worriedly said. ¡°Why did you do that? There¡¯s no need for all of this. You could have finished in second place easily. Why must you be so stubborn chasing her?¡± Viers answered amidst the pain. ¡°Farley¡­khhhh¡­ second place¡­ is the first loser! Aaaaarrrrggghhh!!¡± Aletro resumed taking Viers¡¯ lifeforce. ¡°I don''t understand¡­ I don''t understand!¡± Paina said in tears. She¡¯d never seen Viers reduced to such a terrible state. Aletro was not gentle in taking his offerings. ¡°You¡¯re going to kill her, aren¡¯t you? At least you¡¯ll try. What did she ever do to you? It¡¯s just so sad¡­ not only for her but for you also! So much pain¡­ and for what? For having the power to kill her? Is this what being a Pathseeker is to you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pure and simple. Paina¡¯s honest plea touched Viers¡¯ heart but it didn''t make a single ripple. Viers¡¯ Dao Heart was as strong as Vibranium. ¡°Such is a Pathseeker,¡± Clarissa hugged the crying Paina. ¡°Viers has forged his path. It isn''t for everyone, Paina.¡± How long had the life-drain continued, even Viers did not know. Intense pain obscured his sense of time. At some point, his left arm was gone. Not a single drop of blood fell. But pain was only pain. He made friends with pain a long time ago. With my sacrifices, if I lose, my cultivation momentum will be lost with it. My growth from then on will suffer severe setbacks. It would take years to mend. My cultivation is smooth thus far because I ride the wave of progress. Even if I don''t lose my life, no doubt I have put my future on the line. In a little solace in his heart, Viers knew that his prime role model, Fang Yuan, would approve of his choice. The man¡¯s way of life was very simple, either Eternal Life or shit! How could Viers not show the same commitment? ¡°Reciprocity has been achieved and balance is maintained. Beware the Terminus,¡± Aletro grinned a devil¡¯s smile. ¡°War awaits you. Go, my champion of darkness.¡± Viers felt his body wrapped by the sensation of teleportation. Heh, imitating the System, huh? Then you better not short-change me or I¡¯ll become a Defier! He had done all that he could. Viers didn''t feel he paid too great of a price. In fact, he was afraid the sacrifice wasn''t enough to bridge the gap between Anne and him. For he was pitting his destiny against a Mary Sue. Chapter 181 ¡°Shit!!¡± Viers was already in battle mode the instant the teleportation was complete, because there were hundreds of pony-sized beasts all around him. Their body structure was designed for agility and melee combat. A variant of insectoid dogs, only they had spikes of bone growing out of their body. They had six legs with an additional twin-mantis claw-like limbs growing from their segmented-armored backs. Their eyes were emitting hunger and hostility, which was why Viers was spooked in the first place. Just one look at their teeth and anyone would understand they were not vegetarians. Viers didn''t like the way they were looking at him as they licked their chops. Viers was surrounded by a sea of teeth and claws of the Aberrants, he would have to fight his way out of this. His head was already making tactical decisions on how to fight Stage 5¡¯s antagonist race but the abberants did not attack him. Instead, the crowd parted, making a clear way for Viers into the big structure not far from where Viers was. No, they are not the Aberrants. They are my troops! Viers realized that now. He expected to find a garrison of human warriors so the insectoid dogs were a surprising find. Viers let out a sigh of slight respite. He didn''t let down his guard but at least he did not seem to be in immediate danger. Seeing the¡­ beasts didn''t move -though they growled- Viers only had one path open for him, the one where the beast crowd parted like the red sea. Viers took the opportunity to digest his surroundings as he walked the open path toward the lump of red flesh as big as a keep. The ground he walked on was not dirt or earth. It was something blackish red and slightly squishy when stepped on. Viers deduced he was in some kind of crater because something big seemed to have made a dent in the earth where he was standing. A really big dent. Mangled Flesh¡­ Muscle lines¡­ Towering bones¡­ It was as if a leviathan-sized creature crash landed here, making a crater and Viers was right in the middle of the remains. Walking felt off to Viers. It was a matter of balance, he realized. His left arm was gone from the shoulder down. He would need to get used to this as soon as possible so it wouldn''t hamper him in combat. Or I could supercharge my healing factor to get my arm back sooner. Then again, I don''t have much life force left. Should I? Freya cut off his hand once, at the wrist. It took Viers a month to regenerate it. His current situation and back then was a bit similar. Only this time he had done this to himself and by choice. Viers paused his walk at the foot of his castle, a bulbous flesh the size of one. Part of the wall was throbbing as if there was blood or something similar flowing underneath. It was fitting, Viers felt, when he saw the biomatter gate up close, like a thorax blocked by tumors and steel like blood vessels. The clot and obstacles receded like a living thing. The way such a gate with bizarre design worked escaped his understanding. ¡°Be ready for anything, girls,¡± Viers warned. ¡°Be careful, Lord Viers,¡± Farley said. ¡°When am I not?¡± He scoffed. ¡°You almost fell off the edge of the World Tree when the wind suddenly blew because you wanted to take a piss at the ¡®highest point of existence¡¯. Did you conveniently erase that from your mind?¡± Clarissa mocked. Tyrion Lannister has done the same, Viers thought. ¡°Experience everything, girls. Good words to live by. That¡¯s the key to keep life interesting. Now, time to go into the tunnel of a dead titan but still living meat.¡± Viers had a sufficiently clear image of what an ant nest looked like because of Chrysalis and YouTube. His castle was very similar. Long tunnels with pocket chambers made of flesh. A sentient food would definitely feel the same way as Viers when it was going through the intestines. The chambers were closed or blocked by bulky armored insects that barred the way. Viers could only follow the available path, risks that Viers didn''t want to take if Aletro was not the Gamemaster. Viers met many smaller tumor gates along the way, all opening up without delay as he got close. He suspected he was led to the throne room, where he would meet the big kahuna of this place. ¡°Holy Shiet¡­¡± There the creature sat, on an organic throne. Its face was inhuman, yet to say the least there was a touch of femininity that Viers could relate to. A sturdy black exoskeleton encased its upper body but the lower parts were clearly much more vulnerable. From the stomach down it was white in color; a long, worm-like shape. Viers¡¯ mind quickly pointed out its similarity with the termite queens. Their stomach grew to an absurd degree compared to the rest of its body. Viers realized what it was used for immediately. There were tendrils connecting to the creature''s back from the ceiling, making the creature seem fused with the room. Mobility would be a massive issue for the creature thus it was very much protected. Four insects which were clearly a cut above the rest guarded Her Royal Majesty. Alien Queen. Nothing else could describe the extraterrestrial creature in front of him. Directly above it, was a green crystal shining with a gentle light hanging from above like a chandelier. Viers thought it had no eyes but he was wrong. It was only closing its eyes. Six orange eyes were looking straight at the human less than a third of its size. ¡°I have been waiting for you, Chief.¡± Viers¡¯ ears only heard an indescribable hiss but his mind perceived it differently. Not only the words, even the uniqueness of the voice. And the voice sounded familiar. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°...Wait. Kaari?¡± ¡°Yes, Chief. You have known me as Kaari before.¡± She sounded¡­ human despite the paradoxically inhuman appearance. The NPC assistant of Viers spoke in an unfeeling and robotic manner before but the new Kaari that he had given a soul was a very different being altogether. ¡°I can feel your soul¡­¡± Viers sounded almost touched. ¡°Was the soul transplant a success? How are you feeling? You good?¡± The soul transplant was a haphazard idea. However, it seemed the integration between the soul and Kaari had been achieved. The queen slightly moved its big body. ¡°Yes. I feel¡­ different. I have the memories of my previous self but I feel she and I are two different people. How odd¡­ Ah, but first please allow me to apologize on behalf of my children for startling you and for my boorish appearance.¡± Viers was no expert at deciphering the body language of others, especially not alien¡¯s body language but she looked like a shy girl being squeamish while wearing a nice new dress. ¡°Hell no. You look badass!¡± Viers stepped closer and that one step made the four praetorian guards twitch. Ready to defend their queen whatever the cost. The creature that was once Kaari glared at them, moving her long neck, and they cowed like obedient puppies. Seeing he was safe and the creature permitted, Viers touched her body, feeling the smooth, cold exterior of her exoskeleton and the warm, delicate birthing organ. ¡°Such a beautiful woman you have become.¡± Viers gave the creature other people would call grotesque a gentle hug. He couldn''t wrap his arms around her, but it didn''t matter. The queen hissed again. ¡°Most appreciated gesture, Chief. This one feels unworthy of such kindness.¡± Viers felt the appendages of the queen hug him back. Hugged by an Alien Queen? That¡¯s 1% up in Horizon for sure. ¡°You can talk to the others? Are they all your kids?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Yes. I can feel them. I can call on them, telling them to do things and they will do so. But although they are my children, it isn''t quite accurate. Such is the odd feeling I have, Chief.¡± Hive mind!? Holy- ¡°You know what you''re doing here?¡± ¡°That is so. I have knowledge of why you¡¯re here, Chief. About the trial, the spark shards, and other people like you. The existence of the Aberrants, and why we should prepare for war against them. Assisting you is, once again, my purpose. My role is to birth more children, develop the Nest, and improve our force as a whole, preparing them for the war to come. Allow me to explain¨C¡± The creature explained the ¡®mechanics¡¯. How she needed biomass to birth more workers and soldiers, how the gathering worked, what Viers could build to contribute to the Nest¡¯s defenses, what mutations she could give to her children, and so on. ¡°Furthermore-¡± ¡°Stop,¡± Viers put his palm out. ¡°I get the gist of it. How many can you spawn in one day?¡± ¡°Should there be sufficient biomass, I believe I can lay a hundred eggs each day, increasing the limit is possible in the future.¡± Good. ¡°Will they obey my command?¡± Viers pointed to the praetorian guard. ¡°I¡¯m connected with each of my children, Chief. I¡¯ll obey you.¡± Good! Viers realized the format of Stage 5 was a real-time strategy and his controlled faction was bio-focused with the perk of churning out many units. Naturally, there was only one thing to do. But before that, he needed to finish the introduction first. ¡°You-who-was-once-Kaari, despite your appearance, your soul is human. You are no longer a doll and have the ability to think as an individual. Now, you''re directed here by someone to help me but do you want to help me?¡± The creature seemed confused. ¡°What kind of question is that, Chief? I hope to serve you forever and ever. It is my greatest joy.¡± Viers was, for the slightest bit, flattered by the highest form of devotion from an alien. ¡°Good. Do you have a name for your race?¡± ¡°Yes. We are called¡­¡± Viers winced after hearing the bad name. ¡°Can I rename the race?¡± ¡°Feel free to do so, Chief.¡± ¡°Very good!¡± Viers straightened his spine and peered into the six eyes of the creature, he was addressing the whole horde. ¡°I am Tanael, your master. You-who-was-once-Kaari, the empty vessel who has now gained a soul. I bestow upon you the name Zerrigan! From now on, you and your progeny shall be named the Tyra Xerg! Let the world tremble before our presence!¡± The creature lowered her upper body as much as she could. ¡°This Zerrigan will serve Chief Tanael until the end of days. Glory to Lord Tanael. May your magnificence shine eternal like the stars.¡± The other insectoids, the re-christened Tyra Xerg shrieked to the heavens, mirroring their queen. Every Tyra Xerg, inside and outside of the Nest shrieked with all of their might. The Nest -the fortress- itself started shaking, that or Viers was the one shaking because of his excitement. He didn''t know. Perhaps it was both. ¡°Zerrigan. Hear my first order: assemble nine-tenths of the Swarm on the outside of the crater and wait for my further orders. The remaining units shall gather resources from nearby areas.¡± ¡°By your will, Chief.¡± ¡°Master Chief!¡± Viers said. ¡°Of course, Master Chief.¡± Viers gave a fist pump. ¡°I need someone to lead me to the highest point of the Nest,¡± Viers asked. ¡°One of my royal guards shall lead you. Although my main body cannot move. This Zerrigan will follow your advance along with my children. May your endeavor find success, Master Chief.¡± Queen Zerrigan said her goodbye. Before long, Viers scouted his surroundings by using Euryale Sight and found what he was looking for. When he came down, everthing was ready. The Tyra Xerg was nothing but efficient because they were all united under a single will, Zerrigan. Viers was looking at an army arrayed for war atop of a mount. It was one of the insectoid dogs. One of them was chosen by Viers to be his mount. They were smaller than horses but they had no problem carrying Viers¡¯ body weight. ¡°From now on your name is Xel Doggo,¡± Viers patted his steed¡¯s head. ¡°Angels, what did I say about great madness?¡± He asked his three tenants while basking in the privilege of a general, to be able to command an army. ¡°With great madness comes great possibility,¡± the three said uniformly. ¡°Your madness paid off, Lord Viers. Your vision and wisdom are beyond compare,¡± Farley further praised. If Viers had a dead uncle with the name Ben, he would be turning in his grave. Viers held his laughter and raised his fist to the sky. ¡°FOR THE SWARM!¡± The answer came in the form of a sound tsunami. ¡°Kraaa¡ª!¡± ¡°Kraaa¡ª!¡± ¡°Kraaa¡ª!¡± ¡°KRAAAAAAAAA!!!¡± Hundreds of feet stomping through the plains, a man riding at the tip of the spear. A carpet of violence made form. It was a great sight, enough to impress the people inside Viers¡¯ head but he knew this was nothing compared to the true potential of the Tyra Xerg! Xerg Rush! Kekekekekekeke! Chapter 181 - The Swarm Cometh Chapter 182 - Rushing ¡°-and so gold is required to hire more troops, Lord Monus,¡± a beautiful female vizier explained. ¡°Gold that I can get directly by mining from a mine without any processing whatsoever¡­¡± Airmaster Monus massaged his temple. ¡°So let me get this straight. There¡¯s an unlimited amount of wizards in this building,¡± he pointed to a building that looked like an academy in Zetel. ¡°But they will not help me or come out at all unless I have the gold to ¡®hire¡¯ them.¡± ¡°Correct, Lord Monus,¡± the girl who was the NPC assistant of Airmaster said. ¡°They know there are enemies who will be coming to destroy this city, right? There¡¯s not even a single merchant here to buy or sell things. What use is gold to them? And you said they won''t come out even if the city is on the verge of falling? Do these wizards have a brain!?¡± ¡°Perhaps they have more important things to do, Lord Monus.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°Unclear. Even I don''t know.¡± Monus¡¯ long exhale of disbelief might be able to topple a thick dictionary. ¡°Watch. I¡¯ll talk some sense into them.¡± Monus tried to open the gate to the wizard academy but it wouldn''t open. ¡°This and any other buildings that produce troops cannot be entered, Lord Monus.¡± The mageling Pathseeker from Zetel could only grunt and follow the law of the world, no matter how unwilling he was. Monus and his assistant continued to tour the city. The place that Monus teleported to was similar to his homeland. The arid climate, dry wind, surrounded by sand dunes. He felt at home here. Monus walked near a couple of palm trees. There were no streets and there were a lot of empty places to build on. The two walked past simple houses, which Monus stopped to observe for a short while. The castle was grand but the city was pretty much empty. There were many simple dwellings that his assistant said housed residents of the city but Monus didn''t see any signs of anyone living in those places. Enchanted ¡®simple¡¯ wooden walls protected the area. The most basic kind, his vizier said. They wouldn''t be enough against the aberrants but Monus thought it didn''t matter. He still had a lot of time. Except for his troops, who would do the fighting, and workers, whose role was to gather resources and build buildings, there were no other types of citizenry. This felt like a military camp rather than a city. Without direction, his troops and workers wouldn''t even move on their own. Which was pretty unnatural because the wizards and workers looked very much like human beings, except they were not. When Monus tried to talk to them, they only replied with a limited amount of response. It was as if those sentences were the only words they knew. Eerie. ¡°-there¡¯s also the matter of upkeep needed to keep them in your service,¡± his assistant kept explaining how things ran around here. Monus knew he would need to understand them so he could utilize his forces effectively. ¡°Without food to feed your troops, they will die. Housing for your forces is also necessary.¡± ¡°Food¡­ Housing¡­¡± Monus repeated. ¡°Indeed. To field a large number of troops at once, many housing units would be necessary.¡± Monus pointed at the stone golems that were his main melee troops. ¡°These guys also need housing and food? Are you kidding me!?¡± ¡°It is so, Lord Monus,¡± she replied in a very calm and composed manner while Monus¡¯ agitation rose. ¡°By the Magi¡¯s name, why? Stone! Don¡¯t! Eat! Food!¡± His beautiful vizier explained that while the inorganic units such as the golems wouldn''t need food, they needed ¡®sustenance¡¯ or ¡®maintenance¡¯ to function. Monus simply needed to procure ¡®food¡¯ and the city would -somehow- turn those into usable things for his troops. After finishing his tour, Monus gazed upon his grand palace from the outside. He took a moment to set his thoughts in order. This is the last step. I¡¯ll emerge from Aletro¡¯s trial as an extraordinary, high-potential Pathseeker. I must keep my wits about me so as not to stumble in the last stretch. Airmaster Monus was the only one left from the Luvicas Magic School. Two of his schoolmates retired. At first, the others, including him, chided the retirees for cowardice. Then the cruel trial extinguished their lives. His schoolmates ended up getting killed one by one. Monus was a bit worried; the remaining enemies were strong. Especially that Tanael, who managed to kill one of his good friends despite his best effort to prevent it. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. And the butcher absorbed his soul! Fuck! The Church definitely will not allow such a taboo practice! They would send inquisitors if this was happening in the real world but they¡¯re not here! The youth¡¯s expression turned dark. Would that be my fate too? Did I overestimate my capabilities? Monus hesitated. No. I can do it. Definitely! If I play my cards right, I have the potential to be the second coming of the legendary Sultan, Aariz al Zetel. He too triumphed in a dimensional Trial of Fire in his younger days. Amidst the beautiful dreams, Monus was yoked back to reality. He heard some noises from the walls. He wondered what was up. ¡°Lord, emergency! There¡¯s a beast horde coming straight at us. They will arrive here very soon,¡± the vizier suddenly said as if she knew what was happening despite being nowhere near the walls. ¡°What!? Are they the Aberrants? They shouldn''t be attacking this early!¡± Monus shouted, full of emotion. ¡°What the hell is happening!!¡± ¡°Not the Aberrants, sire.¡± Her tone was grim. ¡°They are¡­ something we¡¯ve never seen before.¡± Monus heard the sound of conflict, his wizards in the area were letting loose fireballs. Monus realized the attackers were already here and it felt like there was a pit opening in his stomach. He got caught fatally unaware. His troops were currently spread out in four directions. ¡°Have all troops muster at the point of attack!¡± Monus commanded his vizier before rushing to the walls. He levitated and flew like the wind. Monus arrived on the battlements in a hurry and managed to arrive before the wooden walls were breached. He didn''t arrive late but the situation didn''t look promising. What were those things? Bugs? Dogs? A monster species that Monus had never seen were gnashing, clawing, and pushing at his walls. Most striking about them was the numbers: a living current of fang and frenzy. So unrelenting in their charge that the ones already attacking the wall were heaped upon. Again and again, until the creatures made some kind of towering platform from the mound of bodies. A single creature climbed the walls, the first of many. It opened its toothed-mouth wide as it wanted to tear Monus¡¯ face off. The Pathseeker declined the rude kiss with a sharp gust of wind that cleaved the creature in half. Furthermore, Monus unleashed a mighty air force to break the living tower to prevent these things from jumping over the wall. He was successful, the tower broke and the five meters high wall wasn''t jumpable anymore. But what Monus destroyed was just one among many. Four more ¡®towers¡¯ were being created. The wizards blasted them with their magic but the creatures were just too many. The wizards were not killing the creatures fast enough. Not only were the wizards too few, but the insectoid beasts were also quite resilient. They could take two direct fireball hits from the wizards before they died. And that was only one of them. Monus was being attacked by hundreds! ¡°No!¡± There are too fuckin¡¯ many of them! Monus let loose AoE Artes as often and as many as he could with no regard to the cost. It was the only way. He had to hold long enough until his reinforcements arrived at this place. Ten minutes of being human artillery had strained his body. Ten minutes of intensive activities that didn''t let Monus think and strategize. His joints felt like rusted door hinges and his Victa was moving like sludge on clogged pipes. In a moment of carelessness, he almost exploded his Arte early and suffered the accidental self-attack. The wall broke before Monus¡¯ will did. The creatures were pouring in from the gap like malevolent water. ¡°Goleeeeeems!¡± The moving rocks were ready at the moment of the breach and blocked the invaders using their sturdy bodies, creating a plug. Unlike his two types of troops: golems and wizards, the creatures seemed to be of singular origin. All were similar, there was no other variety. ¡°Hold! Hold the line!¡± Monus raised his hand and created a sphere that compressed the air in its surroundings. While he was charging the Arte to inflict significant damage on the clustered monsters, Monus frowned. The claws and fangs of these beasts were able to damage the golems made of stone. He had hoped the golems would be able to battle unaffected but sadly that didn''t seem to be the case. But Monus still held hope. His troops were trickling into this place. His vizier lent her strength in exterminating the unwelcome critters, raining arcs of lightning on them. Monus smiled as he finished charging. ¡°Air Pressure-¡± Another sphere hit his sphere before he could shoot it and the compressed air and magic broke, engulfing the area in a great magical detonation. Monus raised his magical shielding in time so he only suffered minor damage but the true loss was the breach. Monus stood on the wooden wall, close to the gaping wound in his defensive line. With no ranged attackers from the creature¡¯s side, he thought he would be safe even in the open but that was a mistake. An even greater opening was created as a result. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot let you do that and kill my friends. By the way, that¡¯s an impressive collection of wind Artes, Airmaster. As rumored, Zetel is truly a land with the most advancement in magical arts.¡± Monus didn''t even get the chance to feel the weight of his mistake before the main perpetrator showed himself. Tanael was riding on one of the strange beasts. It didn''t take a genius to figure it out. ¡°Tanael, I should have known. And there is no wind element, it is air! Based on the numbers¡­ you brought most of your troops to attack me did you not? Leaving your base thin.¡± Monus recomposed himself. The war in the area near the two Pathseekers was coming to a halt as the troops from both sides paused, giving both leaders time to converse. However, tens of meters away the battle still continued. ¡°This recklessness¡­ is so you. What happened to your arm?¡± Tanael had unmounted his ride while Monus was talking. Tanael¡¯s brow rose from the question and his expression softened. ¡°This?¡± Tanael grabbed the stump on his shoulder. ¡°I bet this on the new age.¡± It was the word of a certain red-haired emperor of the seas. Which, of course, Airmaster was unable to comprehend. ¡°Enough about me. This is about you. I¡¯m here to welcome you, Airmaster.¡± ¡°Welcome? This?¡± Monus pointed at the battle. ¡°This is an unprovoked act of war!¡± Tanael didn''t even fake an expression of care. He extended his remaining right arm as if asking for something. ¡°Welcome to Stage 5, Airmaster Monus. Identification and travel papers, please. You don''t have those? Very well, fret not. These gentlebeasts will help you complete the necessary procedures. Normally it would be a cause for deportation but we¡¯re in the most unusual of places. Please don''t resist during the meatbag processing. It will only make it hurt more and last longer.¡± Chapter 183 - VS Airmaster ¡°The Shredders are doing well.¡± Viers commented while watching the first battle unfold. He named his Zergling equivalent to that; Shredders. With enough numbers, this basic form of Tyra Xerg shall shred any army like paper. ¡°So Aletro gave you information that we can build a superweapon after conquering all the other black spark trial takers?¡± ¡°Yes, Chief. You don''t have to crush them. Making an alliance with the other trial takers is also fine. As long as they acknowledge you as the leader of that alliance. Beware, the other side also has something similar.¡± Zerrigan¡¯s voice was conveyed to his mind from Xel Doggo¡¯s hisses. Hearing the word ¡®superweapon¡¯, Viers¡¯ interest was piqued. What kind of Evil Overlord am I if I don''t have a villainous superweapon? I wonder what it will be, a Death Star? ¡°The white spark holders, huh? There are seventeen of them so I doubt they would unite so quickly, but if they knew of the confusion here they might launch an invasion. All the more reason to unite the whole Blacklands as soon as possible.¡± Viers named the black spark tyrants¡¯ territories the Blacklands and the white spark heroes¡¯ territories the Whitelands. Simple names because his sense of good names had been used up naming the Tyra Xerg and their Queen. ¡°The resource gathering process?¡± ¡°The drones have started mining and hauling them back to the Nest. I¡¯ve also started constructing the necessary buildings to make other types of Tyra Xerg as you asked, Chief.¡± From his hidden position, Viers watched Airmaster Monus valiantly defending the walls from the onslaught of the Shredders. ¡°Let¡¯s end this, Zerrigan. Initiate the backdoor plan. I¡¯ll keep that windmill busy.¡± ¡°Good hunting, Master Chief,¡± Zerrigan replied. ¡°Good hunting, Queen of Living Blades,¡± Viers returned the favor. Viers touched his missing arm. He still hadn''t gotten used to it. Thankfully, he possessed an alternative. ¡°Farley, be my left arm.¡± The soul inside Viers spoke. ¡°It would be my pleasure, Lord Viers.¡± *** Tanael showed himself after Monus spent quite a bit of his Victa and stamina, intervening just before the mage from another land unleashed his big move. Monus¡¯ faction was quite interesting, very different from his bio-focused Tyra Xerg. Desert-style buildings with similarities to Arabian architectures and he had two unit types: golem and wizard. I only have one type for now but it will soon change. After saying his style of welcome, Monus didn''t look pleased. ¡°Meatbag¡­ You¡¯ve become known to throw that word around when you¡¯ve got a thirst for blood. But do you think I will be easy prey like the others?¡± ¡°It matters not,¡± Tanael shook his head. ¡°I am Death¡­ and I have come.¡± In a moment where every second was precious, Monus still replied to his words. Tanael was glad for his idiocy. The longer he kept Airmaster not killing his Xergs, the closer to victory Tanael became. ¡°Bastard!!¡± Monus threw a ball of solid air with a tornado swirling inside it at Tanael. It looked very similar to his Vortex Nova. In response, Tanael held out his hand. The wind blew everything nearby in all directions. Xel Doggo was knocked back from the raging wind that leaked from the orb of air. At ground zero of the sea of fierce wind, Tanael stopped the attack with one hand. The Arte was raging like a caged animal, the force inside was not meant to be stopped. Gusts of air were blasting everywhere. His clothes and hair were swaying wildly. If Monus had to pick the thing that he hated the most about Tanael it was that confident face of his. That faint smile, that light behind his eyes. Tanael¡¯s expression conveyed his unwavering trust in himself. It drove Monus crazy. ¡°My friends are hungry, you see,¡± Tanael said. ¡°So you¡¯re on the menu.¡± ¡°Your lust for blood has blinded you. Defeating me would hurt your chances in the overall war effort against the Aberrants.¡± ¡°Incorrect. I don''t need hostile allies like you on the board. I¡¯ll raise an army that shakes the continent from the bones of your kingdom. Silently accept that your name shall be etched into history as the vanquished.¡± Tanael¡¯s hand was shining with sickly pale light, stopping Monus¡¯ Storm Sphere with the composure of a higher-level Pathseeker. Even while defending, Tanael¡¯s killing intent pricked Monus¡¯ body like a thousand sharp needles. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Monus gritted his teeth, intensifying his effort of pushing his Arte to break Tanael¡¯s defense and shatter his perfect teeth but Tanael was unmoveable. ¡°Hump! What bravado. Lightning Lance!¡± ¡°Vengeful Spirit!¡± Tanael faced Monus¡¯ Ixi Arte head-on. The soul and lightning canceled each other. The two began a high-speed battle, both shooting Artes at mid-range. The Shredders resumed their fight with the golems and wizards. The scene was very chaotic as the two leaders maneuvered through places, sowing destruction at the areas they found themselves in. ¡°Hhmm¡­ You¡¯re actually a good fighter despite being a student. I thought people like you would be lacking in combat experience while the only reason you got this far is just because you got superior skills. It seems I was wrong.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had a good teacher. Tornado Punch!¡± Seeing his opponent''s lack of left arm, Monus began close-quarter combat in the hopes to gain the upper hand. ¡°Desolate Dive!¡± The punch was knocked away by Tanael¡¯s kick but his posture was unsteady as a result. Monus shot a fast wind arrow at the opening but Tanael grabbed the arrow and threw it right back at Airmaster. In Monus¡¯ eyes, it was clear that Tanael wasn''t a skilled pugilist but he managed to cope through his attacks almost flawlessly and constantly. What incredible battle sense. It is even better than mine! It can only be possible after accruing massive battle experience. How many scenes of carnage has he gone through? Shit! The Grid provided Tanael with a plethora of opponents. Those battle experiences honed his skills and kept them razor sharp. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you deal with my consummate skill! Arte - Airless!¡± In an instant, Tanael became unable to breathe. ¡°Hurhg!?¡± Tanael gasped for air. After a split second of panic passed, he realized that the Arte Monus used was similar to his own: denying the enemy¡¯s ability to breathe. Tanael ran, adding more distance between him and Airmaster. The farther he got, the less control Monus would have. The idea was good but Monus went after him, keeping Tanael in the effective range of his Airless Arte. His face became a bit blue. Tanael was about to change tactics but it was unnecessary. A Shredder attacked Monus from the side. It was his faithful steed, Xel Doggo. Zerrigan came to his aid. Fending off Xel Doggo broke Monus¡¯ concentration and the Arte prematurely ended. Xel Doggo was just the first, many and many more came from all sides, drowning Monus. The small hill of flesh Monus got buried in was cracked open by a bolt of blue lightning let loose by Monus¡¯ vizier. ¡°Lord Airmaster, emergency! The enemy has-¡± ¡°Later! Help me finish this bastard first!¡± Monus cut his assistant¡¯s warning mid-sentence. Defeating Tanael was priority number one. ¡°Yes sir!¡± The two were synchronizing their technique to let loose a combination Arte at Tanael who was in the middle of a dire need for respiration. A rare moment of vulnerability! ¡°Atmosphere- KKAAAAHHH!?¡± The Airmaster screamed. Someone stabbed him in the back and a spectral spearhead came out from his chest. Farley fulfilled her role as Tanael¡¯s left hand. Monus managed to avoid a lethal stab at the very last second but a gaping hole had been opened in his chest. He blasted the ghost away and drank a vial of potion. ¡°Lord Airmaster, RU-¡± Meanwhile, Tanael executed the female vizier, by crushing her neck with an iron grip. With heavy breaths, Monus gave Tanael a hateful look. The ghost that stabbed him floated to Tanael¡¯s side. ¡°You vile, honorless, cheating scumbag-¡± ¡°Well, since you said it that way. I¡¯ll play that role. Look behind you.¡± ¡°Hah! You think I¡¯ll fa-¡± A ring of light along with the sound of something shattering spread out from Airmaster¡¯s palace. The building itself was in the middle of crashing down. ¡°NOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡± ¡°While you¡¯re busy with me, a contingent of Shredders broke their way through the unguarded walls on the opposite side. They carved a bloody path into your palace and destroyed the crystal. It¡¯s called backdooring strategy. Savor it.¡± Instead of replying, Monus flew away in a hurry. ¡°This isn''t over! I¡¯ll have my revenge!¡± ¡°Shit! He can fly too? After him!¡± Astride Xel Doggo, Tanael and his army chased after the wind-cloaked Airmaster. It must be a life-saving method of his. Although he was only ten meters high and didn¡¯t seem able to go higher, the flying speed was considerable. Tanael frowned. He hoped Airmaster¡¯s wind would be spent before he could get away. This direction¡­ So that¡¯s his plan. Airmaster flew over a big lake. It must be generated by Aletro close to Monus¡¯ kingdom as a source of water. The Shredders weren''t able to run on water. Monus was close to getting away. Monus smirked and looked behind him. He raised his brows in surprise. Before he went too far from land, Tanael jumped high, arm almost catching his foot. ¡°Air Hammer!¡± A heavy strike from above smashed Tanael into the lake, creating a massive water geyser. Tanael¡¯s insect army shrieked but they didn''t seem to be able to swim and remained on land. After the massive loss he suffered today, a small sense of victory was like a balm to his soul. Monus turned his body to continue flying away. His condition was not good. To the surprise of his rational mind, he saw something that shouldn''t exist. He was sent rotating down and crashed into the lake right after Tanael. Monus used every mite of his brain cell to make sense of what just happened. He was bitch-slapped by the tail of a whale. While airborne no less! Monus¡¯ mind was spinning by the impact and the absurd happening that challenged his sanity. Whatthefuck??? Whatever the case, staying underwater was bad. Airmaster propelled himself upward using Rising Gust Arte. The monster followed him out, jumping high from the lake. Devadom Orca!! Monus¡¯ leg was caught by the deadly assortment of sharp teeth inside the whale¡¯s mighty jaw. While letting out a desperate, girly scream -Tanael did not blame him- Monus was brought back into the underwater territory of the Deva-class monster. The mage was taken onto a special, deadly underwater jet coaster ride as the orca dragged him at full speed. The monster was twisting, turning, spiraling, and even a couple jumps from the water only to smack the feeble human back down with greater force. The magical barrier of Monus became increasingly brittle. In the end, while Monus was at the edge of awareness, he saw the mysterious orca open its mouth wide and shoot a blast of highly pressurized water. Arte - Hydro Pump! The attack came from above, surging to the bottom of the lake. Monus didn''t rise back up. Airmaster Monus, expert of air magic¡­ You have been H2Owned! Chapter 184 - Detected A Level 2. I thought Airmaster had a Level 3 foundation based on his battle strength. If so, he was more than I gave him credit for. Given time, he might have grown into a splendid Pathseeker, but that future belongs in the realm of What If now. Viers stowed Monus¡¯ soul for later use. He looted the corpse for anything of value before stowing the body in his storage item. And my spark shards shoot up like a rocket. With Airmaster¡¯s death, Viers gained all of his spark shards. It was great but according to his calculation, Anne¡¯s spark shards were still greater. Viers had two plans to take Anne¡¯s top spot. The first was to absorb the other players¡¯ spark shards and end the whole Stage 5 early when he was leading. The second was to kill Anne herself. Let¡¯s see how it goes from here. Before thinking about that I must unite the Blacklands first. As Viers reached the land after a fresh swimming session, two people awaited him. ¡°Another enemy falls before your might, Master Chief,¡± Zerrigan communicated using a Shredder as her mouthpiece. ¡°Congratulations, Lord Tanael,¡± Farley was floating a few inches above ground beside Xel Doggo, still in her ghost-state. ¡°Thank you both,¡± Viers already covered his naked body using Water Cloth Arte before presenting himself. ¡°Zerrigan, how¡¯s the battle?¡± He wasn''t really worried; from the initial clash, it was clear the Tyra Xerg were stronger and possessed superior numbers. The effect of Viers¡¯ sacrifices was evident. ¡°Ah, and you don''t have to worry about her. She¡¯s a friend of mine. Zerrigan, meet Farley.¡± Viers added because the two looked uneasy. ¡°Nice to meet you, spirit. I hope for a cordial relationship.¡± ¡°Likewise, Queen of the Tyra Xerg. I¡¯m loyal to Lord Tanael so you don''t have to worry. Our positions are similar.¡± The two exchanged short business-like greetings then Zerrigan answered Viers¡¯ question. ¡°After the crystal was destroyed, all manner of resistance disappeared. Only 128 fell in battle. The stone constructs stopped in their tracks and the casters became unable to use spells, my children made short work of them. May we-¡± ¡°Fill their bellies, Zerri. Don''t waste food. But we can''t stay long. Other feasts await,¡± Viers smiled. ¡°We will be ready to move at your command. The heavily injured shall be taken care of. I¡¯ll be here if you need me.¡± The glimmer of intelligence in Xel Doggo¡¯s eye receded, signaling the Queen was no longer riding its mind but Viers knew she was always there, always watching. To Zerrigan, her children were as intimate as her own limbs. Limbs that she can create unceasingly. She means the Shredders will eat the ones that are too injured. How¡­ efficient. Far from being disgusted, Viers praised Tyra Xerg¡¯s way of recycling resources. I have about 750 Xerg left in my army. Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s enough. ¡°You¡¯ve done well too,¡± Viers said to Farley. ¡°It is my duty as your left arm, Lord Tanael.¡± Since they were on the outside, Farley used Viers'' alias. ¡°But I have something to inform you.¡± ¡°Our water Artes were weaker. The activation was sluggish and needed more control. I felt it too while battling Monus.¡± He knew the consequences of sacrificing a tier of his water affinity but feeling it firsthand made it hit home. There were 5 tiers of affinity. The difference between affinity 4 and 5 was not a simple twenty percent increase in power. It signified a closer distance from the source of magic. By having a soul 5 and a water 3 affinity at the same time, Viers could compare the difference between the two more starkly. ¡°I fear my ability to assist you has diminished even less,¡± Farley said forlornly. Viers touched her chin and raised it up. ¡°Chin up. Don''t worry about such a small thing. We¡¯ll get our affinity back and more.¡± ¡°If it all goes well,¡± Clarissa commented. ¡°If it doesn''t, we¡¯ll make it so,¡± Viers replied with determination. ¡°Once again, good job.¡± The petite, neck-length brunette nodded and went back to Viers¡¯ soul space. ¡°The world doesn''t always give what you want, Viers,¡± Paina warned. Viers smiled. ¡°That''s what my power is for. To bend the world to my liking.¡± ¡°The world will resist your attempts,¡± the lamia princess said. ¡°Whether they are people, demons, gods, or all of Creation¡­ They can try.¡± *** ¡°So demons with blood-colored skin are that way, and-¡± Viers pointed and moved his fingers to another direction. ¡°Human barbarians that way.¡± Still at the site of Airmaster¡¯s fallen base, Viers was planning where to lead his army next. Along with his super eyes, he also spread out the Shredders in all directions, the hope was to find foes but also allies. The barbarians he found on his own but the hive-minded Zerrigan informed him about the demons. ¡°Blood demons¡­ must be Izabella,¡± Clarissa said. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Same thought here,¡± Paina muttered. ¡°No other people have the likelihood to command that faction. As for human barbarians¡­¡± ¡°Sakuya and Green Scorpion are unlikely. Jaime is possible. The other remaining candidates are Dark Zero, Oscar, and Outcast.¡± With Airmaster dead, the people Farley mentioned were the remaining black spark holders left. Outcast was someone Viers designated as prey from way back in Stage 1. His battle strength was nothing special, above average but nowhere close to threatening Viers. However, he was resilient. He somehow survived until Stage 5. Just like Boram. I hope he¡¯s okay with the goodie goodie people. ¡°Dark Zero or Outcast then,¡± Clarissa concurred. ¡°Zerrigan, send a couple of messengers to the blood demons¡¯ place. If Iz is there, we can coordinate our movement. Meanwhile, we¡¯re gonna attack the barbarians. Since Oscar is a prideful highborn, it is unlikely he received barbarians as his faction. Can''t be sure though. Well, we¡¯re gonna bring them down nonetheless. Let¡¯s move out.¡± ¡°By your will,¡± Xel Doggo telephoned Zerrigan¡¯s response. The army moved with speed and efficiency. Viers knew marching an army had many complications but his army was an army of one thanks to the hive mind. In a few hours, he reached the periphery of his target. ¡°That¡¯s Dark Zero¡­ and he¡¯s going somewhere?¡± Viers spied from atop his mount. They had arrived moments before a retinue of warriors accompanied Dark Zero to sallying forth from the palisade of his base. ¡°Doesn''t seem he¡¯s realized our presence,¡± Paina said. Viers smiled. ¡°The defenses are very concentrated around the base. Too little map awareness. Newbie mistake, not enough micromanagement. I bet the fog of war clouded a lot of his minimap still.¡± ¡°Map awareness? Micromanagement? Fog of war?¡± ¡°Don''t mind, Paina. How far are Izabella¡¯s reinforcements?¡± ¡°They should be here in about an hour, Chief. The vanguard consists of fast-moving demons only.¡± ¡°Then we wait a bit. I¡¯d rather not waste the lives of our troops. And it raises the chance to kill him.¡± Viers would not allow Dark Zero Volod to live. He definitely bore a grudge against Viers since Stage 1, where he got kicked out of the top 10 because Viers challenged him at the last moment. Viers would not suffer a guy with such bad karma with him loose. Must tie loose ends before they become a problem. ¡°If Volod is about to return to his base before that, we¡¯ve got no choice but to attack on our own.¡± *** ¡°Haah¡­ haah¡­¡± Volod was sweating bullets, watching the people under his command die from fangs and claws. ¡°Haah¡­ haah¡­¡± His breath was heavy, the ambush came suddenly and he was trapped in the middle of blood and screams. The buffer between him and those things that meant to kill him was growing thinner by the second. ¡°Damn it!¡± Insects and demons joined hands to murder him. He wasn''t an idiot; he knew other trial takers were behind this. And a single name was the most likely among the bunch. Like hell I¡¯m gonna die here! Not to that fucker¡¯s hands! Before they got to him, Volod''s last act before his doom was taking out his spark and saying ¡°I give up!¡± loudly. The giving up feature existed since Stage 3. Although each stage had some differences in how the bailout worked, it could save one¡¯s life in the face of overwhelming adversaries. In Stage 5, giving up would not result in spark shard reduction. Volod would keep his life despite no longer being able to participate in the war against the aberrants. Eat shit, Tanael. You, won''t, get, a single shard of mine! It was a disgrace, Volod knew. He was outed in less than 24 hours before the last trial began. But it was substantially better than losing his life. However. ¡°Wha-!?¡± Volod didn''t get teleported to safety. ¡°Where are you going, Volod? You¡¯re the star of this party.¡± That male voice was bringing hate and dread to Volod¡¯s heart in equal measure. ¡°Tanael! Did you-¡± ¡°Attack you and your base at the same time? Why, I so hate for you to miss this wonderful reception so I must insist you stay. Thank me later.¡± If the kingdom was in the middle of an attack, the leader of the defending faction couldn¡¯t bailout. Either the player committed to the defenses or took the chicken way out and left the base ripe for the enemies to pluck. Once the kingdom fell they could give up but they needed to have the ability to survive or run away from the attackers first. ¡°I¡¯m willing to be your subordinate!¡± Before Tanael could launch his infamous sudden attack in the middle of talking, Volod knelt on the ground decisively. As the escape plan had failed, Volod offered Tanael his service for survival. Tanael looked intrigued. ¡°To survive, you¡¯re willing to put aside your pride and bow your head. I can respect that.¡± Hope returned to his eyes. ¡°Then-¡± Volod found there was a knife in his chest. The woman that stood on Tanael¡¯s side, Black Cat, a member of Tanael¡¯s group, struck. The blade was glowing blue from the enchantment; although it was unseen, for the blade had sunk entirely into the man¡¯s chest. ¡°Unfortunately, the Gloomsiders will be the only power block among the black spark side. We¡¯ll make it quick,¡± Tanael spoke callously. Volod sank into the feeling of self-mockery and clarity. ¡°He he heh¡­ hrrgh¡­ You pitiful lackey,¡± Volod spoke with a blood-soaked mouth to Izabella, grabbing her hand. ¡°He cares not about you. Stupid woman, he will hog the best benefits for himself.¡± Realizing he was at the end, a vicious glint emerged from the depths of Dark Zero¡¯ eyes. He should have done this from the start. His body glowed as his Victa rampaged all over his body. Black Cat finally realized what he was about to do and tried to get away but Volod held her hand with no intention of letting go. ¡°I¡¯m taking you down with me!!¡± Arte - Intio Destruction! Two things happened almost at the same time. Izabella swished her hand and a red needle penetrated the chest of Volod. Tanael jumped and from above shot a pinpoint Vengeful Spirit Arte right at the crown of Volod¡¯s head so as to not injure Izabella. The suicide bomb was diffused before it could explode. Volod fell as his soul suffered extreme injuries and his Victa leaked. ¡°...That was close,¡± Izabella wiped the sweat on her brows. She was close to death or fatal injuries a moment ago. ¡°A bit overkill by using your needle but excellent survival instinct,¡± Tanael commented. ¡°Not trusting me to protect you?¡± ¡°...I¡¯d rather not place my life in the hands of others,¡± Iz warily replied. ¡°That¡¯s good and I respect that. I really do. I prefer the same,¡± Tanael checked Volod¡¯s situation. ¡°And he¡¯s not wrong, you know. I¡¯ll hog the best benefits for myself.¡± ¡°We have a contract,¡± Izabella replied with uneasiness in her voice. ¡°Allow me to explain. Even though I¡¯ll take the best food, there¡¯s plenty of delicious food left on the table. That''s how I roll. I won''t be mean to the people who are useful to me. What¡¯s the point? Come on. Let¡¯s clean up the rest and find the rest of the Gloomsiders.¡± *** ¡°Found you!¡± Oscar¡¯s expression was like a kid receiving a Christmas gift. He looked at the giant lump of flesh on a crater from afar. While Tanael was traveling with his army, Oscar caught his trail and followed their tracks. Oscar saw the insects and demons¡¯ assault against Dark Zero and who their masters were but he didn''t participate. Instead, Oscar went in the direction Tanael came from and found his base. Tanael brought the army with him. The castle defenses are thin. This is my chance! ¡°Summon the army,¡± Oscar spoke to the armored High-Orc beside him. ¡°We¡¯ll destroy Tanael¡¯s base while he¡¯s strutting about like a cocky peacock.¡± Chapter 185 Oscar Regisea, a young man with the physique that made women fawn all over him, was leading his army of towering muscles and steel across the plains. High-Orcs. Oscar had never seen one before, only their depictions in the scrolls in his family¡¯s library. He did know why his troops consisted of the greenskin. They were known as big, dumb brutes, a race who was just marginally better than monsters. A far cry from his own noble origin. But his orcs were not mere orcs, his assistant said, High-Orcs. They were all of the orcs and more. A combination of brawn and brain. The army¡¯s condition was good too, well equipped and well trained. Fighting ten of them at the same time would have been bad, even for him. It was a shame though, that his beautiful assistant turned into a big greenskin as well. She was now taller than him and her neck was thicker than his thigh. Oscar quite liked her cute face. But that was only a trivial matter. What really mattered was that Oscar was on the losing end of this Trial of Fire. Only nine black spark holders remained and four were already in a group, led by the most abhorrent man in the whole trial, Tanael. The man was a vicious son of a bitch. No respect for his fellow human beings and he killed as easily as turning one¡¯s hand. His presence and influence grew larger each Stage like a self-propagating fart, engulfing everything with its unpleasant smell. The conundrum was this guy was strong. Strong enough to be a menace! Too strong even. Oscar recalled the scene at the finals of Stage 4, where Tanael and Troy fought. Troy was Oscar¡¯s rival for years; their strength was almost equal. Since Troy lost, didn''t it mean Oscar would lose too? Afterwards, the thought haunted him every step he took. As someone who was raised by a Level 5 Pathseeker, his education had encompassed many things, including the matters of war. He realized Stage 5 was another dangerous arena for him. Four out of nine were in an alliance. Should they move together, they would have the numbers to bury the rest. Oscar also wanted to have a group like that but it was not meant to be. In Stage 3 he slaughtered the weak for his own power growth and no one wanted to group up with him from that point on. If there were competent people among them then he might let that guy live but there was none. Tanael managed to gather three highly capable individuals despite his vile actions, making Oscar¡¯s guts boil in anger. And this was before taking into account the sacrifices of this bunch that called themselves Gloomsiders, the snobbish pricks. Earlier, he saw Tanael¡¯s left arm missing. He didn''t think it was from combat so it must be a sacrifice. The implication of it gladdened and frightened him at the same time. Therefore, he must strike the enemy at its weakest, like a coward. It was the same as admitting he couldn''t defeat them in a straight-up battle. He! Oscar Regisea, the proud scion of a Level 5 admitting he was inferior to these nobodies who crawled out from the upturned bark of society like insects. His ego felt like it was axed. But, losing was a greater humiliation still. He would prevail. Considering Tanael¡¯s tendency for a decisive attack early in the battle¡¯s beginning, Oscar predicted Tanael would aggressively attack his neighbors. It was a sound plan; either Tanael¡¯s enemies would decrease or his allies would increase. But therein lay an opening, one that Oscar grasped. If he could bring down Tanael¡¯s kingdom while he was out conquering then he might win this yet. By using a precious magic item to scout the land and spreading his forces wide, Oscar found Tanael without him finding out. He also got Outcast and took care of him on the way. At the prospect of victory, Oscar¡¯s heart was elated. He led the entirety of his force to attack Tanael¡¯s thinly guarded base. He committed his force for an all-out attack. Clad in a polished enchanted armor and his trusted spear in hand, Oscar would cut open a path to victory. *** ¡°Chief, enemies are coming,¡± Zerrigan conveyed. One of his brows rose, that was his only reaction. ¡°What are they?¡± ¡°They are big green-skinned brutes in metal armor, Chief. From the eyes of the scouts at least five hundred are coming toward the Nest. They will arrive in an hour.¡± ¡°¡­Orcs? Oscar¡­¡± Seeing her ally suddenly stop in the middle of a talk, Izabella asked. ¡°Tanael? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oscar is leading a great army to destroy my base.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible! We should turn back immediately!¡± ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Viers assumed a thinking pose. I hoped I would have at least one day so Zerrigan could birth more Xerg but that¡¯s too optimistic it seems. The combined force of Tanael and Black Cat were currently attacking the base of the rot demons, Green Scorpion Fajrin¡¯s faction. It was going well. Too well. There wasn''t much resistance at all and there was no trace of the earth and mind dual affinity cultist from the start, not even a shadow. ¡°Zerrigan, did you find him?¡± ¡°No, Chief.¡± ¡°Shit. He might be already gone. Either he gave up before we assaulted the walls or he ran away from the base on his own early.¡± This cheap Zorian is really good at staying out of harm''s way¡­ Fajrin showed the tendency of a cockroach villain that just wouldn''t die. With this, he had escaped from Viers¡¯ lethal grip three times. ¡°W-Why are you so calm about this? Come on, there¡¯s not a second to waste. It might be too late already. I told you this was a reckless strategy from the start!¡± Izabella was panicking more than Viers. Heh, Viers scoffed. Of course it is a bold strategy but I kept a safety measure just in case. ¡°A fourth of the Shredders stay here until you destroy the crystal. The rest of us will turn back to reinforce you now. Hold the line, Zerri.¡± ¡°I will await your return, Master Chief.¡± Viers turned Xel Doggo to Izabella. ¡°Where¡¯s Jaime and his dark elf army now?¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Jaime¡¯s starting location was closer to Izabella so the two made contact first. ¡°On his way here.¡± ¡°Send word and get him to adjust course to my place.¡± ¡°Got it. Still think we won¡¯t make it in time. We need at least two hours¡­ Can the queen hold that long?¡± ¡°She¡¯s got help. Let¡¯s go! Gondor calls for aid!¡± *** Night. Sakaki Sakuya never thought that one day she would stand on a battlefield. Should there be a war, she thought she would be doing work in the shadows, assassination and stuff. Instead, she was now standing in an open field, in the way of hundreds of screaming well-armored orcs and her shield wall -if it could be called that- was nimble ninjas and some weird insectoid dogs. ¡°Sakuya-sama,¡± her handsome male ninja assistant pulled her from her musings. ¡°The men are ready. We await your command.¡± Sakuya only nodded. Her thoughts were murky thinking that many people under her command would undoubtedly fall in the coming battle. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve asked this of you,¡± Sakuya turned to her ninjas. ¡°We¡¯re yours to command, Sakuya-sama. We¡¯ll give our lives to accomplish the mission,¡± her assistant said like a loyal retainer. She was ashamed to not carry the same determination as her men. A few hours ago, a Tyra Xerg came to her ninja village and claimed to speak on behalf of Tanael. Using the creature as a communication relay -Zerrigan conveying what Viers said- he instructed Sakuya to guard the Nest, bringing her whole force. ¡°Don''t worry even if you leave your crystal unguarded. If someone attacks then let it be destroyed. I¡¯ll share my shard gains from the Aberrants with you if that happens. Just make sure my base stands,¡± Tanael said. Sakuya felt a massive amount of gratitude towards Tanael so she would do it. But there was a single snag. ¡°Tanael-sama. Normally I¡¯d gladly give my life for the mission but this time I cannot. I must survive Stage 5 and break the curse of my clan. If things go bleak, I will run away¡­ Forgive me.¡± The shame was unbearable, to treat her benefactor so. But her kin was counting on her. She would condemn them to a very cruel fate should she fail here. Therefore, she must swallow the bitter pill of disgrace. Instead of scorn, her savior replied with understanding and wisdom. ¡°Of course you must do so. This is not your place to die. And I¡¯m not an incompetent commander that just tells his men to get it done while tumbling his thumbs, you know. Here¡¯s my strategy¡­¡± Ah, Tanael-sama¡­ What a great lord you are. ¡°Miss Sakuya, the Chief has been informed and is on his way. He wished you good fortune in battle,¡± a Shredder hissed and Zerrigan¡¯s voice reached Sakuya¡¯s mind. ¡°Thank you, Zerrigan-san. Let¡¯s do this!¡± A thousand ninjas and a hundred Shredders against a thousand High-Orcs. The battle began immediately, without dialogue from the leaders of both sides. The orcs were like a force of nature made of metal. Those heavy infantries would stomp Sakuya¡¯s ninjas with impunity. When the orcs got close to the shieldless shield wall, the ninjas scattered. Thinking they got the upper hand, the orcs pursued. But the ninjas were faster than the orcs. This early in Stage 5, neither force had units that could deal ranged attacks. So the orcs chased the ninjas who were all over the place. Then the mounted units struck. Sakuya and the other ninjas rode the pony-sized insects. The one hundred makeshift light cavalry charged from the side and pulled back before going too deep. There was a reason the defenders didn''t turtle up in the Nest. Viers¡¯ tactic was using the mobility of his forces. Not to stop the charge of the enemy head-on but to whittle them down from the periphery. It was a rough tactic. The cavalry didn''t even have spears let alone bows. The ninjas attacked the ax-wielding orcs using knives. It was quite messy. Sakuya¡¯s side was at a disadvantage. No matter the tactics, the orcs were superior in close combat. Three or four ninjas died for every orc but it was a trade Sakuya willingly took. As the battle went on, the orcs began to ignore the fleeing ninjas and went straight at Viers¡¯ main keep but the ninjas harassed them constantly, making them slow down to a crawl. Then, on the already loud battlefield, an even louder crack resounded. Oscar¡¯s lightning bolt was coming at Sakuya¡¯s side but she managed to dodge it at the last second. The bolt incinerated the ninja behind her as the mounted Shredder shrieked in pain. ¡°Die, bitch of Tanael!¡± The two leaders began a showdown of skill. Vicious lightning threatened Sakuya¡¯s life. A missed blast at the ground made her fall from her mount. She rolled and got up immediately only to see a two-and-a-half-meter tall orc swinging his ax down at her head. Arte - Shadow Trick! The orc missed her head because he thought Sakuya¡¯s head was somewhere else. The Arte messed with his sense of sight. Sakuya used this moment to slide under the orc¡¯s legs, giving a cut in the process. The place she fell was bad, too many orcs in the surroundings. Sakuya dodged the first ax swing by turning her body and ducking low for the second. She used the knee and shoulder of an orc to jump high and landed behind the encirclement with the nimbleness of a cat. A spear with crackling lightning flashed at the edge of her vision. A shiver of dread on her neck. Arte - Wood Man! Root Constraint! A man-shaped construct emerged from the ground, taking the spear with its body. Tree roots entangled the attacker, stopping his charge short. The spear was inches away from Sakuya¡¯s neck. Oscar¡­ What speed and power! Sakuya knew her opponent was a top-class fighter in the entire Book World. She knew she wasn''t his match but she had to stall him. She ran, throwing a poisoned kunai as she did so. Oscar batted it aside easily and chased after her while letting out spear stabs. ¡°Khhh!¡± One grazed her on the stomach. She kept running, using the chaotic battlefield to her advantage. Oscar¡¯s spear went through an orc¡¯s armored body when she was hiding behind him. It impaled her shoulder and a jolt of electricity ravaged her body. Sakuya gritted her teeth and made eye contact with Oscar. Suddenly Oscar was on a plain surrounded by wild beasts of all kinds, charging at him. ¡°Illusion. Arte - Lightning Creating Clear Sky!¡± Osar raised his spear to the sky and a line of lightning rose to the sky, shattering the world of illusion in an instant. When he blinked, he saw Sakuya¡¯s surprised eyes and coughing blood. This kind of technique often created a backlash to the user when broken. ¡°Earth-Shattering Lightning!¡± Oscar didn''t hold back and unleashed a downward strike from a high stance. It hit Sakuya¡¯s head and split her body into two. But the body turned into leaves and scattered in the air. Oscar frowned and saw Sakuya running at a distance. He was about to pursue but Sakuya disappeared after throwing a smoke bomb to the ground. Sakuya made her way to safety, gasping for air. Her body still spasmed from the lightning back then. Tanael-sama defeated Troy who was at the same level as Oscar. Meanwhile, it took everything I had just to stay alive. I couldn''t even injure him to slow him down. Sakuya ate a red pill to stop her bleeding. I used Mirage Leaf Dance Arte, I can¡¯t escape death the same way for another twelve hours. Sakuya felt powerless. Without Sakuya, the ninjas were getting hit hard by the orcs and their master; AoE lightning Artes laid waste to many. The harassment continued but the orcs made it to the crater. Sakuya and Zerrigan pulled their forces back to the Nest, where they would do their last stand. Some ninjas didn''t make it in time and got left on the outside. The gate held for some time but Oscar¡¯s Arte pried it open as Sakuya could do nothing but watch. Sakuya clenched her fists. No¡­ I failed. Tanael-sama¡­ I can''t even repay my debt. PWUUUUUUU¡ª¡ª In her despair, she heard a horn. An army appeared on the edge of the crater, the rising sun on their back. Tyra Xerg, blood demons, and dark elves. Two tears fell from Sakuya¡¯s eyes. *** Tanael rode on his steed at the front of the army, watching as orcs laid siege on his castle. ¡°Conquest, take your demons down the left flank,¡± he commanded. ¡°Understood,¡± Izabella went to her army. ¡°Zerrigan, follow my advance down the center.¡± ¡°War, take your company right, before you pass Famine¡¯s army.¡± ¡°Forth, and fear no darkness!¡± Tanael raised his sword. Not his katana, it was a sword he looted from someone. A really shiny sword. ¡°Arise, arise, Riders of Tanael!¡± His voice reached every ear in the army of three races. ¡°Spear shall be shaken, shield shall be splintered¡­ A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!¡± The Tyra Xerg barred their teeth. The blood demons growled. The dark elves gripped their weapons hard. ¡°Ride now, ride now, ride!¡± Tanael strode across, passing the individuals at the very front with a sword reflecting the light of the morning sun. ¡°Ride for ruin and the world''s ending!¡± ¡°Death!¡± The army roared. ¡°Death!¡± A war-cry of thousands. ¡°Death!¡± Jaime and Izabella shouted with all of their lungs. Never before had they felt something like this. They had this inexplicable sensation that they were becoming a part of a legend. ¡°Forth Apocalypse!¡± Tanael rode forward at the tip of the spear, an army of monsters followed him. Heaven and earth quaked. Chapter 185 - The Return of the King Chapter 186 - Four VS One When he saw the army arrive, Oscar knew his chances of victory plummeted; the chilling cold crept up his spine. There were two paths before him. He could order his orcs to disengage and retreat, ordering them to stall the enemies until he could get away. It would result in the orcs¡¯ decimation and the following assault on his base would result in its total destruction. Stage 5 would basically be over for him. But he would be alive. The other option was a grim one: to press the attack. The castle¡¯s gate had been pried open. Even if Oscar could destroy Tanael¡¯s crystal, he would be surrounded by hostile forces. If he was able to cut open a path of life from there, there might still be a chance for him to clinch a victory. But it was a big if. A defeat with a high chance of survival or a victory with a high chance of death, those were his options. ¡­I am Oscar Regisea, and I am NOT a coward! Oscar led a vanguard of High-Orcs and went deeper into the Nest, leaving the rest of his army to stall Tanael¡¯s forces. It was a fatal mistake. The inside of the Nest was by no means undefended. Sakuya and her remaining ninjas utilized the tunnels and corridors of the ant nest-like structure to ambush Oscar and his orcs. Meanwhile, bulky insects with thick carapace that served as moving blockades hampered his path. After slogging through hardships, in a big chamber, Oscar found a group of four people waiting for him. The Gloomsiders were arrayed against him. ¡°YOU SHALL NOT PASS!¡± Tanael struck the ground with his staff, sending a ring of soul energy spreading outward. It was impressive to look at but not a real attack. Nevertheless, Oscar felt his blood turn to ice. ¡°Hey! Careful with that!¡± Izabella protested. ¡°Sorry,¡± Tanael gave the Staff of Pestilence back to her undamaged before addressing Oscar. ¡°There are side entrances, y¡¯know,¡± Tanael sneered. ¡°Well, while your orcs get eaten, let¡¯s get star-¡± ¡°Tanael! I challenge you to a duel!¡± Oscar¡¯s voice echoed in the big chamber. ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°You and me. Fight one-on-one, with our honor at the line!¡± Oscar said righteously. ¡°And why, by all that is holy, should I accept?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re certain you¡¯ll win, you¡¯ll accept. Should you not, it is a sign of cowardice. Dueling is a true test of men, show me your resolve.¡± Oscar made a stance with his spear, electricity sparked from his body. Ready and equipped for battle. ¡°He¡¯s got a point,¡± Jaime looked amused. ¡°What are you going to do, Death?¡± Lesse¡­ Is there a line in the Evil Overlord List for this kind of development? ¡°That question is in your department, War. If you have superior power and numbers against your enemy, why would you duel him mano a mano?¡± ¡°...Satisfaction? I want to fight Aravin one on one, that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Defeating a whining Meatbag in a duel will bring me no satisfaction though. And accepting his proposal also means I¡¯m a gullible fool so the answer is no,¡± Tanael looked at Oscar with pity. ¡°Are you going to cry to daddy dear now?¡± ¡°Look at your cowardly leader, you three,¡± Oscar said. ¡°You still follow a prideless lowlife like him?¡± ¡°I take pride in the fact that I am not as stupid as you think. Drown him in Artes, guys.¡± Tanael said with a flick of his hand, as if diminishing something insignificant. The other three horsemen moved simultaneously. ¡°Lowborn worms! Zeta!¡± ¡°Screee!¡± From a yellow ball in Oscar¡¯s hand appeared a lightning-clad bird of prey. ¡°That¡¯s a Thunderbird,¡± Izabella gasped. ¡°A beautiful bonded monster,¡± Jaime''s sword swirled with darkness. Is that a freaking Pokeball!? Tanael eyed the object in Oscar¡¯s hand with envy and greed. It will be mine! Objects that could house living beings were much rarer than the regular storage items. It might be useful for Dia. ¡°Way of Rexilos!¡± Oscar shouted his Arte¡¯s name and his energy spiked, deflecting War¡¯s sword and Conquest¡¯s Firebolt. Oscar was going all out. A super-mode, pretty powerful too. Probably won''t last long. The most sensible strategy is to evade him until he burns out but I can''t let him reach Zerri¡¯s chamber. Tanael swatted the lightning attack from the Thunderbird as he approached Sakuya. ¡°Famine, deal with the bird. Take it easy, you¡¯re still injured.¡± The bird was weaker than Oscar, Tanael was giving her the easy job and she knew it. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tanael-sama¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done well. Survive. Your clan needs you,¡± Tanael gave her a pat on the head before dashing to the other opponent. ¡°Blessing of Flowers.¡± Famine gave the other three horsemen buffs as a parting gift before focusing on the angry bird. Conquest conjured a fire snake and manipulated it skillfully with the red wand in her hand. Izabella¡¯s fire Artes were not very strong but she made up for her lack of strength using various enchanted items at her disposal. ¡°Shadow¡¯s Edge!¡± War plunged. ¡°Watch out!¡± Death tackled War from the side. They tumbled to the ground. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Look closely.¡± War invoked his investigative method and he saw tens of invisible wires around Oscar. It was Oscar¡¯s Unseen Lightning Crisscross Arte. ¡°Those things are sharp. If you keep attacking you¡¯ll get cut and diced.¡± ¡°A little help here!¡± Conquest''s barrier was being attacked by a furious and scowling Oscar. ¡°Arte - Victa Overload!¡± War shouted. Oscar¡¯s body trembled. His Victa was unstable so his Arte was disturbed and couldn''t be invoked properly, resulting in a backlash. Oscar managed to minimize the damage to his body. A lesser Pathseeker would suffer thrice as much damage to their Victa pathways. Jaime Sigley chose the name Backlasher in the Book World because of his ability to turn his enemies¡¯ skills against them. Oscar didn''t let out his attack at Conquest. Her barrier was on the verge of collapse but Death came to her rescue, unleashing a high kick to Oscar¡¯s head. It got blocked by the shaft of a spear but a pulse of energy knocked the lightning user back to the fleshy wall of the Nest. Desolate Dive Arte was a high-speed descent from a jump as an attack. It was not always suitable so Tanael created an alternative way of utilizing it, by incorporating Arte''s power into his strikes, to kicks and punches. The inspiration for the knockback pulses that he could create came from a superhero king that wore a panther habit. ¡°Bunch of trash! Rumbling Lightning!!¡± War evaded the crackling lightning bolt but Oscar¡¯s aim was not him, it was his Thunderbird familiar. ¡°Screeee!¡± Empowered by the jolt, the avian unleashed an even more powerful lightning bolt at Famine. Sakuya¡¯s face changed color. She didn''t know if her Shukuchi would make it in time but the lightning bolt turned. An orb in Conquest¡¯s hand absorbed the lightning. ¡°Made it,¡± Izabella sighed in relief. ¡°Acha-cha! Hot hot!¡± She let the scalding orb fall to the ground. ¡°Darkbringer!¡± A mighty, dark sword blast from War landed squarely on Oscar. He let out a grunt of pain but was still fine. It should have severely injured him but the son of a Level 5 was only slightly wounded. ¡°Hehehe,¡± Death grinned. ¡°This is almost bullying. I wonder how many more life-saving items you have? It won''t be enough.¡± ¡°Fuck you all to Hell!¡± Oscar didn''t realize it but there was only desperation in his voice. *** Viers watched the unconscious Oscar from behind bars of flesh. They were in the Nest¡¯s dungeon. The battle was over after breaking eleven of Oscar¡¯s life-saving methods. It took quite a bit of Victa from the four. Sakuya aggravated her injuries from the fight and now underwent healing. The other three also did not come out unscathed from the battle. Partly because I didn''t go all out during the fight. Even counting the injuries and the Victa spending, it is still cheaper compared to the fight with Troy. ¡°So, mind telling us the reason you¡¯re keeping him alive? Izabella was pretty upset she won''t get one-fourth of Oscar¡¯s shards,¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°The bloodthirsty Viers did not kill his opponent? Has Hell frozen over or something?¡± Paina wondered. ¡°Because it is in my best interest.¡± Viers told his tenants about his prediction of the future after referencing his wealth of experience in cultivation stories¡¯ development. Should he kill Oscar, a prominent member of a house that ruled the city, upheaval would follow. A revenge-seeking father would seek him out, causing a travel ban, political and social disruptions, and so on. The killing of Oscar would cause a chain of developments that revolve around that mess. One that will most likely become Viers¡¯ next arc. It was not something that Viers wanted to see. He wanted to peacefully grow roots and establish his base, a plan that got postponed after his sudden kidnapping by Aletro. Stability in the city was in his best interest. Some time off from the killing would also allow him to consolidate the gains he got from the entirety of Aletro¡¯s Trial of Fire. His identity as Tanael already warranted inquisition by the sheer number of people he killed. People would seek him out once the trial was over, especially if he managed to defeat Anne and emerged as the number one. Viers planned to hide Tanael¡¯s identity tight while letting the heat die down. ¡°Isn''t it too late for that? Whether Oscar dies or not, people will turn over every rock and search every crevice to find you,¡± Paina said a logical thing. ¡°Oscar¡¯s father, uncle, and aunt are Level 5s, the central pillars of the city. Making it personal for them matters. I¡¯m not afraid of people investigating me because I plan to use my shards to get something that will hide me from investigation methods from Aletro. What I don¡¯t want is the city¡¯s infrastructure thrown into chaos.¡± Viers made a sagely expression. ¡°Knowing your limits is very important. Villains that can only go murderhobo don''t live long. Yes, I could kill him and get his shards and soul but then what? Fighting the Aberrants should give us more than enough shards. Every Stage so far gave an increasing amount of shards. Stage 5¡¯s harvest will be plenty if we do it right. Let Oscar rot in the dungeon until it is all over.¡± ¡°Oscar will live, though. You usually kill potential threats right away. ¡®Pruning future troubles¡¯, your words. Why not this time? Are you not afraid he will make problems for you in the future?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°On the outside I will be Avel, not Tanael. And I figured he will not be too much of a threat.¡± ¡°Son of a Level 5 is not a threat?¡± Farley tilted her head. ¡°Oscar lacks the MC Factor. I will kill people having that as soon as possible, but he isn''t one of them. People without a MC Factor¡¯s threat are only temporary, impermanent. I will defeat them given enough time.¡± Viers had no doubt whatsoever he could surpass them. ¡°If these mooks manage to kill me, I only have myself to blame for neglecting my training. Still, this ¡®letting your enemies live¡¯ thing should be reduced to the minimum. I hope this never happens again.¡± ¡°Hmn¡­ I see you have thought this through. I''m not one hundred percent in agreement though. By the way, you really like hiding, Viers.¡± Clarissa amusedly said. ¡°Becoming invisible in the shadows, erasing evidence after a crime, changing face easily, shielding your mind, making your fate seem insignificant to not be found¡­ Ufufu, Lord Viers is actually more secretive than a cultist of the Seven Devils,¡± Farley smiled. ¡°Those who have done nothing wrong have nothing to hide. Viers is the very opposite of this,¡± Paina sighed. ¡°And I¡¯m proud of it! I¡¯m a villain, which means I do bad things. Things that will make people despise me. I need to hide and run from them until I grow strong enough to kill them. Cowardly? Despicable? People can call me whatever they want. Let them whine while I rise ever higher. One day I will stand in the sky and look down upon them, crawling in the dirt.¡± Fang Yuan showed me how it is done. To me, he¡¯s the pinnacle of evil xianxia MCs. I¡¯m standing on the shoulders of giants. Viers left the unconscious Oscar to his long and boring days in the slammer. The face he made when he woke up would be a delight to see but Viers had no time to wait for his awakening. He had armies to raise and wars to wage. Chapter 187 - Unification ¡°All the hostile parties in the Blacklands have been subdued. Their crystals, destroyed. This great feat has been achieved in one day. Long may you reign, Master Chief Tanael.¡± Zerrigan informed the guy who sat on the throne made of flesh. Viers wanted skulls but the orcs hadn¡¯t been processed yet so he¡¯d have to do with what he had on hand. ¡°And so the land is united under a single leader. I crown myself the first Emperor of the Blacklands, Vi Shi Huang! Shower me with praises, my loyal subjects.¡± Zerrigan bowed her big alien body while Sakuya¡¯s awkward clap echoed in the silent chamber. Izabella and Jaime didn''t know how to react. Unlike the trio inside his head, the Gloomsiders experienced Viers¡¯ antics for the first time. ¡°We should burn books, bury scholars, and raise a great wall to protect our domain!¡± Emperor Vi Shi Huang proposed. The others became more and more confused. Even Zerrigan didn''t know what to do. ¡°As you command, but where are the books and scholars?¡± The Queen of a new species telepathically conversed. ¡°Ehem, I couldn''t resist. Apologies. That¡¯s enough tomfoolery from me. Let¡¯s get to work. To the command room.¡± There were many rooms in the Nest, a particular room was chosen by Viers to put his operational affairs to play. The other three followed him but Zerrigan remained in the chamber. Xel Doggo followed the Gloomsiders in her stead, which didn''t make much difference for Zerrigan. Inside the command room, there was a big map carved on the fleshy floor, a map of Stage 5. Using her children, Zerrigan had unraveled the empty areas and filled the map with points of interest. ¡°Firstly, my gratitude for all of your aid, horsemen. I couldn¡¯t have done this without you.¡± That¡¯s not true but hearing it will make them feel good. ¡°As you can see, we have no enemy factions left in our sphere of influence. That means we can gather resources aggressively and focus on building our bases for the month. You three have experienced something similar in Stage 3 so you already know what to do.¡± Viers began explaining while the three examined the map with interest. ¡°I killed Airmaster and Dark Zero. Outcast got outed by Oscar so he¡¯s not on the board anymore. Oscar is incarcerated. That leaves one: Green Scorpion Fajrin. He has no base but the person himself is still lurking somewhere. Guard your bases and always have protection while traveling. Don''t underestimate what a single person can do to sabotage your base. He¡¯s a mind-earth dual affinity Pathseeker and a cultist of the Seven Devils.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re restless after leaving your bases bare of protection. I¡¯m pleased to tell you that Zerrigan¡¯s scouts reported they¡¯re still fine, be at ease.¡± ¡°As you can see on the map, the Aberrants lie to our north and our competitors are to our west. I believe we should establish a line of defense at our borders but that is a matter for the future.¡± Perhaps building a great wall isn''t really a jest. ¡°When you go home, a Xerg will accompany you so we can communicate easily, since Zerrigan has superior range compared to Iz¡¯s device. I believe this is it for the time being. Let¡¯s schedule the next meeting in three days. If there¡¯s nothing else-¡± ¡°Emperor Huang,¡± someone spoke up. ¡°Stop it, I was just joking earlier. What is it, J?¡± ¡°I don''t care if you¡¯re emperor or devil or whatever. As long as you help me kill Aravin. I want to stay here. To train with that.¡± Ah, Viers smiled in his mind. Hooked up with my Grid game/training regimen, are you? ¡°What about your faction?¡± ¡°You can take over. I don''t care about shards. My skills are more important.¡± Jaime gripped the handle of his sword. ¡°Very well. Is there anything else? ¡­See you next time then. Conquest, Famine, I¡¯ll see you off.¡± The boys and girls of the Gloomsiders said their goodbyes at the main gate of the Nest that Oscar broke. The signs of battle were still fresh. The Shredders were carrying the orc corpses for processing. ¡°This is my token of thanks for having my back.¡± Viers sent Sakuya some of his spark shards, half of Oscar¡¯s shards. In the war against Oscar, her efforts were not small and Viers acknowledged that. But because Viers hadn''t extorted Oscar for his shards yet, this came out of his own pocket. Oscar had defeated Outcast and took his shards so his count was at 600,000-ish. A part of Sakuya wanted to refuse but she also desperately needed shards for the curse-breaking method. With Oscar¡¯s share, she had already gathered around 400,000 shards. Only 100,000 more before she amassed the necessary amount. Then it was Izabella¡¯s turn. ¡°Here¡¯s your share.¡± A fourth of Oscar¡¯s shards, 150,000. Sakuya''s share was bigger because she bought time for Viers to return. If Jaime didn''t forgo his share, Viers would have ended up with a deficiency. And yet it was a price he gladly paid for uniting the whole Blacklands in one day. ¡°This is a lot of shards¡­¡± Iz muttered. Similar to Sakuya, she also wanted shards, badly. The more she had, the better things she would be able to get from Aletro in the end, which would increase the chance to rescue her sister from Azkaban. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve plundered all of Airmaster and Dark Zero¡¯s. Still have more than 500,000. When the war against the Aberrants begins, my army will be ready to devour them. Fresh meat and shards.¡± Besides, there were still fat targets among the white spark holders. While looking at Sakuya and Jaime saying goodbyes, Izabella spoke softly. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Jaime¡¯s not planning to live through this trial, is he?¡± Anyone that had future plans would not let go of the chance to gain something from Aletro. Since Jaime seemed unconcerned about his spark shards since Stage 4, she put the two and two together. ¡°I made it clear to him his chance of survival would be one in a million,¡± Viers replied with a whisper. If he¡¯s a hero it means certain success but he¡¯s a villain. He will probably die while fighting the Harem MC. ¡°It is disheartening. I consider him a friend, you know. He took some time to get used to, but he¡¯s growing on me.¡± ¡°So do I, but it¡¯s what he wants. You¡¯ll also wager your life for your sister, will you not?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Izabella said without hesitation. A few meters away, Jaime said something and Sakuya laughed. ¡°Sakuya would be sad,¡± Iz had become fond of the younger girl after their time together. ¡°Can we help?¡± ¡°That one in a million is already factoring in our help. Aravin is that much of a threat. Even I don''t have a 100% chance of survival.¡± ¡°I don''t think Aravin is that much of a big deal though. I¡¯ve seen him fight with my own eyes. Are you not making a mountain out of an anthill?¡± Izabella was skeptical. ¡°Ah, famous last words from those who met their demise fighting Aravin¡¯s archetype. What you have seen is his surface strength. Who knows what kind of things are hidden underneath¡­ And that firebird¡¯s strength is greater still. If I don''t have Jaime at my side, I won¡¯t mess with Aravin and only focus on Anne. I won''t survive them both. I¡¯m sure of this.¡± The two fell into a short silence. ¡°I¡¯ll need to borrow your needle to bleed Oscar¡¯s Victa dry once it is available,¡± Viers broke the ice. ¡°Got it. Take care of yourself, Tanael,¡± Izabella mounted a Shredder. ¡°Sakuya, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Haiii~ Tanael-sama, Jaime-sama, until we meet again,¡± Sakuya waved with a big smile plastered on her face. The two boys remained until the girls and their armies went quite far before going back into the Nest. ¡°Alright Jaime, ready to fight Simulacrum Oscar one on one?¡± ¡°Bring it!¡± *** Because he chose to go on a slaughtering spree, Viers missed the opportunity of base building in Stage 3. He didn''t think he would get a second chance to experience that. ¡°The main gatherable resources are gold, lumber, ore, and rich gas.¡± ¡°Mm-hmm¡­ But why do we need them again?¡± Viers asked Zerrigan who resumed giving him the interrupted tutorial. ¡°For raising specific buildings. Those buildings in turn improve my children. They provide upgrades such as having metal fitted onto my children¡¯s claws, reinforcing their bones, and so on.¡± ¡°I see¡­ So how do we get different types of Tyra Xergs? Shredders are great but they are basic units. I want more diversity, like bone shooters or acid spitters.¡± ¡°Once those buildings are built, I can start giving birth to them. That¡¯s what the information in my head tells me.¡± ¡°Those buildings are fleshy and organic-like, right? Take this particular building, ¡®spawning pool¡¯¡­ What¡¯s the use of wood and gold in the building process?¡± ¡°...Apologies. I am not clear.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not blaming you.¡± Let¡¯s just say Aletro¡¯s game design is not perfect. ¡°Because of my condition, I need biomass to birth more children. There¡¯s a type of structure that Chief can build to turn inorganic resources into food.¡± ¡°Doesn''t seem worrying. From our scouting, we know there are monster nests in the area that continually produce monsters where we can farm for food. All in all, everything is pretty on track and stable. Follow the building queue I gave you for now.¡± ¡°Yes, Master Chief.¡± Viers and Xel Doggo were walking in a corridor, entering a chamber directly below Zerrigan¡¯s main body. ¡°There they are¡­¡± Viers watched the one hundred eggs of Tyra Xerg, each as big as a man¡¯s torso, with emotion. From the time Zerrigan laid them, a day would be needed for them to hatch and two more days until they were fully grown. In three days, Viers would have a hundred new combat-ready Shredders. Given enough biomass, Zerrigan could lay more than a hundred eggs each day. Got to keep an eye on the food upkeep though. Don''t want my Xerg to die of starvation. Viers browsed the ¡®units¡¯ of Tyra Xerg that he could have in the future. There were about fifteen types of them. ¡°Zerri, I have monster corpses, a lot of them. If you eat them, can you use the genetic materials you gather to create custom Xerg or improve these ones? For example, can you give them stronger muscles or wings?¡± ¡°...I believe not. At least the current me can''t do it. My children¡¯s improvement is limited by the buildings and upgrades. Perhaps it is because we are in the Book World? But I don''t want to give you false hope. It is¡­ unlikely, Chief.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Viers felt a bit disappointed. ¡°I-I am truly sorry for my lack of ability!¡± Zerrigan sensed her master¡¯s dissatisfaction. ¡°No, don''t be. You¡¯ve done nothing wrong. We¡¯ll do something about it in the future. Let¡¯s focus on the now. Once we have some leeway on units, I want some eyes on the Whitelands. Let''s find out how our seventeen competitors are holding up.¡± ¡°As you command, Master Chief.¡± ¡°Ehh, let¡¯s change that calling. At first it was just a flight of fancy but after thinking about it, it doesn''t really fit me. Master Chief is a soldier and I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°I understand. What new title would you like me to address you with?¡± ¡°You can just call me Tanael, Zerri. I already consider you an important person. If it all goes well, I¡¯m planning to bring you out of the Book World with me.¡± Zerrigan¡¯s fluster reached Viers even through telepathy. ¡°T-truly a great kindness, O Great One! I thought my service to you would end alongside the trial. I want nothing more than to provide you with my continued service. Your benevolence toward this servant is overwhelming. How could I address you so informally? Please do not make me commit such disrespect.¡± ¡°No need to be so uptight. You¡¯re a Queen, remember?¡± ¡°And you¡¯re above myself¡­ Should I call you Emperor?¡± Viers¡¯ mind was going places. Should I go all in and call myself God-Emperor of Xergkind? The Emperor protects! Viers dispersed the thought almost immediately. Before I have the power of a God, I shouldn''t crown myself as one. Too many villains died because of having a God complex. Even if I did, Godhood is best done with prudence. Besides, I have no intention of rotting on a throne for 10,000 years. No matter how golden the throne may be. ¡°No no no, let''s go with a more suitable one since I don''t have an empire¡­¡± He suddenly changed his mind and asked a really important question. ¡°You really don''t mind following me? Putting yourself under me? Your potential is limitless, you know. I¡¯m just a man while you are something else entirely. I have seen what you could have become, a Super-Organism, the Great Maw of Hunger, Devourer of Stars.¡± Zerrigan¡¯s reply was as gentle as silk. ¡°...Lord Tanael. I exist because of you. Lord Aletro provided the clay but it was you who molded me into what I am now. I don''t know what the future might bring but for now, my only wish is to help you against your enemies in this place.¡± It was pure loyalty. ¡°Zerrigan¡­ with those words you honor me more than you know. Very well! This Mantle of Responsibility you have given me, I accept. As the one elevated by the Queen of Living Blades herself, my title can not bring shame to the entire Tyra Xerg species,¡± Viers put some real thought into this one. ¡°Overlord,¡± the word whispered out from his mouth after some time. ¡°Call me Overlord.¡± ¡°Overlord it shall be.¡± Viers could not see Zerrigan¡¯s face from the telepathy nor could Zerrigan¡¯s alien face do so but he somehow knew the Queen of the Tyra Xerg was smiling. ¡°Your sleeping chamber is ready, Overlord. It¡¯s been a long day. You must be tired. Please don''t worry about the Nest and have a good rest. When the time comes, whether it is your rivals or the Aberrants, all shall be crushed by the overwhelming force and numbers of the Xerg.¡± ¡°Thank you. I am a bit tired indeed. But speaking of overwhelming force, before I go to bed, tell me about our superweapon.¡± Chapter 188 - A Leaders Job ¡°How do you feel about birthing? I mean, do you feel anything¡­ unnatural?¡± Viers asked. ¡°What a strange thing to say, Overlord. How do you feel about breathing?¡± ¡°Your soul is human, scrubbed clean of all memories and ego, but still human. Then you have the basic knowledge about the world as Kaari. You know that humans don''t give birth to hundreds or thousands of eggs each day. Also, don''t you hate me for turning your children into instruments of war?¡± ¡°I see your point,¡± the Xerg Queen said in realization. ¡°Humans value their offspring much more. I lack¡­ empathy towards my children individually. I feel them as an extension of my body. The Xerg is one but also many. It is hard to explain.¡± ¡°Hive mind is a foreign concept to me. As the Tyra Xerg grow more numerous and more sophisticated, they will drift further from my understanding. In a certain Fable, people go crazy from merely peering into the Tyranid¡¯s hive mind, one of the races that serve as an inspiration for your body. What I fear is you becoming a being that only knows how to kill and consume.¡± ¡°Is that¡­ bad? Am I not a living weapon, Overlord?¡± ¡°You¡¯re so much more than that. As your parent, of sorts, let us live with more than war and destruction in our future, okay? The world is beautiful and full of wonders.¡± ¡°...I would love to.¡± ¡°Good. Look, that one is hatching.¡± The mass murderer instilled a life lesson to a nascent galaxies-devouring disaster in the egg chamber. Viers wanted to witness the first hatching of the Tyra Xerg ever and Zerrigan accompanied him with her main body. While the first one was breaking free of its fleshy eggshell, the other eggs also showed signs of breaking. The birth cries sounded lovely. ¡°Aww, little babies with sharp teeth the moment they are born. How cute.¡± The hatchlings were cute in a frightening way. Their basic form was that of the Shredders, only smaller and white-skinned. ¡°If you think they are cute, why not pet them?¡± Clarissa said, sounding a bit abhorrent. ¡°Kheh! Are you kidding me? Do you know how many idiots get killed by a harmless-looking creature in every monster Fable(movies) ever? Too many to count. I¡¯m not like those brain-dead people.¡± Viers retorted the stupid question within his mind. He didn''t want to offend the monster babies¡¯ mother. Still, he was a syllable away from erecting a soul shield, just in case the babies jumped at him and wanted to implant other babies through his throat. The worker drones, a different type of Xerg than the combat-type Shredder, started tending to the newborns. Helping them out of their shells, cleaning them, and giving them something to eat. So this is how Anthony felt when watching his Colony grow. Not a bad feeling. ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of food so they¡¯ll grow just fine. Do they speak to you, Zerri? ¡­Zerri?¡± ¡°Lord Tanael, there¡¯s something different about them. I can''t quite determine what. Do you feel it?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Viers invoked Euryale Sight and examined the hatchlings closely but there didn''t seem to be anything wrong with their bodies. Then, he opened his senses, including the sixth. ¡°Interesting¡­ Zerrigan, I feel your children have souls. Human souls.¡± ¡°What does it mean, Lord?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But this is big. Really big,¡± Viers assumed a thinking pose. ¡°The original Shredders that Aletro conjured didn¡¯t have souls but these ones do. Because you gave birth to them? Animals have souls, so too monsters. This means the Tyra Xerg are truly a new race of living beings.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°...Nothing. Let them grow naturally and tell me if there¡¯s anything concerning.¡± A certain Arte came to Viers¡¯ mind almost immediately. Myriad Souls in One. *** Viers entered Jaime''s room in the fleshy citadel of monsters. He found the white-haired guy meditating, eyes closed. After sensing Viers¡¯ presence, Jaime opened his eyes; his gaze confident. ¡°I know kung fu.¡± Viers leaned his body forward slightly. ¡°Show me.¡± What Jaime said was a phrase that Viers told him to utter when he was ready for a spar against him. It would be their first ¡®real¡¯ spar. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Seconds later, Viers and Jaime stood in opposition in a tatami-matted dojo. Viers was wearing a black martial arts robe and Jaime¡¯s was white. The limb that Viers lost was whole again at this moment. ¡°This is a sparring system, similar to the reality of the real world,¡± Viers explained sagely. A hand behind his back. ¡°It has the same basic rules. Like gravity, skills, and Levels. Here, we can fight without the risk of injuries. Understand?¡± ¡°I know that. I¡¯ve fought other people in this place. Why are you telling me this again?¡± Jaime said. Cause it¡¯s not for you, it¡¯s for my Horizon. ¡°Then hit me¡­ If you can,¡± Viers¡¯ voice carried the composure of a mountain. The two made a stance. Jaime held his black heirloom sword while Viers was empty handed. Both invoking their bodily enhancement Artes. Jaime attacked first. Swish swish! Pow pow! Punch punch kick! Jaime was on the ground. ¡°How did I beat you?¡± Viers said. ¡°You¡¯re too fast¡­ and strong.¡± ¡°My specs are indeed higher than yours, more speed and power. You must learn to win despite the differences because you''ll be fighting Aravin under the same condition. Last time you bridged it by burning your lifespan. Learn to cope with it now. Burning the rest of your life can start when Aravin shows his hidden strength.¡± Viers showed Jaime his back. ¡°Again!¡± Dodge, counter, light punch, heavy attack, duck, leg sweep, shoulder throw. Jaime was on the ground. ¡°What are you waiting for? You¡¯re faster than this,¡± Viers made a different stance. ¡°Don''t think you are. Know you are.¡± Square square, triangle triangle, circle. Left right square circle. Cross down triangle. Viers discerned Jaime was getting faster. ¡°Come on! Stop trying to hit me, and hit me!¡± Viers shouted. Viers caught Jaime¡¯s sword but Jaime let it go and gave him an uppercut. Jaime got a clean hit on Viers for the first time. Viers smiled despite his hurting chin. ¡°How does it feel, Super Synapse Arte?¡± ¡°It feels incredible,¡± Jaime moved his body, lightly shadowboxing. ¡°In the end, everything seems to be slowing down. Amazing!¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to free your potential, Jaime,¡± Viers said. ¡°But I can only show you the door. You¡¯re the one who has to walk through it.¡± This Arte was something Viers gave Jaime. From the many souls he soul-searched, many great Artes worth learning were harvested. ¡°The enhanced reaction time and impulse of Super Synapse Arte will be very useful during combat but you¡¯re still far from mastering it. This is an Arte that can only be trained in the thick of battle so you better get ready for fighting a sea of opponents in the months to come.¡± ¡°Just like I wanted!¡± Jaime replied strongly. ¡°But not today. Iz and Sakuya are here, time for some group bonding. Then you¡¯re gonna sleep.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Leader¡¯s orders.¡± *** ¡°My guess is a snake.¡± Iz said. ¡°No, elephant.¡± Jaime took one of the cooked skewers. ¡°Bird?¡± Sakuya touched her chin. ¡°Bzzzt! Zebra,¡± Viers chomped at the meat on a skewer. It became customary when the Gloomsiders had their little gathering to guess what monster meat their leader was eating. They were not in the Nest and put down a campfire nearby. Just like how they did it during the month-long Stage 4. Usually, Viers ate a lot. Today, Viers¡¯ ¡®usual¡¯ portion became extra large. He had to eat a lot of vitality-rich food to replenish his lifespan. Haahhh, Viers sighed in his mind. How the hell am I going to be thin if I keep eating five people¡¯s worth of food? I envy those shonen manga protagonists that eat a lot but never get fat. The girls could eat monster meat but didn''t like it very much. Too gamey for their tastes. So they made their own food. Izabella and Sakuya liked exchanging cooking recipes between this world¡¯s western and eastern cooking. ¡°By the way, this place has changed a lot since the last time we were here.¡± Izabella looked at the surroundings. In the crater, which was pretty empty on the first day, now stood biological structures with designs befitting of the Tyra Xerg. ¡°Need to raise the army aggressively. There are only four of us. The other side has seventeen. We need to have the might to contend with the aberrants and the white spark holders on two fronts if necessary. Zerri and I have already put the irons in the fire. Iz, Sakuya, follow my lead.¡± The female members of the Gloomsiders nodded. ¡°But I don''t think my units can contend with your units, Tanael-sama. Too different in individual strength. Your sacrifice is too high,¡± Sakuya¡¯s eyes fixed on Tanael¡¯s missing left arm. ¡°But will you be okay? Harsh battles lie ahead, do they not?¡± ¡°Oh, don''t worry. It¡¯s fine.¡± It will grow back, Viers didn''t say the rest. ¡°I can just help from the back while you guys battle at the front line, hahaha!¡± Laughter filled the air. ¡°Tanael-sama also used sword skills in Stage 2. He used three swords. Can you believe that? One in each hand and one in his mouth.¡± Sakuya took the meat skewers and mimed Viers¡¯, or rather, Zoro¡¯s santoryu. ¡°Nice acrobatics, wasn''t it? After all, I¡¯m no swordsman.¡± Viers blushed. ¡°You still think that sells? I know you¡¯re not as unlearned in the ways of the sword as you pretend to be,¡± Jaime drank his wine. At the accusation, Viers only smiled. When he cosplayed as Zoro, Viers made spectral swords using his soul affinity. When Viers invited Jaime to the Dark Side, he conjured a red lightsaber using the same method. Both times were for show rather than practical. The conjured swords only lasted a minute; they were hollow and had no substance. Viers needed to be better as a Soul Pathseeker before he could create the coolest weapon from a galaxy far, far away in all its glory. ¡°Anyway, I have a job for you,¡± Viers gave Izabella about ten inventory items. They were looted from the people he killed. ¡°When you have the time, start unlocking them from the smallest numbering. They contain useful items for us.¡± Viers knew this from his healthy habit of soul-searching his kills. ¡°Got it,¡± the enchanter replied. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not calling you all here just to hang out and have a good time. Let¡¯s train. Compared to the white spark holders, we are united but they are more numerous. Don''t let down your guard.¡± ¡°I wonder how the other side is doing,¡± Sakuya muttered while looking to the west, to the Whitelands¡¯ direction. ¡°I feel the same. That¡¯s why I¡¯m gonna send scouts today. Let us assess their battle readiness and threat level. Knowing is half the battle.¡± Chapter 189 - Glorious Politics Boram had no memories of the time before he became a slave. His tenure as Avel¡¯s slave was only a few months but those months became the most colorful time of his life. Because Harry, Marc, and Milly were nice people. As he understood it, the trio, Harry in particular, were pretty high-born, people with a neat position in society. But they still befriended Boram who had the status of a slave, something he was grateful for. One day, after his daily training session, the trio took Boram to a nice garden where all the wealthy and great people in the city went for something called a ¡®promenade¡¯, something that Master Avel never taught him. The guards knew Harry¡¯s face and let them in. From the well-maintained grass and abundant flowers to the pets that were groomed better than many of the people he¡¯d met in the past, Boram felt that it was a really nice place. Not to mention the people, with their gaudy and definitely expensive clothes. That was Boram¡¯s first contact with nobility. Boram always thought that people who belonged in this category were greater and better than the common populace which in turn were greater than slaves. There was a particular scene that he saw that day, a group of children shouting at each other for some toy. Fists were thrown, cries followed, and their parents broke them up. A mother of one of the children saw her boy was bleeding a tiny bit from his mouth and also started shouting, exploding with intense anger. Boram remembered what he thought back then: What¡¯s the big deal? Now, Boram saw a similar scene to that one. ¡°The barbaric beastfolk shall cease the raising of bases in my territory at once!¡± A crowned human in her forties demanded with a fiery voice. ¡°You cannot command me, human whelp! You have no claim on the land that we moved to. If your people attack one of our expeditions once more, it will be war!¡± The tiger beastfolk tribe leader replied. Boram was in a big tent, in the middle of a grassy plain. Seventeen leaders took a seat before a round table in the middle. Behind each of those seventeen rulers, a Champion stood. Boram was one of the Champions, as were the other trial takers. Although these thirty-four people were the only ones permitted in the tent, their escorting armies crowded the wide plains. They have been arguing things about borders, treaties, trades¡­ Weird, I thought we came here to discuss matters about the Aberrants. The human queen¡¯s argument with the beastfolk leader was not the only argument ongoing. Boram¡¯s own leader, a woman three meters tall like Mister Takju, was arguing with another human queen. If the Champion was male, the faction leader would be female and vice versa. They were the assistant NPCs of the Champions in the previous stages of the trial. But expanding the base has proven to be tough, Boram thought. Five days had passed since the day Stage 5 began. Boram didn''t know why his assistant became the leader of the tribe, or why he became the champion of the people, or why his faction was the Gigantes. Boram thought he could do the same thing he did in Stage 3 but now, he must get permission from his former assistant first before he could build structures or move the army. And then Boram often found other people also contesting the resources he wanted to gather or that the area he¡¯d wanted had already been claimed by others by the time he got there. I don''t like it, Boram thought. It has become much more complicated to do things now. Boram knew he was the weakest or the second weakest among the remaining participants, so he didn''t choose to fight. On the first day, Boram just focused on expanding because the resources were still quite numerous but he lost time moving from place to place. In the days after, he saw quite a lot of skirmishes happening. He only hoped they didn¡¯t attack him too. Things became quite bad on the second day, people were fighting with bigger groups. It might grow into a full-blown war before the war against the Aberrants began. Then Anne, the first ranker, visited him, suggesting they all come together to discuss things about their kingdom and the Aberrants. Boram agreed, and then she went to seek other trial takers. She was a nice girl, Boram thought. Boram didn''t know why but when he talked about the meeting with the tribe matriarch, she wanted to come. Weird, she wasn''t so easily moved before. The meeting was supposed to happen on the third day but because the leaders were involved, it got pushed to the fifth. At the meeting, they then fought like children over a toy. Perhaps that was why they wanted to come? To fight? Boram wondered if the fists and Artes would come out. The meeting went on for some time and with much debate involved. The Champions had the right to speak and the leaders mostly followed the Champion¡¯s wishes but it didn''t always go well. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Boram was bored and felt it was a waste of time. Master Avel taught him to never waste time but the dilemma was he couldn''t leave either. The leaders were interesting, at least. Boram was intrigued by the variety of races. One of them was a woman-shaped fire, a fire elemental. Boram was ill-educated in the matters of statesmanship but even he could see that the leaders were split into four camps. The first was Anne and her group of four. Most notably Troy the Blade of Justice and Max the Ivory Flame. They wanted to make a United Alliance for the war to come. The second was Khalmar the Noble Tiger and his group of five. Boram knew Khlamar¡¯s right and left-hand men, a beastfolk with bull horns and a dwarf. The second camp had no human Champions in their ranks. They wanted to expand to the south because most of them were in the northern territory, where the Aberrants would be coming from. When the war began they would get attacked first. Boram supposed they didn''t like that. The third was Aravin the Daystar and his group. They only consisted of three people including Daystar himself. Aravin was greedy -or desperate- for shards. He wanted to get many, many shards and for that he needed a great army, which meant a great number of resources. Thus, he often caused territory disputes. The fourth was the remaining five which didn''t quite fit in. There was Boram, Squire Eugene, Fithel the elf, and two others. The third and the fourth camp weren''t averse to the alliance Anne proposed but it made the second camp twitchy. They feared the human majority of the alliance would push them to a disadvantage. Khalmar himself was leaning on joining the United Alliance if some terms about the Beastfolk¡¯s safety could be added but his own leader disagreed with him. There was too much bad blood between them, and the treacherous humans couldn¡¯t be trusted, the tigress tribe leader said. Concessions were asked for, rejected, renegotiated, rejected again, rinse and repeat. The Champions had their wants and their kingdoms also had their wants. They had bottom lines where they would not budge, such as the elf queen who warned they would shoot dead those that trespassed into the elven territories and Squire that had a village in his kingdom relocated by Aravin. It was a headache for Boram. Seeing the faces of the other trial takers, he realized he was not the only one feeling it. Resources became the center of the discussion. Then a ruler thought about their neighbors. ¡°There are seventeen of us and nine of them. A lot of untapped potential there.¡± ¡°Greedy as always, Queen Mathilde. And short-sighted, such as your decision to send a scouting force to establish an invasion to the lands of the east,¡± the tigress matriarch said. ¡°...Not your business,¡± the queen sharply said. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this,¡± Troy scowled, addressing his former assistant-now-queen. ¡°You¡¯ve invaded the territory of the black spark holders?¡± ¡°It was necessary.¡± ¡°It is dangerous!¡± Troy stressed. ¡°Oh she knows now, Champion,¡± the tigress said with the joy of another¡¯s misfortune. ¡°Because not a single one of that expedition of a hundred men returned.¡± It was supposed to be a secret but the Beastfolk spies caught wind of it and sent the news back home. ¡°...We¡¯ve sent scouts to the eastern land as well, though not so committed.¡± Another leader said. ¡°There have been sightings of beasts with six legs and shoulder pincers near the border. More of them are roaming on the other side.¡± ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Unknown. They hide when sought, burrowing into the earth.¡± ¡°Are they not the Aberrants?¡± Max asked. ¡°If they are, it¡¯s a type never-before seen,¡± the fire-elemental queen said. ¡°They seem to be called the Tyra Xerg.¡± Eyes darted to Anne, the one that spoke. ¡°How do you know, Champion?¡± A crown-wearing king in his forties wearing a phoenix red cloak, Anne¡¯s assistant-now-king that had aged many times, asked. ¡°I flew over the area for scouting yesterday. A bit deep to the eastern land, there was a board raised in plain view. It says: Welcome to the Blacklands. Tyra Xerg roams this land. Please become our food.¡± Only one of the nine black spark holders had a penchant for joking about death and cruelty. Most of the white spark holders frowned imagining the suspect. After Anne, Fithel also spoke. ¡°This morning, I received concerning news from the nature spirits I sent to the east. They said a human wreathed in ghosts of the dead lead these¡­ teeth-demons.¡± Boram held his breath. The air turned still. ¡°...Soul Tyrant Tanael.¡± No one knew who put the title to the name at first but it became more and more prominent as Aletro¡¯s trial went on. Boram had the fortune to not meet the annihilator in a straight confrontation. He hoped it continued. ¡°Noble Tiger, you and your colleague seem to know this Tanael. What kind of person is he?¡± The tigress matriarch said. ¡°A dangerous soul-drinking, vicious son of a bitch,¡± Khalmar said. ¡°Hahahaha! Now you¡¯ll know how it feels to be neighbors with a vicious son of a bitch. Ah, karma. Man your borders, queen. If he gets to you, best pray for a quick death and your soul won''t be flayed for sport afterwards.¡± While the tigress matriarch¡¯s response was a mockery, the dwarf queen suggested a different approach. ¡°The eastern land, the¡­ Blacklands definitely hold more resources, things that we badly needed. I propose we unite and invade them with full force immediately.¡± ¡°Heh, this is the Eighth Aberrant War all over again. I will not march with the cowardly queen once again.¡± ¡°Your husband was rash and lost his life trying to defend a lost cause,¡± another human ruler defended her fellow race, even though the Champion behind her looked as if he had just swallowed a bitter lemon. ¡°Coming from a man who pissed himself in the middle of battle.¡± ¡°False tongue!¡± ¡°The descendants of fire motion to invade the east, my people are burning for battle. ¡± ¡°The elves don''t meddle with matters beyond their borders. The elves will not march.¡± ¡°The elves cannot be depended on, as usual. They prefer isolation and let the world pass them by. What arrogance.¡± ¡°They have not invaded, have they? Rein in your barbarous nature, Vashala.¡± ¡°War is on the horizon and you want to hole up in your treehouses?¡± ¡°Look around you. See for yourself the fruit of centuries of conflict.¡± ¡°Until the debts of the Thirteen Killings are paid in full, no sons of the Gigantes will shed blood for the Beastfolk or the Humans.¡± And the children''s fight began anew. Boram stifled his urge to sigh. If Master Avel was here, what would he do? Speaking of which, is he even here? Chapter 190 - Steady Tyranny The Tyra Xerg faction was working smoothly and busily like cells at work. ¡°So, these Xerg can shoot bone spikes from afar, hm? My first ranged units¡­ Let¡¯s call them Spikers,¡± Viers said to Zerrigan. ¡°The bio-lab has finished improving the metabolism of the Tyra Xerg. All my children will now need less food,¡± Zerrigan informed. ¡°Means our army can get bigger. What else have you got?¡± ¡°Two of the lesser queens have grown. They will be able to birth more Xerg starting today. They¡¯re on route to the satellite nest.¡± ¡°This makes you a grandma then, Zerri. May you live long and prosper.¡± Viers gave a Vulcan salute. ¡°Thank you, Overlord.¡± ¡°Keep making lesser queens. We need to be able to churn out as many units as the seventeen on the other side combined and then exceed them. Make use of our abundant resources.¡± ¡°As you say¡­ Ah, I just caught sight of the one you called Green Scorpion, Overlord.¡± ¡°What? Where?¡± ¡°In this area,¡± Xel Doggo pointed its pincer at the map. ¡°My scouts¡­ He¡¯s running away. My children are giving chase.¡± ¡°...Too far from here. Keep me informed. Any development from the Whitelands after their one hundred got eaten?¡± ¡°Not yet. More eyes on the other side are looking this way though.¡± ¡°With the Shredders burrowed, they shouldn''t be able to validate our numbers. Send five hundred more units, including Spikers, to the west border in case they¡¯re feeling bold. Keep them hidden and stay sharp.¡± ¡°I see what all my children see¡­ The human with the fire wings from yesterday worries me.¡± ¡°...Anne. How far did she go into the Blacklands?¡± ¡°Not far. I believe she saw the Nest from a distance though.¡± ¡°...Airmaster had a very limited ability to fly. I don''t believe she can maintain her flight indefinitely. Then again, she¡¯s a Mary Sue¡­ Zerri, I want air superiority.¡± ¡°Building the structure for flying Tyra Xerg now.¡± ¡°Good girl.¡± ¡°But the flyers will need a lot of rich gas, Overlord.¡± ¡°Hah! We need more vespene gas, how classic! ¡­It¡¯s quite rare around here. Which area has many gas vents?¡± Viers¡¯ Zergling steed pointed again. ¡°Close to Sakuya¡¯s village¡­ or kingdom. Build a few extractors for the vents. We¡¯ll take a few but leave some for her. How is she by the way?¡± ¡°She has foot soldiers now. They called them samurai. She¡¯s building temples. For priests and mikos, she said.¡± ¡°Seems like she got this in hand. How is the dark elf faction from Jaime?¡± ¡°In the mock battle, Mr. Jaime¡¯s sacrifice made them quite strong but the Tyra Xerg are still greater.¡± ¡°As expected¡­ Focus on our development but allocate a few resources for their development. In the future, they might be useful, covering what we lack. What else?¡± ¡°The prisoner awakened. As per your instruction, I used the magic item you gave me to put him back to sleep.¡± Shame I can''t simply soul-search Oscar¡¯s mind. His mind and soul anti-thievery measures are airtight. Must be nice to be born into a good family. ¡°Good job. What else?¡± ¡°That is all for the moment, Overlord.¡± Viers exhaled a long breath. Even with Zerrigan¡¯s help, managing a kingdom was not easy. ¡°...Zerri, how many Tyra Xerg do we have now?¡± ¡°Including the workers?¡± ¡°Do they have a mind?¡± ¡°Very little but yes.¡± ¡°Then include them.¡± ¡°Including those who are still growing, 4,308 units, Overlord.¡± ¡°And how are you feeling? Since your mind is spread to them, are you burdened? I¡¯m worried that too many Tyra Xerg will be detrimental to your health, Zerri. We¡¯re treading on new ground here.¡± ¡°I feel quite well. In fact, I feel my mind is growing stronger.¡± ¡°Oho?¡± ¡°Please watch.¡± Zerrigan showed Viers a vision of what she saw at the moment. She lifted a Xerg egg the size of a man¡¯s torso without touching it. ¡°I couldn''t do that before but now I can.¡± ¡°Telekinesis¡­¡± Viers was deep in thought. ¡°Hive mind¡­¡± There are smart animals on Earth, like dolphins. If their minds are combined perfectly, won¡¯t a hundred dolphins be smarter than a single human mind? What about one thousand dolphins? One million? Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Zerri¡¯s hive mind must be working like a computer network. Each of the Tyra Xerg have a brain, they have a mind. They empower the hive mind by existing! Just like in 40K. Tyranid Hive Mind is a god-like entity of psychic energy. Every Tyranid is its vessel. Just like a wind elemental can control the wind or an undine¡¯s affinity to water, mind must be Tyra Xerg¡¯s racial trait¡­ No, only the main consciousness. Either way, Zerrigan is no different than a growing mind-affinity Pathseeker. ¡°I look forward to the day where you can fry your opponent with just a thought, Queen of Living Blades.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, how about the thirty Shredders that I made soulless?¡± ¡°Nothing much, Overlord. They still respond to my direction but they become inert when I¡¯m not ¡®with¡¯ them. In the experiments, without me, Xerg with souls become feral, acting like animals driven by instinct such as eating. The soulless would have stood still until death by starvation if I didn''t tell them to eat.¡± ¡°Their battle capability?¡± ¡°Intact.¡± So no problem whatsoever if I gobble up all of the Tyra Xerg souls. ¡°Is there interference with your hive mind''s growth?¡± ¡°Their brain is still working, as is the rest of their body. I need a bigger sample to be sure but I don''t think there are any negatives as of now. The soulless minds are quiet, like a still pond. Things are often loud and can be chaotic but with the soulless, there¡¯s only me. It is¡­ very calming.¡± Instead of being detrimental, making her children soulless helps Zerri maintain her ¡®sense of self¡¯ instead? My my my, how marvelous. ¡°And you don''t mind that I¡¯m eating the souls of your children?¡± ¡°My children eat each other if the need arises. Please eat as much as you like, Overlord. I can always create more.¡± For someone that had a human soul, and for all intents and purposes, a mother, Zerrigan said a very absurd thing as if it was no big deal. ¡°Good girl. Rest assured I will not eat yours though.¡± ¡°...I don''t mind if you do,¡± Zerrigan said softly as if she was blushing. Viers¡¯ mind came to a stop. ¡­Wow. She¡¯s got issues. *** In the White Flowers Meadow, Viers¡¯ soulspace. ¡°You know, since Zerrigan¡¯s soul experiment is a success. If we can find a soulless body to a degree of perfection such as hers, I might be able to put you guys inside them.¡± ¡°If my body is a six-legged insect dog, I prefer to stay here, thankyouverymuch,¡± Clarissa made her stance clear. ¡°Well, there are other assistants out there, Jaime¡¯s aide for example. How do you fancy becoming a dark elf, Farley?¡± ¡°Errr¡­ I don''t know what to say, Lord Viers.¡± ¡°But even if they¡¯re willing, they have their own mind, right? I don''t fancy merging with another entity and waking up changed.¡± Paina said. Understandable, Viers thought. Should I ask Aletro for fresh and ready bodies for the three and Gwen? But it sounds expensive in terms of shards. About bodies¡­ How about I learn to become an alchemist for real? So can I create homunculus bodies for them myself? Sounds useful too since I¡¯m going to live for a long time. Ideally. Ohhh! If all else fails, how about buying suitable golems or dolls from Aletro? Bet those are cheaper compared to real flesh and blood bodies. Viers imagined the trio of girls that were having a discussion while having tea becoming Barbie-sized. Maybe it''s not such a bad idea. Not gonna say that to them though¡­ Ah, so many ideas, so many things to do. I am a busy, busy bee. *** ¡°Ahahaha Bwahahaha!¡± Discounting Viers, Sakuya was the best infiltrator among the horsemen thanks to her ninja heritage. The kunoichi was armed with Izabella¡¯s scouting items and along with Zerrigan¡¯s help, she brought back news from the Whitelands. The Gloomsiders listened to the report and Viers let out a maniacal laugh like the villain he was. They could not get the details but the gist of it was enough: people are fighting other people. ¡°Oh what a laugh. How old school. Aletro put our fellow spark holders into the shoes of heroes and these are the burdens of heroism: politics, societies, old world order, other people, their own leaders, tut-tut-tut. And this is before they must fight the disasters and calamities coming to their door. Oh, heroes¡­ May the Gods have mercy on their souls.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your body, Sakuya?¡± Viers didn''t want to send Sakuya scouting into enemy territory while she was injured but she insisted. The Victa Stigma from Oscar was hard to heal and still remained. Sakuya wanted to help. She knew the importance of information. Tanael was too busy and she was the best person for the job. ¡°I¡¯m fine. The medicine helps, Tanael-sama.¡± ¡°Thank Iz. She was the one who cracked the storage item containing it.¡± The Gloomsiders compared their circumstances to the other side. ¡°The biggest factor is that they are not the decision-makers in their kingdoms.¡± Jaime started. ¡°Heroes arise from the masses, then are made into a symbol by the crown. Just the usual. I suppose Aletro mimicked real-world conditions so they can experience it. To learn from this and to do better in the future,¡± Viers guessed. ¡°On the other hand, as tyrants, we face the possibility of rebellions. Keep a tight order, Izabella, Sakuya.¡± ¡°Absurd! I will never rebel against you, Overlord,¡± Zerrigan cut in. ¡°Of course not you. You¡¯re a good, good girl. I¡¯m so lucky to have you.¡± Was his sacrifice so great that his faction is so much better than mine? Izabella thought while seeing Tanael giving a neck rub to the beast he called Xel Doggo. ¡°If you were in their place, Tanael-sama, what would you do?¡± Sakuya asked, brimming with curiosity. ¡°Me? A very good question¡­ I believe I would have killed my leader if they got in my way, or if I didn''t like them, and taken the reins. But even for the greater good, this has the mark of villainy written all over it. I wonder if there would be a usurpation among the seventeen? They seem pretty much like straight-up good ol¡¯ guys to me. Putting it nicely, they¡¯re lawful good. Putting it badly, they lack the stomach to do what is necessary.¡± ¡°It would be great if they destroyed each other, saves us the trouble,¡± Jaime scoffed. ¡°Tanael, wanna destroy a kingdom or two before the Aberrants move?¡± ¡°Don''t get comfortable, this is their shtick. The good side¡¯s path is usually full of hardships and problems but they always succeed in the final step,¡± Viers said in a hard tone. ¡°As for us, the bad guys, it is the very opposite. Our evil plan is usually smooth sailing. But at the end, the part where it really matters, we fail and stumble. Our grand ambition ends up in a heap of smoking ruins. Not convinced? We are the living proof here. Conquest, was this not the case for your cult¡¯s plan to free the Demon King? War, your scheme to kill Aravin after poisoning him in the restaurant failed. Famine, Green Scorpion''s ploy to kill me using you ultimately failed. I can go on and on all day.¡± The other horsemen couldn''t give a reply. ¡°But you all don''t need to worry. The man that stands before you is well-equipped to deal with such matters. Follow. Me.¡± Good management of people below your position, removing the reasons they should rise up, binding them to your cause, these are the skills a successful Dark Lord ought to have. There¡¯s another path, to become a Dark Lord so powerful you don''t need anyone else. However, it is a lonely road to walk on. When I was fresh from reincarnation, I thought this was the path for me. But now, I¡¯ll go for the best of both worlds. Having people under me if possible, and I can do things alone if necessary. After all, shouldn''t a True Dark Lord want to have everything that is nice in this world? It is in the character description. *** The Gloomsiders used their time very effectively. Time passed like water flowing down a gentle hill, calmly and surely. The preparation period died a quiet death. The Aberrants stirred. Chapter 191 - War, Progress, Faith Viers was no stranger to scenes of war. From the realistic and grim scenes of World War II to the outlandish, brutal fantasy of 40K. Seeing war from behind the screen of a computer and seeing it with his own eyes were different but as the Matrix said: ¡®What is real¡¯? When he was living on Earth, Viers thought that the difference between fantasy and real life was just the amount of feedback. Therefore, seeing the thousands of Tyra Xerg and the Aberrants murdering each other in a mad party of violence didn¡¯t phase him as much as those whose minds were too constrained by the so-called ¡®reality¡¯. Viers liked living in fantasies. His fantasies became more real after he reincarnated, that was all. The Aberrants marched southward from their lair in the north, equally attacking the Whitelands and Blacklands. Their steps were the drums of war heralding their coming. Their form was an attack on the sense of beauty and sanity. They were mostly humanoid, with arms for limbs. Their legs were arms. Their arms were arms. Their heads were arms. Each arm possessed a different amount of spindly fingers, always twitching. A maw of eerily human mouths was in the center of their palms, tongues out all while slavering saliva constantly. This unholy form made up the bulk of the forces of the Aberrants¡¯ first wave. There were a few different types among the army, with equally disgusting shapes. Flesh, blood, and guts, Aletro recreated the horrors of war well, but his faction was a biological weapon on its own. Under the watchful attention of the Hive Mind of the Tyra Xerg, the children of Zerrigan fought mightily, coordinated and unflinching from injury. Fear was a foreign concept to them. Blood flowed like rivers, hills of corpses were created. Viers¡¯ pride swelled up from his belly and poems of holy conflict flowed from his mouth. ¡°They shall be my finest warriors, these species who give of themselves to me. Like clay I shall mold them, and in the furnace of war forge them. They will be of iron will and steely muscle. In great armor shall I clad them and with the mightiest fangs will they be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease, no sickness will blight them. They will have tactics, strategies and bio-evolution so that no foe can best them in battle. They are my bulwark against the Aberrants. They are the Devourers of Horrors. They are my Tyra Xerg¡­¡± Viers took a breath for effect. ¡°And they shall know no fear.¡± Somewhere, across time and space, Viers knew someone was giving him an approving nod. The battlefield stretched far. To the east, Sakuya and Izabella¡¯s armies were also fighting. Viers chose the closest place to the western border to hide them from the white spark holders and witness his competitors¡¯ warforce. Viers turned his eyes to the neighbors on his left. He saw fire. Fire-wielding, regal crusaders were mowing down the Aberrants and turning them into cinders. Beside them were troops of fire elementals making huge bonfires out of the Aberrants. The air shimmered from the heat, smoke rose into the sky, the smell of charred flesh choked the nose. White-colored flames and dancing phoenixes appeared now and then on the battlefield. Past the dual fire factions of Anne and Max that synergized with each other, the other white spark holders fought, beyond the range of Viers¡¯ Euryale Sight. Viers imagined this would be a wake-up call for them. In this world and age, it wasn''t strange for them to have killed another person before but this was something else entirely. Unlike Viers, they didn''t have the privilege of seeing D-Day in Saving Private Ryan, the sheer scale of death blooming all around them could break a man¡¯s will to smithereens. According to his spies, the good guys¡¯ factions were mostly their own race too, so they could closely relate to their troops dying. A harsh lesson from Aletro. The battle had lasted for an hour and showed no signs of stopping. Unlike the others, Viers didn''t join the fray, keeping a watchful eye on the warfronts to his left and front. They are not the enemy. Viers thought as he saw an Aberrant ripping the pincer off a Shredder and gnawing its throat. Viers glanced at the fiery battlefield to the side. They are. War had not yet begun between the Blacklands and Whitelands. Spies and interlopers had been killed and two skirmishes broke out but it didn''t get worse. The good guys tried to make an alliance or non-aggression pact with Viers; he didn''t commit to a reply, not outright refusing or accepting. The good guys had fundamental differences from Viers. To most of them, Tanael was an enemy but the Aberrants were the enemy. Viers¡¯ perspective was the very opposite. The Aberrants were a generic CGI army that often appeared in an MCU movie¡¯s third act. They were constructs that exist to be fought by the heroes, so the superheroes could show off their super moves as visual treats for the movie-goers. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Watching the Aberrants with his own eyes, Viers became convinced. The CGI mooks looked impressive but they lacked substance. Zerri¡¯s got the Aberrants handled. I just need to keep improving myself until the showdown with the forces of good comes. Viers¡¯ left arm was still growing. Fighting Anne with one arm would be unwise. The reason he had no intention of fighting the Aberrants in the front lines like the other players was for Victa stockpiling. He would need all the Victa he could get against the likes of Anne. Zerri whispered into Viers¡¯ mind. ¡°The north theater seems stable. Shall we enact Operation Gank and mobilize the reserves, Overlord?¡± Zerri had been industrious and the numbers of the Xerg had swelled as a result. Only two-thirds of the Tyra Xerg were mobilized to battle the Aberrants. A whole third of the Tyra Xerg was kept hidden by Viers as a hidden blade. Operation Gank was Viers¡¯ proposal, a strategy. If the Aberrants weren''t able to break through the battle line, the remaining one-third would attack the Whitelands, destroying as many of their structures and people as they could, reducing their war-sustaining power. If he attacked now, the scant defenders in the Whitelands border wouldn''t be able to defend against his gank. The places near the border would be plunged into ruin. ¡°...No. Let¡¯s not stir the pot for now. Time is on our side and they don''t know it. Let¡¯s keep it that way. I also want to farm shards from the Aberrants as long as possible.¡± There¡¯s no need to give a reason for the good guys to unite. ¡°Acknowledged.¡± A few hours later, the First Aberrant Incursion ended without Viers lifting a finger. *** The central ideology of the Viers Corporation was constant profit and improvement. Izabella and Sakuya trained together. The enchantress brushed up her battle skills when she was not enchanting. Viers told her that her type was most probable to die from a lethal assassination, Sakuya¡¯s archetype. The kunoichi in turn learned of the continent¡¯s resourcefulness. The islander was quite isolated and as her horizon broadened, she already had a few ideas about improving her craft. The Stage 4 reward was significant. Viers lamented the irony that Sakuya became wood 5 thanks to the Unlock Potential fruit while his water affinity went down to 3. Izabella opened a new door previously closed to her in enchanting and would have gone on an enchanting spree if Viers didn''t drag her out. Jaime¡¯s Demise was a different breed altogether. Viers helped him in getting ready to use it, while giving him everything Viers expected could be useful against Aravin. Zerrigan became his Minister of War. Viers delegated the matter of the Xerg and Aberrants to her while he focused on other things. A task the Queen of Living Blades happily undertook. After the First Aberrant Incursion was over, Viers ordered her to start constructing the superweapon, a privilege he got by getting all of the base crystal: Kaiju Primordial Pool. To put it simply, it was a unique structure for making giant monsters. Viers did not construct it immediately because it was end-game stuff. The resources required were staggering and that was before adding the cost of generating a Kaiju. It was better to spend his resources on raising his army first, since the superweapon wasn¡¯t just expensive, it also had a lengthy build time. It wouldn''t be ready for a couple of months. Viers¡¯ closest trio, Paina, Farley, and Clarissa, was also playing its own role in the company. Although, Paina and Farley were having a bad time because Viers¡¯ affinity went down. Viers was determined to rectify his water affinity problem after the trial. Naturally, the CEO didn''t neglect his own improvement. He ate food, he ate souls, he trained to master the soul ultimate Arte, and much more. Two weeks after the Aberrants attacked, Zerrigan called him. ¡°Lord Viers, I have a report.¡± After hearing the report, Viers visited the sole prisoner in the Nest. ¡°I warned you to not try to escape again.¡± ¡°It is so terribly dull here,¡± Oscar replied. ¡°What else should I do when I get bored?¡± ¡°Cultivate obediently. My master instructed me to not kill you because of some friendship with House Regisea. I¡¯m considering ignoring it.¡± ¡°Your proposal, of keeping me down here for months or years until Stage 5 ends, is horseshit.¡± ¡°I offered to keep supplying you with cultivation resources while you¡¯re down here. Your body, mind, and soul won''t be compromised and I won¡¯t touch your shards. When Stage 5 ends, you can buy some nice things from Aletro. Most of my foes won''t even get a cup of water from me.¡± A week had passed since Oscar¡¯s last attempt. Even though Izabella¡¯s needle had emptied his Victa, more was constantly being generated. That Victa became Oscar¡¯s capital to wreak havoc and Viers had no way of stopping him besides the old-fashioned way, beatdown. Since Oscar knew the Xerg janitors wouldn''t fatally wound him, Oscar fought with no regard to injury until he got too wounded or was out of Victa. He would receive treatment, sleep on it, then try again next week. ¡°This time you¡¯ve killed fifty of my troops. Have you forgotten my warning when I let you off the hook the last time?¡± ¡°The next time you try will be the last. Heh, you¡¯ve kept me alive for a reason. The only reason I can think of is you¡¯re afraid about the fallout from killing me. So here¡¯s my proposal.¡± Thinking he had leverage over Tanael, Oscar listed his demands, including freeing him from imprisonment. If he didn''t get what he wanted, he would keep trying to escape. ¡°...It seems the prison wing in the Nest will always be lively for the foreseeable future then.¡± ¡°You should pick the people you can afford to offend more carefully next time, Tanael. I have a simple code, to always repay debts and enmity.¡± Oscar grasped the fleshy bars of his prison and pressed his face close, spewing acid words and a poisonous stare. ¡°And our ledger is far from settled.¡± Viers stared into Oscar¡¯s eyes, into his soul. He stood there for ten seconds before responding. ¡°I believe you. Unfortunately, you don''t believe me. I find your lack of faith disturbing.¡± Viers turned around and left, showing Oscar his back. Before Oscar could grasp what Viers meant, Shredders came, a dozen of them. The cage of flesh rescinded to the floor, nothing was between Oscar and the sharp teeth and claws. The Victa inside Oscar was practically emptied after his recent breakout attempt. The Shredders were approaching one step at a time. ¡°Threatening, now? With them? You¡¯ve got to do a better show than this¡­ Oi, Tanael. What do you think you''re doing? You dare- EYYAAAGGHH!!¡± Viers walked the corridor while Oscar was given the Ramsay Bolton style of sending-off. It¡¯ll inconvenience my plan to raise a base in Regidana but, meeeh. It¡¯s just an inconvenience. I¡¯ll deal with it. Too many villains don''t follow through with their threats. That won''t do, my fellow villains, no no no. You peeps make the rest of us look bad. Chapter 192 - Hidden Fangs After the preparation period ended, the Aberrants began their mission of the continent¡¯s destruction. After some time, it was obvious to the trial takers that they had a pattern. Small waves of incursions a few times a week and one big wave once a month. The true tests were the big waves because just like the player-controlled factions, the Aberrants were also getting stronger. It was a race to see whether the player factions could raise their defenses and armies faster than the Aberrants¡¯ improvement or not. Like any good leader, Viers delegated. Zerrigan handled the matter of war like a competent general. He only showed his face during the big waves so he could exert his strength as a ¡®hero unit¡¯ to turn the tide if the Aberrants were about to overwhelm the Xerg. So far, Viers¡¯ strength was unneeded. To Zerrigan, it was a massive failure on her part if the Overlord must act to clean up her mess. Other players, on the other hand, often joined the battle. Not because their army was often at risk but by choice. It was for the fighting experience, to temper their skills in actual combat. To them, the Victa expenditure was a worthwhile trade. After all, not everyone had the ability to conjure ¡®real¡¯ virtual opponents like Viers. The more Aberrants they killed also resulted in more shards for them so they were pretty motivated to do it. Viers¡¯ enemies were the white spark holders, the Whitelands as a whole, and they were having territory problems. Other than who got the limited location to fight the Aberrants on the northern border, they also had resource disputes. Blacklands and Whitelands had the same volume of resources and territory. The difference was one side was fought over by seventeen people and the other was pretty much hogged by a single person. Viers foresaw this problem so he enacted his unification plan right off the bat. Whether it is Starcraft or Civilization, those with the bigger territory have an edge. Anyway, I¡¯m curious. In this zero-sum game, for one to win there must be someone who loses, can these do-gooders maintain their moral standpoint? Aletro gave them real-world problems so their answer was pretty important. The answer to Viers¡¯ question was yes. Not a single one of those seventeen got butchered by another in the months to come. All because of a girl¡¯s doing. Anne, the strongest among them, chose not to eat her slice of the cake -thus making others have more- and conjured another portion from elsewhere. She openly showed her stance of not lording over or preying on other people from the same side despite her capability to do so. She gave a few good quotes too that made the others who were eager to throw fists feel lesser. Mary Sue instead made landfall on the Aberrants¡¯ territory and raised her base there. The first time Viers heard the report, it blew his mind. The Aberrant''s territory had natural resources for the factions. Viers also thought of expanding northward but there were all kinds of complications, such as the Aberrants were stronger in their territory and became more aggressive. Viers¡¯ Xerg were overwhelmed. Viers needed to stand at the frontline and defend the base to make it work. Since he still had loads of untapped resources in the Blacklands, he abandoned the northern expedition. Anne did just that. With her and her group leading by example, the white spark holders were slowly colonizing the north. Turning the red-colored area on the map white. She managed to make more cake to eat for the good guys! Their armies died by the throngs but they got loads of shards from the Aberrants who died. Should I mimic¡­ No, Anne¡¯s fighting hard and often. Her Victa must be taking a dent, at least there¡¯s that. Hmph, damn Mary Sue. Whatever the case, both the white and black spark players managed to stay in Stage 5 even as time passed them by. Which was good news for Viers. In Stage 5, he got two cultivation resources that were hard to get in the outside world. The first was souls. Viers had an easy and ample supply of human souls from Zerrigan¡¯s children. The human soul from them was only worth 1 Soul Power. Viers needed 980,000 Soul Power to reach Grand Soul in his soul cultivation but at the rate Zerrigan and the other queens were birthing Tyra Xerg, it was a reachable goal in a few months¡¯ time. Viers ran some experiments, Zerrigan¡¯s descendants never developed an ego or a complex mind despite having a human soul, at least so far. Viers guessed it must be something to do with the brain. The brain worked, Zerrigan¡¯s hive mind was the proof, but they were lacking compared to the real human brain. Their short time since birth was also a factor in developing consciousness. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Viers also encountered a moral conundrum. He needed souls, but he didn''t have the heart to take them from babies. He thought about it and found a solution. Viers implemented the meat industries¡¯ policy, to process the cattle, pigs, or sheep after they matured. How great for Viers that the Xerg achieved maturity in less than three days. And so Viers absorbed the souls from mature Xerg without an inch of guilt. Viers was that kind of man. His mind was flexible that way. The soulless Xerg were then sent by their mother to war and died. Animal activists would label Viers as a genocidal maniac. Viers wasn''t unaware but he needed the cultivation resources so he ate the souls. Technically, Viers only ate the soul¡¯s energy and spat out the soul¡¯s core so he guessed these human souls could reincarnate or go to heaven. Viers hoped these human souls would be better off wherever they went next. The second cultivation resource he needed most in Stage 5 was time. To become a Level 3 Pathseeker one must have a small accomplishment in their Profound Codex. To achieve that, a Pathseeker must do their Profound Practice, which is different for each Codex. Viers¡¯ Profound Codex came with a severe drawback so although he wanted to do it as often as possible, the risk and lifestyle had forced him to do his Profound Practice less often than the average Pathseekers. He needed to make sure his well-being was secure before doing his Profound Practice. It wasn''t an exaggeration to say that if he got careless, he could die at that very moment. Therefore, Viers traded cultivation speed for assurance. Staying in the Nest, guarded by thousands of Tyra Xerg and the Alien Queen herself in a realm where there were no Level 3, 4, or 5 Pathseekers, qualified as Viers¡¯ definition of secure. Dia¡¯s Biome was also qualified but since he also got shards from the Aberrants his faction killed, Viers had more to gain here. *** Viers was sparring with Jaime again. They had done this every day. Jaime had gained rich fighting experience since his opponent was not only Viers. When fighting Virtual Aravin, Jaime currently had the ratio of winning eight out of ten battles. Viers instructed Jaime to take his Victa Overload to the next level, bringing more lethality. Since Victa Overload was the only Arte that Aravin didn''t know from their past battle. ¡°This Arte has so much potential. If this was not limited to the practitioners of your Profound Codex, I would have wanted to learn it,¡± Viers had praised it so in the past. ¡°When Aravin uses a super Arte that he isn''t used to. That is the opportune moment to strike. Oh, I have no doubt he has several. Be ready.¡± Viers also taught him about using life force. Viers¡¯ experience with using one¡¯s own life energy was more than he hoped but less than his bottom line. Viers taught Jaime how to maximize his trade-off between the life force lost and the power gained when burning one¡¯s own life. ¡°Too much passion. Too much anger. Make your heart into ice. A blade of ice that only has one purpose. Sharpen your resolve.¡± Not only techniques, Viers did not neglect to burnish Jaime¡¯s mindset. In the dojo where Morpheus-Viers trashed Neo-Jaime in the past, Jaime¡¯s sword was now buried deep in Viers¡¯ chest. After months of training, despite Viers also improving and not holding back his Arte or Horizon, Jaime had managed to kill Viers for the first time. Viers, of all people, knew how much of a significance that held. The two were regenerated to their initial position in the dojo. Jaime looked happy, proud of his accomplishment but Viers looked even happier. The AYM grew up¡­ Enough to bring tears to my eyes. ¡°Again!¡± Without question, Viers had forged Jaime into a sharp murder knife. *** In the fourth month since Stage 5 began, Viers¡¯ Profound Codex, Serpentes Renovamen finally had a breakthrough. His Intio was filled with mana too. After he got out from the Book World, he could begin the Advancement to Level 3. Feels so long since my last level up. Getting to Level 4 will be even longer. Well, Rome wasn''t built in one day, or year for that matter. *** ¡°Are you alright?¡± After a meeting with the other Gloomsiders, Viers singled out Sakuya. She looked unwell. He found her leaning on a wall, in pain. ¡°Just my curse acting up. I can handle it.¡± Even though her kinsmen on the outside world were not affected, Fajrin invoked the bloodline curse months ago in the Book World. Sakuya had been enduring it the whole time. ¡°If you can''t handle it, retire. You¡¯ve already gathered enough shards.¡± Sakuya put on a strong face despite her pain. ¡°Thank you, Tanael-sama, but I can still hold on for a few months yet. I know my limit. If I can''t endure it anymore, I plan to go into hibernation. I''ll wake up to help you in the final battle. I too, am a Horseman of the Apocalypse.¡± Viers accepted her resolution. It seems Aletro¡¯s prediction of three years is far too long¡­ It won¡¯t even last one year. Like a country before going to war, Viers had stockpiled a bunch of Victa in these past months. There were very rare occasions where Viers had to fight and spend his ammo. In his showdown with Anne, Viers planned to spend it to the last drop if he had to. *** In Stage 1, Aletro showed that he could change the trial to suit his needs. The same thing was occurring. An announcement was heard by every trial taker as if it was a revelation from God. ¡°Starting from the sixth month, one month from now, Aberrant Hulks will appear in the waves. These monstrosities are very powerful, on par with your superweapons. Take heed.¡± Previously in meditation, Viers opened his eyes. The time is ripe. This is it¡­ The Sixth Aberrant Incursion will also serve as the final battle! Chapter 193 - Musical of Ambitions Council of Elrond¡¯s equivalent was being held in the Whitelands. ¡°-about Tanael¡¯s army, the Tyra Xerg are actually much more numerous than he shows you. At least twice as much as what he fielded during the waves.¡± ¡°Twice!? Impossible!¡± Khalmar shouted. ¡°What¡¯s impossible about it? We know he¡¯s been turning his whole territory into some sort of insect-spouting colony and greedily extracting its resources like an insatiable glutton,¡± Squire Eugene said grimly. ¡°Long have I wondered why we haven''t been drowned by the Xergs already.¡± Troy resumed the talk after an uncomfortable silence. ¡°And you¡¯re absolutely sure his superweapon is ready, Scorpion?¡± ¡°Positive. The thirty-meter tall beast is unlike any Xerg I have ever seen. He has at least two of those monsters.¡± Green Scorpion Fajrin, who managed to elude Tanael¡¯s hunt by the virtue of cowardice, had been living like a mole these past few months. At first, he had been sabotaging Tanael¡¯s structures, destroying them when he was trying to expand and hunting the small number of Aberrants that trickled from the north for the few shards he could actually gain. As an earth 5 affinity Pathseeker, Fajrin swam in the dirt as if it was water and continuously evaded capture. But lately, a new type of enemy emerged from Tanael¡¯s nest of horrors. Because of the relentless earth-burrowing Xerg, he couldn''t even stay within viewing range of Tanael¡¯s castle anymore. The Tyra Xerg littered the air, land, and underground. Fajrin had already accomplished his primary objective in Stage 4 so his only priority was now survival, but Tanael and his army didn''t make it easy. Fajrin wanted revenge so he did what he could, such as informing the white spark holders of Tanael¡¯s circumstances. By proxy, of course. Fajrin didn''t want to expose himself to seventeen white spark holders but they needed his information more than he did. Tanael guarded the border heavily, so information about the Blacklands was scarce. Fajrin¡¯s report shed light on what the Soul Tyrant was doing in these past months. The Whitelands didn''t possess a superweapon because they weren''t united under a single leader. They were too busy doing their own thing. Since there wasn''t a need for their superweapon, the matter was put on the shelf. They knew Tanael might possess a superweapon months ago but since there wasn''t even a shadow of the thing all this time, these good people simply prayed and hoped that Tanael didn''t have a working superweapon. Because what else could they do? Political matters and human circumstances smothered the issue of unification and the voices that advocated for it were silenced. Without a sufficient threat of extinction, people won''t unite. Viers understood this, so he let the Whitelands be. But with Aletro¡¯s announcement about Aberrant Hulks and the importance of the superweapon¡¯s existence next month, the need emerged abruptly. Fajrin¡¯s report on Tanael¡¯s military realized their greatest fear that they had tried to deny by closing their eyes. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Tanael attacked us?¡± ¡°Perhaps he wants to gain shards in peace?¡± ¡°Fool. WE are the greatest shard prizes. I bet Tanael held back so we could grow fat before he swallowed us in one big gulp!¡± ¡°...That fits him quite well,¡± Fithel muttered. ¡°So what can we do? Even if we unite now and halt the next big wave of Aberrants, Tanael could destroy us whenever he wishes.¡± ¡°No,¡± Aravin interrupted. ¡°If we unite. I reckon we can defend against either the full force of the Aberrants or Tanael¡­ but if we get attacked simultaneously, we¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°We know it and I bet my ass Tanael also knows this¡­ How does he achieve this? Even with all his land¡¯s resources, he fought no less intense battles than us. No, it should be even harder on his armies since he hasn''t lifted a finger to help them during the waves.¡± The casualties on the Tyra Xerg were indeed less than the white spark holders, ensuring the numbers of the swarm kept increasing each month. ¡°...The sacrifice,¡± Max said. The word felt like a blade on their neck. ¡°Tanael¡¯s sacrifice at the start of Stage 5 must be greater than anyone. Or perhaps,¡± Max¡¯s eyes trailed to the girl who hadn¡¯t spoken a word. The discussion about what to do about the Soul Tyrant was a maze. When they realized the deep pit they were in, there was no good solution left. ¡°We should make peace.¡± Every eye in the room turned towards the one who spoke. ¡°And why would he accept, Child of the Holy Phoenix?¡± Khalmar said dubiously. ¡°We give him incentives, such as giving him a portion of our shard gains or real-world benefits or favors.¡± ¡°That is no different from capitulation and vassalage,¡± the bull beastfolk Ubah growled angrily. ¡°At the end of the day. We are in this together. I¡¯ll speak with him directly.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Troy shouted. ¡°Troy¡¯s right, Anne,¡± Max gave his opinion. ¡°You¡¯ll be walking into the lair of the beast. He most likely will kill you then and there.¡± ¡°I believe we can make peace, even with those who we dislike,¡± Anne said serenely, with a gaze not containing any falsehood. ¡°We have to.¡± After more discussion, a company of messengers -all NPCs- were sent to the Blacklands under the banner of truce. Because of sixteen votes against one, Anne didn''t go with them. The players waited at the border for the result. The start was promising, the Tyra Xerg did not attack them on sight, even making way for them to the heart of the Blacklands. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. A few hours later, a single Shredder came towards them. ¡°Greetings. My liege said he would show you his answer. Please follow me,¡± Zerrigan conveyed. There was some resistance at first but the seventeen followed the Shredder. Zerrigan led them to an open field where the tip of the Nest could be seen. Throngs of the Tyra Xerg stood before them, land and air units both. Clearly indicating they would not be permitted going further into the heartlands. ¡°Those who possess the means of farsight. Please look at the top of the Nest.¡± Most of them followed Zerrigan¡¯s instructions. Sadly, Boram¡¯s time as a Pathseeker was too short to be more versatile. The white spark holders saw Tanael for the first time in months. He was talking with messengers on the rooftop. He was wearing a strange garb: crimson cloak, shirtless, and short pants. Then Tanael turned his head towards them and waved. Tanael looked to be inhaling a deep breath. ¡°THIS! IS! SPARTA!¡± Along with a shout so loud it might spread to the entire Blacklands, Tanael kicked the lead messenger square in the chest, felling the poor man from the tall structure. ¡°...Scum.¡± ¡°Damn him!¡± The white spark holders received Tanael¡¯s message loud and clear. They were burning with fury. ¡°...Tanael! I will defeat you. I promise!¡± Anne clenched her fist hard. There was no talk to be had with a man so far gone to evil. Her flames shall purify it. *** Tanael had declared war with the white spark holders and the Gloomsiders were summoned. ¡°Izabella-sama!¡± Sakuya called her fellow horsemen from behind. ¡°Oh geez, how many times do I have to tell you there¡¯s no need for adding sama with me. Anyway, it¡¯s good to see you. Are you well?¡± They both were on their way to the throne room. ¡°Un!¡± She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s finally happening, isn''t it?¡± Sakuya looked half-eager half-nervous. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time coming,¡± Izabella said pensively. The gate to the throne room opened grandly. Jaime was already there, giving the newcomers a nod as a greeting which they returned in kind. The other occupant in the room had a monstrous shape, Zerrigan¡¯s real body. It was rare she left her egg-laying chamber. If Tanael wanted her to be present it must be really important, Iz thought. Tanael himself was sitting on a throne wearing regal garb. The savage throne, the special clothes, the slouching posture, everything about this sight screamed villainous. ¡°Overlord Tanael,¡± Zerrigan informed with a bow. Making her glossy dark-obsidian, slick skin more pronounced. ¡°Everyone has arrived.¡± In that lazy lounge and gaze, Tanael started soliloquizing. ¡°I never thought people essential.¡± ¡°They''re crude and could be a pain.¡± ¡°But turned out they''ve a wealth of potential.¡± ¡°When allied to my vision and brain.¡± Tanael stood from his throne, with each step green smoke arose from the ground. Illusion, Sakuya gleaned. The throne room became shaded with green. Hum-Hum-Hum-Hum-Hum. ¡°I know that your powers of retention.¡± ¡°Are as wet as a warthog''s buttside.¡± ¡°Excuse me!?¡± Izabella was appalled. Tanael had a grin on his face, circling them with the grace of a predator. ¡°But thick as you are, pay attention.¡± ¡°My words are not unimportant.¡± Tanael moved his hand up and down in front of Jaime¡¯s face. There was background music in the air. ¡°It''s clear from your vacant expressions.¡± ¡°Your brain is falling behind.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jaime was genuinely confused. ¡°But we''re talking kings and rankings.¡± ¡°Even you can''t be caught unawares.¡± Tanael pounced closer, Sakuya¡¯s face was only an inch in distance. The girl reddened like a tomato. ¡°So prepare for a chance of a lifetime.¡± ¡°Be prepared for sensational news.¡± There was writing in the air, right in front of Izabella. Everything paused. Tanael pointed repeatedly at the writing. ¡°...Oh, you want me to read this? Er¡­ And where do we feature?¡± The music resumed. Tanael pulled Izabella¡¯s closer. Never once did that grin of confidence waver. If anything, it suited him more and more. ¡°Just listen to the master.¡± Tanael was like a happy hamster with too much caffeine. ¡°It¡¯s a feast of delicious injustice!¡± ¡°Be prepared~¡± The backsound was perfect, fittingly following the lyrics without an inch of error. One factor after another and the Gloomsiders were pulled into the rhythm. Another writing appeared in front of Zerrigan. ¡°Yeah, Be prepared. Yeah. We''ll be prepared¡­ For what?¡± ¡°For the death of King Anne!¡± Tanael replied. Sakuya seemed like she was enjoying it, eagerly participating. ¡°Why? Is she sick?¡± ¡°No, girl--we''re going to kill her. And Aravin too.¡± ¡°Tch, why do I have to put up with this¡­¡± Jaime complained. ¡°Great idea! Who needs a king? No king! No king! la-la-la-laa!¡± Tanael thundered. ¡°Fools! There will be a king!¡± Izabella said her line without a pause. ¡°Hey, but you said, uh-¡± ¡°You¡¯re already a king! I¡¯ll eat anyone who disagrees!¡± Tanael appreciated Zerrigan¡¯s voice of support but the show must go on so he ignored her after giving a nod. ¡°I will be king! ...Stick with me, and you''ll never go hungry again!¡± The rhythm became more energetic. From God knows where, sounds were coming from all around them. ¡°It''s great that we''ll soon be connected.¡± ¡°With a king who''s on a track of success.¡± The voices weren''t the Gloomsiders or Zerrigan¡¯s. It was not even Tanael''s voice. It nonetheless came as if there were a hundred people behind an invisible curtain. Added the visual illusion effects on top of that, this was truly a stage. The music reached a crescendo. Tanael moved around the stage like an expert performer. Surprisingly, his singing was good; the result of his practice. He had rehearsed for this moment for quite some time. ¡°So prepare for the coup of the century!¡± ¡°Be prepared for a Sue¡¯s murder!¡± Tanael¡¯s pitch rose higher and higher as he sang the aspirations in his heart. ¡°Yes, my fangs and ambitions are bared!¡± ¡°Be prepared!¡± Tanael¡¯s companions joined. Feeling that rising fervor in the pit of their stomach. ¡°Yes, our fangs and ambitions are bared!¡± ¡°Be prepared!¡± The song ended with a slowly fading laughter that reverberated to the soul. From this point on, it was the final stretch of the Book World. Tanael would realize his ambitions with fangs bared, no more reason to hold back. He¡¯d either reach the highest summit or crash and burn. Chapter 194 - I Am So Great ¡°They are billions,¡± said Viers solemnly as he looked at a grand army of Tyra Xerg from a high place in the Nest. Three wraiths appeared beside Viers, seeing the same sight as Viers. ¡°A gross exaggeration. Not even three million at best,¡± Clarissa replied. ¡°Oh I know, I just wanted to say it.¡± He also knew that many of them would die. His estimate was that he¡¯d lose half today, maybe more. Viers enjoyed the company. It had been so hectic lately, there were few moments for just the four of them since Stage 5 began. ¡°Today will be a bloodbath.¡± ¡°This is the war that you started,¡± Paina¡¯s hatred for war was evident from the start, after six months, her dislike only grew. ¡°To the Whitelands you go¡­ Do you plan to wipe everybody out?¡± ¡°I don''t feel I have to wipe everybody out, Paina. Just my enemies.¡± It was the immortal words of the Godfather, Michael Corleone. A damn good principle to live on. Though, Viers had no intention of having the same ending as him. ¡°Lord Viers, you truly do everything on your terms, don''t you. And you do it in the way you want,¡± Farley said while feeling the wind caressing her cheek. They didn''t have a flesh and blood body but Viers could make them feel as if they had, if he chose to. ¡°The best thing about being a villain, ladies, is that you can basically do whatever the hell you want until someone stops you.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m jealous, you can think that way,¡± Paina muttered softly. ¡°It took me a long time to come to terms with myself. I know what I want, I know myself, I know my place in the world. That¡¯s why I can move forward without fear or getting lost.¡± The villain was a liar but he would not lie to himself. ¡°Come. This is a day of teeth and ambitions. Let¡¯s make it happen.¡± ¡°What are your prospects of victory, Viers?¡± Clarissa was a lamian warrior princess. She¡¯d fought wars before. And yet a war on this scale was a rarity, even for her age. ¡°I¡¯m a reasonable person, Rissa. If there¡¯s no hope of winning, I will not fight at all.¡± Viers walked out the main gate of the Nest and was greeted by an army, arrayed and ready to fight. The Xerg were waiting for the Supreme Commander to arrive, to lead them. The Gloomsiders and Zerrigan¡¯s real body stood at the very front. They looked dashing with their preparations. Izabella toiled to make their best equipment even better in every way she could think of. Their eyes showed solid resolve, something that Viers instilled in them slowly in these past months. Jaime, Izabella, Sakuya, and Zerrigan; they would go their separate ways after Stage 5 was over. Viers had become quite fond of their company. The time they spent together was not insignificant. Looking at them now, Viers thought that he would feel regret if this scene, this memory just faded with time. ¡°Gang, let¡¯s take a group photo,¡± Viers said with a smile. There were magical items that could produce life-like pictures or crystal orbs that could record videos but they didn''t have any. So Viers used his Fatal Soulframe Arte -an arte meant to lethally attack someone- adjusted it to zero attack power, and produced five photos. Viers gave one to each of them, accepting their thanks in return. All was set. Viers came forward to address the army. He was dressed for the occasion, wearing a green robe of intricate make, with threads of gold, and enchantments sewed into the very fabric. Blithe Lich Robe, a rare soul gear that he got from unlocking the inventory rings of Farley¡¯s belated father, the mastermind cultist that destroyed Luxore town. It was the man¡¯s best gear. Combined with his fake handsome face and fake chiseled body, it made him look like a badass and boosted his already obscene soul power to an even greater height. ¡°I¡¯m not big on speeches¡­ Who am I kidding, I love speeches. At least the good ones, but I¡¯ll make it short. So! This is it. We all know the stakes. We all got our roles. Today, we will fulfill our greed and wants. We¡¯re not heroes. Our cause is not just. I am doing this because of the most basic nature of humanity: I am not yet content! No one will give it to us so we¡¯ll take it! Horsemen, Xerg¡­ our enemies are strong but we are stronger! The End Times are here! We¡¯ll bring it to their gates.¡± Viers raised his fully healed left arm to the sky. ¡°Onward!!¡± The war cries of millions of Tyra Xerg shook the sky and the earth shuddered. A behemoth rose from a pool of green liquid. The Kaiju Primordial Pool was so big it might as well be a lake. As the thing stood from the pool, water fell off its back, as if a living mountain had emerged. And there was another. And another. Five titans, five kaijus, the superweapons that Viers used a gargantuan amount of resources to make were being awakened from their slumber. They slowly walked out of their watery birthplace, kept in hibernation all this time, hidden from the eyes of the Tyrant¡¯s enemies. The ground shook and cried from every step of these thirty-meter tall monstrosities. Each kaiju was shaped differently, no two were the same. One had gigantic blades for arms, one turtle-thing was starting to emit dark-green spores, one was like a hairy, bloated worm, one looked like a five-headed hydra, and one was a humanoid with a squid head. The Soul Tyrant mobilized the full force of the entire Blacklands. Soon, the Aberrants would begin their sixth big invasion and the entirety of Stage 5 would be plunged into a great war. ¡°Let there be carnage!¡± *** The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°He comes after all.¡± A Knight of Latias would stand firm and brave no matter the enemy. As a squire, Eugene strived to be a man possessing that quality. Yet, when he saw the sky darkened from thousands of airborne Tyra Xerg, he felt fear. After the Soul Tyrant made it clear he wouldn''t negotiate and the only path of survival was a joint effort, the United Alliance was soon created. What Anne and her group proposed and never came to pass these few months, became a reality when a great evil threatened their interests. These rulers that ruled from their ivory castles became as obedient as scared puppies. The Alliance then pooled their resources and managed to awaken a Giant of Light. These giants were monuments of their disunity. They had been unmoving statues, silently watching their follies. When one of them started moving, the people of the kingdoms were roused. But Eugene felt it was too late. How could he not, when he saw two monstrosities that were about to step on him and his foot soldiers like ants? The Alliance only had one Giant of Light, the time and resources prevented them from awakening a second. The Giant of Light was not even on this battlefield. The war council had agreed that the guardian would be better suited at the northern border, fighting the new Aberrant Hulk that would certainly be coming, instead of guarding an attack that might or might not be coming from the Blacklands. But Tanael really came. This greedy black spark holder chose to attack simultaneously with the intense Aberrant incursion. They had anticipated the possibility of Tanael¡¯s attack, for there was no better time than now. Without any choice, the Alliance split its forces into two. A sea of enemies and two dreadnoughts. Although this front had been allocated more forces than the other, Eugene didn''t think it would be enough but he felt a warmth inside his heart. There was still hope. Anne, the Child of the Holy Phoenix stood with them. ¡°Milord elf. Your eyes are better than mine. Who are those two on the head of the giant Xerg?¡± ¡°Black Cat and Tanael,¡± Fithel replied. ¡°The Soul Tyrant himself, eh? Should we be glad or disappointed that he came to this place, Baster?¡± Eugene¡¯s horse replied to his pat by shaking its neck. Black Cat, although the woman had been calling herself Conquest since Tanael had created his merry band, the Gloomsiders. She was the least dangerous, in Eugene¡¯s opinion, but all four horsemen -although they had never been seen riding horses- were no easy opponents. Tanael chose his people well. ¡°We should look at the bright side. At least Tanael doesn''t have three of those things,¡± Eugene tried to be positive for Boram. He looked a bit shaken. ¡°He does,¡± Troy added. ¡°The third went towards our northern battlefront. Our scouts saw yet another two in the Blacklands, presumably to battle the Aberrants incursion there.¡± ¡°So he has five in total¡­ Bollocks.¡± The tide of murderous critters that swallowed the ground and sky, blocking them with their bodies, finally stopped around a hundred meters away from the United Alliance¡¯s coalition army. ¡°Tanael,¡± Anne¡¯s voice was carried by the wind from far away and remained clear despite the distance. She stood at the very front as if she meant to hold back the vicious darkness of human greed made manifest that were the Xerg. ¡°Why have you come?¡± ¡°I come to bring Apocalypse to you all,¡± the man¡¯s voice was similarly touched with magic. No screaming was needed for it to be heard. ¡°It is unrefusable.¡± ¡°We refuse.¡± Anne was nobly defiant. ¡°I insist.¡± Tanael sentenced death with ease. The Xerg charged while letting out ungodly shrieks and the army invoked their war formations. Powers rose from both sides. Anne hit one of the Xerg Titans with her full force, the one whose head Tanael sat upon. Phoenix flames blazed bright, but the other kaiju stepped in, using its body as a shield. The giant monster was only slightly burned and retaliated with a cleave using its blade hand. Great mass severed the earth with a deafening noise. Anne dodged by flying to the sky, wings of fire sprung from her back. ¡°My kaijus take half damage from fire attacks. Let¡¯s see how you fare against them, yeah?¡± Teeth, steel, screams, fire, bones, magic, claws, swords, blood, death. *** Amidst the scene of carnage that was the Whitelands Northern Battlefront, a pair of thirty-meter tall beings were duking it out. The Giant of Light was on equal terms with the Aberrant Hulk. Those two created casualties amongst their allies and enemies both, but the smaller armies didn''t stop fighting. They couldn''t afford to, the Aberrants cared not for their fallen brethren, though the humans did. Despite the anguish and the chaos, they must fight or they would lose. Should they lose, the Aberrants would pour down upon their homes and kill everyone they held dear. Aravin had just returned to the army headquarters, covered in blood. He had been culling the Aberrants, helping his army. It was going well, at least on his end. It was because his soldiers were strong. The lady¡¯s sacrifice made his army one of the better ones among the seventeen. His group was more coordinated too. He supplanted his king¡¯s influence and made his own coalition with Naya and Sabine¡¯s forces. He had the highest command concerning the army now. The rulers didn''t like it. Understandable since he basically raised a coup but it didn''t matter. He didn''t have the time for political bickering or other mundane nonsense. He needed spark shards to heal the lady as per the promise. ¡°Watch out overhead!¡± The Giant of Light fell, his elbow would¡¯ve flattened Aravin if he didn''t move out of the way. Some of his men were not so lucky or so skilled and died. The Giant rose again to battle the Hulk that had the appearance of a spider from the deepest pits of Hell. Silver claws slashed and the Aberrant beside him died. Naya approached Aravin. ¡°Aravin, the Xergs are coming as we predicted. They are about to hit our flank. Anne held two big monsters and the bulk of Tanael¡¯s army on the other battlefield but at least a hundred thousand insects and a big monster are coming our way.¡± ¡°...We already have our hands full fighting the Aberrants. Shit. This is going to get ugly.¡± ¡°The dwarves are holding their ground but they won''t last long without help. Tanael¡¯s big ugly worm is tearing them apart.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll reinforce them,¡± Aravin then shouted to his men. ¡°Five hundred, with me!¡± ¡°Sabine is already on the way,¡± Naya informed while running with Aravin. Her silver hair had flecks of blood in it. ¡°Un,¡± Aravin nodded strongly. Aravin and Naya found the dwarf trial taker, Gulzul, surrounded by a pack of Shredders. The two made short work of them and saved the male dwarf. A flier attempted to sneak attack but Aravin¡¯s flying slash of light bisected it in two and the two halves of its body fell to the ground. ¡°Thanks for saving my beard, laddie.¡± ¡°Don''t mention it,¡± Aravin replied. ¡°The walkers are too many. We need to thin them first so we can focus on the big one.¡± ¡°Aye. I got you!¡± ¡°I will go from the right. You-¡± ¡°Found you!¡± A ball of pale white came out of nowhere. Aravin managed to defend against it. He knew this Arte. He¡¯d seen it many times. It was a soul Arte! ¡°Tanael!? How are you here?¡± Aravin said with confusion to the sudden appearance of Tanael. ¡°I am so great I can be in two places at once!¡± Before Aravin could reply to his absurd boast, Aravin felt a sense of danger coming from his back. He parried the vicious strike with his sword. ¡°I¡¯m here too,¡± said the man using a black sword. ¡°Get away from Aravin!¡± Naya let loose a flurry of claws and Jaime took a few steps back. Aravin¡¯s thoughts flashed lightning fast. He was in a dangerous situation with many strong enemies in his surroundings. If he was bogged down here too long, the battle lines would collapse. ¡°Naya, I¡¯ll defeat Tanael as quickly as possible-¡± ¡°No strategizing in front of a villain of my caliber!¡± Tanael rudely interrupted him by launching his soul Artes. He was aiming for Naya so Aravin moved in to defend her. ¡°Your opponent is me!¡± Jaime gave him a strong vertical slash. Naya and Gulzul started double-teaming Tanael but Aravin¡¯s unease had only grown. Tanael was not normal, he feared Naya¡¯s fate. So he must defeat the interruption as soon as possible! ¡°Jaime,¡± his tone was serious. ¡°Let¡¯s end the knot of ill relation between us, once and for all.¡± Jaime raised his sword and made a stance. Voice ice-cold and bone-deep. ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± Chapter 195 - Deception Aravin wanted to end his fight as soon as possible. He wanted to jump in and close the distance immediately but his instinct gave him pause. Hm? Aravin couldn''t find any opening in Jaime¡¯s stance. The now white-haired Jaime showed no emotion, only a calculating mind and formidable battle spirit. It was then Aravin realized that Jaime had changed. The last time they fought was during Stage 3, where Jaime burned his life force for a great boost of power but got defeated in the end. Since then Aravin had grown exponentially while Jaime went under Tanael¡¯s wing. What happened to him during these past few months? The sound of Naya¡¯s battle with Tanael reminded him of the urgency of his situation. ¡°Womanizer, be careful.¡± A female voice resounded in his mind. ¡°Milady?¡± ¡°I have a bad feeling.¡± Milady seldom cautioned him before a battle. Aravin realized this whole thing was more serious than he initially thought. ¡°I understand.¡± Aravin made his move. Jaime mirrored it. The two locked swords. Aravin used his swordsmanship, using his most compact attack. In a flash, blood splattered in the air. His own. Jaime read his move perfectly and landed a counter. The laceration on his right arm dyed his white robe red. Aravin saw there was no joy in his long time nemesis¡¯ face. The darkness in Jaime¡¯s eyes only deepened. Aravin attacked again a few times using a different technique every instance. The result was the same. Aravin was heavily pressured by Jaime¡¯s fighting prowess. Something¡¯s wrong! He¡¯s reading me like a book, anticipating my every move. How? Jaime was too familiar with Aravin¡¯s moves. Unlike a certain black spark holder, Aravin¡¯s troops were not so numerous. To gain shards he often sallied forth and battled against the Aberrants on the frontline. These battles were spied on by Zerrigan and shown to the Overlord. Tanael then updated the Virtual Aravin¡¯s specs and let Jaime spar against it day after day. Then I simply need to change my fighting style. Aravin stowed his sword and took up a big broadsword. It was a slab of iron as tall as himself and almost as wide. He could have used it as a shield if he wanted to. With a very different weapon, Aravin changed his style, turning the battle flow. In the edge of his vision he saw Sabine arrive, helping Naya and Gulzul fight Tanael, but the guy was not fighting alone. Various kinds of Xerg gave him support. The giant worm that Tanael brought went straight at the Giant of Light and the Aberrant Hulk, moving terribly fast all of a sudden, starting a three-way battle. The scene was very chaotic. *** Zerrigan was having millions of battles at once. Her main body remained in the heart of the Blacklands and yet she was everywhere, seeing everything. She didn''t invest herself in every child, only the crucial ones or when the need arose. Such as having a Harpy jump into the enemy¡¯s Arte before it hit Izabella. The situation of the three theaters of war was completely laid bare before her mind. The Blacklands Northern Battlefront was of the least concern. There were two Kaijus while the Aberrants had only one Hulk. Her children would hold. The Whitelands Northern Battlefront was where her liege was. Seeing these trial takers gang up upon her lord, buzzing all around him like flies made her red with rage. She wanted to come crashing down upon these annoyances like a rain of acid but her lord forbade it. She was to break the Whitelands army and let the Aberrants spread like poison afterwards. Her lord¡¯s order was absolute but she wasn''t happy. It wasn''t that she didn''t have faith in the Overlord but saying he was fighting with both hands tied behind his back was being generous. What if something happened? The irritation she felt was poured onto the Whitelands Eastern Battlefront. It was the most intense theater of the three. One that was a blazing inferno. Flame wielding crusaders and the fire elementals were holding off her children¡¯s advance with a wall of fire. Other than the Xerg charging on an entrenched ground which was filled with defensive structures, the opposition soldiers were using what her lord called War Formations. It made units of humans, beastfolks, and others able to fight as more than the sum of their number. For example, there were a hundred mages using a War Formation that allowed them to shoot potent exploding fireballs like a contingent of artillery, protected behind another one hundred units in an interlocking phalanx War Formation. The Tyra Xerg didn''t have them, War Formations or magic-wielding units, but so what? Zerrigan moved a company of Shredders to take the hill the artillery mages were on. They were burned to cinders before reaching halfway. The second company was close behind. It was a mix of Shredders and other types such as the Spikers. They also failed to reach the top. The humans were cheering. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Then the third attack came. The fourth. Even after the tenth, the Xerg weren¡¯t stopping! They wanted that hill and they were not going to stop. The mages and defenders were eventually surrounded. Shredders were attacking the walls, the Spikers shot spikes of bone, every mage fallen meant a greater burden for the rest. Winged Harpies swooped down taking unsuspecting combatants into the sky, where they were ripped apart; Moles dug a hole underground, passing their fortification and emerged smack dab in the middle, messing up their formation. The defenders were slain to the last and the Xerg had taken the hill. Understandable since they were outnumbered by an estimate of twenty to one. Then the hill was torched by Ivory Flame Max. Some of the Xerg managed to survive and evacuate, especially the sturdy types. The weaker ones were burned to a crisp. It was a frequent occurrence all across the battlefield. The trial takers, these hero units -as her lord called them- were able to defeat her children easily. Too easily despite her children not being much weaker compared to Level 2 monsters. The Overlord suspected Creator Aletro put a finger on the scale. Changed the parameters somehow. And yet the Swarm was dominant. Shredders ambushed a marauding band of beastfolk after burrowing underground. Bloaters waded deep into the enemy''s formation in a suicidal manner, exploding with potent acid bursts. The air was a battlefield too, where Harpies and other fliers fought Griffin Riders, Pegasus Knights, and Fire Djinns. Zerrigan sent many of her children to die in droves but they traded casualties with the enemy¡¯s soldiers. Fighting the Tyra Xerg in terms of numbers was the worst idea. Still, the most crucial task her lord gave to her was about Anne. Wreathed in fire, Anne resembled a Goddess of Fire holding her own against not one but two kaijus. She wielded the fires of destruction as easily as she breathed. If the kaijus weren''t made with fire resistance and regeneration, they would have been defeated already. It wasn''t for nothing though. Every drop of Victa she used here meant one less drop to use against her Lord later. It was a worthwhile trade. Lord Tanael¡¯s voice and taunts were coming from above one of the kaiju but it seemed the Child of the Holy Phoenix was starting to feel something was wrong. The ¡®Tanael¡¯ in front of her had not yet made a move so far. She started using various investigative methods to check on Lord Tanael but it seemed that she was still unsure. It was time to inform the Overlord. *** ¡°Arghhh!¡± Viers watched Aravin as he was hit by a strike of darkness. ¡°You absorbed my light!¡± He gasped. ¡°Arte - Light Drain,¡± Jaime approached. Composed and menacing. The Arrogant Young Master of the past had matured splendidly. ¡°The Dark Side is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.¡± Viers snickered. Heh, he is stealing my line which I stole from another. ¡°No way¡­ Aravin is losing?¡± Sabine, the other member of Aravin''s harem, looked horrified. ¡°Sabine! Focus on the enemy before you!¡± Naya, now in her wolf form, was in the middle of combat. Viers dodged her glowing claws and hit her stomach. She yelped, pain spread out from the core of her being. Gulzul took her place while she fell back. Every time she was hit, she felt her innards were about to turn to mush. Sabine applied healing immediately. ¡°It damages the soul directly¡­ How horrible,¡± Sabine grimaced. Viers glanced at Aravin in the middle of combat. The guy looked aghast seeing his woman injured. Then it turned to determination. Time for his super mode. ¡°Tanael! What kind of man are you to lay your hands on a girl!?¡± He screamed. ¡°I¡¯m not a sexist,¡± Viers replied very naturally. ¡°If you want me to stop, make me.¡± Aravin ducked a slash to the throat before he could reply. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? Your opponent is me!¡± Jaime continued his attacks. A single push more. Viers started gathering power flashily and attempted to strike Sabine, Aravin¡¯s precious companion. She tried to defend but it was futile. Jaws of death were closing in on her. ¡°STOOOOOP!!¡± There was a blast of light. A form was intruding between Tanael and Sabine. Aravin had transformed into his super state; emitting a mighty aura of light. ¡°True Yang Asura!¡± Aravin punched Tanael back with great speed and power after speaking the name of the technique. Tanael already jumped backward to diminish the blow. True Yang? That clinches it. Aravin is a xianxia harem hero! His roots are from a Chinese cultivation origin. I¡¯ve found it odd since Aravin¡¯s troops and buildings have a resemblance to Earth¡¯s eastern culture, especially Chinese. There are Japanese elements trickling into this world so it¡¯s not impossible for others to exist but how did he get it? Guo Song, that Level 7 bull spoke of a continent in the east. Sakuya¡¯s ancestor also came from the east. Is it the same continent? Does that continent have Japanese and Chinese cultures? Anyway, Aravin¡¯s trump card must be¡­ I better prepare for the common clich¨¦s. Rather than pressing the attack, Aravin gave aid to his girlfriends. Then he felt another surge of power. Tanael, he thought at first, but it was Jaime. Just like Aravin, Jaime invoked his own super mode. Something he learned from Tanael. The man was coated in darkness and power. It was Jaime''s wrath and indignation made manifest, an avatar of vengeance. ¡°Chaos Form - Missionary of Darkness.¡± Aravin gauged their strength was about equal. Jaime burned a majority of his life force in the past to corner him, a desperate last hurrah. Now, he felt Jaime was still hiding threats. The spoiled brat had become a truly formidable opponent. Aravin felt some regret that he didn''t finish Jaime when he had the chance. ¡­Sorry Piera. I have to kill your childhood friend. The aura of the two pushed everything outward like a whirlwind. Naya and Sabine raised themselves back up. Tanael could have ended the fight right then and there but he didn''t. He pretended the young but bearded dwarf was keeping him busy. To be fair, the dwarf was not weak and very steadfastly fought Viers with all he had, but Viers was simply in another league. Now they are both in their super mode, the battle will be even more intense and faster to end. Come on Jaime. We¡¯re on the clock. There was a communication signal from Zerrigan. Viers permitted it to go through. He heard Anne¡¯s incensed voice. ¡°Tanael, where are you?¡± Viers smiled. ¡°I¡¯m in your base, killing your dudes.¡± Chapter 196 - Destiny Denial All warfare is based on deception. Viers employed the wise words from Sun Tzu against Anne. The faction that Jaime discarded, the dark elves, were still around. Viers used them to shore up one of the Tyra Xerg¡¯s shortcomings: the lack of magic. One thousand dark elf shamans empowered Sakuya¡¯s illusion and Izabella furthered it using her enchantments. The result was an illusion so potent it managed to fool Viers¡¯ upgraded Euryale Sight. If it was able to deceive Viers, then it had a high probability to work on Anne too. At least for a time. During which he would take care of the Aravin problem as soon as possible. Any other white spark holders he killed on the battlefield would also progress his plan. *** ¡°Hahaha! What¡¯s wrong, little firebird? Can''t even get past my minions? I, your father, am right here!¡± ¡®Tanael¡¯ was playing the role of a typical villain. Talking trash and spewing taunts while leisurely hiding behind his underlings. He played it quite well because there were so many examples to mimic from. ¡°...You¡¯re a fake.¡± Anne declared. She had been showering the other kaiju with feathers of fire from her wings before she paused, seemingly getting a telepathy message from others. ¡°The real Tanael would have already made a move by now.¡± ¡°Hou. You think you know me, huh? I¡¯m simply waiting for you to be exhausted before fighting you,¡± Tanael spoke with confidence. ¡°Even if that is the truth. What I see in front of me is not the real you. What makes you so troublesome is your decisiveness to act. For you to not use a single technique or support in a battle of this scale is impossible¡­ And you are not the type to babble. Either you are a fake¡­ or you¡¯re not really here!¡± Viers¡¯ competence as a villain came back to bite him in this instance. ¡°Tanael, where are you?¡± Anne pointed her finger straight at him. ¡®Tanael¡¯ became silent. Even while the two exchanged words, the battle around them raged on. Slowly, the edges of Tanael¡¯s lips bent upwards. ¡°...I¡¯m in your base, killing your dudes.¡± Anne clenched her fists. ¡°You¡¯re on the other battlefield.¡± ¡°I¡¯m elsewhere, but can you chase me?¡± The kaijus roared, establishing their presence and threat. ¡°Without you, the Tyra Xerg will punch through this battlefront like a spear through wet paper.¡± Anne knew he was right, no matter how unpleasant it might be. But if the other battlefield collapsed, it would be the same thing. ¡°Anne, they need reinforcements but you¡¯re still needed here. I will go.¡± ¡°Troy¡­¡± Anne hesitated but only for a short while. ¡°Fine. But take three thousand of my crusaders. Be very careful. I¡¯ll be over as soon as I can.¡± ¡°Got it. I won''t seek revenge against Tanael. This is bigger than my personal feelings. Good luck to you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± An Ambusher, a Xerg with a chameleon-like ability, attempted to sneak attack Anne from the side while she was in the middle of a conversation, because Viers was a rude and tactless guy. The kind of guy that ordered an attack at this kind of moment. Anne sent an Arte while turning, a priceless feather fan in hand. The result was a wave of fire that consumed the rare Xerg-type and many other Xerg in the area. Anne had pulled out the Divine Weapon she got from Stage 2. Fires swirled around her in the form of little phoenixes. ¡°Achaaahh¡­ That looks serious.¡± ¡°Our cover is blown. What should we do next, Izabella-neesama?¡± The ¡®Tanael¡¯ was actually Sakuya in disguise. Her illusion technique was essential in Viers¡¯ grand strategy. Since it was no longer needed, she dispelled her illusion. ¡°Follow the plan. We support Zerri¡¯s children from the back. Never ever engage with Anne.¡± ¡°You two,¡± Anne called them. ¡°Why are you helping someone as evil as him?¡± ¡°...His success means I¡¯m one step closer to my goal. Everyone has something they want, Anne,¡± the Blood Church¡¯s member said first. ¡°I¡¯m indebted to Tanael-sama. Even if he is a demon or a devil, I will stand beside him,¡± the foreign shinobi gave her unwavering answer. Anne didn''t reply back and the two kaiju pincered her from both sides. Before she got hit by the massive titanic life-forms, Anne retaliated. ¡°Arte - Phoenix Balefire Storm!¡± ¡°Akh! Retreat. Retreat!¡± Izabella held her pointy hat with one hand and pulled Sakuya¡¯s arm with the other, running far, far away as the landscape turned into a blazing purgatory behind them. *** ¡°Arte - Ebon Void Blade!¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Arte - Sword Qi Flurry!¡± Jaime and Aravin let loose attacks at superhuman speed. Normal people could only see their blurred movements, unable to make heads or tails about what happened. Viers, of course could. Jaime looked like a bona fide demon, fighting a fierce asura. So, Troy is the one who¡¯s coming? Gulzul¡¯s body was looking to the sky battles and beyond, eyes opened for he no longer possessed the ability to close them, ever again. Naya¡¯s back was being stepped on by Viers. The wolf beastfolk was still breathing but heavily injured; she tried to crawl away but the villain''s foot nailed her into place. Sabine was held up by Viers¡¯ hand grasping her neck all the while her feet were unable to touch the ground. The priestess was clawing weakly at the villain with a pained expression. ¡°Guys!!¡± The lapse of concentration made an opening in Aravin¡¯s airtight defense. A black blade was rising from below. The light-user''s reaction was late but he avoided a fatal wound. From his chin to the corner of his left eye, was a new gash. A lesser man would have had their face split open. Viers was glad Jaime¡¯s advantage kept increasing but he knew the truth: it might change in the next battle phase. Bosses usually have several forms or a different set of moves when their HP bar goes red. Troy¡¯s reinforcement will be here in about¡­ fifteen minutes? Better finish this battle in ten. That means pushing the MC to reveal his next hidden card. Viers determined his strategy. ¡°I poisoned your women,¡± he said, letting go of his chokehold on Sabine. It wouldn''t do if they died now. Aravin would get a sudden bullshit power-up. It was better to not show the death of a loved one in front of the hero types. Naya and Sabine were starting to groan painfully. The arteries under their skin turned violet as the poison spread, visible to the naked eye. Viers dangled a vial of liquid. ¡°Five minutes from now they will be beyond the help of saints and angels. Defeat Jaime and I will give this to them. But if you attack me before defeating Jaime, I will destroy the antidote and they will be pretty corpses, even if you kill me afterwards.¡± If Aravin¡¯s fury was expressed through heat, Viers would have turned to ashes instantly despite standing thirty meters away. Jaime didn''t care about Aravin''s internal turmoil so he launched an attack just like he was taught. A loud ring of metal meeting metal echoed out. Like a badass, Aravin blocked Jaime¡¯s heavy attack with one hand without seeing the direction of its coming. His eyes were hidden by his bangs as he slightly faced down. ¡°Jaime¡­ Tanael¡­ If anything happens-¡± Viers was sure Aravin would be spouting some cool lines worthy of a xianxia MC but Jaime didn''t let him finish his moment. Viers had hammered into the dark padawan¡¯s head that every time Aravin opened his mouth, he should attack using deviously hard-to-counter techniques. Seeing the former Arrogant Young Master do just that, made Viers swell up with pride. But an MC was an MC, they were never easy to deal with. Even Sigma, who Viers insta-killed, troubled him after his death. A bright object appeared in Aravin¡¯s hand, dispelling the thin spike of darkness that almost pierced his throat. Jaime put some distance between them in anticipation of the next move. ¡°Is that!?¡± Viers frowned. He felt something that he hadn''t felt since Stage 2. Divinity. Aravin held a shining sword as if the object was made from the shard of a sun. A divine weapon!? Did he get it from Stage 2? I thought only Anne and Troy got them, from the fire and the dark world! The former kept it while the latter turned it to shards! I see¡­ Aravin kept his relic possession under wraps. How very xianxia MC-like. The darkness around Jaime became sluggish. The pitch-black darkness that clad his body while in his super mode was thinning, made brittle and weak. In the relation between light and darkness, when the quality was equal, light was very effective against dark and vice versa. But when one side was of higher quality, the opposing element was heavily suppressed. Before the divine sword of light, Jaime had no chance. The tide turned in an instant, overwhelmingly so. Aravin, in his righteous fury, landed a clean hit on Jaime. A diagonal wound was imprinted on the length of Jaime¡¯s torso. He screamed in pain. His thoughts were muddled by the blow. Aravin was upon him for the next attack before Jaime was even ready. With difficulty, Jaime raised his sword in time. The defense was weak and incomplete. The sword of light knocked the black heirloom sword of House Sigley from his hand. It was a small bit of luck. Should Jaime¡¯s grip have held firm, the sword would have been cleaved in two by the sword of light. Jaime was lying on his stomach from the dodge, on the ground wet with blood, his own and other¡¯s. In his concentration, Jaime half-forgot that he was in the middle of a war. Tyra Xerg continued fighting the varied soldiers of the Alliance. The Aberrant Hulk had been defeated and the half-broken Giant of Light was pummeling down on the worm kaiju. All of the tuned off sensations hit Jaime whole as his battle trance was broken. He realized he had been in this position before. Eating dirt and dust while his body was bloodied and broken, with Aravin, standing triumphant above him, looking regal and cool and smug. The resentment, the unwillingness, exploded from the core of Jaime¡¯s body like a supervolcanic eruption. But no matter how he felt, it was his destiny to lose. But it was not the end. Someone had changed his destiny. ¡°Stand up, Horseman.¡± A firm, powerful voice gave him hope once again. Infusing him with the will to fight. ¡°You are War. And your enemy is not yet ruined. Stand up and fight!¡± A spear was thrown by Death, it landed a few inches away from the fallen War. The spearhead stabbed the earth, inside of War¡¯s line of sight. On the spear¡¯s metal edge, the reflection of his own face staring back at him, and Aravin running at him with the other. ¡°RUUUAAAAAAGGGGHHH!!!¡± With a roar that came from his soul, War, a Horseman of the Apocalypse, took up the spear with the broken shaft as he rose and wielded it like a blade. War¡¯s power rose skyward. His Intio -his cultivation core- answering the foremost wish of its owner. War got back on his feet greater than before. His lifespan was starting to decrease, burned as fuel so he could burn the brightest in the last moment of his life. And there was something else. A small essence of destruction had stirred inside the awakened War! The sword of light and the broken spear met each other head-on, a shockwave of power emerged from the clash. Like a beast, out for revenge, the dark energy inside War lashed out viciously against the light energy of Aravin. The struggle of light versus dark, the churning twilight was a terrible yet beautiful sight to behold in this chaotic battlefield. ¡°What!?¡± Aravin expected the broken weapon to be split like a wooden stick but the unbelievable happened. The spear was able to withstand a strike from his divine weapon. ¡°You think you¡¯re the only one with a divine object?¡± Tanael chided Aravin for his arrogance. ¡°Behold! The Spear of Leonidas!¡± The spear was from a female cultivator that Viers suspected was from the eastern continent. He got it a long time ago, in the Rank 7 bull monster affair. The roots of Aravin¡¯s strength came from a Chinese origin, from the eastern continent. It was only right that a weapon from the same land was used to end him. Chapter 197 Undeniably, every trial taker had grown stronger through each stage of Aletro¡¯s trial. What a Pathseeker needed to grow was more than cultivation resources and good books. It could be argued that hardships were the most important factor to grow as a Pathseeker in the Path of Power. The Trial of Fire facilitated their growth. While their cultivation level was suppressed and stalled, their foundation became more firm and their power grew. Aravin¡¯s light blast made Jaime jump backward but he threw the Spear of Leonidas at the ground near Aravin¡¯s feet. Tendrils of darkness bloomed like petals of a flower. Sensing the threat, it was Aravin¡¯s turn to jump back. Jaime pursued, grabbing the short spear on the way. Aravin let loose tens of homing light arrows in a blink of an eye. The darkness-user swatted them all down. Aravin had closed the distance while he was busy. First, came the searing sword of light, dodged. Second, came the other hand, a fist. Too late to react, body posture was bad. Jaime gritted his teeth and tightened his stomach for the inevitable. The pain came, then passed. Unwilling to keep a debt, he returned the favor. ¡°Raaahh!¡± ¡°DIEEE!¡± The two¡¯s battle became hotter and more visceral with each injury they inflicted on each other. A voice was sounding in Aravin¡¯s mind. It was unusual for her to do so. ¡°This is bad, Stupidvin. He¡¯s now utilizing the Dao of Destruction! Only a little fragment of it but it is unmistakable. I thought he was trash of trash but to think he can go this far against someone with a True Yang Constitution¡­ Was it that soul trash¡¯s doing? You¡¯re in deep trouble, womanizer. Told you you¡¯ll die because of a woman someday.¡± Harsh words as usual but Aravin knew the truth. Despite her spicy mouth, she was really kind. Even now she was trying to help him, even after her great sacrifice which made him into the man he was now. Aravin glanced at the poisoned Sabine and Naya, at the villain that stood near them before replying with conviction. ¡°Don''t worry. I will not die here. I¡¯ll save Naya, and Sabine, and you too! I will not fail!¡± Aravin made a circular motion with his sword of light. ¡°True Yang Secret Art - Sun Wheel Burning Shine!¡± A sun was born and it scoured the eight directions. ¡°Hmph¡­ Stupidvin.¡± Unlike her sharp tone before, there was a touch of fondness. *** Viers watched and paid great attention to detail, intending to record the fight as pristinely as possible, for posterity. Hm, they seem even. Which is bad because Aravin definitely still has several hidden cards left while Jaime¡¯s are running out. Their power is similar to my state when I defeated Alan. Using his super eyes, Viers saw that Aravin¡¯s sword was actually better than his Spear of Leonidas. Aletro had said that the Crystal Trident that he gave up on was better. It made sense if the sword was on the same level. And yet Aravin and Jaime were even in terms of weapon quality. This was caused by Aravin''s inability to make full use of his weapon¡¯s divinity and Aletro¡¯s suppression. The sword¡¯s divine energy -energy beyond Level 5- was suppressed because of the trial. The broken spear that had nothing left beside the material it was made of, could hold on despite not possessing a speck of divinity left. The Spear of Leonidas was made from some good metal that Viers was unable to recognize. It was able to take a hit from the sword of light without breaking. Then Aravin made an impromptu sun. Viers tsked, shielding his eyes with his hand. Freya, Aravin, Anne, and even Clarissa, their fire or light Artes had many characteristics of the sun. I suppose ¡®the sun is the king of torches¡¯ saying is correct. It was a fearsome Arte. Viers wasn''t affected other than the brightness but the Xerg all around him were screaming in pain, skin scalded. Jaime was bearing the brunt of it. The light only damaged what the user chose, Viers realized after seeing himself and the poisoned duo were unaffected. Aravin¡¯s harem members no longer grunted in pain, they had lost consciousness, but the poison was still coursing through their bloodstreams. It had almost spread throughout their bodies. Time was running out. With the way Aravin was, the Sun Wheel Burning Shine was extraordinary. Furthermore, in that moment of crisis, Aravin unconsciously infused his Arte with a strand of the Dao of Creation! The Dao Fragment he gained by eating the World Tree¡¯s fruit in Stage 4 was pulsing despite its inertness all this time. It would be a mighty blow that easily snuffed out the flickering life of Jaime, like a candle before a storm. Metaphorically speaking, Viers was watching at the edge of his seat. Clenching his hands at the heart-pounding moment. Now, you son of a gun! Prove to the world that even a cannon fodder like you can defeat the main character! Behind a dissipating egg of darkness, Jaime thought the same thing. ¡°Victa Overload!¡± A pained wail resounded immediately and the light gradually faded as Aravin was consumed with a ferocious backlash. Aravin was in his limit-break state, using a finishing move that he rarely used because using it was difficult. It was the perfect target for Victa Overload which disrupted the flow of the opponent¡¯s Victa. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. A winning move overturned. This was his strategy. Viers made a fist pump. He was feeling like a football coach watching his team score a goal in the World Cup¡¯s final. But as expected from an MC, despite his injuries, Aravin persisted. No doubt the lives of Naya and Sabine which hung in a balance contributed to his worthy struggle somehow. No, Aravin went beyond that. He was having a breakthrough! ¡°Unstoppable Fighting Asura!¡± The backlash covered him in blood. His clothes and hair were dyed red, but the aura he emitted was even greater than before. This is Aravin¡¯s equivalent of Super Saiyan 2! Viers shouted urgently. ¡°Go now, War! Unleash your all or you will lose!¡± Jaime had begun his final act before hearing his coach¡¯s instruction. He drew on the essence of the Demise Fruit, as much as he could, suffusing every corner of his body with it, dangerously so. Like turning one¡¯s own blood into liquid fire, Jaime was trying to make use of something that was beyond his ability to contain. He would die, the clarity dawned on him. But Jaime had lived for this moment. He¡¯d cast aside all thoughts of what would happen to him after this. His heart, body, and soul were lit aflame! Full commitment! ¡°Final Glory!¡± Black, jagged cracks appeared all over his body. The Spear of Leonidas in hand, he unleashed a thrust as if he was one with the spear. Aravin was also in an attacking motion but he was faster. Jaime¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, seeing the tip of the spear go deeper, inch by inch into Aravin¡¯s chest. It was a moment that stretched into a crawl. Then half of his arm was buried in his hateful foe¡¯s chest; Aravin¡¯s heart, expunged. A breath was exhaled, his last. In his last moment, Jamie thought of the good times. Of the happiest months of his life. Of the enchantress dressing like a witch who shared a rare peeled fruit with him, of the foreigner assassin covering him with a blanket after he was too tired to return to this bed. Lastly, of his enigma of a friend-slash-mentor, of the time where they sharpened each other¡¯s skill for a common cause. Jaime knew Tanael was using him, the guy told him straight to his face. But Jaime didn''t mind. He would die as something, not as an insignificant speck in Aravin¡¯s long history. And so, with the last embers of his life, Jaime thought- I¡¯m satisfied¡­ Go achieve your dreams, my fellow Horsemen. *** Viers saw Jaime¡¯s smile before the light faded from his eyes. Jaime¡¯s body turned to white chalk and crumbled to dust, but he was smiling. Let the beings of Heaven and Hell bear witness, that you have done what countless Arrogant Young Masters could not. Stand proud, War, a Horseman of the Apocalypse¡­ It was a most magnificent end. Viers¡¯ parting eulogy took but a second. Aravin was dead, Viers was sure of this. He saw with his own Euryale Sight that his heart was destroyed by Jaime. But he didn''t care. Viers dashed like lightning, intending to behead Aravin, absorb his soul, and then separate his body into eight parts before he froze the pieces for future use. Viers had seen too many instances where the hero was revived after death. By making a body unwhole and taking the soul, Viers might prevent it. His soul blade was two inches away from Aravin¡¯s neck before he got blown away by some mysterious force. The hole on Aravin¡¯s chest rapidly closed. A mountain goat''s shade was cast beside Aravin as the MC came back to life! ¡°You? It was you who brought me back?¡± Aravin looked as confused as Viers was. Fuck this shit. Viers didn''t know and didn''t care. Must be some plot device or power that Aravin got in the past. Whatever it was, the result was a revived Aravin. And he became stronger to boot! The remnant power of the goat made Aravin as powerful as his Unstoppable Fighting Asura state if not stronger. Aravin gathered his bearings in an instant. The spectral goat faded after he¡¯d done the part. His precious companions were still poisoned so he flexed an aura of intimidation at Viers. ¡°Tanael-¡± Viers threw the antidote vial at Aravin, turned a hundred and eighty degrees, and ran away as fast as he could. He reached a sea of Tyra Xerg in moments; Aravin couldn''t see his figure any longer. *** Aravin was stunned. A thousand grass mud horses ran through his mind but he scattered them shortly. Every second was precious. ¡°Naya! Sabine!¡± Aravin fed the antidote to Sabine first. She couldn''t swallow so Aravin put some in his mouth before administering it to the unconscious blonde priestess orally. He did the same to Naya then cradled their upper bodies. Seeing their violet-colored arteries return to a normal color was a weight off his shoulders. The Xerg also started retreating. It was over, Aravin thought. Naya regained consciousness first. ¡°...Ary?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. Don''t worry, you¡¯re safe now,¡± Aravin caressed her cheek. ¡°Thank¡­ goodness,¡± Naya smiled back. Aravin turned to Sabine because she showed signs of waking up. Pain. Aravin felt a prick. A red needle was inserted into his chest. Naya had stabbed him, still smiling with that familiar smile. Aravin felt his Victa leaking out like a punctured water bucket. ¡°Naya?¡± Aravin said confusedly. Milady shouted something in his mind but he didn¡¯t hear it. ¡°Ary,¡± Aravin turned to Sabine who pulled his face so they could be faced each other. ¡°I love you.¡± The priestess smiled most brightly and then, she blew up. *** HA! That¡¯s my second contingency! Fool, I know your kind¡¯s existential flaw! A Harem MC¡¯s weakness¡­ is women!!! The Soul Hack was a success. Just in case this happened, Viers had prepared a dastardly devious plan. He gave Izabella¡¯s Needle of Conquest -he named it- to the wolf beastfolk and gave the deadliest bomb in his inventory to the blonde priestess. Time was of the essence. Viers saw Aravin survive while the dust had yet to settle. Heavily injured but his eyes were hollow, it was as if he¡¯d lost the will to live. He was slumping on the ground, on his knees, looking at the pieces of flesh that were Naya and Sabine scattered all around him and all over him. His head was in chaos and his heart was on the verge of breaking. He was in no state to defend himself. Viers swooped in like a lion aiming for the jugular without delay, killing intent soaring. He wouldn''t let the life work of Jaime be unfinished. ¡°You dare!?¡± A woman¡¯s voice. A weight fell upon Viers like a mountain. His resolve wavered. Reflex froze his body. He felt very, very small. But it was not enough. Arte - The Bravery of Dune. ¡°Why wouldn''t I dare!!¡± Undaunted, Viers roared and struck with Vengeful Spirit Arte. The Hollow Knight inspired spell went straight at Aravin without any shred of mercy. Chapter 197 - You Dare!? Chapter 198 - A Taste of Xianxia Viers¡¯ evil and immoral plan had dealt far more insidious damage on Aravin¡¯s psyche than anything physical to his body. He¡¯d turned the Harem MC¡¯s women against him, the people he most let down his guard with. The people Aravin trusted wholeheartedly. While Jaime and Aravin were busy, Viers did not simply watch like a lazy last boss. Viers covertly hacked Naya and Sabine¡¯s souls so that they¡¯d do his bidding. It must be said that Naya and Sabine harmed Aravin because of Viers, not of their own will. The two young girls truly did love Aravin from the bottom of their hearts. To the very end. Now, the hidden entity inside Aravin took the stage. Which was still within Viers¡¯ anticipated scenarios. Viers¡¯ powerful soul Arte was swatted to the side by the yellow-robed, long black-haired young beauty that suddenly appeared. She looked young, only about twelve or thirteen years old. The yellow-robed young girl was a soul manifestation, Viers¡¯ senses told him so, she was not like Farley and the other two. She looked solid and whole, not transparent as specters often looked. But she was emitting existential pressure on par with a Gotei Thirteen Captain. Ah, here comes the spirit advisor. She¡¯s the mentor figure that helped Aravin from the shadows. Not a wise old man but a loli heavenly beauty to boot. I expect nothing less from a Harem MC like Aravin. Viers kept channeling the Bravery of Dune so his will to fight wasn''t broken. Because no matter her bustle and flair, Viers knew she was actually fragile. ¡°Milady Qing¡­¡± Aravin said weakly, eyes unfocused and empty. Aravin was like a frightened boy tugging at the sleeve of his parents. The yellow lady cast him but a worried glance and smothered the urge to piece together his broken heart. The enemy wouldn''t wait, especially this enemy. ¡°This fight ends here. Slink back to your hole and I¡¯ll let you live,¡± she declared before Viers. Viers scoffed, looking down on her. ¡°Pfft¡­ That¡¯s my line, girl.¡± ¡°You court death!¡± Viers felt the pressure intensify. She hit me with a ¡®you court death¡¯ me? Me!!? ¡°It is you who court death. You should have stayed inside Aravin¡¯s butthole. You can''t deceive my eyes. You¡¯re like a thin mist, barely holding on from scattering. A paper tiger does not scare me. Act one or two times and you¡¯ll perish. Get out of here.¡± Her face didn''t show her slight shock. She didn''t think her state would be found out in one glance. This little guy has some ability. ¡°A western trash like you dares to order an Emperor Realm? Know your place!¡± Viers molded a soul Arte in his hands, standing brave and tall before the churning storm of power. ¡°Noisy loli, throwing her weight around. Begone, THOT!¡± ¡°Truly a dog¡¯s courage. One move of mine is enough to send you to the Yellow Springs a hundred times over. Tell Y¨¢n W¨¢ng this Lady sends you off personally.¡± Viers called her bluff. And Qing Xia answered. ¡°Light Emperor Brilliant Ray!¡± Looking at the dazzling ray coming from her hand, Viers¡¯ expression changed. Before his brain could command his muscles to move, the light had already consumed him. ¡°Uwaaaaaaghhh?!¡± The ground eroded from the force of the beam; the air was thunderous. This was an attack from a cultivation realm magnitudes above Viers¡¯. It carried mysteries that were beyond Viers¡¯ grasp. A force so destructive Viers was unable to mount any sort of resistance. Qing¡¯s power was already watered down because of Aletro¡¯s limit imposition. Strictly speaking, the ray carried the power of a Level 3 peak Arte but it was still enough to reduce Viers to ash. The energy from the blast went on far, destroying hundreds of Xerg in its way, including the worm kaiju. The giant Xerg was in bad shape after defeating the Aberrant Hulk and the Giant of Light but it was still a thirty-meter lump of sturdy flesh. Its siblings were able to withstand Anne¡¯s punishing flames for some time but the yellow girl¡¯s beam turned it to dust in three seconds. Tanael needed less time before turning into particles. In the aftermath, not even a drop of blood from Tanael remained. ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ huff¡­¡± The yellow girl looked spent. Her inner injuries were aggravating. She didn''t want to do this but her hand was forced. At least, Stupidvin is okay. I have to- Clap, clap, clap. ¡°!¡± Qing quickly turned around and saw Viers standing there, a hundred meters away, clapping his hands. There was a creature she¡¯d never seen beside him. A big-head snake-thing. ¡°Too bad.¡± At this moment, the whole Tyra Xerg stopped moving. All the Tyra Xerg in existence became as still as a statue. Except one, the one standing beside Viers. This Xerg had a unique shape, the only one among the hundreds of thousands Viers led to the Whitelands Northern Battlefield. This Xerg had the shape of a floating snake fetus with the head part more bulbous than the rest. Its brain was disproportionate to its body. Viers had kept it hidden among the bodies of the regular Xerg. Until now. The Mind Striker was a Xerg that served as an outlet for the Hive Mind of Zerrigan¡¯s psychic power: a living psychic artillery. It could use some potent psychic attacks on its own but this was not the time for holding back, Viers ordered Zerrigan to use full force. Even after factoring in the casualties, Zerrigan was now bolstered with the brainpower of two million Tyra Xerg! In the virtual simulation, with the brainpower of one million Xerg, Viers likened the power at her command as an electrical storm of psychic energy. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Fire,¡± Viers ordered Zerrigan calmly. ¡°You-¡± A stream of energy was unleashed by the Mind Striker. Qing Xia saw jagged blue lightning coming. Her life was threatened. Now it was her turn to be struck by a mighty attack without being able to resist. It was as if she and Viers had traded places. Arte - Immaterium Psychic Ultima! If she possessed a hundredth of her true strength, this attack was less than a mosquito bite to her. However, in her incomplete state and after exhausting herself earlier¡­ She had other cards to play but Viers didn''t give her the time. ¡°Aravin, Run¨C AAAAAAAHHH!¡± For the first time ever, Aravin heard Milady Qing call him by his name rather than Stupidvin or womanizer. It was mere moments before he watched her perish. As if wielding Heavenly Lightning, Zerrigan destroyed Qing Xia using cataclysmic bolts of psychic energy. The Xerg itself was also obliterated, its flesh unable to sustain Zerrigan¡¯s supernatural might. Like a gun¡¯s barrel shattering after shooting a too powerful shot. About five hundred Xerg nearby, big and small, blew their brains out because Zerrigan used their processing organs too violently. Should Zerrigan be less skilled, without the training and simulations in the Grid, it was possible that all the Tyra Xerg would have their brains turned into mush after the laser-focused mind artillery strike. Aravin, now Victaless, was in the pits of despair, unable to process the successive calamitous events that kept happening. ¡°...Impossible,¡± he uttered one word. A villain quickly saved him from that hell, by beheading him. *** ¡°Phew¡­¡± Viers let out a long and heavy breath. It had been a tense half an hour. However, thanks to his long and extensive preparations, Zerrigan¡¯s brainpower, and Jaime¡¯s sacrifice, Viers was able to defeat a half-matured MC without truly clashing swords with the other cheat holder. ¡®To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.¡¯ You¡¯re right again, Sun Tzu. I guess I¡¯m not there yet. Aravin was the second MC that Viers neutralized after Sigma. A threat to his supremacy in the future, gone. When he ascended as a Supreme Demonic Cultivator, there would be less threat to his position. Still, If I fought Aravin in the real world, it might be more troublesome. Methods above a certain greatness were banned by Aletro, including life-saving ones. Viers had a few, who said Aravin didn''t have any? If Aravin shouted surrender, he wouldn''t be teleported to safety. Aletro wasn¡¯t that soft for Stage 5 but Aravin definitely could run away. Whether Viers could kill him if he was dead set on escaping was uncertain. Xianxia MCs had an astounding aptitude for running away from mighty foes. They would survive and return to pay their enemies back after they got stronger. Just like Viers, actually. And so Viers took Aravin¡¯s women hostage precisely to prevent it. Viers started looting, he was still on the clock. Aravin¡¯s body -compartmentalized to prevent revival- was stowed in the Thousand Treasures Casket in different boxes. Viers thought he could use the body to make cultivation pills in the future, he did seem to possess a special physique. Aravin''s soul, terribly distraught even after death, was tightly secured; his storage item was also obtained. Unfortunately, nothing remained of the yellow loli. No body, no soul, no aura, nada. Viers shrugged. He could soul search Aravin to gain some info about her later. Although not as good as Aravin, Naya and Sabine were also pretty formidable Pathseekers. Their bodies were destroyed but their souls were intact. Viers collected their unconscious souls too, along with whatever loot he could get from them. They didn''t realize they had attacked Aravin and Viers had no intention of telling them that. Small mercies. Then there was the sword of light, the divine weapon. It didn''t like Viers from the start, burning his hand when he touched the handle. Viers guessed it must be an item that chose its wielder or something along those lines. ¡°Cheeky sword. Angry I killed your owner, eh? I will break you like a stallion. Just you wait.¡± Viers still managed to stow it into his Casket. Lastly, Jaime. Viers could defeat Aravin -an MC in another Fable- with almost no damage on his part thanks to Jamie¡¯s sacrifice. Jaime¡¯s body and belongings had all turned to dust because he forcefully made use of the Demise Fruit¡¯s power. His soul had passed on, Viers could not stop it and he had no intention of detaining him in the first place. ¡°You did kill Aravin. It is unmistakable. Be proud of this. He just had two lives. I¡¯ve taken care of the rest, be at peace. This place is unsuitable for your final resting place, friend,¡± Viers gathered as much of the white dust as he could. ¡°I¡¯ll pick a good place for you.¡± Viers took the black Sword of Gryffindor for his own, as proof of the existence of a man named Jaime Sigley, War of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. ¡°You¡¯ll need a new name¡­ I¡¯ll be counting on you, buddy.¡± Suddenly, a voice spoke in Viers¡¯ head. ¡°Oh come on! My debut fight was to be killed as your substitute? This is so lame.¡± He was the Tanael that the yellow loli defeated, Viers¡¯ other-self. ¡°Sorry. But this is for winning with the least cost. All is well, no?¡± ¡°I am you. Of course it is. But let me have a cooler role next time, yeah? ¡°Count on it, Ars¨¨ne.¡± Even his way of speaking was similar to Viers. Viers guessed Aravin would have some super limit-break before self-destructing or had some sort of nuclear warhead for his last hurrah. He used Ars¨¨ne as bait. After Viers threw the antidote at Aravin and ran away, the one that came back was Ars¨¨ne. Ars¨¨ne was Viers¡¯ Persona, his Shadow, his Stand. Even if he was destroyed, as long as Viers was alive, he could come back again. Currently, after being disintegrated by that yellow girl, he couldn''t really do anything until he recovered. Viers didn''t know how long it would take. ¡°All right, enough about me. Go on. Your next enemy is here,¡± the formless Ars¨¨ne spoke. ¡°Tanael,¡± Blade of Justice Troy arrived with reinforcements. ¡°What happened here?¡± ¡°War is what happened, Troy. What do you want?¡± Viers replied. ¡°...Where are the others?¡± ¡°Where do you think?¡± Viers grinned. ¡°I want to ask you one thing, is Oscar alive?¡± Troy didn''t know the fate of his friend. There was no news of him since Tanael had taken the Blacklands. Green Scorpion informed him of Oscar''s defeat but his life or death was still unknown. ¡°I reckon his body is poop by now. Fertilizing some soil somewhere.¡± Troy stopped himself from lashing out in anger. His self-control was praiseworthy. The situation was complex. Troy saw no other trial takers and sensed none. Tanael had collapsed the battlelines but at a price. The Xerg were getting battered by the Aberrants and the troops of the Alliance. Even though the Hulk was no more, there were still a lot of the Aberrants remaining. The second most numerous faction was the Alliance. The Tyra Xerg numbered the least. There are many breaches. The Aberrants are pouring into the south by the thousands. Even some Xerg have also gone south, no doubt to cause destruction in the nearby kingdoms. All are big problems but if Tanael is left unchecked, it will become worse. Troy decided his tactics in an instant. ¡°Men, surround him. Only a few Xerg remain in the surrounding area. Keep him occupied!¡± The troops, crusaders and legionaries obeyed, all three thousand of them. Troy sent a whole army against Tanael alone. He thought he was that dangerous. ¡°Thank you,¡± Viers said. ¡°Hm?¡± Troy frowned. ¡°For coming here, of your own volition. So I don''t have to waste time chasing you.¡± Viers¡¯ soul was different from the last time they fought at the top of the World Tree. His Mortal Soul had evolved into a Grand Soul. And Troy tasted the difference first hand. *** I must hurry. Anne had been fighting non-stop and used a lot of Victa. Her injuries were light, proof of her power, but mighty as she was, the battles had severely drained her stamina. The two big Xerg were especially troublesome but she managed to defeat them. They were too dangerous to be left alive. She was so tired but she forced herself to fly as fast as possible to the other battlefield. She was able to because the Tyra Xerg were retreating, not long after the defeat of the Xerg Kaijus. The Alliance pursued them, intending to kill as many as they could while they were disorganized from a full retreat. Anne left the soldiers to their tasks and went north, alone. Her heart worried for the other trial takers. Fifteen, no, ten minutes. I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes! Hang on everyone. Suddenly, a bird-shaped Arte flew to her and met her mid-air from the direction she was heading. It spoke with Troy''s voice. ¡°Tanael has the ability to use a wide-scale soul attack that knocks out the rank and file by the thousands. His fight against the others, especially Aravin, took its toll. I managed to wound him. It was not fatal, but deep. Be very cautious against him. I¡¯m sorry I couldn''t do more. I pray that you¡¯ll find your mother.¡± Chapter 199 Blade of Justice Troy was strong. Space was a formidable element. His affinity was also top class, space 5. They said he was the sort of talent that was only born once in several decades. That rare talent was further tempered with hard work and ingenuity, it showed in his Artes and swordsmanship. Unfortunately, his opponent was simply on a whole other level. Viers, with his much higher Horizon damage boost, had also achieved Grand Soul in his soul cultivation. Soul cultivation was on a different branch than regular Pathseekers¡¯ cultivation so it was not restrained by Aletro. Paths of Power were many and all led to strength. Like reaching a mountain¡¯s peak, there were many ways to climb it. Grand Soul required 1,000,000 Soul Power according to the Myriad Souls in One Arte. 980,000 of them were from Zerrigan¡¯s children. Viers decided he needed to breakthrough to Grand Soul before he clashed with his two main targets, the Harem MC Aravin and the Mary Sue Anne. After upgrading his soul Viers felt very different. To put it in his terms, it was like he had been riding a bicycle all this time and now it became a Lamborghini. The quality of his soul had been heavily enhanced and his soul Artes were greater than ever. Troy became the first victim of Viers¡¯ newly-minted soul. His ¡®Haoshoku Haki¡¯ at this state proved too much for even Troy to bear. Because Viers didn¡¯t gloat when he was winning, no matter how tempting it might be, Anne didn''t make it in time. Troy still managed to send a message before his death though. To Anne, Viers supposed. Either way, he was already done and ordered a retreat. ¡°Why retreat?¡± Clarissa doubted his decision. ¡°You¡¯re uninjured. The Xerg have the numbers and the strength. We¡¯ve the upper hand. Now is the time to strike. Lay waste to their kingdoms.¡± From a strategic viewpoint, Viers might have made an erroneous decision. ¡°My objective is not the kingdoms, Rissa. Not even other players. Only Anne. Well, let¡¯s hope the news of my fake injury against Troy spreads and they move like I hope they will. Deception, angels.¡± Viers retreated and the Tyra Xerg followed, suffering a staggering amount of troop losses in the process. He had sown the seeds of deception once again. *** ¡°...that is all I saw.¡± An earthen golem in the form of a dog-sized scorpion spoke to the members of the United Alliance. ¡°So you just watched when Tanael killed Aravin, Troy, and the rest? Coward!¡± Max, still grieving for the death of Troy, lashed out. The young man looked like he wanted to smash the earthen scorpion construct. It was not Green Scorpion''s real body for he was not about to risk walking into the white spark holders¡¯ stronghold by his lonesome. The guy just didn''t want Tanael to have an easy time. However, he was too afraid to do it on his own so he invited trouble to Tanael¡¯s doorstep, feeding information to Tanael¡¯s enemies. To the Ivory Flame¡¯s accusation, Fajrin¡¯s calm voice came from the earthen golem. ¡°Troy was brave,¡± he paused. No one denied him. ¡°And Troy is dead.¡± No one denied him this time either. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Enough, Ivory Flame. We should be discussing what our next action is,¡± Khalmar said. He too felt a significant sense of loss with the passing of Gulzul. The dwarf was a hard headed person as a stranger but he was very loyal as a friend. ¡°The Blade of Justice didn''t die for nothing,¡± Eugene the Squire said. ¡°If Lady Anne spoke the truth, he managed to injure the Soul Tyrant and made him retreat. Afterward, the Tyra Xerg were all weakened, allowing us to cull many. Perhaps Tanael¡¯s condition is tied to his troops somehow. At any rate¡­ We have one golden chance thanks to his noble sacrifice.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Fithel the elf added. ¡°Our northern territories are in shambles. Tanael¡¯s intervention collapsed the defense line and although the Xerg retreated, the Aberrants went ravaging all over. The infrastructure destroyed during the incursion was considerable. Meanwhile, the Blacklands¡¯ is very much intact. As things are, once Tanael is recovered and his troops return to full strength, he won¡¯t need to make a move personally to defeat us. He could just keep sending the Xerg our way and we will be defeated eventually. Our Victa will run out sooner or later.¡± ¡°The generation rate of troops between us and him is too large¡­¡± Max grimaced. ¡°But we must fight! If we lose, what¡¯s stopping Tanael harvesting as many spark shards as he can without concern? Someone as evil as Tanael must not be allowed to gain such power. The world will suffer!¡± Khalmar exchanged silent nods of confirmation with his right-hand man, the bull beastfolk. ¡°We invade the Blacklands immediately to cut off the head of the snake. Tanael is injured and the Xerg are weakened. Their numbers have been reduced significantly from the war. If we dawdle, our advantage will be gone. We have a silver lining from all of this debacle. The rulers no longer contest us when mobilizing the troops. Feh, about time.¡± ¡°There are still two big monsters on Tanael''s side,¡± Green Scorpion reminded them. ¡°If you guys hurry, they might not make it back from Tanael¡¯s northern front.¡± ¡°My knights and I will march,¡± Eugene was determined. ¡°We go now,¡± Khalmar agreed. ¡°Yes we will,¡± Max gripped the handle on his sword. ¡°But can we win against Tanael?¡± The fiery spirit of the people was doused by the question. It was Boram¡¯s, who seemed uncomfortable after receiving so many gazes. ¡°Err, sorry, but my master taught me to never fight a battle you cannot win. I¡­ don''t want any of you to die. We¡¯ve got a lot of shards already. Shouldn''t we retreat? Escape the trial before he comes for us?¡± ¡°Where is your pride, young human?¡± Ubah the bull beastfolk said in a disapproving tone. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I know I¡¯m the weakest out of everyone here. I have no delusion that the Soul Tyrant cannot kill me with ease. Pride can''t change that fact. And I can''t afford to die without receiving permission from my Master. Picking a fight with someone you cannot win because of sentiment is a recipe for early death, so said my master.¡± ¡°Heh, the kid is smarter than you, bull-head,¡± Green Scorpion scoffed. ¡°What did you say!?¡± ¡°Everybody calm down. Young Boram made a good point,¡± Fithel mediated. ¡°¡®Can we win?¡¯ Only one of us can answer that question.¡± Their attention focused on one person who had been silent this whole time. ¡°Tanael is strong,¡± Anne said. ¡°But not invincible. In this vulnerable period, we must destroy Tanael¡¯s crystal, rendering his Tyra Xerg useless. As Max said earlier, if he can gather spark shards freely without opposition, how long would he last in this Stage? What would he be able to get from Aletro with all those shards? At most, we¡¯ll be in the Trial for a few more months but Tanael could last years. I fear what he might become¡­ We must stop him now. Together, all of us, we can do this. Please¡­ don''t let Troy¡¯s effort be for nothing.¡± Anne¡¯s words from the heart touched the heartstrings of the people. ¡°Leave Tanael to me.¡± Her voice was resolute and confident, washing away everyone¡¯s hesitation. Great darkness loomed over the land and the Heroes of Light gathered to take back the dawn. To the Demon Lord¡¯s lair they would go, to end the threat of eternal darkness once and for all. *** Inside one of the rooms in the Nest, three people were sitting. On the table, there was a black sword and a small jar with white ashes inside. ¡°...It was a magnificent end.¡± Viers had been telling the stories about Jaime¡¯s final fight to Izabella and Sakuya. Somewhere along the way, Sakuya started sobbing lightly, up until now. Viers didn''t tell them everything, such as the matter about the yellow-robed ¡®Emperor Realm¡¯ xianxia girl. Izabella hugged Sakuya to assuage the younger girl. ¡°May he find peace.¡± Sakuya wiped her tears with her kimono sleeve. ¡°Was he happy?¡± ¡°He was satisfied,¡± Viers looked at the sword half-focused. ¡°I saw it myself. It was¡­ an end he wished for.¡± The silence lingered. A solemn moment of remembrance for the departed. ¡°...Thank you for these,¡± Viers returned the items he borrowed from them both. Some were used, some remained unused, Viers simply prepared for some contingencies. The most important of them all was the Needle of Conquest, Izabella¡¯s red needle that drained one¡¯s Victa. Viers suggested the name, making it a set with her Staff of Pestilence. ¡°And these are the spoils of war,¡± Viers gave them a portion of the spark shards and loot. ¡°Tanael-sama¡­ Would it change the outcome if we were there?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Even so,¡± Izabella interjected. ¡°We are the Four Horsemen, right? Four. We should be together.¡± ¡°No. Aravin had deadly methods against women. You both have helped plenty in the other battlefield with Anne in the opposition.¡± Viers wouldn''t risk those of the fairer gender to even meet the Harem MC. It was a suicidal move. Who knew what kind of sorcery Aravin had against ¡®capturable targets?¡¯ Perhaps a few honeyed words from Aravin about his justice and great cause were capable of turning the girls against the evil Viers. Hell, the girls might have fallen in love with him from a simple wink for all Viers knew. He was a Harem MC! It was a common trope for women on the enemy¡¯s side to join a Harem MC¡¯s side in the stories. The woman herself possibly becomes the very reason for the antagonist¡¯s defeat in the MC¡¯s hands. Viers wouldn''t risk Izabella and Sakuya, or himself, being subject to that fate, not in a million years. ¡°I understand¡­¡± Izabella said. ¡°Lord Tanael,¡± Zerrigan spoke using Xel Doggo who¡¯d just entered the room. ¡°Izabella and Sakuya, my condolences. Apologies for interrupting but the Whitelanders are moving towards us as Lord Viers predicted. It is going to be a major offensive on their part.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Viers nodded. ¡°The final battle, is it?¡± Izabella muttered. ¡°Right! I¡¯ll pull on Jaime-san¡¯s weight too!¡± Sakuya readied herself. ¡°About that¡­ Both of you should retire now. Out of this Trial,¡± Viers said. ¡°What? Why? We can help, Tanael-sama!¡± ¡°From here on the risk is too high. Win or lose, Aletro¡¯s Trial will end soon. You both already have plenty of shards. Remember your objectives in the real world. It won¡¯t do if you fall here.¡± *** From the opening in the walls, the closest thing the Nest had to windows, Viers watched the gathering host of armies marching towards him. The Tyra Xerg, the entire units that were available to him, were arrayed to meet them. Viers¡¯ prided armies, the children of Zerrigan, were ready to fight to the death. Viers basically sent an invitation to the white spark holders to his home. All so he could fight Anne on his chosen ground. There was a BGM playing in the room, something that Viers pulled from the memory of his soul and given sound. The BGM was a solemn one, part aria. It depicted the solitude of his position and the chill of winter. They were not easy to convince but Izabella and Sakuya followed Viers¡¯ instruction. He was now the only Gloomsider left. They would meet again in the real world. The view of the great armies of justice marching at him didn''t scare him. Viers was only wary of a single person. ¡°Anne will defeat you. She¡¯s greater than anything you can ever imagine,¡± the ghost of Troy said. He had a human form, albeit transparent. Souls crowded this room; the temperature was very low. A single black sword was in the very center, floating, absorbing the globes of soul greedily. Directly below it, was a block of ice of extreme profoundness, emitting a very cold aura. Viers got it from Aravin¡¯s storage item. Must be an important item for a future plot. Viers put it to use immediately. ¡°Unfortunately for you, my imagination is far above an uncultured man like you. Oh no little ghost, I know more about her compared to you, blind worshiper,¡± Viers replied. The music continued. At times slow, at times melancholic. With each second that passed, the enchantment on the sword progressed. Infused with soul and ice. ¡°...Why do you want to kill her?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say I¡¯m offended by her existence.¡± ¡°It is impossible for her to lose. She¡¯s the Child of the Holy Phoenix,¡± Troy stressed. ¡°Heh. When we saw Anne fighting Max for some character development, we saw her bleeding, yes?¡± Viers asked. Troy didn''t reply. Viers said in a savage tone and grinned. ¡°If something bleeds, we can kill it.¡± The song intensified. ¡°I¡¯ve seen some evil people in my life, but you take the cake.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a youngster less than twenty years old. What do you truly know about the evil in people''s hearts?¡± ¡°I know people like you will always get their comeuppance. Look outside, there they come, united against your tyranny. You¡¯ll answer for all of your sins. I may have fallen by your hand, but she will not. The Phoenix¡¯s blood has been awakened. Her flames will purify the evil in this world¡­ including you.¡± Viers chuckled, then his laugh became a sinister villain¡¯s laughter. ¡°Look now to your defenses, my son. For the champions of justice gather at your gates!¡± Troy didn''t understand why Viers said that but he was gone, put inside the blade by Viers. The block of ice was now fully integrated with the sword as blue runes appeared on the black blade. From the Xerg, Viers had three million souls. He used one million to upgrade his soul, the sword had absorbed all the rest. The music reached the crescendo. Its tune depicted the might of a king. Viers¡¯ eyes turned green. His right hand reached out and grabbed the reforged weapon. The dark sword was seething with a frosty aura, never satisfied no matter how many souls Viers let it drink. ¡°Let them come. Frostmourne hungers!¡± Chapter 199 - Let Them Come Chapter 200 (1) Boram was in the middle of a sea, a sea of fighting. Everywhere he looked, soldiers from the United Alliance were fighting the Tyra Xerg monstrosities. The United Alliance was in fine form today. Boram had fought the Xerg before. They were hardier than this, more coordinated, and much more aggressive. Compared to before, the Xerg were much more manageable. ¡°Hyaah!¡± Boram smashed the face of a bipedal Xerg with four insect arms with his hammer. This is a really good hammer. This was a gift from his Master in Stage 3, Boram had grown familiar using the long-handled sledgehammer since then. The Skull Basher was a magical item that could stun the enemy if struck, perfect for Boram. The Xerg fell one after another before Boram¡¯s mighty blow. Boram did not fight alone. In the thick of war, where the Xerg defended their ground with tooth and nail, Boram was surrounded by a contingent of Gigantes, burly people three meters tall on average. A little kid like Boram stood out amongst them. ¡°Arte - Stone Snake!¡± From around his feet, stones merged into a head with a protruding horn. Holding onto the horn with one hand, Boram rode the momentum as the big head of the snake moved forward as if the very earth was water, swinging his hammer upon any unlucky Xerg nearby. The construct made by his Arte roared, wrecking everything on its path with its massive body and weight. From the tip to the tail, the snake made of stones was fifteen meters long. This Arte was also something Master Avel had given Boram. The boy liked the Arte very much, it was becoming a favorite. Even though the Alliance had defeated many Xerg in the previous war, the bio-soldiers of Soul Tyrant Tanael still outnumbered them by three to one. This was their chance to turn the tide against Tanael before he could bolster his armies anew. The Alliance was hammering the monstrous insects with the hammer of justice. Fighting the Tyra Xerg now was not a walk in the park but at least it was more manageable than before. ¡°Warrior Boram, look!¡± A Gigante pointed his finger at the main gate of Tanael¡¯s castle. It was opening. A man walked out. He had short blond hair, a handsome face, and piercing eyes. The green robe he wore was definitely enchanted, the second most potent magical artifact Boram had ever seen. The first was the black sword in Tanael¡¯s right hand. Just looking at the black sword from hundreds of meters away made Boram hear the ungodly sound of metal scraping against metal in his head, paining him greatly. Boram knew his limits and didn''t look at it a single second more. Burning with battle spirit, Tanael¡¯s presence was like a sword pointed right at the neck of his enemies. A bead of cold sweat fell on the side of Boram¡¯s face. As if that wasn''t enough shock, a humongous shadow, more gigantic than the Gigantes appeared in the sky. It was Aletro, the black clothed one. ¡°Against all the good that Heaven can conjure, all the righteousness that mankind can produce, I will send unto them... only you. Rip and tear, until it is done.¡± Holy cow, Boram cursed. Never before he¡¯d heard such a commanding order. Boram felt the winds change, things were about to get real. Aletro spoke about Tanael wasn''t it? By all the gods, what manner of demon Tanael had become for the god-like Aletro to say something like that? As Boram shuddered, he saw Tanael dive headfirst into the thick of battle with a smile on his face. No hesitation whatsoever, as if the scene of carnage was where he belonged. ¡°Haaahahahahaa! Blood and guts! Fire and blood! Blood for the Blood God! Skulls for the Skull Throne! Aahahahaha! Come one and all! Come to die!¡± The Soul Tyrant joined the battle personally, he mowed down armies like a sickle through a field. His soul Artes defeated dozens with impunity. People slashed by his sword turned to ice while screaming in agony. The frozen figures were shattered with a light blow or shattered on their own. ¡°KRAAAAAAA!¡± New kinds of Xerg never before seen flowed out like a tide from Tanael¡¯s castle. And Boram saw his troops were empowered by the return of their leader. The Xerg returned to their full strength, attacking with the same aggressiveness and savagery that had given pause to every trial taker and their armies for six months at the border of the Blacklands. Everywhere he looked, the Alliance soldiers were at a disadvantage. The situation had been reversed. Boram witnessed a confluence of horrors. A sharp-tipped tentacle appeared from a burrow in the ground and pierced someone in the torso before dragging him back into the hole. A Xerg carrying a meat mushroom on its back spread skin-melting yellow spores to its surroundings without affecting the other Xerg. A flying bird-bat thing spat skin-burrowing insects that ate a soldier from inside and out. Those were just a few examples among many. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. In this chaotic battlefield, something that Boram hoped never to happen, happened: The Soul Tyrant had taken notice of him, gazing straight at him. He was riding a big ass stone snake, it couldn''t be helped. From his experience of reading a person¡¯s facial expression, which was a valuable skill for a slave to not ire their masters, Boram knew Tanael was irritated seeing him here. Boram¡¯s heart almost burst out of his chest when he saw Tanael take a step forward in his direction. ¡°Mister Aletro! I surrender! Pleasepleaseplease hurr-¡± Relief. He was able to surrender. Bless the gods. Tanael was still a hundred meters away from Boram and he was surrounded by twenty mighty Gigantes warriors but the boy felt it was not impossible for Tanael to kill him then and there. No, worse than ¡®not impossible¡¯. It would be ¡®easy¡¯, Boram realized. Boram couldn''t afford to die. He remembered the instruction of his master to survive no matter what, so he retired. Or so he tried to tell himself. He was not some noble or loyal disciple that tried to uphold the words of his master: he was just afraid and simply didn''t want to die. Master Avel¡¯s words were a convenient excuse. Damnitdamnitdamnit¡­ I¡¯m such a coward! Master must be disappointed. I hate my own weakness! Eyes half-tearing up, Boram was filled with great self-loathing and disappointment toward himself. Almost immediately, Boram¡¯s body was wrapped with light and his mind turned to white. *** Well done, boy. Proud of you. Viers was glad he didn''t have to complicate matters with how to keep Boram alive without showing that it was his aim. His objective was to kill or make every other trial taker retire. For that, he and Zerrigan would be aiming for the white spark holders. It was good that Aletro wanted to play along. The guy seemed to be having enough fun to agree to give Viers the speech of the Doom Slayer. Perhaps he was bored being in the book for all this time? Anguish in hand, Viers was like a hero character in a Musou game, utterly destroying the mooks. The sword¡¯s name was not Frostmourne, but Anguish. Previously, Viers said ¡®Frostmourne hungers¡¯ for the feels¡­ and Horizon. ¡®Anguish hungers¡¯ just doesn''t have the same impact. Sorry sword. Mmm? Anne is fast approaching. Time is short. Let¡¯s do this before she gets here. Viers stabbed the sword to the ground and closed his eyes, concentrating, molding his Victa, constructing his Arte. ¡°Hmph!¡± Viers unleashed his Haoushoku Haki with all of his might! Like an invisible shockwave, it spread. The area it encompassed was huge, about a third of the whole battlefield, courtesy of his much stronger Grand Soul. When it passed, the troops of the Alliance started to fall down, eyes white and frothing from their mouths. Even the players were not immune to this. Only a select few of the elite troops and the exceptional trial takers managed to hold on to their consciousness while not a single Xerg went down. The Alliance troops were soulless beings but as Viers was now, his soul suppression also affected their physical bodies. If anything, this Arte worked even better against the trial takers, people with souls. ¡°Zerrigan, how many people did I get?¡± ¡°50,098 people, Overlord.¡± Viers clenched his fist in triumph. His ¡®Haki¡¯ had managed to achieve the same level as Luffy in Fish-Man Island, after the 3D2Y. Beside his Grand Soul, there was also his Horizon. At the start of Aletro¡¯s Trial of Fire, Viers¡¯ Horizon Aspect was around 127%. One week in Stage 1, one month in Stage 2, one month in Stage 3, one month in Stage 4, and six months in Stage 5. The Horizon Aspect of Viers gave him a damage boost based on the percentage. When Viers experienced new things, it grew. The more important, meaningful, or fresh that experience to Viers, the greater the growth. In the Book World, after making sure there would be no repercussions from people too strong for him to deal with, Viers let loose his nature as a man of culture and a villain, something that he kept hidden behind a thick closet in the real world. Cool sentences that he always wanted to say at least once in his life were coming out frequently. Re-enacting legendary scenes from movies and games left and right. The superb and wondrous environment of the Book World itself. All of this was like super fertilizer for Viers¡¯ Horizon. Out of respect for the Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and the manga¡¯s creator, Viers decided the Arte which he took inspiration from would remain nameless until he¡¯d done a worthy deed to do the technique justice. And now, with a Horizon of 363.42%, he had defeated more than fifty thousand people, just like that gomu-gomu man once did. And so I name this Arte Spirit Supremacy. May I never disgrace it. ¡°Phoenix Pinions!¡± Anne attacked with feathers of fire. Leaving Tanael unchecked would be a catastrophe for the Alliance. Viers¡¯ green soul shield tanked the damage with ease. Of course, Viers knew this was far from Anne''s full strength. ¡°Tanael. This ends now,¡± Anne made a stance with her sword. Whoever saw her right now would not doubt that she was a heroic young woman. The gauntlet had been thrown. A challenge between Champions on both sides was issued. The Alliance and the Xerg paused hostilities. The few still conscious trial takers were watching with bated breath. All awaited Tanael¡¯s response. ¡°This is just a warm-up,¡± Viers smiled. ¡°To fight me, you must first reach me in the throne room. I¡¯ve prepared the most wonderful stage of them all. I¡¯ll be waiting for you, Child of the Holy Phoenix.¡± ¡°Wha-? Hold it right there! You¡¯re running away?¡± Max howled. The Xerg already threw their bodies between Viers and Anne as Viers made his way back to the Nest. ¡°Running away? Incorrect. It depends on whether or not you folk are worthy enough to face me.¡± With that last quip, the flesh gate closed. Now, come to the Dark Lord¡¯s lair, young Heroes of Light. This will be your grave. Viers, with all of his new power, didn''t get drunk with it. He was still very cautious of the Mary Sue and intended to use everything at his disposal to gain an advantage. A long time preparation for this moment. For a villain was most dangerous in their lair. Chapter 200 (2) Viers retreated back to the Nest. He had done his ¡®big villain moment of massacring armies with impunity¡® for broadening his Horizon. Up next was his unveiling of the preparations before fighting Anne for real. It would be rude -and downright wasteful- to not use the traps he had spent months making. Anne and the other white spark holders assembled at the main gate of the Nest, the fighting was thick around them. The Tyra Xerg had returned to their full might, shedding the lethargy that plagued them before. The spark holders were not fools. Thoughts were forming in their heads. Whether Tanael¡¯s recovery was that fast or he had never been wounded in the first place. If it was the second case then this was a trap. ¡°It doesn¡¯t change a thing,¡± Anne said. ¡°What we must do hasn''t changed. We must destroy Tanael¡¯s crystal and this is the only road to that end.¡± ¡°My lords and ladies,¡± a messenger NPC came. ¡°Report from back home.¡± They got a report that an army of Xerg appeared in the Alliance¡¯s territory, attacking their bases. Eyewitnesses said at least three gigantic worms pierced the earth from underground and the Xerg were pouring out from the holes. Now they couldn''t surrender and bail out with their lives when things got hairy. Viers had been ready for quite a while, he was just waiting for a chance to let Boram survive. Now there was no other choice but to destroy Tanael¡¯s crystal or the worst future -where Tanael had uncontested access to spark shards- would be realized. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Max urged. ¡°I won''t be following you.¡± Fithel the elf¡¯s words surprised them. ¡°You¡¯ll back out this late in the fight?¡± Khalmar said. ¡°I have no quarrel with Tanael. This Trial is a competition and he has been doing it better than us. It is your right to challenge him for victory but I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Anne replied with good sport. ¡°This is my own wish. Whoever wishes to stay is free to do so. Choose the path that your heart tells you to take.¡± *** There were seventeen white spark holders at the beginning of Stage 5. Aravin, Naya, Sabine, Troy, and the dwarf died, plus Boram retired, so out of the remaining eleven, nine stepped into the inner body of a humongous leviathan that was Viers¡¯ castle. ¡°Zerri, of the two that backed down, other than the elf, tell your children to focus on him. I don''t want that guy to get out of this alive,¡± the Overlord of the Tyra Xerg commanded. ¡°As you wish.¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s welcome the guests shall we? Paina, music.¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Paina replied lightly from the White Flowers Meadows in Viers¡¯ soul space. ¡°To think my first show is for a funeral¡­¡± Paina¡¯s fingers danced on the white and black keys of the piano. No longer was she limited to the flute. For six months she had been learning the piano from Viers. He was no pianist but he taught her the basics and Paina, a talented musician, improved it on her own. Beethoven¡¯s Moonlight Sonata was recreated in this isekai. As Anne and her gang walked in a corridor resembling an empty blood vessel, they heard Paina¡¯s piano. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°A song?¡± ¡°Not good. We must hurry!¡± Naturally, Viers didn''t broadcast a masterpiece of music and waste his Victa out of the goodness of his heart. The nine took ticking soul damage every second the song played. Arte - Moonlight Sonata Funeral. The damage was very slight but the debuff it inflicted was the main ingredient. Like a biscuit softened by water, their soul would become more susceptible to soul damage in the future. The effect wasn''t permanent but it would last long enough for the future fight. Anne realized it immediately and braved through the challenges Viers prepared for them. Crushing walls, spikes coming out from the floor, collapsing ceilings, poison gas, ambush-type Xerg, Viers paired like with like, classic traps to go along with classical music. Meanwhile, Viers walked with Zerrigan¡¯s real body at his side. With her discarding the big birthing organ, as there was no need for it anymore, she wasn''t as immobile as before. ¡°Overlord, the crystals in the Whitelands have been destroyed. With their paltry defenses, it wasn''t difficult. Other than the elf, the other white spark holder outside the Nest is dead. My children from the northern battlefront have returned, including the two kaijus. They didn''t stand a chance. The armies of the Alliance are on the defensive, focusing on buying time for Anne and the others to destroy your crystal.¡± ¡°Then all is on track. Good job.¡± Now there were only four crystals remaining, all belonged to the Gloomsiders. Even though the other Horsemen beside Viers had all gone, their crystals remained. When all faction crystals were destroyed, Stage 5 would end. ¡°Do I have your leave to proceed with the Final Order, Overlord?¡± Viers stopped walking, he faced Zerrigan with gratitude and fondness, no matter how inhuman her form might be. ¡°You have been a most valuable person, Zerrigan. I wouldn''t be able to do this without you. I am grateful beyond measure.¡± ¡°It is my pleasure to serve, my master.¡± ¡°...We made a good team.¡± Viers completed his goodbye by kissing the forehead of the Alien Queen look-alike. He proceeded to look upon his castle, remembering the place as it was. Spires of blood veins, walls of flesh, and his throne of bones. All is lost except for the soul, bodies can be replaced but events like this will not be. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Zerrigan stayed behind for her first and final battle using her main body. Meanwhile, Viers was walking out of the Nest using a secret underground passage that he had made months prior. Since when did a Demon Lord have the obligation to stay in their castles when the Heroes came knocking? *** With difficulty, Anne and her merry band of heroes finally reached the crystal room. Even Anne was not in pristine condition after going through Viers¡¯ nasty villain traps. They had tried to circumvent the laid-out path by breaking through the walls and such but Viers also had measures for that. He was very thorough. Anne¡¯s contribution was massive. Otherwise, the nine would have been two or three fewer members by now. The group laid their eyes on the crystal behind Zerrigan¡¯s real body. The sonata had reached the presto agitato part. The beat quickened, the tension in the air could be cut with a sword. ¡°The crystal¡¯s over there¡­ but there¡¯s no sign of Tanael,¡± Max said. ¡°Welcome invaders. Lord Tanael is in another castle,¡± Zerrigan spoke using telepathy, passing on the words that Viers told her to tell. ¡°But if you want to destroy the crystal, you¡¯ll have to kill me first.¡± ¡°...Tanael ran!?¡± ¡°Ha! He must have lost his marbles seeing the might of the Holy Child!¡± In contrast with the happy gang, Anne looked on in silence. ¡°...He left you here to die,¡± Anne grimly realized. ¡°Not quite. But should I die for him, I have no regrets.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m sorry for doing this,¡± Anne prepared her move. ¡°The name bestowed upon me is Zerrigan!¡± Zerrigan bellowed. ¡°The Queen of Living Blades! First of the Tyra Xerg! Enemies of my lord, perish!¡± ¡°Oh no! Full defense!¡± Anne shouted. There was a blinding light and thunderous boom. Right off the bat, Zerrigan unleashed Immaterium Psychic Ultima! A beam of blue lighting born from psychic energy three meters in diameter rushed and raged like a beast unchained. She began the battle using her ultimate technique. Compared to the time she used it against the yellow lady using a proxy, the power was much stronger. No holds barred, Zerrigan held nothing back. She used all the brain power in the Hive Mind. Outside the nest, many Xerg had their brains explode from the strain. Like a colorful beam from a robot anime, the massive surge of energy struck Anne first. She took the brunt of the attack from the front, protecting the other players behind her like a mother bird protecting her eggs. It was like watching someone diverting a river of lightning with their bare hands and sheer will. Zerrigan kept exerting her strength, squeezing every drop out of her psychic mind. To prolong the attack by a single second, she paid in blood. The casualties on the Tyra Xerg were staggering, nine out of ten Xerg were now brainless gunks of flesh. On the battlefield outside the Nest, there were more than one million Xerg in that wretched state, their heads had exploded spontaneously. It lasted less than thirty seconds. Zerrigan had wrung herself dry to reach that limit. Zerrigan¡¯s energy ran out before Anne. Crackling blue sparks remained as a residue before fading to nothingness. The crystal room was pretty empty despite its size. The floor and walls were beaten up from the strike beyond the limit of humans. Out of strength, Zerrigan slumped on the floor, barely holding on to her consciousness. ¡°Urgh¡­ Is everyone alright?¡± Anne coughed a few times. ¡°Thanks to you.¡± ¡°Anne, your hands¡­¡± Anne¡¯s hands were charred black like charcoal. The skin was peeled and the room smelled like burnt flesh. Even she couldn''t defend such a mighty attack without a price. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s weakened,¡± Khalmar eyed Zerrigan. ¡°I¡¯ll finish it off!¡± ¡°No,¡± Anne interrupted. ¡°She¡¯s beaten. Leave her be. We must destroy the crystal.¡± ¡°You soft-¡± Khalmar stopped himself. He inhaled a breath and finished his sentence. ¡°As you wish.¡± After the heroes walked past the body of Zerrigan by a few steps, they heard her last words. ¡°Sieg¡­ Zeon¡­¡± The walls shook, the ceiling collapsed. Explosions from outside and inside the crystal room consumed Anne and her party. And half a million gallons of skin-melting acid rained down on them from a special chamber upstairs. *** Like a staple villain, Viers self-destructed his base, including his own crystal! EXPLOOOOOOOSION! Now that¡¯s something Megumin will like! On the outside, the two kaiju exploded on the western and eastern ends of the Nest. Inside, hundreds of Suicide Bomber Tyra Xerg that had stayed at key positions set off like buried charges. The great chain of explosions, big and small, demolished the Nest with the hero party still inside. There wasn''t even a countdown so the heroes couldn''t escape at the last second! The deviousness of Viers knew no bounds. If every villain was like Viers, there would be many, many protagonists that would not be alive when the movie credits rolled. Viers watched this from the air, on top of a flying Xerg. Zerrigan made sure to not explode the brain of the Xerg that her lord rode. As expected, the most important one survived¡­ with some extras. Viers saw Khalmar the Noble Tiger was being carried out by Ubah. Khalmar screamed a mournful ¡®noooo¡¯ as Ubah succumbed to his wounds. Half of his body was already dissolved by acid. It was a wonder he could still save Khalmar in that state. On the other hand, Anne saved Max and Eugene, carrying them out hurriedly from the zone of death. The acid was terribly harmful and the vapor was no less deadly. The acid from the acid-carrying Xerg strain was potent enough but Viers heightened it. Sakuya lent her expertise with poison and Izabella contributed with her Staff of Pestilence. The result was a very nasty acid. Almost on par with a certain alien species¡¯. Viers was sure Grandpa Nurgle would approve. Anne put them down someplace far away and began healing them immediately. They had suffered wounds all over, minor and major, visible and invisible. Their condition was dire. Anne felt their fire of life was fading fast. ¡°Max! Squire! Hold on!¡± In just a few seconds Anne managed to stabilize the two using a healing flame. Her skill in healing arts put the most prominent healers of the Church to shame. Relief colored her face. Even with dust and soot, her face remained impeccably beautiful. Her expression was of grace and compassion. It transformed into utter shock as a blade sunk into her torso from her back, coming out from her front. Viers swooped down from up high like a demon and delivered a devastating blow. Viers¡¯ sword was no mere sword, and the stab was no mere stab. Not yet! The sword hit its mark, it hit a vital point, but Viers didn''t stop there. Lightning fast, Viers pulled out his sword and delivered a horizontal slash at Anne¡¯s neck. There was a response. The sensation he felt on his hands, the separated head he saw with his eyes, all told him that he had succeeded. From the eye-catching self-destruction to create an opening, to the legendary Sephiroth¡¯s killing blow, to decapitation to be absolutely sure, Viers had done it all. Yet it wasn''t enough. A conflagration of fire knocked Viers away, his Blithe Lich Robe was singed. He would have suffered even more damage without the enchanted robe and the emergency barrier otherwise. The fire obscured Anne¡¯s form. Viers¡¯ super sight was unable to see inside, so Viers took a stance, readying himself for what would come next. When it faded, Viers saw Anne standing there. Her neck was now reconnected, there wasn''t even a scar. The blood on her clothes signified there was a big puncture wound before, but it similarly was healed. The blackened hands, something that Zerrigan traded her life for, were no more. Anne was the picture of health. She now had neck-length black hair because of Viers¡¯ cut, this was the only ¡®wound¡¯ she had. But this was still within Viers¡¯ calculation. Viers had set the expected difficulty of killing Anne very, very high. Anne was looking straight toward Viers¡¯ eyes with no hostility. Viers couldn''t guess what was going on in her head right now. ¡°Aerith died from that. Even without the decapitation. She was the ¡®best healer¡¯ in the party. You just shrug it off¡­ As expected of a Mary Sue.¡± Chapter 200 (3) During the decapitation, Viers had tried to wrest Anne¡¯s soul out. This was Viers¡¯ clearest way of determining if someone was really dead or not. If he could take their soul out, it meant he¡¯d won. However, this time he could not. Not only was it still firmly rooted, but it also scalded Viers¡¯ own soul when he was trying to do so. Phoenix''s forte of resurrection was well known even to those without a doctorate in monsterology like Viers. It wasn''t surprising if Anne could rise again from the ashes. Aravin was the one that Viers didn''t account for possessing a second life. That was why he kept some trump cards back. ¡°You called me Mary Sue. What does it mean?¡± Anne asked. ¡°A flawless woman who can do anything and have everything. She sits at the peak of society with legions of adorers. She achieves this with little to no effort at all,¡± Viers said. ¡°Do you think I reached this far without struggle or hardships?¡± She hid it well but there was a hint of irk. Viers had ruffled her feathers. ¡°Is this why you hate me?¡± Left foot forward, knees bent slightly, black sword pointing forward at eye-level. This was Viers¡¯ basic sword stance. ¡°Our fight will determine the truth. Shih!¡± Viers closed the distance with a dash. Anne jumped above his head to evade and counter. ¡°Phoenix Down!¡± Viers rolled to the side, away from her downward blaze. Sacrilege! That¡¯s not how Phoenix Down works! It is a resurrection item! Anne¡¯s answer to Viers¡¯ sword was her own sword. It was magical in nature, a high-quality fire-based item, but Anguish was the greater weapon. As Paina completed the Combat Overture buff and went on applying another strengthening, Viers started to pressure Anne. Each time their swords clashed, chilling frost energy would be transmitted to Anne. The hand that gripped her sword started to show signs of frostbite. ¡°Burning Palm Strike!¡± She let Viers¡¯ sword tip graze her cheek before switching her sword hand and striking out with the chilled hand before it got any worse. ¡°Khh¡­¡± Viers grunted while unsteadily stepping backward, only to stop after hitting a headless Xerg with his back. The battlefield was riddled with corpses. With the crystals on both sides destroyed, the armies were rendered inert. ¡°RAAAAAAA!¡± ¡°TANAEEEL!¡± ¡°Valiant Charge!¡± Khalmar, Max, and Eugene joined the fray despite their injuries. ¡°Guys, stop!¡± Anne¡¯s plea was too late. Viers invoked Blithe Lich Robe¡¯s ability: Heartstopper Aura! The three were sent flying back by Viers. The aura made all beings within a thirty meter radius receive damage. It was soul-based, therefore the penalty from Moonlight Sonata Funeral earlier made it worse for the already injured trio. Viers didn''t want to kill Eugene the Squire. Boram survived until Stage 5 because Eugene lent a hand. Viers even gave some benefits to Squire during Stage 3, but since he chose to fight, Viers wouldn''t hesitate. ¡°This is?!¡± ¡°Damnit!¡± The three realized their predicament but before they got the chance to act, someone else did. ¡°Phoenix Saving Grace.¡± Anne emitted an aura that warmed their souls, a stark contrast to Viers¡¯ sinister aura. The two opposing auras canceled themselves out. ¡°Nice! Now we can fight-¡± Anne interrupted Max. ¡°Everyone, please leave the trial immediately.¡± ¡°What are you- Mm!?¡± Khalmar saw a patch of ice on Anne¡¯s cheek. ¡°My first aid can only prevent this from worsening. A single graze from Tanael¡¯s sword is very likely to be a death sentence for you three.¡± ¡°NO! I won''t leave you!¡± Eugene put a hand on Max¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ivory Flame, I know how you feel but if we stay, it would only further burden Anne¡­¡± Max bit his lip until it bled. ¡°...I understand,¡± he obeyed. ¡°Thank you, Squire,¡± Anne gave a look of gratitude. ¡°May fortune be with you,¡± Squire said. ¡°...Give ¡®im hell,¡± Khalmar nodded. ¡°Lady Anne, I¡¯ll be waiting on the outside. Defeat him! You can definitely do it!¡± Max left first, followed by the other two. ¡°Finished saying your goodbyes?¡± Normally, Viers would have attacked instead of waiting for the cutscenes to play out, but with Anne being vigilant, it would be a waste of effort. He used the time to heal up the damage from the palm strike earlier instead. ¡°Then take this!¡± Viers let loose a triple slash of frost energy from afar while he closed the gap between them. Anne knew close range combat was unfavorable to her, so she tried to keep him away, but Viers brute-forced his way through. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The auras on both people hadn¡¯t stopped. This was another way for Viers to deal with Anne. Keeping them up was not without cost, it used Victa. While Anne was killing Aberrants in the front lines to make up for their gap from the lack of resources and soldiery, Viers had been piling up his Victa for the past six months. Viers reckoned he had the upper hand in Victa right now. If Anne ran out of Victa before he did, he won. He knew it and so did Anne. Anguish, the soul and ice enchanted sword, was a very good match against Anne. From the first wound on her cheek, there were many more patches of ice on her body now. Her breath started to quicken. ¡°...What an ominous sword. How many souls are inside, Tanael?¡± ¡°Not much.¡± Viers dared to say that two million human souls were ¡®not much¡¯. Anne grimaced from Viers¡¯ lie. ¡°I feel Troy from that sword.¡± How Anne -who was not a soul Pathseeker- could sense that, was what Viers dubbed as bollocks. ¡°Their souls are not toys!¡± Anne shouted and her aura Arte changed. Phoenix Saving Grace¡¯s surge of power overwhelmed Viers¡¯ Heartstopper Aura. Anne¡¯s aura was not for attacking, so it didn''t harm Viers, but it did something else. A soul came out from Anguish: Troy¡¯s. Viers¡¯ eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Evil always loses,¡± said Troy with a smirk before disappearing. Somehow, Anne pulled Troy¡¯s soul out from the sword¡¯s confines. That takes great mastery in soul arts to pull off. As expected of Mary Sue. She became a soul expert in an instant! ¡°More evidence of you being a Mary Sue,¡± Viers said. ¡°You saw the result. I have been preparing countermeasures against you for months, just like you did. A person¡¯s effort is invisible.¡± Viers replied to Anne''s jab. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it at that. Now that we¡¯re on topic, how many people have you killed?¡± ¡°...It is not nice to kill.¡± ¡°So none¡­ or very few. Only those who deserve it, no doubt. I expected as much. How nice of you to stay clean, eh!?¡± Viers attacked with a flurry of high and low slashes. Anne was unable to defend against them all. ¡°By walking the thornier path! Not taking the easy way like you!¡± Anne¡¯s leg sweep sent Viers to the ground. Anne¡¯s sword tip was going straight at his chest before it went off. Viers swept Anne¡¯s feet too and the position was reserved. This is it! The opening was here. Viers met the fireball Anne shot at his face without compromising his own downward stab towards Anne¡¯s heart. Anne sacrificed her left arm, putting it in Anguish¡¯s path before her heart was pierced. With a pained scream, she pushed Viers¡¯ away. Her wound is heavy. If I keep go¡­ What?! The wound on her arm was bleeding greatly but the deadliest effect was the chill energy from the strike. It was something that even troubled Viers who had a healing factor. It also proved effective to Anne. But no more. Not only did the necrosis from the frost not happen, the wound on Anne¡¯s arm was healing rapidly. The patches of ice on Anne¡¯s skin from the earlier attacks also receded. Viers¡¯ Euryale Sight saw the flow of energy. The frost was healing Anne instead! Anne¡¯s shock was greater than Viers¡¯. She looked at her own arm with confusion. ¡°...Your mother is a Phoenix, right? Who is your father?¡± To Viers¡¯ unexpected question, Anne replied honestly. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Hmph! Immune to fire and can absorb ice. She has a fire phoenix for a mother, so her father could be a frost dragon. Hell, her grandparents might be other exotic beings for all I know. This is just like Kurosaki Ichigo¡¯s parentage: part Human, part Shinigami, part Quincy, part Hollow. Entirely possible! He forged the ice blade specifically for fighting Anne. To think she could be immune to frost when the necessity demanded it, made Viers quite vexed. ¡°Another point to you being a Mary Sue,¡± Viers said in annoyance. ¡°Hm?¡± Anne¡¯s Phoenix Saving Grace was getting stronger. The souls bound to Anguish were seeping out! One or one hundred every few seconds. Viers¡¯ aura was already at the max. It minimized the release of the souls, but only slightly, a hundred could still leak out. Viers was on the clock! The air around Viers changed. He hoped to be able to drain Anne¡¯s Victa by prolonging the fight but this was no longer possible. If he lost here, he would suffer great consequences. He didn''t forget his sacrifice to Aletro. Anne picked up Viers¡¯ seriousness and replied in kind. He was not an opponent she could win by taking it easy. ¡°...I didn''t want to use this, but you gave me no choice.¡± Anne traded her sword with a red feather fan. It was the divine item from Stage 2¡¯s fire world, Phoenix Plume Fan. Last time she was only using it as a medium to boost her power but Anne wielded it in her hand this time. Viers felt her power increase. The temperature rose as if she was a human-shaped volcano. Based on her reluctance to use it, there might be a downside to using it. Or maybe not. Hard to tell with a Mary Sue. The ice sword was no longer effective, so Viers stowed it away. From the Thousand Treasures Casket Viers pulled out the Spear of Leonidas. No matter what her elemental affinities were, Viers could still stab her heart or brain to win. Anne¡¯s opening act with the new weapon was a wave of blazing hot fire created by a swing of her fan. Viers ran as if a flaming reaper was behind him. Evading, dodging, defending, Viers reduced the damage done to him as much as possible, seeking an opening. Anne¡¯s attacks were not crude clumps of fires but an art of flames. She favored the type that created firebirds to attack. Viers patiently waited for his chance. Fortunately, the souls inside Anguish no longer leaked out from the storage item. Even then Viers¡¯ burn damage was accumulating. Her fire was of a much higher quality than before. Viers would be a fool to jump right in without a plan. Viers'' broken spear had no special features. Any ability it once had was lost from the wear and tear of battle, very different from Anne¡¯s fan. However, it remained very sturdy and sharp, capable of piercing most enchanted armors or magical shields. That was why Viers counted it as one of his secret weapons. Sadly, that advantage in simplicity didn''t play much of a role in the current battle. At this stage, Viers¡¯ six months of planning bore fruit. Anne didn''t continue this method of attack for too long. If she continued, it might be able to render Viers powerless from afar. Viers¡¯ ranged repertoire was subpar. But she didn''t continue. Her Victa tank! So had Viers guessed. She could grind Viers down with attrition otherwise. With all-encompassing AoEs reduced in frequency, Viers had opportunities to exploit, bringing the fight to a melee. Bending the laws of physics, the feather fan of Anne could block the slashes and stabs from the Spear of Leonidas without breaking in any way. The tip of the feathers were also capable of cutting. Viers¡¯ Blithe Lich Robe that was capable of withstanding metal was cut like scissors on paper. There was a weapon called tessen in Japan, which meant iron fan. Anne used her Phoenix Feather Fan like that. Next card! Viers braved the cone of fire from Anne with his soul shield at full power. ¡°Caught you¨C!¡± Viers grabbed her hand, making direct contact. The burned, smiling face of Viers that Anne saw blurred and a whole different world appeared before her. This is? Anne found herself somewhere else. She was in a vast desert. There was sand as far as the eye could see. And a woman with the lower body of a snake in front of her. ¡°You''re really strong. Might be greater than me if we were on the same Level,¡± Clarissa assessed. ¡°And you are?¡± Anne asked. ¡°Apologies. He said no talking. I am your enemy. This is enough introduction. Ready yourself. Blazing Snake¡¯s World Immolation!¡± Clarissa turned the desert into a sea of fire and it swallowed Anne whole. Chapter 200 (4) Meanwhile, in the real world. While Clarissa is holding Anne down in the soul battlefield, I¡¯ve got to hurry. While fighting Anne with fire might be a foolish endeavor, it might not be the case for Clarissa. The lamia was an existence from the Age of the Gods and a former Level 5. She told Viers she had her ways of fighting Anne during the planning phase. Viers didn''t watch the battle inside the temporary soul space he created so he could prepare his next trump card. The rapid drain of his Victa reserves indicated Clarissa was having an earth-shaking battle. He would need to watch that recording in the future. In two seconds, fifty percent of his whole Victa reserves dried up. Another two seconds later, light returned to Anne¡¯s eyes. Her soul had returned to her body. Only four seconds? Time might work differently in soul spaces but isn''t this too soon? ¡°Sorry Viers, I couldn''t hold her. She used the Arte Phoenix Ascending Rainbow Sky! That¡¯s a Level 5 Arte from the Age of the Gods.¡± Clarissa informed him. Figures. But it¡¯s not as useless as it seems. Viers had ascertained it with his super eyes. Anne was running out of Victa! Even the greatest of Pathseekers were vulnerable when they had no more Victa. Anne was sweating profusely and her breaths were racing. She looked so tired she might as well keel over. The fight with Clarissa had taken a lot out of her. My golden chance! Let¡¯s finish this! The preparation for Viers¡¯ trump card was underway. Victa was allocated and the Arte was constructed. Let¡¯s go! Soul- Anne burst into flames and rose to the sky. From the pillar of fire, Viers saw she was no longer human but a bonafide phoenix! Not a projection or phantom of a technique, but a real transformation. The mythical bird and its beauty was a form of art. Viers would have appreciated it if she wasn''t trying to screw him up and prevent him from getting first place in the most important trial of his life. ¡°I call bullshit! You¡¯re out of Victa. How can you pull that off?¡± ¡°You''re right,¡± the phoenix spoke with Anne¡¯s voice while flapping her flaming wings. ¡°I¡¯m using my foundation as fuel for my Arte¡­ This is not without consequences, but I can''t let you win.¡± A majestic phoenix sat on a flaming lotus with ninety-nine petals in the sky. The divine item -Phoenix Feather Fan- was floating above her head. She was spreading her wings and surrounded by a rainbow halo. Viers saw the breathtaking spectacle from the first row. ¡°This is for Troy and the people you¡¯ve killed. Phoenix Tome of Purifying Flames Secret Art: Heavenly Flames of Redemption!¡± Rays and flames rained down from the heavens. ¡°AAAAAAHHHH!!!¡± Viers evaded the fires but how could he evade light? Viers¡¯ felt that his body was being burned from inside out. His Numb Pain Arte was useless. ¡°The bigger the sin a person has, the more painful it becomes,¡± Phoenix Anne said. And Viers¡¯ sins were colossal. Despite his state, Viers shot out Vengeful Spirit Arte at the stationary Anne in the sky, forty to fifty meters above him. It was one of the few Artes Viers had that was capable of reaching that height. A translucent barrier blocked the soul Arte before it reached Anne. It was ineffective. She was too far and the Arte was not strong enough. ¡°To struggle even in that state. You are really exceptional¡­ After this defeat, I hope you change and become a better person.¡± Viers was on the verge of losing and he knew it. But did he accept his defeat? Maybe I¡¯ll lose one day. But not today, and not to the likes of you. ¡°This isn''t even my final form!¡± Viers took out several items from his inventory and equipped them. In his left hand, a sword of light; on his right, a black sword of souls and ice. Viers absorbed the souls inside the sword into himself. A single black wing appeared from his back. Only one right wing, there was no left wing. His hair changed colors from gold to silver as they became longer. His green eyes showed unwavering defiance against the Heavens. Viers had become a One-Winged Angel! Lastly, Viers summoned his black spark. The spark quality changed depending on how many shards one had. At zero shards, it was but a speck of black light. Now, with three and a half million spark shards, Viers¡¯ spark was like a black sun. ¡°T-this is?¡± For the first time, Anne sounded worried. The spark had no effect on his overall battle strength but it was just too damn cool. In his super state, Viers flew to the phoenix sun, two swords of white and black in hand. A very specific orchestral music was playing epicly into his ears. Only Level 5 Pathseekers could fly, but there were ways of achieving similar feats for weaker people. Anne could do it, even the Level 2 Airmaster could. When Viers learned that Anne could fly, he knew he too must find a way to at least reach her in the sky. It would definitely play a crucial role during their showdown. Six months were enough to create something that suited him. As Viers got closer to the source, the intensity of Anne¡¯s attack rose. Viers would turn to ashes before his swords could touch Anne, and it was before factoring in Anne¡¯s shield. Viers¡¯ answer to the flames and heat was Aravin¡¯s divine weapon that he wielded in his left hand! The divine weapon didn''t like Viers. It rejected Viers¡¯ effort of wielding it. Just touching the handle of the sword burned Viers¡¯ hand. But Viers had a wealth of experience from the thousands of Fables inside his head. He knew how to deal with the cheeky blazing sword. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He could either become a man incapable of feeling pain like the Tales of Arise¡¯s Alphen did. ¡­Or by wearing oven gloves. Dragonweave Gloves! The red gloves made from the body parts of a dragon that Viers picked up in Dia¡¯s Biome had excellent heat resistance! Viers made the sword of light, that he named Solarion, absorb Anne¡¯s light and flames. This was possible because Anne''s and the sword¡¯s powers were similar in their origin. Viers couldn''t make use of the sword¡¯s true potential because he didn''t have the matching affinity, but what he needed right now was a shield and the sword served just fine. Even with Solarion paving the way, it only reduced a portion of Anne¡¯s offense. Like Icarus flying towards the sun, the one-winged silhouette burned! The glorious spectacle was witnessed by two people from afar, Green Scorpion Fajrin and Fithel the elf. Finally, Viers¡¯ blade reached Anne''s barrier, the final obstruction to Viers¡¯ victory. ¡°KKKHHHHHH!!¡± ¡°HAAAAAAAAA!!¡± Anne strengthened the barrier as much as she could, while Viers tried to pierce it. Viers was in a very dangerous state. Taking in two million souls was no joke, far above his current safe limit. This was no simple storing of the soul like he always did to his enemies but an active strengthening. The burden on his body was tremendous. Will clashed against will. Viers¡¯ body and soul were being broken from the outside and the inside. Viers¡¯ eyes were no longer working after they had melted in his eye sockets, but he felt he had passed through a membrane. After entering the blazing sphere of pure radiance where the phoenix was emitting the flames of absolution, the pain Viers felt from his sins was downright crushing. Like a vision before one¡¯s death, Viers recalled his conviction when he had decided to walk the path of cultivation. Every xianxia story he¡¯d read showed that cultivation was about ¡®defying the heavens¡®. It was not easy or for the faint of heart. Earlier, Anne said: This is for Troy and the people you¡¯ve killed. ¡°This is for myself!¡± Viers shouted at the top of his lungs. He used the soul-enchanted sword Anguish as a catalyst as he coursed his Arte to- He suddenly felt his Victa was frozen in time. ¡°NO! This must not be! Cease this at once!¡± Aletro! The white one, he intervened! On the border between life and death where a single moment could make all the difference, he broke his neutrality! Viers¡¯ fury swelled up like an ocean. He cursed that unfair jury to the deepest pits of Hell. ¡°Let him go, you unprincipled piece of shit! Go, my Champion! Choose your own destiny!¡± Viers was freed from the shackles the next instance. There was only one person who could match white Aletro but this was not the time to ponder. Viers used the greatest of his soul Artes, the soul finisher he received from Clarissa during Stage 3: Soul Snake¡¯s Disintegration Decree! But he shouted something else. ¡°AVADA KEDAVRA!!!¡± Anima Symphony ¨C Finale! HORIZON ¨C 363.99%! Paina¡¯s assist came with perfect timing. Anne was so close that Viers didn''t need to aim. Not that he could really aim in his current state. Green lightning hit Anne with heaven-shaking might. There was a loud crack like thunder that reached as deep as one¡¯s soul, and beyond. Viers had used all the souls that made up his wing as fuel for the strike, erasing them in the process. Anguish, the sword that Viers used as a wand to channel the unforgivable curse, was shattered beyond any hope of repair, unable to withstand the load from the Arte. Viers¡¯ own soul was also hurt by the Arte, like a recoil from a gun firing, but even then the damage was severe. Normal people would have their soul crippled but Viers endured, thanks to him practicing the Myriad Souls in One Arte to the Grand Soul stage. The Arte was out of Viers¡¯ league. He was only able to display a hundredth portion of the real one. But it was enough. It had to be. By all Gods, let it be enough. Viers lost consciousness microseconds after invoking the Arte, just in time to hear the last part of One-Winged Angel. *** Before he realized it, Viers was in a space of white. He was sitting on a long chair. ¡°Hmm,¡± he muttered serenely and looked below the chair. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Anne asked from behind. ¡°I thought I might see a misshapen form of a noseless, hairless man,¡± Viers stood up and turned towards Anne. ¡°Shame that there¡¯s none. Are we both dead?¡± ¡°Perhaps,¡± she said as calmly as Viers. Anne was in her human form, younger than Viers by a year and shorter by a head. Objectively and subjectively speaking she was cute and beautiful. ¡°I simply wanted to talk before whatever happens next.¡± ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± Viers was resolute to not be an idiot and blab compromising things about himself like so many villains in the Fables. ¡°Oh, nothing so serious,¡± Anne¡¯s body language was relaxed, carefree. She sat on one of the nearby stairs, bending her right knee closer to her body and resting her chin there. ¡°You once called me a Mary Sue for being too perfect. Let me ask you a question. By definition, are you not similarly a Mary Sue? Suppose I''m this Mary Sue but you¡¯ve managed to defeat me. What''s that signify? Let¡¯s make a list. You have a rare soul affinity, you¡¯ve good looks and body, people adore you in a different way, your strength is unreachable without special methods other people don''t have¡­ and these are only what I know from passing. Are you a Mary Sue?¡± Her tone was without anger or bitterness towards the man who might have killed her. It was as if she was talking about a curious topic during breakfast. ¡°...Ah, so that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering. First, lookie here.¡± Viers showed a picture of a man with a slightly round belly with his face obscured. There was nothing pleasant about the sight. ¡°My current face and appearance are fake. My real name is different too. This picture is my real body. See how I still have the characteristics of a fatso despite my best efforts? This is just one of my imperfections. My real face -which I will not show- is also not a perfectly crafted masterpiece by the gods. It is average, slightly leaning to ugliness, in my opinion.¡± Similarly, Viers replied with a carefree tone. There was no need for him to lie so he told her the truth. ¡°But that¡¯s just your appearance. How do you explain the Sue-ness of your abilities then?¡± Anne sounded genuinely intrigued. ¡°It is because I have at least three hundred chapters worth of story behind me while you don¡¯t.¡± Should be about three hundred, right? I don''t know for sure but I think it should be around that number. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have the ability to break down the fourth wall like Mr. Deadpool. ¡°Ufufufu,¡± Anne giggled. ¡°I don''t know what you¡¯re talking about but you¡¯re so serious I find it funny. Ah, please don''t take offense. I¡¯m not looking down on you or anything.¡± ¡°None taken. The point is, I¡¯ve bled for my power. It¡¯s been a long road that got me here, Anne.¡± ¡°But how could you know I¡¯ve not bled for mine? Perhaps I did too, same as you.¡± ¡°I can''t know for sure, this is true. But I defeated you to make sure a Mary Sue cannot shroud the sky above my head. If you¡¯ve bled for your power, then I¡¯ll offer you a fitting song for your end along with my good wishes for your next life.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Morally speaking, I don''t think you¡¯re a bad person. Killing a kind girl like you is unpleasant. However, a Mary Sue has no place in my story. That is all.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Thank you for talking to me. I¡¯m certain a talk with you during an afternoon tea time will be most entertaining but looks like our time is up.¡± Anne smiled at Viers with a sad kind of smile. ¡°Mother said, I was born special, so I must use my powers for the sake of others¡­ I¡¯ve tried to do this as much as I could. In the future, when calamity strikes and the sky falls on our heads, I will be a pair of hands that hold it up-¡± She looked far to the distance forlornly before looking at Viers. Anne¡¯s form was starting to disintegrate, slowly turning into thousand specks of lights. ¡°-helping you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Viers frowned. He didn''t know where Anne was going with this. ¡°After our fight, I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll become someone with powers that shoulder such a burden. Whether you choose to hold up the sky alone, or with others, it is your choice. I wished I could be there, helping all the people of this beautiful world¡­ But it was not meant to be¡­ Farewell, Tanael. Don''t do too many bad things, alright?¡± I wish¡­ I could hear your voice once one last time¡­ Mother. Anne closed her eyes, her smiling face faded as she became light. Viers stood alone in the white space for a full minute. His head was full of jumbled thoughts. You really are a Mary Sue. Perfect¡­ to the end. Viers played out a song, Weight of the World. Viers soaked in the melody with solitude as his company. The song depicted what he was feeling at the moment. ¡­This is not for you Anne. I just feel like hearing it. Chapter 200 - Phoenix Fall Chapter 201 - A New Age After the green flash broke the phoenix-made sun, Viers fell to the earth. His body was like a charred corpse. Every inch of his skin was burnt. His silver hair, which should have returned to its normal color by now, was completely gone. The luxurious looking Blithe Lich Robe had been reduced to rags. Three specters slowed Viers¡¯ descent until he landed softly on the ground. They were following the protocols Viers laid out for this kind of eventuality. Farley opened Viers¡¯ storage item -with permission gained in advance- and fed him a medicinal pill. It was from the same woman that Viers got his Spear of Leonidas. The pill had saved Viers from a grievous injury in the past. With this use, there was only one super healing pill left. A short while later, Viers¡¯ body had mended miraculously. His hair had grown back, skin no longer showing any degree of burns. Behind the unexpectedly enduring Impersonator mask, Viers¡¯ real face -which he had disfigured with his own hands- was completely restored. ¡°He isn''t waking up,¡± Paina was worried sick. ¡°Is he okay?¡± ¡°Give it time,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°The medicine is working.¡± Farley was also agitated. If Viers died, they would die too, including her sister, and she wouldn''t let that happen. Farley was as vigilant as a hawk. Fajrin and Fithel were still around. They might get ideas. Viers opened his eyes soon enough, greeted by the smiling and relieved faces of his tenants. ¡°Good morning Angels,¡± he said. ¡°Phew¡­ Thank the Goddess you¡¯re alright,¡± Paina said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure she approves of me. What did I miss? Anne?¡± ¡°Nothing much. Congratulations on your victory, Lord Viers,¡± Farley pointed to a nearby burning flame. ¡°That is all that remains of Anne. There was no body.¡± Or soul, Viers added. His senses couldn''t pick up any presence of her soul. Soul Snake¡¯s Disintegration Decree deletes the souls of those struck. Of course there¡¯s no soul for me to collect. It¡¯s in the name. Viers touched his face. The mask seems fine. Good thing I upgraded it as Stage 3¡¯s top 10 reward. The robe is a mess though. It can self-repair but how long it will take, I have no idea. Anguish is¡­ done. Thanks, Jaime. Viers remembered his conversation with Anne in the white realm of the In-Between. His head was clear but his body was not doing so great. His injuries might have healed but there were still after-effects from the fight, such as his wounded soul from the soul-finisher Arte and stamina cost. But this was not the time to relax. There were still things to be done. Viers donned a new set of clothes and walked to the burning flame. He felt it was a shame he didn''t get Anne''s soul, or belongings, or even anything. All was gone with her death. Except for this very flame. Since Viers¡¯ tenet was to always gain benefits from a fight¡­ Well~ since I cannot eat your soul, I¡¯ll take this flame with a golden core instead. I¡¯ll call it Phoenix End Fire. I¡¯m sure I can make something extraordinarily good with this. During the shopping before Stage 3 began, Viers bought items to store exotic materials such as flames and clouds. There were treasures to be found and he would be crying tears of blood if he could not obtain priceless items by the dint of not having a suitable container. Viers was glad he bought them. And so things are settled between us, Viers thought as he took the still burning fire. Rest in peace. Next, Viers went to the smoking ruins of the Nest, some distance away. He was experiencing physical and magical muscle pain but moved as fast as he was able. Someone was waiting for him and he had a promise to keep. Not only was there smoke from the explosion, there were also deadly acidic mists that covered the area. Viers applied a barrier on himself before searching the rubble with Euryale Sight. He found Zerrigan¡¯s soul but not her body. ¡°Overlord, is it done? Did you win?¡± Zerrigan asked. She was not aware of her surroundings, not before Viers touched her soul with his own. ¡°Yes, Zerri. Thanks to you,¡± Viers said fondly. ¡°Then I can die without regrets. It was a life worth living, Lord Tanael.¡± ¡°There may be hope for you yet. Don''t give up,¡± Viers took out an egg, a Xerg Queen¡¯s egg. It was a special egg Viers told her to make, the very last egg she¡¯d laid. ¡°...Will the creator allow it?¡± She hesitantly asked. ¡°I¡¯ll ask him. When a sacrifice was asked of you, you gave it without hesitation. I will not allow such loyalty to go unrewarded. Now come with me, Queen of Living Blades.¡± ¡°Glady, Overlord Tanael.¡± Viers smiled while gently putting Zerrigan¡¯s soul into the egg. ¡°My real name is Viers Isuel. You¡¯re one of the few I trust to know of it. Now sleep, noble queen. We¡¯ll meet again.¡± Viers gently stowed the egg into the casket like tucking a baby to sleep. There might come a time where the Tyra Xerg rose to glory once more, and it excited Viers. The area was not safe and Viers could only hold his breath for so long, so Viers left. There were two people waiting for him some distance away. ¡°Time for Stage 5 to end,¡± black Aletro said. The white one was silent. ¡°Kind of you to wait,¡± Viers turned to the one that intervened during his fight with Anne. ¡°So what¡¯s the big idea?¡± The sage-like bearing that white Aletro had since the start crumbled as he began to prattle. Still, Viers hadn''t forgotten or forgiven the guy who had tried to get him killed. ¡°This wasn''t supposed to be. There was a prophecy. She was not meant to die. You were all supposed to work together! Aberrants will keep getting stronger so you¡¯ll learn that cooperation is the path forward for the good of all. You could¡¯ve stayed for years, with more shards for all. But you selfishly choose your own benefits over the greater good.¡± White Aletro huffed, showing more human emotion than he had ever before. The other one was content in letting things play out, the popcorn he stuffed into his mouth made it clear. Toward the accusation, Viers replied calmly. ¡°It is my nature.¡± ¡°The ripple caused by Anne¡¯s death will spread to the whole world and will reach into the far future. You have no idea what disasters you have created. This-¡± Viers cut Good Aletro off, grinning wide and devilishly vicious. ¡°Tremble then, o ye mighty,¡± Viers coldly replied, ¡°for a new age is upon you.¡± Viers spoke to a shade of god-like being and did not flinch. ¡°And you think,¡± a colossal pressure had fallen on the area. Viers had to struggle to keep standing. ¡°You¡¯re capable of that?¡± ¡°Fate is a cruel mistress, other me. You should have known this by now,¡± the evil Aletro said with a devil¡¯s smile, relishing every moment of it. ¡°If God wanted her to live, He would not have created me,¡± Viers pressed. ¡°Look around you, otherworlder. The world bled, civilizations splintered because of your ambitions. The same thing will happen on the outside.¡± Viers looked all around him. Corpses by the millions, rivers of blood, smoking ruins, not a single living soul in sight. This might be what Kratos felt after he killed all the Greek gods in GOW3. Viers soaked in all the destruction and carved the final scenery of the Book World, of what he had wrought into his heart, to never forget it. But it¡¯s okay. I can go to ancient Scandinavia and reboot the franchise with a Norse theme instead. It worked well for the other guy. If I learned one thing from the destruction of Olympus, it is that even if the ¡®world¡¯ is destroyed, there are other worlds, other gods. I just need to carve my place in the world¡­ Oops? The mind reader looks even angrier now. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. White-clothed Aletro wasn''t pleased by what Viers was thinking. Viers¡¯ train of thought was so foreign to Aletro that he was taken aback. Not only Viers had no regrets for killing Anne, he treated what might come as no big deal. He had an unfaltering conviction he would survive and thrive no matter what may come. ¡°Your trust in yourself is strong. So strong until there¡¯s no room for trusting others. This is your flaw. He who trusts no one finds only enemies. You see other people as enemies or enemies to be. Have you learned nothing from those Fables you¡¯re so proud of? You¡¯ve soaked in all the wrong teachings!¡± I¡¯m an individualistic guy. Sure, I know loads of stories that championed unity and cooperation but that¡¯s not how I roll. Maybe later in the future. He who trusts no one cannot be betrayed. Viers almost blurted out his response, but since the girls were watching and listening, he picked a more¡­ diplomatic answer. ¡°Self-trust is the essence of heroism.¡± Viers forgot who said that on Earth but he liked the quote. Trust and relying on others could make one soft, dependent on others. When things went to shit and he had to face tribulations, Viers didn''t want to depend on others to endure through them. That was not the man he wanted to become. He would make his own path if he had to. ¡°All right, I''m stopping you both before this becomes a pissing contest,¡± the evil Aletro said. ¡°...Young otherworlder, your arrogance will be your downfall. As someone who has seen the summit of that path, I know this with certainty.¡± White Aletro was gone after saying the cryptic warning. Viers and the black-clothed Aletro watched each other in silence until Viers broke the silence. ¡°So?¡± ¡°The three crystals that remained have no owner and the surviving spark holders hold no crystals. Therefore the final Stage is now over. Congratulations on your victory,¡± Aletro said with joviality, transporting him to a beautiful space-like environment. Viers saw no other people but he guessed the other trial takers were also undergoing the same procedure. With Aletro¡¯s declaration, a ranking list appeared before Viers. Tanael - 7,061,260 spark shards. Rank 1 Fithel - 1,815,380 spark shards. Rank 2 Noble Tiger - 1,764,000 spark shards. Rank 3 Ivory Flame - 1,597,900 spark shards. Rank 4 Black Cat - 1,305,240 spark shards. Rank 5 Night Bloom - 1,220,060 spark shards. Rank 6 Squire - 1,138,710 spark shards. Rank 7 Boram - 742,580 spark shards. Rank 8 Green Scorpion - 436,300 spark shards. Rank 9 If I didn''t kill any of them, first place would definitely be Anne. The second and third places would be between me and Aravin. The fourth and fifth between Troy and Oscar¡­ But I¡¯ve changed that reality. ¡°No tenth place?¡± ¡°You killed the tenth and below. Nine out of seventeen survived.¡± ¡°...Seven mill. Is it good or bad?¡± ¡°Mehhh, decent, I suppose,¡± Aletro replied lazily. Iz and Sakuya are quite well. Boram¡¯s score is quite low, reflecting his ability. This kind of trial is too early for him anyway, but he survived. It will be a good experience for his growth. Then there¡¯s Fajrin. Boram got his soldiers while the cultist was alone. He still got four hundred thousand? This guy is truly a cockroach at surviving. Viers was actually commending Fajrin¡¯s judgment. He made the call that he was no match for Viers so he hid. Viers had standing orders to kill him on sight but the guy was slippery and didn''t take any risks. Viers was prepared to sally out and kill Fajrin if he had the opportunity, but there was none. The result of his cowardice was survival until the end. If their positions were reversed, Viers might have done the same thing. Which means he¡¯s dangerous. Fajrin of the Teorph cult¡­ I¡¯ll remember you. ¡°What now?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Reward time! Aletro has wares, if you have shards. Hahahah!¡± ¡°...Skyrim reference? Really?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve had your fun. ¡®Sides, I can see the appeal. Now, I can make a list of what¡¯s available but you already have a wishlist ready, right?¡± Viers nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what I lack and what to get best for a long time. First, about Zerrigan-¡± ¡°She¡¯s of no concern to me. You¡¯ve made it possible for her to come out of this book world using your own method. I won''t interfere.¡± Viers lightly sighed in relief. ¡°Okay then. To the next order of business. I¡¯ve made enemies, especially in this trial. Those of the same generation don''t really worry me but their dada or granda are another story. I need something that hides me from them. No tracking me from some shit like divination either.¡± ¡°Mhmm. Your options are¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s also the matter of the phoenix mama and the pursuers from other continents seeking the remains of the Rank 7 bull that I possess. So far, those above Level 5 have been able to see my origin as an otherworlder. This obscuration has to work on those above Level 5. Give me the best that you got.¡± ¡°The highest I can give you is obscuration from Level 8 and below. Permanent effects are impossible though.¡± ¡°...How much?¡± ¡°Ten years of effect costs one million shards.¡± ¡°Does it work against you too?¡± ¡°Hah! Mistrust even to me, hm? I can respect that. Relax, it will work. We¡¯re just programs, tool spirits. We work on the established parameters. If you meet the real Aletro face to face, he might recognize his technique on you though.¡± ¡°Good¡­ I¡¯ll pay four- no, three million shards. So no divine sense, abnormality detection, mind-reading, etcetera, etcetera work on me from those below Level 8, yeah?¡± ¡°Yep. But active investigation from a Level 6 to Level 8 will spend energy, lessening the time my obscuration would be active. It might end up with less than three decades of operating time. Level 9 will pierce the veil directly. Three million can buy you pretty nice stuff though, boosting your growth considerably. Buy or no buy?¡± Viers couldn''t afford to not have obscuration from the powerful ones. He had to hide in the burrows while he was small and growing. If predators had eyes on him, not only would he be unable to grow, they might eat him if he was fat and juicy. ¡°Go for it. Kinda steep for a price¡­¡± ¡°Meh, it''s your fault for not getting more shards. There, Mystic Star Shroud.¡± Viers saw he had a shroud woven by starlight on his body. It disappeared after a few moments but he could feel it inside him. It was linked to his soul and Intio. ¡°If a Level 5 sees you and senses nothing at all, it will set off a different kind of alarm. You can adjust how much you¡¯ll let others sense. The shroud is great that way. It lets me roam the world freely. What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± Viers replied. ¡°I want permanent water 5 affinity. God, you really don''t understand the value of something until it is gone. Affinity 3 sucks.¡± ¡°No shit,¡± Aletro scoffed. ¡°When your temp affinity boost ends, your water affinity is 1. Not a bad choice. Permanent water 5 affinity will cost five hundred thousand shards.¡± Aletro showered Viers with a light drizzle. Viers¡¯ felt as if he was a dried-up desert before and now had become a sea. ¡°Ohhh¡­ This is the stuff,¡± Viers shivered from the exquisite sensation. ¡°Next?¡± Viers had spent half of his spark shards so far. ¡°You know, there¡¯s a lot I want to ask, such as the mysterious flower inside of me. I suppose you won''t tell me for free?¡± ¡°Knowledge is power, you know this.¡± ¡°How much for the info on the flower?¡± ¡°Complete package? Three mill. That¡¯s with a discount.¡± ¡°Rip off. What about just its name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling generous so fifty thousand shards.¡± ¡°Deal. Tell me.¡± ¡°Everlife Goldbloom Flower.¡± Viers committed it to his memory. Now that he got the name, he had clues about how to find out its origins. ¡°What''s next?¡± Viers had a lot of wants but the thing he said next took priority. It encompassed many things and was very versatile. It would be his next big jump in cultivation progress. ¡°I want to spend the rest of my shards, three million and a half, to gain as much soul attainment as possible. No wait, ten thousand shards for upgrading the mask further then use the rest on attainment.¡± Prior inquiry about the face-changing mask told Viers that it was not an issue. Still, the star shroud was not for disguise. He depended on the mask for putting up a front. ¡°The mask is easy¡­ Done. By attainment you mean-¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Soul 5 affinity Pathseeker with a Grand Soul. My hardware is great but my software is not. I lack the skills and understanding of the soul. With the lack of a teacher and sect to join, I¡¯ve made improvements based on trial and error thus far. Sure, I could learn and train but it takes time. It¡¯s like a supercar with an incompetent driver. If I have your soul attainment, I bet I can drive the car like Dominic Toretto. So, I want enlightenment about the soul.¡± ¡°Hou,¡± Aletro eyed him curiously. ¡°Cultivation is hard. At times, one must trailblaze their own path, but there¡¯s no need to reinvent the wheel millions of times over, is there? One can also stand on the shoulders of giants.¡± Viers was aware of his weak point in his soul aspect for a long time. In other Fables, soul element was very versatile but when he tried to mimic those feats, things often didn''t go as he hoped. Now was the time to rectify it. ¡°Hmmm¡­ With the rest of your shards, I can give you enlightenment up to Level 5 with bits and pieces of level 6 knowledge. Are you sure about this?¡± Viers¡¯ palm was sweating from the excitement. ¡°Damn yes! Wait, this isn''t gonna harm me or anything, right? Asking for knowledge usually doesn''t end well for villains in the stories.¡± ¡°Probably some headaches,¡± Aletro gave Viers a globe of light that sunk into his chest. ¡°Absorb the knowledge at your own pace. I¡¯m not here to do you dirty¡­ That''s that then. You¡¯re out of shards.¡± ¡°This is the time where you¡¯re telling me why you want to make powerhouses or at least give hints about it, right?¡± ¡°He he he,¡± Aletro chuckled. ¡°Nah, you¡¯ll know in time. So, soul attainment. You¡¯re mimicking what that Fang Yuan fellow gained from that Lang Ya person... Hmn, Spectral Soul Demonic Venerable... So that''s your aim. Quite the scheme. Your first request about hiding from others and the mask also used his Fable as inspiration. Kid, you realized his story is fiction right?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t prevent me from learning from him,¡± Viers replied with a smile. There was a hint of pride inside. ¡°Hah! You treat your life as a game, enjoying it to the fullest. In some ways, that makes you a madman. Others certainly think so of you.¡± ¡°It is a game. But that doesn''t mean I can''t be serious about it. Cultivation, becoming a superhuman is so exciting, isn''t it? How can you truly master something without liking it?¡± A pillar of light fell from the heavens, Viers was floating upwards. ¡°You¡¯ll be teleported out to a remote enough place nearby the city so you can reorganize. Same with other people. This is it, Viers Isuel. You¡¯ve done what I thought was impossible. Go and live your life, madman.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not so bad, Aletro. I¡¯m thankful for the great opportunity and want to pay you back. If your secret agenda harms me though, I might revise my opinion. I have a feeling we will meet again. Somewhere, somewhen. Farewell.¡± Aletro watched Viers until he got teleported out. Otherworlders... I thought it was a massive waste of potential but perhaps the actions of Estelle¡¯s Church about neutralizing otherworlders are correct. Too many people like him and the world will burn¡­ A new age, hm? Cheeky brat. He has no idea. Chapter 202 - Dodging the Bullet of Fate The City of Silver Guardians, Sephoria The Interpreter of Fate had been having nightmares lately. Ever since the Demon King¡¯s left eye debacle, she had exhausted every means at her disposal to calm the Great Flow but found little success. In her distraught, the Spiritual Leader and good friend, Sallustia saved her with her wisdom and patience. She was still haunted by nightmares but she¡¯d found her courage to brave through the swift current of the future in the great boat called the Church. Once more, she peered into the Flow of Fate. ¡°Ahh¡­ How unfortunate.¡± A benevolent little star that was supposed to become a great star and light up its surroundings in the future was swallowed by darkness. It was deeply regrettable, but she had seen that happen many times. The Flow was mostly fixed, but there were always those who could change their destiny through various means. A tiny change would become a cascading effect in the Flow. Fate itself cared not, like a river that was constantly flowing. But for the observers of Fate like her, it could make decades of effort go up in smoke. That was why there were so few people like her. She examined a deviation from where her nightmares began, not to meddle but to observe. She thought there would not be changes like the days before, but now something was different today. The fate of the ¡®entity¡¯ was gone. Fates were linked, she could see threads of fate between individuals connected to one-another or to their past events. The Interpreter of Fate pondered the disappearance. Just yesterday, the fate showed no sign of fading. It could disappear from unforeseen circumstances that resulted in the death of the fate bearer, or it could be something else. She didn''t know if this was an individual or a group because they were hidden and yet, the sudden disappearance was odd. She decided to follow this anomaly and cross-checked with all the major happenings across the land. There were many but among them, the disappearance in Regidana city stood out. The Church, with its extensive records, knew it was the doing of Aletro. And the trial takers had just returned. A day later, through the survivors, news of what happened inside the trial reached the Church. A mysterious soul user named Tanael gathered great interest. Not only was he an unregistered user of an easily abused element, he was also an otherworlder based on his words and actions. An otherworlder! The higher-ups were alarmed. Those in the know were agitated. A task force was to be mobilized simply from that fact but the importance rose through the roof when she was informed the person might have ties to the Demon King matter not too long ago. At the same time, an unfortunate thread between Freya -a seed that might grow to become a great tree in the future which the Church nurtured carefully- and another also suddenly disappeared. But this one was known to the Church: someone named Viers Isuel who coined the fake name of Cain at the time. He was wanted for questioning about the incident in Luxore town and the killing of town officers in Osemore town. And this Viers was a soul user too! Viers used a soul-based attack to awaken a slumbering Rank 4 monster in front of Freya and her Level 5 master. The feedback she got from divining their fate was also the same, as if the two were using the same technique. It wasn''t hard to make a connection that Viers and Tanael might be the same person. The Interpreter of Fate had caught onto Viers¡¯ tail. From a single mistake, Viers¡¯ ploy was quickly unraveled like a hand through a cobweb. Three Level 5s and Five Level 4s teleported into Regidana in the hour, locking down the place. Viers tried to escape through the portal to Dia¡¯s Biome but he was one step too slow and was caught. No matter what Viers did, in front of the attentive eyes of three Level 5s, it was futile. He couldn''t even suicide if he wanted to. This was the absolute difference in power. And so Viers was caught by the Estellian Church, made to answer for all of his crimes. He lived his life in misery. His dream of freedom faded beyond reach. Until far, far in the future. End of arc 7 ¡ª The Mysterious Book ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­ ¡­ Or rather, that would¡¯ve happened if Viers missed the particular detail about what he wished for. If he was drunk in the wake of his victory over Anne. The 99th Interpreter of Fate didn''t know where Viers was, nor did she know what Viers was doing. To her, Viers Isuel and the mysterious entity in the Demon King¡¯s left eye incident were two different parties, because there was no thread connecting them. To the Interpreter of Fate, divining Tanael was like seeing into the void, there was only emptiness. Viers, on the other hand, was like a specific drop in a pool of water. Since it was too ordinary and inert since his last sighting, it was too faint of a trace for her to pinpoint, but it was there. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Viers covered his tracks well, so when the Interpreter of Fate received the news about Aletro¡¯s trial she simply couldn''t connect Viers and Tanael as the same person, and life went on. With the disappearance of the future great star of fortune, the Flow was greatly disturbed. She no longer had the luxury of putting a significant amount of time into observing a mysterious entity in the shadows with nothing to show for it. The great darkness looming in the future was real. A great calamity was coming that would envelop the whole world. The mysterious entity of the Demon King¡¯s incident, although indicating they had a hand in making that eventuality, was only one cause among many. She trusted the Goddess had a plan and resumed her duty. She began to toil to undo the great darkness in the future, nudging serendipity to the Goddess¡¯ faithful and shift woe from them. To be the scout that charted the unknown path ahead, to seek those who threatened the balance of the world. The leadership of the Church had been informed, preparations were being made. United, they would survive any dark age as they had for more than nine thousand years. For now, she was content to continue searching for the Fate of the entity. She was oblivious that Viers, the ¡®entity¡¯, and Tanael were the same person and the subject had grown from an elusive cat to a camouflaged young tiger with unlimited potential. Furthermore, Viers had the Mystic Star Shroud protecting him. The difficulty of searching for Viers was akin to searching for an invisible grain of sand on a planet-wide beach without tools. *** ¡°Hello, World!¡± The basic program used as an introduction in many computer programming languages depicted Viers¡¯ feelings as he returned to the real world after about nine months in the book of Aletro. He was in a grassland, teleported under a lush tree. He could see the city of Regidana in the distance. It was quite a walk but it wouldn''t be too much of a problem for a Pathseeker like himself. The air that entered his lungs was fresh and smelled of the sea. All the while the weather was nicely sunny. First things first, tinker with the Mystic Star Shroud. For twenty minutes he learned the options for the magical equivalent of an anti-malware program. He knew he had several identities and if he used the Shroud as is, it might tip off his enemies that have been observing him through fate. Basically, Viers made decoys. For his identity as Viers, he kept using Insignificant Fate Arte and not the Shroud. It was the opposite for Tanael''s identity. He knew people would be gunning for Tanael once the happenings inside the Book World were known so the Shroud must stay active there. By making a difference in the two identities, Viers had dodged a bullet. I will also use the Shroud on Viers¡¯ identity, but not now. I should wait a couple of weeks first. Satisfied, Viers donned his garb as the knight-helmeted Avel the adventurer and started walking to Regidana. Time to face the music. There was nothing stopping him from leaving the city, he guessed that the member of the underworld that got sucked into the Book World would not openly go back. By coming back and showing himself from the front entrance, he showed off as if he had nothing to hide. And he still had unfinished business in the city. Viers didn''t rush, the long walk gave him time to relax and adjust his mental state. He reviewed his plans, checking for mistakes with the other board members of Viers Corporation. It was calming, for he just had an intense fight a few hours ago. His healing factor was the hero in the shadows, mending the invisible after effects constantly. Speaking of which, I should be able to start my Advancement to Level 3 now. When he reached the main entrance of the city, he was greeted with a familiar sight: the airport pickup crowd. Since the teleportation to the outside, about two hours had passed. Someone definitely had returned first and the news had spread. The eager families and friends of the trial takers were gathering to welcome their loved ones. Sorry folks. I think I killed most of them¡­ How many survivors, by the way? I forgot to ask Aletro. There were 382 people at the beginning if I remember correctly? Flight Aletro with 382 people had landed and the pickup crowd at the airport was sufficiently large. There were even a hundred people with matching uniforms, members of the same School. Viers, as Avel, had no one waiting for his return but that was okay. He was a stranger in the first place. He informed the swamped city guards trying to keep things orderly and after a simple procedure, was allowed to enter the city after giving proof of his identity, as Avel of course. He scanned the crowd, the most notable were two Level 5s. One was someone he had seen before, Marlin the Blue Storm, The Governor¡¯s brother and the father of Oscar. The other Level 5 was emitting the air of a sagely swordsman. Viers recognized the uniform of the people attending him, the Righteous Blade School. That meant they were people from Troy¡¯s camp. And both died because of me. Keep calm, Viers. Keep calm. Play it cool. The two Level 5s were conversing, something broke them into laughter. Viers guessed they hadn''t heard the news yet and passed through without incident. Viers politely shrugged off some people that asked him what he knew about their folks. They suspected Viers was one of the trial takers and they were right. Viers apologized and said that he was only a small fry that didn''t go far into the trial. Viers kept walking to his home. As time passed, people started to worry. Those who returned were fewer than expected. The people that returned needed time to tell their stories and often gave bad news. However, Viers was no longer there to witness the proceedings. ¡°Ah, back at last¡­¡± Viers emotionally said when reaching the house that the Governor-King gave him. A sullen Boram was waiting at the front door. Understandable, since he didn''t have the key. ¡°Master¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing?¡± Viers asked. ¡°...I didn''t do well in the trial,¡± Boram said with the meekness of an elementary schooler that had received a bad grade on his test. ¡°What Stage have you reached?¡± ¡°Five.¡± ¡°Better than me,¡± Viers patted his head. Boram looked surprised. ¡°I only reached Stage 3.¡± ¡°What? How? I don''t believe it. How could someone as strong as Master-¡± ¡°I was unlucky and met Tanael. I gave up before we fought for real. My instincts screamed to me that I won''t survive his full might so I escaped¡­ He was out of my league.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I did too.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve done well, returning from the trial alive. As long as you¡¯re alive, it isn''t over. Come. Let us rest and then you can tell me about Stage 4 and 5, about what you experienced.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± The master and disciple were reunited. Some of the gloom was chased away. ¡°Ah, I wonder what happened to Chacha and Brownie,¡± Boram said while Viers was unlocking the door. ¡°I searched for them but they were gone. Brownie isn''t in the stable.¡± ¡°Well, the mare would have starved since we¡¯ve been gone for ten days. Let''s ask the city guards later. As for Chacha¡­ look there.¡± Above the fence, there was a black cat lounging. ¡°Chacha! I miss you!¡± Boram went to the cat with zeal, to which the cat responded by dodging the hug attempt as if her life depended on it. ¡°Hohoho, easy on the poor thing, B.¡± Chapter 203 - The Return to Regidana ¡°Mmm. So Troy is able to use that Arte, hm? Incredible kid. What a shame my slow son is only able to use the second stage of Earth-Shattering Lightning,¡± Marlin the Blue Storm said with a dejected face, but he was secretly happy inside. His conversation partner was a fellow Level 5, a sagely-looking man in his fifties, One Step Slash Kurt. He was the current headmaster of the Righteous Brave School. Hearing Marlin¡¯s talk, there was a subtle twitch on Kurt¡¯s smiling face because the Earth-Shattering Lightning Arte was even better than what he spoke of before. ¡°Ah yes, a wonderful modern Arte indeed. Unlike Oscar, our Troy prefers something more old-fashioned. Sometimes it goes beyond old-fashioned into the ancient, such as our School founder¡¯s ¡®Uncontained Sword Intent¡¯. Haizzz, I worry for that kid. At this rate, the School is going to run out of secret techniques. Ohohohoho.¡± This time it was the Governor-King¡¯s brother who was surprised, but he hid it well. In the city¡¯s entrance, the two Level 5s were trading humblebrag for their respective charges, Oscar and Troy. Both bigshots were being tended to by their followers and people gave them a wide berth but their ¡®contest¡¯ made the common people worry that they would combust spontaneously. ¡°Is there any news about Oscar?¡± Marlin asked after seeing a vassal speak with a returner. ¡°Not yet, sire. As there are less and less people getting into the latter stages, there are fewer eye witnesses. But young master Oscar has been confirmed in reaching the last stage, Stage 5,¡± the man turned to Kurt. ¡°So too young master Troy.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Marlin nodded. ¡°As it should be.¡± ¡°I am confident Troy will bring the School to new heights,¡± Kurt looked pleased. While Marlin looked younger by a decade, the two were from the same generation; they were old rivals. Briefly, his attention was taken from seeing a familiar helmet. That¡¯s the small fry that refused to kneel. Hoh, he seems to have grown a bit by his aura. Yes, he should be among the ones chosen by the book that had disappeared into thin air as soon as the people returned. Hmph, lucky kid. As soon as adventurer Avel went to the city and out of his sight, Marlin already dismissed him out of his head. The Level 2 had some balls but he was a small fry, no different than the worms wriggling beneath his feet, not worth noting. Not long after that, a young and depressed-looking tiger beastfolk approached them. ¡°Honored seniors,¡± Khalmar said with respect and a bow. ¡°I¡¯m here to tell you about news most unfortunate.¡± Oscar and Troy were quite famous among the Regidana residents, as was their background. Khalmar felt it was his duty to tell them the hard truth. Marlin and Kurt were not naive youngsters. Their faces turned grim in an instant. ¡°Tell us,¡± Kurt commanded. ¡°I will be brief. The twenty six people that reached Stage 5 were separated into black and white camps. Nine blacks and seventeen whites. Out of those numbers, only nine survived. Since I didn''t see Oscar or Troy¡¯s name among the nine¡­ and the trial master confirmed it himself, Oscar and Troy have fallen in battle.¡± The sudden pressure drove Khalmar to the ground, and also other unfortunate people in the area. Half of the non-Pathseekers in the plaza had lost consciousness before they hit the ground. Dark clouds gathered overhead and darkened a fourth of the whole city in the blink of an eye. ¡°Marlin, control yourself.¡± One second later the pressure was lifted. Not because Marlin stopped it but because Kurt protected the others. ¡°What. Happened?¡± Lightning bolts scraped the sky overhead. The Level 5 with the moniker Blue Storm was like an angered thunder god. ¡°Youngster, tell us everything,¡± Kurt said. The old man looked calm and in control but he also felt the pain of loss. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± What else could Khalmar say? He was prepared for this, for a blow out of grief from a Level 5. He didn''t care about Oscar, but he and Troy battled together side by side. Khalmar felt an obligation as someone who survived to inform the families of the departed. ¡°Excuse me,¡± someone interjected. He was a Level 4 wearing attire of foregin origin. He looked a bit insecure and lacked confidence. ¡°Apologies for overhearing but mayhaps you know the status of my student? He called himself Airmaster in the trial.¡± Khalmar had no reason to refuse. ¡°Like Oscar, Airmaster belonged to the black camp while I was in the white camp. I do not know the details of what happened in the black spark¡¯s camp but his name was not among the nine. Most likely he was killed by someone named Tanael. He was ranked 1st in the whole trial.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Dean Carlo looked like the world had just been turned upside down. The middle aged man was stuck in a dead-end job; the least of the deans unluckily got handed the responsibility of herding the students to the Regidana U18 Tournament. And then shit happened. For ten days he was worried to the point of constipation. And then, while there were six out of ten students who went into the trial, only two survived and informed him. It was bad enough but it got worse. The two didn''t know what happened to Monus after they were separated. The gifted but cocky child had gone further into the trial. And his worst fear came true; Monus was included among the dead. Of the ten students in his safe keeping, he¡¯d lost four. Four. These four were not nobodies, their background was far above his own station. I¡¯m finished¡­ I¡¯m finished! Carlo, the Level 4 Dean from a prestigious School in Zetel, passed out. *** ¡°Hahahaha! Where are you going, pussy cat?¡± Viers happily caught the escaping black cat by the neck and put it in Boram¡¯s arms. ¡°Bath first. Remember Boram, I want you and her squeaky clean. If I find she has a spot unclean, you¡¯ll get one week of super hard training in hell. Got me?¡± ¡°Y-yes Master,¡± Boram said with a little bit of fear. His Master¡¯s training was no joke. The normal exercises almost killed him so how would he fare in super hard? ¡°Come on, Chacha. You¡¯re a good cat and want to be clean-clean, right? Behave now.¡± Master is really fussy about Chacha¡¯s cleanliness, for some unknownable reason. Perhaps he is allergic to cats? Got it, I need to give her extra scrubs. It¡¯s been ten days since her last bath. Izabella, who was in the form of a cat, was giving Viers the death glare. Viers¡¯ response was waving his hand until the two opened and closed the bathroom door¡­ The cat¡¯s attempt to escape the bubble bath and full body massage also did not bear fruit today. This reminds me of a scene in a certain legendary harem manga, about a certain pink haired alien princess who invented various kinds of gadgets that always went awry and made the main protagonist always end up in ¡®lucky¡¯ situations. There¡¯s an episode where a female character got turned into a cat and got picked up by the main character. They also got into a bath together, heheheh¡­ Wait, was it the first series or the second? ¡®Darkness¡¯? Eh, it doesn''t matter I suppose. I might not be the type that got into romcom scenes but as the architect of this, I also got points for Horizon. Mmm, now that I¡¯m not in the Book World anymore, the growth of Horizon will be stunted. I can''t go overboard with my high-culture references any more. Haah, Book World was really like a themepark for me, but all good things must come to an end. Viers put the helmet on the table and went towards a tree that grew inside the house. But when one good thing ends, there¡¯s no reason to not have a new good thing. Viers examined the tree that would be the bridge to Dia¡¯s Biome with great scrutiny. Since it wasn''t tampered with, he sighed in relief. There are signs that people entered the house. Since there isn''t a rotting corpse of a girl that I¡¯d forgotten in my basement, it must¡¯ve been the city guards or another kind of law enforcer. If it was the cult, then there¡¯d be no reason to keep their hands off this tree. Before the Book World happened, there was the matter about Harry¡¯s friends that got kidnapped. During the investigation, Viers knocked out a suspicious girl who was then bound and left in his basement. I doubt the officers were so incompetent that they didn''t realize the tree is magical but I also hope they weren''t so competent that they realized this is a gateway to Biome. It will be troublesome to explain. Though, they shouldn''t be able to open it since I forbid Dia to open the portal to anyone but me. A telepathy wanted to establish a line. Viers let it, recognizing the other end. ¡°Why must you make me undergo this torment!?¡± Izabella sounded disgraced. ¡°Since when is bathing considered torment?¡± Viers was halfway laughing. ¡°Since I turned into a cat and was forced to get soaped by a boy near half my age!!¡± Viers was having fun hearing her angry voice. It was his revenge on the woman who wanted to make use of him in the previous city. Viers did not forget. ¡°Why don''t you escape from him then. Surely a Level 3 is able to best a Level 2 half her age?¡± Viers goaded. ¡°This boy is freakishly strong! Scratches and bites from this puny form does nothing! I can''t escape his grip without Artes! What have you been feeding him!?¡± ¡°Just the usual.¡± Viers chuckled, technically I fed him rocks but, ¡°That¡¯s his Profound Codex by the way¡­ ¡®Ello? You hear me?¡± Viers was hearing some pant-like noises from the other end. ¡°Nyaah~! Wait, stoppp! Aaahh!!! Don''t lift up my tail! Finger! Finger, no touching my ass!!!¡± In his silence, Viers was imagining Iz¡¯s plight and situation. The scene was censored by soap bubbles. ¡°...I¡¯ll leave you be then. Enjoy yourself,¡± Viers said and surprisingly he genuinely meant it. ¡°You think this is funny, don''t you? Damn degenerate¡­ What kind of person toys with the body and soul of a virgin mai- ah?¡± Izabella slipped out. The telephone on both sides became silent. ¡°Izabella, this is very important so you have to answer honestly.¡± There was a pause. Uncomfortable and an intense pause. ¡°Currently, do you have six or eight nipples?¡± ¡°~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!¡¯ There was some indescribable sound, a mixture of shame and anger conveyed from the other end before the line was cut. Viers was feeling regretful he didn''t get the answer. But I am genuinely curious. How many nipples do cats have? *** That night, after Boram and Chacha had fallen asleep, Viers opened a Rift to a secret haven of his in front of an indoor tree. As expected, the portal opened smoothly as if the other end had been expecting this for a long time. Viers went through the space-door and was welcomed by a diving hug. ¡°KIIIIIIN!!¡± Dia happily greeted Viers with gusto and the merriment of a lost child. ¡°You¡¯re late! You¡¯re late! You¡¯re lateeee!¡± The green skinned little dryad pouted. ¡°Aiyaaa, I¡¯m sorry, squirt. Got kidnapped to another dimension for a few days. Can''t do anything about it. Very very sorry about that. I missed you too. I won''t leave you alone again. From now on, we¡¯re gonna be as inseparable as Ash and Pikachu!¡± ¡°Hehehe, kin came back~¡± The master and the familiar exchanged a heartfelt hug for a long time. Chapter 204 - Prevention Is Better Than Nemesis Since Viers was on a tight schedule, he didn''t stay long in Dia¡¯s Biome. He took what he needed and left. Viers placated his familiar by giving her lots of souvenirs. There were many knick-knacks from the people he killed. Izabella didn''t come to Viers¡¯ house so she could be molested. She was the sole survivor of the Blood Church¡¯s group and had a hand in the group¡¯s demise. She would be under suspicion, rightly so. She needed Viers¡¯ help so the higher-ups couldn''t take the truth of her betrayal from the brain directly. Even then, she reckoned she would be busy and watched afterward. She wouldn''t have many opportunities to contact Viers for a while, so the only time she could do this was now, before returning to the cult. This was planned even before they left the Book World. Come morning, while Viers was checking on Boram¡¯s growth in the front yard, a trio of kids visited with much clamor. They were the ones that he ¡®saved¡¯, or at least they thought of Viers as their savior. Viers berated the younglings for not caring enough about the neighbors. Unlike houses in the countryside, the distance to the next residence was not far. ¡°Mister Knight, you¡¯re alive! Thank the Goddess. Boram too. When I heard only so few returned I was so afraid! I wanted to come yesterday night but Mom said I should wait.¡± The Governor-King¡¯s son, Harry, was a blabbering machine-gun style child. Marc and Milly were quieter but since Viers had saved them twice, they too were quite excited to meet their ¡®hero¡¯. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m also glad you three are fine. I had trouble sleeping in the Book World since I didn''t know your condition,¡± Viers lied as easily as he breathed. Having people in high places owing you was useful. Besides the usual chaperone, there was one more guest among their group. The man gave off the air of a detective. ¡°Good morning to you, Adventurer Avel. I¡¯m Mehdi from the city guards. I would like to ask some questions about the woman bound in your basement, your involvement with the young lord¡¯s friends and their kidnapping, along with your experience in the Trial of Aletro. Since your slave is also involved, I would like to obtain his testimony too.¡± ¡°Of course, officer. I¡¯m happy to contribute to the law and order of Regidana. We adventurers often get labeled as a lawless bunch but this is simply not true. Boram, go play with those three for now. It might take some time. Let''s begin, about the woman, I suspect she was from a devil cult. Reason being-¡± Ars¨¨ne, who was posing as Viers, went along with the time-consuming process. He hated the time-wasting wastrel but he knew he couldn''t evade it, so he prepared himself for the wringer. The Level 3 officer right in front of him didn''t sense that anything was amiss. Meanwhile, Ars¨¨ne¡¯s other self was standing in front of a newly made grave outside of the city. There was no name on the tombstone but there was a sentence. Viers carved it himself. ¡®The Arrogant Young Master That Killed The Main Character¡¯ The funeral ceremony was very simple and attended by only three people. Jaime¡¯s body turned to dust in the end, Viers had gathered the remains and buried them here, on a beautiful hill facing the ocean, away from prying eyes. Izabella and Sakuya put items that signified their bonds with Jaime into the grave: a wood carving from Izabella and an origami for Sakuya while Viers buried a broken black sword with its original owner. The three Gloomsiders said their goodbyes to a fallen member in their own ways. ¡°And so this is where we close the last chapter of the Gloomsiders,¡± Viers said. ¡±Carry our good wishes with you to the afterlife, Jaime.¡± The remaining three chatted for a while but one of them had to leave soon. ¡°It was fun¡­ I would like to stay longer but I must go,¡± Sakuya said, her eyes already red. ¡°Good luck. Go save your father and tell your family the good news, no more curse,¡± Izabella said compassionately. ¡°Yes, Izabella-neesama¡­ But it¡¯s cruel. To think you never told me your face was a fake all this time. Your real face is so much more beautiful.¡± Sakuya sulked a bit. She just saw Izabella''s undisguised form after they met up on this hill. ¡°Well sorry,¡± Iz scratched her cheek. ¡°Both of us have good reasons to hide our faces. Besides, isn''t this guy more insufferable? Even now I don''t know his real face¡­ or name. What should I call you, by the way? People are searching for Tanael intensely, you know?¡± Viers only smiled. He was currently wearing the face and form of someone else entirely different¡¯. Viers¡¯ face was wanted, Tanael¡¯s face was risky to wear near the city, and Avel¡¯s face should not be used for insidious purposes, so he chose an ordinary-looking face using his Impersonator mask. ¡°Umm¡­ Nnn¡­ C-can I, May I¡­ know Tanael-sama¡¯s real name?¡± Sakuya asked Viers with the same bashfulness of a middle schooler asking their first love¡¯s contact number. ¡°You both can just call me V. My identity is a bit complex, so the less you know the better. There might come a day when I tell you my real name. I¡¯m looking forward to that day. You¡¯re leaving today?¡± Viers asked Sakuya. Sakuya was a bit disappointed that her request was rejected. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°In a few hours, Tan¡­ V-sama. I talked to the ship¡¯s captain yesterday. I can now save Father because of you, but I have to give it to him before it¡¯s too late. Ten days have passed already¡­ Including the time it takes for me to return, I should be barely in time. It will be close but I¡¯ll make it.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Viers gave a confident nod. ¡°You¡¯ve gone through a lot. Your clan is uncursed now. Congrats. Before we go our separate ways, I¡¯ve-¡± ¡°Uhh, V, you might want to see this.¡± ¡°Hm? Oh¡­ Well shit. That looks like trouble.¡± Iz interrupted Viers and pointed to the ocean, especially near Regidana¡¯s harbor. From afar, the three saw hundreds of merfolk and oceanic monsters coming from the water and attacking the city. The harbor was a mess, many of the ships were wrecked by the mermen forces. ¡°No!¡± Sakuya grimaced. How could she return to her village if the ships were destroyed? ¡°Beast Tide? Biome Outbreak? Merfolk raid? What is this?¡± Izabella listed the possibilities. ¡°I¡¯ve heard Regidana gets attacked by sea monsters every three to five years¡­¡± Viers muttered. ¡°Yes, but it shouldn¡¯t be for another year at the earliest. And the quality of the forces¡­ Those merfolk are veteran warriors, there are even several Level 4s. This isn''t a simple raid,¡± Izabella replied. They could see that the city guards and other Pathseekers were mounting a defense and starting to fight back. However, there were already a lot of civilian casualties. The scene reminded the three of Stage 5 that they¡¯d just left behind, the scene of war. ¡°No, no, no. What should I do, Father is-¡± Sakuya was panicking. She didn''t have time for delays. Izabella looked at her friend with worry. She was thinking of ways to help Sakuya. Viers on the other hand¡­ This happens after we just left. Coincidence? What the hell, man. Do I have Detective Conan¡¯s curse now? Incidents and corpses wherever I go? I swear I have nothing to do with the invasion this time¡­ Viers shook his head. No matter the reason, Sakuya came first. ¡°I have your back. Relax, Sakuya.¡± *** I can show you the world Shining, shimmering, splendid Tell me, Princess Now when did you last let your heart decide? I can open your eyes Take you wonder by wonder Over, sideways and under On a magic carpet ride A whole new world~ If Viers was still in the Book World then he would have sung his heart out but he must be content with humming the lyrics right now. The frowns on Izabella and Sakuya¡¯s faces were transformed into smiles and excitement as they experienced the joy of flying on Viers¡¯ magical carpet. Izabella didn''t have to come, but she wanted to and Viers had no reason to refuse. Who didn''t want to fly on a magic carpet? All that effort of stealing from the Marakkus¡¯ vault in the last city was worth it. Viers had tried to use this magic item before in the Book World for various advantages but the carpet was banned by Aletro. The first time it was used was now, for the Gloomsiders¡¯ last ride. They went over the ocean, making the merfolk attack on the harbor insignificant to Sakuya¡¯s departure. The carpet was fast, faster than ships. It consumed a lot of mana crystals to operate but Viers had plenty. The trip went on for a few hours until Viers landed on a ship sailing to the Zamrud Archipelago, where Sakuya needed to go. The people needed some convincing but they agreed to let Sakuya on board. It was good that they were a reasonable bunch. Viers was glad he didn''t have to Soul Hack them or raise them as skeletons. Viers couldn''t send Sakuya all the way to her village because it was too far and he had things to do in the city. ¡°This is where we part,¡± Viers said without sadness. ¡°I have two things for you. The first is this: a plant seed. Plant this in a hidden but protected place near your village. Keep it safe and secret from others if you can. The other is this.¡± ¡°...A white card?¡± ¡°Give it a drop of your blood, then it will be bound to you. It is a new invention of mine. A special communication method. For now, it is only one way, from me to you but one day I¡¯ll make it better. Careful though, if there¡¯s any tampering then it will break. We might be separated but the bond between us is not so easily cut. Keep growing as a Pathseeker, Sakuya, and we will meet again. Sayonara, kunoichi-san.¡± The soul-bound card also serves as a tracking device and can also tell me when your life is in danger. But you don''t need to know that. While Viers was thinking that, Izabella also gave her goodbyes to her fellow horseman. The two girls were tearing up because of the separation. On the deck of the ship, Sakuya clutched what Viers and Izabella gave her dearly as the magic carpet became smaller and smaller on the horizon. Like a tree awaiting the coming of spring, she held tight the hope for a reunion. When Viers and Izabella returned to the vicinity of Regidana, the sun was setting. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s separate here,¡± Viers stowed the carpet away. They landed in a remote place without people. ¡°Remember the plan. See ya.¡± ¡°Actually, I want to ask for something.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Spar with me. After the boons from Aletro, I want to test myself against the much-feared Tanael.¡± Viers could sense her determination and expectation. It seemed she gained quite a bit from the Stage 5 rewards. ¡°Gladly.¡± The two sparred in Viers¡¯ virtual space, then went into the city separately. It was already night. Viers changed his appearance and walked stealthily. Unseen due to the Fade in Shadow Arte. The destination was not his own house. The merfolk attack had stopped, but people were still talking about it in the taverns and streets. It was a modest house on the city''s outskirts. There were three people inside, a father, a mother, and their cute daughter, about ten years old. They weren''t starving but neither were they rich. They looked sad, it showed in their expressions and gait. The mother told the daughter a bedtime story until she fell asleep. The father and mother talked for a while before sleepiness took them. Rest in peace. The next morning, Aravin¡¯s parents and little sister were no longer breathing. They didn''t feel a thing. Chapter 205 - Maneuvering In the wilderness, a man wiped the splattered blood off his face from the monster that he¡¯d just killed. He squished the head of the Rank 3 monster with his bare hands. The young man looked very bloodthirsty. Tanael¡­ One day, I¡¯ll definitely kill you. Revenge for Anne! Max continued his travel, away from Regidana. Twice now he felt he had lost everything. The youth had transformed into an avatar of vengeance. *** Aravin¡¯s family were not the only people that Viers visited last night. Other people that he killed in the trial, Viers scoured their memories for related people that might be gunning for his head in the future and neutralized them preemptively. Aravin¡¯s family was the main target, especially the little sister. Viers couldn''t risk the blood sibling of an MC to roam free. Since he concluded Paina and possibly Clarissa would not like his action, Viers disabled the spectator mode. There was no need for them to bear unnecessary mental burdens or create more schism. While it was necessary to remove potential avengers to prevent them from coming after him, Viers also didn''t like doing the deeds. Therefore, he took it upon himself to make the matter a bit more bearable for the minuscule conscience he had left. The souls of the fourteen that he reaped today would not be used as cultivation resources. They would be kept in stasis. Once Viers had grown beyond the reach of revenge, Viers would revive them. If the revival was too troublesome even when he became crazy strong, he planned to send them to the afterlife after giving them some benefits. They didn''t deserve death but most of the people that he killed also didn''t deserve death. The Path of Power was littered with corpses of the fallen. This was an undeniable fact. Heroes had lines that they wouldn''t cross but Viers wasn''t a hero. He would cross as many lines as he needed to reach the Apex. While he was successful to a degree, there were some who eluded Viers¡¯ purge. Anne was a dead end; her origin was so mysterious Viers didn''t find any trace of where she came from or her family. She might not have any relatives in Regidana at all. Unlike Aravin, her soul was disintegrated so soul search was not possible. Troy¡¯s family was better left alone while the whereabouts of Max, the one closest to Anne and probably the one who harbored the most resentment against Tanael, was unknown. Similar to Fajrin the Green Scorpion. Viers was only one man, after all, his reach was limited. ¡°Yo,¡± Ars¨¨ne greeted Viers who stealthily went back and then merged back into Viers. ¡°So what happened today?¡± Viers asked. He and Ars¨¨ne didn''t share the same mind real-time. ¡°Oh, as predicted. Catching up with Boram, the Harry Potter trio visited, police questioning, and the GK invited all the trial takers to the palace tomorrow¡­ The seafood attack was unexpected though.¡± ¡°Yeah, so why were they attacking?¡± Viers asked ¡®the guy with the boots on the ground¡¯. ¡°I eavesdropped and got some info from the captured merfolk. Well, remember when you got sucked into the Book World there was a big-ass, very eye-catching pillar of light? It seems they think the light was the humans stealing their sea god¡¯s light. I know, it doesn''t make any sense, right? But hear me out. Then there was an incident where a holy site of theirs was desecrated soon after. It was a divine duty for the Katchluk Shoal to make war with Regidana, or so the bream-head said. They demand reparations and want to take the sea god¡¯s light back to the depths.¡± ¡°I don''t follow. The reason is wacko-wacky to me.¡± ¡°Neither did I. Neither did the city. Still, the fish Pathseeker said this is only the start. Seems there will be a lot of oceanic guests coming your way.¡± ¡°Welp, not my problem. Let the city officials have a headache over this. I have a lot on my plate already,¡± Viers said. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Ars¨¨ne grinned under that smiling demon mask of his. ¡°Here¡¯s a personal problem: you got sued.¡± ¡°...Ha?¡± ¡°When the kids were kidnapped, before you shot the book, you blew up a warehouse for a distraction. And then there¡¯s the damage during your fight with Fajrin''s henchmen. The company that owns all that wants you to pay them. Y¡¯know, so they can get richer.¡± ¡°...How much do they want?¡± ¡°Half a million crystals. A substantial amount.¡± ¡°...Do I have that much dough?¡± Viers hadn¡¯t tallied his total assets yet. ¡°Probably can barely make the cut. Will bankrupt us if we pay though.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Killing them all isn''t an option, huh?¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s an awful city,¡± Ars¨¨ne shrugged. ¡°Oh wait, I mean lawful.¡± ¡°Legal battle it is.¡± *** Viers stopped his meditation abruptly, holding his head in pain. Khhh! Absorbing Aletro¡¯s soul attainment is not easy or simple. If I go haphazardly at it, some will be wasted. To ensure that it does not happen, I must do this even slower¡­ Might take months for a complete absorption at this rate. After sending off Sakuya and the purging, Viers went straight into cultivation. He only had a couple of hours of nap time despite the taxing match against Anne. There were too many things to do in this short span of time. But even a little bit of it already opened my eyes to how I can utilize the soul in different ways than I usually do. After digesting my gains, I¡¯ll be much stronger! Viers thought back on his spar with Izabella earlier that day. The gains from Aletro made her quite something. She didn''t reach Aravin¡¯s level, let alone Anne¡¯s, but Viers reckoned her prowess in battle was about equal to Oscar, Troy, and Airmaster right now. Izabella was never a fighter type, and still wasn''t, but she¡¯d shored up her weaknesses somewhat. The bulk of her shards was used to upgrade her forte: enchantments. In conjunction with the World Tree Fruit that was similarly about enchantments, she might be on the path to becoming an enchanter that would leave her mark in history. In a simulation where she was given time to use her enchantments without interruption, ¡®Tanael¡¯ was heavily pressured. Izabella could make artifacts that countered any affinity of her enemies given the time, even soul. 60% soul damage reduction was no joke. ¡°Your power hasn''t changed much despite having seven million points. What happened?¡± Izabella asked. Viers who had more than a quintuple of her shards should be much mightier in her mind. Viers didn''t give her the details but gave the outline. He used half of his shards for a super concealment method and another half for knowledge. ¡°The rewards you picked¡­ They are a little underwhelming, don''t you think?¡± After seeing what benefits a million shards brought to Izabella, Viers couldn''t deny her outright. The downside was her affinity remained fire 4, not like Viers and Sakuya who made use of Aletro''s trial to become water 5 and wood 5. Izabella would need another opportunity to become an affinity 5 or Level 4 Pathseeker would be her limit, but she said she had a plan for that. Nevertheless, Viers didn''t regret how he spent his spark shards. If he played his cards right, he would be safe from adversaries for three decades. He had seen xianxia MCs become gods in less. Viers didn''t think he would reach that stage. Regardless, his incognito status was important for him to grow. Whatever Izabella got from Aletro, his soul attainment was of a much greater value. He only needed time to fully utilize it. His Horizon also wouldn''t stop broadening. Before they separated, Viers gave Izabella the enchanting book as a gift of service in Aletro¡¯s trial. The book was filled with language and symbols that Viers didn''t understand; the third and final Chekhov¡¯s gun from Luca village¡¯s arc. Viers took it from his stash in Dia¡¯s Biome when he visited, along with getting a new Gate Plant seed that he passed on to Sakuya. Izabella was quite excited. She said it was about enchantment techniques during the Coriz Empire¡¯s time, the nation that splintered and became the Free People Coalition two centuries ago. ¡°After you¡¯ve learned whatever is in that book and your skills increase¡­¡± Viers called in his favor, the one he was owed for helping Izabella kill Lord Ultimate and the other Blood Church members. He asked her to make a magic item for him. So the item would be as he envisioned, he wasn''t stingy about opening his coffers. Izabella could ask for whatever materials she needed. Viers was swimming in magical materials from Aletro¡¯s trial, either legitimately or illegitimately looted from the storage items of the people he killed. The main material was something that made Izabella almost salivate: the bone of Reverend Purity, a Level 5 that had fallen while killing Dia¡¯s previous self. As an artist, she was eager to work on such a splendid medium. Working on the remains of a human didn''t seem to make her squeamish, as expected of a member of a devil cult. ¡°What do you want me to make?¡± ¡°An arrow,¡± Viers said. Viers was returned back from his trip down memory lane by Ars¨¨ne. His other self that had been reduced to smithereens by Aravin¡¯s loli spirit advisor had regenerated without complications. ¡°News delivery,¡± Ars¨¨ne called. ¡°Sync it.¡± Viers and Ars¨¨ne joined their memories. What Ars¨¨ne knew from soul searching Aravin, now Viers knew it too. Qing Xia, hmn? Aravin didn''t know much about Qing Xia save that she came from the eastern continent and was heavily injured; she was also freakishly powerful. She needed Aravin to find some mystical treasures to recover, the usual xianxia plot, Viers wasn''t surprised. In turn, she taught him stuff about cultivation. The plot is not there yet for Aravin so his spirit advisor¡¯s origin is still shrouded in mystery. True Yang Constitution? Dual cultivation manual? This guy is truly the very template of a xianxia MC. There was a lot of stuff inside Aravin¡¯s memory, some were very beneficial for Viers but he didn''t have the time. For now, he was glad that the threat was over. His two harem members also had some background. To save time, Viers let Ars¨¨ne do the soul search. My most important short-term goal is to become a Level 3! After nine months in the Book World, Viers had mastered his Profound Codex to small accomplishment. The other Gloomsiders also made progress in their cultivation. Viers and Sakuya were at the same stage, both were Level 2 before the trial began and they had met the requirement to become Level 3 since then. Izabella went up a step to Level 3 middle. Jaime did not cultivate during the trial because he didn''t plan to come out. He used all his time to hone his fighting skills. Well, before that I think I should fulfill one of my promises. *** In the dreamy landscape of White Flowers Meadow, a ten-year-old girl who was killed by her own father opened her eyes once more. ¡°...Big sis?¡± Farley hugged her sister immediately, shedding tears of joy. She had blamed herself for Gwen¡¯s death, of her failure to protect her. The regret festered inside Farley like cancer. No more. Chapter 206 - Forcing a Level 5 Viers, Paina, and Clarissa gave the two sisters space to reconnect. Although the White Flowers Meadow was the main area for his tenants, Viers¡¯ abilities had grown. He had created a private space for when the girls wanted time by themselves. It was very useful when Paina practiced her piano and the like. There was already so much to do even before this event came into play. What bad luck. Viers grumbled as he was preparing to attend the invitation to the trial takers in the palace. *** It was Viers¡¯ second time visiting the residence of the Governor-King of Regidana, a grand palace. Now that he was no longer the top dog around, humility and subterfuge came into play once again. Word on the street was all the trial takers were invited for celebration and camaraderie but Viers didn''t buy that donkey dung. The city wanted to bind the youths that had survived, they had reaped benefits from a super-unique opportunity in the city. Some were outsiders and not citizens of Regidana, which was not ideal. The event also served as a partition between those who were ¡®clean¡¯ from those who were ¡®dirty¡¯. People that belonged to the underworld or had things to hide. His house was being watched since he returned from the Book World, no doubt informants for the city. They hid well but Viers was not an ordinary Pathseeker. He found them out but acted as if he was oblivious. With Ars¨¨ne acting as his double in the house, Viers managed to slip in and out without problem yesterday. Avel was a reputable adventurer, it would make him suspicious if he didn¡¯t attend. Whatever the case, showing his helmeted face would make people less suspicious of him. Because according to common sense, ¡®Tanael¡¯ who was sought after high and low by many people including an enraged Level 5, wouldn''t come to the enemy¡¯s den. If Viers didn''t have the Mystic Star Shroud that cost three and a half million shards, he too wouldn''t come. ¡°Avel the Slayer and Boram Rockboa.¡± The attendant at the entrance to the banquet venue declared loudly to the other guests. The hall was decorated nicely to match the status of the high society people that would inevitably come. While some of the trial takers were wearing nice clothes too, the difference was clear between the commoners and true aristocrats. The highborn were wearing extravagant clothes and jewelry, elegantly talking with brandy and cigars, and showed a sense of superiority to most of the trial takers despite them being the main stars of this event. As Viers expected, the appearance of one of the final rankers was big. Which was not him but Boram. While Boram was swamped by people that introduced themselves one after another to the poor kid, Viers slid into the corner and observed, opening his sharp ears to the gossips. 382 individuals went into the Book World, 176 chose white, 206 chose black. According to the conversations, only 70 survived. From that number, around half of them came. And yet there were more than 100 people in the venue, guests that joined in for the fun. The nine people that went through Stage 5 easily became the center of attention. Khalmar and Squire were already there. Boram joined the ranks followed by Fithel the elf that came afterward. People coined them Aletro Nine Stars. These four were the only ones from the nine that came. All four were white spark holders. While there were other black spark holders in the venue, none of the blacks in the final ranking came. Which made the Gloomsiders subjects of wild speculations. Viers mingled with the rest of the small fries, gathering information. Most of them survived because they opted out of the trial during Stage 2. Stage 3 was the bloodbath which culled the participants significantly. It seemed there would be another service at a different time for those who fell in the trial, wakes and funerals. For better or worse, these people died in Regidana and the head of the city had some responsibility. The mood wasn''t really a happy one, especially for the trial takers. Khalmar and the others felt defeated. Many were dead and the biggest gains went to Tanael. One of the reasons for my success in Stage 5 was the white spark holders¡¯ disunity. A part of that blame lies with Aravin and Anne. From the soul search of Aravin, I know a lot of things. They just didn''t have chemistry with each other. Perhaps the storyline clashed between an old-school harem MC and a Mary Sue who was too good for any male to get? The purging that Viers did yesterday night didn''t go unnoticed. Investigators connected that the victims were people that Tanael killed and pinned the blame on Tanael despite the lack of evidence but the motive was clear. Tanael¡¯s cruelty angered more than a few people. ¡°So you¡¯re Master Avel. Boram always spoke so highly of you.¡± ¡°I only bring forth what he already has. A pleasure to meet you, Squire Eugene.¡± Boram introduced Squire and Viers. They made some small talk, such as what it was like in Latias, the kingdom of knights which Eugene hailed from. Fithel was stoic along with a few elven elders with him. He didn''t partake in the festivities, coming here because it was a duty. Very few actually want to be here but they had no choice. When a king invites you, could you actually say no? Even more so if you live in the king¡¯s territory. Viers thought as he answered mundane questions from others. There was also something odd, a contingent of priests from the Church; they were asking the trial takers about Tanael. They put great importance on Tanael¡¯s references, matters that people of this world wouldn¡¯t understand. The Church recorded every single detail. Avel gave a false testimony and did not invoke the lie detection artifact on the priest''s person. It seemed Tanael was not only wanted by the authorities of Regidana but the Church also put a stake in the bounty. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. According to whispers from the nobles, a big shot Level 5 from the Church was dispatched here to investigate, Inquisitor Ronberry¡­ So, they realized Tanael is an otherworlder and they seem to place great importance on the guests from a world far, far away. Why? The plot thickened but that was not really relevant to Viers right now so he put the matter to the back of his mind. While the social gathering was in full swing, the Governor-King himself made an appearance. He congratulated the successful trial takers and lamented the loss of life that occurred, although he didn''t blame the trial itself or Aletro. The Santa-like Governor also briefly explained what happened in the trial and how the trial came to be. Lastly, he gave rewards to the trial takers that came here, with the big names getting bigger rewards and praises. ¡°As I explained before, the Book of Aletro became active because one brave youth risked his life to save innocent lives, foiling the dark intention of a devil cult. To Adventurer Avel, who lent a helping hand to my son for the second time, I gift him this: Duel With Honor Arte.¡± A crier explained the Arte effect to the masses. The user and the target of this Arte would be forced to battle in a boundary. They would then battle until one side won. The winner received the loser¡¯s Victa in a one to five ratio. The pretense was the two people must battle in a one-on-one bout without outside help or special items. Pure contest of skill and Artes. Should any mishap happen, the invoker of the Arte would get the zero reward and backlash as penalty. Victa was precious. An Arte that took Victa from the enemy and made it into one¡¯s own? Marvelous. The gallery was stirred. Even Viers didn''t expect such a great gift. Viers read the details written in the scroll that he got. But anything that disturbs the duel. Even minor things such as another person stepping into the boundaries, I get blamed. For such a technique, there''s always a risk. Suddenly, the hustle-bustle of the venue was silenced by the master of ceremonies who announced the newest guest. ¡°Presenting, Tanael the Soul Tyrant.¡± As bold as brass, a man walked in from the main entrance. He was a youth wearing a plain but confident face. As to why the master of ceremonies said he was Tanael, it was because he wore a mantle made of souls and the youth identified himself as so. The youth¡¯s movement was a bit rigid but he spoke clearly. The guy with more than a dozen accounts of murder, who was at most a Level 3, strutted into a hostile place with dozens of Level 4s and a couple of Level 5s. ¡°Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My thanks to the benevolent and just Governor-King Craig for his hospi-¡± ¡°Tanaeeeeel!!¡± ¡°Brother, wait. Something is strange.¡± Marlin appeared with a flash of lightning, choking Tanael by the neck and lifting him above the ground. ¡®Tanael¡¯ became as limp as a wilted vegetable. It was a trap! Viers wasn''t surprised but the people gasped. Was that it? Was Tanael dead? A Level 5 killing a Level 3 or 4 Pathseeker was as easy as a pie. ¡°Brother, that is not him,¡± Craig said. ¡°Of course, I know that. He¡¯s not dead. Inquisitor, activate the barriers.¡± Two barriers came into being in that instant. One was covering the whole palace, the other was covering the entire city. Tanael, who couldn''t even move a muscle, was thrown to the ground like a piece of dirty cloth. ¡°Even though this is not your real body. Be it possession or something else, there will be a connection!¡± Marlin spoke with the venom of a father who¡¯d lost his son. ¡°We will find you.¡± The gallery was silent, no one dared to move or make a sound. A Level 5 Inquisitor appeared soon after at the scene. Thin in stature but firm in gait, reflecting his experience. His robe was dull gray with a cyan striped cloth. ¡°Inquisitor Ronberry. How is it?¡± Craig asked. ¡°No soul or magic can escape the isolation barrier without breaking it first. So far, there¡¯s been no attempt to trespass,¡± the Church¡¯s enforcer said. ¡°Controlling from afar?¡± Marlin asked. ¡°Seems likely, considering the puppet¡¯s limp. If Tanael is that much of a fool, this would be easier. The strings from the puppeteer must have been cut by the barrier. If he¡¯s in Regidana, we will catch him.¡± Marlin nodded to the inquisitor''s confident reassurance. ¡°Good. If you would, inquisitor.¡± The thin and oval-faced Inquisitor Ronberry examined the body of the youth that named himself Tanael. A Soul method! Viers realized this from the peanut gallery. Using a soul-user to catch a soul-user, eh? Before long, the inquisitor''s confident face began to frown. ¡°This is not a possession. The man was simply soul-compelled by Tanael to come here and deliver a message. There was no trace of Tanael himself, not even a piece of soul,¡± Ronberry concluded. ¡°But he should be nearby-¡± ¡°If you¡¯re hearing this, that means I was interrupted. I was right thinking I''m dealing with rude barbarians,¡± Tanael¡¯s mocking voice came out from the body. Ronberry found a magic device that emitted a recorded sound. ¡°Should this message be interrupted again, I¡¯ll give Oscar¡¯s soul to a devil. For free! How d¡¯ya like that?¡± Even with three Level 5s in the room, they could only let the recording play out, forced by a Level 2. The puppet was not Ars¨¨ne, Viers would not risk his other self''s exposure to a bunch of Level 5s. He was not crazy from overconfidence. Instead, he was just some random Joe on the road that Viers borrowed for a wee bit while. Viers had erased all clues of his involvement so thoroughly that even Sherlock Holmes would find it impossible to trace him from the puppet. The soul mantle was easy to make. Viers¡¯ prudence in using simple manipulation of the puppet that couldn''t be traced back to him paid off too. Mystic Star Shroud would be useless if there was a string that connected him to the puppet. The recording conveyed with the voice of Tanael demanded Marlin to swear an oath upon his Intio, publicly spread to every corner of the city. To erase all enmity toward Tanael, he wouldn''t try to search or harm Tanael in any way, and neither would he let others do so in Regidana. Making use of loopholes that betrayed the spirit of the oath would count as breaking the oath and he would lose his cultivation Level. In return, Tanael would tell the Level 5 where to find the soul of Oscar so they could resurrect the intact soul. The time limit was five minutes, at high noon. Viers preferred less time but it couldn''t be helped. If Tanael didn''t hear the declaration from Marlin, Oscar¡¯s soul would be permanently expired. Using Oscar¡¯s soul, Viers meant to barter for his safety in Regidana by making the father of said soul his bouncer. It was one of the reasons why Viers concocted this scenario. Time was short, the three Level 5s argued. As a concession, The Governor and his brother gave the Inquisitor three minutes to find Tanael. The Inquisitor went to work, scanning the venue lightly before casting a wide net for Tanael in the city. Viers with the Mystic Star Shroud didn''t fear intense examination from a Level 5, let alone a light one. Three minutes passed and Tanael was nowhere to be found. In the end, the father''s love for his son won out, giving a vow with his cultivation as a guarantee for his son. The father found Oscar¡¯s soul stuffed in a rock on the city¡¯s outskirts. Tanael was now infamous for making a Level 5 submit. Chapter 207 - Hostile Takeover The gain from the convoluted plot was minimal. Even with the oath, messing with Level 5s was dangerous. Wouldn''t banning Tanael¡¯s investigation in Regidana be the same as telling others Tanael was here? What was the point in giving Oscar back? These were the concerns of the executives directed at the CEO of Viers Corporation. Viers had no intention of depending on Marlin or the Governor. While oaths upon one¡¯s Intio were binding, they were not absolute. Even a Level 2 like Viers was able to break magical promises, who knew what methods those Level 5s had? Viers wanted to test how much folks wanted to find him, who they were, and if his concealment would be enough to stay hidden from the investigation of those strong people. And, while he indeed would be in the city, he also wouldn''t. As for Oscar, Viers was not worried. He was an Arrogant Young Master like Jaime only with different paint. Without someone like Viers, they would crash and burn on their own. Also, Viers had soul-searched him completely and knew Oscar to his core. Viers had firmly grasped his weaknesses. While letting an enemy live was against Viers¡¯ principles, it was the process of Oscar¡¯s revival that interested him. How would the daddy and uncle dear reconstruct his body? Would it also be applicable to Farley and the others? Viers wouldn''t look into it on his end, he delegated the job to Izabella who also needed the body reconstructing method for Alan. Viers had many months in Stage 5 to plan for the aftermath. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take the reins from here,¡± Ars¨¨ne said. ¡°I leave it to you. Good luck,¡± Viers waved his other self goodbye as he passed through the portal to Regidana. Viers himself stayed in Dia¡¯s Biome. Ars¨¨ne was a unique existence. He was basically Viers himself. He was not a soul being, he was corporeal but could stay inside Viers'' soulspace, he couldn''t be killed as long as Viers was alive, he could do what Viers could, and his persona was exactly the same as Viers. ¡®I am thou and thou art I¡¯, hm? Truly fitting words¡­ Damn, I love having two of me! There were some limitations, such as Ars¨¨ne could not cultivate and since Ars¨¨ne didn''t have Victa, Viers must give it to him first before he could use any Arte. There were other things too but Ars¨¨ne was fully capable of serving as a red herring until things calmed down. Naturally, Viers was well aware of the trope of a clone or a copy going rogue and replacing the original. He had measures for that. Viers turned to the dryad girl that still looked around ten years old on his right. Dia had only started re-walking the Path of Power and became a Level 1 but as a Biome Master, her strength was on a whole other level in her territory. A safe haven for Viers while he engaged in an earnest closed cultivation session. ¡°We got to train later but there¡¯s some free time. Do you wanna play?¡± ¡°Yaaaaaay! It¡¯s been so boring¡­ Oh, oh! Let¡¯s visit Luca later,¡± Dia jumped and threw her hands in the air. ¡°I plan on it. I brought a lot of gifts for you all.¡± Thus began Viers¡¯ stay in the Biome. He would become a Level 3, absorb Aletro¡¯s soul attainment, and make all sorts of improvements in his cultivation and techniques. When he emerged, he would be magnitudes stronger than before. *** Awright, time to go masquerading as Avel. My other me¡¯s yet another alter ego. Wow¡­ How many will he have in the end? Ars¨¨ne shook his head. His appearance was exactly like Avel''s. Although, wearing the knight helmet was pretty much enough to pass as Avel of Javia, the Slayer. Two things to do. Cooperate with the investigations about the kidnapping and Aletro trials. Then, solve the lawsuit¡­ I¡¯m not thrilled about the inevitable boring long-ass procedures. As Ars¨¨ne walked the streets with Boram towards the guard station to give their testimony, he heard a crier in the streets. ¡°Hear ye, hear ye! In light of the sudden attack by the merfolk yesterday, all adventurers are required to report to the guild immediately to participate in the city¡¯s defense. Failure to do so shall result in your adventuring license getting revoked.¡± Oh, that¡¯s just great! Yet another shit fell from the sky right on top of my head! Ars¨¨ne resisted the urge to swear on the busy streets. *** Ars¨¨ne took things one step at a time, starting from the easiest. The investigation was complete in half a day and he was cleared of suspicion. Ars¨¨ne didn''t need to lie about what he was doing to rescue Harry¡¯s friends, giving details on the adversaries. They already identified the assailant to be members of Teorph¡¯s devil cult. But about the matters inside the Book World, Ars¨¨ne mixed in truths and lies. Since ¡®officially¡¯ he retired in Stage 3 because of an unfortunate encounter with Tanael, the story need not be complex. The woman that got forgotten in the basement was in the city guard¡¯s custody and Ars¨¨ne got no problem with that. When that was over, he and Boram went to a ranch where Brownie the mare was sent for temporary care. After giving it some thought and seeing the horse was pretty happy among her kind, he decided to leave Brownie with the ranch. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s main body had no plan to travel with horses at the moment. The next stop was Valkut city and they would use a ship to get there. Rather than keeping Brownie penned up in some stable, she might have a better life here. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. And he also got a flying carpet if it came down to it. Ars¨¨ne gave the ranch owner some money so the horse would be well taken care of. Boram hugged Brownie and was reluctant to separate but he understood it might be for the best. As their Levels as Pathseekers rose, the places they traveled would also become more dangerous, stronger monsters. It was no place for an ordinary animal. ¡°Goodbye, girl. It¡¯s been fun. Live well,¡± Ars¨¨ne patted the horse¡¯s brown neck. The two went to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild in the late afternoon. The topic of Tanael was pretty wild. In a world without television or the internet, gossip was entertainment. Understandable, after his feat of blackmailing a Level 5 yesterday. As they went closer to the guild, more adventurers walked in the same direction as the master-disciple pair. Some were even stronger than Ars¨¨ne, Level 3s. ¡°Baster?¡± Boram recognized the white horse in front of the guild. Unlike Brownie, which was a normal animal, Baster was not. It should be on par with a Rank 2 monster. ¡°Squire¡¯s familiar horse? I didn''t know he was an adventurer.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± Boram answered. ¡°I wonder why he¡¯s here.¡± The guild was a full house. The five guild receptionists were swamped with work, the back staff was moving around like bees, and the waiting seats were full of people. Ars¨¨ne took a queue number ticket then waited for his turn, after fifteen more people. Ah, that¡¯s Peanut, Ars¨¨ne saw the sullen girl attending an adventurer. Oh yeah, there was a matter of some nasty rumors between the other me and her before the Book World debacle. Better keep my distance so she won''t suffer then. Viers, and by extension Ars¨¨ne, was not in the habit of causing hardships and misery without reason. ¡°Boram, over here.¡± Eugene called out, he was being surrounded by people that were offering him drinks. He was in the middle of telling stories about the wondrous Book World and the struggle they all experienced. With 382 people gone so suddenly and the pillar of light that reached the sky, it was not possible to keep things under wraps. ¡°Go,¡± Ars¨¨ne said to Boram who was looking at him while seeking permission. ¡°Avel, my favorite metalhead! Look at you, still kicking after getting swallowed by the book! You''re one lucky bastard, hahaha!¡± Ars¨¨ne socialized with Forss, a fellow adventurer that had been quite friendly with him since the start of his arrival in Regidana. The man in his middle twenties was drinking with his buddies before Ars¨¨ne came in. He was not whisked away by Aletro for the trial so he was a mediocre adventurer, but he didn''t seem to mind and remained his cheerful self. The same couldn''t be said for other adventurers though, some were looking at him with envy or annoyance. ¡°Hooo, your little apprentice is one of the Aletro Nine Stars while you¡¯re not. What does that say about you? By the way, the Nine is a big deal, they are celebrities. That¡¯s Eugene, Khalmar was here earlier, but no one has seen Max since the Return.¡± Ars¨¨ne waited his turn by catching up and being a good listener to Forss. When his turn was called, he got Peanut¡¯s counter as if it was fate. The sullen guild girl looked tired which made her look more aloof than usual. ¡°Ahh, it¡¯s you. Have you understood the outline?¡± ¡°Hello, and yes to your question.¡± ¡°Good. Then fill out the forms and we¡¯ll inform you about your placement and duties tomorrow.¡± To not raise any flag Ars¨¨ne was being simple and polite. He¡¯d soon gotten out of her hair. Since he was an Obsidian-ranked adventurer, Avel had to do mandatory quests every now and then. In Marakkus he encountered something similar but the merfolk incursion was an emergency so he must participate. Simply put he got two weeks of defense duty, guarding Regidana from coastal attacks. Ars¨¨ne frowned hearing the words ¡®two weeks.¡¯ That time frame was potentially a problem. Boram was not an adventurer but he would bring him anyway. Eugene wanted to say goodbye before he returned to Latias but because yesterday¡¯s gathering turned into a mess after Tanael''s scheme, he didn''t have the chance so he haunted the Adventurer¡¯s Guild after hearing all adventurers were required to come. Ars¨¨ne also conversed a while with the squire before they went on to their separate ways. *** In the next weeks, other than the defense duty, Viers -using Ars¨¨ne as a proxy- was also engaged in a legal battle. During the hearing, Viers told the truth that he blew up a warehouse as a distraction to save Harry¡¯s friends. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to Viers at the time, among the items destroyed were some high-valued items. His actions resulted in the kids¡¯ rescue and the failure of the kidnappers¡¯ plot of using the mystical book. Viers argued that what he did benefited the city and he had no harmful intentions. The sentence of the hearing was he must shoulder the debt of losses that he incurred but the amount had been reduced by half. Still a great sum but while Viers could pay, Avel could not! How could an ordinary Level 2 adventurer pay that amount? Anyone with a head would think it was suspicious. Thus ¡®Avel¡¯ was now a contracted worker to the Rushton Trading Company until his debt was paid. Which was around three years of honest work which was a little better than a slave. During the time he was prohibited from leaving Regidana. The Governor-King, whose kid Viers helped, didn''t intervene. It was the law he raised. So much for gratitude¡­ Wait, the Arte was the compensation. So that''s why he overcharged the reward. Needless to say, Viers felt it was unacceptable so Viers got creative. First, Viers gathered all the info about the Rushton company¡¯s owner, Trask. And then¡­ ¡°Pssst. Do you wanna become the president?¡± Viers approached the number two in the company, Ned. Rushton was a fairly successful, medium-sized company. Trask, the second-generation owner, was a greedy merchant type; he should be in his sixth decade but looked to be in his forties. He cultivated to Level 3, not because of effort but using money thus resulting in a trash foundation but the aim was so he could live longer so it was not a problem. The man lived in excess. After decades of operating in Regidana, a place of law and order, he believed money and status could make him untouchable. Proof of decades of shady dealings, tax evasions, forged documents, and the likes fell on Viers'' lap one after another. He also did not forget to acquire personal dirt on Trask himself. Scandals, mistresses, bastards, how he murdered his rival cousin and made it look like an accident, one dark secret after another was unearthed by Viers mercilessly. The light ones were leaked to the public, the heavy ones were used as blackmail material. The Heavenly Thief Ars¨¨ne¡¯s debut was a blast. Keys, stashes, secrets, one¡¯s own thoughts, none were safe from him! Level 4 guards? Minor difficulties, nothing more. He cast a wide net with soul search, going from the unremarkable janitor to Trask¡¯s son and grandson. All for creating sure-kill weapons aimed at Trask. By the end of the third week, Trask retired and Ned took over. On paper, ¡®Avel¡¯ was still working for Rushton company, slaving away to pay his debt. In reality, the original owner had been driven out of his own company and his replacement was eating from Viers¡¯ hand because the villain had loads of extortion material on him too. In less than a month, Viers became the shadow ruler of a trading company in one of the largest mercantile cities on the continent. Since he was busy, he let Ned steer the company as he saw fit. Viers had a hands-off approach and became a shareholder. If the company profited, so would he. The company was not large but who knew what the future might bring. Ha! I really become ¡®a power in the shadows¡¯! Man, I love legal battles. Chapter 208 - Level 3 and Shipped Out While Ars¨¨ne was busy with his legal battle and serving as a coastal defense force, Viers was improving as a Pathseeker inside his safe haven by the hour. Viers and Dia were meditating, eyes closed, legs crossed, even breaths. A conch was emitting the sound of a waterfall, helping their concentration. The mana was much thicker here than outside, making the place suitable for cultivation. Viers was slowly breaking the wall that separated him from Level 3. Dia suddenly perked up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, girl?¡± ¡°Someone is calling me, using the Gate Tree.¡± ¡°Must be Ars¨¨ne. Open up, please. But always keep your guard up, okay? One day, it might be bad guys that try to get in.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Dia replied like a child that was being told ¡®stranger danger¡¯ by a parent. The Biome Master created a portal and Ars¨¨ne came in. ¡°Wow, there¡¯s no night here, huh? White Flowers Meadow is always night while here it''s always day. Quite the contrast,¡± Ars¨¨ne said. ¡°Technically, there¡¯s no day here either. Only big sunflowers, shining constantly,¡± Viers replied. Dia looked confused. She circled around Ars¨¨ne with a finger on her lips. ¡°Another kin?¡± ¡°You can think of me as a part of him, sweetie. Here, have some candy.¡± ¡°Oh, thank¡­ you?¡± Dia received the treat she never had with both hands. Looking at it as if it was a mysterious thing. ¡°So?¡± Viers asked. He was dressed casually for comfort. Shirt and trousers, face unmasked. After eating the super recovery pill after the battle with Anne, his disfigured face had been fully restored. ¡°What¡¯s the point of explaining? Let¡¯s sync,¡± Ars¨¨ne replied. ¡°Got it.¡± Viers put a hand on Ars¨¨ne¡¯s shoulder and knew what Ars¨¨ne had been doing all day. The investigation and the lawsuit were still at their early stages. ¡°Looks like you''re gonna be busy. You do you, my man,¡± Viers said. Ars¨¨ne grinned. ¡°I plan to.¡± After Ars¨¨ne left, Viers returned to meditation. He¡¯d found a happy surprise. My Horizon rose! Does Ars¨¨ne¡¯s experience count? Magnificent. Doesn''t this mean my Horizon¡¯s growth rate will double from now on? Muahahaha! The elation Viers felt welled up like a rising tide and sank back into the sea. Viers exercised his self-control and continued his Advancement to Level 3. He closed his eyes and addressed the little green girl that was already bored and sought other excitement. ¡°Dia, stop playing around with the egg and continue your training. You¡¯re almost at Level 2.¡± Naturally, what Viers meant by egg was Zerrigan¡¯s egg. After asking the big guy, he didn''t seem to mind. Zerrigan was treated the same as natural treasures that Viers gained during the trials. ¡°When will my sister come out? I¡¯ll be a good sibling and take care of her lots and looooots!¡± Dia said excitedly, eyes gleaming. Because of the fundamental differences between the real world and the Book World, the egg would not hatch for a few years. Viers didn''t have the heart to tell Dia yet. ¡°Patience. I think the two of you will get along. But the outside world is a dangerous place. So if you want to protect her, you have to get stronger, okay?¡± Might was necessary for survival. That was what Viers had been teaching the young ones. He didn''t instill the values of love nor friendship like animes for children but the values of power. Viers¡¯ skewed creed poisoned the young and innocent minds slowly but surely. ¡°Then I will defeat all the baddies that become our enemies. The females will become fertilizer while the males will be sucked dry by me¡­ But suck what?¡± Dia tilted her head in confusion. ¡­Her remarks scare me sometimes. The flashbacks are rare but it comes to her now and then. Her previous self definitely wasn''t some benevolent dryad. Gotta teach them well so I don''t end up with two yanderes. Because the Tyra Xerg Queen also had a touch of insanity in her. When Zerri knew Viers could gain lifeforce by eating meat, she offered her own flesh on a platter. That was quite frightening. Her children ate their own, the lame and wounded so they wouldn''t waste resources. Such an act was regarded as normal to Zerri. She even asked if Viers wanted to eat her children. Naturally, Viers refused and berated her. He had standards on what to eat. He wasn''t desperate enough to eat his own people, especially one as loyal as Zerrigan. There were plenty of alternatives. ¡°Like I said. You two will get along.¡± Wait, isn''t this like Luke training Baby Yoda? She has some similarities with the super huggable fifty years old, like they¡¯re both green and have the mental age of children. Oh? That realization made my Horizon go up by half a percent. *** Dia¡¯s Biome was a Madagascar-sized paradise of vegetation. Many wondrous, rare, or precious flora were out in the open. Finding a barren place was quite difficult but Viers settled for a small rocky outcrop. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Four days had passed since Ars¨¨ne visited. An area on a hillside suffered heavy damage as if a typhoon had just rampaged. Now I am¡­ Level 3! Viers had one hand on the ground, gasping for breath. He was sweating all over and at the peak of exhaustion¡­ but he felt more powerful than ever. Like the typical xianxia novels out there, Viers¡¯ breakthrough was an arduous process, complicated, and not environmentally friendly. What was different was he didn¡¯t charge headfirst when some people he knew got in trouble. Making his breakthrough a desperate attempt while in the middle of a crisis. No, Viers had more sense than that. He conducted his Advancement out of the public''s eye, very well hidden. No fanfare or audience. A very low-key event. The benefit of doing such a thing was that there were no clich¨¦d events. For example, no senior Pathseeker took notice of Viers¡¯ uniqueness and had designs for the newly hatched Level 3; or complications during the Advancement because of human factors, forcing Viers to make alterations mid-progress. The breakthrough wasn''t easy but it was straight and plain. It was not the breakthroughs of MCs but the breakthrough of side characters. Just the way he liked it. Viers sprawled on the ground, arms wide open as he looked to the sky. A satisfied smile was on his face. He was one more step closer to reaching it. *** Hmm, I wonder if my other self has leveled up yet. He should be really close. With Ars¨¨ne and his other self being separated by different dimensions, Ars¨¨ne had no way to know. For now, he was still a Level 2 but if he returned to Viers and took form again, Ars¨¨ne would also become a Level 3. He and Viers were closely related, like twins. Even more, in some cases. For now, with the amount of Victa given by Viers, Ars¨¨ne had enough Victa in the tank for a couple of serious battles. Although he was concerned about his battle strength considering he was about to go on a battlefield tour, there was little chance he would engage in a life and death battle so soon, right? The snail-pace proceedings of the boring lawsuit were postponed because he had a tour of duty. He didn''t fancy being drafted for combat but there was little he could do. ¡®Avel¡¯ got a reputation to maintain. Adventurers were a free bunch but being part of the guild, they shouldered some duties. Mandatory quests such as this were one example. To elevate the brewing discontent, the guild promised special promotion points according to their contribution to the defense of Regidana. The off-season mermen incursion caught the city unprepared and undermanned, that was why adventurers such as ¡®Avel¡¯ were hauled to the front lines. Well, I¡¯m just an Obsidian adventurer; second from the bottom of the guild¡¯s rank. Being able to skip the annoying process and become an Iron ranked isn''t so bad¡­ Mmm, but can I really distinguish myself? Without Horizon, I have some doubts. The most notable weakness of Ars¨¨ne was that he didn''t possess the damage boost from Viers¡¯ Horizon Aspect. He could still do the same Artes as Viers but the lack of Horizon meant his battle capability would never be able to compare to his other self. No, screw that weak-ass mentality! The cheat makes me great but even without cheats, I am strong! Villains that only rely on their overwhelming power are fragile. This is what I train for, why I became a cultivator in the first place. And there''s a silver lining in everything. This is a good opportunity to accrue precious battle experience and become skilled in fighting rather than bulldoze all my fights with sheer power. Yep, it¡¯s all fine and dandy. It¡¯s not as if the Horizon is lost. I can still feed it with my experience and my other me shall become more OP. Every time I sync with the other me, my gain is his gain and his gain is my gain. We are one and the same. In the end, I¡¯ll only become stronger. Just think of it as a form of training. ¡°Master?¡± ¡°Mm? Sorry. Been thinking.¡± Boram called after seeing his master walking without focusing on the road. The two had just finished their errand in the shopping district. Ars¨¨ne sold the nonsensitive items and treasures that he got from the Book World and bought a variety of items along with better gear. On a side note, the pair easily bought their things with ease because of inventory items. Thousand Treasures Casket stayed with Viers but Ars¨¨ne and Boram had their own, Viers¡¯ loot from the Book World. Not as big as Viers¡¯ but more than enough for their needs. ¡°Okay. There¡¯s the meeting point specified by the guild, Master,¡± Boram pointed out. He wasn''t an adventurer but Viers brought him along. ¡°Well, the dock has seen better days,¡± Ars¨¨ne commented after seeing the damage caused by the sea invaders. Carcasses of wrecked ships, crushed stalls, holes on the walls, bloodstains on the floor, and so on. ¡°And it¡¯s hot.¡± The climate in Regidana was a perpetual tropic. Not because the city location was near the equator but because the mana in the area made it so. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s garb was pretty stuffy with his helmet, armor, and cape. It was Avel¡¯s look. The helmet was enchanted for comfort but the rest was not. There were three groups of people, each under a different banner. Ars¨¨ne went to the banner that he got assigned to by the guild. According to his observation, the adventurers of his group were about thirty people strong. Less than five Level 3s, the rest were Level 2s. Level 1s were not drafted. Unexpectedly, he saw some familiar faces. It was a five-man adventurer group. Viers robbed four of them in the previous city. They had a new member joining them, which Ars¨¨ne also recognized. Irene¡­ So, you¡¯ve come to Regidana. Because of my letter? Looks like you still pursue revenge. The archer girl that sought a three-eyed wolf that killed her family didn''t look happy, like a hunter that got banned from hunting her prey. Her party tried to cheer her up. Ars¨¨ne didn''t expect to see adventurers from Marakkus here. Iz¡¯s cult trap had killed many adventurers from that city. When the appointed time arrived, each group was ferried to different places by boat, to different sea forts. Because of the seasonal seafolk incursions, Regidana city had three forts built on strategically located small islands that served as a bulwark in case of an attack. The merfolk breached the line of defense and attacked the city directly because previously, the three forts were lacking in personnel. The scale of the attack was also a factor. It wasn''t a long journey from the harbor but because it was the first boat experience for Boram, he was pretty wowed by it. Fort Mercator was a bastion of stone that stood stalwartly in the middle of the sea. The place was already prepared for war. Ars¨¨ne and the other adventurers were reinforcements. The soldiers of Regidana were already here, more than a hundred at least. Here¡¯s where I¡¯ll spend two weeks of my life¡­ Hope there¡¯s no disastrous mishap. Ars¨¨ne had no fear of getting killed but he left no corpse when he died. People would find it strange. Leaving Boram alone was also a concern. He didn''t want his little apprentice to die. Not long after Ars¨¨ne and the rest of the group arrived, a Level 4 spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m Commander Goudy. I¡¯m in charge of this fort. I thank you all for answering the call of duty. Until the Governor can fully muster the defenses, our job is to make seafood out of the fools that come our way. For those that have no experience fighting merfolk before, expect an all-you-can-eat buffet every night. That is the soft-bellied bastards¡¯ favorite trick. To send loads and loads of spell fodder and crush us with sheer numbers, forcing us to wring our Victa dry. Your presence might make or break our mission. My aide will assign your placement and duties. Look out for each other and good luck.¡± The battle-hardened, gray-bearded commander gave a salute after the welcome speech then walked away. How lovely, Ars¨¨ne thought. He forgot to say expect lives to be lost every night. Chapter 209 - Hearsay and Comparison ¡°Since we¡¯ll be fighting together, introductions are in order. I¡¯m Bruce, a wind swordsman,¡± the youth said. ¡°The expressional skinny guy over there that is talking with the aide is our group¡¯s smoke user scout, Will. Norman here has been an adventurer for over a decade, a veteran defensive fighter with a matching element to boot, ice. There¡¯s Sandra, our mage, careful to critique her cooking cause she will give you a Rock Crush if she doesn''t like what she¡¯s hearing.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Sandra cussed. The adventurers got separated into smaller groups and sent to areas to defend. Ars¨¨ne and the rest got a place at the southern beach, near a watchtower. It broke during the recent attack by the merfolks. It was early evening. They received some grub from the fort but it was unfulfilling gruel. They decided to cook their own dinner. Ars¨¨ne provided the ingredients so the other side offered to be the one that cooked. Bruce smiled playfully and moved on. ¡°Lastly, our newest member, the wind archer, Irene. Say hi, Irene.¡± The brooding and sullen archer didn''t change much since Viers saw her last. Unlike the group who was gathering around the fire and cooking, Irene stood a bit apart, looking at the sea with a hard expression. She didn''t bother to reply to Bruce''s request. ¡°...Apologies. She¡¯s in a bad mood,¡± the fair-haired youth said. ¡°She¡¯s a nice person, once you get to know her.¡± ¡°Right. She looks like she wants to rip the sea apart with her bare hands,¡± Ars¨¨ne said, which didn''t invite so much of a twitch from Irene. She was restless because her target was so close yet so far. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re the Rising Fortune adventurer group. Pleased to be your acquaintance,¡± Bruce gave a friendly smile. ¡°Likewise. I¡¯m Avel of Javia and the little one beside me is my disciple, Boram Rockboa. No group name. We¡¯re both Level 2. I use water, he uses earth.¡± ¡°Boram? Of the Aletro Nine Stars?¡± Norman, the oldest among them at late twenties, asked. The rest of the group gave the boy an interested look. ¡°Waow! A celebrity. We¡¯ve just arrived here for a few days and the Book World¡¯s related things are all people in this city are talking about,¡± the brunette Sandra said. ¡°Eh? Umm¡­ I-I¡¯m not special. It was just luck,¡± Boram meekly looked down. ¡°Sandra, concentrate on the soup. Let¡¯s not give our new companions another one of your bizarre cookings. It would make for a poor first impression,¡± Will the skinny scout said as he walked closer. He made a bad face as if he recalled eating something unpleasant. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad!¡± Sandra complained. ¡°Hahaha, now now,¡± Bruce lightly mediated before they could argue. Ars¨¨ne thought they were a pretty fun bunch. When Viers robbed them in Marakkus, they were only Level 1s. Not that he would ever tell them about that. ¡°...Of Javia?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Ars¨¨ne asked Irene who unexpectedly initiated the conversation. ¡°I know a person with a name style similar to yours.¡± ¡°Oh really,¡± Ars¨¨ne¡¯s face betrayed nothing. Cain of Ur was the name Viers used to interact with Irene in the past. ¡°Is that person from Javia?¡± ¡°Of Ur¡­ but no matter. Seems like it was a fake name. And I¡¯ve never heard of this Javia. Where is it?¡± ¡°Not from around here,¡± Ars¨¨ne replied. ¡°Hmmm.¡± Irene wasn''t particularly offended that ¡®Avel¡¯ dodged her question and returned to keep an eye on the sea. Ars¨¨ne changed the topic. ¡°Speaking of vague recognition. I think I saw you guys in Marakkus.¡± ¡°Ah, I too feel that the helmet looks familiar. Seems like you also managed to get out of that shitshow,¡± Bruce said. ¡°The Silent Boogeyman and then the Biome trap,¡± Ars¨¨ne nodded like a veteran reminiscing of an old war. ¡°Dreadful business.¡± ¡°Terrible,¡± Sandra trailed her words. ¡°Luckly, we didn''t enter the Biome at the time the trap was sprung. A hair¡¯s breadth between life and death.¡± ¡°Always be prepared for the worst,¡± Norman sighed. ¡°We were rash back then. The lesson learned has proven beneficial. This is done, please.¡± The big-bodied tank passed the plates to the others. ¡°Smells good,¡± Boram sniffed. ¡°Irene, food¡¯s ready,¡± Bruce called. ¡°You know, don''t you think it is rude to keep your face hidden during a time like this?¡± Will pointed at Ars¨¨ne with his spoon. Unlike the guy in Dark Souls that could drink Estus Flask with a full-face headgear, Ars¨¨ne could not. To eat or drink, he must take off his knight helmet. Only, below the helmet he still had a face covering, which Will pointed out. ¡°...You¡¯re right. Apologies. I sometimes forget I have them.¡± Ars¨¨ne slowly took off the bandages on his face and from beneath, emerged a completely ordinary face. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Ah! Master, your face-¡± Boram was surprised to see the healed face. He¡¯d seen what was before. ¡°I got some healing in the Book World,¡± he said. Little did they know that even now, Ars¨¨ne¡¯s face was a fake. Not only Avel¡¯s face, his whole existence was a deception of Viers. ¡°Is this enough for you?¡± Ars¨¨ne asked Will. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Will,¡± Bruce apologized as the leader of the band. ¡°He spoke out of turn.¡± ¡°What? I just spoke common sense,¡± Will chowed down the food on his plate. ¡°No biggie.¡± With the capability to change faces, both Viers and Ars¨¨ne were no longer so obsessed with hiding their faces like before. After half a minute of no conversation, the ice tank tried to de-ice the situation. ¡°Young Boram. Would you care to share your experience in the Book World with us? We¡¯ve heard stories but nothing beats real witnesses.¡± ¡°...I don''t know what to say. Even though I got to the final stage, what I accomplished was very little. I might be the weakest among the seventeen finalists. The praises I got ring hollow because I don''t deserve it.¡± ¡°For one so young, you¡¯re humble. What about the strongest then, Tanael, right? What was he like? Was he as much as the monster in the rumors?¡± Sandra chimed in. ¡°I heard he got three heads and six horns. Eyes blazing like red brimstones and he ate the ones he killed. There was a hole in his chest and you could see his beating black heart. Was he truly human?¡± Will scoffed. ¡°Do you even hear yourself? Does that sound like a human to you? Obviously it''s nonsense. Ask something real, like his three other companions or did he really kill a phoenix.¡± ¡°...Tanael is-¡± The others perked their heads on what Boram was about to say. The boy himself seemed to be choosing his words carefully. ¡°-a villain¡­¡± Boram sighed. ¡°A really strong villain.¡± That¡¯s true. ¡°Seems about right,¡± Ars¨¨ne said. ¡°He would kill you if he didn''t like your name.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve met Tanael too?¡± Bruce raised a brow. ¡°In Stage 3. I gave up without fighting him. Every fiber of my being screamed I should run, so I did.¡± ¡°What, not even a blow? Don¡¯t you think you gave up too easily?¡± Will said it straight. ¡°There are graves filled with people that wish they did what I did. As simple as that,¡± Ars¨¨ne put the food to his mouth in a steady rhythm. ¡°Enough. This isn''t the time or place to tell stories,¡± Irene interrupted. ¡°We¡¯re in a warzone. I heard the merfolk usually attack in the night. We should eat quickly and prepare while we can.¡± ¡°The most reasonable thing I''ve heard all day,¡± Bruce said. ¡°Can''t argue with that,¡± Norman ate a big spoonful and nodded. ¡°Well, this is still a fortress and there are people keeping watch. We should get some kind of warning if there¡¯s an atta-¡± The warning bell¡¯s tolls stopped Sandra from finishing her sentence. ¡°That¡¯s from the northside. Finish your meal quickly fellas. You¡¯ll need the energy,¡± Ars¨¨ne said without an inch of panic. *** Bruce had underestimated the master-disciple pair. He and the rest of the group were no naive greenhorns in their first year of adventuring. They had overcome many dangers to come this far. He thought the group was above the average adventurer groups. Their teamwork made them able to overcome stronger monsters and adversities. Since Marakkus, they had been steadily improving and amassing fortunes together. As a result, they all rose to Level 2 without issue. Irene joining was also a boon to their group, they became more versatile. At Irene¡¯s behest, they went to Regidana city. She had some aim in the city that she refused to share. The archer kept her cards close to the chest, signs of her not really opening up to the group. Bruce hoped that would change with time. After gathering some information, Will and Sandra were quite disappointed that they missed the opening to some kind of godly trial of fire. It was definitely a place full of opportunities to grow higher as a Pathseeker. If only they arrived here a few days earlier, they would have made it in time. ¡°Even if we were here, would we get chosen?¡± Norman voiced his doubt. Will and Sandra thought they would, confident. Bruce wasn''t so sure about all of them getting in but he felt it was a lost opportunity nonetheless. When the trial takers returned, stories of all kinds of outlandishness were spread in every tavern in the city. Other worlds? Divine weapons? Bloodbath? World Tree? War in the millions? Soul Tyrant? Phoenix? Outrageous. None could really verify the rumors except for the returners. Rumors were that the trial takers were pretty mediocre and their failure was because of their lack of ability. The stories were made up to water down the bitterness of their failure. It was easier to believe so. Bruce wondered how much larger-than-life those Nine Stars that managed to survive the stories about the Book World. Turned out he was just an ordinary kid. Well yes, Boram was younger than him by a lot but was already the same Level 2 Pathseeker but it was because he was forcefully awakened. The foundation must be fragile. The rumors about ¡®Avel the Slayer¡¯ were also disfavorable. Will told them about a story from some drunken bloke that kept complaining in the tavern the scout went, that he wasn''t chosen by the pillar of light but someone like Avel was; the coward that let his slave fight for him to raise his guild rank. After meeting face to helmet, Avel seemed nice enough but he didn''t seem to be an expert fighter. Bruce didn''t blindly believe the rumors and since the seven of them would all be fighting together against the mermen, he hoped they could pull their own weight. When the attack came, all manners of sea monsters were coming. Each of the seafort served as a shielding station. When they were still standing, the mermen forces couldn''t reach Regidana. That meant a buttload of fish were storming the fort like the Commander said earlier. The attack started at the north side but soon the south side, where they were, also got visited by the sea-dwellers. Hundreds were landing on the beaches with who knew how many else hidden under the waterline. The north was lit up with an orange glow, as if someone had set the sea on fire. Bruce and the others couldn''t see it directly because Fort Mercator was in the way, but their sight was taken in by the things happening in front of them. The sea beasts had been weakened thanks to the magical effect that originated from the fort but there were already more than thirty Rank 2 monsters with Rank 1 being thrice that number. The Rising Fortune had never fought so many monsters at the same time before so they hesitated. On the other hand, Avel and Boram acted without hesitation. They became storms of death, wrecking any beasts in their way. One or two blows and something died. No stopping between one death and the next. Artes were not thrown haphazardly but efficiently for maximum effect. After ten seconds of inaction, the sound of an arrow shot by Irene made Bruce return to reality. ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go!¡± *** Twenty Pathseekers turned the beach into a butchery in half an hour. Soldiers from the fort came to help five minutes after Rising Fortune and the master-disciple pair started fighting. The smell of blood was sickening. The attacks had stopped for now, not only at their side but as a whole according to the soldiers. The Rising Fortune were panting in exhaustion. Ars¨¨ne and Boram were too, just not as intensely. Ars¨¨ne estimated they had defeated more than three hundred monsters. ¡°What are you thinking, boy?¡± Ars¨¨ne asked Boram who silently stood among the bodies of his kill. ¡°...They¡¯re cute compared to Tanael¡¯s Tyra Xerg.¡± Chapter 210 - Duel and Thirst On the balcony of Fort Mercator, a man was looking at the aftermath of the night raid while smoking. He didn''t turn around despite being aware someone was approaching from behind. ¡°Inspector Insen,¡± the new arrival greeted. ¡°Commander Goudy,¡± the smoking man returned the courtesy. ¡°Rough night.¡± ¡°This is but the prelude¡­ My thanks.¡± Insen offered a cigar to the fort commander which he took. The night was quiet with calm ocean winds. Hard to connect with the fact it was a warzone an hour earlier. ¡°The fine fellows of the Church helped greatly,¡± Goudy said. ¡°Just doing our duty, Commander,¡± Insen gave a nod. ¡°...And how is your other mission? Do you really think someone among them is Tanael?¡± ¡°I think everyone is Tanael,¡± Insen said. ¡°But there¡¯s no concrete proof yet.¡± Officially, the Church¡¯s presence was to help the defense of the fort but their hidden agenda was investigating Tanael. Since it did not clash with Marlin¡¯s oath, both sides tried to look the other way so the investigation could go on. All youths that returned from the Book World were put under surveillance. The thirty or so that accepted the Governor¡¯s invitation were the easy ones. Unfortunately, about half of the returnees didn''t come out into the light. The Church tried to find the hidden ones but found only a few. The adventurer returnees got drafted to the forts where people of the Church could survey them. The ones who weren''t adventurers also had eyes on them. ¡°If Tanael is smart, he would be long gone by now. Half of the returnees are still unaccounted for. If I was a betting man, I¡¯d put my money on Tanael being one of the people that legged it,¡± Goudy puffed a wispy smoke from his mouth. Tanael¡¯s companions, the other members of the ¡®Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse¡¯ were prime targets. But two were unknown in identity and location while the disgraced scion of House Sigley was dead. The family was dealing with troublesome accusations at the moment. ¡°Or so Tanael would want us to think,¡± Insen answered. ¡°Though I admit the chance of finding him normally is slim. We might have to use drastic measures.¡± ¡°The Governor requests discretion. If you make too many waves and Lord Marlin catches wind of this, he is bound by oath to intervene,¡± Goudy warned. ¡°I have other matters to tend to so I¡¯ll take my leave. Good evening, Inspector.¡± ¡°Cardinal Judith appreciates the understanding of Regidana,¡± Insen bid the Commander farewell then the Level 4 continued watching the entire island like a hawk. Ars¨¨ne and Boram, who were in the middle of cleaning the battlefield of monster carcasses, were among those who received special attention. In the dark waters not too close to the island, Viers, who was in the form of an ordinary red carp, decided to return to the city without making contact with Ars¨¨ne because he felt the risks were too high. There were all kinds of investigative nets all over the place. Viers didn''t know if it was normal or not but he didn''t push through. He was being careful to not encounter any hostile water dwellers during his visit and his return. If the seafood attacked every day, Ars¨¨ne¡¯s Victa supply wouldn''t last for two weeks. If we could sync and become Level 3, it would make things more manageable but it doesn''t seem possible. Tsk. Damn fish and damn mandatory quest. On top of that, there¡¯s the matter about my PC¡¯s weakness¡­ Good luck, other me. You can get through this. *** I¡¯m rusty. For months in the Book World, Viers -and by extension, Ars¨¨ne- had been using soul sorceries for battle. The water department had been left gathering dust on the shelf. During the first clash with the sea monsters, Ars¨¨ne felt he was out of touch with his watery side. Still, Viers¡¯ progress in soul skills wasn''t all exclusive to the soul side. Ars¨¨ne just needed time to adjust and incorporate things into his water-oriented battle style. Let¡¯s not forget I now have a water 5 affinity. I have the goods to cast terribly fearsome water devastations, no less lethal than my soul arts. My water side hasn''t been getting the love it deserves. I must rectify that mistake. Ars¨¨ne didn''t forget that he must not use some water Artes that he used during the robbery in Marakkus city and from even further back, ones that Irene might have recognized. So the likes of Water Chains of Silence and Water Moon Fang are out. Water Slash is fine because it is so basic that every water Pathseeker can use it. ¡°There are no casualties yet on any other front,¡± Will the scout informed the group. After the fight, came the tidying up. They couldn''t simply leave the carcasses of the sea monsters to rot. The Rising Fortune gathered the monster cores while disposing of the bodies. It might be worth a fortune to them but not for Ars¨¨ne. ¡°Well, there are no Pathseekers on the other side. Only disposable grunts. The real fight is yet to come,¡± Bruce warned. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Since Ars¨¨ne and Boram had storage items, the cleaning up was much easier. Someone from the fort would take care of the bodies later. Burn it, disintegrate it, process it, Ars¨¨ne didn''t care. The monster meat was too low leveled for Ars¨¨ne¡¯s other self to find precious. He wasn''t lacking in monster meat at the moment. ¡°Why are the fish attacking us? The reason this time is nonsense but they have been attacking this city for years¡­ like some kind of seasonal occurrence. What is their aim?¡± Sandra asked while watching the mini-golems she created move the bodies. ¡°They have their own societies. My guess is they attacked us because it is a convenient excuse. Perhaps a big shot in the fish kingdom benefited by sending a war party to us? Perhaps their population is getting too big and needs a good ol¡¯ culling? Who knows. I just don''t fancy being killed.¡± Ars¨¨ne was going through the motions of stuffing things into his storage item. Since it was not a special one, the space was almost full. ¡°My worry is what we should do if we get attacked by Level 4s or 5s. Against Level 3s we still have a chance to hold on and retreat to the safety of the fort but above that? We would die without knowing how we died.¡± Irene shed light on the thing that everyone was concerned about. ¡°Calm down, we got our own powerhouses in case that happened. No need to overthink things that we can do very little about.¡± Norman tried to assuage the group. ¡°Rather than that, we should reflect and change how we fight from our usual style. Our Victa won¡¯t last at this rate. Take a page from Avel and Boram¡¯s book. They fought throngs of enemies the right way.¡± Boram was fighting a large number of Aberrants regularly during Stage 5 while Ars¨¨ne who possessed Viers¡¯ experience didn''t need saying. The battlefield they returned from was different from the regular Pathseekers. The sun was still hidden but dawn was about to break. While the Rising Fortune was asking Boram loads of questions and the boy was getting flustered but still giving honest answers, Ars¨¨ne was worrying about his own problems. My other self didn''t come yesterday. He must have judged it was too dangerous to make contact. I have to deal with the Victa situation on my own¡­ The best course of action is- Ars¨¨ne¡¯s eyes suddenly widened in realization and slapped his own forehead. I forgot the Duel With Honor Arte that the GK just gave me! It can give me Victa if I win by fighting fairly. Useless against monsters but against other Pathseekers¡­ Might be hard on a battlefield but it is not impossible. Finally, I see a way out of this crisis. Splendid! I haven''t learned the Arte yet so I should get started. *** ¡°Shululululu! A gill-less surface dweller dares to challenge me, Sarrashus the Strider of the Ocean Floor? Know your place, lowly human.¡± The bipedal Sahagin laughed most peculiarly then delivered the usual cliched line of small fries before they died. Ars¨¨ne slightly cocked his head to the right. On the second night, the merfolk started to come out along with their army of monsters. The merfolk seemingly possessed the means to command the lesser water creatures to do their bidding. There were five Level 2 trident-wielding merfolks. They were no mindless beasts, these were Pathseekers, not at all less than their human counterparts. Ars¨¨ne had shared his plan to fight one of the Level 2 on the enemy¡¯s side with the group and enlisted their help. After successfully trapping the lizard-like being with the Duel With Honor Arte, Boram made a big rock serpent, stepped onto its head, and raged around the translucent boundary where his master and the Sahagin were fighting. He wouldn''t let other monsters intervene with Master Avel¡¯s fight, defending with fervor. Bruce and the others also helped keep the other merfolk away. While the Duel With Honor Arte prevented exit from the inside, the reverse was not true. In fact, if anything so much as took a single step in, the duel wouldn''t be honorable and Ars¨¨ne would be getting a backlash. Normally, Ars¨¨ne would have enacted a sudden attack while Sarrashus was monologing but other than Cut the Crap Arte which might be recognized by Irene, it also might be ¡®not honorable¡¯ and break the Duel With Honor Arte. Thus Ars¨¨ne must do things knight-like, just like the helmet he wore. ¡°I am Avel of Javia, the Slayer,¡± Ars¨¨ne unsheathed his katana, Guren Muramasa. ¡°I request an honorable match.¡± Since there was a violent battle outside, it would be disadvantageous for Ars¨¨ne to have a long duel so he attempted to defeat the fish-faced Sahagin as soon as possible. The two clashed immediately. It proved to be a slightly more difficult affair than he thought. Without the boost from Horizon, Ars¨¨ne couldn''t squash the opposition through sheer difference in power. The merfolk¡¯s skin was also kind of slimy and oily to assist his swimming underwater, which was not great for Ars¨¨ne¡¯s slashing attacks. Furthermore, Ars¨¨ne¡¯s enemy was heavily resistant to his water element. After all, what kind of fish was afraid of water? On top of the Sahagin¡¯s water affinity that offset Ars¨¨ne¡¯s Arte, the body itself was greatly resistant to water damage. ¡°Shulululu! The Human challenges the Sahagin using water? Plankton foolishness,¡± Sarrashus twirled his coral trident, convinced of his victory. Just ¡®slightly more difficult¡¯. ¡°Your mistake is thinking I can only dish out water.¡± After testing his water arts¡¯ effectiveness against the sea dweller, Ars¨¨ne changed his approach. He clasped his hand together and created some space between both palms. The arena about ten meters in diameter created by the Duel With Honor was experiencing rapid change. Sarrashus¡¯ composure faded. ¡°W-What did you do?¡± He asked while looking at his arms. They were rapidly drying out. Ars¨¨ne forcefully gathered the moisture all around him and created a ball of water between his hands. It was getting bigger by the second at the expense of a drastic decrease of moisture everywhere else. The Sahagin screeched and attacked before it got any worse but Ars¨¨ne dodged with ease. Sarrashus¡¯ eyes soon turned brown in color and shriveled inwards like dried-out fruits. Ars¨¨ne himself was not affected by the increasingly lethal aridness. Arte - Dehydration! The Arte wasn''t almighty, like every Arte, the stronger the target, the less effective it would be. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s new water 5 affinity and the unfamiliarity of the sea dweller with dryness paved the road to Ars¨¨ne¡¯s victory. ¡°Gahhhck¡­ Akkkhhh¡­ Hhhhh¡ª¡± It didn''t take long for the Sahagin to become a dried husk, wrinkled and deformed. Ars¨¨ne felt something cold and fresh flowing into him, sweet Victa. While he was refreshed, he looked at the almost mummified remains. ¡°...Thirsty?¡± Chapter 211 - Hypnosis and Fishwar ¡°Can you hear me?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°Tell me your name.¡± ¡°...Avel of Javia.¡± ¡°Tell me your real name,¡± the Level 4 commanded. The fact that Ars¨¨ne didn''t realize when the man sneaked into their sleeping quarters and put him and the group under a spell showed the difference in power between them. The mind Arte induced the target to be highly susceptible. Ars¨¨ne was in a vulnerable state, his mind primed to answer any question truthfully. The purpose of Inspector Insen was clear: to find Tanael. ¡°...Avel of Javia,¡± Ars¨¨ne said slowly with an empty expression. Pity the hypnotism did not work on Ars¨¨ne. ¡°Are you Tanael?¡± ¡°...No.¡± Ars¨¨ne lied through his teeth and Insen was none the wiser. In fact, it was harder for Ars¨¨ne to hold back his laugh rather than enduring the mind-befuddlement, which was as harmful as a light summer breeze because he had Mystic Star Shroud from Aletro. Insen asked many more questions to Ars¨¨ne before he moved on to the second victim, Boram. Insen repeated his question and Boram replied truthfully. Unlike Ars¨¨ne, Boram didn''t have a mental defense strong enough to stop the mind Arte of the Level 4. Insen and Fajrin¡¯s skill of the mind was as different as heaven and earth. And yet Ars¨¨ne wasn''t worried. Viers had edited Boram¡¯s memories that might compromise Tanael¡¯s identity after the mass return from the Book World. The technique was based on Fajrin the Green Scorpion¡¯s friends that he soul searched. Mind defense was a must if one¡¯s companion could read minds. There are some priests and priestesses stationed here but it seems it wasn''t only for healing and defending the city. The Church guy that tried to hypnotize me is a Level 4, or 5¡­ If I didn''t have the Mystic Star Shroud this would be bad. Then again, without it I wouldn''t have stayed in the city in the first place. Hmph, they really got the hots for me. Pity you guys aren''t my type. Leave me alone you stalkers! Ars¨¨ne went through the night as if nothing happened. Insen¡¯s investigation was a bust, unaware that the one he sought was the very first one he investigated. Later that day, he went to a different fort to invade the minds of the other returnees. *** Ars¨¨ne caught sight of Boram yawning during their guard time that started in the evening. With the merfolk usually attacking at night and ceasing when morning came, their sleeping time had been adjusted. ¡°Still sleepy?¡± Ars¨¨ne asked. ¡°Yes, Master. I don''t know why but my body feels heavy since I woke up,¡± Boram rubbed his eyes. Because of the hypnosis? It didn''t work on me so I don''t know the side effects¡­ If there''s coffee in this world, I would have recommended it. No, I¡¯m sure it or something similar exists. I should keep an eye out. ¡°Steady yourself, boy. Carelessness on the battlefield will lead to death. My guess is today will be harder than yesterday.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± While Boram walked ahead, Bruce walked closer to Ars¨¨ne. ¡°Don''t you think you¡¯re too hard on the boy? He¡¯s, what, ten years old?¡± ¡°Twelve,¡± Ars¨¨ne said. ¡°He feels weak and inadequate after what happened in the Book World. Comforting words are not what he needs now.¡± ¡°What does he need then?¡± Norman, the oldest of the group, asked. To realize his place in the food chain, that he is already stronger than most of Level 2, including you guys. Ars¨¨ne chose to be diplomatic and did not voice it out loud. ¡°That¡¯s up to him to find the answer, Norman. At any rate, don''t let down your guard. I don''t think the merfolk are only at this level.¡± ¡°We understand, Avel,¡± Bruce gave a fist bump to his own chest. ¡°We might not be as strong as you, but don¡¯t sell us short yet.¡± Ars¨¨ne smiled. Bruce and Norman couldn''t see it under his helmet but the slight difference in his tone let them guess he smiled. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°How reliable. Glad to hear it.¡± Ars¨¨ne half expected they would get lax or crushed by the difference in power after they witnessed his and Boram¡¯s performance. The fact that they didn''t already showed they were above the small fry adventurers out there. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s evaluation of them rose a bit. Perhaps there¡¯s value in having a good relationship with them. *** In the days to come, the attack from the underwater kingdom intensified. ¡°Retreat! Retreat to the fort!¡± Bruce shouted after pulling his sword from the head of a crustacean monster. There were too many monsters coming from all sides. ¡°By the Goddess. How many of them are there?¡± Sandra cringed at the sight. ¡°Bruce, Norman is surrounded!¡± Will pointed out. Norman wasn''t fast enough and got bogged down by anemones. Bruce made a snappy decision with one glance. ¡°...He won''t make it. I will go-¡± Ars¨¨ne swooped in from the side. He slashed and diced the anemone monsters and freed Norman from the bindings. He threw something at the ground and a wall of fire emerged to cover their retreat. He lent Norman his shoulder and brought him to the fort¡¯s entrance. ¡°Avel, nice job-¡± ¡°He¡¯s been poisoned, Bruce. He needs a healer.¡± Bruce looked surprised and shouldered Norman¡¯s arm from the other side. ¡°Hang in there, buddy. The Church¡¯s healers are the best. Don''t go dying on us!¡± ¡°Urgh¡­¡± While Bruce and Will helped the weakened Norman to the infirmary, Irene and Ars¨¨ne stayed, helping to defend the gate. It wasn''t over until five Level 3s from the other fort came to help late in the night. *** ¡°How much longer Sandra!?¡± Norman was defending using a towering shield of ice. ¡°Almost there¡­¡± Sandra kept concentrating on her spell. ¡°Hurry it up! We¡¯re getting exposed here,¡± Will turned his arm into smoke and it elongated. The dagger-wielding hand slit the throat of a merman warrior from his blindside. ¡°Done!¡± Sandra opened her eyes. Raising her staff high and striking it down. ¡°Sinking Earth!¡± A wide area in front of them caved in, many of the sea invaders fell into the sinkhole. ¡°Haaaaaa!!¡± Since Sandra had poured her all into the Arte, she didn''t realize that an arrow of water shot from the bill of a swordfish merfolk was coming towards her. Ars¨¨ne struck the water arrow before it pierced Sandra¡¯s head. It lost its form and only specks of water sprinkled over the earth mage. *** With Duel With Honor Arte, Ars¨¨ne alleviated his Victa situation somewhat but it wasn''t nearly enough to offset the expenditure from the intense battles that occured every night. Sometimes, there wasn''t any opportunity to invoke the Arte. They were on a battlefield where the situation was fluid and chaotic, Boram couldn''t always protect him. Duel With Honor was a delicate Arte that would break with the slightest mishap from the outside so Ars¨¨ne couldn''t use it if the conditions were not met. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s Victa became less as each day passed. That was why he focused on assisting from the third day on, only fighting when necessary. He saved the Rising Fortune¡¯s members from death on two occasions, which allowed Ars¨¨ne to gain their favor and gratitude. But the star of the show was Boram of the Aletro Nine Stars. He had Earthborn Amalgam Profound Codex that centered on raising his physical side. Boram¡¯s ordinary hammer smack was deadly even for a Level 2 merfolk, adding Victa or Artes on top of that made Boram hit like a meteorite. Better body made him possess the stamina of an ox, raking in a lot of kills on the battlefield while using little Victa. It seemed he even defeated some Level 2 merfolk of some renown. The foundations were already there but the reward of Book World¡¯s Stage 5 was what allowed Boram to achieve the stellar record in the defense of Fort Mercator: Investiture of Soil. The effect of the gift was simple, Boram now had the ability to absorb energy from the soil below his feet. It empowered him in a mundane but practical way. By Viers¡¯ estimation, the gift alone doubled Boram¡¯s battle strength and it made Viers very happy. Boram confessed that he first wanted to pay five hundred thousand shards to become earth 5 affinity. Aletro recommended the Investiture of Soil since he only had seven hundred thousand and it suited him more. White Aletro, who should be hating Viers, didn''t jeopardize Boram¡¯s future. He wasn''t at Viers¡¯ own level yet but Boram was slowly becoming a little monster of a Pathseeker. People showered Boram with praise. Rumor was that Khalmar, who fought at another fort, achieved even more than Boram. People¡¯s evaluation of the Aletro Nine Stars rose even more. Unfortunately, other than Khalmar and Boram, the other seven didn''t even show their shadow. But Boram was just a Level 2. In the grand scale of things, Boram¡¯s effort didn''t really matter much since there were Level 4s fighting it out. Both sides seemed to have a consensus for the higher Level Pathseeker to not simply destroy thousands of the opposition¡¯s younglings. That meant this engagement still had rules and had some form of civility. Ars¨¨ne would have deserted otherwise. Reputation wasn''t worth exposing his identity as Viers¡¯ other self. As the days went by, the situation wasn''t getting better. The forces of the underwater invaders far outnumbered them because they were bolstered by sea monsters. Casualties started to rise. The forts held but Ars¨¨ne eavesdropped that the Sahagins and other amphibious merfolk had raided the area nearby the city and already blockaded it. In other Fables, the MC often knew the grand scheme of the war such as this, but Ars¨¨ne was only a Level 2 grunt. Information from the high command didn''t trickle down that low. Ars¨¨ne didn''t know the endgame of the Regidana and the merfolk higher-ups. Since it wasn''t hopeless yet, he kept fighting. He wouldn''t waste Boram in fighting someone else''s war. While Ars¨¨ne didn''t know if the Level 5s had battled or not, he lightly glimpsed at the fight of Commander Goudy with a female merfolk that dressed like a jellyfish. The fight was miles away from the fort but the reverberation was still overwhelming. They changed the landscape. So that¡¯s a Domain¡­ the evolution of Level 3¡¯s Unreality Field. Good data for the Grid. The war¡¯s scale was not as colossal as Stage 5 where there were an obscene number of Aberrants, Tyra Xergs, and various troops but it was more intense; because in the Book World, the Pathseekers¡¯ Level was limited to Level 2 while in this arena, even Tanael in his full strength was only a bigger bug to the top combatants. So far, the progress was satisfactory. Until the mandatory disaster arrived. Chapter 212 - Refusing and Saving Boram felt something strange. His master was watching the sunset without his helmet on, letting the sea breeze touch his face through the bandages. His master didn''t need to hide his disfigured face anymore but he still usually kept his face covered when he went outside. The sight of his back gave off a different impression than usual. ¡°Master Avel, is there something wrong? You seem awfully¡­ tense,¡± he asked as delicately as possible. ¡°...How¡¯s your wound from yesterday? Any discomfort? How''s today¡¯s battle strength?¡± Ars¨¨ne said without turning. The sunset beyond the sea was very picturesque. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m well. Geotheraphy Arte worked like a charm.¡± In the Book World, Boram had learned an earth-based healing Arte. It was a must since injury was inevitable. It worked best for himself, but could also be used on others with reduced effect. ¡°Good. I¡¯m just feeling down because even after ten days, we haven''t seen a single mermaid.¡± ¡°...Forgive me Master, but I don''t believe you.¡± Ars¨¨ne was surprised at Boram¡¯s denial of his answer and chuckled. ¡°Hehehe, how perceptive of you. But that was not a lie, a half-truth. Works better than an outright lie.¡± ¡°...Eugene told me that knights and men of character should always speak the truth.¡± ¡°Do as you wish, but remember you¡¯re always responsible for your actions. My advice is to not speak the truth if it gets you killed.¡± Ars¨¨ne¡¯s words wouldn''t make it into the picture books that parents gave to their children. Before the conversation progressed further, a group of people passed them by. Ars¨¨ne recognized them by looks but not names. They were adventurers stationed on the east side of the fort. ¡°That kid there, isn''t he Boram of the Nine Stars?¡± ¡°Yep. Don''t underestimate how small he looks though. He cracked the shell of a Barastol Turtle with one hit.¡± ¡°Daaang¡­ Who¡¯s the other guy?¡± ¡°Based on the helmet, he should be Avel the Slayer.¡± ¡°Ooh, cool name. Is he good?¡± ¡°So-so I heard. He got strong momentum from the start but he¡¯s not making any noteworthy deeds afterward. And some say his achievements are mainly because of Boram, who is his slave.¡± ¡°Hmph! Lucky bastard. If only my slave is that great¡­¡± The man kicked the butt of an older man wearing poorer clothes along with a metal collar. ¡°Useless trash. Even a child is better than you!¡± ¡°Y-yes master¡­ Apologies for this mutt¡¯s stupid,¡± the man frantically apologized. ¡°Stupidity! Sheesh, what a hopeless guy.¡± The adventurer and his fellows walked away. The slave trailed behind them with hollow eyes. He gave one last look to Boram, a look with a thousand meanings, before walking with all the world¡¯s hopelessness. Boram felt as if his soul was grated. Ars¨¨ne felt worms were slithering into his ears. ¡°That¡¯s the common treatment of slaves,¡± Ars¨¨ne said after a while. ¡°...I know, Master. I am forever grateful for your kindne-¡± ¡°You misunderstand, that is not what I meant to say. My question is this: Now that you have seen it, what are you going to do about it?¡± Ars¨¨ne listened to the sound of the waves while Boram took his time to answer. That was what Ars¨¨ne and Viers taught him, to give a slow but weighty answer rather than fast but thoughtless. ¡°...I am too weak to do anything about it. I don''t even know the correct actions. But¡­¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°I think¡­ I wish to change it.¡± A seagull squawked as it flew overhead. The sun was submerging more and more past in the skyline. Ars¨¨ne was satisfied with the answer and patted the kid on the back. ¡°Grow to become a man who can change it.¡± Boram took a sharp breath before answering with gusto. ¡°Yes, Master!¡± ¡°Good. Now concentrate on the battle ahead. Don¡¯t die because of stupid carelessness. Today, I¡¯ll be counting on you more than usual.¡± The two walked back to their post, Boram walked ahead. As the last light of the sun was extinguished, Ars¨¨ne felt the change. He looked at his hand as the power began to leave his body. So it begins¡­ A day later than I thought. It seems the other me has become a level 3 then. He sighed with a grim determination. I just have to last until sunrise¡­ *** Whether it was fate, providence, bad luck, or coincidence, the tenth day was super intense. It was as if the merfolk were making an all-out assault. The opening salvo was a tsunami with enough height to drown both the island and the fort. If the defensive arrays of the fort did not activate in time, there would be no more land beneath the feet of Ars¨¨ne and the defenders. A downpour that rocked the sea and clouds came next. The Sea Witches had called upon a ritual that changed the weather itself. The rain and wind heavily favored the underwater attackers. Then massive sea creatures besieged the fort by throwing boulders and water artillery. Level 2s like Boram and the others were powerless before such a force and had to take refuge inside the fort. Which had its main wall breached by an absolutely massive blast. An attack from the opposition''s Level 4s. Commander Goudy and other Level 4s had done all they could or all that would be left of Fort Mercator would be a heap of smoking ruins. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Then an army of merfolk and sea monsters stormed the fort directly. There were battles everywhere, mainly at major choke points against superior numbers. With this chaotic situation, group allocation didn''t really matter. Ars¨¨ne and Boram had been separated from the Rising Fortune group. So far, Ars¨¨ne had not pulled his sword or used a single Arte. He depended on Boram to defend him from harm. Far on the ocean, there was a giant hurricane crackling with blue lightning. It was like a finger of God; utterly massive and powerful. The power it emitted was far above Level 4. Level 5¡­ has to be. Ars¨¨ne looked on in awe. That was the site where a couple or several Level 5s vied for supremacy. Even Viers, with all of his strength, wouldn''t be able to get close. Suddenly, Commander Goudy, who looked like he had just been through a life-and-death battle, appeared where Ars¨¨ne, Boram, and the twenty or so people that were busy defending the corridor were. The Level 4 cleared the immediate threat with a wave of his hand, turning the attacking crocodile merfolks into charcoal. ¡°Listen up. The merfolk¡¯s goal is to destroy the main array located at the fort¡¯s basement. If it is lost, they will have a straight route to Regidana. Countless lives are at stake. We have reinforcements ready but the blasted water-breathers are preventing them from teleporting in. I have pinpointed where the interference comes from. You people are the closest. You must sally to that place and stop the merfolk¡¯s ritual. I¡¯ll make a way for you guys. Dorus, you have command. Move out!¡± After pointing out where they must go and appointing a senior Level 3, Goudy left as fast as he arrived. The place Goudy meant was outside of the fort, which meant they would have to go through a shitload of enemies. Thankfully, Commander Goudy made a tunnel of fire for them to go through. The man himself defended the protective tunnel from all manners of creatures and attacks. ¡°Alright, it''s do or die, people. Follow me!¡± Dorus moved first, brimming with patriotic spirit. ¡°Hey you, why aren''t you going?¡± Ars¨¨ne didn''t move a muscle. ¡°I shall stay here.¡± ¡°You bastard! Did you hear what the man said? Give me one reason to not execute you where you stand for disobeying a direct order!¡± Dorus¡¯ threat did not sway him. ¡°I have no obligation to tell you and I¡¯m not your subordinate. I am a contracted adventurer with a contribution requirement, which my battle slave will fulfill. Boram will go in my stead.¡± ¡°You cowardly, lazy-¡± Dorus was fuming. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s no time. We have to go now!¡± Someone reminded Dorus. It was clear that Goudy wouldn''t last forever. ¡°Aaaah fuck! Stay here and rot then!¡± Many gave Ars¨¨ne the stink eye which Ars¨¨ne ignored. He gave Boram one last reminder. ¡°Whatever happens, survive.¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± The group ran through the path of fire and Ars¨¨ne found himself alone. He sighed with relief and regret. ¡­Shit. This just isn''t my day. Alone and vulnerable, Ars¨¨ne ran to the inner part of the fort to seek safety. On the way, he saw two dozen or so defenders getting overwhelmed at the main entrance of the fort. It was where the fighting was the thickest. Based on the corpses, there used to be more and it was getting worse. The merfolk attacked like they were possessed. Because of a partially destroyed fort, Ars¨¨ne caught sight from one floor above. The Rising Fortune was among them. Bruce, Norman, and Sandra were still fine but Will was unconscious and Irene''s left arm had a nasty laceration. Despite their brave resistance, it was only a matter of time before they were swallowed. Damn it! Ars¨¨ne made his way there as fast as he could but without Victa, he felt himself moving at a snail¡¯s pace. When he arrived right above them, there were significantly fewer people. Sandra¡¯s scream as Bruce was getting struck by a crab-claw mace was piercing even in the noisy battlefield. Ars¨¨ne jumped down from above, right in the middle of the Rising Fortune. Superhero landing. He held a DVD-sized stone disk with engravings of four faces in his hand and broke it in half. A membrane of protective energy protected Ars¨¨ne and the others. It was in the form of a sphere and transparent so those inside could still see the outside and the other way around. But the range wasn''t far, just two meters around Ars¨¨ne. Ars¨¨ne positioned his landing so all five of the Rising Fortune adventurer group were included but not others. The merfolk and monsters tried to break the shield but it stood firm. Realizing they were safe for the moment allowed them to identify the one who just saved them. ¡°A-Avel!? How-¡± Sandra was surprised. ¡°Snap to! Their conditions are critical,¡± Ars¨¨ne dumped a bottle of potion into Will¡¯s mouth. Good thing he swallowed it because no way Ars¨¨ne would give him mouth-to-mouth. ¡°R-right!¡± Sandra attended to Bruce. The head wound was nasty but it wasn''t an instant kill. He might have a chance. ¡°LET US IIIN!!¡± The other adventurers cried while banging the shelter because they thought it was their only chance of salvation. But they couldn¡¯t get in, just like the merfolk. ¡°Avel-¡± Norman called out. ¡°It doesn''t work that way, I¡¯m afraid,¡± Ars¨¨ne said without even facing the people with desperate faces. ¡°The item is fixed after deployment. I can''t do anything.¡± The three members of the Rising Fortune who were still conscious were glad they were saved but also felt some self-loathing. The cries of help soon turned into curses. Norman looked on while saddened and filled with regret, Sandra closed her eyes and ears to protect her heart, while Irene looked straight at them as if to burn their faces into her memory. It didn''t take long until only the merfolk remained and the group was attacked from all sides. But the sphere was like a diamond egg battered by a school of sardines, no matter how numerous the sardines were, the egg wouldn''t break. After Will¡¯s condition was stable, Ars¨¨ne applied healing salves on Irene¡¯s arm. ¡°How- shhhh!¡± Irene winced from the pain but held herself back from screaming. ¡°How strong is it?¡± ¡°The shield? Should hold for some time against a Level 4. But I don''t want to test it.¡± ¡°Then this must be a priceless treasure. We are in your debt. Truly,¡± Norman was tired but he wasn''t injured. ¡°It is a shame about the others but no one can place the blame on you.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Thank you, Avel. If you weren''t here, we would definitely be finished,¡± Sandra cradled Bruce¡¯s head after she stopped the bleeding. Her gratitude was not false. ¡°We¡¯ll recoup you for the treasure¡­ It might take a few years,¡± Norman added. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don''t mention it.¡± The stone disk was a life-saving item previously belonging to Airmaster. Viers just had a lot of these after the trial and shared some with Ars¨¨ne in preparation for this eventuality. He planned to use them anyway if things got really bad but since he could save some people with a little extra effort, Ars¨¨ne did so. Aletro disabled items that were too strong in the Book World so the well-privileged elites, who had many things like this, ended up donating their treasures to their killer, Viers. If Aravin and Anne could make use of all their godlike life-saving treasures, it wasn''t certain if they would fall to Viers¡¯ evil machinations. The invaders soon got tired of trying and went further into the fort, passing Ars¨¨ne¡¯s sphere. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Irene asked. ¡°We wait for reinforcements. Boram is-¡± Before Ars¨¨ne finished speaking, there was a sound of battle coming from further inside. The sound was getting more intense until the group could see what was making the noise. It was wolves. Tens, then hundreds of wolves. All were Level 3 monsters. The wolves came from inside the fort and matched the numbers of the merfolk forces. Even Ars¨¨ne didn''t expect such massive reinforcements. The wolves decimated the sea monsters and merfolk everywhere they went with their claws and fangs. ¡°AAAAAAHHHHH!!!¡± But the sight of hundreds of three-eyed wolves made Irene descend into hysteria. ¡°Kill them! I must kill them all! My family''s revenge!!¡± Irene screamed and pulled out a knife with the still working hand and struck the shield crazily. ¡°Oi oi stop that!¡± Ars¨¨ne panicked. ¡°This thing is easily broken from the inside! We¡¯re still in danger!¡± Irene was so consumed by hate she¡¯d lost all reason. Norman and Sandra had to make her faint. Ars¨¨ne sighed in relief. He didn''t know what was the deal with the three-eyed wolves but it seemed they were on their side and the tide had turned. Boram and the others must have succeeded and allowed the beasts to teleport here. Pheeew¡­ It seems I can go through the night without dying. Now I hope Boram is okay. Chapter 213 - Weakness and Strength The news that the war with the merfolk had ended spread throughout the ranks. The officials said that an accord had been reached with the underwater kingdom. The end of conflict after the assault on the tenth day was welcomed with tremendous jubilation. After laying the injured members of the Rising Fortune at the infirmary and not finding Boram there, Ars¨¨ne once again went to gaze at the sea. It was the same spot where he talked with Boram yesterday at sunset. The sea and sky were dark because it was before dawn, although the time was not far away. The scars of battle were still fresh but there were no signs of the three-eyed wolves anymore. It was safe to assume that the army of Rank 3 monsters was the hidden force of Regidana. Perhaps one of them went rogue and ended up killing Irene''s family? But Irene¡¯s home is so far away. I wonder what she will do now¡­ A one-woman crusade against the whole city? She would die. While Ars¨¨ne had past relation with Irene, he didn''t have the desire to accompany her in a lengthy -possibly suicidal- revenge side-quest. He stopped his musings after hearing Boram¡¯s approaching steps. He turned to look at his disciple. Boram wasn''t maimed or severely injured, which was good. ¡°You seem well. How was the battle after we separated?¡± ¡°Half of us died. I had to use the life-saving item that you¡¯d just given me to survive¡­ Sorry, Master.¡± Viers gave one of the better life-saving items to Boram just in case. What Boram did not speak of was how intense the fight was and how much he''d been able to push himself without using said item. Ars¨¨ne had vaguely sensed it but didn''t comment on it. Nevertheless, the mission was a success and the wolves came. ¡°Mmm,¡± Ars¨¨ne nodded. ¡°Adding your experience in the Book World, it seems you¡¯ve become adept in surviving in battle. Well done, boy. And don''t be sorry. I gave it to you for that very reason.¡± ¡°...Thanks, Master. U-um¡­¡± Boram didn''t look happy from the praise. He looked troubled instead. ¡°What is it?¡± Ars¨¨ne said. ¡°Just speak freely.¡± Boram resolved himself. ¡°Why weren''t you willing to go, Master?¡± ¡°Why do you think?¡± Ars¨¨ne said calmly. ¡°People talked. Many thought you were a coward. The one whose order you refused seems to have asked for your adventurer license to be revoked. The way they talked about you¡­ It¡¯s looking bad, Master.¡± Boram spoke with worry for his master. ¡°Lions don''t concern themselves with the opinion of sheep¡­ Be who you are and say what you mean. Because those who mind don¡¯t matter and those who matter don¡¯t mind.¡± Ars¨¨ne spoke the words of a Tywin Lannister -who got shot to death in the latrine by his own son because of such thinking- and he added the words of a visionary, Dr. Seuss. Boram carved the words to his memory but by the look on his face, it seemed the words were too heavy for a twelve-year-old, especially the last part. ¡°...But why, sir? Did you¡­ really escape out of fear?¡± Boram said what he was really thinking. He knew his master was strong but the words of others were getting to him. What was the reason for all the reluctance to act? Was he just a meat shield for his master? He was a slave after all. Boram kept the doubt bottled up inside him but what Master Avel said had opened the cork. Ars¨¨ne didn''t immediately answer. The silence between them scared the hell out of Boram. He thought his master was really angry this time. He imagined himself being sold back to a slave house. Meanwhile, Ars¨¨ne judged it was the appropriate time. He took out a small marble and dropped it to the sandy ground. Boram felt some kind of magic in the area. ¡°A privacy array,¡± Ars¨¨ne said while taking off his helmet and the bandages on his face. ¡°It prevents sound from going too far and obfuscates sight. You have one too in your storage pouch so use it for important conversations. You never know who might be watching. It is not absolute but better than nothing.¡± Boram gulped nervously. Ars¨¨ne bared his face and looked Boram straight in the eye. He also turned off another magic item in the form of a belt. Simply put, it was an anti-identify magic item. ¡°Now, use all of your observation skills. What do you sense about me?¡± Boram did as he was told. He didn''t have something on the level of Euryale Sight but Viers made sure he wasn¡¯t a dumb brute who could only smash things. What Boram found puzzled him. ¡°Master¡­ You- you¡¯re¡­ powerless? No Victa or aura whatsoever, as if you¡¯re not a Pathseeker. How can it be?¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°My Profound Codex is called Serpentes Renovamen. It is a powerful and ancient thing but just like every Profound Codex out there, it has a weakness.¡± Ars¨¨ne pointed to the sky. ¡°Every time I''m doing my Profound Practice, from sundown to sunrise, I¡¯m dead as a Pathseeker.¡± Ars¨¨ne dropped the bomb on Boram. Serpentes Renovamen''s former name was Immortal Snake¡¯s Death and Life Esoterica. The Profound Codex had a dual concept of death and life, which Viers found really fitting for his cultivation. It was a pretty common and clich¨¦d power for MCs but Viers didn''t mind as long as it was powerful. The Profound Codex was well-suited to a dual affinity Pathseeker like him. It was Clarissa¡¯s own which she taught Viers. This was after Viers had awakened his soul affinity. With water and soul abilities, Viers planned to infuse his water side with life profundities and his soul side with death. But unique to Viers¡¯ affinities, they were intermingled. Living beings couldn''t survive without water but water could also take life. Living beings had souls, without souls, they were not living. Viers foresaw the synergy between him and the Profound Codex, even more so than Clarissa who had fire affinity. Therefore the Profound Codex was too good for Viers to refuse. It wasn''t like there was any other Profound Codex from the Age of the Gods lying around on the side of the road. The chance to find another as powerful and as fitting as Serpentes Renovamen in the near future was next to none so Viers accepted the Profound Codex and cultivated it. Despite the major weakness of the Profound Codex. The particular point was the ¡®death and life¡¯ part, not ¡®life and death¡¯. The ¡®death¡¯ came first. ¡°To progress in our Profound Codex, we do Profound Practice,¡± Ars¨¨ne reminded Boram. ¡°It is different for every Codex, just like you have to absorb rocks and gems for yours. Mine is simple, to invoke the Codex and experience death every night and be reborn at sunrise.¡± On the horizon, the sun showed its face. As the light of the new day bathed Ars¨¨ne -specifically, Viers who was on Regidana- he returned to life. His powers returned completely. ¡°B-but, I have seen you battle and use Victa at night before!¡± Boram stuttered. ¡°True,¡± Ars¨¨ne confirmed. ¡°If I don''t invoke the Codex, I can operate in the night just fine. Unfortunately, Serpentes Renovamen is like a clingy, pampered girl. It will invoke on its own if I leave it alone for too long. When I was Level 0, if I didn''t use the Codex for six nights in a row, on the seventh night I would be powerless whether I wanted to or not. At Level 1, the grace period is extended by one. Level 2, plus one more night.¡± ¡°...Since this is the tenth night-¡± Boram counted. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve become a Level 3.¡± ¡°Ah! I¡¯m happy for you, Master. Congratulations.¡± ¡°Mm-hm,¡± Ars¨¨ne gave a light bob with his head. ¡°So you see, last night I was unable to do anything. Since I couldn''t exactly expose my weakness to the world, I would have to remain in the background. Yesterday coincided with the merfolk''s big push. It was very bad luck on my part¡­¡± ¡°So once every ten days¡­ Wait a second! If the death part is the Practice-¡± ¡°Yes, you realized another important fact. If I want to, every night I can experience death. For an entire month or year or decade, I¡¯m only a Pathseeker when the sun is out. But as you surely realized, doing so can cause me to die for real if I get attacked after sundown. That is why I only do the Profound Practice where I can safely spend the night.¡± The fact I must stave off the Practice unless I¡¯m safe makes my Codex¡¯s growth proceed slowly like a caterpillar. Thankfully I was able to catch up during my time in the Book World. ¡°I, more than anyone, realize the risk of this Profound Codex¡­ That is why I have you. To become my hammer and shield if it comes to that. I learned this by watching someone I called Shieldbro. His Profound Codex made him only able to use shields and unable to attack. To remedy his situation, he travelled with a slave, a raccoon beastfolk girl who became his most loyal sword¡­ I hope you can be like that to me just as she is to him.¡± Viers hoped that forging Ars¨¨ne would also help his condition. It was the ideal situation if at his powerless state Ars¨¨ne could still fight but unfortunately, Ars¨¨ne also lost power when Viers did. ¡°Oh¡­ What happened to them?¡± Boram asked. ¡°Well, they become gods,¡± Ars¨¨ne lightly said. ¡°M-Master¡­ You know g-gods?¡± ¡°Heheheh. No need to be so flustered, boy. It is a Fable. A story.¡± A damn popular one. ¡°Ah, okay¡­ Master wouldn''t use the Codex if the benefits are less than the price. So what is your gain, Master?¡± Boram was eager to know. ¡°For starters, I became stronger after each death and rebirth, meaning every session. It makes me just a tiny bit stronger, faster, tougher, basically better in every way. It¡¯s only about half a year since I got it though, and the completed Practices are even less, so the effect isn''t really apparent. When it really shines is further down the road, when I''m at least Level 4. I should achieve pseudo-immortality in battle at that point. Also, the Codex fits my cultivation Path. Abilities from the Codex aren''t everything, Boram, it must also be in line with your Path else it will cause trouble the higher you go.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Boram contemplated what he¡¯d just heard. His master just gave a lot to think about. ¡°So what happens now?¡± ¡°If the merfolk attacks are really over, it won''t be long until we can go back to the city. We¡¯ll stay for a while to digest our gains from the Book World, which you have more than I do, and keep improving ourselves. Hopefully, we have some peace and quiet for a change. The Path of Power is never-ending¡­ Ah, I also got a lawsuit to take care of. But right now, we¡¯re going to the infirmary.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I heard some of the Rising Fortune was injured?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re not going there with the main objective of visiting them. It¡¯s to get you emergency healing.¡± ¡°...Eh?¡± Boram¡¯s eyes were as round as the moon. ¡°You¡¯ve been poisoned. Slow acting but it¡¯s there,¡± Ars¨¨ne stopped his Euryale Sight Arte. ¡°Just because you don''t feel hurt, never forget to do a full-body check-up for hidden effects after a fight. Your strong constitution saved you for the time being.¡± Ars¨¨ne put on his helmet and shooed with his hand. ¡°Run along, before the poison reaches your heart and rots it from the inside.¡± ¡°Hiiiikh¨C Y-yes Master!¡± Boram cringed and ran away in a panic. His face was as white as a sheet. It wasn''t actually that immediate but it was a good lesson for him. Hehe. The boy might be able to bend steel with his hands now but he¡¯s still a kid. Chapter 214 - Called Out and Award While Boram was meeting the doc -or healer- Ars¨¨ne met up with the gang. ¡°Ahaha, you really saved us,¡± Bruce was in a bed and his head was bandaged but he greeted Ars¨¨ne with a light mood. The other members had briefed him about what happened. ¡°We won''t forget this favor.¡± ¡°...Thanks,¡± Will the skinny scout who was also on a bed beside Bruce thanked the knight-helmeted Ars¨¨ne. Although he seemed a bit down. ¡°It¡¯s fine. As fellow adventurers, helping each other is only proper,¡± Ars¨¨ne said something corny because his status demanded it. ¡°How are they doing and where are the others?¡± Ars¨¨ne turned to Sandra who was keeping an eye on the patients. ¡°They need about a week of rest. There are other ways for faster recovery but they are too expensive. Norman¡¯s taking care of some stuff while Irene-¡± ¡°Irene asked you to meet her. She wants to talk privately, uggghh¡­¡± Will started sobbing, to Ars¨¨ne¡¯s surprise. ¡°...What was that about?¡± He asked Sandra in a whisper. ¡°Don''t think much about it. He¡¯s got a thing for Irene. She asked for you. It was a bit of a shock for him,¡± she used her hand to cover her mouth. ¡°Oh¡­ Well don''t worry about it, smoke guy. It¡¯s probably nothing. So what are your plans now?¡± ¡°About that, Irene said she wants to stay in the city. We also need to recover. I think we¡¯ll operate from here for a while and see how things go,¡± Bruce said. Ars¨¨ne talked with them for a bit longer before going to meet Irene. Sandra said she was on the roof. The fort was the highest structure on the water-surrounded island so the roof was really high up. Though, it wasn''t particularly hard for Level 2s to climb up to the roof from the highest floor. Ars¨¨ne was greeted by a strong wind. He found Irene standing like a solitary owl. Her back was to him and the wound from yesterday had healed. The scenes of fort repair and battlefield clean-up were in full swing far downstairs. The late morning was very sunny. Usually, it was a bit unpleasant because of the hotness but because it was raining heavily yesterday night, courtesy of the Sea Witches, the air was now quite cool and pleasant. Ars¨¨ne stood next to her and watched the view and waited¡­ and waited. Army of Rank 3 monsters, huh? Were there Rank 4s? I heard from Boram that some breeds of those three-eyed wolves are even able to fight and breathe underwater¡­ fascinating. Where are they kept, I wonder¡­ Underground? Do they have an underground prairie under the city? Nah, a Biome seems more likely. ¡°Brooding?¡± Since she didn''t seem to be starting, Ars¨¨ne said something first. ¡°It¡¯s just as you said,¡± Irene¡¯s ponytail swayed in the wind. She had calmed down considerably compared to before. ¡°What did I say again?¡± Ars¨¨ne was confused. ¡°In your letter,¡± Irene gave Ars¨¨ne the bomb. ¡°Letter? What letter?¡± Ars¨¨ne¡¯s response was flawless but inside he was raising his guard. Of course he knew the letter. The letter he sent was the reason Irene was here in the first place. How did she know I¡¯m Cain of Ur? Did I mess up somewhere? ¡°The three-eyed wolves are the hidden force of this city¡­ I thought the one I¡¯m after is just a monster. Seeing there were hundreds of them was a shock. I thought killing the monster was enough but now I have to aim for the ones responsible.¡± ¡°Wait wait. Before you start narrating things that I don''t understand, why don''t you go waaaay back.¡± Irene didn''t care and kept talking. ¡°The waters are deep¡­ The Level 5 Governor-King definitely has a hand in this. Still, you''ve given me a choice. I¡¯m grateful you led me here. And also thank you for last night. Your advice, being prepared for close quarters saved me in the past too¡­ Oh, and the guys from before are doing fine. Lena and Paul have married, Oliver keeps his adventuring near Mokash town. They want you to visit if you can and send their greetings.¡± ¡°Girl, I think you have terribly mistaken me for someone else,¡± Ars¨¨ne didn''t break his cover. ¡°Like me, they don''t care about your wanted poster or whatever¡­ My debt is gradually increasing. If there¡¯s something you need me for, let me know. I probably can''t do much but I¡¯ll do what I can. I will probably stay in the city for quite a while so you can find me easily. I don''t want to involve Bruce and the others because it seems dangerous but they¡¯re too loyal for their own good. I¡¯ll give some explanation, hope they see sense and don''t concern themselves with me.¡± Irene walked away, hoisting her bow over her shoulder. Her expression was slightly dark. She had a faint feeling of envy. ¡°I¡¯ve disturbed the wind so none heard our conversation. You¡¯ve become strong¡­ or perhaps you¡¯ve always been. Good day and farewell.¡± For the first time in a long while, Ars¨¨ne didn''t know how to respond. He stayed on the roof for a while, contemplating various things. ¡­Should I silence her with extreme prejudice? *** Irene didn''t have any proof that Avel of Javia was the same person as Cain of Ur. She¡¯d seen his face and it was nothing similar, the body structure such as his height was different too. Even the names weren''t terribly unique; she¡¯d found quite a few people with similar naming styles. In fact, Norman from the Rising Fortune¡¯s full name was Norman of Beyex. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. She just found Avel and Cain similar, their way of talking, how he walked, his habit of keeping his sword within an arm''s reach, how he chewed food using the right side of his mouth first, and other small things. The ten days they were together let Irene pick up these similarities. Irene was the daughter of just an ordinary hunter but she was taught useful things, such as paying attention to details. It was really useful during hunts. Cain and Avel both had water elements, they both used swords, they both were at similar Level as Pathseekers. Those were the most common similarities. Of course, Viers himself realized this. He wanted to test how extreme the people that were after him would go; there were quite a few going after his multiple identities. That was why it was Ars¨¨ne and not Viers who was walking around as Avel. He was worried if the Church would suddenly kidnap him and hold him against his will. They were certainly capable of doing so. That was what Viers would have done if he was in their shoes. But the Church was the good guys. At least, their front appearance was lawful good so forceful hypnotism behind closed doors was the farthest they were willing to go. In Irene¡¯s case, she only had a gut feeling that Avel and Cain were one and the same so she treated them as such. She didn''t need to think too hard about it, second-guessing herself was not in her nature. She wanted to repay her debt, she needed him to know she wanted to pay her debts. If it was indeed a different person and he used her for unearned favors, then so be it. At least she was doing good deeds for others. This time, Irene¡¯s gut feeling hit the bull¡¯s eye. *** ¡°We will now proceed to the award ceremony. These are the people who have distinguished themselves in the defense of Regidana. For their exemplary service in the face of danger and for upholding their duty to protect innocent lives¡­ Those of you whose name is called, step forward. First, Iron ranked adventurer, Adriana Hops. The female Level 3 adventurer stepped forward in front of the Guildmaster. Ars¨¨ne recognized the guy, he was Peanut¡¯s uncle. The man then spoke of Adriana¡¯s battle achievements during the battle with the merfolk invaders. ¡°Lady Adriana!¡± ¡°Whooohoo!¡± ¡°So cool!¡± ¡°Marry me!¡± People cheered and clapped their hands. ¡°The guild thanks you for your exemplary service. You¡¯re now a Bronze ranked adventurer.¡± The Guildmaster hung a necklace -guild tag- on her neck personally. Peanut was standing next to her uncle with a tray of new tags that would be given in this ceremony. The sight reminded Ars¨¨ne about the Olympics medal ceremony. Even after the cessation of hostilities between Regidana and the fish kingdom, Ars¨¨ne and the other adventurers were not immediately sent back home. They maintained vigilance and there were still things to be done such as repairing all three forts which suffered quite a lot of damage during the final battle. For two days there was no sighting of a single merfolk; the peace seemed to hold. Since Regidana was now ready and able to muster the wolves, emergency conscription like what Ars¨¨ne was subjected to, was no longer mandatory. Of course, those who stayed were welcomed and would be compensated. Before the adventurers were released to the wilds, so to speak, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild conducted the award ceremony in Fort Mercator because it was the most intact. Adventures from the other forts gathered. There were about a hundred adventurers in total when they first arrived, now it seemed around thirty people had lost their lives. The ceremony began with the speech from the Guildmaster himself, Bert who had the title of Big Bison Berserker when he was still active as an adventurer in his younger days. Following that were the condolences and honors to the ones that fell defending the city. Lastly, the award-giving. Haha, Peanut looks bored as hell. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s mind wandered as the ceremony went on. First was the Level 3s before the Level 2s. The hierarchy of strength among Pathseekers was important. The strong deserved respect. Then it was Khalmar¡¯s turn. The Noble Tiger looked dignified, stronger, and more determined than when Viers defeated him in Stage 5. He seemed to have grown as a person. Beastfolks were not really different from humans except for some animal anatomies, usually ears and tails. Khalmar was just promoted to an Iron ranked adventurer, it was too soon for him to be a Bronze so the guild gave him gifts instead. Looking at the beastfolk¡¯s face, he had no complaints. The gifts were fitting for him and really valuable. He had just got the benefits from the Book World but there were never enough resources for a Pathseeker to grow. The reception was incredible. ¡°So that¡¯s Noble Tiger, one of Aletro Nine Stars. The Rookie Adventurer Award should be his. Another award back-to-back, hm? This tiger beastfolk seems promising. If he wins the U18 tournament after that, wouldn''t it be a triple award ceremony for him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a legendary feat. Who knows how long it''s been since a rookie was able to win the tournament? About the Rookie Award, Khalmar is practically assured since the Ivory Flame is nowhere to be found. He¡¯s not dead, is he?¡± ¡°Probably just left. Adventurers are a wandering bunch after all¡­ Hmmm, according to my memory, isn''t there one more candidate?¡± ¡°Lastly, Obsidian ranked adventurer, Avel of Javia,¡± Guildmaster Bert called with a stoney expression, as if he was making an effort to show as neutral a face as possible. Very contrasting to the previous people, Ars¨¨ne¡¯s ascension to the stage was only accompanied by a light handful of claps, mostly Boram and the Rising Fortune. Which turned awkward in an instant. ¡°Why is he there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s his slave. Boram was incredible out there.¡± ¡°Then it should be Boram who got the award.¡± ¡°According to the law, a slave is no different than a sword on your hip or a bonded beast, the credit went to the owner. Boram is not even an adventurer.¡± ¡°Still, this doesn''t sit right with me.¡± The hushed whispers of derision stank like rotten fish but Ars¨¨ne was as cool as ice. His helmet was tucked on his arm but his face was covered with bandages. ¡°For your¡­ and your companion¡¯s contribution to the city. The guild elevated you to the Iron rank adventurer. The guild thanks you for your service,¡± Bert said. After receiving the adventurer tag that signified his promotion, Ars¨¨ne stood down from the stage where his path was barred by an injured man. His arm was in a sling and he walked with a limp. ¡°You don''t deserve it,¡± the guy said. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s response was swift. ¡°Tell that to the guild that gave me this. Lodge your complaint to them.¡± Ars¨¨ne wasn''t blind. He knew the guild¡¯s side also had reservations but he fulfilled the criteria that they set themselves. The Free People Coalition legalized slavery. While people''s personal strengths could be as different as heaven and earth, equality was a difficult matter. The matter of Boram¡¯s slavery was legal but unethical. It always was. Ars¨¨ne intended to pass the guy without batting an eye because he didn''t have to entertain this one jealous guy but he paused before at the last second. ¡°Don''t you worry, friend. If my power is too weak for this position, I will die soon enough.¡± Avel was not Tanael. He should keep up his appearances. That was the most diplomatic answer that emerged from Ars¨¨ne''s mind. The Guildmaster gave a short closing speech and Ars¨¨ne was soon on a boat returning to Regidana. He looked forward to syncing with his other self. Chapter 215 - Great Harvest (1) While Ars¨¨ne and Boram were defending Fort Mercator, Viers was as busy as a bee on caffeine honey. Increasing his soul attainment was the first priority. Every day Viers tried to absorb as much as he could, as best as he could, but it was work done in months not days. While absorbing, the headache gradually became more intense. Viers knew his limits and stopped to do something else. Although he had Mystic Star Shroud, Viers kept using his Insignificant Fate Arte. He was very meticulous against the yet-to-be-seen enemies but getting stronger was always the answer. Such was Viers¡¯ way of thinking. Now that he was a Level 3, Viers familiarized himself with his power spike. Even without any improvement, just his Level 3 Victa improved all of his Artes considerably. Of course, Viers wasn''t satisfied. There were all kinds of improvements to be made on his Artes, water and soul both. Paina, Farley, Clarissa, and Viers himself were on this. With the massive sample of Arte formulas from the people he soul searched, his Arte repertoire continued to become better and better. The Unreality Field was a crucial feature that was unlocked at Level 3, not only did it serve as a protective measure, it also could affect one¡¯s Artes. ¡°This is my Unreality Field¡­¡± Viers muttered with deep emotion when he first invoked the ability. It was a long journey prior to this point. Viers¡¯ body was coated by an aura of blue and green a few inches above his skin. The two colors didn¡¯t mix, representing his water and soul affinities. The contradictory aura of life and death was being emitted from it. Colors didn''t indicate a person¡¯s affinity so Viers¡¯ cover couldn¡¯t be blown by simply using the ability. At first the Field was only able to envelop a person¡¯s body but it could grow outward as the Pathseeker became stronger and more proficient in using it. Conventional Artes, poison, and the likes from Level 2 and below won¡¯t hurt me now. Nothing is absolute though, since I broke Alan¡¯s a while back. Hmm¡­ maintaining it took quite a bit of concentration. I have to master this before I take on Level 3 opponents. Upon higher mastery, Unreality Field could also be infused into Artes to bolster their effects. Viers wasn''t able to when he tried, so too Alan, the Level 3 that Viers felled using a water Rasengan. They hadn''t reached that level yet. His soul Artes had been used and polished aplenty during his battles as Tanael while his water Artes didn''t get enough love. Not only that, his swordsmanship training was also somewhat neglected. Now that he was no longer in the safety of the Book World, the conventional thinking was Viers put his soul skills in the back seat and put his water skills to the front because he would use those mainly. Viers also thought that way at first. It was a given he would improve his water skills which had just received a crucial boost of water 5 affinity but why stop there? With a smidgen of soul attainment he got from Aletro, Viers already had a plan. Telekinesis. Telekinesis is the way! I¡¯m going to be a fuckin¡¯ Jedi! Moving things without touching them in this world was uncommon but not impossible. While mainly this lay in the domain of a mind Pathseeker, but air and soul Pathseeker could do the same feat. However, Profound Codices could also allow someone to use telekinesis. As long as Viers could hide his soul signature from others¡¯ detection, he should be fine using it as an excuse, which was entirely possible because of Mystic Star Shroud, Grand Soul, and Aletro¡¯s skill trinity! Others could also do something similar. For example, a water Pathseeker could make a water hand to grab an out-of-reach glass. Ha! Even a simple Force Push or Force Pull could have great effect in a fight. Mwuahahahaha! I¡¯m TOTALLY gonna Force Choke people I don''t like! To keep the films in PG rating, even the bad guys don''t burst someone¡¯s head in a show of gore despite the fact that they are capable of it but nothing''s gonna prevent me from doing that. Also also! Can I shoot lightning from my fingers using my soul energy? Not impossible! Not impossible at all! Souls are too versatile. Gwahahahaha! Wait a sec, this makes me a Sith rather than a Jedi, doesn¡¯t it? ¡­Bah, a trivial matter. Both sides are cool as hell, that¡¯s what matters. A brand new path was opened before Viers. He lacked the skill to pull it off in the past despite having the inspiration but now he had pried open the door using a crowbar that he bought at three and a half million spark shards. One day, Viers would have his own epic BGM when entering a room just like Darth Vader. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. That was not all. Viers realized his usage of soul was heavily focused for direct attacks and passed over the more sophisticated usage of it. In 12 Miles Below, the MC and his allies learned how to perceive souls and it aided them greatly in combat. Made them able to predict the opponent''s move by the fluctuation for their soul? ¡­Something like that. Isn''t this the soul sense concept in xianxia? Hell, Observation Haki is also similar to this. Viers¡¯ imagination was going wild. What if I could- But he hit the brakes. Calm down, boy. Slow down a bit. Trying to do everything is a foolish way of thinking, even if there¡¯re technically two of me now. Not that I won''t try to acquire the ability in the future but my physical senses are quite sharp themselves. Well, only my hearing and sight when I use Euryale Sight. I¡¯ve planned to sharpen my sense of smell but it always got shoved down the priority list¡­ More is not always better. Jack of all trades and master of none is not what I want to be. Viers narrowed down what he would focus on in his magical department. Ideally, his life would be long enough for him to be a master of all. Artes and magical powers were nice and all but Viers was not going to do a pure-mage build; his skill with an edged tool would make his enemies feel like a fish on a chopping block in front of a sushi chef. Viers created his own brand of swordsmanship, Suiten Mitsurugi-ryuu. It wasn''t the best sword style out there, worse yet, it wasn''t even particularly special. Viers¡¯ history using a sword was two years at most. Calling him a founder of a sword style was laughable in the eyes of a true swordsman who lived by the sword. Viers didn''t have a teacher and thus far all he learned was self-taught. And yet no matter how rough his skill with a blade was, he had killed a lot of people and monsters using his sword arm. It was an undeniable fact. What he did have was a ton of learning material. People that he soul searched had learned from various schools of combat, many used swords as their weapon. Viers distilled the ones he felt useful and absorbed their techniques. It wasn''t a simple copy, he was slowly integrating them into something of his own. In particular, Blade of Justice Troy¡¯s swordsmanship skill was a very good reference, as expected from a renowned sword School. But it was not the most precious piece of sword knowledge in Viers¡¯ Arsenal. In Stage 3, Viers recorded a phantom utilizing something called the Sea Universe sword style. It was only the first form but even with what little understanding of the sword he had, Viers understood it was something extraordinary. For now, I¡¯ll use it as the basics and slowly build my swordsmanship from there. Just watch, even this Sea Universe style will be absorbed into my Suiten Mitsurugi-ryuu. Like the name, the Sea Universe sword style was water-based, Aletro gave a fitting reward for Viers but it wasn''t easy. Unlike the matter of the soul, Viers didn''t have a shortcut. To perfectly master that first form, it might take months or even years. Viers wasn''t discouraged. Every day, he allocated a few hours of his time to repeatedly practice that form. He knew to grow as a swordsman he would have to pay the price in terms of sweat, one swing of the blade at a time. To gain the necessary experience, ten days were far from enough. He could copy and mimic the posture, steps, and others but he didn''t know how effective it would be in real battles. He also felt he was missing something. Ah, so I¡¯m not like those ¡®genius¡¯ xianxia MCs that could learn something that took others a year to learn in one week. Shame, it would make my life so much easier. But hardships build character and all that. Not much of a loss then. Hmn¡­ Does this have something to do with those xianxia novels becoming boring after three-k chapters? What a mystery indeed. Clong¡ª! His arms burned with muscle sores as he dropped the training sword after swinging it a hundred times. The thing resembling a baseball bat made a dull sound as it hit the ground. The training sword was something he got from Troy''s inventory ring, it was blunt but ten times heavier than normal swords. In fact, it could be used as a blunt weapon just fine. Viers couldn''t even wipe the sweat from his brows and fell on his butt. ¡°Kin, water!¡± Dia trotted closer with a big cup of pure water just as Viers finished, offering the cup to his mouth. ¡°Zeeeh¡­ zeeeh¡­ zhanks¡­¡± Veirs was too short of breath to properly speak. He chugged until the last drop. Cling¨C Cling¨C Cling¨C A clear bell-like chime resounded from nearby. ¡°Oooh! The thing is done, kin! Now can you tell me what it is?¡± Dia was getting excited. Not far from Viers¡¯ location, there was an intricate-patterned magic circle glowing yellow. Inside the circle, there were storage items of various shapes, rings, pouches, bags, and the like. The magic circle was called Lock-breaking Array. Its purpose was to slowly dissolve the locked storage items. Viers had a lot of them, donated by the kind souls from the Book World. Before, Viers was having trouble opening just two rings but no longer. Lady Viper, unremarkable she might be, possessed this precious array through her own fortunate encounter. After a soul search session, it was now Viers¡¯. Setting it up was a pain and costly but from now on, just leave the storage items inside the circle for a few days and the contents would be spilling out. Viers channeled the old enchanter¡¯s soul to create this array. There were limitations but the array would work on conventional storage items. Although it was among the better ones, even Viers¡¯ Thousand Treasure Casket was categorized as a standard storage item. On the downside, the storage items would be destroyed. Skilled enchanters like Izabella could make it so other people could use them again but for simplicity, Viers chose to break them down using the array. In Stage 5, Viers opened a few with help of Izabella but there were still many that remained unopened. Because he was busy, he didn''t have the time to soul search the small fries to the last scrap of memories either so Viers didn''t know what he would find. ¡°Hahaha. It is called out-of-season Christmas presents. Shall we see what¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°Presents? I like presents. Yaaaay!¡± Dia cheered. Next up comes the loot!! Let¡¯s hope there are cheat-level goods waiting for me. Hihihi! Chapter 215 - Great Harvest (2) Viers and Dia went to a messy assortment of stuff that came from around forty storage items. It was the scene of a plane crash, its cargo was strewn all over the ground. Viers had anticipated this so he put down the array on a grass field as wide as a basketball court. ¡°Howaaaah¡­ So much stuff I¡¯ve never seen before,¡± Dia was in awe looking at the small mountain of precious and useless items alike. Weapons, clothes, gold, furniture, food, corpses, gems, accessories, all were mixed together in a splendid disorder. In the Book World, Viers¡¯ kill count was around twenty-five at most. However, some of those people he killed had multiple storage items or had taken others¡¯ before they fell into Viers¡¯ hands. ¡°Got to separate this into categories first. Looks like we got our work cut out for us. Come out, girls. Time to work.¡± Beside Viers, Paina, Farley, and Clarissa trio took form. Their figure was somewhat spectral but they were able to touch physical things. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the ghost girls inside kin!¡± Dia said. ¡°Hello Dia. Nice to meet you again,¡± Clarissa gave the loveable green-skinned dryad a hug. ¡°Ehehe, it tickles, Snakefeet ghost, ahaha¡­ Paipai ghost and Fayfay ghost too, hello~¡± Dia tried to break free from Clarissa¡¯s cuddling. ¡°Paipai¡­¡± Paina¡¯s face seemed to be experiencing a cramp. ¡°Isn''t it fine? It¡¯s cute,¡± Farley lightly bumped her shoulder with Paina¡¯s. Viers clapped his hands. ¡°Alright girls, move your hands along with your mouth. Dia, please separate what you recognize such as food and dead bodies. Make separate piles for each, okay? As for you three, you¡¯re already big girls. You know what to do.¡± ¡°Kaaay~¡± The four rolled up their sleeves and got to work. ¡°Ugh, the smell. There¡¯s a lot of rotting stuff in here,¡± Farley pinched her nose even though she was a ghost who didn''t need oxygen. ¡°Yep, disposing of those are top priority,¡± Viers agreed. ¡°Hello little bean stalk. I¡¯m Dia, nice to meet you,¡± Dia crouched near a withered potted plant. ¡°Oh you poor thing. You need light and water.¡± ¡°My, what a splendid picture¡­¡± Clarissa was admiring the painting of an armored man with a lion. ¡°Gyaaaaah! This book tried to eat my hand!¡± Paina screamed. ¡°Everyone stop! There might be something dangerous here. I¡¯ll scan first with my Euryale Sight.¡± The scene was like an outdoor family outing. *** Hours later, the loot had been separated into their categories. There were several piles of things arrayed before Viers and company. One of them was burning. This pile consisted of spoiled foodstuff and other perishables. Pathseekers, even Level 5, still needed to eat so having edible things inside one¡¯s storage item was pretty standard. However, storage items were not eternal preservers. Food would go bad if left alone for too long. Granted, things put inside storage items lasted longer but there were limits. According to Viers¡¯ observation, they last three times longer than food stored in a refrigerator. Now I¡¯m not an expert but isn''t food rot caused by bacteria and stuff? Storage items cannot store living beings, I checked. Insects, animals, humans, all are out. Yet bacterias can go inside? Plants can too¡­ Hatchable eggs are also storable so what¡¯s the rule here? What a mystery¡­ ¡°Ahahaha, big fire! Biiiig fire!¡± Dia was amused by the bonfire. ¡°Dia, don''t get too close! Your hair is made of leaves!¡± Paina held her back. Far from the burning pile of junk, was the rest of the loot. One was a gold mountain. Technically, it was not all gold coins and ingots. There were silver coins, mana crystals, and colorful precious gems too but gold was the dominant color. This pile consisted of strictly money-related things. ¡°I wonder how much all of this is worth?¡± Farley wondered. ¡°Probably around the standard wealth of a single Level 4. It might look impressive but if turned into cultivation resources, it can disappear after one shopping session,¡± Clarissa said. Sounds about right, Viers thought. With my previous wealth, and the dead¡¯s leftover capital in the bank waiting for me, I¡¯m very rich for a Level 3, comparable to those scions from wealthy sects or families. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. But I have to use this! What¡¯s the point of hoarding so much money? I should use them to bolster my cultivation so I¡¯m strong enough when the next guy tries to kill me. There¡¯s tons of good stuff that is useful for cultivation in Regidana but I can''t buy them! It will make Avel look suspicious! Going to the black market is risky too; the heat is still high in the city. Hmm, should I sneak to another city? Beside the money mountain was the gear pile. Diverse equipables like weapons and armors were waiting for their next bearer. Almost in every game, gear was very important. There were even worlds where gear was the only thing that raised one¡¯s stats, such as Monster Hunter¡¯s universe. The significance of good gear was no less crucial in this world, however, Viers didn''t want to depend too much on weapons and armor. His current gear was sufficient. Many armors were outperformed by his Horizon-enhanced water or soul shield that he could conjure anyway. Still, these items were quite valuable. Boram could use some of them. And they should make nice gifts for others. Well, not one of them is overly special¡­ except one. It was a shining sword. Divine Weapon Solarion. Viers had put the contents of the storage items he opened before into the pile for sorting. Aravin¡¯s stuff was among them. Then there were other piles such as the knowledge pile of books and scrolls, the cultivation item pile made of resources and raw materials for cultivation, the useful consumables pile, the pile of medicines and potions, the dangerous items pile, and so on. As the girls and Dia played with and inspected the items that caught their fancy, Viers thought about his gains. The main contributor is Aravin. As expected of an MC level figure. The good stuff on him was on a whole other level. There was the Sword of Light, that even now refused to be wielded by Viers. Just now it tried to burn Viers¡¯ fingers again. I¡¯ll make something out of you yet. Just you wait, cheeky sword. Then there was the Ice Phoenix¡¯s Blood Crystal. It was what Viers used to make a pseudo-Frostmourne. It was now lost with the destruction of Jaime¡¯s black sword. That one basically fell on his lap, he got it so easily. I wonder if it was meant to be a thing that links him with Anne? On a side note, Viers knew all of this because he¡¯d soul searched Aravin¡¯s soul. Viers also found a dual cultivation technique but it was only usable for a possessor of the True Yang Constitution. Which was useless to Viers. Not only those two girls beside him, Aravin had various other girls too that he had used this dual cultivation technique with. Damn horn dog! What the hell is True Yang anyway? Aravin was also a ¡®genius¡¯ alchemist. He was given a tattered book by a beggar that he helped in the past and the loli master of his, Qing Xia, recognized it as an alchemy sage manual. Yep, at this point I¡¯m not even surprised anymore. Aravin destroyed the book after committing the contents to memory but Viers gained them all the same. But as a result, I also got quite a lot of useful pills. He even has some pills that he prepared when he rose to Level 3. How kind of you to prepare them for me, Aravin. Xiexie ni. Now what should I do with this top-tier alchemy manual? Learn it? Sounds like a drag¡­ In the Book World Stage 4, Aravin gained the Concept of Honor from the World Tree¡¯s Honor Fruit. Interesting. I don''t gain the direct effect but I gain what Aravin grasped. Using this, I think I can improve a certain ¡®Honor¡¯ Arte which has too many restrictions. After getting trapped in a mysterious place, Aravin extracted poison from a Level 5 corpse. Qing Xia said it was Black Hell Datura Poison. Untreatable. Viers immediately surmised it was meant to be Aravin¡¯s silver bullet against Viers¡¯ healing factor. In an alternate timeline, I definitely got hit by this. Either I die or need a hundred web novel chapters until I¡¯m healed¡­ Thank fuck I had Jaime. On another side note, all of Jaime¡¯s stuff was in Viers¡¯ possession. The dead didn''t need money or stuff where they went. Because Qing Xia¡¯s wisp of soul was extinguished completely, Viers could not gain anything from her besides what she already bestowed to her disciple, Aravin. Viers plundered some useful techniques, Artes, and a glimpse of scenery from the Eastern Continent¡¯s cultivation. But all those were not the most valuable things in Aravin¡¯s possession. Befitting a xianxia MC, Aravin possessed something that would only matter a thousand chapters in the future: Sun Deity Inheritance! The thing resided in Aravin¡¯s soul. It was said to be a link to a greater power. He gained it through some luck after being guided by the loli master. But Viers didn''t even dare to access it, because it had a mind of its own! Now I might have been invading other¡¯s souls like I¡¯m the boss but I¡¯m not so arrogant to think there¡¯s nothing capable of defeating me in this playfield. In Jujutsu Kaisen, Sukuna, who was inside Itadori¡¯s soul, wrecked a detestable villain figure cuz he tried to touch his soul. I think I¡¯ll get wrecked the same way if I tried to peek into something I shouldn''t. Viers wisely backed away and let the thing be in peace. For now. Welp, I got Aravin¡¯s soul and body but what should I use them for? What more value can I extract from this MC? He has a True Yang Constitution, doesn''t he? Should I turn him into a cultivation pill as per the standard xianxia case? While Aravin was the highlight of the great harvest, Viers got loot from other people too. Some were good and beneficial. Some were illegal and heretical. Soul medicine! Why did I only get it after I¡¯ve grown strong enough to heal Gwen on my own!? Arrrgh! Ah, the necromancer got a lot of puppet corpses of good quality¡­ Can the girls use them? Airmaster¡¯s Elemental Fruit! But he only grasped the wind part! It¡¯s useless to me. What a shame. Similarly, Oscar¡¯s Inner Demon Fruit is a bunch of nonsensical pictures. I don''t get it at all. Naya and Sabine, Aravin¡¯s lovers. These two girls had pretty good abilities. As expected of heroines. Hmn, Troy¡¯s space awareness technique is gonna improve my swordsmanship by a lot if I can extract it. While the small fry cultivators usually didn''t have anything noteworthy, even the lowest of the low had their day. Viers got something unexpected from some nobody that he killed during Stage 3. Holy Shit! A dragon heart!! Killing, theft, and plunder were truly a profitable business. The extra benefits from Aletro¡¯s Trial of Fire gave Viers a massive amount of cultivation resources to further his journey in the Path of Power. Chapter 216 - Opportunities from Problems This time, Viers changed things up and meditated in the money pile. He was relishing in the sensation of being buried neck-deep in valuables, something that he always dreamt of in the previous world. It pleased him so much that Viers was having a zen moment. But he admitted that it was a bit embarrassing so he cut off the feed of Viers Channel from Farley and the others. After his Advancement to Level 3, his Intio was empty and once again needed to be filled with mana before he could try to become a Level 4. The amount was significantly greater than the previous Level 3. Even in this mana-rich Biome, it would take years before it was filled up. Viers was not in a hurry so he let his body naturally absorb the raw mana from his surroundings, half of it for his cultivation process and another half for his Intio to process and turn into Victa, a personified magic fuel for Pathseekers. As a Level 3, his Intio produced Level 3 Victa, which was a much more potent and powerful energy for his Artes. The amount of Victa produced wouldn''t change no matter how much mana was available in the area because it was the product of one¡¯s Intio. However, there were methods to improve Victa production. Viers was wearing such a thing, the moon pendant hanging on his chest increased Victa production by 30%. Meanwhile, his consciousness was in his inner world, where his tenants resided. The place got another increase in population recently. ¡°How is she?¡± Viers asked the short-haired brunette with a petite body. Farley¡¯s appearance was unchanged since her soul residence inside Viers. While Viers had grown, Farley¡¯s form was the same as that wintry night last winter. ¡°She¡¯s coping,¡± Farley said beside Viers. They were watching Gwen, Farley¡¯s ten-year-old sister, playing with Paina. ¡°Her family except me are now dead, she has no home, and she died at the hands of her own father¡­ It took some time to get used to.¡± Farley explained their circumstances to the little girl, told her the whole truth, and as expected, she didn''t take it well when she heard it. The crying had ceased after a while and with Farley, Paina, and Clarissa¡¯s support, she was getting better. The sisters were raised as devil cultists, so their outlook on the world was a bit skewed. It was not their fault but the one who raised them. Viers remembered Gwen said that the Church was the bad guys when they first met. But unlike the older sister who had seen more of the world, Gwen was too young to have the chance. ¡°With understanding people surrounding her, she will be alright. I¡¯m giving you more awake time so you can be with her,¡± Viers said understandingly. Keeping Farley and the others awake cost Victa. Even with the recent Level up and a 30% increase of production, Viers wasn''t going to spendthrift his precious battle fuel. Farley understood this. Paina, Farley, Clarissa trio worked to better the Viers Corp when they were awake but Gwen was too young and unable to contribute. ¡°Thank you, Lord Viers. I¡¯ll redouble my efforts in supporting you. With your water 5 affinity, my abilities increased too. I won''t let you down.¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± Viers nodded. He wouldn''t fork up his Victa for nothing without gain. ¡°We still haven''t made progress in making bodies for you all. Hope Oscar can give us something.¡± Gwen realized Viers was here and waved with a white flower in her hand. Her smile was pure and innocent. Viers waved back. That said, confining the child in White Flowers Meadow isn''t good for her mental growth¡­ What¡¯s a good solution for this? Viers slightly perked his head up. ¡°Dia¡¯s calling me. I gotta go.¡± ¡°May fortune be with you, Lord Viers,¡± Farley bowed like a maid. Viers opened his eyes and Ars¨¨ne emerged from a portal Dia created. Ars¨¨ne raised his eyebrows when seeing Viers¡¯ current state. ¡°Trouble?¡± Viers asked after not seeing his other-self for ten days. ¡°Nothing we can''t handle. You seem to be having fun. You¡¯re not slacking off while I¡¯m working are you?¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s not possible,¡± Viers came out from the money pile, hundreds of gold coins fell down as he raised himself up from being submerged. If he and the gold pile were a thousand times bigger, it would be as if he was reenacting the Smaug scene. The two shook hands and Ars¨¨ne was absorbed into Viers after turning into particles of light. Viers closed his eyes for five minutes, digesting the new memories that he gained. Hoo¡­ Interesting experience Ars¨¨ne had. Since Boram now knows, I definitely have to instruct him about how to protect his mind. He already has basic defense from the Book World but it is not enough, perhaps even a memory lock to be more secure. Viers touched the moon pendant on his person. No irreplaceable items on Ars¨¨ne, even if Tanael¡¯s hunters take drastic measures and all is lost. Though, I would strive to keep Boram. Ars¨¨ne passed the hypnosis test but I must not get complacent. No going to Regidana in person yet. No problem though, I have tons of things to do here. Ars¨¨ne should finish the lawsuit next, then I¡¯ll finally be free from the obligations of society. The journey on the Path of Power was full of problems and setbacks. In this period of time, Viers encountered some problems in his way of doing things. One, too much info from soul search. His soul search took time but it wasn''t too heavy of a problem because as his skill rose, the ¡®searching¡¯ became faster. His problem was too many memories inside his brain, too much data. Simply put, Viers¡¯ hard drive was cluttered. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Viers had started feeling the problem at this point. It wasn''t even a hundred people yet. How many people would he soul search in a year? In a decade? While there was virtually no limit to the amount of information a brain could remember, Viers gained those memories using a soul method. It created problems. Viers was concerned about himself being contaminated by the information of others because he gained their emotions and whatnot during the soul search. Viers could simply soul search less or forget less important things but after experiencing the benefits of soul searching every soul he killed, he didn''t want to do so. Fable to the rescue! Viers snapped his fingers. ¡°A.I. Chip!¡± The Deus Ex Machina! The real protagonist of Warlock of the Magus World! Viers wanted it too. He was inspired to make a supercomputer possessing a godly amount of data, combined with an artificial intelligence that could make anything and everything easier. Viers wondered how far the warlock would get without the A.I. Chip assisting him from the shadows. But how? This was the conundrum. So Viers took a step back. Rather than a supercomputer, a database will do for now. It¡¯ll store the data from the soul search and I can extract what I need, when I need it. In the future, a program, then a true A.I., will help me manage that vast amount of data. Mwuahahaha! Viers got a plan for the future. Now he needed to gather the building blocks to construct this grand project. I should start by obtaining something that is able to store memories. There should be some in this world of power fantasy, mind Pathseekers are a thing after all. What should be the name of this A.I.? Why is my head full of Miku right now? ¡­Naaah, this is not a songstress¡¯ role. How about¡­ APOLLO, like in Zero Dawn? It is an A.I. that archived humanity¡¯s knowledge so the name is apt. Buuuuuut a lunatic named Ted Faro might purge it. Bad luck name. Change! And so Viers thought of other deities of knowledge. ¡­Ahura Mazda, the creator deity in Zoroastrianism whose name means Lord of Wisdom. I formally declare that Viers Corporation''s Project Ahura Mazda is a go! Two, counting the time inside the Book World, Viers hadn''t been able to improve his soul cultivation even after two months. How to go from Grand Soul to Hallow Soul? No matter how many human souls I eat, I don''t feel any improvement. Did I do something wrong? Need higher Level human souls? Farley¡¯s father, the one Viers took this Arte from, was no help at all. Viers wasn''t able to find a solution to this problem for the time being. Well, I might be too fast in reaching this state thanks to Zerri¡¯s children having human souls. I¡¯m way ahead of schedule and I¡¯m only Level 3. The solution might become clear as I progress naturally through my main quest. Three, night guard during his moment of weakness. Like Level 3, to become a Level 4 one must reach the next mastery in their Profound Codex. The only way to achieve that was by doing Profound Practice. For Viers, it meant to die as a Pathseeker during the night, multiplying the danger to life by multiple times. Viers couldn''t even access his storage item during his death state because it needed Victa to be activated. His gun ability was also unavailable. If Viers didn''t want to see people of his age become Level 4s while he was years or decades away, the Profound Practice must occur almost every night. The weakness of this Profound Codex was the inability to speed up the Profound Practice. Time was fixed after all. The exception to this case would be if he managed to land again in a time-dilation space like the Book World in the future but Viers wouldn''t count on something so uncertain. To reduce his risk of dying for real, he needed methods to defend himself even when he was powerless. Ars¨¨ne is out, unfortunately. Boram is a solution but he alone is not enough. Dia is the same as Boram. I can lay down barriers and such beforehand but they¡¯re insufficient. Clarissa and the others can guard me but I¡¯m still not satisfied¡­ I need more powerful assets. Not only powerful but also trustworthy. They must have unquestionable allegiance! Viers hoped to get something to alleviate this problem from the loot but no luck. Not enough loot? Truly regrettable I didn''t get anything from Anne. She must have so much good stuff. I know I can''t always win them all but still¡­ The only thing I got from her is only her last remnant of fir- Fables to the rescue, again! ¡­It could work¡­ No, I¡¯ll make it work! Yet another brilliant idea emerged from the Fable-inspired brain of Viers. Four, Viers had human corpses, lots of corpses. What should I do with them? Viers was the type that would squeeze the value of dust if he could. He felt it was a waste to simply dispose of these bodies. Since Viers had a habit to store the corpses of his kills in storage items, Viers had many cadavers in his inventories. Not only to not leave any clue to his enemies, but Viers also found storing someone¡¯s body in an inventory item was an excellent way of checking if someone was truly dead or not. Since he didn''t have a System cheat, he wouldn''t get a signal or log if an enemy was dead or not. A skilled enemy might fake their death but storage items could only store nonliving things. He even started teaching Boram this method. From the necromancer that he butchered in Stage 3, Viers obtained methods to preserve corpses so they wouldn''t decay at a normal rate. If put in storage items, the corpses would be in good condition even longer. Viers had three storage items. One was the Thousand Treasures Casket for his standard use. One was for monsters and human corpses. One was for human heads. Yes, Viers normally separated the head from the body. Either he cut them off in the fight or after the fight. It was to prevent resurrections and the like. He¡¯d lost count where the hero made a comeback from the dead and turned the tables. Hell, every shonen hero is subject to this at some point. Luffy with Kaidou, Naruto with Orochimaru, Ichigo with Aizen, and so on. Being the genre savvy villain I am, my enemies will not have the luxury of a complete corpse. This is simply self-defense. Either you die, or I die. The choice is clear. Whatever the case, Viers was having trouble with his enemies¡¯ corpses. He could eat monster meat and increase his lifespan but eating human meat was beyond his sanity. Even so, he wanted to turn human corpses into cultivation resources but he didn''t have the means. Some of the corpses were about to turn bad so he couldn''t wait any longer. He racked his brains out and he remembered the Circle of Life. Plants got eaten by small animals which got eaten by bigger animals which would eventually die and become food for plants. Viers turned to Dia who was basking in the light and absorbing soil nutrients from her feet that she turned into roots. Isn''t Dia¡¯s cultivation method all about absorbing nutrients? Viers emptied his storage item, one mound of human corpses and one mound of monster corpses. ¡°Dia, can you eat those?¡± Viers pointed to the dead monsters. ¡°Hmn? Sure.¡± ¡°What about those?¡± Viers pointed to the other mound. Dia looked to one mound and the other. ¡°...What¡¯s the difference?¡± Chapter 217 - Change of Seasons ¡°Delicious! Muuuuh~ Deliciousssss!¡± Dia was having a double-combo meal. Her leg-roots were draining nutrients from the human corpses while she was greedily eating the World Tree Essence Sap. Green Scorpion Fajrin''s aim in the Book World was this. Viers couldn''t prevent him from getting it but he took a bunch for himself. He had a barrel¡¯s worth of this green jelly-like substance. He didn''t give it all to Dia, just a bowl¡¯s worth at first to determine its effect on his precious dryad. Seemed beneficial so far and she really liked it. Whoahoho! Dia¡¯s power is rising fast, approaching Level 2! Considering she just started cultivating not long ago, it is incredible. Guess the people¡¯s remains will fertilize her growth from now on. ¡°Now now slow down. Your food won''t run away. Here, have some water,¡± Viers offered his dryad familiar mana water from the sin city¡¯s underground. ¡°Water is delish too! Ahahaha~¡± Watching the joyous Dia brought a smile to Viers¡¯ face. Dia was weaker compared to Boram but she was catching up. It has been a while since I checked¡­ Hoh, 378.46%. Ars¨¨ne makes it double the growth. Holy crap, my Artes will hit like a truck! *** It was less than a week after the merfolk invasion ended but things were already starting to return to normal in Regidana. Even now, the streets are decorated with stuff related to the U18 Tournament. Heh, folks are also getting merry¡­ Perhaps to them the fighting tourney is like sports events on Earth? Like the NBA or Champions League and such. ¡°C¡¯mon, Boram. You''re slooow. Your Master has to go to court in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Zeh¡­ Zehhh¡­ Sorry, Master. Hufff¡­ But, these¡­ are heavy¡­¡± The pair had just finished shopping in the commercial district. Ars¨¨ne was buying souvenirs for Luca and her family. Though, it wouldn''t be him that went but Viers. Since the stuff was inside the storage item, the weight of the souvenirs wasn''t an issue. What Boram was talking about were the bracelets on his ankles and wrists. Each was 10 kilos in weight. Minor training apparatus from the great harvest loot. Ars¨¨ne forbade Boram to use Victa to train his body. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve done enough. There, I took them off. Go line up at that juice stall and buy something cold for us both.¡± ¡°Huff, huff¡­ Okay.¡± Boram, drenched in sweat, went away as per Ars¨¨ne''s instruction. ¡°Meow.¡± Ars¨¨ne heard a ¡®good morning¡¯ in his mind. ¡°Ah, hello Iz,¡± Ars¨¨ne turned to where the cat sound originated, above a stone fence to his right. He was a bit surprised. ¡°Did you grow white hair?¡± It was not a black cat but a gray-spotted white cat. ¡°Since people can''t find Tanael, some turned to his associates instead. Notice how there are no more black cats walking around in the city? The Church has rounded them all up somewhere. Even people with jobs or relations to Seresena flower, which some people call Nightbloom, are under observation. A family with that flower as their house¡¯s sigil, is pretty mad at Sakuya, at us.¡± The Gloomsiders were pretty well known during Stage 4 and 5. Backlasher Jaime was dead so that left Black Cat and Night Bloom. ¡°Hehehe, my condolences to them,¡± Ars¨¨ne chuckled. ¡°Not to me? Things are pretty hectic on my end, you know. I¡¯m dealing with inside and outside pressure, from the Estellian Church and the Blood Church both. I don''t even have time to get enough sleep!¡± ¡°You can protect yourself. There are no fools among the Horsemen of the Apocalypse.¡± The two were conversing with telepathy but to a passerby, Ars¨¨ne was having a glaring contest with a cat. ¡°So, you are well I hope?¡± Ars¨¨ne changed the topic. ¡°Busy, same as you. But I haven''t taken risks to show myself in the open for a trivial hello. Oscar is supposed to receive a new body tonight.¡± ¡°Oh? As expected from Level 5 daddy dear. Since he can, your dear Alan can too. Now I¡¯ve provided an opportunity. It¡¯s up to you to get clues about making a body. As per the plan. Use your Blood Church¡¯s prided information network.¡± ¡°It isn''t that simple. We know a certain alchemist was commissioned for a secret project by House Regisea but¡­ forget it. Worse comes to worst, I¡¯ll employ my cult¡¯s help.¡± ¡°Mmhm. Anything else?¡± ¡°...Did you really do the Night of Bloodless Murders?¡± Iz asked hesitantly, warily. It was what people now called Tanael''s purging of the families and relatives of the people he killed in the Book World. There was no evidence but the motive was clear so Tanael got identified. Tanael rooted out his enemies to the last seed. Even people who¡¯d never seen Tanael wanted someone like this to perish. With the Estellian Church leading the charge, many people on the righteous side wanted to kill Tanael because of this action. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°If I say no, would you believe me?¡± Ars¨¨ne asked. Iz didn¡¯t answer. That flat and emotionless voice already gave her the answer. Seeing the eyes behind the helmet, she felt a shiver traveling down her spine. I must never become this person¡¯s enemy. Never¡­ ¡°Master, I bought you strawberry juice. I hope you don''t mind. Oyo? Cute cat.¡± Boram¡¯s attention was taken by Izabella¡¯s new form. He changed the tense air between the cat and the helmeted man. ¡°I wonder where Chacha is¡­ I haven''t seen her lately. I hope she¡¯s eating alright,¡± he muttered. ¡°...After seeing this little cat here, I think she¡¯s doing fine,¡± Ars¨¨ne said. ¡°What do you mean, Master?¡± ¡°Boram, meet Chuchu. Chacha¡¯s daughter.¡± Boram blinked a few times in amazement and gazed at the white cat more closely. Iz was also surprised by Ars¨¨ne''s announcement and tried to get away before it became more complicated but Ars¨¨ne had already grabbed the back of her neck. She meowed in protest futilely. ¡°...Their eyes are a little similar but how do you know, Master?¡± Boram asked. ¡°My eyes are special. You should know this by now.¡± ¡°Ohh kay¡­ Here kitty kitty,¡± Boram accepted Ars¨¨ne¡¯s explanation at face value and offered a cat treat that he had for Chacha. ¡®Chuchu¡¯ swiftly ran away the instant Ars¨¨ne relaxed his grip, without taking Boram¡¯s cat food. ¡°Oo she''s a shy one. Well, Chacha seems to have a family now. I¡¯m glad for her,¡± Ars¨¨ne amusedly congratulated Iz then drank the refreshing juice quickly. ¡°Akh, so sour. Alright, let¡¯s go back home.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± *** Viers was having a warm feeling as if his daughter had grown up. From behind a tree, he was watching a purple-haired girl playing with other kids. She was smiling brightly. A stark contrast to the Luca that played alone at the riverside. There were even those who bullied her in the past. Viers taught her how to control her powers from going berserk but the reason for her change was her growth as a person. Her meeting with Viers instilled confidence in her and she glimpsed the vastness of the world from him. The children around her were proof of her growth. To interrupt them would be boorish so Viers decided to wait while having a battle simulation with Freya. In the past, he wasn''t able to win against her but the current Viers was able to trounce her easily. Of course, he wasn''t under the delusion that the current Freya was the same as the recorded version of her in the Grid. Still, wiping the floor with her was a bit of a stress reliever. When evening almost came to the village, Luca and the other children returned to their homes. ¡°Pou-pou-pou-pou! Village Girl over there. Have you been well?¡± Luca gasped from the made-up laugh that came from behind her and turned. ¡°That voice!¡± And she saw Viers, behind his back was the red sunset. Naturally, Viers made his entrance a visually striking performance. ¡°The great me, Lemon King Poupou, descended from the yellow moon once again! Bask in my magnificence, you plebeian!¡± Luca ran over and gave Viers a hug-dive. ¡°Brother Avel! I missed you, ahaha!¡± ¡°Now now, don''t make a commotion. It¡¯s a secret I¡¯m here, okay?¡± He didn''t plan to make his existence in the Pecan Village known. It wouldn''t do if the Church found out there were two Avels at the same time. Viers went to Luca''s house while giving the darkness 5 affinity girl a piggyback. *** Izabella had exceeded Viers¡¯ expectations. She led a group of Yasterah cultists to raid the alchemists¡¯ laboratory. It was a pretty big operation because the alchemist was a Level 4. Viers expected she would need his help but she managed to steal two fetuses without his involvement. Izabella¡¯s power is also growing, hmn? My eyes didn¡¯t deceive me. Her potential bloomed with her desire to break her sis out of prison. ¡°Heeehh¡­ so this is the thing that brings Oscar back to this world?¡± Viers was holding a tube container that Izabella stole. Suspended in orange liquid, was a human embryo. Specifically made to house a soul. It will grow according to the soul put inside¡­ Wonderful. How someone made something like this is beyond me. Using precious heavenly treasures or whatnot from the Level 5, the alchemist managed to create three of these fetuses. One was given to the client, and because of Iz¡¯s swift action, they managed to steal the surplus before they could be moved somewhere else. One was given to Viers, one she kept for her friend. ¡°I¡¯ve done my part of the bargain. Can you give me Alan¡¯s soul now?¡± Izabella asked. ¡°Catch,¡± Viers threw a soul in the shape of a ball to Izabella like an afterthought. She had already prepared a container to hold a soul because she couldn''t touch a soul as Viers could. When Izabella left Viers¡¯ place, she sighed in relief. If Viers wanted to keep both the fetuses, she could do nothing to stop him. Alan, just wait a little longer. I¡¯ll wake you up very soon. Viers watched Izabella¡¯s back from the window. Viers heard her heartbeat thumping as if there was a gorilla beating its chest the whole time in the room. She must be nervous about him going back on his word. Viers would indeed benefit from two fetuses but there was no need to lose an ally-cum-pawn over something so trivial. So I have only one body but there are four souls¡­ Who should get this? *** Viers had figured things out. His original plan was to go to Valkut city so Paina could meet with her father who abandoned the family. Viers wasn''t really interested in the reason why the man did it or why Paina wanted to meet the man but he had decided to make it his main quest for now. After becoming Level 3 in Regidana, he would go to Valkut city in the northern part of the Free People Coalition by ship but Aletro messed up his schedule somewhat. ¡®Avel¡¯ leaving so soon would make him suspicious since the matter of Tanael was still fresh. On the surface, Avel was also having a debt to the Rushton Trading Company. He wouldn''t have the luxury of traveling as he pleased. But Viers thought it wasn''t all bad. Viers could still progress his cultivation smoothly in the city. As his front face, Avel¡¯s reputation also needed fixing. The cracks in Avel¡¯s credibility were there even before the events of the Book World. Doing some honest questing and cementing his standing in the adventurer community would only benefit him in the future. While Ars¨¨ne would be standing in the limelight as Avel in Regidana, Viers would be safe doing something else in another place, whether he was staying in Dia¡¯s Biome or Luca''s village, it was up to him. To draw the heat, Viers even planned to do some mischief as Tanael somewhere far away from Regidana. The good guys¡¯ Church wouldn''t have the resources to keep Avel under watch, not when there were fires that needed dousing all over the world. Sounds like a plan. Viers told his plan to Paina and she agreed to be patient a while longer. She understood Viers¡¯ reasoning and had no complaints. And so time quietly passed everything and anything. The season changed from summer to autumn. Interlude - The Kunoichi (1) In the northeastern area of the Zamrud Archipelago, there was a village deep in the wilderness, surrounded by thick forest. Shining sun overhead, wooden houses, paddy fields, children chasing summer beetles, an elderly playing a game of Go with his neighbor, a peaceful village. A black-haired young girl who looked to be sixteen or seventeen years old was walking with small steps from outside of the village. Not only because of her white kimono that reached her ankles and restricted her movements, but also because she was carrying a basket of blue cocoons. Rough movement and the small moth monsters inside them would break free, destroying the cocoons in the process. ¡°Uncle~ I found the Azure Moths that you asked for,¡± she called from outside of the kimono shop. ¡°Nani!? You really found them?¡± A middle-aged man rushed out of the shop. ¡°Ehehe, it¡¯s just luck. Are these enough?¡± ¡°Enough, even more than I hoped. Come in, come in. The old lady has prepared tea for you.¡± ¡°Ah, I truly apologize but I still have another chore,¡± the girl refused. The man¡¯s spouse came out carrying a tray. There were two skewers of round things with a cup of hot tea. ¡°Maa, maa. Just a little while, Sakuya-chan. There¡¯s also your favorite dango.¡± Ugh¡­ Auntie¡¯s dango is irrefutable! ¡°...Just a while¡­¡± Sakuya lost to the hospitality of the married couple that she¡¯d known since she was little. The village wasn''t big so pretty much everybody knew everybody. A short while later, Sakuya walked with a dango skewer that she nibbled from time to time. People waved when they saw her and she waved back. There was happiness in the air and she was glad that she brought that joy to the village. The Sakaki clan had been freed from the curse. So peaceful¡­ ¡°An opening!¡± Suddenly three shurikens struck Sakuya from behind. A girl jumped out from a nearby tree, wearing a purple kunoichi garb. ¡°Why are you grinning like a fool in broad daylight? Is that how a shinobi should act? Ah!?¡± There was only Sakuya¡¯s white kimono that had shuriken holes. The assailant jumped because Sakuya, now in her blue kunoichi habit, launched a leg sweep from behind, the dango skewer still in her mouth. The purple kunoichi managed to evade perfectly and she somersaulted to create some distance between them. ¡°What opening?¡± Sakuya munched the rest of the dango. Opening? Zerrigan-san attacked us on a daily basis using her children in Stage 5. We never knew where or when the attack would come from, in what shape or form. We must always be alert, even when sleeping! Tanael-sama also underwent this training with us. Don''t underestimate the Gloomsiders! ¡°I heard you were away on a mission. When did you get back?¡± ¡°Just now. You¡¯ve gotten faster, auntie~¡± the girl teased. ¡°Muuu!¡± Sakuya pouted. ¡°You¡¯re in it now, Yayoi. Prepare yourself!¡± The two female shinobi exchanged their techniques, even using Artes. Sakuya used wood affinity while Yayoi used water. ¡°Hohoho, what lively kids,¡± a housewife commented while drying laundry. ¡°We were like them too, in the past. Aah, to be young¡­¡± her neighbor who was also putting clothes to dry in the sun was reminded of her younger days. It didn''t take long before the winner emerged. Sakuya had Yayoi in a submission hold. ¡°Wha-!? I lost?¡± ¡°Now we¡¯re at 44-43. I¡¯m finally above, hehe.¡± ¡°Looks like it¡¯s true that you¡¯ve been to some amazing trial ground in the continent. I¡¯m still bitter you left without bringing me along but the nagging comes later. Now tell me all about it!¡± Yayoi urged Sakuya. ¡°Sure, but after you¡¯ve fixed my kimono,¡± Sakuya released her hold. ¡°Ah! Now I¡¯m late because of you!¡± Sakuya ran as soon as she realized the time. ¡°And make sure you fix my kimono!¡± She shouted from afar. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the festival tonight!¡± Yayoi shouted too. Then she had a little look of melancholy. Sakuya was Yayoi¡¯s genuine aunt. However, they were the same age. When she called Sakuya ¡®aunt¡¯, it always riled her up. The two were raised together and became as close as true siblings. Phew¡­ She defeated me so easily. I must not get left behind. Training! Training! Without the curse, perhaps I should also go have adventures in the continent. *** ¡°Sakaki Sakuya, has come as summoned,¡± Sakuya spoke from behind a sliding door. After the playful yet serious scuffle with Yayoi, she tidied up herself and wore a different kimono to make herself presentable. This was an important meeting where the clan¡¯s higher-ups gathered. She must not bring shame to her parents. ¡°Enter.¡± Her father¡¯s dignified voice traveled from the other side. Sakuya opened the door and entered with impeccable grace. She was in lofty company now. There was no Level 3 among the eight people in the tatami floored hall. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Eight Level 4s. Three sat on the left side, three on the right. At the head of the position sat her father, Sakaki Kondou. Slightly behind him, was her mother, Sakaki Ayane. The other six were her uncles and aunties. Some came from outside of the village but when they were married, they joined the Sakaki family. Some looked at her with a stern expression, like her father. Others looked at her with smiles, like her mother. ¡°Sakaki Sakuya. The clan has decided your sentence.¡± ¡°This unfilial descendant is ready.¡± Father seems hale. Tanael-sama¡¯s medicine worked¡­ Now I have no regrets. The clan had a rule, forbidding every member to visit the continent to prevent the activation of the Flaring Wither Curse. Sakuya broke the law to save her father and as they feared, the curse was indeed activated. Those possessing the blood of the founder felt it. Saying the clan was in chaos was putting it lightly. Then in five days, it stopped. Because it was only five days, the effect was not severe, there were no casualties or even heavy injuries. In a week or so, Sakuya returned and she explained about what happened. The news of the lifted curse brought immeasurable joy to the clan, to the village. Still, Sakuya¡¯s rash action had endangered every soul in the clan. It was not something the higher-ups could let go. While the higher-ups discussed Sakuya''s sentence, she was ordered to do chores to help the villagers until they decided. A month had passed since then. Sakuya did various odd jobs willingly and heartfully. And now she was here once again, to receive the postponed sentence. Probably exile, she thought. ¡°Sakaki Sakuya, your selfish and law-breaking actions have resulted in the activation of the ancient curse and threatened the lives of everyone in the clan. The punishment for crimes as heavy as that is death-¡± Sakuya¡¯s expression was unwavering. A straight gaze to her father. ¡°-but because of your merit in lifting the curse, the council has agreed to reduce your punishment to exile. You must leave the village by tomorrow and never return.¡± Yappari, Sakuya thought. She wasn''t bitter about her own father¡¯s decision. As the clan head, he must uphold the rules and lead by example. ¡°This unfilial descendant accepts the clan¡¯s decision.¡± Sakuya¡¯s readiness and resolution gave a favorable impression to the other elders. ¡°However,¡± Kondou added. ¡°The Matriarch has decreed otherwise. You will meet her tomorrow and she will give her judgment. That will be all.¡± The Matriarch! Based on the elders¡¯ expression, Sakuya deduced they already knew of this matter but she was very surprised. The rumored hidden expert of the clan who was only mentioned in whispers. Naturally, she¡¯d never met this exalted figure. ¡°...This Sakuya understands. Honored elders, this one will always think fondly of all of you, of the clan, even from the depths of hell. I¡¯m truly sorry for the sorrow my actions have inflicted upon you and every other clansman. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± After Sakuya left the hall, the elders started to talk. ¡°Sakuya-chan has grown to be a splendid young woman, hasn¡¯t she? On the threshold to Level 3 at that age. We should say some good words to the Matriarch,¡± a male elder who looked like a man in his fifties spoke. He once carried the three-year-old Sakuya on his shoulders and still remembered her laugh. ¡°No one really resented her for her actions, clan head. Shouldn''t the sentence be lighter?¡± An elder in charge of the apothecary said. She had changed Sakuya¡¯s diapers in the past. ¡°Kondou, how about you show some love for your daughter instead of the iron face from time to time? She won''t be your little girl for much longer.¡± ¡°We are shinobi,¡± Clan head Kondou huffed. ¡°Softness is not our way.¡± ¡°He might say that but he¡¯s really proud of her, Mako-san. Yesterday he was bawling while drunk. It was really a pain listening to his drunken blabber,¡± Ayane had one hand cupped on her cheek and sighed about her husband. ¡°If Sakuya saw her stern papa in that state, his image in her mind would shatter into a million pieces..¡± ¡°Ayane¨C¡± Kondou growled. ¡°Hai, hai,¡± Ayane smiled and held her silence but some of the other elders stifled a laugh. Even the super fierce clan head was no match for his dear wife. ¡°Ahem,¡± Kondou cleared his throat, attempting to restore his dignity. ¡°The Matriarch will decide Sakuya¡¯s fate. I trust her wisdom.¡± *** ¡°Yosh,¡± Sakuya put the last of her belongings into her inventory pouch. She was ready to leave the village anytime. The sky was already dark. Looking at the empty room, she felt sad at the thought of leaving her home behind. However, she didn''t regret what she did. The Matriarch¡­ I wonder what kind of person she is. Must be crazy powerful. Is she in the same dimension as Aletro? No, considering she couldn''t erase the curse, she should be lower. I¡¯m still as weak as an ant to her though. ¡°Shouldn''t you be getting ready?¡± A voice came from behind. ¡°Okaa-sama! ¡­Ready for what?¡± ¡°For the festival, of course. It is there because you defeated the curse. How can the main star not be there?¡± As expected of mother and daughter, Ayane looked like Sakuya but older. Her actual age was in her sixties but she still looked like thirty. ¡°...I¡¯m afraid there will be people that resent me¡­ It was the heat of the moment but I chose someone else over everyone,¡± Sakuya replied meekly. She didn''t hide the truth and told the clan elders the true version of what happened in the Book World. ¡°The worst didn''t come to pass but-¡± Ayane hugged her daughter close. ¡°Silly child. Stop being so gloomy. There¡¯s no one that isn''t happy with you lifting the curse. Come, let us walk to the festival together like we used to.¡± Her mother¡¯s hug was warm. ¡°Un,¡± Sakuya nodded. Mother and daughter walked together hand in hand. ¡°So, what is it about Tanael that you love so much?¡± Ayane suddenly said. ¡°Huhh!?¡± ¡°My daughter, you think you can deceive your mother? You¡¯re a hundred years too early. Aah, aah. Red as a crab. How cute. Have you pushed him down yet? Used my teachings? ¡­It seems like a no.¡± ¡°Mother~!! We¡¯re on the street!¡± ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll talk tonight. Don''t hide anything from your mom. Give me all the juicy details.¡± ¡°Your daughter is about to be exiled and on her last night, this is what you want to hear?¡± ¡°Well yes. What''s wrong with that, dearest daughter?¡± Unbelievable¡­ Sakuya sighed. When they arrived at the festival venue, people flocked to Sakuya like ants to sugar. Yayoi first and foremost, then her friends and relatives that were around the same age. ¡°The Flower Blossom Kunoichi is here! So late!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the continent like?¡± ¡°Sakuya, are there people stronger than me?¡± Ayane looked at her daughter after giving her a distance. See, Sakuya? Everyone accepted you. Somehow, Sakuya was dragged into visiting every stall and every show. Her smile never faded. ¡°Hehehe. Good to see you so happy. Now I have no worries. Take care of yourself. By the way, there''s okonomiyaki sauce on your lips.¡± Sakuya heard a voice that she hadn''t heard since they separated after the flying carpet. Tanael-sama!? Sakuya looked around her in a hurry, trying to catch sight of him. He was here, watching her at this moment. How was that possible? ¡°Sakuya, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yayoi asked. Sakuya took out a white card that she kept in her pocket the whole time. The telepathy was possible because of this. If Tanael didn''t want to be found, he wouldn''t be. Mysterious as always, she smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Everything is fine,¡± Sakuya wiped the sauce on her lips. Interlude - The Kunoichi (2) How she met the Matriarch was unexpected. While she was awake, she found herself in a wasteland. Sakuya wasn''t asleep or unconscious in any way. One moment she was in her house, another moment she was here. In that barren red wasteland without a single blade of grass, was a simple hut. Sakuya knew her life and death were no longer in her hands. Cold sweat was formed and her hands were trembling. ¡°Don''t be nervous, child. Come in.¡± Sakuya hardened her will and pushed the door. ¡°Descendant Sakuya, greets the Matriarch of the Sakaki clan!¡± She bowed deep without daring to look at the person inside the hut. ¡°Fufu, don''t be so alarmed, child. Is my reputation so scary? I won''t eat you, I promise,¡± the voice carried a playful tone. ¡°Now raise your head and let me take a look at you.¡± Slowly, Sakuya did as she was told. The woman sitting on a weird chair in front of her was supposed to be really old but she still looked like a woman in her forties. Powerful Pathseekers could halt the show of aging in their body but to be as old as her and still look like so was proof of her power. Her hair was all white and her face was naturally a mature beauty. However, Sakuya found she had more similar characteristics to the people on the continent rather than her clan. While her physical appearance was eye-catching, what gave Sakuya the biggest impression was the stillness about her. In fact, the whole hut, the whole wasteland seemed to be captured in a painting. While Sakuya was observing the Matriarch, the opposite was also true. ¡°Hmm, good seedling. Tempered too. Comparing the current you and the you from last year is like seeing two different people. Your growth is remarkable. Your experience from Aletro¡¯s Book World is priceless.¡± ¡°Thank you for the praise, Matriarch, but I cannot claim it was all me. I¡¯ve been aided by someone.¡± ¡°Yes, Tanael. You¡¯ve mentioned him before in your report, although you''re very protective about matters concerning the man himself. But we¡¯ve strayed. First, allow me to give you my sincerest gratitude for unshackling the Flaring Wither Curse that my father cast upon my descendants. It was the greatest regret of Shinjurou before he died.¡± It was then that Sakuya realized the identity of the Matriarch. She was the spouse of the first Sakaki. The saintess of a certain religious organization from the continent. She was at least 300 years old! ¡°M-matriarch. As someone born in the Sakaki clan, it was what I should do,¡± Sakuya tried to remain calm. ¡°Nevertheless, this grandma thanks you for rectifying the old mistake. You did what I could not.¡± ¡°...Matriarch, your words are wasted on me.¡± Sakuya bowed. ¡°Good. You¡¯re not exiled.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Fufufu, you don''t look happy. Disappointed you can''t go after your crush?¡± ¡°Ah!?¡± ¡°I met that remarkable young man yesterday.¡± Sakuya¡¯s breath stopped from the tension. What happened? ¡°Want to see?¡± The Matriarch waved her hand and the space in front of her showed scenes from another place and another time. It was night, at the Amaterasu Temple, Sakuya was certain because she planted the seed that Tanael gave her at the temple¡¯s rear. Sakuya saw a portal was opened and Tanael -his appearance was the same as in the Book World- looked around without crossing. A green-skinned little girl that she¡¯d never seen was standing beside him. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Tanael seemed to be looking at a festival that was ongoing and it was there that the Matriarch appeared. ¡°My, what unusual guests.¡± If Tanael was surprised, he didn''t show it. The little girl moved forward as if shielding him. They both never took a step from the portal. ¡°A plant-based teleportation anchor of some sort. If my descendant planted this even after knowing what it does, I¡¯ll give her a scolding later,¡± the Matriarch said. Sakuya looked like she was swallowing saltwater. Tanael chuckled. ¡°I apologize for the intrusion. Rest assured, Sakuya didn''t know what it did. She was simply following my request. Please don''t be too hard on her. But where are my manners? Pleased to meet you, honored elder. This one is Tanael, a villain and currently trespassing. I apologize for the latter but not for the former.¡± Sakuya saw the Matriarch seem more attentive about the little girl beside Tanael. There seemed to be an unseen border between the Matriarch and Tanael. ¡°How refreshing for a villain to boldly declare himself so. I am Irini Sakaki n¨¦e Calix. You have taken care of my descendant so I¡¯ll forgive this offense once. What is your purpose here, young one?¡± ¡°Soy sauce.¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± ¡°I wish to procure some soy sauce or shoyu. Considering this village¡¯s roots, I believe there should be some.¡± ¡°Mmm. This village indeed has soy sauce but I don''t have any on me. What a shame.¡± ¡°What a shame indeed. Naturally, I can''t ask an august madam to bring me some. Before I leave, may I greet that happy-looking girl over there?¡± ¡°...You may do so in front of me.¡± ¡°Naturally.¡± Tanael conjured a white card in his hand and pressed it to his forehead. Sakuya guessed this was the moment when she heard Tanael¡¯s voice. ¡°She looks happy,¡± Tanael said, looking at the festival. The distance from the Amaterasu Temple was far but it didn''t seem to be an issue for him. ¡°She does,¡± Irini, the Matriarch said while similarly looking at the festival. ¡°And this village is peaceful too. A bringer of chaos such as myself shouldn¡¯t set foot in this place. But one last thing, may I ask Madam Irini something? It concerns Sakuya.¡± ¡°In my experience, smiling polite people hide hideous intent. Are you the same, young man?¡± ¡°I am hideous inside and outside. I am lies and evil given form. Therefore I humbly asked you this. I have reason to believe that Sakuya will seek me out.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I hope you stop her. My road is of carnage. Dangerous, especially to people around me. A nice girl like her should be in a place like this. Surrounded by family and friends, get married, grow old¡­ A life of peace.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll inform her of your words. But what if she still wishes to follow you?¡± ¡°Then I won''t reject her. We all have to make our own choices someday,¡± Tanael looked to the stars. ¡°Though, I fear she would make that choice without fully realizing what it means. I hope Madam Irini can help her before she leaps into a bottomless chasm.¡± ¡°Young man, are you an old monster toying with the life of the young? How old are you?¡± ¡°I like to think I¡¯m young, Madam. I shall take my leave. If Fate wills it, we will meet again.¡± Sakuya watched as Tanael retreated and the portal closed. The scene then ended. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Sakuya¡¯s mind was a mess. ¡°I-¡± ¡°If my eyes haven''t become rotten, in a few years, his enemies will be at the level where they can kill you with no effort. In a few decades, you won''t even be qualified to stand on the same battlefield as him,¡± Irini gave the naked truth. Sakuya felt the words stab her. She faintly realized it during their time training together in Stage 5. The strength disparity between her and Tanael wasn''t shrinking but expanding. Tanael thought she wasn''t strong enough for the final part of Stage 5, that was why he made her leave first. ¡°Three years,¡± Irini said. ¡°Matriarch?¡± ¡°There will be changes in the village. With the curse gone, isolation will not last and is unnecessary. Don''t rush to make your decision, go back to the village. Slowly observe the changing world and expand your horizons. Think about your future for the next three years.¡± ¡­I am too immature. ¡°Descendant Sakuya accepts the Matriarch''s command.¡± ¡°How rigid! Haah¡­ I suppose this is what I get after hiding in the shadows for two centuries¡­ My own grand, grand -a couple times more- daughter treats me no different than a speaking monster.¡± ¡°T-this Sakuya didn''t mean-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I suppose it¡¯s time for these old bones to come out of the closet. Here.¡± Irini gave Sakuya an orb. ¡°What is this, honored Matriarch?¡± ¡°For your training. It¡¯s been a while since I met a seedling like you. It would be a waste to let it grow undernourished.¡± Sakuya realized she would get some training directly from the Matriarch! A Level 5! ¡°H-honored Matriarch, if I may¡­ I know a few people with talents not less than mine. Perhaps-¡± ¡°Yayoi and your friends, yes? You cherish the bonds you made. Good, it will give you strength. But don''t worry, everyone will get their special menu, even little Kondou and little Ayane. Ohohoho! In a week or two, you all will wish I never left my isolation!¡± Interlude - The Apprentice In an encampment outside of the Regidana city, there was a gathering of people. From their weapons and armors, anyone could see that they were adventurers. A group of four had just arrived. ¡°Alright, looks like we¡¯re all here,¡± a respectable-looking man in his middle thirties said. ¡°My name is Torha, the leader of this punitive force. You all know why you¡¯re here but I¡¯ll clarify it once more. Our mission is to defeat the marauding bandit gang that named themselves the Eight Murderswords of Skreja. They are now encroaching on Regidana¡¯s sphere of influence. We will cut them down for their transgression. Here¡¯s the plan¡­¡± While Torha was explaining, the newly arrived group of four conversed with each other. ¡°Heeh¡­ So Firemane Torha is the leader. I heard he became Level 3 a few months ago. The guild seems to take these Level 2 vagrants seriously.¡± ¡°The eight are vicious and a menace. Rumors are they were poor farmers that practiced dark arts and became strong. Traders and travelers that often travel to that area are making sounds and it makes the residents restless. The city wants these people gone real bad and real quick.¡± ¡°They say the eight have felled a Level 3. The guy¡¯s estate was pillaged and his family was murdered to the last woman and child. That¡¯s why besides the Level 3, there are more of us.¡± ¡°But fifteen people against eight is overkill ain''t it? I bet we four can take the eight of them no problemo.¡± ¡°Better safe than sorry, Hawke¡­ Say, what¡¯s with the kid?¡± The man looked at two people that sat on the periphery of the group. ¡°Don''t you know? That¡¯s Boram of the Aletro Nine Stars.¡± ¡°Oho¡­ Is the kid strong?¡± ¡°Eeeh, he¡¯s not weak but I think this hype about the Nine Stars is overrated. He was completely trashed by the revived Oscar in the U18 Tournament''s semifinals.¡± ¡°Yeah, I saw it in person. See the other guy? That is supposed to be Boram¡¯s master, Avel the Spineless. To save the apprentice from the last hit, he jumped onto the arena and tanked Oscar¡¯s lightning strike.¡± ¡°And then, and then?¡± ¡°He was barely hanging on after the hit. Cuz he interrupted the match, Boram was declared forfeit but Oscar challenged the master instead. ¡®For interrupting a sacred duel¡¯, he said.¡± ¡°So what did he do?¡± ¡°Avel dared not to raise a hand against the princeling and got pummeled for five minutes straight! He was just standing there as Oscar turned him into human-shaped charcoal. Hell, the match was stopped because the umpire found it so unsightly. The moniker Spineless fell to him then and there.¡± ¡°Hah! Pathetic. He was in a full arena, right? Seen by thousands of people? Doesn''t he have any pride?¡± ¡°You two, shihhh! They can hear you.¡± ¡°So what? Do they dare?¡± *** Boram clenched his fist and rose from his seat, hammer in hand and heart-burning. ¡°Boram.¡± His Master¡¯s voice stopped him. Reluctantly, he sat back on the rock. Boram remembered that day as if a burning iron was pressed to his skin. After the fight against the merfolk in Fort Mercator, Boram wanted to clear the coward''s label on Master Avel. He talked about it to his friends in an innocent everyday conversation. ¡°Then you should enter the U18 Tournament!¡± Harry said. ¡°If you win, surely other people will think your master is great too! I also don''t like what other people said about Mister Knight.¡± And so Boram participated in the tournament, without telling his master. While Avel was busy with his lawsuit, Boram participated in the matches. He thought his master still had found out somehow but he didn''t say anything about the matter so he kept participating in the matches. It was going swimmingly. He swept through qualification rounds and into the quarterfinals, the spectators were even chanting his name when he stepped into the arena. Then he met Oscar in the next round. ¡°Know your place, slave.¡± Boram knew that look, familiar from the time he was in the quarry. It was the look of someone seeing the likes of insects or trash. There was hate in it too. Even though he had done his best, Boram was defeated. He only managed to land a single blow, which made Oscar angrier. It wasn''t hard to guess the reason for Oscar''s vex. He failed to win the trial, furthermore, got killed; then his father got blackmailed to save him. Meanwhile, people showered praises on the Nine Stars as if they were heavenly celebrities that visited the mortal realm. He was forgotten, sidelined, and treated as a joke. It was too much for the prince born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Boram was weaker than him -and a lowly slave no less- but he was one of the Nine Stars while he was not. Then the slave managed to hit him! Unacceptable! It was then Avel interfered, defending Boram from a strike intended to cripple his Intio. Although Avel wanted nothing more than to bring Boram back, Oscar wouldn''t let that happen and challenged Avel to take Boram¡¯s place. As the blood of the ruling family of Regidana, who would dare to stop him when he bent the rules a little? Avel accepted because refusal was not an option and then did not raise a hand against Oscar. He let himself be struck again and again, returning to his feet after each blow and lightning strike. Still, it wouldn''t do for someone of Oscar¡¯s status to kill someone in a non-lethal tournament so the umpire stopped him in the end. In the end, it was Boram who carried his master who was injured far more than him; tears flowing unceasingly. Boram felt the worst. His actions dragged his master¡¯s name even further down the mud. He cried until he fell asleep. Come daybreak, he saw Master Avel swinging his sword as he always did. Even when he was bandaged all over, he kept doing his morning practice routine. Boram felt the deepest of shame. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. He reached out to his hammer immediately and went to the lawn, swinging his hammer beside his master. ¡°What happened yesterday is nothing,¡± Master Avel said without stopping his sword training. ¡°Two men I know endured the same in Jaya. Oscar¡¯s strikes cannot hurt me.¡± ¡°...Yes,¡± Boram replied, even though he didn''t know where this Jaya was. ¡°Boram, never forget this: Cultivation is refusal to accept life as it is.¡± Boram turned those words into a seed and planted it deep in his psyche. ¡°I will not, Master.¡± Master and Apprentice kept swinging their respective weapons until their shirt was drenched with the sweat of effort. A few days prior, Master called this quest ¡®high-profile¡¯, so he took it. This is the first step for Master to make a comeback. I will not mess this up! ¡°You lot, let¡¯s move!¡± Torha¡¯s bark returned Boram to reality. The punitive force was moving to ambush the Eight Murderswords. *** The ambush went wrong. The punitive force who were supposed to be doing the ambushing, got ambushed instead. ¡°Ghakk!!? You?¡± Torha was suddenly stabbed in the back by one of the adventurers. ¡°Hahaha! Surprise!¡± The assailant mocked. ¡°Well done, Fifth Brother. Now drop it!¡± The humanoid shadow above the cliff roared. ¡°Oh no! The cliff is crumbling!¡± The punitive force was traveling through a steep cliff when the ambush was sprung. Tons of earth swept through them and many got separated. Screams of panic were loosed. ¡°Gyahaha! Hunt them down!¡± The hunters became the hunted. ¡­Or did they? *** A short while later, five adventurers were besieged by seven people. After the landslide that separated them, they made grouping up their priority as the Murderswords hunted them. The rest of the adventurers were most likely dead. ¡°Don''t give up! We still have Lord Torha with us!¡± The Level 3 got hit quite deep but by using his Unreality Field, none of the Murderswords were able to defeat him. ¡°Level 3? So what?¡± The leader of the Murderswords unleashed his true strength. He too was a Level 3. ¡°Hahaha! Skreja Thrust!¡± ¡°Damn it, Storm Assault!¡± The Level 3s fought in a dizzyingly fast battle but it didn''t take long to be clear that Torha was at a severe disadvantage. The wound on his back reopened after the first aid. Outnumbered, the remaining survivors were attacked from all sides by the remaining Murderswords. They were barely hanging on. Torha¡¯s fall was the final straw. They knew they were doomed. ¡°Weaklings¡­ By the way, Fourth Brother isn''t here yet?¡± ¡°He probably played around with his prey again. You know he likes to torture them first.¡± A head flew in the air and rolled on near the attackers. ¡°Fourth Brother!¡± ¡°Who!?¡± The Murderswords turned to the approaching pair. They walked slowly, composed. One was wearing a knight helmet and the other was a hammer-wielding kid. The one with the helmet had thrown the head earlier. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that!¡± Second Brother charged with fury. ¡°Don''t get cocky!¡± Fifth Brother followed suit. ¡°Arte - Earth Grip!¡± After defending the slash from Second Brother with his hammer, Boram created a hand big enough to hold a person from the earth. The creation was so smooth and quick that the same Level 2 as Boram was unable to react fast enough. When Avel received the Duel With Honor Arte from the Governor-King, Boram was rewarded with this Arte. ¡°Gwaaaahhh!¡± Normally the earth hand was used as a means to trap agile enemies but because of the boost from Investiture of Soil, Boram¡¯s Arte had enough force to crush an enemy at Second Brother¡¯s level. His body was soon deformed by the crushing grip and after multiple snapping sounds, only blood oozed out from the conjured hand. Meanwhile, what Avel did was more straightforward. He parried the sword of the Fifth Brother. While his posture was broken, a slash took the Murdersword¡¯s hand. Before he had the chance to scream in pain, or even feel the pain, Avel had already cut off his left leg. The returning slash of Avel¡¯s blade also cut his right thigh to the bone. The blade fluidly returned to the scabbard on the helmeted man¡¯s hip who continued walking as if nothing happened. As the Fifth Brother fell to the ground, Boram unhesitatingly swung his hammer at the man¡¯s head using a golf swing motion. With the container utterly smashed, the thousand pieces of its inside were exposed to the air and sprinkled the earth with gore matter. Boram hastened his steps until he was side by side with his master. Enemies and allies alike were taken in by the showy spectacle. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the Level 3. Can you handle the other four?¡± Master Avel asked. ¡°Master¡­ Four people is a little bit-¡± Avel made a grabbing motion with his hand and the closest Murdersword was suddenly pulled in by an unseen force. Seventh Brother tried to resist but Avel had bisected him from the crown of his head to the crotch before he was able to do so. ¡°How about now?¡± ¡°Blasted thing! I¡¯ll grind your bones to dust and feed your flesh to the maggots!¡± Avel and First Brother¡¯s sword clashed which created a loud shockwave that swept through all of them. ¡°What the fu-¡± ¡°U-U-Unreality Field!¡± ¡°Spineless is Level 3!!¡± As Avel and First Brother fought, Boram moved away and fought opponents of his size. ¡°Rest assured Master. None of them will escape!¡± Boram charged at the remaining three Murderswords. ¡°Fucking kid!¡± Third Brother cursed. ¡°Sixth, Eighth, formation red-¡± Arte - Groundslider. Boram wasted no time, shrinking the distance between him and the closest enemy and gave the Eighth Brother a good smack with his hammer. ¡°Arghhh! M-my arms!¡± He¡¯d defended against the direct blow but it shattered his magical shield and still broke both of his arms. ¡°We¡¯ll help too. Guys-¡± ¡°Unnecessary! Sit down!¡± An adventurer woke up from their stupor and wanted to help but Boram shut them down harshly! He was the one that insulted his master the most earlier. If his master did not say to save the adventurers, Boram would have turned the guy into meat paste. The pressure he emitted made the adventurers back down. Boram paid no more attention to those people and fought three on one. ¡°Flame of Skerja!¡± ¡°Flame of Skerja!¡± ¡°Flame of Skerja, dieeee!¡± The three used the same Arte and blasted flames at Boram from three sides. A high heat area was created. ¡°Ha! He¡¯s ash no-¡± Boram emerged from the fires wearing Rock Skin Arte and caved in Sixth Brother¡¯s face with his fist. A second punch to the ribs and his heart stopped from extreme blunt force trauma. ¡°No way!¡± ¡°We can''t wi-¡± ¡°Stone Barrage!¡± Hundreds of small pebbles shot out with the force of a shotgun. The Arte gave Third Brother hundreds of new holes. This was one of the first Artes his master had given him, and Boram trained with it a lot to increase its power. Eight Brother, the one with both arms broken, ran for his dear life. ¡°Earth Grip.¡± Unlike before, the earth hand only held Eighth Brother in place. ¡°Wait! I surren-¡± Boram jumped. He spun once midair like a wheel and his hammer struck the enemy with a force that broke the Earth Grip. The ground below cracked in the pattern of spider webs. ¡°Rocky Smash!¡± The Murdersword failed the physical integrity check. ¡°Pheew¡­¡± Boram let out a breath, wiping the blood splattered on his face. It looked easy but that was because he put great power into each of his Artes. He judged he would win even against four people but one might get away or disturb his master¡¯s fight. What about Master? Boram turned and saw the surviving adventurers were no longer paying attention to him, the fight of his master against the Level 3 Murdersword captivated them far more than his fight. Boram knew the look in their eyes: awe. So that¡¯s how it is. Master doesn''t mind his bad reputation because he can change it whenever he wants. Master is truly the best! Boram also beheld Avel¡¯s fight. It was his first time seeing his master using his Level 3 powers and it would be good learning material later on. Interlude - The Least ¡°One thing that I like about being a ghost is that I can eat delicious food as much as I want without getting fat,¡± Farley said before putting a spoon in her mouth. ¡°How is it, Gwen? You like it?¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Gwen nodded with her mouth full. ¡°Incredibly tasty!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been a gourmet but Viers might turn me into one if he keeps giving us food this delicious,¡± Clarissa added. The egg dish was only given a minimum spice but the exceptional ingredient was more than enough for a splendid taste. The ingredient Viers got from a person that he''d looted. That person found some mysterious egg in the Book World and her soul bonded with it. With the death of said woman, the life in the egg died too. Viers couldn''t recognize the origin of the beast that laid the egg but it still contained an incredible amount of vitality. Therefore, Viers made an omelet with it and ate it. The egg was big enough for a human child to fit inside while in a fetal position so Viers shared it with others. The outrageous thing was, Viers used the flat side of the divine sword he pried from Aravin¡¯s dead hands to cook it. It automatically heated itself when Viers touched it. The blinding light was an obstruction too. It wasn''t easy but Viers did it anyway. ¡®For being a cheeky sword¡¯, he said. The divine sword became oily and smeared with gunk. ¡°I could eat this every day!¡± Luca happily said. ¡°Kin gives me delicious things again. I love it!¡± Dia ate beside her. ¡°I made some for Arim and Susan too. Bring it home, okay?¡± Viers said. The one century of lifeforce that he sacrificed to Aletro had been replenished after all the monsters and vitality food he ingested. As usual when there was amazing food, Viers conjured it in his soul space for his tenants to eat. However, despite seeing her friends'' happy faces and eating an amazing mysterious omelet, the pang of worry inside Paina didn''t go away. That little detail didn''t escape Farley¡¯s attention. That night, when Viers was asleep. ¡°The day we go to Valkut city is getting close. You¡¯ll be able to meet your father, fulfilling your goal. And yet, you don''t seem thrilled,¡± the petite short-haired brunette said. ¡°Talk to me, friend.¡± Paina stopped playing her flute. Her long black hair swayed as she shook her head. ¡°I really can''t hide anything from you, can I¡­ Things are progressing well. Viers keeps getting stronger and his double has restored Avel¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°Hehe, Lord Viers¡¯ said his double thinks like him, didn''t he? I wonder how he felt fighting in the coliseum. Ironically, one-on-one battles there are perfect for his Duel With Honor Arte.¡± ¡°What Viers hates most is tournaments, public matches he can endure. His double also only fight a match one or two times a week. It won''t be long until people stop calling him spineless. We''ll depart soon.¡± ¡°Level 3 battles¡­ I want to see them too. I bet Viers¡¯ double won without using his full strength,¡± Farley said. ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s so powerful now¡­ In the end, it¡¯s about power,¡± Paina looked down with melancholy. ¡°Paina?¡± ¡°I can''t do it, Farley. I cannot stop Viers from killing people. Worse, I cannot stop him from killing innocents! Why would he? When he could eat their souls to get stronger?¡± The events in the Book World left a deep mark on Paina¡¯s mind. If she knew about the Night of Bloodless Murders she would be even more shaken. ¡°...Lord Viers explained it to us and the necessities of such drastic actions,¡± Farley said. ¡°But where is the line drawn? Would you do it if it was you?¡± Paina accosted. ¡°If it is for protecting the ones I love, yes.¡± Farley replied with hard eyes. Paina was taken aback. ¡°I can''t do it. I can''t accept it¡­ I just can''t, Farley. I helped Viers in battle. My hands are as red as his own. Every Pathseeker climbs the Path of Power by stepping over skeletons. I understand that¡­ but at some point, he will go down a path I refuse to follow. That would be the end of me¡­ Viers doesn''t leave loose ends. He knows it too, so before that happens, he will leave me in Valkut.¡± ¡°You don''t know that.¡± ¡°Viers gave the fetus to me! For my use, not you or Gwen¡­ because he''s going to drop me off at Valkut and cut his ties. His debt to me, paid.¡± ¡°Wouldn''t you want to stay in Valkut with your father?¡± Farley asked. ¡°Does it matter? It¡¯s Viers¡¯ call to make.¡± Paina sat down on the field of flowers, watching helplessly at the starry sky above. After a short while, Farley sat beside her. ¡°Seek strength. The rest will follow,¡± Farley began. ¡°When we first arrived at Luca¡¯s village, you adopted this principle. I¡¯ve seen you put your heart and soul into training your Artes and music. We¡¯ve fought side by side against the fearsome monsters and super strong Pathseekers in the Grid; through the blood, through the pain. I can say with utmost certainty that you¡¯re not all talk.¡± Farley grabbed Paina¡¯s hand. ¡°...Thank you, Farley. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re my friend.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± The two stayed together until they drowsed into sleep. *** Viers was flying alone on his magic carpet. ¡°You should use this method of travel all the time,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°Out of the question,¡± Farley sternly said. ¡°Flying items are very rare. Even Level 4s might rob Lord Viers if they saw him riding one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I only use this in remote areas and the less I use it the better. But it is very hard to reach our destination on foot, so, yeah.¡± ¡°And where are we going, exactly?¡± Paina asked. Viers had left Pecan Village and went to the closest city. He had many things he wanted to do that he couldn''t do in Regidana. After a few days, he went deep into the wilderness where dangerous monsters roamed free. ¡°There, Yellowrock Valley,¡± Viers pointed with his fingers. ¡°It smells funny,¡± Farley pinched her nose. Viers conveyed his sense of smell to the girls. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Sulfur,¡± Viers said. ¡°Get used to it cause the valley is full of it.¡± ¡°We don''t have to get used to it. Turn it off!¡± Clarissa shouted. ¡°Wait, you just don''t want to suffer alone, do you?¡± Clarissa hit the nail on the head so Viers whistled deceptively. ¡°I don''t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± After observing the area from above for a while, Viers found his target. It was a Rank 2 gorilla-like monster that walked on all fours. Even hunched, its height reached two meters. Its skin was craggy and there were yellow rocks growing out of it. The monster had a long tail like a crocodile. ¡°The yellow rocks are worth a lot. It will be useful for Boram¡¯s Profound Practice.¡± ¡°That¡¯s-¡± Paina was shaking. ¡°Similar, isn''t it? To the monster that killed you,¡± Viers answered. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Eh? Kyaaaa!?¡± Suddenly, Paina was conjured into the outside world and she fell down to the ground. Viers raised the carpet''s elevation after dropping her off. ¡°I made your soul corporeal, with the same endurance as a normal human. If you never died, your cultivation should be Level 2 and that¡¯s what you are right now. You can use Arte normally using my Victa but the boost from my Aspect is unavailable.¡± ¡°Viers, what are you-¡± ¡°The monster is called Boroscanan, quite a strong monster. According to the guild¡¯s recommendation, to hunt a Rank 2, a Level 3 adventurer is needed. I want you to defeat it, alone.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t-¡± During the destruction of Luxore town, Paina was killed by a human-turned-monster that looked similar to this one. Seeing the Boroscanan reminded Paina of her trauma. ¡°I don''t know what will happen to you if your soul gets broken but I doubt it is anything good. Know that death is possible. Good luck.¡± Viers shot a water attack at the Rank 2 Boroscanan to gain its attention. In the area, there was only a single monster and Paina. Paina¡¯s body was stiff. She couldn''t fly. She couldn''t escape. The monster got angry due to Viers'' attack and set its sight on Paina. The fearsome roar turned Paina as white as a sheet. ¡°Paina, fight!¡± Farley shouted. ¡°Go! You can do it!¡± Clarissa cheered. The Boroscanan leaped from twenty meters afar, intent on crushing Paina with its body weight. ¡°Aaaahhh!¡± Paina yelped and dived to the side. She felt a smidgen of relief and let her guard down. The Boroscanan¡¯s tail swung at her right after it landed. ¡°S-Shield!¡± The Water Shield Arte was constructed by the skin of her teeth. The force of the blow sent her flying. Being immobile when defenseless was dangerous. She¡¯d gotten used to the pain after so much training in the Grid, so she gritted her teeth and got back up. Paina glanced at Viers and he showed no sign of interfering. ¡°Grrrr¡­¡± The Boroscanan snarled. Its bottom fangs grew out from its mouth like an inverted sabertooth tiger. Move, damnit, move! Paina was frozen in fear. Her body wasn''t listening to her. The memories of the time she was killed emerged one after another. Of the time when she was ripped apart then eaten. She dodged another attack and tried to run away but got suddenly pulled back in. Viers didn¡¯t let her run. Left with no choice, she was forced to fight back for her life. ¡°Water Pillar!¡± She opened with a powerful Arte but was easy to dodge. The jet of water that emerged upward like a geyser was easily evaded by the monster. ¡°What¡¯s with that pathetic display?¡± Viers shouted. ¡°Easily seen through moves like that need setting up before use! Have you learned nothing?¡± The Boroscanan opened his mouth wide for a devastating chomp. ¡°GRAAAAAWWW!¡± ¡°Kyaaaaahh!!¡± Paina switched to fast to cast but low power Artes as she kept her distance. The Boroscanan paid little heed to the peashooters and continued to attack aggressively. The battle went on. Monsters had hardy bodies in the first place. Even though Viers¡¯ Victa was in no danger of running out soon, Paina¡¯s stamina was dropping fast. Viers made her current form as close to a flesh and blood human as possible. Meanwhile, Paina¡¯s battle was messy, unfocused. Her agitation led to her Artes losing power and her judgment dulled. The tide of the battle was against her. Is this it? Paina¡¯s will to live was fading. ¡°PAINA! You¡¯re not this weak!¡± Farley screamed worriedly. ¡°Focus! You¡¯re better than that ape!¡± Clarissa clenched her fists. In the middle of the two, Paina saw Viers¡¯ lips move. ¡°Find yourself.¡± It was as if something clicked inside Paina. Boroscanan¡¯s clawed hand was closing in. ¡°Water Pillar!¡± A sprout of water carried Paina upwards. Different from before, she used the water''s propulsion to evade the monster¡¯s attack. When she landed, the brutish monster was throwing a big lump of rock at her. Water Shield¡­ No. Must make it softer, like in the Grid! The rock hit the pane of water and similar to a trampoline, it reflected the projectile right back. ¡°Graaaaohhh!?¡± It didn''t expect that, and the stone to the face stunned the crocodile-tailed gorilla monster. From then on, Paina¡¯s movements became more refined. ¡°Looks like the clich¨¦d plot of pushing her to the brink works,¡± Viers commented while watching Paina use all kinds of Artes to gain the upper hand against the Boroscanan. ¡°So did she awaken her hidden power or something? I¡¯ve seen many similar things during the war,¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°No, Rissa,¡± Farley answered. ¡°She could do this from the start. Her hesitation, doubt, and trauma made her unable to do her best. Now she¡¯s broken free of the chain she imposed on herself.¡± ¡°But her power output is lacking,¡± analyzed the lamia. ¡°It will turn into a battle of attrition at this point. Oh?¡± ¡°Arte¨C¡± Paina extended her hand and a blue magic circle appeared. The blue light on her body signified the massive use of Victa. Clarissa raised her eyebrow. The complexity of the Arte might be on par with Viers¡¯ Vortex Nova. She didn''t expect Paina to have something like this in her arsenal. ¡°¨CWater Is Unbreakable!¡± The massive Boroscanan was imprisoned in a body of water. Finding itself submerged in water, the monster tried to break free. However, the water had the texture of jelly. It stretched as the monster tried to claw its way out but contracted back when the pushing force was gone. Naturally, the monster could not breathe inside the Arte. ¡°Ahahaha! Now that¡¯s what I call a JoJo reference!¡± Water Is Unbreakable Arte was an evolution of Viers¡¯ Almost Heaven Arte. The technique he used to drown opponents weaker than him. However, the true essence of Water Is Unbreakable was its defensive properties. For months, Viers, Farley, and Paina had collaborated to create the most defensive Arte that they could make. The Arte was successfully created after many ups and downs. However, the Arte wasn''t suited for Farley. She could still use the water Arte but the effect was not as strong. Farley¡¯s nature was to attack but the Arte was very suitable for Paina. It could be used to protect one¡¯s body, considerably reducing the force of all physical attacks. Depending on the situation, the caster could change the water¡¯s viscosity, making it hard like a solid object. The drawback of being unable to breathe was easily solved when water Pathseekers learned Water Breathing Arte. Pathseekers of other elements could deal with asphyxiation one way or another, but unintelligent monsters were doomed. Despite the mighty name, it wasn''t truly unbreakable, but it was very, very sturdy. If it was that easy to entrap one¡¯s opponent in water, every water Pathseeker would have done so but Water Is Unbreakable¡¯s effectiveness lay in its complexity. The more complex the Arte, the more powerful it was. The drawback was that it would be difficult to deploy it in real battles. Enemies wouldn''t wait until the cast was done. Viers could use Overclock Mode and other methods to cast it in a reasonable time but Paina didn''t have those. So she constructed a magic circle beforehand. The formula was already partially done and Paina filled in the blanks to complete the Arte. The disadvantage of such a method was that the Arte¡¯s parameter was fixed to the magic circle¡¯s formula, the dimension, the rate of power, and so on. Making alterations would mean remaking the magic circle from scratch. Still, the object that Paina took three weeks to create splendidly pave her the way to victory. Paina was watching the drowned monster in the sphere of water with an expression of disbelief while Viers landed next to her. ¡°Congratulations on your victory.¡± ¡°Paina. Nice fight!¡± Farley said. ¡°Mmm,¡± Clarissa nodded. ¡°A victory worth celebrating for.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ve won against stronger monsters before. But that was using your Level 3 cultivation and your mysterious Aspect boost. I never thought-¡± ¡°That you can defeat it using purely your own strength? It¡¯s called growth,¡± Viers said while examining the yellow rocks on the monster¡¯s body. ¡°In the future, when your sound affinity awakens, you can attack the enemy trapped inside using sound. Sound travels easier in the water than in the air. It would be a synergy.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Paina doubted. ¡°Looking at your expertise with music in general, it is pretty much a surety at this point. The reason it has not awakened yet is caused by the lack of body. Because your existence is not complete. Another congratulation, you¡¯re a rare dual affinity Pathseeker.¡± Farley and Clarissa said their congratulations. Viers gave them some time before he talked again. ¡°Farley told me your worries.¡± Paina was frozen like a deer in headlights. The Arte had been dispelled and Viers was taking the rocks from the monster''s skin. ¡°Seek strength, the rest will follow¡­ Do you remember that you said you wanted to become strong? Haven''t you made true of your words from back then?¡± ¡°...What is my strength compared to yours?¡± ¡°Hehehe. Using me as a measurement for your strength is highly daring of you. True, among my inner circle, your power is the least. The weakest, below Boram and Farley. Dia will exceed you in a short while.¡± Paina knew that but hearing it spoken still felt hurt. ¡°Yet you can contribute something incredible like the Anima Symphony Arte. Viers Corporation has greatly benefited from it. There are many other things too. As CEO, I¡¯ll say this, your work has been more than satisfactory.¡± Paina didn''t speak so Viers continued. ¡°Whatever happens in Valkut, I do not decide your future. You yourself must decide what you want to be. That is true for you, for Farley, for Clarissa, Boram, even me.¡± ¡°My music¡­ my power has not saved anyone yet.¡± ¡°Because you have not tapped on the true power of music. A legendary musician once said: Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.¡± Beethoven said it. ¡°Wow,¡± Clarissa said after a period of silence. ¡°That''s grand and profoundly deep. Was that guy a sound Pathseeker?¡± ¡°Might be. And music is not all you have. Look at your current skill with water. Ordinary Pathseeker will not be able to win against Boroscanan of the same Level. Let me be honest, your starting point is far lower than Boram. Have you realized that by journeying with me, you¡¯re no longer a small fish in a small pond? You¡¯re now a small fish in a biiiig ocean!¡± Viers spread his arms wide. ¡°Whether you grow into something or not is up to you.¡± Chapter 218 - Green, Red, and Sort of Blue ¡°There¡¯s nothing here!!¡± Jaime Sigley, Horseman War of the Gloomsiders, shouted to the sky. ¡°You¡¯ve led us on a wild goose chase!¡± ¡°Gahahaha! Pure white earth and unlimited sky as far as the eyes can see! How wonderful,¡± Tanael happily laughed. ¡°Tanael-sama, why are you so insistent on going this far out? Anne, Oscar and the others didn''t even try. There are plenty of precious resources near the World Tree,¡± Sakuya, Horseman Famine, searched around for treasures among the clouds they stepped on. So far, she didn''t spot any. After the Gloomsiders reached the top of the World Tree in the race, they got some time to explore the surrounding flying islands for treasures. However, Tanael insisted they go very, very far. ¡°Because you¡¯re so sure, I thought there really was some amazing treasure out here¡­ We¡¯ve wasted too much time,¡± Izabella, Horseman Conquest, sighed because they had braved through hazardous terrains for nothing. ¡°Can''t you see, folks?¡± Tanael said with bold glee, pointing at each one of them. ¡°The treasures are the friends we made along the way! Huzzah treasures!¡± Jaime tried to kick Tanael¡¯s butt, though he evaded it without seeing, Izabella massaged the area between her eyes to ease the headache, and Sakuya clapped her hand together in realization as if she found truth in Tanael¡¯s words. ¡°All right, all right, chill. Seriously now. War, try to pull the cloud that you''re standing on,¡± Tanael said. ¡°...Wha-? It won''t come off. Mmh? It is actually very sturdy.¡± Sakuya and Izabella tried it too but to no avail. ¡°Why? The previous cloud islands were not this sturdy,¡± Conquest pondered. ¡°Because this cloud is not a mere cloud island,¡± Tanael said confidently. ¡°If you examine closely, you¡¯ll find a trace of divinity in the cloud. My guess is this was the corpse or a body part of a once-mighty being. Probably a Level 6 -or higher- cloud elemental.¡± Divinity was a type of profoundness that only those above Level 5 possessed. Although Tanael didn''t know much about it, he could still recognize if something was extraordinary using his Euryale Sight. ¡°Horsemen, prepare to mine the cloud!¡± Gloomsiders¡¯ leader, Horseman Death commanded. Finding and reaching the ordinary-looking, massive white cloud was one thing, taking it for themselves was another. The other three were able to gain a fingernail¡¯s worth of cloud before doing other things. Tanael, using great effort, cut out a melon-sized cloud and brought it with him. They didn''t stay long because the next part of Stage 4 had started. *** ¡°...the friends we made along the way, huh?¡± Viers was in Dia¡¯s Biome, he¡¯d just finished working on an ambitious project of his. Unlike the standard skills of a xianxia MC, he wasn''t doing alchemy, blacksmithing, or array making. Like writing or making a poem, he was engaging in the art of the soul, quite literally. This kind of thing was better to be done in a suitable environment so Dia helped a bit. Viers was surrounded by purple flowers and other soul attuned plants that the master of the Biome relocated. It created a place suitable for soul cultivation but that was for the future. Currently, the place was occupied. After two weeks of hard work, the assets had reached a stable phase. Now Viers only needed to wait. I wonder, how many ¡®friends¡¯ do I actually have? ¡°Kin, kinnn! It¡¯s hatching, come and see--!¡± Viers turned his head to the trio of girls nearby. Inside Viers¡¯ soul space, the White Flowers Meadow. From the screen in the sky, the V-Stream as Viers named it, his tenants were seeing what Viers was seeing. In the Biome, Luca, Dia, and Gwen were giddily watching the Silver-Pink Salmon baby fishes hatching. Viers decided to introduce Gwen to the two girls outside. The little girl was still in soul form similar to her sister but Viers made her able to come out and interact with the outside world. Luca and Dia happily accepted her, glad to have more friends. Paina was playing a relaxing tune with her flute. It was also a form of training for her. ¡°...They should go to school,¡± Viers muttered and his voice resounded in the soul space. ¡°School, Lord Viers?¡± Farley asked, stopping her spear practice for the moment. ¡°You mean to enroll them in a Pathseeker School?¡± ¡°Naaaw, I mean a place where they can learn math, history, science -if that¡¯s a thing- and so on. Children of their age should be taught precious knowledge for their future.¡± ¡°Those kinds of facilities are almost nonexistent in towns, though big cities might have them. Usually, only children of nobles require such a thing. Alternatively, you could hire teachers,¡± Farley spoke to the sky in normal loudness but Viers heard it. ¡°Like Roxy in Mushoku? I see, I see,¡± Viers had a realization. ¡°That could work¡­¡± ¡°Can I go with them?¡± ¡°Rissa?¡± Farley was surprised. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to a school before,¡± the lamia princess said. ¡°Doing studies with your friends sounds like fun, doesn''t it?¡± Hmm¡­ Is this a foreshadowing for a school arc? Viers suspected the mysterious workings of the universe. Do I want to go that route though? Seems overused¡­ A butterfly flew closer and landed on a purple flower on Viers¡¯ right. Dia¡¯s Biome no longer only had flora inside it. Just like the salmon that he decided to cultivate inside the Biome, he¡¯d bit by bit brought fauna into the habitat. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Viers was quite selective in his choices. The animals were all magical species that would benefit the Biome as a whole which in turn would benefit him as well. Viers used the Rushton Trading Company to procure some of the magical animals. An easy matter when money was used but the hard part was getting those animals and monsters inside the Biome. Dia couldn''t make the entrance wherever she wanted; it must be near a Gate Plant. There was only one such plant in Regidana city: his home. Since logistics was an obvious issue, Viers settled with small animals in small numbers for now. Butterflies dancing in the air, bunnies hopping on the grass, fish coming out of their eggs in the water, and three girls laughing near the pond. Ahhh¡­ Home sweet home. Two years after he arrived in the other world, Viers had made a home for himself. *** Boram fell from his chair, just after he was finished with dinner. His body was paralyzed, he couldn''t even sit straight. The plate shattered on the floor because of the drag from Boram¡¯s hand. Boram was utterly confused. ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯ve been poisoned,¡± Ars¨¨ne said. ¡°Ma-master?¡± ¡°I poisoned your meal. If the poison was the lethal kind, you¡¯d already be dead. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Always be vigilant, Boram. Well, time to learn how to combat poison with your Victa. I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± ¡°Mavveerrr¡­¡± Boram¡¯s paralysis had affected his tongue. Ars¨¨ne wiped his mouth, took the dirty plates, and left Boram groaning on the floor. The poison made him feel a serious case of pins and needles throughout his whole body. The villainous master of Boram was thinking of constantly poisoning his pupil so he would get resistance to poison. While he was washing the dishes and thinking what kind of poison he should use next, he got a visitor. ¡°Hello there,¡± he opened the window. A white cat with gray spots jumped in and looked around. It tilted its head, a code between the two. ¡°Boram is paralyzed currently, you can shift,¡± Ars¨¨ne hastened his dishwashing. The cat transformed into a busty, red-haired woman wearing a pointy hat. The last time they met was a month ago. Viers wanted information about a place with the trace of Giants. ¡°What happened to him?¡± ¡°Poison training.¡± ¡°You, are a bad, bad master,¡± Izabella said. ¡°So I am. Remembering your own poisoned experience in Stage 5, are you? Hehehe¡­ To what do I owe the occasion?¡± As time went by, the observation on ¡®Avel¡¯ loosened. He was no longer watched as closely as before. Furthermore, the inside of the house was protected by multitudes of enchantments and arrays. Izabella scoffed and gave Ars¨¨ne a white arrow that she took from inside her hat. ¡°Ooh, it is done then?¡± Ars¨¨ne looked excited. ¡°Yep. Per request, the tip is made using the hardest metal I could get my hands on but changing it for something better shouldn''t be hard. All it lacks is the power source. You need something very, very powerful to do what you visualized though. You can also use mana crystals as an alternative. Ten thousand mana crystals give ten seconds of operation time,¡± Izabella explained. ¡°Is the test drive satisfactory?¡± Ars¨¨ne asked. He had forked out that ten thousand mana crystals and gave it to her the last time they met. That amount was enough to buy a house in a town. ¡°I used five thousand to test it in the lab, then the remaining five seconds I used it to kill a Rank 3 monster in the wilds. The arrow has been tested and blooded, containing the absolute most of my current enchanting skill. Giving this beauty to you is like giving away my baby.¡± ¡°You never had a baby.¡± Despite Izabella''s unwilling expression, Ars¨¨ne naturally pocketed his commissioned item. ¡°How¡¯s Alan?¡± ¡°He just became Level 1 yesterday.¡± Putting the soul in the fetus would make the fetus grow rapidly. However, one must cultivate from scratch once more. That was why Viers had yet to give Paina the green light to proceed, for he doubted Valkut city would be a simple affair. His reasoning? It was the main quest. The same rules applied to Oscar. How fast he returned to his peak was proof of how deep the pockets of his family were. Since Alan knew Avel, to prevent information leak, and because Viers did not believe someone that he killed would bear no grudge against him, he had erased Alan¡¯s memories using soul manipulation. Just the part about Avel, all other things were untouched. It was a requirement in the contract so Izabella must swallow that condition. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure he will become a staunch ally for you.¡± Ars¨¨ne poured a cup of tea for her. ¡°Tea?¡± ¡°No thank you. You booked a ferry ticket to the south. You¡¯re leaving?¡± Izabella asked. ¡°This is no ordinary tea,¡± Ars¨¨ne said, sipping from his own cup. ¡°And yes, I¡¯ll be leaving in two weeks. Might be for a while.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Izabella drank the tea. The tea leaves were from Dia¡¯s Biome. It provided slight cultivation benefits. ¡°So this is where our path separates then.¡± ¡°Temporarily. Here.¡± Ars¨¨ne gave Izabella a white card. It was something that his other self created for Izabella. ¡°The one that you gave Sakuya?¡± ¡°Same function. I can transmit my voice to you using that. Just works one way for now. If I die, that card will also vanish. Always keep it close.¡± It is also a tracking device, alerting me when you¡¯re dying, and one other secret thing. Hehehe. ¡°I should have guessed you¡¯re not the flower type of guy. We¡¯ll both be busy it seems. Until our paths cross again,¡± Izabella extended her hand. ¡°Until our paths cross again,¡± Ars¨¨ne gave her a firm and confident handshake. Izabella morphed into a cat and left through the window, walking with the night wind of autumn. She had cult work to do. Rising in the ranks of the Blood Church was not for the weak-willed. *** Every day the preparations for the journey to Valkut were progressing. The last major reason that held Viers back was gone today. ¡°It liveeeeeesss!!¡± Dr. Frankenviers shouted with joy. ¡°Kyaaaaah! So cute!!¡± Paina¡¯s fervor didn''t lose. ¡°It, it licked me! Absolutely adorable! Hwaaa~¡± Farley melted from the cuteness of the newly born baby. The loveable palmtop cloud was trying its hardest to float. Equivalent to a trembling baby fawn trying to stand, its flying was shaky. Those adorable tiny eyes and mouth, body as soft as heavenly cotton candy¡­ the girls¡¯ hearts were hit by cupid¡¯s arrows and got smitten immediately. The little cloud that was ogled by the girls did a spin. ¡°Clarissa, look look! ¡­Rissa?¡± Paina eyed to the side. The lamia princess was stunned looking at the tiny ball of flame sleeping on her palms. It had the divine beauty of a sleeping baby. ¡°...This is my baby,¡± Clarissa declared. ¡°Rissa, that¡¯s Vi-¡± Farley tried to say. ¡°I don''t care. This one is my baby and that¡¯s final!¡± Clarissa¡¯s mother instinct went into overdrive. ¡°Ohh, let me see that one! Ohmygoddessohmygoddess this one is super cute too!¡± If cuteness was a drug, Paina would have died from an overdose. The trio of younger girls was also fawning over the baby cloud and baby flame. Looking at the spectacle, Viers was smiling. Viers split his own soul and gave them to the divine cloud and Anne¡¯s last remnant of phoenix fire. As a result, two elementals were born. The necessary skill to pull this off was given by Aletro. ¡°People, you may call me Big Pop from now on. Dwahahahahaha!! What should their name be? Zeus and Prometheus? Gwahahaha!!¡± ¡°Aw, don''t be so loud, kin. The red one is waking up,¡± Dia gently caressed the forehead of the flame elemental. She got burned a bit. Viers suddenly had a realization, a bolt out of the blue. Holy shit! One is grass, one is fire, one is¡­ sort of water. They are my three starter Pok¨¦mon! Now there¡¯s no question, I¡¯ll be the very best like no one ever was! It¡¯s my destiny!! Chapter 219 - The Cloud and the Flame Viers was sitting with his legs crossed. A globe of light was floating in front of him. Hundreds of little lights flowed from the globe into Viers¡¯ head until the globe lost its luster and disappeared. ¡°Phew¡­ It¡¯s finally done.¡± Viers put a hand on his head. Absorbing Aletro¡¯s soul attainment always gave him a headache. The giant sunflowers that acted as the replacement for the sun in the Biome were shining with the intensity of dusk and still gradually fading. That meant he had been doing this from morning to evening. There was just a little bit more so Viers pushed through to the finish. The first thing Viers did when his consciousness was in tune with his body, was an emergency toilet visit. Unlike cultivators in cultivation stories that pretty much stopped having bodily needs after the first or second stage of cultivation, Pathseekers of this world still needed toilet breaks, food, and sleep. Dia created a toilet stall in Viers¡¯ treehouse. The matter of water and plumbing was taken care of with great care. Viers came out of the treehouse with a mug of freshwater to heal his severely parched throat. He saw his three familiars bonding with each other. The cloud elemental and fire elemental were babies who were just born. Everything was new to them and they lacked understanding of the world around them. They were a handful, such as the fire elemental burning a bush by simply flying too close. A living fire was not an ideal addition to a plant-based Biome. But Viers forgave them because they were so cute. Even Viers¡¯ black heart softened from the power of their loveliness. Both the tiny cloud and fire with faces would get better with time. Viers could communicate with them and they understood him to some extent, not by knowing his words but by empathy. They were born from pieces of Viers¡¯ own soul, after all. He didn''t know if elementals had the concept of gender but he didn''t like to call them ¡®it¡¯. Since they were offshoots of Viers'' existence, Viers treated them as males. Viers named the cloud elemental Futon and the fire elemental Faiya. Futon was Japanese-style bedding. The cloud¡¯s very comfy body earned him that name. Once Futon got bigger, Viers planned to sleep on top of him. That, and he dreamed of riding the cloud like Sun Wukong. Faiya was how the Japanese said ¡®fire¡¯. Incidentally, it was also Moltres¡¯ Japanese name. Considering the origin of the fire elemental was Anne¡¯s phoenix fire, Viers felt the name was very fitting. Faiya and Futon had grown a bit since they first opened their eyes. Not of their size but their power. Their base materials were already top-notch and their birth was backed by a rare Level 3 Pathseeker with a Grand Soul. They would grow strong, Viers had no doubt about this. Creating them was not without a price on Viers¡¯ part. He was no longer a Grand Soul. Carving out his soul took a lot out of him. Viers was currently at 500,000 Mortal Soul. He¡¯d cut down half of his soul cultivation. He would need another 500,000 Soul Power to reach his Grand Soul state again. He didn''t find it too much of a loss. His soul cultivation was currently stuck. He could not improve upon his Grand Soul. Meanwhile, he could eat his fellow too-stupid-to-live human souls to recover. The trade-off of gaining two exceptional elemental familiars was more than worth it. ¡°Faiya, come here,¡± Viers called the adorable ball of fire while waving a fire flower that he took from his inventory. Faiya flew closer and gobbled the flame up. The tennis ball-sized fireball then playfully rubbed his body on Viers¡¯ cheek like a puppy. ¡°Hehe, that tickles,¡± Viers tickled him right back. Faiya let out sounds similar to a ''puff'' of giggles as his body expanded and contracted. The baby elementals couldn''t fathom complex orders yet but Viers could communicate with them somewhat. The first thing he taught Faiya was to control his fire. No burning friends. It took a few days but Viers could touch the supposed plasma without feeling any heat. Faiya sometimes forgot to turn the heat down though. His light emission was the next lesson. The main reason Viers created them was not to have cute mascots but for battle. Therefore making them stronger was imperative. Thankfully, what they needed was simple: food. Viers made use of the overabundance of his blood money at his disposal. To prevent suspicions of procuring such materials, he manipulated his puppet trading company like a marionette. Faiya was picky, he only ate fiery materials. Futon, on the other hand, was more liberal. The cloud ate water, air, other clouds, and even lightning. Technically, they absorbed those mana materials into their body but Viers didn''t bother to differentiate it from eating. In truth, Futon was closer to an air elemental than a water one. The cloud was closely related to weather aspects. Meanwhile, Futon was startled by a bunny that jumped from tall grass and involuntarily gave off rain. Was he crying? Viers was concerned that the little cloud¡¯s volume would decrease even further but it seemed there was no need for concern. It was a magical world and things. Dia calmed the crying child down by hugging him. Rain and sunshine would also be beneficial for the dryad. For fulfilling the empty night bodyguard position, Viers didn''t want more slaves, so he thought of golems at first. But, once gained the skill to imbue objects with his soul from Aletro¡¯s gift, Viers went with the Pok¨¦mon route instead. The golem option is still on the table though. One can never be too safe. I haven''t encountered the agency but I¡¯ll keep an eye out. I¡¯ve pretty much accomplished what I require. The bulk of the gains from the Book World have been turned into reinforcing my foundation. A few more days of getting familiar with it all and I should be good. Ars¨¨ne should be finishing up the matter in the city¡­ It¡¯s time to go to Valkut. Gotta keep the cultivation momentum going. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. *** Star Ducks. It was a tavern in Regidana. The pub¡¯s emblem was a duck under three stars. Adventurers frequented this place because of its strategic position, pretty waitresses, and good food. It was evening and smack dab in a rush hour but there was a table for ten occupied by four people. These four drank and laughed boisterously, disturbing the other customers and the waitresses with their advances. The owner was sweating and made a difficult face. A man walked in, a knight helmet covered his face. A kid followed him shortly after. The man saw the situation and approached the rowdy gang. ¡°You there. I have a reservation so I believe you four are on my seat.¡± ¡°Aaaah?¡± The adventurer put down his glass of ale. He seemed drunk already. ¡°Look pal, if we want to sit here, we damn well can! Who do you think-¡± The man got punched in the face. Not by the knight helmeted man but by his teammate. ¡°Josh, what the fuc-¡± ¡°Forgive us, SIR!¡± The man who was doing the punching apologized in a loud voice. ¡°We didn''t know this was your table. We¡¯ve overstepped. Guys, move on the double!¡± The punched man was confused but his other teammate spoke something that made him thank Josh who punched him. ¡°Slayer, Sir! W-we¡¯ll leave. Spare our heads!¡± The rest of the group was paling from fear. They quickly grabbed their stuff before running to the exit. ¡°Oi you lot,¡± Ars¨¨ne said. The four were frozen in their tracks like frogs in the gaze of a snake. The rest of the tavern bated their breaths. Would they witness a few murders in the city? If there was someone daring enough, it would be the knight helmeted man in front of them. ¡°You forgot to pay.¡± ¡°O-o-of course. My mistake!¡± Josh put out a hefty amount to the owner behind the bar and ran away using an Arte. ¡°Ladies,¡± Ars¨¨ne spoke to the nearby waitresses. ¡°Might I trouble you to clean the table up? My friends will be coming soon.¡± The waitresses gladly put the messy table in order. Meanwhile, Avel talked to the owner. ¡°Owner, I have to leave for some time on a business trip but I can''t leave without eating your chef¡¯s cooking one last time.¡± ¡°Hahaha! She¡¯ll give it her best if she knows it''s for you!¡± The name of the eatery was what made Ars¨¨ne visit the place but he came back because of the food. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s super ears picked up some of the other quests'' conversations. ¡°Isn''t he the menace of the arena? Everyone that loses to him got their Victa absorbed!¡± ¡°Not only that. He¡¯d once defeated a hundred Level 2s using Level 1 cultivation!¡± ¡°I heard he turns into a man-eating beast every new moon.¡± ¡°Remember Salyett the Slayer of Slayers? The guy that rose to prominence a month ago but suddenly disappeared? Not many know this but rumors in the underworld are that Avel heard about him and took offense to the upstart using that title. He hunted him like a dog for five days and five nights. In the end, Salyett took his own life because he couldn''t bear the Slayer¡¯s terror.¡± ¡°He has cleared, and unraveled many difficult quests. He can even go toe to toe with veteran Iron-ranked adventurers!¡± ¡°...Can I get his autograph?¡± Hmm, the fruits of my labor, I would say, Ars¨¨ne hummed in satisfaction. ¡°Soldiers of fortune, the first round of beer is on me!¡± Ars¨¨ne shouted. People cheered and loved him for it. Everyone liked free stuff. Ars¨¨ne restored Avel the Slayer¡¯s reputation using a straightforward method, by channeling his inner Paragon Commander Shepard. He just needed to be polite and offer help to everyone in his responses. Which did wonders to his reputation. His lethal action against his enemies was concerning at first, but since his targets were pieces of shit anyway, Avel became celebrated as a hero despite the frequentness of corpse making. The invitees began to arrive. When people take the ¡®light side¡¯ course of action, they make friends. Ars¨¨ne was not an exception to this universal law. There was Peanut the guild girl and Forss the adventurer. They were dating. There was a bit of a side quest involving the girl but since Viers decided to not pursue it, he helped a little bit from the shadows. One thing led to another, and they were an item now. Ars¨¨ne and his other-self were happy for the couple. There was Khalmar and his group. Ars¨¨ne and Khalmar took on a quest, it went wrong, they fought side by side. It resulted in the Level 3 tiger beastfolk correcting his opinion of ¡®Avel¡¯. They forged a rivalry friendship of sorts. If only he knew that Avel and Tanael were personas of a single person¡­ The Rising Fortune also came. The five had been steadily accomplishing quests and improving constantly. Although there was no sudden gold raining down from the sky for them, they got lucky in small things quite often. They somehow were able to evade fatal dangers that would otherwise have wiped them out. Irene, who was with them, had resolved the mystery about her revenge quest. She poked around about the three-eyed wolves too deeply until the Governor-King¡¯s men started to notice. Irene got into a scuffle and got caught. In captivity, the Governor-King himself explained the matter to her. That the method of raising the wolves was obtained from the devil cult of Teorph, Green Scorpion Fajrin¡¯s organization. The result was, in addition to being an adventurer, she also joined the shadow force of the Governor-King. She was doing work in the shadows for the city¡¯s ruler while hunting the one truly responsible for the death of her family. Meanwhile, Ars¨¨ne didn''t dip so much as a toe into her sidequest. His time and energy were limited. Unlike in many video games, the world didn''t stop spinning to wait until he could join in the quest. Not that Ars¨¨ne wanted to. Still, all was well even without his meddling. The not Harry Potter trio also came accompanied by a chaperone to say their goodbyes. The tavern did not only serve alcohol. The kids weren''t really out of place here since there were fifteen-year-old adventurers and child soldiers that underwent Forceful Early Awakening like Boram. They were envious of Boram, who was the same age as them but already seeing so much action. Ars¨¨ne got a message from the Governor-King given by the chaperone to not push his son in that direction. Ars¨¨ne agreed wholeheartedly. He didn''t want to get blamed if something happened to Harry. Ars¨¨ne basically put Harry at an arm''s length. He didn''t want to deal with people stronger than him because it was dangerous and his family was full of dangerous people. Ars¨¨ne didn''t care about Oscar. The small fry was but a blip in his mind. He would probably die again in a few years, at the hands of a budding MC. However, he and Viers did not forget. And they were vindictive. There were other people too that he helped during his quest for fame. Firemane Torha that would have died if not for his expensive healing potion was one such example. While the farewell party was in full swing, Ars¨¨ne raised his mug of wine. ¡°Everyone raise your mug. Toast! to our future!¡± ¡°Toast!¡± *** Adventurer Avel of Javia along with his slave Boram Rockboa went on a ship to the south the next day. The Rushton Trading Company¡¯s employee with a debt was tasked to deliver cargoes of goods to a southern city on a business trip. A week after setting sail, because of a storm, the ship sank. The crew and the passengers got marooned on a deserted island. They managed to send an SOS. Out of 46 crew and passengers of the ship, half were still missing. The rescue party arrived and searched the surrounding waters and islands. They found the rest of the scattered ship passengers except for two people, Avel and Boram. These people said that an orca monster helped them from the sea and put them on land. Most Pathseeker speculated that Avel and Boram got eaten by the orca and these people got pushed to the island during the battle. Iron-ranked adventurer Avel of Javia was MIA, presumed dead. Chapter 220 - Convergence of Fates The sound of waves. On the beach, a young boy washed ashore. A bird pecked his hand and woke him from slumber. He gasped as if waking up from a nightmare. Where¡¯s the monster? Where am I? The last thing he remembered was fighting a black and white fish. ¡­What happened? By the looks of it, he seemed to have fallen from the ship and was carried here by the current. The Skull Basher was nearby. How curious that the heavy hammer didn''t sink to the depths. He was on a beach, alone, a thick jungle in front of him. ¡°Masteeeeer!?¡± Boram shouted. Suddenly, he heard his master¡¯s voice inside his head. ¡°My apprentice. If you¡¯re hearing this, it means I¡¯m no longer in this world.¡± Boram felt his heart drop. ¡°...Just kidding! Yohohoho!¡± Boram stilled the urge to punch his master with a full power Rocky Smash. ¡°So there¡¯s been changes in the plan of going to Merimer town. It¡¯s just you though; this has been my plan from the start. While I''m taking care of my business own , you¡¯ll undergo the next phase of your training. On this supermassive island, go have an adventure! Not my adventure, but your own. The wilderness is dangerous so keep your wits about you. And never stop improving yourself.¡± ¡­Adventure? My own? ¡°Where you go, what you do, decide yourself. I¡¯m not gonna hold your hand. But depending on the circumstances, you might have to spend the whole winter in this place. Make preparations. I¡¯ll direct you towards one objective. Hundreds of years ago, Giants or Gigantes, as they called themselves, lived on this land. Seek their traces. Gain an inheritance if possible. If not, there are plenty of minerals and gems for your Earthborn Amalgam. My recommendation is to explore every nook and cranny of the island if you somehow get bored.¡± Boram felt strange. He was afraid and excited at the same time. ¡°Huhuhu, I''m looking forward to your growth. Keep the white card that I gave you close, always. I can contact you with that. Farewell, my boy. Don''t die and have fun¡­ Seriously, don''t die.¡± The message ended. Boram looked to the strange and new land in front of him. He was feeling what all Tarnished felt when they first arrived in Limgrave. *** A Devadom Orca was swimming north like a torpedo. Its purple eyes left trails of purple light behind like light trails in a slow shutter photography. Even after the months passed, Viers didn''t let down his vigilance about protecting his identity. First, he laid a false trail of Avel going south while in truth his real destination was Valkut city to the north. Then, Viers sank the company¡¯s ship with his orca form. No lives were lost during this process. It wasn''t necessary. Ars¨¨ne who was posing as Avel was seen by eyewitnesses fighting the orca monster with Boram. And then, during the chaotic fight, Viers collaborated with Paina to knock Boram out. He merged with Ars¨¨ne, pushed the drowning people to dry land, and brought the unconscious Boram to a faraway island. He asked Izabella for places with traces of the Giant race and she found one in the southern part of Zamrud Archipelago. There were thousands of islands in the archipelago, some big and some small. This particular island was as big as Cuba. The hardest part was carrying the unconscious boy as an orca. The Rank 3 water and space affinity monster couldn''t put a living being in a pocket dimension yet but Viers made it work after extensive preparations. After dropping off Boram, Viers finally went to Valkut via water. He didn''t feel as bad for leaving his apprentice without prior notice on the island after Boram hammered his snout during the ship sinking attack. It was a really hard hammer strike. The reason he took a separate action was because Valkut was about Paina, a soul he bound to himself. Boram¡¯s presence might complicate matters. Like in the Book World, he might have to reveal his hidden side so he wouldn''t be going to Valkut as Avel. Viers was fully expecting trouble at Valkut, with the mentality of someone going to a battlefield. He didn''t half-ass his preparations. If the main quest turned out to be a simple event, then okay. But he doubted it very much. Including rest, it should take about eight days. Valkut city, here I come! What are you gonna throw at me there, world? Surprise me! Viers jumped out five meters above the water¡¯s surface with a great splash. *** ¡°Hail Estelle, the origin of light. O lady most radiant, forgive us sinners. Illuminate our way through the dark, so we may return to your embrace.¡± When the eighty-eighth repetition of the prayer was spoken, the girl¡¯s body shone with light. The brothers and sisters of faith in the sanctum witnessed the miracle brought forth by the ceremony. In front of the girl, a big candle as tall as a person was lit not by match but by light. Not simply of light affinity but holy light. The girl¡¯s forehead was glistening with sweat. It wasn''t simply a physical thing. As she repeated the ceremony from town to town, city to city, she felt it clearer every time. During the prayer, she felt her spirit was being enveloped by something infinitely greater than herself. It nourished her, made her stronger. And just now, she had broken the wall of Level 2 and stepped inside the domain of Level 3s. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. No wonder Master Mita said this is training. ¡°Blessed Lady Rose, we thank you for bringing the light of the Goddess to our humble abbey,¡± the aged abbess said. ¡°Not at all. Everyone deserves the light of the Radiant Lady,¡± the girl, with a rose-flower hairpin adorning her jet black hair, replied humbly. She was approached by the brothers and sisters of the faith, wanting her to grace them with a word, with a blessing. They thought by touching the hem of her clothes they might become closer to the divine. It troubled her, because Rose herself felt she was no such thing. She was not some saintess or holy being. She was simply a human. Yet she was a Blessed. A person that had been chosen by an angel. They said there were less than ten Blessed on the entire continent. Why would an angel choose her? An angel that she had never seen or conversed with before. Did it make her better than her fellow compatriots? Apparently so, if the eyes of the Church¡¯s believers were any indication. Still, she must not become big-headed or prideful. The blessing was a gift, a gift that she would share with as many people as she could. Rose excused herself without being impolite and made her way to her temporarily assigned room in the abbey. Walking alone on the cloister made her thoughts wander to things of the past. After she finished her training, like the Blessed that came before her, she embarked on a Kindling pilgrimage. It was a sacred tradition that began with the first Blessed eight thousand years ago, if the history was correct. Conn and June, the friends she made during her training days, accompanied her on this pilgrimage of candle kindling. Her master, Vestal Mita, acted as their guardian and teacher. As an orphan that was raised in a church, she never thought she would be able to visit so many towns and cities. And since this was a pilgrimage, they didn''t use the Church''s teleportation network and made the journey the traditional way. So many sights to see, so many new people to meet. While the objective was to get to the next settlement, there were always people that needed help so they often made detours. The days were fun and fulfilling. It was like being an adventurer in the stories. A dream that a dear friend was unable to fulfill because he had fallen early on the way. Rose chased away the dark memories of Luxore before knocking and entering the room. She saw teacher Mita was meditating, Conn was polishing his armor, and June was trying on new scarfs in the mirror. ¡°Conn, which fits me more? The red one or the blue one?¡± June asked. The teen gave June a second glance before going back to polishing his armor. ¡°Both are fine.¡± June strangled Conn with the red scarf. ¡°Pay! Attention!¡± Seeing this made Rose smile. They were always fighting but it was their way of getting along. Rose was a bit envious of that closeness. ¡°Ah, you¡¯ve become a Level 3. Congratulations,¡± Vestal Mita opened her eyes. Rose¡¯s teacher was a short woman, only 155 centimeters. Currently, at eighteen years of age, Rose was taller than her master. She looked to be in her late twenties with dark hair. The Level 4¡¯s voice was always nice to hear. ¡°Tomorrow, we will go to our next destination. It is a long journey. We¡¯ll leave at first light so sleep early, people,¡± Mita said. ¡°Where to next?¡± Conn questioned with a raspy voice. ¡°Will there be a lot of strong monsters there?¡± ¡°Oh, most definitely. Our next destination is Valkut city.¡± *** A woman placed her hand on a tree to prevent herself from falling. There was now a bloody handprint on the trunk. The woman was coughing terribly, spitting out specks of blood. Her Silver Legion armor was in tatters, she was injured all over, and her blonde hair was a mess. ¡°Damned assassins¡­¡± Ciel took this moment of respite to drink the last of her energy potion. It wouldn''t help against the poison but it would give her the energy to make a run to the city. They¡¯re really trying to kill me. A legionary and a daughter of a duke. The bounty must be very high for the Assassin¡¯s Guild to accept. Who put out the contract? Was it my uncle? Did everyone from my team survive? Ciel sensed her pursuers closing in. Damn it, they¡¯re fast. I have to take refuge. I need healing or the poison will kill me¡­ If I remember correctly, Valkut city is half a day away across the river. If I can get into the church, I¡¯ll be safe. Ciel forcefully moved her aching and tired body. Aaarrghh¡­ Whoever is behind this will pay! A few minutes later, a group of cloaked men stood before the tree with a bloody handprint. They checked the trail and followed after their target. *** A hooded man checked the landmarks with the map in his hands multiple times. According to this map, the Ebony Fire is beyond that mountain range. He asked a passerby that came near. ¡°Excuse me, what¡¯s there across the mountain range?¡± ¡°Ah, a traveler? I wouldn''t recommend going in that direction. There are lots of ruins and strong monsters. If you insist though, the road is dangerous but if you follow it, you¡¯ll reach Valkut city.¡± ¡°Appreciate it.¡± The hooded man nodded and kept going. Seeing the hooded man disregard his warning, the passerby sighed and shook his head. Since there was nobody else, the hooded man pulled down his hood, showing his red hair. The other half of the Fire Sage Barakal¡¯s inheritance, Ebony Fire. If I have both Ivory Fire and Ebony Fire, my strength will rise sharply. To never lose anyone dear to me again, to enact my revenge, I need strength! Absolute strength!! Max, inheritor of the Ivory Fire, walked towards Valkut city with a burning ambition of getting stronger. *** Far to the northwest of the Free People Coalition lay the Herkelan Empire. A harsh land of ice and snow. Famine was a frequent visitor. In a luxurious mansion, while the cold wind rattled the window, a man who looked to be in his fifties was reading reports of his demesne in his study. The man¡¯s hair was originally black but most had grayed. His square jaw was graced by a tidy trimmed beard. His countenance was regal and dignified. He wore a leader¡¯s aura like a second skin. ¡°...Georgi.¡± A black flame lit up in the middle of the room, blackening all with its dark glow. The male voice that came from the fire was nothing else but divine. It had been a hundred years since the man heard God''s voice. With fervor and religious worship, the man kneeled before God''s form. ¡°King of Mind and Soul, Your Most Excellency, how may this humble one serve?¡± ¡°I require the Order to recover a toy that slipped through my fingers in the past.¡± The weight of the voice was overwhelming to the Level 5. The exhale of God¡¯s breath was enough to snuff his existence like a candle. ¡°Your will shall be done. Where is this toy, My Lord?¡± ¡°The land that was once the Coriz Empire. Valkut city.¡± ¡°My son will handle this task personally,¡± Georgi said. ¡°Little Yuri is an outstanding kid, but I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s not enough.¡± A Level 4 peak was not enough? Indeed. Surely only a supreme entity was worthy of being God¡¯s toy. Was the target Estelle¡¯s direct descendant? ¡°Then this humble servant will go. Who or what is my target, Your Most Excellency?¡± A male figure could be seen from the black flame. ¡°The kid should have aged a couple of years. A Level 2 or 3 Pathseeker cub. But underestimate him, Georgi, and he might even give you the slip. If he catches a whiff of you, this clever little fox will not come out from his hiding hole.¡± ¡°I will take utmost prudence in my task.¡± There was no slight in the man¡¯s eyes, only reverence. ¡°He is now veiled to me but Valkut is his destination. There¡¯s already a sweet little chaos brewing in the city itself. Now a Convergence of Fates is also occurring. He¡¯ll be in the thick of this explosive situation. Nothing except that legendary scroll is able to foresee the result. How intriguing¡­ Georgi, you are the most fitting man for this task. Should you fail to catch him, that is fine too, he he he¡­¡± The black fire faded from reality. Nothing in the room was disturbed as if that was just a figment of one¡¯s imagination. However¡­ Georgi Zhirkov, the Swirling Chaos, leader of the Cult of Dumuzin, one of the strongest humans on the continent, had been given a holy mission by the very God he worshiped. He would uproot the city itself from the ground if that was what it took. *** The scattered fates of Luxore were converging, brought together by the law of causality. Character List Viers Isuel (17) Cultivation: Level 3 low. Battle strength based on cultivation level: S+ Specialty: Man of culture. Brown wavy hair, black eyes. His clothes and body height made him look thinner than he actually is. The protagonist. Water 5 and Soul 5 Pathseeker. A soul from Earth that awakened in the body of Viers Isuel two years ago. His objective is to gain strength so he can live a life full of fun. Self-proclaimed villain. His identity as Viers was blown after the fight with Freya and the Church made him the prime suspect of the Luxore Tragedy. Paina Wattle (17) Cultivation: Null. Soul being tethered to Viers. Battle strength based on cultivation level: B+ Hobby: Music. Long and straight black-haired girl with a librarian look. Used to be very shy, wore spectacles, and had long bangs that almost covered her black eyes. Not anymore since she became a soul existence. She was Viers¡¯ classmate who died during Luxore¡¯s town-wide calamity. Viers took pity on her since she was one of the people good to him. He housed her soul and sought to revive her by finding a new body. Raised by her mother, and when her mother died, she wanted to meet her father whom she never met in Valkut city. Viers had nothing better to do so he took up the journey while having fun adventures along the way. A kind girl that didn''t want to kill another person. Unable to comprehend Viers¡¯ ruthless action at first and hated him for it. She later realized what she hated was her own weakness and strived to gain strength but she had a rough start because she was surrounded by people more skilled than her. By being in Viers¡¯ proximity, she started to gain specialties of her own. A pure mage-type in battle. She uses a staff to conjure water spells and started to incorporate music and sound in her battle style lately. Farley Styra (17) Cultivation: Null. Soul being tethered to Viers. Battle strength based on cultivation level: B++ Personality: A social person and a good liar. The petite girl had light brown hair at neck length. She picked up that Viers liked to see her in various clothes, she changes her outfit every few days unlike the other two. The girl was raised as a devil cultist of Dumuzin and still had faith in the devil although she no longer prayed to him. She hated the rest of her family except for her now deceased mother and the recently awakened little sister. Along with Viers and Paina, she was in the water class during their Luxore school age. When Viers had just started the cultivation journey, he got no resources and backing so his progress was slow. The one that gave him a kickstart was Farley, who forcibly pulled him into the cult. Following the prophecy of her mother, she submitted herself to Viers so she might have a chance of survival. As a result, although her body was gone, her soul indeed survived. Because of her upbringing, she was good at reading people¡¯s intentions and faking her true self. Viers¡¯ art of deception had its roots in her teachings. For her dream of someday living peacefully with Gwen, she devoted herself fully to Viers even though she was very afraid of him. But, after accompanying him for a long time, she knew that as long as she was useful and loyal Viers would do right by her. She was a water affinity Pathseeker that uses a spear in battle and the most dedicated employee of Viers Corporation. Clarissa (9000+ or eternally 16) Cultivation: Null. Soul being tethered to Viers. Battle strength based on cultivation level: SS Likes: Sunbathing, Viers, her friends, baby Faiya. Deep brown hair that reached her waist and amber eyes; the pupil goes vertical like a reptile¡¯s when she gets serious. Her lamian traditional clothing is like a bedlah that shows a lot of her fair skin. She didn''t like to wear other types of clothes. The snake part below her waist had patterns similar to rattlesnakes. A lamia princess from the Age of the Gods, former Level 5 fire Pathseeker. After the fall of her civilization, she became a guardian of an inheritance ground with her mother, the Lamia Queen. After spending nine millennia of sleep, she was awakened for the fourth time by Viers. The inheritance ground would not last forever and that was mostly the last so she gave Viers an extra benefit even though the Lamia Queen didn''t find him worthy. Viers returned like an avenging angel, took the most precious treasure, and separated her from her stuck-up mother and they became friends. Viers bestowed her a new name and it was Clarissa. At first, it was friends based on benefits since Viers wanted the ancient knowledge inside her head and she wanted to see the world but in time, the sheltered princess fell in love with Viers¡¯ free-spiritedness. One of the factors was the lack of options. She didn''t exactly meet any other bachelor. The mightiest of Viers¡¯ inner circle. Because she and Viers had different affinities, Viers couldn''t make her fight in the real world like Paina or Farley. However, she could use her fire inside Viers¡¯ soul space. The power she could use was the same as Viers¡¯ cultivation Level. So far, Viers had yet to win against her in the spars although Clarissa admitted it was because she was a former Level 5. In pure battle skill, she and Viers were about even. To her, Clarissa was living the happiest time of her life. Maxwell Nolan (17) Cultivation: Level 3 low. Battle strength based on cultivation level: A Obsession: Revenge on Viers. Revenge on Tanael. A red-haired youth that lost his whole family in the Luxore calamity last winter and was also a classmate of Viers, Paina, and Farley. A hothead with a strong sense of justice shonen hero stereotype in the past but changed into an edgier version after he lost his loved ones. Anne¡¯s death made him descend further down the spiral of darkness. While Viers was deemed unworthy by the three trials of the lamia inheritance ground, Max succeeded in a different trial made by a Fire Sage Barakal. He inherited the mysterious figure¡¯s Ivory Fire. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Viers planned to kill him after they met again in the Book World to prevent the clich¨¦ revenge story¡¯s completion but got bigger fish to fry so Max survived. After the events of the Book World, he began to search for the other pair of his fire, Ebony Fire, to complete his inheritance and became the Fire Sage¡¯s successor. Rose (18) Cultivation: Level 3 low. Battle strength based on cultivation level: B++ Status: Angel-touched and ice cream lover. Abandoned in front of the Church of Estelle in Luxore town as a baby and grew up surrounded by the Estellian faith. She was a down-to-earth person that wanted to do good. Her signature red rose flower hairpin was given to her by a fellow orphan, Leon. In his first mission when Viers worked as a hired sword of the Dumuzin cult, he beheaded Leon. Viers worried Leon might have an MC Factor so he killed him. Leon planned to confess his love to Rose but it never happened, Rose remained oblivious. In honor of his memory, Rose cherished the hairpin as a memento. She met Paina while on a graveyard visit and they ate ice cream together. As a nun, her food was always simple. That first ice sweet treat was unforgettable. They forged a friendship soon after. Later, Paina introduced Viers and Farley to her. During a Beast Tide, an angel blessed her and saved her from certain death. She was taken in by the Silver Legion and underwent training from the most powerful military force on the continent as a new recruit. Her wood affinity jumped from 2 to 5 because of the blessing and her mastery of plants was like someone with decades of experience. She didn''t understand the purpose of her being given angelic approval but she resolved to help people with her strength, just like the teaching of the Church. Rose always believed in the good in people. Even now she didn''t believe Viers was the cause of the four thousand deaths in the Luxore Tragedy. This was the person that played with the orphanage kids and taught her what being a hero was all about. There must be a mistake. Ciel Valentine (21) Cultivation: Level 3 high. Battle strength based on cultivation level: A+ Comment by her father: Tomboy come home and get married before I die! A golden-haired beauty with sky blue eyes, long legs, and great style. She usually wore silver-white armor, standard-issue Silver Legion armor but improved by custom enchantments so hers was shinier. The sole daughter of Duke Valentine of the Latias Kingdom. She went into the Silver Legion to escape marriage to her cousin, Derek. In her own words, Derek was ferret-faced. A very beautiful young woman with many suitors. She and her fellow Legionnaire had been all over the continent fighting baddies and righting wrongs. She had once saved Viers, Max, Farley, and Paina from a goblin ambush. Max fell in love at first sight. She made quite an impression on the group of baby chick Pathseekers. She led a defense for Luxore town during a monster boar Beast Tide. A Beast Tide that Farley¡¯s family created. That time, Viers recognized her although the other side didn''t because he was wearing a mask. When the fort almost fell, Rose came into her blessing and turned the tide. She was there during Rose¡¯s awakening. She couldn''t stomach the excess injustice all around her so she stood up to correct it, sword in hand if she must. A highly competent light 5 Pathseeker that uses a shield and a sword in battle. A very promising Silver Legionary like Freya. Georgi Zhirkov (500+) Cultivation: Level 5 peak. Battle strength based on cultivation level: SSS Current mission: Toy finding. An old monster that was a prominent figure in the Herkelan Kingdom. He was also secretly the Grandmaster of the Dumuzin Cult. The most formidable soul Pathseeker alive. Benjamin Styra (Not dead not alive) Cultivation: Null. Soul state Battle strength based on cultivation level: B Wish: Kill me. Farley and Gwen¡¯s father. Dumuzin cult¡¯s leader of the Luxore branch and a former Level 3. The true culprit behind the Luxore Tragedy. Viers had extracted every piece of valuable information from him. Currently, his soul was in Viers¡¯ soul prison. Even Farley didn''t know about this matter. Boram Rockboa (13) Cultivation: Level 2 high. Battle strength based on cultivation level: A- Favorite meal: Gold and Rubies. Viers¡¯ battle slave. A tanned child with walnut hair color. Didn¡¯t have memories before he was made a slave. Because he was made to forcefully cultivate, he had a side effect of not growing so his appearance was the same as a 10-year-old. Viers was his third master. Unlike Paina¡¯s case which was akin to transforming stone into diamond, Boram was already a gem in the rough. Viers showering him with resources and a strict training regimen made him grow stronger at a rapid pace. Currently abandoned by his master on a strange land. In less than 15 minutes of his arrival, he almost got the ¡°YOU DIED¡± baptism. Izabella Thyris (22) Cultivation: Level 3 mid. Battle strength based on cultivation level: B Battle strength with items and enchantments: B++ Goal: Busting her sister out of the Tower of Remorse. A sexy red-haired beauty; a product of generations of selective breeding. A black witch¡¯s robe and pointy hat are her preferred attire. The last and heir of House Thyris, a once great family in the devil cult of Yasterah. Ursula, a sister figure and another cultist, was very protective of her although they were not connected by blood. She was aiming to be the top of the Blood Church to launch a rescue operation on the most secure prison on the continent. Connected by Viers via a strict soul pact. A talented enchanter. After the events of the Book World, her skill had risen even further. Sakaki Sakuya (16) Cultivation: Level 2 high. Battle strength based on cultivation level: B+ Assassination: A New treasures: Viers¡¯ white card and a photo of the Gloomsiders. Young and somewhat naive black-haired shinobi. All of her clan was trained as a ninja and she was no exception. A girl that valued her bonds with others highly. After eating the Unlock Potential Fruit in Stage 4, she became a wood 5 affinity Pathseeker. Furthermore, she was starting to awaken another of her hidden potential. Viers didn''t realize this but her ancestor did. Currently undergoing Spartan-level training along with her friends and parents. Dia (?) Cultivation: Level 2 mid. Battle strength based on cultivation level: B Comment: Lots of friends, lots of tasty food, kin is the best! A dryad with the appearance and mentality of a child. Her hair was made of green leaves and her skin was of similar color. Her eyes were vibrant green and rich with vitality. She prefer to be naked like her kindred trees but Viers educated her enough that she now wore dresses made from plants. A master of a highly rich Biome that chose to become Viers¡¯ familiar. Viers made use of the lonely feeling of a child to gain a bargain. As the Biome Master, her power rose tremendously when she was inside the Biome. Her previous self was a Level 5 man-eating dryad that got vanquished by a reverend of the Estellian Church. As an offshoot, Dia sometimes recalled bits and pieces of her previous life. Absorbing nutrients from corpses was nice but she had this faint feeling that she used to eat something more delicious from the males. What could it be? Luca Irving (10) Cultivation: Null. Battle strength based on cultivation level: E A child with deep purple hair that helped Viers in the past. Her darkness 5 affinity went berserk when she was agitated which in turn made her bullied more by the villagers. Viers taught her how to ¡®pacify¡¯ her power, not to control her power like a Pathseeker. Becoming a Pathseeker before the age of 15 was too dangerous. She was a long-term investment on Viers¡¯ part. There was a raised flag that she might be targeted by the devil cults because of her affinity. She was worried that Viers and Dia would leave her in the dust before she even stood on the start line. Anne (16) Cultivation: Level 1 peak. Battle strength based on cultivation level: SSS Template: Mary Sue. A young beauty that was perfect in every way. Daughter of a god-like phoenix. Viers killed her in the Book World¡¯s climax. 90% of the reason that Viers was able to beat her was because the fight happened in the Book World. 11 of her trump cards that exceeded the designated limit were unusable. The dreaded, one-in-a-million, on-time coincidences, such as a traveling Level 5 interfering in the fight because he didn''t like senseless killing, was eliminated in the separate dimension. Just as Viers planned. Chapter 221 - New Lands Welcome A man and a beast were gauging each other on a sandy beach. ¡°Futon, I choose you!¡± A flash of light came out from Viers¡¯ left chest, from a white badge that was pinned on his clothes. ¡°Fuu!¡± A super-duper fluffy cloud elemental came out wearing his game-face, but it only made him look more adorable. The enormous Rank 2 hermit crab monster the size of a tiger took it as a sign of battle and used his pincers to crush Futon. Futon dodged in the air and blew a stream of water from his mouth. His eyes were closed and his cheeks rounded. It was not very effective. ¡°Faiya, Dia, I choose you!¡± The red badge and green badge also emitted light and Viers¡¯ other two familiars came as summoned. ¡°Yaa!¡± ¡°Woohoo! I¡¯m out! Enemy?¡± Faiya¡¯s size didn''t change but Dia¡¯s did. She was now a Tinkerbell-sized humanoid with a colorful leafy dress. A vibrant red flower beautified her hair. Why a Pok¨¦mon battle must be one-on-one baffles me. ¡°You three, trash that crustacean!¡± Viers commanded. A trinity of fire, water, and grass-type attacks pummeled the shelled monster. The badges were a spatial item for familiars. Oscar had something similar but Viers couldn''t use something that might implicate him so he sold it and bought three others for his familiars. His familiars were strong enough to defeat Rank 2 monsters on their own. Futon and Faiya grew from Level 0 to Level 2 very quickly but Viers suspected their growth would slow down once they hit level 3, which was Viers¡¯ own Level when creating them. ¡°Fuu! Fuu!¡± ¡°Yaa! Yaa!¡± Futon and Faiya snuggled Viers to inform him of their victory. It was as expected because the elementals were already stronger than the average Pathseeker. Dia was the same. What they lacked was battle experience. ¡°Hohoho, you won, you won. Bravo, children. How was it inside the badge?¡± ¡°Not bad, I slept most of the time but I prefer to stay with you, kin,¡± Mini-Dia climbed his clothes and sat on his shoulder. If Viers had to say anything, she resembled Bellossom a little bit. The cloud and fire siblings bobbed their bodies. Viers recognized a nod when he saw one. ¡°I feel the same. But it is necessary when we go into a place with a lot of people. You three are so gorgeous bad people might be jealous. So when the time comes, be patient and wait inside, okay?¡± ¡°Kay~¡± Dia answered. ¡°Good kids. Shall we?¡± Viers stored the monster carcass into his inventory as the three familiars answered positively, like kindergarteners. ¡°We¡¯re finally here at last,¡± Clarissa commented. ¡°Almost there, Paina,¡± Farley nodded to her friend. ¡°Yes¡­ Valkut city¡­¡± Paina¡¯s emotions were complex as she watched the V-Stream. Gwen was there too but she was unavailable. Viers couldn''t afford to split his Victa too much. Since she was unlikely to contribute much to this journey, Farley¡¯s sister was in hibernation. Farley and the person herself bore no ill will and showed understanding of Viers¡¯ circumstances. There was an angry roar. Viers saw a bigger, stronger version of the monster he just defeated coming his way. Is it his momma? ¡°Let¡¯s run! Ahahaha!¡± A man, three souls, and three unique lifeforms went deeper inland. *** A few hours of walking the wilderness, Viers reached a road, a sign of civilization. He estimated his position on the map he¡¯d prepared before making the trip and continued walking. The lack of people on the road allowed his familiars to gawk at the outside world by half hiding inside his green cloak. The three took up seats in the unused hood part behind Viers¡¯ head. Their three little heads peeking out were the stuff of cuteness legend. Not long after that, Viers saw some kind of border checkpoint that made him frown. Because of the terrain, this was the only border when getting in and out of Valkut land around this area. Going around the mountain range itself would take weeks. On the map, past here should be Valkut city¡¯s territory. Hmph. These cities are more like kingdoms and their borders rather than cities. Should I try flying? ¡­Let¡¯s see how it goes first. I can always sneak in later. Viers put his familiars into the badges and approached the border checkpoint. He sensed multiple Level 3s and even a few Level 4s guarding the walls. The gate was open so Viers walked in after the guards did not reply to his hail. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. After the gate, Viers walked straight about twenty meters. During that time, the border guards paid no attention to him. A few glances but that was it. No inspection or anything similar. Which was good news for Viers, as he didn''t come here as Avel and possessed no identification. There was a written warning though. [Those who pass this point, cannot freely leave.] Just below the warning, there was a date. The time for when people were allowed to exit the border. ¡°Excuse me, what is this?¡± Viers called the nearest border guard. ¡°Exactly as it says. If you go in, you can only come out on that date. The border will be open for a whole day. If you miss it, you¡¯re stuck inside until next year,¡± the man said. ¡°Why?¡± Viers asked. ¡°It¡¯s the law. If you have complaints, send them to the Governor. You are free to go in, or turn back.¡± From the writing, the day the border would be open for exit was a week from now. Viers smelled something that stunk to high heaven. But should I turn back after coming all this far? The tenants inside his head voiced their concern but there was simply too little info to go on. ¡°Since when has this law been in effect?¡± ¡°Five years or so? I forgot,¡± the guard left Viers alone. He seemed utterly devoid of interest to the visitor. Viers didn''t try to find out Valkut¡¯s situation from Izabella because he didn''t want her to know where he was going. He tried other channels but found very little. News of a faraway place was hard to get during this age. He did hear rumors about an unusual border policy but he didn''t know the details until now. ¡­Nothing to it. Viers took a deep breath and stepped forward. He walked further and further until he came out of the border walls. There was a feeling of passing through a veil. Viers instinctively tried to step back but his back hit something solid. As per the warning, Viers could not return. He touched the invisible wall and examined it but found nothing, gleaned nothing. Viers took out a coin from his pouch and flipped it to the way he came from. It went through just fine. Interesting. How about my familiars? Farley and Paina? But Viers didn''t want to show their form to the border guards and resolved to test it someplace else. At any rate, Viers had entered the Valkut territory. After passing the border, he saw a lot of people. Pathseekers and Idlers alike, living in tents and whatnot. The scene was similar to war refugees he saw in the movies. Looks like these people are waiting for the exit to open. Since he was seeing Level 4s amongst those people, he knew breaking the rules of getting out would not be easy. People definitely congregated at other borders too, waiting for the designated time. Viers cut through the encampments. At least these people had enough sense to not erect their tents in the middle of the road. ¡°Another one joining the fray, huh?¡± A Level 2 middle-aged Pathseeker with a messy appearance said condescendingly when Viers walked nearby, getting his attention. ¡°Welcome, to a land of opportunity. People come here seeking the slumbering riches of the Coriz Empire like fleas to a corpse.¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± Viers replied. ¡°Good luck with that,¡± the man took a swig from a bottle. Judging by its smell, alcohol. ¡°Waiting for the border to open? What about the mountain range? There¡¯s no way through there?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Level 5 Red Zone. Monsters attack on sight,¡± the man hiccuped. ¡°Also, dragons live there. ¡®Sides, you still can''t go through there. The barrier encompasses the entirety of Valkut''s territory.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Viers turned to the mountain range. The peaks were covered by mists. ¡°Won''t have to worry about the dragons. There are plenty of nasty monsters below the mountains too. Some wear the skin of humans. Damned bandits and murderers¡­ Look kid, if you¡¯re smart. Wait one week and leave this land. It''s not worth going further into this godforsaken land.¡± ¡°Thanks for the warning, but I need to find something here.¡± ¡°Kheeh,¡± the man spat. ¡°Don''t say nobody warned you.¡± ¡°For your warning.¡± Viers tossed him a potion. He could see the man suffered an internal injury. In fact, many of the people here suffered injuries. A man was missing an arm, a kid was missing an eye, and other similar cases. People that couldn''t stand Valkut¡¯s situation. Civilians and Pathseekers alike. The potion wouldn''t heal him but it would help. It was a small matter to Viers but a great deal for the man. The man examined the potion for a few seconds then his eyes went wide when realizing its effects. By then Viers¡¯s figure was already blocked by other people. The man tried to seek him but Viers was nowhere to be found. ¡°Ohhh¡­ Thank you, kid.¡± The man hurriedly walked to his tent, fearing someone would steal the potion. *** For cultivators, there were fortunate encounters. Naturally, there were unfortunate encounters. It was forty minutes after he left the border encampment. Viers was just walking normally on the road. On this side of the border, he passed by some people on the way. He¡¯d just passed by an Idler family of five using a cart pulled by two donkeys. The boy who looked like four years old was watching Viers with his big round eyes. Viers suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. ¡°You lot, run!¡± Viers moved with full speed to the side, hiding behind a big rock. Before the mortals could process Viers¡¯ warning, the visitors came. Two people were flying in the sky, two Level 4s. Behind them, a green wyvern was chasing them. One of the Level 4 shot massive icicles at the wyvern but the wyvern just flew straight through. Viers could not see it too clearly because of the speed. Either its scales were too tough or some kind of wind force. Whichever the case, the icicles broke into tiny little pieces and spread all over the place. Some fell to the ground. The flyers were already gone at this point. The action was something inconsequential to the shooter or the one shot at. But the family of five died like an afterthought. Their bodies were struck by hundreds of ice splinters. The donkeys were not spared, the cart and all their belongings fell all over the place. Viers had no time for sympathy. He had managed to evade the main area of impact but a splinter of ice pierced the rock bigger than a human¡¯s body and hit Viers in the stomach. In a crisis, he activated his Level 3 ability, Unreality Field. Viers'' instinct of activating the Unreality Field was the reason the ice¡¯s energy didn¡¯t kill him in an instant. ¡°Guarghhh!!?¡± Viers buckled from a tiny piece of ice smaller than a fingernail. ¡°Viers!¡± ¡°Lord Viers!¡± ¡°Fuu!¡± His associates showed their worry. Viers summoned Farley and sent a telepathy instruction before he passed out. ¡°Kin! Kin!¡± Dia had tears in her eyes. ¡°Yaa! Yaaaa¡­¡± Faiya was panicking. ¡°Calm down,¡± Farley said. ¡°Lord Viers needs healing. We need to get him to a safe place first!¡± A ghost and three small familiars carried Viers deeper to the side, away from the site of carnage. After a hundred meters, Farley, with Viers¡¯ permission, pulled out an item from Viers¡¯ Thousand Treasures Casket. It was a picture of a room. Farley plastered the picture on a hidden place, spoke the password, and they went into the picture. From the outside, the picture became transparent; its camouflage array was activated. When Viers opened his eyes again, two days had passed. Chapter 222 - New Lands Encounter This is why I fear going to places with high-level Pathseekers. To be implicated in their fights. I was like a bird in a hurricane. That was what Viers thought when he opened his eyes and saw the ceiling of his safe house. This was Viers¡¯ Picture Room. People in this world categorized this kind of item as Pocket Habitats. The principle was the same as inventory items. Pathseekers used those as camps and safe houses. It was crazy rare and expensive. Viers bought this in Golding city, the closest city from Luca¡¯s village. While Ars¨¨ne was busy in Regidana, Viers wasn''t only cooping up in the Biome. He flew a few hours using the flying carpet and went into the city incognito. He visited the place and had a shopping cultivation resources spree. The space was small, just three square meters. Even though it cost about half of his total wealth, Viers didn''t hesitate to buy the habitat. Viers sorely needed this item for times like this and during the nights when he was powerless. There was a mini-arc befitting a rare item, Viers tussled with a competitor force that also wanted to buy the item. It was too generic so Viers leaned on his Fables to easily resolve it. ¡­I think my luck has gotten worse as of late. While recovering Viers had too much time to think and he got suspicious. After the Book World, there were many instances where he found himself in an unfavorable situation. There was this hit-and-run, merfolk¡¯s assault during his moment of weakness, and many more. Is this because I killed Anne? Like, a curse or karma? Or is it because I killed MCs in general? Viers came to a horrifying conclusion. This might be bad¡­ Unfortunately, no solution presented itself. The familiars and the tenants were glad Viers woke up. Viers thanked them, especially Farley. The disaster drills that they trained for were useful. Viers rested for another two days before leaving. It was thanks to his healing factor, which had become even more potent as he reached Level 3. Space twisted and Viers emerged from it. After making sure it was safe, Viers recovered the Picture Room and stored it. Viers walked back to the scene of the unfortunate encounter. There were no bodies there but the ruined cart and some belongings were still on the side of the road. Viers saw ghosts. That family of five that was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. The father was despairing, blaming himself. The mother was searching for her children even though they were close. The children were afraid and lonely. ¡°This is so sad,¡± Paina saw the scene through Viers¡¯ eyes. ¡°They¡­ can¡¯t see each other?¡± Farley concluded. ¡°They have difficulties moving on to the next world. I think it is their circumstances of death,¡± Clarissa said. Viers approached them and he made a sweeping motion with his hand. There was a wave, a flicker. So soft and ethereal that it was undetectable to most. Suddenly, the family found each other. They broke into tears and hugged. Their negative emotions melted like ice under summer¡¯s sun. Viers walked past them as if nothing happened and the spirits similarly didn''t seem to realize the presence of Viers. ¡°...Thank you,¡± Paina said. She had seen that before. Now their passing would be easier. ¡°It was nothing,¡± Viers replied. The journey to Valkut city continued. A slightly chilly autumn wind blew from the mountain range. *** The majority of Valkut¡¯s territory was barren earth, vegetation was sparse. Strong mana region meant stronger monsters but this area had peculiarities, the monsters were even stronger than they should be. Despite the inhospitable region, Pathseekers flocked to this land. The reason was the abundance of ruins from the Coriz Empire era. After the previous experience, Viers doubled his alertness while on the road. He felt he was visiting a dried-up wasteland. It felt¡­ off. The land and the air felt wrong. Dia didn''t like being here, though it didn''t seem like the dryad was in any danger. I feel like I¡¯m in Caelid. Enemies are stronger¡­ totally not a newbie area. Welp, I¡¯m a Level 3 now so by the law of power fantasy, my enemies must be stronger too. My guess is I¡¯ll be tangling with other Level 3 folks in this arc with a Level 4 as the big bad. It has been proven that I¡¯m no match for Level 4s so I must be careful. There were also a lot of ghosts and spirits. Since his early days as a soul Pathseeker, Viers could sense souls. There were many souls of the deceased in the places he traveled. Too many. Viers simply got used to them and let them be. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. He was no longer a fledgling soul Pathseeker so he could help them when he wanted to, like the unfortunate man¡¯s family that gave him the elf friendship token, but if he tried to help every soul of the dead he visited, he would be out of Victa in no time. That was why he let them be. It seemed it was the job of the Church anyway. They should be grateful Viers didn''t simply eat them. But sometimes, very occasionally, on a whim, he did help the souls out of their misery, just like that family earlier. In his travels, no great misfortune fell upon him. Yet. Small misfortunes, however, were plenty. Besides the usual monster-attacking-travelers problem, one out of four Pathseekers were hostile. As usual, Viers posed as a Level 2 to hide his strength but it made other Pathseekers treat him like an easy mark and want to rob him. After the third robbery attempt, Viers no longer hid his Level 3 aura. The robbery attempt was reduced significantly. Viers outrun the daring ones. Ordinary Level 3s couldn''t match Viers'' speed. Not with his Horizon Aspect bolstering his Arte. What was the point of fighting them? His Victa had better use. Of course, not every problem could be avoided. On his second day of travel after his recovery, Viers spotted five cloaked people chasing a young woman. Lethal Artes were cast so it was not the romantic kind of courtship. Viers gave her an eight out of ten on the beauty scale so she was really pretty and she was about his age. Her condition looked bad though. They came out of a nearby sunken ruin and went towards the road, towards him. The young woman¡¯s expression brightened up when she saw Viers. His expression was the exact opposite, darkened. Trouble incoming. ¡°Noble traveler, please-¡± ¡°Not interested. Leave me alone.¡± Viers replied to the spam call from an unknown number. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m Candice of House Chevry,¡± the young woman approached. ¡°If you could delay the brigands but a moment-¡± ¡°Approach one step more and I¡¯ll treat you as hostile and respond accordingly,¡± Viers showed his hostility that made the woman pause her steps. The five caught up and surrounded Viers and the woman. Viers sensed that they were all Level 3 but at mid or high cultivation stage. Candice was at Level 3 low, the same as him. ¡°Lady Chevry, give us the Ice Lightning and we¡¯ll let you go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re surrounded. Be smart and give it to us.¡± ¡°You,¡± one of the five called out to Viers. ¡°Assist her and-¡± ¡°I¡¯m unrelated to this matter. Whoever approaches me I¡¯ll fight as an enemy,¡± Viers assumed a fighting stance. His fighting spirit was real. ¡°Brothers, attack Candice!¡± the gang leader said. ¡°Khhh!¡± Candice fought hard. She tried to get Viers involved but Viers stood by his word and attacked her. Candice didn''t expect Viers to really attack and by dodging Viers¡¯ water blade she made an opening for the other attackers. ¡°Ah!!¡± Candice was hurt but the wound was not fatal. She held on and struggled as long as she could but she was outnumbered and outpowered. The five were all stronger Pathseekers than her. Meanwhile, Viers just watched. He didn''t try to run away because the five were watching his movements and it might provoke them. He evaded splash damage coming his way but that was it. The gang leader¡¯s blade was at Candice¡¯s throat. ¡°Last warning. Give us the treasure or I¡¯ll take it from your corpse. You have three seconds. Your teleportation item won''t activate in time.¡± Candice was unwilling but she surrendered the treasure in the end. It was lightning in a bottle that emitted frost energy. ¡°Good. Now blood doesn''t have to be spilled. This is just a job. If your hatred fades, you¡¯re welcome to hire us and we¡¯ll do the job as professionals,¡± the leader chuckled. ¡°Brothers, disperse.¡± ¡°Big bro. How about we get an extra meal?¡± One of them grinned at Viers. Viers was calm and ready to battle. He didn''t make a move and his Victa was stable. ¡°We¡¯re not petty thieves. Giving the item to the client is the highest priority. Disperse.¡± The gang leader gave Viers one last look. ¡°Smart kid.¡± The five ran very fast. Viers suspected it was about the same as his top speed. Now there was only Candice and Viers. Viers turned around and walked away. He only made it to the fourth step before Candice spoke. ¡°You could have helped.¡± ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°I only needed you to stall them until the teleportation-¡± ¡°So in that scenario, you flew out and left me alone facing five wolves, right? Shit deal.¡± ¡°I could bring you with me!¡± ¡°How do I know that is the truth? Can''t you see those people are stronger than me? Look lady, I don''t know you. Would you risk your life for someone you just met?¡± From her clothes, her mannerism, and naming her family, Viers could guess she was from a well-off family. This Candice was too used to getting what she wanted and having people cater to her orders. ¡°...House Chevry will not forget gratitude nor enmity.¡± What? Now she blames me? What a bitc- Candice was enveloped by bright light and she was gone before Viers could answer. Viers was considering killing her after the threat but he¡¯d missed his chance. It was her teleportation item. Viers knew she was carrying an active magical item before she approached Viers but it needed time before the teleportation happened. ¡°...Well, shit.¡± What else could Viers do but curse? File a complaint to Estelle? *** Viers arrived in Valkut city. It was even bigger than Regidana. If Regidana was a port city, this was a stack city. Houses were packed together for less space. Four or five floored houses were normal here. The city was far older than Regidana and like big old cities, that kept growing with poor planning, it was a bit of a mess. However, despite the other travelers being able to freely enter the city, Viers was barred from entry. Two Level 3 high Pathseekers with guard uniforms approached him. ¡°Is that him?¡± ¡°The arrow pointed at him so yeah.¡± ¡°Ahem, you¡¯re under arrest. Suspicion of working with the Five Gentleman Thieves.¡± ¡°What? I don''t know them. What are you talking about?¡± Viers said. ¡°Playing the fool is useless. Lady Chevry recorded your Victa signature with this item so you¡¯re definitely the guy. Cooperate with investigation obediently or we¡¯ll use force.¡± Viers had seen this clich¨¦ development. He already had a suspicion something like this would happen. Therefore Viers had changed his clothes, his weapon, even his face. He even used perfume to change his bodily scent but it was still not enough! The first thing Viers visited in Valkut city was the slammer. Chapter 223 - New Lands Redemption Viers was thinking about the nature of helping. Before Orca-Viers'' touchdown on the closest coast to Valkut city, he saved a ship in the process. The ship was contending with a sea monster and things looked bleak for the sailors. As a mighty predator of the seas, Viers who had evolved his Devadom Orca to Rank 3 simply needed to flex his hostility for a bit and the sea monster ran away panicking. He kept himself underwater and the sailors didn''t know what happened. There was no loss in the travel time either. This was the situation that made Viers inclined to help others. Doing good was not as lucrative as it seemed. Almost in every video game, side quests usually involve helping people. Doing those side activities would give EXP, equipment, money, or other useful things so there was an incentive to do it. In the real world, that was not the case. Victa needed to be spent. Time was also spent, time that Viers could use to grow stronger. A high reward meant higher danger which meant a higher chance of death. Great gear? EXP points? This wasn''t a universe where those doing quests were rewarded by the world. Viers also didn''t have the almighty System like other reincarnators. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild was a business. The quest¡¯s reward was set by the quest giver. The majority of people issuing the quest were common folk. As with all societies, the poor were more common than the wealthy so the reward was not great. In a very common quest of helping a village from a monster attack, would ordinary villagers be able to give hefty rewards that satisfy the adventurers? Unlikely. Although Ars¨¨ne did a lot of adventurer quests to restore Avel¡¯s reputation, Viers didn''t benefit much. More often than not, the gain was not worth the effort. Killing an enemy Pathseeker and then looting their wealth was far more lucrative in the cost-benefit ratio. If doing side quests was not worth the time, how many people would do it? Receiving something precious like helping the unfortunate man and getting the elf token was a very rare case. The quest''s reward was very meager to Viers; it might as well be a charity. If it was for charity it must be something that wouldn''t cost him a pound of flesh to do. In Candice Chevry¡¯s case, her five assailants were strong. Viers was exceptional but they were older than Viers by a decade, maybe more. Viers might match them if he went all out but for what? Why would he do that? Pretty face? Not a chance. But by not putting myself in danger, I made an enemy instead. What a bitch. Viers was irked because those five cloaked men left without finishing Candice off¡­ But if they had a ¡®no witness¡¯ policy, they would have attacked Viers too and he would have to fight for his life. Damned if I do, damned if I don''t. Sometimes, life gives you this. The sound of Viers¡¯ sigh spread throughout the barred room. He was in a cell in the city guard¡¯s place, shackled with a Victa-restricting handcuff. There were several other people in the neighboring prison cell. It was very late in the night and they were sleeping. Tomorrow, they would start investigating him. But Viers was not worried. He was as calm as a rock in a river. But in this world, I just need power to subvert that rule. Life gives you lemons. Some people just swallow it sour, some people make nice lemonade from it. But me? I¡¯ll invade life''s lemon farm, take it over, and become the Lemon King! Ha! Take that, lemons! ¡°Lord V,¡± Farley materialized with blue particles and kneeled before Viers from outside of the bars. ¡°Apologies for the delay.¡± With one hand, she gave Viers the key to his ¡®seastone¡¯ handcuffs. Viers smiled. A moment later, the handcuff fell on the ground and Viers felt his blocked magic return. Viers went out of the front door to his cell. Farley gladly welcomed her lord¡¯s release. Before he was locked up, Viers stealthily released Farley. As a ghost, a normal Pathseeker wouldn''t be able to see her but she trained herself to be even more imperceivable. She could go through walls and become invisible. Invaluable trait as an infiltrator. Being a ghost was unplanned but not making use of her advantages was not Farley¡¯s way of doing things. Although the two never met, she also secretly taught herself Sakuya¡¯s ninja stealth techniques during Stage 5. Farley thought she might need it. It was radio silence after Viers¡¯ Victa was blocked but Farley knew what she had to do. ¡°Good job, Agent F. Rise.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Farley did just that. ¡°I believe this is yours,¡± Viers¡¯ Thousand Treasures Casket was offered next. Now that was more than Viers expected. The guards took it earlier at his arrest. Even though they weren¡¯t able to open it, they wouldn''t leave the prisoners with their storage items. Viers thought he needed to recover this next but Farley already did that. ¡°Umu,¡± Viers nodded. ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°The alarm and surveillance have been disabled. The-¡± ¡°Using Arte is fine?¡± ¡°It is so.¡± After Farley¡¯s confirmation, Viers spread his soul to every corner of the room, silencing the eyewitness that pretended to be sleeping. ¡°No, wait! Aaa¡­¡± All six of his fellow prisoners lost their souls. One was a Level 3 same as him but since he couldn''t use Victa, death came easily. Viers put them all into his storage item and erased the residue of his soul Arte. The handcuffs that were able to restrict Victa naturally went into his inventory. If he had these when he captured Oscar, it would be easier to make him behave. Viers finished it all in eight seconds. ¡°No evidence,¡± Viers said. The investigation later would be even harder. ¡°Flawlessly executed. As expected of Lord Viers,¡± Farley didn''t even raise an eyebrow. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Viers looked at the enchanted key in Farley¡¯s hand and gave a questioning look. ¡°I can lead you to the exit but should you wish to visit the evidence room¡­¡± Once again, Farley went above and beyond in her service. Viers took a mental note to give her an exceptional service medal in the future. ¡°Hehehe¡­ Well, let''s clean them out.¡± Viers grinned. ¡°But the exit window might close in the meantime,¡± Farley warned. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll use the back door.¡± Viers and Farley went to the evidence room Mission Impossible-style, evading the lazily patrolling guards. Viers took the wealth and everything else inside, leaving only dust. Viers was only eyeballing it but there were some high-value items here, such as drugs. This is not stealing. This is a compensation fee for my troubles. A pleasure to be doing business with you all. Since it was in the way, Viers put a timed firebomb in the archive room for the heck of it, just so he could make the city guards even more miserable. Imagining them losing their precious paperwork which would in turn make them do even more paperwork, made the villain¡¯s smile grow a little bit wider. To complete his Houdini disappearing act, Viers transformed into Toxicell Slime and escaped to the sewers using floor drainage. The Thousand Treasures Casket couldn''t go through like his gel body so he reduced its size with Size Down Arte, making it smaller. Slime-Viers slid to the sewer as smoothly as a cocktail passing down into a parched throat. When the bomb went off, Viers was nowhere close to the premises. Viers came out of the prison wiser and richer. His transformation to become the Lemon King was going swimmingly. *** Slime-Viers moved forward just like a snail would. As a slime without sensory organs, Viers sensed his surroundings with mana sense. He¡¯d seen a certain slime isekai story to learn from what he did and applied the same thing to himself. It was dark but he didn''t need light to ¡®see¡¯. The downside of his mana sense was its pretty short range. He was grateful he didn''t need to smell the filth all around him though. ¡°This should be far enough. Where should we go from here?¡± Viers asked his confidants. ¡°Shall I go upwards to scout, Lord Viers?¡± Farley volunteered. ¡°Hmm. The water is flowing quite strongly. There¡¯s that sound too. Is it raining upstairs?¡± Viers was thinking. ¡°All right, go.¡± Farley passed through the solid ceiling and the slime waited for the scout to return. He was sure he was going deeper into the city but he didn''t know where he was in said city. Not that it mattered since he was a new kid in Valkut. He waited near a medieval grating, the rainwater fell from the streets above like a small waterfall. It was an exit for slime Viers if he wanted it to be. ¡°But this is a pretty big sewer, isn''t it? Do all cities have sewers like this?¡± Paina asked. Abnormally big sewers are quite common in video games though, Viers thought. ¡°If a city''s population is big enough, sewerage is indispensable,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°In the ratling-besieged lamia cities, we had to build tall, not wide, and our sewers were well maintained. There were guards patrolling the sewers and regular armed patrols to make sure no ratlings were sneaking in.¡± ¡°Rats, cockroaches, slimes, these three are the usual residents of sewers,¡± Viers recalled the sewer-dwelling enemy types. ¡°Yeah, we passed by many of Viers¡¯ slime friends along the way,¡± Paina stifled a laugh. ¡°Slime monsters can be beneficial for the environment. They are natural cleaners,¡± the lamia said. ¡°Poop-eater, ehehe,¡± Paina very slightly looked at Viers¡¯ avatar in the White Flowers Meadow. ¡°Oh you find it funny do you?¡± Viers grinned back. ¡°Do I need to make your ghost body have a month-long diarrhea before you stop with the poop joke?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, please don''t.¡± Paina was cowed with the bowel crisis threat. I¡¯m not gonna be the Loathsome Dung Eater. He¡¯s kinda insane. Then again, in a crapsack world of the souls universes, it¡¯s not a stretch to find people like him. Insane world makes insane people. ¡°Lord Viers, I¡­ What did I miss?¡± Farley returned. ¡°Nothing. Report, Agent F.¡± ¡°Above is a residential district. The rain has fewer people out and about. You can go above if you choose. But I found something unusual. There are people walking in the sewer not far from here, Lord Viers. They don''t seem to be plumbers.¡± Viers was intrigued. Farley would mention those people only if they were a little bit odd. ¡°Let¡¯s investigate. Lead the way.¡± ¡°Right this way,¡± Farley flew. Viers kept up despite the slime body. It didn''t take long before Viers was close enough to the objective. He tailed the two Pathseekers. Those two¡¯s garments showed they were quite wealthy. ¡°Father, are we there yet?¡± The male voice asked. ¡°Soon¡­ This way.¡± After some twists and turns, they reached a dead end. The son opened his mouth but the father tapped the wall at specific points and the wall opened. Oh? Well, well. What do we have here? ¡°...Whoa,¡± the son sounded amazed. ¡°Yeah, great view,¡± Farley was the same. ¡°What, what are they seeing?¡± Clarissa asked. Viers¡¯ mana sense didn''t extend that far, he couldn''t see anything. Naturally, the V-Stream was dark too. ¡°This is the Valkut Underbelly,¡± the father said. ¡°A city under a city. The outlawed people and products congregate here. It is an open secret of Valkut city. A sanctuary where only those tied to the dark side of the city can enter. The Governor¡¯s authority does not reach here. There are many entrances but the closest to our place is through the sewer. My father brought me here when I was your age. You¡¯ve done well with the task I gave you. Now I''ll introduce you to my favorite brothel. It is an elite place that only accepts high-status clientele.¡± ¡°Really father? You¡¯re the best!¡± ¡­Taking your son to a brothel? That''s messed up. After the dirty-minded father and son duo left, Slime-Viers sneaked in before the stonewall closed. ¡°Farley, any eyes on us?¡± Viers asked. ¡°The coast is clear, Lord Viers.¡± He sought and strayed behind a rocky place and waited for a while. Before transforming back into his human form. With his new enchanted clothes from Izabella, he didn''t need to be naked every time he did a monster transformation. ¡°Oooh, look at the view.¡± Viers saw the Underbelly in all of its glory. Viers likened it to the mix of the Mines of Moria with the Grand Bazaar. It looked like an inverted tower that was built straight into the crust of the earth. Orange lights from the hundreds or thousands of stores illuminated the subterranean place. Hanging bridges connected outside entrances like the one Viers was into the tower. Almost all of the people here were Pathseekers. Exotic and bizarre products were on sale like fish in a common fish market. ¡°Pretty,¡± Clarissa was wowed. ¡°Indeed. First things first, Futon, Faiya.¡± ¡°Fuu!¡± ¡°Yaa!¡± ¡°Futon, give me rain. I need a wash after walking in the sewers. Faiya, give me light from that angle. A bit more, a bit more... Perfect.¡± He wasn''t actually dirty and the path that the father-son duo traveled was kept pretty clean but it was a matter of feeling. And for his Horizon. As Futon rained down rain upon his body, Viers spread his arms wide; unconsciously, he smiled. Faiya gave a focused light from behind Futon from a perfect angle to recreate the iconic scene. ¡°Viers crawled to freedom through five hundred yards of shit-smelling foulness I can''t even imagine. Or maybe I just don''t want to.¡± Viers imagined his voice was Morgan Freeman''s. ¡°Five hundred yards. That''s the length of five football fields. Just shy of half a mile.¡± Viers was sure it was just a placebo effect but he felt he was inhaling the sweet air of freedom. ¡°Viers Isuel: the man who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side. Viers Isuel¡­ headed for the Underbelly.¡± His tenants were watching Viers doing his thing, waiting. They were pretty used to it by now. ¡°Alright, gang. Let¡¯s go!¡± Viers dried himself easily by moving away the water wetting his clothes and body. A hundred times more efficient than a dog¡¯s body shake. Chapter 224 - Flea Market ¡°Haaah¡­ slow night,¡± a man grumbled while smoking from his pipe in a dead-end alley. Then two newcomers approached. The man inspected them from head to toe, but did not make it obvious. In his occupation, the ability to determine what kind of man he was dealing with was essential. One was a cloaked man, face partially hidden, but he looked to still be in his teens, confident gait. The other was a beggar kid that he¡¯d seen often down in the Underbelly. ¡°That¡¯s the guy. My reward?¡± The beggar kid said to his walking companion. ¡°Patience, boy. I understand you¡¯re a man that knows how to get things,¡± the cloaked youth said to the smoking man. ¡°That depends,¡± Ditan the smuggler said. ¡°What do you need?¡± Ditan didn''t let down his guard but the other guy was too fast. He, who was stuck at Level 2 peak for almost two decades, was no match for Viers. He lost consciousness the moment Viers touched his forehead. ¡°Your head,¡± Viers answered. Seeing that, the beggar kid immediately turned tail and ran. He cared not for his promised reward. Running away from the dangerous man was his number one goal. His heart skipped a beat when a ghost girl appeared in front of him. ¡°Sleep.¡± She blew her flute and Chuck was out like a light. Viers threw stones from his inventory onto the ground, a privacy array for precaution even though he didn¡¯t sense anyone observing him. Soul search! Viers soul searched the smuggler first, then it was the kid¡¯s turn. His soul attainment was improving at the speed of sound. The speed of his soul search had increased significantly compared to the pre-Aletro gift. While Viers focused on the matters involving Valkut city and the Underbelly, he also ¡®copied¡¯ their other memories, their experiences. Viers took out a 30x40 centimeter mirror that had been bought in Golding city. The Picture Room was not the only thing he spent his wealth on in that city. The mirror was called the Recordkeeper Mirror. Its function was to store information. Simply put, an external hard drive for human use. Normally, it was used by Cultivation Schools or organizations to keep the wisdom and knowledge of its predecessors but Viers used it as his memory warehouse. He ¡®copied¡¯ Ditan and Chuck¡¯s memories and filled his brain with the info about the Underbelly. Its layout, its characteristics. In a few minutes, Viers was like a man that had lived for a decade in the Valkut Underbelly. Then he ¡®cut¡¯ the irrelevant parts and ¡®pasted¡¯ them into the Recordkeeper Mirror. The next step in the Ahura Mazda Project is to create a soul construct to manage the memories. I¡¯m making an internet from the memories so I need a search engine to make it easy for me. In the future, I will leave even the soul search to the construct. Heheheh. I¡¯ll say: A.I. chip, scan! It will make the ¡®beep¡¯ sound effect. I¡¯ll have it no other way. Viers was dreaming of the massive benefits his super project would bring him. But there¡¯s the Evil Overlord List number 59: I will never build a sentient computer smarter than I am. Yep. Too many Fables where AIs become hostile to the creator. Must not make the same mistakes. ¡°Are they hurt?¡± Paina asked. ¡°Not a single scratch. Physically or mentally, ¡± Viers answered. ¡°Rise.¡± Ditan and Chuck stood up like unconscious zombies. Viers slipped three gold coins into their pockets. ¡°For the memories.¡± Viers snapped his fingers in front of Ditan¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re gonna go to your wife, go on your knees, and beg for her forgiveness. Then you¡¯ll stop gambling, stop drinking, and no longer hit your wife again. Ever¡­ And stop smoking. It will kill you.¡± Viers repeated the same snap to the beggar kid. ¡°You¡¯ll no longer sneak down here to steal. Use the money to buy medicine for your sick mom, then use the surplus to learn how to read and write. In the future, go find honest work in the city above.¡± Like an MIB agent, Viers made them forget meeting him and gave them ¡®suggestions¡¯. Isn''t this hypnotherapy? Soultherapy? I suppose I can put ¡®psychiatrist¡¯ in my CV now. Viers left them before they recovered. Now Viers could leisurely walk the Underbelly streets with the familiarity of a local. Just as planned. *** It was late in the night when he escaped from the city guard¡¯s station and it hadn''t been that long so the hour was not ideal for exploring. He went to an inn to get a few hours of nap until afternoon. Then he began the Underbelly city tour. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Viers put Ditan¡¯s knowledge to good use. He first went to a shady shop to turn the evidence items that he didn''t need and turned them into cash. He kept those that might be useful as usual. The seller of illicit goods would be kept unknown by the shop; they had a good track record according to the smuggler. ¡°Thank you very much for your patronage.¡± He ate the local delicacies and bought new clothes with this area¡¯s style to further blend in. Armed with a thick wallet and a full belly, now comes the main event. The Underbelly had the shape of an inverted tower. Viers took an elevator down to the lower floor. The lower one got, the better the shop. Viers saw people using flying items instead of elevators while he was on the way. Some even climbed up and down floors using parkour moves from the outside of the tower. Since there were only simple railings and the like instead of walls, Viers questioned this place¡¯s hazardous design. Only Level 5 Pathseekers were able to fly using their Victa but others could achieve similar feats through other means. Viers saw a man shoot through to the upper floors like Spiderman using his webs. I think I have already seen twenty Level 4s¡­ So many strong Pathseekers and famous adventurers in one place. Unlike in the Book World, I¡¯m not the top dog anymore. ¡°Welcome to Sandar¡¯s Magical Curio. The best shop on the 69th floor. How can I help you?¡± This was the lowest Viers could go without special membership. The shop was elite-looking. Only two Level 4s were shopping besides him. ¡°Do you have luck-raising items here?¡± Viers said. ¡°Certainly. The entrance fee is¡­¡± Viers paid the equivalent of a thousand dollars just to enter the shop. It was to prevent those unable to buy from gawking over the rare items inside. The protective array in the entrance was very strong; as expected of a shop that was aimed at Level 4 Pathseekers. Thirty minutes later. ¡°Please come again.¡± Viers didn''t buy a single thing from the shop but the entrance fee had already changed hands. Argh, so expensive! I thought I¡¯m rich but what the hell are those prices! Am I buying apartments or something? Damn it. My luck is bad so I need to raise it but to think I cannot even buy the cheapest one with my wealth¡­ Change of plans then. Viers returned to the upper floors, to the 5th floor where the entire floor was a big flea market. But I did not lose without gaining a single thing. I had seen the real luck-raising items and remembered their mana peculiarities. Maybe I can find something similar from these sellers that do not know their value. Harboring that hope in his chest, Viers began to browse the goods with his super eyes. He wore shades to hide his glowing green eyes when using Euryale Sight. The stalls were pretty cool, with many unique and interesting things. People often didn''t know about the things they found in the wilds. They could determine something was valuable through the mana of the object but they didn''t know their effects or what they were used for. Appraising materials was a popular job and sometimes the expense of finding out the effect of the item was not worth it. People could send their goods to the shops so they could sell them but that too had drawbacks. The flea market was created for individuals to sell their goods directly. Of course, there were valuables despite the weak or even the complete lack of mana emission. That was what Viers aimed for. He hoped to gain valuable items at a fraction of their market price. ¡°Old man, how much for those red rocks?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Good eye, lad. I found this in the southern dried-up river. The Red River Rock is 50 mana crystals a piece.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it all!¡± ¡°Gehh,¡± the old man winced after seeing the buyer was not haggling. ¡°I got skinned, did I?¡± It was a lingo for selling at a loss. ¡°Who knows?¡± Viers smiled. ¡°Ahh, crap. There. Take it.¡± The old man gave Viers fifteen of the red rocks and Viers paid the mana crystals. ¡°Now can you tell me what it is?¡± ¡°These are eggs from the Red Stone Fish. Their eggs are almost the same as the rocks in that river. These eggs are already dead but they are still vastly superior cultivation resources than the normal Red River Rock.¡± Viers dipped his head and then walked away to the next stall. The old man then took out another ten of the red rocks that Viers just bought and upped the price. Seeing what he did, Viers and the old man exchanged grins. Hehehe. Old man got business skills. The most common wares in the flea market were cultivation resources. Natural magical products such as rocks, water, plants, fruits, and so on. To Pathseekers with the crafter class, these were indispensable. Potion making needed ingredients and blacksmithing needed metals or monster parts. But common Pathseekers also had a great need for them. Some cultivation resources were able to enhance their cultivation speed, making them able to raise their Levels faster. Some needed them for their Profound Practice, like Boram¡¯s Profound Codex. Monster tamer classes and those with bonded companions used them to feed their partners. Futon, Faiya, and Dia were similar, they needed to eat cultivation resources to grow stronger. Pathseeker was a very resource-heavy career. And that¡¯s not all. Now that I''m Level 3, I can also use cultivation resources for Arte Infusement! Oh boy, there will never be enough money, will there? Viers combed through the various items on sale. Not only cultivation resources, he also saw weapons, armor, and magical accessories in the market. Some were made by the people selling them, some were found in ruins or perhaps the seller killed the previous owner and looted them. Viers was not one to judge. He bought those that were a steal. He had two advantages in this. One was the Euryale sight and the second was the massive database of knowledge from hundreds of soul searched people. But even after visiting most of the stalls, he hadn''t seen a single luck-raising item. I know those are rare cause I only found a single item concerning luck in my two years journey as a Pathseeker, three years if Aletro¡¯s Book World was counted. But come on. There has to be something¡­ Then Viers¡¯ eyes found it. In a stall that sold miscellaneous trinkets, there was a small bottle with luck mana. ¡°Hey, man. What''s this?¡± ¡°Oh, welcome. It''s called Lucky Bath Oil. Use them in a bath and it will raise your luck for a time.¡± ¡°Really? How do you know?¡± Viers said with a dubious face. ¡°Yeah, how do you know? I''m curious about it myself,¡± the man sighed. This was the difficulty of finding items that were related to luck. So many fakes and people had a hard time finding the real thing. Even if it worked, did one normally feel they were luckier than before? ¡°Tell you what, I haven''t sold anything in two days. I¡¯ll give you a ten percent discount. The smell is really nice. Try it.¡± ¡°Hmn, it does smell nice.¡± Viers kept a straight face although his heart was palpitating. ¡°Okay, here¡¯s the money.¡± Viers placed the money on the table and the man extended his arm to give Viers the bath oil. ¡°Enjoy your bath-¡± ¡°Wait! I¡¯ll pay double for that thing.¡± A big man approached, shoving Viers aside with his body. Shit. Here comes the drama. Can I just punch this guy in the face and be done with it? Chapter 225 - Meeting the Locals Viers thought to snatch the bottle and peace out because he wasn''t in the mood to waste time in the drama but he stopped himself after seeing the interlocutor¡¯s face. Sankar! Viers recognized the Underbelly¡¯s big dog from Ditan¡¯s memories. Viers did not sense the Level 4 because he was hiding his aura. The man was stronger than him. Viers couldn''t sense Sankar¡¯s cultivation let alone the seller, but he eagerly sold the bath oil to the one that offered double the price. Sankar paid the amount and left without giving Viers a glance. It must be something natural to him. ¡°Well, sorry about that, man,¡± the seller said with a shrug. ¡°Business is business.¡± Viers felt sour but that was just life. So this time you threw me a lemon so sour that I cannot even make it into lemonade, eh, life? Just watch. The more lemons you throw at me, the firmer my resolve to be the Lemon King. ¡°Yeah. Business is business.¡± Since there was nothing else, Viers no longer wasted his time in this stall. But not before subtly giving the seller a soul curse. He''d be having horrific nightmares for the next three months to come. Business is business and grudge is grudge. As for Sankar, Viers didn''t do anything to him, much to his regret. Not that he didn''t want to but he wasn''t confident the Level 4 would not realize. One of the reasons xianxia MCs were often in a perpetual state of conflict with someone stronger than them was because they were too proud. Too addicted to slapping faces. Too motivated to be on the right side. They couldn''t swallow bitterness like an adult. Some were like children, they would let their fists do the talking at the slightest hint of an insult. Some were more mature, but once the antagonists insults their parents, women, teachers, sects, and the like, they take it as their divine duty to fight the insulter, even if the antagonists could kill them with a flick. Of course, the MCs would survive. By their ingenuity or plot armor, either way the MC always survived. If Viers was in their shoes, he would let the insult be and enact revenge once he was stronger than them. Weren''t xianxia MCs supposed to grow at a much faster rate than others? Wasn''t cultivators'' lives often counted in centuries or millennia? What was a decade or two compared to that? Making enemies stronger than oneself was not wise. In the end, it was just an item. Viers weighed it as something not worth antagonizing a Level 4 for. He simply recorded this happening in his mental Book of Grudges. Once he was strong enough, he would clean the Book of every single grudge. After all, he would need something to do once he hit max level, right? Well, that¡¯s that. There are other flea markets in the Underbelly. I might have more luck in other places. Viers went to other floors, hoping his bad luck was out of energy and he would find what he sought this time. *** Viers was now on the 51st floor. The third and last flea market that he had access to. Walking around with his Euryale Sight active. Tsk. I just got two weak ones. A magical four-leaf clover and a bronze horseshoe. So outdated¡­ they only got weak luck blessings so they are nowhere near enough. The oil has a stronger effect than these two. Wait? Aren''t those Ramujun metal ore? I should get some for Boram. Let''s see¡­ which are the high-purity ones? Although Viers didn''t get many lucky items, he bought a lot of other things. He kept a sizable chunk of wealth for buying super expensive lucky items from the official stores if he didn''t find anything good. He would not leave this place without something to offset his bad luck. ¡°Good eye, laddie,¡± someone spoke with a deep voice. ¡°Pardon?¡± Viers said to the dwarf with a thick red beard and hair. ¡°Har har har! You picked the best ores from the stock. The Ramujun are tricky. Took years to differentiate them in my case. Are you a fellow metal worker, laddie?¡± The stout dwarf was a Level 4 but he gave the opposite impression from Sankar. Not all Pathseekers were jerks to those with a lower cultivation, so it seemed. Not that Viers wasn''t wary of the stronger guy but the dwarf seemed amiable. ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Viers removed his shades. ¡°Just beginner''s luck, I suppose. Were you looking to buy some? Mister¡­¡± ¡°Tomthur, but you can call me Tom. And I''m just looking around.¡± Viers shook his hand because the dwarf offered. It was a really strong grip. ¡°Once or twice a year, rare metals pop up in the market. Making things with rare materials is what lit up my blacksmith soul, you know? I¡¯ve the need to work on something unusual but it seems there¡¯s not any today.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Viers nodded. The dwarf took up a canteen and tried to chug but it was empty. ¡°Bah, out of booze. Bye now, laddie. A dwarf gotta have his liquor. Visit my shop upstairs if you want. I welcome a lad who knows his metal.¡± Viers watched as Tomthur went to the elevator and it rose up shortly. He didn''t swallow the beginner''s luck lie. ¡­Well, at least that didn''t end in a disaster. Aaand no lucky item again. Time to change my approach. *** ¡°So, Mister V, what can I do for you?¡± A man sat behind a big desk talking to Viers. From his clothes and mannerism, the man meant business. ¡°For someone that is known as Skinny Dog, you sure don''t look like one. Why do they call you Skinny Dog?¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°You¡¯re willing to pay for that? No? Then don''t ask useless things to an information broker, Mister V. Time is money so let¡¯s get to it.¡± Viers used Ditan¡¯s memory to make contact with an info broker. He made his living by selling and buying information. ¡°All right. I want information on where I can buy or obtain luck-raising items. The budget is¡­ around this number.¡± ¡°Very well. Wait while I search. Is there anything else?¡± Skinny Dog asked. ¡°Well, what¡¯s interesting lately?¡± Viers asked back. Skinny Dog gave Viers a magical item that looked like an electronic tablet, complete with a touch screen function. Now that''s interesting. It contained a list of the latest news. Viers picked a few that interested him. There was one about the city guard station that he robbed and then burned too. No leads on him, it seemed. One of them was about a battle between a group of Silver Legion and a group of assassins. The cultists were trying to kill a legionnaire. Considering the assassins were still skulking about, it was safe to assume the target was still alive and in Valkut city. While Viers was reading the news, Skinny Dog opened his eyes after a brief meditation. Viers suspected he was searching his memory or communicating with someone else. ¡°I have two barters, two shops, and one unusual request for you.¡± ¡°Lay it out then,¡± Viers said. *** Viers felt that the bad luck spirit wanted to prevent him from getting luck-raising items using all of its might. In one barter, the client wanted to barter for the lucky item. It was one of the items that Viers plundered from the police station¡­ which he¡¯d sold earlier. Tsk. No dice there. The other barter also wasn''t happening. The guy was found dead. All his belongings were gone. What the fuck is this? Murder mystery flick? Viers felt pressured by the luck-induced disaster. He was determined to remedy it whatever the cost. Therefore, at the last two stores, he used up most of his wealth to buy two items: a toothbrush and a mummy finger. The finger was a regular item that gave off a lucky aura to the possessor while the toothbrush was a man-made magical item. Can be used twice a day. When brushing one''s teeth with it, it would be as if cleaning the bad luck clinging to said person. In other words, rather than raising Viers¡¯ luck, the toothbrush removed Viers¡¯ malignant bad luck. Not permanently or completely because Golden Luck Toothbrush is just a Level 3 item but it will help. Viers brushed his teeth with it immediately. With renewed oral and luck hygiene, Viers went to the last place Skinny Dog told him, on the 38th floor, residential area. The details about the request were sparse, just the necessary requirements and the rewards. It seemed to be a competition of some sort. The participant must be below a certain age, skilled with a sword, and other things. Viers met the qualification and one of the rewards was a luck-raising item like the mummy finger so he went there. When he arrived, there were about fifty other people, just like him. All were at Level 2 or 3. ¡°Welcome, gents,¡± a Level 4 man came out from the house. ¡°I¡¯m Roche Dobson, the architect of this event. We of the House Dobson seek a man possessing certain qualities. That is why you¡¯re all here. If you manage to pass our screening and remain until the very end, the rewards will be yours. Then without further ado¡­¡± The participants lined up on the congested street as Roche measured each of them using some kind of magical item. Twelve people passed, including Viers, and were invited to the mansion. The voice of dissent was quickly silenced by the Level 4¡¯s might. There was no fee involved to be here so they were just told to be away. The next test was to fight a phantom of a Dobson ancestor using nothing but pure sword skills. The Dobson family was indeed known for their swordsmanship around Valkut. Only two people passed. ¡°The last challenge. Mister V and Mister R. Please fight with each other. Without Artes or gimmicks, let the better swordsman win.¡± Viers met Mister R in an arena. ¡°Wow, even our false names are similar, huh?¡± Viers said to the guy that also wore a cloak to hide his identity. Viers observed that their age was about the same. ¡°No hard feelings,¡± R said, swinging the blunt practice sword. ¡°Indeed,¡± Viers made a stance. ¡°Ready¡­¡± Roche was the referee. ¡°Begin!¡± R was a Level 3 and while he had higher cultivation than Viers, the match was pure swordsmanship so Viers thought he would not lose. Four moves in, R¡¯s strike penetrated Viers¡¯ defenses. ¡°Hit! One point for R!¡± The match was best out of three or Viers would have lost. This guy, what skill! Viers was awed. He didn''t think R was such a swordsman. He was better than Viers in every way. For the next match, Viers no longer held back. He fought as if facing a great enemy. He fared better but R proved he was still a cut above. Viers managed to land a hit when he used the Sea Universe first style that he got from the Book World. ¡°Hit! One point for V!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± R was amazed. ¡°It seems we have other similarities.¡± ¡°What?¡± In the third round, R¡¯s sword style changed. Viers was surprised. R¡¯s technique had similarities to Viers¡¯ Sea Universe style! Viers tried to fight back. After a furious back and forth, the blunt sword of R struck him square in the forehead. ¡°Hit! One point for R!¡± I¡­ lost, Viers sighed with his butt on the floor. ¡°You''re really strong,¡± R extended his hand while smiling ¡°Let¡¯s do this again sometime.¡± As the defeated, Viers left the mansion but he stayed on the premises. To rob R. But R is something else. His sword arm was the best I¡¯ve ever seen for someone around my age, even better than Troy¡¯s. But I¡¯m sorry man. The lucky butterfly will be mine. Like a detective on a stake-out, Viers camped for hours. Rggh¡­ When is he coming out? Then there was an explosion in the mansion. Viers saw R run away from the blasted wall as if his life was counting on it. The luck-raising item that was a butterfly encased in a resin was in his hand. ¡°Dearest husband! Please don''t run away!¡± A truly fat and ugly girl wailed from the wall opening. She bit the hem of her sleeve as if she was regretting something very deeply. ¡°Don''t run away, son-in-law,¡± Roche pursued. ¡°You¡¯ve accepted the dowry!¡± ¡°Hieeekh!! I¡¯m truly sorry but this is more than I bargained for!!¡± R scurried about like a mouse hunted by a cat. Well, I certainly didn''t expect this. Nevertheless, Viers pursued. It was a pretty epic chase, movie-worthy. In the end, the Level 3 high or peak managed to run to the surface. Roche was forced to give up after the Level 4 guards stopped his rampage. It was hard for Viers to keep up but he was invisible the whole time thanks to the Fade in Shadow Arte. He followed R still, waiting for the moment to strike. ¡°Phew,¡± R wiped the sweat from his brows. ¡°My apologies Lady Dobson, but I already have a person to whom I have dedicated my heart to.¡± It was night, so there was a lot of darkness. Perfect for Viers. R took a carriage and went to the upper-class place in Valkut. The guards recognized his face, calling him young master Russ Sullivan. It seemed he was of high birth. Russ stopped near a big mansion. He didn''t enter from the front gate but sneaked in from the side. He longingly looked up at the lit-up second-floor window, picked up a few pebbles, and threw it at the window. A silhouette of a lady darkened the window. ¡°Oh, most fair Lady Pinaca. The moon¡¯s beauty pales in comparison to your visage. Two days since I last saw your face and my heart ached most painfully,¡± Russ was on his knees, like Romeo wooing Juliet. ¡±Please, grace this pitiful man with your presence.¡± ¡°Ufufu, Milord Russ,¡± the woman opened the window. ¡°Please stop with the flattery. It will make me blush.¡± What the fu- ¡°Wha-?¡± Farley mirrored Viers¡¯ surprise. ¡°Eh?¡± Clarissa looked at Paina. Paina couldn''t say anything. Her mind was no less confused as she saw a woman with her own face through Viers¡¯ eyes. Chapter 226 - Premonition ¡°Milady,¡± Russ sounded delighted with a hint of melancholy at the same time. ¡°My memory cannot accurately capture your beauty. You become increasingly prettier every time we meet¡­ Ah, how careless of me. Let me first present you with a gift.¡± The girl with the same face as Paina aside, Viers spurred into action once Russ showed the Auspicious Butterfly in a resin. That luck-raising item was even stronger than his mummy finger. ¡°Bow of Four Beast,¡± Viers loosed his finger once the bow had sucked his Victa. ¡°Ox!¡± The arrow turned into a raging yellow ox phantom in mid-air and struck the ground near Russ. The ground was blown away as dirt and rock spread out randomly. ¡°Wha-!?¡± Russ hurriedly defended himself. It was a reflexive action on Russ¡¯ part. The splash damage lacked the power to hurt him. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Guards, guards!¡± Pinaca looked at where the attack came from. Bow of Four Beast could change its elemental damage depending on the user. Viers used the wind eagle to shoot Aletro¡¯s book in the past. This time he used a different one so people couldn''t connect it to Avel. Ars¨¨ne materialized like a ghost when Viers shot the arrow; his face and form were hidden. There was no need for words between the two. Ars¨¨ne snatched the Auspicious Butterfly among the confusion and ran like the wind. ¡°Ah!?¡± Russ gasped. ¡°How dare yo-¡± Arte - Water Blast! It was the fourth round of the day between Viers and Russ but this time Viers¡¯ Arte knocked Russ back despite the skilled swordsman having raised his guard. Nuhnn! Such power, Russ grunted. ¡°Who are you?¡± Like there¡¯s an idiot who would answer that, fool. Viers struck with a storm of Artes. Rain of water swords, homing projectiles, water sprouts from below, an unceasing barrage. Russ might recognize him if they crossed swords so Viers chose long-distance attacks. Ambushed and with Viers¡¯ Artes being empowered by Horizon, Russ was too much at a disadvantage. ¡°Knave!¡± Pinaca jumped out of the window while wearing a dress. Seven water spheres the size of cannonballs were unleashed upon Viers. The cloaked Viers raised a water shield that had no problem defending against Pinaca¡¯s Arte and before her feet even touched the ground, his hand was on her neck. He chokeslammed the girl to the ground. He was a bit rough but he figured a Level 3 should be able to handle it. ¡°Hakh,¡± Pinaca coughed. She has a water affinity too. Same as Paina. ¡°You bastard!!¡± The third water user was angered seeing his sweetheart attacked and let out a mighty thrust that was accompanied by a water twister with his sword. Viers¡¯ water shield could not completely block Russ'' Arte but the damage was very minor. Viers used the Arte¡¯s momentum to carry him backward and disengaged, moving past a wall to break the line of sight. Five seconds of head start is enough for Ars¨¨ne. ¡°There he is!¡± ¡°Bold of you to attack House Wright!¡± ¡°Your head will be on a pike at the front gate!¡± The guards and Russ were onto Viers but they were only Level 3s. Good news for Viers but he wasn''t in the clear. If there¡¯s a Level 4 it will be really troublesome. Viers increased the distance with his Horizon-boosted Raging River Steps Arte and blended with the shadows with Fade in Shadow Arte. Using a smuggler¡¯s route, Viers went back to the Underbelly. There were many criminal elements here that wouldn''t treat the law and order of the surface kindly. Viers went into an old, small house, Ditan¡¯s safe house. The careful man had prepared two, one above the ground and one below. Ditan had not used either for months so Viers made himself at home. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Ars¨¨ne said while throwing the Auspicious Butterfly to him. ¡°Had to lead them away from you,¡± Viers caught it. Ars¨¨ne returned inside Viers and he sighed in relief. ¡°With the butterfly, my luck should be abysmal no longer. So, angels, what do you think about our latest discovery?¡± The meeting was a lively one despite the late hour. ¡°So,¡± Viers began. ¡°How do you feel seeing your twin sister?¡± ¡°Even if you said how¡­¡± Paina replied with a complicated expression. ¡°In the first place, is she really my sister?¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°There¡¯s an uncanny resemblance. It¡¯s the most reasonable conjecture,¡± Farley said. ¡°We found them so let¡¯s ask them directly,¡± Clarissa paused. ¡°Perhaps a few days later because Viers just robbed them.¡± ¡°How about we follow Paina¡¯s lead first, do the quest in order. Fabled Sheep Bar, right?¡± Viers asked. I think I explored too much and stumbled on later content in video games. Let¡¯s take it from the top. ¡°Yes.¡± *** At a city square with little greenery that had been colored with the colors of autumn, Viers sat on a bench under the glare of the sun. ¡­I don''t think I would like to live here long term. It was clear he was up against a major house of this place. He needed information. Two days had passed since Viers met the suspected Paina¡¯s twin sister. Viers went all over the city to gather information. Not only was he using Skinny Dog¡¯s service, but he also put his boots on the ground. He was taking memory donations from other people, Idlers and Pathseekers Level 2 or below. From multiple sources, he had an outlook on how things ran in Valkut city. The isolation barrier that only opened once a year, the unbalanced economy, the danger inside and outside the city, strict city regulations, the Governor-King that seemed to do nothing except take seventy percent taxes on everything, and other matters. The limited freedom one had in this place made Viers think of one of the most isolated countries on Earth. And there¡¯s something unpleasant in the air. I don''t know what. Airborne virus? Harmful mana? Don''t know. It just feels wrong. The only silver lining is that the Governor-King didn''t make himself like a god to the masses. The focus of Viers'' search was House Wright, the family of that Pinaca lass. She looked like Paina but older by a year. Understandable since Paina wouldn''t grow physically as a ghost. Skin treatment, hairdo, makeup, fashion and accessories, gave the person more points in the beauty stats than Paina who was raised as a commoner. Before engaging with the Wrights, Viers and Paina followed the sole lead that the girl had for finding her family. Her mother¡¯s last words were to go to the Fabled Sheep Bar, with no details whatsoever. Viers found the bar earlier this day. It was closed. It had been closed for half a year according to the neighbors. The owner was said to have left Valkut entirely. A dead end. So the Wrights it is. Viers turned his head to the Wright family¡¯s mansion which was within viewing distance from the open space he was in. The head of the house was named Jerrold, a Level 4. A trusted vassal of the Governor-King. Jerrold had many wives and Pinaca had twenty-three siblings, plus two more who were still in their mother¡¯s bellies. House Wright was responsible for a local ceremony unique to Valkut: Newborn Blessing. Every baby within a month of their birth was eligible to visit the mansion to receive the blessing. The babies would grow healthier after receiving the boon, it had been proven. When it first started fifteen years ago, only a handful of parents brought their child to receive the blessing but practically every child born in Valkut was given the blessing nowadays, whether they were nobles or commoners. It was easily accessible to the masses since there was no charge. My Viers-senses are tingling. No one gives a free meal. Some conspiracy is happening. I bet my ass on it¡­ But there have been no problems since it started and there are many stronger Pathseekers than me here. No one makes a fuss if there''s something wrong with the babies? Weird¡­ Valkut was a big city so every day there were babies born. Viers watched the Newborn Blessing procession from afar. There was a chapel-like building where the babies would be carried by the staff, the parents were welcome to follow. The babies would be carried out after receiving the blessing, about an hour later. And there are clergies of the Estellian Church involved in the proceedings so this is Goddess Approved? Are the babies really okay? Is that similar to a vaccine? Viers was even more confused. Like a charity event, members of House Wright helped with the processing. Viers saw Pinaca among them. Beside her is Enzo Wright, a genius Pathseeker. Level 3 despite being a year younger than Pinaca and me. In fact, every Wrights'' children -those above fifteen years old- can also be considered accomplished Pathseekers but Enzo is the most dazzling among them. Pinaca is already Level 3¡­ Was it talent or resources of a great house that allowed her to become Level 3 with the same pace as me? Hmm, looking at her and Enzo, they don''t seem to be at odds. Noble half-siblings usually don''t get along in the stories but those two look pretty close with each other. Viers considered the report from Skinny Dog. The soul search from that house¡¯s servants and guards below Level 2 yielded nothing unusual either. But you all can''t fool me! No humans are that perfect, which means what you¡¯re showing is fake. I¡¯ll get to the bottom of this. A person approached Pinaca, it was Russ. He approached quite bashfully at first. Pinaca said something to him and they both were laughing. Well, Pinaca is now engaged. Just yesterday, with that guy, Russ Sullivan, sword prodigy. Also from another prominent house in Valkut. Engagement triggered by my robbery? A refreshing melody entered Viers¡¯ ears, elevating his overheated brain somewhat. Not far from Viers, there was an old woman playing something similar to a zither. She was here even before Viers sat on this bench, playing her musical instrument skillfully. Her eyes were closed the whole time. A jar was placed in front of the white-haired woman for putting in money. Viers looked at her and approached. The gold coins he put in the clay jar made a distinct sound. ¡°Lady, thanks for the music. Here¡¯s some food for lunch. Please have some.¡± Viers withdrew a hot meal along with hot tea from his Thousand Treasures Casket and offered it to the zither lady. She raised her face towards Viers. She is really blind. ¡°Bless you, young man,¡± she said. ¡°Bless you.¡± ¡°And you,¡± Viers replied before leaving. Paina called him a few steps later. ¡°That¡¯s really nice of you.¡± ¡°Rule of thumb. Beware of old people in a world where people usually die young. Only Level 2 and live past fifty years? Unlikely. Even if my Euryale Sight couldn''t see anything unusual about her, the theme is solid.¡± ¡°Huh!? So you hope to curry her favor?¡± ¡°Why not? If she¡¯s a hidden master then great. If not, I¡¯m doing some good. Win-win for me.¡± ¡°Typical Viers,¡± Clarissa huffed. ¡°Practical.¡± Viers started walking while thinking about how he should investigate House Wright this time, but there was a commotion at the blessing procession. ¡°Paina! Oh Paina, you¡¯re alive!¡± A young woman wearing a Silver Legion white robe embraced Pinaca. The Paina look-alike looked confused by the sudden hug. The other girl practically tackled her. Viers¡¯ eyes bulged from their sockets. Rose! The Angel-Blessed! From Luxore town! She¡¯s here too!? What the hell is happening in this city? Viers had a premonition something big was happening. Chapter 227 - 3000 Leagues in Search of Father In games, new areas represent new opportunities. As a player, Viers wanted to explore, discover new things, amass resources, find rare equipment, and gain all sorts of power-ups. Although there was something unpleasant about Valkut¡¯s atmosphere, this place was not an exception. Viers planned to stay for some time since he had made the long trip to get here. The two days of politely soul searching other people¡¯s minds had such a purpose besides finding out about House Wright¡¯s circumstances. And the opportunities were ripe for the taking. Abundant ruins from the Coriz Empire era and the lawless Underbelly. Since he couldn''t put down roots in the last Hive of Scum and Villainy of a city, this would make a suitable replacement. In particular, he was searching for the rumored food cultivation inheritance and Forbidden Artes. But once he stumbled upon Rose, he changed gears. The appearance of the angel-blessed made him have a bad feeling so he rushed it. With so many Level 4s strolling the area, he was ill at ease. He was underleveled. And not from the lack of progress, he was simply coming here too early. Like crossing the desert in Fallout New Vegas only to suffer numerous deaths from death claws. Viers didn''t like to be near a person who was stronger than him, people that could grievously harm or outright kill him without much effort. He would stay miles away from them if he could. Some would call him paranoid. Viers called it survival instinct. Higher Level Pathseekers usually wouldn''t concern themselves with the matters of the juniors. Most of them were not bloodthirsty savages that reveled in killing. But so what? Even if ninety-nine percent of them were not, if he encountered that single percent, wouldn''t he die in a grievance? Furthermore, accidents happened. Viers'' wariness was justified, in his own opinion. Be that as it may, Viers became wary of the developing situation in Valkut city and decided he should get his main objective of coming here over and done with. Which was why Viers was now inside a sack of flour in the Wright mansion¡¯s kitchen. It should be nightfall by now. Time to get out of here. A tiny, tiny, radioactive green-colored slime made a small hole and slid out from the flour sack along with a flour powderfall. Arte - Size Up. Like a certain ant superhero with a shrinking tech, Slime-Viers enlarged himself into a chicken-sized slime. Size Up Arte and its pair, Size Down are so practical. In the hands of others, both Artes wouldn''t be treated with such importance. Complex organisms couldn''t be size-changed, meaning the target of the Artes were mainly inorganic stuff, and the stronger the magical nature of the items the harder it was to make them bigger or smaller. Viers could only change his own size while in slime form. Becoming as small as a mosquito in his smallest and as big as a twenty meters tall giant at his largest. Scientifically speaking, a slime life-form was mind-bogglingly complex but magically, it was not. Henshin! Toxicell Slime V-morph into¡­ Water Ghost Spider! After disposing of the flour bag to cover his entry tracks, Viers changed into another monster with stealth specialty. The almost invisible spider became truly invisible as Viers used Fade in Shadow Arte and additional Artes to mask his presence. He crawled on the wall to reach the ceiling and made his way forward upside down. Toxicell Slime, Size Down, Size Up, Water Ghost Spider, Fade in Shadow, these were Viers¡¯ ultimate combo for infiltration, his Royal Straight Flush. The monster forms had been upgraded to Rank 3, befitting Viers¡¯ current cultivation Level. Now I should go¡­ left. Wait, right! Cause I¡¯m on the ceiling. The layout of the mansion was already in his head because he had soul searched the housekeepers and servants. His preparations were thorough, made magnitudes simpler and easier with the overpowered soul search. Soundlessly, Viers used his fine octet of legs to make his way to the sleeping rooms of the Wrights on the third floor. There were guards patrolling the inside of the mansion, golems disguised as ornamental armors, magical traps, sensor arrays, and so on. The security had been tightened since a few days ago. Good thing that the kitchen supplies route was not so closely guarded. The fact that there were no insect-sized monsters was also a factor that Viers took advantage of. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I¡¯ve arrived in the residence wing, now which room was he in¡­ Nn? The man in question was seen by Viers exiting a room. Lucky! Must be thanks to the lucky items I gathered. Now that I think about it, me seeing Rose earlier could be thanks to my luck turning for the better. Ohoho, after doing some late-night sport, eh? Just like in the maid¡¯s memory, the guy never missed a night. It seems twenty children is not enough. Quite the guy. Jerrold went into the study. ¡°All right, Paina. This is it. Are you ready?¡± Viers talked in his mind. ¡°Ready. Let''s go.¡± Viers turned into his human form. He adjusted his appearance and pushed the door open. There he found Jerrold sitting behind a desk, opening a letter. The man looked like he was still in his prime. Unperturbed by the stranger showing up inside his house. ¡°For you to come this close before I realize it is no small feat. I applaud your skill, assassin. Yet stupid, to try to kill those above your Level.¡± Jerrold spoke calmly as if speaking to a guest. They examined each other¡¯s faces, though Viers was wearing a fake one. ¡°Incorrect, Mister Wright. I¡¯m a courier.¡± Viers showed Paina¡¯s form. It was then Jerrold¡¯s expression changed for the first time as he rose from the chair. Because presentation was important, Viers made the unveiling of Paina more showy than necessary. Blue particles swept like gentle snow before she materialized. Paina was dressed up not with a gorgeous dress but with a chic style. Showing her origin as a commoner yet possessing elegance above her station. ¡°Apologies for intruding on you at this late hour, Lord Wright,¡± Paina gave a perfect high society courtesy. Farley taught her that. ¡°I¡¯m Paina Wattle, daughter of Maiya. Before she died, she told me to go to Valkut city to find my father.¡± ¡°Maiya¡­¡± Jerrold whispered. ¡°Lord Wright¡­ Am I your daughter?¡± Her gaze was expectant. The few seconds of silence that passed were deafening. ¡°...I remember your mother¡¯s swollen belly at our last meeting.¡± Paina gasped. ¡°You are indeed this Jerrold¡¯s daughter,¡± He said lovingly. ¡°Come closer child, so I can hug you.¡± A hand was offered. ¡°F-Father¡­¡± Relief, as if heavy stones on her shoulder had been laid down. A knot in her heart untangled. ¡°I have so many questions.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you do.¡± ¡°Why were you and mom separate? Why did she send me here on her death bed?¡± Those were what she wanted to know the most in the world. ¡°It¡¯s simple. You were sent here to die.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Viers acted faster than Paina could think. A fist of water as tall as the man hit Jerrold with no hesitation. Jerrold was unharmed but he took a step back to balance himself. ¡°Impressive power for one so young. Daughter, you''ve found yourself a great courier. Water¡­ are you perhaps the robber a few days ago?¡± ¡°Paina, get away from him,¡± Viers warned. ¡°Father,¡± her voice was trembling. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Now that, is the complicated part. As my daughter, the least I can do is to send you off personally. I¡¯ll make it painless.¡± In the slightly wet and spotless room, ashes appeared in the air. The temperature was rising. Those ashes contained burning heat. Despite Jerrold¡¯s hostile intention, his composure and smile did not change. ¡°Welp, I knew this would happen the second I saw you.¡± ¡°Intriguing. Why is that?¡± ¡°You have a villain goatee,¡± Viers snorted. ¡°We¡¯ll take our leave here.¡± ¡°Most commendable of you to think you can get away.¡± Viers didn''t blink because it might be fatal so he saw, albeit very briefly, how the very room transformed into a terrain of gray wasteland. Ashes danced in the air, embers flickered here and there. The temperature multiplied. A vast dreary wasteland of a conflict¡¯s aftermath. ¡°A Domain¡­ Wow, you really want your daughter to die twice over, hmn? Truly daddy of the year.¡± Viers had activated his Unreality Field to defend against the harsh surroundings but it was like donning a hazmat suit against the heat of a volcano. Suit or no suit, it was all the same: he would be burned to death. Paina grunted, trying to withstand the pain. She felt as if she was put into a bath of boiling water and that was after Viers extended his protection. ¡°Good, you recognized this. Level 4¡¯s unique ability. Escaping out from a Domain is almost impossible for the lower leveled.¡± ¡°Almost,¡± Viers emphasized. ¡°A confident one, aren''t you?¡± ¡°I figured it''s too good to imagine you¡¯ll hug your daughter in tears of happiness and shower me with gifts but a man can dream.¡± Jerrold¡¯s attack arrived in an instant, from all sides. The very space itself was his enemy. Viers¡¯ Unreality Field was as good as air compared to the might of a Domain-backed attack. Viers was doomed. He knew this, Paina knew this, Jerrold knew this. Paina¡¯s gaze never left the man who admitted to being her father. Only at the last moment did she close her eyes and turn away. A gaze filled with bone-deep disappointment. Against insurmountable power, Viers didn''t simply wait for his end to come. What he did next made the Level 4 raise his brows. Jerrold saw a grin as savage as a wild beast. Arte - Suicide You! There was an explosion. A mighty explosion. And it had done not a single thing to Jerrold. Not even disturbed his Domain in the slightest. The man truly committed suicide? Curious¡­ And Paina¡¯s soul was pulled from the outside. Even though soul is not my forte, for the other side to be able to pull her out from my Domain means the soul user is extraordinary. ¡°Hu hu hu,¡± Jerrold laughed faintly. First there¡¯s the Blessed and now a ghost of Paina¡­ The lord was right. Unexpected happenings will emerge as the plan approaches its completion. *** Paina emerged from a magic circle. When she opened her eyes, she saw Viers on his knees, bleeding from the nose. ¡°Viers! Are you okay? Please tell me you¡¯re okay!¡± ¡°Pulling you out was harder than expected¡­ Domain?¡± Paina nodded to answer. ¡°...Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Paina¡¯s soul returned to Viers and the man swiftly removed himself from the vicinity. Heavenly Thief Ars¨¨ne, number of times fallen in the line of duty: 2. God bless you, my other self. Chapter 228 - Officer, This Isnt What It Looks Like Rose sighed while looking at the shadow of the Wright family¡¯s mansion. The night¡¯s shroud of the masterfully built huge residence was like a veil clouding the mystery of those who lived there. They insisted they didn''t know Paina¡­ Is Miss Pinaca just a lookalike after all? ¡°See June? That''s the look of someone in love,¡± Conn elbowed June while whispering. ¡°Have some delicacy, you big buffoon!¡± June slapped the back of Conn¡¯s head. ¡°Rose, leave it at that for now. You¡¯ll need all your strength for the ceremony tomorrow.¡± ¡°...Yes, Master Mita.¡± No sooner than she said that, a massive Victa fluctuation radiated from the mansion. It was as striking as lighting up a fire in the darkness. So powerful! Is that a Domain? And then, a short while later, there was another. From another part of the city. *** A woman fell to her knees while panting heavily. The shining light that protected the attack aiming at two passersby twinkled out. ¡°As expected of the goody-two-shoes legion member,¡± the assassin said in a female''s voice. ¡°How foolish.¡± ¡°Run,¡± Ciel voiced weakly and the two civilians rightfully turned their backs and ran. She kept the assassin¡¯s attention on her. ¡°The likes of you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, I wouldn''t,¡± the black-robed assailant bared her knife and approached. ¡°Now, before others come and steal my meritorious deeds-¡± ¡°You¡¯ll perish!¡± Ciel shot out a laser from her finger. Arte - Luminous Sunbeam! Once upon a time, Freya used the same Arte against Viers. Ciel and Freya were both members of the same organization and they both possessed light affinity. It wasn''t unusual that they had similar Artes. ¡°Nuoh!? Y-You still have this much power?¡± The assassin was hard-pressed to maintain her wind barrier. ¡°We¡¯re both Level 3, how come there¡¯s this much disparity in power?¡± The assassin gritted her teeth, wind clashing against light but the attack was too focused, too powerful. It pierced the barrier and blasted a scorching hole in her chest, taking out her heart with it. ¡°Don''t¡­ underestimate¡­ the Silver Legion.¡± Yet Ciel also fell, exhausted beyond measure. *** After realizing Ars¨¨ne could revive, it was out of the question to not equip him with a kamikaze attack. Suicide attacks were powerful and could be a tide-turner when employed correctly. Viers used Dark Zero Volod¡¯s Intio Destruction and many other Artes to create a significantly stronger suicide Arte: Suicide You. And it is a villain¡¯s prerogative to have a self-destruct button. Mwuahahaha! Oh, I almost pity my enemies. Almost. Ars¨¨ne himself didn¡¯t have any disinclination being made into a suicide bomber for Ars¨¨ne was Viers himself. Viers likened Ars¨¨ne to a duplicate made from his own ¡®save file¡¯. When Viers created Ars¨¨ne, the unique being was a copy of Viers¡¯ consciousness, mind, and abilities. The only thing that Ars¨¨ne lacked was the Horizon Aspect and the boost of power that came with it. When Ars¨¨ne merged back with Viers, Viers¡¯ ¡®save file¡¯ was updated. The next time Ars¨¨ne was conjured, it was from the latest version of the save file, which was Viers at the time. Since Ars¨¨ne was not a ¡®separate¡¯ individual, there was no dispute. The clich¨¦ of a replica taking over the original or wanting to be its own being was nonexistent. But if Ars¨¨ne is destroyed in battle and unable to merge with me, I won¡¯t get his experience. Shame I couldn''t witness how Suicide You fared against a Level 4. Despite thinking that, Viers kept a watchful eye and opened his senses for anything unusual as he changed locations. Paina¡¯s exit point was sufficiently far from the Wright¡¯s mansion, but the possibility of pursuers was not zero so he wasn''t taking any chances. Meanwhile, inside the White Flowers Meadow, Farley was consoling her friend. ¡°Paina, are you okay?¡± The father that she was dying to meet tried to kill her, and there was the revelation about her mom to boot. Her heart must be broken. I must give her my best support as her friend. Paina spoke after a brief silence, to Farley¡¯s surprise, with a fiery tone. ¡°I was prepared for my father trying to kill me¡­ No, it¡¯s messed up but Viers has briefed us it might happen. If all was well and good between my parents, they wouldn''t have separated in the first place. But my mom sent me here so my dad could kill me? That doesn''t make any sense!¡± ¡°Pst¡­ She isn''t despairing, right?¡± Clarissa whispered to Viers some distance away. ¡°No, she¡¯s not. She¡¯s¡­ ranting?¡± Viers whispered back. ¡°Hmph! I don''t need to think too deeply about that stuff. Once Viers becomes strong enough and soul searches him, I¡®ll find out eventually. I¡¯ll do it myself if I have to! At any rate, I refuse to believe my mom ever wanted me dead. She loves me and I love her. No matter what that¡­ that Shitty Goatee Father of mine said!¡± Paina stomped the ground. ¡°O, ooh! That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Farley encouraged. ¡°She¡¯s become stronger,¡± Clarissa nodded positively. ¡°So, Plan B?¡± Viers shrugged as if he planned to do that from the start. ¡°Plan B, soul search Pinaca to find out what¡¯s going on.¡± It depends on the threat level though. If the heat is too high, I¡¯ll leave for the mountains and wait till the storm passes. I can turn into a monster and hunt wyverns and dragons to enhance my monster forms. It was good that Paina did not lose heart. He feared Paina would relapse to her passive self but the journey with Viers had strengthened her. ¡°...Alright gang, focus now. I feel many suspicious people around us. They seem to be searching for someone. Tsk, already? Guess the hands of the Wrights are longer than I thought.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. At this late hour, not many people walked the streets and alleys. A sudden burst of power came from nearby. It was a shield of light. Someone is fighting over there¡­ Oh crud! The suspicious people are coming this way to get over there! The mysterious men were approaching from three sides. Viers¡¯ options were to either clash with the pursuers or go closer to the scene of the battle. ¡­It¡¯s quiet now. Perhaps the battle has already ended. That way. Viers picked his route, walking hastily in a somewhat eerie neighborhood¡¯s alleyway. He stumbled upon two bodies. One was cloaked with a hole in her chest, lying face down. The other was wearing something white but had been stained with blood and grime. Her blonde hair covered the front of her face. ¡°They¡¯re dead,¡± Viers said telepathically. ¡°Uhh, one of them is still alive,¡± Paina pointed out. ¡°Nope. Both dead.¡± ¡°You can see her breathing and hear her heartbeat!¡± ¡°I don''t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Viers plucked the soul of the woman with a hole in her chest and stored her body in his inventory item as if he nabbed a free sample product in a supermarket. ¡°See? See you cannot put the other one inside? Come on, she needs help. Just put her on your shoulder and bring her to a healer on the way. It would be easy for you.¡± ¡°Nature is cruel,¡± Viers walked away. ¡°People die all the time.¡± ¡°Er¡­ Lord Viers, doesn''t the woman look familiar to you?¡± Viers facepalmed, even Farley? His efforts to keep his hands clean from this matter weren¡¯t working. Someone upstairs seemed hell-bent to make him go down the ¡®save the girl¡¯ route. Viers turned around and examined her face more closely. ¡°...It¡¯s Ciel.¡± ¡°Ciel? Ah! The Silver Legion woman that saved us from the goblin ambush!¡± Paina realized. ¡°What a blast from the past¡­¡± Farley was there too. Viers was in a conundrum. What now? Should I save her after all? She did save me from a predicament once. But the pursuers- ¡°Who goes there?¡± -arrived faster than I thought. Shit. One, two, three. Three people with cloak and dagger vibes arrived, surrounding Viers and Ciel. ¡°...Target is down but alive. Call others as the leader instructed?¡± One of them asked the most senior among them. ¡°No need. Let''s take the credit.¡± The assassin that Ciel defeated had said the same thing. These assassins elbowed each other during the race to who-murdered-Ciel-first. And from the conversation, Viers deduced they weren''t with the Wrights and from the Bone Ravens. Cultists who worshiped one of the seven great devils, Banbenxi. Viers had disagreements with them in the past. The Fade in Shadow Arte was the Raven¡¯s signature Arte which Viers stole. ¡°What about the extra?¡± ¡°No witnesses,¡± the senior assassin spoke emotionlessly. ¡°Urp!?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Viers sighed, killing intent soaring. ¡°No witnesses. So be it.¡± Even below Level 3, the difference between small realms was present in the form of low, mid, high, and peak. Viers simply didn''t care to differentiate them so far. However, from Level 3 onwards, the disparity between small realms started to become significant and would only grow the higher the Level. Two of the Ravens were Level 2, while the senior was a Level 3 low Pathseeker. With the damage boost of 451.07% from Horizon, killing a Level 3 mid was an easy-peasy task for Viers, let alone these chumps. Viers hit them hard enough that their souls went out of their bodies. *** ¡°So, Viers saved another pretty girl. Again,¡± Clarissa gave the opening words. ¡°Well, despite what he said. He¡¯s always taken a softer stance against beauties. Good grief,¡± Paina scoffed. ¡°How many does he intend to gather at his side?¡± ¡°This time it''s a dependable cool beauty type?¡± Farley observed. ¡°Early twenties. About five years difference with Lord Viers. There¡¯s nothing unsatisfactory about her physique but her allegiance is a problem. Lord Viers, I suggest a milder approach against Ciel. Gradually wear down her defenses from little things and make her fall bit by bit. I have a few techniques that I believe will be very effective.¡± ¡°...You girls¡­ What are you talking about when the person in question is right in front of you?¡± Viers growled. The employees used the meeting table in the White Flowers Meadow for discussing the CEO¡¯s scandal! ¡°If there¡¯s an option to save a dude or a babe, Viers is seventy percent more inclined to save the babe. Unless the dude can give more benefits,¡± Clarissa continued discussing with Paina as if Viers didn''t exist. ¡°Viers is a boy, after all. Men with power having multiple companions are nothing strange in this day and age.¡± Paina sighed. ¡°I wish he would just man up at this point and admit it.¡± ¡°Many powerful women also have their harem, Paina. It¡¯s not exclusive to males. After having enough power and wealth, what else do you suppose these Pathseekers seek?¡± Farley said in the Gendo Ikari pose. Viers didn''t teach her that. ¡°Desire is a natural thing for humans.¡± ¡°So what do you think of his preferred type? Young or mature? Big boobs or small chests?¡± Paina said with a piercing gaze at her fellow employees. ¡°Oi.¡± ¡°Based on the girls around him so far, he likes them young. Might be because his cultivation level pushed him to interact with people of that age group. Need more observation,¡± the lamia princess similarly replied with an absurd degree of seriousness. ¡°Small or big doesn''t seem to matter to him, I think. He likes them both.¡± ¡°Oi!¡± ¡°Perhaps Lord Viers¡¯ reservation to bond with other females is because of us taking residence inside him. I thank you for the consideration, Lord Viers. I can only speak for myself but should such a situation arise, there won''t be a single complaint from me. Please do as you please.¡± ¡°Viers has such consideration, huh? Ah, it might be his extra motivation for giving us our bodies back. He can just cut the V-Stream but maybe it¡¯s not enough privacy for him?¡± Clarissa twirled her tail while thinking. ¡°In other words, Viers would already be ¡®doing it¡¯ with a bunch of women if we¡¯re not around, yeah?¡± Paina said deliberately, making her slow face turn to Viers, as insufferable as possible. She smirked. ¡°Pervert.¡± A vein popped on Viers¡¯ forehead. ¡°Enough gossiping and do your job! Farley, Paina, out!¡± After the inevitable battle with the assassins and erasing the crime scene of his trace, Viers speedily and clandestinely brought Ciel to a safe house. It was Ditan¡¯s other one. Being located in the brothel district didn''t matter to Viers. After getting away, Viers started to give Ciel medicine and healing. The bleeding wound and battle damage he could heal, albeit slowly, but there was something else that made Ciel¡¯s condition worsen. Poison. Not the common kind either. Ciel came to during the treatment at some point. She weakly said: ¡°To¡­ the Church,¡± then she passed out once again. Viers was a criminal. He stayed away from the Church on every occasion. With Ars¨¨ne unavailable, he was a bit reluctant to go to the Church. Also, after the matter with Jerrold, the streets are littered with watchmen. There might be other assassins too. Ciel''s their target. Going right now is too dangerous. Viers did not possess the means to purge the poison but Ciel wasn''t going to die shortly. Viers compromised and decided to wait a few hours before taking her to the Church. I guess she needs a change of clothes and some cleaning. All that blood and dirt certainly isn''t good for a sick person. That was when he called Paina and Farley to tend to Ciel. He didn''t have to disrobe a woman despite being a male doctor, he called the nurses. But he didn¡¯t think he would find the Viers Angels gossiping about a taboo subject. Viers conjured Farley and Paina to tend to Ciel after berating them. ¡°Yes, yes~¡± Paina replied. Phew, she laughed, Farley thought about Paina''s smirk. She might be putting on a strong front but Paina was still shaken emotionally. Farley played along during the earlier gossip session to cheer Paina up, even if it was only a little. Being made to laugh while in despair helped, Farley knew from experience. Even in one¡¯s darkest moments, a laugh will give them a spark of light¡­ Hang in there Paina. ¡°Good. While you¡¯re changing her clothes¡­¡± Viers put his hands on Ciel''s forehead and cheek before closing his eyes. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s improper!¡± Paina protested. ¡°Lord Viers, you¡¯re soul searching her?¡± ¡°Having a source of info on the Silver Legion is beyond rare. Think of it as her hospital fees.¡± Paina still disagreed. ¡°But-¡± Suddenly, the house¡¯s wall was breached and a team of people entered the room ¨¤ la SWAT! Ciel was half-naked, being disrobed by two wraiths, and Viers¡¯ hands were touching the unconscious young woman. Chapter 229 - Unwanted Guests ¡°We are too late.¡± A cloaked person bent down and touched the ground. There were signs of battle in this place, the place where Ciel struck down an assassin. Viers had just left a short while ago. ¡°No blood trail¡­ Can you still track her?¡± Another assassin asked. ¡°I can try to sniff the poison¡¯s trail but someone has tampered with the scene. It will take more time.¡± ¡°Then leave it,¡± the leader said. ¡°We¡¯ll use the Silver Legion as our hunting dogs.¡± The group of five used the Arte Fade in Shadow to disappear under the moonless night. *** ¡°They are there,¡± the woman with a northern accent said. ¡°Don''t come closer. Whoever has Ciel might find us if we do,¡± a man in his late twenties wearing civilian clothes said. Rose gulped, seeing the ordinary house. After seeing the signs of battle, Mita, Conn, June, and Rose, the four went out to investigate. It wasn''t condoned but battles in towns or cities happened. When they did, there were often massive civilian casualties. Rose and the other went to provide support and contain the damage, as they had done many times before. They didn''t think they would meet another group of Silver Legion. ¡°Vestal Mita? Thank the Radiant Lady you¡¯re here¡­ Rose, is that you?¡± ¡°Seniors,¡± Rose dipped her head. ¡°What happened to you?¡± Rose had met them in the past, in Luxore town. It was brief but memorable. They brought her to Sephoria from her little town. Four people -two men and two women- led by a Level 3 man named Damon, looked like they had been in intense combat for a week. They didn''t wear their Legion uniform to attract less attention in the city. They respectfully greeted the senior legionary and briefly explained that they were seeking a member of their group who was targeted by the cultists of Banbenxi. They were ambushed a few days ago and were separated. The lost member was still alive and the trail led them to Valkut city. ¡°We must hurry. The cultists were not pulling any punches. Ciel¡¯s life sign is already faint,¡± said Rachel. ¡°Ciel?¡± Rose gasped. How could she forget the woman that introduced her to the Silver Legion in the first place? ¡°Master-¡± ¡°Of course we¡¯ll help,¡± Mita said. ¡°Lead the way.¡± Lady Ciel, please hang in there, Rose prayed as the group of eight traversed the streets of Valkut. Rachel used a magic curio that was keyed to the location of the other member of the group, standard-issue Legion equipment. It led them to somewhere they didn''t expect. ¡°The brothel district?¡± ¡°Damn. There¡¯s a lot of people here even at this hour.¡± ¡°Found her. Ciel¡¯s over there,¡± Rachel pointed to an unremarkable house. ¡°I¡¯ll lay down a Hidden Boundary,¡± Mita said. ¡°Wait a bit.¡± It was to prevent other people from getting involved and as a precaution for the assassins'' interlopers. ¡°Don''t use buffs. The other party might realize a spike of Victa and become alert if we do,¡± Damon said. ¡°The priority is Ciel¡¯s safety.¡± ¡°Damn dirty cultists. What are they doing to Ciel in a place like this?¡± Bryan gripped the handle of his two swords on his hip. ¡°Oh no, dark energy is invoked from the house! I suddenly feel Ciel¡¯s in grave danger,¡± Wendy perplexed. Someone dashed like a meteor, breaching the house¡¯s wall with a shoulder charge. Damon tried to stop Bryan but he didn''t make it in time. Amidst the dust of clouds, Rose still managed to see the half-naked unconscious Ciel. There were two ghosts with familiar faces that hurriedly went into a man touching Ciel¡¯s forehead. Wha-!? ¡°You bastard,¡± Bryan unsheathed both of his swords. ¡°What are do you think-¡± *** ¡°-you¡¯re doing!?¡± Two things flashed through Viers mind. The first was that he¡¯d fallen to the standard trope of problems caused by a woman that had plagued more than half of the Fables in his entire library. The second was how much lethal force he should unleash from the get-go to break through the encircling net. Farley knew Viers¡¯ attention would be on the sudden intruder so she pulled Paina¡¯s arm and flew back inside Viers. Their identities were sensitive so they shouldn''t be seen. But it might be too late, Farley cursed. Viers didn''t even think he should talk to the intruders first. His powers, fists, and Artes would do the talking instead. Two people entered the room after the first while the rest stayed outside. Viers looked from the hole in the wall and found the wall breaker¡¯s friends. He saw Rose. That meant the people here were with the Church. And she might have seen Paina and Farley despite their quick retreat. Next to Rose was a short woman who was most likely a Level 4. The hostiles were formidable Level 3s, and with a Level 4 in play, Viers was in a dire crisis. Either way, the fact that he was able to use ghosts was already found out. Therefore using his soul Artes came with no disadvantage. The gears inside Viers¡¯ brain turned like gears in a clock. And slashed the first intruder using his sword. The sound of sword clashing rang clearly like the sound of a metal bell. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Bryan grunted at the heaviness of the blow. The slash was swung with the lightness of a feather but the force was like an avalanche. Damon, Rachel, and Wendy acted, launching attacks from three sides while Viers was busy. ¡°Detonate.¡± A blast of the exploding array that Viers set up destroyed the house in a flashy manner. Ciel¡¯s friends were blown away by the blast. ¡°Cieeeel!¡± Wendy shouted, worried about Ciel who was inside the house. A sentiment that was shared by all. But when they saw Ciel was protected by a barrier that Viers cast, they felt relief. ¡°Why is he protecting her?¡± Rachel communicated with the others using mind talk. ¡°He¡¯s not with the assassins?¡± Wendy said. ¡°Doesn''t matter. He¡¯s a necromancer. We¡¯re taking Ciel back! Formation C!¡± Damon ordered. The brief respite was beneficial to Viers. A minor injury by the blast was a worthwhile trade. ¡°Girls, we¡¯re going all out to escape. Ciel will be fine. These are her friends. Let¡¯s move!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The Viers¡¯ Angels replied. Horizon, Unreality Field, Overclock Mode, Combat Overture, in a moment, Viers¡¯ battle strength multiplied. Mita, the only one that saw through the change in Viers, was very surprised at the degree of strength increase. Damon and the other three attacked Viers with coordination and synergy that had been polished for years. The four were Level 3 high Pathseekers, two small realms higher than Viers¡¯ cultivation base. Paina¡¯s Anima Symphony, the music buff that raised Viers¡¯ physical capability, moved straight into Accelerato after the Overture, increasing Viers¡¯ speed significantly. It allowed Viers to evade and do his own counterattacks. With Farley functioning as another brain, Viers Artes could be cast faster and stronger. Not only that, when Wendy moved towards Viers¡¯ blindspot, she acted on her own to protect Viers like an automated defense system. Arte - Unseen Waterwire Crisscross. Farley had taken Oscar¡¯s Unseen Lightning Crisscross Arte and made it hers. In an instant, she made very thin wires behind Viers that were almost undetectable. If an enemy approached unguarded, they would be cut and diced by their own movement momentum. But these people were not common bandits, they were members of the Silver Legion. Wendy the Winter Wind cut the magic wires using cutting wind blades. Viers followed up with a spinning roundhouse kick and blew Wendy away. Damon raised his broadsword overhead, the blade was glowing with a magical metallic shine. Suddenly, he felt his body wasn''t listening to his command. Viers put a stop to his movement with a gaze. Combining Spirit Supremacy, Euryale Sight, and Clarissa¡¯s own Arte, Viers created a sight-based technique. Those under Viers¡¯ gaze would feel as if they were a frog glared by a snake, paralyzed! Since the foundation was Viers¡¯ soul cultivation that was above most Pathseekers and Clarissa who was a former Level 5, the technique was virtually unblockable. They could only minimize the effect. Viers called this new Arte Medusa Gaze, a set with his Euryale Sight. Ideally, Viers wanted to be able to turn people to stone but he lacked the means. Still, an unblockable stun ability by only seeing? Viers would take it. A powerful and versatile weapon joined Viers¡¯ arsenal. Clarissa¡¯s inability to join Viers in battles was eating her from the inside. Paina and Farley could do it because of their water affinity but when Paina used her music sound to create a soul effect for Viers, Clarissa thought she could do something similar. Not only that, as the most experienced among them, Clarissa kept her senses focused on the Level 4 in case she tried something. At the very least, she could warn Viers before the attack landed. Rachel moved next to Ciel and covered the body with a blanket from her storage item. Since Viers¡¯ objective was to escape, she met no obstruction. She then helped her comrades suppress Viers by launching long-range attacks. The four were very persistent in taking Viers down. ¡°You¡¯ve got what you came for. What more do you want?¡± Viers parried Bryan¡¯s twin swords. ¡°You won''t escape, necromancer assassin!¡± Bryan answered. ¡°I¡¯m not Banbenxi¡¯s fanatics.¡± Viers tried running to the left but Damon bared his way after shaking off the paralyze status effect. ¡°What did you do to Ceil?¡± Wendy shot a blizzard from her palms. ¡°Rghh,¡± Viers grunted from behind his water barrier. ¡°I saved her. Now I¡¯m leaving her to you. Go away and tend to her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re coming under custody,¡± Damon said. ¡°Stubborn bastards,¡± Viers scoffed, his precious Victa was burning away each second these people stood before him. ¡°Take heart, even now, this is me being reasonable!¡± Viers unleashed his soul power, not bothering to hide it any longer. The air felt like razor blades slicing the Silver Legionary''s skin. Sensing Viers'' power, the expression of the four turned grim. Inside Viers'' soul space, Paina¡¯s Anima Symphony reached its fourth verse, giving Viers four active buffs. Overture, Accelerato, Bravura, Fortissimo! *** ¡°Everyone, hurry! Over here!¡± ¡°Move quickly but calmly! We¡¯ll protect you!¡± Rose, June, and Conn were told by Mita to evacuate the people inside after the Hidden Boundary enveloped the thirty meters surroundings. They wanted to help fight Ciel''s captor but Mita said no. Unlike the four who were attacking the mysterious man, the three wouldn''t be able to synergize well when fighting as a group. Slipshod teamwork would be detrimental instead. ¡°You three are not ready for this level of enemy yet.¡± At first, the three did not believe Mita. The enemy was a Level 3 low, the same as them, but they weren''t ready? Only after witnessing the battle unfold did they realize the difference between Damon¡¯s group and them. And the stranger was fighting them on even ground despite being alone. ¡°That¡¯s the last of them,¡± Conn said. ¡°...What a terrifying enemy,¡± June watched the stranger pinning Wendy to the wall after stabbing her on the shoulder with a sword, front kicked Bryan in the face before sending him flying to the next house, and broke Damon¡¯s broadsword with a punch. Rose was contemplating in silence. She didn''t recognize the stranger but she knew she wasn''t seeing things. The spirits before¡­ They were Paina and Farley¡­ Could it be? The strongest Pathseeker in the area was splitting her attention on the ongoing battle and her surroundings. The Hidden Boundary was an alternate form of Level 4¡¯s Domain ability. It wasn''t for attacking or capturing the enemy but to close the area from civilians. After seeing the boundary from the outside, the sensible ones wouldn''t venture inside and expose themselves to danger. It also gave Mita awareness if there someone made an entry from the outside. She thought Ciel was caught by the assassins. She erected the Boundary to quickly snuff out assassins¡¯ reinforcements. She was expecting a battle with multiple cultists that would have no care for collateral damage. But it turned out it was only one man and the stranger, despite his dangerous use of unsanctioned soul power, didn''t seem to aim for Ciel¡¯s life. He also denied being an assassin of Banbenxi. The Boundary had been up for a few minutes. Outside it would look like a gigantic black egg to those with the qualification to see it. If there were no assassins in the area, the Boundary would become a beacon for the assassins targeting Ciel. Mita must make the call. Should she subdue or let the stranger go? Should she take the risk to prolong this battle and increase the risk of the assassins coming? If the Assassin¡¯s Guild were truly aiming for someone as important as Ciel, they would not send unskilled and untested assassins. They might have sent a Level 4, or several. Worst case scenario, even a Level 5. After the kill contract was made, the target must die. The Bone Ravens had maintained that policy for millennia and become a fearsome organization that very few people dared to cross. The stranger forced Mita¡¯s hand. He was a tough nut to crack. She was about to put a stop to the battle and mediate peace before someone lost their life or suffered an unhealable injury. Then Mita sensed a foreboding feeling of danger. The 155 cm tall Level 4 stopped the shadow blades that were aimed at her heart and head. From my shadow!? From the shadows of other Legionaries, other assassins also emerged and unleashed lethal attacks. They were hiding in our shadows all along! ¡°Vestal Mita, a pleasure to make your acquaintance,¡± the Level 4 woman who emerged from Mita¡¯s shade said. ¡°Lykin the Lighteater!¡± Mita struck her with her palm but Lykin negated it with her own palm strike. ¡°Correct. Allow me to demonstrate,¡± the dangerous beauty with a striking red eyeshadow made the entire area inside the Hidden Boundary become pitch black. Chapter 230 ¡°Got him!¡± Bryan shouted while a stream of blood sprayed from Viers¡¯ neck. Viers hated the boisterous youth the most out of his four opponents but the guy''s attack power was certainly top-tier. He reacted in time to not have his entire neck cut but the dual-wielder managed to cut an artery, despite the protection from the Unreality Field and Farley-Viers¡¯ combined defenses. The Silver Legion¡¯s joy was short-lived. ¡°He¡¯s healing!¡± ¡°A regenerator!¡± ¡°Damn it, we don''t have anti-regen methods!¡± Viers¡¯ unique Healing Factor that became even more potent after he became Level 3 and his Water Regen Arte made short work of such injury. The four had done a fantastic job -an annoying job, from Viers¡¯ perspective- of keeping their target from escaping but as they suffered more and more injuries, the scales were tipping to Viers¡¯ side. Then the unexpected happened. Assassins rose from the Legionaries¡¯ shadows and started attacking them. ¡°Gkh!? They are-¡± ¡°Since when? Kyah!!¡± ¡°Rachel, aid Wendy!¡± Wendy, who was pinned to the wall because Viers stabbed a sword through her shoulder like a nail, was in the direst situation. Rachel had already moved before Damon gave the order and managed to save Wendy from certain death. It was then that Damon felt a chill traveling through his spine from a realization. Not only him, the same thought occurred to all the battle-hardened combatants. Ciel was now unguarded! It¡¯s a diversion! Not only that, everything became pitch black as Lykin ¡®ate¡¯ the light in the area, adding to the confusion. Viers, who used his soul sense and some others that had the means, sensed that the assassins were converging on Ciel. After darkness came light! ¡°Hehe,¡± Ciel said weakly with a pale face. ¡°You¡¯re all too noisy¡­ near an injured person.¡± ¡°Ciel!¡± Ciel''s left hand was raised high, shining like a torch in the dark while her right was holding the blanket that Rachel gave her earlier so it didn''t fall off. The initial light blast knocked back the assassins who her teammates kept busy in turn. It was still dark but Ciel provided some illumination to see. That guy didn''t attack, Damon thought of Viers. But the assassins did not attack him either. Is he or is he not with the Ravens? But the crisis was not over. A headless knight phantom materialized behind Ciel whilst giving off a sense of dread. The knight was not a person, it was some sort of malevolent spirit. Lightning-quick, it made a slashing motion at Ciel¡¯s neck. Sensing the incoming death, Ciel invoked her Unreality Field but the phantom was not deterred. The sword would land! Ciel, feeling her end was near, was seeing her life flash in front of her like pictures from a revolving lantern. First came the regret¡­ before it turned into peace. Ciel had done all she could and she had lived a life she was not ashamed of. She would go to the Goddess¡¯ side with her head held high. Ciel¡¯s friends were kept busy by the other assassins. Mita and Lykin prevent each other from interrupting. Viers¡¯ body moved before his mind. His foot cracked the ground from the step-in, he pivoted his weight with teeth clenched, right fist glowing ghostly green. And there was something more. Viers made a karate punch from where he was standing, hitting empty air but a projectile of energy shook the air and struck the headless knight with a terrifying force, reducing it to mists in a deafening boom. There was a silence on the battlefield after Viers¡¯ show of force. That Arte¡¯s destructive force was far above what he used when battling Damon and the others. The phantom was no ordinary being, it possessed the strength of a Level 3 peak! A Level 3 low Pathseeker defeated that? *** Ahhh¡­ I did it without thinking. I even spent three years of lifespan on top of Horizon to make sure it was powerful enough¡­ They¡¯re looking at me with weird looks. What now? The Arte was Vengeful Spirit, one of Tanael¡¯s three staple Artes. Viers had changed how it looked so the people seeing it wouldn¡¯t connect it with Tanael¡¯s Arte. Since energy projectile Artes were so common, it should be safe. The combatants separated into three groups, keeping their guard up. The Level 4s had ceased fighting and jumped to join their respective groups. Five assassins, nine Silver Legions, and Viers by his lonesome. The illumination returned to normal after Lykin stopped whatever she was doing. Wendy tended to Ciel who was too weak to stand. ¡°What a terrible fever,¡± Wendy whispered. ¡°You pushed yourself too hard. Drink this, you¡¯ll need the rest.¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± Ciel refused the offered vial. ¡°I can still fight. This is the important part. How can I sleep through it?¡± The assassins had casualties during the battle. Overall, the legionaries were better fighters. Though, compared to the assassins, their HP bars were pretty low after fighting Viers and fending off the ambush. Of the two Level 4, the one from the cult was still in tip-top condition while one from the church was visibly injured. There were black marks on her left arm. It was because she protected the greener legionaries during the blackout ambush. Lykin hadn''t missed her chance to inflict the wounds. After a look of worry to her master, Rose¡¯s eyes went towards Viers. Confusion and certainty were battling in her mind but the person himself didn''t have the luxury to give her further attention. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He was in a three-way deadlock and the opposition had two Level 4s. Outnumbered and outgunned. It wasn''t the most dangerous situation he had ever been in but it was still very dangerous. As per common sense, Viers was not using his real face. Just another disguise but Rose¡¯s sight seemed to penetrate his Impersonator mask somehow. Viers tuned her out because his brain cells had other priority tasks. ¡°I offer my thanks for saving one of us,¡± Mita began. Viers didn''t reply, only sighed. ¡°Yes, bravo,¡± Lykin clapped her hands. ¡°Very impressive indeed, but why interfere? These people are your enemy, are they not?¡± ¡°Reflex,¡± Viers raised his hands. ¡°I wasn''t thinking. Really, it just happened.¡± Lykin scrutinized Viers with her vixen eyes. ¡°Then you don''t mind if we kill the girl? Would you kindly let us do our job, water-soul boy?¡± The woman with the air of a femme fatale smiled most seductively. The Church group tensed up. Rachel and Bryan moved slightly, preparing to bring out the big moves against both parties but Damon stopped them using eye contact. ¡°While I very much want to say yes, it appears I somewhat do mind. This truly troubles me.¡± Viers touched his forehead with his fingers and shook his head. ¡°Ah, but everything has a price. Simply stay your hand while we''re doing some cleaning and you¡¯ll be compensated handsomely.¡± Unlike a hero, Viers was a sucker for treasures and valuables. In this world, those things could become his power. Therefore, Viers was showing a tiny bit of interest which he quickly suppressed. But not fast enough for the experienced Mita to miss. ¡°We¡¯ve gotten off on the wrong foot, stranger, but turning enmity into friendship is the way to a harmonious world. We apologize for our hastiness earlier. Shamefully, I humbly ask for your help once again, against them. The Church will not forget those that offered their help in time of need. We have ten thousand years of history to back up that statement.¡± ¡°How the mighty have fallen,¡± Lykin chided. ¡°To ask an outsider for help¡­ Though I admit, this one is able to tip the scales either way in this situation. Boy, fight with us and I¡¯ll give you a drop of Bane Cobra blood. For a soul user such as yourself, the benefits should be exceptional.¡± ¡°Three hundred grams of Zinkdrite,¡± Mita gave a counteroffer. ¡°And our thanks.¡± ¡°Make your choice quickly, boy. Party-crashers are coming,¡± Lykin said confidently, her offer was more valuable. Viers¡¯ mind worked so smoothly that he experienced bullet time. Viers recognized the crossroad. This is a major story choice! My answer will determine if I go with the light route or the dark one! A small Viers with devil wings appeared on his shoulder. ¡°Fish for more benefits! Make them do an auction for you! Whether the church or the cult, they are both rich organizations! Wear down their pockets!¡± On another shoulder, mini-Viers with angel wings spoke. ¡°No! You should go with the church on this one. You don''t want Ciel to die right?¡± ¡°Well~¡± Viers trailed. ¡°There¡¯s the Overlord list 68: I will spare someone who saved my life sometime in the past. This is only reasonable as it encourages others to do so. However, the offer is good one time only. If they want me to spare them again, they''d better save my life again.¡± ¡°Yep, there¡¯s that,¡± Angel Viers nodded. ¡°But most importantly! You¡¯ll cheapen Ciel¡¯s debt!¡± ¡°Oh? Clarify, angel on my shoulder.¡± ¡°You saved Ciel!¡± Angel Viers spoke passionately. ¡°A member of the Silver Legion! That makes her owe you a life debt which she will pay you back many times over. You know these lawful good, joy to the world, types. Not paying a life debt is out of the question for them. Also, we¡¯ll get plus points with the Church too if we side with them. If we auction our service, it might give us a short-term benefit while the other option is a long-term one and more promising.¡± Small Devil Viers looked impressed. ¡°My my, Angel Viers, sir. What a fantastic idea. Despite the angel wings, you¡¯re quite the evil one, aren''t you?¡± ¡°Oh no, no, Mister Devil Viers. Not as much as you. Mwuhuhuhu¡­¡± Well whaddya know, these are the angel and devil on my shoulders? I like it! ¡°Assassin lady, your offer is more valuable-¡± The people on both sides had the opposite reactions to Viers¡¯ words. ¡°But I refuse!¡± Viers said menacingly, powerfully, in Jojo style. If Viers could bend reality to change how his art style looked at this moment, he would. ¡°My, my, my, my, my,¡± Lykin looked not the tiniest bit surprised and replied with more ¡®my¡¯s than necessary. ¡°What a shame. Ahh, what a tragedy. Now there¡¯s no other course for us but retreat.¡± ¡°Retreat, chief?¡± An assassin asked. ¡°Our ambush failed and the odds are stacked against us. With how determined the doves are, they¡¯ll sacrifice themselves and leave the half-dead Lady Ciel as the very last survivor. That¡¯s just how their defective brain works. And then there¡¯s him. Yeah, the target is out of reach for now. There will be another chance since they cannot leave Valkut. Let us regroup for now.¡± The assassins bowed and slipped into the shadows until there was only the Level 4 left. ¡°I¡¯m Lykin, some call me the Lighteater. Until we meet again, water-soul boy.¡± She blew Viers a kiss before she made a stylish villainous exit. ¡°...They are gone,¡± Mita confirmed after a few seconds. The Legionaries sighed in relief. ¡°Vestal Mita, what should we do about him?¡± Damon asked. ¡°Protocol dictates that unregistered and unsanctioned people with dangerous affinities be brought into custody so the Church can guide them,¡± Bryan said. ¡°I haven''t forgotten the directive, Legionary Bryan.¡± ¡°Uph¡­ I beg your forgiveness. I misspoke.¡± ¡°He''s okay,¡± said someone unexpected. ¡°Ciel?¡± ¡°We can trust him. We¡­ can¡­¡± Ciel collapsed before she finished. ¡°Oh no!¡± Wendy was aghast. ¡°Her condition is really bad. She needs immediate medical attention. At least Level 4 medicine.¡± ¡°Take her to the Church. Abbess Unem can help her. I¡¯ll explain the matter here to the city. Go with haste but be careful on the way.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Vestal.¡± Damon and the other three carried Ciel and left. Before they went out of view, all except Rachel gave Viers a second look. Viers waved his hand as a response. He lost a sword today, the one he used to stab Wendy, but it wasn''t his favorite katana and easily replaceable so it was no skin off his nose. Mita approached. ¡°Once again, on behalf of the Estellian Church, and personally as well, I give my thanks. This is the promised reward and something extra.¡± Mita offered Viers a Zinkdrite gem and a few other precious things too. Viers¡¯ instinct was to take them. An honest compensation for his contribution. But inside his mind, he chanted long-term benefits, long-term benefits, over and over. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just make sure that lass is okay.¡± And so Viers didn''t take a single thing from the Church people. A favor was more precious anyway. ¡°...Very well,¡± Mita saw through him completely but so what? ¡°If you¡¯re willing, please accompany us to the Church. We have many things to discuss. I swear to the Goddess and by my Intio that you¡¯ll not be harmed in any way.¡± June and Conn looked a bit surprised by the invitation and tried to keep their expression neutral. ¡°...Thanks for the offer but I''m afraid the Church and I don''t get along.¡± A response that Mita expected. ¡°I understand. May the Goddess be with you, stranger,¡± Mita gave the customary blessing. ¡°Oh, gods no. Anything but that.¡± Viers turned around, slowly walking away from the Level 4. He didn''t let down his guard, it was foolish to do so when the opponent was stronger than him. Since the three-way deadlock, his left hand never left his pocket. If he felt his life threatened, he would immediately unleash his trump card for Level 4s. ¡°Wait!¡± Yet Rose managed to grab his hand, preventing him from leaving. There was no killing intent, no malice. Viers was slightly surprised and met her gaze. Viers admitted her pure eyes combined with a pleading expression charmed him. Her eyes pierced Viers¡¯ veil of disguise as she peeked through the window to his soul. ¡°We¡­ Haven¡¯t we met?¡± The word ¡®no¡¯ stopped at the edge of Viers¡¯ tongue. It was the way she looked at him. No matter what he said, Rose¡¯s certainty would not change. Yet she still asked. She wanted to hear it from Viers¡¯ mouth. ¡°What is-¡± Viers¡¯ pupils underwent dilation. ¡°-your name?¡± Hearing those words, the memory of that movie flashed in his mind like a parade of fireworks. Most exquisite, sparkling, memory. Chapter 230 - Your Name Chapter 231 - On A Day of Wintry Cold What a pity. The scene was enacted without the emotional weight behind it. There was no love between Rose and Viers. Not even a romantic inclination on both sides. They only had one proper meeting before; this was their second. If it was as epic as in the movie, it would be about a 3% Horizon increase. Instead, I only gained 0.7% Viers¡¯ Horizon Aspect would become stronger every time he experienced something new. The greater the impact and importance of the experience to Viers, the greater the boost. The most significant increase so far was the 5% after his first brush with death. Oh well, it is good enough for now. Rose was still waiting for an answer. Viers¡¯ mind was still in bullet time. Like a certain Sorcerer Supreme looking into possible futures, Viers foresaw many branching developments depending on his next response. Conclusion: I smell opportunities. It wasn''t as high as fourteen million possibilities but there were at least fifty. From them, he picked a path that would potentially gain him the biggest benefits. Driven by self-benefit, as always, Viers made his move. ¡°You already know the answer, so what''s the point of asking me?¡± ¡°My heart tells me that¡¯s how it should be,¡± Rose said with a faint smile. ¡°And I followed it¡­ Just like you told me.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ You¡¯ve grown to be a troublesome girl.¡± Despite saying that, his expression was the very opposite. ¡°Priestess¡­?¡± Viers said to the Level 4. ¡°You can call me Mita.¡± ¡°Lady Mita, is your previous invitation still valid? As is your promise?¡± ¡°This is so,¡± Mita replied serenely. ¡°I, Mita Eshel, hereby swear¡­¡± Viers steered Mita¡¯s wording so there wouldn''t be any loopholes. Should those affiliated with the Church attack him while he was their guest, or acted against him with malicious intent, and a few more variations, death was certain for Mita. Viers was a bit surprised how Mita quite willingly put her life on the line. ¡°Then I''ll be intruding on the Church for a while.¡± ¡°The Estellian Church opens its doors to you. I¡¯ll come along after I speak with the local authorities.¡± Viers turned to Rose who was still grasping his hand. She was like a child who had tightly gripped the string of a balloon, afraid it would float away. ¡°This is not the time or place to tell a story. I don''t expect much hospitality, but I do hope I won''t be put in chains after stepping foot into your halls.¡± ¡°I won''t let that happen,¡± the angel-blessed said. Mita rescinded the Hidden Boundary at this moment. Viers, Rose, June, and Conn went towards the Church in silence. ¡°Hey, is this really a good idea?¡± Conn whispered. ¡°Heck if I know¡­ But Master Mita gave her permission so we should be okay, right?¡± June whispered back. ¡°Yeesh,¡± Conn scratched his head. ¡°What a weird development.¡± You and I both, man, Viers agreed with Conn. He¡¯d never thought that one day, he would go inside the Church¡¯s walls as a guest. Along the way, Viers and the others went through a commotion. It was something expected. When a thirty meter area in a crowded city was suddenly closed off because of Pathseeker battles, it would disturb a lot of people. And it happened in a brothel district to boot! Hehehe. They met quite a lot of people in a dangerous state, some were even half-naked. Viers was walking calmly as if nothing happened. Similarly, Rose and her two friends tried to keep a calm appearance. As they went farther, the commotion receded. Before they reached the church, they were stopped by patrolling city watchmen. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± June asked. ¡°You people with the Church? Good. The house of a city official was attacked. Thankfully there was no loss of life. We¡¯re searching for the culprit: a male, Level 3, capable of manipulating a soul. His appearance was¡­¡± Him, it¡¯s this guy! Rose and the other two almost blurted out. The physical appearance was completely different from the current Viers but a magical disguise was nothing new. Meanwhile, Viers kept his refreshing smiling face. ¡°Err¡­ We¡¯ll keep an eye out, officers. Good evening.¡± ¡°G¡¯evening. Stay alert. The city is chaotic lately,¡± an officer said. Rose¡¯s group plus Viers were certainly on alert. There were still assassins loose. ¡°...What did you do?¡± Rose whispered after they were past the patrols far enough. ¡°I went to talk with who I thought was Paina''s father. It got heated and not according to plan, but the details will have to wait.¡± ¡°Paina¡­¡± Rose muttered. ¡°Is she-¡± ¡°Later.¡± Viers left it at that. The next foreseeable obstacle was on the Church¡¯s side. ¡°Why is he here?¡± Bryan said with hostility. Viers cared not. He was appreciating the architecture of the place. ¡°He is here as a guest. Master Mita swore upon her intio that he would not come to harm. Senior Bryan, I hope you understand the seriousness of the situation,¡± June said. ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Senior, how¡¯s Ciel?¡± Rose asked worriedly. ¡°Abbess Unem is tending to her right now. We can only hope,¡± Damon replied. There were bandages wrapped around his upper body. ¡°About our guest, explain in more detail.¡± Viers stayed in the background, letting them have their discussion. Out of the four that fought against him, only Damon and Bryan were in the room. Perhaps the other two were with Ciel. Viers was inside the place where they conducted masses. It was empty save for the church¡¯s residents. A couple elder priests were at Level 3 and the rest were lower. ¡°The last time I went to the Church was to steal some kind of holy water with you and your cultist friends, right?¡± Viers asked his tenants while basking in the unique atmosphere of the place of worship. ¡°Yes, Lord Viers. But¡­ is this wise?¡± Farley was on edge since they were surrounded by the Church¡¯s personnel. ¡°Viers¡­ What are you planning?¡± Paina asked. ¡°Ask me again after the conversation with Rose.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I won''t let you kill her.¡± ¡°Relax. It won''t come to that¡­ maybe.¡± After a while, Viers was led to the side building, to a small room by two native clergymen from Valkut¡¯s church. It was a very simple room with a bed and not much else. Perhaps it was the room for a novitiate? ¡°Please stay here until Master returns. She and some others will accompany me. Tea?¡± Rose asked. ¡°Oh? I thought you would want to hear my story immediately.¡± ¡°I do, but they thought it was too dangerous for me to be alone with you. No magic arrays confining you to this room but there are guards stationed outside. Please don''t wander in the Church¡¯s halls.¡± ¡°By Mita''s oath, I can leave whenever I wish and shall not be barred.¡± ¡°Yes, but don''t leave. Please. Your being here has broken so many rules already. If you freely wander around¡­¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Viers smiled. ¡°Fine. Come back when you''re all ready. Don''t bother with the tea. I brought my own drink.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you later,¡± Rose nodded her head and closed the door as she went out. *** A bit past two hours later, a priest came to fetch Viers to the ¡®confession venue¡¯, he said. Viers thought ¡®what the hell¡¯ and followed. He thought they would come to him but they did not. Might be a matter of face, he realized. I¡¯m in their stronghold after all. Viers was brought to a meeting room. There were already about ten people waiting for him. Rose and her friends, the four that he battled, Mita the sole Level 4, and a few others that he did not recognize. No sign of Ciel. His previous room was indeed a bit cramped for this amount of people. What caught Viers'' eyes was how the whole thing was set up like a stage. How rude. They should have clapped for the main star¡¯s arrival. Well, if they want a show, I¡¯ll give them a show. Viers sat confidently on the chair in the middle of the stage. ¡°The fallen leaves tell a story..." Viers spoke with just the right amount of pace and volume, like a speaker in Audible. Not only that, Viers created an illusion of falling yellow leaves using his soul sorcery. ¡®It happened a year ago. But when I recall, I see it true.¡± The spectators didn''t expect Viers¡¯ approach so some looked at each other in confusion. ¡°On a day of wint''ry cold.¡± A snowy vista, and a town. ¡°A town was cut off from the sight of the heavens.¡± A cloth of reddish-black fell gently upon the town. ¡°And the townsfolk began to fall, victims of an evil scheme.¡± The image changed into people on the streets being chased by monstrous shadows. ¡°Princess Farley was driven to the brink.¡± Farley? What¡¯s her role in this? Rose thought as she saw the backside of a young woman that Viers created. And princess? ¡°The Calamity ensued; a machination that wrought only darkness.¡± Viers showed images of the town¡¯s destruction. Images of fights and tragedies. ¡°Luxore was broken, but by whom? And why?¡± The surroundings became dark as if the Lighteater had acted once more. Some readied themselves for a fight. ¡°What could the Cultists ever hope to win by warring?¡± The sharp sound of a knife going into flesh and blood was heard. Bryan was about to cast an Arte at Viers because he thought it was the sound of the real thing but Mita stopped him. Viers forgave him, the poor guy never watched a movie in cinemas before. ¡°The mystery will be elucidated through the eyes of a boy. A maidenless boy.¡± The darkness faded and unveiled Viers¡¯ figure who had not moved an inch from his seat. After the opening cutscene, he stopped using visual and sound effects to cut his Victa spending. Viers told the audience about his experience in Luxore town, that he was a student in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild Training Center who was scouted by Farley, a cultist of Dumuzin. Eventually, the scheme of Farley¡¯s father. The destruction of Luxore and Viers¡¯ triumph over the fallen Level 3. Then, what almost nobody knew, what happened afterward: the origin of Viers¡¯ soul affinity! Although Viers omitted the boring things and didn''t talk about all of his secrets, the man who had told a thousand lies told the Silver Legionaries in front of him nothing but the truth! ¡°And so, we inhabit a fractured world. The boy who took the crown journeyed far¡­ and he was maidenless no more.¡± Viers conjured Paina on his left and Farley on his right. The two wore elegant clothes and looked corporeal. ¡°The boy¡¯s name is Viers Isuel.¡± With that line, Viers concluded his story. He¡¯d also removed his magical mask and showed his true face. ¡°Paina!¡± Rose stood up from her seat and went towards her friend. ¡°Rose!¡± Paina returned the embrace. A tearful reunion. ¡°I thought you were dead¡­ Uwaaaahhh¡­ I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re alive¡­ Is it really you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve missed you too,¡± Paina sobbed. ¡°It¡¯s me. It¡¯s really me.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s Paina? Really similar to the Pinaca lass that we met this noon. No wonder Rose acted that way,¡± Conn said. ¡°Then the other one must be Farley. The daughter of the mastermind and a Dumuzin cultist herself.¡± ¡°What''s this about maidenless? Girlfriends? Is he bragging about having two consorts?¡± Rachel¡¯s gaze tried to drill a hole in Farley but the girl was not perturbed in the slightest. She stood straight one step behind Viers¡¯ right like a dutiful maid. ¡°Viers Isuel¡­ There¡¯s an arrest warrant on the guy.¡± ¡°He admitted using 3000 souls for a forbidden ritual. That¡¯s a Class A violation. Death sentence!¡± ¡°No doubt after gaining his soul affinity on top of his water he''s done other bad things too.¡± ¡°There¡¯s some part of his story that isn''t clear. Hey you, how did you defeat a former Level 3 as a Level 1?¡± ¡°How did your soul artifact work? What happened to the souls you sacrificed?¡± Mita silenced the others by raising her hand. The solemnity of the room returned. ¡°Viers Isuel¡­ Mr. Isuel, the Legion thanks you for your testimony but why not explain this sooner?¡± ¡°Who knows what a juggernaut like the Church would do against the weak me? Would they sentence me to death then and there? Would they put me inside the Tower of Remorse for a thousand years? Therefore I hid. Although, it still led to my clash with Freya¡­ Now, all of your questions are irrelevant. What¡¯s relevant is this: Now that you know about Luxore, what are you going to do with me, oh good people of the Silver Legion?¡± The tension between both sides was so tense that a knife could cut it. ¡°It is not my place to judge you for your actions,¡± the short Level 4 said after a while. ¡°Until the HQ passes their judgment, you remain our guest. I stand by my oath. while you¡¯re under our roof, no harm shall come to you.¡± ¡°Hmmm,¡± Viers observed Mita and didn''t find any falsehood. ¡°My, so many visitors,¡± a woman with a nun habit came in from the side entrance. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for the lack of hospitality.¡± ¡°Abbess Unem,¡± Mita bowed. ¡°Apologies for intruding upon your home. I sent them here without asking for your permission first.¡± ¡°Apologies for the intrusion,¡± Damon and his cohort also bowed. Mita and her group had been staying here since this afternoon but Damon and the others were new additions. ¡°Oh stop being so rigid. We¡¯re all brothers and sisters of the faith,¡± the woman who looked like she was a college student graduate kindly replied. She glanced at Farley and Paina for a moment then carried on. ¡°I¡¯m here to inform you that Ciel is now stable.¡± The Legionaries sighed in relief. ¡°Unfortunately, it is too early to celebrate,¡± Unem frowned. ¡°The poison has taken root deep inside her body. At this rate, she will die in two weeks at best. Without me to keep her stable, she only has days.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡± ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s enough time to request help from Sephoria,¡± Wendy said. ¡°Valkut region is closed by a barrier. No one inside can leave except on a specific day. It also blocks communication with the outside world,¡± Unem explained. ¡°Teleportation to the outside world is also unavailable.¡± Viers raised an eyebrow hearing her words. ¡°Wha? Then, Ciel is-¡± ¡°I¡¯m able to make the antidote but I lack an ingredient to complete it. This is Ciel¡¯s only hope.¡± ¡°Thank the Goddess. Whatever you need, we¡¯ll get it,¡± Damon replied with a voice that instilled confidence. He was the leader for a reason. ¡°It isn''t as simple as doing groceries. I need a flower that only grows in an extremely poisonous area. Fullcure Lily. The flower¡¯s main characteristic is to absorb poisons and purify them,¡± Unem explained. Fullcure Lily? Sounds like a magical girl¡¯s name after the transformation. ¡°There¡¯s one area that meets all the requirements for the flower to grow inside the Valkut¡¯s barrier. You must go to the heart of the Foulfae Swamp.¡± ¡°Foulfae Swamp?¡± Viers said. ¡°Ouff, good luck with that. The place is very dangerous and there¡¯s even a tricky problem rising up there.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Rose asked. ¡°Besides the unpleasant place that does the name justice, a few years ago, there was a necromancer that died there. Problem is, he did not stay dead. It absorbed the spirits of the dead of that place -which are very numerous- and became a powerful revenant. In its turf, the deranged undead''s strength is said to be equal to Level 4 peak.¡± ¡°Precisely. You¡¯re very knowledgeable,¡± Unem said ¡°I¡¯ve been living here for a few months,¡± Viers lied. The info was from the soul search of various locals. ¡°This is old news.¡± ¡°As the young man said, the revenant is very sensitive to people that enter its territory. It actively seeks new prey to kill and Level 4 souls are its favorite food. Even Vestal Mita would be hard-pressed fighting that thing in the swamp. As I cannot leave Ciel¡¯s side, procuring the lily is a perilous task.¡± The Legionaries fell silent. Wait, Viers realized. This development¡­ Don''t tell me- ¡°Therefore it must be the Goddess'' guidance you''ve all made friends with a soul Pathseeker,¡± Unem put her hands together and pressed them against her cheek while smiling. ¡°Fire is weak against water. A soul user¡¯s weakness is another soul user.¡± Chapter 232 - Sweet Summer ¡°Wendy and I ran a background check on him. After Luxore, he reappeared as Cain. In some town, he killed a guy in broad daylight and killed the rest of his pursuers. He¡¯s a cold-blooded murderer. Freya almost got him but he escaped and stayed in the shadows ever since¡­ until now. Viers Isuel should be apprehended immediately!¡± Bryan smacked the wanted poster of Viers on the table. ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why I thought this guy looks familiar. To think he¡¯s the kid from back then,¡± Ciel took the poster and examined it, color had returned to her face. ¡°There¡¯s also the Farley girl. She¡¯s a true cultist. A devil worshiper! Viers who also colluded with her resulted in Luxore¡¯s destruction. They must answer for their crimes,¡± Wendy said. Her tone was pretty strong. ¡°Seeing the two ghosts, I thought he was a death affinity Pathseeker but I was wrong. Doesn''t make him less dangerous than a necromancer though. There have been catastrophic disasters caused by soul affinity criminals: making armies of thralls, brainwashing other people without them knowing, making people compliant in blood rituals¡­ Hell, he might have done so already. He¡¯s very strong. His strength must be caused by some unorthodox or forbidden methods,¡± Damon grunted. The group of five had been reunited after they were ambushed by assassins a week ago. They had told the poisoned member Viers¡¯ story and were now discussing what it entailed. ¡°As long as that strength helps us and does not hurt us, I don''t really care,¡± Rachel said. ¡°Aren''t you suspicious how easily he agreed with Abbess Unem to find the Fullcure Lily? And why is he even here in the first place!? Nine Hells. What is the Vestal thinking, bringing an enemy into our midst like that¡­¡± Bryan was borderline shouting. ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I¡¯m suspicious of. Do you remember Tanael? The soul user that suddenly appeared and made waves somewhere on the east side of the Coalition? Turns out Viers is a soul user too. What are the odds that two users of a very rare affinity appeared at the same time?¡± Wendy said. ¡°Their Level is also similar¡­ Perhaps Viers is-¡± ¡°No,¡± Ciel interrupted Damon¡¯s thought train. Her friends were looking at her. ¡°Viers is not Tanael. Also, I think he¡¯s not as bad as you think he is. You can trust him.¡± ¡°Ciel?¡± Bryan frowned. ¡°...Is it ¡®that¡¯?¡± Damon asked. Ciel nodded. ¡°His aura is not dirty so he cannot be the heinous criminal Tanael. I¡¯m not saying Viers is innocent but there might be some special circumstances that forced him to behave the way he did? At any rate, I don''t believe he¡¯s a bad guy.¡± ¡°...If you say so, it must be true,¡± Wendy sighed. ¡°Well, Ciel¡¯s never wrong,¡± Rachel said. ¡°B-b-but¡­ Aaargh! I still won''t accept it!¡± Bryan furiously scratched his head. With Ciel¡¯s words, her friends¡¯ impression of Viers was starting to change, except for one. After being a team for so long, they trusted Ciel¡¯s judgment. ¡°At least it shouldn''t be false that he wanted to help Ciel. He did spend his life force to defeat that headless thing,¡± Wendy added. The Legionaries were not blind. Veirs reduced his lifespan to save Ciel and it wasn''t a small feat. ¡°Vestal Mita might have seen the same thing as Ciel. That¡¯s why she wagered her life to invite Viers here,¡± Damon was in a thinking pose. ¡°I think I can see her aim now.¡± ¡°Out with it. Don''t keep us in suspense,¡± Rachel crossed her arms. ¡°She wants to make Viers join the Penitent Corps.¡± It was Wendy who answered. Damon grunted in agreement. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s one way for a sinner to make absolution,¡± Rachel said. ¡°Hmph! Mark my words¡­ There¡¯s no way the guy would turn over a new leaf. He¡¯ll become a detestable villain and we¡¯ll all regret we didn''t kill him right here, right now,¡± Bryan made an ugly expression. ¡°We don''t do that. That''s what separates us from them,¡± Damon said. ¡°Not to mention the Vestal has given her oath.¡± ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re going tomorrow, right? Better get some rest.¡± Rachel raised an eyebrow at Ciel¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Did you say, ¡®we¡¯?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m coming too,¡± Ciel said as if it was a natural thing. ¡°I feel better now.¡± ¡°Are you an idiot?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Not happening.¡± ¡°A wounded, Victaless soldier should stay in bed.¡± Ciel¡¯s expression turned sour as if she had eaten a pickled plum. ¡°No¡­ No no no! You all won¡¯t be so cruel as to make me wait here like a damsel in distress while you¡¯re all risking your life, right?¡± Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Oh yeah, you hate being a damsel in distress¡­ but the answer is still no. Give it up,¡± the group leader said. Ciel looked pleadingly after her friends unanimously shot her down. ¡°Guys¡­¡± Damon and the others did the sensible thing and still refused her. They were accustomed to Ciel¡¯s stubbornness. Tomorrow, she would try to follow them so they would chain her to the bed before the trip. *** What a nice sunny morning¡­ despite the wrongness in the air. The undisguised Viers stretched his hands while he sat on a stone fence that separated the church¡¯s compound from the city proper. The compound was very spacious considering Valkut was like a dense metropolitan. The Church was truly an organization that gained respect in all cities. Above the fence, Viers lounged, seemingly without a care in the world. The reason Viers was in such an easy-to-spot place was to fish the assassins¡¯ response. He wanted to know if they would attack him now that he seemed to have joined the Church? But there was no response, the remaining fish might be uninterested in the bait. Pity, Viers thought. Level 3s¡¯ souls would be quite filling for his soul stomach and he needed the soul nutrients. ¡°How are you feeling, Paina?¡± He started a telecall, telepathy-plus-call. ¡°Good. Thank you for asking.¡± ¡°Well, how¡¯s it going with you and Rose? What did you talk about last night?¡± ¡°Stuff. I asked what she had been doing and she asked me. I didn''t say anything that might have been disadvantageous to you. You¡¯ve made sure of that. She¡¯s very understanding.¡± ¡°Mm-hm.¡± ¡°Lord Viers. I still don''t get it,¡± Farley said. ¡°Why did you tell them about Luxore?¡± ¡°I am wondering about that too,¡± Paina said. ¡°When Rose saw you two, she was already 80% sure of my identity.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Farley looked very apologetic. ¡°Don''t be. The fault is mine. Hmph. This is what I get by trying to be a decent man. I should have changed Ciel¡¯s clothes myself.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a hidden intention in that sentence, right? Right?¡± Viers ignored Clarissa¡¯s remark. ¡°But if you did, wouldn''t it be worse when they saw you in the middle of the action?¡± Paina said. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s that too. So the moral lesson is this: saving people is a pain in the ass! The people you saved might be grateful and give your ass a gentle honeyed caress at a later date, but you must suffer the butt pain first!¡± ¡°I don''t think kids should hear this,¡± Paina retorted. ¡°Anyway, back to Rose. Since she has already found out, if I just leave, who knows what kind of narrative she would spin from there? So I thought: why not steer the narrative myself? Rather than some half-assed lies that might reduce my credibility when exposed, I gave them the truth. The truth suits my needs just fine.¡± ¡°Although you said the townsfolk were already dead, you still used their souls to become a Soul Pathseeker. I don''t think they¡¯ll treat you as innocent,¡± Clarissa warned. ¡°If Lord Viers didn''t secure the oath of the Level 4, I don''t think he would have gone to their stronghold, Rissa.¡± ¡°Farley¡¯s right. I¡¯ve always thought I would tell the Church someday but it was supposed to be until much later. Until I''m Level 4 at least. As a wise man once said: no plan survives first contact with the enemy¡­ so there we go. Thankfully, Rose as a Blessed backs me up on account of our past. She also isn''t the type to strike me down after I nicely cooperated so I took the opportunity to tell them about Luxore.¡± Ah yes¡­ Maybe I can even pose for my wanted poster. ¡°I still think the risks are too high,¡± Farley replied. Well, for her, the Church is basically the Enemy with a capital e. Can''t blame her. ¡°Since I¡¯m a villain, chances are the Church that symbolizes the big good will become my enemy. Therefore this is also a great opportunity to observe the inner workings of the Estellian Church and the Church¡¯s sword, the Silver Legion.¡± ¡°The Church¡­ They didn¡¯t exist in my time so I don''t know anything about them,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°Another benefit is I can use them as shields,¡± Viers said while making a villain¡¯s face. ¡°Ah¡­ the assassins? The Wrights too.¡± Farley realized. ¡°They have Level 4s after all. I¡¯m not their match. I have a secret weapon for last resort but I¡¯d rather not use it. Better get the business with Paina¡¯s twin and the Wrights sorted out then leave Valkut.¡± With Level 4s in play, he was feeling too vulnerable. Viers wasn¡¯t a fan of fighting people above his weight class. ¡°You say that but you easily accept that you¡¯ll help them to get the flower. What gives?¡± ¡°Can''t be helped, Clarissa. If I refuse and Ciel dies, I lose all benefits. If I refuse and Ciel does not die, I also lose benefits. I have to ensure that the act of saving Ciel previously isn''t diluted. I wasn''t particularly happy about it but it can''t be helped. In business terms, this is called doubling down.¡± ¡°I don''t want Ciel to die too so I¡¯m glad you agree,¡± Paina said. ¡°But aren''t you worried about the Level 4 revenant there?¡± ¡°Hehehe. What is a single revenant against me, the one that has absorbed Aletro¡¯s soul attainment? The ghostly mongrel needs to learn his place.¡° In terms of soul mastery, Viers was above most Level 5s. His boast was not without basis. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s an evil smirk. Are you planning something bad?¡± Rose approached Viers with light steps, fingers touching another behind her back. Because Viers was sitting on the fence, she looked up at him. ¡°Morning,¡± Viers greeted. ¡°So are you all ready?¡± ¡°Ready for what?¡± ¡°The swamp trip. Even if we find the flower immediately, the traveling time to get there and back should take about five days. Who knows if Ciel¡¯s condition might worsen. The faster we go, the better.¡± ¡°Hoh-hoo¡­ You¡¯re eager. Are you that worried about Ciel?¡± Rose tried to stir Viers up. ¡°After all the trouble I took to save her? I won''t accept any other result than complete recovery.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Sorry to rain on your parade but we won''t be going today.¡± ¡°Um? Why not?¡± ¡°Master Mita¡¯s preparations won''t be done until tomorrow. A day off for senior Damon and the others would do them good. They have pushed themselves pretty hard and that¡¯s before you-¡± Rose bit her tongue and stopped herself from talking further to the man responsible. Viers simply looked at her amusedly. ¡°A-anyway¡­ Master Mita gave us a¡­ task. My two friends and Damon¡¯s group will also join.¡± ¡°An errand? Sounds like a hassle. I might pass on that.¡± ¡°Well, don''t say that. Master Mita wants us to have fun in the city. Get to know each other.¡± ¡°Oh my,¡± Viers looked surprised. ¡°Saintess Rose, are you inviting a villain like me on a date?¡± ¡°D-d-date?¡± Rose''s face turned peach-red. ¡°It¡¯s not a date! Everyone is also coming. Anyway, get ready!¡± Rose speed-walked a few steps then turned around, facing Viers again. ¡°Also, you¡¯re not a villain,¡± Rose informed. ¡°Oh? What makes you say that?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re better than you think you are.¡± Rose continued to walk away. Viers watched her back in silence until she was out of view. ¡­Oh you sweet summer child. Chapter 233 - Paid Valkut Vacation (1) ¡°Everyone¡¯s ready? Lets goooo! Hehehe, this will be fun~¡± Abbess Unem¡¯s tension was high. Viers would have thought she was a sorority girl if all his senses were not telling him that she was a Level 4 Pathseeker through and through. ¡°Do we have time for this? We should be getting ready for the expedition to the swamp of death,¡± Damon said. ¡°No-non-no,¡± Unem wagged her finger. ¡°This is a crucial phase for the operation. You all must unwind and have fun.¡± ¡°It is as she says,¡± Mita confirmed. On this sunny day, Mita and Unem seemed to be young teachers leading their class on a field trip. Female Pathseekers usually maintained their beauty and youth as they aged. They both still looked in their twenties, though Mita¡¯s physique was somewhat short compared to other people in the group. Unlike her colleague, Mita was calm. While the Legionaries were talking, Rose whispered to Viers, telling Viers their names and ranks. The senior Silver Legion group consisted of the people he fought yesterday, Damon the steadfast leader, Bryan the rash two sword user, Wendy the chilly wind, and the group¡¯s support Rachel. ¡°And then those are my two precious friends, Conn and June.¡± The two nodded but seemed a bit stiff. They were uncertain how to treat Viers. Not only them, the others had also kept a distance from Viers so she acted like a liaison. Rose and her two friends were the same as Viers, Level 3 low. Their age bracket was also similar. They were all wearing casual clothes. ¡°She¡¯s also coming?¡± Viers said with a confused tone. ¡°Well-¡± Ciel answered before Rose. ¡°I¡¯m feeling better now so I insisted on coming. Oh, and I haven''t said thank you for saving my life. Twice, right? Thank you, Viers. I¡¯ve been briefed about you by the others. The boy from that time has become so strong, I¡¯m impressed. Ah, but you have done some bad things, right? You shouldn''t! Doing bad things is bad!¡± Ciel was using the tone of a big sister scolding her little brother. She was wearing a smile though. Meanwhile, Viers was looking at her eyes in silence, observing. ¡°Am I missing something here? We¡¯re bringing the injured target of the assassins out in the open? Scratch that, aren''t we all targets? You all are not treating this lightly, are you?¡± ¡°If they attack, it is a blessing instead,¡± Mita said. ¡°You don''t have to worry, dear guest. There are three additional Level 4s keeping guard from the shadows. They are not affiliated with the Church but agreed to lend us a hand during these dangerous times.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ if you say so,¡± Viers faced Ciel again. His gaze was straightforward and quite intense. ¡°Err, is there something on my face?¡± Ciel felt a bit embarrassed. Viers grabbed Ciel¡¯s hand with a fast movement, making the others raise their guard. Then Viers placed a lollipop in her palm. ¡°This should make the ache in the pit of your abdomen better. I heard from Rose that you people are often busy and seldom have time for R&R. You also want to have fun with your friends, right? Now you don''t have to hide your pain with a smile in front of them.¡± Ciel was silenced. ¡°And you don''t have to thank me. I''m only repaying the favor from that time.¡± Viers walked away first, Rose went after him. ¡°Heeh, that¡¯s quite cool,¡± Rachel smiled. ¡°Throw that away. It might be laced with drugs or something,¡± Bryan scoffed. ¡°My, my, my~ I thought of giving Ciel some medicine for your pain later but the young man had me beat, ufufu.¡± Unem playfully said. ¡°Well then, shall we?¡± Ciel looked at the gift in her palm for a few seconds, then put it in her mouth. *** ¡°So where should we go first?¡± Wendy asked. ¡°Was there a plan?¡± June asked the seniors. ¡°Lunch,¡± Viers said with a tone that brook no argument. ¡°Can''t hold it anymore, fatty?¡± Bryan jabbed. ¡°Huhuhu,¡± Viers laughed without a care of the insult. ¡°Eating is happiness.¡± ¡°Our breakfast menu might be a little simpler for the masses,¡± Damon said. ¡°We¡¯re used to them but the others might feel it is lacking.¡± ¡°Lunch it is. It isn''t that long until the noon bell anyway. Destination? Abbess, any recommendation?¡± Mita asked. ¡°Sorry~ but I''m helpless in this matter.¡± The people of the Church usually partake in a simple diet. ¡°If there''s no objection, I''ll lead the way. I know some good places. One of them is not far from here,¡± Viers said. ¡°Please do.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± The group started walking. Among the group, there were three circles where they engaged in conversations. Mita and Unem, Ciel and the senior Legionaries, Rose and her two friends. Viers was integrated into the third group because of Rose. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°...You seem familiar with the neighborhood,¡± June talked to the guide. ¡°I¡¯ve been living here for a few months so yeah.¡± Viers used the memories of the locals to make a false backstory. ¡°Viers, umm, can Paina and Farley come out like yesterday?¡± Rose asked. ¡°You want them to join? ¡­Fine by me but are they okay with it?¡± Viers asked back. ¡°Well-¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Mita interjected. ¡°They are also our guests. But may I request giving them a corporeal form instead of spectral? Spirits walking in the city in broad daylight will draw too much attention.¡± ¡°But a cultist-¡± Damon shut Bryan up with an elbow bump. The guy was talking softly but it did not escape Viers¡¯ super hearing. ¡°If Vestal said so¡­¡± ¡°We have no objections.¡± ¡°...Then I¡¯ll summon them where there are fewer eyes.¡± Fifteen minutes later, Viers went into a restaurant downtown. Since the people from the Church were not used to luxury, Viers did not choose a super high-class eatery, only a middle-class one. The restaurant had a nice interior and atmosphere that had stood for tens of years. It was usually full during dinner time, but they should have seats open since it was still noon. ¡°Twelve people, please,¡± Viers said to the waiter. ¡°Is there a room open on the second floor?¡± ¡°Certainly, right this way.¡± The party got into a private room for big groups. They took their seats. Some were pretty impressed with the interior and gave positive comments. ¡°Feel free to order what you like,¡± Mita said while looking at the menu. ¡°But the spending¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! This will be included as the operation cost. Right~?¡± Unem asked. ¡°...Yes. You all have done well. Enjoy yourself.¡± ¡°Thank you very much. Then I want this Silk Bird Noodle; it sounds delicious!¡± Rachel said. ¡°I¡¯ll take the chef¡¯s recommendation,¡± Damon said to the waiter. ¡°One Chika-Chika vegetable pie please,¡± June said. ¡°Arozani-style dish? I¡¯ve always wanted to try it. Remember we went there but never had the chance? I¡¯ll take this one,¡± Ciel looked happy. The scene was like a school¡¯s field trip, very warm. Once they ordered and the waiter left them, Viers summoned Paina. ¡°Umm, nice to meet you all,¡± she greeted. ¡°Farley said that she appreciated the invitation but preferred to stay inside me,¡± Viers said. ¡°It can''t be helped.¡± ¡°Paina, sit next to me. Oh, you haven''t ordered yet,¡± Rose realized. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll have what Viers has. It¡¯s not like I can actually eat real food but Viers often recreates the food that he eats for us using soul sorcery,¡± Paina said. ¡°Oh¡­ Haven''t heard that one before,¡± Wendy said. ¡°Is that why you ordered three dishes? Because there are three people inside you?¡± Rachel asked. ¡°I bet he¡¯s just hungry,¡± Bryan rolled his eyes. ¡°And there¡¯s one more person joining us,¡± Viers said. ¡°Come out and say hello.¡± The leaf green badge on Viers¡¯ chest shone out a streak of light and on the table, appeared an adorable palmtop green-skinned plant sprite. ¡°I am Dia!¡± Dia raised her hand and struck a pose. ¡°OMG! So cute~!!¡± ¡°Whoa!¡± ¡°Kyah! What is that criminally adorable thing!?¡± ¡°Hwawawa~ Here, here. Hop to sis¡¯ hand.¡± ¡°Viers, she¡¯s your familiar?¡± ¡°I am Dia~¡± The girls were scrambling to get a piece of the tiny dryad, even the boys were charmed by the puppy-like cuteness. The new addition, as expected, livened up the stage. Dia allowed the girls to poke at her round cheeks and pat her hair. ¡°Mmm?¡± Her gaze stopped at Rose. She beamed cuteness laser straight into Rose¡¯s eyes and her expression melted. But that was not all, Dia jumped at Rose¡¯s chest. She almost slipped but Rose propped her up using both hands. ¡°Like~¡± Dia gave Rose a hug using her tiny body. ¡°I like you too!!¡± Dia was clearly attracted to Rose. Viers guessed the familiarity stemmed from Rose¡¯s wood affinity. The two were a kind of sort. ¡°Ahem.¡± Mita took out some kind of green and brown bead that gave off a thick aura of nature. A treasure suitable for Level 3. With it, Dia might have the slight boost necessary to become Level 3. Dia¡¯s eyes lit up after seeing that and abandoned Rose. ¡°Like~¡± Now Dia gave Mita the hug and it was super effective. ¡°Ufufu, how adorable,¡± Mita relinquished the bead to Dia and she hugged it like a treasure. ¡°Ahhh! Master, that''s not fairrr!¡± Rose complained with a pitiful expression. Because of Dia, the wait for the food didn''t seem long at all. In the end, Dia got a few treasures that were useful for her cultivation. Viers told her how to behave cutely in front of others and the training bore fruit. Dia¡¯s cuteness was an asset that Viers weaponized. The dishes came and the delicious aroma that tickled everyone¡¯s sense of hunger filled the room. The party ate the delectable dishes with joy. Dia got fed a mouthful from the other dishes. Viers saw that and thought: Just according to plan. Dia¡¯s cuteness helped Viers break the ice with the Church¡¯s people, especially the girls. Not only that, the swamp must be filled with all kinds of flora, Dia¡¯s home ground. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be an asset there. I feel sorry for Faiya and Futon cause I¡¯m keeping them asleep. I don''t want to expose them if I can. *** After lunch, the party went aimlessly and ended up in a place with a lot of shops. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ciel asked Wendy. ¡°That shop''s children''s clothes seem nice. I want to buy some for my younger siblings back home,¡± Wendy said with a gentle look. Ciel pulled her arm. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s pick together.¡± *** ¡°Oh, those kids, they¡¯re playing yutang.¡± Bryan said while passing by an open field. Viers also saw them. Yutang. This world¡¯s quidditch. A bit similar to American football. The most popular sport in this world. ¡°How nostalgic,¡± Conn said. ¡°I used to play that every day with my friends in the past. I was known as Cracking Conn back then. Hehehe.¡± ¡°Do you know that the Church had a hand in creating and popularizing the sport?¡± Unem said. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°In the past, the only popular sport was the gladiatorial fight between Pathseekers, bloody and savage. They still exist but yutang became more popular as time went by,¡± Mita added a piece of history. ¡°It is also not limited to only Pathseekers. Since the use of Victa is forbidden, even non-Pathseekers can participate. The Pope back then hoped it would become a bridge between the two sides, minimizing and eventually erasing segregation,¡± Unem said. After hearing the story, seeing the kids playing happily gave a warmer impression to the members of the faith. *** ¡°Viers.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Viers turned around, Dia was on his shoulder. ¡°Do you know a skilled craftsman? I got things that need repair,¡± Rachel said. ¡°Actually, our gear is pretty busted,¡± Wendy sighed. ¡°Even Damon¡¯s beloved sword was smashed to pieces yesterday.¡± ¡°So we need to gear up, know someone?¡± Rachel tickled Dia¡¯s neck. ¡°You¡¯re in luck. I got acquainted with a dwarf yesterday. Shall we visit his shop?¡± Chapter 234 - Paid Valkut Vacation (2) ¡®Closed¡¯. There was a sign in front of Tomthur¡¯s shop. ¡°That¡¯s a bummer. Shall we go to another shop?¡± Damon said. Viers invoked Euryale Sight. ¡°The dwarf is here.¡± Viers loudly knocked on the shop door many times, making a racket. ¡°That¡¯s not polite,¡± June tried to stop Viers. ¡°Manners are not everything,¡± Viers was not stopping. ¡°Shut yer trap!!¡± Finally Tomthur came out and faced the group. ¡°Howdy,¡± Viers said. ¡°Sorry for the ruckus but we would like to shop.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re from yesterday. Anyway, the shop¡¯s closed,¡± Tomthur pointed to the sign with a huff. ¡°Now go away.¡± ¡°Sir, may we know the reason?¡± Ciel asked after peeking at the interior, it was full of wares. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood,¡± Tomthur sighed. ¡°...That¡¯s it?¡± Bryan waited for the next line but nothing was coming. ¡°Wazzat!?¡± The stocky dwarf became angrier. ¡°I decide when to open or close. This is my shop! Now stop bothering me.¡± ¡°They say many skilled craftsmen are oddballs,¡± Rachel whispered to Wendy. ¡°Haven''t met the exception.¡± ¡°Ahem, Mister Tomthur~ I brought you a gift for coming so suddenly,¡± Viers said. Tomthur who was walking back inside with a huff and puff turned around, ¡°Laddie, I don¡¯t-¡± Tomthur gasped seeing the bottle in Viers¡¯ hand. ¡°Is that-¡± He said wide-eyed. ¡°Sagham Hagham! Alcohol brewed in a region that doesn''t exist anymore. A sip is supposed to feel like a dragon fire went down your throat. One of the few remaining in the world but I¡¯m willing to part with it to someone who appreciates it more than I do.¡± The Level 4 dwarf expression turned 180 degrees. ¡°Welcome, welcome to Tomthur¡¯s shop lasses and laddies. Take your time, hahaha.¡± Viers looked at the Church¡¯s group smugly. He knew many people loved drinking so he kept the rare drink close for occasions like this. ¡°Bribes¡­ How did you get that? Stolen item?¡± Bryan said with suspicious eyes. Viers threw a piece of parchment to him. ¡°There¡¯s the proof of transactions. Tsk tsk tsk. I thought the good people of the Silver Legion knew better than to judge a book by its cover. Consider me disappointed,¡± Veirs went inside first. ¡°Ooh, these are nice craftsmanship. As expected of the product from dwarven hands.¡± ¡°Hahaha! This dwarf has a high standard!¡± ¡°Okay~, let¡¯s go inside,¡± Unem said. Tomthur¡¯s shop was not very big but had a lot of varieties to pick from, all of them being high-grade equipment. The group examined the wares with glimmering eyes. Truthfully, Bryan was not far from the mark. Viers looted the bottle from the alcohol enthusiast who bought the item. Viers framed the truth how he liked it. The alcohol-loving dwarf immediately fetched a couple of mugs. He offered the fellow Level 4s, Unem and Mita, but they refused politely. They could not drink alcohol. Viers also wasn''t keen on drinking but he accepted the invitation so Tomthur had a drinking company. He only took a bit to expand his Horizon. ¡°Phuaaah,¡± Viers'' throat burned. ¡°That¡¯s strong, whuuu-¡± ¡°Khakhakha! You haven''t acquired the tongue. Young¡¯n, you need ten more years of drinking experience to fully appreciate this. Bwahahaha!¡± Tomthur easily gulped the Sagham Hagham as if it was water. His mood was no longer sour. ¡°Sorry again for intruding while you were closed, sir.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Me just feeling down, zat¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Urgh.¡± ¡°So high?¡± ¡°I need this but¡­¡± Meanwhile, the group flinched from the price tags. ¡°The price is quite high, yes?¡± Viers asked. ¡°That¡¯s the reason for me mood slump, laddie. The city¡¯s raising taxes again.¡± ¡°Tax raise? Wasn''t it 70% before? It¡¯s still going up?¡± Shen jing bing! ¡°Hrmm,¡± Tomthur grunted in agreement. ¡°It forced me to raise the prices. I cannot sell at a loss but the craftsman¡¯s side of me doesn¡¯t like it. The price is not suitable for the quality. It makes me angry, lad.¡± This kind of market definitely isn''t good for the economy, Viers thought. ¡°Everyone, get the gear you need. I¡¯ll push the bill upstairs.¡± Hearing Mita¡¯s words, the party felt relieved and started picking nice gear for themselves. ¡°Mr. Viers, you too.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. Your help will be crucial in our endeavor,¡± Mita replied. ¡°...If that''s the case, I¡¯ll take you on your offer.¡± Viers then went browsing too. Shortly, Unem slid to Mita¡¯s side. ¡°This is all coming from your pocket, isn''t it?¡± ¡°...When I was in their position, my master did the same thing once. Now it¡¯s my turn to do the same thing for the next generation,¡± Mita whispered kindly. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°I¡¯ll bear half,¡± Unem patted Mita¡¯s shoulder. Viers acted as if he didn''t hear anything. He went near Rose who was examining a breastplate. Paina, disguised because there was another person with the same face in the city, was beside her. ¡°Ah, hello. You should get some armor. Your defensive equipment is a little light. If weight is the problem, this shop has excellent enchanted light armors.¡± ¡°Thanks for the offer but I plan to get a sword.¡± ¡°Oh, your previous one broke when-¡± Rose remembered yesterday¡¯s event. ¡°-that time. Okay then.¡± ¡°That too but I want a bigger sword, for big monsters. At our Level, monsters usually have a hulking body. I haven''t found a good one for me before. This is a good opportunity,¡± Viers inspected his options of greatswords. Viers didn''t like his battle capability to be dependent on his equipment so if he had to buy some gear, it was accessories with special properties like the lucky items before, or weapons. The reason was his Horizon-boosted barrier and shield Artes were stronger than most armor that he got his hands on. After testing a few, he picked a silver claymore. I still can''t use massive swords like Cloud¡¯s Buster Sword or Guts¡¯ Dragon Slayer, so those are out. Maybe in the future. I recall silver is not a very sturdy metal but this is not made from ordinary silver. Weight is satisfactory and has high attack power, I¡¯ll take this one. Hmn, what should I name it? ¡°Good sword,¡± Damon said; he too bought a greatsword. ¡°It suits you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Also, silver for monsters. Heheheh. Viers looked forward to vanquishing monsters using the silver sword. *** ¡°Ever since we bought ice cream together, it has become my favorite food. Thank you Paina.¡± Rose and Paina were walking with ice creams in hand. Rose had finished purchasing the items she required but the others needed more time, some asking for special modifications or enchantments from Tomthur so they left first, seeking Viers who was out even earlier. Not far from the dwarf¡¯s shop there was an ice cream vendor. Rose bought enough to share with the others later. ¡°A lot has happened since then,¡± Paina said. ¡°Yeah¡­ You and Viers came here to find out about your origin, right? I met a person with the same face as you.¡± ¡°We know,¡± Paina sighed. ¡°But the mystery is thick. We need to investigate House Wright more.¡± ¡°...Paina, what are your plans after this? After Valkut?¡± Rose¡¯s tone turned a little bit serious. ¡°Unknown at this time. I told you yesterday that Viers has prepared a body for me. He foresaw there would be complications in Valkut so my soul didn''t fuse with the fetus yet. I¡¯ll have to cultivate from the beginning again, you see. I admit I haven''t decided.¡± ¡°...How about you come with me?¡± She said wistfully. ¡°...I don''t think I¡¯m good enough to enter the Silver Legion, Rose.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do something about it! If not, come to Sephoria. I¡¯ll get a house. We can live together!¡± Paina was moved by her kindness. ¡°I¡­ Thank you. It sounds lovely,¡± Paina clutched her hand. ¡°But let me think about it, okay?¡± ¡°Umn,¡± Rose nodded. The two walked with a bit of awkward air between them until they saw Viers and an old woman on the side of the road. He was giving her something. ¡°Viers and¡­ who¡¯s that?¡± Rose asked her friend. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s the blind woman from the park. Viers liked her music so he bought her food. This time he¡¯s giving her a musical instrument?¡± Paina was also confused. Viers said his goodbye and the old lady thanked Viers. Afterward, she started playing a tune skillfully. Rose thought it was a nice melody. ¡°Her instrument is already worn out. So I gave her a new one,¡± Viers said to Rose when asked. ¡°That looks like an expensive antique,¡± Rose was seeing the instrument in the blind lady¡¯s hands. ¡°The instrument is better in the hands of the one that appreciates it.¡± ¡°The music¡­ There¡¯s something¡­¡± Paina muttered. Looking at Paina who seemed to be grasping something that eluded him, Viers smiled. Rose gave Viers an ice cream which he accepted. He then created the same ice cream for Paina before separating from the two ladies. Rose resolved herself to ask a difficult question. ¡°Paina¡­ You have been with Viers all this time so please tell me honestly¡­ Is Viers a bad guy?¡± Paina didn''t answer immediately. She took her time before saying her reply. ¡°...Rose, you¡¯re one of my few precious friends so please heed my advice¡­ Don''t fight him. Ever.¡± Paina gripped Rose¡¯s hand even tighter. Simultaneous with the answer, a wind of autumn was blowing. Her friend¡¯s answer made her sad. It was not the answer she hoped to hear. *** Day turned to night. The party had gone to a lot of places during their day off. They had geared up, bought the necessary supplies, and all the preparations were ready. After a homely dinner with a warm atmosphere, Viers went out to experience the night air. He was still inside the church¡¯s border, therefore, protected. He was wary of the assassins. They didn''t show their tails today. ¡°Taking a walk, ladies?¡± Viers said while looking at the crescent moons. Dia was on his shoulder. ¡°Ever since we met, you¡¯ve never let your guard down. Impressive vigilance. I didn''t reach your state until twenty.¡± ¡°Hehehe. Little Viers is too tense. Little Dia too~¡± Mita and Unem approached. ¡°Two Level 4s coming for me? This cowardly Level 3 is getting worried. Should I be worried?¡± Viers faced them. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to be worried. We¡¯re not here to fight.¡± ¡°We want to talk with you. Or rather, you have questions for us, right~? Before the expedition tomorrow, we want to clear the bad air between us.¡± ¡°...I suppose. I¡¯ll not mince words then. Newborn Blessing ceremony, what is it?¡± ¡°Initiative of the governor of Valkut. The secret is well kept but I suspect it is an effect of a unique treasure. It gives health benefits to the people. I have been here for ten years and there''s no negative effect. I can vouch that it does not pose a danger to the masses,¡± Abbess Unem answered. ¡°But you don''t understand it.¡± ¡°That is so. I guess your next inquiry is about the odd feeling in the air~? It¡¯s the Governor-King¡¯s Profound Practice, I¡¯m told. The isolation barrier is his work. It is harmless and you¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Viers sought signs if she was lying and found none. ¡°Your turn to ask the question,¡± Viers said. ¡°How did you find your day?¡± Mita asked. Viers felt like a child finding a question test that he memorized and so he replied with a smile. ¡°Miss Mita, I know what you¡¯re trying to do. You showed me the warmth of the other side. What makes you think I¡¯ll turn to the side of good?¡± ¡°Because this is a life that could be yours.¡± ¡°...It is nice, I admit. Surrounded by friends, walking towards the same goal, supporting each other¡­ A very different life than what I had. Skulking in the shadows, fearing hidden threats in every unfamiliar face, homeless¡­¡± Viers spoke with heavy emotion. ¡°But I have chosen the other path. As you all suspect, I have done bad things. I am a villain. The Church is the pillar of absolute good in the eyes of the many. Shouldn''t you crush me while you still have the chance?¡± ¡°We don''t win by erasing all that is bad, Mr. Viers,¡± Mita replied with the compassion of a mother. ¡°There are those that think so within the Church but I disagree. I find it is a greater win by making those who are lost in the darkness return to the light. We¡¯ve observed you, Viers. You¡¯re not the irredeemable kind of person.¡± ¡°One day is hardly an accurate measure of someone,¡± Viers replied. ¡°Maybe so,¡± Unem said. ¡°But we want to believe.¡± The rustling of leaves filled the silence. The three were aware that Rose, Ciel, Damon, and the rest were eavesdropping but they let them be. ¡°My turn,¡± Viers began. ¡°My position puts me at odds with the Church before so I never had the chance to ask. I¡¯d appreciate a real answer. What is the Estellian Church¡¯s objective?¡± Mita and Unem looked at each other for a second before answering together. ¡°Safety, prosperity, and peace for everyone.¡± ¡°...People are too greedy and selfish to allow that kind of world to come.¡± ¡°We of the Church believe on the contrary, that there is good in the hearts of the people, no matter their race. As long as there is one person working wholeheartedly towards that goal, others will join. One day, that world will be created.¡± Viers kept his mouth shut for some time. ¡°...That world is too blinding for me to imagine. I have no more questions.¡± ¡°Neither do we. We¡¯ll depart at the morning bell. Good night, Mr. Viers,¡± Mita said politely. ¡°Night. Sleep well~¡± Unem waved her hand playfully. Viers was alone under the night sky once again. ¡°That kind of world sounds nice. Would you like to live in that world, Viers?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°No,¡± he answered. ¡°And why?¡± the lamia narrowed her eyes. ¡°Too much light.¡± Chapter 235 - Boy, That Escalated Quickly To cure Ciel before the poison took her life, she needed a remedy that her friends intended to procure no matter the cost. Since the assassins applied the poison, it would be in their best interest to hamper the remedy¡¯s creation. Therefore, Viers was mentally prepared for the assassins to hound every step of the journey to the unpleasant swamp. But the Church¡¯s people circumvented the problem using a smart method. Somewhere inside the Foulfae Swamp, people appeared after bending the rules of space. They appeared with their weapons drawn, on high alert. ¡°Clear!¡± Damon said. ¡°Clear,¡± several others said the same. ¡°Nice. I can get used to this.¡± Viers liked the fast travel feature. This morning, Mita disclosed that the day off was to give the magic item time to accumulate energy for the teleportation. Valkut¡¯s barrier prevented anyone from teleporting out but teleportation inside the barrier was completely fine. The party cut down the travel time significantly. The group consisted of Damon and his group minus Ciel, Mita plus her three wards, and lastly, Viers. Nine people. Unem stayed behind to protect Ciel and the church compound in case the assassins felt bold and launched an attack. With their home base advantage and on full alert, repelling the assassins shouldn''t be hard. Mist floated around them, dead trees were plentiful, and wet puddles were as common as dirt. Despite the sunny weather, the swamp seemed murky. Their sudden appearance startled some crows which flew while cawing. ¡°Viers, if you may,¡± Mita said. ¡°Got it.¡± Viers pressed his palm on the grass near his feet and shut his eyes, expanding his sixth sense. ¡°...I can feel a powerful soul reeking of death, deep inside the swamp. Must be our death-defying necro. Hard to pinpoint its location from this distance but I can sense the general position.¡± ¡°Problem?¡± Rose asked. ¡°Not at the moment. It¡¯s very far away. I¡¯ll keep you all informed. I¡¯ll do my job as the detector.¡± Since Viers said that and they confirmed there were no hostiles with their own eyes, even these battle veterans¡¯ alertness went down to a degree. The first to realize was Mita, then Viers with his soul sense. A warp in the air and a rotting figure appeared behind Rachel. ¡°Fresh life! Kakakaka!¡± The voice was akin to the clatter of bones mixed with the coarseness of rough sand. The consciousness behind the voice had very little sanity if any. Rachel felt goosebumps from the threat to her life and activated her Unreality Field for protection from hostile forces. The former man with tattered clothes and decaying body had its skeletal left hand on Rachel¡¯s nape. Mist-like white streams started to flow from Rachel to the undead. Viers recognized the common but deadly necromantic art, Life Drain. Rachel¡¯s expression did not have the time to convey the pain she felt before Mita separated the two and thus saved her life. A flash of light interrupted the revenant¡¯s feeding time. The Unreality Field and anti-undead preparations had reduced the power of the malicious attack significantly. Be that as it may, Rachel was subject to Life Drain for one second. At two, the first sound of her pain left her mouth. If Mita didn''t separate them, she would have died at three. Viers, more surprised than anyone, didn''t freeze and simply acted. While Mita was tussling with the undead, he was doing what they needed him to do, disrupting and attacking the undead¡¯s soul. Among Viers¡¯ enemies thus far, its soul was the strongest because it had eaten many other souls. Viers was weaker compared to the Rank 4 monster but his advantage was that his soul mastery eclipsed the undead¡¯s. Viers managed to influence the undead slightly, giving Mita an easier time. ¡°Rachel¨C!!¡± Her teammates showed concern. She was in too much pain to stay standing and had fallen to the ground but she was a member of the Silver Legion, an elite. They were still in combat so rather than voicing her answer, she took out a wooden stake from her inventory item and stabbed it to the ground. Her companions that had gone through fire and water together understood the unsaid message: ¡°I¡¯m okay! Focus on the plan.¡± Damon, Bryan, and Wendy moved to surround the undead while Mita and Viers tried to keep it from moving away. Using Rachel¡¯s stake as the first point, the other three put down wooden stakes enchanted with holy inscriptions, completing a square albeit a little skewed. Meanwhile, the remaining three moved closer to the fallen Rachel. Rose was in the middle of casting an Arte, June readied her bow for new outside threats, and Conn would act as a meatshield if need be. Direct combat was too dangerous with their current power level so they dutifully played the supporting role rather than making things worse. The frame was set, then Mita provided the power. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°Ixi Arte - Consecrated Ground!¡± While the four stakes were in the ground, the area inside the boundary began to hurt the undead as well as apply various detrimental effects. For it, the ground was suddenly turned to lava. The dead thing wailed like a male banshee. Viers and the others fortified their minds so they wouldn''t be affected. It tried to run away but a forcefield made it bounce back. The humanoid monster¡¯s expression, despite being dead, became even more twisted. From its chest, that was missing some of its flesh, flew out gray balls of death energy, homing in at every living being in the area. ¡°Arte - Guardians of Faith!¡± Damon stomped his foot on the ground. An ethereal shield-wielding warrior appeared before Viers and the others to defend against them. Some still got through after tearing the guardians but the others did something about it on their own. ¡°Arte - Multi Spiral Shot!¡± June hit the undead with four arrows while Conn punched the gray projectiles using his gauntlets, protecting June, Rose, and Rachel nearby. Viers saw that Rose¡¯s casting was almost finished using his peripheral vision. ¡°Dia, give her a hand.¡± A streak of light shot out from the green badge on Viers¡¯ chest. ¡°Ooo!¡± Mini-Dia landed on Rose¡¯s head and the two collaborated on the casting. ¡°Twin Polar Swords Rumble!¡± Bryan released fast consecutive slashes. The others attacked the undead while keeping their stake safe. Mita was crucial in containing its rampage. After eating some good hits, the deranged undead who was more animal than human seemed to realize that Viers was the one that prevented it from gaining strength from the lay of the land using his soul method. It went to all fours, defying how joints were supposed to work, and crawled with even more speed at Viers, slipping through Mita¡¯s defensive line. Viers had both of his hands touching the ground, cutting off the dark energy from the land that was supposed to empower the undead. But despite not being able to use both of his hands, Viers was not helpless. ¡°Paina!¡± In the real world, Viers inhaled deeply. In the soul space, Paina had her lips on her flute. ¡°Ready!¡± Fus Ro- ¡°-DAH!!!¡± A cone of force was spreading out in front of Viers. The undead was like a human hit by a suddenly appearing bulldozer. Its momentum stopped when hitting the holy forcefield, which gave the undead further damage. Even more of its rotten flesh fell off from the battle, exposing the bones. ¡°Dah! Dah! Daaah!¡± Viers shouted three more times, hitting the undead that already had its back to the wall until he saw cracks forming on the yellow translucent barrier. ¡°Stop!¡± Mita said. Viers didn''t need to be told. ¡°Can you do it still?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Viers replied with a hoarse voice. ¡°With me.¡± Viers didn''t understand at first but when the undead angrily charged at him, Viers backed away. Behind the undead, he saw Mita, a bell in her hand. That was when it clicked for Viers. Arte - Force Speak! Fus Ro- ¡°-DAAAAAAAAAAH!¡± Viers and Paina put their full power in this one. On the other side, there was a clear ring of a bell. Mita also used a similar technique to Viers. When the two Artes clashed, there was the sound of a hundred dynamites blowing up. It was like two people were swinging two gigantic hammers and the undead was caught in the middle. It wasn''t yet dead. Ordinary bones would have turned into fine dust after the combined attack but the undead was only temporarily stopped in its tracks; there was still unholy life no matter how broken the body seemed to be. But it was fine. Viers wasn''t supposed to be the one dealing the finishing blow. Beside Rose, a plant had been growing since she started casting. It had reached three meters in height and was in full bloom. The stem was thick to support the sunflower lookalike¡¯s massive petals. ¡°Arte - Sunlight Bloom!!¡± It was actually a biological cannon in the shape of a flower that shot a strong beam of light. Rose and Dia had filled the Arte with so much power it was overflowing. Light, heat, and something else mixed in; elements that the undead didn''t like. Mita said that Rose would play a crucial role during the fight against the undead. Viers could now confirm it was true. Or should I say, as expected of an angel-blessed. Even against a higher Level opponent, Rose¡¯s Arte would deal very heavy damage. While the beam wasn''t traveling at the speed of light, it would engulf the stunned undead in moments. Viers would love for it to be over; his throat was getting really sore from the continuous shouting. Before Rose¡¯s finishing strike struck, the living corpse managed to evade it. By teleporting. What the shit! Viers didn''t see how the undead arrived in the first place but he witnessed how it got away. There was a split second of a glowing rune and then- It Disapparated! Are you kidding me? He spent a lot of Victa during the fight and had nothing to show for it. If he was lucky, he hoped to get a Level 4 soul but now the loot had run away. Rose¡¯s attack missed its mark and pierced through the forcefield, mightily exploding some distance away. With the exception of Mita, everyone did not anticipate this outcome. Viers immediately pressed his hand to the ground once again, using his soul radar. The undead¡¯s soul signal was once again far away. But everyone was still feeling the adrenaline rush. Bryan put Viers at swordpoint, which Viers didn''t appreciate very much so did the same thing. ¡°Wha-?¡± Rose was surprised. ¡°Explain!¡± Bryan demanded. ¡°Rachel almost died!¡± Viers didn''t say anything. His throat was too sore from using the Force Speak Arte five times and he got better use of his breath than replying to the hot-head. His eyes, however, conveyed his displeasure. Wendy and Damon also pointed their weapon at Viers from different angles. In response, Viers conjured a soul sword in his free hand, directing it at Damon¡¯s face. ¡°Wait, seniors-¡± June tried to mediate. ¡°Kin!¡± Sensing the hostility, Dia commanded the plant roots to rise to the surface and pointed the sharp ends at the Silver Legionaries. The flora all around them seemed to come alive and show hostility. Not only that, Farley manifested behind Bryan. Her spear-wielding hand threatened to make a hole on Bryan¡¯s back while her other hand molded an Arte at Rachel. Damon and the others split their attention to the new arrivals. Somehow, Viers recalled the third movie of the Pirates of the Caribbean, the scene after Jack Sparrow was rescued from Davy Jones'' Locker. Similar to the pirate captain, he too was in a bona fide Mexican standoff. Chapter 236 - In the Heart of the Swamp ¡°Finally come out, huh, you wretched devil worshiper? Your kind always hides like rats when we arrive on the scene.¡± Bryan spat near Farley¡¯s feet. ¡°Incredible,¡± Farley said with cold eyes. ¡°With every word that comes out of your mouth, your life expectancy dwindles.¡± Bryan didn''t like that one bit. ¡°Just try-¡± Then the adult broke up the children¡¯s fight before fists could be used. Mita exerted pressure on everyone nearby. Viers raised an eyebrow; it was getting harder to breathe and he was having goosebumps. The Level 4 seemed quite vexed by her aura. ¡°I thought you are better than this. All of you,¡± Mita berated. ¡°W-we didn''t think the undead was capable of teleporting. I¡¯m sure Viers wasn''t trying to harm us,¡± Rose stepped forward. The explanation was easily found but suspicion about Viers cast a shadow of doubt on his every move. As Mita examined Rachel, the Victa pressure gradually subsided, allowing Viers and the others to move. They played nice and sheathed their weapons. Farley dematerialized and Dia hopped onto Viers¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Your vitality is a bit damaged but it is recoverable. Just take it easy for a few hours.¡± ¡°Thank you, Vestal.¡± Viers drank water for his throat and let out a long ¡®Aaah¡¯. ¡°We should go. Our fight might attract wild monsters. Can you walk?¡± Rachel popped a yellow stamina potion. ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± she stood without assistance. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± *** After moving with the speed of a galloping horse for twenty minutes and dispatching some unlucky minor monsters that crossed their path, the party found a suitable resting site. It was a rarity given the unpleasant terrain, Viers had to burn some Victa to destroy some bugs that were immune to bug repellant. Even though it was still early in the morning, they decided to rest for some time. Rachel slept almost immediately after the campsite was secure. ¡°You haven''t done many outings, have you?¡± Viers was a veteran in outdoor camping at this point and helped Conn cut firewood after seeing him failing a few times. Since they would only stay until Rachel recovered, which should be in one or two hours, they didn''t raise tents. ¡°No. This is my first year of active duty after finishing my training in Sephoria, just like June and Rose¡­ What have you been doing for a living?¡± Conn asked. ¡°There was a time when I fought as a prize fighter. Battling others, betting on myself. Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose.¡± ¡°You? Lose?¡± Conn made a disbelieving face. ¡°Too strong and people won''t fight you so I reduced my strength. Other than that, like every other person, adventuring.¡± The mana in the area hampered the sunlight. With the mists and thick tree canopies, one might mistake it to be in the evening. The temperature was quite low so they made a fire. They separated into their own groups for the time being. Viers approached Mita who was sitting with her back turned to the fire, eyes gazing out into the woods. Aside from the gesture, she was also keeping her guard up in case there was another teleportation attack. ¡°I apologize on behalf of Bryan,¡± Mita sensed Viers¡¯ presence so she spoke first. ¡°He¡¯s a good kid but-¡± ¡°Stop,¡± Viers said firmly. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in what happened in his past and why he acted as he did. That he¡¯s an orphan whose whole family got killed by monsters or cultists. That he had a rough childhood until the Church gave him a place to belong. That he is rough on the edges but kind on the inside. I don''t care whatsoever. And I refuse your apology.¡± Viers took a seat next to her, on a log. They faced different directions. Mita looked at him with a dead-pan face. ¡°Because you''re not responsible for his actions. Now let¡¯s talk about something that¡¯s more constructive, shall we? For instance, the undead isn''t a soul user.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Mita played along. ¡°He is a death user.¡± ¡°Mmm-hmm. Unem and most people guessed wrong, including me. My soul method seemed to have some effect though.¡± ¡°Correct. High-grade undead all have bound souls. Those that don''t, like common zombies, aren''t so threatening.¡± ¡°Unless in very high numbers or under the control of stronger undead,¡± Viers pointed out. ¡°Yes,¡± Mita smiled. ¡°You¡¯re very well informed.¡± I¡¯m genre-savvy. ¡°...But the undead got strengthened by soul energy. It ate souls too.¡± ¡°He did. Devils seek souls too¡­ Souls are truly mysterious. They are indestructible, sacred, once our bodies turn to dust, our souls will live on¡­ Therefore my faith forbids any desecration upon them.¡± She¡¯s probing how deep my ¡®desecration of the soul¡¯ has gone. So far, I only showed my soul arts for battle purposes so it¡¯s somewhat tolerable? Maybe? Anyway, if they knew the full scope of it¡­ hehe. Will they immediately call Inquisitors upon me? I need to conduct some tests. Viers glanced at the bandaged arm of Mita. ¡°Wound from Lykin has not healed, has it? That is not darkness affinity. And what you used against the undead is unlike the light affinity I have seen.¡± ¡°...Holy affinity¡­ And Fell affinity.¡± Viers never heard of this. ¡°I¡¯m guessing only exclusive to the high-ranking members of the Church and Cults?¡± ¡°It is classified. But I can tell you, while it is powerful, I can only use very little of it.¡± ¡°So you have a dual affinity, holy and sound?¡± ¡°I don''t have a holy affinity. I am¡­ allowed to use it.¡± Talking with the good Level 4 yielded many unique harvests for Viers already. There was silence between them for a while. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°...The Wrights, the family behind the baby blessing thing, are planning something. Under the Governor-King¡¯s payroll no doubt. The Church isn''t gonna do anything about it?¡± Considering the Church¡¯s policy of not interfering with how rulers ruled their territory and subjects, Viers knew they wouldn''t interfere. He just wanted to know their reasoning. ¡°Every Governor-King is brewing something,¡± Mita smiled forlornly, with a touch of surrender. ¡°Can''t censure them all.¡± ¡°It is a disaster waiting to happen. You people are gonna wait until it blows?¡± Viers gazed at the red fire in front of them. A symbol of destruction. ¡°We cannot act without definite evidence. Otherwise, the repercussions of such action will similarly be disastrous¡­ And we have too few men.¡± ¡°I sympathize. Good guys have it tough.¡± ¡°Your help will greatly be appreciated,¡± Mita poked the fire with a stick. ¡°I''m afraid I have to pass on that offer. I have other things to do.¡± Mita responded with a kind voice. ¡°The Goddess works in mysterious ways. She has a plan for all of us.¡± Yeah, right. Heard that one before. Mita and Viers conversed about various topics. He wanted information on the Church, and Mita wanted to find out more about Viers. Talking served the purpose of both sides. The two did not expose everything about their secrets but what they could talk about, they talked honestly. So Viers did not say anything that might be used against him in the future or fall into trap questions, he put Farley and Clarissa on as additional counselors, giving tips from the back seat. *** Rachel woke up an hour and a half later. The party prepared themselves to move but before they sallied forth, Rachel gathered her group for a secret meeting. Viers, who was used to eavesdropping, naturally had no qualms about doing so. ¡°Let¡¯s stop antagonizing Viers,¡± Rachel said. Some commotion, mostly Bryan. ¡°Do you have to ask why? He¡¯s seventeen! Two years walking the Path of Power and he can already fight us to a standstill. We have been on the Path three times longer than him. It¡¯s only a matter of time until he¡¯s out of our league.¡± ¡°We still have hidden cards in reserve.¡± ¡°What Damon said. And if you¡¯re worried about his growth, then let¡¯s chop off his head right now! He did not renew Vestal¡¯s oath. Mita won''t be harmed even if we attack him in this place. It¡¯ll be too late if we teleport back. Now¡¯s our chance!¡± Bryan sounded eager. ¡°If we do that, not only would we have betrayed Vestal Mita, but also our principles. Do you think it¡¯s worth it, Bryan?¡± Wendy said. ¡°Look,¡± Rachel spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I don''t want you to get into trouble, or worse. Bryan, cool your head and focus on saving Ciel.¡± Meanwhile, Viers whetted his sword like he was in zen meditation. *** Dia, in her small and cute form, was sad. The flower on her head lost its luster. As they went closer to the heart of the swamp, the more dead plants there were. The water in the swamp became more poisonous. The thicker the mana density, the stronger the monsters they encountered. The party was forced to take a few detours to avoid confrontations with strong monsters, even with Mita among them. But it wasn''t all bad. Danger and fortune often came in pairs. There were many natural treasures along the way. Viers happily snatched some here and took a few there without compromising their journey. The almost beggar-like looting for anything remotely valuable made Viers¡¯ dignity a minus point in their eyes but Viers, like a certain miser cultivator, didn''t care. Also, they were reminded that monsters were not prey to humans. In the Wild, the prey and the hunter often changed places. The party stumbled upon the aftermath of a battle. They saw a group of Pathseekers carried by viper monsters, using their jaws. Naturally, the busybody heroes could not leave them to their fate and opted to pursue. Viers, without much say in the matter, went along for the sudden sidequest. Tracking down the snakes, Viers and company arrived at a deep pit, with many snakes. A monster nest. Some were Rank 3 monsters, some were younger and not as strong, and some were even newborns. Other than that, there were many corpses, ancient skeletons and new additions. Wealth had a way of inviting people. Unfortunately, some of those people became food for new wealth. They arrived too late and the people were already food for the Noharic Vipers. ¡°Welp, too bad,¡± Viers said. ¡°Let¡¯s get back on track.¡± ¡°No,¡± Rose said. Viers wasn''t surprised. ¡°We¡¯ll recover their bodies. These unfortunate souls¡­ There must be people waiting for these people to come home.¡± Rose¡¯s sentiment was shared by the rest of the Silver Legion, just not Viers. Well, Mita will make short work of them. ¡°I will not intervene,¡± Mita said after sensing Viers¡¯ thoughts. ¡°This is also training for them.¡± ¡°There are a lot of high Rank 3s,¡± June counted. ¡°...Can we count on you?¡± Conn asked. Viers had accepted this was happening so he made the most of the situation. ¡°I know you guys won''t loot the gear of the fallen, a big waste if you ask me, so I want the gallbladder of the Elder Noharic Viper.¡± They didn''t argue. After some preparation, they poked the viper¡¯s nest; filling the pit with destructive Artes. The vipers went out with a vengeance, Viers would too if his house was suddenly bombed without rhyme or reason. Viers was ready for the viper, silver sword in hand. ¡°Damn, you''re ugly!¡± There was a flash of light and then a sword was embedded in a viper¡¯s head. *** After the battle, while Viers was humming and dismantling his prize, happy and content for getting something valuable, Bryan picked a fight. ¡°Tch. Are money and benefits all that matter to you? To be let on the nose by coin. How base.¡± Viers let out a long, loud sigh before answering. ¡°People pay you members of the clergy to pray for them ''cause they think prayers from you are more likely to be heard by the people upstairs. From what I¡¯ve seen during my time as your guest, praying took up most of the priests¡¯ time, even the novitiates do it. How many prayer requests does one church get every day? There are also the donations from the wealthy, funeral services, weddings, buffing adventurers'' armaments, or healing their injuries, the Church has the monopoly on the faith market. Good for you, hm? How else are they gonna pay for the organization¡¯s expenses and maintain their army? Do you think the goddess magically filled the treasury of your organization or something? Oh, it must be nice living with so much empty space in your brain. I¡¯m incapable of doing that.¡± Damon and the others separated the two of them before it got worse. Even after Rachel clearly told him why they should not antagonize Viers, Bryan did not change. Some people are just unchangeable. Hmn¡­ Is Fate turning him into a plot device whose death will become a worsening wedge between me and the Church? *** ¡°Inconceivable!¡± A little while ago, after traversing the poisonous area of the Foulfae Swamp, they arrived at the center. It looked like a black lake. Only ankles deep, but the unseen ground was definitely not even and who knew what kind of things slunked below the murky liquid. In the shallow wetland, peeked out the roofs and walls of submerged dilapidated houses. Finally, there was land in the middle of the lake on which stood an ancient ruin. The mana concertation was the highest in that area, it was unmistakable that it was the heart of the swamp; the lily must be there. ¡°Where¡¯s the undead?¡± ¡°Hah! I bet the corpse doesn''t have the guts to show itself once more. Quite smart for a person with a rotting brain,¡± Bryan laughed. ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± Viers said confidently. ¡°...I don''t sense anything. Are you sure?¡± Mita asked. ¡°I am also unable to sense it but it¡¯s definitely here,¡± Viers replied once again. It¡¯s a boss area for god¡¯s sake. Of course he¡¯s here! Encouraged by Viers, the party waded through the black muck with full buffs and maximum preparations. They approached. Any minute now. And approached. Aaaaany minute¡­ Until they landed on dry land in the center of the black lake. ¡°Fine! It seems it¡¯s not hiding in the lake but on this island! Don''t let down your guard!¡± They proceeded real carefully. And found the Fullcure Lily without complications. The lilies were blooming in some kind of plant paradise in one of the ruins'' big halls. Rose plucked one after Mita examined the surroundings five times and gave her seal of approval that it was safe. Viers did not. Where was the undead? Where was the boss? ¡°Err¡­ I got it,'''' Rose said with a complicated face to Viers while having a lily in her hand. Nothing happened. The undead had truly run away. ¡°Inconceivable!¡± Chapter 237 - Old Ruins Viers felt cheated. Defeating powerful enemies and using the gains from them was the basis of growth. There were no experience points for level-ups in Viers¡¯ case but the potential loot and benefits from the undead were great. Level 4 prey was a big game for the current Viers. If he was alone, then fighting it was too risky but there were heroic Legionaries willing to shoulder the heavy lifting with him. Viers would help them vanquish the monster and gain benefits with a fraction of the effort, Ciel would be saved, the Church would wipe out an abomination from this world, everybody wins. Only, the undead was nowhere to be found. Even though its intelligence has degraded and been reduced to a mere monster, the rotten bastard seems to still have some form of cunning. After the first battle, it must have thought we were too dangerous. Viers was especially looking forward to getting his hands on its teleportation method. The undead was not a space Pathseeker so the method was most likely an external one, such as a magical item or technique. Viers saw a rune lit up when it Disapparated. Chances were, he could use it too. A Level 4 soul was also a scrumptious meal. Hell¡¯s bells! From a broken roof there was sunlight peeking from the misty beyond, providing light to a patch of greenery. The sight of flowers and varieties of rare plants was beautiful and picturesque. Viers knelt on one knee, eyes closed, one hand on the ground. Dia climbed on top of his head, fascinated by the naturally created garden inside the destroyed ruins. Half of Viers¡¯ mind was listening to the discussion of the others. They were sure the undead was still up and about. They feared it would return and continue stalking the swamp for souls once they were gone. However, they couldn''t continue hunting the revenant. Ciel was waiting and since it was teleportation-capable, the difficulty of killing it rose significantly. The other half of Viers'' mind was examining the very land they stood on. The undead was here; the taint was clear. This was its central haunt. What got Viers¡¯ attention was the invisible spider web-like thing that spread out from this place to all over the swamp. Viers guessed it was a product from some sort of a necromantic ritual, very subtle, very delicate. If Viers¡¯ soul mastery wasn¡¯t above most Pathseekers alive, he didn''t think he would have noticed it. The spider web¡¯s function was to trap souls that had lost their bodies and then the master could absorb the souls at their leisure. During the assault on the Noharic Vipers¡¯ nest, Viers tried to collect a human soul that had died there. Mita wordlessly slapped his soul tendril. It was like a mother who slapped the hand of a sneaky child that was reaching for the cookie jar. Viers played it off as if trying to help the soul, it didn''t matter if she believed him or not. It confirmed his suspicion. That was why he didn''t try to collect souls where there were strong people around such as when he was in a city. Who knew which people got the eyes to discern his ability? He didn''t want to expose his identity as a soul Pathseeker for some random rat soul. But with this subtle spider web thingy¡­ With my soul mastery, modifying it shouldn''t be too hard. As always, Viers squeezed as much benefit as he could get from his venture. ¡°-iers. Viers! Do you hear what we said?¡± Rose called. ¡°Get the flower, save Ciel, the revenant''s not our problem anymore cause you¡¯ll tell it to the high command later. Yaaay¡­¡± ¡°Urgh! You have to say it that way¡­¡± Rose grimaced. ¡°Well, at least one of us is happy,¡± Wendy pointed at Dia. She was strolling on a field of flowers with a smile; Fullcure Lilies and other varieties. One of the colorful butterflies landed on the flower on Dia¡¯s head. Dia giggled then sneezed from the pollen it carried. ¡°Lalanka Butterflies. Beneficial for plants. Quite the rare species,¡± Damon said. I¡¯m sooo getting some of them for Dia¡¯s Biome, Viers looked at the garden. He¡¯d already studied the hidden soul spider web thingy and even destroyed it so the revenant would have a hard time later. Oh? Is that a coffee plant!? And those are Dragon Durians? Pinti Berries? I want them! Why the undead did not desecrate this place Viers had no idea. Perhaps it was its way of luring fresh souls to this place? At any rate, the place was filled with rare plants. Precious rare plants. ¡°Dia, can you introduce me to your new friends?¡± Viers said. The others were eyeing him strangely. ¡°Un!¡± Dia happily agreed. ¡°So, uhh¡­ You also can talk to plants?¡± Conn asked Rose who had a wood 5 affinity. ¡°Not me, or any human wood Pathseeker that I know of¡­ but maybe Dia really understands them? She¡¯s a plant spirit, right?¡± ¡°All right, you know the drill. Let¡¯s get what he came for,¡± Damon got them in line. ¡°You can take the plant products but don''t damage their foundation. Take two, leave five. Leave some for other people in the future.¡± After Mita said that, she left to survey the surrounding ruined building. The resources might be too low-leveled for the Level 4. Viers took some of the flowers, berries, grasses, herbs, and fruits, then left the hall too. He let Dia chat with the other plants. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The ruins piqued his interest. He was in no delusion that there was a treasure chest waiting for him to open but after seeing through the walls with Euryale Sight, he found something interesting. ¡°Wow¡­¡± In one of the deepest rooms, Viers found a mural. ¡°What are those about?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°History of the Coriz Empire. Its glory¡­ This ruin must be from that era.¡± Interesting tidbits but didn''t really matter to Viers. He browsed through depictions after depictions. His slow steps echoed. ¡°Now this-¡± Viers pointed his finger at one of the walls. ¡°-is the main dish.¡± ¡°Sealed power of the Coriz royal line¡­¡± Farley felt her immaterial heart thumping in excitement. ¡°This is big¡­¡± Paina muttered. ¡°It seems the family that used to live here was entrusted by the emperor to safeguard the hidden power,¡± Clarissa pieced together the story encased in stone. The writing on the wall pointed to the location where it was hidden in a cryptic manner. How typical. The people that made this cannot simply tell where the X is. Every frickin¡¯ time! Viers scoffed and opened a map of Valkut and the Recordkeeper Mirror. Silently, he referenced the obscure depictions with the memories of the locals. ¡°-but the passage can only be opened by a chosen one, bearing an intangible key,¡± Farley read aloud. Below the writing, there was a picture of a person raising both of his hands, holding something before an opened gate. ¡°The heir will restore the glory of the Coriz Empire¡­¡± Viers made a circle on the map. He¡¯d deduced that the location of the hidden power was somewhere in the circle, but it was still too wide of an area. He would need to gather more clues. ¡°We¡¯re done here,¡± Viers walked out. ¡°Even if you find the place, what are you gonna do about the key?¡± Paina asked. ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Viers replied. The picture of the person holding the mysterious key was pretty vague but it looked like it was shining. Perhaps it was a brilliant jewel, a bright stone, a star, or perhaps¡­ a fire? In this place, where Viers mysteriously met multiple people from his Luxore days as if guided by the hand of destiny, wasn''t there someone he hadn''t met yet? Even if he didn''t meet him yet, Viers was sure he was here or coming here. And didn''t this person have a special fire? Despite the earlier failure, Viers¡¯ genre-savviness was still going strong. To think he has this sort of setting¡­ I¡¯m counting on you as my treasure detector, Max buddy. *** Viers didn''t spend much time with the murals. His next destination was the second and last unique location in the ruins. This one felt more dangerous compared to the garden and the murals. He found Mita there, looking down at an underground cavern. There was a tunnel that led deeper in. The poisonous air was thick down there, at least ten times more concentrated. Who knew what else they would find further in. The garden was wondrous, the murals were old but grand, and the cave was simply eerie. ¡°Find anything interesting?¡± Mita asked. ¡°Different ruins. Same old, same old,¡± Viers replied. ¡°So what¡¯s this thing here?¡± ¡°Something that¡¯s better left alone,¡± she said with a flat tone. That¡¯s for damn sure. All over the cave¡¯s entrance, there were round rock statues of varying sizes. The smallest one was the size of a human head, the biggest one was a weather-worn three meter tall boulder. All statues bore the likeness of bug monsters. ¡°There were ancient wards here,¡± Viers examined the remains. ¡°There were,¡± Mita said. ¡­From nursery rhymes and folklore, they said the Valkut region was teeming with greeneries once. Something happened and it became a barren land. Was it caused by these bug monsters? ¡°...I¡¯m gonna head back,¡± Viers wanted nothing to do with the cave. He felt it was out of his league. This was not the first dangerous place he encountered in his travels. Smartly staying away from them was one of the reasons he was still alive. ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s.¡± Mita walked with him. They were back in the garden and the party had finished harvesting. Dia snuggled Viers after being separated. ¡°So?¡± Dia whispered to his ear. ¡°Uh-huh. That one, that one¡­ Oh, that one too, hm? My, you¡¯re quite the diplomat, little one.¡± ¡°Viers?¡± Rose had a puzzled look. ¡°Oi, what are you doing?¡± Bryan asked more harshly but Viers treated him like a fart. Unpleasant, but inconsequential. Viers started uprooting some of the plants, inviting some ire. ¡°Cool it. I¡¯m not hurting Dia¡¯s new friends. I¡¯m not an animal. You see, they agreed to new, better housing, which I can provide. They¡¯ll love it there.¡± Viers put four plants in special storages. He also caught some Lalanka Butterflies. Bryan did not like it. ¡°You selfish-¡± Rachel rolled her eyes. ¡°Can we just not fight because of some trees?¡± ¡°And there are monsters coming. Power hates a vacuum,¡± Wendy informed. Monsters like to stay in places with high mana concentration. Now that the undead had gone, some beasts had started to test the water. ¡°You!¡± Bryan invaded Viers¡¯ personal space. ¡°You¡¯re not a team player. You go off after you take what you need and you take more than the team. Arrogant and selfish. That¡¯s you! You¡¯ll never be one of us!¡± At a caterpillar¡¯s pace, Viers started to frown. What the hell was Bryan talking about? ¡°Your point?¡± ¡°Urgh! Talking to you is useless!¡± Bryan threw his face away in anger. Was Bryan misunderstood that this was Viers¡¯ trial run for the Church¡¯s orientation? Viers put his thinking to a stop because he didn''t want to use any more brain cells for something so useless. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Viers asked Mita. The Level 4 silently took out the silver pendant. It was this magic item that teleported them in and would now teleport them out. The pendant glowed as it started activating. Mita was a bit disappointed. She¡¯d hoped Viers would grow closer with Damon and the others but that didn''t seem to be the case. If a hero went together with a hostile or stranger group, by the end of the arc friendship was usually formed. Viers had seen such cases over and over again. This was the result of Viers being Viers. *** A monster¡¯s head was thrown to a man¡¯s feet. ¡°The monster is dead,¡± Max said haggardly. ¡°May your wife¡¯s soul rest peacefully.¡± ¡°Thank you! Thank you! Now I''ll tell you what my great-great-grandfather bid to pass on to the key bearer. Go to the Foulfae Swamp. What you seek is at the center.¡± ¡°Foulfae Swamp¡­¡± Max¡¯s eyes shone with determination. Chapter 238 - Espionage Shock! Before the teleportation was complete, Bryan shoved Viers out and threw a cloud of monster-luring powder at him. Viers was left behind at the center of the danger zone alone. Pinch! This fat villain was too dangerous to be left alive. Because his friends didn''t share his thoughts, it was up to him to make the sacrifice. Even if he was branded as dishonorable, all was for the Church. A few days later, Viers returned safely in order to face-slap him like the small fry he was. ¡­Or so Viers thought would happen. Instead, the party teleported back to the abbey without a cinch. Inconceivable! Either Bryan was a better man than he thought or a greater coward. The scheme was very idiotic with a lot of holes but small fry antagonists often did similar things and somehow, the supposedly ¡®smart¡¯ protagonists fell into such an obvious trap. No doubt the author was setting up for a face-slapping moment. After reading the twentieth occurrence across all the Chinese cultivation novels that Viers had read, he was already bored by then. Still, Viers had found some use of them in this new world. Viers was counting on the first hit coming from Bryan, the swamp was a perfect place for that. That was why Viers didn''t ask Mita to renew her protection oath to last the duration of the swamp trip; instead only the area under the Church¡¯s jurisdiction. After that, Viers would have had the moral high ground to demand more benefits from the Church. Mita and the others, the good people they were, would give great things to Viers as an apology and Bryan would be sent to a Church¡¯s post in this world¡¯s equivalent of Antarctica. Alas, Viers¡¯ vision did not come to be. Viers watched Bryan¡¯s back with great intensity when they arrived. Damn it, he slipped the noose this time. Come on, Bryan¡­ Give me a reason to cut you down. *** Viers was holding a heavy training sword, making a high stance. There was only seriousness in his expression. Beads of sweat streamed down his face as new ones were formed. ¡°Ha!¡± Viers made a downward slash. His form was the same as hundreds of his previous ones. He slowly raised the sword again overhead and repeated the motion. ¡°Hello hello. Need something, folks?¡± He said while wiping sweat with a towel. ¡°Just wondering where you went,¡± Rose said. Conn and June were with her. ¡°How¡¯s Ciel?¡± They returned from the swamp in the late afternoon. While the related personnel swiftly got to work on curing Ciel, Viers picked a place on the side lawn and trained his swordsmanship. A few hours had passed and the sky was colored with orange light. ¡°It went fine. She¡¯s sleeping now but she should wake up fully recovered¡­ Sooo, what are you doing?¡± Viers didn''t patronize her with an answer. ¡°Right, training. Silly me,¡± Rose nervously said. She was like those people who wanted to have a conversation but didn¡¯t know where to start one so they talked about the weather. ¡°That''s very basic sword training,¡± June commented. ¡°I suppose,¡± Viers swung his training sword again. ¡°Is it useful?¡± Conn asked. ¡°Since when was training one¡¯s fundamentals not useful?¡± Conn was a bit embarrassed for asking the green question. ¡®Sides, my defeat against Russ is still fresh in my mind. Next time I¡¯ll win, Viers swung again. ¡°Why don''t you all join me?¡± They came wearing training clothes so Viers invited them to be polite. ¡°No Victa spar?¡± Viers offered. ¡°I¡¯m up first,¡± Conn, the only male out of the trio, volunteered. ¡°Good. Show me what you got!¡± Viers matched Conn¡¯s strength in close-quarters combat. Conn was one or two years older than Viers. He was also a pugilist. To match Viers¡¯ training sword, he used something similar to boxing gloves. Viers won but it was more difficult than he expected. Next up was June. per her request, the archer used a bow in the spar. Even in a close ranged battle she still used her bow and arrow to fight. Viers found her battle style similar to the Demon Hunter in Diablo. Though magic or not, she couldn''t shoot her arrows like a machine gun with unlimited ammo. Conn and June had the same cultivation level as Viers. He was pleasantly surprised that the spar was productive. The two¡¯s skills were not bad by any means and they¡¯d got some good stuff. What they lacked was experience. Viers might be younger but he¡¯d accrued much more battle experience thanks to the Grid plus real battles. Even when compared to Aletro trial¡¯s participants, who are already better than common Pathseekers, they are above average. If a new member is at this level¡­ The Silver Legion is truly a powerhouse of an organization. Viers¡¯ third opponent was Rose. As he remembered, she used a rapier. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Why don''t you tell me what you really came here for?¡± Viers asked her while locking swords. ¡°They ask what¡¯s your aim after this. Yaah!¡± Rose disengaged and swiftly stepped in with a series of stabs. ¡°I want to investigate House Wright and their connection to Paina. Other than that, there''s the usual Pathseeker business: get stronger.¡± Viers stepped back and changed the blunt rapier¡¯s trajectory using his wooden sword. ¡°I want to help with Paina but we¡¯ve got things on our plate.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Hunting the assassins. Abbess Unem found their base. We¡¯re organizing a strike force.¡± ¡°Well. That sounds like the proper Silver Legion job. What level of danger are we looking at?¡± ¡°Including Masters Mita and Unem, we have two other Level 4 cooperators. According to our intel, the other side has Lykin, our previous attacker, and one other. According to the numbers, it is doable.¡± In Luxore, Viers had temporarily joined a cult. The cult base from back then was Styra family¡¯s compound, Farley¡¯s house. Their underground base was as big as a shopping mall with tens of combatants. Though, Viers supposed the ones that really mattered were the strongest Level combatants. ¡°Beware the cultists, Rose. They¡¯ll not go down without a fight,¡± Viers warned. ¡°You¡¯re not coming? We were kind of hoping you would join.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I must decline. Got other things to do.¡± I feel like cooperating too closely with the Church would make me get sucked into an unpleasant whirlpool. ¡°We thought you¡¯d say that. Master Mita said she¡¯s willing to open the Church¡¯s coffers should you accept.¡± ¡°A tempting offer, but Paina is more important,¡± Viers replied firmly, as if he was choosing to become a martyr. ¡°Viers¡­¡± Inside the White Flowers Meadow, Paina was touched. Viers suddenly struck with a strong blow. Rose was surprised but she received it with her guard. Next up Viers infused the training sword with Water Slash Arte. Rose evaded it by ducking, the slash touching the edge of her hair, and then she countered with an Arte of her own. Viers smacked away the green energy bolt with his other hand. ¡°You¡¯ve become strong, hero aspirant,¡± Viers honestly said. ¡°Thanks¡­ So have you.¡± ¡°However, is that strength truly yours, Blessed?¡± Viers¡¯ question and his sharp gaze made Rose¡¯s heart skip a beat. It was something unpleasant to hear. ¡°...I-¡± ¡°Be careful,¡± he whispered. ¡°Borrowed strength is fragile.¡± While Rose was stunned and the other two were similarly silent, someone called them from the window. ¡°Hey guys, dinner''s ready,¡± Wendy said. ¡°That¡¯s it for today then,¡± Viers grabbed his things. He didn''t have much luggage in the first place. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now. Say my goodbye to the others for me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving? Already?¡± Conn was startled. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon. Conn, work on your footwork. June, upper body. See ya.¡± Viers jumped over the two-meter-tall stone fence and disappeared from their sight. The sun had set and darkness was coming fast. Rose clenched her chest. ¡°My strength¡­¡± ¡°Rose, you okay? Was it something he said?¡± June asked. ¡°Nothing. Thanks for asking. Come on. I¡¯m starving.¡± *** Viers took many twists and turns to throw off anyone who might be following his trail. After his paranoia was sufficiently satisfied, Viers sneaked into the Underbelly and used the Picture Room in a hidden place. ¡°Pheeew¡­¡± Viers relaxed a bit, sprawling out on the pocket dimension¡¯s floor. ¡°Kin, tired?¡± Dia came out of his pocket and patted his cheek. ¡°Quite. Futon, Faiya, you two come out too.¡± The red and white badges twinkled and Viers¡¯ other two familiars came out from their subspace. Like two mewlings, the cloud and the flame snuggled Viers. ¡°Awww¡­ Sorry guys. Can''t show the two of you to them. I''ve missed you two. Be good boys and endure it, ¡®kay?¡± ¡°Fuu! Fu!¡± ¡°Ya! Ya!¡± Viers took out a large amount of magical raw materials to placate his familiars. ¡°Dia has become Level 3. Eat up a lot and become strong like your older sister, yeah?¡± Dia hugged a green gem the size of a mango and started absorbing the mana inside it. Although the dryad¡¯s body had turned smaller for convenience purposes, Dia¡¯s strength did not decrease in the slightest. The three familiars were happily having a feast. ¡°Alright, gang. I¡¯ll be counting on you to guard me.¡± ¡°Fuu!¡± Futon puffed himself up. ¡°Yaa!¡± Faiya glowed brighter so his master wouldn''t worry. ¡°No baddies will hurt Dia¡¯s kin!¡± ¡°Hahaha, how dependable. Angels, whose turn is it today?¡± ¡°Clarissa, Lord Viers,¡± Farley answered. ¡°Got it. For precaution, Paina, you come too.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Paina and Clarissa were conjured into the real world, carrying a portion of Viers¡¯ Victa to fuel their Artes if the need arose. ¡°Ah! Paipai ghost and Snakefeet ghost, hello~¡± Dia greeted. Futon happily swirled around Paina while Faiya sheepishly approached Clarissa. The two girls naturally welcomed the company of two elemental cuties and started molesting them. Faiya is more attracted to Clarissa while Futon is more cordial to both Paina and Farley. I suppose it is related to their affinities. Normally, the one standing guard would be the familiars plus one of the tenants. But because he was in a somewhat dangerous region, two were standing guard. It cost more Victa on Viers¡¯ part but better the loss of Victa than his life. After laying down his defenses, Viers started his Profound Practice and died as a Pathseeker for the night. Before something urgent came up, Viers wanted to reset the ¡®died once every ten days¡¯ weakness of his Profound Codex. Time went on while Viers confined himself to his makeshift fortress. It was still too early to sleep. ¡°There¡¯s something bothering me,¡± Clarissa suddenly said while throwing Faiya into the air for the tenth time. ¡°Mita and the others, they didn''t seem to connect the dots that you¡¯re Tanael.¡± ¡°I am wondering about it myself. After exposing my soul affinity, I thought Tanael¡¯s identity would naturally be exposed but they didn''t touch that matter entirely, not even a probe. It is either on purpose, or I¡¯m lucky. Since I don''t think my luck is that godly, it¡¯s the former.¡± ¡°Pointing it out might trigger a schism,¡± Paina said from the side, circulating Viers¡¯ Victa as a form of training. ¡°If they want to convert you as you guessed, pretending that they did not realize it is better.¡± Paina got him thinking. They want me close to further their agenda. I want them close to obtain intel. Hehe. This is two-way espionage. *** The night passed without any trouble. At sunrise, Viers visited Skinny Dog, the information broker. Viers was surprised that the man wanted to meet. Viers was using the previous face that he used the last time they met. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d still be awake. Isn''t a man of your occupation usually nocturnal?¡± Viers asked. ¡°This is for a special guest, the man of the hour, the one who blew up the Wright mansion. So, to what do I owe the pleasure?¡± ¡°I want all the info you got on the Leslie region. I¡¯m also willing to pay you to have men posted there for day-to-day surveillance.¡± ¡°Negotiable. Anything else?¡± The information broker eyed Viers like he was a big, fat sack of money. ¡°Tell me about the ruins in the area that still contain promising treasures.¡± *** At noon, Viers returned to the abbey. Damon and Rachel were near the entrance so they caught sight of Viers first. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± There was a bit of reluctance in Damon''s voice. ¡°I can have free lunch here. What can I say?¡± Viers shrugged with a slightly smug face. Chapter 239 - VS Ciel Foulfae Swamp, Black Lake. A youth stepped on the black water, making a light splash. A few meters before him the water started to bubble. Before long, a rotting corpse rose again as if it had awakened from a decade of slumber. The humanoid dead thing was wearing a tattered black robe, the same undead that fought Viers and the others two days ago. However, the undead was currently being engulfed in patches of white flames. Even though it had just submerged itself in black water, the flames didn''t go out. The thing shrieked, a mix of threat, anger, and pain. ¡°Finally came out to die, abomination? Running away no longer?¡± Max said coldly while unsheathing his sword. ¡°I don''t have anything against you but if you block my way, you¡¯ll die. Permanently this time.¡± The undead did not run away this time and summoned armored skeletons to fight on its side. The remaining intellect inside its maggot-filled brain knew it must kill the youth or the flames would eternally torment it. ¡°Arte - Soul-Burning White Flame. I¡¯ve made this Arte for a different soul user but to think it¡¯s this effective against beings like you¡­ Come on!¡± Max dashed forward into the congregation of more than one hundred skeletons without fear, white flames decimating the lesser undead with impunity. Max swung his blazing sword, loaded with a wide area Arte. ¡°VUAAAH!¡± Ixi Arte - Scorching Summer Wind! *** ¡°-once you deactivate the second defensive ward node, watch out for¡­¡± Viers was explaining the layout of the assassins¡¯ base¡¯s security layers and other juicy intel. There was Mita, Unem, and the rest of the Legion. A young Level 2 priest was taking notes. ¡°Thank you for sharing this with us. We¡¯ll incorporate the information into our plan of attack,¡± Mita said. ¡°Take it as my payment for the free food,¡± Viers waved it off. The night where he saved Ciel, there was a cultist that she had already killed before Viers arrived at the scene. The body and soul of that assassin were in Viers¡¯ possession. The Level 3 cultist¡¯s mind was protected -a more common occurrence the higher level the Pathseeker was- but the mental defense wasn''t a problem for Viers. Aletro¡¯s soul attainment allowed him to bypass or break the flimsy protection with ease. ¡°Wait a moment,¡± Viers halted the conversation as if his smartphone rang. ¡°Farley volunteered to give info on Dumuzin cult, including four bases and multiple hidden infiltrators in other towns and cities, as a sign she¡¯s no longer affiliated with them. Though, some things might''ve change during her absence and what happened in Luxore.¡± ¡°You know a lot,¡± Unem asked the unsaid question in the Church people¡¯s heads. How? ¡°I have my ways. Considering you people have your mental defenses up, you know the answer already.¡± ¡°Disgusting breach of privacy,¡± Bryan commented while leaning on a wall, arms crossed. I¡¯m the soul version of Zorian. Flicker minds are fair game, according to the Araneas, and I agree wholeheartedly. It¡¯s their fault to have their mind read. Viers smiled. ¡°I shall neither confirm nor deny that statement. Anywho¡­ I¡¯m no friend of the Cults. The more damage you deal to them, the better. I¡¯ve had unpleasant encounters with them in my travels.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Wendy raised an eyebrow. ¡°There¡¯s Dumuzin; I learned the name during the whole Luxore thing. The patron of the murderous Bone Ravens, Banbenxi. The icy demoness Isidaris, and one other that is connected with war. His name eluded me. These four.¡± ¡°You shouldn''t use their name lightly. It¡¯s a taboo,¡± Damon warned. Out of the four Devil Gods, the last two existences Viers had learned from soul searching other people. He¡¯d never met their cultists. Maybe. Viers didn''t say anything about the Blood Church¡¯s Yasterah and Teorph worshipers, the Gardeners of Perfection that Green Scorpion Fajrin belonged to, for camouflage. Why expose more connections to his Tanael identity? Almost filled the names of all seven in my database. Only two more, Viers thought. Once I''ve done that, will I get an achievement? *** ¡°Hold on, show that again,¡± Rose said. ¡°Eh? Okay.¡± Paina cast a water Arte again, a distinct magic circle was created on her palm. A twister of water appeared magnificently on the training ground. ¡°The casting time is so fast! It packed a punch too!¡± Conn showed his surprise. ¡°Magic circles are usually used in ritual-type Artes but some people have been known to use them in direct combat. What¡¯s unusual is how advanced yours are. The casting speed, the Victa-to-power ratio, yet simple in execution¡­ Is this part of some Pathseeker inheritance? A mage¡¯s core technique perhaps?¡± June was excited. ¡°Is it really that amazing?¡± Paina seemed hesitant. ¡°You Silver Legionaries don''t have a better technique?¡± ¡°There are many in our technique reservoir but to learn them we must have the qualification or enough merit. That¡¯s why we¡¯re doing jobs, like patrolling a region or removing monster threats. If I remember correctly, you need the merit of defeating ten Rank 3 monsters or something similar,¡± Rose said. ¡°Paina, this is really some skill you got. How did you get it?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Paina hesitated a bit. ¡°Viers taught me. Three, four months ago, he showed me a dozen techniques and asked which one I liked.¡± ¡°I. Am. Envious!¡± Conn held back his tears. Seeing his reaction, Paina had a thought. ¡°This is unexpected. I thought you Silver Legion people can learn the greatest of Artes whenever you want, pick the most super Profound Codex, the best training¡­¡± ¡°That might be true for special cases,¡± June tried her best to not glance at Rose. ¡°But for new recruits like us, we have to climb from the bottom. To be fair, the Legion¡¯s environment is much better than other organizations in the Human Dominion but to succeed, we have to put in the effort ourselves.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Oh¡­ Can''t you just learn great techniques from a senior or a friend?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± Rose sighed. ¡°Basically, the spread of techniques must be through official channels.¡± Just like Viers said, Paina pondered. The rules and regulations of an organization. While good as a whole, they are chains for the individuals. That¡¯s why he doesn''t like them. The four looked at Viers who was exchanging opinions with Damon a bit away from them. ¡°A dozen¡­¡± Conn gulped. ¡°If I can learn one or two- YEOWCH!!¡± June slapped Conn¡¯s back so hard it sounded like thunder. ¡°Don''t you get any ideas!¡± *** Fufufu¡­ Now they have some idea that knowledge is power, hm? Why did I bother to soul search each and every one of my kills for any scrap of useful memories? Imagine how many yottabytes of data I¡¯ll hoard in a century or two. Power overwhelming! Viers¡¯ sharp ears heard them all but outwardly, he was discussing martial arts with Damon. Wendy and Bryan were sparring. In the corner, Rachel was meditating while four orbs were circling her. ¡°Hey guys,¡± sounded a chipper voice. ¡°Hope I¡¯m not interrupting.¡± Eyes darted to Ciel who entered the training hall. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Damon asked. ¡°I¡¯m fully healed. Thanks to all of you.¡± Ciel was wearing a sporty outfit. Her long blonde hair was tied back. She gave her thanks to each person personally. It wasn''t just a simple thank you either. From her words and gaze, she really meant it. First she thanked Damon and her other teammates, then Rose, Conn, and June. Lastly, Viers. ¡°And you,¡± Ciel¡¯s green eyes met Viers¡¯ brown eyes. Viers was seventeen years old and 174 centimeters tall. Ciel was four years older and 170 centimeters in height. ¡°Just seeing a job to the end,¡± Viers said. ¡°I owe you a lot. There¡¯s the instance when you used your life force, and-¡± Remembering the part where she woke up almost naked during the fight, Ciel blushed. Wendy told her later that it wasn''t Viers but Farley and Paina that were changing her clothes. Still, Viers was in the room and might have seen her bare body. ¡°A-a-anyway! Thank you very much!¡± She sounded embarrassed at first, to Viers¡¯ confusion, but her voice gradually returned to normal. ¡°Kindness received will be paid back in full and more. I swear it in my honor as a Knightess of Latias.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The villain smiled. Things were unfolding just like he''d hoped. ¡°I might hold you to that.¡± ¡°Yes. For now, how about a spar? My body is feeling rusty after not moving it for so long. Wendy, Bryan, can you give us the ring?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ciel went into the ring while stretching. ¡°I heard you¡¯re strong. It would be a shame to not trade pointers with a rare opponent. Do you accept?¡± Viers caught a whiff of a scheme. ¡°...Very well. When we first met last year I couldn''t even fathom your strength. Let¡¯s see how I compare from back then,¡± Viers stepped up. There was a flash of yellow light on each hand and Ciel was holding a silver sword and kite shield. Different from weapons created using Arte, those were real things. ¡°Oooh, fancy.¡± It was either some sort of personal space arsenal or an inventory item¡¯s feature. Viers¡¯ couldn''t do that. He ordinarily put his hand inside the Thousand Treasures Casket and pulled out a sword. ¡°I request a serious spar,¡± Ciel¡¯s expression belonged to a warrior. ¡°But without the intention of seriously harming each other.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Left foot forward, knees slightly bent. Holding the one-handed sword with both hands at eye level with the sharp end pointed forward. Against Ciel¡¯s Royal Gryphon sword style, Viers was using his self-created Suiten Mitrsurugi-ryuu, First Stance: Flowing Water. The spectators felt the seriousness of both people. ¡°Let''s have a fair match,¡± Ciel said. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± There was no signal to start but the two acted simultaneously, activating movement Artes to raise their speed before locking horns in combat. ¡°So I heard you¡¯ve become a villain since then? Bad boy!¡± Ciel¡¯s sword was received and flowed by Viers¡¯ water-like defense. ¡°I want to be strong.¡± ¡°There are other ways to be strong, through devotion and discipline. Yaaah!¡± Ciel pushed him back using her shield then released a slash that became an eagle of light, flying at Viers. Viers dodged but the eagle homed in from behind, chasing him relentlessly. After evading a few more times, Viers¡¯ answer to the Shining Eagle Arte was to slash his own left arm. His red liquid of life gathered on his sword. ¡°Blood Moon Fang!¡± Viers positioned himself between the eagle and Ciel. A red crescent cleaved the eagle of light. Ciel put her kite shield to the front, grunting a bit while defending against the slash of blood. Once the slash¡¯s energy was spent, there was a fleeting respite as the two circled one another. ¡°You¡¯re correct,¡± Viers tapped his sword on his shoulder. The bleeding had already stopped. ¡°But that¡¯s not enough. You need resources and opportunities. These, I grasp using my own hands. Forcefully from others if I must.¡± ¡°My late mother taught me that power is a dangerous thing. It emboldened the wielder¡¯s ambitions and recklessness. Therefore, as Pathseekers, we must use our powers responsibly. We must have a code. I fight for justice and peace!¡± Uff, tough choice. In a world such as this, each is mutually exclusive. Viers built his defenses in response to the imminent attack. Ciel dashed forward like a rocket, the sword turned into a spear of hard light. Arte - Flash Steps, Brilliant Lance! Ciel pierced five layers of Viers¡¯ Water Shield and would have reached his chest if her rush was not stopped by multiple Water Chains. ¡°...Do you have one?¡± Ciel asked. ¡°Code, is it?¡± Food chain¡­ Nope. They might think of me as a savage. Need an alternative. Oh I know, might makes right! Wait, still too aggressive. Need to be coated with a sugar coating so it¡¯s more palatable to the sensitive masses like a corporate publicity stunt. ¡°...Survival.¡± Ciel released her victa and dispelled the chains. ¡°You¡¯ve committed evil and criminal acts. After the tribunal, you¡¯ll be sentenced as guilty for sure.¡± Viers didn''t answer out loud. What makes you think I¡¯ll accept your Church''s sentence? ¡°But it¡¯s not too late. If you¡¯re willing to live by walking the proper path, we¡¯ll help you! I¡­ will help you!¡± There was a glint of savagery in Viers'' eyes that was gone in an instant, resubmerged in his consciousness. ¡°Arte - Opened Hell¡¯s Gates!¡± Viers unleashed a series of powerful soul affinity sword strikes. Ciel felt she was facing a stream of frenzied souls that came out from the gates of the underworld, all wanting to tear her to pieces. ¡°Arte - Stars in the Sky!¡± Ciel matched Viers blow by blow. It was like hundreds of small fireworks exploding between the two. One second, two seconds, three seconds, the balance held. Neither was giving an inch. Rose and the rest were watching without blinking. Ciel suddenly felt danger from her back and her eyes widened in surprise. Viers knocked away her sword and grabbed her shield arm. In a swift movement, he forcefully pushed Ciel down. Viers was on top of Ciel, both were panting heavily from the exertion. From there, Ciel could see Farley being held at sword point by her friends. Viers must have summoned her behind her back somehow. Bryan was talking, knowing him, he was harshly berating Viers no doubt, but it was only an indescribable noise to Ciel¡¯s ear. Similarly, Farley didn''t seem to mind, nor did Viers. Currently, the youth had her entire attention. ¡°You cheated,¡± Ciel spoke, chest thumping up and down. Her sweating face looked very sexy. ¡°You said this was a serious spar, as if it was a real fight. You can''t say that to the opponent once you''re dead.¡± Their faces were so close they could feel each other¡¯s breath. Viers'' sword was pressed against her neck. Neither of them moved. After a span of time that seemed long and short at the same time, Viers finally stood up. ¡°You have beautiful ideals¡­ but first, you have to win.¡± Viers looked down at her with a condescending expression and smile. Her head blanked for a few seconds. But after her brain finished processing his words and countenance, her face reddened like a boiled crab. Anya Forger¡¯s smug face had that effect on people. Chapter 240 - The Melancholy of Ciel Valentine Fair fight? Viers didn''t like fair fights. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck! When there was a need, such as putting on an appearance, he could do ¡®fair fights¡¯, but in real battles? Fair can go to shit. Since Ciel wanted a real spar, Viers felt obliged to teach her a lesson. *** As Ciel lay defeated, she recalled a remembrance of yesterday night. Ciel was in her room, drinking a blend of bitter yellow liquid. ¡°There~¡± Unem nodded satisfyingly. ¡°Now take a good rest and tomorrow you¡¯ll be as good as new.¡± ¡°Thank you, Abbess.¡± ¡°Lemon tea with honey, because little Ciel doesn''t like bitter medicine,¡± Wendy offered. ¡°Wendy! I¡¯m not a kid anymore!¡± Ciel might have said that but she still drank it. ¡°Now the five of us are really reunited,¡± Damon sighed in relief. After being ambushed by the assassins targeting Ciel and getting separated, the group still came out intact. Rachel tightly clenched Ciel¡¯s hand from the bedside. She didn''t talk about it much but she was really concerned about Ciel¡¯s wellbeing. ¡°Praise the Goddess,¡± Bryan made the Estellian religion¡¯s holy mark. The others did the same. In the company of familiar faces, conversation flowed freely until they were laughing together. Before long, someone knocked on the door and entered. It was the Vestal and Rose. ¡°Am I interrupting?¡± ¡°Vestal! No, not at all,¡± Damon answered. Unem and Mita made brief eye contact. ¡°Then this old lady will take her leave now. Stay safe~¡± Unem excused herself, closing the door as she left. ¡°Vestal Mita, once again, thank you for all the difficulties you¡¯ve suffered because of me. I¡¯ll definitely-¡± Ciel stood up and bowed, speaking with the highest amount of respect. The Level 4¡¯s bandaged arm made her feel miserable but Mita propped her up. ¡°There¡¯s no need for such politeness between comrades.¡± To Mita¡¯s kind smile, Ciel could only respond with a wry smile. ¡°And Rose,¡± Ciel hugged. ¡°You look great!¡± ¡°Same to you. I¡¯m just glad we made it in time. How¡¯s your body?¡± ¡°Aaa-aa, even you are treating me like an invalid? Just a little poison. I¡¯m looking forward to paying the Ravens back when we raid-¡± Mita looked into her eyes in silence with a steely gaze. ¡°...On second thought. It might not be a good idea for the assassin''s target to go into the assassins'' haunt. Please leave the house sitting to me while you¡¯re uprooting the cultists,¡± Ciel tried to laugh it off. ¡°Don''t worry. You might not participate in the raid directly but you can still help in other ways,¡± Mita¡¯s expressions softened. ¡°If only you were this well behaved with us,¡± Wendy chuckled. ¡°To what do we owe the pleasure?¡± Damon addressed the visitors. ¡°I¡¯m here to give you an assignment.¡± Ciel turned serious. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Together with Rose, the two of you get along with Viers as much as possible.¡± Damon and the others thought it was a joke but Mita¡¯s expression conveyed otherwise. Rose also didn''t expect her master¡¯s reaction. ¡°Vestal?¡± Ciel asked. ¡°He¡¯s too on guard with me, because I¡¯m a Level 4. The difference in power between us made him put a wall in between, subconsciously or otherwise. Viers needs the warmth of companionship to unravel his thorny heart. You and Rose are the only two capable of doing that.¡± ¡°Vesta Mita, forgive me for asking but why are you so partial toward that man? He¡¯s a criminal, a murderer, a villain, a cultist! Former associate or not. The world is better off without the likes of them!¡± Bryan let out the pent-up emotions inside him. ¡°But the reality of the world is, there are always people like him,¡± Mita calmly replied with clear eyes which unnerved Bryan. ¡°Even if you killed or imprisoned every single wicked person in this world, there will be others replacing them soon enough.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Bryan stammered. ¡°B-but why Ciel? If it¡¯s about closeness, aren¡¯t Rose and her two friends more suitable? Viers gets along with the three of them the most.¡± ¡°Because Ciel is special to Viers.¡± Bryan looked as if Mita just slapped him. ¡°The fact that he rescued Ciel and didn''t leave her for dead shows a degree of fondness. It might be as simple as repaying Ciel¡¯s deed in the past for saving his life, but it is still far better than aggression.¡± Ciel¡¯s friends battled Viers in their first meeting. That might not have left a favorable first impression. ¡°Why I''m trying to work with him and not against him is because he¡¯s strong. His potential, vast. The reason Viers seems at ease staying here is because he doesn''t have a shadow of doubt that he can stay alive, escape, or Goddess forbid, defeat me and Unem even should we turn against him. My oath helps but he¡¯s not the type to trust the word of a stranger at face value, especially when his life is on the line.¡± Mita paused to let her words sink in. ¡°Through a stroke of luck, or perhaps, the Goddess¡¯ guidance, he''s not openly hostile to us. It was his initiative to help Ciel. The Church must recruit him before the Cults do. He will become a fearsome foe.¡± ¡°But his criminal record¡­¡± Rachel said. ¡°The current situation is that we''re in a gray area. I don''t know what actions the Inquisition Order might take. He might very well be sentenced to death but the little things we do will not be completely in vain. Should Viers and the Church have a complete fallout in the future, let him know in his heart that some people in the Church didn''t wish for his death¡­ It might become a path that leads to peace.¡± Mita turned to Rose. ¡°You believe there¡¯s good in him.¡± ¡°I do,¡± she said without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ve always admired that part about you,¡± Mita caressed Rose¡¯s cheek. ¡°To believe there¡¯s goodness in every heart¡­ But I fear your belief will face its true test soon.¡± ¡°...Master?¡± She turned to Ciel and her friends again. ¡°I don''t know how long he will stay with us. Mayhaps only until the Bone Ravens are dealt with, which is an operation we cannot delay. It will happen this week. Until then, I hope the two of you can make him realize there¡¯s a place in the Estellian Church, even for people like him.¡± ¡°...I understand.¡± ¡°Ciel?¡± ¡°Basically, this is recruiting a neutral party... Well, slightly evil, to our side, yes? I¡¯ll do it. Besides,¡± Ciel looked at Rose. ¡°I feel the same as Rose. There¡¯s good in him,¡± she smiled, showing her pearly teeth. ¡°Lady Valentine¡­¡± Rose remembered their first meeting a year ago when she was just a lowly orphan while the other was a noble and heroic Silver Legionnaire. ¡°None of that stifling formality, Rose. Call me Ciel!¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°I thank you both for agreeing to my selfishness,¡± Mita dipped her head. ¡°I believe this will be a good learning experience for the two of you as well. Viers is very practical. His way of doing things might surprise you but discern its usefulness. You might learn something invaluable. As for the rest of you, I hope you all lend them your support.¡± ¡°Say no more, Vestal Mita. We¡¯ll do as you asked,¡± Damon said. ¡°The broadness of your heart has widened my horizons. Thank you, Vestal,¡± Wendy smiled. ¡°Indeed. You act for the good of the Church as a whole. I¡¯m in awe,¡± Rachel¡¯s eyes sparkled. Bryan said nothing, wearing a complicated face Mita didn''t miss it but said nothing to the young Pathseeker. ¡°Lastly, I will make it clear that this request of mine is not about forming a romantic relationship with him.¡± ¡°Wha-?¡± ¡°Ma-master?¡± Ciel and Rose were perplexed by the sudden change of topic. ¡°I will not dictate someone¡¯s feelings. However, let me give you a warning. Choosing someone like Viers as your partner will bring you uncountable suffering¡­¡± Mita¡¯s melancholic gaze was as if she was speaking from personal experience. ¡°Then again, the feeling of love is similar to spring thunder, unpredictable. Take heed of what I said and think clearly before you decide.¡± After some uncomfortable silence, Rachel broke the ice. ¡°Then it¡¯s over for Ciel. She''s only ever fallen for bad guys.¡± ¡°Rachel!?¡± Ciel felt betrayed. ¡°Ahhh,¡± Damon hummed in agreement. ¡°How many times has it been? Three people?¡± ¡°Four and a half,¡± Wendy chuckled. ¡°Wendy! You traitor!¡± ¡°Four and a half? What¡¯s that mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated. Ufufu.¡± The mood turned softer. ¡°I do not only fall for bad men,¡± Ciel insisted with a puff. ¡°The Nikopolis incident.¡± ¡°Urk¡­¡± Ciel grimaced when Rachel mentioned a dark past she didn''t want to recall. ¡°Despite seeing the guy¡¯s black aura, you doubted your gift. A very deep digging was needed to unearth his buried skeletons,¡± Rachel said. ¡°...That was a mess,¡± Bryan sighed. Seeing all four of her friends in agreement, Ciel sounded a tactical retreat. ¡°W-well, those were an immature girl¡¯s fantasy. No bonds were formed. I¡¯ve grown up since then. Now I prefer older, more mature, and dependable men. Yes, men like Paladin Orlando.¡± Ciel was speaking fast, showing her agitation. ¡°Oooh,¡± Wendy hooted. ¡°Someone¡¯s feeling ambitious, going after the number one bachelor of the Legion.¡± Sensing it wasn''t a battleground she could win, Ciel maneuvered. ¡°Besides, even in the one in a million chance I do, which I won''t, this time it will be different. Viers¡¯ aura is not black!¡± ¡°There¡¯s that¡­ Does it mean he¡¯s really a good person at his core?¡± Damon pondered. ¡°Vestal Mita, I¡¯ll be alright. Rose, you be careful, okay?¡± Ciel tossed the ball to the other court. ¡°Eh!? M-matters about love or relationships are too early for me. My time is full doing my duties. I don''t-¡± A visage of a man, a friend that had returned to the Goddess¡¯ side briefly came to Rose¡¯s mind. A love that had ended before it began, staying as a sweet and bitter taste in her mouth. The change in her expression was not missed by Ciel and the others. They made sleazy smiles at the younger girl. ¡°I-I¡¯ve got some training to do, excuse me!¡± Rose dashed to the door. The laughter that followed echoed as Ciel¡¯s remembrance ended. Truthfully, even without Mita¡¯s warning, Ciel didn''t look at Viers as boyfriend material at all. She thought of him as a big kid in his rebellious phase. In Mita¡¯s task, she wanted to become an older sister figure that straightened up her little brother¡¯s waywardness. Therefore she wanted to win against Viers in the sparring match to establish her ¡®older sister¡¯ superiority so the little brother would depend on her. But she lost, defeated by someone younger, someone that she treated like a kid. And that face that he¡¯d made after he pushed her down! Ciel was a duke''s daughter. She was beautiful. She was used to guys chasing over her but Viers was impertinent! This little brother is not cute at all! Let alone liking him, Ciel was starting to dislike Viers. Chapter 241 - Enemy and Friend Viers and Paina were sitting on a park bench on a nice, autumn morning. They looked as if they were relaxing. In truth, they were scouting the Wrights whose mansion was nearby. I need to soul search Paina¡¯s twin, but how? After the incident with Russ where I snatched the lucky item and the scuffle with Paina¡¯s dad, the security is very tight. What to do¡­ ¡°Ah, there you are,¡± a familiar voice made Viers stop thinking about his next crime-to-be. What the- Ciel and Rose were here. He was perplexed looking at the two ladies. ¡°What are you two doing here? Especially the assassination target coming out in the open? And undisguised. Have you lost your mind?¡± ¡°How rude. This is a strategy. If they attack, the strike team will attack their base,¡± Ciel informed and whispered for the next part. ¡°And got two level 4 guarding me in the background.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°Is that Paina?¡± Rose asked, looking at the unfamiliar girl beside Viers who was scattering bird feed. The birdies had gathered as a result. ¡°Hi,¡± Paina waved. Her face was different. Viers, on the other hand, was using his true face. ¡°Aren''t you thinking something similar, wanting to bait a reaction from them?¡± Ciel was right. Viers wanted to know if he was on the Bone Ravens¡¯ list after their disagreement. He was unsure of his standing in their eyes. As for the fear of getting attacked, Level 3s didn¡¯t worry him too much. Even against Level 4s, he was confident in getting out of the debacle intact. ¡°So, what are you up to? You left without saying anything after breakfast. Are you up to no good?¡± Rose said as she sat beside Paina. ¡°I¡¯m a Big Bad Wolf. So-¡± Viers interrupted himself. Ah, there she is. She came here today too. Viers stood up and exchanged greetings with the old blind woman. She thanked Viers for the precious musical instrument and Viers helped her set up, then the old woman started playing her music. ¡°How is it?¡± Viers talked to Paina using mind talk. ¡°...Yes. I can learn better now. She¡¯s amazing. The inspiration keeps on coming.¡± While Paina could hear the old woman¡¯s music while inside Viers, he thought it might be more effective if she heard it directly so he allowed her to come out. To Viers, it was just nice music but to Paina it might be something else. ¡°Aww, aren''t you nice? See, you can be nice,¡± Ciel was pleased. Of course I can be nice. But this is nothing. It proves nothing. ¡°That reminds me,¡± Viers changed the topic. ¡°Mita is a sound Pathseeker, right? Why is she in charge of you, a wood Pathseeker?¡± ¡°Master Mita teaches me general skills. The specialization comes later.¡± ¡°Does she play music?¡± ¡°I don''t think so. Sound Pathseekers aren''t always bards.¡± Viers engaged in small talks with the two Legionaries while a nice BGM was gracing the park. Paina stayed quiet and Rose knew it wasn''t proper to disturb her. Some park goers were giving glances at the group, giving looks of envy because Viers was surrounded by three beauties. ¡°You¡¯re doing this for her, right?¡± Ciel said to Viers while looking at Paina. The corporeal ghost was too distracted to realize. ¡°This is as good a journey as any. Why not help someone that needs it in the process?¡± Viers¡¯ answer pleased Ciel. As I thought. He¡¯s redeemable. Now that I checked again, it¡¯s unmistakable. His aura is not black¡­ He¡¯s a bit cocky but it¡¯s a sign of his insecurities. I must make him feel accepted. While Ciel was thinking about how to (sort of) seduce Viers, a youth stumbled upon the scene by chance. He was stunned, at a loss, then his emotions erupted. Viers, in his vigilance for assassins, picked up his presence shortly but showed no such thing on the surface. I can tell what he¡¯s thinking. ¡®Is that Viers!? It is! What is he doing here? And he¡¯s next to Ciel, my first love. Uwoooh! I AM ANGERYY!¡¯ When the red-haired youth was close enough, Viers made a convincing startled face, as if he was seeing a ghost. ¡°M-Max?¡± ¡°Clench your teeth!¡± Max punched Viers on the cheek. Viers had to stop his reflex to counter, then he felt confused. To Max, Viers was a criminal that destroyed his hometown, a hated enemy. If so, why in the world would he give Viers a non-lethal punch? The first strike was crucial. If their positions were reversed, Viers would have given Max a Rasengan in the face, no questions asked. Then he would have shot twelve bullets into his chest before burning the body to ashes. Must be a hero thing. It¡¯s so in the movies. Can¡¯t paint the protagonist in a psychopathic light to keep the PG-13 rating. What a wuss. At any rate, I can make use of this. Welcome to Valkut, Max. I¡¯ve been waiting for you. So were the thoughts inside Viers¡¯ beautiful mind while he was nursing his bleeding mouth as he lay on the ground. The punch had that much force and Viers gave zero resistance to make his shock seem real. It was Viers¡¯ way of greeting an old acquaintance. *** Messy, was the word that came to mind when Viers recalled what happened next. Max was enraged but lacked the decisiveness to end Viers in cold blood so they made a scene. Ciel tried to break them up but it was no use. Rose and Max were strangers although they came from the same town. It was Paina who showed her identity that made Max calm down slightly, enough to make him listen. Paina, just like Viers and Farley, was Max''s classmate. Since the park was not a suitable place, they all went to the abbey. On the way, Max was eyeing Viers like a hawk. He wasn''t about to let Viers get away from his grasp. In the abbey, Mita was visibly super busy making preparations to attack a cult base but she still made time to elucidate the avenger to the truth. Viers shook his head. Good people had it tough. During the retelling of Viers¡¯ story, Mita, Ciel, Rose, and Paina were present. Viers and Farley, two important figures of the Luxore Calamity, were not in the room. Because he had more important things to do than hours of accompanying Max. Why waste his time? He¡¯d already foreseen how things would go. Either Max would try to kill him, which Viers would kill him for -as he had no intention of dying- or Max would tolerate Viers. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. After knowing the truth, it took Max until sunset before he confronted Viers. He found Viers on a rooftop, meditating, training his Victa usage. Even now Viers strived to get stronger whenever he could. ¡°Hello, Max,¡± Viers opened his eyes after sensing the youth¡¯s presence and stood up. The greeting was said in the tone of Hannibal Lecter. It was the same smile too. Paina was beside Max. The other members of the Church seemed to be giving them some privacy. ¡°Paina and the others told me your story. Farley, you¡¯re here too aren''t you? Come out,¡± Max''s tone was not to the degree of commanding but it was only a tiny bit short. Viers wanted to humor him so he sacrificed a bit of his Victa to conjure Farley. ¡°Max¡­ You look well,¡± Farley said. Paina and Farley were forbidden by Viers to mention they had seen Max during Aletro¡¯s trial. Four students of Luxore town¡¯s Adventurers Training Center were reunited under the light of Valkut¡¯s red sunset. From her voice and gait, Farley showed sympathy for Max. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened.¡± Max said nothing, only maintaining a stern gaze. ¡°I thought you two were dead. Viers too, until I saw his wanted poster a while ago¡­ Paina aside, I never thought you two were in bed with the cultists. I lost all my family last winter¡­ Do you have any idea what it feels like?¡± Max¡¯s voice was quivering from anger and hate. ¡°Your family did this,¡± Max accused Farley. ¡°It might not be by your hand but you are complicit! I¡¯m sorry? I have no use for your pity! And you!¡± Max pointed his finger at Viers who was listening with a neutral face. Farley was showing a guilt-filled expression. However, Viers sensed from the soul connection that Farley was not feeling guilt whatsoever. The girl was a good actor. Farley¡¯s priority was saving her sister, Gwen. She was prepared to make the world her enemy if that was what it took. Viers liked her conviction. ¡°You could have stopped Farley¡¯s father but you didn''t!¡± Max spoke the truth. The circumstances back then were dangerous. Viers acted only after he was sure he was safe, which was after Benjamin extracted every soul from everyone in Luxore. Farley, Gwen, and Paina included. ¡°And then, you used their souls as a sacrifice to become a soul Pathseeker! Fuck your reasoning that they were already dead! Don''t you realize how messed up that is?¡± Max gritted his teeth so hard they drew blood. The two accused still said nothing. ¡°...Do you regret any of it?¡± This was, Viers realized, the core of the conversion. The thing that Max wanted to hear the most. Every emotion, every pain, culminated at this moment. Viers weighed his answer in microseconds. ¡°No.¡± Viers and Farley spoke almost simultaneously. He could lie, but what was the point? Max did not have enough value to be worth cajoling. Farley was also telling the truth. Paina frowned hearing their answer but she knew them well enough to expect that answer. Max, on the other hand, looked as if he was stabbed. ¡°...I¡¯ll never forgive you two. Do you hear me? I¡¯ll never forgive you!¡± It was a raw, primal roar from the depths of Max¡¯s soul. ¡°Will you kill me then? To avenge your family?¡± Viers asked with an eerie calm. ¡°No. I hate you but I''m different from you. Mita told me about your future trial. I¡¯ll make sure you get the full justice of the Church¡¯s tribunal! That''s my revenge!¡± Max turned his back and walked away. ¡°...What happened to the souls you sacrificed at Luxore?¡± Max stopped and asked with his back still turned, concerned about the ultimate fate of the people dear to him. ¡°They safely went to the afterlife,¡± Viers said truthfully. This time Max really left, jumping down from the roof, leaving Viers and the two souls tethered to him. ¡°Not gonna go with him?¡± Viers asked Paina. ¡°You know I cannot go against you so why ask a pointless question?¡± Paina and Farley went back into Viers¡¯ soul space. Pheew¡­ Finally, the drama is over. In the end, Max chose to tolerate me. Quite the heroic choice. He¡¯s got that shonen protagonist spark since the first time I met him. So you¡¯re still going down with the hero route, hm? You said you¡¯ll make sure I get judged by a court but I¡¯ll make sure to do everything in my power for the opposite, so I won''t get dragged into the trial. I amass power precisely to unchain myself from the world''s limitations and norms. Viers looked at the last light of the day. As an evil person, I¡¯ll reach the apex of my Fable¡­ This is my justice! *** Two moons were shining in the night sky. Viers didn''t go to the mess hall afterward. He had had enough drama for the day. I should give Max some space. Seeing my face might cause another confrontation. Food is not an issue; I have plenty of supplies. Because of the venue, Viers once again delayed training his Profound Codex. He couldn''t afford to be powerless with so many hostile parties around him. One of the reasons he wanted to quickly finish his business in Valkut and return to a place where he could spend his night in peace. Un? ¡°Boy, we¡¯ve got another guest. Since when did our tour become so lively?¡± ¡°Never, actually. It''s just us five, minus or plus some. Putting down bushfire this, sudden crisis that¡­ The hectic part still hasn''t changed though.¡± Viers heard the voices of Bryan and Ciel. Viers, with his habit of erasing his presence which made the two not realize he was around, hiding on the rooftop. His enhanced hearing mutation made spying on conversations easy. ¡°Rose and others first, then Viers and Paina. Now Max. All good kids,¡± Ciel said. ¡°Except one?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just in his rebellious phase. He¡¯s not rotten to the core, Bryan. Try to get along.¡± ¡°We¡¯re like oil and water. I don''t get what you''re all seeing in him. I like the new guy. Max, right? I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do great in the Legion,¡± Bryan gave his opinion. Oh? ¡°I didn''t think we''d get to meet Fire Sage Barakal¡¯s, a Saint¡¯s successor. Life is truly mysterious,¡± Ciel added. Interesting¡­ Max¡¯s white fire has that kind of back story? ¡°His help in the cultist base raid would be a great boon,¡± Bryan said. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s the day¡­ I¡¯m sorry I cannot help. Mita and Unem won''t let me. Be careful, okay? Take care of Damon and the others for me.¡± ¡°Leave it to me!¡± There was a pause in the conversation. ¡°Ciel!¡± ¡°Eh? W-what¡¯s wrong, suddenly?¡± Viers couldn''t see them, only hear. He didn''t know what happened, only that Bryan¡¯s heartbeat was racing. ¡°When you got separated from the group, I thought I lost you.¡± The voice was soft and intimate, like a whisper in one''s ear. ¡°A-ahahah. W-who do you think you¡¯re talking to? I¡¯m fine. I will always be, see?¡± Ciel¡¯s heartbeat also quickened. And her breath¡­ She was nervous. ¡°Ciel, I love you!¡± ¡°!!!¡± Oh wow! A confession! Bryan followed through with his pursuit. ¡°I know my status is incomparable to a duke¡¯s daughter but my love for you will not lose to anyone! Will you¡­ give me a chance?¡± Silence again for a few seconds. ¡°Bryan, I thank you for your feelings. You¡¯re a really really nice guy, but-¡± Bryan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Viers heard. ¡°-I¡­ I cannot return your feelings. I love you but as a brother, as a friend¡­ Forgive me.¡± The silence was deafening. ¡°...Forgive what? Did you do something wrong?¡± Bryan spoke normally. ¡°Aa-aah~ I got rejected as expected. Aww, shucks.¡± ¡°I am sorry, I truly am¡­ C-can we stay as friends?¡± Ouch, Ciel. Ouch. That''s cruel. ¡°Are you saying we¡¯re not friends anymore? Of course we¡¯re friends¡­ Now excuse me. I¡¯m gonna cry my sorrows out. Tomorrow I¡¯ll be back to normal. See ya.¡± Bryan ran. ¡°B-Bryan, wait!¡± He didn''t. ¡°Oh¡­ Dammit, Ciel! Can''t you do it better? Bloody hell¡­ It will be so awkward after this. What should I do¡­¡± Viers imagined Ciel was squatting and covering her face with both hands and left the college girl equivalent alone. Welcome, Bryan, to the vaunted friend zone! Let me introduce you to a fellow resident, Jorah Mormont. Get used to that heartache, boy! Inadvertently, Viers grinned. He put his hands on the back of his head and softly reclined, lying down facing the night sky. He saw someone behind him from his position. Viers was not surprised. ¡°It¡¯s not nice to eavesdrop,¡± Mita said. ¡°Since you''re here too, your words lack persuasion,¡± Viers riposted, recalling fitting music in his head. Chapter 242 - The Struggling Light ¡°We¡¯re off,¡± Rose gave her last farewell. ¡°Be careful,¡± Ciel said for the eleventh time. ¡°Dia, keep them safe,¡± Viers poked the head of the little sprite on Rose¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dia will!¡± The munchkin replied while jumping lightly. Rose and Dia were able to bolster each other¡¯s abilities. Dia¡¯s instruction was to keep herself safe, then Rose, then everyone else. Not purely out of the goodness of his heart, of course. By lending Dia to her, Viers got some goodwill points and¡­ Now I have an informant to tell me what¡¯s going on later. Hehehe. The raiding group was standing in a magic circle wearing full battle gear, all ten of them. Viers, Ciel, and other people from the Valkut abbey stayed behind. The situation was like the train send-off scene of soldiers going to war in the movies. While Ciel talked to her five-man group, Viers exchanged silent eye contact with Mita before nodding, wishing her good luck. The Vestal had treated him well and kept her word despite him being their enemy. Never once did she try to go against his back. Viers gave respect where it was due. The woman that was as tall as his chest was a woman of integrity. ¡°Transfer in ten¡­ nine¡­¡± Damon said. Except for Unem, the original residents of the Valkut church didn''t come. They were tasked with guarding the compound. The group was only one of three participating in the cult raid. Two Level 4s, Mita and Unem were the two leaders. Seven Silver Legionaries consisted of Damon and Rose¡¯s group. Lastly, Max. The youth gave Viers the look of hate but did not start anything. It seemed his wish to join the Silver Legion was true. Helping the raid might prove his competence and was in line with his goal of eradicating evil. Viers wondered how much stronger he got since the events in Aletro¡¯s book a few months ago. ¡°Be good and wait for the good news, okay~?¡± Unem gave a hug to a young novitiate boy that was crying. Viers had seen him before during his stay in the abbey. ¡°-one¡­ zero!¡± With a flash of light, the ten had moved to another space. ¡°Stay safe¡­¡± Ciel muttered. ¡°Priest Baker, if you please?¡± ¡°Certainly,¡± a Level 3 elderly man moved with two other priests to another room and the abbey¡¯s barrier was activated shortly. The clergies slowly left to do their daily tasks. Viers was looking at the blue barrier from a window with determined eyes. ¡­I should get ready too. *** Ciel was praying to the Radiant Lady to watch over her friends, just like the majority of clergies. Suddenly, she felt a significant disturbance. Like a house suddenly lit on fire nearby, Ciel was feeling the heat. It came from somewhere in the abbey¡¯s territory. She suspected it was an attack. As one of the strongest combatants remaining, Unem gave Ciel shared mastery of the church¡¯s protective barrier. There were many uses of the barrier, such as suppression. Just in case Viers was trying something in this sensitive time. Ciel went to the source of the disturbance immediately. A Level 2 monk was similarly coming to investigate. ¡°It comes from the training hall,¡± Friar Pato said. When Ciel opened the door to the separate building she was awash by the thick sensation of magic. ¡°Viers! What do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± In a hall that could accommodate a hundred people, Viers sat crossed-legged in the center. The ground was covered with faintly glowing green sigils. Viers¡¯ Victa was swirling around him like a whirlpool. ¡°Preparing,¡± Viers said. ¡°Preparing what? Whatever it is, stop this now!¡± Viers was in the middle of a ritual-type soul Arte, that much was unmistakable. Ciel¡¯s mind was exploring the aftermath of Viers becoming hostile. She took a fighting stance. ¡°Preparing for an attack. So when it happens, I¡¯m jacked up.¡± With Aletro¡¯s soul attainment, Viers became one of the most experienced soul Pathseekers on the continent, comparable to the old monsters that had lived for centuries. He wasn''t skilled in using ritual Artes before, but he could now construct a soul one expertly. What he was doing now was applying a strengthening Arte on himself using a soul method. What riled up Ciel was how volatile his Arte was. Through the complexity of the formation and the potent effect, Ciel thought Viers was using a Forbidden Arte. Artes that were too strong. Dangerous for the user and their surroundings. They were heavily regulated by the authorities. She wasn''t wrong. Arte - Soulmight Celebration. An Arte born from Viers¡¯ acquired soul mastery; while still early in its inception with much room for improvement, it was already above the standard of its kind. By consuming souls, Viers would gain immense strength. Unlike Myriad Souls in One Arte, this one gave only a temporary strength boost. But what a boost it was. It took some time to set up but it was perfect when knowing there was a tough battle ahead. Ciel felt Viers¡¯ aura was as strong as she was at her peak, Level 3 high! Normal strengthening of increasing one small realm was already great but two? Viers was supposed to be Level 3 low and he had risen two stages! He was strong before yet Ciel was confident she could stop him if she used all of her strength but now? She was no longer certain. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. And he hasn''t hit the limit yet! But that method¡­ Don''t tell me- ¡°Viers, are you getting stronger by eating human souls?¡± Ciel was using a threatening tone. Heh, as expected, the Church people become touchy when it comes to humans¡¯ -or other intelligent races¡¯- souls. And Ciel¡¯s pretty good. Despite having no soul background, she saw through the essence of this Arte: consuming souls. ¡°Relax, I used monster and animal souls. Even I hold some respect for my fellow man and I''m not heartless enough to desecrate the souls of the innocent.¡± The latter part was a big fat lie. ¡°At any rate-¡± But Ciel seemed to buy it, to Viers¡¯ surprise. ¡°-stop that Arte now. That kind of technique always puts a heavy burden on your body. The possibility of you losing control also exists. There¡¯s no attack so turn it down!¡± ¡°For now,¡± Viers lightly said. He showed no signs of being strained by the Arte at all. ¡°Honored guest, please calm down. Although it is the lesser version, the protective barrier enclosing the compound is the same as the one used in the Holy City. The Church''s barrier is impregnable,¡± Friar Pato assured him. Give me ten good men and I¡¯ll impregnate the bitch, Viers thought. The three of them heard the sound of the Church¡¯s barrier breaking down. Ciel and Pato made astonished faces. Haaah¡­ You can''t resist, can you, Fate? Viers sighed in his mind. Just after I said it. Ciel conjured her sword, shield, and armor with a flash of light. Almost instantaneous. Then she pointed her sword at Viers. ¡°Have you betrayed us?¡± It took two seconds for Viers to shake off the confusion and see things from her perspective. Because the timing was too good, Ciel thought Viers must be collaborating with the invaders. Aww, shoot. I¡¯m just preparing for a clich¨¦d development and got suspected of aiding the enemy. There was a loud noise. The wall was broken by slashes from darkness beast claws. Viers had seen a similar technique before. ¡°Oh? What do we have here?¡± Lykin walked in from the opening, walking past the rubble. ¡°Lover¡¯s spat?¡± ¡°Ah, perfect. Ms. Lykin¡­ or is it Mrs.? Either way, would you kindly explain how you kicked down the Church''s barrier? ¡®Cause they suspect me of abetting you.¡± ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Friar Pato was aghast. ¡°The barrier is supposed to be impregnable!¡± This guy really likes to use that word, doesn''t he? ¡°Don''t underestimate the Ravens. No barrier is impregnable, especially from simultaneous breakthroughs from inside and outside. Meet Fergus.¡± Lykin twirled her hand and a boy was being carried by a floating clawed hand as big as his body. The boy was the one hugging Unem earlier. ¡°Novitiate?¡± Ciel sounded betrayed. ¡°No¡­¡± Pato was similar. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I''m sorry¡­¡± Fergus kept repeating as tears streamed down his face. ¡°Don''t blame the little kid. Just a tried and true method of taking his family hostage and some threatening. There¡¯s more. The barrier is powered by a ley line and what do you know, I have a Valkut city official eating from my hand. It wasn''t even hard. Ohohoho¡­¡± ¡°The raid¡­ is a trap?¡± Ciel probed. ¡°What did you guys do?¡± Viers scouted his surroundings. There didn''t seem to be any other intruder beside Lykin. But she was enough. There was no force currently capable of matching her. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s real. Your forces are very much winning. Remaining in our base are mostly cannon fodder but there are also those that didn''t make the cut. Some sacrifices needed to be made.¡± Ah, the good guys got baited into a trap made by the bad guys. Classic. Lykin let go of Fergus. Pato pulled the boy close to him. ¡°You don''t seem to despair yet,¡± Lykin looked into Ciel¡¯s eyes. ¡°Pinning your hope on the hidden Level 4 guardians perhaps?¡± Plural? Lykin pulled a head from her inventory item. ¡°There were two people. After I took a head from one, the other ran like a bitch.¡± Hmph. External strength. Ever always unreliable. ¡°¡­Friar Pato, please bring the others to safety.¡± There was a grim sort of resolution in Ciel¡¯s voice. ¡°Lady Ciel-¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± Ciel shouted and Pato obeyed, bringing the scared novitiate with him. ¡°Cultist! Your target is me, right? Leave the others out of it.¡± Viers wondered if he was in a classic trope exhibition. Ciel was nailing them left and right. ¡°Make me,¡± Lykin gave the sexy and deadly version of a woman¡¯s smile. ¡°Viers, are you going to fight?¡± Ciel asked while blaring her Victa. She was raring to go. ¡°Now cool your head a sec. She specializes in killing light Pathseeker. Even with me joining-¡± ¡°Then please leave! Holy Light!¡± Ciel began fighting Lykin despite what Viers said. Viers looked away from the sudden advent of bright light then he was swallowed by his own shadow. ¡°Viers!¡± Ciel cried. But a more profound darkness swallowed them all. Ciel¡¯s light was extinguished. Like before, Ciel tried to shine a light but it was no use. She couldn''t even see her hand in front of her face. The darkness was the blackest black. ¡°Domain,¡± said Lykin¡¯s voice from somewhere in the darkness. ¡°Unlike last time, the old virgin isn¡¯t here to help you. And the water-soul boy also can''t help you in his special prison. Ciel Valentine¡­ Have you realized your end has arrived?¡± Ciel calmly breathed. ¡°My life for the Goddess¡­ Yaaah!¡± Despite the lack of vision, Ciel managed to put up a fight against Lykin, showing the mettle and quality of a Silver Legionnaire. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Come!¡± Lykin sounded pleased. The battle raged in pitch-black darkness. Meanwhile¡­ ¡­What is this? Lykin said he was in prison but he wasn''t. He could see the figure of Ciel and Lykin fighting just fine. It wasn''t because of his Euryale Sight, Viers wasn''t strong enough for that. What are you up to, Black Widow? Viers was very close to invoking one of his Level 4 countermeasures. Good thing he managed to stop at the last moment. At any rate, Viers watched the intense battle as Ciel showed her full power. It surprised Viers. Compared to Freya from back then, Ciel was far above. Ciel¡¯s spec was very high. Her offense, defense, speed, and technique, all were extraordinary. She didn''t have a particular specialization but was an effective and fierce fighter. She was an all-rounder, similar to Viers. The difference was Viers put extra importance on offense and speed in his battle style while Ciel favored using her shield. Unfortunately, she was against a stronger opponent that eclipsed her in every way. ¡°Arte - Asterism Glow!¡± Despite the light element being heavily suppressed in the Domain of Darkness, Ciel managed to create a nebula-like spectacle. It was her most powerful Arte yet. ¡°You¡¯ve fought well, but this is the end.¡± Arte - Claw of Heresy! Viers saw Lykin turning her right hand into something demonic. Purple-black, four-fingered, and bigger than a human hand. It was no darkness Arte. It was the same feeling from Mita''s injury. The antithesis of Holy: Fell. Viers frowned. Taking it head-on would be very dangerous, even for him. As for Ciel, she might be done for. Viers was considering losing her hand but his position was bad and the darkness all around him was impeding his movement. Viers had a cold sweat. Not good¡­ Ciel¡¯s gonna die- But Ciel¡¯s eyes were not dead yet. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this,¡± Ciel smiled ruthlessly. ¡°Mirror Force!!¡± The claw of fell¡­ reflected! There was a bestial shriek of pain, like an animal being mauled. Chapter 243 - Dealings in the Dark Wuoooh! Ciel pulled a ¡®trap card open!¡¯ against Lykin! Viers eyes widened seeing it. He couldn''t see Lykin at the moment. From the sound of it, Lykin was injured from the blow. The domain of darkness wavered slightly as she got hit by her own attack. Ciel¡¯s masterstroke had an effect. Ciel was breathing heavily. The reflection technique seemed to have taken its toll. ¡°Ugh!?¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Viers shouted. The fair-haired warrioress gasped as the injured Lykin, eyes shining with purple light, suddenly appeared before her with a savage expression, striking her chest with a palm strike. Armor or not, it made no difference. Viers felt the shockwave of mana from where he was standing. That was it, he thought. Ciel had struggled mightily and put up a good fight but that was the finishing blow. ¡°...Ahh, Hells and Damnations. Fighting you Silver Legion guys is always such a pain,¡± Lykin coughed. Part of her clothes were torn and there was a gash on her left shoulder. She applied a healing Arte on herself and then swiped her messy hair back using her hand. ¡°Now, water-soul boy, you were saying?¡± Lykin released Viers from the flimsy prison and faced him. The Domain of darkness was still active but they could see each other fine. While Lykin was straightening herself out, Viers examined Ciel. She was still in the position from when Lykin had struck her, frozen in time. Her eyes didn''t move in the slightest nor was her heart beating. ¡°Is she dead?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Stasis,¡± Lykin walked closer to Viers. ¡°...Can darkness Arte do that? Or fell?¡± ¡°Not mine. It¡¯s a stasis magic item. But as she is, I can do whatever I want¡­ You want to save her?¡± Instead of answering, Viers waved his hand and a single rune slowly floated toward Lykin. It wasn''t an attack. ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Lykin gave it a flick and the rune shattered. The next thing she knew she was in a small white room with Viers. There was a desk in which Viers sat on one side and Lykin on another. ¡°A soul space. Now we can take our time speaking because time is slower here,¡± Viers said. It was also to establish secure communication. He was still on Church¡¯s grounds, which might have surveillance. On top of that, Lykin had deployed her domain, which might have a recording or other undesirable functions. Viers didn¡¯t trust any of them. ¡°A skillful soul user, aren''t you? Such mastery for one so young¡­¡± Lykin said with some awe after looking around. Her current appearance was perfect unlike in the after-battle real world. ¡°Truly, who are you, boy? Are you actually a prot¨¦g¨¦ of one of those soul manipulator old coots?¡± ¡°Dumuzin? Nahhh. Religions are not really my thing.¡± ¡°How did you get this kind of skill without guidance? A master? ¡­On second thought, it doesn''t matter,¡± Lykin waved it off. ¡°What do you want and why should I listen to you.¡± Alright, this is it. Girls, get ready if things go south, Viers messaged his tenants. Viers put out his negotiating face. ¡°I want to cut a deal for Ciel¡¯s life.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Lykin played with the tip of her hair, eyes studying his facial tics. ¡°What is she to you?¡± ¡°She¡¯s an investment,¡± Viers said something that the Church¡¯s people weren''t supposed to hear. ¡°There is a life debt between us¡­ or several. She¡¯ll pay me back. She¡¯s too good of a person to ignore it. She¡¯s a duke¡¯s daughter, right? That¡¯s a mighty high standing. I¡¯m willing to pay a reasonable price for you to not go through with the killing contract.¡± ¡°For us, not following through with the contract has very dire consequences which I doubt you can shoulder. I suppose if I refuse, you¡¯re ready to fight to save the lady in distress to your last breath?¡± ¡°Should you refuse, then it can''t be helped,¡± Viers shrugged. Lykin waited for the follow up. There was none. ¡°...That¡¯s it? Didn''t you buff up for a fight?¡± Lykin saw the ritualistic soul markings on the ground when she entered. ¡°It¡¯s for precaution. I didn''t know who would be coming, how many there would be, in case the other party wouldn¡¯t listen to reason, and so on. I had to be ready. Glad it¡¯s you. As I said, I won¡¯t do anything. I feel bad about Ciel but I won''t fight a fight I cannot win. I¡¯m not a hero. I can survive but win? A waste of time and energy to even try.¡± If Viers was really trying to not get involved, he would have left the abbey behind and hid in a hole somewhere. Totally doable for him since he could turn into a slime. ¡°Alrighty then,¡± Lykin smiled, turning a hundred and eighty degrees. ¡°I won¡¯t kill her.¡± ¡°...What''s the catch? I haven''t said my offer yet.¡± ¡°A favor-¡± Viers¡¯ face turned ugly. She wants a blank check? Fuck that shit. ¡°-not. Think of this as my investment in you,¡± Lykin changed her narrative after seeing his apprehension, borrowing his word of investment. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°A debt?¡± Viers frowned. ¡°Nothing so binding. I like you, boy. Rather than squeezing you for paltry resources, my womanly intuition told me sowing good karma between us would be much better.¡± The concept of karma was also present in this world. Viers wondered if it was a universal law. Viers was considering whether it was worth taking a gift with strings attached. ¡°...I¡¯ll have the right to refuse when the time comes,¡± Viers said after thinking hard about it. Farley and Clarissa voted to refuse while Paina voted to accept but it was Viers that made the final call. Viers saw value in Ciel. If by saying no Lykin would kill her then¡­ Unfortunately, I have little choice in the matter. Negotiating from a weaker position sucks! ¡°Splendid! I was right about you. My eyes don''t deceive me.¡± Lykin stood up and the white room collapsed. She terminated the soul connection. The white room wasn''t an entrapment, she could leave anytime. The two found themselves in a pitch-black space, Lykin¡¯s Domain was still active. Next, Lykin severed Ciel¡¯s right arm. A cut near the shoulder. Viers didn''t flinch. A massive amount of blood flowed out. Ciel was still in stasis and didn''t seem to feel a thing. The cultist put out a bottle for the blood. While waiting for the container to be filled, Lykin spoke. ¡°Whoopsie! My true goal is not her life but her blood all along. Ohohoho!¡± Lykin put her hand in front of her mouth as she laughed like a haughty noble lady. ¡°We who got dispatched for the mission were told by the higher-ups to kill her because of the contract and the Arte-fodders seemed intent on doing that without thinking¡­ but not me. You can''t survive in this field if you''re only good at killing.¡± ¡°Boy, you seem to have some ideas about her family but you don''t understand the true scope of what it means to be a member of House Valentine. There¡¯s also her identity as Silver Legionnaire¡­ Truthfully, killing her will bring more trouble upon my head than benefits so, I contacted the client and made a deal with them. I¡¯ve negotiated an alternate objective, her blood.¡° Lykin didn''t tell Viers that even if she wanted to, she couldn''t kill Ciel right now. The life-saving measures on the Silver Legionnaire were top-class. However, Ciel being on her mercy was true. Lykin could bring the time-stopped Ciel somewhere and slowly kill her. Whuuuattt? So I basically got into debt for nothing?! Viers felt he was scammed! Not that I intend to follow through with the deal if the cost outweighs the benefit in the first place but still¡­ scammed! ¡°Don''t make that kind of face, darling. My aim is to have a long and healthy relationship,¡± she chuckled. Lykin carefully packed the bottle with Ciel¡¯s blood then she stopped the bleeding by applying some medicinal gel. ¡°I¡¯m done here. I¡¯ll go before someone troublesome shows up. Bye~¡± ¡°Wait. The others cannot see what¡¯s happening here?¡± Against a Level 4 in the opposition, Viers had prepared to suffer some sort of loss from the start. Viers wasn''t happy about being tricked but she¡¯d got no demands. It was still within his acceptable range so he did not pursue the matter. ¡°Yesss?¡± Lykin curiously asked. ¡°Then attack me. Make me half-dead. It¡¯ll make me more credible in their eyes,¡± Viers was basically asking to get bombed. ¡°Ohh, use a little of that fell attribute of yours. Let me experience- Ghuuuagh!!!¡± Lykin gave him what he wished for with a grin on her face. A dark energy blast enveloped Viers until he lost consciousness. ¡°My, my, my, my, my,¡± Lykin approached Viers who was now sprawled on the ground; he was terribly wounded, eyes showing their whites. ¡°Oh?¡± Lykin felt a whiff of danger from the unconscious Viers. She felt¡­ a gaze? It was as if there was an invisible giant snake coiling Viers protectively and the snake was looking at her with hostility. ¡°Still have insurance? I like you more and more, Viers my boy. Here¡¯s a gift for being so interesting. Now then, until we meet again~¡± Viers didn''t hear a thing, unconscious as he was. Neither did he feel the goodbye kiss on the cheek. Shortly, the Domain was deactivated. The blob of black that cut off a portion of reality was no more. Priest Baker and two other Level 3s that were shepherding the members of the church away took it upon themselves to investigate. They saw Ciel, missing an arm, crying above Viers¡¯ chest. The boy with a complicated identity was in a wretched state, lying in a pool of his own blood. Although, like Ciel, he seemed to have received first aid. The assailant was nowhere to be found. There was only a letter. *** ¡°Ixi Arte - Life Dew of Restoration!¡± A flower grew from a seed on Rose¡¯s palm. It dropped a single dew into Max¡¯s mouth before wilting. Soon, Max gasped as he regained consciousness. ¡°What happened?¡± He rasped. ¡°We¡¯ve escaped the entrapment,¡± Conn said while bandaging his wounds. ¡°Thanks to you holding the line long enough for backup to arrive.¡± Max looked around and found he was in a big room that was turned into a field hospital. From the walls, Max reckoned they were still in the Bone Raven''s base. The devil worshipers had made a big underground castle three days'' ride away from Valkut city. There were many injured. The healers and nurses were in a frenzy. ¡°You¡¯re stable now¡­ but your body is a wreck. It is caused by prolonged use of a Forbidden Arte, right? Max, you can''t keep doing that. Your body won''t hold,¡± Rose said worriedly. ¡°I have-¡± Max coughed. ¡°-to get as strong as possible. There¡¯s still one more person I have to bring to justice¡­ He¡¯s a stronger soul user than Viers. Wait! We¡¯ve got to hurry back! Wasn¡¯t the abbey attacked?¡± ¡°Calm down, friend,¡± Damon pressed Max, who tried to get up, back down. ¡°Vestal Mita and Abess Unem are discussing it. We might have to mobilize shortly so regain your strength as much as you can.¡± ¡°Ciel¡­ be okay,¡± Wendy looked nervous. ¡°And the cultists?¡± Max asked. ¡°The assassins have been suppressed. We¡¯ve captured those that surrendered. Other groups are just mopping up¡­ Still, we should have known better. It was a diversion. A Level 4 breached the abbey,¡± Rachel cursed. ¡°...I don''t think it¡¯s a diversion. Rather, Lykin sacrificed the small fries so she had a shot at Ciel,¡± Bryan looked impatient. He wanted to hurry back to Ciel¡¯s aid as soon as possible. ¡°Everything is fine now,¡± Mita approached them, bearing good news. ¡°I have received communication from priest Baker. The situation has been resolved. No casualties. Unem is already on her way back.¡± ¡°Ciel?¡± Wendy asked. ¡°Lost an arm, but her life is in no danger.¡± ¡°What happened to Lykin?¡± Damon thought the news was too good to be true. ¡°It seemed both Ciel and Viers managed to hold back Lykin long enough until someone rescued them.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Unknown. The rescuer had already gone before the priests arrived. He or she only left a letter after giving both of them first aid. It said it was because of Ciel''s past kindness, keeping their identity hidden.¡± ¡°Heheh, doing good is worth it. It¡¯s the result of her good deeds. The Goddess be praised,¡± Bryan chuckled. ¡°The Radiant Lady watches over us,¡± Mita also felt relieved. ¡°Let¡¯s-¡± Only Mita felt the tear in the fabric of reality but the rest felt the foul mana that leaked out afterward. The Legionaries were familiar with this mana but the others weren''t. ¡°What? What happened?¡± Max was confused. ¡°Legionaries,¡± Mita said grimly, watching the dark corridor. ¡°Help the injured evacuate. Now!¡± Damon, Wendy, Rose, and the others did as they were told. The non-legions were not as efficient. Some were skeptical, some were too injured. Soon, a tide of demonic beasts came pouring out from the deeper interior of the assassin''s base. Mita acted as a one-woman bulwark. The cultists had used demons! Chapter 244 - Why Do You Want To Be Strong? When Viers woke up, he felt like all of his bones were broken. He also felt a taint, must''ve been the Fell Arte remnants. With a sample, thorough analyzing and countermeasures could start. It was night and there was someone sleeping at his bedside, Ciel Valentine. The blonde beauty still looked elegant in her sleep. ¡°On your left,¡± Viers said softly with a light smile. Ciel was overjoyed by his awakening, so much so that tears were building up. Viers supposed she felt responsible for his injury. It was in his favor that she thought so, it was all good. After the initial reaction had passed, she went out to call the healers. He saw her severed arm had been reattached successfully. ¡°Alright Clarissa¡­ Status report.¡± Before he went under, he had given Clarissa the task of keeping watch and protecting him if necessary. Viers had supplied the soul energy necessary for her to stay awake, unlike Paina and Farley that went into hibernation. Apparently, he was unconscious for two days. The Church had been giving him the best treatment. No hostile actions from them. The raid on the Bone Raven¡¯s base was successful. However there was some sort of demonic infestation in the aftermath. So, Lykin left a letter. It¡¯s insinuating a mysterious savior although there¡¯s no such thing¡­ but it makes things easier for me. Quite the consideration she¡¯d got. This might not be her first rodeo. ¡°Oh, Lykin left you a gift,¡± Clarissa said with a bit of a sour undertone. ¡°I know. I feel it.¡± ¡°You do?¡± The lamia was a little surprised. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a Level 4 soul inside me¡­ What¡¯s wrong?¡± It was the hidden bodyguard of Ciel that Lykin killed. She gave a female water Level 4 Pathseeker soul to Viers. ¡°...Nothing.¡± Viers did not pry. He didn''t feel the need or wanted to. Heh, how cute. How could Viers be oblivious to her feelings? He wasn''t mentally challenged, zero self-awareness clich¨¦ Japanese MCs. However, he wasn''t ready to accept or refuse her feelings. For now, power was his priority. Viers iced romantic subplots. Though, I wonder what made her pout. Did Lykin do something to me? ¡°Kiiin!¡± Dia jumped from Rose¡¯s shoulder to land on Viers¡¯ chest. There were a couple of other people with them. Healers and some familiar faces. ¡°Oouff. Hahaha. Careful of the injured person, girl. Glad you¡¯re okay. All of you too. So, what did I miss?¡± *** From Dia, Viers got a clearer picture of what''d happened in the raid. The base was real; many low-level cultists had been arrested but the higher-ups managed to escape. As a parting gift, they released demons. They infected beasts and monsters inside a Biome with demonic energy and then let them loose on the world. A man-made Beast Tide. Left unchecked, the demonic monsters would catastrophically damage the region''s stability, turning other monsters into demons. According to his knowledge, demons in this world were not a race. Devils were a race, resident of Hell. Demons were beings corrupted by Hell¡¯s energy. Therefore all devils were demons but not vice versa. Set loose in the material world, demons would spread their taint on monsters, vegetation, nature, and people; turning them into more demons. Monsters turned into demons were aggressive and feral. They became stronger and more dangerous. What¡¯s more, they turned into undesirable opponents. In this world, monster hunting was an economy. People risked their lives, spending precious Victa to kill monsters for their cores, selling monster parts for money, turning resource-rich environments into habitable zones or sources of wealth, and so on. However, Hell energy corrupted everything. Demonic monster cores were useless. Using them for learning Artes would make Pathseekers lose their minds. Using equipment made from demon body parts? A recipe for slowly turning into demons. An ecosystem altered by Hell energy was like cancer upon the world. Hence, fighting demons did not bring any benefits but needed to be done else the contamination would spread and the world turned into a second Hell. It¡¯s like a tanker oil spill, only the oil is alive, malevolent, and wants to spread everywhere. Since ages past, this heavy burden, which adventurers and the like avoided like a plague, fell upon the shoulders of the Silver Legion. ¡­Damn. Good guys have it tough. Perhaps it is possible to extract some value from demonic materials but not enough research and breakthroughs. It¡¯s a taboo subject, after all¡­ Or simply not enough power to cleanse them. Level 5, or higher might be required. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Using demonic outbreaks to squander the Legion¡¯s human resources and power has always been the devil cults¡¯ favorite trick. Mita and the others, the entire Valkut abbey people actually, were busy working like ants. Even Ciel went to the battlefield. Meanwhile, Viers was still in bed, recovering. The busy air was getting to him. He was like the lazy guy that lazed around while the people around him were frantically working. He felt bad not helping them but Viers kept his eye on his true objective and to that end, focused on getting better. But, no matter how busy, humans still got to eat. ¡°Morning. You three came a bit late,¡± Damon greeted. ¡°Apologies,¡± June apologetically said. ¡°Many morning prayers.¡± ¡°You all must be hungry. Take a seat,¡± Mita invited. Rose, June, and Conn sat on the long chair matching the long table. The breakfast had been served and ready. Rose took a seat next to Viers, who had recently been able to walk without assistance. Rose greeted him and his little familiar that had been sneakily eating a cherry. Dia¡¯s cheeks ballooned like a squirrel¡¯s. ¡°Since we¡¯re all here, let¡¯s eat. We thank the Radiant Lady for providing us with sustenance. Please bless this table¡­¡± Unem said grace before eating. Viers was used to it. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, they said. The lively breakfast began. Viers was quite surprised by how positive they remained in the face of demonic adversity. To the masses, the demons might be a big deal but to these guys? Demons posed a danger to them like any other people but they were demon-killer specialists. Viers got the impression this was just another day in the office for them. The Bone Ravens¡¯ threat had also been uprooted. Hats off to you, mates. Viers¡¯ seat was with the Silver Legionaries. Max was there too. The Church''s people were quite chatty during the eating session so a lot of conversations were going on. Viers mostly kept his mouth shut and listened. ¡°Master Mita, can we expect House Chevry to send reinforcement?¡± ¡°Doubtful. They seem to be busy excavating some ruins. They didn''t say it out loud but they blamed us for the demon outbreak. A resource point of theirs already got corrupted by the demons.¡± Conn and Mita¡¯s conversation got him piqued. House Chevry¡­ Isn''t Candice, the stuck-up girl that asked for my help to deal with three bandits, a member of that house? Wendy, Rachel, and June were talking about the Underbelly. Max and Bryan seemed to have become chums. Damon and Ciel were hashing out the details about supplies. Viers had things going on in his mind, such as¡­ Why haven''t they found out that I¡¯m Tanael yet? I think the soul affinity thing is already a massive give away but none have asked me about so much as the T from Tanael. Is it to preserve the status quo? ¡°-is that your reason?¡± ¡°Yeah! To protect those important to me from evil and disasters.¡± Max answered Bryan¡¯s question with confidence. ¡°Pretty much the same reason as us. But some of us are more on point. Take Ciel for example. She focused on justice. Her Profound Codex is also related to justice,¡± Bryan showed approval. ¡°Our youngest sister is a justice girl,¡± Wendy joked. ¡°Hey! I don''t like your way of saying that¡­ although it¡¯s true,¡± Ciel grumbled. ¡°There¡¯re Rose, June, Conn, Max, and Viers now. She is not the youngest anymore. Ciel is the one happiest that you guys have joined us in this journey, you know? ¡± Rachel said. Oh? She put my name there? ¡°So what about you?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Amidst the laughter, Bryan asked Viers. ¡°Why do you want to be strong?¡± Bryan clarified. ¡°...Come to think of it, since the Luxore days, I have seen you train like crazy every day but I don''t know why,¡± Max¡¯s eyes were fixated on Viers. The mood was slowly changing. ¡°Bryan¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a question, Ciel.¡± ¡°You don''t have to answer about your private matters if you don''t want to, Viers,¡± Mita interjected. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± Viers replied. ¡°Bryan¡¯s right. It¡¯s just a question.¡± Viers showed his intention to answer but he didn''t do so right away. After basking in some silence, he turned to Rose on his right. ¡°What¡¯s your guess?¡± Viers didn''t stop at Rose. Damon and Rose¡¯s group members were asked. They gave their shot. Mainly Viers had a dark and tragic past. Finally, Viers said: ¡°I want to be special.¡± ¡°The holy book says that everyone is equal under the Goddess¡¯ eyes,¡± Bryan said. ¡°Right¡­ So how come your religion only has one Popess instead of millions? Or why did Rose here get chosen by an angel and you¡¯re not?¡± ¡°Sacrilege! You-¡± Viers raised his palm before Bryan¡¯s mouth could spew fire. ¡°I¡¯m just stating facts. I''m not here for a religious debate. I wasn''t an orphan who grew up super poor. I wasn''t abused or abandoned by my parents. My family didn''t get eaten by a pack of marauding goblins while I hid in the cellar hearing them screaming. I was born in an ordinary middle-class family. No hidden inheritance or specialties, and no dark past. I want to become strong by choice.¡± Viers pressed a finger against his temple. ¡°Then the question is how to be strong.¡± ¡°Looking at your record, by killing and stealing?¡± Damon asked. ¡°To gain cultivation resources,¡± Viers didn''t deny it. ¡°What else is there for people not born in blessed circumstances? You seize the opportunities yourself. I don''t want half-baked strength. I want to be the best there is.¡± ¡°Adventurers, joining a School, working under a big House, there are many options to gain cultivation resources. Many people have done so, without stooping down to evil,¡± June said. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Live virtuously!¡± Viers turned to the people that said that, younger kids at another table. About fifteen, Level 0. Baby chicks that had just started walking the Path of Power. They shut up and winced when Viers simply looked at them. ¡°Do you know that most adventurers are stuck at Level 2 because they have no Profound Codex? Not to mention how many people your age become monsters¡¯ dinner?¡± Viers faced the legionaries sitting at his table again. ¡°In the Path of Power, cultivation resources are one of the main ingredients. Without them, even the greatest seed will grow up infirm¡­ As for joining organizations, that also is not as easy as you might have thought. Without a special background, Pathseekers commonly become adventurers. Those that stand out early get recruited into organizations, schools, clans, vassals, what have you. Well, what about the untalented? Would these organizations want these bloodsuckers lessening their resources? Shouldn''t they give their talented members priority? They would be a fool not to do so¡­ Thus, the taverns and gutters of this city, or every city really, are filled with unwanted Pathseekers. Some genuinely lack the aptitude to rise, some are not able to because of the lack of resources. Ask Max if you don''t believe me. He¡¯d seen it first hand.¡± Viers turned to Mita. ¡°Would the Legion accept every resource-starved Pathseeker in this city?¡± ¡°...No.¡± Chapter 245 Viers returned back to Bryan and the others. ¡°Miss Mita gave a sensible answer. You all are legionaries of the Silver Legion. Similar to joining the best organization in the land¡­ have you people got showered with more cultivation resources than you need?¡± Viers knew the answer was no. For Pathseekers, there were never enough resources. ¡°We must earn our keep, just as people work to eat,¡± Wendy said. Employee mentality, Viers inwardly scoffed. ¡°There are people who have worked less and gotten more to eat. The rich and powerful, mostly. This applies in the world of Pathseekers and Idlers. I chose the ugly way for more cultivation growth. That is how, I, an ordinary person without a special constitution, bloodline, or inborn ability, become as strong as you see now. Argue however you want, the result is real.¡± ¡°Are you really? The way I see it, you don''t seem ''ordinary'' to me,¡± Damon said. ¡°From the ordinary, I turned myself into extraordinary. I steal my destiny from the hands of fate. Using your words, by killing and stealing. Because I really want it.¡± Also joining an organization means you must work for them. You have responsibilities to them and your freedom lessened. I¡¯m sure if Damon and the others didn''t have to do missions, like the useless job of combating the current demonic infestation, and only focused on their cultivation, they would be much stronger than they are now. Then again, they have to work before getting those resources. Furthermore, if every person was selfish like me, the world would be fucked. Indeed, the fewer people like me that exist in the world, the better. Viers turned to Conn and June, the ones most affected by this. ¡°Your needs will only get worse from here on out. As Level 3, the resource-heavy Arte Infusement¡¯s door is open to you, where you make your Artes stronger by burning cultivation resources. That¡¯s before touching Level 4 and 5¡¯s requirements.¡± Viers took a deep breath. ¡°Here¡¯s the cruel truth. The resources in this world are finite and we Pathseekers are competing against each other to gain more resources. For every single Pathseeker reaching Level 5, thousands or millions of people will not embark on the Path of Power.¡± If Viers could erase half of the living beings in the universe with a snap of his fingers, he would. Starting from the strongest one, because he was biased. ¡°For what?¡± Piercing the silence, was Rose. She looked straight at Viers¡¯ eyes as if trying to connect to him on a soul level. She wasn''t trying to one-up Viers. It was simply an honest question that came from her heart. ¡°After you get as strong as you want using your method. What is it all for?¡± Viers was familiar with this kind of armor-piercing question. In movies or other fiction, the hero who was trying to show the villain how wrong they were usually gave this kind of question. ¡°We are the sum of what we achieve. Not what we intend,¡± Viers replied calmly. ¡°...That may be true but your method isn''t going to make you any friends, Viers,¡± Rose added. ¡°That doesn''t bother me.¡± ¡°It is¡­ a sad achievement, to be standing alone on a mountain of corpses, Viers,¡± Ciel said with all the pity she could muster. ¡°Maximum benefit only to yourself. What selfishness,¡± Max criticized. "All I see before me is a misguided fool that is going into Hell after the end," Bryan did it too, but more harshly. Hmm? Viers felt the crowd turn against him. Usually, it ended a step before, after he gave his weighty speech, but not these guys. They were the Silver Legion. They represented the best of the people. The torch that light up the darkness. They were heroes and heroes never give up. That would be unheroic. ¡°Viers,¡± Unem said kindly. ¡°Laboring for others¡¯ sake is not that bad of a thing¡­ I¡¯ve found my life¡¯s purpose through doing it.¡± Somehow that discussion expanded, including the topic of good and evil. ¡°I was imagining a future where there¡¯s only people like you. Everyone is fighting each other for the slimmest of advantages. The weak are oppressing the weaker until the weakest are discarded and forgotten¡­ Seems like a true Hell,¡± Rachel shook her head. ¡°It is the justification of evil dictators and vicious warlords used for their atrocities,¡± Damon gazed straight into Viers¡¯ eyes, showing Viers his firm will. ¡°You''re weak, Viers. You don''t have the willpower to pick the harder path and choose the easier one. We come from a similar background but I don''t do what you do to achieve our current level,¡± Max berated. Amidst the righteous rebuttals, Viers stayed silent. There was no point in opening his mouth. They were entitled to champion whatever they believed was right. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Viers believed in a simple concept. The winner was ¡®right¡¯ and the loser was ¡®wrong¡¯. Time would tell which is which. ¡°Look, the point is, evil never lasts. The people won''t tolerate it, and the Church will keep this world that the Goddess created safe from evil influence. As we¡¯ve done for thousands of years,¡± Ciel said. ¡°Ah, that reminds me. There was a case of tolerated evil that your side turned a blind eye.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ciel narrowed her eyes at Viers¡¯ remark. ¡°History is a bit of a hobby for me, you see. I collect info about the past. Two centuries ago, on this very land that we now call the Free People Coalition, stood a vast empire, the Coriz Empire. The people were hungry and poor. The civilians had no rights, basically slaves. All resources were only for the top, monopolized by the Coriz dynasty and those chosen by them. Life was regulated and mandated. When a child was born, other people decided what that child would become. People had no freedom to eat what they wanted to eat. As if it was not enough, rumors were the Empire tried to regulate their mind, making the slaves even more like cattle. For 260 years they ruled this land.¡± This is at an age where non-Pathseekers have a life expectancy of thirty to forty years. Although this current era is not that much different. Pathseekers could live long¡­ if they are not killed. ¡°Similar things still happen today, societies catering to the needs of the wealthy and powerful, just not as extreme as Coriz¡¯s case. What brought the Empire low was not a natural disaster or some other great calamity but a revolution by the people. Not a crusade by the Estellian Church.¡± They got worse with time. In their height, there are records that people were put into concentration camps and killed systematically for life-extending blood rituals or something similar. Honestly, the atrocities the Coriz Empire did are almost the same as the Third Reich. ¡±It was a country of evil that brought suffering to the masses but the Church didn''t launch a crusade against them and instead let them go on. Why?¡± Viers asked the table with people that condemned evil just before. ¡°You¡¯re implying the Church failed to walk the talk?¡± Bryan frowned. ¡°Two centuries had passed since the Coriz Empire¡¯s dissolution. There might be other circumstances but the Empire reigned for 260 years. What had the Church done during all of those times? If that is not tolerated evil, what else do you call it?¡± ¡°No-¡± ¡°That¡¯s not-¡± Mita and Wendy spoke at the same time. ¡°...You knew?¡± Mita asked. ¡°Yes, Vestal.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°I, uhh¡­ might have gotten lost in the restricted section in the library a few times,¡± Wendy confessed bashfully. ¡°Your lecture comes later. For now, you have my permission to share it.¡± ¡°But¡­ Vestal?¡± Wendy glanced at Viers. ¡°It''s an open secret. Our denial already made Viers realize the Church was involved. He will arrive at the conclusion soon enough.¡± ¡°Alright, people. Storytime is over~¡± Unem said to the clergies while clapping her hands for attention. ¡°This topic might be too heavy for us. And we¡¯ve got our chores, right? Come on, let¡¯s do our duty to the Radiant Lady.¡± The breakfast hall was cleared shortly. Only the Silver Legionaries, Max, and Viers remained. Out of courtesy, Viers and Max gave their word to not use the information maliciously. ¡°You¡¯ve always been good with history. So that¡¯s your secret,¡± Rachel said to Wendy. ¡°Ahaha¡­ sorry. Okay, so it is as Viers said, what the Coriz Empire was doing is a crime against humanity. During the time there was a great crisis in the south that took up a significant amount of the Church''s manpower but we didn¡¯t abandon the Corizians to their fate, Viers.¡± Viers listened intently. ¡°Coriz, despite how bad the situation was for its citizens, was a sovereign state. The Church couldn¡¯t move openly and denied involvement.¡± Wendy took a deep breath. ¡°But we gave power to the people.¡± Oho, I''ve always wondered how the ordinary folk could stand up against tyranny and overthrow the regime. Unlike on Earth, the masses can''t simply guillotine the king like in the French Revolution. Not if the king can kill them all with a flick of his finger. ¡°Even then, it would have taken years, decades even¡­¡± Rachel muttered. ¡°I see¡­ The greats among the people that the Church backed, or their descendants, become the Coalition''s Governors of the current age,¡± Rose bridged the connection. ¡°As expected, the people of the Church from back then kept doing the right thing. It made me proud to be a member,¡± June sighed in relief. ¡°So there you have it, Viers. Evil never lasts,¡± Ciel said. She expected Viers to dismiss it or try to reject it but what he said next was surprising. ¡°So it seems¡­ Thank you for telling me. You all have given me things to reflect on.¡± ¡°Viers!¡± Rose¡¯s eyes were glowing with hope. ¡°You finally started to see it!¡± Ciel also felt the same, thinking they finally came through with Viers. ¡°Hmph! You still have to answer for your past sins,¡± Bryan added. While the Church people had thought they had made progress in converting Viers, the man himself was digesting the moral of the undisclosed history. Now I know how to counter the Church, at least make them get off my back. And that is¡­ By making a country! The realization dawned on Viers. I finally got what I came for, finding out the Church''s weakness! All that effort and all that pain finally bear fruit! The Church won''t openly move against sovereign states! It must be their policy to keep the matter of religion and politics separate. But in the state I rule, it is I who make the law, which would benefit me the most. After that, I need to construct a pretense that everything is good on the surface and keep the citizens happy. The Church won''t and can''t intervene! It seems my dream of becoming the Lemon King is the right way. The Silver Legionaries didn''t discover what evil scheme Viers¡¯ brain was concocting despite him being at the same table as them, even Mita did not. And how to keep people happy? Why that¡¯s easy! Give them food, clothes, shelter, and an easy life. If they don''t go along with my rules, I take those away from them. Lastly, drown them in entertainment! And what is greater entertainment than one of mankind''s greatest technological achievements, the internet! Evil Overlord List number 100: Finally, to keep my subjects permanently locked in a mindless trance, I will provide each of them with free unlimited Internet access! One of Viers¡¯ megaprojects was to create something similar to the internet from the memories of the soul searched people. In the future, he might not need to do as much soul search to grow his internet. If he could provide money, people were more than happy to contribute. Legions of Youtube content creators had made Viers¡¯ point. Truly, with the list, the forces of good can''t hold a candle to the Evil Overlord! Muahahahaha! On the surface, Viers was showing the face of a man touched by a holy spirit. Chapter 245 - Veni, Vidi, Vici Chapter 246 - De-Stress Since Viers awakened from getting sent to the border between life and death by Lykin, four days had passed. With his healing factor and great treatment, courtesy of the Church, Viers had fully recovered. On this sunny autumn morning, Viers was snacking on a high vitality chicken-lizard wing while listening to the blind old woman make music. Viers had made it a habit to visit her every day. Paina was by his side. While her focus was on the music, Viers¡¯ was on his food. Ahh, the 100 years of lifespan that I sacrificed to Aletro, I''ve pretty much regained it. It really is an OP ability, to gain life force by eating. Is this the third coming of gluttony? Everlife Goldbloom Flower, my first cheat¡­ What¡¯s your origin? Viers licked his lower lip after finishing his beef skewer. The snacks he¡¯d eaten were a bigger portion compared to his earlier breakfast with the Church people. I have about 105 years'' worth of life force right now¡­ The life force I gain diminishes the more lifespan I have. Once there is less water in the tank, the life gain from eating returns to normal. Compared to when I was at Level 2, the limit increased after I leveled up. ¡­Am I practically immortal already? I can still get killed, but I¡¯m immune to death by old age? It was too early to say. Viers didn''t dare to humor the idea although he had suspected this for a long time. For now, he was determined to use his life force wisely. The 100 years¡¯ sacrifice was a one-time thing. ¡°See? He comes here every day. Hi Viers.¡± Rose greeted Viers. The whole Silver Legionnaire group was with her except for Mita. In her place, there was a single addition, Max. ¡°Hello to you too,¡± Rose said to Paina who was next to Viers. Rose had been told to not use Paina¡¯s name in public. ¡°Checking up on me? Don''t worry. As promised, I¡¯ll swing by after I take care of a few things,¡± Viers said. ¡°I¡¯m counting on it,¡± Rachel replied. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Bryan said under his breath but Viers heard it. ¡°Okay then, we¡¯re off. Later,¡± Damon gave a nod. The relationship between Viers and the Silver Legion became mellower after their talk. They hadn''t become friends but it was no longer as awkward as before. The effort was reciprocated from both ends, Viers and them. There were exceptions, namely Bryan and Max. After walking a bit farther, Max asked a question. ¡°What if he runs away? Doesn''t he still need to face a trial?¡± ¡°He might. But currently, he¡¯s not our prisoner, Max,¡± Damon said. ¡°He¡¯s a guest and he can leave whenever he wants to. We¡¯ll wait for the higher-ups'' decision. If the tribunal is called and he¡¯s not present, we¡¯ll seek him out and catch him if needs be,¡± Ciel resolutely said. Hearing that, Viers only smiled. Fearlessly. As they walked the streets, they gathered attention. The eight legionaries were wearing their distinct silver uniforms. Besides Damon who wore full plate armor like British knights of old, the others were wearing lighter body armor. Each had slight tweaks so none of them were truly the same. It bolstered their grandeur, giving uniqueness to each and every one of them, even the fresh graduates like Conn and June. Each legionnaire of the Silver Legion was a hero in their own right, not a mass-produced product. As they went to fight the demons, the masses cheered. Damon and the rest were like celebrities. It was deliberate. After the news about the demons, people needed hope. Seeing the Silver Legion¡¯s presence gave the populace a sense that all would be alright. A little girl gave Wendy a flower. It was a truly heartwarming scene. Max was the odd one out since he was the only one that didn''t wear silver attire. He wasn''t discouraged though. On the contrary, his desire to formally join the league of good guys burned hotter. Sometimes, he also stole glances at Ciel when he thought no one was looking. Viers noticed. Ah, love¡­ a sweet, volatile drug. Oh well. Not my business. ¡°C¡¯mon girl. It¡¯s also time for us to go,¡± Viers said to Paina before addressing the blind old lady. ¡°Marvelous as always, lady. But we¡¯ve got an errand to run. Please excuse us.¡± ¡°Oh, what a dear young man. May the Goddess be with you,¡± the blind lady replied to Viers¡¯ politeness. Oh, spare me from that¡­ Seriously. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Since they were in the public space, Paina didn¡¯t turn incorporeal and returned inside Viers as usual. As she walked behind Viers and looked at his back, she sighed. She was in the doldrums. What is Viers¡¯ aim in getting along with Rose and the Church? What is he planning? Although she wasn''t always awake, she had been with Viers 24/7 for almost a year. She knew Viers better than hoping he was turning over a new leaf. He was too stubborn -or resolute depending on how one looked at it- to his villain ways. When the break happens, I¡­ Paina checked in when they were at a desolate place. There were many places of that nature on the way to Viers¡¯ destination. ¡°Yo, Skinny Dog! What have you got for me?¡± Why the man even chose to use that name is beyond my understanding. ¡°Mister Viers,¡± the Level 3 information dealer called Viers using his true name. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve underestimated you. Using what sorcery can a criminal be granted a place inside the Church¡¯s walls? I¡¯ll make it worth your while.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not selling, I¡¯m buying. So?¡± Viers spoke to Skinny Dog maintaining a degree of civilized conduct with only a thin veil masking his disdain. The man sat behind a mafia-like desk, giving the impression of an underworld kingpin. But he wasn''t the top boss in the Valkut underworld, far from it. Not the best information dealer either but Viers dealt with him anyway because the alternative was making contact with people stronger than him. Viers didn''t like the man. He trusted Skinny Dog as far as he could throw ''im. The reason, his face. Not only his face. His appearance, his character design, everything! People that have consumed mangas, animes, toons, games, as much as I have, can identify a bad guy from their character design. Their evilness shows in their face, hair, smirk, or fashion statement. The insanity of it. Especially in cheap cultivation manhua or battle manga. A new char shows up in chapter 100? Just look at their design and you can identify if they are on the protagonist¡¯s side or an antagonist. You can somewhat determine their importance too, from their design. Although Skinny Dog didn''t look like a drawing, Viers still made a connection. He ticked all the boxes of a one-arc-throwaway character. For now, the shady man could give him useful information, if the info was genuine. Viers always checked. He didn''t try to pull anything¡­ yet. They say you shouldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover. Well, the cover is what everyone sees first! After finding out an effective method of dealing with the Church, Viers put his efforts into completing his original objectives. One main and two sides. Making a country is still very far in the future. While it might be effective against the Church, making it won''t be a walk in the park. Soul search Pinaca Wright, harvest benefits from the numerous ruins in the area, and get the Coriz Royal''s hidden power located somewhere out in the Leslie region. Skinny Dog could help with all three objectives. The main quest was finding out Paina¡¯s origin. With Jerrold -the father- being strangely murderous, soul searching Paina¡¯s twin was the key to unraveling the mystery. Viers tasked Skinny Dog to shake many trees so Viers could find an opening. Max, the key to the hidden power of the Coriz royals, was busy helping the Silver Legion with their demon problem so his search for more power was impeded. Viers had Skinny Dog monitor the Leslie region before. This was before Viers knew where Max was but as Fate had strangely arranged, both he and Max were living together in the abbey so Viers no longer needed Skinny Dog¡¯s services. Max had shared that he came to Valkut to find Fire Sage Barakal¡¯s inheritance¡¯s other half, Ebony Fire. He¡¯d gone to Foulfae Swamp and found the ruins that contained a clue but he had no idea where he should go next. He needed to do some leg work first but since he found Viers, Max made changes to his plan. This must be the case of a player getting sidetracked by side quests while the world doesn''t stop spinning. In games, doomsday seems to follow the hero¡¯s schedule. Napping while the hero is busy doing chores. Ha! What an insane concept. Still, I¡¯m not the key bearer. Max is. And he¡¯s currently too busy to seek the sealed power of the Coriz royal line. My guess is we¡¯ll find a strong obstacle in the near future and only then would Max endeavor to seek the Ebony Fire¡­ Classic. ¡°If you went to the Foulfae Swamp, how did you get past the Level 4 undead?¡± Viers asked when Max was telling his story. ¡°I didn''t encounter any undead,¡± Max replied. There was no development from the first and second objectives but Skinny Dog came through with the third. Viers browsed through the documents about promising ruins. Those that were still worth delving into. There was something all of them had in common. One, they were under the control of prominent figures of Valkut city. Two, they were dangerous. Two centuries had passed since the Coriz Empire¡¯s dissolution. This area got struck by a calamity and many areas fell into ruins. In time, grave robbers and treasure hunters flocked to this place for riches. It was obvious the unconquered ones were difficult. ¡°This one,¡± Viers resolutely picked. It was a ruin under the management of House Chevry. Naturally, Viers picked this particular ruin, taking wealth from its owner, because of a certain girl. Revenge is a dish best served. Period. Hot, cold, rotten, doesn''t matter. If time allowed, he might have gone for more than one but he was doing this side quest to fill time until there was an opening to kidnap Pinaca. If he was not pressed for resources, Viers might forgo any ruins exploring and focus solely on Paina and the hidden treasure of Coriz''s matters. He wanted to get Valkut''s main quest over with and get away from the Church people. Ciel and her friends were forced to enter Valkut region because of the assassins. With the assassins gone, their next agenda was cleaning up the demon mess. What about after that? Viers suspected they would focus on him so he must leave before it came to that. As for the Valkut once-a-year exit limitation, Viers was convinced it was not absolute. There must be some way of getting out, with the Governor-King¡¯s consent or not. Viers bought information about the Chevrys and the ruins from Skinny Dog. He could barely cover the fee. Which was a sad state of affairs. My monetary situation is quite dire. I¡¯m actually this close to bankruptcy! Wealth from Aletro¡¯s trial has been mostly used up. Time to gain wealth again. Decent people will do honest work and slowly gather wealth again but a villain like me? I¡¯m gonna go plundering from my enemies. And the unlucky lot this time landed on House Chevry. My condolences but like many others, you all will become a step to my rise in hegemony. Viers was feeling a bit stuffed regulating his bad behavior while in the company of the Silver Legion. He wanted to de-stress and this was how he was going to do it. Chapter 247 - Trickster ¡°Water Slash!¡± Viers¡¯ water-clad claymore hit the charging bull in the flank. ¡°Mm?¡± The bull was undaunted. Its eyes were mad red. Saliva spewed out as it bellowed. ¡°Slip Sleet!¡± Viers slapped the ground, stylishly. The ground near Viers was covered by water and ice. The bovine demon slipped and gouged a boulder instead of Viers. ¡°Water Chains! Azure Edge!¡± Viers stopped its movement and stabbed his claymore into its skull. ¡°CAAAW!!¡± From behind, four mutated birds as big as Steller''s sea eagles dived at Viers. ¡°Entangle!¡± Dia manipulated plant roots and branches to catch the birds but she missed one. ¡°Ah! Kin!¡± Viers¡¯ hand let go of his claymore that was still embedded in the bull¡¯s head, and using his Victa-coated bare hand, karate chopped the demonic bird mid-flight. Arte - Cut the Crap! This time he didn''t say the name of his first self-created Arte out loud. Fast, simple and clean Arte to cleave his enemies in two. Contrary to his presumption, the bird didn''t get cut into two, only swatted down to the ground. ¡°Impertinent!¡± Viers stomped the bird with the force of an elephant. It still didn''t die so he gave it two more helpings. The Rank 1 avian monster was finally dead. Viers pulled his straight sword from his storage item and glanced at Dia who was choking the life out of the three birds. The roots¡¯ sharp ends punctured the demons¡¯ skin. Certain she had them handled, he dashed at the nearby Conn who was about to be encircled. ¡°Water Sword Rain!¡± Thirty water swords were conjured by Viers and flew forward. They stabbed the demons in various places, softening them before Viers arrived. ¡°Thank you! Zaaah!!¡± Conn punched a scorpion-tailed tiger and a few of its teeth fell off. ¡°Just concentrate!¡± Viers replied as he stabbed another tiger in the eye. With his other hand, he Force Pull-ed the claymore he previously left behind. Viers joined the battlefield where the Silver Legion contained the demons. This was his first time fighting demons for real and they indeed were troublesome. For instance, the bull and bird earlier. Viers knew those two species. Before demonification, the bird would have died from his karate chop. After demonification, Viers had to give it additional hits. That was just a Rank 1 demonic monster. Viers was a Level 3. ¡°Incredible¡­¡± ¡°This is the Silver Legion¡­¡± Other than Rose and friends, there were other combatants. Mostly city guards. They were in awe looking at the Silver Legionaries'' battle prowess. Although Viers and Max weren''t one, they fought at the same level as those silver-clad paragons. It made outsiders think they were one of them. Hm¡­ Max has improved considerably. Of course, Viers did not use all of his strength. He did just enough to match the level of Bryan and the others. The reason was to save his Victa. As he expected, fighting demons was truly a Victa-burner. ¡°Viers!¡± Rose shouted. Her rapier was slick with demon blood. ¡°With me! We¡¯re going to break the group on our right.¡± ¡°Roger that! Dia!¡± The mini dryad¡¯s hands turned into vines and she extended them, latching onto Viers before retracting. The three of them went to face another enemy group. Viers had a break from the continuous fighting an hour later. ¡°Good work,¡± Ciel clasped his shoulder after the gang arrived at the back camp. ¡°We¡¯ll take it from here.¡± ¡°Send them to Hell,¡± Viers said while feigning tiredness. He was tired but not as much. ¡°On it,¡± Wendy replied. The Legion took shifts. They wouldn''t last otherwise. Ciel, Wendy, Rachel, and June would cover the hole that Viers and the others left behind. Mita and a couple of Level 4s were at a deeper area, attempting to seal the Biome where the demons came from. Supposedly, true demons made in Hell are even stronger. Wow¡­ ¡°Here,¡± June offered Viers an energy drink brew which he accepted with gratitude. Not as delicious as modern sports drinks but he would take what he could get. ¡°Thanks Viers, you really helped us out,¡± Rose smiled brightly despite looking worn out. ¡°You did,¡± Max grudgingly acknowledged. ¡°Why can''t you use that power for good?¡± ¡°Aren''t I?¡± Viers gave his signature confident daredevil smile. His tenants knew Viers had a hidden agenda for coming to the demon-infested area. Other than gaining my first experience of fighting demons, the field tests of my new Arte were excellent! During the battle, there was a time when he and Mita were in close vicinity. Arte - Subtle Soul Gravity! Collecting souls was frowned upon. At the swamp, Mita chastised Viers for trying to take a monster¡¯s soul. Even before, Viers usually only collected souls if there were no people nearby. He didn''t want to take risks at some random Level 4 or 5 realizing he was a soul Pathseeker. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. But with this new Arte, which Viers developed after analyzing the arrangement that the Foulfae Swamp¡¯s undead created, Viers could absorb souls very stealthily. Souls gravitate towards me as if I were a natural force of nature. Mita and the other Silver Legionaries didn''t realize anything. What they don''t know, won''t hurt them. Kishishishi! It was partly because Mita didn''t think Viers would be crazy enough to collect demonic souls but Viers was all about expanding his Horizon. Hmn, even the soul is polluted after becoming a demon. It emits corruption¡­ Thoughtless use will be harmful to me. Demons really do corrupt everything. Viers treated the seventy plus demonic monster souls he harvested like radioactive material and quarantined them in a separate soul space under strict surveillance. He would find ways to turn them into something useful. Out of the seventy, twenty were Rank 3 monsters and two Rank 4 monsters. They were not human souls so Viers couldn''t use Myriad Souls in One Arte on them but it was still a good haul. To return to my Grand Soul state, I¡¯ll need a lot of human souls. This Arte will be useful for gathering them¡­ Oh, if only there was a war breaking out nearby. I could simply stay at the periphery and reap benefits without losing anything. After resting, Viers continued contributing to the war effort until nightfall and the area was sealed with a barrier that thirty people created and maintained. After a hard day¡¯s work, the Legionaries were on their way back to the abbey. Teleporting was expensive so unless it was an emergency, they used a normal method of traveling. ¡°Alright folks. I need to take care of private matters so I¡¯ll separate here. Bye~¡± Viers said his goodbyes. ¡°Are you up to no good?¡± Ciel half-jokingly asked. Because of her gift, she didn''t think Viers was a truly bad guy. ¡°You wound me,¡± Viers said with an exaggerated hurtful face, hand on his chest. When have I not? ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s a joke. I trust you. Stay safe~¡± Ciel sent him off with a wave and a smile. Ignorance is bliss. *** Not too far from where Viers fought the demons, there was the remnant of a town. Most of it had been covered by dirt as if decades or centuries ago it had been showered by landslides. What used to be a town of the Coriz Empire was in the process of returning to the earth. The site resembled a mine and although sparse, there were people. All were members of House Chevry or on their payroll. Viers sneaked in uninvited, going through one of several guarded entrances to the underground. The cover of the night was great for Fade in Shadow Arte. Similarly, the dark subterranean caves provided plenty of darkness for Viers to take refuge from unfriendly attention. According to Skinny Dog, a great ancestor of the Chevry left a great inheritance for his descendant. Only, it seemed that the ancestor set the bar too high. And so, for hundreds of years, it slumbered. Waiting for the worthy to emerge. The current matriarch of House Chevry was nearing the end of her life. The Level 4 was so old, vitality boosting items no longer had any effect because she¡¯d eaten so much. Once she was dead, the situation would turn from bad to worse. The family had no other Level 4 and was already on the decline. Thus, House Chevry put the retrieval of the inheritance high on their priority list. According to the records that the ancestor left behind, besides the main inheritance, there were other valuable assets. They''d hoped the inheritance could give the family a boost of strength. Candice was the most promising among the young generation to reach Level 4. Viers sneaked into the ruins intending to get that inheritance. If he could not, the ruin was underground. They hid it but there was a mana crystal mine vein discovered nearby by a stroke of luck two and a half years ago. It gave them an absurd amount of wealth. Viers planned to gobble that money as much as he could. Before Viers reached the true inheritance ground he had to first traverse a long and winding man-made tunnel. Rumors are that the Chevry ancestor asked his friend, a fellow Level 5 earth Pathseeker, to construct all of this. Man, Level 5 is something else¡­ Time is short. Let¡¯s get this side quest finished in one night! More than two centuries had passed. Earthquakes, cave-ins, subterranean monster migrations, and many more made the tunnels pretty dangerous. Only recently was the effort to push to the center resumed. Before, the mana crystal mine was the only thing of importance in this place. As he roamed the equivalent of four floors of an underground shopping mall, he caught sight of many monsters. The monsters came from deeper underground. He regularly passed by monsters who were in the middle of fighting the patrols tasked with keeping the passages safe. According to the info, the top powerhouse in this mine is a Chevry elder with Level 3 peak cultivation. But even though the house is declining, it was once a great house. He must have magical means and abilities. I should not let my guard down. And yet, his Fade in Shadow Arte was bolstered by more than 450 percent. A Level 3, no matter how strong, couldn''t see through his stealth. Viers was careful of booby traps or other detection magical items. That was where his Euryale Sight came into play, sensing traps before he tripped them. Then Viers went one step further. A couple of Level 2 Pathseekers were on patrol. Suddenly, from a dark corner, a hand covered the mouth of one and the other simply dropped down as if his soul had left his body. There was no sound, no trace. Something similar was repeated many times all over the place. He soul searched the weak patrols and guards without remorse. The time needed varied depending on the person but the longest was two minutes. After the soul search, they continued their activities like normal, unaware that Viers had hacked their brains. Viers ended up knowing more traps, sensors, notable individuals, and the topography with every victim that fell into his hand. Ooo, now this is thieving at its greatest! The thrill of the crime! Before Viers went deeper into the main prize, he took the scenic path. The vista of a massive quarry with hundreds of miserable slaves mining mana crystals was certainly something he didn''t see every day. Foremen with whips and tongues no less abusive cracked at various men -a few women- of multiple races. Robust-bodied beastfolks, ogres, and humans broke stones, gathered the precious crystals, and put them into carts which were then carried elsewhere. A hero would save the slaves. Unfortunately for them, it was a villain who came. Viers had first thought of getting down there and directly mining the many-colored mana crystals himself, but he thought of a better idea. ¡°Move your legs, you trash!¡± A fat man with a round, oily face shouted at the poor slaves that pushed and pulled the heavy carts full of crystals. They poured the crystals at a depot. There the crystals would be sorted based on their quality and put into crates. The fat man was Busdin Chevry, a Level 3 low who was responsible for the mine. He became Level 3 despite having no talent and drive in cultivation thanks to expensive medicines and supplements. The times the forty-year-old man had been in a life and death battle could be counted on one hand. Why the man landed on an important post such as this was because of his parents. After the slaves were gone and while Busdin was embezzling the crystals per usual, he suddenly saw a stranger beside him picking high-quality mana crystals and stuffing them in his pocket like it was the most natural thing in the world. ¡°What the fuck do you-¡± Viers waved his hand in front of Busdin¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s okay for me to take the crystals.¡± There was a faint hum in the air. The anger on Busdin¡¯s face quickly disappeared, along with his cognitive ability. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ for you to take the crystals¡­¡± Viers opened his Thousand Treasures Casket and put all the crystals he could find inside it. Dia, Faiya, Futon, and his tenants were also helping with the clean-up. Viers¡¯ eyes had dollar signs in them. After the storeroom was nice and clean, Viers turned to Busdin. ¡°You¡¯ll stay in this room and think of a happy vacation.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay in this room, and think of a happy vacation¡­¡± Busdin started to look like a man on drugs. ¡°If anybody asks about the crystals, you¡¯ll tell them a candy dragon ate them.¡± ¡°A candy dragon ate them¡­¡± Viers erased his existence from the man¡¯s mind and erased the security recordings. Lastly, he stripped Busdin of all of his valuables. Because Viers had a generous heart, he let the man keep his underwear before leaving the daydreaming man in an empty storeroom. Chapter 248 - In His Element More than 50 percent of Pathseekers in this world were Level 2 and below, therefore Level 3s were the elites in this world. Level 4s were the great lords and Level 5s were the overlords. On average, only one in a hundred Level 2s were able to ascend to Level 3. Idlers rarely got to meet them. That was why when eight Level 3 Silver Legionaries walked on the street, it had such an impact. Be that as it may, the disparity between trash-tier Level 3s like Busdin with a trashy foundation and the cream of the crop like Rose and the others was as wide as the sea. Those with weak minds and feeble souls were easy prey for Viers¡¯ Soul Mind Trick Arte, a variant of his Soul Hack Arte. ¡°I kinda want to learn that,¡± Paina said. In the White Flowers Meadow, Viers put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Once, I was in your position, when I saw this Arte in use¡­ Perhaps one day you could be a user, just like me.¡± After the haul, Viers was feeling like a million bucks. There were still more mana crystals to be mined but Viers chose time-effectiveness. He moved under the effects of invisibility, running from shadow to shadow until he arrived at a camp. From my soul searches, this place is the staging point for the inheritance. I¡¯m almost there. Many high ends of House Chevry were here. Adding all the helpers, there were more than 20 Level 3s. The overseer Level 3 peak elder should be here too. Viers carefully took his steps. They were all mostly resting or readying for the end of day. It was already late in the night and through their states, Viers could see signs of battle. Oh? That¡¯s Candice. Generous lady, thanks for your family¡¯s hefty donation. This is a~ll because of you. I¡¯ll use them wisely. He bowed slightly, showing his appreciation. Let it never be said that Viers was without gratitude. After patting his Thousand treasures casket, Viers went deeper and left the campsite behind. After a hundred meters or so, he felt the mana in the air becoming erratic. I see. This is why they aren''t setting up camp closer. It was fifteen minutes later on foot that Viers arrived at the inheritance ground, at least the entrance of it. In the middle of an underground lake with mystical luminescent water, there was a stone house-gate thing. The design was peculiar and off the norm. The sight of a structure standing solitarily surrounded by a body of water somehow reminded Viers of a certain house in a manga series about seven dragon balls. This water is the source of the strange mana in the air¡­ It actually interferes with my Victa and I haven''t even touched it. It also jammed magical items, techniques, and communication. Which was why the Chevrys posted guards here instead of laying some super lethal formation protecting the inheritance ground. Then again, this place is pretty protected already. They definitely could fend off a Level 4 coming from the front. Shame I¡¯m not most people. Viers used another Soul Mind Trick on three Level 2 guards that were playing cards to pass the time. Viers made them think everything was normal and nothing out of the ordinary was happening, another boring night watch. Viers bent down and touched the luminescent water in the lake. Similar effect to the power-restricting handcuffs from before. I can''t use Arte if I¡¯m splashed by this mystery water! Viers was giddy. The water itself was a great treasure. If he could bring this water and use it on his enemies¡­ Eh? The water that I put in the jar is losing its magical effect! Damn it¡­ It¡¯s the trope of only-work-in-this-place magic. Viers lost interest in the water and used his Euryale Sight to examine the area. There was some interference from the terrain but Viers had enough control over his body to use his eye technique. First, he examined the water personally before soul searching the guards, Viers began to have some ideas about this place¡¯s deal. Using his eyes to pierce the water he saw that the island was actually the tip of a thin mountain jutting out from the lake floor. The structure above the power weakening water was the entrance to the inheritance. Getting in from the entrance was not a problem. The wooden boats around the lake pointed to as much. Just like the standard template, there were trials. The Chevry expedition force reached this place one and a half months ago and was on the third stage of five, each stage making them proceed downwards. They had been going at it for a few weeks. According to the guards, it would take another five days, give or take, before they reached the fourth stage. Viers could charge in from the center and try his hand at the trial, clearing it using his superior battle strength but that was too inefficient. He wanted to speedrun this joint. The water is interfering with my Intio. If that¡¯s the case! Viers smiled before he jumped into the water. While airborne, his mass increased and shapeshifted. Devadom Orca dived into the luminescent water in all of its aquatic mammal glory. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Viers was too far from the camp for the sound to reach them. The magical surveillance was hampered by the magical water and the guards were indifferent to the 3500-kilo orca making a splash because of the soul befuddlement. While having a bath, Viers felt his conjecture was correct. Ha! Just as I thought. Monster abilities are unaffected cuz they have no Intio! Muahahaha! Viers shot a sprout from his blowhole before diving deep to the foot of the mountain. Earlier, he spotted a slight instability in the mountains¡¯ defensive measures using Euryale Sight. As he swam nearer, the space-attuned Devadom Orca found an opening. The water is there to prevent people from digging through the mountain to get inside. Teleportation jammer arrays also exist but there¡¯s a weak spot! After so long, the array must have degraded. But it¡¯s very minuscule¡­ Before I can teleport in, someone must widen and stabilize the proverbial hole. So two space Pathseekers must cooperate to exploit this flaw, huh? NO PROBLEM! Space affinity Pathseekers were rare, as rare as soul Pathseekers. Ordinary people would be scratching their heads to find one space Pathseeker, let alone two. In Viers¡¯ case¡­ ¡°Ars¨¨ne!¡± A second Devadom Orca descended on the mortal realm! Viers did not send Ars¨¨ne to another part of the world to do his own thing because he thought he would need him in his Valkut main quest. ¡°Time to combine our might!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, partner!¡± Ars¨¨ne-Orca stabilized the path and Viers-Orca space-jumped into the inheritance ground in the mountain, bypassing the trials. Even if a monster tamer Pathseeker wanted to replicate what Viers did, unless the monsters were highly intelligent, skilled, and willingly cooperating, the feat that Viers pulled off wouldn''t be possible. While Viers was not a space expert, someone was kind enough to give him lessons in the space department. Heheheh, you¡¯re too kind, Troy. Too kind. Willingly or not, every soul in his possession would contribute to the prosperity of the Viers Corporation. The CEO demanded it. Viers teleported ten meters from ground level, in a big stone hall. He felt it was dry land below him so he transformed back into his human form. Feet wide apart, right fist on the ground while the left hand outstretched away from his body. The little water that followed him through the teleportation lightly showered Viers as he posed, giving it more flourish. ¡°Lord Viers got style,¡± Farley sharply inhaled. ¡°Show off¡­¡± Paina said. ¡°Though you have to admit, that¡¯s cool,¡± Clarissa commented and Paina didn''t deny it. As Viers rose from the ground while feeling a superhero''s high, he heard a notice. ¡°Inheritor, you have done well so far. Now stands your last obstacle. Defeat this formidable enemy and claim your place as my successor!¡± Viers felt he had missed a movie¡¯s first and second act and arrived in the third but it was an acceptable price for skipping the earlier trials. From the other end of the hall, out of the shadows emerged a hulking metallic golem. Five meter tall, shiny metallic sheen from head to toe, its colossal weight was conveyed through every step it took. It had a thick, broad sword instead of a hand on its right. Based on its energy reading, Viers deduced it had the energy volume of a Level 3 peak Pathseeker with a much more sturdy body. I should have known. I appear in a wide-open area. This is a boss arena. And it has to be a golem. The bane of my water and soul affinities. Where¡¯s Boram when you need him? The golem attacked Viers while making a distinct golem noise, like a vocalized grind of metal. Viers evaded and strategized, analyzing and testing its capabilities while battling it lightly. Hmph, this type of enemy might be the least compatible with me but I''m no longer a green Pathseeker. I¡¯ve got many ways to bring it down. Viers could use his Hyper Arte version of Vortex Nova. Hyper Arte was Viers¡¯ term for pumping an Arte with his abundant life force to greatly bolster its power. Not only that, he would need his Horizon, Paina and Farley¡¯s assistance. However, Viers lacked an important component. He wasn''t able to use his Unreality Field to attack. Which meant the golem would get reduced damage before the Arte hit its body. Considering the toughness of its armor, Viers calculated he would need to hit it repeatedly. This method was too uneconomical for his Victa reserve. Next, he could use Solarion; the divine weapon-class sword that he got after Aravin¡¯s death. The sword was the highest quality weapon in Viers¡¯ current inventory, above his incomplete Spear of Leonidas. That was, if Solarion was at full strength. It didn''t acknowledge Viers as its user and refused to show its might. After Viers used it against Anne, it sulked. The sword had tried to burn Viers¡¯ hand before but since Viers was immune to the burn while wearing his Dragonweave Gloves, it no longer did it. Instead, it was turning itself into a rusted sword, not even sharp like the spear. Viers could force the cheeky sword to shine bright by cramming his Victa into the sword but once again, it would take a gargantuan amount of Victa. He could use the combined might of his tenants and take down the golem as four. He could use the trump card that he had saved for hostile Level 4s. And a couple more of this and that. Viers had many means to defeat the golem. It was only a matter of cost. Viers did the sensible thing by using the least Victa method of disposal. Swimming in the waters outside, taking note of the unique environment and things to plunder, was Orcas¨¨ne ¡°Buoooh!?¡± He was surprised by the sudden appearance of a five-meter golem in front of him. The golem sank into the depths due to its own weight, futilely flailing its limbs in an attempt to swim. Ars¨¨ne had no idea what was going on but he had a guess. Along with the weight of the water, Ars¨¨ne buried it in the lake floor before piling rocks upon rocks on the pit. Here lies a shiny golem. May it ¡®rust¡¯ in peace. Ars¨¨ne chuckled at his bad joke. He was just enjoying the small things in life. Inside the inheritance ground, Viers was dusting his hands off. ¡°Phew. That will take care of it.¡± Viers once again morphed into the Devadom Orca and forced teleport the golem outside. The teleportation jammer in this place didn''t prevent someone from teleporting out, only in. He had to turn into orca form and back twice, some Victa was wasted because of it. It couldn''t be helped. I didn''t know my enemy would be a golem. Its physique was very strong but its mana/energy control was atrocious. A real Level 3 Pathseeker won''t be that easy to displace. Welp, at least I got the chance to do a superhero landing. It''s not a total loss. Time to clean this place out. Hehehe, riches, come to papa. Viers went through the corridor where the golem came from, still on guard for traps or enemies but there were none. There was only an ornate door, with House Chevry¡¯s emblem. After Viers tried to open it but was unable to, magical writing appeared. ¡®Only the Chevry bloodline may enter this sacred place.¡¯ Mmrrrggghhhh! *** Candice was having a dream. ¡°Good descendant, heed me¡­ Come to me¡­ Long have I waited for your birth. By strength and virtue, you are my chosen to lead our family to regain our former glory and beyond. Good descendant, come to the trial ground¡­ Greatness awaits you.¡± Candice¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise. Chapter 249 - Serene Thunder Aviary Pah! Useless¡­ sack of fat! After a busy and tiring day, Candice was eager to get her well-earned sleep, only to be interrupted by a commotion. Busdin, one of her uncles, had lost his marbles. He was found by the retrieval crew that was meant to collect the crystals. Only there were no crystals, only a delirious Busdin. He blatantly stole the mana crystals from the mine and claimed that a candy dragon, of all things, ate them. Candice had seen it with her own eyes. She had to. The elders were interrogating and examining Busdin who turned crazy extensively but to no avail. The prominent guess was that Busdin made deals with an outside party to funnel the crystals for personal gain before the outsiders turned on him. The loss of the crystals was equal to a third of House Chevry''s yearly revenue. A colossal amount! Busdin¡¯s relatives and parents were detained under orders by the furious matriarch. If nothing conclusive came out, she might execute them. That lineage had always been the bad apple in the family. She returned to bed, struggling to sleep because of her anger. Spy hunts and inspections were set in motion but that was not her role. Tomorrow she must take part in the trial again. She knew the house was putting a lot of hope on her shoulders. She must succeed. If only I could get that Ice Lightning¡­ Damn those bandits and that disdainful man! Two out of the five bandits were caught and tortured but the Ice Lightning was no longer in their hands. Probably in the hands of a rival faction that didn''t want House Chevry to rise. It was as good as lost. The last thing she heard of the aloof man was he¡¯d broken out of prison. Candice felt the world had showered her with so much injustice of late. She fell into slumber and was awakened by a voice. It was the voice of her ancestor! ¡°Honored Ancestor, is it you?¡± The voice didn''t answer. There were only echoes of the calling. Try as she might, Candice couldn''t ignore it. She followed her curiosity and slipped out of the camp to the inheritance site. She didn''t tell anyone because what should she tell them? I heard the ancestor calling me? People would think her crazy. She must ascertain it. The temptation of greatness made her disregard the more logical whispers in her mind. When she arrived at the lake, the guards were all asleep. Normally she would have chastised them for dereliction of duty but her thoughts were all focused on a black and white monster that surfaced from the lake. A Devadom Orca! The girl and the orca were unmoving for the first few seconds. Candice strangely felt wisdom and intelligence behind its purple eyes. Was this an avatar of her ancestor? Such thoughts made Candice stay her hand to attack but vigilant in case the other party decided to. It was good the orca didn''t. She didn''t have the confidence to last for long against a Deva-class monster. Instead, the orca¡¯s body language seemed to be offering her a ride. ¡°...You want me to get on?¡± Candice asked softly. ¡°Pyaaah,¡± the orca cried, showing no sign of aggression. ¡°Okay¡­ Gently does it¡­¡± Like riding a horse, Candice was on top of the orca. It slowly moved through the water. Candice felt her heart leap from excitement. How many people could boast they had ridden a Devadom Orca? Perhaps it might be willing to become her familiar after this? It might not be a lightning element monster to complement her abilities but so what? It was a Deva-class! The fantasy only emboldened her further. It didn''t take long until the orca swam underwater. Candice held onto its dorsal fin and held her breath. The water made her as weak as an Idler. The orca swam near the lake bed and suddenly she felt she was flung away by a catapult. ¡°Bwah!?¡± Wet and disoriented, she found herself in a dry place. The walls were of similar make to the inheritance ground. She was definitely guided to the most important part. While drying her long hair with a towel, she walked to an ornate door closeby. ¡®Only the Chevry bloodline may enter this sacred place.¡¯ Candice took a deep breath. I am the chosen one! She pushed open the door to her future. It was very heavy but the door slowly opened. Before long, a profound light temporarily blinded her. ¡°T-This is-!¡± Candice had entered the great outdoors with grass upon grass which only gave way to a clear, open sky. A flock of birds that cracked with electricity flew overhead. Trees with electric-green leaves that rumbled with the sound of thunder. Runic pillars, mystic statues, scripted hill, and many more wondrous sites. There was even a full blown river! Candice recognized this space as a pocket dimension. Behind her, the opened door showed the previous dark hallway but the door stood on its own in this place, as if someone just raised a door on an empty field of grass. The above looked like a sky but it was actually a tall ceiling built with illusions. Same case with the illumination. She then saw the many high-quality lightning attribute cultivation resources, as per House Chevry¡¯s signature affinity. There were many magical birds but she didn''t see any other kind of animals. Candice was in awe of the great lightning paradise. One thing clearly stood out from the rest. One hundred meters away or so, there was a gazebo with a floating tome constantly crackling with blue sparks. Candice was certain that it was the true inheritance. ¡°Amazing, isn''t it?¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A bearded white parrot landed atop a pillar and talked to her. Its eyebrows had the shape of thunderbolts. ¡°Ancestor Janus?¡± She¡¯d heard the same voice several times in the inheritance ground. ¡°I am not Janus Chevry. I¡¯m not even alive. Janus created me as a caretaker of this place, the great lightning paradise, Serene Thunder Aviary.¡± People thought the inheritance in this place was left behind by a Level 4 Chevry ancestor but they were wrong. Only a few were privy to the truth. Janus Chevry was a Level 5 lightning Pathseeker that was called the Doom of Roael. The city that would become his moniker was destroyed by his hand along with its residents and Level 5 guardian. Janus was an unorthodox Pathseeker. He was bloodthirsty and ruthless. To not bring trouble to his bloodline, he hid the fact that he was a Chevry. He even had disagreements with the Estellian Church and fought with them many times. Still, he left his inheritance for the family before his time came. ¡°Inheritor, you have done well reaching this place. You¡¯ve proved your ability and will in the trials. Accept your reward.¡± The white parrot conjured a white ceremonial baton that landed in Candice¡¯s hands. ¡°Give the baton a drop of your blood and you¡¯ll officially become the master of this place. May you never tarnish the name of Janus Chevry.¡± ¡°I swear it.¡± Candice nodded and took out a knife. Her wildest dreams were in reach. But before she was able to cut her skin, there was a strike from beyond her consciousness and her bracelet broke. Candice sharply gasped. A mental attack had pierced her defensive artifact! She felt it invading her mind despite her Unreality Field. She resisted as much as she could but it was all so fast. Less than a second later, the light in her eyes faded. She stood in place unmoving for a few seconds. And then Candice, baton in hand, slowly walked to the door. The parrot did not react as Candice went past the door and extended her hand as if she was offering the baton. Footsteps from the shadows echoed in the dark hall. As if birthed by darkness itself, Viers Isuel appeared. With an already bloodied hand, Viers directly grabbed the white baton, dyeing it with his color. ¡°You have served me well, but you have outlived your usefulness.¡± Viers¡¯ hand went for her neck. Beheading was his preferred method of execution, just like the Demons Slayers. Less probability of resurrections or missed kills. *** Before Candice, Viers had abducted two people, both a true born of Chevry family but the door wouldn''t open for them. Perhaps they lacked the talent or aptitude or something else. The door¡¯s words were misleading. Viers picked a very weak Chevry for the first and a Level 2 for the second but the door stayed closed. The third was Candice. She was the best among the younger generation. If she was unqualified too then Viers would have to change his approach. It worked but using an important scion such as Candice had their own risks. Since she had fulfilled her role, Viers had no qualms removing someone with a bad blood relationship from the board permanently. However¡­ ¡°...Why did you stop me, Farley?¡± Viers said with some distaste. ¡°Actually, she¡¯s not,¡± Farley manifested and stopped Viers¡¯ hand. ¡°Forgive me Lord Viers, but you have a tendency to overlook the bigger picture when you¡¯re in your¡­ villain moment. Just like in Osemore, where you killed Sigma.¡± ¡°...Go on,¡± Viers narrowed his eyes. ¡°You think that breaking the bracelet already alarmed House Chevry to Candice¡¯s plight so there was no need to let her live,¡± Farley said rationally. Actually, she was very nervous about reprimanding Viers but she acted nevertheless. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°We don''t know that for sure, so, hostage,¡± Farley suggested. Viers realized what she meant. If he was going to engage the Chevrys, having leverage was better than not. He didn''t know if the bracelet triggered an emergency alarm or not but killing Candice definitely would. He knew this world had life-sensing items like in the xianxia stories. Scions of important houses had theirs monitored constantly. Taking a step back to think, indeed, killing Candice at this moment had no benefit whatsoever. He was so deep in his villainous ego that he didn''t see it. He¡¯d almost repeated the mistake of Osemore. ¡°Farley,¡± Viers said after a deep inhale. Farley¡¯s heartbeat skipped a beat. ¡°Yes, Lord Viers?¡± ¡°Well done.¡± Viers patted her shoulder and Farley sighed a breath of relief in her head before returning into Viers'' soulspace. Viers shackled Candice with the Pathseeker handcuff that he stole from the prison. It would make Level 3 Pathseekers or below unable to use their Victa. Better versions existed but Viers didn''t have them. Viers was handcuffed with it because of Candice and the deed had come full circle. ¡°Parrot?¡± Viers stepped foot on the Serene Thunder Aviary, gripping the ceremonial baton. The Imperial March BGM was projected to the outside from his soul. Candice walked behind him like she was sleepwalking. ¡°Welcome, Master.¡± The parrot bowed and Viers smiled. He stopped the urge to maniacally laugh after seeing his evil plan¡¯s completion. It was in the List, number 20. ¡°Can you disable the teleportation jammer?¡± ¡°Done.¡± Viers closed his eyes. ¡°Ars¨¨ne, come here.¡± There was a singularity in space and a massive orca appeared. ¡°We did it?¡± Ars¨¨ne asked. ¡°Yes we did.¡± Viers made direct contact with Orcas¨¨ne and he disintegrated into particles of light, becoming one with Viers. ¡°Parrot, shut the entire site. Activate all defenses. Nobody gets in.¡± ¡°As you will, but we¡¯re low on power. The energy reserves are almost depleted.¡± It was thanks to the loophole that he gained access. He was grateful then but now it was a liability. ¡°I have mana crystals. This much,¡± Viers¡¯ heart bled because he offered all the mana crystals that he had just gotten. ¡°If we concentrate the protection here, how long would it hold against a Level 4?¡± ¡°If they have Chevry blood, around thirty minutes. If there are two Level 4s, half of that and so on. Otherwise, even level 5 needs to exert quite an effort,¡± the parrot answered. ¡°Tsk, why make that kind of weakness¡­ Candice¡¯s bracelet mucked up my plans. Gang! Time is short. Clean this place up!¡± His tenants and familiars put every valuable they could pillage, disturbing the sanctuary like a locust horde. They had received lessons from Viers about fast and efficient plundering. They filled up inventory items one after another but the pocket dimension was big. Not as big as Dia¡¯s Biome but still massive. Paina and the others would need more than thirty minutes. If he could grow a Gate Plant and connect this place with Dia¡¯s Biome then he could ferry the valuables out more quickly but the Gate Plant needed days to grow, even with Dia¡¯s help. Then again, even if he had a functioning Gate Plant, could he make a portal to Dia¡¯s Biome from this place? Valkut¡¯s space was on lockdown because of a Level 5. The trope was half and half about this. Using this method, it could really go either way. While his employees were in a pillage frenzy, Viers took the shining book from the gazebo. He stowed it away for now then asked the parrot for the inheritance¡¯s information and about the pocket dimension itself. He hoped to find a solution to his problem before the Chevrys sensed something amiss and came to investigate. ¡°Master, a Level 4 presence detected,¡± the parrot reported. Hells and Damnations! The Chevry Matriarch is already on the move! And she wasn''t alone. Every Chevry worth their salt was with her. Viers might have taken the castle but he couldn''t keep it from the enemy¡¯s much greater force. If I cannot keep the Serene Thunder Aviary, I have to take as much as I can before evacuating, scorched earth style! Chapter 250 - Scorched Earth ¡°Aaarrrgghh!!¡± An elder was zapped by a thunderbolt created by an elderly woman who looked over one hundred years old. She was Yevani Chevry, the Matriarch of House Chevry, and Candice¡¯s great great grandmother. ¡°Your punishment comes later. Now, we push through,¡± Yevani said. Her voice was like the creaking of old wood. ¡°...Yes.¡± He was the Level 3 elder that acted as this expedition¡¯s overseer. He was not the only one getting zapped. Busdin and every Chevry with a managerial position were also getting an electric slap. The voltage was on par with the electric chair¡¯s execution on Earth. After speaking, Yevani coughed repeatedly. She refused someone''s gesture of rubbing her back. The old woman was furious, sensing that the inheritance had changed hands. Leading fourteen Level 3s, Yevani stormed the inheritance site. Viers saw them from the surveillance array. The air turned into some sort of screen. She¡¯ll be here soon. Viers looked around, weighing the value of this land. How much effort would he be willing to put into it in order to defend it. The creator of this place, Janus Chevry, was a lightning Pathseeker. It was clear just by looking at this place. The core of the inheritance was his personal Profound Codex, along with his understanding of cultivation, and signature Artes of a man that was called the Doom of Roael. There was even an invaluable item capable of giving a person lightning 5 affinity and other precious items albeit not as great as those previously mentioned. Furthermore, the Aviary would provide ample resources for the inheritor¡¯s growth. The mighty inheritance was useless to Viers. No one in his inner circle used lightning either. The lightning affinity resources could be food for Futon, the cloud elemental, but that was it. What I really wanted was a food inheritance but it is what it is. It¡¯s all wealth and I will take it. He would stow this inheritance for future use. Clarissa and the others were instructed to scour the land and take the most valuable resources like maniacs. Viers helped them by flashing left and right using Raging River Step Arte to put raw materials into his storage items, even the magical birds were not spared. They were put into cages built for magical beasts but Viers only had so many, making it so only the greater ones were packaged and ready for relocation. But there were things that he couldn''t bring such as a lightning lake that removed impurities, a cave that tempered one''s mind, and other mystical terrains. After some time, Viers felt the entire realm shaking. She¡¯s here. Time to test if my defensive strategy holds water. Viers had no intention of letting go of his gains easily. *** It¡¯s weaker than I thought. Yevani Chevry thought as she examined the condition of the impressive barrier protecting the door. After she smacked it with a lightning battering ram a few times, she determined the barrier could be broken forcefully. ¡°Halt, crone.¡± A projection of a man appeared before her. It was Viers wearing a disguise. ¡°Charlatan, I¡¯ll only say this once. Return the entire inheritance to us and I¡¯ll let you leave with your life,¡± Yevani said. ¡°I have a better offer,¡± Viers scoffed, pulling Candice closer so the people outside could see both of them. ¡°Leave this place alone or she dies.¡± ¡°Candice!¡± Candice¡¯s parents were horrified but Yevani was undaunted. She recognized the most promising seed of her house, nevertheless, her answer was striking the barrier once more. A brilliant flash of lightning blinded them. The barrier protecting the door was cracking. ¡°Matriarch, please-¡± Candice¡¯s mother pleaded. ¡°Inside is the hope of our bloodline,¡± Yevani coughed repeatedly after exerting herself but her will never wavered. ¡°A promising seed might be lost but with the treasures left behind by Doom of Roael, House Chevry¡¯s rise to supremacy will be assured. Even if she is my own descendant, the family is more important!¡± ¡°Heartless, I like you,¡± Viers sneered. The negotiations broke down, not that he¡¯d any delusion it might succeed. Farley wanted to present the negotiation more tactfully if Yevani hesitated but the old woman¡¯s stance was clear. ¡°Then there¡¯s only one thing to do.¡± Viers raised his hand to execute Candice but the thing he hoped to happen, happened. Candice¡¯s parents and grandfather attacked Yevani from behind. ¡°You-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Matriarch, but she¡¯s my daughter,¡± Candice¡¯s father said. ¡°You, w-we can talk about this,¡± Candice¡¯s mother addressed Viers. ¡°Just let my child go!¡± ¡°Ah, familial love. How touching,¡± Viers chuckled. Candice was in a soul-hacked state, she couldn''t hear or see them but Viers felt the disturbance in her soul. Before the clich¨¦ happened, he sealed her consciousness further. The three wanted to negotiate out of love for Candice but Yevani was having none of that, so she ordered the other elders to detain them and a fight broke out. Viers was content letting the drama unfold, the more time they wasted, the better. Paina and the others were able to collect more materials. In the end, the winner was clear. ¡°...The House must stay above all,¡± Yevani bitterly said to the bloodied bodies of her family. She didn''t kill them. She couldn''t. Then she turned to Viers. ¡°For making me raise a hand at my children, I¡¯ll make you pay.¡± ¡°If your priority is your family, then you¡¯d do well to give up this inheritance. Be warned, this will not go well for House Chevry.¡± Yevani gathered power in her hand for a third strike. If the barrier was destroyed, they could forcefully enter the Aviary. Viers realized the time for talking was over so he called for his allies to end the free-for-all grabbing session and converge to his position. ¡°This place has been claimed by the Gardeners of Perfection! Carve this into your hearts¡­ this is what it means to defy our will!¡± Viers broke Candice¡¯s neck, showing her death to the Chevrys outside before ending the projection. The small mercy was that the parents and grandfather didn''t have to witness Candice''s death. Viers had no compassion for his enemies, and Candice had marked herself as one. There wasn''t anything else she could bring to the table like Izabella¡¯s enchantments either. Her fate was to be sent to a Tartarus where Viers ruled as Hades. The Chevrys witnessed Candice, with a twisted neck, fall to the ground with a silence of disbelief. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Yevani¡¯s Arte wavered slightly. The other elders felt pain and anguish at the treatment of their own, but their hatred triumphed. And Viers conveniently pinned their hatred onto Fajrin¡¯s devil cult! ¡°Break this gate down and catch that lowlife interloper! He will answer for Candice¡¯s death!¡± Yevani bellowed at the elders and they all attacked, channeling their rage into their Artes with abandon. Right now, they wanted nothing more than to tear Viers to shreds. In the matter of minutes, the barrier was visibly weakening. A supreme inheritance that was rightfully theirs was so close they could smell it. At that moment, battle hardened ones felt a supreme premonition of danger, Yevani more than anyone. Wha-!? First came what looked like a ripple in the fabric of space. Then came the tearing of the air as something slowly came out, along with a grinding sound as loud as a volcano eruption. The Pathseekers in this place had shielded themselves against the loud sound so that their ear drums wouldn¡¯t burst. Yevani didn''t know what to make of it at first because it encompassed her whole field of vision. The thing seemed like something that tried to pry itself from too small of a window. Space itself began to tear with the ominous arrival of¡­ A boulder? But it kept getting bigger. And bigger. ¡°RUUUN!!!¡± A Chevry elder shouted, fearing for his life. Meanwhile, Yevani¡¯s eyes widened as much as they physically could. Viers was not ejecting a rock at the invaders but a whole landmass! As the master of the Serene Thunder Aviary, a pocket dimension similar to a Biome, Viers tried a plan that he cooked up in case his Biome was under assault. He had a last resort plan to hurl the Biome itself at the invading force, inflicting heavy damage on them and himself. Naturally, the Biome would suffer catastrophically. The lost earth wouldn''t grow back like a lizard¡¯s tail. It was a permanent loss. He tested his defensive strategy using the Serene Thunder Aviary which was less precious than a true Biome. If I cannot have it, then no one can! The Aviary was much smaller than Dia¡¯s Biome but it was still kilometers wide. With the help of the parrot caretaker, Viers cut chunks of the landmass, and space-tossed gargantuan solid grounds at the people outside. Viers didn''t have the strength to lift such hills, no. It was a form of teleportation which the parrot handled. The result was extraordinary. It was like there was a titan swinging its fist to crush a bunch of ants. The ground trembled as mass crashed against mass, a mountain was born inside a mountain. The smell of soil and grass encapsulated the hall as large chunks of rock collided together. The hall was utterly wrecked by the fangs of the earth. Hundreds of meters above, the people on the surface felt the earthquake. ¡°Kaaaaaa!!¡± The Chevry matriarch tried to resist with all of her might, invoking her full might as a Level 4. Her Domain clashed against the emerging landmass. It was Viers¡¯ first time seeing a real life case of an ant trying to stop a train. To some success, amazingly. Using some sort of a lightning drill, large swathes of earth and dirt the size of an island were decimated by her, but she was running out of ground. More and more earth was pouring out from the crack in space as if it was a Niagara Falls of solid rocks, and rubble the size of rhinos was piling up. Yevani might be able to hold her ground but she was about to be swallowed by the terrain. But that was not the only ammo in Viers¡¯ arsenal. He threw more landmass at Yevani from other directions. This time from two different directions at once, reducing the size of the precious cultivation paradise even further! The creator, Janus Chevry, would roll in his grave if he knew what Viers had done to the place he¡¯d created by pouring his heart and soul into it. If the other Chevry elders were in despair before, seeing more space meteors coming from multiple directions made them spirit-broken. The sound of crackling walls, falling ceiling, dust that choked their lungs; all were very terrifying. Once again they were reminded that they were deep underground. Some of the earth Pathseeker had it easier but not the others. As Viers kept teleporting landmass to bury the Chevry Matriarch, another disaster struck, gallons of water rushed in from the broken walls. It was the power-vanishing water! The elders realized the threat to their life. They were already fumbling to dodge or destroy the incoming boulders in an enclosed mountain¡¯s bowels. In this dire situation, being unable to use Victa would be the final nail in their coffin. Some decisively took the risk and teleported out but the disturbance in space disrupted any efforts of spatial transfer. Out of the upper echelons of House Chevry at this place, a third of the elders teleported but got torn up by spatial hazards or lost in the void. A third managed to teleport safely, partly because they had better teleportation methods and means. The last third did not teleport, unable to or unwilling. The inheritance ground was inside a thin mountain in the middle of a lake with power-vanishing water. The Aviary was in a different layer of space but the pathway connecting it was at the bottom part of the lake. The sudden emergence of a large body of matter had further compromised the structural integrity of the inheritance ground. The whole mountain was collapsing but Viers paid it no mind. As the master, Viers only cared about the gate at the bottom of the lake, the rest could be ruins for all he cared. He focused his defense to protect the Aviary. The remaining Level 3s tried to fight for their life against the lethal pressure being applied all around them. Some managed to group up, and invoked Arte after Arte to protect themselves, but when the ceilings and walls collapsed, they were buried under the earth and water. Despite their Unreality Fields protecting them, they wouldn''t last forever. They were trapped and couldn''t get themselves out. The water made their agony shorter, disturbing their effort to maintain the Unreality Field which outright drowned them. Because of Viers making a landmass into his weapon, many people got implicated. People in the tunnels were trapped due to cave-ins or crushed to death. The slaves in the mana crystal mine suffered the same fate but some felt it was a release. Some of the ruins above were sunk. The aftermath was disastrous. He had run out of land to throw. At some point, Viers had lost sight of Yevani. Among the chaotic rubble, there was a flicker of movement. ¡­She¡¯s still alive. Level 4 is a different breed indeed. Despite Viers¡¯ effort, Yevani was still alive and she didn''t get pushed too far from the crucial door. The old matriarch, bloodied and battered, destroyed the rocks and obstruction in her way until she stood in front of the door with a weakly flickering barrier. ¡°You, will pay¡­ for all that you¡¯ve done to my family.¡± Yevani said with all the poisonous hate and bile from the pit of her stomach. Her hand cracked with lightning as she gathered energy to destroy the barrier once and for all. Looking at Yevani through a surveillance array, Viers sighed disappointedly. He¡¯d failed to kill the Level 4 and there was nothing more he could do to prevent the Chevrys from storming the Aviary. Well, this is it¡­ The Aviary was now only the size of a soccer field, a mere 1/50th of the original area. He had already thrown all the landmass that he could send out. He couldn''t reduce the size any more than this lest the very space he was in broke down in the dimensional instability. Against Level 4s, I¡¯m still too weak¡­ Viers had scattered incendiary bomb beads, during the time that the hostage situation changed. The bombs would explode after he evacuated. Yevani and the Chevrys would take the Aviary but it was far from the cultivation paradise rich in resources they hoped for. Far from it. It would be a burning wasteland. Scorched earth policy! ¡°Alright Parroty, beam me out.¡± The Aviary had a sophisticated teleportation array for emergencies, one that Viers could make use of now. The spatial disturbance shouldn''t pose an issue to the high grade array. Viers naturally had secured an escape route. If there wasn''t one, he would have been gone before the Chevrys arrived. The parrot didn''t even make a peep as Viers destroyed the Aviary. It was only a construct and Viers was the master. It is a shame leaving this great spot behind. This place had a secret base feel, immortal cultivation cave feel. Outside, Yevani raised her hand, she was about to throw an enormous spear of lightning. However, she suddenly pressed it against her chest. The Arte became unstable and self-destructed! A heart-twisting scream came from her lips. On the other side, Viers watched the scene with an open mouth. What the fuck!? A heart attack? Followed with an Arte backlash! Yevani Chevry¡­ died. ¡°NOOOO!¡± ¡°Matriarch!!¡± There were wails of sorrow from the Chevrys that were still alive. While Viers was thinking about his next step after the unexpected development, he heard multiple explosions. It was the bombs he set up earlier! Could it be? Is the Aviary defendable now? ¡°Girls! You know what to do!¡± Viers sent his tenants to bomb disposal duty. He turned from wanting to destroy as many resource points as he could to saving them. Viers himself went after Yevani. A sudden Level 4 loot was within his reach! Viers tried to open a path near Yenavi¡¯s body. It was difficult but he managed to open a small teleportation window, the size of a door¡¯s peephole. Viers¡¯ Euryale Sight and soul sense established that she was truly dead and not playing dead. Oh no! Viers was too late. Some Level 3s were still alive despite the collapse of the mountain. They moved quickly, securing the body. The disturbance in space worked against Viers this time. He couldn''t open a portal fast enough for him to take the body of Yevani and further his gain from the corpse and belongings of a Level 4. So he settled for a consolation prize. Arte - Subtle Soul Gravity! Stealthily, ever so stealthily¡­ a soul floated towards him. It was like a ball naturally rolling to a lower slope. Hehehehe, Bwahahahaha! The Chevrys might have gotten Yevani¡¯s body but Viers got her soul. Calling this a bad day for House Chevry would be the understatement of the century. Chapter 251 - Double Date Governor-King Alvared opened his eyes for the first time in four months, ending his deep meditation. Someone is making a ruckus in my domain... He didn''t open his eyes when he sensed the arrival of someone with the stink of his hateful uncle and this spatial disturbance was too minor to warrant his attention, but dozens of other minor factors compounded. It was Fate¡¯s way of telling him that the time had come. The brown-haired man looked to be in his thirties although his age far exceeded it. His garment was the garment of kings, regal and royal. The impression people got when they looked at him was firm, stoic, and square-jawed. The geometric formation with four stone pillars in the cardinal directions pulsed with golden light. Some people would kill their mother for a chance to enjoy the benefits of this top-tier cultivation assistance formation. Alvared tapped the ground with his finger and a sand table arose from the ground. He used his Victa and the sand moved and shifted. It was smooth at first but it was suddenly interrupted. The forming diorama of sand collapsed on itself. ¡­Someone interrupted my scrying. Only a Level 5 could do so with such ease. A major figure, that might disorganize years of planning, was in Valkut and it was not something he took lightly. ¡°Did you feel it? Like a candle flickering in the dark.¡± There was no one except the Governor-King in this place but the ominous voice came from somewhere nearby. It was a totem based on a demonic-looking face. The face looked somewhat humanoid but with a fierce and scowling expression. The wooden face moved its lips as if it was a true person speaking. ¡°After all these years¡­ Finally,¡± Alvared hid his eagerness behind a calm face. ¡°The time we¡¯re waiting for has come. Soon, the cage will be broken. My side is ready. See to it that there are no mishaps on your end, little human,¡± the face demanded. ¡°It doesn''t need saying. My objective is similar to yours. And take care of how you speak. I¡¯m a king while you¡¯re a marquess.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no king of mine," the face returned to its default demonic scowl. ¡°I can kill you with a breath, human king or bug king, makes no difference. Tend to your human hive before the pests become a problem for us. I will tolerate no failure.¡± The wooden statue with the demonic face carving was silent once more. That may be, but even with all of your power, you¡¯re a slave to your nature. Alvared''s poise remained unperturbed by the other person¡¯s disrespect. They didn''t like each other and simply used each other for their own goals. It was an uneasy, temporary alliance. Always had been. The Governor-King rose to his feet and left his chamber. Anyone who obstructed his most fervent wish shall be buried in a shallow grave. *** What Viers did to the Aviary was like burning his own house before thieves entered it. Only, the head honcho had a heart attack and died but the gasoline he splattered all over inside the house had met a lit match. Clarissa and the others managed to contain the fires and destruction from the bombs but the Aviary which was now only as big as a soccer field -a paltry sized compared to its original size- still suffered heavy damage. Out of that size, only 30% of the resource sites were still usable. It wasn''t because his tenants were incompetent. Viers¡¯ efficiency made him shoot himself in the foot in this case. Oh well. All in all, I still benefit greatly from this matter. The surviving Chevrys had retreated, carrying the body of their matriarch. They would need to pick up the pieces after this disaster so Viers didn''t think they would attack again anytime soon. Because of the subcontinent that Viers threw earlier and the subsequent terrain collapse, reaching the teleportation gate to the Aviary was now quite difficult. Not to mention the barrier had been restored. Without a Level 4 possessing Chevry blood, Viers had no fear it would be breached easily. Today is an embarrassment for House Chevry so they shouldn''t be making this incident public. Exposing the death of Yevani would also bring them trouble. I got time, at least for a few days. Preferably I will already be out of Valkut at that point. The Aviary was like a forest after a forest fire, soot, dust, and smoke were aplenty. The birds that remained would be having difficulty living with their home in such a poor state but the valuable ones were already in his possession, so Viers didn''t really put much importance on them at this point. As he had plundered all the notable resources, the current value of the Serene Thunder Aviary was as a secret safe house. He planted a Gate Tree¡¯s seed here to serve as a teleportation node. It would need a month to be usable. He was still not sure if it would work but he could hope. Next is¡­ Yevani¡¯s soul. It was the second Level 4 soul in his soul prison. The first was a water Pathseeker Level 4 that Lykin killed and gave to Viers. Unlike that soul, Yevani¡¯s soul was resisting Viers¡¯ hold. Heh, just who the hell do you think I am! In the past, Viers was wary of taking a soul with higher cultivation than his but after having Aletro¡¯s soul attainment, Viers no longer had such reservations. Only a stronger soul Pathseeker¡¯s soul could make him wary. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Like a demon, he grinded Yevani¡¯s soul into submission. She might be a Level 4 but she was no soul Pathseeker. After some recuperation, Viers left the Aviary using the emergency teleportation array. Yevani and Candice were reunited in Viers¡¯ soul prison. It all started because of an encounter on the road a few days past. *** ¡°A great play, isn''t it?¡± Rose sighed movingly with a satisfied look on her face. ¡°Un,¡± Ciel agreed. ¡°The actors and actresses really nailed their performance.¡± The two girls were sitting at the same table harmoniously, looking like good friends. The two scored really high on the beauty scale thus making the passersby turn heads, Idlers or Pathseekers alike. ¡°The Hero¡¯s emotion as he battled the Demon King felt really real. And the ending when he reunited with his sweetheart was really touching. So romantic~¡± Ciel squeezed her hand in front of her chest. ¡°I¡¯m of the same mind. I¡¯m starting to understand why this troupe is so famous. Even an amateur like me knows they are extraordinary. Lady Ciel, have you seen a lot of plays back home?¡± ¡°Rose, language,¡± Ciel grumbled. ¡°Ah, I''m sorry. It¡¯s a habit¡­¡± Rose turned to the third person on the table. ¡°You¡¯ve been quiet. Something on your mind?¡± The odd one between the group of three was Viers. If Ciel and Rose could be likened to flowers, Viers was a goat; a fat and an ugly one at that. At least that was what the jealous ones thought of Viers as they cursed him for associating with not one but two madonnas. The Church got invitations for a play by a famous troupe and so here they were. Although the matter of the demonic infestation wasn''t completely resolved, the Church had protocols for this sort of thing, including the allocation of holidays. Today was Ciel and Rose¡¯s day off and they invited Viers to a date of sorts. Seeing the troupe¡¯s performance was the closest thing to a cinema in this world. Viers was mildly curious so he agreed. ¡°Got no complaints about the performance, only the story,¡± Viers replied to Rose''s question. ¡°Which part of it?¡± Rose wanted to know. The villain demon king forgot to level grind. Of course he was defeated. Fool. Oh well, at least there¡¯s not any woke element forced into my mouth so it¡¯s a blessing compared to the recent movies in my previous world. Viers didn''t want to tell the two who were on the hero''s side about the secret recipe for a villain to triumph so he wanted to change the topic. Seeing Ciel eyeing him while sipping red wine got him an idea. ¡°It¡¯s just a personal taste. More importantly, I¡¯m concerned about Lykin taking Ciel¡¯s blood. The woman herself didn''t seem that bothered by it though.¡± Back then Ciel was in stasis so she didn''t know anything. After Viers came to, the Church people asked Viers about what happened in the fight against Lykin and about the mysterious savior. Viers told them what Lykin told him, that the Lighteater¡¯s true aim was Ciel¡¯s blood. As for the mysterious savior, Viers told them he got beaten to half dead state without catching a glimpse. Hearing her name mentioned in the conversation, Ciel elegantly put the glass containing the red liquid on the table. ¡°There¡¯s not much I can do, is there? Vestal Mita and Abbess Unem have given me all the protection they could give in case of a curse or any other insidious method so worrying about it won''t do any good. More than that, I¡¯m just frustrated with how often I get defeated lately. And, I¡¯m sorry for you getting hurt back then, Viers¡­ Then for saving me again¡­¡± Ciel said the last line without meeting Viers¡¯ eyes. Viers realized that Ciel had become a bit meek towards him after she thought Viers had saved her from Lykin. ¡°I didn''t do anything. It¡¯s that mysterious figure that saved you.¡± ¡°That may be, but-¡± ¡°My, aren''t you the one from back then? Rose, right?¡± They were interrupted by a lady wearing a noble dress that approached their table. The theater avenue was mostly visited by upper-class people since the common masses didn''t have the time or money for this sort of thing. The play was just over and the people of their standing started socializing and gossiping. The three didn''t know anyone so they opted for a visit to the lounge and ordered some refreshments before going on with their off day. Viers had some worry they wanted to go shopping and he would become the baggage carrier like in the anime situation though Rose and Ciel didn''t seem to be the type. The lady''s arrival was the sign that the train had gone off the rails. ¡°Lady Wright,¡± Rose stood up. ¡°Pleased to meet you. Forgive me for mistaking you to someone else.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Miss Rose,¡± Pinaca smiled. ¡°I hope you find your friend.¡± ¡°Actually-¡± Viers hit Rose¡¯s foot using his own under the table. ¡°Y-yeah. Thank you. I hope so too,¡± Rose got Viers¡¯ signal. ¡°Something wrong, love?¡± From the group of people that came with Pinaca, a youth stepped forward. ¡°Darling, look who¡¯s here,¡± Pinaca happily said. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the one from that time,¡± Russ remembered. ¡°Good afternoon,¡± Rose greeted politely. Russ was there when Rose suddenly hugged Pinaca so they were acquitted. ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Rose. These must be your friends. An introduction is in order it seems. I¡¯m Russ of House Sullivan, pleasure.¡± The others seemed to be bodyguards of Pinaca and Russ. They became alert when Russ extended his hand at Viers. ¡°I¡¯m Viers, of House Insignificant.¡± ¡°Heheh, aren''t you a confident one? I like you already. Pleasure.¡± Russ shook his hand unhesitantly without fading his smile. That alone showed the guy didn''t have or was very good at concealing his prejudice against low-borns. The two had fought before in the Underbelly but Russ didn''t recognize Viers because back then Viers had a different face and build. ¡°I¡¯m Ciel Valentine. Good day and well met.¡± ¡°Valentine¡­¡± Russ seemed to realize Ciel¡¯s family, same with Pinaca. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, my lady.¡± Instead of shaking her hand, Russ took Ciel¡¯s hand and kissed the back of her hand. A noble Latias greeting. ¡°Russ, have eyes on another woman already?¡± Pinaca looked jealous. ¡°Not at all. No offense to the two beautiful ladies but to me, you are the most beautiful woman in the world.¡± Russ embraced Pinaca and the two looked into each other''s eyes very close in proximity. ¡°Darling¡­¡± Pinaca said swooningly. ¡°My love,¡± Russ whispered most tender. Viers could see the air around them turn pink and there were flowers blooming behind them. Classic. Seeing someone with the same face as Paina in that manner was quite surreal. The two love birds seemed to be in their own world until one of the bodyguards cleared his throat loudly. ¡°Ehem,¡± Russ returned from the love moon. ¡°Apologies for my embarrassing display. If it is alright with you, may we join the table?¡± ¡°Can we?¡± Pinaca also asked. ¡°We¡¯d love you to,¡± Rose offered. ¡°Ciel, Viers?¡± ¡°A lovely day for making new friends,¡± Ciel agreed. ¡°If you¡¯re fine sitting with an ordinary person like me,¡± Viers said. ¡°Ufufu,¡± Pinaca chuckled. ¡°I don''t think so, Mister Viers. Seeing you in the company of these lovely ladies, I doubt you¡¯re as ordinary as you professed to be.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± Russ replied. ¡°Then you¡¯ll hear no complaints from me,¡± Viers rested his case. Why would he, when it was a chance to learn about his capture target? Chapter 252 - Quadruple Date With the new addition, there were five people at the table. Because there were attacks on the Wrights -unknown to all but they were caused by the same person- Pinaca was followed by bodyguards wherever she went. The bodyguards stood behind their wards, Pinaca and Russ. Close enough to react in emergencies but not to the point of becoming obstructions to their daily lives. The bodyguards skillfully erased their presence such that if they weren''t in Viers¡¯ field of vision, he would have forgotten about them. In the first ¡®attack¡¯ against the Wrights, Viers stole the Auspicious Butterfly accessory Russ was about to give to his girlfriend. The second was when he sneaked in to meet Paina¡¯s father, Jerrold. It didn''t go well. The conversation flowed smoothly from one topic to another. At first, it was mostly simple matters. Ciel was a natural. She was raised as an educated noble and her choice of words kept the conversation going without turning boring or going on too long. Rose was composed and polite. Not by nature but by having a lot of practice. She had many occasions where she had to do public speaking or converse with important people. Although, there was still a hidden nervousness inside her. She was an orphan and this world¡¯s people were taught that nobles were better. Not everyone was like Viers, nonchalant about other people¡¯s high social status. Rose¡¯s newfound status as an Angel-Blessed changed her standing but she didn''t let that get to her head. Viers was¡­ playing it cool. He mostly let the other four do the talking and became a good listener. Viers was an introvert by nature and kept things to himself. When silver tongue was needed, the social expert Farley gave pointers about what to say but there was no need for that today. ¡°Oh my, the wedding day is just around the corner? Many congratulations,¡± Rose looked like she was just as happy as the young couple. ¡°A happy occasion,¡± Ciel said kindly. ¡°Congrats,¡± Viers followed with a response of his own. After the opening topics, the conversation flowed to a more serious subject as they went on. The two shared news they were about to be married. Very fast, considering it was only days since they became engaged. ¡°Thank you, thank you¡­ What about you three? Any thoughts about marriage?¡± Pinaca asked. ¡°Ahaha,¡± Ciel laughed wryly. ¡°None at the moment.¡± ¡°Waiting for the right man?¡± Pinaca teased. ¡°What about you, Rose?¡± ¡°I, uh, I think it¡¯s too early for me to think about marrying. I¡¯m currently focusing on my role and duty.¡± ¡°All Angel-Blessed are great people worthy of respect. You got big shoes to fill but I¡¯m sure you can do it,¡± Russ gave a weighty encouragement then silently looked at Viers. The other three were also looking his way, waiting for his answer. ¡°Don''t look at me. I¡¯m just a simple man journeying through the Path of Power.¡± Viers had long decided to put off such distractions until he was super duper strong. Until then, he was content being single. He was already having way too much fun living in this world, slowly becoming a superhuman. Love was not Viers¡¯ drug, power was. ¡°Hehehe. My grandfather asked me when I was going to get married the day I turned 15. I¡¯m glad my feelings for Pinaca are reciprocated though. Thank you, for accepting my proposal and making me the happiest man in the world.¡± ¡°...I love you too.¡± To Russ¡¯ cheesy line, Pinaca grabbed his hand tightly. The lovebirds went to their own little world again until the same bodyguard cleared his throat a few seconds later. ¡°Members of the Church aren¡¯t barred from marriage, right?¡± Pinaca asked. ¡°Not at all. There are many clergies who have a family of their own. The Radiant Lady taught that pursuing love and caring for your loved ones is a noble thing,¡± Rose replied. ¡°Indeed. Speaking of which, I have a request,¡± Russ spoke his thoughts. He wanted Rose, someone that had an angelic blessing to bless their union during their wedding. His future wife also thought it was a good idea. Rose was taken aback. A lot of people had been asking her for blessings, thinking hers was more potent. There was no such thing. She didn''t really understand the full breadth of her blessing either. The Church and Master Mita wouldn''t teach her anything. They said she must find out for herself. At any rate, Rose refused, thinking it should be Abbess Unem¡¯s role to preside over their marriage ceremony. She was the most senior Church member and Valkut was her territory. ¡°Why not both?¡± Pinaca suggested. So they wanted Rose to bless them privately after Unem finished the official nuptial ceremony. To sweeten the deal, Russ and Pinaca both offered to send reinforcements from their respective houses to help the Church against the ongoing demon problem. Rose glanced towards Ciel for help. Stolen novel; please report. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it. You truly wish them to be happy, right? Go ahead.¡± And so, Rose agreed to bless the couple on their wedding day, three days later. The two looked happy and the atmosphere was joyous. Viers was the same. Only, he was happy because of a different reasoning. He wanted his opportunity to get his hands on Pinaca and he got it. A major event like a wedding would present ample opportunities for a man skilled in the art of infiltration such as Viers. He wanted Pinaca not out of lust, but to find out the truth about Paina. Viers only wanted her soul so he could access her mind. If Russ knew the innocently smiling Viers was having insidious designs on his bride-to-be, the expert water swordsman would have choked Viers to death with his bare hands. *** After saying goodbyes to Russ and Pinaca, Viers continued his date. ¡°Tomthur¡¯s shop?¡± ¡°Yep. I want to visit him. Got to ask the dwarf something. It won''t be long,¡± Viers answered Ciel. ¡°Okay then.¡± Ciel and Rose did not object. It was out of the blue but Viers got a sudden need. The wedding would be in three days. Viers wanted to upgrade something for the intense battles looming on the horizon. Why was Viers convinced there would be hard battles ahead? Because almost every third act of every arc climaxes due to conflicts. He was in a world of power fantasy for god¡¯s sake. If he couldn''t even think that much, Viers wouldn¡¯t be worthy to call himself genre-savvy. Even if he was wrong, there were no disadvantages in being prepared. Along the way, they passed by the park where the blind old woman usually played her music for pennies. ¡°Let¡¯s pay her a visit,¡± Viers said. ¡°Wow, you really care for that woman, huh?¡± Ciel hid her teasing smile with her fingers. ¡°But I¡¯m glad. Giving alms for the poor is really admirable for you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I just appreciate her music,¡± Viers curtly replied. ¡°There¡¯s nothing embarrassing about giving to those in need,¡± Rose said. She too was glad. The villain was showing signs of turning back to the light. Viers found the old woman in the same place as usual but he hesitated in his approach. The reason being there was another person with her. He was an old man wearing a tattered robe. The Level 2 male looked just like any other beggar, a fitting counterpart for the blind old woman. The two were playing a board game, this world¡¯s equivalent of chess. Like old people, they really took their time before moving a single piece. The blind woman didn''t seem to have difficulties playing the board game. Viers¡¯ mind was racing, the synapses in his brain were like fireworks. ¡°Viers, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Seeing Viers¡¯ strange behavior, Rose asked. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s another person with the music lady. They seem really serious. We caught them at a bad time. Shall we come back later?¡± Ciel didn''t find anything wrong so she spoke normally. Viers wouldn''t blame Rose and even Ciel for thinking it was something ordinary. All Viers¡¯ six senses were telling him that those two people were just ordinary people engaging in an ordinary game on a nice outdoor afternoon. However, Viers¡¯ seventh sense, his Fable-related sense, was tingling. Viers got two choices. To back away and leave the two old people be or to proceed. ¡°Viers?¡± Ciel saw that Viers was acting unusually. He decided to be bold and picked the latter. He straightened his shirt with a tense expression before approaching them. The old couple didn''t even turn at him, focusing on the board. Likewise, Viers didn''t say needless words. He took out a few items from the Thousand Treasures Casket and put three items beside them. To not affront any of them, Viers made sure he had the exact amount for both sides. He then took a few steps back and politely bowed, maintaining his best behavior. Before he left, the man stayed unheeding of his presence but the blind woman gave him a nod of appreciation. Relieved it was not for nothing, Viers bowed again before going away. Seeing what Viers gave to the old couple and the sweat of nervousness forming on his brows, Rose and Ciel similarly bowed before following after Viers. The two of them had seen how Viers was not nervous at all against a Level 4 but he was now. Their logic connected the dots. *** Many minutes after Viers left, the man finally spoke after moving his piece. ¡°High-grade liquor mixed with dragon blood, silverheart bread with arapenno cheese, and darkstar grapes¡­ Kingly gifts.¡± He never glanced at the items beside him but he knew them in detail. ¡°Impressive lad, isn''t he?¡± The woman put one of the grapes into her mouth. ¡°The boy realized my cover the first time he laid eyes on me.¡± The man reached out for the liquor and gave it a sip. The burning sensation of the dragon blood going down his throat was pleasant. It had been at least a century since he''d last had it. ¡°Hmm¡­ I should ask for more. He definitely has other good things.¡± ¡°Are you going to drag your family name through the mud, old man? Flaunting your might to rob a Level 3 boy?¡± The woman followed with a chuckle, then she moved her piece. The boy gave a nice intermission but it was time to move on to the main point. ¡°...What are you planning?¡± The woman¡¯s tone was serious. The man came to her earlier and sat beside her without saying anything. He then opened the board game without making a sound. The woman accepted the invitation. They played in silence until Viers arrived. The man gave her a wordless stare. ¡°...Must we fight?¡± The woman¡¯s voice was saddened. ¡°...It is inevitable.¡± On the board, the man checkmated the woman. *** ¡°Who are they!?¡± Rose asked nervously. ¡°I don''t know.¡± ¡°You don''t know but you gave them those things? Wait a minute, how long have you realized the old lady is an expert in disguise?¡± Ciel looked flustered. ¡°Pretty much from the start. What convinced me was Paina though. She found out that the woman''s music is extraordinary. Hearing the tunes was a great learning experience for her.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Alrighty! We¡¯ve arrived,¡± Viers cut Rose short and brazenly walked in, opening the door with a big movement. ¡°Pardon the intrusion~!¡± ¡°Gwoogyah!¡± Tomthur said something weird because of the surprise. ¡°Oh my,¡± the other person on top of him was surprised but in a more elegant manner. ¡°Y-y-you!?¡± Ciel gasped. ¡°Kyaaaaah!!¡± Rose closed her eyes and looked away. ¡°Well, well,¡± Viers said softly and composedly. ¡°This is a peculiar development.¡± Tomthur was with a woman. Their clothes were in various states of disorder. Viers caught them in the act, on the store¡¯s floor. Since the sun was still high in the sky, it was an unusual time. Unusual place too. ¡°Well don''t just stand there, come in,¡± Lykin the Lighteater smiled. ¡°Oi!¡± Tomthur protested. To her invitation, Ciel and Rose ran out while Viers stepped in through the door. Chapter 253 - End of Dates Confession ¡°W-w-why are you going inside?¡± Ciel shouted at Viers. ¡°Chill, Ciel. She didn''t seem hostile at the moment,¡± Viers was as cool as a cucumber and it was a pun intended. ¡°She¡¯s an assassin!¡± Rose reminded as if the fact had been lost to Viers. ¡°Oh pish posh, girls. Relax. I won''t do anything to you, any of you. I have made an Oath, you see. With that scary guy¡­¡± Viers knew she was pointing out at the mysterious savior that didn''t exist. ¡°Anyway, come in and close the door. It¡¯s getting chilly,¡± Lykin weaved a robe made of darkness for herself. ¡°Gaaaah!! Time out, woman! Dis is my home, you gnats!¡± Tomthur said angrily while putting his pants back on. ¡°How dare you barge in like you own the place!¡± ¡°But you told me it''s fine to come whenever I have another good liquor to share,¡± Viers put on his puppy face while shaking a bottle of mead in his hand. ¡°Grrrr. Come on in¡­ I hate me¡¯self for saying that,¡± Tomthur grumbled but his love for alcoholic drinks won out. *** Ciel and Rose stared at the smiling Lykin tensely, ready for a fight in a moment''s notice. ¡°Remember, you break it, you buy it,¡± Tomthur shouted from behind. He was about to pour the drink into a mug but after Viers refused a share, he opted to drink directly from the bottle. ¡°You can stop trying to contact your friends. I¡¯ve blocked the transmission,¡± Lykin teased. ¡°...What are you doing here?¡± Ciel had already conjured her sword. ¡°Me and Tommy go waaay back, kitties. And I need a place to recover, after you reflected that attack of mine. Sheesh, that was a nasty move.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to give you another¡­ Who asked for my blood?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯d tell you that?¡± While the girls were having some girl time, the boys were too. With every chug of Viers¡¯ high-quality mead, the dwarf¡¯s anger decreased while his happiness increased. ¡°You are involved with a troublesome woman, sir,¡± Viers said to the man beside him while looking at the girls¡¯ interaction. ¡°Phuuah¡­ Aye, don''t I know it. It¡¯s complicated, lad. So whaddya want?¡± ¡°Something came up so I need to get some upgrades done on a weapon of mine. Need to be done in two days if possible.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see it,¡± Tomthur lightly smacked the table. ¡°Not so fast. We need to draft up a business contract first.¡± ¡°Oh, you''re gonna cough up something valuable, eh? No biggie. I already got the draft ready.¡± What they made was a magical contract, a lesser version of Mita¡¯s intio Oath. The content was to protect the buyer and seller, just like any business contract on Earth. It wasn''t uncommon, Tomthur had done it many times. The contract was stringent though it wouldn''t cause death. Simply put, Tomthur was obliged to pay Viers many times the value of the item if he scammed Viers. ¡°Done. Can we get some privacy?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Come to the back,¡± Tomthur offered. ¡°Lyn, behave yourself.¡± ¡°Relax, you oaf. You¡¯ll find everything just in order when you come back. So, girls, what¡¯s the Church been up to these days?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯re telling you!¡± Ciel sharply replied. Twenty minutes later, the Viers, Ciel, and Rose trio left Tomthur¡¯s shop. There were no unplanned fights. While looking at their increasingly smaller figures, Lykin asked. ¡°Since you can''t stop smiling, I suppose the water-soul boy¡¯s commission is that good? Now I¡¯m curious. What is it?¡± ¡°Can''t tell you. Non-disclosure agreement. How the boy got something like it, I have no idea. Lucky lad.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Hey, Tommy?¡± ¡°You only e¡¯var use that tone when you want to get something from me.¡± ¡°Just a little is fine. Look after the boy for me, would you?¡± ¡°Why? You got designs for the mystery boy? Leave my beer dispenser alone, would you.¡± ¡°My superior warned me to not stay in the city long.¡± ¡°Lava and stone! It¡¯s gonna get dangerous soon, ain''t it? By my beard¡­ Is ten years of peace and quiet too much to ask for?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been through worse.¡± ¡°Not eager to repeat it. Now scoot. Won''t the Legion come for you?¡± ¡°Might be. But¡­¡± Lykin pushed Tomthur to the bed. ¡°...Woman, I¡¯m eighty. I¡¯m not young anymore. After two days and two nights, haven''t you had enough?¡± ¡°Nope. A girl wants what a girl wants.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Lykin and Tomthur, the two who were not a couple joined by marriage, went about their business. *** Get a move on. Don''t get comfy in the city. That was what Lykin whispered to him before they separated. The warning only emboldened Viers to get his homework done ASAP. ¡°Viers, hey Viers. Did you hear what I said?¡± Ciel called him. ¡°Uh? Sorry, what was that?¡± ¡°I said why you''re not agitated by Lykin. You almost got killed by her!¡± After the side trip to Tomthur''s shop, the trio went on with their holiday. Ciel asked after they put some distance with the dangerous individual. ¡°The fight created a measure of respect on both sides. I didn''t think she would attack us but I¡¯m not stupid so my life-saving measures were primed and ready.¡± ¡°Respect? For an assassin? Hmmmh!¡± Ciel wasn''t pleased. ¡°How is it, Rose?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a good time,¡± Rose shook her head. ¡°Everyone is busy.¡± ¡°If only we¡¯re not inside this stupid Valkut barrier¡­ How could a cultist brazenly show themselves to us,¡± Ciel clenched her hand. ¡°It irks me.¡± ¡°Revenge for your humiliation of defeat?¡± Viers said. ¡°I can relate to that. Losing is a bitter experience.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about revenge! Leaving a devil cultist at large is always a bad idea. I want to reduce future tragedies by-¡± ¡°Killing her?¡± Viers interjected. ¡°Capturing her! The Church has a place for even the vilest of the vile to reflect on their actions and repent.¡± Right, the Tower of Remorse. Iz¡¯s sister is there, last I heard. ¡°Capture is more difficult than kill,¡± Viers said. ¡°I fully realize that. I¡¯m not delusional about my capabilities. There are times where I took the lives of others¡­ But resorting to killing from the start is not my justice.¡± Right, they called her justice girl. Her code. ¡°Mind if I ask you what¡¯s your deal with justice?¡± Viers was piqued about the mindset of the duke¡¯s daughter. People like her usually grew up to be sheltered princesses. ¡°Other than it is related to my Profound Codex? There''s too much wrong in this world to just stand by and do nothing. Inequality. Corruption¡­ Someone has to stop it.¡± ¡°Ciel¡­¡± Rose felt Ciel¡¯s words resonated with her. On the other hand¡­ In my humble opinion, killing people that wanted to kill you is justice enough. Other interpretations are too complicated. ¡°You have great power, Viers, but it doesn''t make you strong,¡± Ciel said softly. ¡°Oh? This I have to hear.¡± ¡°Being able to use great power doesn''t make you strong. What does, is using it for a worthy cause.¡± Worthy cause¡­ Sounds like a line from a children''s cartoon series. Viers had heard so many heroic lines such as this that he was not impressed. Unfortunately for her, Ciel¡¯s words of persuasion were unable to penetrate the antibodies of Viers¡¯ morality after a life-time dose of hero-moral vaccination. Viers had chosen to live his life exactly the way his heart told him, without moral or social chains hampering him. If the whole world branded him as a villain because of it, Viers didn''t give a shit. Ciel was about to continue whilst not knowing the inside of Viers¡¯ mind, but something happened that interrupted her. A group of adventurers attacked them in broad daylight, with many people nearby. The trio reacted. Ciel and Rose thought it was the assassins again but they realized the group¡¯s target was Viers. Naturally, Viers defended himself. The attackers were three Level 2s and one Level 3 low. They posed no threat. ¡°Now what¡¯s your deal?¡± Viers genuinely had no idea. ¡°You¡¯re Viers Isuel¡­ There¡¯s a bounty on your head,¡± one of the people that got water-chained said. ¡°Oh. Almost forgot about that.¡± He was walking around with his real face. A face that had been on a wanted poster. There were so many people with bounties on them, and more were frequently added everyday. It was within a realm of possibility that someone would try to collect. Viers wasn''t worried, the reason being¡­ ¡°Apologies but this man is already under our custody,¡± Ciel said. Viers was using the Church as a protective shell. ¡°Why¡¯s the man not in chains?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason for this-¡± Rose explained. After sometime, time that Viers felt wasted, they accepted Ciel and Rose¡¯s explanation. The adventurer group agreed to withdraw. Except one. As soon as the Level 3 had the chance, he launched a sneak attack at Viers¡¯ neck, fully intending to kill him. Viers wasn''t caught off guard and headbutted the man with enough force that he cracked the ground when he fell. ¡°You¡­ killed my brother¡­ at Osemore¡­¡± The man passed out after saying that. The party members vehemently apologized and carried the unconscious man away. The mood turned incredibly sour. ¡°...Killing brings suffering. It¡¯s the beginning of a chain of hatred,¡± Ciel faced Viers with a serious face. ¡°One day, we will be taken into account for all of our deeds, good or ill.¡± Silence was Viers¡¯ answer. He made a face as if he was realizing the weight of his sins. *** After the last encounter, the trio decided to go back and rest up at the Abbey. Viers didn''t speak a word since then. Ciel and Rose gave him space. It was their day off and staying home to rest was fine too. It was a bit of a shame they ended the excursion with a sour note but they didn''t blame Viers. In the evening, the people that were on demon-killing duty came back. Rachel and Wendy carried Max and Bryan on their backs. ¡°These idiots! They competed to see who could kill the most demons until they got too exhausted to even stand!¡± Rachel complained. ¡°The two have really become good friends,¡± Wendy chuckled. Max and Bryan¡¯s napping faces were that of bliss. After fighting until they dropped, the young warriors felt the inner satisfaction of finishing a job well done after a hard day''s work. There was another reason Max and Bryan became buddy-buddy, they had a mutual enemy. All was well and good in the Church. *** Some time after the night fell, Rose had a late night rendezvous with someone. ¡°Hi, Viers. You called?¡± Rose found Viers with his back turned to her, hands clasped behind his back. On a rooftop, with the twin crescent moons as his backdrop. The moon was bright tonight, the stars were almost invisible. Earlier, someone knocked on her door, waking her up. It was the palmtop Dia, holding a letter from her master. It said Viers wanted to talk. ¡°Thank you for coming. I have something to tell you.¡± Viers turned around and looking at his serious expression made Rose swallow her saliva. Dia leapt to his knees and climbed to his shoulder. During her education days in Sephoria, her friends shared stories of the romantic kind. Some involved getting called by a boy to a deserted place before a confession. Rose thought this was that. On the way here, she purposely slowed her steps so she could think of how to tactfully refuse. ¡°It''s important¡­ There¡¯s no easy way of saying it so I¡¯ll be frank.¡± ¡°Y¨Cy-yes?¡± Rose held her breath for Viers¡¯ next line. ¡°At Luxore, I killed Leon.¡± ¡°..........Eh?¡± Viers did say a confession but it was not what Rose expected. The killer¡¯s confession pierced Rose¡¯s mind and turned it blank. Chapter 254 - Mita Eshel Devil worshipers have been hiding among the populace since ages past. They infiltrated large settlements and slowly grew like parasites. Each devil cult had its own characteristics, reflecting the nature of its devil god. Dumuzin cult, the cult that had the most influence in Luxore town, was fond of chaos. It meant they often did terror acts. One of such acts was where Leon, a dear friend of Rose and a fellow orphan, died. *** Even though Rose was in a temporary brain coma from the confession, Viers didn''t stop. ¡°When I told my story in Luxore, you should''ve already had an inkling. At the ghoul incident, the one who killed Leon was me.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Rose wavered and took a step back, a small trembling voice escaped her lips. ¡°That can''t be true.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth that you are afraid to ascertain. I killed Leon,¡± Viers said with a stone-cold tone. ¡°No¡ª!!¡± Rose screamed in denial, hands closing her ears. When she squeezed her eyes shut, tears flowed out from the sides. Like a broken dam, memories gushed out, overwhelming her mind. It was just as Viers said. Rose suspected it but she was too afraid to ask. She tried so hard to see the good in Viers. What he had done at Luxore was not without sin and there would be a reckoning on that but somewhere in her heart, Rose was glad Viers was not the chief perpetrator of the deplorable calamity. ¡°When we first met at the orphanage, my hands were already red from his blood.¡± Viers used magic to convey his voice. ¡°STOOOP!! I don''t want to hear it!¡± But Rose was still in denial so Viers gave her time to collect herself. It was only a few seconds later that she responded after he had taken Dia into the badge. ¡°Why¡­ are you telling me this? You could have hidden it forever,¡± Rose said with sorrow. ¡°Would you rather not know the truth?¡± Yes! Rose stopped herself from saying that word. What did this talk bring other than pain? There was a violent surge from the pit of her stomach, accompanied by the pain of the heart. Rose yanked Viers¡¯ lapel, uncharacteristically ferocious of her. ¡°Why did he have to die!?¡± Face raw with emotions. ¡°We clashed for each of our own purposes. It was unfortunate.¡± ¡°Unfortunate? Unfortunate!? Leon¡¯s dreams, Leon¡¯s future! How dare you simply paint it out to be unfortunate!¡± Rose pushed Viers but the man was firm on his feet and didn''t budge. ¡°...Such is life,¡± Viers replied serenely, looking downward at her tear-filled eyes. ¡°Don''t try to avoid responsibility!¡± Rose raged. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Viers swiftly replied. ¡°Every life I¡¯ve taken in my Path of Power, their significance rests heavily on my shoulders. They will stay with me until the end of time.¡± Rose looked upward at Viers¡¯ eyes and had a horrific realization. ¡°...You don''t regret killing them.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. And that¡­ is my sin.¡± Her dainty hands released Viers¡¯ lapel as she took a few steps back, wobbling, as if she was physically struck. ¡°Tell me the true reason¡­¡± Rose¡¯s breathing quickened. ¡°Why you¡¯re confessing you¡¯ve murdered my friend.¡± Her face was saying she wouldn''t stop until she heard an answer so Viers gave it to her. ¡°...Closure. To the Luxore chapter of my life. In this city where the threads of fates from the past gathered together. It is only fitting. There¡¯s no secret left unsaid.¡± Viers lied with a straight face. He had tons of other unsaid secrets. ¡°No, no no no! You should be saying you¡¯re sorry, that you regret it!¡± Rose clenched her chest. It was hurting. Not physically but the pain was real all the same. ¡°What good does asking for your forgiveness do?¡± Viers asked. ¡°So I can begin trying to forgive you!¡± Sudden wind pressure pushed Viers¡¯ back, accompanied by blinding light. Viers covered his eyes in surprise. Slowly, he lowered his hand and beheld Rose who was glowing with silver light, a phantasm halo floating above her head and a pair of wings on her back. The angelic attachments made her look like an otherworldly being but those were not what made Viers wary. It was the sudden spike of power she emitted. The power that was above the current him or his understanding. Despite it being so, Rose¡¯s face was twisted with pain, yet her anger at Viers was unflinching. ¡°You want revenge? It is your right.¡± Faced with a dangerous adversary, Viers didn''t mount any resistance and spread his arms. ¡°Strike me down.¡± *** Governor-King Alvared was standing in front of a painting five meters tall and two meters wide. It depicted scenery from ages past, of an opulent city. Ivory towers and jeweled roads. The cloud on the painting moved, and so did the mystical creatures in the painting. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. His rare moment of repose was disturbed by the appearance of something enormous. A power so great it made him feel dread. ¡°This isn''t the right time¡­ Servant of the Goddess or not, I won''t tolerate any interference.¡± He turned towards the origin, towards the Church. *** A blind woman who was playing sad music under the moonlight muttered softly. ¡°Luminous being, light from Heaven¡­ O blessed, will you choose mercy or judgment¡­ I humbly pray, that it is the right choice.¡± As she flicked the string on the antique musical instrument that Viers gifted her, once again she prevented the scrying of Alvared and many other interested parties. This is an important moment for the young ones. Don''t be crass. *** Rose felt her body scream in agony. The heat was searing her body and soul. Meanwhile, her mind was battered by a tornado of confusion. Yet, at the eye of the storm, there was a tiny bit of tranquility. There, a thought was born, that she was a human with an ugly heart. When she heard Viers had a hand in the loss of 4000 lives, she didn''t feel anguish compared to the other weight on the scale, a single friend. Rose also felt a gaze. From something grand, and divine. The being didn''t nudge her towards an action. They only gave her great power. Do you¡­ want me to choose? Whatever for? Why have you chosen me in the first place? I¡¯m unworthy¡­ surely you realized that by now. Even then, you entrusted me with the choice? Or was this a trial? In front of her, was the man who caused great misery. Not only to herself, but to a great many others. The same man who told her to follow the voice of her heart to arrive at the right answer. Rose¡¯s heart told her that striking him was wrong. This was not justice. Lashing out at him now was not the right thing to do. At the crossroads, she knew which was the right road. But why is it so damn hard? ¡°I¡­ I¡­ kghk¡­ Uwaaaahhh!!¡± With tears streaming down her cheeks, Rose raised her hand. Without her doing anything, it turned into a twenty-meter-long sword of light that pierced the night sky. At the brilliant blade swinging down at his head, Viers faced it head on without cowering or defending. In that split second, like a flicker of lightning, Mita appeared before Rose. She covered Rose¡¯s eyes with her left hand. What followed was a shockwave greater than Rose¡¯s transformation before. ¡°Mas¡­ter¡­¡± Rose fell unconscious in Mita''s embrace. Mita¡¯s hand was smoking although it wasn''t burned, the same went for her entire body. Her clothes were intact but it was as if she had just come out of a sea of boiling water. ¡°What kind of master am I, if I don''t help my disciple in her time of need?¡± Mita whispered back and hugged Rose tightly, mirroring a loving mother. Seeing the conclusion of his confession, Viers sighed with relief. Cold sweat ran down the back of his neck. The clamor invited others, like Damon, Wendy, and the others. All except Max and Bryan. ¡°You again? What is it this time, Viers?¡± Rachel said, in a manner of being tiredly amazed. Looking at the state of her hair, she looked like she was hurriedly coming here after she¡¯d gone to bed. ¡°Never a dull moment, isn''t it~?¡± Unem then turned to Mita. ¡°Is she okay?¡± ¡°Yes. Everyone, may I ask a moment for me and Viers?¡± After a brief inquiry about what happened, the gang left the two alone as per Mita¡¯s request, carrying the unconscious Rose with them. Mita Eshel and Viers Isuel stood face to face under the light of the twin celestial bodies. ¡°Are you really okay? I saw you smoking,¡± Viers said. ¡°Your sentiment is appreciated but unnecessary. They¡­ didn''t hurt me,¡± Mita replied with the same graceful calm that he¡¯d known her for. ¡°I kind of feel bad, to keep making you clean my mess,¡± Viers said truthfully. ¡°That cost a lot of Victa, didn''t it?¡± ¡°If you are, then please stop making said mess. Frankly, it is a pain.¡± Viers chuckled. ¡°Right you are. I¡¯m sorry.¡± There was a brief pause. A visit from an autumn night wind swayed their clothes. ¡°...Rose is a nice girl,¡± Mita began. ¡°I know. I really hurt her this time,¡± Viers slightly looked downwards. ¡°I wish you wouldn''t think less of her. Earlier was-¡± ¡°No. You don''t need to say anything. I realized.¡± Before Mita stopped her, Rose had already stopped her strike. Viers had perceived that. Also, Mita acted not to save her own skin from the Oath¡¯s backlash. If it was to strike down a great evil, she would have laid down her life without hesitation. She did it for Rose, before she suffered irreversible injury from wielding a power too great, and because she put a measure of faith in Viers. ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ve passed your test, I wonder¡­ At any rate, Rose is a good person. And with a teacher such as you to guide her, she¡¯s in good hands,¡± Viers smiled. Mita didn''t answer. ¡°The Estellian Church¡­ They are portrayed as the paragon. The gathering of the virtuous. The forces of good. The holier than me kind. I¡¯m here to find out if that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Really? You don''t hope to gain more gratitude from Ciel and take advantage of Rose?¡± Mita¡¯s eyes told everything. ¡°Hehehe, those too¡­ There is a saying from my homeland: Every organization is corrupt. Similarly, power corrupts. The Estellian Church is both an organization and a great power. Therefore, I don''t believe in your pristine renown.¡± Mita didn''t know where Viers was going with this so she stayed as the listener. ¡°About the Coriz Empire story¡­ It got me thinking. What would happen if Coriz didn''t fall two centuries ago? It really puts things into perspective. You see, I lived a life of peace before I began my walk down the Path of Power. Thanks to the revolution you supported which created the Free People Coalition, I had that opportunity instead of doing forced work in a mine as a child slave.¡± Viers looked at his own hand. Not calloused, even after the many instances of swinging his sword until it bled, because of his healing factor. ¡°These hands of mine can be used to forge my own path, my own destiny. Not only me, but there are also countless others who have benefited from the Church¡¯s kindness.¡± ¡°Viers, you¡­¡± Mita muttered. ¡°Based on what I¡®ve seen in this short time with all of you. I can''t say this about the Church as a whole, but you people are decent. Yes, even Bryan. I acknowledge that without the Church¡¯s presence and contribution to preserving peace, the world would be a worse place for many who live in it. Monster hazards, lawlessness, and chaos are but a few that come to mind¡­ On behalf of all the people of the world, I give my heartfelt gratitude.¡± Those words became a spring of clear water that swelled up in Mita¡¯s heart, nourishing it. ¡°Those words and the smiling faces of the next generations, are what makes our labor worth doing.¡± As Mita smiled saintly, Viers saw something else. The undulation of her aura¡­ she had broken through. ¡°Level 4 peak¡­ Walking the Path of Power isn''t only about resources or training, but also the conduct of the self. Seeking our way of life and following it¡­ Pathseeker is aptly named indeed,¡± Viers said. ¡°You¡¯re leaving¡­¡± Mita asked a question that was not a question. ¡°You¡¯ve fulfilled your Oath admirably, even to someone like me,¡± Viers gave a precious item from Dia¡¯s Biome fitting for a Level 4 to Mita. ¡°That is for cleaning my mess. And this is for the others. My farewell gifts.¡± Viers gave Mita a storage item. It was one of the smallest he had but inside was packed with great materials and resources. There was even one for Unem and the other members of the Valkut abbey. ¡°Many thanks for the gifts¡­ It is a shame I¡¯m unable to change your mind.¡± ¡°I wouldn''t say it was a useless effort on your part. I¡¯m glad I met you people before meeting the pompous zealots of your faith. I won''t forget there are people like you. Fare thee well, Vestal Mita.¡± Viers retreated into the dark night, leaving Mita with her thoughts. O Radiant Lady¡­ was it right of me to shelter him? Was it wrong of me to give him the benefit of doubt? I fear¡­ so fear my actions would be a mistake. The path had been taken. Where it led, was shrouded in the fog of the future. What was clear to Mita was that if Viers became a great evil in the future, she would be at the vanguard. Whether she would live or die after that didn''t matter. It was her responsibility. Chapter 255 - A Happy Wedding The V-Stream was showing that Viers was leaving Valkut city. He moved stealthily to avoid the detection of others. ¡°Fhuuu¡­ Nothing happened. Thank goodness,¡± Paina sighed in relief. ¡°But why did Lord Viers tell Rose about Leon in the first place?¡± Farley pondered. ¡°Must be another Fable of his¡­ He doesn''t seem to want to talk about it this time,¡± Clarissa said. Viers was aware of the three¡¯s conversation in his soul space but he didn''t explain anything to them. Clarissa was correct, it was Viers¡¯ genre-savviness that prompted his confession to Rose. Why? Because the angel will tell her so there¡¯s a revelation in the worst possible timing! The angel was an unknown plot device that was out of Viers¡¯ control! Viers had seen too many instances where the bad guy¡¯s hidden crimes came out into the light during important story points. Even though there shouldn''t be any witnesses, Viers was certain the truth about Leon¡¯s death would be found out by Rose in the future. Or perhaps it will be Fate shenanigans. Whichever the case, coming clean is the best course of action. Therefore he spilled the beans to Rose despite the risk. If Rose didn''t have an angel on her shoulder, Viers wouldn¡¯t confess. There was no need for such a thing, just like he didn''t tell his tenants about how he killed the families of the people he killed in the book world and censored relating information from getting to them in the V-Stream media. Because they didn''t have an angel. The angelic power berserk that Rose manifested was a bit of a surprise. He expected that she would have something up her sleeve but it was far above Viers¡¯ calculations. Against Rose¡¯s sword of light back then, he didn''t know if his contingencies would be enough. Rose¡¯s angel had almost become Viers¡¯ angel of death. Some might call it foolish, and indeed, Viers had no strategic gain for telling the truth. Viers only leaned on the clich¨¦s. A villain''s past dark deed would get found out by the good guys at the most inopportune moment. He prevented it by exploding the bomb early. Did Viers make the right call? Who could say. *** At a place that seemed to have undergone a series of air raids, there was a pond. Not a pond of water but a pond of lightning. It was the size of a big bathtub, three people could go in at most but there was only one user at the moment. Bathing in the electric current was painful but it was useful so Viers was doing it. The Electrolysis Pond -a custom name because the previous one was too long- was capable of improving the constitution of the body, making the bones stronger, skin more resilient to injuries, and so on. In xianxia terms, the pond was a body-forging method. After separating from the people of the Church, Viers stayed at the Serene Thunder Aviary. Not much remained in the Aviary but there were two important sites that Viers focused on preserving. One was the pond for its effect on improving the body. The other was no less important, a cave capable of tempering the mind. Viers had been going in and out of both places at intervals to get the most benefits. As a soul Pathseeker, Viers had a method to train his own soul. With the other two strengthening methods, the holy trinity of body, mind, and soul was complete. While his body was getting electrocuted, Viers used his soul method to detach his consciousness from the body, so he could do something else. He didn''t like wasting time. In the White Flower Meadows, Clarissa was sharing her perspective to Viers. Exchanging opinions and getting feedback was important for improvements, especially so since Clarissa was a former Level 5. Farley and Paina were in the Grid, training intensely. Paina was especially motivated since this concerned her the most. Viers¡¯ three starter Pok¨¦-familiars were out and about. Futon and Faiya were enjoying their time out of the dimensional space badges. Dia was no longer in her chibi mode but in her ten-year-old girl form. They too were getting stronger. Dia, who had gotten the gift from Mita at their first meeting, and Futon, who had eaten a special lightning part of the Doom of Roael¡¯s inheritance, were already Level 3. The dryad and cloud elemental were having a mock battle to test their power. Only Faiya was still Level 2. It made him cry but the family consoled him. Viers promised he would get him something that would push him to Level 3 soon. ¡°This Soul Hack Arte of yours is quite good. Subduing their soul is equal to an instant kill. You can order the victim to suicide or whatever, just as Candice¡¯s case but beware, at a higher level, it wouldn''t be possible without overwhelming strength. Especially against Level 4s that have their Domain. You should not focus your effort on that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. That¡¯s why I¡¯m refining three new Artes. All are water path.¡± Viers was sitting in a lotus position in the middle of a patch of flowers. His eyes were still closed when Clarissa talked to him. ¡°Even against Candice, I must use soul brute force to subdue her mind. It¡¯s useful for dealing with weaker opponents, saboteur purposes, and the like but stronger enemies close or above my strength remain my true obstacles.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Whoa, whoa, back up. Three new Artes? Since when? You¡¯ve always been like this. How are you seemingly getting power boosts at random? Your improvement rate is crazy high compared to other Pathseekers. It''s almost unfair,¡± Clarissa said while agitated. ¡°Someone that became a Level 5 in one year of cultivation accuses me of being unfair?¡± Viers smiled. ¡°That was back then, during the Age of Gods. Back on topic, making a custom Arte is difficult. Even I didn¡¯t make Medusa Gaze easily. The way you acquire high-grade Artes left and right is as if you used monster cores or magic scrolls¡­ but you did not. How can you create custom Artes without much effort? What sorcery do you use to pull that off?¡± ¡°Compounding advantages on top of advantages, that¡¯s how I pull this off, Rissa,¡± he gave his signature smile. A smile with a touch of daredevilry. Viers had many Artes, at least thrice above the average Pathseekers. Besides the difficulty of learning a single Arte, there was also the matter of improving said Arte. The number of Artes in one¡¯s possession were not equal to their battle strength. Quality was more important than quantity so the logical approach people took was to polish the Artes that suited them, and utilized them as skillfully as they could. There was nothing wrong with that but Viers¡¯ variety of Artes gave him versatility. Viers had two affinities so his Arte requirements were double that of other people¡¯s, but as Clarissa had said, it didn''t pose any trouble for him. There were several reasons for this. First and foremost was the inspiration for the Artes. From the Fables and Earth¡¯s entertainment, Viers had all the inspiration he needed. Next was the know-how to realize the Arte, the spell constructs to bring forth his imagination into reality. Viers¡¯ soul-searched victims helped tremendously in this. For example, the three new water Artes he was currently devising were overhauled from the techniques of a recently acquired Level 4 water Pathseeker soul from Lykin. I exploited her soul so much that I feel bad. I almost want to let her go. Almost. Level 4 souls are too precious to let go so I¡¯m gonna consume you but I¡¯ll make it painless. Don''t worry, you¡¯ll still be able to go to the afterlife. Although Viers had no soul Pathseekers to derive soul Artes from, he could still make use of other Pathseekers¡¯ Artes as reference materials. With soul attainment on par with Level 5s, it wasn''t impossible. There was the Grid. A virtual simulation where he could test the Artes in the development phase without using any Victa. Without it, Viers would have to test them in real life, which would be a massive strain on his already Victa-intense lifestyle. Lastly, there was Ars¨¨ne. Even when he was asleep, Ars¨¨ne could be active! It didn''t need to be outside of his body, Ars¨¨ne could do things inside Viers. Creating or improving Artes was only one of the things Ars¨¨ne was capable of. Soul searching, fighting other people in the Grid, training sword techniques, and so much more! With Ars¨¨ne, Viers basically had twice the learning ability compared to other people. When they synced, Ars¨¨ne¡¯s experience merged with Viers¡¯. If possible, Viers would keep Ars¨¨ne active 24 hours every day but the Victa cost of doing that was unsustainable. Victa was always an issue. The good news was the lack of serious battles of late allowed Viers to save quite a bit of Victa in the tank. The more Victa spent during the training phase, the more you improve but it results in there being less Victa available during the actual battle. Balancing Victa''s spending in training and battle is key. Minimizing useless Victa expenditure and maximizing Victa usage¡­ All is resource management! His time with the Church people was like a vacation, a change of pace. Now that he no longer needed to act amongst them, Viers had plenty of free time. The time that he used to improve his strength. An ethic of Viers Corporation, CEO or employees alike. While Ars¨¨ne is laying the groundwork outside, I must improve my strength. Every bit of improvement counts! Viers¡¯ consciousness returned to his body. He was almost at his limit in the Electrolysis Pond. Viers walked out of the pond, his body twitched from muscle pains and fell to the ground soon after. Black sludge poured out of his pores. It was his bodily impurities. Dia put the unmoving Viers above Futon and carried him to the Thundering Mind Cave. While the body rested, the mind was getting a workout. He had three days to get as strong as possible. The third act of the Valkut arc was coming up soon. *** It was a beautiful wedding, Rose thought. Russ and Pinaca were splendid today. Their attire, the ceremony, and most importantly, their smiles. They looked genuinely happy, taking their wedding vows before Abbess Unem. As an attendee, the happy atmosphere rubbed off on Rose. Good, she needed it. Since that night, three days had passed and she didn''t see Viers again. Now that master Mita¡¯s Oath had been fulfilled, Bryan and Max were furiously eager to catch Viers. On the other hand, Rose was stuck in a mire of indecision. She was actually glad Viers left. She didn''t know what she would do if she met Viers again. Her heart was in turmoil as she looked at the rose hairpin cupped in her hands, a gift from Leon on her birthday. Not her true one since no one knew. So the day she was left at the orphanage was decided to be her birthday. She used to hate it, a reminder that she was an unwanted child. Leon managed to change her mind. What was left was a glimmering, precious memory. She should forgive, but her heart refused to say ¡®oh yeah, I forgive you¡¯. There was a fire of hate burning inside her now and it was eating her from the inside. She didn''t want to house this hate. It was nasty and toxic but the fire refused to go out. Viers¡­ Why did you kill Leon, damn you¡­ ¡°Lady Rose, are you well?¡± Rose was jolted to reality by the bride who had the same face as Paina. ¡°Eh? Oh, thank you for asking. I¡¯m fine. Just a lot on my mind. Congratulations on the wedding,¡± Rose let out her practiced smile. Talking helped keep her mind from thinking about Viers. After the official festivities, Rose gave Russ and Sullivan her sincere blessing of happiness for the young couple in private. *** At night, at the Sullivan estate, Russ and Pinaca were about to have their first night as newlyweds. ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, wife¡­¡± Russ said softly to Pinaca who was lying under him on top of a flowered bed, giving gentle kisses on her neck. ¡°Aaah~ Russ¡­ don''t look at me so much. It¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡± Pinaca said coquettishly. ¡°...I¡¯ll begin, okay?¡± ¡°Nn,¡± Pinaca gave a small nod. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± THWOCK! THWOCK! Soul Hack! Black Out Down! Spirit Supremacy! ¡°Ghwack!?¡± Russ was out for the count, extremely so. ¡°Hyyiiick!?¡± Pinaca frothed from the mouth as her eyes showed their whites. Simultaneously with a club to their heads, Viers unleashed multiple soul Artes. Russ and Pinaca didn''t even realize what had happened before they lost consciousness. Infiltration was Viers¡¯ specialty. After Ars¨¨ne¡¯s scouting and arrangements, sneaking into the estate was not hard at all. Security was stretched thin with the wedding. Ah, animals¡­ They are so vulnerable when they are mating. To Viers, humans were merely smarter animals. More or less. Viers put Pinaca into something similar to a bodybag, tied it, and hauled it onto his shoulder before escaping the Sullivan mansion. Chapter 256 - Removing Pretenses ¡°Rose, more power!¡± Damon shouted. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Keep it stable, everyone. Just a bit more!¡± Rachel said. The Silver Legionaries were in formation, chains of silver dragging out something from a crack in space. Other combatants were waiting with their weapons unsheathed. A demonic beast was dragged out from the Biome, thrashing and roaring furiously. It had two heads, one resembling a wolf and the other, a bird. The Rank 4 demon was as big as a whale. ¡°Attack!!¡± Mita gave the command and the Silver Legion and twenty other Pathseekers fought the last demon. The beast was a Biome master and too strong in its home ground, so they forced it out. The battle lasted for two hours and a half, but the Legion prevailed. ¡°Finished¡­ Finally,¡± Bryan sprawled on the ground. ¡°It was really tough¡­ Even with more than twenty of us.¡± Max similarly had his butt on the ground. One leg extended and one bent where he placed his hand on the knee. His sword was stabbed into the ground beside him, wet with purple demon blood. ¡°You did good, Conn,¡± Damon encouraged the younger legionary. ¡°I did?¡± ¡°Better than me when I first started. Hahahah!¡± Damon gave a firm slap on the back. The members of the Silver Legion relished the feeling of success. The last demon was no more and the Biome¡¯s environment was still tainted with demonic corruption, but with a little help, the Biome would return to normal. The pocket dimension could be used normally, as a source of wealth. Mita and the others gave the management to the Church¡¯s Valkut branch as per the norm. Along with Unem and members of the clergy, there were also those that could partake in the share. Mainly, the Wright and Sullivan Houses that sent reinforcement as thanks for Rose''s blessing. They played their part in cleaning up the demonic infestation. ¡°Many thanks to both of your groups. We wouldn''t be able to do this without your support,¡± Rose said to the Wright and Sullivan House¡¯s two representatives. ¡°You flatter us.¡± Archie, the captain of the Wright forces, was a big, round man with an almost smiling face. ¡°This is also a good opportunity for us to practice fighting as a cohesive force. As both houses are now tied in marriage, we expect to fight side by side in the future.¡± The other man was Hubert, captain of the Sullivan forces. He was a feminine man with a beautiful face. Both were Level 3 peak Pathseekers. As they exchanged praises for each other, the harmonious mood was interrupted as a magical circle appeared on Hubert¡¯s ear. A few seconds later, Archie also got the same message. ¡°Gentlemen, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Mita asked after seeing the sternness in their expressions. The other legionaries also gave their attention. ¡°Young Master¡¯s wife has been kidnapped! Someone attacked the two of them in their bedroom and took the bride. The young master¡¯s fine but he¡¯s furious. All hands must join the rescue effort immediately!¡± Hubert said in a hurry. Archie showed a recording embedded in the magical message. It was the figure of a man in his fifties carrying a Pinaca on his shoulder in the middle of escaping the mansion. The face of the assailant was unfamiliar to all of them, however¡­ ¡°Guys¡­ Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡± Bryan said with a disgusted expression. ¡°You mean a certain person we know that is capable of changing his appearance and recently disappeared?¡± Rachel replied. ¡°The timing is convenient,¡± June muttered. ¡°Isn¡¯t this just great¡­ Urgh! What is that idiot thinking?¡± Ciel stomped the ground in irritation. By the Goddess¡­ Viers, is this your doing? Rose felt her heart sink into a bog of disappointment. ¡°It seems you people have an idea about a suspect. May we hear the details?¡± Archie asked. ¡°...I understand,¡± Mita nodded after a long silence. ¡°Rose?¡± ¡°Yes, master. I¡¯m on it.¡± *** Viers was in hiding. In the slums of Valkut city near the outskirts. Viers was familiar with the place. He¡¯d soul searched the locals before. Inside the Picture Room, there was an unconscious girl. The girl was two peas in a pod with Paina, including the moles'' location. A man was standing like a cloaked death. Beside the man were three ghosts and a mini dryad. There was a familiar scene just like this about a week ago. Viers had stripped Pinaca for tracking devices and other similar things. After looting the new wife for possessions -not that she had many things in her person when Viers kidnapped her- he let the three ghosts put on new clothes on her because Viers was not a barbarian. Paina was looking at her unconscious twin sister with a complicated look. She didn''t prevent Viers from doing what he must, but asked for Pinaca to not be harmed. Viers agreed. He had that intention from the start. She was Paina¡¯s twin sister after all. Although Russ would most likely become his enemy, understandable considering the circumstances, Viers did not try to kill him at the time because he was Paina¡¯s brother-in-law. He wanted to avoid a death grudge. He only wanted to borrow the wife for a short bit, for science. Of course, without asking. As Viers tried to soul search Pinaca and found the answer to the Wright¡¯s family odd circumstances, he found a complication. ¡°Hmn?¡± There was a powerful seal protecting Pinaca¡¯s memories from access and tampering. Truly a sophisticated protection. Whoever did this is very powerful¡­ Damn, I''m unable to crack it¡­ If I''m a normal Pathseeker, that is. Ha! Who do you think I am? Your brain is mine! The mystery deepened and Viers was even more eager to know. Paina¡¯s family seemed to be shrouded in a complicated fog. Despite the extensive protections on her mind and soul, Viers calculated he only needed two hours for an unharmful soul search, less, if he didn''t care about Pinaca¡¯s well-being afterward. To put this much consideration on my ally¡¯s family. Oh, I¡¯m such a good person, Viers thought about himself. This was the guy that kidnapped a woman on her wedding night. Well, I''ve prepared for this. They shouldn''t be able to find me easily. ¡°Girls, I¡¯ll be counting on you for keeping watch.¡± ¡°Alright. Be careful, okay?¡± Paina said with a tinge of worry about Pinaca. ¡°There will be no repeating that time with Ciel. Please be at ease, Lord Viers,¡± Farley assured him. ¡°Yes~ This is Plan C, right? Leave it to us. Don''t be stingy with the details later, okay? I¡¯m dying to know what the Wrights are hiding,¡± Clarissa had legs instead of a snake¡¯s lower body to hide her true identity. As the three ghosts went outside. Only three people remained in the Picture Room. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you, Dia,¡± Viers tickled her chin. ¡°I am Dia!¡± The small dryad jumped lightly. Viers taught her the mannerism to act like a cutie. Not because it was his hobby, but for making other people underestimate her. Viers certainly had no other reason. ¡°You don''t need to speak like that anymore. It¡¯s just us now,¡± Viers chuckled. ¡°Ehehe. Talking like before is also interesting.¡± Viers¡¯ first plan was to hide in the lawless Underbelly, Valkut¡¯s subterranean. If not, the wilderness where he could stick his Picture Room and soul search Pinaca in peace, but the magic item he had blinked red midway. It meant there was a divination attempt on him or Pinaca. He was prepared for this so he had an array ready inside the Picture Room but he didn''t manage to get out of the city in time. They found out faster than he thought so without much choice, Viers picked a place nearby. He put his picture on an unsuspecting wall in the slums and after Viers went inside, the picture faded from normal sight like a chameleon. He didn''t put the Serene Thunder Aviary in his hiding place list because he hoped to keep that place a secret. Dia¡¯s Gate Plant was there, growing. For future things, he didn''t want to jeopardize his teleportation network. As he expected, the Chevrys were busy in their internal matters and had not made any big moves yet. In another scenario, after I have completely soul searched her, which normally would not take thirty minutes, I would release her. Like catch and release in fishing, before her family does something drastic such as asking the help of the Governor-King. Then I go into hiding, waiting for the heat to die down. Guess that''s too optimistic. Well, let''s get cracking. Pinaca¡¯s memories won''t open by themselves. Viers put his palm on Pinaca¡¯s forehead and started the soul search. *** ¡°Urgh!¡± ¡°Mrgh!¡± ¡°Wha-? Are you alright?¡± Wendy asked. Suddenly, Archie and Hubert become wobbly. Hubert even had one knee to the ground. ¡°...I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Just feeling woozy, is all.¡± Only Mita felt something was amiss in the two¡¯s body language. It slightly changed. Some went for their forces. Another magic circle bloomed in their ear. It had already happened many times. ¡°Young master Russ and entourage are on his way. Also, Lord Jerrold Wright is also coming.¡± Mita raised an eyebrow hearing the report. ¡°Daaang¡­ Another Level 4¡¯s coming? Viers¡¯ gonna be in so much trouble,¡± Bryan whistled. ¡°His daughter is taken. He¡¯s definitely worried,¡± Max hummed. Mita, Rose, and Ciel thought about Viers¡¯ story, about Jerrold that tried to kill Paina whose soul Viers anchored to his being. Rose and Ciel exchanged eye contact. They saw in each other¡¯s eyes that both were feeling the same. That something was underfoot. ¡°Blessed, which way?¡± Archie asked. ¡°Oh, right. Umm¡­ This way,¡± Rose pointed. They kept tracking Viers using Rose¡¯s guidance. She frequently stopped and closed her eyes, tracking the faint feeling that only she could sense. Valkut was a big city. The only city in a region as big as Belgium. Nevertheless, slowly but surely, they were closing in on Viers¡¯ position. ¡°Mita.¡± ¡°Unem? Priest Baker and priest Moloney too? Why are you here?¡± Mita was approached by three people she didn''t expect to meet. ¡°We¡¯ve heard of the situation and we¡¯re here to help,¡± Unem said. ¡°It¡¯s Viers, isn''t it?¡± Why mobilize the Church¡¯s forces to the point of leaving the abbey unguarded? This is highly unusual. Damon, Wendy and Rachel started to feel something wasn''t quite right. ¡°Nice, Abbess Unem is here,¡± Max hit his left palm with his right fist. ¡°Viers won''t be able to escape this time.¡± ¡°Right! We¡¯ll put him in cuffs and he¡¯ll answer all the crimes he committed to the last offenses!¡± Bryan was in high tension. ¡°Blessed?¡± Hubert urged seeing Rose was looking unfocused. ¡°Which way, Rose?¡± Unem had a smiling face but her eyes were not smiling at all. In reflex, because Unem was her superior, Rose answered. ¡°L-lady Pinaca should be around the next district.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the slums,¡± Hubert said. ¡°A good choice to hide,¡± Archie was no longer smiling. ¡°Very well,¡± Unem nodded. ¡°Wait!¡± Mita tried to stop her but Unem had already acted. *** Forty minutes since Viers started to soul search Pinaca. ¡°Lord Viers! A Hidden Boundary has been deployed on the outside!¡± Farley said the second she entered the Picture Room. Hidden Boundary! Viers recognized it was somewhat similar to Jujutsu Kaisen''s Curtain and Shakugan no Shana¡¯s Fuzetsu. It didn''t possess the strength to entrap but the user could detect the ins and outs of the Boundary. Tch, they found me. Most likely there¡¯s a tracer in Pinaca. Even my Euryale Sight is unable to perceive it. What¡¯s done is done. This was a possibility from the start. ¡°Girls, we¡¯re leaving. Get ready for combat but wait for my signal!¡± He had to leave before he was caged in. The girls went inside Viers and Dia went inside the leaf badge as Viers exited the Picture Room with Pinaca. The space artifact was too valuable to be damaged. In less than five seconds, Viers was already on the run on rooftops with Pinaca on his shoulders. He no longer cared if he was seen because he was already past that point. Speed was the priority now. ¡°Yo! Where do you think you¡¯re go-¡± Viers kicked Bryan without batting an eye or speaking a syllable. Bryan was able to raise his guard but the kick sent him flying all the same. Talking when they shouldn''t¡­ A villain¡¯s chronic disease. The pursuers had placed themselves in an encirclement because they didn''t know his exact location. They spread themselves thin and Viers took advantage of that for a speedy one-point breakthrough. He made sure the Level 4s weren''t nearby. Viers, still wearing a disguise, had revealed himself, and the hornet¡¯s nest was roused. They chased after him. ¡°What speed!¡± Rachel was surprised. ¡°Viiiiiiers! Stop this foolishness before it gets any worse!¡± Ciel shouted. ¡°Show your true face, coward! You¡¯re not fooling anyone with that disguise!¡± Max roared as his steps left fiery marks on the rooftops. Viers didn''t care. At first, he still tried to hide his identity and refrained from using water or soul Artes, so he only used regular non-elemental Artes while running, but he was forced to by the swarming pursuers. To avoid a coordination attack from four people, Viers revealed his water movement Arte, not only that, he also wasn''t as free with Pinaca on his shoulder. ¡°A water Pathseeker, you still try to keep silent after all this, Viers?¡± Water might be one of the most common elements but they already knew he was a water user. Viers could only do so much. As he tried to jump over a tree, the tree¡¯s vine latched on to him. Viers cut them but he lost speed. Twenty meters apart, Rose was barring his way. ¡°It¡¯s useless, Viers. I blessed lady Pinaca myself this afternoon. I can sense the angelic blessing for another week at worst. You won''t be able to hide.¡± See? Fucking angel and his plot device! Viers cursed under his breath. Viers wasn''t privy to this information beforehand. The Level 4s, the legionaries, and the Wright and Sullivan forces, about thirty people all, not one below Level 3, landed on rooftops and other similar high places. They surrounded Viers using a ring formation. Adrenaline raced through his veins. The situation he found himself in only roused Viers¡¯ fighting spirit. Defeat or surrender did not even come close to his mind. But he had to move fast before even more people came. Viers was- ¡°Don''t come closer! He¡¯s got a hostage. Lady Pinaca¡¯s safety is paramount. Let''s talk first¡­ Is that agreeable, Viers?¡± Mita¡¯s clear voice doused the fiery situation somewhat. ¡­After showing my water Arte, playing dumb only make me uncouth. Can''t be helped. I knew it wouldn''t last anyway. ¡°Fine,¡± Viers removed his Impersonator mask, revealing his true face. ¡°What is there to talk about, Vestal Mita?¡± ¡°First, release Lady Pinaca.¡± ¡°Sure, after I soul search her.¡± ¡°Unacceptable! Let her go now!¡± Unem? Why is she related to this? Viers was confused before focusing again on the task at hand. ¡°Why do you need to soul search her?¡± Mita asked again. ¡°You know why. A friend of mine wants to know.¡± ¡°Paina! Are you okay with this? You¡¯re okay using this kind of immoral method on your own family? Answer me!!¡± Rose¡¯s shout of emotion impelled Paina to answer. With Viers¡¯ permission, she materialized in her soul form. ¡°My father tried to kill me to prevent me from knowing the truth. What''s wrong with me using an unorthodox method? Don''t worry, Rose. With Viers¡¯ skill, she won''t suffer any ill side effects. I can vouch for him.¡± ¡°W-w-wha¡­ Paina?¡± Paina¡¯s response shocked her to the core. How could a good and pure friend even suggest such a thing? Paina had been with Viers the whole time. She watched Viers¡¯ way of doing things. His philosophy. Whatever she might have thought, there was one thing she couldn''t deny. Viers produced results. Hearing Paina¡¯s words, Viers smiled. The past Paina wouldn''t say something like that. He recalled a Chinese idiom fitting for this instance. ¡®When walking by a river, often one cannot avoid wet shoes.¡¯ The river was Viers and Paina had been slowly changing after long-term exposure to Viers¡¯ villainy. Mita saw that her disciple was too shaken and took the reins of the conversation once again. ¡°There is no need for such extremes, Viers. There must be an explanation. I¡¯m willing to be the mediator between-¡± Unem suddenly shouted: ¡°He¡¯s still trying to soul search her at this very moment! He¡¯s almost through!¡± I got found out? How? Even if Unem was a Level 4, Viers didn''t think she was able to see the clandestine soul searching empowered by Hyper Arte. Viers traded his lifespan to shorten the time for breaking Pinaca¡¯s protection. ¡°Viers, stop playing with fire and- Wuaah!?¡± ¡°Holy shi-!!!¡± Ciel¡¯s surprise was mirrored by the other Legionaries and Viers himself. Unem, Archie, Hubert, and the rest of Valkut forces opened fire at Viers using their Artes. Cruel and violent, no-holds-barred! Chapter 257 ¡°Unem¡­ What have you done?¡± Mita was shocked by the actions of her colleague. That was an attack with the intention to kill. She and the other valkut people didn''t even bat an eye at involving the hostage in Viers¡¯ hand or other collateral. They were still in the city. The attack of a Level 4 and tens of Level 3s simultaneously was a significant force. The area surrounding Viers was reduced to a cloud of smoke and smithereens. ¡°Paina¨C!¡± Rose screamed in a panic. ¡°Th-this is¡­¡± ¡°What is going on?¡± The rest of the Silver Legion had no idea either. But the Valkut forces, the original residents such as Unem, Archie, Hubert, and their subordinates, cold-bloodedly launched a killing blow. Even Archie, who was serving House Wright, didn''t hesitate to involve Pinaca. All to stop Viers from taking a peek at her soul. ¡°Aaaaahh!¡± ¡°My leg, my leg!!¡± ¡°S-someone help! My brother is bleeding!¡± ¡°Mommy! Wake up!!¡± Civilians were involved in the destruction. It happened in the blink of an eye. ¡°W-we should help them,¡± Wendy said, seeing a child shaking the body of his mother. Only half of her remained. ¡°R-right¡­¡± The Silver Legionaries were shaken but their first thought was to aid the people. ¡°No!¡± Damon stopped them by extending his arm. ¡°But-¡± ¡°Captain¡¯s orders! Stand down!¡± Damon invoked his authority. After Mita, he was next in the chain of command. As the leader, it was his duty to keep his cool and make the rational decision. This was a highly unusual situation. Moving carelessly was most unwise. The smoke cleared a little with the wind and Viers¡¯ form was revealed. He, Pinaca, and Paina were uninjured because of the protective barrier surrounding them. Wordlessly, Viers starred daggers at Unem. ¡°He¡¯s still alive. Second volley!¡± Unem raised her hand as a signal, the Valkut forces obeyed her command without question even though they belonged to different camps. Mita wouldn''t tolerate it any more. ¡°You¡¯re not Unem,¡± Mita said threateningly. ¡°Who are you?¡± Mita had conjured a small bell in her hand. She emitted a fierce fighting spirit. ¡°What are you talking about, Mita? I am Unem. I have not changed since the day we met.¡± Mita almost believed her. All her senses told her that this Unem was not a fake. ¡°Then you¡¯re being controlled. Let me help you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, so it is unnecessary.¡± At that moment, Viers made a mad dash. He had no intention of watching the cutscene, not when time was a luxury he couldn''t afford. The longer he stayed here, the more pursuers would come. ¡°Don''t let him escape!¡± Unem commanded the two priests that came with her, priests Baker and Moloney. Archie and Hubert said similar things to their men. Another barrage of Artes streamed through the air like a meteor shower through the night sky but it was less intense than the first one because Mita stopped Unem¡¯s Arte and sent it skyward. Loud blasts rocked Valkut city once more. Houses broke, streets gouged, fires spread- And screams. ¡°You would side with a kidnapper and murderer? How the righteous have fallen,¡± Unem reproved. Half of her face was illuminated while the other half was shadowed by the Arte explosion above. It was the same with Mita. ¡°The Estellian Church condemns Viers¡¯ action in the strongest possible terms. But you have no intention of saving Lady Pinaca. Even going so far as to disregard civilian casualties. You have to be stopped!¡± Despite her small stature, her aura was gigantic. ¡°I hoped it would never come to this.¡± If Unem held any regret, it didn''t show on her face. ¡°Arte - Fourth Sky¡¯s Cloud!¡± ¡°Arte - Sound Storm!¡± The two Level 4s from the Church exhibited their skills in the art of fighting in a spectacular fashion. *** After shielding her eyes from the dust and light of the second volley of Artes, Ciel tried to ascertain Viers¡¯ condition. As she expected, Viers was fine. Viers¡¯ life-saving treasure was clearly a high-quality one. It even managed to withstand a Level 4¡¯s blow, but the last series of attacks had finally broken it. If the loss of the very valuable magical item bothered Viers in the least, Ciel didn''t see it on his face. While Mita and Unem were busy, he tried to break through the encirclement of the Valkut forces and continued to run outside the Hidden Boundary. As if Fate was playing a joke, the roles were now reversed. Viers was protecting Pinaca from those who wanted to do her harm. Viers was doing well in his attempt to escape despite being vastly outnumbered and protecting Pinaca. His battle strength slightly awed Ciel. Paina was with them, warding off some of the attacks with skillful water arts. ¡°Damon, what should we do?¡± Rachel asked. The rest of the Silver Legion also had the same question. The situation had gone well out of hand. ¡°Eeeyy!¡± Damon said frustratedly. ¡°Pursue Viers! Our objective is to take back the hostage!¡± ¡°But what about-¡± ¡°No buts!¡± Damon cut Bryan mid-sentence. ¡°To know what¡¯s what, we can''t let Viers escape! Rescue the hostage and detain him!¡± ¡°Roger!!¡± Like professional soldiers, the Legionaries plus Max firmly replied. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Nonono, stay away!¡± ¡°Uaaagh!¡± ¡°Heeeelp!¡± While the pursuers chased after Viers, they paid no regard to the residents¡¯ well-being. In just a few minutes since the first Arte came out, the number of victims had exceeded seventy people! ¡°Goddess¡¯ tears! Silver Legion, protect the innocents!!¡± Damon¡¯s blood boiled after seeing the atrocity in front of him. They raced after Viers, participating in a chaotic race. The Valkut forces couldn''t stop Viers. He was too agile and too strong to be stopped even with Archie, Hubert, and the two priests. Even as a Level 3 low Pathseeker, Viers was superior! Since Mita kept Unem out of the race, the threat to Viers was reduced considerably but against twenty Level 3s, he didn''t have it easy either. That was why he only hesitated slightly before weaving and running through places with many people. As the common folk fell victim to the attacks from the pursuers wanting Viers and Pinaca dead, the good guys were spurred into action. Just as he hoped. When he weighed his life against strangers, he honestly and unashamedly prioritized his own life. He was not like other people who would pick their own life in a crisis but said otherwise in front of others. A vassal of House Wright was about to release his earth Arte. It was a big one that he had prepared but between him and Viers, there were people running away from the carnage. Viers maneuvered himself so. The man still opted to release his Arte but before he could do so, Ciel swooped down from above, bashing him with her shield. ¡°Legionary, step aside,¡± he said. ¡°Like I can do that! Don''t involve innocent people, you idiots!¡± Ciel shouted while incapacitating him with a smack to the temple. ¡°Thanks, darling.¡± Viers did a flyby and whispered before speeding up again. As a result, Ciel was fuming. ¡°Stooop! This is all on you! Release her! Wife-napper! Blackguard! Deceiver! Thief! Villain! Pervert!¡± Ciel threw a whip of light which Viers swatted away. She vaulted through obstacles like an Olympic athlete while chasing after Viers and calling him names. Viers admitted to himself that he was all of them save the last. Not only Ciel, but the other members also did something similar. The Silver Legion¡¯s ¡®assist¡¯ was very helpful. They too tried to slow Viers down by using non-lethal Artes but the three-sided battle benefited him the most. Viers charged head-on and pierced the Hidden Boundary. Paina followed close by; her ability to fly as a ghost helped tremendously. Everyone else was in hot pursuit. Unem, the creator of the Hidden Boundary, realized Viers¡¯ exit but it didn''t matter. To the unqualified, meaning ordinary people and weaker Pathseekers, Viers and the others came out from thin air as the explosions, sights, and sounds from inside the Hidden Boundary were unknown to them. Immediately, Viers expanded his senses to determine the path forward. ¡­No Level 4s in the vicinity. I must go out of the city before- An Idler male, not even a Level 0, jumped from the third floor right on top of Viers. What? Viers evaded and he landed on his chest, resulting in a medium injury. Before Viers could make sense of what was happening, pedestrians, shop owners, housewives, and many more; Pathseeker and Idlers, male and female, young and old, ordinary people stopped what they were doing, assaulting Viers en masse! The hell is happening? Is everyone suddenly an assassin like in John Wick? Within the edge of his vision, he had seen that not truly everyone went after him. They looked as confused as Viers about why someone they knew suddenly changed. If Viers was a hero, then this swarm tactic might work but Viers was a bona fide villain. He had no qualms using lethal force against the people that attacked him. ¡°Viers, don''t hurt them! They are being controlled against their will,¡± Rose¡¯s voice entered Viers¡¯ ear. Even an idiot knows that, but so what!? He knocked them away using his Victa and jumped to the rooftop, less living obstacles that way. Or so he thought. These people behaved like a horde of vicious zombies and kept chasing Viers. They had lost all reason and simply threw themselves at Viers. The craziness was too much and Viers bolted. ¡°What the hell is happening¡­¡± Max said after seeing the chaos. His sense of normalcy was quickly crumbling down. *** First, it was hundreds, then it was thousands. They were like zombies from World War Z or other movies. If Viers was a normal human then this would have been it. Viers had stepped into the realms of the superhumans. Since there were no Level 4 yet, only the Level 3 drones were somewhat dangerous. The Idlers provided the numbers but they couldn''t really stop Viers. He massacred those that barred his way like a hero unit in Musou-type games. Although, that didn¡¯t mean the mooks were useless. Every drop of Victa that Viers used against them meant less Victa for the truly strong enemies. Still, at this rate, his escape was assured. Just like xianxia MCs, Viers thrived in a chaotic situation. That was why he muddied the waters. He trained for this, after all. Heh, doing all those zombie swarm and battlefield simulations in the Grid is so worth it! Not only because it was fun. It made Viers have first-hand experience in doing battles while escaping. Fang Yuan, his hero, had been chased like a dog by people stronger than him more times than Viers could count before he achieved ultimate strength. Not only him, practically every xianxia MC went through something like this. Sooner or later, Viers would experience it too. So he trained in advance. Batman¡¯s superpower was his richness. Viers¡¯ superpower was his genre-savviness. Even though the situation was far from ideal, since he could still have such thoughts in his mind, Viers wasn''t truly desperate yet. Paina had been recalled. The swarm was too much and she had reservations about killing innocent people. Running solo was better for the current situation. However, carrying Pinaca was a burden during the chase. Viers couldn''t simply throw her away because she was both evidence and key to unlocking the mystery of Valkut. Killing her and putting her in a storage item was out too because he still tried to keep her safe and sound. What a pain. *** ¡°Khh! What a savage!¡± Bryan cursed. The Legionaries still chased after Viers, stepping on his wake of carnage. A trail of severed body parts and blood. ¡°Stop it¡­¡± Rose was having flashbacks as she saw entrails, lungs, and severed heads. ¡°STOP ALL OF THIS!!!¡± The attack came at the moment of Rose¡¯s outburst such that Viers thought it was her doing at the start, but it was not. It was a spear of gray ash, thrown from an incredible distance. Viers¡¯ eyes widened as he gasped. In the nick of time, he managed to defend himself against it with another life-saving item. He was able to preserve his life and Pinaca¡¯s but the attack had flung him through walls and objects for almost thirty meters from the force. Not only did the spear decimate the hundreds of people-turned-drones in his immediate vicinity, but it also made him crash through a family of three pedestrians and involuntarily flatten them. Their blood stained the streets like a manner of roadkill. The child was not even ten years old. ¡­Fuck. Viers closed his heart and sharpened his mind to the new adversary. The attack was of the ash element and had a Level 4¡¯s strength. Viers knew one person fit the bill. Paina¡¯s and Pinaca¡¯s father, the goatee villain, Jerrold! Not only Paina, that attack was meant to kill Pinaca too. Why? Viers couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it. What he did know was a Level 4 was loose and determined to kill him. The threat level had increased and he could no longer afford to play around. Jerrold was still far but he would arrive soon. So be it¡­ Realizing escape with Pinaca on his shoulders was impossible, there was only one thing to do. ¡°Wait!¡± Paina tried to stop him but he disregarded it. His mind was made up. Arte - Your Soul Is Mine! It was an Arte to forcefully take another¡¯s soul! For his first use, he couldn''t say the word and pose like Shang Tsung, which was a damn shame but with the Church¡¯s uncorrupted personnel around, Viers wasn''t about to stupidly leave clues that he was an otherworlder. ¡°Kyaaahh¡ª!¡± Along with a soul-piercing scream, Pinaca¡¯s body twitched as streams of green came out from her eyes, nose, and mouth. Her body soon turned limp and Viers held a green sphere in his left hand. It was noisy outside but Viers¡¯ attention was on the soul so he did not process any of the voices. Finally, he got a grasp of the mystery''s edge. What he had in his hand¡­ was not a human soul. - - Chapter 257 - Excommunicado Chapter 258 - Lock-and-Load Montage Pinaca was too much of a liability if he had to escape from a Level 4 so Viers did the sensible thing. Viers killed her so he could put her body in an inventory item, and still get her soul for soul search later. It was the logical choice. Though, other people¡¯s moralities prevented them from making that choice. Inside the White Flowers Meadow, Paina watched the V-Stream in silent shock. Her eyes widened and she cupped her mouth with both hands. She hadn''t even talked to her sister yet and now she was dead. ¡°Paina¡­¡± Farley grabbed her hand worriedly. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ Just a little shocked. It¡¯s not the end of the world. She¡¯s not dead, not completely. Pinaca can still become like us and be revived in a new body.¡± ¡°...Right! Don''t get disheartened. Viers will do something about it,¡± Farley encouraged her. ¡°Good,¡± Clarissa praised that Paina''s will remained strong. ¡°Now focus on the outside. Viers is still in a bad situation. We must be ready to assist.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Farley and Paina replied. *** ¡°He¡­ He killed her,¡± Rachel muttered softly. ¡°Viers, how could you.¡± Ciel¡¯s eyes looked like they were about to shoot fires. ¡°No¡­¡± Rose said sympathetically as she saw the soul of Pinaca above Viers¡¯ palm. ¡°That bastard has finally shown his true colors,¡± Bryan wanted to cut him down for his crimes. After Viers extracted Pinaca¡¯s soul, the man¡¯s gaze and mind were transfixed on the soul, unresponsive to the hostiles surrounding him. The life-saving items in his arsenal gave him insurance. While the Silver Legion condemned Viers¡¯ action, the Valkut forces halted momentarily. Their superior had arrived. ¡°Now you¡¯ve done it,¡± Jerrold arrived as if he''d teleported. He just moved so fast it looked like so. ¡°I see¡­ Impressive camouflage. Without directly holding her soul, I wouldn''t even realize that Pinaca is not human. Is this the secret you all want to keep?¡± Viers finally responded while absorbing Pinaca¡¯s soul into his body. Jerrold kept a neutral face but the revelation shocked the forces of the Church. ¡°Huh?¡± Wendy doubted her ears. ¡°Not human? What are you-¡± June tried to ask. ¡°Curious¡­ Paina¡¯s soul is undoubtedly human. How come Pinaca¡¯s, her sister, is not? Unless¡­ They are not sisters?¡± Viers said smugly while looking at Jerrold¡¯s face. Inside him, he felt Paina¡¯s shock. ¡°...People like you are always troublesome. You can longer be permitted to live.¡± Jerrold scoffed before turning to Rose, Damon and the others. ¡°And them too, because you just had to say something unspeakable in front of your friends.¡± ¡°L-Lord Wright, are you serious?¡± Max took in a sharp breath. The Silver legion felt the conflict brewing in the air. Their nervousness about the unexpected situation grew by the second. ¡°If you want to blame someone, blame him,¡± Jerrold said coldly. Well, they are not my friends per-se¡­ Not all of them anyway. Viers was still feeling dandy inside. As per the plan, he lassoed and dragged Ciel and company into this pit of snakes he found himself in. If I have to suffer, why suffer alone? Obviously doing it with friends is more fun! Mwuahahaha! Previously, the drones consisting of normal citizens didn''t attack the legionaries but after Jerrold''s last line, they began approaching Rose and the rest. ¡°Uhh¡­ Damon?¡± Rachel said nervously. ¡°To me! Close ranks!¡± Damon''s firm voice made them act despite their confusion. ¡°Defend yourself, whatever it takes! Don''t think, just follow my orders! I¡¯ll shoulder all responsibility!¡± Viers was impressed. Clear and decisive. That guy is a leader, alright. His praise lasted only for an instant. Jerrold was about to invoke another Arte and he had to concentrate fully against it. The mind-controlled Valkut locals were about to pounce at the legionaries. On top of that, there was Jerrold. Even among the Level 4s that Viers had met before, he belonged to the stronger side. Viers suspected he was even stronger than Lykin, Unem, and Mita. With him here, things looked grim. Overwhelmingly so. So as per the plan, he would tank Jerrold¡¯s attacks with his life-saving items that he''d gathered from the people he¡¯d killed so far, especially from the participants of the Book World. All the while he would escape in earnest. It would not be easy, but doable. Magical items capable of defending against Level 4 opponents, Viers had expended two. First against Unem and then Jerrold. He still had thirty eight. Cling¡ª A crystal clear sound of a bell was heard by everyone in the area. The source was unmistakable. ¡°Well said, Damon!¡± Mita appeared between the Silver Legion and the mob wreathed in a silver aura. She smashed what Viers glimpsed as a pendant to the ground and a series of white energy explosions knocked the mind-controlled people back without disintegrating them. Idlers who fell from the roof would get minor to major injuries though. After clearing the crowd, Mita focused the energy expulsions on Jerrold. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Rrggh, how annoying¡­¡± Jerrold tried to get closer but it was as if he was going against a hurricane and couldn''t get close. It was Mita¡¯s life-saving item. As a Level 4, her item was far more powerful than what Viers used before. ¡°Viers, come with us if you want to live!¡± That very familiar line alone made Viers¡¯ Horizon increase. He was happy about it but did not blindly take Mita¡¯s offer. ¡°I can escape on my own,¡± Viers replied. ¡°To survive, we need to work together!¡± Mita¡¯s expression was mixed with desperation. He¡¯d never seen her like this. Viers¡¯ mind worked at high-speed, about whether the benefits eclipsed the risks. Viers deemed it yes. ¡°Oath, same as before,¡± he said. ¡°Agreed!¡± With that, Viers dashed towards Mita and the Silver Legion folk plus Max. ¡°You think you all can get away that easily?¡± Jerrold created a tidal wave of gray ash. It moved like nanomachines in the films. Viers assumed he would be disassembled into atoms if he got engulfed by that without protection. Jerrold had invoked his Domain to provide icing on the cake. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you, HAAA!!¡± Domain clashed against Domain. Jerrold¡¯s ash tide lost the empowerment from the Domain but it didn''t stop. Viers realized what Mita meant by then. ¡°Arte - Vengeful Spirit!¡± Viers sent a white ball of soul-based destructive energy at the incoming ash. Damon and the others did not lag behind. In fact, Viers wasn''t the first one to invoke an Arte, Rose was. True to the combined power attacks seen in the stories, the Arte of Viers and the others managed to create a hole in the tide of ash so they wouldn''t be engulfed. ¡°Good job, all of you,¡° Mita praised. ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn. Arte - Evacuation Alarm!¡± *** When the dust settled, Jerrold spoke. ¡°So they managed to get away¡­ They can''t be far. Let¡¯s go. The Lord¡¯s secret must not be exposed to outsiders.¡± The damage to the city and life was significant. The life part was mainly because of Viers while the city part was because of Unem and Mita¡¯s battle. ¡°As it should be,¡± Unem approached and stood beside the goatee villain. ¡°Shall we bring the hatchlings?¡± ¡°...No. We must move with speed. They will slow us down. We should mobilize our elites.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Unem waved her hand and the mind-controlled people went back to where they came from. The dead were left behind. ¡°Father!¡± Russ Sullivan, Pinaca¡¯s new husband, and Enzo Wright, the genius younger brother of Pinaca had caught up. With them, there were an additional ten Level 3s. ¡°Son,¡± Jerrold said to his son-in-law with a sad face. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the situation is as you''ve heard. Pinaca has been killed.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll not rest until I¡¯ve buried her body and the murderer has become a feast for crows,¡± Russ severely said. ¡°...I¡¯m sure that would make Pinaca¡¯s soul rest easier. Now hurry, before they escape.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jerrold and Unem led the two house captains, Archie and Hubert, two priests, Baker and Moloney, a pair of youth, Russ and Enzo, and thirty Level 3s out of Valkut city. Out of all of them, only Russ wasn¡¯t ¡®influenced¡¯ but the man was too deep in his anger to realize something was amiss. *** In the wilderness away from Valkut, there was a gathering of the Silver Legion plus two extras. They regrouped after the escape from Valkut. ¡°Like Hell I¡¯m teaming up with this butcher!¡± Bryan was the one who said that but the rest of the legionaries had the same sentiment. Not only Pinaca, Viers had also killed many people during the chase. Currently, his favorability with Rose and the others was at minus value. The voices of dissent were smothered by Mita. ¡°The happenings inside Valkut are far above my expectations. It''s imperative to alert Sephoria. For that, we must escape from the Valkut barrier. Unfortunately, we don''t know who we can trust but Viers, who arrived here roughly at the same time as us, is not under outside influence. The situation is dire. Only together, can we survive this crisis.¡± Those were what Mita roughly said to the younger legionaries. They grudgingly accepted or didn''t outright deny. Viers wasn''t surprised. Heroes liked grouping up with enemies for the greater good. It was a clich¨¦. Still, it wasn''t as if they treated Viers the same as before. Rose did not speak or look him in the eye while Ciel acted distantly. Viers didn''t mind. He was a loner from the start. Only, he was capable. That was why Mita had recruited him in the first place, before and after he kidnapped Pinaca. Capable people were always in short supply and everyone wanted to have capable people on their side. *** Villains act and heroes react. Classic. The plan was simple. Mita would draw and activate a teleportation array, Road of Silver. If they could pierce Valkut¡¯s barrier then they would inform the Church headquarters and send in investigation forces. If their best escape method was unable to, then they would teleport to some remote place inside the barrier before hiding and waiting for a chance to get out of the confinement. The Valkut barrier encompassed a region the size of Belgium; there were plenty of places untouched by human hands to lay low. But first, they must buy time for the array to activate. Time that Jerrold and the pursuers wouldn''t give. ¡°We have some time to prepare. Everyone, gear up and prepare for battle!¡± ¡°Yes, Vestal!¡± *** The legionaries began preparing their equipment for the battle up ahead. ¡°...Never thought I¡¯ll wear this for fighting against other people,¡± June sighed as she fastened the strap on her armor. ¡°We all have to thank a certain someone for that,¡± Bryan examined his sword intently, checking if there was a chip on the blade. "Why are you blaming Rose? She only exposed my location because she wanted to help the lady," Viers said sarcastically. Rose felt the sting. Bryan wasn''t too pleased with his words twisted by Viers. ¡°I mean you! You-¡± ¡°Whoa¡­ Viers, what are you wearing?¡± Conn was speechless seeing Viers¡¯ attire. ¡°If I''m going into battle, I want to do it with style,¡± said Viers while treating Bryan as if he didn''t exist, which angered him even more. Viers was wearing a white shirt and black trousers. A navy blue suit was tucked under his arm. Slick semi-formal shoes with a dark shine. To not expose his origin as an otherworlder, Viers incorporated this world¡¯s style into the suit¡¯s creation. The necktie was not a fashion in this world yet so he had a cravat. ¡°This? It¡¯s my attire for a social affair. I have another for a formal event. Additionally, I have one for day and one for night.¡± ¡°...Unique style. What is it?¡± Ciel asked. ¡°Pyrian,¡± Viers said a fictional place. ¡°It¡¯s slimmer fitting, perfect for those who need to move around a lot. Two buttons, allow for faster drawing of my hidden weapons. Trousers, tapered. A roomier fit around the thighs, good if there''s a lot of running.¡± Viers gave Conn his suit which he took. ¡°Conn, ask me ¡®how about the lining¡¯,¡± Viers said. ¡°Eh? No, I don''t know anything about good clothes.¡± ¡°Just ask me. How about the lining? Repeat it,¡± Viers insisted. ¡°Fine¡­ How about the lining?¡± Viers grinned. ¡°Tactical.¡± Viers instantly drew his sidearm and drove his knife at Conn¡¯s heart while he was still holding the suit. ¡°Argh!?¡± Conn shrieked in surprise. ¡°Conn, no! You bastard!¡± Max and Bryan were about to retaliate against the unprovoked attack. The other legionaries were also an inch away from drawing their weapons. ¡°W-wait! It¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m fine,¡± Conn said while rubbing his chest. ¡°Silicon carbide discs, ceramic matrices, accompanying laminates, cutting-edge body armor. Zero penetration. However¡­¡± Viers pressed his chest and made a pained face. ¡°Quite painful. I¡¯m afraid.¡± Viers took his suit back from the baffled Conn. ¡°Next, what we need besides a miracle are¡­ weapons. Lots of weapons.¡± Viers showed his impressive collection of arms. From swords to spears, knives to axes. While the others were looking at three enormous racks of weapons that Viers just pulled out from his Thousand Treasures Casket, Viers picked leisurely as if picking a good wine for accompanying that night¡¯s dinner. Chapter 259 - Parabellum Viers wanted to say ¡®Guns, lots of guns¡¯, but his self-preservation instinct exceeded his want of saying movie quotes so he didn''t. Viers put on his suit while the others took glances at his arms collection. He had a lot because he killed a lot. Of course, Viers didn''t exhibit weapons that might compromise his identity. These weapons were specifically selected for public viewing. ¡°Whoa¡­ incredible craftsmanship, these two,¡± Conn was admiring a pair of gauntlets not within his arms¡¯ reach. Among the Silver legion, Conn was the one who looked up to Viers the most. It was simply admiration. The two were of similar age but Conn accepted Viers to be stronger than him. Very much so. Not that Conn didn''t find any fault in Viers. For instance, Pinaca''s kidnapping was a red mark in his book. ¡°Would you like a tasting? I can see your fondness for the Zargen varietals, but I can wholeheartedly endorse the new breed of Yustusians. Tachon 24 and 26.¡± Viers submitted another pair of gauntlets. ¡°What do the numbers represent?¡± Conn asked while trying them on. ¡°Numbers of enchantments. Textured grips, Taugwell-enchanted for greater impact. And I know you appreciate the custom plating¡­ Next, how about something robust, precise.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Viers presented Conn with a sword. ¡°The Arung Gara. 11.5-inch. Compensated with a territe-bonded metal blade. Tridirium balancer with one-six weight alteration.¡± ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t use swords,¡± Conn said a bit uncomfortably. Why did he feel like Viers was trying to sell the items to him? Viers continued professionally. ¡°For the end of the night. Something big¡­ bold.¡± Next came a manly-looking broad ax. ¡°May I suggest the Levinelli Executioner. A masterpiece ax head on Century Oak handle. Textured grips, should your hands get¡­ wet. A Pyrian classic.¡± ¡°Right¡­ It¡¯s great but-¡± ¡°Finally, dessert,¡± Viers opened a box of knives. ¡°The finest cutlery. All freshly stoned. Every mom should have these in their kitchen.¡± John Wick gun shopping scene¡­ Can''t forget it even if I wanted to. Most of the technical jargon was stuff that he completely made up. The original scene depicted guns, Viers had to get creative. The collection looked impressive but truthfully, the legionaries¡¯ personal weapons were better. The Silver Legion was not a run-of-the-mill organization. Rank and file adventurers would salivate looking at Viers¡¯ collections but not them. But it was fine. Viers¡¯ objective was to expand his Horizon by recreating a famous scene. He¡¯d missed this. The opportunity was scarce after the Book World. ¡°Mom? You think these are kitchen knives?¡± Wendy was amazed. The sharpness of these knives would have no difficulty cutting the chopping block below the ingredients in half. ¡°I gut my enemies like moms gut their cooking ingredients in the kitchen so calling them kitchen knives isn''t exactly wrong.¡± ¡°Goddess¡¯ tears¡­ Are you preparing for war?¡± Ciel sighed. ¡°Here¡¯s a story for you. A child returned home and said to his family: I got into a fight¡­ The mother said thus: Violence is not the answer.¡± ¡°Good advice,¡± June approved. Viers could see Rose slightly nodding from the side. ¡°The father said thus: Stand up for yourself,¡± Viers continued. ¡°Hmm, I can''t fault that answer but it sounds a bit confrontational and aloof,¡± Damon said after a brief period of thought. ¡°I second that thought,¡± Ciel said. ¡°The grandfather showed his collection of weapons -just like what I¡¯m doing now- and said thus: Be ready.¡± It was too different from the previous two. The legionaries were temporarily stupefied. ¡°That''s¡­¡± ¡°The grandfather is a bit extreme.¡± ¡°A bit? He¡¯s a maniac! Who would teach their grandchildren that?¡± ¡°My dad said old people have the wisdom of age so there might be merit in hearing what they say¡­¡± Conn argued. While the students were arguing, teacher Viers took control of the classroom. ¡°Now, class, all three are not wrong so the question is not who¡¯s wrong. Which of the three do you adopt? You already know my pick.¡± ¡°I pick the mother¡¯s advice!¡± Wendy came out as the vanguard. ¡°Mmm,¡± Viers nodded approvingly. ¡°Then the Church should disband the Silver Legion immediately. If violence is never the answer, why do you guys have an army?¡± ¡°Bu-but, the Silver Legion fights demons and injustice!¡± ¡°With violence,¡± Viers calmly reminded. ¡°As the last result!¡± ¡°Still violence, no matter how beautifully you try to frame it. No violence is a beautiful sentiment but the world we live in is not so simple. Rejoice. Even with the flaw, the mother¡¯s advice is certainly a correct one.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I believe standing up for yourself is the most correct!¡± Bryan threw his hat in the ring. ¡°Didn''t you hear I just said that there''s no wrong answer?¡± Viers sighed. ¡°Oh well, that¡¯s fine too. Where were we? Oh right, then in accordance with that line of thought, the Silver Legion should cease helping people.¡± ¡°Wha-!? Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what it means to stand up for yourself, doesn¡¯t it? If there¡¯s a demon infestation, let the people deal with it themselves. Robbery, famine, plague, Beast Tides¡­ no one should help one another. Every man, woman, and child for themselves. The law of the jungle reigns.¡± ¡°There would be casualties in the thousands, millions!¡± ¡°A horrifying number indeed but that is called natural selection. Those who survive have proven themself worthy before the eyes of mother nature. These people would be tempered by the hardships and equipped with skills and resources to live in this cruel world. The unfit died out, the fit carried on. As a result, the world will be filled with those with desirable traits. One could argue this approach advances the standard of species and makes a better world,¡± Viers explained his point of view stoically. ¡°How can such a selfish world be better!¡± Rose was the first to admonish him. Viers only shrugged. He didn''t want to waste his breath after already giving the answer. Mita kept her silence while she prepared the Road of Silver Arte but she heard the discussion from the start. ¡°Viers, do you mean the grandfather¡¯s answer is the most worthy? I can already see tens of problems by doing that,¡± Damon shook his head. ¡°I give the fourth advice: Talk to the one that fights with you and reach an understanding,¡± Rachel raised her hand. ¡°Fifth advice! Become so strong that no one dares to fight you but use that power not to oppress others but to promote harmony instead!¡± Max challenged Viers. ¡°Good, good. You all are really kind and noble children. This makes Teacher very happy.¡± Viers nodded happily and walked around with his hands on his back. He was acting like a kindergarten teacher in front of kindergartens. ¡°You, don''t make fun of us!¡± ¡°Feel free to follow it however you wish. I¡¯m just sharing a story. As I said, there exists no correct answer. What exists is your fundamental principle, your way of life, and this is mine. Ciel, once you asked me about my code. Here¡¯s another one of mine: If you want peace, prepare for war.¡± Viers said the words as he fastened a sword to his belt and hidden knives to his clothes. Whoever saw it would feel Viers was indeed prepared for war. ¡°Hmph.¡± Amidst the silence, a loud snort. Max looked at Viers with disdain. ¡°How can there be peace when you¡¯re always preparing for war and acting like you¡¯re above the law? Sooner or later, you¡¯ll lose your life in a war you''ve started. Enjoy your life, Viers, while you still can.¡± Viers replied not with another contempt but with something more refined, something passive-aggressive. ¡°I will. And I hope you do too. For your sake.¡± *** ¡°You called for me?¡± Viers approached Mita. The small woman hadn''t stopped preparing for the Arte since Viers made an arms exhibition show, which was two hours ago. She was in a hurry because the Road of Silver had to be ready before the pursuers located them. The others were preparing themselves for the showdown. They each had their own way. Planting traps, preparing Artes for later use, meditating, buffing themselves up, and so on. Viers was about to eat souls to temporarily raise his cultivation using Soulmight Celebration Arte but Mita sent a message. The night was dark and dreary. Dawn was still hours away but none were in the mood for sleep. When Viers kidnapped Pinaca, it was night. Since then one thing led to another and here they were, Viers was acting together with the Church once again. ¡°You¡¯ve really stirred up the hornet''s nest, Viers,¡± Mita said with her back turned. The tip of her fingers glowed as they left trails of light in the air. It was a beautiful mandala-esque three-dimensional magic circle. ¡°Would me admitting I roped you guys into this make you feel better?¡± Mita blurted a laugh. ¡°Your ego, Viers, is ridiculously large and I find myself confused on how to handle it. Even in this situation, you¡¯re having fun. Good. It means you are confident you will survive this.¡± ¡°...Fuh. I might simply be crazy,¡± Viers said while approaching until they were side by side. Some might take it as an offense or lack of respect because one was a Level 4 but Mita paid it no mind. ¡°If only. It would make things easier¡­¡± The Level 4 and the Level 3 didn''t speak for a time. ¡°I fear for the lives of the people in the city. Are they controlled, or something else? As you put forward in the past, I suspect the blessing that they gave to the younglings is the cause. It is my failure to act that created this moment. If only I was paying more attention¡­¡± Ah, good guys¡­ So eager to blame themselves. ¡°Villains act and heroes react¡­ It cannot be backward because the first attacker loses the moral high ground. Just like when two kids fight, the blame lies more on the one who hit first. You people always have it tough, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You speak true¡­¡± Mita made a self-deprecating smile which Viers caught a glimpse of. ¡°I lack the power to change this situation. Pathetically, I can only rely on my brothers and sisters of the Church. This is also the best hope for the people of Valkut.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Viers replied with the night wind. ¡°...I need to ask you something. Take care of Rose and the others for me. Keep them safe for as long as you¡¯re able.¡± Viers raised an eyebrow, hearing the sudden request from the small-bodied Mita. ¡°Oi, oi, I¡¯m your enemy you kn-¡± ¡°And if I become like Unem and the others, don''t hesitate to strike me down.¡± Mita looked into Viers¡¯ eyes with a firm determination. She didn''t ask Viers to lend his aid to Rose and the others if it was impossible because she understood Viers¡¯ personality. She asked to help them if Viers was able. And not for free, of course. She knew full well Viers wouldn''t act without benefits. Mita gave him a vial of water that was glistening like a crystal. ¡°Faith Water¡­ Mita, you¡­¡± Viers recognized that look in her eyes. I see. She plans to¡­ ¡°Fine, I promise you. Now you can go all out without regrets, right?¡± ¡°Apologies, but I need you to make an Oath on your Intio,¡± Mita asked sheepishly. ¡°Ah, not trusting the words of a villain, are you? Wise. I, Viers Isuel, hereby swears- ¡± He did not want to kill Mita as she was always good to him since the beginning but the promise was the price for the Faith Water so he made the Oath to strike her down. But he made sure to include the phrase, ¡®only if there is no other way¡¯. ¡°...Thank you,¡± Mita said softly after Viers finished his Oath. ¡°Faith Water is very versatile and can be used in many things. You should-¡± Viers made a stop gesture with his hand. He knew what to do. Faith Water was one of the few things capable of raising a Pathseeker¡¯s cultivation without drawbacks. When he was doing jobs for the cult at Luxore town, he had stolen Faith Water from the Church¡¯s branch there. The purity of that Faith Water was lower than the one Mita gave him. Mita¡¯s Faith Water should be able to raise his cultivation by one small stage, from Level 3 low to mid. It was a godsend for this occasion. His chance of survival rose by a notch. Higher purity Faith Water capable of raising cultivation of Level 4s and 5s existed but they were beyond difficult to produce. Mita kept the Faith Water for emergencies. This was an emergency but she never dreamt of giving a unique Estellian Church treasure to an outsider, furthermore, he was a villain. ¡°A strange feeling, to be thanked by the person I vowed to kill. But I have to say you''re really underestimating your disciple.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°When the time comes, you¡¯ll know.¡± Viers left it at that and took his leave. The sooner he became stronger, the better. Chapter 260 - Open Combat Ciel approached Viers who was sitting cross-legged surrounded by flickering green spheres of light from behind. It was as if ominous fiery fireflies were dancing around him. With the exception of Mita who stayed in the center, the others were placed in the eight directions to detect the incoming enemies while giving each other some space. She gritted her teeth. Viers was in the middle of invoking his soul-consuming Arte to boost his power, the one that he used before the confrontation with Lykin. If I¡¯m not wrong, it¡¯s called Soulmight Celebration? Calling such an act a celebration¡­ truly a detestable guy. The silver lining was Viers was using monster souls; and complaining about his soul Arte was not why she came. ¡°So it¡¯s you this time? Please, speak your mind freely, like the others,¡± Viers said without turning around. ¡°The others?¡± Ciel frowned. ¡°Earlier, after Mita called me, there were Max, Wendy, Damon, June, Conn, and now you. They all said pretty similar things, mainly about my villainy. Some used harsh words but it was fair.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll waste my breath no more about it,¡± Ciel scoffed. ¡°About Pinaca being not human, is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. At least her soul is not that of a human¡¯s,¡± Viers replied immediately. ¡°What does that mean? Demonic possession?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet but there are no signs of demonic corruption in her soul like the demons I met before. I don''t have time to find out more ¡®cause preparing to survive the next encounter takes precedence.¡± While digesting the info, Ciel walked to his front. Since he was sitting on the grass, Ciel was looking down on him. ¡°...Did you and Rose have a talk, since that night?¡± Ciel meant that time when Viers admitted to the murder of Rose¡¯s friend and the incredible outburst of power that followed. Ciel found out what transpired afterward. ¡°...No.¡± ¡°Rose is deeply hurt because of you.¡± ¡°...I realized.¡± ¡°I won''t say I sympathize. This is the result of your gratuitous actions.¡± Viers didn''t reply but he hardly felt his killings were needless. They were all necessary for his path to supremacy. ¡°You never had any intention of repenting and joining the Church, did you?¡± Ciel said sternly. Viers finally opened his eyes to meet Ciel¡¯s gaze. ¡°The path I walk is different.¡± ¡°Oh, sure, the path of blood and carnage. Those who pick that kind of path are idiots.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Viers only gave a light laugh as a reply. His expressions were the same as always. ¡°...Your smiles, expressions, considerations during battles when you were with us¡­ Was any of it even real?¡± Viers absorbed the souls floating around him and stood up, watching the horizon that started to have a rosy color as dawn approached. Feeling the weight of emotions behind her words spoken in sadness, Viers replied with the same sincerity. He simply felt it was appropriate. ¡°I wonder¡­ If there¡¯s any, it was as transient as a haze in the desert.¡± Ciel closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She buried her emotions and resolution took their place. ¡°I see¡­ Then we are destined to be enemies. We¡¯ll work together for now but should we meet as enemies in the future, I¡¯ll show you no mercy. Farewell.¡± Ciel¡¯s untied, long, golden hair swayed as she turned and left Viers be. Her steps had no hesitation. ¡°Unless-¡± Unless? Is he trying to put a condition? Is he aiming to trade his service for something? What foolishness. The Silver Legion is not such a cheap organization! But I¡¯ll hear it, just in case. ¡°-you want to come to this side?¡± ¡°Wha-!?¡± The offer was so absurd that words were lost to her. Before she could think her body had already turned to face Viers. He was looking at her with amusement in his eyes and a daring smirk on his lips. ¡°This side? Become an outlaw like you? I will never!¡± Ciel replied, furious. ¡°All this time you tried to turn me to your side. It¡¯s only polite to return the favor,¡± Viers said. ¡°Come with me, and I¡¯ll free you from the chains you put onto yourself.¡± ¡°Hmph! This is stupid. Keep your sleep-talking to yourself. I¡¯ll never become a villain. Never!¡± Naturally, Ciel rejected Viers¡¯ offer. Not that Viers had any delusions that it might succeed in the first place. ¡°...Why, that sounds like a challenge. I accept. Heheh.¡± That confident smirk of his. It really irks me! The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Viers, you-¡± Ciel didn''t finish. She and Viers looked in a single direction at the same time. ¡°¡­Here they come.¡± ¡°Everyone, the enemies are coming from the northeast. More than twenty signatures. Two Level 4s. ETA, four, no, three minutes!¡± Ciel touched her ears immediately to convey a message to the other legionaries. The message was sent with snap professionalism. ¡°...Uh-huh¡­ Okay,¡± Ciel seemed to have received instructions back. ¡°Viers, we¡¯re meeting up with the others. On the double!¡± She shouted, the previous topic already gone from her mind. ¡°Roger.¡± Viers was burning with fighting spirit. *** In the open fields of orange grasslands, the two forces confronted each other. On the Church side, there was Mita, the only Level 4. There was Damon''s five-man group and Rose¡¯s three-man group. With the addition of Max and Viers, they were eleven people strong. The Valkut side was led by two Level 4s, Jerrold and Unem. The former was Level 4 peak while the latter was Level 4 mid. Furthermore, the superior Level 3s were two priests, two captains, and two prodigies, Enzo Wright and Russ Sullivan. They were bolstered by another thirty men. The two glared at each other with twenty meters of space between them. ¡°The Road of Silver¡­¡± Jerrold looked at the array behind the Church¡¯s forces. ¡°It¡¯s useless. You can''t teleport out of the Valkut barrier even with that. There is much that you youngsters can¡¯t possibly know.¡± ¡°Don''t waver,¡± Mita rebutted. ¡°Even if that¡¯s true, we can go and hide somewhere else where they can''t find us. This is different from my Evacuation Alarm Arte earlier.¡± ¡°Jerrold, the array is already completed but needs time to charge up and activate. We have five minutes. Mita and you lost lambs, struggling even in the face of oblivion, the Silver Legion never changes¡­ Hold on, we¡¯ll give you salvation.¡± Unem said while giving them a pitying look. ¡°Abess Unem, that is our line,¡± Wendy replied resolutely. ¡°You!¡± Russ pointed his finger at Viers. ¡°Viers Isuel!¡± ¡°The one and only,¡± Viers said. ¡°Want my sign?¡± His tomfoolery only angered Russ even more. ¡°I¡¯ll slice you to pieces and smash every bone. Don''t think you¡¯ll have an easy death!¡± Russ threatened. ¡°You¡¯re right. I never even thought I¡¯ll have a death,¡± Viers grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll silence your mouth soon enough. Ciel! Rose! I¡¯ve misjudged you both¡­ To think you¡¯re an accomplice of this¡­ atrocity. Even now you take the side of the one who killed the love of my life!¡± The two young women made ugly expressions. They were being accused of something vile without actually doing it. ¡°Lord Russ, your anger is understandable but we-¡± Jerrold cut Rose¡¯s sentence. ¡°Russ, enough. Destroy the array before it can activate.¡± The head of House Wright then looked at Mita. ¡°Shall we?¡± ¡°Imaginary Domain, activate!¡± Mita manifested her Domain entirely. The terrain itself changed, molded by the image of the Domain¡¯s caster. Viers briefly saw a place with intricate stained glass, statues, and frescos. It resembled the insides of a cathedral, most importantly, the grand hymns that entered his ears. It made his soul tremble. Mita is a sound Pathseeker. The choir music must be a core part of her Domain. The next moment, Viers was himself back in the orange grasslands. Save for the Level 4s, the two forces were intact. Not far away was a dome of black, a distortion in reality. It was how Mita¡¯s Domain looked from the outside. Inside the Domain, Mita was invoking another Arte that emitted a silver aura. ¡°Jerrold, Unem. It is not only my and the young one¡¯s life at stake here but also of the people in Valkut. Therefore, I can''t afford to lose.¡± ¡°¡­The vaunted Silver Will Arte of the Legion,¡± Jerrold emitted a similarly powerful aura. ¡°Let me witness it!¡± *** ¡°Vestal Mita has done her part. We must not fail to answer her expectations!¡± Damon roared. ¡°Everyone, may the Goddess be with you!¡± The leader made the first move. He stabbed his big sword into the ground and eight pillars of metal emerged from the earth. Damon surrounded the magical array, ten meters in diameter, with the best protection he could provide right from the start. The barrier¡¯s sturdiness astonished even Viers. However, it seems Damon has become immobile as a trade-off. ¡°We do as planned. We¡¯ll separate the commanders from the rest. Ciel, you and I will take on captain Archie and Hubert,¡± Wendy said. ¡°Un,¡± Ciel nodded. The two of them had seen the captains in action before while they were fighting demons together. ¡°Leave the two priests to us.¡± Bryan and Max were up against their allies-turned-enemies, priest Baker and Moloney. ¡°Russ will be gunning for Viers, so that leaves Enzo¡­ Pinaca¡¯s younger brother, the young genius.¡± Rachel said. ¡°I see¡­ he¡¯s truly bad news. We need someone to keep him occupied, but who?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Conn volunteered. ¡°No, please let me.¡± Paina materialized beside Viers. It was she who spoke earlier. ¡°Pinaca!¡± Russ mistook her for his wife. ¡°Are you certain?¡± Viers asked Paina, ignoring the noisy husband. ¡°Yes. Please let me do this,¡± Paina replied. ¡°Very well,¡± Viers respected her choice. Most importantly, he knew her ability. If he didn''t believe she was capable of holding Enzo at bay, he wouldn''t let her. ¡°Pinaca, it¡¯s me! You, is that your soul? Just wait a minute. I¡¯ll rescue you soon!¡± Paina turned at Russ with a regretful face. ¡°Russ, I am Paina, not Pinaca¡­ I think I¡¯m Pinaca¡¯s twin sister but I''m not sure. I¡¯m sorry we first met in these circumstances.¡± Rose gave her friend a complicated look. ¡°Pai¡­na? Wh-what are you saying,¡± Russ was confused. ¡°No, there¡¯s no way such a convenient thing exists. I¡¯ll-¡± ¡°Shut your trap! You¡¯re freaking noisy!!¡± Arte - Raging River Steps! Other than a burst of speed, this movement-type Arte had a secondary effect. It could create a burst of water when the user stopped after the dash, blasting its surroundings. Viers used the knockback effect on the crowd and dragged Russ away by yanking him in the arm. Russ tried to hit back but Viers managed to put some distance away from the others before he was forced to let him go. ¡°We will change locations too,¡± Wendy said. ¡°Do as you like,¡± Archie didn''t look worried. The Wendy-Ciel pair and the Bryan-Max pair went away with their respective opponents. ¡°Not going?¡± Rachel asked Paina. ¡°I¡¯ll be better to support the rest of you if I stay close. Don''t worry, Enzo will be my responsibility,¡± Paina replied. ¡°How reliable. If you say so, I¡¯ll take it. We need all the help we can get.¡± Those who remained from the Church''s side were the immobile Damon, Rachel, June, Conn, Rose, and Paina. Six people against thirty people led by Enzo. ¡°Ahaha,¡± June laughed weakly while pulling the string on her bow. ¡°Even though I resolved for this, our odds don''t look good.¡± Something landed on her head. She almost loosened the arrow because of the surprise, but didn''t because she heard a familiar voice. ¡°I am Dia!¡± The Chibi-Dia proudly stood on top of June¡¯s head with her hands on her waist. ¡°Dia?¡± Rose gasped before she sensed another presence in their midst. ¡°As Lord Viers commands, the two of us will back you up.¡± Farley materialized in her battle armor, blue spear in hand. Chapter 261 - Everybody Is Arte Fighting Ten level 3s were a great force. To put it in Earth¡¯s terms, a Level 2 was a special forces¡¯ soldier while a Level 3 was a tank. A Level 3¡¯s Unreality Field that was impenetrable to conventional attacks was akin to the tank''s thick armor. Currently, Viers and the others were similar to ten fully provisioned tanks going rogue. On top of that, they had a Level 4, a high-yield mobile rocket artillery with them. To subdue the rogue elements, Jerrold brought twice the forces before they could do any more damage. However, just like having a stronger army didn''t mean a guaranteed victory in war, it wasn''t definite that the Church¡¯s force would be overwhelmed by the Valkut forces. Viers in particular was confident he would get through this debacle. It was only a matter of cost. The main thing is whether Mita can keep Jerrold and Unem at bay. Five minutes¡­ Level 3s can already fight at superspeed, in a heated battle, those five minutes can be very long. How much worse is it at Level 4s? Come on, Mita. I¡¯m counting on you. As for the rest, leave this to us! Viers ended his thought process by giving Russ a throw. He¡¯d dragged the lover-boy far enough from the rest. The swordsman rolled off the grass a few times before he flipped and stood on his feet with a flourish. ¡°Move! I¡¯ve to talk to Pinaca,¡± Russ growled. ¡°As she said earlier, she¡¯s not your wifey. She¡¯s Paina. Oh, and this is your Pinaca, by the way.¡± After talking with a floaty tone, Viers showed Russ a pale blue ball of fire look-alike. One could see a face inside it, a woman''s face as if she was sleeping. Viers had a thought to make use of Paina¡¯s likeness to Russ¡¯ wife. To deceive him or something in that nature. But it seemed troublesome so he didn''t. At least, he didn''t need it against Russ. Viers was strong now, and the strong didn''t have to use petty tricks. ¡°You bastard¡­ Pinaca, it¡¯s me! Wake up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless. She can''t hear you. So, now¡¯s the reason why I take the trouble of explaining this to you. Do you know Pinaca is not human?¡± ¡°What!? Lies! There¡¯s no way that''s true!¡± Looking at Russ¡¯ expression, Viers was inclined to believe him. Even Viers and Mita didn''t find anything odd about Pinaca and the drones during their time in Valkut. Viers only realized it after he held Pinaca¡¯s soul in his hands. ¡°Oh¡­ My sympathies,¡± Viers said. ¡°Silence! Even if she¡¯s not human so what? My feelings for her wouldn''t change!¡± The sound of explosions drifted towards them. While they were talking, the others had begun battling. Talking was a fine strategy. The longer they talked, the less Victa Viers would have to spend against Russ. The sound prompted Russ to draw his sword. ¡°Whatever the case, I am going to end you,¡± Russ¡¯ eyes glinted with a violent fury. ¡°Ha! Come at me, bro,¡± Viers made his signature smirk. ¡°After all that you¡¯ve done, how dare you act so nonchalantly!¡± Russ¡¯ figure disappeared from in front of Viers but he wasn''t perturbed. Viers raised his sword to the side without turning and defended against Russ¡¯ high-speed attack. At the same time, their Unreality Fields collided, vying for supremacy against the other. The Lion¡¯s Sin of Pride once said¡­ ¡°Acting calm and composed is the privilege of the mighty.¡± *** ¡°Holy Light!¡± Did that do it? Ciel looked at Archie¡¯s smoking figure. Holy Light was an Arte with a mix of holy affinity in it. Ciel hoped it could return the man back to normal. Archie threw his ax at Ciel¡¯s head. Ciel ducked before her head got sliced. The ax made a turn in the air as it returned to the thrower¡¯s hand. Khh¡­ It really is no good. Is fighting the only option? ¡°Icy Glimmer!¡± Hubert and Archie were hit with an aurora light as frost began to form on their skin. The grass below them instantly turned icy white. It stopped them in their tracks momentarily but the Arte was unable to completely freeze them because of their Unreality Field. In the meantime, Wendy came by Ciel¡¯s side. ¡°I have the same reservation as you, but you know what we have to do, right?¡± From Wendy¡¯s question, someone that Ciel regarded as a sister figure, she inhaled and exhaled a breath. ¡°Of course¡­ Archie, Hubert, as comrades who had fought together side by side. It¡¯s truly regrettable it must come to this. If somewhere inside both of you can hear me, then know this: We¡¯ll definitely save you. For we are the Silver Legion!¡± Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Wendy saw the hesitation in Ciel¡¯s eyes was gone and smiled. ¡°Good. Ciel, suppression strategy!¡± Archie and Hubert were charging at them after freeing themselves from the ice. ¡°Right! Arte - Rainbow Prism!¡± Ciel entrapped both of them in a prism of the rainbow. Their goal was not to defeat the pitifully controlled humans but to buy time until the Road of Silver activated so Wendy and Ciel used Artes to restrict the opponents¡¯ actions. Thanks to the two¡¯s teamwork and synergy, the two women were able to keep Archie and Hubert under control using this strategy, despite the fact that the two captains were now as strong as the legionaries. *** In another place, there was a vertical whirlwind hitting priests Baker and Moloney from multiple directions. ¡°Hahahaha! Take that! And that! And that!¡± Bryan was using Whirlwind Rush Arte to slice and dice the two priests. ¡°Unlike Wendy and Ciel, I don''t have control-type Artes. So I can only pummel you until you can''t move anymore! Let me say sorry in advance, seniors! But don''t worry, we won''t kill you!¡± ¡°Great plan, Bryan! Arte - White Heat!¡± Max¡¯s signature white flame engulfed the priests. The heat was dizzying. Unlike Wendy and Ciel, Bryan and Max employed a straight-up battle approach. The two boys didn''t even think of using another way. They were hammers and their job was to hit nails. ¡°Ghuooh!?¡± ¡°Bwagah!¡± Bryan was hit by Moleney¡¯s stone fist counter and Max was hit from the front by Baker who charged out from the inferno while being covered by a water barrier. ¡°Peh,¡± Bryan spat blood on the ground. ¡°Pretty spry punch for an old man.¡± ¡°That''s more like it,¡± Max licked the blood that trailed from his forehead near his lips. ¡°Come at us with all you''ve got. Our righteous conviction will surpass them!¡± ¡°Well said, brother!¡± Bryan approved. ¡°Together, brother!¡± Bryan used wind and Max used fire. ¡°Fusion Arte - Firebird Tornado!¡± A powerful combination Arte from the pair of hot-heads emerged on the battlefield. It was good they went away from the others. It would have implicated their allies otherwise. But the two priests were not done. If it was their original selves, Bryan was confident it would be over then and there but the priests had received a mysterious boost in power. It wasn''t an improvement in their cultivation but something else. Bryan and Max didn''t think about it too much, though. They had one job and that was to beat the priests without killing them so if they got hit, hit them back, harder. And so the scorching hot battle continued. *** ¡°It¡¯s nice of you two to come but we¡¯re still outnumbered,¡± Rachel threw two boxes to the ground. ¡°Let me even the odds a little more.¡± From each box, a golem came out. Both were mechanical in nature, their metal skin sheen from the moonlight. Although the design was similar, there was a difference between the two. One had big arms while the other had big legs. ¡°My partners, Rush and Crash,¡± Rachel pointed to the big legs first before the big arms golem. When Rachel met Tomthur the first time, she asked him to repair the golems. They needed repairs after the ambush that separated Ciel from them due to the Bone Ravens. Now the two golems were back in working order, there was no better time than using her trump cards now. ¡°Oooh!¡± Dia made an impressive sound. The golems were two and a half meters tall and looked really strong. Even Farley gave the metal allies an appreciative look. Only Paina did not react. She only looked at Enzo in silence. Her role was to fight her half-brother but that was not what unsettled her. It was her calm. Pinaca was in soul form because of her desire to know the truth and she was about to fight a family member but she felt calm. It surprised her how much she had changed. She wasn''t sure she liked it. Unlike the other fights, this one had the most combatants and arguably the most crucial ones after Mita¡¯s. The reason being the Road of Silver array was here. The Church and Valkut forces knew the key of the battle, the magical array. One side sought to defend it, the other to destroy it. The more battlers involved, the more variables on the battlefield. Ordinary Pathseeker were no match for Rose and the others but they were not ordinary Level 3s. From personal experience during the escaping battle in Valkut city earlier, Viers realized that the controlled people were not normal. Aside from their base specs, they also had additional buffs. The nature of said buffs still escaped Viers. Therefore, Viers sent Farley and Dia as reinforcements. It wasn''t without cost. Aside from Dia who had her own Victa, Paina and Farley could only battle in the real world using his Victa. With his own battle, Viers basically shouldered the Victa cost of three people. He didn''t like it but it was a necessity. Thankfully, he still had quite a bit of Victa. But the Victa spending since he''d arrived at the Valkut region was starting to take its toll, especially from the debacles with the assassins and the Chevrys. Damon was in charge of protecting the all-important array so Rachel took command. She directed the golems to the front, Farley to the left wing, Conn to the right wing, Rose and herself at the center, and June plus Damon at the back. Rachel refrained from giving a command to Paina because she still didn''t know what Enzo¡¯s actions would be. The two seemed content to glare at each other for the time being. After Rachel¡¯s formation took shape, the army of thirty Level 3 Pathseekers finally acted. They were eerily silent, as if there were no souls behind their eyes. They didn''t talk to each other, not making eye contact or bodily gestures. Other than Jerrold, Unem, and Russ who retained their personalities, the rest were like limbs of a greater will. Their response was to drown Rachel and the others with more numbers. They also summoned reinforcements. Not golems, but monsters. ¡°Oh, shoot. They got monster tamers with them,¡± Conn sighed. There were Pathseekers who specialized in taming and raising monsters in a fight. There were all kinds of Profound Codex in this world. Despite so, Farley did not detect any despair in Rachel and the rest. She realized the reason the next moment. These demon hunters are veterans in fighting against superior numbers. Just monsters are no big deal. The monsters numbered about twenty. Five of them were at Rank 3 while the rest were at Rank 2. ¡°Be that as it may, fighting against those numbers would be a hassle. Dia, may we count on you?¡± Farley whispered to Dia who sat on her shoulder. ¡°Okay, Fayfay ghost. Friends, come aid me!¡± Dia sent her energy to the ground and in a few seconds, the ground shook. Patches of dirt overturned as something emerged from beneath the earth. Rose and company didn''t know what was going on. They saw something red. Five, ten, until twenty sprouted from the ground. ¡°Are those¡­ plant monsters?¡± Rose gasped. A red body, headless, eyeless, a bit of green on the top. They had multitudes of long vines under their bulbous body to move around and to function as limbs. Most noticeable was a toothless mouth directly on their bodies, spouting fire as they breathed. ¡°Arte - Habanero Hunters. Come, come, friendsies. Spicy, spicy, crispy the baddies~!¡± Chapter 262 - My Hope The nose and eyes are similar to that guy¡­ to Jerrold. Paina examined the face of her half-brother in silence. Even though she should be older, her appearance was unchanging ever since she became a tethered soul. Therefore, it was she who looked younger. ¡°It appears the others have begun. Shall we follow suit, dear sister?¡± It was the first time Enzo opened his mouth. ¡°...You know me?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Does Pinaca?¡± Her throat suddenly felt dry. ¡°Yes, before your friend murdered her in cold blood.¡± Enzo smiled cruelly. The expression of Paina changed slightly. ¡°...What are you?¡± Enzo didn''t answer. ¡°...Can you help me make some sense of what¡¯s going on in our family?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use? You¡¯ll be dead soon.¡± Along with the killing intent, little lights were appearing in Enzo¡¯s surroundings. He was slightly surprised by Paina¡¯s composure. ¡°Only sixteen and already Level 3. I can see why you¡¯re called a genius. And those lights¡­ star affinity?¡± ¡°Unlike a defective product like you, I was born different. I was born better.¡± ¡°...Naughty kids need to get spanked,¡± Paina replied coldly. ¡°It¡¯s for their own good.¡± ¡°Bold words from a useless nobody.¡± Arte - End Fragments! Enzo sent the little lights at his sister without hesitation. Each of them exploded in a peculiar manner, as if the explosion happened in outer space. Seeing the uninjured Paina inside a gelatinous sphere of water hurt his pride. Arte - Water Is Unbreakable. ¡°Come, little brother. You need to be taught some manners.¡± *** The battle of the Rustweed Plains was in full swing. Magic against magic, steel against steel, might against skill, strategy against guile, the combatants dyed the battlefield with their colors. Adding dazzle to the stage were carriage-sized beast monsters fighting fire-breathing plant monsters. As Rachel directed her golems, she had some leeway to glance at a habanero blasting fire at the head of a scorpion monster like a mighty dragon. The smell of burning flesh and chili spiciness oozing from the plant¡¯s wound was distracting. Dia¡¯s summons are able to go toe to toe with their monsters¡­ The sprite is far more capable than I thought, which is worrying considering who her master is but at this moment, I have nothing but gratitude! Dia created those menacing habaneros from her ability, unlike the other side, who were flesh and blood monsters. Rachel¡¯s assumption that Dia¡¯s plant monsters would be weaker than their enemies was justified, because it was the norm. Rachel blocked two attacks directed toward her that went past Rush and Crash. The third was punched down to the ground by Conn. His body was emitting high-pressure steam. He¡¯s getting better at handling that Steam Revolution Arte. Should have toned down the output a bit more to conserve his stamina though. Rachel snapped her fingers and the ground below the attacker¡¯s feet turned into a deep pit. She¡¯d put down many traps for this battle and sprung one of those. The man propelled himself out by making an explosion with his feet. His price was an arrow of lightning to the chest. June¡¯s fingertips were still crackling with electricity after shooting the arrow. The shot didn''t kill him, it didn''t even knock him out. The enemy fell down but rose back up, injured but still battle-able. Level 3s that were unable to imbue their Unreality Field into their offensive Artes usually didn''t possess the means to defeat a fellow Unreality Field user in a short amount of time, both sides were too sturdy. Rose, June, Conn, and even Viers were unable to. Damon, Ciel, and the rest Level 3 high senior legionaries were still mastering it. Multiple enemy attacks were homing in at June. She ducked, evaded, ran, weaved with the nimbleness of a cat. When three people pincered her from left, right, and back, she shot an arrow to the ground. Arte - Lightning Fountain! Spikes of lightning hit all three of the assailants more than once. June gasped at the counterattack from the other side of the smoke, but the crystal needles were stopped by a shield of light. ¡°Your surrounding awareness is lacking!¡± Damon shouted from behind. He might be immobile but he was not helpless. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± There was no time to be discouraged. June backed up her friends immediately. *** Farley was performing a deadly dance with her spear. Her short brown ponytail swayed furiously as she drew blood and cut fingers from her enemies. Her footwork and spear techniques didn''t even let a single attack come close to her body. Arte - Spears of Falling Rain! Her female opponent withstood the first fifteen thrusts but the next eight made holes in her upper body. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. It wasn''t fatal because Rose¡¯s vines made Farley miss the lethal hits. ¡°She¡¯s beaten. No need to kill her,¡± Rose said. ¡°Bestowing mercy upon your enemies? How magnanimous of you, Blessed,¡± Farley greatly disapproved before she went to pry an enemy that was launching attacks on Damon¡¯s shield. But the woman that Rose saved earlier suddenly stood up as if she was an unfeeling undead and pounced upon Farley from behind. ¡°Watch out!¡± It was a needless worry. Rose saw the woman turned into pieces mid-run. The blood from her gruesome death revealed the cause, a series of invisible wires Farley laid beforehand. Arte - Unseen Waterwire Crisscross. Farley turned Oscar¡¯s technique from the Book World into her own. Rose covered her mouth with her hand. It wasn''t disgust, it was sympathy for the poor woman. She was but a pawn that lost her life in someone else''s machinations. Albeit very briefly, Rose dedicated a prayer for her soul before joining the fight. ¡­Farley. Rose saw the former Dumuzin cultist¡¯s back. When Viers was cooperating with the Church, Rose had the chance to talk with Farley. She wanted to understand Paina¡¯s and Viers¡¯ mysterious friend. The impression she got from her was Viers¡¯ yes man. A devotee that tried to curry favor with Viers because he was the one sustaining her. People like that usually lacked notable skills save for their silk tongue and flowery words. After seeing Farley¡¯s fight, Rose must admit she was wrong. Farley was not at all weaker than them. Her decisiveness was as direct and as deadly as her spear. Also, that unique phasing technique, turning herself partially or entirely into soul form to evade all manners of attacks. Without the means to injure the soul, she¡¯s almost invincible¡­ No, that¡¯s wrong. That is not her ability, it is Viers¡¯! Rose¡¯s deduction was correct. Paina¡¯s and Farley¡¯s phasing ability was the result of Viers¡¯ terrifying mastery of the soul arts. Nearby, Dia was applying some potent healing salve to Rachel while her plant monsters were eating a screaming person. ¡°Mu? Baddies go away! Dia is busy!¡± Dia¡¯s response to the person trying to finish Rachel off was corn. A really big yellow corn. It shot projectiles all over the place like a machine gun. A single kernel was the size of a basketball. While the Corn Turret Arte unleashed devastation, Dia and Rachel were safe under its shadow. Dia was humming while treating Rachel¡¯s injury. Viers had a vacation plan to visit places full of zombies with Dia someday. So strong¡­ The adorable plant child¡¯s appearance is deceiving. Must be his idea. A vassal from House Sullivan slashed at Rose¡¯s neck from behind, thinking she was distracted. Rose sidestepped with minimal movement and stabbed him square in the chest with her rapier. The armor and enchantment, as well as the Unreality Field, stopped the blow but not what was next, a flower emerged from the struck point and it spread to his whole body. The Flower Seal Arte had incapacitated the assailant. She might have triumphed but it brought her no joy. Viers, you really are¡­ Her feelings about Viers became even more complicated. *** Sparks flew as their swords clashed. ¡°That move! I recognize that move! You¡¯re V, from the Underbelly!¡± Russ shouted. ¡°Finally realized it, huh? Hello again, R. Shiiih!¡± Russ jumped back to evade the bisecting attack. Russ and Viers had fought before, during a contest for a luck-raising item. Back then, Viers lost. I¡¯ve won against him before. I¡¯m the better swordsman. I¡¯ll defeat him again! The exchange of steel continued. Russ was searching for an opening in Viers¡¯ defense. It¡¯s here! Just like the last time they fought, Russ unleashed a fierce stab. I wi- With a shining glint in his eyes, Viers turned his body to the side and stepped on the extended blade with a mighty stomp. The result was a broken posture on Russ¡¯ part and a thunderstruck expression. Viers¡¯ palm was on the pommel of his sword. In one driving motion, as if he¡¯d done it a thousand times before, Viers pushed a counterthrust at Russ¡¯ chest. Mikiri Counter! It is nearly impossible to perceive the speed of a thrust, but not for the sharp eyes of a Shinobi! ¡°Arrrgh!!¡± Russ got blown back a couple of feet and fell to his knees. ¡°Heeeh, nice last-minute dodge. Missed your heart and lung, but the wound is still pretty deep,¡± Viers said. ¡°H-how¡­?¡± Russ rasped amidst the coughing. ¡°You¡¯ve improved so much-¡± Viers interrupted Russ¡¯ wheezing because he was merciful. ¡°While you were happily thinking how to snu-snu Pinaca after the wedding, I studied the blade.¡± Even Viers felt he was being cringe when he said that. ¡°Wha-!?¡± Russ might not know what snu-snu meant but he could guess. It was the classic turtle and rabbit race. The rabbit got lazy after he was ahead and the turtle surpassed him. In Russ'' case, he was distracted by love and neglected his training. Viers knew he wasn''t the best Pathseeker around. Before, Russ was above him as a swordsman. He used the frustration of defeat to fuel and improved himself. Romantic subplots¡­ This is why I don''t concern myself with them. ¡°You-¡± Russ looked at him with eyes of hate and determination. Even wounded, his will to fight wasn''t snuffed out. He had to save Pinaca! A dangerous kind of eyes, the eyes of a hero. Viers knew better than to tolerate it. See ya. Viers swung his arm and not his mouth. His sword was supposed to cut off Russ¡¯ head but it was stopped by a golden light. Crap! A powerful life-saving item! At the same time, an earth-shattering sound resounded as the Level 4s¡¯ Domain broke apart. ¡°Everyone, to the array!!¡± Mita shouted, she was covered with blood and wounds. Five minutes had passed. Tsk! What a clich¨¦. Russ¡¯ life-saving item was not the kind he could break in a few seconds so Viers didn''t have a choice but to let the guy live. ¡°Wa-wait!¡± Viers didn''t wait. ¡°VIIIIIIERS!!¡± *** ¡°Everybody alright?¡± Viers asked after entering the silver barrier. The array was pulsing repeatedly. ¡°Yes, Lord Viers,¡± Farley replied. ¡°Un,¡± Paina nodded. ¡°Kin!¡± Dia jumped to his chest. Similarly, the legionaries were having a reunion. It had only been five minutes but felt much longer. ¡°Good, everybody¡¯s accounted for!¡± Damon said, wiping his nosebleed. Outside, the hostiles were battering his barrier. A single Level 4 Arte would destroy them, barrier or not, so Mita was doing her utmost to keep Unem and Jerrold¡¯s attacks from reaching. ¡°Master, please hurry!¡± Rose said worriedly as the silver pulses became more and more frequent. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Rose. It¡¯s okay,¡± Mita said. ¡°...No,¡± Rose had a horrifying realization. ¡°This was your plan from the start.¡± ¡°Vestal Mita, we can still-¡± ¡°Someone must hold them back,¡± Mita interrupted Rachel. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can do it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving without you!¡± Rose said in distraught, and tried to exit the barrier but was unable to. The array was emitting its own barrier and Mita was the array¡¯s maker. Mita was holding back the combined might of the Valkut forces and even she couldn''t do it for long. She persevered for the sake of a few seconds more. ¡°My path ends here. It¡¯s a shame we couldn¡¯t be together for a longer time. Farewell, disciple, and you young warriors. All of you are my hope. May the Goddess always light your way.¡± A Road of Silver extended to the sky. Viers and the others were being pulled up to the sky. Mita¡¯s figure was getting smaller and smaller. Mita¡¯s kindly smiling face, as she was getting engulfed by a dark cloud and ash tide, was the last thing they saw. ¡°Masteeeeer!!!¡± Rose¡¯s scream faded into nothingness as the Church forces moved through folded space. Chapter 263 - Tall Shadow When the city folk began to lose their mind and attacked Viers, the blind old lady stood up in surprise. The next second, she was in the air, flying like a meteor and opening a hole in the Governor-King¡¯s palace. Alvared had anticipated it. He sat on his throne with a bored expression on his face. ¡°Have you gone mad? Selling your territory to outsiders and allowing them to commit genocide!¡± ¡°This place is mine to do whatever I please. You have no right to order me anything.¡± ¡°I will not sit idly as this atrocity unfolds!¡± Alvared¡¯s eyes narrowed as the blind old lady raised her Victa threateningly. ¡°You have improved¡­ But it¡¯s useless. You cannot stop our ambition.¡± ¡°...Ah!?¡± Less than ten people in the Valkut region had the ability to feel the mighty presence that exerted his strength inside the palace. It was like a shiver to the core of their soul. In the throne room, there was now a quartz statue. ¡°You will not kill her, marquess?¡± Alvared said unfeelingly. ¡°Killing her would alert the meddlesome bunch behind her back and use too much energy. I¡¯ll need all my strength for the crossing.¡± The mysterious marquess¡¯ deep voice echoed through the royal hall. The broken wall had been repaired without a single stone out of place. A simple feat for the Governor-King. The Governor scoffed while looking at the quartz statue. The floor showed the scene of Viers and the Church. ¡°Stay silent and watch¡­ Just like you did, two hundred years ago.¡± Alvared let things unfold naturally. The Governor-King stayed unmoving on his throne even as the scene showed the Road of Silver activating and Mita¡¯s sacrifice. Mita kept battling the Valkut forces after her allies¡¯ escape. Against overwhelming odds, Mita still managed to inflict injury on Unem and Jerrold before being defeated. Silver Legion¡¯s last stand is always something. ¡°The opening act is done. Time for the next phase of our plan,¡± the marquess¡¯ words reverberated as the sound wave bounced on the walls. ¡°Indeed. A fitting invitation must be made,¡± Alvared flicked his hand and a magical pattern floated in the air. After doing his thing for a while, he glanced at the unmoving quartz statue. ¡°You stood and watched as the Empire crumbled from inside and outside, sister. Now you¡¯ll do the same as the Coriz Empire reemerges from the ashes.¡± *** As Mita feared, someone above Level 5 had a hand in creating the Valkut barrier. Even with the Road of Silver, we can''t escape the barrier. Viers and the others were on a craggy hill far from civilization. Even though they were stuck inside Valkut¡¯s barrier, Jerrold had lost their tracks. As long as they stayed low, hiding from the Valkut forces was very much possible in an area as big as Belgium. Viers sat leaning on a tree, resting. One leg extended straight and one tucked to the chest. Nearby, things developed as he expected. ¡°Let me go! I have to go back! Back to Master Mita!¡± Rose was consumed by her emotion and shock while the others tried to calm her down. Damon and the others suffered minor to medium wounds but not so bad to the point of collapse. It went on until Ciel slapped Rose on the cheek to return her to her senses. ¡°Do you want to make Mita sacrifice her life for nothing!?¡± Ciel said. Reason returned to Rose as her cheek throbbed and she broke into tears. So clich¨¦, Viers kept his thoughts to himself. He wasn¡¯t injured but quite tired. Paina and Farley were similarly resting inside him. Dia was perched on the top of his head. Aaah, good ol¡¯ mentor hazard. Obi-Wan, Dumbledore, Rengoku, Jiraiya, Ouki¡­ Mentor figures die for the sake of the still immature ward¡­ Gosh, who knew teaching is actually a job with a high mortality rate? By the way, I¡¯m Boram¡¯s master¡­ Do I have to be worried? ¡°All right. I know we¡¯re pretty banged up after the five-minute fight but we have to move and find some cover. It¡¯s too open here,¡± Damon said. ¡°Yes. If I¡¯m not wrong, the Road of Silver dropped us in a Red Zone. We have to-¡± Rachel¡¯s words were interrupted by the very earth itself. ¡°Earthquake!?¡± June gasped. It was pretty intense. ¡°Everyone, look!¡± Bryan pointed to the horizon. Holy¡­ One thing after another. Even Viers was at a loss for words. An absolutely gargantuan tower was rising up from the ground and pierced the sky. It was like a tower made from houses and buildings jumbled together without a care, sticking on each other as if a giant glued them together. ¡°Is that¡­ Valkut city?¡± Wendy saw some familiar landmarks. ¡°I think it is¡­ The tower is the Underbelly. Nobody knows if Valkut existed first or the Underbelly,¡± Viers shared the knowledge of a local. They said the Underbelly was a place where the Governor-King had no influence. Whoever thought that were fools. Viers almost believed it. Almost. A flock of birds flew in every direction, away from the tower that was still rising ever higher, their animal instinct telling them to stay away from danger; some went past Viers and company. ¡°W-what happened to everyone in the city?¡± Rose grimly reminded. Damon and the others had no answer for her. ¡°Greetings, rogues of the Estellian Church and their allies.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Jerrold Wright!¡± A massive hologram projection of the goatee villain superseded the skyscraper tower. ¡°I know you¡¯re listening somewhere so I¡¯ll get to the point. You all have made a mess of our intricate plan. Therefore, the esteemed Governor-King has created a special venue to show his appreciation. This is Valkut city¡¯s true form, an ancient Magitek Wonder!¡± ¡°What''s a magh tek he is blabbering about?¡± Max asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± ¡°A relic from ages past, very few remain. Each is different but you can think of them as great fortresses capable of turning the tide of war. Even among the recorded Wonders, this one¡¯s size is mind-boggling,¡± Wendy, the history girl, shared her understanding. ¡­In other words, this world¡¯s version of Gu House? Viers connected the similarities immediately. More importantly, is that created using magic or technology!? If an advanced scientific civilization existed in the past¡­ As the youths were being swallowed by the tower¡¯s shadow, Jerrold continued his message. ¡°This is a trap, plain and simple. I can''t have you guys cause havoc in the city for a year before running back to the Church. Refusal is not an option for you people, not when the lives of innocent citizens depend on it. To make things easy for you, there¡¯s one more incentive.¡± The projection changed, it showed the unconscious Mita. her body was in a wretched state after the battle. ¡°Master!¡± Rose cried sharply. ¡°We¡¯ll hereby turn the good Vestal into our ally. The brainwash will finish in three days. Feel free to come and rescue her before that time.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Rachel grimaced. ¡°Bastard!¡± Bryan cursed. ¡°Lastly, to a certain young man who is both the savior and murderer of my daughters, the truth awaits you in the tower. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± The projection ended, what was left was the ashen taste in their mouth and the weight in their heart. ¡°We should-¡± ¡°Sleep.¡± Damon interrupted Rose¡¯s sentence. ¡°But-¡± ¡°We will rest and think about it with a cool head. We will not do anything impulsive and stupid, not with these many lives at stake. Vestal Mita taught you that much, didn''t she?¡± Damon glared at Rose. ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°Then I trust you¡¯ll not do anything idiotic such as sneaking and going on your own. If we are going to pull off a miracle, we need to stick together. Am I clear?¡± ¡°...Yes, sir. Forgive me.¡± Rose dropped her head but Damon patted her shoulder. ¡°We are their hope. If we lose too, who will they rely on next? Don''t worry, there¡¯s no one among us who will abandon them.¡± Rose raised her head and the determined gaze of her friend was waiting. ¡°Everyone¡­¡± Rose felt the warmth of their support. But there was a single exception, Viers was giving Rose his back. ¡°...Except one, maybe,¡± Damon corrected. *** A few hours had passed since the revelation. The tower¡¯s menacing form and the thundercloud that perpetually surrounded its upper region were the perfect depiction of a villain''s stronghold. Viers sighed while seeing the tower¡¯s silhouette that blocked the sunrise. Level 4s and Level 5s, ancient weapons, mysterious shadows of an even stronger being that created the barrier¡­ I¡¯m so~ under-leveled for this shit. I should have grind levels for at least a decade before attempting this quest. What a miscalculation on my part. Paina¡¯s backstory is actually this significant, who knew? There has been no indication that Paina was an extraordinary person with great destiny. Heh¡­ Life is truly unpredictable. The rest of the gang was doing their thing. Damon and Wendy were strategizing. June was tending Rachel''s wounds. Conn was praying. Ciel and Rose were making some food. The most interesting was the talk between Bryan and Max, that Viers eavesdropped. ¡°That dream again?¡± Bryan whispered. ¡°Haah¡­ haaa¡­ yeah,¡± Max¡¯s breath was racing right after waking up from his nap. ¡°A dream¡­ of black fire.¡± ¡°The inheritance is calling you. Not heeding its call would make it worse,¡± Bryan said. ¡°...I can''t leave. You need all the help you can get. The timing couldn''t be worse,¡± Max shook his head. ¡°On the contrary. I think this is the perfect time. You should go, Max. Find the Ebony Fire then, after your strength increases, you can swoop in and save our asses,¡± Bryan joked with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll hold the fort in the meantime.¡± ¡°Bryan¡­¡± Viers couldn''t see Max¡¯s face but he could picture what kind of face he was making. ¡°You¡¯re a good friend.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what friends are for. I¡¯ll talk to Damon and the others.¡± ¡°Viers¡­ Can we talk?¡± The soft voice of Rose made Viers cease his invasion of privacy which he cared very little about. ¡°Evening Rose, care to join me in appreciating the Tower of Doom?¡± Viers said. ¡°You mean the Magitek Wonder?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call it as I see it, the Tower of Doom,¡± Viers turned around to talk face to face. She looked tired, with red eyes, but seemed to have found her resolve. ¡°We¡¯ll infiltrate the tower,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. You guys are incapable of taking another path.¡± ¡°Please, help us.¡± Rose said the words with the sincerity of clear mountain spring water. A lesser man would have said yes then and there¡­ Or a better man, Viers was not sure. ¡°Let me get this straight. You¡¯re asking me to go to a dangerous place where we might lose our lives.¡± ¡°I''m glad,¡± Rose sighed. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You said ¡®might¡¯. That means there''s still a chance in your mind.¡± Heh, well spotted, Rose. ¡°To answer your rhetorical question, yes. Please help us save Master Mita and the people of Valkut.¡± ¡°And why the hell would I do that?¡± Viers said lightly. ¡°No matter how you slice it, we don''t stand a chance against Level 4s, let alone the Level 5s behind them. The tower is an execution ground they prepared for us. Walking into an enemy¡¯s trap is the height of foolishness.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ Master Mita wouldn''t wish for me to do this. The odds are very against us, but I¡¯m not giving up yet. None of us are. With your help, our chance of success will change from one in ten million to one in a million.¡± ¡°...That doesn''t inspire confidence,¡± Viers turned his head to a nearby tree. ¡°How about you come out?¡± Rose didn''t understand until Ciel stepped out from the tree¡¯s shadow. ¡°Ciel!? What are you doing there?¡± Rose was genuinely surprised. ¡°Sorry for sneaking. I¡¯m just worried about you,¡± Ciel acted slightly embarrassed. ¡°You talking to Viers confirms my fears.¡± ¡°Ciel, I don''t understand.¡± ¡°You''re about to make a bargain with the devil. No offense, Viers,¡± Ciel said. ¡°Some taken, I¡¯m so much better than a devil,¡± Viers scoffed. ¡°...We need help,¡± Rose said weakly. ¡°That I agree, unfortunately,¡± Ciel sighed. ¡°That¡¯s why I''m not here to stop you, but I¡¯ll stop any outrageous and unfair deals.¡± ¡°Well, no harm in listening I suppose. Go ahead, Blessed. Offer this devil a deal.¡± ¡°I can offer you wealth and status,¡± Rose began after a slight hesitation. ¡°Not interested,¡± Viers shot her down immediately. ¡°I can trade you Church¡¯s treasure that gives you centuries worth of lifespan.¡± ¡°Nuh-uh, not hitting it for me,¡± Viers was still disinterested. Rose frowned. ¡°I can give you a permanent blessing that I can only perform once in my life to give you various benefits.¡± ¡°Angelic blessing? No way. I¡¯m not gonna let you put a marker on me as long as I live.¡± ¡°This is different!¡± Rose exclaimed. ¡°Even so, nope.¡± ¡°...Would my soul be enough?¡± Rose said in a defeated tone. ¡°Rose, no!¡± Ciel interjected. ¡°Your soul? Why would I want that? What good would it do to me? And who knows what your sugar daddy angel would do if I had your soul? Naw, your soul doesn''t interest me.¡± ¡°Th-then. My b-body?¡± Viers¡¯ expression became a stone statue and gave Rose a drilling gaze of tedium. ¡°F-f-forget I said anything. I wasn''t thinking straight,¡± Rose regretted what she said and took it back. ¡°Rose¡­¡± Ciel sent her a pitying gaze. She was truly at her wit''s end. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don''t have anything else¡­¡± ¡°Finally realized it, did you?¡± Viers said. ¡°Rose, there¡¯s nothing you have that is more important than my life. Nothing in this world is.¡± Rose dejectedly lowered her head. She knew it was a long shot but hearing the rejection hurt all the same. Chapter 264 - Three Offerings ¡°Well, if there¡¯s nothing else.¡± Viers walked past her. ¡°...There¡¯s one thing that someone like you might be interested in,¡± Rose said with much reluctance. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s that?¡± Even though Viers said all those things earlier, he would not mind to be proven wrong. ¡°It will be better if I show you. Look into my soul.¡± Contrary to her expectations, Viers looked at her with a repulsive gaze. ¡°No way! I¡¯m not getting my soul burned by your angel for doing that.¡± ¡°What? No, I¡¯m doing this of my own volition. Nothing''s gonna happen¡­ I think.¡± ¡°I clearly remember you don''t know the full extent of your power and have no control over your patron. Nuh-uh, not putting my hand into that bag of razor blades.¡± "Mrgh¡­ fine. Let¡¯s do it this way then.¡± After pulling a hair from her head and planting it on the ground, a plant with a mirror-like flower blossomed. It showed an archive room of some kind from the first-person point of view. ¡°Senior, this is?¡± Rose¡¯s voice magically came from the plant. ¡°This is what I want to show you.¡± A maiden in a nun habit gave Rose a crystal ball. Rose saw a gigantic demon, towering over a burning city. The humanoid demon was red-skinned, goat-horned, with a pair of bat wings on his back. He was relishing in the act of destruction. He ate the Level 4 Pathseekers as if they were little carrots. A Level 5 demon, Viers deduced. And then, the heavens parted and a white golden light descended upon the world. What followed was a scene Viers had frequently seen in the movies: an explosion very similar to a nuclear blast. Viers lacked the comprehension to perceive if that was more or less powerful than a true nuclear strike but the mighty destructive power was irrefutable. The giant demon was utterly decimated, as was the city. ¡°S-senior, this is?¡± In the memory, Rose asked with a shaken voice. ¡°This is a grace that is given to every Blessed, young Rose. A heavenly arrow to strike down great evil. It is your duty to use this power responsibly. I¡¯ll provide you some guidance in this matter.¡± After the nun said that, the plant wilted and Rose¡¯s memory-sharing ended. ¡°Heavenly Admonition¡­¡± Ciel muttered. ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing the record.¡± ¡°Yes. Once a century, every Blessed has the capability to call down an angel¡¯s might¡­ I offer this privilege to you,¡± Rose met Viers¡¯ brown eyes. She didn''t think she would use the power as long as she lived, but she would give Viers the right to use it for Mita. Viers pulled a glass from his inventory ring and held it in his hand. After filling it with some wine, he posed a little. ¡°Ladies, you had my curiosity. Now you have my attention.¡± A nuke gained Viers¡¯ attention. Rose clarified her ability to Viers. A direct hit had the force to destroy a Level 5. Viers asked why not use it to destroy the tower and end the Valkut problem once and for all. ¡°It takes at least one week of preparation to invoke it, ceremonies and rituals. It also causes extreme destruction in a large area. Master Mita and the innocent people of Valkut are inside the tower. There¡¯s not enough time to use it since we only have three days and I cannot involve the innocents in such destruction.¡± Viers only replied with a long hum. Rose gave him other limitations, hers. She could call the angelic orbital strike anywhere in the world but she needed a clear target, by sight or magical coordinates for something truly far away. She refused to involve the innocents so targeting cities and towns was not an option. Viers must explain to her about the target of the strike. If Viers was using it for nefarious reasons, she would reserve the right to refuse. Rose¡¯s personal restrictions did not lessen Viers¡¯ desire. Even if he couldn''t use it against the Church or population centers, Viers had other enemies, such as the devil cults. If I¡¯m not wrong, the Church has less than ten Angel Blessed right now. Even though they can only use it once a century and some might have already used their angel ICBM, truly a fearsome bunch. Sucks for Church¡¯s every enemy out there. Is this why every cult is hiding in the shadows? ¡°So, what do you say?¡± ¡°Uhm? Oh,¡± Viers burst his thought bubble after Rose called. ¡°Intriguing offer¡­ But-¡± Rose¡¯s heart darkened before hearing the rest of the sentence. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°-not enough.¡± ¡°I thought so,¡± Ciel sighed. ¡°You can extort me next.¡± ¡°Ciel, no! This is my burden to bear.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Rose,¡± Ciel shook her head. ¡°I will not let you suffer alone in the dark. Let me share half of the load. Two people will make the work lighter, right?¡± Rose looked down and clenched her fists but Ciel¡¯s hug melted her resistance. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. And thank you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it is, Viers,¡± Ciel turned to him. ¡°Name what you want.¡± ¡°You say that but can you really give me what I want?¡± Viers touched his chin in a thinking pose. ¡°I¡¯m a daughter of a duke of Latias¡­ I don''t want to rely on my family for personal matters but I can offer you a great many things. Rest assured, the life debts between us also will be settled in full. This is my justice.¡± Now that Viers had revealed himself as a villain, Ciel''s dislike only grew. However, the fact that he had saved her life multiple times before didn''t change. Her principles demanded that she balance the scales. Also, it galled her to be in a bad guy¡¯s debt. ¡°I want power,¡± Viers said. ¡°Level 5¡¯s power?¡± ¡°Oh no, higher,¡± Viers grinned. ¡°...It is said that no one has reached Level 6 in the last millennium,¡± Ciel¡¯s green eyes were sternly fixed at Viers. His ambition was above her expectations. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be the first,¡± Viers replied without missing a beat. ¡°Can you satisfy my hunger for power, Ciel?¡± Ciel searched her brain without a word. ¡°...The method to become Level 6 is unknown to the likes of me. However, there¡¯s a place under my family¡¯s jurisdiction. It is rumored that there¡¯s a Level 6 legacy there.¡± ¡°Hmnn, seems pretty weak,¡± Viers wasn''t impressed. ¡°Rumors are cheap. Who knows if it''s genuine or not.¡± ¡°My grandfather became a Level 5 after entering the Biome. He wasn''t able to reach the rumored Level 6 legacy but he said there are enough resources there to raise a dozen Level 5s. If you can gain them, that is. I, Ciel Valentine, swear upon my Intio that everything I just said is the truth.¡± ¡°Me, too. I, Rose, swear upon my Intio the same.¡± ¡°Hou¡­¡± ¡°Just as you expect, it is a very dangerous place. I can promise you entry but whether you can gain anything is up to you. There''s also no guarantee to your life.¡± ¡°If I die, then it¡¯s my fault. As simple as that,¡± Viers replied. Viers admitted he was somewhat interested. He was confident in reaching Level 5 but the path to becoming Level 6 was obscure. Even Clarissa didn''t know. This was the first time he encountered a Level 6 clue. ¡°Rejected!¡± Viers declared. ¡°You two promised beautiful things but in the end, both are matters far in the future. If you or Rose die a year from now then it¡¯s all gone down the drain, isn''t it? Let¡¯s not mention the immediate crisis about the tower. There¡¯s no guarantee at all we''ll succeed. Don''t promise empty dreams.¡± The two women grimaced. They couldn''t refute. In the end, it¡¯s no good. I think he was already determined to bail out from the start. Rose and Ciel had their own thoughts. Viers was a lost cause so they had to do it on their own. ¡°However, I¡¯m well aware that what you two promised are extraordinary privileges. I¡¯m a man of risk and reward, you see. The value of your boons is just a tiny bit short. A really tiny bit. Which gives grounds for haggling.¡± ¡°Haggling?¡± ¡°You Silver Legionaries have something that I envy. Your Victa generation.¡± Rose and Ciel showed signs of nervousness in their bodily gait. ¡°It¡¯s a well-known fact that the members of the Silver Legion have more Victa than normal. The way you go from one problem to the next would make a normal Pathseeker run out of Victa before long but not you guys. It is said that the cults employed the demon outbreak tactics to counter your abundance of Victa. Otherwise, you guys can overwhelm them with the sheer difference of Arte fuel. Without Victa, Pathseekers die as easily as Idlers.¡± Viers focused on Ciel. ¡°When I first saved you from the assassins, I knew for a fact that your Victa was next to nil but a few days later, look who fought the demons alongside us. I didn''t think you were a fool so your Victa gains must be greater than your spending. The rest of you show similar signs. Max and I just couldn''t compare.¡± Viers grinned. ¡°Can I have it too?¡± ¡°...If you have it, you¡¯ll help us?¡± Ciel asked. ¡°With the previous two boons, yes.¡± Fisherman Viers was feeling the fish had taken the bait. Ciel''s words meant it was not an ability tied to a Profound Codex. He could gain it. ¡°Is it an item, a pact, or an Arte?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called the Vigor of Responsibility Arte. Very hard to learn and master. Depending on your skill with it, the Arte could double your Victa generation rate or even more. That pendant of yours, is about a thirty percent boost?¡± Viers nodded to Rose. ¡°This Arte is also incompatible with that kind of magical item so the pendant will be useless to you. Viers, it is as you say. This Arte is crucial for the Silver Legion to combat the evil of this world. One of our defining Artes, so it¡¯s a closely guarded secret. Even if you kill us and search our souls, you won''t find any trace of the Arte.¡± ¡°Hou, intriguing.¡± Various organizations had their ways of guarding their secrets. The Church was a super organization, their security measures couldn''t be compared to others. ¡°With consent from a legitimate user, the Arte could be taught to others but for that person to continually use it, they must join the Silver Legion.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Rose?¡± ¡°Without permission from a Church¡¯s high ranking official, our Arte will be unusable after a set period of time. We¡¯re all Level 3 so the Arte will expire after a year. I heard Level 4 can use theirs for a decade before the need for renewal.¡± How¡­ bureaucratic. ¡°So even if you teach me the Arte-¡± ¡°Unless you receive a corresponding Church''s blessing one year from now, the Arte will no longer be functional,¡± Ciel clarified. One year¡­ Viers¡¯ eyes were glinting as a devious idea took shape. ¡°That is the limitation. Do you still want it?¡± Rose was half-expectant. ¡°...Very well. Teach me that Mantle of Responsibility Arte.¡± ¡°Vigor of Responsibility,¡± Ciel corrected. ¡°Whatever,¡± Viers rolled his eyes. ¡°So this means we can count on your help?¡± Rose asked. To sum it up, I got permission to call an orbital laser, a visa to a super danger zone that might contain clues to Level 6, and a year of double -at minimum- Victa generation. All right, Viers. Are these three offerings great enough to make you wager your life and enter the Tower of Doom? No. ¡°Yes,¡± Viers answered. *** ¡°I¡¯ll now explain the strategy for our future actions,¡± said Damon. His comrades in arms were in a circle. ¡°Before we begin, I give my thanks for your help in this time of need. Max¡­ and Viers.¡± ¡°The fate of the city is in our hands. You don''t need to say thanks,¡± Max replied with a heroic tone and expression. ¡°Don''t mention it. I just can''t leave my dear friends to their own as they brave the noble and dangerous path.¡± Viers felt Rose and Ciel sent dagger stares his way. No, not only from the two girls. The others were not fools. Although they didn''t know the deal that Rose and Ciel had made, none of them believed Viers'' words. Chapter 265 - Hungry Wolf When Viers heard about the Vigor of Responsibility Arte, he noticed the similarities with the effect of Reverend Purity¡¯s diabolical Profound Codex. In exchange for turning people into eternal virgins, their Victa generation multiplied. The Arte and the Codex were very similar, Viers thought they might even have the same origin. If the Arte is capable of doing what the Codex does with similar efficiency then it is an improvement. Or perhaps the effect can stack? If that is true, the Silver Legion would be even more unstoppable. Boys and girls of the world, be grateful this Viers has sealed the forbidden tome away! Cultivation as a whole in this world was called the Path of Power. The act of utilizing the ambient mana in the surroundings and mastering it, slowly turning oneself into more than a mere mortal. There were many Paths of Power, but the most common ones were absorbing mana from the outside. Because the human race lacked the innate ability to do that, the forefathers created a method, the Path of Power Intio Magisterix. By creating a vessel, a pseudo-monster core. The Into would absorb the raw mana to create a new type of energy called Victa for the individual to use. It was significantly easier than using mana in its raw form. Other Paths of Power existed, for humans and other races alike. From that concept, came Profound Codices. By cultivating a unique matter, they developed unique abilities. For example, Viers¡¯ Serpentes Renovamen made him experience the death-life cycle repeatedly and Boram¡¯s Earthborn Amalgam strengthened his body using minerals of the earth. Throughout history, many people sought to recreate the benefit of Profound Codices or even the Path of Power above that and turn them into a more simple form, Artes. Most had failed but some succeeded. As ages came and went, more and more Artes that originated from Profound Codices were born. Therefore, finding an Arte with a similar effect to a Profound Codex was within the realm of possibility. *** The negotiation between Viers, Rose, and Ciel satisfied all three. Viers did not need the Church¡¯s support, approval, or permission. He, and only he, decided what he wanted to do. But he accepted their generosity in making him stronger. Rose, although had not come to terms with Viers for killing her friend, had a higher priority, which was saving Mita and the thousands of city residents. She still had control over the Heavenly Admonition. As long as Viers didn''t use it for genocide or evil purposes, she was okay with it. He could only use the Arte for a time before expiring. The two limitations gave her the peace of mind that she would not create a super villain using the power of the Church. No doubt she would be severely punished by the higher-ups for this. Rose would gladly accept the responsibility for her actions, but for now, she had lives to save. Ciel felt relieved. What Viers asked was within a tolerable margin. She expected a lot worse. She feared that Viers would ask her and Rose to make an Oath of absolute obedience to him, or a million souls of babies, or an ancient artifact of untold powers in the Church¡¯s deepest vault, or some other thing that bad people usually wanted. Asking clues to become Level 6 was in line with that. Many people wanted to step into the realm of the divine but there was no lack of people with titan-sized ambitions. She didn''t think Viers would get that far. Even though Ciel didn''t want to admit it, Viers¡¯ support would be invaluable for the challenges ahead. Not only him but Paina, Farley, and Dia by extension, would greatly bolster their strength. Because he wanted the Heavenly Admonition for future use, Viers would strive to safeguard Rose in the tower, good. And yet, our adversary is too great. Viers might have ulterior motives but he still chooses to throw his lot with us¡­ Ugh! How confusing, even though he¡¯s a bad guy¡­ Ah? Ciel had a realization. More accurately, a recollection. Viers¡¯ aura¡­ is not black. My gift has never been wrong before. I¡¯ve seen people with a good front with a black aura. It turns out they are doing misdeeds on the back. The eviler they are, the darker their aura becomes. There are also people that have done bad things even though their aura is not black. Those people are¡­ unfortunate. Some acted wrongly despite having good intentions, some were pushed to do so by life¡¯s circumstances, and some did horrible things for the greater good. If only these people had someone at their side before they did what they did¡­ Although her mind understood that Viers was a villain, a part of her subconscious doubted it. ¡­Could there be some reason? Normally, people won¡¯t call themselves a villain, right? Is it a cover for something? Ciel had the Gift of Sight. It had aided her in this world full of fakes and lies, but even with her gift, she couldn''t see the inside of the human heart. ¡°-el. Psst, Ciel.¡± Rachel¡¯s whisper made Ciel realize that Damon was staring at her. She was like a student that the teacher caught daydreaming in class. ¡°My apologies!¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Damon opened his mouth to say something but Viers cut in at this exact timing. ¡°As I was saying, we can plan all day long but at the end of the day, we¡¯ll need some muscle to contend with them. Unless some of you can become Level 4 in three days¡­¡± Viers paused, faintly hoping some of them would say yes. ¡°...then we¡¯ll need allies. Powerful allies.¡± ¡°Uhm, that is what I thought as well. With Vestal Mita gone, we¡¯ll be hard-pressed against Level 4 enemies. The ¡®unity¡¯ I mentioned before would give us a fighting chance against a Level 4 but there are bound to be multiple Level 4s on their side. Getting allies is paramount but with the city in that state and the matter with Lykin, the pool of choices is shallow,¡± Damon frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Max asked. ¡°When the assassins targeted Ciel, Mita had pulled in favors. Two Level 4s answered the call but one was killed by Lykin and the other escaped. We were still dealing with the matter of reparations of that before the city turned to hell,¡± June explained. ¡°Even if we can find those that are willing, can we trust them? What if they become like abbess Unem?¡± Conn¡¯s worry was sound. ¡°...Have you realized that those who turned on us were all human?¡± Rose¡¯s words made a splash on those who failed to realize it. ¡°Yes¡­ Beastfolk, elves, and other races. Not a single one of them seemed to be controlled,¡± Viers replied calmly. ¡°I see!¡± Bryan smacked his fist to his palm. ¡°Maybe their method only works on humans.¡± ¡°If we want allies, that¡¯s a good point to start,¡± Ciel nodded. ¡°We also need to scout the Magitek Wonder and the city,¡± Wendy proposed. ¡°Sounds like a plan. Today we¡¯ll-¡± ¡°Umm, there¡¯s something I have to talk about.¡± Max raised his hand when Damon was speaking. *** The group split up. Damon, Wendy, and June would go to the only Purple Zone, an area under the sovereignty of the demi-humans in the Valkut barrier. They would seek the help of the elves in their grove. Bryan, Ciel, and Rose went to scout the situation of the city. The tower had wrecked a large portion of it so the damage was massive. They would gather information about the enemy and ascertain the situation before the next step. Stealth was a very important factor. With luck, they would find allies that escaped the enemy¡¯s grasp. Rachel, Viers, and Conn would stay at the camp. Rachel was injured and would impart the legion¡¯s Level 4 countermeasure to Viers. Conn also needed the training because he had not yet mastered it. ¡°Good luck, everyone.¡± ¡°Max, stay safe.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come back. I promise you all!¡± Max journeyed alone. He would seek the Ebony Fire and complete his inheritance. If all went well, he might be the edge they¡¯d need for the Valkut struggle. After the planning, they ate a simple breakfast and left in the late morning. Last night was weary and they didn''t get much sleep but time was of the essence. ¡°An elven grove, huh? A-aah, I want to see it too,¡± the master of the dryad sighed while watching the leaving groups. ¡°You¡¯ll need to master ¡®unity¡¯ before the battle starts,¡± Rachel said with a bandaged shoulder. Patches of red colored the white cloth. ¡°You realize all we¡¯re doing is for Level 4 enemies, right? What happens if the Governor-King comes out? Or any other Level 5?¡± ¡°We die, most definitely,¡± Conn scratched the back of his head. Rachel¡¯s silence was an agreement. ¡°Even knowing that you people don''t hesitate. Heh, should I applaud your bravery or mock your irrationality?¡± ¡°We do what we must, Viers.¡± For one just in her early twenties, the way Rachel and the other legionaries stood firm in the face of doom was praiseworthy. ¡°We will leave multiple messages that will reach Sephoria in time should the worst come to pass, but I wouldn''t say our death is certain yet.¡± The other two followed Rachel¡¯s gaze, to the back of a single person. ¡°She¡¯s special. I¡¯ve known that since our training days,¡± Conn said with a sigh mixed with a little bit of envy. ¡°Blesseds have created miracles before. As for the rest of us, we do what we can to the best of our abilities. Leave the rest to the Goddess'' hand. Believe in the light¡­ isn''t that how miracles are born?¡± Rachel said with religious clarity. ¡°...In this matter, I agree with you.¡± Thus spoke Ars¨¨ne. *** Among the destinations, the Valkut city under the Tower of Doom that Ciel¡¯s group tried to scout was the most dangerous of all. Viers didn''t want to approach anywhere close to there. The elven grove was a place Viers wanted to visit. The chance to meet isolationist elves was rare and he possessed the elven friendship token that he gained from what seemed like a lifetime ago, Viers loathed to miss the occasion but staying at the camp for learning the ¡®unity¡¯ was necessary. But the place where he truly must go was not any of them. It was Max¡¯s destination! At the ruins of the Foulfae Swamp, Viers learned about the existence of the sealed power of the Coriz royal line. He even knew where it was roughly located! But the place can only be opened by the chosen one that bears an intangible key. Ivory Fire that Max has¡­ Is Ebony Fire the sealed power? Whatever the case, Viers wanted it! If Viers went with Max, it would obviously arouse suspicion. The two were not on the best of terms. Not to mention he was interested in learning the ¡®unity¡¯. Thankfully, Viers could be in two places at once. After an excuse of going to the toilet, Ars¨¨ne took Viers¡¯ place while the original stealthily left the camp. There was one more thing he did before conjuring Ars¨¨ne. ¡°I¡¯ll need to conserve my strength for the final battle. I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯ll need you all to sleep for the time being. I¡¯ll awaken you when the time comes.¡± And so Paina, Farley, and Clarissa fell into deep slumbers. Viers was now a hungry wolf roaming free. No laws to tell him what to do, no people to judge him for what he did. There was only him and the world. He was not the chosen one? So what? He would kill and plunder the prize no matter what Fate¡¯s arrangement might be. It was the privilege of the villainous strong. Chapter 266 - Arrow Leslie region, on the surface, was a place with nothing of particular importance. The monsters were weak and invaluable, no valuable resources, and no training sites. In the territories under the Valkut barrier, there were many places with more promise of riches and power so the region rarely had any visitors. In that place, a river split open, showing a staircase underground. Max stood before it for a few seconds and walked in. Viers waited for the seconds to move. It could not be too short or too long before coming out from his hiding place. On the way, tailing Max was so easy. What is it with hero types and their awareness? How can they be so careless? No wonder villains often get the jump on them. Viers now stood at the place Max was earlier, in the middle of a split up river, like in the biblical Red Sea scene. The ancient wet staircases silently whispered to him promises of adventure. Hmm, Euryale Sight didn''t pick up anything before Max opened the path. Impressive. On the other hand, those guys¡­ ¡°You all call that hiding? Come out before you further embarrass yourselves.¡± Realizing the jig was up, ten unsavory-looking people surrounded Viers. They were led by someone Viers knew. ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Viers. Vigilant as always, I see.¡± ¡°Skinny Dog. You survived.¡± In truth, the people Skinny Dog employed were quite adept at hiding. Only, Viers¡¯ Euryale Sight, his version of Ezio Eagle Vision, was better. Viers was cloaked and hiding his face but Skinny Dog recognized him anyway. Understandable, since Viers leaked the info in the first place. ¡°Must thank you. Because you told me to stake out the Leslie region, me and my men were not in the city when that happened.¡± The shady man pointed at the Magitek Wonder skyscraper. Viers could guess why they were here even though he already rescinded the request. From there, the information dealer must have suspected there was something valuable here and like him, he wanted to take it for himself. Just another day in the Path of Power. Skinny Dog wasn''t that powerful, only a Level 2. But the ten men he hired were all Level 3. ¡°We meet again, boy,¡± one of Skinny Dog¡¯s men said. ¡°...You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?¡± Captain Viers Sparrow asked with a questioning look. ¡°Hehehe,¡± another man beside him chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s the other way around, doofus. We threatened you! And you folded like a chicken.¡± A lightbulb lit up inside Viers¡¯ head. ¡°You¡¯re the guys that robbed the Chevry girl.¡± ¡°I believe you¡¯re acquainted with the Five Gentleman Thieves. And these esteemed men,¡± Skinny Dog pointed to the group on his right. ¡°Are the Tigerblade Company.¡± Viers had no idea who they were. ¡°That¡¯s how it is, boy.¡± The leader of the Five Gentleman Thieves, a Level 3 peak said. ¡°Be smart and surrender. We¡¯ll make your death painless.¡± Viers wasn''t there. Viers had more important things to do than hearing their ramblings. At the word ¡®smart¡¯, Viers had already moved towards the smug-faced Skinny Dog, putting him within cutting distance. The ¡®oh, shit¡¯ expression on his face was like fine wine. Arte - Cut the Crap! The unsheathed blade drew blood. ¡°Arrrghh!!¡± Skinny Dog screamed while putting pressure on his bleeding neck. ¡°Kill him! Kill him now!¡± The cut was too shallow because Skinny Dog¡¯s men intervened. ¡°Bad call.¡± ¡°Not so smart, after all.¡± ¡°Die.¡± Ten bodyguards attacked Viers from all sides. Viers was about to move but found his Arte hampered. His movement Arte was sluggish, giving only a fraction of the speed. He didn''t make it in time to dodge and multiple blows landed on him. ¡°Eat that! Do you think I¡¯m here without preparations? I know you are strong. Water and soul dual Pathseeker to boot. Too bad, these magic items will be the end of you!¡± Skinny Dog laughed maniacally. Viers mitigated the damage as he could with his Unreality Field. He saw the two leaders of the Thieves and the Tigerblade had a magic item each that disturbed the water and soul Artes. Viers¡¯s enemies didn''t use any of the two elements so only he was disadvantaged. ¡°Make him into mincemeat for the birds!¡± Skinny Dog ordered. The ten bodyguards looked pleased as they surrounded Viers in a circle. ¡°No more Arte for you. No hard feelings, boy.¡± The leader of the Gentlemen Thieves, Hauru, held a favorable impression of Viers after what happened before. If possible he didn''t want to kill him. He was about to take a step forward but the murderous intent he saw in Viers¡¯ eyes made his foot nailed to the ground. A Tigerblade that couldn''t see Viers¡¯ eyes and was thus oblivious, attacked from behind. In response, Viers whistled. A streak of blue jumped out from his coat. And the attacking Tigerblade was dead. ¡°...Steve?¡± ¡°What the fu... Is he dead?¡± Viers whistled again. ¡°Gyah!!¡± Something small, something fast, made a hole in the man¡¯s chest. His heart was pierced and the second death occurred. ¡°Disperse!¡± Hauru shouted. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Viers smiled sinisterly. ¡°Come a little bit closer, boys.¡± Death visited them in the form of a blue streak. It flew in the air, leaving trails of blue light. As the men moved away, their field of vision expanded. As death claimed the third victim, they saw its true form. It was a white arrow. ¡°Watch out!¡± The fourth ducked the arrow but it changed direction midway, piercing him all the same. There was no blood spilled as the arrow left burn marks on the body, cauterizing the wound. ¡°Rwuah!¡± One person cut the arrow mid-flight after it went out of the body of the fourth victim with his sword and Arte. The white arrow did not even have a scratch. It went around and entered his eye socket. In seconds, the ten had been reduced to half. Their heartbeats raced and adrenaline coursed through their veins as they faced the fearsome arrow. And fucking stop that happy whistling, boy! The Tigerblade leader had the same thought as Hauru and attacked Viers with lightning and darkness. To deal with remote techniques, attacking the caster was the common course of action but he paid dearly for that. In the opening he showed when he attacked, the arrow delivered him three deaths. Death to his heart, brain, and spine. As for Viers, he stayed in one place, taking the attack with Unreality Field, trading minor damage for a killing blow. He must be happy because the song-like whistle was becoming merrier after each death. With the Tigerblade leader¡¯s death, the remaining knew they couldn''t show any opening for the arrow or it would be their turn next. Running was not an option because the arrow was too fast so they focused on defense. In their mind, they knew that but panic got the better of them. ¡°Calm down! We-¡± Hauru¡¯s attempt of mind talk was cut short as the arrow targeted him next. Viers wouldn''t allow the man to bring order back to the chaos. His first line of defense was a shield, the most sturdy one in his arsenal. The white arrow tore through it like a spear through a cloth. ¡°Guoooohh!!¡± The arrow¡¯s speed did not give him time to do much else. Hauru went all in and focused on making the strongest Unreality Field he was capable of. It worked! The arrow stopped a few centimeters from his chest. Although the bolt was vibrating violently, Hauru¡¯s aura remained firm. His pupils constricted almost to a point because of the concentration. Then the arrow flew backward. Before Hauru could taste the fruit of hope, the arrow charged back in. This time with a drilling motion, striking the same spot as before! The friction from the air set the arrow on fire. It happened in less than a second and his Unreality Field gave out. There stood Hauru with an extra hole in his body. He didn''t see it but the white arrow was curving and aiming at the back of his head. In his fading consciousness, jolly high-pitch whistling was the last thing he heard. Ah¡­ What a shitty job. *** While the arrow was creating corpses, Viers was humming. Watch out here comes my arrow. It flies super fast, and kills everyone. Watch out here comes my arrow. Legolas sucks, and Yondu is the ONE~? Viers unveiled one of his trump cards, Doyun Arrow. Made from the bone of Reverend Purity, a Level 5 corpse that he found in Dia¡¯s Biome. A single bone that he took before he buried the rest, which he then gave to Izabella the enchanter to fashion it into an arrow. Every inch of it was covered with her top-grade enchantments, turning the arrow into a deadly weapon. While the body was made of bone, the core was something else. It was a sapphire. The eye of the Rank 7 spirit bull, Guo Song, who tried to become Viers¡¯ cultivation grandpa. Viers rejected his offer, destroyed his soul, and ate his flesh. Naturally, he plundered the valuable and mystical body parts. Both of the bull¡¯s eyes turned into dazzling sapphires when Viers removed them. He used one for this arrow. Furthermore, it was upgraded once again by Tomthur the dwarven smith. Viers received -or grave-robbed- three treasures from Reverend Purity: Scripture of Purity Profound Codex, Dragonweave Gloves, and Comet Shard. The Codex Viers sealed away, but the other two had been put to good use. The Comet Shard was a material of incredible hardness from outer space. He let Tomthur use a piece of it to make an arrowhead and gave other various improvements on the arrow. Izabella was a talented enchanter but she was still only a Level 3. The end result was an arrow capable of the feat he saw in the Guardians 2 movie. Viers wouldn''t settle for anything less. The Doyun Arrow was not as strong as a true divine weapon like Solarion or even a broken divine weapon like his Spear of Leonidas, but it was made from extraordinary materials. It far exceeded conventional magic weapons. The good thing was its speed, range, piercing power, and Viers controlled it with his mind. The whistling was a cosmetic touch and also served as a diversion. After Hauru¡¯s death, the arrow made short work of the remaining mooks. With the last whistle, the arrow made its return flight. Viers grabbed it as it went to the side of his head. Twelve seconds. That was how long it took for Viers to put to death ten Level 3s. The cost to move Doyun Arrow for one second was 1,000 mana crystals! Or 3,000 gold coins or 300,000 silver coins. In the past, when he was just starting as an adventurer, the Rank 1 cockatrice monster he hunted with five people was only worth 500 silver coins. It was different depending on the people and region but normally 100 silver coins would be enough for a non-Pathseeker family to live in luxury. Viers was a Level 3 now. The monetary price of his cultivation was far higher. Even so, an average Level 3 wouldn''t be able to sustain the sky-high cost of using the Doyun Arrow. To put it in earth terms, the money to operate the arrow for one second was the price of a brand-new car. Oh, my poor wallet¡­ Don''t cry for being thin, buddy. I¡¯ll fatten you up again. Let¡¯s hope these guys have lots of cash for ya. Viers walked past the bodies of his victims, approaching the trembling Skinny Dog. Just ten people, hm? How many did the blue man kill in the most light-hearted massacre scene in movie history? ¡°W-w-what was that?¡± Skinny Dog stuttered. Viers made a snatching motion with his hand and Skinny Dog slumped to the ground with open eyes. The Level 2 was no match for Viers. He then spoke to Skinny Dog¡¯s soul in his hand. Kill first, talk later. ¡°Thank you for your services so far. I¡¯m taking your and your men¡¯s souls and belongings. Consider this a professional courtesy.¡± Viers did just that. He wasn''t able to count the value of the loot at this time but in the future, he would learn that from their belongings, hidden treasures, and the money he would take from their bank savings, Viers gained a profit. This world revolves around a war economy. How sad¡­ How high risk high reward¡­ Then again, every xianxia power fantasy world is like this, I suppose. There was an incident with Candice Chevry in the past. If Viers was capable of killing the bandits then, why didn''t he just kill the brigands, loot them, then help the beauty? Viers hadn''t improved the Doyun Arrow yet. It would take longer to dispatch them and expose his trump card. Should he do so, he wouldn''t have the capital to buy the luck-raising items afterward. In addition, there was no guarantee the value of his loot would cover the cost of his arrow or Victa. It had to be said that the money that moved the arrow now came from the Chevry mana crystal mine before he wrested the Serene Thunder Aviary from them. Most importantly, Viers didn''t have a favorable impression of the Candice girl. Heroes might save everyone equally but Viers was a villain. He refused to save someone he didn''t like. At any rate, Candice and the Five Gentleman Thieves are now reuniting in my soul prison. Feel free to hate and curse each other until judgment day, fellas. Two side quests were completed simultaneously. Candice¡¯s and Skinny Dog¡¯s. Now, back to the main story. I wager Max¡¯s storyline is not a simple thing. Viers chased after Max after dealing with the obstructions. He redid his disguise, just in case. As he suspected, the structure underground was big. It resembled a temple of sorts. There were corridors and rooms. He encountered traces of earlier battles, unique guardian golems, and trick rooms. Viers went past them all with ease. Max had taken care of them all. Like Uncharted or Tomb Raider, after the hero opened ancient ruins that could only be opened with a unique key in their possession, they did not close the door behind, allowing the bad guys to follow. Viers didn''t know why they didn''t do it, but since he was the bad guy in this scenario, he only held gratitude for their incompetence. Because the underground was dark, Viers moved under the umbrella of Fade in Shadow Arte. He was almost invincible and untraceable in the darkness. After a while, Viers caught up to Max who was in the middle of battling some moving armor. Viers let Max do the hard job of trailblazing. Silently and quietly. Hours later, Max finally reached the center of the temple. On the dais, floated a black fire. ¡°Finally,¡± Max said with a tired body after all the battles and puzzles. His eyes were shining with hope for his friends. ¡°Faster than I thought. With this, I can help everyone.¡± Max reached out his hand to the fire. And Viers shot a bullet at Max¡¯s head. Chapter 267 - The Song of Water and Fire
Viers was in another dimension. He realized this because he had ample experience in coming and going from Dia¡¯s Biome. There was a similar sensation as he entered the core location. A circular shaped area that was only propped up by a narrow pathway with blue flames coming from below. No railings, so a misstep would make one fall off the ledge. Four pillars rose to the dome-shaped ceiling. The heat was scorching because the terrain¡¯s fire was no ordinary fire. Viers¡¯ mind spontaneously thought about a frying pan on a lit kitchen stove. At the very center was where the Ebony Fire waited for its worthy wielder. And he had come. Max reached out his hand to it. A gunshot¡¯s sound echoed throughout the chamber. Blood came out of Max¡¯s head. *** Oh, come on! You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Viers shot from a perfect blindspot but Max¡¯s dodge was borderline foresight as the bullet only grazed Max¡¯s temple. Viers shot five more bullets in succession but Max dived to hide behind a pillar. One bullet hit him on the thigh before Max took cover. The temple''s walls and floor were mysteriously sturdy; Viers'' bullets could not pierce it. Tsk. Viers reloaded his empty revolver with new bullets and took aim. Max tried to run to the next pillar but Viers was ready and pulled the trigger several times. Max was riddled with bullets but he was still running as if nothing happened. An illusion! Another Max dashed from the pillar to Viers¡¯ left. Since the fake Max ran to the right, Viers was aiming to the right. With half of his face covered in blood, Max fiercely brought the disguised Viers into close-quarter combat. Fists of fury battered Viers¡¯ Unreality Field. Viers tried to back away but Max persisted in keeping him close. Viers used items and bomb beads, but it was no use. A sword of white flame rising from Viers¡¯ bottom left. It will be bad if that lands! He had no other choice but to invoke a defensive Arte. When the fire sword met the water shield, a steam explosion knocked both fighters back. ¡°Viers, you slimy, backstabbing, son of a bitch!¡± This was why Viers refrained from using his Artes. Even though he disguised his appearance, he couldn''t disguise his affinities. Max¡¯s brain worked out the rest. Viers lamented his cover was so easily blown because he could only use soul and water. Viers didn''t plan on mastering multiple elements like many other MCs out there, but he had to be able to use at least one other element to prevent something like this from happening again. ¡°Figured things wouldn''t be that easy,¡± Viers pulled his hood to the back of his head and revealed his face. Max¡¯s expression was one of extreme anger. A spurt of blood was ejected from the wound on his temple. Viers understood; he would be too if he was in Max¡¯s shoes. ¡°You won''t squirm your way out of this, you lying snake. Not this time. A scumbag villain like you needs to be put down!!¡± Arte - Ivory Tiger Wrath! A white tiger-shaped flame, empowered by all the fire and heat from the terrain, was charging at Viers with all of its blazing glory. Viers¡¯ triple Water Barriers and Water Blast Arte were unable to stop the plasma tiger¡¯s firepower. Max watched as Viers was engulfed in an explosion. When the blast settled, Viers was smoking, suffering only minor damage. Max squinted his eyes. He didn''t expect his attack to have so little effect. Viers made his strange projectile weapon disappear and unsheathed his blade as he walked closer. ¡°Steel for humans,¡± Viers said. ¡°As you wish,¡± Max also brandished his sword. The two took their stances and clashed blades, dancing the dance of death. Tens of techniques were exchanged in the span of a few seconds. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Tch! He¡¯s really strong, Max cursed. They were even at first, but Max was the first to break. The wound on his temple and thigh were throbbing. He¡¯d applied first aid but the wound didn''t seem to be getting better. Viers parried Max¡¯s sword and was about to send a kick. He stopped and suddenly dodged because he felt a pang of danger. Not a moment too soon, at the place Viers was standing, seven blades of blue fire skewered the empty space. A mild burn on his feet was a small price to pay. ¡°You manipulated the blue fire¡­ Huuuf, a water Pathseeker has it tough here,¡± Viers was sweating a lot due to the high temperature of the place. ¡°Use your soul Artes, Viers,¡± Max pointed using his sword. ¡°I¡¯ll break it all the same.¡± ¡°Not so fast. The terrain is unfavorable for me. Let me change that.¡± While Viers¡¯ hand went into his pocket, Max charged forward. It was the right call but he was pushed back by a gush of water. At first, he thought Viers was creating the water using his Arte but that was not the case. It was real water that Viers pulled out from his inventory items. While Viers used his mind to send the water against Max, keeping him busy, his hands kept bringing more and more water from the Thousand Treasures Casket, barrels and barrels of them. The water broke the wooden barrels as if it had a mind of its own and piled down upon Max. Imagine a room of five meters in length, width, and height full of water. Max was currently inside that. This was no ordinary water. Viers had collected many unusual waters in his travels. One such case was from the underground lake where he fought Izabella¡¯s colleague, Alan, in Marakkus city. Some he used for his cultivation, some he sold or traded for other things he needed, and some he kept for moments like this. The presence or absence of a Pathseeker¡¯s element in their surroundings could determine the outcome of a battle. Arte - Stone Ocean! It was an upgrade of Almost Heaven Arte. Not only was Max unable to move or breathe, but the water around him was also applying heavy pressure from all sides. He felt he was carrying the weight of ten elephants. ¡°Enjoy your dip,¡± Viers shouted. ¡°Glbrrh, rhbbr fllgooh!¡± Max said something, but Viers didn''t understand. What he did understand was that he was stuck in place because of Max''s doing and being burned by blue fire. Arte - Kill It With Fire! Viers screamed as he was being turned into a well-done steak, but refused to let go of the Arte he cast on Max. There was nothing else protecting his body but the Unreality Field. Max was of the same mind, and their actions mirrored each other. And so the battle came to a stalemate. Immolation versus suffocation. Minutes passed, but for them, even a second was already too long. Every passing inch of time was a struggle. The reason their bodies were still functional was because of their Unreality Fields. A Pathseeker ability that was unlocked at Level 3. Just like its name, it was capable of altering reality, albeit limited. The field was able to protect the user¡¯s body from implausible conditions. For example, walking on lava, staying alive in a vacuum, and swimming in the deep sea were possible. Of course, the harsher the condition, the harder it would be for the user to maintain the protection. In a Pathseeker battle, the Unreality Field was invaluable. After minutes of glaring at each other, Max spoke first. Viers being able to clearly hear his voice was another wonder of Unreality Field. ¡°...Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°The sealed power of the Coriz royal line. I want it.¡± The words Viers spoke made a twitch in Max¡¯s expression. It seemed the rightful successor of the Ivory Fire knew about it. ¡°And you would kill me for that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°...I don''t understand. Hurting other people, murdering other people, living with a thousand lies. How can a man live like that?¡± ¡°Like eating vegetables, Max. I do distasteful things because it is good for my growth.¡± The height of dislike rose from the depths of Max¡¯s heart. ¡°Your own greed for power will be your doom. There¡¯s nothing for you at the end of your blood-soaked path.¡± ¡°Aah, the saying of the righteous¡­ How can you be so sure? Have you seen the end of the path with your own eyes? I haven''t. That means the journey is still worth traveling.¡± ¡°Shut up! It is a dead end!¡± Max denied Viers¡¯ point of view. He couldn''t accept it. He didn''t want to accept it. ¡°You unimaginative fool. Even if it''s a dead end like you said, I¡¯ll carve open a new path after I reach that end! The strong are capable of that! That¡¯s the difference between us, weakling. You accept to live within the rules and boundaries, because it is proper¡­ I do not.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with that way of living!?¡± Max¡¯s outburst was simultaneous with the rising heat of the blue flames that were barbequing Viers¡¯ body. Viers returned the favor by increasing the pressure on Max. The fire-user¡¯s lungs felt like they were about to burst. ¡°Nothing. Living like that is just too stifling for me.¡± On Viers¡¯ face, there was no reluctance, remorse, or regret. As a proper human being, Max felt it was his responsibility to deny all that Viers stood for. ¡°...It seems we can¡¯t see eye to eye.¡± Max¡¯s Victa was rising, as was Viers¡¯. ¡°I don''t need other people to understand. We¡¯ve chosen different life paths. Words alone cannot settle our differences, only might and magic!¡± ¡°Arte - Cosmos Burn!¡± ¡°Arte - Ein Sof Sefirot!¡± The moment both fighters invoked their super mode, the endurance contest came to an end. Max was emitting a white-colored fiery aura. His outfit changed too, it became much cooler. Other than the steep increase of power in his aura, the most striking transformation was his eyes; they were like glowing suns. Compared to Max, Viers'' transformation was much less low-key. His hair turned long silver, eyes green, and a single jet-black wing grew from his back. Black feathers fluttered around Viers as the wing emerged. But the music that followed his transformation, in one word, was godly. Ominously so. "Behold my true form, and despair." It was no such thing, Viers just wanted to say that. This was the second time Viers had ever invoked this Arte. Not since Anne. Max¡¯s expression was strange. Viers thought he was truly despairing even though that shouldn''t be the case. First was the blank expression, followed by confusion, then it twisted to anger. ¡°TANAEEEEEL!!!¡± Chapter 268 Viers didn''t expect to hear the name Tanael from Max¡¯s mouth. The water that held Max became steam as the youth set himself on fire. Damn it¡­ Now he really can¡¯t be allowed to live. ¡°...What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don''t lie! I saw the battle between Anne and Tanael. It¡¯s the same transformation, even the music is the same!¡± Viers decided to pretend no longer. ¡°How?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell that to your corpse!!¡± Burning with rage and Victa, Max engaged Viers, putting his sorrow and passion in his sword. Both were in their powered-up state so the intensity of the battle was a step higher than before. Viers had seen with his own eyes that Max had retired before he began fighting with Anne, so how could he know about Viers¡¯ technique? Viers failed to account for Aletro. Max paid a portion of his shards to witness Tanael and Anne¡¯s final battle. Aletro treated Max¡¯s request fairly since Max gave the appropriate amount of shards. The hate he had for Viers who had a hand in the Luxore calamity and Tanael who killed Anne became one. Like two hurricanes that fused and become a super hurricane. But no matter how much hate Max had, it alone was not enough to bridge the gap between him and Viers. The villain only grew stronger since the battle with Anne. While Max had gotten stronger too, Viers¡¯ growth was greater. Max¡¯s sword was short an inch from Viers¡¯ body. His dodges were a bit late. Viers seemed to predict his movements before he made them. Whenever an Arte landed, it didn''t do as much damage as it should. Max suffered many more wounds while Viers¡¯ condition was slowly getting better from his healing factor. Along with his Pathseeker Level, Viers¡¯ healing factor improved. It was still far from his ideal, though. He suspected only after reaching Level 5 that his regeneration would be on par with a certain mutant with adamantium claws. Power, speed, defense, technique, recovery, stamina, Viers surpassed Max in every way. Viers¡¯ composed gait, transformation, and the music''s ominous Latin chanting made him appear insurmountable. ¡°I won¡¯t lose¡­ I can''t lose!!¡± Viers was subjected to a strike bearing the weight of a mountain. Without his Unreality Field, both of his arms would have been broken. To prevent himself from falling into the chasm of blue fire, Viers planted his sword into the ground. It would have worked and looked cool if he could but the vault''s floor was too hard and he was about to fall. Unreality Fields could do many things but flying was not one of them. By shooting water blasts with his hands at his back, Viers managed to push himself back on stable footing. Max was upon him not a moment too soon and fought in a beast-like manner. Viers received a deep slash wound to the stomach and various other things. Mu!? He overwhelms my Ein Sof Sefirot? Viers was on the ground; Max¡¯s hands were choking his neck. Viers used all of his strength to lift those fiery hands. High temperature smoke was coming from Max¡¯s mouth as he breathed. ¡°You burned your life force!¡± Euryale Sight uncovered the truth. ¡°As long as you die, I don''t care what happens to me!¡± Second stage: Cosmos Burn Unbridled! Using life force to empower Arte in a serious fight was nothing new, the challenge was how much energy they gained from the life force burned. Because of his abundant life force and usage, Viers was more familiar than most when it came to this forbidden art. That was why Max¡¯s state awed him, the ratio of life force to Arte power was far above his own! For example, if Viers used a day''s worth of life force, he would gain a hundred points of power. In front of him, Viers saw Max gain three to four hundred points at the same cost! ¡°I¡¯m thankful for gifting me that Arte!¡± Max¡¯s refusal wouldn''t matter if he used soul search. It would be very valuable research material for his own life-burning technique: the Hyper Artes. More importantly, with Max above him and in such close proximity, a certain Arte would be very effective. Arte - Howling Wraiths! Since his opponent already knew he was Tanael, Viers didn''t hesitate to use Tanael¡¯s Arte. The Arte was so much stronger than the time he last used it. When Viers saw Max flash a smile, he knew he''d screwed up. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment! Soul-Burning White Flame!¡± Max¡¯s body which was burning with a white flame lit up even further. Not only did Viers¡¯ Howling Wraiths fail to push back Max, the soul-based Ein Sof Sefirot was consumed by Max¡¯s new technique. Viers¡¯ body and soul were suffering heavy burns. If he did nothing, Max would turn him into charcoal. Squeezing the last drop of strength in this situation, Viers gave a knee strike to Max¡¯s family jewels. A despicable low blow in a sacred fight but Viers¡¯ didn''t care for fouls when he almost died. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Naturally, Max was very hurt and temporarily weakened. The two tussled a bit until Viers managed to get away. Patches of white fire lingered on Viers. It continued burning his soul. Hard to extinguish but he couldn''t leave them be. Viers had had enough of immolation, first Anne, and now Max. As a water Pathseeker, he should be at an advantage against fire Pathseekers! ¡°Fuck!¡± Viers cursed. The damage he suffered went past mild, to severe. It was a failure on his part. He should have known; if Max was hell-bent on killing Tanael, naturally he would learn to counter soul abilities. ¡°Kill you¡­ I¡¯ll kill you! Definitely! Without fail!¡± As Viers pushed his healing factor to the limit, Max was glaring at him despite lying on the ground with unrestrained killing intent. Gone were the visages of the handsome red-headed youth. Throughout the course of the battle, Max became more and more consumed by hatred, stoking his embers. Even his own body was charred because he used firepower above his limit. ¡­He¡¯s like Dabi¡­ And like Endeavor, I¡¯m the cause of his resentment. I made him into that, a personification of hatred. Viers felt a brief moment of pity. Had Viers not existed, Max would have grown up to become a typical good shonen hero. I must take responsibility. Viers stood up first, making a hand seal or mudra, and said something to Max in a tone that could be said to be of kindness. ¡°It''ll be over soon, Max. I¡¯ll grant you peace.¡± A large amount of water gushed forth from his Thousand Treasures Casket. This batch was of even higher quality than the last one. Viers was encased in a sphere of water and ten meters around him water spread, not a centimeter more. ¡°You think a little bit of water can help you!?¡± Max tried to cut at Viers who was surrounded by the sphere, but was unable to. The water could change its properties. It spun and reflected his attacks. Max tried to punch it but it was ineffective when the texture became gelatinous. Then he tried to heat it up by encasing it with a layer of flame but Viers maintained his look of composure inside the water sphere, the temperature inside didn''t change nor did it show signs of evaporation. Meanwhile, Viers¡¯ wounds healed at an even faster rate than before. Max¡¯s confusion lasted only for a second before he found the cause. When he tried to attack the water globe, his blood flowed out, some dropped onto the wet ground around his feet. Then the blood flowed toward Viers, absorbed. ¡°First, Phantom Lifeblood. My enemies¡¯ blood will heal me.¡± Max also felt his stamina being sapped away. It was the wet floor he stood on. Anyone stepping on the ground of Viers¡¯ influence would come under the influence of Viers¡¯ Arte. ¡°Second, Aquathlon Tendency. My enemies will be too tired to fight me.¡± The serene voice of Viers only fanned Max¡¯s hate, forcing him to attack even more intensely. How dare he act as if he was untouchable! But Viers¡¯ turtle shell was unaffected. ¡°Fourth, Water Is Unbreakable. My enemies will not be able to hurt me.¡± Max acted like a man possessed. He was trying everything, from Artes to the items at his disposal. The distance between him and Viers was only one meter, but that one meter couldn''t be surmounted. ¡°The complete combo consists of seven Artes. You experienced the sixth earlier, Stone Ocean, but that, along with the third, fifth, and seventh¡­ are not necessary. The fight is¡­ already over.¡± ¡°It''s not!! It¡¯s¡­ not¡­ wha-!?¡± Max fell to his knees, his vision was blurry. ¡°First and foremost, you¡¯re critically low on Victa. Not that you had much to begin with¡­ Even if you have a big move to break my Water Is Unbreakable, you are no longer able to use it.¡± ¡°No¡­It, can''t be¡­¡± ¡°All those demon cleaning chores with the Church are the true reason for your defeat. All that Victa, gone down the drain¡­ How wasteful.¡± The pitying gaze Viers had was like acid to Max. ¡°Second, as your life force dwindles, your body becomes weaker. The blood loss and stamina loss from Aquathlon Tendency, even maintaining the Unreality Field is no longer possible for a body too far gone.¡± ¡°Even if my head is all that remains, I¡¯ll bite your throat!¡± Viers disregarded the words of the man too tired to stand. ¡°Third, the projectiles I hit you at the start are special, you see. Also, all this talking is for the sake of making the demonic corruption seep in.¡± ¡°Urrraaaagghhh!¡± The bullets Viers shot at Max were made from the souls of demons. Right now, Max was experiencing intense pain as the corruption started kicking in. Max¡¯s senses were a mess. The pain made him almost pass out. He was unwilling, he didn''t want to escape, but for the sake of killing Viers, he had to live. Even if it meant living in shame. It was the only purpose his life had left. A rune swiftly formed on Max¡¯s back, floating. It dissipated in the blink of an eye, along with Max¡¯s figure. Viers had seen the rune before. It was what the undead at Foulfae Swamp used to escape Mita and the others. Max was teleporting away. His Victa was almost gone but he had enough for invoking the rune. As he swore he would have his revenge on Viers, he was yanked out of the space tunnel. ¡°Welcome back,¡± Viers, who was no longer in a sphere of water, said patiently to the confused-looking Max. He was still in the vault of the Ebony Fire. Max came to the Foulfae Swamp after Viers and company. In the past, he said he didn''t meet any undead when Viers asked. In truth, Max had killed the weakened undead. This teleporting rune was one of his victory spoils. Viers had never believed Max, so after knowing his target potentially had teleportation methods, the villain procured a teleportation jammer magic item before the face-off. ¡°HAAAAAAA!!¡± With his hope of escaping dashed, Max harnessed all of his remaining Victa for a final strike. A dagger with a wavy blade, a kris that gave off an absolutely lethal aura, was pushed toward Viers¡¯ chest. Max would not use something trivial for his last strike, Viers knew this. As Max put his all into his attack, he didn''t leave any Victa for defense. Viers capitalized on that opening by using a Force Choke on Max. The dagger failed to reach anywhere near Viers¡¯ body before Viers disarmed the dangerous-looking dagger. The soul-based telekinesis pushed Max beyond the edge of the vault, smoldering blue flames were below Max¡¯s feet. It was the end, both fighters knew it. Max was unable to do anything save for giving a glare of last defiance. If Viers was a fool, he would have simply let Max fall. Max was out of Victa and Viers had him by the neck. It was all so easy, so¡­ tempting. Just release his Force Choke and Max would be subject to the laws of gravity and be consumed by the blue flames. After seeing so many heroes survive being thrown down a cliff, Viers now thought any villain that did that were idiots, no matter how badass the villain may be. Therefore, Viers dealt the last strike with his own hands, by draining Max¡¯s blood to the last drop. Blood poured out from every pore Max had, even those who were not faint-hearted would have the urge to vomit. After the water Pathseeker was sure there was no blood left remaining in Max¡¯s body and checked, rechecked, then checked again for the third time for good measure, Viers was certain Max had died. Viers laid Max¡¯s body on the ground. He died with his eyes open, cursing the sight of the man reflected in his retina. ¡°It¡¯s over, Max¡­¡± Viers gently closed Max¡¯s eyelids and offered words that came from the heart. ¡°Requiescat in pace.¡± Chapter 268 - Requiescat in Pace Chapter 269 - Swirling Chaos Sigma, Aravin, Anne, and now Max¡­ Four MC-class characters have fallen by my hand. Viers took a moment to catch his breath. He was stronger than Max. He was also at Level 3 mid while Max was a step lower in cultivation, not to mention the existence of the Horizon cheat and various other advantages. Even so, Max pushed Viers close to the edge of death a few times during the battle. MCs are such a pain¡­ Viers didn''t want to fight any more of them in the foreseeable future. From Max¡¯s body, a white ball of fire came out. ¡°Ivory Fire¡­¡± High-quality fire to be sure, but Viers felt it was lacking compared to the phoenix fire that Anne possessed. He pondered a bit while twirling the dagger that Max tried to stab him with. Ominous dagger. I would love to find out how Max got his hand on you later. There''s the useful teleportation rune¡­ branded on his arm? Ah, inventory pouch. The dead have no need for material things. Let me relieve you of your burden. He turned to the black fire at the center of the place and knew what he had to do. After sprinkling holy water on Max''s body, it started to stand up. Viers first sanitized the body from the demonic corruption using holy water he got from the Church before manipulating the dead body like a puppet. Demonic corruption was a potent poison that needed to be treated very carefully. Max¡¯s soul was already secured somewhere else. The body of Max then brought the Ivory Fire and Ebony Fire together. Viers did this just in case there was an identity check for getting the sealed power since Max was the rightful key bearer. The moment black and white touched, blue flames all around Viers became tens of flaming rivers and converged at the mixed fire. The hot squall made him step back. Furthermore, a red fire descended from the opened ceiling like a great sunbeam. The breathtaking symphony of fire birthed a normal-colored flame. It would be a letdown if it did not look like it contained a galaxy. Viers felt it with his soul; the newly formed fire was as mysterious as Anne¡¯s phoenix fire. Above it, a fiery phantom of an old man appeared. ¡°To whosoever heard this message, from the multitude of Ivory Fire I scattered throughout the continent, you are the one who managed to reach this place. This makes you my successor.¡± Viers watched as the recording unfolded. ¡°Those not pure of heart and unaware of restraint in using their power would not be able to sense the other pair of the Ivory Fire you wield. It pleases me that the power I left behind would once again rest at the hands of the righteous, as it should be.¡± The old man looked pleased, and so did Viers. If only you knew, old man. ¡°Let us talk about the past. Once upon a time, a fire from the sky fell on this land and was found by two brothers. The elder wielded it to create a great empire and the younger supported him. Time passed, and although the brothers were no more, their descendants lived on. For a time, this land became a prosperous land of plenty and the people were happy¡­ but nothing lasts forever. The rulers that came after the founder gradually turned the Coriz Empire into a typical empire, a place where the weak were oppressed by the strong.¡± Viers could imagine it quite clearly. ¡°I am a descendant of the younger firefinder. Because our ancestors were brothers, my family always had close ties with the Coriz empire royal line. When the user of the heavenly fire dies, it is my family¡¯s role to appoint a successor, who will be crowned as the next emperor. However, seeing the royalty¡¯s decadence, I rejected the crown prince¡­ my nephew''s claim of the fire.¡± You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Hoh ho¡­ ¡°I believe you already know what happened next. The Coriz Empire fell and I roamed the land, trying to make amends for all the suffering I had brought by my decision. I was later known as Fire Sage Barakal, user of Ivory and Ebony Fire. The truth is, they are only two portions of the heavenly fire.¡± Hm? ¡°The original power is too great. A power too mighty will bring ruin, just as the emperors of the Coriz did in the past. Fearing that, I separated the heavenly fire into four: Ivory, Ebony, Sun, and Moon Fire. My successor, the Ivory Fire had brought you here. You who are determined, knew compassion, and desired to do the right thing, I deemed you worthy and leave you with the original fire that fell from the sky beyond the sky, the sealed power of the Coriz royal line, Twilight Fire.¡± The fiery phantom gave Viers¡¯ puppet the extraordinary flame. ¡°In addition, I left you this tome. It contains the records of my understanding of the Twilight Fire, Profound Codex, and various Artes. The Codex is my own creation, Give and You Shall Receive. The more people you help and feel gratitude towards you, the stronger you¡¯ll become. If your Codex is inferior, feel free to change it. When the time is right, share it with someone who deserves it¡­ With this inheritance, my duty is over. Hopely, my spirit in the world of the dead may rest a little easier. Farewell, disciple. Use your power wisely, use it to heal the world rather than hurt it.¡± Barakal¡¯s magic hologram faded, leaving Viers, Max¡¯s body, and the Twilight Fire. The only one among them capable of thought was thinking. ¡°Mm¡­ Hmm¡­ Hmmmnn¡­ Welp, Faiya.¡± ¡°Yaaa!¡± Viers tapped the fire badge twice and the baby fire elemental came out. He happily flew around, glad to be out and about, until he saw the Twilight Fire. ¡°Oooo¡­¡± Faiya was captivated, like a child seeing the mountain of treats. ¡°Wanna eat it? Go ahead.¡± *** Alvared liked where he was right now, sitting on a throne in the sky. With the activation of the Magitek Wonder, the Underbelly rose from the ground and pushed his palace to the sky. The Wonder¡¯s real name was long lost so Alvared¡¯s ancestors called it the Coriz Spire. ¡°If the Wonder could have been used during the rebellion, the Empire would not have fallen. Don''t you think so, sister?¡± The quartz statue of an old woman was placed near the throne. Despite being turned into a statue, the woman Alvared called ¡®sister¡¯ was still aware and heard every word he said. Only she wasn''t capable of reacting. ¡°That reminds me. I believe you know her.¡± Alvared snapped his fingers and a hologram of a person, bound and screaming, appeared before the both of them. In the room with Mita, there was Jerrold and Unem. The brainwashing process was not a gentle one. ¡°Silver Legion¡­ the Church¡­¡± Alvared said with glaring dislike. ¡°Busybodies all. Wearing the mask of holiness, they destroyed the Coriz Empire bit by bit. The new Coriz Empire will tolerate none of their kind.¡± Alvared turned to his sister once again. A pity that the marquess¡¯ power was too strong. It would be great to see her reaction right now. ¡°...You should have come without disguise. I dislike looking at my sister with a stranger¡¯s look. A shame, you resembled our dear mother very much.¡± ¡°Feeling sentimental, human?¡± The voice came from a totem carved with a face. ¡°Bored waiting is all,¡± Alvared replied. ¡°Who was the one that gave them three days?¡± The marquess snorted. ¡°The Wonder needs that time to do what it does. Destabilizing space is no small feat. We-¡± The black cloud above the skyscraper unleashed a bolt of lightning. ¡°Another chain has been broken,¡± Alvared sneered. ¡°It seems the heir of that good-for-nothing has obtained Twilight¡­ O hateful uncle of mine, not only you refused to give me my birthright, even your inheritance realm becomes an obstruction. If I could raise you from the dead, I would. That way I can kill you twice¡­ Perhaps that way my rage will finally subside.¡± ¡°Hehehe,¡± the marquess laughed condescendingly. ¡°Is it as great as you claim it to be?¡± ¡°Do not belittle the legacy of my house, wretch.¡± ¡°Hmph, I shall forgive your insolence this once. Will you take your precious birthright from the heir then?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot. There¡¯s still work to be done in the Spire. My uncle¡¯s chosen is just a Level 3 puppy. He will not be able to use Twilight anytime soon. It won''t be too late to take it after the plan comes to fruition.¡± ¡°Good,¡± the totem said. ¡°Don''t act rashly. Now we just need help from the winged bastards and I will be free!¡± ¡°And lo, we have one nearby¡­ One good thing after another. Fate favors me.¡± ¡°Ah, but Fate is a harsh mistress. One time she favors you and she could detest you the next moment. Always keep a wary eye, governor.¡± The one who spoke was not the marquess nor his sister. It was a man that just seemed to appear. ¡°Name yourself, stranger,¡± Alvared was alert. He was ready to fight at any moment. ¡°Some call me the Swirling Chaos. Though, I¡¯m actually just a mere instrument of my exalted lord.¡± the stranger spoke in a humble tone. Alvared narrowed his eyes. His alertness doubled. ¡°Grandmaster of the Dumuzin Cult¡­ Why have you come?¡± ¡°I seek a certain individual,¡± the man conjured the figure of Viers. ¡°Him?¡± Alvared recognized the person. He had tried to curry favor with him before by offering gifts. What in heaven¡¯s name made the Swirling Chaos seek a small fry like him? The recognition in the governor¡¯s eyes was all that the Grandmaster needed. It was proof that the ¡®toy¡¯ was here. ¡°I came a bit late to the party but not late for the main event, it seems. Perfect. All as the Lord wills it.¡± Chapter 270 - Darkest Before Dawn With the sound of a giant swallowing a mountain, the entrance to the hidden vault leading down to the Ebony Fire crumbled. The river churned like a wrathful dragon before returning to normal flow, erasing any trace of what had transpired. A hand grabbed a stone on the riverbank and a person crawled out. ¡°Wow, that really happened¡­¡± Ahh, classic Indiana Jones experience and I now got it. After obtaining the Twilight Fire, the vault began to crumble down. Viers frantically escaped. If he was only buried by rocks and mud then he wasn''t too worried but being lost in the realms between dimensions worried him greatly. Viers didn''t find any danger in his surroundings and the sun was getting low so he decided to make a fire. For Max. First, he moved away from the river to find a secluded area, chasing away a few monsters in the process. Then he consigned Max¡¯s body to a pyre. Either turning the body to ashes or separating them into portions. Viers chose the former because he felt sort of responsible for derailing Max''s life. Viers alone watched in silence as the fire sent Max on the final journey. Without Victa, a fire Pathseeker burned all the same. Viers didn''t utter a single apology. He didn''t regret the path he chose to walk. Red fire was burning under the scarlet sky. May you find happiness in your next life. He waited until the body was completely burned. If it were ordinary fire then it would''ve taken hours, but that wasn''t what Viers used, the cremation was completed in around fifteen minutes. Only ashes remained. Ashes that he could see were special even without Euryale Sight. Viers made a condescending smile. Tempting me, Plot armor of the MC? You¡¯ve got to do better than that. The ashes would make excellent food for Faiya. The Faiya who was made from Anne¡¯s phoenix remnant fire as the base and had consumed the Twilight Fire. Viers was not a fool and nothing more needed to be said. And so Viers scattered the ashes to the winds, discarding a fistful¡¯s worth for the time being. He would spread the rest at various places, very distant from each other. Disposal of an MC¡¯s remains needed great care. Viers kept some of Max¡¯s hair and blood for curse medium in case he got a spare body or clone hidden in another place. The soul was separated into four parts before Viers even attempted to soul search it. The soul he turned into a reverse Horcrux. One part destroyed would set off a chain reaction to the other three to be destroyed as well. Just in case the soul tried to somehow revive separately, Viers got a kill switch nearby. The other MC that Viers obtained both body and soul, Aravin, also received the same treatment. There were all kinds of resurrection methods in fantasy stories, such as gathering seven orange balls and making a wish to a dragon god. In the absence of said balls, Viers counted there were five ways for them to be revived: Multiverse shenanigans, time manipulation, causality reversal, reality alteration, and deus ex machina. Sadly, nothing Viers could do in response to those methods. He could only do his best and hoped the world did not screw him over just to see him suffer. For now. The fire elemental in question was sleeping with a smile on his face, with the same peacefulness of a child after eating his fill of tasty treats. After eating the Twilight Fire, he was in the middle of becoming a Rank 3. With this, all three of his familiars had the power equivalent to Level 3 Pathseeker. Though it was difficult to say how much of an impact they would make in the battles ahead, every bit of power helped. Viers put much more attention on Faiya than his brother, Futon. The reason was his origin. Viers knew he was literally playing with fire by turning Anne¡¯s remnant fire into a fire elemental. Should any abnormalities occur, he was ready to take action. There were none so far. Clarissa said she needs a fire of Anne¡¯s level for Project X to work and I have just the one. Anne''s kind of fire doesn''t grow on trees. Twilight Fire is one but I didn''t know I would get it. Viers looked to the red sky. I hope ten soul purification process is enough. But Mary Sue¡­ Viers shook his head. He had more important things to do than thinking of what ifs. I¡¯ve stolen heavenly providence from Max. What¡¯s next? After finishing the high-priority cremation of Max, Viers read the tome that Barakal left to his successor. He skimmed most of it except for the parts containing info on Twilight Fire. Viers wanted to know how it could be used. He found out that the Twilight Fire could be used as a wondrous power source, even for a non-fire Pathseeker. Viers felt it strange that the sealed power of the royal family was a specific element. What if the child born was not of fire affinity? Now he had the answer. Still, it¡¯s a fire and having Faiya utilizing it should be best. He benefits from it more than I do. Need time for the baby elemental to grow into his power though. For matters of the immediate future, if Barakal¡¯s tome is right then Twilight Fire can be my second trump card against a Level 5! This is exactly what I need right now. Viers was only a Level 3. Normally, he should not be able to put up the slightest bit of resistance against Level 5s. But extraordinarily, he had two, and both methods were related to Faiya. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Next, Viers soul searched Max. The partition of his soul didn''t matter. It meant he had four smaller books than a single big one. Because of time constraints, he only focused on matters with relevance. The Dagger of Maud. If you got slashed seven times by this dagger, certain death. One use only. Max bought this from Aletro with his shards to be used against Tanael. It really is for me, alright. I humbly accept your gift, Max. The teleportation rune from the undead at the Foulfae Swamp. The dead Level 4 handed down a good thing. Never seen runic magic before. The rune is simple, looks like a heavily modified ¡®E'', but it¡¯s actually made of hundreds of smaller runes. Allow the user to short-range teleport; there''s no need for space affinity but there''s a cooldown period. Can be invoked with Victa or mana crystals. Useable as is but the undead, Max, and I cannot use it to its full potential, lacking the means to harness the rune. I got some ideas but it needs tweaking¡ªa nice surprise for emergencies. That''s all from Max. His cultivation focus is on his body and Ivory Fire. The ashes from his body are unusable and the Ivory Fire has merged into Twilight Fire. The rest of his belongings are not really worth mentioning. He¡¯s pretty poor. What a truly pitiful MC he had become. Half-baked because of me and fell before he could mature. The complete harvest of Max¡¯s resources came later. Viers ransacked his brain to find what was the best course of action for him. Viers felt a slight relief that he had the foresight to reset his Profound Codex time limit before things in Valkut went to shit. Before Pinaca and Russ¡¯ wedding, Viers made sure to appease his Profound Codex -which was two days ago- so he was not in any danger of forcefully becoming powerless at night for the next eight nights. ¡­Guess I need to hurry up and master the Vigor of Responsibility Arte. The expiration clock is already ticking¡­ I can guess what Rose was thinking before she taught me this. She is afraid to empower me too much but the time limit eased her conscience. Heh. Just one year? Fine. But the Victa generation rate will be much, much higher than you think! 472.36% Horizon boost will make me a Victa production factory! Mwuhuhuhu¡­ Huahahahaha! A maniacal villain laugh was a bad idea, even the Evil Overlord List forbade it. Viers compromised by only doing so in his mind and keeping it short. Time for me to help the young heroes of the Church make history. Time to make preparations to storm the tower and face the Boss of Valkut arc! Why would Viers go to such lengths to help Rose and the others? Was it because of the promise to Mita? Affection for Rose or Ciel? Feeling indebted to Paina? Had his dead conscience returned to life? Viers was simply greedy for profits. And it was because he truly believed this group would succeed. A group of righteous youth fighting an evil brainwashing mysterious organization that has enslaved a city, using a long-lost ancient weapon, and giving the-world-is-mine vibes? Hell, even if we are fighting God, Fate, or a concept, I would still put my money on the group of youth! It¡¯s basically the storyline of most JRPGs, man! Right now the enemies were overwhelmingly superior. If they focus all their attention on Damon and the others they would get squished like little bugs. The light-aligned youths usually prevailed no matter the odds but Viers was not without concerns. For one, he killed Max, whose template was to save the party in a moment of crisis. Classic villain, making things worse for their own side, the irony was not lost to Viers. Whatever the case, Viers didn''t fancy getting squished. Let¡¯s see if I can¡¯t change that. Viers looked towards the mountain ranges, remembering the words said by Captain Price to General Shepherd. ¡°You wanna put out an oil fire, sir? You set off a bigger explosion next to it. Sucks away the oxygen, snuffs the flame... We got ourselves a pretty big fire. Gonna need a huge bang.¡± When Viers was making sinister plans, ideas came flowing like a monsoon flood. Hmm, hmm¡­ I should reconvene with Ars¨¨ne first before taking action. It will be a tiny~ bit risky. *** At the camp of the Silver Legion, the air was a heavy one. The two groups that went to scout the city and went to the elven grove had returned. Bryan started by telling his observation. ¡°Valkut is a ghost city. The tower turned at least half of the city into itself, houses and buildings seemed to have melted into its walls. There is only a single main entrance and the wall is impenetrable. We didn¡¯t get too close but picked people''s presence further in. Those who are not under the enemy''s control are forced to sleep. The road is littered with hundreds of people and we can''t awaken them no matter what we try. There are no enemy forces patrolling the city, it seems all their forces are inside the tower.¡± ¡°Those few we get in contact with outside won''t or lack the ability to help us,¡± Ciel added. ¡°Bad timing. The once-a-year exit day was very recent. Those who wanted to leave Valkut had just left. And we didn''t manage to find any Level 4s. Either they hid very deep or the enemy did something to them.¡± ¡°There are no signs of the possible Level 5 old lady that Viers met as well,¡± Rose looked down. Then it was the diplomatic group to the elven home reporting next. It was much shorter. Wendy shook her head. ¡°They refused to help us. The wars of humans are of no concern of theirs, they said,¡± Damon said in resignation. ¡°They are not even listening to our arguments.¡± ¡°Even being allowed to enter their borders is because we are with the Church and thus a special privilege, they said. Hmph. The elven elders might be fair on the outside but they are rotten twigs on the inside,¡± June was looking miffed. ¡°So, no reinforcements,¡± Rachel said in a calm tone. ¡°...It¡¯s up to us now.¡± Damon¡¯s words and face were those of a martyr, something mirrored by the rest of the Silver Legion. ¡°You look oddly at ease, Viers,¡± Conn said. ¡°Just thinking it is darkest before dawn,¡± Ars¨¨ne replied. Shortly, they felt the ground beneath their feet shake, as if something was digging its way out. ¡°Enemies!?¡± The company was already in its battle position when the thing emerged. ¡°A metal¡­ mole?¡± Rose had never seen things like it before. ¡°Oi, someone is inside it!¡± Bryan exclaimed. A drunken dwarf came out of the mole drill car thing. ¡°Eeey, finally find you lot. By my beard. You sure don''t make yourself easy to find.¡± ¡°Mister Tomthur!¡± Wendy gasped. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Escaping the city¡­ and giving you a hand, I suppose,¡± Tomthur took a chug from his canteen. It had the smell of beer. The faces of Damon and company lit up with smiles after the appearance of the Level 4 dwarf. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s eyes were on the vehicle Tomthur rode. ¡°Oh? Looks like I¡¯m not the only arrival,¡± Tomthur said. The gang followed the line of sight of the dwarf to the branch of a tall tree nearby. There were two silhouettes and they jumped down. The light from the camp illuminates their faces. Fair-haired with marble-like skin. Beautiful in appearance and they moved with grace. Their pointy ears showed who they were. ¡°Peacekeepers from the Estellian Church, it will be our honor to assist you in your battles ahead,¡± the male elf spoke. ¡°Lord elf, you¡¯re most welcome but why?¡± Damon asked. ¡°Our line has been helped by the Church in the past,¡± the other elf was a female. ¡°Friends of the plains, I, Delimira, and my brother, Kailu, will lend our bow in the fight against the man that stands atop the tower of pride.¡± The light of hope was rekindled with the arrival of another two Level 4s. ¡°You know the aim of the governor, elf?¡± Tomthur asked because of the wording. ¡°That is so, friend of the stone,¡± Kailu said. ¡°The tower is thinning this area¡¯s fabric of space. Should it proceed unchecked, otherworldly beings would be able to come into this land as they please.¡± The legionaries didn''t need to be told how bad it would be if beings that didn''t belong in this world came in droves. ¡°Is the governor trying to summon demons from Hell?¡± Ciel clenched her fist. The sister elf shook her head. ¡°A lord on the other side has already accepted the invitation. A lord of the fae.¡± Chapter 271 - The Tower of Doom ¡°...It seems Max will not be joining us,¡± Wendy said softly. ¡°No, he will come. I believe in him,¡± Bryan defended his friend. ¡°He¡¯ll have to catch up,¡± Damon replied. ¡°We can''t delay. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°...He will come. He¡¯s not the kind of man who will just run away.¡± The Silver Legion and its allies marched towards the Magitek Wonder in the early morning, before dawn broke. Jerrold said Mita would be brainwashed in three days. They spent the first day resting, strategizing, and gathering information. On the second, they began their assault. They didn''t have a choice. The Wonder had a diameter of more than a hundred meters and although it wasn''t as high as touching the clouds, it was a gigantic skyscraper. Not only did they need to climb the structure, but it was also the stronghold of the enemy; no doubt there would be a multitude of obstructions. There was no guarantee they could find and save Mita in that time window. The opposition was much greater in numbers and strength, the odds were grim despite the new addition of three Level 4 allies. Even so, the Silver Legion went forward. *** It was hard to think this was the same city it was a few days ago. The absence of illumination or sound on the streets and houses as the people were put to sleep, a great swathe of terrain was destroyed when the tower emerged from underground, and yet there was not a single enemy presence. It made the looming visage of the Wonder that much more apparent. To some, it was their first time seeing the great tower. A monument of mismatched wood and stone as its walls. No windows or something resembling a point of entry from the base to the top except for the main gate. Above the tower, a thundercloud rumbled with thunder and occasionally clawed at the surrounding sky with purple lightning. ¡°Righto. I¡¯m off. G¡¯d luck to you all. May your spirit alike adamantine, strong and unbending, in the hard road ahead.¡± The stout dwarf that seemed more stout after donning his armor, parted ways with the group. ¡°May the fortune of battle be with you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re an example to all your kind, friend of the stone.¡± ¡°Take care, Mister Tom. I¡¯ll treat you to another nice booze when we meet again.¡± Tomthur went to the tower¡¯s entrance while the rest of the party went around to some other side. It was agreed that charging from the front was not a good idea despite Jerrold seeming to invite them in. Without any other entrance, their only option was to make their own. Bryan and the others failed before so their hope was on the elves. If that failed too, they might have to take the first and possibly last option, the front gate. But the trying came first. For now, they hid and waited for Tomthur to storm the entrance and make a distraction. The silent city without the sound of insects or birds was eerie and strung their nerves even more. Rose, June, and Conn, the three younger legionaries were the most affected. *** It will begin shortly. Deep breaths, Rose. Remember your training. You know what you''re getting into. You¡¯re a Blessed so you have to save master Mita and everyone else. So stop trembling, hand! ¡°Hey, look at the bright side. You''ll definitely get a medal after we return.¡± Senior Bryan realized and tried to make us relax. Rachel joined, making fun of senior Damon who got a medal in the past because of accidentally breaking a historical landmark that turned out to be an evil wizard¡¯s ritual node. That gets a laugh from us. I really shouldn''t but I can''t help it. Thank the Goddess I have such dependable seniors. I turn to Viers who is wearing sharp semi-formal battle clothes. It looks nice, I admit. He has a contemplative look. ¡°Thank you for coming,¡± I say to the man who is both ally and enemy. ¡°How can I refuse, after you asked me so passionately?¡± ¡°N-no! When did I-¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. My face feels hot and that is how I know I''ve made a mistake. I shouldn''t get into his pace. The timing of the ruckus caused by Tomthur couldn''t have come at a better time. ¡°That''s the signal, Lady Delimira, Lord Kailu, please.¡± To Damon¡¯s words, the older sibling readied her bow and arrow, aiming at the thick wall of the Tower of Doom. Since she''d heard the term from Viers, it stuck in Rose¡¯s mind. Kailu empowers the arrow and Delimira stands still for a few seconds, accumulating a mysterious force. The arrow hits the wall the moment it''s set loose, as if a volcano erupting. I had shut my ears and eyes already, expecting it. The result is as we hoped. Elves have long lives so the siblings might have walked the Path of Power longer than Master Mita. The fair folk are famous for polishing their skills to a supernatural degree. ¡°We¡¯ve got our opening. Legionaries and allies, for this good earth, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°For this good earth!¡± I have heard the motto of the Silver Legion many times but it feels different this time. More real. I take a deep breath and move my feet. A hole was created twenty meters above them. After we reach the base, Lord Kailu effortlessly makes a rising earthen pillar with us on top although Lady Delimira looks a bit drained after using such a powerful Arte. The two elves enter the smoldering hole first to scout for enemies on the other side. There aren¡¯t any and we enter the Tower of Doom successfully. To me, the place is foreign, to say the least. There are mysterious blue lights inside that assist sight. Rooms of various shapes are stacked on top of each other, scattered all over the place. There are hundreds of rooms in my immediate vicinity alone. Each room has a single door. The layout is confusing, like a maze. It might be purposefully designed to be like this. However, our destination is clear, a spiraling staircase upwards. We run towards it in the highest state of alert but there are no enemies. The only reminder that this place isn''t abandoned is the sounds of battle from the lower floor. Mister Tomthur, stay safe. Our plan to enter as high as possible paid off as we managed to bypass the enemies on the ground floor. The stairs only go as far as the next floor, we have to navigate through the maze of rooms and doors to reach the next stairs. On the way, Damon enters a room and finds it empty. The discovery is as disturbing as it is relieving. We climb floor after floor unhindered. I hear Viers mutter something about ¡®bad interior design¡¯. Master Mita¡¯s signal is still far above so we keep climbing. After tedious climbing of another ten floors, something changes. A stark contrast to the puzzling maze on the previous floors, this place is a sea of white. It is as if I have entered a pure white canvas. The others are as confused as I am but the elven siblings are a picture of serenity and poise. The staircase to the next floor comes into view, but there are people before it. From their outfits, they are Valkut civilians. The twenty of them stood facing each other in perfect stillness until we arrived then they turned their head towards us as one. ¡°Welcome to the halfway mark, dear guests.¡± They speak in perfect unity as if they are a single person with multiple bodies. They are smiling but their eyes are empty like fish eyes. According to the elf siblings, these people are ¡®glamoured¡¯ by the fae. Making them see, hear, feel, and whatever else the caster wants them to. Much harder to deal with than ordinary illusion or mind control. A technique exclusive to the fae race. Paina¡¯s father, Jerrold Wright, appears before us. Not his real body, only an illusion of him. ¡°From this point on, you¡¯ll encounter many forms of entertainment. I do hope you¡¯ll enjoy it. It is only proper as the host.¡± He wears a smile befitting an aristocrat. ¡°Lord Wright,¡± Wendy steps forward, ¡°We extend our apology for the rude intrusion. However, we of the Silver Legion wish to negotiate with your side, the fae for a peaceful resolution to this conflict. Would you inform the fae lord of our intention?¡± Jerrold looks unimpressed, rubbing his goatee beard. ¡°The knife ears have told you, I see. But the lord is a busy man and has no time to indulge you.¡± ¡°Lord Wright, there doesn''t have to be a fight between our people,¡± Ciel says. ¡°Hehehe. Ahh, you humans¡­ always flaunting your nobility while conveniently sweeping the unpleasant truth under the rug¡­ How revolting.¡± His annoyance is plain for all to see. As we ready ourselves to fight I watch senior Damon''s back as he continues to negotiate. Viers keeps both hands inside his pocket. Hidden weapon or arrogant posturing? We want to negotiate so what¡¯s up with his pose? ¡°Sir, please elaborate.¡± ¡°Reach the top of the Spire and I¡¯ll elaborate all you want.¡± Jerrold turns to Viers. ¡°It ties with the story of Paina¡­ One more thing,¡± Jerrold sure loves caressing his chin. That and the way he looks down on us is truly unpleasant. ¡°The little nun is vehemently waiting for you. Better hurry before she¡¯s broken.¡± Leaving those words, Jerrold¡¯s illusion is no longer with us. I sigh. Why do people often resort to violence as the first option rather than negotiation? How unnecessarily cruel. Master Mita, We¡¯ll definitely save you. Please hold on. ¡°Rose,¡± June¡¯s hand touches my shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°I know.¡± The only way to go is up. The glamoured citizens let us pass. They were never meant to be obstacles, only a welcoming reception. This is where the trials begin. We carefully climbed the spiral stairs, leaving the white canvas behind. Without realizing it, I suddenly find myself alone. In an ordinary household dining room. No sign of the others. On the table, there was hot food, fragrant tea, and a fire in the fireplace. It feels so real. I hear the door open and turn, rapier at hand. I lay eyes upon a humanoid-bug hybrid. As tall as a regular human, instead of a right hand, it has a centipede. Its legs are shaped like a grasshopper. It wears clothes above its chitin torso. Its bulging green left eye is similar to a fly¡¯s and almost covers the entire left side of its face. Ant antennas grow on its head. The mocking voice of Paina¡¯s father resounds again. ¡°Humans, meet fae. Do try to get along.¡± ¡­Fae? THAT? Aren¡¯t they supposed to look like cute fairies!? Midthought, the fae throws the table between us to the side and runs towards me while snarling with both its mouth and mandibles. Chapter 272 ¡°Please listen to me! We don''t have to fight!¡± The thing, as big as an adult human male, makes an aggressive animalistic screech instead of human speech. I tussle with the bug-human hybrid while getting overpowered by its sheer physical strength. It charges at me with my rapier stuck in its gut and I grab its arm, throwing it behind me with a shoulder throw. ¡°Urkh!¡± I feel a streak of pain on my back. The fae¡¯s centipede arm created a gash but disregarding the pain and the ripping skin, I bind it with vines, keeping it immobile but it proves to be of no use. The fae keeps breaking free, and my attempts at communication are unsuccessful. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± After a bitter and hard fight, I stand victorious. But it feels like I¡¯m the one who lost. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± I tend to my wound before leaving the room. It¡¯s patchwork but better than nothing. Hurriedly I leave, not wanting to stay in the same room as the fae any longer than I have to. It¡¯s still just the first enemy and not even that strong but it took a lot out of me. Because of my hesitation. I¡¯m such an idiot. I slap myself on the cheek. I must do better. There¡¯s too much at stake. Out of the previous dining room, there''s another maze in front of me in the shape of an ordinary city street. I lose my sense of direction because of the upside down buildings on the ceilings, and stairs that lead to a wall then curve towards the ceiling. When I walk on them(if you mean the stairs), I am puzzlingly able to walk on what used to be a wall without falling. A fountain, built horizontally from my point of view, but not spilling water. A cat, entering from the window, but appearing casually above me as if it''s following the laws of gravity. I¡¯m lost, not knowing where to go. Unlike before, there¡¯s no clear destination. ¡°Rose, is that you?¡± ¡°Conn!¡± I turn to the voice and I see him. He¡¯s on the ''ground'' above me. ¡°Crazy place, right? Let¡¯s meet up.¡± I agree with him completely. But no matter what way we go, every path we take doesn''t seem to bring us any closer. ¡°Conn, watch out!¡± ¡°Gah! There¡¯s another one!?¡± Conn began to fight a bug-hybrid fae that suddenly crawled out from a window. The appearance is different from the one I defeated but shares some of the traits. Willing my Victa to form a shape, I throw a wooden javelin to assist Conn but the javelin simply falls down after a short distance in the air, unable to reach my friend. It should have no trouble reaching him normally. ¡°Conn, there are two more coming from your right! Run!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± I give it my all, running after Conn in an attempt to meet up. The different layouts around me and him make things difficult. He turns to his left which is my right and I follow. Instead of a path, there¡¯s a dead end with a single door in front of me. I open the door and involuntarily gasp at the sight. ¡°Uwaaahh!!¡± ¡°Help me! Help me!¡± In a room full of black rats, I stumble upon nine children bound to the walls and the floor. The rats are eating them! They start to cry even louder after they see me, begging for help. ¡°Khh!¡± Using a wide-area Arte, I kill and scatter the ordinary rats to give the children a reprieve and proceed to help the one closest to me. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Sister is here.¡± The bindings are extraordinarily hard, forcing me to use my Victa. It¡¯s a race against time. More rats stream in from the holes in the walls. ¡°There! You¡¯re out now. Can you stand?¡± The boy smiles. ¡°Wrong choice~ Wrong choice~ Try again~¡± Saying with a playful tone, the boy disappears. I grit my teeth for falling into their scheme and run to the door at the other end of the room. ¡°Oh oh oh! You¡¯re abandoning them? Cruel girl~ Cruel girl~¡± A fae appears before my face. A tiny, naked fae with transparent wings and a child-like face. Unlike the bug-hybrid fae, this one has the traditional fae appearance. ¡°This is all an illusion!¡± I lash out with anger. ¡°Nope~ One out of the nine is real,¡± the tiny fae wiggles his index finger. ¡°Leave that child to become rat food?¡± It¡¯s as if my heart is stabbed. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. I turn and try to discern the real one using my investigative Arte but I¡¯m unable to. The glamour of the fae is too strong. It might not be the work of this fae but an even stronger one. In the end, I have no choice but to try and save them one by one, fending off the rats all the while. The second attempt, fake. Fith, fake. Ninth¡­ fake. I have no idea what kind of expression I¡¯m making but the fae laughs himself silly. ¡°Stupid girl, stupid girl~ She got tricked! Ahahahaha! What fun~¡± The fae disappears without a trace, same as the children and rats. Alone in the room, I hear a sniffle. Was that me? No¡­ I must not. This is no time for self-pity. My feet feel heavier than before. Wiping away a tear, I exit the room. As expected, there are no signs of Conn. As I continue the journey, at intersections, I choose to go with my gut feeling. The terrain looks the same. But am I making progress or going in circles? After some time, a shining arrow sign appears on the floor with the writing: upstairs this way. I ignore them at first but after not making progress for the next hour, I take a gamble and follow the signs. Surprisingly, the signs really lead to a spiral stairway to the next floor. Hours have passed. I encountered many obstacles from the fae. The fairy kind and bug-hybrid kind, both. The fairy types only use tricks while every encounter with the bug-hybrids is a battle. The latter seem incapable of speech. ¡°Your friend is in trouble. Enter this door to save them,¡± a little female fae points at the door below her. Despite her insistence, I had ignored her. But now, I find June with a badly bruised face and walking with a limp. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she says from the other side of the distorted space between us. ¡°Be careful Rose. This is a dangerous place.¡± Is it really because of me? Is that even the real June? How can I be sure? Then the previous fae reappears again. ¡°Cruel girl, cruel girl, won''t save her friend~ Hihihihi!!¡± My soul is being chipped away every time they pull their cruel mischiefs. So much so that I feel grateful when I meet the combative fae. Battling them is not easy but compared to the other option, grueling fights with the distorted fae are better. My clock is showing that it is almost sundown but I can''t tell inside this strange space. ¡°Damon! Wendy!¡± It feels great seeing the two traveling together. We¡¯re separated by the three-dimensional maze but it seems it is possible to meet up. If they are not the fae¡¯s glamour. Like Master Mita, every Silver Legionary has a signal so other legionaries can detect their location. However, except for one that is clearly far above me, the other signals are all over the place. We converse for a while. The seniors are very concerned about me. Not only my physical but mental health too. They are kind people. I hope the subtle romantic signs between them worked out. They would make a great couple. My lips try to tell of my inner-pain but clam up at the last second. To put up a strong front I kept on nodding at their advice. At the very least, I shouldn''t add to their burden. ¡°Did you follow the arrow symbols? It always leads to the stairs. Might be the only true thing in this place. Please be careful, Rose.¡± ¡°I will. Thank you, seniors.¡± We exchange well wishes before separating. With a slight warm feeling in my chest, I turned the knob of the door that the arrow sign points at. There I saw a sleeping baby in a crib of flowers and a fairy hovering above. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Mockyloc,¡± the fae says. ¡°A mother has lost her baby.¡± He snaps his fingers and ten boxes appear. ¡°If you can complete the dare in any box, I¡¯ll return the baby back where I found him.¡± ¡°...Why are you doing such a cruel thing?¡± The fae tilted his head. ¡°Cruel? What are you talking about? Isn''t it fun? The mother makes interesting faces after she loses her baby.¡± As always, I can''t tell if the baby is real or not. The previous mischiefs from the fae are not all fakes. They sometimes place real victims. I know from previous encounters. That is why I can''t simply disregard what this fae wants. ¡°...I understand.¡± I put my hand in a box with the bell picture on it and pulled a parchment. One word is written on it: wedding. Suddenly, the surroundings changed. I¡¯m inside a church beautified with decorations. ¡°Wha-!?¡± I am wearing a pure white wedding dress and the tiny fae is wearing the clothes of the groom. ¡°Ohh~ I like weddings. So beautiful. Cute lady, let¡¯s get married~¡± The fae hugs his own shoulders and makes a smooching motion with his lips. ¡°Wait, I haven''t agree-¡± My response is drowned by applause from the hundreds of fae in attendance. They whistle, laugh, and shout congratulations. ¡°We will now begin the wedding ceremony,¡± a familiar face walked toward me and the fae. ¡°M-master Mita!?¡± She¡¯s so real but doesn''t react to my voice. ¡°Under the gaze of the Radiant Lady, do you, Mockyloc, vow to accept my disciple, Rose, as your wife? To love and to cherish her in sickness and in health, until death do you apart?¡± ¡°I do. Hihihihi! Mockyloc will have a pretty wife soon~¡± The fae answers and master Mita, or the illusion of her, turns towards me, asking the same vow. ¡°I-I¡­¡± Even if this whole thing is a sham, it''s still the sacred vow of matrimony. They did it in a Church style no less, to corner me! What should I do? I can''t marry someone I just met, but the baby¡­! Mockyloc waited for my answer with upturned eyes. The size of our body is so different it isn''t even the difference between adults and children. Master Mita smiles at me kindly, the same smile that I¡¯m familiar with. The fae in attendance are encouraging me to perform the marriage. My vision is spinning. My heart is thumping so hard I can hear it. My palms that are holding the bridal bouquet are sweating. ¡°Hurry up now,¡± my groom-to-be fae says. ¡°Three more seconds before time out.¡± Three seconds¡­ I-I have to save the baby! ¡°I¡­ I d-¡± Swish! ¡°Gyhyak!?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± A throwing knife hit Mockyloc and nailed him to the wall. ¡°By the powers vested in me by the Almighty of Might and Magic, I declare this union ceremony is invalid and illegal. Should there be anyone here who disagrees with my sentence, speak now or forever hold your peace.¡± ¡°Viers¡­¡± I mutter, still in shock. The hundreds of fae in attendance are rioting. ¡°Haughty stabby porky is here!¡± ¡°He¡¯s mean and doesn''t play with us. I hate him!¡± ¡°Punch him! Bite him! Kill him!¡± Viers uses his movement Arte and appears next to me, arm circling my waist. ¡°Nice wedding dress,¡± he whistles. ¡°Viers, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Abducting the bride, of course. I¡¯ve always wanted to do this.¡± ¡°B-but the baby¡­¡± I protest. ¡°As I said, I¡¯m abducting you. You have no say in the matter.¡± He does his flicker movement again and brings me to the exit door in his arm. A bunch of fae band together and attack but Viers¡¯ no-mercy retaliations heavily injure or outright kill them. Before Viers goes through the door, he glances at Mockyloc who is nailed to the wall nearby. The fae is still alive, coughing blood. A mosquito-squishing palm landed, turning him into a stain on the wall. ¡°Weddings are no joking matter, kid.¡± - - Chapter 272 - Wedding Crasher Chapter 273 - Point of No Return Out of all people, I have to get paired with Viers. That enigmatic person. Is he good or is he evil? Goddess help me. ¡°Hm, the wedding dress is gone. Shame. Such good needlework.¡± As Viers said, I realized my outfit had returned to normal after exiting the glamour that the fae weaved. ¡°So the baby is a fake?¡± I ask. ¡°Baby? Oh, that¡¯s the setting they make for you. No, I don''t know.¡± ¡°...What!?¡± ¡°After the first time, I just stabbed the little trickster bug every time I ran into them. Not even waiting for them to finish their sentence.¡± ¡°There could be real people among them!¡± Viers grabs my shoulders and looks at me with clear eyes. ¡°Rose, it¡¯s for the good of your soul that you don''t think too much about it. Even I cannot see through the fae¡¯s glamour in this place. Just now, I abducted you, and the blame, if any, is on me.¡± ¡°Kh!¡± I set aside his hold and turn back. When I open the door that we just closed, it is a distinctly different room. No sign of Mockyloc or the baby. ¡°...Let us be off. Mita and the others need us. From now on, leave the trickster fae and their challenges to me.¡± I hear Viers¡¯ words after standing still for Goddess knows how long. After a short prayer for the poor souls trapped, I follow in his footsteps. *** ¡°Heh. What a place. Millennium Puzzle plus Inception¡­ Millennium Inception?¡± Viers says some incomprehensible things now and then. Maybe it''s to distract me from my guilt, but I¡¯m too tired to care. ¡°...Burdening good people with guilt is a favorite trick of villains. Don''t let them get to you,¡± Viers says. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re familiar with this strategy then.¡± Why did that come out sarcastically? I was about to apologize but Viers just chuckled. The window of opportunity has passed and we walk in awkward silence. While following the signs and making steady progress. Viers doesn''t care if his opponents are real, fake, or who they are. He treats them as roadblocks to be overcome, even leaving behind enemies if it suited them. Although we have an unspoken agreement that I am the one handling the battling fae, Viers had to jump in a few times because I was unfocused. Another blow to my confidence. It¡¯s so pathetic. Even though he¡¯s a villain, compared to him, my abilities are¡­ *** ¡°Third day¡­ We are out of time. I have to do this.¡± ¡°Rose, no. This game was rigged from the start.¡± ¡°This is the only way to reach Master Mita in time!¡± ¡°This is too reckless.¡± Like tugging a string from the sun, I attempt to channel the power of the angels. *** When I open my eyes, I see an unfamiliar three-dimensional maze above me. I feel my body bereft of strength, maintaining my consciousness being an exhausting effort. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake¡­ but still pretty weak. Get some more rest for now. Drink this, slowly.¡± Viers brought a cup of water to my mouth and I¡¯m very grateful. My body craves it. ¡°...How long was I out?¡± ¡°Now is the evening of the fifth day.¡± My brain needs a few seconds to soak in Viers¡¯ blunt answer. Jerrold said Master Mita would be brainwashed on the third day. Currently, it is the fifth. I cry until I fall asleep. *** ¡°Leave me and go on ahead. I¡¯m just a burden.¡± I say to Viers while he is carrying me on his back. ¡°I made a promise to your master to take care of you. And you¡¯ve bought my services for a fair deal.¡± The Vigor of Responsibility Arte and the Heavenly Admonition. I remember. Viers also said that he is ¡®used to playing carry¡¯, whatever that means. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. He never complains as my gamble turns me into deadweight on his back. The sixth day is quite grueling so Viers decides to call it a day a little bit early. He settles at a nearby opening in the wall, the same as yesterday. While I was unconscious, Viers kept climbing and there has been a slight change of layout in the maze. For instance, there exist openings to the outside even though there are none on the lower floors. The view from this high is magnificent. The stars seem so close and there¡¯s no uncomfortable wind. ¡°So that¡¯s where the Level 4 enemies are.¡± There are massive, flying insect monsters patrolling the tower¡¯s surroundings. One ugly beetle-thing flies nearby but doesn''t seem inclined to attack us. ¡°There might be other Level 4s on the upper floor inside though I hope not. Perhaps the strong opponents are being sent to deal with the sibling elves¡­ Or maybe, they won''t appear before us at all. They have the force to defeat us but they didn''t do it. We are just entertainment.¡± I agree. Viers speaks the truth. We don''t make a fire or cook. We eat our supplies. I¡¯m no longer an invalid and can eat on my own. ¡°Can we use that as an escape?¡± ¡°Oh no. The monsters¡­ or maybe they¡¯re fae? Well, they will attack you once you leave the tower¡¯s boundary. I tried. Same thing for those trying to get in from the outside, I reckon.¡± The food¡¯s taste doesn''t reach my mind as I¡¯m still consumed by my failures. Both of us finish our portion in a couple of short bites. Viers set out a Sound Recording Clam that emits the sound of a waterfall. It¡¯s magically soothing and calming. I returned the favor and pull out a scented pouch. The flowery scent is fatigue-relieving. Viers sat near a hollow wall, leaning on a pillar while I sat with my legs curled to my chest a few meters away. The height is too much for me. ¡°Hey, chin up. Mita¡¯s three-day limit might have passed but Mita is strong. Your master might surprise us still. If not, it¡¯s our job to take her back.¡± ¡°...Un.¡± I nod, hoping it is true. ¡°...Can you stop doing that?¡± I ask why he flicks the lamplight on and off in his hand. What''s the point? The sky and land are pitch black already. The number of flicks must have gone over a hundred already. The sound and light are disturbing. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s a bad habit, I know but I can''t settle down without doing it. I¡¯ll raise a separator so it won''t disturb you.¡± Paina appears with particles of blue light. One moment there¡¯s nothing and then she¡¯s there. ¡°Paina¡­¡± ¡°Rose, how are you holding up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ Thank you for asking.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be here if you want to talk, all right?¡± ¡°...Thanks.¡± Viers must have summoned her, but for what? ¡°Try to get some sleep. I will too in a minute. Paina, I¡¯m counting on you for the night watch.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I converse with her for a while and fall asleep holding her hand. Thanks to that, I don''t have nightmares like yesterday. *** ¡°Farley, you have the left side. Paina, right! Rose, stay back. I¡¯ll take care of the front.¡± Shortly after resuming the journey, there is a big wave of bug-hybrid fae coming toward us. Against the threat, Viers moved back to a chokepoint and summoned his two helpers. Am I going to be protected again? Is this who I am? ¡°...No.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°NO!¡± My Victa reaches boiling point and bursts out. Draw the Victa, connect the nodes, construct the formula, manifest the Arte! ¡°Glimpse of Arcadia!¡± A wave of energy spreads out in front of me, hitting the fae, all of the fae. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± ¡°Whoa¡­¡± ¡°Rose, that¡¯s incredible!¡± Farley, Viers, and Paina are surprised. The bug-hybrid fae become covered with plants and flowers, unable to move, permanently. Not only them, grass, moss, and many other plant varieties grow on the ground and walls. The scene of riot becomes a scene of serenity in an instant. The scent of greenery is thick as if we are in the heart of the forest. ¡°Transmutation of matter?¡± Viers touches one of the fae. ¡°No, this is¡­ life manipulation? A combination of wood and life affinity, to be more exact. You used their life force and transformed them into plants¡­ Incredible Arte.¡± ¡°Huff huff¡­ battles are my responsibility, right? Let me¡­ fulfill my role in this.¡± I sent Viers the entirety of my defiance through my gaze. Although he has never openly said it, he has been treating me like a delicate flower. Someone weak that must be protected. I admit that I¡¯m weaker than him but how can I face Master Mita and the people that have helped me in the past if I simply stand behind him like a crybaby? I¡¯ll grow, I¡¯ll evolve as a Pathseeker to not put the Silver Legion in shame! Huh? Why does Viers look so happy? ¡°Heheh. Good, good¡­ Congratulations, you¡¯ve raised your companion rank from ¡®Ashley¡¯, to ¡®Ellie¡¯. I look forward of your cooperation.¡± ¡°...Ashley and Ellie? Paina, what is he talking about?¡± ¡°Don''t mind him. Viers utters incomprehensible things from time to time.¡± It sounds like praise and acknowledgment so it¡¯s not like he¡¯s making fun of me. ¡°Yes. Rose, returning to active duty!¡± Without warning, a shining magic circle appears nearby with arrow signs pointing at it. ¡®Throne Room¡¯, it says. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called an invitation, Rose. The big guy seems to have had enough fun. Farley, you¡¯re in reserve. Paina, with us.¡± ¡°Lord Viers, Paina, Lady Rose, good luck. Please be careful,¡± Farley bows and turns into motes of light. ¡°We¡¯re about to face the boss. No coming back after this point. Rose, are you good or need more time?¡± We take a short break on account of my condition. After using one of my strongest Arte, my stamina drops but it shouldn''t take long until I recover. Meanwhile, Viers does a final check-up on his condition and equipment. Lady of Light, Estelle. O mother of all with boundless compassion, please give me the strength to overcome this trial. The prayer is the last thing I did before stepping into the magic circle. As the sign says, the three of us are teleported to the throne room. Or more accurately, the uppermost floor of the Magitek Wonder. A wide empty open space with almost no furniture or decoration. The floor is white marble which shows my reflection. On the ceiling, there is a map, huge in size and extremely detailed. A map of the Coriz Empire at its height, I realize. On a golden throne, that itself is built seven steps higher than the rest of the floor, a man sits. The man emits no force or pressure but he gives me a sense of overwhelmingness. Below the throne, there are four people. I only recognize some of them. Jerrold and Enzo Wright, both Paina¡¯s relatives, Russ, the newlywed scion of House Sullivan, and Master Mita. Only, she¡¯s no longer the Mita I know. It¡¯s as if her body is there but the soul is not. She¡¯s no longer wearing the garb of the Silver Legion but the color of House Wright. ¡°Master¡­ I¡¯m so, so sorry¡­¡± Viers steps forward in front of me. ¡°Alas, we are too late. Your victory is at hand and our defeat is inevitable. All hope is lost. Woe is we¡­ Pray tell, Lord Wright, the brilliant tale of Valkut, before you send us foolish meddlers to the Underworld.¡± Viers suddenly speaks in a grandiose manner as if he''s an actor in a play that we watched together. ¡°Khukhukhu,¡± Jerrold sneers. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll tell you so you can go to the Underworld in peace.¡± Chapter 274 - Paina Wattle ¡°I must say you surprised me, boy. Viers, was it? I witnessed your death with my own eyes. How did you pull off this¡­ resurrection?¡± What? Jerrold saw Viers die? But isn''t Viers fine? I peek at Viers from the corner of my eye. ¡°Men of quality always keep a few tricks up their sleeves. Wouldn¡¯t you agree, Mr. Wright?¡± ¡°Hmph, cheeky kid.¡± I interject the banter. ¡°Lord Wright, is the august person behind you-¡± ¡°Indeed, Blessed. That person is the Governor-King of Valkut, Alvared,¡± Jerrold says. The Governor-King is lounging almost lazily on his golden throne while resting his cheek on his right fist. I couldn''t hide my surprise when I saw the quartz statue of the old woman beside the throne. No wonder we couldn''t find her. ¡°Honored Governor, we-¡± My effort of diplomacy is refused with a single glare. He emits pressure that seeps into my bones. He¡¯s not even angry, only disinclined to talk to someone as weak as me. I know it is disrespectful but I have to try. ¡°Hmm, the Governor has his own things to do. You¡¯ll be dealing with me. Be honored, Blessed. Just because a winged person approves of you, do you think you can overreach above your station? Know your place!¡± ¡°Ngh¡­¡± The Level 5¡¯s pressure suffocates me. ¡°Then it shall be so,¡± Viers takes a step forward. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s shielding me. He looks at Russ, Mita, then at Jerrold. ¡°Please elucidate, are you a fae or a glamoured person?¡± The topic shifts and the Level 5¡¯s pressure is lifted. My legs are shaking but Paina holds me up before I fall. ¡°I want to know as well¡­ Father.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the latter, children. One of the first to be anointed. For twenty years I have overseen my lord¡¯s grand plan against humanity¡­ It begins here, in Valkut. Without anyone finding out, the people in this city have been replaced, one baby at a time.¡± The words make my blood run cold. ¡°Changelings,¡± the word escapes my lips. ¡°You know the term, as expected of the Silver Legion. They educate their child soldiers comprehensively.¡± I let the mocking tone slide past me. Viers¡¯ expression doesn''t change in the slightest but Paina seems as surprised as me. ¡°So the babies that are brought to the Newborn Blessing Ceremonies are all¡­ fae? W-what happened to the real babies?¡± Paina asks with a tremble in her voice. ¡°Let¡¯s just say they have a new life in the Fae Realm,¡± Jerrold says smugly while touching his beard. ¡°What for? What''s the purpose of the fae by doing this?¡± Viers asks calmly. ¡°It¡¯s simply karma, boy. Cause and effect. We, the people of this land, brought it on ourselves.¡± Jerrold widens his arms. His eyes, a mix of lament and anger. ¡°The root lies hundreds of years in the past, even further than the founding of the Coriz Empire. The region that you know as Valkut was a lush woodland and the fae lived here. Then the humans came. A small settlement at first but you multiply quickly enough. In a blink of an eye, there were thousands of you.¡± The three of us don''t say anything, letting Jerrold continue. ¡°The fae didn''t drive the humans away from this land but they are a mischievous lot. A shoe went missing and returned after the owner bought a new pair, ringing the doorbell then hiding, drinking your waterskin before you drank it, things like that. The humans slowly became familiar with the fae. Some even made friends with them, giving them food and trinkets as offerings. Those that did sometimes got return gifts on their own or simply more pranks. Friendships and unions also happened, albeit rarely. Heh¡­ the fae did not bring only misery to the settlers. Their magical presence ensured the crops grew and the forest overflowed with nature¡¯s bounty. For a time, there was balance.¡± ¡°Then things changed,¡± Paina breathed out. ¡°It started from a truly small thing. One person started to blame the fae for his misfortune. He talked to his neighbors and his children as such. Then, those people passed it to their neighbors and children. Soon, everybody believed lost items, burglary, raised taxes, bad harvest, miscarriage, sickness, natural disasters, war¡­ all were the fault of the fae. Because if everyone said so long enough, it became the truth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s stupid,¡± Viers scoffed. ¡°Then again, people are stupid. I sympathize.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Viers!?¡± I gasp in disbelief. ¡°Heh, you''ve got a spark of wisdom, Viers boy. Humans are foolish and ignorant. They always push the blame onto something else for their own convenience. Often, at things they don''t understand. Those make convenient scapegoats so they can convince themselves that the fault is not theirs. From then on, the fae are treated as pests. Little did they know that their hate made the fae more vicious in turn.¡± ¡°I have lived in Valkut for some time and there are indeed many folklores concerning the fae,¡± Viers validates that Jerrold might be telling the truth. ¡°Then, I suppose an important fae got involved?¡± ¡°Wrong, boy. The important fae has been involved from the start.¡± Jerrold uses ash to give a visual aid to the story. ¡°The fae come from the Fae Realm, born out of the essence of greater fae. In our case, my lord and his wife. When a fae dies, that essence return to them.¡± ¡°So the fae lords are angry at the oppression of their children?¡± I ask. ¡°Worse,¡± Jerrold shook his head. ¡°The trigger¡­ is the rise and fall of the Coriz Empire. If you didn''t know, it was a dark time for the people in this land. What was once a region full of greenery turned into a barren wasteland. Suffering and hardships everywhere. As an outlet for their negativity, the fae were hunted down, tortured, and killed until none remained. Wings ripped, being forced to drink until they burst. Setting them on fire, eaten by the hungry. Humans, humans, humans! All those cruelties¡­ the lord felt them all.¡± The image alone makes me sick in the stomach. ¡°My lord has lived on this land before the existence of the Human Dominion. People just came here and arrogantly made it theirs. Centuries of soaking up those negative feelings resulted in the withering and passing of the wife. The lord changed too. Since humans have decided fae as wicked beings, he will be wicked. He wants to turn this world into a fae world.¡± I¡¯m certain I imagined it but for a second, I thought I saw centuries-old fury behind Jerrold¡¯s eyes. A truly terrifying fury. ¡°It started about twenty years ago, after the lord forged an alliance with Governor-King Alvared. In the Material World, there are many strong oppositions, such as the Silver Legion. It is imperative to establish a base that serves as a beachhead. Key people in the city were glamoured like me. A new generation of changelings was grown. To prevent detection, the lord created the isolation barrier. Time passed and more and more humans were converted to the fae¡¯s side.¡± I bit my molars. In this corner of the world, they are converting the citizens of Valkut piece by piece, starting from the babies. How utterly barbaric. I don''t condone what the people in the past did to the fae but what they have done is no better. ¡°This is when Paina¡¯s story rises to the surface.¡± Jerrold faces his daughter but there is no speck of familial love in that gaze. ¡°You are a child out of wedlock. My firstborn. Your mother, Maiya was a maid of the mansion. I was already married but willing to take the child as my child. But after birthing you, she escaped with you in tow. Perhaps she didn''t want you to be mistreated by my legal wife or to spare you from the life of a highborn bastard¡­ It was around that time I got glamoured and became an ardent follower of the lord. The changeling was ready but you were already gone before the swap.¡± ¡°That changeling¡­ is Pinaca,¡± I open my mouth. ¡°Mm-hm. The lord has created a way to create exceptional soldiers. By consuming the original, the changeling would become an exceptional Pathseeker. Enzo and my other twenty children are examples of this¡­ Maiya didn''t know anything about the fae but I wanted you back. You¡¯ll surely become an excellent specimen. Hehehe¡­ After all, what parents wouldn''t want their children to be special?¡± Paina¡¯s face became deathly pale. How dare he? ¡°I didn''t know where you were and leaving the safety of Valkut was not an option. So I use fae magic to seed dreams in Maiya. That¡¯s how your mother told you to find me in Valkut on her deathbed. Without my influence, she most likely would¡¯ve never told you the truth of your parentage. Then I waited for Pinaca¡¯s supplement to come to me.¡± I cast a worrying glance at Paina, and so did Viers. My friend is deeply in shock. ¡°However, around a year later, I received a divination that a child of mine had died. Further examination pointed to the destruction of Luxore town. I even had your remains to be brought here so I could be sure. Who would have thought you became a bound ghost to cling to life? Ahahahaha-!¡± How cruel, to laugh so unrestrainedly about the death of his own child in front of the person herself. ¡°-haa¡­ Ohh, fate plays a good joke¡­ We can''t use you now and Pinaca is dead. What¡¯s left is to tie up a loose end. You may die cursing your fate, my daughter.¡± Jerrold raises his hand as a signal and multiple screens appear, showing my friends that are not yet here. From their surroundings, Ciel and the others seem to still be on the lower floors. They are in pairs and bear the marks of battles but no one has died. ¡°Everyone!¡± ¡°Time for the curtains to close.¡± Enemies appear before them, elites. I don''t have the luxury to worry about them because the enemies in front of me are also moving. Enzo, Russ¡­ and Master Mita. The first two face Paina and Viers respectively; their opponents from the evacuation battle last week. ¡°I have one last question, Jerrold Wright,¡± Viers places his hand on his sword¡¯s hilt. ¡°I¡¯ll allow it.¡± ¡°Are you doing things because you¡¯re glamoured or is this your true nature?¡± ¡°I wonder¡­ Does it matter?¡± ¡°...I suppose not. Paina, if you have something to say, now¡¯s the moment.¡± Paina doesn''t hesitate. ¡°Did you kill my mother?¡± I never thought Paina could say something with such a thick killing intent. To which, Jerrold replies with an airy attitude. ¡°A desirable side effect.¡± Paina conjures a staff, different from the one I saw before. Something is different about the silver staff encrusted with a blue gem. It feels¡­ vast? Deep? Paina is a soul being, does her equipment even matter? Soul is not my specialty. She strongly struck the floor with the staff¡¯s end and a water circle with a magical pattern appeared before fading. Theatrics. She must have spent too much time with Viers. ¡°I am Paina Wattle, daughter of Maiya Wattle. Here and now, I cut my familial ties with Jerrold Wright and everything that entails.¡± Spheres of water float around her, blue and clear. ¡°Jerrold Wright, if you want my life, come and take it.¡± Viers gives an approving look while Jerrold seems amused. ¡°Hehehe, look how fast they¡¯ve grown¡­ You¡¯ve learned to talk big, daughter. But can you back it up?¡± Enzo, Russ, and Mita rush toward us and the final battle begins. Chapter 275 I got hit with a blow that came at the speed of sound. Moments after the battle began, I''m on the ground, before Viers and Paina even move an inch. A blow so heavy in the form of a formless shockwave. I recognize Master Mita¡¯s technique but I''ve never experienced it with my own body. My lungs scream for air, my body protests from the abuse. Are my bones shattered? It feels like they are. ¡°Rose!¡± Viers and Paina¡¯s shouts enter my ears while I¡¯m groaning on the floor. ¡°Intriguing. You¡¯re not dead,¡± Jerrold says while taking a sip from a glass of wine. ¡°Incredible damage mitigation, that runic magic¡­ Was it from your dwarven ally?¡± It''s just as Jerrold says. A rune has been flickering on my chest ever since I received the blow. After serving as a distraction at the start, Tomthur has retreated to a safe place but he still supports us using his own way. Currently, he¡¯s hitting an anvil repeatedly, giving us damage mitigation when needed. If not, a newly-minted Level 3 like myself would have turned into a paste from a Level 4¡¯s strike. He demonstrated it before, the runic protections are renewed when the anvil is struck. ¡°...Stick, ughh¡­ to the plan,¡± I say hoarsely as I struggle to get back on my feet. ¡°I¡¯ll hold her back.¡± Using additional life-saving treasures to further protect myself and lock Mita in place, I face the woman that I love like a mother. Watching her looking at me with blank eyes is excruciating, for the blame lies partly in me. I failed to reach her in time. ¡°Master Mita, disciple Rose, requesting your guidance.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± I hear Jerrold scoff, ¡°How long can an unremarkable lass like you last? Without the angel¡¯s blessing, you are nothing.¡± That stings. However, I can''t afford to waver. The plan is going awry already. There should be at least five of us using the ¡®unity¡¯ before engaging a Level 4. The only thing I can do right now is to keep Master Mita in place until Ciel and others -or the elf siblings- reach us. It doesn''t need to be said; that it is an extremely poor plan. I told Viers as such before stepping into the teleportation portal. However, we didn''t have much choice. There was no guarantee we would be able to find the others in the maze below as the inside of the Magitek Wonder seems to be completely under the control of the enemy. The silver lining is they treated this as a game where we can proceed after passing through the obstacles they made. Even now, Jerrold and the Governor-King showed no sign of moving. From their situation on the screens, they too are fighting their own battles. Their opponents are the same as the evacuation battle. Just like how Viers was pitted against Russ and Paina with Enzo. The Level 4 elves, Delimira and Kailu are fighting the hardest opponents, other Level 4s, including Unem. Supported by Tomthur¡¯s dwarven art and expensive life-saving treasures from the Church, I fight a desperate defensive battle. ¡°Arte - Nature¡¯s Protecti-¡± Mita rings her bell, her weapon. ¡°Eh?¡± Then, I lost. The previous strike no doubt had a Level 4 class power behind it but this one is too mysterious, too difficult to comprehend. The ring of the bell destroys all of the life-saving treasures in my person and strips me of Tomthur¡¯s runic protection. The ground cracks as if a giant invisible hammer has fallen from the sky. I¡¯m not turned into mush but the damage is severe. I thought I could hold her back. But it got over in an instant. ¡°Weak. Disgustingly weak. Do you think faraway support from another Level 4 and items are enough to hold a Level 4 peak at bay, girl? See what happens if people of our caliber become a little bit serious?¡± I am a piece of cloth trying to hold back a raging fire. What hubris¡­ ¡°Akh¡­¡± Master Mita sits on my chest as I lie face up, her hand on my neck. She isn''t squeezing my throat but the implication is clear: she can kill me whenever she wants. The shame¡­ I almost wish they would just end my miserable existence here and now. ¡°No, you don''t get to die just yet,¡± I hear Jerrold say. ¡°As for you two, go ahead and finish your battle. Don''t be shy. There''s more to come.¡± ¡°Rose, hold on!¡± Paina encourages me but although her voice reaches my ears, it doesn''t reach my heart. I am pinned in place and forced to watch Paina and Viers¡¯ fight. Through the screens that are floating in the air, I can see the battles of others too. While they all bleed, I am unable to contribute. The feeling alone is torture enough. Looking at it from another angle, with Mita keeping me in check -however unnecessary that may be- and not interfering with their fight, I did fulfill my role. However, it is not my achievement. It is given to me by the enemy. The sense of impotence consumes me in body and spirit. Paina fought Enzo in a defensive manner. She raised a sphere of water around herself as a barrier while playing her flute. At times Enzo pierced the shield but Paina dealt with it one way or another. The defense is extraordinary so I thought she¡¯s a defense specialist. They usually don''t do well on offense but I was wrong. She played that flute not for show. Paina was accumulating power by doing that and finished the battle in one strike, a Water Slash discharged by the swing of her staff. Enzo was alive but heavily injured. Viers¡¯ battle was more straightforward. Cut and dice. Russ who had been glamoured was acting like a berserker. His power and speed increased but Viers defeated him all the same. Russ was missing four limbs but similarly, alive. All clean cuts, at least reattachment shouldn''t be a problem. ¡°Bravo, bravo,¡± Jerrold claps his hand. ¡°Wonderfully done, my daughter and her courier.¡± ¡°Don''t call me that,¡± Paina replies. ¡°He¡¯s easier to deal with than before. Russ¡¯ strength is his precise swordsmanship. Turning him into a mindless killing machine is detrimental,¡± Viers keeps a wary eye. ¡°Oh I know. He insisted, you see. So like a good father-in-law, I granted his request for more. Your triumph upon him is foreseen. Paina¡¯s is a bit of a shock. Your progress as a Pathseeker is, despite your condition, a pleasant surprise. I¡¯m proud of you, daughter.¡± ¡°Stop calling me that,¡± Paina growls. ¡°Khukhukhu¡­ Compared to you two, this one on the other hand.¡± He looks at me with a sigh. ¡°Failed to save her master in time, failed the journey, failed the fight.¡± Mita walks to Jerrold¡¯s side, sent to do so like a maidservant with a hand gesture. I can''t stand, raising my upper body alone makes my bruised muscles ache. Those words are like sticks that beat me up. ¡°You rigged the place so we never made it in time to save Mita anyway. The maze is proof enough,¡± Viers and Paina come closer to my position, not letting their guard down in front of Jerrold and the Level 5 who still sits on the golden throne. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Jerrold doesn''t give Viers a reply. He continues addressing me. ¡°I can almost hear the disapproval from your predecessors. All the Blessed so far have accomplished noteworthy feats. But you? You¡¯re nothing more than a mistake.¡± I¡­ ¡°I know you, Rose. I see you from Mita¡¯s memories. A girl that comes into her power by pity from other beings¡­ Hmph! First the angel, then the Church. By wanting to save your master, you have led your friends to certain death. It isn''t hard to guess what a child like you is thinking. You hope to somehow reverse the situation by borrowing the strength of your patron, just like a beggar in the streets.¡± He¡¯s¡­ right. Borrowed strength is fragile. Viers said that to me once. Uncontrolled borrowed power, even more so. ¡°Only, you can''t do that, can you? You¡¯re not in control. You can''t even control a sliver of the trickling angel power. Fumbling in the dark. But even then your growth is extraordinary compared to the ordinary Pathseeker. A luck undeserved.¡± Every scorn he gives me, is earned. ¡°We are Pathseekers. We walk the Path of Power, and it is perilous. Those without resolve won''t go very far on the Path of Power. But you don''t seek your path, do you? It has been laid down before you, a nice, straight and paved road, so all you need to do is stroll forward. Hmph! I find the notion ridiculous!¡± Pathseeker¡­ I never thought too deeply about the meaning. ¡°True Pathseekers build their power from the ground up, using blood as the mortar. Their own, or their enemies¡¯.¡± Conn and June are shown on screen, battling. ¡°Your teammates and friends. Always friendly and on good terms with you, but is that how they truly feel? During enrolment, you¡¯re weaker than them. But in no time at all, you shoot past them in terms of power, devalue their hard work, their struggle.¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not-¡± ¡°The achievements and rewards that should have been theirs are taken by you. You share your reward with them but how would you feel if you were in their shoes, to be given the uneaten part of another''s meal? Hm?¡± Shock. ¡°In the Spire, you let Viers lead the way. So you didn''t have to make ugly choices, so you could keep your hands clean. Content to follow others, to do what you¡¯re told¡­ Always preach about saving others but what have you ever accomplished?¡± Shame. ¡°Indecisive too. To Viers. Can''t muster the guts to take revenge for Leon, nor do you possess the will to forgive him. To just let the unresolved situation stew. I¡¯ve never seen an Angel-Blessed this pitiful. A lass like you, dreaming to be a hero? What a farce!¡± My conviction is in pieces. I know crying does nothing but they just come out. Stop, damn it. How much more can you disgrace yourself, Rose? Is all of this not damning enough? And then, I saw a man¡¯s back, between me and Jerrold. ¡°Do not mock her,¡± Viers says. ¡°You have no right.¡± ¡°Oho,¡± Jerrold muses. ¡°This is unusual. You¡¯re defending her? I pegged you as one who¡¯s more aligned to ¡®our¡¯ side.¡± ¡°We are a different breed of villains. Do not make fun of somebody who works hard to achieve their dream.¡± ¡°A foolish, dreaming girl¡¯s dream, mismatched to reality. Her ego is further boosted by the angel''s blessing.¡± ¡°An angel''s blessing does not make her more than human, beyond shortcomings or mistakes. But that power is given to her, to a special few, who in their core, want to do good, to make the world a little better.¡± Viers¡¯ answer to Jerrold does more than surprise me. It feels like he raised shelter during a stormy night. ¡°Because she wants to do good then she gets to be a hero? How convenient. Does it make her deserve to be given an angel''s blessing?¡± Viers¡¯ reply is swift and steady. ¡°She is willing to face the fiercest foe when another needs her helping hand, even though she¡¯s afraid. She does so not for glory, not for gain, but for others to be spared of greater suffering¡­ What is she, if not a hero?¡± My mind blanks white. The phrase is too beautiful. Wasted on me. ¡°So stand up, Rose,¡± Viers urges. ¡°I¡­ I can''t.¡± Physically and mentally. ¡°Do you know how to become a hero? One is never born a hero. They grow into one, when overcoming their tribulations. Heroes are not perfect. They might have their flaws but even then, their virtues and deeds touch the hearts of others¡­ That¡¯s why children adore them. That¡¯s why you want to become one. Believe in yourself, and stand up.¡± I clench my hands and lower my head in fear. ¡°What is there inside me that I can believe in myself, Viers?! I¡¯m selfish, and weak, and always get the people I love into trouble! Jerrold was right. In truth I realized that I¡¯ve always been a frightened little girl!¡± ¡°Rose¡­ Strength begins when you realize your own weakness. Your friends believe in you. Paina, Ciel, June, Conn, Damon, and the others. Your master believes in you. As do I. If you cannot, then believe in us¡­ who believe in you.¡± Oh¡­ My thoughts fly back to the memory lane. On the night before the assault on the Tower of Doom, of Damon¡¯s encouragement, Rachel¡¯s nod, Brian¡¯s thumbs up, Wendy¡¯s pep talk, and Ciel¡¯s smile. Going further, my meeting with June and Conn, and then, Master Mita. Of the time we spent together. Lastly, a happening of years before, something so faint that it has been buried by the sands of memories, emerges. ¡°Hahaha! It''s so like you, to answer ¡®I¡¯m going to defend this town and the orphanage¡¯.¡± A boy laughs. ¡°Mmhhh,¡± I pout while washing the dishes. ¡°You¡¯re going to make fun of me too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I believe you can¡­ You¡¯re not good at fighting though, so I¡¯ll be by your side, helping you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I replied, not thinking too deeply about it at the time. ¡°It¡¯s a promise, Leon.¡± Reliving those memories in but an instant, they mend my broken heart. The will to stand wells up inside me. They believe in me¡­ No matter what, no matter how miserable I might be, I¡¯ll make sure their trust is not in vain! I¡¯ll struggle until there¡¯s no breath left in me! ¡°Aaaaaaahhh!!!¡± I scream from the top of my lungs as if trying to expel the weaknesses that Jerrold inflicts on me. And then there was light. A light that comes from within me. Power courses through my body like a river. I feel the wounds on my body heal. ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ Never forget it,¡± Viers says. I stand a renewed woman, in the middle of Victa tempest. My Victa. ¡°Enough talk. Begone!¡± Jerrold orders Mita to attack and so she does. Mita appears before me and is about to slash me on the neck using her bare hands. I instinctively know this attack is similar to the one that defeated me. And this time I stopped it with minuscule effort. ¡°Impossible!¡± Jerrold gasps when he sees me catch Master Mita¡¯s arm but it¡¯s not him I give my attention to. ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late.¡± I embrace Master Mita as gently as I can. Above me, the ceiling, no, the sky unravels, showering all of us in golden rays of light. Golden clouds and majestic grace, white feathers gently falling from above. It¡¯s impossible to tell what is on the other side but if there¡¯s Heaven, then that might be it. Wreath with light, there¡¯s a silhouette. Too bright to be seen. Master Mita struggles but cannot break free of my gentle embrace. Suddenly, there¡¯s the sound of a flute, playing a melody that somehow completes the whole situation. Thank you, Paina. My dear friend. Now I know it will work. I don''t know how I know but I¡¯m convinced it will be a success. The Arte appears in my mind. ¡°Arte - Purge Evil!¡± There was a wave of light; how far it spread, I do not know. I hear Jerrold¡¯s painful scream amidst all of it but Paina¡¯s melody is ongoing. Master Mita suddenly loses the power in her knees and I crouch to prop her up. ¡°Master! Can you hear me?¡± A gentle caress touches my cheek. ¡°Foolish disciple,¡± Mita says weakly, looking up at my teary face. ¡°You should have left me behind.¡± I¡¯m so, so glad. ¡°What kind of disciple am I, if I don''t help my master in her time of need?¡± Master Mita¡¯s own words, that I return back to her. I see a tiny smile on her lips before she loses consciousness. ¡°Well, well¡­ It seems we¡¯ve missed quite the party.¡± The owner of that voice brings me joy. ¡°Ciel! Everyone!¡± Ciel and the others have arrived. Damon¡¯s five-man group, and the elven siblings. They bear the marks of difficult battles but their convictions are unwavering. Weapons in hand, they make a formation in front of me, between me and Jerrold who looks like he''s been broiled by fires. His clothes are still smoking. ¡°Do you know what heroes do, Jerrold?¡± Viers¡¯ voice is soft and even, like a kind adult educating an immature child. ¡°Even against overwhelming odds, they win.¡± - - Chapter 275 - Heroes Chapter 276 - Into the Fire ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± Paina approaches. ¡°How did you-¡± Without her playing the tune, Master Mita likely wouldn''t be able to return to normal or would suffer some side effects. ¡°I heard a voice, telling me to play the melody. She said it would help.¡± To Paina¡¯s reply, I look up to the ceiling that has been turned into a golden corridor between this realm and somewhere beyond. A silhouette with a pair of wings stood in the middle. Still too bright for the eyes but gradually becoming more visible. The angel. He or she who has bestowed me a blessing. For the first time, I am about to meet the august presence. Angels are servants of Goddess Estelle and rarely descend into mortal realms but there have been records stating they do so very occasionally, usually on matters of great importance to the world as a whole. The Arte before, Purge Evil, came from the angel. I didn''t know it before but in another moment the knowledge of the Arte was in my mind. This Arte''s area of effect was huge, reaching the floors down below. Not to the very bottom, about a fifth? And it hit everyone. However, only those I deem enemies take damage. I felt that hundreds of enemies were banished. It was holy affinity, different from my wood affinity or the life affinity that I dabbled in with Ixi Arte. The angel has¡­ Wait, that''s not important. What should I do? Should I not look at the angel? Surely the sight is not meant for mortals. Should I bow until I kiss the ground? Should I offer greetings and thanks? Aaah, I think too much and I can already see¡­ What? I know that face. ¡°L-L-Leon!?¡± Am I dreaming? My friend, who Viers killed¡­ He¡¯s¡­ Leon smiles. It is so nostalgic. ¡°I made a promise. Praise be to the Radiant Lady.¡± I glance at Viers, who is as stupefied as I am but Leon doesn''t seem to give mind to the one who killed him in the slightest. ¡°I¡¯ll be by your side¡­ Always.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I reach out my hand although I know it is useless. Leon doesn''t wait -or can¡¯t- and retreats back to the other side of the golden shining realm. When the majesty and holiness of the angel are no more, the ceiling returns to normal, not a stone out of place. But there¡¯s no need to despair. The warmth I feel in my heart is sign enough. One day, we will meet again. ¡°I know it¡¯s uncouth to interrupt but we really should retreat.¡± Rachel¡¯s voice brings me back to reality. Yes, it¡¯s exactly as she says. Master Mita has been rescued, Jerrold is wounded, but we¡¯re still in the middle of the enemy''s territory. Not to mention, the Level 5 Governor-King that even now hasn''t made a move. Alvared still sits on his throne looking bored. ¡°What about the people taken into the Tower?¡± ¡°Those we met on the way, we¡¯ve done all that we can,¡± Damon¡¯s voice is laced with regret. ¡°Then we retreat. Goddess willing, we¡¯ll be picking up many of those we missed,¡± Ciel says. ¡°Guess it¡¯s too convenient to defeat the head honcho and everyone return to normal, huh?¡± Bryan exhales in frustration. The consensus is to retreat, I agree but we all have one unsaid question: would the enemy let them? ¡°Mwuahahahaha! Mhmhahahaha¡­ Leaving so soon?¡± The voice amplifies the dread created by the ominous laugh. An otherworldly presence envelops us once more. Leon¡¯s was majestic and holy, this other¡­ is sinister and bloodthirsty. A wooden totem with a face takes flight from Alvared¡¯s side and floats at the center of the humongous throne room. ¡°Well done, meddlers. Thanks to all of you, especially the angel-bringer. You all have done me a great service.¡± ¡­Oh no. Viers makes a sound of realization. ¡°Your aim was the angel all along. Jerrold is your creature. The theatrics, the Magitek Wonder, the ramblings, are all to push Rose to be able to summon angel¡¯s might!¡± What? ¡°You¡¯ve a sharp mind, little human. Exactly.¡± The voice came from the totem. It begins emitting waves of unpleasant mana. I recognize this. It is the same unpleasantness of the Valkut barrier only a thousand times more potent. It feels like I¡¯m breathing in fetid air. However, something else is more urgent. I see a portal being created. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Rachel-¡± Damon urges. ¡°Something is trying to cross over!¡± Rachel says in a hurry. ¡°Oh my Goddess¡­ Whoever it is, they¡¯re above Level 5!¡± Above Level 5, the words strike fear into our hearts. Even Level 5 is out of our league, above that? We¡¯re less than dust to such a being. ¡°What? How can it be!? Creatures above Level 5 shouldn''t be able to come through the dimension barrier of the Radiant Lady! Wait, don''t tell me-¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Wendy clears Bryan¡¯s doubt. ¡°Angels are above Level 5 too. He must be making use of the hole the angel created.¡± ¡®Hole¡¯ is a gross oversimplification but there¡¯s no time for the specifics. So I¡¯ve been dancing to their tune all along¡­ Goddess forgive me. ¡°And here I thought Jerrold just loves to hear his own voice,¡± Viers speaks in a calm manner. How? What makes him able to maintain his composure in all of this? ¡°Is it correct to assume you are the fae lord in Jerrold¡¯s stories? How may I address you, great one?¡± ¡°Khuhuhuhu¡­ I like your style, double-faced human. Hark, and behold! I was once known as Reedglade. Now, I''m Foulfae. Marquess of the Unseelie Autumn Court! The hour of my descent is nigh!¡± His voice shakes our very Intio to the point of almost breaking. Not only me and my Level 3 friends, but even the Level 4 elf siblings are also forced to stabilize their inner foundation lest they fracture. His true body hasn''t crossed the portal yet and already we¡¯re buckling under the weight of his presence. Foulfae¡­ the name of the swamp that we visited before to get medicine for Ciel. Was the place called Reedglade in the past? At any rate, Foulfae is hostile to us and doesn''t even have the slightest intention of hiding it. ¡°My dear friends, I believe we should run for our lives now.¡± Conn agrees to Viers¡¯ suggestion immediately and while no other speaks it out loud, none disagree. The portal churns and thrums. ¡°Human king, bestow them a peaceful death in my stead. Kill the double-faced boy last, because he amuses me. Who knows, he may writhe most delightfully.¡± After I turn to the exit, I see death in the form of a man. Alvared¡¯s brown eyes look straight at me. ¡°Do not order me, fae¡­ You¡¯re the biggest variable,¡± he says, turning the arrows let loose by Delimira and Kailu into dust without any gesture. ¡°Angel¡¯s power might be vast but it is still constrained by rules. You¡¯ve spent your miracle wrongly.¡± A finger touches my forehead and so I feel death is inevitable. Ahh, so this is it. And it had been going so well¡­ I know Leon¡¯s help does not make me invincible. I just hope we continue to do the right thing and laugh about it during dinner with everyone. The Goddess is already very benevolent for giving me a miracle, hoping for a second is just downright ungrateful. I¡¯m sorry, everyone. I¡¯ve failed you. Death came¡­ and got averted. ¡°Kyaah!?¡± A gust of wind protected me. So mighty as if a typhoon at its peak suddenly teleported into this room. I hug Master Mita tightly. ¡°It¡¯s your miracle that has run out. Your evil ways shan¡¯t continue a day longer.¡± The voice makes me think of a spring breeze. The owner of the voice is walking towards us, quartz flakes fall down as she does. The old woman dressed like a beggar, playing a musical instrument, in the streets of Valkut. Viers suspected she was a Level 5 and he is now proven right. The old woman is no longer that, revealing her true form. The dirty rags change into white and red robes of the highest standard. The gray hair returns silky jet black. The wrinkles disappear and although her eyes are covered with black cloth, I don''t doubt that she is a beautiful woman through and through. ¡°Y-you¡¯re-!¡± ¡°Your Eminence!¡± The senior legionaries bend the knee before her, for the woman is wearing the cloth of a Cardinal. One of four, wielding authority second only to the Popess. They each oversee Church matters in each of the four great territories of the Human Dominion. The Harkelan Empire in the northwest. The Latias Kingdom in the northeast. The Zetel Sultanate in the southwest. And the Free People Coalition in the southeast. Our Cardinal is easy to recognize because she¡¯s blind. ¡°Cardinal Judith Tanaquil¡­¡± ¡°Rise, all of you,¡± the Cardinal smiles. ¡°You all have done well, pride of the Silver Legion. Friends of the forest, my utmost gratitude. Of course, the two of you as well¡­ Or is it more? Apologies, I don''t mean to pry.¡± She turned to Paina and Viers for the later part. More? What does she mean? Then she faces me, or more accurately, Master Mita who was sleeping in my arms. ¡°What a peaceful, sleeping face this disciple of mine makes,¡± she chuckles. Rumors are she uses the very air around us to sense the surroundings. Even though she cannot see with her eyes, it doesn''t hamper her ¡®sight¡¯. Wait, disciple? Master Mita never said anything about that. ¡°That voice¡­ It was you who instructed me to play the flute earlier,¡± Paina says. So it was her. ¡°The angel¡¯s descent gave me the opening needed to break free of my seal. Now go, disciple of my disciple and companions. Unfortunately, my opponent is not something I can take while protecting you.¡± ¡°B-but what about the fae?¡± I ask. ¡°Steps are being taken. Your sole concern is to protect yourself until this is over. Beware. I fear this will not be an easy task.¡± ¡°Got it, we¡¯re getting out. Good luck, Cardinal. Guys, hurry up!¡± Viers dashes first to the exit, pulling Paina¡¯s hand as he does. It¡¯s rude but considering the circumstances, I can''t blame him too much. ¡°T-thank you!¡± I shout to her before exiting the throne room. ¡°May the Radiant Lady light your way.¡± Cardinal Judith replies with a customary Church phrase. She and Governor-King Alvared are emitting a massive amount of Victa, tensely facing each other. ¡°We¡¯re past due a round of killing each other, don''t you think, sister?¡± Alvared says. ¡°...This gives me no pleasure, little brother.¡± It seems the matter is also personal to Cardinal Judith. We are in the middle of running down the stairs before hearing Marquess Foulfae¡¯s sigh. ¡°Ohhh, humans. Why do I even bother¡­ Rise, Jerrold. I still have use for you. The angel''s done quite a number on you but it can be arranged.¡± Damon doesn''t need to tell us to run faster before we pick up the pace even more. Without warning, a portal the size of a small window appears beside me. A bug-hybrid fae¡¯s head wriggles in and chokes my neck with its slimy black tongue. Delimira the elf cuts the tongue almost immediately using her long knife but the crisis has just begun. My blood freezes, seeing hundreds of portals of various sizes blooming all around us. ¡°Hmph, those that can cross immediately are Level 3 and below. Still, five thousand Level 3 fae should be enough. Execute my will, children.¡± Out of the frying pan, into the fire. Chapter 277 - Place to Die We run like the Seven Devils are out to get our souls. The maze is no more. As I suspected, the entire thing was a glamour of the fae. Considering the depth of the illusion, perhaps it is the work of the marquess himself. Without it, the true form of the Magitek Wonder¡¯s interior is revealed. There are lines on the wall, red lights streaming upwards to the top as if transferring some kind of energy. It worries me, since we still don''t know the purpose of the Wonder. We arrive at the stairs that are built surrounding the massive central pillar. Going down floor by floor, each an expanse of buildings and facilities. The fae haunts our every step. Portals that can suddenly appear from anywhere around us are spitting out enemies. The fae use human-wave tactics as bug-hybrid fae stream in from every direction. They act like beasts, no coherence whatsoever, just more bodies to the pile. On the other hand, we move as a unit. The elves take point, acting as windbreakers and plowing the fae away from our path. Viers at the right, Bryan at the left, Damon and Wendy acting as the rear guard. I¡¯m in the center, carrying Master Mita. These fae are hardier than the ones we encountered before. We can''t defeat them quickly enough. Sometimes, they even come back up despite half of their body being eviscerated by the Level 4 Kailu. Changing strategy, moving them out of our way is the next best option. We start pushing the fae from the stairs using various methods. Depending on their bug parts, some fly and some don¡¯t. It might be my imagination but Viers seems to be giddy while giving a straight kick to a fae''s chest, one after another. When he could not do that, he shouted loudly, forcing them to fall with the force generated by his voice. Force Speak Arte, if I remember correctly. A combination technique between him and Paina. The broadness of Viers¡¯ means amazes me. Furthermore, the Victa signature, heavy presence, Arte shocks, and rumblings from above us keep us on edge. The battle between Alvared and Judith is akin to thunder constantly blaring too close to the ear. ¡°Gwah!¡± Conn takes a hit but his Unreality Field and Tomthur¡¯s runic protection bear the brunt of the damage. June comes to his aid and knocks the fae away, sending a fae with an arrow in the head free-falling. The terrain is perilous. Even a kid knows to not run on the stairs, especially if the stairs are thousands of meters high but we don''t have a choice. Gradually, the fae are coming faster than we can deal with and Damon makes a call after seeing the turning wind. ¡°Unity!¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Wendy replies. ¡°You as the nexus?¡± ¡°It will be too defensive. Ciel!¡± Damon puts his broadsword into a fae¡¯s chest and tackles the fae coming from the other side. Hearing her name called, Ciel decisively nods and raises her hand above her head. ¡°Commencing War Formation! Everyone, please!¡± Finally, the time for the Silver Legion to fight as one has come. Bryan is the first, hitting the breastplate on his chest with his fist. ¡°Initiative!¡± ¡°Endurance!¡± Damon does the same. ¡°Knowledge!¡± Wendy follows almost instantly. One by one, we put our fists above our hearts and speak of our virtues. Rachel¡¯s caution, Conn¡¯s diligence, June¡¯s haste¡­ ¡°Ha!¡± Viers hit his chest with eagerness. It doesn''t need to be that forceful. The gesture of a fist above the heart will do. ¡°Dedicate your hearts! Freedom!¡± Freedom¡­ so that¡¯s Viers¡¯ chosen virtue. It fits him. Then comes my turn. ¡°Gratitude,¡± I speak softly. Master Mita is still unconscious and the two elves are unable to participate so eight virtues in total converge on Ciel, who will be the core. On Ciel''s raised palm, there are now eight sparks of light, connected to one another like star lines, a constellation. Grasping it, Ciel puts her hand above her chest, adding her own virtue. ¡°Justice! Army of One, activate!¡± I feel them, the other eight. Power flows from them to me and me to them. The sense of becoming something, coming together to form a greater whole. It¡¯s my second time experiencing it but no less wondrous. A mythical symbol appears on our foreheads, a holy symbol of the Estellian faith. With it, the War formation is in effect. ¡°Arte - Swirl of Flowers!¡± My flower storm seems to carry the weight of eight other powers and the burden of casting is lessened. Bryan, Ciel, and Viers¡¯ Artes pack even more destructive power than mine, like driving a stake through the swarm of the fae army. Empowered, emboldened, the fae fall before us like flies. Army of One, another signature Arte of the Silver Legion. Each virtue gives different empowerment. Damon¡¯s endurance and June¡¯s haste are easy to interpret. Wendy¡¯s knowledge and Viers¡¯ freedom have more opaque meaning but it still compounds to the whole. This is our unity. Our trump card against Level 4s. The greater the person in their virtue is, the greater the boost and there is virtue in everything. Army of One is also not limited to nine people. As long as the nexus, the one that becomes the center of the War Formation can bear the burden, there are no upper limits. In great wars of the past, hundreds of thousands of Silver Legionaries using the Army of One have turned back Hell¡¯s invasion. With Tomthur¡¯s runic armor and Paina music boost, we rapidly come down floor after floor. Things are looking up. We can do it. We¡¯ll survive and go home together! ¡°Gruaaaah!! None of you will get away!¡± Just before we went down the stairs from a particular floor with lots of opened walls, Jerrold appeared from a portal, coated with swirling ashes of destruction. His appearance was no longer completely human. He was now closer to a bug-hybrid fae, with four long tentacles growing on his back. Damon and Conn blocked the sudden ambush but got knocked back. June jumped in to get me and Master Mita out of the tentacle pierce. The two broke through a few houses and almost got thrown out of the Tower. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Kh! What a persistent bastard!¡± Bryan engages the transformed Jerrold with Delimira and Kailu. The rest of us are fighting the other fae. ¡°Watch out!¡± I scream at Viers after seeing something from my peripheral vision. Viers is a step too late. A small winged humanoid, a fairy-type fae, swoops in from above, grabs Viers by the collar and slams him down into the ground. He lands head first, cracking the ground. Another Level 4! ¡°Ihihihihi,¡± the fae chuckles while looking at Viers. ¡°Now you play with me.¡± He''s the first Level 4 fairy-type fae we''ve encountered! Can Level 4s cross over now? ¡°Reverse Waterfall!¡± ¡°Ooh!? Ahahahaha! Water play~¡± Paina¡¯s stream of water engulfs the fae but rather than suffering damage, the fae happily rides the current away. Paina is simply taken aback by the result. ¡°...That won''t last long. Viers, can you stand?¡± Paina says. ¡°...It freaking hurts.¡± Without the Army of One, he should be on the verge of death from that. Viers picks himself up and observes his surroundings. He comes to a decision rather quickly. ¡°We jump out.¡± His eyes are serious. I concur it might be our only option. With Level 4 enemies roaming, it¡¯s too dangerous. Army of One won''t last forever either. The team had thought of this possibility. After seeing the massively tall tower we each got a glider before the assault. Only, after seeing the throngs of Level 4 monsters guarding the airspace, none are eager to try. But as we are using the Army of One, we have a chance! ¡°All that¡¯s left is-¡± I point out my concern. ¡°Beating Jerrold so he can''t interfere. Kill if possible, disable if not. We must be fast too!¡± So he can''t intervene during the retreat. Yes, I understand what Viers thinks. We as of now can do it, I¡¯m sure of it. ¡°That¡¯s a good face. You have grown.¡± I hear a familiar voice. ¡°Master Mita!¡± ¡°I think I got the gist of it,¡± she rouses herself. ¡°Do what you must. I¡¯ll receive another visitor.¡± Following her line of vision, I see Unem. The glamoured abbess is walking towards us with a smiling face, bringing several platoons of fae. As if the situation is not complicated already. Mita broke free from the yoke of glamour but Jerrold and Unem didn''t. What¡¯s special about the melody Paina played? Unfortunately, I¡¯m not a sound Pathseeker and this is not the time or place to ponder about it. ¡°We go!¡± Viers dashes towards Jerrold. I nod at my master before following him. From our left, Damon and Conn who were knocked away are making a beeline toward Jerrold too. All of us, nine Level 3s, voluntarily pick a fight with a Level 4 peak. Normally the notion is lunacy but I don''t think we''re going to lose. Riding the wind of confidence, I dodge a tentacle from Jerrold¡¯s back and slash him on the shoulder. ¡°Pesky small fries!¡± Jerrold doesn''t like our attempts at all, Army of One made our rhythm easily match each other, greatly improving our coordination of offense and defense. The battle¡¯s heat goes straight to maximum from the get-go, I convey the plan to others and so we focus on defeating Jerrold. Senior Bryan entertains the notion of fighting the main chess piece of the fae. Artes flying left and right to a dizzying degree. With the tentacles, Jerrold has eight limbs. We pin them down with our weapons and the last of us, Ciel, brings down a shining sword at Jerrold¡¯s head. The Level 4 tries to use his Domain. At such close proximity, I see the scene of an ash wasteland. The edges of my robes are turning to ash and I panic for a second. No. The Domain does not manage to activate fully. ¡°My thanks, Lord friends of the forest!¡± Ciel pushes her attack, landing a clean hit. ¡°So close, Hrrnnh!¡± We got blown away by a horrendously strong explosion of ash and fire. My previous assessment was a mistake. A layer stopped Ciel¡¯s sword strike from landing. He rushes to Rachel, who sends her two golems out. They barely slowed him down before getting wrecked. Paina saves herself by diverting his blow with a water barrier but at the cost of Jerrold¡¯s ire. ¡°Fine. You¡¯ll be the first. Don''t think being able to turn incorporeal can save you from this.¡± Jerrold holds Paina by the throat using a back tentacle and a spear of ash is in his hand. Not good, Paina¡¯s going to get killed! I force my body to act but we¡¯re still reeling from the last attack. Oh no! We won''t make it in time. There is a sound, a sound so great that it rivals a volcanic eruption. The Magitek Wonder shook and the sky lit up. It wasn''t Jerrold. It came from outside of the tower. What was that? It strikes fear into my very soul. The others are the same as me, paralyzed in fear. Even Jerrold. Paina seems the least affected due to her ghostly constitution and flies to Viers¡¯ side at the first opportunity, reentering his soul. I turn my head to the outside out of reflex and I see the cause. The top of the tower is being swallowed by a thick beam of death shot from beyond the dark cloud. A barrier holds the attack back and the scattered residue of the plasma falls all over the place. ¡°WHO DARES!?¡± The marquess''s angry voice bellows from above. As if answering the question, there comes a roar-like challenge. A dragon flying in front of a stormy sky with a couple of other smaller dragons. Its bearing is like a king in his domain. Most of its scales are yellow but the area around its neck and stomach are white in color. Mighty wings and majestic horns, serpentine neck and teeth like swords. Its mouth still sparks with electricity after the fulminating dragon breath. A wrathful beating heart in the center of a storm. ¡°An Elder Thunder Dragon,¡± Damon says. ¡°Must be, if the Dragon Fear is this potent.¡± ¡°Look! From the mountains!¡± June points her finger. ¡°Goddess, they¡¯re fast!¡± A flight of dragons is coming from the mountain range. There must be hundreds of them. All are coming in this direction. There are many but the elder dragon is still the biggest in size, its wingspan from tip to tip can be as wide as the tower¡¯s diameter. ¡°What are they doing?¡± ¡°Who cares? They are attacking the fae, that means the cavalry''s here.¡± I feel there¡¯s more to this than meets the eye but I agree with Viers. Power rises at the top of the tower, we can still feel the dreadful mana even after so many floors down. The big shots above are tangling with the Rank 5 dragon. Just seeing the tail of the dragon as it lands on the top of the tower is extraordinary. I can only imagine how great of a battle the Level 5s currently wage. ¡°Gwuaaahh!!¡± Jerrold screams¡­ Eh? Why did he scream? A space tear opened in an unfortunate place. The way the tear forms is ripping half of Jerrold''s body to another space. This is the danger of space tears. But it¡¯s lucky for us. ¡°Now''s our chance!¡± Ciel leads. ¡°Jump!¡± We run towards the outside of the tower, intending to glide our way down. With the coming of the dragons, the bulk of the fae army is engaging them. There might not be a better time than this. But my starting position is bad, I¡¯m the farthest. ¡°Guh!?¡± ¡°Curses! At least I¡¯ll bring you down with me! Glory to the Marquess Foulfae!¡± After hitting me with an attack, Jerrold tangled my arm with his tentacle and his aura was pulsing rapidly. He intends to blow himself up. There¡¯s no dodging this, I thought. His activation is too fast. ¡°Rose!¡± ¡°Don''t mind me, go!¡± They are too far away. Good, they might not get caught in the suicide blast. But someone yanks me away from Jerrold after cutting the tentacle. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°This is not the place for you to die,¡± Viers says. The blast, it engulfs Viers and knocks me away. The ceiling comes down and buries the area with massive stones. ¡°Noooo! Vieeeeers!¡± No no no. W-why? I try to crawl back but Delimira stops me. ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡± ¡°W-wait-¡± Carrying me, Delimira jumps out of the tower, catching up with the others. Senior Damon and the others have already jumped. Master Mita comes from behind while carrying Unem. The wind from high altitude envelops my body as I look at the smoking floor above me with shock. Viers¡­ sacrificed himself to save me. Wait, Paina, Dia, and Farley, they are with him too! ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Hold on!¡± ¡°Stay together!¡± I didn''t realize until it was too late that we jumped into a massive space tear that suddenly opened and we were swallowed into an unknown place. Chapter 278 No one could gainsay that dragons are mighty creatures. Those possessing their blood are many, for dragons are lustful creatures. However, True Dragons, titles reserved to the peak of their species, are few in number. World¡¯s apex predators, monsters amongst monsters. One such being was spewing the famed dragon breath from his mouth. The volume of lightning pouring out was enough to drown a town in a sea of fire. His command of the elements was so great that the sky was covered with thunderclouds. Even the ancient weapon of Valkut Spire would be heavily damaged if that thing hit it fully. Governor-King Alvared didn''t have the resources to fend off an attack of this caliber so suddenly thus the marquess acted. He must, to protect his slowly forming pathway to this world from the realm of the fae. Cardinal Judith similarly had no idea why the dragon came. Her battle with Alvared was temporarily paused as they were in a bubble of protection in a river of yellow electricity. ¡°How dare you attack me, lizard scum!¡± Foulfae¡¯s angry voice thundered. ¡°What do you want, Radiageus? Speak!¡± Alvared got a reply in the form of an air-vibrating roar and something in dragon tongue. ¡°...Thief?¡± Judith frowned. ¡°I know not what you¡¯re implying. Leave at once or be treated as an enemy,¡± Alvared spoke heavy-handedly. Thunder Dragon Radiageus smashed his claws at Alvared. Those could flatten a house so Judith had to evade it as well. ¡°Fae scent is all over my hoard!¡± The dragon gnashed his sword-teeth at the black portal in the middle of the place. ¡°Preposterous! I care not for some dragon-stinking gold. I don''t need any of it. Scram, or you¡¯ll be made to,¡± Foulfae was affronted by the accusation. Among the four, the one that had the least haughtiness was Judith. The other three¡¯s arrogance was as high as the tower they were in. And thus they fought, too used to getting what they wanted through force. Radiageus called on a bolt of lightning that he caught with his hand. His wings spread from end to end before he hurled it at the portal. The lightning spear was massive in size, reflecting Radiageus¡¯ size. Before it could hit Foulfae¡¯s portal, a purple space rift widened, as another creature as massive as the elder dragon arrived. ¡°Conceited winged lizard, my pet will handle you until my main body arrives. And then I¡¯ll make a carpet out of your hides!¡± The marquess¡¯ voice was beyond peeved. Bringing the reinforcement was not without cost. The creature squeaked in pain as the lightning bolt hit it in the face. The great white moth¡¯s green compound eyes found its target immediately and bristled with rage. The moth violently pushed the dragon until it fell off the tower but it was nowhere close to the end. They both took flight and began an aerial battle under the stormy skies. Battles between Level 5s were impressive, but when the combatants were colossal-sized? Beyond impressive. ¡°Measures,¡± Alvared remembered Judith¡¯s words as he watched the dragon and the moth tangle in a dance of death. ¡°No, this is not you or your kind''s handiwork.¡± Judith didn''t answer although he was right. The dragons were not her machinations. She might be blind but the air and wind told her about what happened around her. The lesser dragons that the elder dragon brought with him were fighting with the fae army, killing each other. There were hundreds of dragons but the fae came in the tens of thousands. Their conflict was not only around the tower but all around Valkut city, which still housed unevacuated people forced to sleep by fae magic. Neither the fae nor the dragons cared if they became collateral. ¡°Someone else is in play, disturbing the pond¡­ so this is what he means.¡± Judith interrupted Jerrold¡¯s musings. ¡°You¡¯re helping the fae lord turn this land into something suitable for the fae and only the fae. Is this your way of restoring the Coriz Empire, Alvared?¡± ¡°So short-sighted, Judith,¡± Alvared snorted as pillars of stone appeared around him. ¡°What I aim for is not so limited. I am the Coriz Empire.¡± *** Far from Valkut city but still within viewing distance, there was a meeting. ¡°Y-y-you! Vi-Vi-¡± Paina¡¯s surprised face was a delight to look at. ¡°Yes, me. The one and only, Viers!¡± He smugly said. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Another ¡®Viers¡¯ approached him. ¡°So it really is like that. I¡¯ve had my suspicion that might be the case,¡± Farley appeared. ¡°Wha-!?¡± Paina felt she was getting the short end of the stick. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s Lord Viers. He has ¡®that¡¯,¡± Farley shrugged. ¡°And Clarissa¡¯s not with us.¡± ¡°I thought she¡¯s sleeping¡­¡± Viers did put some of them in sleep mode from time to time to save Victa. ¡°So you didn''t see it coming?¡± The two Viers were making the same Cheshire grin, which doubled Paina¡¯s prickling feeling. ¡°Ghh! Why didn''t you tell us?¡± To Paina¡¯s defense, she''d never read novels or watched movies before. Entertainment was not as developed as Earth''s in this medieval world, even if magic existed. She was uninitiated in the ways of clich¨¦s. ¡°To deceive your enemies, you must first deceive your friends. All right, that¡¯s enough fooling around. Welcome back, all of you,¡± Viers extended his hand. ¡°It¡¯s good to be back.¡± Ars¨¨ne shook Viers¡¯ hand and became motes of light that merged with Viers. ¡­So that¡¯s what happened in the Tower of Doom. Seeing it in person is different indeed. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. In the span of a heartbeat, Viers absorbed Ars¨¨ne¡¯s experience. About the maze, the fae, the throne room, and what came after. Ars¨¨ne''s speech about Rose¡­ It¡¯s pretty good. He didn''t rehearse it. Ars¨¨ne, his other self, came up with it on the spot. Purge Evil Arte? That¡¯s f-ing Fairy Law! Waow! The Arte that only hit what the caster perceived as an enemy. Viers envied it. Turns out the angel¡¯s identity is Leon¡­ The orphan boy that I killed two years ago now is an angel with power above Level 5? Where''s the justice in this? If that guy can reincarnate in heaven, will more of my past enemies revive? Will Anne!!? Shit! Viers felt the prospect of fighting the Mary Sue again terrifying. He just hoped his Soul Snake¡¯s Disintegration Decree Arte vanquished Anne¡¯s soul beyond any possibility of resurrection. Ultimately, confessing to Rose that he was the one that killed Leon was the right call. If he hid the fact, surely it would be revealed at the most inconvenient timing possible. Marquess Foulfae wants to cross over here¡­ Level 6 at the very least. So that''s the reason for those spatial tears all around Valkut. It was like a massive elephant trying to squeeze through a too-small door. Keep pushing and it will go through but the door will break. That old woman¡¯s true form is Cardinal Judith? Another surprise¡­ Then the subsequent escape from the tower, forcing their way past an army of fae, the face-off with Jerrold, and ¡®Viers¡¯ sacrificed himself to save Rose, Ciel, and the gang. Quite a glorious use of death. As expected of me. Witnessed by the members of the Church, ¡®Viers¡¯ was supposed to die. Let''s hope they think I¡¯m dead. My last act of selfless sacrifice washed away some of their bad feelings towards me. Of course, years later, it won¡¯t be too late to collect. Angel nuke from Rose and a clue to Level 6 from Ciel¡­ Just according to Keikaku! Viers was making the face of Yagami Light, an uglier version of it. This scenario was schemed by Viers after he made a bargain with Rose and Ciel for three boons. That he would send Ars¨¨ne in his stead while still reaping the benefits. After killing Max, as a contingency, Viers wanted to create a bigger fire than the one in the Tower of Doom. Creating more chaos so he can benefit. That was why he turned his attention to the mountain ranges near Valkut. It was known by the locals that there were a lot of dragons there. While Ars¨¨ne was helping the band of heroes in the villain¡¯s lair, Viers had not been idle. He was having an adventure in the mountains. The monsters he met there were mostly the lesser dragon variants, such as wyverns but he did ascertain the big boss is a true elder dragon. The dragon that was now attacking the Tower of Doom. Befitting someone possessing the MC-factor, he stirred the pot fiercely. It was no walk in the park, Viers likened it to an ¡®arc¡¯ in itself. As always, he managed to harvest quite a bit of benefits in his adventure in the land of dragons. After creating enough mayhem, Viers made sure the blame pointed to the fae. The fae that was clearly doing something grand in the Tower. From soul searching Pinaca¡¯s soul, Viers had an idea of what the fae was planning, even before Jerrold told Rose and the others on the top of the Tower. In the first place, Jerrold was seriously trying to kill him because the glamoured enforcer didn''t want him to soul search Pinaca. Since he had Pinaca¡¯s body and a couple of other changelings that he killed during the escape battle from Valkut, he could leave the fae ¡®scent¡¯ for the dragons. Ars¨¨ne knew what his other self was planning and gladly served as a body double in the Tower of Doom but there was still the matter of timing. It would be useless and anticlimactic if Gandalf arrived with the cavalry a day later in the Battle of Helm¡¯s Deep so Viers and Ars¨¨ne must communicate. However, Viers did not trust the enemy would not pick up if the message was magical in nature since the opposition was overwhelmingly stronger, and it would be sent from inside their territory. The existence of two Viers¡¯ must be kept secret; it was one of his greatest secrets. As such, Viers opted to use something old school: morse code. It was one way only, Ars¨¨ne informed the far-away Viers the baseline happenings in the tower, trusting the other party would deal with the dragons one way or another. Before Ars¨¨ne and Rose crossed the portal to the final boss area, he also sent a code to Viers. In his life as an ordinary guy on Earth, Viers didn''t know morse code but at some point in his life, he had a glimpse of a Morse code poster. Using soul search, he pulled the memory from the depth of his soul. Not unlike a computer screenshot. Using that as a base, he was able to utilize Morse code. Viers was one step ahead because he had relevant intelligence. My my. Soul search is so OP. To make Ars¨¨ne as real as possible, Viers didn''t stint on the investment. A good chunk of his Victa, a precious custom-made Wick Battle Suit, ample life-saving artifacts, even Paina and Farley. In the worst-case scenario, Ars¨¨ne would truly be obliterated but Viers was constantly ready to pull the two girls from the fire should that happen. But if possible, despite Rose and friends witnessing his death, Viers wanted Ars¨¨ne to make it back to him, so Viers could experience what Ars¨¨ne experienced to grow his Horizon and get back his investments. Viers even thought of erasing Ars¨¨ne¡¯s memories, making him think that he was the real Viers to up the ante and thus feeding the Horizon Aspect¡¯s growth. But it was too convoluted and might complicate matters further so Viers scrapped the idea. With the directive of making it back to Viers but being dead in the eyes of the Church, Ars¨¨ne needed to do a Houdini act. Jerrold¡¯s suicide explosion was real, even the other Level 4s such as Mita and the elf siblings thought Viers was dead. To pull it off Ars¨¨ne used something quite special. Takju¡¯s cube. The Level 4 giant-race slave that Viers freed in Marakkus, gave Boram a Profound Codex and Viers a cube as his parting gift. Its true form was an Imaginary Domain. Takju¡¯s. When activated, it allowed Viers to conjure a Domain! Temporarily, it would give Viers not only a chance to survive but to even turn the tables on an unsuspecting Level 4. It was his most effective countermeasure against Level 4s. When Mita and Lykin were hostile, Viers¡¯ hand was clutching this in his pocket. Ars¨¨ne used this to protect himself from Jerrold¡¯s last explosion. The loss of the cube stung but Viers gave it to Ars¨¨ne knowing full well it might be used. Paina¡¯s father regained some of his sanity before his death and left some parting words to Paina befitting that of a father. Ars¨¨ne didn''t know what happened to Rose and company after he sacrificed himself but he was confident they''d be fine and jumped out of the tower from a different side. Afterward, he made his way out of the city. It was quite hard considering the numbers of dragons and fae but they were too busy to pay attention to one puny human. And so Ars¨¨ne successfully made it back to Viers, who waited at a safe distance. Well, Mita was successfully rescued and I was dead. The Church won''t look into a dead criminal so vehemently so that takes care of my Luxore''s red record. Rose and Ciel, both my investments made it out, Paina''s story arc finished, and I got benefits. From the Church, the Chevrys, the fae, the dragons, and a wealth of experience¡­ case closed. With a satisfied heart, Viers looked at the war-torn city filled with fae and dragons, and the Smaug-sized elder dragon biting the Mothra fae in the air. Time to lay low. If the isolation barrier is truly created by the marquess, it shouldn''t stick. Whether the marquess is victorious and begins trampling humans in all directions with his above Level 5 power, or gets defeated like the big bad villain he is, the barrier would go. Viers offered a salute. ¡°Farewell Valkut, I won''t miss you.¡± My role in this stage is over. Viers turned around and there was a stranger standing behind him. He didn''t realize it. He didn''t realize it!!! ¡°You truly are an interes-¡± Viers summoned Faiya and immediately unleashed the Twilight Fire. It was as if a fragment of the sun fell into this little corner of the world. Faiya blew out a fire of extraordinary profoundness at the stranger using his mouth, turning the trees ablaze, cliffs into magma, and earth into glass. The breath of fire was far smaller than the previous elder dragon¡¯s lightning breath but it didn''t lose in terms of might. The dragon aimed his breath at the Magitek Wonder from above, thus downward. Faiya¡¯s was slightly upward, sending a streak of jetfire to the sky, passing the limits of Valkut¡¯s isolation barrier. It went on for ten seconds and Faiya was huffing tiredly. In ten seconds the little fire elemental had terraformed the area in front of Viers into a hellish landscape of fire and brimstone. The master of Faiya had to deploy his Unreality Field to prevent himself from turning into blackened dust. ¡°Oof, the heat is nice for my back¡­¡± The stranger stretched. ¡°Hmn? You¡¯re already done?¡± Not a single scratch on him and Viers¡¯ heart was thumping like never before. - - Chapter 278 - Oh Shit Chapter 279 - Karma Alvared, the Governor-King of Valkut exploded with fury. He shouted as if expressing his rage to the heavens. Judith, the unseeing Cardinal of the Estellian Church, defended herself from the onslaught of rocks that her older brother of the blood created, hair and robe swaying from the wind. Alvared was usually composed and aloof but now he was consumed by his emotions to such a degree that Judith found it very odd. Could it be related to the fiery explosion earlier? Judith¡¯s guess was on the mark. ¡°Move!¡± Alvared tried to force his way but knights of wind barred his path. ¡°You want to let my birthright, the Twilight Fire be squandered to nothing!?¡± Alvared squashed his opposition by creating a meteor. Judith made a face of surprise, at the fact that the sealed power of the Coriz royal family had been unearthed, and one other matter. ¡°You really did kill uncle Barakal¡­ How many family members will you sacrifice in your pursuit of power, Alva!¡± Judith compressed the air around her into a spherical ball which rested in her hand, turning a thirty-meter radius into a vacuum for a moment. The compressed air roared as it made its way toward Alvared¡¯s chest. In his hurry, Alvared wanted to go where Viers was but had shown an opening to his opponent. He grunted as the sphere of air hit him in the chest and turned into a giant tiger. The wind tiger carried him in its jaws, leaped into the air and charged down. The floor of the throne room, sturdy as it was, couldn''t withstand the wind force and broke, sending the Governor-King a couple of floors below. ¡°Guh¡­¡± Alvared grunted in the rubble. His plans for the Twilight Fire went awry to an absurd degree. The power of the royal family was an energy source beyond precious. The Magitek Wonder needed his hand guiding it so he could not leave. Time and again he failed to breach the vault where the Twilight Fire was kept even though he had tried everything. His uncle made sure only the worthy successor would be able to get it as a final act of spite towards him. Alvared thought it wouldn''t be too late to recover the Twilight Fire from the Level 3 whelp his uncle deemed worthy after the grand plan came to an end. The heir wouldn''t be able to utilize it anyway. Or so he thought. Hells and Damnations! From the tower, red energy flowed into Alvared, bolstering his strength. Sensing that, Judith resolved herself, for the battle would soon rise in intensity. *** Alvared¡¯s assumption was not entirely wrong. Max, Viers, or even a Level 4 fire Pathseeker wouldn''t be able to tap the Twilight Fire in a matter of days. But Faiya is different. He is a fire elemental born from the fiery remnants of a phoenix. He is fire. The theory came from Viers and Clarissa but the executor was Faiya, to convert a portion of Twilight Fire into a Level 5-incinerating strike. However, at the end of the day, Faiya was still a Rank 3 elemental, a baby one to boot. The only way he could pull it off was by inflicting a permanent loss to the Twilight Fire, a more skillful practitioner didn''t need to. Naturally, it was very wasteful. Viers analogized it to burning a luxurious house to keep himself warm for a few hours. Three shots. Three shots and Twilight Fire that could bring Faiya remarkable growth would be completely gone. When Viers gazed upon the stranger for the first time, he promptly used one of three golden bullets without hesitation. The man had been observing him without him realizing it, no doubt he was a very powerful person. A very dangerous person. While Faiya was gloriously burning a third of Twilight, Viers¡¯ heart bled for using it in such a manner so soon after he¡¯d gotten it. When he saw the stranger was not injured in the slightest afterward, the thought of loss and benefit was completely gone from his head and replaced by an existential crisis. ¡°That fire thing¡­ is quite remarkable.¡± The stranger looked like a man in his fifties with the intensity of a war veteran but who knew if that was his real appearance. He was eyeing Faiya with interest. The fire elemental shivered from fear and half cried, flying towards Viers to seek refuge. ¡°Haupp!¡± Viers put Faiya into his mouth and swallowed the living fire. The stranger didn''t expect that at all, even cocking his head slightly. In less than a second, he understood Viers¡¯ reasoning and applauded him in his mind. Viers couldn''t store Faiya back into the badge in front of the stranger. He didn''t have the strength to protect Faiya from being taken. This was because the stranger had shown interest in Faiya. Not to mention there were Dia and Futon in other badges. At least by putting Faiya inside his stomach the stranger wouldn''t be able to get his familiar without opening his belly first. Viers mouth and throat were slightly burned but Faiya was quick at adjusting his flame so it no longer burned. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°I-¡± Viers kicked the ground and ran as fast as he could, unheeding of the stranger who tried to speak. Raging River Steps, Hyper Arte version. Viers didn''t hesitate to sacrifice his lifespan to raise his movement speed. With Aletro¡¯s shroud protecting him from divination or mind reading, if Viers could shake him off, he could throw him off his trail by swapping with Ars¨¨ne. That was the plan in Viers¡¯ mind but it very much relied on him being able to run from the Level 5 first. Easier said than done. Viers knew it might be a fool¡¯s errand but he had to try. What else could he do but try? Dialogue might be the smarter choice but Viers had burned the bridge by striking first with Faiya. Viers ran and ran. Through rocky hills and winding paths. Around the Tower, the war of dragons and fae was still ongoing. He wasn''t dead from some attack he didn''t know so he continued to run. Five minutes, ten, fifteen, until he reached what used to be a temple. The architecture slightly resembled Greek temples but it was now in utter ruin from time and elements. Leaning on a pillar, the stranger was waiting for him. Unlike him who was out of breath, he was composed. Viers began by accepting escape was not an option, at least on his own so he relaxed his shoulders and inhaled a deep long breath. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Oh, now you want to talk? You got some nerve. I¡¯ll give you that.¡± Viers forced his expression to look as normal as possible. ¡°Who-¡± The stranger snapped his finger and Viers spat blood from his mouth. All of his life-saving treasures he equipped on his person, all six of them broke and the bits fell to the ground. Any one of them was capable of taking a few hits from Lykin or Mita but it was no use against the stranger. Viers himself fell to his knees, eyes widened and unable to stand. ¡°I¡¯m here on a mission, young one, not to satisfy your curiosity. Apologies for being a little rough but you¡¯ve proven yourself to be a resourceful person. Consider it as a sign of respect. No other Level 3 would take this much vigilance from me.¡± Viers barely heard what the stranger said. His brain was using all of its cells to analyze what happened to him. He couldn''t perceive the attack but he knew what attribute it was from the familiar sensation. It was a soul attack and that meant the opponent was a stronger soul Pathseeker. ¡°You realized it. Good. It¡¯s called Soul Tower Destruction Arte. The stronger the soul, the more affected by it they will be. It¡¯s much more potent than I predicted. Your soul foundation is quite remarkable as well. Impressive.¡± Viers wasn''t happy hearing his praise. Sixty to seventy percent of his Victa just got decimated and his soul was mutilated. With his soul so injured, using his soul abilities would be an extremely daunting task. The excruciating pain was the least of his worries. When he got his butt kicked by Freya, or when Anne bathed him with heavenly fire, those were still lighter than this. *** ¡°Oh no. Oh no no¡­ This is really bad. We-we must do something!¡± In the White Flowers meadow, Paina worriedly shook Clarissa¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You and Viers have devised a method to fight Level 5, right? Do it! If not now then when?¡± ¡°It¡¯s incomplete,¡± Clarissa regretfully said. ¡°And we need an opening to employ it but this enemy doesn''t show openings. Even if I tried, he would kill it before it took form.¡± ¡°Calm down, Paina,¡± Farley said. ¡°But-!¡± ¡°Panic does nothing.¡± Farley parted a lock of hair from Gwen¡¯s forehead who was sleeping. Her sister was currently in hibernation for the Valkut ¡®arc¡¯ as Viers called it. Farley¡¯s other hand was tightly gripping her spear. ¡°Rather than that, be ready to fight. If a split-second chance to turn this around appears, we mustn¡¯t miss it. We can¡¯t!¡± ¡°...You¡¯re right,¡± Paina paused and found her cool. ¡°Don''t die, Viers.¡± ¡°You can always trust Viers to take care of his own life,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°The Level 5 hasn''t killed him so he must have wanted Viers alive. So- Ahhh!¡± Outside, things took a turn for the worse. *** The sound of a sheep being eviscerated alive came out from Viers¡¯ mouth. Without physical contact, his four limbs were crippled. The manner of the crippling was not normal. Like someone just wringing a wet cloth but it was his flesh and bones. The deformed limbs were oozing blood everywhere, shattered remains of bones pierced the skin, nerves and muscles were exposed to the air. ¡°I would rather prefer you to not run away again. Behave, or I¡¯ll take more drastic measures.¡± In his delirium caused by extreme pain, Viers glimpsed a chance. A long shot but the stranger was not the stereotypical villain. He was vigilant and thorough even against a weaker opponent in his grasp. Kind of like himself, which did not bode well for Viers. Sensing the stranger walking closer to him, using the last of his strength, an arrow shot out from an inventory item. Trailing blue and blinding fast but the Doyun Arrow failed to pierce the stranger in between the eyebrows, stopping in the air a few inches before his skin. Viers didn''t see it but the stranger¡¯s pupils dilated slightly from surprise. He was busy wielding his second blade. A slit of blood opened on the stranger¡¯s arm. A dagger was flying, the Dagger of Maud. Aletro¡¯s present to Viers delivered by Max. Seven cuts and it was certain death. The ominous dagger slashed through the stranger¡¯s enchanted robe like a hot knife through butter. His limbs were no more but Viers had previous experience of moving things with his soul. Using it while his soul was wounded was much more difficult and dangerous but Viers had to force it. The dagger flipped and made its way to perform a second slice. ¡°Hmph.¡± A light snort and all the strength in Viers¡¯ body was sapped out. Except for breathing and moving his eyeballs, he couldn''t do anything else. He needed seven cuts but only managed one. The dagger and the arrow made a clunking sound as they hit the dilapidated stone floor. ¡­Fuck. Viers would speak of it if he could open his mouth. The stranger looked upon the light wound on his left arm, slightly above the wrist. ¡°You are an outstanding Pathseeker.¡± After giving the praise, the stranger made Viers¡¯ eyes that still radiated the will to struggle explode. Blood gushed down his face like two bloody waterfalls. ¡°Forgive me. I underestimated you.¡± *** Boram, who was talking cordially with a girl his age, was surprised as his bag suddenly emitted smoke. He took out the contents and what he saw made him feel despair. In the secret laboratory of the Blood Church in Regidana, Izabella dropped the potion she was carrying, spilling its blue contents onto the floor. No¡­ He can''t be¡­ While walking on the road, Sakuya heard the crows caw. She thought nothing of it but a few steps later, her chest felt hot. More accurately, the thing she kept in her chest pocket. ¡°T-Tanael-sama! No!¡± The white card that Viers gave to the three of them was burning. *** Viers was at the mercy of a man stronger than him. Beaten down to the soul, left in the wreck of a body. It was nothing new, he had done similar things to many others before. Now he experienced how it was to be the one on the receiving end. One could say it was something he deserved. Chapter 280 A woman fell from a tear in the sky while letting out a scream. Thankfully the spatial tear wasn''t too high up in the air. It definitely still hurt though. ¡°Ow, ow, ow,¡± Ciel slowly stood up from the ground after the ungraceful landing. ¡°I thought I was done for.¡± She looked up at the sky and there was no sign of the spatial anomaly that spat her out. It seems the group had been separated. The Army of One effect was no longer active. As the focus of the War Formation, she bore a greater burden than the other participants. Adding the fatigue from the multiple battles she had had in the Magitek Wonder, Ciel wanted to just lie down and sleep for a week. But she still had things to do, such as finding her friends and helping people. ¡°...Such injustice,¡± she muttered while looking at Valkut city in the distance. The city was already half destroyed when the Tower rose from the ground. Now a flight of dragons and an army of fae were killing each other, their fight breaking the city even further. How many lives had been lost without them knowing? Most folk just want to live their lives but too many have had their livelihoods abruptly cut short by the whim of uncaring Pathseekers. It galled her that she wasn''t capable of preventing this tragedy despite her presence, just like many previous instances. Worse still, there was a big dragon wrestling a monstrous moth in the air and the battle between the Governor-King and the Cardinal seemed to be still going strong. Ciel saw flashes of Artes from the tower¡¯s top, as far away as she might be. The city could very well be wiped off the map if just one of those attacks strayed and hit the area. To begin with, where am I? Her previously shiny white-silver armor looked like a hundred year old, battle-worn antique, the gray shirt under that was dusty with many tears, her blonde hair a mess, her skin covered in bruises, matched with patches of dried blood, and she hadn¡¯t had a bath for a week. Despite all that, the sight of her looking around while tucking her hair behind her ear would still captivate passerbys if there was any. A deserted ruin? At least there doesn''t seem to be any danger. Ciel gathered her bearings shortly and decided where she should go, to Valkut city. The signals from the other legionaries were disturbed, the location readings being unclear. She suspected it was because of all the space anomalies. Deciding to go back there was easy, because there were people that needed her help. If she could save even just one life, then it would be worth it. Eh? Someone¡¯s coming! Ciel inhaled sharply. She couldn''t sense it, but her eyes were special. It could see things others couldn''t. To her, it was like a tidal wave of black on its way to her location. Such suffocating evil! Ciel deduced she was not their match, and escape was not an option, considering the other side¡¯s speed, so hiding was her only course of action. She took cover behind a red mossy stone wall. Arte - Light Is Everywhere. Her most powerful stealth skill, or more accurately, presence dispersal skill. By blending her presence with the ambient mana around her, she would be like another stone or tree to other people¡¯s senses. She wasn''t invisible though, so she must not be seen. In a short while, a man came to the ruins and leaned on a pillar. Ciel didn''t dare to move or make breathing sounds. She peeked from behind the wall like a frightened child but by directly seeing the man, her fear only grew. In her sight, the stranger had an aura of death trailing behind him like a black river full of skeletons. Time seemed to stretch across vast distances as she was gripped with the fear of death, until another person came. It''s Viers! He¡¯s alive? I thought- Ciel saw Viers sacrifice his life to save Rose. Seeing him alive brought a spark of happiness to her. Thank the Goddess! But¡­ Oh no. That guy is destroying him! Why? Viers doesn''t seem to know him either. Did he bring the ire of a Level 5 somehow? Even though she didn''t know Viers for long. Somehow that didn''t sound impossible, it even made sense. Ciel¡¯s gladness was short-lived as the man attacked Viers¡¯ soul and twisted his limbs. While Viers screamed, Ciel closed her mouth with her hands as to not gasp. ¡°Behave, or I¡¯ll take more drastic measures.¡± Viers¡¯ replied with two counterattacks, an arrow and a dagger. While it failed to secure his release, he managed to achieve what countless others failed, wounding a Level 5 despite only being a Level 3. ¡°You are an outstanding Pathseeker,¡± the stranger said. After the praise, Viers¡¯ eyes burst like overripe fruit, spilling red juices down his face. Ciel was glad Viers didn''t experience the pain for long because his head slumped and he''d soon fainted. The stranger lifted Viers without touching, raising him from the ground. ¡°I''ll take this.¡± The stranger took Viers¡¯ inventory item. He couldn''t use them but the main reason was so Viers couldn''t pull off another ambush. The arrow was extraordinary and so was the dagger. They even made him wary for an instant. If a more capable hand was using them... someone like himself. ¡°Adequate souvenirs,¡± the stranger hummed. Behind a deteriorating wall, a resolve took form inside a young woman. I have to save him! Because Ciel owed Viers several life debts and hadn¡¯t paid him back a single one. Because doing nothing while Viers was getting beaten to death was not her justice. If Viers was to face his sins then let it be by a proper trial, not by this man who appointed himself as judge, jury and executioner. Her body was trembling despite her resolve. She wasn''t blind to her chances and wasn''t a fool so she couldn''t just come out screaming and hope it would accomplish something. I need a chance. Anything¡­ Radiant Lady, please give me a chance and strength to do the right thing. ¡°Akh¡­?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. A pained gasp escaped her lips. She looked down and saw a dainty woman¡¯s hand come out from her chest. ¡°Hihihihi~¡± A laugh sounded right beside her, made by a pretty female ghost wearing floaty blue robes. Ciel fell to the ground and the ghost flew to the stranger¡¯s side, leaning intimately on his shoulder before dissapearing from sight. ¡°Your soul is unable to escape my soul sense, girl. Besides-¡± Ciel felt life leaving her body. I must not die yet¡­ I still¡­ have many promises to keep. Regrettably, death did not care and his footsteps sounded ever closer. ¡°...Truly a beautiful soul,¡± the stranger assessed Ciel who was lying in a pool of her own blood. ¡°I can sculpt a work of art using such high-quality clay. Don''t worry, I¡¯ll be sure to give your father the duke a chance to appreciate it, Miss Valentine.¡± Ciel¡¯s vision turned increasingly dark. The stranger extended his hand to Ciel. *** In the much-destroyed throne room of the Valkut Spire, Alvared had pinned Judith under a pulsating metal pillar. The Magitek Tower shook as the massive Radiageus struck the earth, causing a massive crater and spreading destruction. The moth followed shortly, encompassing the angry roaring elder dragon with silk binding. Since the fight between the two monstrosities was nowhere close to an end, the marquess unleashed a second strike from the portal, heavily injuring Radiageus¡¯ left wing and tipping the balance. ¡°It¡¯s your defeat, my traitorous sister,¡± Alvared¡¯s eyes were cold. The moth¡¯s victory screech and the marquess¡¯ cackle vibrated the air. With their boss defeated, Radiageus¡¯ brood were also getting defeated one after another by the ever-increasing fae. ¡°No,¡± the blind cardinal replied calmly. ¡°It¡¯s our victory, my misguided brother.¡± To the Governor-king¡¯s surprise, he only realized the presence of another person because of the sound of clacking footwear on the throne room¡¯s marble floor. It was a woman with silver hair that reached her waist. Her robe of humble gray matched with the material and style of a villager¡¯s, but her face that lacked blemishes and her blue eyes that hid wisdom quickly erased any assumptions that she was of ordinary origin. The woman looked to be in her late twenties. When seeing her face for the first time, it would give the impression as if she was someone that had toiled for three hundred sixty five days for hundreds of years without rest yet somehow stayed graceful. She stood before the portal that Foulfae¡¯s main body would use to cross. ¡°Marquess Fae, Governor-King Alvared, forgive my intrusion.¡± Popess Sallustia Amaris'' politeness made Alvared uneasy. Among the Level 5 circle, the head of the Estellian Church had a reputation of being the absolute strongest Pathseeker in the world. Unrivaled under the divine! ¡°Hmm¡­ It seems not all humans are as insignificant as I thought,¡± the wooden totem conveyed the marquess¡¯ voice. ¡°Well done. You have my permission to speak, woman.¡± All eyes on Sallustia. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for the permission. I come here to humbly request the cessation of your crossing, Lord Marquess. This world cannot bear the weight of your presence. Please quell your anger and stay in the fae realm.¡± Foulfae was not impressed. ¡°I will wage revenge against the humans of this land and they¡¯ll get what they deserve.¡± Sallustia shook her head. ¡°That is not what all humans deserve. Most of those who wounded you in the past have been laid to rest and buried in the earth. Please show compassion, o fae lord. I cannot absolve their wrongdoings, nor can we return what you have lost but I can try to make amends. Should you be willing, I can purify your malevolent nature, Marquess, returning you to the Seelie Court. Also treaties between our kind. There was once peace between your people and the humans, Lord Reedglade. Let there be so again.¡± The marquess stayed silent for a time. ¡°I am,¡± he began. ¡°Foulfae.¡± It was a rejection as clear as it could be. ¡°Your views mean nothing to me. I¡¯m not subject to your morality and laws! I¡¯ll not suffer your arrogance! I am Valkut¡¯s reckoning!¡± ¡°This saddens me,¡± Sallustia lowered her head. ¡°To return hurt with even more hurt, creating an unending chain of hatred. This should not be. Marquess, I must banish you from the Prime Material Realm. Forgive me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try,¡± Foulfae said, unafraid. Sallustia turned to Alvared. She gave a light appreciative nod to the pinned Judith beside him before addressing Alvared. ¡°Can we reach an accord with talks, Governor-King Alvared? There has been enough-¡± She rephrased. ¡°Too much death and suffering.¡± ¡°I¡¯d sooner die than abandon my ambition, Popess. It¡¯s my reason for living,¡± Alvared replied. ¡°Then with a heavy heart, I have to stand against you. As the gardener of Goddess Estelle¡¯s garden.¡± The signal of the battle was a deathray from the portal by Foulfae. Alvared coordinated the attack by clenching both hands. Two opposing palms pressed against each other to form a mountain-shattering pressure crush, bringing an echo of what he had done in the past into the present reality. Sallustia''s response was to raise her hand. A white staff appeared, bearing the holy symbol of Estelle. The staff was the icon of the Estellian Holy See. The prime divine object of the faith, given by the Goddess herself, passed from Popess to Popess since the beginning of the Church. ¡°The light of the Goddess guides all beings. Purge Evil Maxima.¡± The end of the staff tapped the ground and pure white light bloomed, illuminating even the blackest of hearts. For the second time today, Purge Evil Arte was used in this place. However, comparing Rose and Sallustia''s Arte would be as if comparing the majesty of a firefly with the moon. *** Georgi Zhirkov extended his hand at Ciel... and stopped. Turning his eyes to the top of the Magitek Wonder. So you''ve come. How many decades has it been, Sallustia? The Grandmaster of the Dumuzin Cult calmly watched as the light from her Purge Evil Arte expanded. With the top of the tower as the center, it swelled until it enveloped the entirety of Valkut city. And the light expanding. And expanding. And kept expanding. "Nu!?" Georgi''s calm was broken. Why on earth would Sallustia power her Arte to such a degree? It was needless and dangerous! Not for her but for potential collateral. Even if she could choose who would be damaged by the Arte, the sheer number of people involved was a risk. The expansion speed of the Arte was quicker than Georgi¡¯s maximum speed so he raised his defenses instead. For a time, it was as if light flooded the world. The whole area inside Valkut''s isolation barrier, an area as big as Belgium, was touched by Popess Sallustia''s light. When the light rescinded, Georgi''s body was emitting smoke. "Grhh..." Did she know of my arrival? It can''t be... I took enough precautions. Two things happened in an instant. The first was the emergence of a shining sword giving off divine aura from Viers¡¯ Thousand Treasures Casket. Georgi had sealed it before but the seal was broken thanks to the Poppess'' Arte. The second was a soul coming out of Viers'' body; a female with the lower body of a snake. In Georgi''s eyes, despite things were unfolding at a snail''s pace, because he had just been hit by Purge Evil he was unable to prevent it! Divine items were items Pathseekers that had stepped into the realm of the divine saw fit to use. One such thing was Solarion, the sword that Viers pried from the warm hands of a dead MC inside Aletro''s book. The sword that had refused Viers¡¯ eligibility to wield it had made itself covered with rust but it was now shining brilliantly and went into Ciel''s body. Ciel suddenly opened her eyes accompanied by a gasp of life. The hole in her chest was now closed with a white, diamond-like crystal, pulsating with a faint rainbow-color that beat alongside her heart. "Faiya! To me!" Clarissa shouted. The fire elemental came out of Viers¡¯ mouth and merged with her. The elemental became her body and the Level 5 lamia princess from the Age of the Gods was temporarily reincarnated in a fiery rebirth. Hand on fire, Clarissa slapped Georgi''s face with the power of bona fide Level 5, careening him far away from Viers. "GET AWAY FROM HIM, YOU BITCH!" - - Chapter 280 - Counterattack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aElM_uHL00E Chapter 281 - Viers’ Angels ¡°A lamia spirit? The boy ever surprises,¡± Georgi walked with his hands behind his back as if nothing happened. Never mind a wound, not a single speck of dust was on him. Even the previous damage from the mysterious light was gone. Clarissa slapped him to the bowels of a hill but he was back without wasting any time. Too soon, evident by the frown on Clarissa¡¯s face and the surprise on the other two¡¯s. Paina was guarding Viers while picking up the items from the ground. The Thousand Treasures Casket was the priority and she threw it to Farley. With it in hand, Farley was taking out the most potent healing item in Viers¡¯ possession. It returned him to full health after the battle with Anne. The healing pill was the last one but considering the situation surely he wouldn¡¯t object, Farley thought. Despite his horrendous condition, Viers wasn¡¯t dying but they still needed to escape. ¡°Ah!?¡± Before she could feed Viers the medicine pill, it shattered into powder. Farley did not sense any form of attack but the stranger was no doubt the culprit. Clarissa is right in front of him and she could not prevent it? This is bad. The opponent is even stronger than her! Farley kept a cool head and drew an accurate conclusion of the situation. She also decisively acted, something she learned from watching Viers. It was only a tiny amount but she gathered the little powders as much as she could before the wind took them using magic and sent them into Viers¡¯ mouth. It was only the same amount as a pinch of salt but it was better than nothing. Farley¡¯s initiative managed to salvage the situation. ¡°Run,¡± Clarissa said to her fellow tenants behind her. ¡°Be careful!¡± Farley was the first to react, carrying Viers. He was still unconscious. ¡°Make it back, okay? Catch. Ciel, you come too!¡± ¡°R-right.¡± Paina threw the Dagger of Maud to Clarissa which she caught without turning. Ciel, who was a bit disoriented from being back from a step to the other side, gave the lamia with a fiery body one last look before escaping. ¡°This won¡¯t do,¡± Georgi sighed. For his Lord¡¯s toy to be capable of conjuring Level 5 battle strength was outside of his predictions. The Greater Devil also didn¡¯t tell him anything about it. He believed he had prepared amply but the target still managed to slither away from his grasp. His objective was to obtain Viers. It was a given he wanted to go after him but Clarissa barred his way. The lamia was full of fighting spirit. Her aura was telling him that she would keep him away from the target even if she had to pay with her life. And he also picked something else from the scent of her soul. Ah, love¡­ No wonder. Georgi admitted that the lamia before him was not someone he could defeat with a single wave of his hand so he opted to create a clone to go after Viers. At first, he wanted to send a Level 5 clone but after seeing the dagger in Clarissa¡¯s hand, he discarded that idea. Some kind of curse. Seven or nine cuts¡­ Georgi with his wealth of experience saw through the weapon¡¯s danger. Viers already scored a cut. Sending a Level 5 clone would weaken him even further after getting hit by Purge Evil Arte. With that dagger in her hand, if I make light of this snake lady, it could prove to be fatal. Reckless people wouldn¡¯t live as long as Georgi had, he compromised and formed a Level 4 clone, this way it wouldn''t weaken him to the point it would be significant. The other Georgi looked just like him but was wearing a white robe. The split soul chased after Viers, passing Clarissa by. She let the clone pass without a fuss. ¡°Not worried about your friends? My split soul is not an ordinary Level 4, you should have realized it.¡± Clarissa scoffed. It would be stupid to show an opening against Georgi because Clarissa was well aware the enemy was stronger than her in this temporary and incomplete form. But if I¡¯m defeated, Viers and the others would fall into his hands. That absolutely must not happen. Clarissa''s aura took the shape of a giant, horned-snake phantom behind her. Each of its scales was like rubies. Just like Level 3¡¯s Unreality Field and Level 4¡¯s Imaginary Domain, reaching Level 5 unlocked a new ability: Palladion Icon. When a Level 5 formed his or her Icon, it showed their commitment to the fight. ¡°They¡¯ll be fine.¡± Clarissa made a fast sliding motion as smooth as a skater on ice. The lack of legs did not prevent her from doing high-speed movement. A fiery trail was left in the Arte¡¯s wake. She appeared from Georgi¡¯s side, aiming to drive the dagger into his stomach at an angle. Georgi flew upward to avoid it, for the sky was the right of those with Level 5 cultivation. Clarissa followed suit. Georgi almost blasted her head off but she ducked and coiled her lower body at him. ¡°Hugging a man you just met? You¡¯re a bold girl.¡± Clarissa was actually feeling anxious. If a person could still jest in the middle of a fight, it meant they still had some leeway. She had seen that often enough in cases that involved Viers. ¡°Burn!¡± A blaze similar to a solar flare spread out with Clarissa as the center. In a wide swathe of area, fire reigned. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. *** Farley was carrying Viers on her back, Paina and Ciel were close behind as they ran as fast as they could. ¡°Who¡¯s that guy? Who¡¯s that lamia? Is Viers alive? How am I alive? Is it related to the crystal in my chest?¡± Ciel had so many questions. She was pretty sure her heart was destroyed and there was a hole big enough for a hand to pass but there was no trace of any of it left. Instead, there was an exquisite gem the size of an egg about ten centimeters below her neck. ¡°We don''t really understand either,¡± Paina replied. ¡°We have never seen that guy before, or why he wants to capture Viers.¡± ¡°And Lord Viers¡¯ divine item saved you,¡± Farley¡¯s addition was shorter and onto the point. ¡°Divine item¡­ So it really is¡­¡± Ciel touched the crystal lightly with her fingers. She had seen House Valentine¡¯s divine item in the past. The heirloom was an object of great power and left her in awe. The fact Viers possessed one was already a shock. Viers¡¯ secret was deeper than she thought. ¡°Is Viers-¡± Ciel looked back before finishing. ¡°Incoming enemy from behind!¡± Paina shouted. The stranger from before was gaining after them at high speed. ¡°...He¡¯s weaker now. Your lamia friend must have weakened him somehow. Kyaah!?¡± The shockwaves from the battle between Clarissa and Georgi¡¯s main body reached them. It was the first of many. ¡°They are still battling! This one is a clone!¡± Farley said. ¡°Seems so. Brace yourselves, Light Shield!¡± Ciel conjured a shield of light in response to the clone¡¯s ranged attack. ¡°Shoaling Protection!¡± Paina followed suit, creating a school of fish made of water. The two of them were acting as the rear guard. Ciel¡¯s shield was the first to break from the battering of the spectral skulls but Paina''s technique fared better. The fishes moved like a school of sardines, each one functioning as a shield. After the flashy explosions, the number of fish greatly diminished but Paina replenished the quantity in seconds. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± Ciel was surprised. That attack just now was Level 4 tier. Paina was able to stop that perfectly while she couldn''t. Based on her observation, Paina was about five times stronger than she was in the Tower! How? ¡°Paina?¡± Farley reached out to her fellow tenant telepathically. ¡°That was too close. Defense might be my forte but it only held because Viers¡¯ mysterious buff is still active.¡± The topic was related to Viers¡¯ secret and there was Ciel nearby so they did not communicate out loud. ¡°You can''t run from me, children. The isolation barrier is still intact and the lamia can''t save you. There¡¯s nowhere to run.¡± Georgi¡¯s clone attacked again with even more skulls and Paina desperately defended using Shoaling Protection. He¡¯s right¡­ Farley realized the bitter truth. Options, options, I need options. Like the light of hope, she felt movement on her back. ¡°Lord Viers, you¡¯re awake!¡± Everything is going to be fine now. Lord Viers would have a way out of this mess. *** Everything was dark. Then Viers remembered his eyes were destroyed. The pain in his limbs told him they were not healed and so unusable. ¡°Lord Viers, you¡¯re awake!¡± Farley¡¯s voice. My ears are still working at least. ¡°P-pill¡­¡± Gods. I sound like a dying man. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry but the last miracle pill had been destroyed by the stranger. We¡¯re now escaping. Clarissa and Faiya stayed behind to fight but a Level 4 clone of his is chasing us.¡± Shit¡­ These voices¡­ I¡¯m hearing Paina and¡­ Ciel? The situation was dire. Even though he was awake, he was too injured to actually contribute. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant situation to wake up to, knee-deep in lava. Clarissa is using the X form¡­ Farley and Paina are in battle. That means the most crucial issue is... "Co¡­ Colloid. All of them." Farley grasped the depth of Viers'' weak plea. She immediately rummaged through the inventory item box. It slipped her mind that Viers¡¯ Victa had been severely reduced by the stranger. If he ran out, with the exception of Clarissa who was fighting together with Faiya, she and Paina wouldn''t be able to do anything. Doing it while running was somewhat difficult. Farley made Viers drink the Blue Colloid. A precious magic potion that could replenish one¡¯s Victa. It was Viers¡¯ last blue from the Aletro¡¯s age. Next was four vials of Pink Colloid, the lesser version of Blue. Viers saved them for emergencies. He had searched for something similar but had not found any. In other Fables, mana potion was pretty common but in this world, since Victa is personalized mana, Victa recovery items are super rare. But it could be the difference between life and death. She wanted to feed Viers all kinds of healing potions while she was at it but she couldn''t. Haphazardly mixing different kinds of potions could be detrimental, dangerous even. ¡°Done! What¡¯s next?¡± The sound from the battle behind her agitated Farley. Next I have to... monster trans... form... Viers passed out again before he could do so. The injury on his body and soul was too deep. *** Farley closed her eyes and let the disappointment slide past her like a drop of water on a leaf. Despair was good for nothing. No matter what, she wouldn¡¯t let her sister die, which meant she had to save Viers. She would not forgive anyone who might threaten that. ¡°Get on!¡± Farley pulled Viers'' flying carpet and unfurled it in a flourish with one hand. Paina and Ciel hopped on and the carpet took to the sky. ¡°...Even this is no good?¡± The stranger stood on a spectral cloud of souls to give chase. ¡°We can''t run away,¡± Paina looked into Farley''s eyes. Farley nodded. ¡°So we must kill him.¡± ¡°...Our enemy is a Level 4. Considering how extraordinary the main body is, the clone will also not be ordinary,¡± Paina also came to the same conclusion, although for her it was ''defeat'', and not ''kill''. ¡°During the training session, we''ve never been able to win against a Level 4.¡± Even with Viers'' mysterious strengthening ability, Paina thought of the minutiae. ¡°Then let''s make this the first. It¡¯s do or die,¡± Farley extended her fist. ¡°I''m not keen on dying. After the resolution of matters with that shitty father of mine, I just made a resolution to keep on living.¡± The fists collided and there was nothing more to be said. Ciel watched in silence. She turned to Viers, then to the clone chasing them, before touching the crystal on her chest. It was strangely warm to the touch. ¡°Count me in.¡± ¡°Ciel?¡± Paina questioned. ¡°I still owe Viers many debts.¡± ¡°...I look forward to working with you, legionary,¡± Farley said after a delay. ¡°Never thought a day would come where I would fight side by side with a cultist.¡± ¡°Ex-cultist.¡± Farley corrected. The decision had been made and Farley steered the carpet to a place where they would have a terrain advantage, to a nearby lake. ¡°Good grief,¡± Ciel sighed while looking at the unconscious Viers. ¡°To have these many women protecting him... What a lucky man.¡± Chapter 282 - X Project X. As a fire user, Viers couldn''t send Clarissa to fight in the same manner as the water affinitied Paina and Farley. However, there was a workaround. By using Faiya to house her soul, Clarissa would temporarily resurrect and regain her Level 5 battle strength. Two factors were crucial in achieving this feat: Viers¡¯ extensive soul knowledge and Faiya himself. A fire elemental born out of Phoenix End Fire. Viers knew the clich¨¦s. Even though using the fire had the potential to somehow contribute to Anne¡¯s revival, he still chose to go through with it anyway. Because he needed a countermeasure against a Level 5. If he didn''t have them, he would be screwed when encountering a Level 5. The experiment was a success but it was very taxing to both Clarissa and Faiya. As was the case with anything of great power, it was not something that could be used lightly. Although Clarissa was unable to display her full capabilities, at least Viers would no longer be helpless against a Level 5. Project X was incomplete but it was okay, Viers thought. He wouldn''t pick a fight against a Level 5 when he was still very much outmatched by a Level 4. It was only insurance for the worst-case scenario. ¡°Flare Explosion!¡± On Clarissa and Georgi¡¯s battlefield, there was no longer any trace of the terrain¡¯s previous shape. During the course of battle, the Dagger of Maud was the first to go. Georgi reduced it to dust before Clarissa could give him seven cuts. She only managed three before it was destroyed. From the air to the ground and to the air again, destroying mountains and rivers, Clarissa had always been the one on the offensive, using great destructive Artes one after another. She had to. As a warrior princess with a wealth of battle experience, she sensed that if she let up her offensive and conceded the initiative to the soul user, the momentum of his attacks would swallow her. Even so, she herself knew it was only a matter of time until she could no longer contain Georgi. When the fire faded, Georgi was protected by a dragon soul, surrounded by both wings until Clarissa¡¯s Arte was spent and he unfurled them. The soul user was unharmed. ¡°There are fresh souls all around me, lamia. This is my home field.¡± With a wave of his hand, the dragon soul was absorbed into his body. Valkut city was quite far. Viers wouldn''t be able to utilize the souls of the fallen from such a distance but Georgi had no problems in doing so. While he was doing so, Clarissa had to deal with five of Georgi¡¯s invisible attacks. ¡°So what?¡± Clarissa¡¯s downward gaze was piercing. Her nature and mannerism as a warrior princess were in full view. Faiya, forgive me for asking this of you. Is it really okay? Yaaa! The answer came without hesitation. ¡­Brave kid. Hang on! Red flames began to envelop Clarissa''s body from head to tail. The color of the night sky transformed into that of the rising dawn. Georgi was a master warrior so he could control his expression to not show any sign of unease despite feeling so. The lamia¡¯s power was rising sharply. His absolute confidence in procuring his God¡¯s toy was now shaken. Twilight Fire. Faiya used another one-third of Twilight Fire to empower Clarissa. Not even an hour had passed since the first use, the sealed power of the Coriz royal line had been erased two-thirds, permanently. Unlike the first use which was an unfocused blast of energy by Faiya, it was now Clarissa who wielded the power. Focusing and molding it with intricate skill. It has been¡­ nine thousand years. Once again, I wield this power at my fingertips. At this sentimental moment, Clarissa would have muttered the sentence originally. In turn, it would have given Georgi some insight into her origin, which could be detrimental to Viers. Viers¡¯ education made Clarissa wisely keep it inside her mind instead. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. No, that¡¯s wrong. Momentarily this might be, but I¡¯m the strongest I have been in all my long years of existence. The time she spent inside Viers and all that entails, were not for nothing. The lamia princess¡¯ hair was no longer brown but crimson red, as were her eyes. The scales on her lower body became white but thirty percent of them, scattered across different parts, were glistening like rubies. Viers, Farley, and Paina never saw Clarissa use weapons before but she now had a fiery chakram in each hand. Flakes of ember fluttered down her hair. That aesthetic touch was from Viers, using a certain tsundere Flame Haze as the inspiration. Clarissa also liked it very much. This was her X form, Xiuhcoatl form! Viers said Xiuhcoatl was a mythological fire serpent god but the name was hard to pronounce so they called it X form for short. Her majestic and exotic appearance as she stood in the sky was awe-inspiring. ¡°Do not delude yourself, manhunter. I have faced beings more powerful than you.¡± As someone who had lived in an era called the Age of the Gods, Clarissa did not speak falsehood. ¡°How interesting¡­¡± Georgi¡¯s strong steps cracked space as he walked in the air. ¡°Unfortunately, lady lamia, you will not hinder my mission. I¡¯ll have you step aside or be made to.¡± No matter how powerful Clarissa became, Georgi wouldn''t be intimidated. What was the lamia¡¯s pressure worth, compared to being in the presence of a God? Compared to his multiple life-and-death battles with Sallustia? Very few people can grasp what it means to be a cultist, facing the Popess, and living to tell the tale. Clarissa¡¯s form disappeared from in front of Georgi and descended from above. In turn, Georgi conjured a white sword. It was the tailbone of some creature. Clarissa¡¯s instinct told her to not let that sword graze her. ¡°Fire Snake¡¯s Dance of the Cobra!¡± ¡°World Soul Severing!¡± Two auras clashed for supremacy, one flaming red and one vile green. Two Palladion Icons imposingly manifested. Widespread destruction spread upon the earth. As the two Level 5 Pathseekers duked it out, any weaker existence was not permitted on the stage. Even unworthy Level 5s could lose their lives as the two showed what it meant to be the peak of the mortal cultivation realm. The ultimate combat of those who had reached the summit. *** A fight between two peak combatants was a rare and momentous occasion. Be that as it may, there was another clash involving Level 5 peak taking place in the region. ¡°Goddammit!!!¡± Alvared slammed his fist to the ground. ¡°Stay still,¡± Judith made the wind chains pinning him to the ground tighter. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± Alvared ground his teeth, almost shattering them. Judith felt what her brother felt but she was not as invested in it as Alvared. Before the two of them, Popess Sallustia and Marquess Foulfae were having an earth-shattering battle. Alvared was already beaten by Sallustia¡¯s first move, Purge Evil Arte, but he was not dead. The Governor-King admitted that they were above him. Directly seeing a superior fight was a good experience, especially factoring in how rare the occasion was for someone as strong as him. Alvared used all of his attention to not miss a single thing during the fight but that all changed when he sensed the Twilight Fire was used for the second time. He wanted to tear the one responsible to a thousand bits and have them be fed on by the dogs. How dare they squander his birthright? The power that was rightfully his! With only a third remaining, the value of the Twilight Fire had been greatly diminished. Alvared no longer desired it as intensely as before. It no longer suited his needs! The Marquess was a being above Level 5, Alvared knew this from the start. Even though Foulfae hadn''t crossed fully and thus wasn''t able to exert his full strength, his avatar, a faceless mass of mana in a humanoid shape, was already showing strength higher than him. But Sallustia easily outclassed him. One word crossed Alvared¡¯s mind: strongest. People that had witnessed the Popess¡¯ fight deemed her the strongest, Alvared had heard of it. He always thought it was an exaggeration to gild the reputation of the Church. He saw the truth with his own eyes and experienced it with his body, he had been defeated by her first move! I¡¯m only alive because she didn''t mean to kill me¡­ Alvared¡¯s chest burned from indignation. I¡¯m still so fucking weak! The anger rose and then subsided. The result was not yet set in stone. ¡°You¡¯ve struggled valiantly, noble priestess,¡± Foulfae said. ¡°But you cannot stop the inevitable.¡± A beautiful man with resplendent moth wings, wearing burgundy robes, slowly walked out of the portal. As if the world was afraid of his presence, everything seemed still. The rotation of the earth, the wind¡¯s movement, the rays of light, everything seemed frozen in place when the great being inhaled¡­ before resuming movement when he exhaled. The great lord of the fae, Marquess Foulfae, had arrived. ¡°I disagree, great fae¡­ Through these hands, let the Radiant lady¡¯s miracle manifest.¡± Alvared, although he would never admit it, had his heart gripped with fear in the presence of Foulfae¡¯s true body, as did his sister. But fear or doubt failed to touch Sallustia. The sky was filled with colors as the two battled. While watching the historic event from the premier seat, the gears inside Alvared were turning. What if¡­ What if Sallustia can defeat Foulfae? If that¡¯s the case- Excitement and dread filled his heart in equal measure. However, the Valkut Spire rumbled greatly accompanied by a mighty dragon roar. ¡°Kill all the fae! Kill all the thieves! Retrieve the treasure!¡± Radiageus spoke in dragon tongue, sending the lesser dragons into a frenzy. The slimy lizard is wrecking my Magitek Wonder! Sallustia must have defeated the moth but didn''t attack the dragon. Why is he here anyway? I didn''t steal from him and Foulfae has no interest. Has your brain rotted from living too long, you fool? Anyone with half a brain can realize someone deceived you just to be an inconvenience to us. To ME! A million foul curses to the devious mind behind this!!! Chapter 283 - The Water Maidens At the shore of a lake, there was a school of fish. Very odd considering the place. The fish swam in the air as if they were in the water. Each fish was the size of a sardine, but thousands of them made the school look like a massive living cloud. Although they had the shape of fish, they were not actually animals but water. In the center of the swarm, stood the Level 4 split soul of Georgi. He extended his palm and the fish simply exploded in a straight line. ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The attack was aimed at Paina but she was barely able to defend herself against it by converging the fish from her surroundings. A path was made and Georgi was about to make his move but someone emerged behind the screen of fish to his side. Ciel charged with her enchanted sword and shield. As her enemy was a stronger individual, she proceeded with her guard up, light gathering at the tip of her sword. Arte - Brilliant Lance. Georgi leisurely evaded with minimal movement. Ciel expected her strike wouldn''t land so she didn''t put all her strength into the thrust but chained it into another close-quarter Arte instead. ¡°Not using your new sword?¡± Georgi said while dodging all of Ciel¡¯s attacks. I would if I could, you haughty ass! Ciel¡¯s condition was very new to her. She felt the sword existed inside her but her attempts to elicit any response from the sword had not borne results. Farley kept herself hidden, but she let loose water spears from Georgi''s blindspots with lethal precision. All of them seemed to burst like bubbles before hitting Georgi. It wasn''t useless though, Farley managed to split Gerogi''s attention from the other two. However, even though the three''s coordination was very adequate despite being a hastily assembled party, Georgi was proven to be the better fighter. He¡¯d soon found an opening in the fierce melee. Ciel let out a gasp as the shield on her left hand was late to move for a split second, and a fist reached for her abdomen. Ten water fish swam their way between the two and selflessly sacrificed themselves. Ciel was uninjured and jumped back. The school of fish immediately dropped like a curtain, hiding her from sight. ¡°This Arte¡­ Shoaling Protection, you said? Quite a good thing you have. Your own creation?¡± Georgi turned to Paina who could be seen from the gaps of the water fish. Paina didn''t answer and moved her Arte. Not a moment too soon the fish exploded. Paina didn¡¯t have the luxury of speaking. She was too close to the edge of death. His invisible attacks are too big of a threat. It seems to be sight based. My Shoaling Protection is the best defense we have against that. I must not fail them! Farley struck like lightning out of the blue, she had been gathering power to unleash a powerful Arte. Arte - Shadowless Rush! The short-haired brunette''s spear managed to graze Georgi but neither Farley nor the other two were happy. ¡°Ugh...¡° The price was a deep gash on Farley''s shoulder. Since she was a soul being, she wasn''t bleeding red blood but white soul essence. ¡°How futil-¡° Georgi was assaulted by a legion of aquatic lifeforms. Sharks, orcas, snakes, moray eels, and all manner of sea monsters native to this world. This was not Paina''s doing but Farley''s. Her previous Arte was bait. This was the true attack she had been gathering energy for. ¡°Marine Beastide!¡° Paina and Ciel followed suit with their own attacks. ¡°White Pearls!¡° ¡°Shining Eagle!¡° A barrage of high-concentration water energy in the shape of beautiful pearls and a great bird of prey made of particles of light pincered Georgi from two different directions. The explosion was satisfying, even bringing a sense of achievement but the three women knew better than to think it would be that easy. They took a distance from the epicenter; Paina''s Shoaling Protection was split between the three of them. ¡°Paina!¡° Ciel was the first to notice. A bizarre monster suddenly appeared behind Paina. It vaguely resembled a muscular human however the skin was pale white, armless and hairless, and a mouth with three rings of teeth for a head. Since the shoal was in front of her and the monster appeared from behind, it had already penetrated her defenses. It''s too late to dodge, Paina thought as she faced the terrifying teeth. Ghostform! This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Paina turned incorporeal. As a soul being, this ability had allowed her to phase through many emergency predicaments in the past. ¡°Aaaaahhh!!¡± Paina screamed in pain as the white monster gnawed on her left arm. She reflexively raised her arm to prevent her neck from getting bitten. Paina¡¯s arm was cut off below the elbow by none other than Farley. While pulling Paina away, she also stabbed the white monster a few times. But her thrust felt like hitting smoke and the monster was not injured. ¡°F-Farley¡­¡± Paina grimaced with pain. ¡°That was a wrong move. Our opponent is a soul Pathseeker, same as Viers. Our usual advantages are invalid against him.¡± Farley coated her spear with water from the lake and struck again. It was somewhat effective. The monster did not seem disturbed or felt pain but it gave intimidating hisses. ¡°You two, are you okay?¡± Ciel came closer. Farley saw she had cut two other white monsters to pieces before coming to them. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Paina used her staff to help herself back onto her feet. Her left hand might be gone but she still had her right. The shoal converged on their position. ¡°Then keep your guard up, Paina. He¡¯s coming.¡± Farley remade her stance while facing Georgi¡¯s clone. The three¡¯s full powered Artes didn''t seem to make a dent on his health or poised demeanor. ¡°He¡¯s not even hurt,¡± Paina frowned. The three white monsters were gathering beside him. ¡°His real body is fighting Clarissa but he still can create a Level 4 proxy and summon additional battle assets¡­ isn''t that a bit unfair?¡± Paina added. ¡­Isn''t Viers kind of similar? Farley had the thought. ¡°This is a characteristic of soul Pathseekers,¡± Ciel pointed out. ¡°Even you are fighting with great strength on behalf of Viers.¡± ¡°Right. Yeah. Forget me saying anything,¡± Paina took her words back and sighed. ¡°We know it won''t be easy.¡± ¡°Consider me surprised,¡± Georgi said. ¡°The depth of your water Artes is exceptional. Soul gazing?¡± ¡°Like we¡¯ll tell you!¡± Farley struck again and the battle entered a new stage. Georgi was technically correct. Pathseekers used monster cores to create Artes. Not the only way but it was one way of doing it. This was achieved by getting glimpses of the monster¡¯s experience when it was alive and obtaining inspiration from it. Viers used monster souls instead of cores to achieve the same effect. The Fables inside his head provided all the inspiration he needed so this method of gaining inspiration was not really crucial to him, but it was not so for Paina and Farley. After his return from the Book World, there was a time when he was forced to defend a fort from the merfolk. The battle that followed was the best time to gather the souls of those that belonged to the underwater realm such as the Sahagins. Only, Viers and Ars¨¨ne didn''t dare to gather souls during that time because the search for Tanael was at its peak. He hunted the sea monsters for the two girls at a later date. Two dozens of them. The monsters might not have the intellect to process the experience, beings of instinct as they were, but the soul remembered. Paina and Farley made soul trips to under the sea using these soul memories. They experienced what it meant to live in the water, the shifting tides and currents, the horrifying and wonderful sceneries beneath the surface, the battles the monsters fought, what they sensed and felt, their lives and even their deaths. All of these became nourishment for their soul. However, Viers also had the Grid. Using the remnants of a System, Viers created a massive sea environment for them to glean even further attainments. He used various movies, games, pictures, and others from his head to deliver them the world under the sea that both girls never dreamt of. These were invaluable experiences for their growth as water Pathseekers. Without the two of them knowing, Viers had successfully deepened their Dao of Water using soul journeys and virtual realities. Paina¡¯s Shoaling Protection Arte and Farley¡¯s Marine Beastide were created because of this. These they created on their own and without Viers¡¯ finger in the brew. But their knowledge and inspiration would need to be tempered and polished before they could shine. Viers University covered that subject too. There were many water Pathseekers among the people Viers killed. Not only water Pathseekers but from the plethora of his ever-growing soul data banks. Viers possessed knowledge from far and wide from all walks of life. Both of them, along with Viers himself, were getting the absolute best from the distilled knowledge about the Path of Water. Of course, no matter how good the university was, without them putting in the effort it wouldn''t matter. Viers didn''t disparage their hard work and lessen their achievements. Even though their existence lacked a body, Paina and Farley were without a doubt true Pathseekers. ¡°Reverse Waterfall! Water Slash!¡± Paina¡¯s magic bit the enemy. ¡°Torrent Spear! Falling Rain!¡± Farley¡¯s spear penetrated the enemy defenses. They used many great water techniques and displayed great skill in them. Ciel was amazed. Even compared to her water Pathseeker peers in the Silver Legion, these two would not lose to them. ¡°Hm¡­ Your spear handling has vestiges of the underwater kingdom,¡± Georgi hummed as he caught Farley¡¯s spear that was about to pierce him between the brows with two fingers. ¡°It seems the benefits you two managed to get from him are not few. Good grief¡­ Whether is it the fire lamia or you two-¡± Ciel swung her sword from a low angle. Arte - Flash Steps! Asterism Glow! ¡°And then there¡¯s also you. A thorn in my side despite being an outsider.¡± Ciel got hit by an invisible attack on her head. She shifted her last step so she only bled from her temple instead of getting her head cracked open. However, her sword managed to reach his body. Bit by bit, the three were beginning to chip the Level 4 split soul¡¯s HP. Georgi cast a glance to Viers above, the flying carpet hovering above the lake before Paina¡¯s shoal cut in. ¡°A shame¡­ All is ultimately inconsequential.¡± Georgi¡¯s Victa rose and the terrain transformed as the three were taken into a Domain. A bleak space, the ground littered with bones and ankle-deep blood. Above them, the sky reddish-black and the souls of the tormented roamed aimlessly. The nervousness inside Paina, Farley, and Ciel could no longer be hidden. If they were on the border of life and death before, they were now without a doubt a mile inside death¡¯s territory. Chapter 284 The killing intent was like a stench that had seeped deep into the earth. Thick, palpable, and terrorizing. Compared to Paina, Farley was the one with the stronger will but even her spear was shaking. Is this the end? Ciel flashed forward, the movement Arte gave a flicker of light as she moved. ¡°Get a grip you two! It''s not over yet.¡± The clone blocked her sword with his bare hands. A spectral maw almost bit Ciel¡¯s head but she jumped back in time while delivering a slash. ¡°He¡¯s not as strong as he seems! He¡¯s been putting up a strong front from the start but he¡¯s actually deceiving you. Just think. He was so decisive against Viers, not fooling around, so why didn''t he use his Domain from the beginning? Why not crush us to smithereens with extreme Artes? It''s not that he didn''t want to but he couldn''t. And this Domain is fragile, diluted! We can still prevail!¡± Ciel¡¯s words lifted some fear that had clouded Paina and Farley¡¯s heads. There was truth in her words. Ciel¡¯s right, Paina thought. How could we push him this far otherwise? He¡¯s not out of our league! Farley¡¯s eyes glinted as a seed of resolve sprouted anew. Yes, Clarissa already held back his true body. Like hell we¡¯ll lose to some leftover dregs! Ciel had more real battle experience and had more chances to observe far more Level 4s than the other two so she realized it first. Before the will to fight was snuffed out in those two, she reignited it by confronting Georgi¡¯s clone head-on. ¡°Water Is Unbreakable!¡± ¡°Torrent Spear!¡± Paina and Farley acted to assist Ciel in the melee. The clone¡¯s eyes were cold. Ciel was correct and saw right through him. The biggest reason was Georgi¡¯s main body had been injured by Sallustia¡¯s Purge Evil. And then Clarissa confronted him. By doing so the lamia had removed the Level 5¡¯s direct threat from Viers. Georgi was forced to split his soul to chase after Viers but even this split soul was far from what it could be. The three attacked with fervor. Ciel¡¯s Rainbow Prism Arte bound the clone and Paina conjured a blast of water. The clone didn''t even need to act as a pack of skeletons emerged from the ankle-deep blood of the Domain. They would use their bodies as a shield. ¡°Not on my watch!¡± The Domain had cut off their access to the lake and lowered their water Arte effectiveness, but it didn''t matter. Farley extended her spear on the Reverse Waterfall Arte¡¯s path and moved a few steps to the side. The water followed her and curved. With no skeletons in the way, Farley pointed her spear forward and Paina¡¯s Arte directly hit the target. Arte - Altering the Flow! During their time together, Paina and Farley developed combo tactics. This was but one of the many. ¡°You are on the mark, young legionary,¡± the clone said. ¡°But!¡± A gigantic fist fell from the sky on top of Paina. Her Water Is Unbreakable barrier was broken. She, and even Viers, were still far from making the Arte true to its namesake. A pack of ghostly beast heads swarmed Farley. The attack was so fast that even she, who emphasized speed in her combat style, was unable to avoid them. Her body was gnawed and chewed upon. What hit Ciel was the wind. A breeze, almost gentle, but only after passing her by did she realize how badly she was damaged. Her enchanted shield and sword were shattered to pieces, the same with her armor. Unreality Field kept her skin attached to the bones. Her legs gave out and her knees touched the bloodied ground with a splash. Involuntarily, she was in a seiza position. ¡°Haah¡­ haah¡­¡± Her lungs were trembling and her vision was blurry. This time, she was truly on her last legs. ¡°You three underestimate me too much.¡± The difference between Level 3 and 4 was more vast than that of Levels 2 and 3. Although the clone was unable to fully materialize the true power of his Domain, it still possessed enough power to crush Level 3s, even though the trio was stronger than average Level 3 Pathseekers. Georgi¡¯s clone raised a soul sword he conjured before the kneeling Ciel. ¡°This is the result of your ideals¡­ Dying for people you barely know, strangers. Just like so many of your predecessors. What a waste of life. At this last moment, do you regret it?¡± Ciel thought back. Was she close to Viers? No. Did she like him? No. What about Paina and Farley? She also wasn''t particularly close to them. The time she spent with them was so short, not even a moon¡¯s turn. The Silver Legion fought extraordinary threats. As a member, dying was always a possibility. Ciel understood this. Thinking it logically, she was discarding so much of her potential in life, of the future that could have been. But did she regret living according to her ideals? ¡°I¡­ regret the result¡­ but not the journey. Never¡­ the journey.¡± The voice was faint but she still uttered it with a smile. She looked into the eyes of her executioner-to-be with clear eyes. ¡°Truly, a Silver Legionary to the bone.¡± The blade of death descended. The blade of life blocked it. Georgi¡¯s Domain was bleak but the darkness was chased away by a shining light. ¡°Uuuohh!¡± The clone regained his posture after a wave of power knocked him away. ¡°No¡­ This is¡­¡± Ciel was floating with her eyes closed. Her expression was the very definition of peaceful. Divine light pulsed from her body. More accurately, the crystal on her chest. The hilt of a sword emerged from it. Without opening her eyes, as if it was the most natural thing to do in the world, Ciel¡¯s right hand gripped it. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Again and again, you take their side, Fate!?¡± Georgi¡¯s face was twisted from anger. He unleashed his Domain-backed attack but Ciel¡¯s vertical slash removed it from existence. The divine sword was shining with golden light. It was as if the blade was made of light itself. The sword had never shown this amount of power when Viers¡¯ wielded it. Aravin, the MC who Viers took the divine sword from, was killed before he could show its true strength. Aletro prevented the sword from interfering because the power would be above the acceptable parameter for the trial, just like Anne¡¯s divine item. The sword might not be intelligent but it had a will. Viers named the sword Solarion, but it neither accepted nor cared. It also stubbornly refused to be used by Viers the unworthy and sought to find another wielder, one with a noble heart. Ciel, a light user compatible with the sword of light, was a candidate. When Ciel was almost killed by Georgi¡¯s true body, the divine sword intervened to save her life but it was an emergency measure. It hadn''t truly accepted Ciel. But after Ciel showed her stalwart will to her ideals before oblivion, the sword finally accepted Ciel as its true user and bestowed her with all of its strength. Ciel¡¯s gray robe and blonde hair were swaying in the wind. Slowly, she opened her eyes, showing her blue eyes that were slightly glowing ethereally with the color of the clear sky. ¡°You are¡­¡± Ciel looked at the sword. ¡°Thank you.¡± She raised the sword and it shined like the sun. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± ¡°Ciel¡­¡± Paina and Farley were freed from their predicament as the light of the divine chased the souls away like morning rays through mists. However, their injuries were deep and did not miraculously heal. ¡°It¡¯s the last clash. Can both of you still fight?¡± Ciel asked. ¡°...Of course.¡± ¡°This is¡­ normal in our training.¡± They both rose to their feet. Ciel smiled and took the vanguard. The Domain¡¯s effect was kept at bay by the divine sword¡¯s light and her attack power increased considerably. However, they were still in a crisis. Both sides were equally fragile to the enemies¡¯ attack power. It would be a battle of skill to see who landed the first clean hit. The battle entered a new stage of intensity. The condition of the three women was far from perfect. The difficulty of the battle could be compared to abusing their soul, literally for Farley and Paina. In the end, despite the emergence of the divine sword, Georgi was still above them. The three¡¯s battle experience was not even close to the old monster¡¯s. The clone evaded Farley¡¯s spear swipe and held her in a choking grip with his right hand, lifting her up. ¡°So it¡¯s you,¡± the clone muttered. A black swirl gathered on his left hand and he jammed his index and middle finger into Farley¡¯s right eye. ¡°Farleeeeeey!!¡± Paina and Ciel separated Georgi from their comrade. ¡°Farley, you-¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, don''t worry about me,¡± Farley assured Paina as she cupped the right eye with her hand. Her soul essence was leaking out in the form of white wisps. ¡°More importantly, we¡¯ll have to risk it,¡± Farley said after seeing the divine sword¡¯s glow slowly fading with her remaining eye. They would need to finish the battle before it was out of power or their defeat was set in stone. ¡°I understand,¡± Ciel nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll-¡± -be bait. ¡°I will!¡± Farley moved forward. Ciel was slightly surprised but gritted her teeth and followed after Farley. ¡°You think a speck of divine power is enough to defeat me?¡± The clone roared as he transformed. A giant spectral skeleton with four arms formed around him, the clone nested in its chest. His offense and defense were greatly improved. When he moved his body, the giant skeleton mirrored it. The hand was coming at Farley. ¡°Arte - Triple-Headed Sidewinder!¡± The Arte was far more destructive than any of her precious Artes, greatly wrecking the state of the defending ghost hand. However, Farley was hit by another arm. ¡°Ghhh!¡± Even though she was ready for this and raised her water shield in time, Farley was so heavily injured she struggled to maintain the shape of her soul. She was like a dandelion in the face of a strong wind. But it was fine, she was only the bait. ¡°We have something greater. Behold, the power of friendship!!¡± Paina shouted as she conjured a massive water snake to hold the giant skeleton, ensuring Ciel had a clear path. Viers taught them the concept. If they fought a strong enemy one day, fighting them side by side with a friend or friends would colossally increase the chance of victory. ¡°Arte - Sea Snake Seal!¡± These snake-themed Artes were their trump cards. They created them with the guidance of Clarissa so both the Arte and its roots were tempered by techniques from the Age of the Gods. How could the three best friends gain nothing from each other? Ciel dashed forward, aiming for the clone located in the giant skeleton¡¯s chest. ¡°Fool!¡± The skeleton might be bound by Farley and Paina¡¯s effort but it could open its mouth. A destructive soul blast threatened to engulf Ciel. ¡°Mirror Force!¡± As if the law of physics were overturned, the blast returned back to the clone. ¡°Naive!¡± ¡°Aah!?¡± Usually, it was Ciel¡¯s enemies that were taken aback after their own attack came back to them, just like Lykin the Lighteater. However, Georgi¡¯s clone reflected Ciel¡¯s reflection. Once again a demonic energy blast was coming toward Ciel. Left with no choice, Ciel struck the blast with her sword. ¡°Grrrghhh!!!¡± She managed to hold for a short while but clearly she would be overpowered. No¡­ I must not¡­ lose¡­ nnnhhh! Ciel¡¯s strength was almost spent in defending herself from the black energy but her body suddenly felt lighter and gaining power. ¡°Told you¡­ Power of friendship,¡± Paina grinned despite her wounds. ¡°Go! Cieeeeeel!¡± Farley screamed. Paina used Anima Symphony: Gloria on Ciel while Farley made the blast weaker using Water Hex. Ciel strengthened the grip on her weapon, stood her ground, and swung her sword from overhead, putting every ounce of power she had in her body. ¡°HAAAAAAAAAA¡ª!!¡± Ciel forcefully cut the stream of black-green blast in two with her sword light. Arte - Justice Enforced! The slash created a gash on the ground before it gloriously broke Georgi¡¯s defenses and even broke the Domain, returning them to the real world as the space shards fell all around them. Seeing Ciel¡¯s finishing blow land, Paina and Farley shouted a cry of victory. *** Two great powers clashed. Two beams of energy, one was red and the other, green. The two were pushing each other back and forth with the sound of clashing tornadoes. The casters, Clarissa and Georgi, had ensured the terrain would be utterly devastated by whoever won. The clash of the two was more similar to the clash of two natural disasters. Sensing her time limit coming close, Clarissa exerted every last bit of her being in this attack. Georgi didn''t lose in resolve either. His God had given him a mandate. ¡°Alas¡­¡± Georgi sighed, little by little Clarissa¡¯s beam of fire consumed his own. ¡°Reaaaaach!¡± Clarissa exerted herself to sustain the attack. She was in pain too. With the terrifying force and ear-splitting sound, the blast drilled Georgi deep into the earth. Because Clarissa attacked from a higher elevation, her mighty Arte struck the ground in all of its glory. Clarissa didn''t let up the beam of fire even though she could no longer sense her powerful adversary. Miraculously, it was at the same time that Georgi¡¯s split soul was defeated by Ciel and the other two. The stream of fire poured into the earth as if it was a hotpot, making it a grand view to look at. Only after there was no more power in her, did the lamia stop. Below her, there was a massive volcano of ghostly green lava. The mana of this place had been altered because of the terrifying battle and the terrain would be changed permanently. In time, the unique fire and soul environment would gradually bring great changes to the surroundings. Huuf¡­ Huuf¡­ He¡¯s¡­ not dead¡­ But it should be okay¡­ O¡­ kay¡­ Clarissa¡¯s soul passed out and the flames that made her body returned to the small spherical form of Faiya. The elemental baby looked very tired and pitiful but he darted across the sky. To his master¡¯s place. - - Chapter 284 - The Power of Friendship Chapter 285 - Medal of Honor On the top of the Magitek Wonder Valkut Spire, the battle had reached its climax. Marquess Foulfae had crossed over from the realm of the fae and the world shuddered from his arrival. The ambient mana and the land began to change, altered by the great fae¡¯s will. Standing in his way, was the Popess of the Estellian Church, Sallustia Amaris. Words were hardly sufficient to accurately describe the battle between these two figures. It was an eye-opener for Alvared. As a Level 5 peak Pathseeker, he thought he was standing on top of the world, that he had reached the highest peak. Then he saw a higher sky in the form of the Popess. Sallustia was a Level 5 peak same as him, however, she had proven herself to be a match for the fae marquess. The marquess was a higher being that had stepped into the divine, his power was clearly greater than any Level 5 Pathseeker. Alvared thought it was impossible but Sallustia had done it. She brought low Foulfae and was about to banish him back to whence he came. However, an upset occurred during the final stage of the battle. The final blow to the fae leader was not given by the Popess but by the hand of the Governor-King himself. ¡°Huoggh!! You¡­ What are you doing!?¡± Alvared''s hand pierced Foulfae''s back and went through. ¡°Change of plans, insect-man. Rage as much as you like under the tree bark you call home,¡± Alvared yanked his hand out, pulling out the fae''s heart in the process. ¡°Losing a heart will not result in your death but it''s not a small matter either. Go hibernate for a hundred years with your moth concubines.¡± After Foulfae was spent from the dimensional crossing and fighting Sallustia, Alvared swooped in to land the last hit. ¡°I will not forget this! I''ll definitely return! Despicable humans, I''ll destroy every single one of you! I¡¯ll have my revenge!!!¡± Foulfae was mad with rage but he was easily pushed into the dimensional tunnel, back into the fae realm. With him gone, there was a sense of ease in the air, as if the world had let out a sigh of relief. ¡°My thanks, ladies of the Church, for weakening the fae so. I couldn''t have done this without you,¡± Alvared said while holding the bloodied fae heart in his hand. Of course, Sallsustia or Judith didn''t mean to allow Alvared to do as he pleased but they were pinned into place by infernal chains. It was only thanks to them the ambush was successful. ¡°This is the Cult¡¯s method,¡± Judith said. ¡°You¡¯ve thrown in your lot with them. How low will you go, brother?¡± Naturally, the method that held two high-ranking members of the Church was given to Alvared by Georgi. It was part of their agreement. ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m not like your zealot counterpart. I simply used them. Just like I used Foulfae,¡± Alvared felt insulted that he was likened to the cultists. ¡°Governor-King Alvared, what are you planning?¡± Sallustia said softly. ¡°Just like he said, you really are beyond common sense. Even this wouldn''t hold you for long,¡± Alvared observed the chains on Sallustia unraveling. ¡°I¡¯m not your match, but I¡¯m done here.¡± The Magitek Wonder began to thrum as if a humongous machine was activating. ¡°My objective, Popess, is to revive my empire and to become a Level 6, but I know the truth. I¡¯ll not do it your way, sucking up to Estelle. Neither will I submit to the devils. I am Alvared von Coriz. I¡¯ll not bend my knee to devils or angels.¡± ¡°And this is the result,¡± Sallustia gestured to the broken Valkut city. ¡°What are your thoughts on this, Governor-King? Will you not even admit responsibility?¡± ¡°Popess, even with all your might, you cannot prevent this. I¡¯m not the first nor will I be the last. Somewhere, somewhen, there will be someone doing something similar. Your Goddess put a lid on our growth to preserve the stability of the world and the greater good but there will always be people like me who don''t accept it. It is simply human nature.¡± Alvared thrust the fae heart forward. ¡°With this, I¡¯ll break the mortal limit and ascend to divinity!¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Alvared sensed Radiageus was channeling his dragon breath from below the tower. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave here. Farewell, sister, Popess. You¡¯ll not see me again¡­ Not until I¡¯m stronger than you.¡± The Magitek Wonder shot a light straight into the sky and Alvared was gone, along with the top part of the Spire. A dragon¡¯s roar of rage signaled the end of the conflict in Valkut city. ¡°...He¡¯s gone,¡± Judith sighed. ¡°I failed to stop him.¡± ¡°We both failed,¡± Sallustia removed Judith¡¯s infernal chains after dissolving hers. By stopping Foulfae¡¯s rampage, they managed to prevent the spread of a catastrophic disaster, but both of them didn''t feel like they achieved a victory. ¡°It seems the other conflict has concluded as well.¡± ¡°Might be the Cult. Alvared seems to have dealings with them¡­ Who¡¯s the other, you think?¡± Judith asked. ¡°I do not know,¡± the silver-haired woman shook her head. The Popess and the Cardinal faced the faraway place where they sensed the clash of great powers. Of course, it was the place where Clarissa battled Georgi. ¡°Sallustia, why did you spread your Purge Evil to such a degree?¡± Judith asked. It didn''t fit her superior and friend¡¯s nature to do so. ¡°I had been asked to, by Lucyna.¡± ¡°The Interpreter of Fate!? Why?¡± Judith didn''t think that she was behind this. ¡°She said it would prevent the worst future. That I must not hold back.¡± Judith let the words sink in. What she¡¯d heard wasn''t light. ¡°She¡¯s in critical condition now. Fate does not like its secrets being revealed. She¡¯s been pushing herself too hard lately. I fear her successor will soon take over,¡± Sallustia added. ¡°May the Radiant Lady watch over her¡­ Has the worst future been averted?¡± ¡°I pray it has.¡± Sallustia looked up to the sky as the rain started to fall. *** The power of friendship came through. Paina and Farley were skeptical about it at first since there was no logic or sense behind it but Viers was adamant it would definitely be useful. As the battle got tough, indeed the bonds of friendship, the trust between the two girls seemed to provide an inexplicable boon. There was also Clarissa, who might be battling her own battle at a different place but she is their friend nonetheless. They faced the same adversary together. Ciel might be the weakest link but they defeated the Level 4 split soul by watching each other¡¯s backs. She risked her life and limb in the mud with them. A strong seed of friendship started sprouting, even if Farley and Ciel were not on the best of terms at first. Paina, Farley, and Ciel were heavily injured. They didn''t even have the strength to stand. Paina lost a hand while Farley lost an eye. Ciel knelt on one knee, planting the divine sword into the ground as support. The clone¡¯s Domain was broken and they were back at the lakeside. The smoke was clearing, showing the standing white-clothed split soul of Georgi. The divine sword left its mark, a bisection diagonally across his torso. As if someone used an eraser on a real-life man. If he was flesh and blood, he would have separated into two parts but he was not. Still, it was clear to the three¡¯s senses that he was done for. ¡°Brilliant¡­ You three have shown extraordinary valor against a superior opponent and triumphed admirably. A magnificent display of strength and skill. Very well done.¡± The clone of a man whose name the three didn''t know gave his praise. It sounded genuine too. The man did not look angry or bitter but showed a kindly smiling expression. ¡°As a reward for beating me, I¡¯ll gift each of you meddling children a curse.¡± He first turned to Ciel. ¡°Justice is a lie. After your heart shatters to pieces, darkness will swallow you whole. You¡¯ll weep in the dark and pray for salvation but not even Estelle¡¯s light can reach you in your black prison.¡± Second, Farley. ¡°No matter how far you go, the shadow of the wolf will never cease to loom over you. In the end, the past will take its due. To your horror, your loved kin will tread a similar path. Her journey will end in fire and darkness.¡± Third, Paina. ¡°You¡¯ll have wings. With them, you¡¯ll escape the bog of the ordinary and soar far and wide into the blue sky. Until the wind of freedom carries you too close to the sun. Your wings will turn to ash and you¡¯ll fall to the earth. What remains of you will be fought over by dogs.¡± The trio felt their blood turn ice cold. ¡°A most splendid victory. Well done.¡± The clone turned to wisps after saying his last praise. None of the three said anything. It was not a soul attack, so the curse was not an Arte but it was no less of a curse. ¡°Yaaaa!¡± The one that freed their stilled time was Faiya. The fire elemental looked like he was a fire almost out of oxygen. When he reached them, Clarissa¡¯s soul came out from inside him and Faiya fell beside the unconscious Viers, out of energy. ¡°Rissa! Faiya!¡± Paina moved towards them. Farley and Ciel too, but slower. ¡°Clarissa, are you okay? Talk to me,¡± Farley tried to rouse Clarissa. She didn''t look injured but who knew if that was truly the case. ¡°I¡¯m not an expert in the matter of soul but she doesn''t seem fatally injured,¡± Ciel assessed after invoking her investigation Arte. ¡°...No sign of that soul user, so Clarissa must have won,¡± Farley said while covering her injured right eye with her hand. ¡°Then we did it¡­¡± Paina weakly said. ¡°By the heavens, we really did it.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ But we should go. It''s too open here and someone might come. We need to find a place to rest. Ciel, come with us.¡± ¡°...Okay.¡± Ciel was in no shape to travel. They must find a safe place before their body shuts down. The three began their retreat. They had won a great victory but they didn''t seem happy and it was clear something was weighing on their mind. The cursed medal of victory was very heavy to bear. Chapter 286 - Regicide There was a freshly created volcano in the Valkut region. Yesterday, this place was a grassy plain, but now there was a lonely mountain. The sight of the volcanic terrain was eerie, like a haunted ground. The terrain of the volcano''s surroundings still bore the fresh mark of a great battle that had just occurred but changes had already started taking shape. The rocks were reddish and some of them had red veins on them, becoming cultivation materials because of the mana around them. Strange sounds and spectral figures sometimes appeared. There was a tree that had resiliently endured the destruction that now possessed ghostly fire instead of leaves. The top of the mountain was spewing green lava of extraordinary heat. A hand emerged from the pool of melted rock and grabbed the ledge, a man climbing out. The lava didn''t seem to bother him, nor did it dare to cling to his body. He was none other than Georgi Zhirkov, the Grandmaster of the Dumuzin Cult. He looked fresh and well-dressed. His hair was combed and his beard tidy. The garment on him wasn''t damaged in the slightest. Looking at him now, no one would believe he had just fought a terrain-changing battle. He turned to somewhere far and his figure disappeared, only the disturbed dust under his boots was proof that he was there. Georgi arrived at a lakeside as if he appeared from thin air. His movement Arte was very fast; others less experienced would mistake it as teleportation. Naturally, there was no sign of Viers and the girls. Georgi placed his palm on the earth. A few seconds later, he had recovered the remains of his defeated split soul. He absorbed the clone¡¯s experience and knew what it knew. ¡°Hmn¡­¡± Facing the lake, he sighed. He was unable to sense where his quarry had gone. The trail had gone cold. With Sallustia here, I don''t want to do this but I have no choice now. Georgi took out a thorny birdcage from his storage space and was about to activate the divine item to lock down the area. ¡°That is unnecessary.¡± ¡°Lord!¡± A black fire enveloped his right eye. It looked dangerous but the fire wasn''t burning him. To the presence of his God, Georgi knelt respectfully. ¡°They gave you the slip, it seems. Hehehe¡­ The play ends here.¡± ¡°Please wait, Lord. I¡¯ll not fail you and will certainly deliver this toy to you!¡± To outsiders, Georgi would look like a kneeling madman talking to himself. His mannerism was no longer domineering and suave but like an employee in front of his boss after a work error. "It''s fine." "But Lord-" "Georgi," Dumuzin''s tone grew more commanding. "It''s. Fine." "...Yes," the Grandmaster calmed himself. His God had given him an order. "You have shown me satisfactory performance, considering you can only use a third of your power." Every time Dumuzin spoke, the black fire flickered and swayed. "It''s all thanks to Sallustia¡­ The timing of her arrival and the action she took was miraculously precise." In her fight against Foulfae, Sallustia''s opening move was Purge Evil Maxima. The Arte would only affect those the caster perceives as enemies. Although Sallustia didn''t know Georgi was there, the Arte wounded him. It was because Sallustia and Georgi had fought in the past. Georgi put up a strong front as if he was barely affected but the truth was he had been weakened significantly. In that state, he was forced to fight the revived Level 5 Clarissa. Naturally, the split soul he sent after Viers was also only able to show a third of its power. Clarissa fought mightily but there was another reason she was able to best Georgi. Once again, it was because of Sallustia. If he used any of the divine items in his arsenal, it would tip off Sallustia. And should the Popess realize he was here, she would surely intervene. She had many methods to do so, using Purge Evil one more time was enough. Few people truly realized the vastness of power that Sallustia commanded. The Swirling Chaos Georgi Zhirkov was one of them. The old monster concluded that his probability of success would plummet further if the Popess got involved so he didn''t. Of course, Ciel and the others had shown far greater resistance and power than he expected and ultimately foiled his plan. After he failed, Georgi no longer cared about keeping it a secret from Sallustia and prepared to fight her to the death if it meant sending the toy to Dumuzin. He was about to activate the divine item but this time, Dumuzin stopped him. "It was no such thing. That mumbling bald lass in the Church meddled with the Convergence of Fates. She should be suffering from the consequences right now. Truly a busybody." "...But Lord, by sending me, did you not do the same thing as the Interpreter?" "You''re mistaken, my young faithful. We are part of the Convergence. His Convergence. What he did in Luxore created a ripple in the flow and it became a whirlpool." Georgi only had a pittance of understanding about the workings of Fate but if Dumuzin said so, then it must be. ¡°Thank you for the wisdom, great one. As you wish, I will not use your divine method. However, it is premature to conclude this venture as a failure, my lord.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°When a sign of misfortune appeared, I had already implemented insurance.¡± Georgi¡¯s face, which had a patch of burning black fire on his left eye, showed a confident smile. *** "Your majesty, please run away!" A soldier barged into the throne room without tending to his gaping wounds. "Hrrgh... Where do these barbarians come from? What do they want?" The king clenched the armrest of his throne. A jeweled crown was set upon his brows and a royal red mantle was on his shoulder. One day, his city was attacked. The lightning-fast attack was not done by an army of Pathseekers. It was done by a small group of people. They swiftly destroyed the critical defensive infrastructures and important personnel. In the chaos, they infiltrated the palace. The strength of the attackers begot disbelief. They were all strong but one person in particular, most likely the leader, was a cut above the rest. "Dear..." "Father..." The king''s beautiful wife and daughter couldn''t hide their worries. From the palace windows, they could see fires had broken out in various parts of the city, sending plumes of smoke into the night sky. "Don''t worry you two. You''ll be safe," The king assured his family. Instead of evacuating them, he sent his men to bring them to him so he could protect them personally. "The prince? What about my son?" The prince was also the supreme commander of the army. The prince had grown into a fine man, a wise and kind king in the making. He was also a genius Pathseeker. The king had suspected his son had surpassed him in strength for years. As a monarch, he couldn''t ask for a better heir. As a father, he couldn''t ask for a better son. ¡°The prince and his elites have already engaged the intruder. But he asked your majesty to evacuate just in case,¡± the soldier reported. ¡°Brother!¡± The princess¡¯ face lit up after hearing the mention of her elder brother. Her brother was very strong and very dependable. He surely could take care of this. ¡°Good, good¡­ How fares the battle? If necessary, I will join-¡± The large door of the throne room was kicked open. The enchanted gates were unable to withstand the blow and even the hinges were broken. A man walked in. He was lean, tall, and handsome. His clothes were simple white robes with little accessories. The clothing he wore might be simple but the man was clearly anything but. "The prince has been removed from the line of succession." The intruder threw a severed head onto the throne room''s floor, to the king and his family''s horror. "Brother! Noooo!" The princess was horrified. The queen let out a surprised gasp before falling unconscious from the shock. "Oh, and he''s also a head shorter, in case you haven''t noticed," the intruder said in a mocking tone. "Damn you!!!" The king attacked the intruder with all of his fury, unleashing the full might of his Level 5 peak cultivation. His dragon-shaped Palladion Icon appeared behind him. A shockwave spread out as the king clashed with the intruder. "Is that all?" The intruder held back his sword with his finger. "I-Impossibile! Guppyaah!?" The intruder kicked the king on the chin, sending him upward. The king''s head was buried in the ceiling while the rest of his body hung like a fruit. "How dare you do that to his majes-" The soldier tried to attack the intruder but his head exploded without the intruder so much as looking at him. "Your loyalty is wasted on him, brah... Oh, you must be the princess. And the unconscious buxom next to you is your mom?" "S-stay away!" The princess trembled in fear. The queen and the princess looked quite alike. They both had wavy blonde hair and fair skin. While the queen looked to be in her thirties, the princess looked like the teen version of her. "Hahaha! Your scared face makes you even cuter." They wore a coat over their nightgown because they were just sleeping before the sudden attack on the city. The princess and the queen got pulled by an invisible force and landed on the intruder''s arm. "U-unhand us, you ruffian!" The princes struggled and tried to hit the intruder. "Eh?" "Hahaha! You''re like a cute hamster. I sealed your Intio so you''re no different than an ordinary person. No need to fret, it will be over soon." "Noooo! Someone, heeelp!" The princess kept struggling but the intruder resumed his laugh. At this point, the king had dropped from the ceiling, looking haggard and bloodied. One attack and he was defeated. Their league was too different. "Who are you? Why are you doing this?" The king asked the intruder while on the floor. "Hmn... Wow. You really don''t remember me, do ya? How about this face then." The intruder swiped his hand in front of his face and it showed a different face. "Y-y-you''re! Viers!" "Bingo. It''s been a long time, hasn''t it? but, to you, I''m something else. I am the punishment of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you." Viers blared his killing intent along with his Victa. The king, with the face of Georgi, trembled uncontrollably. The princess in Viers'' arm could not withstand Viers'' aura and passed out like her mother. Both women had tears on the edge of their eyes. "You want revenge... So be it. I''ll give you my life. If you want to torture me first then feel free, but release my wife and daughter. They are innocent," the king said. "Ah, but here''s the thing. A great man once said: The greatest joy for a man is to defeat his enemies, to drive them before him, to take from them all they possess, to see those they love in tears, to ride their horses, and to hold their wives and daughters in his arms... Great quote, hm?" The king looked utterly and completely horrified by the words of Genghis Khan. "Now that I have tried it, I have to say it''s not too far from the truth. So, king. I''ll take your everything cuz I''m strong now, okay? Good." Viers didn''t wait for him to reply. "Don''t worry about your wife and daughter. I''ll take good care of them... So. This is the part where I put you in jail after crippling your cultivation. Then you can impotently watch from some hole I put you in for years and years. After you''ve tasted the blackest tar of despair, my revenge is complete." Viers looked down on the king with a bone-chilling gaze of spite. "I-" Viers kicked the king''s crowned head before he could finish speaking. The soccer ball kick sent the king''s head flying out of the window, disappearing into the horizon. "...But I''m a greater villain than your standard Bond villain. I''ll just torture your soul instead. Deal?" True to his style, the trash talk came after the finishing blow. Afterward, Viers sucked the king''s soul out of his body and put him into his Soul Prison. For years he had been preparing a special place for him. As Pinhead said: Your suffering will be legendary. "You''re not gonna take the crown?" Clarissa said. She came with Paina and Farley. The three had long regained their bodies and were no longer tethered souls. They looked much more beautiful now, more mature. Viers had changed too. He was now more handsome and no longer had an ounce of unnecessary fat in his body. "Meh, too gaudy for my taste. I''ll make a better one." "Lord Viers, the city is ours," Farley said. "Boram is cleaning up." "Good job, Angels," Viers smiled. "What now?" Paina asked. "Now, I''m gonna bed you three in the most beautiful room in this palace. Ready yourselves, ladies. You won''t get any sleep tonight." The three turned bashful, fidgeting, but none refused. "What about them?" Clarissa asked about the unconscious queen and princess in Viers'' arms. "They can join if they want to. Mwahahahahaha!" Viers had a beautiful, beautiful night. Chapter 287 - The Great Three days after the kingdom¡¯s king got ousted, a new king was crowned. It was none other than the one who killed him, Viers. The coronation itself was shown all over the city using magical items. Projected into walls or reflected on water, it was like a television broadcast. The new king was now traveling in a convoy all around the city above a royal carriage and people jubilantly cheered at the sight of him as if this was a Disneyland parade. How could they not, when an army of Tyra Xerg pressed a stinger to their throat, telling them to cheer? For three days, the city was under martial law. The unrest among the populace was quickly suppressed with Zerrigan¡¯s children patrolling the streets. The day was sunny and bright. Shimmering flower petals were dancing in the air, courtesy of Sakuya and Dia. Viers waved to the citizens with a big wide smile. *** ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, let''s start the meeting,¡± Viers said while sitting on the main seat. Boram, the fierce general, stood towering behind him. After the coronation, Viers called the kingdom¡¯s officials and ministers to talk about the matters of the state. Some didn''t come, no doubt they had run away. Viers didn''t care. Viers appraised the various nervous officials. None could hide their intent from his soul-piercing gaze. Their characters were like an open book to Viers. The ones trying to suck up to him didn''t waste any time. Of course, none of these people were truly loyal to him. Understandable, since Viers was an outsider. However, loyalty was not what Viers sought from them, but competence. The hopeless and corrupt officials got kicked out of their position. The corrupt but competent got their illegally gained wealth confiscated. Those wanting to improve the kingdom for the better got more responsibility and authority allocated to them. Boram was installed as the leader of the military. Cutting the corrupt officials was not all that Viers did. Viers went on to centralize power, reorganize the bureaucracy, introduce fair laws, change the urban layout, implement mandatory education, plan to build public infrastructures, more trade, improve living standards, and so on. The meeting went on for a few days. There was much to do. Like the coronation, the new king¡¯s policy was spread to the masses through criers and papers. People were surprised. They didn''t think the invader would do these instead of exploiting them. Most were skeptical, thinking it was just empty words. ¡°The kingdom has been reborn. By the new king¡¯s decree, henceforth, this kingdom shall be known as the Viridis Kingdom!¡± Hearing the crier¡¯s voice, people worried about their future. The people of the Church watched vigilantly. They always were since Viers had been sighted. Behind the scenes and not recorded, Viers created his own CIA. Sakuya and Zerrigan, along with their underlings, would keep the officials under surveillance, maintain public order, and spy on the neighboring kingdoms. For now, their immediate task was to root out every underground organization in the kingdom so Viers could install his own. There would always be people drawn to the underworld. Eliminating them completely was impossible as new ones would take their place. But with this, Viers would rule above and below the law in Viridis. *** Four years had passed. Viridis Kingdom was thriving. It was the fastest-growing kingdom on the continent. Immigrants flocked to Viridis from all over to better their future. The first reason for the kingdom¡¯s prosperity was its might. Their human army was still small, consisting of low Level Pathseeker recruited from the populace, but not so for their Tyra Xerg army. No one could truly grasp their number. However, their true martial potential lay in the king and his close aides. Their might brought stability. After a few disastrous invasion attempts from neighboring countries that ended up with a complete wipe, none dared to eye Viridis¡¯ territory with hostile intentions. Monster tides, demonic outbreaks, natural disasters, mad Pathseekers, and so on were kept at bay by the king¡¯s might. People were safe and their lives were getting better each year. Thus they loved the one who provided it to them. Of course they knew, Viers crammed it into their throat and stuffed it into their ears. Massive propaganda campaign. Ah how effective, Viers was amused. So this is why leaders always use them. Viridis was happy, similarly, Viers was living a good life. He kept training every day, improving his already immense strength but he also enjoyed life. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°I¡¯ve decided¡­ With the brilliant yet refreshing taste that lingers on the tongue, making you always want one more spoon, I declare that Chef Howard¡¯s Five Jewel Tofu is this year¡¯s winner!¡± Viers¡¯ verdict was accompanied by a cheering audience. Chef Howard was all smiles, congratulated by the other chefs. In his first year of reign, Viers created a food festival. The winner would receive a massive amount of wealth, lofty status, and great privileges. This resulted in Viridis'' food industry renaissance, becoming better and better. The food Olympics commenced every year and Viers was the head judge. The winner¡¯s dish would become Viridis'' national food that year. Part of the reason Viers was doing this was that he simply wanted to eat delicious food. After his kingly duties of eating lavish food, the sunlight was fading. It was time for his other duties of no less importance. Viers went to the royal harem, where there were a hundred ladies living there. ¡°I want something just like this~¡± Viers hummed a happy tune. When the sun came out, Viers was having a glass of brandy on the balcony. He was just wearing a sleeping robe that showed his broad chest and six-pack abs. Behind him, there were two women still sleeping on the bed, they were the former queen and princess who had now hopelessly fallen in love with Viers'' manliness. Looking at the capital while the morning breeze was blowing, Viers had an idea. I want to try conquering the world. A royal missive reached the hand of all important officials of Viridis Kingdom. The king had summoned them to the capital. Flying carriages and mounts arrived in the airport in droves and the main entrance to the city saw the arrival of VIPs. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Viers said to them in the palace. ¡°It¡¯s time to unite the world under a single banner.¡± ¡°By your will. Which country first?¡± Farley replied without looking surprised. ¡°The Swarm is ready, Overlord¡± Zerrigan said in her human form. The response by the other ministers was also positive. Viers had already gained their utmost respect. ¡°Before that, we must address an issue. If we go to war, the Church will intervene. They are already wary of you, Your Majesty,¡± Paina flipped the documents in her hand. ¡°Heh. If they want to come then come. I¡¯m not afraid of them. We are not afraid of them.¡± Viers gained many nods of similar sentiments from the others in the council. Under Viers¡¯ command, Viridis was on a war footing. *** A palace was in clamor, its foundations shaking, and sounds of battle could be heard from the inside. In one of many battles taking place, Viers had defeated the other monarch. The invasion was done lightning quick, after getting past the border, Viers and his elites aimed directly at the heart. ¡°You devil¡­ Thousands lost their lives because of your ambition. History will remember you for this atrocity!¡± The defeated king reviled Viers. To which, Viers answered calmly. ¡°Kill a man, and you are a murderer. Kill ten, and you are a serial killer. Kill a thousand, and you are a war hero. Kill millions of men, and you are a conqueror. Kill everyone¡­ and you are a god.¡± The king¡¯s eyes became wider with every sentence uttered. ¡°...Devil! You¡¯re a devil! You don''t belong here. Go back to Hell. The people of this country will never accept you as their ruler.¡± ¡°Never is a strong word,¡± Viers chuckled. ¡°Mobs'' memories are short. Agree to disagree. Not that you¡¯ll be there to see it. Buh-bye.¡± Another soul populated Viers¡¯ soul prison. ¡°Viers-sama, the city is ours,¡± Sakuya appeared behind him and spoke with one knee touching the ground. ¡°Zerri and Boram have engaged others who tried to intervene. A very agitated messenger from the Church came to the headquarters asking for an audience with you.¡± ¡°Mmm. What about our plan?¡± ¡°Sir. I brought a message from Farley. The evidence has been planted.¡± It was about the king who was actually a devil-worshiping lunatic that tried to revive a demon god. Viers acted so the good folk would not be sacrificed in a blood ritual. ¡°Hehehe. Good. For now, Viridis are the allies of justice. Let''s meet the Churchman. Hope he is reasonable and likes the excuse. I don''t wish to kill a messenger.¡± *** The flames of war raged as Viers brought one nation after another to heel. His banner went from victory to victory. The territory of Viridis Kingdom swelled. It was now triple its original size. The people of Viridis began to call Viers, the Great. The other nations banded together to resist the tide of conquest. The Church did not openly participate in the war but gave support to the alliance while condemning King Viers¡¯ warmongering. ¡°The great conqueror King Viers in my tent.¡± The supreme commander of the Alliance was a man with a robust body. He haughtily scoffed. ¡°Come to save your lost pet, have you? I¡¯ll at least hear your terms before refusing. Make it interesting.¡± The other Alliance officers were making smug faces. Viers'' campaign had gone on for years and the theater of war expanded. While his forces were strong and Viers himself was undefeatable, not every push Viers made was successful. Such was war. After getting surrounded by a vastly superior force, Boram¡¯s army was routed and the man himself was hounded into a mythical mountain. Boram was the Fist of Viers; if the Alliance could kill him, it would shatter Viers¡¯ myth of invincibility. Before the Alliance stormed the mountain, something unexpected happened. Viers personally visited them under the truce banner. Alone in the middle of the enemy army, Viers was not worried one bit. He knew his capabilities and theirs. ¡°I don''t think you understand. I didn''t come to rescue Boram from you. I came here to rescue you from him.¡± There was a silence of shock before the gallery broke into a clamor. For the commander, the insult was too much. ¡°I¡¯ll send him back to you in little boxes.¡± With a low voice, he threatened Viers. ¡°Look forward to it.¡± Viers simply smiled. "You don''t seem to want to accept the fact that you''re dealing with an expert in everything warfare, with a man who''s the best! With hammers, with Artes, with his bare hands! A man who''s been trained to ignore pain! To ignore weather! To live off the land! To eat things that would make a billy goat puke! In Thousand Abyss, his job was to dispose of enemy personnel... to kill, period! Win by attrition... Well, Boram was THE BEST!" He turned to leave the tent. ¡°God didn¡¯t make Boram. I made him¡­ Gents, do your worst.¡± Six days later, Boram met Viers again, with the bloodied helmet of the commander as a gift. The tales of what Boram did were immortalized into a movie back in Viridis. Chapter 288 - Saga’s End Viers spent the next decade living like Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great. He went from battlefield to battlefield, laying waste to armies and subduing cities. One day, Viers went to a new recruit training ground on a whim, giving them training personally. ¡°See the stationary man-sized shooting dummies ten meters in front of you? Anyone who can''t hit them with their muskets will be used as target practice!¡± Evil Overlord List was Viers¡¯ bible, now more than ever. The patriotic new recruits shot and the result was satisfactory. Viers wondered if it was because they didn''t wear white helmets. ¡°Good. Stick through my training and I¡¯ll make a man out of you.¡± ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ll be the manliest of them all¡­ sir.¡± A young recruit was too eager. ¡°Good. Manliness in man is good,¡± Viers nodded. ¡°How can it not, sir?¡± The recruit asked again. ¡°The weird thing is, I know a place where somehow being a man is a bad thing. Masculinity is undesirable, they prefer sissyness. That¡¯s insane in my opinion¡­ Whatever, those woke people don''t matter. Let''s get training.¡± The Raintroopers would then become famous for their sharpshooting. The common saying was: If you see them, they could kill you but they chose not to so it is polite to thank them. *** The Alliance mustered a great host of powerful armies to stop Viers¡¯ horde. It was the final battle. In the field of carnage, Viers was dueling the enemy leader. Soldiers from either side were killing each other all around them. The leader was on a mythical white horse, a champion of his people. Viers was not riding a horse but a horse-like Xerg. Viers named his steed Xel Horsso. The duel was reaching its conclusion. ¡°Fuaaah!!¡± Viers knocked the champion away with a mighty swing. Who defended with the shaft of his poleaxe. ¡°Nuooohh! Not yet!¡± The man tried to retaliate, urging his horse forward. Viers rewarded his tenacity with a deep slash on his flank. ¡°Guhhh¡­¡± The man was reeling from his wounds. ¡°What are you?¡± ¡°Nfufufu,¡± Viers smiled, wider than usual. ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± A glaive was raised. ¡°A Great General of the Heavens.¡± Viers brought his glaive down and cleaved the champion in twain along with his horse. No arrows hit him in the back as Zerrigan kept a vigilant guard. The death of the champion directly led to the loss of the Alliance army¡¯s morale and the Viridis forces led by Viers triumphed spectacularly. *** After the defeat of the Alliance and absorbing its territory, Viers had taken over most of the continent yet there were still other kingdoms. Zerrigan kept spreading the Viridis borders and it was only a matter of time until the world was unified under one name. Viridis Kingdom became Viridis Empire. Life was good for its people, a time of summer and plenty. It was not hard when the empire had its own sun and weather, Faiya and Futon. Dia, the Minister of Sustainability and the Environment, made sure the plants and soil in the empire were healthy, as a result, Viridis fields always have bumper crops. The capital was a marriage between modern and natural architecture. The cities had lots of greenery, making them visually beautiful. Technology was pushed forward by the greatest minds in the royal university, bringing scientific breakthroughs and inventions to the empire. It wasn''t long until Viridis achieved technological superiority over every other nation in the world. The same improvements also happened in other cities throughout Viridis territory, although not as fast as the capital. The prosperous citizens made people of other nationalities look with envy. Immigrants were coming in droves. Even though various countries and lands were now absorbed into the Viridis Empire, Viers didn''t destroy the local cultures. He protected them, even though history had shown that removing the people''s link to the past would make them easier to integrate with the new order. Viers still chose to do so because it benefited him in the long run. The empire was fresh and there were a lot of recently hostile territories. It didn''t need a genius to know it would cause many problems. Viers used law, giving guidelines for people to follow. Citizens were monitored and kept in a tight grip of the law. Artificial Intelligence Ahura Mazda and the Tyra Xerg police force kept the citizens from getting out of line. Viridis was basically a police surveillance state and since he was the one doing it, Viers was fine with that. Viers fully realized he was a dictator wielding absolute authority so he learned from the dictators in history. How to stay in power, and most importantly, how to avoid their fate. Him being the strongest man in the world and almost invincible helped tremendously in achieving success. Years passed, and following the time of war was a time of peace. People were having a good life so they started to get ideas. There was a growing political movement, pushing the idea of democracy. They were led by a young, smart, charismatic, revolutionary. The movement was gaining traction. Viers came down on them like the wrath of god. "Democracy? Democracy. Democracy is not what these people need, hell, it''s not even what they want. People don''t want freedom. They want boundaries and rules¡­ Protection¡­ From invaders, and from themselves. People need a leader who can give them both the support and constraints to keep chaos at bay. You give them that, and they''ll follow. And that''s where I come in." Viers said that to the face of the revolutionary leader. ¡°People have the right to be free!¡± He countered. Tyrant Viers was everything he opposed personified. ¡°Ungrateful bastard¡­ Don''t tell me what to do with MY EMPIRE! If you don''t like it, make your damn own! Take him away!¡± Viers sat forcefully on the throne after standing up to give the sentence. Hmph. A few decades ago, these people were living in mud houses and starving every day. After they have electricity, books, and vaccines they forget who gave them in the first place. Kheh! People¡­ There would always be people who want to change the world order. Viers wouldn''t allow it when he was the world order. ¡°Ahura, crank the propaganda to eleven.¡± ¡°Acknowledged,¡± a mechanical voice replied. *** The river of time flowed ceaselessly and the world was under Viers¡¯ thumb. The superpower of Viridis controlled 90% of the world. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Peace and order were enforced by an invisible overseer. However, it couldn''t be denied that the livelihood of people was better than before in the world-spanning Viridis Empire, where the sun never sets. Viers decided it was time to get his hand on immortality next. ¡°You cannot do this, Viers. It goes against the natural order!¡± Saintess Rose said to Viers as an envoy from the Estellian Church. ¡°It¡¯s just taxes, Rose. Just a different kind. The people agree with it.¡± Viers already announced his plan. Every citizen of the Empire, meaning almost everyone in the world, would give a year of their lifespan once in their lives. Those lifespans would be for Viers and anyone he deemed worthy. How could the people agree with their emperor cutting their lifespan? Because Viers made sure they knew they were safe and lived a good life because of Viers. He gave them protection from monsters, from the cold of winter, giving them healthcare, erasing famine, and so on. The life expectancy of the citizens rose tremendously because of Viers. Viers simply took a year back. Just like taking a blood transfusion. After a healthy dose of a lifetime of propaganda, the man known as Viers was already revered by his people as a budding god. It was at this point the Church could no longer tolerate Viers. It was blasphemy to them. The negotiation broke down and the Church called a Crusade against Viers, naming him an enemy of the world. On the first day of the war, nukes leveled the Holy City of Sephoria, the Estellian Church¡¯s Headquarters. In a Fable about releasing witches, they go from watermill to nuclear weapon in a matter of years using the magic of witches, how could I not achieve the same after decades? Viers watched the mushroom cloud while wearing a stylish aviator. "Mmm. I love the smell of nukes in the morning." If there was any sane person watching him right now, they would have thought Viers was batshit crazy. The Estellian Crusade ended in one day. *** The lifespan of the trillions of people in the world had pushed Viers into immortality. There were no more enemies so he enjoyed life. The entertainment in Viridis had already reached the level of modern Earth¡¯s. It was thanks to Viers promoting education, innovation, art, and creative work. High-quality entertainment sprouted like mushrooms after rain because the government incentivize it heavily. Their uniqueness stemmed from the various cultures in the empire. This was why Viers didn''t destroy the culture of conquered nations, so it would have diversity. And then, while Viers was watching Stranger Beings on Viersflix, the sky split open as legions of angels descended above the Viridis capital. About time. There were only so many ways things would go south at this point. A world-ending disaster, angels and demons, alien invasion, eldritch encroachment, robot army from the future or the past, zombie outbreak, trouble from parallel universes¡­ Viers had plans for every eventuality because he already knew about them. In the Fables with the good-aligned protagonist, demons are usually the threat. As the bad guy, I got the reverse. How fitting. ¡°Abomination, I am Michael. Accept thy judgment.¡± Michael was a gigantic mechanical golden sphere. It kind of looked like a smaller version of Death Star. He had hundreds of smaller mechanical wings on his body. Only a few angels had a complete humanoid form. Most had bizarre designs. Beh. Bayonnetta rip-offs. Despite the angels emitting power above his own and far more numerous, Viers did not fear. ¡°Lord Viers. We await your command.¡± Paina, Farley, Clarissa, Boram and the others, Viers'' inner circle awaited his command. ¡°Alright gang. It''s been a long time. Let''s have an adventure.¡± *** The world was free of its tyrant, the angels had cast down the abomination from his throne. Legend was, in the Viridis Great War, the Great Heretic and his allies, mostly women in his harem, were sent to Hell by the angels. The name of God Emperor Viers was starting to fade from memory as the unstoppable force of time moved forward. One day, unbeknownst to the mortals, dark clouds covered the First Heaven. A man walked out from the darkness, seeing the angels behind the heavenly walls. The man¡¯s aura was powerful beyond measure. ¡°Even in the heart of Heaven, angels can still feel fear.¡± ¡°Abomination, leave at once! You do not belong here!¡± Michael the golden sphere sent a beam of fire at Viers but he was fine. He even reflected the fire back at Michael, knocking the mountain-sized shiny golden sphere away. ¡°This place is in dire need of new management. Farley, sound the horn of Judgement Day.¡± The sound of the horn resounded in all the realms. Behind Viers, armies of the Nine Hells walked out from the dark smoke, the full might of Hell was arrayed behind him. ¡°Viers, we are ready.¡± ¡°Lead the charge. We¡¯ll follow.¡± ¡°Kakaka! How fun!¡± The devils who were clearly different from the rest stood by Viers¡¯ side. One female and two males. Yasterah, Teorph, and lastly, Dumuzin. The Seven Demon Gods were always warring with each other. In his conquest of the Nine Hells, Viers allied with some and cast down the uncooperative ones. Viers raised his hand. ¡°Charge!!!¡± There was an upheaval in Heaven, fires raining down on the mortal world below. A concerto of fire and blood went on for months. At the Ninth Heaven, Viers met with light having the vague resemblance of a woman. Her form was too bright to look at. ¡°Prime Evil Viers, Apex of Humanity, Death King of Viridis, Conqueror of the Mortal Realm, Lord of the Nine Hells, Persona of the Seven Sins¡­ Have you come to Heaven to add it to the list of your conquests?¡± ¡°I also come for you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Let''s have a chat, Goddess of Creation,¡± Viers said in a relaxed manner, as if he didn''t have anything to do with the greatest war since the Twilight of the Gods. ¡°We have lots to talk about. If we must tussle for a couple of days before you¡¯re in a talking mood, I¡¯m game.¡± After the seventh day. The ruler of Heaven changed. *** Viers did not attend the victory celebration and went to the mortal world instead, to the ruined capital of Viridis. He just watched in silence until some people approached him. ¡°Lord Viers, we have come per your summons,¡± Farley respectfully said. She and all of the Viers¡¯ inner circle had come. There was Clarissa, Paina, Boram, Sakuya, Izabella, Dia, Faiya, Futon, Luca, and many other people that he met throughout the long journey. ¡°Spare me the stifling formal talk. Let''s go back to the good old times¡­ I have something to talk about with each of you, privately. Clarissa, first you.¡± The others give them space. Not that they needed to because Viers brought Clarissa to a separate space and time. ¡°So, what do you want to talk about?¡± Clarissa asked. Viers stayed silent and looked at her face for a long time. ¡°Viers?¡± Viers gave her a hug. ¡°...You have followed me, to the end of the world, to the Ninth Hell and the Ninth Heaven. Nothing in this universe can change that. Transitory and illusive all might be¡­ I¡¯ll never forget you. Until the very end.¡± ¡°Viers¡­ What''s wrong?¡± Clarissa was confused. ¡°Do you not have everything that you wished for?¡± ¡°That is why, it must come to an end. But before that, I wish to have a moment only for us.¡± As he did to Clarissa, Viers said his goodbyes to the others, one at a time. Each of his words weighed a thousand memories. Finally, when all was said and done, Viers was alone. ...It is time. There was a sound. The sound was like a tune of the soul. As it spread, reality shuddered. ¡°All right. Come on¡­ Come on!¡± Viers¡¯ aura pulsed and tattoo-like markings appeared a few inches above his skin all over his face and body. ¡°I am¡­ right here!¡± The earth and sky quake intensified. Viers'' consciousness spread out from the world to the dark beyond. And someone answered. ¡°I have found you!¡± A gigantic shadow with three glowing yellow eyes emerged from behind Viers and embraced him with both of its hands. The size of the hand was as tall as him. Viers smiled. ¡°SKEEEEEEEIIITH!!!¡± Viers transformed into a white-horned humanoid, the horns resembled a crown. His limbs were long while his torso was unnaturally slim. He had a floating green cape on his shoulders. The cape was not of cloth, but of hard light with cyber patterns. There were lines on his body with the same green color flowing. Viers'' transformation was like no other, it was bizarrely futuristic. When he transformed, the earth and sky of the ruins of Viridis changed into one of data. It was like a hole was made in a computer world. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, partner,¡± Viers said. ¡°Glad I found you, partner,¡± Ars¨¨ne spoke from inside him. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s going on? ¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ars¨¨ne hesitated. ¡°What happened inside? Are you really Viers?¡± ¡°Yes and no,¡± Viers said. ¡°However, that doesn''t matter right now. What matters is beating that soul malware.¡± ¡°...Agreed. We¡¯ll talk later,¡± Ars¨¨ne said. ¡°This form-¡± ¡°More perfect than the one we made before, right? I had centuries to tinker with it.¡± ¡°The Arte¡¯s name?¡± Ars¨¨ne asked. ¡°Cyber Soul Shift: Ars Skeith,¡± Viers replied with a hint of pride. ¡°Marvelous. Let¡¯s go beat that bastard.¡± ¡°No shit. We¡¯re gonna PK him so thoroughly that not even a mite of data will remain!¡± Ars Skeith flew straight to the sky. Reality broke in his wake, turning everything into a digital landscape. Chapter 289 As a soul Pathseeker, Viers had no doubt that one day, he would have battles inside his soul. He had seen many examples of it in the many Fables in his mind. Ordinary Pathseekers would have trouble forming a battle representative inside the soul yet it was not so for Viers. But why stop there? Instead of battling using his human form, why not do so in a stronger form? Thus began the development of Cyber Soul Shift Arte. This Arte had multiple forms and Ars Skeith was one of them. The design took heavy inspiration from Hack G.U.¡¯s Avatar with a more machine look to mesh well with the digital sea environment of his soul. That Ars Skeith was now piercing the sky like a supersonic bullet. ¡°I feel the need-¡± Viers suddenly said. Even in mindspeak, Ars¨¨ne heard the sound muffled as if it was told at high velocity. ¡°-The need for speed! HA! Are we at Mach 10 yet?¡± Ars¨¨ne knew that reference. ¡°Just about!¡± Viers'' Ars Skeith form broke space as he flew. Panes of shattered spaces were falling behind his wake. The sky became not the sky. He was like a knife ripping the fabric of reality. ¡°Don''t go over, a''right? I don''t fancy becoming a fireball before we fight the big boss,¡± Ars¨¨ne¡¯s voice was mixed with a small chuckle. Naturally, Viers sped up even further. ¡°Mavericks live dangerously!¡± That being said, Viers and Ars¨¨ne did not burst into flames. The combined form of the two broke layers upon layers until they had broken through. Viers slowed his speed until he came to a still, crossing his arms as he floated in the sea. Not a sea of water but of data, though it felt and looked like water. The surroundings were as clear as they could be. Currents of zeros and ones appeared and disappeared like Matrix lines. The illumination came not from sunlight above but from glowing ¡®branches¡¯ that spread all over the place. The branches looked like the map of the internet that he had seen in the past. Every soul was different. The reason Viers¡¯ looked like this was because he was a man from the information age before his reincarnation into this world. It resulted in this sort of soul scenery. However, the soul sea didn''t seem peaceful or healthy. There were large areas that seemed to be embroiled with red underwater typhoons and storms. ¡°It''s closing,¡± Ars¨¨ne commented about the breach they made. Now the two -kind of- people in one body were alone in the digital soul sea. ¡°Given time, that place will deconstruct by itself. Don''t worry,¡± Viers said while observing his surroundings. ¡°Hmm. It seems he''s not waking up, as I feared.¡± ¡°Yes. In the real world, Viers has not awakened,¡± Arsene said to the other consciousness. ¡°The soul is also in sleep mode. Until you called, I was also in slumber. So who are you?¡± ¡°We''re on the same side so keep that finger away from the self-destruct button. Sheesh, we are so paranoid... We got out of there so we''re in no immediate danger. A little explanation is in order. As you know, the enemy is a powerful soul user. Like you, I''m not clear on the situation outside after we passed out. We¡¯re still alive at least¡­ but that guy left something on our soul. A soul parasite or virus. I believe it''s in the deeper strata. That thing is the cause of all this.¡± Ars¨¨ne grunted in acknowledgment. ¡°Now Mr. X-¡± Viers called Georgi that since he didn''t know his name. ¡°-is a skillful soul user. His method is quite ingenious. The parasite forces the soul into a helpless state, depowering soul defenses in the process so it can be easy pickings. The way it does that is by creating a dream world.¡± ¡°...So you are not Viers'' split soul,¡± Arsene analyzed. ¡°The true Viers'' soul was already sleeping at that point... and you are a being that comes from the dream.¡± ¡°Correct. The dream is like those samsara things. Inside, you got all you wish for so you don''t want to wake up, the usual works. But it still uses Viers as the template. During the long dream, I, Viers¡¯ dream construct, gained realization that the world is not real and broke out. That is why I am Viers and not Viers... To differentiate, call me Dream Viers from now on.¡± ¡°You realized the world is not real,¡± Arsene snorted. ¡°It''s like one of those xianxia plots or the Matrix. Absurd. How do you even realize it, man?¡± "Our paranoia helped," Dream Viers chuckled. "And I had a lot of time to realize that bit by bit. Then there''s the Estelle of that world too. Time was sketchy in the dream but I believe I''m at least 500 years old." "Old Viers is a more fitting name then... 5 centuries you say? So the Horizon..." Arsene''s voice was filled with greed. "Over 9000!" Dream Viers smugly said. "Plus a couple of zeroes." "Dayuuum... Mr. X is so screwed now. Once you sync memories with the real Viers, oh, just think of the possibilities!" Ars¨¨ne was imagining crushing Mr. X like an ant with that kind of Horizon boost. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "...Let''s not get ahead of ourselves. The malware that wormed its way into our software comes first," Dream Viers said. "Righto. The anti-virus is here. Malware beware." Ars Skeith flew deeper into the soul sea. His hard light cape didn''t flutter from the movement. Because Dream Viers was a dream construct, he couldn''t have existed outside of the dream realm that the parasite created. It was Ars¨¨ne who gave Dream Viers the body and ability to traverse the digital soul sea as Ars Skeith. ¡°The White Flowers Meadow is around here somewhere,¡± Dream Viers said after a while of traveling. He slowed a bit to check. ¡°It¡¯s empty except for Farley¡¯s sleeping sister. The girls must be outside. Fighting.¡± ¡°...Let''s hope they come through,¡± Ars¨¨ne sighed. All versions of Viers didn''t like to depend on others when the matter involved his life but sometimes, he had no choice but to do that. ¡°So, Dream, what did you do with your life?¡± ¡°After I become the strongest, I ate, slept, and fucked, of the highest quality every day. Played real-life Civilization and had fun. I conquered the world, Hell, and Heaven in that order. Finally, I achieve eternal life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s like the ending of every power fantasy story out there. Sooo¡­ ¡®fuck¡¯. How many?¡± Ars¨¨ne was curious. ¡°The women? Hundred, thousands, I lost count.¡± ¡°A harem then¡­ So it really comes to that.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just a dream. It¡¯s not real. Any of it. You can¡¯t put someone guilty just because he¡¯s daydreaming it,¡± Dream Viers grinned. ¡°Who knows if it will be the same for the real Viers.¡± ¡°Riiiiight,¡± Ars¨¨ne sneered. ¡°No doubt A Very Cliche Xianxia Harem Story¡­ So, was it fun?¡± ¡°...The best,¡± Dream Viers said with a voice of longing. He¡¯d left all of those behind for good to come here. ¡°...On behalf of Viers, I thank you for making the sacrifice,¡± Ars¨¨ne said after sensing the weight behind Dream Viers¡¯ words. ¡°Don''t be. I¡¯ve lived a full life. Now it¡¯s your guys¡¯ turn. Besides, you would have done the same in my place.¡± ¡°Heh¡­ All we Viers¡¯ are lunatics,¡± Ars¨¨ne agreed. ¡°Focus now,¡± Dream Viers said as they entered the more turbulent red storm. ¡°We¡¯re close.¡± ¡°Go! Let¡¯s kick its ass!¡± ¡°Don''t underestimate the parasite. I stayed in the dream decades more than I had to so I could grind Horizon.¡± ¡°Sorry. I just want payback,¡± Ars¨¨ne grunted. ¡°And we will. Just got to be smart while doing it.¡± Beyond the red storm, the two in one body saw the form of the parasite. An orb surrounded by red gasses¡­ and it was big, as big as the moon. Rather than an orb, calling it a planet would be more accurate. In the digital landscape, this thing alone looked out of place. ¡°Bigger than I thought,¡± Dream Viers said. ¡°Look. It is corroding the surroundings.¡± As Ars¨¨ne pointed out, large areas of the soul sea were already turned red, as if dyed with blood. Before long, the red planet showed change. The red clouds around it began to swirl furiously, turning into a chaotic red vortex. With a defeating roar, a serpentine head emerged. And then another, until there were seven humongous heads. ¡°Let''s call it Para-Hydra,¡± Ars¨¨ne said. ¡°Parasite and hydra.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± The hydra heads were made of the same structure as the red vortex planet. There were no eyes or even a nose on the heads, only a mouth lined with menacing red teeth. The Para-Hydra seemed to have sensed the threat that Ars Skeith posed. Each hydra head opened wide and things spewed out. ¡°Now it spewed out¡­ anemones? The disgusting kind too,¡± Ars¨¨ne wanted to blech. ¡°Still, does this remind you of something, partner?¡± ¡°G.U.¡¯s Cubia. What a coincidence,¡± Ars Skeith extended his hand to the side and a green scythe appeared. His three yellow eyes glowed brighter. ¡°This ends now.¡± ¡°A scythe? You sure know how to use it, partner?¡± Ars¨¨ne asked. ¡°500 years made me a weapon master of all kinds,¡± Dream Viers said as Ars Skeith twirled the scythe with deadly precision. Ars¨¨ne formed the body while Dream Viers controlled it. The number of anemones began to blot out the vision of the planet-like main body. That was how numerous they were. The first move was something unexpected, seven bursts from the hydra mouths. Dream Viers couldn''t see them because the anemones obstructed his line of sight. He immediately moved to evade. His speed in this soul plane was swift because the terrain advantage was his but it also applied to his enemy. He evaded the main attacks but next came the smaller projectiles from the holes in the Para-Hydra vortex body. It was like millions of homing red laser beams. Dream Viers flew like a fighter jet in a dogfight but his opponents were in the millions. The anemones also didn''t stand still and swarmed Ars Keith from all directions. The attacks from the Para-Hydra seemed to not affect them, even though friendly fire should have occurred, they passed by the anemones as if they were smoke. Each swing of Ars Skeith¡¯s scythe created a plasma arc that killed hundreds if not thousands of the anemones and he swung like he was madly dancing, but it didn''t seem to make a dent in the anemones¡¯ number. Inevitably, he was caught. A lucky shot almost hit him. Even though he defended using a shield, the knockback pushed him into the embrace of the anemone swarm. The anemones were specialized soul killers. They were Georgi¡¯s creation, the strongest soul Pathseeker alive. In this battlefield where only a soul could fight, employing soul-destroying methods was the logical course of action. Sure enough, even the Cyber Soul Shift Arte was a soul-based Arte and thus, the anemones were very effective against it. Like leeches, the flying anemones would suck every soul essence they latched on and turn their target into a husk. The Para-Hydra along with its seven heads watched the scene of feeding frenzy while letting out low growls. Something changed. The anemones turned sluggish and fell down one by one before disintegrating. The swarm released their grip on their own, revealing Ars Skeith in a crossed-arms pose. Behind him, seven swords of light were floating like a halo. Green light with sparkling white motes was spreading. Anemones that touched the green light died. ¡°It appears my absorption force is stronger than yours.¡± Dream Viers'' chosen method of combating the anemones was simple. The anemones themself were soul constructs. He absorbed their soul essence first before they could drain him. The Para-Hydra''s heads loudly roared in anger. Dream Viers flew straight into the moon-sized Para-Hydra, killing clusters of anemones simply by passing by. He raised his scythe; all the soul essence he absorbed, went into the weapon, coating it with powerful energy. ¡°BRING ME THANOS!¡± A planet-rending slash was unleashed. - - Chapter 289 - Avenger Chapter 290 - Battle for the Soul Ars Skeith -a merger of Dream Viers and Ars¨¨ne- was evading the barrage of energy blasts from the Para-Hydra with the skill of an ace pilot. The attacks contained a significant amount of power behind them, however¡­ ¡°It doesn''t matter how powerful you are if you can''t hit me!¡± He wasn''t like the Red Comet but a white one. His previous slash had made a gash on the Para-Hydra massive body and he was aiming for that. He knew the Para-Hydra was just an outer shell. The true fight was inside. ¡°Graaaaahh!¡± One of the heads let out a roar that resembled a T-Rex¡¯s and barred Skeith¡¯s path with its serpentine neck. In response, Skeith moved the seven swords behind him to the front. They arranged themselves in a cone shape. ¡°A wall of flesh? How banal¡­ My drill is the drill that will pierce the heavens!¡± The seven swords rotated with high speed, piercing straight into one of the heads. The sound of flesh being drilled was incredibly savage. Yet somewhat satisfying. It didn''t take long until the head was severed, the other six heads were letting out roars of pain. The wall of flesh was unable to block Skeith¡¯s path and he entered the Para-Hydra¡¯s main body which was as gigantic as the moon. ¡°Fuu¡­¡± Dream Viers exhaled. ¡°Two consecutive quotes from robot animes. They came naturally while I took this form.¡± ¡°In a way, we are piloting a giant robot. Well, you are. I¡¯m the robot¡¯s speaking computer¡­ So, where are we?¡± Ars¨¨ne replied. The inside of the Para-Hydra was pitch black. What little light remained from the outside was getting dimmer as the opening closed. The seven swords of light were back to floating behind Skeith like a halo of swords. ¡°I expected the innards-of-a-giant level design. With tentacles and blood vessels and stuff to go with the parasite theme,¡± Ars¨¨ne commented. ¡°Welco-¡± A voice resounded in the dark. Skeith immediately pinpointed the almost imperceivable anomaly in the dark and threw his scythe in that direction. The voice was interrupted along with the sound of the scythe hitting something metallic. It probably wasn''t a clean hit, or Mr. X put up his defense in time. ¡°So uncivilized. Is there no room for a conversation like civilized men before we try to destroy each other?¡± The parasite spoke with its main body, Georgi¡¯s voice. ¡°Not in the mood,¡± Skeith grabbed the scythe that was flying back midair. His three yellow eyes scanned his surroundings but he could no longer detect the location of the enemy in the dark. ¡°I applaud you for escaping from my Dream of Pacifying Soul. You¡¯re the sixth person to achieve that. Yet the other five were incapable of interfering. I wonder how¡­ I see. The soul automaton. The one that serves as the boy¡¯s double in the Magitek Wonder. The combination of the dream construct and the automaton is what stands before me. Bravo.¡± Georgi¡¯s background easily determined the nature of his enemy. ¡°It truly is one miracle after another¡­¡± the parasite continued. ¡°But this is the end of the road for you. My victory is an unquestionable fact.¡± A face emerged from the darkest dark. A human head without a body. There was nothing from the neck down. The head was gigantic, bigger than Ars Skeith¡¯s whole body although it was far smaller compared to the moon-sized Para-Hydra. Georgi¡¯s head had two burning white flames in the shape of horns on his head. The head seemed to be surrounded by a swirling black hole. ¡°The boy¡¯s true soul will be mine,¡± Georgi said with a voice that rattled the soul. Ars Skeith made a fighting stance. Dream Viers and Ars¨¨ne knew that if they were defeated, Viers¡¯ soul would fall into Mr. X¡¯s complete control. When that happened, it would be game over. Defeat was not an option. ¡°Not if anything to say about it I have,¡± Skeith replied in a sage-like voice but it hid a fierce fighting spirit underneath. Might not be the best quote since Yoda lost in the end but it was damn badass. Georgi began with a stream of fire from his mouth. As someone with lots of experience fighting monstrous opponents in video games, it was a really predictable attack for Skeith and he dodged it successfully. He dashed forward, accelerating almost to the speed of sound. To Skeith, fighting a larger opponent was no big deal; they only made themselves a bigger target. Before Skeith was close enough to make the head feel the bite of his scythe, his senses informed him of sudden danger. He followed his instincts and changed direction. His previous position seemed to be enveloped in a vicious red vortex. Judging from the energy, he didn''t want to get hit by it. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Incoming behind!¡± Ars¨¨ne warned. It was the stream of fire that Georgi spat out earlier. It homed at Skeith like a tracking missile. Not only that, after spewing fire, Georgi blew ice next from his mouth. Skeith was pincered between fire from behind and ice from the front. Dream Viers acted simultaneously with the warning. The ring of light swords acted as a shield, defending against the fire attack while he blocked the ice attack. The swords of light were Dream Viers¡¯ deadly weapons that he spent years in the Dream World painstakingly making, controllable with a thought. They were powerful and versatile; thinking of them as mere visual adornment was a huge error. How cool they looked was only a bonus. Gundam¡¯s Funnel-type weapons served as the reference material. The mighty mix of fire and ice failed to damage Skeith in the slightest. As soon as he was able, he removed himself from the disadvantageous position and approached Georgi from another angle. A white comet was rising from below¡¯s Georgi¡¯s chin, with the sharp end of a scythe in the forefront. ¡°Naive.¡± ¡°Mu!?¡± Skeith hardly heard Georgi¡¯s admonishment as the unpleasant sound of metal clashing against metal overwhelmed his hearing. The head made a forcefield that repelled the hit. Assuming from the sound, it was the same defensive method that blocked the scythe he threw into the darkness before the battle began. Yet it was still within his prediction. After the first strike, Skeith attacked again. Although the forcefield managed to defend against this too, there was now an X scar on the barrier. Lightning quick, Skeith had already moved far away after the second gash, leaving his scythe embedded in the crackling forcefield. It was not a retreat, but a preparation for an offensive. Turning one hundred and eighty, Skeith charged full speed into the weakened forcefield before it could fully repair itself. ¡°Not that easy!¡± Georgi wisely used the fastest attack at his disposal: two purple lightning bolts came out from both of his eyes, right in a direct collision course with Skeith. With Skeith speeding up in a straight line, it would be as if the lighting bolts'' speed doubled. He would never see it coming, much less evade it. Yet he did, like two knights jousting but on a whole other dimension of speed, the attack only grazed his hard light cape. ¡°Preposterous!¡± ¡°TEXAS SMASH!!¡± The fist hit the center of the X. Unable to withstand the impact, the forcefield broke into a million shards. The nose of Georgi turned misshapen as the whole head was sent backward. ¡°Taste my fist, head,¡± the scythe returned to Skeith¡¯s hand as he willed it. While he normally wouldn''t say any reference that might compromise his identity as an otherworlder, it wouldn''t matter if he lost this fight anyway, so Skeith had looser reservations than usual. Skeith didn''t stop to trash-talk his opponent so he was already on a follow-up offensive. This time, he intended to take an eye. Dum. There was a loud beat of a drum and Skeith was blasted away as if hit by an invisible train. ¡°Here¡¯s the change,¡± Georgi replied. There were no obstacles on the battlefield and they were both levitating so it was up to Skeith himself to cancel the inertia. When he did, there was quite some distance between the two. And a few cracks were formed on Skeith¡¯s white body. The opening round was over. The battle''s tempo came to a halt as both sides reevaluated the enemy they faced. Georgi Zhirkov, or more accurately, his split soul that wormed himself into Viers¡¯ soul, was shocked by Skeith¡¯s power. He was a split soul from the Swirling Chaos, an extraordinary Pathseeker even among the already rare Level 5 peak. Although he couldn''t use all of his true self''s capability, his power and means couldn''t be surmounted by a mere Level 3. But the impossible was happening in front of his eyes. He was not like the others on the outside who were weakened by the Popess¡¯ Arte. He was at full strength. So how could this youngster match him in strength? No. That¡¯s wrong. It is because he¡¯s capable of doing this, the Almighty Lord wants him as his toy. Similarly, Dream Viers, the controller of Ars Skeith, got an unpleasant surprise. Before he left the Dream World to do a final battle, he had prepared adequately. In fact, much more than required. Although he had fought countless battles of life and death with god-like beings, it was all, ultimately, a dream where he would eventually succeed. His success was preordained. Dream Viers realized this therefore he cranked his Horizon boost to compensate. Georgi using a dream world to trap Viers was a strategic mistake on his part since Viers had a way to transform experience into strength but he couldn''t be held accountable. After all, Viers guarded the details of his Horizon with utmost secrecy, not even Paina and the others knew how Viers Horizon worked. Simply put, Dream Viers had grinded his levels before the final boss to level 99. He thought the final boss would be easy-peasy at that point because in his experience, the final boss of the main story was usually beatable around level 70-80. But his opponent was Mr. X, whose true identity was the Grandmaster of the Dumuzin Cult, the strongest soul Pathseeker. Level 99 did not guarantee victory. Dream Viers being able to match a Level 5 split soul in battle was an amazing feat but it brought him no joy. As much as he hated to admit it, his victory was not assured. One more thing, the body of Ars Skeith was actually quite brittle. It was because Viers'' soul -the main one- had been horribly injured by Georgi¡¯s main body! Ars Skeith¡¯s max HP was quite low, despite Ars¨¨ne¡¯s best effort. Thus, the cracks on his body after getting hit. Georgi, an adept hand at soul matters, had already arrived at the same conclusion. Ars Skeith had the advantage in power and speed. Georgi had the advantage in attack variety and endurance. If I let down my guard, I¡¯ll lose! Both experienced combatants were aware of each other¡¯s circumstances and thought the same thing. No doubt the battle between two master-class fighters would become more complex in the coming rounds. Chapter 291 A battle between two master-class warriors of equal strength could end in an instant or go on for a long time. Viers, whichever version of him, absolutely preferred the first option. But Ars Skeith¡¯s battle against the parasite version of Georgi, unfortunately, became the latter. In the dark, a white digital-style humanoid was fighting against a big, horned, floating head. Bright colorful Artes of various kinds lit up their fight. There was no day or night in this place but Skeith¡¯ internal clock indicated he had been fighting from dusk till dawn. Fighting Mr. X was difficult. Not only could he use every element, but he also had that sturdy forcefield. After breaking it, he could raise them again after some interval, which meant Skeith had to destroy it again and again to do damage. The head¡¯s repulsion force made Skeith very wary. The deadly invisible swirling vortex attack, the space crush, the spectral hellhound summons, the river of souls vomit, and a hundred more methods¡­ All were really annoying to deal with. ¡°You¡¯re really persistent, boy!¡± Georgi words originated from annoyance. ¡°Even a dog will bite if you try to take its food. And you want to take my soul! You won''t even tell me why!¡± Ars Skeith dodged a blast of sharp icicles in a certain direction, Georgi¡¯s gaze changed, showing a mad sort of confidence. ¡°Your end has come!¡± Skeith was surrounded by uncountable ghostly weapons that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Spears, axes, arrows, polearms, maces, and many more. A deadly cage of certain kill; there was no way of escaping. Skeith let out a sharp tsk for his blunder. Big Head X must have been preparing this for a long time and I didn¡¯t realize it! ¡°Begone!¡± With one command, the weapons began to attack the entrapped Skeith from all directions, even above and below. ¡°I¡¯ve beaten this move before! Hyaaaah!¡± Skeith started a mad dance of slashing everything as fast as he could. Naturally, it was far from enough. Against the barrage of hundreds and thousands, one scythe was hardly sufficient. In the Xemnas fight, Sora had Riku to cover his back but there was no one that could take that role for him. Noctis Lucis Caelum at the height of his power showed him the way. Voooom! The seven swords of light moved to protect him. They orbited him like protective satellites, deflecting the hostile weapons from reaching their maker with their body. A brilliant display! Sparks flew, the ringing of broken metal sounded, shattered remains of weapons scattered. Those that still went through the initial defense were swatted down by Skeith¡¯s mad dance. ¡°How long can you last?¡± Georgi was committing more of his energy in this offensive. As soon as a weapon launched itself at Skeith, a new one took its place. Sometimes more than one, but never less, making the intensity of the barrage increase with time! ¡°Uooooohhh!!¡± Skeith had no leeway for a witty remark. The situation called for his full attention. If he messed up his control on the swords, the ghostly weapons would bring him ¡®death by a million cuts¡¯ in the truest sense of the phrase. No matter how grand the scene might be, neither side could last forever. And the one who lost his energy first¡­ was Skeith. ¡°Gwuagh!¡± But his next move was to charge straight at the head! While Skeith lost the contest and suffered scaring damage, he had expended enough of Georgi¡¯s energy to prevent the technique from being lethal. After using a big move, an opening would reveal itself. That was what Skeith was aiming for. ¡°What!?¡± ¡°Rrruuuaaah! ¡®TIS BUT A SCRATCH!!¡± Spears and blades were still stuck to his body and both his legs were severed but Skeith still attacked with undiminished vigor. Correction, the wounds he sustained made his fighting spirit soar higher than before! Like a bat out of Hell, the combination of two versions of Viers closed the distance with Georgi¡¯s big horned head and delivered a gaping wound right on his forehead. While the head was grunting with pain and tried to counter, it was already too late. Skeith had sent one of the swords of light inside the wound. Their true names were Swords of Ultimate Dream. Through the long dream he was partaking in, Dream Viers created each one from the weight of life he experienced. Their power was without question, for each contained an unbelievable amount of energy. One for every deadly sin of a life unrestrained. ¡°Detonate!¡± ¡°NOOOOO!¡± The big head deformed, bulged, and contracted before exploding in a rainbow-colored fulmination, leaving smoke in its wake. For a short while, there was silence and tranquility. Then an ominous power was rising, putting heavy pressure on Skeith who no longer had legs and enemy weapons still puncturing his body. ¡°Not since Sallustia has anyone pushed me to this degree¡­ You may take pride as you witness my-¡± Six streaks of light! ¡°Arrrgh!¡± Before Georgi sounded a word, Skeith had already willed the swords to attack. Attack what? The final boss who was in the middle of the third and final transformation, of course. Three transformations! Final bosses having three transformations was a well-known matter for a clich¨¦ savant like Viers and he simply wasn''t a good enough person to let the enemy complete their transformation in peace, no matter how epic the end result would be. The Para-Hydra was the first form and the big head was the second form. Viers had always been wary of the third form. Without the reality-bending power of cutscenes, final bosses certainly were not immune to damage. When the visuals cleared, there was Georgi, no longer a grotesque big head but the normal human version of him. Six swords pinned his body afloat in the darkness; his wounds oozed with soul essence and he coughed painfully. Skeith was pierced too, but the quality of weapons was far different. Skeith didn''t let down his guard in the slightest. It was a small-fry villain mistake to think they had won before the enemy was beheaded and cremated. Skeith dismissed his scythe and brought his two palms together, making an iconic pose. ¡°Ka-¡± Green energy gathered between his hands. ¡°Me-¡± Looking at the energy becoming increasingly brighter as it accumulated, Georgi deduced it would decimate him completely. ¡°Ha-¡± Skeith brought his hands back in a winding-up motion. The green energy was pulsing violently, raging for release. ¡°Me-¡± It was almost complete, Georgi couldn''t remove the Swords of Ultimate Dream in time. ¡°Cease! Or will you sacrifice her too?¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. A figure of a sleeping girl appeared before Georgi. It was Gwen, Farley¡¯s sister who was sleeping inside Viers¡¯ soul during his time in Valkut. Skeith perceived it was not an illusion. He didn''t know how but Mr. X had managed to take Gwen¡¯s soul as a hostage. This move would be a certain win card when used against a golden-hearted hero. ¡°So what?¡± Dream Viers¡¯ killing intent didn''t waver and similarly, Ars¨¨ne didn''t make any attempt to stop him. The energy charging was complete. ¡°DIEEEEEEEE!!!¡± Georgi gasped as the technique created by a bald turtle hermit was coming without mercy. He immediately erected a quintuple barrier as a last-ditch effort. Gwen¡¯s soul was outside of the barrier. The devil cult Grandmaster similarly had no qualms about letting a stranger die. A young soul perished in an instant, without knowing anything or feeling anything. Then the destructive energy clashed with the barrier. Skeith felt a bit of shame. Shouldn''t it be a beam-versus-beam scene for the epic climax? Truly, he was the only cultured person around here. Skeith had paid the entirety of his energy for the finishing blow and the barrier cracked. He hated Mr. X, this stranger Level 5 who came out of nowhere and made a mess of things. Georgi knew his defense wouldn''t hold and grimaced. ¡°I will not die! I cannot! I will surely return!¡± ¡°Just die already, you worm!¡± The light of destruction consumed Georgi entirely. His soul body was disassembled particle by particle with extreme force. ¡°Curse¡­ You!!!¡± The blast of energy went on into the darkness. After a moment, everything turned bright. The darkness was dispelled as the Para-Hydra crumbled and the light of the digital soul returned. Skeith, deathly tired as he was, confirmed Mr. X¡¯s erasure and enacted a rescue operation. He gathered the scattered remains of a particular soul and put them back together piece by piece. It was like watching a surgeon reconstructing a head from pieces of flesh. Thanks to a consummate skill and knowledge of the soul, Gwen¡¯s soul was successfully revived. ¡°...Partner, you can do this?¡± Ars¨¨ne was amazed. ¡°I¡¯ve got practice in the dream world¡­ And this is the inside of Viers¡¯ soul. The rules are a bit looser than outside. The time window was short. I almost didn''t make it in time,¡± Dream Viers breathed exhaustingly. ¡°The operation result, doctor?¡± Ars¨¨ne asked. ¡°...Should be 99% fine. Perhaps a few lost memories. Gwen¡¯s personality shouldn''t be affected.¡± To be clear, Gwen was truly dead before. However, Death was denied his prize and Dream Viers brought her back. ¡°Phew¡­ Guess I don''t have to have a falling out with Farley then,¡± Ars¨¨ne was relieved. He truly didn''t wish for Gwen''s death, as was Dream Viers. They, or more accurately, Viers, simply did what had to be done. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine.¡± Of course, the two of them already decided to never tell Farley or Gwen about this little incident. The digital soul sea turbulence had disappeared and Skeith easily sent Gwen back to the White Flowers Meadow. Then he turned to a red orb. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Mr. X¡¯s boss drop. Curious it didn''t get destroyed during the Kamehameha,¡± Skeith examined it extensively. After he was convinced there was no danger or contamination, he grabbed it with his hand. At the end of a long battle, the two versions of Viers triumphed. They turned off the Cyber Soul Shift Arte and turned back into two people. Ars¨¨ne looked the same as the real Viers but Dream Viers looked a couple of years older and much more handsome. ¡°It''s over¡­¡± Ars¨¨ne sighed. ¡°Our main self should recover in a short while.¡± Dream Viers didn''t answer. He peered into the endless distance of the digital soul sea and then to the red orb in silence. ¡°Partner?¡± Ars¨¨ne asked. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Dream Viers said grimly. ¡°He¡¯s not kidding when he said he¡¯ll not die. He¡¯s like Cell or Buu. He can regenerate if there¡¯s even a single particle of him left. As long as the parasite exists, Viers¡¯ soul will always be in sleep mode.¡± Ars¨¨ne¡¯s eyes turned sharp from the bad news. ¡°The orb?¡± ¡°No,¡± Dream Viers shook his head. ¡°I thought so too at first but this is not it.¡± He tossed it to Ars¨¨ne. ¡°This is the first gain in the battle against Mr. X, right? Perhaps this can recoup some of the losses. Just give it to Viers later. Our only concern is to purge the parasite entirely.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Ars¨¨ne pocketed the orb. ¡°Where do we begin? By the way, if we used Soul Snake¡¯s Disintegration Decree for the finishing blow¡­¡± ¡°Viers¡¯ soul currently can''t handle the burden of that Arte. Besides, it won''t matter. The last remnant of the parasite¡­ is me.¡± Ars¨¨ne didn''t look surprised. ¡°The dream world was created by the parasite¡­ And you''re the Viers that was created from there. Yes, a pretty clich¨¦ development.¡± ¡°Correct. As long as I exist, the true Viers will never regain consciousness.¡± ¡°So you must be erased,¡± Ars¨¨ne said straight to Dream Viers¡¯ face. ¡°Yes,¡± Dream Viers didn''t show any hesitation. ¡°Got it,¡± Ars¨¨ne accepted it. ¡°...Have no fear, partner. Your existence will live on, once we sync our memories-¡± ¡°That¡­ is the conundrum. I¡¯d hoped it was not the case but after the fight with the parasite, I realized if we sync, you¡¯ll be infected too.¡± Only now Ars¨¨ne showed some agitation. ¡°B-but¡­ You, your existence¡­ gone? What about your life, your skill, all of the Horizon you have?¡± ¡°I have many supreme techniques but I can''t risk telling you¡­ It¡¯s no coincidence I¡¯m being vague about my past experience. Even knowledge itself is a taint.¡± Although Ars¨¨ne himself could die and had died twice, his self was preserved in Viers so he never truly went. Viers and his clone relationship were like a Hive Mind. Ars¨¨ne thought Dream Viers could be like him. Even though the origin was different, it was similar enough. But according to him -the more experienced Viers- he had to die without uploading himself to the Viers mainframe. The loss would be immeasurable. ¡°Heheh, look at you,¡± Dream Viers chuckled. ¡°You can kill an innocent girl without hesitation but you can''t kill a dream? I¡¯m not even alive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not true,¡± Ars¨¨ne denied the latter part only. He never thought of himself as ¡®not alive¡¯. It would be denying his own existence. ¡°...You¡¯re right. I misspoke. But it must be done,¡± Dream Viers said with a gentle gaze. It was like the eyes of an old man who had tasted too much of the salt of time. The scenery around them changed, Dream Viers altered the soulspace into something else. They were now at the base of a grand silver-white tree. Its leaves up above appeared slightly pink and rained down upon the two Viers with gentle rays of light. Ars¨¨ne only needed one look to know where they were. ¡°Really? Irmins-¡± ¡°-soul! This is Irminsoul! Don''t mistake it for something else. Dwahahaha-!¡± Dream Viers laughed loudly. ¡°-aha¡­ You and I already know how it goes,¡± Dream Viers looked up to the great tree after laughing. ¡°World¡­ Forget me.¡± Ars¨¨ne¡¯s mouth dropped as he inhaled sharply. ¡°...Did you just pull a Nahida on me?!¡± ¡°The hell are you talking about!¡± Dream Viers rebuked him for real. ¡°How is this,¡± his hands gesture up and down to himself. ¡°Comparable to that girl''s cuteness? Don''t insult her, man.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Look, can we go back to the serious topic for a sec?¡± Ars¨¨ne facepalmed. ¡°Ungrateful junior,¡± Dream Viers jokingly scoffed. ¡°You do realize I¡¯m doing this for your Horizon, right? Anyway, this is where we must part.¡± Dream Viers turned his back on Ars¨¨ne, hands clasped behind his back. ¡°Truthfully, I always meant to sync my memories with you after I got out of the dream world. To give you a life that you never had. Plus, there''s the bonus of my Horizon boost. But it seems, Fate, or some other big guy upstairs, doesn''t want you to become the strongest in one jump. Have no fear. I believe Viers will succeed even without my help¡­ As one that came from a dream, it is only fitting I disappear in the morning.¡± ¡°Partner¡­¡± Ars¨¨ne didn''t know what to say. Dream Viers left his world to help him and the true Viers despite the fact that he must have been happier there. No one asked him to leave. No one forced him to¡­ In the end, he left paradise to answer a higher calling. He achieved victory on the battlefield and his reward was to die? What a sad end¡­ ¡°Don''t be,¡± Dream Viers faced him again. ¡°I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day¡ªand not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.¡± ¡°...Timothy 4:7-8,¡± Ars¨¨ne said in a small voice. ¡°Well, I have lived a pretty evil life so the quote might not be true for me. Perhaps I¡¯ll go to Hell, or there¡¯s no afterlife for me¡­ But know this, partner. I¡¯ve lived a full life¡­ and I have no regrets.¡± The leaves of the great tree rustled. Dream Viers put his hand on Ars¨¨ne¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Look at those branches¡­ We are like them. There¡¯s one thing that no one knows, that we Viers¡¯ will sacrifice ourselves so the main tree will survive. This mentality comes from the tree itself, from the original Viers. If there comes a time when the tree is dying and has to do a reverse, no doubt he¡¯ll sacrifice himself to let the branch grow into a new, stronger tree¡­ This is an edge that other villains do not have. The camaraderie of ''self'', among all of us¡­ That is why we will succeed. Every MC has cheats. Ours are precious, this is true. But this thing that we have¡­ This is our supreme treasure. Remember this, my other self.¡± ¡°...I will,¡± Ars¨¨ne replied. ¡°Then it¡¯s time for me to go.¡± Dream Viers was serene as a slight gust of wind blew, turning him into glowing green leaves that were carried by the wind. ¡°I left a dream of eternity so I may turn that dream into reality. A single moment of glory was enough, for my effort has not been in vain. Now I go to the ultimate unknown¡­ That too is a journey of freedom.¡± The leaves went up and up until they couldn''t be seen. A single leaf fell near Ars¨¨ne and he let it land on his palm. The leaf turned transparent and disappeared, as if it never was. ¡°A magnificent life, partner¡­¡± The rustle of leaves from the great tree seemed to convey agreement. After a moment of silence, Ars¨¨ne widened his feet and slammed the ground with his palm. ¡°Now wake the fuck up, Samurai! We have a world to burn!¡± The whole soulspace quaked, as if a gigantic beast roused from slumber. In the real world, Viers opened his eyes with a gasp. - - Chapter 291 - For Eternity, For Wonders Chapter 292 - Light and Dark Four days had passed since Valkut city suffered the madness of its Governor-King and the Fae Lord. In the ensuing havoc, most of the city had been destroyed and half of its population had perished. What came after the conflict was another kind of battle entirely. In the relief camp, the members of the Silver Legion were hard at work giving aid to their fellows in need. ¡°Rejected,¡± Cardinal Judith said. Despite the cloth covering her blind eyes, her firm expression showed. ¡°But Cardinal, I-¡± ¡°It was not your fault, Unem. What were you thinking, asking to be burned as a heretic?¡± Judith pressed her temple from a migraine and paused for a while. ¡°I cannot disperse the guilt you feel but that is not how you¡¯ll find penance.¡± The Abbess of the Church¡¯s Valkut branch looked like a woman who was about to hang herself. After being freed from years of fae glamour, the deeds she had done under control were crushing her conscience. The blind Cardinal approached the lost woman with a kind clasp to her hands. ¡°Look around you, lots of people can use your help. You can try righting your wrongs one help at a time¡­ What happened to you is a terrible, terrible thing and beyond my power to mend. However, believe me when I say the Radiant Lady¡¯s light never stops shining to show the way.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll try,¡± Unem said, as tears flowed from the edge of her eyes, and excused herself. Judith held her sigh until Unem left. She felt sorry for the poor woman. Unem blamed herself for not being able to notify the Church when this all began around two decades ago. If anything, the blame is mine¡­ Since Cardinal Judith was the head of the Church¡¯s institutions in the Free People Coalition territory, what transpired here was her failure. Her own brother was one of the two chief perpetrators. In fact, before Unem asked her judgment, Judith had said similar things to Popess Sallustia. Although it didn''t involve burning at the stake, it was no less severe. Naturally, Her Holiness refused. Some Cardinal I am¡­ If only I paid closer attention. If only I talked to Alva and made amends. If only- A thousand more ¡®if onlys¡¯¡­ Even the mighty Level 5 Pathseeker wasn''t immune to the woes of human emotion. Judith sighed again. She couldn''t afford to wallow in self-pity, she had too much work on her plate. With the departure of the Governor-King, the residents had lost their safety under the tyrant and the future was uncertain. It was unclear if Valkut territory would remain or be reclaimed by nature and monsters. She had to decide if it was better to help the people relocate or siphon forces from the already strained Silver Legion to rebuild the city. The fae that had crossed from the fae realm had died. Not by the Popess¡¯ Purge Evil. The fae that got struck by the Arte were incapacitated but the reason for their death was the Governor-King Alvared. When he struck Marquess Foulfae, the damage was spread to the lesser fae born in his realm. A tragedy, but the true headache was the matter of the changelings. This breed of fae was spared from the backlash of their patriarch¡¯s wound. People suddenly found out that their children were fae that had consumed their real children and taken their place. The result was chaos. The fae were not inherently malevolent. Without the influence of the greater fae who sought revenge and destruction, fae could be good and kind individuals. However, two decades of intrigues couldn''t be resolved in a matter of days. Sallustia had parlayed with the dragons and quelled the elder dragon¡¯s anger before he sent a raging storm on top of the already destitute city. An impressive feat, Judith thought, considering how much pride their kind had. She wasn''t privy to the details because Radiageus only allowed the Popess to ¡®witness his regal self¡¯ but apparently, a portion of his hoard got stolen, including something very important. The Church offered to help but the dragon found the offer of help itself repulsive. He would search for the thief in his own way, still convinced the fae were behind the theft and wanted to invade their realm. Judith felt that she shouldn''t be glad the mighty but prideful drake went in the other direction and did not add yet more work for her but she was only human. The thought of who was truly responsible and what was taken passed her mind but she didn''t have the luxury to entertain it. Sallustia herself was busy reinforcing the dimensional integrity around Valkut that had become fragile. The sooner the barrier against Level 6 or above monstrosities was repaired, the better. ¡°Instead of loitering in front of the door, please enter. I promise I won''t bite.¡± After hearing Judith¡¯s offer, two youths demurely entered the temporary office. They had been arguing in whispers but the air conveyed the topic to Judith. ¡°Legionary Damon, Legionary Bryan. How may I help you?¡± Judith smiled full of courtesy despite her significantly higher position. ¡°Your Eminence,¡± the two bowed from the waist. ¡°Forgive our intrusion.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°It''s alright. I¡¯m sorry I haven''t had the time to address you and your friends. No doubt you have a lot of confusion brewing in your mind. To what do I owe the pleasure?¡± Damon seemed hesitant but Bryan voiced his request even though it might be rude to ask the Cardinal anything. ¡°Ma¡¯am. I know this is presumptuous but I have to ask. With your mastery over the wind, is it possible to locate a comrade of ours? Legionary Ciel¡­ We got separated because of a dimensional tear. One by one we reconvened here but Ciel¡¯s whereabouts are still unknown. If that is not possible, please allow me to search for her. I know our current duty is assisting the poor folk but I can''t rest without knowing she¡¯s okay. Please!¡± Bryan knelt, sounding desperate. Love drove his actions. *** Far far away but still in the Valkut region, there was another man on his knees. The man seemed to be kneeling at emptiness, for there was nothing before him. However, the man¡¯s right eye burned with a path of black flame. ¡°My Lord Dumuzin, my utmost apologies for my failure!¡± Georgi loudly and strongly smacked his face to the ground, creating spider web cracks on the ground that spread to the cave¡¯s walls. The cave the Grandmaster of Dumuzin cult resided in had been warded with enchantments to Hell and back. ¡°Hahaha! Calm yourself, my faithful. I told you, the slippery eel might give you the slip. His struggle was quite entertaining. As expected of my toy. I put no blame on you.¡± Georgi felt ashamed. Even his insurance, Dream of Pacifying Soul Arte, was thwarted? Damn that boy. Even if the great Dumuzin had plans for the boy, Georgi wanted to strangle him to death for making him look bad in the eyes of the King of Mind and Soul. After the split soul he implanted inside the toy vanished, he didn''t have any more cards to play. His divine mission had failed spectacularly, under the watchful eyes of the deity in question no less. Georgi pondered if death was better than this¡­ colossal humiliation. After hearing Dumuzin¡¯s response inside his head, Georgi lifted his head from the ground. Not even a hair out of order from the faceplant. ¡°The toy is gone¡­ At the very least, please accept this meager offering. This shard contained the information of the boy.¡± ¡°Mmm. Accepted.¡± The information about Viers that Paina, Farley, and Ciel knew, flowed to the God-like Devil. Georgi had subtly soul-searched them during the battle. And none were the wiser. He had tried to soul search the lamia, but her power was too close to his own so he failed. At least, it wasn''t possible to be done without her knowing. Still, from the others Georgi now knew the lamia¡¯s name was Clarissa and she was a spirit from the Age of the Gods. Paina, Farley, and Ciel had no such luck. Even if what they battled was a Level 4 clone who got defeated, Georgi recovered the remains and the information. A lesser prize for a God¡­ Oh, how I failed, Georgi lamented. ¡°Lord, allow me to mobilize the Order. We have his trail. Whether he hides in Regidana or his familiar¡¯s Biome, we can get him. His family, his friends, I can gather them all and force the toy to reveal himself. By my honor and life, this time I will deliver him to you!¡± ¡°Such measures are unnecessary. Hehehe. There¡¯s no need to concern yourself with the boy any longer. Leave him and his allies be of all interference. This is my command.¡± Georgi spoke with his mouth and the voice came out but when Dumuzin spoke into the mind, the blackfire on his right eye flickered. ¡°You have questions. I¡¯ll allow it. Ask.¡± ¡°...Lord. Forgive my audacity but I¡¯m confused. We glimpsed his past through the eyes of another and he¡¯s dangerous. Not of the now but what he could be. This humble one thinks it is unwise to allow a worm that wants to bite you to grow into a dragon.¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯ll become a dragon, alright. A fearsome one at that. Look forward to it.¡± All the more reason to kill him soon! But Dumuzin had commanded him to not kill the boy. This puzzled the old expert. ¡°Lord, please elucidate this humble subject of your intent for the boy.¡± ¡°Suppose you manage to bring the boy to me, I plan to give him infinite power, every forbidden knowledge, all of my soul and mind attainment, and complete infernal enlightenment. Hell, he can have my Hell if he wishes to. Bwahaha!¡± It took a few seconds for Georgi¡¯s mind to process the answer. Basically giving him the power of a god, Georgi thought. But why? As a vessel of Dumuzin reincarnation? Might be for the other six devils but his God never shows any interest in reincarnating into the material world. He didn''t need it. ¡°The boy is an Otherworlder.¡± ¡°Otherworlder¡­¡± Georgi inhaled. ¡°But this one is different. Unlike Estelle''s usual insufferable brats, this one is selfish to the bone.¡± Different? From the record of the Cult that went back nine thousand years, there were plenty of selfish Otherworlders. They didn''t live long. ¡°When he encountered my statue in the past, I managed to sift through his mind. He didn''t have the mind protection he now has at the time but my power was barely a trickle so I could only see very little.¡± Georgi didn''t interrupt the divine sermon from his God. ¡°I found a phrase in his mind. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.¡± ¡°That''s¡­ deep,¡± Georgi said. ¡°I find it interesting. What kind of things would he do if he had absolute power? What delicious chaos would he unleash upon the world if he dictates it?¡± Georgi thought his God was expecting too much of the boy but he banished the blasphemous thought of doubting his God in an instant. ¡°When the opportunity arises, I plan to give him ultimate power. I was content to wait for a few centuries and let things play out naturally but something changed.¡± Georgi waited for the next revelation with open ears. ¡°I recently became able to see the future.¡± ¡°Praise! May your might ever be eternal!¡± Georgi was elated that his God grew in strength. ¡°The River of Fate is famously hard to foresee, even for me and my equals¡­ But no longer! I know with absolute certainty that if I send you to attack him, he will one day become my savior!¡± ¡°How¡­ mysterious,¡± Georgi was amazed. ¡°Indeed. You might think he has gotten away but his fate is set in stone. It is a certainty. The seeds have been sown and now I can use a more direct nudge on him. The stronger he becomes, the better it will be for me. Hehehe¡­¡± The Lord has thought of everything. It is foolish of me to doubt so much. I simply have to have faith. I see now¡­ So that¡¯s why the Lord seized control of my split soul before the defeat and delivered his prophecy to the three girls. He must have a grand agenda. ¡°And no need to fret, I¡¯ll take care of him if he comes for you. You¡¯ve served me well for these long years, it''s time for you to become a Level 6.¡± Georgi''s face smacked the ground again, this time out of reverence. Chapter 293 - Goodbye Valkut Dumuzin was the happiest he had been in two thousand years. The Greater Devil, a being of god-like power on par with the Goddess Estelle, looked no different than an ordinary man. Of course, this was just a form that he chose to wear. Despite the grievous wounds on his body, he looked happy. He was holding a piece of torn paper in his hand. It gleamed with a rainbow hue. ¡°Heheheh¡­ Aurora Scroll.¡± The prize was far above his expectations. Lichzen, Chalchar, Banbenxi, and he were aiming for the suddenly appearing mysterious treasure but he was the winner. The struggle cost him a wound that would take at least 500 years to heal. Dumuzin wondered if he paid too high of a price but it turned out it was a fragment of the legendary scroll that depicted the past, present, and future with absolute accuracy. Any wound compared to that was a cheap trade. Already the scroll proved useful, for showing something he didn''t expect. Who would have thought that a mortal would influence his destiny to this extent? Aurora Scroll was never wrong so Dumuzin didn''t hesitate to push his toy hard. The harder he pushed him, the clearer the future that he desired got. If necessary, now I can nudge his actions in a more direct manner. I hope he likes my gift. Hehehe. Keep getting stronger, my toy. Dumuzin smirked. Estelle¡­ My Estelle¡­ This time I¡¯ll not let go. When the toy storms your precious Heaven, it will fall and you¡¯ll be mine. It is written. ¡°Hehehe¡­ Ahahaha... Wuahahahaha!!¡± To his knowledge, he was the first to lay eyes on the Aurora Scroll since the Twilight of the Gods nine thousand years ago. With the fragment of Aurora Scroll in his hand, Dumuzin felt he was omniscient and omnipotent, a stage that his equal, or anyone, never reached. *** After fighting the Level 4 clone of the hostile soul Pathseeker, Ciel, Farley, and Paina made themselves scarce but the battle took its toll. After Farley, she was next to succumb to exhaustion. When she awoke, Ciel found she was on top of a soft bed of flowers with a relaxing scent. While she was wondering where she was and how long she was unconscious, a green-skinned girl that looked about ten years old entered demurely through the wooden door. ¡°Dia?¡± She¡¯d never seen Dia in this form. She didn''t think the plant sprite was actually a Dryad. Viers¡¯ familiar tried to give her assurance but she was quite awkward at speaking. That she was safe and this was Viers¡¯ territory. Paina and Farley were still out but Viers should be awake soon. In the meantime, the Dryad asked her to recuperate. ¡°Wait!¡± The Dryad was like a nervous child speaking to a stranger and swiftly ran away, leaving Ciel on her own. She moved her body and it hurt everywhere. Staying in bed was probably the wise choice but she wanted to know where she was so she slowly made her way to the door. What she saw made her think she was in paradise. Abundant mana, giant trees, crystalline waters, and fantastical terrain. No, this is a Biome, she corrected herself. But of such high quality¡­ This is Viers¡¯ territory? The mystery surrounding Viers kept becoming greater and greater. As time passed, the illumination cycle of the giant sunflowers on the outside lit and dimmed twice so Ciel thought it must be two days since she had awakened. Ciel only met Dia when she was bringing her food then quickly left despite her effort to make her stay for a while. Why is she scared of me? I¡¯m not scary, am I? Ciel¡¯s feelings were a bit hurt. The food was rich in mana and so was the environment which helped in her recovery. When she had recovered enough, she went outside to explore the Biome for a bit, trying to find Viers and Dia but to no avail, the Dryad''s appearance and disappearance were beyond her. No exit¡­ Guess I¡¯m stuck here in the meantime. It was another two days later that she met Viers. While she was sitting on a big blue mushroom pondering about the gem on her chest, Viers was walking towards her. A bit surprising, considering his limbs were twisted into hideous shapes a few days ago. ¡°Viers Isuel,¡± Ciel said while rising from the mushroom stool. ¡°Ciel Valentine,¡± Viers greeted her back. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you well,¡± she said. ¡°Likewise.¡± ¡°No, I mean even before. In the tower, I thought you were dead.¡± ¡°Ah, well, as you can see, I¡¯m obviously alive,¡± Viers said with a slightly crooked smile. Like someone who was caught doing a prank. So it was by design. What a trickster. Ciel resisted the urge to sigh. It would be unladylike. ¡°Farley, Paina, and Dia had briefed me about what happened. Consider me informed.¡± ¡°Wait, Farley and Paina, they are fine?¡± ¡°Yes. Like us, they have not recovered completely but their life is in no danger.¡± ¡°Thank the Goddess¡­ Don''t you forget someone perhaps? A lamia?¡± To her jab, Viers crooked smile became more crooked. ¡°She-¡± ¡°No, you don''t have to explain. It¡¯s my mistake to pry. You don''t have to explain if you don''t want to. Once again, I thank you for saving my life,¡± Ciel gave a respectful bow. ¡°...Hm? Shouldn''t that be my line?¡± ¡°I put one stone of lifesaving to even the scale, yes, but the scale is still heavier in yours. Not only that, there¡¯s this.¡± She pointed at the crystal on her chest, which she now thought might be a mistake, because she basically invited a male¡¯s gaze on her sensitive area. It was too late to take it back now. The crystal was above the neckline of the clothes but even so¡­ What would her mother be thinking? Ahh, I can feel the heat on my cheeks. Face, stop reddening! ¡°So that cheeky sword went inside you, huh?¡± ¡°I want to return it,¡± Ciel felt a thump of disapproval in her chest. The divine sword didn''t seem to like that idea. ¡°-but I believe the act will kill me if I do. The wound from that Level 5¡­¡± Ciel wanted to give it a name instead of calling it divine sword this and divine sword that but the sword was still Viers¡¯ in her mind. ¡°Mhm¡­ Keep it then.¡± Eh? Ciel was taken aback that Viers so easily relinquished the sword. If Viers insisted on wanting the absolutely precious divine-class item back -as it was his right- she wouldn''t have a good counter. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll¡­ pay it and all my debts back. I swear on my honor.¡± ¡°You can do so now, by keeping what you found out about me a secret from your Church friends, or anyone.¡± Ciel didn''t think Viers would ask that. ¡°That¡¯s-¡± she hesitated. Lying to her friends didn''t sit well with her. ¡°Ms. Valentine, I insist.¡± Seeing his eyes, Ciel knew he would not budge. ¡°...I understand.¡± Ciel and Viers ironed out the details next. Not only did Ciel swear on her Intio, she also agreed with Viers¡¯ soul contract of confidentiality. After seeing the ¡®death¡¯ of Viers in the tower, she certainly didn''t meet a hostile Level 5 and fought side by side with the Paina and Farley against his clone to save Viers. She didn''t visit a secret Biome afterward either. She got flung to a dangerous pocket dimension and got the divine sword there. The lamia or any other secrets of Viers, she would bring to the grave unless Viers gave her permission to share. Viers called in her life debts so Ciel agreed; her sense of justice compelled her to. However, the three boons that she and Rose promised Viers remained, even if Viers said Rose didn''t need to know he was alive. He would reveal himself to her when it was time to meet again. After the scale of favor between them was made more balanced, Ciel felt relieved that the heavy burden on her shoulders lightened significantly. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back tomorrow. It¡¯s been five days since the battle but Rose, Mita and the others should still be around Valkut. As far as I know, they are fine.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Is there anything else?¡± Viers nodded. ¡°Is it true you can pull out a sword from your chest now?¡± ¡°...if I say yes?¡± ¡°Can you show me¡­ Please?¡± Ciel felt uncomfortable from his gaze. It was not the vulgar kind but the glimmering eyes of an eager child. Still disturbing. After satisfying Viers¡¯ request, Ciel spent the day talking about a lot of things with him. She couldn''t remember how long ago she had such a relaxing time. The stress that had accumulated since her arrival in Valkut city was slowly reducing. Made me miss home¡­ I guess¡­ I should drop by. The next day, when she woke from her sleep, she could see Valkut city in the distance. Viers¡­ Ciel made a wry smile and started walking to the city with light steps. *** To think Ciel became Raiden Shogun¡­ Didn''t see that one coming. A sword coming out from a woman¡¯s chest is getting more popular lately. Viers was taken away from the thought by the awakening stirrings of Paina and Farley. He was at the White Flowers Meadow, healing both girls. ¡°How are you feeling,¡± Viers asked. ¡°Not bad. Hey, it grows back,¡± Paina said looking at her hand. It was cut off during the battle with Mr. X¡¯s clone. ¡°Thank you, Lord Viers.¡± Similarly, Farley lost her right eye and it was fine now. A spark of black fire flickered for a microsecond inside Farley¡¯s newly restored eye. Neither Farley herself nor Viers noticed. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Clarissa though¡­¡± Viers sighed. Nearby the three, the lamia princess was in a soul coma. She had been like this since the battle. Faiya was the same in the real world. Futon and Dia were quite worried about their sibling. Faiya had shown signs of recovery but Clarissa didn''t. All his treatment had no effect on the lamia. He had a feeling Clarissa would be in a coma for a long time, possibly years. ¡°Oh, Rissa¡­¡± Paina looked saddened. Farley went to her sister¡¯s sleeping soul, clutching her hand. She was relieved her younger sibling was okay. Not realizing that her sister had experienced something akin to a beheading and then restitched. ¡°We have suffered many losses this time¡­¡± Viers gently touched Clarissa¡¯s hand. The three were silent for some time, each having their own worry. ¡°...It¡¯s time for you to have your bodies back,¡± Viers dropped a bomb as the beginning. ¡°Paina, mind if you give the fetus to Gwen?¡± It was the body-generating item that Izabella gave to him before he went to Valkut. He intended for Paina to use it but it seemed he changed his mind. Paina and Farley looked surprised. ¡°Hear me out. You don''t need it. There¡¯s a perfectly suitable body for you to inhibit already.¡± It took Paina several seconds to arrive at the answer. ¡°Pinaca¡¯s?!¡± ¡°Well, her soul has died. Something to do with the big bad fae, I think, but her body is perfectly preserved by me. It¡¯s a high-spec fae physique perfectly compatible with your soul. Understandable, ''cause you¡¯re meant to get eaten by this fae so she can change into a changeling of you.¡± ¡°B-but-¡± ¡°It is a pure-blood fae body. Although, it shouldn''t have any negative effect on you.¡± Paina looked lost. ¡°Just think about it. During my adventure in the dragon mountain range, I got a body for Farley too,¡± Viers turned to his other tenant. ¡°The dragon threw a fit after I took it.¡± Farley imagined she became a fierce female dragon as big as the one she saw battling the giant moth in the distance and was not sure if she liked it or hated it. ¡°No, not like what I think you¡¯re thinking. You¡¯ll still be human just not completely. Think of it like having a special bloodline.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± Farley asked. ¡°Devawi Swan.¡± ¡°The dragon swan,¡± Paina sharply inhaled. ¡°Said to be one of the most gorgeous monsters.¡± As a deva-class monster, naturally it was a powerful monster. Farley put some serious thought into the offer. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Clarissa until she¡¯s hale but you two and Gwen don''t need to be stuck inside my soulspace. Go out into the world if you want. If the recent ambush from the mysterious Level 5 gives you second thoughts about being with me, I won''t begrudge you for it. Just think about it for now. It¡¯s your future.¡± ¡°Speaking of the future, how about the curse?¡± Paina asked worriedly. ¡°You said you¡¯ll tell us how to break it.¡± ¡°Oh, right. Almost forgot. Listen up. The way to deal with the curse is-¡± Viers naturally had heard of the curse-slash-prophecy of the Level 4 clone to Ciel, Farley, and Paina. Weird that Clarissa and his other selves that also battled Mr. X didn''t get any. When he touched on the same matter with Ciel yesterday, she said she didn''t need help. She said the Church was well-equipped for dealing with curses and Viers didn''t pursue the matter. ¡°-by thinking it doesn''t exist.¡± ¡°Whaaat!?¡± Paina shouted angrily. She was losing her mind thinking about the curse and Viers just told her to ignore it? ¡°Lord Viers¡­¡± Even Farley looked disheartened. ¡°No, I¡¯m being serious. You absolutely cannot try to prevent bad prophecies. That¡¯s how the prophecy came true in the first place. In every Fable I know, those that try to avert prophecy get exactly what they tried to prevent. Don''t try to cheat prophecy, outsmart, help, nudge, or any kind. Leave it be, period!¡± Just look at Odin, for Christ''s sake! Look at what he did trying to prevent Ragnar?k. Can¡¯t he see that simply being a less shittier person is enough? Then he had to mess with Kratos¡­ So much for being a God of Wisdom. May the Almighty have mercy on the fools who tried to mess around with prophecy. ¡°You two have three options. Option one, disregard my advice and go fight that prophecy to death. It¡¯s your choice. Option two, and this is me giving you a pearl of wisdom, do what I suggest and ignore the prophecy. I can erase your memories about it if it rattles you. Option three, and this is what I would have done if I¡¯m in your shoes¡­¡± Paina and Farley waited for Viers'' dramatic pause to end, slightly leaning forward. ¡°Don''t prevent the prophecy but become so strong that the prophecy doesn''t matter even if it comes true.¡± Paina and Farley looked at each other. Each could see the confusion of the other party. ¡°Told you all before. Seek strength. The rest will follow¡­ It¡¯s a fundamental truth of the world, girls. All right, I¡¯ll leave you to your thoughts¡­ Oh, one more thing. Farley, catch.¡± Viers tossed Farley a ball of gray. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°The karma that began in Luxore is getting resolved at Valkut one after another. Paina''s arc is completed and others too. What comes next is a new chapter for all of us so let¡¯s out with the old and in with the new. That is your father¡¯s soul. I¡¯ve been plumbing his memories and torturing him all this time. My revenge for killing the nice people I know in Luxore. Some of them were dear to me. Now I give him to you for the final say of his fate. Forgive him or grill him, I don''t care.¡± *** ¡°Phuaaaah¡­¡± Viers sprawled on the green grass inside Dia¡¯s Biome by himself. He needed some alone time. The future weighed heavily on him. What a mess this trip to Valkut turned out to be. Damn that Mr. X¡­ Because of his injured soul, he wouldn''t be able to use his soul abilities as freely as before until it was healed. Any soul Arte would be weakened more than half. Estimated time of recovery: 1-2 years. Ciel saw that his limbs looked fine but it was actually just a show. Viers felt he had matchsticks instead of arms and legs. No hard physical activities for the time being. He couldn''t even walk properly. Estimated time of recovery: 6-8 months. Without his healing factor, it would be even longer. Mr. X¡¯s Victa Stigma, the Level 5¡¯s Arte¡¯s harmful residue, was still clinging to his body and soul, causing all kinds of complications. Estimated time of recovery: 3 years. Along with those injuries, my Victa is nearly empty. Adding the injuries, continuing with my cultivation momentum would be impossible. Viers¡¯ strength growth was astounding because he rode the winds of change, gobbling up one opportunity after another. He was still under twenty years old. It was the most opportune age to grow leaps and bounds but as things stood, he had to stop and heal. The modest side of Viers felt glad his loss was only at this degree since an extraordinary Level 5 was actively hunting him. Ordinary Level 5 would not be able to handle the Twilight Fire¡¯s burst and Clarissa. On the other hand, he felt furious. Twilight only remains one-third. I can either use it to empower Faiya or keep it as my last anti-Level 5 method. Before Valkut, I had tens of life-saving treasures against Level 4. Now I only have two. Divine healing pill is no more. Clarissa is in a coma while Farley and Paina might leave. Even against Freya, he didn''t suffer such a massive loss to his assets. There are a few gains but not enough to offset the loss¡­ Viers had some gains from the Church, the Aviary, dragons, fae, other victims, and the three offerings from Rose and Ciel. The most damning thing is Dream Viers -blessed be his memory- had to go! If I got his Horizon then all would have been worth it but since I don''t¡­ Hells and Damnations! Other MCs in xianxia stories usually get super benefits or hyper power-ups after getting embroiled in a great conflict out of their league, right? Viers made a truly sour face. Then why am I not? Valkut is a major arc, damnit! The word ¡®karma¡¯ appeared in his mind. Urgh¡­ At least the life experience I gained from the trip to Valkut is priceless so there¡¯s that. Viers closed his eyes and exhaled a breath of disappointment that was as long as an anaconda. All right Viers, let''s try to look at the Valkut trip result positively¡­ A cultivator¡¯s lifespan is longer than normal, even more so in my case. I suffered some setbacks but even Fang Yuan did. It¡¯s bound to happen in any cultivation story. His mentality is if he was still alive then it counted as a win. He could regain what he lost through commitment, hard work, and sheer will¡­ Ok Viers, stop acting like a pussy, reset your mindset and think this like starting a new game plus, shall we? The wave of destiny that originated from Luxore had come full circle at Valkut. That was how Viers looked at things. When he opened his eyes again, they had regained the glitter of wanderlust. Viers looked at the infinite indigo-lilac sky and white clouds before reaching out with his hand. It¡¯s been an exciting journey but I want more! As Viers relaxed his nerves, he was reminded of one thing. Oh! The red orb that Skeith got after defeating the soul parasite inside me! The boss drop! Viers had forgotten about the item until now. He examined it immediately, hoping it was something extraordinary. ¡°T-This is-!¡± It was a key. Not an actual key for opening doors, perhaps a passport was more accurate. ¡°Dia! Dia!¡± Viers called the Biome Master and tried it immediately outside of the Biome. Viers came out in some barren wilderness, nowhere close to Valkut. If something went wrong, he would immediately return to the Biome. Viers activated the red orb and a portal appeared, formed by an incredible amount of demonic energy. With this much energy, the distance to the destination must be extraordinarily distant. ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± Does this lead to Hell? No¡­ The portal uses demonic energy but it leads somewhere else¡­ Somewhere with even higher mana from Dia¡¯s Biome! Holy cow¡­ Wait a second! So Mr. X is from the cult! Which one? The assassins? Iz¡¯s? That cockroach guy¡¯s from the Book World? Or¡­ Farley¡¯s? The suspect was the cults that he had met. That was how it normally goes in the Fables. Viers¡¯ gut feeling pointed at one of them; it was the one that he was involved with the most. Viers looked at the portal. Objectively speaking, this was an opportunity. Who knew what kind of wondrous things he would find? As a greedy person, how could he let go of this golden chance to recoup his losses? ¡°Is that how you think?¡± Viers looked with extreme disdain. You think I will eat this poisoned gift!? Viers crushed the orb and threw the fragments inside the portal. ¡°And keep the change, ya bastard!¡± Viers gave the closing portal his middle finger, and in his mind, a certain Devil God with an initial D just placed himself in the first position on his Shit List, dethroning Freya. Chapter 294 - Swallow Your Pride and Move On A person was floating on a pond of crystal clear water. His body was submerged with only his face above the waterline. The person had a slightly round belly and was as still as a corpse. Before long, the clear water became colored with a paint-like substance. It was oily and unnaturally colored. The substance had originated from this person. A few hours later, the man opened his eyes. He made his way out of the pond, which now looked like a pool of waste products from a chemical factory. Harmful, smelly, and repulsive. The person used a bucket of water he prepared beforehand to wash the remaining gunk from his body and dried himself off with a towel. Even after thirty days, the Victa Stigma doesn''t seem to lessen¡­ Well, it¡¯s from a Level 5 so it is to be expected. To completely purge the toxic waste inside me will take many more treatments but I¡¯m already out of the medicinal bath. Viers sighed while drying his face. For the last month, he had been undergoing a variety of healing practices after his encounter with a hostile Level 5. Compared to other Level 3 Pathseekers, it could be said his inventory of supplies was considerable thanks to the people he''d killed donating their wealth to him but it was starting to run out. Just like on Earth, recovering from a major sickness is like burning money. Viers thought he was above it because his first cheat ability was the healing factor but the world had proved him wrong. Either way, my bodily condition is ways better. Though, not the same can be said for my soul condition. For his physique, Viers had his healing factor and various medicines, but he lacked ¡®medicines¡¯ for the soul. The ingredients didn''t exist in Dia¡¯s Biome, the place that he did not exit for a month because of safety concerns. ¡°Dia, please clean this up.¡± There was no cheery reply from the dryad but the contaminated water was swiftly reduced as if there was a drain in the bottom and there was no longer any trace of it in less than a minute. Dia could hear him just fine despite her body not being nearby. I wonder¡­ Does throwing stuff up into the void of dimensions count as environmental pollution? Like an irresponsible adult, because it wasn''t his problem Viers didn''t think further about it. ¡°Thanks, sunshine.¡± He put his clothes on to cover his impressive body. His appearance and body shape was nothing like the cool characters in other stories. He was not handsome or built. Not to mention his selfish personality. In short, he was not a heroic, inspiring figure. The silver lining was, he wasn''t a hero but a villain. Now, he didn''t give a shit about what other people thought about him. He had enough of social media, those soul-sucking, time-destroying, ego-stroking platforms that shoved XXXL-sized junk information down his throat, leaving him wanting for more like an opium addict. And boy, that felt good. With this day¡¯s treatment completed, Viers made his way to a special place. In the Biome where there was no danger, there was a delicate event ongoing. The growth of life. In a paradise-like small grove, lots of flowers blooming but somehow combined with the sterile atmosphere of a hospital, there were three trees. The trees had a transparent pod-like structure on the trunk, filled with green liquid. Inside each pod, there lay a body. Paina, Farley, and Gwen. Except for Paina, the other tenants that took residence in his soulspace were now cute, tiny babies. The trees were an artificial womb created by Dia. Viers got the inspiration from Earth¡¯s laboratories. Since their placement two weeks ago, Viers had been visiting this place every day. Strictly speaking, the three didn''t need to be placed in the pods for the body to grow but with these special trees, the three would enjoy even greater benefits, giving them the optimal environment for growing up and more. The green liquid they were in was a mixture of stat-boosting ingredients from Viers¡¯ own inventory. Farley and Gwen are growing nicely. The soul affects the body and vice-versa. Their physique should be the same as their previous one. The Devawi Swan blood factor I gave to Farley seems more potent than I thought. Good for her. As for Paina¡­ This one is good too. There are no signs of rejection between the body and the soul. Unlike the other two, Paina¡¯s body was not grown from scratch for she was inhibiting the body of her fae twin that was specifically created to eat her. With his soul abilities reduced due to injuries, Viers opted for the safest method for attaching Paina¡¯s soul to another body, by letting the soul grow into the body naturally. There was no need to rush anyway. Viers mused while looking at Paina who was in a fetal position inside the pod. Paina in her new fae body was like a sleeping beauty, with a pair of ethereal butterfly wings emerging from her back. Those were made of her innate magic. Like Farley, she too will get a higher spec body than her previous one. As a Pathseeker, she will get an upgrade. As a race, humans are pretty mediocre in capabilities. That¡¯s why they tried to give ¡®plus alpha¡¯ in other stories. Bloodline this, heavenly physique that¡­ Well, who am I to judge? This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Their souls were put to sleep as their body was forming the perfect vessel to house their souls. Viers checked on Gwen last. Hers was the standard human body and the least complicated. The fetus was gained from the debacle following the Book World made by an expert alchemist. As expected, there were no complications. With Clarissa being the sole tenant inside his soul remaining and in a coma, Viers smiled wryly. He missed the hustle bustle of voices inside his head a little bit. When they wake up, they¡¯ll choose their own path. Viers didn''t ask Farley and Paina whether they would stick with him afterward or go independent. Whatever their decision, Viers had no qualms accepting it¡­ provided they agree to a non-disclosure contract about him. He expected Gwen to follow her sister. He had a train of thought to use Gwen as a bridle for Farley. He no longer had such a design. He didn''t need to. Of course, the reason was not as banal as because he trusted Farley. Giving trust to others like a naive child was a shonen manga protagonist¡¯s role, not his. As for ¡®that¡¯ matter¡­ It can wait until I recover. Viers¡¯ eyes narrowed while looking at one of the trees. There was one more occupant in this place, one that Viers patted lightly as he left the Life Stranding Grove. ¡°You too. Grow up well.¡± The egg Zerrigan was in felt warm and smooth to the touch. As he walked, he diagnosed the condition of his body and decided it was time for him to make a move. One month¡­ So long and so short at the same time. Viers went to his impromptu study in the treehouse Dia made for him. He stood before an open map placed on the table. It was not as epic as Rhaenyra and Daenerys standing before the carved table depicting the realm of Westeros but Viers made do with what he had. Full recovery is still far but I¡¯m now able to use about fifty percent of my strength. Time for me to make a move. I came out of the journey in Valkut with a big loss but it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no gain either. My Victa generation is off the charts! As part of the three boons from Rose and Ciel, Viers learned the Vigor of Responsibility Arte that bolstered a person¡¯s Victa production. A few days ago, Viers successfully invoked the Arte. The time limit is ticking, just one year until the expiry date¡­ But Rose, you have no idea how much this Arte can do in my hand. In the hand of a maestro. Rose mastered the difficult Arte to a small accomplishment in a few short months and it gave her about 2.5 times more Victa production than normal Level 3. It was already above average in the Church¡¯s standard. In one week, Viers'' mastery of the Arte was currently a bit less, barely producing 2 times more Victa. In a few months, his goal was to reach 3 times the Victa generation. However, that was only the raw benefit of the Arte. Viers had a game-breaking cheat! Horizon - 503%! With the Horizon boost, the Vigor of Responsibility Arte made his current total Victa generation 10 times more compared to the average Pathseeker! It was a frightening amount. Rose and Ciel had no idea what monster they had unleashed by giving Viers one of the Church¡¯s most prized Arte. They thought the time limit of one year would not make it out of control but they didn''t know about Viers¡¯ Horizon. And it was still not Viers¡¯ maximum output. As he became more skilled in utilizing the Vigor Arte combined with the ever-growing Horizon, his Victa generation would allow him to steamroll his peers with the sheer volume of Victa at his disposal, Viers could tell that said future wasn''t too far. With the tenants inside Viers being unavailable, nobody knew about the emergence of a human Victa power plant that had broken the rules of the Pathseeker logic. Viers had a wild thought. And if I can become Level 4, the value of Victa I produce will increase yet another tenfold! What if¡­ Viers shook his head to clear his delusion. But it''s just an empty wish. I¡¯m now Level 3 mid at the age of 17. I¡¯ve never heard of an 18-year-old Level 4. And to Level Up without the proper foundation will only hurt me. One year of this is good enough. I must focus on my effort to improve myself without compromising my future potential. His eyes were refocusing on the map of the continent, zooming in on the city of Regidana. He was in deep thought for some time. As I thought, the adventurer Avel''s identity is too risky. Mr. X is a soul Pathseeker. After I got beaten, he could search my soul. I can''t take that risk and use Avel¡¯s identity again. Damn it! With a heavy heart, Viers reaffirmed his decision to discard his ties to the Avel persona. He might have staged Avel¡¯s death for his trip to Valkut but he did so with the intention to return. Regidana was meant to be his base, Viers invested assets and cultivated connections at that place. The appearance of Mr. X threw a monkey wrench into his plans. Even if Mr. X didn''t lay in wait, considering his connection to the cult, he could tell his subordinates to monitor Regidana. Repelling Mr. X was beyond Viers¡¯ capabilities and he had no intention of relying on the Governor-King so cutting the identity off like a lizard discarding its tail was Viers¡¯ move. Dia already destroyed the Gate Plant in my mansion in Regidana¡­ That leaves those three. Boram, Izabella, and Sakuya. If I''m compromised, the enemy might know about them too. Izabella aside, Sakuya is under the wing of another Level 5. Boram I can recall here if he gets targeted. Though, there¡¯s not much I can do for now. I have no resources to spare for deploying countermeasures and excessive paranoia is a pain in the ass¡­ For those three, Viers decided to give the wait-and-see approach. Shortly after Valkut, he had contacted them, to inform them he was still alive and kicking. Boram and Sakuya were pretty distressed because the card that signified his soul lifeforce was burning out right before their eyes. Hearing Viers¡¯ voice gladdened them, Boram even cried. She tried to play it cool but Izabella too was relieved that he was okay. After chatting and exchanging information, Viers and them went back to face each of their objectives and problems. It was too early for a reunion. As for him, Viers¡¯ course was clear. With a will, his other self materialized next to him. ¡°...So it¡¯s happening, huh?¡± Tanael smiled. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m unleashing you onto the world, Tanael. Get me souls, partner. As many as you can. Human souls, monster souls, demon souls, dark souls, I don''t care. Just get a bazillion of them.¡± ¡°It will make waves,¡± Tanael¡¯s smile became wider. ¡°Besides, aren''t you opposed to this sort of power rushing in the beginning? ¡®Experience life step by step¡¯, you said. ¡®Getting stronger according to the proper story arc¡¯, you said.¡± ¡°Mr. X broke the rules first,¡± Viers blew air from his mouth. ¡°And yes, I know it¡¯s my ego speaking those words¡­ I thought I could manage but I was this close to dying, partner. We got saved because of other people.¡± The two thought of the girls and Dream Viers. ¡°And because Mr. X did not intend to kill from the start,¡± Viers continued. ¡°My pride made me think it was okay to get strong while taking baby steps and enjoying the scenery along the way. Ha! Stupid, stupid¡­¡± Viers ridiculed himself, both palms on his face. He slowly lowered his hands and his vicious gaze met Tanael¡¯s eyes. ¡°This situation is caused by me being lax and overconfident¡­ Time to pull all the stops and go full villain. I¡¯m not Sugar from Death March. Enjoying this world can come after I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ invincible!¡± Chapter 295 Viers didn''t give his 100% to become stronger. He trained his swordsmanship, his Artes, his body, his soul, and various other things regularly but he did so with some leeway. Compared to other power fantasy MCs that he knew of, effort-wise, he was not very impressive. Those MCs were driven by a purpose, iron-willed, and even desperate to climb one step higher on the cultivation ladder. Mostly because they were under a constant threat of death, sometimes even by their own stupidity. Viers thought himself above those sort of MCs. Of course, he was not blind that he suffered under the hand of Mr. X because he was helping Paina in the first place, but he had to find something to do. What was the point of having all that power if he didn¡¯t use it? But that was that and this was this. Viers thought it was simply a matter of picking his own battle, that he was smart enough to not pick a fight against someone that he couldn''t handle. He had no qualms about running away from a stronger adversary, reputation or pride be damned. He did not have many friends or have a significant relation to any particular faction either, so the less likely he was forced by circumstances to act against his will. He¡¯d lost count of how many times he had read MCs bailing out someone close to them from troubles. As the people in the xianxia world aptly describe it, Viers did not ¡®seek death¡¯. The truth was debatable but that was what he thought about himself. Be that as it may, those crises those MCs found themselves in were powerful motivators. It was not uncommon to see them in a suicidal situation in an effort to gain a power boost. Granted, it made for an exciting experience for the readers of such novels, in which he was one of the thousands of readers. As long as it was good, Viers didn''t care. However, their methods carried a big risk, as big as Mt. Tai. Because they carried the MC status they succeeded in the end but Viers didn''t think he had such a privilege. Now that he was in the situation of his dreams, able to cultivate to superhuman level, and perhaps beyond¡­ How should he tackle the problem? If Viers was an ordinary man, correction, a run-of-the-mill reincarnator with a standard cheat, he would most likely pick the hardcore approach of the majority of the MCs and become a cultivation blockhead that regularly did extreme training bordering masochism. In fact, for the first year after Viers arrived in this new world, he was just like this. All power fantasy MCs had to work hard to become stronger. Power fantasy MCs that didn''t work hard but succeeded were not really power fantasy genres in his opinion. It was a feel-good work. If it became a hit, hats off to the good author. He was presented with an alternative road by the grace of his Horizon Aspect. By gaining an ability that normally possessed only by a Level 6, Viers had a choice to not walk the Path of Power as if he was a slave that was whipped from behind every time he stood still. Before Viers was Viers, on Earth, a wise man once said to him: ¡°Teach yourself hardships, because if you don''t, life will do that for you. It might not be gentle when it does.¡± It was the words of a man that Viers respected and it came true. The reason for his laxness was Horizon. Its effect of strengthening him every time he experienced something new was no doubt a great ability and so it gave Viers the ¡®excuse¡¯ of playing around and enjoying himself. In his defense, Viers¡¯ way of doing things wasn''t wrong. In terms of power, his growth was outstanding. So much so that few people of his age could match him in battle. Then Mr. X came like a bolt out of the blue, without clouds or signs. His trump cards were mostly useless and he got saved by the efforts of others. Against the old monsters of Mr. X¡¯s caliber, he was extremely lacking. Viers planned to rectify this error, the first step was cutting down his leisure time and incorporating much more hard training into his lifestyle. With his Victa stockpile rising by the minute, he would have enough energy to train until he passed out and still would have a surplus. Naturally, even if he did that, he wouldn''t be a match for Mr. X and his friends anytime soon. But if he had to die against them, he would do so after he had exhausted every means at his disposal. His life¡¯s end would not be because of laziness. It would be the lamest of the lame. Other than too much relaxing with his Horizon, there was another avenue that Viers did not pursue in his growth. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Viers still put a break on his bad deeds. With the abilities he possessed, Viers could do so many more reprehensible things. He did not see the need. He does now. Tanael, his other self, will enact his will. *** Ars¨¨ne left without many words. He knew what his other self wanted. Time to conduct evil¡­ The time has come faster than I thought. Hope Saitama-class people don''t exist in this world. If they do, gotta inform Viers so he can prepare. Ars¨¨ne inhaled the fresh scent of the boonies. The remains of yesterday¡¯s rain still adorned the tree leaves. Viers¡¯ other self¡¯s full name was Ars¨¨ne S. Tanael. Viers simply borrowed the name Tanael when he did evil things. Of course, Ars¨¨ne could also use the name Tanael when the need arose. As always, the name was not given without thought. Hmn, Ars¨¨ne looked around. The town should be¡­ beyond this road? Ah, there it is! Wheew, Dia Transportation Service still needs some fine-tuning. I¡¯m off by around 10 kilometers. Well, I¡¯m sure it will improve as she grows stronger. Gotta gather a lot of treats for her on this trip. While Ars¨¨ne could use both soul and water Artes like Viers, he was donning the persona of Tanael now so he was limited to the soul half, which had not recovered, mirroring Viers¡¯ condition. That was why he started small, in this rural town in an area with low mana density. After playing with the pros at Valkut, Viers was not ready to get trashed again so he went to the minor league. Some would call him cowardly but he wouldn''t mind. What did he care about other people''s thoughts? The top powerhouses should be just around Level 3. Even with injury, Ars¨¨ne was perfectly capable of handling them. If Viers looked down from his position in life, his position was pretty high. There was an ocean of people that could never reach his current power and wealth. But Viers looked up. And he couldn''t see the summit, so he climbed, pushing people out of his way if they blocked his way up. Bumping a Level 4 or Level 5 was not beyond the realm of probability but it was unlikely. Looks like a peaceful town¡­ What a shame. Ars¨¨ne sighed. Sorry folks, here comes the fat big bad wolf. *** There was a soul named Sim. He was unjustly killed in a plot by someone he used to call his best friend, Godwin. That Godwin was now betrothed to Sim¡¯s sister, Pehn. For months, he had been trying to curse Godwin for revenge and protect his sister from Godwin¡¯s evil hands. But he was a ghost, and thus impotent to do anything. This day too, Sim was racking his ethereal brain to do something about his situation, staring at where his sister lived from across the street. ¡°What should I do¡­ At this rate¡­¡± ¡°Thirty-nine.¡± Someone passed by him and yanked him. Sim was confused. People normally couldn''t touch or even be aware of his existence. On the other hand, they couldn''t interact with others either. But this stranger did! ¡°Y-you can see me?¡± Sim was pleasantly surprised. ¡°Wait-wait-wait!¡± He didn''t know what the cloaked person, young man, by the voice and shadow of his face, was about to do but he felt he was being compressed into a ball. Sim panically called out to the stranger. ¡°Oh? You still aware? Unusual. What is it?¡± The stranger gave Sim a second glance. ¡°Lad, wait no, sir!¡± Sim said with respect. ¡°Please hear me and help me with my plight. My sister has-¡± Sim put all of his hope into the stranger. The stranger flicked his finger. ¡°Skip.¡± And just like that, Sim could no longer see, hear, or speak. He lost his awareness soon after. ¡°Sorry brah. I¡¯m not a savior, I¡¯m a street cleaner.¡± Ars¨¨ne placed the sphere that was Sim¡¯s soul into his chest and it was absorbed into him. The movement was smooth and easy. Because Ars¨¨ne was powerful enough to do so, he forcefully skipped Sim¡¯s cutscene. He wasn''t patient enough. This world was bigger than Earth and possibly had more people living in it. In Ars¨¨ne¡¯s case, he could interact with dead people so the number multiplied even more, as numerous as the stars in the sky. And as was life¡¯s writ, every person had problems. If he was helping them one by one and trying to get the 100% completion achievement, even an immortal¡¯s lifespan wasn''t enough. ¡°Forty.¡± Twenty or so meters away from Sim¡¯s location, Ars¨¨ne plucked another soul. Thus ended Sim¡¯s story. He met his final demise so¡­ futilely. Meanwhile, Godwin and Pehn would continue to live their lives. Until they too reached the end of their road. Tragic or not, life goes on. Seconds after the villain delivered the end of Sim, he no longer thought of him. All the gears inside his head were spinning on how to not become the people he dealt with impunity. Ars¨¨ne looked at the sign on the road for a second then walked on. He was heading in the right direction. Cemetery. I hope there are a lot of souls that have not moved on. Wait for me, fellas. Their fate and Sim¡¯s would be the same, after Viers ate their souls and extracted their soul power, he would send them to the afterlife. The souls wouldn''t feel a thing. In one day, Ars¨¨ne had gathered more than two hundred souls in this relatively small town. There were souls like Sim, that would curse Viers to the Nine Hells for what he had done if they could. However, there were also souls that would weep with joy for ending their tortured existence. The longer the souls of the dead stayed in the world of the living, the more wretched they became. Some did not stay by choice, but by circumstances that chained them to this realm. But whether curse or gratitude they showed him, Viers did not care. They had things that were useful to him. As simple as that. Gather, ye lost souls¡­ Enter Viers¡¯ stomach. It¡¯s the path to Nirvana! - - Chapter 295 - Nirvana Transportation Service Chapter 296 - Phantom Thief Free People Coalition, inside the manor of house Paradesh, an up-and-coming prosperous mercantile house. ¡°It seems everyone is here,¡± said a middle-aged woman with a commanding presence. ¡°Let us begin.¡± As the last arrivals took their seat, the men and women around the table cast their gaze upon the matriarch. ¡°What is the issue, matriarch? To ask us to gather so suddenly¡­ and in this busy time too. Surely this can wait until after the reception of the guests from Zetel?¡± The one who asked was a man wearing many gold rings on his fingers. The way he dressed and acted showed he was a rich man. Everyone in the heavily guarded room was so, but this man was a cut above the rest. ¡°Correct your tone, cousin, or my fist will.¡± The bald man with a thick neck and the aura of a veteran warrior growled at his cousin with a flippant attitude. ¡°Ah, I see the bully inside you is still healthy. Tell me, except for your body getting bigger, has any part of you grown up? Your brain clearly hasn''t.¡± ¡°What did you say!?¡± The bald man rose from his seat. ¡°You want to try me?¡± The gold rings man did the same. The others didn''t act surprised. The rivalry between the two had been going on for decades. The two were leaders of the factions inside the house. One was in charge of the martial aspect and the other was the wealth aspect. They both contended for the seat of the next head of the house, one of many reasons for their sour relationship. The current head had yet to name one of them heir. The Paradesh Matriarch cut off their quarrel before it could devolve further. ¡°Yesterday, I found this in my chambers.¡± She presented a card to the table. ¡°What are your thoughts?¡± The bald martial man sat before taking the card and reading the writing on it. ¡°In the middle of the exhibition three days from today, I will steal the Mermaid Joyous Tear under the eye of the twin moons. Stop me if you can. Signed, Heavenly Thief Tanael¡­ Hmph! What audacity!¡± After the bald martial man threw the card back to the table, another picked it up. ¡°Problems always come when the exhibition nears. Although, we haven''t gotten this kind of provocation in a while. ¡°Just another poor mutt salivating for the Tear. He won''t be able to do a thing, like those who came before him.¡± The card was passed on from one person to the next. ¡°This is written using the ink from Harkelan,¡± one said after sniffling the card. ¡°Harkelan? Looks like the beauty of the Tear has reached far. We should be happy, instead. Wahahaha!¡± The gold rings man laughed mockingly. The matriarch observed the people¡¯s reactions. Most treated this as a joke. They had been basking in security and content for too long, their alertness had atrophied. Pretty much what she expected. However, she saw one person that gave the threat more than scorn. ¡°Rajeev. Do you have something to say?¡± The matriarch''s words brought attention to the young man. He was the youngest and came from a not particularly impressive branch family. This made some people at the table look down on him. ¡°Well, hurry it up, boy. If you really have something to say,¡± the gold encumbered man said in a tone that showed he was preparing himself for a boring next few minutes. Rajeev didn''t let that get to him and replied after giving a respectful bow to the matriarch. ¡°Replying to the matriarch. I have heard of this Tanael. This summer, in Regidana city, he emerged as the winner of a mysterious Trial of Fire. Rumors are he¡¯s a vicious soul Pathseeker and extremely dangerous. I believe it is unwise to treat this lightly.¡± ¡°A soul Pathseeker¡­ No wonder he has got an eye on the Mermaid Joyous Tear. But such talk is moot,¡± the martial bald man harrumphed. The Mermaid Joyous Tear was the most important asset of House Paradesh. The matriarch''s grandmother was the one who procured it from the sea. It was a diamond of great beauty that could improve the soul of the wearer. It heavily contributed to the development of House Paradesh. None of them was a soul Pathseeker but all humans consisted of body, mind, and soul. Strengthening their soul would lead to all kinds of benefits. The Tear was great because of its simplicity, it could be used by everyone. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. However, there was a catch. The Tear¡¯s energy was limited and would need replenishment. The way to do that was by showing off. The more people who looked upon it and marveled at its beauty, the greater its recovery. That was why every year, House Paradesh hosted an exhibition for the diamond. ¡°But Lord, I-¡± ¡°Boy! I am the man in charge of security and I do not take my duties lightly!¡± The martial bald man was incensed. ¡°Since before you were born, people have tried to take our treasure, by force or stealth. None have succeeded! Even without the threat, the Tear is always under the best protection during every second, every hour, and every day! The measures we put in place are perfect! If our grand array is activated, even a Level 5 would have second thoughts. This single upstart whelp is nothing!¡± ¡°I merely suggest caution. Tanael might use underhanded methods. Underestimating the adversary is-¡± ¡°Underestimate? Hmph! The Victa trace in this message indicated its the writing of a Level 3! Tanael is a Level 3 and so are we all! The matriarch is a step away from Level 4. Tell me, boy, is treating dust as dust underestimating anything?¡± Rajeev clenched his teeth from his senior''s preaching. The martial bald man delivered his words of ego with such zeal Rajeev didn''t have the opportunity to retort. ¡°Young¡¯n, as a Level 3 yourself, are you that afraid of this Tanael? You lack bravery.¡± The gold rings man delivered the coup de grace. Giggles and smirks from the council stabbed Rajeev¡¯s pride. The young man forcefully sat back down, suppressing the redness on his face. The matriarch was silent but she observed. Rajeev shows promise but he still needs tempering. Rajeev failed the matriarch''s test. She''d hoped the young one would show more backbone. He lacked the pride of the old ones but his inexperience was also true. The matriarch realized the state of her house. They were too confident in their safety under her shadow. She was not under such delusion. The world was a savage place. They did not even possess a single Level 4. If a Level 5 put his mind to it, he could take the gem and there was nothing they could do about it. The Mermaid Joyous Tear simply wasn''t valuable enough for people of that caliber. Tanael¡¯s challenge provided a good opportunity for some trials. She would see how the people under her, especially the two successor candidates, reacted to this threat. But just as she was about to take the reins of the meeting, a guard barged into the room. ¡°E-emergency! The Mermaid Joyous Tear¡¯s vault has been stolen!¡± ¡°What!?¡± ¡°How can this be!¡± The report was like a boulder thrown into a still pond. The one shaken the most was the martial bald man. As the one responsible for security, he couldn''t wiggle his way out of such a colossal blunder. And he¡¯d just boasted how his protection of the Tear was perfect. ¡°Who? Who is it!? Is it Tanael?¡± ¡°W-we believe so, lord,¡± the guard replied nervously. ¡°He left a calling card inside the empty Tear¡¯s case.¡± The people around the table acted unseemingly like fish sellers in the wet market. The matriarch spoke after letting the news seep into their being. ¡°Peace¡­ What was stolen, was a fake.¡± ¡°Eh!?¡± ¡°After I received the threat, just in case, I swapped the Tear and put it in the house¡¯s treasury. This is called not cowardice but insight. I believe I do not need to stress to all of you how overconfidence can be dangerous, yes? You all should thank Tanael for this lesson.¡± From the glare of the matriarch, the martial bald man lowered his face in shame and indignation. ¡°Treasurer, go to the vault and see the condition of the Mermaid Joyous Tear.¡± ¡°Yes, matriarch.¡± The gold rings man said before leaving the room. With an entourage of elite house guards, he went to one of the most heavily guarded places in the compound, the treasury. ¡°Hehehe, that cousin of mine, serves him right. Oh, the look on his face¡­ Ha! That''s what you get for being a pompous ass.¡± The gold rings man opened layer upon layer of security measures. At some point, the guards no longer accompanied him because they were forbidden to enter and guarded the passage. ¡°But it did give me a cold sweat. If the matriarch did not act, we might have had a situation on our hands. This Tanael is quite good.¡± As the last gate slowly opened, the gold rings man was drinking his favorite wine from a golden goblet. The sight of opulent wealth in the treasury was something that he always enjoyed. After the carved gate fully opened, the man was greeted with an empty treasury. It was so clean that not even a speck of dust remained. Like a statue he stood there. Before long, the wine flowed out of his mouth and stained his clothes. The sound of the fallen golden goblet reverberated clearly in the treasury. On the wall, there was a message. Dear House Paradesh: By the time you find this, I will have made my escape with your precious treasures. Thank you for your contribution to my collection. Thief Extraordinaire, Tanael. *** Hm hm hmm~ Ars¨¨ne was playing with the Mermaid Joyous Tear in his hand. Repeatedly tossing the precious diamond into the air before it landed on his palm. What he did was an affront to phantom thieves everywhere. He had sent a calling card but he didn''t steal the item at the appointed time? A cowardly move. But Ars¨¨ne was too much of a scoundrel to care. I was kinda hoping there would be a Great Detective type character. So smart, so insightful, so smug¡­ I want to decapitate them while they are slowly doing an exposition of the villain¡¯s plan. That¡¯s what I would have done, what any villain should have done if they got exposed. Villains shouldn''t be so passive and we don''t go quietly into the night... Pity there aren''t any. Ars¨¨ne went from town to town, taking souls and anything else of value that he could get his hands on. He heard about the diamond¡¯s exhibition in the works and decided to take a look, privately. Well, this thing is nice, but to me, its effect is below a Level 4 soul. Meh, it would make a nice gift. If not, I¡¯d pawn it on the black market somewhere. Hmm? Something cold fell on his nose. Snow¡­ Winter is here. Chapter 297 - Tactics and Recovery Amidst a lightly falling snowy night, unseen by ordinary men, there was a person whetting his ax on top of a gravestone. Day and night, he had done this unceasingly. How long he had been doing that, even the man himself didn''t know, for the passage of time was inconsequential to him. ¡°Good evening.¡± The man stopped grinding his ax with a stone and looked at the one who called. The voice had something unusual that elicited a response from him. The caller was a cloaked man. When he faced the stranger, he began pulling down his hood and the moonlight revealed a handsome blond-haired man wearing a confident smile. ¡°My name is Tanael and I¡¯m here to-¡± ¡°Doesn''t matter,¡± the ax man interrupted and stood up before Tanael, towering about two meters taller than him. ¡°Whatever it is, first, defeat me.¡± The one called Tanael had to crane his neck to meet his eyes. ¡°As expected, another warrior who fell while chasing martial perfection. Very well. If I defeat you, I¡¯ll take your soul. Deal?¡± The man grunted with a nod. Although, he didn''t have high hopes for this Tanael. He was weaker than him. Nevertheless, the axeman wouldn''t say no to an opportunity to battle. ¡°I seek a warrior''s end. Now come!¡± ¡°I don''t seek an end at all,¡± Tanael unsheathed his sword and made a stance. Three breaths passed after they made their fighting stance and the ax man made the first move. The opponent was ready so it was not a sneak attack. He had detested something like that since he still drew breath till even after he did not. ¡°Hrggh!¡± Tanael planned to dodge it, but it was too fast and he had no choice but to block it with his sword. The force of the blow sent him flying, destroying the gravestones of others. Tanael picked himself up but the axeman''s ax was already descending above his head. This time, Tanael not only raised his sword to guard but also deployed a magical shield. The ax carried a bundle of energy like swirling storms and landed above the two-layered defense. Tanael¡¯s knees buckled and the stone floor below his feet cracked. While he was bracing the blow, he didn''t realize a kick coming to his chest. ¡°Ohogh!¡± Tanael rolled over the floor a few times and stopped after eleven meters. ¡°Weak,¡± the axeman said with a disappointed tone. ¡°Begone from my sight.¡± He¡¯d lost interest after the brief exchange and offered a chance for Tanael to disengage but he seemed to have another idea. ¡°Well, I¡¯m still growing,¡± Tanael got back on his feet while in pain. ¡°And I haven¡¯t lost yet.¡± True enough, the axeman saw that Tanael''s eyes were not the eyes of someone that had accepted defeat. ¡°Fool.¡± Which gave him another moment of disappointment. A seasoned warrior should be able to accurately gauge his opponent with an exchange of blows. Since Tanael didn''t seem to realize the difference in strength between the two of them, that meant his skill was only worth that much. The axeman unleashed a barrage of blows, unnaturally swift for a weapon as big as his ax. His strength was even more stunning than his speed. Tanael was getting beat up even though not a single hit landed cleanly. The battle raged on, but it was more like a one-sided beatdown. For every ten strikes of the axeman, Tanael only managed to eke one strike and even then the axeman dealt with it, with no difficulty at all. The flow of battle was firmly within the grasp of the axeman from the start. The axeman counted he only needed two more moves before chopping off the stranger¡¯s neck. ¡°Hmph, you¡¯re stronger than me, so what?¡± Tanael let go both of his hands from the sword, a puzzling move for the axeman. He then made a square with his thumbs and index fingers. Arte - Fatal Soulframe First Form: Horror! There was a flash of light, the axeman felt a piercing pain throughout his ghostly form. ¡°Naive!¡± The axeman exerted his spirit and repelled the attack. Tanael had a stupefied look on his face. ¡°A strong soul resides in a strong body. I¡¯m not a soul Pathseeker but your paltry trick is nothing compared to my steel body and spirit!¡± Something like a squarish paper appeared before Tanael but the axeman did not care. He cleaved the ground with the ax and a rending shockwave traveled through the ground and engulfed Tanael. The axeman looked at the scene of destruction before him and waited for the dust to settle. There was no body, only a severed arm and a broken sword. ¡°I know you¡¯re stronger than me, but the winner will be me.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Tanael was already at the edge of the graveyard. He¡¯d lost an arm and looked wretched but his confident smile didn''t waver. The axeman improved his opinion of Tanael a little. Showing such determination to fight a stronger opponent was worthy of praise. And then, Tanael turned around and left. The axeman was frozen for two seconds before a tidal wave of disappointment landed upon him. ¡°Trash.¡± The axeman returned to sit on top of his gravestone and whetted his ax once again. He was trying to expunge the bad taste of the fight from his mouth. People came to the graveyard, curious about what the commotion was about but other than the aftermath of the battle, they didn''t find anything, even though the axeman was right in front of them. The axeman similarly didn''t really treat them as existing. An hour later, he suddenly felt a piercing pain in his chest. ¡°Huaaghh!?¡± It was like someone drove a wooden stake to his heart. The axeman held his chest in pain, dropping his ax down. Then came another one. ¡°Gaaahh!¡± W-what is happening!? And the third one came. Each time the pain came, it was more painful than the last. ¡°Show yourself!¡± The answer came in the form of the fourth piercing. This feeling¡­ Is it him? ¡°This is how you fight? COWARD!!!¡± The axeman erupted with fury, expanding his Domain as far as he could. The unfortunate people that were still around got crushed by the pressure of the Domain and died. ¡°Dishonorable cur, I¡¯ll tear you apart!¡± Tanael was surprised, he didn''t think a ghost like the axeman was still able to deploy his Domain after he died. But Tanael was far, far away. *** Ars¨¨ne whistled seeing the Domain in the distance. Even if the axeman¡¯s Domain was five times larger, it still wouldn''t catch Tanael. You¡¯re strong, old man. But the winner will be me. With his remaining arm, Ars¨¨ne jammed a metal nail on a photo of the axeman. ¡°AAAARRRGH!!¡± The beast-like howl from the axeman came from the Domain. ¡°Come OUT! Face me like a man!¡± No thanks. I¡¯m happy cheesing you out. Enjoy my jujutsu. Ars¨¨ne gave the photo another nail piercing without remorse or hesitation. The stronger the soul, the more beneficial it was for Viers¡¯ Myriad Souls in One Arte. On the other hand, the stronger the soul meant the more difficult to handle as well, especially Level 4 Pathseekers. They were able to cultivate their soul and they didn''t need to possess soul affinity. That axeman was strong, even Ars¨¨ne had to take risks. If he simply used Soul Fatalframe Arte on him, he suspected there was a high possibility it would be repelled so he did so during the fight, where he was focusing on attacking to create a photo, a medium for the curse. An arm was a good trade for that. On lesser souls, the entire soul would be trapped in the photo all at once and suffer lethal damage. The strength of the axeman¡¯s soul was very impressive so he had to grind him down little by little using a cursing method. Blasts of energy from ax swings came out from the Domain in random directions. Ars¨¨ne applauded his resilience by continuing to curse the axeman from a safe location. I cheesed in games, now I cheese in life¡­ That¡¯s what I call self-improvement! It took fifteen minutes until the rampage of the axeman died down. To be on the safe side, Ars¨¨ne kept cursing the axeman for another fifteen minutes. With Aletro¡¯s soul attainment, Viers¡¯, and by extension, Ars¨¨ne¡¯s knowledge of the soul was as extensive as a world-class speedrunner on video games. When he saw the axeman again, it was a far cry from his strong, robust form earlier. He was haggard, thin, and fading. He looked like he would scatter into a million pieces if a light wind blew. Ars¨¨ne took enough precautions so he wouldn''t be the victim of a hero¡¯s last attack before death but it wasn''t necessary. Ars¨¨ne turned the axeman¡¯s soul into a ball and absorbed it. Then he pointed a finger at the tombstone of the axeman, proud as hells. ¡°Your soul is mine.¡± As for the cherry on top, tens of people that got killed by the axeman¡¯s Domain were also collected by Ars¨¨ne. The falling snow all around him was like a standing ovation. *** Why was he proud? Why wouldn''t he be? He bested a stronger opponent. He¡¯d taken into account his strengths and his opponent¡¯s and used tactics to achieve victory. Yes, it was not underhandedness that he attacked a bound ghost that couldn¡¯t leave his haunting area from afar. It was certainly nothing of the sort. Unlike in other power fantasy stories, I don''t need to have an epic battle against every opponent stronger than me. It¡¯s a pain in the butt! Work smarter, not harder. Don''t they ever think about that? Besides¡­ If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck! He liked that quote very much. Heheheh¡­ My other self had quite a rich experience in his journey of wandering. Ars¨¨ne needed maintenance after his arm got cut off so he was back to Dia¡¯s Biome. He¡¯d also gathered quite a bit of loot. It would be too much of a shame if he died without ¡®saving his progress¡¯. To that end, he had to return physically to his other self¡¯s side. Since he couldn''t teleport, Dia¡¯s special ability was crucial. In his journey, Ars¨¨ne also sought sites that were suitable for growing the Gate Plants. It was scarce and sometimes it was too far and between, not all of them safely grew to functionality either, but Ars¨¨ne managed to build some ¡®teleportation points¡¯. Hehehe, this world is becoming more and more game-like by my own hands. Neat! The thousand human souls that Ars¨¨ne brought would help him recover his soul injury somewhat. Mr. X¡¯s injury scarred his soul deeply. Even for someone with extensive soul mastery as him, recovery was not a minor matter. However, the value of the souls was much greater than that. Among the thousands, about half of them were Pathseekers. Level 0, 1, 2, 3, even two Level 4. Counting using Myriad Souls in One power classification, it would bring him much closer back to the Grand Soul foundation. In the Book World, thanks to eating the souls of Zerrigan¡¯s children, the Tyra Xergs, Viers had eaten close to a million souls. Because he split his soul to give life to Futon and Faiya, his foundation was halved. During his adventure in Valkut, he still had not reached the Grand Soul stage again. As Ars¨¨ne was performing free soul cleaning services in the places he went, Viers was getting closer to the height of his glory days. Awright, once Ars¨¨ne recovers, he¡¯ll continue as he did, roaming around and doing things. Basically, he¡¯ll continue to become an open-world game protagonist. The question is, what should I do? The answer was clear: more adventure. But not in very-hard difficulty like in Valkut. I¡¯m still an injured person recovering. Gotta pick a place with a therapeutic effect. Now, where¡¯s a good place¡­ After months of licking his wounds in his familiar¡¯s Biome, Viers was ready to spread his wings once again. Chapter 298 - Gathering Power Geyer, Level 1 water, fisherman. Leitch, Level 2 earth, mason. Phokan, Level 0 fire, baker. Lucille, Idler, mother of ten. Sumira, Level 0 water, shoemaker. Dasagu, Level 1 earth, poet. Gino, Level 3 lightning, spearman. Nislav, Idler, scribe and conman. Zaltana, Level 4 poison, killer. Clade, Level 0 mist, farmer. And the list went on and on. People from all walks of life, their knowledge, skills, and experiences when they were alive were added to the database. Every person was unique and every entry was valuable. Viers¡¯ mind was expanding at Mach speed. For example, from an unremarkable Idler builder, Viers now knew how to install a window on a wall. From a maid, Viers knew how to brew tea at the perfect temperature. From a tailor, Viers could make a silk dress sought after by rich and powerful women. ¡®Knowledge is power¡¯, so Viers wasn''t picky about his meal. High Level Pathseekers were naturally preferable but even a soul from the lowest member of society held value. From mundane things to secret battle techniques, Viers took them all in with a smile. Besides the souls¡¯ spiritual wealth, sometimes material wealth also landed in Ars¨¨ne¡¯s hands. Money in the Florenzi bank account, things in their spatial items, valuables they were buried with, weapons or armor they had when they still drew breath, even their bones themselves could be valuable. Body parts of strong monsters were valuable, the same went for Pathseekers. For example, Viers¡¯ Doyun Arrow was made from the bones of a long-dead Level 5 Pathseeker. He was a Tomb Raider, but he was hardly the first in this world. Ars¨¨ne was always on the move, from one small town to another. Villages or small settlements, he visited, but he stayed clear of cities and places known to have Level 4 or above for obvious reasons. He never stayed in one place for too long. Not only to cast a wide net over a vast area but also to avoid investigators. He was living the perfect life of a wandering rogue. Be that as it may, Ars¨¨ne wasn¡¯t doing genocide while on his soul harvesting journey. He didn''t collect the souls of the living, the souls of the dead were plenty in a world like this. The life expectancy of the average person was thirty years old. Disasters, monsters, other humans, dangers were everywhere. He was still only a Level 3 Pathseeker. Doing something as eye-catching as multiple mass murders would attract much more heat than he could handle. Being clandestine was the way and the gains thus far had been tremendous. Why didn''t Viers do this from the start then? Just like a car ran on fuel, Ars¨¨ne who couldn''t produce Victa on his own would have to be given Victa to function. In the past, Viers didn''t have the Victa to do this. The Church¡¯s Vigor of Responsibility Arte was a game-changer. Now that Viers felt the benefits, he felt deep regret that he only had a one-year subscription. Nevertheless, he had no intention of becoming a pawn of the Church to extend the Arte. For now, he simply used it as efficiently as he could. Only a couple of months after Viers sent Ars¨¨ne out to provide the Nirvana Transportation Service, the souls he collected had exceeded the five digit mark. Of course, the Nirvana Transportation Service by Viers Corporation was a proper business and not a scam. The customers were getting a 100% guaranteed rate reaching the other shore. ¡°Aiya,¡± Viers smiled sheepishly as he looked at Ars¨¨ne¡¯s latest shipments. ¡°Fufufu, business is booming!¡± *** A hand grabbed the little protrusions on steep terrain. ¡°Hrrgggh!¡± The person grunted as they pulled their body up. Their foot sought a foothold on the almost vertical stone mountain. ¡°Uah!?¡± A strong wind swept the mountain face, almost carrying the person with it and denying all of their efforts so far. The person gritted their teeth, using all of their strength to hold on. After the wind passed. The sweaty face of the person looked upward, eyes smoldering with intense will. The destination cave was within sight. ¡°Just¡­ a bit¡­ more!¡± Boram forced his tiring body to climb, no matter the cost. When he arrived, his strength was almost spent. As he was panting for breath, something stirred inside the cave. ¡°...You again,¡± a deep, echoing voice said. ¡°How many times has it been, boy?¡± ¡°I forgot, Guardian.¡± The voice filled Boram with dread. The power behind that voice was beyond him. He wanted to run away. But he chose not to. ¡°Hmph! You think the legacy of the Landraiser Titan can be taken by a mere child? A child who is not even a complete Giant. Try a hundred times or a thousand times, you¡¯ll never succeed.¡± ¡°Then,¡± Boram tried to slow his panting as he stood up and walked deeper. ¡°This one will try even more than that. I request your guidance!¡± Boram took out his war hammer and made a stance, a stance that his Master taught him. The dark cavern brightened up. Mysteriously, the braziers burned on their own. A ten-meter-tall rock golem freefell from the ceiling, the vibrations spread to the walls of the cave, cracking the floor, and blowing the dust in every direction. Its face was made of brunt rock but could still make an expression, a vexed expression. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°These fists of mine have crushed the ambitions of countless prodigies. Let alone a thin-blooded whelp like you. Dream while you¡¯re asleep, brat!¡± The golem took a step forward and Boram felt the ground shaking. ¡°Haaaaaa!!¡± Boram let out a warcry and lunged at the ancient golem. There were sounds of battle from inside the cave and six seconds later, Boram was falling from the mountain. ¡°Repetition without insight will produce the same result as before.¡± The Guardian scoffed and the cave grew dark and silent once more. Meanwhile, Boram was descending the mountain at a dangerous speed. He rolled like a rock in an avalanche. To survive, he strengthened his body using Victa and Rock Skin Arte as much as he could. He crashed into jagged rocks, boulders, dead trees, and whatnot. Eventually, he slowed down. Bloody and battered, Boram lay on the ground while looking upward, half-conscious. Boram¡¯s greatest harvest from the Book World, Investiture of Soil, was hard at work. By absorbing the energy from the earth, Boram¡¯s Geotheraphy Arte quickly brought him away from his near-death state. Then a girl¡¯s head blocked his vision of the clouds. ¡°Oooiii~ You still alive?¡± The girl had her black hair braided and hazelnut eyes. Her skin was slightly tanned and she was looking at Boram with a light smile. She looked older than Boram, about fifteen or sixteen. Boram was twelve but he remained at ten years old in appearance. Boram¡¯s impression of her was a hyperactive girl. ¡°...Fio,¡± Boram said her name. ¡°What¡­ are you-¡± ¡°Foraging fruits and herbs in the forest,¡± Fio showed a basket with her various fruits in it. ¡°Then I saw you rolling down the mountain. Ehehehe, Papa gave you a hard time?¡± She called that golem Papa but her appearance was undoubtedly a human girl. Her size was too, despite her Papa being a ten-meter-tall monstrosity. Fio was an odd one. The other people in this place disliked him because he was an outlander but Fio had no ill-will towards him from the start. Thanks to her, he managed to prove himself in the Proving and was allowed to stay in the village. He still got the look from others though, bullying too. ¡°Un,¡± Boram nodded. ¡°Ouch!¡± Without asking, she already put some herbs on Boram¡¯s wounds and dressed his wounds. ¡°Still not giving up? Told you, you won''t be able to beat him. Papa¡¯s very loyal to Lord Titan. He won''t go easy on you. Aa~ah¡­ Wounds here and there¡­ Come on, rest at my place.¡± Fio offered. ¡°Thanks, but I need to go to the Stone Bowl after this.¡± ¡°To the mine? Oh yeah, for your Profound Training. Sheesh, what¡¯s the rush? I want to listen to more stories from the outside,¡± Fio pouted. ¡°Is this because of that burning paper last time? Didn''t your master call you to say he''s okay?¡± ¡°...I came here to get stronger. So I can help him. I¡¯ll make him proud.¡± Boram''s gaze drifted up to the cave in the peak of the mountain¡¯s face. To gain the legacy of the Titan, he first had to surpass the Guardian, Fio¡¯s Papa. Unbeknownst to Boram, Fio was looking at his resolute expression absentmindedly from the side. Her cheeks were a bit cheery and she smiled. ¡°Well, unlike the others, I think you¡¯ll manage to defeat Papa in ten years.¡± ¡°Maybe not,¡± Boram showed her something he clutched tightly. It was a pebble. Fio felt something familiar from that ordinary-looking but unordinary pebble. ¡°Is that Papa¡¯s? How? He¡¯s super-super hard!¡± Fio was amazed. ¡°I hit him super-super hard. Now I just gotta figure out a way to hit him even harder,¡± Boram innocently smiled. Fio¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°And now I do this.¡± Boram invoked his Earthborn Amalgam Profound Codex, the ability to absorb metals and minerals of the earth. Even if it was just a tiny piece, the energy contained inside it strengthened Boram. Fio felt Boram was slightly stronger than before. If every time he climbed he took a piece off her Papa, then Boram might be able to pass the gatekeeper in less than ten years. Fio stood up, looking straight at Boram who was still sitting on the ground. She had her arms on her waist and a smile in her voice. ¡°You¡¯re interesting! I have had this feeling since we first met!¡± ¡°...Uhh¡­ Thank, you?¡± How else should he reply? Boram was confused. ¡°Yep, yep. I got to go. Do take care of your health. Okay, Boram?¡± ¡°Y-yeah. Thanks for everything, Fio.¡± Ufufufu, Boram is so weird. A little ball of energy that charges at every wall in front of him. Oooh! I¡¯ve got to tell Mama about this. Lunlunlun~ Fio left with her basket while humming. Boram didn''t know why but she seemed happy, she walked while skipping. ¡°Yosh¡­ To the Stone Bowl I go,¡± Boram psyched himself up. ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ll awaken my Giant bloodline and get that inheritance so when Master is in need of aid, I¡¯ll be able to protect him!¡± *** The peak of winter had passed. A couple of months had passed since Ars¨¨ne was providing Viers with shipments of souls. His condition had improved further. Viers celebrated the new year with his familiars. It was a shame that Farley and the others were unavailable. He wanted to celebrate with them too. The weather was also changing for the better. Considering everything, it was high time he made the next move. Viers had resolved to improve his strength as much as possible. The question was where was the suitable farming area? He got that covered. The intelligence network built from ten thousand soul searches couldn''t compare to a fully functional internet but its broadness was not to be underestimated either. He¡¯d found a place that suited his needs. It was a place with a lot of monsters. Every wilderness with sufficiently high ambient mana would be home to monsters. Since monsters breed and grow faster than humans, there was always an abundant number of them. This place was cranking up the monster''s fertility to eleven. The place also affected the mutability of monsters so even one monster had multiple variants. Sometimes, people found extinct monsters reemerge there, from mutation. People accepted it was a regional quirk but the cause was still unknown or not common knowledge. Viers¡¯ life force had been greatly diminished after the events at Valkut and the ensuing recovery period. Not critically low but too low for peace of mind. He healed much faster than an ordinary Pathseeker but at the cost of his life force which fueled his healing factor. He could replenish that by eating mana-rich, high-vitality food. This was also a good opportunity to strengthen his monster forms. By eating other monsters, they would grow stronger. When he ate in human form he gained life force and when he ate in monster form he strengthened that said monster form. There were two bowls to fill so even more monsters were needed in this hunt. That was without factoring Viers had several monster forms that needed evolutionary sustenance. Viers had ample experience in resource-hungry gacha games and learned a few things. He didn''t plan to spread his level-up items evenly on all of his forms but to the main cores only for the time being. Nothing to brag about, it was just common sense. Furthermore, Viers¡¯ familiars, Dia, Futon and Faiya, could also benefit from eating monsters with the same affinities as them. Dia was a dryad while the other two were elementals but the principle was the same. In short, the place was the perfect ground for Viers to do real-life combat training, massacring a butt load of monsters, and then having an all-you-can-eat every day. The Red Zone, Carfax Peninsula. Also known as Monsterland. The thing was, that place was located not in the Free People Coalition but in the territory of another great power of the Human Dominion, the Latias Kingdom. So, my path has brought me out of the starting country¡­ There¡¯s still much of the Coalition that I haven''t explored yet. A pity, but tourism can wait. Strength takes priority! Chapter 299 - Carfax Peninsula Brrr¡­ It¡¯s cold! The cold and ice made traveling in winter more difficult. Viers had waited until the peak of the winter season had passed before making his journey. However, the temperature was still quite low when he was near the peninsula. Viers, in his Devadom Orca form, felt sluggish. Viers¡¯ choice to go to the destination was by swimming. Traveling by land meant he would have to cross the national border or go through dangerous areas. Since he could become a marine creature, there was no reason not to travel by sea. Ah¡­ Would you people hurry it up already? He believed he was met with an auspicious sign when he arrived at the Carfax Peninsula. There was a naval battle. It was no grand spectacle between two fleets like in the movies. Only around twenty ships. One side had a dozen ships so that side had a greater number than the other. Despite being outnumbered, they mounted stiff resistance. Both sides bled as the clash went on. Viers was watching them from a distance. The ships¡¯ designs were not too far off from Earth¡¯s but some had magical contraptions added. Viers could slip under the battle by diving deeper but he didn''t want to miss this, so he waited. The cold made the stop a mild inconvenience. Since there were Level 4s clashing it out, Viers opted for a more passive approach. He didn''t want to pick a fight with them. It was good they were too busy to notice a monster spying in the distance. The battle seemed pretty serious between two forces, if the colors of the two sides were of any indication. People died. An unfortunate but natural consequence of a battle. Lucky for those poor souls who had fallen, a psychopomp was standing by. He charged a modest fee, just a couple of bites to the soul. Also, you people don¡¯t need to burden yourself with your worldly possessions. You can''t take them to where you¡¯re going so let me lighten your burden and take them off your hands. Viers¡¯ Nirvana Transportation Service always gives five stars service rating. In time, the side with the fewer ships lost and retreated, their Level 4 also got injured. The other side frantically pursued, they seemed quite driven. After the sun had set, amidst the wreckage of burning and sinking ships, a person walked on water on the site of the battle that had been abandoned. Little wisps of light, souls of the dead unseen by ordinary people were drawn to him like moths to a flame. He gently picked them up one by one, as if handling a soap bubble. Viers didn''t want to expose himself but he had no choice. He couldn''t use his soul abilities when he was in monster form. More accurately, he didn''t possess a monster form that had soul affinities, most of them were water. Ah, dang it, Viers snapped his fingers. I should have constructed a soul boat construct. To give off a more Charon vibe! While Viers lamented about a missed chance, he heard a weak voice. ¡°...help¡­ me.¡± Someone had survived. A Level 3 peak young man, fatally injured. By his attire, he seemed to be from a well-off origin. He was from the side with more ships. ¡°Oh, a survivor. At ease, sir. Let me help you. All your woes and pain will go away soon. You¡¯re in good hands.¡± The man was moved and shed out a tear. Because he was close to death, he was able to see the souls of the dead that Viers gathered around him. A man standing on water under the moonlight and burning ships surrounded by ethereal will-o''-the-wisps? The man thought Viers was something divine, perhaps an angel of death from the Church''s stories. Nirvana Transportation Service Customer Count: +1 Viers did not lie. He sent him to a better place. How could it be called anything else other than helping him? *** ¡°Carfax Peninsula¡­¡± Viers crossed his arms as he looked left and right. He had made a landfall on the beach. Because of his unplanned stop, he arrived very late in the night. There was no immediate danger so he scouted his surroundings next, using Euryale Sight. His eyes turned iridescent green and his pupils elongated like a snake¡¯s as his eyesight improved. This was Viers¡¯ foremost scouting ability. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. I¡¯m really lucky today. Only Rank 0s and 1s monster herds nearby. There are a couple of Rank 3 farther off but they should not be a problem. As expected of Monsterland. So many monsters! Folk knew about the strong monsters roaming near the Valkut region but the hazard of the Monsterland is about the numbers. In Valkut I didn¡¯t have the time to go monster hunting, but a Rank 5 true dragon made a nest in the area and that was saying something. Viers turned his eyes to the right, where he spied a sea lion monster approaching which then caught Viers in its sight. It seemed to have decided on Viers as its midnight meal. A Rank 2¡­ alone. It is still coming despite my aura being stronger than itself? Or it simply is not smart enough to recognize the opposition¡¯s strength. Normally, I wouldn''t mind fighting it but I¡¯ll pass. Viers had been swimming for several days. Although his orca form was tough enough to sustain the travel and the fatigue did not carry over to his human form, the tiredness of the mind did. Viers wanted to have a good night¡¯s sleep before doing exp farming in this place. Count this as your lucky day, pinniped. ¡°Whoaa!?¡± Viers was about to turn around and leave but halfway doing so, he saw the 1000 kg sea lion leap into the air and cross a hundred meters of distance between it and him. Viers jumped backward to avoid being pancaked by the body press. An enormous cloud of sand was spreading from the sea lion¡¯s landing. It was out of his expectations. This particular species of sea lion monster shouldn''t be able to do that but he just witnessed a jump that would awe any athlete. On a closer look at the sea lion¡¯s flippers with his super sight, Viers found proof of extensive mutations. What evolutionary mutations. Should I say as expected of Monsterland? ¡°Ong ong ong!!¡± The sea lion was primed for battle. An enemy encounter had been invoked. ¡°If you want to die that much, pinniped, so be it.¡± The monster with its bulbous and flabby body was a little comical, even its face was a little bit cute but it was no doubt a vicious beast. Viers fought it to the death, slicing and dicing the monster viciously. It was animal cruelty that would make members of PETA call Viers a degenerate. The battle was short but intense. Viers pushed for a short battle because he wanted to finish the fight before other monsters were drawn by the sound, the scent of blood, or a myriad of other things. Yet he was not fast enough. Something emerged from the sand below his feet. ¡°Tchih!¡± Viers cursed and twisted his body to dodge while swinging a water blade he conjured. The white worm, almost translucent, was separated into two. A worm? Ack!? Another worm emerged from the ground and bit his leg. Before Viers dealt with it, more and more worms emerged from the ground. It¡¯s a fricking colony coming out! Viers was busy defending himself against the onslaught, his Water Shield Arte kept almost all of the Rank 0s and 1s monsters at bay. Something red got caught in the edge of his vision. Viers looked down. In less than five seconds, the white worm that had bitten him, that was still biting him, had sucked enough blood to turn its one-meter-long body completely red. ¡°Gross!¡± Viers yanked the worm on his feet. The worm¡¯s bite was firm, with its sharp teeth, it took a bit of Viers¡¯ flesh with it. Viers squeezed the now red worm around its head and red blood, his blood, burst out like a tomato. Viers used an AoE water Arte to slice many worms to pieces but to his surprise, the cut parts grew into other worms. Wha-!? The worms had such amazing regeneration that when cut into two, or even three or four parts, could still heal and become multiple, functioning worms that attacked him! He was surrounded by so many slimy worms that Viers was almost swimming in it. The situation was as disgusting as one might have imagined. Water Artes were not very effective and slashing attacks would worsen the situation so Viers changed strategy. Ixi Arte - Freezing Breath! Viers blew a gust of icy winds from his mouth, turning the worms to ice after a short exposure. He had been training his Ixi Artes for times like this. The battle was stopped as if time itself had become still, except for Viers who was still breathing. Shit, what an annoying opponent right off the bat¡­ And it¡¯s still not done! When looking down and seeing through the layer of sand, Viers saw there were still worms underneath. The ice Arte bought him time but it wouldn''t last for long. Viers speedily collected the dead monsters into his inventory, including the sea lion, and left the premises. When the fresh wave of worms emerged, Viers was already too far. The worms were excellent ambushers but their speed would only last for a moment, not sustainable for a long period of time. Their first attack was a success because Viers was preoccupied with fighting the sea lion. The worms did not like the cold. The ground had a layer of ice because of Viers and the remnants of winter weather in the air. They languidly returned to the warmth of the sands. As minutes passed, other monsters came to the site of the battle. They found little to no pickings left. Some left and some stayed. One raccoon monster was digging a thin block of ice with a worm encased in it. It dug and dug and managed to create an opening. Elated, the raccoon bit the flesh of the worm and pulled it out from the ice. Suddenly, the worm snapped back to life, piercing the torso of the monster raccoon and biting its inner organs. The flock of monsters was agitated and pounced at the dying raccoon and lively worm. But the worm was in a frenzy and lashed out at every monster around it. The worm was red, the one that had sucked Viers¡¯ blood. Viers¡¯ ice Arte had killed every other worm caught in it except this one. Viers¡¯ blood was rich in vitality and unusual. It triggered an unknown mutation in the worm. ¡°Hisssss!!!¡± The blood-red worm began a massacre of the surrounding monsters, once it latched onto one, it wouldn''t let go, burrowing into their insides. Chapter 300 - Viers Party in Monsterland Tsk. I got a boring injury right from the start. Viers had moved away from the beach and taken some respite under a tree. Although he was grumbling inside his mind it was actually inside his predictions. Red Zone classifications were given to areas deemed too inhospitable for people to live. In most cases, the local monsters were aggressive and dangerous. In his travels, Viers had passed Red Zones before but he usually only passed by and stayed in the periphery. Even then he usually met some sort of complications. This time was no different. What was different was Viers himself. Viers had become a Level 3 mid Pathseeker; he was much stronger than when he was a Level 2. His Artes and various skills had also improved. The stronger he got, the less danger the monsters posed. It was natural. The injury he got during the fight had already healed. Normal Pathseekers would take weeks. Viers¡¯ plan had not changed, a few hours of goodnight¡¯s sleep. He¡¯d found an area with very few monsters that were suitable. After raising a protective barrier using a magic item, Viers placed the Picture Room on a tree¡¯s trunk and went inside the pocket space. Inside, the room was small and humble. The size reminded Viers of the picture of Hong Kong''s micro apartments that he had seen on the net a long time ago. This was much better because it was not as cluttered thanks to the spatial storage item he had. Viers cleaned himself up and changed his outdoor clothes before diving into the bed. By the way, should I feel good or feel bad about the battle earlier? I, a Level 3, got injured against a bunch of Rank 0s and 1s worms. My Unreality Field almost came out of reflex but I pushed it down at the last second. The Victa tradeoff wouldn''t be worth it. I may have a lot of Victa right now but won''t last forever. Being frugal about Victa will lead to long lives¡­ Zzzzz. Viers fell asleep faster than he expected. And awoke faster too. Beep! Beep! Beep! ¡°Mgghh?¡± It was an alarm that woke him, not from a clock or smartphone but from the barrier. It meant it was about to be broken. ¡°...Oh shit!¡± Viers¡¯ brain, which had finished booting up, told the body to spur into action. He immediately put his head out of the Picture Room to investigate. ¡°Geeh!?¡± The barrier was swarmed by a tide of galagos. They were small but numerous. Each had big eyes and ears like bats. Like the worms before, they are about Rank 0s and 1s but while the worms seemed to be one species, these small primates have different evolutions. Viers saw one had fire burning on the edge of its tail and another was clawing at the barrier with wind on its paws. I¡¯m surrounded! How did this happen? The barrier magic item is supposed to be hiding my location from the monsters! Damn fake advertisement! Although the magic item was something that he got from someone else that kindly donated all their wealth to him, Viers still felt annoyed that the item did not work as well as the seller said it would. Wait, this is not the time to be salty to a shifty vendor. Gh! Looks like battle is my only option. Viers tapped his three badges of different colors. ¡°Come out! Dia, Futon, Faiya!¡± ¡°Hoaah¡­¡± Dia stretched her body. ¡°It¡¯s cold¡­ Good morning, kin.¡± ¡°Mmm mmm¡­ Fuu¡­¡± ¡°Yaa! Yaa! Yaaaah!¡± Futon came out still sleeping while the fire elemental was eager for action. ¡°It¡¯s still night, Dia. Sorry guys, but I need you to help me deal with these loud guests.¡± ¡°Oh, okay,¡± Dia scrubbed her left eye, still feeling drowsy. ¡°Fufu, you wake up too.¡± Faiya body-slammed his sleeping sibling and bounced off in the process. ¡°Fuu¡­?¡± Futon replied in the tone of a man who woke up from a century of sleep. Viers left the three children to their antics and got ready on his own, gearing up. Glancing at the time device, he only got about one and a half hours to sleep. I don''t need a full eight-hour sleep but I wouldn''t say no to a few hours more¡­ Ah, what would the Colony¡¯s sleep police say to me I wonder¡­ It was ahead of schedule but Viers¡¯ training arc had begun. He was coming to Monsterland to kill monsters anyway. The little break he had recharged him enough. Since there weren''t any powerful galagos among the bunch, Viers picked fight rather than flight. By the time the barrier broke, Viers and the other three were ready. They each guarded one of the four directions. Dia, Futon, and Faiya were already Level 3. He had faith they would be able to handle the galagos. Viers held his katana, Guren Muramasa, with both hands. The stance was perfectly still. ¡°Water¡­ Slash.¡± Viers had used one of the most rudimentary water Arte more than a thousand times. The amount was thrice as much if his simulation in the Grid was included. He could use it as easy as turning his hand at this point but even so, Viers swung his sword in a measured and controlled manner. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The slash that left a trail of water in its wake was too fast for the galagos and those that were in its path were cut. The monsters seemed to pay no mind to their pack members¡¯ death and kept coming at Viers, which he expected. Although monsters sometimes grouped up, they rarely showed true herd camaraderie. Viers used the second Water Slash almost immediately with the same commitment and seriousness as the first. Viers came here to train and train he did. Viers had fancy Artes and often created new ones because he had so much inspiration in his head and liked to create fancy moves with his hands. That didn''t mean he threw away all of his old moves. For example, the basic Water Slash Arte was something he honed to a high level while regular Level 3s would have already changed this move to a more powerful Arte. Veirs liked it because of its simplicity. Speaking economically, it was also good. The Arte used little Victa to begin with and Viers was so proficient in it that he could draw more power from using even less Victa. In truth, Viers¡¯ Water Slash Arte almost could no longer be called Water Slash Arte anymore. Water Slash after Water Slash while not moving one step, the range of Viers¡¯ sword was like a border of life and death. The galagos that passed that line were cut and died. I have this side handled but what about the other three? Dia stopped the galagos'' frenzied charge with plant roots, their bodies piling up. The roots were actively seeking prey to entangle. On closer look, not only did the roots entwine, but they were also having adhesive properties, making breaking free an even more daunting task. The galagos were like insects caught in glue, powerless to resist. In seconds, the monsters that got bound also showed signs of enfeeblement, as if they got their fluids sucked out of their bodies. Arte - Sticky Entangle and Drain Slurp. ¡°Mmm~ Yum yum. Ehehe~ Thanks for the meal.¡± Dia, who looked like a ten-year-old girl, was smiling before the scene of carnage without a hint of regret. However, the area those two Artes covered were not wide enough and some galagos went through from the side. ¡°Bad big-eyed monkeys. Don''t disturb kin¡¯s sleep!¡± Two cacti sprouted on both of Dia¡¯s side, each taller than her, and started shooting their sharp spines. It was like the barrage of a machine gun and the galagos fell in droves. When one lucky galago managed to slip in through and pounce on Dia, the cactus on the right moved on its own without Dia¡¯s command and gave the primate a hug of prickly death. On another side, it was bright and burning. Faiya, the adorable ball of fire, was spit-roasting the galagos alive with the flames from his mouth. He was like a flying flamethrower. Since it was late in the night, all the combustions were pretty eye-catching. The galagos that were on fire were screaming painfully but not for long as they soon fell silent permanently. It was a simple technique but deadly. Those that didn''t get charred were at an impasse. What could they do against a ball of fire? Some water-type galagos tried their luck and attacked anyway but Faiya when he got serious was emitting crazy heat. The closer one got to Faiya, the higher the temperature. The galagos stopped approaching as their fur ignited and panicked. The cold of winter and the darkness of the night were chased away by a single individual a little bigger than a lightbulb doing arson. On the last side, it was cloudy and electrified. Futon was as fluffy as cotton candy and as cute as a puppy but the cloud elemental was a nightmare to the galagos. He grew in size and volume, blanketing the area with his own body. Inside, the monsters were suffocating as Futon choked their breath out of them. Spreading and spreading, the area he covered was becoming bigger by the second, and more galagos became victims of the white gaseous prison. Unlike his fiery brother, the cloud could easily change his size. He normally stayed as big as a soccer ball but only because it was convenient. Currently, at his true size, Futon could cover a field of twenty-five meters two meters deep. Although these enemies would be dead, Futon moved to deliver the killing blow. The white body of the cloud elemental turned black and crackled with electricity. Futon voluntarily created positive discharge and negative discharge in his body, which came naturally to him, and created lightning. The monsters inside the cloud¡¯s body were slain in an instant as the sound of thunder roared outside. Viers was satisfied with the power his familiar displayed. By giving them natural resources needed for their growth, all three already reached Level 3, the same as him. Their food and requirements were not cheap but they didn''t disappoint. Now that he didn''t have Boram at his side, the existence of these little helpers would greatly diminish his Victa expenditure. He felt he made the right call to cut his soul foundation to breathe life to Faiya and Futon back then. However, their growth is really frightening. Humans cultivate at fifteen years old then they begin at Level 0. I¡¯m a seventeen year old Level 3 and am considered among the fastest. There was the matter of affinity and whatnot. Meanwhile, Faiya and Futon are less than one year old but already Level 3. They got their help from me and Dia¡¯s Biome but still¡­ Monsters should have the same nature, they just need resources. When looking at it that way, aren''t humanity¡¯s prospects a bit grim? I know a lot of Fables where humanity is disadvantaged compared to monsters¡­ Is my species, the people in this world, in danger of extinction? Viers¡¯ mind could wander like that because the monster wave was thinning. After witnessing so many of them die, some began to run away. However, as expected of the Red Zone, the showy battle invited more monsters. ¡°More meat to the grinder boys and girl,¡± Viers shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s give them a warm welcome!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Fuu! Fuu!¡± ¡°Yaaa!¡± The response from the other three was positive. The monsters kept on coming. And coming. Without stopping. After a while, Viers was starting to sweat. The other three were also starting to show fatigue, Faiya was the worst off. Faiya¡¯s firepower was the highest among the three but it gradually went down as the battle dragged on. This issue was already known during the training session. ¡°Hang on just a bit more, I¡¯m collecting the loot. Cover me!¡± Viers said as he readied his Thousand Treasures Casket and took the Picture Room away. The Red Zone label is rightly put! Viers had thought that after vanquishing the galagos herd at the start, he could go back to sleep. He didn''t think it would go on until six other waves of the monster parade. He judged the place was no longer defendable and chose to evacuate. The monsters were aiming at the same thing he was, the flesh and cores of the dead monsters. They were resources for getting stronger for both sides. Viers was unwilling to let his hard work get taken by the hyenas and started collecting. Like a vacuum cleaner, Viers started to work and the other three moved closer to cover him. They were currently being attacked by two different packs of monsters, a possum pack and an ibis pack. However, that move turned out to be a mistake. The familiars were fighting using different elements and were now interfering with each other. Faiya¡¯s flames burned Dia¡¯s roots which resulted in the monster escaping the enclosure. Futon tried to kill the monster using a lightning bolt but he missed the target because the heat Faiya generated distorted the cloud¡¯s shape, striking Dia unintentionally. Viers dealt with the monster on his own but the defensive lines swiftly collapsed because of disorganized teamwork. They didn''t have this problem because they were quite far away from each other. Turned out the plant, cloud, and fire were unable to synergize well in close range. ¡°We retreat.¡± Viers sounded the retreat early even though there was still thirty percent of loot up for grabs. But thanks to that, the monsters were busy fighting over what was left rather than chasing him. While retreating he looked at Dia who had collapsed and was carried by Futon on top of him. Next, he glanced at the dejected Faiya. Viers thought of his error. He put too much emphasis on raising their strength. Viers wasn''t completely wrong because if they weren''t at least Level 3, they wouldn''t be able to help him in his battles for the lack of strength. But now, another issue appeared. Hmn, it seems a team training session is in order. [Wanted to make a super important chapter for the big number but failed. Feels bad man.] Chapter 301 - Men and Monsters A man was looking down on the town from a high rooftop, arms crossed and chin high. The twin moons were full and big behind him. The wind swayed his cloak. The man¡¯s silhouette was looking quite ominous. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s target this time was a certain man¡¯s tower in this very town. The owner was only a Level 3 but his lineage had produced Level 4s in the past. From his soul searches, he found out that the tower held riches and cultivation resources that would be useful for him and his other self. However, the security was tight. It wasn''t impossible for him but it would take a great amount of effort if he did it alone. Ars¨¨ne had been racking his brains about the tower since yesterday. Ah, I love it when the solution to a problem shows itself voluntarily. ¡°You have been following me since noon. Come out already,¡± Ars¨¨ne suddenly said. No one answered him. ¡°I already came to a deserted area and posed for ten minutes waiting for you. I can yank you out if that¡¯s what it takes,¡± Ars¨¨ne turned his head, looking straight at an empty place. The shadows shifted and a man emerged. ¡°You¡¯re skilled, young one.¡± Although he wore a mask and a black robe, the voice indicated he was a man. From his posture, Ars¨¨ne could guess that his hidden arm was holding a weapon but he didn''t mind. ¡°Mister, I don''t need you to tell me that.¡± ¡°Arrogant too. Death likes arrogant, talented geniuses.¡± Ars¨¨ne smiled like a daredevil and replied with a deeper voice. ¡°Death can have me, when it earns me.¡± Ars¨¨ne raised his aura and the man forced his body to not shudder. It surprised him. The young man¡¯s aura was only Level 3 mid while he was Level 3 peak but why was he the one feeling he would die if they fought? The inconsistency validated the man¡¯s wariness. But there wasn''t even a splinter of killing intent mixed in, which was good. If there was, the man believed he might have bolted already. If the identity of the person in front of him was correct, then ¡®that name¡¯ might be even more dangerous than what his organization speculated. His nerves were tensing, readying for that split second life-and-death moment. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of me. Good,¡± Ars¨¨ne looked pleased. ¡°Now let¡¯s begin talks.¡± ¡°...Talks?¡± ¡°I like to be in the position of power before opening dialogue. It makes things smoother. Now, Bone Raven assassins, you have questions. Ask and I¡¯ll answer. And no, you didn''t mishear. I know three more beside you are hiding farther away to serve as your backup. Your strategy as a leader reflects well on you and I¡¯m pleased.¡± The man didn''t like that Ars¨¨ne held the reins of the situation and seemed to know everything. As the one on the receiving end, it felt very unpleasant. ¡°The question, mister,¡± Ars¨¨ne urged again because the man had been quiet for some time. ¡°...Very well, I¡¯ll ask. Are you Tanael, the one that has been making a ruckus in the surrounding towns?¡± ¡°Correct. I¡¯m the one and only Tanael. I¡¯ve been playing it rough lately, thus the ruckus. Seeing your reaction, I have become pretty infamous, hm?¡± ¡°What is your purpose in this town?¡± ¡°I want to say conquest and plunder but I¡¯m not strong enough for the conquest part so I¡¯ll settle with plunder. As for your purpose, I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s because of the rumor that I use the Fade in Shadow Arte, the signature Arte of your cult, am I right? Can¡¯t have an outsider using your org¡¯s precious technique willy-nilly so you wanted to erase me, yes?¡± Correct, the man thought but didn''t speak. Before Tanael admitted it, the man was only surveying the newly arrived traveler. After seeing a glimpse of Tanael¡¯s strength, the man was no longer confident he could win against Tanael, let alone kill him. ¡°...Last question, what happens now?¡± It might be the most important question in his life. ¡°Now, you may call me Boss.¡± ¡°...What do you mean?¡± His perplexion was clear even though the face was masked. ¡°It means what it means. You guys are hitmen and I need to have people killed. I¡¯m hiring you and your group. I might have butted heads with other members of your cult in the past but that has no relation to you. As for payment, don''t worry. I¡¯m rich.¡± Is this guy serious? The man suspected a trap. From a little box, Tanael pulled out a thick banknote first, then put it back in. He pulled a big gemstone next, before swapping it with other precious things a couple of times more. Ars¨¨ne felt the man¡¯s greed and hesitation so he gave a little more push. ¡°I pay better than the usual cult commission. You think I don''t know? How oppressed are the ones below? Forced to do troublesome and risky hits and cast aside when things go wrong. If not for years under the boot of someone stronger, you might have been a Level 4 by now. I¡¯m not here to do you dirty, this is a transaction. You Bone Ravens make contracts before a kill right? If the contracts I put forth don''t satisfy you then that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°...An interesting offer. I would like to hear the details.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Ars¨¨ne knew the fish had been hooked. ¡°By the way,¡± Ars¨¨ne asked. ¡°What should I call you?¡± ¡°Just call me Jito.¡± In the next few days, the people that served as keystones of the tower¡¯s protection were killed one after another and soon, another treasury had been cleaned. Heavenly Thief Ars¨¨ne S. Tanael had struck again. *** The dark sky had begun turning bright as the sunrise arrived but Viers did not care; he was locked in combat with a Rank 3 Water Armor Beetle. Throughout the night, he had failed to find a safe haven. Monsters dogged him at every rest site he tried to create. It was like the galagos ambush. After he raised camp or activated Picture Room, monsters came to his door. In waves. And they were frenzied. Obfuscation or monster repellant magic barriers which were staple for making camp in the wilds didn''t seem to work in this place. After it happened a few times, Viers knew something was off so he no longer tried. The monsters came so he killed them, harvested their bodies, cores, and souls, just like he was meant to do. It was carnage. Although Dia had encountered an accident, she regained consciousness soon and rejoined the ensuing battle. But they were too much. With the exception of Futon, Dia and Faiya were out of gas. They might not use Victa to fight but their energy needed time to replenish. They had fought over a thousand monsters but the end didn''t seem to be on the horizon. Viers hadn''t even had the time to snack on them because more kept coming. He had tried to stay hidden using Fade in Shadow but it didn''t work either, the bats and the lynxes monsters that came next were proof. Viers didn''t expect the fight to be this severe so he made his way to the edge of the Carfax Peninsula, to a place that he knew would be safe, where he could find rest. If he kept fighting like this, his stamina would run out before his Victa tank and he would just be a sumptuous monster dinner. The plan didn''t go swimmingly. Along the way, he got caught by beetle monsters and this time, it was led by a strong Rank 3 monster, a Water Armor Beetle. Monsters were tough, their HP pool was far higher than humans of the same Level. He didn''t want to fight the beetle in this circumstance. So Viers attempted to escape, to no avail. The fight was the only option and they fought. While the familiars were dealing with the lesser beetles, Viers took on the big beetle. Level 3 Pathseekers had an Unreality Field that worked wonders defensively. Rank 3 monsters had a similar ability too, although it wasn''t called Unreality Field. To pierce the defensive protection, the most common method was to use Unreality Field in an offensive manner, which meant a greater mastery upon the Level 3''s exclusive ability. In Valkut city Viers wasn''t able to do it, but after intensive training in Dia¡¯s Biome, he had acquired this ability. Be that as it may, Viers wasn''t able to defeat the beetle in a short amount of time. The water affinity it possessed dampened Viers¡¯ water Artes significantly so he had to use his soul Artes. ¡°Die already!¡± Viers¡¯ was getting annoyed by the beetle¡¯s toughness. Fatal Soulframe First Form: Horror¡¯s fifth use finally crumbled its defense. Viers moved fast. He punched the beetle with the jelly armor carapace and left something inside of it. ¡°Fire in the hole!¡± Viers ducked behind a tree as he shouted, just in time for the explosion. He¡¯d left a fistful of bomb beads inside the beetle¡¯s body and thoroughly decimated it. ¡°Fuu! Fuu!¡± ¡°Yaaa!¡± The trio of cloud, fire, and plant familiar gathered towards him. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get the loot and leave before-¡± A new challenger arrived. From the woods, breaking trees and ground with its charge, another Rank 3 beetle monster came forth. It was the same Water Armor Beetle but this one clearly had better mutations. There were crystalline parts on its carapace, making it look regal. ¡°Tch!¡± With his familiars'' help, Viers cleaned up the bounty as much as he could before the new wave arrived. ¡°Kin, there are also other monsters coming from that way!¡± Dia said. Pincer attack!? Viers could see it too with his Euryale Sight. It was not monsters but one, a three-headed tiger with five tails. It was Rank 2 but it would be really troublesome if he had to fight the tiger and the beetle at the same time. The problem was, they didn''t seem willing to let him go. ¡°Dia, Futon, return! Faiya, I need your power!¡± ¡°Yaa! Yaa!¡± The other two swooshed back into the pocket space inside the badges. The tiger came from the front and the beetle came from behind. ¡°TAIYO-KEN!¡± From Faiya who Viers held aloft above his palm, a dazzling light blinded the monsters. Viers gave Faiya a boost to emit such brilliance. The DBZ technique was literally translated as Fist of the Sun, which was a very apt description. The monsters were reeling from the flash but they were not hurt. As their sight recovered, Viers and Faiya were nowhere to be found. So they fought each other. Some distance away, there was a monster watching the spectacle. A truly barbaric place. Viers had assumed the form of the Water Ghost Spider, which was a stealth-oriented monster. He had improved this form up to Rank 3. Faiya was snugly inside the badge that the spider carried. Now then, I hope the spiders¡¯ stealth works better than Fade in Shadow. To Viers¡¯ surprise, it was very effective. No monsters detected or tried to attack him. What gives? Is it because the Fade in Shadow is a less powerful stealth? No, that shouldn''t be the case¡­ If I have to guess, according to the template, the monsters here can detect human presence somehow and they are very hostile towards humans. My monster transformation rid me of my human status and so my spider stealth works as intended. Wheew¡­ I should have done this from the start. Spider-Unman Viers pondered for a while, thinking about his next course of action after the new discovery. He¡¯d decided to continue walking to the safe place for the time being and moved his eight legs. The sun was out but it was quite cold. As a spider, it was quite hard on Viers. He had to use Victa to maintain his body temperature. The journey had little complications. Through his mutation and evolution, Viers made the Water Ghost Spider a state-of-the-art stealth organism. Most of the spider''s evolutionary energy went towards stealth. The ability to camouflage, presence erasure, silent steps, magic dampener, and so on. This made the spider very weak for a Rank 3 monster combat-wise but Viers had other monster forms for that. The only monsters that would be able to see through his stealth were stronger monsters, the Rank 4s or 5s. Knowing this, Viers wisely evaded areas that had the presence of strong monsters. Now that he was a monster himself, he could detect such an intimidating presence when he got near. Those monsters usually occupy places of power, places with special properties of having a natural treasure that was beneficial for the monster to be around. It was a common trope in power fantasy stories. With his presence undetected, Viers made the journey at his own pace. He arrived after sundown. The Ebon Wall City was a fortress city on the border of the Carfax Peninsula and the rest of the Latias Kingdom. Beast Tides were rampant in Monsterland, to prevent those mad monsters from wreaking havoc inland, a fortress was raised in between. It was a grand sight, black high walls stretching tens of kilometers left and right. Viers wanted to be able to see the city behind it but only the watchtowers on the walls were visible. It wasn''t as high as the Wall in the Game of Thrones or the Attack on Titan but it was still an imposing sight. Well, well, well¡­ And the walls were being stormed by a tidal wave of monsters. Humanoid monsters to be precise. Viers had perceived goblins, orcs, kobolds, and trolls. I seem to have arrived at Helm¡¯s Deep. Chapter 302 - Doing Gods Work What Viers saw was a battle involving tens of thousands. The intensity of the conflict was similar to major battles in World War II. Viers wasn''t surprised much because of Call of Duty and modern movies. Not to mention, he was the architect of greater battles in the Book World final stage. The sun was absent but the torches and various other light sources painted a clear enough picture for Viers to know what was going on. I arrived¡­ halfway through the battle, I suppose? Viers estimated after seeing the number of dead bodies, most of them were goblins and the like because he looked at the scene from the side of the aggressor. The monsters were swarming the walls like ants. Vicious, screaming ants. The bulk of the army was made of goblins, which served as cannon fodder. The orcs were bigger and stronger than goblins but fewer in number. Bigger than the orcs still were the trolls. Goblins as foot soldiers, orcs as elites, trolls as war engines, that was the gist of it. There were other races but they were a minority. Incidentally, they were using primitive equipment such as wooden shields and clubs but they were actually pretty decent because they were not made from ordinary wood. In a magical world, a metal armory was not necessarily better than shirts and robes. Too many factors were involved. Of course, this didn''t mean metal armor was useless and not strong. The aggressors were climbing the walls using multiple, large makeshift ladders. The goblins and orcs were able to climb but the trolls were too heavy so they tried to break the wall in front of them instead. There was no semblance of order or formation so they were all over the place. The defenders were humans but much fewer in number. They stayed behind the safety of the wall and rained all manners of attacks on the sea of enemies below. They were not a very high Leveled bunch, mostly Level 1s and 2s Pathseekers. However, Viers saw they could combine their powers to conjure Artes with Level 3 powers. Because of the low vantage point and not remarkable spider eyes, Viers couldn''t glean much about the human¡¯s side. Unlike Viers who focused on individual battles, the army types usually had more techniques and strategies that took advantage of their numbers. The aggressor side was not without magic of their own. Away from the front line Viers saw goblins and orcs shamans doing things. These individuals wearing beast furs and body paints fit the shaman description to a tee. They straight up made fireballs, lightning, poison mists, and so on, supporting the climbers. Some were dancing and chanting in some kind of ritual. Some were stirring a pot of dubious soup and there were goblins bringing it to the soldiers. They gulped soup and became invigorated. Viers saw them jump the twenty meters tall wall like it was nothing. Viers didn''t yet know where the battle was going but battles had broken out on top of the wall. Viers was quite impressed that goblins and orcs managed to scale the wall considering the fierce resistance of the defenders but then again, the numbers were on their side. After a few seconds of staring, what went through in Viers¡¯ mind was the usual question. How should I exploit the hell out of this situation? Time didn''t stop while Viers was thinking so the pieces on the game board moved on their own. A big shot was making his move. It was a two and a half meters tall green-skinned orc. The muscles on his arms were thicker than a woman¡¯s waist. His fangs on the lower jaw were pointed upwards like tusks. He wore the skull of a monster bull as a helmet. Whoah. That dude right there¡­ He screams ¡®Warchief¡¯ just by standing. The Warchief strode forth with his honor guards. His battle cry was like a war horn and he struck the wall like a battering ram. It was a mighty charge that created a big hole on the defensive wall. The aggressor side cheered their hearts out after witnessing the heroic battle deed of their leader and stormed the breach with maddening intensity. Perfect for Viers because he wanted to enter the city. Lok''tar Ogar, Warchief! Muahahaha! Spider Viers spurred into action and mixed in with the stream of bodies that entered the gap. Naturally, the defenders were focusing their firepower on the bottleneck. Viers¡¯ starting point was quite far so crossing the distance was not easy. But before he got there, more breaches were created in the wall. Viers couldn''t see the perpetrator but he guessed it was the Warchief who did it from the other side After a total of four breaches, no new ones were created. It was a golden chance for Viers. He was worried about getting hit by Artes on either side while he was crossing over. With this, the risks were minimized. Some of the orcs rode massive wolves that supported their bigger than man body and there were tamed monsters in the attacking force so Viers¡¯ spider form was not suspicious. A good thing too because there was no way his stealth would work in these circumstances. Viers smoothly crossed over the breach in the wall. He only got hit by one arrow and three stray Artes. Such a thing was still counted as lucky in a chaotic battlefield. He swiftly scurried away from the breach, from the kill zone the defenders created and went deeper into the city. Practically all goblins and orcs that managed to get through were doing the same as him. While he was running inside, he saw an eye-catching battle. It was the advance party led by the Warchief against a squad of fully armored knights. They wore the insignia of a gray bird on their armor and the banner they carried. Their leader was fighting toe-to-toe with the Warchief. Their display of power captivated the fighters on both sides and invited awe. However, not all of them. Just two Level 3 peaks¡­ A battle of this scale and the top combatants are only at this level? Viers researched the region of Carfax Peninsula and knew the rough estimate of the power level in the area but seeing it with his own eyes really hit it home. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Compared to me¡­ Their power is¡­ Viers was Level 3 mid so they were two small realms higher than him in the Path of Power but he was confident he would not lose to them in straight-up combat. Winning might be difficult though. Especially when they got that strengthening buff by fighting with their respective armies. It was just a small thought as Viers scurried away to safety. ¡°Monster incoming! Fire, fire, fire! Stop shriveling in your boots! Remember what¡¯s behind us. Your families are counting on us! On you!¡± Viers evaded the Artes that a squad of city guards launched and passed their flimsy defensive perimeter in an instant. He paid these mooks no mind. Even though he had weak combat ability, his Water Ghost Spider was a Rank 3 monster. ¡°After it! Don''t let it get to the residential area!¡± The captain shouted. ¡°Cap! Behind you!¡± While the Level 1 captain was turning around at Viers, a Rank 2 kobold approached and slashed him from behind. ¡°Arrgh!¡± ¡°Caaaap!¡± A guy screamed. After seeing the bloody death of the squad pillar, it became like a rag-tag of loose straw. ¡°No good, more of them are coming. We can''t hold them! Uwaaaa!!¡± Viers would have sighed and shaken his head if he saw the spectacle but he didn¡¯t. His priority was losing the pursuers. The dark alleys in the night were his friend. Viers broke into one of the windows. It was clearly someone else¡¯s home but there was no one there. Perhaps they have evacuated? The place was good enough and Viers returned to his human form. He swiftly fastened his katana to his belt and out came the Impersonator Mask, changing his face and look. Viers died in Valkut and the only one that knew of his survival was Ciel, who had sworn she wouldn''t tell anyone. Since she was a member of the righteous brigade, and with the soul oath, Viers was confident she wouldn''t blabber his secret. He had prepared his new face before he set foot in Ebon Wall City. His slightly chubby body was the same but his face was very different. Unlike the Tanael identity who was devilishly handsome, his new face was but a humble seventeen years old youngster. A very average face. Now that his reverse hero transformation was complete, Viers went out to the street. His next priority was information. The wall and the breach was at the eastern side of the city. There were too few people in the evacuated area near the intense battle so Viers went west. It didn''t take long until he met a group of men, looking like conscripts coming to reinforce the defenders. Viers went into an alley on the side, waited for most of the group to pass, then snatched the last of the pack. ¡°Mmmmm!?¡± ¡°Shhh,¡± Viers¡¯ hand tightly shut the man''s mouth. ¡°I just need to borrow your head for a minute.¡± The Level 0 instantly blacked out from Viers¡¯ soul search. His soul was powerless before the overwhelming might of Viers¡¯ cultivation and soul foundation. ¡°Hmm, hmm¡­ Got it. Thanks,¡± Viers left in a hurry. The faster he started, the better. The man stood absentmindedly for about a minute before his brain rebooted. ¡°Hah? What am I¡­ Oh shit! Got to reinforce the wall!¡± The man had absolutely no recollection of getting his soul rummaged through or getting pulled into an alley by a stranger and began running as before. The man was a member of the city security forces, usually patrolling a district very close to here. After making sure there were no Level 5s in the city, Viers made his way to a place that suited his needs. Along the way, he passed by a lot more people. A couple of goblin and orc warbands had reached quite far inside. The people panicked and went to the streets. The aggressors'' aim was to kill people, so the panic was justified. Most of these people were not Pathseekers and thus, prey for the warbands. Bodies were starting to mount on the streets. ¡°Aaaah! Run away!¡± ¡°Hurry! Hurry!¡± ¡°Get out of my way!¡± ¡°Kyaaaah!! He¡¯s dead! He¡¯s dead!!!¡± It was almost a stampede. Seeing the scene, Viers felt great pity for them. No matter which Fable, the powerless always get the short end of the stick. That is why I must be strong, stronger, then strongest. ¡°Mama! Mamaaaa!¡± A boy around five years old was lost and wandering the streets, seeming separated from his mother. ¡°Aaaaah!¡± He screamed seeing a goblin grab his arm. Even though their heights weren''t so different, the other had a very ugly face and vicious eyes. ¡°Your eyeballs look so delicious. Gweheheheh!¡± The boy screamed again as the goblin was about to drive his rusted knife to the boy¡¯s neck. But before it happened, the boy saw the goblin cut in three. ¡°Sorry bud,¡± the boy heard a man with a sword whisper. ¡°You''re too ugly to live.¡± The boy was agape and stood silently, the teary eyes were fixed on the sight of the galant visage of a man. ¡°Get a move on, kid,¡± Viers said to the boy. ¡°Chop, chop.¡± Viers kept going to his destination, it was just a few goblins and an orc were in the way. ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡± The goblin said. ¡°Lowly human!¡± The orc said while swinging his ax down. Water blades stabbed each of them once and they died. It happened in the blink of an eye. ¡°Tim! Timmy!¡± A woman with black hair that slightly resembled the boy embraced the child in her arms. ¡°Are you okay? Are you hurt?¡± ¡°Mama!¡± Tim hugged his mother back. ¡°N, no. Not hurt,¡± he shook his head. ¡°That person killed the bad goblin first.¡± ¡°That person?¡± Following the pointed finger, the woman saw Viers from the back seconds before his visage was drowned by the crowd. ¡°At any rate, we¡¯ve to leave. This place is not safe.¡± Mama Tim carried Tim away. As for Viers, he¡¯d arrived at his destination, a secret storage that the city guard used for supplies. Naturally, Viers would take them all later but it was just a bonus. He only needed a hidden place relatively near the battlefield. ¡°Now, poor souls, rejoice. For I am your salvation.¡± Arte - Subtle Soul Gravity. Like a soundless, invisible vacuum cleaner, souls, human or otherwise, were absorbed into Viers. At first they came in ones or twos but it soon became hundreds. This was Viers¡¯ aim. Battlefields were prime locations to harvest fresh souls. He had to go to the city first because he couldn''t do so in monster form. If he tried it on the other side of the wall, monsters would detect his human form and disturb him doing God¡¯s work. Viers didn''t think it was blasphemous in any way. The war didn''t happen because of him and it was true he didn''t help repel the aggressor but that was because it wasn''t his role. Fighting invaders was the job of a soldier. Saving lives was the job of a doctor. Viers was doing his job as the Guide to the Afterlife, a funeral service of sorts. There was just a teeny-tiny bit of fee involved. Viers and his other self were collecting human souls at an exponential rate. In the Book World, his soul cultivation had reached the Grand Soul stage, which contributed to his victory over the Mary Sue, Anne. After that, he cut his soul foundation in half to breathe life into Futon and Faiya. Then at Valkut, the unknown Level 5 severely injured his soul. With all the souls he aggressively gathered, his recovery to the Grand Soul stage was close at hand. Chapter 303 - Meeting New People at the Tavern The banquet lasted longer than he thought. After Viers infiltrated the Ebon Wall City, the battle went on until morning before the ¡®Horde¡¯ side retreated. On the ¡®Alliance¡¯ side, the people were scrambling to rebuild the defenses and save lives. Viers put his hands together and said Gochisousama Deshita. While most of the souls he got were non-human and thus non-consumable for him, they still held immense value for a soul Pathseeker like himself. But it seemed he had said thanks too soon. The attack started again at sunset. Viers had an all-you-can-eat soul buffet for the second day in a row and it was grander than the last time. It began with an earthquake that collapsed part of the wall. Several Level 3s on the other side combined their power and unleashed Level 4 might. Then the goblins raiding party emerged from behind the battlelines, directly under the city. Some came from the holes they dug, and there were some who waited for their chance after their first infiltration yesterday. This created chaos among the populace. The bell of emergency rang repeatedly, war horns were sounded, and the crack of deadly Artes exploded seemingly everywhere. A villain that he was, Viers welcomed the development with open arms. He continued his Subtle Soul Gravity Arte, being alert and ready to bail if there was someone with the means to detect him. Other than that, he also tried to gather data on what was happening on the battlefield as much as he could. Data was good. On Earth, people had been gathering data about everything, especially in the last decades. It had universal uses, from advancing science and medicine, to seeking planets in the far reaches of space, or asking ChatGPT to make rap songs. Viers took in the various strategies, developments, and fruits of training of thousands of individuals into his database through his five senses. Much more data would come when the soul searches finished. Meanwhile, the souls of the dead were automatically drawn to him like water flowing down the kitchen sink, like a natural law. The humans revealed their next hidden cards. There were hundreds of cannons on top of the walls. They were more like artillery rather than cannons, functional thanks to magic rather than science. The projectiles of those machines of war made flowers of gore bloom across the battlefield. The cannons were effective but not effective enough. It was like trying to block a river with a truck, water still slipped in. At the crucial waypoint, the Warchief and the Knight Leader of the Grey Hawk knightly order faced off again. Thanks to some helpful souls, Viers knew their name now. The orc warchief was called Baras Bonecrusher and the knight leader was Charles Hall. The two leaders seemed to have some ancient rivalry going on but Viers didn''t really care about it. Their strength was about even, so the battle was a Victa-burning stalemate. Throughout the battle, Viers stayed relatively close to the frontline and had his fair share of encounters with the orcs and goblins. He swiftly cut them down when possible but was eventually forced to run away and change locations a few times. The east part of the city was a hot zone of contested ground. Viers moved like an expert soldier in urban warfare. Riding flying mounts and using burrowed tunnels, the attackers poured into the city. Viers pounced at some opportunities that revealed themselves in the chaos. He saw an orc decked with wealth and magic items close by, busy killing helpless civilians, so he terminated, snatched, and grabbed him. Viers saw an abandoned human shop full of goods, so he kept them for safe keeping. With his stealth and some Soul Mind Trick here and there, nobody caught him. Two full days of intense conflict later, after a mounting of casualties and multiple back and forths, the city was about to fall. The attackers were simply too numerous. Monsterland provided a large selection of monsters in great quantities; these typically evil-aligned races in video games wrangled them as war beasts and hurled them at the Ebon Wall City. With the dwindling number of defenders and their Victa reserves, it became more and more difficult to hold the wall and eventually they were overrun. Viers was preparing to retreat after seeing which way the wind blew but he halted when he heard the rumbling of hoofs approaching from the east. Knights of horseback were coming to the rescue. From the many colors of their banner, Viers believed they were a coalition force from the surrounding areas. Viers counted about five hundred of them but they were all Level 2s and 3s, which was a significant battle power. Not to mention, the man riding a flying regal griffin that led them was a Level 4 Pathseeker. Like a wave of steel and lances, they crashed against the goblins and monsters, crushing them under their mount¡¯s hoofs. Viers watched the comeback from the front-row seating. After the tribes of orcs and goblins lost most of their numbers, they retreated but not before leaving a gift. Their shamans created blackish-purple mists from the fallen, including the dead monsters. The sheer number of dead on the battlefield made the mist propagate very rapidly. The unlucky ones that got caught by the spreading gas met their death almost immediately. Their flesh rotted and blood blackened, fueling the generation of new mists and increasing the potency of the mysterious Arte a little bit. Its deadly aura made Viers stay away from them as much as possible. He saw that Level 3s with their Unreality Field were able to resist but only so long as their ability held. The knights tried many things but nothing was very effective. Even the Level 4 was only able to scatter a small part of it. The mists crept closer to the city like a shadow of death. The city¡¯s cathedral shined, creating a dome of light that grew larger by the second, stemming the advance of the blackish purple mist and purifying the fell affinities Arte with its holy attribute. Viers easily recognized the work of the Church anywhere. The light of purification cleansed the aggressor¡¯s final hand. And so the cavalry and the Church saved the Ebon Wall City¡­ Happy End. Viers thought while watching a field of dead in front of him. Of the retreating goblins and the jubilant city folks. *** Viers walked the streets with the same feeling of slight emptiness after exiting a movie theater, slightly out of touch with reality. It didn''t last long and he was already moving on to the next thing on his to-do checklist. He came to this city to find lodging, the grand battle pushed back his timetable somewhat. Since he couldn''t rest in Monsterland, he would need a place to spend the night. The Ebon Wall City was the perfect place for that. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. After thinking about it, I might have a way to circumvent the constantly attacked thing in Monsterland but it¡¯s still nice to have a place here. So where¡¯s the inn? The state of the city was not good. It became very evident while he walked. The debris, corpses, and so on were everywhere. However, despite the city seeming to be in the aftermath of a major earthquake, the recovery speed was greater than Earth¡¯s. Viers saw a group of men rescue a family trapped under a collapsed house by turning the rubble to sand. As expected of a magical world. And because of that, the inn and lodging that he visited were either not fit for use or full. Alright. Let¡¯s try this one, Viers was trying to stay positive after failing to get a room several times. The name of the inn is¡­ Heaven Is Cruel? The owner must be quite the wise man then, to realize the truth of the world so clearly. Hope there¡¯s an empty room here. The building was big and nice, resembling European-style architecture. He guessed the reason this place was intact while the surroundings were not was because of the recently activated protection. Viers could see the enchantments on the wall and felt the residue. This meant this place was of a nicer quality compared to those cheap and low-quality inns. Just what Viers was looking for. When he entered he was greeted by the usual spectacle of tables and chairs, of food and drinks. He expected that the inn came in one with a pub set. It was almost time for dinner so the place was quite full. ¡°Welcome to Heaven Is Cruel,¡± a woman behind the rustic wooden counter asked. ¡°What would you like to be having today?¡± The place was able to house twenty people and was almost filled to capacity. The guests, almost all of them men, were having beers and being rowdy. It was unknown if they were trying to drink their sorrows away or being genuinely happy the city survived the very recent attack. Meanwhile, Viers was like he¡¯d just been hit by Petrificus Totalus. Ti¡­Ti¡­ ¡°...Uhm, dear guest?¡± the woman asked Viers again after there was no response. ¡°Dahahaha! Look at ¡®im, lads. Another one falling for the madam at first sight!¡± After one of the guests called the attention to Viers, the laughter spread to almost all of them. ¡°Sir Jake, please don''t tease the young guest,¡± the hostess said. ¡°Dear guest, is everything alright?¡± The woman showed Viers a business smile while waiting for Viers¡¯ reply. Viers almost didn''t hear the voices despite their loudness and possessing superhuman hearing. Because the woman had a pretty face, round black eyes, flawless healthy skin color, and long dark hair that reached her mid-back. She had an athletic build and nice muscles that only accentuated her bodily beauty. She had long legs and a height reaching almost 170 cm. She wore a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves under the apron with the logo of the tavern. She looked just like Tifa Lockhart from FFVII. Not a carbon copy of course, but the resemblance was extraordinary. This was far beyond what a simple cosplay could achieve and it amazed Viers. Also, the woman had big boobs. Get your shit together, Viers! What are you, an ecchi manga protagonist? Act normal and don''t look like a creep! Master yourself, man! ¡°...Oh, oh! Apologies, you just look very familiar to someone I know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie. You glanced at her breasts, boy! Hahahaha!¡± And a round of laughter began again. ¡°Sir Dickens! Stop it!¡± The hostess berated the teasing middle-aged man and faced Viers with a face that didn''t mind it one bit. She must have built a lot of tolerance for these kinds of things in her line of work. ¡°Please forgive them, they mean no harm. How may I help you?¡± Viers had a mind to slaughter these drunkards like insects for humiliating him but he refrained. It would make trouble for the hostess. Although it was true Viers glanced at her chest area. It was inevitable. Viers cleared his throat and tried to reset his bearings. ¡°Yes, I would like to rent a room. Can I speak with the owner or the one managing the inn?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re looking at her,¡± the Tifa look-alike said. ¡°I¡¯m the owner of this establishment.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Viers gave a nod. ¡°Well, do you have one available?¡± ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, dear guest, but we¡¯re full,¡± the woman said apologetically. ¡°With the state of the city as it is, I¡¯m afraid all the inns that are still standing would be packed to the brim.¡± ¡°Yeah, I suspected as much,¡± Viers sighed. ¡°All right, sorry for disturbing you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re truly sorry.¡± The woman felt really bad for turning Viers away. The city was having a hard time. After the attack, many lost their homes or worse, their loved ones. The mayor had begun organizing aid such as tents and food, but the weather was still quite cold. Most likely, the youth would sleep in the cold tonight. She wanted to help but there really was no empty room at the inn. Contrary to her thought, Viers was just feeling a slight inconvenience. He had a Picture Room. With it, he could have made a sleeping place almost anywhere. He could just stick it on some random wall and he had a personal room, faster than making an instant noodle. It was many times more expensive though, something so convenient needed money to run. As Viers was about to turn around, he saw a kid, about eight to ten years old, with a stupefied look on his face. ¡­Is that how I looked earlier? Geez Louise¡­ What an embarrassment. ¡°What is it, kiddo-¡± ¡°It¡¯s the cool brother!¡± The boy shouted. ¡°Mommy, mommy! This is the person that saved me from the monster!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The woman looked surprised. ¡°Huh?¡± Viers turned to the ¡®mommy¡¯ that the boy hugged. Tifa is a Momma!? But she¡¯s so young! The owner of Heaven Is Cruel looked to be in her early twenties. She looked like a college student. Considering the boy¡¯s age, at what age she gave birth? ¡°...Uh,¡± the woman smiled awkwardly after seeing the question written on Viers¡¯ face. ¡°I¡¯m actually older than I look.¡± ¡°Swoosh!¡± The boy made a motion as if swinging a sword. ¡°Sorry bud, you¡¯re too ugly to live¡­ So coooool!¡± Viers resisted the urge to facepalm as the boy mimicked his pose a few days ago. He failed. Oh God¡­ So lame¡­ ¡°Tim, are you sure?¡± The mother asked. ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m sure!¡± Now that she thought about it, she indeed recalled that the youth before her was similar to the one that caught a glimpse before. ¡°Brother, brother, I''ve never seen you before. Are you a traveler? Where do you come from? Have you seen many monsters? What¡¯s the biggest monster you¡¯ve ever seen? Are you a master swordsman? Who¡¯s stronger between you and Knight Leader Charles? Oh, oh! You want to find an inn, right? But mommy said every inn in the city is full so you won''t get a place¡­¡± The boy was talking like an engine on overdrive and only slowed down at the end for thinking. ¡°I know!¡± The boy had a ¡®eureka¡¯ expression. ¡°You should stay with us! It¡¯s just me and my mom so there are rooms we don''t use. Guest room! Mommy keeps it tidy. It is here, in the same building. The center is the tavern, the left wing is for the inn, and the right wing is where we live. You can stay there and tell me stories, can he, mom?¡± ¡°Eh? There¡¯s no way I can just intrude like that,¡± Viers tried to refuse. Kids usually didn''t know the deeper complication of their words. ¡°No, dear guest,¡± Mommy Tifa said. ¡°Please allow me to show my appreciation for saving my son¡¯s life. I¡¯m afraid there really is no empty room left in other lodgings even if you seek them. It would be my pleasure to host you in my humble abode.¡± The pub was so quiet that the sound of a creaking wooden chair could be clearly heard. All eyes and ears were on Viers, waiting for his answer. ¡°¡­Then I¡®ll be in your care.¡± ¡°Pfffffttt!¡± Guests that were in the middle of drinking beer spurted out their drinks. Chapter 304 - Socializing in Heaven ¡°Here¡¯s your room. I hope it meets your standard. Feel free to use the bed and everything else in the room. If you need something else, inform me.¡± The young mother guided Viers to a room with a bed on the right side of the building. ¡°Please, you¡¯re too courteous. I¡¯m already thankful to not have to sleep at the horse stable.¡± Viers had the Picture Room magic item so that wouldn''t happen but he still showed the right attitude of humbleness and gratitude. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave you to it. Come to the tavern once you''re done settling down. We have lots of dish choices for the travelers.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Jessica¡­ or is it Madam?¡± ¡°My, how polite,¡± Jessica put her hand to cover her smiling mouth. ¡°But just Jessica will do. After all, Mister Kira is my son¡¯s benefactor. Enjoy your stay.¡± With a light bow, the establishment owner closed the door. ¡­Guess lookalikes are really a thing. If she goes to a cosplay event, she definitely will be the center of attention. Although there were some twists and turns, Viers got a place in Ebon Wall City, completing his objective. He was pretty dirty from the fight with the monsters and dust on the road so he cleaned himself up. He didn''t use the mother-son-pair bathroom though. Jessica was pretty rushed guiding him earlier since the tavern was right at peak dinner time. Viers¡¯ water abilities and the things in his inventory transformed him from dirty to clean in a jiffy. Then he sprawled on top of the bed, with just the right amount of firmness, that Jessica kept free of dust. Jessica¡­ Her son, Tim, or is it Timmy? Hmm¡­ Momma Tifa¡­ just wow. Speaking of names, I¡¯m Kira now. Better not get mixed up. Viers had changed identity yet again, introducing himself as Kira to Jessica during the introduction earlier. New places, new faces, new names. Since Avel the Slayer¡¯s identity and perhaps Viers¡¯ own might be compromised by Mr. X, a stronger soul Pathseeker, Viers deleted the Avel account while ¡®Viers¡¯ went off the grid. Even though it had to be done, Viers still felt bitter about losing the Avel identity. It was quite a big loss, he thought. Viers¡¯ stomach made a growl. He carried his Guren Muramasa katana with his left hand and went to get some food. Pathseekers used all kinds of weapons and he, or Ars¨¨ne, even met some katana users on the road. Avel used the same katana but after changing the color of the hilt and sheath, it shouldn''t pose any problem for Kira to use. Even before he went through the door, the hustle and bustle of Heaven Is Cruel tavern could be heard. ¡°Faulkner, today¡¯s special two sets and two ales. Make one of them extra spicy,¡± Jessica gave the order to the man in the kitchen then she saw Viers in her sight. ¡°Mister Kira, please take a seat. We¡¯ll be with you shortly.¡± Jessica already went to another table and took their order before Viers answered. Viers took a seat near the counter while waiting. ¡°What¡¯s your fancy?¡± A woman with a plump body and cheeks with brown curly hair wearing the same apron as Jessica spoke to Viers behind the counter. She looked to be in her forties. A neighborhood kind of auntie. ¡°Do you have meaty monster dishes?¡± Viers said his craving of the moment. ¡°Sure do,¡± the woman listed the menu and Viers picked one. ¡°Give me the strongest monster meat you have for that,¡± Viers added. ¡°What about the drink? We have ale, beer, mead¡­ wine, if that¡¯s your fancy. Nothing too pricey, that the aristocrats drink, though.¡± ¡°Just water is fine.¡± ¡°Rightto. Be back in a jiffy.¡± While the woman relayed the order to the kitchen, Viers scouted the tavern. It had a nice warm, rustic atmosphere. Since he was in the Latias Kingdom, the different cultures showed in the little things such as the windows, decorations, and so on. ¡°But-¡± ¡°No buts. You must finish your assignments today. Besides, Mister Kira just got here. Let him eat and rest first, okay?¡± ¡°...Okay.¡± Some tables away, even though they didn''t speak loudly, Viers heard the conversation between Tim and his mother. Tim seemed to be writing things. Some sort of homework? Even though Jessica said she was the owner, she was the one who brought food and drinks to the customers, the role of bar wenches. But seeing the looks of most male customers towards her, Viers guessed the reason easily enough. Pretty women get plenty of men¡¯s attention. It is known. A man took up the empty seat next to Viers, somewhat forcefully. Here it comes. Viers drank the cup of water the previous waiter provided. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°So, kid. Heard yer¡¯ gonna spend the night under the owner¡¯s roof,¡± the gruff man said. ¡°I don''t think you''re a fool but I¡¯m telling ya just in case,¡± said another man who took a seat in the other empty seat next to Viers. ¡°If you get any ideas about the madam, you¡¯re gonna answer to these knuckles of mine.¡± The gruff man from earlier scanned Viers from head to toe. Kira''s body and face weren''t exactly a handsome picture. ¡°Kid, you feel us, huh?¡± The face with a threatening expression moved closer. ¡°Huuh?!¡± Being told those things by middle-aged men was pretty hilarious to Viers. Their antics were so juvenile. Actually, besides these two, the Jessica fans were voicing their envy and jealousy at Viers with their silent glare. Viers was weighing whether he should remove the man¡¯s head from his neck using the quickdraw slash of Cut the Crap Arte. It would be as easy as yawning. He could even make it so not a drop of blood would pour out to avoid making the place messy. Because of a TV show about a certain red-haired samurai with an X scar on his cheek that Viers watched when he was little, Viers had a special fondness for quickdraw sword technique. Cut the Crap Arte was his embodiment of that obsession. But, whatever the reason for the invention, the Arte¡¯s deadliness was without question. Thump. The waiter brought a sizzling hot steak and put it in front of Viers. ¡°Gentlemen, the boss can answer for herself. No need for you all busybodies. Now move away please. You¡¯re bothering a guest.¡± ¡°But Greta-¡± ¡°Bah, it¡¯s alway like this with you, Jake, Dickens. Shall I say a thing or two to your wives tomorrow then?¡± And that got the two of them backing away. ¡°Now you can enjoy your meal in peace,¡± the waiter, Greta, said with a smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Don''t mention it. It¡¯s a regular thing in this place. Cause Jessica¡¯s a beauty.¡± ¡°M-hm¡­ Can I ask you something?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling what thing my boss likes or her three sizes,¡± Greta said with her elbow on the counter and a hand propping her cheek. ¡°Nothing of the sort,¡± Viers chuckled. ¡°Tim¡¯s father is¡­¡± ¡°Passed away, about a year ago. It¡¯s just her and little Timmy now,¡± Greta replied. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Well, keep your noses clean, young man. She packs a mean punch.¡± With that last sentence, Greta went back to work. Like she said, Jessica was a Level 3 mid Pathseeker. What affinity Viers didn''t yet know but in this place where the top dogs were Level 3 peak, she was pretty close to the top. On the other hand, Kira was just a Level 2. As always, Viers liked to make himself weaker in the eyes of others. Even though he was a savior of her son, Jessica invited a stranger to her home. Her being stronger than him definitely played a factor in her decision. Well, not like I''m gonna do anything towards her anyway. Country-toppling jade beauties or Tifa¡¯s mirror image or whatnot, I ain''t chasing any girls¡¯ ass. Without further ado, Viers dined upon the hot juicy steak in front of him with a hearty appetite. The meat replenished his energy and satisfied his hunger. Viers wasn''t a slow eater and the crowded tavern wasn''t his usual cup of tea so after finishing his meal, he left for his room. Besides, there were people waiting to get a place so Viers didn''t block Jessica¡¯s business. But damn¡­ That is one hot single mother right there. Viers left before he became like the men in the tavern. In the cartoons of the old days, their eyes would be heart-shaped and bulging out of their sockets. Furthermore, they would be panting with open mouths like dogs in heat. When Jessica found only an empty seat and clean plate at Viers¡¯ place, she felt a bit guilty not being able to be a better host for her son¡¯s savior. When he took up the plate, she found a few coins more than double the dish¡¯s value with a napkin note. It was delicious. My compliments to the chef. Jessica brought the plates and napkin to the kitchen. ¡°Faulkner, the customer that ate your steak liked it,¡± she said while showing the napkin to the chef. ¡°Hrm.¡± Faulkner only gave the napkin a short glance and grunted in acknowledgment before continuing cooking. Jessica gave a light sigh but with a smile. In his room, Viers placed his own magic items to increase the place''s security, not letting down his guard. Next, is my soul food. Viers planned to spend his hours until his sleeping time consuming the souls of the dead after he''d soul searched them. The Recordkeeper Mirror was at an arm¡¯s length. He placed unnecessary memories there instead of stuffing his brain¡¯s hard drive full of data. However, his schedule went awry not long before it began. ¡°Hehehe, brother Kira, I came to play,¡± said Tim with a big smiley face in front of the door. ¡°Welcome! Come on in,¡± Viers replied with a smile. Viers sighed in his mind. He didn''t really like kids. They were cute but more often than not, they were a handful. This was undoubtedly true for babies. They were a cry and poop factory. Naturally, Dia, Futon, and Faiya are the exceptions. Tim was a hyperactive ball of energy. He made Viers tell him stories. He showed Viers his toys. They played sword fights with pillows. And many more. Tim was five. Luca, the village girl with Darkness 5 affinity that he met in the past, was ten. Tim was much more kid-like than Luca, which made him harder to deal with. His respect for Jessica, and every mom in existence, went up a notch. After two hours, Viers¡¯ patience had dried like the Aral Sea. He was about to use Soul Mind Trick on Tim, to put him to sleep, but before he handwaved the kid, Jessica came to save Viers from the little demon. ¡°Nonono!¡± Tim made a tantrum, waving his hands wildly. ¡°I still want to play with Kira!¡± ¡°Hush! It¡¯s already late. Mister Kira wants to sleep too!¡± In the end, Tim was successfully brought away by his mother, much to Viers¡¯ relief. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for the interruption to your rest,¡± Jessica said. ¡°Oh no. It¡¯s the least I could do,¡± Viers faked his smile. ¡°Sleep well, ma''am.¡± ¡°Thank you again. And good rest to you too.¡± Now that he regained some peace and quiet, Viers did what little soul cultivation that he could before hitting the bed. Pathseekers still need sustenance and sleep, even Level 5 Pathseekers. Unlike the cultivators in some versions that didn''t need food and sleep pretty early in their cultivation journey. Before Valkut, Viers was happy following the day and night cycle; eating and sleeping at his own time according to the laws of nature. After Valkut, after he started his hardcore cultivation session, Viers felt what he felt while he was on Earth: twenty-four hours a day wasn''t enough. He had too many things that he could do to increase his strength but didn''t have time to do it. With the unavailability of his tenants, Paina, Farley, and Clarissa, his workload also increased. In the past, he was able to outsource some work to them, such as new Arte development and some minor but necessary calculation. Viers felt a little empty inside. You don''t realize what you¡¯ve lost until it¡¯s gone, huh? Viers drifted to sleep while swimming in melancholic memories. After a frigid morning came, Viers was already making preparations to go back to Monsterland. Chapter 305 - Kill Counting ¡°Appearance, check. Equipment, check. Forgotten things¡­ none, check.¡± Just as the sun was peeking up from the horizon line, Viers went out of his room dressed in full adventurer gear. He stepped on the cold flooring silently, so as to not awaken the mother-son pair in the house. His steps were as silent as a thief and his presence was as imperceivable as a ghost. He had put so many skill points in the stealth department, reaching a level that even pro assassins would envy. Hm? On his way out, he saw Jessica doing yoga things, stretching her body in all kinds of ways. Looking at her perfectly toned body in tight-fitting clothes, Viers thought of one thing. She has nice muscles. After she worked up some sweat, Jessica changed things up. She made a fighting stance. ¡°Shuu¡­ Haa¡­¡± After a deep breath, the young mother¡¯s concentration was at its peak. Her aura changed to that of a martial artist. A punch cut through the air, followed by a series of combos. Jessica started shadowboxing but with kicks included. Viers was impressed by how quietly she could do the intense movements. Even though he wasn''t on Earth, Viers had become a veteran warrior after all he went through in this world. He could glean the depth of Jessica¡¯s skill from her movements. Would you look at that? She¡¯s pretty good¡­ Viers didn''t want to break Jessica¡¯s concentration so he waited. He definitely wasn''t ogling the hot mother of one but because he had to pass through the room to get to the door. After four to five minutes, his chance came when Jessica finished a session. Sometimes, training wasn''t about how long it took but about intensity. Though short and did not involve Victa usage, it was a very exhausting exercise. ¡°Oh, Jessica? Wow, you¡¯re early,¡± Viers the liar said as if he¡¯d just arrived. ¡°Training? Sorry for the interruption.¡± ¡°Kira, you¡¯re already up?¡± Jessica said while wiping the sweat on her face with a towel, slightly out of breath. ¡°Oh, not at all. Wait a bit. I¡¯ll whip up some breakfast in no time. Would you like your eggs sunny side up or scrambled?¡± Then she realized Viers was clothed up for outdooring. ¡°You¡¯re leaving, already?¡± ¡°Yep. I have things to do today. It¡¯s regrettable but I¡¯ll have to pass on that breakfast¡­ Oh yeah, this is for the rent yesterday,¡± Viers pulled a few silver coins from his pocket. ¡°That¡¯s a shame. I was about to show off my cooking,¡± Jessica joked. ¡°What do you need? Perhaps I can help.¡± ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m just going to hunt some monsters.¡± ¡°Hunting? Not beyond the wall, right?¡± Jessica looked concerned. Beyond the wall meant the side where the Carfax Peninsula was, the direction where Viers came from. ¡°Yeah. I came here to kill a bunch of monsters after all,¡± Viers replied. ¡°No! Kira, please reconsider. You might not know this since you¡¯re not from around here but it¡¯s not a good time right now. We still don''t understand where the attack from yesterday came from! Also, the monsters definitely will have vicious turf wars with so many of them gone. It¡¯s very dangerous, even with a full party of Level 2s.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going alone though,¡± Viers said as if he was about to take a walk to a nearby convenience store in the neighborhood. ¡°Then it is even worse!¡± Jessica passionately tried to dissuade Viers from going but Viers was adamant. ¡°Oh, you,¡± Jessica put a hand on her head while sighing. ¡°So confident, so reckless, so¡­ young¡­ I can¡¯t stop you, can I? Then promise me, promise you¡¯ll be very, very careful. Don''t be greedy and take unnecessary risks.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Wait a moment. I have things that you¡¯ll need.¡± Jessica went to her room and she was back shortly. ¡°This is a Kill Counting Stone,¡± Jessica showed a white stone the size of an apple to Viers. ¡°When you kill a monster and have this stone in your possession, the stone can record it by changing its colors. The stronger the monster, the greater the effect but killing a bunch of weaker monsters will achieve the same result in time. From white, it will become red, green, blue, and lastly, black. There are various stages of each color.¡± ¡°Hoooh¡­¡± Viers picked up and observed it. ¡°There are monster problems everywhere, but beyond the wall is even more of a problem. The more monsters that can be culled before they become a monster tide, the better. This stone gives incentives to mercenaries, sellswords, even knightly orders to sally beyond the Ebon Wall.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°What is this stone for?¡± Viers asked. ¡°It serves as your monster killing proof. You can exchange your colored stone for benefits like money or something else at the city hall. You can go there to get one of your own but it might take time so just take mine. This one has never been used anyway.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you, Jessica. But this stone can count kills? Incredible. If so-¡± ¡°Don''t think about it. It¡¯s a local specialty that only works in the Carfax Peninsula. Only at Monsterland.¡± ¡°Figures¡­ Okay then. I¡¯ll be off.¡± ¡°Wait. It¡¯s still cold outside. Wear this,¡± Jessica put a muffler on Viers¡¯ neck. ¡°Take these healing potions too. There are only two but it might make a difference. And don''t forget to-¡± Jessica gave Viers other things and more advice. Viers felt he was like a kid being told by a fussy mother, but seeing her eyes full of care and worry made Viers feel bad if he rejected her. ¡°I¡¯ll be off then. Almost forgot. The coins.¡± At the offered coins, Jessica shook her head. ¡°Give it to me after you come back. You have to come back, or you¡¯ll be in debt forever.¡± Viers smiled. ¡°If you put it that way, it looks like I cannot die no matter what. Bye then. Say hi to little Tim when he wakes up.¡± ¡°Be careful of strangers, don''t drink river water without boiling first, also remember to-¡± Jessica accompanied Viers to the tavern¡¯s front and shouted things that would be perfect for a kid on his first outdoor outing to an experienced traveler like Viers. The emoji grinning with a sweat aptly described his feeling right now. ¡°I¡¯m off,¡± Viers waved his goodbye. Even so, Viers didn''t feel bad. The motherly warmth that Jessica showed made Viers think of his mothers. Earth¡¯s and this world¡¯s. Sheeesh, Viers scratched his head. I feel so melancholic lately. Is it because my head is too silent without the chattering of my tenants? In the past, Viers sometimes hoped they would be quieter. Now, with the other two gone and Clarissa in a soul coma, he wished to hear their voices. The heart was capricious that way. Welp. Nothing beats killing and smashing things to clear your head. The scar of the invasion was fresh. Viers witnessed a lot of things on the way. Broken homes, children huddling on the street to sleep, all were quite saddening. But, the government cares a lot more about their citizens compared to other areas. Their humanitarian aid is quite generous. City guards raising emergency tents, the creation of soup kitchens, and so on¡­ They say it''s because of mayor Anderson, hm? Viers kept walking and crossed the wall of black that became the name of the city. But I must say Jessica gave a timely gift. What a nice person. Viers was talking about the Kill Counting Stone. He acted as if it was the first time he saw or heard the local specialty item but it was actually not true. He¡¯d soul searched people from here and many had knowledge of the stone. Viers planned to get one at the city hall but Jessica made him save time. I should show my appreciation¡­ Let¡¯s see, what did Tifa like again? ¡­Cloud? Will she be happy to meet Futon? Heheheh. Viers was grinning at his own bad joke. Some people he passed by on the streets were giving him the look but he didn''t care. Some souvenirs from Monsterland would do. Speaking of which, there must be other stones in the locked inventory items that I looted during the war. I should open them when I have the chance. The days when he struggled to open a pair of locked item rings were a day in the past. Although guarded, Viers crossed the Ebon Wall with no problems. The guards were standing guard to keep monsters out, not people going out. There were a lot of high-grade monster detection arrays though. If it wasn''t because of the breach earlier, even Spider-Viers wouldn''t be able to sneak through undetected. ¡°All right you fellas, we¡¯re going to dive into a den of monsters, you hear me!?¡± ¡°Oooh!¡± ¡°We¡¯re gonna make a lot of money and a lot of corpses!¡± ¡°Yeaaaah!¡± ¡°In case we meet those green-skinned bastards from yesterday, we¡¯ll sack them as revenge for making a mess of this city! Who¡¯s with me!?¡± ¡°WOOOOOHHH!¡± Nearby, Viers saw a bunch of people in battle gear. Mercenaries, from the looks of them. Their leader was raising morale and even though it was simple, seemed quite effective. The Level 2 bunch were like people on too much caffeine. Like him, they were going to Monsterland. In the Latias Kingdom, there were no adventurers like in the Free People Coalition, nor the adventurers guild existed. There were the city guards, the noble¡¯s private armies, and the knightly orders. Freelancers like Viers were called mercenaries or sellswords here. While being an adventurer was pretty respectable in the Coalition, it was not so abroad. The Latisians kids all wanted to be knights when they grew up and served the king. Mercenaries had a lower social standing in the Latias Kingdom¡¯s society. At any rate, these people¡¯s objective was money. Monster hunting was a profession anywhere in this world. It was dangerous but a lucrative one. The monster parts could be sold for a great sum and the environment they resided in usually had natural treasures. This world had spatial items which was a very convenient thing but they were not without storage limits. Like a container, it could not hold too many things inside. Sometimes, they were forced to leave the loot behind because of the inability to carry them, or the strong Arte they used to kill the quarry ruined the precious body parts. That was where the existence of the Kill Counting Stones shined. Mosterland¡¯s monsters were generally not as strong, with Rank 0 and 1 being the majority. Their body parts, except for the monster cores, mostly didn''t have a high monetary value. With the Kill Counting Stones, they didn''t need to harvest the kill and sell them for money. Trading the Kill Counting Stones would suffice. All You Need Is Kill. Therefore, deadly AoE Artes were on the table. Viers felt the Ebon Wall City¡¯s system to trade the Kill Counting Stones for reward was rational. This system guaranteed that the people would benefit if they could defeat even a single monster. To someone as skilled as Viers, it was even more so, he could get the best of both worlds. By killing monsters, Viers had many folds of benefits. This served as his training ground, for nothing was as effective as a real-life experience. He would benefit from the monster drops, both to his human and monster forms. He also aimed at the elusive resource that most were not able to harvest, the souls. Then the added benefit of the Kill Counting Stone. Excelente! Viers suspected there were limits to the stone¡¯s benefits though, or else this place would be swarmed by Level 4s and 5s. The fact that he didn''t see any ¡®farming¡¯ here meant this area was not lucrative enough for them. Alrighty then. Time to get to work. Get me the loot and sweet, sweet experience points. I want to hurry up and Level Up. Chapter 306 With a sword that left trails of water, Viers slashed a small fry monster on his right. With a kick that glowed with green soul energy, Viers pulverized the charging monster on his left. Currently, Viers was trying to combine his water and soul affinities in a fight. He could do either without trouble separately but he failed to combine them in a single move. I¡¯m still not there yet. He swung his sword once more to free his blade of the blood, before sheathing Guren Muramasa in a stylish manner. He loved doing poses but it was also embarrassing if anyone saw any of his antics. Since there was no one else at the moment, it was the perfect opportunity. As the last of the monsters in the vicinity died, their bodies scattered all around Viers, he glanced at the white stone tied to his belt. After two hours of killing monsters, roughly a hundred Rank 1 and two hundred Rank 0, my stone is only half red. The stronger the monster, the redder it got. How a mere stone can know that baffles me. As expected of a fantasy world¡­ Why is the color order red, green, blue, and black anyway? After hunting the monsters in this area until there were none left, Viers moved to the next hunting ground. He didn''t need to travel far before he reached another encounter. He stealthily observed the flock of buffalo just like a lion does. Soon, they started to look edgy and restless. Sheesh, a human really can''t hide in this place. The Carfax Peninsula is a true anti-human land. ¡°Alright, you guys. It''s monsters killing time!¡± Dia, Futon, and Faiya were coming out from the pocket space of his badges. ¡°Muuooohh!¡± Seeing a human, the buffalos bellowed and came charging. ¡°Just like training, keep your distances!¡± Viers shouted his instructions from behind and let his three starter Pok¨¦mon go to the front. ¡°Dia, use Vine Whip. Futon and Faiya, use Gust and Ember!¡± Viers was an old-school Pok¨¦mon master. He¡¯d played the game from the very first generation in his Gameboy, until the third, Ruby and Sapphire. Because of real life circumstances he¡¯d never tried the newer games but like almost every kid, Pok¨¦mon had seeped into his bones as part of his childhood. While he was giving orders, he was also checking the range of Kill Counting Stone. This one is about thirty meters. Pretty generous in range. In my soul search, I heard there are stones with even more range though. The battle itself was going well, until it wasn''t. The cause was the fire elemental¡¯s hesitation. *** Faiya was floating alone gazing at the river. He looked down, like a child sulking. His vibrant flaming body had lost its luster. ¡°Why the gloomy face, young¡¯n. It doesn''t suit you.¡± ¡°Ya¡­¡± Even Faiya¡¯s response was not as energetic as usual. ¡°Come now. Rather than worry alone, you can tell me about it. Sometimes, we all can use the benefits of someone with more life experience. Compared to you, I have a lot more.¡± It took a bit more of a coaxing before the baby elemental began to talk. ¡°Ya. Yaaa¡­ Yaauu.¡± ¡°A failure? You? What makes you think that?¡± ¡°Yaaa yah. Yaaa¡­¡± Faiya started trembling. ¡°I see¡­ That guy is frightening, huh. I understand.¡± Although he wasn''t there, Viers watched how Clarissa used Faiya¡¯s body to fight the real body of Mr. X. It was made possible by soul search. The movie from Faiya¡¯s point of view was of a greater quality than IMAX. ¡°Yaa, yaaa.¡± Faiya confided to Viers that he felt useless against Mr. X and could only watch as the snake lady fought. And then how he felt guilty for messing up during the battle. The training not going well was another blow to his confidence. Faiya had met the first wall of his existence. It had been smooth sailing thus far. He thought he was strong. He was confident of his strength as monsters turned to cinders before him. He liked Papa Viers relying on him and would like it to continue. Currently, after a series of failures, he¡¯d lost confidence and doubted himself. As he looked at the clear water stream, Faiya looked like he was about to cry. ¡°Ya?¡± Viers put his palm under Faiya¡¯s round body and turned the fireball towards him. Faiya looked so cute half-crying that Viers wanted to hug him but he refrained from it for now and put his serious master face on. ¡°Your fear, hesitation, doubt¡­ These are all weaknesses. Don''t let them dictate your actions. Instead of mulling and being depressed about your shortcomings, act. That guy frightens me too but so what? Do something about it. We are weak, so become stronger. How to become stronger? Train. Don''t worry. I¡¯ll be beside you, fighting together.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Yaaa¡­¡± Faiya¡¯s eyes were even more watery now, not from sadness but from emotion. ¡°Don''t cry,¡± Viers gently wiped the fire elemental¡¯s tears. Faiya¡¯s tears were liquid fire. ¡°Boys have to be tough.¡± In modern Earth¡¯s at some places in the world, telling something as simple as this was almost a heresy because of trashy social justice warriors but Viers gave those people his middle finger. ¡°Everybody fails. Even me.¡± ¡°Yayaya?¡± ¡°Yes. I too have tasted defeat and got beaten to the ground. No one in this world has never experienced failure. What matters is that you grit your teeth and get back up.¡± ¡°Yaah¡­¡± ¡°So! Are we going to train or what?¡± Viers asked with a loud voice, imbuing strength in the young child¡¯s heart. ¡°...Ya?¡± ¡°Can you? Listen up, Faiya, and listen well. In your life, there¡¯s no such thing as can or can''t! But it¡¯s a matter of doing it or not doing it!!¡± Faiya¡¯s expression looked like he was receiving a divine revelation. ¡°Now go! Dia and Futon are still training. Show them what you¡¯re made of!¡± ¡°Yaaa! Yaaa!¡± The fire elemental replied with his moxie back and flew towards Dia and Futon nearby. The two were clearly eavesdropping while feigning training to cope with elemental incompatibility that Viers devised. Watching Faiya¡¯s back as he flew away, Viers had the expression of a proud father. How many coming-of-age Fables have I consumed? How many shounen mangas? How many motivational shows? I¡¯m totally equipped to the teeth for saying things that put a fire in a kid¡¯s heart. This is child¡¯s play! Once again, Viers was feeling good about himself. *** It wasn''t long until their short stop at the riverbank got monsterly visitors but Viers got the chance to improve Faiya¡¯s mood in a sort of memorable moment so he considered it a win. He was about to draw his sword, because chopping things up was his way of polishing his swordsmanship, but he took note of his Victa reserves. There was still a decent amount of it left but after his first day of Carfax Peninsula, the few days of unceasing Subtle Soul Gravity Arte at the Ebon Wall City, the earlier battles¡­ If the expenditure continued at this rate, he would run out in less than one week. That wouldn''t do. ¡°It''s Morbin¡¯ Time.¡± As his body transformed, his clothes got ripped. He had planned this, so he wore a cheap set today, not the transformable magical clothes that he had. Muscles bulged out, getting bigger and more defined until they became something else. His skin hardened with overgrown shells. His bones popped in a satisfying manner as he grew extra legs. His hands became mighty pincers. ¡°Shulululu!¡± Viers morphed into Gigadia Crab, his monster form that specialized in combat. By the way, Viers never watched the movie; he only knew the memes. ¡°Wao! Kin became big!¡± Dia said. ¡°Fuu, fuu!¡± ¡°Ayaya!¡± ¡°Kids, just watch for now,¡± Viers said telepathically. Although he wasn''t able to use soul techniques in monster form, Dia was his familiar and the other two elementals were his soul shards given life. He found ways to talk to them. It was a necessity, since most of his monster forms didn''t even have a tongue. If it went as he expected, he would spend the majority of time in the Carfax Peninsula as a monster. The sudden appearance of the Rank 3 monster with a roaring aura of hostility startled a bold, Rank 2 raccoon but it was too late for regrets. Viers snatched it by the neck with his bigger body and the sound of breaking bones echoed as he put strength into his pincer. With his other pincer, using its sharp tip, Viers gouged the weaker monster¡¯s core from its chest and popped it into his mouth like candy. Mmm, crunchy. One down, as it wasn''t the only monster who''d got the scent of Viers¡¯ human form. Although the others looked a bit confused upon the disappearance of their source of madness, their bloodlust was still strong, enough to make them charge headlong to a certain death, which was the Gigadia Crab. Monster massacre movie, part two coming right up! With his tough body, Viers charged right into the melee. Even though it was one against tens, he was naturally the superior one. He didn''t use any Victa; his very body was a deadly killing machine. The nearby river got dyed red from the flow of blood. ¡°We¡¯re going too!¡± Dia charged into the fray. ¡°Fuuu!¡± ¡°Yaaa!¡± Futon and Faiya followed soon after. ¡°Hahahaha! It¡¯s fun, isn''t it?¡± ¡°Kin is the best!¡± The monsters soon turned into corpses and then turned to food. Futon and Faiya ate the monster remains that were compatible with their element then the rest went to Dia and Viers. The two elementals ate elegantly, simply swallowing them up with their small body bit by bit. Dia spread out her roots and entangled the corpses, which withered at a visible rate. Crab Viers was the most messy, as was the traditional monster way. The banquet started right in the middle of a scene of carnage and it was quite grotesque. Viers ate the raw bits of flesh without losing his appetite. Something in his monster instinct drove him to it. In human form, Viers would have been quite appalled at having to eat things raw but not while in monster form. Soon, there were none left, not even bones. Viers put the inedible materials into his inventory item. ¡°Still hungry?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The familiars replied. ¡°Me too. Let¡¯s find more food. Hop on.¡± The Level 3 human Pathseeker was prey. The Rank 3 monster became the hunter. In the battle just now, Viers didn''t use a single drop of Victa and he killed a bunch of monsters, a feat that he was incapable of doing in human form. Transformed, his stamina was not unlimited. However, as a species that had a more robust body than a puny human, instead of getting tired, he still had too much stamina and was raring for a fight. If someone asked, Viers would have replied: I can do this all day. Dia turned into her chibi form and climbed on top of Viers¡¯ crab shell, holding an almost completely red Kill Counting Stone that was almost as big as her. Futon and Faiya were beside her. In chibi form, Dia was the same size as her siblings so she liked to become small every now and then, to mingle. Viers started walking forward¡­ but it was slow. Hrgh¡­ Viers turned sideways and walked. His pace became much faster. It was the speed of a horse in a gallop. Still too slow. ¡°Hang on kids!¡± Arte - Raging River Steps. Streaks of water appeared below Viers'' legs. The pace he moved his limbs made it seem as if there were more than eight. From afar, it looked like there was a boat on top of a self-created river in the middle of the land. ¡°Wheeeee!¡± Dia raised her hands from the sudden burst in speed, laughing. ¡°Fuuuuuu!?¡± ¡°Yaaa! Yayayayaya!¡± Futon and Faiya were happy too. Sensing the three little Grogus on top of his head, Viers also shared the happiness. - - Chapter 306 - It''s Morbin¡¯ Time Chapter 307 - Power Spots and Land Gods Monster hunting. It was a common gig among Pathseekers, and Viers was no exception. Furthermore, he was also a different kind of Monster Hunter. In another land, another time, he had turned hundreds of monsters into fancy pants and hats. He wore them proudly to kill even bigger, badder monsters. Rinse and repeat. What was slightly different this time, was Viers doing monhun as a monster himself. ¡°Shulululu!¡± A Rank 3 Gigadia Crab let out a victory cry above the defeated body of a Rank 3 Parparra Gorilla. Viers gorged on the flesh of the mammal, strengthening himself by turning the power contained in that body into sustenance. Meanwhile, he instructed his familiars to dismantle the gorilla¡¯s valuable body parts as loot. Yep, the claws, fangs, horns, got them all. Now that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. Not like in the game. Gold Rajang Pelt + not dropped? How can it be? There¡¯s the freaking body of the monster left behind! There¡¯s no Fatalis Fellwing? But it¡¯s right there! A bigass pair of them for the taking. What¡¯s the logic in that? Unbelievable¡­ I know it¡¯s a game mechanic but come on! As if to pay back a smoldering grudge from a long time ago, Viers didn''t even leave a bone of his big kills behind. ¡±Alright gang, let''s crash the next party!¡± The three familiars replied positively and hopped on Viers¡¯ back¡­ or head. Even he didn''t know. He¡¯d found another worthwhile kill and attacked. Huhuhu! This is so effective! Even after all those fights, I¡¯m not tired at all! Viva monster physique! Huzzah! Monster kind¡¯s toughness and might that had become the headache of uncountable Pathseekers, Viers had taken them all. Is it because of the exceptional metabolism, or something else? Does the high-vitality meat I ate become energy in minutes? I feel like I can continue this kill trip for days. Hehehe. This is like those game avatars. They can always run without their legs falling off. Most of the monster Viers fought were weaker than him but after a while, he¡¯d tried to hunt down a fellow Rank 3. It took more time but unlike the other side, Gigadia Crab had human intelligence. There was also his water Artes when the situation called for it but Viers kept any Victa usage at the minimum. There was no need to waste magic fuel when his mighty pincers could do the job. Dia, Futon, and Faiya were also assisting him. All in all, no Rank 3 monsters were his match. They were not enemies, but food. Just as I envisioned, coming to the Carfax Peninsula was the right call. Now it''s just a matter of farming. Farming food, money, and genetic evolution materials! Viers continued to grind exp using his crab form until sundown. Currently, he was enjoying the sensation of being half submerged in a watering hole, after the previous owner moved into his gullet. The three familiars were playing with water nearby. Dia and Futon tried to persuade Faiya to take a dip into the liquid. Been here for a while but no frenzied monster came. So the problem is really being a human¡­ Without something to influence them, the weaker monsters usually evade places with stronger monster presence. Like a beast marking its territory, Viers emitted a Rank 3 monster aura and the little ones instinctively stayed away. Instinct¡­ This also had an effect on Viers. The peninsula was huge and it was not as if Rank 4 or 5 monsters didn''t exist here. Very few and far between nature gave rise to those mighty beasts. He was instinctively steered clear of those places. Is this the so-called bloodline suppression among beasts like in the novels? Heh. Well, it¡¯s fine for now. Rank 3 and below are plenty. And they were a problem. According to the memories of a certain monster scholar he soul searched recently, Carfax¡¯s monsters prefer to make spawns rather than evolve. That being the case, strong monsters were clearly a rarity even though the food for growth was very abundant. The reason was still unknown, like the abnormal hostility to humans. For Viers though, it was a blessing. He had fewer competitors. Those natural bounties were his for the taking. As for the bounty he gained from just this one outing, it was substantial. His inventory items were almost bursting from goods, his stomach was bulging, and the exp gain made him grin. The Kill Counting Stone recorded the proof of the lives he ended. After it completely turned red, his stone was now already turned halfway green. Increasing the green needed a lot more kills than from white to red. Viers could still hunt, so why did he stop? After hours of spreading carnage, even though he wasn''t tired, blindly going from target to target was unwise. There were also good things all over the peninsula, such as herbs, ores, and special places. It could produce unique resources that did not exist anywhere else or give benefits to those that stayed there. Some places could heal the injured, some could attain unusual power, and many more. The term in this world for those special places, like the very watering hole he was in, was Power Spots. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The Electrolysis Pond and the Mind Thundering Cave in the Serene Thunder Aviary fell into the Power Spot category. The green lava mountain that was created from the battle between Clarissa and Georgi, two peak Level 5 powerhouses, was also a Power Spot. Those with the right insight and qualifications could reap benefits from that place. Whether it was nature-born or man-made Power Spot, each was different. They had grades. Some might only be slightly beneficial but rarely, they could provide a heaven-reaching boon. The greatest of the Power Spot could become the basis of someone¡¯s rise to Level 5 or even a clan of several Level 5s. Therefore, like oil fields on Earth, people waged wars to gain control of the Power Spots. This world was vast and much was still untouched by civilizations. It was not exclusive to people, monsters could also benefit from Power Spots. As the monster grew in strength, they naturally made their Power Spot their territory and protected it from others that would take it away. Ordinary strong monsters would be defeated, by other monsters or humans, then die. However, there were those whose strength was awe-inspiring. Their power was in the realm of myths and legends. People called those beings Land Gods. The Deva-class monster species were often descendants or related to these Land Gods. Power Spots and Land Gods, one gave rise to another¡­ Crab-Viers involuntarily made bubbles with his mouth as he fell into deep thought. His best guess was the whole Carfax Peninsula peculiarities were caused by either a Power Spot, a Land God, or both. Radiageus from the Valkut mountain range, the pervy elder dragon that captures a juvenile Devawi Swan to mate with her, is a Land God. He glanced at Chibi Dia who was passing by in front of his massive body, paddling with her tiny feet using Futon like a water donut. Dia also could be called a Land God. The dryad¡¯s power in the Biome could rival a Level 5. She held potential that Viers was eager to unlock and her Biome had multiple Power Spots. Which was all Viers¡¯ now. Viers blew bubbles to Dia. One was big enough to envelop her whole body, which didn''t say much, given her and Viers¡¯ current size. ¡°Kin? Ooooo?¡± She looked confused at first but soon smiled happily as the bubble floated into the air like a soap bubble with her inside it. A little trick from Viers. ¡°Fuu!¡± ¡°Yaa!¡± Futon and Faiya tried to go in. ¡°Hey! You guys can fly on your own,¡± Dia said. ¡°This is mine.¡± Faiya didn''t go into the bubble when he bumped into it but sent Dia bouncing away. Then the fire and cloud elemental siblings looked at each other for a second and their eyes glinted with mischief. They treated the bubble with Dia inside like a volleyball and played with it. ¡°Aaaaah! Stop it! Dia is dizzy-wizzy! Ahahaha!¡± Even though she said that, she seemed happy. What a cute god, Viers mentally smiled because his crab face could not. The bubble burst and Dia fell into the water. She had a big wide grin when her face returned to above the waterline. Let''s call it a day, Viers told them. Back to the city. ¡°Fuu¡­ Fuu yuu?¡± Futon asked if he could have tasty dry ice. *** After he was close enough to the Ebon Wall City, he transformed back into the slightly overweight human form. Compared to the beer belly when he was just starting the otherworlder business around two and a half years ago, he was much slimmer but it was nowhere close to the six-pack body he dreamed of. That being said, the look had its advantages. No one would look at him and connect him to a super fighter. That went double after he faked or hid his cultivation aura. Being underestimated and then defeating the fools, the arrogant young master types, was one of Viers¡¯ favorite hobbies. Such as this situation. ¡°So, kid. How about you help a brother out from your hunt with us?¡± After he passed the wall, not too far from Jessica¡¯s tavern, he was surrounded by a few gangsters. With how late in the night it was, there were seldom any passersby. ¡°Why aren''t you saying anything? We¡¯re busy y¡¯know. You stalling? Want me to break a couple of fingers first, huuh?¡± One guy said threateningly. Complete with the facework. Viers wasn''t stalling. These Level 1 chumps, with three among them Level 2, were like dirty street dogs barking at a Godzilla. Compared to the adversaries he had faced thus far, they were but a blip on Viers'' radar. Just as he thought about how to cook their souls, two cloaked people came to his aid. ¡°You people might have lost your home. Might be a lie but might be true. Either case, that¡¯s no excuse to mug other people,¡± one of them said. ¡°I¡¯ll let you off with a stern warning for now. But there won''t be a second time. Leave, now,¡± the other said. ¡°Aaaah? Who the hell are you two? You think you¡¯re some kind of a hot shot or som¡¯thing?¡± That one got close enough to see the face under the hood. ¡°Hieek!?¡± The hoodlums let out a nervous shriek and started trembling before falling on his butt. ¡°Y-y-you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Begone, I said. I won''t ask for a third time.¡± ¡°Yesssshh!!! You lot, hurry up!¡± Viers gave the fleeing hoodlums a glance then faced the two people that helped him. Naturally, Viers fully realized the clich¨¦ that these two were some big shots. ¡°T-thank you, sirs,¡± Viers gave his gratitude and showed his appreciation, just like a normal mob. ¡°Those types of people came out after dark so it¡¯s best to avoid going out this late at night,¡± the milder of the two said. ¡°Looking at your outfit, you just came back from the hunt outside the wall?¡± ¡°Ah, yea- Yes, sir!¡± Viers faked nervousness. ¡°Thank you for your service.¡± The man gave Viers a pat on the shoulder before leaving. ¡°Stay out of trouble,¡± the stern one followed. Viers saw their backs getting farther and farther away. So that¡¯s Mayor Anderson¡­ And the stern one should be Charles, the Grey Hawk Knightly Order¡¯s chief. Using the memories of the soul searched people, Viers had ample knowledge about the locale. They smelled like beer. From the direction, they just came out from Jessica¡¯s? When Viers came back to Heaven Is Cruel, he just realized his mistake. He came out so late, what if the door was locked? The taverns¡¯ lights were already turned off so they must be closed already. He reached out his hand to open the door and found it unlocked. Jessica was waiting behind the counter under dim candlelight, looking worried and down. ¡°Oh thank the Goddess. Welcome back¡­ I feared the worst, since you hadn''t returned for so long,¡± Jessica¡¯s face turned to gladness. ¡°Sorry for making you worry. Got held up by a pack of monsters on the way back. Needed to take a detour¡­ Were you waiting for me? Oh, you shouldn''t have.¡± ¡°That¡¯s horrible. But it¡¯s good you¡¯re not hurt. Come, sit. Let me reheat dinner for you.¡± Viers honestly didn''t need any, but Jessica gave him so much hospitality that refusal was not an option. He filled his stomach, cleaned up, then went to bed, ending the promising start at Carfax Peninsula. Chapter 308 - Ebon Wall City Viers was a dragon. The king of beasts, a monster among monsters, the apex in the food chain. Last but not least, cool. Because dragons were powerful and cool, people had idolized them since time immemorial. Some were fearsome, some were divine. Whatever their shapes or sizes, dragons were power given form. That was Viers now, gliding on top of the sea. Blue scales that put the strongest of armors to shame adorned his serpentine body. The awe-inspiring aura projected his regality, making lesser creatures cower. No one was able to contend with his might. As a display of his unparalleled strength, Viers opened his mouth and an absolutely terrifying force was condensing in front of his maw. The seas churned and the skies quaked. The dragon breath became a pillar of light that shot to the heavens, scattering the clouds above and breaking free of the chains of gravity. And Viers saw something he didn''t expect in this world, the ceiling. ¡­Ceiling? Viers woke up from his dream. *** Hmph. To think it is all a dream trope¡­ Viers felt the dragon dream as if he was getting duped. He unleashed the frustrations in his heart at the bacteria inside his mouth, by furiously brushing his teeth at every nook and cranny much more thoroughly than usual. Dragon¡­ I wonder how much longer it will take for my carp to leap through the dragon gate and become a real dragon? As of now, Viers still didn''t have a dragon monster form. The base was there, the Tomalica Carp. A very unremarkable fish monster. The first monster form that Viers got at Level 0. Because of the similarities with Magicarp, Viers decided he would evolve it as close to Gyarados as he could. On another note, Gyarados was Viers¡¯ favorite Pok¨¦mon when he was in elementary grade. Therefore Viers had sentimental value about evolving his Tomalica Carp. But it wasn''t so easy. The evolution requirement was very high. Viers needed a lot of dragon genetic materials. From some chump in the Book World, he obtained a dragon heart, however, this heart was from a fire dragon. Precious, but incompatible with Viers¡¯ vision. At Valkut, when Ars¨¨ne posed as him and accompanied the Silver Legion to raid the Tower of Doom, the real Viers had an adventure in the mountains. There, he stirred the pot of Radiageus¡¯ nest, a Level 5 true thunder dragon. He gained a way to make Farley¡¯s body and made progress for the dragon evolution from the big dragon¡¯s hoard, at least, the tiny portion that he managed to swipe away. But he still lacked a vital component. I need a water affinity dragon heart or core or something of that level. And not any cores would do. It would make my Gyarados mediocre. No. I won''t compromise it. The center catalyst for the evolution must come from an extraordinary dragon. True dragon at the least. Dragon god level would be better, like the template xianxia MCs have¡­ If it exists, even above, like the Azure Origin Primordial Dragon God Emperor or something. Xianxia novels love those kinds of exaggerated long titles. ¡­But where would I find something like that? Anything related to dragons rarely reached the public market. Even if there were some, it would be bought by others shortly because of the high demand. Viers might be able to buy it because he had wealth on par with Level 4 thanks to his villainous ways but he didn''t have any contacts within the market or people he could ask for help. He was so deep in thought he disregarded the water¡¯s coldness as he bathed. Viers wondered if there would be any bored dragons willing to raise orphans and teach them dragon slayer magics. Anyway, thinking logically, where I should go to find what I seek is obvious, right? The sea. Specifically, the deep seas, where fearsome creatures of the deep roamed. Obviously, not just dragons lived there, all sorts of leviathans lived in that massive, lightless place with crushing pressure. Just like on Earth, this world¡¯s people had little knowledge about what was going on under the sea. They knew about the underwater races but the interaction between the surface and the deep dwellers was very sparse. Although he clashed with the fishmen shortly after he returned from the Book World, he couldn''t use his soul power to capture their souls because of how closely he was watched by the Tanael seekers at the time. So he was still blind about what wonders and horrors lay in the deep. In such an unfamiliar place, Viers didn''t think his current Level 3 high cultivation would be enough. Should I go after I become Level 4? But that¡¯s too long¡­ ¡°Good morning, Kira.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Viers just realized he had been walking to the tavern. Jessica was alone, wiping the tables. ¡°Good morning to you too.¡± ¡°I hope your sleep was restful. Will you be going hunting again today?¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°Nah,¡± Viers scratched the back of his hair. ¡°I have to accumulate my Victa today and make preparations. I was definitely too hasty yesterday. Got involved in a few dangerous situations.¡± ¡°I told you. But it¡¯s good you realized before getting hurt. Recklessness is not good.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Viers replied to Jessica¡¯s advice. Viers planned to stay in the city today but not for the reason he spoke of. His true reason was he simply wanted to eat the rest of the monster meat that took up so much space in his inventory items. And although his Victa level was very abundant, thanks to the lack of use and Vigor of Responsibility Arte from the Church, Viers didn''t want to show it off to others. He could repeat the monster killing spree just like yesterday but normal Pathseekers couldn''t so he didn''t. ¡°Kira, you haven''t had breakfast yet, yes? I¡¯ll be going to the market to buy ingredients for the tavern. What would you like to eat?¡± Jessica asked while untying the cloth that tied her hair up. ¡°In that case, may I accompany you? I would like to sightsee the city.¡± ¡°You''re welcome to,¡± she smiled. Viers smacked his chest. ¡°You can buy a lot. I¡¯ll be your porter.¡± ¡°Hehehe. If I buy them until my ring is full, there will be nowhere to put them in the pantry.¡± Just like that, Viers was walking side by side with the hot young mom that looked like Tifa, or at least she looked young. If this was a plot from a romcom Japanese manga, Viers would be awkward to the death. The fat high schooler with the full ten out of ten college idol made such a mismatched couple. ¡°Even though the city just suffered a major attack barely a few days ago, the people are still lively. Respect,¡± Viers was not nervous at all. More like, he didn''t care what others thought about him. ¡°We just got used to it. No matter our losses, life goes on. The sooner we get back up, the better.¡± Viers sensed a bit of sadness from Jessica. ¡°Thus ¡®Heaven Is Cruel¡¯, hm? Sounds like there¡¯s quite the story behind the name.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long and boring story,¡± Jessica smiled. ¡°Here we are. If there¡¯s something you want, feel free. I¡¯ll talk to the fishmongers first.¡± ¡°All right.¡± The foreign market had a lot of goods that Viers was unfamiliar with. This was the joy of traveling. Back in the old world, Viers was an introvert but it wasn''t as if he didn''t like seeing new places. Problem was, traveling cost money, even more so if it was overseas, so he rarely went around as a tourist. This is part of what makes fantasy adventure stories so interesting. Viers ordered local snacks from food stalls for a light meal that he could eat while walking. Then he looked around the market using his Euryale Sight. He bought some things that were somewhat precious at a lower price than their market value before joining Jessica. The pair went around the market for a while. Jessica was known by many of the traders here. Those that were her fans gave Viers a judging look on whether he would be their competitor but most deemed his ordinary face no threat, just like he wanted. If his fake face was as handsome as Tanael¡¯s, Viers wagered there would be a sub-plot generated then and there. ¡°Mhhmm! It¡¯s great there¡¯s still a healthy choice of goods available in the market. I was worried it might not be so because of the attack,¡± Jessica said with a satisfied face on their way back. ¡°I overheard people say it was because of Mayor Anderson arranging caravans from surrounding towns,¡± Viers with his sharp hearing overheard many things. ¡°Sounds like a good man that cares for his people.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a good man.¡± Viers picked up Jessica¡¯s familiarity with the man from the way she said it. It seemed yesterday the Mayor really visited her tavern. Viers didnt pry further. ¡°Oh? A School?¡± On the way, he saw a somewhat large compound with a temple-like or a dojo-like appearance. He saw a Level 3 Pathseeker teaching Pathseekers to be. ¡°How nostalgic,¡± Viers muttered. ¡°You went to a School, Kira?¡± ¡°Of sorts. Just for one year though. You?¡± ¡°Me too. My family owned a small School in the past. See that boy? I was even about his age when my father started to teach me.¡± Viers raised an eyebrow. ¡°Isn''t he too young? Shouldn''t the Path of Power begin at fifteen years old?¡± ¡°Oh they ain''t teaching them to make their Intio. That comes after fifteen, as you said. But there are a lot of things that can be learned before the Path of Power truly begins. Their way of fighting for example.¡± True, primary schools on Earth are for kids four to eleven years of age. Education can begin early to shore up the foundation. Of course, this is for those who can afford it. Pathseeker School wasn''t exactly cheap. Some of the students were the same age as Luca. Viers wanted to learn their curriculum for the darkness 5 girl. Not only as reciprocation for helping him after his near-death encounter with Freya, the girl was a long-term investment. There was no disadvantage to having a Level 5 seed as an ally. Viers put the back of his hand under his chin. ¡°Thinking about it, there is a lot of body Pathseekers in this place, no?¡± From the Pathseekers he passed by on the streets to those children, forty to fifty percent of them were body affinity Pathseekers. All people had body, mind, and soul. Other than the elemental affinities, people could awaken to these three aspects of human existence. Among the three, body Pathseekers were the most common by far. But that was not to say a body Pathseeker would be absolutely weaker than a soul Pathseeker. It depends on the man and woman. Most body Pathseekers were martial artists, bolstering the effectiveness of their already robust physique. The kids at the School were doing practice punches or running. Viers felt like he was looking at a karate class. What perplexed Viers was how numerous body affinity Pathseeker were in this city. ¡°I once heard scholars from the Magisterium that stayed in my inn theorize it was because of the Carfax Peninsula.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Well, as for the reason monster tamers congregate here, it was a no-brainer.¡± After the body Pathseeker, the monster tamers were the next most numerous. They could be from any affinity. Their ability usually came from their Profound Codex but it could be from other ways. Strictly speaking, Viers could also be called a monster tamer thanks to his familiars. They continued walking back to Jessica¡¯s place, but not far from the School, they stopped once again. ¡°Mister Ferdinand?¡± Jessica asked a haggard uncle with a gloomy aura. ¡°Oh, Jessica. Nice to see you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re selling your place?¡± Jessica said while looking at the sign that Ferdinand was putting up. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m leaving this city. It has taken everything from me.¡± Jessica looked at him with sadness. ¡°I¡®ve heard about your last son¡­ I''m truly sorry for your loss. When is the funeral?¡± ¡°How kind of you but there¡¯s no funeral. There''s no body after the monsters got¡­ and I¡¯m too poor to afford it. The Church will give a mass service tomorrow, to all that have fallen, so it will have to suffice.¡± ¡°Mister Ferdinand¡­ The price is so cheap,¡± Jessica said. ¡°I¡¯m hardly the only one thinking of moving. I know a few are doing the same. I¡¯m leaving after I sell this lot and get the traveling funds.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry¡­ Truly,¡± Jessica looked down. ¡°Thank you for your sympathies, lassie. Goodbye.¡± Ferdinand went back inside the house. His back was so lonely. ¡°...I used to eat the pies he sold here when I was little,¡± Jessica said softly. ¡°It was good¡­ Very, very good.¡± Chapter 309 - Those Left Behind ¡°Ah, mama¡¯s back. And Kira bro too.¡± Tim greeted Jessica and Kira who had just returned. ¡°Greta, thanks for looking after Tim,¡± Jessica said. ¡°No need for that. It¡¯s not as if we¡¯re strangers. I¡¯ll be going now. Bye. You too, kiddo.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Viers said. The woman named Greta was the aunt that served Viers¡¯ food before. He thought she was an employee of the tavern but she and Jessica seemed close. ¡°Mama, I want to go to Hugh¡¯s house to play.¡± ¡°Tim, you want to play knights again? Mama told you she doesn''t like it,¡± Jessica frowned. ¡°Pleeeease?¡± Tim used puppy-dog eyes. ¡°...Fine,¡± Jessica sighed. ¡°But come back before sundown, okay?¡± ¡°Yesss!¡± The kid then turned to Viers. ¡°Big bro Kira, it¡¯s still long until I have to go. Teach me how to swing a sword.¡± ¡°Oh? Why do you ask?¡± Viers asked back. ¡°I want to be a knight! So when the monster comes like before, I can kill them!¡± Tim replied proudly with hands on his waist. ¡°It¡¯s better to be taught by a real knight but there¡¯s no one who wants to teach me. You¡¯re strong. I want to be strong like you.¡± ¡°Hoh? Mama isn''t strong?¡± ¡°Hm? Why mama? Mama can''t fight,¡± Tim replied after showing confusion about Viers¡¯ question. ¡°So, will you?¡± Tim used his puppy-dog eyes on Viers this time. Jessica who was behind Tim silently gestured to Viers to refuse by shaking her head. ¡°...All right. I¡¯ll give you a taste of what it means to be a knight.¡± ¡°YESSS! Woohoo!¡± Tim ran around in excitement. ¡°Kira¡­¡± Jessica gave him a look of slight irritation. ¡°Don''t worry. It¡¯s not what you think. It will be perfectly safe. Kid, stop running around and let¡¯s begin immediately. To the lawn!¡± Viers pointed at the door. ¡°To the lawn!¡± Tim mirrored Viers¡¯ pointing. ¡°Knight Tim is coming~!¡± At the lawn, the cool morning air failed to calm down the child¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°I¡¯m not a knight but I know that a knight must be strong,¡± Viers crossed his arms as he spoke to Tim. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°A strong body is essential.¡± ¡°Right!¡± ¡°Let''s begin the training. Do what I do. Huph.¡± Viers opened his legs slightly apart and lowered his hips to a crouch before rising back up. ¡°...Eh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Come on!¡± Viers said strongly. ¡°R-right.¡± ¡°Wrong, the knees must be lower. The correct posture is important. Like this!¡± Viers repeated the squat one more time. ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°Better. Let''s keep going.¡± Jessica watched Viers and Tim doing the squats from a hidden spot. After a few times, Tim started to go out of breath. ¡°T-this is getting harder.¡± ¡°Don''t I know it.¡± Tim¡¯s pace started to slow down. Viers¡¯ did not. ¡°Haah, haah¡­ How¡­ many¡­ times¡­ more?¡± ¡°Cause this is the beginner¡¯s course. We¡¯ll start easy, just one hundred.¡± Tim twitched. ¡°I-is this lame training useful?¡± ¡°Of course. This is SOLDIER 1st class training. Keep doing this and you''ll be swingin¡¯ a whopping big buster sword in no time!¡± ¡°Khhhh!¡± Tim no longer had the luxury to talk. ¡°You¡¯ve reached thirty. Take a break.¡± ¡°Bwuahh¡­ haaaah¡­ fuuuh¡­¡± Tim heaved his breath as sweat started to form. ¡°You¡­ make it look easy.¡± ¡°Fruits of training.¡± Viers kept doing the squats. ¡°Had enough yet? You can quit anytime you want.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Don''t underestimate me!¡± Tim pushed through until seventy squats before he quit. His excuse was because he had to go later. Still, Viers thought he would quit much sooner. He raised the kid¡¯s evaluation in his mind. Viers kept training. After the Zack Fair style squat, Viers did push-ups, sit-ups, and the like. ¡°Kira, my gratitude for humoring Tim,¡± Jessica appeared while Viers was taking a break. It was about time to open the tavern and she had been doing the prep work. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. This is just regular training for me.¡± Viers sweated a lot because he didn''t use any Victa. The greater his base stat, how developed his muscles were, the better it would be when the Victa strengthening was in effect so physical training was not useless. ¡°You¡¯re quite fit, able to do all that.¡± ¡°Even if I look like this, I¡¯m an experienced traveler after all. The ability to run fast from strong monsters you can''t beat is a must if you want to have long lives.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to not have to fight at all,¡± Jessica muttered in a small voice. ¡°...You seem to be hiding your fighting prowess from your son?¡± ¡°More or less.¡± ¡°He should have known better. Mommies are tough,¡± Viers praised. Jessica sighed. ¡°That kid wants to be a knight, but I don''t want him to become a Pathseeker. I want him to live without ever having to wield a weapon or kill anyone.¡± ¡°Understable sentiment for a mother to have but that might be difficult in this day and age. He might not have a choice.¡± ¡°That is why I walk the Path of Power, to protect him. I¡¯ll walk this thorny road to spare him from it.¡± Viers saw her resolve in her eyes and spoke no further. There was a period of silence between them as the conversation topic died, until a person that stayed at the inn beside the tavern sought out Jessica. Viers excused himself to his room. There, away from prying eyes, Viers was ingesting the gains that he got from the previous day. He was improving his Arte and fighting technique in the Grid in his mind and occasionally munching monster jerky. It took time but all were necessary steps to properly get stronger. Hm¡­ I want to let my monster form eat too but I can''t morph at this place. Too many people around. With that in mind, in the early evening, Viers went out. With a glance, he saw Jessica busy tending the tavern. There were only three staff members including her. One was Greta and the other was the cook, Faulkner. Viers wondered why Jessica bothered opening the tavern at all. The profit couldn''t be that great and it took so much of her time. For a Level 3 Pathseeker, the earnings wouldn''t be able to keep up with her needs. Must be for a sentimental reason she did it then. Wearing a hood, Viers blended with all the city folk on the streets. His destination was not far away. ¡°Sir, I would like to buy this house,¡± Viers said to Ferdinand. ¡°You¡¯re the one with Jessica earlier.¡± ¡°Yep, but this transaction is my personal dealings.¡± The reason Viers bought the house was that like back at Regidana, he wanted to have a base. However, he¡¯d learned his lesson about not getting too attached to a place outside of his main base that boasted Level 5 repelling security, Dia¡¯s Biome. Still, the price was cheap and Viers was rich so he took the deal. It went off without a hitch. Rather than profit, Ferdinand was more concerned about leaving this city. House, get! The man seems nice, just an unlucky dude. As thanks for the house¡¯s killer bargain, I¡¯ll give him a present. That night, when he was sleeping, Ferdinand got visited by his last son¡¯s soul. He was but one among many that Viers gathered during the orcs and goblins attack a few days ago. Good thing he hadn''t eaten that soul. Viers couldn''t reunite him with all of his family because he only had the soul of the last son. The father and son had a moment that was more precious than anything in the world. When Ferdinand woke up, he wondered if it was a dream and he imagined it. But his eyes were no longer of a man¡¯s giving up on life. Ferdinand left the city the next day, leaving the house empty for the new owner. But Viers didn''t stay in his new establishment. He kept staying at Tifa look-alike¡¯s house. He didn''t tell her he bought a house either. In the house¡¯s compound, one of Dia¡¯s Gate Plant was germinating. When it grew, it would become a fast travel point for Viers. He protected it with a barrier technique that he learned to protect his precious plants. The barrier sealed the plant¡¯s aura from seeping out and protected it from harm if someone stumbled upon it anyway. The barrier wasn''t perfect but since the strongest person in this place was weaker than him, it was close to impregnable. Things go smoothly when I¡¯m the strongest guy around. Ahhh, what joy¡­ I can get used to this. When Viers returned after buying Ferdinand¡¯s house, he was not hungry at all because of all the monster meat he¡¯d eaten. ¡°Kira, welcome back. Want some dinner?¡± Jessica asked. ¡°No thanks. I¡¯m not-¡± Viers spied two people in the tavern. Mayor Anderson and Knight Leader Charles. ¡°-hungry but I¡¯ll be having some drink.¡± ¡°Okay. Spirits? Beer?¡± ¡°Something cold and non alcoholic.¡± ¡°Got you,¡± Jessica went to the kitchen. ¡°What¡¯s the matter young¡¯n? Can''t hold your liquor?¡± One of the tavern dwellers teased him. By how red his face was, he was drunk. Viers ignored him and took a seat not too far from the pair. He didn¡¯t care what some small fry thought about him. He sat and sharpened his ears. ¡°-ow much longer do I have to wait, Ander?¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult,¡± Anderson sighed. ¡°Got word war is stirring at their border so the Blue Swords Knightly Order went back to their kingdom.¡± ¡°Tch¡­ Damn civil war. Every royal spawn wants to sit on the fancy chair, and the small folks suffer,¡± Charles lifted his mug and drank from it. ¡°The Gray Hawks don''t have enough men to go to Carfax.¡± ¡°I understand your insistence. We need to ascertain the source of the attack. Those kinds of armies didn''t just sprout from the ground, but the city¡¯s in bad shape. I¡¯ve got my hands full.¡± ¡°My condolences to the Mayor,¡± Charles grinned. ¡°Stop it,¡± Anderson took the jest in the spirit it was given. ¡°I¡¯ll put the word out. Bands of mercenaries might bolster our ranks.¡± ¡°Sellswords¡­ Guess I¡¯ll just have to bear with it. If it¡¯s up to me, I¡¯d launch the expedition yesterday,¡± Charles grumbled. ¡°Sawyer would have agreed,¡± Anderson let out a sad laugh. The two looked at the seat on the table. It was as if it was reserved for someone. ¡°I should have been there,¡± Charles muttered. ¡°Don''t. It wasn''t anyone¡¯s fault¡­ He¡¯s a good man but he left us too early, left his wife and son.¡± ¡°From Heavenly Blessing to Heaven Is Cruel¡­ Who can blame Jessica for changing the name?¡± Anderson looked to the ceiling wistfully. ¡°Then it¡¯s up to us to protect the city.¡± ¡°If not us, who?¡± ¡°Heh, that¡¯s his favorite line.¡± Anderson and Charles clanked their mugs together but they saw there was barely any drink left. ¡°Jessica, more beer!¡± Jessica¡¯s voice came from the kitchen. ¡°Charles! Haven''t you had enough? You drink more than a horse! Good grief¡­¡± Chapter 310 ¡°What a sight. Isn''t that right, Jito?¡± ¡°...¡± The Spirit of Fire School was a prominent organization in the region. They had stood prosperously for over a hundred years. Their presence brought stability and peace to the neighboring towns. Their disciples were known to be virtuous and righteous. Countless good deeds and accomplishments gilded the School¡¯s name. The grand compound of that School was currently burning to the ground. When Tanael told him he was aiming for the Spirit of Fire School, Jito, the middle-aged male assassin, thought he was out of his mind. No matter how strong Tanael was, the Spirit of Fire had multiple Level 4s that served as the backbone of the School. A few days ago Tanael said that he would not lift a finger to bring that illustrious School to the ground. Afterward, he¡¯d only been patiently waiting plus cultivating. He didn''t ask Jito and his men anything particularly important either. Then a coup happened. An elder, with the help of some other elders, seized power from the Headmaster, throwing the School into a battleground. The disciples were torn between the two sides, sibling pupils fought a bloody battle against one another. Tanael and Jito were at a vantage point overlooking the whole thing from a nearby hill. Because of the buildings that were on fire, the night burned bright. ¡°Now¡¯s the time. The big shots are occupied. Signal your men. Remember, the Fire Rubies are mine, anything else is for you and your boys.¡± Jito did as he was told, as he had grown used to the younger man¡¯s orders. At first, he was reluctant but now, not so much. Not with all the dough flowing his way. ¡°...How do you know the location of the third secret warehouse? Or even the coup? Not even the other elders of the Spirit of Fire School realized until it was too late.¡± At some point, unknown even to Jito himself, he no longer dared to stand too close to Tanael¡¯s side. He stood a few steps back, like a retainer. Tanael didn''t even turn around, as if he did not want to miss the show unfurling below. ¡°I just asked around, politely¡­ then a kind soul told me all that he knew. The trick, Jito, is to ask them politely.¡± Did Tanael have a hand in the blood event below or would the coup have happened anyway? Jito couldn''t be sure. Still, he knew the sneaky raid on the secret warehouse was only a side objective. Tanael¡¯s true aim was the souls. The souls of the dead were drawn to Tanael like helpless bugs being swallowed by an antlion pit. Since he was dealing with a dangerous soul user, Jito spared no small sum to acquire a limited soul-seeing ability, the best he could afford. How easily he gathered them from this distance was a glimpse at how high Tanael¡¯s soul mastery was. Furthermore, like a Lich with dead bodies, what sort of horrendous marvels could Tanael create using all those souls? He¡¯d heard the most common trait of soul users was to eat other souls. How great a strength would he gain by consuming such a great amount? Not only from the Spirit of Fire School, but from the previous places too. Imagining Tanael might have a hunger for his soul made Jito feel a chill traveling up his spine. All the soul protection he had wouldn''t be of use. Against this person, his soul might as well be naked. ¡°Hm? We have company.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± From above, as if someone jumped from a plane without a parachute, a handsome man wearing white light armor and wielding a white lance, landed nearby. ¡°This vile soul Arte¡­¡± The youth spoke behind the plume of dust created from his landing. ¡°You must be the rogue everyone is talking about, Tanael! In the name of justice, I will deliver your judgment! Haaaaaah!!¡± Jito grunted as the newcomer emitted a fierce aura that pricked his skin even when he was standing ten meters away. No, wait. There are two auras! Following the first, in the span of a blink of an eye, there was a second burst of energy. ¡°Gwuaah!?¡± Jito was about to be pushed back from the hill but he withstood the pressure by deploying his Unreality Field. When he opened his eyes, the dust had cleared and he saw Tanael in the middle of sheathing his sword. Near his feet, were the two halves of the youth. ¡°Ittou Ryoudan,¡± Tanael whispered. ¡°P-pardon?¡± Jito asked. ¡°It means, one slash, two halves.¡± Jita looked at Tanael with an open mouth; his brain got scrambled for a few seconds before he took a gander at one of the two halves, the one with the most of the face. ¡°Aaaah!? H-he is! He is Khalai the White Spear! Just a few months ago, he decimated a branch of the Blood Church on his own!¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Really? Trash like him?¡± Tanael looked unimpressed. ¡°He¡¯s a Level 3 peak!¡± Jito stressed. ¡°Rumors are he¡¯s about to advance to Level 4!¡± ¡°Well, I can only say he must have a death wish using a power-up transformation in front of me. In battle, cut the crap, I always say.¡± Even though he couldn''t see it, Jito was sure that he sensed it. Khalai certainly deployed his Unreality Field before the second burst of aura, before Tanael attacked. But Tanael cut him into two halves anyway. In the blink of an eye, literally. What frightening attack power¡­ Jito was convinced that Khalai the White Spear was not weak. It was Tanael that was too strong. Tanael took the white spear, inventory items and some other things before whisking the corpse of Khalai into his death bag. There was only a somewhat intact bloody bracer left. It was no ordinary bracer. ¡°Jito, that is yours. I have another job for you and that is the down payment.¡± Tanael was only a Level 3 mid but he instantly killed a Level 3 peak. Hearing his name called, Jito turned to Tanael. In his eyes, Tanael was like a death reaper. To think such a young Level 3 could become such a terror¡­ He was a Level 3 himself but it was as if Tanael and he belonged in a different dimension. But, in just a week with this man, he and his boys¡¯ gains surpassed doing months of grunt work for the Assassin¡¯s Guild. The jobs were relatively easy too. While taking up the bracer, Jito was considering a career change. ¡°That Alai or whatever left a soul mark, tracking me. I¡¯ve already crushed it but we should move. Who knows, a vengeful Level 4 might be coming here.¡± ¡­Or maybe he should cut ties with this dangerous guy as soon as possible. Working for Tanael surely needed more lives than the legendary Nine-lives Cat. *** Nineteen days had passed since Viers began living at Jessica¡¯s Heaven Is Cruel Tavern plus Inn plus House. He loved the tranquility. Not a single person in this city was able to kill him and the monsters were beyond the wall. After Valkut and his dealing with Level 4 and 5 powerhouses, who knew staying in the rugged frontier of Ebon Wall City could be so therapeutic? While his mood passively improved during his stay here, he actively improved his power level. Repeated massacres in Monsterland. Thanks to his unique monster transformation ability, he was able to fight like a monster possessed all day long. When he was not, he found other ways to keep himself busy in the safety of the city. Not an hour wasted. Viers was trying to make up for the lost time that he suffered from while recuperating after the Valkut arc. Before that, he took a more lax approach in cultivation, enhancing his Horizon with fun experiences. Even then his cultivation wasn''t really slow. Still, he changed his priorities and life was unpredictable. Whatever the case, he had to be stronger than the next tribulations that life threw at him. Last time, he wasn''t the reason for his survival. He must correct that mistake when his life is in jeopardy next time. Viers always knew the end of the world stuff would come up. In Chinese xianxia or xuanhuan stories, the MC, despite getting stronger faster than anyone in the universe, possesses just enough strength to defeat the final boss. When the crisis of the ages happened and the MC stopped it, can¡¯t the last boss snooze for a few decades longer? Those guys have slept a million years and can''t give the MC, who is usually less than 100 years old by the time, a little more time to grow? Of course not! The author can''t! They have to make the last fight interesting, baby. The MC has to suffer! The MC has to fight a life-threatening battle with the last boss when the fate of the universe is on the line! Thank god I¡¯m not the MC. I¡¯m just a bad guy that¡¯s aware of the clich¨¦s. Sealed horrors from an ancient era, evil god¡¯s awakening, invaders from upper realms, Demon Kings that emerged from hell, reality collapse, apocalyptic catastrophe, deity¡¯s wrath, so on and so forth¡­ Viers had seen them all. As a reincarnator/otherworlder, Viers had accepted the certainty that he would be dealing with World¡¯s End. It was only a matter of when. In what manner or form he didn''t yet know but in this, he didn''t have a shred of doubt. I won''t be standing on the stage as the hero though. That role belongs to Sigma, Aravin, Max, Anne, and the rest of their ilk. Main Characters are a thing. Let them do the heavy lifting of saving the world. ¡­Only, there¡¯s a tiiiiny bit of a problem. Those four people were dead. Viers killed them all. What would that mean for the future of this world? ¡­Welp, that is the future me¡¯s problem. New heroes will surely pop out from the ground in the future. For now, I just hunt monsters and grow. Viers stayed villainously positive. In the first place, he planned to be stronger than the final boss or even the even stronger hidden boss anyway. And so here Viers was, in another outing in the Carfax Peninsula. ¡°Now that, people, is a Dungeon entrance.¡± ¡°Dungeon?¡± ¡°Fuu?¡± ¡°Yaa?¡± ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Viers gave himself a nod. ¡°The thick mana, the signs of monster traffic¡­ A good ol¡¯ dungeon. Will there be dragons, I wonder¡­ In this low-level area, unlikely.¡± Using his X-ray Euryale Sight, Viers found a complex tunnel system in the area and searched for the entrance. After some time, he found it. This area was pretty remote from the city so it might be possible he was the first one that discovered the place. Since this world had no System woven into the fabric of existence, there was no true Dungeon. Viers simply called maze or ruin-like Power Spots Dungeons. ¡°Alright guys, stay close to me.¡± After a few careful steps into the cave¡¯s mouth, Viers stopped and took a deep breath. ¡°Good Morniiiiing!¡± Viers called loudly. His voice echoing on the walls. ¡°Mister or Miss Dungeon Core? Or perhaps you are a Dungeon Master? Whichever variety is fine, are you in? Are you perhaps a being from another world? Recently awakened and curious about the surface? Do you have a System that allows you to do a bunch of convenient stuff? Do you have quests that need completing? If so, I may be of help. You see, I¡¯m an expert! What do you say we help each other, eh?¡± This was not the first time Viers uttered the pitch. When he had sufficient privacy, he yelled this at the ¡®Dungeons¡¯ that he found. Why? Because dungeon lord reincarnation story was very, very common! He¡¯d lost track of how many Dungeon Core stories he¡¯d read on RoyalRoad. And in the Japanese fiction department, people can reincarnate into anything nowadays. Being a slime or a tree was pretty crazy back in the day but these days, Truck-kun or another kind of Isekai Service Provider could change people into a sword, a smartphone, or even a vending machine. Compared to those, a Dungeon Core was pretty normal. At any rate, Viers waited for tens of seconds without moving in silence. Not that he got high hopes to get a legit answer to begin with. In the past, angry monsters had come out because he disturbed their sleep instead. ¡°...Well, guess this time is a failure too. Okay you three, let''s explore this cave.¡± ¡°You¡­ know me?¡± A few steps later, a skittish, child-like voice resounded in Viers¡¯ mind. - - Chapter 310 - You Know Me? Chapter 311 - Viers the Negotiator Viers followed the glowing lights on the cave walls, guided by the master of the Dungeon. Along the winding way, he hadn''t seen a single monster or other residents. After some time, he finally reached the end. In the room, he¡¯d found a familiar face. The Orc Warchief? So the mysterious attack on Ebon Wall City is related to this Dungeon. The Warchief did not speak or looked like someone in charge. He was standing protectively beside a thing. A cradle. ¡°Well met, stranger. I¡¯m sorry about my appearance.¡± A deformed baby spoke straight into his mind. ¡°Nice to meet you. Don''t worry about it, I don''t judge a book by its cover. I suspect we¡¯re both strangers in a foreign land. We should help each other out. Are you the dungeon master?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°And this place is your creation?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where do you come from?¡± ¡°My memory is mostly blank. I only recall bits and pieces. I lived in a place where iron birds fly and metal beasts with people in their bellies exist. A place where the night is as bright as day and people stay in stone houses bigger than the tallest trees.¡± ¡°This place-¡± the baby hesitated. ¡°-is different from that place, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I know of such a place. If I¡¯m not wrong, that is a place called Earth.¡± ¡°Earth¡­¡± ¡°Does it jog your memory? Do you remember anything new?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°Did you meet someone or something before you awoke in your current form? A god or some such?¡± ¡°I don''t think so.¡± Viers put on a thinking pose. ¡°Do you have a System?¡± ¡°System?¡± ¡°Mechanical voices in your head or writings that appeared suddenly. Showing you information about this and that. Perhaps even giving you objectives to accomplish. Sounds familiar?¡± ¡°...Yes. I have it.¡± Bingo, Viers though. The second System holder after Sigma. ¡°...Um.¡± Viers was silent for a while until the child-like voice brought him back from the space of thought. ¡°Sorry. Just organizing my thoughts after the big infodump.¡± ¡°You seem familiar with all of this.¡± ¡°A little,¡± Viers said. ¡°I just read a lot of books. Sorry for questioning you like that. It¡¯s your turn now. What do you want to know?¡± ¡°What kind of world is outside?¡± ¡°A dangerous one. More uncivilized, and there¡¯s magic here. Although,¡± Viers looked at the burly orc nearby. ¡°You should have realized that already.¡± ¡°...What? Oh, Tarrok is my creation. He protects me.¡± ¡°Creation?¡± Viers raised an eyebrow. ¡°How? Using the system?¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Oh, sorry for interrupting. Please continue. What do you want to know?¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± The baby asked Viers about various things. Mainly about the world outside. The baby also asked about Viers. He answered what he didn''t mind and dodged the rest. Viers also asked more things about the baby. The Q&A session lasted for hours. All the while the orc didn''t move an inch. The green skin was like a statue of flesh. ¡°What should I call you?¡± The baby asked Viers. ¡°Guess I haven''t introduced myself, eh? Too much excitement, I¡¯m afraid. Apologies. I am Tanael. Greetings, fellow Earthling. And what should I call you?¡± ¡°Tanael¡­ Nice name. I don''t remember mine.¡± ¡°Truly? How about you create a new one then? It¡¯ll be inconvenient to not have a name.¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll think about it. Wheew¡­ We¡¯ve talked a lot, haven''t we? What now?¡± ¡°Well, our first objective is to clear your objective first. You need to kill people, right? Either they die in the dungeon or your created creature kills them for it to count.¡± ¡°Yes. The System, as you called it, issues it regularly. I have to hit the quota or it will penalize me. I killed a lot earlier so I should be fine for the time being but next time¡­¡± ¡°Will be harder,¡± Viers nodded. ¡°If you asked me, that attack on the city was an awfully crude strategy.¡± ¡°Well excuse me,¡± the baby sounded a bit offended. ¡°In case you haven''t noticed, there are very few people around here. The few people that I lead inside are very insufficient.¡± ¡°...Killing humans is not apprehensive to you?¡± Viers¡¯ tone turned serious. ¡°Aren''t you a human yourself?¡± ¡°I¡¯m no longer human, aren¡¯t I? I won''t plan a genocide on the country or anything but I¡¯ll do what I must to survive. If I have to kill a few people every month, then so be it.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­¡± ¡°To me, you¡¯re the odd one,¡± the baby said. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°I told you that I¡¯m a man-eating dungeon and you didn''t even flinch. Hell, you even accept my outlandish explanation about bending space and creating goblins out of thin air as if it was normal. I might not have memories of my past but I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not normal. You are not normal.¡± ¡°Sanity is overrated,¡± Viers didn''t even bother to deny. ¡°I guess you can order your creation to fulfill your quota but your spawn location is really too poor. Let¡¯s see¡­ How about-¡± Viers gave several suggestions to the other otherworder, along with their pros and cons. ¡°That. I like that plan,¡± the baby said to Viers¡¯ fourth option. ¡°But it is quite risky. We can''t control the spread. Some powerful people might take notice,¡± Viers said. ¡°About the Level 4s and Level 5s, while it might be bad if they managed to get inside, I believe I won''t be a problem if I tweak the dungeon so they cannot go in. Even if they do, they won''t find me.¡± Viers let out an impressed whistle. ¡°You¡¯re able to do that? Impressive.¡± ¡°I have things I have to do. I don''t plan on dying again.¡± So he died, eh? Was it a slip or something else? ¡°This thing you want to do, is it returning to Earth? Back to your family and friends?¡± ¡°No. Why do you think that?¡± ¡°Uhh,¡± Viers was genuinely taken aback by the baby¡¯s indifference. ¡°Cause it¡¯s the norm? A lot of people in our circumstances want to go back to Earth. Sometimes, at whatever the cost.¡± Viers thought of his Fables, his collection of fiction stories from Earth. ¡°Hmmm¡­ Good for them. Are there a lot of Earthlings like us in this world?¡± ¡°I honestly don''t know.¡± Gods, I hope not. ¡°You don''t want to go back?¡± the baby asked. ¡°I like this side much better.¡± ¡°...We¡¯re of the same mind.¡± After a few seconds of comfortable silence, Viers opened his mouth again. ¡°Back on topic. For the plan to work, you need to make delving into the dungeon a lucrative affair. You need to give them things to loot.¡± ¡°So things like this then? The System indicates these things have a high value.¡± Around the room appeared gold coins, jewels, mana crystals, enchanted items, valuable monster parts, natural treasures, and so on. ¡°...You can create these at will?¡± Viers said with a little tremor in his voice. ¡°Of course not. I just moved them from the storage room. I gathered them from various places. Mostly the raw materials then I create something else. The System also has quests that reward me with useful doodads if I complete them.¡± ¡°I see¡­ The System is really convenient.¡± ¡°Hmmm, so you don''t have one.¡± ¡°To my regret, no. I¡¯m not born with one. This amount would do for the time being. If we¡¯re smart about it, this can lure in a lot of people. However, it¡¯s still a bit lackluster. It would be much better if you have something unique that can''t be found anywhere else.¡± ¡°I think I have that too.¡± ¡°...Right,¡± Viers controlled himself to not let out a snort of disdain. ¡°Let¡¯s not show all the good stuff right from the start to these dungeon robbers. I can smooth things out on the matters of the surface while you deal with the dungeon side.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sensing a ¡®but¡¯, Tanael.¡± ¡°But,¡± Viers stressed. ¡°I want a cut of the pie.¡± ¡°And here I thought you¡¯re a good samaritan. But it¡¯s fair to be compensated for one¡¯s work. You can take whatever you want from the pile.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not after these things. Wealth is good but I¡¯m not lacking in wealth myself. Bling-bling doesn''t interest me as much. I¡¯m after something more substantial, something more hard to get. The thing that ¡®can''t be found anywhere else¡¯ you talked about sounds interesting. Mind if I take a look?¡± ¡°...Fine.¡± One of the walls in the room was erased and revealed another space. Viers didn''t think it was an illusion. The dungeon core changed the dungeon¡¯s layout, manipulated space, as easily as turning one¡¯s hand. Viers saw a white, dead tree. The ten meters tall shriveled trunk was half-assimilated with a creature. The creature was like a humanoid made of mercury with a lower body that resembled a centipede. Furthermore, it had sixteen long tentacles on its back. The creature¡¯s head and half of its torso seemed to have merged with the white tree, making the face incorrigible. From a hole in the creature¡¯s chest, glimmering red powders fell continuously. The room was filled with it. The macabre tree and creature seemed to be an island among the sea of red powder. Viers was filled with an intense desire to dive into that pool of red and gobble everything up. His body was screaming to do so. ¡°I found them deep underground. What happened to them was lost in time. The tree and the creature are useless, but the red powders that came from it continuously are not. The System specifies them as Nutra. The color of the name when I identified them is rarer than anything else I have. Their main effect is to increase lifespan and ease Pathseeker training considerably? At any rate, they are useless for me so if you help me, I can spare a barrel every-¡± A sound of serious clash resounded. Viers¡¯ fastest attack, Cut the Crap, was blocked by the baby¡¯s barrier. The grinding of the katana and the immaterial shield produced bright crackles of energy. ¡°Finally showed your true colors, have you?¡± the baby¡¯s cold voice resounded in Viers¡¯ head. ¡°What, you think I was born yesterday? You think I would reveal this much about myself if I don''t have complete assurance of my safety?¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± Viers snorted. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re not an idiot.¡± On the tree were several gray, wilted flowers. Like the tree, they were already dead but their form remained. Viers recognized those flowers because he had a live one inside his Intio. The flower that Aletro of the Book World informed him was named the Everlife Goldbloom Flower. Chapter 312 - Icy Relationship A green log struck Viers. It was actually a haymaker by the orc, Tarrok. Viers¡¯ misconception was not so implausible. The orc¡¯s arms were as thick as a tree trunk. Viers landed on the wall with his feet. Immediately he constructed the path to counterattack. While the core summoned more dungeon creatures to defend it, Viers exploded with power. Releasing the full breadth of Horizon¡¯s boost to suffuse his being. The speed of his movement Arte after the 522% boost was like lightning. The next thing the baby saw was something half-piercing the barrier that it held in so high regard. In the background, Tarrok¡¯s head was split in two but it had no leeway to think about it. Without giving the misshapen baby time to scream or breathe, Viers exerted even more of his power on the Spear of Leonidas. ¡°Rwaaaah!¡± ¡°Impossible! AAAAAHHHH!¡± ¡°AAAAAGGGH!!¡± Viers didn¡¯t fuck around. No unnecessary talking, no villain antics, he spoke through actions and those actions were for the sake of killing his target. What could have been an epic battle between two otherworders, Viers compressed the length of conflict with bold decisiveness and sheer strength. Efficient conflict needed no flair, only result! As a result, the broken Divine Weapon stabbed the baby right in the chest. The dungeon core¡¯s screams were double, in Viers¡¯ ears and in his mind. Wait, that was not right. Why was Viers screaming? He backed away, eyes blurry and head confused. A severe pain in his chest. Blood in his hand. His blood. I¡­ I¡¯m hurt? The baby was still screaming, thrashing around. The monsters it summoned were in a frenzy, attacking Viers with immeasurable fury. Viers was in no shape to fight back. ¡°Go!¡± ¡°Kin is injured! We protect!¡± ¡°Fuu!¡± ¡°Yaa!¡± Viers let his trusty companions handle the reinforcements, Viers calmed his turbulent mind. Like in the anime, in his mindscape it was as if he was standing in a clear water pond with his own image clearly reflected below. Or so he hoped. Before he achieved that clear mind state, the surroundings changed into a fiery landscape. The previous stone dungeon walls were nowhere to be seen. The temperature of this place was very high and just like volcanic terrain, there were even lava rivers. Viers immediately suspected it was the baby¡¯s doing. ¡°That really hurt! Damn you! I¡¯ll kill you! Kill you!!!¡± The baby¡¯s voice reverberated from all around him. ¡°Ouch ouch hot hot hot! My hair!! Wuaaah!¡± ¡°Fuu! Fuu yuu yuu!!¡± Dia and Futon panicked as the heat of the terrain got to them. Dia¡¯s leaf hair started burning. Viers could use the Unreality Field to offset the heat but the wound on his chest was too deep and so he was unable to release it. In a crisis, Viers sent an image telepathy message to Faiya who was unaffected by the heat. Faiya followed the instructions as soon as he received them. He zipped under Viers and let out a pulse of energy. Within seconds, Viers felt the temperature gradually decrease to an acceptable level. The fire elemental absorbed the heat within a one-meter radius. Dia and Futon swiftly took refuge. Futon doused Dia¡¯s hair fire using a bit of rain. Meanwhile, Viers focused on healing himself, turning his healing factor to the max, even bolstering the regen with his life force. This damage¡­ and so difficult to heal! What the hell? Did I get hit by¡­ ¡°Despicable thief! This is what you get!¡± The baby appeared again. This time it was floating, the barrier that Viers just broke had already reformed completely. There was no trace of any wound on its body. A massive monster slowly came into being. It was a scaly lizard-like creature with small wings. Its body as if it was made out of magma. ¡°Magma Wyrm! Destroy him!¡± The roar of the bus-sized beast sounded the starting gong of the fight. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. No, Viers thought while still clutching his wounded chest. I won''t die here. With that conviction, he spurred into action. Under the earth of Carfax Peninsula, an epic fight between two otherworlders that nobody knew was unfolding. *** The nameless Dungeon Core watched its mightiest creation rage. It had no direct offensive power but the Magma Wyrm would do its bidding. The three small beings that Tanael summoned mounted a stiff resistance but they were eventually defeated. Although, their defensive battle had achieved its objective. Tanael¡¯s swift recovery was borderline miraculous. The core knew more than anyone else how severe the damage was. Tanael fought with ice. It might be the weakness of the Magma Wyrm but using ice in the volcano [Room] was very impractical, needing more Victa to use. The core suspected Tanael would self-destruct before long. Outside of its expectations, Tanael half-terraformed the terrain. [Identify] showed the core that the bottle Tanael shattered was called [Sealed Breath of the Ice Giant]. Fierce winds and ice swallowed part of the area, separating the [Room], into volcano and tundra terrain. When the puny Tanael fought against the Magma Wyrm, the core was horrified seeing its creation was outmatched so one-sidedly. How could Tanael be so strong? Tarrok got defeated by a sneak attack but the Magma Wyrm empowered by the [Room] should be able to contend with the mightiest Level 3s. The baby used its second S-Rank Skill, [Energy Outflux]! A tether of flickering light, like a thin river of mist, connected the baby with the Magma Wyrm and it was no longer pushed back by Tanael, even turning the tables on him. ¡°Not so tough now, are you?¡± The core laughed as the Wyrm had Tanael underfoot. ¡°Ban¡­ Kai¡­¡± A terrifying frost rivaling the [Sealed Breath of the Ice Giant] explosion burst forth from Tanael. The core gasped as the Magma Wyrm¡¯s foot turned frozen solid and fell apart. The Wyrm¡¯s pained wail was the sound effect and the failing shards of icicles were the visual effect. Tanael revealed his new form. A dragon-shaped ice ran across his right arm, from shoulder to fist. The blade at the end was coated with frost energy. On his back were a pair of ice wings and a long tail that moved as if it was his own limbs. Because the baby was looking from above, it could see that a pattern similar to a blooming lotus was formed on the ground beneath Tanael¡¯s feet when he transformed. ¡°Bankai¡­ Daiguren Hyourin Muramasa,¡± Tanael¡¯s breath was white and he pointed his sword at the enemy. ¡°O Dungeon Core, can you withstand the coldness of mine sword?¡± The two exchanged intense, silent stares. ¡°...Done showing off? Then die.¡± The core had enough of seeing Tanael¡¯s smug smile and ordered the Wyrm to melt it. It roared a great stream of fiery breath that could melt rocks. ¡°Cool it!¡± Tanael put out a thrust and met the blazing breath with a blast of frigid ice. The deadlock between ice and fire didn''t last long, fire won it. But Tanael evaded getting hit by it. The Magma Wyrm continued its attack. The Wyrm was not slow but Tanael was small and agile. He sneaked in some damage between his scurrying all over the place. ¡°Little sneak! Is running all you can do?¡± An angry voice said. ¡°Elden Ring experience, bay-bieh~,¡± A composed voice said back. The baby was getting even more emotional. [Energy Outflux] was a super skill, the energy it sent to the Wyrm should be enough to splat Tanael ten times over but it couldn''t get a hit. It was as if he was used to fighting this way. The baby tried to order control of the Wyrm but it only resulted in making its movement awkward. Seeing the opening after inflicting lots of small damage, Tanael leaped from scales to scales with the agility of a cat before reaching the Wyrm¡¯s head. There, he stabbed his sword into the crown. The magma lines on the Magma Wyrm¡¯s skin turned blue by the freezing cold energy injection, and so did its organs. Brain, blood, eyes, tongue, all were ice. It fell on its stomach and soon faded away, like dust in the wind. ¡°What¡¯s the use of making those wings if you can''t use those to fly, idiot!¡± The core said its gripe. ¡°PRESENTATION!¡± That can''t be right, the baby thought. I think he¡¯s proud of himself? ¡°Whatever! You might have bested my [Creature Create: Boss] but this is it. You¡¯re done!¡± The baby was gone from Tanael¡¯s vision. It had left Tanael trapped in the [Room]. He¡¯s stuck there but now what? I can¡¯t¡­ You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Decisively, Tanael destroyed the [Room] with something that looked like a giant grape. Each fruit was an explosive. The resulting explosions allowed Tanael to land in the previous place, in front of the baby on its cradle. Once again, Tanael used the broken spear to gore the baby¡¯s S-Rank Skill [Heart Shield]. It didn''t have enough time to force Tanael back into a [Room]. ¡°Do it!¡± The baby stared down at the spearhead pointed at its chest. ¡°You¡¯ll die first!¡± Tanael didn''t push his weapon further after breaking the shield but held the baby at weapon point. The freezing aura that Tanael emitted turned the room white as a frost layer was formed. ¡°Peace.¡± That was what Tanael said as he withdrew the broken spear. His draconic ice ability was also broken, as was the katana. It seemed that ability cost him. But because of the one word he said earlier, the dungeon core didn¡¯t care in the slightest. ¡°You said¡­ peace?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°After all you¡¯ve-¡± Tanael interrupted after raising his palm. ¡°You inflict the damage done to your main body to the attacker. A marvelous ability. That means I can''t kill you. You¡¯ve seen how strong I am. You can''t kill me either. Since we can''t kill each other, how about we make up and team up?¡± ¡°So if I can be killed, you¡¯ll kill me no questions asked? Scoundrel! Human scumbag! After you stab me now you want to reconcile? Are you kidding me!?¡± ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no eternal enemies, only eternal benefits.¡± ¡°Outrageous! Get out of my home! Right now!¡± ¡°Now now, hear me out.¡± ¡°OUUUUUUTTT!!!¡± The de-escalation started from there. *** Later that day, Viers was back at Dia¡¯s Biome. He tried to put up a strong front in front of the dungeon core but his initial damage from his own Spear of Leonidas was substantial. ¡°You look like shit,¡± Ars¨¨ne said to Viers. ¡°You too,¡± Viers replied. True enough, Ars¨¨ne was like he¡¯d done parachute-less skydiving. ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡°Met an otherworlder Dungeon Core with damage reflection cheat. Cannot kill it, so we¡¯re business partners now.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± That was all Ars¨¨ne said. ¡°You?¡± ¡°Unintentionally toppled a government. Then my wanted rating climbed too high. Got hunted by an angry Level 5 Church Inquisitor.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Nothing else needed to be said. Chapter 313 - Viers Business Acumen What the hell is wrong with that guy? The unfortunate-looking baby watched as Tanael left the dungeon in its mind. How it wished to kill the two-faced villain and leave his body to rot. It tried! But it couldn''t! After refusing the peace offer, the core tried killing Tanael a bunch of times more but none of it worked. It had sent Tanael to a water-filled [Room] with the crushing pressure of the ocean depths. Tanael revealed he was a water Pathseeker and able to breathe underwater. The pressure, he shrugged off as a mild inconvenience. Next, the core had taken all the air in the [Room] outright, turning the inside into a vacuum. Tanael revealed he had the ability to transform himself into a slime, removing the requisite of breathing to live altogether. How annoying. In its next attempt, the core planned to grind Tanael¡¯s Victa down. Even it knew that Pathseeker would be powerless once their Victa was used up. It didn''t have the resources for high-level [Creature Create] so it planned for a monster wave tactic. Tanael revealed that he had the ability to create ¡®lightning sticks¡¯. The small metal stick could shoot invisible thunder that destroyed the created monsters. He had used several kinds of metal sticks. The weapon seemed familiar to the core. It was even sure it knew what it was called but the word was stuck in the back of its mind. How annoying! ¡°C¡¯mon, Core. I could do this all day,¡± Tanael said to the ceiling as if he knew for sure that it was watching. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, alright? Make peace, not war.¡± ¡°You shameless hypocrite!¡± Poison, falling rocks, quicksand, traps of all kinds, Tanael conquered them all. Wary about my [Equal Wound], Tanael showed no intention of attacking either. We¡¯re in a deadlock. Even if it wanted to keep trying, its resources were getting precariously low. Whether it was making new [Room] or [Creature Create], it utilized resources. The core acknowledged that to keep fighting was becoming unbearable so it begrudgingly accepted the ceasefire. They agreed to hash out the details of their cooperation at a later date. For now, the core¡¯s priority was getting Tanael out of its house. But that was very close¡­ Tanael¡¯s broken spear at the beginning almost killed me. Another such attack then I¡¯m gone¡­ Good thing he¡¯s afraid of [Equal Wound]. Khhh! All of the life force I painstakingly stocked up went down the drain. Such a waste. After Tanael left, the master of the dungeon closed all entries to the dungeon and focused on recuperating and rebuilding the damaged portion of its home. *** ¡°Wooow¡­ That just happened.¡± Ars¨¨ne was watching a burning town. How odd that he had seen a lot of similar things lately. Long story short, Ars¨¨ne was doing the usual. Taking candies from babies, taking money from adults, taking lives from fools, and taking souls from unlucky ones. One of the souls that he got had secret information that she swore to bring to the grave. She was honorable and did just that but not even the grave was a safe refuge from Ars¨¨ne. He told the secret to the local bigshot family of this city that promised rich rewards. The dead woman got what she wanted by being honorable, the rich folks got what they wanted from Ars¨¨ne, and Ars¨¨ne got the rewards he was promised, everybody wins. One thing led to another and the local bigshot family ended up burned by an angry turtle with a volcano on its back. The turtle emerged in the middle of the town. It was going berserk while crying. Something interesting might have happened behind the scenes but Ars¨¨ne was not privy to that information. While Ars¨¨ne was pondering about his next course of action, a comet struck the monster turtle. No, not a comet. A person! The person was wrestling the castle-size turtle to prevent more damage to the town. Seeing a Level 5¡¯s arrival, Ars¨¨ne didn''t have second thoughts about leaving. He heard a sigh and someone was standing beside him without him realizing it. The man was lanky and weary-looking. His garment showed his affiliation. ¡°Tanael, I presume? What a splendid mess you¡¯ve made. In these few weeks alone, how many times has it been?¡± ¡°...Good evening, Churchman. And you are?¡± Ars¨¨ne watched the Level 5 that was still battling the angry turtle and he saw that the man beside him had the same face and the same clothing. Either they were twins, or¡­ ¡°Inquisitor Ronbbery. You¡¯ve been busy, otherworlder. Hard to find too. Been searching for you since Regidana.¡± ¡°Other-worlder¡­ What a strange thing to say,¡± Ars¨¨ne said with composure. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Spare the act. You have not been subtle about it.¡± Ronberry took out a cigarette and lit it using a snap from his fingers. ¡°Suppose I am an otherworlder, what is the Church going to do?¡± ¡°Normally we would say, welcome to Dunias¡­ but not tonight. I¡¯m here to accept your surrender.¡± Ars¨¨ne didn''t like his tone. Not one bit. So haughty. ¡°There¡¯s a problem then. I don''t know how.¡± Ronberry gave Ars¨¨ne a questioning look. ¡°Surrender, I mean.¡± Ars¨¨ne was not afraid of picking a fight. ¡°You disappoint me. You¡¯re acting so¡­ juvenile.¡± ¡°Glad to disappoint.¡± ¡°So much suffering and destruction left in your wake. This must not stand. This world is not your playground, outsider¡­ We¡¯re willing to share but there are rules that must be obeyed.¡± ¡°But I don''t like rules.¡± Ronberry gave him the eye. A very condescending stare. ¡°Well? Are you going to use force, now, Mr. Adult?¡± ¡°We of the Church are not savages. Force is used as the last result. My superior wants to meet.¡± ¡°Interesting... Popess Salustia?¡± ¡°You wish. Her Holiness is too busy to concern herself over a naughty manchild.¡± ¡°You should be ashamed, old timer. I know a child with more negotiation skills than you.¡± ¡°Talking is not my strong suit, I admit. My superior will determine whether you can still be redeemed. Come.¡± ¡°If I say¡­ no?¡± Ronberry emitted his Victa, the taste was familiar to Ars¨¨ne. It belonged to a soul affinity Pathseeker. ¡°Going¡­ is your only option.¡± ¡°Agree to disagree.¡± ¡°Your past triumphs have made you overconfident.¡± ¡°Against your real body, that is true. But against a split soul like you, I wager my chances are not too bleak. To catch me, you must have scattered other fragments all over the place, yes? How strong are you compared to the original? A tenth? A hundredth?¡± ¡°Let me give you one piece of advice,¡± Ronberry put out the fire from his cigarette. ¡°Do not underestimate adults.¡± ¡°Interesting¡­ Your strength, let me put that to the test.¡± The tension in the air could be cut by a knife. The two entered their battle stances. Neither one blinked. The first one that moved was Ars¨¨ne. He ran. *** After a series of maneuvers, including scattering soul bombs at the next town during the chase, Ars¨¨ne finally managed to escape. That reduced Ars¨¨ne to a broken wreck. With difficulty, he returned to the Biome where he waited for Viers¡¯ arrival. Since Ars¨¨ne left Viers to roam the Coalition, he periodically returned to the Biome to dump the loot and sync with Viers. This time he carried a bit of a haul so he didn''t want to self-destruct if possible. If all seemed lost Ars¨¨ne would do it but such a future didn''t come to be. Still far from the strongest. This will not be the last time I get hunted and run like a whipped dog. No matter. Once I become a Demon Venerable, all will be well. Viers finished defragmenting Ars¨¨ne¡¯s memories and opened his eyes. He was underwater. Thanks to the Vigor of Responsibility Arte from the Church, his Victa was not a problem despite the major battle with the dungeon core but the same couldn''t be said the same to his injuries. He was in a Power Spot in the Biome with healing properties, the Pure Lotus Pond. It was the first time he felt the sting of his own Spear of Leonidas. The once Divine Weapon was no joke. When he struck the baby, Viers imbued the spear with his full strength. Against another otherworlder, Viers was not half-assing it. The core¡¯s damage mirror ability was unexpected, to say the least. Viers reviewed if he made the right call. Other than the damage mirror ability, the core¡¯s barrier is troublesome. It is sturdy and quick to repair itself if broken. The monster it created and the various space warps are hard to deal with. Most Pathseekers would be crushed. Thankfully I focus on versatility in my growth. As for the core itself¡­ There¡¯s no way it is unkillable. There must be a damage limit it can endure. The problem is I don''t know the limit and the damage reflected made trading blows risky. Should my clone take care of it? This day¡¯s experience gave Viers a lot to think about. Nutra¡­ And that dead tree¡­ For now, let''s just do business and see where it goes. With the Bankai, Viers¡¯ katana was broken. He was quite attached to this katana that he bought quite a long time ago. It wasn''t anything special though, that was why it couldn''t endure Viers¡¯ technique. Viers used it for its style and sentimental value. He was always torn. On one hand, he wanted super strong equipment; epic and legendary items with fantastical might. On the other hand, he wanted to be a Pathseeker who didn''t rely on his gear to progress. In the Fables, this development was split too. Both camps had heavyweight stories on their side. He¡¯d also revealed his firearms and monster transformations to the core. But it wasn''t a mistake. If they cooperated, he had to use them anyway. Besides, he was baiting the core¡¯s reaction. It seemed the core had big holes in its memories. What sort of person was that person before? Viers stayed in the Biome for a few days. Although he felt bad about not saying anything to Jessica, it couldn''t be helped. In the meantime, he also did his Profound Training. With this, the timer where he would lose his Pathseeker abilities every ten days were reset. Unless he was in absolute safety, Viers wouldn''t reduce himself to an ordinary human by doing Serpentes Renovamen Profound Codex¡¯ Profound Training. Since he wasn''t always being cooped up in the Biome, this in turn slowed the mastery of his Profound Codex which also slowed the progress in the Path of Power. I temporarily solved my Victa problem, but no I''m closer to solving this cultivation dilemma of mine. Heh. Even with my genre-savviness, there are things I can¡¯t do. Ars¨¨ne returned at perfect timing. He has brought enough souls and goodies. While the heat dies down at the Coalition territory, I¡¯ll get busy in this place. Becoming a Grand Soul again, training the familiars, improving the monster forms, dungeon management with the core, pheew¡­ My schedule is full. Let¡¯s do all I can until Farley, Paina, and Zerrigan awaken in about half a year. I get a feeling the next major arc will show itself then. *** A few weeks after Viers met with the sentient dungeon core, a mysterious cave opened up near the Ebon Wall City. The cave had stone stairs and walls, which were clearly manmade. The Grey Hawk Knightly Order was sent to investigate, the first scouting trip was led by the Knight Chief Charles Hall, the strongest Pathseeker in the city. ¡°Goblin party hiding to the right. Be careful.¡± ¡°Five Skeleton Heavy Warriors. Stay sharp!¡± ¡°Are those glowing rocks on the wall mana crystals? This much? We''re rich!¡± ¡°A chest? Who left a chest here? Whoa! There¡¯s an enchanted dagger inside!¡± They found rooms and corridors with monsters and valuable treasures. ¡°Hm? This room section seems different.¡± ¡°A house? Inside here?¡± ¡°I feel the presence of someone inside.¡± ¡°Capt¡¯n, shall we enter?¡± ¡°...Shield at the ready.¡± The knights opened the door and they didn''t expect what they found. A jolly voice greeted them. ¡°Took you long enough. Welcome to Never Die Thrice! I¡¯m the shopkeeper, Tey. From healing potions to insect repellent, this shop sells all kinds of commodities to make the most of your dungeon delving. Come in, come in, don''t be shy. The shopkeeper is your friend!¡± Chapter 314 - Dungeon Run ¡°Hey, Nipul. Nice to see you, buddy! Welcome to Ebon Wall. I¡¯m telling you, you came at the perfect time. Have you heard?¡± ¡°Hello, Billo. About what?¡± ¡°The Dungeon, of course!¡± ¡°Huh, hear people talking about it¡­ Is it really as good as the rumors?¡± ¡°Dude, I promise you, it will be worth your time.¡± *** ¡°Whoa¡­ All these people are going into the Dungeon? There must be hundreds of them.¡± ¡°Yep. Freelancers like us, people from Schools or Knightly Orders, vassals from great houses, all want a piece of the Dungeon. People from other cities are starting to take notice. While it is still relatively unknown, we have to take all the benefits we can get.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Billo? That one is a Level 4. He will take all the goodies, leaving us without any!¡± ¡°No problem. You¡¯ll see.¡± *** ¡°What kind of sorcery prevented that Level 4 from going in?¡± ¡°Hell if I know. A little advice from me mate. Lots of things that don''t make sense in this place. Better not think too much of it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ The corridor nails the ominous feeling perfectly. What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°The shop.¡± ¡°Shop? Inside here?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll like the shopkeeper, or as some called him, Tey.¡± *** ¡°Welcome, Stranger.¡± ¡°Come on, Tey. We¡¯ve met more than ten times. Are we still strangers anymore?¡± ¡°Hehehe. I call all my customers Stranger, Stranger. Welcome to Never Die Thrice. What are ya buyin¡¯?¡± ¡°Tey, I want to introduce you to my friend, Nipul.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Stranger. I¡¯m certain I got something that might interest ya. Take a look around.¡± ¡°Yes, I-¡± ¡°Oi, move it. There¡¯s a line here.¡± ¡°Alright, alright. Tey, the delve package supplies 2, please.¡± ¡°Pleasure doing business with ya.¡± *** ¡°Who was that? He looks very shady with the hood, scarf, and long coat.¡± ¡°Hehe, he has a unique style, right? I love it when he opens his coat and shows the things he''s got tucked inside.¡± ¡°So what are his wares exactly? With the line and all, I didn''t have the chance to ask.¡± ¡°Nipul, see those books on the pedestals? It¡¯s what is available. It projects the info straight to your mind. Give it a try.¡± ¡°.........I¡¯ll be damned.¡± ¡°Hahah! Look at your face.¡± ¡°Billo, th-this¡­ Is this real?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s real alright.¡± ¡°More than a hundred different Profound Codices, top tier rare monster cores, you can even learn Artes here? Wait, isn''t this the Magisterium Victa manipulation manual? How did he get this? Those Magisterium folks won''t allow this. They¡¯ll send their hitmen.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but Tey didn''t seem to care. Keep looking.¡± ¡°...The potion selection is long. From the usual healing potion to a straight-up elixir. They even have a cure for Reculisis disease? Did you know that Tey guy is an amazing alchemist¡­ Wait, is my mind failing me? A potion to increase Victa? Colloid?¡± ¡°I already tried it, my Victa really recovered. It¡¯s perfect for emergencies. As far as I know, not a single one of the potions are fake.¡± ¡°Battle techniques in abundance, potions, even equipment¡­ Other things are amazing too! Soul healing? Location of the Ice Salamanders? Key to the Blackvein ruins? Virtue Fruit? Goodness gracious! Windcliff Gryphon egg? If I can hatch it, it will be a powerful familiar! Perfect for me! ¡± ¡°I won''t disagree with you, mate.¡± ¡°So how do I buy these things? I¡¯ll empty all my savings!¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re not alone in this but except for the very basic stuff, Tey doesn''t accept cash. He wants Zenny.¡± ¡°What''s that? I never heard of it. How do I get it?¡± ¡°You go to the Dungeon, of course¡­ Oi, wait!¡± ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry it up, old man!¡± ¡°Hey! You¡¯re older than me!¡± *** ¡°Billo, you¡¯ve been here before, correct? Then do you already know the layout?¡± ¡°No, mate. The Dungeon changes every time you enter. The path, the rooms, the enemy, everything changes.¡± ¡°How is that possible? That is an otherworldly feat. Is- Is Tey that great? This is his Dungeon, right?¡± ¡°Don''t ask me about the how. Told you many things don''t make sense here. If you ask Tey whether this is his place he¡¯ll deny it. I only work here, he said.¡± ¡°Estelle be good¡­¡± ¡°Keep your wits about you, Nipul. We¡¯re on the first floor now.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. *** ¡°This place is a maze!¡± ¡°Don''t I know it.¡± ¡°Can we just break the walls until we find the stairs to the next floor? Or better yet, break the floor?¡± ¡°Bad idea. I once saw people try it. They are gone.¡± ¡°Gone how.¡± ¡°Gone, gone. They just vanished. Like erased from thin air. Know the Knight of Arleck, Fabio?¡± ¡°Sure, I know him. He¡¯s a peak Level 3. Don''t tell me-¡± ¡°If that kind of guy is gone, the likes of us shouldn''t anger this nice Dungeon. Ain''t that common sense?¡± ¡°Goddess¡­¡± ¡°Similarly, folks had tried to go into Dungeon from the outside. Tried to drill through the earth.¡± ¡°They haven''t succeeded, I take it?¡± ¡°Sure haven''t. Even some angry Level 4s couldn''t do it. The Dungeon simply cannot be entered aside from the entrance. And as you can see from earlier, it sometimes closes. Don''t worry, Tey will put up a notice in front of his shop when the Dungeon will close. Everyone passes through his shop before going into the Dungeon. I-¡± ¡°Billo, enemy ahead.¡± ¡°I sense it too. Hope you''re not too rusty, Nipul.¡± ¡°Hehe, watch and learn.¡± *** ¡°Wheew. What a tough battle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s floor boss. What did you expect? Now we can go deeper.¡± ¡°I still don''t get it. You kill monsters then your Zenny increases? The monster carcass completely disappeared too. We can''t harvest them.¡± ¡°Well, it''s the feature of this place, it seems. Complaining about it won''t do you no good.¡± ¡°...How much Zenny do I have now?¡± ¡°Tey will know and he has a device to show your Zenny. You can buy one if you want. Like this one.¡± ¡°You have one? Let me try.¡± ¡°Locked to me alone, I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°Tch. Fine¡­ You have¡­ Three hundred Zenny?¡± ¡°I already bought some things but now I¡¯m saving up to five hundred. The thing that I am aiming for is set at that price.¡± ¡°How long have you been doing this again? All those top-tier things at the store are priced in the tens of thousands, even millions!¡± ¡°It will take a while for sure. My guess is you¡¯re at around twenty Z.¡± ¡°It will take forever!¡± ¡°The deeper you go, the more Z you get from monster kills. There are also special enemies, weekly bosses, Tey said there will be events in the near future. There¡¯s also the night. It¡¯s very dangerous at night so I don''t recommend it.¡± ¡°Sounds like Tey got this figured out, keeping all of us wanting to keep coming back.¡± ¡°Or his boss. Alright, enough resting. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wait, Billo.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Can we trade Zenny with other people?¡± ¡°No. But people can do it indirectly. You can buy the things other people want using your Zenny then trade it outside.¡± ¡°What if we kill other delvers? Can we snatch their Zenny?¡± ¡°Ah, even you got greedy, did you? No, I¡¯m not blaming you. I had the same thought during my first entry.¡± ¡°Just answer the question.¡± ¡°We¡¯re at ¡®day¡¯ so no. When the sun goes down, the Dungeon shifts to night mode. Enemies become more dangerous and numerous. The traps become more insidious. Rumors are there are even more deadly beings out and about. Unlike ¡®day¡¯, at ¡®night¡¯ the Zenny of people you kill becomes yours. If you do it during the day, your Zenny gets taken away as a penalty.¡± ¡°Can you not scare me like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Night is for hardcores or idiots. Very high-risk high return but like Tey¡¯s shop, you should think thrice before you do it.¡± ¡°...Sounds like the night is the Level 3s arena then.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Think about it. If we are encouraged to kill each other-¡± ¡°Incorrect. The enemies are stronger at night so it¡¯s better to fight as a group.¡± ¡°But the rule about killing each other for the Zenny changes. Which makes it more risky to do things together with others. Especially with strangers.¡± ¡°...Good point. You were saying?¡± ¡°The lower leveled will be prey for the Level 3s, since they are the top dog. Because the Level 4 and 5 are denied entry. Level 1 or 2 Pathseeker going in would be a suicide.¡± ¡°Well, not really. Realize that every person we''ve passed by are our fellow Level 2s?¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°The Dungeon separates people according to their Level. As Level 2, we won''t meet Level 0, 1, or 3. I get what you¡¯re saying, weaker people will still get preyed upon by the stronger ones but at least it shouldn''t be against unreasonable odds.¡± ¡°...The maker really put some thought into making this place, huh? What are the creators aiming for? Zenny is just numbers. What do they get for making all of this?¡± ¡°...Beats me.¡± *** ¡°Urggh¡­ I messed up.¡± ¡°Billo, stay with me, buddy. Hang on!¡± ¡°Nipul¡­ Just¡­ Leave me. I won''t make it.¡± ¡°No! I will- Oh shit! The bugs are already here. Come on!¡± ¡°Don''t be a fool. Alone, you have a better chance of surviving this. I¡¯ll¡­ hold them off.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you and that''s final. Now shut up and walk! Billo? Billoooo!¡± ¡°Over here, Stranger.¡± ¡°Who said that!? ¡­The shopkeeper? How are you here?¡± ¡°You coming or what, Stranger? ¡­Wise choice. Close the door behind you.¡± ¡°Will they-¡± ¡°This room is safe, Stranger. Let¡¯s do some business then, ey!¡± ¡°My friend is injured. I need healing items.¡± ¡°Sure. Take your pick.¡± ¡°What? So expensive! And it''s all in Zenny! The ones upstairs are far cheaper!¡± ¡°Different places, different prices, Stranger. That Zenny in your pocket or your life? Easy choice, mate.¡± ¡°I don''t have enough Zenny¡­ Merchant, can you.¡± ¡°Not enough Zenny, Stranger!¡± ¡°I know that, so-¡± ¡°Not enough Zenny, Stranger!¡± ¡°I said I know! Can I-¡± ¡°Not enough Zenny, Stranger!¡± ¡°Arrgh! This is hopeless, Billo! Wake up and you need to buy the item yourself! Come on, buddy! Don''t die so close to help!¡± ¡°You know what? I have a special offer for ya. I can give you the potion for something else you have.¡± ¡°Then hurry up! What do you want?¡± ¡°Your lifespan.¡± ¡°M-my life span?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. Just a week of your lifespan then you can save your friend here. What will it be?¡± ¡°...Are you not messing with me?¡± ¡°Tey from Never Die Thrice is an honest businessman. I stake my honor on every transaction. Better hurry it up, Stranger. He¡¯s fading fast.¡± ¡°...If your potion can save my friend, then deal.¡± ¡°A wise choice, Stranger.¡± ¡°.........Nipul, what? Are we dead?¡± ¡°No, we are still very much alive, buddy.¡± ¡°Tey? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Welcome, Stranger. What¡¯re ya buyin¡¯?¡± *** ¡°Billo, are you sure you¡¯re good?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure. Don''t worry. I won''t waste your one week of life. I¡¯ll pay you back and more, my friend. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°See ya, opportunist merchant. Thanks for saving my life.¡± ¡°Hehehe. Come back anytime.¡± *** ¡°Yessss! We did it! The Big Boss is dead!¡± ¡°Holy shit! We really did it¡­ My life flashed before my eyes more than once.¡± ¡°See Nipul, I knew I could count on you! Thanks. Never managed to defeat the Boss before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tough boss of the tenth floor to be sure but final? No other floor after this?¡± ¡°Not right now. But I know what you mean. There will be another final boss ready for our next run. Enough about that! Look at our Zenny! Whoohoo!¡± ¡°Look! The Boss dropped something.¡± ¡°Oh? That never happened before. What is it?¡± ¡°Some red powder thing in a small jar. The label is written Nutra. Never heard of it before.¡± ¡°Guess we can ask Tey later. Just keep it hush-hush from others. I bet it''s a good thing. Come on, let''s go back before night settles in. Wheew. A dungeon run well done. Let¡¯s drink till we drop tonight!¡± ¡°Billo, you almost died.¡± ¡°But I didn''t! Hahahahaha! Let''s do it again tomorrow!¡± Chapter 315 - Dungeon Creators ¡°Things are going well.¡± ¡°I thought so too.¡± The baby and Viers were talking about their brainchild. The Dungeon that appeared nearby Ebon Wall City was raking in visitors. The main appeal was the rich rewards that they could get. Compared to sallying out to Monsterland, the return was higher. There was also a mysteriousness about it that tickled the people¡¯s sense of curiosity. After the low casualty rate was set in stone, those who at first picked the wait-and-see approach began trickling into the Dungon¡¯s tunnels. ¡°Remember,¡± Viers said. ¡°You must not kill excessively. The city is relatively small and located on the frontier. If you kill too many people, fewer people will go in. We¡¯re here for the long run.¡± ¡°I know. You don''t have to worry. Besides, the Night feature that you thought of takes care of it. Look at these foolish men killing each other for money and loot.¡± Viers input the ideas, while the core built and implemented it. While the two were cooperating, they didn''t share everything. Each had secrets that they had not divulged to the other side. Viers didn''t mind. He was the one who attacked the core first after all. For example, Viers didn''t quite understand why the core wasn''t so life-hungry. Looking at the Fables that he knew of about dungeon cores, weren''t they supposed to kill a lot of people to get exp fast? At first destroying a village or two, killing a high-level adventurer party using trickery, or some other thing. That way they could improve and expand at an incredible rate. The core wanted a few kills here and there, that was it. Just enough to fulfill its obligatory system quest, apparently. Viers had broached the subject but the baby evaded the question and didn''t give him a straight answer. It didn''t seem to be eager to expand. ¡°If the body count is getting too high, we should consider closing the Dungeon at night.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± the baby said. The rough mechanic of the dungeon was roguelike, with random rooms and challenges. Each floor had a few rooms that delvers had to traverse before being able to go down to the deeper floor. Sometimes, the core threw in mid-boss strong monsters as roadblocks. Should they be able to beat the final boss of that particular run, they would get rewarded with greater Zenny and loot. Viers was using his gaming experience to good use. He¡¯d drawn inspiration from games like Hades and Dead Cells. The reward was enough enticement for bringing in the delvers for now. Should they prove insufficient, Viers had lots of ¡®fun¡¯ mechanics to introduce in the future patches. ¡°How¡¯s security? Several Level 4s have been poking around, wanting to go in. Did they make any progress?¡± ¡°They have tried to burrow into my tunnels but have been unsuccessful. People can only enter from the entrance I made and I regulate who can enter.¡± Viers was impressed by the core¡¯s ability. How it bent space to construct rooms and tunnels for the delvers was a whole other level of space wizardry. It assured him if it completely closed the dungeon, not even a Level 5 could find their way in. I saw the tunnel from outside using Euryale Sight but getting in was not possible? System perk or something else? How I can teleport inside the Dungeon is also the stuff of envy. Of course, it''s only because the core allowed it. ¡°Alright. Is the upkeep manageable?¡± To keep the Dungeon running, there were costs. For example, the enemies for the delvers to fight. All were created by the core but it wasn¡¯t able to create anything it wanted. It would be too OP otherwise. The core needed to fulfill the System¡¯s requirements first. Usually, just kill the X monster ten times or so. Viers and the core hunted the residents of the Monsterland for this. Those real monsters¡¯ flesh and blood were then carried to the Dungeon. The core needed it to create monsters. ¡°No issue as of now. I¡¯ll tell you about the next excursion when needed.¡± Viers had joined the core¡¯s hunting party a few times to build up the monster menagerie before the Dungeon was open to the public. Tarrok, the Level 3 peak orc warchief, whose head Viers split in two during the fight, was there. Viers was surprised at first, the orc was completely revived. Since the Carfax Peninsula was brimming with monsters, it was a good source of biomass. Viers was also getting some of it. He too needed a massive amount of biomass for his abilities and evolutions. As the folk came to the Dungeon, the ones going into the Monsterland were naturally getting fewer. The steady culling of the monster population before they got too big and caused a beast tide was getting behind. That was where Viers and the core came in, killing the monsters in droves. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Unknown to the Ebon Wall City, Viers was helping them on multiple fronts, militarily and economically. Those enemies in the Dungeon were there for the delvers to defeat. While they disappeared after getting defeated and thus didn''t leave precious loot for the delvers, they gave Zenny instead. The lack of monster drops were substituted by the treasure chests in the Dungeon. The Zenny was Viers¡¯ idea. It served as a pseudo-currency for the Dungeon¡¯s independent miniature economy. If the core¡¯s system wasn''t able to keep track of everyone¡¯s Zenny, Viers would have to find another way of assigning Zenny to the delvers. Viers got the idea from the sect contribution points and whatnot from the xianxia Fables. The benefits of having control of the currency went without saying. ¡°If anything, I¡¯m worried about you. You make your shop so crucial for the delvers, would you be alright?¡± The core asked. The goods that the delvers could spend their hard-earned Zenny on were top of the line. The bulk of it was supplied by the core. It used the rewards from the System¡¯s ¡®quests¡¯. Viers included his own wares in the shop. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s months of shady activities brought a lot of goods and information of value. Those that he did not need, he put it for sale. Of course, no matter how ¡®good¡¯ their stuff was, it was only for Level 3 and below. The truly special things that might draw the desire of those Level 4 and 5 such as the Nutra were not widely in circulation. Viers recently gave a small amount to some random delvers to test the waters. He didn''t know how the market would react. What the core was asking was Viers¡¯ time. He made the Never Die Thrice shop and donned the look of Tey for Horizon. Sometimes, when Ars¨¨ne served as a body double, as Tey, Viers also set up shop in the Dungeon tunnels at random places, giving the players special deals. Viers was taking the mantle of a merchant not only because he wanted to cosplay as the good merchant of RE4 but also because he could sell his darker services in a protected environment. He had dark arts that he could try, for example, his ability to take the lifespan of another. That lifespan he could use for himself or give to another. Strictly speaking this was not a new ability of his but a different application of his soul technique. By siphoning the ¡®health¡¯ of the soul, because the soul and body were closely related, the lifespan of the subject naturally decreased. Life and soul were priceless commodities. If he did it outside, it might draw the attention of the authorities but here in the Dungeon where only Level 3s and below were permitted entry, Viers was not afraid. For now, Viers was keeping it small scale, but in the future? Viers was never shy of having big dreams. His attempt to take a step beyond mortal men was proof enough. That being said, Viers was well aware of the core¡¯s doubt. He had a lot more important things to do than being a shopkeeper. Using Ars¨¨ne as a stand-in was an utter waste of his double¡¯s ability. At first, it was fun but after a few days, not so much. It became a chore instead. Taking people¡¯s orders, organizing supplies, setting the prices, all were long work. That said, Viers couldn''t exactly hire other people to work in his shop. If he couldn''t handle it and left for the core to manage, his profits would decrease. ¡°Have no fear, the shop will be manned and working at full capacity. I got a plan.¡± ¡°...If you say so.¡± It¡¯s time for me to dip my toe in necromancy. In management simulation games, automating your work is standard procedure. I¡¯ll make a couple of zombies or something. With Aletro¡¯s soul attainment that put him on par with a Level 5 soul Pathseeker with centuries of experience, Viers was more than equipped to animate dead. Those who walked the path of the undead were usually death or soul affinity Pathseekers. Viers had focused his development away from necromancy but now that he had use of it, there was no reason to not do so. Making the zombie look like Tey should be simple enough and the core could help me mask the undead aura while it¡¯s in the dungeon. For making the zombie capable of slightly complex action, putting a soul inside it should do the trick. Perfect. Dead people make good laborers. I mean, think about it. They don''t need food, money, or rest. Twenty-four-seven, all year, work, work, work! Ha! In the future, when historians talk about when the ¡®Undeadstrial Revolution¡¯ began in this world, they will tell of this moment. Ohohoho! ¡°I¡¯ve voiced concerns. If there¡¯s nothing else, the exit is over there. Here¡¯s the payment for your services.¡± A barrel appeared out of thin air. In the dungeon, Viers was no stranger to the core¡¯s ability to teleport things or people. The barrel was filled to the brim with red powder: Nutra. ¡°30 kilos of Nutra. Pleasure doing business with you, Core.¡± Viers said to the transparent baby projection. After Viers¡¯ attack, for their subsequent interactions the core no longer showed itself to Viers. It used 3D projection instead. Again, Viers understood. ¡°Abby.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my name. Not Core. I remembered a few things from my previous life.¡± ¡°Oh, congrats¡­That sounds like a girl¡¯s name. Are you-¡± ¡°What, you got a problem I¡¯m a girl?¡± ¡°Nonono. Not one bit. It¡¯s just unexpected.¡± The Dungeon Core¡¯s appearance was a deformed baby. Its lower part was always covered with a white cloth. While it could speak to his mind, the voice was childish, neither masculine nor feminine. He assumed the core was male because that was usually the case in power fantasy stories. Females were usually reincarnated in the ¡®villainess¡¯ story. ¡°Well, nice to meet you, Abby.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Abby¡¯s projection disappeared. She was clearly still angry about Viers, known to her as Tanael. ¡°Well then,¡± Viers put his hands on his waist as he looked at the barrel of Nutra. It¡¯s a good start¡­ The Dungeon hopefully will last long. I was afraid the core wanted to aggressively expand and hold back some of my ideas but turns out she¡¯s okay with keeping the Dungeon small for the time being. Good, good. We might be business partners but I don''t want her to grow too quickly for me to handle. At any rate, my own strength is the numero uno priority. With this much Nutra, my cultivation should be rising quickly. Awright! First, Grand Soul. I¡¯ll do it tonight! Chapter 316 - Grand Soul A green-skinned, and leaf-haired, ten-year-old dryad jumped. Not too soon a tongue of flame engulfed her previous place. With a yell and palm glowing green with nature¡¯s energy, she clashed with the flaming shield that the fire elemental conjured. The clash resulted in both getting knocked back, however, they both were forcibly getting sucked by a squall. Against the creator of the wind technique, the dryad made roots in the shape of two hands appear beside the cloud elemental. The hands clasped together and sank back into the earth. Before that, the cloud-being managed to create a lightning bolt at the fire elemental, and while the dryad was focusing on the cloud, the living flame made use of the air current around him to engulf the dryad with a flaming tornado. Dia, Futon, and Faiya were not exactly fighting; they were training. ¡°Owie, owie¡­ Faiya, you¡¯ve gotten stronger.¡± ¡°Yaa!¡± ¡°Aww, thanks. Futon, you too.¡± ¡°Fuu, fuu!¡± Their strengths grew daily. With the enriching environment of Dia¡¯s Biome, plenty of high-vitality monster meat to eat, and various natural treasures their master had accumulated, not growing rapidly was a sin. However, strength was useless without the skill to complement it, so they trained. Their current focus was on how to synergize their different elements in a fight. Viers had shown them the door, but it was they who must open it and go inside. Actually, Viers had said to not have a three-way rumble. They were still unskilled. He didn''t want them to get hurt by accident. With the level of strength they had, it could result in some serious injuries. Except, they were still children at heart and sneakily did so, since Viers was not looking. They simply wanted Viers¡¯ praise. As the three were about to begin their next bout, they stopped. It was akin to a heartbeat of the world. An invisible wave engulfed them that lasted for less than two seconds. Subdued, massive, and mighty. They never felt anything like it. Still, it carried no malice so they were not panicking. And they knew the person causing it. ¡°Kin is coming! Quick, heal the wounds and tidy up the fields!¡± *** Far from Dia and the others, Viers opened his eyes. He was in a Power Spot attuned with soul affinity. He had been creating this place for some time, slowly adding soul plants and natural treasures. By now, the place was potent enough in soul affinity it could be categorized as a rudimentary Power Spot. The ethereal and beautiful place was perfect for what he was doing: a breakthrough. Will-o''-the-wisps in the area were frantic. The soul butterflies scattered away. The glow of the weeping willow fluctuated. It was like a big stone thrown into a calm pond, it disturbed the serenity of the place. I¡¯ve missed this feeling. Viers¡¯ soul sense encompassed a large area of the Biome. During the epic battle in the final stage of the Book World, Viers used this ability to grasp the situation on the massive battlefield. This act was akin to a flex of a stiff muscle. He also wanted to check if there were complications during his deep seclusion even though he should be safe in the Biome, but Viers was paranoid like that. He expected the worst. After all, it was a common trope in xianxia stories that the MCs were often beset by enemies and difficulties as they made their breakthrough, only to succeed at the very last moment and epically fight back against their attackers. Despite the distance, he could see what his familiars were doing as if he was right there watching them. Realizing immediately what they had been doing, Viers made a wry smile and shook his head. Yare-yare daze. Viers made no attempt to scold them again. He¡¯d let them fight. He was not talking about Godzilla fighting some other kaiju. Kids will be kids. If they get hurt, let it be a lesson that makes them wiser. Viers put his mind inwards. A million human souls, or their equivalent, were needed for one¡¯s ascendancy to Grand Soul. At least, according to the ways of the Myriad Souls in One Arte; it was just the one that Viers had. There were other ways out there but Viers was using this one. It was a sinister Arte that consumed the souls of their fellows to strengthen the user¡¯s soul. Viers was a human so he needed human souls. If an elf were using it, he or she would need elven souls. Because of moral reasons, some would be too disgusted to utilize such a revolting Arte. Viers didn''t think more than five minutes before deciding to use it. Improving one¡¯s soul was difficult. Some needed years or even decades of grueling discipline to achieve the peak of Mortal Soul, let alone leaping across the great chasm into the stage of Grand Soul. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Viers had no desire to waste that much time, not even when he suspected he was possibly immortal since he could replenish his life force. The world, particularly this magical one, had too many wonders to experience. Like the villain he was, he took the dark path to power. The power of the dark side was not necessarily stronger than the light -like a certain little green sage once said- but it was easier. Since he could gain power faster than others, he should also not lose against his righteous, hero-wannabes close to his age that would undoubtedly become his enemies because they couldn''t tolerate his way of living. But as long as he was stronger, Viers didn''t care what those people prattled. He had long mastered the technique of ignoring hateful Twitter comments, an invaluable skill in the old world. As long as he was stronger. That phrase was Viers¡¯ dogma. It would be key in his struggle against his mortal enemies, the righteous people. Once he was stronger, he could rise to an even greater height of power! Furthering the gap between them further! That way, those fellows wouldn''t be able to defeat him, no matter how much they hated his guts. The villains that lost to the heroes despite achieving a faster rise in prominence were being lazy. The classic rabbit and turtle race case. As for those old monsters that were already stronger than him, good or bad people, Viers had no pride that prevented him from running and hiding until his strength matched theirs. Of course, there were a lot of other reasons for a villain¡¯s fall. For example, undue gloating, excessive ego, redundant greed, trading brains for strength, the power of love, not killing the hero after they were defeated, and so on. Even Luffy got beaten by Kaido THREE times! He didn''t kill him on three separate occasions! Oh my God¡­ I don''t care if you¡¯re one of the Four Emperors or not, that¡¯s just dumb! Don''t agree? Lo and behold! Did Luffy kick your ass to the center of the earth or not?! You can kiss that One Piece goodbye, dragon guy! Viers, watching the failures of those villains since he was old enough to understand that he was watching Power Rangers and Kamen Riders, had been vaccinated against those villain diseases. He was immune to their fallacies! And thus, empowered with the power of genre savviness, as long as he was stronger than the hero, there was no reason for him to lose. As simple as that. This logic was airtight in Viers¡¯ mind. As a human, the Myriad in Souls Arte was quite suited for him. Unlike the elves or other species with a scarce population, the human race bred fast. In other words, they were a renewable resource. Objectively speaking. Viers didn''t need to actively cull his fellow man. Hell, people like to do war. They would do it without his push. Why else in the old world the history of the human race was filled with it? That was the case where humans were the dominant species in the whole world. In this place, there were monsters and demons, and whatever else. Conflict was never going to be a scarcity. Conflict bred war and war bred death on a massive scale. Even without war, people died every day. Whichever the case was, it didn''t matter for Viers. He just needed to cast his net wide, chomp-chomp their soul for a bit, then release their inedible soul essence back into the circle of life and death. Actually, the strong Pathseekers had greater soul value for the Myriad Souls in One Arte so it was somewhat doable for species who didn''t have a large population but eating smaller fish lots and lots was easier for sure. The two attempts of Viers¡¯ of reaching Grand Soul were filled with weaker souls than strong souls such as Level 4s¡¯. Viers never got his hands on a Level 5 soul. It was too difficult. That said, the soul eating Arte was not without deficiencies, otherwise everyone would be using it. It was a common danger of eating other souls, it made the eater deranged. The stronger they were, the more mad they became and the hungrier they were for souls; it was an ugly downward spiral. In their attempt to quench their insatiable thirst, they wreaked havoc on the world until they were put down. Then why was Viers not subject to this dilemma? The answer was Aletro¡¯s soul attainment. Viers¡¯ soul knowledge and mastery were equal to a Level 5 soul Pathseekers with centuries of experience. He wished he could say it was child''s play resolving the issue but it was actually not. It was a fundamental problem in this method of cultivation but he succeeded. Other notable soul-user villains in history also must conquer this problem before their true rise to greatness. Viers reaching Grand Soul was a feat that most Level 5 didn¡¯t even accomplish and he did this twice. In the past had cut down his own soul foundation and breathed life into the two elementals, Futon and Faiya. Their potential was boundless, Viers didn''t regret his actions. Viers was now a soul Pathseeker with Grand Soul, the next step after Mortal Soul, but what did it mean exactly? What were the benefits of Grand Soul? A more solid soul foundation, more resilient soul, soul sense, all soul Artes increase in power by several fold, yadda-yadda. Pretty much the whole package of soul cultivation like in the Fables. With this, I¡¯ve cleared one of the requisites to advance to Level 6, according to Clarissa. To his estimate, rounding down because he didn''t want to make a greater estimate of his abilities than it should be, in purely soul combat abilities, he was 2.5 stronger than before. And it was without factoring in his other abilities, first and foremost, the Horizon Aspect. Or his Hyper Artes. His lifeforce to power conversion had become much more effective after integrating Max¡¯s technique. My soul feels so¡­ wholesome. What an incredible feeling. I wonder what it''s like at the next stage. Grand Soul was not the end of soul cultivation. There was another stage above it. Viers only knew its name, Hallow Soul. Not to be confused with hollow. The word ¡®hallow¡¯ meant honor or holy. The term is similar to Deathly Hallows, Viers chuckled at the similarities. In the past, Viers failed to make any other step forward after stepping on the Grand Soul stage. He still hadn¡¯t a clue now. Myriad Soul in One was not Aletro¡¯s Arte; he plundered it from Farley¡¯s dad¡¯s soul. Who was a Dumuzin cultist so it is probably of a demonic origin. The members of that cult are known for their soul and mind specialties¡­ If I make no improvement even after I reach Level 5, guess I¡¯ll pay them a visit. I¡¯m not gonna ask nicely though. There was also Mr. X who attacked me, who I¡¯m sure is a member of that cult¡­ Dumuzin cult, we¡¯ve got a score to settle. Still filled with the euphoria of maxing his soul cultivation for the foreseeable future, Viers struck when the iron was hot. Next is energy cultivation. Let¡¯s see how useful the Nutra really is. Chapter 317 - Nutra Viers had been testing the substance that the dungeon core Abby called Nutra. He tested it in various ways. Before, he only got his hands on a small amount. To broaden his test sample, he also gave a small batch to lucky dungeon delvers. True to her description, the red powder was indeed a cultivation booster. While using it in his cultivation session, Viers got twice the result for half the effort. After several times of consistent results, he was convinced it wasn''t a fluke. This alone was already exceeding Viers¡¯ expectations but there was more. Game-changing and meta-defining. After getting a bigger batch this time, Viers conducted even more tests and so he found out that Nutra could also beneficially affect Profound Practice. In other words, it would make improving his Profound Codex way easier. Cultivation was not a simple thing. It had to be, since the end of the Path of Power was similar to godhood. A person¡¯s talent, aptitude, effort, environment, luck, and many other things were a factor. Profound Codex was an integral part of a Pathseeker, an important pillar of their style. Viers¡¯ Codex, Serpentes Renovamen needed to be trained by letting go of all of Viers¡¯ Pathseeker capabilities when the sun was down. For obvious reasons, Viers only did this in a safe environment. It resulted in his Profound Codex being the slowest to improve. Since it was frequency and time-based, Viers was having trouble speeding it up. To become Level 4, evolving the Unreality Field to its next stage, the Imaginary Domain, was an absolute requirement. And without mastering the Profound Codex, evolving the Unreality Field was but a daydream. After Valkut, he did his Profound Training in Dia¡¯s Biome as much as possible. The fruit of his effort was he learned the ability to use Unreality Field offensively. Nevertheless, Viers was still far from turning his Field into a Domain. While his need for ambient mana to nourish his Intio was not an issue thanks to Dia¡¯s Biome and all the mana crystals he took from others, the matter of his Codex was a significant weight that slowed down his climb to Level 4. Viers thought nothing could be done about it, not unless he got into another time-dilation place like the Book World. He calculated he would need around five years of unceasing Profound Practice, other requirements were not included. That meant five years as a regular human. Since he was unable to access his Victa and Artes, the training he could do was also greatly limited. He wasn''t willing to commit so much for the time being and had been preparing himself for such an outcome. Level 3 peak came first. Either way, he was still following the schedule, to become Level 4 before the age of thirty. Level 4 at that age was already fast, according to the world¡¯s norm. Even those that were ¡®talented¡¯ with the right qualifications reached Level 4 in their forties or fifties. Most Pathseekers didn¡¯t even have the qualifications to reach such height for all their lives. Viers was not yet eighteen, he might be able to reach Level 4 in his mid-twenties. With Nutra, I might become a Level 4 in about three years. Viers glanced at the barrel full of Nutra. But only if I have unlimited access to Nutra. This amount is far from enough! If not outright the dead tree, all the Nutra in that room at the very least. Viers frowned. The Nutra source was in the hands of Abby, not him. With an unlimited supply of Nutra at her disposal, she could easily make an army of high-Level Pathseekers! Everyone and their mother would want the red substance! No wait, is there something truly limitless in this world? The macabre tree and the aberrant thing are dead after all. It might not produce Nutra much longer! This makes the Nutra in stock all the more important! My instinct was correct, by attacking Abby back then. If I was successful, my prominence would be set in stone. Shame it wasn''t enough¡­ Viers'' head was filled with murderous thoughts. It isn''t impossible to kill Abby despite her damage-reflect ability. For one, Ars¨¨ne can take the hit. However, this is too important to risk a second failure. Let''s be smart about this. For now¡­ There was no fixed way of using the Nutra. It should be taken orally, inhaled, or put on the skin. It could also be mixed with other natural treasures too without losing its properties. Viers heavily suspected that a skilled alchemist would be able to improve the Nutra even further. Viers put the Nutra on a sizzling hot steak, Salt Bae style. The resulting dish was even more delicious after the addition of the red powder. So much so, he would do an animesque reaction if he could. Nutra¡­ It is Spice! It must flow and it must be mine! *** ¡°I don''t want to go,¡± Tim said dejectedly while holding his hot mom¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°Don''t be afraid. See? There are a lot of other kids. You¡¯ll make a lot of friends.¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°...Nnn.¡± It took a while but Tim mustered his courage and went inside. ¡°Thanks for coming with us,¡± Jessica said to Viers beside her while waving at Tim. ¡°It¡¯s really no problem. I¡¯m planning to go to the city hall after this. It¡¯s in the same direction.¡± ¡°You don''t need to, you know.¡± ¡°The weather is nice. It¡¯s perfect for taking a walk. Come on, Kira.¡± The two walked side by side, Jessica¡¯s beauty turned a lot of heads. They looked like a young, unbalanced couple. Viers felt envy and animosity directed at him. It wasn''t all bad, being envied by others meant you got something that was worth envying. ¡°You seem happy today,¡± Jessica pointed out. ¡°Hm? Am I? Might be. My Pathseeker training is going well.¡± ¡°That is great! Congratulations¡­ Yes, you¡¯re approaching Level 2 high, right? Yes. You¡¯re really talented. Very high cultivation for one so young.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Actually, it is Level 3 high, mwuhuhu. ¡°Do you have a Codex yet? If not, I can introduce you to a few people. They might take you as a disciple or member of their organization if you pass their test.¡± ¡°Thanks for the offer but I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Good, good¡­ Oh, but put a really deep thought before you begin using the Codex, okay? It¡¯s a very important decision. If the Codex is of low quality, it will be very difficult down the line.¡± Viers found out that Jessica was a busybody. She meant well so it was hard to rebuke her. Mainly because his whole existence was basically a lie, Viers didn''t like this topic and diverted the conversion focus elsewhere. ¡°Right. By the way, Tim is going to tutor, hm?¡± ¡°Yes. Education is very important. The tutor is well known too. It¡¯s better to start early.¡± ¡°Hmm, I don''t know. Isn''t Tim still very little?¡± ¡°Not at all. The daughter of the Harpers that lives a couple of blocks away started a whole year earlier. Perhaps he can go to the Sinclair Academy in the future as a researcher or something.¡± Sinclair Academy¡­ Latias Kingdom¡¯s number one academy. This world¡¯s equivalent of Hogwarts. Naturally, Viers had known about it because of all the soul-searching he did. ¡°Sinclair Academy. I know the name. A noble profession. But well, I¡¯m more leaning towards the approach that kids should be kids and play a lot with friends and family-¡± Viers paused midway, realizing his mistake of words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don''t mean any offense.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m really busy and haven''t been spending much time with him lately,¡± Jessica sighed deeply. ¡°...Don''t beat yourself up too much. Parenting is a tough job for two, and you¡¯re doing it alone. Even an outsider that hasn''t been here long like me knows, you¡¯re doing your best for Tim.¡± Viers¡¯ show of empathy brought a smile to Jessica¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said in a small voice. They walked a bit in silence, despite the hustle-bustle on the street. And then Jessica¡¯s eye got caught by something on sale. ¡°An exercise book! It¡¯s almost Ferens Day celebration. This will be a good present for Tim. I¡¯ll wrap this as a gift, then we can solve this together.¡± ¡°No!¡± Viers rejected strongly. ¡°That¡¯s a very bad idea!¡± ¡°Eh? Is that so?¡± ¡°That is so! Trust me on this. Once, I saw a Yo-¡± Viers stopped to change his choice of words from Youtube. ¡°A scene. A mom gave her Tim¡¯s age daughter a nice present for her birthday. The daughter¡¯s eyes were beaming and happily opened the gift box.¡± Jessica listened intently. ¡°Then the daughter found a book inside the box. An exercise book. She flipped the pages for a bit. And then¡­¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°She asked why she was buying her a homework book? Why is this a gift? Then she cried, crying tears of indignation. The mom found it funny and laughed¡­ It was ridiculous. I felt bad for the kid,¡± Viers shook his head. ¡°Is¡­ that so¡­¡± Jessica cast her gaze downward. ¡°Hey, parenting is not easy. Every parent wants the best for their kid but let''s use a smarter way of doing it. How about this, tonight, you tell Tim if he gets good grades in his education, he will get a real gift. This gift must be something really cool. An expensive toy or a holiday trip, whatever that makes him feel good. At first, make the bar not too high but you slowly raise the requirement for the next gift.¡± ¡°Hm, hm.¡± Jessica nodded twice. She found Viers¡¯ idea very good. ¡°The important thing is making the child want to do well in their studies. To a child, studying isn''t something fun, you see. Homework is a chore. Even if it''s good for them in the future. Forcing them to study will make them hate it even more, but if you dangle a reward after it-¡± ¡°Carrot and stick¡­ Thanks for opening my eyes, Kira. Ahh, how embarrassing, I¡¯m taught parenting by a younger man than me.¡± ¡°Hehehe, don''t mention it. I¡¯m a freeloader in your place after all. I¡¯m just helping a tiny bit. Tell you what, I¡¯ll chip in some money for Tim¡¯s first gift using the money I got from trading your Kill Counting Stone. After I trade them.¡± ¡°So that''s why you¡¯re going to the city hall, but no, you don''t have to. It¡¯s your hard-earned money.¡± Their banter continued as they edged closer to their destination. As if time flew, the trip to city hall ended in an instant. As Viers traded his stone, Jessica was surprised. ¡°Green? This is incredible, Kira. You hunted so many monsters! Your work is as good as a Level 3.¡± Kill Counting Stone started from white, red, green, blue, and lastly, black. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m just lucky. I doubt I can do this well again.¡± Viers was just being modest. This green Kill Counting Stone was just one of several. Since he didn''t want to make waves, rather than trading single black, he planned to trade several lesser ones, using different faces no less. Now, he just traded in a single green. The green stone might be above average for a solo Level 2 like him but nothing overly special. Even the clerk handing the stone only raised his eyebrow slightly before proceeding normally. Viers got the money shortly. He also bought another Kill Counting Stone. He didn''t need it; he already had several from other people¡¯s loot, recently in the Dungeon. Most Pathseeker in this area had some in their belongings. He just bought one to show it to Jessica, as part of his disguise. ¡°Now I return this stone to you. Thanks for letting me borrow it,¡± Viers gave the now white-colored Kill Counting Stone back to Jessica. After their business at the city hall concluded, the two went shopping for Tim¡¯s gift before going home. The day ended peacefully enough, but just after Viers was about to go to bed, his sharp ears heard someone sneakily going out of the house. He didn''t use his newly acquired soul sense because it was overkill. He had eyes that could see through walls. Jessica? A nightly tryst? During his stay here, he knew Jessica sometimes went out stealthily at night and came back before dawn. He didn''t care much because he was busy preparing the Dungeon¡¯s opening and his own training. Tonight, he had no pressing matters. Viers, on a whim, decided to follow her. What dirty secret are you hiding, Tifa? Are you secretly a member of an eco-terrorist organization, hm? Chapter 318 - Hello There Viers followed Jessica who walked wearing a long coat. She had taken alleys and roads with few people. Her steps showed signs that she was used to it. Viers, a professional thief plus spy, followed her without her realizing it, even though she was alert to her surroundings. Hmm, her aura is like someone that is going into battle. Curious. She entered a warehouse at the edge of the town, went to the back, and went through a door that had two guards with the physique of sumo wrestlers. She was allowed entry after showing some trinket, which Viers didn''t have. Viers confidently approached. ¡°Your permit?¡± One of them asked. ¡°I have my permit,¡± Viers waved his hand. ¡°You have¡­ your permit,¡± the guards¡¯ mind was scrambled. ¡°He can go about his business.¡± ¡°He can go about his business,¡± the not-Stormtrooper said. Viers sauntered in like a boss. *** Well, well, this is a surprise. Viers felt like he had gone into the mine area in video games. There were even minecarts and such. However, there were no enemies or miners here, only passengers. Jessica and Viers, along with several others, rode on the minecarts before the driver took them away. The trip was like riding a rollercoaster. I believe this is a smuggler¡¯s road. We¡¯ve been going for a while. Must have left the Ebon Wall City already¡­ The passengers stayed silent and didn''t talk to each other. They all wore cloaks or some other thing that hid their appearance, including Viers. He just went along for the ride until the minecarts stopped. Viers was still underground but there were hundreds of people around here. The place was massive and had a fiery atmosphere. Ah, so that¡¯s how it is. Viers nodded in understanding. *** ¡°Ladieeees and gentlemeeeen! Welcome! To the Ultimate Strikers main eveeeent!¡± The spectators responded to the announcer''s opener with a hype similar to a major football match. ¡°Of the fifty-six participants, we¡¯ve got the best eight! Tonight, we bear witness to the one worth bearing the title King of Strikers! Enteeeer, ye who name yourself strong!¡± From the dark side of the arena, the fighters entered one by one. They each had their own entry visual effect and the announcer introduced them with flashy words. ¡°-And our sixth contender, this lady got strikes but an even hotter body. Jaguaaar J- GWAH!?¡± The second female contestant that appeared, made a clawing motion at the announcer and he evaded. For his rude remark, no doubt. Just as she did, the wall behind him had a gash. The man was twenty meters away from her but the attack reached. The crowd went wild. ¡°What did I tell you, folks? This jaguar got some teeth! Feisty! Jaguaaaarrr Jessieee!!!¡± Viers didn''t need eyes that could see through clothes to know she was Jessica. She wore a tightfitting jaguar-patterned fighting suit and mask but it was unmistakable. But Jaguar Jessie? Come on, you¡¯ve got no better ring name than that? After the eight contestants all appeared, the first match came along shortly. ¡°Bets here! Bets here! Place your bets for your favorite!¡± A guy, one of many, went around the stands where people watching were seated to take bets. The first match wasn''t Jessica¡¯s so he got some time to look around the arena. This is an underground fighting match, which should be illegal. The people should be coming from several neighboring places, not just Ebon Wall. Hmm¡­ There are VIPs over there¡­ and two, no, three Level 4s here. Viers was just one among the many spectators and didn''t invite any attention. He should be in no danger but just in case, he had his Level 4 lifesaving treasures primed and ready. Then he gazed downward, at the colosseum-like arena. He was far at the back but it didn''t hamper his match-watching at all. There were big screens, but his eyes could see the minute details better by watching directly. The magic items that served as camera replacements were only able to catch a blur from the high-speed movements. A wave of cheers rose from the audience as one of the fighters landed a critical hit. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The ones fighting are all Level 3s but some are at higher cultivation than others. Unless some anomaly appears, all should be a close match. Sometime later, the announcer''s hyper voice reverberated throughout the arena, announcing the name of the victor. ¡°Second match, Jaguar Jessie versus Red Hand!¡± Jessica¡¯s not the weakest nor the strongest. Among the eight, she¡¯s in the middle cultivation-wise¡­ Guess whether she would win this tourney will depend on her combat skills. The two are about equal in strength and I haven''t seen them fight. Mmnn, it¡¯s a hard call to guess the winner out of the two. ¡°Begin!¡± Jessica closed the distance with the signal; her punches and kicks were very fast. Red Hand was forced to be defensive. As expected of a body Pathseeker. Her basic spec is higher than mine. Those strikes of hers are not bad. Red Hand launched his own barrage of attacks. It was a bizarre attack that drew blood from Jessica. Viers raised an eyebrow. A bone came out from his arm? Now it was Jessica¡¯s turn to be pressured. Red Hand is a body Pathseeker too. Whoa, next he elongated his arm? The stretched arm was also growing sharp nails. Jessica managed to counter by stepping into Red Hand¡¯s chest but while her fist landed on his chest and the spectators cheered, there was no damage. He made a bone plate above his skin to absorb the impact¡­ ¡°Hic¡­ The lass will lose.¡± Viers turned his head to the man who spoke beside him. It was a middle-aged man with booze breath holding a booze bottle. He spoke not to Viers but to his companion. ¡°Oh yeah?¡± ¡°Red hand¡­ It seems he is the inheritor of the Gurshaq clan. About twenty years ago, they were famous around here. Their body is adaptable and versatile in defense and offense. They-¡± Viers made a bad face hearing the guy speak. It was the veteran watcher that served as an exposition vent trope. Viers met a lot of people like him in the Chinese cultivation stories. They usually were the perpetrator that made a single new technique of the MC turned into a whole chapter of exposition. ¡°What? You got a problem, kid?¡± The man said to Viers. It was hard to not notice Viers¡¯ expression. ¡°Nothing.¡± Viers had no desire to entertain him and left. His booze stink was even added with cigarette smoke. Just one was already unbearable for Viers so he moved away. To the man¡¯s credit, there might be some truth to his exposition because he was at the upper tier of Level 3 but Viers just didn''t care about every side character¡¯s backstory. After he was sufficiently far away, Viers watched Jessica¡¯s match again in peace. He would like to think he was a calm and reasonable person. There was no need for a confrontation every time. Having less of unnecessary egos would save a lot of energy and time. Red Hand¡­ That guy¡¯s way of fighting is almost like the combination of Luffy¡¯s elasticity, Kimimmaro¡¯s bone generation, and Mahito''s bizarre transmutation. Compared to that, Jessica is the orthodox body Pathseeker. She uses her powerful body combined with martial arts. What¡¯s your next step, Jess? Viers and Jessica had done mock battles before but neither were revealing their cards so Viers didn''t know Jessica¡¯s capabilities. If things went on unchanged, Jessica was indeed on track to lose. Amidst the barrage of attacks, Jessica let a few land on her while guarding her vital spots to land a blow at Red Hand, this time with a palm strike that glowed with Victa. ¡°Oho,¡± Viers hummed in interest. Most people in the arena thought Red Hand would shrug off Jaguar¡¯s blow like he did previously but those that understood knew the match had been decided. Jessica turned around while Red Hand was paralyzed. And then, the referee called for Jaguar Jessie¡¯s victory when Red Hand dropped to the ground and was unresponsive when called. Viers saw the earlier booze exposition guy¡¯s mouth blabber at high speed while looking surprised and the man beside him was listening intently. Viers could easily imagine what they were talking about. ¡°One hit that overturns the match! Unbelievableeee! This jaguar is hungry and on the hunt tonight!¡± The announcer announced in his over-the-top way. Actually, it''s three strikes of penetrating palm that injures the opponent¡¯s inner organs¡­ Even against me, it would be effective. If our Unreality Field neutralizes each other. Red Hand was taken away in a stretcher by the medical team because he wasn''t dead. Just like his name, his hands were dyed red by Jessica¡¯s blood. But none of them are fatal wounds. Jessica should be fine for her next round. The next match began shortly, before the audience cooled off. Apparently, like the two matches before it, the participants were also body Pathseekers. Viers hated tournament arcs in stories. When he was a child he didn''t mind, such as YuYu Hakusho and Dragon Ball. After he became a young adult and started reading Chinese power fantasy novels, the overdone and stretchy tournament arcs made him allergic to them. But since it was just for this night, Viers could tolerate it. It also helped that the matches were like kung-fu action flicks. Viers liked martial arts movies, courtesy of Jackie Chan. In the modern age, there were Ip Man and John Wick movies. The fights between these body Pathseekers resembled those scenes. All in all, Viers considered himself entertained. ¡°Now, for the final round that you all have been waiting for¡­ Let''s give a round of applause to Jaguar Jessie and Bearwearer! These two fighters will prove who among them is the best!¡± Jessica managed to reach the finals. Her opponent was a male beastfolk. ¡°Final Round¡­ BEGIIIIN!¡± Jessica in her battle stance looked gallant. Bearwearer became literally, a bear. A Dire Ursa¡­ Not a small fry monster. Beastfolk techniques can be fascinating sometimes. Bearwearer transformation is like my monster transformation at a glance but the principle behind them is different. His is more like druid magic. Jessica wrestled a bear in the final round. *** Later that night, after most of the audience had left the premises, Jessica walked out from the backstage. Under the cloak that she was wearing, she sighed. ¡°Nice match, Jessica,¡± Viers said while clapping. ¡°A shame. You were so close.¡± Her heart skipped a beat but she didn''t show her surprise to Viers. ¡°I think you mistook me for someone else,¡± Jessica denied with a slightly altered voice. ¡°I don''t think so, right, Tim?¡± Viers said while looking behind her. ¡°Eh? No way!¡± Jessica hurriedly turned around. There was no one there. ¡°KI~ RA~!¡± Jessica realized she was tricked and got a bit miffed. She turned around while clenching her fists. ¡°Hello there,¡± Viers raised both of his hands while grinning. ¡°Fancy meeting you here.¡± Chapter 319 - Jessica Welsh ¡°I need the money.¡± Viers and Jessica were on their way back, riding the minecart. The bumpy ride was almost unfeelable as they talked. Viers asked why she participated in underground fighting. Although, he already had a pretty good guess of her reasoning. Sure enough, it was about the cash. ¡°What for? Tim¡¯s education? Well, going to Sinclair Academy won''t be cheap but still¡­¡± To Viers, Jessica wasn''t the type to do something like this so she must have a reason. Before, she told Viers she didn''t plan for Tim to become a Pathseeker. If that was the case, with the earning power of a Level 3, she should be able to cover an Idler¡¯s expenses easily enough. She just needed to hunt a Rank 2 monster every now and then and Tim could live like a king. ¡°Do you have a debt or something?¡± ¡°No, Kira, I have no debts. Tim¡¯s livelihood is only part of it. The money is for me.¡± Jessica cast a sideway glance at Viers. ¡°Are you surprised by such a selfish answer?¡± She was looking for a sign of judgment on Viers¡¯ face. ¡°Why? I get money for myself too. Your answer is perfectly normal.¡± Jessica looked at the dark tunnel with only small light sources placed at the tunnel walls with a faraway type of gaze, as if she wasn''t really looking at the darkness but something beyond them. ¡°You¡¯re young but already so strong,¡± Jessica said. If she knew that the youngster beside her actually had the cultivation of Level 3 mid, the same as her, she would be even more surprised. ¡°When I was your age, I too started the Path of Power with a sprint. I cultivated as fast as I could.¡± For humans, the starting line was fifteen years old. ¡°I became Level 3 at nineteen. Folks around me praised me a lot. I got talent, they said.¡± Jessica¡¯s progress wasn''t bad. It wasn''t amazing but it certainly wasn''t bad. ¡°I take it that something happened afterward?¡± ¡°Nothing happened, that was the problem. I was stuck at Level 3 low.¡± Bottleneck, it was something very common in cultivation stories. Viers was familiar with it. It was different from Fable to Fable but it always existed. Naturally, the world Viers was in had the concept of cultivation bottleneck too. ¡°I had the affinity, a suitable Profound Codex, ample resources, and everything else¡­ But I didn''t improve.¡± Viers stayed silent. ¡°I tried. Goddess knows I tried¡­ It didn''t work out. The people that flocked to me gradually left. After ten years of burning my parents¡¯ money and favors, I gave up¡­ A few years later, with someone that accepted me, I got married.¡± As she mentioned her husband, Jessica¡¯s voice became real gentle. ¡°It¡¯s okay, he said. The path ahead is a cruel one. Let me be the one that walks it. To protect you, and our child.¡± Jessica paused for a while. ¡°He wasn''t wrong. Of people that I know, Pathseekers my age, half are dead. Some are missing with no news of their whereabouts. Only a few I know are still alive.¡± Viers could attest to the bloodshed on the Path of Power. He had sent more than a few Pathseekers to their graves -or no grave at all- early. Then again, non-Pathseekers didn''t have it any better either. The powerless often died at the hands of the powerful. No matter what Fables it is, the cultivation world is filled with death. ¡­Still better than 40k¡¯s world though. Saying it sucks if you''re born there is an understatement. ¡°Sawyer died over a year ago.¡± ¡°...Oh.¡± ¡°Monster accident. Died in the line of duty, saving people.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m proud of him, but he¡¯s gone now and Tim lost his father. So it¡¯s up to me to protect him.¡± ¡°So you began walking the Path of Power again,¡± Viers finished her sentence. ¡°It is strange, you know. I was able to reach the middle of Level 3 with no trouble at all. A decade of no result but then that time¡­ It''s like it just happened.¡± Once again, Viers wasn''t surprised. Cultivation could be like that. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯ve found your Path,¡± Viers said. ¡°And determined to walk it at any cost.¡± Love, responsibility, determination, all coalesced together splendidly. ¡°...Maybe so. Either way, I''ve been behind in my progress for almost two decades. I¡¯ve got to do all I can to improve.¡± The older one became, the harder it was to progress. It was nothing unusual or mystical, for example, a child would be having an easier time learning language compared to an adult. Viers understood Jessica''s hurry. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Half a year of setback after Valkut and the loss of assets in that incident made him change his mindset to a cultivation maniac to catch up for the lost time, let alone two decades. Although, Jessica¡¯s circumstances are not hopeless. Her life experience has weight. That¡¯s what made her pass the bottleneck. She¡¯s close to Level 3 high. So was Viers. ¡°Thus, the money,¡± Viers nodded in understanding. Pathseekers'' needs were expensive. To improve, they needed a lot of resources, connections, backings, and so on. Natural treasures and magic items, Profound Codices and Arte manuals, Power Spots and insights, all were high-end commodities. Anything valuable had a high price tag, so how could things that could contribute to someone becoming a superbeing be cheap? Viers did not find a single Fable that had worlds without this law. ¡°I understand,¡± Viers said. ¡°No, you don''t. At Level 3, there¡¯s a thing called Arte Infusement. Basically you use suitable items to strengthen your Artes. The price of doing this is truly mind-boggling!¡± But I do, I truly do. Viers knew Arte Infusement, and what it meant. It was a way to improve one¡¯s Arte. Using one¡¯s own ability and training to improve their Arte was attainable but not everyone had the capability to do so, just like not everyone was able to make an Arte from scratch and needed help from monster cores or other things. Arte Infusement made use of Pathseekers'' Unreality Field to bend the laws of the world to do the strengthening and it was permanent. Do it right and the Arte would forever be greater than its previous version. The downside was the user would be burning money to do so. The items needed were all rare and expensive natural treasures, often only existing in danger zones. Furthermore, Arte Infusement was not the only thing Pathseekers needed to spend their assets for. For example, they needed to amass resources for their breakthrough to Level 4. But Arte Infusement was not something to simply be rejected and discarded. It could result in a fight between tiger and cat despite them both being in the same cultivation Level. Depending on the person and the treasure, they could turn their weak run-of-the-mill Arte into something that equaled another¡¯s secret move tier Arte. It was clear from the conversation that Jessica was using Arte Infusement method but there was no shame in that. Even the geniuses in the Silver Legion were doing it. It wasn''t something taboo. And yet, Viers wasn''t using Arte Infusement. He¡¯d done it previously but only on a small scale, just to test things out. His boost from the Horizon Aspect was simply far more superior. Without the need for Arte Infusement, Viers could allocate his assets to other things, such as his familiars. This was another of Viers¡¯ ways of compounding his superiority. With enough greatness, at one point, his superiority would be so massive that it snowballs, too great to be rivaled. This was Viers¡¯ plan. Jessica thought Viers did not understand how much money held importance in society. Viers did not blame her for thinking so. She gave Viers the gist of what Arte Infusement was all about, of what he would face once he became Level 3. The minecart eventually arrived at Ebon Wall City and the two got off the dusty underground train service. They made their way past where the smugglers operated and walked the above streets. ¡°Money makes the world go round,¡± said Viers. ¡°Yeah,¡± Jessica sighed. She looked disheartened. Understandable, since she¡¯d just lost the underground fighting ring. The prize money between the first place and the second place was quite different. ¡°Here,¡± Viers passed her a bottle from his Thousand Treasures Casket. ¡°My treat.¡± ¡°This is¡­ wine? Thank you for the offer but no thanks.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve had a bad day. At least let me share something with my winnings.¡± ¡°Your¡­ winnings?¡± ¡°Yeah, I betted, in the final round.¡± Jessica stopped walking while Viers didn''t. ¡°You betted I will lose?¡± Her voice came from behind. ¡°Well¡­ Bearwearer looked stronger-¡± Puck puck puck puck! Jessica punched him repeatedly from behind on the shoulder. ¡°Ow ow ow, cut it out! Ehehe~¡± Jessica was not using Victa and neither was Viers, but her basic strength was undoubtedly higher than his. ¡°Give me that drink!¡± Jessica yanked the bottle from Viers¡¯ hand and drank straight from the bottle. After the third gulped, Jessica¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Phuah! What a strong wine¡­ and very delicious!¡± ¡°Glad you like it. It was a special commemorative wine.¡± ¡°Finally something good happened to me tonight,¡± Jessica took another sip from the bottle. ¡°Uh, where are you going? Your house is this way,¡± Viers said. ¡°Just a little while longer.¡± Jessica led Viers to a place that overlooked the city. Unlike most of Earth¡¯s, this world¡¯s cities were not so urbanized. People didn''t live like packed sardines. There, they just sat and talked. Perhaps it was because of the wine, but Jessica¡¯s lips were loose. ¡°Something has been bothering me. If you¡¯re aiming for money, why keep the tavern business running?¡± The way Viers saw it, besides taking so much of her time, the profit wouldn¡¯t cover her Pathseeker expenses. The Heaven Is Cruel¡¯s aimed demographics were not for the wealthy but for the masses. ¡°It was mine and my husband¡¯s dream¡­ Retire early after Tim grows up and spend every day in a content, simple life.¡± Jessica¡¯s voice was getting slurry. Viers figured she wouldn''t remember this conversation tomorrow so he shot the question. ¡°You know, stealing and killing can get you money far faster than fighting in an underground ring. Ever thought about doing those?¡± Viers could attest to that. ¡°Sure do¡­ But I can¡¯t hold Tim with a soiled hand from blood and sin, can I? I have to¡­ be a mother he can be proud of,¡± Jessica took another gulp. ¡°Ahhh, so delicious. This might be the best wine I¡¯ve ever had~¡± ¡°Oh yeah. So how old are you again? Around two decades ago you were nineteen so-¡± ¡°Kira~¡± Jessica had a finger up in front of Viers¡¯ face. It was slightly wobbling. ¡°Never ask a lady about her age. It is rude~¡± ¡°Maybe so, but I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°Look at my face and tell me how old I look.¡± Viers did so and answered after a long hard look. ¡°You don''t look a day after twenty-two.¡± For the record, Jessica¡¯s face was really red. ¡°There¡­ you¡­ have¡­ it.¡± Jessica leaned at Viers¡¯ shoulder and passed out, and an empty bottle fell to the ground from her loosened hands. ¡­For a tavern owner, she¡¯s a lightweight. ¡°Alright girly, enough drink. Let''s get you home.¡± ¡°Imm¡­ no girly¡­ zzz.¡± ¡°Sure sure.¡± ¡°Zzzzz.¡± Viers put Jessica on his back and carried her home, just as the sun began showing its shiny face. Just outside of Jessica¡¯s house, a man saw Viers from an opened window next door. Seeing Jessica carried by Viers on his back, the man¡¯s jaw dropped. Viers recognized him. It was one of the uncles that was Jessica¡¯s fan. He was a regular of Jessica¡¯s tavern. If Viers remembered correctly, his name was Jake. ¡°What a beautiful morning, ey?¡± Viers entered Jessica¡¯s house with the owner on his back at the crack of dawn. No doubt the neighbor¡¯s imagination was going wild. Before the door closed, Viers gave the man a smile of superiority, like a non-virgin looking down on a virgin. If this was a Chinese xianxia story, this was the part where the man coughed blood and passed out. Chapter 320 - Life is Good The days when Viers stayed at Ebon Wall City continued to increase. The vestiges of winter had completely disappeared and spring came in full bloom. Viers hadn''t veered from his charted course, grinding exp. From the start, his objective in this frontier land was to do just that. Slowly improving his swordsmanship and Artes, steadily rising his cultivation, upgrading his monster forms, and so on. With any luck, he hoped to encounter a worthwhile monster to subsume in a place called the Monsterland but he didn''t. Perhaps they were deeper in but after the hardcore run of Valkut arc, Viers was playing it safe and didn''t take risks. As the result of his diligent training, following the increase of his soul foundation to Grand Soul, he also rose to become a Level 3 high Pathseeker. With the elevation of his standing on the cultivation ladder, his means and insight became greater than before. This was reflected in the birth of some new Artes. Not every Arte was new, he dismantled some old ones to make their upgraded version. While Arte was important, Viers especially put most of his attention on training his Unreality Field. With the Nutra, the Profound Training of Serpentes Renovamen was going smoothly. As his mastery of the Profound Codex from the Age of the Gods increased, the greater his Unreality Field became. Viers not only strengthened his Field but also trained his utilization of it. Greater Unreality Field than your opponent meant they became less likely to inflict injury upon you and your attacks would be easier to pierce their defenses. At Level 3, before it came to trading blows with Arte, the clash between Unreality Fields occurred first. If one was significantly greater than another, the balance would be overwhelmingly tipped to one side. Unreality Field''s mastery led to its evolution, Imaginary Domain, the gateway to Level 4. Level 2 Pathseekers didn''t have this ability, which made them way weaker than Level 3s. Level 2 to Level 3 was a great divider in the Path of Power, fewer people were able to cross to Level 3. Those that could were rewarded fairly. With Grand Soul and Level 3 high, Viers got two big jumps in battle strength. His diligence paid off. Not only Viers, but his three little familiars were also getting power-ups on their own. In a controlled situation, Viers let them roam a bit far away from him. On their journey, the three saved a village from a crisis by stupid people, which then resulted in the three being worshiped as deities. It was quite amusing when Viers heard about it but it was a story for another time. Roughly two months had passed since he arrived, other than training, he had two side activities. Training day in and day out could be a dull affair, he needed a refresher every now and then. The first was hanging out with Jessica. After he found out her secret of participating in an underground fighting ring, they became closer. Her fluster and reaction after he brought her back from drinking was something that Viers would remember fondly for a long time. The two sometimes went on a monster hunting trip to Monsterland together. The premise was to get cultivation resources and money. Because Jessica had a son who was still little, she did not prefer high-risk jobs, which was why Viers with a fake Level 2 cultivation could accompany her. With Viers -or Kira as Jessica knew him- as an accomplice keeping her Pathseeker activities a secret, she could move more freely so she was happy about it. Although Jessica was a body Pathseeker and ¡®Kira¡¯ was a water Pathseeker, they traded pointers and elevated each other. Viers gave a couple of Artes that were suitable for her. He had a lot from his looting journeys. In return, Jessica also gave Viers some of her body cultivation tips and tricks. Nothing groundbreaking, after all, Viers had soul searched other body Pathseekers but it was a good thing nonetheless. Of course, the two had tried the new trending sensation of Ebon Wall City, the Dungeon. As a gamemaster of sorts, Viers made Jessica¡¯s dungeon runs challenging, exciting, and very rewarding. The bias was clear. If Paina, Farley, and Clarissa were here, they would definitely comment about Viers¡¯ tendency to favor beauties. As for Viers¡¯ second side activity, it was, unsurprisingly, the Dungeon. Abby and Viers'' combined venture had a successful launch. People were coming like ants to sugar. Viers, as Tey the shopkeeper of Never Die Thrice, was so busy that he was practically glued to the shop like an NPC. Viers had more important stuff to do so he made puppets. Corpses with souls inside them that were capable of simple actions. Viers made them all have the same appearance, the Merchant from RE4. Abby was still wary of him but she kept giving Viers Nutra for compensation for his work. However, because she realized how important the Nutra was, she really put Viers to work lately. After he worked there for some time, Viers had a guess of one of the Dungeon¡¯s gimmicks. Viers always wondered why Abby didn''t seem too keen on killing the delvers. What was her aim for making people enter her body if not for the kills like in the Fables? This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. It was their wounds. Abby somehow was able to harvest or gain energy from the people who got wounded in the Dungeon. It was still a conjecture but Viers thought his observation should be pretty accurate. His eyes could pick up some signs. He immediately thought it was a good thing but couldn''t simply ask Abby for a copy of the technique after their horrendous first encounter; he hadn''t even met her face to face again after that so he must rely on himself. Of stealing the concept. He didn''t know if it was replicable at all but he kept researching by observation. He sensed Abby still had other reasons but he had no way of knowing. The Dungeon business was booming and it was good enough for Viers. Therefore, Viers didn''t go all out. If he wanted to make the Dungeon more successful he believed he could. However, he was busy enough as it is and ultimately, the Dungeon was not his but Abby¡¯s. The one who gained the most profit from the Dungeon¡¯s success would be Abby. So he didn''t unleash the vilest, evil and most repugnant business model into the world: microtransaction! If I go the gatcha route and make cute waifus and husbandos for the Dungeon¡­ Viers shuddered at the thought. What a sinful man he would become¡­ His karma would be so black it would turn the sea dark. So Viers kept the great evil sealed. For now. The Dungeon business wasn''t free of troubles. Its uniqueness and richness made unsavory parties have designs. If Viers was in their shoes, he would too. ¡°Welcome, Stranger. What are ya buy-¡± The merchant got his head blasted off by a customer and reduced to a pulp. Someone got the bright idea of stealing all the wares of Never Die Thrice. It was done by a Level 3 peak, with the backing of a Level 4 outside. He got rare magic items and powerful limited-time buffs for this. It was done at the not busy hours but there were still people in the shop. There were always people in the shop. Those who witnessed the act screamed in fear or surprise, afraid they would be implicated. But before the assailant managed to store the merchant¡¯s corpse or stormed the back of the store, he got splattered. To the eyewitnesses, the man seemed to be crushed by invisible plates, from above and below. It happened so fast that if you blink you would miss it. There was nothing left of the assailant save for some splattered blood that spurts during the crushing. While the storegoers were still in shock, an identical merchant came out from the back, dragged the merchant''s corpse back then cleaned the store of all traces of the fight. After that, he stood behind the counter as if nothing happened. ¡°T-Tey?¡± ¡°Welcome Stranger. What are ya buyin¡¯?¡± ¡°D-did you¡­ What?¡± A customer asked while looking shocked. ¡°Got some rare things on sale, Stranger,¡± the merchant said with his usual voice. Packed in a glass coffin, was the Level 3 peak that disappeared earlier. There were two things slapped onto the glass, 100% dead writing and a price tag. ¡°Not only will you need Zenny, but you''ll need GUTS to buy that corpse!¡± Just like the case for monsters, a Pathseeker¡¯s body was valuable, for alchemy or for crafting material. With the right method, learning the person¡¯s Arte that he used while he was still alive was also possible. With how complete the corpse was, it was a prime cut, so to speak. Before the day was out, the corpse was off the shelf. Viers foresaw this development and delegated the task of keeping the peace to Abby. It was not hard, those that got violent in the shop would get a space butt-kicking. It was Abby¡¯s ability that she showed during their fight. The merchant that died was a puppet. If that was Viers or Ars¨¨ne, they wouldn''t get their head pulped but the assailant would still die all the same. The wealth of the Dungeon drew hyenas of all kinds. They cooked all kinds of schemes. There was an incident where some organization tried to monopolize the Dungeon. They forcefully seized authority from the city and blocked the entrance, forbidding free entry. Only their own people would enter. Viers descended on them. As if the final boss appeared on the first floor. It was a nightmare for the honest gaming folks. Not only that, with Abby¡¯s interference, the exit disappeared so it was not possible to retreat and no news was leaked to the outside. After the first wave people did not return, the bullies outside sent stronger people, but they did not return either. They were quite daring so they sent the third wave with battle strength even greater than the first two waves combined. Viers had a nice workout that day but the harvest and loot were worth it. Out of spite, the bullies still blockaded the entrance after their boys¡¯ defeat. Since it was imposed by three Level 4s, people couldn''t complain even if they wanted to. They deduced that the dungeon was sentient so they wanted to impose a lockdown to see it react. Viers thought it might be a valid strategy but Abby dealt with it. It took a week but a new cave entrance appeared some distance away. Their next action was to seal the entrances using barriers. Abby opened mini-entrances near their camp and sent plague monsters outside. The result was not pretty. The bullies outside grumbled but they realized the futility. Even if they continued warring against the Dungeon from the outside it would be only losses and not a single gain, so they backed away. From then on, whenever the outsiders tried to make policies that displeased the Dungeon, Viers and Abby made their will known, by massacring their batch of delvers to the last man. After several times, they got the message: treat the Dungeon nicely and it would do the same for you. An understanding was reached with the organization with power outside despite not a single word being exchanged and people freely came to the dungeon. The enticement of the Dungeon was too great. When they played by the dungeon¡¯s rules, no one affiliated with the organization bullies got the extreme ¡®Give Me God of War¡¯ difficulty, having the intended dungeon experience. Things were going well until one day, Abby called Viers. ¡°I need your help¡± ¡°Okay, what about?¡± ¡°In three days, there will be an Incursion.¡± ¡°...I think I know what it is from the name but please elaborate, just in case.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a system-imposed event. Waves and waves of enemies will swarm the Dungeon. Last time it almost killed me. I want your help.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Viers¡¯ eyes glinted. ¡°It¡¯s Dungeon Defense time.¡± Chapter 321 - Incursion ¡°The preparations are in place. We are as ready as we can be,¡± Abby said. ¡°Mmm,¡± Viers hummed in acknowledgment. ¡°So you can''t tell what we will be facing.¡± ¡°To my regret, no. The System won''t give me any info.¡± Viers agreed to help Abby, for a handsome fee of course. He would get a lot of Nutra after this. He stood ready with his three familiars. Ars¨¨ne was also ready to be deployed from inside him. The Dungeon was closed for the day. They got no leeway to entertain the delvers. According to Abby, the attack would be massive. A major threat. For this day, Abby had altered the Dungeon layout extensively, a massive network with various traps and obstacles, capable of fielding a battle of hundreds across multiple stages. Her forces of created creatures were impressive in might and number. The bulk of it was Rank 1 monsters but there were even Rank 3s. Viers observed that Abby was really going all out on this Incursion. Besides Viers, Abby had called another ally. It was the tribes of goblins and orcs. When Abby sacked the Ebon Wall City, these guys helped make it happen. Apparently, they had hidden villages in the Carfax Peninsula. The place was anti-human but non-humans managed to eke out a living. Of course, it was still a savage and dangerous wilderness filled with tons of monsters. In the discussion, Viers picked up Abby¡¯s fear of this Incursion. Among the scattered clues, he deduced that this was the reason Abby was rather conservative in her Dungeon expansion and killings. Like me, Abby, as a Dungeon core with a System, should have a way to vastly increase her power but she always chooses to let the prey go when it isn''t overly crucial to her. My guess is the stronger Abby becomes, the more difficult or the more frequent this Incursion thing happens¡­ When put it that way, guess this is like those Heavenly Tribulations in the Fables. Viers thought that if he was in Abby¡¯s shoes, rather than trying to weaken the Incursion by slowing down his growth, he would boldly go forward, to become stronger than the Incursion¡¯s max difficulty. Basically, like every xianxia MC. Like what he was doing now. But this was Abby¡¯s choice, who was he to judge? He simply worked the part he was paid for. There¡¯s another thing. Should I assist the attackers to destroy Abby? Perhaps I can get her Nutra source in the confusion. Decisions, decisions. He decided he would side with Abby for now but if things went south and defense was infeasible¡­ I¡¯ll do what I must. ¡°Fuu¡­¡± Futon sounded worried. The tension was getting to him. ¡°Don''t worry, Futon. We¡¯re together with you,¡± Dia said while giving the cloud a pat. ¡°Yaa!¡± Faiya puffed his small spherical body. ¡°Damn straight,¡± Viers replied. Soon, Abby¡¯s Incursion count down stroke zero. ¡°They are coming,¡± the projection of the floating baby Abby said. At the command room, Viers saw the first of the invaders appear at the uppermost layer of the Dungeon. ¡°Abby,¡± Viers said while squinting his eyes. ¡°I counted three portals. Why are there three portals?¡± Abby had no answer. The nervousness on her face only grew. *** ¡°The Voice of the World has spoken! My valiant warriors, set forth, and bring glory to Tartazia!¡± The King of Tartazia, a powerful Level 5 Pathseeker, said to his subject, and his subject answered with a deafening roar. [Opening the portals. The Incursion begins.] The Voice of the World was heard by every man and woman in the kingdom. The King and his court watched from the balcony, at the three armies from the three families chosen for this campaign. The limitation from the Voice of the World was clear, as always, and the families had prepared accordingly since it was announced. The three armies were not even in force and quality. The first two were about even, meeting the maximum limit dictated by the Voice of the World, while the last was only about half. In the third army, an out-of-place youth gawked at the first and second armies and at the opening portals. The vanguards had already stepped in. It wouldn''t be long until it was his turn. ¡°Nervous, little brother?¡± ¡°Arri,¡± the youth said to his dependable brother. His presence gave him assurance. ¡°Don''t worry, Arki. Whether it is you or House Glaz, I will protect them all.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°B-but the forces of Siffo and Monte are so strong. Lord Monte even goes in personally. W-we-¡± ¡°Arki,¡± the big brother grabbed his little brother¡¯s trembling hand. ¡°You are the most talented person that has been born in House Galz in the last hundred years. Be more confident.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. You are definitely better, Arri.¡± ¡°The Voice of the World is never wrong. I was simply born earlier than you. If not, you¡¯ll be the one leading House Glaz right now. If we manage to weather this Incursion, House Glaz will rise again. Let¡¯s go. Remember, once we are inside, stay close to me.¡± Watching his brother meekly nod, Arri gave a strong grip on Arki''s shoulder. Arri had to put up a strong face as the leader so he didn''t sigh. The Incursion could bring glory and wealth but also death and ruin. House Glaz was currently weak and politics forced him to lead an invasion force. If possible, he¡¯d rather not participate but he similarly couldn''t weather the King¡¯s ire. Stuck between a rock and a hard place. Still, Siffo and Monte are going in strong. There¡¯s the Siffo prodigy and Lord Monte, the veteran of a hundred Incursions who¡¯s eager to cover his losses from the last war. We can win this. We definitely will. Arri grabbed the blue pendant on his neck. It was the heirloom of House Glaz that his late father passed down to him. Father, mother, ancestors¡­ I will not fail you all. Arri Glaz, the young head of House Glaz entered the portal. *** ¡°There are three armies¡­ In total, they number a thousand Pathseekers,¡° Abby said. ¡°Kiik! Portals, close,¡± a goblin leader said. ¡°No come. Kiik!¡± ¡°What''s our plan?¡± A big orc asked. After the armies passed the portals, they secured a beachhead and raised camps. The three armies appeared at different places, separated. ¡°We¡¯ll block their advance at this, this, and this junction. It¡¯s a natural fortification and the terrain is advantageous to us so-¡± ¡°We attack,¡± Viers interrupted Abby. ¡°Focus all our strength and destroy one of them at the start. Mess up their camp using your spatial manipulation!¡± In games, Viers always preferred an offensive stance. Just as the saying offense is the best defense. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don''t want to, Tanael, but their starting area is unalterable by me.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Viers understood. ¡°System mechanic. Right¡­ But we¡¯ll still go on the offensive!¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Before that, the target¡­¡± Viers observed the three armies, doing their own thing, at the magic visual that Abby provided. Army one is giving the taste of luxury and gaudiness. Their men have fancy equipment. Like rich kids flaunting the wealth of their parents. Their leader is a fat man in a palanquin. Army two resembles soldiers. Like a disciplined army. They move with a purpose like a well-oiled machine. Their leader is a battle-hardened veteran. No wonder. Army three¡­ They are like one big family? Their people and gears don''t seem remarkable. However, they give off a dark horse feeling¡­ The leaders are two boys? Brothers? ¡°Army one, army two, army three,¡± Viers pointed at each screen first. ¡°We should hit army one first.¡± ¡°Why? Shouldn''t we target the weakest with the least number?¡± Abby and some others favored hitting army three first. ¡°If they are truly weak, then they wouldn''t pose too much of a problem later on. Army one seems to be a hodgepodge gathering of pampered people. Once things are in chaos, they will break under pressure.¡± ¡°...Ah, army two is already starting to move.¡± Abby was still thinking but the enemies wouldn''t wait. She moved monsters to block the advance party of army two and to test their strength. ¡°Do as you like, Tanael,¡± Abby and Viers already had an agreement that Viers had the freedom to move as he saw fit on the battlefield. ¡°What do you need?¡± Viers put his requests forward. *** ¡°Hahaha! That will teach them! Those mutts break like waves before a mighty stone!¡± After the fat man laughed, he opened his mouth and a scantily dressed woman put a grape into his mouth. In fact, there were five women in the palanquin beside the fat man. Each was beautiful and pressed their body at the man. The palanquin was carried by ten burly men. ¡°Young Master Siffo¡¯s command is impeccable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to Young Master Siffo being cool and collected we can strike them back decisively.¡± ¡°And don''t forget Lord Siffo¡¯s Arte that scattered the beastly rabble. What a powerful Arte. Young Master¡¯s strength has gone up considerably!¡± Surrounding the palanquin was the fat man¡¯s entourage of ¡®friends¡¯, stoking the fires of ego. They were dressed for battle but their roots could be clearly seen, that they were born with a silver spoon. Every one of them. ¡°Ohohoho! Training is for the weak! I don''t need training to be strong!¡± ¡°Young Master is mighty!¡± ¡°With Young Master Suman at the helm, the future of House Siffo is secured.¡± ¡°Sir, a report from the advance party.¡± The one who spoke was the military commander of this army. A bloodied veteran who had seen his fair share of battlefields. But because he was a vassal of House Siffo, the fat man was the supreme commander of this expedition and he was the aide. ¡°Hmm, speak,¡± Suman Siffo said while leaning his head on the breast of the woman beside him. ¡°Apparently, because of Lord Monte¡¯s advance, most of the monsters in the area are focusing on him. There are hardly any monsters barring our way, milord.¡± Suman Siffo¡¯s smile grew wider. ¡°Lady Luck is smiling upon me. Tell the men to go forward, and take half of the reserves too. Go with them and take command on the front. Let all of Tartazia know that the bald tiger of Monte¡¯s time is over.¡± ¡°As you command. What about you, sir?¡± ¡°We''ve been fighting for hours against the monster mutts now. The day is late. I¡¯ll retire for the day.¡± Suman Siffo let the subordinate work while he slept as if it were the most natural thing in the world. ¡°Of course. May your rest be restful. Excuse me.¡± After eating five man¡¯s worth of dinner and indulging in his lust, Suman Siffo slept soundly in his luxurious spatial tent. The magic item was very high-grade and enchanted with all kinds of protection. It was perfectly safe against intruders. Unless, the intruder was already inside. Arte - Size Up. A dust-sized Toxicell Slime grew big enough to swallow an elephant whole. Suman Siffo, according to the footsoldiers I soul searched, you can grow stronger just by eating¡­ That Food Path method, I humbly receive it. Itadakimasu. And so ended the life of a powerful Level 3 Pathseeker with an eating-based cultivation method. As food for another. Chapter 322 - Spite Abby watched as one of the three armies that sought to kill her was in the process of being destroyed. How Tanael could accomplish so much in a very short time was beyond her. Her sight did not extend far enough to the attackers¡¯ camps¡¯ direction to know what exactly her paid muscle did but the result was extraordinary. Army one was in chaos; the leader, the obscenely fat man, was killing his own allies while there was a massive green slime rampaging. The slime was highly corrosive, reducing people and structures with its gelatinous body and seemingly impervious to attack. For now, Abby was happy that one of the three knives poised at her throat had been dealt with. Meanwhile, Viers was harvesting. More accurately, consuming. At first, Viers changed his face into Suman Siffo using his magic mask and methodically culled the strong pieces in incursion force by summoning them to his tent one at a time. After a while, he got found out, then he emerged and started killing rampantly, with the assistance of Ars¨¨ne who transformed into the Toxicell Slime. Seeing the fearsome monster in action, the loss of key figures, and the madness of their ¡®leader¡¯ resulted in a sharp drop in morale. If they were to band together, it would give Viers a fair amount of annoyance but that was why he offed the key figures in the army first. The rest of Suman¡¯s asskissers were inexperienced rich kids and, in the heat of battle, had fallen to panic and confusion. As screams and blood engulfed them, their fight-or-flight instinct got so skewed towards flight that they were unable to think of anything else. Only, there were no exits, just deeper paths into the Dungeon, where Abby stationed many of her monsters as meat walls. Thus, they were doomed. Viers already got the gist of the situation from Suman Siffo''s soul. He knew the three armies were from a place called Tartazia. It was the de-facto leader of a Biome, not unlike Dia¡¯s albeit much bigger. However, what surprised him was Tartazia got a System! Although they had deployment orders in the past from the ¡®Voice of the World¡¯, the target was never the same place. Different Biomes can have different world settings. Guess the rumors are true. Viers was in the middle of something so he didn''t delve too deeply into the lore of Tartazia. These people represented rare resources and Viers had no intention of letting them go to waste. Suman Siffo¡¯s eating ability was already promising but Viers was greedy for more. Viers continued his search-and-destroy operation with ice-cold efficiency. ¡°Welcome back,¡± Abby said. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Viers asked after he returned to the command room. ¡°Army two is one third through the Dungeon. One of them is tough as nails. Army three is trailing behind but they are steadily making progress.¡± ¡°Abby, I got intel from army one. Take a look.¡± Viers gave soul search information about the remaining two armies. Army two was House Monte, led by the house head, Aldo Monte. Army three was House Glaz, led by Arri Glaz, after his father''s recent passing. ¡°The Monte is a bruiser type, tough-bodied hard-headed stuff. We¡¯ve got plans for this. They have gone deep enough. Shall we begin the strategy?¡± Viers asked Abby, the leader. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± Three concepts that Viers hated in video games: water level, difficult platforming, and confusing layout. There were more but Viers deployed these three against the Monte forces. They might have the upper hand in straight-up battle strength but how would they fare against the challenges that Viers prepared for them? All at once, multiple times! Conclusion: they would¡¯ve review bombed the game if they could. Monsters, traps, deceptions, and guerilla tactics kept chipping the invaders¡¯ strength. For example, Viers framed that to pass a room, they had to push a switch, which was in an underwater maze. After a time-consuming endeavor that had several casualties, they thought they managed to unlock the next level. Turned out the path brought them back from where they started. In another example, there was an area where they had to pass a narrow stone bridge, with boiling lava underneath and swinging pendulum guillotines from above. Halfway through the very narrow path, they were peppered by archers and other ranged attacks. Some brave souls put their bodies on the line and tanked the damage for their comrades on their backs. And then, from a hidden wall at the side, Viers shouted: Fus Ro Dah! He always liked sending enemies tumbling down to their deaths. The downside was the loss of loot but Viers had to make choices here and didn''t regret it. Despite the success, Abby and Viers¡¯ side also suffered losses. They couldn''t design a truly nonprogressable Dungeon, the System forbade it. Sometimes, fighting was unavoidable. Nevertheless, after several days of fighting, Lord Aldo Monte issued a full retreat. ¡°We¡¯ve weathered the push for now,¡± Abby said. ¡°That depends on their next move,¡± Viers replied. Viers, after his great achievement of decimating one of the three armies, didn''t participate directly. Even if his Victa regeneration massively eclipsed normal people¡¯s, he still wouldn''t waste it. It was a good excuse for Abby, very rational. Just like Abby gained energy from the wounds of the fighters inside her body, Viers similarly got an ample harvest of souls. These human natives from some unknown Biome provided valuable resources after their death. ¡°Good. Good. This time the Incursion is very unlike the previous one. I hope they¡¯ll be sensible and stay put,¡± Abby sounded pleased. There was a time limit in this Incursion. If they didn''t finish Abby off before the time ran out, it would be the attacker¡¯s defeat and they¡¯d get deported back, according to Abby¡¯s previous experiences. ¡°Your contribution does not go unnoticed. I¡¯ll compensate you with a fitting reward,¡± Abby said. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Happy to be here,¡± Viers said sincerely. There were a great many things happening at the starting area of the remaining Monte and Glaz forces. After Viers¡¯ raid of the Siffo forces, their defensive perimeter was very tight. Viers didn''t find any opening to exploit. Abby¡¯s opponents were chosen by the System; they had some measure of ability. They weren''t so weak for Abby to iron-wall them, even with Viers¡¯ help. In the end, the attackers refused to give up and launched an all-out push. Monte and Glaz joined forces instead of doing it separately which increased their dungeon-clearing power. After the tricks did all they could, it came down to the clash of force. ¡°Prepare for the final battle,¡± Abby stood firm. No matter the case, she had no intention of losing and dying. The tribes of the goblins and orcs including the remaining monsters at her disposal were arrayed in a formation for war. Even though this was all happening in the Dungeon, the final showdown was in a wide-open area. Both sides roared and charged. The battle had begun and Viers was going to fight dirty. Even when none among his opponents matched him in power. *** ¡°Hyaaah!!¡± Arri Glaz pulled out his sword from the body of an orc warrior. ¡°We¡¯re almost through, everyone, on me!¡± ¡°Lord Glaz, wait! There¡¯s- There¡¯s something wrong at the HQ!¡± Following the line of sight of the messenger, Arri saw there was indeed some sort of commotion. Arki! Arri was torn. He had to break through the enemy lines but his brother was in danger. ¡°Go. Leave this to me, Milord.¡± ¡°Fatah, you-¡± Arri said to the old warrior beside him. ¡°Even if it costs me my life, I¡¯ll open a path forward.¡± Arri gritted his teeth, gave a single powerful nod to Uncle Fatah, and ran back to the HQ. ¡°GLAZ! GLAZ! GLAZ!¡± The war cries of the vanguards became fainter and fainter as Arri got closer to the HQ at the back. He got this awful feeling in his chest. There, he found the camp was attacked and someone was about to swing his sword down on his brother! Not on my watch! ¡°Arki!¡± A powerful slash separated his brother and the assailant. ¡°Brother! Everyone is¡­ They¡¯re, ugghh. Protecting me-¡± Arki hugged his brother while crying. Arri saw that many of the loyal men of House Glaz were dead. The sight of their bodies filled him with fury. ¡°You¡­¡± Arri¡¯s gaze seemed to be on fire. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for what you¡¯ve done.¡± The assailant didn''t answer, only attacked. At Arki. ¡°Targeting an opponent two Levels lower than you? Have you no honor?¡± Arri blocked the descending steel and shouted, veins bulging on his forehead. ¡°Then he shouldn''t stand on the battlefield,¡± Viers said, followed by an even stronger attack. ¡°Fuoooh!!¡± Arri deflected Viers¡¯ blows splendidly. But he sensed the strength of his opponent. ¡°Arki, run!¡± ¡°B-but-¡± ¡°DO IT!¡± The younger brother obeyed his elder brother¡¯s command. However, Viers¡¯ deviousness was not so easily escaped. A four-pronged attack was launched at Arki¡¯s position. Water, wood, fire, and air. The young Level 1 had no chance of surviving one, let alone four attacks from Level 3s. After the explosion, Arki waited for the pain that never came. He opened his eyes and he saw his brother¡¯s back, shielding him. It was a truly heroic sight. Arki screamed from the overload of emotion. Viers was about to deliver a beheading but he got struck from the side. ¡°Hah! How pathetic, grin-face, to be struggling against some random small fry. Get up.¡± It was a youth wearing black armor. A bit mean-looking, grinning. ¡°...Oi. Answer me.¡± Arki did not. ¡°...Are you dead?¡± The newcomer¡¯s face became as emotionless as a stone. ¡°...Dheuv¡­ Brother is- Brother is- Uwaaaahhh¡­¡± ¡°Don''t you fuckin¡¯ kidding me!¡± Dheuv grabbed Arki¡¯s lapel and raised them to his eye level. ¡°The man who defeated me can''t be dead in a place like this! Answer me!¡± Arki¡¯s lifeless eyes told him otherwise. ¡°Ruaaaah!¡± Dheuv swung his sword behind him, just in time to meet Viers¡¯ sword. ¡°Was it you? Against a lowlife like you-!¡± Dheuv was absolutely furious. They traded eight blows in the span of three blinks. ¡°I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s allowed to kill that bastard!¡± ¡°Ah, you must be the rival then? I recognize your type,¡± Viers replied. ¡°Sadly, the world doesn''t revolve around you two.¡± Dheuv¡¯s sword began emitting lethal darkness energy, powering up significantly. ¡°What have you done! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, YOU SCUM!?¡± ¡°Shut the Hell up! You¡¯re too loud!¡± Viers used his other hand to Bearclaw Dheuv¡¯s face and smash him to the ground, a feat that absolutely baffled Dheuv. The shock in his gaze told Viers that. ¡°I¡¯m-¡± A heart obliteration. ¡°Just-¡± A slit in the throat. ¡°Stronger-¡± A soul wrest. ¡°Than you both.¡± Viers spat to the side, expelling a bit of blood. Dheuv¡¯s initial attack got him to bite his tongue. For a small fry, he sure talked like a big shot¡­ Oh. Viers got a realization that he avoided a couple of tropes just now. If was a little bit chatty earlier, he wouldn''t be able to finish Arri before Dheuv intervened. And then, the two bitter rivals would fight side by side against a common foe, a master recipe in shounen manga arcs, elevating each other to new heights during the fight. And satisfyingly defeat the big bad villain. For example, Sasuke and Naruto. Too bad then. Your opponent was me. Viers knew from the start that Arri was somewhat of a threat. According to the information that he gathered from the souls of the dead and the living, though mostly from the dead, this young head of the Glaz had the signs of a budding powerhouse. According to his observation, if Viers¡¯ base power was a hundred, Arri was around sixty or seventy. This was before factoring the mystical abilities like Viers¡¯ Horizon that could be severely OP but Viers figured he could be a threat so he targeted the obvious soft spot, the younger brother. Sure enough, Viers¡¯ lethal approach resulted in a quick end for Arri. Naturally, what Viers did was something detestable but he wasn''t arrogant enough to think that he was so far above his Level 3 peers that he was invincible. There was a chance that Arri could match him in combat so he removed him from the board using the most efficient way he could think of. Before Viers stepped on the battlefield, he left his morals at home. After the defeat of Dheuv, Viers didn''t remain still for a cool pose. Instead, he dashed to the shaken younger brother. He wasn''t like those sissy villains that didn''t kill the protagonist when he was weak and found him unworthy to kill. Viers simply didn''t get the logic of not killing potential enemies. Therefore, he could not let go of the youngster who witnessed the death of his elder brother at his hands. Before the flower of bad karma blooms, nip it in the bud. Still, Viers was not in time for what came next. Instead of staying in a state of shock or brain short-circuit as Viers preferred him to be, Arki struggled in the face of death and he respected him for that. As Arki burned the fake face of Viers into his tear-filled eyes, he grabbed the pendant on his brother¡¯s neck. ¡°With my blood, I release you from the ancient seal¡­ Destroy everything.¡± In that final act of pure spite, Arki¡¯s body exploded, sending flesh and blood everywhere. And a dragon roar assaulted Viers, before busting both of his eardrums. ¡­Aw, crap. ¡­Oh, yeah! Chapter 323 - That’s Not How Chemical Reaction Works ¡°The Incursion is over, thanks to the great effort of everyone here.¡± The projection of a misshapen baby addressed the people in the command room. Most of them were clearly suffering minor or major wounds from the battle. Viers was crossing his arms on his seat, nodding in agreement. Dia sometimes peeked out from his pocket to steal a look at the unusual races. ¡°But the crisis is not over.¡± That¡¯s for damn sure, Viers thought. There was a rampaging blue dragon shown on the new magic screen. This dragon was tearing everything apart with its mighty claws and water magic. The problem was, the dragon wasn''t tearing some random tunnel in the middle of nowhere but Abby¡¯s Dungeon body. ¡°The invaders left a vicious parting gift. The dragon must be dealt with as soon as possible.¡± The faces of the chiefs were colored by unwillingness. ¡°Lady¡­ I¡¯ve agreed to help you for the Incursion and¡­¡± ¡°I want to help but my tribe has suffered terrible losses.¡± ¡°It¡¯s different from our previous discussion. Blood was asked and has been paid.¡± The orcs and goblins were spouting excuses. The truth was, they simply didn''t want to face the dragon. The Rank 4 dragon. Because the Incursion was over by the virtue of all the invaders being dead, the Rank 4 dragon had no System limitation on it. The System washed its hands. As Level 3s and 2s, they thought fighting the dragon would be a suicidal act and they weren¡¯t wrong. In this situation where every second was precious, Abby moved to persuade them. She needed them all together to repel the dragon, or so she thought. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Everyone was silenced by the words and eyes went to the speaker. ¡°I have some responsibility for unleashing the dragon in the first place. Of course, I¡¯ll need your support, Abby.¡± ¡°Tanael, you-¡± Abby had a complex feeling. ¡°Can you repel it? I only need it to exit my body and I can immediately close the way.¡± Abby didn''t say kill, only chasing it away. She didn''t have the delusion of killing the mighty beast. ¡°...It will be difficult,¡± Viers said with a stern expression. ¡°But I¡¯ll try. I hope you¡¯ll take note of my contribution.¡± ¡°If you can drive the dragon out, I¡¯ll give you all the Nutra that I have!¡± Abby said. Gotcha! Viers striked a winning pose inside his mind but on the outside, he closed his eyes, seemingly weighing a heavy decision for a while, and gave a firm nod. ¡°Oooh! The mighty human definitely can do it.¡± ¡°You are a warrior amongst warriors, Tanael.¡± ¡°May the fortunes of war be with you.¡± The chieftains vomited praises which Viers ignored. His eyes were fixed on the projection of the beautiful, beautiful draconic. That mighty power, those regal horns, those sharp teeth, those shiny scales, that sleek body, and so on. As long as it was a water dragon, Viers wasn''t going to be picky about its form. He would hunt the monster. But as luck would have it, the dragon¡¯s body type resembled the oriental dragon. His preference. Even without Abby¡¯s incentives, he would face the water dragon but he would not be Viers if he didn''t try to squeeze even more benefits first. Perhaps it was because of the urgency of the situation, Viers got a massive amount of Nutra waiting for him. ¡°I¡¯ve called for a reliable helper. He¡¯ll be here shortly.¡± *** Dragons were the top dogs among monsters. The guardian of House Glaz was a Rank 4 dragon. Viers was only a Level 3 and for all intents and purposes, weaker than any full-fledged Rank 4 monster, let alone Rank 4 dragon. Since he didn''t plan on dying anytime soon, it was safe to say Viers had some measure of confidence to prevail against the dragon. There were actually three reasons. The first reason was his assets. Viers stood in front of the rampaging dragon whose roar rivaled Godzilla¡¯s. Viers stood his ground despite the wind pressure and Dragon Fear. ¡°Remember. We are strong. Together, we¡¯ll win this.¡± ¡°Loud lizard is going down!¡± Chibi-Dia gave a thumbs down to the dragon while standing on top of Futon and beneath Faiya. ¡°Fuu!¡± ¡°Ya!¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The second reason was the dragon¡¯s state. It was not in its right mind. The dragon was crazed, mindlessly rampaging. At most, it might have possessed animal cunning but that was it. Human-level sentience was out of the picture. In his short soul search of the Glaz siblings, the dragon had some kind of complications from the start and that was before the younger sibling gave the wish for it to decimate everything. But it was no concern of Viers. He wanted the dragon¡¯s body and soul, not its mind. If anything, the battle would be somewhat easier. ¡°Boys and girls, we¡¯ll eat ice cold dragon sashimi for breakfast.¡± Viers transformed into a massive crab, the Gigadia Crab. ¡°GRAAAAWL!¡± ¡°Shululululu!¡± Uwoooh! Come get some! A house-sized dragon crashed against a bus-sized crab, the mass and speed heavily on the dragon¡¯s side. Viers felt like a regular human getting trampled by a tank. But his objective was not to win a monster sumo match but to pin down the dragon for a short while. If he could do that. ¡°Initiating transfer! Volcanic Wasteland!¡± Abby could move the battle to somewhere favorable. While Viers'' water abilities were similarly debuffed as the dragon, he decided it was more important to reduce the potency of the enemy. Now¡¯s the time! The third reason was¡­ A masked figure held a shimmering blue crystal in his hand. Arte - Aldebaran Shadow. Ars¨¨ne injected Viers¡¯ Victa into the Rank 7 bull monster core, creating a projection of the demigod bull that let out an earth-shaking cry. Abby¡¯s eyes almost bulged out of her sockets. She was the only direct observer of the fight and the feeling consumed her like a tsunami. Dark clouds gathered in the sky above the Dungeon and lightning drummed. The bull¡¯s cry shook the cores of men and monsters who heard it. Every soul in Ebon Wall City and five other neighboring cities got implicated. Viers didn''t know it but around twenty people died from the shock. The condition in the Carfax Peninsula in range of the Arte was an absolute frenzy. Monsters panicking and running away from the epicenter, creating a chaotic situation. Viers last used the technique in the Book World, against the Devadom Orca prior to its consumption. Viers had polished the technique¡¯s effectiveness even further, turning it into a functioning Arte. He¡¯d never tried it since, because flaunting or utilizing a Rank 7 monster core was very risky but he had no choice in the matter. As the main target, the dragon felt the effect of the Arte more than anyone. Dragon or not, the bull was a Rank 7. The hierarchy was clear and so it got suppressed. While the dragon was stunned, Viers decked the dragon¡¯s face with his heavily mutated pincer. He heard a satisfying sound from the punch. Now, the true fight can begin. Viers had more or less weakened the dragon to the point they stood on the same arena, Level 3. ¡°Shulululu!¡± Crab-Viers frothed bubbles. So far so good. The next step was grinding it down. Even in the debuffed state, the dragon was still a strong monster. Viers suspected its HP bar would be very high, like those bullet-sponge bosses. Compared to Pathseekers, monsters were hardier after all. The plan was the Gigadia Crab trading pound for pound while the trio familiars chipped its HP and Ars¨¨ne acted as the overall support. Abby would also send her Dungeon creatures to help. The plan went awry immediately. The blue dragon recovered from the shock faster than he thought. Utilizing its long serpentine neck, the dragon bit Viers¡¯ shoulder and savagely tore it away from the rest of his body. Gigadia¡¯s carapace was like soft wood for the dragon fangs. From his mental connection, the familiars were showing concern for him but they were in the middle of attacking, as per the plan so they couldn''t move to assist. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s action was also delayed after casting the big Arte. Viers got the oh shit moment when he saw the dragon¡¯s mouth glowing with energy. The hulking body of the crab was unsuitable for dodging, so he fortified his defenses using every measure he could in the short time available. Every dragon kind¡¯s powerful technique, the breath, hit Viers almost point blank! It''s suppressed, but still so much force? Uuooooh!!! Hit by the Dragon Breath, the Gigadia Crab got huge chunks of missing flesh. The Breath was not fire but water, but while the element might have differed, the deadliness was not at all behind. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s heart beat like a drum. If it was a normal monster, his other self¡¯s state was certainly at the state of death. They both had underestimated the dragon! ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Holy shit! My life¡¯s flashing before me.¡± From the remains of the crab monster¡¯s corpse, Viers'' regular human-sized body emerged. ¡°How?¡± Ars¨¨ne asked with his mind. ¡°It seems monster form counts as an extra life! It¡¯s super but now¡¯s not the time. Continue the attack!¡± Viers replied to the telepathy call. What would happen if he died in the monster form? Viers had thought of this question for a long time but he had no answer. It wasn''t on purpose and he preferred to never know it but now he did. If each of my renewable monster forms can act as a death shield each¡­ Ohmygod. Am I actually closer to immortality than I previously thought? Apparently his monster transformation ability hid an amazing feature that had eluded him. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s Kin! Kin is alright!¡± Dia pointed out for her siblings. But enough thinking. Viers had a battle to win. ¡°Alright, you three, stick to the plan! Show me the fruits of your training!¡± There was the holy trinity of damage, tank, and heal in games. Viers¡¯ party never lacked in damage but he fell short on the other two. Now, Viers had to act as the tank and Ars¨¨ne as a makeshift healer. Dia, Futon, and Faiya were attacking the dragon¡¯s middle body. Futon zapped with lightning and Faiya summoned a fireball. They both struck the target. At first glance what they did was not any different from before, however, something happened at the struck area. A secondary explosion occurred, further wounding the scaled body. ¡°My turn. Hyah!¡± Dia¡¯s tiny blast of vibrant green energy from her hand dealt very little damage on its own but the patch of green energy lingered. Futon was about to follow but Ars¨¨ne was faster, a flying water slash landed. It peeled off a single scale but that was not the true intent. The result was a floating green fruit. After a few seconds, the fruit of energy exploded violently, with a force stronger than the power of the previous two attacks combined. Eheheh¡­ Heheheheh¡­ Khukhukhu- DWOAH!? Viers¡¯ concentration wavered a bit after seeing the sweet result of the tiny sprites¡¯ training. His joy almost made him lose half of his body, again. But now it couldn''t be denied that they had finished the homework that Viers gave them, to find a way to synergize their different elements. Viers had given them clues but it was up to them to make it work. And what they showed him just now was Electro plus Pyro to create Overloaded and Dendro plus Hydro to create Bloom. Viers got the inspiration from a game that had made him open his wallet a few times. Now that¡¯s what I call chemical reactions! Chapter 324 - Dragon Slayer The elemental reaction that Dia and the other two displayed was not something that ordinary Pathseekers could do, a special formula was embedded within their technique. Unless it was with their reaction, Hydro plus Pyro wouldn''t result in a Vaporise. Considering how often he expected to fight alongside his familiars, the technique would be very useful to maximize their battle strength. The battle with the berserk dragon raged on. After losing his Gigadia Crab form, Viers still played his role as the tank. Unlike before, he was a dodge tank. When the dragon tried to target the three familiars, Viers drew its aggro by being a nuisance, such as targeting its eyes. Meanwhile, Ars¨¨ne kept channeling the Aldebaran Shadow to suppress it with Abby giving support in her own way. The pieces were in place, now they just had to keep at it until the dragon was defeated. As the dragon was originally a Rank 4, Viers had prepared himself for a long and tiring fight. Three hours later, Viers was proven right. He truly hoped he was wrong but the dragon¡¯s resilience was above his expectations. On one hand, he was happy because the stronger the dragon, the stronger his dragon transformation would be, but the raid was taking a toll on all parties involved. ¡°Tanael, I can''t hold on much longer!¡± Abby said. ¡°Neither can the big guy,¡± Viers said. Nor can we. A beam of energy cut through the volcanic wasteland. It landed dangerously close to Dia. Good thing Viers had unbalanced the dragon moments before the release. ¡°Dia, you good?¡± ¡°Uuu,¡± Dia weakly nodded. The vibrant leaves on her head were now wilted. The big snake is also in bad shape but its energy seems to be endless! It¡¯s actually using more breath attacks than before! What to do¡­ Think, think, think! ¡°Partner, I¡¯ve got a plan.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± And Viers did. He agreed. ¡°You three, fall back!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going!¡± Ars¨¨ne dashed forward, tossing the monster core to Viers as he passed by. The push toward the dragon was a cinematic one. Ars¨¨ne evaded the dragon''s claws and water currents as he climbed and jumped its serpentine body. When he was close enough, he extended a water whip that latched onto the dragon¡¯s lower chin. As its head swung upwards, Ars¨¨ne used the momentum to fly high above. The grappling hook in action games provided extra maneuverability. He didn''t have one so he made it. Ars¨¨ne couldn''t fly so after he went up, he could only fall down, to the gaping maw of the dragon. ¡°WITNESS MEEE!¡± Ars¨¨ne¡¯s sound echoed, almost sounding happy. ¡°Witnessed!¡± Viers shouted back. After gulping the little human whole, the dragon shifted its attention to Viers, who had been charging the silver claymore that he got during the shopping trip in Valkut with Rose and the others with an Arte. The silver sword was currently brimming with blue energy. The dragon¡¯s chest expanded as it too gathered energy before the destructive might of the dragon¡¯s breath could be unleashed. But unlike numerous times before, something was wrong. It felt something disturbing the energy inside its body, followed by a sense of pain. Ars¨¨ne used Dehydration Arte! The blue dragon¡¯s breath was of the water affinity. Ars¨¨ne was unable to do anything from outside but it was different if he was so close to the source. The reason he wasn''t obliterated by the violent energy, was thanks to his Unreality Field. Between his palms, all manner of liquid such as blood from the dragon¡¯s body was swiftly congealing. The Arte was deadly, but to the dragon, it was just a mild annoyance. Already the effect was beginning to be counteracted. That was alright, he wasn''t the big gun. As Viers¡¯ clone, Ars¨¨ne was not graced by Viers¡¯ Horizon boost so his Arte didn''t break the ceiling of limitations. Viers¡¯ would. Ars¨¨ne made the dragon stagger but it would only be temporary. The chance for a decisive victory was now! Viers was clearly aiming for this. Before Viers acted, the plan was for the three kids to soften up the dragon first. Futon, now a black cloud, let go of all the electricity he had built up. Royal Thunder! The correct spelling was Roael Thunder. Viers got a special lightning bolt from the Chevry House during the Valkut arc that he gave to Futon. After eating the Doom of Roael¡¯s special lightning, Futon¡¯s power increased. Futon misspelled but Viers didn''t bother correcting it. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Royal Thunder it is. Dia and Faiya followed suit. Unlike Futon, the two acted as one. Dia made a big sunflower that grew from the ground, encompassing Faiya at the center. ¡°Flower, become shiny!¡± ¡°Yaaaaa!¡± A beam of focused light and fire shot forth from the flower. Faiya¡¯s firepower was significantly increased by Dia¡¯s energy. Sunflower Beam! The two big attacks hit the dragon¡¯s thorax splendidly. The three were officially worn out because Viers told them to pack all they had left for this. And it wasn''t done. The elemental reaction occurred and the crisp secondary explosion resounded. The stronger the catalysts, the stronger the reaction, it was common sense. The dragon¡¯s loud howl was mixed with pain. My turn! ¡°Huuuuuoooooohh!¡± Viers tightly gripped the handle of his claymore and put his back into swinging it. He injected so much power it felt like he was holding a bomb. He had to send it to the enemy before it blew up right in front of his face. Horizon full power! 545%! Hyper Arte - Mega Water Slash! In the Fables, to kill a big dragon, the hero usually used a big sword. So Viers created a BFG, a Big Fucking Sword, with his Big Fucking Arte. Viers evolved a basic water Arte into something terrifying despite its simplicity. Usually, once an Arte got improved until it had a qualitative change, other Pathseekers changed its name. Viers just slapped Mega-designation in front of it. If it evolved again, it would be Giga next. Viers¡¯ claymore was big but the sword¡¯s energy was twenty meters long. Just like in every decisive blow, Viers added his lifeforce into the mix in an already potent concoction of Horizon empowerment. Viers had learned Max''s parting gift. All his life-burning methods produced more energy and became more cost-efficient. The terrifying slash was unable to be stopped by the dragon¡¯s scales. Blazing with Victa and Unreality Field, Viers chopped the neck of his worthy foe. As the dragon¡¯s massive head fell down, Viers landed above it and let out a cry of victory. He did it¡­ Phew. Abby breathed easy. ¡°Kin did it. Ehehe.¡± ¡°Fuu!¡± ¡°Yaa! Yaa!¡± With a tired but satisfied face, Dia hugged Faiya and Futon. Viers¡¯ exhilaration was interrupted by the sound of breaking metal. Sword broken again! So soon after my Muramasa my Silver Claymore¡¯s next? What is this? Breath of the Wild? You haunt me even still, accursed Weapon Durability? Kaaaah!! He was assaulted by a crunching sense of pain from his hands next, gradually spreading to his whole body. It was so hurtful that Viers fell to his knees. He gritted his teeth and banged the scaled floor in reflex. His hands were destroyed. Flesh lacerating and bones breaking. Viers had tried to block the pain using Numb Pain Arte but it didn''t work. His familiars tried to help but it was no use. ¡°Stand back.¡± Ars¨¨ne crawled out of the dragon¡¯s body and examined his other self but it was no use. Viers endured pure agony until it slowly receded to the level he could think. ¡°Hey, are you alright? What is it?¡± Ars¨¨ne asked. ¡°I think¡­ The Arte became too strong,¡± Viers said with a weak voice. ¡°Too strong? Oh¡­¡± The degree of strengthening that Viers could achieve was abnormal, to say the least. Horizon plus Hyper Arte was Viers¡¯ bread and butter on final attacks. He had been improving it again and again. Now, he got his wish a little too well. At max settings, it became so powerful his body couldn''t handle it. Actually, at 500% boost, he could already feel the strain on his body. Multiplied with Hyper Arte, his body could no longer handle the amount of power. Viers¡¯ had yet to find the Horizon Aspect¡¯s limits but it seemed he had met a soft cap of sorts. Although it wasn''t to the degree of his soul, Viers also improved his body¡¯s and mind¡¯s foundation but it wasn''t enough. His healing factor was working at full gear but the regeneration process on his arms was very slow. The backlash of using so much power he suspected. A power so strong it destroyed the user¡­ This lands perfectly in the forbidden technique category. I should look into it more deeply. His Fables were filled with people having something too powerful. Such as the early days of Izuku Midoriya; He would deal with it somehow. ¡°For now, let¡¯s just enjoy this moment of triumph,¡± Viers said as he looked at the dragon¡¯s corpse. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re okay too. Excellent.¡± ¡°Abby~ What up?¡± Viers greeted. ¡°As agreed, I¡¯m taking the dragon, okay?¡± ¡°Of course. I won''t go back on my word.¡± Viers talked to the floating baby¡¯s projection while Ars¨¨ne and the three dismantled the dragon. None of it would go to waste. ¡°Now I understand why you fear the Incursion. It was¡­ tough.¡± ¡°Well, there was a complication in the end but you got the gist of it.¡± ¡°When is the next Incursion?¡± ¡°Still a long time. Don''t worry about it for now. And I¡¯ve taken steps so next time it wouldn''t be as¡­ demanding.¡± Viers wondered what she meant. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to be done so I¡¯ll be closing the Dungeon for some time. I don''t need to tell you the bull¡¯s shadow that your friend there summoned kicked the hornet¡¯s nest outside right?¡± ¡°Right¡­ We all gotta lay low.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll contact you later.¡± Abby disappeared. ¡°See you.¡± Viers would¡¯ve waved but his hands were out of commission. ¡°Phew. What a day.¡± *** In the skies of Ebon Wall City, there was a woman gazing at the dissipating dark cloud. The woman¡¯s inquisitive gaze turned into a frown after she sensed an uninvited guest. ¡°Linda, how nice meeting you here. Seeing you again makes me feel joy.¡± ¡°Stay your forked tongue, Broderick. I¡¯m not in the mood.¡± The approaching man was sitting on top of a flying bull. ¡°Could you blame me? After such a grand presence here? I heard something unusual is going on here recently. I didn¡¯t think it was worth my time but after earlier? Heheh¡­ I think whatever it is would be better served in my hand, no?¡± ¡°You are not welcome here,¡± the woman said in a steely tone. The man riding the bull seemed to be emboldened, grinning a devilish grin. ¡°By the way, how¡¯s your son nowadays? Last I heard, he''s not doing too well.¡± Broderick defended a blow to his head while letting out a guffaw. The skies of Ebon Wall turned dark again as the two Level 5 clashed. The small folk on the ground could only cower in fear. Chapter 325 - Consequences ¡°Hm, hm, hmm~¡± Jessica was washing the dishes while humming. Earlier, there was a loud thunder, of sorts. She felt it but the other staff didn''t. It felt like a long roar of a beast that made her shiver. After nothing happened afterward, and the two staff did not feel anything unordinary, she continued making preparations for the tavern¡¯s opening schedule. ¡°Well lookie here. Ain''t someone in a good mood,¡± a plump lady approached while having both hands on her waist. ¡°You¡¯ve been smiling a lot more lately.¡± ¡°Eh? Am I?¡± ¡°Ooo yeah,¡± Greta, the tavern¡¯s staff that lived nearby said. ¡°I suppose I should thank the boy. Turns out you like ¡®em young, eh?¡± A plate slipped from Jessica¡¯s hands and made a loud noise. While Jessica¡¯s face looked shocked, Greta was grinning. ¡°W-w-what do you mean? I-I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Jessica tried to feign ignorance, unskillfully. ¡°A little bird whispered to me about a certain someone bringing you home on his back in the wee hours. After a hot night out presumably.¡± ¡°It was just a single-night mistake!¡± After saying it, Jessica had the ¡®hah¡¯ expression, just realizing how suspicious that sounded. ¡°Oh hoo¡­ So the following outings you¡¯ve been having are not then? A little bird in the city guard told me.¡± Jessica grimaced. She didn''t think the rumors had gone that far. Now that this gossiper caught wind of it, it would spread to the whole neighborhood overnight. ¡°Kira and I don''t have that sort of relationship!¡± ¡°Now, now, I¡¯m not judging you. As your friend, I told you you needed a boyfriend. You landed one, good for you.¡± Greta¡¯s face became very close. ¡°So give me the juicy details. Will Tim have a new father soon?¡± Wink wink wink, blinkty wink. ¡°There is nothing between us! We just¡­ Aaaah! Even you?¡± Faulkner the silent cook presented a small celebratory cake with congratulations on it. He left it at the table before going back to the kitchen, not saying a single word or even changing his expression. Now that it was brought to her attention, Jessica thought she indeed looked at Kira favorably but not as a romantic interest. The youth was a freeloader but didn''t cause any trouble during his stay. Most of the time he seemed like a big kid having fun but there were times when he showed unusual maturity and understanding. He also had an air of mystery around him but it didn''t bother her. She suspected Kira was stronger than he let on but how strong was unguessable. What was their relationship exactly? Certainly not lovers, perhaps friends were more accurate? ¡°Ah, look at the time. Gosh, I have to pick up Tim. Excuse me!¡± Jessica ran away, much to Greta¡¯s dismay. Phew¡­ Once she becomes like that, there¡¯s no fighting her. The two had known each other for decades so she knew her well. Jessica knew Greta had been looking after her since Sawyer died. She always was thankful for her being there. My, what a dark cloud¡­ Eh? Jessica thought she saw people floating in the sky. She thought she imagined it until there was a flash of energy and a terrifying pressure from above. Oh no¡­ Timmy! *** After treating his wounds in the Dia¡¯s Biome, Viers went back to the Dungeon using a back entrance to receive his reward. ¡°Here¡¯s the reward I promised you.¡± A girl extended an inventory ring to Viers. He didn''t take it immediately, observing the face of the newcomer. ¡°...Abby?¡± ¡°Reward for beating the Incursion. Being a baby is inconvenient, isn''t it?¡± ¡°Right¡­ Is this how you look like before?¡± Because Abby was a misshapen baby, he thought it would affect her grown-up¡¯s appearance but that did not seem to be the case. ¡°Perhaps. It¡¯s just this face that seems most familiar to me. Enough about me. What do you plan to do now? Your injury seems deep.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll manage,¡± Viers said while checking the contents of the ring. A bunch load of Nutra and other goodies. With this much red substance, he should be good until Level 4. It made all the effort of taking down the dragon more than worth it. His many injuries from the battle, especially from the final attack, were stubborn to heal. ¡°I¡¯ll take it easy for the time being.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m in the same boat. Much of my insides are destroyed. I¡¯ll need to rebuild it.¡± Abby looked at Viers from head to toe but didn''t comment about his injuries further. ¡°I have gotten much probing though, but those outsiders didn''t get anything. I think some were Level 5s¡¯ handiwork.¡± ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± Abby¡¯s discovery wasn''t something that Viers hoped for. Their following small talk gave Viers the impression that Abby had a heavy burden off her shoulders. When asked about the next incursion Abby said with confidence that she would be able to deal with it. ¡°If I keep the Dungeon small scale from now on, there shouldn''t be any problems. If this area becomes too hot, I can move somewhere else. I can do that now.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Seems like you get to be on top of things. Good. We¡¯ll talk later when you decide to re-open the Dungeon. Until then, see ya.¡± Viers left the dungeon satisfied with the mountain of loot he¡¯d gotten. Those people from Tartazia were rich. Viers was looking forward to incorporating his gains into direct strength. Of course, his three familiars were also included. They had worked hard. When he approached Ebon Wall City, he realized something was off. The people were restless and clamoring. ¡°Dude,¡± Viers stopped a guy on the street. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Strong Pathseekers just fought. It¡¯s madness I tell you! Madness!¡± Sure enough, he¡¯d seen the effect on the streets. Although none of the buildings were destroyed, the people were affected. The symptoms varied. Some were showing signs of Victa Stigma, the thing that you got if struck by the Arte of another. Viers surmised if these people suffered from it from afar, the one doing it must be very strong. Eyewitnesses said there were people fighting in the sky so Viers was convinced of his theory. It was either a battle of Level 5s or high-tier Level 4s. With the power they had, if they fought without regard for others, no wonder the small folk got implicated. Even without malice, a human could step on an ant and kill it. It was a similar case. But to fight so close to a city, either it was a special circumstance or they didn''t care about the weaker people. Besides Victa Stigma which was akin to mana poisoning, there were those that straight up died, mostly the weak and infirm. Some became catatonic or had seizures, where their families or friends rushed them to the healers. There were many more examples but the Idlers who had no way of defending themselves from Artes had the worst of it. He didn''t know it at this time but some of the casualties were because of his Alberaran Shadow Arte. The power of the Divine, even an incomplete fragment of one, must not be recklessly used. Viers was sure whoever fought was no longer fighting, or else he wouldn''t get into the City. After having a glimpse of the situation, he quickly walked to the place he stayed, the Heaven Is Cruel Tavern, and had his bad feeling confirmed. *** Two days later. Viers and Jessica were at a funeral. They were wearing white clothes, the color for funeral attire in this world. Other than them, there were Greta¡¯s family and other friends. Jessica had been shedding tears. Even the silent and expressionless cook was looking visibly saddened. Viers sighed. He was the root of this disaster. The main perpetrators were the unknown Level 5s but Viers was pretty sure they came because of the aura of the rank 7 monster core in the first place. Greta¡¯s funeral wasn''t the only one, there were several going on at the same time. The healers were still swamped with patients. ¡°How¡¯s Tim?¡± Viers asked. ¡°He¡¯s still unconscious. They said he probably wouldn¡¯t wake up¡­ Unless-¡± ¡°Unless what?¡± ¡°I can procure an elven medicine.¡± Viers had many things but that was not one of them. He had diagnosed Tim before but the problem wasn''t his soul so he couldn''t fix it. ¡°...I see.¡± After they got back to the tavern, the place felt different. It had lost its usual warmth. ¡°He¡¯s stable for now but the healers say there¡¯s a time limit. I¡¯m leaving tomorrow,¡± Jessica said. ¡°Bringing Tim with me.¡± She had no one left. ¡°The elves are isolationists. This is known. They probably would bar you from entering their forest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever it takes, go wherever I must to heal my son.¡± Jessica then saw the place where Greta usually worked. There was nothing there but it was as if she could see her silhouette. Then she turned and looked at the empty tavern. ¡°I¡¯ve told Faulkner. I¡¯m closing this place down and then, I¡¯m leaving this city for good.¡± There¡¯s too much pain in this place. Viers wasn''t surprised by her decision. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kira, but it seems you need to find a new place to stay.¡± ¡°Don''t be. Just focus on yourself now¡­ Even the road to the nearest elven grove is a long journey. I¡¯ll-¡± ¡°Thank you for the offer but I¡¯ll manage. I can''t possibly ask an injured person like you.¡± Viers¡¯ full power Arte backlash that wrecked his arms still had not healed. His arms were bandaged even now. His excuse was the Level 5 fight. ¡°Besides, you don''t talk about it but you still have things to do in this place, right?¡± Jessica said while looking straight into his eyes. ¡°...Even if you¡¯re a Level 3, this isn''t a journey you can make on your own. I know your need for haste but-¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll accompany you. In this journey, before anything happens to you two, I¡¯ll die first. I swear this to all gods that hear.¡± The tavern door opened and a man entered. It was the Knight leader of the Grey Hawk Knightly Order, Charles Hall. ¡°Charles, I appreciate the offer but what about the Order? What about the city?¡± ¡°Anderson will hold the fort for the time being. I¡¯m carrying his wishes too.¡± ¡°But-¡± Jessica was still hesitant but Charles put his hands on her shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve failed to protect you and this city time and time again. If I let you go alone, how can I face Sawyer after I die?¡± ¡°...Accept it, Jessica.¡± ¡°Kira?¡± ¡°For your son, remember?¡± ¡°...Thank you, Knight Hall. My son and I will be in your hands.¡± The next morning, at the city gates. Jessica, Tim, and Charles were ready to go. They had prepared for the journey. They had two horses and a cart, for carrying Tim. Several people were there to send them off, including Mayor Anderson, Faulkner, and Viers. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Jessica asked about the wooden token. ¡°I received it in the past from a man that had lost a family. Perhaps it can now be of use to help you recover your son. This is an elf friendship token. At the very least, the elves should hear you out instead of shooting arrows at you. Although, I¡¯ve never used it so I don''t really know if it''s useful or not.¡± ¡°T-This is-¡± Jessica was speechless. It was exactly what she needed. ¡°I¡¯m grateful.¡± ¡°May it serve you well. Take this too.¡± Next, Viers gave her a white card. ¡°And this one is?¡± ¡°Keep it close and we¡¯ll one day meet again,¡± Viers said with certainty. And the three were off, with the good wishes and waves of those left behind. They encountered a problem almost immediately. At the border to a neighboring viscounty, a bunch of soldiers prevented them and other travelers from crossing. Apparently, they were in lockdown, searching for a certain wanted individual. No one was to enter or exit until an undefined time. Jessica had no time for this. She was about to break through. The flying Rank 3 white whale that the border guards imposingly showed to deter hostility didn''t dampen her spirit. Roaaaar! But before she could attack, a blue dragon fought the white whale, creating chaos. ¡°Go! Go now!¡± Jessica urged Charles who held the reins. ¡°Hang on!¡± He didn''t need to be told. Not only them, travelers, merchants, and caravans that were inconvenienced by the closed border on both sides scrambled forth. As they slipped past the border, Jessica locked eyes with the dragon for a split second. Jessica had a slight feeling of familiarity. However, not long after Jessica and Charles were out of view, the dragon got his neck chopped off. ¡°Ohohoho, what a nice souvenir. It¡¯s my lucky day.¡± A bull with a man on its back descended from the clouds. Chapter 326 - A Whale Surfaced Then Dived Deep ¡°Apologies, young lord. There¡¯s no change today either.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± There were two men, hiding among the traveling merchants. They were wearing civilian clothes and hiding their faces. One was an adult Level 4 male with the appearance of thirty years of age, while the other was a young boy, about 13 to 15 years old. Despite the age difference, the adult was submissive to the boy. ¡°...I miss home,¡± the boy softly said. ¡°Young lord,¡± the protector knelt in front of the boy to speak without looking down. ¡°The capital is not as it once was. Everyone is wearing masks of deception. Please, sire.¡± To the man¡¯s plea, the boy nodded. He then looked at the border guarded by a garrison of soldiers. They had been stopped here for two days. ¡°Alfred, you can defeat them with no problem, right? Why don''t you?¡± ¡°If I act, I will also blow our cover, sire. They are specifically looking for us. Unfortunately, we have to wait for a chanc-¡± The two and everyone else were startled by a blue dragon that came out of nowhere and wreaked havoc. ¡°Sire, the heavens have blessed us. We must go while we still can!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The duo and many other people managed to cross the breached blockade. On the way, they had crossed paths with people from the other side. One was a couple riding a cart where a kid lay unconscious. ¡°...We should be safe after coming this far. Sire?¡± Alfred saw the boy was fascinated by the rampaging dragon. It wasn''t the strongest dragon but it was a fantastic display nonetheless. After twenty minutes of fighting, the fortifications of the border had been reduced to pebbles. Even ten Level 3s were unable to contain the dragon¡¯s fury. The boy took out something from his satchel and cradled it in his arms as he watched. When the white cloth that covered it slid away, something red could be seen. ¡°Will you be as strong as that dragon?¡± He whispered to the red egg. ¡°Stronger, sire. Without a doubt,¡± the man said decisively. But it caused the boy to worry instead. After all, the blue dragon that was currently gnashing a man to pieces was very scary. As it flew, three rings of water protected its long body from attacks. ¡°How in the Goddess¡¯ name am I to control such a fearsome beast?¡± ¡°From your ancestors to your father, they are called the Master of Dragons, Prince Croix. I have faith in you.¡± *** Broderick didn''t think he would encounter a juvenile lone dragon on its own. Based on its aura and appearance it must be a dragon with a high pedigree, a descendant of a powerful draconic. It might even be capable of speech. Which was more good news for Broderick. His mood turned for the better after finding the blue dragon after failing to find anything about the explosion of energy a few days ago. The sentimental woman had to lash out. Couldn''t she take a joke? I should go before the parents turn this whole region into an inferno. No, wait. Since this is a water dragon, perhaps they¡¯ll send a tsunami¡­ What the hell? The dragon¡¯s body started emitting smoke and began dissipating as if made by mist. ¡°Nononono!¡± Broderick invoked his Level 5 methods but it was no use. Nothing remained of the dragon, not even a single scale. Meanwhile¡­ ¡°Hm?¡± Viers perked his ears. ¡°Oh, Ars¨¨ne just died.¡± At a place separated by the concept of distance itself, Viers sensed Ars¨¨ne¡¯s demise. Without his other self returning, Viers didn''t know how and why he died, only the result. He only knew there were Level 5s nearby and he shouldn''t stick his neck out. His real neck. Even for Jessica or anyone else for that matter. Probably field-testing dragon form though. The heat was too high after the Aldebaran Shadow Arte. How often the trace of the divine level of power appeared? Very rare. The Arte was very effective against monsters as shown during the dragon¡¯s fight but Viers never used it outside of his virtual simulation training precisely because of this reason. Except that one time in Aletro''s Book World. But sometimes, he just had to take the chance that was right in front of his eyes. He did get a dragon form. Viers couldn''t directly absorb the Rank 4 dragon as he was only a Level 3 himself so he evolved his Tomalica Carp form to the draconic direction. He had the supplementary genetic materials to do so while the blue dragon served as the main. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Undergoing evolution came with benefits of its own. Viers could focus on strengthening desirable traits with evolutionary energy, even appearance. That was why his dragon form was slightly different from the blue dragon he fought and defeated. By the way, what should I call my dragon form? Viers knew some backstory about the dragon by soul searching the dead siblings and the men in their retinue but he preferred not to use the old name. A thought for another time. Currently, Viers had slime, frog, spider, orca, and dragon forms. As he suspected, the destruction of the Gigadia Crab resulted in a permanent loss. He could no longer morph into it. The loss stung, especially after how much Viers had invested in the crab, but his gains offset his loss. There was also new information on how his forms represented extra lives. I have five but what¡¯s my current limit? More in-depth testing is necessary. Viers was not done with the Carfax Peninsula, which was why he didn''t go along with Jessica even though visiting the elves sounded interesting. It sounded like a major development and Viers hadn''t finished grinding his levels. There were still many improvements to be done in the months to come. There was also the unexpected bumper harvest from the people in the botched Incursion. Their material and intellectual wealth was quite substantial. What Viers considered his greatest loot, even more so than obtaining the water dragon, was the food-based strengthening method from the fat Suman Siffo. His Pathseeker ability to eat and grow, to multiply the food¡¯s nutrients eaten, to be full with less, and other things, were some things Viers heavily sought because it complemented his need to eat a gargantuan amount of food. After evolution, the dragon form was hungry. His other monster form too. There was no such thing as too much food for monsters after all. However, Suman Siffo¡¯s special ability stemmed from his Profound Codex, complemented by his family¡¯s bloodline. Which meant it was unusable for Viers, not unless he changed his cultivation method. That was why deciphering the Profound Codex and creating an Arte or Artes with a similar effect was Viers¡¯ priority right now. This was body Pathseekers¡¯ department but even if it was not something they specialized in, other Pathseekers could use it. For example, Viers¡¯ use of the assassin cult¡¯s Fade in Shadow Arte. He was so skilled in that signature Arte that it could be mistaken he was a special disciple of the cult. In the end, all depended on the person wielding the Arte The effectiveness might have decreased by 30 to 70 percent depending on how skillful he could make them but even so it was better than nothing. If it goes well, I might finally be able to slim down. In the months since Valkut, Viers¡¯ weight rebounded. When the calories you gain exceed the calories you spend, you gain weight. Viers¡¯ physical training failed to burn all the things he¡¯d eaten. That was before factoring in how his healing factor also regenerated his fat, or other ways. He still hadn''t fully understood how his regenerating-monster morphing capable body really worked yet. Considering how much he ate in his human form to replenish his life force, it was a no-brainer. It was a necessity but as a side effect, his calories turned into fat in his body. Viers was able to convert life force into energy but not fat into energy, thus his body was packing in more meat as he went on an eating spree during his recovery period. He currently had the figure of a man 20 kilos above his ideal weight. Not a pretty figure. While Viers didn''t care much about the opinions of others of his, too much weight would hamper him in battle, which was a matter of life and death. It was simply unacceptable. He¡¯d tried to mitigate this by changing the quantity for quality, by eating more high-vitality monster meat or vegetable produce in Dia¡¯s Biome. But acquiring those strained his abilities and was not permanently sustainable. The most accessible thing for him was still the monsters weaker than him that he could hunt in bulk. Viers had temporarily solved his Victa problem thanks to Vigor of Responsibility Arte. His soul cultivation had also recovered during his heyday in Aletro¡¯s trial, to Grand Soul. Yet the Path of Power was long, and new problems arose. Viers had a calorie problem and became aware of his Horizon¡¯s soft cap, which wasn''t a problem for now but who knew about the future? What he needed most was time. Galavanting to help a friend or a clan or a sect and whatnot then becoming entrapped in a major event out of their league sounded like what those xianxia MC would do. Therefore Viers chose to sit tight for now. Sending Ars¨¨ne to assist Jessica a little bit was the most he could do. If he was imprudent, it could result in a catastrophic outcome. Something that he felt vindicated, considering Ars¨¨ne¡¯s demise. Then again, if he could die knowing he would be reborn from his other self, he might be a bit reckless. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s decision was not necessarily Viers¡¯. Like a whale making a splash while surfacing to take a breath and then diving back into the deep, Viers planned to stay hidden after the recent events at Ebon Wall City. Until Paina and the others woke up from their slumber after getting bodies, Viers planned to stay low-key. He had all that he needed. Resources, souls, Nutra, and so on. Still a few months yet, I suppose¡­ No worries. Oh yeah, some of the new info I got is useful. I should make use of them. ¡°Dia dear, open a portal out would you?¡± ¡°Okie dokie~¡± While Viers stayed in the Biome, a portal was created, like an oval window to the main world. It showed a dusty room in an empty house. After Jessica¡¯s departure, Viers no longer stayed in the Heaven Is Cruel Tavern. His reason to be there was gone. Instead, he moved to the house that he bought cheaply from a man that wanted to leave Ebon Wall sometime earlier. He planted Dia¡¯s Plant Gate there after covering it with his barrier Arte. He had a great need to become adept in barrier techniques, for protecting his teleportation points scattered around the continent. Still a few for now, but in the future¡­ Viers¡¯ musing was interrupted by a magic item¡¯s chim. It had established a connection. ¡°Tanael, what do you want?¡± ¡°Jito, my man. I got some gig for you, interested?¡± ¡°Make it short, if anyone catches me knowing you, I¡¯ll get my brain extracted.¡± Viers contacted Jito, a middle-low member of the assassin cult that Ars¨¨ne made acquaintance of during his soul sending service tour. He then gave Jito some instructions. It was nothing big, just some benefits that he became aware of after soul searching people. It wasn''t important enough for him to personally make a move so he delegated. After hearing how much he would gain, Jito agreed and ended the communication. Mmm. Having minions that can do things for you is convenient. I should create more. With how often he was forced into hiding recently, Viers needed eyes and ears in the outside world. After all, didn¡¯t those evil bosses usually have a long reach, with a multitude of strings to pull? Thinking about connections, Viers conjured white cards that were floating around him. These represented people with greater significance to Viers: Boram, Sakuya, Izabella, and lastly, Jessica. The card¡¯s both sides were blank white but Viers knew which was which for it was created using a special soul method. They aren''t minions per se, they are greater than that. Viers had big plans for them. Several months passed in an instant. In the middle of a hot summer, Farley¡¯s eyes slowly opened. Chapter 327 - You Cannot Hide From Me Viers was looking at Farley¡¯s sleeping face. After months of her soul adjusting to her new body, she would soon awaken. It feels like she has been gone for a long time. Come to think of it, she and I have known each other since Luxore town¡­ The town of beginnings for me. Viers closed his eyes, reminiscing about the past three years he¡¯d been in this world. *** The season of spring had come and gone. Viers was now 18 and he had the cultivation level of Level 3 high. Most people would have hailed Viers as a prodigy but Viers knew the limit of the sky was still far above and didn''t even feel the need to be big-headed about his current progress. Although, with how closely he guarded his secrets, almost no people knew about it anyway. Viers¡¯ social circle was very pathetic, almost saddening. He was still far from peak or Level 4 breakthrough but he focused on shoring up his other aspects. All the Nutra and resources he had were put to good use. Since Jessica¡¯s departure, while Viers stayed in Ebon Wall City, he remained hidden in the shadows. One day, he met a man, on the street leading to Ebon Wall, who was in bad shape. Viers decided to aid him since he sensed he was a fellow soul Pathseeker, weak and nothing overly special though. The man was thankful, and after Viers allowed the man to sense his soul affinity, the man opened up a little. ¡°The Coalition is a bad place for us soul users to be in right now. The Church is on a witch hunt for us, combing cities and towns in a very thorough manner. All because of some bastard named Tanael.¡± Viers almost laughed. Not all soul Pathseeker were bad. When the Church found them, if they didn''t do anything wrong, the Church wouldn¡¯t do anything to them. Therefore it was bad news only for the evil-aligned. For example, Viers the rogue, and a cultist like this man. Viers found out using his soul search. He even found out which cult the man was from. Green Scorpion Fajrin. I¡¯ve met your junior. The Church¡¯s search for Tanael overturned a lot of things, such as criminal organizations and hidden cult cells. Naturally, the Church purged all that they found. The Coalition was being cleansed with purifying fire. Its underworld was undergoing massive upheaval. The wounded man was escaping to another country and he wasn''t the only one. ¡°Curse that Tanael, whoever that is. We all suffered because of him.¡± Viers¡¯ alias was getting hate from the righteous and demonic Pathseekers alike. Viers and the man parted soon after, no scuffle between them. He guessed the trigger of the Church''s big action must be Ars¨¨ne¡¯s massive soul collection in the lands of the Coalition. After Ars¨¨ne managed to escape the Level 5 Inquisitor, the Church responded. Unfortunately, what they were chasing was only Viers¡¯ shadow. The man and the shadow were not even in the Coalition anymore. Plus, Viers had the ability to teleport, courtesy of Dia. If they don''t want to jail me or kill me, I¡¯ll feel bad for them. Almost. *** In another incident, during his monster hunt in the Carfax Peninsula, Viers encountered a unique monster. It was a blood-red bristle worm Rank 2 monster but its strength almost rivaled a Rank 3. Viers felt a strange connection with it so he investigated it out of curiosity. ¡°Heeh¡­ You¡¯re the Blood Worm from that time.¡± When Viers first landed on the Carfax Peninsula, he got attacked by a pack of Blood Worms, one of which managed to suck a lot of his blood. Viers¡¯ blood seemed to be triggering beneficial things. This Blood Worm was highly evolved and reasonably strong. Looking at the taken monster core in his hand, Viers saw the potential of his blood as a resource, other than for making good wine, like the one he gave to Jessica. Nutra came from the dead tree and the mysterious being, since my body housed the same Everlife Goldbloom Flower, can it serve as a similar cultivation booster? *** The bull-riding Level 5 didn''t want to give up. He kept searching Ebon Wall City for signs of Divine power. Either he felt humiliated or was simply a persistent person, Viers couldn''t say. At any rate, he was deploying more and more brazen searching methods, such as directly investigating the people that he thought could give him the answer. The one truly able to give him the answer was chilling inside the safety of a Biome. Such a blatant display of power was a challenge to the Level 5 responsible of this region; if one could act so disrespectfully in another¡¯s domain, it would undermine the authority of the head, Ebon Wall City¡¯s mayor Anderson''s boss. Another Level 5 battle occurred suddenly in the night, not unlike the one that injured Jessica¡¯s son. Later Viers heard it was a Latias Kingdom¡¯s Earl against the flying bull rider. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Viers came to this place to get away from Level 5s business. With their presence so strongly felt, Viers didn''t step a foot outside of his Biome. He wanted to observe how the situation would develop. For weeks, the Ebon Wall City¡¯s residents lived in terror. The earl didn''t really care for the citizens, he cared for his reputation. As the small folk suffered, they wished for salvation. Their prayer was answered. What the-? Freya!? Freya and her Level 5 mentor visited the small frontier city. The mentor displayed a show of strength that cowed the two Level 5s. It was very flashy as if loudly proclaiming the Silver Legion is here. It certainly assured the citizens. The mentor forcefully brought the two to the negotiation table, to talk about their differences. Viers didn''t know the specifics but it seemed to successfully de-escalate the situation. Freya also did her part, leading the restoration of the city. Looking at the one who defeated him, the past filled Viers with complex emotions. She was a Level 3 peak now. Ars¨¨ne didn''t dare to probe further out of caution but he sensed she was stronger than Viers. Welp, figures. Whether it was fate or coincidence, we met again in this big big world. What now? It didn''t take long for Viers to make a decision. Normally in this sort of situation, the protagonist would have a second confrontation with the major antagonist, probably over some sort of power-giving MacGuffin. Most likely something involving the Everlife GoldBloom Flower. The premise was certainly there. Viers sensed deeper mysteries in the center of the peninsula but didn''t go further. During the outing, he sensed many Rank 4 monsters and even more frightening presences deeper in. After he met with Abby and saw what she dredged up from the underground, Viers greatly suspected he would find more clues about the flower¡¯s mysterious origin. Viers instead decided to call it quits. He didn''t want to fight. He didn''t want to rush it and end up in the Valkut situation again. So long, Freya. Peace out. And thus, he bravely turned his tail and fled. *** Viers wondered what would the result be in Marakkus and Valkut if he ignored the main questline. In Valkut he might not have got a choice and had to go along for the ride as the place was sealed in a barrier but in the sin city, he chose to stay despite knowing there was a plot going on. Even if some thought it was foolish of him. However, he also got benefits by going into danger. In Marakkus, he got Boram and Izabella. In Valkut, stuff and experience. This time, by not acting, Viers also turned away potential gains. Perhaps things that might be lost permanently. Some chances might never come again, no matter how long the wait. With how fateful Freya was, perhaps she would gain the opportunity that he forewent. But that was his choice. With how abrupt and sudden his departure was, Viers had lost contact with Abby. The reason was the two were in different dimensions and they didn''t trust each other. Communication was difficult. Thankfully I already got a lot of Nutra in the aftermath of the Incursion. Her last contact was that she wanted handsome men. ¡°Pardon?¡± Viers said in a somewhat bewildered tone. ¡°You heard me. If you want more Nutra, bring me men. A woman has needs and you are not my type.¡± Viers was neither insulted in the slightest, nor thought less of Abby. She did have an adult form after the Incursion. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± If Abby wanted men he would get her men. As long as he got Nutra, Viers didn''t care. But then the Level 5s arrived, followed by Freya. Viers wasn''t able to fulfill her request in time. Most of the time he was in the Biome and when he tried to contact her, it failed. Must be because she closed the Dungeon. He figured the other side¡¯s communication attempts were the same. Viers left Ebon Wall City without telling Abby. He wondered how she was doing. He hoped she moved the Dungeon, Ebon Wall City was becoming unsafe. Thinking back, Viers got a large amount of Nutra quite easily. It was because Abby was in a crisis back then. A mad Rank 4 dragon was released inside her body. She didn''t fear a Level 5 from the outside but it was different if the threat was coming from the inside. Even though he lost access to the Dungeon, and thus the convenient System, Viers already traded Abby the things that he was capable of purchasing. Some were special items, some were rare techniques. His experience in the Dungeon also bore another fruit. With Ars¨¨ne¡¯s brain power combined, he managed to recreate the Dungeon¡¯s life force absorbing feature. He called his creation the Circle of Life formation. When something got wounded in the formation¡¯s radius, the formation could gather the loss of life force. Then it could be used by an individual or spread to the land to make it more prosperous. Some scholars did say mana is the same as life itself. Viers planned to create the formation in Dia¡¯s Biome, covering the place entirely. The wounded didn''t need to be human, all living things would do, including beasts and monsters. Once he had an entire ecosystem running, he would have a continuous supply of life force. What a beautiful, beautiful vision. Naaaaaants ingonyama bagithi Baba~ Viers recalled the original version of the movie, not the live action one. The old one was already perfect, in his opinion. Some things just didn''t need to be made less. As Farley stirred awake, Viers opened his eyes, focusing his mind on the task ahead. ¡°Good morning, Farley.¡± ¡°Hello, Lord Viers,¡± she smiled and tried to get up. ¡°I-¡± Viers extended his palm and Farley was forced to stay on the back once more. ¡°L-Lord?¡± Farley didn''t like the look of Viers¡¯ eyes. ¡°This will hurt, but bear with it.¡± Farley¡¯s heart skipped a jump and her mind was going places. Was it time? She always thought she was ready to give herself to Viers should he wish for it. Now that she had her flesh back, was it the time? ¡°...Un,¡± she gingerly nodded and closed her eyes. ¡°I-It¡¯s my first time but please do as you like.¡± Then the pain came. It was more than she could have ever imagined. ¡°Aaaaaaah! Wh-what?¡± Farley opened her eyes again. She and Viers were embroiled in green fire. She tried to move but Viers held her down. ¡°Bear with it.¡± What was Viers doing? The pain¡­ It was too much. With her sight blurry from the tears, she knew Viers was focusing on her face. More specifically, her right eye. ¡°My old enemy. You cannot hide from me, no matter what form you choose to wear. Let your true self be revealed¡­ Diablo!¡± Chapter 328 - Gift Giving Viers made sure Farley was the first to awaken and brought her to a specifically created place in the Biome for the exorcism. Faiya and Futon were instructed to stay put far away while Dia wielded her full authority as Biome Master, as contingencies. He¡¯d watched the fight of Paina, Farley, and Ciel against Mr. X multiple times. He dissected each scene like a surgeon at the operating table. The impalement of Farley¡¯s right eye stood out. In the aftermath of the battle, Viers gave them a thorough check but he didn''t find anything wrong about them. Yet he was convinced something was wrong. But weakened as he was, he was in no shape to take action. Therefore he bought time, putting them in hibernation as they were acclimating to the body. During this time, Viers would recover and make preparations. For this day, he embedded his own soul method inside Paina and Farley while they were sleeping bit by bit for the big day. Even though it was an exorcism, Viers did not employ the holy or Church¡¯s method, instead, he would be using his own soul method. He was afraid it would draw the gaze of angels and the like. Should he fail, only then he would give their method a try at a later date. Months of preparations resulted in this glade being filled with terrifying anti-demon measures. If things went south, it would serve as a containment facility. It would be in this place that Viers scour Farley¡¯s body and soul with a cleansing flame. Farley was suffering, but Viers could not afford to stop. He couldn''t take any chances since this was the handiwork of a Level 5, or worse. Now with a Grand Soul foundation, Viers finally felt something was off. Looks like there¡¯s some scheme after all! Viers made the green flames burn stronger, encompassing him and Farley. It wasn''t actually flames but it looked like them, a soul purification. Then something squirmed out from Farley¡¯s right eye. A thin black smoke like a long worm. ¡°Wh-what!? Hgggh¨C¡± Farley was the most shocked of the thing that emerged from her eye. On the other hand, Viers had expected this. ¡°Farley?¡± Farley¡¯s body started spasming, violently. Suddenly, she stopped. She became very still as if she were dead. Her eyes were both open but on her right, the black worm was still tethered. Viers jumped back in alarm the second he sensed a will was forming in the black worm. There was a gloom in the air. A sense of heaviness and foreboding. Of death and cold. Viers¡¯ vision was seeing doubles at times, of a terrifying and mysterious landscape, before returning to normal. The surroundings seemed to lose color as everything was plunged into desolate monochrome. To such changes, Viers was having goosebumps. The worm, eyeless and mouthless, seemed to look at Viers for a second before entering Farley¡¯s eye again, like a fish line being pulled. And then Farley raised her upper body. But Viers knew it wasn''t Farley. ¡°Who. Are. You?¡± Viers was in a battle stance, ready for a cataclysmic battle. He¡¯d prepared for this eventuality. That was why his preparation period was so long. The one inside Farley turned to him, deadpan expression, right eye burning with black fire. Slowly, Farley raised her hand. ¡°Wassup~¡± That reaction was so out of Viers¡¯ prediction he wasn''t able to respond. ¡°My oh my. Good job, kid. To think you found me out. Thumbs up!¡± Farley really gave him a thumbs up. She was all smiles and looking really happy. All that sense of foreboding and mystery disappeared completely. ¡°...I¡¯ll ask only once more. Who are you?¡± ¡°My illustrious self is Dumuzin,¡± Farley started reclining to the right side, propping up her head. ¡°Cool name, ain''t it? You might have heard of me. Nice to finally meet you properly, Viers Isuel.¡± ¡°Dumuzin,¡± Viers muttered under his breath. So it is the head honcho himself. ¡°Can''t say the feeling is mutual. What do you want?¡± Viers asked, trying to calm his body language and heart as much as he could. ¡°That¡¯s my line. What do you want? You¡¯re the one that called me out,¡± Dumuzin said in a light-hearted manner. ¡°I refuse to play games with you. A Level 5 was after me in Valkut, on your orders. Do you deny this?¡± ¡°Georgi acted on my command. That is true.¡± Georgi, so that¡¯s his name. ¡°After he failed, you possessed Farley. Tell me why?¡± ¡°Haaah,¡± Dumuzin sighed. ¡°I wish you can be more respectful towards your elders. I get it, otherworlder, you think everyone in the world is out to get you. Part of it is because of your origin, part because of your assets, but most of it is because of how you live your life.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Viers squinted his eyes a little after hearing the word otherworlder from Dumuzin but he stayed silent and listened. ¡°But we like living this way, eh? The power, freedom, no rules, not beholden to anything¡­ We are similar, you and I.¡± Dumuzin smiled fondly, with the face of Farley. ¡°I sense a kinship with you, so I want to be buddies. That¡¯s what I want, bro~¡± People of the Church, and the vast majority of the world, would find Dumuzin''s remark, to a mortal, absurd. ¡°A strange gesture of friendship by sending a hitman for your friend candidate,¡± Viers snorted. ¡°A friendly greeting is all. See, if you went with Georgi back then, I would have given you unlimited power by now. You might even be a Level 5 already. No harm done to you, honest. I cross my heart and hope to die¡­ But I cannot die though. Oh yeah, what have you been up to? I sort of lost contact with you after Valkut. Don''t know what adventures you have.¡± ¡°Am I supposed to buy this delusion?¡± Viers didn''t believe it one bit. ¡°Oh I know you won''t believe it so I sent Georgi. Although, Estelle¡¯s little pet distorted the way of things.¡± Just what is this demon saying? What is true, and what is false? ¡°But noooo~¡± Dumuzin stood up. ¡°You won''t accept unlimited power, my power, without being forced to. Wish you would, but nope. Too much skepticism. And, you certainly make yourself hard to find. The Path of Power is long and I can''t help but worry for you, bro. So this little thing I left inside my former devotee is meant to be a safeguard. Life insurance. For you. Freely given. No need to thank me.¡± Dumuzin shook his head. ¡°But you squandered it by calling me here. It¡¯s supposed to be undetectable but you¡¯ve grown better, hm? This makes me happy but boy¡­ I hope you can appreciate someone¡¯s effort a little bit more, bud.¡± ¡°Cut the bullshit and tell me what you want from me. What are your plans for Farley? You even sent a curse for the three of them.¡± Dumuzin walked around Viers as he talked. ¡°The curses, predictions more accurately, as you already know, is to drive the girls closer to you. To make them tie themselves to your chariot. You like the girl from the Church, right? So I included her in one package as a bonus. Oh, and those predictions are all true, by the way.¡± ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Viers didn''t let Farley¡¯s body out of his sight for a second. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°What I want is simple. I want you to be strong. I want you to thrive. I want you to have fun. It¡¯s like one of those Let¡¯s Play videos that you watched in your old world¡¯s yuu-tup. Watching a guy just doing his thing can be entertaining, right? Your personality charmed me.¡± ¡°Aaa! I know that look~ Hehehe, yeah. You¡¯re the kind of guy that doesn''t believe in¡­ what do you call it? Plot armor? Cause, it¡¯s too good to be true.¡° ¡°How much of my memories have you seen? I don''t like men spying in my head.¡± ¡°Don''t worry. It¡¯s just pieces from your time in Luxore. Nowadays, I can tell you with certainty that I can no longer follow your tracks. Be at ease. Aletro¡¯s protection is working as intended. You need to be in Hell for my sight to be able to focus on you.¡± Viers eyed Dumuzin with unmasked suspicions. ¡°If you want me to thrive, you certainly made an effort to cut down my growth. Injured me, wasted my arsenals, forced me hiding in this Biome,¡± Viers cut in. ¡°Don''t give me that. What doesn''t kill you makes you stronger, right? And I know you¡¯ve made the experience of defeat in Valkut into something useful. Steel needs to be tempered and hammered many times before becoming a sharp blade.¡± ¡°Is that supposed to make me feel better, Demon God Dumuzin?¡± ¡°Ahahahahaha!¡± Dumuzin laughed. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ve put me in a big dilemma here, Viers. There is this guy who is so allergic to power given freely; how do I give this guy juicy upgrades and all sorts of power-ups? Well, the answer is to give it with a fist of love.¡± Viers felt his face hit by an invisible punch. He was sent flying backward a few meters. ¡°My time is limited. Rather than wasting this opportunity, I¡¯ll use it to give you a special lecture in combat. Don''t worry, I won''t harm you or this host. After I¡¯m out of power, my true self won¡¯t know what happened because of your enclosure. All because of your extensive preparations, so don''t get in our way, little dryad.¡± ¡°Stop doing whatever you want!¡± Viers pulled out his sword and struck Dumuzin. ¡°Hey hey hey, you also want power so you can do what you want. I¡¯m more powerful than you so I can do what I want. If you don''t like it, then make me.¡± The thought of holding back because it was Farley¡¯s body didn''t even cross Viers¡¯ mind. His aura soared as he was preparing for a particularly soul-damaging Arte. However before he could use his Arte, Dumuzin used his first. ¡°Your control of soul arts can still use improvement. Observe,¡± Dumuzin exhibited his technique once more while Viers was picking himself up from the ground. ¡°Just by doing it this way the efficiency of all your soul Artes will rise by about 4%.¡± Arte - Vengeful Spirit. A ball of white was coming at Dumuzin in a straight line like a rocket. It had the power of destroying most Level 3s in one hit but Dumuzin flicked it to the side like an afterthought. ¡°Decent, but rough. This is how you should¡¯ve done it.¡± And Dumuzin replicated Viers¡¯ technique. His version clearly more powerful than Viers¡¯ ¡°Guuuh!?¡± The ball of white passed through Viers¡¯ gut and he fell down to his knees. He got raised up into the air by an invisible choke. Viers was a bit taken aback by Dumuzin¡¯s strength. He didn''t think he would be so outclassed. His host, Farley, wasn''t even a soul Pathseeker. ¡°Georgi soul searched the girl¡¯s mind during their fight so I know a bit of your skill set. You want to be better at soul-powered telekinesis, right? The way you¡¯ve done it till now is quite poor. You should make your Victa¡­¡± Viers made a square using his fingers, using it as an impromptu camera lens. Arte - Fatal Soulframe First Form: Horror! ¡°Splendid! But if you do this, the soul suction would improve drastically and become much more damaging.¡± Arte - Soul Hack! ¡°The entry to the soul is too overbearing. Make it more subtle by erasing your intent!¡± Arte - Speed Ghost Run! Viers tried to create some distance from Dumuzin after the beatdowns. Then he heard a voice coming from behind. ¡°Oh, new technique? Not bad, not bad. But if I cannot show superior skill, then it will tarnish my reputation as a Level 10. Show me what you got, my good friend!¡± Dumuzin hit him for real but it wasn''t done with malice. However, it was clear from anyone¡¯s point of view, including Viers himself, that he was getting toyed with. The battle, if it could be called that, went on for thirteen minutes and Viers was getting owned every second of it. ¡°Well, that''s more or less it. Time¡¯s up.¡± Dumuzin sat on Viers¡¯ back while he was lying face down on the ground after getting trashed. His body, soul, and ego were bruised, badly. ¡°One more thing, you¡¯re devising a way to turn souls into Victa as a replacement for the Church¡¯s Arte once it runs out, which is soon. Based on what I¡¯ve seen, you¡¯re almost there. If you¡¯re stuck at the final stage of development, this part from the Tome of Souls of Sultan Al-Zetel should do the trick.¡± Dumuzin sent pages of knowledge directly to Viers¡¯ head and he could do nothing to stop it. ¡°Time¡¯s up, Viers. I¡¯ll be going now. As long as you keep climbing to the top, we¡¯ll meet again, little friend. And before I forget. Sorry for borrowing your body, little Farley. I¡¯ve left a gift for you too. Don''t worry, I won''t hate you because you stopped praying to me. Take care, you two. Buh-bye~¡± Dumuzin¡¯s wisps of power winked out and the black fire on Farley¡¯s eye was extinguished. Farley fell down unconscious to the side while Viers hit the ground multiple times out of extreme vexation. Chapter 329 - Born Agains ¡°...She¡¯s clear,¡± Viers removed his hand from Paina¡¯s forehead. ¡°No sign of hidden possession or the like, as I expected¡­ Why are you two so far away?¡± After Farley, Viers naturally gave Paina a thorough medical checkup for soul malwares but as he suspected, there were none. Two people were behind him. Dia was acting like a child after messing up her important school test while Farley, in her new flesh, was looking like a criminal giving herself up to the authorities. Their mood was very gloomy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Dia said over and over again while sobbing. Faiya and Futon tried to console her. She felt responsible for Viers'' beatdown. Her kin was trusting her to defend him against entities like Dumuzin but as she explained earlier, despite his incomplete state the demon was able to paralyze her with intent alone. Viers knelt in front of her, enabling him to speak while looking into her eyes. ¡°Don''t blame yourself. Even though it was just a wisp of a will, something so small like a breath exhaled, it was still something that originated from a demon god¡­ He said Level 10, was it? Hmph. If he can''t do that much with that degree of strength, it would disappoint me instead.¡± ¡°B-but, Kin got hurt. A-and, and, uweeehh¡­ Kin lost,¡± Dia said in a cute teary-eyed manner. It wasn''t even on purpose. ¡°Bah. I¡¯ll be healed once I sleep it off.¡± Viers gave a tough-guy answer to make her feel better. He knew his wounds wouldn''t be so minor or so easy to heal if the demon had intended it. ¡°As for losing, I don''t mind it at all. So what if I lost a battle?¡± Not an hour had passed since his defeat, Viers had moved on from the bitterness of defeat. It was his trait as a person. ¡°Wallowing in defeat is meaningless,¡± Viers gave Dia a pat on the head. ¡°You too, Farley.¡± Farley¡¯s new body bore the characteristic of her old one. Using the gene from the Devawi Swan and a touch of blood alchemy, Viers created her body. And then her soul gave it shape, automatically changing to her original appearance as body and soul forged a connection. She had the body of her when she was 16 of age, the time that she lost her original body. Now the time that stopped for her would begin again. Farley was quite the pretty one before and even more so now. Her skin had the gloss of a child''s and became as soft as a baby''s. She could be said to be a half-human at this point. Her new heritage, the Devawi Swan, a being that was also called the dragon swan, gave her a touch of a bewitching beauty. Her body was still a human one, no tail or wings, save for a few snow-white feathers among her brown hair. The feathers grew in the area behind her ears, resembling a pair of wings. They gave Viers the impression that Farley wore the Valkyrie winged helmet minus the helmet. The young girl was currently standing with a downcast expression, slightly turning her head, as if hiding the right side of her face. Viers didn''t need to be a mind reader or a soul searcher to know she was in fear. Farley was well aware of her standing. She was basically Viers¡¯ slave. Her life was Viers¡¯. He could snuff it as easily as blowing a candle. Not to mention her vow of fealty to Viers. She had sworn her everything to Viers. And the slave had raised a hand against the master. It didn''t matter that it was done without her will. In fact, it showed she was a liability to Viers, who went to great lengths to safeguard his secrecy. The demon might possess her again. She was marked. Viers¡¯ approaching footsteps made her shake. She might meet her end here. Struggling was an exercise of futility; she was a Level 0 while Viers was a Level 3 high. She was a helpless, flightless bird before a wolf. ¡°Look at me.¡± Slowly, she did as Viers said. His gaze fell on her right eye. In contrast to the brown-colored left eye, the iris on her right eye was red. Not only that, there was a mystic sigil branded on her eye. Dumuzin gave her a Demon Eye. Her right eye would become a constant reminder of Viers¡¯ humiliation at the hands of Dumuzin, delivered by her own body no less. Looking at Viers face-to-face could be considered a dangerous provocation. Furthermore, with her Level reset, she wasn''t even able to examine what her right eye could do. Farley¡¯s brain was desperately seeking a way to salvage the situation. ¡°Lord Viers, I¡¯ll remove my right eye immediately!¡± ¡°Denied. Such a waste of a cool eye.¡± ¡°E-eh?¡± Farley was shocked. ¡°What? Do you think I¡¯ll lash out at you for Dummy¡¯s action? Do you think I¡¯m the kind of petty villain that kills their subordinates just to show how merciless they are? For real, Farley. You¡¯re supposed to be good at reading people.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Alright, based on his words I may be safe from emotion-induced repercussion but there¡¯s still the matter of the Demon Eye. Viers doesn''t tolerate security leaks and I¡¯m basically Dumuzin¡¯s pathway to him. This eye might allow Dumuzin to see what I see for all I know. I- ¡°Whoa there. Slow down, whatever that is going on inside your head¡­ To be honest, I was a bit torn about what I should do about you but I have examined you from top to bottom, inside and out. Believe me when I say there¡¯s no demonic infection on you.¡± ¡°But the eye-¡± ¡°Whatever it is, he gave it to you with no strings attached. It¡¯s not a spy thing for sure, no location transmitter either. I checked over and over. Now, tell me, did Dummy talk to you?¡± Farley knew she had to tell the truth. Viers¡¯ gaze felt like he was looking straight to the soul and that was indeed the case. ¡°...He told me to be mindful about the ¡®curse¡¯, I may call upon him if I need help, and the two of us are welcome in Hell.¡± ¡°Hmph. What a joke. You see what we''re dealing with here? Dummy¡¯s so¡­ human. Aren''t god-like beings like him supposed to be detached from the world, acting pompous and grand like, and speak in hidden meanings? He doesn''t show much dignity, you know? He¡¯s more like a bored ol¡¯ Joe but with the power of a superman. This supports my theory that the difference between gods and mortals is just the amount of power they have.¡± So that¡¯s why Lord Viers doesn''t seem to hold much reverence to gods, Farley thought. ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°No need to hide that eye from me. I won''t take offense. In fact, I¡¯m curious about what your Sharingan can do. But it stands out though. If you cannot turn your eye to normal after training, you might need to cover it in front of other people.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best, My Lord,¡± replied Farley, even though she had no idea what a Sharingan was. ¡°You still call me that? Well, putting all that aside, like Dia, I don''t blame you, ''cause I know you didn''t mean any of that to happen. Let the past be the past. Today¡¯s supposed to be a day of birthdays and celebrations. Come on, wipe that frown away from your face. You don''t want to welcome your sister with that, do you?¡± Viers¡¯ words made Farley relax a bit. She thought she would at least get a memory wipe though. Bosses didn''t like their subordinates seeing they got humiliated, in her experience. However, it seemed Viers didn''t really mind his defeat earlier. ¡°Mmmmmrggh¡­¡± Paina stretched her hand above her head. ¡°Mhwah, it sure felt like a months-long sleep. Hi you two, and you three cuties, good morn- Farley, is that you? OMG! You¡¯ve become so pretty! And that eye! Does my eye look like that too? ¡­Err, what¡¯s with you two? What did I miss?¡± ¡°Hm, hm,¡± Viers nodded twice. ¡°Some talk is in order.¡± *** ¡°Hweeh, more than half a year has truly passed by,¡± Paina sounded amazed. To her, she had been sailing the river of time in a cryo. ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot these past months.¡± Viers had been telling the abridged version of his adventures since Valkut while waiting for the others. ¡°So the matter of Farley¡¯s possession has been resolved? I don''t have one of that black snake thingy inside me?¡± ¡°Yes and yes,¡± Viers said. ¡°You can rest easy knowing there¡¯s no millennia-old demon spying on you or Farley.¡± ¡°Glad to hear it.¡± ¡°How¡¯s your body, Paina? Any complications?¡± Farley asked. ¡°Thanks for asking. It''s a bit weird having a body again after being a soul for so long¡­ Walking feels heavy and I feel¡­ hungry. Goddess, I had forgotten how it feels like.¡± ¡°You''ll have your meal soon enough. They- Ah. Looks like the two of them have awakened too. Let¡¯s give them a warm welcome.¡± When Gwen opened her eyes, her sister¡¯s face holding her hand was the first thing she saw. Her sister was a bit different than she remembered but she wouldn''t confuse her for someone else. ¡°Sis¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here. Welcome back, Gwen.¡± That wasn''t the only heartwarming scene. A few steps away, an egg hatched. A white not-gross larva emerged from her shell. Her eyes were not developed yet so she couldn''t see but she felt a connection with someone nearby. ¡°Happy birthday, Zerri,¡± Viers gave the newborn Xerg Queen a tickle on the neck. ¡°Uuu¡­¡± Paina held back her sniffle. ¡°How touching. Don''t you think so?¡± ¡°Fuu!¡± Futon in her arms gave a reply of acknowledgement. ¡°Alright everyone, let¡¯s have a feast!¡± Viers said. *** Inside his tree house, Viers had prepared a grand feast for the birthdays. There were twenty kinds of dishes, each passing Viers¡¯ rigorous taste selection. A merry revelry was currently ongoing. ¡°Mmmm~¡± Paina held her cheek. ¡°What a joy to be alive!¡± ¡°Gwen, this one is good, try it,¡± Farley put a few fish meat on her sister¡¯s plate. ¡°Mmm!¡± Gwen happily ate it. ¡°Ahahaha! Faiya turned blue!¡± Dia laughed at the blue fire elemental after eating an azure flame steak. ¡°Fuu! Fuu!¡± Futon bobbed around in joy. ¡°Eat, eat a lot, Caterpie. Become a Butterfree soon~¡± Viers smiled looking at Zerri happily eating her first ever meal in the real world. ¡°Umm, is it alright for me to be here?¡± A small girl demurely asked Viers. ¡°Of course, Luca. Look at all this stuff, we can''t eat them all. You¡¯ve got to help us. And bring back some to your parents later.¡± ¡°All right, big brother Avel. Thank you for the invitation.¡± Luca, the purple-haired girl with darkness 5 affinity, had been to Dia¡¯s Biome before. The little girl from a remote small village was surprised at Viers¡¯ sudden appearance but she was glad to see her brother figure and friends again. Dia and Gwen were also glad to see her again. ¡°Luca, how¡¯s your parents? Are they living well? Are they healthy?¡± ¡°Yes, they are. Thanks for asking, big sis Paina. Umm¡­ may I ask something?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very pretty. Are you a fairy?¡± Luca said. ¡°Awww, thanks. I guess I am.¡± ¡°Waaah¡± Luca clapped her hands. ¡°That¡¯s incredible!¡± ¡°Dia, Dia!¡± Gwen said to the dryad. ¡°I saw a flower field outside. Can you take me there later?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± When Futon floated above Zerri, she tried to take a bite but Futon flew away. She adorably tried to chase after the fleeing food. Futon hid behind the bulging Faiya, who grew big after all the food he wolfed down. The people around the table giggled at the hide-and-seek of the little ones. Laughter and smiles all around, the air was full of happiness. Looking at their faces, Viers¡¯ own smile widened. He had things to do and problems to solve, but for now, he¡¯d just enjoy the moment. Chapter 330 - Future Paths The festivities were in full swing and Viers wasn''t able to resist the artistic urge within him. He made a camera sign gesture with his hands. ¡°Hm?¡± Paina caught a glimpse of it in her peripheral vision. ¡°Whoa!¡± She ducked under the table. ¡°What are you doing!?¡± ¡°Taking a picture. Get back into the frame, Paina,¡± Viers said normally. ¡°You¡¯ve killed people with that!¡± ¡°This is the harmless version. I¡¯ve done it before, remember?¡± ¡°What is it, brother Avel?¡± Luca asked curiously. ¡°Nothing, get back to eating. You¡¯re photogenic that way.¡± ¡°O-okay?¡± Viers snapshotted the scene and pressed his hand on an empty canvas. He had a few stowed inside his inventory item for such occasions. The perfect replication appeared on the canvas as if modernly camera-printed. It was a trivial thing to achieve with Viers¡¯ soul mastery. ¡°Amazing!¡± Luca, Gwen, and the little ones were wowed. ¡°I¡¯ll give those who want it the smaller version later,¡± Viers grinned. *** Dia¡¯s Biome was a scene of serenity and verdant paradise. Instead of the sun, giant sunflowers illuminated the realm. Under the trees¡¯ shadow and above the grass carpet, the kids were playing. ¡°Gwen, take care not to fall!¡± Farley shouted. ¡°Yesss!¡± Farley had a feeling of satisfaction in her chest. Unlike before, her sister was flesh and blood. She now had a proper future as a living person. Luca and Gwen were of the same age, about ten years old; Dia in her default form was also the same. Now they were joined by Faiya and Futon, new playmates. Baby Tyra Zerg queen was asleep after eating a lot. While the children were playing, the grown-ups would be having a conversation of great import. ¡°I hope the food is to your liking. Have some tea,¡± Viers said while sitting. They were on the porch of the tree house, with the vista of the plant Biome unfurled in its full glory. The temperature was not too cold nor too hot, a bellyful of food, and spirited laughter of children from afar. The troubles of the world felt so far away. ¡°Thank you,¡± Farley said to the small creature carrying tea cups while taking one. ¡°So cute,¡± Paina was already smitten. ¡°I saw a couple of them during the feast too. What are they?¡± ¡°Helpers. I need more hands in this place so Dia and I created them. I call them Pukupuku.¡± Pukupukus were mushrooms with chubby bodies and stubby limbs. A bit bigger than dogs. They had no mouth but possessed eyes. Their caps had various colors and patterns to differentiate them. ¡°Heeeh~¡± Paina gently patted the Pukupuku. ¡°Who¡¯s a good boy?¡± The small lifeform raised its hand. ¡°Aa!¡± Paina gasped. ¡°So adorable¡­ They are not people you transformed, are they?¡± ¡°Dia created the body, naturally grown in the Biome. Using the research I have to create your bodies, I branched out. At first, they were no different from plants but I gave them souls. Animal souls with erased egos but animals can be trained, right? Pukupukus have basic intelligence for doing simple tasks such as cleaning or watering plants.¡± ¡°...Change the mushrooms with skeletons and you can create armies like the necromancers do,¡± Paina said. ¡°I suppose the reason Lord Viers didn''t is because he didn''t want rotting zombies to roam around in this nice place,¡± Farley elegantly sipped her tea. ¡°What a good tea, I can feel my Level is stirred. Paina, try it before it gets cold.¡± ¡°This place has changed a lot,¡± Paina said in melancholy after enjoying the tea. ¡°There are animals, a few buildings, improved Power Spots, ahh¡­ even wind exists.¡± ¡°Wind-generating trees, courtesy of Dia.¡± Viers pointed to the distance, there was a tree resembling a windmill there. ¡°All right, that¡¯s enough small talk. Let us touch on the heavier topic, shall we? Farley, Paina, congratulations on your recovery and revival.¡± Paina and Farley took a seat, on his left and right. ¡°Thank you, Lord Viers. We will never forget your generosity,¡± Farley humbly bowed. ¡°I too, offer my gratitude,¡± Paina mirrored the gesture. ¡°Speaking of recovery, Clarissa?¡± ¡°This was my promise to begin with but I¡¯ll accept the gratitude in the spirit it was given. As for Clarissa,¡± Viers shook his head. ¡°No changes I¡¯m afraid. She¡¯s still in a coma.¡± ¡°No,¡± Paina looked down. ¡°I¡¯ll-¡± ¡°We¡¯ll return to Clarissa¡¯s matter later. I promise. For now, I want to know your plans from here on,¡± Viers asked. ¡°As you are whole again, comes the freedom and burden of choosing your path forward in life.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Do we really have a choice? If I say I want to leave, would you let me go? Someone that knows your matters so closely?¡± Paina asked. ¡°I would. If a complete separation is what you wish, there¡¯s a bit of memory erasure about sensitive information involved plus a couple of Geas, but you¡¯ll be free to go on as you like¡­ Oh, and don''t take it the wrong way but I don''t mean to kick you out right at this moment because you¡¯re no longer tenants inside my head.¡± Viers pointed his finger at both of them. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°You have reset back to Level 0 but your body is way better than your previous one. With the maturity of your mind and the strength of your soul, you¡¯ll be able to reach Level 3 in just a couple of months according to my calculations. You can stay in the safety of the Biome until you feel comfortable with your power Level. I simply mean to ask what is your plan for the long term. What future do you envision for yourselves? I¡¯ve asked you both this in the aftermath of Valkut. I expect you two have given a serious amount of thought to your future.¡± It pleased Viers that their expression showed they had an answer prepared. ¡°I wish for Gwen to have a normal life,¡± Farley shot first. ¡°I wish her to have a home, friends, and not be plagued by the demons of her past. I don''t want her to be involved in the matter of cults and demons anymore.¡± ¡°Hm, hm,¡± Viers nodded. Farley¡¯s answer was among his expectations. ¡°And where do you plan that place be? Here?¡± ¡°Not to mean any offense to you, Lord Viers, but I believe this is not a suitable place for a peaceful living. It may look fine now, or even forever more, but considering the foes that you¡¯ll face in the future, my lord¡­ This boat is heading towards a raging river, I assume.¡± ¡°None taken,¡± Viers grinned. He planned to protect this little slice of paradise on earth but not even a Biome was a place of absolute safety. ¡°I believe a remote place like Luca¡¯s village or a big city under a peaceful ruler is an option. Must be outside of the Free People Coalition''s border, reducing the risk of our past becoming a problem. While searching for a suitable place, I mean to continue serving you. Once Gwen¡¯s livelihood is secure, my life is yours, as per our contract.¡± ¡°Putting aside the agreement between us that I already deemed fulfilled, I take it that you plan to continue our partnership?¡± ¡°Whether Gwen is in a remote village or a lawful city, strength is necessary. I learned from you that nowhere is truly safe. When some calamity comes, I have to be able to repel it, so I¡¯ll continue climbing the Path of Power.¡± Pacifists or followers of similar schools of thought might argue that by searching power you invited tragedy in turn. However, Viers opposed this idea vehemently. ¡°Under you, Lord Viers, I believe I can grow better rather than joining some House or School. This body of mine is the greatest proof of all. If Gwen wished to become a Pathseeker or not is her choice but it''s still five years away. As the older sibling, it¡¯s my responsibility to be able to protect her.¡± Farley¡¯s choice was almost similar to Jessica¡¯s but Viers approved of her choice more. ¡°In the short term, nothing will change. Please let me continue to serve you to the best of my capabilities. Although, I believe personal improvement will be the priority. As I am now, I can''t even support you on the front line. ¡°So I see¡­ Very well. How about you, Paina?¡± Paina, who Viers addressed, was looking at the faraway scenery with a contemplative look. ¡°This is a nice place.¡± A long pause. ¡°But it¡¯s built on suffering and death, isn''t it?¡± Paina turned to Viers. ¡°Paina¡­¡± ¡°No, Farley. Let me finish.¡± Farley¡¯s face was that of worry but she held her tongue. Viers too was silent, waiting for her next line. ¡°I¡¯m not judging you. I don''t have the qualifications for it¡­ I wish to create a place like this in the outside world, or at least help create it.¡± ¡°What do you mean to say?¡± Viers asked. ¡°We three are people without a home. You left yours to brave the challenges ahead. Farley lost hers except for her sister, and mine is ashes. We all want a home, a place to belong, but I don''t think mine is here.¡± ¡°I can tell you about how society works, you know. About how the masses work for the benefit of the privileged few. If you think even the most righteous-laden place like the so-called Holy City of Sephoria is not built with the blood and lives of others-¡± ¡°Wait, wait! The topic jumps too fast for me. I said I¡¯m not blaming you, did I?¡± Paina sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not that much of a fool, Viers. I know this world is not run in smiles and rainbows. It¡¯s just that I want to help people, Viers. It¡¯s¡­ my calling, I suppose.¡± Viers felt Paina¡¯s sincerity. ¡°So basically you hate my guts so much that you can''t bear to stay in the same country as me, is that right?¡± Viers said jokingly. ¡°Kkhh!¡± Paina grimaced. ¡°Why do you have to say it that way? And it¡¯s not like that at all!¡± ¡°So you want to leave,¡± Farley said in a dejected tone. She wished her friend wouldn''t. ¡°Where do you plan to go?¡± ¡°That I do not know yet¡­ I was thinking about having a journey like Viers. To see the world with my own eyes and walk ten thousand steps with my own feet. Perhaps somewhere along the way, I¡¯ll find a place that I can call home.¡± ¡°Will you enter a House or a School then?¡± Farley asked. ¡°If she really wants to do good, then she¡¯d most probably end up joining the Church,¡± Viers answered. ¡°I would be lying if that didn''t cross my mind,¡± Paina was being honest. ¡°Rose did invite me.¡± ¡°So we¡¯ll be enemies then,¡± Viers still wore a smile. It wasn''t sinister or the like. It was just a simple smile that people had when they were in the middle of a pleasant conversation. ¡°Don''t be ridiculous. I¡¯m not fighting you. Ever. I do not want to suffer the fate of your enemies.¡± Viers applauded her wisdom. ¡°It¡¯s not decided yet anyway. It¡¯s still far, far in the future,¡± Paina leaned back on her chair. ¡°With the fact that you have ties with one of their enemies,¡± Farley said. ¡°Even if you don''t want to, the Church might force you to take action against us.¡± ¡°Well they don''t have to know, right? I can join as someone else, just like Viers and his other identities. I am willing to swear an Oath of never fighting you or acting malicious towards you right now so don''t get ideas about killing me right now to remove future enemies, alright?¡± Viers was pleasantly surprised Paina thought that of him. He wasn''t going to but it felt good to be praised. The silence that followed made Paina more worried by the second. Viers decided he had enough fun and assured her. ¡°I did say you both are free to go if that is what you want. I¡¯m not about to go back on my promise. You can go, Paina, with my well wishes. Shall we discuss the terms of your resignation?¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Paina stood up. ¡°I never said I¡¯m going to leave today or tomorrow. I want to stay here for the time being!¡± ¡°Hoh?¡± Viers raised both eyebrows. ¡°Weren¡¯t you sick of seeing my face and couldn''t wait to leave this place as soon as possible?¡± ¡°I never said that! I said I¡¯m not able to agree with you, but that doesn¡¯t mean I hate you. I just want to save people, help people, protect people. There¡¯s no need for us to be at odds. The world is so large; it¡¯s definitely possible.¡± Paina didn''t hate Viers and Viers didn''t resent Paina for her choice. Even though they had their differences, they didn''t simply become enemies. They both had that degree of emotional maturity. In a way, it is refreshing. In some Fables, it was either enemy or ally. Paina¡¯s in the gray, huh? ¡°I can''t leave while Clarissa is still unconscious. I want to support you in your endeavor to heal her. Also, I can''t go on a journey as a Level 0. Let me stay here and grow for the time being. Even I know this place offers much greater opportunities than joining some organization as a new recruit. The cultivation resources are so much richer here.¡± ¡°And why should I give support to someone who will stand to oppose me in the future?¡± Viers was curious. ¡°I¡¯m not your enemy. I don''t want to become your enemy. Anyway, supporting me will give you benefits as well.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Suppose I save people thanks to the power you''ve helped me to obtain, won''t you get good karma as well? I think you will, thinking back when you explained karma to me. I¡¯m going to give you lots and lots of good karma to offset your bad ones. Ah, but try to not make too much bad karma, okay? Or it will be useless no matter how much good karma I send your way.¡± ¡°Bwahahahahaha! Dwhahahahaha!¡± Viers broke out a hearty laugh, loudly, joyously. It was like he¡¯d heard something truly amusing. Farley was looking at Paina, speechless. ¡°W-w-why do you laugh? I¡¯m being very serious here!¡± Viers never thought Paina to be quite the negotiator. It was a stroke of genius on her part. She had given him a truly interesting proposal. Chapter 331 - Employee Benefits Viers¡¯ understanding of karma was very basic: do good and you will receive good in turn, do bad and something bad will happen to you eventually. On Earth, it wasn''t an entirely oriental philosophy. The western world had a similar saying: you reap what you sow. In the Chinese power-fantasy Fables that Viers loved so much, karma was a powerful force that some cultivators used with devastating effects. It would be a lie to say Viers wasn''t concerned about karma since he was climbing the Path of Power using evil deeds. However, the power-obsessed, dark Viers¡¯ aim -instead of turning a new leaf and returning to the light- was to become so strong that the bad karma didn''t matter. This approach to bad karma was unique and he had no example to lean on since most of the Fables¡¯ MCs were good heroes. Nevertheless, this was the path that he chose. When Paina gave her proposal, Viers was intrigued. Could she even share her good karma in the first place? Was there some sort of world rule about it? Then again, if someone did good because of another¡¯s contribution, wasn''t it a valid good karma? Viers felt Paina¡¯s idea had merit. He did not fear bad karma but he wouldn''t say no to good karma coming his way because it should bring nothing but benefit. In the first place, what did Viers have to lose? He had lots of surplus resources that he couldn''t use directly just sitting in his warehouse. Meanwhile, Paina and Farley needed it. By sharing some of that wealth away, he would gain their services. ¡°I want 70% of your good karma!¡± Viers opened a price. ¡°So high! Are you trying to scam me? 20!¡± Paina countered. The two haggled the deal about something they didn''t truly understand. How would the karma be shared in the first place? It might be a pointless agreement but they still went through with it anyway. After a period of heated haggling like people had in a vegetable market, they went with 60-40. 60 for Paina, since she would be the one doing the work. The deal would last for a century or until either side¡¯s demise. ¡°So, we¡¯ve reached an accord?¡± Viers extended his hand. ¡°Yes, we have,¡± Paina received it, giving it a firm shake. Viers would put it on paper later; the official contract would be sealed with the blood and soul of both parties. After that, it was out of their hands. Let the powers that be deal with the next part. Viers had killed heroes that would only want to do good before, so why did he let Paina off the hook? Because they were potential enemies! Paina wasn''t. Viers knew the girl inside and out. Her naked soul told Viers she didn''t want to be his enemy. Besides, he had no intention of stopping his climb to ultimate power. If in the future, there exists a possibility that he would lose to Paina, then it would be because he was slacking in his power-raising. Should that truly happen, then his death would be well-deserved. Such was Viers¡¯ mentality. ¡°I¡¯m glad,¡± Farley placed a hand on her heart and sighed in relief. ¡°Then we¡¯re together again.¡± ¡°Not until Clarissa¡¯s back with us,¡± Viers said. ¡°Paina¡¯s guessed it, my next focus is to rouse her from her sleep.¡± ¡°And we¡¯ll be doing that together,¡± Paina chimed in. ¡°Well, there¡¯s also the matter of the curse.¡± ¡°Dummy¡¯s curse delivered by Georgi¡­¡± Viers hummed. ¡°Are you still worried about that?¡± ¡°Lord Viers, that naming is a bit-¡± Farley was very worried about Viers¡¯ way of addressing Dumuzin but Viers ignored her. ¡°It sticks in my mind, despite my best effort to ignore it,¡± Paina replied. ¡°And ours seemed to be on track in coming true splendidly¡­¡± ¡°Farley¡¯s exact words are: No matter how far you go, the shadow of the wolf will never cease to loom over you. In the end, the past will take its due. To your horror, your loved kin will tread a similar path. Her journey will end in fire and darkness.¡± Hearing the words again from Viers¡¯ mouth made Farley uncomfortable. In her mother¡¯s prophecy, her mother depicted Viers as a wolf. She feared the most about Gwen. ¡°Everyone will have tribulations in their life. This is Gwen¡¯s. We might not be able to stop it but we can help her go through it. Your support will be vital.¡± ¡°I understand, Lord Viers,¡± Farley said determinedly. ¡°Mmm,¡± Viers gave a nod. ¡°Paina¡¯s are: You¡¯ll have wings. With them, you¡¯ll escape the bog of the ordinary and soar far and wide into the blue sky. Until the wind of freedom carries you too close to the sun. Your wings will turn to ash and you¡¯ll fall to the earth. What remains of you will be fought over by dogs.¡± Viers stared at Paina. More accurately, the thing that emerged from Paina¡¯s back. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Translucent fairy wings. Her body was that of a fae. The rest of her body was the same as her human one, save for the minor improvements in beauty. Her ears didn''t become pointed and her hair color didn''t change but blemishes and scars were gone, skin and hair became more glossy, those kinds of improvements. Farley had roughly the same rebirth effect, but instead of fairy wings, she had a dash of hair feathers. The two had taken a few steps up in the beauty ladder but their beauty didn''t look artificial like plastic surgery. ¡°By the way, can you fly with those?¡± Viers wondered. ¡°I can only flap them for now, but back on topic. I¡¯m pretty sure the wind of freedom here signifies you. Wasn''t exactly hard to associate.¡± ¡°Just so. Basically what Dummy¡¯s saying is you¡¯re gonna die, ain¡¯t it? Well, so what? Everyone will die eventually. What¡¯s important is the life you lived before your death.¡± ¡°I agree with Lord Viers.¡± ¡°No argument from me,¡± Paina added. ¡°So it comes down to the matter of what you need for a good life. This you must determine yourself but, whether to protect the ones you love or save the ones in need, you¡¯ll need to have sufficient power. That¡¯s where I can help.¡± Viers pulled out two items from his Thousand Treasures Casket, a thick tome and an old scroll. He gave the tome to Paina and the scroll to Farley. The two items had the markings of unordinary objects. ¡°These are the Profound Codex that I think are most suitable for the two of you.¡± ¡°Give and You Shall Receive?¡± Paina read hers. ¡°Moonreacher Chronicle¡­¡± Farley muttered in a small voice. Give and You Shall Receive was the Profound Codex of Fire Sage Barakal, once a saint of the Estellian Church. Viers obtained it in Valkut after tailing and destroying Max before taking it for himself along with the Twilight Fire. Even without the fire, the Profound Codex was 100% usable. ¡°The way to master that Codex is by doing good deeds to others. Since that is your chosen career, it¡¯s perfect for you.¡± But Viers¡¯ words seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. Paina was too engrossed reading the contents. Viers chuckled and didn¡¯t blame her. The Codex should be amongst the Church¡¯s top tier. With such a powerful Level 5 Codex, Paina¡¯s future was very bright. ¡°Paina¡¯s Codex is a universal one, meaning everyone can use it. Yours, however, can only be used by very specific individuals. Your Devawi Swan bloodline is a match made in heaven.¡± This Profound Codex Viers got from an ordinary man, one among thousands that got the unfortunate fate of encountering Viers in his life. The Codex was gathering dust in the man¡¯s possession, thinking it was a broken Codex since it was unusable, a very common story. It was a very big disappointment since he got it from a promising ruin buried in the sands of Zetel. After the Codex changed hands, Viers managed to deduce its true worth. The value was not less than Paina''s Codex. Farley had never laid eyes on such valuable Profound Codices but Viers gave them so easily. ¡°T-this is¡­ Such¡­ T-too valuable¡­¡± Farley stuttered. ¡°If you both chose to go away, I won''t give such high-leveled Codices. I¡¯ll give you lesser ones. But you stayed. Consider these employee benefits. Viers Corporation treats their staff right.¡± Viers gave them a moment until they got their bearings. Farley recovered first. ¡°Ehem,¡± Farley coughed politely. ¡°I¡¯ll strive to answer your expectations of me.¡± ¡°In the repository, I have other Codices. If you feel you are more suitable using another Codex, you can do so. Weapons and Artes are similarly available for pickings. You¡¯re currently at character reset. If you want to change your fighting style or whatever, now¡¯s the time. Take your time thinking things through. Both of you are still water affinity though, but water 5. The path to Level 5 is clear. The rest is up to your efforts. Hear that, Paina?¡± ¡°Mmm,¡± she nodded. ¡°Thank you¡­ for all of this.¡± ¡°Power¡­¡± Farley cupped her demonic right eye with her hand. Her lips quivered in hesitation but she gathered the courage to ask. ¡°Lord Viers, should I make use of this eye?¡± ¡°I believe there¡¯s no danger. Dummy¡¯s influence is gone from you. What¡¯s left is a mutation in the eye. Unraveling its mystery is up to you. Now you might be wondering, if Dumuzin truly means to hide something, can I detect it? If it¡¯s done directly by the hands of the man himself then that¡¯s without a doubt, but it¡¯s done by proxy. The true Dummy is in Hell far far away. It¡¯s within my capabilities to detect any soul and demonic maliciousness in you.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Farley had a weight lifted from her heart. ¡°The wisp of a will of his without an ounce of power handled me like a child, using all skill and no power. His capabilities are real, at the very least. During the fight, despite the beating he gave me, he also gave me a lesson. I¡¯m not too proud of a man to admit he gave me good pointers, or learn from my enemy. My head is full of ideas about improvements. Mysterious intentions aside, he seemed to be serious about wanting me to be stronger. At any rate, I don''t care what he wants. In time, I¡¯ll make him regret messing with me. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll carefully make use of this eye, just like handling a sharp spear. Dangerous, but can be deadly in the right hand.¡± ¡°Very good. That being said, he is a Level 10. It is wholly arrogant of me to be certain what Dummy can or cannot do. It can lead to disastrous outcomes,¡± Viers said with a serious face. Just like a certain Star Constellation''s plot splendidly got blown up by Heaven Refining. ¡°As such, let¡¯s visit an expert in the future for a second opinion. Perhaps a Level 5 Church exorcist? Level 4 might be inadequate¡­ But there¡¯s no need to rush. In the near future, there¡¯s no danger. We¡¯ll make ample preparations.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Farley was filled with assurance from Viers¡¯ words. ¡°Our matters are settled. May I hear what you plan to do about Clarissa?¡± Paina asked. ¡°I¡¯ve been gathering information. There are a few Power Spots with soul-healing properties that I plan to visit. Because the Coalition is chaotic right now, we¡¯ll start in the land of Latias Kingdom. The most promising site is a bit problematic to get into but we¡¯ll see how it goes.¡± ¡°The FPC is chaotic? It doesn''t have anything to do with you, does it?¡± Paina asked suspiciously. ¡°Hahaha¨C!¡± Viers put a hand behind his head. ¡°You¡¯re making me blush.¡± ¡°It wasn''t a compliment¡­¡± Paina grumbled under her breath. ¡°What¡¯s our next move, Lord?¡± ¡°Before roaming a foreign land, I¡¯ll fetch Boram. It¡¯s time to see the fruits of his training. Also¡­ Hm?¡± Viers felt something odd and took out a white card from his pocket. It was pulsing. ¡°That card¡­¡± Farley and Paina recognized it. Viers had given a white card to others several times before. ¡°Well, well¡­ Looks like something¡¯s happened to Boram. Such a coincidence means it¡¯s not a coincidence at all. Seems like Fate is telling me it¡¯s time to act. So be it.¡± Chapter 332 - One-Punch Kid ¡°Oh dear, the kids are dirty from playing in the riverbanks. Can you bring them to the bath? There¡¯s also a hot spring Power Spot. It¡¯s a must-try,¡± Viers said. ¡°Uhh, shouldn''t you hurry? Isn''t Boram in danger?¡± Paina asked the unworried Viers. ¡°The teleportation portal is priming. Can''t go to where Boram is before it¡¯s ready. Besides, I believe he can hold on.¡± ¡°On what basis, Lord Viers?¡± ¡°Belief. Just that.¡± Viers geared up for the sortie, although he didn''t need to do anything special so it was over in a short time. His inventory items were always filled with travel supplies. His condition was perfect. His wounds from Georgi and Dumuzin were already healed. Fetching Boram, in trouble or not, didn''t matter. After the bath, Viers sent Luca home, with gifts for her parents and baby brother. ¡°You three, come.¡± With Viers¡¯ call, the three familiars went into the small pocket dimension in his three badges. ¡°Guess we''re house-sitting for the time being.¡± ¡°The way we are now, it¡¯s a natural choice, Paina,¡± Farley said calmly. ¡°I get it¡­ Pity. I kind of miss the convenience of Viers Channel,¡± Paina wished to go as well. ¡°Me too. Just a tiny bit. Lord Viers, may fortune be with you,¡± Farley gave a light bow. ¡°With you,¡± Gwen also mimicked her sister. Viers was playing with a stone with a rune symbol on it with one hand, and Boram¡¯s card on another. He was constantly monitoring Boram''s condition. He wasn''t dead yet. Disguise, ok. Insignificant Fate, ok. Mystic Star Shroud, ok. Status, all green. ¡°I¡¯m off.¡± *** Surrounding a formation of rock resembling the stonehenge there was a gathering of people. ¡°Let me through! Let me through!¡± A girl forced her way in. She seemed to come here in a hurry as her breath was ragged. ¡°Elder Hoseb, and other elders too, what is the meaning of this!?¡± ¡°Fio, huh?¡± A man that looked like a muscular, bearded, big shot, answered after glancing at the girl. ¡°This doesn''t concern you.¡± ¡°The condition of the Sand Atlas is strange. Something happened in the trial. Is that your doing!?¡± ¡°Peh! An outsider half-blood isn''t worthy to enter the trial anyway.¡± A youth, who seemed to be quite handsome but he had many bandages and a few missing teeth, said. ¡°Roseb¡­¡± Fio scowled. By the name¡¯s similarity, it implied the youth had a connection to the number one elder. ¡°So you¡¯re the snitch. Boram beat you fair and square thus gaining the qualification to enter the trial. You¡¯re just being a sore loser!¡± ¡°Hmph! I didn''t lose to that kid! You think that half-blood is so much better than me, huh? Well, let''s see how he exits the hellish Earth Diamond Crevasse!¡± Fio looked horrified. ¡°Wha-!? You changed the trial? No one below Level 3 has ever cleared it!¡± ¡°If that half-blood midget is truly worthy, then he should be able to pass the Crevasse, right, Grandpa?¡± Roseb said with a heavy schadenfreude. ¡°No way¡­ Boram¡­¡± Fio¡¯s heart sank; she feared for Boram¡¯s life. Even if she called the village chief to stop the elders¡¯ tampering, it would be too late. Because Roseb laughed, the others also laughed. The crowd was the clique of Elder Hoseb, she had no allies here. ¡°I see, I see. I understand the gist of it. Girl, how about you take a seat here? You look like you¡¯re about to pass out.¡± A hooded man patted the empty space of the stone beside him. Fio felt strange, how could one of Hoseb¡¯s people show any concern for her? She tried to discern the identity¡­ but she didn''t recognize him. The man should be less than twenty so he should be about three years older than her. He had no intimidating aura or something extraordinary. He was like a regular guy, not even a Pathseeker. Fio knew every resident on this island so he must be an outsider. The strange thing was, it was as if the crowd didn''t even realize the man was there, even though he was sitting among them in broad daylight. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re quite concerned about Boram, hm? Don''t worry, he¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­!¡± Fio saw the pulsing white card that the stranger was holding. She had seen it before. Boram had the same thing. He said he got it from his master. Fio¡¯s brain connected the dots rather easily. ¡°You¡¯re Boram¡¯s master, right?¡± Fio said in a whisper so the others couldn¡¯t hear her. ¡°Please, can you help Boram?¡± ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s a tad difficult entering a sealed space after it has been closed, you see,¡± Viers made a difficult face. ¡°Please¡­¡± Fio said with teary eyes, ¡°Can you do something?¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Don''t worry,¡± Viers gave Fio a head pat. ¡°I believe in my disciple. You should too.¡± While Fio was still processing what Viers said, a magical portal appeared in the rock formation. Everyone had a surprised expression. Unbelievable was written on their faces, including Fio¡¯s and Elder Hoseb¡¯s. There was a single exception, one who simply smiled. Boram walked out slowly from the portal, battered and bloody. The visage of a warrior that had survived a calamitous battlefield and returned. The kid slave that Viers bought one-and-a-half years ago still looked the same as before, not growing even an inch taller. Still, the boy had changed. Boram took a moment to observe the unexpected gallery in front of him. He found some hostile faces, Roseb, and his followers. Just local bullies, nothing worth mentioning. ¡°Boram!¡± Fio rushed in and embraced Boram in her arms. One was sixteen and the other looked ten years old. They look like siblings rather than good friends. ¡°Fio¡­¡± Boram said slowly. His voice was filled with tiredness but mixed with gladness. ¡°Your clothes will get dirty¡­¡± ¡°Stupid! Don''t worry about things like that!¡± Fio said while shedding tears of happiness. ¡°Fio¡­ I did it.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± Fio¡¯s emotion was overflowing. ¡°You really did it!¡± But one among the crowd was trembling with rage. Complex emotion seethed from his heart; in his mind, the memory of defeat at the hands of Boram in a duel. Without thinking, Roseb attacked Boram. It was a single Ruby Shot, but its power was thrice that of a cannon. Boram moved swiftly, in concern for Fio¡¯s safety, who wasn''t a Pathseeker. He shielded Fio with his body without a second thought. As the Arte hit his body, the rock shattered with a loud sound. ¡°I-Impossible,¡± Roseb said with a trembling voice. Boram was completely uninjured from that, from a Level 3 Arte, so what manner of enemies had he fought and bested in the trial? Roseb got slapped to the ground by his grandfather. ¡°Foolish grandson! What if she got hurt?¡± Elder Hoseb scolded harshly. And then, the hooded Viers leisurely walked in front of Boram, disregarding the onlooking crowd. ¡°You took that Arte like a chad,¡± Viers lowered his hood and so revealed his face. ¡°You¡¯ve really grown, my boy. Marvelous.¡± ¡°Master¡­?¡± ¡°Long time no see,¡± Viers smiled and extended a hand. He made a stance to receive a punch, like a boxer and his trainer in a spar. ¡°Now hit me with all you¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Here and now, show these small-minded naysayers what you really got. What that small fry could not bring out of you.¡± ¡°Wha-!?¡± A man in the crowd took offense. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are?¡± ¡°Wait, in the first place, who¡¯s he?¡± ¡°Boram called him ¡®Master¡¯. Is he an outsider?¡± Viers and Boram tuned out the noise from the gallery. ¡°But¡­¡± Boram hesitated, giving a glance in the four elders¡¯ direction. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Even if you pass out afterward, don''t mind. I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± Viers¡¯ smile instilled confidence in Boram, not that he ever doubted his master in the first place. He was a male after all. He had grown stronger since his separation from Viers. As his strength grew, the question appeared more and more often in his mind. How much wider is the distance between me and Master? Had it shrunk? Or had it grown bigger? Boram was dying to know. His fighting spirit burned. ¡°Fio, excuse me a bit, okay?¡± Boram gently moved Fio away from his embrace before heightening his concentration. The face he made was very mismatched with his kid''s appearance. As he molded his Arte, the amount of Victa he emitted was astounding, making the crowd react with gasps of surprise and dread. Boram¡¯s forte was his physical attack. Viers made him to be a shell-breaker. Someone that broke steel and smashed shields. To be a bane of all the enemies that Viers himself had a poor affinity with, such as metal golems. Whether Artes and Profound Codex, Viers put much consideration into Boram¡¯s ¡®build¡¯. And now, the tiger cub seemed to have grown to be a proud young tiger. Facing down the current Boram made Viers feel like he was standing in front of the main gun of a warship. Viers wondered how far Boram would go. Could he become something as fearsome as Saitama? Perhaps taking Boram¡¯s full-powered fist was a bit reckless after all, but he got some pride as a teacher too. So it¡¯s on. Victa gathered in Boram¡¯s right arm and muscles bulged up. The hazy visage of a craggy-skinned giant, muscular and fierce looking appeared behind Boram. It had some resemblance with one of the Ni¨­ statues, guardians of the Buddha. Boram was too focused on Viers to notice it but it was clear as day from Viers¡¯ standpoint. Fio¡¯s heart-stirring face of a maiden falling in love. Heeeh¡­ So it''s like that, huh? Viers and Boram were putting on a show, but such a display of power was interesting. Most of the people here were Pathseekers; it was impossible for them to not be concerned about power. Therefore, none of the galleries made an effort to stop it. Curiosity was a powerful motivator. ¡°Master¡­¡± Boram said after a few seconds of charging. ¡°I¡¯ll begin.¡± Against Boram¡¯s strike, Viers wouldn''t take it with no guard. Not unless he got a death wish. Unreality Field alone was not enough as Boram incorporated his own into the attack. Viers did not exude his Victa outward like Boram, nor did he create some impressive phantom behind him. ¡°Hou¡­¡± Elder Hoseb let out a breath from his mouth. He was one of the few that understood what Viers was doing. Boram didn''t understand, but as the one facing Viers, he felt a sense of vastness. He didn''t feel like he was facing a human. It felt like¡­ Like facing the sea. ¡°Come!¡± Viers shouted. Boram moved with the signal. His preparation, form, and fist were as perfect as he was able to make them. Viers witnessed it in slow motion as his brain was juiced with endorphins and magic. The intensity of a giant¡¯s fist falling down on him. The power! The pressure! For a split second there, he felt like his legs would move on their own out of reflex. Yet, he stood firm. The reason was that he had braced something similar or greater. In the Tower of Doom at Valkut, or against the rampaging dragon, he took it. Boram¡¯s fist landed on the open palm of his master. A shockwave cut through the air, passing the spectators around the pair, like a blade of wind. Fio had already moved farther away as she would not be able to withstand the implication of standing too close. She and the spectators were given one heck of a show. Their eyes saw it. Their feet felt it. Their ears heard it. The sensation of something massive struck the ground as if there was a falling meteor. That was Boram¡¯s best. When the dust faded, Boram had fallen unconscious and Viers propped him up so he didn''t fall to the ground. His right hand was minorly injured. ¡°Most impressive, kid.¡± Viers¡¯ praise wasn''t heard by the recipient but it definitely reached his soul. The crowd was spelled with silence. Normally they would applaud according to their instinct but Boram was a shunned figure so they refrained. The elders themselves were as silent as a grave, waiting for their leader¡¯s instruction on how to act. But to their surprise, Elder Hoseb suddenly looked to the sacred mountain and before long, they knew it too. Earthquakes came as the mountain trembled. They had a laughter-like rhythm. ¡°Lord Titan¡¯s approval!? Impossible!¡± Elder Hoseb looked like he¡¯d seen a ghost. Chapter 333 - The Shimmering Goodbye It¡¯s above my expectations. Viers happily thought despite the piercing pain in his hand. His bloodline seemed to have successfully awakened. He didn''t know what kind of adventure his disciple went through but the result was very satisfactory. The way he saw it, Boram¡¯s base stats had been greatly improved and there was that apparition from before. Was it Boram¡¯s ancestor or Boram himself in the future? Viers was reminded of the iconic scene where Genos and Saitama first sparred. What he experienced was a bit similar. Although, Boram lacked the absolute strength Saitama showed. With the right training and if the stars aligned, perhaps Boram would really reach that height. Viers was happy with the result but hoped when he became an evil overlord in the future, Boram wouldn''t time-travel to the past and bonk him in the face. Individuals could have powerful abilities based on their ancestry; such things were categorized as the bloodline ability. There were those that had it naturally like Boram, and there were those that gained it through other means like Paina and Farley. A powerful bloodline could become a great boon in the Path of Power. Guess I¡¯m the only one who doesn''t have a bloodline? Well, there¡¯s no helping it. My parents are normal humans after all. Wait a minute¡­ Isn''t my monster transformation kind of resembling bloodline ability? Is it actually one? The rumbling of the mountain interrupted Viers¡¯ train of thought. The peanut gallery was in quite an uproar. Boram seemed to have triggered an omen. It was quite the common trope in the xianxia genre. Based on their reaction, it was a major one. As if his kid got an award after winning a competition, Viers¡¯ pride also swelled. Not that he ever had a child in the first place. In this world or the old. Welp, the job¡¯s done. Time to get out of here. The question was how? He was surrounded by a lot of people after all. Walking out as if he was on a stroll was Viers¡¯ how. Of course, he didn¡¯t go unnoticed. Rather, anyone that had eyes wouldn''t be able to miss him. ¡°Stranger, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°Going in and out without permission in someone else¡¯s land is a rather rude act, wouldn''t you agree?¡± ¡°There are a lot of things we want to talk about.¡± Except for Elder Hoseb, all the remaining three elders barred Viers¡¯ way. Viers knew why they were pissed. They felt their wealth was taken from them. Imagine if there were a gold mine in one¡¯s own backyard but then someone else mined it. The situation was like that. This island had a lot of Giant race¡¯s marks, according to the information that Viers got. Since these people had Giant¡¯s bloodline in their veins, they should be distant relatives to Boram but like in many places, outsiders were not welcomed. A Pathseeker¡¯s journey was a journey of resources, about what they could gain from the world. The thing was, resources were limited. One man¡¯s gain meant another¡¯s loss. For example, if someone else gained the Everlife Goldbloom Flower before Viers did, Viers¡¯ journey would be far different. Whatever that Boram did, the trials he passed or the inheritance he inherited, he had eaten a meal that these indigenous people believed rightfully theirs. It made sense to Viers and they weren''t wrong. If he was in their shoes, Viers would be angry too. Only, the big bad Viers didn''t care. Niceties weren''t Viers¡¯ way, at least, not today. The good aligned engaged in war struggle for resources too. Only, unlike how the evil aligned did things, they covered the ugliness of the power struggle under the rug so it was hidden from public eyes to maintain their image. No matter how righteous the forces, or the individual, the reality of finite materials in this world would force them to clash with other people. And conflict was always an ugly and messy affair. Viers had known this from the multiple Fables in his mind. As such, he didn''t feel particularly bad. He sent Boram because he believed he could gain them. He came here because he believed he could bring Boram back safely. In the first place, Boram gained his harvest with his own efforts. So Viers didn''t even bother to give these people any sort of explanation. ¡°Excuse us, people.¡± Viers said three words and kept walking while carrying Boram. ¡°How rude!¡± ¡°Who do you think he is?¡± ¡°This is out of line!¡± The mobs were angered. Of course, they were. ¡°Brothers, it seems we have been underestimated,¡± an elder spoke. ¡°A youthful arrogance. How saddening.¡± ¡°Sonny, you brought this unto yourself.¡± The three elders raised their Victa; their Level 3 peak cultivation was in full display, astounding the onlookers. It began with intimidation. Viers wasn''t intimidated. His stride was as even and as calm as before. He didn''t even look at any of the elders¡¯ faces. Next came with the obstruction. Since they couldn''t stop Viers with aura alone, a surprise in itself since they perceive Viers as a non-Pathseeker, they began their obstruction. One elder, confident in his CQC, stood in front of Viers¡¯ path and tried to stop him physically, but to his surprise, he was unable to touch Viers. As if there was an invisible barrier between him and Viers. What confused him was his Unreality Field didn''t have the sensation of clashing with another Unreality Field. That meant the other party wasn''t using them. ¡°Excuse. Us.¡± Viers said the same words but this time it was much more domineering. It was then that alarm bells began to ring inside their heads. Viers wasn''t as toothless as they thought. No matter how he achieved this, he wasn''t someone to be underestimated. The elders, rotten as they were, were still Pathseekers with decades of experience, so they realized this and changed their mentality even though the crowd was oblivious. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The knives were out, so to speak. The elders were about to bare their fangs and begin to fight in earnest. Viers rolled his eyes in his mind. Why did they begin with intimidation in the first place? He would have begun to attack immediately. Face, another part of his mind answered. They had spectators. For someone in their status, using their full strength from the start against weaker younger people must be a disgrace. Viers had another question. Why didn''t they think he was stronger than them in the first place? If Viers encountered someone younger than him but he couldn''t perceive their power, it was a very clear red flag. It meant he or she was a very dangerous individual, a threat to his life. He treated the Mary Sue of the Book World like this, before he was aware of Anne¡¯s true identity. Ignorance, once again the answer came from another part of his mind. Unlike him with his Fables, with all the MCs and the faces slapped, the elders most likely never encountered someone as special as Viers before. Knives out. In response to the elders¡¯ actions, Viers let out his bloodlust. Like an opened watergate, it surged forth. In a battle, Viers had no mercy, especially against men. A heavy pressure, similar to the three elders¡¯ earlier yet different. Viers¡¯ bloodlust made the pressure increase in quality. The crowd was affected, for Viers didn''t rein it in. As a result, some of the weaker of the lot pissed their pants. It was fun and games for them but now they had the sensation of a blade on their neck, the feeling of death that might come any second. Only Fio was exempted. ¡°Enough.¡± Elder Hoseb, the Level 4, the only one that Viers thought of as a threat, stopped the battle from erupting. *** ¡°Elder Hoseb, we can''t let some outsider freely walk over us!¡± The elders that faced Viers earlier protested. ¡°Indeed. Even if he has some unique power, he won¡¯t be our match collectively.¡± ¡°His soul,¡± Elder Hoseb said while watching the direction where Viers went. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I suspect that man has elevated his soul to the next tier. An impressive feat. In history, there are less people with Grand Soul than those rising to Level 5.¡± ¡°To think there¡¯s such a thing¡­¡± An elder was shaken. ¡°Even then, Elder Hoseb should have no trouble beating him, right?¡± ¡°Who knows? I have yet to fight against a Grand Soul. What I do know is he would kill our people if he was pressured. Unlike the disciple, Boram¡¯s master is quite the murderous rascal.¡± Elder Hoseb deduced Viers personality. ¡°So that¡¯s why Elder Hoseb stopped us¡­ But we can''t let him trample our dignity.¡± Elder Hoseb nodded. ¡°We cannot.¡± ¡°Aiii,¡± an elder put a hand on his forehead. ¡°There¡¯s also the matter of Lord Titan¡¯s approval on the half-blood. This is going to be a headache.¡± After a period of silence, Elder Hoseb sighed. ¡°A wind from a new era is blowing.¡± *** ¡°Mrgh¡­¡± Boram stirred. ¡°Take it easy. You¡¯re deeply injured.¡± ¡°Master¡­ Good to see you. Where are we?¡± ¡°A simple camp. You need immediate treatment before we go out into the sea. There¡¯s also them.¡± Viers pointed to the coast, where Boram saw five giants that acted as bulwarks. They were roughly thirty meters tall, one was approaching forty. Five Level 4s. They must be a hidden power in this place. Viers believed there were others mightier still. ¡°So we are really leaving?¡± ¡°Yeah, sorry for not telling you beforehand. Do you have unfinished business?¡± ¡°Just one. I wish I can say goodbye to someone before we go,¡± Boram looked a bit sad. ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? She¡¯s right there.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Viers pointed to a tree and then Fio gingerly popped out from behind the tree after being called out, looking a bit embarrassed. ¡°Ehehe. Sorry for the intrusion¡­¡± ¡°Fio¡­¡± ¡°Say your goodbyes, just don''t take too long.¡± Viers rose from his seat and went a little bit far. Both Boram and Fio were grateful for his delicacy in their hearts. Left on their own, the two let out words left unsaid between them. ¡°I''m going to miss your fishcake.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll miss you.¡± Boram remembered their first meeting. When the villagers refused to sell him food and he was starving, Fio shared with him her fishcake. ¡°One day, I¡¯ll save you. I promise.¡± ¡°Mm-hm. I believe you.¡± Fio remembered the time the two of them went catching fish in the river fondly. The refreshing coldness of the water, the sunlight peeking from the leaves, and of course, Boram¡¯s promise. Their goodbye was most definitely a heartwarming scene. Viers could imagine based on their conversation alone. Who could blame him if he had super ears? If he wanted to, he could even use his soul sense to see behind him. After a while, Fio approached Viers from behind. Viers was watching the five giants. ¡°Is it finished?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± Viers gave Fio a glance from the side. So this is the girl that Boram got smitten with, huh? Not bad, disciple. Viers didn''t yet know if the two were in love with each other but the goodwill was definitely on both sides. She¡¯s not simple either. The Level 4 elder seems wary to not hurt her. Not a Pathseeker, not a whiff of danger, Euryale Sight found nothing, but my intuition tells me there¡¯s more to this girl than meets the eye. Although, she¡¯s a bit of a shotacon¡­ Ehh, it''s gonna be fine. If a fat otaku gets identified as a lolicon everybody loses their minds, but when a cute girl likes a cute boy, nobody¡¯s complaining. ¡°Um, may I ask a question?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve been good to my disciple, it''s the least I can do.¡± ¡°Can you release Boram from slavery?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the plan. However, he has to prove himself first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll believe it for now.¡± ¡°You shouldn''t believe me. Believe him,¡± Viers said. ¡°Your trust in him is kind of unfair. I won''t lose. Anyway, there will be a chance to escape in one hour. Please don''t miss it.¡± Fio, a powerless girl, said with such certainty that Viers found it hard to doubt her. ¡°My gratitude,¡± Viers said with his lips. Pity, my Attack on Titan has to be postponed then, Viers thought with his Horizon-laden mind. An hour later, there was a tsunami that swept the giants away. Viers and Boram used that chance to escape. In an enchanted small boat that Fio gave Boram in their goodbye, the master and disciple gazed upon the island they were leaving behind. They saw Fio on a cliff, waving her hand with a smile on her face and tears on her cheeks. Furthermore, the sunset scattered a million diamonds on the sea¡¯s surface. What a view. ¡°You look like a man who has found his purpose in life,¡± Viers suddenly said. ¡°Do you need my help?¡± ¡°Thank you for the offer, Master,¡± Boram said while holding back his tears, his sight never left Fio. ¡°But this matter I must do myself.¡± Viers slapped Boram¡¯s back. ¡°Attaboy.¡± *** ¡°There he goes¡­¡± Fio said with melancholy. ¡°Thanks for the help, Mama.¡± ¡°How can I refuse my sweet daughter¡¯s plea?¡± There was a voice but no shadow of a single person. The voice came from the sea. At this point, the giants that got swallowed by the tsunami showed themselves again but it was too late. ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s what you get for forgetting your place!¡± Fio scolded. ¡°So that¡¯s the boy my daughter¡¯s interested in.¡± ¡°He¡¯s amazing, right? Before Lord Titan showed his approval, he even turned Papa¡¯s craggy-rock skin as smooth as marbles! Isn''t he amazing?¡± Fio chuckled remembering the stone golem¡¯s appearance, like a balding man. Boram whittled his stone body pebble by pebble. After she laughed at him after seeing him, the stone being declared he would seclude himself in the cave until his skin recovered. ¡°No small feat,¡± the kindly voice from the sea answered. ¡°I¡¯m more interested in the other man, though.¡± ¡°My,¡± Fio responded. ¡°Papa will be jealous.¡± ¡°Hush, it¡¯s not like that, child. They don''t actually need my help.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Boram¡¯s master is really strong, huh? Like teacher like student?¡± ¡°The end of an era approaches. My intuition tells me he will have a part to play.¡± Chapter 334 - Fortune in the Sea ¡°We¡¯re doomed,¡± a skinny man said while looking at the sea. ¡°You¡¯re not helping. Move your arms to row,¡± a handsome youth tiredly said. ¡°We¡¯re hungry, we¡¯re thirsty, we¡¯re nowhere near land, we¡¯re unable to use Victa, ergo, we¡¯re dooooomed,¡± the skinny man complained again on their predicament, accentuating each reason. Three men and two women in the middle of the ocean. Looking at the poorly made raft they were on, it could be assumed their trip wasn''t made by choice. ¡°If you can still flap your mouth, you still have energy¡­ We¡¯re all in the same boat here, pun intended. Look at the bright side, at least no monster tried to eat us today,¡± the big guy tried to lift their spirits. ¡°Way to lift up morale, dude. I got no idea how you can always stay positive, Norman,¡± the skinny man said in a drawl. The strong sunlight sapped his energy. He was wondering if there was any hope at all. ¡°Will you stop complaining, Will? You¡¯re like a bloody girl! Do something productive or shut your gums!¡± ¡°But Sandra¡­¡± ¡°No buts! Do you hear me or Irene complaining?¡± But the skinny man didn''t stop. ¡°Haaah¡­ Just our luck. Told you we should change our team name¡­ Rising Fortune¡­ Why do we keep ending up in a miserable situation like this? Because someone upstairs doesn''t like us, that¡¯s why. I¡¯m sad.¡± ¡°Will, I swear, if I hear one more word of your jabbering I¡¯ll-¡± ¡°Shush, both of you,¡± Bruce shut Will and Sandra up by pointing at Irene. The archer was aiming her bow to the sky, at a bird flying overhead. The party¡¯s hopes immediately lit up. It would be their first food in two days. After the ship they rode on had the unfortunate fate of becoming a kraken¡¯s toy and broke apart, they managed to make a raft somehow using the remains. The tide separated them and the other survivors. After that, they were at the mercy of a storm. After it passed, they were lost and completely stranded at sea. To make things worse, the region they were in was unique, making them unable to use any Victa. No Victa, no Arte. The silver lining was, in their current state, they didn''t attract the attention of the plethora of monsters under the surface. Irene carefully took her time to aim. With Arte, it was a simple task, but now she couldn''t use any so the stakes were high. Inhale, exhale, steady hands. The arrow rose to the sky, and five pairs of eyes followed it. When it struck true and felled the bird, even someone that seldom showed her emotions, like Irene clenched her fist out of the sense of accomplishment. The group of five rejoiced, especially their stomach. The bird was not particularly big and wouldn''t completely satisfy five people¡¯s worth of hunger but food was food. The bird fell to the sea, only a couple of meters away from the raft. And then, as soon as their spirits were lifted, it got cast down to the pit of despair again. ¡°Goddess Holy Mother!¡± Will screamed the loudest as a monster shark, much bigger than a normal shark, snatched their precious food. The emergence of the shark also rocked the raft, sending the big-bodied Norman to the sea. Hungry mouths intended to eat the man, some could do it in one gulp. With so much disturbance, the raft wouldn''t hold. The members of the Rising Fortune adventurer group felt their doom approaching as the sea roiled. There was a sound not unlike a roar from under the water and a terrifying presence enveloped them. To their horror, the sea was made calm, as if the waves and winds were stopped in their tracks. The monsters, big and small that tried to eat Norman were paralyzed. One by one the bodies of the monsters floated to the surface, counting the small ones, there were hundreds. The raft became like an island among the sea of marine corpses. ¡°Wh-what happened?¡± Norman took the chance to climb back on the raft. His question remained unanswered. A death match of two monsters was the answer. One was a dragon and the other was a snake. The Rising Fortune became luckily or unluckily witnesses of the fish-eat-fish occurrence in the monster kingdom. The two mighty beasts didn''t pay any attention to them and appeared for a short time; the ferocious wrestling match once again happened under the waves, leaving the five humans dumbstruck. ¡°That-¡± Will exhaled after a minute of total silence. ¡°-was sick!¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, that dragon is fighting a Jewel Snake. Its scales are like gemstones. Two rare beasts fighting each other¡­¡± Bruce had his hand on his chest, trying to slow his heartbeat. ¡°Their aura is no joke. We¡¯re very, very lucky to be unscathed.¡± ¡°That was a dragon? I thought dragons were supposed to have wings and stuff. This one has a serpentine body. I thought it was another snake monster.¡± ¡°It was a sea dragon, Norman. Their habitat is different,¡± Bruce added. ¡°Hey, the weaker monsters and fish are knocked out! We¡¯ve got so much food!¡± Sandra exclaimed happily. ¡°Let''s collect ''em before they get up.¡± ¡°Look!¡± Irene pointed to a particular monster. ¡°A Perretine Seahorse! It only eats kelp that grows in the shallows! We can tie it to our raft and follow it to land! With its size, pulling the raft won''t be a problem.¡± ¡°Oh, thank the Goddess,¡± Sandra praised the Radiant Lady for her blessing. ¡°Filterbelly Fish!¡± Noram gasped. ¡°The water inside their bellies is safe to drink.¡± ¡°For real?¡± Will jumped at the word drink. ¡°Look alive, we got work to do. We shouldn''t be here when these monsters wake up. Gather what we need and row!¡± Bruce said. ¡°Wait a sec. Why did they get knocked out but we didn''t?¡± Sandra asked. ¡°Some monsters¡¯ effect is stronger on other monsters,¡± Irene replied. ¡°Who cares? I take it back! We¡¯re damn lucky! Booyah!¡± Will rowed with great enthusiasm. *** ¡°Woooah¡­¡± Boram¡¯s mouth was agape. ¡°This place is incredible.¡± After parting with Fio, Viers landed on a nearby island that had a Gate Plant. Truthfully, it would be faster to use his flying carpet as per his original plan but it would be uncouth of him not using Fio¡¯s boat gift. After seeing the verdure paradise brimming with high quality mana for the first time, Boram was impressed. Just like how in modern open-world games there would be a place early in the game that simply let the player breathe in the marvelous digital world that the developers painstakingly built, Viers gave Boram the chance to see the Biome in all of its glory. ¡°Welcome to Viridis. A sanctuary. This will be your new home. And don''t tell anyone about this place.¡± Rather than always calling it Dia¡¯s Biome, Viers had planned to put a name to the place for a long time. He settled with the name Viridis, which meant green in latin. ¡°Home!¡± ¡°Yaa!¡± ¡°Fuu!¡± ¡°Whoa!?¡± Viers¡¯ familiars came out from the badges by Viers¡¯ will and their presence surprised Boram. ¡°This is Dia, Faiya, and Futon; my dear familiars. Gang, meet Boram. You all will be coworkers so get along.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Dia turned into a palmtop size dryad with a poof and hopped on top of the cloud elemental. She extended her tiny hand to Boram. ¡°I am Dia.¡± ¡°R-right. Nice to meet you too. I am Boram.¡± Dia shook the edge of Boram¡¯s finger. ¡°Welcome back, Lord Viers, and Boram.¡± ¡°Heya. No problem?¡± To the approaching two beauties, Boram greeted them nervously and as politely as he could. Their beauty made Boram nervous, like a kid sweating his hand as he held an antique porcelain vase. ¡°H-hello, pretty missus. I¡¯m Boram Rockboa. My Master has kindly brought me here.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for such courtesy,¡± Farley replied. ¡°Although this is the first time we''ve met directly, you¡¯re known to us.¡± ¡°So nice to finally meet you,¡± Paina said. ¡°Take a look around and get some rest. After that I want to know your progress. Around next week, we¡¯ll be traveling abroad. In Latias.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°Come come and see!¡± Dia urged on top of Futon. Faiya also floated around them. ¡°Dia¡¯s home is amazing, you¡¯ll see!¡± ¡°Farley, can you go with them?¡± ¡°Certainly, Lord Viers.¡± Boram gave Farley and Viers a look before getting dragged by Dia. ¡°I guess he¡¯s confused about your name,¡± Paina said. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about how much I should tell him and how much I should not. It¡¯s a bit of a headache.¡± ¡°You reap what you sow,¡± Paina said without sympathy. ¡°Your fault for having so many.¡± ¡°Quite,¡± Viers didn''t deny her. ¡°Next week, huh? Don''t know how much I and Farley can get done in just a week.¡± They wanted to go with Viers but currently, they were Level 0. Too risky. ¡°I¡¯ll have the kids and Boram with me. I believe there¡¯s still time yet until some grand stage like in Valkut''s finale. You and Farley¡¯s strength will be needed. Even if you want to slack off, I won''t let you.¡± ¡°What a slave driver,¡± Paina rolled her eyes. Another portal opened and Ars¨¨ne walked in. ¡°Phew, that was a tough fight.¡± ¡°It went on all night?¡± Viers was surprised. ¡°Chasing and pinning the snake down was such a pain,¡± Ars¨¨ne sighed. ¡°The snake¡¯s body is in here.¡± Viers caught the inventory ring that his other self tossed. While he was traveling by boat, Viers surveyed the opportunities for harvesting benefits. His Euryale Sight found quite a few things worth taking and he sent Ars¨¨ne under the sea without Boram knowing. When he found the Jewel Snake by accident, Ars¨¨ne contacted Viers before chasing it. The snake would give his dragon form a good boost. While Ars¨¨ne could do monster transformation, he couldn''t upgrade the forms so Viers needed to be the one eating monster meat. ¡°And the jewels will be a good present for Boram,¡± Viers nodded. He still remembered that Boram¡¯s Profound Codex, Earthborn Amalgam, can make the user absorb precious stones to improve their constitution. ¡°Other than the snake, I got some bits and bobs in the ring, nothing major though.¡± ¡°Anything else worth noting about?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Nope.¡± Ars¨¨ne didn''t know he saved his acquaintances by accident. Chapter 335 - Daily Life in Viridis Viers¡¯ day started early. At 5 AM, he got up, just as the giant sunflowers were starting to shine. He worked out lightly such as push-ups, sit-ups, squats, and so on. He also liked having a jog. The abundance of greenery made the air he inhaled taste fresh and delicious. 6 AM, the Pukupukus, an artificial lifeform that Viers created, the second one after the Tyra Xerg race, had prepared a sumptuous breakfast. Viers took a bath before eating, joined by the other residents of the Biome. ¡°Morning,¡± he greeted. ¡°Good morning~¡± ¡°Good morning, Lord Viers. I hope your rest was plentiful.¡± ¡°Yaa!¡± And people greeted him back. The food was many and varied. Strong monsters that the party hunted became nourishment as their meat gave cultivation benefits to the gang. Viers was the biggest eater. Others did not eat as much as he did. There was a reason for that. For Viers, eating was life. Eating increased his life force. And with a new Arte he created, he doubled yet again his gains from eating. Arte - Power Food: Morsel. Eating delicious food was one of Viers¡¯ favorite activities, now it also assisted him in his Path of Power. Needless to say, Viers liked the Arte very much. By casting it to the food he had, it would make him fuller than usual, magically becoming more nutritious, easier to digest, etc. The greater the quality of the food, the stronger the Arte effect would be. It had five stages: Morsel, Snack, Meal, Feast, Banquet. The Rank 1-3 monsters seemed to be only at Morsel stage. Furthermore, there was the boost from Horizon. Viers¡¯ head was already spinning on calculating how much stronger his Arte was. He gave up thinking too much and just enjoyed the benefits. As they filled their bodies with fuel, the gang also talked about what they planned to do today, the cultivation roadblock they currently had, Arte discussions, things they needed to be doing, and so on. Viers sometimes assigned them tasks. ¡°Our food stock is dwindling,¡± Viers said. ¡°We need to hunt more monsters.¡± ¡°No wonder considering how much you eat every day. Three days ago the warehouse was filled to the brim, I¡¯m impressed,¡± Paina said with a spoon in her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Farley said. ¡°I¡¯ll help.¡± ¡°Why thank you, Boram,¡± Farley dipped her head politely. ¡°We¡¯ll go in the afternoon, okay?¡± After eating, the party separated doing their own things. Boram went with the three familiars. Viers wanted him to learn the familiars¡¯ elemental reaction technique. Viers could cover Hydro and Cryo, Faiya with Pyro, Dia gave Dendro, but the best of the lot was Futon. He could use Anemo, Hydro, and Electro. The cloud elemental could possibly cover Cryo as well if he put some time to learn it but Viers didn''t let him. Better to let him master the ones he had first. If Boram was able to contribute with Geo, the seven elements would be assembled. Boram had been trying for a while but struggling to grasp it. It seemed it would take some more time. Still, progress was made. Farley and Gwen were in the library, studying. Viers had a lot of books from looting here and there. Paina was playing music, a violin. It was a form of training for her. The employees of Viers Corp were hard at work. The CEO audited their progress every day. He wanted them strong, slacking off was not an option. But, they were given free rein on how they would get there, and help was always given to the worthy. The CEO did not pamper them, he got his own plate full. Literally. Viers, after eating a sumptuous breakfast, went on eating again. He went next to the kitchen, to an open clearing. The kitchen was very busy, twenty Pukupukus were cooking non-stop. Food after food was carried to Viers, who was now in his monster form. The monster forms got plenty of biomass for their evolutionary power. Viers planned to push the monster forms until their Rank 3 peak performance. It wasn''t easy gathering the needed resources. However, since they could become stronger just by eating, Viers didn''t let go of the power increase. The dragon and orca forms were the worst of them all, the amount they needed to eat was astonishing. Of course, the Power Food Arte was always used for efficiency. From 6 until 9 AM Viers ate, ate, and ate. The food storage was getting more and more barren. Farley and Boram had their work cut out for them. Although, this amount of consumption wouldn''t be a permanent thing. Only until Viers could max out his monster forms¡¯ potential. After that, his human body was the only big eater. During this time, the queen graced Viers with her presence. Zerrigan, still a hatchling, already had a royal entourage. Three Pukupukus were with her at all times, catering to her every need. From cleaning to transport to feeding. Zerri was still a baby with a not fully formed mind but she was still the Xerg Viers knew. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Carried by the Pukupuku, she was placed beside Viers. The monster Viers gave her a tickle and he felt her happiness and then the two ate their food. Their menu was naturally different. Zerri got her very own version of royal jelly. Zerri wasn''t able to do anything now but in a few years, she would grow, exceeding the potential that she showed in the Book World. Until then, she did what a baby does, eating and sleeping and snuggling. From 9 to 11 AM, Viers was in the toilet. What went in, must go out. From human form to monster forms, he cycles them all to clear the bowels. Since some of his forms were big, a normal toilet wouldn''t do. There was a place specifically created for Viers to take a shit. There was one exception, the slime monster. That didn''t poop. After he had his fill of eating and shitting, Viers went on training. What he did during this time was varied. Improving his Artes, developing and testing new ones, practicing his swordsmanship, visiting the Power Spots, and the like. He had a special place built for such purposes, Viers called it the Dojo. During this time, Ars¨¨ne was active inside his consciousness, doing productive work that he currently cannot. For example, he was soul searching other souls for info, organizing the data, researching ways so Viers could further improve, eating human souls, and many other tasks. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s activation required Victa but Viers had Victa to spare. With Ars¨¨ne, Viers gained double the training experience just like Naruto with his Kage Bunshin. It wasn''t like Viers didn''t think of making another clone but he couldn''t. Even with his soul mastery, he wasn''t able to create another self. The result was unable to reach Ars¨¨ne¡¯s level of perfection. Since he didn''t have another fruit of the World Tree, he must be content with x2 of exp multiplier. Usually, this went on until 6 PM, with a lunch break and a couple more of short rests shoved in between. At times, others also joined for joint training or sparring. Farley and Paina had already risen to Level 1 in just a few days and they weren''t far from Level 2. Viers himself was getting close to Level 3 peak, even though he focused most on the Nutra, the godly cultivation boost drug, for his Profound Codex¡¯s mastery. The environment in Dia¡¯s Biome was just too good. It was basically a Level 5 cultivation cave. No doubt his power was rising very fast. In the past, he balked at doing this because he didn''t want to become too strong. His road was long and he wanted to experience life¡¯s challenges step by step. The experience of overcoming challenges as a Level 1 or 3 would be beneficial. After getting trashed by Georgi and Dumuzin, Viers had a change of mind. Dying wasn''t cool and defeat carried great risk of dying. He was too arrogant thinking he could somehow survive by. To deny defeat, he needed strength. Currently, Viers was burning his cultivation resources that he had amassed to grow as strong as possible in the shortest amount of time. One of the rising stars of the generation, the Silver Legion Ciel, was at his cultivation Level in Valkut, but she was four years older than Viers. He was catching up with the world-class standard with a meteoric rise. However, it wouldn''t be long until the resources ran out and his insight dried up. From there on, his growth rate would begin to plateau. Since Valkut he rarely took any real risk. The most noteworthy was his fight against the dragon. His avoiding another encounter with Freya was also the result of him running from trouble. But Viers knew there would come a time when he couldn''t run. He had to be ready when that time came. When the sun went down on the main world, the giant sunflowers in the pocket dimension also dimmed their light. At this time, usually around 6 PM, Viers finished his training and activated his Serpentes Renovamen. His Victa became inaccessible and so Viers died as a Pathseeker. Once activated, Viers couldn''t stop it until the emergence of the sun. Experiencing death and life as a Pathseeker repeatedly was Viers¡¯ Profound Training. At a minimum, this happened once every ten days but then it wouldn''t be training. Viers always felt like a god turned mortal during this time. All the superhuman feats he was capable of just earlier in the day, was out of reach, a crippled man. The big bad villain Viers was very vulnerable during this time. Like it or not, this was the path he must take to master the Profound Codex and attain the Imaginary Domain. Without it, the gate to Level 4 would remain closed forever. Until he ascended to Level 6, this was the cross he had to bear. Even under the safety of Viridis, the paranoid Viers wore protective magical items. He had multiple of them and spent no small fortune to acquire them. Sometimes, he just took it from a corpse. Life was truly no small fortune. When night fell and Serpentes Renovamen Profound Codex activated, it was the most lull of Viers'' time. He couldn''t train other than his physical body. He had so many Pathseeker things to improve on but he was currently unable to do anything about it. He could only do mundane human things. In the past, this was the perfect time to do something novel to improve his Horizon. Trying new activities, reading new books, creating poems, stargazing, and many other things. However, there was a small problem. Viers had met the soft cap of his Horizon utilization. His Horizon was above 550% boost but he could only use 500% boost without repercussion. Using any more than that, he would suffer grievous injuries. Therefore, even if he increased his Horizon, he couldn''t use the excess. He wouldn''t use them unless it was an emergency. Maxed out, increasing Horizon was not as impactful as before. This was the case of a player focusing too much on improving a skill so it hit max level way before its time. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s existence doubled the Horizon experience gain, which also contributed to this situation. Viers¡¯ Horizon was still growing every time he experienced something new, just slower. He already felt the growth rate was getting slower after it hit 500%. Once he became Level 4, he had a feeling his max utilization limit would increase so Horizon was still one of the most important weapons in his arsenal. Back to the matter of night activities, Viers still had his mind so he could theorize and ponder about cultivation matters that would improve them but that was about it. The night felt long. With no computer, internet, or games, the sense of boredom often appeared. Outdoor activities such as going to the cities were out. Viers was too cowardly to go out as an Idler. Viers missed the internet so much and realized he needed a hobby. In the Fables, xianxia heroes usually had side jobs other than being a super OP cultivator. A second profession, or class, or job. For example, they could be an alchemist that made beneficial cultivation pills or a smith that made custom gear. Since fooling around to raise Horizon was not high on the priority list anymore, he was tempted to get this cultivation side job. All in the name of power. For now, since he could improve his own strength, why not improve others¡¯? Viers hung out with other people in the Biome. Giving advice in their training, Arte suggestions, teaching the children lessons in math and letters, things like that. It was surprisingly fulfilling. Viers was an introvert, socializing was not his strong suit. But hanging out with buddies was¡­ nice. Humans were truly social beings. After it was getting late, around 10-11 PM, he went to bed early to wake up early. Chapter 336 - Energy Breakthrough Viers and Ars¨¨ne had been spreading Dia¡¯s Gate Plant seeds during their travels at suitable locations. Many of them were unable to fully grow because of various reasons such as discovery by other humans or getting flooded by heavy rain. Still, there were teleportation points that the people of Viridis could use. In this sort of base-building, Viers wanted his place to be self-sufficient. Food wasn''t a problem because there were plenty of edible plants growing but Viers¡¯ appetite wasn''t normal. Also, besides a few special kinds, they weren''t enough to satisfy his vitality-rich diet. To make Viridis a balanced environment, Viers wanted to include those in the animal kingdom in. He had been doing this slowly from the start, by capturing monsters and special beasts with high value then letting them have a new life in the Biome. With the return of Boram and the revival of Paina and Farley, Viers had more hands on deck and more mouths to feed, so he increased the hunting rate. Like a mission command, he sent people to hunt a quarry with the data that the intelligence division, Ars¨¨ne soul searching poor souls, provided. Hunting monsters was a classic form of training, good for Boram and the others. Their reach was wide because of the Gate Plants. Mostly in the Free People Coalition, Viers¡¯ old haunts. ¡°All right, behave now,¡± Boram said while bringing in three cows through the portal. Futon was happy to be home and flew through the sky. ¡°Thanks for the help. Now then¡­¡± Unlike this time, it wasn''t only livestock monsters that they brought here. There were also vicious monsters in the Biome now. Viers¡¯ standards were high. All of them were rare and expensive monsters whose body parts would be flying off the shelves if put on the market. When possible, they brought a couple of them, so the monsters could procreate and thrive. Boram heard the sounds of two monsters battling in the forest nearby. It was just like in the wild. After settling the Rank 1 cows to their designated places, Boram reckoned he should report to his Master. He should be in the Dojo at this time of day. A job well done. Boram had no idea his Master had such a nice place. He¡¯d come to like his new home. On the way, Boram had a thought. Paina and Farley called Master Avel Viers. When he asked, Master said he could call him whichever. Boram decided he would just call him Master. It was simpler that way; his name didn''t matter anyhow, face too. When he got close enough, Boram could hear a flute. Must be Paina. The melody was nice. He watched Master and Farley in a mock battle. Farley, her right eye shining red, let loose a flurry of stabs, but Master was evading each one of them with a paper-thin difference whilst his eyes were closed. Farley was using her Level 2 cultivation while Master suppressed his to Level 0 but she still couldn''t land a hit on him. Truly an impressive feat. Master said he should at least save his life or do something equivalent before he released him from slavery. Boram thought the goal was getting farther and farther away. He wondered if smashing the head of a Governor-King and gifting a city to Master would be a deed of equal value. At least that Boram believed he would be capable of doing in the future. *** ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Huuf¡­¡± Farley was short of breath. ¡°Thank you for the guidance, Lord Viers.¡± Viers was getting a satisfactory field test with his soul sense. ¡°Your control on the demon eye is getting better. Good.¡± Farley gave an appreciative nod before stepping back. Gwen gave her sister a towel for her sweat. ¡°Boram, you¡¯ve returned. Want a bout?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Boram said firmly. ¡°Weapon or fists?¡± ¡°Fists.¡± ¡°Okay. We-¡± Viers stopped mid-sentence as he turned to Paina. The fae-blooded girl was still playing her flute but suddenly her music changed into something passionate and uplifting. The person herself was in a trance, lost in the world of melody. The others beside Viers were also enchanted by the audio magic. No one interrupted her until the music reached the crescendo and ended with a spectacular finish. ¡°Huff, huff¡­ What was I¡­?¡± ¡°Calm down,¡± Viers placed his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Breathe.¡± ¡°I don''t know what that was but it felt incredible,¡± Paina said. ¡°Like my mind became an open sky.¡± ¡°You experienced an awakening¡­ Sound 4, huh? Congratulations.¡± ¡°Does it mean? I¡­ Truly?¡± ¡°Yes. A dual affinity Pathseeker, like me. Water and sound.¡± ¡°Congrats, Paina!¡± Farley gave her friend a hug. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Congratulations, Miss Paina,¡± said Boram. Viers always suspected this day would come. Her experience with the Cardinal in Valkut had already formed the seed. The last thing she needed was to have a body again to complete her whole being. Now she had water 5 and sound 4. While a dual affinity Pathseeker didn''t instantly mean stronger compared to the mono affinity Pathseeker, they had more potential. But on the other hand, they also needed more resources to use both affinity to their full potential. Water and sound, there¡¯s a synergy to be had there, Viers sagely thought while caressing his chin. Dia, Faiya, and Futon came because of the commotion and then joined in congratulating Paina. A Pukupuku came bringing Paina a bouquet of flowers. Viers didn''t tell her that her affinity should be sound 3 but Viers did some improvement during her soul and body merging to raise the affinity by one level. It was still one step less than sound 5 but raising affinity was doable. Boram also was still earth 4. The girls are already Level 2 so I guess it¡¯s time? Only a couple more finishing touches left. *** With all the cultivation that Viers had in a closed environment, even though it was a plant-filled island, the Biome was in the middle of cosmic nowhere. Viers realized he was like a gamer that hadn''t left his computer for a month. People on the internet had a thing to say to people like that: touch grass. Viers did just that. In the middle of the Biome, there was a patch of earth surrounded by a grand-looking, very complicated, magic circle. The earth was barren, except for a single blade of grass. ¡°My precioussss¡­¡± Viers touched the grass with the same affection Gollum gave to a certain golden ring. The grass was not green but red, like blood. Viers¡¯ Nutra supply was running out. With the disappearance of Abby the reincarnated Dungeon Core Viers had no way of gaining more. It was not an acceptable state of affairs for Viers. Viers wanted to create his own supply of Nutra. With Dia¡¯s special strain of plants, Viers experimented on the Nutra, trying to create a plant capable of replicating the Nutra¡¯s effect. It took 79 attempts at experimentation until he had some measure of success. It took another 116 times more to get to something viable. The red grass only had about a third of the original Nutra¡¯s effectiveness but it was renewable. The condition for it to grow was very strict, even the Level 5 Biome such as Viridis was not enough. It also needed a very high amount of vitality. Was it Fate or something else? The solution came from the same place the Nutra originated, the Circle of Life formation. Viers created this formation by copying the dungeon¡¯s ability to absorb vitality from those that got injured inside the Dungeon. Even though Viers¡¯ version similarly lacked the efficiency of the real thing, Dia¡¯s Biome was much bigger than the Dungeon. When a monster fought with other monsters, when a monster got butchered for eating, when a plant died and rotted, when Boram and the others sparred, not a single speck of their life¡¯s energy went to waste. The lifestream from the Biome was gathered and focused on this small 2x2 meters area. The more living beings in the Biome, the greater the harvest. That was one of the reasons Viers captured monsters and brought them to the Biome. For now, it was only enough to nourish the red grass but it might change in the future. Hmm¡­ Perhaps it is possible to entrap my enemies in the Biome before I kill them? By doing that I can get their entire net-worth out of them. Their bodies and equipment would be his. Their soul and knowledge would be his. Their life would flow to the earth of his Biome. Viers abhorred waste but this kind of very thorough harvest frightened even him. Viers named the red grass Nutra Grass. The amount wasn''t enough for consumption for the time being but more will grow. In the future, there might be more surplus energy from the Circle of Life that he could utilize for other things. And when the Tyra Xerg came into the equation¡­ *** The night in Viridis was very tranquil, but tonight something disturbed it. Farley heard the sound of continuous rumbling lightning and flashing lights beyond the trees. ¡°Sis?¡± ¡°Gwen, stay in the house. Don''t come out no matter what,¡± Farley grabbed her spear and went through the door. ¡°Sis, be careful!¡± Farley assured her sister. As she approached the site, she saw Paina. No doubt she was investigating the incident, same as her. ¡°Farley, is it an enemy attack?¡± ¡°I don''t know. I''ve been trying to contact Lord Viers but he¡¯s not responding. Dia¡¯s nowhere to be found either.¡± ¡°Then this is their doing, isn''t it?¡± ¡°Perhaps. But stay sharp. Presume nothing until it is certain.¡± ¡°I know.¡± The two approached the site, sneakily. The sound of crackling lightning became louder and louder, but when they heard the mad laughter of Viers among all the noises, they sighed in relief. ¡°What the-¡± Paina was lost for words when she saw what was happening. ¡°Hwuahahahahah! Muhahahahaha!¡± Viers was bathed in lightning, energy radiating from his body. Dia, Futon, and Faiya were joining their master in his euphoria. As if this was some sort of devilish ritual, the Pukupukus were surrounding Viers in a ring while enacting a synchronized worshiping dance. ¡°POWEEER! UNLIMITED¡ªPOWAAAAAH!!!!!¡± ¡°-wer! Wheee!¡± Dia laughed. ¡°Yaaa!¡± Faiya burned bright, just like his elevated mood. ¡°Fuu! Fuu!¡± Futon emitted his lightning as if he didn''t want to lose to the lightning Viers produced. Even though Viers knew he shouldn''t make a villain laugh as per the evil overlord list, he was only human. The reason Viers was in such a fine mood was that today marked the end of his Victa generation boosting Arte that he got from Saint Rose. And the completion of an Arte that could replace it. Viers had been working on this Arte for years, since he got his soul affinity. It was almost completed but he was lacking the final step to make it work. After his fight with the Dumuzin-possessed Farley, the demon forced the knowledge that he lacked. Now Viers could convert souls into Victa. It meant as long as he had souls, he could generate as much Victa as he wanted. Therefore Viers had unlocked the secret to infinite Victa, to infinite energy. The Arte - Soul Energon was complete. ¡°Miss Paina, Miss Farley, what happened? Why is Master laughing like that?¡± The new arrival, Boram, was confused. ¡°Let''s go back,¡± Paina obstructed Boram¡¯s eyes using her hands and led him away. ¡°Good kids shouldn''t see this.¡± ¡°O-okay?¡± The three went back to their house. Viers was aware of their arrival but didn''t care. He allowed himself a moment of happiness-induced insanity. From his humble beginnings in Luxore to Valkut to Monsterland, Viers had turned all of his harvests to strength. He could feel the cultivation momentum pushing on his back. The updated Viers would soon roam the world once again. Latias Kingdom, here I come. Chapter 337 - Latias Kingdom The Latias Kingdom began as an eastern province of the Herkelan Empire. Under orders from the emperor, armies were sent to annex the region and grow the Empire¡¯s borders in the time known as the Great Expansion. After decades of fighting, the bloody conquest of the indigenous people came to an end. The Empire¡¯s territory grew by a fourth. The land was rich and full of bounty, the Empire gnawed on the land greedily to sate the neverending need of goods. One side grew fat at the expense of another. Decades of discontent were brewing in the hearts of the people. When the Empire came under two-pronged attacks from the undead forces to the north and the savage demons to the west, one man saw the chaos as an opportunity to break free from the Empire¡¯s yoke. With the support of the people, he declared independence during one of the most perilous times for the human race in history. Six years had passed since then. After the Empire barely endured the assault, they mustered their forces to the east to take back their province. The Empire¡¯s army was filled with seasoned veterans of the great war, bloodied in the greatest conflict of the era. Compared to the undead or the demons, the fledgling kingdom had far less military power. Many in the Empire thought the rogue nation would be brought back into the fold with little trouble. But the man that led the revolution, who had become the first king of the second nation of humanity on the continent, repelled the Empire''s advance. The man rode to battle riding a great red dragon and set the mighty armies of the Empire ablaze. Four times the Empire tried using the might of arms. Four times they failed. Historians of the Latias Kingdom chronicled it as the Four Follies. The kingdom was safe thanks to the man that would be known as the legendary first king of the Latias Kingdom, Athos the Dragon of Dawn. The legendary king¡¯s origin is a mystery. Was he originally part of the Empire or was he a member of the tribes that had lived there before the Empire¡¯s coming? No one I talked to can answer this question with certainty. The nation prospered until it became one of the biggest four in the Human Dominion, rivaling its former host. However, because of its origin, there were still Herkelans that believed the Latias Kingdom belonged to the Empire to this day. The relationship between the two neighboring nations was icy at the best of times and wars occurred like seasonal storms. Latias¡¯ culture reflects back on its founding, on the warrior king. Martial prowess is thought highly by the lords of great houses. The pride of the nation, metal-clad warriors, loyal guardians of the kingdom, use their swords to defend the realm from those who want to do her harm. The knights are often seen roaming the land in search of virtuous deeds. Should they be deemed worthy, perhaps they would be called to pledge their sword to the crown. There is no greater honor for a knight of Latias than to serve the House of the Dragon. Excerpt from the Atlas of Civilizations, written by Bartholomew the Grand Voyager. *** ¡°Master, it looks like rain.¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± ¡°Fuu?¡± Futon rustled under Viers¡¯ robe and asked if he should do something about it. ¡°Let''s just take shelter there.¡± Following Viers¡¯ finger, Boram saw a humble traveler''s inn beside the road. The two arrived at the doorsteps just in time before the drizzle turned into an outright downpour. As they opened the door, the creak made the earlier patrons cast their gaze upon the two cloaked figures. One seemed to be a young man with a kid. A younger brother perhaps. A man and a child went to a bar¡­ ¡°Welcome. What would you be having today?¡± A freckled waitress with red hair approached as the two took their seats. Thankfully, there were still empty tables available. ¡°What do you recommend?¡± Viers asked. The young waitress went after the pair decided on their orders. ¡°So,¡± Viers drank water for refreshments. ¡°What do you think of the foreign land?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ nice? I saw how people live differently than in the Coalition.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Viers only smiled. Their orders came. There was still some time before noon so it was a bit early for lunch. The two sampled the local dishes as the rain continued pouring down. After they finished, the two didn''t leave immediately, waiting for the weather to turn for the better. It came to Viers'' attention of the inn¡¯s sorry quality but he didn''t see any other place to stay. While Boram was in a waiting meditation, Viers approached the bartender making drinks. ¡°Any interesting things happening around here lately?¡± Viers slid a coin on the smooth wooden table. ¡°Don''t know if it''s interesting for ya but I can tell you a few things,¡± the man had a crooked tooth. The man talked and Viers listened. He gave orders to the waitress sometimes and was able to prepare drinks while continuing his stories. Before long, the sounds of horses could be heard, along with the voices of several men. They opened the door boisterously while laughing. In a joyful mood no doubt. The faces of the occupants darkened seeing the armored gang¡¯s entrance. They too smelled trouble in the air. ¡°What¡¯s this? There¡¯s no empty table,¡± the man with the nicest armor said. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it, boss. Hey you! Empty this table at once.¡± The people at that table did so without question. The waitress promptly whisked away the used plates and mugs. She did so nervously. ¡°W-welcome, milords. W-what can I do for you?¡± ¡°First, ale for me and me boys. Second, fill this table with the best dishes you have, and then¡­ Gweheheh¡­¡± The color was drained from the waitress¡¯ face. Just as a strong thunderclap resounded in the sky. ¡°What are you standing around for,¡± the man¡¯s crony said. ¡°Chop-chop!¡± ¡°A-at once!¡± The waitress was pulled by the bartender, who was apparently the owner, and he talked to her in whispers. The other people in the inn gave the five men a wide berth and didn''t dare to talk loudly like before. The wiser ones began to leave after paying, some without finishing their food. The armed five people acted as if they owned the place, drinking, laughing, and making merry without regard to others. One knight, his squire, and three cronies. After their bellies were full, they went on to their next order of business. ¡°Girl, come with me,¡± the knight said to the pale waitress. ¡°Mister, I¡¯ll be taking your room.¡± ¡°Sir, please, have merc-¡± The crooked teeth bartender was unable to finish his words because the man hit him, resulting in a bloodied mouth. ¡°How dare you talk back to me, commoner. I¡¯m a knight, you fool!¡± The man grabbed the waitress by her arms and forcefully pulled her to the back room. ¡°N-no¡­ Milord, forgive me! Mercy! Please let me go. Someone! Anyone! Please, help¡­¡± Despite her pleadings, the folks inside the inn didn''t make a move. ¡°What, you think I''m not good enough for ya?¡± The knight scowled and raised his hand. ¡°You should be honored!¡± The waitress closed her eyes as the slap approached but in the next few seconds, she didn''t feel any pain. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw Boram grab the knight''s hand. Boram turned to his master and saw Viers tilted his head very slightly to the right. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master¡­ My body just moved on its own.¡± ¡°No need to apologize, disciple.¡± It just means you¡¯re a better person than I am. The cronies stood up, unsheathing their swords. At this time, the rest of the visitors raced to the door. ¡°You brat¡­ Do you know who I am?¡± The man yanked his hand away from Boram¡¯s grip and gave a threat. ¡°I have no idea,¡± Boram said calmly. ¡°Why should I?¡± The waitress bolted to the fallen bartender behind Boram and the two watched as the events unfolded. ¡°Hmph,¡± the man snorted. ¡°You¡¯re not from here, are you? Name yourself, brat.¡± Boram looked at Viers again, this time he had his fist holding up his cheek and put his right foot on his left knee. Boram got the message, he had to make his own choice. ¡°Boram Rockboa, slave and disciple of Master Avel.¡± ¡°A slave!? Kheh! Should have known. The master is responsible for his disciple¡¯s action,¡± the knight eyed the hooded figure. He glimpsed the man was wearing a mask that covered his upper face under the hood. ¡°There¡¯s truth in what you said,¡° Viers said. ¡°Which makes me wonder what kind of trashy reprobate your parents must be to have a waste of a son like you.¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll die for that insult!¡± The cronies, especially the squire, looked at Viers with fiery eyes. ¡°...After this guy, you¡¯re next. Because you¡¯re a Pathseeker, I¡¯ll allow you to die with a weapon in hand. Be grateful, I¡¯ll give you a warrior''s death.¡± Boram was about to reach for his hammer without his eyes leaving the hostile man¡¯s figure, but Viers called him out. ¡°No weapons, Boram.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± The roguish knight¡¯s heart was like boiling magma. He¡¯d decided these two people would die without a complete corpse. With conflict seeming inevitable, Boram invoked an Arte. ¡°I, Boram Rockboa, hereby challenge you to single combat.¡± The knight felt the nature of the priming Arte and instinctively understood the gist of it. ¡°Playing with dueling rites? Your grave, kid. I, Knight Hoffstein, accept!¡± With the agreement of both parties, the Duel With Honor Arte was activated fully. A magical pattern appeared on the ground. The walls of the inn made the rest unable to be seen but the mark was ten meters in diameter. Viers and the others were inside the radius of the Arte but they weren''t affected. However, if Boram or the knight tried to leave, they would find it difficult. The Arte affected both sides equally. ¡°You four, don''t interfere. Hyaaah!¡± The knight used his Unreality Field and immediately went for Boram¡¯s neck with his sword, only to be stopped by a bare hand. ¡°Im-¡± Boram¡¯s fist hit the knight¡¯s gut with a loud, dull sound, cracking the metal armor and sending him reeling; he was sent through the inn¡¯s walls and crashed against the magical barrier where he stopped. The cronies and the waitress bartender duo had their jaws dropped while Viers was helping himself with the leftover but clean food and drinks. ¡°L-Level 3!? At that age?¡± ¡°Am I dreaming?¡± ¡°Sir Hoffstein! Are you alright?¡± Viers took a fancy bottle that conveniently flew near him, opened the cork, and sniffed it. It was wine. He drank it straight from the bottle. The knight rose again with a vengeance, the battle of the two rocked the foundation of the not-so-sturdy building. The much older man was losing. The bartender, who had his eyes fixed on the little savior¡¯s battle, almost had a heart attack because Viers poked his shoulder. ¡°This is really good,¡± Viers ate something resembling a noodle dish. ¡°Can I have a take-out?¡± ¡°What are you four looking at? Get him!!¡± Mouth bloody, face swollen, desperate. His loss was almost set in stone so the knight signaled his four followers to attack Boram. Oh? What an idiot. The moment he did that, he suffered Arte''s backlash. The knight felt as if his heart was stabbed, his lungs crushed, his liver punctured, his blood flowed in reverse, and many other things. He spat out blood and lost consciousness. The four that attacked Boram out of reflex were naturally getting the beat down they deserved. Boram stood the victor and Victa from Hoffstein flowed into Boram. ¡°Should I kill them, Master?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your call, disciple.¡± Boram decided to spare their lives but stripped them out of everything they had in value. ¡°Master,¡± Boram offered the loot to Viers. From those loots, Viers picked a heavy coin pouch then gave it to the trembling bartender. ¡°For your troubles.¡± Viers walked out of the door that was somehow still standing despite both sides of the walls beside it laid broken. ¡°Ah, the rain has stopped.¡± Viers helped himself with two of the horses that the company of five used to get here and commandeered them. Just as the horses began to trot, the waitress came running before them. ¡°Sir Knight, Sir Little Knight, thank you very much!¡± She bowed deeply. Compared to the five from earlier, the duo was much more knightly in the girl¡¯s eyes. Viers gave Boram the look that he should be the one responding. His disciple got the signal. ¡°Take care of yourself, milady.¡± Viers and Boram continued their travels with new steeds. A man and a child went to a bar. They fought bad men, beat them down, and left a destroyed bar in their wake. This sounds very familiar. Chapter 338 - Countryside A boar monster lay dead at Farley¡¯s feet, her spear dripping red blood. My body¡­ feels so light. In the past, without Viers¡¯ mysterious strengthening, she would not stand a chance against a monster of this caliber but now, she killed it without much effort. ¡°I¡¯m done here. Paina?¡± ¡°Here. I¡¯m done too.¡± The lesser versions of the boar she¡¯d just beat were taken care of by Paina. Drowned. It was the second monster den they cleared today. Just like her, Paina had gotten much stronger than before. But¡­ ¡°You seem troubled. Still thinking about your fae counterpart?¡± ¡°Pinaca is dead. Her soul is gone and what¡¯s left is an empty shell. It¡¯s logical I should inhibit it but my heart sometimes has trouble coming to grips with it. I wonder if it''s really right of me to take over her body.¡± ¡°Frankly, I just think it¡¯s a legacy from your past. Your past has ties to the fae. You triumphed and inherited things from them. Do you not like your body?¡± ¡°Because I like it I have complex feelings. But enough about me. How about you?¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Farley confused. ¡°Not only me having inner turbulence. You also have a lot on your mind lately. Let me guess. Your demon eye, father, and sister?¡± Farley tried to stop a wry smile from forming but she failed. Just like Paina, she was adapting to her new circumstances. She and Paina both had new bodies that were different from the previous one. Furthermore, Paina had gotten a new affinity and she had gotten a demon eye. Getting used to them took time. The two talked while looting their hunt. No meat would go to waste. With the lantern magic item Viers lent to them, they also were able to collect souls for him. ¡°My eye won''t be an issue. My control gets better by the day.¡± When not in use, Farley now was able to return her eye to normal appearance. The red eye color was no longer the default look. ¡°Your father? What happened last night?¡± ¡°After discussing it with Gwen, we¡¯ve decided to send him off to the afterlife. Yesterday was our final closure, Paina.¡± Viers had her father¡¯s soul this whole time, since Luxore¡¯s destruction. He let Farley decide what to do with the man after he had no more use. Now her father was truly gone from this world. ¡°I see. Are you both doing alright?¡± ¡°For me, it feels liberating. An ungrateful daughter, right? Gwen, however, is sad.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope Luca¡¯s presence can help with that.¡± ¡°Mm-hm. Let¡¯s go back. Check up on Dia¡¯s work.¡± On the way back, Paina played her flute. The refreshing melody accompanied them on their way home, Luca¡¯s home. As guests, the least they could do was to gather their own meal. Paina, Farley, Gwen, and Dia were not acting with Viers at the moment. They were at Pecan Village, Luca¡¯s home. They had stayed in the Biome for a while and things were starting to get dull so they went to the outside world. Mostly for Gwen. Unlike them, Farley¡¯s little sister was too young for Pathseeker training and was bored out of her mind. At least here she could interact with her friend. Viers also supported this. Farley and Paina continued their training while also culling the monsters around the village, Dia revitalized the tree that repelled the monsters and would join Viers later, Gwen and Luca were happier in each other¡¯s company, Viers¡¯ hidden retreat if anything happened was safeguarded, everybody wins. ¡°You know, I miss being able to float and pass through things as a soul,¡± Farley said. ¡°Be mindful about that in battle, Paina. I almost tried to become incorporeal to create an opening earlier.¡± ¡°Lots has changed, my friend.¡± Paina smiled and materialized her fae wings and rose a few meters from the ground. ¡°But fortunately, I can still fly.¡± ¡°Cheater.¡± *** ¡°Master, look!¡± Boram pointed at a man fallen on the road. Boram dismounted and found the man severely injured and bleeding from the gut. He¡¯s still alive but with a wound like that¡­ ¡°Master, should we?¡± Help him? Viers wasn''t able to answer immediately. Hearing the conversation, the man regained consciousness. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Ghagh¡­¡± The man was coughing blood, his lungs were punctured, and he was on the verge of death. ¡°Hang on, sir,¡± Boram said. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°I am¡­ beyond saving¡­ rather¡­ help¡­ the v-village. I¡­ beg you¡­¡± The man breathed his last. Boram sighed in regret then closed the stranger¡¯s eyes. ¡°...Let¡¯s go, Boram. The village he talked about must be beyond this path.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Boram put the man¡¯s body inside his inventory item then the two of them galloped forward. The sound of mayhem was becoming clearer. The two left the horses behind in favor of stealth. What they saw was a village being sacked. Corpses littered the street. Even the women and children were not spared. The pair saw the perpetrators. Around twenty people. ¡°Bandits,¡± Boram said with disgust. ¡°Perhaps, but this kind of mass killing is not a bandit''s way of doing things.¡± Sure enough, there was one among them who used the deaths to gather power for their own ends. A cultist perhaps? That guy is pretty strong. ¡°Shall we end them, Master?¡± ¡°Are you acting because of your feelings, Boram?¡± Viers looked sternly. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re too eager. It is a dangerous thing to act without thinking about the consequences. The villagers are already all dead and those people are pretty strong. If you jump on them right now, it will result in a big battle for sure.¡± ¡°I can win,¡± Boram said. ¡°You might, but it will not be without cost, isn''t it? How many times has it been, Boram? In case you haven''t noticed, the kingdom is full of troubles. Will you fix every problem in this kingdom you encounter? In past instances I''ve allowed you to act as you please but not today. They are too close to your power level for you to crush them with impunity.¡± ¡°Forgive me, Master. I was brash.¡± After some time, the mysterious group left. Viers and Boram approached the ruined village with their steed in tow. ¡°There are other ways we can help. Let us lay them to rest.¡± ¡°Understood, Master.¡± Viers and Boram gathered the bodies and created a fire to cremate them, including the body of the man that Boram encountered earlier. Among the dead, there were Pathseekers. They''d fallen in battle to defend their home. The rite was done with respect. Naturally, Viers also respectfully gathered the souls of the departed. Later, after he munch-munch them a bit, he would help the souls pass on to the other side. The ¡®done with respect¡¯ part was important. There existed Arte or Profound Codex that would get stronger with indiscriminate killings. What happened in this village wasn''t special. While the pyre still burned, a contingent of knights approached on horses with breakneck speed. They had run their steed ragged and when they arrived, they saw Viers and Boram burning the dead. ¡°You bastards! What have you done!?¡± A young knight about 15, perhaps a squire, pounced upon them with a blade in hand. ¡°I know things must be a shock for you but there¡¯s been a misunderstanding,¡± Viers calmly said while jumping back to evade. ¡°You two will face justice by my hand!¡± The Level 1 fiercely said. Viers snorted and Boram stepped forward in front of him, ready to defend his master. Before the firecracker attacked, an older knight stopped him. ¡°Kilk, stand down!¡± His words were laced with power. ¡°But Captain-¡± ¡°Forgive the recklessness of my squire, stranger.¡± The older man removed his helmet and carried it with his left arm. ¡°I¡¯m Locke, a knight under the Baron of Mausser, leader of this company. May we know what happened here?¡± ¡°Hail, Sir Locke. I¡¯m Avel, a humble traveler. I¡¯ll be glad to inform you.¡± Viers told the knights what happened, giving a detailed description of the attackers, with their power estimate. ¡°I see. It¡¯s regrettable we didn''t arrive sooner. Thank you for doing this service to the departed,¡± Locke said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we couldn''t do more.¡± Viers said so and not really meant it. Boram said so and meant it. ¡°So you two just watched and sat on your thumbs?¡± the saddened squire said. ¡°Squire Kilk, control yourself,¡± Locke sharply said. ¡°I know, okay? I know¡­ But you still should have done something!¡± Viers and Boram returned no words. After screaming with a teary face, Kilk knelt on one of the bodies and sobbed. Viers heard he called the dead woman, mother. ¡°I pray you can forgive the lad, young Avel, young Boram. This was his village,¡± Locke sighed heavily. ¡°None of them deserve this.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive, sir.¡± The knight captain sent a pair of his knights to pursue, hoping they could find the trail of the ones responsible. The rest stayed in the village. The following cremation was done according to the Latias custom. ¡°On the road, I¡¯ve met many tragedies like this one, Sir Locke. Why is the condition in Latias so bad?¡± Boram asked. ¡°It saddens me to say this but that is indeed the case.¡± ¡°How come?¡± ¡°Because King Lahar is dead, lad, and the throne is empty. ¡± The knight captain watched the burning pyre with sad eyes, as if remembering the time gone by. ¡°Latias wasn''t always like this. There was a time when this kingdom was safe and prosperous. During the golden age not too long ago.¡± ¡°As a traveler from another land, forgive me for being frank but I cannot say the reign of King Lahar can be linked to any kind of golden age,¡± Viers interjected from the side. ¡°Right you are, lad. I talk about the reign of King Lahar''s predecessor, King Luthor. King Lahar only reigned for six years but the son easily crumbled the tower his father had carefully raised.¡± ¡°I still don''t understand,¡± Boram frowned. ¡°It¡¯s a simple thing, disciple. When someone leads poorly, the men under him suffer,¡± Viers said. ¡°So King Lahar is a bad king?¡± ¡°Aye,¡± Locke said. ¡°But do not say it lightly, lad. When the wrong people hear you saying things like that, they might cut your tongue.¡± ¡°King Lahar is dead so who¡¯s the new king?¡± Boram asked again. ¡°The king¡¯s hundred sons and daughters still fight for that title,¡± Locke said with a tired tone. ¡°It has been two years.¡± ¡°A hundred children? Whoa¡­¡± Boram was amazed. ¡°The other nobles are also busy playing the game of power and so the people do not receive the proper attention. The result is what you saw, disciple.¡± They watched the pyre in silence. Viers was hoping he would get more info. Such things he already knew from the soul-searched Latisians along the way. ¡°Captain, a word.¡± ¡°Excuse me, you two.¡± Locke was called by a knight and he retreated to talk privately. But Viers had super ears. Apparently the knight had found evidence the attackers were hunting someone. ¡°Could the rumors that there''s a royal around these parts be true?¡± Locke muttered softly. ¡­A member of the royal family? Hmm, a news worth hearing. Chapter 339 - Politeness ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a weather,¡± Viers said with resignation. ¡°Whoa! A cow monster got swept up by the wind! Master, look!¡± Boram pointed with amazement. ¡°Guess we have to stay here for a while.¡± Viers and Boram were traveling to places that were rumored to have soul-healing properties to awaken Clarissa¡¯s comatose soul. The destination was mostly Power Spots in the wilderness, such as the ruined temple they were in. The path here was treacherous and the weather was very extreme thanks to the abnormal mana in the region. It took quite a bit of effort from the pair to make the journey. After clearing the monster-infested dilapidated temple not unlike a classic game dungeon, Viers reached his destination. In the deepest reaches of the temple, they found a mural. It depicted a god of old with an unknown name. It was still working despite the picture having been quite damaged by the cruel hand of time. The mural indeed had an effect on the soul, Viers and Boram both felt it directly and gained some benefits from visiting it but it was not enough to heal Clarissa. This is the tenth place¡­ At this rate, should I try true love¡¯s kiss? But Viers¡¯ true love was currently power chasing so it was useless for Clarissa either way. He put the idea to the back of his mind. As they were exiting the temple, they were attacked by stormy weather. ¡°Fuu! Fuuuuuu!¡± ¡°Someone is happy at least,¡± Viers smiled looking at the cloud elemental dancing in the wind outside. ¡°Don''t go too far, okay?¡± The two sat on the floor and meditated in silence, furthering their respective Pathseeker way. It was almost second nature to them, a couple of hours doing this was nothing. The temple¡¯s enchantments provided shelter. The rumbling was quite loud but the old temple stood strong. Viers was thankful for that. He maintained a steady mind despite the howling winds. ¡°Fuu! Fuu!¡± Futon came back quite agitated. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Master?¡± Boram asked because Viers made a face. ¡°Futon says there are people coming this way. On your guard.¡± Just as he said, two people in traveler¡¯s garb emerged from all the wind and dust approaching the temple. Futon already hid inside Viers¡¯ badge. ¡°We made it. Hurry, young lord. The temple must be near.¡± the older of the two said while looking behind him. ¡°Yes¡­ Alfred, there¡¯s people ahead,¡± the younger said. According to his physique and voice, he should be a young teen. ¡°What?¡± The one called Alfred didn''t expect the presence of Viers and Boram in the temple. Alfred took a measure of the two. In his eyes, Viers and Boram were Level 2 Pathseekers. He was especially surprised that a child-like Boram that should not be walking the Path of Power was already a Level 2. Viers¡¯ face was masked but he should be around 18 years old, Level 2 was normal. Alfred frowned, these two were unknown variables. Just when he couldn''t afford it. ¡°You two,¡± Alfred said. ¡°You should leave post-haste. This place will soon become a battleground.¡± ¡°We¡¯re sorry to bring this upon you,¡± the teen said. ¡°But if you stay, you might get implicated. Please hurry, while they haven''t seen you.¡± Viers looked at the wary Level 4 and the non-Pathseeker. His thoughts were hidden. ¡°Even if you say so, where are we going to go?¡± The roaring winds had gotten fiercer as if nature was answering Viers¡¯ question. The boy was only able to survive the mana hurricane because the Level 4 was protecting him. For all intents and purposes, Level 2 was truly powerless before such a wrath of nature. ¡°I know it is a tall order but there¡¯s a Level 4 among those who seek us,¡± Alfred said to Viers. ¡°It might be better for you to brave the storm.¡± Alfred expected the two to panic but their expression was normal. He found it odd but the teen rustled up a ring from his possession and gave it to Viers. ¡°This ring should be able to protect you both. These people are dangerous. Go on. Quickly!¡± ¡°Wait, that¡¯s-!¡± Alfred wanted to protest but the teen stopped him. ¡°I don''t want any more people to die because of me.¡± Further development was halted because a group of people approached them. They were protected by a magical bubble. The closer to the temple, the milder the winds became. Once they were near the entrance, the winds were mild enough to not warrant such magical protection. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Tsk! They¡¯re already here!¡± Alfred removed his cloak. ¡°Scum¡­¡± The teen scowled at the group of nine people with hate in his eyes. ¡°Is the hide and seek over already, Your Highness?¡± A man stepped forward. He was a Level 4 with a murderous aura. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Boram gasped and glanced at the two. ¡°Wait, it doesn''t matter right now. Master, aren''t they¡­¡± Viers stayed silent. He¡¯d seen these people. They were the ones that killed the villagers a few days back. ¡°If you want me, come after me! Why massacre the villagers?¡± The teen said. ¡°Set the bushes on fire to lure the rabbit to the open. It¡¯s simple hunting tactics, young prince. And so here you are. It only took four villages. I figured it would take more. I suppose I overestimated your protector.¡± Viers thought he got a grasp of the situation. These people were chasing the two people in hiding. They burned the villages around the area. Shouldered with guilt and not wanting other people to get implicated anymore, the young teen who was most likely a prince, went to a remote site, which was here. ¡°Killing a royal is a severe crime, even for your cult. You think you can bear the repercussions?¡± Alfred readied his sword. ¡°Heh,¡± the opponent Level 4 shrugged. ¡°There are hundreds of you so who cares if one or two little mice go missing? Besides, my employer is also a royal.¡± Alfred and the prince looked shocked. ¡°I¡¯ll have you spit out the name from your death throes, Traitorous Knight Gram!¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve been avoiding me all this time, I thought the rumor of your valor is exaggerated. Looks like there¡¯s still some bite left in you. Come!¡± ¡°Imaginary Domain!¡± Alfred and Gram clashed. Unexpectedly, the former used darkness while the latter light. Viers caught a glimpse before their Domain obscured their figure. The other eight with Gram were also swallowed by the two raised Domains. The young prince, Viers, and Boram were left. Witnessing the clash between Level 4s brought back memories of Valkut inside Viers. Domain, huh? I also want one soon. Domain Expaaaansion! Yeah! Because Viers was Viers, he already chose his hand seal. Unlike that series, it wasn''t necessary to invoke the Domain but Viers wanted it as a symbolic gesture. ¡°Well, shouldn''t we use this chance to run?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Alfred will be okay, but it might be best if you two take the chance to run. The ring should give you a safe passage. Stay safe.¡± ¡°Welp, I take that back.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Viers gestured with his chin, in that direction, three more people were in hiding. They were with Gram. One Level 3 and two Level 2s. ¡°Stay behind me!¡± The prince activated a magical barrier using an enchanted item covering all three of them. For a non-Pathseeker, he was quite brave in his actions in Viers'' eyes. Although, he was a bit reckless since he included strangers in the barrier. If Viers wanted to harm him, it would be over there and then. Normally, only Pathseekers were able to use magical items. Those usable by non-Pathseeker were much rarer and more expensive. Since he''s a prince, it wasn''t impossible. ¡°That should hold them off until alfred¡­ Oh no! How can this be?¡± The barrier was strong, comparable to Viers¡¯ own Level 4 insurance. It was usable multiple times to boot. By all means it was plenty to hold off the three attackers but they too had a magical item. The black spear that they got was slowly penetrating the prince¡¯s barrier. At last, the shadow of worry clouded the teen¡¯s face. ¡°That spear is enchanted in a very specific way, as if specialized to break this one barrier¡­ Guess someone that knows you have this barrier gave them the key to open it.¡± Viers¡¯ words implied that one of the prince¡¯s relatives truly was the one behind this. ¡°Don''t hate us, kid,¡± one of the assassins said. ¡°This is just a job.¡± ¡°If you want to blame someone, blame your fate for being born as a cheap royal.¡± The prince didn''t answer. Well now, what should I do in this situation? Viers pondered. ¡°Master, what should we do?¡± Boram asked but Viers told him to be silent with a hand gesture. A crack appeared on the prince¡¯s barrier. It would only be a matter of time. Viers heard the prince take a deep breath and he faced Viers before bowing his head. ¡°My name is Croix Ash Latias. 51st son of King Lahar Ludwig Latias of the Latias Kingdom. Despite my title and birth, I am a weak person that requires protection. That said, my standing allows me to have unique privileges. I beg you both to lend me your aid.¡± Croix spoke clearly and without hesitation to two strangers he¡¯d never met. ¡°Why do you ask us for help?¡± Viers opened his mouth. ¡°Because even in this situation you keep calm and show no fear.¡± ¡°Maybe because they aren''t targeting me? Have you thought about that?¡± Viers said. ¡°Maybe. I could be wrong but these brutes massacred villages just because we spent the night, even children were not spared. I don''t believe they¡¯ll leave you alone.¡± ¡°Oi oi, brother, don''t tell me you got a heroic intent inside your head.¡± the Level 3 pushing the spear said. ¡°We just want the princeling.¡± ¡°Don''t make a decision that you might regret.¡± ¡°Let us do our job and we¡¯ll leave you be.¡± Viers was impressed by their shamelessness. One of them was wearing a necklace made of severed ears, considering the size, those weren''t ears from adults. ¡°PRINCEEE!!!¡± Further away, Alfred broke out of the Domain with his hand extended because he sensed his lord was in danger. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Gram pushed Alfred''s head to the ground. Half of Gram¡¯s men were already dead and the rest were heavily injured but Alfred was tied down by Gram and unable to assist in time. In the end, it was up to Viers. Every second Viers didn''t answer, Croix''s nervousness grew. He didn''t want to die. It was that simple. The black spear punctured the barrier and it crumbled with the sound of shattered glass. It was about to run through Croix¡¯s chest from the side. Viers stopped the spear with one hand. ¡°See Boram? Be polite. Be respectful. That is how you should treat others, especially strangers that you don''t know. That can be the difference between dying like a dog or a helping hand.¡± Boram already punched the other two assassins away with his fist before Viers finished talking. ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made a terrible mistake, brother,¡± the one with the black spear said. ¡°Who the hell is your brother?¡± Viers made the guy fly backward with a Force Lightning to the face. Chapter 340 - Lightning? The battle was on. Viers and his apprentice threw their hat into the ring. As soon as it began, a Level 3 Pathseeker had his head charred black by lightning. His brain was fried and he was dead. Or so Viers expected to happen. ¡°Ho, you¡¯re still alive.¡± According to circumstances, it should be safe to say that the gang was from the Assassin Guild, also known as Bone Ravens in some circles. Members of the cult were worshipers of the Devil God of Darkness, Banbenxi. Not any run-of-the-mill hitmen could rise in the cult¡¯s murderous environment. The fact that Viers'' strike only eviscerated half of his face was proof of his ability. His Unreality Field was just barely able to preserve his life. His next course of action was correct too. He immediately retreated without delay after sensing the difference in power. And yet, Viers killed him all the same with a second thunderbolt. Viers wasn''t the sort of guy that let his target go by blabbering his mouth. Sometimes against an overwhelming difference in power, there was nothing you could do. Viers always killed because he had a reason to. Reducing the number of enemies and getting the precious human soul would do wonders for his future prospects. He sneakily gathered the souls of Gram¡¯s subordinates that Alfred killed too. Wasting food was unwise and ungrateful. He put much effort into his collecting skill -Subtle Soul Gravity Arte- so he could do this without others knowing. It was a bit of a heresy in the eyes of the majority of people after all. He still didn''t have the strength to do it openly so he was being stealthy. It was only a crime if you got caught. Even the Level 4s didn''t notice. Boram killed one while the other Level 2 escaped, he only lost one hand against Viers¡¯ disciple. The remaining of Gram¡¯s men were regrouping behind the Level 4 while the prince¡¯s guardian was back at his liege¡¯s side, showing much concern and checking that he was okay. Boram, on the other hand, was facing the assassins holding the warhammer Bone Crusher, but he was giving Viers a sideways glance. Since when can Master Avel use lightning? Isn''t he a water Pathseeker? Was it an item¡­? No, that does not seem to be the case. He saw the lightning come from Viers¡¯ palm and not from some trinket. His master sometimes used magic items, usually things that caught his fancy after he defeated the former owner. But after using them a few times, he no longer used them. The reason being those ordinary magic items were much weaker than Master¡¯s own Artes so their usefulness lessened greatly in his master¡¯s eyes. Boram thought maybe his master gained a second affinity. He¡¯d heard that was possible. Straight out lightning 5, considering the potency of the lightning attack he saw earlier. He didn''t think it was ridiculous at all. His master was too unfathomable in Boram¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m okay, Alfred. They saved me.¡± ¡°Thank the gods you¡¯re safe, my prince. I¡¯m sorry you were in any danger at all. It¡¯s all because of my incompetence!¡± Seeing his plot had failed, Gram was pretty annoyed. ¡°Aaa aaah, that''s it then. Hey you! Yeah you two,¡± Gram pointed at Viers and Boram with his weapon. ¡°You just cost me a ridiculous amount of money and the lives of my men. Give me one good reason I shouldn''t cut your head off.¡± ¡°Gram, was it?¡± Viers cocked his head. ¡°Are you stronger than Lykin the Lighteater?¡± ¡°...What¡¯s it to you?¡± Gram wasn''t expecting he heard that question from the Level 3 stranger that posed as a Level 2. ¡°You got beef with her or something?¡± ¡°Kind of,¡± Viers remembered the deal he made with the female assassin that targeted Ciel and took her blood. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Never met her but I know the name. Of course I''m stronger,¡± Gram said with a grunt. ¡°...No you¡¯re not,¡± Viers said after seconds of silence, as if he had measured and weighed a fish from a fish shop. Gram bulged a vein. ¡°That¡¯s it, you¡¯re going to die. Your fault for being smug.¡± ¡°Well then,¡± Viers turned to Alfred. ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you to handle the Level 4 brute, good sir. We¡¯ll handle the others.¡± Viers said it with a big wide smile. ¡°Huh? After all that talk I thought you were going to fight him!¡± Alfred said. ¡°How can I? I¡¯m just a lowly Level 3, as you can see.¡± ¡°You were Level 2 earlier!¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°So suddenly I should be a Level 4?¡± Viers tried to look surprised. ¡°That¡¯s my wish too but the world is not so convenient.¡± ¡°Enough of this farce!¡± the ridiculous banter enraged Gram and he charged. ¡°Dark Shadow Formation!¡± The men under him got into formation and invoked some sort of Arte, a group type. ¡°Young Lord, get back!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Croix raised his barrier again. This time enveloping the black spear near his feet. The lock was now inside the safe. ¡°All of you, be careful.¡± The two top powerhouses clashed again, without enclosing themselves in a Domain this time. The remaining five enemies were cloaked in a dark aura and their power increased quite a bit but Viers and Boram stepped up to meet them head-on. Viers was not using water or his sword, instead, he stood behind Boram and slung ranged Artes like a mage. When the enemy managed to slip past Boram, Viers repelled them with an electric barrier. In the eyes of enemies and allies, he certainly wasn''t an amateur utilizing lightning. Even though it was Boram¡¯s first time seeing his master using the lightning element, their coordination wasn''t hampered. His role didn''t change and his master¡¯s follow-ups were spot on. Those five felt like they were trying to push through an iron electric wall with their naked bodies. A futile effort. Flashy as the Level 3s¡¯ fight might be, it was pale in comparison with the clash of light and darkness of the two Level 4 combatants. Alfred was launching lances of darkness that struck out from Gram¡¯s shadows while Gram was counterattacking with his three globes of light that shot laser beams. The battle went on, the intensity made the roaring winds of the storm all around them seem insignificant. Gram and Alfred were equal but the five were not the master-disciple¡¯s match, yet they were still able to put up a good fight. It was because they were burning their life force. Croix feared for the two. ¡°Watch out! They¡¯re using a Forbidden Arte!¡± Not only that, they were using some dangerous doping drug, injecting a syringe of suspicious liquid into their necks. As a result their movement didn''t seem human anymore and the sense of pain seemed to be gone from their brains. ¡°Oi oi,¡± Viers sighed. ¡°You''re all gonna die, ya know?¡± ¡°TarGet¡­ mUsT¡­ DiE¡­¡± said one guy while puking blood and bloodshot eyes. ¡°This is why I don''t like fanatics,¡± a focused lightning emerged from Viers¡¯ index and middle fingers. The man had a hole between his eyes and fell dead. With their numbers decreasing, the likelihood they would get to Croix was plummeting further. Gram was sending side attacks towards Viers and Boram during the fight but Alfred always swatted them down before reaching the pair. And then the Level 4s injured each other. They exchanged hits at the same time. ¡°Damn it all! Retreat!¡± With Gram¡¯s command, the assassins scattered and ran into the storm. ¡°Stay!¡± Boram tried to give chase. His hammer was about to land on a guy. But he missed because the target seemed to sink into his own shadow. It was an Arte that Viers knew very well, Fade in Shadow Arte. Viers didn''t give chase. It wasn''t impossible but it would be a bit difficult with the storm and all. Besides, they had a Level 4. As much as Viers loathed to miss the chance to procure human souls, he got a working brain. The greedy part of him urged him to try anyway. Gram was injured and he was strong. He might have a chance to gain a precious Level 4 soul. It was certainly not impossible. Naaah¡­ Not today. ¡°Alfred!¡± Exhaling in relief after the enemies had left, Croix dispelled his barrier and worriedly ran to his guardian who was lying on the ground with a dagger lodged deep into his thigh. Viers deduced the prince must value his protector very much. ¡°Young Lord, watch out!¡± A projectile went toward Croix, straight to his head. Alfred was injured so he was unable to react in time while Boram wasn''t able to react at all. Viers stopped the arrow in time, catching it by the shaft. The arrowhead dripped with a potent poison. With Euryale Sight, he saw a retreating hidden assassin that was invisible. Possibly that guy had lain hidden since the start. Close one¡­ ¡°T-thank you very much,¡± Croix said with a slightly trembling voice. He had a brush with death. ¡°Don''t let your guard down after a victory,¡± Viers said to Croix and Boram. ¡°It is actually a very dangerous moment.¡± If straight-up killing wasn''t possible, that¡¯s what I would have done. After the battle was truly over and they¡¯d tended to Alfred¡¯s wounds, they had some time to talk. ¡°Once again, I thank you for your timely assistance. I cannot thank you enough,¡± Croix said. ¡°I also extend my gratitude for protecting the young lord,¡± Alfred bowed. His wounds were quite severe so he wasn''t back at 100% percent yet. ¡°May we know your name?¡± Croix asked. ¡°I¡¯m Avel of Javia.¡± ¡°And his disciple, Boram Rockboa,¡± Boram followed. ¡°Shouldn''t you bow and remove your mask before speaking to the prince? It¡¯s improper,¡± Alfred was displeased. ¡°Alfred, it¡¯s fine. Mister Avel surely has a reason. We don''t need to pry. The valor of you both is unmatched. I have nothing but praise for-¡± ¡°Apologies for cutting in, Prince Croix, but I believe we should leave the place without delay. Those guys might return with reinforcements,¡± Viers cut out the customary noble talk. Perhaps the prince meant well and tried to be polite but this was not the time. ¡°Avel, you¡¯re awfully rude to His Highness. Please show him the proper respect for his status.¡± What status is that I wonder? The status of a runaway prince that got hunted by assassins, traveling in secret with nothing but a single guard? Doesn''t say much about his status, does it? ¡°There¡¯s no need for the stifling court courtesy, Alfred. There¡¯s no one here other than us. Besides, Mister Avel is absolutely correct. Are you well enough to travel?¡± ¡°You don''t need to concern yourself with me, prince. I¡¯ll manage¡­ ugh!¡± Alfred stumbled when he tried to walk. ¡°Boram can carry him if the need arises.¡± Boram nodded. ¡°Nonsense! This little wound is nothing.¡± Viers ignored him and asked the prince. ¡°Where are you going? Do you have a destination in mind?¡± ¡°I do. We are heading to Stormberg. There¡¯s someone I want to meet there,¡± Croix said while holding his satchel closer. ¡°Stormberg? What a coincidence. I¡¯m heading that way too.¡± Chapter 341 - With a Vengeance The party of two had become four. Alfred was injured but he still exerted himself to protect the four of them through the worst part of the storm. After the wind had significantly died down some distance later, the Level 4 still refused to rest. ¡°Boram, look.¡± ¡°Is that a body? Ah, it¡¯s one of them assassins, Master.¡± Boram approached the fallen body beside the road. It was a shriveled husk. ¡°It might be booby-trapped. Stay away, Boram.¡± ¡°What happened to him?¡± Croix asked. ¡°He used a Forbidden Arte and the toll was too much for his body. He¡¯s too far gone so those guys left him to die, I suppose¡­ Yep, his inventory ring and anything of value is gone.¡± ¡°They didn''t try to save him?¡± Croix looked at the dead man with pity. ¡°It might be more trouble than it''s worth for them,¡± Viers callously replied. ¡°Healing is expensive, resource-wise.¡± ¡°Master, what exactly are Forbidden Artes? I¡¯ve heard the term before but¡­¡± ¡°Artes that are dangerous to the user or socially unacceptable. Sometimes both. For example, this guy used the life force burning kind, the most common Forbidden Arte. It is a dangerous act usually saved as a last resort. It¡¯s forbidden for a reason. It cracks your foundation as a Pathseeker. There are many other long-term demerits in exchange for short-term benefits. Just look at this guy¡¯s sorry state. The other common kind is the berserking type. Not all of the berserk Arte are forbidden, only those that are very extreme.¡± Viers stuffed the body into his inventory item for corpses after checking there were no problems with it. The Level 3 body could be used as nutrients for Dia or soil for the Biome. The soul did need not be mentioned, Viers was always in demand for souls. Quite full of resentment in this one. He felt his death was unjustified and his life unfulfilled. ¡°What about the socially unacceptable kind?¡± Boram asked while they were walking. ¡°Pathseekers wield great strength. It is important to not use that strength irresponsibly. Artes that have a great range of uncontrollable destruction, disease-spreading, demon-summoning, raising the dead, and the like are Forbidden Artes.¡± The one who answered was Alfred. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Boram was in deep contemplation. ¡°There¡¯s also the human-sacrificing kind, although using other sentient species such as dwarves and beastfolks is just as unacceptable. It is usually a ritual type Arte. Slaughtering children to empower some sick ceremony or whatnot. And yet, as you experienced it yourself, Forbidden Artes are powerful. Be careful when facing someone using them or you¡¯ll fall victim to them,¡± Viers added. ¡°Shouldn''t the rulers ban those kinds of Artes? Stop their distribution and prevent others from learning them?¡± The prince didn''t like them. ¡°They are, Young Lord,¡± Alfred said. ¡°People that are caught using Forbidden Arte are heavily punished in Latias and every other nation. Teaching Forbidden Artes is similarly a crime.¡± ¡°But it will never go away,¡± Viers inserted. ¡°Those who got Forbidden Artes hide the fact they have them.¡± ¡°...Mister Avel is correct,¡± Alfred confirmed. ¡°B-but why? Won''t the world be better if there¡¯s no Forbidden Arte?¡± ¡°As long as there are people seeking greater power, Forbidden Artes will never go away,¡± Viers answered with certainty. Why, the man was a hoarder of Forbidden Artes. ¡°Even without Forbidden Artes, a Level 5 can go into a city and murder everyone inside. Chances are, no one can stop him. Just bad people.¡± ¡°Good point, disciple. There are people that did that in history. But people are so disgusted by the act that this kind of Pathseeker is universally hunted and put down like a rabid animal. That is why there¡¯s still civilization on this continent. After all, no sane man wants to live in a broken world.¡± ¡°How can people think of doing such a sinful thing¡­¡± Croix said in a small voice. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Speaking of sin, the Estellian Church is also a factor. They have the biggest stick, and bonk sinners they deem unacceptable in their book. And oh what a big stick they have. Yes, sinner sinner beware. You don''t need to be overly worried, Prince Croix.¡± Viers gave a smile and a nod. *** They stayed off the road as they were hunted which made travel difficult. That was before factoring in the wounded. ¡°Alfred, you must rest! This is an order!¡± ¡°Forgive me, Young Lord, but I cannot obey that order. Not when your safety is still at risk.¡± Besides the unseen threat of the previous assassins, the Level 4 was wary of the two strangers. He couldn''t let the young prince unguarded and fall asleep. It wasn''t a bad call but as a result, his condition wasn''t getting any better and even worsened. Normally, battles among Pathseekers resulted in injuries that were hard to heal. Some cases even lasted for years or decades. *** A day later. ¡°We should be safe now. There¡¯s a small village nearby. Should we rest there?¡± Viers said. Croix and Alfred, who was in terrible condition, were riding Viers and Boram¡¯s horses while the owners were on foot. ¡°No, we should keep going,¡± Alfred insisted. His face was blue and his wounds had discolored. Pathseekers still needed sustenance and rest but there were ways to mitigate that. The viable ways were stocking rations in the bag of holding and Artes that made the user not need sleep for a time or make one hour of sleep as good as six hours. The party of four traveled without stopping but even that had limits. ¡°Look man, your loyalty is commendable but you¡¯re no use to your lord half-dead. Or full-dead soon. Unless you plan on becoming an undead. Stormberg is still three days away, and that is with the road. We cannot use roads. You won''t last.¡± ¡°Mister Avel is correct. I¡¯ll not allow you to kill yourself with stubbornness, Alfred.¡± ¡°Ghh¡­ As you will, my lord.¡± ¡°Good. Then let''s get going.¡± ¡°Wait, Mister Avel, we can''t go there,¡± Croix said. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid those people will massacre them again,¡± Croix looked down. ¡°We can''t let uninvolved people be put at risk.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s okay for involved people like me and Boram to be put at risk?¡± Viers asked. ¡°T-that¡¯s not-¡± Croix looked genuinely surprised. He did not have this thought in his mind. Might be because of his highborn upbringing. They usually had vassals to do their bidding and not get a no. ¡°Avel, watch your language when speaking to the prince¡­¡± Alfred warned. Viers didn''t turn his face away from Croix but showed a teasing smile. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. Let us find someplace to camp before the sun sets. Away from public eyes.¡± The way they made an ordinary camp, tents and the like, was disappointing to Viers. He expected them to have a spatial safe room or something similar but their supplies seemed to be even poorer than Viers¡¯. Even Viers had the Picture Room, how could a royal and a Level 4 not? It did not bode well for their condition. He expected more from them. Else, how could he get good things from them? Viers didn''t show his dissatisfaction on his face. At any rate, because he also didn''t want to get attacked while resting, he raised a strong barrier around them, for protection and obfuscation. After eating and resting, late in the night, the prince approached Viers who was keeping watch. Boram had just swapped sleep time with his master and Alfred was in deep sleep because of his wounds. The guardian had warned Croix of the danger that Viers possessed and urged him not to do anything rash. It was good advice that Viers couldn''t fault him for. ¡°I want to apologize for my conduct. Somewhere in my head, I felt your assistance was warranted. Even though you and your disciple aren''t sworn to me or owe allegiance,¡± Croix said. Viers hummed in reply. ¡°We still haven''t discussed terms,¡± Croix continued. ¡°How may I thank you for your aid? Say anything you want, wealth, status-¡± ¡°Are those yours to give, Your Highness?¡± Croix didn''t answer. Viers¡¯ question caught him off guard. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you, Prince Croix. I saved you because I¡¯m expecting something in return and not out of the goodness in my heart¡­ That, and you were polite. It showed your character.¡± Viers leaned closer to Croix who sat across the magic item substituting the campfire. ¡°I have things that I want but I doubt you¡¯re in any condition to fulfill them. For now, let us focus on reaching Stormberg. You said you¡¯ll be safe there, are you certain of this?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m certain.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it upon myself to see you arrive there in one piece. Even if you doubt my loyalty, have no fear, Highness. The prospect of those assassins having things that I want is far too low for me to throw my lot with them. I¡¯m not seeking something as simple as gold, after all.¡± Croix felt Viers was telling the truth. ¡°Very well, Mister Avel. I¡¯ll be counting on you. In the end, I''ll see to it you¡¯re fairly compensated.¡± *** At noon the next day¡­ ¡°Heads up, we¡¯ve got company,¡± Viers said. ¡°Is it them?¡± Croix tightened his hood. ¡°Have the assassins caught up to us?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Viers looked at the group of armored men. ¡°They are-¡± ¡°Aha! Found you at last!¡± One of them pointed his finger. ¡°You shall answer for your crimes!¡± ¡°You¡¯re that guy from before!¡± Boram exclaimed. ¡°Hussein!¡± ¡°Hoffstein!¡± The man corrected. And he was back with a vengeance. Chapter 342 - Blue Hounds The previous night, two people got a message almost at the same time. A man behind a desk got handed a letter by his subordinates. At another place, a woman saw a writing that appeared on her mirror. Their expressions darkened upon seeing the news. ¡°Send forth the knights,¡± they both said. ¡°He¡¯s bound to Stormberg. Find him!¡± *** Prince Croix Ash Latias, the 51st in line to the throne, knew people were hunting him. He thought these knights were here for him. After hearing what the one called Hoffstein said to the pair of mysterious Pathseekers beside him, it seemed he was mistaken. ¡°And what crimes are you talking about, hm?¡± The masked man that called himself Avel said. ¡°He attacked a Knight!¡± Hoffstein exclaimed quite passionately while pointing at Boram. ¡°That shall not go unanswered. The Blue Hounds Knightly Order will see to it that justice be done!¡± Was it true? Croix wondered. He got the impression that the pair, especially Boram¡¯s master, Avel, didn''t particularly respect the status of others. If he could speak in a frank manner towards him, a prince, then he must have an even lower regard for knights who were not even true members of the noble caste. ¡°Blue Hounds Knightly Order¡­¡± Avel observed the eleven people with Hoffstein. ¡°And you all buy his story? What do you have to say for yourself?¡± ¡°We don''t have to say anything to you,¡± a man who wore an emblem on his armor stepped forth. That meant he was the Knight Captain of the order. ¡°You attacked a knight who was on duty. Now surrender yourself and follow us for questioning. Failure to comply will result in a forceful submission.¡± The one called Hoffstein grinned from ear to ear. ¡°Knight Hoffstein spoke of you two but not the other two,¡± he looked at Croix. ¡°What is your relationship with them?¡± ¡°We¡­¡± Croix hesitated to answer. ¡°I know what¡¯s going on,¡± Avel interrupted with quite a loud voice. ¡°I get that Hussein most likely fed you his lies and you all swallowed it wholesale.¡± ¡°...I will not allow slander and insult to the Blue Hounds,¡± the Knight Captain¡¯s hand moved to his sword. His men looked ready to battle too. ¡°False accusations-¡± This is bad, thought Croix. ¡°Here¡¯s your proof.¡± Avel produced a magic item that showed a recording of what resulted in a quarrel with Hoffstein. He acted barbarously toward a girl and Boram intervened. ¡°Oi, this is different from the story.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this, Hoff?¡± ¡°You said you found two suspicious guys, wanted to examine them, then they struck you with deadly Artes without warning!¡± ¡°You lied to us!?¡± ¡°No! I¡­ I¡­ That¡¯s a fake recording! My comrades, don''t be deceived!¡± While the Knights of the Blue Hounds were shaken, Avel talked to Boram. ¡°Trash tier villains usually employ tactics like this, cheap lies. It is wise to take proof of what actually happened. Remember this for the future cause you¡¯ll definitely meet another of Hussein''s kind. They are like cockroaches. They are everywhere.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remember your teaching, Master.¡± ¡°You,¡± The Knight Captain said to Hoffstein after shaking off his uncertainty. ¡°You and I will have a conversation that you won''t like. And you.¡± He faced Avel next. ¡°The fact you let your ward attack a knight despite not having the authority to do so remains a crime. Follow me for questioning.¡± Croix felt a rising anger in his chest. ¡°Blue Hounds! Have you lost all sight of chivalry!? And you still call yourselves Latias Knights!? Cease this shameful conduct at once!¡± ¡°...Who¡¯s the kid?¡± A knight in the back whispered. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°The older but powerless Idler kid. The younger one seems to be a Pathseeker, oddly.¡± ¡°No idea.¡± ¡°Chivalry? What¡¯s that? Can you eat it?¡± They didn''t even show a tiny bit of remorse. Croix was disgusted. Powerless¡­ Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! That word stung. ¡°Men, take them away,¡± the Knight Captain ordered. ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough. Boram, crush ¡®em.¡± ¡°Acknowledged!¡± Boram dashed forward like a small tank laying waste to infantry, putting himself in the center of the melee. ¡°Young Lord, get behind me,¡± Alfred moved in front of Croix. ¡°Wait, Avel, there¡¯s no need for violence! Let me talk to them. I can-¡± ¡°No can do,¡± Avel said. ¡°Against some people, the only way to get through to them is through violence.¡± Croix saw in Avel¡¯s eyes that the belief had seeped into his bones. ¡°This is my matter. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± *** ¡°Holy Shit! What is this kid made of? My lance can''t pierce his skin!¡± ¡°Gwaagh!¡± ¡°Jason down! Jason down!¡± ¡°Hoffstein you lying bastard, get in there and fight!¡± Boram raised an Onix with his Arte and messed up the company of Level 2 and 3 knights. Viers reckoned Boram got his part handled. His only concern was the Knight Captain who was a Level 3 peak. ¡°Guess what? You kicked a steel pole. Not how you thought your day would go, did you?¡± Viers taunted. ¡°It is unpleasant.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°The way you talk to me so brazenly. You should address me as Sir and speak to me with respect!¡± The Knight Captain attacked Viers with his sword, coated with water magic. ¡°What part of you is worthy of respect, old man?¡± Viers defended using a lightning barrier. Their techniques clashed and resulted in a knockback. ¡°A mere commoner acts like he¡¯s better, know your place!¡± The Knight Captain moved with high speed, appearing behind Viers. As his blade was converging on Viers¡¯ neck, he missed. The Knight Captain chained his first strike into a second and a third and so on. However, his enemy eluded them with ease, as if he had an eye on the back of his head. ¡°This is just sad. What, you got a little talent so you become a Level 3, reach a little success and become a Knight Captain, and this makes you proud? To be a tiny bit above the ground on the social ladder is enough to make you cling to your status so vehemently? Have you lost your mind, dude?¡± ¡°A commoner bowing to a noble is the correct order of the world.¡± Water and lightning danced. ¡°Just a lower nobility. Is it really that important to you? Like, really really matter? You''re nothing without it?¡± ¡°Endless Wavefall!¡± ¡°Pathetic.¡± Viers fought without using a weapon. He evaded the Knight Captain¡¯s lunge by ducking low then grabbed his ankle. He threw the man, armor and all, into a rock pillar that Boram had raised nearby. Viers used the time the Captain took reorienting himself to Force Lightning him. ¡°Bad luck to you,¡± The Knight Captain didn''t seem greatly affected by the electric blast. ¡°Water is weak to lightning, but my armor is enchanted to be lightning resistant. This barely tickles me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Viers narrowed his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s usele¡­ Eh?¡± The Knight Captain felt hotter. Viers¡¯ lightning slowly rose in intensity and heat. The lightning¡¯s color was changing from yellow to red. The noise of cracking plasma was blaring in his ears. The smell of ozone was getting stronger and the ground around him was turning to glass. Even his Unreality Field was getting frayed. How could the lower leveled boy be so much stronger than him? It was illogical! Then his life-saving items started breaking. It was the last straw. ¡°Wait-¡± Viers sent a stronger jolt without hesitation. Was there even any other choice? After the strands of destructive energy died down, what was left of the Knight Captain was his exposed bones from stomach to head. Melting and smoking. On the other part of his body, the remains of his armor had fused with his skin because of the heat. ¡°Shock and awe,¡± Viers said coldly, as he blew his fingers that emitted smoke. The one-liner was reserved for after his opponent was dead. So what if the dead couldn''t hear him? ¡°Whether it is as a man or knight, you have failed terribly.¡± Guess the voltage is too strong? I ruined the flesh. Seeing all that, Alfred was amazed at Viers¡¯ skill. He had known other Level 4s with less skill in the lightning arts than Viers. He had sensed it from the start, the hidden smell of danger from the masked youth. The question was, will he be an ally or a foe? Boram had defeated half of the Blue Hounds. The other half watched their captain get cooked alive with lightning. ¡°Hells and Damnations!¡± ¡°Run!¡± They tried to run away but Boram got half and Viers¡¯ chain lightning paralyzed the rest. There were six members of the Blue Hounds still alive, including Hoffstein. ¡°Now then Boram, lesson time. You let this piece of shit live the other day and now he¡¯s back. These are the consequences of your actions. He cried to his friends and superiors then sought revenge.¡± Hoffstein was bound and gagged. He was listening in with tears flowing down his face and making a muffling sound with his mouth. ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°We repelled them, but this cost us Victa.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Boram said with his head down. ¡°What would happen if these people were actually stronger than us?¡± ¡°...We would be screwed?¡± ¡°Precisely! We would be screwed. That would be really really bad for us, wouldn''t it?¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°So what should we do?¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll never let my enemies live from now on.¡± ¡°Wrong!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It means you shouldn''t spare those that don''t deserve it.¡± ¡°But how should I know who deserves it and who doesn''t?¡± Viers patted Boram¡¯s shoulder. ¡°As you keep improving yourself, the correct answer will be more clear with time. Remember, not even I can make the correct decision every time.¡± ¡°...Yes, Master.¡± At this moment, Boram felt his master was the wisest guy in the whole wide world. Number one, no questions asked. ¡°Now, what should we do with these people, hm?¡± Boram walked to Hoffstein and the others with his hammer in hand. Wordlessly, he raised his weapon overhead and then- ¡°Stop!¡± Croix shouted. ¡°Young Lord, wait- Ugh¡­¡±¡± ¡°Please wait, Mister Avel, Boram. These guys might be in the wrong and poor in conduct but they are defeated. There¡¯s no need to kill men that cannot resist in cold blood.¡± ¡°Didn''t you hear what I just said? This all began because Boram magnanimously spared the human-pig over there.¡± ¡°Mister Avel. I can''t stand by and watch my people executed.¡± ¡°Wrong. They are not your people, Highness. They are my problem.¡± Chapter 343 - Cloak and Dagger Alfred¡¯s heartbeat was up. He felt the cold sweat under his clothes as Prince Croix and Avel were having a disagreement. ¡°It is one thing to kill enemies who face you in battle but it is another to execute helpless prisoners in cold blood. It''s too much. They are beaten and have no will left to fight. Let this matter be the end without further bloodshed,¡± Prince Croix said splendidly. ¡°By letting them live they''ll continue to pose a threat to me and become a permanent dagger on my back. Killing them now will nip the dilemma in the bud.¡± ¡°People can change. They deserve a second chance. Fear of what might be can kill a hopeful future. Please, find it in your heart to forgive them.¡± ¡°W-we¡¯ll swear on our Intio to not seek further redress!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll also mend our ways and make right our wrongs.¡± ¡°Please forgive us!¡± ¡°Forgive us!¡± The six members of the Blue Hounds made their pleas. A tense silence was in the heavy air until Avel lowered his hand. ¡°Your resolve to defend your people has moved me. I¡¯ll stay my hand,¡± Avel said. ¡°You¡¯ve proven your honor, Mister Avel.¡± ¡°You,¡± Alfred stepped forward addressing the Blue Hounds. ¡°By the grace of Prince Croix, 51st Prince of Latias, you still draw breath. Remember this to your last breath. Now swear your Oaths.¡± ¡°Yes, benevolent prince, our savior!¡± Prince Croix took his time to create their Oath¡¯s wording. He would also punish them by telling their deeds to their sworn lord. He assured Avel they would get their just sentence under Latisian law. After they said their piece, Avel urged them to continue their journey. As he passed by, Alfred put his hand on his shoulder. ¡°You have my gratitude for following the prince¡¯s wish.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I see we both want to rid the world of injustice. We simply have a variance about how that might be achieved. I¡¯m not so proud to think my way was the only way.¡± To Avel¡¯s word, Alfred replied with a nod of respect. As the Blue Hounds were kneeling to Croix, the young prince saw Boram had a look of disappointment for the briefest of moments before following after his master. ¡°Let us be off,¡± Avel said. ¡°There¡¯s still ways to go.¡± *** ¡°Whew¡­ They¡¯re gone.¡± ¡°Bloody Hell¡­ I thought it was the end for me.¡± ¡°What a stupid bunch. I¡¯ll make them regret killing my friends.¡± ¡°The Oath will be tricky but there are ways to break it.¡± ¡°Count me out. I¡¯m leaving this life behind, turning a new leaf. I¡¯ve got a second chance, won''t waste it.¡± ¡°Hm? Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Are they turning back?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not them. It¡¯s someone else.¡± ¡°Good afternoon, everyone,¡± Ars¨¨ne had a business smile on his face. ¡°Nirvana Transportation Service~¡± *** Deescalation. What a wonderful word. For some reason unfathomable to him, Croix really put his neck out for the six remaining Blue Hounds. If Viers was the ordinary kind of villain, he would have killed those prisoners in front of the prince¡¯s eyes. To prove a point or to show how a badass evil he was. Even if killing was off the table, a display of cruelty such as maiming was an alternative. Viers¡¯ personality was more¡­ limber. There was no need to have a break with the prince for something so trivial. They were merely six extras. Interacting with people meant disagreements were bound to happen. Being able to solve those disagreements in a satisfactory manner was a social skill and a sign of mental maturity. The correct answer for this conundrum was obviously killing them out of sight, out of mind. Killing them in cold blood is too much? Preposterous! There is no such thing as overkill! By ¡®backing down¡¯, Croix and Alfred¡¯s favorability went up yet Viers still got his way. Ten out of ten marks. That night, at camp. ¡°We are close to Stormberg. As always, the last stretch is the most perilous one,¡± Alfred said. ¡°If they know our destination, they¡¯ll lay in wait. Put traps. Less ground to cover too,¡± Viers said. ¡°Just so. From here on out there are three routes. The straight road, the elven forest, and the Floating Rock Chasm,¡± the Level 4 said. ¡°The road is the most simple but the ones that are out to get me will not fail to have men there,¡± Croix sighed. ¡°And Stormberg is so close too¡­¡± ¡°We can try to break through forcefully but without knowing the opposition, I don''t like that option,¡± Viers said. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°That leaves two routes left. The elven forest sounds nice,¡± Boram said while feeding the horses. ¡°The elves will see it as trespassing on their lands. Not to mention, some elven groves shoot outsiders on sight. Don''t know about this one though,¡± Viers hummed. He was thinking in some alternate future, if he didn''t give his elf friendship token to Jessica, would this be his chance to visit an elven enclave? He may never know. According to Jessica¡¯s white card signal, she was elsewhere. She must have visited another elven forest. ¡°We should not worsen the Kingdom¡¯s relationship with the elves. It is quite bad already. So, Floating Rock Chasm it is,¡± Croix decided. ¡°I wonder if this will be the case of I-know-you-know-that-I-know this is a trap and our enemies concentrate their forces at the chasm,¡± Viers said sarcastically. ¡°It¡¯s one of three. They might be willing to take a gamble.¡± *** A man was overlooking a misty great chasm. The maw in the earth was hundreds of kilometers long and the bottom was a pit of darkness. Jumping in was a free fall to certain death. Thick mist perpetually cast a shadow on this place. Flapping wings, beastly growls, and otherworldly whispers were often heard from behind the pale curtains. Rocks were floating above the chasm, like gravitational anomalies. Some were quite big, islands on a vast sea of nothingness. Each of those islands had thousands of smaller rocks near their surroundings. Someone approached the somber-looking man from behind. ¡°Gram,¡± the new arrival said. ¡°Bennec? Hm¡­ to have sent you here means the client is growing impatient.¡± ¡°Not only me. A Knight Order is also on the way. The client really wants the little prince to not reach Stormberg alive. However, it is rare to see you botch a hit, friend.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got the quarry cornered, but a pair of busybodies moved with the prince. No matter. You are here. The stage is set and the target nears.¡± ¡°Let''s get to work,¡± Bennec readied his weapon. ¡°Never killed a prince before.¡± ¡°What happened to your dagger?¡± ¡°I changed it for something better,¡± he said with a tint of happiness. ¡°A little souvenir from Zetel.¡± *** ¡°Watch your steps, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Thank you, Alfred,¡± the prince took the knight¡¯s hand. The party had reached Floating Rock Chasm. There was no bridge from one side to the other. Beside flying, the only way across was to hop from stone to stone. The prince was the only one among them who was not a Pathseeker. His mobility was very different from the other three. A height that they could pass with one jump took the prince much more effort to conquer. Earlier, he almost slipped but Alfred snagged him before he fell. The prince¡¯s satchel swayed as he trekked. Viers gave the little prince some credit, Croix was at least not a pampered brat. He hadn''t complained about the hard journey thus far. The heavy mist made the visibility poor and the rocks slippery. It was treacherous terrain. That was before accounting the locals. ¡°Heads up. There¡¯s enemies incoming,¡± Alfred warned. The Level 4 had the highest ability so it made sense he detected the enemies first. Viers also realized it but he acted as if he didn''t. ¡°More flying squirrels, or the mist monkeys?¡± Boram asked. They had met a lot of them earlier. ¡°No¡­ They are something new! Watch out!¡± Alfred shouted. From the mists emerged spectral figures. Ghosts! They weren''t particularly strong but physical attacks didn''t phase them. Boram swung his hammer and earth Artes to no avail. ¡°Begone!¡± A flash of light repelled the spirits. ¡°They won''t return anytime soon,¡± Alfred said. ¡°What was that?¡± Viers asked. ¡°A talisman from the Church. I don''t have much but should be enough until we make it across.¡± ¡°Who were they? They are human spirits, are they not?¡± Croix tried to peer past the mist. He was quite surprised upon seeing the ghosts. ¡°Suiciders and the poor souls who died here, Highness. Normally souls of the dead would be invisible but at special places like the Chasm they can be seen with the naked eye,¡± Viers explained. ¡°Indeed,¡± Alfred said. ¡°You know well.¡± ¡°The Chasm is a famous suicide spot. I was aiming for Stormberg from the start. I¡¯ve done some research about the road.¡± That was the excuse that Viers gave. ¡°Best to cross while not making too much disturbance. This is a Tier 4 Red Zone. People have sighted Rank 4 monsters in the past.¡± Boram gulped his saliva hearring his master¡¯s words. ¡°As you say,¡± Alfred agreed. They pressed on. Sometimes they had to wait until a rock of suitable size floated nearby so they could continue across. Sudden winds and monster attacks included, all in all, nothing they couldn''t handle. ¡°We¡¯re almost there, Master.¡± With the shore in sight, Boram couldn''t hide the relief in his voice. ¡°Alfred, I see people,¡± Viers whispered. ¡°Yeah, I see them too,¡± Alfred said grimly. As they got closer, the figures became clearer and clearer. There were two companies of knights. One side was wearing black armor with a red accent and the other was wearing white with a yellow accent. Both sides were facing each other with hostility. The white knights were about thirty men and the blacks numbered twenty. ¡°What do we have here?¡± Viers asked but no one answered. After they crossed the last stone and left the chasm behind, two people approached. The one from the black knights¡¯ camp was riding a wyvern and the white knight¡¯s representative was atop a gryphon. Both were Level 4. ¡°Prince Croix and his company, I presume,¡± the gryphon rider said. The voice indicated that the knight was a woman under her helmet. And indeed it was so as she removed the helmet. ¡°My name is Malika, from the Thunder Wing Knightly Order. I¡¯m here under order of Countess Grace Weiss of Stormberg. My men and I will safeguard you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lady Malika,¡± Croix said. ¡°Do not be led astray, My Prince,¡± the man in black said. ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°Black Shield Knightly Order, Harper,¡± he gave a knight¡¯s salute. ¡°We rushed here as fast as the wind because Prince Marvin heard of a plot for your life. He said to tell you that the Thunder Wing and the one holding their leash, your aunt, cannot be trusted. Please come with us, Prince Croix. Your brother worries about you very much.¡± ¡°Do not believe a word of what he said, Your Highness,¡± Malika interjected. ¡°They are here to dispose of you. They employed the assassins!¡± ¡°Not true. That is your doing!¡± ¡°Falsehood will not save you!¡± ¡°Highness, come!¡± ¡°My Prince, with us!¡± Oi, oi, oi, what is this drama? ¡°Highness, who are they?¡± Viers whispered. ¡°Who do you trust?¡± ¡°The Thunder Wing are the forces of my aunt, ruler of Stormberg, while the Black Shield is my brother¡¯s, the 40th in line, Prince Marvin.¡± ¡°So who¡¯s the one that wants you dead?¡± ¡°I don''t know! Both are always kind to me. I don''t believe any of them want me dead!¡± Croix was torn. ¡°Well, we must make a decision. The pot is ready to blow.¡± ¡°Alfred¡­¡± ¡°I cannot make the decision for you, Young Lord. But no matter what, I¡¯ll support you to the end.¡± After a swift but heavy contemplation, Croix made a decision. ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Knight Captain Harper, but I wish to meet my aunt in Stormberg. I¡¯ll be sure to write a letter to my good brother soon. Knight Captain Malika, I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± ¡°...If that is your wish,¡± Harper backed down. ¡°No harm will come to you under our watch, Prince Croix,¡± Malika said. As Croix and company walked to the Thunder Wing camp, one of the knights in white armor suddenly tried to stab Croix with a dagger. However, Alfred was beside him and prevented the attack. ¡°Treachery! To arms, Black Shield! Take back the Prince from their evil clutches!¡± ¡°Ambush! Protect the Prince!¡± Malika ordered. Chaos ensued. Chapter 344 - Three Battles Viers thought it was the knights in black that were bad. I mean, just look at them. Their armor design and style just fall into the villain category. I guessed wrong? After Croix almost got stabbed by one of the whites, seeing how the Thunder Wing leader lady knocked out the attacker and defended the prince, Viers was more open to the possibility of a planted knife. A plot was afoot. In the chaos that ensued, both sides tried to secure the prince. The teen himself was frozen at the beginning, his mind was trying to make sense of what happened. He was having doubts, did his aunt really want to have him killed? ¡°Young Lord, snap out of it!¡± ¡°Alfred¡­? I¡­¡± Viers and Boram got to his side. ¡°Highness, we can''t stay here. We¡¯re right in the middle of this.¡± If it was up to Viers, he would move to the Thunder Wing knights. Besides the traitor, there were no other ill attempts from them. However, even he couldn''t be certain. They might simply pretend to be allies for the moment only to bare their blade later. But what other option did they have? The Black Shield knights were suspiciously trying very hard to get to the prince. Meanwhile, the leader of two Knightly Orders were having a flying magic jousting on their mounts. Those were the facts but how could he convey them to the young prince? Long-winded conversations weren''t really a good idea in this situation. The knights were fighting each other but at least they didn''t try to murder the prince openly so no deadly attacks were coming straight in their direction. Still, stray Artes were a thing and the prince¡¯s Level 4 loyal protector was able to redirect them. Didn''t make it less tense, especially with far more destructive Level 4 Artes not that far above them. The feeling was exactly like being in a battlefield under a bullet storm. ¡°Cease fighting! I¡¯ll meet directly with the Countess of Stormberg myself. Cease fighting, I say!¡± However, the screams of the powerless Idler, prince he may be, weren¡¯t able to enforce order on the fighting knights. ¡°Even if it¡¯s just us, let¡¯s move, Young Lord. While they are holding each other back.¡± ¡°...Okay, Alfred. Lead the way. Mister Avel, Boram, don''t fall behind.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Viers turned electric. Primed to respond to any threats. Boram nodded while keeping a wary eye on his surroundings. The four moved as one but the knights on both sides didn''t make it easy. Eleven steps away, the progress went awry. ¡°Urgh!?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Viers felt his emotions spiked. His vision narrowed and shivers traveled down his spine. It was strong, so strong that even Boram was swallowed by it. Arte - Bravery of Dune! Viers used his mental abnormal status countermeasure. At first it was only for fear but the current improved version also included induced rage, confusion, lethargy, forgetfulness, slight insanity, and a couple more. Someone moved with high speed and tackled Alfred away. ¡°Wahahaha! Missed me?¡± ¡°Gram? You swine!¡± Gram removed the thickest protection of Prince Croix. With him and Alfred separated, there was an opening to be exploited. Viers knew this too. There! Croix and Boram were paralyzed with fear so Viers was the only one capable of acting. He pushed the prince away from an attack. The attack landed on his shoulder instead. Viers¡¯ eyes went wide seeing the weapon used against him. The force was much stronger than he thought and he got blasted into the ravine, but not before he dragged the attacker down together with him using the lightning lasso he created. ¡°Get over here!¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The two corrected their posture midair as they fell and navigated their landing point to a big floating rock the size of a football field. Flying was beyond them but short air-gliding and the like was not. ¡°Mmhh¡­¡± Viers massaged his shoulder. His Unreality Field tanked the worst of it. Otherwise there would be a hole in his body right now. ¡°Are you insane, boy?¡± The assassin that Viers dragged down with him said. He sounded annoyed under his black armor. ¡°Gram was wearing black armor too. Guess the prince¡¯s brother is the culprit after all. Behold my airtight reasoning, for there¡¯s only one truth!¡± Viers exclaimed. ¡°You got balls, I''ll give you that. A Level 3 dares to challenge a Level 4 on his own? Not everyday you meet someone so brave, or crazy.¡± ¡°Where did you get that weapon?¡± Viers pointed to the thing that the man had in his hand, mostly ignoring the man¡¯s comments. ¡°Oh? This caught your eye?¡± The man sounded like he was smiling under his helmet. ¡°You seem to recognize it too. My, my.¡± The man raised his gun and pulled the trigger at Viers. Viers took refuge behind a rock outcrop. There were many of them on this floating rock. ¡°Hah! Good response, boy!¡± The man removed his helmet. ¡°You¡¯ve seen a gun before, haven''t you? You''ve been to Zetel too?¡± ¡°Zetel?¡± Viers asked from behind his hiding place. ¡°Aye. A new invention, so I was told. Guns have started circulating in special circles in the Zetel society. I got my hand on one of these babies in my previous mission and got hooked instantly.¡± Viers felt some relief. He risked his life and limbs isolating a Level 4 to find out if he was another otherworlder. If he was, making contact and reaching a compromise for a beneficial relationship might be on the table. Turned out it was a false alarm. But Zetel¡­ The south-west sultanate known for its magical superiority dabbled in guns? That is¡­ slightly concerning. A bang resounded. If that was a normal gun, the thickness of the rock outcrop would be sufficient to block a handgun¡¯s bullet. However, the man¡¯s shot bore a hole in the thick rock. Viers had anticipated that so he evaded anyways. This was a world of magic, the gun might not be entirely mechanical. Just like his own. ¡°Far easier to use than a bow and arrow, isn''t it? Come out, come out and pla-¡± Viers replied with a gunshot. He broke cover and swiftly pulled the trigger, as he¡¯d done thousands of times before in FPS games. The Level 4 did not expect that. The bullet hit him but it did no damage. As a Level 4, his passive defense was even stronger than Viers¡¯. ¡°What a day! Meeting a fellow gunslinger on foreign land! Let¡¯s duel!¡± *** It shouldn''t be long until Bennec kills the prince¡­ What the!? Gram watched as the masked travel companion of Prince Croix lassoed Bennec down with him into the ravine. Tsk! That man is really troublesome. He¡¯s foiled my plan twice now! Should I try to kill the target myself? But my opponent is sticking on me like glue. ¡°Dark Divide!¡± Alfred split the air with a black slash. In their previous battle, the assassin was hard-pressed dealing with this technique. But not now. ¡°Wahahahaha!¡± Gram split the dark slash in two by charging towards it with his body of light. ¡°You¡¯re not looking so good. What''s wrong, not getting enough sleep?¡± They dealt the same degree of injury against each other but while Gram had a chance to rest and mend, Alfred was too uneasy around Viers and Boram for a few days. Like Gram said, he was not getting enough sleep. ¡°Shut your mouth, assassin! I¡¯ll send your head back to your employer!¡± *** Boram could breathe again. After Master Avel removed the person that shot something small at Croix, the suffocating and gripping sensation in his heart disappeared. Master and Alfred are gone. It¡¯s up to me now. ¡°This way, Prince¡­ Err, sorry for the rudeness.¡± Boram gripped Croix¡¯s arm and pulled him away because Croix had not broken out of the lingering effect of the fear attack. Boram was very unsure how to treat the prince of Latias. On one hand, he was told by his owners before Viers bought him to always kneel before the nobles. If they told you to lick their boots, you do so without question. If they told you to sing, you sing without delay. If they want you to die, you die. Nobles were a different breed than the rest of humanity, and slaves were even more beneath them. To them, you were no different than livestocks or beasts of burden. On the other hand, Master Avel told him that it was all bullshit and hogwash of the highest order. No matter what those ¡®highborn idiots¡¯ might think, power was the world¡¯s truth. As long as you were stronger than them, how could they stop you from looking down on them? But that didn''t mean to be cruel and proudful to those weaker than you. Be polite to others and if they get out of line and forget their place in the world, hammer them down. The prince was not cruel or rude to himself so Boram would treat him with the same courtesy. However, the way he acted might be taken as rudeness. Even a slave like Boram knew nobles had hundreds of behavioral rules and twice as many unwritten rules. Master Avel didn''t teach him about any highborn etiquette, only the ¡®normal¡¯ ones. Pulling his arm wouldn''t be a breach of etiquette worthy of the gallows, would it? The prince didn''t even need to be the one giving the execution order. One of his vassals of sufficiently high rank could do the same. Since he was a prince, Boram reckoned he had a lot of them. Naturally he would refuse and resist, just as Master Avel taught him if others ask unreasonable demands of him. Yet doing so would ultimately create problems for Master Avel and that was the one thing Boram absolutely did not want to do. Uwaaah! What should I doooo? Help me, Masterrr! Those were the insides of Boram¡¯s head as he effortlessly protected the VIP princeling from murder attempts and breaking spines. Unknown to the person himself, both the Thunder Wing and Black Shield knights were giving him the look as if the child-faced shorty was some sort of mad honey badger. Chapter 345 - Stormberg I¡¯m being underestimated. Viers broke cover to shoot. Out of three bullets, one missed and two hits. He pulled back his head before the countershot came. ¡°You¡¯re quite good at this. Almost looks like you¡¯ve experienced gun fights. Hahaha! I like it!¡± Tsk. As expected, normal bullets don''t do a thing to him. The gun-using assassin treated their fight as a game. He didn''t use his Domain or special Artes, only his gun, shooting skills, and sometimes, special bullets. Which suited Viers just fine. In fact, he was grateful for his opponent. If the Level 4 fought for real, he would be at a severe disadvantage. The impression Viers got about that guy was he was a guy who newly found his obsession with guns. He would definitely be the guy who would aim for a high ranking in a competitive FPS game¡¯s leaderboard. He wanted a gunfight, Viers would give him a gunfight. This way, when the dust settled on the fight above, he would also get the accolades of saving Prince Croix from a Level 4 combatant and holding him back with a lower cultivation. Viers liked achievements. The rocky and misty arena they were in provided a suitable arena for a ¡®counterstrike¡¯. I¡¯ve been doing shootouts for a long time, bub. From WWII to Black Ops to Modern Warfare to 2077 to Mass Effect¡­ Our history as gunners is just too different! ¡°Fire in the hole!¡± Viers shouted. The blast cleared the rock and gave Viers line of sight to the gun guy. Bullets crossed. ¡°Oi! Using bombs is cheating!¡± The guy said after returning to cover. ¡°It¡¯s tactics,¡± Viers shouted back while reloading his revolver. ¡°Totally legit.¡± He was using Little Friend. A gun created from the remnants of a dead otherworlder¡¯s System; his first-ever firearm. Comparing the simple black revolver to modern guns or to futuristic weapons like railguns or pulse rifles, a six-shot revolver was downright ancient. Should I¡­ Naaah. I saw his gun. Might be a magic gun but its capabilities are similar to my revolver. This is enough. Viers was also considering whether he should use bullets made from Level 4 souls, wondering if that would kill him. He might have gained some benefits from his corpse. The other side was aiming for fun and games but Viers didn''t have to go along. No. The other side¡¯s ability is too unknown. I don''t have to risk it. Both men were using real bullets but supermen they were, the danger was the same as paintball. Viers went along with him. Both gun users maneuvered, aimed, and tried to hit each other. Sometimes extraordinary feats happened, such as they moved with superspeed or took a bullet to the forehead without bleeding. Viers didn''t know about the other side, but when he got shot, it hurt as hell. ¡°Hey masked guy, what should I call you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing introductions now?¡± Bang! Bang! Bang! ¡°Come now¡­ We are both just doing our jobs, right? No need for hostilities after the blood spilled and the contract burned. We should do this again. Want to grab a drink later? I¡¯m buying.¡± Viers rolled his eyes, The other side realized it too so he hadn''t turned this into a deathmatch. The two had each other at gunpoint, finger on the trigger but didn''t shoot. ¡°The battle above is ending. Congratulations. The prince lives. Your¡­ kid?¡± ¡°Disciple,¡± Viers corrected. ¡°Yeah, him. He did good protecting the prince. We¡¯re retreating now. I¡¯m Death Gun Bennec. No one calls me that now but it''ll not be the case for much longer. And you are?¡± ¡°...Avel. Ordinary traveler.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Traveler you might be, but who are you fooling with the ordinary addition? You certainly don''t act like one. See ya.¡± The guy melted into his own shadow and just like that he was gone. It was no teleportation, only looked like one. Viers was familiar with the stealth Arte. Death Gun Bennec¡­ Lame naming sense aside, he¡¯s correct. Viers was doing his character setting wrong. He was using the identity Avel which might be compromised by the Dumuzin cult to make sure if he was targeted or not as he searched for Power Spots for healing Clarissa. The mask he wore was to show the impression that ¡®Avel¡¯ didn''t have the face-altering ability. Also, he was traveling with Boram. Most people that knew them were at the FPC and they had gone far. Besides the matter of the cult, if something happened in Latias, he had no problem discarding the Avel identity for good. It was a burner account in the first place. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Then he met a prince. It was a coincidence that he didn''t plan for. In front of Croix and Alfred, to appeal to them, he put on the setting of a mysterious and powerful character. Should he be doing things clandestinely in Latias unchained and unbeholden to anyone, or further improve Croix¡¯s ¡®quest chain¡¯ with the potentially massive benefits? Viers admitted he hadn''t made up his mind. Enough thinking. First, Stormberg. The play-battle was over and his role was fulfilled. Viers exhaled in relief, checked his outfit and satisfied it was dirty and torn enough. He was supposed to battle a Level 4 after all. Then he climbed out of the Floating Rock Chasm. He was found by a knight of the Thunder Wing Knightly Order standing guard. ¡°Halt! Wait¡­ you are-¡± ¡°Master! I was about to search for you. Thank goodness you¡¯re okay,¡± Boram came running. ¡°You as well,¡± Viers said. ¡°It¡¯s done then? What happened?¡± ¡°After you pulled the Level 4 with you,¡± Alfred approached. ¡°The Black Shield let go of pretenses and tried to abduct Prince Croix. They had a sleeper agent inside the Thunder Wing Knightly Order but he was thwarted. Boram stuck with the prince after you and I were gone and magnificently handled all enemies coming their way. The Thunder Wing outnumbered their enemies and as time went on, our advantage grew. The enemies retreated once it was no longer possible to take Prince Croix by force.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Viers saw Croix from afar, showing concern to the gryphon-rider lady who had a nasty arm injury but would survive. ¡°Twice now you both have saved Prince Croix from harm. I cannot thank you enough.¡± ¡°Please raise your head, Sir Alfred. We only do what is expected¡­ So, safe to say Prince Croix¡¯s older brother is the one behind the curtain?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so¡­ After the wounded have been cared for, we¡¯re going straight to Stormberg. There, we should be safe. I¡¯m sure Countess Grace Weiss, Prince Croix¡¯s regal aunt, will reward you two handsomely.¡± ¡°Safety and reward. Sounds good,¡± Viers smiled. ¡°So what are the chances both sides actually want the prince killed?¡± ¡°Ahahaha! Don''t joke about something like that. Haha!¡± *** Stormberg was a peculiar city. It was located on an island about fifty meters away from the nearest landmass, which also ended in a steep cliff. The island was at the same height as the cliff, seventy meters above sea level. It was as if the whole city was supported by a single pillar as wide as the city itself. Totally vertical, meant the pillar wasn''t wider on the lower part, which looked like an architectural error. A stone bridge was the only land route in or out of the island. All year long, strong wind and rain fell in this place, that was why the place had the word storm in its name. ¡°Incredible,¡± Boram was agape. ¡°In this place, the amount of times you can see the sun directly in a year can be counted on one hand, and only for a few hours,¡± Thunder Wing¡¯s Knight Captain Malika explained cordially. What Viers took note of was the high mana concentration. Almost as high as Dia¡¯s Biome. ¡°I know you¡¯re happy, but behave, okay?¡± Viers whispered to the cloud elemental who became hyperactive inside him. The whole place was a stronghold. A city fortress with a natural fortification. Because of the limited space, the buildings at Stormberg were densely packed. The image of Kowloon Walled City came to Viers¡¯ mind. From Malika¡¯s explanation, it seemed most of the Stormberg¡¯s residents were in the countess¡¯ service. The people they passed by were Pathseekers in a twenty-to-one ratio, which made this a Pathseeker city. Those that couldn''t live on the island lived in a sister city nearby on the mainland. They eventually arrived at the Countess¡¯ manor. A cold and tough-looking mansion; well decorated and guarded but the size was pretty small compared to the Regidana or Valkut ruler¡¯s palace, just the size of a small hotel. On Earth, Viers had visited a restaurant bigger than this. Compared to the city they passed by earlier, the area in the mansion¡¯s surroundings had a lot more open spaces. ¡°This is where I must leave you. The countess has been informed and is ready to receive you. Good day,¡± Malika bowed. ¡°We thank you for your service, Lady Malika. We have witnessed the Thunder Wing Knightly Order¡¯s honor and bravery today.¡± ¡°Your words are too kind, Prince Croix. Please go ahead, don''t keep the countess waiting.¡± Malika took her leave and the party returned to their original number in front of the mansion¡¯s opened front door. ¡°Well then, I believe this is also where I should leave you, Highness.¡± ¡°No. Please come along. I¡¯d like to introduce my saviors to the countess.¡± Croix insisted and Viers relented. As they crossed the door, Viers felt he was crossing some magical boundary. The watery droplets he had on his clothes were left outside and he was as dry as a bone. The same happened to all of them. A neat function considering how much rain this place had. The barrier wasn''t only for drying visitors though; Viers would bet his dinner that it could have defensive functions as well. Two silent knights walked to the group¡¯s side, as if guiding them. ¡°Fuuh¡­¡± Croix tried to relax. ¡°Shall we?¡± Viers was quite nervous himself. The mana in this place was even higher than outside and Viridis. Mana from kilometers of an area must be focused here. From the mana levels, Viers could deduce the other party¡¯s cultivation. A Level 5. There was a slight discomfort for a high Level Pathseeker in an area of too low ambient mana. The greater the disparity, the more pronounced it became. Not lethal or dangerous, but can be quite annoying, like an itch that wouldn''t go away or dry throat. The concept wasn''t new in power fantasy stories and Viers was familiar with it. There was no red carpet rolling for the prince or any kind of special reception. The knights matched their pace and led them to another door. After they opened the door, they stood like statues without entering. In the middle of the room, there was a carpeted grand staircase. The four stopped at its base. The few minutes of silence were deafening. They didn''t talk, as the atmosphere in the room greatly discouraged talk. The countess arrived as she deemed fit. There was no announcement, just footsteps. The woman in a white dress with blue accents stepped down the stairs with the grace of a queen. Her hair was light blue, medium length, and curled. The adult woman¡¯s face was beautiful yet cold. However, the most prominent of her being was the blizzard-temperature gaze from her sapphire eyes. Although no Arte was in play here, Alfred and Boram kneeled as soon as she revealed herself, an act of instinct. Viers resisted the urge. Instead, he and Croix gave a deep bow. They did so in a way that was respectful but not subservient. Countess Grace Weiss of Stormberg beheld the four men from a staircase seven steps higher than them. ¡°Countess Grace,¡± Croix said. ¡°It gladdens my heart to see you well. I regret that it¡¯s been years since we last met. If Mother was here, she would-¡± ¡°Nephew.¡± That single word had the effect of a freezing Arte. ¡°You fled the Crimson Capital. Hunted and frightful, you then came to my door seeking shelter like a homeless pup. How banal¡­ Don''t you agree?¡± The four were in a sub-zero degrees room with an ice queen. She didn''t sound happy. Chapter 346 - Formal Meeting To his aunt¡¯s accusation, Croix felt his blood turn to ice. ¡°Ashamedly, I admit it is so, Countess,¡± Croix said. ¡°P-please wait, Countess! The Young Lord is-¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking to my nephew,¡± the countess glared at Alfred. ¡°I¡¯ll have no other interruption.¡± Alfred shut his mouth and lowered his head. ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re hunted by your own brother, Croix?¡± Grace continued. Her poise was impeccable. ¡°No, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°I suppose not. Suffice to say there are people who think the fewer princes and princesses out there the better. Giselle sent you out of the Capital?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to my mother, I was able to escape. Alfred has been faithfully protecting me from the start. We were then joined by these two, Avel and Boram,¡± Croix tried his best to make his voice even instead of coming out as a cluttering mess. ¡°If only she had her sense from the start,¡± Grace scoffed. Even that came out as elegant. ¡°I¡¯m worried about her condition. Is she okay?¡± Croix asked. ¡°House arrest, most probably. She shouldn''t be treated horribly,¡± Grace closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. Her sapphire eyes returned to Croix. ¡°You¡¯re of my blood. You may stay under my roof and your needs will be taken care of.¡± ¡°I can''t thank you enough.¡± ¡°On one condition. Renounce your title as prince.¡± That struck Croix like a thunderbolt. He was dumbfounded. ¡°W-why?¡± ¡°Cut your ties with the vipers of the capital and remove yourself from all of the royalty nonsense. That is my condition.¡± Grace¡¯s gaze was commanding. After a long pause, Croix answered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aunt Grace. That I cannot do. I will become king.¡± The Countess'' Victa gushed out like water from an opened dam. Ice spread from beneath her feet. The room temperature fell until their breaths turned white. Alfred was readying himself to jump in front of his liege when an Arte was unleashed. He would die, but he would die first before his lord. Boram was trembling. He¡¯d never lifted his head during the meeting. Viers was preparing his Level 5 countermeasures. The few that he had left. He was cursing in his mind. This was why he disliked being in the vicinity of people stronger than them. To be a whim away from death was not a pleasant feeling. ¡°I¡¯ll fix this fractured realm,¡± Croix said with determination. ¡°To think you¡¯re this stupid. You¡¯ve been poisoned by ambition,¡± Grace was unimpressed. ¡°It is my mother¡¯s wish¡­ and mine. Someone has to try. The state of things in Latias cannot go on.¡± ¡°Your father is a king and a human filth. His irresponsibility is what created the mess of a nation we live in. He and his equally incompetent court. You wish to be the king despite this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be a king unlike my father.¡± ¡°A delusion. A fancy fantasy, coming from a child who has no backing or power. Your only merit is a heritage of blood. Not a rare one either. There are a hundred others with the same claim.¡± ¡°That is why I came here. Aunt, please lend me your support, so we can make Latias as it should be! Not a pale shadow of what once was!¡± The grit of the prince was worthy of praise. He was clenching his fists and clearly afraid but he managed to speak his mind. Not everyone had the courage to do so to a pissed off Level 5. ¡°Let me prove myself.¡± ¡°...Since you want to die that much, I¡¯ll help you. Go to the Archion Volcano. Forge your Intio there and hatch your dragon egg. No one will follow a powerless person with no redeeming qualities. Before you talk big about becoming a king, accomplish this, if you can. If you die there, then consider it my mercy.¡± Nephew and aunt watched each other¡¯s eyes without blinking for a time. ¡°Young Lord, this suicide,¡± Alfred whispered. ¡°You must not accept.¡± ¡°No, Alfred¡­ That has been my plan from the start. Your test, aunt, I accept. The next time I stand before you, will be as a Pathseeker and a dragon at my side.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll waste no more words with you. Leave my sight.¡± Croix bowed. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave. Good day to you, Countess.¡± ¡°Knight, you stay,¡± Grace said. Her eyes went to Viers, to Boram, to Viers again. They lingered there for a full ten seconds. Unlike Boram, Viers didn''t kowtow so he bore the brunt of the Countess¡¯ crushing attention. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°...The rest of you may leave.¡± Viers gladly left. Only two were left in the freezing room, although the temperature was slowly rising. ¡°Name yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Alfred Cullen, formerly a knight of the Black Army First Division. Now my sword is sworn to Prince Croix and Lady Giselle.¡± ¡°Tell me what you know about the situation in the Crimson Capital and about your two companions, especially the one wearing a mask.¡± *** ¡°Wheew¡­ We''re alive¡­¡± Boram sighed in relief. ¡°That could have gone better¡­ The countess has gone sourer than I remembered,¡± Croix lamented. ¡°Could have gone worse too,¡± Viers voiced his opinion. After leaving the countess¡¯ manor, they discussed what transpired on the road. It was still raining but they got protected by a bubble. The magic barrier also prevented eavesdropping. ¡°So what¡¯s the plan, Highness? Seems like you¡¯re not as welcome as you hoped in Stormberg,¡± Viers asked. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡®m going to Archion Volcano, what else? I already plan to go there after Stormberg.¡± Viers leaned his back on a wall. ¡°You¡¯re serious about becoming king?¡± ¡°I do. I know it won''t be easy, but I¡¯ll do it.¡± Viers saw the fire of a shonen manga protagonist in his eyes. ¡°Heh,¡± Viers smiled. ¡°Perhaps you will. To strengthen your claim you go to the volcano, like the heroes of old. Quite bold.¡± Croix also smiled while pressing his satchel. The one containing the dragon egg. ¡°This volcano is that dangerous, master?¡± ¡°It is a sacred place to the Latisians. They say the place is the resting place of an ancient fire god. Furthermore, there are stories about the legendary First King of Latias disappearing there, along with his dragon. What is recorded clearly is that people who managed to forge their Intio there all become great figures, as if fated. Many of whom are monarchs, the prince¡¯s ancestors. If Prince Croix were able to do what his predecessors did, he would have the winds of legend behind his back and raise his reputation.¡± ¡°Hm. Hm.¡± Boram nodded. ¡°The surrounding areas are homes to plenty of monsters but the volcano itself seems to be devoid of monsters. Protected by the will of the First King, or so the stories went,¡± Croix added. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you are familiar with the history behind the volcano, Mister Avel.¡± ¡°Well, I may be a foreigner but I like collecting good stories. Back to the original question. Absolutely dangerous, especially to the prince. Getting there for us is just ordinarily dangerous. Awakening as a Pathseeker at Archion is notoriously difficult. The legend is enticing enough to bring throngs of people, no? But there¡¯s a catch. Those who failed, die.¡± Croix gave a silent nod at Viers. ¡°Even my grandfather, who everyone acknowledges as a great man, didn''t dare to become a Pathseeker there,¡± he said to Boram. ¡°Yes. For three hundred years, no one succeeded. Are you sure your aunt didn''t want to get you killed like your brother? This doesn¡¯t paint a pretty picture,¡± Viers said. ¡°Like I said, going there has been my plan from the beginning. I understand my situation well. Without accomplishing things like this, I will have no chance of becoming king.¡± Viers shook his head while closing his eyes. ¡°And the countess spoke of a dragon¡­ egg?¡± Boram turned to Croix. ¡°Ah yes. It''s this guy.¡± Croix showed Boram the inside of his satchel. He had always kept it close and safe during the journey. The reddish-brown egg had a pattern of scales on the shell. It was the size of a human head. ¡°When will it hatch?¡± Boram looked with amazement. ¡°Royalty of Latias bond with an egg during their childhood. When they become a Pathseekers at the age of fifteen, the egg may hatch. The dragon will then become a loyal companion throughout the rest of our lives.¡± ¡°If it hatched,¡± Viers clarified. ¡°Most of the time, they don¡¯t. People still don''t know the precise requirements of hatching the eggs. If the prince¡¯s egg didn''t hatch during his Pathseeker awakening, it won''t ever hatch in the future. At least there is no known record of so¡­ Perhaps, the royal family can rectify the things I¡¯ve said thus far?¡± ¡°No, what you said is my understanding as well. My father¡¯s egg never hatched but my grandfather¡¯s did.¡± ¡°In the royal court, royals without a dragon are labeled as not possessing the dragon¡¯s favor and thus have a weaker claim to the throne. Hatching the egg will also do wonders for the prince¡¯s reputation. Not to mention the existence of a mighty ally.¡± ¡°Right again¡­¡± Croix touched the egg with yearning. ¡°I¡¯ve always dreamed of meeting my partner.¡± ¡°Hwaaah¡­ T-then, shouldn''t we keep it safe inside an inventory item? What happens if the prince stumbles and falls and breaks the egg!?¡± ¡°Hehe. Don''t worry, disciple. Few forces in this world are able to break a dragon¡¯s egg. In fact, even if you and I try to hit the egg with all we have, I still wager the egg will be fine. Also, there are things that can''t be put inside a pocket space, even those specially made for living beings. It has always been this way since the old days. Rumors are, the egg rejects it somehow.¡± ¡°Doesn''t stop people from trying to snatch the eggs though. Each of them is worth a king''s ransom in the black market. That is why it is forbidden to bring a dragon egg out of the Crimson Capital. I¡¯m breaking the rules.¡± Croix faced Viers and showed a regretful face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry things didn''t go as planned. It was naive of me to hope the countess would reward you. It should be my responsibility from the start. That said, I have nothing to reward you for your service in bringing me to Stormberg. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± ¡°You asked for my help sincerely and politely. I gave it. It¡¯s as simple as that. Besides, you¡¯re going to become king, aren¡¯t you? Just don''t forget to reward me once you¡¯re rich.¡± ¡°Hehehe. Absolutely.¡± They kept the small talk going until Alfred came out. ¡°Young Lord, you¡¯ve been waiting for me here? My most apologies.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Did you and Aunt Grace have a productive conversation?¡± ¡°Very much so, Young Lord.¡± ¡°Okay then. This is the time when we separate. We¡¯ll stay in the city for some time while you¡¯re preparing to go to the volcano. May fortune be with you.¡± ¡°Bye, Avel. Bye, Boram. I won''t forget I¡¯m alive because of your assistance. Don''t be a stranger.¡± ¡°Avel, for you,¡± Alfred gave Viers a small gem. ¡°A token of my personal gratitude. If the prince died, I would never forgive myself. Thank you.¡± Viers recognized the small gem¡¯s function. It was an Imaginary Domain. Viers had a similar thing in the past, a gift from Takju, a Giant slave that he liberated together with Boram. The Domain, even though it wasn''t his own, could serve as a life-saving opportunity from other Level 4. Creating this thing wasn''t easy and would have cost Alfred, weakening his Domain. His gratitude was genuine. ¡°Till we meet again,¡± Viers accepted the gift. As the duo left under the rain, while seeing off Boram waving his hand, Alfred opened his mouth. ¡°Should we ask for their help for the trip to Archion, Young Lord?¡± ¡°Let us regroup and consider our options. There are a lot of preparations to be made. Having them as an ally is reassuring but they have their own purpose coming to Stormberg. Give them time. Besides, I think Avel is waiting for our invitation.¡± *** That night, Viers went to a magic shop. ¡°Finally. What took you so long?¡± Izabella Tyriss, one of Tanael¡¯s Horsemen of the Apocalypse, was waiting for him. Chapter 347 - Trounce ¡°Come! Hurry up!¡± Izabella grabbed Viers¡¯ arm and dragged him to a room with a bed. From the look of the furniture and clothes, it was hers. ¡°To directly do this as soon as we meet again. Should I be flattered?¡± Viers sneered. ¡°Be silent! We¡¯re almost late.¡± Iz took off her trademark witch hat and gave the floor a sweep with it. A magic circle appeared that was previously not there. She chanted a complicated spell skillfully and the two stepped into the portal. They appeared somewhere else, in a place with an arena. Besides the two of them, there were three others. ¡°Izabella Thyris,¡± a man in a red priest garb, bushy white beard, elaborate stole, and dignified voice, said while watching a sand hourglass. ¡°You made it in time.¡± ¡°Apologies for my tardiness, Arbiter,¡± Izabella bowed respectfully. This man¡­ is strong. Viers also gave a respectful bow to the Level 5. To treat the strong with courtesy was common sense and Viers did just that. However, just like with the Countess, he didn''t grovel or reduce himself to a subservient position. ¡°And here I thought you''d back down,¡± the other man said. This one wore glasses and seemed bookish. He had a nasty eye leer. ¡°Why should I?¡± Iz gave a soft reply. ¡°I¡¯ll be the victor.¡± Viers knew this man. According to what Iz told him, the man was called Restil, Iz¡¯s political rival in the Blood Church. ¡°Fighters, to your positions.¡± The masked Viers and Restil¡¯s chosen, a young blonde woman that seemed frail, moved to the arena¡¯s middle while Restil and Izabella retreated. Based on what Izabella told him, the Level 3 woman known as the Yellow Harpy, was very strong. A rising star in the underworld. She needed to win this duel that Restil set up, an old tradition, so she could rise further in the cult¡¯s ranks. Iz was quite panicked a month ago, but after Viers agreed to be her proxy, she felt relieved. ¡°Are you two ready?¡± the Arbiter asked. The two nodded. They didn''t name themselves and neither did the Arbiter ask. ¡°In the name of the true Goddess, Yasterah, begin.¡± Viers conjured a bow of water using his ability. ¡°This opportunity is quite hard to come by. Well then. Amuse me. Surrender is a valid option. I promise I''ll be gentle.¡± Viers shot water arrows in succession. Iz watched the fierce battle from the sidelines. She knew Viers¡¯ capabilities and believed he could win. She didn''t think Viers would use a bow. She knew him using a sword. Has he changed his fighting style since then? ¡°Passable effort.¡± ¡°A fine opportunity.¡± ¡°Try this!¡± ¡°Oh? The man you brought from some gutter is pretty good to be able to keep up with the Harpy,¡± Restil used a fan in his hand on himself smugly. After a few minutes, Viers was getting pummeled. Arrrgh! What are you doing, Tanael!? Use your sword already! Better yet, your soul Artes! Izabella bit her nails in her mind but maintained a stoic face in the front. ¡°Guess I should take it more seriously...¡± Yes, damn you! You¡¯ve been playing this whole time!? As Viers crackled with purple electricity, Iz¡¯s eyes widened. What in the name of¡­ He has three affinities now!? That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s almost unheard of! Very few people throughout history can use three elements! ¡°I see, I see,¡± Restil was still cool and composed. ¡°A dual affinity, eh? Quite a rare specimen indeed. So that¡¯s the source of your confidence.¡± The Arbiter slightly raised an eyebrow but his expression didn''t change. His thoughts were unfathomable. ¡°The price of a single slip.¡± ¡°My turn!¡± ¡°No use hiding back there!¡± ¡°Eat this!¡± After Viers started using lightning, he began to match Yellow Harpy¡¯s skill. The intense battle between thunder and gale users created a symphony of storms. Until Yellow Harpy used her ace in the hole and Viers was once again on the back foot. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°You talk too much.¡± For the first time, Yellow Harpy spoke, when her blade was on the way to Viers¡¯ throat. Viers surged his Victa, water and lightning seemingly roused from their sleep and they raged. His outfit underwent a full transformation with both water and lightning intertwined. ¡°...Your strength is praiseworthy. I, too, shall use all of mine¡­ So... don''t you dare disappoint me. Arte - Wrath of Monoceros Caeli!¡± A massive amount of power was gathered on a pulled bow. Yellow Harpy, after her blade was repelled, tried to move away but her feet refused to move. She looked down and saw the entire arena was covered with electric spiderwebs, trapping her. Izabella clenched her fist. Restil¡¯s sudden grip broke his fan. A huge horned humpback whale-shaped Hydro attack swallowed her whole. With his foe lying dead, Viers undid his transformation. ¡°Told you surrender is a valid option. Some you win... and some you lose. May you rest in peace.¡± While Viers stored Harpy¡¯s body but not her soul because he did not want to test his luck with a Level 5 so close in proximity, the Arbiter announced Iz¡¯s victory. ¡°Miss Izabella Thyris¡¯ representative has prevailed. The Blood Church recognizes your service and resourcefulness and thus grants you the rank of Vice Vicar and all of its privileges. You may also oversee a branch of your choosing. Your Blood Sacrament is in order and should be ready in a few days. Also, I¡¯ve examined your enchantments prior. I¡¯ll put a word to Central to give you extra resources for distinction. Well done.¡± ¡°Thank you, Arbiter.¡± For the Blood Church who put the matter of connections highly, even if Izabella personally couldn''t win the battle, to bring someone who could was counted as her ability. Izabella bowed, happy. Restil did the same. He wasn''t happy but he didn''t try to contest the Arbiter¡¯s decision. The Arbiter walked closer to Viers. ¡°May you continue to be of service to Yasterah.¡± Viers didn''t say a word. The Arbiter left after he passed Viers by, another teleportation. ¡°Tsk. Guess the Harpy isn''t that big of a deal after all,¡± Restil said in a bad mood. ¡°Enjoy your victory, Vice-Vicar Thyris.¡± ¡°And good day to you too, Vice-Vicar Restil.¡± Iz¡¯s reply was like needles to the skin to Restil. ¡°Hmph.¡± With him teleporting out, it was only him and Iz. He scanned the premises for spyware and the like. After he felt safe, he absorbed the soul of his recent kill. Another human Level 3, get. This one is about SR soul tier. 4 stars out of 5. Lucky~ Yellow Harpy wasn''t weak. She was really strong. Viers was just stronger. Her potential was on par with the top talents that got chosen for the Book World. ¡°Whew. You had me worried for a second there. Do you really have to cut it close like that?¡± Although he had checked they were not being spied on, Viers still produced an anti-spy magic item. Their conversation wouldn''t be able to be heard by others outside of the sphere now. ¡°Apologies. After seeing this place, I just got the sudden urge, you know?¡± ¡°No, certainly I don''t know. On the matter of not knowing, how come you can use lightning?¡± ¡°Heh. Stick around, and maybe you can find out.¡± ¡°I see your secretive nature has not changed one bit,¡± Iz flipped her red hair back. ¡°You prefer bow now?¡± ¡°No. I still use a sword. I only do bow practice sparingly.¡± ¡°You moved pretty sharp for an improvisation¡­ monster.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­ I learned to fight this way from a guy. Not a mentor. I just fight this dude over and over again until his moves are ingrained in me. When I was just starting out, I lost to him a couple of times.¡± ¡°You? Lost? Now I''m curious. Who is he? I might have heard of him.¡± ¡°Doubtful. He¡¯s the eleventh of a group of eleven crazy people under a frosty lady.¡± ¡°There are ten more stronger people than him?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of people debating about that matter. But the description is that the eleventh guy is one of the ¡®most dangerous¡¯,¡± Viers made the air quotes gesture. ¡°Is that so? The others are?¡± Izabella pried. ¡°The eighth was a fire witch. Deceased. The sixth was this.¡± Viers created a doll of water in his hand. ¡°A doll?¡± Viers didn''t answer with a voice but by pulling the upper part of the doll. Iz saw there was a smaller doll inside. Seeing the matryoshka doll only made her confused. ¡°This one likes to say: Bow before me, worm!¡± ¡°You¡¯re being vague on purpose, aren''t you?¡± The red-haired enchantress accused with narrowed eyes. ¡°Aaah, you know me so well. Nice to see you again, Conquest.¡± ¡°Sadly I can''t say the same. It¡¯s a mixed feeling, Death.¡± ¡°You wound me. You know our dealings always netted you benefits, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ true.¡± The two had been in contact. They communicated but this was the first time they met face to face after the Book World. In their communication sessions, they exchanged info and cultivation matters. During one of those sessions, he came to understand Iz¡¯s predicament and agreed to help. ¡°Here are the items that you requested,¡± Iz gave him a bag of holding. ¡°Bombs, talismans, special materials, utility items to magic weapons. All you requested is there.¡± ¡°And this is my part of the payment. As for the payment for this duel, I need you to enchant a special item for me.¡± Transporting physical items was quite a problem though. They had to meet directly for important transactions. ¡°Yes yes. Don''t worry, this enchanting enchantress is at your beck and call. Do you know some of the elders in the Blood Church call me once in a hundred years talent? Such a title seems pitiful compared to you.¡± ¡°Hehehe. Don''t sell yourself short. I don''t deal with incompetent people.¡± ¡°Oh well. I¡¯ve finally got this far¡­ With this, I now have the authority to build my private forces. I¡¯m one step closer to the Church¡¯s top.¡± A Level 3 was on the level of the top dog of a small region. Mayor, Church priest, School head, Cult leader, Matriarch, and so on. At the fringes, they could live like kings if they wanted to but that was not Iz¡¯s aim. The higher she was to the Blood Church¡¯s peak, the closer she was to her goal of breaking out her sister from the Tower of Remorse, Estellian Church¡¯s supermax prison. ¡°Good luck. And don''t let your guard down.¡± ¡°Shall we return?¡± ¡°You prepared a place for me at Stormberg?¡± ¡°As you requested, chief.¡± ¡°Surprising you can do so under the shadow of a Level 5.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just an ordinary enchanter setting up shop. Why would a Level 5 pay attention to me? But don''t do anything illegal in Stormberg or the countess¡¯ knights might come knocking. There are ten Level 4s under her service and that place is a fortress.¡± ¡°Agreed. We¡¯ll be on our best behavior. Come with me to the house. Boram wanted to meet Chacha again.¡± Izabella made a sound of great exasperation but Viers only grinned and wouldn''t take a no. Chapter 348 - The Enchantress Deal A magic circle flashed with bright light and two people appeared after breaking the laws of physics. ¡°I almost forgot,¡± Viers asked while hearing the rain outside the building. ¡°How¡¯s Alan?¡± ¡°He¡¯s well. Already a Level 3 again. He¡¯s been helping me a lot,¡± Iz replied. Alan was Iz¡¯s friend that Viers killed. To gain Iz¡¯s corporation, he sold the mist user¡¯s soul to her. Like Farley and the others, Alan also had a brand new body. ¡°In the future, the two of you might meet again. So it won''t become a headache, I didn''t tell him about you.¡± ¡°Let us hope there¡¯s no unnecessary conflict between us.¡± Viers did erase Alan¡¯s memories concerning himself before he gave the soul to Izabella. If one got killed and then revived, it was natural to have the intent for revenge. Thankfully, Viers had a way with souls. Iz knew this, so she didn''t open that can of worms. She didn''t want the two to fight and she needed their help to achieve her goal. After they returned to Stormberg, Iz led Viers to a house she prepared. The lantern-lit road provided a modest illumination. Stormberg had almost constant rain. During the day, it was quite bleak. During the night, it got even darker. ¡°...Quite small but it will do.¡± Viers said, while looking at the 3x4 two-storied house before him. ¡°Hehehe,¡± Iz smiled confidently. ¡°Feast your eyes.¡± The moment she unlocked the door, Viers saw the inside was bigger than the outside. At least thrice as big. The inside was quite luxurious too. ¡°I stand corrected,¡± Viers said while looking at the rooms. ¡°Magical¡­ You enchanted this yourself?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been improving,¡± Iz said happily, proud of her work. ¡°Space enchantments are among the hardest. Impressive¡± Yes. This is good. The better you are at enchantment, the better for me. Viers sat on the sofa and made a mental call. ¡°Boram, follow the card¡¯s signal to our lodging. I found a place.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± While Viers did gladiator work for a shady cult, he left Boram somewhere else. After the call ended, he looked at Iz who was listening and cocked his head. The enchantress who dressed like a witch gave a displeased grunt and transformed into a black cat. It didn''t take long until there was a knock on the door. ¡°It¡¯s not locked. Come in.¡± ¡°Excuse me,¡± Boram entered after hearing Viers¡¯ voice. ¡°Wow, nice place.¡± ¡°This will be our lodging for the time being. And look who else is here.¡± ¡°Chacha?¡± Boram looked surprised. ¡°Meow¡­¡± Iz pretended to be a cat begrudgingly. ¡°Nyaaa!?¡± ¡°But¡­ how?¡± Boram asked after suddenly hugging the cat, startling her. He had a soft spot for the cat he picked up at Marakkus City. ¡°Let your master maintain his mysterious image, Boram. Go on, take Chacha and look around. Pick your own room, then take a bath with the cat. Remember, I want the cat to not have a single dirty spot on her so give her a really good scrub.¡± ¡°Okay. Come, kitty, kitty. Let¡¯s pick the room you like the most.¡± With her cat eyes, Izabella looked at Viers with irritation. Viers enjoyed messing with her too much. *** ¡°I feel violated.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure my pure disciple only has the best intentions in mind.¡± Viers and Boram spent the day resting after their travels. After Boram fell asleep, the cat slipped into Viers¡¯ room and became human again. ¡°I don''t blame him. I blame you!¡± ¡°Heh. All right, to business then.¡± ¡°Fine. Tell me what you want to enchant. You kept it very mysterious in the message.¡± Viers and Izabella had a give-and-take relationship. The more prestige Iz got in the Blood Church, the greater access he had. The stronger Iz became, the better enchantments flowed his way. As a member of the Yasterah cult, she was in a position to get things that were hard to get anywhere else. Viers already made use of this during their earlier trades. That said, he wasn''t at Iz¡¯s beck and call. If the enchantress wanted his help, she had to make it worth his while. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°As agreed, for the duel, I want your help enchanting this, Vice-Vicar.¡± Viers placed a broken spear on the table. Iz expected something more remarkable and the spear was anything but at first glance. Not until she examined it did she let out a gasp. ¡°Have I gone crazy? Th-this is a divine item!¡± ¡°It may be, but a broken one. The spear¡¯s original strength has been spent. What¡¯s left is an impossibly sharp and sturdy spearhead.¡± Viers called it the Spear of Leonidas. The spearhead had the pattern of damascus steel and the shaft was only a fourth remaining. Viers had used this spear as a short sword. Viers told his story while Iz touched the weapon with shaking fingers as if she was touching an artwork that should not be touched. ¡°A relic of my past. During Aletro¡¯s trial, I lent it to Jaime. He used it to defeat his nemesis. Later, I also used it in the battle with Anne to match her divine item.¡± ¡°That event changed our lives¡­¡± Hearing the mention of Aletro made Iz recalled some memories. ¡°I agree. Even though it has lost its previous might, it remains an exceptional object. An empty receptacle, waiting to be filled with power. Previously, your skill wasn''t high enough so I didn''t ask. But if it''s the current you¡­¡± With challenging eyes, Viers locked gaze with Izabella. ¡°I want you to engrave this spear with your greatest enchantments.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it my best,¡± Izabella said. ¡°I¡¯ll make you a weapon that will strike fear into any Level 5! ¡°Music to my ears. I¡¯ll let you decide what¡¯s best but there¡¯s a gimmick that I want in the finished product. I want you to include this.¡± Viers placed a severed hand on the table. Human hand. On the backside, there was a rune. ¡°This is Max¡¯s hand,¡± Viers said. ¡°You know him as Ivory Flame.¡± ¡°Oh, that guy,¡± Iz didn''t react much about the mutilated hand. She had seen worse. ¡°So you killed him too?¡± ¡°As Fate would have it. We met again outside of the Book World.¡± ¡°A rune¡­ Not of the dwarven kind. Peculiar¡­¡± Iz was in her workmode. ¡°The rune made him able to do short-range teleportation. So here¡¯s the thing¡­¡± Viers told the enchanter his wishes. Iz already had some ideas how the result would be and consulted Viers. He fine-tuned Iz¡¯s draft so it would better suit his style. They went back and forth several times. From her passionate eyes to her energized voice, the enchanter was clearly having a field day. Her passion was enchanting and she had been given a great raw material. After they finished, Iz left in a hurry. She couldn''t wait to start her greatest project. ¡°This will be even better than the arrow. Count on it!¡± She said after her figure had stepped out of the door. ¡°Break a leg,¡± Viers replied but he was pretty sure Iz didn''t hear him. ¡°Now then,¡± Viers closed the opened door, locked it, put an additional magical protection in the room, and tapped his badges. Futon, Faiya, and Dia emerged. ¡°Hello, my lovelies. I have gifts for you.¡± The three showed their happiness with their body language. ¡°Fire Candies for Faiya, Five-flavors Cloud for Futon, fertilizer mix made from 100% Level 3s for Dia, and a bunch of other stuff.¡± A bundle as big as ten kilos of laundry appeared. Some of them were things that Iz gave him earlier. ¡°Also, thanks for the help, Futon. You¡¯ve been really helpful. Have plenty of rest.¡± ¡°Fuu!¡± Futon puffed himself up. ¡°I know you can still keep going, but a true warrior knows how to rest their body when the opportunity arises. Now then, there¡¯s also a special gift for Dia.¡± ¡°Mmm?¡± Dia was already stuffing her mouth with Light Berries. Her cheeks were puffed out like a squirrel and slightly glowing. ¡°This is an affinity-granting item,¡± Viers extended a small statue. The bird was embracing a sphere bigger than its body. The sphere encapsulated a swirl of rainbow clouds that resembled an eye. ¡°Cost an arm and a leg, according to Iz. With this, you will have space affinity on top of your wood.¡± ¡°Yaaay!¡± Dia raised her hands. ¡°Finally kin found it!¡± ¡°The space affinity is only 2, so don''t expect much. We¡¯ll seek upgrades in the future.¡± ¡°Don''t mind, don''t mind. Thank you, kin. With this Dia can blink-blink kin and friends better.¡± To get this thing, Viers gave six names of the Blood Church members that were actually agents of various other organizations. Two had loyalties to their sworn rival, the Estellian Church. Exposing the spies and informants gave Izabella a ton of merit. A guy knows a guy that knows a guy. The net of Viers¡¯ soul search reached far and wide; its benefits kept on flowing. Using those merits and a couple of others, Iz procured the item for Viers which he intended for Dia from the start. Space 2 was the best they could afford. Even though it won''t be much use in a fight, Viers thought it would most fit Dia. The dryad was in charge of Viers¡¯ continent-spanning -eventually- teleportation network, a costly but very important infrastructure. That was mostly thanks to the Biome Master perk. Dia was able to open and close entrances to the Biome. Viers cooked up the idea of Gate Plant to exploit that feature. Something that was unreplicable with other Biomes because it was a plant Biome and Dia was sort of a plant. Affinity 2 was pretty low on the scale of power. The lower the affinity, the weaker and more costly the resulting Arte. Dia wouldn''t be able to displace enemies to the sea floor or rend space to erase her enemies. However, Dia should be able to do trick space wizardry and execute the insidious ideas in her master¡¯s mind. Power was paramount, but Viers and his allies had plenty of battle strength. Viers¡¯ idea of power wasn''t so one-dimensional. ¡°Yaaa!¡± ¡°Now, now, don''t be jealous. Sometimes one of you gets the better stuff but that¡¯s because it''s their exclusive opportunity. You once got Twilight Fire and Futon Royal Thunder. This time it''s Dia¡¯s turn, understand?¡± Viers assisted Dia using the consumable item and held her hand as she did baby steps with her newfound affinity. ¡°Remember, your wood 5 affinity and the Artes you¡¯ve polished should be your only choice in battle. Don''t try using space until you pass my quality check. You don''t even have a single space Arte.¡± ¡°Un,¡± Dia nodded. ¡°This is for support outside of battle. I remember kin¡¯s advice.¡± ¡°Good girl.¡± All right. Looks like there¡¯s no problem with her second affinity awakening. The cash-in from all the support I gave her is satisfactory. Spear of Leonidas is also getting an upgrade. What a good day. Viers put a lot of responsibility on Izabella not because of some mundane reason like friendship. It was just the soul contract he put on her that bound her so tight that she would choke to death if she tried to betray or cheat Viers. Viers knew it. Izabella knew it. Based on what she had seen, most of the contracts with real devils from the Nine Hells were less strict. Chapter 349 - One Blood Coming Right Up In a dojo on top of the mystical mountain where mists blanketed the world below, Viers and Izabella were exchanging pointers. She waved her staff and fire swords were flying at Viers. He defended by encasing himself in a water sphere but her further action made the fire swords overcome Viers¡¯ defense. He jumped back before getting hit. ¡°You can now enchant your own Arte, significantly strengthening it. Neat.¡± Viers praised the enchanter. She ate the Enchantment Fruit from World Tree inside Book World. It was the same tier of treasure that gave Viers the ability to create another self so of course it wasn''t weak. Iz¡¯s enchantments were growing to terrifying heights. When he asked what was enchanting exactly, her reply was: putting magical effects on something else. Very versatile. The two continued showing off their techniques. Some flashy, some subdued, and some mysterious. They got a feel of each other¡¯s strength, how strong they were. On Viers¡¯ part, he felt Iz had not been slacking off since their parting and evaluated her worth accordingly. After a while, the spar ended. ¡°Dear me. You¡¯ve become quite strong, haven''t you? You even got me a few times,¡± Viers smiled. During the Book World she had a B++ battle rating. Now she¡¯s an A, despite her focus on enchanting skills. Viers thought about the battle rating that he made up on his own. ¡°Oh spare me. You weren''t even serious,¡± Iz sipped her tea. ¡°If you wanted to defeat me, you could''ve done so anytime.¡± The two were watching the breathtaking landscape just outside the dojo. Viers used Chinese immortal abodes as an inspiration. ¡°How¡¯s the project progressing?¡± Viers asked. ¡°I want to do it right, so it will take time. In return, I promise you won''t be disappointed with the end result.¡± ¡°I trust your skill as an enchanter,¡± Viers crossed his legs while sitting on a stone. ¡°So, what info do you have on Georgi?¡± After he got trashed by Dumuzin and got the name of the Level 5 who beat him down at Valkut, he asked Izabella who belonged to a rival cult for info. ¡°Oh that. No good. The matter is too hot, above the safety limit.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There are individuals that even the Blood Church doesn''t dare to antagonize. This Georgi, other than the knowledge that he¡¯s a high-ranking member of the Dumuzin cult and the name seems Harkelan of origin, I¡¯ve got nothing. Don''t ask me to dig deeper.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Look, a lot of Dumuzin cultists are soul or mind Pathseekers. They might be the smallest cult among the seven but their bigshots are really, really bad news. I know of an incident where one of our own tried to dig some dirt on a prominent Dumuzin cult¡¯s figure. The spy instead leaked our side¡¯s intel and murdered all of his own family, including his own baby child. After realizing what he had done, traumatized, he took his own life.¡± ¡°Wow. That¡¯s messed up.¡± And actually right up my alley. Truly sounds like what I might do. ¡°Yeah. The thing is, we''re dealing with matters above our league. You might be strong but there are other people stronger and more frightening than you.¡± ¡°For now,¡± Viers smiled a devil¡¯s smile. ¡°...For now,¡± Iz replied after a moment of silence. ¡°As always, it¡¯s about power. So, you¡¯re Level 3 peak. What are your thoughts now that you stand at the Level 4¡¯s precipice?¡± ¡°I just reached this step not too long ago, far from reaching the edge to begin knocking on Level 4¡¯s door, so nothing much. You¡¯re already Level 3 peak. You¡¯ll reach Level 4 before I do.¡± Izabella was five years older than Viers. Looking at the leveling speed, Viers was indeed far faster than her, but that was because Viers was an anomaly. Izabella was talented and her progression was still above normal Pathseekers. ¡°Shouldn''t we leave? We¡¯ve been inside your soul world for a while,¡± Iz said with a slightly reluctant feeling. ¡°Don''t worry about it. The outside time moves slower than here,¡± Viers dropped the bomb of a news. He trained a lot so he took inspiration from a famous place in Dragon Ball where the characters go when they encounter yet another super strong enemy. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. During Aletro¡¯s trial, he wasn''t able to do such a thing. Iz and the other horsemen entered the pre-updated version of Viers¡¯ soul world. ¡°...Monster. Incomprehensible monster. You can do everything, can''t you? How is this fair?¡± ¡°This is effort. Make no mistake, I have to learn a bunch of things and have my fair share of failures. While we''re on this topic, remember, get me souls. If they have rare affinities or remarkable skills, I¡¯ll give you a premium price. My ally that just became a space Pathseeker certainly can use the tutelage from a more informed person.¡± ¡°How do you even find the time to learn all of them!?¡± Iz was exasperated. ¡°I¡¯ve been working my body to the bone until I felt there¡¯s not enough hours in one day and that¡¯s just for the topic related to my Path. You just¡­ Ahh! You speed up time in your soul world so you can have more time to train!¡± ¡°You got me,¡± Viers put his hands up, as if surrendering. Iz¡¯s answer was only a quarter right. The bigger contribution was Ars¨¨ne. He served as Viers¡¯ Kagebunshin, active for more than real 12 hours a day recently, improving nonstop. ¡°You must be burning Victa every day. Are you sure that¡¯s wise?¡± ¡°I have my ways. There¡¯s no need for concern.¡± Viers¡¯ light answer made Iz realize the man beside him had a way to solve Victa''s problem, an issue that every Pathseeker faced, including her. ¡°Any chance that I might¡­¡± Iz phrased it delicately. ¡°For now, it¡¯s only available to me. In the future, it might change. So invest in me, yeah?¡± ¡°Now I understand why so many experts or established factions cut down their budding competitors, or at least slow their growth. The sense of watching someone else growing in power so quickly is really frightening.¡± ¡°Humans are jealous beings,¡± Viers nodded. Iz sighed and let the tension fall from her shoulders. She was already on Viers¡¯ boat, even chained to it. Might as well enjoy the ride as the boat traveled to a more prosperous water. ¡°How¡¯s Sakuya, by the way?¡± Iz thought of her fellow Horsemen. That sweet little girl who called her older sister. ¡°Well, other than that one time where I informed her I¡¯m alive after my cards were burning, I have not contacted her since. She needs to find her own way and I shouldn''t interfere. ¡°How nice of her to have a choice,¡± the redhead witch said sarcastically. ¡°Who are you to complain, after you tried to involve me in a Demon King revival plot in Marakkus?¡± ¡°Didn''t she also try to kill you?¡± Iz retaliated. ¡°...You¡¯ve got a point but that¡¯s different.¡± ¡°By the way, the cards were originally to inform me if your life was in peril. To think it became the other way around. Yeeesh, how embarrassing.¡± Above the sea of mists, the two spent some time chatting, just two people catching up after a long time of not seeing each other. At times, it was mundane topics and at other times, cultivation matters. After a while, Iz judged it was time to touch the matter that had been inside her mind for the past months. ¡°Lately, there¡¯s been a blood hunt in the Blood Church. Its members are bringing in rare bloodlines for the organization. Humans, monsters, other races, it doesn''t matter.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Viers asked. ¡°There¡¯s power in blood. Lots of uses¡­ There¡¯s an expansion going on, decreed by the top. The Church¡¯s treasure vault has been opened. There are rare opportunities up for grabs.¡± ¡°What are you planning to do?¡± ¡°The crown jewel among the things in our age bracket,¡± Iz continued, ¡°is the Blood Seraph Arte.¡± ¡°Sounds incredible.¡± ¡°It is. Each of the seven cults has its signature Artes, just like the assassins¡¯ Fade in Shadow. One of the Blood Church¡¯s is called Red Angel, but this Arte is meant for the rank and file, a lesser version. Blood Seraph is the immaculate version of Red Angel Arte.¡± ¡°Hou¡­¡± Viers was intrigued. ¡°The records say it was the Red Goddess herself that taught the original Blood Seraph Arte to the founders of Blood Church ten thousand years ago. It remains among the greatest of blood Artes to this day.¡± ¡°And you have the chance to get the complete version of it. I see, I see.¡± ¡°Not quite right,¡± Iz shook her head. ¡°There are actually three ¡®Seraph¡¯ Artes that make for a complete whole. Blood Seraph, Life Seraph, and Origin Seraph. All three are blood Artes. However, the Blood Church only possesses the Blood Seraph. Life Seraph is at the hands of a vampire clan in the Dreadnorth. They are a former faction of the Blood Church that splintered away. Lastly, the Origin Seraph is missing.¡± ¡°Blood, Life, and Origin¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a single slot granted by the higher-ups to those under twenty-five to learn Blood Seraph Arte. I want that. It¡¯s part of a trinity but even one is incredibly powerful. To do that I need to procure a special bloodline for the Church. The better my offering, the greater my chances.¡± ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Latias royal bloodline.¡± Izabella answered. ¡°Shouldn''t be too hard,¡± Viers snorted. ¡°There are a hundred of them running around now. Before the day of his death two years ago, the previous king fucked multiple women every day. Are you telling me a great devil cult can''t even get a single baby?¡± ¡°The blood from those children is useless for our purposes. I need the blood of an awakened, healthy, and strong Pathseeker.¡± ¡°That means the earlier-born princes and princesses, huh?¡± ¡°Around fifty and above,¡± Izabella nodded. ¡°Restil, that insufferable rival of mine, has gotten his hand on the 55th prince somehow. It could be better but the matured royals have their own protections and backings, getting them isn''t simple.¡± ¡°...Allow me to clarify one thing. You said you want their blood, but you actually want them whole, right? Like the whole person?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve been conducting my own attempts but those didn''t bear fruit. At this rate, Restil will receive the Blood Seraph.¡± ¡°Will this be worth my while?¡± ¡°The protection involving the Blood Seraph¡¯s replication is crazy since it is among the Blood Church¡¯s most precious. I most likely won''t be able to share the complete copy with you anytime soon, but its fundamentals should be shareable. Naturally, there are many more treasures and services for you at the end of this job.¡± Viers closed his eyes to think for a while before they reopened. ¡°You want a Latias royal family? I¡¯ll get you a Latias royal family.¡± Chapter 350 - Marvin Topaz Latias A jade-skinned brunette with the beauty akin to a fresh flower in full bloom stood before a door. She had the air of a professional businesswoman combined with a noblewoman¡¯s presence despite how young she was from the way she carried herself, her clothes, to her high-class glasses. Despite the familiar sounds that entered her ears from beyond the door, she knocked thrice as usual and then entered without waiting for an answer because the owner never did. The scent of women assaulted her nostrils. ¡°Prince, your duties are waiting for you,¡± she said while paying no mind to the ten women lying flat all over the room. Her eyes were fixed on the naked man on the bed, still swinging his waist. ¡°Solany!¡± The man happily said. ¡°Have you come to join? Welcome, welcome! Let¡¯s get right to it. Wait a sec. I¡¯m almost finished with her.¡± The sound of thumping increased in frequency. ¡°Your appointments, prince. It¡¯s way past noon,¡± the brown-haired woman said, raising a handkerchief to her nose. ¡°Mmmhhh¡­ I don''t feel like it. I still want to play with these beauties.¡± The one Solany called prince, a very handsome young man with blond hair, unblemished light skin color, and the perfect chiseled body of an ideal male, said like a pampered kid. ¡°Prince¡­¡± Solany growled. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea! Visit my chamber tonight and I¡¯ll do today¡¯s duties without further glib. It¡¯s been a while since I tasted you,¡± he said without a hint of shame, tossing the woman on his mercy just seconds ago. ¡°...It¡¯s only been four days.¡± ¡°A dreadfully long time, I know. It pains my heart and soul.¡± Solany¡¯s eyes narrowed. She was familiar with the prince¡¯s antics. He wouldn''t budge if she refused now. ¡°Only if you do all your tasks today.¡± ¡°Then let''s go! The sooner it all ends, the more time for us.¡± The prince jumped out of bed energetically. The fact that he didn''t sleep at all last night didn''t seem to have any effect on his body at all. He put on his trousers and slapped a royal cape over his shoulder before going out of the room without a shirt. Solany disregarded the grab on her bottom as the prince passed her. She took one last look at the sloppy state of the women in the room and their satisfied expressions before walking behind the prince. ¡°What¡¯s on my plate today?¡± ¡°First, there¡¯s a representative of the miners of the city. Behind them, the crafters. They¡¯ll have petitions for you.¡± ¡°Ehhh¡­ What do they want?¡± The prince made a bad face. His motivation dropped. ¡°The short version, they want less work, more food for them and their family, and wages.¡± ¡°The hell? What I gave them isn''t enough?¡± The prince wondered. ¡°You didn''t give them anything, prince. Even the food is given by the duchy. Your territory produces not enough food for the masses.¡± ¡°It worked out in the end, didn''t it?¡± Solany rolled her eyes. ¡°Apparently, they didn''t think so.¡± ¡°Relax. I know what to do.¡± The pair walked into the throne room. Nicely decorated and guarded by imposing armored knights. Between the row of knights, several people were there for an audience. ¡°Prince Marvin Topaz Latias. The 40th prince of the Latias Kingdom.¡± A crier announced the Prince¡¯s arrival as he took the seat on the throne. Solany stood beside him and the people in poor clothing knelt. ¡°You have the Prince¡¯s attention,¡± Marvin said. ¡°What ails you, my people?¡± ¡°My Prince. We thank your benevolence for granting us this audience,¡± an elderly woman said after waiting two hours. ¡°Please, grant us leniency, Your Highness¡­ Many of us worked too hard. Since your ascendancy two months ago, the children, the elderly, and the infirm are dying in droves. Please, grant us mercy! There¡¯s not enough food or medicine. Ahh, mercy, great prince. Mercy.¡± Looking at the old woman''s teary face didn''t move the prince at all. He couldn''t be swayed by ugly women. ¡°Solany, thoughts?¡± ¡°Does the prince want to mine the mana crystals himself?¡± ¡°Oufff. Can''t have that. What to do, what to do¡­¡± Marvin snapped his fingers. ¡°Solany, do the thing.¡± The secretary stand-in sighed, removed her glasses, and laid her eyes on the representatives. A tremor of magic was in the air. The representative¡¯s face turned loose and passive. ¡°All right you guys. You¡¯re all happy under my rule. Work hard every day and rather than pull this shit ever again, you¡¯d rather mine crystals until you die. Understand? Good.¡± The magic faded and their consciousness returned. ¡°Praise to Prince Marvin!¡± the old woman who tearfully begged for the wellbeing of her people had a happy expression. ¡°We¡¯ll honor you by working a double shift today!¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Go, work hard for me.¡± Marvin put his elbow on the armrest and pressed his cheek against his fist while crossing his legs. ¡°Mind control. So useful for controlling the herd. Impressive as always, cousin. Would you kindly make sure the livestocks have enough feed?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make the arrangements,¡± Solany put on her glasses again. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°The Knight Captain of the Black Shield Knightly Order, Harper Nass.¡± With the announcement, the black-armored Knight Captain arrived and knelt with one knee before the prince. ¡°My Prince. And My Lady.¡± ¡°Ohh, Harper. Welcome back. So, is my brother dead?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, prince. I¡¯ve failed.¡± ¡°Hm, those two Level 4s from the assassins guild plus you and your knights are not enough to handle an Idler and one Level 4?¡± ¡°I have no excuse for my failure. Please punish me as you see fit.¡± ¡°The report, please. Sir Harper,¡± Solany said. ¡°Prince Croix and his guardian hid themselves well after escaping the capital. The cultists were able to smoke them out using villages as bait but their attempts were thwarted by a passing Pathseeker duo.¡± ¡°This much we know. Prince Marvin then sent the Black Shield and you to intercept them on the way to Stormberg. What happened then?¡± Solany asked. ¡°The two Pathseekers began to travel with the prince, bolstering their number to four. The two of them were only Level 3 but their powers were formidable. We caught up to them at the Floating Rock Chasm, but we are not the only ones. The Thunder Wing Knightly Order, under the orders of the Countess Weiss of Stormberg, intervened.¡± Harper then narrated the ensuing battle. ¡°Guess the assassins¡¯ reputations are way exaggerated. So much for being the most feared cult in the continent,¡± Marvin harrumphed. ¡°Well, if Croix¡¯s reached Stormberg, he¡¯s under safe haven. It¡¯s too much hassle poking around a Level 5¡¯s lair. Solany, guess you should inform your house about this.¡± ¡°Duke Lucan won''t be pleased.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s the one wanting this political murder, not me. I¡¯m rather fond of that half-brother of mine,¡± Marvin took the news in good humor. ¡°So, of the two tag-alongs, one is a kid about ten and he called the other master?¡± ¡°Indeed, my liege. I believe he has a bloodline. Troll or giant race.¡± ¡°Early awakening?¡± ¡°Undoubtedly.¡± ¡°I see, I see. You¡¯re dismissed. Stand by for now.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord, my lady.¡± Harper bowed to the two before leaving. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Your 11th mistress is waiting for you in the solar.¡± ¡°I shall head there immediately.¡± Later, after finishing his meetings and businesses, Marvin went to look at a ranch of his making. A new batch came in today. ¡°Here¡¯s the list.¡± ¡°Mmm. They¡¯re a bit skinny,¡± Marvin took the list from Solany¡¯s hand and examined the products with critical eyes. There were about thirty slaves, all under the age of fifteen with the youngest about seven years old. They were of different races, humans, beastfolks, dwarfs, and even a couple of elves. ¡°Will there be a success case in this batch?¡± ¡°I wouldn''t know, prince,¡± Solany dryly replied. ¡°Ready the guards. We¡¯re all going on a trip.¡± ¡°Of course¡­ Since I will be reporting to Duke Lucan, he will want to know your progress.¡± The prince flexed his magic and emitted a brilliant golden-colored Victa, shaking the entire slave quarters. The ever-stoic Solany had a rare look of shock. ¡°Already Level 4!?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the pinnacle of humanity,¡± Marvin said proudly. ¡°The favored child of the goddess. I feel sorry for all the other people born in my generation. They¡¯ll always be under my shadow, always striving to be the second best. Ahahahaha!¡± Later that evening, Solany in a forest green dress with yellow flowers sat prim and proper in her room. Before long, a magical projection of a man appeared. The man was a brown-haired youth but his eyes had the depth of years in them. The man was wearing thick clothes suitable for cold weather and a sword strapped to his waist. On top of that, he donned the fur of a gray wolf, with the monster¡¯s head resting on his left shoulder. ¡°Duke Lucan,¡± Solany solemnly greeted the Level 5. ¡°I trust you are well, daughter?¡± The two looked like siblings but were actually father and child. They had a small talk in the beginning before moving on to the meat of the matter. ¡°So the son of Giselle escaped. Pity. I would have liked him captured. If not, eliminated.¡± Then they talked about Prince Marvin Topaz Latias, who Solany Lucan was betrothed to, the latter¡¯s cousin. ¡°His 17th birthday celebration had just passed and now he¡¯s a Level 4. The boy¡¯s a genius, daughter.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Faced with such a fact, Solany couldn''t say a single word of disagreement. ¡°All the resources I poured into him are not wasted. Good. Good,¡± Duke Lucan was all smiles. ¡°Even though Marvin is the 40th prince, his talents completely overshadow most of his older siblings. Mark my words, he will be king, Solany. When he does, you will be queen! The Lucan dynasty will dawn upon Latias.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Solany had heard this talk a hundred times already. Then she told her father about how Marvin ruled his territory. ¡°Father, why did you give this territory from your duchy to be Marvin¡¯s playground? You even allowed his every whim.¡± ¡°If he was to rule Latias one day, he has to learn. There are good reasons why all lords and ladies do not mindcontrol their populace.¡± ¡°The Church. The Silver Legion might come knocking on their door,¡± Solany said. ¡°That¡¯s one, but there are other reasons. Let Marvin have his way. Let him fail. Let him grow. Your fiancee is talented, this is true, but he still has a lot to learn.¡± ¡°I shall abide,¡± the brunette was the very picture of a devoted child. ¡°Does Marvin playing with other women bother you?¡± The Duke asked. ¡°No.¡± Solany tsked inside her mind. The answer was a split second late and her father would not have missed her lie. ¡°Marvin is young, let him sow his wild oats. How can you know your wine is of the highest quality if you never taste other wines? Do not let your heart waver, for my daughter is far better than the lasses of lower nobility. He would soon realize that.¡± ¡°Father is wise.¡± ¡°I¡¯m needed elsewhere. Farewell, Solany.¡± Duke Lucan¡¯s projection ended and Solany was once more alone in her room. She remained seated for a minute, putting her mind and heart in order before she groomed herself. ¡°Hellooo~ beautiful!¡± Not a moment too soon, Marvin barged into her room without knocking. He paused looking at the heavenly muse in front of him. ¡°By the Goddess, aren''t you ravishing tonight¡­ Even the two moons are pale in comparison to you at this moment. So, you can''t wait too, hm? Well, well, let me remedy that.¡± The prince dived into the bed and the bed rocked until the sun was up. Chapter 351 - How Badly You Want It? Two men were clashing blades. Although, more accurately, one was trying to show off his skills to the other. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said Alfred. ¡°Thank you, Sir Ujath,¡± Croix said from the side. ¡°We¡¯ll inform you of our decision.¡± ¡°I will be waiting for the good news.¡± After the young Level 3 knight left, only then did Croix relax his posture. ¡°Well, how is he?¡± The prince said to Alfred as his hand was drawn naturally to his dragon egg. ¡°Slightly above average, young lord,¡± Alfred answered honestly. It was too important of a matter. ¡°Just as I thought. Even as a non-Pathseeker I can tell¡­ Avel and Boram are stronger, aren''t they?¡± ¡°Much stronger, young lord. I believe that even if there are five Ujaths'' fighting Boram at the same time, Boram would win. Unless he ran out of Victa.¡± ¡°That doesn''t sound promising,¡± Croix frowned. ¡°Among the bunch that signed up, he¡¯s the best one so far. I agree he¡¯s not enough but compared to Avel and Boram, most people would be cast under their shadow. Those two are abnormally strong,¡± the Level 4 explained. ¡°Yet if I''m to become king, there would be other people of the same caliber as those two that would bar my path.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very true, young lord.¡± The two fell silent and went to the deep recesses of their minds. For the trip to Archion Volcano, Croix and Alfred tried to seek people that could assist them in reaching that dangerous place. There was no Adventurers¡¯ Guild in Latias, Pathseekers were absorbed into Knightly Orders or as vassals to other lords and ladies. Those that remained independent were mostly mercenaries that had poorer reputations and status compared to those that attached themselves to some organization. That was the local culture in Latias. Stormberg was Croix¡¯s aunt¡¯s territory and most answered to her, just like Thunder Wing¡¯s Knight Captain Malika. For the past week, Croix had been asking around while hiding his identity as a prince from the limited pool of those unaffiliated with the Countess of Stormberg. As the bait was the limited wealth that they had, the fishes they hooked were not particularly satisfactory. ¡°It''s pretty amazing Avel and Boram can get that strong without being affiliated,¡± the prince wondered. Previously he thought it was unachievable. ¡°If they were Latisians, I would strongly suspect they were members of the underworld, fat on fruits of their crimes. No one gets to their level out of nowhere. They have to have roots and backing. Since they are foreigners, I cannot say,¡± the older man with more experience said. ¡°...The more I think about it, the more monster-like people there are out there,¡± Croix sighed. ¡°The waters of the world run deep,¡± Alfred nodded. ¡°Not all geniuses make a name for themselves and ancient experts hidden from public eyes also exist. This is without counting other races and societies¡­ The Pathseeker¡¯s world is the ultimate crucible. However, I do not believe you are less capable, young lord.¡± ¡°Enough with the flattery. I know full well I¡¯m not some monstrous genius like others, that is why I must make it up using effort and by taking risks. Forging my Intio at Archion is my first step¡­ But getting there is a trial in itself, it seems.¡± ¡°My Lord, even if it''s me alone, I will make sure you reach the volcano with not a single scratch on your body. This I swear to you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Alfred. I don''t doubt you but at what cost? The path to the crown is still far and I need you at my side¡­ I suppose there¡¯s no other choice now but to ask those two.¡± ¡°My Lord¡­ As I said before, I have reservations concerning them. They have no loyalty towards you. Boram will do everything Avel says but from Avel I have a sense of foreboding. He is greedy and materialistic. He hides it well but he has the scent of a mass murderer. Who knows how many people he has killed in cold blood? Adding to the favor you owe him from before, he will surely ask for a sky-high price this time!¡± ¡°And so we have sought other alternatives but it bears no fruit¡­ Taking risks, Alfred. I¡¯m a prince in name while actually a beggar, and just like the saying, beggars can''t be choosers.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Croix would have preferred at least another Level 4 but since his aunt refused to help, there was no chance of that. He had enemies that wanted him dead. If he died, no matter what lofty ideals he had, none of it would matter. Before he awakened as a Pathseeker he would be powerless so gathering strong guards was the only thing he could do. ¡°Khhh¡­ Forgive my incompetence,¡± Alfred said with a pained expression. ¡°If anything, the fault is mine¡­ Well, let¡¯s visit Avel and hear what kind of price he would demand from this pauper prince, shall we?¡± *** The rain continued to fall on Stormberg. Inside one of the unassuming houses in the city, in the training room with expanded space, Boram was moving his body fiercely against a training golem. From where his master got such a thing Boram didn''t know and didn''t care. As always, his master was amazing, so Boram thought. Watching his disciple¡¯s training nearby was Viers. His eyes were closed but he was still able to watch. Most of his attention was on his inner self. Others would have assumed the master was lazing around while the disciple was hard at work but it couldn''t be further from the truth. While Boram was training outside, Viers conducted his own training in his inner world, The Grid. A simulated world, where Viers could conduct his experiments and training without expending any Victa. Recently, he was able to make it so the time he spent here was twice as long as the time spent outside. That meant Viers had double the time for his training. At the moment, there were only two of them. Viers¡¯ three familiars were sleeping like little babies. As non-humans, they had a somewhat different lifestyle, not needing to move their bodies physically as the two but when it was time to train, they trained diligently. There used to be a cat living with them, but after the second enchantment-failure explosion that rocked the space inside the house, Izabella moved away to her more specialized workshop. Only sometimes coming back as a cat to rest. Today, the wanderers had visitors knocking on their door. ¡°Prince Croix, Knight Alfred, how do you do? Please come in. How may I help you?¡± Viers received them courteously, invited them inside, had them sit, and offered them warm drinks. Inside his mind, he wondered if he should bind the young prince like a tied roast and offer the premium cut to an evil cult. Blood Seraph, Blood Seraph, Blood Seraph¡­ After hearing what the legendary Arte could do, Viers naturally desired it¡­ Or would it give him more benefits to continue this prince¡¯s chain quests first before he sells? Decisions, decisions. Viers made up his mind to hear the prince first at least. Though, he had an inkling what it would be about. Viers sat facing Croix while Boram was standing on his left with Alfred on his opposite. The four made up the four sides of a square. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be blunt, mister Avel, I would like to ask you to be my vassal,¡± Croix said while looking at Viers¡¯ eyes. Since he was at his own home, he wasn''t wearing a mask, or so others thought. Viers had removed the mask he wore during their travels but he was actually wearing the Impersonator Mask. The high-quality magic item was able to change his appearance without being caught in the act. Therefore, Viers¡¯ real face was still hidden under the face of Avel, a burner identity of his. ¡°Sure.¡± The reply was light and swift, like answering a trivial matter. The other three didn''t expect such an answer; it was written on their faces. ¡°T-truly?¡± The prince was the most surprised of them all. ¡°If you can give me fair compensation, yes.¡± ¡°And what would that be? There¡¯s no need to be reserved and speak your mind.¡± ¡°Very well, prince,¡± Viers put down his cup of hot tea and put his clasped hand on the table. ¡°I shan¡¯t mince words.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ Let''s make the prior reward of getting you to Stormberg combined with this one. I want to pick three items from the royal treasury of the Crimson Capital. Rumors are that the place can only be entered with permission granted by the king of Latias and the treasures piled up inside are as big as a mountain.¡± ¡°You-¡± Alfred was angered by the absurd demand and was about to chastise him but Croix raised his hand and he put a brake on his words. After an inhale and a pause, Alfred spoke again with a softer tone. ¡°Such a price is too steep, don''t you think so? If you¡¯re a Level 5 you might warrant such a price but you¡¯re a Level 3.¡± ¡°You can''t buy an adamantium blade with a fistful of mana crystals. It''s simple logic. The better the goods, the higher the price.¡± ¡°Let us go, young lord. We¡¯d be better asking other Level 5 for this,¡± Alfred threatened. ¡°The exit is that way. Good day.¡± Viers didn''t bite. Croix and Alfred didn''t move. There was a reason why they were unable to simply ask famous Level 5s for help. The price Viers asked would indeed rouse some Level 5s but they were too strong. If they went back on their word and ran amok, what could Croix and Alfred do? Simply promising future wealth to a large number of Level 4 Knightly Orders similarly carried the risk. ¡°You would call yourself ¡®goods¡¯, mister Avel?¡± Croix said with a calm tone. ¡°Just a metaphor, doesn''t really matter. You want something, I want something. It¡¯s a simple matter. The question is, how badly do you want to be king, Prince Croix?¡± And so began the haggling for the crown of Latias. On one side, a young prince with lofty aspirations and hope for his home and people. On the other side, was a greedy villain with a lust for power coupled with the potency of a myriad of stories. Unbeknownst to the people in the room, Fate was heavy around them. Like an epicenter of a quake, the negotiation would have impacts on others far and wide. Such was the gravity of the situation. Chapter 352 ¡°Are you selling yourself, young Avel?¡± ¡°It sounds much more awful when you put it that way, Sir Alfred. I¡¯m just a guy offering his skills for fair compensation,¡± Viers replied without being emotional about it. As a villain, as long as he got enough benefits, Viers didn''t particularly care about lending his aid to the highest bidder. He had done so for the devil cults and the good guy Church before. As cultivation resources were so tightly tied to the Path of Power, Viers approached it with a business mentality, emphasizing the risk-benefit ratio. ¡°For a Pathseeker of your caliber, you sure lack the pride and dignity of one. Your conduct is almost the same as those street-raised. Where is your sense of duty and justice? Instead, your greed stands out like a sore thumb.¡± ¡°And my strength.¡± To the brisk reply, Alfred paused a second to process. ¡°And my strength, Sir knight. Else you wouldn''t be here.¡± Duty? Justice? What¡¯s that? Can you eat them? Are they necessary on my way to the Apex? If not, they are unneeded. ¡°...Such a man is unworthy of trust,¡± Alfred added, grudgingly. ¡°I argue to the contrary. Satisfy their greed and they''ll stick with you¡­ until their greed grows to be unsatisfiable eventually. But if the contract is completed, then what¡¯s the problem of going separate ways? We can set the vassalage within a specific time frame and objective. Once that¡¯s done, I¡¯ll act as is expected of me.¡± ¡°Contract¡­¡± the young prince Croix voiced his thoughts. ¡°Agreement. You speak of a vassalage that is not permanent or unconditional¡­ This is different from my understanding.¡± He looked at his protector with questions in his gaze. ¡°It is unorthodox¡­ but there have been such cases in the past. It is rarely accepted, for it implies the man lacked lasting loyalty to his lord. A vassal without loyalty is, as I said earlier, unworthy of trust.¡± ¡°I won''t apologize for it,¡± Viers calmly sipped his tea like a seasoned gentleman. ¡°I love my freedom too much.¡± ¡°Yet you said yes to my request,¡± Croix eyed Viers intently. ¡°No matter what kind of bird they are, they can''t fly in the skies forever. Sometimes, they fold their wings and roost.¡± ¡°...You are more lax now, mister Avel. More candid, more at ease. Previously you¡¯d have kept your thoughts hidden inside,¡± Croix said what he observed. ¡°If we¡¯re to be working together, surely both of us can benefit from more openness with each other, don''t you agree?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been holding my tongue but watch yourself, young Avel. You¡¯re being too outspoken to the prince,¡± Alfred warned. As Viers understood him better and better he found out Alfred was a knight. As an opponent, the Level 4 would be a bit troublesome but they were not enemies. The man was very loyal to the young prince. In his early thirties, he looked like an uncle. A young uncle but an uncle. His personality was rigid thanks to his upbringing. Serving a lord he was sworn to unequivocally with undying loyalty was most likely his take on the pinnacle of life¡¯s virtue. The aristocracy was strong in the Latias Kingdom. The culture molded Alfred into the man he was today. Not only him but countless other knights too. Viers¡¯ brazen behavior that was borderline discourteous poked him the wrong way. On Viers¡¯ part, he detested blind loyalty. He was his own man, first and foremost. Therefore he disliked it when people or society demanded blind loyalty from him. What a joke. The only blind loyalty that he tolerated was the one toward himself. Before Viers gave a reply, one that showed his veiled disapproval but courteous enough to not be rude to the would-be employer, the 51st prince of Latias spoke. ¡°Any three, is a bit much.¡± ¡°Young lord!?¡± Alfred gasped. Viers smothered a smile. The fish had taken the bait. Croix negotiated adeptly against Viers. He gave many good points to counter Viers¡¯ offer while offering alternatives. He showed insight on the line where he could push and where he should pull. The experience of the prince being in the middle of a royal court¡¯s intrigue surprised Viers slightly but his greed was not so easily cowed. ¡°The royal treasury contains the history of the Latias Kingdom. The items there are important assets to the state and must not be given lightly.¡± ¡°Surely assets are better to be used than letting them gather dust.¡± ¡°You made a good point. That is why I plan to utilize them to rebuild Latias. The people could benefit from the shared wealth, enriching the people would result in a wealthier nation in turn. If I sell them away for personal ambition, how can I face the Latias people?¡± ¡°If the treasury contains a mountain of treasure as rumored, why would you miss three less?¡± Stolen story; please report. While the two were arguing, Boram and Alfred stood at the side, watching in silence. When Viers made outrageous demands, Alfred¡¯s face twisted as if a bitter bug flew into his mouth. Boram was more at ease. It wasn''t his place to talk but he observed and learned. ¡°One item. For your help in getting me to the throne of Latias, you may take any one item that you fancy from the Latias royal treasury. On the condition that the item is not a legacy item or crucial to the kingdom¡¯s infrastructure.¡± For all Croix¡¯s clamor about wanting to fix Latias, he seemed to hold his ancestry highly. Not because of his father, he seemed to have no love for the man there, but for his predecessors, those past kings that went back to the founding of Latias. He felt it was his duty to uphold their legacy and so he barred Viers from getting legacy items. Legacy items were items that define a Pathseeker clan. It could be some magic stone that helps cultivation, unique alchemical brew recipes, signature Artes or Profound Codices, which are but a few examples. Viers sensed this was Croix¡¯s bottom line. ¡®Any¡¯ single item but with asterisks. After a few seconds of thinking, Viers gave his reply. ¡°If I¡¯m only getting one item, I¡¯ll have additional conditions.¡± ¡°Avel, you-¡± ¡°Please speak,¡± Croix interrupted Alfred with a kind tone. ¡°I apologize. I wouldn''t have fought you so strongly if this isn''t concerning the future of my family line and nation. Let me make it up another way.¡± ¡°I want a country.¡± ¡°...Ha?¡± Alfred let out a tone of absolute bewilderment while Croix maintained a calm expression, although Viers saw his eyebrows twitch. ¡°...What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°In your rise to the throne, there will be an upheaval of the old order. People will rise, people will fall. Borders will be redrawn when the power struggle happens. I want a piece of land for me.¡± ¡°In other words, you want an estate. You wished for a nobility title?¡± Croix chose his words carefully. ¡°Kind of but not what you think. I mean a truly independent place that is not under the jurisdiction of the Latias Kingdom. One where I''m the head. Once I have that land, I want Latias to recognize its sovereignty.¡± In the immediate wake of Viers¡¯ words, the other three were too shaken to answer. ¡°...You request for a satellite state to be made especially for you,¡± Croix said while in deep thought. ¡°It¡¯s fine, isn''t it? Latias already has a dozen,¡± Viers smiled then he looked at Boram. ¡°You look confused.¡± Boram didn''t answer but his eyes said yes. ¡°So, the Human Dominion is largely made up of the four great nations but there are others. In Latias, there are small kingdoms surrounding it. These smaller kingdoms have their own kings and territories that are technically independent.¡± ¡°I see¡­ But I remember you taught me that some individuals are already doing that, Master.¡± ¡°Very good, you remember. Five points for Rockboa,¡± Viers said in the tone of a Hogwarts professor. ¡°As you say, Latias nobles and FPC¡¯s Governor-Kings are already ruling basically as they please. Case in point, the Countess of Stormberg. Who dares to order a woman like that? Who can? She¡¯s a mighty Level 5. Unless there''s a national crisis, these nobles are left independent by the central government.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Some have bigger territory than others, some have stronger forces, but in the end, they fall under the banner of the four greats. So why do Latias have these other independent kingdoms?¡± ¡°...They rule difficult land?¡± Boram tried to use his brain rather than simply saying I don''t know as his master taught him. ¡°Scarce in resources or many monster problems, with reasons like these, the higher-ups in Latias might think it¡¯s not worth it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s some truth in what you say but the main thing¡­ is for breeding.¡± ¡°Breeding? Like¡­ for making little babies?¡± Boram had saucers for eyes. ¡°Latias has nobles. These nobles cannot be wed to commoners,¡± Viers made the quotation gesture while saying the word commoners. ¡°So they have these nice princes and princesses to marry. Sometimes dukes, sometimes marques, titles, titles.¡± ¡°I see now,¡± Boram nodded. ¡°But why now, Master? Didn''t you always say that making a country is easy once you become strong enough?¡± Boram¡¯s innocent question touched a nerve in Croix and Alfred but he didn''t realize it. ¡°Well, once you¡¯re mighty enough, it is indeed not that hard to claim an area in the wilderness and claim it as your own. In fact, there are lots of places like that right now. But why I request this of Prince Croix, is because of the weight of legitimacy. The acknowledgment from one of the four great nations will make it legal and official.¡± Viers faced Croix again who had been silent while Viers explained the geopolitics of the Latias Kingdom to his disciple. ¡°You can give me the territory of one of the enemies you defeat. There will be quite a few in your rise for power, some are bound to be people with their own province. Once these nobles have fallen, their domain needs new management. Such places will do for me. I¡¯m not picky. The place didn''t have to be big, a single small city and its surroundings would do just fine. But, I¡¯ll refuse outright a wasteland of a territory that is riddled with problems as my disciple said earlier. So! How does this sound?¡± ¡°...¡± In truth, Croix was amenable to the idea. He had been planning to give people with merit and capability territories in the first place. The Latias Kingdom needed to weed out the rotten parts so healthier saplings could grow in their place. ¡°We will need to discuss it in more detail in the future, but I can make a promise to you now that you¡¯ll get your own kingdom once I wear a crown.¡± ¡°Excellent,¡± Viers knocked the table twice with his fist. ¡°Next condition-¡± ¡°There¡¯s more!? You-¡± Viers muted Alfred and continued. ¡°You don''t have to give me further reward during the tenure but I¡¯ll be allowed to keep the spoils of war of my own battles.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°Next condition: my vassalage will end once Your Highness becomes king and our previous agreement must be fulfilled.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°Last condition, you will never ask me to kneel.¡± The eyes of Viers were serious. Much more serious than when he said his previous conditions. Croix peered into the depths of Viers'' psyche using the windows that were the eyes. There he finally found the stubbornness beneath all the jokester manners he conducted himself. He had pride, a sort of pride that was different from most other people''s. Croix was sure that the man before him would become a sharp blade in his arsenal. And a wise man must take care handling such a blade lest they get cut and lose a finger. Or a neck. ¡°I promise you,¡± Croix stood. ¡°That I¡¯ll never ask you to kneel to me.¡± Viers also rose to his feet. ¡°And so we have an accord. Under these conditions, I, Avel of Javia, pledge my sword to the 51st Prince of Latias, Prince Croix. The future king of Latias. I will endeavor to give him the crown, or die trying. Long may he reign.¡± The villain bowed a perfect 45 degrees with his right hand to his chest to the youth he raised up as his lord. - - - Chapter 352 - You Have My Sword Chapter 353 - Onward To A Healthy Partnership They had agreed with their words and then they put it in ink to make the contract official. Viers was big on binding, written contracts. The content was basically the same but there were added details such as if there was betrayal of any kind, Viers was released from vassalage while the agreed conditions must still be fulfilled by the prince. Viers had made lots of contracts for people that he would be partied with so he had experience drafting a good one. In truth, such a contract also benefited Croix and Alfred. What they feared the most were Avel turned on them. The no-betrayal clause worked both ways and put their mind at ease. The contract was binding on the soul, Alfred was surprised Avel possessed something so rare. After all was in order, the prince and Alfred left to make preparations for the trip to the volcano. Both sides were pretty much ready and so they would leave that very day. ¡°Then we¡¯ll rendezvous on the main bridge in an hour, Avel, Boram, I look forward to working with you.¡± ¡°Likewise, Highness.¡± As he was Croix¡¯s vassal now, Viers was more respectful towards him in words and mannerisms. It was plain to see and it even invited a grunt of approval from Alfred. While looking at the back of the leaving pair amongst the falling rain, Viers was thinking about the volcano. He knew the place and had a plan to go there with or without the prince. With a place so venerated for its purity in the fire element, surely it can help Clarissa to awaken. ¡°...You have questions,¡± Viers sensed Boram¡¯s confusion, ¡°Ask.¡± ¡°I never thought you wanted to become king, Master. I thought you detested nobles.¡± ¡°Being born in a privileged family can result in an atrophy in the part of the brain that we normal people use to get our common sense.¡± ¡°At-ropy?¡± Boram didn''t know the word. ¡°Just think of it as rotting. Those people that throw their weight around are the kind of people that I hate. But as you see, Croix isn''t like that. Just like there are good humans and bad humans, you shouldn''t judge a person because of their birth.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°As for ruling, I think it¡¯s a pain in the ass.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Think of it. A king is supposed to take care of a whole kingdom, isn''t he? Why should I take care of other people when I have enough problems of my own?¡± ¡°Err¡­ That is¡­¡± Boram didn''t have an answer. ¡°But I might need it in the future, so I ask. Well, don''t mind it too much. Even if Croix got the crown next month or next year, I won''t take up the post until I¡¯m sufficiently strong enough.¡± They said never judge a book by its cover, however, that was not entirely accurate. While it might hold a candle to the truth, oftentimes a person¡¯s nature reflects on their appearance. Also even if the food on the plate looked perfectly fine, sometimes you wouldn''t know it was actually already spoiled until you smelled or tasted them. Viers perceived people¡¯s nature with an additional sense, his soul sense. Using that he picked Boram as his slave, helped Paina, Farley, and Clarissa, worked with Izabella, Jaime, and Sakuya, and allied with Mita, Rose, and Ciel. Each of them passed his threshold as people he would like to associate himself with. Their inner qualities charmed him. In that same manner, he beheld the nature of Prince Croix¡¯s soul and not found him wanting. It wasn''t because he wanted to serve someone, he simply thought it might be an interesting development where he might get tons of benefits. ¡°If that is all, get packing Boram. We¡¯re going on a picnic at a volcano.¡± ¡°If Master becomes a king, I''m sure the people you rule will be happy,¡± Boram wistfully said while imagining it in his mind. ¡°...Heh.¡± Viers smiled mockingly. Oh, you sweet summer child. I wouldn''t want to live in a country ruled by someone like me. While Boram was in his room getting ready, a black cat jumped down from the cupboard. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°What are you planning?¡± Izabella had witnessed the whole thing. ¡°The prince will be my way into Latias high society. Seems interesting and lucrative. Also, there¡¯s the matter of the blood angel of ours¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­ Just beware high societies are more dangerous than the lairs of Deva-class monsters.¡± ¡°Oh I know,¡± Viers put on his mask. ¡°When you play a game of thrones you win or you die. There¡¯s no middle ground¡­ Let¡¯s see how this one turns out, shall we? My last one only lasted six seasons and never finished.¡± ¡°...Whaaat?¡± Izabella exhaled nervously. The way he said it implied he had gone through something similar before. Normally it was impossible, but he was Tanael. Izabella couldn''t simply deny it. Viers didn''t answer, only vague chuckles. Ah¡­ I wonder if Daenerys landed in Westeros yet¡­ Damn. To think Game of Thrones would get discontinued after six seasons. Instead, they made a prequel. Wow¡­ Never get what those people in Hollywood are thinking. Viers, who thought season seven was a huge dumpster fire and season eight was a franchise killer of apocalyptic proportions, wiped them from his brain SSD and treated them as if they never existed. The books never finished too¡­ Hate it when great stories don''t get to the ending they deserve. Such a shame. *** As Izabella wouldn''t be accompanying them and so taking separate actions for the time being, Viers gave her homework to keep her busy. Of course, this homework would be beneficial to him but like a game¡¯s quest, she also got rewarded for doing the job. In his room on his own, Viers raised his barriers and security measures to the maximum. After double-checking that all systems were green, Viers took out a dagger with a very thick demonic corruption. Evil Dagger of Broken Promise. Viers got this dagger from Farley¡¯s father after killing him in Valkut. Then he went on a long journey to unlock the inventory ring containing it. He only unlocked it after reaching Regidana, just before the Book World began. Viers removed his tops and plunged the dagger into his chest. ¡°Gffhh¡­¡± Of course, he felt pain, but it was necessary. He slowly removed the dagger and immediately tended to his wound. Normal people would die, but Viers was a Pathseeker and he had a healing factor, he would survive. Furthermore, this was not his first rodeo. The origin of this dagger was from Hell. A true Made in Hell item. Farley¡¯s father traded this dagger from a bona fide devil after doing unspeakable deeds for the creature. Viers knew this because he had thoroughly soul-searched the man. On the tip of the blade that had visited the inside of his chest, was a single drop of blood. This blood was from Viers¡¯ heart, a crucial ingredient. Blood from cutting a finger wouldn''t be of use for the ritual Viers was about to use. After placing the dagger on a white cloth, already painted with demonic symbols, Viers enacted the ritual. The aura was contained inside the barrier. Else, the people within a kilometer would tell the Silver Legion to cleanse the demonic activity. The barrier was so strong that Izabella and Boram that lived in the same house didn''t detect anything amiss. After a long process, the ritual was done, and Viers had broken the binding pact with the prince. Now, even if he broke his promise, he wouldn''t get a killing backlash. Meanwhile, the prince would still need to fill all of his obligations. The nature of demonic energy was to corrupt everything it touched. Every living being that was corrupted by demonic energy became a demon, whether they were humans, monsters, or animals. Evil Dagger of Broken Promise corrupted the contract that Viers made and freed him from the binding chains. A truly devilish item. Viers was big on binding, written contracts. Because he could break them while the other party was none the wiser. Viers felt bad for the young prince, but just a tiny bit. *** The four met up in traveling gear on the city¡¯s limits, ready to depart. Croix asked where the horses were. The masked man said: ¡°Horses? Where we¡¯re going, we don''t need horses.¡± He then furled a flying transport in the form of a colorful carpet. After some clamoring, the party of four flew off to the skies. Countess of Stormberg, Grace Weiss, watched it all transpire through a mirror in her room with a cold expression. There was a knock on the door and a woman entered after being given permission. ¡°My Lady,¡± Malika of the Thunder Wing Knightly Order bowed. ¡°Prince Croix has departed to Archion Volcano with his party.¡± ¡°I am aware,¡± the blue-haired woman said with a tone that was like ice. ¡°Is this fine, My Lady?¡± Malika asked. ¡°Let fools who wish to die, die. At least I will not suffer that man¡¯s face any further.¡± After her dismissal, Malika sighed. Her mistress¡¯ heart must be torn. In Prince Croix lay her dear sister¡¯s love, while at the same time, he also had the face of the man who took her sister away. The face of a man she swore to kill as she froze her heart. Everything Malika had, she owed it to the countess. Therefore, Malika always acted for the sake of the countess. At the barracks, her aide welcomed the Knight Captain back. ¡°The men are ready. Shall we follow?¡± ¡°The Countess has not given us permission to move. The Thunder Wing will continue to do their duties here in Stormberg.¡± ¡°As the Countess¡¯ will¡­ Captain, what are you-¡± The aide was confused why Malika climbed on her gryphon. ¡°I am feeling stifled as of late so I¡¯ll be taking a walk for some time. Take care of things while I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°C-captain, there¡¯s a mountain of work to be done. The matter of trade with the dwarves-¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking a walk and that¡¯s final. I¡¯m counting on you. Hyah!¡± ¡°Aaah!! Not again!¡± Malika urged her mount to fly and the beautiful beast leapt to the air. To the despairing aide who would no doubt spend the next few days sleepless, a knight patted him on the back in sympathy. ¡°Squak!¡± ¡°Hmmm, where should we go indeed,¡± Malika caressed the feathers on her gryphon¡¯s neck. ¡°It¡¯s been wet these days. Shall we go somewhere dry and hot?¡± The flying gryphon soon flew out of sight with the curtain of falling water that always fell on Stormberg. Be that as it may, it didn''t go unnoticed. ¡°Hmph.¡± The Countess showed only a displeased face. Chapter 354 - My CEO Is Crazy ¡°Oooh¡­ Is it true? Was the deadmaster truly vanquished?¡± An elderly man hopefully looked at the two women that covered their faces with masks. ¡°That is correct, elder. The necromancer shall not be troubling your hamlet anymore. Unfortunately, by the time we reached the dark manor, some of the kidnaped people were already¡­¡± The staff wielding one spoke regretfully. ¡°Is that so¡­ Unfortunate indeed, but I suppose it is a small consolation that their souls will now find peace,¡± the white-haired elder said. ¡°Praise be to Estelle to send the two of you to a place this deep in the woods.¡± ¡°...Estelle has nothing to do with it.¡± The other woman with a spear strapped on her back rebutted softly so the elder wouldn''t hear. ¡°W-well, if there¡¯s nothing else, it¡¯s time for us to return.¡± ¡°Please, the day will soon grow dark. Let us offer our hospitality to our saviors for one night, at least.¡± The one with the staff looked to the one carrying the spear who gave a silent nod. ¡°Then we¡¯ll impose on you tonight.¡± After the two retreated to the best room in the village that the elder arranged, the one with the staff cast protection Arte on the room before removing her mask. ¡°Pwaah! So stuffy! How the heck is Viers so comfortable wearing masks all the time?¡± ¡°Mayhaps he was born with one.¡± Following Paina, Farley also removed her headwear. ¡°If this is going to be a frequent thing, we need to learn face-changing Arte, or buy super comfortable masks, magical ones,¡± Paina raised her finger. ¡°Sounds good¡­ Another job well done. This smiting evil and saving the populace lifestyle is really for you, huh?¡± Farley poured water into two wooden mugs and offered one to her partner. The two made themselves cozy after their unpleasant trip through a dark manor in the middle of a dank swamp-like hell from some sordid story. The evil wizard truly went for the classic. ¡°Uh-huh¡­ With each good deed, I can feel my powers rising and my mind at ease. The Codex is quite compatible with me.¡± ¡°My Codex is great too, but the flaw is pretty inconvenient,¡± Farley sighed. Paina¡¯s Give And You Shall Receive and Farley¡¯s Moonreacher Chronicle, both were top-notch Profound Codices. ¡°It hasn''t been that long since you started. I¡¯m sure you can control it after you become more skilled with the Profound Codex.¡± Farley gave a nod to Paina¡¯s encouragement. They were familiar with each other as if they were childhood friends. ¡°How¡¯s the harvest? Did the bastard have a lot?¡± Paina leaned her upper body forward. ¡°See for yourself.¡± Farley took out a blue stone. Originally, the stone was white in color. During their trip, it changed color to red, and blue, just a step away from the highest rank, black. ¡°Kill Counting Stone¡­ Viers sure made interesting things,¡± Paina hummed. ¡°Didn''t you listen? The original stone doesn''t have a soul-absorbing feature; it can only detect the lives lost in its vicinity. Lord Viers added the function later and then gave it to us.¡± ¡°So we don''t waste the souls of our hunts. Monsters or people. Viers¡¯ greed for souls knows no bounds,¡± Paina shook her head with a bit of sadness. ¡°At first only he and his other self could collect souls. Now he can send us to do his dirty work.¡± ¡°I don''t find it dirty. Why waste something that can be of use? Left alone, the souls will only dissipate to the heavens at best. After Lord Viers extracts what he needs, the souls will still go to the afterlife. But I understand your distaste. I¡¯ll only take monster souls and bad people when we¡¯re together.¡± Paina didn''t reply and slightly hung her head. Depending on how many souls they brought back, Viers would give them cultivation rewards, things that they needed. The ¡®price¡¯ of what they could get was clearly written. Viers gave his employees plenty of work incentives. After a pause, to change the sour mood, Farley steered the topic to a different direction. ¡°While we¡¯re here, it seems Lord Viers is having quite a development in the northeastern land.¡± ¡°A vassal of a prince¡­ Who would''ve thought? This isn''t like him. What is his aim?¡± ¡°Amusement, for sure. And yet I suspect there¡¯s something more. Our Chief Executive Officer prefers doing things that accomplish several objectives¡ªArchion Volcano.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that place and how is it important?¡± ¡°To summarize, the prince needs to go to the volcano, while Lord Viers has pinpointed the site to contain a possible avenue for Clarissa¡¯s awakening.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°According to the last transmission, he should be already on his way there¡­ I want to help Clarissa too but is it going to be resolved already?¡± Paina felt powerless. Paina and Farley had gone through a ¡®re-spec,¡¯ they were born again into better bodies with greater potential alongside their more mature souls. Even though their progress was fast, they were still not fit for duty, just like militaries didn''t send promising new recruits to dangerous frontlines. Therefore, Viers arranged them to ¡®level¡¯ in less intense areas. The two also needed to temper and polish their new abilities. ¡°Lord Viers also said he didn''t suspect he would gain entry to the volcano so soon. Worse comes to worst, we can still help, no matter how meager it may be.¡± Farley showed Paina a white card. They both had one. To the two¡¯s knowledge, Viers gave these cards to his inner circle. But, I feel there¡¯s another meaning¡­ Am I thinking too much? Farley put her assumptions to the back of her head. She then silently put on a meditative posture and invoked a technique while holding the white card in front of her. Seeing her friend¡¯s actions, Paina did the same. Slowly and gently, the two seemed to channel their energy into the cards. Even though the hour was late, they still made time for Pathseeker practice. What they were doing was a soul method. Viers with Aletro¡¯s soul attainment was one of the most learned soul Pathseeker in the continent. He didn''t use his mastery over the soul solely for battle. He found other means to utilize his gifts. Paina and Farley were still not soul Pathseekers but all living beings had souls. What they were doing also doubled as soul training, making their souls stronger and healthier. Stronger souls would provide a plethora of benefits and one didn''t need to be a soul Pathseeker to experience this. At first, channeling their energy into the cards took all of their concentration and effort. Now, they had leeway to converse. ¡°Thinking it again, I never thought the Coalition would become this chaotic¡­ Viers really blew things up,¡± Paina said. ¡°This is exactly Lord Viers¡¯ style, making a bigger problem so his enemies don''t have the resources to spare on him,¡± Farley replied. There was a soul path renaissance in the Free People Coalition. People with soul affinity, which normally was extremely rare, seemingly sprouted like mushrooms after a rain. The culprit was none other than Viers. More accurately, his other self, Ars¨¨ne, that donned the name ¡®Tanael¡¯. When he was collecting souls en masse was the start signal. People that could detect souls were rare but they existed. Bizarre happenings, souls missing, the Church was alarmed and began to make a move on Tanael. The leader of the task force that hunted him was someone that made Viers warry. It was Freya, the woman that once bested the villain so utterly and completely. If he hadn''t lost training time recovering from the Level 5 that Dumuzin sent he might have more confidence facing the young church¡¯s champion who was in the same generation as him. While he spent months mending his broken body and soul, Freya definitely surpassed him in growth. This was his assumption and it didn''t bode well for Viers, not to mention other Silver Legion members besides Freya, zealot inquisitors that had no patience for evildoers like him. So what did Viers do? Where would a wise man hide a leaf? In the forest. If there were no forest, he would make a forest. And if he wished to hide a dead leaf, he would make a dead forest ¨D G.K. Chesterton. To the poor, the oppressed, the powerless, the desperate, and the hungry, Viers offered power. A Pathseeker that was crippled by his bitter rival, a man that wanted to protect his hometown from monster incursion, a poor mother that tried to feed her baby, a despairing boy that had his Pathseeker dream destroyed because he didn''t have an affinity¡­ Many took up his offer. To these people, Viers was like a messiah offering a way out from their pit of despair. Viers, a soul master almost unrivaled in attainment, awakened their soul affinity. Granted, it was mostly soul affinity of 0s or 1s, with some 2s. Weak affinities that were a far cry from Viers¡¯ soul 5, certainly not the making of Pathseekers armies that would make nations tremble. But the beauty of soul, blood, and death Pathseekers was they could grow stronger rapidly, depending on the price they were willing to pay. So what did these people do next? Each of these newly awakened thirsted for power so they could accomplish their ambitions. Viers didn''t need to push them to seek stronger power. Those that had wrongs done unto them, were quick to dispense retributions to the perpetrator. Some were living for that very purpose only. Thanks to Dia¡¯s teleportation network, his reach was far and wide, across cities that were separated by vast distances. Although not every person he bestowed soul affinity with turned into a life of crime or bloody carnage, most did. Those who did found the soul path was a slippery slope. Getting stronger rapidly was indeed possible, but done without restraint and care, dangerous. Those that ate souls wantonly and became mad could attest to that, if they still had the faculty to talk. Wanton destruction followed. In a matter of weeks, it was as if there were a hundred wildfires all across the Coalition. There were no city-wipe crises, but there were intense smaller-scale disasters, courtesy of these artificial soul Pathseekers. Nevertheless, for those who had to deal with these disasters, it was a nightmare. The Silver Legion had to deal with the soul psychos and no longer had the resources to spare for the mastermind, unless they ignored the cries of the people, which they couldn''t do. With their resources strained so thinly, the already elusive Viers would have breathing room to grow. The necromancer that Paina and Farley defeated earlier was a soul user that Viers created. He became a menace, drunk on the corrupting power of the dark arts. Paina and Farley killed him because he was evil and building his power base too close to Luca''s village, where they and Farley¡¯s sister temporarily resided. Although Ars¨¨ne was no longer recruiting new initiates and the Silver Legion and a great many people strenuously quelled the soul psychos, even now the crisis wasn''t completely contained. The reason was Viers¡¯ pyramid scheme. He made a soul pact with initiates, that they had to awaken two others before they could unlock most of their abilities. They accomplish this by using the method Viers taught them. Families, friends, strangers, it mattered not. Viers wanted the soul Pathseeker birth rate of 2.0! And just like that, through the deviousness of a single man, one of the four great nations of the Human Dominion was thrown into chaos. The batch that was awakened by those that Viers originally awakened was much weaker. As was expected and by design. Viers was aware he was unleashing a dangerous epidemic, it didn''t mean to last forever, just long enough to keep the Silver Legion off his back. He¡¯d also leave a backdoor in the program. Viers could strip these artificial soul users of their abilities with a master key that he possessed. ¡°I¡¯d say the plan worked splendidly. While the Church is running around like chickens with their tails on fire, Lord Viers is in Latias, doing his own thing,¡± Farley said. ¡°Well, the Church has branded Tanael as a great heretic. Extremely dangerous individual¡­ Now he has a greater target on his back, greater hunters chasing after him. I¡¯d say his plan worked too well,¡± Paina had a complicated feeling. ¡°Or, perhaps this was his plan all along,¡± Farley refuted. Once again, the two thought their CEO was a truly outrageous man. Chapter 355 - Quest, Quest Everywhere ¡°In Latias, there are four duchies. Valentine, Lucan, Crowe, Mercea. These great houses are all very powerful, consistently producing Level 5s generation after generation.¡° Boram was listening silently while Prince Croix, who was technically his master¡¯s master now, explained. The feeling of the breeze on his face as the magic carpet flew in the clear sky was nice. ¡°Four houses¡­ Am I hearing that correctly?¡± Master Avel said. ¡°Yes. Is there something wrong?¡± Croix was puzzled. ¡°There should be three.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Three Houses! Doesn''t that have a great ring to it?¡± Boram picked up a strange elation in his master¡¯s voice. It happens sometimes in seemingly mundane topics like this one. ¡°Well, there are four. These duchies have stood since the founding of the kingdom. While the royal house is currently in turmoil, these four are still rock solid.¡± ¡°...I''d still like for there to be three. Shall we reduce it by one?¡± ¡°Hahaha, please don''t make a joke like that,¡± Croix smiled. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Master also laughed. If Master wanted it to be three, he would make it three, Boram thought. Once he was strong enough. ¡°The Black Shield Knightly Order is sworn to the 40th prince, Marvin Topaz Latias. We share the same father but a different mother. You two have met my aunt. Marvin¡¯s mother is from the Lucan duchy, far greater in both status and power,¡± Croix explained. ¡°So essentially, the 40th prince is given a squad of bodyguards by his uncle.¡± ¡°It takes a lot of resources to fund and maintain a Knightly Order,¡± Alfred, who mostly stayed silent and kept a wary eye on the skies around them, said. ¡°So why did the goons of the 40th prince come after you, Highness? They didn''t seem to have good intentions and were quick to remove the pretenses of one when push came to shove.¡± ¡°The reason eludes me still. I wished to believe the Black Shield had simply gone rogue but that is just my wishful thinking. We have no grudges against each other. I¡¯d even say we have amicable relations. I simply can''t think of the motive that would compel him to kill me¡­ so much so that he hired assassins from the guild.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not Prince Marvin, then perhaps it''s House Lucan. The duke is a man known to have soaring ambitions,¡± Alfred added. ¡°Even if he cannot become king, he can place his nephew on the throne of Latias.¡± ¡°Or perhaps it¡¯s just not you. Other princes might also be targeted. Thinning the competition for the throne,¡± Master Avel said. ¡°...We¡¯re all family. Why can''t we just get along? Why must brothers go against brothers?¡± Croix said with a pained voice. Boram failed to come up with an answer but his master did not. ¡°If every man was a being of humble aspirations, content with their lot in life, then it might be possible, but we are not¡­ And there is not a lot of space on the top for sharing.¡± ¡­Yes, just as Master taught, Boram recalled. As he strove to get what he wanted, he would undoubtedly clash with someone else that wanted the same thing as him or prevent him from getting it. It was inevitable. The question then was, are you strong enough when you are put to the test? Boram silently nodded. Truly, Master Avel was a sage. No problem in life was unsolvable for him. The child that had gone through less than thirteen winters looked up to his master as if he was a guiding star in the sky. Their brief tranquil silence was shattered by Alfred who shot a projectile of darkness at a Rank 3 bird monster that dived in from the clouds. The monster screeched and although it wasn''t dead, it was discouraged to continue and flew away with a slight limp. ¡°I sense more flocks in front of us. We should lower our elevation.¡± ¡°Roger,¡± Master said to Alfred. ¡°Descending.¡± The skies were the domain for flying monsters. Their type varied, from the common bird-kind to cloud-swimming whales, elementals and winged tigers, and so much more. Some of them lived their whole life without needing to touch the ground as they had the ability to fly indefinitely. Flying too high with magical items such as the magic carpet they were on now, risked getting attacked by the sky-dwellers. The higher the elevation, the more hostile the environment became, and it wasn''t just about monsters. Boram struggled to remember what his master told him about this topic in the past, just that it included the higher one flew, the thinner the air became and it was cold. Yet flying too low similarly carried a risk. There was no end to people that wanted the rare and valuable flying transports even if they had to get them by means of banditry. This was why the means of protecting oneself were necessary before going somewhere via the air. Level 4 Pathseeker battle strength was the acceptable minimum standard for air security. That was why his master rarely used his carpet despite it being very convenient. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The reason they were on one now, was because his master wanted to arrive at Archion Volcano swiftly. ¡°Forces move against us. Plots and daggers in the shadows, but if we move quickly, we might outrun them. There¡¯s no need to entertain them.¡± With Alfred in charge of security, they blasted off to their destination, riding the wind. Ultimately, Viers¡¯ assumption was correct. The Level 4 assassins from the devil cult, Gram and Bennec, were waiting for the chance to ambush the prince to fulfill their contract. They didn''t dare to make their move in the domain of a Level 5 so they waited until their target went outside. They could only look from afar as their target was carried to the sky. While everyone aboard, including Viers, was oblivious to the fact, they had managed to sidestep a major battle encounter. Just like Alfred instructed, Master Avel willed the magic carpet to descend. The height was a bit scary for Boram, so he gripped the edge of the magic carpet very tight, even though his master told him there was some magic preventing the passengers from getting thrown overboard normally. ¡°Mmm? Something is going on below,¡± Boram said. He was not the only one to realize. Previously, they were too high up to know. Boram saw a peculiar beast. It had three heads. A bull, a tiger, and a snake on its tail. ¡°What is that?¡± Boram muttered. ¡°A Chimera¡­ mixed-breed monster. Rarely happens naturally though not impossible. Most likely this one is man-made.¡± Fighting the beast was a band of knights. The battle seemed intense and half of the knights had already fallen based on the bodies around. The remaining ten knights who were still standing bravely stood their ground against the elephant-sized monstrosity. ¡°Rank 3¡­¡± Boram observed. ¡°They are losing,¡± Croix frowned. ¡°If they got through, the town nearby would be the monster¡¯s dinner. Shall I go, young lord?¡± Alfred asked. ¡°...You''ve been protecting us all this time. You must be tired.¡± Croix turned to the person on his left. ¡°Avel, may I trust this foe to you and Boram?¡± ¡°Might as well.¡± Boram saw Master Avel stretching his arms. Seeing him without a sword on his person was weird. ¡°Up for some hunting, disciple?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Boram gripped the handle of his hammer as he answered. The next moment, Master Avel jumped off the carpet, and his disciple followed a few moments later after a slight hesitation. The young boy didn''t expect that. He thought they would land first, instead of free falling. ¡°Take care of my ride, Alfred!¡± Master Avel said while at the mercy of gravity as his body built up a visible static charge. The lightning became greater and greater, lashing around him like furious snakes. Like a yellow thunderbolt, Master Avel landed on the Chimera, dealing heavy damage and softening the beast¡¯s defense. ¡°All yours, Boram.¡± Master Avel used Unreality Field to slow his descent slightly from approximately fifty meters of fall. After he made the landing, he swiftly cleared the landing pad. Boram knew what he had to do. Using earth Arte to increase his weight and durability, Boram increased his falling impact. ¡°Haaaa!¡± With bulging muscles on both of his arms, Boram struck the unguarded Chimera that his master paralyzed, landing a critical hit. The force of the blow broke many bones on the monster''s body, especially on its back where the hammer landed. A dust cloud was raised as the blow struck. The earlier knights were silenced by the grand arrivals. To the men, it was like two killing arrows let loose from the gods in the sky with the power to match. Only after the dust cleared and the visage of two men standing on the Chimera¡¯s broken body appeared, they cheered. Boram felt a warm feeling in his heart seeing the thankful and happy faces in front of him. When he felt his master¡¯s hand patting his back, he involuntarily smiled. He felt happy to be able to contribute. His master pinned his expectations upon him, leaving the killing blow to him. And while he had no doubt Master Avel could have defeated the Chimera unaided, his presence spared Master Avel from using unnecessary Victa. *** ¡°Are you really, really, sure about this, Highness?¡± ¡°Yes, Avel. My mind¡¯s made up. If we don''t apprehend the alchemist that created this Chimera, he will strike again and the town might fall this time.¡± ¡°...Fine,¡± Master Avel relented. *** ¡°Ah, Avel, you¡¯ve returned. Did you get provisions?¡± On the magic carpet, Master Avel¡¯s masked face was neutral but Boram knew he was annoyed. ¡°Supplies for the war refugees, ten inventory rings worth.¡± ¡°Splendid. Now these people don''t have to starve.¡± *** ¡°Look, Highness, my carpet uses lots of mana crystals to fly around. Something that I don''t have an unlimited number of.¡± ¡°I know. Believe me, I know. But what else can I do? Without a doctor, this child will be claimed by her sickness,¡± Prince Croix seemed apologetic. *** ¡°Flying a widow to her husband¡¯s grave before it got swallowed by a monster tide? And to the opposite direction to boot! No way! I¡¯m bleeding crystals here doing all these chores!¡± ¡°All your travel expenses will be reimbursed, I promise you. There¡¯s no one else that can help and I don''t have the heart to refuse. Please, can you do this for the poor woman?¡± Boram felt Croix was a good person, one that was willing to lend a helping hand to those in need during their travels. Only, there were always people needing help anywhere they went. Because of the various ¡®side-quests¡¯ that Master Avel called them under his breath, their trip took longer than it should have. Previously, when they were traveling together, Master Avel only sparingly did these side-quests, those that didn''t take much time to accomplish or were on the way, but as a vassal of Price Croix, he had to follow the prince¡¯s wish. *** ¡°Finally... Archion Volcano.¡± Master Avel sighed in relief. Boram eyed the imposing great mountain that lay in front of them surrounded by wastelands and lesser volcanos. The Archion Volcano was like a furnace that constantly streamed rivers of lava to its surroundings. The fire element was incredibly strong here and it naturally made the temperature very hot. If it was as planned, the trip from Stormberg to the volcano would only take six days on a flying carpet. They arrived after fourteen days. ¡°We can''t land on the volcano directly, beasts too powerful even for Alfred will crush us. We¡¯ll have to land on the foot of the mountain.¡± ¡°Of course, Highness.¡± ¡°Avel?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I thank you for following through with my selfishness, and apologize.¡± ¡°Think nothing of it. I¡¯m only doing my duty.¡± ¡°Yes, but I-¡± ¡°Look out!¡± After Alfred¡¯s warning, Boram felt it too, the sense of crisis. It was coming from below. A projectile of some kind, that despite Master¡¯s enacted evasive maneuvers and Alfred¡¯s barrier, homed on still. ¡°What the-!?¡± ¡°Young lord!¡± ¡°Aaaaaaah!!¡± A blast struck the carpet and knocked it from the air. Chapter 356 - Aggression A carpet was fluttering in the air whilst on fire. Four people landed on the ground after their ride was shot down. Yes, shot down. Viers was convinced, after seeing the rocket launcher on the shoulder of a blond youth so handsome he was practically the same level of Tanael-level artificial handsomeness. In short, K-pop idol-tier face. The youth was not alone, he was with a Knightly Order with a distinct black armor, the Black Shield. There were around ten knights guarding the blond youth. Beside the rocket launcher carrying man, stood a brown-haired beauty wearing spectacles. Behind them, was their ride. A floating yacht of some kind, very luxurious and high-class. Somehow, Jabba the Hutt''s pleasure barge came to Viers¡¯ mind, just bigger and more expensive. Viers¡¯ magic carpet was very pathetic compared to the gravity-defying yacht. ¡°That¡¯s-¡± Croix that got carried by Alfred widened his eyes. ¡°Croix? Is that you? Wahahaha! Oh, fancy meeting you here. Long time no see, baby brother.¡± The blond youth tossed the used rocket launcher aside, smiled and waved. Not the faintest amount of guilt in his eyes. ¡°Marvin¡­¡± Croix struggled to find the appropriate response. At this moment, there was a crack of thunder. ¡°Wa-!¡± It actually wasn''t thunder. It was the sound of Viers kicking the earth strong enough to leave cracks beneath his feet. Beneath the mask, his expression and gaze were very contrasting to the fiery surroundings, icy cold. On his palm, was a sphere of water that moved like a hurricane. The experienced ones, enemies and allies both, would have a hair-raising sense of how extremely dangerous the sphere was. Viers had leapt and that lethal water Arte was aimed at the still smiling, unreacting, handsome youth. ¡°-it!¡± Croix¡¯s words trailed behind, for Viers had moved like lightning. Even though the Black Shield knights had been on guard, they weren''t able to react and mount a defense. The Vortex Nova Arte was close to claiming another victim. No Level 3 would survive taking this Arte¡¯s full might to the head unguarded. Viers was certain of it, and he had done the math and test case results to back him up. ¡°Guhhh!¡± Viers expected to see blood and brain matter, but found bright light instead. Someone¡¯s grunt also entered his ear. His Vortex Nova hit something in that light while he was knocked back from the force. Not only him, the Arte¡¯s burst created a great shockwave for everyone. In cold, tempered killing intent, Viers next¡¯s reaction wasn''t to gawk beyond belief that his invincible Arte was blocked by his enemy, gods, no. It was a thrash-quality villain''s thing. Instead, Viers made a square using his fingers in front of his right eye. Locking-on target sounds resounded in his brain. A similarly lethal but more difficult to defend soul Arte was next. Boram also responded, as one familiar with following up on his master¡¯s actions. He had been building up his Victa since he heard the thunder and realized it was his master¡¯s doing, and his Arte was just ready the previous second. ¡°Ruaaah!!¡± Arte - Earthwave. Boram struck the ground with his hammer, sharp crags and rocks that spread out before him appeared to swallow his enemies. Boram knew his role, the Arte¡¯s purpose was to soften the adversaries so his Master could release his Arte with more assured destruction. The master-disciple duo had done a lot of practice fighting as a team. ¡°How dare you raise your hand against His Highness!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have your heads!¡± ¡°Draw swords! Defend the prince, kill the criminals!¡± The knights acted as one to defend their prince against Boram¡¯s assault in front of their lord and the lady with the glasses. Now that most of this target closed ranks, Viers¡¯ chance had come. If these people were to be hit by his soul Arte unsuspecting the attack was a soul type, it would be as the reaper scythed through their being. Arte - Fatal Soulfram- ¡°Avel, stop!¡± Alfred and Croix ruined his shutter chance by barging to the frame. Viers was a second away from killing his employer. Even with Alfred on his side in full guard, soul attacks weren''t so easily stopped. He couldn''t keep fighting if Croix kept obstructing him. Realizing his moment of opportunity had passed, Viers bottled up his anger and backed down. The Black Shield knights also back down, making a line in front of the youth and their injured Knight Captain. Harper, the Level 4 light Pathseeker that blocked Viers¡¯ attack had both his palms mangled. ¡°Oh¡­ oh wow. What just happened? Solany, my pretty, tell me what I think it is. Did he just try to kill me and there was a probability that I was almost dead? Is this goosebumps I feel?¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Marvin¡¯s words were light and jovial as if the thing that transpired wasn''t serious. ¡°Just so. I believe Knight Captain Harper should be commended.¡± The one called Solany oppositely seemed always serious. ¡°Good work, Harper. There will be a huge reward for you back home. Well, that was a novel experience¡­ Novel indeed,¡± Marvin looked at Viers. ¡°Tell me, masked person, what prompted such aggression towards me?¡± When Viers was angry and wanted to kill someone, he didn''t vent through his words. He clamped up his mouth, sharpened his killing intent, and laser-focused his mind on how to do the deed. To Marvin''s question, Viers didn''t bother to answer, because of a burning fabric that fell between the two. ¡°Marvin,¡± Croix asked. ¡°Why do you attack us?¡± ¡°Oh, that, yes, I see, I see. A few days in this place can be terribly dull. In my boredom, I spied an unusual flying object and in my hand, there¡¯s this new product from Zetel I just got, called a rocket shooter or something. State of the art, I¡¯m told. What a disappointment it¡¯s only good for one shot. Still, it¡¯s like the urge to shoot down a bird flying above you. I didn''t realize it was you on board, baby brother. What are the chances we met here out of all places? My bad. Ahahahaha!¡± Boram frowned. Is it just me, or does this guy even feel sorry for his actions? ¡°Shouldn''t you take the threat to your life more seriously?¡± Solany added with a deadpan expression and tone. ¡°Relax, who do you think I am? I am this world¡¯s golden child, the favorite of the gods, living or dead. I¡¯ll never die.¡± The nerve, Boram thought. The boast was just like Tanael who he met in the Book World, which made Boram wary. Either he was just an idiot-pampered prince or had he real ability? ¡°He came close to killing me, arguable, but the potential was there, I admit. Even so, there was a heaven-and-earth difference between almost killing me and actually killing me. Such a gap is beyond the means of mortal men to traverse, Solany. You should know that by now. Wahahahah!¡± And just like that, Viers got a grasp of what kind of man this 40th prince of Latias Kingdom, Marvin Topaz Latias, was. ¡°...Why are you here, brother?¡± Croix asked. ¡°I could ask you the same thing, but I believe I know your reason. You¡¯re here to forge your Intio, aren''t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Croix said, seeing no need to lie. ¡°That means you¡¯re trying to become king,¡± Marvin pondered. Croix didn''t answer this time. ¡°Give it up, baby brother. The King of Latias will be me.¡± ¡°...Why do you want to become king, brother?¡± ¡°I do not ¡®want¡¯, Croix. It is simply mine. All the others, our brothers and sisters are like a fading candlelight compared to mine¡¯s brilliance. I¡¯m the most excellent of us all, the most worthy. Thus, the throne is mine. That¡¯s the way it should be.¡± The knights firmly struck their shields, creating a confirmation sound, saying yes to the lord they backed. ¡°With me at the helm, I¡¯ll raise Latias to a height never before seen, not even by our esteemed ancestor, Athos the Dragon of Dawn,¡± Marvin extended his hands left and right. ¡°I¡¯d ask you to join me, simply for old time''s sake, but I know you wouldn''t. You have your own grand design for the kingdom, this lofty ambition to make things better, like some crap about abolishing slavery. You standing here is proof you haven''t given up on that foolish fantasy, am I right?¡± Once again, Croix didn''t answer. Marvin had his answer. ¡°Just as I thought,¡± he sighed and shook his head in disappointment. ¡°That back alley priest put crazy ideas in your head and you¡¯re eagerly wallowing in them¡­ I know you¡¯ll one day stand before me as a challenger to my rule.¡± ¡°Do not speak ill of my teacher. He¡¯s a good man, a wise man.¡± ¡°A foolish man that sent you on this path of suicide. If you won''t change your mind, I¡¯ll show you a mercy befitting one who shares blood with mine, a painless death.¡± On the foot of the Archion Volcano, on the lava flats of black volcanic stones, two groups faced off with a newly rising hostility. One was a group of four, with one not a combatant. On the other hand, the other side was ten battle-hardened knights, plus the confident prince and the sharp-eyed lady, both giving off the aura of Level 3. ¡°Begin!¡± To Marvin¡¯s signal, the knights of the Black Shield Knightly Order charged forward. ¡°Young Lord, forgive my rudeness,¡± Alfred carried Croix on his arm. ¡°By your leave?¡± ¡°Yes, we go with the plan.¡± Alfred, Viers and Boram moved with high speed. Their aim was not the knights, not retreating, but to the stone stairs that had a magical red light wall in front of them. ¡°I¡¯m of Athos¡¯ blood. I request entry to the sacred mount!¡± Croix yelled loudly in front of the barrier. ¡°Granted,¡± a mighty voice reverberated from all around them. ¡°Only those under the age of twenty may pass.¡± Croix had briefed them so Viers and Boram weren''t surprised. While Croix was opening the barrier, the other three were defending against the knights¡¯ attacks. Should things happen, they agreed to rush to the mountain to shake off enemies. Alfred would delay the enemy while ¡®Avel¡¯ and Boram would accompany Croix to the mountain as they were all under twenty years old except Alfred. After the three were safely crossed, Alfred would retreat to safety, with his Level 4 battle strength, it should not be too tall of an order. ¡°I did it! Come on, hurry!¡± Croix said after he stepped through the red barrier. ¡°Um!¡± At Croix¡¯s signal of success, Boram also went in. Lastly, it was Viers¡¯ turn. What he got was a magical wall smack to the face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Master?¡± ¡°This¨C?¡± No one was more surprised than Viers himself. His body was eighteen years old, he was sure of it. But he was barred entry. As they were under a barrage of attacks, they didn''t have the leisure of calmly thinking about the next course of action. ¡°Boram, I cannot enter. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to guard the prince in the mountain and help him to forge his Intio.¡± ¡°Y-yes, Master!¡± ¡°Go,¡± Viers spoke without agitation as he parried three attackers coming at him with swords. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Prince Croix,¡± Boram urged. ¡°...Yes, let''s.¡± Croix knew the knights couldn''t go after them either, but Marvin and the unknown lady that stood beside him could. The sooner they lost them in the mountain, the sooner Avel and Alfred could abandon their role of holding the line. The young prince looked at the backs of the two allies he left behind and then at the half-brother of his. Perhaps it is just as Marvin said, and I didn''t want to realize it. We would become enemies eventually. Croix turned his face to the volcano and started running the stairs with a determined gaze. Chapter 357 - Oh Great, Another One ¡°So, you¡¯re not as young as you looked. I expected as much.¡± After Croix and Boram climbed the stairs, Alfred said to the one standing beside him, the masked Avel. They both held their ground against the ten knights in black armor, though their attacks had stopped for the moment. ¡°...There are circumstances that might make that statement true under certain light.¡± Thus Viers replied. He was also baffled by the rejection he got from the barrier. The rules were clear: the Archion Volcano can only be entered with the permission of the royal blood and only those under the age of twenty may pass. Undoubtedly, Viers¡¯ body was only less than twenty years old. However¡­ Did it somehow detect I¡¯m a reincarnator with a mind older than my body, or was all the soul-empowerment I¡¯ve done fudged the age gauge that this barrier thingy uses to measure someone¡¯s age? ¡­Dang it! His plans of gathering natural resources and seeking benefits in the main core area were ruined. Croix¡¯s objective was not his objective, while he was waiting for the prince forging his Intio, Viers could explore the special ground barred from most people. As for the mighty voice, was that the¡­ Well, that is a thought for another time. Whatever the reason, the fact remained that only Croix and Boram entered the volcano. Meanwhile, he faced a squad of thugs under the command of a Young Master-type. The conflict was momentarily paused but it had not ended. The air remained tense. A knight slid his foot forward slightly and the rest made other small gestures for the imminent continuation. Alfred had his full attention on his fellow Level 4, Harper, which left Viers with the other ten Level 3 knights. On the surface, the outlook seemed grim because the numbers were so skewed to one side but Viers himself didn''t think so. What he was thinking was how this whole thing could have been prevented if the damn heart of gold of a prince stopped helping the minor NPCs with their sob stories! They could¡¯ve arrived here many days earlier, before Marvin and his entourage came, and may have left before they met each other. But he was not the lord who called the shots, he was the vassal who was expected to follow the lord¡¯s order. Viers hated his underling position already. ¡°There are only two of them, attack!¡± Harper roared. Here they come! Viers gathered lightning on his palms. ¡°Halt!¡± The order, surprisingly, came from the 40th prince with an almost physical perfection. ¡°My Prince?¡± ¡°No need to bother with them, lads. My dearest little brother saw fit to do your work himself. Why, he¡¯s a dead man walking. Forging Intio at the mountain? Where failure means death? Ha!¡± Marvin said with a mocking expression. ¡°Perhaps Prince Croix only entered the mountain to escape a momentary crisis and would leave from another place without becoming a Pathseeker?¡± The young woman beside Marvin asked. ¡°Nay, he isn''t the type to do that. Clearly he¡¯s here for that purpose. What an idiot.¡± ¡°I will not allow slander to my lord, even from you, Prince Marvin,¡± Alfred angrily frowned. ¡°You think he¡¯d succeed, aye? He wagered his life because of an obscure legend. The sign of a desperate man at the end of his rope, not content with their lot in life. Sure the legend has its uses but the truly great has no need to depend on things like that.¡± ¡°So you didn''t forge your Intio here because you didn''t think you¡¯d succeed,¡± Viers¡¯ analysis of Marvin¡¯s words cut through the air like a sharp razor blade. ¡°I¡¯m the golden child of the gods. I¡¯ve no need to wager my life on some suspicious legend,¡± Mavin replied haughtily. ¡°Greatness is my destiny. I¡¯ve only met success in every turn I took and gained the best rewards. Thus it was and so it shall. You may be awed by my magnificence, ahahaha!¡± A cocksure villain with a delusion of grandeur, Viers thought. Certainly not the first of his kind. Seeing the knights cheering to the blond prince, perhaps the people around this boy shouldered some of the blame. Viers was wise enough to realize life was not that easy. ¡°You don''t always achieve success. Even if you deny it, somewhere in your heart you know my words are true.¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Haha¡ªha¡­ Who are you, by the way, to talk to me like an equal?¡± Since the prince was in the middle of guffawing, Viers used Victa so the words uttered in low intensity would be heard by the recipient. When he did, there was a slight tick on his eyebrows, which told Viers that he¡¯d hit the mark. Then the prince began to look at the masked Viers with a hint of hostility. He wasn''t before, probably thinking so below him in status. ¡°Cheap clothing,¡± Marvin observed Viers. ¡°Speaking to your betters without manners, while wearing a mask no less, you¡¯re a lowborn. Besides, there¡¯s the matter of attacking me earlier. Attacking a royal is an offense punishable by de-¡± Viers turned and walked away, flamboyantly using his robe for effect. Marvin, who never had anyone walk away while he was speaking, did not expect such treatment. ¡°You dare to turn your back on me!?¡± Marvin said with a rising rage. ¡°I¡¯ve got better things to do. See ya, pampered chump.¡± ¡°Ihh!¡± Marvin extended his fist at Viers from far away. One of his rings began to glow and the ground around Viers caved in, as if an invisible hammer fell down. But Viers wasn''t there, not even his shadow remained. He was vigilant and his speed was something that he emphasized in his training. ¡°What are you all standing there for? After him, useless fools!¡± ¡°A-at once!¡± The knights of the Black Shield Knightly Order followed the trace of Viers¡¯ movement Arte with fervorous steps. They knew what would happen if the prince was unhappy. ¡°...Talking whatever he wants¡­ Let¡¯s see you talk after I remove your tongue¡­¡± Solany was watching Marvin who seethed in anger from the side, then she turned her gaze at the direction of Viers¡¯ escape, beside the two Level 4s, only she picked up Viers¡¯ true direction. What the knights followed was a fake trail. Minutes after minutes passed and Marvin¡¯s red emotion only grew. He was like the very volcano behind him. ¡°My Prince. We¡­ lost him.¡± One of the knights got a kick to the face, a few of his teeth flew out. ¡°Find him, or next time, you¡¯ll eat my mace! All of you!¡± Like frightened spiders the knights scattered, searching for someone so elusive that gave the Silver Legion a massive headache. After he gave his order, Marvin walked to his magical golden yacht with steps that conveyed his bad mood. Harper and Alfred, seemingly forgotten, gave the other one last glance before disengaging. *** On an altitude far above them, in a bubble of magical obfuscation, Knight Captain Malika of the Thunder Wing Knightly Order watched the encounter between the two princes and their followers on her gryphon. ¡°Taunting a prince, and not just any prince. Marvin Topaz Latias, the prince that the Lucan Duchy put their money into... He¡¯s either very brave or very stupid.¡± *** ¡°Aaah! Aah! Ah!!¡± A beautiful half-elf with a collar on her neck was moaning. ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± On his chambers in the yacht, Marvin vented his frustrations on the harem slaves he carried everywhere. Solany entered the room full of traces of the master¡¯s rage and lust. ¡°Solany¡­ What do you want?¡± Marvin said curtly while naked without a hint of shame. ¡°If he angered you so, shouldn''t you chase after him yourself?¡± ¡°If those knights, your father¡¯s underlings, are too inept, then I might still do so. This ire¡­ I haven''t felt it for a long time. To hunt a quarry that has angered me so¡­ when I have him in my grasp, the satisfaction should be immense. What info you got on him?¡± ¡°His mental defense is robust. Even you can tell he¡¯s a vigilant one.¡± ¡°So you weren''t able to get into his head?¡± ¡°Of course I did,¡± Solany replied. ¡°To prevent detection I only touched the surface. His name is Avel, but this is a false name, recently sworn to Prince Croix. He¡¯s an adventurer from the Free People Coalition where he got embroiled in some trouble and then came to Latias.¡± ¡°Now that''s my mind Pathseeker girl. Tell me more.¡± ¡°Before that, are we to do nothing? Your younger brother is on the mountain and the only one that can chase him is us,¡± Solany inquired. ¡°A thousand we sent, only one success. Common sense dictates Croix will be dead even if he does nothing, but Igurd shall finish the job in case of a miracle.¡± ¡°Igurd¡­¡± ¡°An anomaly, but Croix won''t have the luxury. Unlike the old days, Old Archion now hates royals; we know this so Croix¡¯s Pathseeker ascension will fail.¡± *** ¡°You¡¯ve made yourself hard to find.¡± ¡°Hmm. It is in my nature.¡± While Viers was gathering special ashes that he found, Alfred came. Although he was unable to ascend the main volcano, the surrounding mountain range was still a place with rich mana, which made all sorts of magical materials emerge. Viers took every valuables that he could find. Not far from them, from a lava river, a catfish-like monster emerged for a second before diving back down. The lava flats were vast and even if those knights came close, Viers had raised an illusion barrier. Alfred managed to find him because he had a tracker on Viers. The party of four all had one, in case they separated. Viers¡¯ suggestion, because it was a common trope. ¡°Provoking Prince Marvin was a foolish move.¡± ¡°He¡¯s already an enemy, or did you forget he wants to kill Croix? There¡¯s no need for courtesy when the other person is so clearly a mortal adversary with half a brain.¡± Viers didn''t forget about his flying carpet, his only flying transport that was now burned. He intended to collect reparations from Marvin, willing or not, plus interest. ¡°...It¡¯s as if there¡¯s no worries in you. Do you realize what this means? Prince Marvin and the Lucan Duchy? Before that, there¡¯s no guarantee the Young Lord will survive the Pathseeker awakening!¡± ¡°If the young prince dies then he¡¯s a man with only that amount of worth. Relax a bit, will you? Our part is done. It¡¯s up to them now.¡± Now the two had to play hide-and-seek until Croix and Boram finished. Viers wasn''t overly wary of his chasers; he was more concerned about searching for the best Power Spot most suitable for Clarissa. Chapter 358 - Archion Volcano ¡°How come there are people here?¡± Croix was surprised. The two boys were following the steps, walking ever upward. After a while, they saw other people on the mountain. Some were in a group, some alone. As only those below twenty could enter. The age gap varied amongst the young adults and teenagers, some were even younger than Boram. ¡°Enemies?¡± Boram asked. ¡°They aren''t Pathseekers¡­ they look more like slaves. So that¡¯s how it is. They must be Marvin¡¯s. He brought them here and forced them to become Pathseeker.¡± Boram thought of the conversation he heard from Master Avel that those that forge their Intio at the volcano become extraordinary. Croix¡¯s brother must be sending people here in hopes to capture a bit of that legend. Since failure meant death, he employed people whose deaths were insignificant. Boram understood, but he felt really unpleasant. Archion Volcano was big, and although they ascended the stairs, there was much more to the volcano than the winding stone path. In suitable locations, the kids, perhaps the older ones in their teens, made crude shacks and the like. However, the volcano was not suitable for human habitation. Each day was a struggle. Upon the two¡¯s arrival, wary eyes were on them. ¡°Misters¡­ do you have some food?¡± A dirty little elven boy about six or seven wearing rags approached them, pleading. Croix and Boram looked at each other, and nodded. ¡°This is all that we can spare for the moment,¡± Boram took out the food supplies from his inventory item. ¡°Eat slowly.¡± The hungry kids tore upon the food like a pack of ravenous wolves. Fourteen people in total. The two stayed in the hamlet for a while. They couldn''t leave them be, unlike Viers. ¡°As I thought, Marvin brought them. Using the slave mark, he forced them to become Pathseekers here. If not, they¡¯ll never be able to leave. This place was not built by them, but left behind by some earlier group. When they first arrived five days ago, there were more than fourteen, but some already failed and¡­¡± Croix sighed. ¡°These ones are those that didn''t dare to try or are still hesitating. Once there is no food left, they will have to take the leap or waste away.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve killed all the dangerous beasts in the area, they should be safe for the time being and have more food for them. It pains me to say this, but we cannot stay here.¡± ¡°I know, Boram¡­ I know.¡± The kids saw Boram and Croix off. They warned them not to go further but the two were adamant. ¡°Igurd will kill you,¡± the kids warned the only ones who showed kindness to them. The kids told the story of Igurd, a human slave who, like them, was brought here by Marvin. He was the only one who managed to awaken as a Pathseeker on the volcano. He was strong, but his urge to kill was too great, a side effect of his forced early awakening. Most of the time, Igurd was more beast than man. Marvin had no use for an uncontrollable tool so instead, he let loose Igurd on the volcano as a guard dog. With the royals of the Latias Kingdom in a power struggle, he knew that another prince or princess would come to the volcano because of the legend. Igurd was compelled by his slave mark, an absolute binding order, to kill those that he encountered without Marvin¡¯s mark. The slaves were safe, but Boram and Croix were not. Unlike the child slaves, Igurd was a Pathseeker. He was able to survive for more than half a year because he could hunt the strong monsters that lived on the higher parts of the mountain. ¡°This is exactly why I¡¯m here. I¡¯ll defend you from anything so you can focus only on your awakening, lord prince sir,¡± Boram patted his chest. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be counting on you, Boram,¡± Croix touched the dragon egg in his satchel out of habit. Witnessed by the kids, Boram and Croix climbed the stairs again. The higher one climbed, the better the chances of success, or so Croix claimed. After a while, Croix looked behind him. Marvin, brother of mine¡­ All this to make a strong pawn? Unforgivable! Someone so depraved is unfit for the throne! Croix¡¯s steps were even more determined than before. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The Archion Volcano was massive and tall, its peak reached the clouds and the clouds surrounding it were dyed reddish-black, because of the volcanic smoke it constantly emitted along with its flowing magma. Despite the size, Boram and Croix followed the trail of stairs that had existed since the ancient days of Latias so they didn''t get lost. They had faced many troubles getting up here but with a Pathseeker of Boram¡¯s caliber on his side, Croix was able to proceed relatively trouble-free. What Boram worried about were the super strong entities that might reside in such a special place but he detected none so far. They encountered Igurd two days after they''d left the hamlet behind. His form was human but his act and mannerisms were to the contrary. He appeared before them suddenly by landing from above. His gait and aura were very bestial. His body bore many scars from the battles he¡¯d survived. His weapon of choice was a bone spear he fashioned from a dead beast. Like Boram he was a slave. Like Boram he was of the same age. Like Boram he was a Level 3. The first time Boram laid eyes on him, his instincts were telling him that Igurd was very strong. It would be a tough battle. He also felt a kinship with him; their circumstances were similar. He didn''t wish to fight but the other wasn''t giving him any choice. ¡°Grrr¡­ Intruder¡­ Kill¡­¡± On Igurd¡¯s skin appeared pulsating magical marks that resembled tattoos of vicious dragons. ¡°Prince Croix, stand back!¡± Boram shoved the prince away and took Igurd¡¯s blow. Offensive and defensive Arte came to a head. The result of the clash was equal. ¡°Hmm,¡± Boram readied himself. ¡°Graaaaahh!¡± Igurd roared like a beast. *** ¡°Guaah!? Damn¡­ you.¡± A man fell to the ground with a hole in his chest as wide as an arm. The chest armor he wore was similarly punctured. ¡°Shocking, I know,¡± Viers said with his fist extended, still crackling with electricity. ¡°They really are idiots for spreading out. Who¡¯s hunting who.¡± Alfred and the other Level 4, Harper, didn''t lift a finger. Since Marvin didn''t give the order, this was between Level 3s. If one side acted, the other would too. It would result in greater escalation. Hide-and-seek was the game, but Viers wasn''t playing nice or by the rules. Rather, there were no rules, so destroying the seekers was a legitimate course of action. Every single death represented wealth. Material wealth, intellectual wealth, all resources for his Path of Power. This was the second Black Shield knight he killed. He was capable of ending more but he refrained. Marvin didn''t realize the futility of sending normal Level 3s at Viers but if he killed too many, Marvin might realize his mistakes and call reinforcements or something. That was something Viers didn''t want to see. He separated from Alfred so that he could move freely. ¡°...Looting complete. Now then, time to give Clarissa a lava bath.¡± Viers scratched his chin while looking at the pool of lava in front of him. The lava pool was a Power Spot that emitted a great amount of fire and soul properties. Just like a hot spring, but with lava. With his Euryale Sight and soul senses, Viers determined it was a suitable place for Clarissa¡¯s recovery. The size of the pool was more or less fifteen meters in diameter. In the center, there was a geyser of lava jetting into the air at semi-regular intervals. The Rank 4 Power Spot, suitable for Level 4 Pathseekers, was fresh and newly formed. Otherwise, there would be other monsters claiming such a place for themselves. It might not be an outright Land God, but a strong Rank 4 monster nonetheless. He suspected the earthquake he felt yesterday was the cause. Viers was aware of the clich¨¦s. With a lustful Arrogant Young Master so close by, if he released the beautiful lamia princess, he would surely have a desire for her. At first, Viers was willing to let the ordinary opportunities pass by. Thanks to his soul mastery Clarissa was stable anyway, there was no rush. But unexpectedly, a Power Spot of fire and soul appeared. A Tier 4 to boot, which was practically tailor-made for Clarissa. He wasn''t willing to let go of such a golden egg that fell on his lap because of an AYM. Viers put up a barrier to hide and protect the Power Spot and its surroundings. For extra caution, he also put up another with his magic item, making it two-fold. I¡¯ve done all I can. If Marvin still appears, so be it. Man proposes Heaven disposes¡­ Heh, come what may, I¡¯m ready. Viers was in peak condition. His battle strength was at an all-time high. He wasn''t afraid of the Level 3 Marvin. ¡°All right, Soul Might Celebration is also done¡­ Now, sleeping beauty. It¡¯s no true love¡¯s kiss but I hope this is good enough for you to wake up.¡± Viers released Clarissa¡¯s soul from his soul space and sent her into the pool of lava. After making sure there was nothing wrong as Clarissa¡¯s soul soaked in the Power Spot, Viers began soul searching the knights he hunted, just like someone reading a book at a train station. So, Marvin sent hundreds of slaves to the volcano¡­ This Igurd might be as strong as Boram. Hmmm¡­ Ah, Solany. So the girl is truly a mind Pathseeker. Daughter of Duke Lucan. That makes her the same as Ciel in status. My my. With the souls of two Black Shield knights, Marvin¡¯s camp had a massive intel leak that Viers readily drank up. Those two know nothing truly important but Viers became a lot more familiar with his enemies. As Sun-Tzu wisely said, know your enemies and blah blah¡­ As for the original reason he was here, he didn''t pay too much thought to Prince Croix. If he succeeded, good. If not, bad investment. The losses would sting, but that was just life. *** ¡°Useless, all of you!¡± On the deck of the yacht, the knights stood on attention with fear in their hearts. One of their comrades already had his head caved in by the mace Prince Marvin wielded. ¡°So be it, I¡¯ll hunt him myself! Solany, guide me to him.¡± Solany closed her eyes for a moment, then pointed to the north-west. ¡°That way. He¡¯s been staying in one place, unlike before.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s hunt. The sport of kings!¡± Chapter 359 - The Prince and the Slave ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­ Let¡¯s rest here. You look like you¡¯re about to keel over,¡± Croix wiped the sweat from his brows. ¡°N-no, I can still go on. Igurd might come at any moment. We-¡± ¡°Hehe, if it¡¯s any consolation, I¡¯m also at the limits of my stamina. Let¡¯s catch our breath.¡± Then the two boys rested their weary bodies temporarily. The volcano was scalding, Croix felt like he was in a sauna, the higher they climbed, the hotter it became. Boram as a Pathseeker had it easier but Croix was a regular human. Boram clutched his bandaged chest. ¡°Does it still hurt? That blow from Igurd?¡± Croix felt guilty. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Prince, but I¡¯ll be alright. I¡¯m sturdy. Master Avel makes sure of that.¡± During the battle with Igurd, because Boram was protecting Croix he was on the back foot and took a nasty hit. Boram managed to counter at the same time and managed to force the beast-like Igurd to retreat. ¡°That gu¡­ beast, he doesn''t even respond to words¡­ pitiful,¡± Croix closed his eyes after drinking water from his waterskin. ¡°Those that undergo early awakening usually suffer from an uncanny side-effects, Igurd might have lost his sanity,¡± Boram also hydrated himself. ¡°...In your case, you cannot grow.¡± ¡°Compared to others, I¡¯m among the fortunate ones.¡± There was a welcomed silence between the two. Boram glanced at the young noble who sat by his side. Although he still disapproved of his excessive kindness to strangers resulting in so much wasted time, he could feel the noble¡¯s grit and tenacity. In these harsh conditions, he didn''t complain and pushed himself to do what he must. He got curious about what drove him. ¡°Take heart, prince sir. You¡¯ve come so far; you¡¯ll definitely succeed.¡± ¡°Thank you, Boram. And please, when it¡¯s just us, call me by my name.¡± ¡°Eh? But-¡± ¡°What, is there something wrong with my name? Doesn¡¯t a name exist for calling? I have a perfectly good one, do use it.¡± ¡°Er¡­ C-Croix prince sir¡­¡± ¡°Hehehe, in time, I hope you''ll be able to call me Croix without hesitation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not appropriate. I am a slave of your vassal.¡± ¡°If I may ask, what kind of master Avel is to you?¡± ¡°The best I could have hoped for, Croix prince sir. He gave me food, clothes, guidance, and eventually, I found a purpose to strive for.¡± ¡°But¡­ you''re a slave. Don''t you want to be free?¡± ¡°Eventually perhaps. I¡­ I just feel like I haven''t paid him back for all the kindness he has given me. I may be his slave but he has never mistreated me. Most slaves aren''t half as lucky. I truly am fortunate.¡± ¡°...You really look up to your master.¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s a person I respect from the bottom of my heart. It¡¯s hard to describe¡­¡± ¡°No, I understand¡­ I have one too.¡± On the ground, Croix leaned on the rock behind him; he extended one of his legs and bent the other. ¡°Since childhood, I¡¯ve lived in the palace¡¯s compound. For the longest time, I saw people obeying and being submissive to me and those around me. I used to think it was normal for people to serve those of nobler birth. In the palace, I was lonely. My days were all about studying this and learning that. I had a lot of brothers and sisters but we weren''t allowed to mingle together, mostly by their mother¡¯s command. At that time I didn''t understand their cold stares, but now I know they saw me as their child¡¯s future political rival¡­ Ah, I digress. I was fed up and lonely at the palace, so I sometimes snuck out and went to the city. My mother didn''t approve, of course, it''s dangerous, but I didn''t listen and did it anyway, with just a cloak as my disguise.¡± Boram listened while Prince Croix was lost in his recollection. His smile was very melancholic. ¡°The borough of the capital is full of things I didn''t understand, which made it exciting for the young me. And then, I saw a noble carriage run over a little kid. There was a commotion, the kid¡¯s mother cried and screamed. People flocked around, but none came for aid. Why would they? The mother and child were slaves. The nobles inside didn''t care and told them to get out of their way. When she didn''t, they tried to cut her down. I¡¯ll never forget the look on their faces, as if they couldn''t stand a bug clinging to their feet.¡± Boram wasn''t surprised. He knew all too well the treatment of slaves. ¡°The nobles left the slaves half-dead, bleeding out in the streets. And then he appeared from the crowd. A man wearing the garb of a priest. He healed them, not caring whether his nice clean clothes had blood and dirt on them. He didn''t ask for compensation, only wished them well and to be more careful in the future. I don''t know why I followed him that day, pure curiosity perhaps. Sure enough, he went to a church. There were a lot of other children at the time. He greeted them and they greeted back, calling him teacher.¡± Croix paused for a drink. ¡°He began his lesson by telling them a story. The story was interesting and funny. After he was done, he elaborated on the morals of the story. The priest was teaching the local kids life lessons, free of charge. I stayed there the whole time, about an hour, hiding near the window. After the class was dismissed, he asked me if I liked what I heard. Of course he knew I was secretly listening. With a smile, he said I was welcome to come again¡­ That was my first encounter with Priest Guido.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Croix closed his eyes. ¡°If I am different from other nobles, it¡¯s all thanks to him¡­ Well, sorry I prattled on. Shall we go on?¡± Boram nodded in agreement. The two rose to their feet and resumed the climb. It wasn''t long until Igurd attacked them again. After repulsing Igurd a few times, Boram felt strange. Every time he clashed with Igurd, there was a strangeness that he couldn''t explain. It had no effect on the battle so he paid no mind to it at first but every time Igurd returned, Boram felt his madness had lessened, in its place, there was¡­ anger? On the other hand, Croix was fascinated. The other two boys were younger than him but they were already capable of engaging in hot-blooded mighty Pathseeker battles. It stirred his heart. He hated the fact he was powerless and couldn''t wait to become a Pathseeker. If he was here, Viers would understand. For Croix, it was like seeing the fiery battles of a shonen manga. The reason some series became loved worldwide was because they had battles that gripped the heart of the masses. Boram punched Igurd in the face, yet even as his cheek became out of shape he didn''t move back. In return, he gave Boram a stare full of hate. ¡°...Unfair shit.¡± ¡°Wha-? Guff!¡± Boram was confused and got knocked back by a body blow. Two days passed, and the terrain was even more unforgiving now. The air was thinner, the mana was thicker, it was blazing hot, and days of climbing with no end in sight sapped the stamina in both mind and body of the two boys. Furthermore, there was the persistent attacks of Igurd. Croix and Boram bonded during this time, like comrades on the battlefield. Even though Croix¡¯s battle strength was near zero, he could still do something using his magical items. The effect was not much but he tried to not become a burden to Boram as much as possible, and Boram realized that. The two were climbing stairs with sluggish steps. ¡°We¡¯ve gone high enough. Is around here fine, Croix prince sir?¡± ¡°No. Huff¡­ Haah¡­ Must, go, farther¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid even if you do, you won''t have the stamina. The real thing is still the forging of Intio itself. Doing it higher might not give more benefits if you are already bereft of stamina at that point-¡± ¡°I know that Boram, I know¡­ I¡¯ll succeed¡­ I will¡­ I must.¡± ¡°...Is becoming a king that important to you?¡± Boram asked after a moment of hesitation. ¡°Fuh¡­ I don''t actually want to become king. If someone else will mend the kingdom I¡¯ll gladly step aside and give him my support, but there isn¡¯t one. It is also my responsibility, as one born a royal. We don''t inherit only privileges, but responsibility. When Priest Guido and my mother told this to me I didn''t understand. Now I do.¡± ¡°...If there¡¯s a chance, I wish to meet with this priest,¡± Boram said. He felt the priest was a bit similar to Master Avel. ¡°...The capital became too volatile as more and more of my half-brothers and sisters came of age. Daggers in the shadows and poison in the waters. My mother smuggled me out of the capital with the help of Alfred, knowing I would be severely punished. Even then, there were¡­ complications,¡± Croix gave a sad smile. ¡°Priest Guido died, helping me escape.¡± ¡°...My condolences.¡± ¡°...I will become a good king. For them, for the country, for myself. This is the path I¡¯ve chosen to walk, and I will not falter!¡± Seeing the prince¡¯s resolve, Boram didn''t say anything more. Suddenly, he perked up his head and turned behind him. Igurd was there; his battle aura was far more tempered and seethed with anger like never before. Boram felt it. This time, Igurd was committed, there would be no retreat. ¡°Bo¡­ram¡­¡± Igurd¡¯s voice sounded grated and coarse. ¡°Prince Croix, please go without me. I¡¯ll hold him off here.¡± ¡°But-¡± Croix hesitated before making up his mind. ¡°You''re right. I¡¯m counting on you. Don''t die.¡± Igurd didn''t react when Croix ran, his eyes were fixed on the battle-ready Boram. He pounced on him like a beast. When they made physical contact, Boram felt strange again. This after multiple times, he got a vague idea. ¡°You glimpsed my memories!¡± The how eluded him, but as Master Avel taught him, the world of Pathseekers was full of mysteriousness and wonders. Even though Igurd was clearly a body Pathseeker, it wasn''t impossible. ¡°Unfair¡­ So unfair¡­ How nice is your life, while mine and others¡¯ are living while drinking mud!!!¡± The blow was heavy, Boram got knocked into the wall. It all became clear now. So that was the source of his resentment. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Boram said as his hammer glowed with a yellow aura. ¡°Compared to you who¡¯s Prince Marvin¡¯s slave, I might as well be living in paradise.¡± ¡°You always think you want to help your fellow slaves, but what have you done so far? Nothing! You hypocrite!¡± Igurd roared as he dashed with his spear aimed at Boram¡¯s head. ¡°Arte - Rocky Smash!¡± Against a fellow slave with a similar background such as him, even though his heart felt for him, Boram¡¯s fighting spirit didn''t waver. Master Avel taught this to him. If there was a time when fighting was difficult or morally complicated, beat your opponent down first. The matter of philosophy can wait. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m going to defeat you first before thinking about the complicated stuff.¡± ¡°Gruaaaahh!¡± The battle between the two child slaves had begun. It raged like a wildfire. *** ¡°Haah¡­ Haah¡­ Haahh¡­ Everyone,¡± Croix thought of Boram, of Alfred and also Avel at the foot of the mountain. Be safe. Don''t die. They came for him. They fought for him. But don''t die for me¡­ Even the air that entered his lungs felt like steam. His eyes were blurry, but the surroundings were already thick with red mist anyway. The dragon egg in his satchel felt like a very heavy lump of solid rock. His body was crying in protest, it had long met its limits. His feet were bleeding, his joints were inflamed, sheer determination was what kept him moving. He didn''t need to reach the summit, in fact, if it was about the legend, forging the Intio in the middle of the mountain or at the very doorstep was fine. People still died when they failed their Intio creation. Those few who leapt through that chasm of death were the source of the legend, not how high in the volcano they awakened. Too few success cases were recorded for a definite conclusion that going higher would be better. ¡°Haah¡­ Fahh¡­¡± His head hung down, too tired to look up. One step. One step. One step¡­ but flat? The ground was flat, where were the stairs? He walked forward while swaying like a drunk man. ¡°Ack?¡± Until he hit a wall and fell on his butt. Then he saw it was not a wall at all, but scales. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­¡± Croix''s heartbeat was racing. ¡°Hmph,¡± the creature snorted fire from his nose. ¡°You are a mote better than the rabble that has come to my mountain these past centuries, son of Athos.¡± Croix heard this voice before, before he crossed the red barrier at the entrance of the volcano. From the pool of lava, the creature rose up, extending his long neck and tail. As the lava slid off his ruby-like scales, his two wings magnificently covered Croix¡¯s vision. If the dragon hadn''t put his tail before Croix earlier, he would have fallen into the pool of heated rock. ¡°Y-you¡¯re-¡± ¡°One who fought alongside your ancestor, whelp.¡± From behind a series of sword-like fangs, each as tall as half of a human body, the voice came. Archion the Red Skies. The reason the first king of Latias was called the Dragon of Dawn. Just by him moving, the mana around the mountain surged as if there was a continent rising from the calm sea of lava, creating all sorts of phenomena. Chapter 360 - Borams Friend Boram¡¯s fight with Igurd had reached its peak. After the opening phase and the battle of might, what was left was the conclusion. That conclusion was Boram tethering on the brink of defeat. Boram was strong but Igurd also had a unique quality about him. He was among the strongest opponents that Boram had faced so far. The battle had gone on for too long. As he was taught by his master, Boram aimed for a quick battle. Which meant he was going hard in the early rounds. Yet he failed to finish off Igurd. Worse, Igurd possessed an ability that made him stronger the longer he was in battle. As things stood, Boram was like a boxer who entered the last round exhausted. Igurd attacked him like a furious gale, unceasing. Boram only lasted so long thanks to the boon of his half-giant physique. The main thing was he couldn''t find an opening and Boram found himself constantly on the defensive. As his master¡¯s hammer, his biggest stat was strength; his speed was far above the average earth Pathseeker but not enough to contend with Igurd and his momentum. His skin got slashed, his bones cracked, both were harder than rock. Yet he didn''t panic. Not even he knew how many times he had balanced life and death in his master¡¯s virtual reality and on the island of giants. He quietly and calmly invoked a forbidden Arte. Igurd¡¯s attacks began to hit the air. This was because Boram saw him move in slow motion. Boram stepped in, waving through Igurd¡¯s bone spear. A heavy punch seemingly carrying the weight of the land fell down on Igurd¡¯s gut. The second attack came from behind, an elbow at the spine. There was a sound like a humongous tree got its trunk split in two. Utterly brutal. Igurd only felt a single attack. That was how fast Boram was. Igurd fell and Boram remained standing. This was a special Arte that his master taught him¡ªSandevistan. His brain and body were temporarily heightened to the extreme, allowing him to perceive the world in slow motion and move at super speed. His master called this ¡®bullet time¡¯ or something. Boram could use this Arte only for four seconds. More than that, then his brain would burst and his nerves snapped, permanently turning him into a vegetable. This time he stopped at two seconds and the moment he stopped, his brain got flooded with pain signals from all over his body. His muscles were torn and he suffered an ungodly headache. Boram recalled Master Avel¡¯s words in his mind. Remember, this is a really dangerous Arte, use it with extreme care. A buddy of mine, a certain David Martinez, taught this to me. Now I teach you this so you might survive your battles, in honor of his memory. Never cross your limit. The Arte, Sandevistan, was the improved version of the Super Synapse Arte. An Arte that he once taught Jaime Sigley in the Book World. This new version was stronger in every way because he added many formulas from myriad Artes he got from soul search. Boram fell on his butt beside Igurd while bleeding from his nose, but the other kid had it worse. ¡°Faah¡­ fuahh¡­ huuuf¡­ that was¡­ too close,¡± Boram wheezed. ¡°Too damn close.¡± Somewhere nearby, a vent of gas emerged from the earth, as if signaling the end of the battle. ¡°...What are you waiting for? Finish it.¡± A weak voice entered Boram¡¯s ears. Who else could it be but Igurd? His body lay broken and battered as he gazed at the sky hollowly. ¡°...You regained your sanity,¡± Boram said warily, looking out for signs of a desperate attack. There were none. The other boy didn''t say anything, fully accepting the fate of the loser. ¡°How did you see my memories? Mind-reading?¡± No answer again. ¡°I won. Tell me.¡± It was a childish reason, and for that, it worked. ¡°...The ones I fought, their experience bled out to me.¡± Igurd¡¯s beast-like traits from earlier were because of the monsters he fought to survive on the volcano. Their traits smeared on him like splattered blood. Naturally, such things were not a complete memory like an extensive soul search, only bits and pieces of the past. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired. Kill me.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ha? Why not?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not my enemy.¡± Despite their fight, Boram didn''t have any animosity towards Igurd. He felt kinship instead as fellow slaves. The only difference between the two was that Boram was luckier. ¡°Pity? I hate you.¡± ¡°I don''t hate you,¡± Boram replied tiredly. ¡°Why do you want to die so much anyway?¡± ¡°Slaves like me have no future. Better die now than years later. Life¡¯s good for nothing.¡± ¡°Then¡­ wanna come with me?¡± Igurd stopped looking at the sky filled with red clouds to Boram. He saw the boy extending his hand. ¡°I used to have no purpose either. Master helped me find one. He can do the same with you. He''d be happy to welcome you ¡®cause you¡¯re strong. Everybody wins.¡± Igurd was silent for a good amount of time, overwhelmed by the kindness from Boram and the pureness of his eyes. How long had it been since he got offered a helping hand? Too, too long. ¡°I hate you.¡± Tears flowed from the side of his eyes. Slowly, the small hand reached out. It fell midway. The words ¡®thank you¡¯ remained unsaid. ¡°...Igurd?¡± Igurd¡¯s face had a tiny smile and a hollow gaze. Unmoving, unbreathing. Boram, realizing what was happening, lowered his head. Pain and grief filled his eyes. ¡°We could have been friends¡­¡± *** ¡°Trash. Failure, until the very end. Disappointing.¡± Marvin closed his fist, crushing the floating slave seal to fragments, just like that, the execution was delivered. ¡°Now, where was I?¡± Marvin rubbed his hand a few times as if to clean dirty hands, Igurd was already erased from his mind. ¡°Ah yes. You¡¯re a slippery prey, I¡¯ll give you that¡­ Er, what was your name again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don''t know. No need to remember it either.¡± Marvin along with his knights were standing facing Viers. It had been days since they searched for Viers but he didn''t make it easy for him, but now they had come face to face. The reason was the lake of lava behind Viers. He was protecting it, like an animal protecting its young. ¡°So this is what you¡¯ve been protecting. A snake-woman¡­ If I remember correctly, she¡¯s called a lamia. Not many of them are left. Marvelous, simply marvelous.¡± In the middle of the lava geyser from the middle of the lava lake, Clarissa¡¯s sleeping soul could be clearly seen. A few days ago, Croix began climbing the mountain and Marvin started to hunt for Viers. He placed Clarissa here for therapy and hid the location with a barrier. Sometimes, he led the hunting party on a wild goose chase before returning. However, that barrier had been broken. The reason was the eruption of the lava lake itself. The whole area around the Archion Volcano underwent a change and the ambient mana spiked. It stimulated Power Spots like this one and temporality improved their quality. The Rank 4 Power Spot was on par with a Rank 5 site now. It got even better for Clarissa but the energy of the site was too much for Viers, resulting in the collapse of the hiding veil. Now the wolves were at his gates. Viers wasn''t surprised this happened. In fact, he predicted this would happen. He also predicted the changes were mostly likely caused by Croix. Perhaps he pulled a legendary sword from a stone or something. At any rate, his role was clear, protect the sleeping beauty. It was that simple, as such, there was no hesitation, no doubt whatsoever. ¡°Who is she to you, fatty?¡± Marvin asked, eyes never moving from Clarissa. A gaze of lustful desire. ¡°My responsibility,¡± Viers replied. Marvin walked closer. Viers made a slashing motion with his bare hand and a long horizontal line was created on the ground. The black knights moved to guard their prince. ¡°That line is a line of no return. Beyond that line is a place of blood and carnage. This is your only warning.¡± Viers didn''t raise his voice, his killing intent, or his soul power. Yet his calm action conveyed a sense of foreboding, like staring into a dark abyss. The Level 3 knights instinctually felt that it was no empty threat. A few among their numbers that searched for Viers on the prince¡¯s orders were never seen again. There were dangerous elements here, not only monsters and dangerous Power Spots but most likely it was the doing of the masked man staging in front of them. The fact it happened ran warning bells in their head. Alfred and Harper overlooked the confrontation from a distance. The Level 4s were still enemies and restrained each other without coming to blows. While some might argue Alfred should help Viers since he was outnumbered, Viers didn''t protest. This was his matter. Alfred removing the other Level 4 piece from the board was already enough. The presence of Viers just standing there was enough to intimidate the battle-hardened veterans of the Black Shield Knightly Order. One of them involuntarily stepped back. ¡°Get out of my sight, trash.¡± The knight was stabbed through the chest from behind with a sword, armor and all. Prince Marvin then tossed the man to the side like a rag. ¡°Who are you to demand anything of me?¡± Marvin said with utter confidence. ¡°When I see something I want, I¡¯ll take it. When I want to eat something, I¡¯ll eat it. When I see a woman I want, I¡¯ll bed her. Everything in this world exists for my amusement. All of them are rightfully mine and nothing can stop me!¡± Marvin crossed the line with a fearless stomp. Yellow lightning coiled Viers¡¯ body; his pupils elongated like a snake and his eyes turned iridescent green. That gaze was unmistakably those of a ruthless predator. ¡°It''s not every day that I choose violence, but when I do, I do it with impunity.¡± Viers¡¯ fighting intent exploded. Chapter 361 Viers was not the kind of villain who fought the hero party with a half-ass attitude. He didn''t use just 10% strength at the start to see if they were worthy to fight him at full power. Viers didn''t have foolish pride like that. Therefore his opening salvo was the hero-slaying kind. He pointed his finger to the sky and brought it down. A thunderbolt from the heavens followed, like a bright pillar crushing down on top of the 40th Latias prince¡¯s head. In the midst of a blinding light and deafening noise, the Black Shield knights protected their prince. It was more like a reflex action plus a slight magical compulsion to protect their sworn liege that all knights had, otherwise, their first instinct should''ve been to dodge. Like ten black ants trying to stop a carriage, their efforts were in vain. The great lightning Viers brought down was not a simple attack. Anticipating the inevitable fight, he built up power in the sky bit by bit throughout the days. The chaotic mana in the environment aided him in obscuring the deed. The result was a strike of the same caliber as a Level 4. Viers preferred the lightning to be kirin-shaped, resembling the jutsu he got this inspiration from but it¡¯d take too much effort. He prioritized meeting the power threshold instead. Solany lowered her arms that she used to shield her eyes. What she saw next made her frown. The lightning attack was so devastating that all the Level 3 knights and below lost their lives. For a single Level 3 capable of killing ten men the same Level as himself in one swift stroke was no mean feat. She was some distance away from Marvin so she was out of range, but if that bolt had fallen on her head¡­ Avel¡­ To think Prince Croix has gotten a vassal of this caliber¡­ But what a pity. He¡¯ll die all the same. The caster, Viers, didn''t become mad with glee or complacent. The knights being dead was the expected result. What was on his mind was Marvin¡¯s condition. The golden sphere that remained at ground zero told him it wasn''t over yet. The pattern on its surface resembled liquid. ¡°Oh wow. You¡¯re pretty amazing.¡± The sphere revealed Marvin as it receded, unharmed and smiling. ¡°But not as amazing as me.¡± Viers swung his hand, releasing another lightning bolt in a straight line to Marvin to test his suspicion. Not as deadly as his first strike yet still lethal to ordinary Level 3. ¡°Child¡¯s play,¡± Marvin effortlessly blocked this one too. ¡°...Oil.¡± Viers muttered. ¡°Correct. This is my affinity, oil! A rare affinity fitting for a special guy like me! Furthermore-¡± Marvin grinned, a globe of oil appeared above his palm and it turned into a sphere. ¡°-you¡¯re a bad match for me!¡± Marvin threw the spear of oil. His oil was golden in color, unlike the yellow-brown color of crude oil. It was closer to cooking oil in color. Viers dodged the attack with high-speed movements. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Marvin did the same and the two began to tussle in melee range. Viers understood what Marvin meant. Oil was an insulator. Electricity wasn''t effective. His attacks were unable to pierce the shield of oil that Marvin conjured. A few of the pinpoint light attacks that he mixed in got through the defenses but Marvin was uninjured. Either it was another of his oil Artes or his expensive magical items. ¡°Hwoahahaha! Come on, try harder!¡± A flurry of punches at the class of boxing champions got sent at Viers. Most got dodged but a few landed. Meanwhile, Viers was unable to wound him even a little bit. ¡°There¡¯s more, fatty!¡± Marvin, experiencing a battle-high, sent a jumping spinning kick at Viers¡¯ head. He was boisterous and confident. For a big attack like that Viers meant to dodge it but he was unable to. His feet were caught in an oil sludge out of nowhere. An electric shield bloomed at the side of his head. ¡°Useless!¡± With the sound of a breaking glass, the kick sent Viers flying. He rolled over the ground a couple of times before he stopped. His mask fell off, and he was bleeding from the mouth. ¡°There goes the eyesore mask¡­ Well, not what I was expecting. I figured there would be some distinct features or something. It turns out it¡¯s just a very ordinary face¡­ Now you see, your lightning is utterly useless against me.¡± Little did Marvin know that what he was was not Viers¡¯ true face. It was Avel¡¯s face. He used the Impersonator Mask under the ordinary mask. With two masks, even if the enemy removed his mask from him, there would be a psychological trap. They would be satisfied knowing what was hidden underneath, not knowing it was a fake bottom. Be that as it may, Viers¡¯ damage was real. The attack just now, Marvin had enough output to overwhelm his Unreality Field and Horizon-boosted shield. This was inexplicable from the incompatibility of lightning-oil alone. Viers spat the blood out as lightning surged around him. His mouth was full of the taste of iron. The raging electricity around him was like a beast about to pounce. Calm down, Futon. Calm down¡­ The flare-up receded, but he could still feel Futon¡¯s anger. I¡¯ve got a plan. You¡¯ll get your time. Trust me. The violent plasma became as docile as a puppy. He got his lightning under control again. During the melee earlier, he was also able to go toe-to-toe with my power. That shouldn''t be possible for a Level 3. Unless¡­ ¡°You¡¯re actually a Level 4, aren''t you?¡± ¡°Oh? What makes you think that?¡± ¡°Trade secret,¡± Viers cracked his head left and right. Normally Viers should be able to detect such a fluctuation even if the other side tried to hide their true Level but his trained senses still detected a Level 3. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Viers suspected the prince used some manner of magic item to achieve this. His senses were sharp, but Viers wasn''t so arrogant to think there would be nothing in this world that he couldn''t see through. Not when he was only a Level 3. ¡°Ha! Still trying to be cool? Arte - Oil Havoc!¡± A deluge of golden oil was vomited from Marvin¡¯s mouth. Viers dashed to higher ground, leaving lightning trails in his wake. However, they were in volcanic terrain. The mass of oil touched some lava and immediately became boiling hot. The golden liquid bubbled and sizzled, the lethality of the Arte went up significantly and surged at Viers. The power behind an Arte cast by a Level 3 and a Level 4 would be very different. ¡°The terrain is also against you! Wahahahaha!¡± Viers was like an ingredient about to be deep-fried. The resulting product could be tasty, or not, either way, it would be the end for the ingredient. He wasn''t about to let that happen. Arte - Water Is Unbreakable! A sphere of water enveloped Viers entirely. Lightning was great in terms of speed and attack but not for defense so he used water. He gritted his teeth as he strained to defend against the tide of boiling oil that packed a Level 4¡¯s punch. Marvin¡¯s Oil Havoc rivaled the strike of Viers¡¯ first thunderbolt in power. Viers managed to defend himself until it was over, but unlike Marvin, he didn''t come out unscathed. His arms suffered massive burns. ¡°Righttt, you can use water too. Good, good. Not only elusive, the quarry is hardy too. Bloody good. If it¡¯s over too fast, the hunt is boring! There¡¯s also the saying about water and oil not mixing, fitting, wouldn''t you say?¡± Viers let Marvin do his har-har. He welcomed the time to get his breath back in order and the healing factor to do the work. It was much faster than before but still not at Wolverine level. Still, some regen was better than nothing at all. ¡°Struggle, struggle, struggle! Squeal while you¡¯re at it!¡± Marvin resumed his ¡®hunt¡¯. Now that the jig was up, Marvin no longer lowered his output. Hiding one¡¯s true power was not Viers¡¯ sole privilege. Marvin¡¯s blows were clearly at Level 4 tier. Viers was at a disadvantage and pressed further back as time went by. Even with his Horizon at a 500% boost, he wasn''t able to match the power a true Level 4 could bring. Personality aside, Viers admitted Marvin was some sort of a genius. Based on the data, he knew Marvin was 17, younger than him by a year, but already a Level 4. That progress was above Viers¡¯. Data might be falsified but power didn''t lie. He was undoubtedly trading blows with a Level 4. As a Level 3 high, still a bit more from peak, and more distance away from the gate of Level 4, confronting a Level 4 carried a great risk of death. Marvin being a Level 4 was a miscalculation on Viers'' part. He did not expect to have to fight a Level 4. In the best-case scenario, the prince was a weakling without substance, just flaunting his wealth and status. Worst-case, he was a Level 3 peak with expensive and tricky artifacts. Turned out he was wrong, but Viers¡¯ analysis was logical, for a human Pathseeker to reach Level 4 at the age of 17 was a feat that belonged in the legendary realm. Outlandish though it might be, the situation was beyond his expectations. And yet, there was no sign of agitation or desperation in Viers¡¯ eyes. His expression was cold and calculating. His fighting spirit didn''t waver for one bit. A right straight from Marvin. Viers moved back half a step and slid to the side then gave a right straight of his own. Marvin saw the hit coming, could have dodged it but he didn''t. Viers hit his cheek but it was so oily the punch didn''t do any damage. So strikes were useless. Viers conjured a lightning blade while he ducked a right hook. A magnificent maneuvering using Raging River Steps then followed by a stab to the solar plexus. Normally the blade would pierce the gut but it simply collapsed. ¡°Be in awe of my abs! You must be envious. You won''t have one like me even if you trained for a century! Ahahahaha!¡± For that attack, Viers paid the price of an oil bath. Some of it got into his mouth and it was nasty. Of course, his body was hurting from the high-speed jet of liquid, even after three layers of Water Shield. It seemed Marvin had no intention of finishing the battle early and did not invoke his Imaginary Domain. Like in the Jujutsu series, the Domain ability was powerful and could decisively decide the outcome of a battle. Level 3¡¯s Unreality Field could not stand up to the Level 4¡¯s Imaginary Domain. Since Viers didn''t have a Domain, it would be catastrophic for him. The prince¡¯s willingness to prolong this battle for his enjoyment was a welcomed result. Stupid reason for sure, but it worked in Viers¡¯ favor so he didn''t complain. His experience against the Level 5 grandmaster of the Dumuzin cult and the shade of a devil god in Farley¡¯s skin assured him he had survived worse. Compared to those two, Marvin might as well be a dachshund. But the gulf of strength between Level 3 and Level 4 exist, and it is vast. Normally Viers would run from an unwinnable fight but with Clarissa behind him he chose to stand his ground. ¡°Hmn, hmn, hmn. It¡¯s clear to me you got your strength through hard work. My guess is you trained every day.¡± After a while, Marvin began a conversation. Compared to the hale and clean prince, Viers looked like he was a guy after a period of extreme marathons. Exhausted, battered, and bruised. Truly the look of a hunted animal. His attacks were all stopped by the prince¡¯s multiple defensive items. Viers didn''t make a dent in the prince¡¯s HP at all. A depressing thought. ¡°Huff¡­ Huff¡­ So?¡± ¡°Behold the superior specimen in front of you, fatty. We¡¯re about the same age. I¡¯ve done no training whatsoever and outdo you in every capacity. I easily mastered a difficult Profound Codex, had no bottleneck, and excelled in all manner of Artes. Ohhh, there¡¯s this one time when I broke through while thumping a woman. Ain''t that right, Solany?¡± His face was so smug it was punchable. ¡°Point is, inferior species like you are destined to lose against me. No need to feel bad. You¡¯re one among the better ones among them, about thiiis much,¡± Marvin illustrated using the one-centimeter gap between his forefinger and thumb. ¡°I walk the kingly path, for it is laid down by the gods for me.¡± Marvin expanded his arms. ¡°I always get everything I want and never fail at anything.¡± He raised his finger above him and created a golden spiked sphere of oil like a sea urchin as big as him. ¡°You may die knowing the fact that I¡¯ll treat your lamia girl well. Never fucked a soul before, it should be fun. I''m tempted to let you watch¡­ but I¡¯ll just end you. Good nigh-¡± ¡°You lie.¡± ¡°Hm? What was that?¡± ¡°I said, you lie.¡± Viers raised his head to meet Marvin¡¯s eyes. ¡°That you never failed before.¡± ¡°Hehehe, oh yeah? Do tell, what is my failure?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s your baby dragon, O great prince?¡± Finally, there was a crack in the prince¡¯s happy-go-lucky countenance. As a prince of Latias, like Croix, he should possess a dragon¡¯s egg. The egg was said to hatch the moment the bonded user became a Pathseeker and Marvin was most definitely a Pathseeker. If he got a baby dragon, a megalomaniac like Marvin should be showing off the hatchling non-stop. Since he didn''t, that meant his dragon egg didn''t hatch. ¡°...¡± Marvin¡¯s gaze was as cold as iron. ¡°So much for being the favorite of the gods,¡± Viers gave a mocking smile. ¡°Alright, I heard your death wish loud and clear. So long, fatty.¡± Marvin rendered his judgment without remorse. The moment he was about to bring down his hand, something unexpected happened. His heart, his chest. It felt hot, as if his blood was on fire. And then, a newborn cry resounded. It wasn''t loud but was heard by everyone thanks to some manner of magic. ¡°Impossible!¡± Marvin cried out. ¡°He¡­ It¡¯s not¡­ How¡­¡± The cry came from the volcano¡¯s upper region. As if rejoicing in celebration, fire mana gushed forth from the earth. The region that was always dark thanks to the red cloud of ash and soot was now brightened from the aurora of fire that appeared above them. Viers smiled, the ¡®everything goes to plan¡¯ smile. ¡°Heard that, Prince Marvin? Your brother got a dragon. Unlike a chump like you.¡± - - Chapter 361 - How to Train Your Prince Chapter 362 - Rich is Superpower The moment the newborn dragon¡¯s cry reached their ears, Marvin¡¯s frivolousness was gone. ¡°Well now¡­ I suppose I should give my baby brother the congratulations he deserves.¡± ¡°You aren''t going anywhere,¡± Viers attacked. With Croix achieving something Marvin couldn''t -two things, in fact- there was a crack to his reputation and claim to the throne. Awakening at the Archion Volcano and the dragon companion would do wonders for Croix¡¯s future prospects. As such, Marvin couldn''t suffer Croix to live. He meant to nip the problem in the bud before his brother grew into something troublesome. At this time, he had the prime opportunity. Viers couldn''t let that happen. ¡°Harper!¡± Marvin shouted. ¡°Deal with this trash!¡± Two auras rose up from the distance. Marvin¡¯s Level 4 lackey was given the order to act and Alfred moved to match him. Arte - Water Blast! As the two began their battle, Viers attacked. If possible, he wouldn''t let Croix die. Not when his investment was about to bear fruit, a big fat one at that. If Marvin managed to enter the volcano, he who had been denied entry would be powerless to stop him. Boram and Croix were also no match for the 40th prince; they would be slaughtered. ¡°Must I do everything myself?¡± Marvin rolled his eyes in disappointment as he blocked Viers¡¯ water blast with an oil barrier effortlessly. ¡°Arte - Golden Armament.¡± Golden oily ripples appeared in the air around Marvin. Each of them turned into solid weapons like swords and spears. In the blink of an eye, they rained down on Viers. The fuck!? Gate of Babylon??? Viers did his best to weather the attack. Each of those weapons carried destructive attack power that a Level 3 like him couldn''t cleanly defend. When one landed on the ground, it gouged a crater five meters deep. Viers deflected a few using an electric barrier and water shield but those were inconsequential when the attack numbers were in the double digits. Even when he blocked, some of the damage still seeped through his Artes and Unreality Field. Viers had to dodge those solid-oil weapons or he would become a meat skewer. Even though Viers was akin to dancing under a rain of death, he was actually doing quite well. Suddenly, his focus was disturbed. In this situation, that was fatal. At the moment, Solany had removed her glasses, and stared at Viers unblinkingly like a hawk. Her eyes glowed with power. In an instant, his feet, which were his lifeline, got hit in two places. The result was like a water bag that had two punctures. Rather than tending it, Viers made a judgment call to defend his vital spots after the incident since Marvin¡¯s Arte wasn''t finished. So taxed was his mind that he didn''t realize Marvin got close to him. ¡°Got you!¡± The golden mace struck Viers on the chin, lifting him into the air. Marvin followed with a jump. Midair, he struck Viers several times in a combo before sending him back to the ground with a smash finisher. ¡°Arte - Oil Vein!¡± Marvin landed foot first on top of Viers¡¯ chest. The ground cracked further and from those cracks emerged a burst of golden energy. In the end, the prince looked down on Viers who was severely injured. Viers had fought Level 4 opponents before, most notably the Rank 4 water dragon who he defeated and took its form. However, the circumstances were different. That time, the dragon was half-mad and fought on instinct, the terrain was on his side thanks to the dungeon core Abby, and Viers had his allies working in tandem. All of those were absent currently. ¡°Aggh¡­¡± Viers coughed blood. The other leg that wasn''t hit bent unnaturally. His two hands fractured, especially the right one which had bone sticking out. His head¡¯s trauma was frightening. His left eye was almost swollen shut. The damage to his organs was also nothing to scoff at. ¡°You¡¯re still alive. Surprising. Was it the thing I sensed earlier?¡± ¡°He used a Forbidden Arte if I read him correctly,¡± a female voice said. ¡°Solany my girl! Thanks for the assist. Unnecessary, but thanks,¡± Marvin gave Solany a passionate kiss on the cheek. Since he was always soul searching others, Viers naturally put much thought into safeguarding his soul and mind. A mind pathseeker like Solany found that mind reading Viers was like assailing a well defended fortress. The breadth and scope of his mental defenses were extraordinary, surprising the young Lucan daughter. Even her own paled in comparison. Viers did this using the soul method. However, Viers wasn''t immune to every mind method, or even soul method for that matter. Viers was most afraid of others finding out his many secrets, thus the defenses were built to protect his memories first and foremost. While Solany wasn''t able to get into Viers¡¯ head and extract his many juicy secrets, she could do other things. Scrambling Viers¡¯ mind while his attention was occupied in battle was child''s play for her. The duke¡¯s daughter was also a prodigy herself. She had received the best tutor and resources that money could buy since she was a baby. ¡°Now then. I believe this guy has lived long enough, don''t you think?¡± Marvin turned to Viers with clear murderous intent. *** Seeing Avel¡¯s state, Alfred was agitated. He wished to help him. For the young lord who had few allies, Avel was an important asset. The situation was bad. ¡°Your mind wandering in the middle of a fight? Take that!¡± ¡°Guhh!¡± Alfred jumped from the low kick, parried the six throwing daggers, and a wave of light struck him. He countered with a waterfall of darkness but Harper, the Knight Captain of the Black Shield Knightly Order evaded it. ¡°Hmph!¡± Harper kicked Alfred with a shining kick. He received it with a cross-arm guard but got sent flying into the cliff. ¡°Alfred Cullen of the illustrious Black Army. The man with the moniker is the Darkwall. You who was once known for taking an attack from a Level 5 and lived¡­ How weak you¡¯ve become. You might not remember it but I saw you three years ago at Fort Melk. You were much stronger back then while I was just a fresh recruit in the army.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Harper choked Alfred¡¯s neck and raised him up. ¡°As knights, we pledge our sword to a lord. The stronger the lord, the stronger we become. That¡¯s the way it has been in Latias since times of eld. Surely you knew your strength would wane when you swore allegiance to the neophyte prince? What manner of drunkenness made you?¡± The greater the lord and his prestige, the greater the benefit of the knights who swore fealty to him. For example, their cultivation would become smoother, with higher pay and status. Alfred pledged his loyalty to Croix who was not even a Pathseeker despite being a Level 4. This resulted in his power waning, like a tree that did not get enough nutrients. Of course, he knew this full well. ¡°For a glory-chaser like you my decision may come as foolish and incomprehensible,¡± Alfred replied. ¡°It is loyalty that drives me, not some mundane greed. Many of us knights of Latias had forgotten that we are supposed to be an example of virtue, to protect the meek. Not become someone''s glorified lackeys, wagging tails to the strongest of lords¡­ Tell me, my brethren, do you feel proud serving Prince Marvin?¡± Harper didn''t answer. ¡°Someone entrusted the prince to me. She who thinks the prince is more important than her own life¡­ Each breath I take and each step I walk fills me with pride because I do it in service to that person, and that is before I heard the dragon song.¡± Despite being manhandled by Harper, Alfred showed a smile of pity. ¡°You are born human, why choose to live like a dog?¡± Those words cut deep no matter how unwilling Harper wanted to deny it. More than anyone else, he knew the truth; he experienced it himself how Marvin thought of his subordinates. But that wasn''t enough to make the adult man break down crying like a bitch. ¡°Your words are so full of shit. Open your blind eyes and see. Virtue? Protect? Pride? Idealism won''t save you. You can prattle about righteousness or whatever to fellow ghosts in the underworld.¡± Light gathered at Harper¡¯s fingers. He stained his hand and thrust his spear hand at Alfred¡¯s chest. *** ¡°Arte - Rich Oil Field!¡± Viers got submerged in a murky liquid. He found it reduced his ability to move significantly. ¡°Be in there long enough then you¡¯ll be reduced to oil so you better leave quickly. Not that you can, hahahaha!¡± Marvin laughed heartily seeing Viers struggle. ¡°Now the prize, before I go after Croix.¡± Marvin approached Clarissa¡¯s soul that was floating in the middle of a lava geyser. ¡°Not this, not this one, not this¡­ Where is it¡­ Ah, got it.¡± Marvin circled through the items inside his inventory space and took out a bottle. He opened it and sprinkled the content above his head. He felt the effect immediately. Now he was able to touch souls. He used another magic item to still the violent lava and raised Clarissa¡¯s chin, so he could look at her face more clearly. Solany was not in his mind right now. ¡°Mmm, even more beautiful than my first impression. I believe I¡¯ll enjo-¡± Two amber eyes opened in front of his face. ¡°Do not. Touch me, filthy human.¡± A town-leveling explosion occurred. A few seconds later, Clarissa was alone. She sensed Marvin was alive some distance away along with another girl, quite surprisingly unharmed, but the lamia¡¯s focus was not on the two youths. She floated near the oil field Viers was in. ¡°Whatever would you do without me?¡± Clarissa smiled kindly as she helped Viers out of his situation. ¡°Just so you know, you see me not at my best.¡± The two looked at each other¡¯s eyes silently for a couple of seconds, before they smiled simultaneously. ¡°Good morning princess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to be awake, ufufu,¡± Clarissa giggled. ¡°Yes yes yes! Strength and beauty, just the way I like it!¡± Marvin ruined the moment by barging in like a boorish bull in heat. He had wing contraptions attached to his back that allowed him to get back so quickly. ¡°Girl, you¡¯ll be min-¡± Marvin was brought low to the ground by a stream of fire. It was not Clarissa¡¯s. ¡°Avel!¡± ¡°Master!¡± The two arrived on dragonback. The dragon with red scales had a youthful impression and didn''t seem to be an ancient being. The dragon had a wingspan of ten meters, about as big as the dragons in Skyrim. Is that Croix¡¯s hatchling dragon? How come it''s so big? Viers had some knowledge about dragons. To grow this big a dragon should be about two decades old. Whatever the case, he confirmed that Croix had indeed become a Pathseeker -albeit a Level 0- but that red dragon of his was as strong as a Level 4 gauging from its first breath attack. The arrival of a battle-ready asset was good news for him. ¡°Hyaaaaah!!!¡± Boram attacked while Marvin was recovering from the firebreath. Seeing his master so heavily injured and the matter about Igurd made him have a lot of pent up frustrations. Viers and Clarissa exchanged eye contact and just like an old married couple, the two understood what each other wanted to convey. The lamia went inside Viers¡¯ soulspace. The two were some distance away and the environs weren''t the best. Souls weren''t normally visible in the first place. With luck, Clarissa wasn''t seen. The dragon landed near Viers, giving a courtesy roar. Not hostile, but loud. No matter from which angle, this dragon was a young adult. Since Boram and Croix could ride it, it wasn''t an illusion. ¡°What terrible wounds¡­ Come on, we¡¯re done here,¡± Croix extended his hand. ¡°Congratulations, Highness,¡± Viers grabbed the young prince¡¯s hand with his oily hand and took his place on the back of the dragon. Boram hit and hit and hit but Marvin wasn''t hurt. He didn''t even pay attention to him, his eyes fixed at his brother. His eyes contained a thousand emotions. Boram knew better than to let his emotions get the better of him and also retreated back to his master¡¯s side. The two brothers stared at each other with a gaze that seemed to deny each other¡¯s existence. The dragon seemed to feel its master¡¯s hostility and roared at Marvin before it took flight. ¡°Go that way,¡± Croix directed. ¡°Alfred is that way!¡± Meanwhile, Harper was still stabbing Alfred. ¡°Why. Won''t. You. Die!¡± Each word was followed by a hand stab. ¡°Being sturdy is my strong point.¡± Every time Harper stabbed, the targeted area became inkly-dark, as if his body was made of darkness. The sensation Harper felt with his hand was that of entering murky water. Even when he targeted Alfred¡¯s head the same thing occurred. He knew Alfred was still injured but he mitigated the damage so much that he still survived for so long. ¡°This sensation!? Aaakkhhh!¡± Harper realized too late as the dragon breath engulfed him. Unlike Marvin and his plethora of protection items that lesser families would use as heirlooms, Harper couldn''t simply shrug off the mighty breath of a dragon. ¡°Alfred, Alfred¡­ Thank you, for everything.¡± ¡°Young lord¡­ If only your mother could see you now,¡± Alfred teared up with pride at the sight of his ward. ¡°She¡¯ll get the chance. Let''s go home.¡± Like Viers, Alfred also sustained heavy injuries. ¡°We¡¯re going! Avel?¡± Croix asked because he felt Viers was in the middle of doing something. ¡°...O lightning, descent once more from the sky!¡± In the distance, lightning struck. It was as powerful as the attack that slew ten Level 3s. Viers used his above 500% Horizon boost to compensate. ¡°What are you-¡± Croix asked. ¡°Marvin¡¯s pleasure yacht. Now he can''t come after us,¡± Viers looked even worse now but he still smiled. ¡°Incredibly done,¡± Croix said with a bright face. ¡°Go, partner, take to the sky!¡± The dragon screeched and flapped its wings. The party soon took off. ¡°Master, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll live. You¡¯ve done good, Boram.¡± With the winds on their faces, their hardships seemed to be left behind. It wasn''t that easy. Marvin gave chase using his mechanical wings with a greatsword in hand. It was a broadsword with a bluish-green magical hue. The blade was of dark steel that resembled the night sky. Across its body, there were sparkles resembling stars. ¡°So you have a pet lizard baby brother, so what? With this Divine Weapon, I¡¯ll cleave you and your pet together! Shine, Skyfang, rend mine enemies!¡± Viers paled sensing the power of the sword. A true complete Divine Weapon that was as powerful as the sword of light that Ciel awakened. Not only that, Viers recognized that sword. Oh, ain''t this just great! He also got the Dark Moon Greatsword!? Fuck you, entitled little shit! Chapter 363 - The Customary Escape ¡°Burn this sight into your eyes. This grand spectacle is your send-off gift to the underworld!¡± Terrifying power congregated. From Viers¡¯ perspective, it was like watching the world split in two. If the energy projectile from Marvin¡¯s sword landed, it would be instant death for them, no doubt about it. The slash released by the Divine Weapon was frighteningly beautiful. Like a crescent-shaped piece of the night sky coming to bisect him, complete with stars and nebulas. Croix and the others were feeling death¡¯s cold touch and paled. Against that, even their draconic ride couldn''t compare. ¡°No you won''t!¡± A wall made of pure black darkness rose to stop the wave of annihilation. ¡°Alfred!¡± Croix¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Rest assured, young lord. Your path has just begun. How can I allow you to fall here? This knight will protect you, to his last breath!¡± The knight emitted power higher than Viers had ever seen from him. Clearly he was holding back nothing, including using his forbidden techniques and life force. Viers secretly put back the life-saving item he was about to spend and thanked Alfred for his sacrifice in his mind. ¡°Yeeaaarghh!!¡± The wall of darkness stopped the blade of stars, but just barely. When the slash from Skyfang met resistance, it released a confluence of light and a turbulent shockwave. The red dragon had trouble stabilizing its flight. Boram was protecting his master and Croix as best as he could from the stray energies because he was the fittest among them. Alfred deployed his signature Arte and squeezed out every last drop of his energy in a desperate effort to weather the attack. He overcharged his Victa channels, to the point of injuring his own body to fulfill his duty. But as if a mockery toward his gargantuan efforts, the sword beam marched on with an uncaring attitude. Cracks appeared on the dark wall and murderous light peeked through. Boram did what he could and tried to plug the leak with the earth he created. ¡°Mister, hang on!¡± Boram said while gritting his teeth. ¡°Rrrrrggghhh!¡± Even that was not enough. They only bought a few seconds before the dark wall would be broken through completely. Croix was distressed. As a Level 0, his power was completely useless. While he grimaced, Viers¡¯ expression showed no agitation. His eyes were closed as if he was asleep. The situation was dire, but precisely because of that Viers became as calm as a still pond. ¡°You think something like that can stop me? Keep drea-¡± Two things happened in an instant: One was Viers opening his eyes. The way he did it was as if he was Itachi using Amaterasu. A pinpoint Soul Spike Arte that made Marvin lose his focus. A soul attack strong enough to affect someone with a dozen of soul defenses. Against ordinary Pathseekers, their soul would be mush by now but Marvin only became lightheaded. As for two, something big was coming from above and broke one of Marvin¡¯s wings. It happened so fast that it was seen as a blur. The Darkwall Arte was now broken completely but the dragon managed to evade the crescent energy projectile just in time. It continued on until it disappeared into the Horizon. Because Marvin was shaken, he couldn''t follow up and finish them off. Using the Divine Weapon also cost him. His movement was slower than usual because his stamina was down. The attack from above had traces of lightning, Marvin and Alfred first thought it was Viers¡¯ doing, but it was not. ¡°Captain Malika?¡± Croix didn''t expect to see her here. The Thunder Wing Knight Captain Malika entered the fray on top of her mighty gryphon. Her lance still sparked with electricity and her armored figure was very gallant. Malika¡¯s strike landed so cleanly thanks to Viers¡¯ assist but because he was so subtle about it, nobody noticed. Neither Marvin nor Malika. Viers preferred his soul abilities to remain hidden. ¡°Croiiiix!¡± Marvin''s scream of unwillingness became smaller and smaller as he fell to the earth. Without special means, Level 4s couldn''t fly. Marvin¡¯s case was his mechanical wings magic item which Malika had just destroyed. Croix¡¯s expression showed no joy as he watched his half-brother fall into a river of magma. No matter, because he definitely wouldn''t die from something like that. He just felt pained that his own brother was truly out to kill him, and that his comrades got hurt for his sake. Alfred¡¯s hair had grayed and he looked like he aged three decades in the blink of an eye. He had to go that far to block the Divine Weapon just for a few seconds. He''d already fallen unconscious and Boram had caught him before he fell from the dragon. Avel¡¯s condition was similarly extreme. His bodily harm was multiple and extensive. Even though he just became his vassal very recently, he showed his commitment and loyalty through his actions. Croix was moved. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Boram too, without whom he wouldn''t succeed in climbing the volcano. Archion and Malika¡­ Croix felt he only reached this point because he had been supported by a lot of people. That fact was heavy on his shoulders. ¡°Prince Croix, congratulations are in order,¡± Malika said. ¡°Allow me to escort you back to Stormberg.¡± ¡°Your assistance is most welcome, Knight Captain. I cannot thank you enough.¡± The dragon and the gryphon flew side by side in the same direction. At first, the two powerful beasts were snapping at each other, but their riders calmed them down. ¡°Are you here under Countess Grace¡¯s orders?¡± ¡°Unfortunately that is not the case, Prince Croix. I¡¯m simply here to stretch this girl¡¯s wings.¡± The gryphon squawked happily. Archion Volcano was too far from Stormberg for such a thing and Croix knew it. ¡°A truly unlikely coincidence then.¡± ¡°I agree, Prince.¡± ¡°Before we return to Stormberg, there¡¯s another thing, captain. There is a contingent of slaves in the volcano, brought by Marvin. Most of them are children. A powerful elder agreed to break their slave bindings but the volcano is no place to live. Marvin most likely lost interest and will go home after a while. After he leaves, I wish to save them.¡± ¡°...I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful,¡± Croix dipped his head. ¡°In any case, Alfred and Avel need emergency treatment. We can''t go directly to Stormberg. We need a suitable place to treat them.¡± Croix also gazed at Boram. ¡°A burial is also necessary.¡± Boram, who had Igurd¡¯s body in his inventory item, nodded in gratitude. He felt leaving him at the volcano wasn''t right. *** Looking at Gollum¡¯s fate that had befallen Marvin, Viers let out a sigh of relief. Like Croix, he was sure Marvin would survive that. It would not be that easy for him to be rid of the AYM. But for now¡­ Fuuuh, it¡¯s over¡­ He smiled. I look forward to round two. ¡°You seem pleased.¡± Hearing a familiar voice inside his head once again, Viers¡¯ smile grew wider and more wholesome. ¡°Now, how long has it been and what did I miss?¡± Clarissa asked. *** ¡°Fuck!¡± Marvin cursed as he stripped his clothes down. The last twenty-four hours must be the worst time of his life. He got humiliated, failed to kill the fatty, was unable to get the lamia, Croix and his annoying followers got away, Solany passed out for some reason, then, when he got back to the yacht, he found its engine was broken. He wanted to leave this blasted place and deal with Croix but the thing wouldn''t start. With his Pathseeker subordinates all dead at the hand of the insufferable chubby, only the pleasure slaves that stayed in the yacht the whole time were still alive. However, these girls might be pretty but they couldn''t do jack-shit about repairing the mana engine. The golden yacht was Level 4-tier sturdy but the engine was quite sensitive. Viers¡¯ attack targeted this specifically. He knew this because he soul searched Marvin¡¯s subordinates with the relevant knowledge. While the Knight Captain Harper of the Black Shield Knightly Order should be still alive, he never showed his face. Marvin surmised he must be afraid of taking responsibility for the failures and had deserted. He didn''t know if he should praise the man or not because he was totally going to beat the man to death to release his frustrations. He had tried to contact the duchy for reinforcement and repair crew, barring that, a lift back, but yet again there was a misfortune. A mana storm hit the area, making all manner of communication difficult. He couldn''t send a message home. Of course, Marvin didn''t know it was the act of a certain dragon on top of the mountain. Something the ancient being did on a whim. At any rate, since there was no one else, Marvin had to be the one repairing the mana engine or he would be stuck here for who knows how long, until his disappearance warranted Duke Lucan to send a search party. He couldn''t bear to wait that long so he had to do something he absolutely hated: manual labor. It was dirty, tiring, and unpleasant, but there was no one else. Marvin swore the fatty and Croix would pay for this humiliation, and Solany too, for choosing this time of all time for her long beauty sleep. Once you wake up, you¡¯ll accompany me on my bed until I¡¯m satisfied. No buts! Or perhaps he should do it right now, Marvin thought. If Marvin didn''t like the yacht so much and had other means of air travel, he would have left the thing here and gone back to the duchy on his own but he did not. After unbearable hours of work, at least the engine was running again. The engine that Viers fried using his lightning. He could feel the yacht rising into the air as he inputted the destination at the bridge. He turned on the autopilot and there was only one thing left for Marvin to do: get laid. He felt very uncomfortable about not sleeping with at least five women every day and he was behind his normal dose. So impatient was he, the prince had already begun stripping his clothes on the corridor leading to his private chambers. ¡°Girls, I don''t care who, attend to me!¡± Marvin said the moment the door opened, completely ready and naked. If they were slow, Marvin planned to assault the closest woman to him. Only, none of the girls responded; all sixteen of them were unconscious on the floor. What was incredibly out of place was the blue ape in front of Marvin, as tall as him and thrice as muscular. It was so outlandish he felt he was hallucinating. ¡°Uho!¡± The ape raised his hand as if saying hello. ¡°What the fu-¡± The next thing he knew, he was getting bearhugged by the ape. As horny as Marvin was, he had no interest in bedding an ape. But he did not need to worry about that, for that was not the ape¡¯s intention. ¡°Release me! You damn idiot ape!¡± The ape shrugged off Marvin¡¯s attacks and brought him out of the yacht, tackling walls in the process. ¡°Shiiiiiiiit!¡± Still in the ape¡¯s tight embrace, Marvin was forced to take a dip in a deadly hot lava. As they sank, the ape raised one of his hands and made a thumbs-up, until they both were swallowed completely by the lava. No ordinary ape could replicate the iconic Terminator 2 scene. Round two had already begun. Chapter 364 - Must Die Lava is hot. That was what the 40th Prince of Latias experienced. He felt like he was swimming in mud, only far far hotter. He protected himself with an ability to keep functioning in the anti-life situation, something that even a Level 3 could do, let alone a Level 4. Marvin kept pummeling the ape that nonsensically tried to do a double-suicide with him but the Rank 3 beast would not let go, even after he disemboweled its stomach. Something like this won''t kill me. Die, you fucki- Marvin could have sworn the ape was showing him a grin before opening its mouth. Since they were in a bear hug, the distance between their faces was very close. Inside the ape¡¯s mouth, there was a seed, germinating a single leaf. Marvin felt a disorienting sensation, a consequence of a teleportation. When the process was over, he saw he was surrounded by greenery for a split second before an explosion took him. The ape, already super injured from the lava and Marvin¡¯s attacks, initiated a self-destruct. ¡°Arrrgh!¡± The naked prince bore the brunt of the explosion being at ground zero. It huuuurts!! The Rank 3 monster¡¯s explosion was not fatal but certainly injured him. When he tried to ascertain the condition of the crazy ape, finding its mangled corpse perhaps, he instead saw the visage of a man amidst the smoke. ¡°I AM HERE!!!¡± Before the last syllable was spoken, Marvin was already punched in the face. The guy also tried to shank him with an enchanted knife to the neck but his defenses broke the blade before it pierced his skin further. ¡°Who the fuck are you!¡± He said to the man he never met before. ¡°A villain!¡± The youth with a big grin on his face said. ¡°Prince Marvin, prepare to be meatbagged!¡± The youth, more or less his age, conjured multiple swords of water in the air that launched at him. Marvin raised a barrier of oil. After successfully defending, Marvin got some time to find his bearings after the multiple stages of confusion. The guy in front of him was a Level 3. Weak, compared to him. He was ambushed while naked, leaving a significant amount of useful magic items behind. He still had some though. He was taken forcefully somewhere else but he was still fine. ¡°...I¡¯m in a bad mood. Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll die an easy death by my hand.¡± These water swords were fast and powerful, but only for the Level 3 standard. The Arte wasn''t a threat to him. Since his ambush failed, he wouldn''t get another chance at it again. Marvin decided he would pummel this weaker opponent and get back ASAP. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± the man¡¯s stupid grin wasn''t interrupted. ¡°Fuu! Fuuu!¡± ¡°Yaaaaa! ¡±Beside him, two elementals appeared, a cloud hovering on his left, a fire on his right. The former released a swirling gale and the latter shot a scorching ray. The thought those two were kinda cute was summarily erased from Marvin¡¯s mind. They had Level 3 battle strength too. ¡°Even if there¡¯s two more¡­ What?¡± Marvin was so confident that the raw power of his defense wouldn''t be surmounted by three lousy Level 3s, yet the reality was his oil shield was beginning to unravel. Through some form of elemental mixing, these three attacks elevated each other to even greater heights. ¡°Uoooooooo!!?¡± Th-these are¡­ How can these be so powerful!? Marvin was gritting his teeth to maintain his shield from a trinity of Hydro, Pyro, and Anemo battering that Viers and his familiars masterfully weaved. Viers¡¯ elemental reaction attacks had been further strengthened thanks to his familiars¡¯ diligent training. When they fought together, their true worth shined. ¡°Ruuuahh!¡± Marvin emitted a dome of energy that blocked Viers¡¯ attacks. Magical tattoo-like markings appeared on Marvin¡¯s body. Even after depriving him of his wealth, he still has some of his wealth power embedded in his body, huh? Well, as I expected. Stolen story; please report. Viers had planned to ambush Marvin from the start, that was why he disabled Marvin¡¯s yacht and marooned him here. After making excuses to Croix and acting separately, he went back like a tiger finishing his uneaten meal. For what he intended to do to Marvin, it would be better if the good-hearted prince wasn''t around. Even though Marvin tried to kill him, Viers suspected that Croix might have spared his life even if they all fought together and won. Besides, Viers didn''t intend to share his meal with anyone. He infiltrated the yacht while Marvin was busy tinkering with the engine. By supercharging his healing factor, he swiftly recovered from his injuries. It cost him a lot of lifeforce but it didn''t really matter: he had so much. So, so much. Wiping out the other Pathseekers under Marvin was also in preparation for this. Then, he waited for the opportune time. And what an opportunity it was: Marvin who was about to have a session of segs removed his many, many troublesome magical items on his own. Viers jumped at the opportunity, literally. To be honest, Marvin¡¯s many magical items were a pain even for Viers. As expected of a wealthy Arrogant Young Master prince. After that, he aimed at the lava pool, T-800ed himself, and warped them both to Viridis, before initiating a self-destruct sequence for real. Since he knew his monster transformations were free lives, how could a man like Viers not make use of them? The Water Fur ape was one of such throwable stocks he had. It was a common monster but quite tough. Here at Dia¡¯s Biome, Marvin must die. ¡°This Victa signature¡­ It¡¯s you! The lightning and the water¡­ You¡¯re the Fatty!¡± Marvin fumed. ¡°O yeah? What part of this is fatty to you?¡± Viers changed his face and body using the Impersonator Mask. Currently, he doesn''t have a round belly. ¡°Come now, I¡¯m just a stranger danger, all right?¡± ¡°Hahaha, you think you¡¯re funny? Die!!¡± Amidst the rain of water, fire, and wind, Marvin dashed. He recited short spell words and two spectral armored warriors appeared. These two fought with Futon and Faiya. With those two elementals out of the way, his disposal of ¡®Fatty¡¯ would be swift and smooth. Just like before. Or was it? With the grin of All Might but with the killing intent of All For One, Viers struck. ¡°Gbhuouah!?¡± Viers hit Marvin with a punch that packed so much force the Level 4 staggered a few steps back while holding his stomach. Plus the fact Marvin was naked made it a touch more comical. If Viers was a more decent man he would''ve let Marvin at least put on some pants for his dignity, but Viers was Viers. Instead, he took it as an invitation. Taking the opening of Marvin¡¯s confusion, Viers pulled out a stick of solid metal from his Thousand Treasures Casket and made a golf swing. It hit the ball. Rather, two balls. ¡°~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!¡± Marvin¡¯s vision blanked into a scape of white. Meanwhile, his ears heard Viers¡¯ maniacal laugh as he heaped Arte upon Arte upon his defenseless body. ¡°MOB-FU babbieeeh! Ahahahaha!!¡± Viers previous defeat was by design. He was still Level 3 and Marvin was still Level 4. Marvin was still stronger and all the facts remained. It was just that Viers didn''t fight seriously before. Three reasons. He wanted to ¡®harvest¡¯ Marvin for himself, didn''t want to expose his true power to Croix and Alfred, and wanted to minimize risks, hence the Biome. Therefore, using the Mob-Fu was the obvious choice. Clarissa saving him was a nice miscalculation but was not necessary. ¡°AAAAAAHH!!! I¡¯m going to destroy you!¡± Marvin brandished his golden mace that appeared on his hand. Even though he left his inventory items behind, it seems he still has items stowed somewhere¡­ inventory space? Viers dodged the swing aimed to his head. Inventory space shouldn''t be usable for a Level 4 but Marvin might have it by burning money. ¡°Hufff! Huff! You¡¯ll be mincemeat!¡± Marvin attacked while holding back pain and disheveled hair. His confidence rose after taking out the mace. To be fair, the mace was indeed a terrifying and powerful enchanted weapon. This was not something simple like a solidified oil shaped into a mace. ¡°Hm, hm, hm~¡± Viers dodged the frenzied swings while humming. He wished he didn''t have to see Marvin¡¯s manhood swinging too. A memory that he would dispose of later. He observed Futon and Faiya had the upper hand against their opponents but needed some time to triumph. ¡°Why won''t it hit!?¡± Marvin was agitated. ¡°Six thousand and a hundred hours.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That is my combat fight time against your weapon type.¡± Against hammers or mace-type weapons, Viers had ample training with Boram. In the virtual reality of the Grid, sometimes he fought Boram directly, sometimes the boy¡¯s simulacrum, and sometimes other expert warriors from extracted soul memories. Viers¡¯ training menu was deep and extensive. Marvin boy, you don''t scare me nor awe me with your cheap gold. I¡¯ve defeated Radagon of the Golden Order! The fact he had incredible training length was true but the six thousand hours was a bluff. Viers didn''t really time it. He had more important things to do. But it seemed Marvin was shaken all the same. ¡°Let me elucidate you, Prince Marvin, why you are unable to defeat me.¡± It was because Marvin was lacking as a warrior. He might be a genius but by his own admission and confirmed by Viers¡¯ soul search, he didn''t train. He never fought against his equal. He also made use of his load and load of magical items in his battles. Those gave him an edge against his enemies, no doubt about that, even Viers was struggling to peel those hundreds of defensive layers straight up. But in a straight-up fight, Marvin couldn''t hold a candle to Viers. His footwork, swing, follow-up, were all a mess. His specs were higher but not to the degree of unbridgeable by skill. Viers might not be able to surpass him in strength or speed as a Level 3 but his Horizon and skillful use of Artes gave him enough combat ability to seemingly toy with the prince. Now Viers could leak the information like those villains that like to preach about their superiority, but Viers wasn''t that nice. Also to prevent the clich¨¦ power-up moment. Marvin didn''t seem the type but Viers wasn''t taking any chances. Instead, he told him this: ¡°It¡¯s because you are a tiny limp dick.¡± With a pitying face and eyes looking at a certain point below Marvin''s navel. Marvin looked like he was about to burst an artery. Chapter 365 - The Power of Bonds After passing through a dark corridor, Solany was leaning her back on a wall while being out of breath. She had been running excessively. The place was some sort of old manor in a building style she had never seen before but that wasn''t the problem, the problem was something else. She gingerly moved her head past the corner, to see if he was following. Her heart was racing and she was sweating bullets. There was a bleeding wound on her back. When she saw nothing in the hall, she sighed a breath of relief and tried to look for an exit. Her heart jumped in her chest while she shrieked. There was a man in front of her. A burned man with a disfigured face, wearing a red-and-green-striped sweater and brown fedora. On his right hand, was a metal claw with knives for fingers. This man was a living nightmare. ¡°Come to Freddy.¡± She got slashed. Fatally. The pain was very¡­ biting. Unfortunately, this wasn''t the first and it wouldn''t be the last. Solany woke up screaming, this time she was in a cabin in the woods. Every time she got killed, she was sent somewhere else. Every time she did, her mind teetered ever closer to oblivion. If this keeps up, I¡¯ll die for real¡­ I have to get out of this place! Solany cursed her foolishness which landed her in this cursed realm in the first place. Avel and Marvin were fighting and Marvin had the upper hand. As Avel kept losing ground, his mental defenses would weaken. Solany took the opportunity when it presented itself to dive into Avel¡¯s protected psyche. Her intuition told her there was more to this Avel than meets the eye. After infiltrating the mind defenses that were akin to a fortress, Solany thought she had finally arrived at the inner sanctum, the place where she could extract all secrets, where all a person¡¯s being was laid bare. She thought she would find all sorts of treasures here. Instead, she found herself floating in a jet-black darkness. ¡°Welcome~¡± The voice came as if whispered next to her ears. Oh no! This is a trap! ¡°What a rare guest. The first ever to come here, in fact. Please, enjoy my utmost hospitality,¡± the voice of Avel resounded. The next thing she knew, she was placed in an enclosed mini-realm where a hunter was searching for her. Such as the burned knives-hand earlier, or the man who menacingly stood at the door now. This person was wearing a hockey mask and had a machete. ¡°AAAAAAAAHHH!!!!¡± Solany ran for her life. If this was the real world, Solany wouldn''t be afraid of the man. She was a Pathseeker. Even though fighting wasn''t her forte, she was still a Level 3 that no ordinary man could defeat. However, in this place, she was unable to do all that. Her physical prowess was that of an ordinary person¡¯s. Therefore, like before, Jason made short work of her. Solany woke up again, in a different setting, a different scenario, facing a different hunter. She had faced a bloodsucking count, a creature created by Victor Frankenstein, a raven-haired woman whose hair covered her entire face, a robed man with a ghost mask, a red-haired murderous doll, an unsettling clown, a chainsaw man, a werewolf and many many more monstrosities. She had experienced getting impregnated by an alien that put its egg inside her throat and then the baby burst out from her chest. Each encounter with them left a scar on Solany''s psyche. If she wasn''t an exceptional mind Pathseeker she would have lost her mind already. Then again, if she wasn''t an exceptional mind Pathseeker, she couldn''t have entered this place. Therefore she was a victim of her own excellence. Solany wondered what kind of sadistic man would harbor such inhuman beings inside his head. That kind of man most definitely wasn''t sane; his mind was littered with the stuff of nightmares. And she was swimming in it. *** Two men, with different personalities, clashed like oil and water. Meanwhile, they too each used oil and water, further emphasizing their incompatibility with one another. They currently had a punching match, Marvin who was brought to this battlefield naked, had now used his oil ability to make a waistcloth and covered his privates. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The surprise effect of the ambush had begun to fade from Marvin and he began to fight better. ¡°Guhh¡­¡± Viers got hit. ¡°Guess I truly can''t match you in output,¡± Viers wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. On the other hand, any damage he dealt to Marvin was negated by the tattoo-like markings on his body. Some had disappeared, thanks to the ambush and follow-ups. However, Viers still had to injure Marvin a lot more before he started taking damage. The privilege of this wealthy kid was insanely high. The tattoo magical protection would bankrupt a baron or two but Duke Lucan gave it to Marvin free of charge. ¡°You can''t match me in anything! Arte - Peak Oil!¡± Marvin slammed the ground, creating cracks all over. From those cracks golden oil gushed forth, transforming the terrain. Giving an oil user like him a boost of power. ¡°My oil defeats both your water and lightning!¡± Viers moved upwards so he wouldn''t get drenched in oil by going upwards, stepping on platforms of solid water he created. He also must deal with a powered-up version of Marvin¡¯s Golden Armament Arte. Since Futon was away, dealing with the extra that Marvin created, Viers hadn''t actually used lightning but Marvin still thought he was a water-lightning Pathseeker. Viers didn''t blame him; he didn''t show any soul abilities either. Not that could be perceived anyway. Using his sharp eyes and soul sense, he was able to prevent Marvin from landing a clean hit despite the other having more power and speed. Futon and Faiya were coming to assist him after defeating their respective opponent but Marvin opened a block that suddenly appeared on his palm. From it, three lesser dragons appeared. These ones were at the peak of Rank 3. Viers couldn''t afford to deal with them along with Marvin so he bound Marvin with a whip of water and dragged him away, leaving his two familiars to deal with Marvin¡¯s familiars. It was two against three, but with those two elemental combinations, it should be winnable. He had to keep Dia on reserve. ¡°Lesser dragons, not a true dragon like Croix¡¯s. Obsessed with dragons cause you failed to hatch your bonded egg? Trying to obtain some sort of eligibility? That¡¯s just sad, man.¡± ¡°Silence! How dare you look down on me!¡± They both traded blows, trees were blown away. The fact he was not crushing Fatty with impunity despite being stronger rubbed Marvin the wrong way, making him increasingly angry. Meanwhile, Viers calmly analyzed the situation. Even though he had deprived Marvin of most of his magical tools, Viers didn''t know the extent of his capability or what relics he might throw at Viers. Such as the Divine Weapon; whether the Dark Moon Greatsword was currently in his possession or not was uncertain. That was why Dia was in reserve, to deal with something of that caliber. She was the only one who could. He didn''t count the recently recovered Clarissa as an asset. Viers also had Ars¨¨ne ready as the second safety net. In case of something happening, his reviveable body-double would tank it. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this farce! This ends now! Starfang, consume them!!¡± ¡°Here it comes! Dia!¡± Viers was ready for the sword. That sword would have cut through all of his defenses. Dia¡¯s foremost concern was to contain that thing; Viers¡¯ instruction was crystal clear. The materialized sword pulsed terrifyingly. Viers hallucinated that he was looked down on by a void wolf as big as the sky. He was shaken off from that vision when the whole Biome seemed to be coming alive, power was flooding everywhere, rising from the ground. Gigantic roots and vines entangled the broadsword and wrestled it from Marvin¡¯s hands. ¡°What!?¡± Marvin did try to resist but the adversary had proven too strong. He thought a Level 5 was interfering, which wasn''t that far off. Dia in her Biome could go toe-to-toe with one for a time. She was not as strong as the divine tier but as a Biome Master in the Biome, she could do extraordinary things. The surge of energy from the Divine Weapon that carried the power above that of Level 5¡¯s spread throughout the earth, diffusing the destructive potential. Hundreds of meters away, a giant sunflower burst from the inside. Many areas in the pocket dimension experienced similar devastating events. This hurt the Biome but it was a price they prepared to pay. With his Spear of Leonidas still undergoing upgrades from Izabella, Viers wasn''t so eager to cross blades with a Divine Weapon. Starfang was now covered with plant tendrils. Marvin tried to take it back but Viers blocked his way, kicking him away from that dangerous weapon. ¡°No more fancy sword from you!¡± Viers enacted an overhead water slash. The blade of water was inches away from Marvin¡¯s head. After activating the Divine Weapon, even someone like Marvin was exhausted and presented an opening. His shield activation was slower than before. ¡°Insolence!¡± A shockwave spread out from Marvin, Viers felt it passing him by. His water sword was unable to cut Marvin because it fell apart like normal water. An object resembling an armillary sphere with rings of light floated a few inches above Marvin¡¯s left hand. ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± On his right, he got a golden mace that he swung on Viers. Viers tried to conjure a shield, but something was interfering. The Arte failed to appear and Viers got a broken arm as a result. ¡°...A jamming artifact.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Marvin smiled smugly. ¡°Except me, no other person can use Victa in front of me. This is the power of the Ruler¡¯s Globe! In this area, I alone reign supreme!¡± Like he said, Viers had trouble using his Victa. That meant no attack, defense, or speed Artes. Only his Unreality Field was somewhat usable. Since the other party couldn''t surpass Marvin¡¯s speed, the fate of those subject to the Ruler¡¯s Globe was almost certainly death. ¡°Come to me, Futon!¡± Futon flew to Viers and Clarissa flew away from Viers. Viers needed the cloud elemental so Clarissa understood her role. She had to deal with the lesser dragons with Faiya. Viers didn''t want to overtax the recovering soul against a strong opponent like Marvin but tag-teaming Rank 3s with Faiya should be just a light exercise. The cloud elemental seemingly dived into Viers¡¯ chest and disappeared. Marvin didn''t know what that was all about but he didn''t care and brandished his mace again. There was a flicker of lightning and Marvin hit the air. ¡°What sorcery is this!?¡± ¡°The power of bonds,¡± Viers replied serenely. The lightning he shot out from his palm was anything but. ¡°Look upon it and be in awe of its greatness!¡± Marvin¡¯s ability jamming item was specifically tailored towards humans because only humans of all the myriad races utilized Victa for their Artes. Viers could use lightning because it wasn''t actually his lightning but Futon¡¯s. Viers only directed it. In Valkut, Viers witnessed and experienced the Silver Legion¡¯s Army of One where multiple users shared their power with each other. Viers replicated that technique with limited success. He could only do it with Futon and Faiya, beings that originated from his soul. Poor Dia sulked for a few days when she found out she couldn''t. Viers called this Arte¡ªStand By Me. Chapter 366 - The Twist ¡°The power of bonds conquer supremacy. Don''t you know?¡± For Viers, it was common sense. After seeing so many supreme villains get defeated by a ragtag bunch of misfit hero groups, how could Viers not draw such a conclusion? ¡°Bonds? You talk nonsense. How can you rely on something so intangible? Those who rely on others are weak! Your so-called power of bonds, I will surpass them with my wealth!¡± Is this guy serious? Doesn''t he realize his wealth is not even his? It is given to him by the Duke? Ahh, how twisted a child can grow up when surrounded by a toxic environment. He¡¯s so pitiful and he doesn''t even know it. Viers¡¯ expression of pity made Marvin angry. ¡°You think you¡¯re so much better than me? I¡¯m a Prince of Latias, favored by the gods! Perish!¡± Marvin destroyed a big tree with the air pressure of his mace alone. Viers¡¯ attacks of electricity were repelled easily. ¡°Do you forget? Lightning can''t defeat oil!¡± While it was not entirely accurate, the reality was Futon¡¯s lightning wielded by Viers was indeed ineffective at piercing Marvin¡¯s defenses. But that was just fine. ¡°We¡¯ll see who laughs at the end,¡± Viers¡¯ lightning punch was blocked and he moved back before Marvin hit him back. Viers wondered why Marvin didn''t use his Imaginary Domain. As a Level 4, he should have had one. Viers had prepared Alfred¡¯s mini Domain that he got from the man after bringing Croix to Stormberg safely against that. He had other countermeasures and Marvin deploying his Imaginary Domain would not mean assured victory but it would certainly give him an advantage. Viers had two theories: Marvin¡¯s domain was not a battle-type and thus not useful in this circumstance, or that he wasn''t proficient enough and unable to use his Domain because Viers kept attacking and interfering with him. Either way, the answer would have to wait until he soul searched him. After a stalemate, Marvin started to feel something was odd. ¡°You should be consuming Victa at an alarming rate. Fighting a great Level 4 like me even more so. What did you do?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯ll answer that?¡± Viers did a backflip because Marvin sent spikes of oil from the ground. Marvin said that because he was starting to feel the strain on his Victa expenditure while his weaker opponent didn''t seem burdened, magically speaking. ¡°...Could it be? Is it possible you don''t spend Victa at all!?¡± Marvin roared. ¡°Maybe yes, maybe no.¡± Marvin guessed correctly. With Stand By Me Arte Viers accessed Futon¡¯s powers. Unlike humans who used Victa to fuel their Artes, elementals used their elements as easily as someone turning their hands. Viers was planning on exhausting Marvin. If they ran out of Victa, even Level 5s were vulnerable. Viers didn''t know how much Marvin¡¯s Victa reserve was, but there was a limit to his body¡¯s stamina. Level 5 and below Pathseekers still needed to eat and sleep. By using various methods and items they might be able to lessen their bodily needs but it couldn''t go on forever. Marvin was now in Dia¡¯s Biome: Viers¡¯ home ground. He also had allies while Marvin was alone and isolated. He had the resources to slowly grind Marvin to total defeat. That was why his way of fighting so far was to minimize any potential risk. ¡°Do you know how I can match you in battle?¡± Viers said while exchanging blows in the air. ¡°You might be a Level 4 at seventeen, an astonishing feat, really, but you neglected many things by rising so quickly. Do you think being a Pathseeker is only about how high you are in the Path of Power? This is proof of otherwise.¡± Viers axe-kicked him to the ground. ¡°You¡¯re a trash Level 4, princeling. Against ordinary Level 3¡¯s you would have won, but not me. Have you begun to realize how grave is the situation you¡¯re in?¡± Viers sent a blast of lightning to the ground, pushing Marvin even deeper into the earth. His injury might be close to zero but the damage to his pride of being made to kiss dirt was incredibly high. ¡°Being born with talent and privileges, you extolled wealth instead of honing your own abilities.¡± Viers landed on the edge of the crater, looking down on Marvin. ¡°Wealth,¡± Viers pointed at him. ¡°Power,¡± Viers pointed at himself. The sounds of another battle in the distance trailed here as the two were silently facing each other. ¡°...Power? Power? Ahhahahahaha! Such a thing had no meaning before me!¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Maniacally laughing, with madness in his eyes, Marvin manifested the armillary sphere once more. ¡°Ruler¡¯s Globe, maximum output!¡± Viers suddenly felt weakened. ¡°Zuaah!!¡± Marvin did a front kick. An ordinary front kick. It did damage to Viers. Viers looked into his palm, closing and opening it two times. ¡°Not only does that thing impede Victa, it now disables all abilities.¡± Inside him, Futon was confused why his lightning wouldn''t come out. Viers was familiar with the sensation. This felt similar to when all his abilities were unavailable during his Profound Practice. ¡°Just so! But it affects me too. However-¡± Four flying arrows hovered around Marvin. Enchanted items that Viers recognized as trouble in his normal state. In his ability-less state, certain death. ¡°My ¡®wealth¡¯ is unaffected. I sense the disdain in your voice when talking about wealth. Oh poor Fatty, can''t buy luxurious animal feed? Can''t stay in a first-class pigsty? Too bad. The reason you die is because you''re not rich enough. Cry that to your mommy and daddy in HELL!¡± Four arrows of death¡¯s deliverance were sent at Viers. One to the brain, the other three to the heart and other vital spots. Marvin looked forward to seeing the horror on Viers¡¯ face. Perhaps he would even try a last ditch effort. That was fine, when the Arrows of Tristav destroyed his last hope, the despair he felt before his death would be all the sweeter. What he saw instead was Viers¡¯ devilishly confident smile. Sparks of fire blossomed in the air. Marvin recalled his arrows to his side, hovering like attack drones beside him. Viers was still alive. He had a single arrow circling around him like a protector. His left a trail of blue light as it moved, like a ribbon. Marvin almost didn''t believe his eyes. His Arrows of Tristav were on par with the weapons Level 5 used. A weapon so prized by him that he rarely showed it to others. Only a Divine Weapon stood above it. Starfang was obviously stronger but he liked the arrows more. Those same arrows were repelled by just a single arrow. Didn''t it mean that the arrow was of a higher quality? ¡°Ufufufuh,¡± Viers snickered in the most condescending way possible. ¡°Surprised?¡± ¡°It''s a fluke! It has to be!¡± Marvin willed his four arrows anew. Viers sent forth his arrow in response. The dance of the arrows as they repelled each other was uniquely magnificent. Marvin¡¯s Arrows of Tristav were equally matched with Viers¡¯ Doyun Arrow. Snarling and gritting his teeth, Marvin wore two bracelets this time. As he swung his hands, two whips of fire emerged. He lashed them both at Viers. ¡°Kheheheh¡­¡± Those blazing heat would have reduced limbs to bones to ash, but Viers grabbed them, with gloved hands. Viers equipped Dragonweave Gloves. The glove was heat-resistant. Actually, it was most-everything resistant. Marvin was shocked. His mouth made an O. ¡°Pssst, can I tell you a secret?¡± Viers whispered like he was a drug dealer in a dark alley. ¡°I¡¯m actually wealthy too.¡± ¡°No¡­ NO! I refuse to believe it!!!¡± And so began the battle of wealth. Thanks to the Ruler¡¯s Globe, both sides had their powers sealed, forcing them to rely on items. What would determine the winner would be how deep their pockets were, how many quality items that money could buy, and how many they own. Marvin opened a pot lid. The poisonous cloud that seemed sentient was coming straight at Viers. He trapped the gas in a silver trumpet, after which it changed color to black. Marvin put a blue candy into his mouth and exhaled frost. Those frost formed sharp icicles. Viers took out a long cape and waved the cloth like a matador. The icicles vanished before they reached him. Marvin put on glasses that shot laser beams. As deadly as Cyclops'' his sight became. Viers opened a book and a spectral knight appeared. As the knight continually blocked the beam of light, the pages of the book burned one by one. By the time all the pages were gone, Marvin¡¯s glasses also broke. Viers matched the extensively wealthy prince item by item, coin by coin. He was rich. How could he not be? He had been accruing wealth and inventory from the enemies he defeated and how many enemies had he killed thus far? Thanks to his soul search, whether lock-protected or secret savings, none were safe from Viers¡¯ grubby hands. Viers wasn''t blind about the importance of wealth so he extracted every value he could from his enemies. Viers being Viers, few of his enemies survived an encounter with him. He hated the idea of old enemies coming back to bother him in the future. Viers did indeed look down on those relying on their wealth like Marvin, especially when unearned. On the other hand, Viers certainly earned his wealth through hard work. Hard work of killing, stealing, and looting. Some would call it dishonest means but in a world which encouraged killing your way to the top of the food chain, Viers had no problems whatsoever doing all that, not even an iota. If there were people who had an issue with that, not his problem. ¡°Impossible¡­ Impossible¡­¡± With each attack being intercepted, Marvin grew more and more unnerved. The shadow of defeat began creeping in from the back of his mind. As he was not someone who was tempered in the heat of real battles his mental state deteriorated and he began to show openings. Viers grabbed the Doyun Arrow from the air and jammed it into the prince''s heart. The sound and sensation of the arrow piercing the flesh were satisfying. He got hit by two of Marvin¡¯s arrows as a result but he protected his head and heart so he was fine. Marvin looked at his chest with an empty look. Half confusion, half disbelief. ¡°...It hurts.¡± His knees gave out. Viers was moving with a purpose, like a lion going for the jugular. He wasn''t speaking a single word of gloating. He only had the focus to achieve complete victory. Marvin¡¯s body intensely emitted a dark-red aura. A shockwave of power knocked Viers back the next instant. ¡°Brat, you-¡± The man, a phantom of Duke Lucan, Viers assumed, was radiating power greater than his or Marvin''s. Viers wasn''t surprised, it was an easily foreseen situation that Viers had read multiple times in xianxia novels. The duke invested heavily on Marvin; betrothing his daughter to him and giving him a Divine Weapon as dowry. Some manner of assurance was expected. That assurance was what Dia was waiting for. A woman clad in a regal dress wearing a golden wreath on her brows immediately appeared and assaulted the phantom without a word. Dia was not her normal 10-year-old appearance, but an adult. When she invoked her full might in the Biome her form changed into this. Dia, who called upon nature¡¯s fury, extracted the Level 5¡¯s phantom away from her kin. The phantom¡¯s appearance should be a major twist but would it still be a twist if the audience saw it coming yesterday? Viers acted as if nothing happened and attacked Marvin once again. Cold as ice, efficient as a falling blade. ¡°No Deus Ex Machina for you!!¡± Chapter 367 - Good News Duke Lucan -his phantom- looked like a youth with an intense gaze. He radiated power along with his hostility. This man stood at the top of a duchy in Latias, one of four. As the throne of the king was currently empty, there was virtually nothing above his status in Latias. The Level 5 power he possessed set that statement in stone. That same person was snatched like a snake on the talons of an eagle. That was what Viers hoped to say, but it was not so. The phantom was resisting quite grandly but Dia was no slouch either. Both were not true Level 5 but their power was very far above Viers and Marvin¡¯s. Viers hoped Marvin was stupefied that his ace in the hole got smothered so quickly. It would make him easy prey. This battle had gone long enough and the villain paid no small price to wage it. The sooner it ended the better¡­ but it seemed being pushed to the brink manifested some sort of competence in the pampered prince¡¯s mind. While holding down the wound on his chest, Marvin dashed toward the sealed Starfang. He tore the Divine Weapon from Dia¡¯s seal of roots and vines. Because Dia had to fight with Duke Lucan, her attention shifted from the seal. It gave Marvin the opportunity to release the fearsome greatsword. ¡°Not good!¡± Viers cursed. ¡°Haaaaaaaaaah!¡± Viers was a split second too late. Marvin put his remaining strength into the sword and by brandishing it Marvin tore a dimensional hole in the Biome. From the rift, Viers could see the volcanic landscape. The rift was connected to the real world. Marvin, seeing it as his light at the end of the tunnel, jumped into the spatial pathway. ¡°Tsk!¡± Viers gave a glance at Dia¡¯s direction. He couldn''t see her, but the blasts of powerful energy informed him that the battle was still ongoing. He couldn''t rely on her. As Viers resolved to give chase, Clarissa spoke to him. ¡°Wait, Viers. Are you insane? That¡¯s a dimensional rift! You can get lost in the emptiness between dimensions!¡° ¡°Leave it to me! I have a good feeling about this¡± Viers followed after Marvin through the rift. Time was short. There was no telling how long the rift would stay open. He left Clarissa, Dia, and Faiya behind. What came next was no smooth teleportation that he was used to. The trip was violent. It felt like he was being spaghettified from entering a black hole. He saw things. Of people, of places. All of them were too blurred for him to make sense. He focused on his destination and deployed his Unreality Field in maximum power to survive. After an uncertain amount of time, because time was wibbly-wobbly inside the dimensional rift, Marvin flew out from a tear in reality like a human cannonball, seconded by Viers. The two struggled to get up. The trip was not safe by any means. Viers was disoriented. Marvin was stronger than Viers but he was also heavily injured. They arrived back in the Archion Volcano but Marvin had paid a heavier price. Viers was already on his feet while Marvin was still on the ground. The prince realized that. Viers¡¯ footsteps were instilling him with a sense of dread. He crawled towards the one thing that might have saved him: Starfang. How could this happen to me? Even if the earth turned upside down, this shouldn¡¯t be possible! ¡°Urrgh¡­¡± While Marvin was moving like a bleeding worm, leaving a trail of red behind him, he saw feet in front of him. He looked upward and saw a familiar face. ¡°Solany¡­ Good! Kill the man behind me. Kill him now! Explode his head to bits!¡± It made sense. The gods wouldn''t allow him to be defeated. Marvin¡¯s pupils contracted as he smiled with assured glee. Solany had already removed her safety glasses. Even though she looked to be in pain with one hand holding her head, Marvin¡¯s senses told him she had no major injury. She should be able to defeat the fatty with ease. Viers did not approach carelessly. Even with the prince seemingly defeated, there was no telling what method he had left. The appearance of the mind Pathseeker was also a cause for concern. Solany escaped from his mind quarantine horror zone by splitting her consciousness into little pieces. It was a risky move, bordering suicide. It surprised Viers. He didn''t think Solany had the skill to recover from that. He thought she would at least have her mind reduced to that of a baby or worse, become a vegetable. Solany looked far from a hundred percent. She looked like someone who hadn''t slept for weeks and then woke up with the deadliest migraine in the world. Despite that, there was a sort of calmness in her behavior. Viers picked his move carefully. Unlike the desire-driven Marvin, Solany was a calculating one. Solany laughed. Loudly and full of scorn. Marvin¡¯s face was the very picture of confusion. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°To think this day would come so soon¡­¡± Solany turned her eyes to Viers. ¡°Prince Marvin went missing today and he has never been seen again. I don''t know what happened to him. Promise me this, stranger, and he¡¯s yours.¡± Viers¡¯ face was different from before. Solany didn''t know him. If he spoke, it might have given his identity away. Truly silence is golden. ¡°Wha-!? Solany, this joke isn''t funny!¡± Marvin grabbed Solany¡¯s ankle. ¡°Kill him! He¡¯s done this to your husband!¡± Solany kicked Marvin on the chin. ¡°Husband? I¡¯d sooner die!¡± ¡°I-I-I don''t¡­ Don''t you love me!?¡± Viers wished he could have a seat and a bowl of popcorn. Like anyone else, he enjoyed a good drama. ¡°Oh please, you treat me as your toy!¡± Solany¡¯s hidden feelings were unleashed to the open and it was as intense as a volcano. ¡°The reason I can bear all those times you touch me is because I imagined you as someone else.¡± Marvin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Y-you! To think, you¡¯re still¡­ With-¡± Solany kicked him again to silence him. ¡°You¡¯re not worthy to be a king. Never have. Only one person is worthy of the Latias throne, and it is not you. I¡¯ll leave you to your fate. It brings me unspeakable joy that I¡¯ll never see you again.¡± Solany used a high-speed movement to grab at Starfang. She almost got her hand on it, but Viers stopped it by standing between her and the Divine Weapon. ¡°That sword is an heirloom of House Lucan. My House.¡± Viers wiggled his index finger left and right; his way of saying no. He didn''t want to use his voice. The Dark Moon Greatsword was his spoil of war! Like hell, he would let her leave with it. Solany raised her Victa. Viers did the same. Solany lowered her output. She was outclassed in Victa, and something else. It was the soul but she didn''t know it. What she did know was the man in front of her defeated Marvin. There was no significant injury to him either. She had no chance. Begrudgingly, Solany accepted the sword was unrecoverable and left, choosing self-preservation. Her figure faded like a mirage. Viers'' senses told him Solany was retreating for real. Marvin looked like a man whose soul had left his body. The rustle of Viers stepping closer brought his soul back in. ¡°No¡­ This can''t be possible. I¡¯m destined to become a king, to reach divinity and rise to become a god!¡± Viers¡¯ hand started to glow dangerously. He didn''t speak because he didn''t wish to raise any death flags. Viers charged his lightning to the very limit that a human could endure. Viers¡¯ electric judgment on Marvin cometh. ¡°I won''t be defeated by the likes of you!!!¡± Marvin¡¯s injury was deep and he had no power left to create his oil shield, still, Viers was on guard for Marvin¡¯s tricks. Nevertheless, he couldn''t react in time when Marvin reflected his own lightning back to him using a sword of glass. ¡°Aaaahh!¡± Viers screamed in pain. The great power he brought to bear against Marvin was reflected onto himself. ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Be defeated by your own power! Disappear!!!¡± ¡°Aaaaaahhhh!¡± Viers sounded like an animal in a slaughterhouse. ¡°I am the zenith in my generation, the one who will become the legend amongst legends. Fall and periiiiiiiish!¡± And then the lightning¡­ fizzled out. Marvin was still making an elated expression, thinking he had turned his defeat around, still holding his sword of glass with both hands as if his life depended on it. Viers simply stopped. ¡°What? You think dialing down my own lightning is beyond me or something?¡± Viers replied to Marvin''s stupefied face. ¡°Idiot.¡± Viers utilized his lightning like a certain Sith Lord. However, that guy zapped himself a lot. He became a victim of his own power in episode 3, episode 6, episode 9. Learning by example, Viers made sure he wouldn''t be fried to humiliating defeat when someone reflected his lightning back to him. Viers still wondered to this day how such a stupid thing could happen. Nothing excuses bad writing. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me thrice¡­ Well, some say idiocy couldn''t be cured. Past evil emperor aside, finally Marvin tried to blow himself up by taking a powerful poisonous bomb; a sign of desperation. This time Viers anticipated it from Marvin''s soul fluctuation and gave him an uppercut. That cut Marvin¡¯s brain-to-body connection. Next he pressed his palm to Marvin¡¯s chest. He placed a seal on his soul. ¡°I was¡­ meant for more¡­¡± Viers placed another four seals on him before Marvin fell down facing upwards with eyes rolled back. Viers sighed. It was finally over. ¡°Sweet dreams, childish, foolish, arrogant young master¡­ For when you wake, you¡¯ll have your destiny.¡± *** Viers went back to the Biome after everything was over. As expected there was quite a bit of damage to the realm but it was over now. He didn''t stay long. He checked up on his allies, left Marvin under the highest security, and went out again. He had to make an alibi. ¡°Avel! There you are. Where were you? I was worried sick. You¡¯re still injured¡­ Eh? Your injuries are much better now.¡± ¡°Apologies for making you worry, Highness. It¡¯s my Profound Codex, but it¡¯s a bit complicated so I had to leave for a few hours.¡± Asking about another¡¯s Profound Codex was considered rude because it was deeply personal. Viers just used it as a convenient excuse. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay. The healer said Alfred will come through.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good news.¡± But bad for me. Croix¡¯s face darkened. ¡°He also said Alfred would lose his power. He was pushing himself too hard¡­¡± Now that¡¯s good news. Viers replied in his heart, meaning it this time. On the outside, he expressed sympathy. Should Alfred lose his Level 4 powers, Viers would become Croix¡¯s most powerful vassal. He would be forced to rely on him more. It meant Viers would have more hooks in the prince. Good news indeed. Chapter 368 - A Moonlit Nights Dream ¡°Vufufu!¡± Futon was like a kid with his arms on his waist, chest sticking out, and saying ¡°ehem!¡± proudly. In reality, the cloud elemental was twirling in the air. ¡°Yaaa!¡± Faiya puffed out flames from on top of his head. He couldn''t deny what his water vapor brother was saying. He greatly helped Master in defeating a strong Level 4 enemy. Faiya then asked for an explanation from Viers for this ginormous injustice. Why did he use Futon¡¯s lightning while not his flames? Shouldn''t his flames work better against the hateful one¡¯s oil? ¡°...Hmm? Oh,¡± Viers was appreciating his newly acquired Dark Moon Greatsword. The shimmering glow of the sword was captivating but Viers was more moved because of the sentiment. Of the past mighty foes that he¡¯d slain in games from a certain game company. He put down the sword before answering Faiya. ¡°Your fire will react to his oil, the resulting flaming oil is greater than each of yours alone. The question then was who has the sovereignty of the conflagration. Under normal circumstances, I would not doubt you, but the enemy is a Level 4. He was more likely to wrest control and come at me with a greater power, just like what he did at the volcano.¡± ¡°Yaa¡­¡± Faiya sulked. ¡°Aww, don''t be sad sweetie,¡± Clarissa embraced Faiya like a plushie. ¡°There is compatibility in battle. Just because Viers did not use your power this time doesn''t mean he thinks less of you.¡± Faiya mellowed in Clarissa¡¯s bosom. ¡°Yaa.¡± ¡°Ehehe, I missed you too.¡± Futon looked at the two of them while fidgeting. Looking at him, the lamia smiled. ¡°Come here~¡± Futon rubbed Clarissa¡¯s cheek with his body. ¡°I missed you both,¡± Clarissa giggled. Viers silently nodded twice. How touching. While exhaling, he looked at his surroundings. Scars of great battle remained in the plant paradise of Viridis. His fight with Marvin was only a small part of it. The bulk of the damage came from the power of the Divine Weapon and the energy clone of the Level 5. Dia had defeated the failsafe Duke Lucan placed on his son-in-law-to-be and was crucial in mitigating the power of the Divine Weapon Starfang. However, the deed was not without cost. The Biome¡¯s energy had greatly fallen. Dia drew power from the land to fight with such power. Previously the ambient mana was thick in the air and the land was brimming with vitality. Now there was barely any, like a dried-up lake. The dryad herself was currently exhausted and recuperating. Unless replenished, there would be many complications that would arise in the Biome. The plants would wilt, teleportation would not work, and so on. The realm might even break apart in the long term. Viers was aware of the risk and still ordered the attack. Fortunately, Viers had the means to reinvigorate the Biome. Sacrifice rituals on monsters of enough quantity would suffice. The dungeon core from another world¡¯s gimmick in harvesting vitality from deaths and wounds gave Viers the inspiration he needed. The biomass would also serve to restore the life energy he spent to restore his wounds from fighting Marvin. He¡¯d brought some fast-procreating monsters from the Monsterlands for this eventuality. It would only be a matter of when. The Biome wouldn''t begin changing today or the next. He still had time before the situation became dire. The Biome would recover. Viers wouldn''t let such a crucial infrastructure to his world domination (maybe) wither under the desert sun. He wasn''t sure world domination was on his bucket list but he¡¯d like to keep the option open. He had losses but he also had gains. Drawing inspiration from his power fantasy Fables, Viers always strived to gain greater benefits from his fights. Increasing experience, techniques, wealth, and intelligence with each encounter¡­ With that, the MCs opened the path ahead as cultivators. If the fight would result in only loss, Viers most likely wouldn''t fight at all. The wealth he gained from Marvin was only the start. All the wondrous items like the Divine Weapon and Ruler¡¯s Globe were now Viers¡¯. Then there was the prince himself. A live prince. The value was nigh immeasurable. Viers had gone to great lengths to bag the Latias royalty. He would not be satisfied before he extracted every single value he possessed. After the meatbag was inspected and processed, there was already a buyer waiting. The buyer wanted the product fresh and alive. Naturally, Viers Corporation only delivered quality merchandise. Before that, Viers would take very strong precautions to prevent an enemy he defeated but not killed from enacting a revenge situation on him. This was paramount in Viers¡¯ mind. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. It needed to be said that by now Viers was not treating Marvin like a fellow human. Poor, poor prince. One could argue getting killed by Viers was better than not getting killed by him. ¡°So, you can defeat Level 4s now. How fast have you grown?" Clarissa¡¯s query detached Viers from his musings. ¡°Not single-handedly,¡± Viers replied without modesty or exaggeration. He only conveyed the truth as is. ¡°Even with 500% Horizon, that guy still towers over me in pure stats.¡± Even the weakest of Level 4 was at least twenty times stronger than a Level 3. This was without counting his other abilities such as Imaginary Domain. ¡°I managed to scrape by thanks to my other self-¡± During the fight, Ars¨¨ne was also fighting with Viers from the inside. He was like a second CPU. It made Viers¡¯ Artes twice as strong, twice as fast, and halved the casting time. ¡°-Dia, Futon, Faiya, and of course, you too. He underestimated the power of bonds. Villains that did that are destined to lose.¡± ¡°So you favored the power gained from cooperation over personal strength now?¡± Has he changed during the time I was unconscious? Clarissa wondered. She hoped Viers did. It would be better for the world, she thought. Viers faced the lamia with a quizzical look. ¡°Por qu¨¦ no los dos?¡± *** ¡°It is already this late, hm? The errant took longer than I thought,¡± Farley replied. This time they took on a request to obtain the tail meat of a dino monster in the mountains for an elderly man¡¯s last supper. It was the center ingredient for a dish that meant a lot for the dying man. The devoted son would have done the trip himself if he could but it was too dangerous. Paina and Farley who were passing by decided to lend him their aid. ¡°Now, now, don''t you feel all fuzzy inside seeing how happy the family is?¡± Paina said with a satisfied look. ¡°I can feel how much they love each other. Isn''t that what family is supposed to be about?¡± ¡°...I wouldn''t know.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry if I brought up some bad memories,¡± Paina said. The two had pretty awful fathers, who were dead now. The two traveled the road under the moonlight after the conversion died between them. The next village shouldn''t be too far. ¡°Ahh, what beautiful moons,¡± Paina looked to the sky. The two moons were looking majestic tonight. Suddenly, Farley stopped. ¡°Farley?¡± Paina asked, having a suspicion. Farley walked like she was sleepwalking away from the beaten path. ¡°Here we go again,¡± Paina scratched her head. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll be camping out tonight.¡± The region was carpeted with green grass and a rural atmosphere, scenic and tranquil. The area was quite safe, proven by the existence of scattered villages all around. Therefore Paina didn''t think this time there wouldn''t be anything dangerous. Paina followed after Farley. They didn''t walk far until they stumbled into a clearing behind a curtain of trees. ¡°Another nice place¡­¡± Paina was in awe. Meanwhile, Farley made her way to a patch of red flowers and hopped on a relatively flat stone in the middle. While humming, Farley removed her mask and began to dance. A beauty dancing under the moonlight on the stage sculpted by Mother Nature. Each of the three were already captivating on their own but together, it made for a dreamy sight. Furthermore, Paina added something of her own. ¡°Tonight¡­ I¡¯m in the mood for this one.¡± Paina also removed her mask before taking out a violin from her spatial pouch. ¡°The piece¡­¡± Paina took a moment to observe Farley¡¯s movement and picked music that fit the theme. ¡°This one.¡± Standing straight with perfect posture, she started a magic with her fingers. Canon in D. The instrument began to sing with the command of the young musician. From the very moment the bow touched the strings, Paina poured her soul into it. Soon, Farley matched her dance with the music. Every movement of the hands, every step of the foot, every turn of the body, was a spell of enchantment. The music, played by a master, created a world of melody just a legendary magic of creation. As the seconds went by, the duo were lost in the art. Farley¡¯s Profound Codex, Moonreacher Chronicle, had a side effect. Sometimes, when the moon was out, the practitioner would be bewitched to dance. They seemed to be able to seek a suitable venue and elegantly dance as if giving an offering to the moon. Should they complete their session, they will make great progress in their cultivation. This was not the first time Farley was moonlight dancing. At first, Paina was focusing on standing guard. The timing was out of Farley¡¯s control after all. However, after that one time where she accompanied Farley¡¯s dance with her music, she had done that ever since. Music and dance go hand in hand. It was a type of dual cultivation. The duet elevated both sides. As a water-sound Pathseeker with a fae body, the musical performance greatly affected Paina. As for Farley, even though she wasn''t a sound Pathseeker, the dance was part of her Profound Codex so it went without saying. Farley wasn''t a dual affinity Pathseeker but after her resurrection, she had the bloodline of the Dewavi Swan, which some called the dragon swan, one of the most beautiful monsters. As the duet continued, fantastic phenomena began to manifest. Above Farley, a hard-to-see feathered dragon, sleek and slender, swam in the air, as if trying to reach the moon. Colorful musical symbols began to appear from the sounds Paina created. They flew and frolicked before fading like fireworks. The spontaneous recital didn''t go unnoticed. Nature spirits and animals such as owls, deers, coyotes, and squirrels gathered around them. Even brutish monsters came, yet their arrival didn''t make a splash. All present were thoroughly captivated. Lacking in intelligence they were but they knew by instinct they witnessed something special. Paina didn''t make her music louder using Arte but the sound inexplicably traveled farther than it should. People from the villages nearby also came. When they saw the beasts and monsters there, they didn''t dare to disturb the peace. The two women, who they thought were celestial maidens, gave them permission to be here so who were they to object? The first people, Pathseekers, arrived just at the tail end of the music. Before they grew disappointed, Paina already began playing the next tune. After roughly one hour of audio and visual treat, Paina and Farley woke up from the spell. They had sweat on their brows and they were tired but there was a feeling of great satisfaction welling up from their breast. ¡°...Hm?¡± Farley was the first to realize they were surrounded by a crowd. They received a standing ovation from the audience. The claps and praises were falling like rain showers. Paina and Farley looked at each other with blank faces for a few seconds and then smiled bashfully at each other. Chapter 369 - Face to Face A young woman set a letter on fire on top of a candle then she went to the balcony with a contemplative look. On the burning letter, the name Solany was written on the lower right. Soon, no evidence remained. So, Marvin is finished¡­ It seems our plans to remove that brutish oaf are no longer required. Her mind was already predicting the trajectory of the Latias Kingdom once the news about Marvin¡¯s situation spread. How Duke Lucan would react and how to chart a path forward in the political turmoil. She said she didn''t know the identity of the attacker. Curious, for something so basic to be obscured from her keen mind¡­ Alas, Marvin sooner or later calamity would fall down upon you. This is the seed you have sown. I have no pity for you, but as we are of the same blood, I¡¯ll offer you a moment of silence. ¡°My Lady,¡± the handmaid''s voice came from the other side of the door along with knocks. ¡°Pardon me. Your guests have arrived.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll be right along.¡± She caressed the black-scaled creature that slept on her bed. It was the size of a cat. The touch woke the creature from its slumber. It let out a sound before curling its tail near its head and going back to sleep. ¡°Sweets dreams, Serena.¡± The woman let the baby dragon sleep in peace. It wasn''t appropriate to keep the guests waiting. She entered the guest room with the highest degree of elegance. Her white dress and alabaster skin were a stark contrast with her long and silky jet-black hair. She received the people in the room with a warm smile. ¡°Valiant heroes, it gladdens my heart that you¡¯ve come to visit.¡± There were five youths in silver armor. One wanted to touch a vase and another tried to stop him. When she entered they stopped in an awkward pose. For most, the opulence of the Latias Palace could be overwhelming. ¡°It is our honor to be invited, Princess,¡± one of them bowed politely. ¡°The honor is mine. And please, there¡¯s no need for such rigidity between us. After all, you are all the heroes that prevented a calamity upon the southern border, my ancestral home. Come, I¡¯ve prepared some tea. I hope it is to your liking.¡± ¡°That sounds lovely.¡± Servants entered bringing tea and snacks on a cart. There were colorful macarons stacked together like a tower and lavish cakes. All of them were superb quality, even capable of improving cultivation. After the guests sat comfortably, the mood became lighter. ¡°Princess-¡± ¡°Please, call me by my name. I wouldn''t dare to use my rank on the illustrious members of the Silver Legion.¡± The woman hesitated for a bit before giving a nod. ¡°Miss Celestine, we thank you for your hospitality.¡± ¡°The pleasure is mine,¡± Celestine said while elegantly sipping her hot tea. ¡°I trust you are well, Miss Freya?¡± *** ¡°Shaa!¡± ¡°H-hey, quit it.¡± ¡°Shaaaa!¡± ¡°Come on, listen to me!¡± A baby dragon was biting a nice curtain, gnawing at it, and wouldn''t let go. It also left many tears and burn marks on the carpet. Croix tried to make his dragon behave but to no avail. This all happened under the winter-like gaze of the one and only Countess of Stormberg no less, Grace Weiss. Croix felt the urge to bite his nails in the tension. All the new things must excite the young dragon, thus its naughty dog-like behavior. Along with the prince, Viers, Boram, and Malika were in the room. Alfred was in the infirmary being looked on by the healers, thanks to the gryphon-riding Knight Captain. Even while the dragon was making a mess of her house, the countess¡¯ face was the same as ever. Her expression was cold and sharp. When her gaze landed on you, it felt like she was about to freeze your soul. Even a soul Pathseeker as good as Viers mistook she was using a soul method. ¡°Falmerion, bad!¡± Croix called. The red dragon had shrunk after the party ran away from Marvin. Croix told Viers it was a temporary gift from the big red dragon on top of the volcano. While Boram was impressed, Viers kept a stoic face. It wasn''t surprising for him. The prince he was backing was successful in his forays. He was a Pathseeker now, with a dragon partner as icing on the cake. The winds of legend were on his back. The greater the prince¡¯s prospect, the greater the potential benefits. There was another reason Viers was happy: the successful capture of a royal meatbag. But nobody needed to know about it. The Countess''s gaze was focused on Croix from the time of her arrival, then finally, on the dragon. Falmerion seemed to feel it and growled while taking a threatening posture, widening its wings and standing upright. Of course, its full height didn''t even reach Viers¡¯ knees. No threat at all. It didn''t have the might that it demonstrated back then. Woman and dragon stared at each other for five seconds. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Then the winged baby hid behind Croix¡¯s legs like a frightened cat. No longer interested in being rowdy and mischievous. Viers and Malika held back their smile. ¡°So, you¡¯re not dead.¡± After some peace and quiet, the countess spoke. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to your well-wishes and aid,¡± Croix gave a nod to the Knight Captain while saying the latter. ¡°Malika acted without my permission and certainly without my well-wishes. Her punishment for acting without orders will come, but now it is about you.¡± Croix gulped his saliva. ¡°You met an ancient dragon. You became a Pathseeker at the Archion Volcano. Your partner was born. You then managed to escape a significantly stronger older brother who intended to kill you. Am I correct?¡± ¡°I did all that only because my friends are with me,¡± Croix replied humbly. ¡°Great job,¡± Grace said curtly. ¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± Croix was elated. He passed the test. With the support of his aunt, the path to the throne will be that much clearer. He would be closer to his goal, a peaceful and prosperous Latias ¡°Impressive. Marvelous. A legendary achievement. One for the history books¡­ Do you think I¡¯ll say such things?¡± Croix shut his mouth. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re worthy of the mantle of king now? Do you feel you have what it takes to rule a kingdom? Keep it together and safeguard it from inside and outside? Do you think having a newborn dragonling will imbue you with kingly qualifications? What do you know about ruling in the first place?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You don''t know. Of course you don''t. Let alone a kingdom, you cannot even rule a village! Similar to that hatchling, you¡¯re just a baby chick!¡± Croix and Boram flinched. Boram was younger than Croix afterall. In front of the countess, all of them were like children scolded by the school principal. The countess threw something at Croix. The prince closed his eyes and braced himself but he felt no pain. He slowly looked forward and saw two things, a sealed letter and a time-worn scroll. ¡°You¡¯ll depart at sunrise tomorrow. If the place is still a bloody ruin in six months, then you better talk your nonsense somewhere else. And if your dragon scratches my carpet again, I¡¯ll turn you and it into a popsicle. You¡¯re dismissed.¡± Grace Weiss turned her back to her nephew before saying the last words. ¡°Y-yes ma¡¯am.¡± Croix was so overwhelmed by the Countess¡¯ intensity he still hadn''t processed what happened. He took the letter and scroll before heading to the exit. Viers and Boram followed after a bow to the blue-haired countess in white. After they left, only Malika and Grace remained. No words were uttered for a while but the Knight Captain wasn''t unnerved. She silently awaited her punishment. ¡°...You flew to their aid against my wishes.¡± ¡°I did it because you wished it, mistress.¡± Malika had served the Countess for a long time. It was Grace who raised her after her parents were gone all those years ago. In her quest for revenge towards the man who took her sister, the Countess froze her heart. Unfortunately, that frozen heart was unable to thaw because the man responsible had died. That hatred spread towards the monarchy, including her sister¡¯s son. To Prince Croix, Malika suspected that the Countess bore him hatred and love both. Although some said the son wasn''t responsible for the sins of the father, the heart could be awfully rigid at times. Malika acted to spare her mistress the pain of regret. It was the least she could do for her benefactor. ¡°...Clean this mess up and all the stables for a week by hand.¡± ¡°Yes, mistress.¡± When she raised her head, the Countess was no longer there. Malika looked at the mess that the baby dragon had made and rolled her sleeves. *** ¡°The Shore¡­¡± Croix read the contents of the letter. ¡°What about the shore?¡± Viers asked. ¡°No, the Shore is a place. A fishing village, I think? This letter is an official document that makes me the viceroy of the Shore.¡± Three people plus one dragon were walking towards the exit of the Countess¡¯ place. At one point Falmerion, a male dragon, according to what Croix told Viers, got tired of walking and flapped his wings before landing on Croix¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Right¡­ It seems the next test after getting to the start line as a Pathseeker is about actually ruling. If I¡¯m reading your aunt right, this won''t be a walk in the park.¡± ¡°I concur¡­¡± Croix was contemplative. ¡°Will a speech be necessary when we get there?¡± ¡°Perhaps. Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ bad with public speaking. Speaking when everyone is looking at you is unnerving. I had an experience I¡¯d rather forget,¡± Croix deflated. ¡°Speaking to your followers seems to be a regular thing for leadership. King included.¡± ¡°I know, I know¡­¡± ¡°Guess you have to get good at it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Six months¡­ I¡¯ll do it. By the time I¡¯m done, she won''t even recognize the place because of how good it is!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit! There¡¯s no training like the real thing,¡± Viers bumped his fist with his palm. ¡°I¡¯ll help too,¡± Boram said. ¡°Thank you, you two. I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± Inwardly, Croix was determined to accept their help at a minimum, if possible. After all, her aunt must be monitoring somehow. If he didn''t do the bulk of the work, how could the result, good or ill, be attributed to him? ¡°Shaa!¡± Falmerion hissed, but not because he understood the conversation. It was just a reaction. ¡°What about the other thing?¡± Viers asked. ¡°I only gave it a cursory glance but it seems to be a technique for training Falmerion. I think it''s pretty amazing. I really have to thank Aunt Grace for this somehow.¡± ¡°I see. Heh.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°No, it''s nothing.¡± Even though the Countess acts like that, it seems she¡¯s quite concerned about her nephew¡¯s well-being. Ahh, a tsundere icelady, how original¡­ How cute. ¡°Hm, she wants us to depart at sunrise tomorrow. I don''t like having to leave Alfred behind but he¡¯s not even conscious¡­ At least I¡¯ll make sure he has all he needs. I¡¯m going to visit the healing ward.¡± ¡°We¡¯re coming with you, Highness.¡± ¡°Uhm!¡± Croix gave a nod. ¡°That reminds me, I think I should change how to address you, Avel.¡± ¡°Hm? Why?¡± In his mind, Viers thought his cover was blown. How? ¡°Well, you might be my vassal but since you''re older than me¡­¡± Oh, it''s about the lower-than-twenty-may-pass thing in Archion. Croix thought Avel might be a hundred years old or something. Calling him with just his name doesn''t feel right. He didn''t feel this way with Alfred. ¡°I think-¡± The prince¡¯s words stopped when the main door of the Countess¡¯ manor opened wide. As always, it was raining at Stormberg. However, Viers saw the rain come to a standstill. Just like Croix and Boram. Even the guards were stopped. There was even a bolt of lightning in the clouds that was frozen in time. Everything was still, except Viers. The opened door showed the visage of Grace Weiss, standing as intimidating and as elegantly a noble lady should. There was no doubting the cause of this strange phenomenon. And she froze everyone and everything except for Viers. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Chapter 370 - Failsafe Was Viers afraid of the Level 5? Damn right he was. Should he not be? Be that as it may, he couldn''t say that outright. A more measured response was necessary. ¡°I believe caution must be taken when dealing with someone capable of killing you with ease.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Grace wasn''t taller than Viers but the way she looked at him made the impression that she was looking down on him. ¡°Sounds like the reply of a man afraid of getting punished for his wrongdoings. You must have a lot of skeletons hidden in your closet.¡± Well, you aren''t wrong. How should I respond here? Dia was still resting after exerting herself. Meanwhile, Clarissa in his mind space was alert. However, Faiya no longer had the Twilight Fire. The fire elemental had already consumed the remaining third to improve himself. That meant no Xiuhcoatl mode for Clarissa, the form she took when he battled the Grandmaster of the Dumuzin cult. Right now, Viers had no ace in the hole for contending with a Level 5 should it come to blows. There was the Divine Weapon, but while he might be able to inflict a wound by surprise attack, his death wasn''t avoidable. ¡°An astute observation, countess.¡± ¡°Flattery is meaningless, Avel of Javia, the Slayer¡­ What a laughable title you have during your adventuring days. A mere Level 3.¡± ¡°I did not give myself the title, but yes, some people have called me that in the past,¡± Viers replied. Hearing it again after so long, it felt a little cringe indeed. Viers realized the countess had searched for his roots. He knew it would come out sooner or later since he used the same name and face. The reason he left his identity behind in the first place was because of the hunt for Tanael after the Book World incident. Tanael had committed some bad things and murdered quite a few people with big backings so they searched for him. To get away from it all, Viers went to Valkut, proceeding with his ¡®main quest¡¯. After the girls¡¯ encounter with Georgi, Viers suspected the cult leader managed to soul search them and find out about his past. The ¡®Avel¡¯ identity was compromised and he should have discarded it entirely. And yet, after talking with that cult''s big bad demon god that possessed Farley, he said the cult would leave him alone. After coming to Latias he used the Avel alt account to test if the statement was true. And if he got embroiled in something unpleasant he could easily discard the identity that was already scheduled for disposal. However, he unexpectedly met Prince Croix. Since then he kinda rolled with it. Managing fake identities was sort of a pain in the ass. ¡°There was quite a commotion in the area back then because of a powerful being¡¯s Pathseeker trial, which you and your slave were involved in, according to the report. Afterward, you were lost in the sea after the ship you boarded sank. Missing, presumed dead. In truth, you both survived and came to Latias.¡± Viers got flashbacks about his time in Regidana listening to the countess¡¯ narration. He often thought of the Book World but less so about where it took place, Regidana. He wondered how were the Governor-King¡¯s son with the Harry Potter vibe, Irene and those gang of adventurers¡­ Also, didn''t he sort of own a trading company there? ¡°Going back further into the past, there was Marakkus where you bought the little giant, another incident there¡­ then nothing. No trace of you whatsoever. Not a single person knows of you. Easy to say that Avel is not your real name.¡± The countess must be utilizing a lot of manpower and resources to dig all of those up. On foreign soil no less. Viers was kinda impressed. He thought only the Church would go that far and that was for Tanael, not some minor adventurer who was a mere Level 2 at the time. The question was why. Why did she do all that? ¡°Correct again, Countess Weiss,¡± Viers replied. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± The icelady¡¯s objective was to talk, not to fight. Otherwise, there was no need to deliberately set up this stage and the show of power. By the way, Viers surmised Grace wasn¡¯t stopping time. Stopping the entire world¡¯s time would be too OP, even for a Level 5. Only the area around them had ceased all activities. The term freezing might be more apt. Viers gleaned a bit of the truth because of his affinity with water and superb sense. Of course, it wasn''t like Viers could do anything about it. The power difference was too vast. An unpleasant feeling of powerlessness came again, something he had tasted many times, but he wasn''t going to lie down and do nothing about it. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°You are trying to use my nephew.¡± Ah, so that¡¯s the crux of her concern, Viers realized. ¡°Indeed. Since this displeases you, I shall cease such intent entirely.¡± Grace struck out. Her palm made contact with Viers¡¯ chest. He didn''t even realize he was hit until a cold sensation spread to his entire body. Viers gasped. He put his hand to the wall because his legs were wobbly. There was a blue sigil on his chest before it flickered out from sight. ¡°Feel free to embroil my nephew in your plots. If he cannot control someone like you, he has no business being king. However, if you harm my nephew¡­ Am I clear?¡± Viers had a hand clenching his chest. There was no damage to him. ¡°...Crystal.¡± When he blinked, the countess was no longer in front of him and the still world returned to normal. ¡°-Master Avel if you¡¯re okay with it. At least in private. You might agree to be my vassal, but you¡¯re older and stronger than me. Boram also calls you that. Since you agreed to teach me then¡­ What''s wrong?¡± To Croix, nothing was out of the ordinary. ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± Viers tried to act normal. ¡°More importantly, let¡¯s visit Alfred. I¡¯m worried.¡± Viers speed-walked out of the countess¡¯ manor. Croix was happy Avel cared so much about Alfred and Boram simply followed where his master went. As for Viers himself- Fuck, that was scary¡­ Alright, tsundere icelady is not cute at all. *** Such a strong soul. Grace thought to herself while watching her nephew¡¯s party leave the premises. Malika¡¯s report said that Avel was a water-lightning Pathseeker but when he was in front of her, she didn''t sense a trace of lightning attunement in the slightest. Water, yes, and something else. Only after she made direct contact she could sense the depth of soul foundation Avel possessed. Even her own fell short in comparison. A Soul Pathseeker. Grace was certain of it. To be able to conceal something so humongous was a testament of his ability. Grace reevaluated her estimation of the boy. So, he¡¯s Tanael, the one that throws the Coalition into such chaos right now. With all the facts arrayed in front of her, connecting the dots simply took common sense. Croix, you have brought quite a monster under your wing. It appears the warning is necessary after all. The Countess of Stormberg turned around. Her footsteps echoed in the manor. *** After visiting Alfred, Viers went back to the house that Iz prepared. The knight was still unconscious so they didn''t stay long. Viers pointed Boram to accompany the prince as they bought supplies for tommorows¡¯ trip. Normally he would go with them but a full-body checkup was what he prioritized right now. ¡°It is a bomb,¡± Clarissa gave it to him straight. The two were in the White Flowers Meadow, screens of Viers¡¯ status floating around him. One of them depicted the blue sigil from earlier. It was now magically embedded on his body even though it was invisible. ¡°The trigger seems to be if you¡¯re trying to harm the young prince.¡± Viers agreed with Clarissa¡¯s analysis. Other than that, there was no anomaly in his body. At least she doesn''t harm me so there¡¯s that¡­ All things considered, perhaps this is the best result. God, dealing with super people is annoying. Even though she wouldn''t admit it, Grace¡¯s actions certainly indicated she cared for Croix. She gave Viers a stern warning and a bomb so he wouldn''t even try to harm the prince. He understood her view. If he was in her shoes, he might even have done something more drastic. He understood but it didn''t mean he liked it. ¡°It is very complex,¡± Clarissa said about the sigil. Like a doctor explaining the illness to the patient. ¡°It might even activate if you try to harm him indirectly. Ice isn''t my forte and I don''t dare to probe it further.¡± ¡°Removal?¡± Viers asked about the most important thing. ¡°Nothing feasible at the moment.¡± Not what he wished to hear but he was already prepared for the negative answer. ¡°Manual remote detonation?¡± It would be bad if the countess could initiate detonation at will. ¡°I can''t be sure but it is likely possible. The countess isn''t a green Level 5. We can try to isolate the sigil from her accessing it, at least. The bomb is still functional though.¡± ¡°Duration?¡± ¡°Will last for a couple of years at least. Possibly even decades.¡± Viers leaned back on a chair, sinking down significantly as he looked up to the starry night sky. ¡°Level 3 peak that just defeats a Level 4¡­ Still so insignificant.¡± Viers let the frustrations circle in his system for five seconds before ejecting it. ¡°I don''t have designs to harm Croix in the first place, after getting his brother, at least. In fact, I want him to thrive. This bomb simply kicked me in the butt and told me to not get funny ideas. Well, I can live with that. Worrying around won''t help at this stage so walk forward we go. As ever.¡± Needless to say, Grace Weiss¡¯ favorability rating in Viers'' mind plummeted, but other than that there was not much he could do at the moment. The lamia fell silent and the mood was dark. ¡°What¡¯s with the gloom? This isn''t your fault,¡± Viers poked her in the forehead. ¡°But-¡± ¡°This is a time for celebration, y¡¯know? For your recovery.¡± Two figures appeared with a flash of light in the meadows. ¡°Rissa~!¡± Paina tackled Clarissa as soon as she saw her. ¡°Good morning, Clarissa. I¡¯m happy seeing you up and about,¡± Farley greeted the lamia with a smile. Her eyes were a bit misty. The two of them had changed a bit, but such a thing didn''t bother Clarissa. ¡°Everyone,¡± Clarissa hugged Paina back. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Chapter 371 - Back to Shore Awww, so adorable¡­ How can they be so cute? The mushroom people were cute. Gwen peeked through the window to the kitchen where the Pukupukus were doing tons of cooking. She had to stand on top of a wooden box and tip-toe to see. When the master visited, they cooked much more food than usual. Pudgy body and limbs, the way they were up and about, and even the way they communicated with sounds and body language was charming. It could be hard to distinguish one Pukupuku from the next, especially those with the same color on their caps, however, Gwen had observed them long enough to discern specific individuals. Their role in Dia¡¯s Biome, or Viridis as her master-slash-kin named it, was of a worker. Cleaning, cooking, and tending to the garden and livestock, the Pukupukus did the bulk of the work. They never complained, even looking happy doing the most tedious of jobs. ¡°Eeeek!?¡± Gwen was startled by something touching her leg. When she looked down, there was a Pukupuku with a tall red cap there. It poked her with its roundy limbs. It pointed at her and tilted its head. Its round eyes were full of curiosity. ¡°What am I doing? I¡¯m watching the rest of you cook. Sorry. Was I intruding?¡± How unbefitting of a lady, Gwen thought. The Pukupuku shook its body and placed its hand on its mouth. ¡°Why? It¡¯s just¡­ kind of interesting?¡± It did a twirl. It looked happy. It pointed at her and made a gesture of cutting and moving the frying pan, then it gave a quizzical face again at Gwen. ¡°Do I know how to cook? Well, no.¡± As Farley¡¯s sister, Gwen was from a somewhat well-off family. The Styra family got its wealth by doing cult activities. She never lacked anything. Every meal she had was prepared and served to her by servants. Not to mention she was only ten, so how could she cook? The Pukupuku shook its head, because it didn''t possess a neck, its body also moved. It beckoned her to the kitchen using its hand. ¡°Oh, umm¡­¡± Gwen racked her brain trying to interpret. ¡°Do I want to cook?¡± It jumped happily in place. Glad it was understood. ¡°But, I don''t know how.¡± It patted its body multiple times. Trying to push its chest up. ¡°You¡¯ll teach me? Aw¡­ How kind of you.¡± As an ex-cultist, the outside world was quite dangerous, or so her sister often said. Gwen used to think most of the people in the world were heretics who worshiped false gods. To have everything you know turned upside down could be confusing. Now it was only her and her sister left. Sis Farley was doing her damnedest to take care of her. Gwen wanted to do something for her too, but she couldn''t do much. If I make something tasty, would Sis be happy? ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m a bit scared by the fire. Unlike Sis, I can''t create water by swinging my hand,¡± Gwen slouched slightly. The Pukupuku gave her an assurance. It would protect her. ¡°Ehehehe. Okay. I¡¯ll be counting on you. I want to give a tasty meal to my sis when she gets back. Please teach me.¡± It took her hand and led her to the kitchen. After a short explanation to the other Pukupukus, they gave her a jovial welcome. Gwen was a bit embarrassed. ¡°Okay then, what should I do?¡± Gwen asked after wearing an apron it gave her and washing her hands. The Pukupuku that took it upon itself to teach her was trying to look as dignified as possible, which only made it all the cuter, like a puppy trying to be big. It cut a piece of bean curd into nice, even little cubes expertly. Then it gestured to Gwen do the same. Gwen noticed the knife it gave her was made of wood and dull. ¡°Okay then, here goes¡­¡± Outside the kitchen, Viers was watching while eating a taco. He hid his presence to not interrupt. Not only him, the girls trio were with him also. Paina and Clarissa gave Farley, who held back a tear, a shoulder. All right girls, vamoose. Back later for reunion, Viers used telepathy. When they praised the mapo tofu they ate that night, Gwen¡¯s face was downright beaming. *** Viers'' schedule was tight. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. He wanted to hang out longer with the girls but he had to do his job as a vassal and accompany Croix so he only had one night to eat as much as he could to refill the vitality he lost against Marvin. Victa-wise, Viers was still fine even though he spent a massive amount fighting a Level 4. Part of it was because he¡¯d utilized Futon¡¯s power and the other was because of his previous energy breakthrough, the soul-to-energy transformation, Soul Energon Arte. The three Sisterhood of Traveling Soul and the three starting pok¨¦mon deserved some time off, so only Viers and Boram went to the Shore with Croix and his baby dragon. Paina and Farley had an eventful journey. They brought many souvenirs. There were notable mentions among them. Dia got four stalks of Singing Flowers, Faiya received the Yellow Embers from the Cave of Fire, and Futon received a barrel of Salty-Sweet Vapor. As for Marvin, he was already delivered to the one who pre-ordered him, Izabella of the Blood Church. The Vice-Vicar was jubilant. She immediately made arrangements with her higher-ups. In return, Viers got a lot of fees from her in many forms such as cultivation resources and information. She also told him to wait favorably for the Blood Seraph Arte¡¯s matter. There was one conundrum however. When she inspected the prince, she found that many of his memories were missing. It was the result of Viers messing with Marvin¡¯s soul. Iz naturally complained about the state of the goods. As long as it benefited him, Viers got no issue with murder or selling people. He left his morals at home before embarking on a cultivation journey. ¡°Hey, the deal is for a living Latias royal family and you got a living Latias royal family.¡± Someone as important as Marvin had a ton of juicy information inside his head that other parties could use. Those were missing from the prince. ¡°On a separate note, I got some lucrative info about this and that from the prince¡¯s head. Would you like to make a purchase?¡± Viers made the universal gesture of money. Iz made an expression that resembled her having eaten a sour lemon. Viers picked his battles well. He fought someone that could bring him more wealth than he spent. Cultivation was a matter of managing one¡¯s resources afterall. ¡°Oh, but it might be too expensive for you, Vice-Vicar,¡± Viers emphasized while saying the rank. He knew Iz emptied most of her purse buying the prince from him. ¡°Feel free to pass it up the ladder.¡± Izabella¡¯s expression got worse. *** It took a day of travel by a carriage for Croix¡¯s group to reach the Shore from Stormberg. Pathseekers could arrive quicker than that but they would use precious Victa so they usually wouldn''t unless they had a good reason to. The road only reached halfway, the rest of the trip could barely be called an animal trail. The Shore was a wreck. Viers wasn''t expecting much to begin with so he wasn''t surprised, unlike Croix. Incidentally, Boram was used to looking at poverty because of his background as a slave so he wasn''t surprised too. The Shore was a village that stood by the Glattis Sea. It seemed to be on the large side of a village. Hard to gauge now because there wasn''t a hut that was properly standing. Something destroyed the village very recently. The group¡¯s arrival was noticed by the haggard people who Viers assumed were the villagers of the Shore. ¡°Hail,¡± Croix greeted two men who were closest. They were shifting through the rubble. ¡°We came from Stormberg under orders from the countess. May I see the chief of this place?¡± The two men looked at each other and pushed one another to speak. Then the braver one finally spoke before risking the ire of someone they should not offend, he assumed. ¡°C-certainly, milords,¡± the Idler seemed very subservient to the younger Croix, very normal behavior. ¡°I would love to bring the chief but¡­ I¡¯m afraid you must be the one that goes to him. Hiiii! Forgive me!¡± The man seemed afraid he would be struck or even killed by saying such things. Croix didn''t understand but Viers and Boram did. Viers had lost count reading about Arrogant Young Masters who killed those they deemed lesser for the slightest inconvenience. There was a faint voice from the back of his head that said: aren''t you kinda the same? Viers thought about it in a few seconds and replied that he mostly killed for good reason. Mostly. Meanwhile, Croix was led by the fear stricken man through the destroyed village. Viers and Boram followed. As they waded through the destruction, eyes were on him. Not only because of their outlook that signified they were Pathseekers but also the presence of a small dragon that latched on Croix¡¯s shoulder. The dragon eyed his surroundings with interest. Hushed whispers were among the villagers. Someone of royal blood had come to their village! The dragon was a dead giveaway. In Latias, it was commonly known that only the royal family commanded the mighty dragons. The statement wasn''t accurate but it didn''t matter to the ordinary folk. They watched Croix with fear and reverence. There was also hope. The party came to a makeshift shelter. The three entered after dismounting. They met the village chief there, an old bedridden man who looked as frail as a twig. He was not alone. There were other wounded under the same roof. ¡°Welcome, dear guests,¡± the man said between coughs. ¡°Please forgive this old man who cannot give you the simple courtesy of saying so on his feet.¡± The chief was already old and he was wounded. Both his feet were broken and his spine also had problems, Viers diagnosed so using his X-ray vision. ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± Croix replied softly. ¡°Can you tell us what happened here?¡± The chief told his tale, about the gods throwing stones to the sea and a tidal wave swept their village afterward two days ago at dawn. The real village chief, a Level 2 Pathseeker, perished to give the villagers a chance of survival during the calamity. Thanks to that, some ninety of them survived from a population of two hundred. After his son¡¯s demise, the title of chief went back to the old man. ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯m very sorry for your loss,¡± Croix dipped his head. Viers and Boram also expressed their sympathy. That meant the incident only happened a few hours prior to the return of Croix from Archion Volcano. She acted swiftly. The gods throwing stones? Ah, meteors? Land on the sea said he? I¡¯ve got to check it out! Viers made plans to foray into the sea. ¡°Rest assured, chief. The countess is not deaf to her subject''s plight. I¡¯ve come under her order to act as viceroy and bring prosperity to the Shore. I came to help and I shall. I promise you.¡± ¡°Ohhh,¡± the chief felt such a relief in his chest. His lips quivered. ¡°Truly? Praise be to Estelle the Radiant Lady. Praise you, young man!¡± Cheers also came from the people eavesdropping from the outside. The people had lost much, some lost everything. Croix¡¯s arrival was like a rain after drought. I''m from the government and I''m here to help, hm? ¡­Well, Croix, it¡¯s going to be hard work from now on. Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley, etc. Viers had played enough of them to know for sure it was hard work. Still, it could be fun. Chapter 372 - A Question About Prosperity Unlike Stormberg where it rains perpetually, the weather at the Shore was mild. Nevertheless, people couldn''t go on without protection from the elements. The first thing was clearing the rubble. Out of ninety surviving villagers, A third were the infirm or the injured, another third were children, and the last third were the able-bodied. The second and third groups assisted in the work. Even though Viers and the other two were Pathseekers, many hands make light work. They brought supplies and medicine since they expected it. Something the villagers sorely need. Some of the injured got through the worst though not as many as Croix would like. The food would last for two or three days then it would need to be replenished. Drinking water was not an issue at least. There was a usable stream nearby. Viers could open his coffers or Biome to sustain them indefinitely but he did not do so. This was Croix¡¯s problem to solve. Plus, it was too much work. Then Boram began making mud houses and the like as shelter. The earth was ever the source of material. As an earth Pathseeker, he could build a house at a rate unmatched by common folk. While his disciple spearheaded the reconstruction project and Croix had the inevitable task of organizing the village after its destruction, Viers was simply just killing monsters in the area and hunting wild game. There were less than five Pathseekers among the villagers, with just two people Level 1 and the rest were Level 0. While magical monster meat could bring benefits for Pathseekers, ordinary people couldn''t consume too much or it would cause harm. The rabbits and deer were necessary. No strong monsters in the area but dangerous for them either way. He had always been the leader, and the burden of leadership was heavy at times. As Croix¡¯s vassal, the burden was passed on to Croix. This freed his brainpower to plot insidiously, not at Croix though, bomb in his body or not. With their arrival, the village would survive for another day. Now they had to make the village self-sufficient. *** Croix was looking at the sun setting on the sea when Viers found him. ¡°Enjoying the sights, Highness?¡± ¡°Ah, Master Avel. You¡¯ve returned. The hunt went well, I trust?¡± Croix was so busy that only now, on the second day after their coming to the Shore, did they have the chance to converse. ¡°You really going to call me that?¡± Viers smiled in amusement. ¡°I don''t mind being addressed with just the name.¡± Might be a fake name, but still. ¡°Allow me my selfishness then,¡± Croix also smiled. The sound of the village women preparing dinner could be heard from behind them and they spied the baby dragon nearby. Falmerion was chasing the waves as they receded and retreated back when the water came back. Then he spied a crab and tried to catch it but the crab managed to burrow into the sand in time. The hatchling would grow into a fearsome dragon in time, but he was still a baby. ¡°I hope you have enough rest. Even Pathseekers need to eat and sleep.¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking a break right now,¡± Croix extended his hand to the sea. ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing the sea, to be honest. Just taking in the sights.¡± Viers accompanied the young prince in silence as they gazed into the glistening waters. Young prince, Viers thought. He didn''t think he was old, and his body was only a couple of months away from eighteen. And yet, he couldn''t think of the prince as anything but a kid. Older than Boram, but still a kid. ¡°...I¡¯ve talked to the chief. The Shore¡¯s livelihood was fishing from the sea. Their boats were wrecked so they could not sail. They also cultivated seaweed before the tide. The surplus, not much they admit, was traded at the nearby town. Both need to be relaunched if the village wants to stand on its own feet.¡± Viers responded with a hum. Inwardly, he calculated a single Rank 3 monster core¡¯s worth. It should be able to feed the entire village for a month, something he was able to do with relative ease. The earning power between Pathseekers and Idlers was very different. ¡°To put things the way they were, it wouldn''t take six months.¡± ¡°Seems so.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not what Aunt Grace wants to see, is it? She wants to see what kind of place I can build in six months.¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°And what kind of place do you wish this place to be?¡± Viers asked. ¡°A thriving place, where the people are happy and plentiful. It is my vision for Latias as a whole¡­ Now that I think about it, this place has parallels with the country¡¯s problems. I¡¯ve got to do this.¡± Croix had this youthful determined gaze as he looked to the far-off horizon. ¡°The word you¡¯re looking for is prosperity, Highness.¡± ¡°Prosperity. Yes, that sounds about right. Ashamedly, though I know the name of the destination, I know not how to get there,¡± Croix faced Viers. ¡°Can you teach me?¡± ¡°This is the countess¡¯ test for you so I cannot hold your hand in this assignment. Do understand this, Highness. With that said, what is prosperity, in your own mind?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Wealth?¡± Croix took a moment to answer. ¡°Prosperity is far more than wealth. It¡¯s the people¡¯s opportunity, success, well-being, security, and others. All these interlocking things must be rooted in a fundamentally strong society and nurtured by a proper government. The pinnacle of this idea is a place called utopia, a society where everything is perfect. Tell me, have you heard of any utopia in Latias or abroad?¡± ¡°I don''t think I have, no.¡± ¡°Indeed. Every ruler that lived has chased utopia and toiled to build it. How close they managed to get differs but it is always out of reach. The best you can do is to get as close to it as possible.¡± Croix felt profoundness from Viers¡¯ solemn talk. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Why can''t utopia be realized?¡± Croix asked with intense curiosity. ¡°Because we are people, Highness. Because people are flawed beings.¡± The face of the fifteen-year-old boy showed that he was confused. ¡°This you will slowly realize as you live through life. We have strayed into the philosophical and it is too complex, back to prosperity. Before you can run, learn to walk. Before bringing prosperity to a whole kingdom, do so to one small village first, Countess Grace is wise.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Let me give you a hint: think about what these people need. It starts from there.¡± Croix took his time coming up with his answer and Viers waited patiently. His mind wandered to the sea. He wanted to investigate the meteors that caused the tide that swept through the village but he had his duties as Croix¡¯s vassal. He had to go soon. The longer he waited, the less probability he found something useful. Some fishman might abscond with his prize. ¡°Food¡­ Safety¡­ And wealth. These three. Before the tidal wave they already had enough for themselves. First we help them regain it¡­ And then expand it!¡± Croix spoke each word with more zeal than the last. ¡°Not a bad answer. You¡¯ve arrived at the starting line. May your journey prove fruitful.¡± ¡°Thank you for your lesson, Master.¡± The word Master came more naturally from Croix. ¡°Hm,¡± Viers gave a sagely nod. He felt a sense of accomplishment after playing the part of a wise mentor. His Horizon went up too. He did this many times with Boram but since Croix was a different person, the newness increased his Horizon. ¡°Master, Prince Croix, the aunties said the food is ready.¡± Boram approached from behind. ¡°Thank you, Boram. Shall we?¡± Croix said. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s-¡± Viers paused his words and jerked his head to the sky. The two boys were confused. ¡°Run!¡± Viers screamed. He already grabbed both of their hands. The pressure from the sky fell on them before they could, locking them into place. ¡°Wh-what is this!?¡± Croix panicked. ¡°Grrrrrh! Mas¡­ter¡­¡± Boram struggled to move. ¡°This feeling¡­¡± Viers gritted his teeth. A Level 5! There was a streak of light in the sky like a shooting star, swiftly approaching, but the bright object was not a celestial body passing through at a faraway distance. When the glow dimmed, there was a handsome brown-haired youth floating fifty meters away above them. He wore a gray-furred cloak. ¡°Croix Ash Latias, where is my daughter and her fiance? Answer in three seconds.¡± The pressure of his attention was insane. It was like a material force. Duke Lucan came in person, and he was pissed. Viers crushed a seed inside the pocket the moment he sensed the approaching danger. His hand was gripping a second seed, ready to crush it at a moment¡¯s notice. Meanwhile, Croix who bore the full brunt of the duke¡¯s hostility was like a deer caught in headlights. He was consumed by an overwhelming sense of fear that he was paralyzed. Just like that three seconds passed. ¡°Fine then. I don''t need you talking,¡± Duke Lucan closed his eyes, and reopened them with a more sharp gaze. ¡°But you¡¯ll tell me what you know!¡± ¡°How brazen!¡± A wave of cold blanketed the area. No sooner than the voice carried with magic was heard, a woman in white dress appeared in the sky facing the Level 5 intruder. On her back, a raging blizzard. The appearance of his aunt spared Croix from whatever fate the duke planned for him. His fear also got erased somewhat. ¡°Countess Weiss,¡± the youth who looked like he was twenty, acknowledged his Level 5 peer. ¡°Duke Lucan,¡± Grace Weiss reciprocated with the same speck of civility. The two Level 5 maintained their youthful appearance, a common trait in the Fables Viers was familiar with. However, they were like two forces of nature poised to clash. Behind Grace was a blizzard, on the other hand, behind the duke was a nebula. A Star Pathseeker. Viers had a passing meeting with one in the past, Paina¡¯s little brother, in the Tower of Doom. Although, he never had the chance to directly exchange techniques with him. Compared to him, Duke Lucan was a whole lot stronger as if he was of a different dimension. ¡°Do not interrupt me, countess. I have a crucial matter to take care of.¡± ¡°You have no authority here and don''t presume as such. Especially not in front of me. I will not tolerate a wolf invading my domain as he pleases.¡± ¡°My patience runs thin,¡± Duke Lucan¡¯s Victa blared more intensely. ¡°Your patience is paper-thin at best. What does it matter to me?¡± ¡°My precious daughter and her fiance are missing!¡± Duke Lucan shot a glare at Croix. The prince felt as if he was stabbed with an invisible sword. ¡°I¡¯ll know what happened to them!¡± Chapter 373 - How It Should Have Ended Hearing what the Duke said about the disappearance, Grace slightly raised her eyebrow. ¡°My nephew¡¯s scuffle with the other prince and your progeny is known to me, from my subordinate''s report and his own words. After a kid¡¯s fight, they escaped. The obvious course, since his opponent is much stronger. What makes you think he is the cause of their missing status?¡± ¡°Covering your tracks after acting maliciously is nothing new,¡± the duke scoffed with disdain. ¡°As the last person who made contact with them, Prince Croix falls under suspicion. There were signs of a great battle. The protection I left on Prince Marvin was smothered without being able to send word back to me. Traces of a Divine Weapon used were on site. All the servants they took with them were all killed. The culprit is very thorough¡­¡± The duke cast a hostile glance at the countess. ¡°It cannot be done without powerhouse or forces with a significant backing.¡± ¡°You imply I laid a hand on your wards? I do not take kindly to insults.¡± The blizzard surrounding the countess grew. ¡°Hmph,¡± the duke set his eye on Croix and the hissing baby dragon beside him once more. ¡°A simple look upon his memories shall suffice. Out of consideration for you, I won''t harm him if he¡¯s innocent. I will find out what happened, one way or another. Stand down, or be made to.¡± The duke slowly floated closer to Croix who took a step back unconsciously. A flower of ice, big enough for a person to step on it, congealed under the countess¡¯ feet. Furthermore, her Victa rose to an incredible degree. With her at the center, the ocean water began to freeze, tens of meters and spreading still. ¡°You forget your place, woman. Those who disrespect House Lucan will regret it. Always.¡± Duke Lucan similarly readied himself for battle. A spectral giant wolf¡¯s head was forming behind him. The wolf¡¯s eyes were like malicious burning suns. The ocean waters were pushed away from him by some invisible force. Two Level 5s were flexing their power at such close proximity. Even Level 3 Pathseekers such as Viers and Boram wouldn''t survive the after-effects of their Artes. Croix as a newly minted Level 0 Pathseeker was just barely able to maintain consciousness. The normal villagers had already fainted from the Victa pressure long ago. This was a disaster far worse than the tidal wave they painstakingly survived a few days ago. Viers tried to gauge their strengths, to glimpse which was stronger, but it was futile. It was like trying to look at the top of two skyscrapers that reached the clouds from ground level. Only two Levels away, but still such a difference in power. At later stages of the cultivation realm, the difference of a single realm would be more pronounced. Viers had readied himself for the expected result so he wasn''t disappointed or shaken. Not that he had the leisure of thinking about such things in the face of a crisis anyway. He, Boram, and Croix were like wet paper before a storm. The slightest wind and they would be torn apart. Even if the countess were to protect them, would they come out unscathed? ¡°I am willing! I submit to Duke Lucan¡¯s soul search!¡± Such thoughts were not exclusive to Viers. Croix thought of the same and he shouted his words at the two Level 5 in fear that the raging storm of intent between them drowned out his voice. Starting from Level 4, Pathseeker began to cultivate their soul and one didn''t need to have soul affinity for this. This allowed them to place soul marks on their sons and daughters as a deterrent to those who wished to do them harm. Naturally, Level 5 had greater powers, something like a soul search was not impossible for them. No one liked their mind and soul to be read by someone else. It was humiliating and unethical both. In the Pathseeker world, to soul search or mind read another was no different than an insult of the highest degree. Deadly retribution as a result was the norm. ¡°Croix, you-¡± ¡°Duke Lucan¡¯s actions are caused by his concern for his family,¡± Croix interrupted his aunt. ¡°Regrettably, I do not know anything that might help the duke to find them nor did I do them harm. I am innocent and have nothing to hide. If the duke isn''t convinced, he may directly look into my soul. All will be made clear!¡± Croix tried to de-escalate the situation and prevent a full-blown war. Not only would it cause widespread destruction, but there was a chance that one of them might die, and if that his aunt¡­ Even should his aunt win, she might get permanently injured or something along those lines. ¡°You¡¯ve made a wise decision, Prince Croix,¡± the duke sounded slightly mellowed. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°If your intrusion harms my nephew, then I¡¯ll nail your frozen corpse to the walls of your own manor,¡± Grace replied coldly. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Fuh, empty threats. If the boy does not resist, there will be no problems.¡± Soul search could be dangerous and leave lasting harm to the recipient. Viers was a Pathseeker with soul 5 affinity and he performed soul search every day; he could be called a soul search specialist. Soul searching someone weaker than him without doing any harm was easy for him. Duke Lucan on the other hand was clearly not a soul Pathseeker. Grace watched the duke like a hawk as he soul searched Croix. He did it with an additional tool, a lantern. With his hand on Croix¡¯s forehead and the lantern in another, he began. Scenes appeared on the lantern¡¯s glass like a movie from Croix¡¯s perspective. Grace also could see them. The duke swiftly went to the relevant part, Croix¡¯s trip to the Archion Volcano. Of their scuffle with Marvin, Croix and Boram¡¯s struggle to the top, his meeting with the red dragon, the test and the dragon¡¯s reluctant approval, the hatching of Falmerion, and how Croix escaped with the temporarily big Falmerion with his vassals. Prince Marvin and Solany Lucan were clearly still alive by the time Croix¡¯s left. Seeing that, the duke frowned. He continued witnessing the events that followed in fast-forward, trying to find clues. There were none and soon, he caught up to the latest event at the Shore. ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± The countess asked. The duke grumphed and flew off without a single word but Grace stopped him. ¡°Is the head of House Lucan that shameless towards the younger generation? I wonder what others would think?¡± That made the duke stop in his tracks and throw a sword with a red gem on its pommel at Croix. The sword was sheathed and stopped in front of the prince. ¡°House Lucan thanks Prince Croix for his cooperation.¡± The young-looking duke disappeared like a shooting star. ¡°...Is that it? By the Goddess, we survived.¡± With Duke Lucan gone, the tension left Croix¡¯s body all at once. Similarly, Viers and Boram let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Not even an apology. Hmph. He will be nursing his injured ego for years to come.¡± Grace flew towards them. No longer the blue-haired lady emitting cold and frost all around her. She grabbed the sword and unsheathed it partway. After being seemingly satisfied with her investigation, she passed it to Croix. ¡°Should make a satisfactory hearth poker.¡± Croix thought the sword was way, way more than that but he didn''t refute his aunt. Her business here was over. Grace was also about to fly back to Stormberg. ¡°I¡¯m truly grateful for you coming to save me, Aunt Grace,¡± Croix humbly said. ¡°I simply safeguard my territory from invaders. I didn''t do it for you,¡± Grace said aloofly. ¡°Hurry and aid the villagers.¡± ¡°Naturally. I¡¯ll never forget your kindness.¡± Grace left without another word. Croix watched her disappear into the storm surrounding Stormberg. ¡°Do all Level 5 speak in a limited manner, or just them?¡± Viers stood beside Croix, watching in the same direction. ¡°I hope not,¡± Croix smiled. Falmerion let out a shriek near his feet. ¡°Looks like they got you startled too, huh? It¡¯s okay now buddy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check how the villagers are doing.¡± ¡°Ah. Please do.¡± ¡°Let me help with that,¡± Viers said. Master and disciple walked back together while the young prince was arranging his thoughts. Like the duke said, there was no harm done to him. ¡°Level 5¡­ So frightening,¡± Boram murmured. ¡°...Yeah.¡± But why was Master smirking? Did something good happen? *** A little while ago. ¡°Vice-Vicar Izabella, how much longer do we have to wait!?¡± A man said with a heated temper. ¡°Soon,¡± Izabella calmly responded. ¡°You gathered us here, without saying what the mission was, and we just waited. Where¡¯s the profit you promised us!?¡± Izabella saw that although only one person voiced his dissent, the others also bore the same sentiment in their eyes. Although her direct subordinates put more stock in her words, most of the people here were not her minions and only came for the profits. ¡°If you don''t believe me, why do you come?¡± ¡°I-¡± The man was lost for words. ¡°Soon I say. Do something productive like meditation while you wait.¡± Izabella gathered her fellow Blood Church for a confidential mission. She pulled favors and gave promises to gather the necessary manpower. What an irritable bunch. It had just only been a few days and- ¡°Target sighted. I repeat, target sighted. Plan Alpha is a go. Bats, move out.¡± Her communicator relayed the words that she longed to hear. ¡°This is it!¡± Izabella rose on her feet. ¡°All troops, move out!¡± The enchanted veil was pulled down, revealing Izabella and another twenty cultists. There were another four groups lying in wait. All of the cultists were raging for some action so they were very eager after having to lay in wait uncomfortably in camouflage. ¡°...Eh? Wait this is-!¡± One of the cultists hesitated after finding the place familiar. When she saw the flag on one of the roofs, her worry was confirmed. ¡°Vice-Vicar Izabella, are you crazy? Attacking the Lucan Duchy? I don''t care if you have a death wish but I don''t!¡± ¡°The Duke isn''t here!¡± Izabella replied confidently. ¡°Now you want wealth or not? Attack!¡± *** Somewhere else in the Lucan Duchy, Ars¨¨ne, with the face of Prince Marvin, arrived from a Biome¡¯s portal. *** Imagining the events that were supposed to be unfolding, Viers made Light Yagami¡¯s smile after he successfully outwitted L. Just according to Keikaku. Chapter 374 - Everything on the Menu Please After killing an Arrogant Young Master, the backer of said young master would come out to seek revenge on the MC, usually in the form of a big brother, father, grandfather, or ancestor. This was a common trope in cultivation novels. With that knowledge, after defeating Marvin, Viers had anticipated Duke Lucan would act. After all, he treated the son-in-law important enough to put a sliver of his own power to protect him. Then there was the complete Divine Weapon, which was arguably more precious. The odds were high that the Level 5 would come with fire and fury. After killing Marvin, his cleanup at the volcano was thorough. Marvin¡¯s pleasure slaves were also not spared and their souls were taken. No witness. Solany got away but he would take what he could get. At first, as revenge for his burned-down flying carpet, Viers wanted to take Marvin¡¯s golden yacht for his own. But it couldn''t be shrunk or put into an inventory item. Viers couldn''t carry it so he had to let the luxury vehicle go, but not before he stripped it out of everything of value. The golden yacht was not golden anymore when he was done. Its mana engine was missing too. The issue was Solany, whose actions Viers couldn''t foresee, but he made the plan to strike the duchy regardless. Of course, there were separate contingency plans in place for other situations but plan alpha was the one with the most potential benefits. Viers wasn''t satisfied with defeating and capturing the 40th prince alive, looting all valuables that he had, soul searching the man, and selling it to a devil cult who clearly had insidious designs, no. He wanted more. So he sold the info on the Lucan Duchy defenses, including the location of the treasuries and warehouses to Izabella for no small sum. He also gave the freebie of info that in the near future, the duke would be away. Knowing Viers, Izabella trusted him. Not the man, she trusted his self-interest. Of course, even if the Level 5 went away, his territory wouldn''t be undefended. That was why Viers gave the Blood Church a piece of the pie, to bring in the numbers. The more chaos they create, the better opening he would have. After setting up, the timing was next. He didn''t know when the duke would choose to make an appearance after all. Hopefully, it will be soon. As expected, it was. Since Viers did such a good job erasing his presence and evidence of actions, he suspected the duke would aim for Croix next. As Croix¡¯s vassal, he had to accompany him. Which was just fine; Viers had hoped the countess would serve as a shield should her nephew be threatened. The sending to the Shore was a bit unexpected but tolerable. When Viers first caught the duke¡¯s presence, he crushed a seed in his pocket. It gave a signal to Dia in her Biome who relayed Viers¡¯ ¡°go¡± signal to Izabella. In case the Level 5 threatened Viers¡¯ lives, or it was getting dangerous, he would crush another seed. It was a signal for SOS. In which case Dia and the others would go full force to rescue Viers. The odds of success were slim, but not impossible. And Viers didn''t think he would be the main focus of the duke anyway. He was just Croix¡¯s vassal, under his shadow. During the duke¡¯s soul search, he also saw Viers, Boram, and Alfred with Croix as they weathered Marvin¡¯s Divine Weapon, then got away. This gave Viers an alibi. At any rate, the crisis was over. Time for the mice to play since the cat was away. This was how it should have ended in the case AYM¡¯s backer coming out after the AYM got offed in the story. Viers architected it so it would happen. ¡°Kin, three seeds are crushed,¡± Dia said. This meant the rescue was no longer necessary. ¡°All right ye mateys! We loot and plunder! Pirates for¡¯evaaaa!!!¡± Ars¨¨ne -disguised, but not as Tanael- exited Dia¡¯s Biome. Farley was with him, and Clarissa was inside his soul space. Paina, however, stayed behind. She didn''t want to do acts of evil. Viers respected her decision. She did not want to stain her karma with bad deeds, then so be it. He made it clear though she wouldn''t get any part of the loot and she was okay with that. The three familiars were with Ars¨¨ne too as back up. They emerged near the duchy. Dia¡¯s space 2 affinity jumped her Biome-assisted teleportation capabilities. Izabella¡¯s buddies were hard at work, there was a lot of commotion. ¡°Come on,¡± Ars¨¨ne urged his party. They went deeper into the central part. ¡°Halt! Who goes there?¡± He was stopped by the guards. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Ars¨¨ne removed his cloak¡¯s hood. ¡°P-Prince Marvin? I thought you were missing! The duke has been searching for you!¡± ¡°Yeah, now I¡¯m back. More importantly, we¡¯re under attack! From the devil cults!¡± ¡°What? So it''s those bastards!¡± ¡°Beware of their demon summonings. I¡¯m going to lead the defense. Where¡¯s Knight Commander Heckmann?¡± ¡°Sir! He¡¯s in the war room, sir!¡± ¡°Very well. Don''t let those bastards through,¡± Ars¨¨ne gave a salute. ¡°Absolutely, sir!¡± the guards salute back. ¡°And this is¡­?¡± ¡°She¡¯s the new girl that I picked up. Not as good as Solany but better than the usual catch I get.¡± With soul search, Ars¨¨ne mimicked Marvin¡¯s personality quite well. The face-changing part was easy because of the Impersonator mask. Since he was a shady fellow, methods like changing aura and the like were gathered and improved for situations like this. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. He had already briefed Farley before the sortie so she wouldn''t take offense. She understood and didn''t mind. After going inside, he traversed the familiar luxury environment of the manor in Marvin¡¯s memories. Ars¨¨ne stayed clear of the war room, avoiding dangerous individuals such as that Heckmann fellow. The Blood Church was attacking the treasuries and other strategic places to allocate the duchy¡¯s wealth for their own. The buzz reached here. Izabella seemed to be bringing quite a force with her. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s aim was similar but the things he wanted to get were far more precious than the contents of the vaults that Izabella was attacking. The treasure placed in the main compound was naturally more valuable. Besides, how could Viers sell truly valuable things to outsiders like the Blood Church? Not only did Viers aim to multiply his wealth by hitting the rich Lucan Duchy¡¯s treasure vaults, but he also wanted to steal their living conditions. *** Infrastructure. In this world where the Level of someone was so crucial, something like cultivation infrastructure was also necessary in addition to the likes of roads and buildings. A grand formation carved into the earth that would improve the ambient mana in the city, training facilities where young talents could be nurtured to become precious manpower, unique cultivation resources for the citizens, and so on. Unlike magic potions or natural treasures which were usually a single-use type, these cultivation-assisting features had continuous use or could be used repeatedly. The Lucan Duchy had stood for a long time, they had an established cultivation infrastructure. It allowed them to train their soldiers and reel in talent from outside. Viers was aiming for two things today. He deduced it was possible to acquire after he perused Marvin¡¯s memories compared to other choices. The first was the Everflowing Jug. It looked like the thing a fountain¡¯s statue had, where water streamed from it. However, this magical device with ancient origin truly created endless streams of liquid. The jug was the source of clean water that the duchy¡¯s citizens used. If it only created ordinary water then Viers wouldn''t bother. Minor though it might be, the water contained mana and vitality. This contributed to the health of the people, the children also had a higher rate of becoming Pathseekers compared to other areas. Should the endless fount of energy be placed in Viridis¡­ the thought made Viers grin. The Everflowing Jug would continuously improve the pocket dimension. In addition, the dryad land god of Viridis would also become stronger as she drew power from the land. Ars¨¨ne and Farley entered the protected place where the jug was installed, where multiple aqueducts carried the water to other places in the duchy. Using Marvin¡¯s clearance he could bypass some security but even the prince wasn''t given permission to enter such a crucial place willy-nilly. It only carried the duo partway. This was where Ars¨¨ne¡¯s expertise as the Heavenly Thief was of use. Besides, his other self used to play many stealth games. As a camouflaging, form-morphing, face-changing, Jedi Mind Trick-using individual, he was well-versed in sneaking into restricted places. The Everflowing Jug was obtained anticlimactically easy. Ars¨¨ne moved to his other objectives without delay. He was on the clock; who knew how long until the duke returned. ¡°Demons sighted on the east side! Get some men over there at once! Hurry, you want me to throw you there instead!?¡± Ars¨¨ne barked orders to the guards as Marvin. Not a moment too soon, the demonized monsters appeared from the corner. The Blood Church members employed demons, just like a demon cult does. So did Ars¨¨ne. Creating demons without summoning wasn''t hard if one had demonic mana, its nature was to corrupt other things into demons. Viers still had bullets made from demon souls. He used a few to kill Max in the Valkut arc. He had demon body parts too, for research purposes. Using monster-containing magic items not unlike his familiars¡¯ badges, he easily released the demons at a suitable time and place to create distractions. From the jug to the second objective, Ars¨¨ne passed by a small spirit garden where various spirit herbs were grown. Of course, he took them all, including the loam. All those decades-old potent herbs were his, one was even a hundred-year old plant. Bumper crop indeed. The second objective was in the pantry. The pantry for a castle-like main dwelling of the Lucan Duchy was similarly huge. Servants and cooks went to and fro regularly, though since there was an attack, most had gone to hiding. There it existed, instead of some vault, because of the nature of its use. It was called the Eternal Breadwall. The size of the wall was seven meters long, twenty centimeters wide, and two and a half meters tall. It was perfectly edible and no matter how much the bread was removed, the breadwall would regenerate to its fullness after a day. The bread never spoiled or grew mold while it was still connected to the whole wall. The whole thing would remain in good condition. but once part of it was removed, the removed parts would begin to decay like normal food. It was a mystery. Like the water from the jug, the healthy brown wall was a little special in mana and composition. What made Viers set his eyes on it was two-fold, the infinite food source for him and his monster forms, and the bread was suitable for various magical recipes. When the otherworldly dungeon core got invaded, Viers obtained the food-cultivation inheritance from a guy he killed. So far Viers only made use of the part to improve the food that he ate, but a true user of this particular food method was also capable of creating cultivation-enhancing food. A century-old magic ginseng might be incredibly valuable and nourishing but if a Pathseeker chef was able to process the ingredient, the resulting cuisine would have an even greater effect. To become stronger by eating delicious things, Viers could hardly wish for anything better. Let us not forget Viers¡¯ Horizon ability. Just like the culinary world was an endless wilderness, so too was Viers'' Horizon ability. Currently, there was no one that could make use of this¡­ food path inheritance. Originally, he planned to make the Pukupukus cultivate this power. He didn''t give it to them yet because the Aranara-inspired life forms were still very new and he was still observing their developments. Perhaps a certain someone would be a good candidate. Even raw, the Eternal Breadwall would lessen his monster forms¡¯ need for food. The more they eat, the stronger they get. It was the quirk of monsters in this world. From where the duke got this thing Marvin had no idea and neither did Viers. Viers was also skeptical of the eternal part. He believed one day the magic bread would run out, but until then, he would be content to eat the thing. The breadwall was big, but Ars¨¨ne had already prepared a suitable inventory item to carry the thing. While Viers struggled to bag the wall of bread, Farley pillaged the pantry. All those high-quality ingredients that would grace the palate of important people in the duchy, were sucked into her bag of holding, like a black hole gobbling up space debris. The state of the pantry''s aftermath was worse than Bilbo Baggins¡¯ own. Unlike the thirteen dwarves, the two didn''t tidy up before they left. When two soul-tricked kitchen hands that were hiding came to, they saw a barren world. ¡°Big bad duke¡¯s still not here,¡± Ars¨¨ne said to Farley. ¡°Next we raid Marvin¡¯s secret stash.¡± Farley nodded. She had to admit. The things they already had gotten thus far were considerable. What could be next? She was slightly trembling from excitement. Chapter 375 - Busy Villain ¡°Here, here, and here.¡± After entering Marvin¡¯s quarters Ars¨¨ne poked around to open the secret room where the prince hid his deepest secrets. The defenses in place were opened as easily as if the rightful owner himself were doing it. Almost nothing could escape Viers¡¯ soul search, not when their soul was completely in his grasp. After walking down a dark staircase, he reached his destination. In the darkness, he beheld all using his Euryale Sight. ¡°Lord, I¡¯ve gathered the things upstairs,¡± Farley came from behind. Ars¨¨ne directed her to get the valuables, especially the cultivation-related books and scriptures. Marvin got a lot from the duke. However, because of the Arrogant Young Master¡¯s lazy nature, he didn''t make full use of the opportunity that would make the less fortunate green with envy. Marvin didn''t bother to learn techniques that seemed lame or things that he deemed beneath him, failing to see the true value inside. A few simply gathered dust on the floor. Viers gratefully took them all. Even if he didn''t learn all of them, there were things that his followers and allies could use. ¡°Lord?¡± Farley was confused as to why Ars¨¨ne simply looked to the darkness. Unlike him, she didn''t have eyes that could see in the dark. Not ones that she could control anyway. Silently, Ars¨¨ne lit up the lights and illuminated the room. Farley gasped at the sight. ¡°Dragons¡­¡± Dead dragons, torsos split open, skulls, fangs, wings, dragonets in tubes, this was a laboratory where Marvin experimented on dragons. Nearby, there was a dragon¡¯s egg. Unlike Croix¡¯s, this one seemed to have turned to stone. Since Marvin¡¯s partner didn''t hatch when he became a Pathseeker, this was the normal result. Still, it seemed the man wasn''t ready to give up just yet. ¡°All these high-grade dragons¡­ to hatch a dragon he couldn''t have,¡± Farley sighed. ¡°Marvin¡¯s life was almost free of obstacles. Talent, wealth, status, he had it all. But when his dragon egg didn''t hatch, it became a single black spot in his history and turned into an obsession,¡± Ars¨¨ne said as he walked to a table with alchemical equipment. ¡°He managed to create something, at least.¡± Something good enough that Ars¨¨ne went all his way to take it. Ars¨¨ne took a small vial of golden tincture. This was an elixir containing the purest essence of 109 dragons. Some of those dragons were at the same tier as Viers¡¯ dragon form. With this, his dragon form would become even more perfect. Then he also bagged bottles of beautifying oil nearby. Marvin¡¯s unexpected side product from his project. This would make women more beautiful, Dragon¡¯s Grace he called it. He liked the women he took to bed to be pretty so he dispensed the oil to the ones he favored. This would make a fitting gift for Farley and the others at least. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Lord, what about all these dragon materials?¡± Farley asked. ¡°Useless husk bereft of any essence. Leave it.¡± All the draconic essence was distilled into the elixir which he already got. ¡°This way.¡± Ars¨¨ne led her to a side room. This one was pitch black. Even the light from the lab seemed to be blocked from entering. ¡°I feel something¡­ What is it?¡± Farley asked. ¡°You can''t see it but it is an armor of shade. Shadow armor. Has to be nurtured in special environments like this one. One of Marvin¡¯s greatest gear. Taking it is a bit tricky, but let''s just-¡± Ars¨¨ne stopped. ¡°The duke¡¯s here! Bail bail bail!¡± Ars¨¨ne and Farley dashed upstairs using their movement Artes. The happy shopping hour was up. ¡°INSOLENT CURS!¡± The wrathful shout came from the sky, along with overwhelming pressure. Ars¨¨ne and Farley emerged from the underground and went to the closest teleportation point. ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Farley took her battle stance and surveyed her surroundings. At the edge of her eye she saw Dia¡¯s portal was already forming. Just a few seconds more and it would be complete, but those few seconds felt incredibly long with a hostile Level 5 around. A gigantic phantom wolf head came crashing down somewhere else. Farley surmised that was where the Blood Church¡¯s forces were. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°The cults? You people are bold. I¡¯ll teach you how to fear my anger!¡± Another explosion, even bigger than the last one. The shockwave swept over to where Farley and Ars¨¨ne were. Then what Farley feared happened. The duke¡¯s attention was on their location. ¡°Go!¡± Ars¨¨ne pulled her shoulder and shoved her into the portal, along with the loot he¡¯d gotten. He prioritized Farley first because he could respawn. Then he stepped into the portal. The duke flew towards him like a meteor. ¡°Marvin? What are you-¡± ¡°Thanks for everything, father-in-law,¡± Ars¨¨ne-Marvin said smugly. From his face to the Victa signature, Viers¡¯ disguise arts were great enough to fool a Level 5. ¡°But I¡¯ve outgrown you. I''ll be going with the Gardeners of Perfection to reach the heights that you aren''t able to touch.¡± ¡°Marvin!!¡± The portal was closed and the bridged space returned to normal. The duke missed Ars¨¨ne by a split second and his hands grasped only air. The duke was swimming in questions and the seeming betrayal made him quake in anger. He inflicted that anger on the cultists too late to escape. ¡°Gardeners¡­ Tch! Cursed pest!¡± *** The Gardeners of Perfection was what the devil cult of Teorph called themselves. They were most certainly different from the cult of Yasterah, the Blood Church. They were even more like enemies than friends. Viers put the blame on the Gardeners as a red herring. If the duke bought his ruse and took action against them then all the better, if not, no skin off his nose. Let the Blood Church deal with it. This was also a strike launched at a certain someone, a cockroach cultist that he wasn''t able to kill during the Book World. He wondered what the guy was doing now. Ars¨¨ne and Farley¡¯s foray to the duchy for gathering loot went well. They didn''t cross everything on their shopping list such as the shadow armor, but they got enough benefits with no losses starting from the top three priorities. All in all, it was an absolute win. Ars¨¨ne still had things to do so no merging with Viers for now. Viers only got a report of success and the loot summary. Less than thirty minutes passed since the duke¡¯s arrival to interrogate Croix to his return to the duchy. He must have gotten word from back home. The distance involved was not insignificant even for a Level 5. For the duke to be back so quickly he must have exerted quite a bit of effort. In a mere thirty minutes, Ars¨¨ne and the Blood Church had done a lot, yet the duke¡¯s speedy return prevented him from suffering even more losses. The Shore got hit quite badly when the duke visited. After Croix regained composure, he immediately tended to the villagers. Those who were healthy only got shaken but some of the injured had their conditions worsened. These people needed help, bad. Some wouldn''t survive without Viers¡¯ help, including the elderly disabled chief. Viers dispensed a tiny portion of cures he hoarded from various places and people. As a result, there were no deaths and further tragedies were prevented. Viers did not do this out of the kindness of his heart like a better person would. Croix was on the verge of going to the next city in search of healers or potions, which meant Viers would have to accompany him since the road was not safe for the Level 0 princeling with a baby dragon. Since he didn''t want to deal with such chores, the villagers were saved. By doing that, he garnered quite a bit of rep and goodwill from his younger lord and the smallfolk of the Shore. Plus, he was in a good mood after Ars¨¨ne¡¯s fruitful raid. Spreading the cheer, as the saying went. Santa was coming to Shore. Or close enough. ¡°Well, that¡¯s another crisis averted. Let us hope there are no more setbacks. With your permission, I wish to investigate the feasibility of the seaweed farm and the surrounding waters after the tidal wave. The sooner the venture is up and running again, the better. Boram will stay here to guard the village from danger.¡± As a water Pathseeker, naturally, he was the man for the job. Although, Croix did not know about that yet. Croix¡¯s leave came almost immediately, with his employer''s be careful as a parting gift. Viers dived into the sea shortly, mostly driven by the enticement of the potentially precious material of the meteor from beyond the sky. No rest for the wicked. *** ¡°Greetings. It warms my heart to see you¡¯re well,¡± Ars¨¨ne said with the most professional business smile he could make. ¡°Is that sarcasm? Can I hit you?¡± Iz had bandages that covered half of her face. ¡°Ahaha, considering the opponent is a Level 5, of course, you look great with only that degree of injury.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so tempted to ask the price to hit your face. You would agree, as long as the price is high enough. This I know.¡± ¡°Ahh, you know me so well. I¡¯m flattered.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ Speaking pains me so keep it brief, if you would be so kind.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try. So, how much did you lose and how much did you gain?¡± ¡°We lost some people, but the gains are more than enough to write it as a profitable venture. The higher-ups are pleased. Personally, my gains are also substantial.¡± ¡°As the leader of the raid, even leading multiple Level 4s, you must have gained a lot of accolades. Congratulations are in order, Vice-Vicar.¡± ¡°You were there too! We¡¯ve heard. Who else but you can masquerade as Marvin and enter the main palace at that exact time? I feel like I¡¯ve been made Arte fodder to soak up the duke¡¯s wrath. It is a really unpleasant feeling, Tanael.¡± Usually, Izabella was more reserved towards Viers, but she was in a heightened emotional state now so she became more frank with her feelings. We are all chess pieces in the board game of life. Only if you¡¯re strong enough can you become a chess player. ¡°Hm,¡± Ars¨¨ne scratched his chin. ¡°Guess whoever this Marvin impersonator is, he¡¯s quite crafty, yes? What¡¯s Marvin doing anyway? Is he dead?¡± Marvin didn''t even know the circumstances that led to his capture. Viers scrubbed memories that might implicate him thoroughly. This was not a simple amnesia; there was no chance of him remembering it because part of his soul was gouged out. Then there were two other hidden kill switches that would activate if he acted with hostility to Viers. Viers had to go at least this far for enemies that he let live; he wasn''t an idiot. Yet what of the proud prince¡¯s fate? Ars¨¨ne did not know. Chapter 376 - Meteor Izabella sighed and relaxed a bit as she leaned back on the chair. ¡°He¡¯s living his dream. Chained to bed, mating all day long.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ars¨¨ne raised an eyebrow. He didn''t know the exact plan of the Blood Church''s design for Marvin. It didn''t matter. He asked because of simple curiosity. ¡°Should I say as expected of royal blood? His seed is strong. I wouldn''t be surprised if the guy already had a couple of brats with all the women he had been bedding before you bagged him.¡± ¡°...You are using him as a stud horse?¡± Izabella said the Blood Church was undergoing an expansion. He thought it was recruiting people or the like, not making literal babies. But when Ars¨¨ne thought about it, morality aside, it wasn''t entirely illogical. Marvin''s superb bloodline carried benefits and potential. The MC being strong because of his papa, or grandpa, or some other dude somewhere above in the lineage tree, was a common trope in the xianxia novels. Basically, the Blood Church was injecting itself into that lineage. It would take years and decades before it bore fruit, but not a bad plan, in the villain¡¯s opinion. As a prisoner, the prince couldn''t refuse either. An organization such as the Blood Church which has lasted for more than a thousand years definitely has ways to encourage pregnancy. ¡°And other things as well, eventually. You should know there¡¯s a line outside his room. Because of drugs and stuff, Marvin has been going for a couple of days nonstop.¡± ¡°Are there that many nuns desperate for babies in your church?¡± Ars¨¨ne tried not to imagine it. ¡°Oh no, silly. Most just want to get some of his essence for their own benefit.¡± ¡°...Oh. So that¡¯s how it is.¡± It was basically the so-called dual cultivation. Ars¨¨ne knew the technique existed in this world. Usually, it was a dude who slept with a woman with a special body to get a jump in cultivation. The reverse could also be true. As a person with a high level of cultivation and a strong bloodline, the Level 4 was a tempting subject. The Blood Church might even put a fee or merit requirement to allow its disciples to ¡®use¡¯ the prince. But if that was the case, Ars¨¨ne couldn''t imagine Marvin would stay a Level 4 for long. The Blood Church wasn''t a sex cult but they had quite a¡­ tolerant view on the subject of man and woman creating life. This could be said to be the one redeeming quality about them. ¡°The ones willing to bear children are mostly the lesser members. They would get support and benefits from the higher-ups. Once they gave birth, they don''t even need to take care of the child. The church will do it for them. If they bore an exceptional offspring, the mother would be showered with power and status, changing their fate. It has happened before.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s some next-level stuff right there.¡± Ars¨¨ne instinctively opened his mouth. ¡°Are you¡­ you know.¡± ¡°What? Me? No no. I will not debase myself with that lowlife. He might be a prince but he¡¯s only good for churning out babies. I am perfectly capable of selecting a worthy personage for my first partner, thank you very much.¡± Izabella soon realized she just divulged a very personal matter. ¡°A-at any rate, my wounds hurt so I¡¯ll end the transmission here! Good day!¡± Izabella cut the feed of the magic item in a flustered hurry. Ars¨¨ne stayed still even after the magical video call ended for a while, digesting what he heard. Then he thought about the little nephews and nieces Croix would have next year. If this got out, and it will, what would happen to the royal bloodline and its status? How many children would be eligible for a dragon egg in the future? What would this mean for the noble caste in the Latias Kingdom? Ars¨¨ne had no answer. After a while, he took a cup of water and raised it. ¡°...Well, Prince Marvin, favored by the gods, congratulations, champ. Your dreams come true, just not the way you wish for it. No hard feelings, yeah?¡± *** This should be far enough. Viers swam the sea with the speed and agility of a fish. His water 5 affinity made manipulating water all around him, to propel him forward, child¡¯s play. Humans were a species without gills but breathing wasn''t an issue for him; he had mastered an Arte for underwater breathing long ago. He had a strategy to force his opponent underwater so he could engage in a contest of who could hold his breath longer. However, because Viers was getting strong too quickly, his opponents usually didn''t even warrant the hassle and got defeated the normal way. Perhaps in the future, there would be an occasion for the strategy. Even for Pathseekers with affinity other than water there existed ways to survive underwater longer than humanly possible, even an Unreality Field could do it. The caveat was it would be more taxing for them compared to a true water Pathseeker like him and diluting their focus, which could determine victory and defeat. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. For now, under the sea Viers went. He was far enough from the possible surveillance from the coast. Freed from watching eyes, Viers transformed into a more hydrodynamic form, the Devadom Orca. A black and white devil of the seas. Its purple eyes ever-radiated the aloofness of an apex predator. A Rank 3 monster, far from the peak potential of the mighty adult alpha of the species, yet thinking of the deva-class monster as a mere monster was the reason for the demise of uncountable hunters. Furthermore, with a human intellect behind the powerful monster physique, the lethality of this monster was off the charts. Viers chose this form instead of the dragon because the dragon was far too conspicuous. As an orca adept in wielding water and space, this form was more fitting for the reconnaissance job. The water dragon and the Devadom Orca, combat-wise, these two were the mightiest forms in Viers¡¯ transformation list. Which was stronger was hard to say since Viers couldn''t just pit the two against each other in an underwater arena. Still, he believed the dragon was a bit stronger, spec-wise. With increased speed, Orca-Viers traversed further into the open ocean. Influenced by underwater movies, like the classic Little Mermaid to the modern Aquaman, Viers looked forward to seeing breathtaking sights, but the tidal wave had left a vast amount of destruction in its wake. A shame, but Viers searched for the fallen meteorite undaunted. The sea¡¯s ambient mana was chaotic, because of the meteor no doubt. This resulted in abnormal currents, poor visibility, and all sorts of weird things. The native monsters were all agitated and easily provoked. However, Viers¡¯ presence made the lesser monsters stay away, knowing their place in the food chain. In these parts of the sea, none should be able to challenge him. But the situation was not normal so Viers kept his senses sharp. He¡¯d lost his soul sense because of the transformation but his inborn echolocation, magic-enhanced vision, primal instinct, and spatial sensing sufficiently filled the hole it left behind. Following the trails of destruction, Viers eventually found the stone from the heavens. In a crater at the deep seabed, there was a cracked rock the size of a building. Many smaller fragments of the rock had broken off during or after the fall, scattered all over the place. The crater was not desolate. On the contrary, it was as if every fish and its grandmother were drawn into the place. From the most humble of krill to the monster shark, all participated in the mad festival. A feeding frenzy of thousands and thousands. There was something in the meteor that caused this. Even Viers felt his monster instinct tugged by it. From the cracked exterior of celestial rock, Viers saw different colored luminescent gray materials reminiscent of shiny minerals. That gray thing was slowly changing the color of the water around it, like a sugar cube placed into water. Viers was no space scientist so he didn''t know what was what but as a monster who had a natural sense towards anything good to grow himself, he wanted nothing more than to soak in the energy that the fallen meteor released. His hunger spiked, and lo, so many prey in front of him. As for the party currently unfolding down there, he wasn''t late to the party but he clearly wasn''t the first batch to arrive. Viers threw his hat into the ring after a period of observation. It was a tall order to suppress his monster instincts but he¡¯d done it. He sought out the strongest contenders, the greatest threats. There were a few Rank 4 monsters right now. Undoubtedly more will come and he wasn''t discounting Rank 5s paying a visit. However, those things usually resided further in the depths. The Rank 4s got a wide berth from the weaker monsters. Although, it didn''t stop them from putting even Rank 3s into their mouths every so often. A Mosasaur-looking thing, an Anomalocaris look-alike, one mean horned otter, and a lightning-clad catfish. Viers wasn''t looking forward to tango with any of them. In a what-if scenario, if all other monsters here swarmed them together, even they would be eaten. Even an elephant could be felled if enough ants attacked it. Still, unless controlled, the small fish wouldn''t do that. Those Rank 4s carved a territory for themselves near the meteorite with sufficient distance from other Rank 4s. They might think it wasn''t the time to be fighting yet. Viers bolted forward like a torpedo launched from a nuclear submarine straight at the Oceanic Super Bowl. His entrance invited hostile reactions from those not of his camp, which meant everyone, even from the few other whales. Viers swam with the momentum and haughtiness of a massive container truck with a care-nothing driver. Small sardines went splat. Tunas became roadkills. Even a monster the size of the Great White Shark struck dead. The full-powered charge of Orca-Viers was no joke. All the other Rank 3s were unable to react on time. Then the otter stood before him. This monstrosity was bigger than him, bigger than the Blue Whale. The otter was about to swat down the upstart little whale that reached above his status with its giant paw. Viers winked out. Viers reappeared behind the otter. Orca-Viers used Blink. A skill straight from the Anti-Mage, only, his range was greater and his cooldown was faster. Unlike in the game, there was no limit on how good he could make his ability after all. You either could do it or could not. Viers could. Even though the meteorite was right in front of him, Viers didn''t slow down in the slightest. Assuming the rock was sturdy, Viers would have used up all of his life¡¯s luck if the crash sent him to the ICU and if not straight to heaven. Naturally, Viers didn''t plan on committing suicide or losing his orca form. Under the watchful gaze of hundreds of thousands of marine animals, Viers teleported again. This time, they didn''t see him reappear. Viers was inside the meteor¡¯s hollow pocket, something he sensed with the orca''s spatial sense. The power inside the brilliant crystal cavern that seemed to consist entirely of diamonds, was incomparable from the outside. The place was glowing with enough light for normal eyes, blinding even. What those dumb fishes fought on was only the scrap that leaked from the meteorite¡¯s core. The residues and dregs. As a being of higher intellect, Viers was aiming for the dragon¡¯s share. Viers assumed human form in this waterless place and walked. He was marveling at the integrity of the cavern that still holds after planetfall but only for a short while, for the grandest of prizes of this meteorite was within arm¡¯s reach. In the center of the crystal hollow, there was a massive pillar that reached the ceiling from the floor, close to a hundred meters. At the middle of the hourglass-shaped pillar, was a rainbow crystal the size of his thumb. ¡°Such a small thing.¡± The power inside that thing was enormous. Viers didn''t dare to touch it lightly. If I feed this thing to Boram, will he jump to Level 5? Chapter 377 - Amazing Race Uraj couldn''t believe his eyes. Since Uraj was a child he has dreamed of finding great treasures of legend so he might become just like one of the mythical figures told in songs. Reality was cruel though, crushing his dreams to pieces. His talent was far too ordinary, surpassed by too many of his siblings. In the following decades, he had made peace with that. As the bottom-rung of the kingdom¡¯s soldiers, his job didn''t ask much of him; he just needed to stand all day near the gate of the oh-so-glorious kingdom. Gone were the days when he dreamt of glorious conquests and doing great deeds like hunting evil leviathans. Nowadays he was content with having enough for dinner. Even the idea of finding a mate was too much now. As everyone so often reminded him, he was too ordinary, like anchovy. Covering the shift of a friend, he instead was forced to investigate a disturbance by his superiors. Uraj didn''t like it, too close to the surface and it was usually a waste of time but did his opinion matter? He could only go through with it. When he found the rock in the crater surrounded by all kinds of frenzied sea denizens, he knew he had found the source of the disturbance. The feelings of annoyance turned into joy. Uraj¡¯s tail shivered with excitement and his gills shook because of irregular breaths. Praise the Mothersea! He was familiar with the rock¡¯s energy. His people have gathered similar things in the places of worship, closely guarded. The priests said it was Mothersea¡¯s gift to her children, that she plucked a piece from what the surface-dwellers called the sky and sent them unto the fertile depths. Uraj didn''t care all that much actually, who cares where it came from? Was this his moment? Was this the day he fulfilled his childhood dream? If he could obtain the shining rock¡¯s heart for himself, how powerful would he get? Could he hope to challenge the highborns? Perhaps, even the king? How wonderful! Just as Uraj started to devise a plan to pass through the legions of monsters and extract the Shining Heart, he was startled by a loud burst. He saw an orca move with incredible speed, combining swimming and teleporting. A Godkin! A descendant of the Whale God! The spatial powers and shining purple eyes were unmistakable. To his surprise, the bigger rock¡¯s luster was fading. That meant the Shining Heart had been taken. Sure enough, Uraj sensed the heart¡¯s presence from the Godkin. He wasn''t the only one sensing it, all the monsters gave chase. Regardless of their species and tiers, all moved as one like an army of legion. A terrifying sight, Uraj felt like he was seeing a sea of flesh on the move. A Monster Tide! A significant force for sure, but could they slay the Godkin or would the Godkin escape? Uraj thought it might go either way. For now, he would follow them. He still hadn''t given up on the Shining Heart, how could he, when he was so close? And he still had a chance. Even the Godkin would need a long time to consume something as significant as the Shining Heart. When it hibernated, it would be his time to strike! If the currents aligned, could he even subdue the Godkin? It would make him a legend overnight. Keeping the reignited long-dead spark of his dreams alight in his chest, the Mer clenched his army standard-issue coral spear and gave chase, his fish lower body giving him the necessary speed to keep up with the Monster Tide. *** ¡°One, two, three!¡± On Dia¡¯s mark, she, Futon, and Faiya were striking three targets at the same time. Each was targeting a human statue. In Viridis, Ars¨¨ne and the girls were sorting out the loot from their latest righteous pillaging. Opening storage rings and the like was similar to opening Christmas presents or gacha boxes. There was a little bit of hope for getting something grand. Ars¨¨ne, who had Viers¡¯ personality, had learned to keep his expectations low so he wouldn''t be disappointed too much. Be that as it may, Marvin was a rich blackguard with a doting father-in-law. He expected good things to come out of the box. Sometimes opening an inventory item was easy, sometimes it was not. There were various types of security, like a specific Victa or password. Using soul search, he could bypass the lock and directly access some, but for those he couldn''t, he had no qualms about breaking the container. Viers had set up a magic formation specialized for destroying inventory items in the Biome and it was often in use. He killed a lot and stole a lot. Simply by placing the storage item in the formation it would gradually break down and expunge its contents. Viers was grateful he was in a world where destroying a storage item does not mean the loss of its content to the void of space. The world of some Fables he read worked like that. This time, from one of the Black Shield knights that Viers killed in the Archion Volcano, there were three battle puppets. Not much different than a golem, these were simply shaped similar to a human. From the owner, Ars¨¨ne knew this puppet had the power of around a Level 2 peak but was way sturdier. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Dia and the other two elementals took a liking to these toys. They wanted to have a contest of who could break theirs first. Futon and Faiya were on board. Dia with her root strike, Faiya with his fireblast, and Futon with his thunderbolt. Paina, Farley, and Clarissa, joined by Gwen who was helping out sorting things they got from the Lucan Duchy, did their task while giving cursory attention to the little ones. ¡°Muu¡­¡± Dia was pouting. Compared to the other two, her statue¡¯s destruction was not as impressive as the other two and she was the slowest. While she was technically still a bit ahead of the other two in cultivation, her offense was surpassed. In return, her versatility was far greater, thanks to the many types of plants she could make. Of course, this was only the case in her normal mode. If she fully tapped the Biome¡¯s power, not even Viers¡¯ full strength could match her. ¡°Now now, don''t pout,¡± Ars¨¨ne patted her head. ¡°We all know you are by no means weak. And Faiya, bragging about your firepower to your siblings is a bit petty, don''t you think? You have the strongest offense between the three, that is true, but a battle is not only about who can hit the hardest.¡± Faiya lowered his head, which was his entire body. Just as he was about to give a lecture to the kids, Dia got a phone call. ¡°Ah, hello, kin¡­ Uh huh¡­ Other kin is next to me¡­¡± Dia plucked a leaf from her leaf hair and gave it to Ars¨¨ne. ¡°Other kin say it''s urgent.¡± Ars¨¨ne took the leaf and placed it next to his ear. It wasn''t necessary but it just felt right. He did come from a world with mobile phones after all. ¡°Partner, talk to me.¡± Without combining, Viers and Ars¨¨ne didn''t know each other¡¯s thoughts or point of view. Up to a certain distance, they could communicate via soul power but they were currently in a closed pocket dimension. Only Dia could receive Viers¡¯ call from the outside world. ¡°...Got it. We¡¯re coming.¡± Ars¨¨ne put down the leaf phone and gave it back to Dia, which she placed back into her hair. By now, Farley and others were already approaching. ¡°Trouble?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°My other self mined the meteor¡¯s greatest natural treasure, the thing is, the others are not too happy about it. He is on the run, pursuers on his heels,¡± Ars¨¨ne said with a solemn voice and tone. ¡°How should we assist him?¡± Farley asked. ¡°Does he need immediate extraction?¡± ¡°Ooh! Me, me ready!¡± Dia jumped in place while raising her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll crush-crush the other baddies too! All fertilizer snappy-snap, for sure!¡± The cute-faced ten-year-old dryad said some bloodthirsty things but none among them were surprised. ¡°Who¡¯s he running from? Level 4? 5?¡± Paina didn''t think any Level 3 would be Viers¡¯ opponent now. Even Ars¨¨ne could defeat the average Level 3 peak without too much trouble. Meanwhile, the real Viers had his mysterious boost ability. Furthermore, unlike the clone who could revive, the real Viers most definitely has robust protective measures on his person, which made him much more difficult to kill. For such a person to request assistance¡­ What manner of foe did he face this time? Paina silently prayed to the Radiant Lady that it wasn''t someone like the Grandmaster of the cult again. She sometimes still had nightmares of that battle. ¡°A Monster Tide,¡± Ars¨¨ne replied. ¡°A million strong.¡± ¡°Shhh,¡± Paina took a sharp breath. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ bad, isn''t it?¡± The sentiment was mirrored by the others. Even Futon and Faiya, who were still counting the zeros of a million, thought it was bad. Ars¨¨ne¡¯s stern face slowly turned into a jester¡¯s smile. ¡°On the contrary, We¡¯re having an all-you-can-eat tonight! All hands, battle stations!¡± ¡°Ugh! Seriously? You shouldn''t make a joke like that!¡± Paina fumed. Beside her, Farley had already begun putting on her armor. ¡°So it wasn''t a million monsters, right? A dozen? A hundred krills?¡± ¡°Oh, that part is accurate. The number is around a million, he said.¡± ¡°Haaah!?¡± ¡°And we will meet them in glorious combat!¡± Ars¨¨ne said with a true thrill of battle coursing through his veins. ¡°What are you waiting for? Get ready for battle! All hands on deck! Move, move, move!¡± Paina rolled her eyes and started preparing. Clarissa, who didn''t need to prepare anything, asked Farley who was inspecting her spear. ¡°What does ''all hands on deck'' mean?¡± ¡°Beats me.¡± *** Me, angry. She had no name, but the monster shark had begun to form sentience. It had been a long journey through the centuries, from her roots as an ordinary shark until this point in her life. When she found the nice-smelling twinkle rock, she instinctively knew she would ¡®go beyond¡¯, becoming more than she is now. That was why when the black-white fish took her prize, she would not stop chasing it until it and the good thing got into her stomach. With fervor and zeal, the Rank 4 shark chased Orca-Viers. Time was an unknown concept to the shark so she didn''t know but after a race of nearly twenty minutes, she was gaining on the bad black-white fish. They were also in the shallows, some manner of greenery grew here, but it didn''t matter. In her experience, less strong predators exist in the shallow water. Of course, it was not absolute. She still had the scar on her body when some manner of winged creature she never encountered before dived from above the water and tried to eat her. But she had nothing to fear here. The rest of the beings that made her wary were around but she was the fastest. She would chomp the thieving fish and the good thing first. The aura of the good thing only brought more fish during the chase. There were so many now. She might not be able to see her quarry because of the other fish but the aura was unmistakable. She summoned her maximum speed and surged forth, teeth-laden jaws wide open. One or two bites, then it would be over. The bad black and white disappeared again. How did it do that? No matter, it won''t escape. Just need to turn and- She wasn''t able to turn. She felt she was passing through something. Then she was in a place where she couldn''t swim. She was floundering. ¡°Gate open! Hahahaha!¡± Ars¨¨ne said to the Rank 4 shark. The shark only heard noise. ¡°There¡¯s no JSDF here but there¡¯s us! Attack!¡± The shark soon learned that though she was a fierce predator in the water, she was weak in a place without. That was her final lesson. Chapter 378 - Slaughter A million monsters were on Viers¡¯ tail. A million worth of lives, of blood, of souls. Useful resources that he was eager to reap. Viers¡¯ strategy was simple: open a portal to Viridis and kill as many as he can. In orca form he lured the Monster Tide to a place of his choosing, where his other self and allies had prepared the trap. The prime target was the Rank 4 shark monster. His alpha strike would ideally catch the delicious sushi-to-be. Dia¡¯s space affinity and growing mastery gave her the precision to open a portal at the perfect moment. However, she still needed the Gate Plant in the real world nearby to act as a beacon for her senses. The rift in space opened underwater and the shark monster charged headlong into it. The exit was at a desert area in the Biome. Viridis was almost entirely lush green but there were some places with sparse vegetation with nothing of value. It was by design. Viers had long strategized he would pull his opponents into the Biome to gain an overwhelming territorial advantage. Since the exit portal was placed on the ground, the shark, along with a great amount of seawater, jetted upwards like an erupting volcano of water. Ars¨¨ne and the others were ready and bombarded the Rank 4 monster with their charged-up Artes, dealing mild damage to it. Hm, as expected of a Rank 4, Ars¨¨ne expected as much as he shot soul blasts at the target. Soon, all sorts of marine animals joined the first guest. Almost all of them were only small fries, even normal fish were among them, lured by the tasty energy that Viers had. Ars¨¨ne and the others kept focusing on the Rank 4, leaving the others alone for the time being. Without water to swim in, the shark was powerless to move, let alone fight back. Still, Rank 4 was Rank 4, even Viers hadn''t reached that equivalent; the sooner it died, the less risk of something undesirable happening. Dia and Faiya combined powers and hit it with Sunflower Beam. Paina strengthened everyone using her Anima Symphony, playing a harp on the battlefield just like a bard archetype. Clarissa and Futon engulfed the shark in a flaming tornado. In the past, Clarissa couldn''t fight because Viers didn''t have fire affinity; he had no fuel to empower her techniques like the soul-state Paina and Farley at the time. Viers still didn''t have fire Victa, but he had a great amount of Victa thanks to Soul Energon Arte which converted souls into his own energy. Furthermore, he had an obscene amount of souls at his disposal gathered by him and his allies. Human souls he ate, so it was other souls that he converted to Victa. His current Victa reserves were greater than at any point in his life and he still had many many souls to spare. The excess of souls and Victa allowed Viers to experiment with different ideas, allocating some resources for a certain Lamia. The result was a type of soul energy that was very flexible. With it, the lamia princess could finally wield her flames once more. This was the product of Viers¡¯ soul mastery. Souls were truly versatile material. It was as if it could be used for anything. The Fables certainly had many creative uses for souls. Viers once again felt his decision to pick soul affinity for his second one was an excellent choice. Clarissa still couldn''t do the things she could when she was a living Level 5. With Faiya¡¯s special flame already spent, her Xiuhcoatl form was unavailable. Her current battle strength was at Level 3 high, the same limit as Viers. This was simply a little gift from the villain to the revived Lamia who fought and bled for him. Her Artes packed a punch but consumed a lot of energy so she could not fight for long. Despite all the limitations, this was a step in the right direction and Clarissa was happy to be able to help. Amidst the barrage of attacks, Farley found an opening to launch her strike. Spear in hand, she jumped to the sky. Not the real sky, she wasn''t at that level yet but high enough. When she reached her peak, she repositioned her body and kicked the air. Aided by gravity, she charged downwards with an astounding speed right at the shark below. The shining tip of her spear struck true, the landing was magically flashy, and yet Farley elegantly landed on her feet while the big-bodied monster shark cried in pain. Its heart was pierced yet it was not yet dead. The vitality and body toughness of a Rank 4 monster were no joke. Clarissa, who hadn''t seen her fellow tenants for some time, was impressed by their respective growth. The three familiars were always going to get far, yet surprising all the same. The main thing was Paina and Farley, one was a fae now while the other possessed a powerful bloodline. How they improved so much after they had a new body in a relatively short time. The styles they used in battle had transformed too. She could see that Paina and Farley must have incorporated tips from Viers on how to improve their respective battle styles. The signs were perceivable, a few of Viers¡¯ colors were on their canvas. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°I¡¯m going again!¡± Seeing the shark was still alive, Farley was about to give it another go. ¡°Paipai, Fayfay, kin are calling for you two!¡± Dia shouted. Her main focus was maintaining the portal and overseeing the situation. When she had some leeway, she also attacked the monsters. Farley and Paina looked at Ars¨¨ne. ¡°We got this. Go!¡± ¡°Paina, let¡¯s go!¡± Farley leaped into the portal that kept funneling seawater and monsters. ¡°Waaaah! I¡¯m going to get wet!¡± Despite her tone, Paina didn''t hesitate to do the jump. The two protected themselves with defensive measures and utilized water Artes to fight the strong current, with their Unreality Field doing most of the work. After countless bumps with the fish, they arrived at the other side. What they saw was a moving swarm. So many fish at a stage so chaotic they couldn''t tell what was what. They couldn''t even see their own hand. ¡°Oooh¡­¡± Paina looked around, keeping her defenses up. ¡°Amaz- Hiiii!?¡± A monster squid came uncomfortably close to her face. Her Unreality Field would not be broken by a mere Rank 1 like it but the sight of its mouth was disturbing. ¡°Paina!?¡± The next thing they knew, they were teleported to an orca¡¯s side, speeding away. ¡°Lord Viers, how may we be of service?¡± In monster form, Viers lost his soul affinity, but because of his arrangements beforehand, simple short-range telepathy could still work. The reply came in the form of an image of two new arrivals. ¡°Leave it to us,¡± Farley replied. ¡°What a showy way of doing things,¡± Paina sighed. The two took positions on each side of the opened portal and willed the surrounding waters to their needs. Thanks to them, even more marine life was caught by the portal¡¯s sucking power and went to the killing ground on the other side. Paina and Farley didn''t attempt to attack the monsters around them, only focusing on defending themselves and herding the monster tide. Since the two were water Pathseeker, they were the women for the job. Orca-Viers was the target of the crazed monsters and he moved in a way that caused chaos. His many teleportations made him more slippery than an eel, even the Rank 4 monsters having trouble chasing him amidst the throng of fish around them. This resulted in them not realizing the portal that caught them in its grip until it was too late. Meanwhile, with the huge amount of seawater coming in, the desert area in the Biome was starting to turn into wet sludges, pools with water and blood, and monster remains. Like a processing plant for the fish industry, the tons of fish caught were systematically massacred. The bodies were piling up into hills made of all sorts of marine monsters of all sizes, from the tiny fish to the blue whale. With the amount of prey coming in, Ars¨¨ne and the others weren''t able to kill them fast enough, but that didn''t matter. They were trapped with no way of going back, sooner or later they would die on their own. It pained Ars¨¨ne that all the biomass and material were going to waste because they prioritized wounding and disabling strong monsters among the bunch, but it couldn''t be helped. The splash effect of their Artes sometimes obliterated the weaker monsters, leaving naught of value behind. The attackers fought with fervor, and all those lives lost nourished the realm because of the Circle of Life formation. This was the main reason Viers funneled the monster tide into the Biome. The food and monster cores were a nice bonus though. Gradually and slowly, the Biome was brimming with ambient mana. After the land was drained and damaged so Dia could fight with a Level 5 phantom embedded inside Prince Marvin not long ago, the harvest of life was like a healing salve on the land. Their life went to Biome, their bodies and souls went to Viers. Ars¨¨ne acted as the stand-in and gathered the souls released from their mortal coil. If it wasn''t for the Evil Overlord List, he would have laughed like a maniac the whole time. Most of the monsters were worth nothing much because of how weak they were, a lot of them weren''t even Rank 0 monsters and were simply regular animals. But in a great enough number, quantity was a quality of its own. The battle went from dusk to dawn, none were getting any sleep that night. Because Orca-Viers kept making a show, the aura of the tiny crystal in his mouth kept luring in other monsters from miles and miles away. It was as if there was no end to the monster tide no matter how much they funneled into the Biome. In the end, even the land and aerial monsters were joining in the fray. The fighting had drained the combatants of their stamina to the limits. One must always know their limits and that was when Viers called it quits. He went into the Biome with Paina and Farley then Dia cut off the portal. What Viers saw next was a macabre field of gore and death. And by gods, the smell. While the portal sucked an incredulous amount of seawater for hours, the pocket dimension wasn''t flooded. Dia¡¯s Biome was shaped like a floating island in the sea of nothingness. The water spilled outside, to the outside of the pocket dimension. To where? Viers didn''t know, didn''t care. Paina and Farley collapsed after they landed in a relatively clean place and so did Viers. His other self and the familiars were there too. All were too tired to care about anything else. Within arm''s length, the baby Tyra Xerg queen, Zerri, was happily munching on a fish provided by her Pukupukus entourage. The two Viers were lying on the ground looking at the multicolored sky. While Viers who transformed from his Orca didn''t seem to have had so much as a scratch, Ars¨¨ne was different, but both were tired all the same. They exchanged a fist bump and they became one. After a few minutes, Ars¨¨ne emerged again. The difference was that this Ars¨¨ne possessed the experience and information that were exclusive to both of them earlier. ¡°Dia, dia, wake up. Sorry to ask you this but I need you to send me out.¡± Ars¨¨ne poked at the sleepy dryad. ¡°Yesss¡­¡± Dia mustered the motivation to create a portal. After he was out, the portal winked out, cutting this place out from the rest of the world. Finally, peace and security. While Viers and the gang rested, the caught but not-dead marine monsters were suffocating to their deaths. By all accounts, it was a slaughter. Chapter 379 - A Mers Changing Fortune There are things that dwell in the deep. Monstrous, fearsome, mighty. Cracks had appeared on the seafloor. It came from far away, from a depth most perilous. It cared not for anything in its way. When an underwater mountain was in its way, the mountain was split. From a distance, it looked like a faultline that spanned horizon to horizon. The cracks made their way to the upper depths. This occurrence created a great disturbance in the sea, displacing uncountable marine life. Monsters instinctually moved away. Those who didn''t, or those too late, lost their lives mysteriously. The faultline moved as if it had a mind of its own. After days, the cracks reached the husk of a fallen meteor. There was a tremor, and the entire meteorite, as big as the grandest human palaces, sank without a trace, unseen by any. After a long, eerie silence in the dark, there was an ungodly voice from the blackness of the faultline which had divided ground as large as a continent. The surroundings shook as a seaquake occurred. It sounded like a roar of annoyance. After that, silence returned to the place where sunlight never reached. Before long, natural occurrences such as landslides and water pressure closed the chasms of unnatural make, leaving only minor traces on the vast seabed. There are things that dwell in the deep. *** ¡°Found you¡­¡± Uraj the Mer sighed with relief looking at the sleeping Whale Godkin that he pursued. The orca had gotten the Shining Heart and created a Monster Tide. Uraj lost sight of it when the numbers of the tide became too numerous. He backed down so he wouldn¡¯t be implicated. After a while, it was clear the Monster Tide had lost its cohesion. That meant whatever was causing it had been resolved. If the tide was caused by a strong monster, it usually meant it had been slain. If it was a scramble for treasure like this one, it usually meant the treasure was no longer obtainable, or out of reach. After the monsters gradually scattered away, Uraj resumed his search nearby, in the shallows. He found the orca but no longer sensed the wave of power from the star¡¯s Shining Heart. The Godkin had digested it, it seemed. It was as Uraj feared. How could he get the treasure now? Impossible. For a second, he was crestfallen. But, this is also an opportunity! Uraj lifted his head up again, synapses in his brain working furiously. The Whale Godkin was in a state of contentment. Its energy must be spent after eluding the Monster Tide and digesting the Shining Heart. In short, the Godkin was now weakened. ¡­I will try it! If I miss this chance, who knows if there will be a next time? Time to risk it! The conditions were ideal. The orca didn''t seem aware he was here and no other strong monsters ventured nearby. Uraj wouldn''t be interrupted. After finishing his preparations, the merman resolved himself and approached the orca. The Godkin finally picked up his presence and poised to attack. ¡°Too late! Subdue!¡± A spherical magic cage with chain motifs caught the orca. The mighty monster trashed around in defiance but it was no use. It tried to jump through space next, but how could Uraj let that happen? ¡°It¡¯s no use! This monster-subduing art cannot be broken by brute force. It¡¯s a battle of wills now. Obey me, Godkin! Become my familiar!¡± The mer and monster mentally clashed, each trying to overcome the other. The magical cage that trapped the orca inflicted pain on the quarry so the trapper would have a higher chance of subduing the monster. This was Uraj¡¯s hidden trump card. Not even his parents knew he had this technique that he got from a dead mer-highborn all those years ago. He¡¯d never had the suitable opportunity to use the technique, but it all changed today. ¡°Uuuoooohh! Be obedient! Listen to me!¡± Uraj bled from his ears and nose as he exerted his power to the limit. It was a gamble with his life. The stronger the monster the stronger the resistance. No matter how consummate the subduing art, if the master was too weak then the monster would break free of their control and kill them. The Godkin¡¯s strength is Rank 3, I¡¯m also Rank 3, but since it''s a Godkin, the difficulty might be as high as a Rank 4! Definitely out of my league but I have to try! I have to break free from my mediocrity! Ghhhhh! The orca¡¯s purple eyes were looking at Uraj with unbridled hostility. Its resistance was getting fiercer. By the laws of nature, monsters only submit to strong monsters. It knew Uraj was weaker than itself so how could the orca submit? Yet the bindings were sturdy and resilient. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Sparks of magic raged like electricity as the two battled for mental supremacy. How long has it been? Minutes, hours, Uraj didn''t know. What he did know, was he had reached his limits. Uraj¡¯s vision blackened and he lost consciousness. Only one future left for him now: food for the Godkin. With its bindings broken, the shadow of the orca was looming above him. Heh, figures¡­ What a shitty life¡­ He made his bid for glory and he lost. Not surprising. He was simply one among uncountable millions in the annals of history. At least I won''t feel the pain of being eaten¡­ *** Latias Kingdom. In a certain manor in the Latias Kingdom''s heartland, a woman was looking at the morning sky through an opened window. The wind¡¯s breath swayed her untied brown hair. Then she looked at the still-sleeping woman on the bed. She was like the most perfect human to her. The feelings of affection bubbled up from the depths of her heart. The brown-haired woman silently approached the sleeping beauty and gently brushed the raven-black hair on her forehead. ¡°Princess Celestine¡­¡± She took her hand to her lips and gave it a kiss. ¡°You are my sun.¡± ¡°My, that¡¯s so sweet. Then illuminate you I shall.¡± Celestine Amethyst Latias then opened her eyes, purple like her namesake. Even the way she roused herself from sleep was elegantly done. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did I wake you?¡± The brunette smiled apologetically. ¡°A little bit. You woke up quickly even after last night,¡± Celestine teased. ¡°My princess, please save the teasing for others,¡± the brunette replied, albeit with a slight red on her cheeks. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re no fun. Shall we have breakfast?¡± With the word breakfast uttered, the previously sleeping small dragon chose to wake up now and demanded to be fed. ¡°Shaaa.¡± ¡°It seems it is decided,¡± Celestine rang a small bell placed near the bed. In less than fifteen seconds, an entourage of maids brought the lavish breakfast. The black dragon ran to a separately prepared menu. ¡°Eat slowly, Serena, your food will not fly away,¡± Celestine said to her dragon. ¡°Shaaa!¡± The dragon replied by breathing a little fire from her mouth. ¡°Princess.¡± One of her handmaidens gave her an envelope and then backed away along with the rest. Celestine read its contents after the servants left. ¡°Is there a problem, princess?¡± The brunette asked. ¡°It seems your fiance lives, Solany,¡± Celestine put the letter down. ¡°He was seen during the attack on Lucan Duchy in the company of demon cultists.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s!¡± Solany was startled. The duchy was attacked? How? Was father asleep? What does this mean? Did that man not kill Marvin after all? Is this Marvin¡¯s plot? Someone¡¯s plot? Could it be Marvin really joined the cults? No, impossible. He thinks the demon worshipers are beneath him. Perhaps he managed to sway them to his cause after promising concessions in return? Or- The next thing Solany knew, Celestine had hugged her. ¡°Everything will be alright, Solany. There¡¯s no need to worry. Calm down, calm down.¡± Solany¡¯s agitation ebbed away. ¡°No matter what, Marvin won''t hurt you anymore. I promise.¡± Words couldn''t describe what Solany was feeling right now. ¡°...Thank you, Princess. I believe it is time for me to return, back to Lucan Duchy.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you choose,¡± Celestine said softly to Solany¡¯s ear. An hour later, after Solany finished her preparations, the princess escorted her to send her off. ¡°I believe someone impersonated my half-brother.¡± ¡°What makes you think so?¡± ¡°Woman¡¯s intuition.¡± Celestine put a finger on her lips and winked. To which Solany smiled wryly. She was also a woman but didn''t have such an inkling. For she, who shifted the minds of men on a regular basis, leaned more on reason than something abstract like intuition. No matter. It was time for her to go back and reassure her father that his precious political tool was fine. While her father thought about which suitor she would be given to next, Solany planned to steer the duchy¡¯s course to support Celestine¡¯s bid for the throne. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave, Princess. Take care of your health,¡± Solany kissed the back of the princess¡¯ hand in a knight-like manner. ¡°I¡¯ll miss your company,¡± Celestine replied. ¡°Don''t do anything dangerous.¡± ¡°I wouldn''t do what you wouldn''t do,¡± Solany said with a warm smile before entering a closed carriage hoisted by winged horses. ¡°May the Goddess shine your path and keep you,¡± the princess whispered as she watched her dear friend soar to the blue sky. *** After struggling with a headache that felt like his skull was opened and getting his brain chewed by shrimps, Uraj managed to open his eyes. To his great surprise, he wasn''t dead. But how could it be? When his blurry vision focused, he saw a big black snout. ¡°Uwaaah!¡± Uraj threw himself back. He was dangerously close to a Godkin killer whale. The whale didn''t attack him. It was calm and looked docile, even. The orca approached him slowly, Uraj¡¯s fear-trembling dialed down a notch. The orca had something in its mouth, he recognized it as medical seaweed. ¡°...Is this for me?¡± The orca gave something that seemed very close to a nod. Could it be? Uraj checked gingerly, sure enough, he found a connection between him and the Godkin. ¡°Uuuuu Yeesssssss!!!¡± Uraj let out a shout of triumph. He must have subdued the orca before he passed out. With this, he now had a powerful monster companion. All his colleagues would go green with envy. The orca gave him a gentle nudge. ¡°You¡¯re worried about my condition?¡± Uraj felt the orca¡¯s feelings through their bond. ¡°I¡¯m tired, but no problem. Wheew, subduing you was really difficult and almost killed me but I¡¯m glad I did it. From now on, we¡¯re partners!¡± The Godkin gave a sound of agreement. ¡°Oooh, I can''t wait to go home. Come on, boy. I¡¯ll take you to my home, Mualammu Kingdom.¡± The merman rode on his new tamed monster and ordered it to swim forth. The orca obeyed. While the merman in his early thirties fantasized about his fantastic days ahead, there was a glint of amusement in the orca¡¯s eyes. Hmm, fool of a Took. Mualammu Kingdom, eh? You¡¯ve got a tourist. Chapter 380 - Handler A few days had passed since Croix¡¯s tumultuous first day at the small fishing settlement of the Shore. There was a minor Monster Tide from the sea but it was dealt with by not dealing with it. The people guarded the beach and not much else. Little did they know it was caused by a certain man in their midst. ¡°I think the meteor caused the rise of monsters, Highness,¡± Viers said with a straight face. ¡°Looking at how weak the ones that reach here are, the source must be very far away. It will pass in time.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Croix hummed. ¡°I¡¯m only glad they are not spilling to land and wrecking all the improvements we''re just starting to build.¡± ¡°Quite right, Highness, quite right.¡± *** In the days that followed, the newly appointed Viceroy of the Shore gave his all in rebuilding his leased land to govern. ¡°Boram built all of these? Incredible,¡± Croix looked at the newly erected houses and town hall with awe. ¡°Earth Pathseekers are truly invaluable in a city¡¯s development.¡± ¡°A stronger earth Pathseeker can build a fortress in one night, or move a mountain to create roads, but doing so without agreements usually invites trouble. Boram is not at that level yet and he¡¯s not a builder, not truly. People still need to give the things he builds finishing touches before they become stay-worthy,¡± Viers pointed at the village folk that were all over the house like worker ants. ¡°Also, he¡¯s only one person. Building all of these uses Victa, quite a lot of it. Victa that can be used to train his skills. This is an emergency so I gave permission but moving forward-¡± ¡°I understand, Master Avel. It¡¯s not my intention to ask Boram to build a full-fledged city for me.¡± ¡°You should also feel it by now, of how precious each drop of your Victa is. How fast they are gone after just a period of Arte practices. Both you and Boram need to utilize all your Victa efficiently if you want to become an exceptional Pathseeker. Your rivals certainly would. If you¡¯re behind and fall in battle, then it''s too late for regrets.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just resolve disagreements peacefully?¡± Croix asked with a hopeful tone. ¡°Imagine two people, you and a stranger. Both of you are starving and will die if you don''t eat soon. The two of you found a plate of food at the same time. Just a small amount, not enough to fill you even if you eat it all. What will you do? Will you share?¡± ¡°...I guess?¡± ¡°That is truly kind of you, Highness. But what if the other person wants all for himself and attacks you? Even if you share, the two of you might die of starvation still. But if he kills you, take all of your belongings and all the food. With his strength bolstered by the food and your possessions, he has a greater chance of finding his next meal. This kind of thinking surely isn''t too far-fetched for you or him, right?¡± Croix didn''t answer. ¡°The Pathseeker world is quite similar. There are only a limited amount of resources in this world and all Pathseekers scramble to obtain them to get stronger. Even if you don''t wish for it, you¡¯ll have to fight. If you lose and die, what good are all your noble aspirations then?¡± Viers lightly tapped Croix¡¯s chest with his fist. ¡°The Path of Power is a bloody place. To protect those that are important to you, you have to be strong. I told Boram this then, I tell you this now.¡± ¡°...I understand.¡± ¡°Remember, Highness, kindness is a privilege for those who can afford it. Those who can''t afford it but are still kind thoughtlessly will suffer a tragedy.¡± *** Viridis. Paina was practicing flying with her fairy wings out. She was hovering stationary above a flower field. Her wings didn''t flap that much yet she wasn''t falling because it was magic. After a while, she lost her concentration and fell. Disturbed, the flowers puffed out pollen and Paina couldn''t stop sneezing for a while. After that, she tried again. Farley was standing before a Rank 2 monster treant, her right eye glowed red. The treant whose body looked like rotting wood brandished its arm at the human half its size. Farley took half a step to the side, dodging with a minimal movement. After dodging for quite some time, she stepped in close when an opening presented itself and cut a single leaf that grew on the treant¡¯s head. She pocketed it and taunted the enraged monster by standing still in front of it anew. Clarissa was giving a lecture to Dia, Faiya, and Futon. Gwen was helping in the kitchen, and Zerri was getting a sunbath on top of a leaf stool. Viers was sitting cross-legged on top of a water surface in Viridis'' Power Spot, surrounded by pleasant-smelling lotuses. He wasn''t sinking. On his hand, was the crystal that Ars¨¨ne took from the meteorite under the sea. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The merman that Ars¨¨ne soul searched called this thing Shining Heart, hmn? A precious object to be sure, but what should I do with it? This is a light attunement treasure, I cannot use it directly. Viers deliberated for some time about how to best use the latest treasure he got. With the right administration, I think this can even give someone a light 5 affinity, as a second affinity or reinforce their first one. But who? Faiya? The fire elemental had more than enough power. And he was still under strict observation because of his origin. Dia already had two affinities, wood and space. Giving her a third would only destroy her. Futon wasn''t suitable. Zerri was still a baby. Gwen? She wasn''t even fifteen yet and didn''t warrant this level of treasure yet. Giving Luca the darkness 5 girl a light 5 affinity might be interesting but she also wasn''t at cultivating age yet. Croix''s affinity was fire 4, but Viers wasn''t that close with the prince yet. Would it interfere with his dragon? Boram? Light wasn''t a fitting element for his second, no synergy. He could eat it with his Codex and would certainly give the little giant a big boost of power but growing too fast would only be detrimental to him. Evolving his monster forms? Possible, but Viers wasn''t even finished pushing his multiple monster forms to peak potential yet. What to do, what to do¡­ Viers materialized three weapons around him, the Spear of Leonidas that Izabella had finished enchanting with new powers, the Dark Moon Greatsword, the Divine tier weapon he pried from a prince¡¯s hand, and Doyun Arrow that cost the equivalent of a hundred thousand of dollars per second to use. These three were Viers¡¯ top three mightiest weapons, with the greatsword at the top. However, these three couldn''t be used lightly. Viers had a thought about turning the Shining Heart into another weapon but he had more than enough weapons. After the loss of his ordinary katana that couldn''t bear the power of his Bankai, he still used a sword. He had decent quality swords from his plundering but nothing that truly hit his fancy. Perhaps an armor of some such could be better? I can also simply sell it and get something I need in some big city. Viers was very rich for his age and level. A combination of the villainous deeds x 2 and the massive amount of resources that the Biome produced. He had long wanted to turn this wealth into power-boosting resources for him and his allies but he didn''t quite have the opportunity. Unwisely disclosing his wealth might invite the unsavory attention of others. Even a Level 5 would be tempted by Viridis¡¯ opulence, it was like a goldmine. Viers didn''t want to paint a target on his back. That was why he wanted to build a base at Regidana before the events of the Book World turned everything upside down. Viers didn''t decide just yet what to do about the Shining Heart. He would seek inspiration from his Fables later. With a wave of his hand, the rainbow crystal and the weapons went back into the Thousand Treasures Casket. Ars¨¨ne is at Atlantis¡­ Well, not really, but he won''t be able to help me with my workload anytime soon. Viers sent the transformed Ars¨¨ne as a hidden agent. Who knows what benefits there would be in the underwater world? The interaction between the overland states and the sea nations was pretty sparse. There was some trade and conflict but nothing of significance. As far as Viers knew, at least, and Viers¡¯ knowledge encompassed the myriad of people that he killed or soul searched, which was already exceeding five digits. Croix will stay in this area for six months. Clarissa has recovered and is not in a hurry getting her flesh and blood back. Might be just me but I got the impression she didn''t really care if she got her body back or not. Nothing urgent¡­ So what now for me? Viers was at Level 3 peak. The next step of his cultivation was to knock off the gate to Level 4. It¡¯s not that long ago I reached Level 3 peak, but breaking to the next level is not easy. It is a major breakthrough afterall, just like the novels. Even though I have enough resources, even though the new batch of Nutra Grass is almost ready, how long would it take? He would be 19 this summer. In the past, Viers¡¯ target for Level 4 was before he hit 30. He was already at the threshold so he was way ahead of schedule. He improved his Level very quickly thanks to his evil deeds. Other people with his level of notoriety would already be hunted down, drawn and quartered; ashes scattered or body parts buried separately. If Viers didn''t have Aletro¡¯s Mystic Star Shroud to elude his pursuers¡¯ divinations and scryings, if Viers didn''t have his skill kits, if Viers didn''t have power fantasy Fables showing the way, he would be dead meat at this point. ¡­I won''t rush to Level 4 without a truly solid foundation like Marvin. For a genius, he¡¯s pretty stupid. I know after my defeat at the hands of Georgi I wanted to get as strong as possible as fast as possible, but if I can''t defeat him even at the same Level then what¡¯s the point? Viers organized his plan to simply get as strong as he could in his head. Alright. Let''s do this. Before that¡­ ¡°Paina, Farley.¡± The two of them stopped their training and came to Viers. ¡°621,¡± Viers pointed to Paina. ¡°Raven,¡± then to Farley. The two looked confused. ¡°Uhh, what?¡± ¡°Your code names.¡± ¡°...What for?¡± ¡°Just because. 621, Raven, I¡¯ve got a job for you.¡± ¡°Why am I a number and why¡¯s Farley Raven? She¡¯s got white feathers so shouldn''t it be Swan?¡± ¡°Zip it, 621, don''t talk back to your Handler.¡± ¡°Handler¡­¡± Paina looked amazed at the sudden absurdity. ¡°Is this one of your episodes?¡± ¡°Raven, standing by for orders,¡± Farley said, going with the flow. ¡°What¡¯s the job, Handler Viers?¡± Viers nodded at Farley, God bless her. ¡°I''m sending you two to the waters of Rubicon.¡± ¡°Repeat. Where again?¡± Paina asked. ¡°Just the sea near the Shore. I¡¯ve soul searched some monsters and got locations of their guarded treasures. We might snag some if we¡¯re lucky. I picked the not-dangerous locations. Priority one is a Coral.¡± Monsters usually guarded natural treasures. They absorbed the treasures¡¯ unique benefits to improve themselves. It came naturally to monsters. ¡°...That sea is not called Rubicon, Viers,¡± Paina said with a flat tone. ¡°I know, I said it anyway. Waters of Rubicon, hehehe¡­ Well? Do you accept?¡± Chapter 381 - Prince Goes Shopping ¡°The village is almost out of food. The monsters and animals we hunted will dry up in a few days. The village chief told me they usually stockpile some during the good days for emergencies but the surpluses didn''t survive the tidal wave. There¡¯s some good news at least. The fish are starting to return, but there is only so much they can get with poles. They need boats and nets.¡± ¡°And?¡± Viers listened to Croix¡¯s analysis. ¡°We need to trade, buy foodstuffs and other necessities. The chief already told me about the usual trading partner in a nearby town.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go shopping then.¡± Accompanied by two villagers, Croix, Boram, and Viers went traveling. Viers let Croix experience organizing the trip without holding his hand. Armed with salted fishes and some local specialty, the party went to war. It was a three-hour journey at normal people¡¯s walking speed. The town wasn''t big but it was somewhat lively. Not wanting unnecessary attention, Croix hid Falmerion in a leather side bag. Croix and the two villagers, who had experience selling things to this very town before, met up with the merchant. Viers and Boram were like bodyguards. The merchant inspected the goods and gave an estimate of their payment. Frankly, it wasn''t that good of a deal. ¡°According to them, the price would be even lower with other merchants¡­¡± Croix looked at the two villagers who put bags of grain on the cart. ¡°Let alone buying boats or hiring carpenters, there isn''t even enough money for chicken eggs.¡± ¡°Feeling money problem, Highness?¡± Viers asked while crossing his arms and leaning on a stone wall. The distinct smell of the food market was a bit too strong. ¡°I calculated the amount they normally trade before disaster struck and it was still too little. With just this, how am I supposed to make my domain thrive?¡± Viers guessed the livelihood of the common people must be quite foreign for a prince who had been living in palaces. ¡°Your domain, hm?¡± ¡°It might be temporary but I''m the viceroy for the time being. I have a responsibility to the land and the people.¡± ¡°Admirable sentiment. The reality is that this is the normal state of things. Ordinary villages normally produce just enough to feed themselves. If there¡¯s a bad harvest or harsh winter, it¡¯s not strange for them to be wiped out. Not seeing many thriving villages in your travels, have you?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Croix sighed. ¡°I want the people to have plenty and know happiness, how can they, if every day they have to work like beasts of burden and only earn just enough to fill half of their stomachs?¡± Living in the Shore and seeing how the people there spent their time was an eye-opening experience for Croix. ¡°The Shore needs revenue, a source of wealth¡­¡± Croix touched his chin. ¡°A lot of them.¡± ¡°Very good. The humble Shore or the much greater Latias Kingdom, to thrive, needs revenue. And where do you suppose we can get it?¡± Viers asked. Croix was thinking hard but he couldn''t come up with an answer. The villagers were finished packing up and the gang made their way to the Shore. The road was long but at least the weather was pleasant. They passed by a group of Pathseeker hunters, carrying the remains of monsters and other magical products from danger zones. Just monsters and items in the rank of 1 and 2, nothing unusual, but Croix received a realization from the chance meeting. ¡°The Pathseeker stuff. Resources, knowledge, services and things that are useful to Pathseeker. That¡¯s where the money is!¡± Boram was keeping his silence but Viers saw in his eyes he wasn''t thoughtless. With the prince stating his answer, Boram got a glint of realization in his eyes. ¡°Indeed. Correct answer, Highness.¡± Viers turned on the magic item so the two villagers who pulled the cart wouldn''t hear the conversation then took up a gold coin. ¡°All the things you bought today are less than this.¡± Next, Viers took out a mana crystal with his other hand, roughly the size of the coin. ¡°This thing is worth ten times the gold.¡± ¡°The revenue you get from selling fish and vegetables won''t bring your village to prosperity, viceroy, not in six months. All the wealth in this world is connected to the Path of Power, to Pathseeker needs. Killing monsters, searching for magical herbs, and finding special ores, are just examples. The market for those is far more lucrative and the return is much higher.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a caveat. These are usually found in dangerous areas where savage monsters are prowling about. You can''t get them without sufficient strength. This is the crux of the matter, ordinary people can''t get them. Without wealth, no prosperity.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Croix looked at the two villagers pulling the cart in front of him with sympathy. ¡°Born with the affinity to be a Pathseeker or not¡­ Those that are not are fated to live with their lot. Seems terribly unfair.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Even if you are born ordinary, those who truly struggle against fate can change theirs. But back on topic, the countess sent you, a Pathseeker, still Level 0 but a Pathseeker all the same, to the Shore and make it prosperous. As you grow in power, the more opportunities you¡¯ll have. Surely you know what you have to do next?¡± ¡°Yes, Master Avel,¡± Croix¡¯s dragon extended his neck from the opened bag. ¡°I and Falmerion will become stronger together!¡± ¡°Just so. For a place to prosper, it has to have a strong leader. Wealth begets envy. If you are weak, you cannot stop those who want to take it from you. The world is a cruel place.¡± The fact that Viers had done so to many others before remained unsaid. *** ¡°Mmnnhh¡­ Pathseeker training is really tiring,¡± Croix stretched his arms up. ¡°Shaaa!¡± Falmerion landed on his shoulder. ¡°Heeey, getting pretty good with those wings of yours, aren''t you, buddy?¡± ¡°Sha!¡± The reply was immediate. Croix went out of his house to get some fresh air. His dwelling was the best-constructed hut in the village, courtesy of the villagers. The villagers insisted even though Croix said it wasn''t necessary. Viers and Boram stayed together in another house. ¡°Is it just me, or are you getting bigger?¡± A man was standing in front of the house, smiling at him. ¡°My Prince, I¡¯m glad to see you well,¡± the man with white hair bowed. ¡°Alfred!¡± Croix was happy to see his loyal attendant. He didn''t hesitate to take a divine sword strike to protect him. ¡°How¡¯s your injury? Are you well?¡± ¡°Countess Grace is most benevolent. I¡¯m as well as I can be.¡± Besides the white hair, the man in his thirties looked normal. His outfit was that of a simple traveler but he was a Level 4 darkness Pathseeker. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of your task. Your humble servant will assist you in all of my capability.¡± ¡°I am beyond grateful. Come in, I¡¯ll brew you some tea.¡± ¡°My Prince, that is not necessary.¡± ¡°Just this once let me be a good host. I¡¯ll tell you what I¡¯ve been doing since our return trip from Archion Volcano.¡± Alfred smiled wryly and stepped inside. *** ¡°Congratulations on your recovery,¡± Viers said to Alfred after the two met. He had sensed the Level 4 approaching the Shore and didn''t interfere with his meeting with Croix. ¡°Thank you. I also want to thank you for your assistance at the volcano.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Croix¡¯s vassal. It is my role.¡± ¡°The village is¡­ nice. Only a couple weeks since your arrival and it has come along nicely. I¡¯m told your disciple has been invaluable.¡± ¡°Well, lightning doesn''t make houses after all.¡± Viers didn''t forget that he was posing as a Level 3 lightning user, Avel. ¡°Neither does darkness,¡± the older man smiled. There was a comfortable pause among them before Viers spoke again. ¡°How are you truly holding up? Your power seems¡­ unstable.¡± ¡°So you realized.¡± ¡°You took a strike above that of Level 5 head-on. It should have cut you in two and disintegrated both of your halves.¡± Alfred let out a chuckle from Viers¡¯ graphic description. ¡°My Intio cracked because I overextended myself. Countess Grace patched it up but it isn''t permanent. My powers will diminish in time but I don''t regret my actions. With what time I have left I¡¯ll support the Prince.¡± ¡°Your loyalty is of the highest standard, Knight Alfred.¡± Viers poured wine in a cup and slid it towards him. Alfred took the post of Croix¡¯s majordomo. Just like Viers and Boram, he didn''t wildly use his Level 4 strength to help Croix bulldoze his viceroy trial. Perhaps he got told by the countess. His presence lessened Croix¡¯s workload, freeing up time so the newly minted Pathseeker could train. As a Level 0, this period of time was very important. *** Mualammu Kingdom. Ars¨¨ne was experiencing a whole new world as he lived among the Merfolk. The kingdom had a very diverse populace. Beside the humanoids with fish anatomy under the torso, there were Sahagins, squid-man, jellyfish lady, walking starfish, and other sorts of marine intelligent species. The degree of diversity reminded Ars¨¨ne of the surface¡¯s beastfolk. They could have traits from every member of the animal kingdom. The underwater kingdom produced magic lights so there was illumination even in this deep seabed. When Ars¨¨ne arrived here, he was gawked at like a rare aquarium animal. The merman that was Ars¨¨ne¡¯s ¡®master¡¯ had got a long nose because of all the praises they heaped upon him. As a tourist, Ars¨¨ne wasn''t disappointed; there were many great sights to see. Soon enough, it was clear that this kingdom, which was more like a metropolis, was not the only one. There were multiple others in the other part of the vast seas. Ars¨¨ne wondered if they also had funny names like this one. He maintained his orca form all the time, there wasn''t any time limit on how long he could stay a monster anyway. At first, Ars¨¨ne wondered if Uraj¡¯s superior would try to take him for themselves but that didn''t seem to be the case. Ars¨¨ne was like a legendary weapon that was found by this lucky bastard. Quite a few sent Uraj envious stares but Ars¨¨ne doubted the mer realized that, drunk on happiness he was. One thing that caught his eye was how many tamed monsters there were. Almost every power user had one, sometimes even several. Clearly they had advanced techniques centered around using pet monsters. The binding technique that was cast on him was so-so good, Ars¨¨ne admitted. Emphasis on the so-so. Ars¨¨ne was eager to find out more but there was no rush. For now, he obediently stayed at his ¡®master¡¯s¡¯ place. ¡°Dom, meal time.¡± Uraj came with big prey. Ars¨¨ne swallowed the offering of monster meat. Monsters grew stronger by feasting. That was also true for him but he was an impermanent clone! It was useless even if he ate them. The real Viers had to be the one to eat to improve the monster forms. Ars¨¨ne made a show that he ate them while actually putting the meal inside his pocket space so he could send them to Viers later. He didn''t know the secret yet but the prey that Uraj gave him was a pretty good exp, which was why he didn''t want to waste it. Another mystery to solve. ¡°Hehehe, eat up a lot, Dom,¡± Uraj smiled. ¡°The Hunting Game is close. We¡¯re going to dominate the event.¡± Yeah, yeah. How about you stop smirking and give me more food? Chapter 382 - Growing Croix¡¯s tenure at the Shore continued. He juggled between improving himself and rebuilding the village. His progress was¡­ decent. It was above average, but not monstrously groundbreaking. Croix¡¯s fire affinity was 4, quite good but lacking compared to fire 5. Honestly, Viers didn''t see the signs that he would become a top-class Pathseeker or legendary king. Still, he had an honest heart and the correct attitude. However, Viers knew from personal experience that subpar start didn''t mean they would be subpar at the end. That dragon at the volcano saw something in him and he got a living-breathing baby dragon at his side. Viers hoped he would go far. Croix got coaching from Viers and Alfred but the former only dropped in occasionally. Viers also had his own training to worry about and Boram similarly deserved his attention. Viers didn''t teach Croix Artes or swordsmanship -even though he had loads of them- but things related to actual battle. They sparred and pointed out Croix¡¯s deficiencies, and then let him work out the rest. The basics and fundamentals were handled by Alfred. Alfred seemed to have accepted his cultivation had reached the end because of injury. The Level 4 was no longer keen on improving himself unlike Viers so he poured his time and energy into assisting Croix. In his spare time, Croix surveyed the village¡¯s surroundings, hoping to find a source of revenue for his domain but he¡¯d found nothing so far. Viers knew there were some. In the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhist teaching, the very first was the right view, followed by right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and lastly, right concentration. In Buddhism, the eight rights will lead to the cessation of dukkha, or suffering. Oversimplified, but close enough. Viers didn''t intend to become a monk or anything but he found the Noble Eightfold Path was truly a great concept. To achieve greatness, or to live properly, those eight rights were indeed crucial. The very first was the right view so the very first ability he¡¯d learn from Clarissa was his super eyes, the Euryale Sight Arte. This Arte covered scouting faraway places, seeing through falsehoods and illusions, and finding the all-important cultivation resources. From the Fables, he knew this world, like all the power-fantasy stories out there, hid all sorts of mysteries and riches. Therefore, before Viers set off from his spawning-town, he made sure he could find those things. I hope no deities show up and smite me cause I use a Buddhist concept to live my way¡­ Who am I kidding? If I die, I am certain I¡¯m going to hell anyway. Furthermore, because his sight was so sharp it also gave him an advantage in battle, such as predicting the enemy''s next move from the twitch of his muscles and the flow of their Victa. With his Arte, Viers had found several places that would suit Croix¡¯s needs but he didn''t tell him. Croix had to find them himself. Viers was pretty sure Alfred also thought the same. Viers cultivated diligently so he could breakthrough to Level 4 at the soonest possible moment. The harvest of life from the Monster Tide nourished the Biome and in turn sped up the growth of Nutra Grass. Nutra was the best cultivation booster drug that he¡¯d tried by far. After he got separated from the isekai-ed dungeon core, Abby, Viers couldn''t get Nutra anymore. He did try to kill her and take the Nutra source for himself, but he failed. What he tried next was to replicate the effect of the Nutra. He succeeded in this. With Dia¡¯s mastery over plants, a new species was created, the Nutra Grass. The effect was lesser compared to the original Nutra, but the grass was growable. Viers could use quantity to offset the quality. When he gave a sample to Boram and the two girls, they also enjoyed the smoother and faster speed in cultivation. Even the non-human grass, water, and fire familiars benefited. Nutra was very versatile. If Viers put Nutra in the market, it would surely shock the continent. The substance was revolutionary. He would be a millionaire overnight. Then I''d probably get murdered by someone like myself. But! Viers would rather become strong than rich, so every pound of Nutra Grass harvested was meant for consumption. During his observations, he found that the grass would slowly wilt and die. When it first happened, Viers was panicking, trying a lot of things. The mana in the Biome was abundant, magic sunlight and water aplenty, soil packed with nutrients from the Pathseeker bodies that Viers turned into compost, nothing seemed to be working. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Until Viers watered the grass with his blood. Why does my blood work? Viers tried to remember the origin of Nutra. Abby found the powder flowing out from the hollowed chest of a weird corpse fused with a dead white tree which she later showed him. On the tree, there were several already wilted flowers. A familiar flower. One such specimen was inside his Intio, inside his cultivation core. Everlife Goldbloom Flower Aletro called it¡­ The flower and Nutra are linked somehow. For now, the supply of Nutra was stable. As long as the grass drank his blood, it would stay alive and continue to grow. It didn''t need that much either, just a few drops of blood. Viers planned to slowly fill multiple water tanks with his blood, just in case he couldn''t return to Viridis for an extended amount of time. Medicines for blood growth or blood supplements were pretty common. Pathseekers were regularly fighting and got injured after all. Viers was willing to bleed regularly for Nutra in return. At the end of the first month of Croix¡¯s six-month assessment, an examiner from Stormberg came. The man said he was sent by the countess to evaluate Croix¡¯s progress as viceroy. The man was a Level 4. He stayed for a few days, not speaking to Croix except when it was necessary, surveyed this and that, then he was gone without a word. The next day, the man returned with a convoy. Supplies for the Shore, food, building materials, workers, and other necessities. Not great, but sorely needed. Viers held back a snicker. The arrival of the convoy was like a game mechanic. ¡°Rewards from the Countess for your work. The better you perform, the greater the reward. For the first month, I graded your rebuilding work as barely acceptable. I look forward to seeing your results next month. The countess also asked me to give you this after hearing my report.¡± It was some sort of food for Falmerion to promote his growth. The red scaly certainly looked thrilled. He was growing nicely. Croix accepted his assessment with grace and was determined to do better next time. The Shore had pretty much recovered except for the loss of lives during the tidal wave. Be that as it may, things were looking up. The village had a party that night, and Croix gave it permission. It was pretty nice. *** Clarissa roused herself from soul slumber in the White Flowers Meadow, a place inside Viers¡¯ soul. Farley, Paina, and Farley¡¯s sleeping sister, they had moved. All of them had their own bodies now. She was alone at this place. The lamia princess felt a little lonely. She materialized out next to Viers. The time was roughly around sunrise. Viers had planted a Gate Plant at the Shore which allowed him to go in and out to the Biome. He usually slept in the Biome rather than his house at the Shore unbeknownst to everyone except for Boram. ¡°Morning,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re doing something unusual.¡± Viers was sitting on the grass -Viridis¡¯ grass was pleasant to touch according to Paina but Clarissa couldn''t clarify it- and facing a great sword stabbed into the ground. ¡°Morning Rissa. I¡¯m conversing.¡± ¡°With the Divine sword? So it truly has a soul.¡± ¡°Tool Spirit to be exact but basically the same.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been wondering why Duke Lucan gave something as great as a Divine tier item to his son-in-law-to-be, no matter how high his potential is. Normally it shouldn''t happen. Now I know. See, Duke Lucan cannot use this sword.¡± ¡°Oh? Why is that?¡± ¡°According to the sword spirit in the form of a wolf, the Duke obtained the sword using a method the spirit isn''t fond of. Poisoning his granduncle or some such? Whatever. Somehow Marvin knew and asked for it. Thus it landed in Marvin¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°The Level 5 can''t but the Level 4 can? How about you?¡± ¡°Well, this guy praised me for defeating Marvin. It wants to be wielded by someone worthy, you see. Someone who can defeat it in combat. But I didn''t defeat Marvin on my own. I had help. He¡¯s still observing my worthiness. Still, as a reward for defeating him in combat, I may use him for one swing.¡± ¡°One swing from that sword is enough to turn the tide of most battles, provided your body can handle it. Your body is not particularly strong compared to the Pathseeker standard. ¡°I¡¯m not focused on body cultivation,¡± Viers nodded then shrugged. ¡°Soul Pathseeker, baby. ¡± ¡°But your regeneration is impressive. At least don''t use the sword until you¡¯re Level 4.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the plan. Got a few other life-saving methods for emergencies so no rush. Marvin got the sword¡¯s approval by the way, but it''s complicated.¡± ¡°M-hm¡­ I don''t see Paina and Farley,¡± Clarissa looked around. ¡°621 and Raven are on a mission outside.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s their code name? What about mine?¡± ¡°Ayre. If you wish,¡± Viers grinned. ¡°As always, I don''t know what¡¯s going on in your mind,¡± Clarissa flipped her hair back with her hand. ¡°I will worry if you do. How¡¯s your condition?¡± ¡°Fully recovered. No hidden damage from the battle or using X form. What do you want me to do? Searching for other ancient Artes in my mother¡¯s leftover consciousness? Training the kids? Going on a mission outside like Farley and Paina? The way I am now should pose no problem.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes, about that,¡± Viers put his hand inside the Thousand Treasures Casket. ¡°I know you have a lot of free time but both your friends are often busy and just watching me training gets dull eventually¡­ You¡¯re getting bored. So, how about giving this a try?¡± Viers gave Clarissa a book, quite thick. Clarissa read the book¡¯s title, then raised an eyebrow. Alchemy For Dummies. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Chapter 383 - Clarissa’s New Job ¡°Alchemy? I¡¯m a fighter, Viers. Tinkering with medicine and stuff isn''t my thing.¡± ¡°Never too late to start. Besides, don''t you want to try something new? Perhaps you¡¯ll enjoy it,¡± Viers persuaded. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Hear me out. The alchemy in this book is not your usual alchemy. Remember Aravin? The harem guy with a loli spiritual teacher inside him? That guy possessed the alchemy sage manual, supposedly a legendary lost art from the Eastern Continent where the loli girl came from. Received it from a mysterious beggar he helped in the past, imagine that. It is a waste to let it gather dust in my mind.¡± ¡°Why don''t you learn it then?¡± ¡°In other Fables, there are a lot of Main Characters that can do alchemy but I feel this isn''t my thing. I¡¯d like to focus on slashing and crushing my enemies as I eat delicious souls.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same as me! Minus the soul part,¡± Clarissa sighed, as she was not convinced. ¡°I¡¯ve never brewed a potion.¡± ¡°Aren''t you looking for things to do? Why don''t you give it a try? Who knows you might have a knack for it. You might be able to craft your own body to house your soul one day. Think of the possibilities of creation, Rissa. This alchemy is different from this land¡¯s. It makes great use of fire. You¡¯re the best fire user I know, other than that Phoenix girl. Please.¡± Clarissa looked at Viers¡¯ borderline pleading face and hesitated. She had a grasp of Viers¡¯ situation. He had a lot of raw materials but lacked the means to process them. The produce from the Biome alone was very bountiful. Processed properly, the benefits from consuming them would be multiplied. Clarissa sighed and took the book with the unpleasant title. She wasn''t a dummy, definitely not. ¡°I make no promises. I¡¯ll try to make the basics at least.¡± ¡°Excellent! I knew I could count on you. I also got a lot of souls with alchemy know-how from this side of the world. I can impart their skills and knowledge to you. With a Grand Soul, I can now do it. You¡¯ll be a super alchemist in no time,¡± Viers gave a thumbs up. ¡°Don''t complain if the pill I make gives you a stomach ache,¡± Clarissa browsed through the book. ¡°How did you make this? Writing all this must''ve taken a lot of time.¡± ¡°Hm? Soul writing,¡± Viers demonstrated by hovering his hand above a stone and writing appeared on the surface. He flicked his hands and the writing was erased. ¡°Hmm, soul power is pretty convenient.¡± Viers waited while Clarissa took her first step as an alchemist, learning the introduction of alchemy from a manual. He involuntarily reminisced about Battle Through the Heavens. That novel was one of the first ten Chinese power fantasy novels that he had read so it left a pretty big impression on him. Xiao Yan¡­ Angry Buddha Lotus Flame¡­ Will Clarissa tread a similar path I wonder? Fufufu. Within the edge of her vision, Clarissa saw Viers smiling creepily. Was he truly that happy? If so, perhaps she should put a bit more earnestness into this alchemy thing. ¡°Then I¡¯ll try making this healing salve thing. It¡¯s one of the most basic recipes and it looks simple enough for beginners.¡± ¡°Alright. When you¡¯re proficient enough, I¡¯ll make an atelier for you. Your personal workshop.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine, I guess? Will it be any good?¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk,¡± Viers waved his finger at the doubt. ¡°You don''t have to worry about that. I¡¯ve helped a lot of girls manage their atelier and schedule. Quite a few of them even ended up making the legendary Philosopher''s Stone, so I''ve got a good record if I say so myself.¡± Iris, Rorona, Totori, Meruru, Sophie, Ryza¡­ Their legacy is safe within me. Viers didn''t think alchemy was limited to making pills and potions. He had played those games, he had read Fullmetal Alchemist, Viers¡¯ view on what alchemy can create was pretty broad. Viers wondered if it was possible in this world to produce perfectly shaped bombs, cakes, and weapons by throwing a bunch of raw ingredients into a big pot and then giving it a stir. It would be hilarious. Meanwhile, Clarissa¡¯s face soured. ¡°These girls, are they cute?¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Clarissa slithered away. She wasn''t pouting, definitely not. But the first potion she made would be added with strong laxatives. *** I am Toruk Makto. That was what Ars¨¨ne felt as the days passed while the underwater races ogled him. Wait, that¡¯s wrong. Uraj is the Toruk Makto, I¡¯m the big bird. The Mer was the first to bond with a Deva-class monster -or Godkin in their preferred naming- for a long time and thus brought great respect for the extraordinary feat. The Mer¡¯s lot in life improved. The Hunting Games was a success. He got a promotion, salary increase, marriage proposals, and so on. The better Ars¨¨ne performed, the more it seemed to translate to Uraj¡¯s ability. Preposterous. The man did nothing while Ars¨¨ne did everything. Uraj was so swallowed by his own hype that he didn''t even triple-check his magical binding to a monster stronger than him, not even once. Meanwhile, Viers did so on Faiya on a daily basis. On Dia, Futon, and the girls, he did it at least once a week. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Be that as it may, the circumstances worked just fine for Ars¨¨ne. Weeks passed and the Devadom Orca was no longer a hot sensation, giving him some leeway to act freely. According to his observations, the underwater society of Mualammu Kingdom was not unlike those on the surface. There was cultivation, resources, and power struggles. While pretending to be a dumb monster that followed the order of a guy winning a jumbo lottery of life, Ars¨¨ne schemed on how to take unique and high value resources from the sea to the surface. Dia still needed time to create a Gate Plant that worked in such depths, though he had given several local plants to serve as her references. Until it was complete and operational, Ars¨¨ne had to figure out a way to rendezvous back to his other self before the limit of his Profound Codex kicked in, turning him powerless. ¡°Ahahaha, keep ¡®em coming! You all have some too, my treat! Oh, how lucky am I to be surrounded by beauties like you all!¡± Ars¨¨ne saw Uraj in a drinking shop, two mermaids on his side while a third was pouring his beverage in his cup. They somehow made it work despite the water environment. Looking at his ¡®master¡¯, Ars¨¨ne shook his head. He shouldn''t worry too much. If he couldn''t go around the back of this idiot, what kind of a villain was he? It was like failing to be a dress-up ghost that couldn''t scare Shaggy in Scooby Doo. It was a comically low bar. In less than ten days, Ars¨¨ne managed to throw Uraj off his trail and rejoined with Viers at the Shore. When he returned to the sea kingdom, he had seeds that enabled teleportation in his pocket space. Soon, the crime rate in the kingdom rose, especially theft. The culprit had yet to be identified. It was difficult since there were very few clues left behind as if it had been done by a ghost. *** ¡°Falmerion, Firebreath!¡± A red dragon the size of a dog roasted a Level 0 boar monster in just a few seconds. ¡°Good job!¡± ¡°Shaaa!¡± Falmerion replied to his master¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°Wonderfully done, My Prince. You¡¯ve come a long way,¡± Alfred praised. Time went on and Croix had become a Level 1 Pathseeker. Falmerion too had been growing healthily. The way Croix fought was that of a tamer archetype. However, unlike Uraj, the prince empowered his dragon and the dragon lent his strength in turn. ¡°Alfred, Avel, the way I am now I can finally search for resources in the surroundings, correct?¡± Alfred and Viers gave each other a glance before giving a nod. The prince was eager to go treasure hunting since the first week of his post, but the wilds were a dangerous place for a neophyte Pathseeker. Level 1 was the bare minimum that both Croix¡¯s mentors set for him. During Croix¡¯s first foray, he was pretty excited. He was just a 15-year-old boy after all. Although he knew there was nothing in the area that could put the prince in extreme danger, Alfred watched over him like a hawk the whole time. The prince found two minor resources that day, not enough to be a source of revenue for his village. Croix didn''t succeed in finding his objective either on his second foray, or the fifth. ¡°Urgh! Where are the treasures!?¡± Croix grumbled. ¡°This is a Green Zone, Highness,¡± Viers smiled. ¡°Any treasures of value here have been picked clean long ago. If there are any left, it means they are well hidden. The more dangerous a place is, the higher the chance you¡¯ll find something of value. You have got experience in outings. You can try the Orange Zone to the northwest now.¡± Croix did just that and learned the monsters found him and his dragon appetizing. Croix had to fight to keep his flesh for himself. Like his master said, the danger was higher but the reward was also higher. He got an unusual purple berry that should be a Rank 2 resource, something fitting for a Level 2 Pathseeker. It was nice but that wouldn''t be enough. After searching and searching for two weeks, Croix¡¯s persistence finally bore fruit. ¡°This is a mana crystal mine!¡± Croix looked around at the glittering cavern walls. The corpse of the monsters guarding this place was nearby. The happiness Croix felt bolted out the pain of his injuries. ¡°The Shore finally got something to show for it!¡± ¡°Halt! Who goes there?¡± Alfred and Boram who accompanied Croix were already in their battle stance. It was a group of five Level 1s. ¡°So you¡¯re the one who made the ruckus around here,¡± the man who seemed to be the leader said. ¡°Well, well, look what we have here¡­¡± The greed in his eyes was unmistakable. ¡°The Spears of Fury School will overlook your transgression on its territory in light of this. You may go.¡± ¡°Excuse me? We¡¯re the ones who found this place!¡± Croix raised his voice. ¡°Perhaps, but this is our territory. Ooo, that¡¯s quite the rage in your eyes. I suggest you think twice, our School¡¯s leader is a Level 3. He can wipe the floor with you without batting an eye.¡± *** ¡°And then what did you all do?¡± Viers asked Boram as he told his story back at the Shore. ¡°After some verbal disagreement, Croix chose to back down without fighting them.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Viers stayed silent for some time. ¡°You seem to want to ask something.¡± ¡°Why don''t we just attack them all, Master? We found the mine, the crystals are supposed to be ours. The five are nothing special and the School leader is just Level 3. Alfred is Level 4. If by some measure I fell short, there¡¯s you. Defeating the whole School shouldn''t be difficult.¡± ¡°Suppose you fight them, even if you win, then what? Yes, you got the mine, but at what cost? How much Victa you¡¯ll spend fighting the whole School? Then there¡¯s the fallout of such hostile actions. That news will spread unless you kill every witness. Croix will be seen as short-sighted and aggressive, a blow to his reputation. With a bad reputation, it will be hard for him to find backing for his bid for the throne. Not only that, but this also involves Croix¡¯s superior, Countess Grace, and that School¡¯s backing which complicates matters further. Is this all worth it for a Rank 1 mana crystal mine?¡± ¡°Ahh, so it isn''t that simple¡­ Layers of consideration¡­¡± ¡°This is how the righteous path operates. Their struggle is less bloody but with more undercurrents. Lots of consideration and effort to maintain their reputation and prestige. When the ugly part happens it is usually hidden from public eyes and ears.¡± ¡°Err, righteous path, Master?¡± ¡°The public figures and factions that maintain law and order, more or less. The Church, the kingdoms, I call them the righteous path out of habit.¡± The term from Reverend Insanity stuck in Viers¡¯ mind. ¡°At any rate, my guess is Croix will be checking the boundary of the Countess¡¯ territory and his own. To see if the mine falls under his jurisdiction. The mine¡¯s location is a bit leaning on contested territory after all. If so, then he might have the justification to seize the mine openly and publicly.¡± ¡°But, Master, in your place¡­ I feel bad for saying this but isn''t this all so insignificant?¡± Boram had seen his Master¡¯s Biome, its bounty and resources. Compared to that, the mine is nothing. ¡°Yes, ultimately the mine, the Shore, all are little potatoes. Nothing significant, but it is significant for Croix. He needs to experience this so he can grow. It¡¯s a part of life.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°The stronger you get, the bigger your problems are and the once great obstacle to you is no longer so. As a Level 3 taking the mine should be a simple matter for you, even more simple for me or Alfred. But this is Croix¡¯s problem. His decision to make, his learning process. For us, we also have our own problems. Life is just never-ending challenges. Come, it¡¯s been some time, let¡¯s spar. You better not slack off with your own training despite being on guard duty.¡± ¡°Yes, Master. I won''t let you down.¡± Chapter 384 - Luxury Problem The matter of the mine and its right of ownership was bulldozed when Croix gave a visit to the Spears of Fury School with a writ signed by the Countess of Stormberg herself. According to a treaty from some decades past, the mine was located in the countess¡¯ territory. The Spears of Fury headmaster conceded politely and with tact. The matter seemed resolved and Croix looked happy. ¡°Beware of saboteurs,¡± Viers warned. He was familiar with how the story most likely would develop. Croix took some precautions and managed to entrap rogues with ill intent. Viers didn''t care about it very much but the result was the Shore finally had some form of revenue. *** The development of the Shore was going forward unceasingly thanks to Croix¡¯s diligence. Beside the mine, the seaweed farm was rebuilt, and the fishing business had progressed to pre-disaster level. Croix then thought to diversify a bit. The Shore was a coastal village and there were a few fertile fields nearby. He opened a plantation there, breaking the earth with a hoe using his own hands as an example. The profits from the mine were lucrative enough to transform the Shore. The industries were getting quite big, but the Shore lacked the manpower. Croix hired workers from neighboring towns. Some people picked up how the wind was blowing and traders began to trickle in. With more people, rumors spread more easily. Folk talked in the taverns about a place improved directly by a royal, of a prince with a dragon. The Shore had quite a few new settlers. Croix accepted them all, putting them to work with fair compensation, such as free taxes for some time. Alfred advised Croix to make new policies because with the way things were going, they were not the same as before. With each passing month the Shore was becoming more prosperous. The examiner looked more pleased than he was last month. By the third month, Croix also made the examiner return to Stormberg with the produce and goods of the Shore. It showed the Shore had prospered enough to generate surpluses. It was mostly foodstuff and a normal one at that but no one would complain about having more food. Croix¡¯s next big project was to improve the road to make travel easier. After the Shore¡¯s population hit a hundred, along with almost fifty temporary workers, Viers and Alfred began raising the matter of security. They needed more Pathseekers. For now, their presence would deter monsters and outlaws, but they wouldn''t stay here forever. The most common solution was to employ the locals, but the Shore was expanding too fast so this wasn''t possible. Viers was a bit out of his field this time since he was a foreigner. If this was the Free People Coalition then he would post a quest at the Adventurers Guild but this was the Latias Kingdom. The Pathseekers were consolidated to the state-sanctioned Knightly Orders or as vassals of nobles. Croix and Alfred were about to negotiate with suitable people but then the problem solved itself. The examiner man, who also served as a liaison between the Shore and Stormberg, came with three other Pathseekers. They introduced themselves as members of the Thunder Wing Knightly Order and were posted here. Croix welcomed them warmly. ¡°Aunt Grace¡¯s kindness is timely,¡± Croix sighed in satisfaction. ¡°Forgive me, My Prince but that is not entirely correct.¡± ¡°Alfred is right,¡± Viers agreed with a nod. ¡°The Countess sent her knights here because this place has grown to the degree to deserve such protections,¡± Alfred explained. ¡°As you can see, there are not enough Pathseekers for every rural village.¡± ¡°This is also her example for you, Highness. Should you one day be in a position to allocate your knights, you must be attentive and place them at places that need them in a timely manner. Your governors or viceroys who have done their duties expect this of you.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ve learned a lot.¡± The three knights were all Level 1 but one of them, the leader, was close to Level 2. Their duties were to guard the Shore for a period of time, and then another team would take their place after their duty ended. Viers observed that sending knights to frontier areas like the Shore also doubled as training for the knights as they fought monsters. Monsters were the main reason that halted the expansion of civilization. The more people flocked together, the more likely they would be attacked by monsters. Only two things prevented this, the presence of a strong individual that eclipsed the monsters in the vicinity, or a monster repellant. The monster repellent could be naturally born or manmade. Take Luca¡¯s village for example, that place had a tree that was planted by the previous incarnation of Dia, repelling the surrounding monsters. Which was why that place was rarely attacked by monsters even though it was located deep in the wilderness. The big cities used magical items or even structures for security measures. Shielding stations, enchanted walls, and anti-siege weapons were some examples. The Shore had no such luxury so they had to guard it the old-fashioned way, manually. While Croix aced his six-month long test, Viers¡¯ days were very calm. But just because it was peacetime, he wasn''t being lax in his training. He knew peacetime was a preparatory period for war, especially in a world such as this. In Viridis, Boram was standing with his eyes closed. Faiya and Futon were circling him silently. Without warning, they attacked. Boram didn''t move a muscle but sand from the ground moved to defend him. He was practicing his Ixi Arte. Since Boram was an earth Pathseeker, Viers taught him to use a related element, sand. The Arte was about automatic defense. He chose sand because it was more suitable as a reactive shield rather than earth. And because Viers had Boram learn Gaara¡¯s technique. Meanwhile, Viers was with Clarissa. He transformed into a little blue swallow. A new monster form of his. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Incredible,¡± Clarissa hummed. ¡°I can''t sense my fire curse at all, nor can I invoke it.¡± ¡°I expected that to be the case. Good thing it is true.¡± Viers had a bomb inside him buried by Countess Grace. There was no way Viers would let it be. He had no success dismantling it so he sought other solutions. He thought of his monster forms. Since any injury he had had no relation with the condition of the monster he transformed into, then the bomb should not be able to explode if he transformed. That was the theory, so he tested it by having Clarissa put her Arte when he was human. Each of his monster forms had a separate HP bar from each other and even if they died, it had no relation to Viers. Now that the theory has been proven true. unless the bomb went off instantly, Viers could avoid getting blasted to icy kingdom-come by transforming. It feels pretty cowardly but whatever, I¡¯ll take it. Also, finally, Viers got in contact with Izabella. They had radio silence after the raid of Lucan Duchy. The matter of Marvin Deal came through. After Izabella delivered Marvin by order via Viers, she received a legendary Arte from the Blood Church, the Blood Seraph Arte. She could not give Viers, or anyone else, the exact copy of it because of the Greater Geass placed on her, but after a couple of months, she was able to deduce enough of the Arte¡¯s core principle which she gave to Viers as payment. From the ultimate Arte trinity of the Blood Church, Blood Seraph, Life Seraph, and Origin Seraph Arte, Viers got a watered-down principle of one. Most of the time this was not worth it because it would only result in a defective Arte or a worthlessly inferior one, but Viers was not most people. The principle of the Blood Seraph Arte was to enable the user to craft blood into power after elevating their mastery to a terrifying degree. According to Izabella, in the short while she invoked the Arte, she felt like she became the absolute master of blood. For example, a simple blood Arte from her became magnitudes greater. When Viers asked how strong, she said she might be able to kill a Level 5 if she went all out and died in the process. Naturally, she had no intention of doing it and the Arte was not as simple as an attack-boosting Arte. She tested she could simply drain the blood from someone of the same Level even when they were fully guarded. She could directly refine blood to improve her cultivation, and so much more. Izabella has no blood affinity yet it is that strong? What if she has blood 4 or 5? Quite the Arte indeed. Since Iz was an enchanter, she could also use the Arte to improve in this field. It was said that the current head of the Blood Church had created a blood angel as strong as a true angel with this Arte. ¡°You are not limited to your own blood. Any blood will do, even your enemies¡¯,¡± the redhead cultist said. Viers noticed the similarities of the Arte with his own soul abilities already. The soul attainment from Aletro was the start of Viers¡¯ many soul abilities. This Arte might bring Izabella into the same height of affinity but of blood instead of soul. Perhaps it might be greater? Don''t know yet but hers is only temporary while mine is permanent. Basically Izabella had the possibility of treading Viers¡¯ path using a blood method. ¡°Craft blood into power¡­¡± This part of the Arte piqued Viers¡¯ interest more. He immediately began to think of the possibility of gaining ¡®blood energy¡¯ or whatever from the enemies he slew. Viers already could harvest the soul, body, knowledge, and worldly possessions of his enemies. If he could gain ¡®blood energy¡¯ on top of them, his gain from every kill would be even greater. His growth would be even more exceptional. His fear was if the blood energy consumed blood. It meant the ¡®body¡¯ harvest would lessen. For some monsters, the blood was the most precious part of the kill. More testing was required to see if the tradeoff was worth it or not. Viers was satisfied with the payment since he got all the loot that Marvin had. This was the cherry on top and a damn good one at that. It opened a new possibility for him to process a raw resource in abundance. Even though he didn''t get the original Arte, the formulas and principles from Izabella saved him months or years of work. In the future Viers tried to soul search her to see if he could gain the original Arte but it didn''t work. He wasn''t more powerful than the one that put the lock on Iz¡¯s mind. But still, yet another Arte¡­ Viers sighed in helplessness. He had so many Artes now that it had become difficult to keep track. He wanted versatility so he had many but he invested too wide. Other Pathseekers weren''t like Viers, they focused on improving the Artes suitable for them. Furthermore, Viers had two affinities, which widened the options further. I must consolidate my Artes. Discard or merge them. At this rate, I¡¯ll become master of none. This was one of the reasons why Viers didn''t ask Clarissa for more Artes from the Age of the Gods. He had more than enough Arte. Even now he had Artes on the level of finishing moves that he hadn''t shown anyone yet. The super Arte that he¡¯d only used once against the Mary Sue from Clarissa, the Soul Snake¡¯s Disintegration Decree, Viers had created two others that were just as powerful. What was the use of having a thousand sure-kill moves if one or two were enough? But Viers couldn''t help it! He had so many ideas from the Fables! Like a mad scientist, he couldn''t stop himself from meddling with forbidden knowledge and creating them! This is the so-called luxury problem. This is just like Fang Yuan having too many Immortal Gu. He was having problems feeding them¡­ Am I idolizing him so much that his problem becomes my problem? Won''t this mean I¡¯ll be hunted like a dog by the world just like him? Oh shit! No, Viers, stop thinking! I¡¯ll jinx it! Viers spent his days in the Shore without any battle for months but he had so much to do he almost got no free time. He spent more and more time in his house like a cultivator in seclusion. Since he also did training in his soul space with time dilation, he was actually experiencing an even longer period of time. The stress was so maddening that he thought it was better to fight Freya, Georgi, or Dumuzin again. At least they were something he could punch. Be that as it may, Viers¡¯ battle power was growing at an incredible rate. Time marched on without consideration. The six months of Croix¡¯s assignment were coming to its final month. The Shore had become pretty good and Viers expected the Countess should be satisfied even though she probably wouldn''t say it directly to Croix¡¯s face. He thought that such stressful yet halcyon days should keep going until the end. ¡°Master, I''m sorry to disturb you but we¡¯ve got a problem,¡± Boram politely entered. ¡°Oh, thank God.¡± Boram blinked a few times in confusion. He certainly didn''t expect to hear that. ¡°...Master?¡± ¡°Ehem,¡± Viers coughed. ¡°It was nothing. What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better if you see for yourself.¡± Boram led Viers to the outskirts. There were several monster corpses around. Croix, Alfred, and the Level 1 knights were there too. ¡°Since two weeks ago, monsters have been sighted in the area with increasing frequency,¡± Croix said. ¡°Something¡¯s amiss.¡± ¡°These monsters¡­¡± Viers¡¯ eyes glowed from using Euryale Sight Arte. ¡°As expected, you recognize it too. They are diseased,¡± Alfred said with grim seriousness. ¡°Refrain from touching them.¡± ¡°So we might not be dealing with a normal Monster Tide but a plagued Monster Tide. Lovely,¡± Viers scoffed sarcastically. ¡°We need to investigate this,¡± Croix said. ¡°Agreed.¡± One of the knights opened a map. ¡°They came from this direction,¡± he pointed at a forest area. Viers raised an eyebrow. ¡°Isn''t that-¡± Croix nodded. ¡°An elven forest, yes.¡± Chapter 385 - Arrival at Liapris The gang traveled under a rainy autumn sky. Rain would fall regularly, sometimes a short drizzle, other times a squall. The weather wasn''t cooperating but the trip had to be made. The muddy road, flooding river, and monsters became complications that sapped their stamina. ¡°This monster is sick too. No doubt we¡¯re going in the right direction.¡± Croix looked ahead under a light rain, a silhouette of a forest could be seen at a distance. ¡°The elves are famously insular and isolationists. The problem must be really bad. So bad that they couldn''t handle the spillage.¡± ¡°Then as good neighbors, we should lend them a hand, don''t you think?¡± Viers said with an amused undertone. ¡°I hope they will be amicable to dialogue, at least,¡± Croix was hopeful. The monsters had to be disposed of so the disease wouldn''t spread. The wet weather made burning them difficult. At least, that was normally the case, but a little rain was nothing to dragon fire. Falmerion had a tantrum because he couldn''t eat the monsters. The disease was very dangerous. A bite or scratch would infect people, making the infected get red boils on their bodies. Normal humans would then have a high fever and die two or three days later. The Shore was spared from this because they didn''t let the diseased monsters come close but along the way, they saw villages that weren''t so lucky. There was a case where a villager found a dead monster, brought it to the village, and ate it after thoroughly cooking it. No survivors. Pathseekers had stronger resistance to the magical disease, especially Level 3 and above, because they had Unreality Field. Alfred tried to dissuade Croix from going, but the prince wouldn''t budge. Oddly enough, the monsters that carried the disease didn''t seem to be getting weaker or dying. If anything, they became more aggressive like in a berserk state. Seeing Viers¡¯ expression, Alfred got close to him and whispered. ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡± ¡°The sickness seems to be by design. That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking.¡± When the party arrived at the foot of the forest, there was no welcome. Only the sound of falling rain. ¡°Elves of Liapris forest, we¡¯ve come to seek an audience,¡± Alfred said loudly, but even after several times, there was no answer. ¡°...No answer. We¡¯ll apologize when we meet them. Let us be off,¡± Croix led the way but Boram¡¯s extended hand barred his way. ¡°I¡¯ll take point. There¡¯s no telling what will come.¡± ¡°Ah, of course. I¡¯m sorry for being so weak compared to you,¡± Croix smiled dejectedly. ¡°T-that¡¯s not what I-¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding,¡± Croix grinned. ¡°Thanks, Boram. And be careful, okay?¡± The party used a line formation. The first was Boram followed by Alfred, Croix was next and Viers was bringing up the rear. Liapris forest¡­ I know one thing that we¡¯ll find though. Viers removed his hand from his chest pocket and touched the ordinary sword on his hip. As he walked, he kept his eyes and ears open. The forest was like any other forest at first glance, but the group soon found themselves going in circles. ¡°We¡¯re lost, Master,¡± Boram said with a frown. ¡°Incorrect, Boram!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°We are not lost. It¡¯s the forest that is lost. Why else do people call it the Lost Forest? Hahahah!¡± ¡°O¡­kay?¡± ¡°Watch, we¡¯ll find this cowardly forest. It can''t hide from me!¡± Viers said with unshakable confidence. Viers then proceeded by choosing a direction and unsheathed his sword. He now led the way replacing Boram. With each step he took, he swung his sword. When there was a tree branch in his way, he swung his sword. When there was a big stone, he swung his sword and cut it in two. When there was a river, he jumped over it and swung his sword. When there was nothing on his way, he swung his sword. Each swing was exactly the same, a vertical downward slash with two hands. What Viers did was brute-forcing his way through the first defensive formation of the elves. Like solving a maze by bursting through walls. Naturally, a simple sword swing, however many repeated, would be useless. Viers was using his mastery over the way of the sword to cut through the forest¡¯s unnatural phenomenon. Each swing was an Arte: Cut the Crap. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°...Incredible.¡± Alfred was full of praise seeing Viers¡¯ skill with the sword. He didn''t think Viers was such an accomplished swordsman since he didn''t use his sword much. He wondered how much ability the younger man still concealed. A day later, after repelling many monsters¡¯ interruptions, Viers found the forest that was lost, just like he promised. More accurately, there was an arch made of trees, clearly magical. Beyond, the place clearly had significantly higher ambient mana and the trees there had indigo leaves. Three masked humanoids barred their way under the arch. Two were aiming their bows toward them. ¡°Intruders, turn back and leave this place. This is your final warning.¡± The three were all wearing wooden masks but the pointed ears were unmistakable. ¡°Elves of Liapris, I am Croix, Viceroy of the Shore. You all have my deepest apologies for visiting your home uninvited. I assure you that I and my entourage come here not with ill intent.¡± Croix started his attempt at diplomacy. Viers was glad he didn''t have to do something so complicated while being Croix¡¯s vassal. Meanwhile, Viers put his attention to other things, such as the other elves that hid themselves and how the three in front of him were looking pretty battered up; not only were they covered in wounds, but they were also sick. The exchange had been going on for a while without much progress. The elves refused to give them entry to their tree homes. Croix insisted he was trying to help but still no dice. The elves were hanging on to their isolationist stance and kept saying they had everything under control. Obviously Viers didn''t believe them. The disease-ridden monsters were roaming around. There were signs that many trees weren''t in a healthy state. Viers glanced at one of the three under the arch. The one who didn''t carry a bow. A woman, based on her body, hair, and voice. The peculiar thing about her was that her ears weren''t pointy like the elves. She interjected a few times, trying to give Croix a chance but her proposal got shot down by the elf next to her. Rules, tradition, distrust, the reasons wouldn''t end. Just as Viers was wondering how much longer this would take, there was a new arrival from the sky. ¡°Enemy attack!¡± One of the elves shouted. Arrows and Artes were set loose upwards. It was a yellow fly the size of a motorcycle, heavily mutated. The Rank 3 monster was clearly unhealthy to touch because of the poison and disease. ¡°Argh!¡± An elf that was hidden in the trees fell down while clenching his left arm. The fly had shot stingers from its butt and one of them had hit the elf. The mask he wore came loose and his expression was that of extreme pain. The blood vessels near the wound blackened, quickly spreading to the rest of his body. ¡°Tch! They are getting bolder!¡± The not-elf woman engaged the yellow fly monster at melee range but because her opponent could fly, it was difficult to land a hit. The elves quickly gave treatment to their wounded comrade but the fly was relentless. It was about to attack another elf, but Boram stopped the monster by placing himself between them. ¡°We¡¯ll help put down that filth!¡± Croix gave the monster a serving of fire Arte. It didn''t do much damage because he was a Level 1 but it served as some distraction at least. Well, it¡¯s a classic development, as classic as it gets. Repelling the oversized insect should give us the ticket to the elven enclave. Heh. Futon, I¡¯ll be borrowing your power, okay? ...Good boy. Counting on you. Once again, lightning danced between Viers¡¯ fingers. Any lightning he generated was thanks to his familiar, he only directed it. Alfred wondered if he should make a move. The Rank 3 monster was the strongest diseased monster they had encountered thus far. Viers stopped him. ¡°No need to waste your strength on something like this.¡± Alfred¡¯s condition would deteriorate faster the more he fought. They agreed he should only act in a true emergency. Alfred chose to believe in his comrades and focused on the prince so he wouldn''t be fatally harmed. They knew they would fight diseased monsters so they had countermeasures before they set off. They also polished their strategies when dealing with the monsters along the way. In this fight, Boram was especially motivated. His master had used thousands of Arte to open their path. He was useless before, but fighting was what he trained for, what he was made for. He would finish it without Master Avel spending an ounce of extra effort. He must be tired already. Boram didn''t know Viers thought it was good training, and the lightning was Futon¡¯s. Viers only spent the energy to move his hand. The little boy grabbed the fly before it flew away and threw it downwards as if it were an object a hundred times smaller. He landed above it and smashed it repeatedly using his hammer, Skull Basher, with the same fervor of a rocker boy destroying his electric guitar on stage. ¡°Uraaah!!¡± Scratch that, a rocker boy on drugs fervor. The elves were contributing with long-range attacks. Viers felt a bit odd that only the masked not-elf woman tried to engage the monster in close-range. The rest seemed to stay away. Their body language showed fear. Fear? For just a Rank 3 monster? They were stronger, more skilled, more numerous, so why? Naturally, the disease. Viers checked on Boram¡¯s Unreality Field. Not a single instability. He kept his guard fully up even when attacking, good. The yellow fly was in its death throes. ¡°That is enough, little friend, get away!¡± The not-elf woman said to Boram. She and Boram jumped away as poison gas emitted from the new fly corpse. The grasses and trees around it withered. The elves used magic to contain the spread. After things slightly settled down, the elves approached Croix. He might have been the weakest, but he seemed to be the leader, so the elves spoke to him. ¡°We thank you for your aid against one of the Unclean. This is an extraordinary time for us but it will be our shame to send away those who aided us without a single speck of hospitality. You may enter Liapris.¡± ¡°Thank you, wise protectors of the forest. The monsters are a problem for us as well. It is my wish that we can find a solution to both our troubles together.¡± The tension went down. The elves no longer aimed their arrows at them and removed their masks. There were no surprises here. They were elves. Their skin was fair, a bit taller than average humans. Their hair was golden, black, or silver. Viers was similarly not surprised when the woman without the pointy ears showed that she was human. A familiar face. Viers let out a smile. It was Jessica, the Hot Mom Tifa. She didn''t recognize Viers because she knew him as Kira and had a different face. Viers was Avel now. But he knew she would be here. The white card he gave her before they parted gave a signal that only Viers could pick up. She still had it on her. ¡°Come,¡± the leader of the elven border guards said. ¡°The council of elders will speak to you.¡± Croix and his party walked under the tree arch, towards the home of the elves. Passing the arch, Viers felt like he was passing through another barrier. This should be the main barrier of the elven enclave. Not the best time to visit, I think. It is clear they are in the midst of an epidemic. Are they on lockdown like during Covid? Oh man, this brings bad memories¡­ Chapter 386 - Bug Hunt Viers beheld the majesty and grandeur of the spirit forest of Liapris which the elves had made their home with his own eyes. The outer forest was pretty ordinary. The elves weaved their obfuscation magic, turning that place into their first line of defense. The real elven forest was where Viers was now. The big trees with living places inside, the atmosphere, the pretty spirit lights, the abundance of mana, all came together in harmony. There was also a sense of ancientness in the trees. Viers¡¯ high standard of what an elven forest should be was met. Yet no matter how nice Liapris may have looked, it was clear not all was well and good. Many of the elves looked languid and battle-worn. The infirmary that they passed by, a hastily made one, was filled with sick elves. Not only the battle-able elves, but even the civilians looked sickly. Medical workers went to and fro with tired and grim expressions on their faces. ¡°It seems the situation is more dire than we thought,¡± Croix said to the guard that escorted them. ¡°Verily. You have come during the lean time.¡± Croix¡¯s party got some curious looks from the isolationist elves but that was it. They had other, more important things to care about. Based on what he¡¯d seen, factoring in the number of the houses, Viers estimated the elves of Liapris numbered around two hundred, almost all of them being Pathseekers, though not all were warriors. Pretty small population but elves were long-lived after all. Not borderline ageless like in other Fables, but in this world their lifespan should be at least triple that of a human. Situation as it was, sightseeing was not on the table, which was a shame. Croix¡¯s party was led to a big hall inside a similarly big tree. There were three elves that sat on a higher platform. The three elders. Except for the main one that sat in the middle, the other two didn''t look old at all despite the title Elder. In fact, most elves didn''t look old. Viers¡¯ age sensor was out of whack here. Some audience and guards were also present besides the elders. The talk began, which Viers paid very little attention to. Croix¡¯s words were almost inaudible. The more important matter in his mind was how strong his potential enemies would be. Blatantly using Euryale Sight would be too conspicuous and rude but Viers was a resourceful man. ¡­The two elders should be Level 4. I¡¯m afraid the old elder, the main one, is Level 5. They too are sick. Especially the old one. His illness is the worst of all. Hm? He even has difficulty breathing. Wouldn¡¯t surprise me if he starts coughing blood at any moment. He still has to maintain the reputation of his people though so he¡¯s been showing off his aura. Dangerous, but not overly much. Viers checked if his life-saving magic items were working as intended. ¡°The humans cannot be trusted. You¡¯ve come to help us, you say. But this can easily be a plot to rob us of our homes and wealth. The greed of your kind runs as thick as the blood coursing through your veins!¡± The female elder seated on the left made her distrust vocally clear. Viers was sensing some deep-rooted grudge. ¡°Let us not brand people that extended a helping hand to us as evil just because of their race. Cooperation will benefit all sides.¡± The male elder was in favor of Croix¡¯s aid. The two elders did most of the talking while the old elder stayed silent while watching the proceedings. In this place, words were swords and Croix wielded them adeptly. The prince showed sincerity and wished for friendship. After some time, the elders dismissed Croix so they could discuss matters amongst themselves. For the time being, they were guests. ¡°What do you all think?¡± Croix asked his entourage after they arrived at the guest house. ¡°Hard to say, Young Lord,¡± Alfred replied with a calm voice. ¡°The location of the monster is problematic. The elves of Liapris seem adherent followers of tradition and according to tradition, we aren''t allowed to go to the place they call Cradle of Serenity.¡± ¡°Are they not being stubborn about this?¡± Boram frowned while in deep thought. ¡°It¡¯s clear they cannot handle things, so why not let us try? It¡¯s not like we asked for payment or anything. The longer the monster lives, the more elves are going to get sick.¡± From the audience with the elders, they divulged that the epidemic originated from a monster. They called it the Foulfly. The monster was only Rank 3 but the most problematic part about it was its virulence, especially to the elven kind. The fly Croix and the others encountered earlier was the Foulfly¡¯s spawn, one of many. The Liapris elves had tried to vanquish the Foulfly many times, even the old elder. They were sure they had succeeded, multiple times even, but somehow the Foulfly seemed to be able to resurrect and kept terrorizing the village. The old elder then got exposed to the sickness in one of the subjugation attempts. Many elves had lost their lives in the battles and the sickness that followed. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Their best guess was the Foulfly had a gimmick tied to its lair. The monster rarely ventured out of the Cradle of Serenity. As if protecting something precious. The disease was airborne and able to spread from physical contact. Almost all the elves had been infected. Naturally, most other animals and monsters in the forest had been infected too. Turning them into disease spreaders. ¡°Their suspicions run deep,¡± Croix sighed. ¡°I just want to help.¡± ¡°There¡¯s such a thing as too good to be true, Young Lord. If you come across someone that promises you a pie in the sky, more often than not, it is a scam.¡± ¡°Alfred. Not. Helping.¡± ¡°Forgive my impertinence¡­ Can I persuade you to return, Young Lord? We are not immune to the disease. Based on the spread, staying here too long will definitely expose us to it. Your vassals will handle this matter so-¡± ¡°Out of the question.¡± Croix firmly refused Alfred¡¯s suggestion. ¡°Then we must act, and soon. We cannot afford to tarry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m of the same mind¡­ Avel, you''ve been quiet. Anything you want to add?¡± ¡°Nothing in particular. What will be, will be.¡± Viers had a calm expression on his face as he watched the world outside of the window. Was it confidence or he didn''t even care? Croix had difficulty deciphering him. ¡°...So what should we do while waiting for the council¡¯s decision?¡± ¡°Boram?¡± Viers deflected Croix¡¯s question to his disciple. ¡°Me? Uhm¡­ Oh, right. I¡¯ll be going now.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Croix stopped Boram. ¡°Care to explain?¡± ¡°Well, Master taught me, if we arrive at a new place, the best way to garner goodwill is to walk around and help the residents with their chores. There are always things that need doing. In my experience, it works quite well, Prince Croix.¡± This was video game wisdom that Viers imparted to Boram. Games and their quests. Viers had done more deliveries and fetch quests than actual delivery men. While mundane and sometimes just a pain to complete, helping people was helping people. Who didn''t like getting help anyway? Croix looked at Alfred. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a reasonable idea, My Prince.¡± Croix looked at Viers. ¡°Very effective.¡± ¡°Right then. Shall we get to it? Excuse me.¡± Croix knocked on the door and their guard answered. ¡°Yes?¡± Jessica entered the house. ¡°We would like helping the elves rather than sitting on our thumbs. Even boiling water for the sick or chopping wood is better than doing nothing. Can you tell your superior that?¡± ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯ll pass it along. Please wait.¡± ¡°Thank you. And forgive my curiosity, miss, but you are a human, are you not? How come you¡¯re living with the elves?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. The short version is the elves gave me aid in the past and I stayed to repay that gratitude. And then the disease struck, which was especially dangerous to elves. I¡¯ve been fighting at the front lines but I wasn''t able to make much of a difference. My power is insufficient.¡± ¡°Do not sell yourself short, friend Jessica,¡± an elven guard that stood close by said. ¡°Many of us owe our lives to you.¡± Jessica gave the elf wearing light leather armor like her a thankful nod. Based on the wounds on her body, she really looked like someone who fought on a daily basis. ¡°You have fought the Foulfly then? Hearing about it from someone with firsthand experience should be invaluable. Hopefully it will bring about its demise sooner. Ah, I have not introduced myself yet. I¡¯m Croix, a viceroy of a small hamlet south of here. A pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Jessica,¡± she shook the offered hand. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still inexperienced so feel free to point out my mistakes.¡± Croix said something that most noble-born wouldn''t think of. His sincerity and humility was what drew Viers to invest in him in the first place. That was why Croix¡¯s and Marvin¡¯s fate ended so differently. When Jessica returned, she brought good news. Croix and company could go outside with chaperones accompanying them, Jessica volunteered along with a few guards. Jessica brought them to meet with the apothecary of Liapris, a handsome male elf with golden hair, Eucenn. His intellectual face and glasses gave off the impression of a professor or scientist. They found him terribly busy and haggard. With the pandemic, he must have worked without much rest. The pharmacy was filled with the scent of medicines. Viers gave the collection of ingredients a once-over and found most of them were potent and high-quality. He approved the high standard of the elven medicines. ¡°You want to help? Good. You, bring me the batch from the second top left shelf. You, stir this pot while maintaining the flame. You, bring this brew to the infirmary immediately. You, pack the powder, two spoons per package. Gawk later. Move those hands!¡± Eucenn was hard at work, no one could deny that. Jessica and the guards also got splashed with chores. According to Jessica, even though Eucenn was a Level 3, his skill as an apothecary was unrivaled. He was also trusted by all, even by the three elders. When asked about the illness, Eucenn wouldn''t stop speaking. In summary, they were up against a mutating illness. As long as the source monster, the Foulfly lived, the sickness could not be cured directly. He also stressed to Croix to get the poison gland of the monster intact so he could research the cure. Croix promised to do his best. Croix and the others worked until the sun had fallen. When the sun rose, they were summoned again to the elders¡¯ place. Croix was given permission to enter the Cradle of Serenity to slay the foul beast. There was no time to waste, so Croix set off immediately. ¡°We will accompany you, to guide the way and give support,¡± Jessica said with the other three elves in agreement. One of them was Level 4 while Jessica and another were Level 3. The last one, an elven youth, was a Level 2. ¡°Your company is most welcome. Gods be kind, today will be the last day of these dark days,¡± Croix said. The hunt of the Foulfly was on. *** Somewhere in Liapris. ¡°The outsiders?¡± ¡°Already left the village.¡± ¡°Except for the royal brat, kill them all. Use the monster as you wish.¡± ¡°It shall be done, my lord.¡± ¡°The elves are almost ours. Let none intervene.¡± Chapter 387 - Bug Hunt II In the Fellowship of the Ring, men, an elf, a dwarf, hobbits, and a wizard set off from Rivendell to Mordor for the sake of destroying the iconic ring. In Viers¡¯ case, there was a lack of dwarves and hobbits but all the men and elves in their party were kind of wizards, so one could argue it might be pretty even overall? Viers decided to think so. Also, their destination was not as far as Mordor and certainly the journey¡¯s conclusion wouldn''t take multiple books with the thickness to stop a bullet. There were many obstacles before reaching the Cradle of Serenity, mainly terrain and monsters. The greatest obstacle was the trolls. They had adapted to the change of environment. They were not the most intelligent in the first place, and the sickness made them more frenzied. The party encountered them when they were eating something. Turned out it was another troll. The cannibalization was gruesome, to say the least. The trolls were as big as the ones in the first Hobbit film. Personally, Viers thought the trolls were more similar to El Gigante from RE4. The trolls numbered around twenty and they got a Rank 4 among them, but Viers and company got two. The Level 4 elves fought it since Alfred was injured. Meanwhile, Viers witnessed that Boram¡¯s physical prowess was not inferior to the trolls, surprising everyone. When he stopped a troll¡¯s punch, whose fist was as tall as him, Viers could have sworn the troll made a stupefied face. Jessica used her fists and feet to fight, a melee combatant just like Boram. She didn''t have Boram¡¯s toughness or power but her agility made the trolls unable to touch her. She aimed for the vulnerable spots like the neck to great success. Croix, surprisingly, could hold his own. He didn''t show his dragon yet, keeping him in reserve, and fought with blade in hand against the trolls. He was just a Level 1 but his offensive was passable thanks to the sword that Duke Lucan gave him. There was no fear of injury from other combatants either; he had a super magical ring that protected him. When Viers met Croix he used the same ring against his attackers. Croix wasn''t filthy rich to the point of Marvin, but he was still royalty, and he got the ring from his mother before fleeing the Crimson Capital. The elves were also pretty good. Their athleticism was inborn greater than humans. Their marksmanship was a given, each shot was accurate, aimed at the trolls¡¯ eyes or ears but the elf who used twin swords was no slouch either. Viers let out a whistle seeing these Legolases. Meanwhile, Viers was taking it easy, blasting lightning occasionally. Even though it was actually Futon who put in the effort, he was just waving his hand. He was more focused on the Level 4 elf and troll¡¯s fight. He would put their fight data to good use. The trolls were resilient because of their regeneration. It took time but they were eventually defeated. They encountered three other Foulfly¡¯s spawn later that day. Jessica and Boram got wounded, but because they were human and with quick treatment, it was nothing serious. If they had been elves, it would be a very different story. Still, Viers was getting antsy. Their main opponent this time was a sickness. It was invisible and unpunchable. He didn''t know if it was a virus, bacteria, or magic mumbo-jumbo. Was the air he breathed in even safe? Was his healing factor effective against it? He had Unreality Field but who would be comfortable staying in a diseased area? The sooner the big bug died the better. Viers, who had only been in Liapris for a day, felt as such that the elves must have had it much worse. After conquering various challenges, the elf-human alliance arrived at the source of their woes. At first, Viers thought a place called the Cradle of Serenity would be similar to an immortal¡¯s hermitage, a little slice of heaven on earth. What Viers found instead was a forest of death. Trees withered, poisonous vines, toxic water, miasma, foul stench, bones of the previous inhabitants, the complete package. Whatever the place was once, was now a distant memory. The faces of the three elves that accompanied them looked as if what was done to the forest was done unto themselves, pain and grief. Speaking of pain and grief, Dia would¡¯ve cried too. Her sensitivity and kinship to plants made it almost a guarantee. To spare her from the unnecessary pain, Viers opted to keep her oblivious. He brought her because he thought she would be an asset in a magical elven forest, he didn''t know the elven forest was horribly ill. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The Cradle of Serenity¡¯s true nature had been revealed, it was a Biome. The party had to pass through a portal that the elves opened. It was nature-based and very different from the simple portal that Dia used but Viers was sensitive to the sensation of crossing over to another dimension since he had done it so many times. The biome was smaller than Dia¡¯s and it served one purpose only: a graveyard. The elves of Liapris who passed away were laid to rest here. A pity that the serenity of this place was disturbed, sickness and rot settled in instead. And there it was, a bigger, badder insect than the spawns Viers encountered earlier. The lumbering beelzebub knock-off was perching on top of a mountain of various carcasses. Some were monsters that the spawns brought from the outside, some were elves; the insects dug open the graves of this place. The Foulfly was laying eggs on the maggot-infested carcasses. The species was reproducing well. The monster¡¯s compound eyes saw the arrival of Croix¡¯s party as soon as they entered. It let out a piercing shriek, and its many offspring buzzing about in the area took it as a signal to attack. Seeing how their families and friends¡¯ resting place and bodies desecrated sent the elves to the peak of fury, and they threw themselves head-on into the fray, the thought of getting infected was the last thing on their minds. They were ready to die to end the blight on their homeland. From behind the wall of flies, the Foulfly took to the air, flapping its six pairs of wings, spreading purple poisonous mist to its surroundings. The enemy numbers eclipsed them twenty to one, however, many were low Ranked monsters. Monsters were tougher in general but the difference in power could make the number superiority not matter. Even the main target was only a Rank 3 monster. The Level 4 elf made short work of most of them. Their true enemy was the poison. The longer the fight dragged on, the more they were exposed to the plague. This enemy was far more tricky and difficult. But the Foulfly must die. The elves¡¯ reason was a given, Croix came here because of a noble calling, and Viers had no plan of becoming the seedbed for maggots upon his death. Emotions were high, wishes and hopes burned bright in their breast, eyes resolute on the target. The battle on the poison-ridden, miasma-filled graveyard ensued. *** A shadowy figure witnessed the battle that could wipe out a small town from the shadows. The poison didn''t seem to bother the cloaked figure. He breathed in the poisonous gas as if it was clean air. He had orders to make sure the Foulfly survived. The monster was a failure, a mutant byproduct of his master¡¯s experiments. It could only grow until Rank 3 but it could still be useful. The Foulfly had been killed by the elves in the past but because of the overabundance of poison in the aftermath, the killers were quick to retreat. If the monster had only died for a short time, then the mysterious man could still revive it by transferring its essence into a new fly egg on his person. In the terraformed Cradle of Serenity, the young Foulfly would grow up fast and well, continuing the cycle until his lord accomplished his goal. The outsiders¡¯ arrival, though, might disturb things. They were not elves so the custom-made disease for the elven genes did not quite work. They were also strong, not run-of-the-mill Latias Knights. The female that stayed with the elves, Jessica, was known to the mysterious man but not the others. The Level 4 human should be the most troublesome but he didn''t act. Perhaps there was something keeping him from acting. The Level 1 newborn Pathseeker was out of place on this battlefield, but he had a strong shield. The man felt the boy¡¯s background might not be so simple. A nobleman''s offshoot, most likely. Next was the Level 3 lightning user. His lightning was powerful, but he seemed lacking in defensive capability. He should be the type who pursues a specialization in offense. Then there was the Level 3 kid wielding a hammer and utilizing the earth element. Boram¡­ Aletro Nine Stars. The hidden man never thought he would meet him here. Very unexpected. If the rumors were true and if he could dissect him then¡­ The hidden man shook his head and focused on the battle. His task was to kill the outsiders, ideally. Right now the flow of the battle was quite even, so a slight wind should tip the scales to one side, and he was in a position to blow. Which one? The elves would die without his help, soaked in miasma they were, even the Level 4 was no exception. Jessica? He knew her. She was no threat. The Level 1 kid had a super sturdy shield and the other Level 4 was protecting him like a mother hen. These two were out. Boram? The Aletro Nine Stars shouldn''t be underestimated. There were rumors of his death but clearly that was false, and his powers had grown to new heights. Besides, his sturdiness was no joking matter. How could he be stung by the Foulfly¡¯s stinger only for the stinger to get crooked instead? Unbelievable. That left the lightning-slinger mage by the process of elimination. He didn''t have a great defense and wasn''t really mobile. Clearly his role in the party was to be a damage-dealer. A squishy damage-dealer. The hidden man attacked from behind using the most devious Arte in his arsenal, picking the exact timing when the two Level 4s couldn''t interfere. Arte - Hell¡¯s Spider! Chapter 388 ¡°Watch out!¡± The ambush caught them off guard and only one reacted to it. Jessica placed her body between Viers and the new threat coming from behind. She didn''t know Viers was someone she had met before -because of a different face and everything- but she risked life and limb for her allies nonetheless. It was a big, colorful spider, seemingly a mix of a hundred colors. Jessica tried to punch it away but when her fist made contact, it went through. The part that she hit became gaseous before solidifying again. The spider¡¯s march was uninterrupted, biting Jessica on her neck. ¡°Wha-!? Urgh!!¡± The spider quickly became smaller. Its true form was an Arte. The more poison it injected into Jessica¡¯s system, the smaller it got. Viers acted immediately. He kicked the spider away with a satisfyingly loud thud. After some distance was made, came red lightning, different from the usual yellow, intensely electrifying the spider until nothing remained. Jessica was unsteady on her feet. A tenth of the poison of the spider had already entered her body. Viers pushed a bottle of antidote into Jessica¡¯s mouth without asking for her consent and a different one that he poured on her neck wound. There was a sizzling sound and smoke as the poison got purified. When the second thing happened, Jessica gripped Viers¡¯ arm in pain. It would have drawn blood if Viers¡¯ Unreality Field was not fully powered. The reason Jessica¡¯s attack was ineffective while Viers¡¯ was, came from the difference in their Unreality Field¡¯s might. ¡°Boram! Finish it!¡± Viers roared. ¡°YES, SIR!¡± Boram¡¯s aura exploded as he powered up. His master had made his wish clear. He wanted to finish this battle as soon as possible. As a dutiful disciple, there was nothing to do but obey. Boram¡¯s giant bloodline felt like it was boiling, but in a good way. His body grew in size until he stood ten meters tall, brimming with power. Arte - March of the Mountain. The Foulfly that dwarfed him in size earlier had its position reversed. Boram stomped and a boulder of crags appeared. He grabbed it and tossed it as the Foulfly took flight. After crashing it to the ground, Boram struck it down with a blow that made the ground under him buckled. It wasn''t a full-blown kaiju battle yet in scale, but it was getting there. While this was happening in the background, Viers was focusing on Jessica. While he lay her down before she fell over, he was determining the extent of Jessica¡¯s injury. ¡°A-are you¡­ okay?¡± Jessica weakly said. ¡°Not a scratch,¡± Viers said. ¡°T-then¡­ good¡­¡± How could Viers tell her that her assistance was unnecessary? That he sensed a person was hiding and had seen the attack was coming? Viers was baiting that guy but it looked like Jessica got baited instead. ¡°Avel, how is she?¡± Alfred approached. ¡°She¡¯s fine. Protect her.¡± ¡°Naturally.¡± Viers used a movement Arte and ran towards the direction that the spider Arte came from, some distance away from the thick of the fighting against the Foulfly. ¡°Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?¡± Viers said to the cloaked figure. ¡°There are a lot of things that I want to ask you¡­ After I beat you up.¡± Viers cracked his fingers. ¡°Angry for your wounded friend? How asinine.¡± The man, Viers realized from his voice, sighed while dipping his head down. Two things happened in the next moment. One, spikes of earth emerged from beneath Viers¡¯ feet. The shadowy figure had launched a sneak attack. Two, Viers had dashed forward and closed the distance between them. The earth spikes hit only air. Viers launched a sneak attack too. He did not mean to dodge but it came out that way as the result. He wasn''t like the pure-hearted heroes who thought sneak attacks were beneath them. He would use any sort of dirty tricks in a fight. Sneak attack was amongst the most tame of Viers¡¯ tactics. The shadowy figure was caught off guard on two levels. He didn''t think a ¡®mage-type¡¯ like Viers would choose to engage in melee, and his opponent¡¯s speed was far faster than he thought. When Viers came to confront the cloaked man, he didn''t use his top speed for this very reason. Before the man could make a sound of surprise from his mouth, Viers had already swung his sword at the man¡¯s torso. The man thought that his double layer of earth and Unreality Field would block the sword and concocted a counter. The blade sliced open his defenses like paper. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Gaaaah!!¡± Blood splattered and a right hand fell down. Arte - Cut the Crap! Viers frowned. He didn''t think the man would be able to react in time and avoid a killing strike. His opponent was pretty good. Also, there was something strange about his body. From the gash on his chest and the stump on his wrist, the wound was emitting potent miasma. The sword that he used was already corroded and fell apart. As for the man, he was similarly astonished by Viers¡¯ battle aptitude. The sword was nothing special, it was clear due to its inability to withstand the prized poison inside his body. That meant the bastard cut his defensive earthen Arte and Unreality Field using pure skill. How could a mage use such a high-level sword technique? Unless, he¡¯d misread him completely. ¡°How dare you!¡± The cloaked figure lashed out using earth and poison, exploding rocks and breathing out green gas. In response, Viers used lightning on his left hand while his right gripped a different sword. They only managed to exchange less than ten moves before the death throes of the Foulfly spread out. Even with Jessica out of commission, the committed Boram tipped the scales in their favor, giving the other combatants a big window to dish out powerful Artes on the monster. The result spoke for itself. The Foulfly¡¯s HP bar quickly diminished to zero. Seeing the tide was turning, the cloaked man gritted his teeth in frustration. He¡¯d made a bad call and got held up by an annoying opponent. If he kept himself hidden¡­ No, that wouldn''t work either. They surely would dispose of the Foulfly thoroughly. No matter what, the Foulfly was lost. Only one thing left to do. ¡°I admit it is my loss,¡± the mysterious man jumped back, avoiding Viers¡¯ slash. ¡°Enjoy your short-lived victory.¡± The man retreated. Viers gave chase. He wanted to find out that man¡¯s identity and claim his cloak as a bonus. No doubt it was a magic item. Even after intense physical exertions, the hooded part of the cloak kept the upper part of the man¡¯s face hidden, sometimes dyeing it in shadow. Ezio¡¯s blood within Viers screamed with greed. ¡°Stay, pay your fee,¡± Viers gave chase. He wouldn¡¯t sleep well if his opponent lived to see another day. The world was vast and he would make many enemies. If he didn''t actively cull the numbers then wouldn''t he be flooded with enemies one day? It was simple logic. But before he could catch the mystery man, an eruption of poisonous gas emerged from the ground, cutting his chase short. It wasn''t the only one, multiple gas geysers broke out all over. Viers felt the earthquake through his feet. ¡°What¡¯s happening!?¡± ¡°Not good!¡± Croix and the elves also had no idea. This shouldn''t happen. That man¡­ He did something. If this was where he lurked, he could set things up in advance. Viers'' suspicion was on the money. The monster hunt was over but the situation was not looking good. The tremor was getting stronger and the poison was getting thicker. ¡°The Biome¡­ is getting destroyed!¡± Alfred said grimly. Of course! The Cradle of Serenity is a Biome. That guy meant to bury us all in it! ¡°We have to go, now!¡± Viers returned to his companions. Boram looked drained after his Arte. He was back to his normal size. ¡°Can you still run?¡± Viers asked while putting Jessica¡¯s arm on his shoulder. She was in bad shape and unable to run. ¡°I-I¡¯m fine,¡± Boram wheezed. ¡°Elves, we need an exit!¡± Croix said. Another eruption erupted. It was close. It was getting painful to breathe, even with Viers¡¯ powerful Unreality Field. If he was like that then the others had it worse. But even though the situation was dire, the elves looked hesitant. ¡°The Cradle¡­ Our ancestors¡­¡± ¡°Get a grip on yourself! We have to leave!¡± Alfred shook the shoulders of the Level 4 elf. ¡°...Right.¡± The elves employed the method they did to enter the Biome, but nothing happened. ¡°...It¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°What''s gone?¡± Croix asked. His emotions ran high. ¡°The exit, it''s gone!¡± One of the younger elves said with disbelief. ¡°It must be the opponent that Master fought!¡± Boram said. Oooo, this is bad. Like really, really bad. Viers had to give it to the mystery man. His preparations weren''t lacking. This was the risk of going into the fortified villain''s lair. Who knew what kind of trap lay dormant? ¡°We can''t give up! There has to be a way!¡± Croix urged. The Level 4 elf took a moment to think. ¡°The Cradle is fraying apart. There could be a path to the outside that we can make use of. Stay close to me.¡± The hunting party waded through the thick mist of poison following the Level 4 elf, although, not even he knew where to go. Before that, Viers yanked the Foulfly¡¯s butt stinger without wasting the party¡¯s time. Loot was loot. Minutes passed and things weren''t looking good. The humans were coughing badly and the weakest elf had died. The concentration of poison was too much and there were the wounds sustained from the earlier battle. Jessica¡¯s breath on Viers'' back was also getting weaker. Just as the shadow of death loomed over them and Viers was about to call on Dia, he saw something in the distance. With how blurry his vision was, he thought he was seeing things. ¡°Hurry! This way! There¡¯s an exit here!¡± ¡°Come on! There¡¯s an exit!¡± Viers broke apart from the group, running to his vision. ¡°Yes! Hurry, hurry!¡± Everyone followed after Viers. Visibility was bad, but soon, they saw a fissure in space. Trees were on the other side. On this side, all the trees had withered. Their legs were heavy but they ran. Run or die. They got out and the air they inhaled had never felt so sweet. ¡°Good, good,¡± the source of the voice said in relief. The fissure in space shut not long after. Viers and the others immediately used their own methods to combat the poison. Since Jessica was unconscious, Viers gave her the aid she needed. He burned an incense with strong antidote properties. ¡°Fuuh¡­ Fuhh¡­ Avel, you saved us,¡± Croix said between heavy gasps. ¡°True, how did you know where to go?¡± Alfred asked. ¡°There was a voice. I followed it.¡± ¡°What voice, Master?¡± Viers saw the faces of his companions and found only confusion. As if they didn''t hear it. He then turned to the one that gave him direction. It was an elf. Someone that he¡¯d seen before. The old elf of Liapris, the leader of the three elders. The Level 5. At least, a soul with that person¡¯s appearance. ¡°...Young human, can you see me? Can you hear my voice?¡± The elf soul asked because Viers was looking straight at him. Viers gave a silent nod. What is the meaning of this? How can the elf elder be here as a soul of the dead? If so, who the fuck is the elder elf I met back at the village? - - Chapter 388 - Can You See Me? Chapter 389 - Lodestar Am I dead? Jessica''s consciousness was in darkness, slowly sinking. Memories of her life were rising up from below as bubbles. The good and the bad. Happiness and sadness. Meetings and partings. Yet she felt strangely peaceful. So tired¡­ Falling asleep like this might not be so bad¡­ A memory bubble floated before her, showing the face of a smiling boy. Tim! No, no yet. I must not die here. If I die, who does he have left? I cannot die yet! Jessica struggled and in the darkness, she saw light. She desperately tried to grab that light. Then a hand reached out from the blinding light to grab hers, pulling her. The hand belonged to someone with a familiar face, her husband. How she longed to see that face again. Tears were falling like crystal droplets. The next thing she knew, she wasn''t looking at her departed husband but at a canopy of indigo leaves. "Ah, you''re awake. The worst has passed then, but you should take it easy. Here, drink this." Beside her, there was a youth. His name was Avel if she remembered correctly. They fought together to defeat the plague monster. She hadn''t talked with him much. His hand was glowing with a warm blue glow that Jessica recognized as a healing Arte. Feeling her throat parched, she accepted the water pressed to her lips. It tasted honey-sweet. "A-are we-?" "We won, yeah. The monster is dead. We''re on our way back to Liapris but things didn¡¯t exactly go according to plan¡­ You pulled through but the other guy doesn''t seem to be as lucky." There were two more bodies beside her. One had a white cloth on her face, while the other was on death''s door, the Level 4 elf. He was telling Croix something with whatever time he had left. Three elves came with them to subjugate the Foulfly. One had fallen in the Cradle of Serenity as the Biome was collapsing after the battle. They had no time to retrieve the elf''s body. One elf had died from the poison after the escape and the Level 4 elf looked like he was about to follow in his footsteps. The poison was simply too lethal for the elven kind. "I leave¡­ Liapris¡­ my homeland¡­ to you¡­" The elf''s artery had blackened and it showed on his skin. Blood was coming out of his nose and eyes. "Yeah. We will bring peace to Liapris. I promise," Croix swore. "The ancestors¡­ chose¡­ well¡­" With a weak smile, the Level 4 elf breathed his last. Croix lowered his head for his passing. The pain of loss engulfed Jessica as well. "Ukesh, Iydiken, Revilo¡­ May your spirits find peace," Jessica prayed to the Goddess. It didn''t take long until Jessica fell asleep again. *** Croix and company weren''t located too far from the elf village but they were in no hurry to go back. Firstly, like the elves, they got poisoned and were similarly sick. They needed to recuperate. Also, Croix needed time to plan. The three elven warriors all lost their lives, furthermore, the Cradle of Serenity was lost to oblivion. Although the Foulfly was no more, this was far from a clean job. Who knew how the elves of Liapris would react? Badly, Viers predicted. A thought that Alfred and the rest shared. Thankfully, it was not all doom and gloom. The soul of the elf elder was the key and Viers knew it. The conversation he had with the soul of the dead was illuminating. Of course, the other members didn''t know what Viers was doing. He looked like he was meditating, circulating his cultivation to combat the poison in his system like the rest of them. A few hours later, night had fallen on their camp. Viers'' condition was the most fit, followed by Boram, Croix, then Alfred. The relatively fresh injury on the Level 4 darkness Pathseeker didn''t react well with the poison, while the Level 1 Croix got his super strong shield magic item. Boram''s constitution was not found wanting while Viers'' who had the lightest injury and healing factor had already made a complete recovery in a matter of hours. Which was why he was the only one taking up watching duty. On a separate note, Jessica was even worse than Alfred. Without Viers'' aid, she would have died. The mysterious man''s Arte was not so simple. Viers was sitting by the fire while communicating with the elder elf soul when he heard someone''s footsteps. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "You should be sleeping," he said without turning around. "I already slept plenty. Now I can''t. May I?" Jessica asked. Viers responded by moving over to the left to make room for Jessica on the log. The two kept silent for a time, with the sound of crackling fire and the hoot of night owls for company. "Thank you for covering me," Viers said first. "Don''t mention it. Thank you for healing me," Jessica replied. She felt it was her role, since like the mysterious attacker, she also thought Viers was an offense-focused lightning mage with flimsy defense. A couple tens of seconds later, while Viers was thinking how to take the story from there, he heard a chuckle. A cynical, self-deprecating chuckle. "Forgive me, I wasn''t laughing at you. Avel, right? I''m laughing at myself." Jessica was a mother. She felt her only reason to live was to protect her son. She came to Liapris to heal the wounded Tim. Thanks to the friendship token, the elves allowed her passage and the healing Tim required. Charles, who had accompanied them on the road, went back to Ebon Wall City after they were safe. Even with the help of the elves, Tim needed time. It was then the epidemic started to spread in Liapris. As a human with stronger resistance to the sickness, Jessica volunteered to give her aid in combating the frequent monster attacks. Tim was almost completely healed and the Foulfly was vanquished. The question was, where do they go from here? With the friendship token, the elves'' stance toward her was somewhat favorable. They told her she could stay with Tim if she wanted but their way of life was too different. Liapris was also very isolated. She thought it might not be the best environment for her son. She couldn¡¯t return to Ebon Wall City either. There was nothing else for them there. They had to go somewhere but the world was so dangerous. Even a place like Liapris, under the protection canopy of a Level 5, was not entirely safe. What about her? She wasn''t an exceptional Pathseeker. How could she protect Tim? Just like this time, when she was brought close to death''s embrace just by participating. What if next time was truly the end? What of Tim? She wasn''t afraid of her death, but the death of her son, or leaving her baby boy alone in this world terrified her to no end. Should she just give up on the Path of Power and stay with Tim? That choice also carried risk, as the events in Liapris and Ebon Wall City had shown her. What can she do? Where does she go from here? Those two very human questions made Jessica laugh mockingly at her own powerlessness. "I''m just soaking in how small I am on the scale of things. The Pathseeker dilemma, I can stay near the bottom of the Path of Power and hope the earth does not swallow me, or climb higher and hope the sky does not strike me down. I''m not afraid of my death¡­ but I cannot die. Not yet." Yet what choice is there? "There''s also the matter that I am a body Pathseeker, the weakest of all Pathseeker types. If I am earth, then I should have been able to block that spider. With fire I can burn it. As wind I can move quickly enough to dodge. If I''m lightning then I can attack devastatingly like you. If I¡­" With each example, Jessica clenched her fists in frustration until she realized and relaxed them. "Forgive me, I do not mean to nag at you. An old woman''s whining is an ugly thing. Excuse me." Jessica rose up and was about to get back to her tent. Her back looked small and lonely, like she shouldered the weight of the world. "Spar with me." Jessica turned. "What did you say?" "Spar with me. Right here, right now," Viers already on his feet, cracking his fingers. "Here? Now? Eheheh," Jessica chuckled. She hadn''t recovered. She could barely walk. "I appreciate the offer, but I-" Viers threw a bead on the ground and they were enclosed in a magical bubble, preventing the escape of sound and magical energy. He did this so he wouldn''t wake up Croix and the others. After setting up the stage, Viers ignited his aura. His absolute best utilizing his entire cultivation. Jessica took a sharp breath. The volume, the quality, even the dimension. Even in her best condition she didn''t think she would have any chance of winning. Never did she think this Avel guy was so strong. She thought the most dangerous of the bunch was the Level 4 but now she thought she was sorely mistaken. The feeling of oppression that almost crushed her rescinded and Viers slowly lowered his aura until he didn''t give off any like before. Such precise control. That alone spoke volumes of his skill. "We will spar without using Victa or Arte, just our fighting skills. Also, I will stop my blows short. Your goal is to land a single clean strike on me." Viers took a battle stance, still barehanded. From Jessica''s perspective, a body Pathseeker who delved into the world of martial arts, that stance did not belong to amateurs. Perhaps she was wrong in assuming the youth in front of her to be a mage-type combatant. "...What are you-" Viers pulled a white card from his inventory item. Jessica gasped because she recognized it. She had the same card in her possession, given by Kira. "That is-! ¡­How do you have that card? Do you know Kira?" "Let''s just say he and I are fellows who grow up at the same place, who learn from the same teacher." Since Kira was Viers'' alternate identity, same as Avel. His depiction was actually pretty accurate. "I''ve heard about you from him," Viers said. Which was once again, technically correct. "This is an opportunity, Jessica." Jessica''s brain was still trying to piece things together but Viers didn''t wait. "You are lost. It could happen to everyone in our trade. What you see in front of you is a lodestar." "Lode¡­ star¡­" A guiding light. "You can back away or move towards it. The choice is yours. But I''ll say this. Some opportunities may never come again no matter how long the wait. Steel yourself." Jessica perspired cold sweat. Was it from fear or something else? She subconsciously felt her next action would take her life to a very different destination. She closed her eyes and saw the face of Tim who had been burned behind her eyelids. When she opened her eyes again, they shone with purpose. She threw off her coat and prepared for battle. "Jessica Welsh, Level 3 middle Pathseeker. Here I come." Viers smiled. "Call me Avel, for now¡­ Level 3 peak. Whenever you''re ready." Jessica kicked the ground and launched forward. Chapter 390 - The Trial of Viers Viers knew he would meet Jessica again after Croix told him the monster problem came from the direction of the elf forest. The last time he saw Jessica was when she tried to find the elves to cure her son who got injured in a fight between Level 5s. But the true reason for his surety was because of the white card he gave to Jessica. It was no ordinary white card, it contained a little bit of Viers'' soul. It had a number of uses, such as allowing Viers to sense the location of one. When Viers was in nature''s labyrinth trying to find the lost forest, he first picked a direction before hacking his way straight through. That direction was where he sensed Jessica''s card. One thing led to another and now Viers and Jessica sparred again like they had in Ebon Wall City. Of course, Jessica was oblivious to this fact. There was simply too much difference between ''Kira'' that she knew and ''Avel'' who she fought now. Viers misleading her that they were two different people further beguiled her from the truth. Jessica couldn''t afford to think about such things anyway. She was getting completely overwhelmed. Her punches only ever hit Viers'' afterimages, at least, that was her impression. If they were using Artes, she was sure her opponent might truly use afterimages. The two fought barehanded. Viers who liked kung fu movies was no slouch fighting magicless or weaponless either. His main fighting style was still the sword, but his barehanded skill was so much so that a barehanded specialist like Jessica felt inferior. He got the souls of the dead to thank for that. Their contribution, mostly without consent, was invaluable. "Hit." Viers stopped his punch before it hit Jessica for the fifteenth time. He evaded, parried, tripped, and countered Jessica''s moves. Her post-poisoned condition wasn''t doing her any favors either. Taking that one hit from her opponent seemed more and more an impossible task as they continued to spar. "Urgh¡­" From throws, pulls, staggers, or trips, Jessica fell down many times. Each time she ate the dirt, Viers waited until she stood back up before continuing. Jessica knew from his eyes that she was free to give up whenever she wished, but she wasn''t giving up, even when breathing was getting excruciating. She knew she was pushing her body, recklessly even, but so what? Her opponent was already not using any magic and lowered his battle strength to the barest amount, the difference in cultivation was minimized to the extreme. What more could she ask for? In Jessica''s mind, if she failed this test now, her and Tim''s death was written in stone. It might be decades from now, a year, or even tomorrow, but trouble would come calling. She was already well aware of her powerlessness and she couldn''t think of a solution. Then there was this man standing in front of her and said he was her lodestar. She had to do this now! She had to get that one hit! Giving up was never an option. She was a mother and a mother would do everything for her child. One more time! Arte - Speed Panther. Not exactly. She used the footwork, though not the Victa. She brushed Viers'' guarding hand with her left and was about to strike with her right. Then she felt a hand grabbing her left arm and a twist, destabilizing her posture. "Hit, one, two, three." Viers'' fist stopped short from her stomach, chin, and after he sidestepped, cheek. But Jessica wasn''t minding that right now. Again, that feeling¡­ Her body''s condition was getting worse and worse, screaming in agony as the last drops of stamina were squeezed by its master. As her condition deteriorated, her concentration was inversely spiked. It was a human body''s defense mechanism. She started feeling something odd when she made physical contact with her sparring partner. What is that? That¡­ humongous presence? Involuntary it might be, Jessica managed to touch Viers'' soul. A soul that had been strengthened by consuming the souls of other humans in the tens of thousands. Is it the cultivation base that he repressed? No, it is different! How is it possible, such an amazing¡­ If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Like thin clothes making one more sensitive to the changes in temperature, Jessica''s poor physical condition made her soul more exposed. There was nothing strange about it. Viers had the easiest time extracting another''s soul after completely ending their bodily function. In other words, death. And so Jessica sensed the difference between hers and Viers'' soul. Her soul was an ordinary human soul without any tempering. On the other hand, Viers'' soul had undergone a special evolution. Jessica''s Mortal Soul and Viers'' Grand Soul. In physical terms, it was like comparing a toddler with a ripped adult, there was no way the toddler could win in a fistfight. In fact, since Viers possessed a Grand Soul, he had never brought forth all his soul abilities to bear against an opponent. His Horizon''s soft cap at 500% and refined skills were already enough for him to kill his enemies. Even against the Level 4 half-brother of Croix, Marvin, Viers didn''t unleash his soul side. As for Jessica, she didn''t understand what she sensed, but she didn''t need to understand to know there was a great difference between the two of them, something that couldn''t be explained by a gap between Level 3 low and Level 3 peak. Viers shoulder-pushed her onto a tree, only lightly. Her foot got entangled with the roots. Jessica grunted and grabbed the trunk to get back up. "What¡­ are you?" Jessica suspected the ''Avel'' in front of her was not human. A shape-shifting monster? A demon wearing human skin? There were many tales. If he was indeed human, then she doubted she was fighting a Level 3. She might have even mistook his age in the first place. Powerful Pathseekers could look young. ''Avel'' might be a five centuries old Level 5 for all she knew. "What a curious question," Viers smiled. "If you can hit me, then perhaps one day you''ll find out." "I''ll¡­ look forward to that," Jessica wobbly walked forward. At this point, her sweat had drenched her clothes. All the martial abilities, which were also her body Artes, Phantom Kick, Shadow Fist, Double Rush, Tempo of Crucible, all fell short. Her stamina had hit rock bottom. This was her last chance. Jessica knew she had to bet it all, on her strongest move, the secret technique she inherited from her family''s martial arts. Jessica inhaled deep, relaxed her muscles, and made a different stance than her usual. She wasn''t rushing and slowly raised her concentration, shaving unnecessary thoughts like honing the tip of the spear. But to land it, I have to be more¡­ More everything! Viers, sensing her change, responded appropriately, by raising his guard. His stance was one of the karate stances. The two stopped moving, and while the magic item used by Viers made a bubble of silence around them, it only prevented sound and aura from inside going to outside and not the opposite. The sound of the wind and the sparse falling leaves watched like silent spectators. "This is my final attack, here I come." "Show me," Viers nodded. Jessica moved first, unlike their previous exchanges, her approach was slow, like gliding forward. Trading speed for stability. She kept going until reaching Viers'' range. The moment she did, Viers struck. He had already made a lot of compromises, if Jessica couldn''t meet his expectation then that was that. Jessica slipped past the punch with a fluid movement. That maneuver was the smoothest she had done so far, achieved by her utmost concentration. They were chest-to-chest now, next came the most important part, her strike for the one hit objective. Since he didn''t say how hard the strike must be, only a clean hit, Jessica didn''t put much strength on her strike, only focusing on landing it. The fist traveled slow, no speed behind it. A turtle''s pace, even on a non-Pathseeker measure, but she didn''t mind. She studied Viers'' pattern during the spar, and when the strike was something he could see, he favored redirecting the attack to the right or left side, whichever was easier. Jessica read Viers right and when he tried, Jessica changed her pattern. The right was a feint and the left fist was coming, and instead of slow, this was fast. This was the basis of the Tempo of Crucible Arte, a technique for interchanging fast and slow movement. The technique had been beaten by Viers before but that was not all that Jessica did. At the brink, Jessica managed to mix the various techniques of her martial arts together seamlessly. A series of hand strikes worthy of a kung fu film were exchanged between the two of them. Viers couldn''t help but grin. What Jessica did was basically an ''awakening'' from every other Japanese anime out there. The way she integrated her techniques into one and elevated each to a higher level, very anime-like. Viers couldn''t say he hated it. The fast-slow combination of hers was especially dangerous. Viers had to take extra care or one would slip past his defenses. At the next exchange, when Jessica went from fast-fast, Viers got caught off guard but he still reacted in time, deflecting both of Jessica''s strikes. Her legs were free. Arte - Cloud Dispersal! Jessica did a straight-up ferocious vertical high kick straight to Viers'' chin. It was the kick that was like the yoga leg split but vertical, not horizontal. It was a kick that required a lot of flexibility. Again, there was no Victa involved, only the moveset. Legend was, the Arte was named so because the creator was able to disperse the clouds in the sky with the kick. Naturally, even with her Victa and full power, Jessica wasn''t able to actually disperse the clouds. But that was not important right now. Viers was doing a spin on the air backward. Was it from her kick or did he do a somersault as an evasion? Jessica was too drained to know which was which. When Viers landed, he looked at Jessica with a wide grin. A smidgen of dirt from Jessica''s sole was on his chin. Before Jessica''s brain processed what was happening, Viers dashed forward with a frightening amount of power gathering on his palm. Jessica''s instinct screamed. Dodge or die. Defend if you don''t want to die. It was futile, Viers was too fast. That glowing blue palm of his hit her on the lower stomach and a jolt coursed through her veins. That was the last thing she knew before her consciousness was swallowed by darkness. "You passed," Viers said while wiping his chin in a good mood. Chapter 391 Body Pathseekers had no particular affinity to a certain element, therefore they hardly used fireballs or wind blades in combat. But they could use martial arts to great effectiveness. Body-forging methods also worked especially well for them. There were advantages and disadvantages but that didn''t mean body Pathseekers were weaker than the more common element-using Pathseekers. Viers knew this well. From works like Kengan, Kenichi, Baki, Tekken, and Street Fighting, he had seen his fair share of martial arts techniques that were superhuman in nature. Branching on, the sports series also had examples of super techniques, such as Eyeshield, Kuroko, Tsubasa, and Prince Tennis. Of course, Viers completely understood they were fiction. Artistic interpretation played a huge part. Nonetheless, they showed him what imagination plus techniques could become, the power and absurdity they could reach. In this world, when the laws of physics could be subverted entirely, what was stopping someone from materializing what was in the realm of imagination, was the individual themselves. Hell, at a high enough Level, one could create a fire punch using air friction if they punch fast enough. Outside references aside, inner energy, the so-called qi or ki similarly existed. Viers once thought it was just Victa with another name but further examination showed it was a different system. A pleasant surprise. Also, body Pathseeker seemed to be able to access it more easily. Body Pathseekers still got Unreality Field at Level 3, Imaginary Domain at Level 4, and the Level 5¡¯s special ability as they progressed. Simply put, there was no shortage of means for body Pathseekers to become super strong. He watched Dragon Ball as a kid for God''s sake. What more proof did he need? The body cultivation was no less complicated than Pathseekers who use elemental powers. There were many paths to be powerful and for Viers, he didn''t care about triviality. Get strong, however you do it, is up to you. Words to live by. He said it to all his Viers Corporation employees. In fact, that was what he did with Jessica, unlocking her qi. He stimulated the lower dantian that was located below the navel with his last attack. It was like a missile strike to unclog a dammed-up river. A bit rough, but what mattered was qi now flowed in meridian channels. This ability was not something he was able to do solely because he got inspiration for the Fables. In many Chinese power fantasy stories, the MC usually got OP because he got his meridians unlocked by his parents, teachers, or something else. This made them cultivate faster and become stronger compared to their peers. If the MC was a doctor, the percentages he would be able to use the godly skill of unlocking the meridians, pressure points, or whatever else, jumped up significantly. Viers got a xianxia-ish cultivation knowledge from Aravin, the harem MC he killed in the book world. Pressure points, meridians, and so on. His spirit loli teacher girl once unlocked his qi, one of the secrets to his strengths and his high libido. Viers now did the same to Jessica. Viers, with his insight about the stories, pinpointed that the ability was pretty important and set aside time to learn it. Jessica was weak. Bluntly speaking, her potential was lower than Boram''s. She was like the trash Level 3s that Viers had killed with impunity thus far. But her fate changed because she met Viers and because the person had a bias about how she looked similar to a video game character he liked. Of course, just by having access to qi didn''t mean Jessica would magically become as strong as Viers or even Boram all of a sudden. She gained a chance. Whether she could make something out of that chance was wholly up to her. "That last attack was a pretty mean strike." Alfred appeared from behind the shadow of a tree. "I don''t hit soft," Viers said. If he was surprised, he didn''t look like it. "Something the matter?" "I woke up because of a racket and I found that the one who should be on watch was neglecting his duty." Viers'' magic item should have prevented his spar from getting known to the rest of the party but Alfred still managed to sense something. No matter, it was within Viers'' expectations. But he wasn''t able to see through the meaning of Viers'' attack on Jessica so he thought it was a needlessly powerful hit. Made sense, because Viers used a large amount of Victa for that strike. To the point Jessica felt she was about to go to the afterlife. Be that as it may, Jessica wasn''t harmed. At least, he didn''t add further injuries on top of those she already had. "My watch is impeccable and uninterrupted," Viers said. "Is that so?" Alfred''s tone clearly conveyed his skepticism. "Then you-" "Already sensed the elves approaching us, yup. Just about to call you." About thirty seconds later, from the darkness of the night, several elven rangers came out with weapons drawn. They didn''t look to be in a friendly mood. "Humans, I assume the Unclean is dead?" The elven leader asked. "Yes," Alfred said. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "And what happened to the Cradle of Serenity?" "That''s¡­" This was what Alfred feared. The Biome was clearly culturally significant for the elves of Liapris. "It got blown up. We''re sorry." "Avel! You!" Viers gave it to them straight. Alfred facepalmed hearing the indelicate response. "And the other elves going with you are all dead¡­ Arrest them." The elven ranger captain gave the order. There was a great battle afterward. At least, that was something that should have happened when people tried to arrest Viers, but no. He had to resist the dark urge to beat the people, weaker people, who tried to control him, but he managed. Croix and Boram were woken up pretty rudely but they were all escorted back to Liapris under heavy surveillance. When they arrived, the elves took Jessica to Eucenn''s place, the elf medicine man. She hadn''t regained consciousness. Viers saw Tim, Jessica''s son who had been waiting for his mother back, follow her. The elves brought the bodies of their fallen somewhere else while Croix and the rest were brought before the council of elders, just like the first time. The elders did not take the news well. They were pissed. The Foulfly''s extermination was good, the death of the three elves was a pretty big minus mark, but they knew the risks and chose to accompany Croix on a suicide mission. The destruction of the Biome, however, was the last straw. It was a holy site for the elves. Legend was, the elven god was born and buried there. Burying their dead at the Cradle of Serenity was like returning to the embrace of the elven god after their death. Now it was no longer possible. Thousands of years of tradition, gone. People had been executed for far less. "As we are saying, there was a mysterious figure that attacked us. It was that person who destroyed the realm!" Croix said. "I have caught liars with better excuses! It is too improbable. You must have been aiming for the Realm Core, taking it for yourselves!" "We did no such thing. If you don''t believe us, you can check. We possess no Realm Core." Alfred challenged. "A moot point. From the time you killed the witnesses to the escape thereafter, you''ve had ample opportunity to hide or send the core away. It could be anywhere at this point. I''ll have you spill the location even if I have to pull the answer from your guts!" Realm Core, like its name, was the core of a realm. Pocket dimensions such as the Biomes usually had one. Dia''s Biome also had one, Viers had seen it. Take it away and the Biome would crumble. It was very valuable, as it could generate or nourish another Biome. The elves suspected Croix''s group had stolen it. Human greed and all that. Croix was arguing with the three elders on behalf of his group''s innocence earnestly and persistently, but the lack of strong evidence made his case easy to sweep aside. Alfred was supporting Croix with all he had. He feared the elves would take drastic measures. Didn''t they save the elves from the death disease? Where was the gratitude? "Hey," Alfred whispered. "Why don''t you say something?" Boram stood in silence. He didn''t speak but his mind was alert. He learned and observed. Boram wasn''t worried because his master didn''t seem worried so everything would be fine, like always. Viers also had not spoken a word since the hearing began. Others didn''t know what he was thinking behind his impassive expression but there was no nervousness or agitation in him. "Alright," Viers said. The farce had gone long enough. "Ladies and gentlemen, honored elven elders, may I have your attention, please? I wish to submit new evidence to show there was indeed another individual beside us at the Cradle." "Fine, let us see what kind of cheap trick you''re about to pull," the woman elf said. She was the critical elder from the start. "Before I begin, please call expert healer Eucenn. His presence will be necessary to validate the evidence." "So be it." The court entered a recess as the elders sent for Eucenn. "Avel, what are you planning?" Croix asked. "Why, proving our innocence, of course. Leave it to me." Eucenn showed up not long after. Liapris wasn''t large and clearly the armed escort was not dilly-dallying. The handsome elf seemed confused. "Healer Eucenn, the council requires your opinion. Examine the evidence from the human," the elder pointed at Viers. "Whatever this is, make it quick. I''ve got patients waiting," the elf approached. "As you wish." Viers cut off Eucenn''s hand with a swing of a sword. He did it so fast that by the time the guards reacted, the deed was already done. "Uwaaaahh!!" Eucenn screamed in pain. "Wha-!" "TREACHERY! Human treachery!" "Guards, seize him!" "Master! Behind you!" All hell broke loose. A dozen guards swarmed Viers with their Artes while Boram moved to defend his master. Croix and Alfred were shocked but they were not the only ones. Which was exactly as Viers'' plan. "Behold! The evidence!" While defending himself from various attacks, Viers gave a dramatic finger-pointing at Eucenn. "What!?" From the elf''s wound, foul miasma and poison dripped out. The same as the mysterious assailant at the Cradle of Serenity. "I give you the wolf in sheep''s clothing that has hidden in your midst. Feast your eyes!" "Eucenn, what is the meaning of this?" The male elder elf said with a shaky tone. "Why do you have the Unclean''s poison in your body?" "Th-There''s an explanation of this! It is so I can treat our brethren better. I only have the best inventions for our- Aaaargh!" Viers struck again. This time wasn''t with a sword but with the Foulfly''s stinger. Eucenn tried to dodge and defend but he was only a Level 3, same as Viers. The villain got no problem stabbing the elf with the monster''s body part. This time, the elves weren''t so inclined to defend Eucenn. "As you all know," Viers said loudly. "The Foulfly''s poison is deadly to the elven-kind. In a short moment, the effect should be evident." A few seconds passed, and Eucenn didn''t look like dying. Alfred already moved to shield Croix. "Eucenn¡­ You are¡­" The female elder said with disbelief. The implication was clear. "I formally accuse you as an elf imposter and the cause of Liapris'' woe." Viers pointed his sword at Eucenn''s face. His expression was a mix of pain and anger, ruining his handsome countenance. "Confess, or be made to." - - Chapter 391 - Among Elf Chapter 392 - Flight "No need." A towering and commanding voice answered Viers'' demand. "Elder Ydris?" The female elf elder didn''t expect the old elder who had been silent all this time to respond. His next action was similarly out of expectation; he attacked the other two elders with a green energy blast from his hands. "Aghh¡­ W-why?" The two elders were incapacitated. After the injury they sustained, moss grew from the root walls to hold them in place. The old elder transformed. His long beard vanished, as did his wrinkles. His droopy eyes became sharp. Other than becoming younger in appearance, his most noteworthy change was the color of his skin and hair. Dark, glossy gray skin and white hair like spider silk. "I killed that old fool Ydris and took his place. I am also responsible for spreading the sickness at this backwater hovel. A little bit more time and then it all would¡¯ve ended properly but you kids just had to meddle, didn¡¯t you?" The dark elf aimed his hostility at Croix and the rest. "The messy way it is then." With a snap of his fingers, the elves were groaning in pain. Those with poison in their bodies, which was practically every elf in Liapris, were affected. In front of Viers'' eyes, something emerged from the back of their necks. Tumorous spider limbs, distorted and twisted. Multiple pink eyes of various sizes were on the unnatural appendages. The elves were no longer screaming after the tumor limbs emerged. They didn''t seem aware either. They were twitching and salivating and moved like zombies. To Viers'' experienced eyes, they were controlled by parasites not unlike those of RE''s. Were the parasites already inside the elves all this time, or the dark elf magically created them just now? Unclear, but the most important thing in his mind was there was no sign he and the others in Croix''s group were changing. A silver lining. "O Goddess¡­ Protect us," Croix prayed to the Radiant Lady in the face of such horror. "I won''t kill any of you. There''s a special place in my experiments for you. Oh, you''ll wish for the sweet release of death." The dark elf''s power drowned them, making them unable to move as the infected elves drew closer. Viers, with all his strength, was no match against a Level 5. Croix and Alfred were struggling to resist. Boram also tried to break free of the magical hold but to no avail. "My incompetent disciple," the dark elf said to someone who pretended to be the elf healer Eucenn. "Round up the rest of the elves for consumption. You have exhausted my patience with your failure. Are we clear?" "...It is clear, Lord Lejek." The disciple, naturally, was unaffected by the spider tumor. He was nursing the stump on his arm after Viers'' slash. He picked up the fallen hand as he walked out of the council chambers, giving Viers a brief glare of schadenfreude. He was familiar with Lejek''s experiments. After his leave, Croix''s group was left defenseless against the Level 5 dark elf and his thrall. The two Level 4 elf elders remained tumorless. They were able to resist the spider-tumor parasite somehow but they were injured and bound. No help would be coming from them. "First, the one with arrogant eyes," Lejek eyed Viers. "I''ll take out both of your eyeballs and pour various substances directly into your brain. We''ll see what makes you tick soon. The kid with the giant bloodline can be a test subject for experimental medicines. They died so fast¡­ Hopefully, you''ll last longer." Lejek started smiling as he thought about what he planned for Croix''s group. "The crippled Level 4 I''ll fuse with a Necrofungus. I should be able to make a human bomb with satisfactory virulence out of you. As for the last boy¡­ Hehehe, you''re hiding something quite interesting, aren''t you? The bond you two have is¡­ unusual. Let me take a look." Lejek''s evil design encroached on Croix. Alfred was panicking. Boram was resisting with all his might. Viers was yawning. "...This is funny to you?" Lejek squinted at Viers, bloodlust rising. "You''re lukewarm, Level 5." At that exact moment, a fifteen-meter treant broke through the roof and stomped on Lejek. The treant had a familiar face. It was the old elf elder that the dark elf impersonated after murdering him, whose soul Viers met at the Cradle of Serenity, Elder Ydris. "Your wicked deeds end now, plague!" That was not enough to one-shot the dark elf, however. He fought back. After a short chant, Lejek spat out smoke from his mouth, which turned into a spider as big as the treant. "Fine! I''ll kill you a second time, stupid brother!" A battle between two Level 5 began. *** "Holy¡­ I can''t believe we survived that," Croix said while he ran. "What was that!?" After the treant''s stomping on the dark elf, Croix and the others were able to move again. Viers was the first to respond, ordering the gang to run. It was unwise to stay in such close proximity to a battle of those stronger than you. It also helped that Viers knew the treant would make an appearance. After meeting the soul of Ydris, Viers talked a lot with the deceased elf elder and learned a lot of things. Lejek, his brother who went off the wrong path and had been exiled a long time ago, came back a few moons ago and killed him in secret. Ydris was lured to the Cradle of Serenity where Lejek ambushed him and released the Foulfly, turning the area extremely poisonous. A pretty good cover scheme. Then Lejek masqueraded as Ydris and let the elves of Liapris fall sick. There Ydris stayed, unable to pass on from his attachment to the mortal world stemming from the worry of his homeland. Then Croix and the gang came along to the Cradle. Just so it happened, Viers was included among that group; someone who could see the souls of the dead. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Ydris saved Viers'' life and they both had interests in preventing whatever Lejek was planning, so they teamed up. Viers helped carry Ydris'' soul back to Liapris and assisted him in rousing an ancient guardian of Liapris, the treant. It was a success. Then he went along with the elves'' hearing until Ydris was ready before he got the show on the road. "What now, Master?" Boram asked as he hammered an infected elf with his hammer, sending her out through the wall. The infected were attacking them. "We get out of here first! We''re still too close!" Viers put the preservation of his life constantly at top priority. It was a logical thing to do. "Avel, how did you know Eucenn was the enemy from the Cradle anyway?" Alfred asked. "I didn¡¯t. I planned on cutting every Level 3 elf in Liapris until I find out who. Starting from the most suspicious guy." "Wha-?" Alfred was flabbergasted by Viers'' reasoning. "Hey, it was clear the elves got a rat in their house, alright? The poison inside the enemy''s body is a clear giveaway. Cutting them up is the fastest way." Croix could list a dozen diplomatic problems by attacking citizens of other nations in their nations, which Liapris basically was. But if Avel didn''t act, what then? His diplomacy almost resulted in them being judged as criminals by the elves. Just as they ran, an energy blast was very close to reducing them to dust, Alfred and Viers combined their power to reduce its power just enough so they all survived. Liapris wasn''t that big to begin with so after leaving the council of elders, they arrived at the village. They saw that most elves had a spider-tumor growing from the back of their necks. The ones who didn''t were fighting their infected brethren. One group stood out among them all, a group of elf children. The normal elves were trying to evacuate them. Jessica and Tim were among them, the former was on her feet, fighting. They were outnumbered. "Let''s go!" Croix ran to their aid without a second thought. The other three followed. Viers didn''t complain about doing the good deed. His investment was there and they all needed to get away from Liapris anyway. There was nothing wrong with saving elf children along the way. *** Jessica had no idea what was going on. At first, she thought Avel had killed her, but when she woke up she saw her son''s happy face on the bedside. Then the elves began to groan in pain. Then spider legs with eyes made from meat emerged from their backs. Jessica protected Tim as best as she could, fending off the feral elves without killing them. They were her neighbors for goodness sake, she met them every day and broke bread with them. She didn''t have the heart to kill them, but she had to keep her son safe so she punched them even though she didn''t want to. A passing thought of how her body felt lighter and moved much better blitzed through her mind but the time and place didn''t grant her the luxury of introspection. As she retreated it was clear the situation was the same throughout the whole village. She linked up with the elves who tried to bring the children away in the crisis. Every child had been placed under special quarantine since the epidemic began so they didn''t get sick. Jessica visited them as much as she could to lessen their boredom and loneliness. "Namona, what''s going on?" Jessica asked the elf caretaker. "I do not know! At any rate, we must evacuate the young ones away from- AAAAH!" "Namona! Damnit, Clesin, get away from her! Open your eyes, she''s your wife!" While she was trying to help her friend, another infected elf tried to attack the children from her blind spot. The children cried in fear. "Stop!" Someone came to the rescue. The children were safe. "Alfred? Thank the Goddess!" "Are you alright?" Alfred asked. "Thank her later," Avel subdued Clesin with his lightning. "A-Avel¡­" Jessica had a lot of questions about the youth with bottomless depth but the words died in her throat. "Master, I''ll make a path." "OK. Everyone, follow Boram. Kids, do not worry. Your guardians are tough. We''re superheroes!" Avel said to the kids with a big smile. The kids were a bit calmer so it was somewhat effective. Jessica grabbed Tim''s hand close and they ran outside of Liapris. Fourteen children, seven normal elves, Croix''s group, and her. With this company, guiding the children into the forest was a much more manageable task. The abnormal elves chasing had been incapacitated too so it was only a matter of creating distance between them and Liapris. She almost didn''t believe what Croix told her, that Elder Ydris was actually a dark elf imposter and now the real Elder Ydris came back as a treant, fighting him. They carried the children who were too slow to run on their backs. Boram even carried two. But they managed to reach a guard outpost. "Alright, this should be far enough," Alfred said. "Although, if the dark elf defeats the honored elven elder without injuries then we''re screwed." "We can only pray to the ancestors for Elder Ydris'' victory," Namona said, hugging her child. "Mommy, what happened to Daddy?" Namona hugged the child tighter. "It will be alright. It will be alright." Jessica hoped so too. From where they were, they could see the great clash of Level 5s. It was still going strong. What terrifying energy they wielded. "Hm?" "What is it, Avel?" "I see Eucenn. Or someone that wears his face." "What? Where?" Jessica looked at the rough direction Avel was facing and after failing to see the target, she looked at Avel again, only that he was no longer there. "W-where is he?" "Going after the enemy, most probably. Master will be fine, ma''am," Boram politely replied. "I see¡­" Jessica could only believe Boram. They watched the battle from a safe distance. Safe was a pretty relative word. There was no absolute guarantee against the other party. After a while, what they feared came to pass. The dark elf, riding on top of a giant black spider, was beating the treant-incarnation of the elf elder. And the spider was flying over to them. Lejek''s aura was rife with poison and killing intent. "...Shouldn''t we have run farther away earlier?" An elf asked. "It''s useless. We can''t outrun someone that can fly¡­ Is this the will of the forest?" Another elf sighed in defeat. Jessica was similarly crestfallen. Now that it came to this, the least she could do was die earlier than her son. "...Alfred, is it true what you said earlier? About the dark elf not being as powerful as a Level 5 should be?" Jessica overheard Croix talking. "That is my gut feeling, Young Lord¡­ Are you thinking about using ''that''?" "It''s our only way, isn''t it?" Croix smiled. It was a smile that hid nervousness. "Then I just have to do it. "Everyone," Croix called out to them. "It is too early to give up." Croix''s locket shone red and a winged lizard appeared beside the young boy. A dragon! Are my eyes deceiving me? "Shaaa!" "Let''s do this, Falmerion. Show everyone your power¡­ Arte - Dragon Evolution!" Jessica didn''t know how Croix did it but he emitted a power that was beyond that of a Level 1, or 3. With that surge of power, the little red dragon transformed. Before Jessica''s eyes was no longer a baby dragonling but a magnificent dragon with red scales. Just one look at the dragon and Jessica''s first instinct was to run. The dragon was stronger than her. "Let''s go, Falmerion," Croix climbed on top of the dragon. "Our hopes rest on your wings!" The dragon gave a mighty roar and soared to the sky. No meekness came from the voice of the peak of monsterkind. The roar rekindled their dying hope. Before their eyes, a dragon would clash with a flying spider conjured by a Level 5 dark elf. Chapter 393 - Fight? Piercing through the trees'' canopy with his Euryale Sight, Viers saw a red dragon engaging a flying spider in showy aerial combat. He didn''t expect for Ydris to lose so it got a worry spike out of him. The elder elf talked big of how he would win. What a failure. He expected Boram and the group to run away like hell after sensing the dark elf''s spider-shaped Arte went in their direction. Turned out his other disciple had quite the trump card. So, the little dragon became big again¡­ Can Croix do that at will? Does this mean the prince who has just become a Pathseeker already owns Level 4 combat strength? Since Viers had ridden the grown-up Falmerion before during the escape at Archion Volcano, he got an estimate of the dragon''s power. Viers let out a depreciating smile. He couldn''t fight Level 4 as Level 1. It felt unfair. Well, no matter. To each his own. I just gotta take care of myself and do what I gotta do. Ydris, reduced to a soul as he is, wasn''t completely useless it seems. Looking at the skybattle, the dark elf''s power is pretty low. He must have been pretty injured and dragons are tough. Croix and Falmerion might not win but they might not lose. I''m counting on you to fend him off, princey. Viers set his gaze on the prize, the fleeing Eucenn. Although, he believed the original Eucenn had died. Since Viers didn''t know the guy''s name he would label him as Eucenn. Just temporarily, nothing a little soul search wouldn¡¯t fix. Viers ran across the magical forest with the nimbleness of a cat. While he made his exit from Liapris, he didn''t encounter the fake elf. Why? If he acted it would greatly trouble Croix and the others, since they had to protect the civilians and elven children. Wasn''t this acting against his dark elf master''s wish? Well, also doesn''t matter. Time to bring him down. Eucenn had the body language of a pursued thief. He was being constantly wary of pursuers as he ran as fast as he could. However, Viers'' 500% boost on his already exceptional speed Artes meant he was faster than him. Viers progressively closed the distance between them, and since Viers'' stealth techniques were very good, Eucenn failed to detect him. Eucenn was also concerned about the dark elf''s fight in the sky. Probably because he wasn''t doing as he was told and running away instead. It took a while, but after sufficiently widening the distance between him and battle, Eucenn stopped to conjure a mount from the earth around him. Based on the unfinished shape, it might be a horse. It was then Viers struck. One of Eucenn''s life-saving items automatically emitted a sphere barrier to take the Futon''s lightning and broke to pieces. The ambush was a success but Eucenn was still alive and battle-able. The hand that Viers cut before was still handless but other than that, the guy wearing the handsome elf''s skin was uninjured. The loss of his life-saving item was an intensely unpleasant surprise. His expression which looked like he had seen an avenging angel was hilarious. Yes, angel. Viers had a pretty good idea about who these two were. They both cultivated unordinary poison. Turn a rock and cultists show up. Viers already lost count of how many ordinary people were secretly cultists. If something was wrong with the world, chances were they were at fault. A city destroyed? Because of the cultists. Demon King revival plot? Cultists handiwork. A Level 4 prodigy prince went missing? A request from a cultist. Elf killing epidemic? Cultists. There was a devil cult that specialized in poison so¡­ yeah. Viers put the two and two together. As a cultist, Eucenn might not fear demons, unless the demon was super powerful, but he definitely feared getting smote by angels. "You!" Eucenn stopped making his construct and tried to retaliate, but changed to evasion because Viers'' second lightning attack was upon him. Yellow electric arc spread. It was branching with a hundred tendrils. Eucenn couldn''t evade them all, a few touched his body and he was paralyzed with electro-shock. It went through his Unreality Field. Eucenn realized the youth after him, the fricking vassal of the noble boy, was truly a beast of a Pathseeker. He couldn''t win so escape was his only option. Even then, he couldn''t afford to hold back. Viers felt a flash of pain in his head, delaying his action for a second. In that span of time, Eucenn had transformed into a half-scorpion humanoid. He''d undone his elf disguise, showing an entirely new face. A face that Viers knew. It''s him! The scorpion tail he now had struck Viers on the chest. His defenses held and the venom didn''t enter his boy but he was pushed back. The scorpionman hurriedly evoked his Arte. He was submerging into the ground as if the ground was water. "Ruler¡¯s Globe!" Viers revealed a magic item that he plundered from the 40th Prince of Latias. The enemy was caught within its area of effect, which was a skill disruption kind. The enemy''s use of Victa would be greatly hampered while the user could do his as usual. A top-tier magic item. It even had a 30% effectiveness even against Level 4, unless they used their Imaginary Domain. Against a Level 3, the Ruler¡¯s Globe could go as high as above 90% Victa disruption. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. It was only effective against humans since Victa was a magic resource unique to humans but when it worked, the effect was devastating. Rendered powerless, Viers'' opponent still hasn''t given up. He was about to try something, but how could Viers allow that? "Go!" Two of Viers'' badges on his chest shone, the cloud and the fire badges. Faiya and Futon summarily emerged from their small living space inside with a flourish of light. Viers had ordered them using the soul link they all had and moved to pincer the half-transformed scorpion man. Futon to the left and Faiya to the right while Viers attacked from the center. "Wait! I can be-" Faiya''s blazing flame, combined with a Futon''s swirling wind was the answer he got. His Victa was stalled so his Arte couldn''t come out right but he wasn''t defenseless. His Unreality Field was the first line of defense and his magical items were the second and last line. The life-saving items he had were breaking up one after another in a matter of seconds. Viers wasn''t standing by like a bigshot villain while his underlings did the grunt work. He never felt executing someone in totality was dirty work or beneath him. He played DOOM for God''s sake. He pulled back his right fist after double-layering it with strengthening Artes, and punched. The fist punched through his enemy''s chest until it came out from his back. Glorious killing. The human previously known as Eucenn looked down at his chest in horror as blood streamed from his mouth. Viers then pulled his hand without lingering. The human fell down to his knees and looked up to Viers. "Who¡­ are you?" Viers punched him again. In the head this time. It burst like a fruit. Blood and brain matter splattered on the ground. Splotches of blood fell on his face and even in the eye but Viers'' expression was that of stone. His right fist was covered in the warm red liquid of life. In that same second, Viers yanked out his soul and put it into his soul jail. Glorious killing x 2! And so ended the life of Fajrin the Green Scorpion, Ninth of Aletro Nine Stars. The man had evaded Viers'' killing blade in the Book World many times, therefore this time he didn''t give him any chances to get away. He knew Fajrin was the type to run at the faintest scent of danger. Viers felt good to tie up one loose end. If Viers was the type for the unnecessary villain theatric, he would change his face into Tanael and say something cheesy or dramatic before offing Fajrin. But by doing so, he would have compromised his identity to the Teorph cult''s higher-up who was spying on Fajrin without the knowledge of the man himself using the parasite inside him. This would bring Viers untold troubles in the future. Because Viers was doing none of that, he averted a major future trouble. "Faiya, sanitize. Good job you two." Viers pulled Futon into the badge while Faiya used his high-tier flame to burn the body, after he took Fajrin''s storage items, of course. Normally he would store the body for later utilization but the cultist''s body had too much poison. He would rather not risk it for a mere Level 3. Yes, a mere Level 3. Fajrin was absolutely decimated by Viers. It wasn''t hard at all. Back then Fajrin, with dual affinity of earth and mind, was already no match for Viers'' alias, Tanael. As they progressed, Viers kept piling up advantages over advantages, leaving Fajrin in the dust in terms of power growth. In hindsight, Fajrin''s choice was the correct one. Against someone he couldn''t beat in a fight, he ran. Viers would have done the same in his shoes. But sometimes, there was no running away. Before Fajrin''s body became char because of Faiya, Viers used a new technique. Blood Ixi Arte - Proof of Death. Red mist emerged from the corpse and was etched onto Viers'' left backhand. A faint red mark resembling a wing appeared. The wing seemed to be a part of a whole. Viers smiled at the successful Arte activation. This was the first time he used this Arte since he made it from scratch. Tests, no matter how many, were different from actual operation. The Arte had its root from the principle of Blood Church''s top Arte, Blood Seraph. Its core principle was to craft power using blood. Viers'' mark contained power that was waiting to be unleashed and it was far from his maximum capacity. He turned the blood of the fallen and turned it into a magical sigil of sorts. Since he was not consuming Fajrin''s poisoned blood, Viers had no fear of getting infected. It didn''t take long until Fajrin was ashes. With his business done, Viers rescinded the Ruler''s Globe and put it back into his Thousand Treasures Casket. Now then, I wonder how Croix is holding up. You better not die on me. I''ve invested in you, young prince. Viers found a vantage point on the trees. In the distance, the dragon and the flying spider had moved their fight closer to the ground. Viers felt he was missing out on the spectacle so he would later soul search Boram, the non-intrusive way of course. The prince was holding on bravely and stalwartly. Viers whistled in amazed approval. Croix was not winning but he was not losing either, a magnificent stand. Mostly because Lejek the dark elf''s condition was strange. It was like he was in a crippled condition. Was he injured during the fight against Ydris or even before? Be that as it may, even in that wretched condition, Viers guessed that Lejek still possessed enough power to destroy Boram. It told a lot of Croix and Falmerion being capable of holding him back. Then suddenly, something struck the flying spider with great speed. Viers was unable to see where it came from. It exploded with a magnificent blast like a missile strike of light. The explosion created gusts and light so bright that it blinded Viers from a distance. Croix and his dragon had it worse since they were so close but they managed to stay in the air. Lejek roared in pain and flew away in retreat. He suffered massive injuries. Viers'' returning super-sight caught a glimpse that on the spider that had lost half of its body, was an arrow. ¡­Holy shit. That attack is from a Level 5, no mistaking it. Whose? *** On top of the Latias Cathedral, separated by eight mountains and six valleys from Liapris, an elf with golden hair was floating. After observing for some time, she dematerialized her bow and slowly descended to the ground. She was surrounded by faeries. She spoke to the priest who was standing nearby. "Please send an envoy with gifts to the brave dragon rider. Thanks to him, we are able to uproot a foul scheme and deal a heavy blow to a Level 5 heretic." "Certainly, Cardinal," the priest bowed before taking his leave. The fairies tugged her clothes and hair, making noises. One was lightly pulling her elven ear. "Oh, and Brother Hugh?" Cardinal Siora Watermoon called with a voice that was like a summer breeze. "Yes?" "Make sure the gift is fit for a prince and his companions," the emerald-eyed elf smiled from the heart. The fairies let go of their antics and showed satisfied faces. Chapter 394 - Liapris Conclusion Viers had an enlightening experience reading his newest soul. After Fajrin''s less-than-satisfactory performance in the Aletro''s trials, he had a pretty miserable time in his cult. He was forced to do many chores and dangerous missions. This went on for months. Oh, the woe of being a corporate slave. Always have to do what your boss tells you¡­ I feel you, Fajrin. This is why I''m not working for other people. I''m my own boss. He went from place to place until he ended up at Latias Kingdom. Not too long ago, a secret base of the Gardeners of Perfection, what the Teorph cultists called themselves, was attacked. The enemy was mighty and brought a battalion of Pathseekers with him. The raid was sudden and destructive. Fajrin might be an expert in escaping but even he had to admit he survived relatively unscathed because fate was on his side that day. But Lejek, the dark elf leader of that cult branch, was not so lucky. He was deeply injured during the raid. The dark elf might be a Level 5 but the other side also had a Level 5. Afterward, Lejek hatched a devious plan to use the lives of his kindred elves, as ingredients to brew a cure. That was why he came to Liapris. A sick scheme for sure, but he was a Level 5. The lower the level, the lesser their life''s value to him. A common sentiment which Viers had often seen in many Fables. Fajrin was simply forced to go along without any say in the matter. Injured or not, Lejek was a Level 5. Viers blurted out a laugh. Fajrin might not know the identity of the attackers, but Viers knew about them. It was Duke Lucan. When Viers was doing banditry of the Lucan duchy, he used the face of Marvin. He''d also tossed out that he was with the Teorph cult as a bonus. An empty lie for red herring but it seemed to have driven the duke to take revenge on the Gardeners. Apparently the Duke was on a warpath rooting out cultists all over and this particular cult was his main target. One thing led to another, and Lejek suffered even more grievous injuries while Fajrin lay dead beneath Viers'' feet. Excellent. With wounds like that, perhaps even I can¡­ Viers was thinking if he should chase Lejek and kill him. His magic carpet was burnt and he had not got a replacement flying magic item but if he transformed into his water dragon form that was capable of limited flying then perhaps he might have caught the wounded cultist. But Viers ultimately decided against it. There was nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal and this one was far stronger than him. He had plenty of gains and loot already. No need to take such dangerous risks. Viers went back to Croix and the other escapees. On dragonback, Croix had already returned ahead of him. They exchanged information and returned to the village to assess the situation. Thankfully, with Lejek chased away, the elves were no longer brainwashed. Many were wounded and the village itself was wrecked but the deadly disease was cut at the source and the imposters that sowed the seeds were repelled. The healing process could finally begin. There was a party that night. Bonfires, dance, and music. A joyful one, born after a period of sorrow. Although the dead had left them, it was all the more reason for the living to keep braving onward. Croix and the rest were included as guests of honor. With the foremost elder, Ydris, gone, only two elven elders were left in the council of elders. Both survived Lejek''s assault. After Liapris was saved, and Viers returned what the Eucenn-imposter had stolen, the elders changed their tone, especially the skeptical female elder. The reason why Fajrin was far away from Liapris when Viers killed him was because he had taken as many valuables in the village as he could get his hands on and planned to run away before all went to shit. A bulk of them were elven medicines and herbs in the apothecary that he was in charge of. Valuable, but since Viers personally had unlimited access to nature''s bounty not losing in quality from his Biome, it wasn''t a huge loss. The favor of returning the medicines when sorely needed by the elves was more precious, according to his calculating mind. Obviously, Viers did not return ALL that Fajrin stole. The cultist''s own inventory of dangerous items notwithstanding, he also had the Cradle of Tranquility''s Realm Core with him. It took the shape of an unusual rock. It was because he took it that the pocket dimension collapsed. This was something that Viers decided to bag himself. He already had a plan about how to use a new pocket dimension. He''d saved their lives so he didn''t feel bad one bit for taking the Realm Core of their cemetery. Robbing was truly the highway to get rich fast. It was also the highway to Hell but Viers had always known that. Firstly, if the demons of Hell wanted him, then they had to earn him first. Secondly, if he was going to Hell, he was going to do it in style. Thirdly, if he truly ended up in Hell, he planned on making himself such a colossal nuisance until Hell itself spat him back out! That was what Viers thought his life should be. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Since he decided to become a Pathseeker, a cultivator with another name, he was always going to defy the Heavens. So what if he ate hundreds of thousands of souls and got tons of bad karma? He''d got the Fables on his side. That was like prescience. He was playing a video game with a walkthrough, what did he have to fear? Sure, life was unpredictable and would throw lemons at him, but that was what his power was for. Viers had faith in himself that he would prevail, come what may. Even if no one believed he would prevail, Viers would always believe in himself. The party was going merrily. Viers was not accustomed to crowds so he removed himself from the center of attention. He was still able to observe the party from a veranda on one of the high treehouses. He had a preference for looking at people from high places. Viers wondered if he caught a chronic villain disease. Boram was popular with elven kids, eager to hear the secret of his mighty strength. Alfred was trading drinks with other elves. Croix was participating in the festivities. Near the prince, Viers saw Falmerion snatching cooked meat pieces midair that the children tossed at him. The dragon was small again. According to what Croix divulged earlier, he was able to make the dragon ''evolve'' albeit temporarily. It was thanks to the dragon on top of the volcano, he said. That dragon was equivalent to Level 4 in strength. Rather than Pok¨¦mon''s evolution, it looks closer to Digimon''s since Falmerion turned back small again. Hmm, yes. He must have multiple stages of evolution. No way a pure-blood dragon''s full strength was capped at Level 4. The baby dragon would eventually possess his ''evolved'' power as he matures but how many years or decades would it take? Viers assessed Croix''s status. More ''grow'' than evolution, actually. In a way, Croix borrowed his dragon''s power from the future. Instantly making leaps of strength. Even I will not have an easy time fighting the grown Falmerion in a head-on battle. That is quite the cheat indeed¡­ Is he MC material? Royal Blood, a legendary creature sidekick, has a hand in solving a Level 5 problem while being a Level 1, the signs are certainly there. With his eyes on the smiling young prince who looked like genuinely enjoying himself from the accomplishment of a good deed, Viers made a smile. As for the meaning of that smile, it was complicated. "So, no regrets left?" Viers suddenly said. His lips were not moving but the recipient heard him. "My wayward brother has been admonished and my home is safe. Now I can face my honored ancestors with my head held high." Ydris'' soul came for a chat. The two talked about things for a while. "So you planned on using faeries to send a message to Estellian Church from the start, hm? I guess I was right guessing Lejek was struck by a Holy attribute at the very end." "We are ancient allies. The current Cardinal of Latias is an honorable daughter of the forest." "Cardinal Siora Watermoon¡­ You''d think she shot the arrow?" "Perhaps, or perhaps not. The Church of the Goddess of Light has many excellent individuals," Ydris said. "...I concur." "It''s time for me to depart," Ydris'' voice was content. "It will be tough, but Liapris will be fine without me." "Don''t forget what you owe me." "Of course. It is only thanks to you, young human, that I can do anything at all after only my soul remains. I''ll leave you with the secrets of my secret techniques." "...I think there has been a misunderstanding. What I want isn''t your techniques." The air between them changed. "...Think carefully about what you''ll say next, young human." Viers didn''t say anything at all. He acted. There was a brief exchange, and the Level 5 elf soul was now in his soul prison. "There are two things that are certain in this world: death and taxes. For some, I''m both." A Level 5 soul was too precious to pass up. Ydris was an elf so Viers couldn''t eat his soul with his soul cultivation Arte, Myriad Souls in One. Be that as it may, there were still many options for a soul Pathseeker with Viers'' ability to take. He looked forward to plumbing every secret in the elf''s memory. A few secret techniques? Viers wanted more. He called this act collecting taxes. Only after Ydris went through multiple stages of Viers'' soul processing would he continue his journey to the world beyond death. Missing a few bits perhaps, but intact in all the parts that mattered. The soul''s cycle of death and rebirth would not be interrupted, only slightly delayed. A Level 5''s soul was tricky to grab, but because Ydris was desperate to save his village, he''d made a deal with Viers. That allowed Viers to sink his hooks on him. After securing Ydris'' soul with layers upon layers of bindings and triple-checking it, Viers allowed the feeling of satisfaction to take him. Time to meet his next appointment. "Good evening, Jessica. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Viers was still leaning on the wooden railings, watching the party downstairs. Jessica was coming from behind but Viers had no trouble recognizing her. He had many ways. Also, talking with his back turned gave him a boss-villain vibe, Viers digs it. "Uhh, hi," Jessica''s voice was unsure. "I hope I''m not interrupting?" Of course, she wasn''t aware of what transpired between Viers and Ydris moments earlier. She or anyone else. "Not at all. We can talk. You must have so many questions." "...Just two actually. For now, at least. Avel, who are you?" "Now that is an interesting question." Viers turned to face her. He was still leaning on the veranda railings with his back. "I have been called by many names. Adventurer, Traveller, Doctor, Master, Commander, Captain, Admiral, Warrior of Light, Warrior of Darkness, even Barista at the End of the Universe. These are but a few. You are welcome to decide who I am in your eyes." *** The light of the spirit forest at night at Avel''s back seemed to have played tricks in Jessica''s eyes, making the person in front of her so¡­ mysterious. Also, he was what at the end of the universe? Where even IS that? Was he a god? This was the burning question in Jessica''s mind. She could ask. She wanted to ask, but was it proper to do so? Curious, for sure but any answer, positive or negative, wasn''t going to make much difference. Her second question which she''d carefully picked was more relevant. "...Right. I didn''t even know what I was expecting to hear, actually. The second question is, what do you plan for me?" Avel did something to her. She could feel a mysterious power inside her body now. It felt like it had always been there but it was now awake. Avel awakened it. But what now? Jessica was wise enough to know there was no such thing as free gifts. "What indeed," Avel smiled softly. There was no hostility. Jessica didn''t know why but she felt the hair behind her neck stand up. After a few seconds, Avel opened his mouth again. "Would you like a job?" Chapter 395 - Live In Job The circumstances of Croix and his party''s departure from Liapris were night and day compared to their arrival. The elves regarded them as saviors now. Croix accepted their well-wishes humbly despite rumors of him being a member of the royal family had been circulating. It couldn''t be helped, a dragon was too conspicuous. The elves conveyed their gratitude with more than words. Croix received valuable gifts that would bolster the young Pathseeker''s growth. Of course, Croix was not the only one. Alfred underwent an elven healing session that greatly improved his condition. His cracked foundation had not healed but it was much better compared to before. Boram also received a peculiar gift, a tonic that hopefully would allow him to grow from now on. How effective it would be was unknown at this time but Viers believed it would have some sort of effect. "Good for you," Viers said to Boram. The thirteen-year-old kid had been stuck with the appearance of a ten-year-old as a side effect of being forced to become a Pathseeker before his body and soul were ready. With this, the frozen time would begin moving again. Viers also was given gifts. On the outside, he was grateful. On the inside, whatever the elves gave him, he''d already gotten a super valuable treasure and the soul of the head elder anyway so it didn''t really matter. Croix''s party was also joined by Jessica and her son, Tim. Since her son had recovered and the elves were no longer in danger, she could leave with no burden in her heart. As thanks for her longer and no less crucial services, the elves gave her a blessing from the spirits of the forest. Which was a good thing. All things considered, all benefited so it was a win-win situation. The only loser was the devil cult but who cared about them? Viers absolutely didn''t care they suffered a loss. An elven friendship token was also given to each of them who had a hand in saving Liapris. Viers had given his to Jessica which brought her here and kick-started an unthinkable chain of events. Who knows what this one would bring? Viers would place the token in the key item category for now. Much work needed to be done to recover Liapris to its former state. It would take a lot of resources. To that end, Croix managed to convince the elves to engage in trade. Liapris forest was abundant in precious resources. The elves saw the necessity but weren''t ready to fully open their borders so they would start small, engaging with people that they could trust, that meant Croix and his budding town were the prime choice. Alfred told Croix this was a great achievement. Elven crafts were top-notch. They would sell like hotcakes. Croix said that he was grateful for their trust and would prove himself worthy of it. During the sunny morning the next day, the heroes bid their farewell to the elves of Liapris. "It gladdens me of you joining us, Lady Jessica. Your son too. Tim, is it?" "Y-Yesss! P-Prince Highness Sir!" Tim was quite nervous speaking with a big shot noble. "Please, there''s no need to address me with titles. I''m just a commoner, Prince Croix," Jessica dipped her head. She was nervous too. "Avel offered me work. I only hope my presence is not inconveniencing you." "Not at all. What kind of job?" "It''s-" They were interrupted by a winged shadow. They looked above and a gryphon landed along with its rider. "Prince Croix, I have been searching for you," the armored knightess removed her full-face helmet. "Knight-Captain Malika, good morning to you. To what do I owe the pleasure?" "The Countess asked for your presence at Stormberg. Preferably immediately," she said. "I have no issue," Croix said. Originally they were going back to the Shore, but from their location now, going to Stormberg directly was closer. "Any objections?" "None, Young Lord. I''ll accompany you," Alfred was looking healthier now. Although his hair was still white, the thirty-year-old knight had more vitality than before. "As for me, I do. For reasons I''d rather not say, I must go back to the Shore today," Viers replied. "I''ll accompany Master," Boram was fine either way but he was Viers'' disciple first and foremost. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. "I see. All is good. We''ll take separate paths for now," Croix had no problem. Alfred had none too. With Malika, a Level 4, their trip to Stormberg was more secure than ever. They waved their goodbyes and went towards their respective destinations. Jessica and Tim went with the Shore group. She felt she had no business going to Stormberg nor the Countess with her. The journey was smooth and relatively incident-free. There was an instance where they encountered a merchant with his carriage wheel broken and a minor monster attack. Both times Boram solved them as easily as snapping his fingers. Tim who saw someone not taller than him could do all that was in awe. By sunset, the group arrived at their destination. The wrecked little fishing village of before had become a budding busy little town. The time was just right for people coming back after a hard day''s work and the start of a dinner rush. At the entrance, there was a sign: The Shore. However, someone vandalized that sign. The o was crossed and changed into i. Viers smiled. He knew only one man that would do it. "Looks like a nice place," Jessica commented after seeing the place for the first time. "Sorry, but the sightseeing will have to wait until tomorrow," Viers said. "Follow me." Viers strode across the street without delay. The town folk who recognized him said their greetings. Viers, or rather Avel as he was known here, was equivalent to a town official since he was Prince Croix''s vassal, so he had a high status among these people. Viers made a brief stop at the infirmary, giving elven medicines to the healers there. This was not his doing, but Croix''s. Many people of the original fishing village were heavily injured or crippled during the tidal wave disaster, including the original old village chief. Croix didn''t forget them. Viers was only the delivery man. After conveying the prince and viceroy''s wishes about how the medicines should be used, Viers went back to his home. The town''s folk didn''t find it strange. He was already rumored as a cultivation maniac. Jessica and her son followed Viers to his house. Her looks and new face turned a few heads but there were many newcomers at the Shore nowadays so it wasn''t strange. She was impressed by the barriers and securities that she recognized at a glance and surprised when Viers opened a portal to another place. All these were far beyond her usual normal standard. "Go inside first and rest for today. We''ll talk tomorrow. Boram, help these two settle down. Lead them to one of the empty houses. They may pick whatever they like." "W-wait!" Viers waved to the confused mother and son duo as they passed the portal. They would be even more surprised after seeing the Biome. It was like mortals visiting the valley of immortals. After they passed, the portal closed. Viers sighed in relief. I made it in time. In less than thirty minutes, after the sun had completely sunk into the horizon, Viers'' powers would evaporate. It was the time limit of his Profound Codex, Serpentes Renovamen. Because of the happenings at Liapris, he had to postpone practicing it, but today was the limit. Viers had to reach a place that he knew was safe, which was here. "So, you met Tifa again. By bringing her here, guess she''s now a member of the inner circle?" A voice came from the dark. Ars¨¨ne walked out from the shadows. Sensing the presence of others, he hid. Only coming out now that there were only the two of them. Ars¨¨ne also had been taking separate actions at the underwater kingdom so Viers didn''t do his Profound Practice lest he would jeopardize his other self''s undertakings. "One thing led to another, I guess. I already gave her the card. I thought to just roll with it," Viers shrugged. "Good things on your end?" Ars¨¨ne replied not with words but with an awkward expression. "...Is the Mualammu Kingdom still standing?" Viers was already prepared for the worst. "Depends on your definition of standing," Ars¨¨ne tossed him an inventory ring. Viers didn''t look into it yet but he was quite sure it was more than the wealth most Level 3 would ever gain in their life. That was usually the case when he sent Ars¨¨ne on his ''expeditions''. As expected of me, Viers patted himself on the back. The sky was getting darker and darker. The two knew the time was almost up so they didn''t waste any more time and entered the Biome. As Ars¨¨ne dissolved into Viers, his memories of his past days came gushing in. *** Jessica was sitting on a wooden chair in a daze. Such a fantastical realm that she couldn''t imagine truly existed. The ambient mana of this place¡­ She felt she would improve her cultivation simply by sleeping and breathing in this place. She''d met other residents of this place. Three pretty girls, the fairy-like Paina, the warm-smiling spear-wielder Farley, and the ghost snake-lady Clarissa. Boram introduced them to each other and went somewhere. While waiting, the girls sort of made a tea party with her included. Plump and cute lifeforms brought the hot tea and cakes to the table. They asked her about lots of things but in a nice way and not inquisitive. Meanwhile, Tim was playing with the Pukupukus nearby. They became fast friends. They called Avel Viers. Was it his real name? Jessica sipped her tea trying to keep her heart calm. These girls were strong, especially the ghost lady. What have I gotten myself into? "Hello, I''m back. I brought them." Boram was back, with him, there were two little girls, about Tim''s age. "H-Hello, I''m Luca," the girl with dark purple hair and clear jet-black eyes said. "Good evening, I''m Gwen," the well-mannered girl with the scent of cakes said. "Nice to meet you," Jessica rose up from her seat and lowered her height as she spoke with them. "My name is Jessica and I''ve been hired by Avel, or Viers, as your teacher. Pleased to meet you, young ladies." Chapter 396 - Arsène and Uraj Ars¨¨ne went to the underwater kingdom under the cover of a Devadom Orca whom Uraj, a simple Merman soldier, managed to tame, a feat not heard of in the last one hundred years. With the might of his partner, not unlike Croix and his dragon, Uraj''s reputation and his lot in life improved sharply. It hadn''t been that long since everything seemed to be going his way so he was still in the high period, drunk on the newfound power and glory. Meanwhile, Ars¨¨ne made various actions behind the scenes. With the Devadom''s space power, Ars¨¨ne''s multiple thievery had gotten him more than a few precious valuables. X family''s heirloom, Y clan''s secret treasure, Z style''s forbidden Arte, and so on. The amount of loot Ars¨¨ne had gotten was on par with what the power fantasy novels'' MCs usually got after the end of a major arc. However, unlike them, Ars¨¨ne had gotten them without the mandatory life-threatening situations and epic battles against great adversaries. Getting the most benefit with as little effort and risk as possible was Viers'' business motto. Sure, reading heart-thumping battles of other main characters in their novel was exciting but Viers didn''t want to suffer like them. Work smarter, not harder. With the Fables, surely there was a more economical way of doing things? Viers had played Skyrim and Baldur''s Gate 3, he knew stealing could gain you things that should normally be available only at the later part of the game, skewing the ''standard'' progressions. Viers followed that line of development and geared his skills in stealing, among other things equally evil. As a villain, he had no moral codes that the righteous template MCs were supposed to have so stealing galore was just fine. He already thought of this way back since he gave his other self the name of a famous thief. He preferred stealing things that could improve his cultivation rather than static equipment. Strong gear was good but Level was better. This was one of the secrets of Viers'' meteoric rise in power; why he was so far above the other Pathseekers his age. Of course, if he could steal those fancy gear he swiped them too. Was there ever an option not to for a villain like him? Ars¨¨ne was also aggressively aiming for special opportunities, like inheritance or trials, sure-death places or unknowns. Since the cost of this life dying was pretty minor on his other half, Ars¨¨ne could be rather bold in his attempts. Thanks to one of his daring escapades, including a few mysteriously missing Mer, he managed to enter a training ground for the kingdom''s super-elite, like the upper nobility exclusive. This place was special, it gave impartment about the Sea Universe sword style. In the Book World, one of the rewards he found in that strange realm was Sea Universe sword style but only the first form. In the Mualammu Kingdom''s training ground, they had records until the fifth form. Ars¨¨ne was getting serious Kimetsu no Yaiba vibes from this so of course he was dead set on learning it. Besides, the sword style was extremely strong. Using only the first form of the Sea Universe sword style Viers laid down the basics of his own style, Suiten Mitsurugi-ryuu. With other forms, his swordsmanship would be more fearsome¡­ if he mastered it. Viers scoured the surface for the traces of the Sea Universe sword style but found next to nothing but the underwater world had it. Perhaps it was no surprise seeing the name. The sword style might even have originated from the underwater world. As an orca naturally Ars¨¨ne couldn''t wield a sword so during the training session with the sword phantoms, he turned back to human. Underwater, it took some time getting used to but he made it work. Good thing he was a Water Pathseeker. He wanted to record all five forms in one go but he couldn''t, only after he mastered the previous form would the training ground unveil the next. During the short days available to him, Ars¨¨ne managed to master the second form and was halfway to mastering the third. A feat that would send an uproar if it was known. Major families would want to recruit that kind of genius. Truth was, Ars¨¨ne was not really a genius. The reason he mastered the second form so fast was that Viers had thoroughly deciphered and extracted the first form in the past, plus his deep foundation of swordsmanship gained from uncountable souls. Viers might have worked hard training his skills day by day but honest work alone would not let him compete with older, more experienced Pathseekers. Did those guys not work hard too day by day? How could he catch up or surpass them without a plus ultra? Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Even though Viers theoretically could gain countless expertise and skills from all the souls he caught, Viers did not do so. Doing so without restraint was dangerous and stupid. From the soul of an expert cook Viers could learn the way he cooked but that was different from integrating the cooking skills, sense, and experience into his own soul. The former Viers had done it repeatedly on various things but the latter, Viers rarely did it even though it was a much faster and more complete learning method. He could become warped into something else because he wantonly fused with the souls of others. Viers evaded the clich¨¦d villain trap from the very first day he became a Soul Pathseeker. He carefully chose what he put into his soul. Since Viers put his fighting skills quite high on the priority ladder, he boosted his swordsmanship by consuming the foundation of others who were skilled with the sword. And Viers didn''t stop there. He might have had an unfair boosted start like using a pay-to-win scheme, but afterward, he also trained to make those skills truly his, integrated into his very being instead of sword skills sticky notes on his soul. If he continued thoughtlessly using the skills of others while having none of his own, there would be a gate that he could not open somewhere up there on the path of the sword. It was clear as day to someone as genre-savvy as Viers. That was what the Suiten Mitsurugi-ryuu was. Skills that he managed to put there were things that he personalized that were custom-tailored to him as an individual. Something he personally created and truly his own. He did not create a new sword style because he thought it would be cool. Not entirely, at least. That was also why he did not use the Sea Universe sword style as is even though it was perfectly usable. Thus Ars¨¨ne, whose mind and personality were a perfect copy of Viers, put his damnedest effort at the training grounds. That focus had the cost of lessening his attentiveness. After concluding a training session, eager to go back tomorrow, Ars¨¨ne went back to Uraj''s place. He was mentally tired each day, the sword forms were not simple to learn. He wanted to sleep as soon as possible. Then he was suddenly surrounded by Mermen, Pathseekers all. Ars¨¨ne was actually caught off guard. Not even he could be vigilant all the time. Furthermore, in monster form, he lost his soul abilities, which Viers and Ars¨¨ne relied on heavily for sensing ill intent. The way they managed to trap the Devadom Orca that had the space affinity showed how prepared these people were. Ars¨¨ne was unable to teleport and he was bound by magical chains. The soldiers were tense but their target showed no signs of struggling. "That''s it? For a great Godkin I thought it would show more resistance," a snobbish Merman who looked like he was the scion of some bigshot approached. Beside him was Uraj, Ars¨¨ne''s ''master''. "That is because I''m restraining it, Your Highness." "Mmm, alright," The Mer Arrogant Young Master threw an inventory pouch at Uraj which the latter received with glee. "You''ll find half the payment there. Once I''ve eaten the Godkin, you''ll get the rest." "Certainly, certainly. Like the legends said, I''m certain Dom will give you unparalleled strength. You''ll become the greatest Mer in the Mualammu Kingdom." Uraj then patted Ars¨¨ne''s snout, not realizing the intelligence behind the monster''s eyes. "We''ve got a good run, Dom. Do not resent me for this, alright? Though, I doubt you understand me." Ah, so that''s how it is, Ars¨¨ne realized. It seemed, Uraj had sold him to some noble for an exorbitant amount of money, despite how much gain he''d given Uraj already. The tale about The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs instantly appeared in his mind. Unfortunately for him, Ars¨¨ne was no harmless goose. "Eh?" Uraj, who was sure of his control over Dom, who never had in the first place, couldn''t react at all seeing the opened maw of the Devedom Orca. A chomp thus ended the life of a foolish Merman. He could have a life of plenty and high status, and Ars¨¨ne would have let him. Ars¨¨ne was willing to let things go as they were since it suited him just fine. But Uraj wanted the golden goose''s eggs in one go and tried to kill the goose, only to be killed by the goose first. Uraj''s corpse including his belongings was shifted to the orca''s own pocket space. With Uraj''s death, the Merman soldiers were acting like bees whose hive had been kicked. Ars¨¨ne was still surrounded but he got just the thing to allow him to break this man cage. Of course, he was implying about the nearby snobbish Mer noble kid, whose face was struck with terror seeing Uraj''s head getting chomped off gruesomely. "R-release me!" Ars¨¨ne bound the weak fish-kid using water magic and kept him close. With a hostage, the soldiers couldn''t attack him harshly. Next, Ars¨¨ne went full throttle towards one of the weaker members, ramming a seahorse lady out of the way. The noble kid screamed like someone riding on a roller coaster. Ars¨¨ne sped up after breaking through his chains, but naturally, the soldiers gave chase. If they couldn''t rescue the kid, their life might as well be forfeit. One of the kid''s bodyguards was a Level 4. Ars¨¨ne was not keen on fighting that guy since he was outleveled and outnumbered. Escape was his only priority. But where? They had called in reinforcements. Soon an army might have come here. Escape wouldn''t be easy. Thankfully, Ars¨¨ne had read many power fantasy stories. In times like this, the MCs usually went to a super death zone where people that went in, never went out. Things happened, then the MCs survived. Ars¨¨ne went towards one such place without hesitation. Chapter 397 - The Dark Zone The sea was freaking scary. This came from Ars¨¨ne who had Viers'' memories of playing Subnautica so he knew his shit. In an effort to escape his pursuers, Orca-Ars¨¨ne went to a danger zone, the closest one from the Mualammu Kingdom. Since antiquity, people have always feared the unknown. Darkness represented much of that, that was why children feared the dark and even after they grew up, that primal instinct never truly went away. The Dark Zone was aptly named. The waters in this place seemed to be dark and empty, with a mysterious coldness that froze the heart. Even when taking on the form of an aquatic monster Ars¨¨ne''s vision was greatly limited. Before, his eyes could see underwater like it was day on the surface. Now, it was like watching the third episode of the eighth season of Game of Thrones with sunglasses. Any other marine life seemed to have mysteriously disappeared in The Dark Zone. The sea was filled with chilling silence. Even the noisy noble kid was paralyzed with fear no longer crying. Ars¨¨ne felt a little pity towards the kid, but he was his ticket to freedom. Vast, empty, silent darkness. But was it truly empty? That was the question. The Dark Zone was not so close to the Mualammu Kingdom before, but in just a few decades, it was now practically at its doorstep. The Dark Zone was growing each year, swallowing more territory. Silently and surely, like death that was slowly approaching. It was the number one concern of the Mualammu Kingdom. The monarch had repeatedly sent expeditions inside, to find out what was causing all of this. Once they went inside, they experienced what Ars¨¨ne experienced right now. What lay further inside, nobody knew because nobody had ever returned. The Mer soldiers were faltering. Nobody wanted to die and the darkness before them spelled certain doom. The Level 4 leader barked his order and compelled them to advance, even killing a disobedient as an example. Left with no choice, the pursuers didn''t relent. Ars¨¨ne cursed in his mind. He didn''t want to go further either. He might not care about dying but his pocket space was bursting with loot and in his head was precious knowledge. He wanted to deliver all of these to his other self. The Level 4 was powerful, a full-fledged warrior, unlike the immature 40th prince that Viers defeated. This Merman had tried to entrap Ars¨¨ne within his Domain. It was only because of his short teleportation Ars¨¨ne was able to escape the first time. Within a Domain, Ars¨¨ne who was without Viers'' Horizon boost and important items, did not expect to survive. That Merman didn''t try again because Ars¨¨ne used the hostage, cutting a finger from the rich kid. The Mer soldiers were actually confused by how intelligent the killer whale was. They expected something was amiss but they still had to save their ward. Ars¨¨ne wondered if he let the hostage go, they would let him off. But if he went with that choice then the Level 4 used his Domain, he would be out of options, so he didn''t let the hostage go and they all went towards the abyss, both sides blaming each other. Fuck it! Here we go, Katheryne! Ad Astra Abyssosque! Ars¨¨ne wondered how many times he''d heard that sentence, it seemed today was the day it was truly put to the test. In just a few minutes, Ars¨¨ne''s danger sense sounded an alarm. Something massive was coming from the front. He didn''t see it and echolocation returned nothing, he just felt something dangerous and blinked somewhere else. A Mer behind him wasn''t so lucky. With an expression that didn''t know what was happening, that Mer was struck by something massive and disappeared. His scream was short-lived. Panic ensued among the pursuers. The water churned and roiled from the movement of something big. The Mer lost a second person before the Level 4 acted. He generated light using his Arte, unveiling the thing in the dark. It was a tentacle, mean looking and filled with suckers. The difference in size was astounding, the tentacle was massive. Just the tip of it was enough to completely coil a person. The thing about a tentacle was, it usually wasn''t single. Sure enough, multiple tentacles were coming from the darkness, snatching the Mermen as if they were food on a table. Some tried to resist, some tried to run, but nothing worked. The Level 4 struck one tentacle with a mighty Arte and it did absolutely nothing. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Their numbers dwindled like falling sand. Ars¨¨ne and the rich kid were not the exception. He blinked a few times but only prolonged the inevitable. Before his fifth teleportation, he was caught. Just a light touch, barely a graze, but the suckers on the tentacles prevented him from swimming away. Teleportation was made impossible. The pursuers were all caught, dragged somewhere. Ars¨¨ne felt he was moving. The terrifying presence was growing by the second. Tentacles were limbs; they were all powerless against the tentacles so what kind of being they were up against? An eye opened up in the pitch black darkness. Seeing it made even the blood of Devadom Orca shake in fear. Seeing it made the Level 4 Mer scream like a little girl. Seeing it made the rich kid die from excessive terror. This¡­ thing, was so far beyond them. Ars¨¨ne already accepted the fact that he might die here. But if I''m going to die, I''m going to die fighting! Ars¨¨ne transformed back to human, making the suckers attached on the orca''s body lose its target. Ars¨¨ne then morphed into something that possessed the highest battle strength among his monster forms, the water dragon. Even now he was like a bean sprout compared to the size of the tentacle. The tentacle moved again, unbelievably fast for something its size. Ars¨¨ne planned on giving some hurt against the being. The eye seemed to be the prime target. He couldn''t move far before a tentacle caught him again. But something was different this time. He felt something flowed out from him. Some kind of energy, and it repelled the tentacle. The mysterious blowback produced bright rainbow light. The wave of light spread out far enough to allow Ars¨¨ne to see the being. A massive red octopus wearing darkness like a cloak. Ars¨¨ne recognized it. The Deep Dweller God. Viers encountered it, or something with its appearance in Aletro''s Book World. At the time, the kraken was sealed by a divine weapon, Crystal Trident. He had the option to take the trident and break the seal of the kraken, or do not. Viers did not take the trident, but he soaked in the trident''s energy in his carp form. The dragon was the evolution of that carp so that was what saved Ars¨¨ne. He thought he didn''t get anything from the trident. What happened now was something that he didn''t take into account. I do not see the trident¡­ Has the kraken broken free from its seal? From the Book World? Wait, am I seeing the same octopus in the first place? Fuck! The darkness quickly returned but it seemed he angered the living mountain of flesh. Ars¨¨ne quickly put his thoughts in order despite the surprise. All questions could wait until he was in a safe place. Ars¨¨ne did a complete turn and used his full speed to escape The Dark Zone. His water dragon form''s movement speed underwater was slightly slower than the Devadom Orca''s. The tentacle caught up to him in no time but it couldn''t touch him. Everytime it tried, a rainbow light knocked it back with enough force to send something with such mass back. Then Deep Dweller God tried a different approach, it tried to smack Ars¨¨ne using its limbs. From Ars¨¨ne''s point of view, it was like a skyscraper was falling down on him with the speed of a rocket. The rainbow light flashed again, saving his life once again. The tentacles were splendidly repelled while Ars¨¨ne himself felt nothing, no kinetic energy transferred to him, as if he did not just get hit by an earth-crushing force. Ars¨¨ne didn''t let go of this God-given chance and kept moving towards the opposite direction of the Deep Dweller God. The kraken was relentless and it was working. The rainbow light was getting weaker. Ars¨¨ne redoubled his effort. A majestic dragon was frantically fleeing like a whipped dog and he didn''t care. Life was more important. Then, he saw light. Sweet freedom, he escaped The Dark Zone. The Deep Dweller God stopped its pursuit. The main body was too far back, Ars¨¨ne didn''t even know if it moved at all, but the massive, meaty tentacles couldn''t get out of The Dark Zone. Just as Ars¨¨ne was breathing a sigh of relief, a tentacle detached itself. It pulsed and writhed and morphed into an ungodly monstrosity. It was a Rank 5 monster. Its shape was similar to an image of Charybdis that Viers saw in the old world. Like a worm with lines of teeth in its circular maw. Ars¨¨ne escaped, again. What other choice did he have? Just as expected, the monster was able to leave The Dark Zone and gave chase. Ars¨¨ne managed to get away by luring the monster somewhere else. When it was preoccupied, Ars¨¨ne returned to the Shore and waited for his other half. *** After receiving Ars¨¨ne''s memories, Viers opened his eyes. "Interesting." That kraken, Deep Dweller God, last time it spoke to me. This time it didn''t. That thing''s main body is above Level 5 for sure, possibly above 6¡­ I reinforced the seal in the Book World, what is it doing down under the sea? Viers'' mind began to create hypotheses. Perhaps a part of the kraken is sealed by Aletro in his book, like its soul or reason. Another likely theory is the thing under the sea is a clone, separated part, or child of the Deep Dweller God. His thinking was interrupted by the evaporation of his powers. The sun had gone down. Whatever it is, it''s a problem for future me. Viers wrote something on a piece of paper and went to a tree inside Dia''s Biome. He nailed the paper onto the tree. Mualammu Kingdom. There were other papers on the tree, among them were Luxore Town and Valkut. These were the places that got destroyed or suffered devastating damage because of Viers. Some places he didn''t even mean to destroy but it ended up in flames. He decided to make a memorial of sorts. More than ten places were already enshrined on the Tree of Ashes. ¡­Perhaps I should choose a bigger tree. Chapter 398 - Peace The Mualammu Kingdom was wrecked because of the offshoot of the Deep Dweller God. It couldn''t be helped. Ars¨¨ne, monster form or not, was just a Level 3, he couldn''t escape the monster with the strength equivalent to Level 5 cleanly. By using the kingdom as a shield, he was able to survive. The kingdom didn''t even know the truth of it. They thought it was a random attack from a monster. Because of me, a lot of people died again. I really am a scum. Viers felt clearly the weight of his choices. He closed his eyes and let it all soak in. The next minute, he opened his eyes and renewed his resolve in climbing the Path of Power. He had long realized he was a scum yet he would still continue his way to the peak of existence anyway. Anyone who has a problem with me is welcome to stop me, if you can. *** Croix met with his aunt again in her mansion in Stormberg. Croix knocked and entered the room after receiving permission. Inside, the blue-haired woman was sitting in silence without looking in his direction. The awkward silence stretched on until it was too much for Croix to bear. "...Um, I-" Croix was about to inform her about how successful he was in managing the Shore as viceroy. Even though she most likely had seen the report already, he wished to talk to her directly. "Do you want to be a bad king, or a good king?" Grace suddenly asked, still not facing him. "Of course, a good king," Croix swiftly recovered from the sudden question. "What entails being a good king?" "A king who treats his people with compassion, and brings prosperity and security to his people. He treats all his subjects fairly and equally," the fifteen-year-old prince answered. "Nice words on paper. How might you achieve that? In the Pathseeker society, prosperity gives rise to many Pathseekers. Those Pathseekers will seek greater and greater power, sowing the seeds of conflict. At some point, you''ll find that security is a fragile thing. And eventually, there will be those who set their eyes to the throne. Compassion will be seen as a sign of weakness, the lack of resolve to make the hard choice necessary. This will embolden them, like a shark catching the scent of blood. They will push and push their boundaries until you cannot tolerate them anymore. You''ll find some people don''t care if they have to redden the throne with the blood of his predecessor as long as they get to sit on it. If you''re a good king, people will fight for you, and they will die for you. People that you care about. From that wound known as tragedy, misery will follow." Grace spoke with a clarity that Croix couldn''t find the words to refute. "Meanwhile, you have to rule a kingdom. It is like wrangling a beast with a myriad of heads. A beast that is ever hungry and ever greedy, never to be satisfied no matter how much you give. Time, sweat, blood, heart¡­ It will never be enough. Furthermore, there will be enemies, within and without your house, along with the whims of the sky and the earth. This is the weight of kingship, the burden you seem so willing to bear. Know this, a good man is the one who suffers the most, a good king, even more so." Croix''s back and palms felt clammy. His determination was shaken. "So tell me, do you still wish to be a good king?" The 51st prince answered from the heart. "...Lord Archion said something similar," Croix remembered his encounter with the great red dragon on top of the Archion Volcano. "There is a phrase that someone recently told me that resonates with me: with great power comes great responsibility." Croix''s hesitation sunk back into the earth. "I was born with royal blood. Six months since I became Pathseeker I already managed to cross swords with a Level 5 and lived. I don''t need to be told how abnormal that is. This power¡­ I believe it exists for the greater good. So I have a responsibility, not to my mother who first set me on this path, or to Latisians strangers that I''ve never met, but to myself!" Grace finally turned her head. "It is too big of a responsibility for a single person and one so young." "Yes I am young and therefore immature. I might, no, I will make mistakes, I will stumble¡­ Alone, I won''t make it, but together! Together with dependable friends and allies, I just might become a king worthy of the responsibility." Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Croix made an honest, little smile. "That includes you, Aunt Grace. I beseech you. Please, help me become a good king." Grace stood and hugged Croix in an embrace. It was so unexpected, Croix lost his words. "...Your father is a bad man," Grace softly said. "...I know, aunt." "Two decades ago, he came to Stormberg with his golden-armored royal guards, killed my father and mother, and forcefully took Giselle with him to the capital." Croix was surprised. He''d never heard about this from his mother. "I live only for the sole purpose of killing him." Croix stayed silent. He knew his father, King Lahar, often took women that he fancied. The use of force was regularly deployed. "Before I could, Lahar was killed. A woman with similar circumstances like Giselle poisoned herself and after the debauched king bed her, the swine''s death was sealed. The woman died too from the poison but if I was her, I would have died content." This part he also didn''t know. His father died, but the circumstances were always kept hush-hush. "When I was still coming to terms with the loss of my target for revenge, you appeared before me. The son of that monster and my sister, bearing a face that resembles the one that I still see in my dreams." Grace let go of her hug and looked at his face. "I hated you." Croix had no rebuttal. What should he even say? "Even though I know you are not at fault, everytime I see you I see the shadow of that wretched man. The thought of killing you has crossed my mind." Croix saw a tear fall from the side of her eyes. "But your actions in the Shore and Liapris showed me you are not your father. Forgive me." Croix answered with a tighter hug. "There''s nothing to forgive, Aunt Grace." Grace slowly hugged him back. Croix always felt cold in the vicinity of his aunt, a Level 5 Ice Pathseeker. But this time, she felt warm. *** That night, the twin moons were shining majestically in the sky. Grace Weiss of Stormberg was moon gazing from the garden. The perpetual storm of Stormberg was nowhere to be seen tonight, she sent it away. "Mistress, I brought tea." Knight Captain Malika placed the tray with teapot and cup on a table nearby. The Countess didn''t answer but it didn''t matter. "I am happy for you, Mistress." Malika gave a salute and then removed herself. After she left, the Countess partook the tea before it went cold. Her heart was like Stormberg''s skies, tears and cries unending. Now it was at peace. She''d forgotten how it felt. *** Inside a treehouse, a living space inside a real tree, Jessica was reading a book. "Mom, what are you doing?" Tim asked. "I''m learning, sweetie, so I can teach you and the other girls better. Mommy gives you homework but I also have homework," Jessica patiently said. "Hmm¡­" Tim quickly had his mind taken by something else. The place was new and he''d never stayed inside a tree before. There were two stories, multiple spacious rooms, a private bathroom, personal mushroom servants to help around the house¡­ Jessica''s brain had grown numb from one day of exposition. She felt she was a fish in a pond that somehow got scooped and thrown into the sea. She''d just do what she was paid to do and do her work properly. She once again glanced at a satchel on the side of her desk. The value of the money inside it was more than she would''ve made in a year running her tavern. Her employer paid her well. No doubt about that, but what next? It was too much money for teaching kids. What else does Viers want her to do? Jessica was getting worried because things were going too well. Jessica shook her head. Above all else, her son. "Timmy, how is your condition? No pain or discomfort? Do you like it here?" "I''m good. I like it here. Gwen and Luca are a bit of a scaredy cat but Boram is cool. The other older sisters seem kind. The food is good and the bed is super nice. Seeing them train makes me wanna be a Pathseeker like-" Tim stopped. "You''re a Pathseeker too, right Mom? You never say. Why are you hiding it from me?" "I thought it would protect you," Jessica patted the head of her son. "It will still be a few more years until you have to make that decision so don''t do anything dangerous, okay sweetie?" "Kay¡­" Because he had seen the horror of Pathseeker battles in his hometown and Liapris, Tim was more compliant to his mother''s words than before. There was a knock on the door. Jessica opened it and saw Paina and Farley. "Good morning, Madam Jessica~" Paina greeted with a cheerful tone. "Tim too, good morning~" "Good morning, please, just Jessica. What brought you here?" "We were wondering if you''d like to train with us. Since you''re new, we can show you the ropes around here. Viers created many training grounds, we even have Power Spots," Farley said. "Oooh! Can I watch? Can I?" Jessica was indeed interested but Tim was more eager. After the two girls did not object to Tim''s tagging along, the four went together. "I wish to talk to Avel, or Viers, as I understand it. May I? Jessica asked. "Usually you can meet him in the Dojo around this time, but he''s currently busy this time," Farley said. "Yeah, apparently he looted a kingdom." Paina shrugged. "He''s taking inventory right now¡­ Just don''t ask. The things he does are crazy. You''ll get used to it. Do you want breakfast first? He got a bread wall that never runs out, and the jams from this place, sooo delicious." Chapter 399 - The Countess Arrangement Stormberg. In the breakfast room in the countess'' mansion, only the sounds of utensils could be heard as the aunt and nephew were having their first meal of the day. Even though the ice had melted between them yesterday, so to speak, it was as if things had gone back to their first meeting. Falmerion had already eaten his fill and slept by curling his body on the table. The dragon had always eaten a lot. His preference was meat, barbequed by his own fire. "Umm, Aunt-" "What do you know about the current political state of the Latias Kingdom?" The Countess who looked like she was in her late twenties asked. Croix put down his knife and fork before answering. "The throne is empty after the late king''s demise. The crown prince was missing the next day. With no clear successor and a power vacuum, the Chancellor swiftly seized power. The nobles chose the wait-and-see approach. Some already put their support for my half-siblings but as we are still too young, nothing is certain." "Latias is unstable. Whether a new monarch''s rise would quell the unrest or aggravate it remains to be seen. The de facto leader of Latias is the Chancellor and he would prefer to remain that way. All of you are a threat to his position." Grace''s sharp gaze landed on Croix. "Your father pumped out children one after another without care. Now all of you young lambs are targeted by wolves. The first to the tenth prince or princess are all missing or dead. The wiser or luckier of your older siblings either back out of the succession or are gathering strength. From the sixtieth prince and lower were too young to be considered claimants but even they were targeted. Kidnapped, killed, or manipulated¡­ Never before in the history of Latias the royal blood has drenched the land in rivers. That swine of a king had really done it. The other monarchs before your father must be turning in their graves." Croix could not say anything. He himself had gotten into quite a sticky situation many times. He especially pitied the other younger half-siblings who were only kids and were targeted before they knew any better. "The princes are scattered throughout Latias, but the Chancellor kept their mothers confined in the Crimson Capital. When some upstart prince starts to threaten his authority, he would surely use the mother as leverage." "Then Mother is in danger! We must save her!" "Leave Giselle''s matter to me. You have other matters to accomplish," Grace said with a calm but commanding voice. "To the noble houses, those old fossils, you all are but pups. And whether you seize the throne by force or talks, you''ll need their support, especially the Big Four. Mine is not enough." Croix nodded. He remembered his conversation with Avel, who jokingly said the four houses should be only three. "The four ducal houses. Valentine, Lucan, Crowe, and Mercea." "Correct. The lesser nobilities roughly followed the leadership of these four. To get their support, it will not be easy. You''ll need to prove yourself to them." Grace pointed to Falmerion. "You have hatched your dragon egg and forged your Intio at the Archion Volcano. These two major accomplishments bring you above most other claimants but make no mistake, you''re not the most talented amongst your siblings nor the greatest. Take your Level 4 brother who is backed by Duke Lucan for example, even though he''s been missing for some time." "You''ll need to grow both as a person and as a Pathseeker before having talks with them. The way you are now, your position is far too weak for these families to take you seriously." "I understand, Aunt." "I''ve arranged for your enrollment to the Sinclair Academy. Go there and learn. You won''t find a better place of learning in the Human Dominion." "E-eh? Sinclair Academy!?" Naturally Croix had heard of it. That place nurtured many legendary figures. It was a place for the elite of the elites. "There, you''ll be taught by the best. You may bring up to three people in your retinue. While you''ll be enrolled in the special course, your vassals will not, but it is still a great learning opportunity for them." "I see¡­" Croix knew his aunt must be paying quite a sum for giving him this opportunity. Getting into Sinclair Academy was famously difficult. "You''ll meet other nobles there. You could make allies or enemies. Building a good rapport with these younglings from other houses is good but remember that you go there to learn, not play a political game." "I understand." "It is also a safe haven. If you stay in the open, it is only a matter of time until you''ll get assassinated. I won¡¯t be able to protect you all the time. Headmaster Castellos is one of the most formidable Pathseekers in the whole Dominion. By enrolling, you''ll be under his protection. I trust I need not tell you the consequences of causing the death of another student?" "Yes. I''ll be on my best behavior." "Good. In three years'' time, the Latias Grand Prix will begin. A series of brutal competitions that draw talents from the whole nation. It is also tacitly agreed amongst the nobles as a stage to measure the aptitude of the young princes and princesses that enter. If I deem your growth in three years satisfactory, you''ll enter the Grand Prix." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Croix was impressed by how his aunt had planned everything. Behind her cold words, he felt her familial affection. "There''s still two months until the new academic year. I will train you personally everyday until that time so you won''t embarrass yourself in the academy. I shall not accept a single word of complaint. Is that clear, nephew?" "Yes! Thank you very much, Aunt Grace!" *** As CEO of the Viers Corp, Viers kept his head on the ground. He put great importance on the performance and quality of his employees. As he should; he paid them quite a lot, far above the average salary. "Bleurgh! That''s horrible¡­ Can you do something about the taste?" "That''s weird. I was sure this batch would taste fruity-sweet. I wonder what went wrong¡­?" Clarissa''s pills were certainly effective but the taste was quite disgusting. The bitter taste lingered in the mouth for hours. Even rinsing it with water was no use. The matter of taste aside, the lamia who learned the Eastern style alchemy was making effective medicines that bolstered cultivation. Viers and the others greatly benefited from this. The raw herbs in the Viridis Biome were actively processed for the greater benefit of its residents. The most important of them all was the Nutra. Viers wanted Clarissa''s alchemy skill to grow a bit more before giving her the green light to experiment with it. As it stood, every ounce of Nutra was very precious. The Level 5 lamia who was only a soul might only possess a fraction of her strength when she was alive but that didn''t mean she couldn''t improve. Thanks to her learning alchemy, her flame control was improving in ways she didn''t think of. After Viers left, Paina whispered. "Until when will you keep making especially bad-tasting pills for him?" The ones she ate were actually delicious. "Secret." Viers checked on Boram. For the last twenty hours, he had been fighting non stop in The Grid. His simulated opponent was always a little bit stronger than him. He had to grow in the middle of the fight to defeat his foe. When he won, Viers conjured a different opponent. When he lost, he fought the same guy again until he won. Fighting a bunch of guys from vastly different backgrounds and styles would give Boram a wealth of experience. Viers made a sagely nod and then went to another place. He went to a place with a tornado. "Futon, come here for a sec. Let''s practice flying." The tornado stopped, revealing a small, white cloud elemental. He gave Viers a snug before expanding his size near his feet. Viers stepped on him and the cloud started flying with him on top. "Nice, raise up the speed a bit." A not-Monkey King was flying in the sky of the Biome. One of the sleepy Pukupukus who was grazing the cows was startled and fell down when Viers went past it. The plant life form was not injured of course. Viers had lost the magic carpet to fly but now he regained the capability of aerial travel once again. Viers likened it to unlocking the fast travel option in video games. Without it, things could be such a pain. Dia and Faiya were not here so next he checked up on Her Majesty. At the mushroom palace the size of a dog house, surrounded by her Pukupukus court, reigned the young queen of the Tyra Xerg, Zerri. "Good day, how are you feeling today?" Viers asked. The cute worm-thing roused from her slumber and Viers felt her thoughts. "Papa." "Not exactly wrong but don''t call me that. Makes me feel old." "Zerri¡­ good girl¡­" "That you are. That you are." Viers gave the worm a tickle, which she liked very much. In a few years, Viers would have a numberless army because of her. Next, was the water maidens'' turn, Paina and Farley. The three were submerged in a pond. This place was not special enough to be categorized as a Power Spot yet, but in time, it could be. Still, the pond already provided help to those who practiced water techniques in it. Viers sometimes joined them when doing water-related training. The three were fellow Water Pathseekers after all. "The way of water has no beginning and no end," Viers said something that sounded very profound in Farley and Paina''s ears. The three had different specializations but training in the fundamentals was never useless. After that Viers went to the newest employee who joined the company. "I will teach you something really special. In the human body, there are seven main energy centers called chakras. They are Muladhara, Svadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha, Ajna, and Sahasrara." Viers pointed to the different places in the picture of human anatomy as he said each name. Jessica sat and watched with great interest. "Each chakra has different roles and significance but all are important. What I opened is this," Viers tapped the second from below chakra, Svadhisthana. "From now on you have to open the rest one by one. But your second one must be the Muladhara. It is imperative you do this as soon as possible." "Why?" Jessica asked. "Because it will create an imbalance. Think of it as a building. If the base is weak, how can a building stand firm? The same case. I opened your Svadhisthana because it is the only chakra that I am equipped to open. The rest depends on you." What Viers was teaching Jessica was a compilation of various cultivation techniques. Viers also drew from other inspirations such as the esoteric teaching of Earth''s and Naruto''s Eight Gates. The root was naturally from the teaching of the loli girl that remains in Aravin''s soul and that girl unlocked Arvin''s dantian. Viers researched it and copied the technique to open Jessica''s Muladhara chakra. In the Naruto series, chakra was a type of energy but Viers chose the more traditional representation of chakra which existed far long before Naruto was even published. Viers just called this technique with a simple name, Seven Chakras Arte, which he gave to Jessica who was a Body Pathseeker, a very fitting practitioner of this technique. "Each time you open a chakra is a significant boost of power. Also, this doesn''t clash with the normal cultivation. There will be no problem with the new Profound Codex you chose or your Level either. If anything, this complements it. After you open Muladhara, only then can you proceed to Manipura and make your way up one at a time. Do not try to open your chakra disorderly. It is stupid and dangerous. Also, just because it is open doesn''t mean the end of development. This chakra thing is really really deep." Just like Guy who became an absolute beast after he opened the Eight Gates, he hoped Jessica would be strong like that. He was confident it could be done. Jessica was earnest, diligent, and responsible. She was a good student. She had no problem accepting the teaching of someone younger than her, even though in her mind she saw herself as the junior between her and Viers. A few days after her arrival, Jessica was already adjusting to her life inside the closed Biome. The CEO was satisfied after reviewing the performance of his employees. He foresaw no complications and expected only growth for the company as a whole. Croix has not come back yet? Must be a major development with his aunt. "Kin, Kin, someone''s outside," Dia''s voice called him in his mind. "Hm? Who is it?" "Priest guy. Level 5. Stranger danger. Stranger danger." Viers frowned. What''s a Level 5 priest from the Church doing at the Shore? He''s not here for me, is he? Chapter 400 - A New Arc "What a dump! It stinks like fish." "Austen, you''re being rude." Overlooking the Shore, there were two people. One was an older man with a wise and dignified demeanor, while the other was a male teen; his hair was white, and his eyes golden. They were dressed in the ordinary garb of a traveler. "But Pastor Hugh-" "We are all equal under the eyes of the Radiant Lady. They are all people like us, but less fortunate. It is our duty to alleviate their suffering and give guidance when necessary. The accommodations might not be at the standards you''re used to but your apprehension shows your lack of training." The teen swallowed his words but didn''t look convinced. "Lessen your pride, disciple. You have as much talent as Stratos and Ciel but this is why you can''t catch up to them." "I will catch up to them! You''ll see! I''ll leave them eating my dust!" Austen walked forth, his emotion was stamped into the earth through his steps. Hugh let out a soft sigh, a not-so-deep disappointment because he expected it. He too continued on the road to the Shore. "Hm?" Hugh looked around. He only found trees and shrubs. "...It''s gone. Is it my misperception?" Dia, who had spread her awareness into the plants around the Shore, managed to escape detection and informed Viers inside the Biome. Viers took inspiration from a Fable about a certain tree. A reincarnated tree who created a superpower of a nation with absolute surveillance using the fearsome privacy-destroying spy plants. Trees in his world were his eyes and ears. Since trees were everywhere, he was everywhere. Of course, Dia was not at TreeTree''s level yet, but putting some surveillance surrounding a single small fishing village wasn''t a problem. When the two arrived at the village, Hugh asked a villager of the Viceroy''s whereabouts. "Bad timing, mate. The Viceroy is not here at the moment. He hasn''t returned from Stormberg." "That''s a shame. Then may I meet whoever is next in charge?" Hugh patiently asked. "Sure, ya'' folks can meet the old chief. But¡­" The fisherman looked Hugh from head to toe then at Austen. "If this is Pathseeker business then ya'' should probably see the Viceroy''s vassal. I can take ya'' there." "That will be marvelous. Please lead the way." "Righto. This way. His house ain''t far." Along the way, Hugh noticed the overall joyous mood in the village. "A lively village. Everyone seems to be filled with vitality and hope," Hugh commented. "Aye. After the young Viceroy came, he made things better. Methinks he was but a little pipsqueak when we first met but turns out he''s alright. We definitely traded up. Hahaha¡­ Never thought a noble could be that noble. Ya'' know what I''m saying? Kinda makes sense he''s got a dragon following ''im around." "Fascinating. Sounds like the Viceroy is a remarkable young man." "Oooh, ya'' don''t know the half of it. When he first came-" The fisherman with a bit of an accent was quite chatty; he talked and talked. Hugh absorbed the information like a sponge soaking water, on the other hand, Austen was getting annoyed by the incessant chatter. His ears were beginning to hurt. Hmph. I''m probably stronger. The white-haired disciple of Hugh wanted to find out how much of a big deal the dragon prince was, already he had plans to ask him for a spar. "Ah, that reminds me. I''m bringing ya'' to the prince''s vassal but I can''t guarantee you''ll meet him. Probably should''ve mentioned that sooner." "Is he not present?" Hugh asked while looking at a family building a new house nearby. "Nah, he''s always in. It''s just he''s quite a recluse, ya'' see. He doesn''t go out much, but I don''t blame the guy. I''d probably do the same thing in his shoes. Hehehehe. You didn''t hear this from me, but-" The gossip-loving fisherman leaned on closer to Hugh and weaved his tale in small voices. He told Hugh about Viers who brought the super beauty Jessica into his house a week ago and the two hadn''t come out ever since. Naturally, this sparked the start of juicy rumors. Avel''s house was not big and his disciple Boram was also known to live with him, but then a hot woman and a child went inside and hadn''t been seen ever since. What was actually happening there? Since Avel was the Viceroy''s underling and a Pathseeker that the villagers couldn''t match, they didn''t dare to poke around his business, but it couldn''t stop people from talking. "W-What a sleazebag!" Austen blurted out. "This guy''s a bad guy for sure!" "Austen, manners." "Well, I ain''t judging," the fisherman raised his hands. "Oops, we''re here. I have work to do so I''m gonna leave ya'' here. Best of luck, whatever your business is, mate." "Thank you for showing us the way, my good man. May the Radiant Lady''s blessing be upon you," Hugh gave a blessing befitting his station. The fisherman left with light steps while whistling. That day, he broke the record for the number of fish caught in his decades-long fishing career. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Now then," Hugh observed the house in front of him for a few seconds and knocked. The layered defenses placed around the house were impressive. From this, he gleaned a measure of the owner''s capabilities. The plants around the house were special. Some should be able to attack intruders at a moment''s notice. This led Hugh to believe Avel whom the fisherman talked about was a Pathseeker with mastery over plants. But, he came here not for a fight and as a guest so he followed the proper visiting etiquette. Not long after he knocked, the door opened by itself. "Come in," Viers'' voice came from the inside. Hugh went in, followed by Austen. The two met Viers in a simple room with minimal furniture, just tables and chairs. Viers sat on the other end. "Welcome to the Shore. Please sit down. You must have had a long journey," Viers said. "Thank you. The road has been kind to us. Apologies for visiting so soon without prior notice," Hugh took a seat and Austen sat beside him. "Glad to hear it. We have not been properly introduced. My name is Avel of Javia. Vassal of-" The rosary that Hugh wore lit up. "...A sleazebag and a liar. Just great," Austen jabbed. "Forgive my disciple. I''m still teaching him manners. Nice to meet you, Avel. I''m Pastor Hugh and this is Austen." "I am grateful for your understanding," Viers said after seeing Hugh didn''t push the issue of his identity. He served the two people from the Church tea, hot for Hugh and cold for Austen, as they asked. Viers and Hugh sat facing each other. They both took measure of the man in front of them. They weren''t trying to dig into each other''s secrets using Arte or other methods. Doing so towards each other was very rude, similar to the act of tearing the clothes other people were wearing. After a while, they both were similarly impressed. Hugh smiled. "It pleases me to meet someone so young and remarkable. At your age, I was nowhere near as accomplished." Viers smiled too. "Your praise is too kind. I''m undeserving the praise of a Level 5 such as yourself. Well then, to what do I owe the pleasure of being visited by a person of your stature, Pastor Hugh?" "Hmm¡­" Hugh took a moment to drink the tea. "Actually I came here to meet with the Viceroy, under orders from my superior. The Church is aware of the noble prince''s actions in Liapris. That allowed our side to deal a heavy blow against one that follows the false teachings. The Cardinal wishes to express her thanks for the prince''s selfless actions that saved her kindred. I am to deliver her gratitude to him in person." "I see, Liapris¡­ It''s just that Prince Croix is away at the moment. He should be back already so there must be a reason that I''m not privy to. Fortunately, it seems the one that will give us the answer approaches." To Viers'' words, Austen raised an eyebrow. He didn''t sense anything. Hugh, however, nodded. "Is there anything I can do to make your waiting more pleasant?" Viers asked. "Were you there, Avel? At Liapris?" "That is correct." "I''d be interested in hearing what transpired from someone on site." "I''m not much of a storyteller but I''ll tell what I can from my perspective." Viers began telling the story of Liapris. He purposefully evaded touching several matters since Hugh''s rosary was able to detect lies. While Hugh was listening attentively, Austen was slowly getting bored. In his boredom, he started to expand his senses. The things that the fisherman told him bugged him. Avel''s house was pretty small. From the furniture and other things, it didn''t seem to be a place where four people lived. In fact, besides Avel, Austen didn''t sense any other person in the house. Suspicious. Wasn''t Avel''s disciple, a beautiful woman, and another kid, supposed to be here? Where were they? What happened to them? Austen''s mind went to places. He thought Avel might have done something bad to them and tried to hide things. As a disciple of Pastor Hugh and a member of the Church, he couldn''t let it stand. But just as he started, Hugh repressed his sphere of awareness. "Austen, you''re being unseemly rude to our host," Hugh berated with a harsher tone than before. "But Pastor Hugh, don''t you find it odd there''s no sign of other people in this house? What about the other people that the villagers told us? What if they need our help?" Austen rose from his seat and pointed his finger at Viers. "Besides, aren''t you being too courteous towards him? He''s just a Level 3, the same as me. And you, Avel, being the vassal of a prince might make you think you''re a big deal but it''s not. Even your prince should not speak to Pastor Hugh like an equal as you''re doing now. Know your place!" Viers did not get riled up or anything. He calmly sipped his tea. "I believe I''m showing the proper hospitality to my guests. If you feel it is lacking, allow me to give my regret and apology, Pastor Hugh." "Not at all, not at all, young friend Avel. Ah, it is truly a shameful display from my disciple. As his teacher, the responsibility falls upon me. I should be the one apologizing for the rudeness. Please don''t take it to heart." "No, no, no. I completely get it. There was a time when I was as brash and reckless as he is, jumping into one trouble after another. Fufufu, interesting times¡­ Your disciple possesses an incredibly solid foundation, Pastor. I foresee him becoming a fine man. The Silver Legion has so many good seedlings. Its future is bright." "Hohoho, Austen still has a lot of learning to do. And he is not in the Silver Legion yet. I hope that seeing the world will open his youthful eyes so he can be more ready for the responsibility." "Pastor Hugh is wise," Viers poured more tea into Hugh''s cup. "It comes with age, young friend. You, on the other hand, possess wisdom without piling up age. You are more worthy of respect." "Hahahahah." "Ohohohoho." Austen''s face reddened as high emotion made his blood rise to the head. How did it become like this? He got placed as an immature brat by someone on the same Level as him! Then he got praised but it felt like an insult! His teacher even agreed! "Aaaargggh!" Austen bolted to the door. He wanted to destroy the house but his teacher''s presence made him retain a speck of rationality so he didn''t. He almost crashed into someone after he opened the door but he didn''t care and didn''t stop. Viers and Hugh sipped their tea like two calm sages. "This is good tea," Hugh said. "I''ll pack some for you," Viers spoke of course about the Viridis-grown tea. "...What happened here?" Alfred asked in confusion. "Welcome, Alfred. This is Pastor Hugh from the Good Church. Pastor, meet Sir Alfred. He''s the most loyal knight under Prince Croix," Viers introduced. *** "...Sinclair Academy," Viers muttered. "The Countess'' decisiveness is impressive as ever." "Even we of the Church are in awe of the seat of knowledge the academy has become. We even have exchange programs and some legionaries enrolled there. Sinclair Academy is truly the pride of Latias Kingdom," Hugh nodded. Alfred visited Viers to inform him of Croix''s future plans. Since Croix was busy training with his aunt, a precious opportunity where wasting one second was like wasting gold, Alfred was the one delivering the message. He didn''t expect to find a Level 5 clergyman with Viers but stranger things had happened in his life. "So that''s how it is," Alfred said. "The Countess is gracious enough to give three slots to go with the prince to the academy. His Highness gave these positions to me, you, and Boram. I''m not sure how much the lessons will benefit me but I''ll be serving mainly as the prince''s servant and bodyguard so it doesn''t matter much. For you and Boram, it will be a great opportunity." "Do not count yourself out, Sir Alfred. Even Level 5s come to Sinclair to learn. If you keep an open mind, I''m sure you''ll find priceless knowledge there." "I thank you for your wisdom, Pastor," the white-haired Darkness Pathseeker dipped his head and turned to Viers. "Well, make preparations, all right?" "Yeah, about that¡­" Viers trailed his words. "What is it?" Alfred asked. "I''m not going," said Viers with a sheepish smile. Chapter 401 "I urge you to reconsider. Such an opportunity is too precious to waste." "Thank you for your wisdom, Pastor, but my mind is made up. I have other considerations," Viers turned to Alfred. "Boram will go. He can stay beside the prince and there will be less questions. As bodyguards go, you can vouch for his strength, yes?" The two tried to reverse Viers'' decision but he wouldn''t budge. "...How do I tell His Highness," Alfred scratched his head. "Oh, right, Pastor Hugh, you wish to meet with His Highness, right? Err¡­" Alfred was in a bind. He couldn''t possibly ask an honored Level 5 from the Church to make the trip after he''d come this way. On the other hand, if he asked the prince to come to the Shore, it would undermine the prince''s standing, not to mention the Countess''. Hugh sensed Alfred''s predicament and extended a helping hand. "If it is not a problem, may I accompany you to Stormberg?" "R-right. I''ll have to inform the Countess and receive her permission first." "Of course. Please, go ahead." Alfred excused himself and went outside. He would write a letter about what transpired here and then send it to Stormberg using magic. Meanwhile, Viers and Hugh remained in the room, silently drinking tea, while in their minds thoughts bloomed. "Pastor, a question, if I may." "Feel free to ask." "Are you familiar with demonic possession?" To Viers'' question, there was a glint that wasn''t there before in Hugh''s eyes. "I have encountered a few," Hugh encapsulated his 164 instances of exorcisms. "The rest of your inquiry, if you please." "Would you say you''re an expert in resolving this sort of¡­ issues?" "Hardly. I simply have encountered these problems more often than most." "Mmm." There was a pause. Hugh knew the exchange of words wasn''t over and waited in silence. "I know someone¡­ that was marked by a demon. A powerful one. I have done my best but I fear there is still something hidden. A buried danger perhaps." Hugh studied Viers'' expression. "This person, how is he? Is he sane? Any mental or physical deformities?" "She is fine and well, as far as I know," Viers gave a short answer. "I''d like to ask a favor from you to ascertain her condition. The cost of your services-" "Will be freely given. Cleansing the demonic presence from this world is only right and proper. Simply giving her my opinion does not require payment. If I can help her, I will." "My gratitude for your kindness then," Viers lowered his head. "Please forgive my rudeness just one more time. Can you give me your word that once you''ve met her and learned of her problem you will not do her harm and allow her to leave intact whatever her choice may be?" Hugh opened his mouth but Viers cut in first. "Apologies for my disrespect. I simply worry for her. Some members of the faith possess quite the¡­ overzealous intent about destroying any trace that is demonic. She was marked without her wish." "Hmm," Hugh gave a single firm nod. "No harm shall befall her. You have my word." "...I will convey your response to her. Do not worry I will mess up your schedule. I shall bring her to meet you before you leave for Stormberg. Allow me to say my sincerest thank you." Alfred entered at this moment. "The Countess said it would be her honor to receive a visit from you Pastor Hugh. She has sent for a carriage with full escort for you." "That would not be necessary. We''ll be leaving tomorrow morning at first light, arriving in the afternoon. Is this agreeable with you, young friend?" "She''ll be here at first light," Viers nodded. "No problem." *** Hugh and his disciple, Austen, stayed the night in Croix''s house. The finest place in the village that had met a barely acceptable standard for an important person. Croix didn''t ask for the house, the villagers built it for him anyway. The prince thought it would become the administrative office after his tenure as viceroy ended. Before the break of dawn, Viers and Farley were walking to that place. Farley came out from the Gate Plant inside Viers'' house so it would only be a short walk before they arrived at their destination. "Fuuu¡­" Farley exhaled a long breath. It was rare for Viers to see her nervous, but could he blame her? "We could call it off," Viers said. "Come back when we''re stronger. There have been no problems thus far." "That we know of, Lord Avel," Farley said. They were outside so she used his other name, just in case others might be listening. "It might cause other problems the longer it stays. Let''s put our worries to rest sooner rather than later." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Viers told Farley about Hugh after the Level 5 left his house yesterday. They decided to let the Pastor look at Farley''s right eye which was turned into a demon eye after Dumuzin possessed her. Viers judged Hugh as someone trustworthy that wouldn''t break his word and the man''s reputation painted him as a respectable man. That said, Farley was marked by a Demon God and a former cultist. Perhaps the pastor would decide she was too dangerous to live. Who knew what would happen? Still, if there was a hidden danger, then the Level 5 seemed to be their best bet for uncovering it. The two understood this so they went through with the plan. Paina and Clarissa wished to be present but Viers declined. It would be better to not have other factors that might divulge their pasts or secrets. Farley''s hand was trembling. Viers held her hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Farley didn''t expect the act, glanced at Viers'' face for a moment then looked down the road. Her trembling hand slowly subsided. At this hour, the village was already awake. Fishing villages began their day early. Many people saw Avel walking with a masked woman whilst holding hands. Their destination was near the busy part of the village so it was bound to happen. Farley¡¯s hair was a different color than the woman he brought to his house; the body shape and height was different too. Some housewives began to talk in whispers with their neighbors. Viers knew this might become the start of another rumor but he did not care right now. The following event was too important. When the two reached the front of Croix''s house, they were received by someone who seemed to have stood in front of the door for some time. The white-haired boy Austen was there with arms crossed and an unamused face. "Your master is expecting us," Viers said. "You''ve got some nerve to order my master as if he is your servant." The disciple deployed an Arte. It was a magic field of sorts. The three were now hidden from onlookers. "I think you have been misinformed." "I''m informed enough. That her? Yes, she stinks with demonic corruption. I bet you''re a cultist, aren''t you? Consort with demons long enough and you will suffer the consequences. Good riddance. Leave and don''t trouble my master with your worldly circumstances." "Technically, the brat is correct," Viers said to Farley with his mind and shrugged. "Well? How do you want to resolve this?" "We could just wait. The priest should come out in a short time." "That works." Once it was clear they wouldn''t leave, Austen stepped forward. "Since you won''t listen to words, I''ll make you." The youth''s power rose in the form of a white aura. In his hand, a giant curved sword that was taller than himself was materializing. It wasn''t made of metal, but bone. He walked while the blunt side of the sword rested on his shoulders. "Last warning. Leave, or feel my fang." Farley took a step forward and drew her spear from her inventory item. She made an unyielding battle stance. "Don''t trash him too badly, okay?" Viers said. "Big words! After her, you''re next!" Austen leaped and swung his giant fang sword straight down. Farley dodged to the side but the ground exploded with earth flying in all directions because of the impact. "Heh," Austen smirked. He expected the two to be in awe of his strength. But nothing of the sort happened. Avel, despite being so close to the point of impact, had not a speck of dust on him, and the masked woman stood in a way that was asking for him to make the next move. "Don''t, underestimate me!" Austen swung his sword at Farley diagonally, gouging earth like a spoon with his big bone sword. But as he blinked, he''d lost sight of his target. Austen frantically searched, his eyes darted left and right. "Above you," he heard a feminine voice. Austen looked up and managed to raise his guard as Farley''s spear descended upon him. "How dare you mock me," Austen gritted his teeth. "Then do better," Farley said with a flat tone. *** The disciple tried to hide his actions but how could the Level 5 be unaware of what was happening so close to him? Austen''s isolation attempt might as well not exist. It wasn''t to the point of an Imaginary Domain or even Hidden Boundary. Hugh, along with Alfred, watched his disciple fight with the masked woman. True enough, Hugh felt the demonic taint from her. And she was pretty remarkable, strength-wise. "Am I right to assume she is another vassal of Prince Croix? Quite the gathering of talent, Sir Alfred." "Actually, Your Grace, she is not. I have no idea who she is. I''ve never seen her before." "Oh? Intriguing." The man who called himself Avel was truly a mystery. The first time Hugh saw him, he had at least five life-saving items, each of them primed and should be capable of defending a strike from a Level 5. That showed wealth. A normal vassal, he was not. Then during the conversation, Hugh felt he was conversing with a pond deceptively hiding the grotesque scene underneath. The surface was as still as a mirror, but beneath lied a forest of dead bones. This man had killed a lot of his fellow men. He possessed a teleportation array or something similar in his house. Hugh was not so rude to extend his magical senses in someone else''s house. He might be able to pierce the magical barriers but he didn''t need to. The stories about the other people that he brought into his house and disappeared, and the appearance of the masked girl currently battling his disciple, all pointed to the same thing. Avel had a base in another place. He had the backing of an organization, and it was a powerful one. He suspected Avel was here under orders of that organization to influence the prince. It was a common political move and the Church''s policy was to not meddle in the worldly matters of empires and kingdoms. He understood the argument of his fellow brothers and sisters that advocated the Church should project its influence more to bring more good to the world, yet someone his age already saw how messy things turned out when the Church overplayed its role. The enrichment of the spiritual cannot be achieved by gilding the material. But they were all people living in the material world. They were flesh and bones, minds and emotions. Try as they might, even the most pious of them could not claim they were free of sin. What they could do was live the best they could, and show others the way when they were lost. That was why Hugh agreed to meet with the demon-touched. Although, his disciple''s rashness caused the conflict in front of them now. Hugh did not stop them. Experience is the best teacher. Austen had to experience how vast and rich the world was. He was a talented boy, but his worldview was too narrow. When his proud sword swung by his prided arms got deflected then cleanly blocked by the lithe young woman, Austen snapped. He drew upon the power of his ancestor much deeper than usual. His claws elongated, his dog ears appeared, and a massive white canine''s shadow appeared behind him. The mighty Devalo Dog. Hugh prepared himself to defend the masked woman from harm but he stopped a fraction of a second later. The last exchange of strikes knocked off the woman''s helmet. The chestnut hair mixed with white feathers was free in the wind, caressed by the first light of day. Behind her, the shadow of the beautiful Devawi Swan. Smaller but clearer than the projection of his disciple. It signified a greater mastery or deeper bloodline or both. "Well, well, well. This place is full of surprises," said Hugh while seeing a spectacle he did not expect. *** Austen''s butt was forced to touch grass as he lost the match, but that matter was not in his mind at all. The incarnation of the Goddess of Beauty in front of his eyes filled the entirety of his mind and took his breath away. - - Chapter 401 - The Swan and the Dog Chapter 402 - The Seven Names Since Farley had gotten her new body after being a soul for so long, she began wearing a mask when going outside. Paina was the same. The reason being they had become a touch too pretty. As Pathseeker grew stronger, their lifespan extended. Their aging was also slowing down. In female Pathseekers, their beauty was also enhanced by the magic inside them, which was why high-level female Pathseekers usually possessed a high standard of beauty. For male Pathseekers, they also had the same benefit but the effect on their appearance varied. Some preferred a macho, rugged, older physique while others had a pretty boy face. Some scholars argued the discrepancies were because the ideal image of their own bodies differed. There were always exceptions for both cases but these were the norms. In Farley and Paina''s case, their physical beauty was elevated higher by their bloodlines. Paina''s body was 100% pure Fae race while in Farley''s flowed the blood of the Devawi Swan. Both bodies were formed thanks to Viers'' adventure to Valkut. Beauty was in the eyes of the beholder but most people would find them pretty. Some would even fall in love with them on the spot, especially the Non-Pathseeker Idlers. Viers didn''t know if they were emitting some sort of passive magical charm or not but that did seem to be the case. The first case was when they were still Level 1, during an outing after being cooped up in the Biome. Their visit to a town drew too much attention. Then there was their Profound Codex. Paina helped people who were in need like a saintess, and Farley who sometimes couldn''t help but dance under the moonlight. They got love letters, proposals, and others more extreme. The town mayor who tried to take them by force, the bandit lord who clashed with him for the same purpose, and even Iz''s cult wanted to recruit them. Viers thought it was pretty hilarious. They learned their lesson and began wearing masks when going out the next time. And now, your beauty claims another victim. Oh Farley, you sinful girl. Viers snickered seeing the dog-boy''s lovestruck expression. Viers himself was unaffected by their beauty. Sure, he found them pretty, but he knew them before they became super beauties and he always prided himself on not thinking with his dick like harem MCs so the thought of dating them or taking advantage of them didn''t cross his mind. Power was Viers'' one true love, at least for the foreseeable future anyway. Returning to the matter at hand, Farley and Austen''s scuffle was far from using the full extent of their powers. Austen''s prowess was actually pretty good; it made sense since he was a disciple of a Level 5. His mental department needed refining though, he got carried away by his emotions way too much. Farley easily beat him this time because he got distracted by her appearance during the last exchange. "That is quite enough. Let us stop here before any side gets hurt." Hugh appeared like a referee who called the game''s end along with Alfred. "Austen." "Master¡­" Austen looked down and his dog ears also flopped, giving Viers the impression of a submissive dog before its owner. "Apologize to these two, my two guests that you accosted." "Master, I-" Hugh''s steely gaze landed upon Austen and it was like physical pressure. "...I''m sorry. It was my fault," Austen lowered his head to Viers and Farley. "Reflect on what you''ve done. Now leave us, time is short." Austen did so and left, but he stole a glance at Farley who was picking up her fallen helmet. The helmet resembled what Malenia, the Blade of Miquella wore, so it hid her face. The helmet was naturally courtesy of Viers. After Austen left, Alfred also excused himself. He said he would oversee the preparations for the trip. He would wait for the pastor at the exit of the village. The older knight had the delicacy of not infringing the personal matters of Avel, his colleague. Finally, the moment had come, Farley was standing face to face with pastor Hugh. She tried to calm herself as much as she could, steeling her heart for whatever would happen in the next minutes. To which Hugh spoke to her with a kind smile. "You have nothing to fear from me, child. I gave young friend Avel here my word and now, to you. If you''re willing, allow me to look at your malady." *** "Huu¡­ I''m glad it''s really alright," Paina exhaled in relief. "Now you can go forward without worry," Clarissa shared her gladness. "Yes, thank you both," Farley said. After the medical checkup from Pastor Hugh about her demonic taint, she returned to Viridis with Viers and informed her two worried friends about it. The demonic energy that Dumuzin put into her was wholly contained in her right eye, the rest of her body was infection-free. In a normal condition, the demonic energy was dormant, she didn''t even feel any different. With the slightest of thought, she could activate it at will. Only, because she didn''t know much about it yet and the fear of hidden dangers, Farley avoided activating her demonic eye. Besides the conspicuous demonic energy, the activation also made her right eye glow red. It was quite showy so it was easy to garner attention. The last thing she wanted was to get hunted like a cultist. She couldn''t afford it if she wanted to live in peace with Gwen. After experimentation, she found that when she lost control of her emotions or was in danger, her demon eye activated on its own. As for what the eye actually did, she enjoyed only benefits. Firstly, her power was boosted by demonic energy. Her Arte packed more punch and so on. Her vision also improved significantly and saw things that weren''t visible normally. This became a boon in battle, such as the ability to read her opponent''s moves. Viers and Clarissa told her this was basically the same as their Euryale Sight Arte. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. But the activation cost her nothing. She also instinctively felt there was much more hidden inside if she dug deeper, yet she didn''t pry because of fear and caution. Farley said all of these to the pastor earlier. She even showed it to him. At first, the priest was perplexed that Farley didn''t suffer the demonic corruption that usually came with this sort of power. Her mind was clear, there was no sign of the demonic energy spreading to the rest of her body either. After examination, Hugh said removing her right eye would be of no use. It would grow back with the same demonic taint. Farley then recalled what the Level 5 did next. He cast a magic field with Holy attribute, encompassing himself, her, and Viers. Naturally, this alarmed them but the priest showed no hostility and sat down, eyes straight into her eyes. "Chalchar, the Greater Devil of Fire and Destruction." "Yasterah, the Greater Devil of Blood and Control." "Lichzen, the Greater Devil of Death and Suffering." "Teorph, the Greater Devil of Rot and Poison." "Banbexi, the Greater Devil of Night and Space." "Isidaris, the Greater Devil of Ice and Time." "Dumuzin, the Greater Devil of Soul and Madness." Hugh raised a finger each time he uttered a name. The name of the Seven Demon Gods and their titles. No wonder he erected a holy barrier first. His words possessed a mysterious power that Farley didn''t recognize. When he said the last name, Farley involuntarily flinched. Her right eye throbbed and gave her pain. "As expected. It was Dumuzin who marked you. I suspected this was the work of a very powerful demon. Perhaps even as high as the Goetia Nobles, since the demonic energy quality is incredibly high. To think it was even higher¡­ The personal handiwork of one of the seven. If I didn''t see it myself I wouldn''t believe it. Now then, Avel and Felicity, answer me this honestly: are you two allies of the cults?" Felicity was the fake name Farley gave herself. At first, she wanted to give her true name since the pastor would know she was lying anyway. But Viers argued that it might compromise the Avel persona since her name might be known as a former cultist by the Church. Hugh didn''t mind her fake name, but for this question, she felt he wouldn''t tolerate lies. Lord Viers must have come to the same conclusion because of his answer. "She is a former cultist who has since broken away from her past. I helped her sever those ties. As for me, I have dealt with the cultists several times, sometimes as allies, more times as enemies. However, we owe no allegiance to the cults or to their demonic deities. What I fear is that Felicity would be used for Dumuzin''s own ends." There was a tense moment but Hugh accepted their truthful answer. He feared he would be abetting his enemies since the two of them insisted on being mysterious. He said he was willing to put a seal on Farley''s eye so the demonic energy wouldn''t come out. Viers asked if he could exterminate the demonic taint completely. Hugh answered it was beyond his capability. Sealing was the best he could do. Of course this meant Farley wouldn''t be able to gain the demon eye benefits but it was no problem. She agreed to it right away. With the Devawi Swan''s bloodline and everything else, she didn''t need demonic powers. The sealing proceeded without a hitch. Hugh gave a warning afterward. "Even with my seal, if your strength of will weakens, the demonic energy will emerge again. If you think relying on that power is fine because you suffer no disadvantage, I urge you to throw away such naive thoughts. In all my years of dealing with the demons and their matters, it always leads to nothing good. I''ll give you one example. There was a man I personally knew who thought he''d cheated a demon and got the best of him. He became able to use demonic energy without the usual drawback, similar to you. He used his powers to do good for decades, saving countless people. But when he was old and death was around the corner, that demon appeared again, he dragged his soul to Hell as payment for the powers he''d given him. Remember this." "I will keep your words close to my heart. Thank you, Pastor Hugh." "Mmm. Then I''ll be going now. It wouldn''t do to keep the esteemed ruler of Stormberg waiting. I bid you two farewell." Viers and Farley saw the pastor off to the village''s edge, where Austen and Alfred waited. Before they left, Viers spoke. "Pastor Hugh, despite our hidden backgrounds and secrecy you were willing to help and even given it without asking anything in return. I cannot claim to be a man of virtue but I will remember this favor. To you, and the Church." "I am the same. My humblest gratitude, Pastor Hugh," Farley bowed. "May the blessing of the Radiant Lady be upon you two," Hugh said and departed to Stormberg. Austen looked like he wanted to say something to Farley but stayed silent. Alfred kept his mouth shut but he most definitely would report what he saw to the Countess as it was his duty. Farley''s recollection of the past ended and now she was here, sitting with two of her friends. "That Pastor Hugh is pretty cool, huh?" Paina said. "I suppose I should learn a thing or two from him. You know, about helping people." Paina''s Profound Codex, Give And You Shall Receive, at its core was about helping others. "I''m sure you''ll do great. It suits your nature," Clarissa said. "Just do your best." "Aww, thanks¡­ Oh yeah, one more thing that I don''t get. The pastor called the seven demon gods Greater Devils but also demons. What''s up with that? What''s the difference between devils and demons?" The question had been in Paina''s mind for a long time. Now seemed to be a good time to ask. "Let me answer," the former cultist Farley said. "So devil is the name of a race that lived in the Nine Hells. Demon is a being that got tainted by the corruptive energy of Hell. Humans, monsters, animals, trees, sentient stones, anything can be a demon. Based on this, you''ll find that every devil is a demon but not every demon is a devil." "Just like the human race is a mammal but not every mammal is human," Clarissa added. "Demons are very numerous because creating a demon is very easy, just a touch of a demon is usually enough to corrupt others into another demon. In a sense, Farley could be called a demon. Devils are fewer in number but they are usually stronger. They were born in Hell, they could use demonic energy with far greater familiarity and skill. Even the weakest devil would be a problem if they managed to enter this world. In the Great War, I hated fighting a devil. Each of them is a menace. In this current era, it seems those seven stood at the very top of devils." "Hmm, thus the Greater Devils huh¡­ Calling them Demon Gods like Viers did seems easier," Paina pondered. "The Church doesn''t like to call them gods. Because in their doctrine, Estelle was the only living god left. Cult members treated their patrons as gods though, they certainly have the power of one." "So there''s Dumuzin, Yasterah, Chalchar-" "Stop!" Farley stopped Paina. "Their name shouldn''t be uttered thoughtlessly. Even a Level 5 placed a holy barrier before talking. We do not want to call their attention." "But Viers don''t seem to care about saying their name though?" Paina questioned. "We are not Viers. Let''s just stay away from trouble, alright?" Clarissa proposed. "All right, all right. Well, let''s wrap this up," Paina checked the time. "Not even close to midday. Anyone up for a few sessions of monster hunting in the Grid?" "I''ll join you," Clarissa said. "I''d like to do self-training after the events of today. Sorry." "No worries Farley. We-" Paina stopped because the white card that they received from Viers floated in front of them suddenly. They heard Viers'' voice inside their minds. "Attention all employees. There will be an important meeting shortly. The CEO will make an important announcement regarding the future direction of the company. Attendance is mandatory." "Oh, what is he playing at this time?" Paina lightly tapped her forehead. "I don''t know, but I look forward to it. He always makes things interesting every time he does something like this," Clarissa smiled. It was true enough, Farley admitted. Sometimes, getting on board with the CEO''s quirkiness brought joy to her days in ways she couldn''t imagine. Chapter 403 - Velvet Sea "Look, it''s Prince Croix!" "Yay! He''s come to play!" "Prince''s dragon is here too!" Croix''s appearance was welcomed by a gaggle of kids who proceeded to swarm him. "Hahaha, hello everyone. How are you all? Good?" "Sto-bekk always rains!" "Yeah, Billy caught a cold ''cause he was playing in the rain." "Oh, that''s not good. You gotta take good care of yourself." In a break between his training, Croix visited the children slaves that Marvin brought to die at the Archon Volcano. They were under the care of the Thunder Wing Knightly Order all this time. Croix planned to aid them in making it back to their homes, if that wasn''t possible, he''d let them stay at the Shore. Two people were watching the scene from afar. The rain was unable to touch them. "His Highness seems to possess a virtuous character," Hugh said approvingly. "He''s still green," Grace said pensively. "It is a privilege of the young to be green. Something that I shan''t fault the prince for, especially since his heart seems to be in the right place. Your ladyship has raised him well." "High praise, Pastor. But I won''t claim any credit for his disposition. His character has been molded before he met me." "Ah, look at me, rambling. That happens more often lately. My apologies, Countess. We of the Church will not interfere in the matters of other nations but we do know gratitude. Cardinal Silvermoon sent her gratitude, not just in the form of words but with something more tangible." "Is meeting over an evening meal agreeable, Pastor Hugh?" "Not a banquet, surely?" Hugh made a weak smile. "It would reflect poorly on me as a host to fail to give a man of your stature anything less. However, I know Your Grace''s dislike of pretentious grandeur. I''ll arrange a modest banquet." "My Lady is most understanding," Hugh was relieved. The two Level 5 had a period of silence as they continued observing Croix entertaining the kids. "I met a remarkable young man at the previous village I visited. The prince''s vassal, if I''m not mistaken." "I imagine you did, Pastor." "Was he¡­ a handful?" "Like a wild horse with wings," Grace replied. "Does My Lady plan on reining him?" Hugh raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "I expect whoever tries to do that will need to do so with extreme care." *** Viers had sent a message through the white card to people that he chose for an important meeting. "But where?" Paina wondered. "The message didn''t say a location." "I suppose in the Biome? Dia, can you hear me? Where''s Lord Viers?" Farley said to a tree nearby. Those who didn''t know better might think her crazy. "No, Farley, I think there''s no need for that," Clarissa said. The white cards flew out on their own and created a door for each holder. Since there were three cards between them, three doors were created. The door was blue in color and quite ornate. "Whoa¡­ This is Viers'' doing. No doubt about it. It''s his style," Paina commented. "Rissa, do you know about this?" Farley asked the lamia. As a former Level 5, Viers discussed Pathseeker matters more with Clarissa than with her and Paina. "No, nothing. This is new for me too." The doors pulsed, and they felt a calling. "Well, shall we?" Farley touched the blue door first. It opened on its own after a light touch. A white-blue light prevented them from seeing what was on the other side. After Farley went in, the door closed and dissipated, leaving not a single trace. "Huh, she''s gone," Paina tried to sense her friend but picked up nothing. "Interesting¡­" Clarissa touched the door that was made from Paina''s card, which didn''t call out to her. Even after she touched the door, it stayed closed. "Figures. I''m going on ahead." Clarissa went to her door and like Farley, she was gone the next moment. "Wai- Sure, go on ahead to a mysterious door that leads to who knows where¡­ Ei!" Paina also went through the door despite what she said. Unlike the other two who slowly walked in, she leaped inside. The three experienced similar blindness after the crossing. When they opened their eyes, they found themselves underwater. Swimming fishes and colorful corals were around them like a picturesque seabed. The kelps swaying in the water current, a plethora of sea flowers, warm rays of sunlight from the surface. It was a very beautiful place. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Check out the view," Paina said while in awe. "Look, there''s¡­ Huh?" She turned to her side, expecting to see Farley or Clarissa but she didn''t expect what she saw. *** Boram entered the blue door once it appeared without hesitation. His master was calling, what was there to be confused about? The gorgeous sight before him was nice but unfamiliar. Also, he wasn''t alone. There were others beside him, but he didn''t know who they were. He looked at his own body and saw himself fine. However, the other people besides him were wearing black robes that hid their bodies. Even their faces under the hood were unseeable because of the mysterious darkness. From a frantic response from one of them, Boram couldn''t determine whether the speaker was male or female because the voice was scrambled. He could understand the words just fine, although, when that panicked person tried to call out names, the words were scrambled even further, effectively censoring them. "Having enough fun yet?" On the seabed, there was a grand rectangle table. The table resembled the long banquet table that he''d seen in Countess Grace''s manor in Stormberg. It held enough space to house seats for twenty and still have spaces to spare. The voice came from a robed figure that sat at the head of the table. The person''s robe was white and with more elaborate designs. The voice indicated he was a male. "I''ll explain everything. Each of you has a designated seat. Come and take your places." Boram did so. With a thought, he floated to one particular seat that he saw glowing. It was underwater but his movement didn''t seem to be impeded by water resistance. In fact, he had no problem breathing. No two people seemed to aim for the same seat so he guessed the others saw a different glowing chair for each of them. After all the people had taken their places, there were still more than half seats empty at the table. "Thank you, and welcome to my domain. I understand you must have questions. First, introductions. I am the Big Boss." *** What is Viers playing at? Clarissa saw the other black robes had a body language of confusion. The white robe who called himself the Big Boss was definitely Viers. He was the one giving out the white cards. Wasn''t it the expected conclusion? However, what was the point of this? Why hide the identity of the crowds? She knew Paina and Farley were here. Boram and Jessica had the white cards as well. Including her and Viers, that made six. But who were the other five? "Big Boss, right¡­ Boss of what, exactly?" Clarissa heard the question from a black robe. Even though the voice was scrambled, she guessed it was Paina. The frankness gave her away. "Of this most exclusive gathering. Which you are all a member of," Boss said. "I do not remember applying," someone said, someone that Clarissa didn''t know. "If this is about the card, **** gave it to me. He never said anything about this." The name must be Viers, Clarissa thought despite the static. "Your skepticism is understandable," Boss continued speaking with a peaceful calm. "It was my disciple who picked you all." Viers has a master? This guy? It came as a shock to Clarissa. She didn''t know and she had been with Viers for the longest. I suppose it isn''t impossible, but even so¡­ No, no way. This is just another one of Viers'' tricks. Big Boss is Viers! I''d bet on it. *** It''s Lord Viers. He''s just saying things to deceive us. Perhaps not all of us because Paina, Clarissa, and I are too close with him but there are the likes of Boram and Jessica who don''t know everything about Viers. Farley analyzed the charade. She wondered what would come out of this. "My disciple, who you are all familiar with, made the proposal for this gathering. Isn''t that right?" "That is correct, Master." Farley turned to the one that responded, the black robe to sit at the farthest of the table from Big Boss. Since they were the only two people who sat at the edge of the table, it did feel somewhat special. That''s Lord Viers? ¡­No way. Most likely that''s his double, Farley determined under one second. "And what, pray tell, is the purpose of this gathering, will you tell us, Mr. Big Boss?" The skeptical black robe asked again. "Allow me to explain." The one that Big Boss called a disciple stood up and pulled back his hood, revealing his identity. Sure enough, it was Viers. At least, the one with the face of Viers. Not Tanael or Avel''s, but Viers'' face, his real face. "You all know me so I won''t mince words. First, this is Master''s realm, the Velvet Sea. This place exists in a different plane than the material world. In this realm, Master''s power is the strongest. We will be safe here." "Or entirely at his mercy," the skeptical black robe said again. "Quite. But rest assured, Master didn''t arrange all of this to put you in danger or harm you. He has no need for wealth. Even if he did, his target wouldn¡¯t be you but me, who is far richer than you." Lord Viers seemed to know the skeptical black robe''s true identity. Understandable. Farley had a guess about that person''s identity but she couldn''t be certain. "Now, the purpose of this gathering is because I see an opportunity," Viers said. "My power base has more people now, and our individual ability is getting stronger. I believe it is time to branch out to the wider world to make use of our increase in manpower." *** "Please elaborate," Izabella said. From the start, she was the one who ran her mouth the most. She couldn''t help it; she was very nervous. I thought Big Boss was Viers but I was wrong¡­ Viers is that guy''s disciple? Then how powerful is he? And I''m in his seat of power. I knew it! I shouldn''t have entered such a suspicious door from the start!!! As a member of the Cult of Yasterah, Iz was no stranger to shady secret meetings. The setting, the avenue, the veiled identities, all were rather similar to the high-risk gatherings of the criminal underworld. "Imagine this, Miss," Viers said while facing her. "Suppose you''re in the Zetel Sultanate, and then there is someone else in this gathering who is in the Free People Coalition. Do you see the potential here?" Iz''s mind spun with ideas. "You mean to trade? Gather lucrative goods that are easy to acquire in one place and sell it to another and vice-versa for profit?" "That is one, although my master didn''t open this gathering to start such a rudimentary mercantile business. Even if it is not about buying or selling, perhaps one time you urgently need a monster core, rare ingredients, antidote, or whatever else. You can ask a member here to get it for you, for a price agreed by both sides, of course. There is also information, sharing things between members from across vast distances. Which will keep us up-to-date with the ebb and flow of the world, opening more chances for us." "True¡­" Izabella was Vice-Vicar now, she was the head of her own branch. Having access to those goods and information alone would open new doors for her. "I suggested to Master to keep each of your identities anonymous. This is to lessen conflict between you all and as safeguards. Perhaps some of you are affiliated to the Church and some to the cults, perhaps you are from two enemy kingdoms at war, all of it doesn''t matter. What matters are benefits! This gathering aims to facilitate the growth of its members without prejudice. The more you contribute to the cause, the more merit and benefit you''ll enjoy." Before the members, including Iz, appeared a book. She opened it and most of its pages were what they could buy. The goods included but not limited to Artes, Profound Codices, monsters cores, magical ingredients, enchanted items, and many more. "I''m rich. Master is even richer. If you''ve got something good, I''d be happy to buy it from you. Got a rare water treasure but what you actually need is a lightning treasure? Trade here. If I don''t have it, perhaps the other members have it." "I see. This is the benefit of an organization. This is just like a Pathseeker School or House, isn''t it?" As a member of the cult, Iz was familiar with the structure of a Pathseeker organization. To Iz''s comment, Big Boss tapped the table with his finger. The power he emitted made Izabella shudder. Big Boss conjured a white card that floated in front of Viers, the card that everyone had. He held it between his two fingers, trying to act cool. That card now had a picture. "Not just any institution," Viers smirked proudly. "This place offers something that you can''t find anywhere else." Chapter 404 - Not Found Jessica found herself in august company. She was just a mediocre Level 3 Pathseeker not long ago. Those with more talent than her became Level 3 decades earlier. But now, she had a place in a gathering of great figures. Is Kira also here? Viers did say he and Kira learned from the same teacher¡­ Things were changing a little too fast for the single mother. Viers said he would show the way. Jessica was in a wild ride but she knew it was also the chance of a lifetime. She resolved to not let the chance slip through her fingers. She stayed silent while the others asked their inquiries until Viers revealed his identity. Listening to them, things were starting to make sense. Viers, who was also known as Avel, had a formidable master. It made sense that a teacher that powerful made an extraordinary disciple. However, Jessica entertained a different line of thought. "I have been called by many names. Adventurer, Traveller, Master, Admiral, Captain, Commander, Doctor, Warrior of Light, Warrior of Darkness, even Barista at the End of the Universe. These are but a few. You are welcome to decide who I am in your eyes." When Viers said that to her, it didn''t seem he was lying. This depiction was more fitting for the mysterious Big Boss than Viers. Therefore, an outlandish idea was formed inside Jessica''s mind. Perhaps Viers is Big Boss'' avatar. A split body to interact with the world outside, or something similar to that line. She didn''t have any evidence, just a gut feeling. Perhaps Viers was indeed Big Boss'' disciple and she was just thinking too much. As for the gathering itself, Jessica was not opposed to it, but she''d like to learn more before making a decision. "Not just any institution. This place offers something that you can''t find anywhere else." Jessica looked at the card between Viers'' fingers with fascination. "This is a special card that I made under the guidance of my master. Each of you has held one, some longer than the rest. Originally I gave you this so I''d be informed if you''re in peril. As I grew stronger, I added an additional feature, the practice of channeling your energy into your card." Jessica didn''t know any of that. She had her hands full in practicing her Seven Chakras Arte currently. "Those of you who have tried the practice surely realize the benefit of the strengthening of your soul. You don''t have to be a Soul Pathseeker to do this and everyone can do it. There''s no problem." Viers continued his presentation. The whole room was listening intently. "Well then, some of you might have a question, such as where does the energy go? The answer is here." A cube of energy appeared on Viers'' left hand. It was white in color. "This is the energy from some of you. Still small because this is still a test run and not all of you practice it. But if all do their part, the energy will be much stronger in no time." "So you take our energy as payment for the soul strengthening practice?" Someone in a black robe said. The person sounded a bit upset. "Yes and no," Viers replied calmly. "I plan on making this a system of give and take, aligned with the vision of this gathering. Observe." Jessica saw the card in his hand channeled in energy from the cube. Viers then ripped the card in two, inviting gasps from other people. But in the next moment, Viers was brimming with power. "This is a power that will be accessible to all of you. This is not based on humanity''s Intio Magisterix Path of Power, but a brand new type of cultivation." Jessica was shocked to hear that. A brand new Path of Power? If that was true then this was earth-shattering news. Of course, she was not the only one in shock. "The nucleus of this technique is me but only because my master allowed it. Without him, this technique wouldn''t be possible. Those with an upgraded card like mine can make use of this power. Miss ****** and Miss *****, stand up please." Jessica couldn''t hear their names but the two who were addressed rose to their feet. "A taste, if you''re game. You two are familiar with each other, have the same Levels, and almost even in power or technique. One of you will receive a boost while the other will fight as usual. Are you ready?" The two agreed. One was using a staff and the other used a spear. Jessica guessed they were Paina and Farley. If even she received an invitation, there was no way those two had not. They had been with Viers longer than her. Boram should be here too. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Big Boss tapped the table again and there was another surge of overwhelming power, like an invisible mountain had fallen above her and gone. Farley''s white card changed, showing a picture that was different from Viers''. She looked at Viers and after getting a nod, ripped the card in two and that mysterious power enwrapped her. "Water abilities only. Ready, set, go!" At Viers'' signal, the two began. Paina erected a water barrier right off the bat, playing defensively against the strengthened Farley, but her opponent simply tore through her defenses. From offense, defense, agility, reaction, Arte casting speed, Farley seemed to have exceeded Paina in every way. Not that Jessica would have called Paina weak by any measure. She was pretty sure the fae young woman would have wiped the floor with her. To no one''s surprise, Farley was the winner. "Good, now *****''s turn." "Oh, I get a turn. How nice. *****, I''ll get you now~" "Ufufu, looking forward to it." "Ready, set, go!" The staff user sent a blast of water with a force that was akin to a water dragon''s breath that she had seen in the past. Farley was defeated in one hit. "Ooof, I hope she''s not hurt," Jessica heard someone saying their sympathies. "Alright, back to your seats. I trust that''s enough demonstration? To those who still harbor qualms, they are welcome to test it at a later date. Now is not the moment because¡­" Viers pointed their attention to the cube of energy on his left hand. It had become less than half of its initial volume. "The energy was not much to begin with. This is an aggregate pool. The fountain of which we will drink from. If the contribution is too little, there will be less energy for all. To prevent one person from greedily siphoning all the energy, my master will put a limit that the energy that a person can draw will not exceed the amount they contributed." Sounded reasonable to Jessica''s ears. The extra layer of power on top of the one she currently had was enticing of course, but Jessica had reservations about how it would all mesh with her chakras and qi. She would need to discuss it with Viers before trying it. "A simple but potent strengthening. Do you feel it is underwhelming and does not deserve the hype? Well, there''s more." Viers flicked his hand like a thief''s sleight of hand, conjuring a card on his hand, the one that he''d just torn in two. "Witness the ''Level 2'' of this power." Viers tore his card again. This time the power turned into a sword, the edge was looking impossibly sharp. He grabbed the sword, exploded with an aura even stronger than before, and slashed upwards. The flying slash''s power was felt by all. Incredibly powerful, Level 4 tier, at least. "If you put enough energy into the card, it will begin forming gear that is most suitable to you. It will be different from person to person. Mine is a sword. As you can see, the power is on a whole other level." Viers'' sword crumbled into nothingness and nothing remained in his left hand. The cube was completely depleted and vanished. "What you put inside the card is not Victa so if you run out of Victa there''s something you can fall back on. Still, while the technique is powerful, as you can see, it consumes tons of energy. I fear this might also attract unwanted attention from curious people. Therefore I suggest keeping the technique as a secret move. I trust the people here won''t do anything stupid." "I understand." Not only Jessica but there were also agreements from other people. "Good. Now, I believe we''ve been here long enough. This is Master''s place and I dare not overstay our welcome. You can come to me for further discussions later." After Viers'' closing suggestion, Big Boss who had been silent all this time tapped the table again, showing his power for the third time. Their white cards turned into a pictured card. Each was different from the rest. "Since this gathering is conducted using anonymous identity, it will pose some problems in the future. I''ve taken the liberty of assigning your pseudonym for this gathering. It is written on your cards." Jessica naturally received hers. She took the card respectfully. "Thank you, Master, for going along with my selfishness," Viers said. Jessica and the others followed suit saying their gratitude. "I might have taken you as a disciple, but you are still far too weak. Just a tyke in the vast multiverse. Until I deem you strong enough, I forbid you to even insinuate my existence. So that if you''re killed, it will not cast shame upon me. Those insufferable immortals would never let me hear the end of it otherwise. None of you can imagine the insult that will stay with you until the end of time. I have no wish to suffer another. Is that clear?" The question was accompanied by a pressure that made Jessica feel her innards were being juiced. "Crystal clear, Big Boss Your Excellency," Viers bowed respectfully. It was the most docile Jessica had seen Viers yet. "That goes the same with the rest of you," Big Boss said. Jessica and the others unilaterally said their acknowledgment. "See that you do. Now leave me. You are all delaying my century nap." Jessica feared if Big Boss was truly some immortal, god-like being. Her life was truly going off the charts now. With the dismissal, doors were appearing behind their seats. The same doors that they went through to get here. "Well, then everyone. Welcome to the club. Until we meet again," Viers was the first to exit the mysterious realm. None were feeling particularly chatty after listening to Big Boss so they too went through the doors. Jessica sighed in relief that she could finally go home. "...Hmm?" Something was wrong. Why was she still in the Velvet Sea after passing through the exit? "Alright, everyone, take your seat again please," Viers said. "We''ve got a second meeting." "Huh?" Jessica was confused. She wasn''t alone, she could see Paina, Farley, and Clarissa were with her. They no longer appeared in black robes. Viers took a seat at the table, but this time, the Big Boss was nowhere to be seen. The Velvet Sea remained beautiful as it was but there was no larger-than-life presence of the Big Boss. "Viers, what is happening?" Clarissa asked. "Second meeting, did you not hear me? I want to discuss the near future and my Level 4 ascension. Sit down. Wanna drink?" Chapter 405 - The Secret Club "I see you are all confused," Viers smirked. "Nope, not at all. This is just another one of your antics," Paina denied it. She would not give Viers the satisfaction. "A question Lord Viers," Farley asked as she sat. "Who are the others? By my count, there are even more than I know." "I was wondering about that too," Clarissa said. "First there are the five of us, then Boram, the Blood Church girl, the girl that fell for your fake handsome face, but who else? Did you give the girls from the Church white cards? The angel touched and the blonde who your Divine Sword ran away with?" Clarissa guessed the participation of Izabella, Sakuya, Rose, and Ciel. Since all of them were wearing black robes that were inspired by Organization XIII, their identities were well hidden so she couldn''t be sure. "Hmhmhm, you''ll know in due time," Viers refused to elaborate. Actually, there were only seven people in attendance. Viers and his double counted as one, Boram, Izabella, and the four here. The rest were fake phantoms. "But why do this?" Paina asked. "I am getting to that." "Er, so the Big Boss is¡­?" Jessica still hesitated. "It''s Viers, Jessica. Lord Viers is the Boss, always has been," Farley replied with a sigh. "Alright, enough distractions. Let''s begin. Croix will be enrolling at the Sinclair Academy soon. Boram and Alfred will accompany him," Viers began telling the order of events to his inner circle. "What about you?" Paina asked. "I''m not going. But most of you will." That created another round of confused expressions. "I do not follow," Jessica added. "I''m planning on sending Luca, Gwen, and Tim to the academy. Not for the Pathseeker department of course, but there are other affiliated institutes for the younger ones to learn there. That place is basically an academy city. The younglings will get a top-notch education there. Also, it is a safe place. Well, not absolutely safe but almost as safe as it can be." Farley and Jessica had blood relations with the two of the kids. They cared for them. Their happiness felt like their own. "A most generous offer, Lord Viers¡­ But why do this? You''ve done more than we could have asked for," Farley knew Viers'' personality. He wouldn''t give without having nothing to gain. "And the cost! I planned on Tim going to a school there but the price was too high," Jessica interjected. "Leave it to me. I''ll pay their tuition in full until they graduate at the age of fifteen. Remember, I''m rich." Pathseeker School would only accept fifteen-year-olds and older. However, people younger than that could also learn a lot of things, just like the schools on Earth. However, in this world the commoners couldn''t afford such things so it was mainly for the children of nobles. Viers just said he would give the privilege to the three kids. The girls were still confused but Viers continued on. "While the kids go to school, Farley and Jessica, the two of you will go with them. By being physically closer, you and them should be more at ease adapting to the new life. The two of you have a choice: to enroll as a student or not. If you do, you''ll have to become Croix''s classmate by showing your worthiness. Relax though. No School will turn away a capable student; they''ll want you to enter instead. Farley should have no problem, as for Jessica, you''ll need a bit more time. Thankfully, you still have a few months to improve." Viers assumed the Gendo Ikari pose, a shame he didn''t wear glasses. "If you enter as a student then you''ll naturally have tasks and obligations for the academy. In return for entering for free, you''ll share their curriculum with me. If you choose to not enroll, then I''ll have tasks for you to do in the city. Nothing insidious. It will be like starting a shop and buying-selling things. Either way, that place is like the center of the world. People from all corners of the continent go there. I''m sure there will be many things to learn and opportunities to grasp." Viers turned to Paina next. "Paina will go towards Zetel, to the southwest. Clarissa and the three elementals will occasionally accompany you. You said you want to help people, right? Well, in your travels I''m sure you''ll find people to help aplenty. Rumors are that the sultanate''s climate is very harsh. The elites are fine in their magic cities but the common folk aren''t so lucky. Plant the teleportation points as you travel." Viers'' eyes landed on Clarissa. "With your condition, you cannot be away from me for too long. I also require your alchemy products. But according to my knowledge, some lamias have been sighted in the Zetel Sultanate. You might be able to meet your kindred." Clarissa looked slightly surprised and full of thoughts. Of the Four Great Nations of the Human Dominion, Zetel and Herkelan were the two that Viers had yet to visit, therefore, no Gate Plants for fast travel. Viers chose to send Paina to Zetel instead of Harkelan because of the concerning findings from the place recently, like guns and other weaponry. Was an otherworlder already making his Kingdom-building story there? If so, how much has it progressed? Viers had to find out before he was too late. "Any objections?" Viers asked. "You don''t need to send Gwen and the others to Sinclair, Lord Viers. You even assigned Jessica to be their teacher. If this is to appease us, I assure you I have no desire to ask more for my sister. You have done aplenty," Farley said. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Jessica nodded in agreement. What she and her son had been given had exceeded all her expectations. "I am not a virtuous man but I do try to treat my employees right. A forced worker works poorly compared to a motivated one. If you feel gratitude, then I expect to see the result in your work." "By your will," Jessica said. "I will go beyond your expectations," Farley said in the same spirit. "Well, I have no objections either," Paina said lightheartedly. "But I feel kind of lonely with us going our separate ways." "Incorrect. With the distance involved, physically converging in Viridis regularly will be too expensive. That is why I made the Velvet Sea in order to connect us all, you cardholders. I won''t always summon your whole body here, usually just your consciousness and physical stuff that you want to trade. The connectivity is much easier and costs way less." Nothing was without a price. Naturally, Dia''s teleportation was included. Opening portals from one dimension to another was not an ordinary feat. Velvet Sea was a pocket space that Viers recently created from the Realm Core of the Liapris'' elves'' graveyard. It was much smaller than Viridis but it was custom-made for a specific reason, so some things that normally weren''t possible were made possible here. With the mention of the Velvet Sea, the topic went back to the cards. "Right, so what''s up with this?" Paina conjured her card. It was no longer white. One side was a common face shared by all the cards while the other side was unique for each of them. The Temperance. The others also brought forth their cards. Each did so differently. The cards were in their soul. Farley reached for her pocket and since she willed it, her hand came out with the card. Clarissa looked at the table and with a flash of fire, the card appeared. Farley with the Magician. Clarissa with the High Priestess. Jessica with the Star. Looking at the major arcana assembled before him made Viers feel happy. "Your pseudonyms for the club meeting. I know, it''s cool." "Might be if we knew what it meant," Paina pressed. "Was there a mistake, Lord Viers? The Magician seems more fitting for Paina than me," Farley said. She was a spear wielder by trade. Her Artes were mostly close-ranged too. Jessica also struggled with how she had a resemblance with stars and Clarissa asked herself what she was even a priestess of. But Viers was adamant. "Each of those cards represents something symbolic. I''ve chosen each of them carefully. One day I hope you can look at it and feel pride. That is all that I will say on the matter." "What about other people, like Boram?" Paina gasped. "What''s yours?" Assigning Boram''s card was an easy one, the Strength. Izabella the Blood Church''s Vice-Vicar was more difficult to place but Viers settled with the Hermit. The rest of the seats were still empty but Viers had entertained several candidates. Some were still not certain but there were enough members for the Arcanum Club to start to function. "Mine? This is mine." The Fool. Viers showed his card without a speck of shame. On the contrary even, with pride. "...Is that some sort of joke? There''s no way I can call you with such disrespect, Lord," Farley conveyed. "Perhaps this is the Viers that is the Big Boss'' disciple''s card?" Jessica guessed. "So you want us to call you the Fool during the gathering, truly?" Clarissa asked for confirmation. "No," Viers said sternly. "The Fool is someone else, who''s a lord of many mysteries. The Big Boss for that persona and just Boss for me will suffice." Viers basked in the silence that followed. "You''ve given us our assignments but what will you do?" The lamia princess inquired. "I seem to recall you speak about Level 4 ascension?" Jessica made eye contact. "Yes, from now on, I''ll focus most of my attention on the breakthrough process. I already have all I need." That was why Viers rejected Croix''s offer of going to the Sinclair Academy with him. Looking at this with clich¨¦-critical eyes, Viers was certain he would be at the eye of a typhoon of a huge development at the academy. If not him then the prince. Viers said no to that. He has been a Level 3 for long enough. But in contrast to common thought, he was still an eighteen-year-old Level 3 peak Pathseeker. That was an impressive speed of growth. Too fast even. He was a couple of months away from nineteen but that didn''t matter much. Even the Silver Legion youths that he met in Valkut were still Level 3 while in their mid twenties. The reason was something deeper in the Path of Power. Viers had a lot of resources that he amassed from various sources, so did the Silver Legion guys in Valkut, so did Prince Marvin. Could they become Level 4 earlier? Yes, but should they? Level 4 Marvin might be, but he was defeated by Viers who was a Level 3 and now became a breeding stud if Izabella was telling the truth. Viers knew he should not rush things since cultivation Level was not everything. Surely there were other productive things he could do. But the problem was, he kinda maxed out. His Intio was full of mana and his Profound Codex had reached full mastery because of the Nutra-improved Profound Training. He had exhausted his avenue of growth, at least what was within his means. Only the door to Level 4 remained. He could tinker with new Artes and the like but it would not increase his power significantly, only little gains. There was the body refining path like in the Fables but he had his monster transformation that was just as good. So Viers would knock on the door to Level 4. Only, he would do it in an unconventional way. Other MCs in power fantasy stories often used a cultivation system that was outside the norm. For example, if normal people forge a golden core, the MC guy forged a double golden core. If the perfect cultivation was 100 revolutions the MC guy would do 1001 revolutions. Outlandish and over the top, but this resulted in their strength eclipsing others in the same generation. Viers would go down this route. His quest for knowledge by using soul search was never-ending. He gathered and studied every ancient, legendary, forbidden, evil cultivation technique that the myriad of souls knew and analyzed them. Since some souls were even Level 4s or 5s that had lived longer than centuries, Viers'' well of knowledge was deep indeed. Most were a dud, fake, useless, no longer viable, or were purely theoretical, but some were proven to be legit. Viers further modified them to create something that was entirely compatible with himself. The experience of creating a lot of Artes from imagination gave him the skill he needed. The result of his research was a most volatile method that would make him possess far more power than a budding Level 4 should. Breaking common sense, just like other MCs in their own stories often were. But there was a catch. It was quite painful. He named this Arte No Pain No Gain. The longer the painful period, the more he would gain. Viers had studied that the pain was at a degree that could kill a grown man. He calculated that the original version of the technique advised a period of one year and no more. It would be lying to say he wasn''t afraid. But pain was an old friend. Viers was prepared for pain and suffering since he was a Level 0. Cultivation is pain. Life is suffering. His heart was set. And so Viers prepared for a long seclusion. "My Level 4 ascension will be a bit different than usual. It should take more or less three years. We all have our roles. Go and live your life. May fortune be with you. Dismissed." Chapter 406 - No Pain No Gain Viridis, Dia''s Biome and Viers'' homebase. A few days after the Arcanum Club''s first meeting and establishment. In this green paradise, a farewell was happening. "Uuuu¡­ Luca will be lonely." Luca the dark purple-haired girl with a darkness 5 affinity was crying during the send-off. Gwen, who was her age, tried to calm her friend. "Don''t worry, little swan, you''ll be fine," Viers patted the little girl''s head. Unlike the others who would be going to Sinclair, Luca had living and well parents who cared for her. Viers personally gave them the offer to enroll Luca at a foreign prestigious school. They were worried but wanted the best for their child and Luca herself wanted to go. Viers also met Luca''s newborn little brother when he was there. "Well then, Lord Viers, we''ll take our leave," Farley bowed. "Thank you, big brother Viers," Gwen also bowed after her sister. "We''ll inform you once we''ve arrived. Thank you for your hospitality," Jessica smiled. "Hehehe, I''ll be as strong as Boram the next time we meet!" Tim confidently puffed up his chest. Jessica, Tim, Luca, Farley, and Gwen. These five would now travel to the Sinclair Academy. Croix, Alfred, and Boram would go later. The two groups would go using different routes. Boram had been instructed to act as if he didn''t know the people of the other group even if they met there. In the end, Farley decided to enroll as a student while Jessica would not. They planned to rent or buy a house at the academy city so they could live together. "Goodbye everyone, I hope you the best," Paina waved. She too was wearing traveling clothes like the rest of them. A necklace that would serve as Clarissa''s soul anchor was hanging on her neck. The second group would consist of Paina, Clarissa, Faiya, Futon, and Dia. These five would brave the hot desert climate of Zetel. This group was quite eccentric in its make-up, but Viers was confident they would be fine. Both groups didn''t seem to bring a lot of supplies besides the clothes they wore but their spatial items were filled to the brim. "Dia, Faiya, Futon, the three of you must listen to Paina and Clarissa''s instructions, okay? And don''t cause trouble for them," Viers warned. "Yes, kin!" "Yaaa!" "Fuuu!" The elementals were excited to visit a new land. It was like a holiday trip overseas for them. "Zerri, too. Bye-bye, plump hatchling. Grow healthy," Clarissa patted the white worm on top the head of a Pukupuku who served as the Xerg queen''s personal palanquin. Zerri replied by munching on Clarissa''s finger. "Ahahaha, it tickles. Stop that~" After the two groups finished their goodbyes, they went inside two different portals. Viers had no portals directly to their destinations so the exit was at the nearest place, even with that, the distance was considerable, especially for Paina''s group. All Viers Corp''s employees had left for a company business trip. Only the CEO remained on his lonesome. Zerri didn''t count because she was a baby. "One is the loneliest number that you''ll ever do~" Viridis could run on its own. The Pukupukus were able to tend to anything that needed tending without supervision anymore. After a last check on security measures and anything important, everything was in order so Viers began his Level 4 Ascension. He sealed himself up in the pocket dimension next door, the Velvet Sea. This place was anchored to the larger Biome without becoming a part of it. It was like a secret room in a house. "...Here we go." He had been preparing for this for weeks and scheduled to start after the send-off. Viers started an Arte activation sequence, and suddenly, everything below his solar plexus exploded into a pile of blood of gore. Viers screamed from the unimaginable pain. Blood flowed from the remaining part of his body that was still intact. While in the perilous state, he confirmed the method was working as intended and he began opening his life force reserve. With bountiful vitality, his healing factor began to work mending his body. His regeneration speed had improved greatly since he got it as a Level 0 but it still wasn''t as fast as Wolverine''s. His mind was fully occupied operating his Unreality Field so his body didn''t die of blood loss and other complications from major physical trauma. The hours felt utterly cruel as minutes felt stretched to infinity because he had to battle with the pain and boredom. Not only of the physical body, his soul was similarly shredded. This was the Forbidden Arte, No Pain No Gain. Viers modified the old version, adding and subtracting parts from different sources enough to make it sufficiently different from the old one, and gave a new name for it. Despite what it looked like, this wasn''t a body cultivation method. It was similar, but this Arte was solely for the purpose of improving someone''s ascension to a higher Level. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. After extremely damaging the body made a complete recovery, the Arte would produce a mote of light that represented his efforts. This mote would then be absorbed by his Intio. The more motes he had, the easier it was to level and it would make everything more powerful. The mote of light had another name in cultivation terms, a piece of world''s truth, but Viers didn''t really bother remembering it. He thought of it like a piece of Dao from the xianxia stories. "...Huff, huff¡­ That''s one down." Based on his first experience, Viers planned on gaining one mote every day. Once he was proficient enough, he would destroy even more parts of his body. The more damage he suffered, the greater the quality of the mote he would get after complete recovery. Viers dared to cultivate using this demonic method because he had his healing factor. Records said in the past users of this technique were super rich people with deep enough pockets to keep healing the user or possessed some form of extraordinary self-healing like Viers. Of course, they had to have the iron will to see it though. If he could heal faster and thus be able to do more cycles of destruction and mending he would, but his healing factor''s speed was maxed out as a Level 3. This method also carried extra benefits. It simulated death and rebirth, the same concept as his Serpentes Renovamen Profound Codex. Viers already mastered his Profound Codex enough to begin the next step to Level 4. However, more mastery was never bad, not like he had reached the peak mastery of life and death anyway. Basically, the better someone was in their Profound Codex, the stronger their Imaginary Domain. Viers was greatly anticipating the day he would be able to do Domain Expansion. Would my Domain''s nature be similar to Unlimited Void or more leaning to Malevolent Shrine? Mwuhuhu, I can''t wait. The old technique aimed for a hundred motes and then broke through to Level 4 in one year. It was not the standard, but the optimal amount. Viers'' No Pain No Gain improved it. "One down, nine-nine-nine more to go." Viers planned on a thousand motes in three years. Not only would he overshoot the max strengthening limit of the old forbidden Arte, but there was also the 500% boost of Horizon to the Arte. Only improvements like this could result in an overpowered Apex Villain the likes of Fang Yuan. It was the only way he wouldn''t get beaten by the similarly overpowered MCs! Madness and lust for power sparked in Viers'' eyes and the Velvet Sea witnessed a bloody scene once again. *** "Master, you look¡­ tired." Boram, who came to say goodbye to his master, was looking at a haggard-looking Viers. "Haha¡­ just tired from Pathseeker training is all. Don''t mind me." For two months Viers had spent almost every day in a pool of his own blood and pain searing every fiber of his being. He was almost driven to the point of insanity. Fortuitously, a timely doctor stop was preordained in the form of his Profound Codex. Once every ten days after not being activated, Serpentes Renovamen would activate on its own, killing Viers the Pathseeker. The water and soul bender was no more, turned into a powerless mortal. Naturally, No Pain No Gain Arte was not an option during that period so he had no choice but to rest. It worked wonders on his sanity. Croix, Boram, and Alfred were about to go to Sinclair. They left Stormberg and stopped by the Shore before going. Part was because Boram and Croix wanted to see Viers and the other was because Croix wished to see the village he helped to build from the ground up. "Do you have any words for me before I go, Master?" "Sure. First, a question. Do you want me to release you from my servitude?" "Umm, no?" Boram did not understand the meaning of the sudden question. "Why?" "Because¡­ You always said you''d release me from slavery after I paid my debts to you. Master, you took me under your wing and granted me a new life. The least I could do is to save your life at least once. I haven''t, so it doesn''t seem right." Viers approved of Boram''s answer. "Then here''s my advice. At Sinclair, you''ll get into fights. It is inevitable, that place where highborns and commoners mix? No matter how much the academy tries to forbid it, the divide between the social classes will become a source of conflict. The fact you''re a slave will also make people look down on you. Some of these people will try to oppress you. You are not weak but it is a mistake to think you''ll be able to win every fight. Even if you win the fight you could lose overall. My advice is do not be a bullhead that only uses violence to solve problems, nor be a pushover who passively accepts the persecution of others." Viers was rambling a bit there so it became too long. Nevertheless, Boram put his master''s advice to heart. "Thank you, Master. It''s goodbye for now. I hope you succeed in your own endeavor." "Hmm," Viers nodded. "You are forbidden to die, get it? You might be Croix''s bodyguard but there will never be a scenario where it is acceptable for you to die. I will not accept it. Understand?" "Yes, Master." "Then I wish you good luck in your studies. It is a rare opportunity you''ve been given. Do not let it go to waste." After Boram, Croix came forward next. He dismissed Alfred because he wanted to talk privately. "I still think it is a shame you won''t come with us, Master Avel." "A pity indeed, but the stars simply aren''t aligned. Rest assured that I''ll definitely finish my matters before the Grand Prix." The prince''s face brightened. "So you''ve decided to join?" "It depends on whether there will be a tournament battle format. And if all goes well, I''ll be a Level 4 at the time. Will I even be able to compete there?" Countess Grace told Croix that the Grand Prix would become a place where the nobles assess the capabilities of the candidates for the throne. Would Viers entering make any difference? Also, their power disparity would be vastly different. If he could enter the competition to help Croix then what was stopping others from bringing a Level 5 for their team? "I suppose¡­ Before I leave, there''s something I want to give you." Croix gave mana crystals to Viers, payment for the side trips on his flying carpet during the journey to Archion Volcano. The prince remembered and paid his debts. Which was a plus mark in Viers'' book. The prince didn''t know that if the sum of value in Viers'' eyes were at a minus, Viers would have off-ed him himself and use his assets to recoup the losses. Kinda like the bank''s seizure. If anyone thought Viers was a bad guy for doing so, they should first blame the banks who taught him this life lesson. Viers also gave Croix some advice. Alfred and Grace had the battle part covered. He was sure the two had taught Croix well. The prince was idealistic unlike Viers with a jaded world view but he was a good kid. Viers wanted him to do well. The villain had long suspected the prince had what he would call an MC factor. The fact he could do two legendary feats at the Archion Volcano put some weight to this. He wondered what Fate had in store for the young prince and how much he would benefit by staying under his shadow. Viers considered giving Croix a white card, an invitation to the secret gathering but refrained. Boram, Farley, and Jessica were already at Sinclair. They would cast a wide enough fishing net for the opportunities there. After a brief visit, the three went to Sinclair with Viers seeing them off at the village''s main entrance along with the villagers who felt only gratitude for Croix. Unknown to most, including Viers, Grace Weiss was also secretly watching from the sky, hidden. After confirming Croix''s well-being, she glanced at Viers for a short while. She didn''t linger long. After his courtesy session was over, Viers went back to the Biome to resume his daily dose of self-harm. A few weeks later, he found out from Boram that Croix was at death''s door. Chapter 407 - 9688 No Pain No Gain Arte was the longest training commitment Viers had made so far. Roughly three years of constant, painful training. If he stopped halfway, his efforts so far would have gone down the drain. Such a massive waste of time, effort, and resources was something Viers couldn''t abide. He pondered his decision long and hard before committing because failure was not an option. As depicted in the Arte''s name, the gain was similarly large. Viers'' way of cultivation was the pursuit of efficiency and gain. He was a META (most effective tactics available) chaser. Yet no matter how meta he got, it was not enough. He wanted to go above the meta, to the realm of cheating! Viers had plenty of ways of circumventing the pain such as separating his soul from the body, or transferring the pain to an object as a substitute using his soul power. There was also his clone. But the pain was the core of the Arte. He had to experience it to reap the benefits. There was also the matter of major injuries his body suffered. If he messed up his Unreality Field to stay alive or heal wrongly, the result would be catastrophically bad. Viers wasn''t good enough yet, had not gotten skilled with the Arte yet to multitask with other things so he endured it for now. But three years was a long time and he was confident things would be different in the future. Viers¡¯ days of agonizing pain continued. Every day he was courting death. Each session of No Pain No Gain Arte began with severely injuring oneself, so at the beginning, Viers'' bodily state was precariously close to dying. He gritted his teeth and began recovering, consuming a massive amount of vitality that he got from eating monster meat. Even though he was in extensive training, Viers was not completely cut off from the outside world. The Arcanum Club meeting time had arrived. Viers scheduled that it would occur twice a month, at midnight during the time when each moon was full. Using the card, he would then summon their consciousness to the Velvet Sea. Although the participant looked like they had complete bodies, it was actually just their consciousness. The Big Boss was not present this time, Viers presided over the meeting as himself. The first meeting after the club''s founding was a big success, mainly because of Izabella, the Hermit. She utilized the opportunity to reach out to the other members and aggressively trade Pathseeker resources. Logistics was a big deal in this world. The distance involved, the danger on the road from monsters and other Pathseekers, the difficulty of procuring something, and many more. The local goods that the members gathered during their travels were traded with something more important for themselves, improving their individual growth and the organization as a whole. Viers also shared the resources from Viridis to get something he needed. Paina and Clarissa, who went to Zetel, already took down bad guys from there and traded their things here. With the codenames, even though they all looked like Organization XIII members to each other except in Viers'' eyes, the transactions went off without a hitch. Klein Moretti showed Viers the way. Viers toasted to him. But this wasn''t enough. A good beginning to be sure, but they needed to up those numbers and increase trade rate. More goods, more varieties, more everything. We need a specialized merchant, someone with wide connections¡­ Viers put that on his to-do list. He decided he would give Paina the mission to recruit the merchant because the Magisterium, the equivalent of Apple and Microsoft megacorp of this world, their HQ was in Zetel. After the goods trading, came the news trading next. "So, uhh¡­ Master¡­ Prince Croix¡­ was almost dead," Boram said softly while playing with his fingers nervously. Boram told his story. Apparently, roughly a week after Croix, Alfred and he set forth, Croix made a detour to help some poor souls in a predicament, to which Viers was not surprised. Turns out it was a trap by the Bone Ravens. It was Gram, the Level 4 assassin that targeted Croix before, before their arrival at Stormberg. Viers remembered the time when he traded gunshots with Gram''s fellow assassin, Bennec. He came back with a vengeance. Croix''s high-quality protection ring was pierced. He didn''t have the time to rely on his dragon. This was the scary thing about being targeted by the Bone Ravens, why that devil cult was most feared among the seven. Once a kill contract was made, it was as if the target was as good as dead. It wasn''t just about the money for them. The assassin was truly going through hell and high water to assassinate the target. Some wouldn''t even mind trading his own life in the process. It was that kind of organization. The organization itself had a reputation to maintain as the sharpest assassin''s knife on the continent. According to what Viers knew from his soul search and other things, the kill contract can be separated into two kinds: client-to-assassin and client-to-cult. The first kind was the most common kind. The client negotiated with the assassin who would decide the price and details. They could refuse if the price or target was not agreeable. The true members of the Bone Ravens were highly skilled individuals in the killing field, from sneak attacks to poison, anything goes. Ordinary people couldn''t stand up to them so most of them could do nothing but accept death. If an assassin failed too many kill contracts, the cult itself would terminate them so they need to always strive for success. Sometimes, a single failure could result in firing by death. Compared to that, Viers Corporation was a saint. As for the second type of contract, if finalized, the full might of the devil cult would be mobilized to kill the target. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The entire devil cult. Even against an ordinary cat, their Level 5s would come out, kill the target, and confirm the target''s termination. Not even the top brass of the Estellian Church could claim they were safe from such a death mark. Throughout thousands of years since its inception, the second type of contract has never failed. Of course, the price of the second type of contract was so astronomical that few were able to pay. Viers suspected the cult would also only accept the second type of contact if they were 100% confident about their ability to kill the target. The contract on Croix''s head was definitely the first type. He eluded the assassin''s grasp for some time, but eventually their blade reached his neck. Boram told Viers that Croix was heavily injured and the Level 4 assassin was dead. Alfred blamed himself and was in the dumps. Even so, Croix''s predicament wasn''t over yet. Any assassin could take on the contract. As incentives, the cult itself would give massive additional benefits on top of the client''s price to finish the contract of their failed members. For the juicy contracts, even the top assassins might make a move. The Bone Ravens weren''t some toothless organization, they were a truly dangerous existence. A year later, a decade later, a hundred years later. During an ordinary lunch, during your wedding, during your son''s birthday. They had no problems involving others around you too if it meant your death. If you had a kill contract placed by the Bone Ravens, you would always feel death''s noose around your neck. This was the common consensus by those in the know. Viers reckoned this was one of the factors why Countess Grace sent Croix to Sinclair Academy. She could pay the Ravens a bigger sum to pull the contract but what if another placed a new contract at Croix? Her nephew was a high-profile prince with no shortage of political rivals. Even the countess'' pocket wasn''t deep enough to annul myriad contracts. The only way out of this predicament was for Croix to be strong enough to deter the assassins. It wasn''t a perfect solution but not every problem could be solved perfectly. Viers'' solution was something more elegant: anonymity. Croix wasn''t the only one targeted by the Bone Ravens, Viers was too. More specifically, his other evil persona, Tanael. Since the Book World, Tanael had a target on his back. Since then, he has done many more evil deeds. Not to mention he stole and used the Bone Ravens'' signature Arte, Fade in Shadow. But all those assassins that targeted him couldn''t find him. Yes, his biggest reward from Aletro, Mystic Star Shroud Arte helped hide his location and identity, but Viers'' way of hiding Tanael played a part too. Can''t kill someone that can''t be found. Meanwhile, he would grow, grow, and grow. Once his power surpassed most of the assassins, he would be much safer. The Bone Ravens definitely had a risk/reward ratio. No way they were going to keep throwing assassins against a target that was too pricey to kill, especially if their assassins came back in body bags. No foolish organization would stand for millenniums. Viers assured Boram that he wasn''t blaming him for Croix''s plight. Boram''s story further stoked the fires of ambition in Viers'' breast. Not that it needed stoking. It was already a hell''s inferno. Viers returned to his double date with pain and injury. The others were also reminded how dangerous the world was and strived to get stronger. *** The march of time was inexorable. Farley and Jessica''s group arrived at the Sinclair Academy. Croix and Boram''s group arrived at the Sinclair Academy about three weeks later. Izabella''s status improved after providing a Latias Prince to the Blood Church. Her new status brought new challenges. She asked Viers to be her consultant. At the Sinclair Academy''s enrollment, Croix still had some leftover wounds from his near-death experience but managed to pass. It was a formality, but he gained a passing score. Boram also passed with a higher score. His humble background attracted attention from students and teachers alike. Gwen, Luca, and Tim, entered the little kids'' schools smoothly. Farley also entered Sinclair, but her score was only mediocre. She could provide better scores during the test like Boram, but she refrained to avoid attention. It backfired. She reported to Viers a teacher found her out and set her in his sight as a result. Jessica got a job as a reporter at the city''s newspaper agency. Paina, Clarissa, and the three elementals created an oasis roughly four months after their first arrival at the Zetel''s border area. Viers ate fifty men''s worth of food in one day to replenish his vitality that was consumed to fuel his healing factor. He aggressively stocked up on foodstuff. Croix was called the Poor Man''s Prince because of his closeness with the non-nobles in the academy, both in complementary and derogatory capacities. The first year ended with Croix preventing a coup by a teacher backed by a devil cult with his school friends, Boram, and Alfred. Farley and Jessica helped in the background. Headmaster Castellos actually had the matter well at hand. Paina finally reached Tal Bagad, Zetel Sultanate''s capital. She then became embroiled in a complicated conflict between the oppressed Beastfolk and the tyrannical human supremacist Zetelians. Luca, Gwen and Tim''s class was involved in a terrorist incident. Mama bear and sister tiger took care of it within a day. The terrorists regretted they were ever born. Massive magical sandstorms engulfed Zetel, no news from Paina for over a year. Boram went back to the island of the giants where he trained in the past because he received news from Viers that Fio, the mysterious girl that Boram had a crush on and vice-versa, was in trouble. He arrived just in time to prevent a devil cult from extracting the Demon King''s tongue that was sealed on the island. Izabella''s branch of Blood Church in the Coalition was raided by the cultists from the Cult of Teorph. To prevent annihilation, she called upon the power of the arcana, the first one to do so in the Arcanum Club. She turned the tide and captured the assailants, obtaining a lot of merit from the Blood Church. Grace Weiss visited Viers at the Shore. She made a deal with Tanael. Croix and company solved the mysterious disappearing case at Sinclair and finished the second academic year. Paina returned to Viridis from Zetel, leaving legends that she was a goddess because wherever she went, there was plenty of falling rain and sprouting vegetation. She was offered a position by the Church but refrained from accepting it for now. Farley, to repay her gratitude, helped defend a city from a monster tide while Pastor Hugh stopped the alpha Rank 5 monster. Austen the dog beastfolk became even more smitten with Farley. Clarissa used alchemy to create her own living body. Luca was tempted by a cultist who saw her potential, but she refused. The cultist tried to take her by force but Clarissa arrived in time and transformed the cultist to ash. Jessica rooted out a human trafficking organization and freed hundreds of children. Most of the Arcanum Club was involved. It was known as the Masere Port Incident. Croix got the most coverage and fame because he was on top of a dragon raining fire from above, courtesy of Jessica the reporter on site. Near the end of the third academic year, Sinclair Academy''s representatives won the inter-school competition hosted at the Crimson Capital of Latias. Croix, Boram, and Farley participated. *** The year was 9688. Genesis Advent calendar. There were many calendars but this was the one Viers used, the most ancient, from Clarissa. Three years had passed since Viers'' seclusion. He would be 21 this year. It was also the year of the Latias Grand Prix, where Croix would be appraised by the nobles of Latias of his worthiness as one of the heirs to the throne. The Latias Kingdom would welcome a fiercely tumultuous year. And in the dark, a villain stirred. Chapter 408 - Uninvited Guests Dia was living a plant¡¯s best life. She was basking in the warm light coming from the giant sunflowers, drinking the refreshing clear water, and her roots were soaking in nutrients from delicious monsters freshly killed. This is how life should be, Dia thought occasionally. ¡°...Eh?¡± Suddenly, she felt it. Almost at the same time, spatial tears appeared in several places in the Biome. And people were coming in uninvited. ¡°W-who are these people!? Invaders? It¡¯s- its¡­¡± The nervous dryad¡¯s body trembled. Her appearance hadn''t changed since three years ago. I¡¯ve got to tell kin! He¡¯s been silent for a looong time. Is he done yet? *** A Biome was a place that existed in a different dimension. Like a remote island in a sea of mists, a Biome was easily hidden and defensible. Be that as it may, there was no such thing as absolute. Because of the ebb and flow of the planes, sometimes the path to a Biome became clear for a period of time. The mist faded and the sea became calm. Sometimes, even direct paths to the Biome appeared on its own. Dia might be the master of her Biome but even she couldn''t dictate the dimensional trajectory of the Biome. It was like the weather. Sometimes, natural disasters just happen. ¡°So, this is the new Biome, huh?¡± A young man peered through the portal. Even though he had a handsome face, it was scarred by a burnt mark that encompassed the skin around his left eye. He inhaled the scent of verdure coming through. ¡°Seems like a wonderful find. The mana concentration is top-notch. Must be a high-grade one.¡± ¡°As you say, Prince,¡± a tall middle-aged man with a noble contour said. The man was wearing a Latias-style semi-formal attire imbued with strong enchantments. ¡°Send more scouts. I don''t want any surprises like the last Biome we plundered,¡± the prince said. ¡°Which Order will go?¡± ¡°The Flaming Sword Knightly Order, Your Highness.¡± The prince turned. ¡°Isn''t the Knight Captain retired recently? Who¡¯s in command, Lord Davis?¡± ¡°You know him well. I¡¯m sure my nephew will bring you glory, Prince Lutz.¡± *** ¡°Captain, the scouts are returning,¡± a knight reported. A young man nodded in confirmation. His name was Sieg, nephew of the King of Yeteron. It was a small kingdom neighboring the country of Latias. The youth had a serious expression watching the magical screens that the mages conjured. This was the young leader¡¯s fourth mission after he was promoted to the position of captain. The previous three he completed with success and distinction. Each sortie made the young commander shed his rookie feathers and the confidence his men had towards him grew. With their captain recently becoming a Level 4, the knights felt this mission¡¯s success was assured. Sieg tackled his responsibility very seriously. The Yeteron Kingdom had backed the 11th Prince of Latias. The struggle for the throne would be dangerous and filled with perils. In order to conquer that, the prince needed more money, more men, more power, more everything. To that end, the mages of Yeteron Kingdom sought the hidden Biomes in the dimensional void. Their kingdom was small and not comparable to Latias, but they had their own specialties to survive the times. Their expertise in finding Biomes was the subject of envy from other states. Sieg listened to the report of the returning scouts. Delving into unknown Biomes could bring untold riches but the risks were similarly high. ¡°The Biome is a verdure paradise, very rich.¡± ¡°The treasure signals are coming from all over the place.¡± ¡°There are strange life forms in the Biome. They looked like little humanoid mushrooms. They ran when approached. Seems harmless.¡± Sieg wondered if they were the Biome¡¯s natural residents. Some Biomes had their own existential laws. Sieg remembered the time in his childhood when he entered a Biome that allowed him to fly freely in the Biome¡¯s airspace. ¡°From the energy signal, there¡¯s a couple of Power Spots inside! I confirmed seeing one with my own eyes.¡± A scout happily reported. Each of the scouts brought gratifying news. Sieg¡¯s instinct was to be happy but he refrained from indulging in his emotions. Was the Biome dangerous? Has it been claimed by otherworldly powers? The questions remained. His men awaited his decision. Even though he wasn''t seeing them, Sieg knew the prince and his uncle were monitoring the situation. For the sake of the future, he couldn¡¯t fail. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Sieg was waiting for the return of the last scout before giving his next order. It was then the first of the bad news came. The scout¡¯s life paper burned up in the blink of an eye. Sieg ordered the mage that specialized in clairvoyance for the details. A projection appeared on the walls, showing the scout¡¯s last moments. The man vigilantly scouted the woods until a little green girl popped her head out from behind a tree. ¡°Mister, are you bad people?¡± The girl asked. ¡°No, we¡¯re not. Are you a resident of this place? Don''t worry, we won''t hurt you. We are just investigating this place.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re good people?¡± The girl slightly approached. ¡°Yes, we are, girl.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The scout suddenly got crushed by giant roots that appeared from the ground. The scout screamed in pain. ¡°You lied,¡± the girl pouted. ¡°Kin said you are here to take our stuff. Baddies!¡± The wooden roots squeezed tighter until his blood flowed. It was like seeing a fruit get juiced. The clairvoyance stopped there. ¡°...Someone, make sure the guy¡¯s bereaved family is properly compensated,¡± Sieg sighed. They knew the risks of the job but the loss of life weighed heavy on his shoulders. Sieg analyzed the situation based on the information he had. The girl was most likely a dryad. She showed Level 3¡¯s strength. The Level 2 scout didn''t stand a chance. If that was all then the Knightly Order could deal with her with no problem but what about her kin that she spoke of? The mages reported again while he was in deep contemplation. The rifts to the Biome were closing. The mages focused their energy on maintaining a single stable pathway. It was an indication that the Biome Master was acting. Was it the dryad? Made sense, the mushroom people must be her people. If the mages spread out their energy, even the pathways they made would be unstable and dangerous. Better one stable path than many which might fling you to who knew where. As the commander, it was time for Sieg to make a decision. To plunder or not to plunder. They were lucky enough to find such an abundant Biome. Furthermore, it seemed unclaimed. Sometimes the Biomes the kingdom found were already under the control of the other organization or countries. He had to colonize this one in the name of the Yeteron Kingdom. The Pathseeker world was a blood struggle for resources. Everyone was doing it. Sometimes, the aggressor even wiped out the innocent indigenous to make room for new occupants. Since the Yeteron Kingdom never did that, Sieg thought it was kind of a blessing for them to be colonized by the more benevolent hand. If the Yeteron Kingdom is weak, it will be us who get plundered and taken. I¡¯m sorry but the kingdom needs those resources! Diplomacy was not an option. Time was working against them. If enough time passed then even the Yeteron mages wouldn''t be able to keep the path to the Biome connected because the dimensional void was always shifting. In a rough estimate, they had more than three hours but less than six. If they were unable to obtain the Realm Core during that time, the Biome and all its riches would be lost to them forever. ¡°Squad 3, defend the beachhead. Squad 2, engage the dryad if she comes. Squad 1, 4, and 6, aim for the Realm Core. The rest will be on reserve,¡± Sieg gave each squad their task. He knew which squad was most suitable for the job. It was a sign of good leadership. Each squad consisted of five people, a team that synergized in group combat. It was like a hunting party for defeating monsters. The squad mobilized after getting their order. The Flaming Sword Knightly Order had eight squads in total. The three teams that were in the backline were ready to provide backup. The dryad appeared after the combat squads entered the Biome. The hostilities were clear from both sides. It would be a no-holds-barred Arte battle. Some of the knights felt conflicted fighting a girl that looked like a ten-year-old girl but they knew the slightest hesitation might cost them their lives. After seeing what she did next, their hesitation greatly lessened. ¡°Baddies go away!¡± The little girl screamed and monstrous mutant plants emerged beside her. Corn Turrets, Strong Spinaches, Habanero Hunters, Venus Mantraps, and Prickly Cactuses. With a group of fifty friendsies in total, Dia engaged the invaders. The mutant plants were her semi-autonomous Arte. The plants were reasonably strong but the enemies were pros. The engagement lasted for twenty minutes. After the initial clash and cutting down the enemies, three groups of fives slipped past Dia while a group was dedicated to battling her down so she couldn''t interfere. Of course, the opening skirmish also wounded the knights to various degrees. ¡°Aahh! Stop! Stay! Don''t go inside!¡± Dia tried to prevent the others from going deeper into the Biome. A woman knight speared Dia through the stomach. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Sorry, little one,¡± the female knight sighed. She was the leader of Squad 2, which was in charge of battling Dia. She didn''t want to hurt someone of the same age as her daughter but she had her orders. ¡°We don''t want to hurt you. Can you please stand down?¡± ¡°Uuuu¡­ bad aunties, not like good Jess-Jess. Dia mad!¡± Dia touched a tree and in a few breaths, the tree withered. On the other hand, Dia¡¯s wounds healed. ¡°Ah¡­ That¡¯s not good,¡± the knightess said. ¡°Dia¡¯s friendsies are counting on Dia to take you down. Baddies should just be silent meat!¡± Dia attacked again with increasing intensity. Vines attacked like a pack of venomous vipers. Seeing squad 2 being pressured, squad 3 asked permission to help. There might be other dangers in the Biome so having a dedicated defender for their only path of return made sense but their friends were close to getting slaughtered. Sieg denied Squad 3¡¯s request, ordering them to stay on their post. Instead, he sent a reserve squad to help Squad 2 battle the dryad. With ten against one, the battle became more balanced. ¡°What a strong dryad. It takes ten people to contain her,¡± Sieg¡¯s sentiment was shared by the others in the command post. He then split his attention to see the magical view projections that showed the other squads. Some of the connections were blurry because of interference but still watchable. *** Squad 1, 4, and 6 managed to pass thanks to their friends opening the way. To repay their efforts they aimed to accomplish their mission as swiftly and efficiently as possible. The Flaming Sword Knightly Order was a tight-knit group. A steel bond of camaraderie bound them all after going through many dangerous trials and missions together. The fifteen men and women sped throughout the Biome, ignoring many precious resources that tugged their sense of greed. Their only aim was the Realm Core. The mushroom-like small humanoids scattered waving their tiny arms in the air as soon as they saw the knights. Each squad leader had a compass. The compass was a magic item for sensing treasures. It was currently set to seek the strongest energy signal. In a Biome, it was almost always the Realm Core. All three compasses pointed to the huge tree in the distance. When they were about ten kilometers away from the giant tree, they began to sense it. ¡°Do you guys feel that?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Someone is in Ascension.¡± ¡°This energy¡­ Level 3 going to 4, no doubt about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m informing Captain Sieg.¡± ¡°We must hurry. We¡¯ll be in trouble if that person manages to Level.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and nip this problem in the bud. Whoever they are, they are vulnerable during the process. Stay sharp!¡± Battle-hardened fifteen Level 3s approached with intent to harm. Chapter 409 - Stylish ¡°Halt!¡± The one with the sharpest senses among them said and gestured with his fist. The rest, trusting his ability, stopped advancing. ¡°That way, I feel someone¡¯s presence.¡± He pointed to the right, where the group could see a house seemingly made inside a tree. The chimney was billowing out smoke. ¡°And from the left. I see something. A creature I¡¯ve never seen before.¡± ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± The leader asked. ¡°Haven''t a clue.¡± ¡°Squad 4, investigate the house. Squad 6, probe the creature. Squad 1 will continue with the main objective. Neutralize the threat quickly, group up with squad 1 and capture the Realm Core.¡± The leader decided to divide the group to tackle the three threats. There were no objections and the fifteen people smoothly broke up. *** Squad 4. They passed through the gardens that surrounded the house inside a tree. There were no signs of security or traps. They entered highly vigilant expecting combat, breaking the door open forcefully and weapons at the ready. The inside of the house resembled a craftsman''s workshop. A lot of books and utensils were on the shelves along with fragile containers filled with colorful herbs and potion bottles. The place couldn''t be said to be orderly as things were scattered on the floor. In the room, they saw a woman who stood in front of a big pot. She was wearing provocative attire that showed a lot of skin. A healthy shade of brown skin, deeper brown hair, and amber eyes. The woman didn''t seem to acknowledge their arrival and kept looking at the cauldron while mumbling in a soft voice. Her voice was drowned by the sound of the bubbling pot. The woman showed no hostility nor a speck of attention to them. Yet the most eye-catching thing in the room was not the pretty woman but the flame under the cauldron. They could see it was a high-tier treasure with one glance. ¡°You there, woman. Don''t move and don''t resist. It doesn''t have to come to unnecessary violence.¡± ¡°...And done.¡± The woman added a sprinkle of red powder into the cauldron and a puff of smoke was created as the result. The liquid solution inside had evaporated in an instant. ¡°I said don''t mov-¡± Screams. All five people of Squad 4 began to melt, as if they had spontaneously combusted and then reached the realm where solids became a liquid. In four breaths of time, only their blackened bones remain. ¡°Tsk, a failure. The bones should be white and the burn much hotter! This batch of fire poison is still lacking in quality. I¡¯m sure I got the amount right. What went wrong¡­?¡± Clarissa put the resulting red pills inside a small glass bottle and clapped twice. ¡°Someone, please clean those up.¡± From inside the atelier, three Pukupukus came out bringing cleaning tools. Their footsteps produced cute squeaky sounds. They began gathering the bones and sweeping the floor. From the beginning until the end, she never turned her eyes away from the metal cauldron. Already the incident was forgotten and she was thinking about an alternative formula for the next recipe. *** Squad 6. The team employed the same strategy they would¡¯ve used against a formidable monster. Approach stealthily then decisively ambush. It was some sort of insect monster. Not exactly, but it bore a striking resemblance. It possessed no fur or skin but chitin, jet black in color. It had six limbs. Four which it used to walk. It had a horn and a long, bladed tail. With all the black markings up and down its body. The observers weren''t sure if it had eyes. It was the size of a deer. Without counting the horn and tail, its height reached the chest of a regular adult man. Creepy, was the word that came to mind seeing the beast. It was walking around in the woods, just walking. It didn''t seem to notice them. ¡°What an ugly-¡± ¡°Focus. Simultaneous attack on, three, two,¡± The count of one never came. The person who said that fell limp on the spot. ¡°Squad leader?¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Another person fell down. Her eyes were wide open but there was no light behind them. ¡°We¡¯ve been made!¡± One of them screamed and was about to attack the creature. His Arte was ready but as he aimed, he saw the creature was facing them. In an instant, he felt his mind shatter accompanied by the sound of broken glass. There was no pain, only the abyss. All five of Squad 6 were down. The creature walked to them in no hurry. It then gave a stab to their hearts using its bladed tail. Then it started to eat their guts. *** ¡°Squad 4¡­ Signal lost¡­¡± Sieg saw Squad 4¡¯s fiery end with eyes as wide as physically possible. Those were his men, he knew them, he ate breakfast with them. Now, they were dead. The fact that the divination feed was cut off was proof enough. ¡°Sir, something¡¯s wrong with Squad 6!¡± Before the Knight Captain could process his loss, his divination mage directed his attention to the magical scry of Squad 6. They were all down now, but the visual was still transmitted to Sieg¡¯s HQ. Where they watched their comrades get eaten alive. The knights'' reactions varied. Disgust, fury, shock, anguish, fear. After the creature dragged out the intestine of someone Sieg considered a friend and it then started eating it as if it were sausages, he cut the feed and forced himself to maintain a cool head. ¡°Status of Squad 1?¡± ¡°Sir. Moments ago, Squad 1 successfully entered the big tree where the Realm Core signal came from, and where someone is undergoing their Ascension.¡± ¡°Tell them to pull back now. This place is not what we thought it was!¡± Sieg said strongly. ¡°A-At once. Squad 1, come in. Squad 1, respond.¡± A magical screen appeared but instead of Squad 1, Sieg saw the stern face of his uncle, King Davis Yeteron and Prince Lutz Diamond Latias behind him. ¡°Your Majesty. Your Highness,¡± Sieg greeted them both. ¡°What is your view of the situation?¡± Davis asked. ¡°Sir. The opposition feigned weakness to draw us in,¡± Sieg said. Sieg realized most likely Squad 1 had already been killed by now. He already had an inkling something was odd when the defender was only a lone dryad. No other force was hurrying to fortify their defense. When the three squads made their way to the center, they encountered several resource points with the dryad¡¯s mutant plants on guard yet their way to the heart of the Biome was clear. ¡°They were ready for us, and led us in for slaughter,¡± Sieg replied with certainty. ¡°My thoughts exactly,¡± Davis said. ¡°Knight Captain Sieg, what are your orders?¡± ¡°...Full retreat. The opposition has shown they are capable of defeating my Flaming Sword Knights in a short time. Further push will cause steep losses.¡± Not only had they lost three squads, they also had to retreat with nothing to show for it. It was a heavy blow to the Knightly Order, a great humiliation. That went double for the captain, but Sieg refused to risk the lives of his men any further to the deceptively beautiful but dangerous Biome. ¡°Then bring those boys home,¡± Davis gave a nod. The losses of the Level 3 elites from his already small country stung, but his nephew made the best choice in this situation. It couldn''t be helped. Danger was always a factor in investigating the unknown and with time against them, they couldn''t properly scout or determine the danger level of the Biome. ¡°Your Majesty, do you know what Squad 4 and 6 encountered?¡± Sieg asked after giving the retreat order to the communication Pathseeker. ¡°The woman was making a fire-based poison with an old branch of alchemy. Not many practiced it in these parts. The black creature is a mind beast I¡¯ve never seen before. A dangerous specimen.¡± ¡°Alchemy¡­ and mind affinity.¡± So that¡¯s how it is. ¡°Captain, we''ve got a situation.¡± When it rains, it pours. Bad news came one after another. Three squads were left in the Biome. Two squads for holding back the dryad girl, and one for defending the return portal. Since the order of retreat was issued, the squads began retreating but this time, the dryad was the one holding them in place. Then they got a report that the mind beast was moving towards the battlefield. ¡°Captain, shall we provide support?¡± one of the backup teams said. ¡°No, I¡¯ll go,¡± Sieg said. He bore the weight of responsibility on his shoulders for letting fifteen people die under his command. The families and loved ones they left behind¡­ Sieg felt he would never be able to make it up to them. It was an unredeemable mistake on his part. The mission was also a failure, a loss for the king and the prince¡¯s faction. All of these were caused by his incompetence. The least he could do was to not exacerbate it further. Sieg stepped into the portal to aid the retreat. ¡°Will he be okay?¡± Prince Lutz asked. ¡°He will not lose against ordinary enemies.¡± ¡°From the indication thus far, this Biome is anything but.¡± Davis Yeteron said nothing back. His eyes stayed fixed on the scrying screen. *** A few seconds after Sieg entered the Biome, Dia was struck by a magic arrow let loose by the Level 4. Her left leg was obliterated. It was regenerating but slow, greatly reducing Dia¡¯s mobility. The young Knight Captain made short work of the mutant plants and aided the injured knights to the exit. When they were meters away from the exit, a man appeared before them. He spoke no words before drawing his sword, then began slashing and dicing them like a hurricane of blades. Sieg reacted in time to weather the first four blows but not for the other fifty-six. Sword of water in hand, the newcomer dished out a series of beatdowns on the Knight Captain without giving him any opportunity to fight back or show his skills, let alone his Domain. It was such a smooth-flowing combo done at sonic speed. Sieg didn''t know how but one slash from him was able to inflict multiple slash wounds. A series of blazing-fast attacks. Vicious, deadly, and stylish. It was truly Smokin¡¯ Sexy Style. Before he knew it, Sieg had cuts all over his body. Somehow, he got thrown into the air. His blood sprayed out from his body, and all his four limbs were separating in different directions. He took Dia¡¯s leg. Viers took his four limbs. ¡°Your face tells me you wanted to ask who I am. I shall tell you so you have something to think about in your journey to the afterlife.¡± ¡°I am the storm that is approaching.¡± - - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jrg9KxGNeJY Chapter 410 - Level 4 Crisis during a breakthrough. Viers was familiar with this trope from the xianxia novels. The MC had to deal with the bullshit the universe threw at him. Sometimes with a proper setup, sometimes the universe did it just for the hell of it. Either way, Viers made preparations for it. For the clich¨¦. Not only on this occasion but the previous breakthrough too. Only, in the past, there were no incidents during his breakthroughs to Level 1,2, and 3. But at 4, I guess Murphy''s law finally strikes. When he heard unknowns entering the Biome from Dia, Viers was at a critical juncture. There was a saying of tripping just before the finish line and cultivation breakthroughs were a delicate matter. A bit of a pickle. Yet with the peace of mind he had of being prepared, Viers finished his Ascension just as planned. After he entered the realm of Level 4, Viers flexed his new strength by absolutely dominating the enemy¡¯s Level 4. They were both Level 4 early but Viers¡¯ three years worth of No Pain No Gain created a gap so big the guy couldn''t hope to cross. With the guy in pieces, Viers began his monologue as he made a sheathing motion with his water katana to the imaginary sheath at his waist. After he finished his posing, the katana stylishly vanished. ¡°I am the storm that is approaching¨C!¡± ¡°Provoking black clouds in isolation.¡± ¡°I am reclaimer of my name.¡± ¡°Born in flames.¡± ¡°I have been blessed.¡± ¡°My family crest is a demon of death!¡± Sieg watched his rambling attacker like one looking at a madman. Sieg¡ªwas still alive. Viers monologued while his opponent was still alive? Had his brain been rotted by all of the bad deeds he had committed? Had he been infected with the stupid villain virus? A heavy presence weighed upon all. ¡°U-Uncle¡­¡± Sieg said with much difficulty. A man was there as if he appeared from thin air. The King of Yeteron, the sole Level 5 of the kingdom, Davis Yeteron. Before the Level 5, even Viers couldn''t afford to mess around. But he wasn''t panicking like when Georgi showed up in Valkut. He was much stronger, yes, but he wasn''t deluding himself to be a match for a Level 5. Then and now. Still, he wasn''t the same as he was back then. Davis didn''t obliterate Viers on the spot because of how close he was to his nephew. Despite his behavior, the Level 5 knew he was alert and still held the life of Sieg in his hand. Davis couldn''t afford to lose Sieg here as well. He showed up in front of Viers to instill his superiority on him, to begin the conversation from a position of strength. While it was a totally valid strategy and would have worked on any normal guy, Viers was not normal. Leisurely, Viers pulled out a big sword from his Thousand Treasures Casket and stabbed the sword to the ground. He rested both of his hands on top of the sword¡¯s hilt while standing with a straight back. It was the sword plant pose. The aura from the Divine Sword was smaller but more dangerous than the Level 5¡¯s pressure. This sword was the Divine Weapon that Marvin used against him, one of the spoils of war of that battle. Viers was very fond of this sword because it looked like the iconic Dark Moon Greatsword. But Viers was not done. He was Level 4 now. A certain limitation had been unchained. Something very crucial in calculating Viers¡¯ battle strength: Horizon. Horizon¡¯s boost was capped at +500% when he was Level 3. It was the maximum amount he could utilize without injuring his body. The actual maximum number of his boost was even greater and didn''t stop growing with every new thing he experienced. With his breakthrough, the soft cap of 500% had been abolished. Before unveiling the numbers of his Horizon, Viers made some changes in his measurement. If he was fighting for real using 100% of his strength, with a 500% boost of Horizon, it meant he was fighting with 600% of strength, in other words, his power was multiplied by 600% It was a bit jarring for Viers. He wanted to make it easier to understand. Since he was often reducing his strength so others couldn''t find out how strong he actually was, the previous calculation of Horizon was a bit complicated. With his Ascension to Level 4, he felt it was a fitting occasion for a change. From now on he would calculate Horizon using the multiplier. His previous max of utilizing Horizon without injuring himself was x600%. Viers¡¯ current Horizon that he brazenly showed the Level 5 in front of him was x886%. He had just gotten an increase of 1% by singing the Vergil theme earlier. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The big jump was thanks to the adventures he had since he met the cap. In the three years he was in closed cultivation, his Horizon didn''t increase all that much. He had no idea what his soft cap was as a Level 4 but he felt 886% was still far from the limit. Therefore, he was sure the cap was above 1000%. After his much stronger base stats as a Level 4 from No Pain No Gain Arte, it was multiplied by almost nine times from Horizon. Viers¡¯ aura was an absolute monster as a Level 4. It was to such a degree that Davis doubted he was facing a Level 4 early. But Viers was not done in his flamboyance. Grand Soul. If the Level 4 was his energy cultivation, he added his soul cultivation next. To reach Level 6, a Pathseeker¡¯s body, mind, and soul needed to be at a certain standard. All Level 5 began to deepen their trinity of existence once they reached this height. It didn''t matter what affinity they had originally. However, Pathseekers with the affinity of body, mind, and soul should have a head start shoring up their foundation. For the soul category, Grand Soul was that standard. That meant Viers¡¯ soul strength was to the degree of a Level 5 peak that was ready to cross to divinity. Thanks to Viers¡¯ willingness to eat the soul of his fellow man, he had evolved his Mortal Soul to the Grand Soul stage for quite some time. He looked forward to improving his soul cultivation further. Naturally, Davis'' soul was still at Mortal Soul. On the matter of soul, Viers towered over him. Still, Pathseeker Viers was more than this. Imaginary Domain - Sea of Life and Death. Arte - Spirit Supremacy. If Viers¡¯ aura was gigantic before, now it was outright Godzilla-class. Before, it was like two boxers showing off their muscles before the fight. By showing his Domain and Arte, Viers showed the sharpness of his punch with his shadow boxing. This is it¡­ This is my current best. Ahh, so powerful. It really feels like an evolution. Those three years really are worth it. Being strong, what a wonderful feeling. On the matter of energy cultivation, Davis was higher, but he lost in soul cultivation. Since Viers was having a Divine Weapon in hand, great as Davis¡¯ Level 5 existence was, Viers¡¯ presence and aura were no less grand. Sieg, who was heavily injured, looked at Viers as if he was a Demon God. Even though they were both Level 4 early, it was as if they were two different life forms on a fundamental level. Viers¡¯ aura began overpowering Davis until he deployed his Domain and Arte too. Both Viers and Davis had yet to talk. Davis attempted to unnerve Viers and Viers fought back. When he manifested his Palladion Icon, a Level 5¡¯s exclusive ability like Unreality Field and Imaginary Domain, finally, Viers lost in the battle of aura. But Davis did not feel happy or proud in the slightest. He was against a Level 4 who was so much younger than him yet he couldn''t overpower him. Such a difference in talent and ability could make one question what was the meaning of his life thus far. Be that as it may, he had a role to fulfill. ¡°Magnificent, young warrior. We admit defeat. We will leave this Biome at once. I¡¯m grateful for the mercy you¡¯ve shown my nephew and ask that you return him to me.¡± *** A young woman with brown hair, Farley, watched as Viers started¡­ singing? She was no longer surprised by her liege¡¯s antics anymore. Years had passed. The loyalty she had for Viers had begun to change from survival necessity to true loyalty after all that he had done for her and her sister. Viers might have let her die once but he also gave her and Gwen a new lease on life and even provided enough for them to get ahead in life thereafter. She felt if she kept being bitter about the past it was just being petty and she was better than that. She kept to the shadows, ready to join the fight. Dia called Viers¡¯ inner circle after the Biome was invaded. Besides Clarissa and Dia who were in the Biome from the start, only she was able to join in time. Boram and Paina were unavailable at the moment. After she arrived Viers said it was enough and requested to let the invaders be. Farley later realized Viers was baiting the invaders. Then the Level 5 seemed to be joining the fight. He looked beyond pissed. Made sense, Farley thought. If someone finished off her nephew with that much style, she would be pissed too. She had to admit Viers looked very cool dishing out the beatdown. It was like killing made art. Now is when things get tense, Farley thought. Like Viers, Farley also involuntarily recalled the memory of her, Paina, and Ciel fighting to defend Viers from Georgi. This time, however, in the face of a Level 5, Viers wasn''t cowed at all. Farley witnessed Viers showing his new capabilities one after another. Farley herself was still a Level 3 peak. In the Grid, she had repeatedly fought the Level 3 peak version of Viers but she was only able to win one in twenty matches and it was a fluke. Now, the Big Boss was even bigger and stronger. ¡°Now that really is something, isn''t it? He is approaching the standard of my time.¡± ¡°Ahh, Overlord¡­ I¡¯m so happy for you. I can''t wait for the moment of your glory. Mmmmhhh¡­¡± Behind her, two figures approached. The first was a woman with darker brown hair than her, Clarissa. She had a flesh and blood body of her own making now. She was currently having two legs but her true form was still that of a lamia. The second was Zerri, a juvenile apex predator with a lethal mind. That being said, Farley wasn''t afraid of her one bit. They too came to witness Viers¡¯ power after three years of training. Zerri didn''t talk to her by voice but by telepathy. Her mind voice was so feminine. ¡°Hello Rissa, and you too, Zerri.¡± Farley hadn''t met with them for a while, not directly at least. ¡°Magnificent, young warrior. We admit defeat. We will leave this Biome at once. I¡¯m grateful for the mercy you¡¯ve shown my nephew and ask that you return him to me.¡± Hearing the Level 5¡¯s admittance of defeat, it finally clicked for Farley. Viers was someone who could make a Level 5 step back. This meant Viers officially had become a Pathseeker powerhouse. As history had proven, someone like that could become a keystone that supported an organization that lasted for centuries. The Arcana Club that he made had talented members with a reach far and wide. As a member, it was Farley¡¯s objective assessment that the Club was gaining power and influence at a breakneck pace. This meant the Arcana Club was already a player on the chessboard that is called the Human Dominion. That implication was very significant. Farley peeked at Clarissa and Zerri beside her. Using an Arte, she saw Dia who lost a leg but was already regenerating. She thought of the others who were not here. ...I suppose without realizing it we¡¯ve all become quite a significant bunch. While she was lost in thoughts, Viers answered the Level 5. ¡°Your name, mister?¡± ¡°Davis Yeteron.¡± ¡°Davis, is it? Very well. Here.¡± Viers gave him a paper and a writing quill. ¡°...What is this?¡± ¡°Write a number. How many mana crystals you think your nephew is worth then give it to me. By the way, if the price is cheap, I¡¯ll give you the crystals to buy your nephew right here, right now. Hehehe. You have until your nephew bleeds to death to ponder.¡± Oh, what a devious move. Farley, an ex-cultist, always felt her evilness was nothing compared to her boss. ¡°...You want me to buy my nephew?¡± Davis¡¯ voice was nearly a growl. ¡°You¡¯re in my yard now,¡± Viers smiled viciously. 410EX: Character Arts Hello everyone, Avery here. Thanks for reading my novel, especially those who have given me monetary support. To be perfectly honest I wouldn''t be writing this long without your help so thanks a lot guys. More than three years have passed since chapter 1 of Aurora Scroll. Looking back now, the memories come flooding, the good and the bad. Still, Viers'' journey isn''t over yet. While I have more or less envisioned the ending, it will still be a while before we reach that stage. I hope I''ll see you at the end. To commemorate Aurora Scroll going for 1 year, I commissioned an artwork. It is the picture of Viers you see on the cover at RR. It cost a couple of hundred dollars from a pretty popular artist. A bit steep for me but I wanted something special for the occasion so I had it made. The result is pretty nice, not exactly 100% as I envisioned but it put a visual to the name. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A long time has passed since that one art and Viers a Lv 4 now. About time we got new art made, don''t you agree? So I got it made. The artist''s name is AI from PixAI.art. I''ve been tinkering with it for a couple of days now. Boy, I hope I don''t get in trouble for this. I know using AI is still a sensitive topic. Please do not brand me as a heretic for using AI to make a couple of pictures. If there are issues, just let me know. With that out of the way, I want to share the visuals of the major characters from the novel. Do note that the AI pictures are not perfectly accurate. The prompts seems to hate me or maybe I just sucks. The hands look a bit weird, wrong hair color, and other little things. Some chars is a bit different than what was written but I feel the pictures sufficiently depict the core of characters that I have created. I hope you like them. - - Edit: Hard to upload pictures to RR chapters so I put the character arts in the discord channel. Go there to take a look. https://discord.gg/8svCNTUvdj Edit2: Put on a new cover. Tell me what you think about the pictures :) Chapter 411 - Celedony Davis retrieved Sieg and pulled a complete retreat. He had to pay a high sum to safely extract his nephew. Sieg did not accept it at first. He would rather die than be the subject of such colossal humiliation. Not until the man-behind-the-man appeared. Prince Lutz gave Sieg an inspiring speech about accepting defeat before Sieg reluctantly accepted the conclusion. Viers oversaw their retreat until they got out of his Biome and home. Defeat was a bitter pill to swallow so the other side held quite a grudge. Croix¡¯s half-brother, the 11th prince looked at the main architect of his defeat. He had an expression of ice on the outside but was boiling with rage on the inside. He was carving the face of Viers into his memory. Unfortunately, Viers was wearing a disguise. The face he was wearing was not any of his persona but some random Joe. A futile effort on Lutz¡¯s part. After the event was over and the portal closed, Viers and Dia checked the Biome for some hidden method that they might have left behind. Viers was always thorough. Part of the reason he was so hard to catch. After the two uprooted four abnormalities in a flash, they were joined by Farley, Clarissa, and a juvenile alien queen. ¡°Lord Viers, I¡¯m glad to see you well. And congratulations on becoming Level 4,¡± Farley greeted Viers by lowering her head and pinching the hem of her skirt on both sides, raising it slightly to perform a curtsy. ¡°Hey everyone. It¡¯s good to see you all. Wow, you all have changed. Really improved yourselves, huh? Excellent.¡± Viers hadn''t been seeing any of them of late. He didn''t even show up at the club meetings. He had to focus on his own Ascension for these past few months. After an hour or two of catching up, Viers took care of the loot from the invaders that lost their lives in the Biome and kept their souls. He then read all the mails that he had gotten, organizing his schedule. The most important event in the near future would be the Latias Grand Prix which would begin in about one month. It wasn''t strictly a race competition, but more like the Pathseeker Olympics. That was where Croix¡¯s worthiness as a king vessel would be judged by the shakers and movers of Latias. But two days before that, there would be a ball. A social gathering called the Emerith Grand Ball. it would be a high-society affair, a battlefield on its own. It would be filled with expensive dresses and exquisite wines, romantic music and elegant dances. But behind closed doors, there would be deals being made and promises broken, enmity sown and soap opera dramas. It was called politics. Only the elites were invited. In this ball, Croix would be introduced to other nobles who might become his allies or enemies. As Croix¡¯s vassal, Viers and Boram would attend that grandiose party. If there was an Arte shootout, they were expected to act as meat shields for Croix. That was what loyal vassals do, apparently. Naturally, there would be other princes and princesses attending. Croix was only one of the star-studded cast of this event. Various Level 5s would be present, along with their families and vassals. Countess Grace was attending too, according to Croix¡¯s letter. Viers was calling it now. In that cauldron, there was no way violent chemical reactions would not happen in such a potent mix of fates. A Level 4 in that event was nothing. Croix said there would be over twenty Level 5s at the ball. Truly exhilaratingly frightening. ¡°So Viers, what are your plans until the ball?¡± Clarissa asked over dinner. ¡°This month will be of much importance. I¡¯ll need to familiarize myself with my Level 4 powers as soon as possible¡­ There are also the club chores piling up, souls to deal with, abilities to review, inspecting the company assets¡­ It¡¯s going to be a busy month.¡± ¡°So not meeting up with Pai-pai and the others? Dia misses them. Kin promised we¡¯d gather together after you finished¡­¡± Dia looked down. ¡°We¡¯ll have a party of our own right after the ball,¡± Viers smiled. ¡°Most of us are going to the Grand Prix, even if not all will compete. Jessica will be bringing the kids.¡± ¡°Whohoooo!¡± Dia was ecstatic. ¡°They are thirteen years old now. Tim will be angry if Lord Viers keeps calling them kids. Right, Zerri?¡± Farley chuckled. ¡°True. I¡¯m only four years old but Overlord never calls me kid.¡± The dinner with good company was nice indeed. After a good night¡¯s sleep -the most peaceful sleep he had in three years- Viers packed his gear and left the Biome in the morning, alone. Viers would be doing something very important before an undoubtedly major arc in his Pathseeker journey. Vacation. *** Viers was standing before the city of Celedony. It was near the heartland of the Latias Kingdom. One of the neighboring cities next to the Crimson Capital. It was only a mountain away from the nearest teleportation point. Jessica had traveled to many places during these three years. Paina had the same role in Zetel. Compared to three years ago, Viers¡¯ teleportation network had grown tremendously.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Some were destroyed for various reasons, not everyone was as happy about wild mystic trees as Viers was. ¡°Ah¡­ the sweet feeling of freedom,¡± Viers stretched while taking a deep breath. Celedony was famous for its beauty and prosperity. The streets were well taken care of and the city invested heavily in security so money-carrying travelers could have a good time in the city, which led them to open their purses. The robust markets had more luxury goods compared to other cities. Many big shots had a villa here to spend their summer or winter. Hmm¡­ Feels like Paris. Viers enjoyed the sights and landmarks as he walked the main road. He wasn''t walking aimlessly, he had a destination in mind. ¡°...Found it.¡± It was a small diner at the edge of the main street. The Glutton Whale. Viers went inside. His stomach was rumbling. He skipped breakfast for this. The interior depicted this place as a mid-low eatery, not the high-class places that highborns visited. There were no other customers even though it was lunch hour. Only a guy who seemed to be napping until he heard the sound of Viers coming in. ¡°Welcome. You want to eat something?¡± The guy said curtly. He didn''t look happy or displeased. A very brick-like expression. He looked like a former army vet with all the scars on his face, eyepatch, and hulking muscles. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°You know what this place is?¡± The look on the guy''s face was like a police interrogator. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°You know the rules?¡± He pointed his thumb at the wall. The rules were written there. The first one was: never enter the kitchen. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Order up.¡± ¡°Gimme today¡¯s special. Big size,¡± Viers said. ¡°How big are we talking?¡± The guy asked. ¡°Ever seen a Devadom Orca?¡± ¡°Uh-huh.¡± ¡°Size that can make that whale full.¡± ¡°Hmmm,¡± the guy crossed his arms. ¡°Have enough money to pay?¡± Viers placed a sack of mana crystals on the floor, showing the guy it was full. He had just gotten two thousand sacks as yesterday¡¯s ransom. ¡°Coming right up.¡± The guy stood up. He was over three meters tall. His head almost touched the ceiling. He went to the kitchen and the sound of cooking could be heard soon. Viers picked a table overlooking the street, where one could see the street and vice-versa. There was the ungodly sound of a goblin being butchered from the inside or something similar. It could be heard by the passersby, creating curiosity and repulsion. Viers was reading a book without batting an eye. Then the sound of butchering became the sound of battle. Viers could swear he heard the sound of a cavalry charge from the kitchen. After a few weird things later, the cook who looked like an army vet returned with a plate big enough to feed a village. Viers already anticipated this and joined his table with three others. It looked like a tower of pancake steak, only each layer was different. ¡°Sorry for the wait,¡± he placed the food fitting for the giant tribe on the table. There was no beauty in the dish and it looked unappetizing. The look from the passerby agreed. ¡°Smells delicious. Thanks, chef.¡± Viers grabbed the knife and fork and started eating immediately. He was starving. The portion of the dish was bigger than Viers himself. After the first bite and thoroughly enjoying the party of taste in his mouth, Viers gave a thumbs up to the chef. The guy nodded and got back to sitting behind the counter. Viers eating the food was drawing looks from passersby but he didn''t care. Viers just ate in happiness. As he ate, he felt his vitality increasing. The restaurant Viers visited was a bit mysterious, and so was the chef. However, this place was famous in certain circles of foodie for serving monster dishes. The skill of the chef was top-notch too. Viers didn''t get the info from Twitter¡¯s trending but from someone''s soul. The reason it wasn''t popular was because of the expensive price tag every dish had, the chef''s intimidating look, and the bad rumor surrounding the stage restaurant. The locals avoided the place. Viers¡¯ aim was simply good food. After three years of constantly destroying and healing his body over and over again, Viers¡¯ vitaly had dried up. His healing factor tapped directly from his life-span to work. Viers first order of business was stocking up his vitality again by eating food rich in vitality. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I got a food Arte, didn''t I? Arte - Power Food: Feast. Oooh, it¡¯s Feast? That chef¡¯s skilled. Power Food Arte was an Arte that would improve the user¡¯s fullness, gains from eating the food, and its deliciousness. Based on the ingredients of the food and the skill of the cook, the effect would vary. There were five stages: Morsel, Snack, Meal, Feast, and Banquet. Furthermore, Viers'' newly upgraded Horizon made everything multiple times better. This meat should be an assortment from different Rank 3 monsters. Probably only reaching Meal standard. The chef who cooked it elevated the final product. Viers put a fork with a slice of meat into his mouth with a trembling hand. He was quite afraid, actually. Would it become so delicious his spirit got sent to heaven? Would he die by eating? Only one way to find out. *** On the street of Celedony, there were two women. One was speed walking and pulling the other. The former was clearly of high birth based on her appearance. The latter''s dress was not as elaborate but still very nice. ¡°This way, this way. I guarantee you¡¯re going to love the place.¡± ¡°Ufufu, slow down, Alice. The food or the restaurant won''t run away.¡± ¡°My good friend is coming to town. I¡¯ve got to treat her right. Right, I say!¡± The pulled girl let out a sigh but she still smiled. The two soon stumbled upon a crowd. ¡°Oh my, what¡¯s happening?¡± Alice got curious. ¡°Hm?¡± There was a guy who was eating an unreal amount of food with an expression of heavenly bliss. ¡°Wow¡­ Is this the place?¡± ¡°No. Nu-uh. This place is bad news. Papa warned me. Let¡¯s leave the weirdo.¡± The other girl didn''t object but she glanced at the guy that was eating happily one last time. What a happy face. As if he has no problems in the world¡­ That¡¯s enviable. Chapter 412 - Celedony Young Heirs ¡°My compliments to the chef. I¡¯ll be back for dinner.¡± Viers paid for his meal and left the restaurant with a full stomach, a satisfied palate, and a happy mood. On his way out, he made way for another visitor. He couldn''t sense the other party¡¯s Level but Viers was sure he was a Level 5. Viers did not bother him and he did not bother Viers. The second rule of the restaurant: Do not bother other customers. The Glutton Whale was one of those places, places that looked mundane but were actually super special sites where experts hung out. The food that Viers ate was highly beneficial for Pathseekers, the weirdly occult kitchen, the skilled chef surrounded in mystery, the signs were there. A shame that the local whose soul Viers read was not a man of culture like himself. He disregarded this eatery which had been open and unchanged since the day of his grandpa¡¯s grandpa. With the price of that one meal that Viers paid the chef could easily turn this place into a luxurious and exclusive restaurant but clearly he simply had no interest in such things. Viers suspected the rugged-looking chef was similarly extremely strong or a special being since he couldn''t sense anything from the guy. He didn''t feel danger or had a gauge of his abilities. Truly a mysterious expert. Which didn''t bother Viers in the slightest. He was there to eat and not make trouble. After satiating his hunger for the time being, Viers searched for a place to stay. He picked a middle-upper-class inn with a good reputation then he went to look at the shops. Mostly only window shopping. He wanted to buy souvenirs for the others but he was in no hurry. When he got tired of the shops, he visited the local landmarks. When it was time for dinner, he returned to the Glutton Whale and chose a different dish. It was as good as the one he had in the afternoon. He burned a few hours strolling and returned to the inn. He had a long hot bath and laid down, watching the ceiling with empty eyes and mind until he eventually fell asleep. The whole day he didn''t think about his cultivation improvement or work. He just relaxed his mind. This day might have been the most unproductive day Viers ever had since he awakened his other world¡¯s memories eight years ago. He was fifteen years old at the time. After three years of constant stress and pain, Viers felt he was entitled to some downtime. I¡¯m just going to be like that guy from Office Space. Fuck Mr. Lumbergh, amiright? During the end stages of the training, Viers destroyed his body from the neck down, only his head remained. With careful preparations and a fully primed Unreality Field, he was somehow able to cling to life until his healing factor finished regenerating his body. It took days until he saw his toe again. After he finished his preparations, the cycle continued. He went so far above the forbidden method¡¯s intended standard that his actual breakthrough to Level 4 was as smooth as silk. The Biome breach was unexpected and expected at the same time. In the end, Viers Ascension to Level 4 was concluded with the highest degree available to him. The sun¡¯s rays peeked through the window and Viers woke up. There was no feeling of his bones being struck by a hammer, his heart was not crying in pain, his brain was not on fire, and his Victa pathways were not congested like the road of London during rush hour. In other words, Viers felt fantastic. ¡­Mmmh, hello sunshine. Viers greeted the sun while he stretched, welcoming the second day of his vacation. After shutting down his brain for a period of much-needed mental recovery, he booted it up again. His three years of psychological damage had not recovered in one day but he couldn''t forgive himself for indulging too much. I suppose I should begin the Countess¡¯ sidequest early. It¡¯s a long chain. Viers had breakfast and went to the city. On the outside, he was still a tourist doing what tourists do, but his mind had begun processing cultivation-related matters. It was on low power mode though; he was still on vacation. Viers watched a group of kids playing a kid¡¯s game, observed a teacher teaching her disciples, discussed fruits in season with a farmer as they picked ripe apples, leisurely read letters and reports while sitting on a stone garden chair, and so on. In a sense, he was like back then, when he tried new and mundane things to increase his Horizon. At lunch and dinner though, he never failed to show up at the Glutton Whale. He was in no rush and was waiting for an opportunity to present itself. Celedony had two prominent Houses, the Fioret and the Geneb. They basically ruled the city. These two houses were not on the best of terms, quite the opposite in fact. They were like cat and mouse. Viers¡¯ aim was to get closer to the Geneb. The two houses were old and prestigious but currently, they did not have a Level 5 in their ranks. Usually, Viers would use his Soul Mind Trick and whatnot, get what he wanted, and return home. As a newly minted Level 4, he was tempted to barge in from the front door all YOLO-like to get what he needed with force. A fun thought to entertain, but not wise. Level 4s were much rarer than Level 3s. If they rampaged, a city or two could easily be erased from the map. The villain Viers was already at that level. His combat ability was even higher than what his Level suggested. Fortunately for the Genebs, Viers was on vacation. They did not share the ill fate of the Chevrys of Valkut. The Serene Thunder Aviary Viers acquired from them was still put to good use by Viers. Finally, on day four, opportunity showed its elusive form. *** ¡°Fuuh, he¡¯s gone. Anyway, thank you for your assistance.¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m just passing by,¡± Viers said.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I¡¯m Jonah, Jonah Geneb. A pleasure to make our acquaintance.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Avel,¡± Viers shook his hand back. ¡°But even if I don''t do anything, this lady here would have taken care of that hooligan.¡± The young woman Viers mentioned shook her head, swaying her braided hair. ¡°I¡¯ve got my hands full defending my friend. If you hadn''t acted, surely there would have been more wounded amongst the crowd. I¡¯m Mary by the way.¡± ¡°How frightening,¡± a young lady beside Mary tried to get her breathing under control. ¡°Who was that guy?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a guy that called himself the Shadowhand,¡± Jonah replied. ¡°Both of our houses are on alert. He announced that he would attack. I suppose such a thing is beneath the notice of Alice Fioret.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been busy being a good host to my friend here,¡± Alice grabbed Mary¡¯s hand. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s your action that made the thief aggressive. That¡¯s what you get for trying to catch him by yourself despite not having the ability. I shudder to think what would have happened if these two heroes weren''t around!¡± ¡°What did you say, spendthrift woman!?¡± ¡°Already having hearing problems like a grandpa? Fine, I¡¯ll say it again. It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Two bickered while the other two looked at each other with an awkward gaze. The four were soon joined by the city guards. They began to take care of things. With the young master and young mistress from the two major houses, Mary and Avel weren''t getting wrapped up in such troublesome things and were allowed to leave. Viers¡¯ stomach growled. ¡°Apologies. I was on my way to dinner. I¡¯ll take my leave then. Ladies, gents.¡± ¡°Wait Avel. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal. It¡¯s the least I can do. You saved my people. Come on. My proud family¡¯s chosen restaurant is not far,¡± the black-haired Jonah smiled. ¡°Nonsense! Allow me to invite you to a place of my recommendation, Avel. It is well known the palate of the Fioret is much more sophisticated than the Geneb. Their silk fish¡¯s taste is heavenly,¡± Alice challenged Jonah¡¯s bid then looked at Mary. ¡°You¡¯re also going to love it.¡± ¡°Is vitriol all your mouth can spew, loud-mouth?¡± ¡°Blame your own lack of refinement, block-head!¡± They bickered until Viers said he would try both. Then they argued again which was first. It went on until Viers decided by a coin toss. Mary seemed surprised at her friend¡¯s attitude. Perhaps this was her first time seeing this side of her friend. The group went to the place Jonah recommended first. It was a barbeque-style eatery. Dirty, greasy, and hearty. Viers ate a lot, the other three ate modestly. Alice¡¯s place was like a high-class French restaurant. The meals were intricate and delicately made with exotic ingredients. Once again Viers ate a lot, the other three ate modestly. ¡°Wow, you sure can eat, Avel,¡± Jonah said. ¡°I must agree. I suggest reducing the portion of your meal from now on. Eating so much surely can''t be healthy,¡± Alice followed. Jonah was easygoing and wore his emotion on his sleeves. Meanwhile, Alice was always ladylike on the outside but hid her true feelings. The veil seemed to come down when they bickered with each other though; they were like cats and dogs. Or were they? ¡°So, Avel, Mary, which of the two places is more to your liking?¡± Jonah asked. ¡°Both places are nice, right Avel?¡± ¡°True, but I shall be a good sport and tell them honestly which I like more. You should too, Mary.¡± He put his hands on the spoon and the fork. ¡°If I hold the spoon, then Alice wins, if the fork, Jonah wins. No hard feelings?¡± ¡°Hehehe, that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Jonah slapped Viers¡¯ shoulder. ¡°Go ahead,¡± Alice nodded to Viers and Mary. ¡°But¡­¡± Mary hesitated. ¡°Now, now, this is just a little game. Surely Miss Alice and Mister Jonah are both not childish enough to begin a round Arte showdown just because we like one place more than the other? We are in honorable company,¡± Viers made a confident smile. ¡°O-of course.¡± ¡°A lady will not do such a thing,¡± Alice pulled a folding fan and shook it at herself. Mary played along, putting both hands on the spoon and the fork. ¡°It is a close match. Both places gave a good fight but my tongue hath chosen. Three, two, one.¡± After Viers¡¯ countdown, he raised one hand while the other hand stayed. Viers¡¯ hand stayed at the fork while Mary at the spoon. Viers inclined to the barbeque more than the fine dining. ¡°Ha! Avel knows what we boys like,¡± Jonah said. ¡°Humph, I¡¯m not convinced. Unlike you, I saw a touch of elegance in Avel¡¯s way of eating. Besides, my good friend here sides with me,¡± Alice pulled Mary¡¯s shoulder closer to her own. ¡°Ahaha,¡± Mary laughed awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s a tie then.¡± ¡°A tie indeed. The status quo is maintained and a war is averted, the delightful evening goes on. Thank the gods.¡± After the meal was done, they ordered more drinks as they chatted. The four looked like college students after campus. ¡°Mister Avel, you said you¡¯re a traveler, yes? What brings you to our fair Celedony?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on vacation, Miss Foiret. I¡¯ve been here only for a few days and certainly the city¡¯s fame did not disappoint.¡± ¡°Call me Alice, please. And I''m glad to see a traveler from afar find this city pleasing.¡± ¡°As you wish, my lady.¡± Behind her glasses, Mary¡¯s eyes observed Viers with scrutiny, but only when she thought Viers could not see her. ¡°Hey, you called Alice lady but me without the title?¡± Jonah snipped the conversation. ¡°That¡¯s Lady Fioret for you,¡± Alice said but Jonah ignored it. ¡°I believe you would hate it so I didn''t.¡± ¡°Ha! How do you know? Are you a mind Pathseeker or something?¡± Jonah seemed genuinely happy. ¡°So earlier, the Shadowhand, was it? What¡¯s up with that?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Just a lowly thief,¡± Jonah scoffed as he crossed his arms. ¡°Some say he¡¯s Tanael under a new name, another thief from the south. Their way of doing things are similar. Calling cards, shadow-based movements, and have no morals, yes.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Mary and Viers were piqued. ¡°Fear not. The Genebs are aware and ready. Next time we¡¯ll end his menace.¡± ¡°I wish you luck,¡± Viers raised his glass. ¡°Shadowhand¡¯s Arte from earlier somehow feels different from shadow or darkness,¡± Mary voiced her thoughts. ¡°So you think so too!¡± Jonah was invigorated. ¡°I think he used a space affinity. You see, from the edges of the shadow on his feet-¡± ¡°Neeeeeerd!¡± Alice stopped him. Something told Viers this wasn''t her first time listening to Jonah¡¯s interest in Pathseeker things. The conversation continued progressing. Alice and Jonah were both heirs to their Houses. They had known each other since they were children, apparently. An unfortunate state of affairs, said Jonah, to which Alice agreed. Mary said she was Alice¡¯s old friend. She was in the area so she came for a visit. She was staying at the Fioret estate at the moment. ¡°It has been delightful to meet you all,¡± Mary said. ¡°Yes, it is. Thank you for your time and fine dining.¡± Viers tried to pay for the meal but he was rejected by both Alice and Jonah. ¡°Come on, Alice. You drank too much,¡± Mary tried to steady her friend. ¡°I do nooot¡­ Wow?¡± Alice rose from her seat suddenly and got wobbly. Jonah caught her before she fell but she was halfway down already. ¡°...You¡¯re slow, block-head,¡± Alice said with a slurry voice and unfocused eyes. ¡°Tch. Enjoy your hangover tomorrow, feisty cat,¡± Jonah replied. Alice and Mary got on a noble carriage together and Jonah entered another. Viers refused the lift Jonah offered and went back to the inn on his own. The first contact was a success. Chapter 413 - Celedony Romance After the first contact, the second contact was easier. The four were becoming fast friends, even though Alice and Jonah were still prone to snap at each other. The two locals seemed to be competing who could make Mary and Avel have more fun. They visited shops, attended a puppet show, went horseback riding, and so on. They even had a bout of friendly Pathseeker battle. All four were Level 3s. Avel pretended to be a Level 3. Being a Level 4 was too conspicuous. Jonah was a Level 3 peak. Alice and Mary was a Level 3 mid. Viers felt they were being watched. Turned out it was Alice and Jonah¡¯s secret protectors. The bodyguards were Level 4. They didn''t get in the way and stayed in the background. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good,¡± Jonah said as he wiped his sweat. ¡°Want to come under my house? You¡¯ll be treated amicably.¡± ¡°Oh, hush. How dare you say it so casually. But Avel, if you get tired of wandering, the Fioret will always welcome you with open arms.¡± ¡°Stop butting in, fragile woman!¡± ¡°Shut your vulgar mouth, musclehead brute!¡± Mary sat beside Viers as they ignored the two nobles. It was a familiar view at this point. They traded compliments about each other and pointed out the other¡¯s shortcomings. Compared to Alice, Mary was clearly more familiar with combat. They were at a training facility, kinda like a sports center. They couldn''t simply bash each other with Artes on public streets after all. While they waited for the cat and dog to finish their small war, they saw a group of people leaving the training space next door. The group seemed to be quite angry at some in their ranks. They left two boys behind. The words useless and incompetent had been thrown. The two boys swallowed their tears and then began practicing again despite the frustrations. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Mary said to Viers and went to the two boys. They were only Level 0 Pathseekers baby chicks. Mary started giving them tips and correcting what they did wrong. What a good samaritan, Viers thought. Turned out the two boys were brothers. Viers, Alice, and Jonah also joined them. In the end, the six were playing yutang, this world¡¯s popular ball game that was a bit similar to quidditch. ¡°That was kind of you,¡± Viers said to Mary before they separated for the day. ¡°A little kindness here and there goes a long way,¡± Mary smiled and waved back to the two brothers. They met again in the afternoon as previously agreed. Viers asked how Alice and Jonah seemed to have so much time on their hands. Turned out it was the holiday season for them. ¡°You two come to Celedony at a great time. Although, it could be better. I hoped the Fae would come out this year but there have been no signs of them. A pity,¡± Alice sighed. ¡°Meeh, I don''t like them very much. Once, a Fae made all my shoes disappear. Well, I admit those little critters make pretty lights,¡± Jonah added. ¡°So what do we do today?¡± Alice asked. ¡°Do any of you know a thing or two about healing forests and restoring trees?¡± Viers asked. The event from three years in the elven forest of Liapris scarred the land. The elves lost their foremost Level 5 elder and many more, no thanks to Viers of course. They averted complete annihilation and regained their prosperity one step at a time. Although it had been three years, corruption in the forest remained. With Croix studying at Sinclair Academy, the position of Viceroy of the Shore had basically fallen to Avel. On paper, he had always been in that budding small town. In reality, he was in Dia¡¯s Biome, completely cut off from the world. Before he went to seclusion to become Level 4, he delegated the task of governing the town to the original residents of the Shore. Viers basically told them to take care of themself. A very hands-off approach but he was busy yet reluctant to simply throw the town away. Croix¡¯s hard work laid a pretty solid foundation. It was pretty common for a Pathseeker to be unavailable for a long period of time. Either they were in the midst of training or went to someplace far away or busy doing their own things. Viers just made sure the appointed mayor didn''t let the town deteriorate and paid their taxes to the countess in time. As long as those two things were satisfied, the countess wouldn''t kick him out from the position of viceroy. It would make him and Croix look bad if it did. Took a bit of explaining to hammer the point down to the trembling female mayor. It went pretty well. The Shore had no major growth spurt like in Croix¡¯s time but no major setbacks either. Viers only had to send his three familiars two times in three years to solve problems that were too big for the town to handle. One to calm an approaching angry typhoon elemental and one to defeat a crocodile monster that caused a drought in the area. Now that Viers had finished leveling up, he wanted to improve things. If he could speed up the recovery of the elven forest from sickness, the revenue of the elven trade goods that were coming to the Shore would increase. It was not high on his priority list but it was something to do as he enjoyed his vacation. Alice and Jonah thought hard, and they decided to introduce Viers to a few people who might know a way. Later that day, the four were at a bountiful farm. They watched how the nature spirits worked. ¡°The yields from the farms are supplying the bulk of what Celedony consumes,¡± the man who seemed to be the minister of foodstuff said.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°I see,¡± Viers hummed. ¡°In case of crop sickness, magical or otherwise, how do you handle it?¡± The old minister happily explained things to Viers. A little too eager perhaps. The request from both heirs of the Fioret and the Geneb seemed to be quite a big deal. Spirits of nature were a diverse term. In a way, Dia was one. She also had met other dryads deep in old woods. The city''s way of utilizing nature spirits to improve harvest was quite novel. Viers wished to learn how they do it in Celedony, learn how to improve things. Perhaps it was replicable for the Shore and Viridis. Dia¡¯s capability wasn''t the question but she also had the mind of a child. She didn''t know this yet and Viers had her focus on more important things. While Viers was busy gathering knowledge, the other three were having fun. Alice and Jonah enjoyed the sight of the farms that they had rarely visited. Jonah showed Alice an earthworm and she shrieked. Meanwhile, Mary was frolicking with the nature spirits; she seemed well-liked by the spirits who take the form of various animals. Another nice day lived. Fruitful, relaxing, and precious. *** Over the days, Viers dealt with the small things that were in his to-do lists. It was quite a lot but he did it at his own pace, one step at a time. Today, Viers was having yet another hearty meal at the Glutton Whale. ¡°Chef, I¡¯ll have the same as him but a normal human portion, please. And good afternoon.¡± Viers gestured to Mary to take the seat. The restaurant had a lot of empty spaces but she took the one in front of Viers. ¡°Where¡¯s Alice and Jonah?¡± Viers said after swallowing. ¡°They want to convey that they are sorry they are unable to visit us today.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Some trouble with the fae.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± The two then ate in silence. ¡°A very delicious meal. I¡¯m going to offer them my help. What about you?¡± Mary asked nicely. Fae, eh? ¡°...Might as well. But I warn you, I am currently very disinclined to do strenuous things. If it is too much for me, I¡¯ll back away. I¡¯m on vacation.¡± ¡°...Are you injured?¡± Mary asked. She had her suspicions. Avel was living and acting like a retired soldier. Sometimes Pathseekers had to bear wounds that took years to heal or even not at all. Injured? ¡­I suppose I am healing a mental injury with this vacation. ¡°You can say that. Well then, let''s see what the fae wants.¡± *** In many stories, after a group of youth finished an adventure, it ended with a celebration. That was once again the case. In a beautiful fairy glade, the fae and humans were having a party. The air was filled with laughter. Even a fae lord of the Summer Court had visited earlier. He had now gone to another place, conducting talks with both the Fioret and Geleb¡¯s leaders. Viers was in here too. He was surrounded by pixies of many colors, intelligent animals, and drunk humans. He was impressing the fae with stories. He spoke like a Tsushima storyteller. The fae were rightly impressed and as agreed, they gave Viers fae goods and trinkets. He had a past with the fae but these fae were not the ones that he fought with at Valkut. ¡°Thank you, thank you. Hahaha.¡± Viers would plant the magical seeds in Viridis and with any luck, create a fairy glade there. If Paina was here, she would definitely be popular. ¡°Nice stories, Avel.¡± Mary had two cider tankards on her hands and gave one to Viers. ¡°Thanks for the help.¡± ¡°I only help a bit at the end. It¡¯s you who is praiseworthy,¡± Viers replied. ¡°This is the home of my good friend. Since I''m freeloading in her home, it is only proper I help out with the house chores, don''t you think?¡± ¡°Mmm¡­ So, Level 4. Congratulations are in order?¡± Viers asked. Mary showed her true cultivation in the earlier debacle against a faerie dragon and won after breaking through mid-fight. He already suspected she was more powerful than she let on. Viers breakthroughs in a safe environment, but cultivation breakthroughs could also happen in a heated battle. ¡°Thanks. I just didn''t expect it. I...¡± Mary sighed. ¡°I hope my folks back home won''t realize it.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Viers replied with a very short answer and didn''t dig any deeper. The two didn''t say anything to each other, just standing next to each other with the festivities behind them and a beautiful lake in front. At the other bank, two silhouettes were walking under the mystical moonlight. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s Alice and Jonah. Want to guess when they¡¯ll start arguing? I say in twenty seconds,¡± Mary smiled. Then Viers and Mary saw the two kiss shortly. ¡°Ah.¡± Viers said once again. ¡°...Ah.¡± After processing the shock, Mary also said the same. The two raised the bottoms of their tankards and drank the sweet cider. *** Celedony received the fae¡¯s blessing this season as thanks. Until the season turned, the fae would open a market at the human city and bring various other benefits. Alice, Jonah, and Mary contributed greatly. Viers¡¯ timely help at the end gave him plenty of merit too. Viers was just happy since he got to reap the benefits with almost no effort at all. Go, opportunist! The city capitalized on the Fae¡¯s presence by doubling down and creating a festival. Merchants and people hurriedly flocked to Celedony. Viers¡¯ days didn''t change all that much. The city only got more lively, which was a good thing. The change was not on him. ¡°Sweetie, I have a gift,¡± Jonah put a shimmering shawl on Alice¡¯s neck. ¡°Oh honey, you¡¯re so sweet,¡± Alice gave him a peck on the cheek. The air was sickeningly sweet and pink around the two of them. Mary and Viers were seemingly forgotten. ¡°I suppose they are finally being honest about their feelings,¡± Viers licked his ice cream. ¡°I-Is that how it is?¡± Mary didn''t realize. The following week, Celedony became a place of celebration. The streets were decorated, fireworks and fairy lights at night, events and merriment at every corner, Viers and the gang had a great time. Perusing the items from caravans was a good way to spend time and money. While the celebration was ongoing, a piece of juicy gossip was spreading amongst the locals. Apparently, the heir of Geneb proposed to the heir of Fioret. However, both of their houses disagreed. The two houses had been enemies for the longest time. The bad blood between them was thick. Alice and Jonah were placed under house arrest so they couldn''t see each other. Viers didn''t meet with the other three that day. The next day, there was another shocking news. House Fioret made a declaration that Alice had been betrothed to another. The match was the first son of a count. The marriage date had been set for next week. From what Viers could see, Jonah and Alice truly loved each other. Their families just got in the way of their love. Wait a minute¡­ Isn''t this a Romeo and Juliet situation? Oh my god, are they going to double suicide!? With that realization, a heavy dilemma had been dropped upon Viers. What should he do here? Should he intervene or not? Even the immaculate cooking of the Glutton Whale¡¯s chef was unable to rouse his appetite that day. Chapter 414 - Celedony Wedding Two days after Alice¡¯s surprise marriage announcement, Mary visited Viers. She knew where to find him, at lunch or dinner at the Glutton Whale. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders,¡± Viers said while eating noodles with chopsticks. ¡°And you look like you¡¯ve no burden at all. It makes me hate you a little. May I?¡± Mary sat in front of him after receiving permission. ¡°My good chef, can you please bring a drink for this weary lady? The most potent and expensive thing that you have.¡± The chef did just that. Mary protested but she was too exhausted to argue for long. ¡°Drink. My treat.¡± ¡°...My gratitude.¡± Mary drank her drink and sat in silence for a time while Viers was finishing his big meal. It took a while but she didn''t seem to mind the wait. She welcomed it. Viers asked if she wanted to order some food but she refused. She said she had no appetite. ¡°I want to ask you a favor,¡± Mary placed a letter on the table. ¡°From Alice for Jonah.¡± Mary asked him because Viers was closer to Jonah. Her position as Alice¡¯s friend made the Geneb family refuse her visit earlier. ¡°I¡¯ll deliver this to him personally.¡± ¡°Thank you. It brings me great relief to hear that.¡± Viers ordered a drink and a refill for Mary. She drank it all before saying more. ¡°Yesterday night, Jonah snuck into the Fioret manor to see Alice. I fought and stopped him.¡± ¡°Really? There¡¯s no word of that incident on the streets.¡± ¡°Both houses kept it under wraps because it¡¯s more convenient that way.¡± Mary stopped him¡­ Hm. ¡°Alice hates me now. I can see it in her eyes,¡± Mary sighed tiredly. Viers didn''t reply. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a horrible person?¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re human, with all the charms and imperfections of being one.¡± To Viers¡¯ blunt response, Mary silently sat there for a while. She thanked Viers for the drink and left. Alice¡¯s wedding was only six days away. *** Viers visited the Geneb and was welcomed with honor. Not because he was Jonah¡¯s new friend. Like Mary, he was refused at the door at first but after he produced an introduction from Countess Grace Weiss, the Geneb Patriarch met with him personally. The Countess needed something from the Geneb house and she sent Viers as proxy. It was also in Viers¡¯ interest for this deal to succeed so he wouldn''t leave Celedony without the deal going through. Within the hour, he received signed documentation from the Geneb Patriarch, ten cattle delivered to the Shore via air transport, a chest full of special cultivation resources, and a silver key. The Countess only needed the documents and the key but Viers got his own business enterprise on the side. No reason not to strike more beneficial deals while he was here. The Patriarch was all smiles and treated Viers with respect. ¡®Avel¡¯ was like an ambassador after all. With that business concluded, Viers asked to visit his good friend Jonah. Not wanting to risk the displeasure of the ambassador, Jonah¡¯s father agreed. ¡°Yo, it¡¯s me. Avel.¡± Viers knocked on the door. ¡°...Go away. Leave me be,¡± Jonah replied with a sullen voice. Viers kicked the door open, hinges and all. He had several reasons for this: He was an ambassador with diplomatic immunity, sort of. The Geneb would have to be very careful to touch him. He was also not afraid of the Geneb. Their strongest was a Level 4 peak, the guy he had just met earlier. Viers was still weaker, but not to a hopeless degree. Lastly, he was here to make a point to Jonah. ¡°Wha-!? Are you mad?¡± Jonah was surprised. A perfectly normal response. The sound made the guards come but Viers took a seat on one of the room¡¯s nice chairs and paid them no mind. Jonah sent the guard away. ¡°From Alice. Mary asked me to give this to you,¡± Viers gave him the letter. The sad and brooding man perked up and slowly took the letter. He opened it and read it in silence. When he was done, his hands hung down powerlessly as he looked to the ceiling with empty eyes. ¡°What did it say?¡± Viers picked one of the opened bottles of wine. One that still had its contents. Many empty ones were in the room. He took a sniff and drank straight from the bottle without asking permission. ¡°She said¡­ It is over between us. Thank you for the dream, she said¡­ For both our sakes, we should grow up and leave our childish self behind.¡± The letter fell to the floor and Viers glanced at the last line. Please forget me. Signed, Alice. ¡°I heard Mary stopped you from seeing Alice.¡± ¡°Alice¡¯s parents asked her to. Can''t have them soil their hands directly, can they? They¡¯ve got a reputation to uphold.¡± ¡°So, what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°...I don''t know.¡± Jonah sat lifelessly, hung his head low, and Viers heard a sob. Viers grabbed Jonah¡¯s lapel and forced him to stand up before delivering a slap most crisp to his cheek. The slap was as epic as the Batman Slap, very meme-able. Jonah¡¯s confusion persisted. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°What are y-?¡± Viers slapped him again, on the other cheek. ¡°Who, are, you?¡± Slap!Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Confusion made way to rage. ¡°Stop it!¡± Jonah tried to stop Viers and retaliate but Viers was more skillful and landed his slap again. After another three slaps and three questions, Jonah finally answered. ¡°I¡¯m Jonah, Jonah Geneb!¡± ¡°Jonah Geneb, do you love Alice Fioret?¡± Viers didn''t slap him. ¡°I do!¡± ¡°Then why are you not going after your girl? Are you a man or not!?¡± Slap! ¡°B-But-¡± ¡°No buts!¡± Slap. ¡°If you¡¯re a man, even if the whole world is against you, you¡¯ll overcome it to get your girl. What the hell are you doing wallowing in your room in misery? Hoping someone will pity you? To save you? Well, it won''t be me! Take action, damnit. Where¡¯s your balls!?¡± The last slap sent Jonah to the floor. His cheeks burned and were swollen but there was a clarity in his head that wasn''t there before. ¡°...It¡¯s that simple, isn''t it?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Viers asked again. ¡°I¡¯m Jonah Geneb and I¡¯ll marry Alice Fioret. No one will stop me in this,¡± Jonah stood up and hit Viers¡¯ chest lightly with his fist. ¡°Thanks, buddy.¡± ¡°Will you make her happy?¡± ¡°With Goddess as my witness! I¡¯ll make her the happiest girl in the world!!!¡± ¡°Fuckin¡¯ A! Go get¡¯em, tiger!¡± *** The two youth¡¯s outbursts could be heard by many people in the mansion. Naturally, some were not happy. The guards pleaded to their young master to come to reason, to think of the house, to calm down, and many more. Excuses all. Jonah¡¯s love and passion burned strong like the sun. Viers lit a fire in him that couldn''t be doused. His steel resolve was answered by his cultivation. His Victa roared with vigor and purpose. The two made their way to the Geneb¡¯s treasury, swatting down pursuers. Out of courtesy, Viers didn''t kill any of them. Jonah¡¯s father stood in their way. Jonah punched his father senseless. Viers gave a little help but the credit was mostly Jonah. The man in love was very strong right now. After breaking into the treasury, Jonah decked himself in the family¡¯s heirloom armor and sword. The armor was very shiny. The knight in shining armor perfectly depicted Jonah right now. As the last Pathseeker vassal crumpled on the floor like all before him, the two left the mansion; it had more wear and tear compared to the time Viers entered. They power-walked out of the front door. If this was a movie, Viers would make sure this scene was in slow-mo. A woman called Jonah from the window of the third floor. It was Jonah¡¯s mother. Unlike his father, his mother gave her blessing and wished him the best. Jonah shed a tear and thanked his mother before heading off to his battlefield. With Viers suggestion, the two took two mighty horses from the stable and raced to the streets of Celedony under the sunny sky. The commotion in the Geneb estate wasn''t missed by the people. Some people wondered what was going on. ¡°Make way! Jonah of House Geneb is on his way to propose to Alice of House Fioret. Shame on those who get in the way of their love!¡± Viers shouted from the top of his lungs. He said a few different variations of this. Geneb and Fioret were famous for being enemies but a couple wanted to marry? ¡°Is this an event?¡± ¡°Geneb and Fioret? Is this true?¡± ¡°Hahah! I¡¯ve got to see this!¡± The crowd followed in Viers and Jonah¡¯s wake. No matter which world, people wouldn''t want to miss an interesting drama. With so much commotion, it would be strange if the Fioret missed the news of a brazen Geneb boy. The vassals of the Fioret blocked Jonah¡¯s way. ¡°Move it!¡± Viers thought he would have to interfere, but the crowd took care of that. Some random Pathseeker defeated the human roadblocks. ¡°My thanks!¡± Jonah said. ¡°Go, my boy!¡± ¡°Hahaha! I wish I was more like you when I was young.¡± ¡°Good folk of Celedony, onward!¡± Just like that, Viers raised an army. With the public sentiment on their side, Jonah and Viers finally arrived in front of the Fioret estate. Beneath the entrance''s arch, Mary was waiting for him, ready for battle. Her Level 4 might was fully manifested. ¡°I am Alice¡¯s best friend. Because I¡¯m her best friend I must act in her best interest. The path forward is a thorny one. If you want to take her with you to that life of hardship, you mustn''t be weak. You must be able to protect her, to provide, to overcome life¡¯s challenges. Demonstrate your strength by defeating me!¡± Mary drew her sword and Jonah dismounted. ¡°I¡¯d gladly oblige. I¡¯ll show you my worth as a man!¡± The crowd cheered, including Viers. It was a duel with one¡¯s love on the line. The crowd drank in this entertainment like ambrosia. It was a battle between Level 4 and Level 3, a mighty clash of power. Some Pathseekers in the crowd raised protections so the common people wouldn''t be injured. Guards shortly arrived by the dozens, trying to impose order, and broke up the duel. Viers saw Alice¡¯s father and a noble youth with his own bodyguards. Was that guy Alice¡¯s fiance that her family designated to her? ¡°Brave people of Celedony! Here comes the enemies of love most pure! The father whose heart has been soaked by hatred and the bride-snatcher-to-be! I say they shall not interrupt the shining knight¡¯s quest to prove his love, what say you!?¡± The mob was most eager to follow Viers¡¯ narrative. With Viers in the lead, the local Pathseekers, or those who were only here by chance, began a righteous last stand against the vile forces of evil. It was chaos. The Idlers began to feel the heat and retreated. This was not their arena, only superhumans could stand here. ¡°VIVE LA REVOLUTION!!¡± Viers shouted like a patriot ready to martyr himself. He wished he could wave a flag right now. While the street of Celedony turned into a battlefield, the duel between Mary and Jonah was uninterrupted. Mary split her attention because of the latest developments, making sure nobody was hurt. Meanwhile, Jonah focused wholly on this duel. It gave the Level 3 a good chance¡­ but it was not enough. Mary¡¯s Level 4 power was not so easily surmounted, no matter how hot the passion inside Jonah was. ¡°It¡¯s your defeat.¡± Mary swung her sword down. ¡°Not yet!¡± Alice came between Jonah and Mary. ¡°Alice!¡± Jonah gasped. ¡°Go for it! Will you be my hero or not?¡± Alice smiled. ¡°Damn right I will!¡± With the opening Alice provided, Jonah struck a decisive blow on Mary. She had a knee on the ground. ¡°Well¡­ done,¡± Mary said. She tried to hide her smile but was unable to. The crowd roared. The cheers went up to the sky. Alice and Jonah hugged, she didn''t care if her dress became dirty with dirt and blood. ¡°Alice Fioret, will you marry me?¡± Jonah slid a ring on her finger. ¡°Yes, Jonah Geneb, I will marry you,¡± Alice shed tears of happiness. Other than a deluge of cheers, some of the Pathseekers who were in battle were able to give their blessing by launching pretty Artes above their heads, making impromptu fireworks. With the two love birds conjoined, Jonah activated a magic item of teleportation that he got from the treasury he pillaged earlier. Something that he saved for this moment. Before it activated, a malicious Arte was shooting towards Jonah. It came from the guy that Alice dumped. Alice realized first. She tried to shield the drained and tired Jonah with her Arte and body. It wouldn''t be enough. Jonah wasn''t going to let her and tried to switch positions with her. In the end, it was Mary who shielded them both, even if she got hurt in the process. ¡°I wish you two all the happiness in the world,¡± Mary smiled at them. ¡°Thank you. Thank you!¡± Alice cried. ¡°You¡¯re the best friend I can ever have!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll protect Alice. I swear on my life,¡± Jonah said to her. At Viers who casually stood behind Mary, Jonah gave a nod of understanding and gratitude, from one man to another. The next moment, the teleportation was activated and the couple was gone. As per the plan, the two would then enter the fairy ring and teleport again far farther this time. Viers had negotiated the deal with the Celedony Fae that they helped a few days past. After that, Jonah and Alice were truly on their own. That was the signal that the party was over. The last one to leave would be stuck with the bill and cleaning up the mess. Every Pathseeker in the area who was on the side of the young couples understood this and scattered to the four winds. Naturally, the villain Viers was not interested in staying. ¡°I¡¯m going. Do you need help?¡± Viers asked Mary. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Mary looked tired but satisfied. ¡°Thank you for everything. May we meet again.¡± ¡°It was fun. See ya.¡± Viers ran like a speed demon. Some people from the Fioret side tried to catch him as the one responsible for the riot but he was too fast. He didn''t even use special Artes to shake them off. With all his business in Celedony concluded, he went back to the nearest teleportation point in the wilderness and went back to Viridis. His precious vacation was over. He didn''t stay in the Biome long. The next day, he already went through a teleporter to the Crimson Capital. Boram, Paina, Croix, and the others. The whole gang would be there for the Emerith Grand Ball that would begin shortly. Viers looked forward to seeing them again. Chapter 415 - Full House Mary was tired in both mind and body yet she had a strange feeling of fulfillment. She didn''t know where Alice and Jonah went to but she had faith in them. Also, that guy is helping them¡­ They should be fine. After the riot, the Fioret and the Geneb were busy searching for their young heirs, jailing the rioters, and imposing order in the city. Mary could leave like Avel and the others but she needed to explain matters to the Fiorets at least. The family of the bride¡­ was not happy, to say the least. Some blamed her for not fighting Jonah harder. She knew she would be raked on coals by them but she presented herself anyway. The Fioret needed someone to blame and Mary volunteered. Two days later, Mary finally packed her belongings and was about to leave Celedony. Phew¡­ I wish they ranted shorter though. It took too long for them to drain their resentment. I hope I still have time. Mary was leaving Celedony in a hurry. The Fiorets weren¡¯t her concern though. ¡°Now where are you going, young lady?¡± ¡°Uph!?¡± Just as she was about to leave the city, a rope made from magic locked around her neck. Hearing a voice she recognized, Mary¡¯s hair stood on end. A big, tall, muscular woman held the end of the rope. On top of a maid uniform, she wore chest armor. Her thick biceps were pressing against the fabric and her hair was covered by a white bonnet. The frilly maid clothing and the towering physique were mismatched as hell. ¡°T-Tinade¡­ Ma¡¯am¡­ L-Long time no see.¡± Mary tried to break free, but even though she had become a Level 4, she couldn''t. ¡°Is that how you greet your teacher after not seeing her for years? Humph!¡± Mary was yanked closer and bearhugged. Her bones creaked from the pressure. Through gritted teeth, her traumatic experiences filled her mind; flashbacks of the days of training under Tinade floated onto the surface. Behind the monster maid with a rectangular face, came into view a carriage with a squad of knights as escort. The carriage was pulled by six pegasi. ¡°You¡¯ve made yourself hard to find. I suppose you¡¯ve gotten better compared to the time you were hiding within a flour barrel in the pantry.¡± ¡°I was five! Re-release me!¡± ¡°Nu-uh,¡± Tinade didn''t lax her tight embrace. ¡°Lord Sterling and Lady Camile miss you dearly. You should meet them instead of looking from afar like you¡¯ve done in the past years. You promised you¡¯d return to the house and do your duties after you¡¯ve become Level 4, now you have. I¡¯m bringing you back. Congratulations by the way.¡± So they really have been watching me! Tinade walked closer to the carriage with Mary in hand. The maid was two meters tall so her feet didn''t even touch the ground. Mary expelled her charged power to free herself. Tinade looked amused and tried to catch her again. Mary fought to escape. They were both Level 4 so Mary hoped she had some chance. Just as she feared, Tinade overcame her with ease. The end result was Mary got bound with rope from neck to toe, like a caterpillar on the ground. ¡°Your growth and improvement brings tears of happiness to my eyes, young lady. Why don''t you show me your face so I can look at you.¡± Tinade swiped her hand in front of Mary¡¯s face and her disguise unraveled. A beautiful face that was incomparable to her previous one came into view. Her hair also became longer and changed into bright gold. ¡°There. Such a waste of a pretty face to cover it up.¡± ¡°Ahahah¡­¡± Ciel weakly laughed. ¡°My dear kind-hearted instructor, can you please let your dear disciple go?¡± ¡°Nope. Your parents take priority. You know, your accomplishments in the Silver Legion made both of them very proud, as am I. Now your other duty calls. Back home, they already have a bunch of suitors lined up for you. Handsome boys all. You¡¯ll like them. Pick wisely. Or pick them all. That works too.¡± Tinade tossed the bound young lady with a horrified expression to the carriage despite her protest. ¡°Wait-wait-wait! I don''t want to marry yet!¡± ¡°And what fortuitous timing that you''d return to us this day of all times. I think we can still make it for tonight''s event.¡± Tinade closed the door to the carriage as she entered, the heraldry of the Valentine Duchy was on the door. The people of Celedony who had gathered from the commotion witnessed the pegasi pull the carriage into the air. *** ¡°I wonder when Master is coming,¡± Boram was getting restless. ¡°Farley said he will come here today,¡± Jessica brought a cake. It was what they made for Viers. ¡°Paina, can you clear the table?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Paina promptly did so and beamed at the three that entered the house. ¡°Tim, Luca, Gwen! How are you?¡± ¡°Is he here yet?¡± Luca was slightly panting. She was in a hurry to come here. ¡°Relax. You¡¯re still in time. How¡¯d your lesson go today?¡± Farley asked while grabbing a Level 2 water candy for Futon who came out from the white badge on Gwen¡¯s shirt. The elemental had been acting as bodyguard for the younger trio.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Tim was eager to answer. ¡°It was great! We-¡± A portal was formed in front of the Gate Plant that was planted inside the house. All the people stopped what they were doing and gathered around. It had been three long years since some of them met Viers directly. Welcome and congratulations were at the tip of their tongue. They were assaulted by a feeling of death. Primal fear that stabbed into their souls. Viers appeared from the portal exuding a refined killing intent and an oppressing aura. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Viers hummed. ¡°You passed. All of you. Well done!¡± Viers rescinded his intimidation and smiled. There were gasps of breaths and long exhalations of relief. ¡°Hey, what was that for?¡± Paina flared. ¡°Farley and Jessica immediately put the younger trio behind them and ready to defend. Paina was a moment away from activating life-saving measures. Boram and Futon are ready on the offense. There are no unnecessary movements. This shows your depths. Your vigilance. This means should I be an enemy, you all won''t die without nothing to show for it and survival is much more likely. I¡¯m especially worried about those that went to the Academy. Safe environments can dull your instincts. I¡¯m glad it¡¯s an unnecessary worry.¡± ¡°Master,¡± Boram sighed. ¡°Never changes.¡± ¡°My heart seems to be jumping up and down in my breast,¡± Gwen said from behind her sister. Clarissa came from behind the portal after Viers. Mini-Dia was on her shoulder. Zerri and Faiya came next. The whole gang was gathered in the house. A messy house. When the defenders entered battle mode abruptly, they couldn''t afford to think about furniture. The living room looked like the site of a plane crash. Seeing the state of the room, Clarissa shook her head. ¡°Don''t worry. He did the same to us.¡± ¡°Being alert is never bad,¡± Viers scoffed. ¡°You never know when you¡¯ll get a brush with death.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ the cake is ruined,¡± Jessica said after seeing the splattered pastry. ¡°Oh no,¡± Luca saddened. ¡°No worries. Seeing your growth is a much more important present for me,¡± Viers stroked Luca¡¯s dark purple hair. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten big, little duck.¡± ¡°Ehehe, it¡¯s the swan, big bro,¡± Luca smiled. Next was the true catch-up. They did it while tidying up the place. Although this house was temporary, one meant for use during the Grand Prix only, such a mess couldn''t be tolerated. Of course, Viers helped too. Boram had experienced a period of growth spurt. Because he was forced to become a Pathseeker before the age of fifteen, his body couldn''t grow. After saving Liapris, the elves managed to cure him somewhat. Now he looked like someone of his age, a fifteen-year-old Level 3 peak Pathseeker. When other people his age had just begun as Pathseekers, he was already three Levels ahead. His giant bloodline played a part in him not getting a much worse side effect. Paina, Farley, and Clarissa. These three former tenants who once lived inside his soul space had achieved existential independence by regaining their flesh and blood bodies. They each had a beauty comparable to movie stars. All were in their early twenties, the same as Viers. Each had their own distinct charm. If Viers had to describe it, Paina was a beauty-in-the-library kind of girl. He noticed she was wearing glasses even though she shouldn''t need them at her cultivation level. It suited her though. When she uses her Fae powers, what would she look like? Also, I wonder what her approach is with her water and sound dual affinities. Farley¡¯s beauty was akin to a graceful ballerina. With her Devawi Swan bloodline, Viers kept connecting her with a ballet dancer, which wasn''t too far off. Farley was a great dancer. But she was no fragile flower. Her skill with a spear was as ferocious as a dragon. She used to have white feathers sparingly growing on her head like hair, but she seemed to be more in control of her bloodline now and had none. But she seemed to like wearing feather-themed hair accessories like the one she had now. Clarissa¡¯s lamian heritage gave her an exotic flavor of beauty. She was also pretty bold in her choice of clothes. She preferred clothing that showed a lot of skin. Her navel was almost always exposed. Whether it was an individual preference or a cultural thing, Viers didn''t know. There was also a highborn charisma that she rarely showed. As expected of a lamia princess from the Age of the Gods. Like Boram, the three were Level 3 peak and were making progress to Level 4 but they were still far. It wasn''t that they were slow. On the contrary, their cultivation Level was very excellent but they weren''t ready for Level 4 yet. They also didn''t have all of Viers¡¯ cultivation resources and cheats. For them, reaching Level 4 should take a few more years but for Boram, it would take much longer. Ascending too early could become a problem on its own. The one that had reached Level 4 besides Viers was Jessica. She did that a few months ago. For a long time the single mother had been stuck at Level 3. After finding her purpose and access to a wealth of resources via Viers, her cultivation rose rapidly. Her age was greatly above Viers so it was no surprise. She said her accumulation had dried up though so from this point on her growth rate would dip. The age part didn''t touch her appearance though, she still very much resembled Tifa. With her high cultivation and the health of a body Pathseeker, Viers was pretty sure she would stay this way even if she hit two hundred. The most likely that would become Level 4 next, more than Paina, Farley, and Clarissa, were the three familiars. Dia, Faiya, and Futon were not human so their cultivation was different. The latter two who were born from Viers¡¯ split souls, were somewhat restricted by Viers¡¯ Level ceiling. Like monsters, after eating enough precious items, they should be able to become Level 4s. Meanwhile, the dryad had taken her cultivation in an unusual and interesting direction. She consulted with Viers who deemed it viable and gave her the go-ahead to do as she wished. In the matter of appearance, Faiya and Futon were unchanged, cute flying little fireball and cloud. During battle, they could grow their mass and volume to further suit the enemy but this was their default form. This decision was supported by the women in Viers¡¯ camp. They liked hanging out with the elementals, sometimes using them as pillows. To match her siblings, Dia usually took on the size of a palmtop Bellossom so they could play or ride on someone¡¯s head together. However, her normal form was that of a ten-year-old dryad with leaves for hair and green skin. Lately, she had been improving her transformation so she became more human-like. She asked pointers from Clarissa who transformed her snake-lower body into a pair of nice legs. She thought if she could do that, she would be able to do more things together with her kin in the outside world without attracting attention from baddies. The queen of the Tyra Xerg had joined Viers¡¯ camp. She was the one and only of her kind in the entire world right now and it would remain that way until she evolved further. She was currently as strong as a Level 2 monster but with a psychic ability potent enough to turn the minds of Level 3s into mush. She tried to grow as fast as she could to help her Overlord but Viers told her no. Nothing good came from forcing growth, he said. At this time, the threat of a Swarm of organisms that would consume the world was just a fantasy but one that became more real every day. ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight. Congratulations,¡± Jessica said. ¡°Dying every day for three years does that to people,¡± Viers took a few sips from his cup. Seeing the older kids, Luca sighed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gwen asked. ¡°They are all so incredible,¡± Luca said. ¡°I feel like we¡¯ve no place here. It¡¯s like they are in a different world.¡± ¡°I get you,¡± Tim put a peanut into his mouth. ¡°I can''t wait to get to where they are.¡± ¡°We will,¡± Gwen leaned her head on Luca¡¯s shoulder as she looked at her sister who seemed to be having fun talking with Paina and Clarissa. ¡°Just two more years.¡± ¡°Mhmm,¡± Luca nodded. *** It was fun, but Viers had plans for the evening. He put on a nice suit fitting for a high-class ball and went to meet up with Croix. The place they were in was on the outskirts of the Crimson Capital while the prince got a place in the noble''s district. Only Viers and Boram would go. They took a carriage to get there. The sun was setting and the Emerith Grand Ball would soon begin. Chapter 416 - Emerith Grand Ball Opulence. The Emerith Grand Ball proudly represented the very meaning of that word. It was hosted in a palace like the Versailles, decorated to the highest standard. Not only for the Level 5s that would attend and the multitude of foreign representatives but also showed the significance of the event to the future of the Latias Kingdom. Though no one spoke of it, those who were able to see the signs knew the Grand Prix that followed after the Ball was the competition to determine the future monarch. Viers came to the venue with Croix, Boram, and Alfred. The four rode a special carriage for this occasion. It much resembled a limousine though the style might differ. Behind and in front of them, were a long line of other carriages carrying other guests to the venue. The security was very tight. Strong people were everywhere and there were lots of defenses, both mundane and magical. Even a skilled infiltrator like Viers couldn''t say he could enter the Ball for certain. But why would he? He¡¯d gotten an invitation to the high-society event. This was precisely one of the perks he aimed for when agreeing to become Croix¡¯s vassal. While Viers wasn''t overly fond of living a pointlessly lavish life, he wouldn''t mind enjoying things every now and then. Croix was led to the ¡®backstage¡¯ for VIPs by a butler. Viers separated from them and went straight to the ballroom alone. The excuse he gave was to gather information and feel out the situation from the other guests. Valid reasons indeed and he successfully removed some longass noble customs from taking up his time. And so he was here, at the most amazing ballroom he had ever seen. The vast room he entered was enchanted with space wizardry so the inside was bigger than it should¡¯ve been. The whole floor was made of mana crystals, polished to perfect shine. The lines and patterns on the walls were unbelievably ornate. The opened curtain of the baby-smooth velvet silk allowed the guests to view a majestic starry sky standing on the periphery. There was a second floor that overlooked the main dancing space. Yet above, were diamond chandeliers, floating and giving blessed illumination. And of course, the people. Both men and women wore the best attire with their most exquisite accessories. To Viers¡¯ observation, the men preferred things that showed their power as adornment, like shoes made of skin from a powerful monster. On the other hand, the women preferred jewelry and top-of-the-line cosmetics. There were already a couple of hundred people in the room and it was still early. That number would expectedly grow after the VIPs and the other guests arrived. The entrance to the room was on the second floor so the ones in the room were able to marvel or judge the new arrivals as they walked down the carpeted stairs to the ballroom. Viers'' entrance made no waves because he was an unknown nobody. The villain took one of the free drinks and retreated to the other end of the second floor so he could survey the entire venue. ¡°Wow, what a party.¡± ¡°Darling, watch the kids. They mustn''t embarrass us.¡± ¡°My Lady, allow me to introduce myself.¡± ¡°Ah, if it isn''t Lord Beaumont. How long has it been?¡± ¡°Hahaha! You''ve got a good eye. My wife¡¯s necklace is indeed made by Master Jefferson.¡± ¡°Those Coalition folk have not fully recovered from the soul crisis. How embarrassing. Perhaps we should show them how it¡¯s done, eh? Huhuhu.¡± ¡°Mother, look. That lady¡¯s dress is so gaudy.¡± Among the flowing music in the background, there was a cacophony of conversation of all sorts and flavors. Most were useless, but there was some interesting info now and then, even blackmail materials. Like a certain eminence in shadow, Viers enjoyed his solitary position with a glass of drink in hand. He couldn''t help but feel a little bit of superiority. He started out as a weak reincarnator with a mediocre water 2 affinity. Now he was a Level 4 that had gotten a place in an event like this. He had come far, and he would go farther still. He would accept no other outcome. It was amusing for Viers to watch the ladies with their colorful gowns and hair. They had hair of blue, orange, green, and other varieties. It wasn''t hair dyes but an effect of special disposition. For example, Countess Grace Weiss had blue hair because of her powerful mastery over ice. Luca, who wasn''t yet a Pathseeker, had dark purple hair from birth because of her darkness 5 affinity. Therefore, colored hair was a status symbol. Viers found it amusing because they were like birds with their colorful feathers. ¡°Madam Blume, good evening. I wonder what sort of news found its way into your ears today.¡± ¡°Oh, darling, you¡¯ve no idea. Ohoho!¡± Not far from Viers, a middle-aged woman was surrounded by a group of other married ladies. The one called Madam Blume hinted at all sorts of interesting things about some of the guests. A few of the women around her even gasped at the depth of the tidbits. ¡°So that boy was Lord Brooke¡¯s child out of wedlock? My word¡­ As expected of Madam Blume.¡± ¡°And did you know, there¡¯s-¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. While Viers would like to eavesdrop more on the madam¡¯s gossip, three sounds of a trumpet from the master of ceremonies near the entrance signified the event had moved to the next phase. ¡°Presenting, Prince Darios Wood Latias, the 54th Prince of Latias Kingdom.¡± A young man entered along with a young lady with locked arms. Following them a bit later were their vassals and entourage. ¡°Ooh, the royals have come. How exciting. Is there anything you¡¯d like to share, Madam Blume?¡± A woman in the gossiper¡¯s group asked. ¡°Not about this fine young man, unfortunately. You certainly didn''t hear this from me, but the earlier the prince¡¯s appearance is, the lesser their prospect is for the upcoming competition. Uff, don''t get me started on the politics behind the scenes. Why, that particular week alone had enough drama for me to write a book. Remind me to tell you about the duel between a certain earl and count at our next afternoon tea.¡± Madam Blume used a feather fan to hide the smile on her face. ¡°If it¡¯s coming from the Madam¡¯s lips, then it must be true.¡± ¡°Indeed. Soon it would be evident to the other people too. Look behind Prince Darios. He wasn''t able to garner any noteworthy support, apparently.¡± The gossip lady was right. In a place like this, information was a weapon. Viers made sure he didn''t enter the den of snakes unarmed. With soul search and whatnot, he knew many people in the venue. He put particular importance on the information involving princes and princesses. The ones that showed up here would become Croix¡¯s competitors in the Grand Prix. Prince Darios was nothing special. A harsh truth, but not untrue. For whatever reason, he threw his hat into the ring, entering a struggle for the crown and throne. The second prince that entered was nothing special either. ¡°I suppose it would take a while until the big players grace us with their presence,¡± a member of Madam Blume¡¯s group said. ¡°Not necessarily.¡± ¡°Presenting, Prince Croix Ash Latias, the 51st Prince of Latias Kingdom.¡± Only the third royal to make his appearance, but Croix brought gasps of surprise from the audience. It was because the now eighteen years old young man had a dragon at his side. Boram, Alfred, and some others walked behind him but the people¡¯s attention was caught by the young prince. Falmerion had grown to the size of a pony and proudly roared against the gaggle before him. Viers was sure the dragon felt he was surrounded by inferior beings. ¡°So, the rumors are true. There is a prince that has been chosen by a dragon.¡± ¡°A dragon¡­ Even the previous king didn''t have one. The royal blood is thick with this one.¡± ¡°But Ash¡­? It seems his aptitude and his mother''s status aren''t high.¡± ¡°I heard rumors he also forged his Intio at the Archion Volcano. If that is true¡­¡± ¡°Balderdash!¡± ¡°His supporters don''t seem much. Even though he has a dragon, how are his capabilities?¡± Whispers and discussion were thrown about. The excitement in the room rose greatly. As soon as he reached the floor, many people approached Croix, introducing themselves and or their daughters. Falmerion also got as much attention as Croix, much to his chagrin. At least the dragon seemed to know not to bite the fingers of kids that were trying to touch his red scales. He had an intimidating hiss though. Since the prince didn''t come accompanied by a lady, that meant he was ¡®fair game¡¯ for the ladies who wanted to gain his attention or mothers who wanted to arrange a match for their daughters. Viers had watched Bridgerton so he didn''t find it strange. Was it historically accurate? Absolutely not. He just wanted to be entertained. And this Ball was starting to entertain him. Earlier when they met, Viers asked if he had a lady companion in mind. He said no. He further elaborated on the reality that he might need to make a political marriage in his bid for the throne. Viers didn''t judge him on this decision. For now though, there were no ¡®heavyweights¡¯ approaching Croix. Only ¡®lightweights¡¯. ¡°My my, an interesting prince, is he not?¡± Madam Blume¡¯s voice entered Viers¡¯ ear from the side. ¡°There are many rumors about this one. His progress in the Sinclair Academy painted quite a picture about the dashing young man.¡± ¡°Oh, do grace us with your tale, Madam.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Please tell us.¡± ¡°Very well, since you asked so nicely.¡± The Madam then easily blabbered gossip about Croix. ¡°His backing is Countess Grace Weiss¡­ The ruler of Stormberg famously despises Latias politics. What changed?¡± ¡°Poor Man¡¯s Prince? Goodness. I do hope he understands his station. It wouldn''t do if the masses started to get ideas.¡± ¡°...Is that true? One of his main vassals, that boy there is a Coalition slave?¡± ¡°The Sinclair coup attempt a couple of years back? He was one of the heroes foiling it? Headmaster Castellos praised him personally?¡± ¡°Already at odds with two of the main lines of the Four Duchies? How bold and foolish.¡± ¡°That is not all. Do you know about the Masere Port Incident?¡± Madam Blume teased. ¡°You don''t say¡­¡± A lady placed a hand on her chest in a gesture of shock. ¡°But I do. He was there. Hard to miss with his dragon raining down fire. If the administration was not controlled by the Chancellor, he would have received a medal for his valor. And there¡¯s something else¡­¡± The madam lowered her voice as she was about to reveal the most juicy of gossip. The circle of lady gossipers around her also closed ranks. Viers¡¯ with his super hearing could still hear them though and he suspected he was not the only one eavesdropping on Madam Blume. ¡°My sources heavily suggest Prince Croix might not control one but two dragons. The other one was a water dragon. Older and mightier than the young red wyrm down there. It was briefly witnessed by some during the port incident. So, what do you ladies think? In this lady¡¯s humble opinion, this young prince is quite the dark horse in the competition. I¡¯ll look upon his progress with interest.¡± ¡°...T-two? My word. One is great enough, but two?¡± ¡°It will be interesting if it¡¯s true.¡± Viers almost smiled but betrayed nothing. He slowly walked to join his liege, to save him from the swarm of young ladies. In the meantime, other princes made their appearance. ¡°Presenting, Princess Elvina Cinder Latias, the 38th Princess of the Latias Kingdom.¡± ¡°Presenting, Prince Vadym Sapphire Latias, the 34th Prince of the Latias Kingdom.¡± ¡°Presenting, Prince Cassian Onyx Latias, the 26th Prince of the Latias Kingdom.¡± ¡°Presenting, Prince Lutz Diamond Latias, the 11th Prince of the Latias Kingdom.¡± Throughout the hour, Croix¡¯s half-siblings entered one after another. As expected, the older siblings had more support from various forces. After the royals had all been announced to the venue, next was the grand appearance of the four heads of the duchies. As they entered, four banners unfurled from the ceiling, each showing the heraldry of the houses. House Lucan with two wolves'' heads. House Valentine with a white gryphon. House Crowe with five black suns. House Mercea with swords and roses. The heraldry of the King of Latias, a red dragon, was absent. Symbolizing the vacancy of the throne. The young bloods who would rise up to meet the challenge had gathered here. Chapter 417 - The Heirs of the Dragon Some say, when there are a hundred people, there are a hundred opinions. ¡°Ah, here they come¡­ Look at them, one of them will be our future ruler.¡± ¡°Little birds. My youngest grandson is twice their age¡­ What do they know of ruling?¡± ¡°So, so many. And those down there aren''t even all of them.¡± ¡°The previous king sowed his seeds on every fertile field he found pretty. A lot of sprouts emerged. A virile man indeed. Goddess rest his damned soul.¡± ¡°The dead have it easy. They are free of worries. It is us, the living, who must deal with this mess now.¡± ¡°Unless you¡¯re an undead.¡± The jest created laughs that lasted for a few seconds. One of them then sighed. ¡°On one hand we have these greenhorns, on the other hand, we have the Chancellor¡¯s iron-fist regime. The future of our country looks bleak.¡± There were many people in the ballroom. Some created a clique among their own to talk between friends and acquaintances. One of them were nobles who were talking like scheming warlocks. ¡°So, gentlemen. Your opinion?¡± ¡°The oldest of the participating royals is Prince Lutz. He¡¯s the 11th Prince. He¡¯s 24 this year. He¡¯s hard-working, generous, and well-liked by those under him. Character-wise, there are no particularly bad tendencies. Perhaps one, maybe. He¡¯s highly paranoid. Notice all those protective items on his person?¡± ¡°The 1st to the 10th are all missing or dead. The nasty burn scar on his face is a token from an assassination attempt when he was less than ten summers. If his paranoia is the cause of his survival until now, I¡¯d say it¡¯s served him well.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ How¡¯s his capability?¡± ¡°His middle name is the name of gems so it¡¯s pretty good. However, his current backing is a bit dry. The most notable among them is the Yeteron Kingdom. A small kingdom at the northern border but he has made a Level 5 as his ally.¡± ¡°He¡¯s 24 but he¡¯s not yet Level 4¡­ He¡¯s at the edge of crossing and that is not bad progress. Certainly faster than almost all of my progeny. However, it doesn''t scream extraordinary or anything.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see what he''s made of in the Grand Prix then.¡± ¡°This is unconfirmed, but apparently the prince¡¯s camp suffered a big hit a few days ago. One of the members of his team was heavily injured and won''t be entering tomorrow''s Prix.¡± ¡°Sure enough, the Prince has a shadow on his face. The man is a good-natured man but he seems to be born bearing an ill fortune.¡± ¡°...Who¡¯s the next heavy hitter among them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been following the prowess of the 26th Prince, Cassian. I believe he¡¯s a serious contender for the throne. He gets things done and is not afraid to get his hands dirty. He swiftly put an end to a rebellion and has had no problem from the dissidents ever since.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°He let his pet monsters eat the ringleaders alive while his entire court was watching.¡± ¡°Geez. Don''t tell me he¡¯s a bad apple like his father.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not easy to please and demands high from those under him, but with every problem he¡¯s faced, he has solved them whilst bringing benefit for his own side. He has significantly more backing than Prince Lutz and is a powerful tamer Pathseeker. Got two Deva-class monsters as part of his menagerie already and is eager to expand it. I¡¯d say he has the disposition of a strong leader.¡± ¡°And what would it feel like to be under the rule of such a king, I wonder? Not very comfortable to be sure.¡± The noblemen silently contemplated the news for a moment. ¡°Gentlemen, may I guide your attention to the Prince wearing a blue suit on the left, please? That¡¯s Prince Vadym Sapphire Latias. The 34th Prince, 19 years old.¡± ¡°Handsome chap, isn''t he? What about this one?¡± ¡°I believe this fine young man is a very dangerous individual. He runs a successful business. How fortunate that many of the competitors die mysteriously or back out without a fight. That is how he was able to rise to such heights.¡± ¡°Assassinations and blackmails. Already swimming in dark waters I see.¡± ¡°His affinity is a rare one, star. Furthermore, a competent warrior, already tested and bloodied in the fields of combat. He and Prince Cassian have a fierce case of rivalry. He¡¯s five years younger than Prince Lutz but has the same Level. When he was born, it was said there was an omen, a star shower.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about that too. I agree that Prince Vadym is a tough rock to crack.¡± ¡°His backing?¡± ¡°All lightweight¡­ At least on the surface.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The man checked the magic item that provided privacy to their little group before answering. ¡°I have a strong suspicion he¡¯s connected to the underworld. Very connected.¡± ¡°...You mean, those people?¡± ¡°Out of the seven, which one?¡± ¡°After my informant disappeared, leaving no trace but his little finger from my own manor, I did not probe further.¡± These powerful nobles suddenly felt a chilly wind at the back of their neck. ¡°...How dangerous.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Let the four dukes worry about that. We simply have to pay taxes to whoever sits on the fancy throne and govern our own land.¡± ¡°Wise words.¡± The group called for replacement drinks and rested their tongues. ¡°I want to direct your attention to Princess Elvina next. The 38th born young lady. Age 19. A half-elf.¡± ¡°I confess I haven''t heard of her. How exceptional is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not exceptional at all.¡± ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± ¡°Her middle name is Cinder, so you know the aptitude she was born with is mediocre at best. As you can see, she¡¯s a Level 2 and that¡¯s all she is able to be. Her ash affinity is only ash 2, you see. She won''t be able to become Level 3 unless she improves her affinity somehow. I just do not know what she expects to gain by aiming for the throne.¡± ¡°Perhaps she¡¯s only here for the Ball and not the Grand Prix?¡± ¡°No. Her eyes are the eyes of a fighter. She¡¯s here to fight.¡± ¡°Then I pray the Goddess shows her mercy. As far as I know, she¡¯s a very decent lady. She should be married at her age, or at least engaged. Her family''s condition as it is, no one arranged it for her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still royal blood. The young bucks will still vie for her affection. See?¡± ¡°We still don''t know the details of the Grand Prix this year since the four ducal houses kept it very tight but the contest is not for delicate young flowers. People die at the Grand Prix every time.¡± ¡°Next is¡­ I suppose he¡¯s not coming after all.¡± ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± ¡°The 40th Prince, Marvin. The last anyone heard of him was three years ago.¡± ¡°Then odds are he¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Yes. Speaking of talent, he might be the one with the most talent out of the entire generation that came from the loins of King Lahar. They said he was as lustful as his father but much more talented. Duke Lucan saw his potential early and betrothed his daughter to him. Then, all of a sudden, poof. He vanished into thin air.¡± ¡°Not necessarily. There are rumors in the underground that Prince Marvin is a cultist now. They said he went to them because the cult sent a hundred girls to his bed daily.¡± ¡°Is this true?¡± ¡°Just rumors. Who knows.¡± ¡°...Whatever the case, he¡¯s gone. Tread carefully with this subject in front of Duke Lucan. He was, perhaps is, very pissed.¡± ¡°Haaah¡­ Such a waste of talent. How often these geniuses die young.¡± ¡°That means they weren''t geniuses after all. Speaking of talent, we have to address the dragon in the room.¡± ¡°The 51st Prince, Croix Ash Latias, age 18. Somehow, the boy managed to make his dragon egg hatch while every other of his siblings had failed.¡± ¡°Dragons are whimsical creatures, though I don''t believe they are born according to their own whims. It worries me how we still don''t know how or why some eggs hatch and some do not.¡± ¡°The practice of handing a dragon egg to a newly born royal blood is a very old custom dating back to the founding of Latias. Some say it was the decree of the legendary first king. People get touchy when other people try to dig up information concerning the royal line¡¯s legacy.¡± ¡°We monopolize some things from the commoners and those more powerful than us monopolize some things from us. Touch¨¦.¡± ¡°So what do we know about this Prince?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been studying at the Sinclair Academy for three years so information is pretty easy to get. For those who have nieces, grandsons, or other relatives in there anyway.¡± ¡°Well-mannered and kind, a softie, but many believe he¡¯s destined for great things. Beside the dragon, he¡¯s rumored to have forged his Intio at the Archion Volcano, which as you all well know, no one has succeeded for a long time. That¡¯s two legendary feats for one so young.¡± ¡°On his own, he¡¯s nothing special, but factoring his dragon, well¡­ The drake is still young but there have been rare cases where the Prince made his dragon mature temporarily, to Rank 4.¡± ¡°He¡¯s backed by the Countess of Stormberg. His aunt. She¡¯s been a Level 5 for a long time; some suspect she could match with the Level 5s of the ducal houses. Though, it was only a conjecture at this point.¡± ¡°Countess Grace¡­ When we were young, I tried to kiss her hand in a ball as per our time-honored greeting tradition. She froze my lips before they touched her skin. I bet the heart of the spinster has only gotten colder now.¡± ¡°The Countess¡¯ distaste for politics is well known. Why is she backing her nephew now?¡± ¡°Perhaps the boy shows that much promise? One will not enter this mess if one feels there¡¯s no winning chance.¡± ¡°Or perhaps she¡¯s playing a different game altogether. Either way, Prince Croix is surely one to watch out for.¡± ¡°Ah, but he¡¯s a radical of sorts. As fitting for a young man his age, Prince Croix seems to harbor a burning will and ambition. That ambition is to make the Latias Kingdom great again. Sounds good, yes? But his definition of good and ours might differ. See, the prince¡¯s fondness for lowborns is common knowledge. The so-titled Poor Man¡¯s Prince is comfortable sharing a table with them. One of his direct vassals is a known foreigner slave that someone picked up from the streets.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Many fear he likes the commoners more than us. His idea of Latias Kingdom isn''t about the king or the nobility or the castles, but more about the people. The farmers, the shepherds, the poor and lice-ridden common folk. People are good but they have their place, beneath us. If he¡¯s king, who knows what policies he will make.¡± ¡°A royal with a dangerous idea. Young people, so quick to discredit what the old have built for generations.¡± ¡°True, true. The young must learn more from the wisdom of the old.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see his character at the Grand Prix.¡± ¡°But the dragon is a wild card. Let us not forget that this nation was founded by a man and his dragon. Prince Croix has two legends on his side.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see how the legend holds up when tested. Who else is worthy of note?¡± The group of nobles discussed other young royals but it was clear their prospect was lesser compared to the earlier figures. They ceased their discussion when the four dukes arrived. After a short joint speech, they revealed the shape and content of the Grand Prix, creating a heated discussion among the thousand people in the venue. At this time, the presenter who had been silent for a long time, spoke again. ¡°Presenting, Celestine Amethyst Latias, the 49th Princess of the Latias Kingdom.¡± Heads turned to the entrance, where they witnessed a princess dressed in black with enchanting purple eyes who very much embodied the essence of the title, elegantly walking down the stairs. With a black dragon at her side. Chapter 418 - Her Again After the four dukes made a joint appearance, they revealed the format of the Grand Prix for this year. ¡°So to summarize, there will be four stages and each dukedom will host one stage,¡± Viers said. ¡®Avel¡¯ had taken his place behind Croix, along with Alfred and Boram. They discussed what they had just heard. ¡°A team of four, everyone must be no older than 25,¡± Croix hummed. ¡°Unfortunately, I will be of no use in the competition, My Prince. You must find another. I¡¯ll do what I can to support you from the outside.¡± ¡°Thank you, Alfred. Age of 25 limit¡­ Just below the age of Prince Lutz.¡± ¡°The age restriction has been greatly cut in half since the last Prix¡¯s 50. The dukes really want to make this about the princes and princesses,¡± Boram said. ¡°Do you have a candidate in mind, Prince Croix?¡± Viers asked. If you don''t, I will call one of the girls. ¡°Several, from my days at the Academy. In anticipation of something like this, they are already in the city.¡± ¡°I will test them for quality.¡± What Viers just said was quite brazen and borderline rude. Other princes would take offense to their vassals saying such words directly to their faces, but not Croix. Croix nodded. ¡°Without Alfred, you¡¯ll be the strongest in the team. I have high expectations of you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll not be disappointed,¡± Viers said confidently. And it was not empty confidence. In the hour of his Ascension, he already tested that ordinary Level 4 was no match against him. Only Level 4 peaks and the exceptionals -those like Viers- would be his adversary. And there would be. Viers did not let arrogance blind him. He was sure there would come a time when his limits would be tested to the very edge. Just that the number of people capable of doing so would be very few. Croix suddenly remembered. ¡°What if you get rejected again? Like at the Volcano?¡± ¡°...Good point, Your Highness.¡± After the volcano, Viers had tested age confirmation items on himself and none showed that he was something older. Perhaps the volcano barrier was somehow special. ¡°Best you prepare another team candidate just to be safe,¡± Viers said. ¡°I really hope it doesn''t come to that.¡± ¡°The first is House Crowe¡¯s,¡± Viers went to the next subject. ¡°A battle royal. Fitting to cull the numbers for the next stages.¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow, Duke Crowe will open a portal to one of his Biomes. One filled by fearsome beasts, in his own words.¡± ¡°A familiar ground for us. Am I right, disciple?¡± Viers grinned. ¡°Yes, Master. Fighting against overwhelming numbers is our pastime.¡± Their confidence gave some comfort to Alfred¡¯s heart. This Grand Prix was very important for the Prince. They couldn''t afford to fail. The dukes only announced the details of the first round. After they finished saying what needed to be said, the Ball could finally begin. The Level 5s made their appearance, some with grandeur, some just appearing as if they were already in the ballroom the entire time. Then there were other guests too, the latecomers. One was very attention-grabbing: Celestine Amethyst Latias. Her beauty was a cut above even compared to the already beautiful and handsome people in the venue. Furthermore, she was also accompanied by a dragon. ¡°...So there is another,¡± Croix muttered. His surprise was clear, and it was not only him. Almost all the people in the venue were, including Viers and the Level 5s. Viers¡¯ attention was focused on the person behind the princess and the dragon. Falmerion snapped his neck after catching the other dragon¡¯s scent. He flapped his wings and parted the sea of people between him and the black dragon. Croix and the gang hurriedly followed. The red and black dragon met face to face, hiss and roars were traded. Their roars were not great roars like the ones in Godzilla x Kong¡¯s franchise though, where every titan roared like they needed to try and spit their lungs out of their mouth.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. They both were young dragons still, possibly seeing other dragons for the first time. In the end, they didn''t seem about to kill each other. ¡°Falmerion, behave. Don''t be rude,¡± Croix said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for surprising you.¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Celestine smiled. ¡°Serena wants to be friends with your dragon.¡± ¡°Is that so? Isn''t it great, Falmerion?¡± The red dragon turned his back and flew away to another place. Viers stifled his chuckle. It was just like how a boy didn''t know how to respond in the presence of a girl. According to what he knew, both Croix and any other prince got their egg not from a dragon but chosen from one of many unhatched eggs in a vault in the palace. There were hundreds of eggs, Croix said. Therefore, Falmerion and the black dragon, Serena, were unlikely to be siblings. ¡°Ah, hey!¡± Croix watched his dragon fly away to terrorize other people. ¡°Fufufu, I think he¡¯s shy,¡± the princess with a dress that was like a piece of the night sky gave her dragon a gentle caress. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Prince Croix. I¡¯ve heard so much about you.¡± ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m ashamed that I¡¯ve never heard of you. Please forgive me, Princess Celestine.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to forgive. I rarely venture outside. One of the reasons I came late. Ah, how careless of me.¡± ¡°Your presence here brightens this evening. I¡¯m sure they agree,¡± Croix gestured to the onlookers surrounding them. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Prince Croix. Allow me to introduce you to two good friends of mine, this is Solany Lucan. I understand the two of you have met.¡± Solany greeted Croix with a curtsy and Croix reciprocated. ¡°The circumstances of our meeting weren''t the best three years ago. I hope the Prince isn''t carrying a grudge.¡± ¡°Not at all. You didn''t act against me or mine at the Archion Volcano so there¡¯s no enmity between us. And¡­ I¡¯m sorry about the loss of your betrothed.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re too kind.¡± Viers was sure Solany didn''t mind the loss of her betrothed, why, she was basically complicit in letting Marvin get meatbagged. Solany stepped back and Celestine introduced the other woman that she brought to the ball, one who Viers kept staring at the whole time. ¡°Allow me to introduce you to Lady Freya Marianus of the Silver Legion. Someone that has been a great help to me and countless others. I have the privilege of calling her a friend.¡± ¡°Your Highness,¡± Freya¡¯s etiquette was flawless. ¡°My Lady. I¡¯ve only the highest regard for the Silver Legion, the sword against the dark forces. All living beings owe the Legion their gratitude.¡± ¡°I¡¯m unworthy of such praise,¡± Freya slightly dipped her head, her face expressionless. ¡°Allow me to introduce you to my vassals. This is Alfred, a knight with unsurpassable loyalty. On his side is Avel of Javia and his disciple, Boram Rockboa. I owe them both my life.¡± While Alfred greeted the Princess, Croix felt something was amiss, namely Avel''s fixed gaze upon the Silver Legion lady. Of course, Freya didn''t fail to notice. Boram also raised his eyebrow. It was unusual for his Master to react so¡­ vigilant. Not to this degree, at least. Viers and Freya were still, like two warriors sizing up each other. There was no hostility or spark of aggression between them at the moment. The memories of horrendous defeat bubbled up in Viers¡¯ mind. Freya¡¯s face was as he remembered, an intellectual beauty, cold and aloof. She gave off the aura of someone above all of this, above petty mortal business. Her etiquette and politeness were for the sake of interaction. The two had finally met again after years of separation. Viers wore a different face now but would the deception hold? Perhaps she already knew who exactly was standing in front of her. Viers knew destiny tried to nudge their meeting for some time now. For example, during his first visit to Monsterland. Viers had a hiding mechanism from other people that tried to use fate to scheme against him, not from fate itself. Viers had soul searched people and one of those people caught sight of Freya. In the end, because the otherworlder dungeon core bailed out during the troubles there and Viers did nothing, the villain and the warrioress of light didn''t meet. Still, Viers knew sooner or later the two would meet again. The karma between them hadn¡¯t closed. The silence between them went long enough until the prince and the princess started to feel something was wrong. ¡°Lady Freya. Your reputation precedes you,¡± Viers broke silence first. ¡°Indeed? All I ever do is punish evildoers. The virtuous have nothing to fear from me,¡± Freya raised up her black-rimmed spectacle. ¡°Nations will tremble before you then. How many can truly claim they are virtuous in this mortal world?¡± ¡°Some less than others.¡± ¡°Undoubtedly. Have a pleasant evening, Lady Legionary.¡± ¡°And to you, Mr. Avel.¡± Viers¡¯s face was clay while Freya¡¯s was ice. As natural as they could be. The day they crossed swords again would surely come, but not tonight. That time, Viers had yet spread his wings, even though he had his cheats. The victor and the loser from that battle had come far. Viers¡¯ senses couldn''t be certain if Freya was a Level 4 but his intuition and soul whispered she was. Would Viers grasp victory in their next clash? Or Freya would once more prove to be above him? Normally in such a story, the protagonist who lost against a more powerful destined antagonist clashed to a tie in their second battle, or the battle was left unfinished. And in the third encounter, at the final act of the story, he won after a climactic fight. But that was when the protagonist was a hero, the good guy. Viers was not, while the other, was. Probably. Most likely. Justice always wins in the end. Justice was at the other side''s court. For those who knew stories, not an outlook that inspired confidence. But Viers had the power of Fables on his side. And so Viers challenged Fate once again, the first time since Anne, the Mary Sue. But the fight would not be tonight. The night was young and the Ball was just getting started. Twice now he had already been surprised. He had a feeling it wouldn''t be the last. Chapter 419 - In the Ballroom A Ball meant dances. The most important announcements about the Grand Prix had been conveyed, the Level 5s had arrived, and the important guests were here. The rest was simply the natural proceedings of the event. Some went to the dancefloor as the band of musicians played the first dancing tune. Who you have as a partner for the first dance was quite important, apparently. But not all of the guests went dancing, some were content to wait it out in favor of meeting other people, greeting acquaintances and enemies alike, or sharing scoops with one another. For Croix, this was an important time. There were many people that wanted to greet him. Some wanted to know him better, hedging their bets about who to support in the future throne grab. Others were people who wanted to weave a stronger bond with the young prince. Since it was quite brazen to introduce themselves on their own, the young ladies of marriageable age were being introduced by their parents, or by older friends. Some bold ones didn''t mind introducing themselves directly though. The Emerith Grand Ball might have served as the opening to the Grand Prix, but this year was of special importance for its significance concerning the competing young princes. Nevertheless, this was a social event for nobles. In gatherings like this, some upper-class young scions were attending for the first time as debutantes. These young flowers were entering the marriage market, hoisted by their desperate mommas to find an agreeable match. In the word of Lady Whistledown: May God have mercy on their souls. Croix would be busy for some time. They weren''t lining up because it wouldn''t be fitting in a place like this. The people readied themselves in a group, pretending they were talking until when Croix seemed free then they pounced. And so Croix wasn''t able to free himself from a continuous meeting from one house to another and considering the size of the attendees of the Ball, it wouldn''t be over anytime soon. Croix couldn''t refuse them either. He might be a Prince but he needed their backing. From a social standpoint, he couldn''t be rude and outright refuse them either. At a glance, it was clear that not only Croix was being swarmed by the guests; every other prince and princess in the venue were experiencing the same thing. The popular ones among the royal offspring had more people doing ¡®introductions¡¯, which was good in a way, a sign of prestige. A few royals only caught the eye of a few people, which was a bit embarrassing. Even though Croix wasn''t as famous compared to the older princes like Lutz or Cassian, Falmerion tilted the scale. In the minds of the nobles, he was one of the major players now. Viers and Boram were vassals, it showed in their dress code, which meant they looked unappetizing to the social predators that were abundant in this place. Most people¡¯s attention was on the prince, not the vassals standing behind him, yet some were giving a bad eye to the pair with more regard to Boram. No doubt about his slave status. Probably the only one in the entire venue. Viers got his fair share of looks too. One, he was an unknown. Two, he was a commoner. There were no baubles on his clothes that signified he was at least a knight. To half of the people here, commoners were just a few inches better than slaves; only belonging at hovels and farms. ¡°Woah¡­ Incredible party,¡± Boram was amazed. If the fifteen-year-old was annoyed, he didn''t show it. ¡°I suppose it is,¡± Viers didn''t disagree. The people, the venue, the decorations, were all first-class. One of the very highest this world can offer, without counting the Level 6 and above, that is. ¡°Master, why don''t you accept knighthood?¡± Boram asked. Nobles could grant knighthood to others, so a prince like Croix could too. The prince offered Viers one before they came here. He politely refused. ¡°Why don''t you?¡± Viers asked his disciple back. ¡°He offered you too.¡± ¡°How could I have one before you? It¡¯s unthinkable.¡± Viers had a mind to accept, since his Horizon was working as intended once again, raising it even one percent would be highly beneficial. Even more so now that its growth rate has slowed because of its already absurd boost. Getting knighthood was surely a plus, and it counted him among Latias nobility, the very bottom of it but one nonetheless. In Latias Kingdom, most Level 2 Pathseekers were already knights. However, a knighthood in Latias was also tied to a Pathseeker¡¯s progression. A cultivation system unique to this land. The lord they swore allegiance to could give them extra strength, the more powerful the lord, how famous or infamous they were, the size of their land, their prestige, or how high their nobility ranking was, all became the measure of the benefits to the knight. It also tied the knight to the nobility, the Oath they swore was not something to lightly cast aside. This was how Latias Kingdom kept the Pathseekers in their kingdom in line, under the noble houses. Keeping the little pesky upstarts from mucking up the status quo under their boot. A system that some folk put in place long ago. But it also made them stronger. This was why Latias knights were renowned in all of the Human Dominion. This whole cultivation system was also tied to the throne. Without a suitable king, the whole system risked crumbling. Not right away, but that was one of the reasons the four dukes and most nobility wanted to have a monarch sitting on the throne.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. A knight title was good, but Viers didn''t like or want to become a glorified servant. He was already a vassal, albeit a temporary one. He wanted no knighthood with all the strings attached. Croix didn''t mean it that way, of course, he simply wanted to give ¡®Avel¡¯ a suitable status so the people at the ball wouldn''t look down on him. ¡°I don''t need the title.¡± ¡°True,¡± Boram agreed. ¡°Most people here don''t even know how powerful you are compared to them. Not saying they are all pushovers though. The Level 5s, some nobles that are actually competent, their vassals¡­ I can glimpse the national power of Latias at this party. It has been informative.¡± Viers glanced at his disciple. ¡°You have matured,¡± Viers praised. ¡°Well, Master did send me to school,¡± Boram smiled. ¡°Heh.¡± Viers scoffed with a smile. He hadn''t had a proper talk with Boram yet since he completed his Ascension to Level 4. He wanted to know what Boram experienced at the Sinclair Academy and put a reminder to ask him later. While knighthood failed to rouse Viers¡¯ desire, something in this place did. Viers wanted to raid the buffet table at both wings of the venue. Those high-quality foods would benefit any Pathseeker who ate them. To Viers, they would give him another benefit: life. Above all, the food was free. Viers wouldn''t say no to free food, let alone high-quality free food. The expenses came from the hosts¡¯, the four duchies'' pockets, not the guests. Which was music to Viers¡¯ ears. Still, he had obligations as a vassal. The food would have to wait. Falmerion didn''t have such obligations. After separation from the black dragon, which Viers suspected was a dark dragon, the young fire wyrm went to the food place. He had the sense not to tear up the table and eat like a base dog. Instead, he terrorized the waiters there to give him culinary offerings. Dragons were intelligent, especially the purebloods. Unlike Futon and Faiya who were born from the split soul of Viers thus having human intelligence from the start, Falmerion wasn''t able to speak human language yet but he knew enough. Viers spied the dragon waiting in front of a terrified waiter who was cutting a pork leg. The dragon had open jaws which one could see smoldering fire on the back of his throat. Poor guy. *** Celestine took a break from the suitors that kept besieging her. ¡°Apologies, gentlemen, may I borrow Solany for a while?¡± ¡°C-Certainly, Princess Celestine. Miss Lucan, I¡¯ll take my leave. I¡¯ll be eagerly waiting for your reply.¡± Celestine and Solany put a cone of silence around them to have a bit of privacy. ¡°Someone¡¯s popular,¡± the black-haired, purple-eyed, black-dressed, black-dragoned Princess said. Some girls chase boys, some are the other way around. Solany wasn''t a princess but she was a progeny from one of the ducal houses. There was no lack of suitors for her hand. However, after Marvin, she had no desire of meekly being sold to another man¡¯s embrace. ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± Celestine asked. ¡°You are perfect,¡± Solany replied. ¡°I mean about my siblings,¡± Celestine elegantly chuckled. ¡°I know, I¡¯m just messing with you. Your fault for being ambiguous,¡± Solany¡¯s eyes went towards the other royals. ¡°They won''t be easy opponents. They and their other members. Still unable to change Freya¡¯s mind?¡± ¡°She won''t be joining us. Silver Legionaries must not meddle with the internal affairs of other nations. She is absolute in this.¡± ¡°A pity. Her power would have been a substantial boon,¡± Solany was a little bit dejected. Even though it was an obvious outcome. The tenets of the Silver Legion were iron-clad. The two took each side of the black dragon as they looked at their would-be supporters. ¡°...I wonder how many of them actually support me for the throne and how many simply want me as a tool to bear their children.¡± Solany understood Celestine¡¯s thoughts all too well. Patriarchy was strongly rooted in the Latias Kingdom. It was also very traditionalist. Women were expected to marry and bear many children. They were taught from an early age that it was their duty and happiness. Two centuries ago, it was common sense that a man¡¯s wife was the belongings of the husband. The women were expected to serve their husbands and follow their every order. The Church had mellowed those cutthroat views but the perception was still deeply rooted, especially in the old noble houses. Celestine wanted to be the Queen, not the Queen consort, a very big difference. The thing was, there had never been a Queen in the history of Latias. Being the first in history was always difficult, sometimes, one must do the impossible to succeed. ¡°You have the greatest qualification as a monarch and these people only see you as a prize to win over. Blind as bats they are. My Lady¡­ I will place you on the throne, no matter what it takes,¡± Solany swore. ¡°Don''t be reckless my dear Solany. Leave the front to me. You only need to follow my back.¡± The two ended their short rest and rejoined the party. Wasting no time at all, like sharks smelling blood, the men came after the two beautiful ladies. Celestine looked at one whose face she recognized. ¡°My Lady, My Lady,¡± the handsome young man first greeted Celestine then Solany. ¡°Sir Stratos, you made it,¡± Celestine said as the youth kissed the back of her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve come to pledge my sword anew to you, as promised. If you¡¯ll have me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s reassuring to have you at my side, Sir Stratos. Solany and I have been hearing of your great exploits in Fort Bausse. You saved more than four hundred lives. Truly a great hero.¡± ¡°Your praise is overmuch,¡± Stratos might have said so but he looked happy to be praised. ¡°May I be so bold to ask you for a dance?¡± ¡°I''d be glad to,¡± Celestine took his hand and the two walked to the dancefloor. Solany saw the two of them off without any speck of jealousy. Stratos Gaelos had just entered Celestine¡¯s team. The man was said to be a talent only found once in a century. His older brother was a Paladin of the Church and the younger brother was long rumored to have the ability that wasn''t less than him. The man¡¯s presence would surely be an immeasurable boon for Celestine during the Grand Prix. House Gaelos held the nobility rank of a marquess. It was an old and powerful family that commanded a lot of prestige in the entire Latias Kingdom. The future of the family looked bright as two young stars brimming with talent were born in the main line. Solany looked at the man in his early twenties that had a princely face. His curly brown hair gave him a warm and gentle impression. She was familiar with how rumors could be greatly exaggerated, after all, her former betrothed, Marvin, was called a super genius too. That was why she could honestly say Stratos¡¯ ability far exceeded that of Marvin¡¯s. Perhaps even more so than the mysterious guy who defeated Marvin. After all, Stratos was a Level 4 and a powerful one at that. Perhaps that guy could become a Level 4 in three years but Stratos had more experience. Solany recalled Stratos should be only 23 years old now. He was also hopelessly in love with Celestine. His dance with Celestine turned more than a couple of heads. The two seemed like a perfect pair. Chapter 420 - Theus Mercea Croix was talking with one of his guests. Some noble from somewhere. There had been so many that Viers got tired of trying to match faces with their names. While Croix dealt with him politely, his smile had become quite stiff. Must be because he was smiling too much; his facial muscles became cramped. ¡°Might I inquire about your experience at the Sinclair Academy, Your Highness? From what I gathered, you¡¯ve been doing momentous deeds during your studies.¡± ¡°Whatever it is you hear, Viscount, it¡¯s surely an exaggeration,¡± Croix said. A youth interjected with a condescending voice. ¡°Exaggeration? That implies you actually accomplish something. How mighty bold you are.¡± ¡°...Theus,¡± Croix said to the newcomer. ¡°Ah. That guy,¡± Boram seemed surprised. ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°Theus Mercea. Someone from our academic year, Master. He and Prince Croix are classmates. In some classes, mine too. Simply put, I don''t like him. He¡¯s a bully.¡± ¡°Mercea? That¡¯s one of the four duchies.¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s not from the main line, but he¡¯s one of the most talented among their young generation.¡± Viers now had met three scions out of the four duke houses. Ciel Valentine, Solany Lucan, and the latest addition, Theus Mercea. While Viers and Boram were whispering, Theus continued addressing Croix. ¡°Oh don''t look so surprised. I might not get a grand announcement for my coming like you did but I am a Mercea. I have a place here,¡± the youth then turned to the viscount. ¡°My apologies for interrupting.¡± ¡°Not at all. You young people do what you young people do,¡± the man smiled and stepped back as if waiting for a grand show. ¡°So you¡¯ll be entering the Grand Prix as well?¡± Croix asked. ¡°Sure am. In case it missed your attention from your place oh so-high up, Prince, there are other people competing in the Prix besides those with royal blood,¡± Theus scoffed. ¡°I didn''t forget. I am well aware. Those entering the competition will show their honed fangs to be the first in their generation. I expect there will be many formidable people. But the one who wins will be me,¡± Croix declared. ¡°No, I will. Princes or princesses, I¡¯ll triumph over you all. I''m really grateful for the opportunity. Soon, witnessed by the whole Latias, I¡¯ll finally prove I¡¯m better than you,¡± Theus raised his chin. ¡°Go ahead, if you really can,¡± Croix took a step forward. Murmurs came from the surroundings. ¡°So, is that what I think it is?¡± Viers whispered to his disciple. ¡°I don''t know what you think it is, Master, but the two are what I call rivals. They have been butting heads since year one.¡± ¡°It''s been three years, then. And who do you think is better?¡± Ah, rivals¡­ A crucial ingredient in every shonen story. Goku and Vegeta, Naruto and Sasuke, those are the great ones. Though, there are plenty of others. ¡°Still act like you''re better than me, hm? Even though your grades are all below me?¡± Theus continued. ¡°Do continue flaunting your grades in the competition, Theus. See how it helps you,¡± Croix traded barbs. Viers raised his eyebrow. It was unusual seeing Croix being prickly like a porcupine. It was like he was so averse to taking a step back in front of a Draco Malfoy. Viers realized the reason the next moment. They were teenagers. They were eighteen, the same age as high schoolers in the modern age. The age where they were no longer kids but not yet adults. The time of heightened ego, when their hormones played a great deal in their behavior. Even though in this world the age of adulthood was fifteen, it didn''t change the rate of their mental maturity. Boram was approaching that age too, Viers realized. He made a mental note to teach Boram better. The teenage years are when kids are prone to make bad life decisions. Gotta make sure Boram grew up right and proper. God, I feel like I¡¯m like a responsible dad.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Still surrounding yourself with low lives, eh?¡± Theus¡¯ attention shifted from Croix to the ones behind him, namely Viers and Boram. ¡°Hello little Bo, did you get taller? Drink a lot of milk from your mama giant¡¯s tits?¡± Boram frowned a bit but didn''t talk back. ¡°Theus, any further insults towards my vassals and I shall not keep silent,¡± Croix was angered. ¡°What, little Bo can''t speak for himself?¡± Theus sighed. ¡°I suppose I expect too much from a subhuman.¡± ¡°Is pure human blood truly that superior, Mister Theus?¡± Viers said. ¡°And who are you?¡± ¡°Avel of Javia. Returning on, just by virtue of having a giant race¡¯s ancestry, Boram is born with a stronger body than most humans. It is a fact that many human Pathseekers tried to grow stronger by changing their bloodline into something stronger. The many Schools and Profound Codices are proof. Makes one wonder what so great about having a 100% human bloodline is. If your remark is not based on ignorance, may you give a satisfying reason?¡± Theus thinned his eyes as he looked at Viers. ¡°So you¡¯re Avel, Boram¡¯s famed Master. You know, you¡¯re famous in our classes. Every time Boram excels, he accolades you for his accomplishments,¡± Theus casually ignored Viers¡¯ earlier question as if it was the wind. ¡°A commoner,¡± Theus looked at Viers from head to toe like one appraising vegetables at a market. ¡°The way little Bo talks about you is as if you¡¯re the greatest Pathseeker who ever lived. Never believed it myself, but it makes me wonder¡­ Say, are you actually little Bo¡¯s dad? Have you laid with a giant woman? Can you tell me what it''s like?¡± ¡°Theus!¡± Croix raised his voice. ¡°That''s enough!¡± Boram did too. Theus looked at Boram with a ¡®gotcha¡¯ in his eyes. Viers caught that. He would have facepalmed himself if he could. Boram was caught in a trap. ¡°That won''t do, little Bo. We¡¯re not in the Academy anymore. Out here in the real world, the likes of you can''t speak to me with that kind of tone. Now I¡¯ve got to punish you,¡± Theus said with a sinister smile. ¡°And you forget your place. I claim slights for your slander of my vassals. I demand justice,¡± Croix challenged. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Theus said to Croix. ¡°I propose a duel to settle our justice.¡± ¡°You against Boram? Eager to reenact your spectacular defeat from your last match?¡± ¡°I magnanimously gifted him a victory out of pity. I could give little Bo a lesson about social hierarchy but a lesson from a Mercea is too good of a boon for him and unfitting of meself. Sir Hayn!¡± ¡°I await your command,¡± a young man, at least twenty years old, came forward. ¡°Be my champion and defeat the little giant. Do try not to make him cry,¡± Theus said. ¡°He¡¯s pitiful enough as is.¡± ¡°As your will.¡± Croix looked at Boram who gave him a nod. ¡°We accept the duel,¡± Croix determinedly said. *** Duels had a high significance in Latias culture. It could be used to settle disputes pretty decisively. It could also be a way of young stags showing off to young does. After agreeing to the duel, both parties went to the outside of the ballroom, just a window away and into the illusion-filled scenery. There were already people doing duels before Boram and Hayn even started. It wouldn''t be proper to make a mess in the party venue. There were already Pathseekers standing by to act as umpire. They were the people of the organizer of the Emerith Grand Ball. They wouldn''t take sides. Boram and Hayn took to the stage. It was like a stone arena emerged from the walkable water under a starry sky where all manner of fantastical beasts flew freely. Viers joined along with Croix and Alfred. He didn''t say anything even when Boram looked to him for guidance. Taking the silence as he was to deal with this on his own, Boram roused his fighting spirit. He could endure it if they insulted him, but he wouldn''t tolerate someone doing that to his Master. The umpire explained the rules of the duel and raised a barrier around the arena so the destructive force of their duel wouldn''t spread. This place was only an illusion after all. The real thing was surely a normal garden or grand hall or whatever. There were surveillance magic items everywhere, plus surveillance methods. Viers sensed he was being looked at from all directions. The people in the ballroom were facilitated to witness the things happening in the duel space. Viers even felt some very strong attention in their vicinity. One or more Level 5s had cast their direct gaze here. Without unnecessary delay, the duel soon began. Viers guessed that Theus aimed to injure or maim Boram so Croix would lose a valuable team member. This was a very common development in other stories. As for the duel itself, Viers wasn''t worried. When he picked Boram, he picked him for one reason only: to be his hammer. It meant the raw material was there, the potential. It needed to be forged and shaped until he could become a hammer that struck absolute might onto Viers¡¯ enemies. Boram and Hayn were both Level 3 peak, most of the upper-tier combatants would be at that Level for the Grand Prix considering their age limitation under 25. The Level 4s would be the cream of the crops among them. Unashamedly, Viers was one of them, though he was now lowering his cultivation to Level 3. Boram won. True to his analysis, seeing the two fight was like seeing a person trying to assault a living castle, futile. Viers built Boram to be a strength-type fighter, simply raw power. Yet, his defense was as solid as the bedrock of the earth. Hayn was good. Viers could see how Theus picked the knight as his champion to fight Boram and a teammate for the Prix, but it wasn''t enough. The raw material that was Boram was refined by the deft hand of Viers. It wasn''t to the degree of the Viers at the height of his Level 3 yet, but Boram had taken further steps than other people thought possible. Theus looked like he was directly punched in the face when the umpire declared Boram¡¯s victory. Not only because of the humiliation of defeat, but because of the state of Hayn. Boram did what they wanted to do unto him, he broke Hayn¡¯s knees brutally and deliberately. Nothing short of a top-tier healer or medicine could heal Hayn in time for the Grand Prix a few days away. Boram clearly demonstrated his power for all the Latias upper caste to see. This brought prestige to Croix too as his superior. There were some people in the ballroom saying they could see why Croix took someone like Boram under his wing despite the lack of status. With the duel¡¯s end, Viers was the first to jump onto the arena and walk towards his disciple. Boram thought he would be praised as he greeted him. Viers slapped Boram on the cheek. Chapter 421 - Life-coach ¡°M-Master?¡± Boram had his heart shaken to the core. The slap wasn''t painful but it was a stern admonishment. Viers didn''t answer him but went to Theus, and lowered his head. ¡°On behalf of my disciple, I formally apologize. He shouldn''t have maliciously injured your knight. This isn''t much, but may it help Sir Hayn recover.¡± Viers gave high-quality medicine to Theus. ¡°I hope you can show us mercy and erase your enmity,¡± Viers said with a still lowered head. ¡°Master¡­¡± Boram sounded lost and hurt. ¡°Avel, you don''t have to-¡± ¡°Apologies, Your Highness,¡± Viers stopped Croix. ¡°This is between me and my disciple. It doesn''t concern you.¡± ¡°It does concern me! You both are-¡± Alfred restrained Croix and calmed him down. Viers returned his focus to Theus. ¡°Good, good¡­ Unlike your disciple, you know your place. Very well, I accept your apology but your recompense is not enough,¡± Theus tried to sound magnanimous. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Slap yourself five times for this offense.¡± Viers did so without hesitation. Each slap felt like a stab to Boram¡¯s heart. After doing five, Theus said more. ¡°What is that weak thing? Do it like you mean it! Use your cultivation! Do it again!¡± Viers did as he was told. This time he drew power from his cultivation. He didn''t use Arte, but each slap sounded like a clap of thunder and it did damage. Without saying, his cheeks were red and swollen after those slaps. ¡°Excellent. Little Bo, your debt is squared thanks to your Master.¡± Theus made his servants recover Hayn and tossed the medicine with them. ¡°Avel, is it? If you need to find work, come find me. I have a need for a good guard dog. Hahahaha!¡± Theus withdrew. He lost the duel but felt like a winner. The master of the one who defeated his champion submitted to him. What else to call this if not victory? It was also a public humiliation. No doubt everyone would see the recording or hear it from word of mouth. A substantial blow to Croix¡¯s prestige. After Theus¡¯ camp left, the umpire also retreated, leaving Croix¡¯s camp broken in spirit. ¡°Boram, come with me. I need to have a word,¡± Viers said. ¡°...Yes, Master,¡± Boram said while holding back his sobs. ¡°I need a moment with my disciple, please excuse us,¡± Viers said to Croix and Alfred. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with the prince. Take your time,¡± Alfred said. Viers asked the umpire for directions and left the duel space. They didn''t return to the ballroom but went to seek some quiet place. All the while, Boram trailed behind him like a lost child. They stopped at a veranda. ¡°This should do. I¡¯ve put up a barrier for extra protection. We won''t be heard here.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve failed you,¡± Boram cried. ¡°I am not angry with you. Stop your crying and calm your emotions, then I''ll talk about what you did wrong earlier.¡± Viers waited for about four minutes while facing Boram with his back. He looked at the dark skies of the Capital of the Latias Kingdom. It was dark and unimpressive, unlike the grandeur of the skies seen from the inside of the ballroom. But those were fake and these were real. ¡°I¡¯m ready to hear your wisdom, Master.¡± Viers turned to Boram. ¡°Tell me, have you always maimed your opponent during your academy days?¡± ¡°Against the insufferable ones, I do,¡± Boram admitted. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°So they can''t bother me anymore, Master. This is your teaching.¡± Viers stayed silent, inviting him to elaborate. ¡°I was bullied at the Academy because of my slave status. I tried to ignore them at first but they wouldn''t stop pushing. They kept coming at me with meaningless cruelty¡­ Then I thought, what would you do if you were me.¡± ¡°And what would I do?¡± ¡°You would cut the problem at the root and salt the earth. Permanently removing the problem.¡± ¡°And you did this?¡± Viers asked. ¡°No. I couldn''t kill a fellow student. I thought about doing it in a life-and-death duel but that is also banned by the Academy even though I once managed to get the other person to agree. I couldn''t end the bullies permanently so I racked my brains for alternative solutions¡­ I reported them to some teachers but it did nothing, even though bullying is supposed to be forbidden. On the contrary, the bullies got worse. They somehow knew I reported them and humiliated me further. I then realized I must solve this on my own.¡± ¡°And so, the cruelty.¡± ¡°Yes. I would challenge them to duels, during classes or publicly, force them in a situation to accept. After the duel, I made sure they wouldn''t soon forget the consequences of crossing me. A broken arm or leg, no permanent injuries because it is against the rules. Once they are healed, I challenge them again. I''d do this to each of them until they stop their bullying. There were a lot of them. Most are cronies of another rich kid. It took a few weeks.¡± ¡°Did it stop?¡± ¡°Yeah. After that, some tried to get clever and went after my things. Vandalizing my desk or stealing my shoes. I counterspy them and caught them in the act, then I would duel them and leave them broken and hurt. By the second year, there were no more bullies.¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°And so because you tasted success using this method, you derived a lesson from the experience.¡± ¡°...You disapprove?¡± Boram asked. Viers nodded. ¡°Respectfully, Master, but what would you have done?¡± ¡°Did Croix know? Farley?¡± ¡°The prince is in a different curriculum than me. Only a few join classes. Sis Farley is on a different course with minimal contact. And I don''t want to bother them. Although, I suspect Sis Farley knew,¡± Boram winced a little. Viers sighed loudly. Sending Boram to school made him experience bullying. It made Viers once again realize how imperfect the school system was, from the old world or this one. Kids could be meaninglessly cruel. ¡°...I only tried to follow your advice, Master. Don''t be weak,¡± Boram defensively said. Alright, world. Since you taught my disciple an ugly life problem, don''t cry foul when I teach him how to solve it. ¡°Bullying is one of the truths of human relationships. Until humanity matures as a whole, it will never disappear,¡± Viers began. ¡°You disagree? A king taxing his citizens so he could have a good life at their expense, or a con artist who scams ignorant people to shitty deals for more coin, are these not bullying to you? To me it is.¡± Boram went silent and perked his ears to soak in the pearl of wisdom his master was about to bequeath him. ¡°I teach you to be strong because those who are strong are less likely to be bullied. In a way, you succeed in this. Imagine if you¡¯re weaker than those who bullied you. Imagine helplessly accepting their bullying. How much worse can it feel? You may thank me for teaching you strength.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master. From all my heart.¡± ¡°Now then. To the lesson. You crippled that knight earlier to make an example of him and to reduce Theus¡¯ strength for the competition ahead.¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°This is wrong.¡± ¡°What?¡± Boram was surprised. ¡°The wrong way to use your strength. You see, I have a rule: Do not injure someone you do not mean to kill.¡± Boram carved the words of wisdom to the depths of his soul. ¡°Hurting someone can serve as a form of intimidation, this is true. As was your case in the academy. But it can also plant in them a seed of hatred. This hatred might be a blade on your back for your whole life.¡± Boram dawned with realization. ¡°If you hurt someone, end it with totality. If you don''t mean to kill them, do not hurt them. This is a secret to a long life, so one day, you won''t have an enemy obsessed with killing you who spends their entire waking moment plotting your demise. Having one is bad enough, imagine multiple or even hundreds of people. Can you live your life in peace?¡± ¡°So earlier-¡± ¡°Whether I stopped that knight or Theus¡¯ seed of hatred from germinating remains to be seen. I tried to mend it but what¡¯s done is done. What would you do now?¡± Boram thought about the answer for a moment but the contemplation was deep. ¡°I¡¯ll take Hayn and Theus'' lives. In the Prix if possible.¡± ¡°Good answer. Because if you don''t, I will,¡± Viers said while caressing his cheek. Viers might have shown meekness earlier, but he was certainly not someone meek. Theus¡¯ humiliation was a cheap price to pay but Viers would demand payback for that, with Theus¡¯ life as the price. Scratch that, life alone was not enough. Viers would also take all his assets. Because what would his life benefit Viers? Besides the soul and memories and body for materials. Those weren''t enough. If Viers was going to kill, he didn''t do it without taking maximum benefit. And so Theus planted a seed of hatred in Viers. The villain was sure the young master of the Mercea family didn''t realize what he had done yet, drunk in the feeling of victory. ¡°Remember, the loss of a family member or someone dear to you at the hands of another is also a major source of enmity. If you kill someone, do it in a way that doesn''t create a hundred enemies.¡± ¡°...Sounds hard, Master.¡± ¡°Life is hard. Alternatively, become stronger. So strong that even if the whole world¡¯s hatred is pointed towards you, you can overcome it. This is what I strive to become.¡± ¡°You can do it. I believe if someone can do it, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°But I still have a long way to go,¡± Viers gave a mirthful smile. ¡°Now, after saying all that, there¡¯s another way of handling bullying or adversaries. Most people will agree this is the better method than the one I told you. To befriend the bullies. Turn them from enemy to friend. Repay hatred with kindness. Deal with them with patience and understanding. Look at the bigger picture and act for the good of the many. I admit this is the nobler path.¡± Boram had a puzzled look. ¡°So why don''t you?¡± Viers shrugged. ¡°Naaawww, my way is fine for me. If you or other people want to take that path, be my guest. Not my business. I master my life. This is how it should be.¡± Boram gasped. How mighty. How grand. How powerful. Strong and wise, that was Boram¡¯s Master. Whether his name was Viers, Avel, or whatever didn''t matter. To Boram, Viers was his guru, his lao tzu, his sensei of life. Someone who uplifted him from the mud of ordinary and ignorance. Boram realized he wasn''t teaching him right or wrong, good or evil, but life. He would follow this man until his last breath, slave or no. ¡°One last question, Master. If you become me in my first year, what would you do against the bullies?¡± ¡°I would mitigate the damage of their bullying, showing strength but not maiming them, and find ways to get teachers involved. Then I''ll bid my time. When it is time to strike, after graduation or whatever¡­ They¡¯ll never see it coming.¡± Viers scoffed. ¡°They hurt me. Humiliation, despair, anger, hopelessness, revenge, all those negative feelings can be one hell of a motivator to be stronger. Thus, remember what I said today. Don''t hurt people you don''t plan to kill. Very sensible when you think about it.¡± ¡°...I will remember.¡± ¡°Now then, I¡¯ve said what I have to say. Shall we head back to the dance party? On second thought, let''s go to the restroom first. You can take care of the after-effects of your crying.¡± ¡°M-master, don''t tease,¡± Boram was embarrassed he was crying. ¡°I¡¯m already fifteen, I¡¯m an adult.¡± ¡°Not to me you ain¡¯t,¡± Viers chuckled. On his own end, the damage from his slap was already healed. His healing factor default speed was based on his Level. Now that he was a Level 4, his regeneration was faster and more potent. With extra healing Arte and boosts, he should be able to regenerate like Wolverine. When he became Level 5, even without those, his default regeneration speed would be at that degree. A very juicy ability. Utterly enviable. Viers got this power from the mysterious Goldbloom Everlife Flower, his first ¡®cheat¡¯ power. Boram had to change clothes because the previous one was ruined in the duel. After the master and disciple refreshed themselves, they went back to the place of gorgeous revelry. Viers had steeled his resolve for people to look down on him after his stunt earlier. The jeer, the look someone gave to their lesser. Some might give him a disapproving look because he didn''t show any spine. Inconsequential all. Not caring about other people was always one of Viers¡¯ forte. ¡°Ahh! There you are~¡± Not long after his reentry, a woman suddenly grabbed his arm with a coquettish voice. ¡°Hm? You¡¯re-¡± ¡°This way, this way.¡± The female dragged him without giving him any say, towards the area of the Level 5s. ¡°Oi, you-¡± Viers was about to give her a piece of her mind. ¡°There we go, Avel, meet my parents,¡± Ciel said in a resplendent blue gown. ¡°Duke Sterling Valentine and Duchess Camile Valentine.¡± Viers had no idea what was happening. Why did Ciel suddenly take him to see her parents? ¡°Dear daughter, who¡¯s this?¡± the duchess asked her. Her husband was at her side. ¡°My boyfriend,¡± Ciel replied with a hundred-watt smile. ¡°We are in an extremely special relationship.¡± The duke broke the champagne glass in his hand. The duchess gasped and would have fallen if her attendants didn''t catch her. Viers¡¯ expression was that of stone as he looked at the blonde who pressed her chest against his arm. She absolutely relished the look on her parents¡¯ faces. Chapter 422 ¡°Hey man, who¡¯s that girl?¡± A noble youth asked his friend about a blonde girl in an off-shoulder blue gown. Her beauty and elegance were a touch above the other young ladies in the venue. ¡°Who?... Gosh, she¡¯s gorgeous! Never seen her before. Let me ask around.¡± ¡°Go ahead. Might want to hurry though, wolves are already circling her.¡± ¡°So you say, but aren''t you one of those wolves? Heheh. I¡¯ll be back.¡± The noble youth''s friend went to talk to his other friends and was back in a few minutes. ¡°I got it. She¡¯s Ciel Valentine, daughter of the current Duke of Valentine. She was in the Silver Legion and just got back recently.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why we¡¯ve never seen her at any previous social gathering.¡± ¡°See that gem on her chest?¡± ¡°Yeah, pretty necklace. What about it?¡± ¡°Madam Blume the gossiper said it might be a Divine Weapon. And it¡¯s not a necklace, the gem is embedded in her skin. It can transform into a sword.¡± ¡°For real!?¡± ¡°Well, who knows? I¡¯m as surprised as you are. But Madam Blume¡¯s gossip is more often true than false. What did I miss?¡± ¡°Earlier, young masters from various Schools, Knightly Orders, and noble family¡¯s heirs came in droves. Now Theus is wooing the girl. Look.¡± ¡°Two scions from two dukedoms. A fitting couple, I suppose. We don''t have a chance?¡± ¡°Perhaps we still might. Theus¡¯ wooing isn''t very effective it seems, Lady Ciel appears to have her attention somewhere else¡­ Is she searching for someone?¡± The youth straightened his collars, for he was about to make a move, ¡°Lady Ciel must be looking for someone with something more than just status. She has good taste. Perhaps someone like me, hehehe.¡± ¡°Bah, you wish,¡± the other youth stifled a chuckle from the jest. ¡°Go on then. I¡¯ll savor your disgrace with a stiff drink.¡± ¡°Early bird catches the worm, in this case, the girl.¡± But before the young man could approach, Ciel¡¯s eyes landed on the entrance of the ballroom. She briskly left Theus who was in the middle of offering her a rare flower with both arms stretched, leaving him in a very awkward position. Ciel grabbed a man by the arm, a bold display, and then they both went to the area reserved for the Level 5s and other VIPs. Ciel seems to be saying something to her parents. The young lady of the Valentine House had many suitors aiming for her hand already. These young men and other interested parties strained their ears, some even using Artes to find out what was going on. ¡°-My boyfriend. We are in an extremely special relationship,¡± Ciel said intimately. The duke and duchess were not the only ones that were surprised. The hopes and dreams of the young suitors shattered like glass meeting a wrecking ball. Among them, Theus was paralyzed as if struck by lightning; the flowers in his hands seemingly shed their petals from the disappointment. ¡°W-Who in blazes is he!?¡± One of the youths asked. ¡°Ah! He¡¯s the guy that Theus made slap himself!¡± ¡°It is? It is! Oh, Theus must be burning so bad~¡± The two youths could see it from their position. The eyes of Theus went from shock, to humiliation, to pure fury. *** ¡°C-Ciel dear, your mother must have misheard. You said he¡¯s-¡± ¡°My sweetheart boyfriend,¡± Ciel said without missing a beat and adding a sweetheart. ¡°Oooh¡­¡± Duchess Camile staggered. Sounds of concern came from the servants. ¡°Enough of this farce!¡± The duke, Sterling Valentine, raised his voice. ¡°You¡¯ve taken your lies too far, young lady! If you think you can just bring some random guy of dubious origin-¡± ¡°Avel is an honorable man with steadfast determination in the face of overwhelming adversity!¡± Ciel strongly defended. Viers, who was hearing Ciel¡¯s praise from very close proximity because she wouldn''t let go of his arm, racked his brain for the reason someone could call him honorable. Nothing came to mind. Was Ciel blatantly lying? He liked to think he was a calm and reasonable person, but honorable? Hogwash. ¡°Cease this unseemly behavior at once! He¡¯s a commoner! His status and yours are nothing alike!¡± ¡°I can make my own judgment, Father. We met during a mission,¡± Ciel continued. ¡°He saved me from the hands of death and nursed me to health, braving the dangerous wilderness to provide me with a cure. His tender care is something that I fondly remember to this day.¡± The audience who heard Ciel¡¯s tale had various expressions. Mostly curiosity, but Ciel¡¯s father, a strict and firm man, was gnashing his teeth. The more Ciel spoke, the more damage she inflicted upon her reputation. Sterling pondered whether he should act more decisively. The delay would be something he regretted for a long time, for Ciel brought out the bomb. ¡°Even though Avel has seen my unclothed skin, he kept his gentlemanly behavior and integrity, refraining from doing anything that would besmirch my honor,¡± Ciel said with a very red face and embarrassment but it made her look all the more cute. ¡°As I said, Avel is an honorable man.¡± Viers was about to cough blood, figuratively. He recalled the circumstances that Ciel painted romantically. The truth was, he was about to soul search her. And he really would have done it, if her meddling friends hadn''t come to her rescue. Honorable? Gentlemanly? Integrity? What were those? Could he eat them? While Viers was dealing with his inner emotions, the reaction from the audience was massive. ¡°My Lady!¡± Ciel¡¯s mom swooned, caught by a maid with a big physique. ¡°My Lord!? Compose yourself!¡± Ciel¡¯s dad grabbed his chest as if he was in pain. He dropped to one knee with a racing breath. ¡°Oh dear, how awful. Everyone, my parents aren''t well, please tend to them immediately,¡± Ciel said. ¡°Y-yes! Forgive my rudeness, Lord Duke,¡± a vassal hurriedly helped the duke out while the duchess was already even farther out.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°S-stop! You ungrateful daughter, you, you-¡± The duke was unable to resist being carried out of the venue by his vassal. The duke''s condition was not faked. Viers thought the duke might have suffered a heart attack. ¡°Ah, how dreadful,¡± Ciel had the back of her hand on her forehead. ¡°I hope both my parents are okay. It seems the revelation is too much for them. Master Avel, I feel unwell. I need some fresh air. Might I ask you to accompany me?¡± Ciel might have said that like a delicate young girl, but she pulled Viers without giving him the chance to reject it. The audience opened the path for the couple like the parting of the Red Sea. *** ¡°...Fu. Fufuhu¡­ Ahahahaha! Did you see their faces? Ha.¡± It was the second time Viers came to a secluded, private place this night, in fact, he just got back from one. Earlier, it was with Boram on a veranda. This time, Ciel brought him to a flower garden. The area was illuminated by fairy lights. The illumination was just enough to be bright enough to see the enchanting flowers at night without disrupting the nightly atmosphere. In short, a romantic place. Viers suspected Ciel brought him here on purpose, no doubt the many guests that saw them coming here and some paparazzi observers from afar would have no lack of oil to smoothen their gossiping tongues. After arriving here, Ciel soon burst into laughter. ¡°You know, I think your father had a heart attack. Shouldn''t you be more worried?¡± Viers said. ¡°He will be fine. There are many skilled healers here standing by for accidents. Besides, my father is as tough as a Devaran Elephant. Nothing will happen to him.¡± ¡°Your mother fainted. Even though she¡¯s a Level 5. I didn''t think that was possible until I saw it with my own eyes.¡± ¡°A sensitive soul, my mother. But she¡¯ll be fine too. Are you worried about my parents? How kind of you.¡± Ciel turned to meet Viers¡¯ eyes properly for the first time that night. She put up a privacy barrier enclosing them before speaking more. Viers approved. ¡°We meet again, Viers. It¡¯s been four years since Valkut, hasn''t it? Or, should I say, a few days?¡± Ciel moved her hand in front of her face, when it passed, her face changed to Mary¡¯s, from Celedony. ¡°Gasp!? You¡¯re Mary!? Oh no. How could it be?¡± Viers said in an exaggerated manner. He also put another layer of privacy barrier inside Ciel¡¯s. Ciel observed him carefully. ¡°...You¡¯re not surprised. So you realized it was me back then.¡± ¡°And you me,¡± Viers removed his Impersonator Mask and showed his true face. ¡°How did you know it¡¯s me?¡± Ciel asked. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if you tell me. How do you know Avel was Viers?¡± Ciel took a moment to make her choice. ¡°It¡¯s not me, but this thing,¡± Ciel pointed at the diamond-like gem on the middle of her chest. ¡®It reacted, pulsed. At you, in the venue. That¡¯s how I knew it was you. You are its former owner after all. Well, not in a good way. The pulses were a warning.¡± ¡°Fu, still hate me, huh?¡± Viers chuckled at the Divine Weapon. He was relieved. If his Mystic Star Shroud had a flaw, or the Impersonator Mask¡¯s disguise could be seen through, he had to know so he could adjust his future plans. Turned out it was a specific thing for Ciel. This revelation relaxed Viers a little because at this moment his disguise was still holding strong. However, a new worry concerning the face-changing mask emerged. The item was improved by Aletro at the end of the Book World but he was worried his disguise wouldn''t work against Level 5 or Level 4 with extraordinary senses. He¡¯d simply outgrown his equipment. Since Ciel had held her end of the bargain, it was his turn. ¡°Your disguise is perfect. Even my eye Arte couldn''t see any flaw, but there¡¯s a soul contract between us. A strong one at that. That, I can clearly sense from you.¡± ¡°So we both use unconventional methods to sense each other¡­ Kind of like a special couple, don''t you think?¡± Ciel smiled mischievously. ¡°Riiiight,¡± Viers¡¯ skepticism was firm. ¡°Now let''s discuss the stunt you just pulled and how you sucked me into the sandpit together with you.¡± ¡°What, do you not like it?¡± Ciel playfully teased. ¡°This pretty girl is throwing herself into your arms you know.¡± Viers¡¯ face was the epitome of seriousness. Ciel''s playful expression turned somber over the next few seconds. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry,¡± Ciel said while clasping her hands and bowing her head. ¡°I did not mean to be a manipulative tramp but I¡¯m afraid I really have no choice. In desperation, I took advantage of you. I deeply apologize for my offense.¡± Ciel sounded sincere and at the end of her ropes. Viers sensed she was being truthful. It was hard to be mad at someone who was truly admitting her wrongs and apologizing. Viers let out a long sigh. ¡°Well, I can more or less guess your circumstances. Marriage problems?¡± Ciel nodded. ¡°Shouldn''t you be in the Silver Legion? I thought you were being independent. What happened?¡± ¡°To receive permission to join the Legion, I made a promise to my family. When I become a Level 4, I must return to the house and marry. I held off becoming Level 4 as long as I could, but I broke through.¡± ¡°During the Fae problem at Celedony, I know. Why did you make a promise like that? Idiots that can''t stop helping people like you won''t be able to keep that promise. Not if becoming stronger means more people are saved.¡± ¡°I was thirteen and naive when I made that promise, alright? Give me a break!¡± A brief silence from them both. ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re a little weak despite being a Latias duke¡¯s daughter and the rumors I heard about your talents. I sensed it back at Valkut. You''re walking the Path of Power half-assed.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I have no excuses,¡± Ciel replied. ¡°...What do you plan to do now? Let me hear your plan.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I, umm¡­¡± Ciel was fidgeting. Viers gave her the thousand-yard stare. ¡°You have no plan!?¡± ¡°I do! I do now!¡± Ciel corrected her course. ¡°We continue to pretend couple. For my parents, for those wolves that see me like a doe to hunt.¡± ¡°Thought as much. For how long, until what end? Do you not plan to marry, ever?¡± Viers asked. He had seen many mangas with similar premises. ¡°...I do, I think,¡± Ciel said slowly as she touched a red flower in the garden. ¡°But not now. If possible, to someone I love. Do you know in Latias it is normal for a girl¡¯s marriage to be arranged by their parents? On the outside, a love match. In reality, feh.¡± ¡°And you think the men your parents chose are not good enough for you? Are they the type that marries daughters for political or the house¡¯s benefits?¡± ¡°They wish the best for me, I¡¯m sure¡­ but they think they know better, who is best for my husband. I don''t like that. If I¡¯m a man, I can choose who I marry but I¡¯m not. It feels unfair.¡± ¡°I agree and sympathize. But by pretending we¡¯re a couple, you¡¯re thinning your marriage prospects. You realize that, don''t you? I''m just a commoner. Your reputation, compromised. Your purity will come under scrutiny. Plus, I¡¯m not sure your parents are so easily convinced.¡± ¡°...What I need most is time, keeping those pesky marriage proposals out. My parents plan to marry me before the moon''s turn. I¡¯m a Level 4, my lifespan is well over a hundred. I¡¯m just twenty-four! What¡¯s wrong with taking a bit more time before marrying?¡± ¡°Social pressure, I guess¡­ Look, I know this development. I can tell you it¡¯s not a good idea.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Viers grimaced. ¡°Because this usually ends in one way,¡± Viers said. ¡°You don''t want us to be together for real, aren''t you?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ciel needed a few seconds before she realized what Viers implied. ¡°O-oh¡­ Do¡­ Do you see me that way?¡± Ciel asked a bit bashfully. ¡°No. My love right now is solely on the Path of Power. Marriage and relationships in general are off the table for me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! Oh, not saying there¡¯s anything wrong with you, mind. You¡¯re great, and thinner now, more handsome, yeah,¡± Ciel''s voice a touch too hurried. ¡±Just, you¡¯re not my type. No offense, but I do not love you.¡± ¡°None taken,¡± Viers said naturally without falsehood. ¡°Then be my boyfriend! For now! If you do not wish to marry me and I you, whatever do you have to lose?¡± Ciel made a request from the heart. Viers could already see the ending of this story. ¡°...Do not say I did not warn you.¡± ¡°Does that mean-¡± Ciel sounded hopeful. ¡°Not so fast. What¡¯s in it for me? You still have a couple of heavy debts and promises from Valkut.¡± ¡°Of course, I did not forget, neither do I come here empty-handed.¡± There, at the garden of flowers, Ciel made yet another contract with the villain. Avel and Ciel returned to the ballroom arm in arm. The people¡¯s eyes followed their every step. They walked straight to the dance area, just in time for the beginning of a new music piece. ¡°Stare into my eyes,¡± Viers said to Ciel. Viers bowed to his dance partner, Ciel did the same. ¡°Closer,¡± Viers brought Ciel¡¯s body near and whispered. ¡°If this is to work, we must appear madly in love.¡± The two shared a dance, a romantic one. Viers surprised Ciel with his leading action and familiarity with etiquette and dancing steps. The gap between his usual roguish and the current gentlemanly behavior¡­ It made a throb in her chest. So brief and so soft the lady didn''t even notice it. But it happened. - - Chapter 422 - Valenton Chapter 423 - Love Stories A commoner with no status, no title and no reputation, a slight step above animals for some of the nobles even, scored a duke¡¯s daughter. Furthermore, she was a ten out of ten girl. Physically speaking, Avel was a five, and those were the scores rounded up. Now, as the two were dancing romantically whilst gazing at each other¡¯s eyes with longing affection. They danced as if they were the only two people in the world. There was a reason why the Beauty and the Beast story was a timeless classic. Just as Viers intended. *** Boram was looking at the dancing pair with amazement. Seeing his Master dancing with such a pretty girl somehow made him proud. ¡°Boram.¡± Someone called. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Remember me?¡± A young man asked. ¡°Squire? Eugene!¡± Boram said with surprise in his voice. ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m glad you still remember me.¡± The young man was Eugene. He was one of the nine people who survived the events of Book World¡¯s final stage. Boram had a pretty good relationship with the man and not only because they were both on Team White. He used the alias Squire back then. That was almost four years ago. ¡°Look at you. How you¡¯ve grown,¡± Eugene said. ¡°You were so short. Managed to overcome the side effects of your early awakening, did you? I¡¯m happy for you.¡± ¡°Yeah. How are you here? Wait, scratch that. I recall you are originally from Latias. Not a squire anymore, I see,¡± Boram deduced from the other man¡¯s clothing. ¡°Fate has been kind to me. I¡¯m a knight serving House Valentine now. My latest assignment is to be a guard of the wayward young mistress who has recently returned home,¡± Eugene looked at the dancing Avel and Ciel. ¡°Imagine my surprise when seeing the two of you here¡­ I¡¯ve always suspected your master is not an ordinary man. How extraordinary indeed to have caught the eye of the young mistress.¡± ¡°Ehehe.¡± Boram was happier hearing his master get praised rather than himself. ¡°Where¡¯s your horse? You never went anywhere without him.¡± ¡°And you are right. Baster is at the stable. Unfortunately, he¡¯s not a dragon so I can''t bring him to the ballroom, hahaha.¡± Boram and Eugene, two friends who unexpectedly bumped into each other, began catching up. *** Avel and Ciel stood out, in their highlight, they even grabbed more attention compared to the princes and princesses. With the self-slapping incident from before, Avel¡¯s position as Croix''s vassal was known. This in turn brought attention to Croix and other considerations, such as: would the only daughter of the Valentine Duchy also side with the prince with the red dragon? Having multiple wives and concubines was pretty normal for the nobility class, especially those who were rich and powerful. Not many could be more rich and powerful than the Duke of Valentine. However, the current duke was famously loyal to his wife, refusing to take other women. While that was well and good, another issue emerged, about descendants. Normally, people with a similar position to Ciel''s father would be having lots of children already. However, the duke and duchess were not blessed with many, but one. Perhaps the Goddess altered quantity for quality. The daughter¡¯s excellence and potential already showed from an early age. That made Ciel Valentine the only heir of an old and powerful House. It had been more than twenty years and that state of affairs hadn¡¯t changed. As the possibility of a son born into the Valentine House grew dimmer each year, the value of the hand of Ciel inversely grew brighter. Theus Mercea was one of such people who were aiming for that hand. For Theus, it was more personal than others. As the two were both progeny of ducal houses, they were familiar with one another. Now, the woman of Theus¡¯ dreams was in the embrace of another man. Love was such a funny thing. It could become the source of strength to move heaven and earth, but it could also become the origin of cavernous despair and hate. ¡°Yo, Theus.¡± Theus turned to his caller. It was Stratos. ¡°Had enough dancing with your beloved?¡± Theus asked. ¡°For now. Seems things aren''t going so well with you and your beloved, hm?¡± Stratos naturally looked at the Avel and Ciel. His own dance with Princess Celestine would long remain as a precious memory. On the other hand, Theus wasn''t able to dance with the young lady of House Valentine. And then, she was taken by another man. Stratos was aware of the existence of Ciel but this was the first time the young man saw her directly. She was a beauty comparable to Celestine. Fortunately, his heart had already belonged to the former, else he feared he might waver. He couldn''t imagine what his best friend was going through right now. ¡°This will not stand,¡± Theus said in a small voice. Ciel Valentine, a pearl of the realm, was being sullied by a thing that emerged from a cesspit. For her own good, the filth must be cleansed. Each moment he endured was torture. His heart ached and demanded justice. ¡°And how will you do that?¡± Stratos asked. ¡°Whatever it takes,¡± Theus resolutely said. ¡°Isn''t that too extreme?¡± ¡°Think Stratos, wouldn''t you do the same if it¡¯s Celestine there? If your love is genuine, that is.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°...True.¡± ¡°Exactly. Those that don''t have the balls to do whatever it takes means their love is half-assed.¡± *** ¡°Oh my, Lady Valentine¡¯s debut seems to have created a flowerstorm,¡± Celestine spoke with a voice that felt like silk. ¡°Stratos and his best friend are plotting something,¡± Solany informed. ¡°Men and their plots.¡± Celestine chuckled, then she saw Solany¡¯s way of looking at the commoner that Ciel chose as a partner for an intimate dance. ¡°Are you curious about him too?¡± ¡°Yes, but not in the way you think, my lady. He-¡± Solany transmitted the rest using telepathy. She suspected the man, who was Prince Croix¡¯s vassal, was the man who made her former fiance disappear. She didn''t have conclusive evidence since there were too many ways a Pathseeker could erase their trails or lay deceptions, but her intuition said so. ¡°I wouldn''t discount your intuition, dear Solany. Prince Croix¡¯s team seems to become more interesting. But enough of that for tonight. Take my hand, Solany.¡± ¡°Princess?¡± ¡°I wouldn''t end this night without a dance with you.¡± The matter of Avel and her hateful former fiance was summarily gone from Solany¡¯s mind. She did as the princess asked and went to the dancefloor together. Her heart was filled with happiness and fulfillment. Yet she must control what would be shown on the surface. Avel and Ciel¡¯s display of affection was almost scandalous but at least they were man and woman. The case was different between her and Celestine. Their dance shall be an act of two good friends and must not go beyond that. The expectations of society demanded it. Furthermore, she would rather die than be a tarnish to the princess¡¯ reputation, not when she must be perfect, not at this crucial time when she fought for the throne. Just the dance, just this moment, was enough. *** The ball didn''t revolve around Ciel alone. After her dance with an exotic animal was over, the night continued. Ciel and Avel themselves felt one dance was enough. It wasn''t about length, but intensity and their one round conveyed enough to get gossipers talking. ¡°Pleased to meet you, Prince Croix. Forgive me for not greeting you sooner,¡± Ciel did a curtsy. ¡°You¡¯re too courteous, Lady Valentine,¡± Croix bowed back. He might be a prince but it was only a title. Some other princes might think it was enough to get cocky but not Croix. Because of his upbringing and lessons from a priest of the Estellian Church, he could see the world more clearly, including his own position. ¡°I must confess I didn''t know you and Mister Avel were in such a good relationship.¡± ¡°Darling, you didn''t tell them about me? How awful,¡± Ciel made a face at Viers next to him, to which he replied with a coarse grunt. ¡°Make sense, actually. He does have a bad habit of hiding things, like squirrels hiding acorns, fufu. I find it cute.¡± Ciel pushed her finger at Viers¡¯ cheek. Squirrels and acorns? More like skeletons and closets. But whatever, Viers thought. He signed up for this, fake boyfriend and vassal both, now he got to play the part. Then Viers got a realization. ¡­Holy shit. I¡¯m being a rental boyfriend? Kareshi, Okarishimasu? Realizing the similarities with a manga that he liked, Viers found it amusing. The series peaked at the filmmaking arc¡­ Things slowed down since then. Meanwhile, Croix and Ciel were making small talk. ¡°Prince, I have a request, sudden and presumptuous it might be, may I enter your team for the Grand Prix?¡± Ciel asked. Croix didn''t expect Ciel¡¯s request. ¡°W-What brought this on?¡± ¡°I would like to be at my boyfriend¡¯s side even for a moment longer. We¡¯ve been separated for too long. If I don''t take this chance, who knows when the opportunity will come again? Fate seems keen on seeing us separated, you see. Of course, I will give my all for the competition. I¡¯m beneath the age limit so what¡¯s left is the team leader¡¯s permission. I hope you¡¯ll permit me, as meager as my strength is. ¡°Meager,¡± Croix almost choked. A Level 4 strength is meager? He cast a glance at Viers. ¡°She should be better than most that you can find,¡± said Viers. He acknowledged Ciel¡¯s power, but he felt she was getting too flirty with him. ¡°How mean! Is that all I am to you?¡± Ciel''s shocked face made some boys in their surroundings turn into faithful crusaders, about to demand a duel with Avel to defend the lady¡¯s honor. It was her next action that stopped them. ¡°But that¡¯s part of what I like about you. So cool¡­¡± The would-be-crusaders suffered heavy mental damage from Ciel''s enchanted and bashful cutesy expression. Grunts of pain escaped their lips as if they had been stabbed by a real knife. Viers had to give it to Ciel, she sure could act. ¡°If I may ask, my lady,¡± Alfred came forward, expectant. ¡°Can we take it as the stance of the Valentine Duchy?¡± If a duchy openly supported Prince Croix, the older knight would be over the moon. ¡°Unfortunately, I can only offer my support as an individual, not as a representative of my family. I hope Prince Croix finds me satisfactory,¡± Ciel said. ¡°Of course,¡± Croix offered his hand for a handshake. ¡°Welcome to the team.¡± While seeing Ciel shaking Croix¡¯s hand, Alfred was still happy for the sudden boon. Avel and Ciel, two Level 4s. Boram was an extraordinary Level 3. Lastly, the prince with his dragon. A formidable team. The throne seems more real now. ¡°Ciel,¡± someone called. ¡°Freya!¡± Ciel¡¯s face lit up. ¡°It¡¯s been too long!¡± ¡°It is. May I have a moment?¡± Freya said expressionlessly. Ciel didn''t mind. Her fellow Silver Legionnaire was just like that. Ciel left to speak privately after saying goodbye to Croix¡¯s group. Five minutes later, she came back without Freya. There was no oddness in her behavior. Viers didn''t ask what they were talking about. The night went on, as did Viers¡¯ charade, until finally, the ball came to an end. The guests came, the quests left. By all accounts, Ciel should leave with her family¡¯s cohort. However, she insisted on coming along with Prince Croix¡¯s group carriage, which Viers was. Also, the Countess of Stormberg, Grace Weiss. The enchanted carriage¡¯s interior was as vast as a private airplane and very comfortable but with the Level 5 with them, it didn''t feel spacious or comfortable enough. The younger generation didn''t dare to make too much noise to not displease the Countess, even the unruly juvenile dragon knew his place in the food chain and was in his behavior. The entire journey to their temporary residence in the Capital was filled with awkward silence. Viers thanked God the destination was only thirty minutes away. In the middle of the trip, something happened. Only Ciel and the Countess experienced it. Time was frozen for all the rest. ¡°Little lady.¡± ¡°Yes, honored Countess?¡± Ciel respectfully answered. Other people who cared more about status or peerage might address Ciel with more respect but Grace Weiss wasn''t one of them. Ciel wasn''t offended and gave the Countess the respect she deserved as a senior and stronger Pathseeker. ¡°Will your little charade bring trouble to my nephew?¡± Ciel picked her answer carefully and answered honestly. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best it won''t,¡± her voice had a slight tremor despite her best effort. ¡°See to it you won''t. I have not the patience to deal with another troublemaker.¡± *** Viers Isuel: Our protagonist. Does not love Ciel. Ciel Valentine: Duke¡¯s daughter. Does not love Viers. Theus Mercea: Another Duke¡¯s son. Does love Ciel. Stratos Gaelos: Theus¡¯ best bud. Does love Celestine. Celestine Amethyst Latias: Princess. Does love Stratos(?). Solany Lucan: Another Duke¡¯s daughter. Does love Celestine. Chapter 424 - You Are Invited By the time Viers and the group returned to the temporary mansion where Countess Grace and Croix stayed for the duration of the Prix, it was way past midnight. It didn''t take long before the other separated into their quarters for some sleep. It was in those circumstances that Viers knocked on Ciel¡¯s door, inviting for a soir¨¦e. ¡°...Are you serious?¡± Ciel asked, wearing a robe over her sleepwear. ¡°You don''t have to come, but since you already took a plunge into my life of your own volition, I figured to give you a glimpse. ¡°Glimpse? To what?¡± ¡°My secret. Are you coming?¡± Ciel reflected upon Viers¡¯ offer. Usually, she would refuse a very shady invitation such as this, made in the middle of the night no less. Then she realized this was an opportunity to unravel the many layers of mystery surrounding the man in front of her. ¡°Fine. Where are we going?¡± Viers gave her a small plant pot. Just a pot with soil and a seed. ¡°When you are ready, give the seed water and your Victa. See you there.¡± Viers stopped closing the door halfway. ¡°There will be other people so you might want to change.¡± Ciel was alone in the room once more, holding a plant pot. Standing still. She placed the pot on top of the table and got ready. She tied her hair, donned her Silver Legion armor, slipped her sword on her belt, and equipped her shield on her left arm. If she were to hit a dangerous monster lair, she would wear these, her best gear. Where she would go next, might be more dangerous than that. Other noble ladies might need servants to get dressed but her experience with the Silver Legion taught her some clothes don''t need others¡¯ help to wear. Something that she didn''t know until she enrolled with the Silver Legion and stayed in the communal barrack for first recruits. Her family doted on her too much. After double-checking, she did as Viers said and gave the seed water from the drinking water jug on the table, along with her Victa. A small plant grew at a visible rate and then a portal appeared beside it, big enough for a person to step through. Ciel went inside without hesitation, fully on guard. *** ¡°There it is!¡± A woman with black hair said happily. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived!¡± ¡°Yokatta¡­¡± Another woman with black hair sighed in relief. The two were on the deck of a ship. The sea vessel had seen better days. It had been sailing the seas limping, battered and bruised by the journey. Yet she still delivered the passengers to their destination. The ever-closer lights from the port town at night looked particularly pretty. The other sailors shared the two women''s sentiments. However, unlike the others, the two women came from further east. It reflected on the strange garments they wore. ¡°By the Kami¡­ I thought we were done for when the last storm hit. Sea monsters, whirlpools, living waves, wind elementals, sirens¡­ Were your previous trips like this before, Sakuya-chan?¡± ¡°I only made one trip to the mainland, Yayoi-chan, and no. Not as tumultuous as this. If it was, I would be dead. I was only Level 2 at the time.¡± ¡°But this is the second time you come here without telling your parents. Oooh, my auntie is a rebellious woman, how sinful,¡± Yayoi smirked. ¡°Can''t be helped, little niece. The clan is in the middle of something important. It¡¯s up to us,¡± Sakuya said. ¡°What ¡®us¡¯? You left on your own without even telling me. But you¡¯re a hundred years too early to pull a fast one on me.¡± Yayoi sneaked in on the ship her aunt of the same age boarded. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous,¡± Sakuya said her reasoning again for the ninth time they had this discussion. ¡°Too dangerous for me but not for you, is that it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not-¡± ¡°I won''t let you have all the fun,¡± Yayoi grinned. ¡°I wanna see the continent too.¡± Sakuya sighed, but she was actually grateful in her heart. A lone journey was lonely. The ship slowly sailed to the port under the blanket of darkness. It didn''t take long until the pair disembarked the ship. ¡°Regidana¡­¡± Sakuya said with melancholy once her feet landed on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s been four years.¡± Memories of the Aletro¡¯s Book World trial came rushing back. It was in this very city it happened. ¡°Finally back, hm? So, somewhere in this vast land your boyfriend and the Matriarch exist. How do you plan on finding them? We¡¯re strangers in a strange land.¡± ¡°Tana-¡± Sakuya paused, stopping herself from saying the infamous name out loud. ¡°That person is not my boyfriend...¡± Yayoi felt bad for making Sakuya sad and changed the conversation. ¡°Fine, your sweetheart. Let¡¯s go find a place to stay. Perhaps a change of clothes first? Our kimono draws too much attention.¡± Sakuya placed a hand on her bosom. A white card given to her by Tanael was tucked under the fabric. Four years had passed, a year past her plan. During this period, not a single word from Tanael. Had she gone too long? Does he still remember me?Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Sakuya shook her head. She was on the continent now, no longer separated by seas. She just had to seek him out. ¡­A man of Tanael-sama¡¯s stature has surely accomplished great things. For starters, I¡¯ll follow the rumors. It wasn''t a bad plan, but futile. If the two women went to a tavern and asked for Tanael, they would indeed hear rumors about him. Nothing good of course, since the cities of the Free People Coalition still felt the after-effect of soul criminals that Tanael had a hand in raising. Only, they wouldn''t know the location of Tanael himself. He had hidden himself deeply from the masses, not to mention he hadn''t been seen for three years. Some hopefuls thought he was already dead. Pathseeker life was dangerous, evil pathseeker, even more so. Thankfully, Sakuya and Yayoi didn''t need to go through that. ¡°Miss Sakaki Sakuya, I presume?¡± Sakuya and Yayoi were approached as soon as the two walked out of the harbor by two robed figures. ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡± Sakuya went on guard, as did Yayoi. ¡°We came on behalf of¡­¡± The figure showed a white card, just like the one Sakuya had. Even though it was just a plain white card, Sakuya felt Tanael¡¯s card had something special about it that ordinary things didn''t have. That was confirmation that the mysterious figure¡¯s white card was given by Tanael, the same as her. ¡°He invited you to his home and sent us to lead the way. Of course, you are not obligated to accept. You¡¯re free to choose.¡± The person stored her white card back in one of the pockets on her robe. It was just a glimpse but Sakuya was sure the white card had drawings on it. ¡°Well, that was fast,¡± Yayoi got the context by seeing Sakuya¡¯s reaction. ¡°He remembers¡­¡± Sakuya had both hands covering her mouth and her eyes tearing up. ¡°Alright auntie, stop with the waterworks. You haven''t even seen him yet,¡± Yayoi offered a handkerchief. ¡°Tanael-sama, is he well?¡± Sakuya used the handkerchief. ¡°Very well,¡± the other figure said. ¡°Perhaps too well. Hell, even if he¡¯s beaten until the edge of his life, he bounced back. You accept the invitation then?¡± Sakuya nods. ¡°Then follow us. We¡¯ll use a special method to go where he is,¡± the mysterious figure one then seems to look at Yayoi. ¡°You, however, are unexpected.¡± ¡°Come on, don''t tell me I''m not invited.¡± Yayoi scoffed. ¡°Y-Yayoi-chan is-¡± Sakuya tried to interject. ¡°He said it''s fine,¡± the mysterious figure two said. ¡°However, only if she would agree to sign an agreement to never share the details of her experience there.¡± ¡°Not a problem,¡± Yayoi smiled. ¡°I¡¯m a girl that can keep a secret.¡± Sakuya was so glad Yayoi could come. ¡°One more thing, Miss Sakuya. Once we arrive, you must not address him as Tanael. Both of you. Make sure you do not let it slip either.¡± ¡°Okay, but why?¡± Sakuya was confused. ¡°Because there will be other people there that don''t know he is Tanael. If they know he and Tanael are the same person, there will be¡­ fallout.¡± ¡°That¡¯s putting it mildly,¡± the other robbed figure commented. ¡°I understand,¡± Sakuya said. ¡°Shall we?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going outside of the city, right? Can I ask for a little detour? There¡¯s a place nearby that I¡¯d like to visit.¡± The mysterious figures stopped. ¡°War¡¯s grave?¡± Sakuya showed her surprise. ¡°You knew?¡± ¡°You might not know us, Miss Sakuya, but we knew you. It¡¯s my hope for us to be closer after tonight, perhaps we might call each other as friends.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be glad to.¡± ¡°The hill over there¡­?¡± Mysterious figure two muttered. ¡°We have to run there or it will take too much time. Is that agreeable?¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Sakuya replied. ¡°Running? Since you know about us then you must know we shinobi are agile runners. Can you keep up?¡± Yayoi teased. Since they were all Level 3, she wanted to have a look at the capabilities of the people of the mainland. ¡°A lively one, aren''t you?¡± Mysterious figure two seemed to be smiling under her hood. ¡°Glad you still have energy to spare after crossing the ocean.¡± ¡°Then let us be on our way,¡± mysterious figure one said and at the next blink, the four disappeared. A nearby passerby thought he had seen ghosts. Fifteen minutes later, the four stopped at a hill overlooking the city. The moons were covered by clouds tonight but all of them seemed to have no difficulty traveling in low-brightness conditions. ¡°Not bad, not bad,¡± Yayoi was slightly out of breath. ¡°You too,¡± mysterious figure two replied, also slightly out of breath. Sakuya let her breathing slowly return to normal as she touched the tombstone that had been slightly eroded by the elements. ¡°Hello, War. This is Famine, or Sakuya, whichever you prefer. I''m sorry I haven''t been able to visit.¡± Sakuya put her palms together and gave respect to the dead. Yayoi and the other two gave her space and silence. ¡°...My gratitude for giving me this opportunity,¡± Sakuya finished her prayer and pretty flowers grew around the grave. ¡°Oh yeah, you¡¯re a Wood Pathseeker. Feels inaccurate since your kind has mastery over plants rather than strictly wood,¡± mysterious figure two said. ¡°I bet our next stop feels like paradise for you.¡± Mysterious figure one placed a seed on the soil nearby. To Sakuya¡¯s senses, that seed was very extraordinary, like a part of something greater, separated, yet connected. Sakuya would love to examine it more closely. The robed woman, Sakuya knew from her voice, watered the seed using the water she created and a plant swiftly grew, the next movement, a magical portal appeared. ¡°Please follow me,¡± mysterious figure one entered the portal. ¡°It¡¯s just a quick hop,¡± mysterious figure two entered next. Sakuya and Yayoi were left. ¡°Sooo-¡± Sakuya entered without waiting for Yayoi to finish her sentence. To her, Tanael was beyond here. What was there to think about? ¡°...Oh sure, surely nothing will go wrong after following two mysterious women that not at all dressed like they have something to hide and enter a weird portal that we know nothing at all about,¡± Yayoi grumbled. ¡°What could possibly go wrong?¡± Despite her reluctance, Yayoi entered too. She didn''t want to get left behind alone on a foreign continent. Yayoi bumped into Sakuya¡¯s back. ¡°Hey, make room.¡± Sakuya didn''t answer. The fantastical environment around them that looked straight out of a fairytale didn''t matter one bit. A man was standing about five meters in front of her. He smiled at her. The face was different, the color of his eyes and hair were different, even his Victa felt different than she remembered. Yet her soul knew. ¡°Konbanwa, Sakaki Sakuya. My face is not as handsome as you remember, unfortunately. That was a fake. Are you disappointed?¡± Sakuya shook her head. She ran towards him and hugged him. ¡°I missed you,¡± she said with flowing tears from her eyes. ¡°And I am glad we met again,¡± Viers gave her a pat on the back twice. Nearby, Yayoi watched her aunt have her moment. Mysterious figures one and two lowered their hood, revealing they were Farley and Paina. Clarissa, Jessica, Zerri, Boram, the three teens, the familiars, were also nearby. Another portal appeared on the grassland they were on and Ciel joined them last, wearing full armor. Meanwhile, Viers and the others were wearing party gowns or semi-formals. Even Dia wore a nice leaf dress. Faiya and Futon had something like a bowtie to make them stylish. ¡°Err¡­¡± With all the eyes on her, Ciel wasn''t sure what to say. ¡°Relax, girl,¡± Viers said, still being hugged by Sakuya. ¡°Ditch the armor, you won''t need it. I don''t demand you to wear a ball gown, especially after the Emerith Ball, but at least wear something more comfortable.¡± ¡°Viers, what is this?¡± Ciel asked. ¡°It''s the afterparty. Some of my folks here weren''t able to participate in our earlier party, which is a shame. So I hosted one. Also, to introduce them to new members.¡± Chapter 425 - Dancing Night What is a party? Viers was an introvert and a preferred loner so he wasn''t an expert on the matter. So the party he hosted came to be because he ticked a list: guests, venue, food, and entertainment. All with a touch of luxury and class, that was it. He invited his inner circle and some newcomers; he prepared Dia¡¯s Biome as a location, a premium one at that. For food, he prepared something more lux than what they usually ate, and an ensemble of eight instruments so there would be some music playing in the background. All these were prepared and kept smoothly progressing by his capable henchmen, the Pukupukus. Actually, should I call them ¡®men¡¯? Hench-shrooms? Hench-plants? Hench-pukus? Well¡­ Whatever. Of course, since this was an event, the people element was the most crucial. The three newcomers were quickly introduced to the group and welcomed since they were guests brought by the Big Boss of this place. From there, things took off by themselves. Too many interactions took place, Ciel, Sakuya, and Yayoi were approached by Paina, Farley, and Jessica, easing them into the group and answering questions that they might have. The underage group asked Boram about his experience at the Academy. Clarissa was pestered by the familiar trio plus Zerri about the new things and the alchemist¡¯s new creations. Since Viers was in isolation, some members of his group had gone apart because of the path they chose. Some hadn''t seen their friends for a long time, like Paina who went to Zetel, Boram and Farley who studied abroad. The long separation created many topics of conversation. Food and drinks were arranged buffet style, kept at perfect temperature by magic. Viers put out ingredients that were usually reserved for him because of the quality and shared them with his close confidants. Since this was a special occasion and all. His prided Pukupuku chefs showed their skill splendidly, impressing the guests. Viers himself took a moment to be alone for some time, sitting at the edge of the open venue. After the Emerith Grand Ball, his social battery reserves had been drained. A social animal, he was not. Interacting with people was exhausting. The newly minted Level 4 took this chance to examine something that he received earlier. It was a purple monster core the size of an apple, the item that Ciel Valentine used to buy Viers¡¯ compliance to the girlfriend-boyfriend play. A Rank 5 monster core of soul affinity. Monsters with soul affinity were rare. The core, rarer. A Rank 5 soul core, much more so. Although Viers had been in seclusion for three years, through Ars¨¨ne whom he occasionally sent out, he could still influence the outside world. Mostly, about the Arcanum Club. Through the club, Viers had ways to transform his riches into cultivation resources, something that he wished he could do earlier. Those resources already helped him during his tenuous breakthrough to Level 4. Most credits belonged to The Hanged Man III, which wasn''t here, just like The Hermit. The Blood Church Vice-Vicar with the witch hat was not invited. Izabella¡¯s association with the dangerous devil cult made Viers treat her with more caution. A lesson he learned from Georgi and Dumuzin, the other devil cult. Even with the Hanged Man¡¯s mercantile business and connections to the black market, something Viers desired remained out of reach, mostly because of sheer rarity. The Rank 5 monster core in his hand right now belonged to that category. Soulfear Banshee¡¯s core¡­ And in perfect condition. Yes, this will do nicely. Monster cores were the most versatile cultivation resources. For Arte creation, Arte casting auxiliary, improvement aid, research, crafting, energy source, and many more. With this particular core, Viers wished to create a new soul Arte. he usually didn''t need to use monster cores to create Arte but for this particular Arte, the end result lacked the necessary impact. For Level 3 and below, the Arte current power worked just fine but was much less effective against Level 4s. Given enough time Viers was sure he could complete it but with the monster core, he was sure of Arte¡¯s potency. His time and resources then could be used for his improvement in other areas. By this point, only special Artes could have caught Viers¡¯ attention. Envisioning the greatness of his next soul Arte, Viers grinned. ¡°Thinking something bad again, aren¡¯t you? Come on, this is a party isn''t it? Why is the host staying on the sidelines by himself?¡± Curses! The social hounds had found him. There was no escaping now. Paina pulled his arm, bringing him to the group of mostly women. He and Boram were so out of place. Faiya, Futon, and the teenager Jessica¡¯s son didn''t count. They asked him about the Emerith Grand Ball. In response, Viers showed the vision of the Ball earlier this evening from his perspective. It was like a projector. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Viers Vision,¡± Farley pointed out. ¡°Oh, I missed this,¡± Clarissa smiled. ¡°I admit I¡¯m curious. What¡¯s he up to this time?¡± Paina added. The three girls that once lived inside his soul space suddenly got a sense of nostalgia. During that time, Viers often showed this thing to them so they could see what was happening in the outside world. In the early days, Viers didn''t have the Victa to waste to materialize them outside of his soul for everyday conveniences. The video was edited. The important parts were still there but the boring parts were removed. Just like the all cutscenes video of games in Y-Tube that Viers for one reason or another, didn''t play but still wanted to know the story. While most of the group had their eyes glued to the floating screen, Viers¡¯ hope of getting more quiet time was dashed when Ciel sat next to him. ¡°Nice place you got here,¡± the blonde beauty said. She was wearing nice, comfortable blue and black clothes. ¡°Happy to be back.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Ciel had been here once. After she and Paina and Farley repelled a clone of Georgi during the Valkut debacle. She rested here until her injuries healed before she and Viers separated. ¡°Glad you like it, Miss Valenton.¡± ¡°Valentine. Hi Dia,¡± Ciel waved at the small girl the size of a pixie on top of Viers¡¯ shoulder. The dryad waved back with a smile then Ciel¡¯s attention went back to Viers. ¡°Great Biome by the way.¡± ¡°Thanks. We developed it with care,¡± Viers said. ¡°Getting along with everyone?¡± ¡°Well enough,¡± Ciel saw the screen, which showed Croix. ¡°I never took you for the vassal type. Would you be so kind as to share the reason for your action?¡± ¡°I figured to lend the young prince a hand. He seems decent enough.¡± Ciel studied Viers¡¯ face, quite seriously. ¡°Viers, what¡¯s your opinion about Prince Croix? Will he be a good king?¡± Viers picked up Ciel¡¯s concern. Why wouldn''t she be? Croix or one of his siblings would be the next king and she was a concerned citizen. ¡°I can tell you he has a good heart. As for what kind of king he will be, I cannot say.¡± Ciel hummed. Its meaning? Viers had no idea. ¡°Your friends are impressive,¡± she then said. ¡°A force to be reckoned with. You can probably take over a Latias Barony if you are so inclined. Should I be concerned?¡± Viers smiled. ¡°Ever the legionary. Wondering if we¡¯re doing bad things?¡± The Viers Vision already passed the timestamp where Boram won his duel and Viers slapped himself. However, the part where he gave Boram harsh but necessary life advice, was cut. Such secrets shouldn''t be so easily shared. Secrets were precious precisely because they were hard to get. ¡°The world is messy enough as it is. The Human Dominion¡¯s relative peace is paid in blood. Sometimes I wonder if the Church is the only people wanting to keep the world from breaking.¡± ¡°Makes you think the political situation in Latias laughable? When you and your Silver Legion friends were fighting to keep the peace, the nobles held lavish balls and feasts without a care in the world?¡± ¡°Frustrated,¡± Ciel corrected. ¡°But yes. Out in the west, the demon threat is rising. I was there last year, with many of my comrades, fighting a Lord and his army.¡± ¡°Quick question,¡± Viers interjected. ¡°A Demon Lord? Is it another term for Demon King?¡± ¡°What? No. Demon Lord is different from Demon King. Lord is weaker since Demon King is a continent-wide threat, but still dangerous. Why?¡± Ciel asked. ¡°Just asking for clarification. I had a few run-ins with sealed Demon King body parts. The seals are clearly the Church¡¯s doing. People seem to seek these remains.¡± ¡°See what I mean?¡± Ciel massaged her temple. ¡°Is it so hard for people to understand to leave the Demon King alone? Don''t revive ancient beings of great power that want to destroy the world? Is it too much to ask?¡± ¡°I pity you. Your work seems to never end.¡± The temptation of power was too great. These body parts of the Demon King, scattered and sealed, were not powerless. They whispered to the minds of lesser men to seek them out. People being people, there were always those who took the bait. Not only talentless teenage Idlers who weren''t able to become Pathseekers were prone to Demon King¡¯s whisper. The likes of old Level 5s at the end of their lifespan sought the remains to prolong their life or to use them to have a chance of breaking through to the next Level. ¡°Yet still we do it. Because we must,¡± Ciel looked Viers in the eye with iron determination. Viers could respect that. A few seconds later, Ciel backed away slowly, a bit crestfallen. ¡°While I was fighting for the world, my family only seemed to think about who they should pick for my spouse. It is¡­ frustrating.¡± The group watched as the Ciel on the screen introduced Viers as her boyfriend. Gasps of surprise and looks were thrown at the pair sitting beside each other. Ciel smiled awkwardly and looked another way with a bit of red on her cheeks. The gaze from Clarissa and Sakuya were intense. ¡°So, you have seen the world and saw through the confines of your birth. Now you wish to be able to do more for a nobler pursuit, do I get it right?¡± Viers furthered the conversation. Ciel didn''t reply. ¡°Croix is similar to you in this. You two are wise. Also, I can help you in your goal.¡± ¡°Oh? What do you want in return?¡± ¡°It''s a win-win relationship,¡± Viers said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more after this party.¡± On the screen, the Emerith Grand Ball episode was rolling credits, while Viers and Ciel danced embodying the word romantic. For this scene, Viers used a different angle, showing the two of them and the audience, not the first-person POV. He really highlighted the moment to eleven. The real Ciel looked at her own expression on the screen; she was like a maiden enchanted with love. Her face reddened even more. Did she really look like that earlier? No way! ¡­Must be a trick of the light. Clarissa approached Viers and Ciel. Viers added the ¡®dun dun duuun!!!¡¯ sound effect in his mind. ¡°Ask me for a dance,¡± Clarissa said. Processing¡­ ¡°You want me to dance with you?¡± Viers clarified. ¡°No, I want you to ask me for a dance.¡± Clarissa¡¯s eyes convey her intent as clear as a scream to the face. Viers felt the tiniest bit of dread from that steely gaze. She wouldn''t take no for an answer. There was only one thing Viers could do. ¡°Miss Valenton, apologies. I have things I have to do. Enjoy your evening.¡± With a flash of light, Viers changed into a black tailcoat tuxedo with a black butterfly bow tie. His hair, gelled and combed. His shoes, black shine. ¡°My lady, would you grant me the honor of dancing with you?¡± Viers said with courtesy and charm cranked to the max, lowering his head. Clarissa also changed her clothes to a red ball gown of the highest quality. Her old clothing burned before they transformed. Like Katniss Everdeen. Although, Clarissa never saw that movie. Clarissa offered her hand and Viers took it befitting of a gentleman. The two went to the space in front of the ensemble of eight Pukupukus, holding four kinds of musical instruments. They played those like pros thanks to Viers copying Paina and other musicians'' skills to them. As he walked hand in hand, he used his Imaginary Domain ability to transform the surroundings to a vast, warm-lit ballroom, different from the Emerith Ball but as great. That got Viers plus points from Clarissa and the other women. Naturally, the Domain was harmless, just a little bit of make-up for appearances. He whispered the song he wanted the Pukupukus to play and then, he danced with Clarissa. The lamia didn''t have a problem dancing because she had feet. Viers was leading but the steps of the dance also didn''t seem to pose any problem to her. Now they were truly Beauty and the Beast. ¡°Kirei¡­¡± Yayoi softly said. ¡°...I¡¯m next,¡± Sakuya showed her spirit. ¡°M-me next,¡± Luca gathered her courage. ¡°You?¡± Farley asked, holding Faiya and Futon so they wouldn''t fly around and interrupt Clarissa¡¯s moment. ¡°I can''t dance,¡± Paina smiled. ¡°I will teach you,¡± Farley offered. ¡°...Don''t laugh when I step on your toes,¡± Paina replied. Boram simply enjoyed the moment while drinking mango juice or its equivalent in this world. Jessica watched beside her son, seemingly remembering fond memories. Dia tried to mimic the dancing moves on top of Zerri¡¯s head. Ciel was looking with warm eyes. A peaceful night. Chapter 426 - Tales from the East After Clarissa, Viers danced with those who wanted a turn. When his obligations were done, his social battery had truly been empty. Just as he was about to take a timeout from an unusual kind of fatigue, Sakuya and her friend approached. ¡°Hey. Sorry, but I¡¯m not doing any more dancing tonight.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. Once is enough for me. I must say the tune and dance are very different from what I know but I was glad to experience it,¡± Sakuya said. ¡°Err, so should I call you Viers-sama?¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. The -sama is unnecessary though, Sakaki-san,¡± Viers replied. ¡°Call me Sakuya, please,¡± Sakuya corrected. The other girl, who clearly looked like a Japanese descent, elbowed Sakuya from the side. Viers watched enough anime to know that calling a person by their given name instead of their family name indicated a sign of closeness. ¡°B-besides, it will complicate things with her around.¡± Viers smiled and turned to the other girl. ¡°We haven''t been officially introduced. I¡¯m Viers.¡± ¡°Hajimemashite. Sakaki Yayoi desu. I¡¯m Sakuya-obasan¡¯s niece. She¡¯s my best aunt.¡± Yayoi playfully said. ¡°Is that so?¡± Viers was unperturbed. She knew aunt came in different shapes and sizes. ¡°You have a beautiful aunt.¡± Sakuya looked like she was a crab being steamed. ¡°How come you¡¯re able to find us so fast?¡± Yayoi disregarded her mushy aunt. ¡°Sakuya¡¯s white card. It allows me to track her location and let me know if she is in mortal danger.¡± ¡°Sooo you¡¯ve been monitoring and protecting her all this time? Wow, you must really~ care about her,¡± the young woman seemed like a high schooler who had found out who her friend¡¯s crush was. ¡°It¡¯s nothing so grand. It¡¯s not like I can hear what she hears or see what she sees. Besides, I lost her signal for a few years. Then you come here¡­ It does make me curious.¡± ¡°Oh, must be because we went across the eastern ocean,¡± Sakuya said. ¡°Some of my clan, including me, visited our ancestral homeland, the land of Yamato.¡± Now that got Viers¡¯ attention. ¡°According to what I know, across the ocean, there¡¯s another continent by the name of Xian. Is this the land you speak of?¡± ¡°No, Viers-sama. Xian and Yamato are separate land masses. Both people have been at war since ancient times. The Kami of Yamato similarly waged war against Xian¡¯s Immortals.¡± Viers raised his eyebrows. ¡°The people across the sea are really strong though. Like, they are averagely stronger as a whole compared to us,¡± Yayoi added. ¡°Their cultivation system is different too. Not our Path of Power method. Viers was listening to the revelation intently. According to what he knew, Xian was a place with Chinese cultivation background, even more so than the western continent where he was now. Then what was the land of Yamato? From the name, it was clearly Japanese. Did an isekai-ed Japanese from Earth recreate his culture in this world? Certainly possible. Viers had seen many Fables like it. Then there was the war. Viers was no stranger to the frosty relationship between the Chinese and the Japanese governments on Earth. The scar from WWII was very deep. The many problems of the modern age have done nothing to mend that divide. So Xian and Yamato are at war, huh? Won''t find that in mainstream media. Chinese versus Japanese is a very big landmine for a topic. Even implying it is a big no-no. No way the developers or publishers will get a green light¡­ But Japanese versus Mongolian is all okay. Commercial success, even. Ugh, people and their double standards. Well, Viers cared not what the people of Earth would have thought since this was obviously a different world. Nothing to cancel in an alternate fantasy dimension. Cancel culture had no power here! ¡°Once, we saw Takemikazuchi-sama fight against a Xian Immortal called Purple Qi Emperor from very far afar. It was like the heavens itself was burning,¡± Sakuya shivered. ¡°Our Matriarch is a Level 5, if she wasn''t there, we would have died. Even she had to use her all against a sliver of their power,¡± Yayoi said. So Gods and Immortals are assuredly Level 6 or above. I suspected as much. But Takemikazuchi? Is he the god that the Japanese religion worships that somehow manifested in this world, or is someone taking up the name? Curious¡­ Very curious. ¡°These¡­ deities, Xian and Yamato, are there many of them on both lands?¡± Viers asked. Sakuya and Yayoi looked at each other before answering. ¡°We don''t know for sure, but I think so. There are definitely more than ten Kami in Yamato,¡± Sakuya said. ¡°Since the war isn''t over, that means both sides lack the power to land a decisive blow on the other. I think it''s safe to say both sides have more or less equal strength.¡± Sakuya and Yayoi agreed. ¡°You have given me a lot to think about. While I would love to hear more of your tales from both lands-¡± ¡°We¡­ only went to Yamato, Viers-sama,¡± Sakuya corrected.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Still great, I¡¯m sure. First, I want to ask the reason for your visit to this side of the world.¡± ¡°We seek our Matriarch who has gone missing,¡± Sakuya said. ¡°The clues indicated she went to this continent.¡± ¡°I want to find the Matriarch. Sakuya, wants to find you and the Matriarch,¡± Yayoi snickered. Sakuya retaliated by smothering her cheeky niece with the sleeves of her kimono. ¡°I see. Any idea where the Matriarch has gone?¡± Viers recalled his encounter with the woman once in the past. She was a powerful Level 5. Viers had been in close proximity to quite a few of Level 5 now. The Sakaki Matriarch, the rulers of Regidana, the Governor-King of Valkut, Cardinal Judith, the Dumuzin cult Grandmaster, Countess Grace, Duke Lucan, Duke and Duchess Valentine, were some of them. Viers wasn''t at the Level where he could accurately gauge their strength. But if he had to pick who was the strongest among them he would pick Georgi, the cult grandmaster. Not only because the guy trashed him so utterly, there was also his gut feeling. Then there were the Cardinal, the Countess, and Duke Lucan, in no particular order, just because they flexed their strength in front of Viers so Viers caught a glimpse of their abilities, he couldn''t say the others were certainly weaker though. The weakest among them would be the Level 5 who wanted to raid his Biome, who Viers forced to buy his nephew back. Viers successfully threatened him with a home-ground advantage and a Divine Weapon. Viers¡¯ mind wandered but Sakuya¡¯s answer brought him back to reality. ¡°No, unfortunately, we didn''t know where she had gone. Our only lead is the previous religious organization she was in.¡± ¡°If I remember correctly from what you told me, your Matriarch is a former saintess of the Church. We have a member of the Church right here,¡± Viers pointed to Ciel who was socializing with the others. ¡°Umm, we don''t know which Church but she had this insignia,¡± Yayoi produced a parchment. ¡°Put that back!¡± Viers immediately said. ¡°Whoa! Strong reaction¡­¡± Yayoi stored the parchment back. ¡°Viers-sama?¡± Sakuya probed. ¡°That,¡± Viers slowly whispered. ¡°Is a sigil of one of the seven devil cults. The cults are hunted down in this land, especially by the Church. They are mostly bad guys who bring a lot of destruction and suffering so it''s justified.¡± Viers thought the ¡®saintess of some religious organization¡¯ that Sakuya used to depict her Matriarch in the past meant the Estellian Church, not the Devil Cult of Teorph. ¡°The Matriarch is not that sort of person. She has always been kind to us,¡± Sakuya said. ¡°Be that as it may¡­ Well, things just got a bit more complicated,¡± Viers added. Ciel didn''t see so he managed to prevent some drama. He had enough drama, especially for this night. ¡°I see¡­¡± Sakuya looked down. ¡°While I cannot give you a guarantee to find her, I can facilitate your efforts to find her. Beats having to search for her one city at a time for sure.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough of a start,¡± Yayoi was satisfied. ¡°Indeed. Also, Tan-. Err, Viers-sama, I have a gift for you.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Viers loved gifts. Who didn''t like gifts? From her inventory item, she pulled out a sword. More accurately, a katana. Blue sheath and white handle. ¡°Made in Yamato. The swordsmith that made this requested I seek a swordsman worthy to use the blade. I instantly thought of you. I also remember your fondness for katana blades in the Book World so¡­¡± The instant Viers touched the sword, he knew this was an enchanted blade. A powerful one at that. The first glimmer of the steel confirmed it. The hamon, the edge pattern, looked like white waves. ¡°You can pull it out!¡± Sakuya looked happy. ¡°I never doubted.¡± ¡°Heeeh¡­ He really did it,¡± Yayoi, lacking Sakuya¡¯s confidence, sounded amazed. Viers once had a katana that he came upon by chance. That katana was broken when he used an impromptu Bankai with it. Since then Viers had used many kinds of swords, sometimes magic items, sometimes ordinary steel, sometimes water swords created by his Victa. He had no attachment since there was no sword that really clicked with him no matter the quality. The single exception was the Divine Weapon heirloom of Lucan Duchy that he got from killing the harem prince. Since it was Lucan Duchy¡¯s heirloom no more, Viers renamed the big sword Dark Moon for its resemblance to a certain sword in a certain GOAT game. But it was too powerful, unsuited for a main weapon for frequent use. At least for Viers¡¯ current Level. Viers¡¯ eyes as he looked at the katana Sakuya presented, were like a guy who had found his waifu. ¡°The creator believes, at the hands of a true swordsman, this sword will show its true power and cut through the sea, thus the namesake: Umikirimaru. May it serve you well,¡± Sakuya said. ¡± ¡°...My gratitude.¡± Viers sheathed the blade with a satisfying click. *** Turning back time a little tonight, just as Viers and Croix were about to arrive at the Emerith Grand Ball, far to the east, a strong storm had been stirring the sea for days. The same storm that made Sakuya and Yayoi¡¯s sail difficult. Those who understood knew the storm was unnatural. Three streaks of light pierced the storm from the east. The three lights traveled with great speed to the west until they reached land. ¡°...We made it out.¡± ¡°Just us three, it seems?¡± ¡°The important thing is we arrived.¡± The lights¡¯ true form was humans. All three males had long hair. They spoke in foreign tongues. ¡°...None of the seniors made it out. Only us in the Spirit Venerable Realm.¡± ¡°The stronger your cultivation is, the stronger the resistance. We know this.¡± ¡°Humph. For a land of weaklings, they sure put up a strong barrier.¡± ¡°...The world qi is so sparse here. How appalling.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not stay here longer than we have to. How do you propose we smoke the target out?¡± ¡°We-¡± ¡°Wait. Someone¡¯s here. Come out, whoever you are!¡± A woman in a white robe descended from the sky. ¡°Greetings. Fellow Daoist from the east. This humble self is Sallustia Amaris, a servant of the Goddess,¡± she said in the language of the foreigners fluently. ¡°To what do we owe the visit of your esteemed selves?¡± ¡°The leader of the Church¡­ We were informed about you.¡± ¡°Our business is no concern of yours. If you stand in our way, you will be dealt with accordingly.¡± ¡°They say you are the strongest person on this side of the world. What a letdown. You ain¡¯t our opponent.¡± ¡°Come now, you two. We are not savages. Surely there¡¯s no need for such hostility.¡± ¡°...Very well.¡± ¡°...Apologies. The crossing took a heavy toll.¡± ¡°Introductions first, as is proper.¡± The man put his palm and fist together in front of his chest. ¡°Wen Shenhu, Spirit Venerable Realm.¡± The other two mirrored his greeting. ¡°Bai Songbing, Spirit Venerable Realm.¡± ¡°Tao Wang, Spirit Venerable Realm.¡± ¡°We are here, under the auspices of eight Emperors. To find the Guardian Beast, Sea Rumbling Bull. This mission is of the utmost importance. The future of our home is at stake. Therefore, please forgive our trespass, Fellow Daoist Sallustia,¡± Wen Shenhu said. Chapter 427 - In Bad Neighborhood ¡°Heya, we meet again,¡± Ciel approached with a smile on her face. ¡°So we do,¡± Paina replied. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°Tired. A lot of unexpected things happened in a few short days,¡± Ciel sighed despite her smile. ¡°I can only imagine.¡± The two first met during the Valkut arc. At the climax, the two along with Farley vanquished a clone of Georgi that was aiming for the helpless Viers. As people who had fought side by side together in a battle to the death, some rapport was established between the three. But Ciel approached Paina. There was a specific reason for this. Because Paina¡¯s ¡®color¡¯ was the whitest among all the people here. Naturally, Ciel didn''t mean the color of her skin. Ciel possessed a special sight; the nature of a person, she could see them as a colored aura that only she could see. This was something that Ciel was born with. The Church later told her it was a gift from the Goddess. Based on her experience, the more good deeds a person does, the whiter their color becomes. Oppositely, if a person committed a lot of bad deeds, the darker their color was. The way Ciel took it, the color was a sign from the Radiant Lady. Whether the Goddess looked upon a person with approval or disapproval. Based on that, Ciel had an easier time judging a person. The sight never let her down. She was once sent to hunt a notorious criminal, but once she saw that her color wasn''t black, she decided to hear her out and dig around. Turned out she was framed. Naturally, Ciel cleared things up and helped uncover the truth. Ciel was grateful to the Goddess for the gift. Guidance to where her justice should be directed. This sight made her feel close to the Goddess, a cornerstone of her religious piousness. With her sight, she could root out the hiding darkness before it festered and became a disaster. That led her to Viers. To Ciel¡¯s eyes, his color wasn''t all black. A little black, like most people in the world, but not so black that indicated he had brought evil and suffering unto many others. If the Church¡¯s report of his past was correct, Viers¡¯ color should be much blacker. This usually indicated the guy also did a lot of good deeds. That was one of the reasons she picked him as her fake boyfriend. If his color was really black, Ciel would be too disgusted to approach him. Of those noble youths that approached her at the Emerith Grand Ball, many of them had ¡®colors¡¯ so black it felt repulsive. Viers was a better alternative in Ciel¡¯s mind. Her sight helped but it couldn''t show her all the answers. To investigate further, she accepted Viers¡¯ invitation to his private party. After seeing the ¡®color¡¯ of the group he hung around with, Ciel was glad this was not a group of evil-doers. If they were, she would be duty-bound to act, such was her justice. Paina had the whitest color of them all and they had met before, so Ciel was naturally drawn to her. She wished to cuddle the mini-dryad and her fire and cloud buddies next; they were super adorable. The jet-black faceless monster that she¡¯d never seen before was quite scary though. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± Paina asked. ¡°I know it¡¯s late at night but there¡¯s a bunch of good food. I recommend you eat some. Viers¡¯ cooks are masterful in their craft. You should take home the bread. Viers wouldn''t mind. He has a lot, I mean it.¡± ¡°Isn''t there too much food?¡± Ciel looked at the table with more than ten varieties of food. Sizeable portions too. ¡°Isn''t it too much of a waste?¡± ¡°Oh, don''t worry about that. Viers will eat the leftovers. He has a big stomach. Or stomachs.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Ciel wasn''t sure if her ears heard right. Paina, who wasn''t sure how much she was allowed to divulge, tried to shift the topic. ¡°Have you heard about Rose? I¡¯d love to hear about what the angel-blessed old girl is up to.¡± *** ¡°Is this wise, Lord Viers?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh.¡± Farley said as she watched Ciel and Paina conversing. Viers, who was next to her, didn''t realize Farley had gotten close because he was appraising and appreciating his new gift from the otherworldly Orient. ¡°You disapprove?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Bringing a Silver Legion so close to the center of your power¡­ It is too high of a risk. If she found out about our side activities, she wouldn''t stay still. I¡¯d even say she would actively hinder our efforts,¡± Farley continued. ¡°Sakuya aside, Ciel¡¯s presence is a high-risk low-return.¡±This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because I know something that you do not, dear Farley. See, Ciel will be our ally. The reason? Love. Pure and simple. She will love me so bad she can''t help it.¡± Farley was¡­ shocked to say the least. Viers spoke with such confidence and certainty. ¡°You believe she would¡­ betray the Church and come to your side, because of love? Is this another of your Fables?¡± ¡°Hehehe. Perhaps betray is too strong of a word, but the love part? It is as if it was written in the stars at this point. She has no idea what she has gotten herself into. I didn''t even have to push her towards this outcome. She has done that herself.¡± Farley had witnessed many of Viers¡¯ antics but this was too outlandish. Viers was certainly strong, and strong guys had a certain charm. However, to grasp the heart of a woman like Ciel so completely and make her leave her old life behind on her own volition? As a woman herself, Farley didn''t think Viers had that much charm or charisma. She didn''t believe it would happen unless he heavily tinkered with her soul. ¡°...If my guess is right, you plan on giving her and Sakuya a seat in the club. With our dealings, will she tolerate it?¡± ¡°I believe she would be¡­ amicable to our cause,¡± Viers gave a strong, business smile. ¡°It¡¯s all about the marketing.¡± *** They all slept in Viridis afterward. Viers had enough lodgings for twice their numbers. Many slept soundly including Viers because the day was truly packed with events. In the early afternoon, because they all slept very late last night, Viers directed the girls to give the newcomers: Ciel, Sakuya, and Yayoi, a tour of the Biome. Let them bask in the greatness of the place that they had built. Viers was the planner and visionary, Dia was the one who built things, but all members of the Arcanum Club contributed, sharing the joy of the betterment of their home. Meanwhile, Viers himself was making adjustments and preparations. Tomorrow, the Latias Grand Prix would begin. Meanwhile, Viers was still a newly minted Level 4. Although he had his adjustment period during his vacation at Celedony, it didn''t change the fact. After reaching Level 4, many doors were open for him to improve himself, doors that were closed when he was a Level 3. Simply put, Viers was optimizing his build. He wouldn''t become Level 4 mid anytime soon but his battle power could be improved substantially with the right customizations. Viers was particularly focusing on his Imaginary Domain. In a fight between Level 4s, one¡¯s Domain is crucial, just like how it was for Unreality Field between Level 3s. It was powerful, thanks to his Profound Codex. While a Profound Codex shaped the Domain, the individual also played a part in the finished product. Two people using the same Profound Codex could have different but similar Domains. This was the more common case, but depending on the person, a wholly unique Domain was possible. In the Dojo, a loud blast could be heard. Inside, in the middle of broken wooden floors, stood Viers. Failure¡­ As expected, creating a Domain without a boundary like Sukuna is not possible for the current me. Hehe. Need more time to cook. Viers¡¯ head was packed with inspirations from his Fables. After all, ¡®Domain¡¯ was depicted pretty often in fiction. Before he tried another of his ideas, Viers¡¯ mind wandered to the katana on his waist, Umikirimaru. Originally, Viers planned on making a suitable weapon for him using the meteorite core he got three years ago, Shining Heart. He didn''t let Boram eat it in the end. The little giant refused and followed another path of improvement. Sakuya¡¯s gift was indeed timely. Shining Heart could also grant someone light 5 affinity, it was not usable by anyone at this point in time. Selling it seemed a waste. Ciel affinity was already light 5 so this was useless for her. Viers¡¯ put the matter to the back of his mind for now. The question is, should I use the katana in the Grand Prix? Too many eyes watching for my taste. I also cannot use Artes that can easily be identified from Earth. Well, some handicaps shouldn''t be a problem. About the Grand Prix itself, Viers wasn''t too worried. With the addition of Ciel, their group was among the top tier. Level 4s were already rare looking at the age requirement of under 25. Even the princes and princesses have yet to reach that Level. Unlike competition arc in other works, Viers just didn''t feel much pressure, the absolute stake of becoming champion. Sure the prizes were incredibly good and suitably grand for the top achievers but Viers didn''t feel he had to have them or the world would end. His wealth from doing evil deeds had gotten him cultivating treasures of that level already, albeit rare. Besides, the focus was on Croix. The prince had to be the one who distinguished himself during the Prix. As long as Ciel, Boram, and Viers did their best and created the chance for the prince to show what he was made of, all was good. Objectively speaking, Croix was a pretty good seedling. The chances of this group becoming number one were pretty good. Be that as it may, Viers didn''t underestimate Latias young generation¡¯s best and brightest. That was why he kept building his strength and made ample preparations and many contingencies for tomorrow. Ciel¡¯s ploy definitely would draw ire and trigger extra events, Viers wasn''t blind. He had a flashback about his conversation with Farley about Ciel yesterday. Despite what he said, Viers wasn''t about to open all of his secrets to Ciel and he wouldn''t let his guard down. Ciel would fall in love with him, this much he was certain. Too many Fables backed him on this. Leaning on that all-powerful, ever-sweet, volatile emotion, he would begin integrating Ciel to his side. Corrupting her to the ¡®dark side¡¯, bit by bit. It would be subtle. Viers wouldn''t use any underhanded or forceful measure against her. She would realize and become spooked, driving her away. He simply needed to play his part during the future events of their storyline. The rest, as people said, was history. Tonight, there will be the Arcanum Club semi-monthly meeting. With the addition of Ciel and Sakuya, the club¡¯s prowess will be greater, bringing even more profits for me. Gwueheheheh! Always gain profits then turn those profits into strength to gain even more profits. Words to live by in a cultivation-based world. Something Viers realized on day one and the bedrock of his plans. Chapter 428 - Viers Corporation 4.0 While the villain was scheming and plotting, the residents of Viridis gave the newcomers, Ciel, Yayoi, and Sakuya, a tour of the place. Viers and Dia made the place orderly, not like a wild jungle that grew uncontrollably. There was the Teleportation Hill where people usually entered from the outside world, the Residential Area with a nice, clean, cozy, and natural feel. Farther out, there was a simple building designed like a traditional Japanese dojo, aptly called the Dojo, where people could hone their skills. Sakuya and Yayoi were surprised to see it for the first time. Viers placed some Power Spots that could be used for training nearby. Next, they visited other Power Spots that Viers strategically placed. Potent Power Spots changed the surrounding terrain. These places then grew precious cultivation resources, drew and nourished monsters with complementing affinities, and with time, improved the effect of the Power Spots themselves. Viridis had plenty of monsters, brought by its members. They thrived in this Biome. Some were domesticated and others retained their wild nature and kept getting stronger. The monsters created their own habitat near the Power Spots of their choosing. Viers then used them for food supply, harvesting them for parts, especially their cores, and reaped their souls. Furthermore, those who died in the Biome became fodder for the Biome itself thanks to a grand formation Circle of Life that Viers painstakingly built, making the ambient mana become richer and richer. Ciel was amazed by the number of Power Spots in Viridis. Clarissa told her that Viers sent them to bring Power Spots that usually appeared in the wilds or dangerous places and brought their cores here. Viers then transplanted them in the Biome and voil¨¤. Clarissa admitted that the success rate was far higher than she anticipated. Power Spots had quality too, and Viers aimed for the best that he could get. As Pathseekers, they couldn''t resist the allure of Power Spots. They focused their tour on these special cultivation places. Not to mention, the locations were visually interesting to look at. They visited a place of fire and wind, which Faiya and Futon used as their favorite playground. A rare mineral mine, where Boram usually turned precious rocks into dust using his Profound codex. A lake where water-shaped monsters, whose bones were sunk in the lake, walked on the water¡¯s surface, and defeating them granted epiphany; Farley¡¯s hunting ground. A singing forest, where Paina practiced her musical arts. The trees sang Paina¡¯s musical delight back to the visitors. Paina accepted their praise humbly. Since Viers went into seclusion for three years, the Biome had greatly improved, becoming more and more like a cultivation holy land. There were Power Spots with more exotic nature too, like the valley of souls, battleground shades, mind cavern, rust poison swamp, cliff of ashes, and fountain of stardust. Some of the Power Spots couldn''t be utilized by Farley and the others because of incompatible affinity, but their products were worth quite a bit or useful in other ways. Ciel with her background as a daughter of one of the most powerful families in Latias and a distinguished member of the famed Silver Legion, had been exposed to these sorts of luxuries, but not so for Sakuya and Yayoi. They were like country bumpkins that had their eyes opened. The young miss of the Valentine House showed interest in Viers¡¯ more mundane but awesome projects, like Dia¡¯s filter tree that created fruits of drinkable water from a dirty water source, or the wheat grain that made people full with a couple of spoonfuls. These could help a lot of people. Sakuya and Yayoi also wanted to get their hands on the Biome¡¯s amazing fruits, medicinal plants, and cultivation materials. A Pathseeker¡¯s improvement was not only dependent on their talent and effort but also on their assets. Farley told them that these all belonged to Viers. ¡°If you want them, you have to buy them. They all got a price tag, you know.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Yayoi gasped. ¡°Same thing for using the Power Spots. You can rent them for use, but you need to be able to afford them,¡± Paina added. ¡°Also, while the more mundane goods can be bought with normal currency like gold coins and mana stones, for Viers¡¯ high-end goods and services you need to use Credits. And to get Credits, you¡¯ve got to do Viers¡¯ tasks and assignments.¡± Clarissa gave them two scroll magic items, one scroll containing the prices and goods for sale, with detailed descriptions. The other showed ¡®quests¡¯ and the amount of Credits they would gain upon their completion. The quests were along the lines of obtaining water and soul rare resources, getting monster cores, getting other Power Spots, exploring unknown areas, Profound Codices and Artes, and so on. ¡°So basically we get Credits for making Viers stronger or improving the Biome, which in turn gives more opportunity and benefits to us,¡± Clarissa explained. ¡°Well thought,¡± Ciel said while touching her lips. ¡°Big organizations have similar systems but what amazes me is the scope and how well organized this all is. My family uses hundreds of people to maintain a Biome half as big as this and not as rich.¡± ¡°Well, Mister Viers won''t miss a thing or two, right?¡± Yayoi smiled. ¡°Yayoi, stealing is bad!¡± Sakuya berated. ¡°Firstly, I highly don''t recommend it,¡± Paina said softly. ¡°Viers is crazy strong and he doesn''t extend his trust easily. Once he does and you betray that trust, no second chances for you. Secondly, look there.¡± They saw a Pukupuku, a mushroom-like life form that was really marketable as a plush toy, looking at them from behind a tree. It adoringly panicked after being stared at and hid back. ¡°This place is Viers¡¯ base. He takes care of this place like it is his baby. The security here is really good. Trust me, I know. He had us trying to break in and out of this place or heist practice every few months. Dangling a bunch of Credits for every flaw we find,¡± Paina said while looking at a far distance like recalling a traumatic memory. ¡°There are easier ways of courting death,¡± Clarissa said to Yayoi. ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Yayoi raised her hands. ¡°I¡¯m just saying what we¡¯re all thinking. Relax you all. I¡¯m not taking anything.¡± ¡°Wise choice,¡± Farley nodded. ¡°Else, as one loyal to Lord Viers, I would have to act.¡± Yayoi playfully extended her tongue. Sakuya sighed in relief. The tour ended without incident. Since it was almost evening, Paina, Farley, and Clarissa decided to pinch in their hard-earned Credits to treat the other three newcomers to a hot spring Power Spot, Dragon Mist Hot Spring. It was a favorite Power Spot for the womankind by far. Not only did the soak feel heavenly, but it also had cultivation, healing, and beautifying effects. The guardian dragon statue, the white air that gently wrapped the bodies, and the falling red leaves made the place very picturesque and relaxing.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m sorry to be direct, but I realize there are a lot of women here, and you¡¯re all really pretty¡­ are you all¡­ with Viers-sama¡­ lovers?¡± Sakuya spoke about the topic that had been tormenting her mind. ¡°Not at all. Viers made it clear to us that he isn''t seeking a relationship. Not before he finished growing. Bluntly put, he likes people that can be useful to that cause,¡± Clarissa said while submerging in hot water from the neck down. ¡°Sakuya, If you want to wrest Lord Viers¡¯ heart, you have to work hard,¡± Farley smiled. ¡°Ehh!?¡± ¡°See auntie?¡± Yayoi chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re too obvious.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only having Viers pretend to be lovers on the outside. Nothing is going on between us. It¡¯s purely transactional. Don''t worry.¡± Farley had so much to say towards Ciel¡¯s comment but she stayed her tongue. Paina thought of the women around her. Clarissa, who loved Viers but didn''t desire to monopolize him. Farley, who wouldn''t refuse to come to Viers¡¯ bed if he called her. Jessica, who sometimes Viers looked at with kind eyes. Sakuya, who held the feeling of love since the Book World and had now returned. Ciel, who didn''t realize how deeply Viers planned on using her for his designs. Dia ,who Viers treated like a daughter. Zerri, who possessed unbroken loyalty toward her Overlord. Luca, who Viers kept feeding adoration and goodwill for the future¡­ and herself. Their happy endings wouldn''t come easy or anytime soon. An hour later, their fatigue went away completely. Their skin was glossy and silky, with a healthy tinge of warm color. They had dinner at the dining hall, along with Viers and the rest. It was like a big family gathering. Like in a restaurant, even if they each order a different dish, it wouldn''t pose a problem. The army of Pukupuku fierce chefs was ready to cook their orders to the best of their ability, like the Palicoes that feed the hunters before they hunt big monsters. *** When night came, Viers brought the card-holders to the club meeting. Yayoi couldn''t come because she didn''t have a card. As a recompense, Viers allowed her to enjoy the benefit of a Power Spot of her choosing. She chose one suitable for a wind Pathseeker. In the hidden realm of Viridis, Velvet Sea, there was a gathering held twice a month, when one of the two moons was full. In an undersea-themed realm, the secret club conducted their business. ¡°Good evening, Young Boss,¡± the Hermit greeted. ¡°Your presence here indicates you have a successful Ascension?¡± ¡°Hehehe. Who do you think you¡¯re talking to?¡± Viers replied with a pleased smile. ¡°I see we have two new members,¡± the Hanged Man said. ¡°Welcome, newcomers. May we have success together.¡± The people still looked like robed figures in other people¡¯s eyes, except for Viers. Most members were in Viridis so they could attend in person but Hermit and Hanged Man were just projections. ¡°On to business then, Magician, Hermit, Strength, your orders have arrived,¡± Hanged Man said and three boxes appeared in front of him. ¡°You may check the quality of the goods. Star¡¯s order will take some more time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not in a rush,¡± Jessica the Star replied. ¡°My gratitude.¡± ¡°I have procured seven Level 4 souls, confirm it,¡± Izabella the Hermit materialized a lantern with seven wisps of light inside it. ¡°...Confirmed,¡± Viers checked. ¡°Sending the Credits to your card right now.¡± ¡°Additionally, I have gotten a bunch of water and earth Arte Infusion materials for those who might be interested,¡± Hermit said again. ¡°I am. I have rare resources from Zetel and further south. We can trade,¡± Paina the Temperance said. ¡°Me too,¡± Boram the Strength followed. ¡°But I¡¯m low on money so I might not be able to afford it.¡± ¡°You can pay it later,¡± Hermit offered. ¡°Appreciate the offer, but no thanks. My master said you should not buy things that you cannot afford.¡± ¡°Can someone tell me what this is? I found it at a night market. I have a feeling it¡¯s something special but I can''t crack its secret,¡± Farley the Magician came forward. ¡°Let me see,¡± Hanged Man¡¯s projection examined the object. ¡°I think I have an idea what this is. You got a good find. This will fetch high in a certain circle.¡± Transactions, favor tradings, information circulations, all conducted fairly under the guarantee of Viers, the Young Boss. He basically ran the show since Big Boss, which was Viers in disguise but not everyone knew that, never showed himself again. With the opportunities, they could get things that were suitable for them and it was much easier to obtain them. This led to their power growth. The stronger they were, the more good things Viers could get his paws on. Also, he got a small cut from all the dealing conducted, cause, taxes. All as Viers intended, the devilish businessman. Speaking of business, the Hermit and Hanged Man were the major players in the club. Izabella had connections and ran her own branch of the Blood Church, while the Hanged Man was the owner of a merchant firm. This Hanged Man was the third one. Before Viers suffered for three years for No Pain No Gain Arte, he tasked Paina who traveled far to Zetel to recruit a merchant for the club. That she did. But the first Hanged Man tried to get clever and skimmed funds. Viers found out and disposed of him. He wasn''t able to move directly so he sent Farley and the familiars. Hanged Man the first was dead and recycled. His assets, liquidated and acquired. Hanged Man the second tried to extort the other club members after a while, thinking he had gotten some leverage. He wanted to have control over Paina and the others. Viers did not tolerate such a stance. The only one above the table was him. He didn''t listen to Viers¡¯ only warning and then got the dead and recycled treatment too. This happened because Paina wasn''t able to see the soul and nature of the person she recruited like Viers. In her defense, Paina recruited great merchants, but their personality, not so much. He didn''t blame her and sent her to find another. At that time, the club really needed a merchant as soon as possible. That led to the current Hanged Man the third. He was the latest head of an old line of a named shop. Used to be big and successful but now on the verge of bankruptcy and heavily in debt, unable to compete with the giant corp, the Magisterium. Paina brought him into the fold after making a more measured judgment. The Level 4 turned out to be hardworking and fitting for the role as the pipe connecting the wealth of Viridis to the wider world. For her success, Viers rewarded Paina¡¯s efforts with a hefty amount of Credits. Let it never be said that Viers Corporation was a black company that oppressed its employees unfairly. As fate would have it, Hanged Man III had a destiny with Viers. His name was Carlo, previously a Level 4 dean from a prestigious School in Zetel. He got fired after the exchange students under his charge had an untimely death by Tanael in the events of the Book World. When Viers found out, he found it hilarious. The Zetelian found the hope to pay off his massive debt to a bigger firm in the Arcanum Club. The produce of Viridis alone priced a hefty sum in the market thanks to their quality and Viers had a lot of them. The former teacher still had a passion for teaching so he sometimes gave guidance to younger members about Pathseeker things. Even Jessica sought pointers from him to be a better teacher. Luca, Gwen, and Tim had attended his classroom. In Zetel, the Magisterium was a super corporation. They controlled almost everything in the Pathseeker market. In time, Viers planned to utilize the Hanged Man to enter that market but the conquest of Zetel was still far off. Now Viers¡¯ focus was on Latias. Fun fact, Jito, Viers¡¯ henchman that he sent for low to mid-tier jobs, worked in Hanged Man¡¯s shop now. Additionally, he was still a member of the Bone Ravens, the assassin devil cult. He knew his place and his lot in life had improved, unlike a certain Mer that brought destruction to his kingdom. After the initial fervor died down, Viers introduced Ciel and Sakuya to the other club members. He purposely delayed their introduction, letting the two see how the players played. ¡°Now that everyone''s finished. Let me introduce you to Miss Justice and Miss Lovers. I¡¯m sure they both will have great things to offer.¡± Ciel as the Justice and Sakuya as the Lovers. Viers picked their code quite easily. There was some buzz towards Sakuya¡¯s codename but Viers said that the name signified her nature that treasured bonds with other people, not only for him but others too. ¡°We are not romantically involved¡­ for now.¡± Because of the last two words that Viers spoke softly but made sure Sakuya heard them, the sullen kunoichi¡¯s mood brightened up like a sun after an eclipse. The club meeting ended after Ciel and Sakuya made some transactions. Sakuya bought a gift for Yayoi since she couldn''t be here. The world still didn''t know the growing hidden power under the depths of the Velvet Sea. When they did, Viers would make sure it was a grand reveal. A new day came and with it, the curtains of the Latias Grand Prix opened. Chpater 428A - Interlude - Pathseeker Classroom ¡°Good evening, class.¡± ¡°Good evening, Mister Carlo,¡± the students answered. This time, there were more people in the classroom than usual. The teacher was not really in front of the students. It was just a projected image. The real Carlo was far away outside of the Biome. Still, the students could see and hear him just fine and the opposite was also true. ¡°Tim, Gwen, Luca. Long time no see. The three of you appear to be healthy and well. This is good.¡± ¡°Thank you for accepting our request suddenly, teacher. Even though you are always busy after the meeting,¡± Gwen said. ¡°Nonsense! I can always make time for earnest students eager to learn,¡± Carlo smiled. ¡°Also, greetings to the rest of you. Welcome to this place of learning. Now, without further ado, let us begin. Tim, Gwen, and Luca, you three have been studying at the heart of Latias¡¯ cradle of knowledge. I have reviewed what you have learned and now, I shall explain to you more deeply about the path you wish to travel in a few years.¡± Carlo began explaining. ¡°It is not recommended to disclose the Path of Power to ones too young. It led to many cases where they recklessly began the journey before their bodies were ready, leading to unfortunate outcomes. This is known as early awakening. Something familiar to you all by now.¡± ¡°Brother Boram turned out to be alright,¡± Tim commented. ¡°Ow!¡± Tim looked at his mother who was standing at the side. He felt his head was hit by a fist even though his mother didn''t move or close enough to hit him. Carlo picked up Jessica the Star was using her unique power to hit Tim using just her energy. Intriguing. ¡°You should already be bored hearing this by now but no forging your Intio before the age of fifteen. Or do you think yourself to be better than countless numbers of your elders throughout history? Reckless children who ignored the warnings wouldn''t be able to survive on this dangerous path anyway. Most likely, you will die young so might as well save yourself the trouble and not begin at all.¡± ¡°I get it. I get it,¡± Tim stroked his head to alleviate the pain. ¡°We¡¯ll begin with the very basics, affinity. You are all born with a certain affinity. This is what first determines if you are fit to become a Pathseeker or not. Some children are born with high affinity, some with weak affinity. For example, wind 1 is the weakest and wind 5 affinity is the strongest, strictly in terms of affinity. Affinity makes your corresponding Arte stronger and easier to use. Wind 1 also limits your progression to Level 1, wind 3 to Level 3, and so on. Affinity is a very integral part of a Pathseeker¡¯s being.¡± ¡°Man, I can''t wait to find out what my affinity is. I hope it¡¯s a cool one, and 5. 4 is good too,¡± Tim nonchalantly said. ¡°My sister has water affinity so I might have water too,¡± Gwen spoke her mind. Luca didn''t say anything but her shadow shifted slightly. Of Carlo¡¯s three students, Luca obviously had the highest affinity. Hers was so strong that it didn''t take skill or items to pick up the signs, darkness 5. It seemed Viers also gave her a method to already nurture her ability and made her stabilize it since she was ten years old. Such a method was usually reserved for the kids of the wealthy because of its rarity. If she was proven to have the right mental disposition then she would become a great Pathseeker. The Magician¡¯s sister, Gwen, had a high affinity. According to his fellow club member, her little sister was more talented than her. Of course, the Magician already outgrew her initial affinity and raised her ability. What Gwen''s affinity was was still unclear but according to his estimation, more or less an affinity of 4. The problem was Tim, the Star¡¯s son. Carlo felt bad about the boy but his highest affinity should be around 1, 2 at most. Quite a low standard. Sometimes this could mean he had a rare affinity that was hard to detect and that affinity might be high but it was a very rare case. The Star was aware of this and already searching for affinity-boosting items through Carlo and other ways. Even if she had to pay an exorbitant sum, she was determined for her son. Truly touching. ¡°No Gwen, you are not guaranteed to have the same affinity with your sister. Even among twins, their affinity can be different. Of course, there are cases when it can also be the same. It is the wonder of life. Some clans use special techniques to push their descendants towards a certain affinity. It can be done but it is quite resource-heavy.¡± ¡°Your Pathseeker journey truly begins when you make your Intio, your cultivation core. This makes you a Level 0. To become Level 1 you have to draw the ambient mana from your surroundings and store it inside your Intio. When your Intio is filled to the brim, you break it apart and reforge it anew. If successful you raise your Level by one, if you fail horribly, you must restart from scratch or even become heavily injured.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°This process is more or less the same up to Level 2, but to become Level 3, you¡¯ll need something called the Profound Codex. It is a technique manual that leads to the creation of something called the Unreality Field. The mark of a Level 3 Pathseeker. There are a lot of Profound Codices, the bad ones can only lead you to Level 3 or 4 and no further. Make sure you¡¯re very careful when choosing to commit to your Profound Codex.¡± ¡°To review, how high your affinity is and your Profound Codex limits you to the maximum Level that you can reach. It¡¯s a given you always want higher affinity and Profound Codex but these things were heavily regulated by those in power. They aren''t readily available in stores, mind.¡± ¡°Aww, that sucks,¡± Tim pouted. ¡°Because it is important to do so, young Tim. Level 3 Pathseekers had great power. It is in the best interest of the rulers to keep their numbers in check. If there are no regulations, things can get messy very fast. Can you imagine if everyone did everything they wanted? How dangerous would it be if you lived in a lawless city like that?¡± The three kids think in silence. ¡°So for your sake, for your loved ones, and for others, never abuse the power you possess,¡± Carlo added. Of course, there are cases where the powerful used this as an excuse to oppress the masses but Carlo didn''t tell the kids that for now. ¡°Let us continue. If you talk about Pathseekers you¡¯ll also talk about their Artes, their wondrous and magical techniques. Artes are up to the Pathseeker, they can be anything from a simple swing of a wooden stick to moving the clouds. But if your Artes are too weak or useless, it will only bring shame upon you.¡± ¡°You can create an Arte yourself. There are stories of masters studying the movement of wind or the nature of fire to create divine techniques. Or, you can also learn the Artes of your predecessors or teachers. In a more extreme case, you steal them from others. Copy their Arte after observing them and do it yourself. This is also a sign of your ability. Although, I would not advise you to do that. People, or that people¡¯s organization won''t like their Artes to be used without their permission.¡± ¡°The most popular method of getting an Arte is by using a monster core. Meditate with a core and then get an epiphany about the monster, then recreate the monster¡¯s special ability in an Arte.¡± ¡°Artes are all well and good but without Victa, even the greatest of Artes are useless. What is Victa, Luca? Can you answer it?¡± ¡°Victa is a personalized mana created by the Intio. Pathseekers cannot use the raw mana of our surroundings directly to cast their Arte but it is much easier and efficient using their Victa. This is exclusive to the human race.¡± ¡°Luca is correct. Other races might not need Victa to use their Artes and some beings manipulate certain elements as easily as breathing. Only humans utilize Intio and Victa as part of their Path of Power. There are advantages and disadvantages to this. Gwen, what are the characteristics of Victa?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Intio created Victa ceaselessly. There is no limit to how much Victa we can store. The higher your Level, the greater the quality of your Victa, making your Arte stronger with less amount of Victa.¡± ¡°Very good. But even though Pathseeker had a limitless supply of Victa, you¡¯ll find how insufficient your Victa generation is. Every Pathseeker struggles with Victa usage. You might think that if you don''t have enough, then just don''t use your Arte. Well, it¡¯s not that simple. There is a saying that wars are won on the training ground. You need to train your Artes and hone them instead of only using them in the heat of battle. Using your Artes unskillfully can lead to a backlash, or you giving an opening to your opponent, leading to a defeat, or worse.¡± ¡°Ask any experienced Pathseekers and they say they trained their Arte tens or even hundreds of times, burning a ton of Victa in the process. They optimized them with each training, making them hit harder, faster to cast, cost less Victa, et cetera. The more Artes you have the greater your burden. This is why Victa generation techniques are some of the most coveted in the Pathseeker world. Those who had it, like the Silver Legion, guarded their secret like a dragon guarding its hoard.¡± Others in the classroom besides the three kids heard Carlo¡¯s teaching and remembered their own struggles and grueling training. The sweat and blood they shed for making their Artes just a little bit better. ¡°Some Artes are stronger than others, better from the start, but having better Artes isn''t everything in Pathseeker battles. For example, a crucial factor in my homeland of Zetel is your maximum ability to put your Victa into an Arte. Imagine this, your Victa is a pond of water, you only have a small scoop to draw that water and utilize it. If you have a bigger scoop, you can make your Arte stronger simply by feeding it more Victa. This is the simplest way of making your Arte stronger. We call this study Maximum Victa Draw. Sounds easy right? But it is easier said than done.¡± ¡°In the end, there are almost endless ways to improve yourselves. Diligence is golden. I believe this is enough for today. Are there any questions?¡± ¡°Teacher, what about the abilities of Levels 3 and 4?¡± Gwen raised her hand. ¡°And 5,¡± Luca added. ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡± Tim shouted. ¡°Those are still too early for you. I¡¯ll simply summarize that at Level 3, you begin to bend the world to your will using Unreality Field. At Level 4, it evolved to Imaginary Domain with a greater range and potency. Inside your Domain, you impose your rule on the world, giving you a serious advantage over your enemies. At higher Levels, Unreality Field and Imaginary Domain utilization can be argued as more important than Artes.¡± ¡°As for you kids, tempering yourself is important. Fill your head with more knowledge and strengthen your muscles. How fast you run can be the difference between life and death once you become a Pathseeker. Like when you encounter a dangerous monster way stronger than you can handle. The higher your physical ability, the higher the benefit when strengthening yourself using Victa. That concludes today¡¯s lesson.¡± After the kids said their goodbyes, Jessica the Star approached him for a thank you. Carlo thought Jessica was like a colleague. Then he greeted the others before he stopped the projection¡¯s connection. ¡°Apologies for only saying basic knowledge,¡± Carlo said to two girls wearing exotic clothes. One of them was the Lovers. ¡°Not at all. Your teaching is helpful,¡± Sakuya said. ¡°Yeah, our basics are a bit different. This is good,¡± Yayoi followed. ¡°I¡¯m happy to be of service. Until next time, ladies.¡± After the figure of Carlo disappeared, Clarissa approached Sakuya. ¡°You know there¡¯s a big tournament tomorrow, right? Farley got a spot. Paina and I are going but we¡¯ve still got an empty slot. What do you think? Are you up for it?¡± Chapter 429 - The Latias Grand Prix ¡°My lady! I''ve been so worried!!¡± ¡°Arrggh! I¡¯m fine but you''re crushing me to death¡­¡± The Crimson Capital of the Latias Kingdom was awash with a festive fever. The highly anticipated Grand Prix that opened once every several years had arrived. At a stadium as grand as the Colosseum; seats were already packed by spectators. The main cast, youths from far and wide, carrying their hopes and dreams in their breasts, gathered at the starting venue. One of those youths was Ciel Valentine, the only child of one of the ducal houses of the kingdom. When she arrived, a very muscular woman about 190 cm in height gave Ciel a bearhug. ¡°Where were you for two days? I even went to the Countess and she denied having knowledge of your whereabouts! As did Prince Croix!¡± The muscular Level 4 maid said aggrievedly while Ciel¡¯s bones creaked. After the Emerith Grand Ball, Ciel followed Croix¡¯s group back to the Countess¡¯ manor. The maid would have met her there if Viers hadn''t invited Ciel for a little Council of Elrond two nights ago. ¡°Technically, it was one day and two nights. I was with my beloved, enjoying each other¡¯s company,¡± replied Ciel after struggling free and straightening her breaths. Gasps and eyes went to Viers. An unmarried lady shouldn''t be alone with another man at night. What Ciel just said in public was very scandalous and unbecoming for a high-class lady. Avel, or rather, Viers, sighed. Another tiring thing he had to put up with. The maid stood before Viers, towering over him by a head. ¡°We have not been properly introduced. My name is Tinade, a caretaker of House Valentine. I¡¯ve been taking care of Lady Ciel ever since she needed her diaper changed.¡± Disregarding Ciel¡¯s embarrassment over the subject, Viers replied. ¡°Avel of Javia. Presently Prince Croix¡¯s vassal. Greetings.¡± ¡°Young man, I¡¯ll tell you this just once. If you¡¯re not prepared for what lies on this path, the sooner you back away the better. It will be a grueling ordeal.¡± Viers took a moment to process the words of wisdom that were given in good faith before he gave his reply with a small, confident smile. ¡°My purpose lies even beyond this path, Miss Tinade. No matter the ordeal, I¡¯ll conquer it.¡± ¡°...I pray you can back up those words,¡± Tinade said and stepped back. She, Eugene, and a couple of knights sworn to House Valentine made up the security detail exclusively for Ciel. The Duke and Duchess of Valentine were very protective of their sole child, but the girl grew up quite rebelliously. She even joined the Silver Legion whose job was to battle demons and other threats to the world. Tinade held similar worries. There were a couple of hundred people in the venue. Unlike at the ball two days ago, they didn''t wear gowns and suits. Tensions were in their smiles and greetings during their minglings. They were all rivals, and the first round was made known to be a battle royal. Viers ignored Theus¡¯ gaze of hatred. In the middle of this, Croix¡¯s countenance was dark. Viers didn''t blame him. *** Earlier, once they arrived at the venue, a man dressed in attire reserved for those who served the crown said to Croix someone would like to meet him. Croix had no choice since refusing was too strong of a defiance. Along with his team plus dragon plus Alfred, Croix followed the messenger. A man was waiting for them in the elite branch of the building, as this man certainly was. Chancellor Soren. With the absence of the King, this man basically held the highest power in the current government. Of course, the nobles rallying behind the banners of the four duchies meant his power in Latias was not unchallenged. He looked like a man in his fifties but he had served the crown since the days of King Luthor, Croix¡¯s grandfather. The man was not a Level 5 but a Level 4. Quite odd for a man of his status. Still, he didn''t seem to be in any danger. Besides the bodyguards, the man had at least twenty life-saving items at Level 5 grade and at least one Divine grade protection. ¡°Ah, the dragon prince. Well met. And Valentine¡¯s young lady.¡± Croix and Ciel were addressed but not the rest, as if they weren''t important enough to warrant his attention. He had a warm and kind face but Viers felt the man¡¯s smile hid a lot of meanings behind it. After brief pleasantries, the Chancellor asked the rest to clear the room save for Croix as he wanted a private talk. Croix wished to keep Alfred beside him. Viers and the others left and waited. When Croix returned, his expression was of anger. The Chancellor was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Avel, I need your counsel.¡± Croix, Alfred, and Viers gathered in a separate private room. ¡°Alfred, tell him what the Chancellor told us,¡± Croix said while holding back his anger before he erupted. The Level 4 loyal knight did so in the same bad humor as Croix. The knight still had white hair because of overtaxing himself by taking on Prince Marvin¡¯s blow in the past but thanks to the treatment of the elves, his vitality was no longer leaking at the seams and had recovered greatly. ¡°The Chancellor wishes for the Prince to lose the Grand Prix, refraining from achieving any major feats. If he doesn''t comply, he implied the repercussions would be suffered by Lady Giselle, the Prince¡¯s mother.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Viers furled his eyebrows. The mothers of the Princes and Princesses of Latias, the women that King Lahar the Lustful took, were being kept in the palace. On house arrest in all but name. It was the doing of the Chancellor, not officially, but it was his doing. Many surmise it was to control the Princes and Princesses so they wouldn''t get out of line once they came of age. ¡°He gave me a letter,¡± Croix said. ¡°Handwritten by my mother but the words of the Chancellor. It said the same thing as what the slimy man said!¡± The implication of that was severe. How much control did the Chancellor have over Croix¡¯s mom? Croix was shaken. Alfred who originally protected Croix out of loyalty to his mom was the same. ¡°So he¡¯s wary of you because of Falmerion,¡± Viers said. ¡°I thought so too¡­¡± Croix gnashed his teeth. ¡°I asked if he gave Princess Celestine the same warning. He said no, but that¡¯s because Celestine¡¯s mother had already passed away, years ago.¡± ¡°I see. So, what does Your Highness wish to hear from me?¡± Viers asked. ¡°What¡¯s your take on this?¡± ¡°Do you wish to resign now?¡± ¡°Of course not! But my mother¡­¡± Croix¡¯s mother was in this very city but he couldn''t visit her. Croix hated it. ¡°We keep our eyes on our objective, which is excelling at this Grand Prix. I¡¯ll convey this to the Countess. Do you remember what she said? She will take care of her sister¡¯s matter. Trust her,¡± Viers said. ¡°...Avel, I know you have interacted with Aunt Grace more than me since my departure to Sinclair. Is this the source of your confidence?¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Viers neither confirmed nor denied it. ¡°She¡¯s a woman I can respect.¡± *** Back to the present, Viers gave Croix who was lost in his thoughts a nudge. ¡°Duke Crowe has arrived. Focus, Highness, or else you¡¯ll stumble in your first steps.¡± The Level 5 gave off a larger than life presence but Croix didn''t even notice, showing how far gone his mind was. Falmerion similarly pushed Croix using his snout from the other side. The pony-sized young red dragon also sensed the turmoil of his partner. ¡°This time¡¯s Grand Prix is for young blood like you,¡± the man addressed. ¡°You who will shoulder the future of this nation, show the people of Latias what you¡¯re made of!¡± ¡°OOOOOOHHH!!!¡± Hundreds of voices shook the venue. Duke Crowe waited until it subsided before continuing. He moved his hand and an image appeared in the air. The image of a landscape crawling with black insects all over the place. ¡°This is a Biome rich in resources. However, it has been overrun by an invasive species of monsters. Currently, there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions of them infesting the Biome. In the first round of the Grand Prix, your objective is to cull these monsters.¡± Opening his hand, the duke showed a badge. ¡°93 groups, 372 people gathered here. Only the top 16 groups will advance to the second round. This badge will be given to each of the team leaders which will then record the number of the monsters your group kills. The stronger the monster, the higher the score you¡¯ll receive. Furthermore, if you lose your badge or it is taken, it means disqualification.¡± There were murmurs among the contestants. ¡°What you''re thinking is correct. A rival team might eliminate you by aiming for your badge. Since only the team leader can hold the badge, the rest of the group should keep their leader¡¯s safety in mind. If you break another team¡¯s badge, half of the score the opposing team gained will be transferred to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll add that even if there are only 16 slots for the next round, if your team doesn''t possess the minimum score, you won''t be eligible to pass. The next highest scorer among the eliminated team will substitute you instead.¡± Viers guessed this minimum score rule existed so the competitors wouldn''t be consumed by fighting each other and disregard the monsters instead. It was clear that Duke Crowe wanted to use the contestants as free labor to cleanse the Biome. His Biome. ¡°For your benefit, each group will be accompanied by an observer. To keep neutrality, we employ the aid of the Church. In the Biome, they will only interfere if your life is in danger, only to save your life. Other than that, they will only observe the proceedings and report illegal activities. Do note that if you have to get saved by the men of the cloth for whatever reason, that individual will be disqualified and must exit the Biome. If the disqualified person is not the leader, the group may continue the hunt in the Biome.¡± Viers found it amusing. At this level, to save lives, the so-called observers should be at least at Level 4. 93 Level 4s were a very significant force. Why would the Church get involved in an event like this to this extent and mobilize such massive manpower? Why else? Money. The Church needed money for its operations. For disaster relief, feeding the poor, repairing towns, funding orphanages, and raising Pathseekers, all cost money. It wasn''t pretty, but reality often is like that. Duke Crowe definitely gave the Church a tidy sum. With the existence of the safety net, many contestants'' faces brightened up with relief. ¡°This incursion also provides ample opportunities. Whatever resources you find in the Biome belong to you. The monster core, the Power Spots, loot from other teams, or any other treasures. Furthermore, the score you accumulated during the three days window this round, can be used to trade things from House Crowe¡¯s massive treasuries. Other than those 16 who pass the next round, those who fall short or are disqualified will also be able to utilize this feature. Their score is counted before their elimination occurs, so before their score is cut in half in case their badge is taken by another team.¡± Picking up the scent of riches, the blood of the contestants was boiling. All Pathseekers are hungry for resources. Their need, insatiable. With this, it was assured the bug monsters would be hunted down by a pack of hungry wolves. ¡°Lastly, to those who call themselves Prince and Princesses of Latias, there¡¯s an extra requirement for you to pass. Your group must at least slay one Rank 4 monster!¡± There were some voices of discontent caused by that line. ¡°The decision is final,¡± Duke Crowe emitted a pressure befitting that of a Level 5, making most of the contestants flinch. ¡°The road to the throne is long and arduous. This little thing is barely a bump on the road. Conquer it. In one hour, the gate to the Biome will open. Make your final preparations. Before you enter, the badge will be given to you by your observer. Children of Latias, godspeed.¡± The people here already made preparations for months but the last period of one hour was a welcome one. Some left the venue temporarily and some remained. Croix¡¯s group went to meet up with Countess. ¡°I have no advice to impart. This moment has been a long time coming. If you pass, it means you are qualified. If not, you''re not qualified. As simple as that. The four of you, go forth, and follow your Path of Power.¡± After Croix¡¯s group left, Countess Grace Weiss looked at the palace from the window. Her sister was there. ¡°Soon¡­¡± Croix, Viers, Boram, and Ciel used the remaining time to discuss strategy. When the hour came, there was a portal in the middle of the venue that wasn''t there before. ¡°Prince Croix¡¯s group? My name is Breiz. I¡¯ll be your observer,¡± a man wearing a white robe said. As expected by Viers, he was a Level 4. ¡°This is your badge. May the Goddess smile upon you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Priest Breiz. I¡¯ll be counting on you when the worst happens,¡± Croix said while accepting the badge. ¡°Greetings, senior,¡± Ciel bowed to the older man who reciprocated with a nod. When the time came, Croix¡¯s group of four and one dragon entered the portal along with the other 92 groups. Chapter 430 - Round 1 ¡°How repulsive,¡± Croix said with a disgusted face. ¡°I can''t agree more,¡± Ciel was covering her nose with a handkerchief. ¡°What is that smell?¡± ¡°Pheromones, probably,¡± someone said from above. ¡°Cockroaches have plenty of them.¡± The contestants were teleported to different places in the Biome. It didn''t take long until Croix¡¯s group encountered one of the insect monsters. They looked like cockroaches. Bigger, heavily mutated, and incomparably stronger, but the base was that of a cockroach. The group swiftly defeated the Rank 1 monster that attacked them as soon as it saw the humans, thinking they were potential prey. They made swift work of the monster, but after its death, the smell of its white bodily fluid was so strong it might as well have been a weapon in itself. Viers had to agree with the opinion of his teammates. While Ciel was no squeamish young lady who let out a squeal when an ordinary cockroach showed itself, the monster species that infested Duke Crowe¡¯s Biome were multitudes more disgusting; from the way they looked, the way they moved, the way they died, everything about them seemed wrong. The villain wasn''t taking part in the battle, he instead jumped on a high tree to scout his surroundings, making good use of his superior sight. The Biome was truly vast, much bigger than Viridis. He could see the cockroaches almost everywhere, however, one direction was clearly denser. ¡°Highness, I conclude that we are at the periphery of the Biome and the closer we are to the center, the more cockroaches there are,¡± Viers informed. ¡°Falmerion, don''t eat it! Who knows what kind of nastiness is inside them! ¡­Can you repeat that, Avel?¡± Viers did. Croix¡¯s fear was unwarranted, though. After the dragon sniffed the cockroach remains, he snorted and shook his face a few times before incinerating it in a puff of fiery breath. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get to work, shall we? The badge is working as intended,¡± Croix showed his badge. It projected Rank 1: 1 killed. ¡°Ugh, I think I¡¯m going to need a week-long bath after three days being here. Boram, be careful not to get too close, okay?¡± Ciel said. ¡°Yes,¡± Boram nodded. ¡°...Guys, I got good news and bad news,¡± Viers said while keeping his eyes afar. ¡°Which do you want to hear first?¡± ¡°Just tell us. What is it?¡± Croix asked. ¡°The bad news is, It appears the smell of one of them getting squashed draws the lot of them here. We¡¯ve got incoming.¡± As soon as Viers said that, the first of the black insects came running from the treeline. Boram greeted it with the swing of his hammer, giving the group a second kill. A wave of them came from behind not a moment later. ¡°I hate insects!!¡± Ciel blasted a lot of them with her light. The girl was usually more composed, but against cockroaches, Viers couldn''t blame her. ¡°What¡¯s the¡­ good news, Master?¡± Boram asked while fighting. ¡°The good news is, we are not the only position that gets swarmed. Must be the other groups.¡± Indeed a welcome news, Croix concurred in his mind. It split the monster¡¯s reinforcements from only focusing on them. Meanwhile, Viers mused about the interesting situation he found himself in. My oh my. Am I on Mars? Did Duke Crowe want to terraform Mars so he sent a bunch of algae and cockroaches 500 hundred years earlier? Holy hell¡­ I fear there will be humanoid cockroaches here, saying johj, johj, johj! Ugh, I¡¯ve got shivers¡­ How horrible if it is true. Viers shared the apprehension of Ciel and the others towards the black insects. Concluding that he had done enough scouting for now, Viers joined the battle, by superhero-landing on top of one of the attacking cockroaches, killing it instantly. Viers covered himself from head to toe with the Unreality Field, so that he wasn''t touched by the insect¡¯s white bodily fluid. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Viers said to Boram while creating a sword of water. He didn''t use his new katana. It deserved a better debut than cockroaches! ¡°Yes, Master,¡± the disciple answered before the duo charged straight into a wave of black lifeforms. They plunged through them like bulldozers decimating sand castles, the mostly Rank 1 and 2 monsters stood no chance. They were soon joined by a blazing dragonfire and a blinding light, leaving even more dead bodies in their wake. *** At the Crimson Capital, the crowd went wild. Like the Olympics or any other major sports competition in Viers¡¯ old world, events such as the Latias Grand Prix would attract people from all corners of the land.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. When it was announced the first round of the Grand Prix would be held in a separate space, some lamented they couldn''t see the match in person. However, their worries were unfounded. At this moment, the sight of the contestants valiantly fighting was being broadcast in real-time all over the capitol. At the plazas and other open spaces where people could congregate, magical jumbotrons depicted the massacre of monsters at the hands of the Pathseekers of Latias and the crowd cheered for it. For those who preferred watching in a more private setting such as their own home, the magical device could be bought at shops, made available by House Crowe. Not even two minutes after the beginning, battles had already broken out. The showy Pathseeker battles were a treat for the eyes of the masses creating a fever pitch. The commoners who had no access to TVs or the internet rarely witnessed such a grand display as this. Not only that, the contestants this time were on average Level 3s, the degree of the showiness of their battle was far above that of the more common lower level Pathseekers. The whole city felt like it was in a merry festival. The whole Latias had their eyes on the Grand Prix, not only the small folks but also the big wigs. These powerful people got their eyes on the young sprouts of the next generation, weighing their worth. Like the four dukes, the Countess of Stormberg, and the Chancellor in a room with an empty throne. Even the obscure hidden masters out there. *** ¡°This is the last one!¡± Farley stabbed her spear downward at a collapsed Rank 3 insect. It did not shriek at the moment of its death but its two pairs of antennae unnervingly moved chaotically until they became dead still. ¡°Looks like that¡¯s it for the first wave.¡± The fire on Clarissa¡¯s hands went out. ¡°Didn''t expect it would go on for almost an hour,¡± Paina wiped the sweat from her bangs. ¡°...I feel dirty,¡± Sakuya sighed. The cockroaches around her made her think that. ¡°I can douse you with water if you like,¡± Paina offered. ¡°...Ummh, I¡¯ll refrain, thanks,¡± Sakuya was not wearing her usual kimono or ninja attire but this side of the world¡¯s style clothes so she wouldn''t attract too much attention. The four girls from the Arcanum Club also entered the Grand Prix. Slipped in might be more accurate. The Grand Prix was a Latias Kingdom event, so the contestants were expected to be the people of Latias. However, none of the four girls were born in Latias or possess a Latias parentage. The reason they got a spot in the tournament was because of Farley. While some people were already guaranteed a spot, like Croix and his royal blood siblings, the rest were spread to other places and organizations in the kingdom. The scope was Latias¡¯ best and brightest, after all, talent was not exclusive to the late King Lahar¡¯s children. It was a high-profile event so the struggle to enter the Prix was highly contested. During her stay in the number one Pathseeker academy in Latias, there was a competition for several entry slots for the Grand Prix, which Farley won one of them. She was a foreigner and so some clamored for her eligibility but the academy¡¯s rules were clear. She won against other competitors so she got the slot. Farley chose to enter the Grand Prix not with her classmates from the Academy but with Paina and Clarissa. Sakuya¡¯s addition was pretty sudden but it turned out okay. The four women were wearing masks to hide their identities. While they weren''t the only people hiding their faces and names among the 93 groups, this made them look shady. Their aim for entering? It was really simple, the prizes. In the Pathseeker world, competitions and tournaments were a common occurrence. To the winners, prizes for the taking; Pathseeker resources to lift them to higher heights. The Latias Grand Prix was no different. Since this was one of the biggest tournaments around, the prizes were similarly grand. Viers had an unnatural dislike of tournaments, especially the one-on-one variety. This was known to the three girls that once resided in his soul space. However, they were not so abhorrent of the notion so after they got their souls put in bodily flesh again they had entered some tourneys of their own. Especially during the three years of Viers¡¯ seclusion. Dia¡¯s far-reaching teleportation network meant their reach was similarly far. Because it wasn''t ideal if they were recognized, they hid their identities using masks or other things. For example, if they got identified in a tourney in the Coalition and then were sighted in Latias Kingdom shortly after, it would¡¯ve led to all kinds of problems, hence the anonymity. What they were doing was not so unusual though. Plenty of people hide their identities. Not all Pathseekers chase glory and fame. Viers didn''t prevent them from doing this, only reminded them to be careful so they wouldn''t cause trouble for the secret club, which was mostly about Viers. When Farley asked Viers¡¯ opinion about whether she should enter the Grand Prix, Viers asked her back instead. ¡°Why should you ask for my permission?¡± That cemented Farley¡¯s decision to participate and heightened her prudence since this was the biggest stage thus far. She and the other three didn''t have any grand reason like Croix but that didn''t make her any less worthy since she did win her entree spot with her own ability. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Clarissa asked. They were already walking away from the site of the battle to get away from the smell. Since Clarissa was a former Level 5, Farley had the opinion to make her the team leader but the lamia princess refused, not wanting to take the fruit of labor of her friend. The other two didn''t help either so Farley was stuck as team leader. ¡°The format of round 1 revolves around the score of our kills. Even if you can take half of the other team¡¯s score, it won''t mean much at the early stage. During these three days, the first and second days should be focused on hunting the insects. Third day, watch out for other groups.¡± ¡°Roger,¡± Paina replied. ¡°Umm, do we need to aid that person''s group?¡± Sakuya timidly asked. She wasn''t that close yet with the other three. She was already told not to say Viers¡¯ name out loud in the open. ¡°He probably doesn''t need it,¡± Clarissa smiled. ¡°Totaly,¡± Paina nodded. Sakuya was a little jealous about how certain they were. This indicated their closeness and understanding towards Viers. ¡°I wouldn''t be so sure,¡± Farley added. ¡°Our Boss said to me rather ominously that in this kind of big tournament setting, be ready for a sudden upheaval. Keep your vigilance up, girls.¡± ¡°...I often wonder if he doesn''t have outright prophetic powers,¡± Paina said. ¡°I wouldn''t put it past him,¡± Clarissa shrugged. ¡°I understand,¡± Sakuya took a deep breath. ¡°There¡¯s something I wish to say. I think I can give us a significant advantage in this round.¡± ¡°Truly? How?¡± Farley was curious. ¡°With the help of my familiar.¡± Chapter 431 - Sakuyas Familiar For the crowds outside the Biome to be able to see and hear the happenings inside the Biome, transmitters of information from the inside were necessary. The way Ducal House Crowe did that was by using crows. Observers from the Church were more like bodyguards than actual observers. The black birds were the true observers. They were like security cameras with wings. These birds were a unique breed, a specialty of House Crowe. Viers was watching one such crow in silence and it was doing the same. Too many eyes, Viers thought. As an introvert he didn''t like crowds and as a villain, he liked to do things mysteriously, far away from the public eye. But it was inevitable in a stage as grand as this. He couldn''t complain, since this was the result of the choices he''d made. ¡°Avel, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Croix approached and saw him lost in thought. A dead monster was nearby. ¡°Nothing. How is it?¡± He asked. ¡°It¡¯s out. The badge didn''t register the kill.¡± ¡°So we now know the range more or less¡­ Quite generous, but not as much as I¡¯d like. I wonder if killsteal is a thing,¡± Viers mused. Round 1 was still at an early stage. As it developed, groups would butt heads against one another for the kill scores. But will it be that simple? Viers doubted. If the Biome infestation was that simple, why would Duke Crowe arrange all of this instead of scouring the Biome with his far greater strength? ¡°Master?¡± Boram was puzzled. ¡°Wondering what surprises are waiting for us?¡± Ciel asked. ¡°You too?¡± Viers raised an eyebrow. ¡°In my experience with strong people who have lived a long time, they liked to do things in a roundabout manner, even though there are simpler ways to do things,¡± Ciel shrugged. While Ciel and Viers exchanged understanding nods, Croix and Boram looked at each other with a bit of confusion. ¡°We¡¯re wasting time. Shall we hunt?¡± Croix said. ¡°Sure. But watch out for the trap, Prince Croix.¡± ¡°The trap, Lady Valentine?¡± The prince asked. ¡°Your Victa. It¡¯s easy to rack in kills and raise our score but watch out for your Victa expenditure. We¡¯re just at the beginning of the Prix. Who knows what¡¯s in store for us.¡± ¡°Urk¡­¡± Croix grimaced. ¡°Well, we are still in better circumstances than most. Ciel has her superior Victa regeneration, Boram¡¯s physical strength doesn''t cost any Victa, and you have your dragon,¡± Viers illustrated. ¡°And you, sir?¡± Croix asked with a smile. ¡°Me? I¡¯m just a poor wandering Pathseeker,¡± Viers said deceptively. ¡°A water-lightning double affinity Pathseeker,¡± Croix added. ¡°Heheheh,¡± Viers chuckled. Ciel, who knew Avel¡¯s true identity as Viers, did wonder about that. Viers should be a water and soul Pathseeker. Where did his lightning come from? Having three affinities was almost unheard of, the stuff of legends. Even none exist in the Silver Legion. So how? Boram who had followed his master for much longer knew his master''s lightning was thanks to Futon. The young cloud elemental could do more than simply throw lightning if he so wished. Since the lightning was another''s ability, his master didn''t use a lick of Victa, which was a very great deal. If he goes with Faiya, he could use fire instead. Master¡¯s depth is truly astonishing. Having your familiar to do battle for you was one thing, but using the ability of your familiar as smoothly as his master did if it were his own was another. Boram, who had an education in the best academy of the continent, found out through his classes. In Croix¡¯s case, he couldn''t use Falmerion¡¯s dragon fire as his own fire. ¡°Alright gang, let¡¯s exterminate some pests.¡± Viers, who sensed Ciel and Boram¡¯s minds were going places, changed the subject. ¡°Umn, let''s,¡± Croix walked ahead beside his dragon. Falmerion needed to grow a bit more before he was at a suitable size for riding. Of course, he only allowed Croix to ride him, barring some special circumstances. ¡°Still,¡± the prince spoke after a few steps. ¡°Bonded companions are really convenient, huh? Why don''t you three have them?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not that simple,¡± Ciel answered. ¡°It¡¯s not only about the matter of rarity, there¡¯s also compatibility. Usually, familiars must be bonded while they are still very young. There¡¯s the matter of growing them too, which costs resources.¡± ¡°Even for your family, Lady Valentine?¡± Croix asked. ¡°It¡¯s like finding a destined partner, Your Highness,¡± Ciel patiently smiled. ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for the right partner¡­ Although, the Goddess seems to arrange for me a significant other before the other kind of partner, fufufu.¡± Ciel chuckled while giving Viers a sideway glance. Viers stopped a snort. She was having way too much fun with their sham relationship.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°When they grow up, it¡¯s not unheard of that they rebel against their partner if the bond is not strong enough or the familiar becomes too strong. That is why having only one is the norm. The exception is the tamer-type Pathseekers with their Profound Codex. They can control many monsters to fight for them,¡± Boram added. Meanwhile, Master has three familiars. Perhaps Zerri will become the fourth. Amazing¡­ ¡°Hmm. May you all find your suitable companion soon,¡± Croix said. ¡°Oh? The ground here feels different.¡± ¡°A Power Spot, as expected,¡± Viers looked around. ¡°More cockroaches around these sites of power are also as expected.¡± ¡°Let''s clean up and extract the benefits,¡± Ciel readied her Arte. ¡°I think this is an enlightenment-type Power Spot.¡± Power Spots had different varieties. Some produced exclusively special resources, some increased Pathseekers¡¯ skills and understanding of certain things and many more. Shortly after the battle began, they saw an anomaly in the distance. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Black clouds?¡± ¡°...No, those are swarms. Insects.¡± ¡°Cockroaches? That¡¯s not good. Look at the size of that swarm. New enemies?¡± ¡°Compared to the usual cockroaches, they seem to be much smaller. Other people''s abilities perhaps?¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Viers murmured. He sensed Farley¡¯s card and the other three in the middle of that swarm of insects. *** ¡°This is¡­ quite surreal,¡± Paina smiled nervously. ¡°Apologies,¡± Sakuya lowered her head. The four women were in a protective bubble, in the middle of hundreds of thousands of bronze insects. Locusts. Earlier, Sakuya revealed her familiar. It was a locust the size of her finger. ¡°This is Kiki, my familiar. I bonded with it in Yamato.¡± The locust was metallic brown and lethargic. Strangely, the senses of the other three couldn''t sense the Rank of this locust, which was very unusual. ¡°What does it do?¡± Clarissa asked. ¡°Kiki, wake up. Eat,¡± Sakuya whispered. The locust then seemed to awake from its slumber. It opened its wings and vibrated furiously. But instead of taking flight, it did something else. ¡°Ohh!¡± ¡°Is my eyes deceiving me?¡± The other three were surprised. The locust, while vibrating, became two locusts. They didn''t stop vibrating. From two to four to eight to sixteen and so on. ¡°We should assume defensive measures now,¡± Sakuya said. In minutes, there were hundreds of bronze locusts around them. At some point, they flew as a swarm and assaulted a cockroach monster. The horde of locusts tore the horse-sized monster apart. They ate it from the inside and out. After they gorged on their prey they vibrated again, doubling their number several times. Some tried to approach the four women but the bubble of water prevented them from getting close and the swarm moved on, looking for another prey. What the cloud of bronze categorized as prey weren''t simply the cockroach monsters. Grasses, leaves, meat, skin, all were eaten. ¡°Kiki is a Bronze Winged Locust King. One is a swarm and a swarm is one. They have been known to cause famine since ancient times.¡± ¡°Famine¡­¡± Farley repeated. ¡°Yes. It seems like fate,¡± Sakuya smiled. In the Book World, Viers called his group the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Viers was Death. Jaime was War. Izabella was Conquest. Sakuya was Famine. ¡°In the aftermath of our clan helping to control the locust plague on behalf of a daimyo, I found this little one here. It took a liking to my wood affinity mana and became my familiar. I named it Kiki, from the word kikin, which means famine.¡± ¡°Impressive. So you can unleash famine at will now?¡± Clarissa looked impressed. ¡°Not exactly. Kiki is still weak. Rank 1 at your standards. To grow, he needs to eat a lot. Its power growth is also much slower than other monsters. Still, against these monster cockroaches who fight us using their numbers? No matter how many they are, Kiki will eat them all.¡± After turning the surroundings barren, the swarm moved. Husks of cockroaches lain lifelessly. ¡°We should follow them, so Farley¡¯s badge can record the kill,¡± Sakuya said. ¡°Against Rank 2 Kiki can still manage. Against Rank 3 we¡¯ll need to soften them up. Rank 4, I don''t think Kiki can damage them no matter how numerous he is.¡± As the other three looked at the scene of carnage as a locust plague shear cleaned a place of its biomass and biodiversity, they got shivers. The much bigger cockroaches were powerless against the quantity of the locusts. ¡°Famine¡­ How terrifying,¡± Paina said. ¡°I blame him. This is his fault, somehow,¡± Clarissa shook her head. If this was a cartoon, there would be a visage of Viers in the sky, giving a flash of smile and a thumbs up. ¡°Wait a minute, Kiki won''t destroy the Power Spots in this place, won''t he!? Duke Crowe won''t like that,¡± Farley realized something. ¡°I¡­ think so?¡± ¡°Sakuya, why the question mark? You worry me. By the way, you can control your familiar, right? Right?¡± Paina pressed. ¡°Eeehh¡­¡± Sakuya weakly made a sound and moved her hand. ¡°What does that gesture mean? So-so? You can so-so control it!? What if it turned on you? Should you think deeper before you unleash a potentially deadly catastrophe?¡± Paina raised her voice. A hand landed on Paina¡¯s shoulder. It was Farley. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with it when the time comes. Besides, this is the perfect opportunity to let her familiar graze. Sakuya created a massive opportunity for us, let¡¯s not waste it.¡± Farley reinforced the bubble of protection and followed the swarm. Clarissa gave an encouraging slap on Sakuya¡¯s back before turning to a person who walked behind them. ¡°There you have it. This isn¡¯t against the rules, right miss observer?¡± The person from the Church didn''t reply. After Farley¡¯s group moved far enough, the woman talked to herself. ¡°If I didn''t know any better, I¡¯d say she¡¯s a disciple of Lichzen or Teorph¡¯s cult. Kids with this much power run about unsupervised¡­ How worrying.¡± *** The happenings inside the Biome were transmitted outside. Sakuya¡¯s actions were highlighted. ¡°Heeeh¡­ Oba-chan uses her familiar,¡± Yayoi commented. She was watching the Grand Prix along with the rest of Viers¡¯ group in their rented house. ¡°Would you like some tea?¡± Jessica brought along a tray with steaming hot tea cups. ¡°Thank you,¡± Yayoi took one. ¡°Incredible,¡± Gwen commented happily. ¡°Sis¡¯ score rose so quickly, approaching the top rankings!¡± With how dramatic the performance of Farley¡¯s group was, the commentator of the program had no choice but to highlight it. However, they were unable to get a shot of Farley¡¯s group which was now hidden completely by the growing swarm. Their crows would get eaten by the locust if they got too close. One already fell victim. Thankfully, there was a recording about the beginning of when Sakuya ordered her familiar when it was just one. If not, there might be a lot of misunderstandings now. Some people already plan on recruiting the masked Sakuya for their own organization. Some made plans to get her familiar, with or without her consent. However, it didn''t take long until the audience¡¯s focus shifted to other groups. The 93 groups inside the Grand Prix were the elite of their generation. There were many outstanding ones. The cockroaches were having a bad day. Chapter 432 - Proof of Death Round 1 of the Latias Grand Prix, the second day. The night didn''t stop the proceedings. Inside the Biome, there were those who chose to take it easy to recover their stamina, while others kept doing pest extermination throughout. Viers belonged to the latter. He did this even though Croix wasn''t close enough so the team¡¯s score wouldn''t increase. At first, Croix insisted on accompanying him but Viers sent him when the night was late enough so he could rest. Viers¡¯ and the young prince¡¯s bodily endurance was different after all. He was already a Level 4, even though he pretended to be a Level 3 right now. He also got his healing factor from the mysterious Everlife Goldbloom Flower in his Intio. That healing factor improved his recovery time from injuries substantially and had many other benefits, such as fatigue tolerance from physical activity. Viers liked how similar his regenerative ability was to a certain adamantium-clawed man in his yellow superhero suit. He didn''t know yet if he had decelerated aging biologically but he was aware how much lifeforce he currently had and could replenish it by eating vitality-rich food. Since Pathseekers got an increased lifespan when they leveled up, on top of Viers¡¯ ability, it was safe to say he had no fear of dying of old age for centuries to come, if ever. A long tie was needed to test his theory. His regenerative quirk aside, physically, Viers was still weaker than Jessica the Body Pathseeker and Boram who focused on tempering their body. When the situation called for it, Viers could strengthen his body using Victa but his default spec was lower compared to them. A Body Pathseeker, Viers was not. Be that as it may, Viers made use of his day-by-day active hours to reach new heights of power, such as now. Three years ago, Viers created an Arte based on the Blood Church¡¯s prized Arte, Blood Seraph Arte. Izabella taught him the principle while she herself learned the original version, as payment for delivering a certain prince alive. Viers¡¯ self-made Arte was not called Blood Seraph but Proof of Death. When he killed someone or something with his own hands, he could absorb their blood and store them. The ¡®blood energy¡¯ then could be released for a great burst of power at a later date. Red mist rose from the cockroaches that he killed and flowed to the back of his left hand, forming the shape of a wing. This was the third wing, two were already fully formed, but the third was still faint. This indicated how much power Viers had accumulated with Proof of Death. The first victim of this Arte was the cultist Fajrin, Viers tied up the loose end from the Book World during the elf village debacle three years ago. He couldn''t use this Arte much since that time because of his seclusion but the nature of round 1 gave Viers a great opportunity to utilize this Arte to the fullest. Viers was afraid that Arte wouldn''t work because he wasn''t sure if cockroaches had blood or not since he didn''t see any red fluid when he opened them up. However, to his relief, the Arte worked as intended. I guess the Blood Demoness didn''t care about the color of the blood, hm? Red, white, blue, blood is blood. After confirming he could extract blood energy from the cockroaches, he had to prevent the Church''s observer and the drone crows from seeing him performing the deed. It was an unorthodox method and he didn''t want them associating him as a member of a devil cult. They wouldn''t know what was happening if he was careful, and the night helped. Viers had two of these types of power-reservoir Arte. Proof of Death was starting to get filled after three years of drought but the other reservoir had been getting constant rain and filled up nicely. It was the Arcana Links Arte. Those with Viers¡¯ arcana cards collectively pooled their energy bit by bit and they got to temper their souls in return. When the time came for Viers to release these dams, it would be glorious. Future delusion aside, the night was ending and the second day had arrived. Time for Viers to clock out of his night shift. But before that¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going back,¡± Viers said aloud. ¡°Satisfied, you behind the tree?¡± A person revealed himself, another contender. He was alone, but seeing the badge on his lapel, that meant he was the leader of his team. ¡°You realize me then? Not bad,¡± the handsome youth smiled. ¡°I suppose I should thank you for your hard work. For your troubles.¡± A mana crystal was thrown at Viers¡¯ feet, like a scrap of meat at a street dog. Viers didn''t pick it up. Without Croix nearby, the score of the kill went towards the nearby badge holder. In other words, the man reaped the score from Viers¡¯ kills without lifting a finger.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°I realized it from the start. You¡¯ve been shadowing me for four hours,¡± Viers wiped his sweat. ¡°Quite the hyena.¡± The man¡¯s smile went wider. ¡°It¡¯s only natural for the commoners to work for the benefit of their betters. Did I wound your feelings? Want to take a swing, commoner?¡± ¡°...Once I get Prince Croix¡¯s permission, I will.¡± The youth¡¯s chuckle was full of mirth and derision. ¡°Your need to act strong like a bristling kitten is amusing. Just be honest and admit you¡¯re afraid of us, just like how you slap yourself at the ball. It¡¯s more befitting.¡± The man leapt to a tree branch, before he left, he turned back and spoke while looking down on Viers. ¡°One more thing, tough guy. I¡¯ve been watching you since the prince went to bed, hahahaha!¡± Which was a few hours earlier than what Viers detected. The man left in high spirits. He had gotten a bunch of score points easily and got one up on the commoner who didn''t know his place and dated the gem of the kingdom, Ciel Valentine. Little did he know this was precisely what Viers wanted him to think. Viers purposefully revealed he detected the intruder much later. By doing so, the man would underestimate Viers in the future encounter. As for why Viers let him gain the scores, well, without Croix the scores would go to waste anyway. This way, after he would give that man a smackdown, he would still get half of their scores. Fattening the sheep before slaughter. Viers walked back to his team¡¯s camp. Even while drinking from his waterskin, his sinister smile didn''t fade. Viers was thinking how satisfying it would be if he added that man¡¯s to the Proof of Death on the back of his hand. Compared to cockroaches, naturally the gain from killing a more powerful Pathseeker was greater. But Viers reined in his bloodlust for now. For now. *** The fervor didn''t diminish after the second day. After the night, the masses were treated with the shifting of the team''s scores in the leaderboard. The editorial staff of House Crowe also did a good job of summarizing and highlighting the good parts of yesterday''s period. Most people wouldn''t stay to watch everything for hours and hours after all. They had done a great job thus far, making sure there was always something interesting for the crowd to see on screen to keep the hype. The cool handsome young lords and the charming young ladies of high births enjoyed the highest popularity. As a prince, Croix belonged to this category. With the red dragon, he was amongst the most popular. While the crowd enjoyed the Grand Prix for the spectacles, some looked at the magical broadcast more analytically. At a certain gentlemen''s club, a group of men belonging to the upper class of Latias'' social hierarchy discussed the prowess of various groups with expensive brandy in their hand and exclusive cigars in their mouth. ¡°The favorite Princes and Princesses are strong as expected. They should pass round 1 easily.¡± ¡°Too early to say. Who said things will be the same to the end?¡± ¡°And it is not unthinkable that they will cannibalize each other. As every group moves close to the center, conflict between groups will be a certainty.¡± ¡°Quite right¡­ By the way, quite the gathering of rare affinities we have this Grand Prix. Even without counting the royal line, there are sand, light, magma, metal, ice, and even soul.¡± On the screen, it showed someone who was not Viers. ¡°A very rare affinity to be sure but his attunement is quite low, isn''t it? Soul 2 or at most 3.¡± ¡°Perhaps it is for the best. Some whippersnapper with a high soul attunement made a big mess in our south a few years ago.¡± ¡°Tanael? Isn''t he dead?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± ¡°Shame. I¡¯ll take him in if he comes to me. Hell, I¡¯ll even marry my granddaughter to him if it''s what it takes.¡± ¡°A dangerous thought.¡± ¡°Oh buzz off. Like you wouldn''t do the same for a Pathseeker of his caliber.¡± Not only having a powerful affinity, but skilled at it too. The mark of a true master. Tanael¡¯s pyramid scheme of creating soul Pathseekers at the Free People Coalition put him among the world¡¯s most wanted but it also showed the world¡¯s recognition of his ability. People wanted to have people like that on their side. If they weren''t, they should be disposed of before upsetting the status quo. Nothing odd about it, just human nature. There were 93 groups entering the Grand Prix. Truthfully, there were 100 tickets in its entirety. For some reason or another, 7 groups simply didn''t show up. While the majority of the group leaders belonged to a prominent organization or family, thus their guaranteed participation, their teammates and others were not. Thus the Grand Prix was like a giant exhibit of promising and talented Pathseekers and these men were the buyers. They needed talents for their organizations to thrive so recruiting Pathseekers from events like this was not unusual. For the other side, entering a prominent organization that valued your talent was a dream come true and many youths joined a Pathseeker tournament for that very reason. Gaining resources to keep walking the Path of Power was not easy. Even someone with a wealth of talent would wither before they could bloom if they didn''t get enough water. Entering a School or House could help with that. Independent Pathseekers like Viers who could finance their own growth was a rare case. ¡°Oh?¡± On the video feed, there was a white firework shooting up to the sky. The signal left easy-to-spot traces that lingered for a long time, visible from a great distance. It was the sign the observer from the Church would use when some from their charge group retired for one reason or another. It wasn''t a signal for death but close enough. The crows in the Biome gathered toward the spot and soon the information flowed. ¡°Hmm, the Rank 4 roaches have begun to move.¡± ¡°Finally it''s getting real.¡± Chapter 433 - Dont Make Him Angry Croix¡¯s crew faced a field filled with fissures and felled foes. ¡°We are too late,¡± Ciel knelt down and checked the ground. ¡°Whoever fought here is long gone.¡± Earlier, the group saw the two signals of a disqualification shooting up to the sky. Since it was relatively close, they decided to take a look. ¡°Master, do you think this is the work of a Rank 4?¡± Boram asked. ¡°Highly likely according to the degree of destruction,¡± Viers replied while looking at some red blood near his feet. ¡°Be on your guard everyone,¡± Croix said. ¡°The closer we get to their main nest, the more perilous it will get.¡± The other three agreed, not that they needed reminding. Viers sneaked a glance at their observer, Priest Breiz. He was more on guard than usual. ¡°Let¡¯s move on,¡± Croix walked in front. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Another white firework was going up far away just now and it was near the swarm of bronze. Croix¡¯s party was so far that they weren''t affected. ¡°I bet it¡¯s really chaotic in that direction,¡± Ciel smiled. Viers agreed wholeheartedly. Such a showy display definitely attracted the attention of the monsters and contestants alike. Croix¡¯s red dragon snorted, exhaling a bit of fire in a certain direction. ¡°Falmerion senses another Power Spot that way,¡± Croix said. ¡°It¡¯s good that Falmerion''s nose is sharp,¡± Boram smiled. The 93 groups started at the periphery of the Biome. To get more scores they had to seek and destroy the pests. The deeper they went into the Biome, the stronger and more numerous the pests were. However, like typical monster behavior, the roaches naturally congregated at the Power Spots, just like animals were drawn to the watering holes. Most groups didn''t make a beeline towards the center but worked progressively and tackled these Power Spots along their way, as did Croix¡¯s group. Those with greater investigative means had smoother progress. Falmerion flapped his wings and took to the air. The red dragon preferred to fly than walk. It would also give away the team¡¯s position but it is what it is. When they got to the Power Spot, there were already burning roaches scurrying about, the red dragon began early. As a pureblooded dragon, Falmerion was mighty. He belonged at the apex of the species. His scales were almost impenetrable; other monsters in the same Rank wouldn''t be able to hurt him. Unless he was up against something at a higher power level, Falmerion had nothing to fear. Only the Deva-class monsters and other special beings could match a pureblood dragon in a straight-up combat. As he grew, the juvenile dragon became more and more confident. His flames, hotter. With Falmerion raining fire from above, Croix group cleaned up the Power Spot with ease. There was a bit of burning here and there but the site was relatively intact. After harvesting the Power Spot¡¯s benefits and sharing it four ways, the group had a dilemma about how to proceed. There were two Power Spots on their path. After some discussion, they decided to split up. Croix and Ciel took one while Avel and Boram took the other. Avel¡¯s group would waste the score of their kills but the benefit from the water-earth Power Spot that looked like a muddy marsh was more than worth it for the master-disciple pair. Ciel went with Croix because she was the ¡®strongest¡¯, Level 4. Which perhaps wasn''t untrue. She possessed a Divine Weapon after all. Viers saw no need to challenge that claim. The observer Breiz however objected because he had to stay with the team leader in case the group separated. It wasn''t against the rules, but he was concerned for Avel and Boram¡¯s well-being since he couldn''t be around when something happened. Avel and Boram assured the well-meant priest it was fine. Since Croix gave no objection, the group split up. Just as planned, the master-disciple duo exterminated the pests polluting the Power Spot. Just as planned times two, the fish had taken the bait. ¡°Boram!¡± ¡°I know!¡± The two defend themselves against the sudden barrage of Arte projectiles. Viers and Boram were unharmed, but during the barrage, a shadow slipped in from behind and placed a sword at Viers¡¯ neck. ¡°Master!¡± Boram shouted, but Viers was not moving nor showing agitation. ¡°...This could have been quick and painless, but they chose the hard way, boys. The hard way it is,¡± someone spoke and showed himself along with three others. Counting the one behind Viers, a full group. ¡°Move a muscle, and I¡¯ll slit your throat,¡± a guy whispered to Viers¡¯ ear.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Now then,¡± the leader of the opposition said confidently. ¡°Thank you for making such a stupid decision and splitting up. With the dragon and the Level 4 Lady Valentine, the victory is slim at best. But you two, khukhukhu¡­ Especially you, yes you. Avel was it? You should have used your head like you did during the Ball¡­ Or did what little brain you had fell off from your ear at that time? Ahahahah! Viers designated the youth as Trash Noble F in his mind. The guy didn''t seem to realize Boram was filled with greater fury with each word coming out of his mouth. The disciple made a dent in the ground from his kick. When the sound reached everyone¡¯s ears, Boram was already swinging down his hammer with all of his might. A big shadow of a giant slightly resembling Boram was floating behind his back, mimicking Boram¡¯s exact posture. The expression on his face was as intense as the Ni¨­ statues. Trash Noble F and the other two on his side didn''t even react. A sound like a meteorite crushing a skyscraper spread through the air and earth. ¡°...Eh?¡± Trash Noble F was unharmed, only battered by the Arte glow and dust wind. His brain was still catching up with the events. A man was blocking Boram¡¯s hammerstrike. It was the other team¡¯s observer from the Church. ¡°Elod Brixton, you are disqualified,¡± the priest said. ¡°Since the leader has fallen, the whole group is also retiring. Proceed through the exit.¡± ¡°Wha-!? Wait a second, there¡¯s no way that I¡¯ll get defeated by this filthy slave dog-¡± ¡°SILENCE!!¡± A portal appeared and the priest shoved Trash Noble F through it, but not before he grabbed the badge he was wearing. He did it with one hand. The hand that he used for blocking Boram didn''t move a muscle. ¡°Misjudgement! Incompetent! My father will hear about this!¡± Trash Noble F let out those words before he passed through the exit. ¡°Gwaaaahh!!¡± A scream brought everyone¡¯s attention to the source. It was the man with the sword at Viers¡¯ neck. The sword had fallen from his hand because that hand looked like a mummy. Shriveled to the shoulder. The pain must be extraordinary. ¡°You- You!¡± The guy looked at Viers while holding his arm. ¡°Hmph!¡± The observer opened his Imaginary Domain. They suddenly found themselves at a mountaintop, clouds as far as they could see. A second later, the Domain was no more and the scenery returned to normal, but the shock value remained. ¡°That was not necessary,¡± the observer said to Viers. ¡°My apologies, automatic response¡­ It¡¯s just so dangerous to be near me when you¡¯re an enemy,¡± Viers said without an inch of remorse. Arte - Dehydration. Viers removed the water from the man¡¯s arm and turned it into a husk. If he was serious, he could have applied the Arte to the entire body. At Level 3 peak, using Unreality Field during battle was just common sense and didn¡¯t need mentioning, like wearing footwear when going out. It wasn''t the guy being careless, Viers¡¯ strength was simply overwhelming. The two beside Trash Noble F, the unharmed ones, standing so close to the humongous aura of Boram, started to realize how outclassed they were and the prey and hunter roles were actually reversed. ¡°Oi,¡± Boram said to them. ¡°Those who insult my Master will answer to me. Tell that to your leader. This time¡­ he got lucky.¡± The warning was a stake driven through the heart. No longer capable of mustering any fighting spirit, the three obediently walked out of the Biome through the portal. The observer then shot four signals to the sky and gave Viers the badge. ¡°Good fortune in the tournament.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Viers took the badge and gave him a small bottle, one of Clarissa¡¯s potions. Very effective. ¡°For the fractures. Good day, Mr. Priest,¡± Viers left after a slight bow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for hitting you so hard,¡± Boram similarly bowed and apologized to the priest. He wasn''t who Boram wanted to smack. Naturally, the priest''s intervention was the right call. If he had not intervened Trash Noble F¡¯s brain would be splattered on the ground by now. Seeing the two who went back to seeking epiphany on the Power Spot, the observer sighed. A sigh like someone arrived at home after a hard day''s work. He had been a Level 4 for more than ten years and the fifteen-year-old Level 3 had just fractured his arm. And there were many stronger than him roaming about. His colleagues would have their hands full and his sympathies went with them. For him though, he had an arm injury to tend to. *** ¡°Submit.¡± A young man said emotionlessly to the woman he was currently choking. The young woman¡¯s feet were not touching the ground. ¡°I¡­ refuse¡­¡± She said with some difficulty. ¡°This is not a request but an establishment of fact. Your opinion is inconsequential.¡± The man in high-class attire released his grip and the young woman collapsed on the ground. A magical mark resembling a chain collar appeared on her neck. ¡°Irene!¡± Another woman a few years older came to her aid. She was her teammate. She too had the collar mark on her neck. The two girls were tossed into a round cage along with their two other team members. All four had suffered damage from battle. They were low in health and stamina. There was another cage nearby. This was also filled with four people from other teams. The cage was connected to a giant, fearsome snake. ¡°Irene, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be¡­ The others?¡± ¡°Bruce and Norman¡¯s wounds are deep but not life-threatening.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Irene sighed for the silver lining. She wondered why the guy hadn''t taken their team¡¯s badge yet and captured them instead. If Viers were here, he would have recognized these four. They were the Rising Fortune adventurer group. Viers had the occasion to group up with them for some adventure in the past. They were a long way from home here. Since they were not in mortal danger or dying, the observer didn''t act. Irene had no intention of giving up but she was in no condition to attempt a prison break. Meanwhile, she heard the conversion of the highborn. ¡°Where should we go next, Prince Cassian?¡± The prince looked toward the swarm of locusts to his right. ¡°It¡¯s an eyesore. Forward.¡± ¡°As your will.¡± The prince¡¯s team went towards the swarm of uncountable locusts without fear. The giant snake followed, dragging two cages behind it. - - [The Rising Fortune adventurer group. Bruce the swordsman and leader, Will the scout, Norman the tank, Sandra the mage, and Irene the archer. They got robbed by Viers first, then got grouped together at the next city to combat a marine monster tide, not knowing Viers robbed them. Since then they got a little screen time here and there. Irene knew Avel was a fake identity.] Chapter 434 - Farleys Spear ¡°I am Vikaus of Gaul! A knight of-¡± Clang! Farley¡¯s spear was blocked just in time with a shield. ¡°Is the concept of civility too difficult for you to understand, barbarian woman!¡± Vikaus shouted angrily. It was common courtesy to introduce yourself before a battle amongst warriors. At least, that was what he was taught. As one can imagine, Farley was taught differently by his now departed cult family, and she learned by example by seeing Viers conduct his battles. Viers had ended many battles before it began this way. It was Farley¡¯s interest to defeat her opponent as quickly as possible, as efficiently as possible. With Sakuya¡¯s familiar scouring the earth and eating cockroaches in a wide area, other teams were starting to converge on their position. Currently, Farley¡¯s team was battling with Vikaus¡¯ team surrounded by a swarm of locusts. If they tarry too long, they might fight several teams simultaneously. Farley and the others were strong and might even win even then, but doing so was simply not ideal. While in battle with Vikaus, Farley glanced at her teammates. Clarissa dominated her opponent as expected. Paina was using her water Arte to keep her opponent at range. Sakuya¡¯s swift movements had covered her opponent in slashes. All good. ¡°How much are you going to underestimate me!¡± Vikaus was angered seeing Farley had the leeway to split her attention despite fighting him. The knight''s movement suddenly sped up, catching Farley off guard. It left a scratch on her mask. ¡°Next time, I won''t miss,¡± Vikaus said. Out of them all, Farley¡¯s opponent was the strongest, it seemed. Farley assessed her opponent as a somewhat tough opponent and changed her spear. She traded the lower-quality weapon she had been using with a white spear of higher rank. She didn''t use the white spear from the start to avoid unnecessary attention. It was that high-quality of a weapon. Vikaus looked surprised and shaken. ¡°How did you come about that spear? Answer me!¡± Vikaus attacked with greater intensity. ¡°I know that spear. It belongs to my friend, Khalai the White Spear!¡± Khalai had gone missing for years. There were rumors of his death. Vikaus didn''t believe it, but seeing the treasured white spear in the hands of another, Vikaus feared the rumors might be true. Farley had nothing to do with Khalai¡¯s death. Khalai was one of the people who challenged Tanael and then died. The spear was simply loot. Farley who was in need of a weapon browsed Viers¡¯ inventory and purchased the weapon at a good price since Viers simply left it lying around and didn''t use the weapon. Farley realized her mistake; she should have at least changed the equipment she bought from Viers instead of using them as is. She should let her friend know. Hanged Man or Hermit should be able to help her with this. Paina can help too with her Fae glamour. At any rate, I should finish this battle first. Vikaus of Gaul charged forward. In his righteous anger, an opening was created. Farley¡¯s eyes glinted seeing the chance and she too moved forward with a movement Arte. There was a split-second clash and the two people now had their backs on one another, like two knights changing places after a trade of joust. ¡°Im¡­possible¡­¡± Vikaus crumbled down, holes were in the armor. His Unreality Field, defensive measures, and life-saving items were all pierced through. White feathers and locusts were dancing in the air. The former was the effect of Farley¡¯s Arte. Arte - Feathering Waves. A series of thrusts unleashed in an instant, crashing on an enemy like waves. Farley¡¯s skill with the spear was no laughing matter. Incidentally, Viers helped her develop this Arte. He insisted on the name and added a formula for the feather visual effect. Farley had no objection. ¡°Just so you know, I have never met this Khalai person. I bought this spear from a merchant,¡± Farley said without turning around, Vikaus¡¯ badge in her hand. I didn''t lie. Viers is kind of a merchant of death. Because Farley avoided landing a hit on his vitals, Vikaus was still alive and the observer from the Church didn''t interfere. Farley crushed the badge, after that, the observer stopped Vikaus¡¯ teammates from further fighting. Their team had lost. The observer brought the team out of the Biome and shot four signals of retirement before exiting the Biome himself. Vikaus needed immediate medical attention. ¡°Farley, good job,¡± Paina approached. ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Farley-san,¡± Sakuya landed close. ¡°Girls, it¡¯s still too early to celebrate,¡± Clarissa interjected. There was a big hole in the curtain of locusts. It was as if the locusts were afraid of coming too close. Figures approached; men walked in front of a giant snake. The head of the creature was as tall as a grown man. Farley¡¯s eyes focused on the leading figure of the group. ¡°...Cassian Onyx Latias.¡± ¡°These people seem different from the ones we encountered before,¡± Sakuya said, sensing their caliber. ¡°One of the favorites of this tournament,¡± Paina replied, visibly more tense. ¡°The 26th prince.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The two groups were eyeing each other. The buzz of the bronze locusts was encompassing them. It irked the snake and loudly hissed. The swarm were disturbed, as if they were hit by a sudden mighty gust. Almost all scattered in the opposite direction. One locust scurried to Sakuya¡¯s clothes, the original Kiki. The locust monster recognized the other as its superior. When the snake moved, Farley¡¯s group saw the snake was actually dragging two round cages with people inside them. ¡°Farley,¡± Clarissa said slowly. ¡°That snake¡­ what is it?¡± ¡°Devaya Cobra, my friend. The lord of snakes.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Clarissa was amused. She smiled behind her mask. ¡°We shall see.¡± As a lamia, one with the lineage of snakes, Clarissa felt a personal rivalry toward the monster. The other side too seems to sense Clarissa¡¯s true nature. The large Rank 4 snake spread its neck-flap and stood upright in a threatening display. The magical pressure felt by Farley and the others was immense. In this tense situation, Cassian began to speak, as if he had been in such a situation multiple times. ¡°You four, submit to me.¡± ¡°Pass,¡± Farley said. ¡°No,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°I decline,¡± Sakuya said. ¡°Not interested,¡± Paina said. The four spoke almost at the same time. ¡°Refusing the prince¡¯s gracious offer, how impertinent of you,¡± one of the prince¡¯s teammates said. ¡°Don''t get cocky, women,¡± said another. ¡°Go,¡± the prince said unemotionally. ¡°Bring them to me to be chained.¡± Like a signal, the three teammates and the Devaya Cobra lunged forward. The chains that connected the snake with the cages voluntarily broke off. Farley and the others accurately gauged the strength of the opposition and responded accordingly. The prince¡¯s team was a cut above the enemy they fought so far. As expected of a favorite team, the prince¡¯s companions were formidable Pathseekers themselves. Furthermore, they had the Rank 4 deva-class snake. The battle reached a boiling point from the start. All eight contestants were Level 3 peak Pathseekers. Their cultivation Level was even. The result of the fight would be settled by the depth of their experience. Clarissa challenged the stronger snake monster without a hint of hesitation; a bit too eager perhaps. ¡°Give me a second,¡± Farley said while having both hands on her spear. ¡°Got it!¡± Paina replied. The two had ample experience of fighting together. Their teamwork was high. Paina thought it would be three on three since Cassian himself was staying back. She adjusted in protecting Farley against two people while Sakuya had kept the third person busy. Paina was good with defensive Arte. While Farley was concentrating without any thought of defense, Paina gave it her all to answer her friend¡¯s trust. ¡°You think you can take the two of us on your own? You think too highly of yourself!¡± A water pillar from beneath the man¡¯s feet sent him upwards. The other person used flash movement to target Farley. A shoal of fish made of water crashed upon her and knocked the opponent back. ¡°Think again,¡± Paina said. Farley opened her eyes. Her technique was ready. Arte - A Spear Reborn! With the phantom of the Devawi Swan manifested behind her, proof that she roused her bloodline, Farley dashed toward the prince. Farley was targeting the general. She made an educated guess that the snake obeyed the prince. If he was no longer holding its leash, the Rank 4¡¯s threat would be somewhat diminished. ¡°I won''t let you!¡± Cassian¡¯s teammate created a series of slashing wind, intending to hit Farley as she was moving in a straight line towards the prince. She thought with Farley being in midair, she wouldn''t be able to jump. ¡°Huh!?¡± Farley startled him by changing direction in midair. Unlike Paina with her Fae body, Farley couldn''t yet fly, bloodline or not. But she could kick the air to change directions and that was what she did. With a blinding white strike, Farley attacked Prince Cassian who was standing with his arms crossed. The prince¡¯s teammates panicked. They sensed the power behind Farley¡¯s spear and worried for their liege. Farley misliked how calm the prince was even though she was right on top of him. ¡°Not enough,¡± he said. A wing blocked Farley¡¯s spear. With a pushing movement, she was blasted away. With distance widened Farley could see what was blocking her spear earlier. A black and white feathered creature with a size no less than the snake. That guy conjured it earlier! Farley thought. Another Rank 4 monster! ¡°That¡¯s-! Be careful, that¡¯s another Deva! Devaze Vulture!¡± Farley heard Paina¡¯s shout but she didn''t really put it to mind. Her brain cells were on alert on the hostile Rank 4 in front of her. ¡°A Devawi Swan bloodline? Perfect.¡± Cassian finally looked at the masked Farley with interest. ¡°From now on, you are mine. Get her.¡± With a squawk, the vulture breathed out a gray fire toward Farley. The range of the attack was wide. Farley was about to be consumed whether she moved left or right. To the sky she went. Arte - Moonreacher Jump! Earlier she used the Arte at low power to raise her precision. This time, she leaped close to thirty meters upwards. But her opponent was winged too. The deva vulture chased her upwards. Moonreacher Jump Arte allowed Farley to use the very air itself as a jumping platform. Although she could only harden the air for a very short time and so couldn''t hover or stand in the air. Nevertheless, the sight of her battling the vulture with the white swan phantom behind her back was incredibly epic. Farley¡¯s enchanting draconic swan phantom moved dynamically as if it were alive. Countless spectators watching the fight in real-time outside of the Biome held their breath. After evading a shot of feathers as sharp as swords, Farley spied a straight line path at the prince. She maneuvered midair, changed her posture and kicked the air to dive downward like a lightning bolt. Arte - Dragonswan Dive! Her second shot at Cassian failed. The vulture shielded the prince with its own body. The deadly explosion from the impact of Farley¡¯s dive made the bird squawk from the pain. Because of the urgency, the house-sized Devaze Vulture crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Farley landed elegantly on the ground as if she was a ballet dancer with wings. Mystifyingly enough, some of her hair became feathers, slightly glowing with magic glow. This transformation tended to happen when she got serious and against a Rank 4 Deva monster, she had to. The way how gracefully she conducted her fight was almost ridiculous. She already garnered attention from the big shots and the masses. Who was this masked spearwoman? Where did she come from? She was able to fight a Rank 4 monster as a Level 3? Holy shit! ¡°Come, bird,¡± Farley pointed her white spear forward. ¡°I¡¯ll make a fried chicken out of you.¡± At the plaza outside where people gathered to watch the Grand Prix, there was a loud cheer. *** ¡°It¡¯s rowdy that way, hm? And the swarm is gone too. Adrina, what do you see?¡± ¡°I see Prince Cassian fighting, My Prince. He has his snake and vulture out.¡± ¡°Really? His opponent must be pretty good¡­ Shall we crash that party?¡± ¡°If that is your wish, Prince Vadym.¡± Chapter 435 While Farley was showing off, regardless if the person herself was doing it on purpose or not, Clarissa was similarly going toe-to-toe with the Devaya Cobra in a blazing hot display. The monster moved unbelievably fast despite its size, yet Clarissa wasn''t on the back foot despite being at the lower end of the cultivation ladder. ¡°Who are those girls?¡± A spectator was impressed. ¡°Prince Cassian¡¯s team with two Rank 4 Deva monsters is being held back!?¡± ¡°Their Artes are so powerful!¡± ¡°Are they really under 25? They really aren''t cheating?¡± ¡°...What have I been doing for 50 years in my life?¡± A man said with regret. But being able to defeat the monster was yet another matter. Monsters¡¯ vitality was just greater than humans¡¯. Simply put, their HP was very high. That was why to truly kill a monster, a party of several Pathseekers of similar strength was needed. While countless eyes were expecting the conclusion of this clash, a new development arose. Stars were raining down from above. Each one was the size of a pebble but their numbers were great and each covered a wide area, both Farley and Cassian¡¯s team were inside the AoE. The combatants backed away from their respective opponents to identify the new element in the mix. ¡°You¡­¡± Prince Cassion squinted his eyes slightly. ¡°Yes, me. Hello, big brother. Having trouble with these no-names? How embarrassing, hehehe~.¡± Prince Vadym, a handsome youth with dark blue hair wearing blue battle attire snickered. ¡°I¡¯ll send you to the graveyard that you like so much, death-loving scum!¡± Prince Cassian¡¯s attention shifted to his younger half-brother. The Devaze Vulture and Devaya Cobra moved towards Vadym following the direction of their master. ¡°Witness my glorious splendor, O brother mine! Unlike you, I don''t cower behind beasts and pets! Arte - Starry Menace!¡± A series of little lights appeared in front of Vadym, each a star. When the two Rank 4 monsters got close, the stars exploded in a grand chain reaction. Their huge bodies became a disadvantage. The monsters suffered some damage but they kept moving forward. The Level 3 Vadym lacked the power to halt two Rank 4 masters in their tracks. ¡°Tsk, still not there yet huh? Figures. But how about this?¡± Vadym evaded the cobra¡¯s opened mouth that could gobble him in one gulp. He conjured an eerie black sword with his Victa and let out a flying black slash from it. The cobra¡¯s scales were cut and black mist-like residue remained on the wound. Considering the Devaya Cobra¡¯s size the wound was a minor one but the fact that the Rank 4 monster got injured was huge. ¡°Hahaha! Looks like this thing works just fine,¡± Vadym laughed. Prince Vadym was blessed with two rare affinities, Star and Death. Furthermore, this prodigy mastered both of his elements to a high degree. ¡°All these deaths around me¡­ I should send Duke Crowe an official gift,¡± Vadym looked elated. ¡°I would relish the look on your face when I step on it!¡± Feeling humiliated, Cassian rode on the vulture and ordered his familiars to intensify attacks. He also used Arte to make them stronger. While the two princes with bad history were busy with each other, Farley and the group took this chance to retreat. Paina went above and beyond. She broke the two cages containing two groups that Prince Cassian previously defeated. ¡°Time to go,¡± Paina said to the Rising Fortune group. ¡°I don''t know why you¡¯re doing this, but thanks,¡± Sandra said. She and Irene helped carry the other two unconscious male teammates. ¡°Don''t mind, don''t mind,¡± Paina lightly replied while protecting them from attacks. Prince Cassian¡¯s teammates didn''t like what she was doing one bit. Paina recognized the Rising Fortune group. She didn''t know why they were here but she figured she should lend the familiar faces a hand. She didn¡¯t know the members of the other captured group but freed them all the same. Paina¡¯s Profound Codex, Give And You Shall Receive warmly thrummed with approval. ¡°This way,¡± Sakuya led them toward the biggest concentration of the remaining swarm. Her familiar swarm had been scattered. Before the clones disappeared, she wanted to merge them as much as possible with her familiar true body so the food they had eaten wouldn''t be wasted. Thanks to the team''s high individual stats and Vadym¡¯s intercession, Farley¡¯s group retreat went off smoothly, even with two extra groups. *** A team of four were standing near a vantage point. Some sort of mighty battle was clearly occurring but it was too far. Two males were wearing knight armor, one female with black and gold hair, and the last were wearing princely garb. ¡°What do you sense?¡± ¡°Your brothers are fighting, My Prince. Cassian and Vadym, I believe,¡± the woman said. ¡°They are always at each other¡¯s throats,¡± Prince Lutz the 11th prince sighed. ¡°Where to now, Paula?¡± ¡°I sense a super Power Spot to the west. It¡¯s not far from here.¡± The prince touched the big burn scar on his face. Then he looked at the clouds. ¡°...I don''t like the shape of those clouds. It¡¯s a bad omen. We¡¯ll pass on that.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°I¡­ see¡­ As you wish.¡± Paula said after a bit of hesitation. It was a very good Power Spot too. Many called Prince Lutz superstitious, but where there¡¯s smoke, there¡¯s fire. *** After Prince Lutz¡¯s group went the other way, a group in hiding was thankful for the prince¡¯s cowardice. The group was aiming for the Power Spot too but the prince¡¯s group was closer. Since they had no confidence in getting the Power Spot from the stronger group, they were about to give up. With the prince going another way, they could now cleanse the Power Spot from the cockroaches and then get to harvest the benefit of the Power Spot. Luckily, the cockroaches near the site were not strong. Five minutes later, four white fireworks went up to the sky. Three Rank 4 cockroaches had lain in ambush. The observer of the group had to step in. *** Lutz¡¯s group didn''t miss the signals of disqualification. Paula suddenly gasped. ¡°What is it, Seer, enemies?¡± One of the knights readied his sword. ¡°Bad luck?¡± The other knight asked. ¡°No, sir knight. On the contrary, I felt the rise in our fortune. Must be because of Prince Lutz¡¯s earlier call.¡± ¡°Truly? Good to hear it.¡± ¡°Yes, but don''t get complacent,¡± said the prince. ¡°Keep your vigilance.¡± The prince walked while touching his burn mark. A constant reminder of his past failure. His walk was somewhat sullen. Pulamela, or Paula as the prince called her, felt her heart ache. In the past, she remembered her childhood friend used to smile easily. Warm and bright like the sun. Since he got burned and scarred, she had never seen him smile even once. His shoulders always seemed to slouch from a heavy burden. Lutz¡­ I¡¯ll do anything to see you smile once again. As a Fortune Pathseeker, I¡¯ll give you all the luck in the world. ¡°This way, Lu. The luck¡¯s pull is the strongest this way,¡± Pulamela slightly pulled Lutz''s hand. *** The environment in the Biome had several varieties but around 40% of them were woodland. During the night, the woods were unnaturally silent. Croix¡¯s group was resting at a grassland just outside some woods. Before resting, they thoroughly killed the surrounding cockroaches. The cockroaches had wiped out all the animals and other monsters. With the arrival of the 93 groups, they were getting exterminated in turn. The relatively silent and dark Biome compared to the real night outside made nighttime quite scary. ¡°...I¡¯m getting used to the cockroaches¡­ Yuck! This shouldn''t happen. It shouldn''t ever happen! Ahhh!¡± Ciel didn''t seem to be much affected by the horror-like environment but the pest control job was bothering her. ¡°It¡¯s just one more day, Miss Valentine,¡± Croix soothed. ¡°Let¡¯s do our best.¡± ¡°Unn¡­¡± Ciel sat next to the fireside and bathed herself with light. At first, Viers didn''t understand but then it clicked, Ciel was using UV rays to rid herself of bacteria and other microorganisms. That was on top of her getting a bath. Viers wondered if she would get skin cancer or something. If she was immune to the harmful side effects, the idea was quite novel. ¡°Priest Breiz, please have some,¡± Boram gave the observer some food. He probably didn''t need it but it was common courtesy. The priest accepted with good grace. Viers didn''t do a solo killing session tonight. He suspected the third and final day of round 1 would be¡­ blowing up. It was best he stayed in tip- top condition. ¡°Everyone, great work today. Thanks to your efforts we have passed the minimum score to pass this round!¡± Croix happily announced. The group replied with hand claps. Viers and company¡¯s kill count of the cockroaches had been high. However, for them, it wasn''t enough to pass. ¡°Luckily or unluckily, we haven''t encountered a Rank 4 roach,¡± Viers said while maintaining his shoes. ¡°And driven by greed or desperation, other rivals will attack us,¡± Ciel added. ¡°If Prince¡¯s badge is taken or you yourself taken out of commission, that¡¯s it for us.¡± ¡°Right, you too, don''t let your guard¡­ down¡­¡± Croix looked at Viers, who smiled confidently, Ciel, who smiled warmly, and Boram, who looked confused as if asking why said something so obvious. Falmerion yawned on the side, curling his body in preparation for sleep. Croix scratched his head. He was the only one who needed that reminder. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to catch up, my comrades.¡± And that was good enough for Viers. Admitting your shortcomings and striving to improve yourself was much nobler than mere parentage in the villain¡¯s opinion. While Croix asked Boram about some fighting tips, Viers and Ciel watched the two teens. Croix was a high-schooler equivalent, and Boram was a middle-schooler. They looked like brothers. ¡°You know,¡± Ciel said in a way so the observer wouldn''t overhear. ¡°Your base? The club? I think you have a few cultists in there. It makes me suspicious you are actually a branch leader of one and spreading your roots.¡± ¡°Is that so? After all the info I gave you about cultists and their plots the other day?¡± Viers¡¯ Level Up to 4 meant a major upgrade to his abilities as a whole, including soul. Before the Grand Prix, he had created an A.I. made from a fragment of his soul, like Futon and Faiya but not as complex and cost way less, after all, this A.I. only had simple tasks, mainly, soul-searching other souls. The menial job that Viers and Tanael usually did now was delegated to the A.I., which would then input those memories and knowledge to Recordkeeper Mirror, a memory hard drive magic item. Information about cults was plentiful. The hidden members, their bases, their plots, their battle data, Viers was swimming in a sea of data, befitting of one that had lived in the Information Age. By sharing this information with Ciel, Viers managed to convince her that the Arcanum Club might be a bit shady but it brought benefits too for the do-gooders. Or so he thought. It seemed the justice girl needed more convincing. ¡°Remember, I¡¯m watching you,¡± Ciel brought her face closer. ¡°If you''re an evil person, I¡¯ll incarcerate you to the Tower of Remorse myself.¡± Ciel¡¯s irises briefly glowed. ¡°First, you need to prove I¡¯m evil, don''t you?¡± Viers replied with an amused expression. ¡°I¡¯m a good judge of a person¡¯s character, Mr. Avel,¡± Ciel challenged with a similar smile. Oho? Viers leaned back, crossed his legs, sharpened his gaze, and mustered all of his wit and daring for his next sentence. In the words of Professor Moriarty himself¡ª ¡°Catch me if you can, Ms. Valentine.¡± The face of Ciel showed she was enjoying this as much as Viers did. ¡°Would you be satisfied if I said that, Ms. Justice? Don''t worry, our club is no pit of devilry. It is a platform where each member helps each other to greater heights and greater good.¡± Me, most of all. The greater good of me! ¡°Fufufu. I¡¯ll believe you, for now.¡± Satisfied, Ciel backed away. ¡°Well then, shall we get some sleep?¡± Viers said to Croix and Boram who were stealing glances. From their point of view, Viers and Ciel might as well be flirting. ¡°I¡¯ll take the first watch.¡± ¡°Err, yes. Thank you, as always. Yep. Sleep time.¡± ¡°Good night, Master.¡± ¡°...Wait.¡± Their sleep was delayed, however, since Viers alerted them of people approaching. From the darkness, a person covered in blood slowly walked closer. Elvina Cinder Latias, the half-elf 38th Princess. - - Chapter 435 - Catch Me If You Can Chapter 436 - Elvina Cinder Latias ¡°Princess Elvina,¡± Croix called out. ¡°Is that you, sister?¡± ¡°¡®Tis I. Greetings, dear brother.¡± Viers had seen Elvina before at the Emerith Grand Ball. The 19-year-old princess was a great beauty thanks to her elven ancestry. She looked every bit that a princess should be; pretty, graceful, and noble. Tonight, little of that visage could be seen. Parts of her long golden hair clumped with dried blood, as was her outfit. Her light armor was full of cracks, blood dripped to the ground as she walked. Compared to the well-rested appearance of Croix¡¯s party, she looked like someone who had been fighting nonstop for two days. Behind her, there was a single cloaked figure, her teammate, most likely. The fact that Viers couldn''t sense the other two made him raise vigilance. Croix¡¯s attention was more focused on his half-sister. ¡°Are you alright, sister? Your wounds seem in need of immediate attention,¡± Croix said with true concern. ¡°...Kind of you to care, brother, but this blood is not mine.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± Croix frowned from the implication. The cockroach had white blood, since the color on her body was red, she must have clashed with other contestants. ¡°You are the fourth half-siblings I have met. I have come to defeat you,¡± Elvina said with a grim tone and iron determination. ¡°Come at me with your full party if you so wish. It matters not.¡± Princess Elvina was a Level 2 Pathseeker. Viers had triple-checked just now. The possibility that she was hiding her cultivation exists but since the Level 4 Viers was unable to pick up any indication, either she used a very sophisticated method or a true Level 2. Croix was a Level 3, and Ciel was even a Level 4. To every other person hearing this must have thought Elvina had lost her mind. ¡°Two against four? Are you underestimating us that much?¡± Croix asked. ¡°That guy won''t lift a finger so it¡¯s one against four,¡± Elvina said about the hooked figure behind her. ¡°And it¡¯s not a matter of me looking down on you or not.¡± She unsheathed her blades, holding one in each hand. ¡°This is about me doing something that I have to do,¡± she emotionlessly said. Her blades were identical, a twin sword. It was elven-make, elegant and deadly. Viers presumed it was her style to fight with two swords. Looking at her, Croix hesitated. Despite being the challenger, Elvina didn''t look to be brimming with confidence in her victory. It was more like someone who willingly walked towards the gallows. ¡°...You all, stay out of this. I¡¯ll be her opponent,¡± Croix said. ¡°Highness, I object,¡± Viers replied without missing a heartbeat. ¡°I want to find the truth of this. Trust me.¡± Viers said no more words. As Croix walked towards Elvina, the hooded figure¡¯s snicker could be heard. Elvina paid him no mind. ¡°You alone, brother? Not even your dragon?¡± ¡°If I have to gang up on a weaker woman, a sister no less, what would people think about me? Besides¡­ ¡± Croix unsheathed his sword. His sword was red like fire. It was what he got from Duke Lucan. On his left hand, a shield materialized. Croix used a sword and shield, just like Ciel. ¡°Whatever your reason is, I also have a reason to win. I have to become king.¡± ¡°Many of our siblings have the same wish, but why do you want to be king, brother?¡± ¡°To alleviate the people¡¯s suffering and to build a better nation.¡± There was a force behind Croix¡¯s words. He really meant it. Elvina realized it too. ¡°I see. Unlike yours, my wish is a small one. But for the sake of my modest, unworthy wish, I beg you, be defeated here.¡± The royal siblings crossed swords. They started from low gear, without using Arte, and put their skill into play. Croix¡¯s martial skill had grown by leaps and bounds since Viers saw him three years ago. Back the 15-year-old prince was but a chick Pathseeker and a beginner with a sword. Elvina was gaining the upper hand after just a few exchanges. Croix pushed back before he got overwhelmed, putting his Arte in play. He attacked with a sword enveloped by fire, increasing his attack power. Elvina answered in kind, drawing her Victa and manifesting her Arte, revealing what type of Pathseeker she was. Gray powders dance in the air. Elvina was an Ash Pathseeker. Her ashen swords parried Croix¡¯s fire sword and she counterattacked. Croix defended with his shield just in time. With her every move, flakes of gray detached from her body. The gray princess made a full circle, creating a swirl of cutting whirlwinds. Croix¡¯s fire sphere negated it. ¡°Ash¡­¡± Croix muttered. ¡°An element that resonates to both of us, is it not, brother?¡± Croix¡¯s middle name was Ash, not because he had Ash affinity, but because of his gray eyes. Elvina¡¯s middle name was Cinder. Whether it was a coincidence or intentional, she grew up to be an Ash Pathseeker. Like her name, as ash and fire clashed, the field was painted by cinder. The children of King Lahar had their Pathseeker potential tested shortly after birth. Those with high potential were given the name of gems. Lutz Diamond Latias, Cassian Onyx Latias, Vadym Sapphire Latias, Marvin Topaz Latias, and Celestine Amethyst Latias were among them. Meanwhile, those with low potential were given mundane middle names, such as Croix¡¯s and Elvina''s. Croix knew his average talent as a Pathseeker but it didn''t stop him from exerting effort to improve. All that hard work and diligence became his character and it led him to the hatching of his dragon partner. As for Elvina, Viers was sure she too shed sweat and blood to become as strong as she was now. However, the readings of King Lahar weren''t inaccurate. Viers heard the princess'' affinity was only Ash 2. As long as it didn''t change, she wouldn''t be able to become a Level 3 Pathseeker. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Fire, Ash, and Cinder¡­ Viers was visited by the nostalgia of the Dark Souls series because of the theme. Concerning the battle itself, both sides were at a temporary stalemate. If they paced themselves, Pathseeker battles could last for hours, days, or even longer if their Victa reserve allowed. Neither Croix nor Elvina could afford such a slog so they shifted to higher gear: they used more Victa for more strengthening and more powerful Artes. Up to the limit of Level 2. For about seven minutes they battled. They were even at first but Elvina progressively gained ground. She figured out Croix¡¯s moves and anticipated them, similar to the start. Viers determined Elvina¡¯s analytical and martial aptitude was above Croix''s. The prince kept trying but was unable to land any decisive blows. He could raise the bar of the fight but he didn''t. Viers knew the reason: pride. Using his Level 3 abilities meant he was admitting he was inferior to her sister, lowering his prestige. Prestige was worth shit to Viers but valuable to Croix as someone who wished to be a monarch. But losing had an even more disastrous result. Before he was gutted, Croix let go of his pride and fought as a Level 3. Elvina, sensing the change, dodged Croix¡¯s forward slash. The sword hit the ground and an explosion of fire came forth. The half-elf princess would be toast if she got hit by the Flame Burst Arte. Maneuvering to Croix¡¯s flank, taking advantage of her opponent¡¯s interrupted line of sight from his own Arte, Elvina''s sword slashed Croix¡¯s neck. There was a dull sound and no blood, for the sword was stopped by an invisible force an inch above the skin. For a Level 2, injuring a Level 3 through their Unreality field was almost impossible. Elvina stood still, lowering both of her swords. It was as if she had given up. ¡°That attack would have landed if not for my Unreality Field. Hat¡¯s off to you, sister. I have to admit your swordsmanship is greater than mine, but the victor will be me.¡± If Viers had his way, he would be blowing a whistle and raising a red card. For monologuing! The herald of uncountable defeats from a winning situation. ¡°Good thing this ends before any major injury occurs. I don''t wish to hurt you,¡± Croix¡¯s hand moved to seize Elvina¡¯s badge. ¡°You¡¯re kind, dear brother, but you¡¯re mistaken.¡± Elvina stabbed Croix¡¯s stomach through his Unreality Field. Croix¡¯s mind was filled with pain and confusion as to how it happened equally but something else caught his attention; Elvina¡¯s extremely saddened expression. ¡°Prince!¡± ¡°Shaaa!¡± Ciel and Falmerion reacted. Elvina tried to grab his badge before they interrupted but Croix, who mustered his power despite the wound, managed to fire blast the princess away. ¡°Halt!¡± Croix shouted. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I will continue.¡± ¡°Prince Croix, you¡¯re being reckless!¡± Ciel said. ¡°She could have killed me, but she didn''t,¡± Croix rasped. It made sense. If Elvina aimed for the heart¡­ ¡°Besides, if she was, Priest Breiz would have acted. Stay out of this duel!¡± Ciel and Falmerion didn''t like it but they stayed their hand. After using Unreality Field to temporarily close the wound Croix made the first move and Elvina answered in kind. The siblings fully intended to continue the fight. Croix didn''t hold anything back now. His Artes were backed by the entirety of his cultivation. Elvina herself couldn''t match the power and speed of Croix, but she still held on because of her superior technique. Also, her swords had a strange glow. ¡°Master, how is she doing that? She seems to be able to nullify Prince Croix¡¯s Unreality Field,¡± Boram asked. A good question, Viers thought. He once broke through Level 3¡¯s Unreality Field as a Level 2. He did that by using a powerful Arte boosted to high heaven, so much so that the opponent¡¯s Unreality Field was unable to tank it. Whatever Elvina was doing, it wasn''t that. Was it the swords then? Viers suspected the weapons she was using next. Quite probable. Perhaps it was a special weapon possessing some unique effect. But as the two royals fought, Viers found it was more and more unlikely. His Euryale Sight didn''t pick up anything hidden beside the obvious front enchantments. Viers was convinced the source of this feat was Elvina herself. The power gap between Level 2 and Level 3 was very vast because Unreality Field made Level 3 virtually invulnerable from the lesser attacks. To pierce the defense, one must use Unreality Field too. This was the rule of thumb. Elvina was doing something that broke conventional knowledge. With the knowledge of his Fables combined with the soul-searched memories, Viers arrived at an answer. ¡°I see¡­ Sword Intent.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Boram asked again. For those familiar with xianxia-style novels like Viers, the term was quite familiar. Sword intent, sword qi, sword light, whatever the name, the root was the same. Through mastery of the sword -or any other martial things really- the user imbued the sword with special facets. Feats only those far into the realm of martial arts mastery could do. Based on what he had seen, Elvina indeed was a master with the sword. She managed to have the upper hand against the stronger Croix with her martial skills. Her Pathseeker talent might be limited but she possessed a very high martial talent and she sharpened it to razor sharp. Could Viers do the sword intent? He didn''t need to. It came as a package with Unreality Field. Infused to his sword, Unreality Field could make magic-like feats such as divide water or fire. It was the power to twist reality, albeit limited and small-scale. But when he was a Level 2, he wasn''t able to achieve sword intent. He admitted Princess Elvina had surpassed him in this regard. Simply put, Elvina used a pseudo-Unreality Field with her twin swords through the mastery of the sword. That was how she was able to wound Croix through his Unreality Field. The effort and dedication it took to reach this level at the tender age of 19 must be phenomenal. The only sword master that came close to sword intent was Russ Sullivan, the fiance of Paina¡¯s fae doppelganger at Valkut. He was a sword genius who defeated Viers in a pure swordsmanship fight. Of course, if Elvina was able to become Level 3, her sword intent wouldn''t become obsolete or useless; her skill would be elevated instead. Viers knew this and he wasn''t the only one. Those in the know who were watching the scene through the eyes of the crows realized it too. In the next few minutes, amid a heated battle of fire and ash, Croix had lost three fingers, a stab wound in the stomach, a long laceration at the thigh, and various other wounds. Elvina only had minor scratches and burns. She dominated the fight, against a stronger opponent no less! Alas¡­ There was a price she had to pay. Even with superior technique, to contend with a Level 3 she had to burn a lot of her Victa during the fight. Victa was Arte''s fuel. Higher Level¡¯s Victa was a stronger, more efficient fuel. Furthermore, higher Level produced more Victa on default. Elvina ran out of her Victa first. Also, it seemed she went through other battles before meeting us. Against the cockroaches and other players. Viers looked at the hooded figure who didn''t show any inclination to help Elvina. Has she been fighting alone since day one? Viers fought in a group of four, five if Falmerion was included, six if his Futon was included too. Cleaning the roach infestation from the Power Spots cost quite a bit of Victa. If Elvina did all that alone then of course her Victa would run dry. Viers did a rough calculation. She must have used a year¡¯s worth of Level 2 Victa for yesterday alone. ¡°Haah¡­ Haah¡­¡± Croix was at the edge of his bodily limit. ¡°It appears¡­ you¡¯ve used the last drop of your Victa, sister.¡± ¡°...So I did,¡± Elvina was similarly panting. ¡°I won¡­ or so I¡¯d like to say. It would tarnish my pride to declare victory after our match. I concede,¡± Croix said. ¡°...You¡¯d admit you lost against a Level 2, brother? ¡± ¡°Aye.¡± ¡°Wouldn''t it be more shameful?¡± ¡°Against you, sister? Not in the slightest.¡± Croix bowed his head in respect. Elvina was moved. So moved that she shed tears. But it was short-lived. Her expression soon turned dark. She glanced at the hooded person behind her. ¡°Continue,¡± he said. ¡°Fulfill your promise.¡± Croix had a bad premonition. ¡°...What are you-¡± ¡°Arte-¡± Elvina said aloud. It sounded like an elegy. ¡°-Cinder, Ash, and Dust.¡± Elvina¡¯s body became like chalk and red ember cracks appeared on her left cheek and a few other places. The cracks were slowly spreading. Her power that was like a snuff out candle now blazing abright. ¡°...A Forbidden Arte,¡± Viers frowned. The princess was ready to die. Chapter 437 ¡°I don''t understand,¡± Croix said emotionally. ¡°Why are you doing this!?¡± Elvina gave no words back. Her face was that of anguish. She was crying but her tears were gray, mixed with ash. Croix desperately raised his shield and made it just in time, but the hand that was holding his shield suffered slash wounds all the same. Her attack power jumped exponentially. Croix jumped back in a panic. ¡°You!¡± Croix, Viers, Boram, Ciel, and Priest Breiz looked at the hooded figure behind Elvina. ¡°What did you do to her!?¡± Croix demanded an answer. ¡°This is her own doing, O little prince. The result of a foolish gamble. Me? I¡¯m just enjoying the show.¡± Elvina was about to attack Croix again, but Boram and Falmerion arrived at Croix¡¯s side. Something fishy was going on here but he would let his master and the others handle that. Meanwhile, he would buy them time against the berserk princess. With Boram and the juvenile dragon in play, Croix should be fine, Viers thought ¡°What happened to your observer? I don''t sense him. He should be interfering by now!¡± Breiz shouted. ¡°He¡¯s taking a break somewhere. He won''t come to help the half-blood. Why don''t you do it yourself, old man?¡± Ciel walked towards him. ¡°Ooohh, scary. I¡¯m not looking forward to a brawl with you, hot stuff. I¡¯m gonna bail.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things I want to know from you,¡± Viers cracked his knuckles. ¡°You think you can get away?¡± ¡°Here¡¯s a better question, do you think I¡¯m really here?¡± The hooded man said mischievously. The man vanished, like a mirage. ¡°...That wasn¡¯t an illusion,¡± Viers said after analyzing. ¡°Some kind of clone ability?¡± ¡°It doesn''t matter,¡± Ciel said, her voice indicating she was furious. ¡°I¡¯m going after him.¡± Viers was about to say the same thing, but since he was in a gentlemanly mood he gestured, ¡°ladies first.¡± ¡°Remember, we need his intel. If he won''t spill what he knows, bring him to me. Dead or alive doesn''t matter.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Ciel used her movement Arte. It looked like she disappeared after a camera flash. That hoodie guy was confident but Viers and Ciel were not your average Pathseekers. ¡°I leave the princess to you,¡± Ciel¡¯s voice came from somewhere. ¡°Already planned on it.¡± Viers turned around and gave the priest a pat on the shoulder. Because of his position, his permissible actions were limited. ¡°We¡¯ve got this, sir,¡± Viers said to Breiz as consolation. Viers appeared in front of the attacking Elvina. He grabbed her wrists, stopping her attacks midway. ¡°Wow, quite dangerous these are,¡± he had no intention of testing the sword¡¯s edge with his body. Elvina¡¯s degradation had vastly progressed. Her body was like a crumbling hot statue, scattering dust and ash with every movement. The cinder veins on the body indicated her temperature. Touching her burned Viers¡¯ hands. He had to move fast before it was too late. Arte - Phantom Lifeblood, Aquathlon Tendency, Water Is Unbreakable. Three water Artes took Elvina all at once, trapping her in a sphere of water. The first, second, and fourth of Viers¡¯ the JJ series Arte. A plume of steam rose into the air. Phantom Lifeblood¡¯s original function was to use the opponent¡¯s blood to heal the user, increasing the user¡¯s HP and draining the opponent¡¯s HP simultaneously. This time, Viers did so in reverse. He cut open a vein on his wrist, giving the princess a much-needed heal. She was dangerously close to dying after using the Forbidden Arte. Aquathlon Tendency, using water as a medium, Viers sapped the opponent''s stamina, making them tired. When you couldn''t even stand, how would you even fight? Water Is Unbreakable made the water sphere, well, unbreakable. For Elvina at least. Viers wasn''t sure it would hold muster against Level 4, let alone Level 5, for now. Viers created seven Artes of the JJ series. He didn''t use the others because their nature was more on the deadly side. With those Artes Viers subdued Princess Elvina and forcefully canceled her Forbidden Arte. The princess passed out in a cage of water. One Latias princess captured for the Pokedex... Should I try to capture princesses from the other three great nations next? Now that¡¯s an idea. ¡°Slumber for a while, ashen princess,¡± Viers whispered. ¡°It is not yet your time to link the fire.¡± Meanwhile, Boram and Croix sighed in relief for the battle¡¯s end. ¡°Let¡¯s get you patched up, Highness.¡± ¡°Avel, what about the other guy?¡± Croix groaned. ¡°Ciel is hunting him.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. After some time, While Viers was tending to Croix and Elvina¡¯s injuries, Ciel returned, dragging a beat-up man in his twenties. His face was swollen and he weakly groaned the whole time. Now that his defense was down, Viers could sense that this man was a Level 4. ¡°I¡¯m back. Catching him was the the hard part. Slippery guy. Are you all fine?¡± ¡°You¡¯re hurt,¡± Viers approached her. ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch,¡± Ciel tried to hide the wound on her cheek. Viers gently touched her chin and made her look his way. Like a lover¡¯s caress, he began healing her wound. ¡°I can''t stand seeing you hurt.¡± Viers and Ciel¡¯s faces were so close they could feel each other''s breath. And Viers kept getting closer. ¡°N-N-No, we can''t¡­ everybody''s watching¡­ and we aren''t even-¡± She might have said that but Ciel didn''t push Viers away. She closed her eyes instead and made a sound like that of a small animal. It was sudden, she didn''t know what she was expecting. Croix and Boram were watching with bated breath. What Viers did was something else entirely. ¡°Eh?¡± Ciel opened her eyes, sensing some kind of power spreading. ¡°Put a veil around the cam. The crows can''t see us now.¡± ¡°Y-You want to do it that much? W-We can''t¡­ Ouch!?¡± Viers flicked her on the forehead. ¡°Get your head down the cloud, girl. This is preparation for your catch¡¯s interrogation.¡± ¡°Wha-!? Then what was that earlier!?¡± ¡°Why, professionalism of course. Didn''t you hire me as your fake lover? Got to show the audience some lovey-dovey moments now and then. Although, I¡¯ve got to say your resistance was much weaker than expected¡­ How cute.¡± Ciel looked like she was struck by lightning. ¡°H-Hooligan! Scoundrel! How dare you toy with the feelings of a maiden!¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Croix coughed. ¡°Sorry for interrupting, but Avel, if you would?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Viers pulled the beat-up man by the scarf like carrying an alley cat. ¡°Lovers problem, right?¡± Viers shrugged. ¡°R-right?¡± Croix didn''t know what he should say. He never had a lover. ¡°Alrighty then! Those who want to watch it are welcome, though I wouldn''t recommend it,¡± Viers said after creating some space in regard for the unconscious princess. Her life was no longer in danger but she needed all the rest she could get. ¡°Are you going to torture him?¡± Croix asked but he remained seated next to his sister. ¡°I have my ways,¡± he smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll drag out his secret to the open. Count on it.¡± Boram guarded the perimeter so only Ciel and Breiz were on Viers¡¯ side. Is he going to do that here? Ciel suspected Viers was about to reveal his soul affinity. Ciel guessed wrong. Viers pulled out a spiky metal torch that automatically lit up with black-green fire when pulled out of the inventory space. The two members of the Church sensed the torch was a cursed magical item. ¡°I might not be a soul or mind Pathseeker,¡± Viers winked at Ciel after telling the blatant lie. ¡°But there are many ways to extract information from someone¡¯s head. This torch is one of them. Priest Breiz, you¡¯re an observer so I trust you won''t confiscate my property.¡± ¡°That thing is illegal. How do you come by it?¡± ¡°Some cultists I killed. While you two might not agree with this method, this is for the greater good, okay? Now, sush please. This is difficult and I need to concentrate.¡± Cultists possess many illegal things. Many ended up in Viers¡¯ pocket after he killed the demon worshipers here and there. Viers already forgot from whom this trinket came from. The original intention was if his soul affinity got leaked, he planned on using the torch as an excuse. Still, mind-reading or soul-searching was a taboo, thus he cut the security crow cameras. Dark magic was invoked under the eyes of two members of the Church. Such a daring act from Viers. Normally it would have gotten someone arrested on the spot. Twenty minutes later, Viers got what he needed. It was so slow compared to his soul search. He could have done it in five and with far greater detail in his estimation. Alas, Ciel and Breiz were watching him like hawks. ¡°...Interesting.¡± Viers told his findings to the group but excluded Breiz since he was an outsider. *** ¡°Those Magisterium bastards! Those heartless, greedy, exploiters!¡± Croix gnashed his teeth. ¡°So cruel. She doesn''t deserve this,¡± Boram voiced his opinion. ¡°But what should we do? If Avel¡¯s right, we have to do something soon,¡± Croix pondered. ¡°I can report this to the Church as soon as this round ends. The Legion will investigate this,¡± Ciel said. ¡°By the time the investigation starts, it will be too late,¡± Avel refuted. ¡°Tch¡­ There¡¯s the matter of distance too,¡± Ciel scowled at another complication. ¡°What about¨C¡± ¡°That won''t work.¡± Avel stopped the heated discussion with four words: ¡°I can handle it.¡± ¡°What? Great! How?¡± ¡°This is a sensitive matter so I cannot share the details. You can either trust me and let me do it or not. But if I¡¯m doing this, I won''t be able to participate in round 2. Prince, is this worth the risk?¡± Croix closed his eyes with his hand. If Avel didn''t participate, according to the rules, his group would be short a member for the next round. A great disadvantage. But the alternative was to leave Elvina to her fate. Croix had decided. Rising to his feet, Croix spoke to Avel, his mysterious vassal and mentor whose depth Croix couldn''t fathom. ¡°Avel, I entrust the matter of Princess Elvina to you. Do what must be done to succeed.¡± Croix passed his sentence. Avel bowed like a butler. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°Lady Valentine, this is the internal matter of Latias royal family. I trust the Church will respect our sovereignty and don''t interfere.¡± Ciel contemplated and gave a nod. ¡°Let justice be done.¡± Before Croix could say anything else, the beat-up teammate of Elvina roused from his trauma-induced slumber. According to Avel, this guy and Elvina were the sum of his sister''s team, just two. This guy acted as the holder of Elvina¡¯s leash. ¡°Ugh¡­ Where-¡± ¡°So you¡¯re awake, Zetelian,¡± Croix said coldly. ¡°You¡¯re a long way from home. Should have tread lightly. This is the Kingdom of Latias. Here there be dragons.¡± Falmerion approached from beside him with a smoldering fire in his throat. The man finally became aware of his situation. ¡°If you hurt me, you¡¯ll answer to Tower Master Baharir!¡± The bounded Level 4 threatened. After being beaten so thoroughly by Ciel, he wasn''t able to exert his normal strength. Dragonfire consumed him and he screamed. It was as if the very sound coming out from his throat was on fire. The screams didn''t get far because of the barrier around this place. If he didn''t imprison his team¡¯s observer, he might have been saved by that person but it was the consequence of his own doing. Croix watched until the light from his eyes was taken by the flames. ¡°Make enemies of dragons at your peril.¡± Croix walked to stay at her sister¡¯s side and Falmerion feasted on the charred remains of the Level 4. *** Viers greatly approved of Croix''s action. Boram greatly approved of Croix''s action. Ciel greatly approved of Croix''s action. - - Chapter 427 - Hic Sunt Dracones Chapter 438 - Half-Siblings Elvina gasped as she awoke. She should be dead. How? ¡°You can sleep longer if you like. Your body sorely needs it.¡± The tent was dark to facilitate Elvina¡¯s rest but she could see Croix¡¯s face beside her bed from the soft illumination of a magic lamp. It seemed morning had not yet arrived. ¡°You saved me? Why? After all I did to you.¡± ¡°I know about your mother. That she had been in captivity of the Magisterium for years and experimented on. That you have been trying to save her all this time. As a sick joke, her captors told you to become Latias Monarch and did their bidding for her release. Seeing no other way, you entered the Grand Prix.¡± ¡°...Did Raun tell you that?¡± ¡°In a way. We had to make him spill his guts,¡± Croix answered. ¡°He¡¯s ash now. Know that I bear you no grudge, sister.¡± ¡°I deserve it, for harming many of my own kin.¡± Croix remembered Elvina mentioned encountering other half-siblings before they fought. ¡°Did you kill them?¡± ¡°I tried. Their observers take them away.¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re forced to. You could have killed me but you didn''t. That is your choice, the same choice you made when fighting them.¡± ¡°I also chose to participate in this Grand Prix knowing I won''t stop until I win or die in the process, no matter who I have to fight.¡± ¡°I respect that. You did all you could. My wounds are the proof. But harsh as this is, you cannot win this. Not against our older siblings and their team. You¡¯re alone and out of Victa.¡± Elvina¡¯s spirit seemed to have left her body as her eyes became hollow. ¡°They tortured her every day, you know. Painful experiments each more harsh than before. All in an effort to distill the secret of long lives from her flesh. It breaks my heart every time I see her.¡± Croix clenched his fists. ¡°I would have taken her place if I could but since I¡¯m only half-elf, I was deemed unfit after some tests. I can live outside the tower because my mother promised to cooperate with them¡­ I tried to get help many times but the Magisterium had me watched so I always failed. I have never talked about this with others. Ironic, really. In this closed Biome I am the most free.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sister. No one should have to live like that.¡± ¡°You killed Raun. I¡¯m impressed. Scum as he was, he was a Level 4 scum subordinate of a Tower Master.¡± ¡°It was my team. I did nothing.¡± ¡°I see¡­ The daughter of House Valentine seems as prodigious as the rumors claim,¡± Elvina assumed. ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised about the other two¡­ What do you plan to do now?¡± Elvina answered after a long while. ¡°Chances are close to zero for me to slay a Rank 4 monster. Even if I did by some miracle, there are still other rounds. My venture to win the Prix is doomed from the start. I realized this but didn''t want to admit it. Heh. How foolish.¡± ¡°Sister¡­¡± ¡°I plan on returning to the Magisterium branch where my mother is being held and killing everyone inside. This time, they won''t stop me. Once my life has been snuffed out, at least Mother doesn''t have to put up with their experiments anymore.¡± Elvina turned to face Croix. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, dear brother, even though we are practically family in name only. The fact is we¡¯ve never spoken with one another until now. I don''t have much to repay your kindness but I can teach you my Leya Illis. It¡¯s what the elves called it. How I surpassed your Unreality Field defense.¡± ¡°Enough. Don''t talk like this is the end. I won''t let it! Why, why even now, you don''t ask for my help?!¡± ¡°How could I?¡± Elvina looked perplexed. ¡°And what good will it do? When the news of my failure reached their ears, my mother would have been moved to another place. By the time the Grand Prix is over, it would be too late!¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why he said that,¡± Croix then put his hand on Elvina¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ll help you rescue your mother, sister.¡± ¡°Why? You have nothing to gain from this.¡± ¡°Because I know your pain. My mother too is held captive at the palace. Our circumstances are similar. Have hope. We¡¯ll get through this.¡± Even though Elvina had so many questions in her head, she couldn''t find words to convey them. It was just, something warm lit up in her chest. Hope. *** Viers, the eavesdropper extraordinaire, opened his eyes in the next tent. If I fail here, my stock will plummet. Alrighty then. Maximum effort. *** ¡°Good hunting?¡± Theus Mercea greeted his long-time friend. Stratos Gaelos. ¡°They are just so-so.¡± Stratos replied. Three dead Rank 4 cockroaches on his feet. Theus didn''t see a scratch on his body. Powerful as ever. Not far away, Theus saw Solany flinging huge rocks and all sorts of armaments against her enemies. Further back, safe and protected, Princess Celestine with the black dragon, Serena. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Theus gave her a greeting nod which she reciprocated. ¡°Your hunting is going well too, I hope?¡± Stratos asked. ¡°My main prey eludes me. I suppose you haven''t seen the fly that stains Ciel with his presence?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Stratos knew who Theus implied. ¡°No, I haven''t seen Prince Croix and his team. A question, if I may, Theus.¡± ¡°Ask.¡± ¡°Suppose you defeat this Avel so thoroughly or even rip him apart completely in front of Miss Valentine, what then? How will this help you win her heart?¡± Theus didn''t answer. Theus couldn''t answer. ¡°...You didn''t think about it?¡± Stratos¡¯ voice was tinged with disbelief. ¡°I will think about it after I remove his existence.¡± *** ¡°It feels like a slave mark but it¡¯s still shallow,¡± Paina said while examining the mark on Irene¡¯s neck. ¡°You said Cassian did this after he defeated you?¡± ¡°Hmn,¡± Irene nodded. ¡°I¡¯m purging it bit by bit with my Unreality Field. The progress is¡­ slow.¡± ¡°It seems his technique is based on domination,¡± Clarissa said. ¡°The snake and vulture is a dead giveaway. My guess is the more people he dominates, those with his mark, the stronger he gets.¡± ¡°I agree, at any rate, thanks for saving us.¡± The Rising Fortune group, Bruce, Norman, Sandra, and Irene gave their thanks. ¡°Don''t mention it. Since it hasn''t been that long, you all should be able to erase the prince¡¯s leash on you eventually. Just keep doing it. We have to leave now. Good luck to both our teams,¡± Farley said. After a short session of meet and greet, the two teams separated with cordiality. *** The third and last day of Round 1 of the Latias Grand Prix began with an ungodly screech that spread to every corner of the Biome. It came from the center. Soon, massive legions of cockroaches were out in force, with numerous Rank 4s mixed in the army¡¯s lineup. They were aggressive before but now even more so. Worse, they were clearly empowered. Only a Rank 5 monster could do this to so many. Every group still in the Biome was under assault. Croix¡¯s group was no exception. The group cut through the black insects like scythes through a field of wheat. They did so while protecting Elvina, who was currently heavily injured and had barely any Victa. As they fought, they saw a shining diamond rise to the sky like a beacon, a diamond-walled fort was being raised under it. Then a voice to rally reached their ears. ¡°That¡¯s Prince Lutz. That diamond affinity is unmistakable,¡± Croix said. ¡°What¡¯s the call, Prince Croix?¡± Boram asked. ¡°...Let¡¯s accept their offer. We¡¯ll go to the fort and fight the roaches together. Many hands make light work and there are more than enough points for everyone.¡± ¡°Certainly,¡± Ciel agreed, seeing the monster with such a number that it carpeted the faraway ground with the color black. ¡°...It¡¯s similar,¡± Boram said with a soft voice. He was remembering the Book World¡¯s final stage, of Tanael¡¯s Tyra Xerg army. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll do better.¡± ¡°JOHJ INCOMING!!¡± Viers said the warning just in time so the group could react as a Rank 4 roach dived from above. The Rank 4 did not have the ripped humanoid body type, a bit to Viers¡¯ disappointment. It was more like a centaur, but instead of a horse''s lower body, it was a cockroach, and instead of a human torso, it was some kind of mutated praying mantis. Viers called them Johj nonetheless. ¡°Who¡¯s George?¡± Ciel asked as she engaged the most formidable enemy. ¡°Johj!¡± Viers fried a Rank 3 with Futon¡¯s yellow lightning. The plasma chained to other surrounding roaches. AOEs were so satisfying to use here. ¡°John?¡± Croix asked. ¡°You know what, never mind,¡± Viers gave up. ¡°That¡¯s our ticket to Round 2! Exterminate!¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Boram charged at the Rank 4 without fear. *** After the group defeated their first Rank 4 roach, it went downhill from there. The group was continuously beset by monsters. Every meter they took was a fight. The roaches were unending. The combatants¡¯ AOEs and Falmerion¡¯s strafing fire from above helped but not enough. Even the observer had to defend himself against attacks. Then other Rank 4s appear. Two at one this time. If they got bogged down before they reached the diamond fort, they would be overwhelmed. Ciel took one, Viers and Boram tag-teamed the other. In the midst of battle another Rank 4 specialized in ambushing targeted Croix and Elvina at the backline. ¡°Boram, go!¡± Viers ordered. ¡°Yes, Master. Be careful.¡± ¡°Ou!¡± Boram reached the royal siblings just in time. They were no match for the Rank 4. Under assault, Croix didn''t have time to use his trump card, evolving Falmerion to Rank 4. After a fierce struggle, the three managed to wound the Rank 4 until it retreated. Elvina squeezed the last dregs of her strength to give Croix and Boram opening with her Sword Intent. Their triumph was short-lived, however, when great explosions were heard from Viers¡¯ location. ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Boram was worried but he still guarded the siblings with him. Boram couldn''t believe what he saw, his master had fallen, surrounded by five Rank 4s roaches. Boram knew his Master had become a Level 4 but perhaps five at once was too much. On his master¡¯s defense, the five monsters suffered great injuries and missing limbs. ¡°Avel! You filth! Begone!¡± Ciel¡¯s powerful light Arte made them retreat before dealing a mortal blow to Viers, killing two out of five. Priest Breiz was about to whisk Viers away but the man stopped him. ¡°Not so fast,¡± Viers wheezed. ¡°I stopped the blood using the Unreality Field. Don''t count me out yet.¡± ¡°...If it¡¯s too dangerous, I¡¯ll pull you out,¡± Breiz relented. *** Despite his heavy injuries and an especially nasty head wound, Avel pulled his weight during the trip to the fort. Just half an hour but it seemed far longer and farther thanks to the constant cockroach throwing their bodies at them without regard for their own survival. The others became increasingly worried about Avel¡¯s wounds. But they arrived, against all odds. The fort was besieged but many other contestants flocked here and with their combined effort fighting from a fortified position, it gave the ones inside some breathing room. Avel passed out after arriving, his strength was spent. Ciel looked horrified at the all-too-real wound. ¡°Found you, Avel! Fight-¡± Theus arrived and was about to issue a challenge. ¡°...What¡¯s this? Are you already done for? Ha! Pathetic. See, Lady Valentine, this useless trash is of no value to yo-¡± ¡°Move!¡± Ciel hurried to the infirmary with Avel, pushing Theus out of the way. She was panicking as the blood flowed out from him and drenched her hand. Naturally, the rest of Croix¡¯s group followed. Leaving Theus behind on his ass on the ground. Avel received healing in time from a combined effort of medicines, healers and Ciel¡¯s light magic. The worst had yet come to pass. Avel regained consciousness, much to their delight. ¡°Avel!¡± ¡°Master!¡± ¡°What were you thinking? Taking on five Rank 4 at the same time? You¡¯re lucky to be alive!¡± ¡°Save the speech and tears for later,¡± Avel coughed. ¡°The fort is still under siege, I take it? Then what are you doing here? Get out there and fight. Your strength is needed.¡± ¡°But-¡± Croix hesitated. ¡°I¡¯ll look after him,¡± Elvina answered. ¡°I can do that much.¡± The others said their parting words before heading out. Finally, some peace for Viers. Now I¡¯ve got a nice excuse to skip Round 2. All according to plan. Man, I should get an Oscar. Who else gets a real near-death experience for an act? To Viers who had destroyed himself over and over again for three years to maximize his No Pain No Gain Arte, this was just another Monday. A few hours later Round 1 was concluded. Viers witnessed this on a sick bed while feeling pleased as his plan came together. Chapter 439 - Round 1s End The development that occurred during the final battle of Round 1 was very predictable to someone as wise as Viers. The crystal-walled fort created by Prince Lutz became the final bastion of humanity (in Round 1) and the stronghold valiantly resisted the incursion of the black pest monsters. Some twenty groups were here. Many of them weren''t fighting with all of their party members. Some got eliminated from the competition earlier or shared the room with Viers in the infirmary. The assault of the roaches was relentless. The perimeter of the fort became a meat grinder as a result. Very Starship Trooper-esque. The stronger Pathseekers such as Ciel played a heavy part in keeping the fort standing. There were other noteworthy individuals such as Prince Lutz. A bit odd but Farley and the others weren¡¯t here¡­ Ah, I see them. Under a new locust swarm far away from here. Those guys are here though. I gotta admit, them Rising Fortune folks seem to have a lucky star hovering above them to be able to come this far. Theus was here too, doing his utmost to be annoying and doing a pretty good job at it but Viers only gave him thought for a couple of brief seconds. He had a bigger fish to fry than the latest AYM, next in the chain after Prince Marvin who he sold to the Blood Church¡¯s breeding pen. After a shitton of deaths and a gazillion of Victa spent, hours later the influx of cockroaches was finally slowing down. Viers coaxed Elvina, pushing heavily on the sense of camaraderie towards his team, to carry him to the rampart where he could at least survey the battlefield. His almost-fatal injuries were not faked so he needed her help. As she was a nice girl, she went on with Viers¡¯ request. Suffering catastrophic amounts of injuries was an everyday occurrence during his three years of breakthrough to Level 4. He was used to it by now. It was not that Viers liked pain but he liked the gain at the end more. Even now his No Pain No Gain Arte was at work. He had tweaked the Arte to suit his needs. Viers based this Arte on an enviable trait of a certain warrior race from a vegetable planet. If they survived a near-death experience through extreme injury to the body, after they recovered, they grew much stronger. That was why Viers wasn''t so averse to getting beat up and got close to 0 life. Close being the keyword. All in the name of power. When he and Elvina arrived at the top of the wall, he checked the condition of his comrades. They were fine, which was good, but it wasn''t the main reason he was here. Arte - Euryale Sight. Viers used this Arte to the maximum to peer deep into the center of the Biome, where the cockroaches originated from. He saw signs of battle there. He recognized those people. With the unmistakable deva vulture and cobra, Prince Cassian and his group. With a black dragon flying above, Princess Celestine and her group. The leader of the final group was also easy to identify because he was a famous prince, Prince Vadym and his group. Those three groups were the reason the assault of the cockroaches became lighter. They caused so much destruction at the huge exit tunnel where the roaches came out, effectively creating a bottleneck. Prince Cassian and Vadym¡¯s strength was as expected. The prowess of Celestine¡¯s group was the unanticipated news for Viers. Yes, she had a dragon, and like Croix, the dragon was far from mature yet the group¡¯s battle power was astonishing. After further observation, he found the lynchpin. There was a guy whose strength was a cut above the rest. He contributed the bulk of the kill score that Celestine¡¯s group netted. Viers took a moment to recall his name, Stratos Gaelos. Apparently, his big brother was a Silver Legion bigshot. Power-wise, he¡¯s like me, a few years older. Already a Level 4 under 25, a great achiever. His power is no doubt impressive and he¡¯s not showing his real strength yet¡­ My gut says this guy is super dangerous. Viers gave Stratos a high-danger rating and recorded his fights. He would use the data for the Grid to shadowbox later. If his intuition was correct, he¡¯d need the practice fight against Stratos somewhere down the timeline. And no, Viers didn''t think this was cheating or unfair in any measure. Because if that was the case, all Elden Ring players were cheaters once they failed to kill a boss on the first encounter. Yeah. And good luck with that with a certain consort. He will whoop your ass. He whooped mine 90 times before I killed him. Ohhh, the trauma¡­ even deeper than Malenia or Isshin. Miyazaki, you madman. Viers shook his head to chase off the shadow of his mental scar. His primary objective for this scouting was to find out about the mystery of this Biome and why Duke Crowe wanted it so much. He suspected the Rank 5 monster that let out the screech earlier was related. Viers¡¯ vision moved away from the three groups and went underground, switching to X-ray vision to see through walls and dirt. Past a complex of ant nest tunnels, he found a massive underground cavern. Of course, infested by roach monsters. Between the huge cavern and the surface, the tunnel that the roaches used to get out seemed to be man-made. Too smooth and too straight to be otherwise. There was a castle sitting there. Unfortunately, because of the roaches and distance involved Viers couldn''t find out further details. He only picked up strong energy from there. Whether it was the Rank 5 alpha roach, Biome¡¯s core, or valuable treasure he didn''t know. Whatever it was, the castle was Duke Crowe¡¯s true aim. Viers already sensed a faint but weird connection that the roaches had with another being. He suspected it was the Rank 5 and since the Rank 5 wasn¡¯t coming to the surface, it was clear it was guarding its lair, the buried castle. Viers had a theory based on the facts. The roaches empower the Rank 5. The more they are, the stronger it gets. The Rank 5 is so strong that Duke Crowe won''t risk fighting it at the heart of its lair. So the duke devised this competition to cull the minions using Latias young talents. If that was the plan, it was working pretty good. The Grand Prix contestants meticulously axed the cockroach population, about 70% of them I¡¯d say. When this competition ends, the duke will swoop in, slay the roach alpha, and claim the castle and whatever secret it hides. Viers showed his Sherlock Holmes mode. Whether it was the truth remained to be seen. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. But it has nothing to do with me. My job here is done¡­ A shame about the souls, though. The souls of the roaches numbered around the tens of thousands and he couldn''t gather them. What a colossal waste. Oh well. I better not risk it with Ciel and Breiz so close in proximity. By taking less risk, my power growth will be slower but I also won''t be jumping into life-threatening situations at every turn like so many xianxia MCs. Viers learned from those MCs. He might not harvest supermassive gain at every mini-arc but it also allowed him more freedom. His enemies didn''t dictate the course of his adventure. Besides, his growth was still explosive enough thanks to his villainous ways. As always, he didn''t finish Round 1 with empty hands; his harvest was quite good from the Power Spots and his Proof of Death had accumulated nicely. It wasn''t as high as it could be but it was an acceptable net gain on his part. ¡­Speaking of xianxia, normally, in a xianxia plot like this, the super treasure hiding underground will be taken by the MC who is a participant in the trial, stealing the supreme treasure under everybody¡¯s nose. When Duke Crowe descends to claim his prize, he will find the grand prize missing. Poor duke. Viers wondered if it would happen in this instance. He continued data gathering until the end. Even though he didn''t move much, the fort was abuzz with people going to and fro. He had some interactions with other people during this time. With his teammates during the brief window when they moved around from one breach to the next. With the Rising Fortune group, who didn''t expect to see him in this faraway land. Both sides saw each other during the opening ceremony but didn''t have the chance for a proper talk, which still wasn''t even now. ¡°Let¡¯s catch up when things settle down,¡± Viers told the adventurer group. He ignored Theus¡¯ attempts to rile him up and other insults from those who didn''t like a commoner and foreigner like him participating and by the virtue of being Ciel¡¯s (fake) boyfriend. When the clock struck midnight, the observers opened portals for the contestants to exit. They returned to the stadium from which they gathered three days ago. The returning people did so under the rain of applause from the audience. The contestants themselves were in high spirits, like soldiers having a triumphant return from war. Those who needed medical attention were quickly tended to by the medical staff. Viers was among them. While having his wounds treated by Pathseekers specialized in healing Viers missed the closing speech from Duke Crowe, which wasn''t a loss at all in his book. He expected the summary and the result from Croix later. He didn''t actually need treatment per se. There were no special wounds so if he supercharged his healing factor, he should be fine even if Round 2 was tomorrow. However, experiencing medical treatment firsthand was still valuable. Most Pathseekers were not healers, a minority could heal their own wounds but not others. One¡¯s own Unreality Field field could stop bleeding or attach bone but was unable to truly heal them. And good luck doing that to others. Even Viers had given up on the attempt. Too difficult. As was common in Fables, healers were valued pretty highly. In that same regard, apothecaries, the ones producing healing potions and medicines. How could they not, in a world where fighting and conflict were so common? Viers analyzed the healers¡¯ techniques and prescriptions to add to his library. On a side note, Viers could increase vitality from eating food rich in vitality like monster meat so why not medicine? Following that reasoning, Viers chugged a lot of potions in the past almost to having an overdose but there was no noticeable increase in his lifespan. Weird. ¡°Hmn!!?¡± Suddenly, Viers jerked, surprising the healers. He chalked it off as feeling the pain when asked and laid back down. He was sweating rivers. *** ¡°When you left in secret at the height of the battle, I wonder what was so important,¡± Princess Celestine said while looking at the black-colored gem of imaginable power at the table. The black dragon was looking at it like it was enchanted by it. ¡°So it¡¯s this.¡± ¡°Sir Stratos, that¡¯s-¡± Solany couldn''t believe her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s a dragon core, isn''t it?¡± ¡°A Divine-tier dragon core,¡± Stratos said. ¡°I don''t know if it¡¯s the equivalent of Rank 6 or 7 or above, needs more research, but it¡¯s undoubtedly greater than Rank 5. Furthermore-¡± ¡°Void affinity,¡± Celestine finished. ¡°The same thing I feel from Serena. You got this without alerting anyone, including Duke Crowe. You¡¯ve surprised me once again, Sir Stratos.¡± Serena mewed at Celestine, showing her desire for the dragon core. ¡°You can''t, little lady, this belongs to Sir Knight,¡± Celestine said. ¡°And now I gift this core to you, my lady,¡± Stratos knelt on one knee and offered the core to Celestine like he was offering her a wedding ring. ¡°It will honor me beyond measure if you receive it.¡± ¡°Sir Stratos¡­¡± Celestine was dumbstruck. ¡°Princess, you made me your knight. My loyalty is to you, forever. Besides, when I first lay eyes on the core, I already decided only one person is worthy of this, you.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± While Celestine looked troubled, Serena was hopping around in glee. ¡°If the princess finds this core is not to her liking, I suppose I should throw this out of the window,¡± Stratos threatened. ¡°Surely it is worthless if the most esteemed princess has no use for it. Yes, most definitely.¡± ¡°Princess, please take it,¡± Solany urged with a smile. ¡°Even you, Solany?¡± Celestine sighed and her mouth curled to a defeated smile as she extended her hands to her knight¡¯s offering. She cupped the core with both hands and pressed it to her chest. With shut eyes, she felt the unimaginable power inside the dragon core. ¡°You are the finest knight I¡¯ve ever met, Sir Stratos. A thousand thanks to you.¡± To Stratos, those words were enough, however when he felt the soft touch of her lips on his cheek. He couldn''t believe it. He snapped his head upwards but Celestine already turned her head. Still, he could see the redness on her right ear. Serena was making her happiness known by running around the room with the core after Celestine bestowed it to the dragon. Stratos wished he could do it too but he refrained because he was still in the presence of the princess. His heart had been drumming loudly, he feared it would leap out of his chest. All the effort and the near-deaths to gain the dragon core from the underground castle were so worth it. Why? Because a kiss from a woman he loved was priceless! He would readily do it again. ¡°...Hm?¡± Stratos felt something cold on the back of his neck for a brief moment. He used an investigative Arte but nothing was amiss. *** ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing,¡± Bai Songbing, cultivator of the Spirit Venerable Realm said. ¡°I am also drawing a blank,¡± Tao Wang of the same realm said. ¡°Same. Destiny is pulling the destined to events such as this but it seems we are fishing at the wrong river,¡± Wen Shenhu the leader among the three equals shook his head with a sense of disappointment. The three were hovering above the Crimson Capital of the Latias Kingdom. They were using their spirit sense to scan the entire city, especially the contestants that just returned from Round 1 of the Grand Prix. ¡°Still, the young sprouts are too lackluster compared to back home.¡± ¡°Peace, Brother Bai. A few of them are not half bad,¡± Wen Shenhu said. ¡°Gaaah! How annoying. The Guardian Beast got himself killed and now we must search for his spirit core, as if it¡¯s not hard enough already.¡± ¡°We already knew the task would not be simple, Brother Tao,¡± Wen Shenhu placated the more temperamental of the three. ¡°We must persevere for our great cause.¡± ¡°Yeah yeah¡­ So shall we get the Spirit Venerable Realm dragon core or what? Such a precious thing is wasted on a bunch of kids still in their diapers,¡± Tao Wang raised his qi. ¡°It''ll make the trip worth something, at least.¡± Behind them, Popess Salustia silently roused her Victa in response. ¡°Peace, Brother Tao. We are not lowly thieves. Let us not stray from our mission.¡± Wen Shenhu turned to Sallustia and cupped his hands. ¡°The guardian bull¡¯s spirit core isn''t here. Shall we go to the next place, Fellow Daoist Sallustia?¡± Popess Sallustia Amaris, the strongest person in the Lumen Continent, had the unenviable task of chaperoning three foreign dignitaries who each had the power of a nuclear bomb. The term herding cats didn''t do it justice. Chapter 440 - Before Round 2 They are coming. The boogeyman that stalked at the back of Viers¡¯ mind. Finally, the day is here... My hunter. Viers had foreseen this for a long time. Since the day he met a half-dead bull demigod, refused his offer, took his core, and ate his flesh. It gave him the ability to transform into monster form and other boons. Others desire such invaluable things too, the core most of all. Which Viers estimated to be a Rank 7 core. Since the bull came from the eastern continent, the pursuers would be easterners too, more likely than not. According to his vast and rapidly growing sea of information from uncountable soul searches, reinforced by the news from the recently returning Sakaki Sakuya, the eastern continent¡¯s ¡®cultivators¡¯ were stronger than this side¡¯s Pathseeker, averagely speaking. And they had far greater numbers of people who had transcended mortal limits, who went beyond Level 5. Just now, Viers felt his Mystic Star Shroud, an obfuscation art he bought from the mysterious being Aletro, shrinking. Even when Level 5s such as Countess Grace Weiss scanned him, Viers felt the shroud shrug their attempts without difficulty whatsoever, only sensing what he wanted them to sense. This was the reason why he had never been caught despite his myriad villainous activities. But, just now, it was as if someone set fire to the edges of the shroud, diminishing it. This went on for under a minute before it stopped. The shroud still worked, a lot of it still left, Around twenty-five years or so. Aletro did warn that when the likes of Level 6 to 8 scan him, the shroud¡¯s operating time would get cut. Since whoever tried to scan him wasn''t able to pierce the shroud, they weren''t Level 9 at least. Great news, since a full-blown godlike being wasn''t actively searching for him, but a Level 6 was still more than enough to obliterate Viers from existence. He had just become a Level 4, no matter how extraordinary he was, he had no arrogance to think that there existed no Level 4 better than him in the world. Level 5? He was not their opponent yet. Level 6 was too far above the charts. Viers didn''t know if the Divine Level boogeyman was specifically searching for him. A small optimistic heart voice told him it might just be an unrelated event. Viers crushed that heart voice mercilessly. He or she was searching for him, for the Sea Rumbling Bull¡¯s core in his possession! Assume the worst. Perhaps there were even multiple pursuers. He must never be careless. My secret is still safe so danger has passed. The Latias Capital hasn''t been up in flames yet so at least whoever he is he''s not the type to burn the forest to catch a hiding rabbit. Still, it is not preferable to stay here with something so dangerous close by for the time being. All the more reason to go far away. Like Zetel. ¡°...Avel, are you alright? Does your wound still hurt?¡± Croix said with concern. ¡°Ah, apologies. The anesthetic, I think. Makes it hard to concentrate. Please go on.¡± ¡°Alright. So did you know we got buffed while inside the fort? It¡¯s incredible!¡± Round 1 ended at midnight. Viers was carried to the infirmary immediately. A few hours later, still before the sun came up, came his team. They chatted and then left so Croix and Viers could talk in private. Clarissa dropped by to take a peek but left after seeing he was fine without saying a word. The setting was they didn''t know each other. Farley, Paina, and Sakuya did the same. Croix told the result of the competition that Viers missed. ¡°The first place belongs to Celestine¡¯s team, the second and third, Vadym and Cassian. Not much difference in score between the three. Sister Celestine¡¯s team is a dark horse. Since Cassian is the oldest among them, he¡¯s the most bitter, landing on the third spot, especially when losing against Vadym. The two¡¯s rivalry is well known. Vadym is a dual affinity of Star and Death. I¡¯ve seen his recordings. When he went against a Rank 4-¡± ¡°Is that so,¡± Viers looked at Croix¡¯s fingers that he waved around as he illustrated his story. Elvina cut his fingers during their duel, but there wasn''t even a scar left after the reattachment. Viers¡¯ wounds were so much worse so he was still in bed but it was much better. He got to hand it to the Latias healers, the medical treatment here was top-notch. Croix then spoke about the remaining teams, starting from the fourth place highest scorer. Viers listened until Croix said his own place, eighth. ¡°Thoughts, Highness?¡± ¡°Actually, I didn''t think we would be so low. With Ciel, you, Boram, Falmerion, I think we¡¯d be higher. Yes, we didn''t go all out, but neither did the top three...¡± Croix sighed. ¡°Even lower than Theus¡¯ sixth.¡± ¡°There were ninety-three groups. Eighth place is pretty good, isn''t it?¡± Viers asked. ¡°Not good enough,¡± Croix answered. ¡°I¡¯ll do better in the next round, even in your absence.¡± Viers gave a positive hmm. Lutz¡¯s team was ninth. ¡°It¡¯s a shame about brother Lutz. He is an honorable man and a nice person.¡± ¡°You sound like you admire him,¡± Viers thought of the burn-faced prince that he kinda stepped on the toes of in the past. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°The way he rallied the others, his strategies, his judgment, most of all his character... All befitting a prince. Seeing him, I realize many of my deficiencies.¡± ¡°Realizing one¡¯s shortcomings is a good thing,¡± said Viers. ¡°Next is team White. All four are wearing masks. Their origin and the full extent of their abilities are a mystery, but they are a powerful bunch. They made the locusts swarm we saw in the distance. They fought Cassian with his two Rank 4 familiars, Deva monster by the way, to a standstill! It was unbelievable.¡± Croix was, of course, talking about Farley and the others. Croix and the world saw the highlights of every passing team during Duke Crowe¡¯s announcement. Viers was there too, when he epicly fought multiple Rank 4 cockroaches. It was great for the camera because he acted with the assumption he would be on camera, the sly devil. Hearing Croix heap praises on his companions felt very gratifying. Clarissa and the others worked very hard, he had seen it firsthand and had a small part in their ascension to the ranks of elite Pathseekers. Viers didn''t spoon-feed his close allies their power. He showed them the door, it was they who must open and walk through it. So if they make something of themselves, it is mostly because of them, not him; such was Viers¡¯ thoughts. It was the feeling of a proud dad. Croix went on from the eleventh to the sixteenth without too much detail. Viers was a good listener. Elvina and the Rising Fortune didn''t make the cut. ¡°It is a shame about sister Elvina... She had a high enough score but was unable to notch a Rank 4 kill. She helped defeat one, but not enough in the eyes of the judges. She didn''t show her nervousness much but I know this jeopardized her deal with her mother''s captors. She worries about her safety.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get her out of that shitty company, Highness. I promise.¡± Viers picked up that to the siblings that Croix respected and knew to some capacity, he called them brother or sister in private. ¡°I know. I¡¯m putting a lot of trust in you and a lot of responsibility... because I can''t shoulder the burden. I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have asked this of you.¡± Croix knew he was sending Avel to a Level 4¡¯s lair on a hostile foreign territory to save a prisoner without support whatsoever. The eighteen-year-old prince didn''t know how his vassal would achieve that but he knew it would be dangerous. ¡°If you¡¯d remember, it was I who suggested it,¡± Viers said. ¡°I¡¯d only offer to do it if I have enough chance of success. I have no intention of dying.¡± ¡°But, your wounds...¡± ¡°Won''t affect my chance of success. Fight in Round 2 without worrying about me. It is unnecessary and you have your own difficulties to surmount.¡± ¡°Fuh,¡± Croix was emboldened by Avel¡¯s confidence. ¡°I envy how sure you are of yourself, Avel... Speaking of which, you did a great job with the Liapris elves. The Shore is thriving, a lot of elven goods flowed from there and some people are allowed entry to the elven grove now. There''s a healthy budding cooperation between our races there. You have my thanks. When I talked about it to Elvina, she said she wished to visit if there¡¯s an opportunity.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too kind. I was mostly in seclusion for my Level Up to 4. It was mostly the Countess¡¯ policy and Jessica.¡± Though Jessica had gone to the Latias Hogwarts along with her son and the others, she came back a few times to the Biome and visited Liapris when the opportunity allowed, solving problems when she could. She lived with the elves for a while so there was sentiment on both sides. Croix then talked about the details of Round 2. From the sixteen out of ninety-three groups that passed, there would be a group battle, here in the Capital, tomorrow. Presided by the Ducal House of Lucan. Ducal House of Crowe had passed the baton to the next organizer. ¡°The silver lining is that there will be no elimination. All sixteen will go on to Round 3 when this is over. Still, it¡¯s no excuse to slack off. We¡¯ll do our best to pull your weight too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you will.¡± Seemed like Round 2 would be a direct clash between teams, separated into four blocks. No fancy settings, just a straight-up team versus team. Win or lose, they would fight another team. The top two of each block would then proceed to fight the top two of the other blocks. It was straight and simple. A perfect opportunity to showcase one¡¯s abilities and the big shots to judge the contestants. Viers felt he made the right call to sit this one out and conduct a raid on a Magisterium Tower. Too straight of a tournament arc for me. How banal. How many chapters would it take if this is a novel? Twenty? A hundred? More? I wouldn''t underestimate it. I''ve read xianxia novels with really stretchy tournament arcs. Hell, there are power fantasy stories in RR where the tutorial arc hasn''t finished even at chapter two hundred! If the author delved deep into each team, meaning sixteen times four, sixty-four people is certainly enough material to make an arc. Backstories, Arte origins, legacies, sob stories, grudges, revelations... if some of the fights last multiple chapters, well, you get the idea. While Croix and the others did all that, which they seemed to have no problem whatsoever, Viers got to raid a private company¡¯s installation instead. The way to do it was up to him. It wouldn''t be a walk in the park but all in all, he felt he got the better deal. ¡°Ah, look at the time,¡± Croix slapped his forehead. ¡°You should be resting. Well, I¡¯ll take my leave. Have a good rest, Avel. I¡¯ll get what you requested from the Round 1¡¯s merit score.¡± Viers nodded. ¡°Say hi to Ciel and Boram for me. One last piece of advice before you leave, Highness.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Be wary of the last place guy,¡± Viers said. From what Croix told him earlier, the leader of the sixteenth team was a Level 3 young man and he was the sixth son of a baron. He wasn''t particularly strong or noteworthy, quite ordinary even. Compared to the threat of his half-siblings, Theus, and the mysterious team White, Croix had too much in his head. Viers thought he merited special attention precisely because he was nothing special. In tournament arcs like this, the MC is usually the one that starts at the very bottom and then wins the whole thing at the end. This guy is in the perfect position. ¡°Leth Silveray? What about him?¡± God, even the name sounds like a main character... And this guy is the sixth son? Well, there''s that guy who is the EIGHTH son. Fishy fishy. The rest of his team is all girls? My MC sense is tingling even more! ¡°While looking up to surmount your betters is praiseworthy, if you don¡¯t be careful while you walk, you might get tripped by an unassuming pebble, remember that,¡± Viers said. ¡°...I¡¯ll heed your advice. Thank you.¡± Croix left after bowing slightly, even though Avel was his vassal he still treated him with respect and decency. He was a good kid, Viers thought. Now then, I should get going. Hopefully, the Magisterium execs still haven''t heard the news of their lapdog¡¯s demise and Elvina¡¯s elimination. Zetel is pretty far after all. Even if they did get the news, the sooner I act to save Elvina¡¯s pure-blood elf mother, the better. My reinforcements are coming too. After I heal up, I¡¯m good to go. Viers left a body double in the infirmary for the alibi and left through the window. His aim was the safe house his inner circle bought in Latias Capital. Dia¡¯s Gate Plant was there. He was being followed. There was a bit of panic stemming from his earlier paranoia since a Level 6 hunter or above was just here, but after sensing the Level of this pursuer, Viers just smiled. Well, well. What do we have here? Interesting. Chapter 441 - Ciel Valentines Peaceful Day Ciel tackled Viers while he was jumping from rooftop to rooftop, pinning him to a wall. With anger in her eyes, she stared at him wordlessly. ¡°...You know, I didn''t think I would be on the receiving end of a kabedon. Very bold, Miss Valentine.¡± Ciel put her hand inside Viers¡¯ shirt. ¡°Oi, oi, that¡¯s too bold,¡± Viers chuckled. Viers got slapped. ¡°You¡¯ve really healed. Or you weren''t wounded in the first place? Was your near-death a fake!?¡± ¡°...You truly care.¡± ¡°Isn''t it obvious? I never want to see my comrades die ever again! Now answer my question!¡± ¡°Of course not. Those roaches really almost ate my innards.¡± ¡°Then how did you,¡± Ciel gasped. ¡°Did you use a Forbidden Arte?¡± Burning one¡¯s lifespan for emergency healing was one of the most common kinds of Forbidden Arte. Of course, even if one possessed it, it was usually reserved only for emergencies. Viers looked away, it was enough for Ciel. ¡°How can you be so reckless!¡± ¡°You know why. I have a promise to keep. The injustice that Princess Elvina suffered must be corrected, is that not so, Miss Legionary?¡± Ciel slowly backed away. ¡°I¡¯m just worried, that¡¯s all. You won''t even tell us what you plan to do.¡± ¡°It is not proper for the likes of you and Croix to do this kind of dirty work. Leave it to the grunts like me.¡± ¡°Ha! Do you think it will be my first time? When the laws of men aren''t sufficient to rectify great wrongs, I do what must be done. I answer to a higher authority,¡± Ciel made the sign of Estelle in reverence. She then looked down. ¡°I¡¯m just worried. You¡¯ll be up against a Magisterium Tower Master. The danger is-¡± The two picked up some people approaching. ¡°...I must go,¡± Viers said. ¡°I¡¯m humbled by your concern, milady.¡± ¡°Go,¡± Ciel gave him a ring that bore House Valentine¡¯s heraldry. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± ¡°This is...¡± ¡°My best contingency item. Should the worst happen, may it grant you safety.¡± Ciel refused Viers¡¯ refusal. If her father knew she gave the family signet ring to another, his bloodstream would flow in reverse. ¡°Take it. In the Grand Prix, I won''t need it. Take it in my place, since I can''t come with you.¡± ¡°As you wish, dear. Take care of the kids while I¡¯m off to work.¡± ¡°Un. Leave the boys to me,¡± Ciel nodded. ¡°Be careful and fair tidings.¡± She didn''t stop Viers this time, who soon disappeared from view in the darkness. She wished she could go with him but she just had to trust him. Gosh, my eyes are wet. Since when? I hope he didn''t realize it. ¡°...Hm?¡± It just dawned on Ciel that their last exchange was like what a husband and wife would have said to each other. ¡°...Scoundrel,¡± she said softly and smiled. With her worries addressed, not gone but lessened, she returned to the hotel for the Grand Prix participants. Only a few hours until the sun rose but some sleep was better than none at all. Round 2 would begin this afternoon. A pretty brutal schedule after three days of survival of round 1 but this was mild compared to the rigorous training regimen of the Silver Legion. ¡°Done with your tryst, my lady?¡± Tinade, the maid of House Valentine who was also Ciel¡¯s teacher, greeted her ward in front of her room. ¡°Huh? There is no such thing!¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. You¡¯re a hundred years too green to lie to me, sweet pea. There¡¯s a skip in your steps,¡± Tinade showed her pearly teeth. ¡°Khh! Goodnight!¡± Ciel straddled past her and closed the door with a blam. Alone at last. Looking at the ceiling on her bed, she reviewed her life in the past few days. Celedony. Becoming Level 4. Alice and Jonah¡¯s elopement. Emerith Grand Ball. Couple contract with Viers. His secret Biome and cabal. Joining the Grand Prix. Pests control. Princess Elvina. How unpredictable life is. She did not plan on becoming Level 4, nor entering the Grand Prix, yet here she was. The next thing she realized was the gentle touch of the sun''s rays through the velvety curtain. The luxury and comfort of the hotel for the contestants were top-class. Tinade was in the room, making preparations in complete silence. It made Ciel feel she was back at her home mansion, during the simple times. ¡°Awake already? You only slept for three hours. Here, have a cuppa,¡± the much taller maid said. ¡°Thank you.¡± The freshly brewed tea was exquisite. As expected of Tinade. ¡°Mmhhh... I feel no fatigue,¡± said Ciel after she stretched. ¡°Getting used to Level 4 perks, I see. I¡¯ll prepare the bath. Shall I bring you breakfast here?¡± The routine felt like sliding into a pair of comfortable slippers. Long unused, but snuggly fit. Ciel felt she had left that life behind when she joined the Silver Legion. With the taste of the tea still lingering on her tongue, she was ashamed of her vainness. ¡°I¡¯d like to invite Prince Croix and Boram to open breakfast together. We also need to strategize for the upcoming match. And then,¡± Ciel turned to the maid. ¡°I¡¯d like to receive your instructions, Tinade. Like old times.¡± ¡°Sharpening your blade for the strong ones?¡± ¡°Since I¡¯m in the tourney, I mustn''t show a pathetic display. And there¡¯s no shortage of worthy opponents.¡± After leaving the room, Ciel and Tinade were joined by Sir Eugene. Ciel didn''t know much about the knight who was appointed to be her guard by her parents. Apparently, he and Boram were friends. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Croix¡¯s room was empty. They were in the training space. There were many pocket dimensions in the hotel, freely available for the Grand Prix contestants and all 16 finalist groups had one. There were Croix and Boram, the prince¡¯s red dragon, and an older knight fiercely loyal to the prince, Alfred. ¡°Good morning, Miss Valentine. I meant to invite you for breakfast but I lost track of time. Forgive me,¡± Croix paused his training the second he saw her. Boram and Alfred also greeted her and her entourage politely. It pleased Ciel that Tinade and Eugene were not the type to look down on Boram despite his status. ¡°Please think nothing of it. Since we are all here, how about a light workout before breakfast?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be glad to,¡± Croix said. ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Boram bowed. Ciel looked at her teammates. Croix was 18 and possessed handsome and earnest facial features and wore his heart on his sleeve. He had dark hair and gray eyes, however, some of his hair had started to turn fire-red. It was nothing unusual. Colored hair was common among high Level Pathseeker. As for herself, she was content with the golden hair she was born with. The prince¡¯s interaction with his dragon was like a man and his dog; only the dog could breathe fire hot enough to melt rock, fly as regal as Crowned Albatross, and eat a whole cow with still more room in its stomach. As for Boram, Viers¡¯ disciple, the boy was 15 years old. He was usually expressionless and content to stay in the background but the boy was a beast in a fight, witnessed by her own eyes. At his age humans should only begin their Pathseeker journey, but he was already a Level 3 peak. Ciel heard a little about his unique circumstances but didn''t delve into the details. He had absolute faith in his master and seemingly had no problem with his slave status whatsoever. ¡°...Boram, why are your steps making dents on the floor?¡± Ciel asked. ¡°Gravity rings, Miss Ciel,¡± he showed he was wearing three of them. ¡°For training.¡± ¡°How old fashioned,¡± Tinade smiled in approval. ¡°I borrowed one and it flattened my insides,¡± Croix shook his head in defeat. ¡°Boram ate and slept with them on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s... brilliant.¡± It was insane but Ciel was too polite to say it. ¡°Tinade, Eugene, may we count on your help?¡± ¡°Alright little guy, show me what you got,¡± Tinade took an interest in Boram. ¡°It would be my honor to have a match with a legendary dragon knight,¡± Eugene said to Croix. ¡°I¡¯m not a knight, not yet. I¡¯d be glad to match skills with you, sir.¡± Ciel had a sparring bout with Alfred. Fighting different opponents would enrich their experiences. They exchanged opinions, tips, and advice. The cordiality extended through breakfast, to which Croix invited Elvina. The half-elf princess was doom and gloom. With the unforeseen wound suffered by ¡®Avel¡¯, the plan of rescuing her mother had been pushed back. Croix was doing all he could to calm her down. Avel was still in hospital; his injury was so severe that he couldn''t get out of bed. But it was a fake, a magic body double, which Ciel admitted was very well made. The man himself was already up and about last night. Astonishing recovery power. Ciel wondered if the prince and the disciple knew the truth. After a hearty breakfast, Ciel planned on returning to the private gym with the others but Tinade informed her she had a visitor. ¡°If it¡¯s my parents or their messenger, send them away,¡± Ciel said. ¡°No, miss, this person is from the Silver Legion.¡± Ciel was always pleased to meet her brothers and sisters in arms. Sometimes, it felt more at home than at the Valentine main mansion. Ciel gave her visitor a hug the second she saw her. ¡°Wendy!¡± ¡°Ooof, easy girl. Now, now. How are you, Ciel?¡± Wendy was an older sister figure for Ciel. They were in the same squad and faced numerous crises together. Wendy was there for her at the Battle of Valkut and many others since. Since Ciel was out from active duty to avoid her parents'' machinations, they haven''t seen each other for more than a year. ¡°Are the others here too?¡± Ciel hoped. ¡°No, just me. I will be joining them after this. But, since I saw your visage in the Grand Prix video cast, I have to come.¡± ¡°Heheh, thanks for coming.¡± ¡°So, what are you embroiled with this time? And what¡¯s this about the boyfriend I hear?¡± ¡°Ah, long story, Wen.¡± Ciel gladly shared her experience with Wendy. ¡°Still haven''t reconciled with mom and dad?¡± Wendy had a pitying look. ¡°Enough about them. How¡¯s the gang?¡± ¡°Putting out fires everywhere, meaning business as usual. You¡¯re the last of us who become Level 4. After today I¡¯ll be going to the Coalition to meet up with them. There¡¯s a situation there that made the higher-ups in a tizzy.¡± ¡°Yeah? Lay it on me.¡± ¡°Tanael has been sighted. That¡¯s right, the mastermind behind the Soul Surge Crisis three years ago was making grand appearances in his old haunt. In just one week he made an upheaval in Marakkus city, pacified the Temple of Screaming Beasts, and conquered the Ryron Tournament.¡± Each was a famous place that Ciel knew. Especially the Temple of Screaming Beasts. Souls of powerful monsters there have become a menace and an obvious choice for a Soul Pathseeker to further his craft. ¡°Ryron tournament. He entered that high-stakes underground event? Did he win?¡± Ciel asked. ¡°Well, not exactly. He infiltrated the tournament venue and stole the prizes but he was detected. He¡¯d then fought his way out, through the guards, gang bosses, cult spectators, even the contestants. Since he defeated almost a hundred people all at once including the tourney fighters, he might as well have won the whole thing.¡± ¡°Goddess be good...¡± Ciel massaged the bridge of her nose. ¡°Command will be tightening the net utilizing multiple squads. Ours is included in that number. Tanael¡¯s growth rate is concerning. Sure enough, he has become a Level 4.¡± ¡°Be careful.¡± Ciel knew how terrifying a Soul Pathseeker could become. In a secret battle during the Battle of Valkut, she was instantly defeated by Level 5 Soul Pathseeker. If the Divine Sword didn''t save her that day, she would already be at the Goddess¡¯ side. The Church and her friends didn''t know of this incident since she had sworn secrecy since this matter would reveal Viers¡¯ survival. They all thought Viers Isuel died that day. That same Viers was now attacking a Magisterium Tower, Ciel assumed. But still, against a Soul Pathseeker, another Soul Pathseeker was the best match. Against this Tanael fella, would Viers entertain the motion? He¡¯s a softie after all... Viers so readily leaped into a pit of danger to save Elvina¡¯s mother, a stranger that he¡¯d just met. Without asking for a boon or price, he volunteered for a daring rescue. Such an act of altruism further reinforced Ciel¡¯s belief that behind all of his fake smiles and swagger, Viers was a truly good person. Boram''s devotion towards his master was making more sense, as was Prince Croix¡¯s trust. He¡¯d also helped Alice and Jonah find happiness even though he only knew them for a short time. Also, Ciel didn''t forget she still owed him a life debt or two during their shared time in Valkut. Now, Ciel only wished her ¡®boyfriend¡¯ would return safe and sound. ¡°Ah, I know that smile,¡± Wendy said while grinning. Was she? Ciel didn''t realize. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about your boyfriend, right?¡± ¡°...You''re completely mistaken.¡± Ciel stirred her hot tea using a spoon. H-How did she know? ¡°Because you have that wistful, girl-in-love look. So this Avel guy, he¡¯s better than Paladin Orlando, hm?¡± ¡°I told you, we¡¯re just acting,¡± Ciel whispered. ¡°It isn''t real.¡± He was the number one bachelor of the Silver Legion. Ciel had... a period of closeness with the man, the youngest to enter the ranks of Paladin in living memory. Her parents wanted her to marry insistently, so she might as well take the initiative and find an agreeable partner. After two dinners and a luncheon, nothing further happened between them. There wasn''t a fight or anything; their relationship was as amicable as it should be. Both sides simply drifted away like two glaciers in an ocean. Dispatch missions that took them far away from each other didn''t help either. While Ciel was lost in thought, she was stirring her tea cup even faster, making the clicking sound of metal meeting porcelain. Wendy¡¯s smile got even wider. ¡°Liar. Oh, I am so very worried. You have only fallen for bad guys,¡± Wendy put the back of her hand to her forehead and leaned back slightly in a grandiose manner. ¡°Must be a curse.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a bad guy!¡± Ciel put the tea cup on the table with a little force. ¡°I-I mean, I''ve not fallen for him in the first place!¡± ¡°I bet he¡¯s surrounded by other bad people, plotting mischief and no good,¡± Wendy illustrated further. ¡°He¡¯s in the hospital!¡± *** Zetel Sultanate. Rupa Province. Viers was standing with his arms crossed on a sandy cliff, overlooking a one-hundred-meter-tall tower surrounded by mana smog and the industry complex sprawling at its feet. The cape of his enchanted battle garb swayed in the sandy and dry wind, for desert had claimed much of Zetel¡¯s territory. A black mask covered his face and he exuded a solemn aura. He was like a general strategizing a battlefield. Epic music that quickened the blood was playing in his head. ¡°Boss, they are here.¡± Jessica, also wearing a mask to hide her identity, informed her employer. From the sky, people riding birds of bones landed on Viers¡¯ back left. From the earth, people emerged from a pool of blood on Viers¡¯ back right. The Bone Ravens and the Blood Church. Two out of the seven devil god cults. Both sides had about twenty people and were led by two Level 4 Pathseekers! Each group had enough firepower and skill to decimate a mid-sized town with thousands of people! Hostility was thick. Both cults weren''t exactly chums. They were more enemies than friends. Not just anyone could bring them together. ¡°Welcome, ladies and gents,¡± Viers turned, carrying as much dramatization as Morpheus. ¡°Today, in this place, you are not enemies. At this moment, we are Chaos Undivided!¡± Viers¡¯ powerful Level 4 aura bathed them all. Some took a step back, some fought a migraine. The act firmly established where he belonged in the food chain. ¡°Let those who sit fat and content in their ivory tower rue this day!¡± Following Viers¡¯ finger, the cultists looked at the Magisterium Tower with the eyes of starving wolves. Chapter 442 - The Magisterium Raid The Magisterium is a Pathseeker-business mega company. Zetel was where they sprouted into being centuries ago. Now, they have no competition in the continent. They are so large that their influence and clout rivals or even supersedes the nation of Zetel itself. The company swallows the resources from nature in the manner of a Behemoth, not heeding the consequences. As long as there is profit to be made, what does it matter if the rivers dried up or the desert killed arable lands? The businessmen sold water and bought cheap real estate instead and their wallets rejoiced. Like fungi the Magisterium spreads, raising their towers to mine the resources and produce goods for sale at home and abroad. Each of these towers is a branch of the company. The Tower Master, those who distinguished themselves in the inner corporate gladiatorial pit of promotion, are given more or less free reign. As long as the demand from HQ is met and the profit flows to central, they turn a blind eye. Each tower needs a massive amount of workforce, from skilled craftsman to clumsy miner, from educated researcher to toilet cleaner. Therefore, ordinary folks looking to put food on the dinner table, sadly almost always meager, are drawn to these towers like goblins entering the gullet of a Titano Anaconda, never seeing the light of day again. Such is the contract these poor souls have to agree to for lack of better options. But not enough. Never enough. The Evil God of Business demands more sacrificial bodies before he vomits profit to his golden-robed worshipers at his altar of sweat and tears. That is why beastfolk from the southern border have been regularly raided for decades. Able-bodied men, women, and even children are taken so they can fuel their unceasing industry engine. If not for work, those with desirable traits will be sold to the highest bidder. The Magisterium discriminates not. Monsters, mystical beasts, demi-humans, or even pure-blooded humans can be chained with collars behind the very thin legalities of law. Slavery contributes greatly to the Zetel economy. Far above the other three great human nations. This results in their minus degrees relationship with the Estellian Church, whose agenda is to make the world a better place. Despite their efforts, progress moves forward at a glacial pace. Meanwhile, inhuman work labor, poor work conditions, environmental degradation, and many more, make the poor become poorer while the rich become richer beneath the uncaring shadow of the Magisterium Towers. Excerpt from the Atlas of Civilizations, written by Bartholomew the Grand Voyager. (Banned in the Zetel Sultanate by order of the Magisterium. All found copies by the authorities are burned.) *** Viers gathered two cults to conduct a raid. The first thing he did, after saying the greeting, was put the dissenters in their place. He wondered at the sanity of these small-time ¡®villains¡¯ at times. Their leaders, the Level 4s, with whom Viers negotiated directly and convinced to do the raid together, were on board. Of course, the benefits involved would be great. Instead, they were throwing a tantrum out of misplaced pride. ¡°If this is the measure of your subordinates, no wonder the Silver Legion keeps kicking your asses,¡± Viers said to the leaders of both sides. 20% of their subordinates were now on the ground, unconscious and frothing from the mouth. Viers barely did anything at all but some people needed to be mauled by the tiger before realizing the beast was no paper tiger. He showed them he could defeat them with just the strength of his will. ¡°We forced a draft of the roster in a hurry. This is the best we can gather in a few hours,¡± Izabella said. ¡°Excuses, Iz?¡± ¡°Sorry. But we¡¯ll do our part to impeccable completion. Count on that. If not, I¡¯ll offer my head on a silver platter.¡± Seeing their Vice-Vicar so demure towards the stranger, sowed confusion and fear among the still-conscious Blood Church cultists, including the other Level 4 that Izabella brought, Alan. ¡°Fufufu. The Vice-Vicar of the Blood Church is quite meek these days, it seems. As for us, we¡¯re just humble assassins. We get paid, we kill. As simple as that,¡± a woman from the Bone Ravens said. ¡°If anyone fails in their task, I¡¯ll make a hole in their head, so just chill, Boss,¡± the other Level 4 male from the Bone Ravens said lightly but his bloodlust was on the contrary. From the Blood Church, Vice-Vicar Izabella and Disassembler Alan. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it From the Bone Ravens, Lykin the Lighteater and Death Gun Bennec. These Level 4s led their respective groups. Izabella had been a member of the Arcanum Club since its creation and had a close tie with Viers so he invited her. She invited Alan and the lesser members in turn. Viers remembered Alan. He killed him once with a not-Rasengan and took out his soul. After Izabella¡¯s service and contribution, he gave the soul back, and she then procured a new body for her good friend, like Viers did to Farley and the others. Before he gave the soul to her, Viers wiped Alan¡¯s memory regarding Viers to prune the possibility of a revenge plot. On the Bone Ravens¡¯ side, Viers¡¯ ties with them were much thinner in comparison. Through a former grunt of the Ravens who had transferred to Viers Corp. because of better pay, Viers made contact with Bennec, the gun enthusiast. Viers conveyed his proposal and Bennec wanted to rope in another Level 4 for a job of this magnitude. That was how Lykin joined. While Avel and Bennec had met before when the other side tried to assassinate Croix, the gunner didn''t know Viers¡¯ alter ego. The same case for Lykin, who Viers met in Valkut, trying to assassinate Ciel. Viers¡¯ relationship with them was simple, employer and employees. On Viers¡¯ side of the tripartite, there was just himself and Jessica, a duo of Level 4. ¡°Now that there are no objections left on the matter of leadership, I¡¯ll give you your tasks,¡± Viers said. He sent the Blood Church members for information gathering, the layout of the compound, security measures, important personnel, seeking infiltration routes, and so on. Viers and the otters wouldn''t assault the tower yet, and the town beneath the tower provided ample opportunities for such things. Izabella came prepared, using the Blood Church¡¯s connections; she already had leads to key individuals or places to reveal such crucial information. Then it would be the assassins¡¯ turn to remove potential threats. They could ask nicely or use a knife to the back, Viers cared not as long as the defenders were removed from the board. Stealth was paramount. This was phase one. As it was currently morning, the cults had until around evening. When the time was ripe, phase two would begin. They would infiltrate the tower, disable the system defense, key infrastructures, and murder their way up. In the end, it all came down to which side got the bigger fist. Viers iterated that the main objective was to eliminate Tower Master Baharir. The steps taken before the confrontation were to weaken his fighting potential, to reduce his advantage of fighting in his home ground as close to zero as possible. ¡°We have our assignments, but what are you going to do, handsome?¡± Lykin, like a femme fatale she was, asked seductively. The weaker members of both cults were affected. Viers gave no reaction as if he was a plant. And he was wearing a mask. Was he supposed to be happy his mask got praised? He wasn''t that narcissistic. ¡°My role will be to disable the teleportation circle once we enter the tower,¡± Viers said. ¡°If reinforcements keep pouring in from other Magisterium branches, there will be no hope of victory for us. Make no mistake, the Tower Master and his henchmen, especially their elites, won''t be easy dogs to butcher, but butcher them we shall.¡± If you all can''t do it, I¡¯ll do it myself. Towers maintained a heavy military force to maintain order, discourage rebellion, find new mining sites in the Wildlands, and of course, repel enemy attacks. Each Tower Master worth their salt had amassed a formidable private army of their own. Next order of business, to hide their identities, the group would use masks and code names. The fact they were cults wouldn''t be missed by observers with half a brain but it didn''t mean each individual had to be identified. There were some who welcomed the notoriety and didn''t bother with disguise but that was their choice. Viers¡¯ chosen name was Ghost. He had an alt account for occasions like this but it was unavailable at the moment. During Round 1 of the Grand Prix, while he was participating as Avel, seen by millions, he sent his body double to ¡®play¡¯ at the Free People Coalition. This would further reinforce his alibi and impression that Tanael was a different entity. And the loot was quite nice. Before this raid, Viers and Ars¨¨ne rejoined as one. ¡°That is all. If there are no questions, ladies and gents, begin the operation. Our time is short. Leaders, stay. We have further discussions.¡± The rank-and-file cultists went to town under the tower. Viers then spoke with all the Level 4s, Jessica included, about more details that he obtained from soul searching Elvina¡¯s oppressor. The focus was their would-be opponents, the Level 4s under the Tower Master, the Executives. *** When night fell, the town was burning. No plan survives first contact with the enemy. His earlier plan? He was looking at the pyre. Pillars of smoke coiled on the bodies of the regal tower like dancing snakes. Under the light cast by the fires, Viers walked on the main road. His surroundings were a mess, people on his side were fighting people on the tower¡¯s side. Civilians caught in the Arte crossfire chaotically ran away from the burning buildings. Adding a touch of flourish to this hellish painting, there were demons out and about, summoned by his reliable allies. The villain wasn''t upset. He just rolled with it. Viers stopped his stroll at an appropriate distance from the tower. He conjured a huge sword, almost as tall as his body. With the destructive implement on his back, he raised his head up. Recreating the iconic cover art of FFVII. Just like Cloud, he would perform righteous terrorism on this world¡¯s Shinra Electric Power Company! ...Fucking glorious! Chapter 443 ¡°I heard there has been an attack?¡± An authoritative man entered the command room with dozens of magical screens. Seeing him, the lesser men stood with their backs straight at attention and gave a salute. ¡° Affirmative, sir!¡± ¡°If this big ass tower had windows, you''d only need to look outside,¡± said another to the man with a casual tone. ¡°Hard to miss the flying demons and imps. Ah, and the fires. Hic.¡± ¡°And in response to this, you have done nothing, Malm?¡± The man frowned. ¡°Dealing with this is not in my job description,¡± Malm chuckled and raised his glass. The man stepped forward with his Victa on the rise. The rank and file in the room knew that the time for polite conversations was over and tried to move out of the way as subtly as possible. ¡°Galenn, stop,¡± said the third person who had the same authority as Valev and Malm in the command room. ¡°You have more to add, Bissa?¡± ¡°Yulia is already containing them as we speak,¡± the woman called Bissa said. ¡°The crazy demon worshipers will break like eggs against hard rocks.¡± ¡°Hmph...¡± Galenn¡¯s agitation went down significantly. ¡°Has the Tower Master been informed?¡± ¡°The caretaker dog has tried,¡± Malm chuckled as he sipped his alcohol and went on speaking with booze trickling down his lips. ¡°Poor fella.¡± ¡°Tower Master Baharir is in an important meeting with other Tower Masters in his office. He forbade any interruptions,¡± Bissa¡¯s words were sharp and concise, like her appearance. Galenn imagined the old beastfolk would be struck resulting in a few broken bones for the interruption. However, if something of this degree was not reported, the Tower Master would blame the caretaker for dereliction of duty and hit him with something worse, just like before. Galenn didn''t envy the beastfolk but cared too little to pity him. ¡°Where¡¯s the rest of the Executives? Shamir and Reseh?¡± ¡°Reseh is at the lab with his favorite test subject. He said he¡¯s close to a breakthrough. You know how important it is for him and the Tower Master. As for Shamir, who knows? That guy comes and goes as he pleases,¡± Bissa replied. ¡°Find him, then we will meet the invaders together. Damage to the factory town means the production will go down. Yulia can prevent them from entering the tower, but she can''t beat the cultist back on her own, not with these many foreign Level 4 signals.¡± ¡°Not fair, why does Reseh get a pass?¡± Malm blerghed. ¡°Because the doctor is doing something important, you useless drunkard!¡± Galenn¡¯s patience became dangerously thin. ¡°Now move it!¡± Suddenly, piercing alarms sounded in the command room. ¡°What happened?¡± Galenn demanded to know. ¡°Sir...¡± The operator looked shaken and horrified. ¡°Executive Yulia¡¯s life sign... has stopped.¡± Executive Galenn and Bissa couldn''t believe what they were hearing. Even Executive Malm, who was usually nonchalant, spilled his drink from the shock. *** A few minutes ago. ¡°...We are not breaking through.¡± Jessica, or rather Dolphin as the cultists knew her, was watching as the Level 3s and dozens of demons summoned from Hell in the same rank charged at the Tower¡¯s entrance. Viers¡¯ plan went up in smoke, quite literally in fact but the operation must go on. While Jessica carried apprehension toward these cultists, they were a necessity. After hearing Viers'' reasoning for the assault, to save Elvina¡¯s mother who became a test subject at the hands of the uncaring money-chasers of the Magisterium, Jessica couldn''t refuse. Even though stealth was no longer an option, the cultists summoned demons and overwhelmed the town¡¯s security personnel with superior force. She had to punch a few to prevent civilian casualties, not the most disciplined these demons were. But their path to the tower was blocked by a harmless-looking Level 4 woman. She merely stood there, seemingly helpless. But when the hellhounds and efreeti charged in, they were shivering in place, unable to even dirty her robe. Long-ranged attacks fared no better. The magical ones faded from existence once they got close enough, while physical ones like arrows or javelins were blocked by some invisible force. Jessica wasn''t surprised. Rather, this was the obvious outcome. When Level 4 used their Imaginary domain, the weaker ones had no choice but to submit to the overwritten rules of reality. ¡°The Peaceful Yulia... I suppose her fame is not some empty rumor.¡± ¡°I can handle it.¡± ¡°Wait, let me at her. My gun is itching for a gunning.¡± ¡°...Dolphin hon, where¡¯s your master?¡± Mist and Witch from the Blood Church, Crackshot and Claw from the Bone Ravens spoke in succession. Against Level 4¡¯s Domain, another Domain was necessary. Which was the reason Jessica was here, to give a counterbalance to people like Yulia. Jessica was studying Yulia¡¯s Domain when Lykin called. As a new Level 4, the opportunity to see another¡¯s Domain in action was valuable. Normally, Imaginary Domain would create a black sphere at activation. From the outside, one couldn''t see the inside of the Domain. Those in the inside would be subject to a visual treat of whatever the nature of said Domain. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Yulia¡¯s Domain was not like that. There was no clear boundary, simply the closer one got to her person, the stronger the effect. Jessica supposed the Domain was something that forbade conflict or attacking. According to the one called Witch, Yulia''s remarkable ability earned her prestige far and wide. Her fame was backed by real deeds. Her most famous one was stopping a war between two forces by making a camp in the middle of the battlefield. After two weeks of standoff, both sides retreated. Later, people gave her the moniker ¡®peaceful¡¯. Against a figure such as that, Jessica couldn''t help but feel inferior. ¡°Ghost is-¡± Jessica¡¯s words died at the throat, for Viers was steadily walking towards Yulia. He wore a black mask and black attire. While her dolphin mask covered the upper part of her face, Viers¡¯ mask inversely covered the bottom half. ¡°Invader, no more blood needs to be spilled. Take your demons and turn back.¡± ¡®Peaceful¡¯ Yulia warned Viers. The Magisterium¡¯s employees who congregated behind her cheered and roared. To them, Yulia¡¯s Imaginary Domain was like an absolute barrier that the enemy couldn''t violate. They were safe behind the mighty bulwark. Then Viers came along, walking like he owned the place. He no longer wielded the massive sword that Jessica had seen him use earlier. Apparently, the reason he was late was because he was posing for a ¡®photo op¡¯. Jessica was warned by Paina, Farley, and Clarissa of Viers¡¯ antics so she wasn''t too surprised. Instead, he had a much thinner sword tucked into the side of his belt with a blue sheath and white grips. Slowly, he pulled the sword out, showing the cold shining gleam of the blade for the world to see. Jessica recognized that it was the sword that the new girl, Sakuya, gifted to Viers a few days earlier. Naturally, Viers¡¯ actions drew the attention of the Level 4s on his side. Jessica was also curious. Since he became a Level 4, how strong Viers had become? She knew he had been hiding his abilities, but the question was, how much? ¡°A Level 4 this time?¡± Yulia spoke softly. ¡°You wouldn''t be the first to pit their Domain against mine. I suggest you stop wasting your effort, good sir. I do not wish to humiliate you in front of your allies and enemies.¡± Yulia¡¯s warning seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, for Viers made a stance. Then, the air changed. There was a thunderclap that shook the core of their being. Then the sky and earth seemed to have lost all color, becoming black and white. It became hard to breathe and legs seemed to turn to jelly. It was like there was a cavity in her chest where her heart was supposed to be. Jessica¡¯s fellow raiders showed the same shock, but no one was more surprised than Yulia, the main target of Viers¡¯ technique. The bunch of people behind were absolutely crushed by terror, lacking the mental fortitude or Level 4 cultivation base to resist. He moved like a ghost, as if he glided through the air. He arrived in front of Yulia in no time at all. His cut struck deep and true. The spray of Yulia¡¯s blood was not red in Jessica¡¯s eyes because of the monochrome filter that somehow had shrouded the world but there was no mistaking it. ¡°Mon...ster...¡± Yulia, bisected in two diagonally through the torso, let out her last words as both halves of her body fell to the ground. ¡°No, it¡¯s Ghost.¡± Viers sheathed his sword, which wasn''t stained by a single drop of blood, in one fluid motion. It was so expertly done that those who saw it recognized the mark of a master of the sword. When the click sound of the sword returned fully to its sheath, the black and white imagery returned to normal and the world seemed to be able to breathe again. Or was it she who stopped breathing? Jessica didn''t know. One breath, two breaths, three breaths. The people behind Yulia, seeing the defeat and death of their protector, clamor like chickens with their tails on fire. They panicked and ran to the final bastion of safety, the Tower¡¯s entrance behind them. Some of them, at least. There were people that had lost consciousness, too terrified to move, given up all hope to escape, or straight up died from the shock. At the same time, their own side was emboldened by the display of heroism from their raid leader. The lower members of cultists and demons poured into the Tower like water from a burst dam. Jessica and the others went to Viers¡¯ side. ¡°...Good sword,¡± Jessica heard Viers muttered. If she remembered correctly, the sword had a foreign name, Umikirimaru. ¡°What was that, Ghost? Is that your Domain?¡± Witch asked. ¡°No, that was no Domain,¡± Claw refuted her Blood Church counterpart. ¡°It is an Arte, but I don''t know what Path. Was it Death? Space seems more likely. It can''t be Darkness, can it?¡± Jessica wondered about it too. She knew Viers had two affinities, one was Water, but the other was quite a mystery. She had seen him using Lightning while he was using the other identity but apparently, that was false according to Farley. She wouldn''t say because it wasn''t her secret to give. Jessica had her suspicion but she couldn''t be sure. At any rate, Jessica agreed with Claw. It seemed like an Imaginary Domain but it wasn''t. As a Domain holder herself, she wouldn''t mistake the feeling of a Domain. It was some sort of skill. More terrifyingly, that meant Viers defeated a fully functioning Level 4¡¯s Imaginary Domain without using his own Domain! What Jessica felt couldn''t be described in words. ¡°You all forget an important factor,¡± said Crackshot. ¡°Ghost here is a Level 4 low, unless my senses are grossly mistaken. Yulia is at least a Level 4 mid. With only one strike, Ghost cut through her Domain, defenses, protection items and whatever else. One hit.¡± A second round of silence occurred. Jessica thought, could she do the same? If she caught a Level 4 low off guard with her most powerful attack, then yes, she could envision that. But Level 4 mid, through their Imaginary Domain? No, she couldn¡¯t. Her fellow Level 4 looked at Viers like he was some kind of otherworldly being. Perhaps Yulia was right, Viers was more monstrous than the beast monsters out there. How serious was he? Was it even his most powerful attack? The more she thought about it, the more questions she had. ¡°My fellow raiders, I know you all have many questions, but you can''t expect me to reveal my secrets to you, can''t you?¡± Viers chuckled. ¡°Eeeh, why not? Please...?¡± Claw gave him the puppy eyes. It had no effect whatsoever. ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood so I¡¯ll tell you the name of the Arte just now. An Arte of my creation, Ghost Hazard.¡± ¡°Ghost Hazard Arte...¡± Jessica voiced the name once again. ¡°Now come. The gate is open and time is ticking. The other Executives await!¡± - - Chapter 443 - The Legend of the Ghost - - Reminder of codenames: Viers - Ghost Jessica - Dolphin Izabella - Witch Alan - Mist Lykin - Claw Bennec - Crackshot Should be pretty on the nose with the aliases but here they are. Oh, and their masks resemble the style of their codenames. PS: The Arte¡¯s inspiration came from a samurai assassin game that is most definitely NOT Assassin''s Creed Shadows. Chapter 444 - Haunting In the command room, there was silence. The screens had gone dark but the spectacle of seeing the death of the Executive Peaceful Yulia was shocking, to say the least, for the staff and other Executives alike. ¡°...Fucking Hell. Hells and Damnations, man! Do we have a Level 5 cultist battering our gate? I''m out of here!¡± ¡°Compose yourself, you idiot,¡± Bissa said to Malm. ¡°He¡¯s not a Level 5. The reading on him is Level 4.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good at all! If he can slaughter Level 4 as Level 4, how strong will he be once he¡¯s a Level 5!?¡± Malm was panicking. ¡°You¡¯re not making any sense! Act your age for once!¡± Galenn imposed order. ¡°He must be using some kind of trick. If not, that technique has limited usage. Yulia just had bad luck.¡± ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± Malm drank liquor from the bottle voraciously. ¡°Sir, the cultists have entered the Tower. They are spreading everywhere,¡± interrupted one staff member. ¡°Why aren''t we in lockdown!?¡± Galenn shouted. ¡°Hiii!¡± The operator winched in fear. ¡°W-we are, sir, but the cultists, t-they could open our doors. They must have gotten our code keys somehow.¡± ¡°Odd. This tower''s security should be much more modern compared to other places in the Sultanate, even the other Towers. How could the cultists respond so fast?¡± Bissa traded looks with Galenn. ¡°It doesn''t matter. Bring up the map of the ground floor!¡± On Galenn¡¯s order, the main screen showed the layout of the Tower''s ground floor, with red dots signifying enemy forces and green dots for allies. On either side smaller screens showed security camera feeds with magical vision. ¡°What¡¯s the enemy number?¡± ¡°Level 4, six signals. Level 3, twenty-three human signals and sixty-four demons, but still increasing. Level 2s are double that number.¡± Galenn looked grim. The enemy forces were greater than expected. There were about three hundred guards, just fifty of them Level 3s in the Tower. If the researchers, engineers, and other non-combat Pathseekers staff were included then there would be three hundred more, but these couldn''t be counted on. While the Tower had more security measures than guards and should be able to contain the Level 3 cultists and demons, there were still the six Level 4s. Galenn must organized the defense to minimize damage to the Tower as much as possible, to protect the important assets and locations. The temporarily unavailable Tower Master would have his hide if things deteriorated much more than this. ¡°Mobilize the Thunderhand division, full armaments.¡± ¡°The Tower Master hasn''t given permission,¡± Bissa reminded. ¡°This isn''t the time for that. Do it. Tell Commander Sham to concentrate the defense at area A3. Get reinforcement from the south base. Start powering up the golem sq-¡± Galenn saw the red dots on the map spreading to other floors. Some went above, some below. ¡°They are using the elevators!?¡± Galenn demanded an answer from the surveillance staff. ¡°The elevators are locked, sir! They are using the shafts! They opened the blast doors by brute force!¡± Said the man without stuttering despite his nervousness. Galenn growled in frustration as his budding defensive plan went up in smoke. He analyzed the movement of the invaders, especially the Level 4s. He spotted a weakness. ¡°They are separating.¡± ¡°...They are aiming for different objectives,¡± Bissa said. ¡°The armory level, the archives, the bio-labs, and the main power level,¡± Galenn guessed from the movements. ¡°Bissa, Malm, separate and destroy the invaders at those locations. Leave the lab to the doctor. ¡°Fine, but I won''t be the one facing the one that can one-hit Yulia,¡± said Malm. Galenn could see Bissa¡¯s similar reluctance. ¡°Operator, why are there no eyes on that guy?¡± Galenn asked. All the other Level 4 cultists had a live feed on the monitor. ¡°Report from the surveillance room, my lord, the Level 4 with the half mask is able to sever our scryers¡¯ surveillance. Three people have lost their eyesight. He cut them from the other side of their link, sir. He also seems familiar with our security cameras, destroying them as he goes.¡± ¡°But where is he going...¡± Unlike the other Level 4, this one didn''t go straight to a particular location, even circling around. ¡°Lord Galenn, report from the south base.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Reinforcements are here? Good. Send them to defend the power floor at once.¡± ¡°Err, no sir. They are saying they aren''t able to connect to our teleporter.¡± Galenn cracked the command table with his fists after coming to a realization. ¡°So that¡¯s his aim. We¡¯ve been played.¡± ¡°One more report from the surveillance room.¡± ¡°What now?¡± Galenn unfastened his sweaty collar. ¡°The black mask Level 4, sir... even his Victa signal is now lost to us. We can''t pinpoint where he is.¡± *** Viers was doing what he did best, lurking around in the background, plotting, and being up to no good while no one was watching. Just as he intended, his Ghost Hazard Arte had intimidated his enemies. It was clear by the lack of opponents barring his path. The Arte that he created using the Rank 5 Soulterror Banshee core that he got from Ciel. In essence, this Arte frightened the enemy so much that it disturbed every active defense they had, thus making any subsequent attack lethal. As Yulia could attest, the Arte could even break through an Imaginary Domain. Using his soul method to intimidate enemies was nothing new to Viers. It started in the Book World, resulting in the Haki-inspired Spirit Supremacy Arte. The Ghost Hazard Arte was smaller in scope but far more focused. On the other hand, Spirit Supremacy Arte had more range so it was more suitable against huge numbers and weaker enemies. Then there was his Horizon, which grew ever-upwards. Horizon: x891%! His every Arte was almost 9 times stronger at the default state and cost! With his Horizon, those two Artes really cut down the list of people who could stand up to him. Thus he was able to walk around in enemy territory like he was a fearsome boss that the employees avoided. Sure enough, the offices before him looked deserted. Viers couldn''t help but smirk under his mask. It was as if the tower was being haunted by a being that came out of a While the likes of Jessica, Ciel, and Croix thought the reason Viers launched an attack on a Magisterium branch was because his kind heart was moved by Elvina''s tale of woe and her mother¡¯s fate. Those who knew his true nature would beg to differ. The truth was, he was just looking for an excuse. The Rupa branch of the Magisterium had been in his sights for a while. With his intelligence network, built by countless soul searches, Viers found leads that the firearms in circulation had originated from two places, Magisterium HQ and the Rupa branch. Since the HQ was a bit beyond his ability for the moment, he targeted the branch. Viers meant to answer the mystery of the firearms. He feared an otherworlder had progressed his kingdom-building thing. If he left it for too long, then technology would snowball out of control. What would he do if nuclear weapons started to fly around a few decades from now and one landed on top of his head? He either had to control it or, failing that, prune that timeline early. What was that? What if the other guy was just the sweetest guy who just wanted to live in peace after the most pitiable life on Earth? Viers did not care. This world was his sandbox, other players weren''t welcome. Viers would ¡®disconnect¡¯ those who wanted to enter his territory. It didn''t matter if he wasn''t the first otherworlder; the problem solved itself once he kicked the other guy out. Two tigers cannot live on the same mountain, a Chinese proverb. Viers wanted the apex position for him and him alone. He had no intention of sharing, for he was a big bad villain to the bone. Perhaps cooperation was better but Viers was always a single-player sort of guy. He was old-fashioned that way. He wasn''t going to sing ¡®welcooome to my world¡¯ to them. What Viers feared most was the appearance of an otherworlder with a cheat so godly he couldn''t match. Time stop, instant death, power absorber, and many more. The Japanese manga corner was littered with this kind of MCs. He would eliminate them while he still could. Perhaps in the far future, once he had already become an accomplished Pathseeker with an unshakeable foundation, he could tolerate other players. It would be in small doses only. But as things stood, HK Protocol for otherworlders was in effect. Viers suddenly had a thought. Come to think of it, have I read Fables where an isekai guy actively kills other isekai guys to prevent a power struggle? Hm... there¡¯s the Fated Villain and not much else. Pity. Most isekai guys are goody-two-shoes. Besides animalistic territorial and survival instincts, Viers also had a proper reason to attack the Magisterium branch. They got loot and gold, Viers wanted loot and gold. As a baby bird Level 4, he required a massive amount of resources if he wanted to grow up big and strong. So what if he swallowed towers and cities? He had done it before, he would do it again. If he saved Elvina¡¯s mother on the side and gained a ton of goodwill from Croix, Elvina, and Ciel, Latias Kingdom¡¯s bigwig nobles, more doors would be open for him in the future. He hadn''t even called in all the karmic debt from Croix and Ciel yet, now he would get even more. It¡¯s the classic killing many birds with one Arte situation. With Immortal realm cultivators already roaming on this side of the world, Viers¡¯ drive to grow as strong as them so he wouldn''t be stepped on, soared. He might be able to hide from their senses temporarily but it wouldn''t solve the underlying problem. He had to be able to deter them with might, else there would be no future where he could rest easy at night. Naturally, Viers would not say any of his thoughts to anyone. If anyone asked, he would say he acted because he was an ally of justice, with righteousness pouring out from his pores! He already researched the truth-determining relic the special member of the Church had. It wasn''t absolute. Once a Pathseeker got strong enough, not even the greatest relic in the Church position could sense his lies. Truly, strength was always the answer in a power fantasy world such as this. How marvelous. For a more mundane reason, Viers also wanted to test his strength. On his Level 4 debut day, with home ground advantage and full war regalia equipped, he already made a Level 5 retreat yet his true measure was yet to be tested to the limits. It was clear that after his Ascension to Level 4, the three years of sacrifice and all his cheats, a normal Level 4 mid couldn''t even stand up to one of his Arte. The next test subject would the Tower Master, who should be a Level 4 peak. If by chance the Tower Master turned out to be a Level 5 in disguise, Viers would bail without reservation, taking Jessica and Iz if he could. He had no intention to tussle with centuries-old Level 5s. He didn''t need to prove anything. If they dared, they should face him once he became a Level 5 too. How dare they bully a man many times their junior? With his task of disabling the Tower¡¯s teleportation capability complete, he prevented reinforcements. Viers then moved to the next objective. With Yulia¡¯s memories, even more secrets of the Tower were laid bare for Viers. And where are the other Executives? Come out, come out and plaaay~