《Comeback Fantasy - Mission: Humanity must Die》


 Prologue

    "You deserved it.",  "Justice is not served, not until you truly die."


    As I awoke, shaken and disoriented, reality began to set in; I was no longer in my cell. Taking a moment to survey my surroundings in spite of the yelling mob, my only focus was finding my mother, whom the law assured was permitted to attend my execution. Pushed ahead by the guard, I was alone, and yet my mother still remained out of sight. Overcome by panic and despair, I could only helplessly shout for her.


    "MA!!!!!!!", "MAMA!!!!!", no one answers my calling.


    I search desperately for my mother, calling out her name, but the anxiety that is rising within me makes me doubt that she is here. With all my strength, I convince myself that she is nearby, hidden somewhere in the crowd. I need to stay hopeful that I will find her, all I need is...


    "SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!!!"


    I pathetically attempted to silence them, hoping to create a peaceful environment in which I could hear my mother''s voice. Unfortunately, the guards seemed unconcerned and one of them even shoved me, and said


    "Move"


    "Sir! Where is my mother? Isn''t my mother supposed to be here? Giving me last words of her?"


    "Move"


    "Sir! I cannot have peace of mind without talking to my mother! That is my right."


    The guards grab both of my hands and drag me again.


    "SIR! THAT IS MY RIGHT! IT WAS STATED IN THE LAW!" I am frantically shouting at this point!


    "LET ME HAVE MY PEACE BEFORE PARTING! SIR, YOUR HONOR! ANYONE!"


    In response to my resistance, all they gave me was a strong punch in the stomach that left me wanting to vomit.


    Finally, I have arrived at my pod, and I can feel tears and sobs running down my face. The facilitator of the cryogenic-sleeping procedure speaks to the onlookers in a powerful voice.


    "Silence!"


    Then he asks me in a loud voice


    "Any last words?"


    I didn''t bother to look at him; I am just staring at the angry crowd, ignoring their opinions or anything. I am just looking for my mother and all I can say is.


    "I WANT TO SEE MY MOTHER ONCE MORE!"


    I am sorry and regretful for not apologizing to her when I had the chance and I am overcome with emotion. Suddenly, a sharp pain pierced my neck, my body started to weaken, and my consciousness faded, leaving me hovering somewhere between life and death.


    I cannot feel my body, I cannot feel my tongue, actually I cannot feel anything.


    The clarity of my thoughts is diminishing as my consciousness is slipping away.


    A sudden shaft of light pierced my eyelids - it was like a floodlight beaming directly onto my face. I felt my body so heavy and the weight of my limbs so strong, I lacked the energy to move. Nevertheless, I feebly moved my left arm in an attempt to block out the blinding rays. I heaved and growled in annoyance, sending out a subtle yet clear message to whoever was shining the piercing light in my direction. Suddenly, the floodlight was extinguished, and an unfamiliar radio voice floated through the air. There was clearly someone who had purposely disturbed me in this way - I had never been so irritated at being woken up.


    "Good morning, sir! Please remain in the pod while the system evaluates your vital stats. Keep your eyes closed to give your senses time to adjust."


    As I followed the radio voice, I kept my eyes closed and listened to the computer and static sounds all around me. I took a moment to recollect my thoughts, and the first thing that came to my mind was.


    "RRRRggggggHHHHHrrggghhh!!"


    For some reason, I see my house in my mind and feel the weariness in my body that reminds me of how exhausted I was that day. Not only did the work, along with the terrible traffic during my commute, drain me, but my boss''s tendency to shame me in front of my subordinates when I chose to make the construction workers work safely further tired me out. I''m always conscious of my environment, yet I still cannot escape the aftermath of my regrettable decisions.


    "RRRRggggggHHHHHrrggghhh!!"


    "Please keep calm Sir".


    "AAAAARRRRgggggg.... AAAAHHHHHrrggghhh!!"


    My jaw and mouth may be numb, but I''m determined to shout out loud and drown out the numbness to distract my mind!


    I no longer wish to heed the directives of the radio, as my memories flood back in a disorienting manner.


    "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!.........."


    Despite my body''s refusal to heed my pleas, I continue to shout and strive to rise.


    "Please keep calm Sir...Please keep calm Sir... Please keep calm Sir... Please keep calm Sir".


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    The incessant repetition by the computer is antagonizing, yet it appears unable to recognize my obvious distress signaled by my actions.


    "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!.........."


    I am attempting to shout at the highest volume possible, as it is the only way to get the computer to register my response.


    I can distinctly hear the computer whirring, the static noise, and the robotic movements, but my mind continually replays the image of those people on my face.


    "I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WIIIIIIIIILLLLLLLLLLLLLL KKKKKKKKIIIIIIILLLLLLLL YYYOOOOUUUUUU ALLLLLLLL!"


    The wave of emotion that washed over me in that cursed moment now courses through my veins; I am acutely aware that I am hallucinating, yet the compulsion to murder the people in my head is coming over me in a physical form!


    "Successor code 29, all vital physical stats are stable, Mentality state unstable"


    "Sending the report and notification to the caretaker..... On progress"


    As I stumbled out of my pod and collapsed onto the floor, my lungs gasped for air as if I were drowning. After taking a moment to steady myself and catch my breath, I slowly rose to my feet. As my vision cleared, I noticed that tree roots had grown through the ceiling, filling the room with the scent of the forest.


    The facility''s modern interior design clashed with the wild roots breaking through the concrete, leaving me more intrigued by my surroundings than my own miserable existence. In the corner of the room, I spotted several ancient-looking jars, a microwave, and a Microhematocrit Centrifuge machine. Old, dusty scrolls were neatly arranged below wall-mounted bookshelves, suggesting that this laboratory was intended for archeologists. However, I couldn''t fathom why an archeologist would need a cryogenic prisoner, or what the purpose of the roots breaking through the concrete could be?


    "Where am I?"


    My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I was both hungry and thirsty. It was then that I noticed a door I had missed before. I pushed it open, and found myself in a kitchen. The shelves were empty, except for a sack of unfamiliar fruits with a sweet fragrance. I took a bite of the first fruit, and the juice refreshed my parched throat. Its flavor was similar to a juicy banana, but its appearance was that of a round blue apple. Despite its oddness, I kept eating until my stomach stopped growling.


    As I reached for another piece of fruit, my hand brushed against a crumpled paper. My curiosity got the best of me, and I unfolded it to reveal a hidden message.


    "Go back to laboratory, there are scrolls underneath labelled with numbers, take the largest number, Read scroll and wait for me"


    I went back to the laboratory and follow the instructions on the paper, I got the scroll said in the paper and sit on the nearest chair adjacent to the broken concrete wall where I unrolled the scroll.


    As I was reading, I felt a sudden tap on my shoulder, and when I turned around, I saw a pair of small but strong hands belonging to a child.


    "Kid! You ready now?"


    As I turned my head to locate the source of the deep voice, a small hand caught my attention and my eyes widened in surprise at the sight before me. Standing in front of me was a bald man with dwarfism, carrying a rope on his shoulder. His muscular arms were visible through his sleeveless T-shirt, and a thick white beard covered his chest. He looked like a miniature version of Santa Claus on vacation.


    "I.... I .... I am not finished reading yet Sir!"


    I found it hard to believe what I was seeing, and tried to reassure myself that the man before me was just a person with dwarfism who happened to fit the stereotype of a fantasy dwarf.


    "Here!"


    He throws a leather bag on my face!


    "I know Humans are slow readers! Continue reading in my house! We need to go now!"


    After putting my belongings in the bag, I stood up and followed him. I quickly realized that he was walking much faster than I had anticipated, despite his small stature. In fact, I struggled to keep pace with him!


    As we went the other side of the kitchen, I noticed a short tunnel that was lit by torches. It led to a steam-punk-style elevator, which he quickly operated by turning a knob and pulling a lever. Within moments, we were lifted up to our destination.


    "Sir, May I ask where we are going!"


    "To my house! "


    "I mean to where specifically?"


    The dwarf gave a deep sigh! "Somewhere near the mines!"


    He appears to be irritated, so I decided to remain silent for the time being.


    "Kid! I want you to follow my instruction, as if it was lyric from your big book from your God!"


    "You mean as if your words are verses from the bible?"


    "Exactly!"


    "Why though?"


    "Because you dead if not!"


    I decided to withhold any judgment about the dwarf''s speech and instead focused on the task at hand. The journey had left me feeling drained, and I was relieved that we had finally arrived at our destination. As we ascended, I could hear the hiss of air escaping from the suspension system, followed by the mechanical clank of gears grinding to a halt. Once the elevator reached the top, the dwarf climbed up the wall to reach the torch and pulled the accordion door aside, revealing a small and pitch-black chamber. I extended my arms and was able to touch both walls, which were made of wood covered in rough bark. The dwarf handed me one end of a rope, while he tied the other end around his waist.


    "Tie rope to your waist!"


    "For?"


    I''ll try to mirror his way of speaking; perhaps he''ll be more responsive if I do.


    "Top!"


    He points his finger upward, and I''m relieved that he''s attempting to communicate more effectively. Following the direction of his finger, I spot a beam of bright light shining above us. It is evident that we must climb a five-story building to reach the summit.


    Oh, I understand now. So, we''ll be climbing up there. I think I might survive the trip because of the tightness of this hole, but I''m not so sure about my little companion.


    Not that I am bragging but..


    "Can you keep up with me?" I seriously ask with care.


    "Hahahahahahahahahaha! Can you?" He just laughed and returned the question to me, without wasting any more time, he climbed the wall, and I quickly finished tying my rope. Now, connected by a rope, I asked myself if it was enough - would this old dwarf be able to prevent me from falling? I felt slightly insulted.


    2 story building later


    later, I was done with this dwarf; this little man was a beast, no, a monster was a better description for him. I kept falling and swinging side to side, my body hitting wall to wall like a rag doll. He didn''t even flinch nor bother to look down on me, he just kept climbing without any care. Along the way, I managed to save myself whenever I fell.


    Finally, we reached the top and the dwarf smelled the fresh air, while I was on my hands and knees, taking in as much air as I could. My limbs felt like they were going to tear themselves apart from my body.


    "This is best part in fulfilling my promise."


    Forcing myself to check the surroundings, I dropped my jaw in awe at the beautiful sight that lay before me. We were perched atop the tallest tree I had ever seen, sitting atop a hill facing a magnificent medieval-looking city, complete with a polished white stoned castle, the other establishments likewise having silver-looking decorations. It was breathtaking.


    "Miii...Miiisstt.."


    "Persis!"


    "Sir?" I continue looking in the distance.


    "My Name is Persis! Young lad, welcome to Silver City of Luzon." He raised his hands to the sky in admiration of the dazzling Silver City.


    I am busy admiring the magnificent Silver City, reminiscing about all the things that have happened in my life.


    I cannot undo my action; I cannot reset myself, so the world resets itself for me.

 Chapter 1: The Fading of Us

    Persis and I proceeded to climb down from the giant tree, but as usual, my hand slipped from its grasp causing frequent falls along the way. Still, it was time for me to do the right thing and stop complaining. So, I doggedly continued with the task at hand.


    "There is no shortcut to the road of success; it must be travelled with dedication and hard work.."


    "Every person should overcome their pride and laziness and make things work."


    "Without labor, nothing prospers."


    "Believing in yourself and putting in hard work will always bring you success."


    These are the mantras I keep repeating as we climb down the giant tree.


    "Finally! A soil!" I happily landed my feet on the earth.


    I feel a sense of accomplishment coursing through my veins as I reminisce about the challenges I faced when climbing that immense tree.


    "Come here, boy! I need to tell you something important."


    I approached him in a very tired manner.


    "What is it, Persis?"


    "Lesson number one!"


    He steps back!


    "Watch!"


    I watch him closely.


    He knocks the bark of the giant tree.


    And a secret passage open.


    "Don''t climb to giant tree anymore!"


    "Yeah! Sure!" I smiled.


    The Dwarf Smiled.


    "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?" I shouted.


    "secret passage"


    "TO WHERE?" I shouted more


    "To where we came from"


    Now I am losing it!


    "WHAT IS THAT CLIMBING FOR?" I use my hands to literally emphasize my words!


    "For Humor" and that fucking dwarf laugh and walk away!


    "I ALMOST DIED THERE YOU PEACE OF SHIT! I CAN''T TAKE THAT AS HUMOR!"


    "Bwahahahaha! Can''t waste time! let''s go!"


    The dwarf asked me to accompany him to the witch of the mountain, saying that this was not the only occasion she had provided aid to people like me.


    "We dwarves have a strong sense of responsibility!" he proudly said to me.


    "You help me, I return favor"


    "That is how dwarves survive in this world!" For some reason, he loves talking to me right now!


    We walked to the mountain for almost a whole day! There came a time when I suggested that we set up camp because, based on my experience, climbing a mountain of this height requires 24 hours of continuous walking. For some reason, the dwarf heard my complaints but he said...


    "We can''t afford to build camp, dangerous animals come to us"


    "But why do we need to come to the witch?"


    "Witch is friend of your predecessors; she gave me medicine for you!"


    "Can''t we just buy medicine?"


    "If there are medicines, not be for humans"


    I nodded as I realized that humans, especially men, no longer walk on this earth.


    After 6 hours of walking and admiring the nature of this new world, we arrived at a humble hut surrounded by dense trees at the top of the mountain. The scenery was blessed with beauty and peace, with beams of light penetrating the branches of the trees, making the surroundings bright. The smell of moss refreshed my nose. A meter apart from the house was a large tree where water flowed out from a large hole in its trunk. Beneath it was a simple pond with no fish but water lilies with fat flowers sitting on top of it.


    "Oooohhhh! Persis, my friend, and you, young lad, come inside."


    A young Caucasian woman with her hair covered in white fabric and wearing a modest dress called to us.


    I was stunned by the beauty of the woman with the soothing voice; it felt like I was experiencing an apparition of the Virgin Mary.


    "OOOOOAAAAHHHH, hahahahahaha! My friend!"


    The fair lady embraced the dwarf with joy and insisted that we go inside her hut.


    "It has been 50 years since the last time I saw you."


    "It is been 50 years since I ate proper meal hahahaha!" the dwarf responded.


    The lady invites us to the table, which is already filled with plenty of good food. When I sit at the table, I quickly notice the sizzling sisig and fried chicken dipped in gravy near my plate. I look up at the lady, returning her hospitality with an ear-to-ear smile.


    "Eat, my child. I know you are very hungry. Our friend here is too lazy to prepare food in the place you emerged from."


    ""Well, lad! Be thankful to found sack of fruits in first place." The dwarf shrugs off the low-key reprimand from the lady.


    "Thank you, lady. With this food, and your beauty and kindness, I am beginning to see you as a goddess rather than a human."


    "I am certainly not a goddess, but I am not a human either."


    She unveils the fabric from her head, and I quickly notice the two long ears protruding out of her blonde hair. I know that fantasy exists in this world, but I still cannot stop dropping my jaw at the sight of a living elf in person. In my previous life, I prayed for a real elf girl to exist; now, here she is. I stand up and go beside her, immediately inspecting every inch of her, admiring her existence.


    "Come on Lad, are you more pervert than hungry?"


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    The dwarf pulls me back to my seat


    "No!!! Don''t pull me away from my childhood dream!"


    We finished eating, and the elf Lady introduces herself.


    "I am the Witch of the mountain,"


    she said, sitting beside me and holding my hand like a grandmother.


    "My poor child, I know what you are and what kind of sorrow and misery you will face. Believe me, I know."


    She ran her hand along my right arm, assessing my muscles, and pressed her thumb on my pulse.


    "Did you like the fried chicken and sisig I prepared for you?"


    "Yes, I did! I never imagined I could eat the food I used to enjoy after emerging from the pod."


    I am curious about her knowledge in making foods because the way the food was cooked was closely related to fast food, especially the sizzling sisig and the chicken.


    "C..Ca..Can you tell m.."


    "Hush.. I need to concentrate."


    I look to Persis sitting in the corner, asking what is happening, and he just makes a keep quiet hand gesture.


    One moment later...


    She takes a scroll and writes something.


    "My husband is the one who taught me to cook like that."


    What? Did she just read my mind?


    "I would like to meet your husband one day! He is a lucky man to have you."


    Damn!!! I wish I had met her in my previous life; it surely would have made me avoid being sentenced to cryogenic sleep.


    "He is dead now!"


    "Ow! I am sorry to hear that!"


    "Don''t be sorry, he died with a smile on his face," she said, her eyes getting teary.


    "He taught me everything, especially human anatomy and how to use herbal medicine. He is the brightest man I have ever known."


    "And the bravest soldier," Persis added solemnly.


    I am sad to hear what they told me about her husband. That person was really close to their hearts.


    But WAAAAIIIIITTTTT???? "The?" Did Persis use an article in the sentence? Is he saving articles for a serious moment?


    "He lived the fullest life. As of now, no humans live longer than him."


    "Human?"


    "Yes! Dr. Dhan Ryan Barbosa said he was medical commissioned officer when first meet him!"


    The dwarf climbs to the upper shelves to grab a bottle of some kind of clear-looking chemical.


    "And he always carries very strong tasty liquor with him just like this."


    He drinks the liquor.


    "Oh! My goodness sake, Persis, that''s not meant for drinking."


    The witch rebukes the dwarf and then turns her head towards me.


    "AAAhhhhh!! BBBrrrrrrrrrrrppppppppp"


    The dwarf burps, clearly satisfied from the drink.


    "Put the rubbing alcohol back where you got it from, dwarf!"


    "Don''t put everything in your mouth that the dwarf does, understand?"


    "Yeah!"


    I nodded in shock.


    "So tell me more about him! I want to know how he lives in this new world."


    The lady stands and goes to the dwarf to take the bottle away from him, then she sits back down and faces me again.


    "We need days to completely tell of his deeds and sacrifices, but I met him when I was still young, when I was only 140 years old."


    140 years old is young? I think I need to readjust my understanding of aging based on my previous life.


    "He rescued me from the grasp of my fellow elves. Back then, I was about to become a slave, but thanks to him, I am where I am now."


    "But let me tell you about the source of his bravery, rather than his story!"


    She drinks from the bottle she is holding.


    "He was a man on a mission. Throughout his life, he never failed to write down the things he learned in this book."


    The witch shows me her book.


    "Dr. Dhan help me to buy back my family, even if he has no power, he can trap and killed large golem, materials were used first to make weapons, but he discovered stones can speed up fermentation of any kind down to 24 hours, so instead of making weapons and sell them, we mass produce high quality liquors and ciders, in return, we build a new industry in the Silver City"


    "Right after we met the hut, we decided to settle and live the rest of our lives here."


    "Met the hut? Whatever! It would be too rude for me to interrupt her now, especially since she seems so emotional from drinking the RUBBING ALCOHOL!"


    "I love him so much! I miss him so much!" the elf sobs.


    "He risked his life to become strong. He said he needed to find a way to make human men competitive in this new era, even though I always said he was enough. He still pursued strength and power, conducting many kinds of experiments on himself. It pained me to see him suffer, but when he learned that I was carrying his daughter, he completely stopped."


    The witch elf is crying at this point.


    "Our daughter turned out to be fully human. We became a happy family and lived here. I went to the Silver City to buy necessities, but since medicines do not exist in this world, my daughter fell ill."


    "According to Dhan, she has pneumonia. Right after she died, Dhan was got infected. I watched two of my most beloved people die in my arms!"


    "Why not go to the Silver City and ask for help?" I asked out of naivety.


    "There are no doctors! And the last time a man walked into that city, they executed him for some reason. They would take my daughter to become their concubine regardless of her condition."


    That''s terrible to hear! Now I realize why Mr. Paray asked me about the continuation of science.


    "I miss him too, my friend, but for now we need to focus in fulfilling our promise to Dhan"


    "I would like you to have this!"


    And the elf handed me the book.


    "I cannot accept this, Ma''am, this is the memento of your late husband."


    "So are you, my child."


    I think I understand what she is talking about; maybe all human men remind her of her late husband, therefore I kept the book.


    "I need to assess you first, my child. Dhan invented a ritual to preserve the memories of the humans. You need this to avoid repeating the mistakes of your predecessors."


    The lady makes me stand against the wall with measurements engraved on it, writes something on the scroll, and then makes me stand on the weighing scale to record again on the scroll. She touches my forehead and then makes me open my mouth; every assessment is recorded on the scroll.


    "My child, you seem healthy, but I doubt about here."


    She touches my temple with her finger.


    "What do you mean?"


    Ignoring my question, she looks to the dwarf.


    "Persis! My friend, I am afraid the ritual will be intense." The elf said in a worried voice.


    "Well! If that is the case, I wake up another one!"


    "Hush! Persis, we are dealing with fragile life here!" she reprimanded the dwarf.


    For some reason, I felt they were talking about me like I was some fragile type of pet.


    She looks at me with concerned eyes.


    "Are you ready?"


    "Ready for what?"


    "Oh! I am sorry, I forgot you are a different human." the elf responded


    I am confused about what she said.


    "If that is for my survival, I suppose I should take it!"


    "You suppose?" the elf asked.


    "Oh! This would be messy!" the dwarf interrupted.


    "My husband tells me to avoid doing things in the human body without considering all the factors. However, in this situation, you cannot live without it, or you will die because of it."


    "Ma''am, whatever it is, I will try to face it!"


    "Fine, I will prepare the ritual."


    She makes me lie on the cleaned dinner table and takes a lily flower from the pond. She washes it thoroughly, while the dwarf brings a jar beside me. The elf woman gets a leather pouch from the cabinet with what seems like medical tools. First, she pours a red chemical from the jar onto the pouch, attaches a thin tube to it, and then hangs it like a dextrose. After that, she takes my blood with a syringe and makes me sip water from the pond. The dwarf orders me to bite a small piece of wood. The elf slowly pushes the needle into my arm. I lie there, looking at the ceiling, and my consciousness fades away.


    "Burn Him!!! Burn Him!! Burn Him!!!"


    I hear the crowd chanting!


    I open my eyes and am surprised by the crowd that covers the lands as I stand weakly in front of them! I cannot see all the people there, but I am sure that they are not humans, and the guards beside me are not humans either. I see a muscular, big green-skinned guy with tusks, an elf, young teenagers with butterfly or insect wings, and unidentified humanoids here and there. I feel not only fear but rage within me, then suddenly...


    "We protect our children, our women! We serve them and our people, and that is the truth!" a voice came from my mouth even though I didn''t meant to say it, it seems I do not have any control in myself.


    "No, you are not!"


    I look behind and see a guy with four white wings with a floating crown on his head and holding a scepter. He begins to float from the ground.


    "Our all-benevolent and powerful race that serves the almighty being will serve justice for your filthy actions. You enslaved your women and killed your children."


    He encircles me and accuses me of things that I will never do.


    "Your fellow brothers are no more! You cannot repopulate the earth with your evilness. In the name of justice, your kind will end today."


    "Nooooo!!!!" I shouted back.


    The two guards that stand on both of my sides which I just notice they have also a floating crown on their head, spread their wings and float onto the ground. They raise their scepters, which extend and convert into spears with solidified light as their blades.


    I try to unshackle the chains that bind me to the platform, but the guards point their spears at me and shoot me with beams of intense light.


    "AAAAAAaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!"


    I am burning! I feel the heat penetrating through my body. It hurts! I am in extreme pain! I cannot breathe! I look to the crowd and shout!


    "Heeeeeelllllllppppppp Meeeeeeee!!!!!!"


    But no one answers. I feel like my eyes are popping out of my head! And suddenly, I cannot see but I can still hear the chanting of the crowd.


    "Burn him! Burn him! Burn him!"


    Then suddenly, everything went black.


    I open my eyes and see myself fighting with my fellow brothers. I hold a rifle and shoot skywards.


    "Don''t be afraid, brothers! We need to hold our ground to give our brothers time. They need to finish their missions!"


    We take cover behind trees and rocks, shooting our rifles upwards. Suddenly, a man with wings holding a spear dives down and strikes the guy beside me!


    A guy far from me shouts.


    "Commander, the angels are diving down to our hideout!"


    "Holy shit!"


    "All of you, listen! Half of us should retreat and rescue our women and children. Our hideout is being attacked!"


    Another guy shout.


    "Commander, there are only two of us left!"


    "AAAAHHHHHH!!!"


    The guy who reported the attack on our hideout just got killed by an angel.


    I look back and see my brothers lying on the bloody ground with holes in their chests. I lose my composure, and a bunch of angels come down, pointing their spears towards me.


    I cry as I realize that we lost the battle.


    Everything went black, and then little by little, light touched everything, everyone¡ªevery person impaled by spears in the chest, people wearing soldiers'' uniforms. I saw a boy covered in blood, his dead eyes staring into nothingness. When I was his age, I was still in high school. Yes, I wasn''t enjoying my high school life, but I wasn''t like him, bloody and lifeless on the ground, wearing a soldier''s uniform instead of a school uniform. Not far from him was a very old man, his hair turning all white and almost bald, lifeless on the ground, blood from his amputated arms covering him. During my time, few old people enjoyed their hard-earned pension, and most were abandoned by their own families, yet still alive and not like this¡ªbloody and lifeless on the ground, surrounded by death. Instead of dying in old age while surrounded by loved ones, he was surrounded by dead people.


    And suddenly, I found myself standing in front of a closed door.


    "HHHMMMMMMMM!!! aaaaahhHHH! Faster! Faster!"


    No!!! No!!! I know this door! I know where I am!!!


    "Your so good, your so big!!!!!! HHHHMMMMM!!!"


    No!!! No!!! I can''t do this again! I don''t want to do this again!


    I feel the anxiety building up inside me!


    "Just shoot inside! I''m sure my husband can''t tell who the real father is - it''s you!!"


    "HHHMmmmm AAAAHHHHHH"


    "Nisha!" I muttered.


    I opened the door and saw a man on top of my wife.


    "Nisha!!!!!"


    "Is this the poor guy who can''t satisfy you? I see the reason now! Hahahaha!"


    "Oh! My baby, don''t mention to him about the money I got from him to escape from his miserable life."


    "Hahahahaha!"


    "Hahahahahaha!"


    Both of them laugh at me.


    My blood boils and my vision starts to blur.


    "Wake up! Wake up! you bastard!"


    A punch makes me regain my consciousness. I see Persis with blood flowing from his head and torn clothes. I cannot clearly see the surroundings because of the smoke rising from the ground.


    "What are you!!! What are you!! You are not human!" Persis is shouting.


    "What happened?" The dwarf is holding the collar of my shirt and shaking me violently.


    I was going to assess the surroundings, but the Witch of the Mountain holds my face.


    "Don''t look back!" Persis reprimanded me.


    The elf holds my head to prevent me from looking back.


    "Iros!" the elf said.


    "And?"


    "And this Child''s nightmare" the elf responded.


    "No other men?"


    "No!"


    The dwarf sighs. "Bloody hell! Ghost of Iros seems strong on boy."


    "What are you two talking about?" I interrupted.


    Seems like this Iros means bad news.


    With worries in her eyes, "The night is coming; you should go to the Silver City as soon as possible."


    The elf hands over a leather bag and two unlit torches to Persis. The torches seem to be made of bronze.


    The dwarf pulls me upright.


    "Come on boy we need to go now!" Persis help me to stand up.


    So we walk immediately away from the witch.


    I was going to look back at the witch to say my proper goodbye and gratitud


    e, but the dwarf reprimands me for doing that.


    "Witch knows your gratitude don''t look back"


    And then he walks faster while dragging me with him!


    "Wait! I didn''t get your name, child!" the elf shouted.


    "GODWIN!!!!" I answered.


    For some reason, I think the witch smiled.


    "Take care of the kid, Persis, in the name of Dr. Dhan."


    "IN THE NAME OF DHAN!" The dwarf raises his hand, holding the torches and the leather bag.

 Chapter 2: The Personification of Perfection?

    "Huff! Agghh!.. ahhhh! Hufff!"


    Our panting can be heard at night.


    We are running under the moonlight, the grass rustling with every step we take.


    "RRAAAOOOOOEEEIIIKKKKKK!!!!"


    A monstrous sound of abomination, comparable to a dying pig on a megaphone in the lowest octave, wakes the crickets on the grasses and trees.


    "FUUUUCCCCKKKKK!!!! PERSIS YOU NEED TO RUN FASTER!!"


    I am freaking out as a giant boar, the size of a hut, is chasing us.


    "TOP SPEED ALREADY!"


    "WHAT THE HEEEEEELLLLLLL!!"


    "RRAAAOOOOOEEEIIIKKKKKK!!!!"


    The monster boar is getting closer!


    "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"


    "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"


    we both screamed.


    What the hell just happened? A few hours ago, I was enjoying the food of my old world served by a beautiful elf, and now this creature, which looks like the cursed pig that was barbecued by Satan and somehow survived the cooking, is chasing us to be barbecued in our place.


    ?


    The sun is setting low, the air is getting colder, but as of now, I am wearing a thick red fur coat, and my head is covered with the same kind of coat too. My lower face is covered by a coconut husk with whiskers.


    "WWWOOOOOOSSSSHHH!!"


    The wind blows from our back, and I notice a lot of shadows passing above us. I look up and see angels flying fast in the direction of the Silver City, their beautiful wings leaving sparkling glitters on their trails.


    "WWWOOOOAAAAHHHHH!!!!"


    "Mesmerized?" Persis asked.


    "Definitely! I was amazed by the sight of the Silver City, but I will never get tired of looking at those flying angels." I answered.


    "Please Don''t get carried away!"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Don''t mind! We need to go!" he said with urgency.


    We walk for miles and miles. Persis, who was a talkative companion earlier, is very quiet right now. But when the darkness covers the surrounding, he demands complete silence.


    "This weird!" Persis muttered.


    "Why?" I asked.


    "By this time I should feel presence of some predators."


    "Predators?" From my back, I feel the cold air beginning to embrace me.


    "What kinds of animals are lurking here?" I asked with fear laced on my voice.


    "Oh! Just normal once! No malignant creatures!"


    Maybe Persis is talking about small venomous snakes or easily frightened herbivores like bulls.


    "So no bears, lions, or wolves?"


    "No Lions. Bears and wolves yes!" he responded.


    "Wolves? Oh! My! We should go back to the hut then!"


    "Don''t worry; wolves are afraid of dwarfs however bears are very mad at us for some reason." he answered with confidence and smirk on his face.


    "Well, at least bears are not as fast as wolves!"


    I am relieved that I am walking with wolf repellent at my side.


    "We are safe as long as..."


    The dwarf pauses for a moment, stooping down, and seems distracted by what he saw.


    "What is it?"


    "HoooYYYaahhh! Strong silver coin hahahaha! Lucky day! I mean lucky night" He proudly showed me the plain coin with no features on it.


    "I think the thing that you were going to say before is more important than one simple coin."


    "Kid! One silver coin can get me and my friends one whole night of drinks with pretty elves on our side, that''s more valuable than your cowardice, however!"


    "However?" I asked with eagerness to hear what he supposed to say earlier.


    "If we stumble with hell pig! We might toss this strong silver coin to Prophet of death to erase our name on his book."


    "Hell Pig? You''re not afraid of bears and wolves, but you''re afraid of a pig?"


    "Hell pig!!! The king of this mountain, only my friend witch and angels can shoo monster away!"


    "So what this hell..."


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    I almost tripped over some animal. I look down and I''m shocked by what I see.


    A white wolf is lying down, bleeding from multiple wounds on her body. The dwarf checks the wolf.


    "This animal still breathing"


    I stoop down to investigate the white wolf. Even though the poor animal might bite me, I still gently touch the wolf.


    The wolf looks at me. Animals may not speak, but they can surely convey a message either from their actions or just by looking into your eyes. I used to have several dogs before my father died, so I know and can completely understand my dogs, and so is this wolf. This canine seems to be conveying a message to me.


    "This poor beast has many lacerations. What kind of cruel predator would do this to their prey?"


    "Not predator, hunters!" Persis responded with stern look on his face.


    The wolf closed her eyes and took her last breath.


    "We need to bury this wolf!" I said.


    The dwarf sighs.


    "If you going to prevent others to eat this carcass you are just as crueler as one who hunts this wolf."


    I spent too much time in the city that I forgot animals are always part of the circle of life. Urban people always bury their pets, and we even offer prayers for them. Not that it''s bad, but Persis is right. In the jungle, your death might be a survival moment for other animals.


    We notice the blood trails left by the wolf. It is just along the road. The dwarf gives the spare torch to me.


    "If we encounter bandits or hunters, run away towards witch of mountain, you only need to smack the torch to any hard surface and torch will be lit."


    I examine the torch and am amazed by its conveniences. It seems to be made of metallic bronze, but it is much lighter than bronze. I think the dwarves would not waste time plating a torch with bronze. It has a dwarven-looking vibe to it.


    I try to smack the torch, but it doesn''t light up.


    "smack harder"


    I put a little extra force into smacking the torch.


    "You need to smack it as hard as you can!"


    "WHAT? You make a feature on this torch to be convenient, yet it needs my whole strength to light it up? Why not just attach some matches to it?" I exclaimed.


    "Why you weak? We dwarves just only need one hand and put little effort on it to light it up, for you kid you need both of your hands."


    I inhale and use both hands as if the torch is a pickaxe, then I hit the ground as strong as I can. It lights up; however, because of my weak grip, the torch flies away.


    "Why you so weak?" the dwarf mocks me


    The torch tumbles and rolls away from us. We need to run for it until it finally stops rolling and stumbling, giving shine to its surroundings.


    I see a wolf again in a distance, this time with black fur, bleeding, and silhouettes of two tall hooded men. One is holding a spear, and the other is kicking the wolf.


    I notice the wolf is biting into some big sealed canister made of bamboo. The wolf is looking at me; I can see the pain that he is enduring.


    The man who is kicking the black wolf asks for the spear and raises it to give a final blow to the poor beast.


    I am greatly troubled by what is going to happen. For some reason, I see myself in that wolf, bleeding on the ground, holding onto something and never letting go, just like how I hold onto our relationship even though my heart is broken by signs of my wife''s adultery.


    I am about to take a step forward, but my limbs are shaking. I feel like my body is being held down by chains. I am scared. Even though I have killed someone, I am not a delinquent or brave. That kind of violence was from rage and insanity. Deep inside, I am a coward.


    The wolf continues to look at me, as if asking for help. Don''t look at me, please. I cannot save you. I am a cowardly weak man. No! I cannot call myself a man! I am a cowardly weak guy! You seriously cannot ask me to protect you.


    However, I cannot look away. My neck and eyes seem petrified in place.


    The tall man is going to strike the final blow, and the wolf closes its eyes, anticipating his death.


    "STOOOPPPPPP!!!!" I shouted "uuggggghhhhhh!!!!"


    "GODWIN!!!" Persis follows.


    I am shocked at what is happening. For some reason, I sprint towards the guy and push him away from the wolf.


    "Hufff huff HuFF!!" I am panting as I pick up the torch.


    Damn!!!! I knew from afar that this guy was tall, but not this kind of tall. I am a 5''6" boy, and this guy is towering over me like I''m a child who just bumped into him.


    The hood is knocked back, and I raise my torch to see the guys clearly.


    "Holy mother of God!"


    "No! I am Holy child of God!" The tall guy responds with a smile.


    This guy is extremely beautiful; he looks like Jesus Christ with a shaved, clean face, beautiful blue eyes, and blonde golden hair. A crown is levitating over his head.


    I mean..... I am not gay! But if this guy were to embrace me, I might shriek in excitement like a bitch.


    And ohhh! Ahhhhmmm! Maybe something will rise but not the shield hero.


    The dwarf just gets onto my side and is surprised by what he sees. He pulls me down while I am struck by his beauty and elegance.


    "Y.. Yo.. Your.. Ma.. Ma.. Majesty I.. I... I.. W.. We are greatly sorry for what this idiot did to you!"


    The dwarf is groveling on the ground, pulling me down further than kneeling.


    "Bow down, you stupid prick!" Persis insisted with frustration in his voice.


    I come to my senses and bow down with him.


    "It is fine! Persis, you can lift your head up." a gentle kindness shown by the beautiful person.


    Despite the permission, the dwarf remains kneeling, his head still bowed down.


    "The night covers our land, your Majesty. The forest is dangerous."


    "Yes, it is dangerous. That is why my friend and I are patrolling, keeping people like you safe."


    "My gratitude to your kindness should be manifested at some other time, your Majesty."


    The angel stoops down to the level of the dwarf and taps his shoulder. Because of that, I cannot ignore the fragrance coming from the prince.


    Damn, he smells good! What a lucky guy! Being a prince and drop-dead gorgeous surely is a gift from God.


    "Your gratitude can be in kind, like not telling anyone about what you saw, about me being here in the middle of the night," he says, smiling, but it''s the kind of smile that you don''t want to mess with.


    "Your Majesty, I don''t need to hit my head against a rock to totally forget this!"


    "Good! Now I must go! There may be other people out there for me to protect."


    "Thank you, your Majesty. The path shines after you!"


    "Take care, Persis, and your new pet musang!"


    And the prince glared at me intensely, then he and his companion walked away!


    I immediately gave my attention to the wolf to assess him. The wolf suffered from multiple lacerations too, but it was not as grave as the white wolf before.


    We gave first aid to the wolf, and when I cuddled him and lifted him up, he shrank smaller, to the size of not a puppy but a stuffed toy. Now he looked like a miniature puppy that could be carried in my palm, so I put the puppy inside my clothes and he poked his head outside to breathe.


    For some reason, he was still biting the shrank canister. The torch grew brighter and I could see further into the dark.


    The stench of blood hurt my nose, and I noticed dead wolves not only wounded but mangled. I could even see wolves pinned onto the branches of the trees.


    "How fierce was the battle to have this kind of corpses lying around?"


    "A battle to protect themselves" the dwarf responded.


    "Persis, for some reason, I recognized that the prince is an angel!"


    "It is kind of weird to have that kind of ability!"


    "Good, it means some instinct or knowledge, activating right now you need it!"


    "To recognize people?"


    "To recognize danger!"


    Suddenly, I hear heavy breathing from behind us.


    "Persis!" I whisper.


    "I think danger recognition is activating again!"


    We slowly turn our heads back and...


    "HHHHHEEEEELLLLLLLL PPPPIGGGGGGG!!!!" I shouted


    "RUUUUUUNNNNNNN!!!!"


    Even the puppy biting the canister makes noise in fear.


    We run so fast, but it doesn''t stop me from noticing the two men from earlier standing far above us. In an instant, I swear I see his face with a smirk!


    "YOOUUU!! STUPID HUMAN! WHY DID YOU PROVOKE PRINCE!"


    "I DIDN''T MEAN TO PROVOKE HIM! I JUST WANT TO SAVE THE WOLF!"


    "YOU SAVE WOLF, NOW WHO SAVE US?"


    "I AM SORRRYYYYY!!"


    "RUN FASTER!!!"


    "TOP SPEED ALREADY!"


    "WHAT THE HEEEEEELLLLLLL!!"


    "RRAAAOOOOOEEEIIIKKKKKK!!!!"


    The puppy makes more noise, as if begging me to run faster.


    The monster boar is getting closer!


    "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"


    "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"


    "CLIMB LARGE TREE!"


    "AGAAAAIIIINNN!!!???"


    It seems that climbing the giant tree is not enough to end this day! Now we frantically climb a tree like monkeys, and thanks to the training of climbing giant tree, it saves my butt this time!


    "RRAAAOOOOOEEEIIIKKKKKK!!!!"


    We catch our breath while the hell pig is head-butting the tree, trying to bring it down. Fortunately, the tree is large enough to withstand its assault.


    "I am glad the hell pig cannot jump!"


    "Well it has limbs, Hell pig can jump"


    "How high?"


    The puppy is tugging at my clothes to get my attention.


    "RRAAAOOOOOEEEIIIKKKKKK!!!!"


    I turned around and saw the pig just getting enough distance to run and jump towards me. Persis grabbed my shoulder, pulling me enough to avoid the bite from the hell pig! An inch slower, and my lower half would have been bitten off!


    "That high!"


    "You stupid prick! You should have told me to climb higher!"


    I looked down at my chest and pet the puppy.


    "Thanks, buddy!" I feel like the puppy is my spider sense.


    "Damn! angel!!!"


    "Do you think this is the prince''s doing?"


    "Definitely!!!! Even orc will choose to walk another way when encountering Hell pig!"


    "My mind, for some reason, is telling me that it''s impossible because angels cannot fly during the night. Therefore, luring this pig to us is impossible!"


    "Except that fucker!!!"


    "RRAAAOOOOOEEEIIIKKKKKK!!!!"


    The hell pig is still trying to reach us!


    "We need to shoo this ugly off and spend the night here!" I frantically said.


    "OH! So you want to face, Reaper owl?"


    "Let me guess! That owl is the size of a man, isn''t it?"


    "Yes! And only hell pig can make the owl away!"


    This is a dire situation! Surely we cannot kill the pig, but we can''t let other predators chase our tail either!


    "Persis, give me your rope and your dagger!"


    Persis gave me those two items, and I tied the rope to the end of the dagger. Thankfully, the pommel of the dagger is ring-shaped, which makes my knotting easy and strong.


    "Hold on, buddy!" I said to the puppy,


    I mocked the hell pig to give it extra reason to jump on us!


    "Hey! You ugly pig! Come back to your momma; she is the only one who can accept you!"


    "RRAAAOOOOOEEEIIIKKKKKK!!!!"


    The pig jumped, and with my utmost attention, I stabbed its nose, letting the dagger stick in the nose of the pig!


    "RRAAAOOOOOEEERRAAAOOIIIKKKKRRAAAOOKK!!!!"


    The hell pig cried in pain.


    The puppy rejoiced at my success.


    He was going to run away, but I tugged the rope, making the dagger move a little, inflicting more pain on the pig.


    "RRAAAOOOOOEEERRAAAOOIIIKKKKRRAAAOOKK!!!!"


    The pig tried to jump on us again, but I just tugged the rope to inflict more pain!


    "What are you doing?"


    "Disciplining this ugly bastard! We cannot afford another beast chasing us, so I am choosing this creature to become our scarecrow for the night!"


    "HHHHmmmm!!! Not bad!"


    "Not bad??? You should be impressed by now!"


    "Let''s see" Persis responded.


    We slept on the branches of the tree, taking turns guarding the beast, while the puppy slept comfortably inside my clothes. Morning came, and I pulled the rope to retrieve the dagger, totally damaging the beast. After that, it ran off into the wilderness, crying in pain.


    We walked a little further while I carried the sleeping puppy inside my costume. We reached the Silver


    City, and the architecture of the city gate was magnificent. Persis seemed very popular in the city; left and right, everyone on the street greeted him. He introduced me to everyone as a new emerging creature called Musang. According to Persis, this is the disguise of my predecessors.


    I wonder how different my new life will be compared to what I faced before in this city!

 Chapter 3: The Silver City

    At the gate, two tall elf soldiers were guarding the entrance.


    "Halt!" one of the soldiers stopped us from entering the gate.


    "Persis?" The guard shouted to confirm the dwarf''s identity.


    "Yes!" Persis responded.


    The guard nodded, and we continued walking to the city, but his companion stopped us.


    "Wait! The dwarf can go, but that thing? Where is its cedula?"


    The other guard tapped his companion on the chest.


    "Newbie! That''s his pet!"


    I look to Persis.


    "I am a pet?"


    The alarmed guard yelled to his companion.


    "IT TALKS" Then he raised both of his hands towards me.


    His companion saw his confusion, "Yes, it talks, but it lives only for 30 years at best!"


    "What?"


    "So can we go now?" Persis interrupted.


    The alarmed guard stooped down to my level and petted my head.


    "Oh, poor kid, live well here in the Silver City."


    The eyes of the elf soldier seemed sincere and filled with remorse.


    I checked on the puppy, and he was still sleeping inside my clothes, making me look fat. The wolf is sleeping to aid in its wounds'' recovery, which was good in my opinion. Persis seemed very popular among the citizens of the city; there was no one on the streets or among the vendors who didn''t greet him until we reached the marketplace, which was full of vendors, mostly dwarves or dark elves. I rarely saw other races like fairies, especially orcs. Many vendors gave us food and looked at me as if I were about to die, and they wanted to show me love before I passed away.


    "You seem very popular in the city, Persis."  I said.


    "Well!" he responded with smug on his face.


    Then Persis told me about what happened 200 years ago. There was a plague that spread in the city, infecting the elves, orcs, dwarves, and fairies. Only the angels were immune to the plague, and they even called it the black plague, reminiscent of the Black Death in Europe in the 1340s. Before, there was no sanitation in the city, but thanks to the dwarves led by Persis, underground sewage and proper sanitation were implemented.


    "to be honest it was one of your predecessors who design sewage system, and we dwarves just follow the plan, thanks to him we earned citizenship here." Persis boasted.


    "So why didn''t my predecessor reveal his race to earn the credit on behalf of the men?" I asked out of confusion.


    "Because one of your predecessors is criminal and get executed here."


    "You mean Iros?"


    "Ye.." Persis was about to answer when suddenly, an angel descended from the sky in front of us. For the second time around, I saw another angel beside the prince; however, that angel was wearing armor and a crown too.


    "Persis, the crowned prince is looking for you. Go to the Cathedral at once."


    Then, after that, he flew off.


    "Is he talking about the prince we met last night?"


    "No!"


    "There is another prince?"


    "Yes, there are two princes in this city, one we met last night is big brother"


    "Wait!? But he is talking about the crowned prince, isn''t he? And the prince from last night has a crown floating above his head. Why is he has a crown if he is not the crowned prince? Then the angel that commanded you to go to the cathedral is wearing a crown too. I am freaking confused right now."


    "Well I want to answer your question but first thing first, we need ride." Persis snob my confusion with a serious look on his face, as if he was going to go to war.


    Persis fetched a horse-drawn carriage; this is the mode of transportation here in the new world.


    "To Basilica"


    The coach is also a dwarf.


    "Ok," the coach responded.


    "I will sleep, don''t disturb me," Persis told me.


    "But what about my ques.."


    "Aa.. aaa.." He raised his finger.


    "my instruction first before your concern" then he went to sleep.


    My eyes wandered to the scenery of the city. The ambiance was very medieval-looking, with different shops here and there selling products and services. I saw a lot of bakeries as well. Children in expensive-looking clothes were running around with their dark elf nannies watching over them. Everything seemed prosperous and alive. Trees were well planted along the sides of the road to provide shade for the people walking. Beautiful young fairies spread sparkles in the air. There were residential areas for nobles and palaces owned by the angels. There wasn''t a palace I saw without parties.


    Finally, we were near our destination, which was the basilica. But it looked like the Temple of Zeus in Greece, the only difference being the silver lining engraved on the temple that resembled human and angel figures, seeming to tell a story.


    "AAAhhhhh!!!.. Basilica! Where good citizen of city goes here to discuss laws, business dispute and family quarrels, wells family quarrels of nobles at least, most of time elves nobles who usually disagree about small matters like, what is dinner for tonight or dress code in specific occasions"


    I was shocked by Persis''s sudden talking.


    "What kind of law?"


    "Nonsense kind of law, if you want to have hypocrite companions, all you need is go here."


    the coach suddenly speak, "Buddy, we are here at your destination."


    "Thank you my friend" then he gave the fellow dwarf some copper coins.


    We enter to the basilica. Inside, you could see a crowd of elves, dwarves, and fairies gathering. In the middle stood a very handsome, young-looking fairy boy who appeared to be around fourteen years old.


    "Our basilica should be used only for making laws, and those laws should be in the public interest, not some squabbling of the nobles."


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "That''s so absurd! Nobles hold the majority of the wealth of the city; making their concerns a city concern as well!" one of the crowded shouts.


    The fairy boy showed a crystal and imbued some magic on it to project a scenario from another argument in the basilica. In the projection, noble elves were seen arguing about what kind of dress they should wear during sleeping time.


    "This is the debate that happened yesterday. We have so many citizens living in the slum area in need of our help, and instead, we spend time in the basilica arguing about sleeping dress codes!"


    "Kick the squatters out!" another one shouted from the crowd.


    "If I agree with you, are you willing to soil your feet in the cropland? Are you willing to lift heavy materials on the construction site? Are you willing to undertake laborious work for our city?"


    The crowd was silent, with no one speaking. It was obvious that the fairy boy was right; however, no one dared to break the silence.


    <u>"My Friend!!!!"</u> Persis shouted and waved his hand.


    The fairy boy decided to dismiss the crowd and flew straight to us.


    "Persis! Oh! New musang?"


    "Yes!"


    "Hi! My name is Katibo."


    "I am Godwin Vat.."


    "The crowned prince has summoned me; I want you to accompany me." Persis interrupted my introduction


    "I am in the middle of an introduction here, rude dwarf!" I exclaimed.


    "Sure, no problem!" Katibo seems no concern about my presence.


    The fairy flies out of the basilica to fetch us another horse-drawn carriage to go to the Cathedral. Well, how about that? It seems introducing himself is enough to become an acquaintance; the fairy boy didn''t bother to know my name.


    As we pass through the bridge, the cathedral comes into view. However, the word "cathedral" here doesn''t mean a house of worship; it is just a word for the castle of angels where angels reside. But to anyone from the old world, they would call it a cathedral, and I might say, that is one big heck of a cathedral. It''s so freaking big! The cathedral was the first thing I saw when I emerged from the giant tree. It seems to be made of one humongous white marble, sculpted in the shape of a cathedral. The roof appears to be painted sky blue, and the beams and posts are plated with silver, if not made entirely of silver. Yes, silver! It''s too shiny to be something else! If this cathedral were being built in the old world, it would surely win the Guinness Book of World Records for the most expensive and luxurious exterior design.


    Two angels are flying above the cathedral, seemingly on patrol duty, and another pair of angels with their wings spread are guarding the huge door.


    As our feet touch the ground, the huge doors open, and three people come out. A very young handsome guy, around 18 years old, is wearing a seemingly ancient Roman-style dress. He stands as tall as the guards beside him, who also has a crown floating above their head. Actually, all the angels that I saw seem to have the same height. It''s no brainer to tell who the prince is, and that prince seems excited to meet us.


    We walk towards him.


    So this is the crowned prince? Well, saying the terminology ''crowned prince'' is very confusing for me since every angel that I saw has a crown. The guards beside him, the guards on the huge door, the crown prince¡ªeverything has a crown. Maybe a crown is just a common stylish headwear rather than a symbolic royal thing.


    "Wise Persis! Come! I want to discuss something with you."


    The crowned prince happily greeted us. We stood in his presence and bowed to show respect.


    "Your Majesty, how may this old dwarf serve you?"


    "Well, you see, I want to build another basilica intended to deal with angels'' concerns."


    "Excuse me, Your Majesty, if I may, I want to ask what are the angel''s concerns that cannot be discussed in our existing basilica? Or why not discuss them here in the cathedral?"


    "Well, our basilica doesn''t have pools to submerge our tired bodies, and I don''t want any arguments to exist in my cathedral." The crowned prince of angel demanded.


    "Your Majesty, why not renovate the interior of our basilica to suit your desires?"


    "Kringgggg!!"


    An elf woman holding a bell and dressed in a priestess outfit emerged from behind the prince.


    "Your Majesty, your public service should be adjourned now!"


    "Finally," the crown prince sighed.


    "Please, Persis and Katibo, come with me. We need to discuss this inside my cathedral, and don''t bring your pet."


    The dwarf whispered to me.


    "Stay outside kid play with your dog for a while"


    "Why not bring me along with you?" I responded in the same manner.


    "For your own good, now go!" Even though I am intrigued by the topic of the discussion, all I can do is stay outside of the cathedral.


    I checked on the puppy inside my clothes, and he seems to feel that I need him, so he woke up.


    "Hey there, buddy, it seems we have time to get to know each other."


    So that''s what we do. The puppy grows to its original adult wolf size, and we play fetch, chasing each other. He is the chaser, to be specific. The wolf seems to understand what I''m talking about¡ªnot like how dogs understand their owners, but I think this beast understands every word I say. That makes playing more fun. I can''t avoid remembering my childhood, when my father was still alive, when my mother didn''t have to sacrifice so much to pay the bills, and when people around me didn''t expect anything from me. However, the heat building up inside my costume, along with my aging muscles and bones, makes the play less enjoyable. So, we end up playing hide and seek instead.


    "Buddy! Where are you!!"


    I kept looking in the places he usually hid from me, but something felt off. This was our third time playing hide and seek, but it was the only time I couldn''t find him. I was already really far away from the base. I always checked the base to see if he had already touched it, but he wasn''t there.


    "Budddddyyyyyy!!!!???????" I shouted.


    And then I saw him in the distance. He was looking into the distance and touching the canister he had been biting with his front paw. I walked towards him.


    "Hey, buddy! Where have you been?"


    He ignored me, then he bite the bamboo canister again, and then run.


    "What the hell?"


    Then I run after him.


    "Heyyyy!!! Buddy!!! Wait!" I shouted, but he just continued running towards something or someone. Anyway, this dog was giving me a cardio workout today while I was sweating profusely inside my costume.


    The wolf ran so fast, but for some reason, I was keeping up with him. Not that I could catch him, but our distance didn''t seem to get longer, and I chased him passing from person to person, sometimes having to push them aside.


    I could feel the wind hitting my face and passing through my costume, cooling my body at the same time. Now I knew how a motorcycle felt to have an air cooling system and run at 100 miles per hour.


    We had sharp turns, but there was a moment when he used the wall in front of him to turn sharply to the left, so I instinctively did the same. Did I just do a little parkour? That was so cool! At 29 years old, I could still pull off that kind of stunt. Then, we did so many parkour stunts as we ran, like climbing over passing horse-drawn carriages, sliding under them, running along the wall, and even running through rooftops. I admit that I enjoyed this chase. I was having the time of my life.


    "YYYYAAAAHHHHHHHHOOOOOO!!!!"


    I chased him even inside the construction site, and the wolf jumped into a very deep, big hole. Instinctively, I jumped too, trusting the wolf that the hole wasn''t so deep to be fatal. But I regretted it as my human sense returned to me, and I realized I was falling until...


    "Thudddd!!!!"


    I landed on an inflated huge bag that seemed made to catch falling people. The surrounding was very dark, but I could still recognize the glowing red eyes looking at me¡ªit was the wolf that I saved. I could still feel the sense of my surroundings, especially the presence of my wolf.


    The wolf came over to me and brushed his head against my chest, then walked away. I followed him, and surprisingly, I didn''t trip over any random objects. My mind reminded me that we were still in the construction area, and as a former safety officer, I knew that there were many protruding steel bars that I could trip over.


    Then I heard chanting and cheering crowds, and I found the light. I ran towards it and saw the silhouette of my dog. As I walked towards the light, the chanting and cheering grew louder. The wolf ran away again, but I was more concerned about where I was going to emerge. When I reached the light, I found myself with other people wearing few armors and holding weapons. Most of them were orcs, as I could easily notice their body build, green skin, and tusks. I saw dark elves here and there holding bows and arrows or daggers. I also noticed that there were warriors too on the opposite side of the arena.


    Someone bumped into me from behind.


    "What the fuck!" I said in protest.


    Three big orcs with war paint on their faces, and one of them wearing a skull of an unknown humanoid, smiled at me in a creepy way. My hair stood on end, and I pushed myself into the crowd of people, away from those creepy bastards.


    Out of fear, I took out the dwarven torch that I was still carrying since last night. I looked at my surroundings and realized I was at the large fighting pit.


    "Today, we have special rewards for the champion of this royal Ramble!"


    A birdcage was lowered from above, lowering enough for everyone to see. Inside the cage was a bottle¡ªan empty glass bottle with the fading label of Jinevra San Michael beer¡ªand an old white bond paper rolled inside.


    "This is a newly discovered artifact from the old world. Just like the other scrolls and papers, the writings cannot be read by anyone. It might be useless to you, but the cathedral is willing to pay tons of silver coins for this piece of paper. Or maybe you want to marry a noble''s daughter¡ªyou can use this as bargaining leverage."


    I looked up in awe, surprised by how many worthless things from the old world fetch a price in this new world! Then, my right ear felt a touch of cold air, along with a whisper.


    "Get it!"


    With those words, I remember the letter of Mr. Arnel


    <figure>


    </figure>


    "This could be it!" I muttered to myself.


    "ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

 Chapter 4: The Win Streak Fighter

    Part I:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "Ahh! I will never get used to it." I sighed.


    "Persis, you don''t have a say about it because of your reputation. The crowned prince''s expectations for you, ahhhhmmm! Let''s say, not for an ordinary dwarf," the fairy boy said.


    "One of the designs not only requires dwarf skills, but I doubt I can get the damn material! Can''t you do something about it?"


    "My abilities are only limited to recording and projecting images, my friend!" Katibo responded.


    "Can someone take my place? I am not supposed to be a good citizen after all!" I exclaimed, remembering the sins that I need to do for us to establish our settlement here in the silver city.


    "If you want to lose the privilege of having long-distance mailing, I am willing to take your place! Hahahaha!" Katibo is trying to cheer me up


    "Oh! That reminds me to check the cathedral mailers!"


    "Ok! If something interesting happens, you know where to find me! See ya!" then he left.


    I went to the mailer of the cathedral. It was a room that looked like a library, full of busy small fairies arranging and sorting scrolls in the mail cabinet at the back of the counter. The counter was manned by a beautiful elf who always greeted anyone with a smile.


    "Ah, good day! Persis! Here is the letter you''ve been waiting for!"


    "Thank you, Ms!" I said, taking the mail out of the soft hands of the elf.


    I raised my hand in gratitude for their effort in retrieving the mail from their scrolls compartments.


    "You know, Persis, you don''t always have to visit the mailers to check your mail. We are willing to deliver it right to your doorstep!"


    "Well let''s say the mail is not the only reason I visit mailers" I winked at the beautiful receptionist, but the elf gave me a disgusted look.


    Ooooopppsss!!! I forgot that elves have an innate attraction to beauty and repulsion to people like us.


    "HAHAHA!!!" I laugh loudly to break the awkwardness! I sit in the furthest corner of the room to peacefully read the mail I''ve been waiting for.


    ________________________________________________________________________________


    Dear Honey,


    I miss you so much. Our son might not say it, but I am sure he misses you too. He really inherited that attitude from you. As I write this letter, he is in your old forge. You might be surprised by how much he has improved your original interior design. He not only completely restored our war-torn home, but he also expanded our place since our adjacent neighbors didn''t return. I just keep pretending that they chose to stay where they sought refuge.


    The war... Honey, sometimes it haunts me in my dreams. It''s been 396 years since that bloody war. Randar is still in my arms, and you were the vanguard of the army. In my nightmares, I see you being pierced by multiple spears. Our town, Bibingkahan, was burning, and beams of light from above were raining down on our people. I try to avert my eyes from the dead dwarves, which I refuse to identify, but it is hard, especially when I see my sister''s burning corpse. As if the war wasn''t enough, we were abducted by your former employer because of your unpaid debt.


    Sorry, I am bringing up bad memories again. Anyway, how is our new friend there? I hope the new human is as good as the former human, Mr. Paray, isn''t it? Did you ask his name this time? Remember, they are immature creatures, poor people living very short lives. I cannot imagine what you are going through. You are not really a people''s dwarf, but you have to lead our people there and guide the native race of this world. But keep holding on, don''t give up, dear. Compared to other races, they need more time to grow, not individually, but as a whole.


    See you in the next 100 years.


    Truly Yours,


    Samera Revalbeard


    _______________________________________________________________________________


    I pause for a minute, imagining what my wife is doing right now. Maybe she is cooking, nagging our son to wash his hands before touching the food, or perhaps she is sleeping as a proper reward for doing the household chores I know my son will never do. Well, about my son, I know he will be a dependable kid just like any other dwarf, except he will be more handsome because of me, of course.


    I smile a little bit.


    I roll the scroll very carefully and get a canister and red ribbon from my bag. I tie the scroll with the ribbon and place the scroll inside the canister, then insert the canister inside my clothes.


    I take a deep breath and get my favorite plume from my bag. I dip the tip into the ink provided by the mailers on the table and begin to write back to my wife.


    ______________________________________________________________________________


    Dear Love of My Life,


    My heart cannot express how much I miss you. I always think of you from the moment I open my eyes in the morning until my consciousness fades away at night.


    I have already retrieved the new human from the lair, and this one injured the hut during the memory transfusion. This wasn''t a typical tantrum but full destruction of the surroundings. The witch was forced to use her magic, and I had to grab the nearest lumberjack axe. Yes, my love, that prick made me use a weapon to prevent further destruction. He went berserk, and the fury of his attacks was impossible given his physique. He seemed possessed by something or someone, and if it is the infamous Iros, then I might say that humans are more dangerous when they are dead than alive.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Anyway, we successfully subdued his berserk state. He is not as persistent and brave as Arnel, and he is so annoying and noisy all the time. However, he is kind, like every human I have raised. His kindness should be used with wisdom because not every act of kindness will lead him to a good place; it could put him in danger. Just like how he instinctively saved the poor wolf that was about to be killed by the prince. Worst of all, he accidentally touched the prince, and we all know what happens to those who directly touch the prince. I hope the prince will forget about this human. For now, I hope the human will figure out something to help mankind survive.


    I really miss you, my love. Please tell me more about our son, and how his beard is now. I am really sad knowing he is growing up without me. I have so many things to tell him about life, forging, and most importantly, how to impress girls.


    Sincerely Yours,


    Persis Revalbeard


    ________________________________________________________________________________


    "PERSIS!!! PERSIS!!! PERSIS!!!!" a dwarf is frantically calling my name in urgency.


    "Hey!! No shouting here," the elf receptionist shouted.


    "Hey! Hey! What''s the problem!"


    "Huge Problem Fore! Musang is in the ring, going to fight!"


    I immediately rush to the underground to look for the dumb human, I push aside the people that stand in my way.


    "Godwin!!!.... Godwin!!.... Godwin!!... " I shouted.


    "Mua''Ti!!! Mua''Ti!!!" The people chant


    P.S


    I think I need to go to the human lair again, gonna get a human that is not stupid.


    Part II:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!" the announcer shouted.


    The warriors around me roar in their own battle cry, and the people watching us roar in excitement. Then the two groups of people in the arena begin to run toward each other, pushing me along with them. Seconds later, the two groups of warriors clash in the middle of the arena, and the audience cheers even louder. My cowardly instinct kicks in immediately, and I duck to avoid an attack from behind. Glancing back, I see people backstabbing the warriors who were fighting in front of them; it seems the division of people in the arena before was just to simulate battle clashes.


    I try my best to avoid them and run around the side of the arena until I spot the three big orcs who creepily smiled at me before. They laugh and talk to each other in a language I''ve never heard. It''s clear they''ve agreed to kill me first before joining the royal rumble. With those menacing stares, I run in the opposite direction, unable to contain my fear, and scream at the top of my lungs like a frightened animal.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!...."


    I feel like they''re chasing me, so I try to run along the wall as I did before when chasing my wolf. But for some reason, I can''t. As soon as I take one step on the wall, gravity pulls me back down to the dusty ground. I''m shocked by what''s happening. How come I could keep my distance chasing my wolf that runs so fast it uses the wall like the ground?


    Regardless, I need to get away from my pursuers, or rather, my killers. So I run as fast as I can while screaming as loud as possible. I hear laughter and mockery from the audience, who must find the sight of a furious small guy screaming in the arena amusing.


    Looking back, I see only two orcs chasing me. I realize too late that the third orc is running in the opposite direction to cut me off. But before I can react, I bump into someone huge, like a kid running into an adult.


    I fall to the ground and see a massive orc wearing a skull, his right hand holding a bloody bone club. He pounces on me, pinning me to the ground, and raises his bone club.


    I close my eyes, bracing for impact.


    "AAAAAHHHHHHHH!"


    "CLASSSSHHHHHH!!!!"


    I feel wood chips falling onto me and open my eyes to see the orc''s bone club shattered in his hand.


    I notice a figure emerging from the light, appearing to be a man with a muscular build and a broad shoulder. His silhouette reveals a distinctive mohawk hairstyle and long ears, suggesting he might be an elf, albeit an unusually strong one. The guy''s hair seems to be a fiery red color, and the tail of his headband flutters behind him. He raises his right foot, wrapped in a bandage, and the orc appears to recognize him, breaking out into a sweat of fear. The guy kicks the orc with such force that he goes flying several feet away.


    "You''re not a fighter! What are you doing here?" the strong warrior asked me.


    Just as I''m starting to speak, something unexpected happens.


    "RRRooooaaaaarrrrrrhhhhh!!!"


    "RRRooooaaaaarrrrrrhhhhh!!!"


    The orc''s companions emerge from behind the guy, axes raised above their heads. As they swing, the guy swiftly turns, evading their attacks. He dispatches one orc with a quick elbow strike and blocks another''s attack, countering with a knee to the chin. His movements are both graceful and powerful, captivating my attention despite the chaos around us.


    Snapping out of my trance, I quickly crawl under a fallen warrior, seeking cover. Peering out, I watch the guy as he continues to fight, unarmed and unarmored yet still managing to defeat his opponents one by one. The other participants begin to take notice of his skill, forming a circle around him in an attempt to overpower him through sheer numbers. However, he remains unfazed, his demeanor calm even in the midst of battle.


    " Mua''Ti! Mua''Ti! Mua''Ti!" The crowd''s cheers grow louder as the lone fighter, Mua''Ti, continues to impress with his agility and combat prowess. Dodging attacks from all sides, he maneuvers away from an assailant, using another participant as a springboard to execute a backflip and counterattack. With swift strikes from his bandaged fists, feet, knees, and elbows, he effortlessly neutralizes each opponent. Soon, he stands alone in the center of the arena, victorious.


    "Thud.... Thud.... Thud....."


    "Ladies and gentlemen! Behold, the arrival of the champion! The undefeated warrior, Mua''Ti, faces his greatest challenge yet!" The announcer shouted.


    "Release the Ogre!" the announcer added.


    "Kaboom!!!"


    The entrance gate of the arena blasted to pieces, and from the smoke, I can hear screams of anguish, as if people are being massacred there.


    An orc runs from the smoke, screaming.


    "AAAHHHHH!!!" the orc screamed.


    A large hand emerges from the smoke and grabs the poor orc, then a large shadow steps out from the smoke while holding the orc.


    "Oh, my fucking shit! We are dead!" I muttered.


    A huge, fat humanoid monster emerges from the smoke with two heads above its shoulders! Two heads, for heaven''s sake, and they are very ugly, with overgrown noses and tusks. Both heads are bald, and they look very similar, except that one head has a single horn in the middle of the forehead!


    "RRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!"


    "RRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!" both heads roared.


    I looked at the guy and his face seems look troubled.


    "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"


    One of the ogre''s heads bites the head of the orc, then they notice the elf standing in the middle of the arena. The ogre charges toward him, attempting to stomp or crush the elf with its huge feet or fists. The ogre''s smashing of the ground resembles a chimpanzee attacking its enemies.


    Thankfully, the elf is agile enough to dodge! I cheer for the elf quietly, hoping he not only defeats the ogre but also kills it. I don''t want to become somebody''s snack, for God''s sake!


    The elf''s attacks are not very effective against the ogre. The fighter is swift and strong, but the monster manages to hit him with a wide swipe, sending the fighter flying to the side of the arena.


    "CLASSSSHHHHHH!!!!"


    The formidable fighter crashes into the wall of the arena.


    "OOOHHHHHHHH!!!!" the crowd was shocked.


    Dust rises from the ground, and smoke spreads around the elf.


    "RRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!"


    "RRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!"


    The crowd went silent as they were intrigued to know the situation of the fighter. The smoke obscured the condition of the elf; I couldn''t see if he was okay, but I doubted anyone would survive from those massive limbs hitting their face.


    "RRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!"


    "RRRROOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!"


    "Oh! Lord" I needed to think quickly; it seemed the elf required some assistance. As the ogre walked towards the smoke, trying to see if he had successfully killed the fighter, suddenly, from the smoke, the elf jumped and then kicked one of the heads of the ogre, making the ogre fall.


    "YYYAAAAHHHHHOOOOOOOO!!!"


    The crowd cheers louder


    "Aha!" I muttered.


    I ran towards the corpses of warriors, grabbing swords and spears, then plunged the weapons into the ground, making the blades point upwards. After finishing the trap, I waved to the elf, trying to get his attention!


    "Heyyyy!!!!"


    The elf noticed me


    "can you make him fall again?" I shouted.


    "Take his attention away from me and I will do it again!" he said with confidence.


    "Ok! When I give the signal please do it again, I prepared traps for that ugly guy"


    Right after I said that, I tried to mock the ogre while lighting my torch. Then, I threw a stone, hitting him in the back!


    "Hey, you ugly bullshit! Try to take this!" Then I swung the torch first to get their attention. When they looked at me, I showed and swung my ass in their face!


    The ogre roared and ran towards me!


    "OOAAAAAHHHH!!!! Wait, wait, wait." I regretted getting the monster''s attention. I should have thought of a safer way to do it. I run away from the ogre.


    "No... I was just going to give the signal when..." Suddenly, the ogre falls forward, and the plunged weapons pierce his chest!


    "AAAAoooogggggghhh!!" the ogre cried in pain. The elf jumps onto the heads of the ogre and bashes their heads with a big rock held by an elf with both hands. However, their skulls seem so thick that the elf keeps bashing their heads like a madman.


    "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"


    "YYYAHHHHHHOOOO!!!" the crowd cheers louder. The heads of the ogres crack, and the rock is covered with crimson blood. Brain matter spreads on the ground, and the elf is panting. He raises one of his hands as a way of announcing that he wins the royal rumble!


    "OH no!! OH no!!" the announcer shouted. I look at the announcer, and I just noticed that he is wearing a tengu mask.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, the fight is not over yet!" the announcer claims. He spreads his four wings, jumps, and lands in the middle of the arena. He clears his throat and removes his mask, revealing his face. The people are shocked, as is the elf. Meanwhile, my jaw drops because the announcer is the prince that I encountered when I saved the wolf.


    "Verily, the fray is not yet concluded!" he smiled.

 Chapter 5: The Light Father

    I am the rightful heir to the Silver City of Luzon. I am St. Naphael, and I am so intrigued! I am just thinking about an alibi for visiting Persis. Now his musang is here, one of my favorite places to hang out. It seems even destiny is bending to my will now!


    "No soul may claim the reward save for the last remaining participant standing in this glorious Fight Pit." I yelled.


    "This creature is not a warrior! He is just a pet!" The second rate elf fighter exclaimed.


    "Excuses! Excuses! Mua''Ti, is this how thou dost represent thy race?"


    Oh! What a fierce look we have here? Hmmm! I guess I need to give this bastard some of my attention too, but for now, my goal is this little soul! I look at the creature. Oh! How small and frightened it seems by the situation!


    "Are you telling me to fight an animal that cannot fight back? Why not throw chickens in the arena next time?" the lowly elf responded.


    What did he say? Did he raise his voice at me? It seems this lowlife needs to be reminded how his race has become inferior to us! I stood upright and looked him in the eye. I let my powers leak out of my body. I didn''t need to look around to check the impact of my rihan because there is only one thing that happens when angels, especially archangels like me, don''t hold back. No matter how strong the bastard is, his strength leaves him, his knees cannot support his weight, and the pull of gravity feels like 10 times stronger. I walk towards him while listening to the groans of the people from the audience seats. I stoop down to his level and smile.


    "Surely! Why not? But first, thou must obey me, peasant!" I gave him a dirty look. I suppressed my power again and floated to the platform where I came from before descending into this bloody soil. I checked my surroundings and saw that people were slowly recovering from the effects of my rihan, but it seemed the majority of the audience had blacked out entirely. Shame! Thinking that we let such weak people roam around my city disgusts me to my core! I know that I am too strong to be affected by their weaknesses, but I cannot understand why Father ordered us to accept other races into our city, let alone honor them with citizenship privileges! Anyway, it''s useless to think about that now. I will let myself enjoy the show.


    "Waitttt!!!!! You cannot hurt me!" the foolish musang screamed.


    "What do you mean?" the win-streak fighter asked.


    "I help you kill the ogre!"


    "So?" He non-chalantly responded.


    Hahahaha! Is he serious? Did he really expect that to prevent Mua''Ti from hurting him? What a moron!


    The fighter look at me and talk


    "This guy has no will to fight, can I have the reward now?" the idiot look at me with his disgusting eyes.


    "Waitttt!!! I need the reward too!" The musang is trying to push his luck.


    "What are you talking about?" The fighter is confused by the stupidity of the lowly creature.


    "I need the reward" The pathetic musang begged.


    "Then fight me!"


    "I can''t I am weak!"


    The fighter walks towards the musang.


    "How are you supposed to get the reward without fighting me?" he raises both hands sideways.


    The musang crouches in fear of a sudden punch from Mua''Ti.


    "Can you yield for now? I just need the reward for a little bit, and I will give it to you afterward."


    "Huh?"


    "I will give it to you, promise!" and he awkwardly raises his hand.


    "HHaafffppp" I almost burst out laughing, but I stopped myself. I didn''t want anyone to think I was mocking the poor situation of the weak creature.


    "Gonna maintain my beautiful image" I muttered.


    However, it seemed the crowd didn''t care about their image as they laughed their asses off at those words. I mean, I couldn''t blame them! Who in their right mind would make that kind of argument in the fight pits? Hahahaha!


    "Hahahahahahaha!" The crowd burst out laughing.


    This musang was really bringing another kind of entertainment to my boring life.


    "This is pathetic," Mua''Ti seemed like he was going to lose it, and he just punched the musang in the stomach, making the poor thing faint.


    "Hahahahahahaha!" The crowd couldn''t control their laughter, and even Mua''Ti seemed to be losing it.


    "Promise? Really? Hahahahaha!" I yelled


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "Now I understand why Persis keeps on adopting this kind of creature!" I added


    "FOR ENTERTAINMENT!" I shouted.


    Now is the time to touch the musang.


    I fly towards him and patting his head, trying to show my so-called concerns.


    "Oh! Poor musang. I wish I could share with you my power and intelligence!"


    Well, I cannot certainly share my intelligence, but I am surely capable of giving a part of my power to anyone. I am one of the flesh and blood of the Light Father, after all. However, why should I waste my divinity on this pathetic soul? As my skin is touching the musang, I feel his soul and his weak energy flow onto me. I see flashes of visions from the memory of the musang¡ªhis sorrows, happiness, struggles, all the significant events that happened to him. I can experience it by just touching him. Then, I feel someone grasping my left arm.


    "Your majesty! Your majesty!"


    I felt someone just drop water on my eyes and cheeks, however when it flows to my lips it tastes salty.


    I dismissed the crowd and awarded the prize to Mua''Ti. I was so thrilled about this new revelation that I didn''t want to prolong this useless time any longer.


    "Persis!" For some reason, my face doesn''t respond as I want it to. I try to show concern, but it doesn''t cooperate.


    "Damn, I''ve practiced my smiles, frowns, and concerned looks for centuries. You''d think I''d have mastered it by now." I muttered to myself.


    The crowd disperses, and Persis takes the human from my arms. My face still hasn''t recovered from the experience; I can''t seem to convey any emotion with it. I notice the wolf, the one the guy saved from me, still biting the canister. He looks at me intently. I offer a smile, and it seems the wolf understands; his ears and head lower, and he runs toward his master.


    "Oh! You naughty, naughty little dwarf!" I whispered to myself.


    All this time, he''s been sneaking humans into our city. I can''t contain my joy. Even as I spend my bathing time with my human female pets or have a little tea party with my brothers, my mind keeps drifting back to him. And when evening comes...


    "Which one would you take this evening your Majesty?" the butler invited me once more to select a woman or women to pleasure me before retiring for the night. They displayed an orderly line of nude females in front of my emperor-sized bed.


    I approached my cherished elven butler, gently touching her chin and said,


    "You are more beautiful than all of them. Why not join me in my bed tonight, just for this once?"


    "I cannot do that, Your Majesty. Please make your selection now. You should have enough enjoyment and rest tonight because tomorrow the benevolent Light Father summons you to his cathedral."


    I sighed, "You are boring as always, Vul''Teer"


    "Your Majesty please pi.." she insisted.


    "I am not in the mood today" I responded.


    My butler was shocked by my response.


    "Oh! This is not the first time you''ve invited me to your bed, Your Majesty. However, this is the first time you will sleep alone."


    Vul''Teer''s head turns towards the women.


    "Your life has been spared for this night. Now, go to your quarters."


    "I will not sleep!" I said.


    "Perhaps the Majesty wants some wine!"


    The butler was about to fetch some wine, but I stopped Vul''Teer from leaving.


    "I don''t need wine to elevate my mood; I am already excited and thrilled," I smiled at my butler.


    "Remember the guy who stopped me from getting the canister from the wolf?"


    "I do indeed remember him, Your Majesty."


    I excitedly told my butler about how I encountered the musang again in the fight pit and eagerly made him listen to the things I experienced when I touched the man. I held my butler''s shoulder and raised my voice.


    "This will be the best moment of my life! Hahahaha! I have a plan! I cannot wait to savor his soul after I commence my glorious plan! Hahahaha!"


    "I am happy for you, Your Majesty, but for now, you need to rest and prepare for tomorrow!" She non-chalantly responded.


    Tomorrow has come, and although I was full of excitement last night, I managed to calm down. The butler woke me up as usual, though I''m always awake by the time he s my chamber. I just pretend to be asleep to give the butler a reason to .


    "How is it that among all the angels, Your Majesty, only you don''t rise as the sun rises?" She complained.


    "Well, I am the most magnificent angel after all!"


    "It doesn''t explain anything Your Majesty"


    "Well for me it totally explains everything"


    The butler attended to my needs as usual, though not in the realm of sex, as I had already indulged in that from the start of the day. From a selection of five human female pets, I chose one to accompany me in the bath, enjoying her beauty and suffering as I passionately engaged with her. Afterward, the butler would conduct a preservation process on her body, adding her to my collection room while I reminisced about past experiences with other preserved bodies.


    Following this eventful morning routine, I joined my siblings in the hall of the cathedral for a meal and some wine. As always, my irritating little brother boasted about his achievements in improving the Silver City.


    "I cannot wait to show you guys the Basilica that we Persis going to build!"


    "We have already a Basilica here!" My other sibling commented.


    "Yes, but this time, it is only for us and with a large bath in the center instead of boring floors and stairs." He boasted.


    "Ooooooohhhh!" my kiss-ass siblings feigned amazement at my crowned little brother, but thanks to his lack of intelligence, he won''t notice. Suddenly, an angel flew down from above, knelt, and interrupted our breakfast.


    "Your Majesty! St. Nephael! The Benevolent Light Father demands your presence now!"


    "Really?" I responded.


    Another angel flies down from above, panting and kneels.


    "The Benevolent Light Father has a letter for you," I took the scroll and read.


    YES! That''s what written on the damn scroll.


    That''s the only content of the scroll. I don''t know if Father really knows us or if he has future sight. So, without finishing my wine, I painfully bowed down to my siblings, especially to my brother. I hate to lower my head, but that is the law that has been declared by my stupid brother.


    I immediately flew towards Jerusalem, and a crowd of acolytes sang hymns and praises to me and to my father. The stationed angels sounded their trumpets as I landed to huge balcony of the cathedral, and there I saw my father sitting on his throne. I tried to read between his eyes if he was mad or anything, however, it was hard to read his facial expression of the lion.


    "Good morning, my Benevolent Light Father! It seems that you cannot stop your hobby!"


    And I looked at the tables covered with a clean white mantle, with a lot of food on top of them.


    My father always prepares a banquet in his halls every day; he loves to celebrate anything with his friends in the cathedral. It would be more fun if he were to put women here and there as additional entertainment.


    "Is the humidity of the air filled your brains? Did you already forget how to speak in our tongue?" [Speaking in Hebrew]


    "???????????" I bow again.


    "???? ???, ??????" I added


    "How is Tzebael?" [Speaking in Hebrew] he said.


    "Well, Father! Before answering that, I want to know why you chose my little brother over me?" [Speaking in Hebrew]


    "You make it sound like I have forsaken you."


    "You are the one who said that, not I, Father."


    "That Silver City is not yours, son!"


    Huh!? Yet you dump me there, Father. I will never forget the time my Lion-headed father banished me from this Silver City, to where all the angels came from, from all Silver Cities. Here, I belong the most.


    I signal one of the acolytes standing on the side of the hall to bring me some wine.


    "The Silver City of Luzon is not for me, and you banished me from here! What is your plan for me, Father?"


    I looked straight into his eyes, trying to get a glimpse of any emotion from him, but he just looks into me without blinking, as if I should already know the answer to my questions. The maiden acolyte gave me a glass and poured wine into it.


    I stooped my head a little bit to catch a glimpse of the face of the acolyte.


    "Aha!" I muttered.


    The acolyte is a beautiful elf, her cheeks blushing, and I know the reason why. I smiled and pulled her towards me.


    "Come here, baby. Why are you covering your pretty face with your hood?"


    Then suddenly, I feel the pressure in the air. Since we are on the top of the cathedral, I know the sky has gone dark.


    Then, the ground shakes, with a flash of lightning from the sky blinding my eyesight temporarily. When my eyesight returns, a big shadow towers over me, with its eyes glowing.


    I immediately release the acolyte and raise both of my hands to put something between my father and me.


    "Relax Father! I don''t mean to disrespect you"


    The acolyte falls to the ground trembling


    "You are making your subjects uncomfortable!" He sternly said.


    My scary father closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Then, the sky returns to a peaceful state, the ground stops shaking. However, I still feel the pressure in the air.


    He went back to his throne and sit.


    "I have a mission for you!"


    I knelt and bow to prevent further aggression.


    "Hunt the Bakunawa! My informants told me that this creature is the dragon version of the Philippines, and I don''t know what kind of dragon that beast is. I cannot afford a competition in this world. Exterminate it."


    "and Nephael to make things clear, I will use your local language!"


    "Huwag mo akong biguin!"


    "Of course Father"


    I can''t stop grinning as I remember that it coincides with my little brother''s plan about the basilica, which is a good opportunity for me to be near the human.


    "Can I ha


    ve the head, Father? My beloved little brother happens to require some materials that the Bakunawa can provide."


    "Take whatever you want!"


    "One last thing father!"


    "Go on"


    I smile and said.


    "can I have one of your female tanuki?"

 Chapter 6: The Philippine Methusela

    Ah! Birds are chirping, the weather is nice, the sun shines brightly, happy fairies spread sparkles and laughter as always, and beautiful elves smile not only at the angels but at people like me. The smell of the air from the sea a few miles from here, in the west part of the Silver City, puts everyone in the mood to wear smiles on their faces. The new Basilica will be built here, on this very soil where I am standing. It will be bigger than the current Basilica, with a pool inside the building. Actually, the Basilica doesn''t resemble those in Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox churches, which hold a canonical title of honor given to church buildings that are distinguished either by their antiquity or by their role as international center of worship due to their association with a major saint or an important historical event. But not in this case, at least not to the people around me. They even say, "Sounds more basilica to me," because unlike in my world, where saints leave historical events, here they walk in the establishment every day.


    I tried to delve into Dr. Dhan''s book, but I only managed three pages. I''m a slow reader, and books have never been my strong suit¡ªunless they''re comics or manga. The book is a curious blend of journal entries and a botanical encyclopedia. According to the journal, the facility I emerged from is maintained by dwarves, but their lack of familiarity with modern technology led to some mishaps during the excavation and installation of the elevator. Vital electronic parts were destroyed, including the Date-Time System, making it nearly impossible to determine how long we''ve been in hibernation.


    I''m no scientist, but perhaps carbon dating could solve this issue. From what I''ve seen on Mybox.com, plastic takes about 500 to 1000 years to decompose. The very facility itself might offer the means for such dating techniques. Even rocks can reveal their age, so maybe there''s hope yet.


    *Sigh!*


    "What''s your problem?" asked by Persis as he ravage the enormous food in our table, and Pen-pen do the same in his bowl.


    "I am just frustrated to what I''ve read from Dr.Dhan''s book, do you have any Idea what date today?"


    "Yes! It''s 851 in 12th day of Ruben"


    "What?" I am totally don''t get what he said.


    Persis stop eating and look at me straight in the eyes "Look kid! It''s pointless you to know, you are from ancient time, give it up and focus what''s in present"


    "It''s easy for you to say, I have obligations for my race, and I need to know how long we are in the freezer, I don''t know the limitation of the cryogenic sleeping" I frustrated said.


    he sighed "Damn, you are right." The dwarf is a bit worried but shake it off and proceed to eating.


    With that said, I suddenly loose my appetite, who knows, I might be the last human that will woke up and the rest will be rotten in their pod.


    "No matter your feelings are you need to fill yourself kid, empty stomach will only decrease your productivity not your worries" Persis said.


    With rationalizing everything I bite the nearest food that I grab.


    "Ouch!"


    I look to my food and I saw meat skewed in thick wood.


    "What kind of food that has recipe of wood?" I exclaimed.


    "Delicious one" he laughed, grabbing a similar piece of food to mine. With a playful glint in his eye, he demonstrated the proper way to eat it.


    "Just break the wood, and as you savor the meat, you can suck on the wood¡ªit''s truly appetizing." He added.


    I saw the wood glistening with something oily as I followed his example. Breaking the wood required more effort than a normal person might exert just to extract its juicy secret. As I sucked the delicious juice, I marveled at the spiral pattern revealed within the broken wood.


    "Eureka!" I shouted!


    Persis was startled by my sudden outburst of screaming and laughter, her eyes widening in surprise.


    "What''s gotten to you boy?" he asked.


    "The tree is the answer! The tree is the answer" I yelled.


    Persis throw the dried wood on me to make me calm.


    "Calm down boy, one at time" Persis yelling back at me.


    "Look, Persis!" I exclaimed, showing her the broken part of the wood with its intricate spiral pattern.


    "What am supposed to look at?" Persis asked, puzzled.


    "The tree grows with these wood patterns in its trunk," I explained, excitement in my voice. "Each year, it forms one spiral pattern!"


    "Ok?"


    "It''s so happen that during my previous life, I participated in this tree planting activities in the donated land for environmental purposes, I know the address, that''s where the Sto. Domingo church was before, we planted trees and there is one Tree from America that been genetically altered to adopt on the Environment of the Philippines, that tree can live thousand of years, if we can found this tree and cut it down, I can painfully count the spiral to determine his age." My smiles are from ear to ear.


    "All I understand is the word tree" the nonchalant dwarf is eating his food slowly while looking at me.


    "How can we find this tree then?" Persis Added.


    "With a gold detector" I proudly answered.


    "so that tree is made of gold then? I doubt that tree is still alive, knowing us dwarves love golds, I myself can sniff gold a mile a way!"


    "No! There is a golden crucifix embedded within the tree, its ancient roots having grown around it, embracing it in a timeless grasp! But our dilemma lies with the gold detector¡ªit remains where I journeyed from! Dr. Dhan''s book speaks of such wondrous metal detectors. Maybe we should go ba..."


    "No need!" the dwarf interrupted, he finished his meal and go to his drawers and take some mechanical looking cube device with dwarven inspired design.


    "Blurrrrrppphhhhhhh!!!" he raised the cube with one hand, "Behold, dwarven technology" then he swipe the table making a mess at the same time, my dog switch from the food bowl to the leftovers fallen on the floor, he place the box and open it, the inside is has a compass with two hands one is red and the other is gold plated.


    "We dwarves loves gold, we dwarves already can navigate inside mining caves and some of us has inborn ability to sense gold to any deepest earth, so we developed this." He proudly presented to me.


    "Very well then let''s go!!!!!....." I excitedly said.


    "Hep!... Hep...." He interrupted me again.


    "Clean that first!" he point the mess that he did.


    "You are really a peace of work, Persis!" I exclaimed.


    "We will form a party, this will take more than two of us to go there and cut down the tree!" the dwarf said.


    Right after I clean the mess that he makes, I immediately goes to the table and admire the peace of technology.


    "I should tear this detector afterwards, maybe I can learn a thing or two about dwarven tech." I muttered to myself.


    "What are you still doing here? I already fetch the party let''s go!" Persis shout from the door.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    I immediately grab the detector and runs towards Persis, I saw two more people that will assist us.


    "Guys! This is new musang! And don''t worry about the wolf because that''s friendly" Persis introduced me lazily.


    Pen-pen sniffed them intently, as if he were checking and memorizing each unique scent.


    "This is Gorg he is Orc, this is Tah''Oow he is Dark elf you will meet them in my site" he spread his hand to introduce them and I goes to them to offer a handshakes which they did accept, it''s good that simple gesture still recognize in this new reality.


    With all the quick preparation we immediately venture out to the wilderness, thanks to the proximity to our target, Persis assure that Hell pig won''t bother us, he already sent a letter through pigeon to the witch of the mountain, to keep the hell pig occupied, she can''t directly help us because she is wanted person in the Silver City, and we can''t afford to let others know about our connection to her.


    The path leading away from the Silver City quickly transformed from well-trodden roads to narrow, winding trails. Our formation is in this sequence, the Dark elf and Pen-pen leads the party for they have sensory specialization and next is Grog as vanguard and behind me is Persis to watch over me, whenever we face danger like a giant Grizzly bear witch we successfully repelled, Grog and Persis step forward with their axes shielding us and the Dark elf drawing his bow besides me, my wolf is the fastest among us, so he deals with flanking and damaging from the back, it only takes an hour until we reach the target part of the forests, immediately I use the detector, I am not good with trees.


    We roam the forest which it becomes denser as we walk further from the city.


    I holds a dwarven compass, its needle unwaveringly pointing towards the nearest source of gold. This ancient and enchanted artifact is their key to finding the specific tree that holds the golden crucifix buried in its trunk. Peek at the dwarven compass and his eyes narrow as he scrutinizes the compass, its needle leading them further into the heart of the forest.


    "Stay close, stay alert," Persis murmurs, his voice gruff but reassuring.


    As they move deeper, the forest seems to come alive with activity. Birds flutter overhead, unseen creatures scurry through the underbrush, and the occasional growl or snap of a twig keeps everyone on edge. The party members exchange glances, their senses heightened, each step taken with cautious precision.


    The air around them appears to shift, and the forest''s sounds go quiet for a brief while, as if understanding the seriousness of their mission.


    The group advances with coordinated and purposeful steps. They eventually reach a clearing illuminated by gently filtered sunlight. In the middle of the clearing is a majestic tree, its bark old and rough, emitting a faint golden glow.


    I steps forward, eyes gleaming with determination. "This is it,"


    The tree''s trunk, which was once small enough to hold with one hand, has grown so large that I can''t encircle it with both arms. It is among the biggest trees in the forest. Its branches, with only a few leaves, provide minimal shade to the ground below. Interestingly, no tall grasses grow under it, indicating that someone regularly tends the soil, focusing on the tree''s roots. The tree appears dry, its bark turning gray and brittle, suggesting it is nearing the end of its life. This makes the timing of its cutting vital¡ªdelaying by just two or three years could affect my age estimation. When I placed the compass near the tree, the largest pointer wiggled more vigorously, while the shorter one remained pointed north.


    "Let''s put it to peace!" I said.


    Persis and Grog, with their axes in hand, started chopping at the tree. Abruptly, the tree emitted an eerie wail, as air whooshed out from every crevice in its trunk.


    "Booooooommmmm!"


    We were thrown several feet away from the tree. I slammed into the opposite tree, and Grog, with his large frame, crashed into me.


    "What the heimr!!!" Grog shouted in disbelief.


    To make matters worse, Persis slammed into Grog, flattening me further.


    Meanwhile, the dark Elf landed gracefully on her feet while the rest of us were still recovering from the shock.


    "RRRrrrrrrrrrr!!!!"


    The ground from the roots of the tree arose too.


    "RRRrrrrrrrrrr!!!!"


    "RRRROOOOOAAAARRRRRRRRRR!!!!"


    "GOOOOLLLLLEEEEEEMMMMMM!" Grog shouted to warn us.


    "We are not equip to defeat that!" The mysterious dark elf exclaim.


    "Damn! Should brought hammer" Persis added.


    The creature is formed from the earth, a mix of soil and rock with occasional boulders. Its head resembles a stone skull. It stands like a powerful and primal gorilla.


    The target large tree is sitting on top.


    It slams both of its huge fists in the ground.


    "RRRROOOOOAAAARRRRRRRRRR!!!!"


    We immediately goes to our formation.


    "RRRROOOOOAAAARRRRRRRRRR!!!!"


    The golem hurls a boulder toward us, indifferent to its weight, as if gravity itself were a mere afterthought.


    We immediately disperse our formation scattering us in every direction as we avoid the flying debris.


    The arrows of the dark elf don''t have any effect against the harden body of the golem.


    The Golem charges at us, wreaking havoc upon its surroundings, rendering the efforts of our vanguard''s axes futile.


    "HOW CAN WE DEFEAT THIS?" the dark elf shouts.


    "WE DON''T" Persis shouted back.


    Pen-pen yells, his wild symphony ringing across the turmoil as he lunges at the Golem.


    Grog is struck by the Golem''s massive arms, sending his axe flying towards me. I catch the heavy weapon, but its weight pins me to the ground, making it impossible to wield.


    I watch my comrades bravely fighting the Golem, a wave of guilt washing over me as I feel the sting of my own perceived uselessness. I wonder how my predecessors managed to overcome such formidable threats, born from the boundless imagination of those who created myths and folktales.


    An idea strikes me, but it''s risky for a mere human to attempt. However, the situation calls for desperate measures.


    I asked Persis to lend me again the rope that he always bring whenever he venture outside the city, Persis trusting that I have an idea he handed me his rope immediately, I anchored the rope in nearby tree and boulder then run towards the golem.


    "GODD!!....HEEEEYYYYY!!!" Persis exclaimed, shock flooding his features as he nearly let my name slip in the heat of the moment.


    Just as I always do when Pen-pen and I race through the enchanting streets of Silver City, I leap and perform every acrobatic maneuver necessary to scale the Golem, all while it struggles to dislodge the persistent wolf from its back.


    I manage to grab onto the Golem''s back. With every bit of energy in my legs, I leap with a height and strength that surpasses what someone of my size could typically achieve. Pen-pen bites through the rope that was holding me, and as I swing through the air, I skillfully use my weight to wrap the rope around the tree embedded in the Golem''s back.


    Persis with his jaw dropping seeing me doing those stunts "lu....lu....lure!! the golem! "


    He dashes to the opposite side of the anchor, desperately attempting to draw the Golem''s focus. Swiftly, he arms himself with a compact crossbow and shoots bolts of fire into the sky, illuminating the sky with their brilliance. Despite their efforts, the Golem cunningly concentrates on destroying the anchored rope.


    Suddenly,


    "ARRRRRHHHHHH!!!!!!" a booming voice crackled behind Persis, the Golem look over to his shoulder.


    Grog shouting on top of his lungs with the dark elf on his side casting some sort of a spell to Grog.


    The Golem changes its strategy and charges at Grog, its eyes wild with frenzy. The tree emits another howl, harmonizing with the Golem''s relentless and primal roar as it rushes towards the shouting Grog. Together, their voices form a haunting symphony of battle.


    The ancient tree is uprooted from its back, causing Grog and the dark elf to halt their actions and flee to avoid the rampaging Golem.


    "VOOOSSSHHHHH!!!"


    The Golem suddenly collapses, shattered by the intense brilliance of the solidified light that pierced its formidable body from above.


    "WOOOSSSHHH!!!" An Angel dove down to the remaining uncrumbled part of the Golem, shattering it further, smoke billowing into the air.


    Everyone is on the ground shielding and covering itself from the flying debris.


    "Fear thee not anymore, for I am hither, and I shall never suffer the citizen of the silver City to be harmed by any malignant creature."


    His voice crackles faintly, and a familiar sensation tells me exactly who it belongs to.


    We immediately fall to our knees as St.Naphael emerged.


    "Your Majesty, I come not to disturb you, but to seek the rescue of the patrolling angel," Persis said with a voice filled with humility.


    The prince glances over his shoulder, his eyes locking onto mine for a moment before a smile graces his lips. He then turns his attention back to Persis.


    "''Tis well, my loyal dwarf, for my mercy stays my hand from sending another angel for thy rescue. I shall be the one who must heed thy call." The angel boasting.


    Then he flew away.


    "Climb to trees and watch over city" Persis give instruction to the dark elf which she immediately followed.


    Persis and Grog immediately pick their axe and goes to the uprooted tree, the party is already been instructed that we need the cross section of the trunk, not really the tree itself.


    The orc and the dwarf take turns striking the trunk of the tree. Gorg''s blows are powerful but erratic, while Persis''s strikes lack Gorg''s strength but are unwaveringly consistent. Gorg pauses to catch his breath before resuming, and together they chip away at the trunk. When their axes finally penetrate the hollow part of the tree, it splits into two pieces, revealing the cross-section of the trunk with a golden crucifix. However, the relentless chopping and the tree''s collapse have damaged it, breaking the left hand and cross of the crucifix.


    For some reason the crucifix didn''t really embedded to the trunk, I tried to pull the crucifix, as I lean my left hand on the tree and my right hand touch the crucifix to pull.


    "Godwin!........"


    "Godwin!........"


    "Godwin!........"


    "Godwin!........"


    Voices echoing to the void.


    Suddenly, I found myself enveloped in darkness, with only the solitary moon casting its pale light. The sky stretched empty, devoid of stars¡ªa vast void above. My feet sank into water, and as I looked down, my reflection shimmered on the surface. To my astonishment, I wasn''t clad in my musang costume but in my plain jail uniform, stark and unadorned. Even more bewildering, my body had regressed to that of a 10-year-old.


    "Godwin!........"


    "Godwin!........"


    "Godwin!........"


    "Godwin!........"


    Again multiple voices echoed then.


    "Godwin!........"


    A very familiar voice echoing from my back.


    Tears runs down from my face as I turn around.


    "Godwin!........"


    The soft and caring voice only belongs to no one.


    "Ma." I softly muttered, it seems even my voice regressed to my child voice.


    "I am sorry." My poor mother response.


    "No! I am sorry! I am sorry for being stubborn son, I am sorry for bringing you heartache! I am sorry for being worthless, I am sorry for not fulfilling my promise to you, to take care of you forever." At this point I cannot hold back my tears.


    "We are sorry." My mother said.


    "We are not your mother"


    "We are not your mother"


    "We are not your mother"


    "We are not your mother"


    Her voice multiply to different voices.


    "We assume the appearance of your mother for convenience."


    My tone suddenly shifts.


    "Who are you?" I asked with seriousness in my voice.


    "We are anito resides to the ancient tree, we know you Godwin"


    They are speaking through the appearance of my mother.


    "What do you want?" I shouted with frustration.


    "We want to inform you and help you, the way your mother help us."


    "What do you mean?" I responses.


    "This tree cannot survive without proper care. After you planted it, our consciousness was born from the souls who perished with the Church. The victims of terrorism have consolidated the spiritual essence of this place, and the tree, brought from afar, has become the catalyst of our collective consciousness."


    "After you been put to cryogenic sleep, your mother does not fail to visit us, and pray to the golden crucifix, she is taking of us, until the day that she died" they continue.


    "We felt her love to you, and we learned that the family of Nisha use their connections to prevent your mother to and attend to your execution of cryogenic jail"


    My heart was broken further to what I heard from them.


    "Can you tell me how my mother spent her last moments of her life?"


    "I am saddened to tell you that since you''ve been jailed, no one has cared for your elderly mother. She ended up as a beggar, but we did our best to repay her love and care for us. We visited people in their dreams, urging them to give alms to your mother. It''s hard to believe, but perhaps because of your God, this tree produced water from its trunk. However, it was very difficult to shelter your mother from the elements. She succumbed to a severe fever, but we ensured she did not feel alone. We managed to manifest an illusion of you holding her hand in the final moments of her life."


    At this point, I fail to hold back my tears and am crying In front of the image of my mother.


    They held me, or rather, the image of my mother knelt down to embrace and hug me, trying to offer comfort. Her hands around my little shoulders made me feel as though I had finally found my real mother.


    "We pray that this small action can give you peace of mind"


    "Thank you! Thank you, Anito! Please, stay with us! We''ve found good people in the city who will care for you. I promise you''ll be taken care of," I cried out, tears streaming down my face. Desperately, I tried to hold onto these spirits, knowing their memories were the last memento of my mother to me.


    "We can''t" they answered.


    "Why? Is it because of the tree? Can''t you migrate to other trees? I will revive the tree, all I had is to plant it again." At this point I am begging them to stay.


    "We cannot migrate, and even this tree has remained untouched. The Methuselah tree, nearing its twilight, will be our end. We thank the Bathala that he allowed us to meet and repay the kindness of your mother."


    The image of my mother starts fading.


    "No!!!! please stay longer, hold me longer! Pleaseeeee!!!"


    "Take the crucifix, it has the page from the prophet of death, the name of your father was been erased" They said.


    She hold my face to make me look at her eyes.


    "You may have many regrets regarding your mother, but do not let those regrets extend to your father. There is a strong possibility that he has been resurrected and is still alive today."


    My old mother smiled at me "Oh! stand strong, my son"


    They finally faded away.


    My poor mother finally faded away.


    Then I found myself back on the ground, clutching the crucifix in my breast, my face wet with tears.


    "Thank you, Tree, I am honored to be the one who planted the Philippine Methuselah tree"

 Chapter 7: The Broken Brotherhood

    ¡°Good morning Fore!¡± a random dwarf greeted Persis.


    ¡°Good morning too!¡± he responded.


    ¡°Nice shoes Persis!¡± another random person greeted him.


    ¡°Hahaha! Thanks Forge! Got good bargain from downtown!¡±


    As always, Persis responds to the greetings of the people. What more can I ask for? Beautiful elves, smiling dwarves, happy flying fairies, medieval-looking architecture¡ªI cannot ask for more, except for one thing.


    ¡°You lazy useless brat! Come over here!¡± Persis shouted to me.


    ¡°What? I am still doing your ENJOYABLE mission here!¡± I am heavily sweating from wearing the costume, and my throat is dry as hell while hauling gravel to the cart.


    ¡°Come here first!¡± he insisted.


    I drop my shovel and walk tiredly to Persis.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°First take your shovel and put to somewhere belongs!¡±


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK?¡± I frustratedly shouted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave your area not tide up!¡± he just set my frustration aside.


    ¡°I will get back to do it later!¡±


    Persis frowns and solidifies his voice.


    ¡°Now!¡±


    ¡°This is bullshit!¡±


    I have no choice but to go back to my designated area.


    ¡°Double time!¡± he commanded.


    To avoid further arguments, I follow his every demand: return the shovel to the tool custodian, sweep my area to avoid stepping on sharp objects like nails, and put up barricades around the gravel so other workers won''t transfer it to undesignated areas. I am  just going to get a broom  when...


    ¡°Let me do the notice of leave and sweeping for you¡±  the kind orc offer a helping hand.


    "Oh, thank you, Gorg. A simple floor sweeping will make me finish this tedious task a lot faster."


    Gorg is an orc, my fellow construction worker, who is assisting me at this construction site. He is the only one who considers my situation; no one else has tried to help me despite my injuries. Plus, I cannot read or write in Alibata. For some reason, the English alphabet doesn''t exist here, and they use Alibata instead. It''s a shame that I am Filipino and have no clue how to use the alphabet of my ancestors.


    "No worries. I used to have dozens of siblings, and working on this construction site reminds me of being with them."


    I smiled and nodded immediately. I wrote something on the assigned board with chalk, indicating who worked in this area. I know it seems a bit excessive, but that''s how the workers leave their designated area. Even if you only go to the bathroom, cleaning the area and putting up a notification board is required. Then, right after everything is tidied up and neat, I go to Persis.


    "Ok! Persis, you better make my time worth it! My foreman will scold me more for lagging behind the transfer schedule of materials."


    Persis smirked and handed me the herbal medicine. I took the cup and forcefully swallowed the most bitter liquid I had ever tasted, even more bitter than my sorry ass. I handed back the cup, and Persis poured water into it. However, I refused to drink it because the taste of the herbal medicine was so strong that the water would make it just as bitter. Instead, I took the water bottle from Persis''s pouch and drank from it. Persis angrily took the bottle back from me.


    ¡°Brat don¡¯t take something from someone without permission¡±


    "I had no choice; you always make me drink bitter water." I grumbled.


    ¡°How was it?¡±


    I hold my stomach, ¡°I think the medicine is working.¡±


    ¡°Good!¡± then Persis sat down.


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, go back and work.¡±


    "What the hell, Persis? You made me waste my time tidying up my designated area," I exclaimed.


    ¡°So?¡±


    "PERSIS, IT TOOK ME 30 MINUTES JUST TO FOLLOW THE STANDARD PROCEDURE OF LEAVING THE DESIGNATED AREA OF THIS CONSTRUCTION SITE! WELL, YOUR CONSTRUCTION SITE TO BE PRECISE!"


    ¡°To make workers work safer!¡± again for the Nth times, he dismissed my frustration and concerns.


    "FOR YOUR INFORMATION, YOU DWARF, I HAVE BEEN A SAFETY OFFICER IN MANY HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS, AND I NEVER FORCED MY WORKERS TO SPEND 30 MINUTES TIDYING UP THEIR AREA JUST TO SPEND SECONDS DRINKING MEDICINE!"


    ¡°You wont have spend time tiding  up and drank medicine if you avoid making trouble for yourself!¡±


    "OH MY GOODNESS, PERSIS! IT''S BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE THAT HAPPENED!"


    ¡°Yet you still need drink medicine you weak brat!¡±


    "Why not just let me leave my area for a second without all those tedious processes?"


    ¡°For safety protocol¡± he responded.


    ¡°Shut up and go back to your work!¡± Persis Added.


    "Fine, but what about my request? I need to find that elf and get the artifact."  I am talking about the win streak fighter who got the reward which might be one of the artifacts that I need to look for.


    ¡°Is medicine made you forgetful? You forgot last time you tried getting damn artifacts?¡±


    The wolf is tugging at my pants for some reason, but my attention is focused on convincing this old fart to let me resign from my work to retrieve the artifact.


    "Please, Persis, I beg you. Let me. That artifact might be the answer to resolving my race''s issue!"


    ¡°I want too, but your safety come first!¡±


    The wolf kept tugging at my pants, but Persis and I were very busy arguing until my buddy dropped the canister he had been biting onto my legs to get my attention, and he succeeded.


    ¡°Arff! Arfff!¡±


    I was glad to hear his first bark, but I immediately knew what he was trying to communicate. I looked upward and saw the angel diving down at a dangerous pace, and my instincts kicked in.


    ¡°Run!¡± I shouted.


    I looked at Persis, who was already running away from me, and then back to the wolf, who had already grabbed his canister and was running. I knew exactly where that damn angel would land. So I began to sprint, but three steps later, the angel furiously landed right where I was standing. Soil splashed from his landing, and dust rose around the angel.


    "Oh my! Dive landing is one of my favorite things about being an angel!" The arrogant angel boasted.


    The workers of the site began to gather around the angel, curious about what had just happened.


    "Behold and be glad, baseborns, for an angel has visited thy pitiful place! I hereby carry a message from our exalted prince!"


    Gorg stood beside me to check if I was okay, and he whispered to himself.


    "Ha! Who''s the pitiful one here? Renouncing your own race to become this kind of idiot."


    ¡°Thou say something baseborn?¡± the angel didn''t let his low key commend slide.


    The orc shouted, "Oh yeah! You enjoy this kind of bragging?" as he raised both hands sideways.


    "Calling your brother baseborn? You think you''re better than me just because you have a few wings and lost your tusks?"


    The orc seems to know the angel, but I''m kind of confused about him being a sibling to an angel. It''s rather far-fetched for an angel to impregnate a female orc, considering angels typically have a high adoration of beauty.


    The orc walk towards the angel


    "How long has it been? 10 years? 20 years? You said you would come back to us right after you received the so-called blessing. We can save our clan now. The Soilgrabber clan is waiting for us!"


    The orc grabs the back of the angel''s head, as brothers do in excitement. The angel angrily shoves the hand away. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me you wretched creature!¡±


    A few seconds later, as the angel looked at the orc, I noticed his facial expression change as if he realized something and became disgusted by it.


    He grabbed his scepter, which resembled the scepter of a king during a coronation. Well, this angel was wearing a crown anyway, so it matched the outfit.


    The scepter extended and transformed into a spear, with the blade made of solidified light. Then, with fury and speed, he swiped the spear, cutting off the left arm of the orc.


    ¡°AAAAAHHHHHH!!!!¡±


    I immediately went to the orc, ripping part of my costume to tend to the sudden amputation of the orc''s arm.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I shouted.


    The angel raised his hand and seemed to summon a tidal wave, and I felt the tide suddenly hitting my body, sending both the orc and me flying several feet away from him.


    ¡°Shut up filth¡±


    Suddenly, I heard a voice coming from behind me.


    "Verily! Oh, Krog, thou dost appear deeply engrossed in exhibiting the esteemed authority granted unto thee. I express gratitude to thee, O Light Father, for I felt compelled to verify thy doings."


    I was surprised by the sudden appearance of the prince. He approached the poor orc and helped him stand up.


    Everyone knelt before the prince, and even the injured tried to kneel, but the prince prevented him, assuring him that formality was not required.


    "I am St. Formeal now, Your Majesty," said the angel, showing his respect.


    "Verily, though this creature may not concur, yet let us set aside the familial discord. I bear a message."


    The crowned prince began to float.


    "Before aught else, dost thou perchance ken what be the rarest material needed to fulfill the task bestowed upon the crowned prince?"


    ¡°The head of the bakunawa!¡±


    One of the crowd shouted.


    "Thou speak''st truth. How dost thou reckon to draw forth the creature from the depths of the briny deep?"


    ¡°During full moon!¡± one of the crowd shouted.


    "Thou speakest true once more. Yet, we must needs study the creature''s comportment during the full moon. According to the learned scholars of Silver City from Jerusalem, the monster seeks refuge in the waters to shield itself from sudden assault by the minokawa. Nevertheless, the serpent cannot endure the water indefinitely, and its endurance wanes with the humidity and the radiance of the moon. Alas, we lack the leisure to spend observing the serpent monthly and thirteen times a year to draw a conclusion."


    ¡°We need the pearl moon!¡±  Persis spoke suddenly, crossing his arms.


    "Indeed, thou art correct! The pearl hails from the southeast of Luzon, the northern realm of Quezon. Alas, our heavenly companions cannot tarry for trifling affairs, and only... Korg." then he laugh a little.


    "...I mean, Formeal could accompany thee. A solitary ascended angel cannot simply soar thither and retrieve the pearl. Thus, I am enlisting volunteers for this modest journey."


    Many people, including myself, raise their hands to earn some credits for the mission and gain favor from the angel named Formael.


    "Very well! As anticipated, thou art eager to volunteer for our city. However, those aged 180 years and younger may not partake in this expedition."


    Almost every hand fell save for ours, mine own, and that of an unfamiliar dwarf.


    ¡°Put your hands down musang, I cannot let you go out without me¡± Persis interrupted


    I mustered my courage and ask a question, ¡°Your Majesty if you may, can you ask why the age limit?¡±


    "Forsooth! ''Tis the season of chill weather, ''tis Karmber indeed! Behold, a spectral mist hovers o''er the mountain pass of Rizal at present! Each day henceforth, an adult shall expend but one day to encompass ten years of life. Verily, I cannot tarry longer to complete the project of my beloved''s brother."


    ¡°My musang still on 30 years mandatory public service, and I am his guardian, he cannot go anywhere else.¡± Persis is trying to prevent me to be involved in this matter.


    Yeah, I remember that ridiculous law mandating that all individuals from outside seeking citizenship are required to spend 30 years of their lives doing public service for slave wages. At first, I was shocked to learn about this and immediately argued with Persis as if Persis could do something about it. Apparently, almost all of my predecessors spent their time doing the said service, aging in the process, and Persis didn''t mention a single predecessor who enjoyed citizenship.


    "I shall grant leave myself to release this small being from its duty!" The prince said.


    I put my hands down. I realize the trip isn''t worth it. I''m just trying to earn the prince''s favor to escape the mandate.


    "I think I won''t go. I can''t afford to spend days outside the mandate, and I''m already 30. Even if I completed the mandate, I wouldn''t enjoy citizenship." I said in complaining voice.


    "Very well! Upon successful completion of the mission I have tasked thee with, I, St. Nephael, do hereby absolve thee of any mandates that have burdened thee within this Silver City."


    ¡°But Your Majesty I cannot allow it! He is my responsibility!¡± the old fart protested.


    The prince cast a glance towards Persis, offering a sardonic smile.


    "Thus, I do hereby temporarily absolve thee of thy responsibility until the musang accomplishes the mission."


    ¡°I will come too¡± The orc said.


    ¡°What is thy age?¡± Formael ask.


    "Come on, Korg! You know orcs can''t live beyond 160 years."


    ¡°Very Well¡± The prince said


    "So, if any would join the mission, raise thy left hand, or Formael shall not include thy name upon the list."


    ¡°Ahhhhmmmm¡± the amputed orc is trying to awkwardly protest.


    ¡°hahahaha! I am joking, there is only three of you from here, don¡¯t let the party get slow though, they will never wait for you hahaha!¡± Then the prince tap the orc on his left shoulder making the poor orc jerk in pain.


    "I won''t. Tomorrow my wounds will be fully healed." Grog responded.


    Then the prince spread his four wings and left.


    "With the departure of His Majesty, I shall await the recruits at the Cathedral squares forthwith. Thus, I bid thee farewell for the nonce!"


    Right after the angel left, we rushed to the orc. Persis immediately applied the first aid kit. Even though orcs tend to heal their wounds a lot faster than humans, it looks like the orc is in pain.


    I don''t know if those painful expressions are from the cut or from what happened between him and his brother.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± I ask out of genuine concern.


    Persis looks so worried. It seems this old fart, regardless of his way of talking to me, cares about the people he works with.


    "Is that really your brother? I mean, is he adopted or something?"


    "Yes, he''s my brother from another mother. He''s not only my brother by blood, but also a brother at arms. I can''t count the times we''ve gone to raid or defend our clan together."  Grog responded to my question.


    "I never imagined an angel would be born outside of this city."


    "He has tusks first, before crown and wings."


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    "Our clan was enslaved by another clan, those damn Woodclaws!"


    Then he continue, "We luckily escaped from the raid and sought refuge in this city. We learned that in this city, they offer divination, a ritual that can transform any race into angels, making them stronger in the process. I failed the initial screening, but Korg managed to pass. After groveling for 10 years, with a combination of his dedication and persistence, he was scheduled for divination. We planned to go back and rescue our family from the Woodclaws and seek revenge at the same time. But right after the divination, he refused to talk to me. I tried several ways to approach him, but he distanced himself from me. The angels also stood between us. His appearance is different, his behavior changed, but a brother will always recognize his brother."


    ¡°Now destiny give you a chance to get him back my friend, lets head to the square cathedral, I might come with you in your journey but I can be with you for the meantime, besides my musang requires some assistance until departure¡± Persis is trying to give assurance.


    The four of us¡ªmyself, Persis, the orc named Gorg, and an unknown dwarf¡ªstood together after the recruits were completed. The elven knights organized our assembly, facing the cathedral, and then trumpets were blown.


    One elven shouted, ¡°Stand straight before the only two diwatas of this Glorious Silver City!¡± The door opened, and a red carpet was unrolled as many elves immediately prepared the stage in front of us. Mist, with the smell of fragrance, rose above the ground, but it only stayed at waist level. It seems these two people love a dramatic entrance. I wonder what tricks they used to create this kind of special effect.


    From the cathedral door, accompanied by the sound of trumpets, emerged two beautiful fair ladies. They wore simple, clean white gowns that seemed see-through, but only enough to notice the silhouette of their bodies, which I must say¡ªI may sound like a pervert, but this is the only way I know to describe their appearance.


    Not that I''ve read tons of sex stories from the internet influencing my description, but this is the only way I know how.


    ¡°Oh my! I will never get to use looking at those bodies.¡±


    The taller one is much taller than the other, and I guess from the distance, she is taller than me. Through her silhouette, she is curvier and more mature than the other, although the other one is not so curvy; her petite body would put every model to shame, and her very appearance shouts youth and femininity.


    They are wearing crowns with white flowers with touches of leaves here and there. They wear no sandals or shoes, for no footwear can match their beauty and delight. Even in the midst of the mist, everything shines so bright. They don¡¯t need to wear shoes because even the dirt is shy to cling to their perfect feet.


    I have seen so many beautiful ladies in my time, but even our prettiest Miss Universe would get envious of those black fox eyes that can look through your soul, pointy nose that would surely tickle my cheeks if they kissed me, tiny lips that beg anyone to bite on them. Fair skin tones just like ours, but so perfectly smooth and moisturized I would get shivers if any of it touched me. Their long, wavy hair decorates the long gown.


    One of the ladies stands taller and speaks.


    "Foremost, I extend my gratitude for thy acceptance of our summons to this quest. My daughter and I shall guide thee to the renowned Moon Pearl. Niela and Mikay possess the ability to navigate the mist, for our spirits are tethered to this realm."


    Mikay noticed me and smiled at me. Immediately, my heart stopped, then began to beat furiously. I know I am wearing a mask, but I am sure I am blushing right now. I think I will sleep well tonight, Nay, because of that smile. I feel like I can do anything because of that smile. I might go and get that pearl, or any kind of pearl. Heck, I will try to get the moon itself for her.


    ¡°We will depart from tomorrow so prepare yourself¡±


    "I''m sure one night is not enough to prepare yourself," suddenly Katibo appeared from above.


    "Pardon me, I am the one who leads these volunteers" Niela spoke, asserting her authority.


    "You are leading them to their death. The mist is not the only danger you will face out there. Right after you pass the Sierra Padre Mountain ranges, you will be out of touch due to the effect of the Silver Cities. I don¡¯t know if you forgot, but malignant creatures will hunt you at night, and beasts stronger and bigger than hell pigs will be your predators during the day!" Katibo responded.


    Katibo and Niela argues about the immediate departure.


    ¡°Ha! Try argue with Katibo now¡± Persis whisper to himself.


    ¡°What for?¡± I whispered to him.


    ¡°I make sure you not die out there, I train you and teach you how to fight¡±


    ¡°I think I will die first from your training before dying out there.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t worry about it if you are strong¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what is training for? To make me strong¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes¡± Persis answered with confidence in his voice.


    ¡°And I will not survive if I am not strong?¡± I raise one of my eyebrows.


    ¡°Then be strong¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°be strong first here¡± then he point his thumb in his chest


    Finally, the argument stopped, and Katibo convinced not only the Diwata but even Formael.


    ¡°Alright one month I cannot wait it further¡± Niela exclaimed


    ¡°Thank you my lady, I know you have clear perception on this journey¡± the fairy bow his head out of courtesy


    After the assembly, we went straight to Persis''s house downtown, to the slum area of the Silver City. Even though Persis could have one or two townhouses in the upper echelon, he chose to live here for a reason.


    Anyway, the night is usual. I''m doing the cooking and the dishes because the last time he cooked, let''s just say the foul taste still lingers on my taste buds. I go to the attic beside the window in the middle of the night. I was awakened by a sudden cold breeze ing my room. I opened my eyes and was surprised by what I saw.


    Under the moonlight, a girl is sitting on my window. Beautiful black hair reflecting the moonlight, the breeze spreading her hair and gown. Even in the dark, her skin brightens my room.


    The eyes! Oh my god, her eyes. They stare through me, matching with her smile, enough to make me fully awake with energy enough to build a castle. My jaw dropped. I am stunned by her beauty under the moonlight. All I can say is,


    ¡°A Goddess?¡±  I muttered to myself.


    ¡°Close enough, hahahaha! It is Mikay!¡± the little Diwata playfully said.

 Chapter 8: The Overrated Inspiration

    Part 1:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    I just realized I wasn''t wearing my mask, so I immediately covered my face.


    "It''s too late for you to do that. Don''t worry, I won''t tell anyone." The pretty and elegant young diwata said.


    "What are you doing here? And please, close the window." Because of my shock, that''s all I can response.


    She hopped down from the window and sat on my bed, which prompted me to sit on my bed as well.


    "So, how''s your new reality? Do you miss your old world?" With teasing in Mikay''s eyes, she immediately step inside my personal space.


    "What are you talking about?"  I am still trying to deny it.


    "I''m talking about you being with your own kind, being with your fellow humans." She still continue to close our gap, my hair on my skin is raising because of the smoothness of her skin which is rubbing to mine.


    I was shocked by what she said. I should lock the window next time. I immediately covered my ears.


    "Who is human here? I am an elf."


    "Hahahaha! You''re funnier than the other humans. You''re too ugly to become an elf." With those words specially coming from her, it feels like a thousand daggers are stabbed on my chest.


    She held one of my arms to pull it down, and at the same time, the clouds cleared, making the moonlight shine brighter. In return, it made me see her face more clearly, every detail of it. Her eyebrows complimented her deep fox eyes, with noticeable eyelashes decorated by the blackest eyeliner I''ve seen. Between her eyes, the bridge of her nose ran, forming a pointy shape, while the columella pushed it up. The curves of her alea were small and cute, and then suddenly...


    "Ouch!" she yell.


    Out of the blue, without me thinking, I just pinched her nose. But she didn''t get mad; instead, she actually smiled, which made her cheeks bulge in the cutest way. Her tiny lips spread a little, showing her small, clean teeth. Everything about her was so perfect. I could describe every feature of her appearance and every move she made.


    I mistook her for calling her a goddess earlier, but she seems to have the power to make time slow down because every move she made slowed my perception of time, and she made me forget to...


    "Ahhhhh!!!" I gasp for an air, "I forgot to breathe"


    "Hahaha! Do you always remind yourself to breathe?" She chuckles.


    "caugh! Caugh! Caugh!"


    "How could I not breathe when you sit there in my window, staring at me?"


    "Well I can''t wait to see you again" she said in a cutest way possible.


    My cheeks blush at those words. Did she like me? Am I going to have a goddess as my girlfriend?


    "Ahhhmmm I lov..."


    She sudden speak, "You are different from the previous humans that Persis brought to this city."


    For some reason I feel an ice bucket of water pour on to me


    "What do you mean by PREVIOUS HUMANS?"


    "Well, for some reason, we Diwata can recognize humans. Based on my experience, there are no humans that I cannot recognize. However, according to Mother, that ability is only limited to Filipino people."


    "So it means you and your mother knew about Persis sneaking in humans all along?"


    "Yes."


    "And you don''t tell anyone about it?"


    "We don''t care, it is better to stay quite than to participate to this men hunting"


    "Men hunting? What about women?"


    "Anyway, it''s getting late. You need your energy for tomorrow. I just dropped by to see your human face. For some reason, I felt more rihan from you. Actually, not only do you have more rihan for a human, but I see the rihan from others drawing towards you. Meet me at the Silver City Bay. So, see ya!"


    Immediately she jump out of the window


    "Wait!!.." I tried to stop her.


    She ignore me and she hover to the ground instead of running.


    "She want to see me again." I muttered


    Part 2:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    This is ridiculous! How can I let this creature go on the journey with that pathetic body? I''ve never seen a human so weak like this.


    All I did was make him sprint around this garden and bench press this 10 kg barbell per round, and it only took him two repetitions.


    "Looking strong Godwin" I sarcastically said.


    "You know what can make me press this barbell?" he responded.


    "What?"


    "LESS SARCASM!"


    "Just push the damn barbell brat"  I yell in frustration.


    "I can keep this promise. I just didn''t sleep properly last night. I told you I need proper sleep to operate properly."  he protested.


    "You know what can make you press that barbell?"


    "What?"


    "LESS EXCUSES!"


    "I can''t! Can you just give me a minute to catch my breath?"


    If this weak mind continues, I''ll have to find a way to guard this human discreetly. For now, maybe I can impart my survival knowledge to him, but first, he must understand the fundamental reasons why races and some mythical creatures have abilities.


    I walked towards him and made him sit. The freaking weak guy sat there panting. He panted when we climbed up the tree, he panted when we were chased by the hell pig, and now he is panting again. This human loves to pant like a dog.


    Right after I sat beside him, Gorg came with the food and beverage on a tray held by only one hand. Then he kicked the stool a little in front of us and placed the food there.


    "Finished punishing the musang yet? Hahahaha!" Grog chuckled.


    "I guess lesson for now while he catch his breath." I responded.


    "What particular lesson?" Godwin asked.


    "About Rihan!" I said with a stern look on my face.


    "Rihan?" just what the other humans, he asked out of confusion.


    "Oh! That''s simple! Rihan is the energy that flows in every being, especially in mythical creatures, like you and me. For example, the sturdy build of the orcs; we are known to have brute force despite the usual physical limitations bound by this reality."  Grog happily answered his question.


    "But you look strong! I mean, look at your body! It''s like you''re a muscle that grew a face and limbs, is that will happen to me if I master this rihan?" Godwin seems having interest with rihan.


    "Hahaha! Well, I didn''t work out for this. I was born with this sturdy body. All I need is to eat, and my body will generate muscles. Dwarves are strong too, but they have limited speed. They can run at their top speed for the whole day, unlike us orcs. Dwarves can exert effort for a very long time."  Grog boasted.


    "Dwarves were build for efficiency less rest more work." Persis added.


    "So, if orcs are for brute force and dwarves for endurance, what about the elves?" Godwin asked again with innocent in his eyes.


    I couldn''t avoid thinking about those particular things that I always notice with all the elves. I smirked and looked at Gorg just to confirm what he was thinking.


    "Beauty" Grog said.


    "Beauty" I shouted.


    "Hahahahaha!"


    "Hahahahaha!"


    Me and Grog laugh as if we are happy that we both knew the obvious.


    "What about magic?" Godwin seems want to confirm something.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "I''ve seen elves with speed, insurance and accuracy but magic? Not really, besides, rihan is so hard to control outside the in-born abilities, there is only one person I know who can do magic.." I answered.


    "The witch of the mountain?" he interrupted.


    "OOOOHHHHHHH!"


    "OOOOHHHHHHH!"


    "Calm down, my friend. You cannot talk about her in this city." I reprimanded them.


    "Why?"


    "Because the she-elf can make proper medicine which rival the health service offered by St. Therese" I replied.


    "Saint? So she is an angel?" the human asked again for 100th time.


    "She is the only person who don''t have wings yet been called a saint" Grog answered his question.


    I munched on the food prepared by Gorg and threw some to the wolf. The beast dropped the canister from its mouth and ate the food. Out of curiosity, I reached to get the canister, and then suddenly...


    "Arf!"


    "Fuck beast, what is problem of him?"


    "Oh! Never touch the canister if you don''t want to be eaten alive!" I answered.


    "He said that''s not for you to take."  Gorg added.


    "You can understand the wolf?" I asked.


    "A few of the orcs are born with this ability. My brother does not have it. That''s why he chooses to get down from his steed during battles. He can''t fight while thinking about the steed." Grog boasted again.


    Interesting! We saved him from the prince already biting the canister, he guarded it with his very life. I should investigate about this, but building the new basilica while preparing this lad for his journey. If and only if this brat is strong enough for the journey, or else I will personally stalk them and protect them from shadow. That''s too much for me to worry about. Hmmmm! There is one dwarf that was selected during the recruit at my construction site. I don''t know anything about him, only his name, Grumbart Forgefeet... Forgefeet. He has a last name, meaning he came from a noble family too. However, I''ve never heard of that family name.


    "Sigh!!!"


    "What is the problem Persis?" Godwin asked out of concern.


    "Nothing! Back to work, I mean training!" I exclaimed.


    "but I am still tired!" I protested.


    "And you still weak! Now go!" the old fart added.


    Part 3:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    I underwent the most horrible exercise program I''ve ever known. Actually, even Gorg said it was more like a punishment than training! Is Persis still mad at me because of the arena incident? Anyway, I survived the gruesome exercise. Now, this afternoon, I''m with my fellow recruits, and we will just do simple activities to prepare us for the journey. Maybe they already have a plan for how the journey will go, and they will just discuss it with us.


    Oh man, I can''t wait to be a part of something big! After this assembly, I will meet Mikay. My life is much better than my previous life! Hahaha! I mean, I''m going to have an adventure, and last night, a goddess visited my room. She even knows my true identity, yet she will protect it. Last night, I couldn''t sleep because of it, so I trimmed my costume enough for me to wear something nice, unlike the original, which is big and baggy. Hahaha! Ohh! Here comes the knight of the Diwata. She seems like she''s going to be the one who will discuss the mission!


    I am so freaking excited hahahaha!


    <figure>


    </figure>


    WHAT THE FUCK? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? Another marathon jogging? I mean, we already had cardio and resistance training this morning! And to think that I can rest now, and then have to do this in the afternoon is fucking dumb of me!


    "Huffff!!! Hufffff!! Huffff!" I panted.


    "AAAAHHHHHHH!!! Sirrrrr! I ALREADY HAD THIS KIND OF TRAINING THIS MORNING! THIS FREAKING EARLY MORNING!! AND I DON''T EVEN HAVE PROPER SLEEEEEEEPPPP!!!" I complained.


    "SHUT UP, YOU MAGGOT! I DON''T CARE IF YOU JUST CAME FROM WAR! YOU HAVE TO DO THE TRAINING JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, NO FUCKING EXCUSES! NOW RUN!"  the instructor shouted.


    "I WON''T, I AM DONE WITH THIS!"  I complained further.


    "I DON''T CARE. IF YOU DON''T LIKE IT, THEN GET OUT OF HERE. YOU''RE MAKING MY TRAINING INSUFFERABLE IN FRONT OF LADY MIKAY." the instructor responded with annoyance in his face.


    I was shocked by what he said! I mean, Mikay!? The Mikay that visited me last night?


    "Wait! Wait sir! You mean Mikay the diwata?" I raised my voice out of suprised.


    "WHO ELSE AM I TALKING ABOUT? SHE''S BEEN STANDING THERE THE WHOLE TIME!"


    My heart froze, and even though I''m sweating like a sea right now, I feel a new sweat coming out from me right now¡ªthe cold one.


    I am turning my head very slowly to where the knight is pointing, to my horror.


    "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!" I shouted.


    SHE''S THERE! RIGHT THERE!!! UNDER THE SHADE OF THE TREE, LAUGHING WITH PERSIS, WITH ALL THE DWARVES IN THIS CITY. SHE''S TALKING WITH PERSIS, WHO LOOKS DOWN ON ME THE MOST!!!


    ARE THEY LAUGHING ABOUT ME? IS PERSIS EMPHASIZING MY PATHETIC SITUATION RIGHT NOW? IS HE A SADISTIC OLD FART WHO LOVES TO SHAME PEOPLE? AAAAHHHHH!


    I WILL RUN! I WILL KEEP UP WITH MY COMRADES! EVEN IF MY LIMBS FALL APART FROM ME, I WILL DO EVERYTHING TO KEEP UP AND NOT BECOME A LAUGHING STOCK AMONG THEM, ESPECIALLY HER!!!!


    "MY COMRADES!!!! HERE I COME! BETTER KEEP UP WITH ME! DON''T MAKE ME EMBARRASS MYSELF IN FRONT OF HER!!!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs and ran full of determination and persistence!!!


    <figure>


    </figure>


    "Pathetic!!!"


    "Die!"


    "I am worthless!"


    "I want to die!"


    "Just evaporate right now!!!" I keep muttering on myself.


    Damn!!! Why was I born weak? Why was I born a human? I hate being human! This body is so fucking weak!!


    "What is her impression of me right now?"


    Damn, I am a personification of embarrassment made of flesh!


    "Snifff!!!... Snifffff!!!.."


    "WE''RE DISMISSED, TOMORROW SAME PLACE! SAME TIME!" the instructor commanded.


    That''s okay! We are dismissed right now! While walking to the bay, I will think of a justification for this embarrassment. I know she will understand why I couldn''t keep up with them. I mean, I bet the scout rangers couldn''t keep up with that jogging! They are not humans, after all, and the jogging is made for people who are stronger than humans! That''s right! She will understand.


    As I walk to the bay, my mind and heart are filled with mixed emotions¡ªthe feeling of excitement of seeing her again, of hearing her voice again, and maybe this time having the opportunity to touch her hands, those delicate hands! And yeah! I hope she will forgive me for pinching her nose again, or maybe her cheeks this time! I fetch a horse-drawn carriage, my mind floating in every second and every kind of thought.


    She was there, thinking about the alibis and contemplating what move I could make for her to like me. I mean, I stole a fragrance from Persis that he never used, along with the jewelry he displayed. I will put it back later on.


    "We are here at your destination musang" the coach informed me and I just wake up from my day dreaming.


    "Thank you, sir!" I give him a few copper coins as a tip. I feel generous right now because I will meet the most beautiful person in this city¡ªthe only person who has brightened my life since I woke up.


    "HHHaauuufff!!!!"


    With the sound of the horse and carriage fading away, I felt my breath walking away from me too. There!!! There!!


    The only person that I cared about.


    Smilling!


    Smilling not to me!


    Smiling authentically! And I know those smiles are not just normal smiles. I mean, I am already 29 years old; I know the smile of a woman when they are in love! I mean, Nisha always gave me those kinds of smiles in the early days of our relationship.


    She is with the guy! An elven knight, maybe one of the underlings of her mother. The knight is good-looking, tall, and looks strong, maybe as strong as the win-streak fighter of the arena.


    My legs froze. No! Not froze, it seems that my whole body was shackled by heavy chains. I cannot move, I cannot speak. All I can do is witness the blushing of her cheeks over that guy.


    I am mad! I AM FUCKING MAD RIGHT NOW! But not at that guy! I mean, I''m mad at him too! But I''m more angry at myself. I want to punch myself, I want to kill myself. Why was I born like this?


    So weak!


    So ugly!


    So useless!


    Like a rotten lumber in the construction site! Useless but still occupying space in the workspace, still included in the orders that should be paid to the suppliers, cannot be used as scaffold, only as fuel to burn for cooking!


    Yeah! I need to be BURN!


    But I cannot take suicide right now! I mean, there are still people who are in cryogenic state that require something from me. Yes! That''s it! Let me be burned! But not by fire! But by the fury of this world! If I''m going to die tomorrow because of the training, I will embrace it! The said knight kissed her hand and left, giving the girl time to notice me, a few feet from her!


    "Ohhhh! You are here already! How long?"


    "Long enough to see your boyfriend!" I talk to her in a plane voice.


    "HAHAHAHAHA! That''s not my lover"


    "Your suitor?"


    "No you silly hahahaha!"


    Those giggles said the otherwise!


    "So what is he to you?"


    "A friend!" she responded.


    Yeah! As if I gonna believe your words with your reaction to him earlier! I said to myself.


    "So! Why you want me to meet here?"


    ""I want you to help me draw, plus to have your Rihan! I am always embedding different Rihan in different colors."


    "I am a human ,I don''t have rihan" I am still maintaining my plane voice just to give her signal that I am very confuse of her.


    "Yes, you do! Only humans have very weak Rihan for me to draw from. However, you are the exception. But for some reason, your Rihan is very weak right now. Maybe I will visit every night to check on you. Maybe your Rihan is strong during nighttime."


    "No! My Rihan is weak because I didn''t sleep last night, thanks to you."


    I don''t know what she is talking about. I lied just to stop her from visiting me! I need time to think, to digest everything that I saw.


    She giggles


    "Oh! Don''t be like that! I am just visiting you last night!"


    "Sure! But still, I need a good proper sleep to generate Rihan for your so-called drawings."


    "Ok! See yah next time!"


    She didn''t even bother to investigate the sudden change in my tone or approach to her. I mean, aren''t those changes enough for her to notice?


    "Sigh." That''s all I can do. Just sigh.


    All I can do is mutter to myself


    "train me to death Persis I am looking forward to it!"


    Part 4:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    I woke up very early in the morning and looked up at my watch, given to me by Mr. Arnel Paray.


    "Aaaahhh! This age does not giving me ample time to sleep! is this what the humans called sign of old age?"


    Nevertheless, I went to the bathroom and then down to the ground floor. I am making milk chocolate that was delivered to me by my wife. My kitchen has a window facing the garden where I trained Godwin this morning!


    "Waitt!!! What is with a glowing fire ball out there?"


    I saw a glowing fireball in the distance, and it was coming closer. I searched for a knife to prepare myself for a sudden attack. I thought those glowing fireballs were...


    "A santelmo?...."


    To my surprise, the light from my house illuminated what I saw in detail!


    "Godwin????"


    He is holding a torch and seems to be running around my garden!


    "This time of the night? Its two in the morning for fuck sake!"


    I sense another being running with him. I looked to the stands for the torch and right there! A particular torch is missing¡ªhis favorite torch. For some reason, he loves to carry that torch around. Underneath is an empty dog''s bed, meaning he is running with his pet.


    "I thinks I know what to forge for him in his journey!" I smirked


    Morning comes, I got my few hours of sleep, then when I woke up, I see Godwin punching a banana tree.


    "Damn!!!" I muttered to myself


    Godwin seems so energetic this morning! What gives?


    Maybe the training of the knight of Diwata still affects Godwin until now! Actually, this morning, until the end of my training, Godwin didn''t complain even a single bit. He has a poker face as fuck the whole time.


    I admit that I am surprised and admire his dedication for the training...


    actually, I would, if he didn''t collapse during my training. The fucking brat just collapsed for no reason in the middle of a marathon bench press! The barbell almost choked him to death.


    If I didn''t throw the barbell away, he would surely have died!


    "There is something wrong!"

 Chapter 9: When the snake trade

    It''s been two months since I emerged from cryogenic sleep, and I''ve gradually acclimated to the rhythms of this altered reality. Despite my attempts to explore and scout the area, Persis always steers me back home or to the construction site. He relentlessly trains and works me, leaving my body weary and sore. The addition of the training camp exacerbates the strain on my aching muscles. Yet amidst the physical exertion, Mikay''s presence infuses me with a positive energy that outweighs the discomfort.


    It''s perplexing how she oscillates between extreme friendliness and avoidance, especially in the mornings when others are around. Her demeanor shifts from warm to aloof, offering only a dismissive "Not this time." I cannot avoid thinking about A''Yeel Hed-Seier, the High-Sword of the Silver City, who is in the leads among participants to be blessed with divination. Witnessing Mikay''s fondness-or maybe a real relationship with A''Yeel-breaks my heart. Seeing how Mikay blushes in front of him makes me feel a twinge of jealousy. I am tempted to spend my time winning Mikay''s affection over A''Yeel''s or sabotaging him in any way, if not for what I experienced with my previous live-in partner.


    However in the evenings, she becomes affectionate and tactile, though she stops short of intimacy. We share stories and find solace in each other. Our conversations always begin with laughter, often due to my naivety, thankfully I can throw in jokes from time to time, or else my humors would only rely on my demure. Her smile is the reward for my efforts. She frequently asks me about life before, showing a keen interest in the people she is meant to live with. While urban dwellers have moved past many myths, she would surely enjoy life in remote rural areas together with the indigenous Filipino. As we get to know each other through our conversations, I find contentment in simple gestures like hand-holding. I take pleasure in indulging her with foot and leg massages, finding joy in these small skin to skin contact.


    Suddenly I feel the tap in my left shoulder.


    "Seems good so far?" Gorg sits besides me smirking.


    I suddenly wake up from my day dreaming, well I am not the only one dreaming as Pen-Pen is sleeping and resting his head on my lap.


    "Well I don''t know how I will....." I pauses.


    "How can I tell her I love her without hoping to hear that she loves me back?" I exhale, worries in my breath.


    Gorg shrug my concern with the marriage style of his race, "Well, I cannot help you with that, in ways of the orcs, whoever kills the chieftain or whoever becomes the shaman is the one touches the women of the clan."


    "Oh!... Thanks my friend, it''s a big help to my worry some, should I adopt your barbaric way instead? Oh maybe I should kill the crown prince to have Mikay since he is the closest thing to chieftain in this City." I sarcastically exclaim.


    "Barbaric?... I say that''s practical and simple, are you really enjoying this mind games you do with your partner?" Gorg raising his voice.


    "It''s not about mind games, It''s about giving everybody a fair chance.. and how about you? Are you really going to kill your chieftain to have a wife. Ah? What if your father is your chie... " I pauses and look to Gorg before continuing "How the hell are you so comfortable killing your father or your brother anyway?" I curiously asked.


    "Well in my case, I won''t experience that dilemma and I don''t have to kill a chieftain to have one" he took a pendant from his pocket and brag it to me


    "Because of this..." he smirked.


    "What the hell is that?" raising one of my eyebrow.


    "This is the shaman''s medallion, I will use this to help me raise my spirituality and become shaman myself" he said that with confidence in his face.


    Pen-Pen suddenly rose up and sniff the medallion and growls to it.


    "It''s seems my shamanistic path will be determined when your wolf will growl to me, instead" Gorg added.


    "Where did you get that?" I asked.


    "Korg and I were assisting our father, the shaman of the clan, in performing rituals when the Woodclaws raided our settlement. We tried to escape, but despite my father''s magical powers, we couldn''t defeat the overwhelming number of Woodclaws. I doubt it was only Woodclaws; I believe they collaborated with other clans," he says sadly.


    "Before that happened, my father entrusted me with the medallion and told me to do everything to escape alive. We sought refuge in this city and promised our surviving brothers and sisters to do everything to revive the Soilgrabber clan. That''s why we participated in the divination screening, and..." Gorg suddenly lowers his voice.


    "That reason is what my brother abandoned when he was goes through divination," he raises the pendant above his head, "but I can still revive our clan with the power residing in this medallion." My wolf is still growling at it.


    Suddenly, we were shrouded by a blanket from above.


    "Boink.."


    "Boink.."


    "What the hell are you two doing?" Persis shouted, clearly mad at us. "Put back, Gorg! You''re putting us danger," he added.


    My wolf seemed to be enjoying his situation under the blanket.


    We emerged from beneath the blanket, and Gorg put his medallion back in his pocket.


    "Sorry! Fore," Gorg said, stooping his head low and raising his amputated arms, moving as if scratching his head with an invisible left hand.


    "Never show that thing outside again. Don''t forget! No magic-related items in this city, understand?" Persis exclaimed.


    "Yes, sir," we both answered.


    "Oh! And that includes during our journey! You two are really giving me headache. We need train more; we only three weeks left to kill Bakunawa!" Persis said, holding his forehead, clearly pissed off at what Gorg did.


    "Yes, sir," we both answered again.


    Days passed, and people were talking about our journey. There were fresh asylum seekers and privateers who had been around Laguna and Lucban. I heard rumors about the dangers they had encountered-not only from nature but also from malignant creatures that lurk in the darkness. There were stories of humanoid demonic creatures with fangs that eat people, giant reptiles terrorizing camps near the lakes, and huge monkeys abducting people. At first, I wasn''t bothered by these tales, but Persis and Grog confirmed that the further you stray from the Silver City, the bolder these malignant creatures become in harassing and outright killing people. It seems that angels repel these beings.


    Now my anxiety is rising. We will have commissioned silver weapons, but I doubt that will be enough. That''s why I started skipping training to gather more information and find a solution. Thankfully, Grumbart, one of the employees at our construction site who volunteered for the mission, advised me to find a silver-mithril weapon. The problem is that these are very rare. No merchant sells mithril, which is the rarest metal of all. Silver can be purchased from the central bank of the city, so at least I only need to find half the materials, I need to smiths one since all of the silver-mithril weapons was been confiscated and given to the nobles.


    "Although I have information about an underground auction. Two ores will surely be up for bidding there, but winning the bidding will require us to have the status of nobles." Grumbart said.


    "Those damn oligarchs," I muttered to myself, recognizing that no matter which reality I inhabit, the misuse of power continues to dominate.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    With the fear of getting killed in the mission and burdens of self-proclaimed protector of Mikay I am sitting right now inside the shady tavern downtown wearing a hood on top of the costume, with my full-grown wolf stationed outside of the tavern just incase I got into trouble, I tried to pay attention to the whispering surrounding me one voice caught my ears.


    "Where is my medallion!"


    I trace where and whom is the possible voice, and I saw a tall guy in hooded with dark fabric obscuring his face talking to an orc with noticeable tusk who also wearing hood.


    For some reason when I am paying attention to their presence, I can clearly hear their conversation.


    "from what I understood in this, situation, you are delaying for our agreement to be concluded." The shady gentleman said.


    "Sorry, boss, just give us more time. We can''t approach him casually. His brother might come to us, and he''s always surrounded by somebody," the orc replied.


    "Find a way!" insisted the shady gentleman.


    "Maybe, boss, you can fund us instead. Let''s hire an assassin. I know a dark elf who can do it smoothly," the orc suggested, negotiating.


    "How much?"


    "Boss, it''s not about how much, but what weapon we can trade with."


    "I don''t have a silver-mithril weapon," the gentleman said quietly.


    "Okay, boss, just give me some time. I''ll look for an alternative then."


    "I need to finish my research quickly. I can''t afford the authorities finding out that I''m dealing with magic, especially about spiritualities."


    My ears perked up at the mention of spiritualities.


    The guy pulled out a golden pocket watch. "I will give you the go signal to look for another assassin. Let''s adjourn this for now. My fellow nobles will surely be looking for me."


    This guy is a noble. This opens an opportunity for me. As the two depart from the tavern, I follow the gentleman, waiting for the right moment to interrupt him. I stalk him diligently, with my wolf also following me, until I decide to approach him from behind.


    "Spiritualities, huh?" I say loud enough for him to hear.


    Without a second''s hesitation, he turns, quickly grabs my neck, and pulls me into the nearest narrow alley.


    "Who do you work for?" he demands, pinning me against the wall with his hand around my neck, squeezing tightly.


    "Shaman''s Medallion... Shaman''s Medal... I have..." I am trying to speak despite the pressure on my throat.


    "Ohhhhh!!!... Really? Where is it then? Give it to me," the gentleman says, slamming me against the wall.


    Pen-Pen emerged from the dark, growling at the gentleman.


    "I don''t... have... it... right now! Let''s make a deal!" I manage to say.


    "Hmmm..." The gentleman releases his grip on my neck.


    *cough... cough... cough... cough...*


    "Bringing some back-up, aye?"


    My wolf carefully walks forward, never losing eye contact with the gentleman. Pen-Pen growls while still biting the bamboo canister, positioning himself between me and the guy.


    "Now, now, calm down, puppy. I''m just having a conversation with your master." The gentleman removes his hood, revealing his good-looking face, long blonde hair, and elven ears. "A deal seems suitable for two gentlemen, don''t you agree?" He straightens his posture. "What''s worth your shaman''s medallion?"


    "Do you have mithril in any shape or form?" I ask.


    "I''m afraid I can''t provide what you seek. Anything else?" the gentleman said.


    I remembered what Grumbart told me. "I only want mithril, and I know about an auction for it," I replied.


    "So, you are suggesting I win this auction for you?"


    "Can''t you?" I tried to touch his ego.


    "That''s an unfunny joke, kid. You have a deal then..." He frowned, trying to understand how to address me.


    "Musang... That''s my race," I said.


    "Interesting! Very well, Musang. Let''s meet in the nearest alley on the day of the auction. Don''t forget to bring your trade. I, Gun''Ter Hed-Seier, always assure victory!" Then he walked away.


    He didn''t even ask for the details of the auction. "Hey! I didn''t give you the address and the date yet."


    He halted and looked over his shoulder. "I said, assured victory!" Then he walked away.


    With the deal secured, Pen-pen and I immediately walked toward our camp. As we walked, the guilt started sinking in. I wasn''t used to this. Even though I had hung out with some criminals in my previous life, I had never considered doing what they did. Is this what they meant by gripping a knife''s blade? I couldn''t fathom what they were talking about. I was a fellow poor man, but it had never crossed my mind to steal from someone. From what I''d heard from them, they stole and robbed from vulnerable people who couldn''t fight back-meaning women and senior citizens who couldn''t afford justice. In short, poor fellows.


    I stopped walking and looked around, trying to figure out what I could do about my guilt or my circumstances, and then something clicked inside me.


    "I need to practice," I muttered to myself.


    My wolf had a worried look in his eyes, as if he already knew what was going to happen. I stooped down to Pen-pen.


    "Buddy, I am very sorry for what I am about to do, but I need you right now! I can''t do this on my own." I patted his head, then held it in place to force him to look into my eyes.


    The mutt squealed out of worry, but he licked my face, and I knew what it meant.


    "Thanks, Pen-pen," I smiled and stood up again.


    With that, we immediately went to the nearest market. After looking around, I found someone who wouldn''t fight back: an old dwarf lady who was checking the vegetables for sale. She seemed to be in the twilight of her life, her build not showing the strength typical of dwarfs. Her hair was completely white. I stood behind her and peeked at her purse. I saw a lot of silver coins. I contemplated further, considering the speed of the wolf I could run with. Only the flying fairies and angels would be able to catch up to me.


    I still felt the guilt, but as I was about to grab her purse, I heard her voice.


    "Oooohhhh! I will take these okras. My son loves this vegetable when I boil them and pair it with soy sauce," the old sweet lady said to the vendor. Her words and husky voice shattered my heart. Her voice closely resembled my mother''s, and her son''s taste in okra was very similar to mine. At this moment, I was fully enveloped in guilt. I wanted to just fade away, but I couldn''t ignore the fact that I had made a deal with someone who could hunt and kill me with his goons.


    So, what I did was grab the purse next to the old dwarf and run without looking back at what I had stolen.


    "THHHIIIIEEEEFFFF!" A loud, shrieking squeal pierced the air. I turned to check it out and saw a flying, raging fairy chasing me. My eyes widened as the worst-case scenario unfolded. My wolf was running ahead of me, and we were doing parkour moves with the speed of the wind, but those fancy maneuvers weren''t enough to outpace a flying pursuer. We did everything to escape, not just from that fairy but also from any concerned citizens who might intervene.


    "THHHIIIIEEEEFFFF!" The fairy''s shrieks echoed again.


    Our sharp turns were on point, and we even ran along walls in alleys and slid under horse-drawn carts, but the fairy''s cries summoned angels patrolling the skies, making our escape seem impossible. As much as I regretted what I had done, there was no turning back now.


    "Pen-pen, run faster! Leave me! Don''t wait for me, friend. You shouldn''t be captured alongside someone as worthless as me," I shouted.


    My dog glanced back at me, still holding the bamboo canister in his mouth. Then, he hopped into a manhole, giving me a chance to finally escape. Without thinking, I followed suit.


    Suddenly, I felt myself submerged in water, surrounded by darkness. The only things I could see were what lay above, and it was strange. When I looked up, I expected to see a hole, like one would when inside a well looking up, but instead, I saw a window displaying what was above ground. Despite being submerged, I didn''t feel like I was suffocating. I couldn''t breathe, yet I didn''t feel the need to. There was no sensation of air or water ing my lungs.


    I tried to find Pen-pen, but all I could see was darkness. The light from above didn''t penetrate this space, yet I could still sense him and felt a strong connection to him. I decided to swim in the opposite direction to mislead our pursuers and finally escape. When I tried to move, my body propelled in the direction I wanted without paddling or effort. Sensing my dog beside me, I instinctively moved through this dark space with just my will.


    When I felt confident enough to emerge from the ground, I was suddenly pulled upward and shot out, emerging from the ground and continuing to fly through the air. I landed on my face while my wolf landed on my back.


    "It hurts!" The pain from landing was intense, but the confusion about what had happened was even more gripping.


    I looked at Pen-pen, who was staring back at me, and then glanced at the spot from where we had emerged.


    "What the fuck!" There was nothing there-no pond, no manhole, just solid ground shaded by the shadows of nearby buildings.


    I sat down to digest everything that had happened and looked at my wolf. "You did this, didn''t you? It''s not just you giving me the mental conditioning to do parkour and run faster." I caressed his fur. "You''re giving me the ability to run with you, and now to shadows and emerge somewhere else." I was flabbergasted by what had just occurred.


    Pen-pen wagged his tail, seemingly pleased with my realization. His eyes glowed with an intelligence I hadn''t noticed before.


    I stood up, still feeling the residual pain but now more intrigued than ever. "Alright, buddy, looks like we have some new abilities to explore. Let''s see what else we can do."


    "COOL!" I muttered.


    After making sure no one was following us, I went home. No matter how loud Persis''s nagging or how exhausting the training was, nothing could shake this feeling. I checked the purse and found 30 large silver coins, similar to the ones Persis had when we climbed down the mountain. The coins were not only large but also had an engraving of a man with a crown. I knew this was an angel because of the crown, and I assumed this was the crowned prince.


    I lay back on my bed, still unable to fathom what had driven me to make such an important deal for my friend.


    "This sucks!" I muttered. Pen-pen, in his puppy size, settled on my chest to sleep. As I caressed my dog, a silhouette of a perfect shape appeared as night fell.


    "Hey there, boy!" Mikay said, opening the window. The wind spread her wavy hair as she set her foot on the floor.


    I looked at her with admiration in my eyes. Her soft voice reminded me of my priorities, including making our journey safe. That was enough reason to make the orc''s medallion my own trade.

 Chapter 10: The Oracle Portrait

    Part 1:--------------------------------------------------------------------


    Upon returning home, a cache of gleaming silver coins awaited me at the doorstep, shimmering like forgotten starlight. Despite the trials and tribulations of my journey, fortune had not forsaken me. A smile crept across my face, unbidden, as I scattered the coins upon the side table, each one a silent testament to my ancestors'' enduring legacy, and it seems my ancestors is doing their raiding for me.


    "15 STRONG SILVER COINS!" I gasped, the words catching in my throat as I beheld the unexpected treasure at my doorstep, each coin gleaming with tales untold.


    Immediately, I summoned my clan to enjoy the wealth that I had found, or else it might not happen again.


    Since I was the one sponsoring the celebration, I gave the speech.


    "Brothers and sisters, our ancestors join us in our effort to revive our clan!" I shouted.


    "This morning, I found these beauties!!"


    I cast the bag of coins upon the table with a flourish, their metallic song echoing through the intimate chamber of the tavern like a chorus of whispered secrets. Some coins danced and tumbled across the wooden surface, catching the eyes of my siblings who eagerly snatched them up, each gleaming piece a promise of unexpected fortune.


    "Our chief, ancestors, and our mothers are raiding even in VALHALLA!"


    The uproar of orcish shouts and fervent excitement spilled out from the confines of our private chamber.


    I raised my shaman''s medallion high, its ancient symbols catching the flickering light, and presented it to my siblings with solemn reverence. "These coins are proof," I declared, my voice resounding with certainty, "that our ancestors have chosen me as the next shaman."


    "SOILGRABBER! WHO IS YOUR SHAMANNNN???!!!"


    "GORGGGGGGGG!... GORG! ... GORG! ... GORG! ... GORG!" The band of orcs chanted in unison,


    "AAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!......."


    Barrels of mead and beer flowed into our chamber without end, a torrential tide that fueled our revelry. We drank like dwarves, laughter and boasting echoing off the walls, until our bellies were full and spirits high. Yet, as the night wore on, the excess took its toll, and many of us, myself included, found ourselves purging the beer from our bodies, a crude end to our joyous celebration.


    In the euphoria of revelry, joy painted our faces as the mead flowed freely, spirits lifting with each cheer and chant of my name. Amidst the merriment, I raised my shaman''s medallion once more, a symbol of our victory and the first spoils offered to the war gods.


    Languidly nestled in the corner, a sly smile gracing my lips.


    As morning''s light crept through the chamber, I stirred reluctantly, feeling the weight of my hangover like a heavy cloak. Amidst the scattered remnants of revelry, I reached for my shaman''s medallion, intending to offer prayers of both thanks and supplication to our ancestors and gods. But to my shock, my fingers found only empty pockets, the absence of the medallion sending a chill through my groggy mind.


    "Hey! Hey! This is weird!" I said.


    I shift my attention to other pockets, my hands frantically searching every inch of my body.


    "No!... No!... No!" I chanted desperately, searching frantically all over the place, tossing everything aside in my quest. But to no avail. The two hulking orcs, brothers of the tavern''s owner, seized me and dragged me outside, throwing me into the street. I was too stunned to decide whether to fight back or beg for more time. Sadly, I had no money left to ask for an extension.


    "NOOOOO!!!!" I cried out in frustration.


    Part 2:---------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Clutching the shaman''s medallion against my chest, memories of Gorg and Persis weighed heavily on my heart, exacerbating the guilt gnawing at my conscience. Like a haunting echo from stealing the fairy''s purse, a visceral discomfort churned within me, as if my stomach were filled with writhing worms devouring my resolve. In my past life, I abhorred theft and betrayal, yet now I found myself entangled in these very sins. The shadows of the alley offered no solace, their darkness unable to fully cloak my silhouette as I sought to purge the overwhelming guilt that threatened to consume me.


    "This is for Mikay!" I muttered to myself as I wiped my drool from my lips. "This is for me to find my father, too." I steeled myself and glanced at my wolf as a signal to get out of the situation.


    Empowered by the stealth granted by my wolf companion, I slipped away from the bustling tavern into the comforting embrace of darkness. With silent steps, I navigated unseen until I reached Persis'' house, avoiding any inadvertent alarms. Inside, Persis sat solemnly at the table, sober and serene. Gently, I draped a blanket over his shoulders, pausing to gaze upon his peaceful form before quietly departing into the night.


    "I know that when you learn of what I have done, you will surely denounce me. I had no choice. I''m sorry," I murmured softly, my words hanging heavy in the quiet air as I turned and walked away.


    I ascended the stairs, my mind consumed with thoughts of acquiring the elusive mithril ores.


    "Ohhhh! Why the long face, my friend?" A personified beauty greeted me as I enter to my room, her presence a graceful dance amidst the chill air that swept through the space, causing her fabric to sway like gentle crescents.


    "Hed-Seier"


    "Hmmmm! Which one?" Mikay replied, hopping down from the window with a mischievous grin.


    "A''Yeel," I answered curtly.


    "What about it?" Her response was typical, evasive like any other girl''s when caught in something they didn''t want to admit.


    "Don''t play dumb!" I retorted sharply, removing my headgear to meet her gaze directly, demanding a straight answer. I swore silently that if I heard any nonsense, I would return the medallion to Gorg without hesitation.


    "Come on! He''s just a friend!" Mikay exclaimed defensively, retrieving something from behind her back with a flourish that seemed almost magical. The size of the portrait she revealed made me skeptical; there was no way she could have concealed it behind her back, and yet there it was, undeniable before me.


    "Look! I painted you!" Mikay proudly presented, holding the portrait out for me to see.


    I took the portrait from her hand, marveling at her skill-it captured my eyes and jawline perfectly.


    "Thank you! But please answer..." I began, but before I could finish, our lips unexpectedly met, her palm gently resting against my cheek before she pulled away.


    "I want you to concentrate on the portrait," she said calmly.


    I was so stunned that I froze in place, unable to process what had just happened.


    "Hey! Are you still alive?" Mikay waved her hand in front of my face, trying to snap me out of my daze.


    "Marriage!... Marriage!... Marriage!..." I muttered to myself, feeling my soul begin to leave my body in shock.


    "Ouch!... Ouch!... Ouch!..." Suddenly, Mikay pinched my sides firmly to regain my attention.


    "Focus on my painting, it''s your Rihan that I used," Mikay urged, her frustration evident.


    Even in her annoyance, she was incredibly endearing. I shook off my distraction and obeyed her instruction, fixing my gaze on the portrait. Suddenly, flashes of images and scenes flooded my mind.


    Moonlight glinted off blood trails in the streets of Silver City, chaos unfolding around me. People scattered in fear, fleeing as if from a menace-yet I couldn''t discern why. Confusion gripped me as I scanned my surroundings, unable to identify the reason for their terror or the races of those fleeing.


    "Where am I," muttered.


    I approached Persis''s house and reached for the doorknob. Before turning it, I noticed something peculiar-it was a design ahead of its time, resembling what we now call modern design. This doorknob bore a striking similarity to...This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "HHHMMMMMMMM!!! aaaaahhHHH! Faster! Faster!"


    No!!! No!!! I know this door! Not again!! Not again!!!


    "Your so good, your so big!!!!!! HHHHMMMMM!!!"


    "No! No! I can''t go through this again! I don''t want to!" My heart raced, my hands trembling with anxiety as the feeling built up inside me.


    "Just shoot inside! I''m sure my husband can''t tell who the real father is - it''s you!!"


    I stepped back in horror, my movements faltering under the flood of memories that rushed into my mind.


    "HHHMmmmm AAAAHHHHHH"


    "No! Nooo!" My fists clenched in anxiety, the fight-or-flight response surging within me. A blast of air burst through the door, shattering it to pieces, debris flying around and a chip of wood grazing my face, leaving a painful gash.


    "Thuddd! Thuddd! Thuddd!" The oppressive force of the air pushed me to my knees, feeling foolish and powerless.


    From the darkness beyond the destroyed door, a presence filled with hatred and power emerged. The dragging sounds echoed with each step of the being.


    Under the moon''s light, the figure emerged-a personification of destruction, its presence shaking the very earth beneath its feet.


    "Gggggrrrrrrr!!!......"


    A humanoid figure materialized from the darkness, as though the shadows themselves had taken form and were now bathed in the moon''s glow.


    Raising a fist as if clutching something in midair, the figure advanced slowly toward me, drawing nearer until it became apparent that what it held was not an object but a person. This individual had wings akin to an angel''s, though without a crown hovering above.


    Terrified, I gazed upon him, my face a mask of fear. From his feet to his face, I studied his form, and as I recognized his face, a realization dawned upon me...


    "SMACK!" The sharp slap across my face jolted me back to awareness, my breath catching in a wheeze.


    "WAKE UP!" Mikay''s urgent voice pierced through my disorientation.


    "I''m already awake, Mikay, please stop hitting me!" I shouted in protest, but she seized my collar and continued to slap me, using it to gain leverage.


    Her worried expression as she looked into my eyes helped me regain my composure.


    "Sorry..." I managed between breaths. "Sorry..."


    "What did you see?" Mikay asked, concern etched on her face.


    "Horror!" I answered.


    "And?"


    "destruction" I responded.


    "Come on, give me some context here! I didn''t spend two moons drawing Rihan from you onto my canvas for nothing!" Mikay exclaimed, clearly frustrated.


    "A being of power will destroy this city," I said sadly.


    "By whom!?" Mikay''s discomfort mirrored my own.


    "By me," I admitted, my face filled with concern.


    "What?" Mikay froze, her expression incredulous.


    "The scary guy who would destroy this city!" I replied, frustration creeping into my voice.


    "Yeah, that''s me. That''s what I saw!" I raised my voice in frustration.


    "You, a human? Will destroy the city?" Mikay calmed down, raising an eyebrow skeptically.


    "Huh?" I was baffled by her response.


    "Hahahahaha!" Mikay burst into laughter, collapsing on the floor.


    "What''s so funny?" I asked, thoroughly confused.


    "Nah! Let''s skip our bonding today! You need some sleep, brother," she managed to say between laughs.


    Part 3:---------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Not feeling confident about the auction and the agreement proceeding smoothly, especially with Persis''s consistent disapproval of my ideas compared to Gorg''s support, I recalled Grumbart.


    I remembered Grumbart''s frustrations with his research on mithril ore production. As I stooped down to pet Pen-pen, who looked at me with concern, I thought, "Let''s rely on Grumbart this time."


    I visited Grumbart in his forge and, like any other dwarves, I had to rouse him from his sober state. Just as I was about to speak, the clangs of metal jolted him awake.


    "GGGRRRR!... Don''t fucking touch my tools mother fucker" the dwarves grunted, "Leave!!!..." He added. "I will leave but so are your opportunity with the Mithril ore".


    "Huh?" The dwarf seemed to need clarification. I walked over to the sober dwarf and squatted to meet his eye level.


    "Mith... ril... I... have..." I emphasized each syllable, causing a gleam to appear in Grumbart''s eyes. He quickly stood up, as if the alcohol had instantly left his body.


    "Where? Let me see!" His voice demanded with excitement.


    "I don''t have," I said sternly, "yet."


    "Then why are you disturbing me?" Grumbart protested.


    "Because I need your cooperation to obtain it," I replied.


    "Me?" Grumbart seemed to suddenly understand. "Ahhh," he adjusted his posture and sat in the nearest chair. "Have a seat. Are you targeting the auction?"


    "The two ores," I responded seriously.


    "It sounds like you''re sure," the dwarf remarked, studying my expression closely.


    "I made a deal with an elf noble. For now, all I can say is I have what he wants, and all he needs to do is win the Mithril ore for us," I explained.


    Leaning towards him, I added in a hushed tone, "But this guy is not your typical elf noble. He''s working with Orc thugs. Who knows if he''ll hold up his end of the bargain."


    "I assume you have a plan," Grumbart said, straightening his posture with a hint of discomfort, then stroking his beard as he waited for my proposal.


    "Alright, so we need fake Mithril. I know you can do it because I''ve seen your treasures with Mithril metal here and there, and for some reason, you haven''t hidden them from us," I stated.


    "Well..." Grumbart paused, "I''ve tried to replicate the metal with cheaper ingredients, but all I can achieve is replicating its physical appearance, not its properties."


    "Good enough, that''s all I need," I affirmed.


    "Why?" Grumbart asked, puzzled.


    "Just trust me, okay?" I replied, seeking his trust.


    With his nod, I finally had all the preparations I needed.


    "Now, how will we deal with noble''s thugs? From what I see in this situation, he won''t hold back once he gets what he wants. I can''t outrun orcs, and you certainly won''t last two steps when things go south!" Grumbart pointed out.


    Grumbart had a fair point. While I could probably outrun them alone, leaving him behind wasn''t an option.


    "Do you have any idea?" I asked Grumbart.


    "Do you have money?" he countered.


    "How much!?" I pressed.


    "All of it!" Grumbart replied.


    On the promised date, Grumbart and I stood in front of the underground auction. My dog discreetly roamed the vicinity. The surroundings were bustling with people in luxurious garments-fairies in rich green and yellow robes, light elves in green dresses with golden and brown accents scattered throughout.


    There were dwarves adorned in the most luxurious accessories-rubies, gold, and gems-that made them look like walking statues of treasures. The auction facility was expansive, far livelier than the public auctions I had seen in the plaza. Seats were available for participants, a stark contrast to the plaza auctions guarded by angels, with a small stage and a single podium. Here, the participants included a mix of people.


    Me and Grumbart stood on the sidewalk, exchanging opinions about everything happening at the auction.


    "Are you looking for another deal with the people here?" A dignified voice startled us from behind.


    Spooked because we hadn''t sensed anyone approaching, we quickly spun around. Gun''Ter stood tall behind us.


    Gun''Ter for some reason look at Grumbart first with discomfort in his face then return his gaze to me.


    "Did you bring it?" Gun''Ter demanded, his voice carrying a tone of weariness, as though he were already done with the nonsense of his life.


    "Can you feel it?" I challenged, spreading my coat to allow the medallion to catch the air.


    "Show it to me," Gun''Ter demanded.


    "Don''t blame me if someone snatches it from my hand, okay?" I retorted sarcastically as I began to reveal it.


    "No need, I can feel it. And if you deceive me, I''ll forge arrows from your precious mithril and rain them upon you," he threatened sternly.


    With that, he proceeded into the auction room. "Don''t follow. Just watch as your ore finds its way into my hands. Find somewhere more discreet to observe," he ordered before disappearing into the crowd.


    We followed Gun''Ter''s instructions and found a better vantage point where we could see both the stage and where Gun''Ter sat, yet we remained distant enough to avoid recognition.


    As the auction began, several items were presented first-feathers, crowns, and scepters-common items among angels. I felt skeptical about the authenticity of the host''s claims.


    Finally, the two mithril ores were brought onto the stage. Before the host could announce the starting price, a voice rang out.


    "1000 strong silver coins!" shouted a wealthy dwarf bedecked not only in luxurious accessories around his neck and wrists, but also in a garment adorned with gold, silver, and gems.


    The crowd murmured and some shouted in protest, accusing the dwarf of breaking the rules and being too greedy.


    A hammer meant for bidding turned into a gavel, hammering down for attention.


    "Order!... Order!... Order!..." The host''s attempts to restore order were drowned out by participants escalating bids from calmly standing to shouting matches, voices raised to the point where even the guards struggled to maintain control.


    Amidst the chaos, towering figures approached us. The thugs dragged us outside the auction house.


    "We didn''t do anything, we..." I began, but then I recognized the orc in the middle of the group.


    He smirked. "Give us the medallion and go!"


    "GUN''TER, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! YOU''RE A SHAMEFUL ELF! THE HED-SEIER SHOULD CUT ALL TIES WITH YOU!" Grumbart exclaimed angrily.


    We tried to run in the opposite direction, but other thugs were already blocking our path. In every direction, two orcs stood ready to grab us and break every bone in our bodies.


    "You want this?!" I shouted defiantly, raising the medallion.


    "Hahaha! Thank you for making our work much easier!" the leader of the band sneered, followed by the laughter of the rest of the gang.


    Then they began to close in on us.


    With my free hand, I quickly drew my torch and lit it, holding the flame underneath the medallion. Everyone around us was shocked, except for Grumbart, who was too busy swinging his axe at anyone who tried to approach us.


    Suddenly, an ore was thrown at our feet.


    "Take that and give me the medallion!" Gun''Ter emerged suddenly from behind his thugs, demanding.


    Grumbart quickly secured possession of the ore.


    "Not enough, buddy! The agreement was for two ores!" I shouted back.


    "Do you know how chaotic it is inside the auction house now?" Gun''Ter replied firmly, stepping closer to us while signaling his thugs to hold their ground.


    "You want ore," he gritted his teeth, "I''ll give you ore."


    "The deal was for two!" I insisted.


    "The deal is unfair! Do you know how much mithril there is in the city?" He looked at me as if trying to intimidate me with his gaze.


    "Seven! Bloody SEVEN!" Gun''Ter shouted angrily.


    I tried to intimidate him by swinging the torch with the medallion through the air. Gun''Ter stepped back, visibly surprised and concerned about the medallion. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes before shouting, "ALL OF YOU STAND BACK!"


    "Boss, we can just grab the medallion. There are only two of them and many of us," the foolish leader protested.


    "I SAID, STAND BACK!" Gun''Ter roared, asserting his authority over the group.


    The thugs reluctantly followed the elf''s order, standing back from us. Even the orc blocking our opposite path stepped aside to clear the way.


    "You!" Gun''Ter pointed his finger at me. "Surrender the medallion to me, and my orcs won''t harm you."


    Despite my costume covering my face, I smiled confidently, sensing the shift in control of the situation.


    "BRING... ANOTHER... MITHRIL... ORE... RIGHT... NOW!" I demanded, "OR THIS WILL BURN!" I proclaimed proudly, waving the torch closer to the medallion until the lace caught fire and the medallion dropped to the ground.


    Everyone froze.


    Grumbart moved to grab the medallion from the ground, but the elf''s throwing knife was faster than Grumbart, wounding his hand in the process.


    "RUNNNN!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.


    We bolted in the opposite direction. One of the orcs tried to grab Grumbart, but the dwarf hit the orc with his whole body, sending the orc stumbling to the ground.


    "GET BACK MY ORE!" Gun''Ter ordered his thugs.


    "MAUTIIIIIIIII!" Grumbart called out, summoning his hired bodyguard with my 15 strong silver coins.


    Immediately, a silhouette of a warrior with tribal looks sprinted towards us, passing by as we heard the sounds of rumbling and orc grunting coming from behind.


    I glanced behind to see who this mysterious guy Grumbart had hired was.


    "Fuck you, Grumbart! You didn''t tell me our guard was the win-streak fighter!"


    "You didn''t ask!" Grumbart exclaimed as we ran.


    "I asked you, and all you said was ''associate!" I shouted in frustration.


    "THEN ASK MORE!" Grumbart shouted back. "RUN NOW, TALK LATER!"


    With one ore in our possession and Mauti fighting off the orcs, we finally secured the Mithril.

 Chapter 11: The Within

    Part 1:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    I am Niela, my daughter and I are the only Diwatas left in the Philippines. Thanks to Bathala, I was not born during the Liberty War. My grandmother is my only source of information about what the ancient era was like. Her last will is for me to protect the humans of the Philippines from danger. But how? Me alone? A Diwata against a whole race who can fry anyone from above? She is so delusional.


    "Wwwoooooosssshhhhh!!!!"


    An armored angel dived from the sky onto my wide balcony. The air shock from the angel''s landing woke me from my brooding. I was sitting in front of my mirror, so I could see the beauty of the angel-the blonde hair, the healthy white skin, the perfect tone of their muscles. Their appearance is the only reason I can bear their disturbance of my peace.


    "Niela!" The angel speak, "The Light Father su..."


    I suddenly stand up and hover towards him.


    "I know!.. I know.."


    I extended my gracious hand for him to take me. He held my hand gently, and he began to float in the air. From within my hovering, our altitude increased slowly, and flawlessly, we started flying. Thanks to my ability, I don''t have to be carried like a damsel while flying. All it takes is a little support to my hand, and I can surf the air just like an angel.


    The brightness of the sky matches the aesthetics of the city. The patches of establishments complement the Cathedral that sits adjacent to the beaches of Manila. Birds are singing and chirping in the trees and on the roofs, while from time to time, birds of prey fly through the city''s sky, making even the empty sky more lively.


    Finally, we landed on the wide balcony of the cathedral. The Light Father never fails to throw a banquet in this hall every time he arrives here; he loves to celebrate anything with his children in the cathedral. It would be more fun if he let at least his guards reveal some curves and skin.


    "KNEEL!" an acolyte shouted, signaling the arrival of the Light Father. Everyone, except his children, fell to their knees. Hell, I fell to my knees too, or else the pressure of his rihan would not only make me fall onto my knees but surely fall flat to the ground.


    A strong, warm light glowed in the staging area of the hall, casting shadows across. The light dimmed more and more until it was safe for everyone to look at the Light Father.


    Everyone paused, looking at his lion head, as if they could not comprehend what they were seeing. His solidified wings made of light dispersed into thin air as he casually strolled to the food on the table. He took a piece of meat and ate it.


    With confusion on his face, he said in a booming voice, "What are you looking at? Enjoy the feast, my children; the food will get cold."


    With the orchestra beginning their music to provide ambiance to the surroundings, everyone started to rise and socialize with each other. Fairies, elves, and angels, with their grace and appearance, decorated the grandeur of the hall. The orchestra matched the wind and birds chirping, creating a heavenly ambiance for the banquet.


    Suddenly, the mood shifted, and the volume of the music was lowered as the Light Father returned to the staging area.


    "Thousands of years have passed in this place that caters to sinners-the killers, the rapists, the cheaters. They killed their women and children, and they even chose the most greedy, the biggest liars, and the worst thieves as their leaders. I arrived in this realm full of violence and stupidity. My remorse compels me to do something, to bring peace and order. My fellow angels and I liberated the world from its self-destructing path!"


    The crowds cheers.


    "We drove the barbaric ways of the orcs from our cities, regulated the greed of the dwarves, and watched the scheming of the dark elves. We angels value morals above all else. Look at you."


    He raised one of his hands.


    SarielAnother cheering from the crowd.


    "GLORY TO GOD!" he shouted.


    "GLORY TO GOD!.. GLORY TO GOD!.. GLORY TO GOD!.. GLORY TO GOD!.. " the chanting of the crowd follows.


    "Verily, the light of the Father''s grace is not capable of bringing aught but a smile to our visage,"


    from the other end of the hall, the giant door opened, and almost nude human females emerged. They spread out willingly to accompany everyone with smiles on their faces, especially to the angels.


    Their giggles were there, but in their eyes, it seemed they were not really looking at anything at all. I felt some sort of mind-influencing Rihan on them.


    "Pray, let someone tell me that I am not truly tardy, but merely fashionably delayed."


    St. Nephael float in the air towards his Father.


    "I will assume that St. Sariel is with you!" The Light Father looked at him with a stern expression.


    "Oooohhhhhh!!!.... the wine and the hospitality of the local people is so great that the crown prince requires some attention from St. Therese of Hed-seier"


    St. Nephael bowed down and gestured towards the door where a silhouette could be seen. An elf, in the most elegant Roman attire, was pushing the crown prince, whose eyes revealed the euphoria he was experiencing.


    I saw the crowd, and I could tell they were repressing their shock and urge to gossip about yet another drama orchestrated by St. Nephael. With my magic, I immediately summoned Mikay, who was drenched in her ink. From nothing, my daughter was immediately materialized.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "MOMMY!!! I told you to at least send me a warning before summoning me!" she protested.


    "The sun is at its highest. Are you really going to miss what''s happening within the walls of the cathedral!?" I raised my eyebrow at her and gestured toward St. Naphael with my mouth.


    Mikay suddenly realized where she was, and with just one twirl, all of her dirt and inks vanished. With twinkles in her eyes, she stared intensely at St. Nephael.


    "The happiness that he brings to me still lingers in my heart!" she flirtatiously said. "But don''t interrupt us next time, Mother!" She gave me a bad look, as if all the tantrums she wanted to throw were turned into a piercing gaze.


    Part 2:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "Bbbrrraaggggggg!!!"


    "What was it??" Grumbart grabbed my collar and wrestled me to the ground, ending up on top of me.


    "Gggggrrrgggghhhhh!" Pen-pen growled at Grumbart, ready to pounce if not for my gaze holding him back.


    "A pendant," I replied, but he wasn''t satisfied with the answer and punched me across the face.


    "Answer me, MUSANG!!!!" I could feel the anger behind his punch, his rage evident in his actions. He was so furious with me that he ignored the growing size of my wolf, hidden by my costume. Blood from my nose and mouth ran down my face.


    "Gggggrrrgggghhhhh!"


    "Cough!.. Cough!.. Cough!.. "


    " Shaman''s medallion " I answered.


    "Gggggrrrgggghhhhh!" Grumbart widened his eyes, locking his gaze with my wolf as if fear had suddenly gripped him. He stepped back, only to stumble and fall to the ground. "You gave fang and claw to a monster," he muttered.


    I sat on the ground, clenching my jaw. "What do you mean?" I asked.


    He looked me in the eye, his voice serious. "I was once a student in a research academy. Me and that bastard were roommates. He''s one of a kind, a Hed-seier," he said, getting up from the ground. "He''s a smart elf, and everyone respects him for it. But he matched their praise with overestimating himself. He thought since no one knew about ancient elven writings anymore, he didn''t need to keep his research secret. One morning, as the wind blew into our room, his research paper flew and fell to the ground. Out of concern, I picked up the papers. It was hard for me not to look, and I thought he was researching medicines because of the sketches on the paper. Thanks to my expertise in old dwarven writings, which are very similar to the ancient elven writings he was using, I read a shocking and hair-raising revelation."


    He walked towards me and stooped down to meet my eye level. "You know what he was researching?" he asked.


    "What?" I asked back.


    "Necromancy!" He answered. The words rang in my ears, making it hard to forget what my mothe.... what the Anitos had said to me about my father being resurrected. By the time we got home, I immediately went to my room and frantically searched for the secret compartment.


    And when I found it, what I discovered were three pages of papers cut from a book. The papers contained an alphabetical dictionary of names of people, with details of their deaths beneath each name. In the upper right corner of each page was the date of their death, which matched the date of my father''s death. I immediately scanned the pages, searching for my father''s name. When I found where his name should have been, all I saw were smudges. There was no text except for the details: death due to a fall from heights and impalement by protruding rebars. That''s how my father had died. There was no question about it; this page belonged to my father, and the smudged part obscured his name and death details.


    "Necromancy!" I mumbled, realizing this could lead me to my father.


    "Ok, ok! I understand! I will do my best to retrieve the medallion," I said, trying to calm him. "Would you like me to destroy the medallion to ensure it won''t fall into the wrong hands?" I asked, seeking clarification on what would appease Grumbart and ease his agitation.


    "Yeah! And make peace with whom you stole from!" Grumbart said. "For he or she won''t last until the next moon for taking the medallion!" He continued, "What?"


    Grumbart answered, "The medallion influences the soul of its keeper, making the person more spiritualized, but it will merge the soul with the medallion. Taking the medallion away from its keeper will damage the soul and result in death." He broke the Mithril ore in two and pushed half of it towards me. "Here, all I need is half of it for research. I hope this half is worth it for the life of the shamans you stole from."


    I stood up slowly, clutching the ore towards me. "You''re kidding, right?" I responded, thinking of my friend Gorg.


    "I wish I were kidding, but hey! All you need to do is wait for the next full moon to verify my claims!" Grumbart replied. With his response, I immediately glanced at Pen-pen, signaling him to bail out of the situation. "Hey! Wait!" Grumbart tried to catch up with us, but our swiftness allowed us to escape. I made sure we stayed out of his sight and dove into the shadows, aiming to meet Gorg as quickly as possible.


    With speed on my side, I managed to stop by the house. I placed the ore under my bed and checked the fake Mithril ore in my closet. After washing the blood off my face in the sink, I looked into the mirror, which was made of the smoothest silver instead of the usual glass. I saw myself: the broken nose, the dark eye bags, the messy hair obscuring my sight, and my thin chin making me look like an underweight zombie. My appearance was far different from my previous life; it seemed like every mistake and sin I had committed was reflected on my face.


    Suddenly, a bell rang from the direction of our training camp. "Arf! Arf! Arf!" Pen-pen''s bark through the biting of the bamboo canister added urgency to return to camp. We immediately went there, and instead of a formation of trainees, flying fairies were sprinkling sparkles in the air. The surroundings were decorated with white curtains and flowers rapidly growing and blooming from the ground. Tables with white mantles were populated with delicious food. My fellow trainees were confused and amazed at the transformation of our training grounds.


    I saw Gorg from a distance, accompanied by Persis, both of them looking for me as they usually did whenever I slipped out of their sight. I immediately approached them. "What''s happening?" I asked.


    "Bad! That''s what happening!" Persis responded.


    "We''ve been looking all over for you, Musang. I was so worried! Where did you go?" Gorg added.


    Persis tightly held our hand and pulled us away from the vicinity. "We need to go now," Persis insisted. Confused, we didn''t resist, but as we tried to exit, elven knights blocked our way with their pole arms.


    "The Diwatang Niela ordered us to keep the trainees here at the banquet," one of the knights said.


    "This is bullshit! We feel more like prisoners than volunteers for the expedition," Persis exclaimed.


    Suddenly, the trumpet sounded, and a super bright light began glowing behind us. Everyone closed their eyes and shielded them with their hands.


    The glow grew dimmer until everyone''s attention was caught by whoever was standing in the staging area. We turned our heads and saw the Diwatas and A''Yeel Hed-Seier standing beside someone-or more like something-a being with a humanoid body clad in silver armor.


    The body was enormous, towering over everyone present. Even the orcs would need to look up to this being. It resembled an angel, but its wings were made of solidified light. It had no scepter or crown floating above its head, but the head itself was distinctive. It was not the head of an angel or any other known race; it had a mane of golden hair, a snout, and fangs-it was the head of a lion. The appearance was the most dignified I had ever seen in my life.


    "KNEEL! You are in the presence of the Light Father!" Niela shouted.

 Chapter 12: The Shameful Grandeur

    Part 1:---------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "What the hell!" Those were the words that came out of my mouth as I saw a being whose appearance stood out among the others. Yes, I had already encountered the beauty of elves, the intimidation of orcs, the phantasmagoric nature of dwarves, and the perfection of angels, but no one could match the otherworldly aura this being exuded. His wings, made of solidified light, already filled me with awe, but his immense height would tower over any huge orc in this city. The most noticeable feature of all was his head¡ªa lion''s head sitting on his broad shoulders.


    Suddenly, I felt something being pulled out of my body. The air grew chilly, and my strength seemed to fade so suddenly.


    For some reason, my instinct told me to look for my wolf. While I was kneeling, I tried to peek and look for Pen-Pen, who seemed to vanish into thin air right after the glow began.


    "What''s the matter with him!?" I muttered, anxiety suddenly building up within me. His presence had become a crucial part of my consistency in this new reality. Without him, it was not only a feeling of loneliness, but he had also become my emotional support and, due to his ability-sharing, my source of confidence as well.


    "Children!" A booming voice resonated through every corner of the vicinity.


    All the people here, except for Diwata and A''Yeel, were kneeling in his direction.


    "The angels did everything to ensure your safety, to maintain order in the streets; however, threats are always present. Beyond the city, evil creatures lurk." The lion-headed being began to descend onto the stage and raised one of his hands, signaling that we could rise from our kneeling position.


    The power and authority of this being were palpable. As he walked closer to each person, he would step into their personal space and look them in the eyes while speaking, like a general addressing his soldiers.


    "There are reports from patrols lately about activity on the seaside of Lucena, and they confirm that it is the Bakunawa!" he said.


    My ears rang at the mention of the word *Bakunawa*. This was the third time a local mythical being had been confirmed to exist.


    "I know some of you are asking why common folk such as yourselves are being sent to slay the monster instead of deploying the angels," the Light Father said.


    "Firstly, I want someone from among the citizens to contribute to the new basilica that will be built, and one of the key materials is the head of that monster." He looked at everyone.


    Then his gaze fell upon me, and his attention turned in my direction as he began to walk towards me while speaking.


    "Secondly, and most importantly, it has been on my mind lately. We continually share our powers with outstanding citizens, yet for thousands of years, this particular Silver City has failed to expand, not only in territory but in order. Luzon is large enough to accommodate hundreds of Silver Cities, so why does it remain in this condition?"


    He paused his walking to lock eyes with someone. "Quality of divination! Quality of applicants! That''s what we need!" He raised his voice slightly before resuming his approach towards me.


    "I can grant the divination to A''Yeel, our High-Sword, and at the same time deny you the chance to prove yourself. DO YOU WANT THAT?"


    "NOOO!!!!" the crowd shouted in unison.


    He then stopped in front of me and looked into my eyes. "Neither do I! Angels, dwarves, elves, fairies, orcs¡ªit doesn''t matter! You are all equal in my eyes, and as your Father!"


    He stepped into my personal space and bent his head so low that I had to tilt mine to avoid collision. He looked at me as though he were trying to read my mind through my eyes.


    "I BELIEVE IN YOU!!!" he shouted, and his words were followed by the cheering and shouting of the crowd. He had successfully uplifted and motivated the assembly.


    "TO WHOEVER SLAYS THE BAKUNAWA! A DIVINATION WILL BE GRANTED, WHICH WILL SURELY BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOU, MANIFESTED IN POWER! AND IN ADDITION, THE HERO WILL RECEIVE WINGS LIKE MINE!" he added, and the crowd''s excitement grew even more.


    Niela shouted, "ARE WE GOING TO WAIT FOR MORE WEEKS TO BE PREPARED?"


    "NOOO!!!" the crowd responded.


    "ARE WE READY NOW?"


    "YESSSSS!!!!" The crowd cheered even louder.


    I saw Mikay becoming flustered by the stoic posture of A''Yeel, who received a glance from the Light Father, giving the elf permission to speak.


    "QUIET!!!" A''Yeel''s command, delivered with an authority that even the angels could rival, silenced the crowd.


    Everyone, like a herd of sheep, followed the direction of those standing on the stage.


    "All of you will be grouped according to the method we have decided upon," the elf said in a serious tone. "Groups should be determined by strength, and we need to see how you match with each other. Therefore, combats should commence right here, right after the Light Father enjoys the banquet."


    Suddenly, I felt a grasp on my left arm. I quickly recognized who was trying to get my attention as I was pulled down to my knee.


    Part 2:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "You will not participate! Do you understand?" Persis said, his voice filled not only with worry but also insistence.


    "I didn''t want to in the first place! Remember the underground arena?"


    "Glad to see you''ve learned something from experience," he smiled at me, like a father pleased with his mischievous child who has finally learned a lesson.


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    </figure>


    "WAPPAKKKK!!!!"


    *Cough!!... Cough!!... Cough!!... Cough!!...*


    "WAPPAKKKK!!!!... WAPPAKKKK!!!!"


    *Cough!!...* I coughed violently. Grumbart had already broken my nose this afternoon, and perhaps it was destiny that A''Yeel would be the one to smash my face to a pulp.


    "WAPPAKKKK!!!!"


    "FUCK YOU!!!" I cursed him defiantly.


    The crowd was shocked by my words directed at the High-Sword, as if this was the first time someone had disrespected him in such a manner.


    "VULGAR!" he responded.


    "WAPPAKKKK!!!!"


    "UNCIVILIZED!"


    "WAPPAKKKK!!!!" This time, he kicked me in the stomach!


    "MUUUSSSAAAANNNGGGG!!!" Persis shouted from the sidelines, held back by Gorg and Grumbart to prevent him from intervening.


    "BARBARIC!"


    "WAPPAKKKK!!!!" A''Yeel returned his attention to my face.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


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    After the luxurious banquet, where no cup had not been refilled with wine, no orc''s belly had gone unfilled, and no dwarf had remained sober, the surroundings were in high spirits. Even as the sun set, the angels stayed with us. Naturally, I sought out Mikay, hoping she was not with the wretched and narcissistic elf.


    Since I was with the most famous dwarf of all, we were surrounded by people. I had to squeeze my way through the crowd. As soon as I freed myself and reached the people I knew from training and the construction site, I immediately began searching for Mikay. My eyes scanned every corner of the venue, a difficult task due to my height discrepancy compared to the average height of those around me. Most of the trainees were elves, dark elves, and orcs, who were taller than me, and the fairies often blocked my view when I stood on higher ground.


    Thoughts were swirling in my mind. The party offered an opportunity for some romantic moments with her. As I diligently searched for her, excitement built up inside me. I couldn''t imagine the possibilities, nor how lovely it would be...


    There.


    Under the moonlight.


    Away from the crowd.


    There.


    A lovely melody played from somewhere.


    The fireflies enhanced the dramatic mood.


    My heart raced.


    There.


    She is...


    With her hair flowing in the air and her almost see-through dress, she picked flowers. I was stunned by the sight, blinded by the smoothness of her skin touched by the moonlight. I found myself walking towards her.


    "I brought you a cake!"


    "Ooohhhh! How sweet of you! Hehehehe!" she giggled. My heart stopped when I saw A''Yeel bringing food to her. Once again, I saw that genuine smile¡ªthe same smile I had cherished every night we spent together.


    "It''s for you!" Mikay extended and offered the flowers she had picked to the wretched elf.


    "Thank you, my lady! But these flowers will never match your beauty, and I desire that beauty."


    Mikay giggled even more; it seemed those insipid words had an effect on her.


    "Oh! Come on, you already know something about that!"


    I gasped at what I heard. They noticed my presence, and Mikay looked over her shoulder in shock. Tears flowed under my headgear, and I knew I was crying. I immediately ran away, hoping she would chase me, hoping she would explain. But just a few steps away, I glanced back, and it seemed as though nothing had happened for them.


    My heart broke further as I returned to Persis, who was busy attending to other guests. Grog, unable to see my face but sensing my distress, sat beside me and simply tapped my shoulder. He didn''t speak but stayed with me, offering silent companionship in my misery.


    The night seemed destined to remain uneventful for me until the Light Father decided to start the mock battle. This battle would determine the party groupings and our positions in the expedition to slay the Bakunawa.


    The venue was swiftly prepared by the fairies to create an arena stage in the center. Using their magic, the earth was raised enough for the onlookers to view the battles that would unfold. Meanwhile, the banquets continued with only minor adjustments.


    Niela, the master of ceremonies, emerged from the middle.


    "The time has come to show the fruits of your training, although we didn''t complete the intended program design for our expedition preparation," she said, casting a brief, disdainful glance at the Light Father, who responded with a stern look. "It''s not just about the time spent in training, but the strength we draw from within our hearts. GLORY TO GOD!" she shouted.


    "GLORY TO GOD!... GLORY TO GOD!... GLORY TO GOD!... GLORY TO GOD!..." The crowd chanted in unison.


    Thus, the mock battles began. Match-ups were decided, and the fighters showcased their strength, agility, and abilities. Though it was called a mock battle, everything was permitted: every weapon, every tactic, and every technique... even death.


    I noticed that the fight had less magic involved than I expected. I know this isn''t the first battle I''ve encountered, but Persis warned me not to speak of it. But really, where did the magic go? I thought magic was so precious that it couldn''t be used in mere fighting pits and day-to-day work. Fairies are so reserved with their magic, and I have never seen elves attack with magic, even though I know they have an affinity for it. Yes, angels fly and shoot light beams, but that''s all.


    The child in me is frustrated and yearning to see battles with real magic involved. I''m not complaining about the spectacle the combatants provide¡ªthere are moments of amazing moves, and sometimes the results are dramatic, with heads flying or at least one of the four limbs being lost.


    Persis and I are exempt from the battle, but the Light Father is present, and Persis is inclined to comply.


    Persis was summoned to the battleground along with his opponent, the mighty Taag! Taag, the largest orc in our band, is not a typical green orc but a red one. With his Mohawk, barbaric armor, and two axes, his appearance screams brutality.


    Persis, in contrast, wore no armor. He simply held his two-handed battle axe and prepared himself, as if he knew his opponent would strike first.


    "STAAANNNNGGGGG!!!!" Metal clashed! The dwarf met Taag''s pouncing attack, sparks flying as the two warriors exchanged blows.


    "PERSIS!... PERSIS!... PERSIS!..."


    "TAAG!... TAAG!... TAAG!..."


    The crowd seemed electrified by the duel between these two renowned fighters. Their names were spoken with the same reverence as A''Yeel, the High-Sword of the Silver City, and Mua''Ti, the win-streak fighter.


    Persis was known as the High-Axe of the Silver City, a mockery of A''Yeel that the latter disregarded. The orc was called Brutal Taag.


    Taag''s attacks were powerful but lacked finesse. Persis parried each strike not only with his axe but also with his hands, demonstrating his precision. Even in battle, Persis disciplined himself, choosing never to use the blade of his axe against Taag. Instead, he struck with punches and the hilt of the weapon, but Taag absorbed it all.


    The orc continued taunting, hurling curses and jinxes to unsettle Persis. In his attempts to distract him, Taag mistakenly mentioned the invasion of his hometown. Before he could finish his taunting, Persis struck Taag''s left arm with the blade of his axe.


    The crowd erupted in cheers, declaring the match over!


    Yet, the two remained in their positions, staring at each other. The tension was broken when Taag burst into loud laughter. He walked towards Persis and congratulated him. The Light Father clapped his hands, and the crowd joined in the applause. Meanwhile, Taag picked up his severed arm with a grin.


    "Thank you for the match, my friend! But next time, please stop holding back, hahahaha!" Taag said, reattaching his arm, which healed almost instantly.


    I was astonished by what I saw. I had never expected regeneration to be a reality in this new world. In fact, it''s the first power I would choose if given the option.


    Then Gorg fought as well, and as anticipated, it was very challenging for him to fight with one hand. The mock battles took things to the next level when I noticed that the wretched elf didn''t participate. It felt unfair to me that even Persis, who was exempted, had to fight.


    "WAIT! WAIT! WAIT!" I shouted. "Why did A''Yeel not participate in the first round?"


    "Because A''Yeel is part of our crew and doesn''t need to prove himself for the expedition," Niela answered. I immediately noticed Mikay, who had just arrived and stood beside her mother. My temper flared again as I remembered what had happened earlier.


    "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, KID!?" Persis grasped my arms, trying to shake me from my course of action. Even Gorg attempted to convince me to stop.


    The crowd''s attention abruptly shifted to us.


    The guards were on the verge of intervening, but the Light Father''s hand gesture halted them.


    "Oooooohhhhhhh!" I exclaimed as I managed to slip between Gorg and Persis. "Is that so!?" I responded sarcastically, striding into the arena. I raised my voice louder: "IS HE TOO GOOD FOR US!?" I shouted. "IS THAT HOW THE MIGHTY A''YEEL LOOKS DOWN ON US!?" I smirked. "HOW DID HE GET THE TITLE ANYWAY!? IT SEEMS CONVENIENT, DOESN''T IT? WHOSE BALLS DO I NEED TO LICK TO GET THAT TITLE?" The crowd burst into laughter as I unexpectedly injected some humor into the situation.


    The guards held Persis and Gorg back, preventing them from pursuing or stopping me.


    "HALT THIS FOOLISHNESS OF YOURS, CREATURE!" Finally, the wretched elf stepped in.


    "Hed-Seier EYyy!" I mocked him out of frustration. "I see the resemblance of Gun''Ter in you." The crowd gasped at my statement, as if they had heard a curse so vile it would surely enrage the target.


    "Don''t compare me with my uncle. I am warning you!" He gave me a stern look.


    "Or what? Hahahaha! Will you use your family connections to do your dirty bidding!? Sounds very much like Gun''Ter to me, hahahaha!"


    "You know my family, so you know that everything we do guarantees victory! So stop this nonsense and go back to your friends!"


    "Wait! Are you sure he''s just your uncle and not your fath¡ª" Suddenly, I felt an intense pain in my stomach, and I realized that A''Yeel was already in front of me, his fist buried in my gut!


    I stepped back and fell to the ground, coughing up blood for the second time that day.


    "You want to see me in action!" A''Yeel said furiously.


    "WAPPAKKKK!!!" He struck me again.


    "WAPPAKKKK!!!!"


    "Cough!!... Cough!!... Cough!!... Cough!!..."


    "WAPPAKKKK!!!!... WAPPAKKKK!!!!"


    "Cough!!... Cough!!..." I coughed violently, my face already bruised from Grumbart''s earlier attack. It seemed fate had chosen A''Yeel to further pummel me into a pulp.


    "WAPPAKKKK!!!!"


    "FUCK YOU!!!" I cursed him defiantly.


    The crowd was shocked by my words to the High-Sword of the city, as if it were the first time someone had disrespected him in such a manner.


    "VULGAR!!" he responded.


    "WAPPAKKKK!!!!"


    "UNCIVILIZED!!!"


    "WAPPAKKKK!!!!" This time, he kicked me in the stomach!


    "MUUUSSSAAAANNNGGGG!!!" Persis shouted from the sidelines, held back by Gorg and Grumbart to prevent him from intervening.


    "BARBARIC!!"


    "WAPPAKKKK!!!!" He focused his attention back on my face.


    Then my vision went blank.


    When I awoke, I found myself in a cart, with Gorg tending to me.


    "Where am I?" I asked.


    I held my aching head and glanced around, realizing I was in a cart with my fellow trainees.


    "IS HE AWAKE!?" Persis shouted from the side of the cart.


    "HE IS!" Gorg shouted back.


    He hopped onto the cart and immediately struck my head with his fist.


    "OUCH!!" I responded.


    "You stupid prick! What''s with you? You really love to cause trouble, don''t yah!" He struck my head again.


    "Sorry! Sorry!" I said sadly, realizing I had gone too far with my outburst.


    "Where are we, anyway!?" I asked.


    "Where? To the expedition, of course!" Persis replied.


    "Wait!? To?"


    "Lucena!" Gorg answered.


    "What!?" I exclaimed.


    I remembered the Mithril Ore I had left in my room and the betrayal of my friendship for it.


    "No!" I muttered.

 Chapter 13: The Laguna the bay

    Part 1:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    "NOOOO!!!!... Wai....." Suddenly, Persis covered my mouth with his hand, with Gorg beside me putting his finger to his mouth, giving a keep-quiet gesture. "Please, no more! Damn it!" Persis grunted. "Should we gag his mouth!?" Gorg added.


    "I am starting to consider cutting his tongue!" Persis answered. "I am going to remove my hand, and you do not speak, ok?" Persis warned, and I nodded. The wheels of the cart we are on are very bumpy.


    I feel something moving inside my costume. I immediately check, and my mind is put at ease as I confirm that Pen-pen is with me again. I thought he really left me last night. I hoped he would come to the rescue when that bastard was beating me to death.


    I already looked for something to write on since the old fart threatened me for speaking. I immediately found a piece of charcoal and a piece of plywood somewhere in the cart.


    I immediately wrote this:


    [There is something I left in my room!]


    But once Persis saw what I wrote, he immediately punched the plywood, breaking it in half. Then he took the broken pieces and threw them away. Gorg immediately noticed what Persis did and, out of confusion, asked, "What''s the matter, Fore?"


    "None of your business!" Persis answered. "Look for Grumbart. Tell him I need him right now!" he commanded.


    Right after he left, Persis stooped down and slapped my face. "You stupid idiot!" he said, grabbing my collar.


    "Really!? Really!?"


    I held my jaw in pain.


    "What was that for?" I asked.


    "That''s for stupidity. Actually, you owe me one more slap because of what you did last night. Thanks to my crafting, your gear is sturdy enough; otherwise, you''d be burning by light now!" I saw the rage in him and lost my energy to argue.


    "I am sorry!"


    "Sorry!? How about using your head! Did you already forget that your writing is something to be dug into? Only humans write like that! Actually, why not use Alibata in the first place? Those writings are from your ancestors!" Persis exclaimed.


    "Actually! How come you used that ancient writing? It''s been 3 centuries since our time. How come?"


    "That''s a long story!" he responded.


    "Anyway!" My attention went back to a more urgent matter. "I left something that''s very important!"


    "Don''t worry, I brought it!" he smiled, showing me the carbon print of the Methuselah tree.


    "I...I mean..." I sighed as I took the printed cross-section of the tree. I was just going to mention the mithril ore, but I suppose I need to deal with this first. I have to count the rings of the cross-section to determine how long it''s been since I woke up.


    "Wait, how long was I out?" I asked.


    "Well, long enough to get us here!" Persis pointed somewhere behind me. As I turned my head, I saw a vast body of water where the greenery met the shimmering waters under the sky. Suddenly,


    "WWooooosssshhhhh!" An angel flew above us toward the lake, seemingly enjoying the scenery. I tried to look harder because that angel felt familiar to me.


    "Fore! Grumbart is here!" Gorg shouted from the side of the cart. "Coming right up!" Persis responded as he hopped down from the cart, leaving me alone. The bumping of the wheels against the pebbles on the road reminded me to focus on the printed section of the tree. As I inspected the printed copy, I noticed it was full of smudges, and finding parts without smudges was challenging. I remembered how I had disregarded the fine prints of blueprints when I was a safety officer, and I realized just how challenging it is to copy something without computers and printers. I finally found a section where the lines were much smoother and there were fewer smudges. I tore that part off and folded it carefully when suddenly,


    "GRROOOOGGGGGGG!!! WAKE UP, GROOOGGG!" Persis shouted, followed by the sound of Grumbart slapping Grog, who, for some reason, had suddenly collapsed, his skin looking paler than his usual greenish complexion.


    My wolf immediately jumped out from the comfort of my costume, sniffing and squealing as if there was really something wrong. I was stunned at first before I remembered that the strong smell of flowers usually helps an unconscious person wake up. I quickly looked for Kakawati; its strong fragrance would help bring Gorg back to consciousness. I hopped down from the cart, and thanks to the vegetation, I quickly found leaves of Kakawati. I crushed them in my hands and ran to Grog. The whole band stopped and gathered around Gorg out of curiosity, making it hard for me to slip in and reach him. Once I finally reached them, I immediately put the crushed leaves under his large nose. Slowly, his complexion returned, and he lazily opened his eyes.


    "SSSHHHHOOOOOOOSSSSHHH!" A wheezing of air came from above, prompting us to look up as the crowd parted to allow an angel diving down toward us. He suddenly stopped right above us and slowly descended.


    "St. Formael! Your brother..." Persis was trying to communicate with the arrogant angel. He looked for a long time, as if unsure how to react to his brother''s sudden appearance. Then, a gracious elf approached us. She looked very similar to the witch of the mountain, but without veils. Her blonde hair flowed in the breeze, and her modest dress, composed of bluish and white fabrics, exuded an air of modesty and grace.


    She immediately attended to Grog, examining my friend''s body without reservation. She put her ear to his chest near his heart and checked his pulse. The way she assessed Gorg was very reminiscent of the witch of the mountain. She noticed the leaves stuck to Grog''s large nose, took them, and checked their texture and smell. She suddenly gave me a quick glance before standing up.


    "His physical condition is good. As of now, I cannot immediately determine if he has any illnesses or if it''s just exhaustion. I suggest we camp here for the meantime. We''ve been marching since we departed from the Silver City. May I ask where we are now?"


    "We are somewhere in Sucat Para?que!" a very authoritative female shouted, signaling the crowd to give way. With her almost see-through dress and curvy figure, Niela floated toward us.


    "Are we safe here?" Persis asked.


    "Yes," Niela responded.


    "No!!!!" Suddenly, Katibo quickly descended from above.


    "Shut up, kid! Adults are talking," Niela tried to dismiss Katibo. Every time I saw these two, they were always arguing.


    "We are at Laguna Lake! For damn''s sake, please let us march further away from here!" Katibo sneered.


    "What''s the problem with Laguna?" I asked.


    "Berberoka!" Katibo answered.


    "Oh! Please! We are not in North Luzon!" Niela dismissed Katibo''s concern.


    "I swear! As fairies, we are very sensitive to the malignant Rihan in the surrounding!" he exclaimed.


    "Who do you think you are?" Niela suddenly shifted her body to face Katibo, unable to ignore his overstepping of authority.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    "Are you locals of the Philippines?" Niela challenged Katibo.


    "No..." he muttered.


    "Have you been put in charge of this journey for some reason?"


    "No..." Katibo muttered again, his head bowed.


    "But..."


    "Seriously? Are you really going to start arguing now? There''s somebody here who needs our help!" the elf shouted.


    Niela sighed. "Since you are above me, St. Therese of Hed-Seier, I trust that you have a decision in this matter."


    "Let''s camp here! It might be dangerous, but that''s what St. Formael is here for! I can''t risk the health of this poor child," St. Therese said.


    "Then it''s been decided. We are going to camp here for the one-handed orc! Sorry, but I must say, that''s not a wise move," Niela exclaimed.


    Part 2:---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The band decided to settle in the middle of our journey. Our camp was set up by the lake, and just several strides away was a dense rainforest. I took a peek under the cover of the cart.


    "We will have to camp here. I will give you a signal when it''s okay to come out, okay? Don''t go out, and don''t even peek until your bracelet glows, alright?" I said to someone hiding inside my covered cart.


    "Okay! Mau''Ti," she responded in a whispering voice.


    I am Mauti, also known as the Win-Streak Fighter. Whenever I''m out of the arena, I usually do mercenary and escort jobs. I''m doing my best to save silver and spend it in the underground auction.


    I''m not just a normal elf who loves to beat and kick ass; it''s simply easy to earn money in this field of work. My real goal lies in the collection of ancient artifacts, especially those that contain knowledge about the origins of mythical creatures and the extinction of the human race. Well, not really totally extinct, as I look back at my cart.


    This morning, as we marched toward our destination, a piece of plywood flew from Persis''s cart. One piece nearly hit my companion inside the cart. Thanks to my sharp senses, I caught it in mid-air. When I inspected the plywood,


    "What the fuck!" I muttered as I recognized the writing on it.


    I halted the horses and immediately looked around for the other piece, which was not very hard for me because I have excellent eyesight; I''m used to observing people on the streets from the sky.


    I tried to piece the wood together.


    "This! A piece of wood with ancient writings! Somebody wrote this! Somebody in the band!" With that, I immediately went to my cart to get the attention of my companion hiding under the cover. I handed her the plywood, and a few moments later, I felt the silent shock from my companion.


    "Elly? What do you think?" I asked her in a low voice.


    "This could be a female human. If it is, we need to rescue her. We need to bring her back to the shelter now!" she said with urgency in her voice.


    "Sure! I will make sure she is safe until I return from this journey."


    "I mean now!" she demanded.


    "You mean now? As in now?" I hardened my voice to emphasize the urgency of clarification. "Yes!" she squealed in response.


    "Are you serious?" I asked her, hoping she realized how ridiculous that statement was.


    "Oh my God, Mau, please just focus on what I am saying!"


    "Jesus Christ, Elly, I am already paid for this journey! Going back will raise suspicion." I tensed at her demand.


    "You are the Win-Streak Fighter! Heck! You are still an ang¡ª"


    Out of frustration, I leaned halfway into the cart to face the human female, who seemed to have forgotten how complicated the situation was.


    "Elly, for God''s sake, be reasonable! Are you really going to risk everything we''ve built in the shelter? The ancient knowledge we''ve gathered and deciphered? All of that will be burned to the ground! As in all of it, along with the woman we rescued!" I exclaimed in a lower voice.


    She gave me a puppy look and sighed. "I''m just afraid that if that''s a woman, she will be caught..." She paused, then added, "I don''t want what happened to me with the prince to happen to any woman! Please understand me," she begged.


    "And please trust me!" I gave her a stern look.


    "Okay!" she finally relented, and I kissed her before going out from the covered cart.


    As we set up our camp, I immediately took a spot and built a tent beside Persis and his companions'' tent.


    The Persis party is composed of Shiela, Grog, Persis, and his pet. There is no evidence that Gorg is faking his race; I personally know Shiela¡ªI was there when she was born. As for Persis, it''s very hard to fake their race, and he is too old for any human to survive.


    I looked intently from a distance at the person under suspicion. The woolly body and head covered with fur looked very convincing, but the face had a coconut husk texture. I had never seen organic flesh beneath those fur and husk. I wasn''t really paying attention to Persis, but I have a good memory. His pet''s appearance only varies in height and size, but the fur and husk make it seem as if they lack a physical identity. He claims these musang are emerging creatures, just like us, and he has self-proclaimed himself to be tasked with guiding them in this new reality. I had never seen the musang together; they come one at a time.


    "That''s really weird," I muttered.


    That creature was under my suspicion, prompting me to stalk that musang. Of all the musangs, this one had a pet¡ªa wolf. It was very odd for a pet to have a pet.


    "Heeeyyyy!!! Get back! Thieffffff!!!!" someone shouted. In the distance, a small humanoid being, no taller than 2 feet, wearing a red cap, darted past. The creature had big sacks, and people tried to catch this wretched being, but they were no match for its agility. Even the elves and dark elves couldn''t touch this elusive creature.


    "NIIIISSSSEEEEE!!!" Katibo shouted, followed by Niela: "Everyone secure your rations!" In an instant, several short creatures emerged where the rations were, and the camp descended into chaos as everyone chased and tried to retrieve the food they had stolen. But for some reason, no matter how hard we tried, we couldn''t catch them. The orcs were too slow, the elves were too big to chase them into the burrows that we hadn''t even noticed, and even the flying fairies and angels were no match for them.


    Even I, with my strength and speed, couldn''t catch them. Some of the elves and dark elves used their knives and bows and arrows just to try to pin the bags where our rations were, but it failed miserably. These runts seemed born to steal.


    The chaos calmed, and we found ourselves with no food. We even tried to dig into the burrows, but they quickly covered them up. With that said, we attempted to forage for food and hunt for meat, but night fell quickly, leaving me drained and my eyesight poorer than usual. We were still far from Lucena, and we already had to worry about food. The orcs were panicking; of all the races, orcs have the least tolerance for hunger, making them go mad and potentially resort to cannibalism if necessary.


    Everyone came to an agreement to fast for the night and instead focus on making a raft to try fishing the next day. We couldn''t afford to catch anything for tonight, as St. Formael couldn''t fly and was much weaker than any of us. Who knew what lurked beneath the water?


    Everyone was busy building rafts and traps. I stalked the musang again, and when I felt that no one was paying attention to him, I grabbed him and isolated him further from the crowd.


    I dropped him somewhere near the lake, in a place where we couldn''t be found.


    "So, it seems I finally understand why you are interested in the ancient scripture that I won back then in the underground arena." I said in a very low tone voice, I am trying to assert my dominance at this point.


    "Mua''Ti!?" he exclaimed, surprised as he recovered from the ground.


    I showed him the largest piece of plywood with the ancient writings.


    "What... What''s that?" he tried to deny.


    "You know what this is!" I pressed the broken plywood closer to him. "Drop your act, kid. I''ve met many people; I''m not new to lying. I''ve lived with thieves, murderers, and pirates. With that said, guess how I discovered my affinity for violence?"


    I stooped down to his eye level to emphasize the sarcastic smile on my face.


    "It''s impossible..."


    "WAPANGGGG!!" I gave him a sharp slap to make him realize who was in control here.


    "Cough!... Cough!... Cough!... Cough!" I couldn''t see the pain on his face, but it seemed I went too hard because I smelled blood. But wait¡ªI smelled blood, yet I didn''t see any wounds or blood coming from his face.


    "I hate to hurt people. Being violent doesn''t come naturally to me, but whenever I find someone lying to me, I do everything to uncover the truth. I''ve discovered that interrogation with sprinkles of pain is an effective tool as well."


    "WAPANGGGG!!"


    "Cough!... Cough!... Cough!... Cough!"


    "Spill it, kid, or I will proceed to much more painful methods. Believe me, I''ve learned a lot about torture for the sake of truth."


    "Fuck you!" he responded defiantly.


    "You know what? I''m not convinced that your face is your real face; you seem to be wearing a mask! Let me help you breathe!" I said as I grabbed his head, trying to tear off the mask with the coconut texture. But suddenly¡ª


    "NOW! PEN-PEN!" he shouted as his pet wolf attacked me from behind.


    Since the sun had already set, I couldn''t ignore the pain from the wolf''s bite, so I had to release the stubborn creature and grab the wolf by the head, forcibly opening its mouth and throwing it away from me.


    Suddenly, a flash of light tried to blind me as the wretched creature swung his torch across my face. I easily disarmed him and delivered a kick to his stomach, sending him flying.


    The wolf didn''t waste any time and lunged at me, which I immediately dodged. I tried to counterattack with a kick, but for some reason, the musang appeared behind me and pulled my head, causing me to lose my balance and miss my kick. The musang quickly jumped away from me into a fighting stance, while the wolf circled around us, searching for an opportunity to sink its fangs into me again.


    "You seem to have learned some new tricks since the last time I saw you in the underground arena!" I smirked, finding it amusing to consider how this bastard had grown in such a short time.


    I was about to attack when the waters beside us receded so far that it was hard to ignore. Even the two paused to check what was going on. The lake seemed to shrink, and in the little light from the moon, it shone fresh and still alive.