《Apocalypse Unleashed ~ A LitRPG Story》 Book One, Chapter One: The Pen is Mightier Chapter One: The Pen is Mightier
"Oli, wake up." Aiden shook his sleeping twin sister, looking over at her blaring alarm clock. It was already seven. If they didn''t leave soon, they''d be late for school. "Don''t make me get the water again." Olivia rolled over and pulled her blanket closer to her chest, grumbling, "Go away." A deep sigh of frustration escaped Aiden. "Do we really need to do this every morning? I''ll give you three. Two. One..." With an exaggerated groan, she threw off the covers. "Fine! I''m up. You don''t have to be so serious, goodness." "You know how important today is." Her look of confusion, a tilted head and raised brow, signaled that she had forgotten. "The test. The math test. The test that''s gonna end my whole life." Blurry, unfocused eyes stared up at him. "Oh, that." "Yeah, that. It''s today." Once she rubbed away the sleepiness, Olivia frowned. "Oh, right. You''re not ready, are you?" Aiden ignored her question, waving toward her closet. "Get ready, and be quick about it. I''m gonna go nuke some breakfast burritos." She stuck her tongue out at him, folding her arms. Sighing, he glared back at her. "Get up and go. We''re already running late, and Aunt Rachel also needs to get to work, so please hurry it up." Olivia stretched her arms, yawning widely. She rubbed the sleepiness away, jumped out of bed, and opened her closet. That was his cue to leave. Aiden left her to get ready, stopping at their shared bathroom to brush his teeth. Looking in the mirror, he admired his appearance - sparkling blue eyes and bedhead that hung every which way. Smiling back at himself in the mirror, he noticed Olivia coming down the hall. As he exited, she rushed in behind him. Her hair was curly with two long streams that went all the way down past the hoodie she¡¯d thrown on. A tie-dye headband kept the two front locks separate from the mass of hair that ran down her back. He crossed the hall into the kitchen and tossed breakfast burritos in the microwave. He tossed his backpack on while he waited for them to heat up, turning the morning news on to distract himself from the anxiety creeping and crawling up from his gut. ¡ªking news from ZYX AM! Did ya hear this, Jim? "No, what''s that, Sally?" Apparently, last night renowned environmentalist and billionaire playboy philanthropist Jared Walsh died! No way! The news just came in! That makes four high-profile deaths in just as many days, folks! You can''t make this stuff up! Not like Jared Walsh did. Oh my gosh, Jim! You''re so bad! But not as bad as the weather, huh? We''re lookin¡ª The microwave beeped, and Aiden flipped the tv off just as Olivia came hopping out of the bathroom. Her hair was in disarray, and she struggled to manage her hair while attempting to pull on her other sock. He opened it, freeing the smell of nuked eggs and sausage. He put two in a plastic bowl and set them on the table for Olivia, then took two big bites out of his own. Swallowing the hot breakfast, he tisked at his sister. "If you woke up on time, you wouldn''t have to rush so much." "Aiden," she paused and stared at him intently. "Did you really just suggest I give up my precious sleep time?" He nodded. "You know how crazy that is, right? It''s blasphemy of the highest degree!" she exclaimed with a straight face. Aiden couldn''t help himself. He laughed loudly at her goofy antics, nearly choking on another bite of sausage and egg burrito. Olivia smiled back at him, giving him a big hug. "Thanks for waking me up and making breakfast." She took the bowl and started pecking at her food, picking up a large bookbag with all her school things. As they finished up their food, Aunt Rachel came out of her room. Today, she wore a long skirt, high heels, and a blouse with her hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her glasses rested comfortably on her face as her baby blue eyes stared back at them. "Good morning, Oli. Good morning, Aiden," she said, giving them both a quick side hug. She picked up the third bowl of sausage and egg burritos Aiden had set aside, flashing him a bright smile. "Thank you. I don''t know what I''d do without you." "Go to work hungry, probably," Olivia joked. Aunt Rachel ate her food without dripping anything on her clothes. Impressive, really. Her keys jingled as she picked up her laptop bag and briefcase, leading the charge into the outside world. They left, Aiden and Olivia following behind their aunt like a pair of ducklings. They waited while she locked the door, compulsively turning it three times. Only then did she allow herself to turn away satisfied. Her car waited in the driveway, and they piled in the same as always, Aiden hopping into the backseat. It made him feel like he had a chauffeur. When they pulled out of the driveway, he checked his watch. Seven-fifteen.
The drive to their school took less than ten minutes. It was only two miles down the road, but Aiden could never get Olivia to walk fast enough to be on time. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Anxiety wracked his mind as he let it wander. Too much negativity jumbled around inside, murking up his thoughts. Too many things crawled up from the recesses of his mind where he¡¯d shoved them. Closing himself off completely to decompress, he ignored his feelings. He separated himself from the anxiety that gnawed at him the last few days. As he stared out the window, he noticed a person wearing a black hooded cloak standing on the street corner. The cloak billowed strangely, much like a bedsheet that defied gravity. It managed not to fly away even though no discernible ties or clasps were keeping it in place. Their arms dangled limply at their side, hands as white as snow poking out of the cloak. Odd. They stood there perfectly still, staring down at nothing. Then, as Aunt Rachel continued driving, they vanished from view. Things only got stranger. At every street corner they passed, a similarly dressed person lurked. The majority of them didn''t move at all, but a couple paced in circles excitedly. ¡°Is there some kind of event in town I don''t know about?¡± ¡°Not that I know of,¡± Aunt Rachel responded. ¡°I think Halloween is coming up soon. Maybe they¡¯re trying to spook everyone. Their hands look like they¡¯ve been painted or something.¡± He bit the inside of his mouth. They freaked him out, standing at every corner all the way to school. Once Aunt Rachel parked, Olivia jumped out and waved goodbye. Aiden followed, but he dragged his feet today. He¡¯d been rushing Olivia all morning to keep his mind busy, but now that they had finally made it? He checked his watch, reading seven twenty-six. Dread. He didn¡¯t want to be there, not even slightly. They had to take a big test today, and of course, he hadn¡¯t studied at all. Looking over at Olivia, he felt some envy. She was naturally brilliant. A genius among geniuses. School and education came to her like breathing. Meanwhile, he struggled with anything remotely related to academics. Sports were his thing, and more than likely, they were the only reason he¡¯d passed so far. Alas, today was the day that everything came crashing to a sad and bitter end. Mr. Feriger didn¡¯t pull his punches when it came to grading, so Aiden tried preparing himself. It didn''t work. Doomed from the get-go, failing the test was more a matter of when rather than if. That made it hard for him to push himself faster. He knew he should¡¯ve studied, but he¡¯d been too exhausted from practice to even try to focus on math. Like, who enjoys math? Aiden glanced at Olivia again, frowning slightly. Olivia liked math. She always helped when he asked. The only reason he''d passed his math class to this point was all because of her and how she always explained things and stayed patient with him. The stone in his gut sank as he crossed the boundary into the private school. The large gate swung closed, shrieking and clanging ominously. Like a prison, he couldn''t escape. Not until dismissal, at least. By then, his fate would already be sealed. He stopped, staring at the freedom just out of reach, but he knew he had to go. He couldn¡¯t escape the inevitable tongue lashing he was bound to get from his coaches and Mr. Feriger. As he turned away, the air near the gate flickered and distorted. So brief, he thought he¡¯d imagined it, but it happened again. Taking a step forward, he noticed one of the hooded figures on the other side of the street. The person raised their head slowly, then tilted their head to the side. His heart nearly lurched out of his chest. The person had no face! It - because it definitely wasn''t human - lacked a mouth, nose, and ears. The only thing on its white-as-snow face? Two bright red eyes in sunken sockets with red veins pulsing and writhing beneath the skin. The worst part yet? It stared at him intently. Uncontrollable shivering wracked him as its gaze assaulted him. Even from across the road and school grounds, he could feel its hunger. A deep, primal thing. Reaching his hand to his neck, he felt prickles of pain as if dozens of tiny teeth were just barely grazing his skin... ¡°Aiden! You¡¯re gonna be late,¡± Olivia called from the front door. He turned toward her, relief washing over him. Her call broke the mesmerizing terror that rooted him in place. She waved at him as he blankly stared at her, recollecting himself. Olivia held the door open for others that were running late while waiting for him. When he looked back, the terrifying thing disappeared and the shimmering faded. The stone in his gut only sank further. He shook his hands to calm himself then followed after his sister. Seven twenty-seven. The entrance was located by the gym, cafeteria, and nurse¡¯s office. They blurred as Olivia and Aiden rushed through the halls, looking for the ¡®G¡¯ staircase up. Seven twenty-eight. Of course, nothing could be easy. Their class was at the end of the main hallway towards the library and auditorium. Once they reached the stairs, he quickly surpassed Olivia, taking the stairs two at a time. A hall clock mocked them, laughing loudly as the few remaining seconds ticked down. Their classroom was at the end of the long hall. It was like the school wanted them to be late sometimes. He looked between the clock, the door at the end of the hall, and Olivia. She struggled to ascend the stairs, her purse slapping against her thighs with every step. He could¡¯ve made it on time and saved himself an earful, but instead, he held out his hand, pulling her forward the last few steps. Still holding her hand, he nearly dragged her down the empty hall. And there he was, waiting with his smug glare and tapping foot, arms crossed all high and mighty. Aiden¡¯s mortal enemy, his one and only nemesis. Mr. Feriger. Staring down at Aiden from the brook of his nose, the old croney tuttered and pointed at the hall clock. They were already late. But Aiden knew that. He wasn¡¯t going to leave his sister to be late and suffer by herself. Nope, not a chance. ¡°You¡¯re late!¡± Mr. Feriger barked. ¡°If I do recall correctly, the rules were established the first day of the semester. Is something unclear about the rules?¡± Aiden resisted the urge to roll his eyes, clenching his teeth in frustration. ¡°No, sir!¡± Olivia responded in his stead, flashing Mr. Feriger one of her brilliant smiles. ¡°I have to apologize. I slept in late. It¡¯s my fault we weren¡¯t on time, sir.¡± Their teacher looked between the both of them several times, his eyes narrowed like a hawk¡¯s as he considered his options. After what felt like an eternity under his scrutinizing gaze, he grunted and motioned for them to enter the classroom. ¡°You¡¯ve already delayed the test, so keep any further distractions, delays, or hooliganry for another day. Get it?¡± They both nodded and took their seats, Olivia to the front and Aiden at the back. Before he even sat, he was deep into daydream land, wishing for last period and after-school practice. Kelly was in his last period - The thick, state-mandated test smacked down on his desk, startling him back to reality. Mr. Feriger lingered for a moment, giving him the customary stink eye, before handing out the rest of the tests. Weirdo. Aiden internally groaned as he looked over the test that would spell the end of his entire life. He¡¯d fail, bombing it hard, then get academic probation. He wouldn¡¯t be able to play. Gritting his teeth, he took out a pen from his bag and stared at his second mortal enemy. Math tests. It was fitting. His first enemy administered the second. Cold sweat started to soak his back as he continued panicking, gripping the pen tightly. A tingling assaulted his neck and arms. The feeling reminded him of an electrostatic buildup. ¡°Per state customs, I¡¯ll begin reading the -¡± A scream tore his attention from the bound pages of doom, drawing Aiden¡¯s focus across the room to Viktoria. She cried uncontrollably and pointed toward the front, her mouth agape in horror. Book One, Chapter Two: Horror-Tastic Chapter Two: Horror-Tastic
Then all hell broke loose. Two bloodied limbs wiggled around in Mr. Feriger¡¯s chest cavity from behind. Blood splattered the first row of students, too stunned to process what had just happened. His arms and legs sprawled limply at his side. A small black monster widened thin white lips, stretching them until Mr. Feriger''s whole body fit into its mouth. And then, just like that, Aiden¡¯s number one nemesis disappeared within the gaping maw. He¡¯d dreamt of similar things occurring before many, many times, but to see it happen in front of him... Everyone stared in complete shock. The monster belched loudly, its lips pulling wide into a wicked grin. It stepped toward Olivia, and Aiden¡¯s mind blanked. He overcame the shock of its appearance, speeding through the seven stages of acceptance faster than ever before. As much as he wanted to trick himself into thinking this wasn¡¯t real or that this couldn¡¯t be happening, it obviously was. Easy to skip that one quickly. Anger. As it moved towards Olivia, he used his anger and fear to propel himself forward, accepting what he had to do. He couldn¡¯t lose Olivia. He wouldn¡¯t let it hurt her. Before anybody else processed what was happening, he crossed the room. He didn¡¯t think about what he needed to do, no. He just did it. Kicking forward, he slammed his foot into the round head of the monster. It bounced to the other side of the room, screaming in protest as it finally came to a stop. It pushed off the ground with its short, pudgy arms, rising to its clawed feet. It vaguely reminded Aiden of a yoga ball, but the arms and triangular ears set atop its head ruined that. When it looked at him again, his heart came to a jolting stop. Its eyes were so human. Its sclera was pitch black, and the iris and pupil were colored bright crimson. So expressive. It unsettled Aiden. But, in war, there was no time to sympathize with the enemy. Its pasty white lips turned down into a frown as Aiden brandished his pen in front of him. He¡¯d always thought about fighting someone with a pen, but now that he was actually doing it, he felt pretty dumb. The monster shrieked loudly. Aiden covered his ears as the pitch continued to rise, not daring to take his eyes off the creature as it prowled forward. Only when it closed its mouth did Aiden take the chance to attack again. It stood about half his height, so he continued to kick out at it as fast as he could. He really didn¡¯t want to get his hands too close to the gaping maw. If he was alone, he would¡¯ve already run away, but the rest of the class had still yet to move. More importantly, Olivia hadn''t moved. So, he held his ground, brandishing his pen at the monster, unsure of what to do next. It obviously didn¡¯t have qualms about killing them, but Aiden had never killed anything before. He''d have to push past that hesitancy sooner rather than later. It opened its mouth, showing off several rows of needle-like teeth, and lashed out with the longest tongue Aiden ever saw. It sailed through the air and smacked against his shoulder, carrying a surprising weight behind it. However, the worst part was the strange gunk that stuck against his left arm. The tongue returned to the depths of the monster¡¯s mouth. All feeling in his left arm slowly fled, the dark gunk leaving his shoulder awkwardly dangling. ¡°Help him!¡± Olivia screamed from behind him. Her cry elicited a throaty chuckle from the monster. Red eyes stared Aiden down, but he resolved his will to fight back. When it rushed forward, chomping wildly at the air, Aiden jumped out of the way and kicked it in the side of the head again. He noticed that it turned slowly, much like bulls when charging a matador waving their red sheet. He could use that. After it recovered, it tried to lash him with the long tongue again, but he made sure not to let it touch him. If things weren''t so horrifying, he would''ve probably looked rather funny as he dodged in every which way. Only once the tongue returned to the monster¡¯s mouth did Aiden catch his breath, grinning bitterly. Knowing it wouldn''t wait for him to recover, he taunted it. He needed to end things here and now. ¡°Come get me!¡± It charged once again. Gripping the pen with his one good hand, the other numb from the putrid gunk, he stepped to the side and brought his entire weight down on top of it. The tip of the pen met a soft, gummy resistance, but it pierced through. His hand shook uncontrollably as he drove the pen into its head over and over, losing count after the dozenth time. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. But even then, he didn¡¯t stop. He continued to stab its limp form until a hand touched his back. He turned around, his head light as adrenaline roared in his veins. His heartbeat rhythmically sounded like war drums in his ears. ¡°Aiden,¡± Olivia shakily said. ¡°Aiden, it¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Wha - what was that thing?¡± Viktoria asked, her voice pitched in a panic. Aiden looked around. Nearly everyone in the room was staring at him and the monster remains. He looked back down to see it fade into a shadowy grey mist. That couldn¡¯t be healthy for the environment. The randomness of the thought caught him off-guard, eliciting a chuckle from him. As if the floodgates had released, the laughter wouldn''t stop once it started. But he was far from amused. Salty tears flowed down his cheeks and his arms hung loosely by his side. Like a leaf in the wind, his shoulders shook as the gravity of the situation settled on them. An overbearing weight that threatened to crush everything he knew. Gasping for breath, he attempted to collect himself, but the harder he tried, the more his body spasmed in protest. His ribs groaned as he continued his bitter tirade, the laughter sad. More pained keening than mirthful amusement. ¡°Aiden? Aiden!" A voice called to him, but it barely cut through the desolate fugue he''d fallen into. "Aiden!¡± Olivia shouted, her voice quivering. He turned to look at her, focusing on her face. He hated seeing her so concerned, so afraid and sad. "Talk to me. I''m here. Please, talk to me. What''s going on?¡± ¡°Just -¡± He paused as another bout of chuckling threatened to spill out of him. Breathing deeply, he completely collected himself. ¡°I really don¡¯t know, Oli.¡± ¡°Did that thing really swallow Mr. Feriger?¡± she asked, eyeing the nearly dissipated monster corpse. ¡°It did,¡± he repeated numbly. He stared at the monster for what felt like an eternity, but when he checked his watch, it was only seven forty-two. Gripping the pen in his hand, he curiously watched as the shadowy dissipation ended. Two milky orbs the size of marbles rested on the ground. Raising a brow, Aiden stabbed one with his pen.
Confirm (One) Essence allocation to Pen (Common I)?
Yes. No.
He mentally selected ¡°no¡± and watched as the orb reformed next to the other. Just to make sure what he¡¯d seen wasn¡¯t some kind of twisted trick of his overactive, adrenaline-muddled imagination, he poked it with the pen again.
Confirm (One) Essence allocation to Pen (Common I)?
Yes. No.
Several people muttered behind his back as he stared into space, but he ignored them. He had a feeling that what happened next was going to be very, very important. That was assuming that he hadn¡¯t completely lost his mind. Mentally prompting the ¡°yes¡±, he got another one of the notifications.
Name: Pen
Rarity: Common II
Attack: Piercing
Boost: ???
¡°That¡¯s useful,¡± he muttered. ¡°Aiden, what did you do?¡± Olivia asked. ¡°I¡¯ll explain in a second, Oli. I need to think.¡± The Pen¡¯s text box contained a lot of interesting information. Some of it was fairly obvious. It was a Pen and could poke things pretty hard. But the Rarity had increased from the initial prompt, and all the information in the Boost category was unknown. He wondered if that meant it was inactive or if he just couldn¡¯t understand it. He banked on the former, hoping that he would understand in time. Staring at the second orb, he considered finding something else to poke it with. When he reached forward to pick it up, it dissipated into the same milky mist and slammed into his gut. Contrary to his expectation, the mist was warm and filled his body with an elevated level of energy he¡¯d never felt. So much, in fact, his head spun from the overwhelming stimulus. Another status appeared in front of him.
(One) Essence assimilated. View Essence Map now?
Yes. No.
Looking around, he considered all the panicking faces. He wanted to say no, but he needed to figure out what was going on. Prompting the ¡°yes¡± caused him to lose focus of his surroundings. Instantly, he was forced elsewhere to some unknown. He was no longer in the classroom anymore. He existed within a world of darkness that slowly lit up. A dais raised from the ground. It shimmered slightly, slowly illuminating a small radius around it. As it finally raised all the way, stopping at chest height, it clicked into place. Immediately, Aiden noticed the ornately carved map of the cosmos etched into the entirety of its side. Floating forward in his manifested body, he analyzed it. A slot big enough for a single orb expectantly waited in the exact center on its flat, circular top. The top looked much simpler than the sides, boasting thousands of intersecting lines. When he attempted to analyze it further, his focus snapped upward. An Essence Orb shined grey light as it descended toward the perfectly spherical, marble-sized divot in the dais. A ray of silver guided it down, encompassing that milky great light in its entirety. Aiden couldn¡¯t look away. No matter how hard he tried to look anywhere else, his focus continued to shift back to the silver-hued light, transfixed to its eerie glow. Soundlessly, the Orb filled the slot. Everything flashed, prompting another notification.
Congratulations! Central Node activated.
As the Central Node activated, it illuminated the darkness. More ephemeral silver light and blue wisps combined to form an aura of serene radiance. Five white lines inched slowly across the floor, reaching ever further as it pushed back the overbearing darkness. Once those lines reached their final destination, the world completely changed. Five more Nodes, similar but different in comparison to the Central Node, rose from the ground. The process was far faster than the Central node, but each one had unique etchings as well. Shifting his consciousness forward, he moved to the closest dais. The Node boasted an aura of overwhelming might, the strength of body pushing past the laws of reality, of Power. Subtly, it called to him. It yearned for him to strive toward a realm of greatness through the physique. Just like the Central Node, it had the space for an Essence Orb. Unlike the simple Central Node, the Power Node''s etchings moved as though alive. Several muscular men, wielding a wide variety of weapons, shifted and stirred under his gaze. Their weapons stabbed toward an unseen enemy. They shifted into unique forms and styles without breaking the fluidity of motion. They awed Aiden with the confidence of their graceful movements. Each style paired with multiple weapons. He couldn''t list them all, even if he tried. Swords, spears, axes¡­ if it could cut, stab, or bludgeon something to death, it was depicted. It lent credence to a sinking suspicion Aiden began to form. An uneasy feeling swelled and bulged deep within his gut. Times were changing, and if Mr. Feriger was anything to go by, then they¡¯d be changing for the worse.
Book One, Chapter Three: Gotta Go! Chapter Three: Gotta Go!
¡°Olivia, Aunt Rachel -¡± His voice was choked, his heart still heavy from the past few minutes of action. Alone in the strange world, he gave himself a moment to feel afraid. He allowed himself that, where nobody else could see, because he couldn''t be weak when he went back. ¡°I¡¯m scared." So there he stayed, basking in the almighty presence of the Power Node. Its reassuring warmth temporarily cleansed him of fear and uncertainty. Letting out a deep breath, he steadied his will and moved to the next Node. Its engravings didn''t make much sense initially, but he pieced together an understanding. Unlike the Power Node, this one radiated an aura of impenetrable defense. Images flashed through his mind. First, a troll with its ability to regenerate. Then, a golem with its mighty natural shell. Finally, the great aquatic beast that even dragons feared. The leviathan, its monstrous and talent for water manipulation unmatched... No one could bypass the absolute infallibility of Durability. The figures depicted never once moved. Instead, the same weapons that sliced, stabbed, and slammed against the unknown enemy from the previous Node reappeared, ineffectively rebounding away from an indomitable defense. Something about the concept resonated with him. The feeling the Durability Node oozed reached to his insecurities and for those that wanted to endure no matter how hard things got, for those that wouldn''t break no matter the abuse¡­ Ultimately, the Node existed for survivors. Even if that meant they were bloodied, bruised, and battered, they still lived when their opponents'' weapons became no more than scrap metal. Aiden wished he had another Orb to slot into that dais then and there, but he didn¡¯t. His only other Orb was absorbed by the Pen. He lamented the loss now that he knew the purpose of the Essence Orbs and wondered if there was any way to reclaim the precious resource. Putting the thought aside for later, he wandered over to the third Node. Everything about this one screamed speed. Whatever images moved on the dais did so far faster than he was able to perceive. When he felt the aura wash over him, it buzzed in his mind. Alacrity. Everything became clear before him while in range of the Alacrity Node, his mind working faster than ever with almost no strain. The Node came with the ability to perceive and move at a rate otherwise impossible. This. The feeling of clarity and speed enticed him almost as much as Durability. Each Node gave him a lot to think about. Each unique. Each equally exciting. He saved his pondering. Better to see the last two before making any grand plans. Stubbornly, he tried to analyze the dais. No matter how long he spent, he couldn''t figure out what happened with the magical etchings. He spent too long doing so and eventually gave up. For representing Alacrity, he didn¡¯t get a very clear understanding of what it tried to portray. His heartbeat skipped a beat as he moved toward the next Node. Magic. Honest to goodness magic crackled across the side of the Node. Elemental magic - fire, water, earth, air, but also so much more. Gravity, space, even time. Arcana. ¡°Magic¡­¡± His heart kicked into overdrive and his mind considered all the implications. ¡°Magic is real?¡± Okay, so maybe not all the implications. Suddenly being told by some strange game-like system that magic existed took no small amount to process. Not only that, he still didn¡¯t even know how he got to this place. Anything could be happening around him. Olivia could be in danger. He moved to the last dais, gazing over his shoulder longingly at the Arcana Node. Focusing, he approached the next Node. It was hard to describe what he saw here. A figure meditated as the seasons slowly shifted and changed around them. The passage of time accelerated around the figure until all that surrounded them was desolation. Everything halted to a stop as the lone figure rose, the only thing amongst an empty plane of ruin. They opened their eyes, filling the world with an earthy scent. Immediately, invigorating revitalization restored beauty to the world. Seasons passed once again, and the entire world buzzed with life. Spirit. This one felt far more intangible to grasp than the others. It felt like slippery oil to his mind, unable to process the complexities hidden within its depths.
Attribute Nodes observed. Depart Orrery?
Yes. No.
As soon as the option appeared, he started to smash ¡°yes¡±. When he came to, he looked at his watch. To him, at least ten minutes had passed in that strange world, but his watch told him he was very wrong. Seven forty-four. Almost no time had passed the entire time he¡¯d been away. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Oli,¡± he started, turning toward her. ¡°We have to get to Aunt Rachel. She¡¯ll know what to do.¡± She nodded, stiffening her lip and narrowing her brows. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Aiden.¡± When she reached for the door, he grabbed her hand. She tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Let me lead.¡± She looked between the door, him, and the spot where the monster had dissipated. She bit her lip in consideration before nodding her head and stepping to the side of the door. He straightened upright and looked at the rest of his classmates. They stared back at him. Only vague familiarity registered in their eyes. Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, he took a moment to collect his thoughts. Everyone waited for him, their eyes wide, shining expectantly. ¡°Time to go. Who¡¯s coming?¡± His voice sounded awfully loud in the silence of the room. ¡°Y - you can¡¯t be serious?!¡± Viktoria exclaimed fearfully from her corner of the room, shaking like a wet puppy. ¡°That monster just ate Mr. Feriger! We can¡¯t go out there. What if there''s more?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t stay here,¡± Aiden refuted. ¡°We¡¯re wasting time. We don¡¯t know how big this is, if things will get worse the longer we stay in hiding, or¡­¡± Aiden looked away, considering how much he needed to tell them. His pause dragged on too long. Several other students shifted in place uncomfortably. The longer he went without speaking, the more eyes narrowed his way. The tension could be cut with a knife and used as jam. A guy Aiden didn''t recognize slammed his hand onto his desk in frustration. ¡°What?! What aren¡¯t you telling us? There¡¯s a reason you want to get out there, and we wanna know why.¡± Aiden didn''t like being yelled at or cast under suspicion when he was trying to just do what it took to survive. Narrowing his eyes at the guy, he started to open his mouth to lash out with an angry response. ¡°Aiden?¡± And there it was, his greatest weakness. Steeling his gaze, he looked back at his classmates. ¡°Clearly, the world is changing. We¡¯re going to have to kill these monsters. I don¡¯t know what things are gonna be like, but it only makes sense that the longer this goes on, the stronger things get. If we want to survive, then we have to -¡± ¡°Wow, dude. You were just gonna go out there and kill all the monsters to get stronger.¡± Aiden couldn¡¯t remember the guy¡¯s name no matter how hard he tried, but the accusatory tone really stung. ¡°That¡¯s not -¡± ¡°You were gonna use us as meat shields!¡± Viktoria shouted, her makeup long since streaked by tears and snot that caked her upper lip. ¡°No -¡± ¡°He would never!¡± Olivia shouted back at Viktoria. ¡°He just wanted to make sure we stayed safe. Right?¡± She smiled at him, and he smiled back. Given the circumstances, it really showed how much she believed in him. She hadn¡¯t wavered once, defending him from the accusations immediately. Her trust in him was unshakable. Knowing she was there to support him, he continued to speak, glaring at anybody who might interrupt. ¡°I want us all to get stronger, for everyone to survive. We don''t know the situation fully, so to survive, we need to move. We need to find others, find a way to defend ourselves, and get out of here. If we want to do any of that, we have to move.¡± No longer did he wait for them to agree. He said his piece. Before they could wrap him up in further talks, he bared his Pen in front of him and slowly opened the door, peering into the hallway. The walls oozed darkness that warped the world around them. The hall was still long, but the darkness made it seem much longer. To his left, the back stairwell was in sight, but there was an entire group of the little monsters meandering around. They chittered and cooed, filling the halls with ominous echoes. Looking down at the next classroom, he nearly groaned. It wasn''t far, but it was far enough to make him wonder how many people would really make it before alerting the group of monsters. And if they were alerted, how many students would die? Not only that, what would he find if he opened the classroom door? Would everyone inside be alive, panicking like his classmates? What if they were already dead? What if the room contained another group of monsters? What if¡­? There were a dozen more questions he could ask, but standing around wouldn¡¯t get any of them answered. As badly as he wanted to rush down the staircase, he lacked confidence. There were too many unknowns. He didn¡¯t want to risk himself haphazardly. That went doubly so for Olivia. He¡¯d been hit by their strange paralyzing tongues once, so imagining what would happen to someone under a combined assault wasn¡¯t too hard. Taking Olivia¡¯s hand in his, comforted by her presence, he prepared to rush to the next room. He''d said it himself, they needed to move. His legs tensed as he leaned forward onto the balls of his feet. Olivia was also prepared, ready to follow after him the second he pushed for the next classroom. ¡°Wait!¡± Viktoria cried out. ¡°Yeah, man. Hold up a second.¡± Aiden ignored them as his heart pounded in his ears, making every second feel like an eternity. Dreadful waves of goosebumps roiled down his spine. He had the feeling that if he didn¡¯t move now, he never would. Looking back into the classroom one more time, he saw several panicking faces. He internally promised himself to come back for them. With a lurch, he dashed forward with Olivia in hand. The inky darkness acted like a muddy cinderblock on his feet, but he hammered his legs as hard and fast as he could. Olivia struggled to push through, her breaths coming in heavy gasps. Aiden essentially dragged her forward with everything he had. However, the walls seemed to stretch farther and farther the longer he remained in the hallway under the shadowy influence. Confusion became a close friend of his, but with significant effort, he shook free and redoubled his focus. Holding hands, they crossed the hall to the next classroom, crossing the stretch. Looking back, he checked to see if they''d alerted any monsters. So far, so good. Opening the door slightly, Aiden peered within to see the class proceeding normally. He and Olivia slipped into the class, leaning forward with their hands on their knees. They greedily gasped for breath, attempting to provide comfort to their aching lungs and burning calves. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± Ms. Briggs, the second-year math teacher, asked. Aiden looked around. Belatedly, he remembered the entire hall had the state exam today, and he¡¯d just barged in uninvited. With the monsters and the Nodes occupying recent memory, the test had been completely pushed to the farthest corner of his mind. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna believe this -¡± He paused and looked around the classroom for any signs of monsters. He hadn¡¯t seen the first one appear, so he didn¡¯t know what to look for exactly, but he knew that keeping an eye out was better than not. ¡°The school is under attack.¡± ¡°What?!¡± several voices exclaimed. ¡°Stop playing around, dude. You¡¯re not funny,¡± another student shouted back. ¡°Who¡¯s your teacher?¡± Ms. Briggs asked. ¡°Aiden, back there!¡± Olivia pointed to the far corner of the classroom where the wall oozed the familiar inky darkness. Two stubby arms poked through the portal. Pen in hand, Aiden rushed to the back of the classroom to meet the monster as it spawned. He wouldn¡¯t let what happened to Mr. Feriger happen again if he had anything to say about it. Its head stuck through the inky portal of darkness, its red eyes and white lips contrasting its round obsidian body. It licked its lips as it looked around the classroom, continuing to pull itself through. Adrenaline coursed through Aiden as he pushed past one desk after another, shoving aside students that got in the way. The monster¡¯s torso fit through the portal and it started to pull the lower half of itself through. Aiden didn''t think he''d make it. Only a few steps away from the portal, he knew it would get through.
Book One, Chapter Four: Magic? Chapter Four: Magic?
That didn''t mean it would last long. Just as it plopped through the portal, he was there. With all his weight behind the Pen, he brought it down onto the head of the nightmare fueling monster. When the tip of the Pen met the monster¡¯s skin, he thought he¡¯d meet similar resistance before punching through, but he was wrong. Fortunately, wrong in a way that benefited him. The tip of the Pen pierced the slimy membranous layer of skin with almost no resistance and sank into the shadow-mist body. He stabbed twice more, surprised that it stopped moving. The monster had never even been able to use its tongue. Aiden had capitalized on the advantage of surprise to end the fight before it had even truly begun. ¡°What was that thing?¡± a student close to him asked fearfully. ¡°Your guess is as good as mine,¡± Aiden numbly responded. When the form dissipated into smoke, two more Essence Orbs remained. ¡°Oli, pick those up.¡± As much as he wanted to get stronger, he refused to be greedy. He wouldn¡¯t unlock his Nodes at the cost of leaving Olivia defenseless. She was his best friend, only real family, and his greatest ally and supporter. She placed a hand on both Orbs, gasped as they slammed into her gut. A soft moan escaped her once her body assimilated them. Her eyes lost focus, and he imagined that he looked similar when he¡¯d undergone the process. A bright silver light flashed from her eyes, and he wondered if the Central Node activated or if it was one of the Attribute Nodes. As he watched, her eyes flashed yellow. Immediately after, she refocused on him. ¡°Magic is real,¡± she said in complete disbelief. ¡°Aiden, magic is real.¡± He nodded. ¡°Do you think we could bring back mom and dad¡­?¡± Hope tinged her words and wetness clung to the corner of her eyes. As much as he wanted to get sucked into that hope, he wouldn¡¯t let it happen. He shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so, Oli.¡± ¡°Hey, you two! What¡¯s going on?¡± Ms. Briggs, the second-year math teacher, asked. Screams from the hallway interrupted him before he could formulate a response. ¡°There¡¯s no time to answer,¡± Aiden responded as he followed Olivia to the door. They peered out into the hallway, gaping in horror. Olivia froze in front of him as she watched the inky shadows cling to the students. The monsters capitalized on their inability to fight back, lashing them en masse with their tongues. Every student fell to the ground, the shadows wrapping around arms and legs as the tongue lashings continued to flay them. They screamed and begged for someone to save them, but there was nobody to answer their cries. Above it all, Viktoria¡¯s was by far the loudest. ¡°God, no! Why? Help, someone help!¡± But, her voice was silenced when another tongue-lash smacked her in the face. All was still in the hall¡­ The silence was unnerving. Aiden wondered why the monsters didn¡¯t move from where they were, but he only needed to wait a bit longer for an answer to the unspoken question. Dread gripped Aiden as the students literally sank into the ground. He thought the monsters would¡¯ve taken their fill, eating his classmates whole like Mr. Feriger. But no. The ground ate them instead. And then it spit them back out seconds later. Every person that sank within the floor returned as another round, obsidian, red-eyed monster with stubby arms and legs. He pulled Olivia back into the room and slammed the door behind them. Aiden winced at the noise, but his brain broke. He couldn¡¯t process what he¡¯d just seen. It made no sense to him at all. How had that just happened? Neither of them moved, horrified by what they witnessed. The teacher grabbed their arms and pulled them out of the way of the door. With a quick swing, it was wide open. Three tongues wrapped around Ms. Briggs and wrenched her instantly limp form into the hall. Aiden immediately threw his entire body into the door, and Olivia didn¡¯t hesitate to help him. A rotund body stuffed itself into the doorway before they could shut it, but they didn¡¯t stop trying. Turning to look over his shoulder, Aiden screamed at the other students. ¡°Help us or we¡¯ll all die!¡± The monster¡¯s tongue lashed wildly into the room, edging ever closer to Aiden¡¯s side. Olivia was closer to the wall, having got there after him, so she didn¡¯t have to worry much about getting hit. Having felt the power behind its paralyzing gunk once, he wasn¡¯t in any rush to experience it again. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. They needed help¡­ The sound of chairs crashing against the ground caught his attention. He didn¡¯t risk sneaking a peek for fear of easing up against the furious fight for control of the door. His fingers crossed in hope that help would arrive soon. Sure enough, two pairs of shaky limbs squeezed their way through and gained purchase on the door. Now that they had help, Aiden acted. Before he could convince himself otherwise, he quickly grabbed the slick monster arm and heaved with everything he had. The tongue hit his side, but he continued to pull it through the doorway. He groaned as its slimy body slowly but surely slipped ever closer into the room, its slick skin playing to his advantage. With a sharp lurch, his efforts bore fruit, but he belatedly realized an issue. He still held it and stood in the way. Its mouth widened as it flew toward him. He got up close and personal with those rows of teeth, but its tongue still flopped and whipped around wildly. He did the only thing he could think of. He let his legs go limp and released his hold, ducking below it as it flew over him. Its momentum carried it in a long arc, slamming onto two desks and sprawling out on the ground. It thrashed madly, attempting to roll its rotund frame over and use its stubby arms to get back up. By the time it managed to do so, Aiden was already there. The Pen pierced through the slimy membrane and gored the shadow guts. It went down hard and fast, dissipating into shadows to reveal the only thing left of the monster: two more milky Essence Orbs. Not wasting the opportunity, he touched both and allowed the energy to slam into his gut, relishing in the revitalizing warmth. He could get addicted to that rush of energy. The monsters, though? He could pass on those.
(Two) Essence assimilated. View Essence Map now?
Yes. No.
Yes, yes, yes. A million times, yes. Apparently, that was good enough for whoever or whatever watched over him. Now that the Orrery wasn¡¯t steeped in darkness, he felt more comfortable. The doom and gloom that accompanied everything already wore him out, but unfortunately, things had only just begun. The hooded figures had something to do with everything going on. Those eyes, the timing... It could be a coincidence. Highly unlikely but possible¡­ Except not at all. Things weren''t clear as of yet, but the way the figure hungered for him outside the gate left no question in his mind. Turning his focus upward, he noticed the Essence Orbs he¡¯d assimilated above him. The two Orbs floated in the endless sky, hovering in a translucent container he hadn¡¯t noticed before. The container was fairly large, and the Orbs continued to shift between a misty liquid and solid matter. The two barely took up any room within. Wasting no more time, even though he had plenty of it here, he approached the Durability Node. Despite the dread, the fear of uncertainty, and all the horror shenanigans of the day, he still found a spark of excitement when he approached the Node. Just as the etchings did, he hoped that he could stand against his enemies without fear of death or failure. He didn''t want to die, but more than that, he didn¡¯t want Olivia to be left alone. Clenching his teeth, he grabbed both sides of the Node¡­ And waited. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure how the heck he¡¯d made things work last time. He was pretty sure that it had been an automated thing. The Central Node had to be activated for anything else to function. Remembering his experience with the notifications, he focused on Orb. Focusing as hard as he could, he imagined it floating down and locking in the center of the Durability Node. He didn¡¯t even realize he¡¯d closed his eyes until a rush of empowering energy flowed over him. His bones ached, his skin toughened, and his whole body felt far sturdier. The energy that coursed through him was like the biggest adrenaline rush he¡¯d ever felt. He felt he could run a marathon, navigate an elaborate obstacle course, and finish it all off with a ten-mile swim. He felt absolutely wonderful. He wanted to try and do those things, take on the world, have it throw everything that it could at him. It was euphoric and severely distracting. He needed to do the next one, but he was reluctant to move from the Durability Node. Belatedly, he realized a notification had appeared in front of him.
Durability Node activated!
Attribute Nodes Active: 1/5
Four Attribute Nodes required to unlock personal Status!
It made sense. All the Nodes reminded him of stats from games he¡¯d played, so he ignored it. It was weird, but he wasn¡¯t going to mull over it now. Not when he had another Node to activate. Forcing himself away from the addicting energy exuded by the active Durability Node, he bee-lined for the Arcana Node. As much as he should probably pick up Power or Alacrity, there was just no way he could pass on the chance at being able to use magic. It wasn¡¯t something that he wanted to wait for either. He could always unlock it after the others, but he refused to. His reasoning? Magic. Like, passing that up would just be idiotic. What would he immediately gain from choosing the Arcana Node over the others now? That was simply too much to consider because¡­ Magic. Any given person in the same circumstances would choose magic, hands down. At least, it seemed like a no-brainer to him. That made him intensely curious as to what Olivia had selected. With two Orbs, she definitely unlocked an Attribute. He placed his hands on the Arcana Node and closed his eyes, repeating the same process. The Orb descended through the translucent container where it clicked in place. More energy flowed through him after it clicked into place. The world warped around him, giving way to another unknown world bathed in shadows. An orange flame crackled to life, illuminating. It burned brightly and carried a great radiance of vibrant energy, its purpose twofold. First and foremost, it brought destruction. Given fuel to power its growth, a flame could reduce everything to ash. The sooty remnants acted as fertilizer for regrowth, giving life to something beautiful in due time. Secondly, it provided energy, heat, and light. As dangerous as the world was, fire was humanity¡¯s only friend for too long. It beat back hard winters, allowed the cooking of meat, and stemmed off the unnerving unknown of a moonless sky. That went a long way. Fire. Without it, his world would be nothing.
Book One, Chapter Five: Yes, Magic! Chapter Five: Yes, Magic!
The image panned to another section of the darkened world, only a third illuminated by fire. A pyramid greeted him, built from thousands of perfectly shaped cubes. A whole city of earthen structures surrounded the great work, exuding an infallible aura. Earth. When the image shifted again, the earthen lands shined soft brown. The last third of this segment, one of many that he saw with the help of the fire''s illumination, was an arctic wasteland. Compared to the earthen segment, the icy domain felt far less sturdy. Instead, its frost layered everything, including the sky. An almighty blizzard steeped the world in its primordial fury. The different intensities of power interested him. Large spires of ice pierced the center of the blizzard. Under the freezing administrations, lakes froze over and mountaintops trembled. Ice. Very intriguing. The elements of fire, earth, and ice. Their representations felt unlimited in their complexity, showing the duality that hid deep within each one. However, things didn''t end there. He blinked. A raging storm over an ocean, lightning cracking down and illuminating the sky. The winds assaulted any creatures in the air and threatened to single-handedly capsize a large boat, shaking it to and fro. The enormity of the hurricane blacked out all perceivable sky, exciting the water and wind at its beckoning. The storm was king. It was almighty. A powerful bolt struck against his perception, causing the image to change. Now Aiden viewed an unidentifiable figure, draped in a simple white cloak that obfuscated any and all details of their origin. Intrigued, he watched intently. They shifted through space as easily as breathing, silently appearing on the other side of the planet. They waved their hand, and the world groaned as gravity inverted. The wild trees ripped free of the ground, their roots trailing behind as they rocketed up past the figure. Then, just as easily, they rewound everything. Aiden watched in awe. Everything reverted to where it had been initially, and the figure raised its hand to stop the reversed flow of time. If given physical form, his jaw would''ve dropped from the powerful display. Excitement bubbled in his chest when he considered the possibilities the system brought with it. Maybe the monsters weren''t so bad after all¡­ Sike. Too many died already. It was too late for him to ever consider the coming of the system as anything but tragic. Especially the monsters it brought with it. Truly, this could only be described as a global crisis of the highest magnitude. The whole "spawn in your face wherever we want" coupled with the "trying to eat you" made for a nasty combo. Then again, he still didn''t know the scale of the event. He really doubted something like this could be isolated to the school. If anything, it had to be at least their entire city. Refocusing, Aiden realized the shrouded image stared up at him, silver eyes sharp and piercing. They oozed regality. The way they manipulated the world with casual ease struck Aiden dumb. In comparison to what he was capable of, he came to a conclusion. The figure before him was a god, manipulating the laws of the world like Aiden would cook eggs for breakfast. ¡°Who are you?¡± His mind ached from the intensity of that demanding, reality-shattering question. The image shifted one final time. Next up? A war zone. Dozens of godlike beings fought against swarms of black and grey. Things had obviously been cranked up to an eleven on the Magic Meter for this one. It was unlike any place he¡¯d ever seen before, even in the strange worlds that had been featured so far. The first thing he noticed? The world bathed in red light. Looking up, he saw that there was no sun. No, the light came from the sky itself. It was the red of raw flesh with black veins that pulsed in a beat. As he continued to observe this horrifying phenomenon, he noticed an eye. It was in the sky. And it was red. Red like that of the hooded figures from the morning. All the black veins stemmed from that eye, writhing and roiling ominously. Another god, even more radiant than the one from the previous image, stepped out of a tear in space before the sky eye. It slammed forward with a fist that obliterated the very space in front of them. A sucking vortex whirled and shrieked, but it meant nothing to the Sky Eye. The entire world came alive. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The world stilled as the Sky Eye¡¯s fury shook the fabric of reality, halting the fighting below. The air seethed with grey and black wisps. They accumulated, spinning into a massive stream of shadow and darkness. It gradually accelerated into a spiraling maelstrom, focused on the godlike being. Despite their prior confidence, nothing they did stopped what happened next. They were powerless, like a newborn before an adult. The tendrils of wispy air bound each of the god¡¯s limbs, persisting through its attempts of space hopping until they could no longer do so. The attempts failed as shadow inkiness knit the space tears closed before the god could escape. Aiden lost sight of them until the maelstrom stopped its horrifying rumbling. A body of black mist remained. Massive wings ripped out of their back, casting a shadow as it spread its wings wide. They were no more, replaced by a monster. It tilted its head back and let out an ear-piercing shriek. The sound shook the world. Aiden¡¯s vision nearly collapsed under that rage-filled shriek. It didn¡¯t relent as a dozen limbs sprouted from its torso. But that wasn¡¯t the end. Two more heads grew on its shoulders, the sound of ripping flesh filling Aiden with a deep sense of nausea. What was once regal and refined warped into nightmare fuel. The newly anointed god monster spread its wings wide. Vibrant red and black energy condensed into a shining orb before exploding in a flurry of blood-red feathers. They rained down on the ground below, stabbing into the flesh of the other godlike people. Each feather punched through hastily erected defenses. Once they pierced flesh, they slowly sank into the gods¡¯ skin, tainting them all. Mere seconds later, all was quiet. As fast as it had begun, it was all over. The gods had been wholly defeated. Floating down to join the new monster army, they watched as the space in front of them split and tore. It writhed and wriggled in protest, but there was only so much that could be done before the will of the eye in the sky. It tore open the fabric of reality. On the other side of that portal? Earth. Aiden gasped as the image came to a stuttering halt, falling onto his back away from the Arcana Node.
Arcana Node activated!
Attribute Nodes Active: 2/5
Three Attribute Nodes required to unlock personal Status!
He waved away the familiar update and caught his breath. Everything he¡¯d seen left him feeling hopeless. The powers, the gods, the monstrous being that assimilated gods - it was all too much. Truthfully, he wanted a hug.
No remaining Essence. Depart Orrery?
Yes. No.
Yes! His vision focused. Olivia tilted her head. ¡°You¡¯re back already?¡± Nodding, he lurched forward and hugged her. Hard. He grit his teeth, doing his best to calm down. Olivia didn¡¯t ask him any questions about what happened. She just wrapped her arms around his shoulders and provided silent support. Tightness. His chest constricted as his heart raced faster than ever before. It pained him, but that only helped ground him to reality. A reality that he feared was already lost if what he witnessed meant anything. If there were windows, he would check to see if the Sky Eye appeared. It wasn¡¯t something he was in a hurry to do. His mind raced at a mile a minute. If even one of those things already crossed over, their world was doomed. The only thing he¡¯d seen so far was the slimy, round monsters. As horrifying as they were, they didn¡¯t even come close to comparing to what he had seen in those visions. They were nothing in the face of the powerful storm, let alone the godlike being that could alter the fabric of the world. But, even above that, the sky eye. He had no better name for it. Sky Eye. It rhymed. He chuckled, finally calming. Releasing Olivia from the bear hug, he looked around. Fear. Unadulterated terror and uncertainty. All of them were cowering in place, too afraid to move; too afraid to speak. He didn¡¯t know how to help, feeling just as afraid. Outside of sports, his life had been fairly calm. The only difference? He had someone here to fight for. Olivia kept him grounded and vice versa. Looking down at his watch, he groaned. Seven fifty. It had only been less than thirty minutes since this whole thing started, and that was incredible to Aiden. He knew his sense of time was slightly off due to his time spent in the Orrery with his Essence Map and in the images, but it still felt like more had happened. ¡°Aiden, what do we do now?¡± Olivia¡¯s worried voice asked. Focusing on his sister, he looked at her. ¡°Oli, what Attribute Node did you activate?¡± ¡°Alacrity. I need to be faster if we¡¯re gonna survive.¡± She looked hesitant to ask him as people started to come closer. She decided to do it, her curiosity winning out. ¡°What did you choose?¡± ¡°Durability and Arcana.¡± She nodded, ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°H - hey, what just happened?!¡± a student yelled. Aiden rolled his eyes, feeling a sense of deja vu coming over him. He immediately felt guilty. The sound of his classmates-now-monsters smashing against the closed door reminded him that things were not all fun and games. He wanted to get sucked into the gamification and sense of progression after every Node, but people were dead. More people would die if he didn¡¯t do something. Olivia met his gaze and shook her head. ¡°Aiden, you can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I have to.¡± He stood up with his Pen in hand. The energy from activating the Nodes still buzzed through him. ¡°Let me help.¡± She pulled on his arm, stopping him from opening the door. ¡°There¡¯s too many out there, Oli. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt.¡± ¡°Aiden, don¡¯t be a jerk!¡± She stamped her foot. ¡°You think I want you to get hurt out there? You think I just want to wait and watch while you go fight monsters that literally eat people?¡± He stood his ground, and she glared back at him. Her shoulders shook as she breathed heavily. As Aiden reached to open the door again, a hand wrapped around his wrist. He looked at the culprit, recognizing an acquaintance from track. ¡°Dude, what¡¯s the deal?¡± Adam asked. He didn¡¯t budge when Aiden tried to shake him off. ¡°Seriously.¡± Aiden didn¡¯t want to stop and talk. He should, but he felt like if he did, things would get too real for him. The classmates that died? He could act like they were still in the classroom. Mr. Feriger? For all he knew, it could¡¯ve been a hallucination. But, he knew it wasn¡¯t. Turning to Adam, Aiden appraised the other guy. He was a few inches taller and had wider shoulders and bigger, muscled arms. ¡°You have to believe me if I¡¯m telling you,¡± Aiden started, releasing a breath he didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d been holding. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m all ears, man. Let¡¯s sit down -¡± A slam against the door startled them. ¡°Or we can stay right here, just give us something to work with.¡± ¡°Monsters are appearing. The hallway is full of strange darkness that eats people and makes more monsters. I -¡± He held up the Pen and looked at it. Then, he looked at his blackened hand. The shadows had left residual inkiness that stained his skin. Looking at Olivia, he resolved his will. If they were gonna survive, they needed more allies. ¡°The world has turned into a roleplaying game, kind of.¡±
Book Two, Chapter One: Something Familiar Chapter One: Something Familiar * Not far from Zion, the great mountain city, Aiden paced back and forth, Blizzy hot on his heels. He kept shooting glances towards the black swirling portal of gloom and doom that his scouts had found the week before. From over a hundred feet away, he could feel the deep darkness that oozed out of it. Everything reminded him of the School of Shadows. The portal¡¯s shadows stretched farther than the sun in the sky would otherwise suggest. Already, he¡¯d been there studying the portal for hours. Nothing changed. Nothing surged from its depths. Despite that, the uneasiness caused his heart to race. The presence of shadow magic in such abundance meant one thing. ¡°Shadowborn. Can¡¯t be anything else.¡± ¡°We knew that the minute we found it,¡± Anna said as she pet Ares, petting its single horn. ¡°When are we going in?¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t doing shit,¡± he muttered with a shake of his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be going in.¡± ¡°You know better than that, Aiden.¡± Anna walked up to him and grabbed his hands. ¡°Teamwork makes the dreamwork. Your words, not mine.¡± ¡°But this is too dangerous. We don¡¯t know how strong these things might be, and¡ª¡± ¡°We should send you, the leader of Zion, into a dungeon of unknown power, by yourself? Olivia would skin me alive if she ever found out.¡± Anna passed Aiden and stepped toward the portal, holding up a hand. Emerald green shined from her hands as she approached. A wall of green pressed against the portal, warping against the emerald colored power. Once it quit spreading, she turned back to him. ¡°Yikes.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t seen one this strong before,¡± Aiden said, clenching his fists. He considered his options for only a brief second before fixing Anna with a hard stare. ¡°I¡¯m going in. We can¡¯t let it grow anymore. Zion needs to keep growing.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been working tirelessly, Aiden. There¡¯s always a new objective, and there always will be. I get you want to protect Zion, but this could be seen as an opportunity for growth.¡± ¡°Not happening. I¡¯ll shut this dungeon down. We already have two others that the newbies can use to get stronger.¡± He knelt and tossed Blizzy a Core. She happily took it, sending feelings of happiness through their bond. ¡°You¡¯re a good girl. You ready for some fun?¡± The blizzard dragon puffed a small icy cloud in agreement. ¡°Good.¡± He turned back towards Anna and sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Oli. It¡¯s better this way.¡± ¡°Which one of us are you trying to convince, Aiden?¡± She stared at him for a few seconds before shaking her head. ¡°The moment I received the report, I already knew how things would play out. I¡¯ll keep watch. You just come back in one piece, got it?¡± ¡°I always do.¡± He turned and held his hand up to the portal.
Shadowborn Incubation Chamber - Rank C
Status: Active 50% developed
Confirm entry? Party listing (1/5): Aiden Pearce Warning: A party of five is recommended for this dungeon!
Yes. No.
As he¡¯d done dozens of times before, he stepped through with Blizzy by his side into the dungeon. Immediately, the forested area gave way to the authority of the dungeon. The bright sun disappeared, and the shadows became omnipresent. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Moments passed as he waited. When nothing happened, he sighed. ¡°Guess they won¡¯t be coming to me this time. Blizzy, go hunt.¡± She trilled happily and ran off. ¡°Remember, keep in touch!¡± Through their bond, he could almost feel her roll her eyes. ¡°They grow so fast.¡± Now that he¡¯d set her free, he moved forward. The dungeon had an open layout and stretched farther than he could see. The magic power emitting from it sent chills up his neck. However, now that he was out of Anna¡¯s sight, he grinned deeply. ¡°Time to blow off some steam.¡± He loosely gripped Silver as he started to job through the massive dungeon. It didn¡¯t take long for Blizzy¡¯s hunt to show progress, the bond lighting up with excitement as she found prey. He continued. The time would come for him to have his fun. As he walked, the last month¡¯s progress made him smile. After the first week of securing Zion, two important things happened. Arguably the more important of the two, new humans arrived. As much as he hated to see them forcefully brought to Midrath, he needed the man power. The second noteworthy occurrence happened to be the appearance of countless dungeons similar to the one he wandered around in. More people, Essence, and Cores meant more progress growing Zion. Discussion with The People¡ª the Osh¡¯Tika¡¯Varu¡ª progressed with V¡¯Yenya and Anna acting as the primary diplomats, so that was progress. Even though their alliance was tentative, he couldn¡¯t complain. The other native he¡¯d met, Avacyn, had set the standard fairly low. Anything that didn¡¯t try to forcefully read his mind or threaten his life or the lives of his people got a solid thumbs up in his book. With the influx of Essence and Cores from the dungeon, things got exciting. As he started to think of the second week¡¯s progress, he grinned. Air-piercing shrieks shook the air, echoing across the landscape. ¡°Took you long enough. I was getting bored.¡± Aiden clicked the edge of his pen, and Silver¡¯s glorious ice blade extended. Casting Icy Touch started to create Shards over his shoulders. The shadows around him shrieked as ice started to spread from his feet. ¡°You think I didn¡¯t notice you there?¡± He quickly identified the two Evils that rose from his shadows, ignoring the smaller ones frising around him.
Enemy Elites Identified!
Shadowstalker - (D)Pillar Monster - First Stage
This creature was spawned to guard a newly created Shadowborn dungeon home. It has formed its first Pillar. Current Pillar Allocation: One Complete Pillar Current Core Allocation: One Complete Second-Stage Core
Both Shadowstalkers were exponentially stronger than the dungeon boss he¡¯d barely defeated in the school. Rather than feel fear, Aiden rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. ¡°See, this is what I call a good warmup.¡± Eyeing the rest of the Evils approaching, he leapt forward. ¡°Let¡¯s see how much you can take!¡± The Shadowstalkers were surprisingly agile despite their large frames. Their faces looked like a parasite from a zombie game he¡¯d once played, but the rest of their body looked like an oily panther. The three tails snapping behind them only further convinced him that none of the Shadowborn creatures would ever resemble anything remotely normal. But however they looked, it didn¡¯t matter to him. A current of wind wrapped around his feet. He launched past the first Shadowstalker, Silver tearing a deep hole in its side. An Ice Shield manifested, and he smacked the second in the face. A wall of ice taller than he was bought him some time. Arctic Gale locked onto the wound he¡¯d caused in the first, and a Hoarspike reduced the first to an icy block that dissipated into a cylinder full of milky Essence. The ice wall collapsed seconds later, and Silver met the second Shadowstalker¡¯s face point side first. A loud shriek ripped through the air. Aiden threw himself backwards, holding up the Ice Shield to stop the sound attack reminiscent of the dungeon boss. With a quick flick, Silver cut through three Evils. Proliferation activated, and his Shards slammed together. He pointed towards the second Shadowalker. ¡°Glacial Fang!¡± The attack exploded through the short distance. A second cylinder of Essence fell to the ground. He adeptly threw both into his bag and continued to hack his way through the spawned Evils. In front of his power, the horde of Evils meant nothing. Halfway through slaughtering the Evils, Blizzy appeared and unleashed a gout of frost that ended things. He rolled his eyes as she casually sauntered over, picking up the spoils of her attack. The smugginess was palpable through the bond. ¡°I had things handled,¡± he grumbled as he looted his own Cores. When he looked in his bag, he sighed. ¡°Even though this is a decent haul, it barely scratches how much Zion needs to grow.¡± Blizzy chirped. ¡°Yeah, I know I can¡¯t rush things. I just want to get home. I¡¯m still worried.¡± Understanding momentarily flooded through the bond. Then, just as fast as she¡¯d come, Blizzy left to continue her hunt. He took that as a sign that it was time to get back to work. He moved farther into the depths of the dungeon towards the strongest magical presence he could sense. The next two hordes lacked the Shadowstalker elites and fell just as easily as the first. The magical corruption of the portal made him think things would¡¯ve been far harder, but he hadn¡¯t seen the boss yet. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky now,¡± he muttered. After the fifth wave of Evils, he came upon a door at least three times taller than him. Shadow magic continuously wafted off the door, flooding out to the rest of the dungeon. The more he looked at the door and watched the shadows, the more he started to understand a thing or two. ¡°Blizzy, I¡¯m gonna need you,¡± he said, reaching for her through the bond. He immediately started to prepare Shards. He tried to calm his racing heart, but the excitement and adrenaline rushing through his veins From what he observed while waiting, everything he¡¯d fought to this point was simply a byproduct of whatever waited within. Once Blizzy appeared, he grinned as he pressed both hands on the door and pushed inward. Book Two, Chapter Two: Boss Room Chapter Two: Boss Room *
Bosses Identified!
Royal Guard - (S)Pillar Monster - Final Stage
A skilled and loyal defender of the Shadowborn Royalty. Ascension limited by bloodline. Current Pillar Allocation: Twelve Complete Pillars
Royal Advisor - (S)Pillar Monster - Final Stage
A loyal servant knowledgeable in the customs of the Shadowborn Royalty and culture of their race. Ascension limited by bloodline. Current Pillar Allocation: Twelve Complete Pillars
The entire room was completely covered by different Patterns. A vortex of shadow magic funneled into an egg larger than Aiden, and two humanoid shadow forms stood to either side. Platemail covered every inch of the Guard. It took two steps forward, positioning itself in front of the strange shadow egg, and raised its sword and shield. Blizzy charged forward towards the Guard, and Aiden circled towards the Advisor. Its hands glowed ominously as magic accumulated into a thick sphere. A sinking suspicion saved Aiden when the Advisor threw its arm forward. He threw himself to the side, the air of the ball¡¯s passing ruffling his hair. His palms sweat and neck sweat as he eyed the Advisor. Hollow, lifeless eyes stared back at him, calmly watching his every movement. Aiden tried to creep forward, but each attempt would only become a futile game of dodgeball. As far as he was, he couldn¡¯t use Arctic Gale to lock onto the Advisor, and Hoarspike¡¯s accuracy was spotty on the best of days without guidance. The ground under his feet began to frost as a layer of crystalline ice manifested, the result of Crystalline Embodiment. Another ball flew towards him, and the ice underneath his feet exploded upward into a six foot wall of ice. Wind coalesced around his feet. Like a springboard, he propelled himself up and over the demolished wall, using the icy mist as a smokescreen. Silver¡¯s icy blade cut through empty air when he emerged, striking the spot he¡¯d last seen the Advisor. He whipped his head around in an attempt to locate the shadow mage, but only Blizzy¡¯s cry of pain and cry for help over their bond clued him in. Pushing off with another gust of wind, he leapt over the large shadow egg in the center of the room and cast an Ice Shield instantly. The Guard¡¯s sword only took a quarter of a second to pierce through the thick sheets of frost, but Blizzy used that short reprieve to retreat away from the two Shadowborn bosses and return to his side. ¡°Take the mage, Blizzy,¡± Aiden said, pointing towards the Advisor. She didn¡¯t hesitate. She circled around the Guard, and it rushed toward her with its shield in front of it, attempting to slam her away. Aiden moved, the wind wrapped around his feet and launched himself forward. Two bounding steps placed him only a half-step behind the Guard. He stabbed into its exposed back at the same time he cast Hoarspike. Silver¡¯s ice blade made contact, but the shadow arm rebounded the attack with little more than a scratch to show. Even the Hoarspike did little to pierce the thick armor, but that had never been Aiden¡¯s intent. No, the two Shards hovering over his shoulder were. Well, that and garnering the Guard¡¯s attention so Blizzy could do Blizzy things. The Guard turned faster than Aiden expected. Tapping his foot bought him the space he needed to avoid the Guard¡¯s counterattack. ¡°Your fight¡¯s with me.¡± He cast Icy Touch, and Silver¡¯s icy blade shined with the imbued power. ¡°I¡¯ve been itching for a good fight, so don¡¯t disappoint.¡± Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Blizzy race towards the Advisor. She nimbly dodged the violet attacks and constantly harassed the Shadowborn. Seeing how well she fared, he eased his mind of the nervousness of leaving her to fight on her own and fully focused on his fight with the Guard. With the enhanced mobility provided by his Dancing Winds ability, Aiden safely stacked up Shards. Each time his blade came into contact with the Guard¡¯s armor, sword, or shield, another Shard appeared. Proliferation¡¯s effect became invaluable as the number of Shards grew. Aiden danced around the Guard. When he hopped back away from the Guard, his back slammed into the egg-like shadow construct in the middle of the room. The Guard¡¯s entire body radiated with a violet energy reminiscent of the magic the Advisor used. For a split second, it completely disappeared from Aiden¡¯s vision. When it reappeared, the triangle shield smashed into his shoulder and flung him through the air and away from the construct. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. When his body hit the ground, he slid for a good distance. He groaned in pain as he rose to a kneel and took stock of the situation. Before he had a chance to fully process, he threw himself to the side. A barrage of violet needles slammed into the ground next to him and exploded into black and violet spikes. ¡°Stay away from the egg, got it. Lesson learned.¡± His arm ached, so he forced himself to rise to his feet and took damage control. The shield bash had fractured the armor created by Crystalline Embodiment. He whistled in surprise and turned toward the approaching Guard. ¡°You pack quite the punch. You¡¯re the first opponent to ever damage this armor. Hopefully you can¡¯t do that disappearing thing often.¡± Apparently, that wasn¡¯t the case. The violet magic still oozed off the Guard like steam. Once it got in range, it leaned forward with its sword raised above its head. Like before, the Guard disappeared for a brief second before reappearing. ¡°Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.¡± Aiden stood clear of the Guard, an Ice Shield now affixed to his left forearm. ¡°What else do you have?¡± Violet energy coalesced on the edge of the Guard¡¯s sword. Aiden immediately erected an Ice Wall, lunging out of the way of where he anticipated the strike to land. It never came. He waited several long seconds before leaving the cover of the Ice Wall¡­ And nearly lost his head. He ducked, barely avoiding the Guard¡¯s attack, and threw himself back. Once again, he felt surprised as the sword cleaved through the entire length of the Ice Wall with ease. For the third time, the Guard disappeared. Aiden never once considered trying to block those magically enhanced strikes. Rather, he continued their game of cat and mouse, though this time he was the mouse until the moment Proliferation activated and his Shard stacks maxed out. The long blade of ice disappeared with a click of the pen. Another click activated his Water Discipline and formed a long whip that he lashed out with instantly. The whip wrapped around the Guard¡¯s sword arm. It prepared its shield and pulled with all its might, but Aiden had been counting on something similar. Using Dancing Winds, he propelled himself forward. As the shield moved to meet him, he stepped against the ground and threw himself to the side. Like a pendulum, he spun around the Guard at dizzying speeds, the whip wrapping around the Shadowborn. It struggled to break free, but Aiden wouldn¡¯t waste the opportunity. He stopped himself behind the Guard and grinned at the familiar sound of ice grinding as his Shards snapped together to form a fully powered Glacial Fang. ¡°You fought well.¡± Aiden clicked Silver and dismissed the whip as his most powerful attack slammed into the Guard and encapsulated it in ice. Only when the shadow magic holding the Guard together started to fade and Pillars started tinkling to the ground did he release the breath he¡¯d been holding. For as strong as he knew Glacial Fang to be, the Guard proved to be a formidable foe with incredibly high defense ability. He turned and approached the construct, laughing as he played Dodge The Lethal Shadow Magic with the Advisor. While it fired at him, Blizzy was free to do as she pleased. When the spikes stopped, the little dragon¡¯s happiness flooded through their bond. She scarfed down the twelve Pillars that appeared, causing Aiden to groan internally, and then ran over towards him. She nuzzled up against his leg, careful to not impale him with her incredibly sharp horn, and trilled a happy song. ¡°First thing¡¯s first, damage control. You good?¡± He knelt next to her and began his inspection. His hands softly brushed across her limbs, sides, and back, thoroughly checking for any injuries. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve got quite a few chipped scales, but there¡¯s no internal bruising. Gotta give it to you for that. After I fought that Guard, I was worried he might¡¯ve got you good.¡± She rolled her eyes at him and chirped twice. ¡°I know, I know. You say this every time, but I still worry about you. It¡¯s what makes me a good friend, you see.¡± He pet her head for a few minutes before rising and returning to the encased Pillars. With a wave of his hand, the ice melted. He quickly shoved the Pillars in his bag, holding the last one in his hand for a few seconds. ¡°It¡¯s only been a month, yet one of these is barely enough to upgrade with.¡±
Perfectly Formed Pillar
Nine Perfectly Formed Cores fused, creating a perfect Pillar for Ascension. A magical resource.
Essence Value: 500
Core Value: 10
He sighed and tossed it in the bag with the others. Blizzy chirped as she eyed the bag and nuzzled against him. ¡°If you keep saying things like that, I¡¯ll mistake you for Oli.¡± The small dragon huffed and playfully pointed her horn towards his leg. ¡°Hey now!¡± He poked her head. ¡°It was a joke. Don¡¯t take everything so seriously, otherwise you might actually turn into Oli.¡± Ten seconds. He managed to keep a straight face for ten seconds before bursting out in laughter. She glared at him for a moment before chirping happily alongside him. They stayed like that for a good five minutes as he tried to control himself, his arms gripping his aching ribs and burning lungs. ¡°Haa, I really needed a good laugh. Things have been so hectic and stressful lately,¡± he said more to himself than his Companion. She nuzzled against him, and he smiled. ¡°Glad I have you to keep me company. You¡¯re such a good girl.¡± She chirped happily, sending signals of support and happiness over their bond. Petting her again, he turned and stared at the egg-like construct, the vortex of shadows never once ceasing to funnel magic into it. Next, he looked around the room with countless Patterns. Notifications had stacked, hundreds at this point, but he didn¡¯t feel prepared to deal with them yet. That would have to come later. The most pressing thing was the fact that beating the Shadowborn Guard and Advisor, two Shadowborn with the status of Bosses, hadn¡¯t been enough to conquer the dungeon. Pushing himself to his feet, he approached the construct. Now that he was no longer in combat, the notification page popped up. Book Two, Chapter Three: Complicated Chapter Three: Complicated *
Incubator - Mythic
Through great skill and painstaking effort, this item has been forged to be indestructible. Countless runic Formations nurture the being inside.
Incubation Status: Active 51% developed
Time To Completion: 6 Days 20 Hours 21 Minutes 36 Seconds
¡°Huh.¡± Aiden pressed Silver¡¯s icy edge against the incubator. Like the Guard¡¯s armor, his efforts didn¡¯t even reward a scratch. He glanced towards the spot where the Advisor and Guard had fallen and frowned. ¡°If they were guarding this thing, it must be important.¡± He ran his hand across the perfectly smooth surface and sighed. Turning away, he looked around the room at the glowing runic Formations. Kneeling, he used Icy Touch and Hoarspike to remove the shadow magic from the ground. Underneath, the Formations still functioned, completely undamaged. ¡°If the Advisor¡¯s magic didn¡¯t destroy these, then I guess there¡¯s not really much I can do.¡± He pet Blizzy and stood, walking away from the incubator back the way he¡¯d come. As if he¡¯d never passed through the area, the hordes of Evils pestered him as he walked. After fighting the two Bosses, he found little satisfaction in the weak Shadowborn monsters. The threat they posed left him feeling bored. Even picking up the Cores that dropped felt like a hassle, but Zion needed any and all resources they could get their hands on. When he stepped out of the dungeon¡¯s entrance, Anna raised a brow and gestured towards the still active portal. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Keep two guards¡ª no, a whole team here at all times. If anybody has an issue with it, double their hourly allotment of Essence.¡± The crystalline armor sloughed off his frame and shattered on the ground like broken glass. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes to collect himself, and then let it out. When he looked at Anna, she patiently waited with concern, her hands playing with her hair as her eyes darted between him and the portal. ¡°It¡¯s an anomaly,¡± he said. ¡°I figured as much, but in what way specifically?¡± ¡°There¡¯s hordes of Shadowborn in there,¡± he said, thumbing over his shoulder, ¡°but they¡¯re not the issue. Strongest I fought was a single Pillar. The real issue is that all the Shadowborn are just a byproduct of whatever¡¯s sleeping in the boss room.¡± ¡°Only you would say a Pillar monster isn¡¯t an issue.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Make sure whatever teams come out here consist of at least one B-rank combatant. Anybody under C-rank is to be denied.¡± Anna whistled. ¡°That serious?¡± Aiden reached into his bag to reveal the dozen Perfectly Formed Pillars. ¡°That¡¯s from one of the two bosses. Blizzy ate the others.¡± ¡°That serious, got it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think the bosses will reanimate, they seemed like the special one-and-done type, but even if they do, I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll leave the main chamber. There¡¯s something in there they were protecting.¡± He waved her toward the portal. ¡°Care to take a look with me? I just cleared the whole dungeon on the way out, so it shouldn¡¯t take us too long. And I really have no idea how to explain what¡¯s in there.¡± She covered her eyes with her hand and looked up at the sky. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be an issue if we¡¯re gone for another thirty minutes or so.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t take more than ten minutes. The walk is fairly short, and there¡¯s nothing to slow us down at the moment.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Either way, let¡¯s go.¡± He turned to Blizzy. ¡°Coming?¡± The little blizzard dragon growled from where she curled up under a big tree, resting in the shade. ¡°You know the rules. If anybody you don¡¯t recognize appears, come to me.¡± He hesitated to leave his Companion, shooting a glance in the direction of the nearest Faction¡¯s Town, but he knew she could handle herself. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be right back.¡± She huffed once, closed her eyes, and proceeded to ignore him. Aiden followed Anna through the portal, and they passed through the empty dungeon. The doors to the Boss room remained open, convincing Aiden that the Guard and Advisor were a one-time ordeal. Otherwise, the dungeon would¡¯ve already started to reset. ¡°What is that?¡± Anna asked, her eyes scanning the entire room and recognizing the Formations for what they were. ¡°The problem.¡± Aiden approached the incubator and rested a hand on it. ¡°Not sure what to do about this.¡± ¡°Indestructible?¡± She pressed an emerald ball of magic against the surface, grabbed Aiden¡¯s hand, and led him a healthy distance away. ¡°I think I¡¯ll be the judge of that.¡± Like a grenade going off, the emerald ball exploded in a torrent of primordial fury. Thorny vines wrapped around the incubator tightly, writhing and roiling erratically until the individual vines started to wrap together and surge upward toward the vortex of coalescing shadow magic. The instant one of those vines touched the vortex, a violet wave of magic coursed through the entirety of her spell and reduced everything to ash and dust near instantly. Anna led him forward to inspect her work, letting out another impressed whistle. ¡°I¡¯m convinced.¡± She looked at him and grinned. ¡°So, what do you think is in there?¡± ¡°Something strong. It¡¯s being fed raw shadow Essence,¡± he said, pointing towards the vortex that treated her spell like child¡¯s play. ¡°And it¡¯s been given a Mythic incubator, which probably isn¡¯t cheap or easy to make. Add to the fact it had two Boss-rank monsters as guards, I¡¯m willing to bet this dungeon¡¯s only purpose is to act as a source of energy for its development.¡± ¡°A monster then?¡± Aiden shook his head, the images of the Shadowborn Nobles he¡¯d once seen in a vision with the World Devourer resurfacing. ¡°Something worse than a monster, much worse.¡± ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°Avacyn¡¯s story about Akroma and Galayu, do you remember it?¡± he asked. She grimaced. ¡°How could I forget?¡± ¡°Galayu was a Shadowborn, but he almost looked human. In her story, she said his reputation or status in their society meant he could casually break the traditions of the Etherene. When Avacyn left him braindead, the Shadowborn avenged him as if he were¡ª¡± ¡°Royalty, or some greater nobility,¡± Anna finished with a whisper. When she looked at the incubator, fear flashed through her eyes. She looked at the vortex of power, the Formations across the room, and then back at Aiden. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Like I said, it¡¯s a problem.¡± He pointed towards where the Advisor had fallen. ¡°In the description of one of the Bosses, it talked about knowing the ways of Shadowborn Royalty and the customs of their race almost as if it were sent here to be a teacher¡± He pointed toward where the Guard had fallen. ¡°And both were loyal servants of Royalty.¡± She glared at him. ¡°If you knew all this, then why did you want me to come see? From what it seems, you already had everything figured out before bringing me.¡± ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to worry alone,¡± he said with a shrug, grinning as she poked him in the side. He took a deep breath, placed a hand on the incubator, and closed his eyes. ¡°In one of my visions, Earth is being invaded by the Shadowborn. They have the World Devourer¡ª I¡¯ve seen it¡ª and there¡¯s no way we can stop them if they get serious.¡± Anna looked between the incubator and Aiden, eyes widening. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious?¡± ¡°Yet to be determined. I can¡¯t say I have much experience with hatching Shadowborn Royalty. For all we know, it could come out of incubation and try to kill us.¡± He pointed towards the two fallen servants and the swirling vortex of shadow Essence. ¡°If its guards were anything to go by, I¡¯m not sure I want to be here when it¡¯s finished developing, but we can¡¯t let it go unchecked.¡± She held a finger up and looked over the whole room again. ¡°Let me get this straight so we¡¯re on the same page. You¡¯re implying you want to¡ª what exactly? Invite it into Zion to have a picnic, drink tea, and sing kumbaya?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± She blinked twice. ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡± ¡°Coming from you, I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡± He turned away from the incubator and waved towards the countless Patterns woven into the countless Formations. ¡°I need you to meet with V¡¯Yenya. Maybe he knows something, and if he doesn¡¯t, I need a book.¡± ¡°What kind of book?¡± she asked. ¡°A magical one. I think I¡¯ll be spending a lot of time here in the near future to study all of these Patterns and Formations. If the dungeon disappears when the incubation period is over, I¡¯d prefer to have a record of the Formations to study.¡± Already, he felt a headache forming as he considered the monumental task of transcribing the Patterns and Formations. ¡°If I learn how to use the Patterns and Formations and somehow don¡¯t get butchered by whatever comes out of the incubator, this might be the most important thing to happen to us since we arrived in Midrath.¡± ¡°Since when did you start being so optimistic? Something I need to know or should be concerned about?¡± she asked playfully. ¡°For the first time since coming to Midrath, I¡¯m hopeful.¡± Book Two, Chapter Four: Back To Work Chapter Four: Back To Work * They exited the dungeon as easily as they¡¯d entered. Once outside, Anna gave him a soft hug and took off in the direction of the Osh¡¯Tika¡¯Varu at full speed. Aiden collected Blizzy and they booked it back to Zion, covering the distance in little less than an hour. He passed through the checkpoint of the expanded Town at the bottom of the mountainous slope, earning respectful nods and look of awe as he passed through. After getting the Town Control Hub up to Tier Two, Zion¡¯s borders expanded to the edge of the surrounding forest, allowing them to aggressively expand and set up a small working district. The walls were twice his height and always manned, two teams of five present at any given time. As he trekked up the slope, he waved at the approaching team, a large lion standing by the familiar leader of the group. ¡°James!¡± ¡°Aiden, we thought you¡¯d miss sending us off.¡± James reached his hand out, and Aiden shook it. ¡°Oli¡¯s been going crazy looking for you. I hope you have a really good reason for being gone so long. She¡¯s been running around with her head on fire trying to take care of all of your work while still doing her own.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I have a very good reason for being gone.¡± James¡¯ team passed by, and Aiden nodded towards the trainees. ¡°Give me the short version of what I¡¯ve missed before I get the long version from the rest of them.¡± ¡°Two new groups appeared today at the summoning point,¡± James said with a grimace, staring at the back of his descending team. ¡°The increased frequency has me worried and hopeful at the same time, man. If they¡¯re this weak when they come, are we worried about Earth for no reason?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. All we can do is keep progressing the Gate Hub quest as fast as possible and hope there¡¯s a way to get home at the end of it,¡± Aiden said, resting a hand on his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Keep them safe.¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t, Kion will.¡± James pet the regal lion¡¯s head and stroked its mane. ¡°Thanks for seeing us off. Always makes me feel a little bit better.¡± ¡°I might be up to my head in work, but the new recruits are invaluable. If it were just us eight, we never would¡¯ve made the progress we have. Having said that, go take care of them. I¡¯ll be waiting for you to come back.¡± He pointed towards the direction of the Incubator Chamber dungeon. ¡°From now on, I¡¯m restricting access to the East. Nobody below B-rank ventures alone out that way. When you get back, Anna will have a debrief on the situation.¡± ¡°Shit, that bad?¡± James looked in the distance and nodded. ¡°Anything I can help with?¡± ¡°Nothing anybody can do now but wait.¡± Aiden took out one of the twelve Pillars and handed it to James. ¡°For this group, I want you to try something.¡± ¡°Let me hear it.¡± James took the Pillar, his eyes widening. His face paled and he looked in the direction of the dungeon again. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for you since the newbies can¡¯t absorb it. Two hundred Essence goes to the two trainees that bring in the biggest haul, fifty for the other two,¡± Aiden explained. ¡°You sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯m interested in seeing the results. Also,¡± Aiden looked around, checked his watch, and grinned, ¡°I¡¯m telling you this first, so use it as you see fit. For the next week, I¡¯m doubling contribution gains. Anybody who reaches C-rank will receive a bonus of five hundred Essence, and anybody reaching B-rank will receive two thousand.¡± ¡°Can we afford that?¡± James asked, waving his hand up the slope towards the Town Hall. ¡°Pretty sure I¡¯ve heard Oli ranting and raving about how we¡¯re bleeding Essence at the moment.¡± ¡°Zion can¡¯t afford it, but I can,¡± Aiden said with a shrug. He looked up at where he knew Oli would be waiting. ¡°At this point, I can front the Essence for pretty much everything we need, but that wouldn¡¯t benefit the people of Zion.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll trust you.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. They shook hands again, and James departed. Aiden barely perceived the speed of which the man descended, catching up to the trainees exiting the gates in a split second. Kion looked up at Aiden and huffed, slowly loping after the team. Aiden watched them depart into the forest before continuing up the mountain. He waved toward the two guards at the top and passed into Zion proper, smiling at the progress they¡¯d made. Had someone told him Zion would become what it was now in a month, he would¡¯ve told them they were blowing smoke up his ass. But sure enough, they¡¯d made it happen. He walked toward the massive Town Hall in the center of the city, watching as people bustled to and fro. As he walked, he prompted the City information to appear before him.
Overview
Zion, the Great Mountain City
Size City
Population 1,753
Gate Leader Aiden Pearce
Main Buildings 17
Supporting Buildings 32
Magical Buildings 9
Resource Generation 12
Amenities 18
Entertainment 5
Obelisks 2
Description: Zion, the Great Mountain City was settled, claimed, and developed by the Gate Leader, Aiden Pearce. Through the conjoined effort of the Gate Leader and the members of Zion, it has flourished into a city worthy of its name.
He¡¯d added the Obelisk section since it fell into a category of its own, the Essence generation increasing entirely based on how many of the Magical Buildings they had. There were a thousand other statistics that he could pull up, but he let Oli handle those. All the numbers bored him. ¡°Right on time for another meeting,¡± he said, stepping into the Town Hall to see a crowd heading up the stairs to the fourth floor. ¡°Hopefully Cloudy will be back with news of her training with the V¡¯Yenya¡¯s people. My plans pretty much rely on her and Magnus figuring out how to use this world¡¯s magical resources to craft.¡± When they stepped foot on the fourth floor, a familiar voice called out, ¡°Aiden, do you have a death wish?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Aiden waved towards Isaac. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you here.¡± ¡°Claudia sent word that she¡¯d be here, and you know how I am. Weapons are my thing, and I¡¯m dying to know what she¡¯s learned.¡± He flicked his wrist, and the familiar pocket knife twirled around his fingers deftly. ¡°I haven¡¯t found anything better than this so far.¡± Another familiar figure approached and placed his hand on Isaac¡¯s wrist, stopping the twirling blade. ¡°You¡¯re making everyone antsy with that thing. Put it away.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no fun sometimes, Ian. Sometimes I wonder if you¡¯re still the nervous kid I met a month ago.¡± Despite his griping, Isaac grinned as he put the blade back into whatever nook he kept it then turned to Aiden. All playfulness disappeared. He rested a hand on Aiden¡¯s shoulder and led him away from the walkway towards the wall to the side. ¡°After the meeting, I¡¯ve got some news for you.¡± ¡°Good news, hopefully. I¡¯ve had enough bad news of my own today,¡± Aiden said, shaking Ian¡¯s outstretched hand. ¡°It¡¯s news. I¡¯ll let you determine whether it¡¯s good or bad, but it¡¯s definitely going to shake things up around here.¡± Isaac held out his hand, and Aiden shook it. ¡°We¡¯ll meet up afterwards. Don¡¯t forget or try to run off.¡± Aiden grinned and nodded towards both of them then took a seat in the back row as Olivia took the stand. Her eyes honed in on him instantly. He gave her a small wave and smile, but he had a feeling she was unamused in the slightest. He watched her eyes take in the crowd and then dart back to him every few seconds¡­ Because he was supposed to be the one up on the stage presenting today. Conveniently enough, he¡¯d left an entire brief of the agenda for her as a ¡°just in case¡± in the event he didn¡¯t make it back from the dungeon in time. Blizzy hopped up in the chair next to him and rested her head on his leg. He pet the little dragon¡¯s head as he listened to Olivia. Book Two, Chapter Five: Meetings And News Chapter Five: Meetings And News * The meeting hall cleared out one group at a time as each presenter made their report and groups started getting their orders for the upcoming days. By the time the last person took the stage, only those with clearance of B-rank or above remained. At that time, Aiden rose and took a seat in the front row, slotting himself to present with his impromptu report. When the last presenter finished, he sighed and rose to take the stage. When the previous presenter finally took their seat, he made eye contact with the thirty or so people in the room, pursing his lips when Olivia glared back at him with her arms folded. ¡°There¡¯s three things I want to address before we finish things up. I just came back from a dungeon in the east, and in the coming week, I¡¯ll need each of your help to make sure that it stays guarded. It can¡¯t be closed, and massive hordes are spawning. If left unchecked, we¡¯ll have a dungeon break.¡± ¡°There¡¯s never been a dungeon that couldn¡¯t be closed,¡± Trixie, one of the recruits from the first week, said. ¡°What makes this so special?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get to that. First, I¡¯ll be issuing a rotating guard to watch the dungeon around the clock. Each team will be led by a B-rank,¡± he said, eyeing each member, ¡°which means all of you.¡± A recently promoted recruit, Tauvar, stood up. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious? Are we expected to do all of that on top of all of our other responsibilities?¡± ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I¡¯m taking applications for team leaders. I won¡¯t be forcing anybody to go. However, the more team leaders there are, the less burden each team must carry. Do keep in mind that this will only be for the next six and a half days.¡± Aiden looked at each of the B-ranks that would become team leaders in the near future. ¡°Because of the danger associated with the dungeon, your teams will consist of C-ranks and each party will require a minimum of five people.¡± ¡°Aiden, isn¡¯t that pushing them too hard?¡± Olivia asked as quiet murmuring began. ¡°To compensate for the additional burden of duty placed on all of you, I¡¯ll be temporarily doubling all contribution gains. Guarding the dungeon will have a base of ten contribution points¡ª¡± ¡°Given the danger of the dungeon, isn¡¯t that too lo¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªPer hour,¡± Aiden finished, eyeing Tauvar. ¡°Holy shit!¡± ¡°Per hour?!¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be that simple, right?¡± A surprised clamor erupted. It took Olivia five minutes to calm the B-rankers while Aiden simply watched and waited. When the room finally went silent, one of the senior rankers, Kendra, stood. ¡°When can we apply?¡± ¡°Sunrise. It¡¯ll give everyone who wants to participate a chance to find their teams. Applications can be left here on the podium, delivered to me directly, or given to anyone in the Internal Affairs Association,¡± he said, receiving a nod of acknowledgement from each one before continuing. ¡°Now, the most pressing matter.¡± They all remained quiet, and he let the silence hang for several moments. Many wriggled uncomfortably in their seats as he watched them. ¡°The dungeon won¡¯t close because there¡¯s something growing inside. The construct it¡¯s sealed inside is indestructible, so all we can do is wait for it to finish developing.¡± He watched each members¡¯ face. The majority of recruits looked confused, though there were many that were rightfully concerned. ¡°If things were simple, this wouldn¡¯t be too worrying. However, I have reason to believe that whatever comes out of the construct will be immensely powerful and one of the strongest Shadowborn we¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°How powerful are we talking here?¡± Kendra asked. ¡°More powerful than anybody within Zion, including myself,¡± Aiden said, walking around the podium and crossing his arms. ¡°For the next six and a half days, our priority needs to be growing stronger. The chamber in which the construct resides might have a solution, but I won¡¯t know until I spend more time there.¡± ¡°Might we be at liberty to know what the potential solution is, and how can the chamber help?¡± she continued. Aiden shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to create a sense of false hope. We should all focus on doing what we can to keep Zion safe in the event that I¡¯m unable to develop a solution. I¡¯m hopeful I can handle everything without putting anybody else in harm¡¯s way, but I can¡¯t guarantee anything at this moment.¡± ¡°How are we supposed to handle the duties we have, guard the dungeon, and still find time to clear dungeons?¡± Tauvar asked. ¡°In the coming days, we¡¯ll all be making sacrifices for the future of Zion. As small as it is, the only consolation I can offer is the increase in contribution.¡± He looked at both Tauvar and Kendra, the unspoken representatives for the fresh and veteran recruits. ¡°I¡¯m personally willing to invest in the growth of our new recruits. Five hundred Essence to any who achieve C-rank in the next week and two thousand to any who achieve B-rank.¡± Tauvar looked stunned while Kendra simply nodded. Even though he wanted to do more, there was little else he could offer. Olivia stood from her seat and turned to address the crowd. ¡°If anybody else would like to voice their opinions, speak up now. Otherwise, as Aiden said, applications start tomorrow.¡± She waited several moments for anybody to speak up. When nobody did, she gestured towards the stairs. ¡°You¡¯re all dismissed.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Aiden watched as the hall emptied. He could already tell who planned to join by the way they rushed to the stairs and disappeared from sight far ahead of those that still looked uncertain. When the hall finally emptied, Olivia turned and glared at Aiden. She deflated like a balloon seconds later. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you do it. I always forget how much you take care of everyday and somehow still find time to be present in the territory disputes and clear dungeons.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t sleep much,¡± Aiden said, shrugging. ¡°I may not have wanted the responsibility of being a leader in the beginning, but the position grew on me.¡± ¡°Yeah, not me. I don¡¯t have the stamina you do to keep up with a billion things and not constantly be on the brink of collapsing from stress.¡± She huffed out a deep breath. ¡°What happened out there? They might be able to tell, but I can see through you. You¡¯re worried, more worried than I¡¯ve seen you since coming to Zion.¡± ¡°There were two bosses guarding the construct, two Shadowborn. But they weren¡¯t just any run of the mill Shadowborn, they were royal servants. As in, high ranking nobility among their society. I¡¯m worried that it¡¯ll be aggressive, we¡¯ll do whatever it takes to put it down, and then we¡¯ll face a similar fate to the Avacyn and the Etherene,¡± he admitted. ¡°I see why you¡¯d be worried then,¡± Olivia said, biting the inside of her cheek. ¡°That¡¯s not even the real issue either. Truthfully, if the guards were anything to go by, I think whatever comes out of there is going to be a true threat.¡± The shadow vortex funneling into the incubator and the feeling of raw Essence coming off of it were hard for him to forget. ¡°So rather than focus on things we can¡¯t control, what is this mystery hope you were talking about?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t kidding about keeping it to myself until I knew if I could find a solution,¡± he said, turning toward the last two inhabitants in the room who¡¯d been respectfully waiting out of earshot to give them some privacy. ¡°You had news, Isaac?¡± The shadow mage-assassin hybrid nodded and approached Aiden, Ian by his side. ¡°Would you prefer the good, the bad, or the ugly first?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Aiden said. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll start with the ugly. I found them.¡± ¡°The spiderkin?¡± Olivia asked. ¡°No, the others from the school. Adam and his people. I found them, but the ¡®where¡¯ is the issue.¡± Isaac looked between Olivia and Aiden, pursing his lips into a thin line. ¡°They¡¯ve been captured by the Valkyr.¡± Aiden¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Are they¡­?¡± ¡°They¡¯re still alive,¡± he said, hanging his head, ¡°for now.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Olivia asked. ¡°They¡¯re beaten up and look starved. I was scouting them with Shadow when I saw the group brought in, shackled and bloody.¡± Isaac looked at Aiden then hung his head again. ¡°The group is less than half the size of what we left them with.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± Aiden tapped a foot against the ground restlessly. ¡°The timing is god awful. We¡¯re already stretched thin as we are, but knowing the Valkyr, there won¡¯t be much of them left if we don¡¯t get them out of there as soon as possible.¡± Olivia nodded and looked at Isaac. ¡°What else do you have to report?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no trace of the spiderkin. I¡¯ve studied the few maps we¡¯ve been able to make, and they¡¯re not where we expected them to be.¡± He pulled out a rolled up piece of paper held close with a string and opened it, pointing at each previously scouted Town. ¡°Every Town is placed at an equal distance from Zion and the other Candidates¡¯ Towns. Given the pattern, the Spiderkin should be here.¡± Aiden observed the map and where Isaac pointed. He¡¯d heard the findings before, but seeing the mapped out region allowed him to get a better understanding. ¡°No trace of them at all? I can only imagine what they¡¯re like, but if I know anything about spiders, they usually create their nests above or below ground level.¡± ¡°I thought so too, but there¡¯s nothing in the trees. If they went underground, they hid their tracks well. I¡¯ve been searching for the last week and found nothing.¡± Isaac frowned, tapping his finger against the area the Spiderkin should¡¯ve occupied. ¡°Given the location of the others, I think they¡¯re out there somewhere. I just don¡¯t have the ability to find them.¡± Olivia rested a hand on Isaac¡¯s shoulder and gave him a soft smile. ¡°You did well. Even though we didn¡¯t find anything yet, I¡¯m sure we will. Knowing this is good enough for now. Good work.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Isaac muttered halfheartedly. ¡°Just wish I had more good news after what Aiden found.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. There will always be more work to do and another worry to take the place of the rest.¡± Aiden looked away from the map and internally sighed, the pressure of a headache building up behind his eyes. ¡°Now, what¡¯s the last thing?¡± Before Isaac could answer, Ian stepped forward and answered. ¡°Another territory is opening up in two days. We found it not long ago, and the location is a strategic boon for anybody who claims it and a crisis for those who don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Aiden asked. Ian held up two fingers. ¡°We scouted out the mountain range, and there¡¯s only one way through to the north. The location contains a spring tucked away within a cave.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the time to circumvent the mountain without the pass?¡± Olivia asked. ¡°Three days, and the farther north you go, the more predators and wildlife appear. Makes the trip even longer if you can¡¯t remain hidden.¡± Ian¡¯s eyes burned with excitement. ¡°I want to request to lead two teams to secure the pass.¡± ¡°Will two teams be enough?¡± Olivia asked. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯ll be enough to secure the territory.¡± ¡°Two teams wouldn¡¯t be enough if we didn''t find it first. As far as we¡¯ve seen, only the Dragonborn know of the pass. But they¡¯re spread thin already because of the Valkyr conflict,¡± Ian explained, looking between Aiden and Olivia hopefully. ¡°How confident are you in success?¡± Aiden asked. ¡°I can arrange the two parties tomorrow and get in place by the end of the day. If we¡¯re in position to defend the pass before any other Faction gets there, we shouldn¡¯t have a hard time holding it,¡± Ian said. Olivia bit her lip as she looked between Aiden and Ian. ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ian grinned as she sighed. ¡°An earth mage in each team.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Aiden said, nodding. ¡°Do it then.¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± Ian looked ready to burst with excitement. ¡°But,¡± Aiden started, pausing Ian¡¯s celebration. ¡°You¡¯ve got dungeon duty until I get a schedule worked out with the B-rankers and their teams.¡± ¡°Easy enough,¡± Ian said with a shrug. ¡°That¡¯s just more contribution for me either way.¡± Aiden turned to Isaac. ¡°I¡¯ll need you to get back to scouting the Valkyr. So far, they¡¯re the most immediate threat. We also need to keep eyes on everyone there. Make sure you don¡¯t get caught, and don¡¯t try to be a hero.¡± ¡°You know how I feel about heroes,¡± Isaac said, nodding. ¡°As soon as we¡¯re done here, I had already planned to head back either way.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re all settled here.¡± Aiden shook both of their hands and turned to Olivia. ¡°Damn.¡± ¡°Yeah, no kidding.¡± Book Two, Chapter Six: The Compendium Chapter Six: The Compendium * The evening passed quickly as Aiden attended his piled up daily duties. There were many requests for resources, submissions for scouting territories, confirmation of newly formed parties, and a dozen other things that only he could confirm with his authority. Once finished, he left the Town Hall with Blizzy by his side, darkness greeting them. The city¡¯s activity hadn¡¯t lessened in the slightest despite the setting sun. If anything, the buzzing of recruits was louder than normal as they rushed around to form parties. For the most part, he ignored the hubbub. Listening to recruits complain about being rejected for being ranked too low and try to finagle their way into teams wasn¡¯t something he had the mental capacity to deal with at that moment. Though, seeing the lower ranked recruits did remind him to screen each party before they left to guard the portal to the incubator. He¡¯d also have to find a way to stop lower ranked teams from trying to follow those heading to the dungeon. If only they realized these precautions were put in place to protect them and not exclude them. He thought about how things had been in the school when everything had gone to hell. Can¡¯t blame them though. Once out the gate, he pulled up his ever-growing status window.
Name: Aiden
(M)Power: 50
(S)Durability: 75
(M)Alacrity: 50
(P)Arcana: 100 (+15)
(M)Spirit: 50
Boosts: Arcana Channel XXX +15 Arcana Dagger Proficiency XV Inscription V Mastery Augmentation V
First Discipline Ice Level Rare X
Second Discipline Water Level Uncommon X
Third Discipline Wind Level Uncommon X
Abilities: Icy Touch - C (5/5) Hoarspike - UC (10/10) Ice Shield - C (3/5) Arctic Gale - C (5/5) Crystalline Embodiment - R (6/25) Ice Mastery: Shard (0/2) Proliferation (0/3) Glacial Fang - Rank I Pool - C (0/5) Dancing Winds - UC (2/10)
Mastery selection available!
Water Wind
Rarity limitations reached for abilities: Icy Touch Hoarspike Arctic Gale
Increase Rarity to further develop abilities!
The following attributes can¡¯t be increased further: Power Durability Alacrity Arcana Spirit
Seek Ascension to break through the limitations placed upon you and your kind.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Rarity limitations reached for equipment: Silver, The Pen
Increase Rarity to further develop equipment!
Do you seek to understand Truth? Mystery and Path selection available!
As always, the flood of notifications taunted him. There were so many things he wanted to upgrade, but no amount of Essence would develop them further. With the threat of the incubator, Aiden felt even more frustrated than normal looking at those prompts. Nothing had changed since the last time he¡¯d checked, but he couldn¡¯t keep himself from looking time and time again. The two most obvious things he could do was select the Masteries of his Water and Wind Disciplines. The options had been available for a week now, but neither had anything that screamed out to him. And he felt no hurry to choose either. Both Masteries needed him to collect five abilities, but nothing stood out after he picked up Dancing Winds. Even though there were dozens of options in the Orrery he could choose from, he didn¡¯t feel the need to rush. Not when he could see something down the Ice Discipline, something powerful, just out of sight. The intrigue and mystery hidden in those depths of his Essence Map were maddening, being nearly within reach yet having no clue how to progress things further. He¡¯d spent countless hours at night with Anna testing countless ways to refine Essence, absorb different types of Cores, and reach out to V¡¯Yenya or Sylia for any information. But the two system natives refused to ever answer any questions in a straightforward manner, deflecting and redirecting conversations. They knew something, he was certain of that. Speaking of the devil, Aiden thought as he approached the edge of the forest leading towards the quarry the Osh¡¯Tika¡¯Varu called home. V¡¯Yenya¡¯s hand rested against an emerald ball that Anna developed to make communicating with the natives easier. Seems they¡¯re just finishing up. Aiden approached, doing his best to reign in the frustrated aggression he felt towards the alien. However, when Anna glared at him, he knew he¡¯d failed to restrain Apex Predator entirely. It almost made him laugh. Almost. In reality, even as strong as he¡¯d become in the past month, V¡¯Yenya still made him feel small and irrelevant. If anything, the more power he¡¯d obtained, the more he realized the gaping difference between them. Like, if Aiden were a chihuahua, V¡¯Yenya would be an english mastiff. Which only served to further frustrate Aiden more. His people and city relied on him to be the backbone. If his progression stunted now, he didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d be able to continue to ensure safety for his people. And here I was just saying the responsibility doesn¡¯t get to me. Yeah right. Shortly after he reigned in Apex Predator entirely, V¡¯Yenya departed. Anna¡¯s lips pursed in a line. Before getting to business, Aiden opened his arms. She embraced him and melted against his body, the tension she¡¯d been carrying dissipating. They stayed like, neither wanting to move first. So of course, Blizzy stood, rested her front feet on Aiden¡¯s shoulder, and started licking his neck. Anna backed away and watched Aiden wrestle the little dragon to the ground. ¡°What a day,¡± she said softly, stretching her arms over her head and groaning as she arched her back. ¡°Mmm, I could use a good bath and a shoulder rub.¡± Aiden rolled off Blizzy and hopped to his feet, rolling his neck and shoulders. ¡°You can say that again. But aside from the shit day, what¡¯d V¡¯Yenya say? Do they know anything?¡± Anna bit her lip and nodded. ¡°Okay, and what did they say?¡± Aiden asked. ¡°They¡¯ve seen it once before.¡± He had to resist the urge to shake the information out of her, but he knew she was tired from the long day. ¡°When?¡± ¡°With Galayu.¡± She looked behind her in the direction V¡¯Yenya had left and then back at Aiden. ¡°They¡¯re confident the incubator contains something equal in status to Galayu. Many of them think it¡¯ll be at a level of power we can¡¯t face with brute force.¡± ¡°They¡¯re confident,¡± he repeated. He closed his eyes and rubbed them. For a minute, they stood there in silence. Then, he pushed away all the negativity brewing in the back of his mind and focused on the present and what he could do then and there. ¡°What about a book? Were you able to get one?¡± As if summoned, Ares walked toward them from deeper in the forest, Anna¡¯s pack tied to the harness on his side. She opened it, pulled out something more akin to a tome than a book, and offered it to him.
Blank Compendium - Rare
Crafted with the intent to store words of magic within.
¡°Think that¡¯ll work?¡± she asked. Holding the compendium in both hands, the Essence in his fingertips was sucked inside. The drain was subtle but present. He turned to Anna and shrugged. ¡°I can test it out.¡± Taking Silver, he opened to the first page. Drawing the Pattern he was most familiar with resulted in a glowing blue Arcana Insignia that sank into the page. He could feel the temporary power accumulation as the insignia tried to activate, but it passed, remaining dormant. Aiden looked at Anna and nodded. ¡°It worked.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much about Patterns and Formations aside from what you¡¯ve told me. Do you think it¡¯ll hold up when stuffed full of everything from the dungeon?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one way to find out,¡± Aiden said, snapping the compendium closed. He turned towards the dungeon and started walking. ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out.¡± ¡°This almost sounds like an excuse to be alone for a while,¡± Anna said playfully from his side. ¡°Not that I¡¯m complaining.¡± ¡°It just might be, but you¡¯re also the smartest person I know.¡± He took her hand in his and smiled. ¡°But don¡¯t let Oli know I said that.¡± ¡°Swear on my life,¡± she said as she held out her pinkie. ¡°We don¡¯t need to go that far,¡± he said with a grin, looping their fingers together. Anna turned her head to look at him. ¡°So, what happened at the meeting? Did I miss anything interesting?¡± ¡°Not a day passes that doesn¡¯t have problems stacking on top of other problems while resting on a whole mountain of problems, literally.¡± Aiden explained what Isaac and Ian had told him, quickly briefing her on what she¡¯d missed while with V¡¯Yenya. ¡°Today¡¯s been a long day. You think I¡¯d be used to it by now, but everyday just feels like it¡¯s slowly adding up. My body feels fine, but the constant strain and lack of rest is wearing me down.¡± ¡°I believe you. You know you can count on me if you need a break or someone to talk to. I¡¯m always here for you.¡± She smiled softly. ¡°That¡¯s the least I can do.¡± ¡°You already do too much. If I asked anything else from you, I think you¡¯d have to start sleepwalking to get any rest at all.¡± He freed his hand from hers and clasped his fingers behind his head as he looked up at the sky above. ¡°Then again, that¡¯s what I¡¯m doing already. Not sure what else to do. There¡¯s just too much, all the time, without a break from the chaos. There¡¯s no chance for rest, and the more days go by, it doesn¡¯t feel like there will ever be a day we can rest without fear of our enemies moving against us in that moment of complacency.¡± ¡°You sound paranoid, Aiden. You should really take some time off. Who knows? Maybe the Patterns and Formations in the dungeon will give you a good reason to get away from managing Zion..¡± She played with two balls of emerald that illuminated the surroundings as they walked. ¡°As strong and inspiring as you are, you are still only one person.¡± Blizzy chirped from behind them where she and Ares mosied along casually. ¡°And a dragon,¡± Anna amended. ¡°But even then, there¡¯s a limit to what you can do without the help of others. Isn¡¯t that the point of Zion? So we¡ª any by we, I mean you¡ª didn¡¯t have to bear the burden of things alone? To be able to grow and create a safe space that gives hope and safety to any who find it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not wrong, but it feels wrong. Ever since we came to Midrath in the school, I¡¯ve been doing everything to progress and keep moving. And honestly, I don¡¯t know if I want to stop, to slow down. If I stop, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to find the strength to be who I need to be.¡± ¡°And who do you think you need to be?¡± ¡°Zion¡¯s leader, the fierceless and mighty Aiden Pearce. The one who fought the dungeon boss singlehandedly and came out on top. The one who ended the nightmare that was the school. The one who protects all of them from the true threats and dangers.¡± He stretched his arms high and yawned, shaking his head to clear the drowsiness. ¡°I figured with all my Durability, I wouldn¡¯t get tired anymore, but I feel more tired than ever before.¡± ¡°You¡¯re burning yourself out by trying to be a superhero. Even though the system has made us capable of surpassing human boundaries and able to use magic, it doesn¡¯t mean that our minds are still not that of a human.¡± She stepped in front of him and rested her hands against her hips. ¡°Listen, if things are never going to settle down, you have to trust others to be capable of going a day without you every now and then. You can¡¯t keep going like this. You¡¯re giving parts of yourself away so often that soon there will be nothing left to give.¡± ¡°Until I know Earth is safe from the Shadowborn, I¡¯ll keep doing what I have to,¡± he said, face grim. ¡°We¡¯re on the last Gate Hub quest. When we complete it¡ª¡± ¡°You mean if we complete it, Aiden. Whoever created this quest is sadistic for putting something like that as the last requirement for claiming the throne. Even the Etherene¡¯s lord hadn¡¯t done something as ridiculous as what they¡ª whoever they are¡ª are asking of you. And even if you succeed, it won¡¯t be tomorrow, next week, or even next month.¡± She huffed a frustrated breath. ¡°You need to take care of yourself better. If you want to be a good leader, you have to. Resting is a key aspect to mental health, you know?¡± Aiden nodded. ¡°I do know, but I¡¯ll keep going full speed until I don¡¯t need to anymore. It¡¯s what I¡¯m good at.¡± She pursed her lips, squinted her eyes, and crossed her arms. ¡°Mark my words, I will get you to take a day off. In fact, I sense the tingling of an idea forming.¡± Aiden pointed his finger towards her and sprayed her with a light mist. ¡°I know that look, and nothing good ever comes from these plans of yours.¡± ¡°Not true. Everyone else likes them. You¡¯ve just brainwashed yourself into a giant workaholic. I¡¯m willing to bet that even the Valkyr have days off where they¡¯re not warmongering against the Dragonborn.¡± She tapped her cheek and smiled deviously. ¡°Wanna go ask them?¡± ¡°Dungeon time,¡± he said, pointing. ¡°Also, wanna know a secret?¡± Book Two, Chapter Seven: Golems? Chapter Seven: Golems? * ¡°Sure, but first, what¡¯s the progress on the Gate Hub quest?¡± Anna asked, waving towards Ian. ¡°Let me check. It¡¯s been a minute,¡± Aiden said, prompting the quest notification.
Destiny Quest: Gate Hub X, The Final Conquest
Requirements Control 50% of Midrath
Reward The Gate Hub
Progress 7%
Aiden nodded. ¡°We made good progress last week. Seven percent, up from six.¡± ¡°Still feels too slow,¡± Anna said, hugging herself. ¡°If it stays like this, it could take years to complete.¡± ¡°What makes you think that?¡± He approached the portal and stopped, giving her his full attention. ¡°A percent every two or three weeks isn¡¯t anything to be too upset about. If anything, it¡¯s a lot faster than I ever anticipated.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too shortsighted. Think about how many natives there are and all the other Candidates vying for your position. You think we can defend every part of our territory without fail when we¡¯re up against the Valkyr, Dragonborn, Celestials, and Spiderkin?¡± ¡°I¡¯m most certainly going to try,¡± he said, looking in the direction of the nearby Faction. ¡°And I¡¯m sure you will, but you can¡¯t be everywhere at once, Aiden. It¡¯s within my expectations that we¡¯ll have bad days, really bad days, and days we¡¯ll wish to forget when the claimable territories start to dry up.¡± She started playing with her hair, curling it around her fingers. ¡°Look how big our territory is, and we¡¯re already struggling to defend our borders.¡± ¡°I know conflict is inevitable, but that¡¯s part of the secret,¡± he said, pointing towards the portal. ¡°The incubator room is full of Patterns and Formations I didn¡¯t have before. I¡¯m hoping to study them and use whatever Claudia and the new guy Magnus learn from the Osh¡¯Tika¡¯Varu.¡± ¡°For what?¡± He gave her a sly smile. ¡°Ever heard of golems?¡± A light shined in her eyes as she realized the implications behind his question. ¡°Of course I do. You want to use the metals here to make magical constructs to protect our lands as we continue to expand.¡± She tapped the side of her head. ¡°Brilliant.¡± ¡°I thought so too, but whether or not it¡¯s doable really depends on investing enough time to come to more than just a basic understanding of Inscription.¡± They entered the clearing, and he waved towards Ian. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to see you here so soon,¡± the boy said, approaching with an outstretched hand. ¡°Can¡¯t imagine how busy you are with everything going on. My head spins whenever I even try to think about it.¡± Aiden shook the boy¡¯s hand and shrugged. ¡°I didn¡¯t start out with all these responsibilities. The quests really ease you into everything.¡± Ian nodded. ¡°I get that. So, what brings you both here tonight?¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t no rest for the wicked,¡± Aiden said, patting the boy on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta use the time I have as productively as I can.¡± ¡°Do you ever sleep, man?¡± Ian asked, his brows furrowing and his forehead creasing with concern. ¡°My primary attribute is Endurance, and I can¡¯t keep moving like you do. It can¡¯t be healthy.¡± Anna chuckled. ¡°Glad I¡¯m not the only one who thinks so.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Aiden said, giving Ian a thumbs up while squinting at Anna. ¡°There¡¯s no need for everyone to worry about me. I¡¯m the monster among us, remember?¡± Anna pursed her lips, and Ian sighed. ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re all worried about. If you keep pushing yourself like this, who will you be when all¡¯s said and done? Will you even know how to take a break when things calm down and there¡¯s not always an enemy or task to address?¡± Aiden felt a growing frustration, but he knew what they said was true. ¡°I get where the concern comes from, but it seems like everyone is operating under the assumption that things will ever actually calm down. Like, the forces we¡¯re facing are so massive, I don¡¯t think anybody realizes just how screwed and how much of an uphill battle all of this will be.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ll push yourself until you burn out instead?¡± Anna asked, gently resting her hand against his arm. ¡°We¡¯re only concerned for you, Aiden. You can trust us to take some of the burden. I¡¯ve said this countless times, but to us, it seems like you think we¡¯re incapable of handling ourselves without you.¡± Aiden opened his mouth to respond, but Ian cut in before he could. ¡°She¡¯s right. We¡¯ve all had more meetings than I care to admit to on how to address this subject specifically. Unlike the rest of them, I know what¡¯s driving you and deal with it myself.¡± Anna caressed his arm softly. ¡°We get you¡¯re scared, but you¡¯re not alone in all of this.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Enough,¡± Aiden said through grit teeth. He pointed towards the portal and looked at both of them. ¡°For things to have even a small potential of getting better, I¡¯ve gotta be in there studying those Patterns and Formations. I asked the people of Zion to push themselves harder than they already are, and if they can do that for even a small chance of increasing our odds of survival and success, then I¡¯ll be damned if I take a rest day.¡± ¡°Do you even know how to anymore?¡± Anna asked, dropping her hand to her side. She shook her head and walked away. Just out of his line of sight, she stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. ¡°This will consume you until you¡¯ve pushed away those that worry about you, the same people you¡¯re trying to protect. What will it all be for then?¡± Her back faded into the treeline towards Zion, Ares by her side. Blizzy curled around his legs and sent him feelings of comfort and strength. She nuzzled her head into his palm, and he numbly pet her, his mind lost in thought considering Anna¡¯s departing words. Ian cleared his throat, and Aiden snapped back to reality. The boy moved back to the tree he¡¯d been leaning on when they¡¯d arrived and returned to leaning against it. He looked up at the sky for several moments before breaking the silence. ¡°The fear and desperation to keep everyone safe, even if it¡¯s at the expense of yourself, is something hard to recognize and even harder to change. I get it though. ¡®How could I live with myself if someone got hurt because I wasn¡¯t there. What if they die?¡¯¡± ¡°Your point?¡± Aiden asked, staring at the ground. ¡°Bend or break, what will it be?¡± The silence lingered for several long seconds as Aiden considered the question, but Ian¡¯s voice pulled him out of the spiraling darkness in his mind. ¡°Something¡¯s gotta give, Aiden, and you have people here who want to help you. Don¡¯t ignore them until you break, because then it¡¯ll be too late.¡± Aiden took a deep breath and released it, attempting to calm his racing heart. ¡°I¡¯ll keep your words in mind.¡± Three long strides later, the portal swallowed him whole. By the time he stepped through to the interior, he was grateful to be away and have a task to focus on. He crossed the open stretches and entered the chamber, only shooting the swirling vortex a cursory glance. For the first time in a long time, he didn¡¯t channel one of his Disciplines to activate Aracana Channel when he clicked Silver. The tip of the pen appeared as he flipped open the compendium and began filling the pages with various formations. As he transcribed what he saw, he analyzed the different structures to try and grasp an understanding of what he saw. A futile task if he¡¯d ever seen one. Without more time and maybe a little guidance from Anna, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be able to figure anything out, let alone enough to even start theorizing how to create a golem army, enchant weapons and armor, or any of the other ideas that had sprang into mind. So with absolute focus, he filled page after page of the magical book. The incubator remained a constant reminder of what was at stake. In less than a week, he¡¯d be faced with an entity unlike any other. As much as he hated to admit it, Ian had gotten to him. The walls he¡¯d built up were cracking one by one, and only an unhealthy dose of grit, determination, and self-destructive productivity urged by a deep seeded desperation kept him moving forward. The weight of responsibility and desire to protect he experienced was something he would never in a million years force upon any of the others. - ¡°Aiden!¡± someone called from far away. ¡°Aiden!¡± The boy in question lurched to his feet and wiped away the traces of restless slumber, glaring at the comfortable blizzard dragon grinning at him. ¡°Not cool, Blizzy. Not cool at all.¡± He picked up the discarded compendium and Silver from the floor then left the incubation chamber. Blizzy followed, her head held high as she sauntered in front of him, constantly chirping in amusement. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have let me fall asleep,¡± he whispered, seeing Ian approaching. ¡°You know I had a lot of things to get taken care of.¡± She snorted, an icy cloud of air wisping away, and acted like he hadn¡¯t said anything. ¡°Where did all that attitude come from, huh?¡± Wind spiraled around his feet, and he jumped in front of her, putting his nose against hers. ¡°Are you trying to say you¡¯re upset at me for not sleeping enough?¡± Her expressive eyes stared back at him like the answer to his question was obvious. ¡°Not you too,¡± he groaned, backing away and turning to Ian. ¡°How long has it been since I entered the portal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s past sunrise already,¡± Ian said as he circled Aiden, his head bobbing and weaving as he searched Aiden from head to toe. ¡°Ian, what exactly are you looking for?¡± He tried to follow the boy, but he¡¯d only just woke up and was still groggy. Sleep never felt restful these days, but he just had to push through it and get things done. ¡°If you keep that up, you¡¯ll make me dizzy.¡± The boy in question stopped in front of Aiden and grinned. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt at all, and your clothes are perfectly fine. I got concerned when you never came out and a few Shadowborn showed up, but now that I see you, it all makes sense.¡± All traces of sleepiness disappeared at the mention of Shadowborn exiting the portal already. ¡°The Shadowborn from here can exit the dungeon before a dungeon break occurs?¡± ¡°Seems like it,¡± Ian said with a shrug. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter at the moment. You slept quite a bit, right? Do you feel good?¡± He looked Aiden up and down again while cupping his chin and creasing his brow. ¡°Definitely not, no. You probably feel pretty bad since you didn¡¯t overwork yourself figuring out those rune thingies, right?¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Aiden deadpanned, rolling his eyes and staring up at the darkness ever-expanding towards whatever ceiling existed. ¡°Nevermind that explanation. I expect a full report delivered to Oli before the end of the day. I¡¯ve gotta go back now, go through all the submissions of those that want to guard this dungeon so you can go do whatever you need to for the territory opening up, and then I need to get together with everyone to figure out what we¡¯ll do about Adam and the Valkyr. Not to mention¡ª¡± Ian cleared his throat, causing Aiden to look down to see the boy pointing towards the dungeon exit. ¡°Telling me all about it won¡¯t help you get any of it done. If anything, it¡¯ll just make everything seem more overwhelming. Remember, one thing at a time, and you¡¯re not alone. Don¡¯t try to do everything on your own.¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± ¡°Nuh uh,¡± Ian said, wagging a finger in front of Aiden¡¯s face. ¡°Listen carefully. Get going, stay out of your head, and don¡¯t forget to rely on your support system. We¡¯re here, and we want to help. Not letting us makes everyone, yourself included, feel bad. Don¡¯t be so stubborn, conquer the fear, trust those that want to help, and kick some ass while you¡¯re at it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were a therapist in a past life,¡± Aiden grumbled, following behind an amused Blizzy. He let out a wry grin, exited the portal, and waited for Ian. Once the boy appeared, Aiden held out a hand. ¡°I¡¯ll get your relief here as soon as possible, and hey. Thanks for what you said. I know everyone is concerned and here for me if I need it, but sometimes it¡¯s just nice to hear it said without being told in a way that makes me feel unappreciated for what I do.¡± Ian took his hand. ¡°I told them they needed to be careful about how they approached, but Olivia¡ªher especially¡ªand Anna are quick to get frustrated and upset. They don¡¯t mean to come off as unappreciative. The whole situation is just really tough, you know? I don¡¯t agree with how they approach you about things, but I do agree with them. You¡¯ve done more than anybody else for all of us, and I¡¯d hate to see you push yourself to the point of breaking. However, I learned from a young age that people need to want help before they¡¯re willing to accept it and change.¡± ¡°Too true,¡± Aiden said, letting his hand drop. ¡°I¡¯ll see you back at Zion. Stay safe.¡± ¡°Always.¡± Book Three, Chapter One: A Not So Welcoming Home Aiden and Olivia stood before a familiar place, one they¡¯d lived in seemingly a lifetime ago. But here they were, Aunt Rachel¡¯s. Aiden couldn¡¯t remember ever wanting to see the house so badly, yet his feet anchored in place. The telltale signs had been everywhere. Claws rent pavement, upturned yards, and so much more. The system had found its way here, and Aunt Rachel¡¯s house looked like it¡¯d taken quite the beating. ¡°Aiden¡­¡± Olivia muttered. He stepped forward, wordlessly taking the lead. No more words needed to be exchanged between the two of them. The quiver in her voice said everything he needed to know. The yard, once green and lush due to the sprinkler system, had craters twice as deep as he and maybe half his height across, almost like something had drilled into the ground. Odd, but compared to what caused his heart to race with dread, he didn¡¯t worry about it. Stepping past the yard, he made his way up the driveway from the sidewalk, headed up the L-shaped path, and stopped at the door¡ªor what was left of it. Little but shards of shrapnel remained. Aiden turned to Olivia and gestured for her to wait and made his way inside. Jaw clenched, he prepared himself for the worst outcome. He stepped across the threshold and into the hallway, looking around. There was damage to the house everywhere he looked. Shattered glass from windows and assorted crockery. Water had, at some point, sprayed all over the walls and floor from where the sink had been annihilated. Aiden looked up through the hole to see the sky. ¡°Whatever came here, they weren¡¯t friendly about it,¡± he muttered, trying to ease his unrest. Despite seeing signs of so much damage, he saw nothing to say that Aunt Rachel might¡¯ve been home when all of this happened. Two presences tugged at his soul from across worlds, lending their strength with his and helping him push forward. He looked around everywhere. The house was a mess, but Aunt Rachel hadn¡¯t been there. Finding nothing, he left out the way he came and saw Olivia nearly in hysterics. He wrapped his arms around her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Oli. She¡¯s not here. That means she might still be safe.¡± ¡°But l-look at all the damage,¡± she retorted, a shaky hand pointing at the yard and house. Then she pointed over at all the similar-looking houses on the block, each barely a remnant of what once was. ¡°What if i-it¡¯s like this everywhere, Aiden?¡± ¡°Oli, listen to me.¡± He placed his hands on both of her shoulders and firmly gripped her. ¡°We knew this was a possibility. The others are already combing the area in search of survivors. They¡¯ll send word¡ª¡± A red signal flare, actually a Flame Bolt skill one of the pyromancers had, blazed an arc through the sky. ¡°That¡¯s a sign of danger. We have to go.¡± She didn¡¯t look like she¡¯d move anytime soon, so Aiden clenched his teeth, nearly growling, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Oli. Now.¡± She shrugged away from him and glared as if he were the one who¡¯d personally attacked Aunt Rachel¡¯s house. ¡°How can you be so heartless?!¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Now is not the time.¡± She waved her arms around at the state of the neighborhood. ¡°If not now, then when?¡± Aiden wanted to help calm her down, but he didn¡¯t have time for the drama. The Flame Bolt was only to be launched if a team encountered a threat too dangerous to face in the vicinity of survivors. ¡°Do whatever you want then,¡± he grumbled, waving her away and turning to leave. He made it two steps before a gust of wind slammed him from the front in an attempt to keep him there. It didn¡¯t do much, really, aside from piss him off. He clenched his teeth and took another step away, but a stronger gale nearly swept his feet out from under him. Doing his best to keep calm, he turned back towards his sister and crossed his arms. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want away from me, Aiden.¡± She pointed towards the house for what felt like the hundredth time. ¡°Aunt Rachel might be in danger¡ª¡± ¡°And what is wasting time talking about it going to achieve? Do you want her to die? Do you want to find her?¡± he snarled in return, stepping out of the way of another gust coming his way. ¡°I know you¡¯re upset about this, but just stop and think for two seconds. Where would she go if she weren¡¯t here? When did the system arrive here? When did things pop off? Who can we ask?¡± He pointed towards the smoke trail arcing its way through the sky. Olivia, despite what Aiden expected, didn¡¯t stop her wind assault. In fact, she channeled a raging tempest and rushed him. Admittedly, she was too fast for him to dodge. But she was also too weak to break through his high Durability attribute. ¡°What is your problem?¡± he growled, reaching his hand out to grab her ankle and nullifying her kick. She looked stunned for all of a second before he threw her away from him, catching her balance in a brief moment. ¡°This is obviously not about Aunt Rachel, so spit it out!¡± ¡°Screw you!¡± she screamed, coming at him again. Eesh, it¡¯s gonna be this kind of day, I see. Having taken Josh, Ian, and James, Arkayan in tow, out to blow off steam often enough, he could see that Olivia had worked herself up. Why she went after him, who knew, but if he was good at one thing¡­ A punch landed on his stomach, but he didn¡¯t budge. A kick smacked into his side, but he didn¡¯t feel it. All her regular attacks did no harm, so she started to get creative. Her three disciplines, wind, light, and metal, were used aplenty. To no avail. He didn¡¯t budge, nor was she strong enough to make him. ¡°You¡¯re getting nowhere with this! Quit throwing a stupid tantrum and just tell me what¡¯s going on already!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a jerk!¡± she screamed, throwing another punch. He grabbed her wrist and jerked her off-balance. ¡°And you¡¯re a brat. What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°So you admit it?!¡± she growled, eyes wild. ¡°What the hell has gotten into you, Oli?¡± he asked, shaking his head and squeezing her wrist tighter when she tried to slip free. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time or place to hash out our differences. Grow up!¡± ¡°Screw y¡ªah!¡± He yanked her forward and swiped her legs out from under her, letting her tumble forward and onto the ground. With his face set in stone, he spoke in a deadpan. ¡°I¡¯m leaving. Stop me, and you might get hurt. Do you understand?¡± Rather than respond, she slammed a fist on the ground, splintering the cement, threw herself to her feet, and ran off. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to put up with her antics when there were so many more pressing things going on, unfortunately. Though, even with all of that, a part of him said to go after her. See what was wrong, comfort her, and figure out what caused all of this. But he couldn¡¯t. As much as he wanted to be her big brother, he needed to be Earth¡¯s hope and Zion¡¯s leader. He needed to be a hero. Book Three, Chapter Two: Entering The Danger Zone Tearing across the ground, avoiding all the conal potholes, Aiden made haste to the location he¡¯d seen the flare go up. The vestiges of some great battle remained, blood stains anywhere and everywhere he looked. Their town hadn¡¯t been a big one, so for this much blood to present made Aiden think things weren¡¯t all that bad. But then again, maybe they were. He hadn¡¯t found much evidence of survivors since crossing through the portal from Zion. As he ran, he observed all the surrounding teams that had spread out from their point of entry back to the world. Many hadn¡¯t liked the idea, but Aiden hadn¡¯t been given a choice by the authority of Midrath. Something made sure that he could only connect to this place, his old home, and hadn¡¯t let him skirt around its absolute will. He¡¯d wanted to let the others go back to their homes, free them to their lives and families to do as they would, but alas, he¡¯d be their leader a bit longer. The monsters they fought were far different than anything Aiden had seen on Midrath. It¡¯s like Earth had become the central warzone for countless invasions, and he¡¯d been all of his power that one such invasion force was the reason for the fading trail of smoke in the sky. Fast as he was, he easily tore across the blurring ground. A wind tunnel formed around him the faster he pushed himself, coalescing and accumulating into a boost of speed that completely reduced all air resistance. Halfway to the trail, he spotted the massive house-sized portal they¡¯d come out of, a blue thing that swirled without rhyme or reason. To his surprise, the surface that looked like liquid had resisted his touch and felt like concrete he¡¯d had to force his way through. Even had to drag others through who weren¡¯t strong enough to cross the boundaries themselves. But that was then, and the smoke he ran towards was now, then and there. Any second he slowed because of his distraction was one where someone¡¯s life remained on the line. While running, he felt an invisible barrier accept his entry, similar to the feeling he¡¯d experienced when he¡¯d gone to conquer enough of Midrath to pass the Destiny Quest. When his feet touched the other side of one of these invisible lines, he experienced something akin to the system asking if he were sure he wanted to continue. Obviously, yes. But the farther he ran, the more intense the feeling. Right up until he came to the origin of the flare. DANGER ZONE AHEAD! Enter Rank 3 Territory? Warning: This area is far above your current level of power. Yes. | No. He didn¡¯t miss a step as he accepted the warning and blasted through. There was no time to waste with uncertainty. His people were inside, and too much time had already been burnt getting over. Whatever was threatening his people and world, he steeled himself to face the threat. But passing through, concern turned to unmitigated rage. Whatever was causing a problem left a trail of carnage in his wake. Clenching his eyes, he demanded the Cascading Steps ability to push faster. He was already too late. Tragedy had occurred, was occuring. It was his duty to put a stop to it. And so I shall. Following the carnage, what looked to be about three entire parties and at least another two in reinforcements that had responded to the flare, he knew he started to get close as the sound of battle reached his ears. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Faster! Flashes of light radiated another two blocks down, and an entire building shook, one of the largest in the town. Whatever had crashed into it was heavy enough to cause it to teeter to the side and imitated the Tower of Pisa. The humorous thought lanced shame through his stomach as the remnants of whatever team had fought against this territory¡¯s monsters rounded the corner. Injuries bled, but the unfamiliar fighter didn¡¯t stop doing his damnedest to stay alive. A flash of hope entered his eyes when he saw Aiden, but then something out of the corner of his eye caused the man¡¯s face to fall. He mouthed one word¡­ sorry. ¡°NO!¡± Aiden roared. A blur split the air and struck the man with enough force to detonate his body like a watermelon being smashed by a baseball bat. Nothing remained. Everything tinged with veins of red as Aiden¡¯s size expanded multiple times over, several layers of crystalline ice encasing his form as he sprinted forward. The thought of what he might have seen didn¡¯t cross his mind, only destruction did. Something was killing his people, and he needed to take care of it. Then the monster came into sight, prowling around the corner to eye him. The power of that gaze alone sent chilling shards of damnation into Aiden¡¯s chest, but Apex Predator refused to acknowledge another existence as greater than he. Aiden lunged forward as a massive blade guillotined downward to cleave the beast in half. But reality was a cruel mistress, and the tank-sized predator snarled in disdain. His attack missed, and the beast blurred through the air with a sweeping claw, raking against his chest and throwing him back to where he¡¯d just come. Unwilling to ragdoll through the air so pathetically, Aiden claimed the air around him as his and reoriented his body midair, landing. Despite his mind-numbing rage, he had the sensibility to analyze the opponent. Invasion Raid Boss Identified! Unknown Serian Prowler - (D)Formation Monster - First Stage A calamity, by every definition of the word. Abandoning its homeworld, it has laid claim to Earth in hopes of being recognized as a worthy candidate for the position of Monster Emperor. Current Power Allocation: One Established Formation System ¡°What do we have here?¡± the beast asked while staring him down in the position it had sent him flying, licking its bloodied paw. The only thing Aiden could compare the beast to was one of the Shadowstalkers he¡¯d faced in Arkayan¡¯s Incubation Chamber. But this monster was clearly in a league above and beyond even the Royal Guardians. Meaning he was incredibly outclassed and in danger. Clenching his teeth, he looked around and felt his heart break. ¡°Are any of my people alive?¡± ¡°You think you¡¯re in a position to ask questions?¡± It rolled its eyes at him. ¡°Answer the question,¡± Aiden growled. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be more interesting, since you could survive an attack, but it seems like you¡¯re just a fool who doesn¡¯t know the luck he¡¯s experienced.¡± Previously, the eyes had looked at Aiden as if he were a toy to play with. Now, Aiden felt his entire being freeze. ¡°You, who haven¡¯t even formed your first Core, dare to demand things of me.¡± Aiden erected multiple Ice Walls and the strongest, crystalline Ice Shield he could summon and still leapt to the side in order to dodge the flurry of projectiles that appeared out of nowhere, the slashing claws that followed, or the lancing tails akin to a scorpion. The thing was armored and moved as if it weren¡¯t, yet also contained enough explosive force and speed to defy any rationale. This¡­ isn¡¯t a fight I can take. Again, his heart broke as he took a step back away from the prowler. ¡°At least you have good survival instincts, but you should¡¯ve left after surviving the first attack. You¡¯ve insulted me, so you won¡¯t be leaving.¡± It looked as if it grinned at him. ¡°Make your peace with this life, Foolish One.¡± Book Three, Chapter Three: The Vorpal Blade Scrambling, Aiden threw himself to his feet and ran towards the territory¡¯s end as fast as he could. Two steps later, an unimaginable weight slammed into his back, and he was facedown on the ground again. But he didn¡¯t stay down, never would. Pulling on all the power he had caused the air to bristle with a chill so deep that frost radiated around him in a large circle. The Prowler snorted from somewhere behind Aiden, but he didn¡¯t have time to think. The time for thinking had passed already, had been passed ever since he made the choice to step down this path and cross over to Earth instead of into Halla. The time to fight for his life had come, to fight for the lives of all those he cherished. The Prowler was a threat he couldn¡¯t let live, and he didn¡¯t care about the difference in their power. Because he wasn¡¯t alone this time. The two presences connected to his soul screamed deep into his soul, fueled by his wrath, and poured their own power into his being. When Aiden stood, he bared his blade towards the monster, resolved. Turning his back on the exit, he faced his foe. Only one of them would leave this place alive, and he didn¡¯t know how to give up and die. ¡°What a curious sight,¡± the Prowler growled, hackles raised and looking all around it. ¡°What is this¡­ presence? This feels like one who has claimed a spot for Succession, but,¡± the Prowler snarled and charged Aiden, ¡°why does it come from you?!¡± A smug sense of superiority washed over him from Blizzy, then he could feel her cheer him on. Leyla too. They both kept him company, even from worlds away, supported him. He wouldn¡¯t let them down, nor the fallen he wasn¡¯t in time to save. Similar to how Olivia had blasted him with wind previously, he did the same thing, but far more powerful. Launching himself forward with his thin, long blade pointed forward, he clashed with the Prowler in an explosive match of unyielding power. Their speed was unlike anything Aiden had ever experienced. He trusted his armor, empowered by aspects of crystalline hardness and a law of absolute will. Claw and tooth found purchase, but the armor didn¡¯t budge. Exactly what Aiden expected of a Mythic-grade ability. The image of the man splattering and all the destruction heated up his core and churned a battlelust he could no longer control. As if blinking forward through the space between, the Prowler came for him again, but Aiden was ready. Crystalline Titan encompassed Silver¡¯s sword form and clashed against the slashing claws that wished for his life. The attack didn¡¯t threaten him as he was now, but the Prowler was clearly testing the limitations of his armor. Things had only just begun, Aiden was sure of that. He could see the excitement bubbling in the eyes of the monster, see the thrill it found from hunting something that didn¡¯t fall in one blow like the others slaughtered around them. ¡°You¡¯ll die here,¡± Aiden said, voice guttural and sore from barely contained emotion. ¡°Try me, human.¡± So Aiden did. He gripped the forces of dense water propulsion and ripped a wind tunnel between him and the Prowler. When he blasted forward, only a split second passed before Silver stabbed forward. The attack landed, but its effect was severely limited. Even with the augmentation of Crystalline Titan, Aiden didn¡¯t have the piercing power to punch through the many layers of armor hide the feline tank carried so casually. In the next few seconds, they exchanged blow after blow as Shards accumulated around Aiden. They were dozens of times larger than usually, augmented too by his Paths. His hope rested on Glaical Fang being enough to punch through and give him the upper hand. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Hoarfrost exploded from his hand and whistled through the air. The Prowler snapped it out of the air with its three tails, two being pointed and dangerous and the third launching some kind of hard to see projectile. As it did now. The impact was about what he expected. Unavoidable and heavy, the very thing that had slammed into his back earlier. But seeing it happen was a different situation. The tail pulled at the edges and widened, a ball of dense air circulating in the center of its triangular flaps. The air hissed as the attack charged then disappeared instantly. Flung through the air hilter kilter, head over heal, he did everything he could to orient himself before the blurred form of the Prowler reached him. But there wasn¡¯t time. The Prowler chomped down on his leg with the force of a compactor, putting enough pressure on the leg to make Aiden groan in discomfort. But then the Prowler wrenched Aiden to the side, shaking him like a ragdoll in an attempt to rip his leg free, and then smashed him on the ground. Claws followed, descening in the time Aiden still tried to find his bearings. The weight of the Prowler alone was enough to make him nearly pass out from sheer pain and a distinct feeling of his entire existence being snuffed out. Not to mention the claws that raked chips of crystal off his titanic form. And the speartails bombarding his head. All in all, bad experience. Aiden! Leyla¡¯s voice shouted across their connection, exploding. Their lavender and gray powers merged together to create something more, and Aiden felt a physical connection to something in that bond. Use this! Unsure of what Leyla meant, he gripped the buzzing energy in his left hand and wrenched it free of whatever metaspace he interacted with, and then stabbed forward with Leyla¡¯s weapon in sword form. The Vorpal Blade. It cleanly stabbed through the Prowler¡¯s armor and vibrated with its chaotic destructive force as the monster roared in pain and leapt away. The Vorpal Blade hissed at its prey¡¯s retreat and vibrated for Aiden to pursue. He happily obliged, wielding Silver in the right and Leyla¡¯s blade in the left. With the introduction of the Vorpal Blade, the Prowler looked terrified. Acidic ichor dropped from the open wound that attempted to seal closed, threading together hopelessly. The remnant magic left behind by the Vorpal Blade spread like poison from where it had begun its total consumption. But if that were enough to take down the Prowler and bring the fight to an end, Aiden would¡¯ve almost been disappointed. He groaned as he pushed himself up from the crater the Prowler had made with his body and bared both weapons at his foe. ¡°Not feeling so confident now, it seems,¡± Aiden goaded, earning a guttural hiss in return. ¡°Thought so.¡± The more he fought the Prowler, the more a feeling nagged him. Something felt so close to falling into place, an understanding he¡¯d been headed towards for awhile now. But he couldn¡¯t pinpoint where, how, or why the feeling occurred. Aiden grinned and took a step forward, and the Prowler shrank back, eyeing the Vorpal Blade. Seeing as Silver was highly ineffective against the monster, Aiden let the sword form drop in trade for the whip. An oddity occurred as flecks of ice mixed with the air, causing an isolated blizzard in the length of the whip, but Aiden didn¡¯t pay much mind to the phenomena. He had bigger things to worry about for the moment. Lashing forward with the whip, the Prowler batted it out of the air. Aiden then called two Ice Walls to summon under the monster¡¯s back legs to throw it off balance. A minor success, one that allowed him to get close with the help of a wind tunnel and explosive water jets to propel him forward. The Prowler was already dodging away by the time Aiden got in range, so the Vorpal Blade only grazed the monster. But it still shrieked in greedy elation as its tip seamlessly cut through the layer of armor. This would be his win, Aiden knew. He wouldn¡¯t¡ª-no. He couldn¡¯t let the lives of those lost here be in vain, no matter what. A fate where this monster didn¡¯t fall was one he refused to accept. And his will of unacceptance pushed him relentlessly forward, Ice Shield blocking the next condensed air attack launched his way. Another Hoarfrost aimed at the Prowler¡¯s eyes gave Aiden a fraction of a second to explode forward, summoning another Ice Shield to leap over a defensive claw swipe, and land on top of the Prowler. With as much force as he could bring to bear, he stabbed the Vorpal Blade into the Prowler¡¯s spine. At the same time, the wind ruptured behind him. Glacial Fang slammed together in its multitude of oversized shards, buzzing with a primal frost energy that promised destruction. Wrenching the Vorpal Blade down the Prowler¡¯s spine caused the monster to howl. It could do nothing as Aiden wreaked havoc on its body. The tails failed to dislodge him, no matter how hard it tried. Locking onto the exposed back with Arctic Gale, Aiden leapt away as Glacial Fang sundered the air and ripped into the Prowler¡¯s exposed insides. When Aiden landed, he didn¡¯t need to turn around to see the Prowler had been slain. Unceremoniously, he collapsed forward and lost consciousness. In the last few moments of clarity, he could feel the Vorpal Blade hungrily attempt to consume him, but Leyla forcefully dissolved it back into their connected bond as his Crystalline Titan ability ended. Even though his body ached, he wore a triumphant grin as darkness claimed his mind. Book Three, Chapter Four: The Not-So-Great Escape Olivia raced toward the red beam in the sky. She¡¯d seen Aiden run this way when the flare had gone up and even saw the traces of what remained beside it. With her speed, she blazed across the land, barely perceived by those she passed. Her heart raced, and panic settled across her skin, the wind that did break through her windshield prickling against the layers of sweat to chill her to the core. Everything felt cold as she ran, and no amount of pushing herself faster would make her get to the destination any sooner. No amount of attempting to push would make her undo her choice to confront Aiden or run off, forcing him to go face whatever had happened alone. She was a terrible sister for that, and he¡¯d been right. Olivia had bolted up so much resentment and didn¡¯t try to see things from Aiden¡¯s angle, but at the same time, why should she have to? Maybe their time to part ways was coming sooner than either of them could¡¯ve imagined. Then again, who could imagine being teleported to another world where you had to survive against monsters, where magic was real, a place literally in a different plane of existence. None of it made sense, even though, by now, it made enough sense for her to rationalize. But emotionally, her fears consumed her. Her fear of losing her brother, of watching him suffer, of suffering herself and ending up alone. All she could do was run faster, Zeal soaring above her head and cawing every so often. She could feel his scorn toward Aiden, the dissatisfaction coursing through her companion due to the turbulence her brother caused her to feel, but was it all his fault? Olivia didn¡¯t know, didn¡¯t want to know. So she ran faster and hoped. Aiden had a tendency to throw himself at things he shouldn¡¯t by himself. The short war against the Valkyr and subsequent domination of Midrath was the most evident proof of that, but he¡¯d always done it. Always thrown himself into harm¡¯s way for others, trying to play the hero. Why? A question she¡¯d never understood. No matter how fast she ran toward him, he always seemed to get farther and farther away, his back fading in the distance. Her speed meant nothing in the face of his departing back. DANGER ZONE AHEAD! Enter Unclaimed Rank 3 Territory? Warning: This area is far above your current level of power. Yes. | No. And then she was there, crossing these weird territory lines into an absolute massacre. The blood was everywhere, as were the corpses. She couldn¡¯t force herself past the gore and gruesomeness without retching twice. Tears streaked down her face as she approached the sound of bestial chomping, slurping, and growling. In addition to the monstrous sounds of ravenous feasting, Olivia heard shouts from the other side of the territory. The place was large, and she couldn¡¯t pinpoint their location. With a few bursts of wind magic to propel her upward, she leapt away from the horrifying scene of death, leaving it behind in hopes she could prevent more from occurring. ¡°Where are you?¡± she asked, frantically searching for the shouts. The buildings were large and obscured her vision, so she called a gutter to her to use as a ramp and lightened her steps as she ran up to the top of the building. With her hands over her eyes, she continued her search. Zeal¡¯s warning caw gave her just a moment to leap out of the way of a bestial creature. Its claws rent the ground where she¡¯d leapt from, but its tail seemed to have a mind of its own and lanced at her, stabbing through the short distance to impact a hastily projected wall of wind. Groaning, she realized quickly she couldn¡¯t remain there. More monsters prowled up the side of the building and toward her position, their mouths frothing with hunger. The first that attacked and fastest of the bunch also had wings that had helped it scale the building faster than the others and three total heads. The more she looked, the more she recognized the mythological creature as a chimera. Its three heads resembled a lion, goat, and eagle, and the tail that had tried striking her as it passed was that of a large python. The two slitted serpentine eyes rose above the back of the chimera to regard her, its tongue flicking in her direction. ¡°Time to go, Zeal!¡± she shouted, turning and running to the edge of the building without slowing. ¡°Here goes nothing!¡± Olivia leapt off the building as the monstrous beast of legend charged her. She arced a short distance upward before gravity brought her speeding downward. But not for long. Zeal was there, as reliable as ever. He¡¯d grown a fair amount in recent days as she continued feeding him Essence, allowing him the strength to catch her in his talons carefully and descend downwards in a glide. Fancy falling was better than plummeting to her death, but the chimera behind her didn¡¯t seem content to watch her flee in peace. It soared after her, the goat bleating, lion roaring, and eagle shrieking its prideful descent. Olivia didn¡¯t wait for the ground to get close enough before she dropped, having found exactly what she was looking for. With a mental prod, Zeal loosened her grip, and she swung her arms carefully to create a wind tunnel to ease her down the last few feet to the ground. But even on impact, she rolled to absorb the impact of landing, though she¡¯d practiced the maneuver enough times to roll and spring to her feet, continuing running as if she¡¯d never taken a foot off the rooftop at all. The thing she¡¯d looked for would aid her in escaping her pursuers for long enough to make her escape. Once she stood underneath the fallen light pole, she turned and watched as the chimera drew closer. Holding up both hands, she pointed one toward the chimera and the other toward the fallen light pole. When she knew the monster drew close enough for the effect to be absolute, a radiance befitting of a solar flare exploded out of her hand and caused the monster to shriek and careen away. It landed heavily, but she wasn¡¯t done yet. With her second hand, she wrenched the light pole from the ground and bent its metallic length atop the chimera, anchoring it in place. No matter how much it struggled, it stayed there, thrashing, hissing, cawing, and growling at her in a rage. She didn¡¯t have time to challenge the creature and see what kind of Essence she might be able to gain from it, unfortunately. She still heard shouts, even louder now. After she was absolutely certain the chimera wouldn¡¯t reappear, she took stock of the locations of those monsters that chased after them but didn¡¯t have the benefit of wings. ¡°Gotta make this fast,¡± she said, turning on her heels and exploding into movement. Zeal guided her from above to the location of the shouts, and once she covered two blocks and rounded the corner, she understood the panic she¡¯d heard from so far away. Four fighters postured defensively around a fifth downed with a sixth member trying to administer aid to the downed member. The four defenders were arrayed in a semicircle with a building at their backs, a dozen tall and thin mantis creatures clicking and chittering around them, each toting a third scything arm from either their left shoulders with thick chitinous armor on the right. Action took precedence to thought, and she¡¯d fought long enough to not need time to think. With enemies approaching from the rear and an encirclement of targets to her front, time was of the essence. Clicking her heels against the ground, she activated Hermes boots. Instantly she felt her body lighten and mind clear as the enhancement stimulated her Alacrity by a large margin. In the next moment, she activated Zenith and darted forward. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Rapier drawn, all wind parted away for her, each step enhanced by the boots of Hermes and carrying her forward leaps and bounds beyond what she could otherwise achieve. Then she struck. Precise and absolute, her thin weapon punched holes through the reinforced exoskeleton of three of the three-armed mantises before they realized she flanked them. The moment they did, they leapt back to regroup and encircled her. The party they¡¯d had pinned down didn¡¯t let her efforts go in vain and quickly gestured her forward before the mantises blitzed her with overwhelming force. But Olivia had other ideas. This level of foe paled in comparison to what she¡¯d faced back on Midrath. To compare the two would be like comparing a geck to Blizzy. That didn¡¯t make them any less of a threat. She hadn¡¯t stacked a ton of Durability like Aiden or Ian, but she didn¡¯t need to. These monsters moved like they were frozen in time, and she¡¯d let them retreat only to observe their behavioral patterns. Not to mention the development of forging and enchanting made her simple looking armor she wore underneath her clothes a veritable fortress for these creatures. Their auras alone gave her the confidence she needed to wade through them without fear, and her confidence pushed her forward. Even if these weaklings wouldn¡¯t pose a threat to her, she didn¡¯t trust the chimera to stay trapped forever, and there were plenty of other monsters rampaging around this territory to worry about. And, if she worried about the party too, they looked as fatigued as their sixth member was injured. Meaning very. Since the mantises chose to surround her instead of attack, she continued her forward assault. They moved nimbly, despite the layers of natural chitinous armor attempting to protect them. Each one stood slightly taller than her, about the height of Aiden, and looked far more imposing than her. That thought made her smirk. In this day and age, looks were quite deceiving. Since her initial attack, less than ten seconds had passed. Her initial assault took less than half. Hopping in place, she grinned to herself and started hopping from one foot to the other in place, rapier casually hanging by her side. Zenith demanded she move to stay active, and the Hermes¡¯ boots enhancement would fade in another twenty seconds. More than willing to oblige, she took a step forward in the middle of a bounce and crossed the distance to her next target. The mantises seemed more perceptive than most things she fought. Two of them leapt between her and her target, but they might have moved at a snail¡¯s pace for all the good it did. Rapid steps enhanced by the boots of Hermes and Zenith allowed her to instantly change direction to evade their blockade and step again to propel her forward. Bug-eyed and as prepared as the mantis could be, her rapier slew her fourth target. However, she wasn¡¯t done. Like a dancer, she turned one-eighty and lunged, stabbing forward with an explosive drill of wind. Neither had time to process the half of their torsos being obliterated before death took hold. In the same time it took to slay the three, their corpses fell to the ground, thudding simultaneously. Having watched six of their three-armed friends fall with very little effort on Olivia¡¯s part, the remaining mantis monsters must have reasoned her to be too strong a foe. In coordinated fashion, almost as if rehearsed, all of them leapt back three times in rapid succession, clearing a large distance, and then turned entirely to retreat. For a brief moment, she thought to give chase, but the adrenaline coursing through her wasn¡¯t a feeling she still let take over her mind. Bidding them farewell with a flourish of her rapier, she returned it to the loop in her belt where it hung by her side normally. Afterwards, she hurried over to the party, keeping her eyes locked for any other monsters in pursuit. The ones that followed her with the chimera stopped their chase and regarded her from a distance, slinking off and out of sight moments later. Whether they were truly gone or if they were biding their time, she didn¡¯t know. Only time would tell. For now, she had more pressing matters. The Alacrity steroid from the boots of Hermes faded after a few more seconds of her standing there. She patiently waited for the party to get around to finally processing that they weren¡¯t in mortal danger any longer. They stood there long enough for even Zenith to run out. As she stood there, she recognized something about each of them. Pointy ears and gold eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not¡­ human,¡± she muttered, wondering if they could even understand her. Much to her dismay, they couldn¡¯t. Racking her brain, she tried to think of a way to communicate with them. ¡°Skrii!¡± Zeal¡¯s alerting cry and mental prod instinctively caused Olivia to switch over to his view. And from the falcon¡¯s eye view, she saw a second and third chimera freeing the first, rending the light pole. Once the first was free, they started in her direction at full speed. Not only that, the scavenging beasts hadn¡¯t left. They¡¯d simply hid. But Zeal saw them all and conveyed his worry to her succinctly. When her vision returned and she looked at the party, she grunted in frustration. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for this!¡± She stomped over to the fallen mantises and gestured at the large group, pointed in the direction of the trio of chimeras. Then she pointed toward their group and continued miming running, but this time while pointing in the opposite direction of the hostile beasts¡ªand hopefully toward somewhere that wasn¡¯t filled with more hungry beasts looking for an easy snack. The four of them looked between where she pointed, Olivia, and the group healer who worked to heal the downed party member. Their uneasy gazes kept landing not on the healer but the downed sixth elf. ¡°Oh shit,¡± she swore, realization dawning on her. ¡°They don¡¯t know what to do without their leader.¡± Now she had a hard choice to make. Turn and confront the trio of chimeras and the beast horde accompanying them or leave these people behind. Without being able to communicate, taking them to a place not here wasn¡¯t likely, given the condition of their team¡¯s decision maker. ¡°Damn, damn, damn!¡± As much as she wanted to stay and help, she wasn¡¯t as strong as Aiden. Taking on three chimeras might be a morning¡¯s workout session for him, but Olivia had been working on understanding the enchantments and helping Claudia and Magnus with the influx of materials in order to arm Zion for the continued fight against the never-ending hordes of monsters and campaign to continue settling Midrath. The amount of resource disparity between the two of them, her essentially a researcher and developer of magical crafting and him the leader of Zion and acknowledged strongest human, was a chasm she couldn¡¯t even imagine crossing. Not that she had any desire to. She liked being able to help others. It¡¯s why she even came over to these pointy-eared folk in the first place, but now she didn¡¯t know what to do. Faced with a rock and a hard place, she screamed internally when she wished Aiden, Anna, Josh, or even Ian were here to make the choice. She didn¡¯t know what to do, and investing into Alacrity gave her the clarity of mind and all the time in the world to contemplate everything in depth. The chimeras were coming though. ¡°Get a hold of yourself, Olivia!¡± she nearly screamed, slapping her face to anchor herself in reality. The sound cracked and echoed about, drawing the attention and concern of the party. With their eyes on her, she decided what to do. She¡¯d make them come with her and get out of this hellish monster-infested territory first, then deal with the lack of ability to communicate later. Plus, it¡¯s not like healing their leader would be worth a damn if doing so caused the death of their entire party by doing so. She grabbed the hands of the two closest to her and forcefully dragged them to their downed leader and to the side of the healer. Olivia shoved the healer out of the way and gestured for the two of them to pick up the wounded leader, gestured for the others to follow, and then, again, pointed in the direction that would lead them to safety. If they could get out of the rank three territory, she doubted the chimeras would follow. The healer looked offended and talked very quickly, pointing toward the two Olivia had dragged over and then gestured to the rest of the party. They visibly winced at some of the words she said and tried to go back to healing their leader, but Olivia stopped her from crouching. ¡°It¡¯s time to go!¡± Olivia shouted, pointing toward the way out for the third time. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She pointed at the two elves and growled, ¡°Get him, or I will, and let¡¯s leave before all six of you are dead!¡± She met the golden-eyed gaze of each of the pointy-eared folk. They seemed to get the point of her message. One carefully crouched to pick up their fallen leader, and the other picked up the leader¡¯s fallen shield and spear. Thankful they were finally moving, Olivia felt a chill run through her spine as Zeal let out a warning shriek. They¡¯d been too slow. Turning on her heels, the three chimeras approached them, the horde of beasts surrounding them. Even the way out that was clear but a second ago now had a couple of monsters. Olivia drew her rapier and shouted, ¡°Go now! I¡¯ll hold them off!¡± They stood stunned for a moment, but the one carrying their leader took off in the direction she¡¯d gestured. The other five followed, leaving Olivia to fend off the very unhappy looking chimeras. She¡¯d have no problem escaping from them, but the pointy-eared folk, as weary as they were, would likely die if she retreated now. And she¡¯d already invested herself into seeing this through. She could find Aiden another time. It¡¯s not like he wasn¡¯t powerful and competent. But these people needed her, so she¡¯d buy the time needed for them to make it out, even if she never saw them again. She only hoped they¡¯d escape in time. As the trio of chimeras growled, posturing to attack, Olivia took a quick look to see them breaking through the small blockade. Of all of them, only one gave her a second look. Then all of their departing backs faded from view as they continued running, turning a corner and disappearing out of sight. ¡°Now, where were we?¡± she hissed, glaring at the chimeras. The middle one, the largest of the bunch and one she bound, leapt forward. Book Three, Chapter Five: Socializing Is Still Hard Through the haze of unconsciousness, Aiden could feel his body shifting. More details than that were impossible to parse, since the world around him lacked clarity in any regard. He felt motion, and that was about it. When he finally came to, he laid on a cot with a woolen blanket covering him. He didn¡¯t wait for someone to come over to him before throwing off the scratchy blanket and rising from his position on the bed. Once up, he looked around. The moonlight peering through the window illuminated a grim scene. Wherever he¡¯d been taken looked like an emergency response area at a hospital after a massive tragedy. All the inhabitants were in different states of critical conditions. Gauze bandages stained with copious amounts of blood as the wounds of those suffering didn¡¯t heal from whatever injury they¡¯d sustained. Many lacked limbs. Those unfortunate souls who remained conscious groaned and begged for him to take away their pain and end their suffering. But the oddest thing he found was the presence of non-humans amongst the recovery area. As curious as it made him, his curiosity was not enough for him to start a ruckus while all in attendance were trying to heal. Then, while gritting his teeth, Aiden made his way around the room, fearfully checking for Aunt Rachel. If there was this big of a congregation of people, then if she were in dire straits, she¡¯d probably have been brought it. He hoped he didn¡¯t find her, then felt bad for each and every sigh of relief he let out. Each time he saw someone that remotely looked like her from a distance, his heart sank into his chest. And given the variety and number of occupants, he wasn¡¯t sure how much his heart would be able to handle by the time he was done. Once he finished verifying Aunt Rachel was, in fact, not among the injured, he passed through a door. On the other side, many people buzzed around frantically. The noise hit him like a physical force. ¡°I need a healer!¡± ¡°Becka¡¯s out! Find some medicine!¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t any, or I wouldn¡¯t be asking for a healer!¡± The buzzing hubbub of sound only increased in volume and frequency the longer he stood there, aggravating the headache. After several long seconds of standing there absorbing the ambience, his right eye began to twitch. But, despite the whirlwind of action going on around him, Aiden focused and screened all the people working tirelessly while ignoring the countless passing looks of concern. He didn¡¯t recognize anybody, making his stomach coil in both frustration and worry. ¡°Where is she?¡± he muttered to nobody in particular. Reasonably, the likelihood of her being here was always low, but that didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t wish things could¡¯ve been simple. ¡°Where could she be?¡± ¡°Excuse me, sir,¡± a feminine voice called out to him, one he didn¡¯t recognize. Aiden turned to face the person who¡¯d called to him to find a girl, likely no older than her early teens, looking at him with weary eyes. ¡°Yes?¡± She pointed toward the door he¡¯d come from. ¡°I don¡¯t think you should be up and walking around. When you were brought in, you were really injured.¡± ¡°Was I?¡± Aiden looked down at himself, double checking to see if there were any injuries he should be concerned about. Not finding anything of note, he looked at the girl and shrugged. ¡°Nothing to worry about now, but thank you for your concern. I¡¯ll be okay.¡± Again, she pointed toward the door and puffed up her cheeks. ¡°I really think you should go back to laying down until one of the healers can see you. My brother Brandon dragged you in from the danger zone earlier. He said he thought he was carrying an already dead person! That¡¯s not normal!¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sturdy and heal really fast,¡± Aiden said, shrugging again. They stood there for a few moments, her still pointing toward the door and him unsure of how to tell her to go away. So he attempted humor. ¡°If you thought I looked bad, you should¡¯ve seen the other guy.¡± ¡°Do you see where we are? How is that even remotely funny?!¡± She took a deep breath and looked around, seeming to beg to each passing person with her eyes to back her up. But they all were in their own little worlds as they sped about with their designated tasks. Groaning, she looked him up and down. ¡°Tasteless jokes aside, you do look fine now,¡± she said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes, ¡°but I¡¯ll have to let someone know that you¡¯re up and walking around if you¡¯re not going to go back to laying in your bed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not laying back down, so tell whoever you have to,¡± he said, returning to his search for Aunt Rachel without further concern for the girl. He waved as he turned away. ¡°Good luck with things here, and tell your brother that I said thanks.¡± He walked a whole three steps to the front door, following the exit signs, before he stopped. She might know a thing or two about the people who survived after he¡¯d been taken to Midrath, which meant she might have some clue as to where Aunt Rachel went. However, she was already gone when he turned around, so he turned to the nearest busily bustling worker bee and waved them down instead. The first person ignored him, and so too did the second. After the third, he gave up on trying to interrupt operations in the impromptu hospital and left out the front door. While he might be able to find something about Aunt Rachel from some of them, he might not. Plus, it¡¯s not like he would be going far. He just wanted a breath of fresh air. When he stepped outside, he found several others loitering about. Their gazes were affixed to one of three things: a red light beaming in the sky, the hospital, or each other. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Any others in the area loitered, doing nothing more than staring aimlessly into space while strewn about in disarray against or near the building. Many were injured, but none were injured to the degree of those within the infirmary he¡¯d just left. Aiden took enough steps away from the building to be able to observe it, and the whole thing looked like it¡¯d take a beating from King Kong. Despite that, it didn¡¯t look like it was going to collapse anytime soon. Unlike many of the other buildings that lay in rubble in the vicinity, this one actually held up enough to support the emergency response operations they¡¯d set up inside. Good for them. What caught his attention more than the state of the building was the glowing red beam of light shooting a clear beacon into the clouds. No matter what angle he looked at it from, it didn¡¯t shift its orientation in the sky. Finding the closest stressed out person with a clear and conscious mind taking a break, he approached, pointing toward the red beam. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The woman he approached looked concerned for his health. Her eyes instantly snapped to and focused on the white band around his wrist reminiscent of an in-patient tag. He ripped it free and repeated his question. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯m fine. Please, I really need to know what that is.¡± Pursed lips and reluctant brows regarded him for a long moment, but then the woman let out a sigh. ¡°Someone defeated one of the incredibly powerful third rank territory owners. Whoever it was, they haven¡¯t claimed it, so the territory is up for grabs. It¡¯s been a bloodbath over there all day,¡± she said, waving toward the building he¡¯d just come out of, ¡°and a lot of innocents are getting caught up in the chaos.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not familiar with the territory business. Could you elaborate?¡± She looked at him weirdly. ¡°How do you not know about the territories? They¡¯ve been the primary method of survival for months now.¡± Her concern turned to a hint of fear and lots of skepticism, causing her to shy away. For what reason, he couldn¡¯t parse, but she regarded him far colder now, her tone demanding and unfriendly. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Aiden Pearce. I used to live in the area before the world went crazy and thought monsters were the next cool thing. Nice to meet you,¡± he said, holding out a hand for her to shake. ¡°Abigail Watts, but most people call me Abby.¡± She took his hand and shook it, still looking concerned. ¡°How is it you don¡¯t know about the territories?¡± ¡°I¡¯m new to the area.¡± It wasn¡¯t technically a lie. ¡°But you just said you¡¯re from here¡­¡± Aiden sighed and met her gaze, pointing one hand toward the impromptu hospital and the other toward the red light in the sky. ¡°Look, you wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you, Abby, so let¡¯s skip that part and move to the part where we figure out if I can somehow stop more people from getting hurt. From the look I just had and all the people out here, things aren¡¯t getting any better the longer we wait to get to the point.¡± She chewed on the inside of her cheek, looking him up and down repeatedly. ¡°Hmm, you seem very confident in being able to do something if I were to tell you.¡± Aiden let the silence hang between them, simply waiting for her to make up her mind. ¡°Fine.¡± She nodded at him, and he grinned. ¡°Yeah, fine. What harm could come of telling you that hasn¡¯t happened already?¡± ¡°True enough.¡± He nodded and took the space next to her, crossing his arms and listening to her explanation while never looking away from the red light, lest it suddenly disappear. ¡°We,¡± she started, thumbing toward the building, ¡°have gotten in contact with pretty much every group, community, coalition¡ªanybody we could that survived The Surge.¡± She turned to meet his eyes, pursing her lips. ¡°Sorry, but what you¡¯re telling me doesn¡¯t make sense. It¡¯s taking me a second to process the fact you don¡¯t know what territories are but think you might be worth a damn to anybody.¡± ¡°Abby, I¡¯m sure we just figured this out. I¡¯m a random stranger who may or may not be able to save a lot of people. Trust me on that,¡± he said, holding up a hand and simultaneously casting Ice Walls in rapid succession to box them in. The ice of the wall shifted in ten different places on each surface, hardening, opening up windows for them to see through, and even shooting spikes from one wall to the other, only for them to merge back into ice. He expected fear to fill her gaze, but what he found when he looked into her eyes was curiosity, interest, and hope. ¡°That¡­ was impressive.¡± The walls came down from around them, revealing a small crowd and many onlookers. He waved them away. ¡°Nothing to see here, folks.¡± Once they settled down and returned to where they were or to what they were doing, mostly nothing, after his display, he turned to Abby. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m being so annoying. It¡¯s just¡ªyou came from the infirmary, that¡¯s clear enough. I wouldn¡¯t want you to run off and get yourself killed after being dragged in here. People don¡¯t get tagged if they expect to live,¡± she explained, letting out a shuddery breath. ¡°Well, you seem human enough, and if you aren¡¯t, not much I can do anyway.¡± ¡°If it makes you feel any better,¡± he said, pinching his skin. It didn¡¯t hurt at all, no matter how hard he tried. Shrugging, he then placed his hand over his heart. ¡°Scout¡¯s honor, I am human¡ªwell, for the most part. I really used to live not too far from here.¡± His statement did nothing to appease her skeptic brow¡¯s raised position. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me feel any better about you potentially being a very intelligent monster or a humanoid from another world.¡± ¡°Is that what you¡¯re concerned about?¡± he asked, shrugging. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell anymore where the lines of humans, monsters, and others are, because I¡¯ve killed enough monsters to be more terrifying than the actual monsters. That doesn¡¯t change the fact I¡¯m human.¡± He pointed in the direction of Aunt Rachel¡¯s house. ¡°Grew up that way with the person I¡¯m looking for right now.¡± ¡°Woah, woah. Slow down there,¡± she said, crossing her arms and huffing a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s a lot to take in¡­ Also, do you do this cryptic thing often? What did you mean by what you just said?¡± ¡°I made it pretty clear.¡± He cocked his head to the side. ¡°Did I not?¡± Apex Predator oozed out of him slowly, just a minute amount caressing against her. The instant she felt the aura was obvious. Her whole body froze, and her pupils dilated. He killed the aura and pursed his lips. ¡°See?¡± ¡°Monster.¡± ¡°Not quite, no. Are you gonna be okay?¡± he asked, watching as she hugged herself tighter. ¡°S-sorry, yeah. I-I¡¯m fine,¡± she said, looking away as she uncrossed her arms to rub her eyes. ¡°Th-that was something.¡± ¡°The funny thing is that was only one percent of Apex Predator¡¯s actual aura.¡± Her wide-eyed, deer-in-headlights look made him grin. ¡°Trust me, the monsters are the only ones with anything to fear here. I probably came in looking like a hot mess because one of my powers is a bit cannibalistic.¡± She shook out her hands and eyed him. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s strong enough to be worth the price.¡± Leyla¡¯s battle with Veletya came to mind. Until Leyla had used the Vorpal Blade, they¡¯d been evenly matched. Power with a costly price, one he¡¯d likely pay many times over to see his vision through to its end. Abby turned back to the red beam of light. ¡°Can you really help the people there?¡± ¡°I can.¡± The door he¡¯d come out of squealed open. ¡°Abby, break¡¯s up! We need you in here, now!¡± ¡°Ah, damn. I lost track of time,¡± she said, looking between him and the door. ¡°I-I need to go now.¡± Without further preamble, she turned and rushed to the door, throwing a pensive yet curious gaze back his way over her shoulder before disappearing into the building. Aiden couldn¡¯t blame her. With all that he¡¯d killed in Midrath, Apex Predator had blossomed to be the penultimate intimidation tactic, even against the strongest members of Zion and other monsters. ¡°The woes of being powerful. Who would¡¯ve thought?¡± he lamented, turning to look toward the red beam in the sky. ¡°Looks like I made a mess of things earlier.¡± He looked back at the impromptu hospital and wondered if Aunt Rachel was inside, but then he turned back to the red light in the sky. ¡°I need to clean up my mess first.¡± Book Three, Chapter Six: Did I Do That? Oops. Whoever Brandon was, Aiden wanted to meet the dude. Retracing his savior¡¯s steps took quite some time, making Aiden think this day wasn¡¯t the same as the one he¡¯d defeated the Prowler on. The distance, terrain, and likely presence of monsters in the territories would¡¯ve hampered movement and made travel difficult while carrying a person. But thoughts of what might¡¯ve happened when he was asleep after the Prowler fight aside, Aiden made progress. With his unencumbered speed, the red beaming light grew larger and larger by the minute as he passed through several empty rank one and two territories. The amount of carnage everywhere was, frankly, ridiculous. The amount of bodies left behind by monster and man alike made him grimace as he continued to run, leaping over obstacles quite easily whenever the need arose. As in the rank three territory, many buildings looked beaten up by kaiju. However, no matter where he looked, giant monsters the size of Godzilla never made an appearance. In that regard, Midrath still had Earth beat. And he hoped to keep it that way. With all that they¡¯d learned on Midrath about the system, the worlds, and the greater powers that be, they could save Earth. They would save Earth. He wouldn¡¯t accept failure, wouldn¡¯t accept becoming a slave to anybody, nor would he be used like a piece in a game as the others before him had been. No, his vision included locking out the Divine Realm from interfering with his life and anybody else''s, no matter their race, forever. Loki, Khione, Tiamat, Kyriall, all of them be damned. Even though Tiamat, Laovi, and Kyriall had given him Blizzy, and he was ever-appreciative for that, he suspected ulterior motives. And if he didn¡¯t stop the cycle from happening, it would keep happening. Over, and over, and over again. ¡°Never gonna happen,¡± he growled as he ran. After he dealt with this little mess he¡¯d made and knew the rules of the game, he wouldn¡¯t wait. Earth¡¯s Authority already called to him, resonating with Midrath¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m coming, don¡¯t worry.¡± Every crumbled building, every bloodstain, every corpse, monster or otherwise, firmly resolved his will to see things through to the end. He didn¡¯t know how he¡¯d go about solving the conundrum of Leyla¡¯s Prophecy of the End, but he¡¯d cross that bridge and find a solution when the time came. First thing¡¯s first, he had some monster asses to kick. DANGER ZONE AHEAD! Enter Unclaimed Rank 3 Territory? Warning: This area is far above your current level of power. Yes. | No. Ignoring the question, he focused on the word ¡°unclaimed¡± and sighed. ¡°I really did make a mess.¡± All the carnage before him, all the death from the rampaging monsters wanting to get ahold of the rank three territory, it all fell on his shoulders. He hadn¡¯t been strong enough to stay awake and finish what he¡¯d started. He¡¯d been saved and caused hell on Earth for so many people because of it. All of this death, and for why? Because he wasn¡¯t stronger? ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± he growled, pushing himself faster, ¡°if Arkayan won¡¯t help me get stronger, then I¡¯ll ask V¡¯Yenya. And if he won¡¯t help, maybe Nin¡¯Yala will.¡± Making that promise to himself, he honed his instincts on the full range of the territory and unleashed the full might of Apex Predator. He didn¡¯t care who or what he might¡¯ve hit, only that everything remained still long enough for him to do some clean up. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. His destination had been set before he¡¯d ever left the impromptu hospital. When he finally came upon the origin of the brilliant light, what he found is exactly what he expected. The Prowler¡¯s corpse. Or rather the Formation System within demanding something, someone, anything at all to claim it. So he would, and by doing so, he¡¯d put an end to this relentless frenzy. As he approached the Prowler¡¯s mutilated corpse, Aiden could feel the raw power that caused the monsters to go mad. Even now, a horde of all kinds of monsters, most he¡¯d never seen before, had been frozen in place by Apex Predator in the middle of attempting to consume the Prowler¡¯s flesh and magic, desperate for any morsel. And so he cut his way through the horde too afraid to move, their frenzied desire the vehicle which brought them to him, the instrument of their demise. Abusing Apex Predator¡¯s aura made scything his way through countless enemies a matter of when rather than if. Watching their eyes track him as he calmly walked forward, cutting anything in his way. So afraid were they that they didn¡¯t even let out a fearful whine, hiss, growl. Nothing. The whole area was perfectly silent, just the way he appreciated after his headache grew back in the impromptu hospital. Idly, he muttered to himself, carving through flesh and bone alike without so much as blinking as blood splatters and corpses fell in his way. ¡°Hmm, did Brandon drag me by my legs and give me brain damage or something?¡± When he finally cleared a path to the chest cavity of the Prowler, the work to clear the way had already been done for him. Ripping a sleeve from his shirt, he used it as a cloth to grab the Formation System. He¡¯d never seen a purer color in his life than when he set eyes on the Formation System. Red as red can be but clear enough to see through, it was smaller than he thought. The resource progression of the system still didn¡¯t make sense to him. Even trying to strip away the limitations of as much as he could, he still found no answers as to how to progress himself. Essence Orbs, different stages of Cores, Pillars, and now Formation Systems¡­ Regardless of what secrets he didn¡¯t know about these things and the amount he¡¯d collected back on Midrath, he¡¯d be getting answers soon. That was for sure. No longer would he be content with putting them away for future use or using them as dragon food for Blizzy once he had more of one kind than he could ever figure out what to do with. But that would be then, and this was now. Tying the two ends of his makeshift cloth together still left some of the beautiful red showing on the sides, and he did not want to accidentally absorb this into his Orrery. Something this powerful was obviously very valuable, but to what end, Aiden didn¡¯t currently know. A bubbling of excitement and anticipation stirred in his gut for the first time in a long time. Hopefully he¡¯d just found a key piece of moving forward. And again, once he got back to Midrath, he knew at least two people and a nice wolf who might have the answer to his questions. So as a just in case measure, he tore his sleeve two more times and wrapped his precious find before dropping it in his pocket. You have slain the Rank Three Invasion Raid Boss, Serian Prowler. Would you like to claim this territory? Yes. | No. ¡°Obviously.¡± Rank Three Zone claimed by Aiden Pearce, Authority of Midrath. All Rank One and Two Zones under the Serian Prowler¡¯s Rank Three Zone have been claimed by Aiden Pearce, Authority of Midrath. Assets have been added to Zion¡¯s registry. ¡°That easy, huh?¡± After acknowledging the addition of the territories into Zion¡¯s registry, not that he doubted the system, he nodded to himself and looked around. ¡°What about the rest of you?¡± The answer was an easy one for him. He dropped Apex Predator and watched as, faster than he could blink, all of the monsters stampeded off to anywhere but right there with him. If he were to hazard a guess, the entire zone would likely not have any monsters left behind at all. Wherever they ran off to, he hoped he hadn¡¯t just made an even bigger mess. But he had more pressing matters to attend to than slaying pitifully weak monsters just for the sake of it. However, he doubted the horde would be as much of an issue leaving the zone as they were coming in. If he hadn¡¯t set fear of showing themselves around his territory deep into the core of their being, he¡¯d be surprised. Not to mention, without this zone causing every monster under its domain to enter a frenzied state, they likely wouldn¡¯t act with such recklessness. ¡°Just a guess though,¡± he muttered to himself, slowly rising high above the tallest building as he commanded an Ice Wall to act as a platform for him to survey the new piece of land he¡¯d just acquired. ¡°It¡¯s in a better condition than I expected, all things considered.¡± Book Three, Chapter Seven: Another Perspective ¡°There¡¯s going to be trouble,¡± Lizandri called out, landing with a fluttery thump outside the door, carved with a dozen languages¡ªonly a few of which were native to the planet. ¡°Miss Rachel? You¡¯re going to want to see this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen.¡± Rachel glanced up with a tight smile for her avian friend, but she could see on Lizandri¡¯s face that they were both more than a little concerned. The beam of light painting the sky red had only shown up twice before, and both times heralded a period of madness and violence which strained the refuge to their limits. ¡°You should get some rest while you still can,¡± the blue-winged woman suggested. ¡°I doubt either of us is getting any sleep tonight.¡± ¡°All the more reason to prepare now.¡± Rachel gestured to the dozen bowls of salves in varying viscosities spread out on her worktable. Her hand moved steadily from one to the next as she continually infused them with arcana, drawing out and amplifying their natural healing properties to their greatest extent. ¡°I definitely won¡¯t have energy to spare once the raid groups start returning.¡± ¡°Assuming any of them do.¡± Lizandri shook out her feathered arms and flexed her claws with a grimace. ¡°And speaking of, I should get back to it. Just had to be sure you were ready.¡± The sharp black eyes softened. ¡°Do try to rest, if you can.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t look that bad, do I?¡± Rachel laughed wryly. ¡°Fly safe out there. Don¡¯t trust any buzzing crows.¡± ¡°That happened once!¡± ¡°And if it happens again you might do worse than break a wing.¡± Lizandri laughed and took off, arms and wings flapping in rapid syncopation as she climbed into the bloodstained sky, leaving Rachel to her preparation. Rachel watched her go, absently continuing to cycle through her infusions. They were all in for a rough few weeks. It took her another three hours to finish her preparations, running her arcana dry in the process. She still had a few essence orbs tucked away in case of emergency, but it would be better for everyone if she didn¡¯t need to use them. Checking outside, the red beam still speared the evening sky, drowning out the sunset with its vibrancy. It was far enough away that there wouldn¡¯t be any news yet for hours, but she couldn¡¯t help but worry. In the meantime, she had plenty of other things to occupy her. With an office full of documents needing transfer, a half-dozen miscellaneous tasks to check up on, and her usual position with Rescue to coordinate, she really couldn¡¯t afford to take any breaks. Maintaining the peace and calming anxious refugees would be more important than ever in the coming days. Locking up the office, she triple-checked habitually and started toward the central administration building. As she walked through the ridged stone walkways, she couldn¡¯t help but admire how far the place had come in the past couple weeks. When it was first established, it had been nothing but three buildings that were slightly less destroyed than their neighbors. Now, with the help of their resident earth mage, the interior pathways were lined with enough sturdy little structures for everyone to stay securely out of sight. Her office was one of the few buildings to be set truly ¡®outdoors¡¯, the rest artfully concealed within the wreckage of a half-dozen homes resembling the aftermath of a tornado. Aside from the homes, there were a half dozen storage and recovery vaults built deep underneath the crumbled streets, reinforced and shielded by more than just stone and steel. The refuge was shaping up into a proper little fortress town, at this rate. Half the people living here weren¡¯t even human, which was saying something even in these crazy times. For that, Rachel felt no small degree of personal pride. Her ability allowed her to communicate with a wide variety of peoples. Paired with her healing specialty, that made her something of a local hub as far as human-adjacent visitors looking for¡­ Well, just about anything, really. Shelter, directions, local gossip, you name it. It could be exhausting, at times, keeping track of so many different people and cultures, trying to mediate between incredibly disparate groups when things grew heated, but Rachel couldn¡¯t think of much more satisfying she could have been doing now. With her family gone, though there was nothing she could do to help herself, at least there were other families she could give a little more hope to. And if that meant dealing with distraught squabbling half the day, she told herself it was still worth it. Every minute. After dealing with the minimal paperwork necessary for her supply requisitioning and preparations for the night, she checked in on each of the demihuman groups currently sheltering within their boundaries, reassuring them that they were safe and there was no need to panic. Some were reassured, some only worried more, but there was only so much she could do. She¡¯d barely finished with that before Tisha, one of the local teens who¡¯d taken on a role as messenger, came running up with news that a group of elves had brought in their almost-dead comrade and needed her immediately. Rachel dropped everything and ran back to her office, exchanging quick assessments with the group¡¯s apprentice healer¡ªthe unconscious and severely bloodied leader was their primary lifekeeper, naturally, but he¡¯d underestimated the risk and taken too much of the collective damage before any of them realized how severe it would be. They told the story in pieces as she and their apprentice worked to save their lifekeeper from bleeding out. Out of their depth in the top level zone gone mad, they¡¯d barely escaped with their lives after an auburn-haired goddess swooped in to rescue them. Rachel wasn¡¯t sure how much stock to put in that description, elvish culture treated embellishment of stories as something of a given, which made understanding their reports a lot more complicated than anyone would believe. The gist of it was clear, but details tended to require external verification. She¡¯d have to ask Lizandri if she¡¯d seen anything when she got back. Thankfully, the hundred chimerae chasing them had turned back at the end of the zone, leaving them to only be pursued by a few dozen gremwolves that the elves, modestly, had obliterated without effort. That left them with another many hours trip to find her, which somehow involved three side-quests for various other parties that she would have sworn would take weeks, not hours, but in the end they blessedly arrived at her door the very minute before their beloved leader would have expired. She accepted their thanks graciously, gladly allowed their apprentice healer to join his arcana to hers in the healing process, and then nearly jumped out of her skin when her long-dead niece casually poked her head in a few minutes after the lifekeeper finally stabilized. ¡°There she is! The goddess that saved us!¡± ¡°Aunt¡­ Rachel?¡± Disbelief turned to a blindly fast soaring niece. Olivia wrapped her arms around Rachel as tears poured freely from her eyes, but Rachel was still stunned. ¡°We saw your house! We thought we were too late¡­¡± ¡°Oli?¡± Having lost her attention, the process of healing stuttered to a stop, much to the pained groans of the lifekeeper. ¡°Wait, ¡®we¡¯ who?¡± ¡°Oh, god, Aiden! He¡¯s probably¡­ Well, who knows where he is, but¡­ I¡¯ll get him!¡± With a burst of wind, Olivia disengaged and blasted across the room, sending Rachel¡¯s hanging herbs flying wildly in her wake. Once outside, she raised a hand and sent a brilliant flash of light into the sky. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Rachel hissed, rushing after her. ¡°You¡¯ll bring the monsters running if you flash around power like that!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m pretty sure Aiden¡¯s the only monster who¡¯ll make it this far.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Is this something to do with your new position as Goddess?¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Olivia looked at the sky for a long moment before shrugging. ¡°That should be good enough.¡± She turned back to Rachel and tilted her head. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m a what now?¡± Rachel gestured for them both to come back inside after she heard the elves'' lifekeeper gurgling on his own blood. Apparently he wasn¡¯t as stable as she¡¯d thought. ¡°Let''s go back inside, honey. We''ve got a lot of catching up to do.¡± A long, sad look passed over Olivia''s face, and Rachel couldn''t imagine what could make her bubbly niece look so melancholic. But then she nodded, and they stepped inside. ¡°What on Earth is going on?¡± Rachel asked when she saw the four hearty and hale elves bowing on their hands and knees. Giving Olivia a pensive look, she returned to her spot by the lifekeeper and started the healing process, again linking her arcana to the apprentice¡¯s. Her niece ignored the elves and took a spot across from Rachel, watching silently. ¡°We all thought you were dead, darling.¡± ¡°It''s a long story, but I''m sure we''ve got plenty of time before Aiden gets here. And I''m sure he wouldn''t like to rehash things.¡± She pointed to the still bowing elves. ¡°But first, what''s their deal?¡± ¡°Do you need to ask? After you single-handedly drove off a hundred chimerae? Of course they¡¯re a bit in awe of you.¡± Pealing laughter filled the room, and Olivia wiped away mirthful tears. When she caught her breath, she jammed a thumb their way. ¡°Is that what they told you?¡± ¡°Of course. Elves would never attempt to deceive. You¡¯ve had such an impact on their lives, Seri¡¯Senyixa here has even offered you his kingdom if you would condescend to be his queen.¡± Rachel laughed lightly, then leaned in closer. ¡°Just between us, I¡¯m not convinced he¡¯s actual royalty, but his proposal seems otherwise genuine.¡± Grinning, Olivia scooted closer to the supposed royal and gave him a wink. ¡°Royalty, are we?¡± ¡°My niece would like to know where your kingdom is located,¡± Rachel translated, ¡°so she may decide properly if you are worthy of her.¡± Seri¡¯Senyixa launched into an impassioned tale of betrayal and woe and banishment and reclamation and¡­ Rachel stopped listening about ten minutes in, returning her primary attention to their recovering leader, while dutifully relaying his words to Olivia as the tale went on and on. ¡°Can I help with that?¡± Olivia asked, during a brief pause in the saga. She gestured for Seri¡¯Senyixa to continue, but placed her hand over Rachel¡¯s and joined her arcana to the two of them as they struggled to support the lifekeeper¡¯s prolonged recovery. Rachel gasped involuntarily as the depth of her niece¡¯s arcana opened to her, a vast reservoir that dwarfed Rachel¡¯s own steady wellspring by more measures of magnitude than she could calculate. In a single moment, the entire restoration process completed, the passive spillover strong enough to leave Rachel herself feeling refreshed and more energized and full of Arcana than when she¡¯d started. She only stared down at the now peacefully sleeping, fully healed elf, mind unable to fully process what had just happened, while she went on automatically translating the ever more exuberant string of promises and requests from the enthusiastic would-be suitor. ¡°And that¡¯s why he needs your help to conquer the first Seventh Tier zone in order to be reinstated to his rightful place,¡± she finished. ¡°After which, the two of you can live in luxury for the rest of eternity.¡± Rachel paused as she regarded her niece. ¡°How are you so strong? No wonder they thought you a divine.¡± That same dark look passed over Olivia''s face. She stepped away, returning to her initial spot across from Rachel and playfully blew Seri¡¯Senyixa a kiss. He looked at Olivia then over to Rachel. ¡°Is that a yes?¡± A shrug was all Rachel could bring herself to manage without cracking a smile. She ignored the anxiously blubbering elf in order to give Olivia her undivided attention. As she went to address Olivia, her whole body prickled. A cold sweat slickened her skin. Her niece turned away, staring toward the doorway. ¡°Wouldn''t want to be over there right now. Even after all the training he made us suffer through, that ability is just too powerful.¡± Olivia looked back at Rachel with a wry, knowing grin. ¡°It doesn''t get better, but things don''t tend to last long when he gets like this.¡± ¡°This¡­ What is this?¡± Rank Three Zone claimed by Aiden Pearce, Authority of Midrath. ¡°Right on time. Now we just need to wait¡ª there it is.¡± The pressure released, and Rachel breathed in deep as the mountain of intimidation crushing her very being faded. She leveled a shaken gaze at Olivia. ¡°C-care to explain?¡± ¡°Just Aiden doing Aiden things.¡± She slapped her thighs and rose to her feet. ¡°Be right back.¡± She made it to the doorway and held up a hand, flashing that radiant light. When she returned, she sighed. ¡°Clean yourself up before he gets here, otherwise he''ll be upset with himself. Okay?¡± ¡°That was Aiden¡­? How¡­? Just what have you both been doing in the last couple weeks?¡± Olivia''s face hardened. ¡°Aunt Rachel, we''ve been gone for months, not weeks.¡± Rachel shook her head. ¡°No, sweetheart, the bomb blew up the school two weeks ago. Everyone thought you all were dead. There''s a monument for all the students and staff where the school was in dedication.¡± ¡°You thought we were dead?¡± Olivia grimaced. ¡°It wasn''t a bomb. Everyone in the school was taken to another world, and we''ve been gone for months. That''s how I''m so strong.¡± Olivia huffed a breath and muttered to herself. ¡°Then again, with how many gods are involved in this mess, maybe it only felt like two weeks to the people on Earth.¡± ¡°How many gods¡­ I can¡¯t even sort out how many questions that statement raises. Another world?¡± Rachel passed a hand over her face and sighed. ¡°I suppose it isn¡¯t even surprising, I¡¯m a magical healer and ambassador dealing with elves and avians on a regular basis now, why wouldn¡¯t my niece be running around with gods in another world?¡± ¡°I''m surprised nobody has mentioned the giant portal we came out of, but we did kind of raise hell when we got here.¡± Seri¡¯Senyixa cleared his throat, and the aunt and niece pair regarded him. He wiped away a bead of sweat formed from the pressure of their combined gazes. ¡°Sorry for my intrusion, but there''s urgent, world-ending news to report.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll get an incident sheet ready.¡± She switched back to English long enough to tell Olivia, ¡°I¡¯ve got some paperwork to take care of real quick, we¡¯ll continue this after, okay?¡± then bustled to her desk and started filling out the basic information. ¡°What is it you¡¯re here to report?¡± ¡°An invasion gate the size of the sky, a heralding that the end times are upon us.¡± Rachel wrote the words down, dotted her t''s and crossed her i''s, then returned her attention to Olivia. ¡°Just heard about it. An invasion gate the size of the sky?¡± ¡°It was a large portal, but I''m not sure it''s up to the sky. Very visible from all around though.¡± She puckered her lips and raised a single brow, the sign she was contemplating something either concerning or very deeply. Rachel''s bet, both. ¡°Are there other gates like ours?¡± Olivia asked, slightly tilting her head. ¡°Not that I¡¯ve heard of. Normal gates, sure. They pop up pretty regularly these days. Something on that magnitude? Never. No wonder these guys are so spooked. Normally elves don¡¯t do reckless things like rush into one of the Impossible zones, and definitely not without a solid extraction plan.¡± Or six. They tended to overprepare as much as they exaggerated. To be caught out like this, they¡¯d clearly been beyond distracted. ¡°Given the circumstances, you definitely saved all their lives. Without you forcing them to move, they¡¯d never have survived in there.¡± Olivia nodded. ¡°They reminded me of new recruits. With the war for the throne going on¡ª¡± ¡°War?!¡± Rachel held up her hand. ¡°Okay, start from the beginning. With a nod, Olivia talked. And talked. Many of the things she learned about what her niece and nephew, as well as all the others that went to this mystical land between worlds, made her want to find everyone involved, give them hugs, and lock them away from the cruelty of the world. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Rachel finally said after Olivia finished. ¡°Just¡­ wow.¡± A knock from the door startled her, and she turned to see Aiden standing in the doorframe, leaning there casually with a hard face. The way his blank eyes regarded her hurt. ¡°Figured I''d let her finish before interrupting,¡± he said, those hard eyes regarding Olivia. ¡°Guess your tantrum ended up doing some good after all.¡± Seri¡¯Senyixa eyed Aiden, moving ever-so closer to Olivia''s side before wincing and freezing under Aiden¡¯s glare. The elf moved back to where he was¡­ and then some for safe measure. Rachel stood and walked over to him, throwing her arms around him. His body tensed under her embrace and didn''t unstiffen until she moved away. ¡°I''m so glad both of you are okay.¡± She looked between them, smiling and ignoring the awkward tension in the air. ¡°I thought I¡¯d never see you again.¡± He looked so different from her memories, it hurt to see. There was an invisible distance between them that felt like an unapproachable chasm. She rested a hand on his shoulder. ¡°You''ve been busy. I can''t imagine what you''ve been through.¡± He held up a hand and shrugged hers off. ¡°I''m just glad you''re okay. I¡­can''t stay for long.¡± ¡°Aiden!¡± Olivia shouted, hopping up with a maelstrom raging around her. The elves backed away, afraid of the Goddess¡¯ ire potentially being turned on them. ¡°You can''t be serious? You just got here, and now you want us to leave?¡± ¡°You''re staying.¡± His voice carried the weight of the world and the depth of the burdens he beared, brokering no argument. ¡°This isn''t a discussion.¡± ¡°No fighting inside, we have injured and traumatized people in here!¡± That wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d intended to say, but it slipped out, and once she started there was no stopping. ¡°I thought I raised you better than this. Just because you have unstoppable magical powers now is no excuse.¡± She pointed at Olivia. ¡°You, stop with the wind thing.¡± Then she pointed at Aiden. ¡°And you, the dark and mysterious commanding thing can be left back in Midrath! Now, you''ve got about five seconds before I put you both in the corner so you can talk through whatever,¡± she gestured at both of them, ¡°all this nonsense is. We can figure it out civilly, or I can treat you like children. Got it?¡± The winds around Olivia settled down, her auburn hair resting flawlessly back on her shoulders. She must''ve practiced that. Aiden stood there for a moment longer, looking between his sister, her, and the frightened elves. He scratched the back of his head and smirked. ¡°It''s good to see you again, Aunt Rachel. Let''s step inside then.¡± Book Three, Chapter Eight: It’s Not Easy To Admit To Having Sold Your Soul The eeriness humming in Aiden''s veins and across his whole being distracted him. Here and now, in this moment, he found how far he''d really come. So far that he''d forgotten himself and become something new. Aunt Rachel chatted away, often translating for the elves, and Olivia enjoyed their aunt''s company earnestly, even being comfortable enough to flirt with the golden-eyed elves. But his body was restless and demanded he set off to conquer Earth''s Authority immediately. Forcing himself to sit still and attempt to take in the atmosphere left him desiring to be back with Leyla and Blizzy, back where there were more monsters to fight and gods to stop. How far he''d come that this moment he''d longed for held nothing but hollow reminders of his long lost innocence. How long did he have to sit until he could leave? ¡°Earth to Aiden!¡± Olivia shouted, waving a hand in his face. ¡°Hmm?¡± He''d long since stopped listening to their conversations and now had to tune back in. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Aunt Rachel asked why you said I have to stay here,¡± Oli helpfully caught him up. ¡°Because.¡± They waited for him to elaborate further and then sighed in unison when he didn''t offer any. ¡°That¡¯s not an answer and you know it.¡± Aunt Rachel stared at him intently. ¡°If we¡¯re going to discuss your plans, that does require you to speak them aloud.¡± Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward on his elbows and clasped his hands. ¡°I spent a week fighting for my life in an arena against angels, gladiator style. All day, everyday. To have the power to survive that and end the war for Midrath¡¯s Authority then stop Loki''s monster rush, I made a deal,¡± he explained, lowering his eyes to stare at his hands. ¡°Who do you owe, and how do we get you out of it?¡± There was an unusual hardness to Aunt Rachel¡¯s voice now, as if she thought she could walk up to a god and give them a stern talking-to until they let him off his obligations. ¡°A being even gods fear. There''s no getting out of my end of the bargain.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I signed my soul away. If I don''t do what I''ve agreed, not only will I die, so will Leyla.¡± Now Aunt Rachel perked up, shooting Olivia a look. Olivia looked away to avoid making eye contact. Seeing this, Aunt Rachel turned that stare Aiden¡¯s way. ¡°Honey, who is this Leyla girl, and why didn''t your lovely sister say anything to me about her?¡± ¡°Probably because Oli is jealous?¡± ¡°Am not!¡± A gust of wind rattled the table they sat at. He let off his teasing with a satisfied smirk. ¡°Leyla is also a Fallen tied to a destiny heralding the end of the world who''s, all things considered, reasonably unhinged. We''re still working through a few things, but it''s not like there''s interdimensional therapy I can sign her up for.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we can get that arranged,¡± Aunt Rachel said with firm confidence. Then she slumped a bit. ¡°As soon as we stop the monster invasions from destroying everything we build, of course, but anyone who¡¯s special enough to catch your eye and earn your loyalty is worth the effort.¡± ¡°She caught a lot more than his eye,¡± Oli grumbled. This time, Aiden sheepishly avoided Aunt Rachel''s stare. ¡°She''s a good girl.¡± ¡°With the tendency to make Harley Quinn look tame,¡± Oli added. He couldn''t even blame her for that one. ¡°I look forward to meeting her. But first we need to get her safely away from that overgod kidnapper you made a deal with.¡± ¡°Who said anything about kidnappers?¡± Aiden squinted. ¡°She can handle herself. The portal from Midrath to Earth wouldn''t let her through. Her and Blizzy both were very excited to meet you.¡± He shrugged. ¡°I''ll take care of the invasion problem when I leave here, but if I''m not dead in the near future, I''ll bring you to Midrath to meet them.¡± ¡°Which sounds like a very good reason for you both to stay here and not go rushing off into danger. I¡¯d love to meet your girlfriend and dragon, but it sounds like you¡¯re in something way over your head. If you have to specify that you could be dead in the immediate future, there¡¯s clearly something wrong here.¡± ¡°Rushing headfirst into danger alone is kind of his specialty,¡± Olivia unhelpfully muttered. ¡°Can''t deny that.¡± He shrugged away Aunt Rachel''s dangerously sweet smile. ¡°And why are you talking about dying so casually?!¡± Olivia growled, glaring daggers at him. Her control of her emotions caused her wind magic to idly bump things around. Aunt Rachel rested a hand on Olivia''s. ¡°I''d love the answer to that question too.¡± She pinned an unblinking stare at Aiden. ¡°Nephew?¡± Uh-oh. Aiden knew that look and tone all too well. ¡°Well, yeah¡­ If I don''t fulfill my end of the bargain by diving into the pits of what we know as hell, my patron will kill me. So no, I can''t stay here and do nothing. On top of that, to stop this from ever happening again, I''ll likely have to wage an interdimensional war against¡­ heaven. And then I''ll remain as a gatekeeper to ensure the gods don''t find a way to slip through any cracks, while also avoiding any attempts they make to murder me.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°And the prophecy Leyla¡¯s involved in ends with her being sacrificed to end the world. Which, since he''s avoiding telling you, I''ll go ahead and do it.¡± He was really getting tired of her throwing him under the bus. Aunt Rachel didn''t need to know everything he was involved in. ¡°He linked his soul with Leyla¡¯s, so if either one dies, they both do. Considering her prophecy¡­ I can''t believe he''s my twin brother. There''s a void of emptiness in the space between his ears, that''s for sure.¡± ¡°So, let me get this straight. The person you chose to tie your soul to is one who¡¯s going to be sacrificed to end the world? And you went ahead anyway, not only with this soul tie thing but also with making additional deals with people capable of killing you both?¡± Pursing his lips, Aiden nodded. ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Fully aware of the risks involved?¡± ¡°Sure did.¡± ¡°Now I really want to meet her.¡± Olivia looked at Aunt Rachel with a hint of betrayal in her eyes, then noticed the stare. Grinning, she turned to Aiden. ¡°Maybe she will finally be able to get through that thick skull of yours.¡± ¡°Too late for that,¡± he said, leaning back and crossing his arms. ¡°Yes. So I see. Very much too late.¡± ¡°Maybe it''s better if I don''t introduce you to Leyla,¡± he muttered under his breath. ¡°Too late for that. I¡¯m going to have a talk with this girl even if I have to hunt you down across another dozen worlds.¡± It was somewhat impressive that she could say something so absurd with such unflinching, aggressive sincerity that he found it hard to doubt, despite the logistics involved. ¡°But none of this answers the question of why I have to stay behind!¡± Olivia hissed. ¡°Too dangerous,¡± Aunt Rachel and Aiden said at the same time. ¡°Unless you¡¯re another one of these soul-tied doomed people, I see no reason for you to leave. Bad enough for one of you to be maybe dying. I don¡¯t see any reason to send you into the heart of the madness. There¡¯s plenty of good you can do here.¡± Aiden held up a finger to stop Olivia''s reply. ¡°Not only that, you''re happier here. I''ll leave the gate open back to Zion so you can work with Claudia and Magnus to develop magic items and runic structures, but I''m not taking you to war with me. Not again.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Olivia leaned back and slumped in her chair, throwing her hands up and slapping her knees. ¡°What do I even say to that?¡± ¡°Do you think you¡¯d be able to change anything if you went with him? If you think about it very honestly and very carefully, the skills and powers you have, are they enough that your presence would make a difference there?¡± ¡°Wait, Aunt Rachel, it''s not about that.¡± Aiden turned to Olivia. ¡°I think you''re one of the most elite we have in terms of creating innovations, and you''ve grown powerful. But fighting isn''t your thing and never has been. I know you''re worried about me, Oli, but I have no plans of dying anytime soon. Zion needs someone. Aunt Rachel needs someone, and I am the fighter. These are my problems to solve, and I found people who want to fight with me. I''m not alone in this anymore, not like before, and I want to see you do something with your life that makes you happy.¡± He paused, sighing. ¡°And I wouldn''t be able to think straight if you were there with me, Oli, because you''re my sister, and I love you.¡± There was a long silence. ¡°Oh,¡± Olivia finally said, very small and flustered. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Plus, I''ve already restricted you from entering Halla or Valhalla, so you''re not going because I said so,¡± he said with a teasing grin. ¡°Hey! No fair!¡± ¡°Life isn''t fair, and I know how you get when you''re worried. It''s for your own good.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Be mad at me all you want, but you''re not going and nothing you say will make me change my mind.¡± One of the elves had been lying on the ground since Aiden came in and finally opened his eyes, looked around, and groaned as he rose to his feet. The other elves hesitantly approached him, their tone conveying clear concern. Aiden thumbed toward them. ¡°I''ve been meaning to ask about them.¡± ¡°They were caught by some of the madness around the whole monster territory thing, which you apparently ended up taking over, and needed healing. I¡¯m one of the only humans who can converse in Elfin, so I¡¯m the obvious choice.¡± ¡°The Serian Prowler caught me off guard after slaying several of our teams. I had to deal with it, but one of Leyla¡¯s abilities doesn''t play nice and I had to borrow it. Left me unconscious.¡± He looked at Aunt Rachel inquisitively. ¡°Do you know anybody by the name Brandon who might like going into higher ranked territories? He dragged me out of there when I went down and made sure I didn''t become a snack.¡± ¡°No clue,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°I''ll have to look into it on my way back after collecting Earth''s Authority then.¡± He thumbed back toward the elves. ¡°Also, that''s not what I meant. Where are they coming from, and why are they here?¡± ¡°I think this group is mainly exiles.¡± She switched to their language for a minute, conversing briefly with the central recently-revived elf, then nodded. ¡°They¡¯re here to make a new home for themselves, or distinguish themselves sufficiently that they can return with full honors.¡± ¡°I''m more curious about their portals. I attempted to bring a few of the other races over from Midrath but couldn''t and wanted to find out why. They''ve got a lot of ways they can be useful to us and a lot of knowledge of magic, plus they''re pretty skilled themselves and could help with subjugation of the hostile invasion gates. Do they know anything about that?¡± Aunt Rachel addressed them and chuckled after more than one pointed at Aiden. Once she got the answer she was looking for, she relayed the message. ¡°When you come back, close the portal, then open it again. As long as you don''t pass through, it won''t make things weird. Something about the Authority you possess and this being your protected homeworld.¡± ¡°Interdimensional things are weird,¡± he muttered. Why the people he''d claimed under his protection would be kept from going to Earth just because he''d gone didn''t seem too reasonable to him, but so be it. ¡°I''ll let everyone back home in Zion know before I leave for Halla.¡± Aunt Rachel blinked twice. ¡°Home¡­ in Zion?¡± She chuckled sadly. ¡°I guess you really have grown up a lot these past couple weeks, huh.¡± Aiden, confused, looked at Olivia. ¡°Months, not weeks.¡± ¡°Don''t look at me. I said the same thing,¡± Olivia said, turning her attention to the elves. ¡°That''s¡­ good to know,¡± he muttered, standing. ¡°I''ll be sure to swing by on my way back, but if I keep ignoring Earth''s Authority any longer, I might accidentally blow up this building.¡± ¡°Yeah, who really needs the therapy?¡± Olivia quipped, rising and pushing past the elves gathered around the table to give him a big hug. He didn''t stiffen as he had when he first arrived. ¡°Don''t take too long.¡± Aunt Rachel waited until Olivia was done, then came over to give Aiden a hug of her own. Her eyes glistened but her voice remained clear as she whispered, ¡°I¡¯m proud of you. Be careful, stay safe, and come back to visit. Bring your girlfriend next time. I promise I won¡¯t bite unless she wants me to.¡± Book Three, Chapter Nine: Authority of Earth ¡°Glad that''s taken care of,¡± Aiden said, looking down at the small earthy refuge. ¡°I wonder how mad they''ll be when they figure out I lied about coming back.¡± Turning his back, he heeded the call of Earth¡¯s Authority and began trudging past one territory after another, navigating monsters and humanoids alike with practiced skill. He didn''t want to be bothered. Talking to Aunt Rachel and Olivia left him feeling drained and irritable after having to sit for so long and deny Earth''s Authority his presence. But now that he moved, his chest buzzed with anticipation for getting everything situated and heading back to Midrath where he could be with Leyla and Blizzy again. As he journeyed, the curiousness that was Earth''s Authority stole his focus. He could sense the depth of its power. Comparing Earth and Midrath was akin to a candle competing with the sun. So tiny and fragile. It made Aiden wonder. With all the other races coming to Midrath and Earth, just now many Authorities existed? How many would he have to collect to truly lock the gods and Immortals away for good? Was it even possible? He didn''t know, but there were several reliable brings with far more experience he could ask. But first, he had business to attend to. When he crossed from one territory into the Authority of Earth''s domain, he felt a metaphysical force try to block him out, resistance lasting but a fraction of a second before Midrath¡¯s Authority allowed him freedom of movement. The world shifted around him. What once looked like any other territory he''d past through now exuded a vibrant emerald light across all things. A healthy vibrance of life washed over him, making all his aches and pains he''d been ignoring disappear. ¡°Wow,¡± he breathed, letting out a sigh of relief as he stretched. ¡°That sure is something.¡± It wasn¡¯t just him who felt invigorated and energized, all around him spread a wild landscape that changed from forest to mountain to plain to desert all in the space of a minute¡¯s running distance. It would have seemed completely chaotic if it had been anywhere else, but here it fit completely naturally. Creatures of every type scampered, pranced, raced, flew, in a mad cacophony of life and freedom. He saw a wolf and a deer running side by side, each trying to outpace the other and bumping playfully into one another as they raced across a grassy plain. Above, a dozen birds drew multicolored spirals in the sky as though they were choreographed dancers. A whale jumped from lake to lake, splashing everyone in the vicinity. Everywhere he looked there was another scene playing out, all bizarre, but each seeming oddly right. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. In the center of the shifting landscapes stood a single tree, the arch of its roots alone big enough to fit whole city blocks beneath, trunk illuminated with glowing green veins of light perpetually racing up and down, branches spreading out above so far in every direction that he couldn¡¯t be sure there even was a sky beyond. Before the tree''s roots sat a single massive cat, pure white with a long silky mane, the only creature in the whole place to remain perfectly in place. As Aiden approached, it rose to its feet. ¡°Only the worthy may pass,¡± it growled. Its crystalline eyes of the purest blue blinked twice. Before Aiden could prepare for a fight, or whatever other test it may come up with, it bowed its head and knelt on the ground. ¡°The way is open, great one.¡± ¡°Uh, okay.¡± Unsure, he hesitantly passed by the large cat creature, looking over his shoulder with a hand wrapped around Silver. When he''d made decent progress, he relaxed his grip and turned his attention to the clear dirt path leading toward where he felt the Authority''s presence. Instead of rushing down the path, his steps were slow. The world around him was the embodiment of all that he desired to protect, in all its forms. The lands upon Earth that were home to so many creatures, a natural beauty that nearly left him in dumbfounded awe, the lands every person needed. ¡°I won''t stop until I''ve ensured Earth is safe,¡± he vowed to himself, heart heavy with the weight of responsibility. But it was one he''d chosen for himself. The hilly woodlands slanted upward, and the memory of leaving the school to find the mountain now home to Zion came to mind. The time he''d spent with Olivia, Isaac, and¡­ Anna. Breathing a deep sigh, he resolved himself to talk to her at least once before heading into Halla. It was the right thing to do. He trudged up the hillside, the terrain shifting into mountainous slopes. Here, he put his attributes to use to scale the mountain in a way that put pre-apocalypse rock climbers to shame. Once he cleared the top, he saw his destination¡ªEarth''s Seat of Authority. He took it in, reveling in its natural beauty, then took his place, sitting with his hands on the soft armrests. An Important Announcement! Congratulations! Aiden Pearce has claimed the Earth''s Seat, and received Earth¡¯s Gate Authority! The first thing he did with the newfound power was limit the amount of invading portals crossing over to the lowest he could, a quarter of what was currently crossing interdimensional space. ¡°Now that''s done, time to go home.¡± He held up his hand, and another blue portal formed. Unceremoniously, he past through, returning to where he''d left. He opened the portal behind him. The arrival location automatically set to what it was before, concluding his adventure to Earth. Book Three, Chapter Ten: Welcome Home Before taking even a single step, two arms wrapped around him from behind, black wings folding around them and hiding their embrace from curious onlookers. ¡°I missed you,¡± Leyla''s husky voice breathed into his ear. ¡°You don''t get to go without me anymore, or else.¡± Aiden turned and placed a hand on her face. ¡°Wouldn''t dream of it.¡± Blizzy''s familiar excited yapping raced toward them from the sky. The sound of a heavy impact was followed by her horse-sized from slipping underneath Leyla¡¯s wings and between them. Leyla¡¯s eyes flashed with a dangerous lavender, then calmed. She crossed her arms with a deep huff as Blizzy licked Aiden''s face. ¡°Not fair.¡± Aiden smirked her way and wiped the dragon spittle with the back of his sleeve, then turned his full attention to Blizzy. She¡¯d grown much larger in the time he''d been gone, much to his surprise. ¡°You''ve been eating well, it seems.¡± He carefully pet her face, avoiding the crown of crystalline horns liable to impale him. ¡°Been keeping the monsters busy?¡± She trilled proudly, sitting on her haunches and baring her chest. ¡°Good girl.¡± He wrapped his arms around her tight. ¡°Let''s go. There''s a lot to be done.¡± He waved Leyla over and took her hand in his. Their destination wasn''t within Zion. Before anything else, Aiden wanted to speak with Arkayan. The Shadowborn Royal never left James¡¯ side, and James hadn''t gone to Earth to stay behind and fight more of the powerful Zion invasion force monsters. He did so with a fervor that made Aiden think the guy knew something Aiden didn''t. Considering the relationship James had with Arkayan, he just might. Walking through Zion felt strange with so many people absent, but having Leyla and Blizzy back by his side more than compensated for any discomfort that may have otherwise resulted. He¡¯d start looking for Arkayan and James in the area around the dungeon, in case things could be that easy, and if they weren¡¯t there, he could expand the search out into the surrounding wilds. However, before he could do that, he had to actually leave the city. And he arrived at the city gates to find them mildly blocked. Anna leaned against the arched pathway and flicked her wrist to entirely block the way with overgrown. ¡°We need to talk.¡± She shot Leyla a confusing look. ¡°Alone.¡± ¡°Anything you need to say to him, you can say while I''m here.¡± Leyla stepped forward with crossed arms, a buzz of power around her in an aura. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Aiden knew what that meant and held up a hand. ¡°I''ve got this. Go on with Blizzy. I''ll catch up.¡± Blizzy bumped her head against his shoulder and gave him a quick rumbling chirp before taking off, then paused midway up the wall to look back at Leyla with an obvious come on stare. Leyla regarded the hovering dragon. Spinning on her heels, she crossed the distance between her and Aiden, threw her arms around his neck, and gave him a deep kiss. Aiden leaned into it, wrapping his arms around her waist, feeling his soul flutter in beat with hers. When she stepped away, she smirked and waved over her shoulder in Anna''s direction before throwing her wings out and rocketing after Blizzy. ¡°I see,¡± Anna said flatly. ¡°That answers one question. But I need to know what¡¯s supposed to be happening here. What is my role supposed to be now? Are you coming back, will you be staying, or plan to go running off without telling anyone anything?¡± Her amber eyes pinned him in place, demanding answers to her inquiries. The sun glinted off her slickened tanned skin, but Aiden didn''t let it bother him. ¡°You''ll continue your duties as they are, unless you''ve got concerns to raise about your current position?¡± She pursed her lips in a thin line. When she didn''t respond, he addressed her other questions. ¡°I''ve got business to take care of elsewhere. That''s all you need to know.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it? After everything. ¡®Keep doing your job and stay out of my business¡¯, is it?¡± ¡°If it means anything to you, you''re doing a great job.¡± He looked toward the sky where Blizzy and Leyla had headed, feeling them waiting not too far off outside the boundaries of Zion. ¡°I know you did what you thought was right, and it helped Zion. I can''t deny that.¡± His collected gaze regarded her. ¡°I know how you are, Anna. Of course I know you were doing what you thought was best.¡± Her face fell as she took a step forward, a hand stretched out longingly. ¡°Then why¡­?¡± ¡°It wasn''t a reasonable choice, far from it, but it''s one I made knowing what would come of it.¡± He sighed deeply. ¡°I trusted you to be there and have my back, but you were nowhere to be found, Anna. Anything personal between us is over.¡± She opened her mouth as if to retort, pain cramping her face. For a moment, he expected her to break down, to lash out, to do something. When she didn''t and he watched her face go cold, the light in her eyes dimming, his chest constricted tightly. ¡°I''m sorry for bothering you,¡± she muttered, shaking her head. Her features warred between a grimace and sad smile, and Aiden knew she was fighting to hold herself together. ¡°I''ll¡­ It''s fine, really. I''ll keep doing what I''ve been doing.¡± The overgrowth blocking the way out of Zion rapidly decayed and opened up the path. Those coming up the mountainous path peered through the archway and, upon seeing Aiden and Anna, slinked back slowly, as if to avoid notice. Aiden walked toward the path, stopping beside her. It felt wrong to leave things this way. His fingers twitched with the urge to comfort her, but he knew it would only make matters worse. ¡°Keep up the good work, Anna. Goodbye.¡± Then he left her behind and proceeded down the steps and out of Zion. Not too far past the wood line, Leyla and Blizzy waited for him. The Fallen''s eyes narrowed to the top of the mountain city. Blizzy ignored the awkward tension and excitedly ran circles around Aiden, brushing up against him and kicking his fingertips. Wordlessly, Leyla embraced him. ¡°It''s better this way.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Aiden whispered, clenching his fists. He wanted to forgive her for that night, but he knew how many bodies they''d buried, how many deaths would''ve been avoided if she would''ve been there. But above all that, he knew it had been his choice to attack he couldn''t forgive. Shrugging off the discomfort, he nodded, resolve restored. ¡°Let''s go.¡± Book Three, Chapter Eleven: A Meeting of Importance ¡°Ruler Aiden Pearce,¡± Arkayan greeted with a wave, smiling widely at Blizzy and Leyla, ¡°for what do we owe the honor?¡± James sat beside the Shadowborn Royal, legs criss-crossed with his palms flat against his thighs. A small stormcloud regularly rained lightning bolts down upon him that his body absorbed. Blizzy got to hopping up and snapping her maw at the bolts, missing each and every one. That didn''t stop her. Ignoring the two, Aiden pulled out the Formation System. ¡°This.¡± Arkayan nodded knowingly. ¡°Looking to ascend to a higher rank, are we?¡± ¡°Yes. You seem to know something about it. Can you help?¡± ¡°He can,¡± Leyla said, smiling at the Shadowborn Royal. ¡°In many ways.¡± They both turn to her, Aiden with curiosity and Arkayan with amusement. ¡°This is true, Ruler Aiden Pearce. I am aware of your struggles. I have answers that may enlighten you and steer you down a new path.¡± Arkayan sat beside James and patted the ground in front of him. ¡°Please join me so we may discuss.¡± Aiden sat where indicated, and Leyla promptly sat in his lap. ¡°Before we discuss the capacity of growth the Formation System may allow you to reach, we must first address what your Soul Entwined has mentioned,¡± the Shadowborn Royal said with a wry smile. ¡°The prophecy tied to you both isn''t what you believe it to be.¡± For a moment, Aiden felt like James as electricity buzzed down his spine. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What you know of the prophecy is a lie. Unfortunately, I cannot divulge the specifics.¡± A translucent dome of shadows appeared around him a fraction of a second before Leyla''s scythe could harm him. No matter how much she swung, the scythe wouldn''t pierce the barrier. Aiden grabbed her before she manifested the Vorpal Blade. ¡°Let''s hear him out. He must have his reasons, and I''m not sure if anybody else can help us.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± She huffed, throwing herself back into his lap where she curled up with her arms crossed. Once he was sure Aiden had Leyla calmed, the shadow dome fell. ¡°I do apologize. I understand how frustrating it may be, but I''ve said all I can. Just know your fates are not bound in tragedy as you''ve been led to believe.¡± ¡°That''s reassuring,¡± Aiden muttered, uncertain whether to believe the Shadowborn Royal or whether to press for more¡­ even if force might be involved. He''d wait and see, prolong judgment until absolutely necessary. Arkayan held up a second finger. ¡°Next is that miserable Patron you''ve bound yourself to. I smell her scent upon your soul and will guide you on how to separate her influence.¡± The hostility in Arkayan¡¯s voice and clear aggression in his eyes spoke volumes. ¡°What has Khione done to make you so angry with her?¡± ¡°Don''t speak that witch''s blasted name!¡± Arkayan hissed, shoulders heaving heavily. ¡°To my kind, she is like what your people refer to as the devil. The penultimate being of scorn and villainy. Even being near you with such trace presence makes every part of my being wish to rage against your claim to Midrath¡¯s Authority.¡± ¡°Easy now.¡± Aiden held up both hands in a passive gesture to try to calm the Shadowborn Royal. Once Arkayan stilled and calm returned over him, Aiden curiously regarded him. ¡°What has she done to you and your people?¡± ¡°The only path out of the Upper Realm is through the domain of my creator. The Greater Paragon of Ice and Nymphs predates the epoch and has intimate knowledge of the Void. She was the one who enslaved my people and is a being feared by all of the Upper Realm.¡± ¡°I never knew¡­¡± ¡°What has been stolen from her, what you''ve surely been sent to retrieve from the depths of the gods¡¯ cumulative efforts, is her memories.¡± He sighed. ¡°She''s docile now, but were you to succeed in your quest, all prophecies would be irrelevant. In her lunacy to find The One of Truth, she would shatter all realms to incite the primordials¡¯ ire.¡± An uneasy weight heavily descended upon Aiden as he realized the depths he''d gotten himself into. With a great wariness, he met Arkayan¡¯s forlorn gaze. ¡°So what do I do?¡± ¡°One step at a time.¡± The Shadowborn''s eyes regarded him for a drawn out moment of silence, and Aiden felt his entire being open up before that gaze and stopped Midrath¡¯s Authority from rebuffing the inspection. When finished, Arkayan sighed. ¡°There is much to do and little time.¡± He pointed at Leyla. ¡°She must join you in each step of the process, as your souls are interlinked as one. The changes you need to achieve will occur only with the active participation of both halves of the whole.¡± Looking down at Leyla in his lap, she looked back up at him and shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t bother me any. If it means we get stronger and I get to spend more time with you, why should I care what we¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°You heard it,¡± Aiden said to Arkayan, nodding. ¡°Now tell us what¡¯s involved. What all must we do?¡± The Shadowborn Royal reached forward and placed a forefinger on both Aiden and Leyla¡¯s foreheads, and they were all suddenly standing in a very familiar place¡ªAiden¡¯s Orrery. He hadn¡¯t been here in a long time, and immediately, he noticed great changes. What once was a simple array with the Central Node Assembly connecting to all the other attributes, Aiden now witnessed what looked like an endless starry sky. At the center, there was still a container of the countless Essence Orbs and Cores he¡¯d collected and been unable to utilize on anything as he was. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. He¡¯d long since given up on absorbing more, finding feeding them to Blizzy or Silver or investing them into Zion to be a far more efficient use. Hopefully that would change in the near future with Arkayan¡¯s assistance. ¡°Wow.¡± Leyla lifted Aiden¡¯s gaping jaw closed, and he looked between the two of them. ¡°Magic is strange.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know the half of it,¡± she teased, thumbing toward Arkayan. The Shadowborn patiently waited for Aiden to stop gaping at the vast changes. The thing that stood out to him the most was¡­ Leyla. Her presence had seeped into everything, inseparable. The second thing that stood out to him was¡­ Khione, equally inseparable after he¡¯d integrated her Greater Path. ¡°You¡¯ve recognized the inherent issue you face,¡± Arkayan noted, nodding at the ephemeral traces of chill overwhelming the rest of his power. If Aiden had to guess, what made up him was now eighty percent Khione, ten percent him, and ten percent Leyla. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± ¡°This is part of why fixing this issue will require both of your efforts.¡± Arkayan waved a hand, and everything in the starry expanse shrank into something Aiden could comprehend. Again, the Shadowborn waved, and again, the Orrery obeyed. A large clump of something formed and began splitting into two distinct energy bodies, distinctly humanoid in shape. Stepping closer to observe, Aiden understood what he looked at and sighed. ¡°What a mess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a curiosity that you¡¯ve made it this far,¡± Arkayan said with a half smirk. He pointed at the silhouette of blue, green, and white. ¡°This will sting.¡± ¡°Wai¡ªArgh!¡± Aiden¡¯s soulform barely held its form as he fell to his knees and doubled over, the fabric of his being screaming for him to fix whatever Arkayan had just done. His lovely Fallen didn¡¯t stay passive and lunged for the Shadowborn, but with a casual flick of his wrist, she was easily subdued. ¡°I understand the pain is terrible, but it must be endured. The first step to solving your problem is to remove the hold the Great Paragon has over you, or else all of this will be for naught.¡± ¡°Just¡­ do it!¡± Aiden growled through clenched teeth. He fell to his side and watched as Arkayan continued working through blurred vision and existential pain unlike any he¡¯d ever faced before. He didn¡¯t even have the luxury of passing out in this form. As Arkayan worked, he kept Leyla subdued. She groaned in discomfort as the parts of Khione¡¯s Path were also removed from her. Despite knowing it was for their own good, she continued to struggle against Arkayan¡¯s binding and gnashed her teeth, cursing the Shadowborn Royal in all kinds of creative ways Aiden couldn¡¯t appreciate over the intense humming of his soul being sundered. Time passed far too slow yet merged into a single instant, done and gone. As fast as the soul-rending pain had come, it faded. Aiden sighed in relief and remained where he lay, blinking away the pain and clenching his teeth at the ghost pain spasming through his body. However, looking at Arkayan¡¯s weary appearance, Aiden knew the time spent in his Orrery hadn¡¯t been small, not that any time would pass for Midrath. Strange magic, indeed, but it worked to their benefit. Now finished, Arkayan released Leyla. She ignored the Shadowborn and rushed over to Aiden, kneeling at his side. She half-grimaced, half-smirked. ¡°That looked like it sucked pretty bad.¡± Tiredly, Aiden nodded and rose to a sitting position. Pressure built behind his eyes that he rubbed at, but no amount of trying made it less of a nag. Sighing, he looked at the results of Arkayan¡¯s work. Sure enough, the links from Khione¡¯s Greater Path had been forcefully removed from his soul and were now contained by a strange shadow shackle. ¡°It¡¯s so she isn¡¯t aware of what you¡¯ve done,¡± Arkayan supplied, still catching his breath. He weakly pointed to the rest of the silhouette. ¡°Everything else is how it should be, attached to your own two Paths.¡± ¡°Thanks, I guess.¡± After all the pain he¡¯d just experienced, Aiden didn¡¯t feel very thankful, but this was the first step along a long path he¡¯d chosen to walk. Not much he could do for having to pay a bit of the price to get what he wanted. Was that not what he¡¯d always done anyway? ¡°Now what?¡± The Shadowborn clapped, dissipating the Orrery. The first thing Aiden did when time resumed was rub his eyes, sighing as the relief of the built up pressure washed over him. Leyla, however, lurched forward, her scythe pointed at Arkayan. ¡°Maybe a warning next time?¡± ¡°There will be no next time.¡± A single finger pushed the scythe away from him. ¡°As I said before, that was the first step.¡± He gestured toward Aiden. ¡°I¡¯m sure a great weakness is befalling you as we speak, but this is a great opportunity.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see how losing power is a good thing,¡± Leyla muttered, looking at Aiden with confusion. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever heard of this lunatic¡¯s methods before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to hear him out. He did just take care of a big issue for us. Even if we weren¡¯t to get any more help from him, he¡¯s already done a lot for us.¡± Not having to worry about Khione retrieving her Greater Path if he were to fail her quest was a big relief and let him breathe just a bit easier. However, if her strength was as almighty as Arkayan made it out to be, he doubted things would end there. ¡°Now that her Path has been isolated, will we be using the Formation System now?¡± ¡°Learn to walk before running, Ruler Aiden Pearce. You have become weaker than you were before, but you weren¡¯t using your powers to their full capacity in the first place. Rather than accumulate more power, you must train with what you have now. Only then will more power be necessary.¡± Arkayan held up a finger before either Aiden or Leyla could retort. ¡°And your soul needs to recover. If you do not properly rest, you will bring about your own downfall.¡± Aiden ran a hand through his hair, sighing. He looked over at James, who had still not moved in the time they¡¯d been causing a ruckus. The stormcloud still did its thing, shocking him in no discernible rhythm. The Shadowborn looked between James and Aiden. ¡°What he is doing, so shall you both.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Leyla asked. ¡°I kind of get it,¡± Aiden said, noting how the color of the blue lightning bolts had slowly shifted to a blue-violet, getting darker and darker as he continued. ¡°He¡¯s training his Lightning Discipline by reinforcing it with stronger types. But how does this work? Is that not his own lightning he¡¯s using?¡± ¡°His process is based on special circumstances and is not for either of you.¡± Aiden almost asked what these special circumstances were but kept his curiosity to himself. ¡°Do you always talk in cryptic code?¡± Leyla grumbled. Arkayan ignored her entirely and pointed at Aiden. ¡°You wish to pursue Blizzard Mastery, correct?¡± Aiden didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever told anybody his magical aspirations, but considering how much knowledge Arkayan seemed to have, he wasn¡¯t surprised and simply nodded. ¡°Your first session of training will be to meet up with this realm¡¯s guardian and have her guide you. That¡¯s all I can help you with for now until you coalesce your Disciplines.¡± ¡°But weren¡¯t you just talking about how I don¡¯t need more power and need to practice with what I have?¡± Aiden ran a hand through his hair, agreeing with Leyla¡¯s frustration with Arkayan. The Shadowborn nodded. ¡°I''m sure you think merging your Disciplines would be an increase in power, and it eventually will be. But what you trade for in potential, you sacrifice in versatility and your current raw power.¡± Aiden waved a hand, raising the Formation System. ¡°I¡¯ll worry about all of that later. What matters to me more is this.¡± Pursing his lips, Arkayan nodded. ¡°So be it. Then let¡¯s get started.¡± Faster than Aiden could process, the Shadowborn Royal ripped the Formation System from Aiden¡¯s hand and embedded his arm up to his elbow inside Aiden¡¯s chest. Book Three, Chapter Twelve: Ascension Is Different Than I Expected Immediately upon regaining consciousness, Aiden found himself inside a familiar place he¡¯d only just left¡ªhis Orrery. But chaos had been unleashed. The container holding the Essence Orbs, Cores, and Pillars he¡¯d collected was shattered. The energy within raged around like a wild maelstrom, obliterating all substance in the strange soul realm, an unyielding torrent of energy swirling with him as the center. ¡°Ahhh, what¡­ happened?¡± Aiden turned around to see Leyla there. ¡°I think Arkayan just killed me?¡± She looked around and shook her head. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be here if that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°Whatever it may be, now isn¡¯t the time to figure out.¡± What once was the Central Node was what they both sat on now. Its circular shape now glowed with a much different array it once displayed. A hundred Essence Orb-sized divots buzzed angrily, as if starving. A commanding presence demanded him to satiate that hunger, ripping him to his core with its ferocity. Turning over, Leyla traced the circular node¡¯s pattern. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of something like this before, but the experience usually isn¡¯t so¡­ violent.¡± She eyed him as if hungry, grinning while licking her lips. ¡°You sure are something. This is definitely the process of ascension. The evolution of the Central Node¡­¡± Her eyes trailed to the storm around them. ¡°But this? This is too much.¡± ¡°I was just thinking it isn¡¯t enough.¡± Chaotic, yes, but there was a thinness to it all, a sense of non-substantiality. As though his perception had changed while the reality within this place stayed the same. Well, as much the same as it could be after being wholly dissolved into motes of angry destructive power. ¡°They¡¯re the same thing. Too much and not enough. The containment isn¡¯t sufficient for the level of power you¡¯re trying to store. See?¡± She pointed out into the storm where parts of his previous Orrery¡¯s soulscape were simultaneously forming and dissipating at once. ¡°The old form can¡¯t hold, and there isn¡¯t a new form for it to latch on to.¡± ¡°How am I supposed to fix that?¡± Aiden growled and spun in a full circle, searching for anything that could be of use. ¡°Why does that man never give me useful instructions before throwing me into this kind of thing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember him doing this before. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d have noticed.¡± Leyla crawled slowly around the platform, occasionally licking the sparking pattern, before finally stopping. ¡°Here. This is the foundation piece.¡± Aiden stared at it. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look any different. And is the storm getting faster?¡± ¡°Probably. It¡¯s going to rip us apart soon.¡± Leyla sat back on her heels, tapping a finger at the point she¡¯d designated. ¡°Quick as you like.¡± ¡°So you know what I¡¯m supposed to do?¡± ¡°Nope. But this tastes right. It¡¯s like it¡¯s¡­¡± She shook her hair and shrugged. ¡°The part that¡¯s most you? Start here. Build outwards. And do it with purpose.¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s a cryptic,¡± Aiden grumbled but crossed to the spot. He could almost feel what she meant. Standing on the spot felt¡­ comfortable, somehow, even though he could have sworn the moment he stepped there everything intensified to an unprecedented degree. Sharp motes of ice whipped past him, leaving bleeding lines across his cheeks and tearing at his clothes. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯ve ascended before?¡± She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. ¡°You really think I¡¯d have been in such a position if I¡¯d had the luxury to ascend? Like Xenith would ever trust me with any more power than I already have.¡± The shards of ice were whirling faster than ever now, the fractured pieces of his former Orrery disappearing and reforming so fast it looked like a reverse slow-motion film of a city decaying. Ignoring the fact he was standing on a spot Leyla had licked the node to find, the hunger still pained him and caused the power to spin at greater velocity. The hundred divots shined even brighter. Desperate and without much of a lifeline to hold onto, he did all he could think of. ¡°Ah?¡± Leyla started as he grabbed her by the wrist and lifted her to his feet to stand by his side. ¡°What?¡± Rather than answer, he gently caressed her face and locked lips with hers. If he was gonna go out to a raging storm of power, he¡¯d at least do it while enjoying himself. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. But the fragmented Orrery seemed to become¡­ quiet, serene in front of their embrace. The storm continued to rage just as violently, but Leyla¡¯s eyes shone with a brilliant violet hue, a tangible aura entangling with the essence of his being as one. Whatever that mystical energy was held up as a dome against what would attempt to rob them of life. In each rotation, the storm would press closer and closer, being rebuffed each time. However, energy seeped through the barrier, calmer and less violent, swirling around them almost with a sense of curious wonder. It made Aiden question things that he didn¡¯t have time to give attention to. Rather, he held a hand up to it and felt the energy flowing formlessly with a slightly emerald hue to it. Give me shape, purpose, it begged of him. ¡°Interesting,¡± he muttered, pointing at the divots around them as an experiment. Sure enough, the mote of milky-green essence solidified into the shape of an Essence Orb and slotted into the divot. ¡°Very interesting, indeed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about you, but none of this is making any sense to me,¡± Leyla grumbled, her cheeks pink and eyes stripping him. ¡°But as long as you¡¯re figuring things out, I¡¯ll be waiting for more of that solution.¡± She pointed at the aura around them. It was already beginning to fade. ¡°With great excitement, too,¡± she grinned, biting her lip. Fortunately for him, and less fortunate for Leyla, the addition of the essence into the divot began to support the strange aura around them and caused a wash of relief to flood over him as the hunger rumbled with satisfaction. Not letting the momentum die, Aiden took hold of the little Essence that converted through their aura dome and filled all hundred divots. The node hummed, quite lively now that he¡¯d fed it, and shifted its shape. Once the shape finished solidifying, he realized the process of ascension wouldn¡¯t be so easily completed. In place of the Essence Orb-sized divots were dozens of Core-sized ones, a new intricate pattern connecting them all. ¡°This¡­ might take awhile,¡± he muttered, though he knew he¡¯d get no sympathy from Leyla. The process for converting the storm of essence around them into solidified Cores wasn¡¯t as simple and required far more focus from Aiden. Yet, his previous method for simplifying things again simplified things. Cores were slotted, leaving him with one ready-to-pounce Leyla. ¡°The consequences, consequences, consequences of my actions. The consequences of my actions, chasing me right now!¡± he sang as she chased after him in circles. Regardless of the less-than-serious antics, the filling of the divots continued to progress as the energy of the Cores continued to support the strange conversion dome, which Aiden was starting to think was some kind of representation of what remained of his soul. Considering his interactions with Leyla, how that made things easier, and how their souls were bound as one¡­ He had questions and nobody to provide answers. And the one who might have answers, he¡¯d made a vow to himself to give a good and swift kick in the ass. After all the Cores were slotted, the process began again. The node flashed with a new pattern, the storm outside raged less intensely, and he had a new type of essence construct to craft and slot to satiate the hunger he felt. All the while entertaining Leyla. The process followed what he knew already from collecting all the essence. Orbs, Cores, and now he was completing Pillars. Something felt off to him though. Did he have so much essence the last time he looked? Could what the container held really have caused such a giant mess in his Orrery? He didn¡¯t think so, but it was impossible to know for sure. When he completed the Pillars, again, the pattern atop the node changed. No divots or specific shape. Just a soft, malleable surface of emptiness requesting energy, shape, and purpose. ¡°Here we go again.¡± * By the time Aiden woke up, he was ready to sleep for a week. No physical time had passed, but the soul strain he''d experienced left an impression he wouldn''t soon forget. ¡°I''m glad to see you''ve succeeded,¡± Arkayan said, a smug face grin on his face. ¡°I knew you''d be able to handle the ascension. Congratulations!¡± The visceral desire to leap forward and smack that look off his face was only held back by Aiden''s powerful self-preservation instinct and an overwhelming sense of emptiness¡ªas if his entire soul lacked an iota of power to bring to bear. ¡°Don''t do things without telling me first.¡± Dizziness made it difficult for Aiden to maintain eye contact, but he endured until Arkayan nodded. He then promptly laid back on the ground, every part of him aching. He lay there for but a moment, staring at the strange sky, until an equally tired Leyla groaned as she rose from the ground, stretching with great drama. Once finished, her hands trailed across her limbs, humming as she assessed herself. ¡°I see¡­¡± She looked down at Aiden''s prone form. ¡°I know why things felt odd. All my energy stores are emptied and were likely used in the ascension process.¡± ¡°Your souls are one. Did you expect him to ascend without your involvement?¡± The condescension in the Shadowborn''s voice irked Aiden. ¡°Well, kind of?¡± Leyla tilted her head. ¡°Seems pretty obvious in hindsight.¡± A violet misty static erupted forward and over an erected shadow dome. ¡°But do you have to be so annoying about everything?¡± ¡°Yes. You are the one who is annoyed. It has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Little bit to do with us, though¡­¡± ¡°Could you argue somewhere else,¡± Aiden groaned. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you both up later. Right now I¡¯d prefer we stick to the absolute essentials.¡± Arkayan¡¯s voice was devoid of any hint of sympathy. ¡°Then your training shall begin.¡± Book Three, Chapter Thirteen: Meeting At Midnight ¡°Yahh!¡± Josh¡¯s exceptionally non-standard club crunched down on the back of the chimera, crumpling its spine with an audible crack. Its legs and body fell limp, but its hissing tail still struck out at him. He slapped it hard with his off-hand, tearing the snake part free and splattering it against the nearest wall. ¡°Last one down. Next?¡± ¡°That was the last on the list.¡± ¡°Finally. Signal me if anything else comes up that your guys can¡¯t handle.¡± He smacked his club against the ground to knock off the gore, gave it a quick spin, and stowed it away as he turned to go. ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got this, no need for me to babysit. I¡¯ve got some long overdue visits to make. My ¡®bosses¡¯ have kept me chasing these things down for weeks, and I¡¯m long overdue for a vacation.¡± ¡°Ah. In that case, I think the standard clearing squads can take it from here. Thank you.¡± Josh waved and began to leave. A high raised banner caught his eye. Smiling, he swaggers over to the front of the elite hunters corps, ninth platoon, then crosses his arms as he listens to the platoon leader''s debriefing. He watched her, standing there so confidently, and remembered what she¡¯d been like the first day they¡¯d met. Recently arrived in Midrath and unfamiliar with the way of things, with who he was, but now? As efficient as they come, she directed her platoon to their task of aiding Zion¡¯s adopted races. Separating the platoon into squads that fit their specialities to best accomplish each delegated task took all of ten minutes, in which she didn¡¯t realize Josh stood behind her. For the entirety of her debriefing, he made eye contact with those curious elites that spared a moment to look his way. When they were finally released to their duties, they broke formation and dissipated. Maria turned on her heels and crossed her arms. ¡°I wondered who it was they kept glancing at.¡± Josh gave her a shrug. ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m pretty awesome.¡± He thumbed toward the banner, then the ranked crest on her. ¡°I see you got a promotion. It¡¯s been a long time coming, all things considered.¡± ¡°You flatter me too much.¡± She dropped her arms and looked around to see if any of her platoon was still around. None were. Reaching up on her tip-toes, she planted a kiss on his cheek and smiled. ¡°Heard you were running subjugation on the big bads in the rank two territories. I can¡¯t imagine you struggling.¡± He shrugged. ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong. Everything there was cannon fodder. I¡¯d say only the groups of chimera were a threat to any of the elite squads.¡± He glanced toward where he knew the rank three territory was. ¡°Really makes me wonder what kind of monster controlled the whole area and how Aiden did against it.¡± Maria hummed, nodding. ¡°You could almost make a girl jealous with how highly you speak of that man. Wish I could meet him one day.¡± ¡°He does have a habit of staying busy, that¡¯s for sure. He makes me look bad.¡± Josh tapped Bartholomew against the ground and sighed. ¡°Dude needs a break, but there¡¯s nobody strong enough to help him. Some of the things he deals with¡­¡± ¡°I can only imagine.¡± A pregnant pause passed before she shrugged. ¡°We can only do what we can do. And from what you mentioned before, he¡¯s not entirely alone in his struggles.¡± ¡°Not anymore, right.¡± The memories of the early days still stung at Josh¡¯s pride. ¡°The best we can do is make sure things run smoothly so he has a home to come back to when all¡¯s said and done.¡± Maria took his hand in hers. ¡°Exactly, so let¡¯s see if there¡¯s anything else for us to do.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. * The rest of the day was spent helping supply resources to different platoons spread throughout the territories under Aiden¡¯s control or to the relief and aid stations setup. A few times, Josh had to escort different refuges¡¯ occupants out of immediate danger, since there was only so far that Zion¡¯s forces could spread in such a short amount of time. By the time the day came to an end, tension and restlessness were all that Josh felt. Being useful only went so far when he wasn¡¯t distracted from the soul-wrenching pain that lingered from losing BB. After getting back to the command post setup around the portal to Midrath, Josh found a quiet place away from anybody else. With his large club by his side, he sat in the darkness with his back against a tree atop a large hilltop. The command post continued to operate through the night, magic lamplight keeping darkness at bay. His mind wandered endlessly, the attempts to distract himself ever-failing to keep his rage in check. So engrossed was he, Maria¡¯s presence by his side went unnoticed until she placed her hand in his own. No words needed to be exchanged. Comforting words would only be lost to the abyss. All he needed now was this, nothing more. Her with him, then and there, a calming presence that he need not be stressed further by. He didn¡¯t know how long it took for his nerves to finally calm enough for him to turn to her and acknowledge her presence. ¡°I can¡¯t keep doing this.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She squeezed his hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. You¡¯ve done enough.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t. There¡¯s so much more to be done. I have to help him, have to repay him, have to¡­¡± The unsettling frustration rose like bile in his throat, cutting off his words. ¡°You¡¯re pushing yourself too hard. You need a break.¡± She hummed in thought. ¡°Maybe you should find Aiden, talk to him. I bet he wouldn¡¯t want you to push yourself like this.¡± Josh stiffened at the idea of talking to Aiden now. Shame threatened to overwhelm. ¡°No, not now. He can¡¯t see me like this.¡± ¡°Do you think he¡¯d be disappointed in you?¡± ¡°I know he wouldn¡¯t, but I would, am.¡± He took a deep breath to try to steady his rising anger. ¡°He¡¯s already done so much for me. How could I ask him for more?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a friend, isn¡¯t he?¡± He pulled his hand away and turned to look at her, nostrils flaring. ¡°You don¡¯t get it, okay? Please, let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± The hurt in her eyes only caused his chest to constrict tighter. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want¡­¡± She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make things worse. I was just trying to help.¡± ¡°Maria.¡± ¡°Right, sorry.¡± ¡°Maria.¡± Her lips drew a thin line. She looked away from him and the encampment. An uncomfortable silence settled in, one that lasted who knew how long, broken only when she snapped her fingers. ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea.¡± He fought the urge to get up and leave, knowing it would hurt her more. She was trying to help, after all. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go find our families. We¡¯ve been doing so much to help around here when we don¡¯t even know if our own families are okay. Let¡¯s go.¡± She stood up and held her hands out for him to take. ¡°It¡¯ll be a good break, and we can justify it as a rescue op.¡± She smacked her forehead fairly hard. ¡°I¡¯m so stupid for not thinking of it sooner, but this is perfect.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just leave¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯re not doing anything else right now. There¡¯s no reason that we can¡¯t go and find them and bring them to the command post or one of the other refugee camps.¡± She must¡¯ve seen something in his face, because she deflated. ¡°Please¡­?¡± ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go.¡± He took her hands and rose. ¡°But where do we start?¡± ¡°You¡¯re familiar with the higher ups. You could likely ask one of them to see a map of the searched regions, and we can start with someplace that hasn¡¯t been checked. Or we can go to in-processing and see if they¡¯ve been brought in to the command post but haven¡¯t been registered yet.¡± Once she got started, she kept going, breaking down all the different methods to track someone down or reciting protocol for where they¡¯d be if they were already found. It helped distract him from all the pain and rage, and for that, he was thankful. ¡°I trust your judgment. Lead the way.¡± No sign remained of her upset, deflated pout, and her energy was infectious. Before he knew it, they were moving, and he had a smile on his face. He didn¡¯t know where he¡¯d be without Maria but was ever-thankful for her putting up with him. Book Three, Chapter Fourteen: Heading Out Atop the highest mountain peak, Aiden sat alone with his eyes closed. The thin, frigid air stung like needles as it passed through his nose and chilled every part of him. The chill went deeper than his bones, almost as if caressing his soul with its stinging touch. ¡°¡®You¡¯ll understand when you feel it¡¯, my ass.¡± No matter how long he froze atop that mountain, observed the frozen landscape, felt the chilling breeze on his skin, and suffered through near-hypothermia, his Disciplines remained sturdy and defined. Ice, Air, and Wind. Somehow, someway, he was supposed to find a way to coalesce them from their base components into a single Discipline. No amount of attunement brought him closer. Enlightenment seemed further than ever. Individually, he could utilize his Disciplines in this environment. To use Water, he had to get a bit more creative, but Wind and Ice thrived. There was an abundance of magic, almost as if the world around him were trying to smother him with the element. The magic within seemed to wish to make him one with the mountaintop. He resisted. We would be the one to control the power, not be consumed by it. Trying to merge the Disciplines seemed simple in theory. In practice, he¡¯d spent days sitting there without an iota of progress. All the time spent felt more and more like a waste, especially with the constant ache of emptiness in his soul. The longer he went without notable progress, the less he was inclined to merge the Disciplines at all. Would it really make all that much of a difference? But Arkayan had advised him to go through with it, despite the amount of protesting and grumbling Aiden had put up. Not for the lack of wanting to, but for all the lack of clarity in his given instructions. As he¡¯d learned before when training in Paths and Mysteries back during the Game of Authority, Disciplines were the Arcana-adjacent method of utilizing Essence. Disciplines were more solid and less versatile than the alternative. But nothing was working. Trying to utilize all three Disciplines at once as a single entity and not individual components failed after each try. No amount of smashing, mashing, or compacting caused his attempts to work. ¡°I need a new approach.¡± He¡¯d tried everything to think of, and Arkayan¡¯s advice was as useful as a single snowflake among a blizzard. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ve been going about this the wrong way.¡± With a deep breath, he cleared his mind of all the things he¡¯d tried that failed. He¡¯d been going about things with the assumption that he needed to force the elements together to actually merge them into a single Discipline. But if that were the case, why would he need to come to this place? Opening his eyes, he looked at the freezing storm raging around him. It reminded him much of the process of ascending. The raw power of the elemental phenomenon enamored him. He wanted it, and not a poor replica mishmashed together. ¡°So where do I start?¡± If he had all the components to create the magic, then what was stopping him? Attempting to combine his Disciplines in different ratios hadn¡¯t worked, but maybe it was because there was more to it than that? ¡°¡®You¡¯ll understand when you feel it¡¯... Why can¡¯t he ever give advice that makes sense?¡± Through all his attempts, he hadn¡¯t felt anything besides frustration at constant failure. Willing to give anything a try, he went back to the ascension storm. Raw power brought under his control. He¡¯d already attempted to usurp small fragments of the blizzard. Not it. Groaning, he rubbed the pressure of a forming headache from behind his eyes. ¡°What if I¡¯m thinking of it too black and white?¡± His confidence in anything waned. The way he¡¯d been looking at the process, he¡¯d thought he would only use the Disciplines to make things work. But he had other tools at his disposal, like his Paths¡ªVersatility and Crystallization. One of those seemed more useful than the other, but he hadn¡¯t used it yet, thinking this process would be simple. How wrong he¡¯d been. If using his Path could help him accelerate the process, why shouldn¡¯t he use what he had at his disposal? So rather than try to use his Disciplines at all, he decided on a new approach¡ªtrying to take Arkayan¡¯s words at face value and seeking out that ever-elusive ¡°feeling¡±. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. With very little enthusiasm his approach would succeed, he halfheartedly started his next attempt. The blizzard around him felt mutable, though it still resisted his attempts to take control. This was definitely a different feeling than what he¡¯d experienced so far. Figuring out how to progress now was the next challenge, but this was already more progress than he¡¯d made as of yet. But what now? Taking control of the power failed, even after a hundred attempts, so that method was out. That led him to wonder. What if he¡¯d made more than a few assumptions about the process? The storm raging around him held hidden clues in its primordial beauty. With a new lead, he set out to uncover the secrets within. * Instead of running away in the middle of the night, Josh and Maria got cleared to embark on a genuine mission into the territories not under Aiden¡¯s control to seek survivors and clear out more of the invasive monsters. Before they¡¯d left, they¡¯d checked the registries to make sure their families hadn¡¯t been taken in and weren¡¯t going through in-processing. Afterwards, they met with a pair of Fallen who¡¯d done reconnaissance in the area they presumed their families to have taken shelter in. Gifted with a useful map marked with different suspected areas, they had a good idea of where to search. However, part of their duties took a lot more time and effort than they¡¯d imagine. The monsters hadn¡¯t been cowed, their numbers swelling as they nestled into their new homes. ¡°Two monsters forward, one to your left,¡± Josh called, calmly standing with both hands on Bartholomew. The head of his club cratered the broken pavement further. He¡¯d watched her dismantle these small fries numerous times since setting off. The amount of progress she¡¯d made in such a short amount of time truly put her in the ranks of the elite hunters. ¡°Got it!¡± Her dual hand axes flew through the air in the next breath, and the two spares she kept at her side were in her hands. She confirmed her axes struck the two loping lizardmen true as she fluidly engaged the third. She brought the axes up to block the attack, pulling toward her to snag the enemy¡¯s spear. At first, it balked under her strength, but then the shaft splintered in half, leaving it useless and the monster without a weapon. And that was all it took for her to press forward with savage brutality, her lethality inevitable. ¡°Good job.¡± He watched as she retrieved her other two axes and put all four back in their places on either side of her hip. The belt she wore had loops for the handles that she deftly slotted her weapons into. She wiped her hands on her pants, then used the back of her hands to wipe some blood from her face. ¡°They¡¯re getting a lot easier to manage now.¡± ¡°Experience is a wonderful thing.¡± Josh tilted his club against his leg and pulled out their map and oriented himself in the direction they needed to head. All the buildings and monster dens made taking a straight shot to it a bit difficult. ¡°Essence also works wonders for improvement.¡± Maria nodded as the three milky-white Orbs dissipated. ¡°Can¡¯t get resources like this when working with a whole platoon.¡± She gestured toward him. ¡°What about you? Don¡¯t you need some?¡± ¡°These don¡¯t have enough juice to give me the oomph I need to upgrade any of my attributes or abilities.¡± He folded the map up and began walking. ¡°Does anything?¡± she asked, stepping into a stride matching his own gait. ¡°Some things in Midrath do, but I¡¯ve hit a bunch of walls recently. I can¡¯t really get stronger until I find a method to ascend, whatever that is.¡± ¡°Huh. Even your skills are maxed out?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t say that, but the skills I use that are worth a damn require an amount of resources that would make everything you¡¯ve ever gained look small.¡± He grinned when she huffed, a bit of her competitive edge coming out. He smirked. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this a lot longer than you have.¡± ¡°You do have a habit of constantly reminding me of that fact,¡± she grumbled. ¡°Feels unfair at this point. Almost makes me wish I¡¯d been in the first group.¡± ¡°If you knew what things were like then, you wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± Josh spoke far more harshly than he¡¯d meant to, but nobody who hadn¡¯t survived through the initial transition to Midrath, before Zion was set up, through all the havoc of the entirety of the Authority Wars¡­ A blessing of ignorance that he abhorred. ¡°I know there¡¯s no way for you to know just how bad things were. Hell, if it weren¡¯t for Aiden, I¡¯m not sure any of us would¡¯ve survived to get out of the school. We were all ready to tear each other apart, even as we were being swarmed by hordes of monsters, all while Aiden was fighting the boss by himself.¡± She sucked on the inside of her teeth before nodding. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that, sorry. I¡¯ve only heard stories about the initial transfer, and everyone always focuses on how many monsters there were to fight and how much Essence was available. I forget they leave out the bad parts.¡± ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not sure which part of all of this isn¡¯t bad. We might¡¯ve stabilized and set down roots, won the war for Midrath, but none of us chose this. It was forced upon us. We never got to choose, just had to survive.¡± He breathed deep, loosening his tightened grip on Bartholomew. ¡°I get it.¡± She gestured around them at the signs of the monster invasions and fighting. ¡°I¡¯ve been told this place looks tame compared to what Midrath was first like, and I can¡¯t even fathom that. If all of this is tame?¡± ¡°Surviving through the worst of it¡­ Well, people often forget how awful things really were. So focused on surviving and seeking things that make it easier, no wonder.¡± Maybe if he hadn¡¯t lost BB, he¡¯d be the same as the others. But the constant reminder of soul-wrenching pain didn¡¯t let him ignore the truth of what they¡¯d survived through, the horror of it all, and how much it had taken from all of them. Nobody had survived through it and remained the same. Of that, he was certain. Even now, the endless pit of wrath boiling in his gut threatened to spill over. The Asura wished to manifest and release his wrath upon the world, but he was the one in control. It would bend to his will until he called it forth. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The longer we take to find them¡­¡± ¡°Lead the way.¡± Book Three, Chapter Fifteen: Recovery Operations Raising the map, Josh tried to identify landmarks that would match up with what they¡¯d been provided. But there was a problem. ¡°Where¡¯d it all go?¡± Rocks crunched under his boots as he walked forward into the crater of what had been their destination, the location of a refugee camp. The ground had sunken like a bowl, bowing inward from a great impact. There hadn¡¯t been any signs of an explosion around the area either, leaving them both perplexed. The clear blue skies seemingly robbed the monumental destruction that took place of any impact, as it was so peaceful, quiet. Maybe too quiet. ¡°Yeah¡­ not a good sign. I wonder if anyone got out. Was this a collapse, or did something step on them?¡± Maria glanced at the sky uneasily. ¡°Hopefully nothing that big roaming around.¡± ¡°The territory was still a rank two, so I doubt it¡­ I¡¯m not so sure though.¡± He placed the map in his back pocket and used his trusty eyes to look around, not that they identified much more than rubble and an abnormal crater. ¡°Not sure what to do here. Think we should move on to the next area?¡± ¡°Is there anything else we can do? It¡¯s not like we can scan for life signs or anything.¡± The feeble attempt at a joke came out more worried than anything. ¡°I could shout quite loudly to ask if anyone¡¯s around, but that would also attract any unfriendlies in the area. You think we could handle that? I¡¯d feel bad not trying anything though.¡± Josh shrugged. ¡°Might as well try it. Couldn¡¯t hurt anything to try.¡± He cupped his hands around his mouth and smirked. ¡°Feels kind of funny to be shouting when magic and the like is a thing now.¡± ¡°Use what you got, right?¡± ¡°Guess so. Here goes nothing.¡± Josh breathed deep and bellowed with all his might, ¡°Anybody out there?¡± To his surprise, Maria¡¯s voice overwhelmed his own. ¡°Hey! You! Guys!¡± They waited. Nothing happened for several moments, not until the ground began rumbling. ¡°Keep it down up there! Are you trying to get us all killed?¡± Maria immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. ¡°Oops.¡± ¡°I think we angered the neighbors.¡± A part of the ground shifted into a hole, and a moleman with spectacles hanging from its face to rest on a beard that went down to its stout stomach shook a fist at them. Josh scratched his chin and looked toward Maria. ¡°Not quite what I was expecting.¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for the refugees that were camped here. Can you direct us?¡± ¡°Where yer manners, youngin? Ye come bargin¡¯ into mah home, yappin¡¯ yer trap, makin¡¯ a mighty fuss of things ¡®n¡¯ don¡¯ have proper respect tah give yer elder an apology before askin¡¯ fer a favor? New worlds these days, I¡¯ll say! Pah! Cannae even spare a shed of decency to us older newfolk, humph.¡± ¡°Sorry to disturb you. Do you know what happened here, or not?¡± ¡°¡®Course ah do. Was me ¡®n¡¯ mine, after all,¡± the grumpy mole-person muttered before jumping into the hole it just came out of. It shouted indistinctive growls and guttural sounds they couldn¡¯t make sense of. Moments later, a middle-aged woman poked her head out from the hole and gasped. ¡°It¡¯s really true.¡± She followed the mole-person back down into the hole, hollering as well. ¡°Like peas in a pod,¡± muttered Maria. ¡°Birds of a feather, I suppose,¡± Josh agreed. People started coming up through the opened hole. Maria let out a relieved sigh, and Josh counted the lot as they exited. ¡°Fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty. A decent sized lot we have here.¡± Already, he weighed the logistics of escorting all sixty people to the next refugee camp against protocol, which told them to return with any group over fifty people. He went to grab Maria and pull her aside to speak to her about what to do next, only to find she¡¯d already rushed off into the crowd. ¡°Josh! Over here!¡± She waved, sounding happier than she¡¯d been in a while. ¡°They¡¯re alive!¡± Before doing so, Josh took out the map and circled the location, writing ¡°grouchy mole people¡± over his scribbling of a giant crater. Finished with that, since he was liable to forget, he stuffed both pen and map back into his pocket and took a deep breath. ¡°This is out of my comfort zone,¡± he grumbled, seeing three children, two adults, and an elderly lady around Maria. ¡°Way, way out of my comfort zone.¡± ¡°Come meet my family!¡± she called, waving him toward them again. Resigned to his fate, he nodded and approached, waving awkwardly. ¡°Nice to meet you all. Glad to see you¡¯re all safe.¡± ¡°Oooh, look how big he is! Is this your boyfriend? You sure have been busy while you¡¯ve been gone. When¡¯s the wedding?¡± another middle-aged woman resembling Maria rapidly fired off. ¡°Momma, you¡¯re embarrassing!¡± Maria¡¯s cheeks were rose red, and she tried taking shelter behind the very person that had done the embarrassing, to which her mom stepped aside. ¡°Well, sweetheart, you¡¯re mom¡¯s got a point,¡± the elderly lady said, standing beside Josh and feeling his arms. ¡°What great muscles he¡¯s got. Looks like such a hard worker, and oh! He¡¯s blushing! He¡¯s a sweetheart, fit for my granddaughter.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not good enough for you, sis!¡± ¡°He¡¯s big and scary!¡± ¡°Yeah, just look at his face. He looks like he could scare paint off a wall. Like, geez man, lighten up.¡± Outnumbered six to one, no ready answer came to mind. Where was he supposed to start with this? Uncertainty demanded he do something, so his confused brain decided to simply wave and smile. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Put those things away!¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna scare little Timmy!¡± ¡°Scare me? He¡¯d scare the dead back to life with that smile.¡± The elderly lady smiled, wrinkles creasing around her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s so nice to meet you, young man. I¡¯m so looking forward to the wedding.¡± She wiped a tear from her eye. ¡°I¡¯ll get to see one of my grandchildren married before my time comes.¡± ¡°Mom! Don¡¯t talk like that. You¡¯re still a healthy young lady.¡± Maria¡¯s mom approached Josh, leaning forward. ¡°If you don¡¯t treat her right, I¡¯ll be sure to feed you to one of the monsters. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Even though he logically knew he could probably crush her with a single finger, her power was far more intimidating than anything he¡¯d encountered to date. She held a hand out for him to shake, and he took it gently. ¡°Nice to meet you. All of you. I¡¯ve heard a lot from Maria.¡± Now that he¡¯d deflected the attention momentarily, he sent the girl in question an apologetic look. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Oh? Do tell what kinds of things our sweetheart has said about us?¡± Maria¡¯s mother said, eyes slitted like that of a snake. ¡°I-I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have plenty of time for that while we¡¯re on the road.¡± Maria faked checking a watch. ¡°Oh, would you look at the time? We¡¯ve gotta get going. Places to be, things to do!¡± Josh watched Maria scamper off, rallying the rest of the group and preparing to set off. ¡°And then there was one.¡± ¡°Now that she¡¯s gone, I suppose proper introductions are in order. I¡¯m Tabitha. You¡¯ve met Mama. The one with an attitude problem is Jamie, my little helper is Ray, and the biggest pain in my butt out of them all is Timmy.¡± She pointed to each as she named them off, and Josh committed them to memory as if his life depended on it. ¡°Now,¡± she took his arm and began walking toward Maria, Mama grabbing the other, ¡°let¡¯s talk about the future, why don¡¯t we? I¡¯m very excited to see what kind of ideas you have for a wedding.¡± ¡°Mhmm, very excited,¡± Mama agreed, nodding. No matter how hard he tried to meet Maria¡¯s eyes to beg for help, he could tell she intentionally avoided looking in his direction. ¡°Traitor.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Tabitha asked, her snake eyes sending a tingle of danger down his spine. ¡°N-nothing, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± * ¡°This is such a logistical nightmare.¡± With the map in hand atop a large hill, Josh looked around. Even from there, he could see the amount of monsters infesting the territories ahead. ¡°Well, we can always turn back for Zion and come back out after we¡¯ve gotten them all registered,¡± suggested Maria, though he couldn¡¯t figure out if she was trying to convince him or herself. Josh looked over his shoulder and saw Tabitha glaring up at them and Mama waving with a great big smile on her face. ¡°Yeah, definitely not. So what can we do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not really my specialty, oh fearless leader.¡± She shrugged. ¡°About how much farther until we get to the next camp? Maybe there will be fighters there that can help us? One of us could go forth and clear the way.¡± ¡°One of us, huh?¡± He had a good idea of who she meant, and he didn¡¯t like the idea of leaving her to defend the entire group¡¯s perimeter alone. ¡°Let¡¯s try to think of other options first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m all ears.¡± She flipped her hand axes in her hands, easily catching them and flipping them again to create a smooth motion. ¡°But I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have much of a choice if we don¡¯t think of something fast. Momma¡¯s watching us like a hawk, and she¡¯ll take over if we don¡¯t decide on something here soon.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Josh checked the map again and pointed toward a landmark he could recognize, a fallen water tower, ¡°the next camp is supposedly just a bit beyond that. If it were just us, I wouldn¡¯t be too worried. But¡­¡± She raised a hand to block out the sun and grunted. ¡°Looks like a lizardmen¡¯s den. Moving with so many people, we¡¯re likely to attract all sorts of attention.¡± ¡°Hence logistical nightmare.¡± He tapped on Bartholomew, considering how much food they didn¡¯t have and how many mouths that would be hungry in the near future. Consulting the map again, he found a convenience store listed as a resource depot and searched for it, pointing. ¡°It¡¯s toward the edge of the den, but we might be able to camp there tonight and get supplies for everyone. It would be easier to defend, and only one of us would need to stick around to defend the group. When the sun rises, we¡¯d be able to set off again.¡± ¡°Not the worst idea, and I can¡¯t think of anything better. Let¡¯s do it.¡± Before they could move, footsteps approached. It was Tabitha. ¡°You both look like you need some help. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Josh¡¯s first instinct was to tell her they¡¯d figured out a workable plan, but Maria beat him to the response. ¡°We¡¯ve got a bit of an issue with the size of our perimeter up ahead and the lack of food and water for everyone. There¡¯s a convenience store up ahead we want to take shelter in, but with a group this size, we¡¯re not sure we can cover everyone safely.¡± Tabitha nodded. ¡°I know a few people have fought before. I can check to see if there¡¯s anybody willing to help out with guard duty or something, if that¡¯s what we need to keep moving. People are starting to get restless and have been complaining about hearing noises from the back of the group.¡± Peering toward the back of the formation, Josh watched for any signs of movement. He didn¡¯t see anything obvious, but he wasn¡¯t so inexperienced to dismiss reports just because a cursory glance didn¡¯t find anything. ¡°Please talk with anybody who might be able to help,¡± Maria responded in his stead. She glanced his way, but seeing his focus, she left him be, taking her mom¡¯s hand and heading down the hill. ¡°Join us when you can.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± At times like this, Josh wished he had some kind of sensory ability. But that had never been his thing. Would come in handy right about now. After a few minutes of searching for any signs of a threat at the rear, he turned his attention back toward the convenience store they¡¯d be using as shelter overnight. ¡°This is gonna get messy, and fast. Let¡¯s hope someone down there can help us out, even just a little.¡± The small town had held up better than most they¡¯d seen. The buildings and houses looked well enough for people to live in, meaning it acted as shelter for potential enemies too. He had a bad feeling about pushing forward and really considered going back to Zion. But he was strong. Maria believed in him, so he would too. He¡¯d protect everyone, find his family, and get them all back to the safety of Zion¡¯s encampment. That was the mission he set off with, and he¡¯d see it through. Though, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling he¡¯d overlooked something. He pushed away the feeling and headed back down the hill to join the resting group. ¡°There he is. Just in time to make introductions,¡± Maria said, taking her place by his side. There were five others lined up in a row. Each looked as if they¡¯d experienced a variety of what the new world had become. ¡°In order, Fred, Melissa, AJ, Vivian, and Bruce.¡± ¡°Have you all been debriefed on your responsibilities?¡± asked Josh, eyeing each one. From a quick glance, he could derive each of their capabilities. ¡°We have,¡± Tabitha said, joining their ranks with a bow in hand and a quiver at her side. ¡°Anyone have sensory abilities of any kind?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t know that was a thing,¡± the one introduced as Fred said, looking sorry. The others agreed in disjointed murmuring. Josh nodded and glanced toward the back of their group, holding back a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I didn¡¯t expect any, but it¡¯d be irresponsible not to check.¡± Feeling his tension and observative as ever, Maria grabbed his arm and gently turned him so the others couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯ve been on edge since talking to my mom. Something I need to know?¡± He thought long and hard about what to tell her in the brief seconds they made eye contact. His nervous glance gave him away, and her eyes hardened. ¡°Fine. Back at the crater, things were a bit too quiet. Why was it that everyone was hiding underground with the mole people?¡± He pointed a finger toward their row of six. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s worth asking about before we walk into a lizardmen den and get blindsided by something that we might¡¯ve disturbed. Just a thought, but it¡¯s been nagging at me.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve come pretty far from there though? You think something would be¡ªoh. That¡¯s why you asked about sensory abilities.¡± She chewed the inside of her cheek, thinking for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Better safe than sorry.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking.¡± He was glad she understood his concern and watched as she turned back toward the others. ¡°I¡¯ll address this simply, as it¡¯s important information that might alter the trajectory of our plans. We¡¯re running low on time, so I¡¯ll be blunt. Why were you all hiding with the mole people instead of seeking refuge elsewhere?¡± Tabitha stepped up to answer and opened her mouth, but before she could get a word in, the one introduced as Vivian fell to her knees, wailing. ¡°M-my husband! Th-they killed him!¡± AJ knelt beside Vivian and tried to calm the woman down as Fred helpfully answered. ¡°There are monsters unlike any others, and I came from pretty far out. They like the thrill of the hunt and stalk their prey, unseen and unheard.¡± He glanced behind them. ¡°I¡¯d wager they¡¯re already on our trail, even as we speak, if they aren¡¯t already waiting for an opportunity to pounce.¡± ¡°Maria, head count. Now.¡± Josh took the warning at face value and headed to the back of the group¡¯s perimeter, scanning everything he could see. There was still nothing, and again, that nagging feeling warily clenched his chest tight. ¡°A monster like that¡­ What can it be?¡± ¡°Hey¡­¡± Maria¡¯s voice was low, quiet, as if trying not to be overheard. ¡°The count¡¯s off.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s missing?¡± He kept his eyes peeled for any movements he¡¯d missed, but still, nothing changed. ¡°That¡¯s just it. Nobody¡¯s missing.¡± Her eyes glanced to the side toward the group. ¡°There¡¯s too many people. My count¡­ It was sixty-eight.¡± ¡°Extra people snuck into the group?¡± But why wouldn¡¯t they have announced themselves? ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s getting dark soon, and most monsters hunt at night. The last thing we want is to be caught in the open. We have to get to shelter regardless of our newcomers¡¯ intentions.¡± ¡°But that puts everyone in danger!¡± she hissed, panicked eyes darting to her siblings and grandmother. ¡°And they weren¡¯t in danger before?¡± ¡°We at least knew where the danger was before. This¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°What? Not fair? Isn¡¯t so simple? More dangerous than you expected it to be?¡± He lifted his club over his shoulder and turned away. ¡°Prepare to move.¡± Book Three, Chapter Sixteen: I’m Not Made For This Trekking over the hill with the group in as secure of a perimeter as they could muster took longer than either Maria or Josh expected, both used to time with system-enhanced and those with greater capabilities. By the time they approached the small town¡¯s edges, dusk had settled and night would soon be upon them. Josh led, Maria took the back, and he¡¯d posted three of their new recruits to either side. But still, he felt uneasy as he pressed onward, restless and wary. At any moment, the lizardmen could find out their plan and rally the den against them. The worry creeping through his veins and tightening his chest was not one for himself. He could handle himself, as could Maria. He hadn¡¯t tested Tabitha or the others, didn¡¯t know what they were capable of, and there were so many to protect as they moved. He could only hope for the best and prepare for the worst, battle strategies and contingency plans coming and going by the dozen. The ground under his feet became hard as he passed over the threshold from soft dirt to paved road. They¡¯d entered the den, even if only its edges. Not to mention the newcomers amongst them. There was a short distance of road they needed to cross to get to the first building within the town. No cover provided aid to their cause until they crossed. Josh struggled to see much, though what he could make out lacked any lizardmen skulking around in wait. They¡¯d established the plan for crossing here prior to departing. He took the lead, going ahead alone, and confirmed there were no lizardmen in wait. At the corner of the building, he gestured for the others to cross, keeping a lookout. Vivian and Fred came closest to him on either side of the group, with AJ and Melissa taking the center, and Tabitha and Bruce covering the sides of the rear. The group didn¡¯t move quietly, their footsteps, heavy breathing, and near-panicked cries sounding like a dead giveaway to Josh. He counted and waited once the group crossed, followed by the rear guard. By the time they crossed, he¡¯d moved to the far end of the building, peering through doors and windows to ensure there were no surprises as he passed by. ¡°Mama, I¡¯m scared!¡± Josh winced. Ray¡¯s voice carried clearly through the tentative quiet. Josh turned back and raised a finger to his lips, begging silence. Mama nodded, hoisting up the young child in her arms, though he couldn¡¯t help but notice how her breath hitched from the efforts. ¡°You need to be quiet,¡± she whispered, shushing the terrified boy. ¡°We need to be sneaky, alright? Everything¡¯s going to be fine.¡± Her own concern trembled in her voice, making the statement less convincing, but Ray nodded and hid his face against her shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± Her kind eyes met his, despite the visible pain. He mouthed his thanks and focused on pressing forward. She¡¯d been right, they were almost there. But at the same time, the hard part had only just started. And for all he hoped they¡¯d make it to the convenience store without an issue, something in his gut told him a fuse was burning and his quiet time was limited. All he could do was hope for the best and press on across an alleyway, checking inside the next building as he passed, finding it empty too, and then moving to the beginning of the next road clearing. When he looked around the corner, he quickly popped his head back behind cover. A patrol of three lizardmen headed their way, about halfway down the road from where he hid. Each carried spears and looked ready to use them. He gestured hastily for everyone to get out of sight, before the lizardmen reached the intersection. The subsequent amount of whispers and careless movement was enough to make him wince, but at least they managed to either slip inside or crouch behind the building. He took up a position against the wall, beside the door, with a tiny sliver of view on the road. Hopefully, the patrol wouldn¡¯t turn up this way. It would be nice to get through this without causing a huge ruckus. * D¡¯kak hissed a quiet tune to himself as he and his partners wandered up the path leading out of the nest-town. He considered the extended patrol route excessive, but who was he to complain about an excuse to walk around outside? True, the sun was going down, chill growing in the air, but after weeks of nursery duty he was well and truly tired of staying inden. ¡°What¡¯s there?¡± Bri¡¯shk nodded toward the remaining block-buildings, tongue flicking curiously. ¡°Snack?¡± D¡¯kak silenced himself immediately, falling fully still to taste the wind for himself. ¡°Yesss¡­¡± Resk¡¯ek¡¯s tail flicked in agreement, then fell still with concern. ¡°Very large snack?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. D¡¯kak crouched, verifying the assessment. ¡°Too large?¡± ¡°Is there a too large snack?¡± Bri¡¯shk leaned around the corner of the nearest block-building, hissed, and withdrew. ¡°I¡¯m not overfull after the week we¡¯ve had.¡± D¡¯kak flicked agreement, but Resk¡¯ek remained stiff. ¡°Too large. Even the bite of lemmings is dangerous if enough gather.¡± ¡°To a clutchling, perhaps.¡± Bri¡¯shk hissed derisively. ¡°I do not fear a thousand lemmings, though they bury me with their corpses.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so hungry, you go.¡± Resk¡¯ek began to back away. ¡°We were sent to search because of threat-whispers, not to hunt. Too much prey can become a predator. I will report the finding.¡± D¡¯kak huffed at his partners, putting a halt to the argument. ¡°We report or we hunt together. Never divide.¡± ¡°Never divide,¡± Resk¡¯ek echoed reluctantly. ¡°Will either of you choose to follow the other?¡± ¡°I hunger,¡± Bri¡¯shk insisted, gripping the spear tighter. ¡°We need not fear this.¡± ¡°I will follow you,¡± Resk¡¯ek told D¡¯kak, ¡°but know we must return. If we die for your hunger, my spirit will devour your children.¡± ¡°As if your spirit were so strong,¡± Bri¡¯shk retorted. ¡°Our children are in no danger whatever we do here.¡± D¡¯kak looked between them, tasting the wind again as he considered the options. ¡°I do hunger,¡± he said at last. ¡°But there is truth in the wisdom of shared knowledge.¡± Bri¡¯shk snarled and stomped the spear against the ground, then raised his voice in a hiss. Unlike the quiet sibilance of their normal conversation which could be mistaken for a rustle of leaves, this was loud enough to echo off the block-buildings and assault D¡¯kak¡¯s hearing with its sharpness. ¡°We return.¡± D¡¯kak waited no longer and turned to march back toward the den-heart. He felt the footsteps of Resk¡¯ek and Bri¡¯shk as they fell in beside him. Half his spirit expected to hear a horde of lemmings rushing after them, but aside from Bri¡¯shk¡¯s brief defiance, nothing else broke the stillness. * When no lizardmen rounded the corner and screamed bloody murder to alert the den, Josh stepped out from the doorway, crept alongside the building¡¯s wall, and peered down the road he¡¯d seen them coming up. They were nowhere in sight. That didn¡¯t ease his concern. He turned and gestured for the others to form up again and crossed the road to the next building, pulling out the map. Little light remained in the sky and made finding their destination in reference to where they were positioned difficult and arduous. By the time he oriented them and finalized the route and committed it to memory, the group already began crossing behind him and lined up alongside the wall. Another five roads needed to be crossed before they¡¯d reach their destination, but the store had a large parking lot facing them. Three intersections later, and they¡¯d encountered no further sign of lizardman presence. It made Josh all the more wary, but they were losing light by the moment and couldn¡¯t afford to delay. They needed to move faster. He beckoned the group forward. ¡°Ah¡ªow!¡± The sound of flesh smacking pavement and its accompanying cry echoed, the silent twilight unkind in its last moments. Josh didn¡¯t dare look back to see who¡¯d fallen, muscles tensed and bunched to strike. Without light to guide their path, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised to have several more similar incidences. They were so close, but he¡¯d known this would be tight, had known getting to the store without drawing the ire of the den would be as futile an effort as they came. ¡°We should split up,¡± one of the guys whose name he hadn¡¯t gotten said, looking back and forth between Josh and the buildings around them and the destination beyond. ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯ll get everyone across at once. Smaller groups might have a better chance. And we can hide in buildings if we can¡¯t make it.¡± ¡°Smaller groups might be discovered and killed,¡± Josh growled back. But the guy was right about one thing. What they were doing wasn¡¯t working. He racked his brain for a plan that would work to get everyone to the store safely. ¡°Then take the best fighters first, make sure the path is clear. If there¡¯s a fight, the rest of us can hide. If you make it fine, we¡¯ll be able to follow.¡± Eyeing the nameless man, Josh approached him, eyes hardened. ¡°If there¡¯s a fight, there won¡¯t be a place to hide.¡± When he looked beyond the man, he could see the clear fear in everyone¡¯s eyes, even those tasked to defend the group. He called loud enough so that Maria could hear. ¡°Change of plan. You take everyone to the store. Subtlety be damned. When you get there, restrain anybody who decides they want to act out.¡± ¡°What are you gonna do?¡± asked Fred, the nearest of his recruit. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go say hi to our lizard friends and keep them company for the night.¡± He¡¯d been playing things too carefully due to those hiding amongst the group of refugees, but slinking around like Isaac would wasn¡¯t his style. Tabitha eyed him from the back, uncertainty and doubt evident. Maria already made her way forward to take Josh¡¯s place, leaving the rear vulnerable. ¡°You sure about this?¡± she asked. ¡°More sure than this plan. We¡¯ve taken too long. There¡¯s no light, which allows the lizardmen to hide. Not sure if you know this, but they don¡¯t purely rely on their eyes to find prey. They use their tongues to taste the air,¡± he explained, pointing back the way they¡¯d come. ¡°And they¡¯re not stupid.¡± Maria nodded. ¡°Okay, I trust you. If you think this is best, then I¡¯ll make sure everyone is okay.¡± ¡°Get whoever fell bandaged up after you secure the entrances,¡± he instructed, tapping Bartholomew against the ground as he turned to address the rest of the group. ¡°Now, does everyone understand the plan?¡± ¡°N-not really¡­¡± Vivian muttered, holding up a wand that looked more like a twig than a medium for magical mayhem. Josh pointed to the store, not too far down the road and across the parking lot. ¡°Well, it¡¯s time for a little bit of cardio.¡± Book Three, Chapter Seventeen: This Way Is Much Better ¡°High-Warden, these ones have located the many-lemming taste,¡± D¡¯kak reported, crouching in respect before their queen. The dim chamber was vast and gleamed slick with viscous acids. ¡°They are coming from the south and advancing inward.¡± D¡¯kak¡¯s partners crouched behind him, all three awaiting instruction. High-Warden hissed and closed her eyes, reaching out with all four hands upraised. ¡°Call back the scouts. Clear the nesting chambers and fall back to Deephome.¡± She rose to her feet, conjuring a sphere of force in each hand. ¡°I will hold the gate.¡± D¡¯kak nearly toppled backward on his tail. ¡°High-Warden?¡± ¡°Do not question me. Go. Now. Protect our children. Look to them for your new queen.¡± D¡¯kak scrambled to his feet, the severity of her orders suddenly striking his heart. The three of them didn¡¯t waste time with salutes, only ran from the chamber and up the tunnels to spread her orders. So dramatic was the response that Resk¡¯ek didn¡¯t even say ¡®I told you so¡¯. They were halfway done with organizing a hasty withdrawal before the shouting started. Incoherent, echoing snarls that nearly deafened him even at this distance. Repeated bellows of rage. D¡¯kak had never in his life trembled at the cry of a lemming before, but this was beyond nature¡¯s boundaries. By the time the sound stopped, he found himself on the far edge of the nest-town, and only then remembered that he was carrying four clutchlings. Supposed to be. Three clung to him, hissing softly in fear. The fourth¡­ D¡¯kak trembled, but he could not leave his charge behind. Ushering the three into the mouth of a collapsed tunnel, he placed a scale in front of the opening to keep them in place and rushed back toward the center. So he saw when High-Warden emerged, power rippling around her in four perfect spheres, overlapping at the edges to surround her fully, and the loud lemming stepped forward to meet her. * When Josh screamed ¡°COME FACE ME,¡± he was pleasantly surprised that the lizardman den did indeed simply send out their biggest, strongest-looking combatant to face him directly. Though if not for the strength of its aura, he might not have seen it coming. The dim light favored the four-armed reptilian humanoid, its scales close enough in texture to the surrounding gravel that it could move with near-invisibility. A lesser man may have thought ¡®I¡¯ll avoid direct confrontation with the biggest, strongest baddie out here, in conditions that are unfavorable for me.¡¯ Josh had no such hesitation. He charged, roaring at the top of his lungs. When he set out to be distracting, he wasn¡¯t going to half-ass it. He ran at the opponent, which was walking steadily to meet him, swinging Bartholemew in an overhead power attack that should crush anything it touched to pulp. Unfortunately, while the lizardman champion may seem to be walking calmly to its death, it wasn¡¯t as undefended as it looked. A moment before the blow would have landed, it struck something else instead. Something sticky and wobbly that flowed like a balloon full of thick liquid under the weight of his attack, then tried to hold Bartholemew by the spikes as he moved to wind up another attack. White light spread out from the impact point, a shockwave rippling out from the connection point and showing the wobbly thing for what it was¡ªa sphere of a shield around the lizardman champion. No, four shields, overlapped to protect the four-armed champion from all directions. Josh took that as a challenge and grinned. When the ripple of light touched the overlapping edge of the other bubbles, each of those rippled in turn with a dimmer, slower pulse of light. Before he¡¯d even withdrawn his weapon for a second strike, the initial bubble sprang back into its original shape. He smashed Bartholemew down again. The four-armed lizardman champion fell to its knees with the strike, but its shields again rippled and dispersed the momentum rather than breaking. We¡¯ll see how long that lasts. Take this! This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. He went into a rapid flurry, hitting hard and fast from every direction in an unending flow of violence, albeit one that caused not a ripple to the magic his opponent wore around itself. The lizardman champion struggled to its feet, the brief reprieve bolstering its waning confidence. Falsely, as it turned out, because Josh wasn¡¯t actually hitting the shields. He was storing the momentum, preparing. His purpose here wasn''t to end the fight as fast as he could, so he circled his foe. Like a predator to trapped prey, he''d take his time. ¡°Come on now, princess. Let''s dance!¡± the many armed lizard regarded him, shrinking away and back toward where it had come. ¡°Don''t even think about it, or I''ll level this entire den. Don''t think I''ll spare a single soul.¡± He doubted the creature could understand him, but it stopped its backpedaling. Four of its six arms clasped together, then pulled apart. Each held an odd spinning ball that kicked up a small cloud of dust. ¡°That''s what I''m talking about!¡± Josh raised Bartholomew, taking a batter''s stance. ¡°How good''s your pitching, princess, ¡®cause I''m the best batter around.¡± The creature reared back and launched as fast as it could. Josh eyed it, the balls of his feet pivoting, his waist torquing, and his shoulders bringing Bartholomew forward to crash into the sphere. It dissipated upon contact, the force being absorbed into the bat. He smirked. ¡°That was pretty weak. Gotta do better than that.¡± As if understanding him, the lizard growled and threw another sphere, followed by a second. ¡°Getting creative? But throwing more of them isn¡¯t gonna change anything if there¡¯s no more power behind them. Thought you might¡¯ve been smarter than that.¡± As with the first, he hit the first, quickly resetting and swinging to hit the trailing sphere. ¡°Too easy. Better give it all you got, ¡®cause this is the last chance I¡¯m giving you.¡± The domes of force shielding the lizard creature flickered weakly as the final ball tripled in size, held in all four hands. It held it over its head, knees shaking from the weight. With a running start, its weight magnified by the oversized sphere shaking the ground, it launched the last sphere. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about!¡± He reset his position, eyeing the slow moving ball with excitement. The closer it came to him, the greater the acceleration. He set his stance. The ground ripped up from the sphere¡¯s passage. Torrents of air batted Josh from afar, but he remained still, unmovable. Then it was there. Josh swung, Bartholomew hitting dead center and absorbing as much as the force behind the powered sphere as possible, but it didn¡¯t dissipate. Josh¡¯s feet slid back, the pressure behind the attack great. Bartholomew did what it could, but Josh¡¯s arms began to buckle, shaking from strain. ¡°Tch. Good one.¡± He¡¯d underestimated the creature and was forced to deflect the attack away. As he went to reposition himself to guide the sphere off Bartholomew, a kick smacked the side of his leg and brought him to his knee, dropping his guard and allowing what remained of the force ball to slam right into him. Skidding back a step, he followed up with a single handed attack, smacking Bartholomew into the shields sheltering the creature and unleashing the pent up force. ¡°Pretty sturdy, aren¡¯t we?¡± Josh wiped dirt off himself and shook out the aches from his limbs and chest. ¡°Guess we''ll have to try something else to get through that defense of yours.¡± Josh tapped into his Patron''s power as the creature warily eyed him. Bartholomew shifted from its bat form to gauntlets, squealing with glee as he clenched his fists. Fighting Spirit suffocated the air with his weaponized Essence aura, bursting with immutable defiance. The heady rush of power that he''d since become adjusted to flowed through him. ¡°Let''s see how you handle this.¡± His punches carried greater weight than anything he could bring to bear with Bartholomew, cracking through shield after shield, but not fast enough to destroy them all. ¡°This is great! Let''s kick it up a notch. Try to hold in there just a little longer, little lizard.¡± His size increased by double, his new size stretching and tearing his shirt and pants. ¡°I really like that outfit.¡± Red tracing emblazoned his skin and amplified the power coursing through him. Even this form wasn''t too much for him anymore, but the doubling of power still made his breath hitch. His rain of punches made progress, explosive power breaching the layers of shielding faster than the lizard creature could erect new barriers. Josh peeked behind him to see the last of the group slipping into the convenience store, shrugged, and turned to regard his plaything. ¡°Guess it''s time to end things. How long will you last?¡± In rapid succession, his four illusory arms condensed into two, then the two illusory arms overlapped with his own. Bartholomew¡¯s gauntleted form adapted without issue, ready and willing to be the tool in which he embraced violence and bloodshed. They increased in size as he entered the third form, then condensed with the fourth. ¡°Time to die. Asura''s Wrath!¡± The temporary buff magnified his strength and busted through the sky with a violent golden-orange light. ¡°Goodbye, little lizard. This was fun.¡± Josh dashed across the distance and punched forward. Everything in front of him in a cone ceased to exist. * D¡¯kak ran down the incline, scooping up the cowering clutchling, then a flare of brilliant light pierced blindingly into his eyes. He couldn¡¯t look away. The attacking lemming bounced off High-Warden¡¯s shield, lighting it up more than D¡¯kak had ever seen. Not only that, but the attack took all four shields to absorb. No¡­ not absorb. Slow down. With a crack like lightning, two of High-Warden¡¯s shields shattered and disappeared, followed almost immediately by the third. Only by throwing herself backward, allowing the momentum of the lemming to hurl her into the air, did she even survive. She flew halfway across the above-ground and slammed into the earth hard enough that her fourth and final shield cracked and dissipated. Sparks of faint yellow light were left in her wake, one marking the point where each of her shields had been destroyed. She snatched the nearest one, gripping it tightly in a fist and pressing it to her chest, but D¡¯kak could see there was no way for her to recover the others in her current condition. The glowing lemming shrieked again and charged, closing the distance. There was no way she¡¯d survive another attack like that. D¡¯kak turned and ran. It was up to them to ensure the future of their den. Very, very far away from here. Book Theee, Chapter Eighteen: Gossip And Blizzards With Josh off raising hell, Maria was left with the job of coordinating a terrified pack of refugees into the hopeful shelter of their chosen convenience store. With any luck, there could be food left as well, but she had the uneasy feeling that anything here would be long since looted. Right now, shelter for the night was the highest priority, which should help with not being eaten by monsters. There was some very loud shouting and smacking coming from the direction Josh had run off, which thankfully more than covered the hushed panic and varied stumbling or running footsteps of the group making across the open pavement. There were occasional cars sitting slumped on nibbled tires or with other parts conspicuously absent, but not nearly enough to provide proper cover if anything were to glance their direction. Several of the people Maria hadn¡¯t been introduced to yet were carefully corralling several of the younger kids along, watchful lest any tried to run off. From what she¡¯d seen, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but she was glad of the extra vigilance nonetheless. She scanned in all directions, but didn¡¯t see anything. Whether that was because there was nothing to see, or the dim light working against them, she couldn¡¯t be certain. The first two to reach the destination, Vivian and Fred, scanned the inside through the broken glass doors, gesturing that it seemed clear and they¡¯d be going in. Maria checked the outside groups, then made her way quickly to join Fred and Vivian. The interior was dark, electricity absent. Vivian turned on the flashlight on her phone, scanning it over the interior. It was a scene of mayhem. Racks and shelves laid haphazardly strewn about, various foodstuffs had been spilled or crushed underfoot, and the smell? It reeked of putrid rot and decay. She had enough sense not to gag too hard, but she held the collar of her shirt over her nose. ¡°Not sure if this is a good place to stay the night, Josh,¡± she muttered quietly. Others didn¡¯t have the heart or stomach to subject themselves to the stench, not that she blamed them, and decided to run the risk of waiting outside for things to calm down. Again, she couldn¡¯t blame them, though it did reduce the efficiency of their ¡®hide until morning¡¯ strategy. Considering the noise she heard from Josh¡¯s side of things, she didn¡¯t think hiding would be much of a necessity for much longer. Even she felt intimidation in her chest from the blanket of power wafting over the entire area like nuclear fallout. ¡°He¡¯s definitely strong.¡± ¡°That he is, baby girl.¡± Her mom walked out from the store, waving the air in front of her face as if that would cleanse her nostrils of the smell. ¡°I can only imagine what he went through to become that strong. Surely you wouldn¡¯t hold out on juicy gossip from your momma?¡± ¡°You know I don¡¯t gossip, ma.¡± She looked around to see if anybody was close enough to hear her, frowned, and turned to look at her mom. ¡°He¡¯s been through a lot. He was in the first wave that got caught up in all this craziness. I don¡¯t press him for too much details about what he¡¯s been through, but I can see it¡¯s taken its toll. Like, I don¡¯t even know what his powers are, aside from what the rumor mill has to say, and you know all about that.¡± ¡°There is some truth in rumors, sweetheart. What do these rumors tell you?¡± ¡°Nothing that I can¡¯t see with my own eyes.¡± She waved her mom¡¯s look of curiosity away. ¡°What about our unexpected guests? Have you identified them?¡± ¡°Saw them come in, but I figured if mole people can be helpful, maybe they can too.¡± Maria leveled an expressionless look at her mom. ¡°You saw them? And didn¡¯t say anything? Do you know what they are?¡± ¡°I did, didn¡¯t, and do. Pretty sure I just made that pretty clear, hun.¡± Her mom pursed her lips. ¡°Vivian¡¯s husband attacked them when he saw what they could do.¡± ¡°And?¡± Maria¡¯s curiosity bubbled, warring against the urge to drag her mom inside and have her show her which eight weren¡¯t among the initial group. ¡°They can shapeshift and just so happened to shapeshift into Vivian¡¯s husband, Mark, and perfectly copied his voice, mannerisms, and everything. It was nearly impossible to tell them apart, but the shapeshifters weren¡¯t aggressive. They only defended themselves when they were attacked,¡± her mom explained, sighing deeply. ¡°Things are so strange.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°You can say that twice,¡± Maria muttered, flinching as the sky erupted in a orange-gold light that temporarily made the night look as if it were day. Then silence. Her mom tilted her head in the direction of the light, then looked back at Maria. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious to know what his powers are?¡± ¡°Of course I am. And he¡¯ll tell me when he¡¯s ready. Not like I¡¯m gonna go stalking him to see what he¡¯s capable of. Like you said, the rumors have a hint of truth in them. He¡¯s incredibly powerful, and that¡¯s all I care to know. The specifics don¡¯t really matter to me.¡± The sound of their conversation traveled in the dead silence, nobody else willing to pick up whatever conversations they¡¯d been having. ¡°He¡¯s a good man and treats me right. You always told me that was the most important thing about finding a partner.¡± ¡°Oh, so you do know how to listen?¡± Grinning, her mom placed a hand on Maria¡¯s shoulder and pointed. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone then.¡± Her mom made a hasty retreat, plugging her nose, and disappeared back into the store. Maria didn¡¯t have to look hard to find what her mom had meant. Josh swaggered over, his chest bare and pants in tatters. Golden gauntlets she¡¯d never seen before covered his hands up to the middle of his forearm. ¡°That was a fun fight,¡± he called, waving. Seems like he¡¯d long since stopped caring about being quiet. ¡°Everything fine on this end?¡± Her brain took a moment to reboot, her eyes trailing the red lines beneath his skin to his abs and¡­ She shook her head and closed her eyes, waving in response. ¡°Y-yeah, things have been fine, though the location you picked reeks.¡± She jammed a thumb inside. ¡°I¡¯m surprised anybody¡¯s in there at all.¡± ¡°That bad, huh?¡± ¡°That bad.¡± A moment passed as he continued to approach. Once she steeled her resolve to not oggle him too much, she again opened her eyes. She gestured up and down at his change. ¡°What¡¯s all this about?¡± ¡°Just some fun.¡± He sheepishly looked away. ¡°Maybe a bit too much fun.¡± ¡°Everyone within three territories saw that.¡± She chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m glad you had fun. Now we¡¯ve gotta figure out what to do. Mom told me that the eight extra tagalongs aren¡¯t very aggressive and killed Vivian¡¯s husband in self-defense.¡± ¡°Really? What are they?¡± he asked as he stretched, groaning. When he finally finished and her eyes remembered how to stop staring, she recounted what she¡¯d learned. ¡°We could try to talk to them?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Eh, if they wanna stay incognito, leave them be. If they wanna cause problems for us, then we¡¯ll have an issue. Until then, no reason to make them too uncomfortable.¡± ¡°Fair enough. The people of Zion are fair and quite adamant about their racial inclusivity policies,¡± she said with a slight nod. She gestured at his transformation, indicating his whole body of red glowing lines and supersized muscles. ¡°So how long does all this last for?¡± For a moment, he seemed confused. Then he looked down at himself, lifted his gauntlet hands, and then back at Maria. ¡°Oh, right¡­ I¡¯m gonna need new clothes before I release this, unless you want everyone getting a long, hard look at¡­ You know.¡± She rolled her eyes, thankful the night was dark enough to hide the blush reddening her neck, ears, and face. ¡°Go find clothes. Don¡¯t take too long. Figure out what we¡¯re doing after, ¡®cause we sure as hell can¡¯t stay in this stinking dump.¡± Instead of doing any of those things, he closed the gap between them, lifted her up into his arms like she weighed less than a feather, and planted a kiss on her lips. ¡°Sure thing.¡± Then he was gone. ¡°Oh-ho ho ho, what I wouldn¡¯t give to be young again.¡± ¡°Granny!¡± * Aiden had never before realized just how delicious a blizzard was. Not the type you get at a fast food place, the gonna-kill-you-with-magic-ice-shards type. Sure, it wanted to kill him with magic ice shards, and continued to try to do so with increasing fervor the more he consumed, but it was just so satisfying. Was there a better word for whatever his soul was doing than ¡®I¡¯m eating a magic blizzard¡¯? Probably. He was too busy doing it to care about terminology. He ignored the accumulating notifications, describing the advancement of his Paths and newfound Blizzard Discipline and all the changes to his previous abilities to focus on getting as much as he could while he still had the time. Khione had tried to summon him more times than he cared to remember, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid her for too much longer. So blizzard-eating was on the agenda, and lots of it. Deep ice-shard breath in, letting it flow throughout his body, really feeling the icy magic until it became his own. Rinse and repeat. The raging blizzard looked as if he¡¯d done none of that, still as aggressive and primal and chilling as ever. He wasn¡¯t sure it would ever run out, but he could still fit more in before leaving. What exactly would he be able to do with this power? He didn¡¯t know. But that had been how it was from the beginning, collecting things first and figuring out what to do with them later, so the uncertainty didn¡¯t bother him. And it really was tasty. The feeling of the emptiness in his soul filling with each breath, more potent and raw than anything he''d had before. Now that he really did ¡®feel it¡¯, as Arkayan said, he couldn''t imagine not. He understood and reveled in the soothing chill comforting his aching ascended soul. The time would be soon for him to wage war against the afterlife and end the Upper Realms inconsiderate frolicking. He smiled happily as he drew another breath. Book Three, Chapter Nineteen: I’m Not Good At Goodbyes ¡°Hey, look, is that where we¡¯re headed?¡± Josh consulted his trusty map, the edges crumpling under his frustrated grip. ¡°Yeah, and it''s the last place we were sent to check.¡± ¡°I''m sure we''ll find them.¡± Maria placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. ¡°If you''re anything to go by, they definitely survived when the chaos started.¡± The last two days of searching dragged on as they kept pushing after morning light, only stopping to rest, resupply anywhere they could find, and stopping to rest from time to time. Josh now understood why it was protocol to drop off larger groups, especially ones that weren''t system-enhanced. Their progress had been gruelingly sluggish and pricked his patience incessantly. But finally, they''d made it. With her hand over her eyes to block out the sunlight, Maria stepped away, her hand sliding down Josh''s shoulder to his arm, then his hand. ¡°Let''s go.¡± The rest of the group has learned good and well by now to follow when it was time to move. It helped that Tabitha kept them organized and calm. Josh didn''t know what he would''ve done without her. He folded the map in its worn creases and stuffed it in his back pocket. Maria led while his heart sank deeper. This was the last stop, yet they''d found no more survivors. There were no signs or traces of anyone as he followed behind Maria, her hand in his was the anchor he used to ground himself in reality. But after they searched the place from top to bottom with not a hair in sight, even that didn''t ease the aching pulse of rage heating him and strumming dreadful cords of despair. ¡°They aren''t here. Nobody''s here! What are those useless scouts reporting?!¡± If the map had been in his hand, he would''ve ripped it to shreds. ¡°This was my last chance to find them. Damn it all.¡± ¡°Your last chance?¡± Maria spun around and eyed him. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Don''t. Don''t close up, Josh. Talk to me, please. Please¡­¡± He turned back the way they''d come and walked away. She brushed past and stopped in front of him, hands placed on the hilt of her axes. ¡°I''ll make you talk to me if I have to, however I can.¡± ¡°Now you''re talking my language.¡± He set Bartholomew on the ground and clenched his fists. Her posture shifted from one of concern to that of resigned aggression. Both axes were bared, and she tensed to spring. Only a few feet separated them. Josh watched every movement, every subtle shift, the fight already begun. The moment she committed to an attack, an arrow struck the ground between them. ¡°Stop!¡± They both broke their stances and huffed a breath, then turned to look at who shot the arrow. Tabitha glared at both of them from atop the nearest building, one leg perched on the edge and her bow in hand. ¡°Ma, I¡ª¡± Maria¡¯s shoulders sagged, and she dropped her axes back to the loops on her belt. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Save it, hun.¡± Tabitha pointed at Josh. ¡°If you¡¯re so upset, then go. We¡¯ll figure out a way to handle things here.¡± But he didn¡¯t move, his feet rooted firmly. He couldn¡¯t. Where would he go? Why would he go there? What was he searching for, and¡­ why did he have to do it alone? ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Weren¡¯t you just going to stomp off and brood all alone? You definitely look the type,¡± Tabitha said, bounding down from the tall building with a grunt. She approached and placed her bow over her neck so the string rested across her chest. She crossed her arms and cocked her hip to the side, reminiscent of his own mother. ¡°Waiting for an invitation?¡± He glared back at her. ¡°No.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re still here?¡± She smacked her lips and retrieved her arrow, using it to point at him. ¡°Maybe, just maybe, running off to be angry and alone isn¡¯t actually what you want.¡± She shrugged dramatically. ¡°But what do I know?¡± He looked at Tabitha long and hard. Despite her words, he didn¡¯t find the coldness of ridicule or the heat of true anger. They regarded him gently, warm. ¡°Damn it.¡± He turned to Maria and opened his mouth, but no words dared escape, betraying the turmoil within. ¡°That¡¯s a strange way to say thank you,¡± Tabitha grumbled. She pointed the arrow at him, then Maria. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone to talk things out, but don¡¯t have too much fun.¡± And true to her word, she walked away and returned to scouting through the remnants of the empty refugee camps. Without her there, he could barely bring himself to look at Maria. The trip into Halla with Aiden weighed on his mind. He knew it would be dangerous, otherwise Aiden would¡¯ve planned to take more people. He wanted to at least make sure his family was okay. And the time to go would be soon. Everything in his blood told him, and his Patron¡¯s power surged with excitement. The scent of blood lingered on everything, tantalizing and horrible. ¡°I know you were hoping to see them¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡ª¡± ¡°Please,¡± Josh held up a hand to stop her, ¡°don¡¯t apologize.¡± He lifted his head to look at her. ¡°I was gonna run.¡± ¡°Run? What from?¡± She took a step closer, and he took one away. He saw the hurt in her eyes. ¡°Just¡­ give me a minute. I-I¡¯m still fighting myself here.¡± The words he struggled to speak fell on deaf ears, and she crossed the space between them to throw her arms around him, hugging him tight to her chest. ¡°You can trust me, Josh.¡± A heftiness bearing the weight of the world lifted off his shoulder for but a moment, allowing him to breathe and move long enough to place his hands around her waist and pull her close to his chest. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°So talk to me. What''s going on?¡± She nestled her head into the crook of his neck. ¡°I''ve got to leave soon, and I don''t know if I''ll be coming back.¡± Craning her neck, she stared up at him with furrowed brows. ¡°Don¡¯t talk like that. You have to come back. What about your family?¡± ¡°I want to see them, to make sure they are okay before going, to make sure you are okay¡­¡± ¡°Do you¡­ have to go?¡± she asked, her voice low. ¡°I do.¡± ¡°I understand. Then the least I can do is keep searching for your family when you''re gone and make sure they get back safely. Is there anything you have, maybe a picture, that will help me recognize them?¡± He pulls a necklace locket from beneath his shirt and grasps it tight but gently, careful not to let his overwhelming strength shatter the fragile material. With a deep breath, he loosened his grip and let it fall on his chest, then turned so she could unclasp it. Once she had it off, he turned back to face her and watched as she opened the simple locket. The two pictures inside depicted him with his mother and father, then another with him and his two sisters and brother. ¡°You''re also the oldest. That explains a few things.¡± ¡°I''m not. I had an older brother¡­¡± ¡°Y-you¡­ have such a beautiful family.¡± She cleared her throat and gave a resolved nod, more to herself than anything. ¡°I''ll be sure to find them.¡± She held up the locket. ¡°And I''ll make sure to keep this safe so you can get it back when you come back home.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Book Three, Chapter Twenty: A Meeting With Greatness For as long as he could, Aiden had delayed responding to all of the notifications pestering him while he focused. Khione¡¯s were the most pressing, all the others more a matter of practical application. The specifics, he could feel through his bones, his breath, his soul. The time had come. Your Patron, Khione, Greater Paragon of Ice and Nymphs, requests your audience. Accept? ¡°Yes.¡± His body immediately became weightless, his consciousness slipping away. Traces of the earth pressing against his back dissipated as his mind was whisked away to a familiar dreamscape. As he witnessed before, a crystalline bridge awaited him with a dense fog surrounding all things. He knew what awaited and didn¡¯t question the first step he took. The pain he experienced was mild in comparison to the excruciating experience the first time he¡¯d been there. This was Khione, the one who even the gods feared, his Patron. He needed to prove himself capable of completing their bargain in order to avoid the consequences of the pact they¡¯d established. He wouldn¡¯t show weakness to her. Another step. The pain lanced through his foot and stopped at the calf, pressed back by his own power now. A protection forged of his own, the blizzard raging inside of him acted similar to a barrier. He paid it little mind and continued, one step after the other at a constant pace. His second, and hopefully last time, crossing ended without debilitation or the soul-piercing coldness that threatened to disrupt his entire being. Grinning, he stepped off the bridge and onto the inverted dome. The slope gave him a little problem, but he held his dignity until he reached a reasonable distance from the greater paragon. ¡°Stop there. That is far enough.¡± Her voice that of snow, he felt the chilly disappointment in each word. He didn¡¯t listen and continued to approach, testing himself with each step he took forward. The ice only teased at his hips, not yet engulfing his entirety. He could get closer, unlike last time. If what he recalled from meeting her previously, the distance he could reach indicated the growth of power in his soul. The actualization of potential proved itself as he took another step forward. Then another. Aiden groaned from the mounting pressure and readied himself to take another step. ¡°Enough.¡± He grunted as the pain left his limbs heavy and weak, bitten with frost and achy. ¡°I agree. Now why do you keep interrupting my training for? I already know what the deal we had was, and I¡¯ll be getting to the quest soon. That was the agreement, and I don¡¯t have any intent to go back on my word.¡± ¡°Do you think me naive?¡± Her delicate hand lifted, and his whole soul shook from the chill that erupted underneath their feat to create a table and chair set for both of them. ¡°The presence of myself in you has been detached. Do you wish to rid yourself of my aid so soon?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just been busy.¡± Aiden didn¡¯t know what to think yet about the whole situation. If what he¡¯d learned about Khione was true, she was truly powerful. That was clear, obvious from the first time he met her. But if he helped her, what would that do to all of his efforts? If she had the freedom to circumvent the divine realm, cause those who inhabited it to tremble so viciously at the sheer mention of her name, then what would making her whole achieve? Stuck between a rock and a hard place. There was far too little information available to him, and those who knew weren¡¯t in any rush to share. ¡°Your indecision is clear. You came to me seeking strength, and I aided you. What you¡¯ve learned in your search must be more concerning than that of even your foe for you to delay as such.¡± Her crystalline hair shifted as she rested her clasped hands against the table and slightly leaned forward. ¡°I am very interested in this information. In fact, if you tell me, I may consider fulfilling the conditions of our contract. How does that sound?¡± That gave him pause. To rid himself of the responsibility of Khione and not have to delve into Halla to seek her missing memories was akin to solving so many of his problems¡­ Too easily. Aiden didn¡¯t know the true value of her memories, didn¡¯t know Khione well enough to discern what she might actually do were she to regain her former power, but was he really willing to risk what she might do if he took the easy way out now, absolved himself of all responsibility, and rolled the dice when he was in a position to potentially buy time and find another solution? Worse than all of that, she had the capacity to circumvent any countermeasures he placed by slipping into whatever dimension Arkayan¡¯s Voidlands consisted of. All that wasn¡¯t his thing and made his head hurt when he thought about it for too long. However, what he did understand made things quite clear. Pursing his lips, he stared Khione down and shook his head slowly. ¡°No, I won¡¯t be telling you what I know. I¡¯ll travel to Halla and complete your request. Now please send me back.¡± ¡°Such a hurry to get back? What a shame.¡± She pressed her back flat against the chair and crossed her arms, remaining dangerously still and stoic. Aiden didn¡¯t dare engage her for fear of what she might do and simply waited for her to give him the go ahead to return to Midrath. He¡¯d made so much progress, integrated everything deep into his core, and could feel the power in his soul. Hell, he¡¯d even proved the increase in his soul¡¯s power. For a brief moment, he wanted to thank Arkayan, but Khione¡¯s piercing eyes grounded him and shattered the thought faster than it came. Baby blue eyes watched him like a hawk, unflinching, unmoving. They rooted him to the spot. The longer she stared, the more violent the entire landscape behaved. The winds child him deeper, froze him faster. Shards of ice twirled in a slowly accelerating storm around him, traces of something monstrous, destructive, and far more overbearing than he could hope to handle. ¡°What is it you want from me?¡± The winds continued to grow, sharpening and slicing into his pained skin as he stood rooted in place and waited for an answer. ¡°I already told you I¡¯d be going to Halla to retrieve what¡¯s been stolen.¡± Again, she didn¡¯t appear to care as additional shards cut into the strange soulflesh that made him up. StrikesEnergy seeped out of him like blood, freezing in the air like shards and hovering toward Khione. ¡°Does this not break your end of the contract then?¡± He craned his neck to gesture toward the growing storm. ¡°Think not of this as a threat but a test. If you resist, then I will not force my Authority upon you. Fail¡­ You don¡¯t want to fail.¡± Her eyes glinted with a hint of sadistic glee, the corners of her lips tugging ever-so slightly into a brief smirk. ¡°Then let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Aiden sat on the freezing ground and blocked out the storm around him, returning to the sitting position he¡¯d maintained for days. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see for myself anyway.¡± The growing storm attempted to block out Khione¡¯s regal beauty, but he maintained his eye contact through it as he took a deep breath. At first, nothing happened. He never expected the first attempt to succeed. Settling in to endure, he took another breath and relaxed his shoulders, letting the magic within the ice flow through him. After a dozen breaths, the magic density in the icy air pressed down on him, his back struggling to remain upright. Powers greater than he¡¯d experienced snagged at his soul, teasing, testing. True to himself, he remained unwavering. As the magic attempted to rend his soul to ribbons, Aiden kept breathing and extending his magical senses, bringing to bear the storm he¡¯d stolen from Midrath. Albeit far smaller than what he faced now, the resistance bought him precious time he wouldn¡¯t waste. Icy pillars crept up from around him, extending and slowly rising from the ground. A crystalline lattice formed and thickened. Blue-tinted mist seeped from the construct, mist that extended his senses to all that resided within. The first conflict between his own slowly growing blizzard and Khione¡¯s torrent ended with his magic being suppressed in an instant, not even putting up a fight. As the mist spread, the conflicts erupted into a droning noise in the back of his head. Already, he felt a headache forming from the overwhelming pressure of attempting to resist. He wouldn¡¯t back down now though, wouldn¡¯t let Khione force him down any path that wasn¡¯t one he chose. Not after all the work he¡¯d put into freeing himself from the potential backlash of failing her quest so much already. As he continued the process of steadily squeezing out as much of the storm as he could, he focused on using it to put up a front resistance but continuously empowered it all the way through, the whole of his mist growing thicker and viscous. It ripped back at the storm, not doing much to slow it but biting back nonetheless. And with each small bite, a nibble here, a chunk there, his resistance grew. Everything he could steal from Khione freely would aid him to overcome this test and so many more to come. And so steal he would. Once his icy mist became thick enough, he ordered it to begin spinning. So far, all he¡¯d done was make very cold air. That wasn¡¯t the essence of a blizzard, and this was a test. He¡¯d test his new abilities to the fullest extent of his capabilities. Sluggish, resistant, and constantly being chipped away at, his own blizzard began rotating slowly in the opposite direction of Khione¡¯s, the crystalline lattice supplying the magical oomph. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Everything about the world of magic he¡¯d stepped into was far behind the early days of the system when things were simple, systematic. All he had to go on for what he attempted was feel, a deep intuition. What could and couldn¡¯t be done with the Blizzard Discipline was limited to his imagination. Now, he put his imagination to work as much as he could. There was no way he could beat Khione in a straight fight, and if she¡¯d wanted, he¡¯d be a frozen block in an instant. What is her game? he wondered as he watched her piercing eyes staring back from through the icy maelstrom. Whatever her game was, he didn¡¯t have the luxury of thinking too hard about it. He didn¡¯t know what would happen to him if he let the storm rip his soul to shreds, but it sounded like a whole lot of bad. Closing his eyes for the first time, he put all he could into directing the storm to rotate with the force of nature¡¯s fury, to resist with the unyielding power of permafrost. Even as his powers mounted their paltry but admirable resistance, he understood the impossibility he faced. He was deeply familiar with each and every part of his storm, having integrated it to be part of him, entirely his. He knew what he could push it to do and how screwed he currently was. For every part he absorbed from her, he lost three. Applying his Path of Versatility, the Truth of Adaptation [How?]. [How?] the Mystery of Crystallization, Seeking the Nebulus, pushed back to ease that strain. But in a battle of attrition where this was the best he could do? The current trajectory looked grim. One solution called to him: to use Khione¡¯s Authority. But what would that do? Prove that he needed her? Make him further reliant on their connection? He could feel Leyla¡¯s power just out of reach, easy to take and freely given. That option was akin to giving up and admitting he wasn¡¯t strong enough yet, again failing him. There had to be a way, thought maybe Khione was the type that would give him an insurmountable challenge as a way of getting him to do as she wished. He refused to bend his knee and give up so easily to be a dog on a leash for some uppity paragon who thought she could do whatever she wanted with his life. He refused her and everything she¡¯d given him. Especially that damned Authority. If he didn¡¯t have it, then he¡¯d be able to find a new Mystery or Truth to fill its place, something he could use to give himself a little bit more of a push. But how? He gave what focus he could to sustaining his stalled and trembling blizzard and tried to think of some way, any way at all, to rid himself of her influence upon his soul. Was there any way to forcibly break the connection to the greater path? ¡°Do you think yourself so limited, Aiden Pearce? Do you truly believe those three paths is all that you are truly capable of?¡± She grimaced. ¡°Labels and limitations to one blessed with Enu as you are?¡± A brief moment accompanied by realization passed. ¡°You¡¯ve not been told, have you, child?¡± The blizzard raging around Aiden slowed to a standstill, then died off entirely. He didn¡¯t know if he should keep his guard up. The sudden swap in focus warped with his piqued curiosity and frustration caused him to pause. With a wave, Khione collapsed his entire structure. ¡°Change of plans?¡± he muttered, patting the residual slurry off his pants. By the time he¡¯d risen to his feet, Khione had moved far closer, yet the weight of her soul didn¡¯t bear down on him as it had before. In contrast, it embraced him, soothed the aches on his soul with its cold relief. ¡°What¡¯s the deal?¡± He mulled over what she¡¯d said and what might cause her demeanor to change so drastically, going from trying to shred him into Aiden-swiss to embracing him with her magic. Did he truly believe he could only have those three paths? Hadn¡¯t his whole goal been to free the world of magical restraints? So then why would he still apply the restrictions to himself, just because he kept the interfacing system that allowed him to be able to better understand what everything meant just a little bit more? He didn¡¯t know, but Khione made it seem like he should. And Enu? The undiluted world essence? What did that have to do with him? But again, Khione¡¯s words gave him pause. ¡°You avoid me and seem in such a rush to do away with our agreement. Let me ask you this, Aiden Pearce, what have you heard that you have accepted without skepticism and let cloud your mind and actions?¡± ¡°Nothing good.¡± "Why are you so quick to believe them?" ¡°From the experience I have, the more power one of you has, the more you¡¯re willing to use it for some selfish reason.¡± He pointed at her. ¡°Considering how so many people are afraid of you, it doesn¡¯t seem impossible that you¡¯re even worse than they are,¡± he explained and watched for a reaction. As cold as ice, she didn¡¯t grace him with a reaction. She impassively regarded him. ¡°Do you know what it means to become a paragon, Aiden Pearce?¡± ¡°Somewhat, though the specifics are lost on me,¡± he admitted, uncertain whether he should be entertaining conversation with her at all. ¡°The specifics aside, I¡¯ll summarize for you. Walking the path of a paragon requires abandoning godhood, casting away the innately gifted spark of divinity. It is seen as an impossible path, one which I have walked for eons.¡± ¡°And that somehow means you can¡¯t abuse your power and threaten those weaker than you, treating them as insignificant?¡± He was about ready to find a way out of the dreamscape¡ªsoulscape? ¡°It is correct to say those weaker than myself are insignificant, so why would I bother myself with them?¡± Three humanoid ice constructs floated around her, varying in size. ¡°Mortal, divine, the other minor paragons, they are all alike.¡± She closed her hands, and all three constructs exploded into a slurry blown away by a chilling gust. ¡°What I seek is far beyond this realm, beyond the boundaries of Ithalon.¡± ¡°So? What does that have to do with anything?¡± ¡°Bothering myself with the trappings of this realm is a tedious endeavor I find greatly infuriating, and I¡¯d have long since moved along if the collective of the so-called Divine Realm hadn¡¯t unified to steal something precious to me, something I¡¯ve tasked you to fetch. This is all that binds me here.¡± Another ice construct that took her shape had a small hole inside, and the hole kept moving to different places. First her stomach, then her heart, then her head. ¡°I know not what I¡¯ve lost, but it is of great importance to me and my quest to reach pinnacle enlightenment.¡± ¡°Nothing you¡¯re telling me makes me want to help you anymore. If this is your sales pitch, it¡¯s pretty bad.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Let¡¯s say I help you. What stops you from becoming even worse than them once you figure out what exactly it is that was stolen?¡± He sighed. ¡°And I¡¯ve had the unfortunate chance of encountering a couple of them, though indirectly. They don¡¯t appear to work together very often, so what is it about you that would make so many from the Divine Realm put aside their differences to work together?¡± ¡°I am of an era predating them, one that even predates many of the primordials. My mere existence is a threat to all that they believe, all that they know, for they have sheltered themselves behind a fog of lies and disillusion.¡± She sighed, finally showing a hint of emotion through her stoic demeanor. ¡°I feel the energy inside you, dormant and passive. The energy of the one who gave me life through creation." ¡°So the gods saw you as a threat and attacked you?¡± That sounded like them. ¡°And I somehow have a mystery magic inside me that predates the time of literal gods? How?¡± "Your Mortal Severance and Transcendental Entwinement has been blessed by my creator, The One of Truth. Receiving his Blessing is more than enough to instill Enu into a being, especially a mortal like yourself." Aiden shook his head. If his soul could get a headache, it would feel like this. ¡°Your creator, a being that creates entire realms, decided to bless me? I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯d know what possessed him to do such a thing?¡± ¡°I would enjoy discovering the answer to that question, but as of now, I haven¡¯t any idea as to the greater machinations of The One of Truth¡¯s will.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just great,¡± he muttered, his shoulders slouching. ¡°This doesn¡¯t get any less complicated, does it?¡± She crossed a leg over the other and clasped her hands together. ¡°I have been very straightforward with my desires, so what makes you so willing to consider me your enemy? From where I sit, things are very simple.¡± ¡°Is it that simple? What stops you from doing this yourself? Why me?¡± That question had been bothering ever since he received the task, but he¡¯d needed her power at the time and wasn¡¯t in a position to question such things. ¡°And what does it mean that I have Enu?¡± If she was as powerful as everyone thought, why didn¡¯t she demand back what was stolen and beat anybody to a pulp who didn¡¯t acquiesce? Then again, the whole Upper Realm had united against her, so it¡¯s not like she was all-powerful. Trying to understand all this is such a pain, he groaned internally, trying to weigh all the information he had available into something reasonable. It wasn¡¯t working. ¡°It means everything,¡± she instantly responded, eyes glinting with a hint of excitement. ¡°Let us return to earlier in the conversation. You say you¡¯ve heard nothing good of me, but it¡¯s all slander. I can guarantee this.¡± Now they were getting somewhere. ¡°How can you do that?¡± Khione snapped, and a wall of ice the size of a house appeared behind her. The image of her he¡¯d spoken with thus far dissipated. The smooth wall distorted, blending into a multitude of colors, then settled into a monotone black all the way across. All but for Khione, floating aimlessly through the emptiness. She oriented toward him and placed herself against the mirror. ¡°Because I¡¯ve been trapped for a long time in the depths of Void, cast here after being betrayed. I cannot return to demand anything, cannot leave this realm. I stay here because I am kept here, not of my own will.¡± ¡°But haven¡¯t you learned to navigate the Void? That¡¯s what Arkayan said, anyway.¡± Aiden winced. He might have just figured out what exact memories were taken from Khione, then wondered how he would get them to her even if he were to find them. Probably magic. The amount of unanswered questions continued to grow with every answer he received. If the Upper Realm was so afraid of Khione, why did they capture her to steal away her memories, then throw her into the emptiness of Void? Things weren¡¯t adding up, and he was supposed to make some hefty choices in the near future about the fate of the realm. ¡°If I knew, I know not at this time.¡± She looked around her, staring at something far off. A storm of thin needles blinked into existence around her and immediately started degrading. They erupted forward toward something he couldn¡¯t see. The only thing that clued him into something at all was a trail of violet blood. The mirror shook, then the entire soulscape began to collapse around him. ¡°I don¡¯t have long, Aiden Pearce. I am not your enemy. Your enemies are closer to you than you realize. Please, you¡¯re my last hope of ever escaping this nightmare.¡± The mirror shattered with an explosion of icy shrapnel. Within seconds, the soulscape collapsed around him, imploding toward the spot the mirror had been. He worried about whether his soul would return to his body or not as things collapsed, but a thin white wisp slowly approached him, sluggishly floating through the air. Hesitant, he touched his finger to it and gasped away. Book Three, Chapter Twenty-One: I’m Not Sure What To Think ¡°Leyla,¡± Aiden whispered, shaking her shoulders. She appeared to be in a strange meditative state with the Vorpal Blade across her lap. He knew exactly what the weapon was capable of and didn¡¯t want to startle her and end up missing a limb, or worse. ¡°Leyla, it¡¯s important.¡± She let out a hiss and shuddered when he ran a hand down her back. ¡°So cold!¡± Her hands wrapped around the Vorpal Blade¡¯s grip, but he stepped back out of reach. After she flailed aimlessly for a few seconds while she came to, she saw him and perked up. She smiled wide as she jumped to her feet and stalked toward him. ¡°Hey you. I missed you very much.¡± Aiden opened his arms for her to embrace him, and she curled herself in his chest, the Vorpal Blade dissipating before she reached him. He held her close, grinning. ¡°Looks that way.¡± ¡°Why are you so cold?¡± she complained, shuddering. ¡°I suppose my training worked a bit too well.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Not the worst outcome, even if a little inconvenient.¡± He looked around the little camp Arkayan and James stayed at. The two tents were setup as they¡¯d been before he left, but neither Arkayan or James was anywhere to be seen. ¡°Where are the others?¡± She looked around. ¡°Huh, didn¡¯t notice them leave. Not too sure, though I vaguely remember them talking about hunting the elder hydra again for some material James needed.¡± Aiden let a haze of mist expand out from him, obscuring the vision of anybody who might be watching them. After what he¡¯d talked about with Khione, he didn¡¯t know who to trust. And Arkayan had been very anti-Khione. Aiden didn¡¯t know what information to trust anymore and didn¡¯t want to risk exposing the fact he knew anything contrary to tip of Arkayan. The Shadowborn Royal was still a wild card. Aiden didn¡¯t know how powerful he was, and worse still, James trusted Arkayan deeply. Seeing how they¡¯d been since Arkayan hatched from the incubator, Aiden didn¡¯t know where James¡¯ loyalties lied anymore. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to test either. ¡°You¡¯re tense,¡± Leyla muttered, squeezing him tighter. ¡°I¡¯m guessing not everything with your training went well?¡± ¡°Training went better than I could¡¯ve expected, but the meeting with Khione after was nothing like I expected it to be and has left me with a lot of questions. More than I know what to do with,¡± he explained, sighing. ¡°I never asked for all of this.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, then why are you? Why are we?¡± She stepped back, putting him at arm¡¯s length with a smirk. ¡°Nothing is stopping us from disappearing from all of this. We could go find somewhere away from all the prophecies, fights against gods, and realm-threatening chaos.¡± Aiden raised a questioning brow, crossing his arms. ¡°You¡¯d leave behind all this chaos? Isn¡¯t that kind of your thing? I¡¯d suspect as the Trinity, you¡¯re growing stronger by the minute from how chaotic everything is.¡± ¡°Seriously Aiden. We can leave. We don¡¯t owe anybody anything. As you said, you never asked for this. You take a world of responsibility onto your shoulders and let it crush you. The only difference between now and when we met is that you¡¯re not a depressed puddle,¡± she said, rolling her eyes. ¡°And that has more to do with me than you.¡± He really considered what she said for a moment. They could leave everything behind, could put the games of the Divine Realm behind them. The uncertainty of who to trust could easily be a thing of the past. But what would happen to everything he had wanted to protect in the first place? What would become of his family? What would become of Earth? Those questions twisted his stomach in a knot. Until he knew for certain that the answer to those questions was ¡°they¡¯d be fine¡±, he knew he couldn¡¯t leave. Not yet, and maybe not ever. He looked Leyla into her eyes and deep into her soul. ¡°You know I can¡¯t. But I won¡¯t stop you from going if¡ª¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Don¡¯t even try that shit with me,¡± she said, huffing. ¡°It was only a suggestion. I doubt you¡¯d ever considered running away and doubted you¡¯d entertain the idea. It surprises me more that the response wasn¡¯t an instant no.¡± As much as he wanted to leave, there were far too many things he wanted to protect. And not temporarily. He wanted to secure their safety against the system and the gods for good. Maybe then he and Leyla could seek paradise. That day was not today. ¡°Now, what¡¯s bothering you? What did Khione say?¡± Leyla asked, moving on from the topic of running away seamlessly. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she tried to make a move on you? If she did, I¡¯ll cut her.¡± The ridiculousness of the suggestion caught Aiden off guard. The laughter that slipped out was uncontrolled, a deep-bellied thing that touched his core. It only got worse when he looked up at Leyla and saw her expression of absolute seriousness. He tried to wave away the concern, but it turned into an uncoordinated flail as he doubled over, mirthful tears slipping free. ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± Her voice was like a whip crack that helped him regain his senses. He gasped for breath, feeling lighter than he had in days. Once he got his breathing under control, he let out a sigh. ¡°Yeah, sorry. That was just too funny.¡± ¡°I might cut her anyway, since you think she¡¯s so funny,¡± Leyla growled. Aiden paused. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯d like to see you try.¡± Violet light shined from her eyes as lightning-like veins spread across her face. ¡°Oh, would you now? How about I start with you?¡± ¡°Ah, on second thought¡­¡± He put his hands up to pacify her. ¡°She¡¯s trapped in the Void. You know, the Void. Like Arkayan''s home. That Void. And I think I figured out what was stolen from her that I¡¯m tasked with receiving.¡± After a deep breath, the violet promise of violence receded until nothing remained. She flicked her wrist, and her scythe was there, spinning dangerously in her hands and awfully close to Aiden¡¯s face. ¡°So? Isn¡¯t that better for us?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I have no idea. From what she says, she¡¯s being framed for pretty much everything.¡± ¡°Yeah, right. Like anyone would believe that,¡± Leyla scowled. Aiden pursed his lips. ¡°That was my thought too, but she looked like she¡¯s having a pretty rough time there. At least from what I saw of her. And if she really is stuck in Void without a way out, what does she have to gain from deceiving me? The biggest part of this that doesn¡¯t make sense is that Arkayan is convinced she¡¯s the ultimate evil.¡± ¡°Hmm, see, but what if he¡¯s not wrong?¡± she said slowly, tapping the side of her jaw as she thought. ¡°If they were able to bind her and steal her memories, who¡¯s to say that they weren¡¯t able to somehow control her at that time? She¡¯s powerful, so maybe their bindings began to fade and they couldn¡¯t continue controlling her and exiled her to save their own asses?¡± ¡°Seems as good as an explanation as any I can come up with. I doubt it¡¯ll be possible to get the truth from anybody either.¡± An idea came to him. ¡°What if I used the Authority of Midrath to put one of the gods from the Upper Realm under a truth oath and questioned them?¡± ¡°Can you even do that?¡± she asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Also, what would that achieve?¡± ¡°Might add some clarity on the situation, I guess. It¡¯s about as good a plan as any. Otherwise, we¡¯re going in blind. There¡¯s no way to guess where they¡¯re keeping Khione¡¯s memories. All we know is they¡¯re somewhere in Halla, but I can¡¯t imagine the place being a small one.¡± ¡°If the size of Valhalla is anything to go by, it won¡¯t be.¡± She hummed to herself, again tapping the side of her jaw. ¡°That¡¯s true. Without a guide, there¡¯s no way we¡¯ll be able to find what we¡¯re looking for in any reasonable amount of time.¡± ¡°What a mess.¡± Aiden groaned as he looked at the swirling dome of snow around them, wondering how much longer they had until Arkayan and James returned. ¡°What about V¡¯Yenya? Or maybe Avacyn? She said her people had been in Midrath for a long time and told me quite a bit about the history of the Shadowborn.¡± ¡°V¡¯Yenya? Avacyn? Who are these people?¡± Leyla asked. ¡°Long story short, they¡¯re natives to Midrath,¡± he explained as he contemplated if either one of them could help. Avacyn had a personal grudge against the Shadowborn, so he might be able to convince her to help him free Khione simply out of spite for what had happened. V¡¯Yenya was a different question entirely. But he needed someone. ¡°Seems as good an angle as any, because I highly doubt Kyriall would be open to questioning or keen on the idea of handing over something he¡¯s been given the responsibility to protect.¡± Leyla flourished her scythe, grinning. ¡°You know, what if we actually try to go talk to Kyriall? I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s not all that bad, unlike Xenith. Doesn¡¯t like getting mixed up in all of this. Might turn out he¡¯s not as willing of an accomplice as you think he is.¡± ¡°He did bless Blizzy¡­¡± Aiden considered the idea for a brief moment before a powerful force smacked against the blizzard dome that encapsulated them. He looked toward the damaged part of the dome. ¡°Seems we have company.¡± Book Three, Chapter Twenty-Two: Surprise Visitors Dropping the dome revealed an assembled party consisting of many faces Aiden knew very well. ¡°I see your friends have arrived,¡± Leyla said, twirling her scythe while showing her teeth. ¡°Some of them look fun to play with.¡± ¡°Play nice.¡± Aiden took her hand and squeezed it. ¡°Or if you¡¯re restless, you can run off to hunt. You feel somewhat stronger than I remember.¡± ¡°My meditation provided fair results, even if it was a giant pain to sit still for that long.¡± She squeezed his hand back. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go hunting. As much as playing with your lackeys might provide entertaining, it won¡¯t settle the desire for bloodshed.¡± Without missing a beat, she let his hand drop, turned, and broke into a sprint before leaping into the sky, her black wings carrying her up and out of sight in moments. Aiden turned his attention back to the newcomers. ¡°Well, hey there guys. What brings everyone here?¡± Clearly the one who attacked the dome, Josh set Bartholomew on the ground. ¡°You¡¯ve been calling me for days. Here I am.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been calling you?¡± Aiden questioned, unsure of what the big brute was talking about. ¡°You¡¯re about to make a pretty big decision that might involve a bunch of fighting?¡± Josh asked knowingly, lifting his arm and flexing. ¡°Well, fighting¡¯s my thing, so of course I came running to join in all the fun.¡± He gestured to the group behind him. ¡°And I brought the rest of them with. Something about wanting to pay you back for all that you¡¯ve done or wanting to be there for a friend. Mushy emotional stuff, you know.¡± Sure enough, behind Josh stood Ian, Isaac, Anna, Adam, and Madison. Or as Aiden remembered them, turtle boy, wanna-be shadow assassin, yikes, bigger yikes, and red lightning problem child. To add to the chaos, a loud draconic shriek filled the air. A dive-bombing dragon larger than a full-size horse dropped from the sky and landed a few feet from Aiden. She landed low to the ground and immediately prepared to pounce on Aiden. Someone else got to her first. Josh threw his arms around Blizzy¡¯s neck and laughed his hearty bellow, wrestling with her and taking great care to not get gored on her crown of horns. ¡°Hey there, big girl! I see you grew up real nice. I wonder if you can still wrestle like you used to.¡± Aiden watched as Josh instantly evoked his Avatar form to the fourth level of his transformation and dragged Blizzy away to wrestle. ¡°Better her than me.¡± With them out of the way, Aiden turned to look at the group gathered. He was surprised to see Olivia hadn¡¯t come with, but he¡¯d also left her with Aunt Rachel and heavily forbade her from coming. Even if she¡¯d shown up, he would¡¯ve sent her running right back. But why were the others here? ¡°All of you want to come with me?¡± ¡°No,¡± Adam immediately answered. ¡°Nobody here wants to go, but if we let you go by yourself, you¡¯re liable to screw everything up.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him,¡± Ian refuted. He puffed up his chest to make himself look bigger, but his slightly shaking shoulders betrayed his words. His runic turtle sat atop his head like a hat, sprawled out with his tiny little arms draped over his forehead. ¡°We couldn''t let you go alone. Not after¡­ Well, everything.¡± Adam glared at Ian. ¡°How about you watch your mouth, kid. Unless you think you can take me in a fight, nobody asked for your opinion.¡± Internally groaning, Aiden prepared to intervene and tell Adam to back off or leave, but a certain red lightning snake hissed his direction. The provocation reflexively had him drawing Silver from his pocket, but he refrained from imbuing it with his new Blizzard Discipline. When he looked at Madison, she held a single finger to her lips. The manic crazy he¡¯d seen in her eyes last time seemed all but gone. Calm clarity regarded him as she shook her head slightly. Shrugging, Aiden looked back to see Isaac and Shadow, his panther Companion, both gone from their previous spots. Anna also stood shoulder to shoulder with Ian and defiantly glared back at Adam. ¡°You sure it¡¯s a fight you want?¡± Anna asked, a layer of emerald glowing from her skin. The ground wriggled beneath their feet, a promise of violence should Adam accept. When he huffed a breath and stepped back, Anna smirked. ¡°Thought so. Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t take you back to the jail to cool off that hot head of yours in a heartbeat.¡± ¡°Boo!¡± Isaac appeared seemingly out of thin air from behind Adam, his daggers poised. Shadow had its open mouth around Adam¡¯s leg, ready to clamp down. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Huh¡ªah!¡± Adam jerked away from the two, startled. He nearly tripped in his rush to get away from them, but Madison helped him remain upright. She giggled, only making his reddening face do so much faster. ¡°You think you¡¯re so funny, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Aiden didn¡¯t speak loudly, but all of them stiffened from his command. ¡°Seems you got a lot stronger,¡± Anna muttered, her eyes darting between him and anywhere else but him whenever she thought he wasn¡¯t watching. ¡°He sure did,¡± Josh called. ¡°Felt that one from over here.¡± ¡°Now that the pleasantries are complete, what¡¯s the game plan?¡± Madison asked, her voice surprisingly gentle. It was the first time Aiden remembered hearing her speak. ¡°Who¡¯s going where, and what are we going for?¡± Aiden wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to tell them, since he wasn¡¯t entirely positive himself. He knew theoretically what he needed to find and that it was probably in Halla. The uncertainty made him quite twitchy and restless. Right now, Leyla¡¯s suggestion of talking to Kyriall was on the backburner. First he would ask V¡¯Yenya and see if the Guardian knew anything, though Aiden didn¡¯t hold out great hopes for that. The biggest issue Aiden had was the lack of information in regards to Kyriall and the role he played in sealing Khione and how he managed to be the one safeguarding her memories. Why him? What did he have to gain from it? Would he be hostile to them, and if he was, did any of them have even a slight chance of survival? And that consideration made the first part of the plan too easy for him. ¡°First, I¡¯ll be seeking V¡¯Yenya, the liaison with the Osh¡¯Tika¡¯Varu, for some information. While I do that, you will all learn to work together and train with James and Arkayan¡ªwhenever they finally return from hunting the greater hydra.¡± There seemed to be a bit of unrest among the group, but none of them voiced their thoughts just yet. ¡°After I know more about what we¡¯re liable to face in Halla, I¡¯ll reconvene and let all of you know the updated plan.¡± ¡°So what is the current plan?¡± Adam asked smugly, rolling his eyes. ¡°Seems like everything is a half-cocked excuse to get everyone killed.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t come,¡± Aiden growled back, his fist tightening around Silver. His patience was wearing thin with Adam. No matter what, the guy always wanted to pick a fight, and Aiden was starting to feel more than happy to give it to him. Even back in the school, he¡¯d been a giant ass focused more on popularity and being right then making an actionable plan that made sure everyone was safe. ¡°If you¡¯ve got a problem with my choices, remember that you¡¯re the one that dragged all those people back at the school off into the wilderness in a place that¡¯s completely unknown without any ability to fend for themselves. You¡¯re the last person to be questioning the choices being made.¡± Adam looked as if he¡¯d been struck and took a step forward, but he didn¡¯t have the chance to take another. A brutish paw smacked down on Adam¡¯s shoulder and squeezed, causing a crunching sound to echo around the area and Adam to scream and fall to his knees, gripping desperately at the hand. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯d forgotten all about that.¡± Josh squeezed tighter, his face completely expressionless. In the fourth form of his Azura¡¯s Avatar state, even Aiden wouldn¡¯t want to be caught in Josh¡¯s grip. ¡°You have a lot to answer for.¡± Without looking, Josh used his other hand to catch the pissed off red lightning snake as it struck at him. He wrenched the snake toward him, dragging Madison close to him. ¡°And you. Why do you defend him so desperately while knowing he¡¯s a giant moron with an overinflated ego?¡± ¡°Like you¡¯re any different,¡± she bit back, crossing her arms. Aiden saw the shaking in her shoulders and the slight edge of fear in her face. ¡°Everyone calm down.¡± Even though she said it, Anna¡¯s pointed glare pinned Adam in place. ¡°We¡¯ve got more pressing matters to concern ourselves with that don¡¯t involve digging up past mistakes.¡± ¡°You¡¯d know all about that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Adam quipped through gritted teeth, then immediately let out a pained cry as Josh squeezed harder. ¡°I already knew you weren¡¯t the brightest tool in the shed, but to think you¡¯d go about insulting the only person here who can heal your dumb ass.¡± Josh shook his head. ¡°Seriously, does anything occupy the space between your ears, or is it only full of hot air?¡± Adam opened his mouth to speak again, but he immediately clamped it closed and resolved to glare back at them silently. ¡°Josh, let go. Anna, fix his shoulder,¡± Aiden ordered, meeting both surprised looks with one of unyielding resolve. ¡°If he says another word before I leave, take him back to the jail. And if she,¡± he pointed toward Madison, ¡°tries to defend his arrogance again, throw her in there with him. I won¡¯t have disruptive presences on this mission.¡± While the commotion was being cleaned up, Blizzy sauntered over to lay beside Aiden, huffing an annoyed breath at the loss of her play partner. Aiden patted her neck, soothing her. She¡¯d grown again, making him curious as to what her growth looked like. Blizzy Race: Blizzard Dragon Growth Stage: Young Attunement: Blizzards Body+: 60 Mind+: 45 Soul: 100 Aiden ignored the others as he compared her growth to what he¡¯d seen last. She¡¯d gotten over fifty points in her Body attribute and thirty in Mind, which explained why she¡¯d grown so much. She also seemed far more intelligent and acted accordingly. He didn¡¯t know how to feel about how quickly she grew, especially when he considered that the plus markings meant her attributes were far higher compared to the standard. Fifty percent greater efficiency went a long way and would mean her Body attribute would almost be ready to evolve. It made him wonder why her Mind attribute lagged behind, but that would be a worry for another time. Now that he¡¯d run a diagnostic to see her growth, he felt proud of her. She must have felt it through their bond and gave a satisfied chirp, nuzzling her back against his legs. ¡°Yes, who¡¯s a good girl. You are,¡± he crooned. When he finished showering Blizzy in affection, he turned back and pointed at Anna. ¡°With me.¡± Nodding, she broke away from the others to stand by his side. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Book Three, Chapter Twenty-Three: Behave In My Home In the quarry above the subterranean world the Osh¡¯Tika¡¯Varu called home, Aiden and Anna stood before V¡¯Yenya. His dark skin gray was still odd to Aiden, but he¡¯d seen many stranger creatures since coming to Midrath. His rectangular face and six very intelligent eyes regarded both of them, lifting a single finger. His dark gray armor moved silently, his lavender leaf underclothing fitted perfectly and only visible through the small gaps in his armor. Blue runes shone lightly across the armor. Aiden had seen them countless time, but this was the first time he really paid attention to them and recognized them for what they were. He could also feel the slumbering power reverberating through them, which paled in comparison to the towering monstrosity that was V¡¯Yenya himself. I knew they were strong, Avacyn feared him, but this is even more ridiculous than I thought. Maybe he¡¯ll have some answers for us. Skipping the dramatic bloodshed of the first time they¡¯d met, Anna simply touched a finger against V¡¯Yenya¡¯s and started translating for Aiden. ¡°What may I do for you this day?¡± Straight to the point as always. ¡°I need information pertaining to my Patron. I¡¯m not sure who to ask, and it¡¯s a matter of great importance.¡± This was a big gamble. Aiden didn¡¯t know V¡¯Yenya¡¯s alignment¡ªor really anything about him. ¡°Please confide in me, Aiden Pearce. I will help where I can.¡± The sincerity of his words helped soothe Aiden¡¯s nerves. For the next several minutes, Aiden briefed V¡¯Yenya on the matters of Khione, his stance against the Upper Real, and his plans, all in hopes that he might find some guidance from the ancient being. V¡¯Yenya had been supportive since Aiden and his people were transferred from Earth to Midrath. Aiden didn¡¯t like asking for so much from the big guy, but he didn¡¯t have much of an option left. ¡°This is quite the precarious situation you find yourself in. I hope to shed some light on your uncertainty. Let us sit.¡± He motioned to a gathering of rocks that were perfectly flat on top. They all did as he suggested. Barely able to contain his excitement, Aiden waited patiently for V¡¯Yenya to continue. He¡¯d hoped V¡¯Yenya might know something, and he¡¯d been right. But to what extent would V¡¯Yenya provide clarity? ¡°She and I are similar existences, beings of a time predating many of the primordials, a time before death where there was want for very little, fear of nothing.¡± Two of his eyes watched Aiden, but the other four stared at the sky as he spoke. ¡°She is like kin to me, so I know of her well. What has happened to her has been tragic to witness, but she was warned long in advance. The Void corrupts absolutely, but she wouldn¡¯t give up seeking the original creator of Ithalon. Those that know nothing of the truth of this world were threatened by her power, her genuine lust for knowledge. Once, she wouldn¡¯t raise a finger to hurt a fly. Now, she has killed more of these false deities than any other single existence.¡± ¡°Wow, I¡­ She¡¯s incredible,¡± Aiden whispered. However, that information made a lot of pieces fall into place. No wonder the Upper Realm wanted to bind and trap her. ¡°So what she told me is true. She seeks an escape from this realm?¡± ¡°She¡¯s found that. She seeks something even greater, the original creator.¡± ¡°The One of Truth?¡± Aiden asked. ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°That fits into everything she¡¯s told me,¡± Aiden muttered, staring at the ground. He pondered what his next question should be for a brief moment, then resolved himself to help Khione. ¡°How do I save her?¡± ¡°Are you sure this is a path you wish to embark upon? It is admirable, but peril awaits you at every turn if you so choose to aid her against the false deities. Before I tell you what you want to know, do you accept this certain outcome?¡± All six of V¡¯Yenya¡¯s eyes watched Aiden and waited for his answer. Aiden didn¡¯t hesitate to answer. ¡°I was already planning on making enemies out of the Upper Realm already and seal them away with the Authority of Midrath. So yes, I am confident I want to do this.¡± ¡°I will tell you then, Aiden Pearce¡­¡± * The walk back was quick and silent, neither Anna or Aiden wishing to disturb the heaviness weighing on both of them. When they returned, James and Arkayan sat in front of their tents and eyed the others with contempt. Josh and Blizzy had continued to wrestle, while Isaac regaled Ian with fantastical dreams of mythic-grade gear and skills, contemplating the scope and range of how great, powerful, and deadly he¡¯d become as the greatest shadow assassin there ever was. Farthest from Arkayan and James, Adam and Madison spoke in hushed whispers. The wind blew soft across the strange gray-scale darkened domain Arkayan called home, contradicting the chaos in Aiden¡¯s head with an unsettling atmosphere of temporary peace. Aiden paid none of them any mind, too busy focused on the thoughts rattling around in his head. There were so many things to do, so many places to go, so many impossible tasks to accomplish, and a very slim hope of completing everything with everyone in one piece. Considering all that stood in his way to save Khione, he didn¡¯t think any of them were safe, and that weighed heavily. He was again thankful that Olivia had decided to stay with Aunt Rachel and hadn¡¯t tried to fight him on this. If he¡¯d ever entertained the idea of getting her help before, he surely didn¡¯t now. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Leyla had returned in the time he¡¯d been gone and sat by herself. She¡¯d long since noticed his approach through their connection and made her way to him silently, Anna slinking off to join Ian and Isaac. As Anna passed by James, she shot him a look, one part concern and two parts indignation. Aiden skipped the pleasantries and waved his hand, reaching over his head and touching to the ground. A familiar swirling portal of doom, a coalescence of black, red, and orange, appeared. The swirling image solidified and shaped into something concrete, an image of a bone throne became clearer. A great gothic chamber with wide, vaulted ceilings expanded out to reveal a figure in the center. Miasma oozed out of him. Aiden could sense a thick aura of darkness and blood even through the portal. Two thick, spiraled horns pierced out of pale skin. They curved back over the figure¡¯s head. Silvery-white locks draped down to his midriff. Brown leathery wings of mottled red and black hugged close, bent and compacted. They extended, longer than three grown men from one wing tip to the other. A dapper black-and-white tuxedo with an equally sharp necktie hugged the figure¡¯s frame, bloodred. Glasses settled at the bottom of his nose and made him look intelligent. He flipped through pages in an open book, something magical and with the likeness of a grimoire, as he paced the chamber. Considering his get-up, the figure looked ready to handle his affairs with impunity, to take care of whatever business was set in front of him. The fact he looked so¡­ normal really surprised Aiden. ¡°Kyriall,¡± Aiden called. The ruler of Halla, the carrier of Halla¡¯s Authority, the Immortal Father and the benefactor to Blizzy¡¯s life, this meeting was inevitable. When he spoke, his voice was calm, unsurprised by Aiden¡¯s call, and dignified. ¡°If it isn¡¯t Aiden Pearce. I¡¯ve been waiting for you to come. You may enter my domain so we may partake in discussion. I¡¯m well aware of your plight and mean no harm to you or your kin.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve been told.¡± Aiden waved, and the portal into Halla shifted slightly, bringing Kyriall into greater view and detail. Aiden didn¡¯t wait for the others to follow and stepped through the portal. Face to face with Kyriall, the aura was even greater. Apex Predator roared to life and protected Aiden as well as it possibly could, but even with its aid, he felt the urge to bend a knee and proclaim his devotion to the Immortal Father. ¡°That¡¯s quite a sensation.¡± ¡°You manage well, young one.¡± Kyriall peered behind Aiden, his lips curling upward slightly in amusement. ¡°Your friends, on the other hand, seem to be handling things far worse than you.¡± When Aiden turned around, the urge to kneel dissipated entirely and was overridden by the desire to facepalm. Leyla and Josh both seemed a bit dizzy but otherwise managed. Anna doubled over and dry heaved, while Isaac had completely passed out and slumped to the ground. Shadow licked his face in an attempt to aid him, but his efforts were entirely in vain. Ian sat down and rocked back and forth, Tortie-Tort using its flippers to try and smack him awake. Adam and Madison held each other for support, Madison¡¯s legs threatening to shake out from underneath her. Adam¡¯s resilience and ability to remain standing, though looking as pale as Kyriall and sweating profusely, left Aiden impressed. If his attitude wasn¡¯t so terrible, he¡¯d make a great addition to Zion¡¯s leadership. The one least affected, even less than Aiden, was Blizzy. She ran through the portal and sauntered around, excitedly circling Kyriall and chirping her high-pitched and excited yip. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve ever seen her so excited to see anybody, not even me,¡± Aiden said, turning from the embarrassing display of his friends and allies to watch his Companion. ¡°It makes sense, considering she¡¯s my daughter.¡± Kyriall dropped that bomb on Aiden, then completely disregarded him in favor of paying attention to Blizzy. ¡°Right, you did help give life to her,¡± Aiden said, catching himself for he went into the depths of contemplating the methods in which deities procreate. ¡°While that is true, it¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Kyriall brushed his hand against the side of Blizzy¡¯s neck, and the blizzard dragon immediately chirped in surprise as her form started to shift. Aiden didn¡¯t expect anything of it, but when a definitely not dragon teenage girl appeared in a simple black and red gown that dangled around her ankles, Aiden wasn¡¯t sure what to think and simply gaped. ¡°Kinnai, dearest, it¡¯s been too long. I hope you¡¯ve been well.¡± The Immortal Father took Blizzy¡¯s hand¡ªBlizzy who was apparently Kinnai, one of the members of the Trifecta, and Kyriall¡¯s daughter? Kyriall continued by lifting her arms so she posed like a ¡®t¡¯, checking to see if there were any blemishes or scars, even a single hair out of place. Once his inspection was complete, he turned to Aiden. ¡°I commend you for taking great care of my daughter and thank you greatly for your efforts. Now that personal matters are taken care of, let us speak business.¡± ¡°Uh, Aiden¡­¡± Josh¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Did we all just see that right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m wondering that myself,¡± Aiden muttered, scratching his head as he looked at the very similar looking father-daughter duo. Kinnai had the same angular face structure, even though her wings were crystalline blue and her horns formed a crown. They had the same points and thick curves. ¡°Not my place to question the realm of deities and the like though, so I¡¯m just gonna roll with it. Well, kind of.¡± A certain Leyla seethed and prowled forward, her eyes glued to Kinnai. Kyriall regarded her with a dismissive glance, not even seeing her worth his time to consider. ¡°Leyla, don¡¯t.¡± From the moment Blizzy had been revealed as Kinnai, he¡¯d felt the overwhelming rush of explosive emotions through their bond. ¡°She¡¯s one of those bitches that cursed me. How could you even think to ask me not to vent a little bit of frustration out on her, she¡¯s the literal Scion of Chaos.¡± She glared at Kinnai and continued to approach, her scythe swirling in vicious circles. ¡°Please remain calm in my domain. I wouldn¡¯t want to erase your fate from this realm out of mere principle. It¡¯s quite rude to enter someone¡¯s home and start to cause a ruckus.¡± Even though the threat was made quite peacefully, Kyriall oozed such casual confidence. How he spoke made it seem as if it wasn¡¯t even a matter of if he could but rather should he have proper provocation, he would make due on his threat. ¡°And, in addition, should you wish harm upon my beloved daughter, that stigmata may make a reappearance and come back a magnitude harsher.¡± Leyla bared her canines at Kyriall, hissing her displeasure. Aiden really thought she might leap forward to attack the man and wrapped his arms around her. ¡°Please stop. I know you¡¯re angry at the Trifecta and the prophecy, I know it hurts and makes you unbelievably angry, but we need them. More importantly, I need you, and we don¡¯t have the power to burn bridges we¡¯re standing on.¡± A growl ripped from her throat as she shoved him off. Violet glowed from her eyes and spread across her face, arcing down her arms, shoulders, and back. No matter what Aiden tried to do to soothe her, the violence her entire being promised refused to abate. But she got a grip of herself and backed away, seething. He knew this wouldn¡¯t be the end of things and now worried about whether she¡¯d try to kill Blizzy. A conversation would be in order before they moved anywhere. Before that, he needed to speak with Kyriall. Aiden¡¯s eyes darted to Josh. ¡°Please keep her busy, and whatever you do, don¡¯t die.¡± The brute¡¯s guffaw irked Aiden, but he took the challenge seriously and donned the fourth stage of his Azura¡¯s Avatar transformation. Idly, Aiden wondered if Josh would ever master the fifth stage. His attention was pulled away from trying to keep his allies from killing each other by the calming voice of the one he¡¯d come to see. ¡°Why, Aiden Pearce, you keep quite the company. Had I known your fate would entangle with the Trinity¡¯s, I may have handled things a little differently.¡± He let out a deep sigh, one unbecoming of his stoic facade. In the matter of several seconds, his lofty, aloof demeanor shifted into one of fatigue and weariness. ¡°We have much to discuss.¡± Book Three, Chapter Twenty-Four: A Vampire In Need Kyriall directed Aiden to a side path, and Kinnai followed silently, remaining a comfortable distance between them. A blackwood door opened to reveal a pathway lit by dim greenfire torches. The shadows cast were strange and flickered in ways Aiden had never seen before. They contorted against the light, trying to shrink and flailing in exaggerated pain the longer they remained in the light. He followed Kyriall with mild trepidation. Being left with the immortal didn¡¯t raise any warning flags he should be watching out for. If anything, being around Kyriall felt oddly refreshing. They ascended a swirling set of stairs that felt both short yet way too long. By the time a new door came into view, dizziness assaulted Aiden. It didn¡¯t take him long to figure out what exactly was causing the strange effect. He didn¡¯t feel the connection to Blizzy as strongly as he normally did. Apex Predator had stopped defending him against Kyriall¡¯s intoxicating aura so aggressively, relegated to a more passive defense. Aiden hadn¡¯t noticed the difference, but seeing as he¡¯d come this far already, he wasn¡¯t going to start raising hell about the change just yet. It did give him some concern about the dynamic between Blizzy and Kinnai¡¯s existence that he¡¯d definitely be questioning the immortal about. Kyriall pricked his thumb with the nail on his forefinger and drew a thin line of blood from the top to the bottom of the seemingly ordinary door¡¯s middle. What once was a simple door became so much more, vivid runic depictions lighting the door in vibrant hues of red, orange, and gold. Instead of a new room, a portal awaited them. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Aiden Pearce,¡± Kyriall said, gesturing for Aiden to enter. ¡°I need you alive and free more than I need you injured, incapacitated, or anything less than fully functional.¡± ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to take your word on that¡ª¡± Kinnai huffed a lock of silver hair out of her face and pushed through the middle of both of them, then stepped through the portal. It enveloped her, then she disappeared. A bright shining glint appeared on the door. Fondly running his hand across the door, Kyriall sighed. ¡°A great masterpiece, made into something so damnable. I never should¡¯ve agreed to the demands. If I did not hold the position I do, then my soul would be damned for eternity for what I¡¯ve allowed to happen.¡± Without further elaboration, Kyriall stepped through the portal after Aiden. Not wanting to be left behind and having no earthly idea how to get back even if he wanted to, he took a deep breath and followed Kinnai and Kyriall through. What awaited on the other side was something familiar. ¡°Is this the Orrery?¡± As far as he could tell, the central node in the middle was exactly the same. The attribute altars, the starry sky, the spherical orb of liquid Essence¡ªall of it was as he knew it to be. Staring at Aiden with incredulity and wonder, Kyriall licked his lips. ¡°You¡­ know of this place, Aiden Pearce?¡± ¡°Should I not?¡± From what he could tell, everyone had an Orrery. Nothing about it seemed all that special, though he could have made countless assumptions about a thing here or there. While Kyriall stared at Aiden like he was a unicorn, Kinnai pranced around and giggled. She looked like a kid should and not like some great being of Chaos who would desire chaos to reign across the world or for Leyla to suffer needlessly as someone cursed with a fate of great suffering. It didn¡¯t make sense, didn¡¯t sit well with him to watch the display in front of him and think of harming what appeared to him simply as an innocent little girl. Then again, the world of deities, immortals, paragons, and all the other in-betweens didn¡¯t quite process. The world in which they lived was inconceivable, an existence so far out of reach from his own that he couldn¡¯t even begin to understand the greater machinations at work. Even now, standing in what looked like an exact replica of his Orrery before his Awakening, he failed to understand what his part to play in all of this was. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± he asked Kyriall, genuinely curious. He¡¯d thought the Orrery was just a metaphysical place, but seeing it here and now, he truly wondered if he¡¯d been a bit hasty to try and make sense of the things he¡¯d been faced with since the world went belly up. ¡°I wonder¡­¡± He approached the central node and rested a hand against it. Even before he¡¯d touched it, energy began to flow through him and into it. Once his hand touched, everything changed. The stars erupted in a brilliant nova that blinded him. The simple sky became that of a whole galaxy. The central node looked like the current, updated version he¡¯d created with the help of Leyla and his Awakening. ¡°I¡¯m getting the feeling something isn¡¯t quite so simple,¡± he muttered, turning back to Kyriall who watched him in stunned silence. ¡°Cat got your tongue?¡± Again, Aiden watched Kyriall¡¯s appearance visibly change. What had shifted from dignified and lofty to weary and disheartened became rejuvenated, vibrant, whole. ¡°You¡¯re even greater than I thought.¡± Kyriall held out both of his shaky hands as if to touch Aiden, his eyes gleaming with a fervor that was a bit creepy. His voice even held a hint of reverence. ¡°You¡¯ve been coming to this place before your coupling was blessed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ what I said, yeah. What is this place?¡± Kinnai chimed in for Kyriall. ¡°Home!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what that¡¯s supposed to mean¡­¡± It would be a lie if Aiden said he wasn¡¯t getting slightly frustrated by the absolute lack of clarity. The more and more he learned, the less he knew and the more mysteries he was presented with that didn¡¯t seem as if he¡¯d ever get the answer to. The Immortal Father opened his mouth, then clamped it shut hard enough to rattle his teeth. A grimace flashed across his face fast enough that Aiden almost believed he¡¯d mistaken ever seeing it. ¡°I¡­ am incapable of saying. My apologies, Aiden Pearce, but you must find the answer to that on your own. All I can say is that this place is like no other, a place even the gods wish to access,¡± Kyriall said, helping shed very little light on the confusion. ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it then,¡± Aiden grumbled. ¡°So if not to tell me what this space is, what was the purpose of bringing me here?¡± ¡°Even Halla is being monitored by Valhalla and spies from the assembly of deities that wish to usurp the One of Truth¡¯s mandates. This,¡± Kyriall spread his arms wide, indicating the strange realm Aiden was realizing wasn¡¯t as simple as he thought, ¡°is Nebulus.¡± Now that rang a bell. ¡°Huh.¡± To be sure he wasn¡¯t incorrect, he attempted to access his status. Rather than getting the screen in front of him as he usually did, it displayed in huge detail like a hologram over the central node. The relevant information was exactly as he¡¯d expected, though he didn¡¯t expect the slew of notifications that came with his inquiry. Mystery of Crystallization, Seeking the Nebulus Path evolution prerequisites met. Commencing Path evolution¡­ The entire not-Orrery shook and shifted as the evolution began. The galaxy above expanded to an even greater length, fully filling every space outside of the hemispherical platform-like space they occupied. Though, even that space didn¡¯t remain as such for long. Expanding outward to dozens of times its current length, the platform then wrapped downward and out of sight. Were Aiden to hazard a guess, they¡¯d actually be standing on a spherical object, something similar to a mini planet. In addition to a heightened sense of vividness with a greater scope and expanse, everything felt far more real, harder, as if given genuine substance. ¡°I¡¯m just gonna stop questioning things,¡± Aiden grumbled, crossing his arms and waiting for the process to complete. ¡­ The central node grew twice as big, the strange geography atop replicating a very familiar mountain city with a star-like glow shining from where he knew the throne of Midrath to be. ¡­ Then the central node grew again by half. Just as before, there was a dimmer star on a tiny spherical object. With one look, Aiden could tell the dim glow belonged to the Authority of Earth. Path: Mystery of Crystallization, Seeking the Nebulus has successfully evolved into Greater Path: Truth of Crystallization, Inheritor of the Nebulus As with previously when he¡¯d gained the Blizzard Discipline and ate Midrath¡¯s blizzard, a slew of notifications assaulted him. They mentioned the application of his path to his abilities and how they increased by at least a single rarity grade, if not two, and evolved into a semi-similar but different ability. As that happened once recently, Aiden vowed to himself to practice with the new abilities he¡¯d received in order to properly gauge his abilities before he made his way to Valhalla. He was currently running with an unknown assortment of abilities, and he constantly had a pending notification about a new Mastery selection and oodles and oodles of refunded Essence from cannibalizing his three Disciplines into one. There were upgrades promised in the near future, though he¡¯d already experienced many already. He likely couldn¡¯t even compare his current self to himself from a week ago, even without the Mastery and big pile of Essence to dump into his various skills¡ªassuming he even had any that had survived through the cannibalization process. ¡°That¡­ was oddly useful.¡± He turned to Kyriall. ¡°So what is it you brought me here for?¡± ¡°W-well, yes, business.¡± The Immortal Father cleared his throat and tried to still his shaking hands, but the fervor in his eyes and radiant glow of excitement buzzing off him like static made it difficult for Aiden to buy the attempt. ¡°First, whatever claim you have on Leyla, let it go. Whatever her prophetical duty as the Trinity means, screw it all. You can¡¯t have her.¡± This was a hill Aiden would gladly die on. ¡°You are bonded with the approval of the One of Truth. When that happened, there was no longer a claim to her soul.¡± Kyriall waved away Aiden¡¯s concerns and regarded him as if he was dense. ¡°That goes without saying. The creator¡¯s will supersedes all mortal and ¡®divine¡¯ intervention. You both could disappear from this conflict entirely, and nobody would be able to do anything about it.¡± Noting that down for another time, maybe one after he¡¯d completed his goals, Aiden nodded. ¡°Thank you for being honest with me. Now, I¡¯ve been informed each Authority requires the completion of a mission from the holder to transfer possession of it. Not only to seal the influence of the Upper Realm but also to complete a mission given to me by my Patron, I will require your Authority¡ªand Xenith¡¯s.¡± ¡°This is accurate. Whoever your source may be, they are quite knowledgeable.¡± Kyriall gestured toward Kinnai. ¡°Let¡¯s say I¡¯ve hedged my bets quite a while ago. You¡¯ve been pursuing the conditions of transference for my Authority ever since you first learned of my existence.¡± Raising a brow, Aiden regarded Kinnai and thought of when he¡¯d defeated the school¡¯s boss and received Blizzy as a reward. ¡°I¡¯m not following. Please elaborate.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°To understand, context is required. But what I¡¯m telling you is a big secret,¡± Kyriall said, holding a forefinger to his lips and winking. ¡°Stays between us and the other relevant parties.¡± ¡°Sure, I guess. Not sure who I¡¯m supposed to be telling your grand secrets to anyway, but yeah. That¡¯s easy enough.¡± Aiden was, admittedly, quite curious to know what kind of secrets someone with an Authority, the conductor of souls, and the manager of the underworld, would have to keep safe and quiet from others. The uncanny similarities between everything related to beings that were supposed to be above mortal scrutiny and a drama filled sitcom about snotty brats in highschool hurt Aiden¡¯s brain and gave him a nagging headache. ¡°While she is part of the Upper Realm and resides there, Tiamat isn¡¯t truly a goddess. She is but isn¡¯t. Similar to your Patron, she comes from a time predating the splitting of the world. She is worshiped by dragons everywhere, but she is simply the first dragon created by the Lifebringer,¡± Kyriall began to explain. ¡°She is also the commander of all monsters, being the greatest of them all.¡± He placed his hands behind his back and paced back and forth in front of Aiden as he continued. ¡°Belief is a powerful thing, you see, and the worship given to her by both dragons and monsters created a binding position she can¡¯t escape.¡± ¡°That sounds terrible. Coming from the epoch sounds less and less like a good thing the more I hear about it.¡± Suffering from success wasn¡¯t a feeling Aidne knew until he¡¯d entered the system. To imagine something even greater by many magnitudes and for a time span he could barely comprehend¡­ He didn¡¯t envy Tiamat, that was for sure. ¡°So how does all of this play into Blizz¡ªI mean Kinnai?¡± ¡°To be frank, Tiamat and I are lovers, and Kinnai is our child. Your companion, Blizzy as you call her, is to be the successor of the monster empress position. Completing the succession would free Tiamat of her shackles and allow her to slip away from the Upper Realm.¡± Kyriall turned and pointed at Aiden. ¡°This is where you are of utmost importance. Setting Khione free will remove the Upper Realm¡¯s chances of using her. With her freed, Tiamat and I may elope to another world entirely, breaking free of Ithalon and the great history we have here.¡± ¡°See, even if the realms are united under the collective of all the Authorities and the Upper Realm is kept in check and the deities there can¡¯t do anything to create a mess of things, who will remain to govern Halla?¡± Aiden asked, glancing towards Kinnai. ¡°Surely not her? Wouldn¡¯t she have enough responsibilities to manage on her own with all that comes with being the monster empress¡ªor whatever the actual title is?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fret. We are not so shortsighted or impatient to leave the afterlife in dire straits with our departure. While Kinnai is tasked with managing monsters, her sisters, Ariveth and Esan¡¯Arul, have been studying for several thousand years to be able to take mine and Xenith¡¯s mantles and handle them with great care and efficiency.¡± Kyriall almost seemed smug as he readjusted his glasses slightly to sit farther up his nose. Aiden held up both hands, making a pause gesture. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you''re going to leave the Trifecta, who are known as Harbingers of the End, in charge of some of the most important positions in the realm?¡± ¡°They gained those titles when they were far younger,¡± Kyriall said, sheepishly turning away. ¡°And I may have had some hand in them receiving them.¡± He huffed. ¡°What gaudy titles those are, anyway. Triplets being called the Trifecta? Being given such judgmental titles like Progenitor of Devastation and Champion of the Apocalypse? Sure, they are bright kids who regularly test the realm¡¯s security measures to great length and with wildly varied degrees of success, but those? They¡¯re just too harsh. Ariveth is a good tactician, sure, but she¡¯s still a novice mastermind. And while Esan¡¯Arul is powerful and decisive, she¡¯s not all that powerful in the grand scheme of things. Her cruel streak is quite impressive and effective, but does that really deserve being called Champion of the Apocalypse?¡± Watching an immortal go on a long tangent about the injustice of titles given to his daughters was not the day Aiden had expected, but he couldn¡¯t deny that it was greatly amusing and made them all seem a lot more¡­ human. Real. ¡°And my poor Kinnai, being called the Inheritor of Chaos. She¡¯s the youngest and a little less developed than her sisters, but that makes her unique in such a beautiful way. She might be a little inclined to do things a bit random and questionable from time to time, but that doesn¡¯t mean there isn¡¯t a subconscious genius behind her choices!¡± He raised a fist at the galaxy above them. ¡°And any of those false gods that want to keep running their mouths can come to my domain and take it up with me personally!¡± ¡°Everything I know is a lie,¡± Aiden muttered, smacking his forehead. ¡°This isn¡¯t real, is it? It can¡¯t be.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, all three of my daughters are precious sweethearts, and I won¡¯t hear anything else saying otherwise.¡± Kyriall planted both feet, stomping hard, and crossed his arms, glaring at Aiden. ¡°If you wish to slander them, then we¡¯ll have to end our discussion here, Aiden Pearce.¡± Aiden stared blankly at Kyriall, wondering where the dignified immortal who¡¯d first been present when Aiden stepped through the portal from Halla went. He contemplated ever having children if they had a chance to change his outlook on life so drastically, not that he¡¯d been considering having any in the first place. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯ve simply heard a lot in regards to them, though I have to ask. The coupling you mentioned that was blessed by the One of Truth, my other half suffered greatly at the hands of your daughters as the Trinity prophesied to be doomed to a fate of violence and anguish. I would love an explanation for that,¡± Aiden asked, crossing his arms to mimic Kyriall and glaring back equally as fierce. ¡°They told me about that. But herein lies the curious truth about trials and tribulation, suffering and overcoming, challenges that act as hurdles on our path of personal growth¡­ If she was not the way she was, would things not be very, very different for both of you? Is she not the way she is because of what she has been faced with and overcome? And is her strength, her character, not what draws you to her?¡± Kyriall¡¯s eyes gleamed knowingly. ¡°We can either choose to be victims of the lives we lived or choose to embrace them, to find a path forward in which we thrive.¡± ¡°Sounds like a lot of excuses to me,¡± Aiden grumbled. ¡°Call it what you want, but adversity creates strength. You won¡¯t find a single immortal or paragon that hasn¡¯t suffered at the hands of the Upper Realm in order to pursue their own destinies. What cannot be controlled then becomes a threat to those who seek power, and the Upper Realm as a whole hates all that cannot be controlled.¡± Kyriall shrugged. ¡°And they too have experienced great hardship to get to where they are. That is simply life for any thing that lives, to overcome our suffering.¡± ¡°Whatever your ideology is, as long as you leave Leyla alone, we can continue discussing business.¡± As much as he wanted to refute Kyriall¡¯s claims of adversity creating strength, Aiden and the first wave of those that were transported to Midrath were perfect examples of exactly that. If he tried to argue further, he¡¯d simply be making himself look ignorant and incompetent. While he wasn¡¯t a genius in school like Olivia, he wasn¡¯t a fool. ¡°Where were we?¡± ¡°To summarize, Kinnai must succeed Tiamat¡¯s position as monster empress,¡± Kyriall recounted. ¡°Any clue how to do that?¡± Specifics didn¡¯t seem to be any deities strong suit, and they were the very thing that Aiden needed the most. ¡°Could you please bring up your Companion status. Now that you¡¯re aware of the hidden quest, it should be less hidden.¡± Kyriall gestured toward the central node and Aiden¡¯s status floating there. Blizzy (Soul of Kinnai, Inheritor of Chaos) Race: Blizzard Dragon Growth Stage: Young Attunement: Blizzards Body+: 70 Mind+: 55 Soul: 100 Hidden Quest: Succeed Dragon Goddess Tiamat as Monster Empress Required Maturity: Ancient Current Maturity: Young Her attributes had increased in the short time since last he checked. Aiden noted that and thought about what he had to do. ¡°I¡¯ll need more information if I want to even come close to making this work,¡± Aiden said, internally groaning. ¡°How many levels of maturity are there for dragons? ¡°Wyrmling is first, which she¡¯s clearly passed, usually takes five years. Her current maturity,¡± he gestured toward Kinnai, ¡°young, usually continues until the age of one hundred. On their hundred and first birthday, they¡¯re acknowledged as adults. That goes until they¡¯re eight hundred, then they¡¯re qualified as ancients.¡± ¡°And I have to get her to the point she¡¯s an ancient dragon before I can claim your Authority?¡± Aiden stared at Kyriall blankly. ¡°Sure do.¡± He shrugged and continued his explanation about dragon maturity, not that Aiden needed to hear more, ¡°Most dragons don¡¯t see another maturity stage pass this, unless they¡¯re a higher ranked race, then they become greater wyrms at the age of one thousand six hundred and one. These races are effectively immortal and carry some genes from the epochal dragons, those like Tiamat,¡± Kyriall explained, winking as he finished. ¡°But she has been blessed not only by Tiamat but myself too.¡± Feeling the signs of a coming headache, Aiden sighed. ¡°What do you mean they¡¯re acknowledged? And what does changing maturity levels do for a dragon?¡± ¡°Good questions,¡± Kyriall said, nodding approval. ¡°Being so deeply in touch with the magic of the world, their evolution involves a lot of¡­ magic. Magic that isn¡¯t even truly understood by us deities¡ªwell, maybe Tiamat knows, but if she does, she isn¡¯t sharing. As for the maturity bit, there¡¯s a qualitative change in a dragon¡¯s magic, a magical evolution of sorts, and a significant boost in intellect for when they reach a new maturity.¡± In short, dragons were insane the older they got. Aiden could only imagine what Tiamat must be like. ¡°Out of curiosity, what would Tiamat qualify as if she¡¯s been around since the epoch?¡± Aiden idly asked as he tried to process how in the hell he was supposed to advance Blizzy so much in such a short amount of time if he wanted to finish Khione¡¯s request before he died of old age¡ªif that was a thing he could even do anymore. ¡°Only she knows,¡± Kyriall said, deflecting the question. ¡°As for how you¡¯ll go about reaching your goal before an eon has passed, you continue to do what you¡¯ve been doing. You¡¯ve had Kinnai as your Companion for but a few months, yet she is already developed to the stage of being halfway to adulthood.¡± ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s months of effort for something close to sixty years. To get her to become ancient, I¡¯d need her to develop more than ten times that much.¡± He sucked on the inside of his cheek as he considered what he could do. ¡°This is impossible.¡± Kyriall wagged a derisive finger. ¡°What you¡¯ve done is quite impressive if you consider that you¡¯ve only used the passive growth boon placed upon Kinnai by Tiamat. However, there are three boons, and you¡¯ve yet to explore two of them as options. I¡¯d even say you haven¡¯t explored the extent of what my lovely Tiamat has offered.¡± Before Aiden got into the rabbit hole of eking out any amount of details from the infuriatingly selective immortal, he couldn¡¯t help but envision an inconceivably large dragon hugging Kyriall and accidentally snapping his spine. The thought made Aiden smile and gave him the strength to begin interrogating the immortal. ¡°Elaborate.¡± Kyriall pointed at the central node and floated up until his finger poked each blessing. ¡°First,¡± he pointed at his pointy teeth, ¡°I am a vampire and have blessed Kinnai with vampirism, though not the impure kind that imbues an insatiable need for blood upon lesser vampires. She can drink blood from enemies and gain power that way.¡± He held up a finger. ¡°But this is where Tiamat¡¯s boon overlaps. The passive boon of increased growth means all energy is far more effective, however, Kinnai can also grow from eating magical flesh¡ªor anything magical at all.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve given me a dragon that¡¯s essentially a foodie. Feed her until she explodes or evolves sounds like the solution,¡± Aiden summarized, groaning. No wonder Blizzy had eaten so much and grown so fast in such a short time and was always looking for more to eat. Her stomach was essentially a bottomless hole of power conversion. Aiden couldn¡¯t lie. He was a little jealous, though the idea of eating raw monster flesh curbed that jealousy to a minor envy quickly. ¡°Pretty much!¡± Kyriall nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Our little Kinnai will catch up to her sisters¡¯ development and be suitable for the position in a portion of the time it took. They¡¯ll no longer pick on her as the slowest of the three!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that was an issue.¡± Aiden couldn¡¯t keep up with the eccentric oscillation of serious to doting father to energized fanatic. Kyriall was certainly a large personality, though Aiden couldn¡¯t imagine remaining sane after thousands of years. ¡°But there¡¯s another issue then.¡± Kyriall floated back down to the ground and returned to pacing with his hands behind his back. ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t enough on Midrath. I¡¯ve tried feeding her the greater hydra, but it dissipates to respawn before she can even try¡ªas do almost all the monsters on Midrath.¡± It hadn¡¯t been a big problem at the time and had been more of a whim of curiosity when he¡¯d tried, but having Blizzy eat them worked as much as having her chomp down on air and hope for power. Not at all. Maybe if she was an air dragon instead of a blizzard dragon? But she wasn¡¯t. ¡°Simple, you have to go to Valhalla to collect the authority there.¡± Kyriall raised a finger to point at the third boon from Laovi, God of All That is Wholesome. ¡°Your Companion, Blizzy, is created of two souls. One is Kinnai¡¯s, the other is that of the dragon you¡¯re familiar with. Because of the soul of a saint given to you by Laovi, Kinnai is also able to consume and grow from both the infernal energy of Halla and divine energy of Valhalla.¡± It took but a second for Aiden to get the implication. ¡°You want to have Blizzy go on a feeding frenzy, eat a bunch of people, and consume their blood, flesh, and divine energies so that she can evolve and free you and Tiamat from your duties?¡± A bemused whistle echoed through Nebula. ¡°The two of you have really thought all of this through. Color me impressed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised. This isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve tried to escape our bondage. There have been countless failures, giving us more time than I care to think of to perfect a plan.¡± Kyriall stared at Aiden hard. ¡°Well, almost perfect. You are the unknown variable, even if the strings of fate determine you to be the most capable candidate to see our mission completed.¡± ¡°No pressure,¡± Aiden deadpanned. ¡°If it makes you feel any better, any being that¡¯s in Halla or Valhalla is corrupt and has sinned unforgivably. Any soul that hasn¡¯t been permanently tarnished is placed in the cycle of rebirth,¡± Kyriall said, shrugging. ¡°Nobody will miss any of the souls from either realm. Except maybe Xenith. She¡¯s always had somewhat of a vindictive streak and is very selective in the type of terrible she allows around her.¡± ¡°Something about that unsettles me.¡± The idea of his precious Blizzy, so innocent and not at all a feral dragon created specifically for the purpose of consuming countless lives, going on a great purge in both sectors of the afterlife left him deeply concerned about the ones who created the plan in the first place. ¡°If your Authority requires me to complete Tiamat¡¯s mission, what then does the Authority of Valhalla?¡± ¡°Simple. Valhalla is the afterlife not of creatures who have done good in their life but are addicted to battle. You simply have to beat Xenith at her own game,¡± Kyriall said, grinning devilishly. ¡°It will come with opportunities for all who survive, but as we spoke of previously, adversity creates strength. Taking command of Xenith¡¯s Authority is a simple task, but in its simplicity lies the danger.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear it.¡± ¡°Honorable combat, gauntlet style.¡± ¡°Go figure.¡± Book Three, Chapter Twenty-Five: A Long List of Tasks ¡°There¡¯s a large flaw in your plan though,¡± Aiden said, crossing his arms and staring at Kyriall. ¡°Even if the souls in Halla and Valhalla are terrible people, they¡¯re still the souls of people. They aren¡¯t monsters.¡± ¡°What is the point you make?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± Aiden felt moronic thinking of the types of people he was likely defending right now, but the idea of letting Blizzy eat humans didn¡¯t sit well with him. ¡°On top of that, there¡¯s no realm in which Xenith lets us take away the Authority without fighting us herself.¡± His party members and available allies came to mind. ¡°Nobody on my side is even remotely strong enough to face Xenith and win.¡± ¡°It takes a wise man to acknowledge their weaknesses. To fight Xenith would be insurmountable, as if you chose to directly challenge me. An effort in absolute frivolity and futility.¡± ¡°I hear a ¡®but¡¯ coming.¡± ¡°There are none.¡± Again, Kyriall shrugged, wistfully waving as if completely unconcerned. ¡°How you will overcome Xenith isn¡¯t my problem. As for how to encourage growth for Kinnai, these people¡ªif they can still be called that¡ªare worse than monsters. The problem of morality that plagues you is one I do not share.¡± Kyriall shrugged. ¡°But eons as a vampiric creature tend to skew moralistic ideology.¡± Kinnai chose now to speak up as she held her stomach, its growl long and raucous. ¡°Hungry!¡± ¡°Whatever your method may be, you will need an energy that contends with the divine. Without it, even if you would wish to usurp Xenith and repurpose her Authority, there¡¯s no way you could.¡± ¡°What about you? Can¡¯t you give Blizzy¡ªor Kinnai, rather¡ªsome of your energy? It¡¯s the equivalent of something divine,¡± Aiden suggested hopefully. ¡°You wish I inflict vampirism upon my own daughter?¡± There was a deep chill that instantly pervaded the room, and Kyriall¡¯s nonchalant demeanor shifted into one of blank aggression. He regarded Aiden as if he was a snack he¡¯d always wished to taste, a delicacy even. Aiden held up both hands passively, knowing he wouldn¡¯t have a chance in hell of winning if he reached for Silver. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. Isn¡¯t there a way to impart your power to her without the effect of vampirism?¡± Kyriall¡¯s unchanging face was all the answer Aiden needed. ¡°Gotcha. Big no.¡± He racked his brain for another option. ¡°What about Tiamat or Laovi? Could they not offer aid?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve done what they can. The rest is for you to determine.¡± The unwavering coldness didn¡¯t dissipate, even more intense than when he¡¯d first entered Halla. Aiden had messed up big time. ¡°Now, let me see you out. You¡¯ve overstayed your welcome.¡± He took the lead and headed back in the way they came, the same door appearing to allow them exit. ¡°Kinnai, come, my sweet.¡± ¡°Well shit,¡± Aiden muttered, following behind them and exiting. ¡°That didn¡¯t go well.¡± The entire way back to the others, only Kinnai said anything. Most of what she said was to complain about her aching stomach. Aiden could sympathize with her but didn¡¯t know what to do now. Kyriall offered souls for Blizzy to feast on, but Aiden didn¡¯t like that idea. Sure, he¡¯d slain Valkyr, but he¡¯d always given them a proper burial. Never had he manipulated their souls or desecrated their corpses for power. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. And he wouldn¡¯t start. That left him in a bind. The time it would take to hunt down the monsters spread out over Midrath in any meaningful way would take too long, and he needed Halla¡¯s Authority if he wanted to free Khione. There had to be another way. Whatever it was, he would discover it. Before making any drastic choices, he¡¯d consult with Leyla. She¡¯d been in the world of realms and the like far longer and might know something he could make use of. Once back to Kyriall¡¯s chamber, the group looked properly worked up and had spread around all over the chamber, searching high and low. When they saw Kyriall and Aiden strolling back in, Aiden heard Josh call out, ¡°I swear I checked down that hall. There was nothing there.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter now,¡± Leyla hissed, striding toward Aiden with a promise of violence in her eyes. ¡°Where were you? I couldn¡¯t feel your soul! We all thought Kyriall had stolen you away!¡± ¡°In that case, the fact there aren¡¯t any bodies and the palace still remains is quite impressive,¡± Aiden muttered. As much as he tried to care about their concern, much weighed his mind down. There was much to do and little time. ¡°I¡¯m here now. All is well.¡± Instead of briefing them, Aiden turned to Kyriall and received one word in response. ¡°Begone.¡± Aiden threw a peace sign over his shoulder as he turned, waved his other hand to open a portal back to Midrath, and departed. Once he passed through the viscous gate and stepped on Midrath soil once more, he let out a large breath of relief. Like a shadow, Leyla was the second through only a second after him. Then came the rest in one disgruntled group. A distinct lack of a large dragon made him nervous, so he turned to look. Kinnai clung to Kyriall¡¯s neck and shed tears. Kyriall looked as if he struggled to hold in his own and wiped away her¡¯s with his thumb. Recognizing the intimate moment for what it was, Aiden turned back to face the rest of them who regarded him with various looks of concern, aggression, and inquisitiveness. ¡°So?¡± Josh broke the ice. ¡°What¡¯s the news?¡± ¡°Things just got a lot more complicated,¡± Aiden admitted with a sigh. ¡°You gonna share the details, or are you gonna string us along the whole way?¡± Adam asked, approaching with an arrogant swagger. He jabbed a finger into Aiden¡¯s chest. ¡°You¡¯re doing pretty terribly at this leadership thing. Maybe it¡¯s time you step aside and let someone else give it a go.¡± ¡°Now¡¯s not the time,¡± Aiden growled and smacked away the offending hand. ¡°Then when, huh? You can¡¯t keep avoiding this forever. And I¡¯m tired of waiting.¡± Aiden looked at the others. Josh looked ready to step in and was halted by Aiden, as was Leyla. He looked at Madison and her malicious grin. Even Anna looked like she was open to the idea of watching them fight, a more subdued grin as she looked at both Adam and Aiden with contempt. Ian and Isaac looked afraid, as they should. ¡°Fine, but don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± He gestured for the others to give them space. There was time to kill while they waited for Kinnai to finish with Kyriall. On top of that, he needed a test dummy for his newfound powers. ¡°Please, who are you kidding?¡± Adam raised his arms wide and looked at all the others. ¡°Nobody here thinks you¡¯ve got what it takes to lead, even if you have the power.¡± ¡°Speak for yourself,¡± Josh growled as he approached, violence in his gait. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to you getting your ass handed to you.¡± Adam met Aiden¡¯s gaze and smirked. ¡°Get your barking dog, will you? I¡¯ve heard enough from the buffoon for a lifetime.¡± ¡°How about you watch your fuc¡ª¡± ¡°Josh, please back up. I¡¯ve got this,¡± Aiden interrupted. Silver was already in his hand. He¡¯d yet to activate it with the Blizzard Discipline, but the effects were extraordinary. A miniature blizzard swirled from the tip and took the form of a sword, similar to the Ice Discipline, but Aiden could feel how easily he could control its form. It solidified under his instruction, crystallizing into a clear blade the length he was familiar with using. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡± Book Three, Chapter Twenty-Six: Newfound Prowess ¡°Let me tell all of you something before we start,¡± Aiden started, raising his sword and pointing it at all of them¡ªeven his most loyal follower, Josh. ¡°What comes next will not be easy. At this moment, I don¡¯t want to take any of you with me. I don¡¯t trust that you¡¯re strong enough to not be a liability, and for some of you, I say that with the utmost respect. Others,¡± he eyed Adam and Madison, ¡°less so. So here¡¯s what we¡¯ll do. We will all fight. You will see the gulf of power that exists between us, not because I am a tyrannical leader, but because I want you to be vividly aware of the dangers involved.¡± His eyes shifted to Arkayan as he spoke, seeing genuine mirth. ¡°Just shut up. Get off your high horse and get ready to have your ass kicked,¡± Adam said, spitting at Aiden¡¯s foot and holding up his hand to summon a spear of blackflame. Two flaming horns erupted from his head and looped back to rest under his ears by his neck. ¡°Oh, look at that. Right on time to see all the fun and games. You think I can play too?¡± a familiar voice called playfully. Aiden turned to see James and Arkayan slowly approaching, sparks of black lightning jumping across James¡¯ skin. ¡°Why not?¡± Aiden said with a shrug. The power vibrating from James felt almost as great as what Aiden currently possessed, which was saying a lot. ¡°But you have to wait your turn.¡± ¡°After I beat you bloody, I¡¯ll take care of that jackass too,¡± Adam said, pointing his spear at Aiden and James. ¡°Enough talking, let¡¯s fight.¡± ¡°Anna, make sure he doesn¡¯t die,¡± Aiden called, his patience broken and a need to vent some frustration a call to a part of him he¡¯d not released since fighting in the Valkyr¡¯s gauntlet. Even with the plethora of notifications still blinking in the corner of his vision, Aiden knew he didn¡¯t need to be any stronger to win this fight. Intuitively, he could feel the gulf of power between himself and Adam. This fight would be a test for himself to see his capabilities, despite handicaps, as would be the fights against all the others. His total combat power felt lesser than when he had three Disciplines to wield, less versatile, but his sturdiness, the raw power at his beck and call if he so chose to use it, had increased in quality rather than quantity. Aiden needed to know his limitations before embarking, and what better way than actual combat? ¡°I¡¯ll give you the first strike, just to show you how screwed you are,¡± he called out Adam. With the spear in one hand, blackflame ignited on Adam¡¯s other fist as he lunged forward, the ground cratering from the power of his charge. As promised, Aiden didn¡¯t budge from his spot, two feet planted and hands by his side as Adam¡¯s punch arrived. If it weren¡¯t for witnessing the strike landing, Aiden wouldn¡¯t have thought Adam had made any effort. He grinned. ¡°My turn.¡± In retaliation, he slammed his fist into Adam¡¯s gut before the other man could react. The flaming horns and spear both dissipated from the single strike as Adam fell to his knees clutching his stomach and doubled over. ¡°Don¡¯t throw up on my boots!¡± Aiden said and kicked Adam in his exposed ribs. Something definitely broke under the power of the attack. So boastful and arrogant was he, but the way his body tumbled away left a bitter taste in Aiden¡¯s mouth. ¡°Pathetic. All that talk, and for this to be all you have?¡± If Adam hadn¡¯t already been retching before, he was now. ¡°Oh damn,¡± Josh called, wincing, ¡°Aiden¡¯s pissed.¡± Then he smiled, his eyes alight with battlelust. ¡°Me next!¡± ¡°Anna,¡± Aiden prompted as he ignored Josh. ¡°On it.¡± Her emerald energy washed over Adam¡¯s prone form. Once finished, she warily eyed Aiden. If she had an issue with Adan¡¯s treatment, she didn¡¯t say anything. Once Adam¡¯s form stopped shaking violently, Aiden barked, ¡°Now get up!¡± Adam struggled, and as he did, curiosity piqued, Aiden opened his status for the first time in a long time. Name: Aiden Pearce Race: Human (Grade D) (M)Power: 1 (S)Durability: 1 (M)Alacrity: 1 (P)Arcana: 1(+20) (M)Spirit: 1(+20) Boosts: Essence Channel XXXI, +20 Arcana and Spirit, Weapon Proficiency XVI, Inscription VI, Mastery Augmentation VI, Needle Storm Discipline: Blizzard - Epic IV Paths: Versatility, the Truth of Adaptation, Truth of Crystallization, Inheritor of the Nebulus, The Absolute, Khione¡¯s Authority Abilities: None ¡°Interesting,¡± he muttered to himself. His attributes said one, but they didn¡¯t reflect the strength. He sifted through his notifications to find the one he¡¯d seen but glossed over before. Race Grades Ascension unlocks a race¡¯s hidden potential. The amount of power the soul can harness increases tenfold through each Grade. It was similar to Blizzy¡¯s monstrous attribute, though appeared to require an active process of ascending through the grades rather than being an inherent property. If what he understood was right, one of his current attributes equaled a hundred of his previous. He flexed, his knuckles cracking from the power. The strength he felt was even greater than his previous, confirming the quality enhancement that came with ascension. He felt nearly twice as strong as before. No wonder the Arcana rampaging through him felt so dominant. Silver still applied a whole twenty additional points to both his Arcana and Spirit. However, the big difference was in the fact Arcana was his primary attribute. All in all, he felt amazing. For a brief moment, he wondered how he¡¯d fare against the Serian Prowler if they were to fight again. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°You ever going to get up?¡± he goaded Adam as the other man¡¯s shaking arms struggled to hold him. Aiden knew Anna¡¯s ability to heal was good for its worth, but to be so handily defeated after his show of arrogance? ¡°Your pride must be taking a serious beating right now. Too bad I don¡¯t care. I¡¯ll give you fifteen seconds, then I''ll come to you.¡± Clenching his teeth hard enough everyone around heard, Adam slammed a fist into the ground and shook like a leaf as he rose to his feet. From the way the ground cracked, Aiden could tell Adam¡¯s power attribute was either a primary or secondary¡ªlikely the latter, given how weak the punch was. After ten seconds, Adam returned to his feet, seething with hatred in his eyes. ¡°This is all your fault! You took the fighters and left us behind!¡± ¡°The time for talk is over. Now prepare yourself. I won¡¯t let you rest as much as just now, so give it your all. Impress me with the power you possess that gives you the confidence to bark so much.¡± Aiden leaned forward, both of his fists raised. ¡°I command you to kneel!¡± Adam shouted. A strange energy tickled against Aiden¡¯s mind, but a small flair of Apex Predator resisted the attempt. However, a quick look around showed the others in different states of acquiescence. Ian and Isaac bowed dutifully, Josh looked mildly uncomfortable, while James and Anna looked wholly unaffected. Leyla¡¯s bemused smirk was betrayed by her twitchy fingers that kept habitually reaching for her scythe. ¡°You¡¯re not doing a good job of impressing me.¡± Now, Adam looked a little more uncertain of himself. If the thrashing he¡¯d gotten before hadn¡¯t done it, resisting this command magic started shaking some of his arrogance. Aiden didn¡¯t care. As he closed the distance, Adam reached up a hand and bellowed, ¡°Varothgar of the Savage, I summon thee! Hear my call and answer your master!¡± His hands shot forward, and a blackflame portal burned a hole in the ground at his feet. Aiden stopped, watched, and wondered what power Adam kept in his back pocket. He crossed his arms and waited. An impatient huff escaped his lips. ¡°You better hope this is worth the delay.¡± Out came a gray-skinned demon with those same blackflames burning atop its head as hair. Similar to Adam, it had those same horns that protruded from its forehead and wrapped over the flaming hair to rest under its ears and next to its neck. Red runic language blanketed its bare chest. Spiked pauldrons covered its shoulders, and simple blacksteel greaves covered its lower half to keep modesty alive. Its eyes met Aiden¡¯s, an odd pattern of layered black and white, then the creature turned around to address Adam. ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like a battleground, nor are there enemies to slay. What have you summoned me for?¡± ¡°Fight him,¡± Adam said, pointing a finger at Aiden, ¡°at my side. Be wary, he¡¯s stronger than he looks.¡± This was an interesting development. Aiden wondered if this strange creature was the source of Adam¡¯s blackflames or if it was something else entirely. Either way, he would crush them both. The power wafting off this Varothgar still felt lacking, though it carried itself like V¡¯Yenya. Confidence oozed off its entire being, a rawness of brutality promised to those who engaged in combat with it. Varothgar turned to analyze Aiden. ¡°We won¡¯t win with your paltry strength. My summoned power is not enough to aid you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! We fight!¡± Adam shouted. The gray-skinned demon bowed its head slightly and then turned to Aiden. ¡°I¡¯m sure you will make this interesting. Shall we begin?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s.¡± While they¡¯d talked, a thin layer of ice had spread across the ground in a large circle around Aiden. The rest of them had started to backtrack away from the fight. Now that the stage was set, Varothgar stomped to shake off the infringing ice and grunted. The blackflame spread across his whole body, condensing heavily on his fists. ¡°Let¡¯s do this like real men.¡± Beside the demonic creature, the spear reappeared in Adam¡¯s hand and his horn started burning again. His form looked more muscular now. Even through his shirt, red runes shined beneath in the same pattern seen on Varothgar¡¯s chest. Now things were getting serious, Aiden thought to amp up the challenge even more. ¡°Madison, care to join?¡± Without deigning to give him a verbal response, Madison stepped across the layers of ice to join Adam by his side. Her twin serpents of red lightning hissed at Aiden, wrapping her with their bodies like a magical shield as they stared him down. ¡°Now the odds should be a bit more even,¡± Aiden called and nodded. ¡°Begin!¡± The twin serpents opened their mouths wide and blasted a constant barrage. Adam rushed forward, but his demonic summon simply walked after, unhurried. His black and white layered eyes watched Adien¡¯s every movement. Then Aiden moved, repeating the forward charge, and punched toward Adam¡¯s charging chest. Instead of being thrown away, Adam raised the spear to block with the shaft, sliding back several feet under the strength of the attack. Aiden didn¡¯t have time to appreciate Adam¡¯s sudden increase in durability or speed. The barrage of lightning took his attention, and he danced through the attacks nimbly. Even if Alacrity wasn¡¯t his main attribute, he never slacked in training for his miscellaneous attributes. Adam only advanced when Aiden¡¯s attention turned to Madison, but he used the spear to deflect and hold his ground from Aiden¡¯s single strikes, keeping himself positioned in front of Madison as her twin serpents arced over his head and shoulders. Once Adam began to get comfortable with the attack pattern, Aiden grinned and changed things up. He struck with the single fist, and Adam reacted accordingly. He¡¯d raise the spear to block, slide back, and then reset his stance. But Aiden wasn¡¯t done. He stepped forward and threw a second punch, followed by a quick kick to Adam¡¯s calf. His leg buckled under the strike. Aiden¡¯s knee smashed into Adam¡¯s face. The back of Adam¡¯s head hit the earthy ground, blood gushing from his nose. He groaned in pain as emerald light flashed over him, but Aiden pressed past to Madison. His path was short. One step covered a quarter of the distance, a second covered half. Her eyes widened as he approached, the serpents letting out great hisses, buzzed angrily, flashed even brighter, and launched forward. Varothgar decided then would be a good time to intercept Aiden. Confident and curious about his durability, Aiden punched one of the charging serpents and jumped back away from the demon. The second serpent slammed into his chest mid-air and coiled around him. It buzzed an unholy sound. The colorful sky with nary a cloud in sight began raining down one bolt after another. To Aiden, the onslaught tickled, though his body reacted a bit slower than he wanted. A layer of ice covered his skin and exploded outward, forcing the serpent off and away. Varothgar¡¯s blackflame-clad fist impacted Aiden¡¯s side. And for the first time in a long time, he felt pain. An eruption of heat scorched through his ribs, midriff, and out his other side. Aiden backpedaled away from the demon, his mind clouded from the surprise and suddenness of the pain that assaulted him. A cursory glance showed no wound, no impact, no mark at all. ¡°What the¡­?¡± he muttered as he tracked the demon that still walked with a confident swagger. He bit down the surprise and acknowledged the demon as a potential threat. Before Aiden could fully process, he was dodging more bolts. Those serpents didn¡¯t hurt him much, but they made his body move oddly, unresponsive and slow. ¡°I feel like this should be some kind of training opportunity, but it¡¯s just annoying at the moment. Time to get serious.¡± Book Three, Chapter Twenty-Seven: We Need To Talk Aiden gathered a sliver of Arcana and threw his hands forward. Two vortexes of freezing wind sent Adam tumbling head over heels away from him. Varothgar knelt forward and curled in on himself, a small sphere of blackflame protecting him from the chilled assault. The two lightning serpents attempted to defend Madison with a desperate barrage of bolts. Their resistance lasted but a second, then they gave up on stopping the attack and wrapped around Madison before she too went flying after Adam. Seeing the effects, Adam halted the attack and looked down at his hands, incredulous. While his strength and speed had doubled, he couldn¡¯t even compare the effects of his Arcana. He hadn¡¯t even used a real skill, yet he¡¯d easy dispatched all three of them. Varothgar was the first to recover, the flames on his head reduced to a pittance of what they were previously. He looked in the direction Adam had flown. ¡°I tried to warn him.¡± He turned his attention back to Aiden, took a stance, and tilted his head uncertainly. ¡°Do we continue?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Aiden grunted and looked at the others. Many looked concerned, some intrigued, but they all waited for him to speak again. His steely gaze focused on Ian and Isaac, easily the two weakest present. Josh stepped between the two of them. ¡°My turn.¡± ¡°No.¡± His refusal brokered no argument. With two fingers, he pointed at both of them and gestured for them to come. Anna scowled. ¡°Just stop. What¡¯s the point of fighting them? You¡¯re doing nothing more than bullying them at this point. Is your goal to terrorize everyone weaker than you?¡± He looked her way. ¡°You can wait your turn.¡± ¡°Dude, what¡¯s your deal?¡± Josh asked, brows creased in concern. ¡°This isn¡¯t like you.¡± Aiden looked around at all of them. His chest ached as he thought of going to Valhalla, the mountainous task that was growing Blizzy for Halla¡¯s Authority, and the seemingly impossible task of saving Khione. ¡°Just do as I say,¡± he growled through clenched teeth. ¡°Where is this coming from, man?¡± Josh questioned. ¡°I agree with the brute,¡± Leyla said, her open palm gently touching Aiden¡¯s back. Her attempt to be comforting failed and only reminded Aiden of how much he had to lose. The risk that would come with the freedom he seeked. None too gently, he shrugged her hand off his back. ¡°We don¡¯t have the time for this.¡± ¡°Yes, we absolutely do,¡± Josh said, Anna standing beside him in support. ¡°Something¡¯s bothering you.¡± He spread his hands and gestured at everyone, excluding Adam and Madison. ¡°We¡¯re all here to support you. That¡¯s what we came for. If your reasoning for beating the snot out of Adam is because you want to show us how much weaker we are, we all knew that already. What is it you¡¯re not telling us?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand,¡± Aiden bit out through clenched teeth. Josh¡¯s face turned beet red as his shirt tore and his fists clenched hard enough to cause a shrieking sound. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t understand, you say? Me? Of everyone here, you think I wouldn¡¯t understand what you¡¯re dealing with?¡± Aiden glared back at Josh. His voice was laden in sarcasm, dripping with derision. ¡°Oh, please, please tell me all about your insight into what¡¯s bothering me then.¡± From Aiden¡¯s side, he heard James scoff. ¡°This is worse than a reality tv show.¡± Aiden¡¯s glare landed on James, but James grinned back as a black spark excitedly cracked the air around him. ¡°I¡¯m ready whenever you are. Any time, any place.¡± Wrenching his gaze away from James, Aiden looked around at everyone around him. They looked at him with worry, concern, fear. When he looked back at Josh, he saw disappointment. ¡°You¡¯re trying to carry the weight of the world on your own and won¡¯t let any of us help you, no matter how much you stick your neck out there to help us. You crush yourself by thinking you have to do everything, thinking that we¡¯re all too weak, that we can¡¯t make our own choices.¡± Josh smacked his fists together. ¡°That¡¯s kind of a dick move, man, but if it¡¯s a fight you¡¯re looking for, you¡¯ll realize we¡¯re not as fragile as you think we are.¡± Again, Aiden¡¯s gaze wandered to each and every one of them. Madison stared at him with fear and loathing, as did Adam. Anna looked conflicted but on Josh¡¯s side. Arkayan looked¡­ amused. Whipping around, Aiden looked at Leyla, hoping to find support from her. There was none to be found. ¡°He isn¡¯t wrong, Aiden.¡± She leaned closer, her lips only a breath from his ear. ¡°We can run away from it all. The gods be damned, Halla and Valhalla be damned. Khione, Zion, all of it be damned. We can leave it all behind.¡± ¡°But your prophecy¡­¡± ¡°Damn the prophecy too.¡± She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. ¡°All I want is you and me, for us to be okay together.¡± A moment passed in silence. ¡°They want the same. You don¡¯t recognize how much you have done for the people, how much they revere and respect you. What you¡¯re doing now, do you think it¡¯s truly for their sake?¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. He¡¯d been trying to show them how dangerous things would be to try to convince them to stay behind. He knew that, but she had a point. Was this really the way? Was stooping down to Adam¡¯s level to become a fearmonger really the way to go about things? These were his friends, the people he fought to protect. If that was the case, why now did he try to hurt them to dissuade them? He knew the answer deep down. ¡°I¡¯m afraid,¡± Aiden whispered, clutching Leyla closer. ¡°They¡¯re not ready¡­ I¡¯m not ready.¡± He pulled away from her and looked at them again, his anger diminished to little more than a memory. It left behind a distinct heaviness, a weight of fear, anxiety, uncertainty¡ªa feeling he¡¯d had ever since receiving the quest to settle and protect Zion. They stood in opposition to him, lined up and ready to stand against him for his own good. A small chuckle escaped. He¡¯d truly looked down on them too much, held the idea of them needing him to be their savior so tightly. It had been his purpose, to protect those he cherished, the thing he used to push himself and grow more. But that was all a lie. Ever since he¡¯d come to Midrath, he¡¯d been afraid and threw himself at one thing or another without stopping. Only the gauntlet had given him relief, being away from the responsibilities of the reputation and roles he¡¯d personally taken the burden of. He hadn¡¯t trusted them to be capable, didn¡¯t trust them not to get themselves killed. And his choice to raid the Valkyr Town still stung, made him question every choice; made him question whether he could rely on anybody else. ¡°There¡¯s still so much to do. I¡¯m tired,¡± he muttered, looking each of them in the eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight anymore, but there¡¯s still so much to be done.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it alone though,¡± Ian said, stepping forward. He¡¯d grown so much since they¡¯d come to Midrath. No longer as shy, carrying himself with far more confidence. ¡°Let us carry some of the burden.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± Aiden repeated, his voice resigned. Josh approached Aiden and gave him a friendly smack on the shoulder. ¡°Then all you have to do is open up a bit and help us understand.¡± He gestured to the others. ¡°Surely, between the lot of us, we can figure something out. But we can¡¯t do that if we don¡¯t even know what we¡¯re facing.¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t wrong,¡± Arkayan chimed in. ¡°To defeat Xenith and obtain Valhalla¡¯s Authority, you know as well as I do that you can¡¯t do it alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware. That¡¯s the problem.¡± Aiden looked back at Arkayan. ¡°The rules of Xenith¡¯s gauntlet have been explained.¡± Arkayan scowled and looked in the direction of the quarry housing the Osh¡¯Tika¡¯Varu. ¡°The Guardian, I presume?¡± ¡°What¡¯s he talking about?¡± Josh asked and looked between the two of them. He sighed. ¡°Now would be a good time to start explaining a thing or two about what¡¯s going on instead of keeping us in the dark.¡± When Aiden hesitated to speak, Arkayan took the opportunity to answer in his stead. ¡°Each Authority has conditions to obtain. These conditions can only be manipulated so much from their original default, the essence of the concept they were created with. The one Xenith controls follows the core principles of the Valkyr and reflects their warrior spirit.¡± ¡°The Valkyr had us fight each other for entertainment,¡± Adam grunted as he limped his way over from where he¡¯d landed. ¡°Battle is in their blood, in the core of their being. That surprises nobody here. It¡¯s to be expected, even. So what¡¯s the deal?¡± ¡°If it were singular combat, do you think you could beat Xenith?¡± James asked Adam, grinning knowingly. Adam¡¯s eyes darted toward Aiden fearfully. His lips pursed in a thin line. ¡°Didn¡¯t think so.¡± He focused on Aiden. ¡°So what are the conditions? Surely, with your growth, you could become strong enough¡ª¡± ¡°He already told us himself,¡± Anna muttered, looking at them all. ¡°This whole time we¡¯ve been here, he already told us. He doesn¡¯t trust how strong we are, not himself. Why is that? Why is he so worried we might be hurt?¡± ¡°Just spit it out already if you know,¡± Adam growled. Anna looked toward Arkayan and Aiden. ¡°The holder of the Authority can¡¯t fight?¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of the rules,¡± Arkayan confirmed. ¡°So to fight, both sides would need a representative to fight for them. Or a team¡­¡± she finished quietly. ¡°Just have someone else be the challenger, then have Aiden wipe the floor with them all then,¡± Isaac suggested, speaking up for what seemed like the first time. ¡°Simple enough.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t. Only an Authority holder can challenge another Authority holder¡¯s claim,¡± Arkayan continued with his helpful streak. ¡°Know it all,¡± Madison grumbled from beside Adam, her eyes regularly shifting toward Aiden as if to keep tabs on him. ¡°So,¡± Josh started, raising a finger as for each question, ¡°how many fighters is each side allowed to have? Is it team combat or solo combat? What kind of environment are we looking at? And how likely is it that any of us can win?¡± ¡°To make things simple, it¡¯s like the gladiator arenas,¡± Aiden answered before Arkayan could. ¡°Each side chooses ten fighters. Once a fighter enters the arena, they can¡¯t leave until all the other side¡¯s fighters are dead or they are dead. As for how strong they are, I¡­ don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve fought the Valkyr¡¯s elites and the representatives they sent to aid the Rhexians. They aren¡¯t anything most of you here can¡¯t handle, but we¡¯re talking about going to Valhalla and challenging Xenith personally. These aren¡¯t going to be just any Valkyr.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be like her own personally trained army,¡± Anna added, pursing her lips. ¡°Arkayan, do you know who here would win in a fight against one of Xenith¡¯s champions?¡± James asked. The Shadowborn Royal in question pointed at five people: Aiden first, then James, Anna next, Josh, and lastly Leyla. ¡°Aiden, James, and Leyla are good for two. However, as this is a ten versus ten format, you would all die. None of the others would even challenge Xenith¡¯s champions, unfortunately.¡± Adam stepped past the others and moved toward Arkayan, but James quickly blocked his way. Adam raised his hands passively and looked around James. ¡°Then what about you?¡± Silence. Everyone waited for Arkayan¡¯s answer, but none came. The silence grew longer. Aiden grew curious. ¡°Why does it take so long for you to answer?¡± ¡°Do you wish for the truth?¡± Arkayan asked, his eyes meeting Aiden¡¯s. ¡°I am not confident the truth is something you can handle, nor are you ready for it.¡± ¡°Tell me anyway,¡± Aiden said. ¡°I¡¯ll be the one to figure out if I can handle it or not.¡± Arkayan took several long seconds to respond, then shook his head. ¡°No. I will not tell you, nor shall I participate in your fight.¡± The Shadowborn Royal rose slowly and, with a flick of his wrist, darkness descended. When it faded, Arkayan had disappeared. Book Three, Chapter Twenty-Eight: Vengeful Solutions ¡°Well, that happened.¡± Leyla grunted toward where the Shadowborn Royal had been. ¡°Pretentious prick.¡± ¡°I see you¡¯ve picked up some colorful insults while I¡¯ve been training,¡± Aiden said, resisting the urge to sigh. ¡°What now?¡± Isaac asked as he looked around, uncertain. ¡°We continue to train. There¡¯s no way of getting around it, unless we can somehow get someone else to earn an Authority so I can fight the gauntlet myself. But first, there¡¯s something else I have to tell all of you while we¡¯re here.¡± They silently waited for him to speak, and he looked over each of them. He may not like Adam and Madison all that much, and things had changed with Anna, but they were all his people¡ªall humans from Earth. ¡°Don¡¯t say something like that and then keep us waiting,¡± Josh called, rolling his eyes at Aiden¡¯s melodrama. ¡°What he said.¡± Two black and white streaks of lightning hopping lively between James¡¯ hands. ¡°You said train, and we have unfinished business.¡± ¡°How many times have we been over this already? Wait your place in line. I get to fight him next,¡± Josh grunted back, eyeing James with an annoyed glare. ¡°Regardless of who wins the gauntlet, there will be a final duel. I will be dueling Xenith¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± Leyla hissed. ¡°She¡¯s mine. If we¡¯re doing this, then I will be the one to take her down.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possi¡ª¡± ¡°Make it possible then!¡± A dangerous glint in her eyes and an angry swish of her scythe later, and Aiden pushed the conversation off for another time. Tried to, at least. Ian raised a hand, as if trying to ask a teacher a question in class, realized what he¡¯d done, and coughed uncomfortably in a fist to try and recover. ¡°If you have to duel Xenith either way, then what¡¯s the point of the team grinder session?¡± ¡°Point for the kid,¡± Josh muttered. ¡°Didn¡¯t think of that myself.¡± Anna pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s a game to her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Aiden nodded. ¡°For each member left on the victor¡¯s team, the arena enhances the winner¡¯s strength. If we could¡ª¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to fight her,¡± Anna said, gesturing toward Leyla. ¡°Someone else already wants to and has unresolved issues there. You could just represent our whole team, Aiden.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± more than a few people questioned at the same time. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Aiden asked, confused where she was going. Anna pointed at both Aiden and Leyla. ¡°You two give off the same strange energy. Something unfamiliar that isn¡¯t arcana or spirit, which I presume to be the Authority you claimed that you¡¯ll be using to challenge Xenith with.¡± Leyla hummed. ¡°I hate to admit it, but the girl has a point.¡± She leaned in closer to Aiden. ¡°Two Becomes One, we share a soul. That is to include our bond with Blizzy, Midrath¡¯s Authority, and Earth¡¯s Authority. There¡¯s no reason I shouldn¡¯t be able to challenge her, in theory.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°How do we test that though?¡± he whispered back, watching the others impatiently wait for their private impromptu conversation to come to an end with some kind of meaningful resolution. ¡°The seat, obviously. I felt the ability to modify and issue commands to the spirit of the world when we were there the first time, but I didn¡¯t want to intrude at the time. It should be possible.¡± She gestured toward the others. ¡°Tell them.¡± Despite the conversation, Aiden still wanted to confirm things before getting all of their hopes up. He began to prepare to say exactly that when he met their inquisitive gazes. They all wanted to know. He could see it. They wanted to know, and if they were gonna do this, he¡¯d still need a team. If things went wrong, they would need to know. Aiden grabbed Leyla¡¯s hand. ¡°During the time I was captured, we underwent a process and merged our souls. After we subdued the other Towns and expanded Zion¡¯s influence, I gained Midrath¡¯s Authority. While we visited Earth, I also gained Earth¡¯s Authority. Because of this merging of souls, we think Leyla may be able to challenge Xenith in my stead. And I believe I can beat Xenith¡¯s champions after training and familiarizing myself with my new abilities. But you will all still have to come with. We can¡¯t do this without having a full team.¡± He took a deep breath and looked at each of them. Some nodded, some shrugged. Mostly, he saw support in their eyes. Then he continued, ¡°This will be dangerous, even if things go well. Getting to Xenith will not be as simple as getting to Kyriall. The Valkyr do not want us there and have death wishes. We¡¯ll verify Leyla¡¯s ability to draw upon Midrath¡¯s authority¡ª¡± Instead, Leyla grinned and pointed at Adam. ¡°Kneel.¡± Adam kneeled instinctively, unable to resist the Authority¡¯s command. ¡°Or we¡¯ll do that,¡± Aiden said, exasperated. ¡°Well, at least this way we know it works.¡± ¡°Rise.¡± When she released the command, Adam glared at Leyla but didn¡¯t dare open his mouth. She completely ignored him and twirled her scythe excitedly. ¡°Did the Guardian speak of what level of power is granted for each surviving competitor? As loath as I may be to admit, I am no match for Xenith as I am now.¡± ¡°All he said was it would bring the challenger to the level of Xenith herself if even half of the team were to win, but he was far from optimistic.¡± Aiden pursed his lips. Was he taking the champions too lightly? The elites hadn¡¯t been much of a problem. But he¡¯d been captured. Leyla and Veletya, together, had been enough of a threat. He¡¯d grown much, but these were battle-crazed Valkyr. Effectively immortal with an insatiable desire to improve or find honor in death. ¡°To be wrong is to die,¡± he muttered to himself, then looked around. Josh smashed his fists together, and James approached with a vicious grin. ¡°I guess you both will be getting those fights after all. Now that we have a semblance of a plan, it¡¯s time to make sure I¡¯m not wrong.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t leave me out of this,¡± Anna said as she stepped forward, leaving Ian, Isaac, Adam with Varothgar, and Madison behind in a row. Aiden nodded. This would do. ¡°These are the sparring teams for the first session. Saving Khione will have to wait. She¡¯s managed this long, surely she¡¯ll still be there when I get around to beating Xenith and raising Blizzy as a proper monster empress successor.¡± They halted their forward advance, and Josh raised a questioning brow. ¡°You seem to have forgotten to mention a few things.¡± He shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to beat it out of you.¡± ¡°Go ahead and try.¡± Grinning, Aiden led them away from Arkayan¡¯s area and much farther from Zion¡¯s surrounding region. He didn¡¯t know the limitations of his current powers and hadn¡¯t even remotely tested them so far. The last thing he wanted to do was turn everything into a frozen wasteland while training. ¡°I¡¯ll beat some sense into all of you.¡± ¡°Sounds a lot more enjoyable this time around. Same place?¡± Josh asked, then ran in front of Aiden after his guess was confirmed. ¡°Can¡¯t say I ever thought we¡¯d go back there, but if you¡¯re even stronger than what you used to be¡­ It¡¯s for the best.¡± ¡°What about us?¡± Isaac called as they started getting farther away. ¡°What do we do?¡± Aiden turned back around and raised a hand, drawing on his new Blizzard Mastery. A small storm formed overhead and rained down ice pillars for each of them. He¡¯d drawn on his new Greater Path: Truth of Crystallization, Inheritor of the Nebulus. There were five for each, formed with different levels of durability. ¡°The first is the easiest to destroy. The last is the hardest. When you can destroy the third, you¡¯ll be ready.¡± If he were honest, he doubted Anna could break the fourth. James and Josh might, but the fifth? He doubted anybody, even himself, could destroy the crystal as tall as Josh. The sight of what his new power could achieve excited him, and he turned away with a wave over his head. ¡°You know where to hunt if you need more Essences, and I¡¯m sure Arkayan will come back around. Ask if you want to try your hand at Ascension. Good luck!¡± Book Three, Chapter Twenty-Nine: Teamwork Makes The Dream Work ¡°It feels like forever since we were last here,¡± Josh mused as he stretched, looking around at the craters marring the earth and countless trees strewn about, broken haphazardly. ¡°Well, this time it¡¯ll be under better circumstances,¡± Aiden said with a half-smile as he appraised the three who¡¯d joined him. Josh was the simplest of the three. A physical fighter, through and through, with heavy durability and destructive strength. The further through the transformation of his Avatar manifestation ability, however, the more he traded defense for attack power. His greatest weaknesses just so happened to be the three he¡¯d come to train with. James had a level of speed that Josh couldn¡¯t come close to keeping up with and the destructive capacity to punch through any and all defense Josh could muster. And that was before the flecks of white lightning, a result of James¡¯s tutelage under Arkayan, had come under his control. Anna didn¡¯t have the necessary strength to take down Josh in the same way James did, but the amount of nature golems and plant fury she could bring to bear to control him and whittle him down left no doubt in Aiden¡¯s mind which of them needed the most help. His own abilities still remained unknown to him, but even before he¡¯d Ascended and merged his Disciplines into Blizzard Mastery, Josh had only ever come close to competing once he mastered the fourth transformation of Asura¡¯s Avatar. Now? No chance. He wracked his brain as he looked at the three of them, but he must¡¯ve taken long enough to gain their attention after their review of their training environment ended. ¡°What happened here?¡± Anna muttered, looking between Josh and Aiden. ¡°Training,¡± Aiden said with a grin. ¡°I¡¯ll be surprised if anything is left once we¡¯re done.¡± The ruined copse was deep past the boundary of Zion¡¯s territory and far into the monstrous zones. Aiden could hear the reconstitution of the alpha hydra from here, a sickly slurping of mass coming back together to fuse and meld into the shape of the creature. The air smelled sickly sweet, but he¡¯d passed the realm of worrying about the monsters inhabiting Midrath after sitting upon the throne and gaining the Authority. As for others interrupting, none from Zion would dare venture this far out. The locals, namely V¡¯Yenya and Nin¡¯Yala, had better things to do than come looking into what mess they were making. And Aiden hadn¡¯t seen a hint of Avacyn since they¡¯d first reached the mountain that Zion now occupied. As much as he¡¯d grown, he hoped to never see the mind-assaulting madwoman ever again. The place was perfect. ¡°So what first?¡± Anna asked. To answer her, Josh grinned and shouted, ¡°Asura¡¯s Avatar, fourth form!¡± His transformation was smoother than Aiden had seen yet. Josh¡¯s rage condensed around him, suffusing the air with the intensity of his never-ending rage and pain. Bartholomew shifted, and metallic gauntlets fit his hands perfectly. His two sets of illusory arms became three sets shortly after, then his Fighting Spirit activated. A haze of rage red erupted from him as his will became reality, a weapon to wield. His pathways glowed violently as they traced his pathways, enhancing his eyes, heart, and lungs. Then his size increased and a fourth pair of arms appeared. Without delay, the arms condense from four pairs to two, then condensed even greater. Then again. His fists now packed a real punch. ¡°You haven¡¯t been lazy with your training,¡± Aiden said, already preparing the most solid platform of ice he could create underneath himself. As he rose, he looked down at Josh and crossed his arms. ¡°Now let¡¯s see if the fifth stage is still beyond you.¡± As he watched Josh, he paid attention to the black and white arcs tracing in excited sparks around James. James¡¯s nostrils flared as the anticipation of their long awaited fight became realized, excitement clear in the way his grin showed his teeth. Emerald magic coalesced around Anna, forming a budding seed she withdrew into. She remained there, unmoving, even as Josh and James exploded into action. ¡°I won¡¯t need the fifth form if you don¡¯t take us seriously!¡± Josh¡¯s voice vibrated the air dangerously, buzzing with a rage Aiden never understood but could sympathize with. ¡°You want to test us, but now we want to know if you¡¯re truly worthy of testing us!¡± He leaped upward, the ground leaving familiar craters beneath him. James didn¡¯t bother moving from his spot and simply pointed a single finger at Aiden. The sky cracked, and a black streak intertwined with that of a white as it split the distance at speed almost imperceivable to Aiden. Aiden let loose for the first time. The full force of the blizzard stored within him, mixed with his Paths, stole control of the sky and caused the temperature in the air to drop to freezing near-instantly.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The lightning strikes were smothered by the density of the blizzard¡¯s might, and snow began to fall. All under the domain of the blizzard, everything Aiden could see, and then some¡­ He could sense it all. Each snowflake had the potential to become a lethal weapon. Those inhaled by James and Josh could now be used from within. Whether to sap them of energy, erupt into ice lances or frosty destruction, or remain inert until he called on them, they were at his mercy. And didn¡¯t even know. ¡°Idiots!¡± Anna called as an aura of emerald encapsulating both James and Josh. She glared at them as her deep breaths huffed clouds of chilled air. ¡°Protect yourselves or this is going to be over before we even try to put up a fight. If I hadn¡¯t stopped him, you¡¯d both be icicles right now!¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Josh¡¯s voice continued to reverberated, amusing Aiden with its tinge of confusion. ¡°He didn¡¯t even do anything yet.¡± She facepalmed and groaned. ¡°Seriously, how have either of you made it this far without basic magic detection?¡± All she did was point up at the sky. ¡°Duh.¡± ¡°Yeah, it canceled out my ability and made everything cold. What of it?¡± James asked, barely glancing her way as he watched Aiden lord over them, energy coalescing in his hands as he prepared for an attack. ¡°How about more fighting and less yapping!¡± Josh leaped up out of the safety of Anna¡¯s aura and immediately flopped forward, all energy sapped from his body and the hint of frostbite already coloring the tips of his fingers. ¡°I told you to protect yourselves!¡± Anna looked like she was about ready to beat Josh herself as she closed her eyes and pulled from deep in herself to shove the aura out even father, just barely reaching Josh¡¯s prone form. ¡°He¡¯s a specialized ice mage! The snow! If you breathe it in, he can kill you!¡± As Josh struggled to rise to his feet, James repositioned himself closer to Anna. ¡°So¡­ what do we even do if we can¡¯t step out of your aura?¡± ¡°Think for yourself. Aren¡¯t you the one who ran off to train with a monster when I tried to talk to you?¡± Biting resentment bled into each word. ¡°Don¡¯t expect me to help you more than I already am.¡± After a long pause, James switched his unbreakable gaze from Aiden to Anna. ¡°You don¡¯t think he¡¯d actually kill us, do you? He wouldn¡¯t¡­ right?¡± Grinning, Aiden pulled on the power of the raging blizzard and wrenched. An angry storm of ice lances sped toward where they stood. ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure of that.¡± The ball of white lightning James had been working on condensing shot upward and erupted in a brilliant domed net over their heads, suffocating Aiden¡¯s influence over the area instantly. Impressive, he had to admit. ¡°That won¡¯t buy us much time,¡± James said, helping Josh finally get to his feet. ¡°We have to work together, or this is going to go very poorly for us.¡± He turned to Anna and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being an ass before, but we need to work together now.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Exasperated but resigned, knowing that was the best he¡¯d get from her, James started being the leader Aiden always knew he was capable of. ¡°I have the ability to reach him from here, and Anna can keep us protected from the influence of the blizzard. He¡¯ll realize we¡¯re relying on her, if he hasn¡¯t already, so big guy,¡± James patted Josh¡¯s back, ¡°we¡¯re relying on you to keep her safe.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not really my specialty,¡± Josh grunted. ¡°Just punch anything that comes this way. That¡¯s your specialty, right? Easy enough to understand?¡± From the way James¡¯s jaw clenched, he was feeling the pressure of the training. Aiden decided it was time to increase the intensity a degree and began a constant deluge of ice lances that wore down James¡¯s temporary lightning barrier. Each lance exploded in a flurry, creating a cocoon of snow around the barrier that hung just out of range, whipping in the wind and waiting to fall on top of the trip the moment the barrier disappeared. The attempt fared about as well as Aiden expected it to. Barrier broke, and Josh¡¯s concussive blows blasted the snowfall away. Anna¡¯s barrier kept any of the ambient snow from falling as James continued to blast at Aiden with the utmost ability he could muster as Josh continued punching the falling ice lances into nothingness, not even leaving so much as icy mist. What they were doing was admirable, however, he couldn¡¯t let it continue. If they were to fight and prove themselves capable of standing on their own, their team effort wouldn¡¯t be enough. All of them needed to stand against him and survive. If they could last a minute on their own without him being able to kill them, he¡¯d find them qualified. One thing this did show them, Aiden was a class of his own. Not that they all needed reminders, in theory, but many of them hadn¡¯t seen his previous peak before he¡¯d ascended, before he¡¯d merged his Disciplines into Blizzard Mastery. Arkayan had told Aiden he¡¯d experience some reduction in his power, but if that was true, he¡¯d never used what he was fully capable of before. Knowing that, he let them struggle together for an hour until he pushed his abilities further, grinning as Anna¡¯s barrier around Josh and James dulled until dissipating entirely, pushed back to little more than a bubble around her. Between the three of them, they were capable of achieving aura, as Anna already had, and a domain, such as the blizzard. The raw potential existed within each of them, and without being pushed to the stages where they would achieve those powers, Aiden wasn¡¯t confident there was sufficient challenge anywhere else, that they would never further develop, handicapped by the limitations of the system¡¯s Essence and gamification. Even if he¡¯d done everything within his capacity utilizing Midrath¡¯s Authority to remove its restrictive influence, it still remained in the minds of those who had used the crutches before. The sequential, minor progressions gave linear, clear direction, when the powers they¡¯d been introduced to held so much greater potential and rewarded creative use and opportunism. He would push each one to that point, even if they resented him in the aftermath of what he¡¯d put them through. As Aiden breathed the chilled air deep and collected it within, he felt his lips numb. When he released the breath from the height of his great pillar, safe and sound as James struggled to find a way to deal with the passive domination of Aiden¡¯s blizzard, a dense cone of razor sharp chilled winds blasted toward the trio. ¡°Watch out!¡± Anna¡¯s reaction continued to impress Aiden and caused him to furrow his brows in frustration when two domes of twisted earth and vine shielded James and Josh. Her own aura rebuffed the attack. ¡°I can¡¯t keep doing this,¡± she said, her breathing heavy as she swayed, a moment of tiredness passing as fast as it came. ¡°Get yourselves together!¡± ¡°We¡¯re trying!¡± Josh roared back, the air around him buzzing louder as his temper grew. ¡°Try harder!¡± ¡°Can both of you shut up and do something useful?¡± James growled. Book Three, Chapter Thirty: A Step Into Nothingness Aiden would be the first to admit he was a terrible teacher. Doubly so if asked to somehow teach another how to achieve aura or domain. However much he wanted to pass the responsibility of his peoples¡¯ training off to someone more capable, like the Osh¡¯Tika¡¯Varu, he didn¡¯t know if they¡¯d agree. Arkayan definitely wouldn¡¯t, only leaving him to be the bully to whip them into shape. They looked so pitiful down below, screaming at each other and doing their best to avoid his assault. He had to give them credit where credit was due, they tried hard and attempted many things, forcing him to restrict Anna so that they¡¯d not completely miss the point of the exercise. Their teamwork improved by leaps and bounds. It wasn¡¯t enough for him. Not if he fell and one of them had to step up in place of him as a combatant. They would need to be individually stronger and rely solely on themselves. He would need to visit the Osh¡¯Tika¡¯Varu himself to see about preparing himself for when the time came. Aiden no longer wanted to rely on Arkayan, and they were the only other option. A growl stilled the vast blizzard, smothering it instantly, and the trio below looked up at Aiden in perplexed relief. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s the deal?¡± Josh shouted, almost offended by the sudden lack of pressure. Aiden slid the pillar down and adeptly landed, crossing his arms and shaking his head at the three of them. ¡°Lucky for you three, we have a visitor.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see¡ª¡± Anna smacked Josh¡¯s arm, quieting his dissent, and pointed toward where they had entered from. He quieted. ¡°You have two eyes, try using them before running that loud mouth of yours.¡± Massive as always, their unexpected guest¡¯s spiky bone armor and protruding neck blades framed her powerful figure. Nin¡¯Yala eyed Aiden, huffed, and then turned away. Aiden wondered if she¡¯d simply leave after visiting them until she gave an expectant look over her shoulder. ¡°Alright everyone, you¡¯ve been temporarily spared for a field trip!¡± Aiden walked after the Argulian Den Mother, not about to say no to likely the strongest thing in all of Midrath. If there was something stronger, he surely hadn¡¯t encountered it. ¡°Do we have to go?¡± James asked, seemingly nominated as the unlucky spokesperson of the three. Neither had yet to move. Nin¡¯Yala looked back at them after hearing the question and squinted, huffing another unsatisfied breath with a little kick to it that rattled even Aiden¡¯s bones. ¡°I¡¯m gonna say that was a yes,¡± Josh grunted, barely remaining on his feet. Anna had groaned and fallen to her hands and feet from the pressure, slowly rising once she was certain Nin¡¯Yala wouldn¡¯t express her displeasure for stupid questions again. ¡°Field trip it is.¡± Anna sighed and followed Aiden, trailed by Josh and James. ¡°Where do you think she¡¯s taking us?¡± Josh wondered, unable to stay quiet for longer than ten seconds. ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± Nin¡¯Yala¡¯s tail swished, the pointy bits on the end coming terrifyingly close to Aiden¡¯s midsection. He stuttered a step to give her a little more of a lead and then fell back into a measured walk behind her. ¡°Watch the excited tail of doom.¡± ¡°Why do you think we¡¯re standing back here?¡± Anna rolled her eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re worried what it might do to you with your durability, do you really think any of us are gonna get close to her?¡± ¡°Fair.¡± Aiden only hoped the sentiment would be one they could maintain after they reached wherever Nin¡¯Yala led them. None of them could possibly hold a candle to the ancient beast, after all. ¡ª Nin¡¯Yala led them far from where Aiden expected to go, much farther from the Osh¡¯Tika¡¯Varu¡¯s home. They traveled beyond the lands Aiden had conquered, beyond the regenerative alpha beasts Loki had unleashed upon Midrath, and even farther still. When she stopped, the den mother stared down into a deep hole. Aiden couldn¡¯t see much over the edge, so he stepped closer. What he saw reminded him of the nothingness within his dream, the realm in which held Khione trapped and under pressure. The Void. A realm home to the Shadowborn. He hissed and grabbed Silver from his pocket, eyeing the depths in preparation for anything that might come after them. When nothing showed itself, he turned to Nin¡¯Yala. Aiden gestured towards the hole. ¡°Is this what I think it is?¡± The others joined him at the edge. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Josh asked, leaning over the edge. ¡°Who wants to bet we never see him again if he ends up falling in?¡± James smirked as Josh hesitated, then pulled his hand away. ¡°Oh look, it learns.¡± ¡°Quiet, or I¡¯ll throw you both in.¡± Anna had a look in her eyes that reminded Aiden of when he¡¯d first met her. Sharp and calculating, she walked around the perfectly circular hole with her hands outreached, sending pulses of emerald energy in. Her probes dissolved within seconds of entering. She placed a hand on her hip and looked between Nin¡¯Yala and Aiden. ¡°Why are we here?¡± Aiden had no clue and wanted to know the answer just as much, if not more. He could feel the burden of time weighing on him. Each moment that passed without preparation was a moment that caused his stomach to twist in knots. The battle against Xenith and her champions¡­ Aiden couldn¡¯t escape it and wished he could¡¯ve found a way to keep the others out of his fight. But he didn¡¯t have to wait long before the great Argul simply walked off the edge. Defying all expectations, they didn¡¯t have the luxury of watching the giant wolf flip head over heel down the hole to enter the empty darkness on the other side.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m definitely trying that.¡± Josh practically threw himself off the edge. He landed beside Nin¡¯Yala, standing tall, despite being entirely sideways. ¡°This is so cool.¡± He crouched low before leaping to the other side. ¡°Woo hoo¡ªah, ow! That hurts!¡± Much like Anna¡¯s pulses, Josh¡¯s passage through the center resulted in his pained shouts as the traces of the Void caressed him none too gently. Stay away from the center, noted. James hesitantly followed after Josh, stepping carefully on the inside wall and then stood there, staring at Aiden and Anna. ¡°This is very weird.¡± He took a few testing steps after Nin¡¯Yala and Josh, who¡¯d begun to make their way down the hole at a leisurely pace. ¡°Very weird.¡± ¡°Guess it¡¯s our turn.¡± Aiden gestured for Anna to take the lead. ¡°Age before beauty.¡± ¡°How can you, of all people, be making jokes right now?¡± she snapped and propped her hip to the side, arm rested against the other. ¡°You know what this is, right?¡± ¡°A hole to something terrible, where even the entrance is probably not so friendly.¡± As much as he understood her trepidation, he trusted the Osh¡¯Tika¡¯Varu and the Argul. They hadn¡¯t given him a reason not to and had been nothing but helpful. He glanced towards Josh and James alongside Nin¡¯Yala getting farther by the moment. ¡°A strange, not so friendly hole.¡± She looked over her shoulder toward where they could see Zion just over the treetops and their surroundings as if someone might be watching them. ¡°If Arkayan found out about this¡­¡± For a brief moment, he considered what she said, then looked at the great Argul leading them. ¡°There has to be a reason he hasn¡¯t found this yet.¡± ¡°What if he has? This is a direct gateway to the very place he¡¯s from?¡± She pursed her lips, eyes scanning Aiden. ¡°Can we really trust him?¡± ¡°Honestly¡­¡± Aiden ran a hand through his hair and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t. I think he¡¯s up to something, but he¡¯s been nothing but helpful to us, even if a bit of a prick while at it. He mentioned a hidden prophecy but wouldn¡¯t share the details and refused to aid us in the confrontation against Xenith. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s playing at. He keeps his agenda very close to his chest.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± She seemed relieved he agreed with her and began pacing around the hole. ¡°Why did they keep this from us? What are they hiding? Why wouldn¡¯t they tell us?¡± ¡°Woah, woah, woah.¡± He didn¡¯t like the insinuations she made toward the Osh¡¯Tika¡¯Varu and Argul. ¡°You know as well as us how chaotic this place was before we came, and who¡¯s to say they trust us fully?¡± ¡°It just doesn¡¯t make any sense. You¡¯d think after witnessing our conflict against the Evils and all the pushing back against the gods you did they¡¯d understand where our loyalties aligned.¡± She stopped on the opposite side of the hole. ¡°We don¡¯t know Arkayan, what he wants, or what he¡¯s capable of. What if he¡¯s just using us?¡± The thought had crossed his mind, but he¡¯d seen how powerful the Shadowborn Royal was, and the tentative peace they¡¯d struck had been one where Arkayan mostly gave. What motivated him? ¡°Asking us isn¡¯t getting anywhere, and our guide is getting farther away as we speak.¡± Nin¡¯Yala stared right at Aiden, the impatience clear in her oddly intelligent gaze. ¡°We can talk more about this later, maybe with more of our people.¡± ¡°Not with James, we can¡¯t.¡± Her words fell like an ax, scathing and sharp. ¡°If he had to choose between his buddy Arkayan or us, what side do you truly think he¡¯d stand on, Aiden?¡± ¡°Ours, obviously,¡± he answered, full of confidence and without hesitation. ¡°James has been there with us from the beginning.¡± Bewildered she¡¯d even suggested James would betray them, he turned away and stepped into the hole, the world shifting oddly as a new anchor of gravity made him sideways too. He gave her a hard look. ¡°Are you coming or not?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course I¡¯m coming, but this conversation isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°Yes, it is. James isn¡¯t going to betray us, and as long as we work with Arkayan, we can all get what we want.¡± Even as he said them, he didn¡¯t know how true his words were. He could only hope. ¡°As if.¡± She shoved past him and followed after the others, leaving Aiden standing alone and frustrated. He wanted to trust the Shadowborn Royal. Arkayan had helped Aiden by providing invaluable information, including the training required to bring himself up to another level of power, one that gave him a sense of confidence and security for the first time since they¡¯d been brought to Midrath. But he couldn¡¯t ignore Anna¡¯s concerns either. He shared them as well. And until Aiden, without a doubt, could handle Arkayan should he go rogue would continue to train and prepare for the clash against Xenith. One thing at a time, otherwise all of it would become too overwhelming. A familiar presence chirped happily as she drew closer, her crystalline wings shimmering brilliantly. Blizzy descended like a rocket, not bothering to slow herself. Her passing brought with it a heavy gust of wind that nearly destabilized his footing. When the wind passed, he turned to follow behind the others and witnessed the much larger blizzard dragon running circles around Nin¡¯Yala. The path didn¡¯t take long to reach the bottom of. Nin¡¯Yala and Blizzy exited on the other side without a care in the world. James and Josh followed closely behind and hissed as they took a single step into the nothingness and came to a full stop. Anna lingered behind them, her shoulders trembling lightly. Was she crying? Then she took a deep breath, let it out, and stepped through. ¡°Ahhh, this sucks worse than I thought it would.¡± Seeing all three of them react negatively to the nothingness, Aiden fully prepared himself to experience some discomfort when he stepped past the circular threshold. He didn¡¯t. ¡°It feels like being stung by a bunch of pissed off wasps!¡± Josh grunted, itching all across his body as if it would relieve the stinging. Despite being the most vocal, Josh wasn¡¯t the one that concerned Aiden the most. That trophy went to James who¡¯d collapsed to his knees and violently began retching. ¡°Anna? Can you help him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m barely helping myself,¡± she grunted back. ¡°What is the point of this?¡± Aiden still wondered and thumbed toward Nin¡¯Yala. ¡°Maybe ask the one who brought us here?¡± The Argul in question appeared to have other ideas though and curled up into a ball, floating deeper within the darkness. Blizzy lay curled up against the armored wolf-like creature, content to be in the presence of her friend. Every now and again, the blizzard dragon cracked an eye open to see if Nin¡¯Yala was ready to play and went back to faux snoring when she realized the ancient beast wouldn¡¯t be moving any time soon. ¡°Whatever reason we¡¯re here, this does look to be the spot.¡± He couldn¡¯t quite figure out Nin¡¯Yala¡¯s intentions. He began to approach Blizzy to pet her when ice flurries began to appear around him. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Prodding the flurries revealed something quite obvious, the power came from him. Unsure of why his blizzard emanated out now, when it had previously lay dormant, he took another cautious step forward. More flurries appeared, all of them at arm¡¯s reach. Another step, then two. The flurries became a visible dome of ice wrapped around him, crystal clear. One more step, and his dome began to crack. He had to be halfway to where Nin¡¯Yala and Blizzy lay, yet he now felt the aggressive tingle as his protective dome failed to keep out the Void. ¡°Is this¡­ aura?¡± He couldn¡¯t tell and tapped into the raging ice storm within, bringing it out. Behind him, he heard sighs of relief, then a heavy huff of breath that shattered the temporary reprieve. James¡¯ vomiting renewed, and Anna hissed between her teeth. ¡°This is not fun! Let¡¯s go back and try something else,¡± Josh suggested, his voice strained from pain. ¡°Go ahead and try if you want. You think the big bad wolf over there is really gonna let you just walk away, even if you could. Which, I don¡¯t think you can,¡± Anna goaded Josh. ¡°I don¡¯t see you doing any better.¡± Aiden turned to watch Anna take a smug step forward, then she doubled over and held her stomach tightly. ¡°This is¡­ so stupid!¡± ¡°Well, strap in boys and girls, because I think this might be our reality for a little while longer.¡± Aiden tried to make light of the situation, but seeing the distance between him and them, then between him and Nin¡¯Yala¡­ The difference really struck home how he had so much farther to go before he could confidently stride into Xenith¡¯s home to usurp her Authority. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure this is the easiest it gets.¡± Then he took another step toward Nin¡¯Yala, and the icy barrier around him shattered. Book Three, Chapter Thirty-One: This Wolf Is In My Way ¡°This is impossible!¡± Josh roared. His transformation ended, and the brute gasped in pain. By now, he¡¯d been through the experience enough times to stay standing. His shoulders shook from overexertion, but his determined gaze stayed locked on Aiden. ¡°I¡¯m coming for you!¡± ¡°Yeah, like we haven¡¯t heard that a thousand times already.¡± Anna scowled at Josh from where she sat cross legged, meditating with emerald motes around her. She breathed easily, but the moment she attempted to move within the void and away from the little grove she¡¯d established, it shattered and left her reeling. James had given up Josh¡¯s brute force approach and played with his lightning, similar to Anna. His confidence grew as he walked a trail back and forth, unable to spend very long away from the entrance. Aiden glared at Josh, James, and Anna. How many days had passed in the darkness? How long had they been trying for? Two, ten, twenty? For this? Anna reached half of Aiden¡¯s progress long ago but hadn¡¯t moved since. Her stagnation left a bitter taste in Aiden¡¯s mouth. James and Josh though? Both pushed against the invisible pressure, temporarily took a step or two forward, but they always failed to sustain their progress and snapped back to the beginning. ¡°This is taking too long.¡± Aiden turned and looked at Nin¡¯Yala. Even he hadn¡¯t made it to the Argul Den Mother, but his dilemma wasn¡¯t a lack of know how. No, he could reach her within a few hours if he pushed himself to. The training showed him proof of what he¡¯d been worried about. He tried to stave off the disappointment as the truth settled over him again. They weren¡¯t ready to join him, maybe never would be. Preparing the three of them, the strongest Zion had to offer, would take far too long. And if they weren¡¯t ready, the others would never be. Aiden didn¡¯t know how much longer Khione could wait for them to get strong enough to accompany him, just because they wanted to prove themselves to him and be strong enough to help. His reluctant acceptance of their proposal had been in hopes they would be faster than this, be able to close the gulf. He¡¯d told them, had he not? Their ability to help wouldn¡¯t matter if Khione died and took him with her. Until she was secured and their contract was complete, he couldn¡¯t escape the constant dread that he¡¯d simply cease to exist. One moment fine, next, nothingness. He couldn¡¯t wait for them forever, had waited longer than he felt comfortable with. Now, the waiting felt like wriggling worms through his insides and ants crawling across his skin. Each second a moment of torture. He wanted to push them harder, speed up the progress. Maybe increasing the difficulty would be the push they needed to advance¡­ Or maybe it would be what crushed them entirely. Both results seemed worth considering further. If he could get them to give up¡­ On the other hand, completing Nin¡¯Yala¡¯s trial himself and utilizing the strange impromptu training would better prepare him for facing Xenith¡¯s champions. From what he understood, Leyla and Veletya had been to-be champions. In training, but not yet qualified. Thinking back to his fight with them, he knew he didn¡¯t push himself fully. In fact, he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever truly allowed himself to just let go. The power he had, it was still unknown to him, even after testing and training. Its depth only grew greater, leaving him with more to explore. Would there ever be an end to the training? What if he called the training off and just left with Leyla. Go fight the big boss and see where things go? An empowered Leyla with the Vorpal Blade pitted against Xenith, that was a fight Aiden anticipated. But what if his haste cost him everything? Aiden smacked his face with both hands, trying to clear his head. He was spinning himself in circles again. All the considerations bogged down clarity, fogged his direction. Only one thing mattered. The time for action had come. He couldn¡¯t sit and wait anymore. All other thoughts faded away into silence as one took root. ¡°It¡¯s time to end this.¡± If only he and Leyla faced Xenith, then so be it. The others would forgive him, and if they didn¡¯t, he would live knowing he did what he needed to do for himself. If he forever waited for them to be ready, for himself to be ready, this would drag on until there was simply no time left. Ready or not, he would complete this mission, then maybe he¡¯d take up Leyla¡¯s offer to disappear with her somewhere. With his mind made up to complete Nin¡¯Yala¡¯s training and then find Leyla so they could challenge Xenith¡ªher rules about the necessary participants be damned¡ªhe focused on the weight pressing down all around him and pushed against it with all his will. ¡°There we go.¡± He grinned as his aura expanded around him, resisting better than before. ¡°Let¡¯s get this shit done.¡± The first step forward took half an hour and left him barely able to breathe, yet grinning like a madman. He would keep going, he had to. Even more, he wanted to. The dome barrier around him formed again. Layers upon layers, thickening its walls, then condensing as he made sure it would stand against the renewed weight of his next step. Once he felt confident, he pressed onward.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The barrier held, though quaking and cracking under the pressure. It still held. Aiden didn¡¯t dare take the next step forward immediately, instead repeating the process of reinforcing the aura barrier again. Refinement of the barrier was unlike anything he¡¯d done as of yet. Even his experience discovering Paths when held under the Valkyr¡¯s custody didn¡¯t require this much sheer intent and willpower. But it continued to work. Another step. The barrier shuddered, the cracks webbing from top to bottom. And yet held. Morbid curiosity urged him to drop the barrier entirely to see if his body could handle the weight of the pressure. Durability was his primary attribute after all. The feeling passed. Pancakes were delicious. That didn¡¯t mean he wanted to discover what it felt like to become one, especially if the intensity truly ramped up as much as he expected it did. Each barrier, he gave more time to forming, solidifying the newly empowered barrier as this is the shape I want it to keep. Thinner, more compact, closer to himself. Its see through glass-like structure let him see just how far he continued to advance over the next several hours. Nin¡¯Yala and Blizzy¡¯s comfort pile of monsterly cuddles drew closer, and James, Josh, and Anna remained farther and farther behind him. There was no stopping now and nothing he could do for them. If he pressed onward, completed Nin¡¯Yala¡¯s training, and conquered Xenith with Leyla''s help, they wouldn¡¯t have to train anymore. They could finally rest, return home, and protect their families from whatever magical chaos would continue to make its way to Earth. He needn¡¯t drag them into the impossible, and he wouldn¡¯t hold it against them for being unable to participate. Saving Khione was his problem. She was his patron, so he would bear the burden. Another step. They wanted to help, and maybe they had already helped more than they knew, more than he knew. Just having them there rooting for him was something more than he had when he first came to Midrath, knowing he had people counting on him, relying on his choices, but also being supportive and encouraging. They had not asked him to bear the burden alone, but he had, and it had reforged him greater. Still did. Groaning, another step. His confusion and his worry had blinded him to the results of the path he¡¯d chosen. He saw the others around him as equal, as capable of the same potential, and maybe they could be if given enough time to grow. Time was a commodity they didn¡¯t have an abundance of. The clock ticked, the sand in the hourglass running low. Much of it was his fault, as his worries had crippled his ability to decide on a path and move. So much time wasted. Even now, he wondered if he would be too late. A half-step, hesitant. The cracks grew instantly, and he pulled his foot back. Six steps. So little, yet so far. The distance to Nin¡¯Yala seemed to stretch farther and farther after each step. What at first took him one step took him three, maybe four now. Hastiness would lose him far too much time if he would have to combat the pressure too as he reinforced his barrier enough to simply stand again, if he even remained conscious. Hazarding a glance backward, he saw the litany of emotions in each of their faces. Amazement, awe, determination, frustration. This was him now, his role, his purpose. More than himself, he was Zion''s leader, a symbol. His shadow was long and his back stiff. He would shelter them, and they would give chase. Reinforce the barrier, pull it tighter¡ªtight enough to replicate Crystalline Embodiment¡ªrelease a held breath¡­ Then take another step. Aiden learned quickly what would happen should his barrier collapse. The shattering of ice shards and their tinkling as they fell to the ground. A deep chill erupted from his chest to fill the space of the barrier, but it leaked outside beyond the crystalline dome and into the area around Aiden. But as before, Nin¡¯Yala¡¯s huff stifled the brewing storm and left behind only a repaired barrier¡­ and a headache from hell. Massaging the pressure behind his eyes away caused him to groan in relief, the unsettling experience happening far too fast. Had he blinked when his foot landed and the barrier burst, he would¡¯ve missed the whole thing, could¡¯ve believed it hadn¡¯t even happened. His headache made sure to remind him of his mistake, but the experience overall was enlightening and left him with more questions than answers. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine either one of you would like to explain what all of this means?¡± Blizzy chirped at him, amused, and Nin¡¯Yala didn¡¯t bother with a response. ¡°Great, thanks.¡± In moments like this, Aiden regretted being at the head of advancement. How nice it would be for someone else to have suffered through all of this and left arecord for him to simply emulate their results from. Or for some kind of instructor to explain just what he was even doing. Was the dome aura? Was the blizzard domain? Why did the blizzard erupt outward when the dome collapsed, and how was he reinforcing the dome? But no, he had to figure it out the hard way. When he pulled on his Paths and threw them at both, it didn¡¯t seem to make any change. The dome absorbed them as if already familiar with them. No matter what aspects he tried to augment, the result fizzled. Nothing changed. All that remained to test was Blizzard Mastery. However, he didn¡¯t know where to start with the combined Discipline. All his testing previously kept reinforcing what could and couldn¡¯t be done was limited to his imagination. He¡¯d tested, played around with what he could do when sparring with Josh, James, and Anna. He¡¯d held back though, hadn¡¯t been able to let loose for fear of harming them. Not once had he been able to test the limitations of his abilities, so maybe it was time he really, truly put all of his imagination to work on just¡­ letting go. Aiden took a deep breath and looked at the dome. It protected him, shielded him from the pressure, and bore the metaphysical weight, but¡­ It didn¡¯t push back. Aiden didn¡¯t push back. He accepted he would be crushed by Nin¡¯Yala¡¯s pressure, unable to resist, to fight back, that the weight was something to bear. Whatever the Agrul Den Mother¡¯s reason for bringing them here, Aiden had found his own purpose for this exercise. His hungry eyes fixated on Nin¡¯Yala, the obstacle. If he could resist her, Arkayan would surely be negligible and Xenith would only be a matter of time. ¡°Nin¡¯Yala, who¡¯s stronger, you or Xenith?¡± Aiden called, grinning. Her spiked back bristled at the mention of Valhalla¡¯s Authority holder, but her growl made Aiden think the great alien wolf wouldn¡¯t back down if it came to a fight either. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± If she wouldn¡¯t back down from Xenith, Aiden would rise up to face her, then Xenith. When he focused on the barrier, excitement buzzed in his chest as so many possibilities formed. There were many things he wanted to test, but first, he leaped forward so the dome collapsed, grinning something fierce and feral. Book Three, Chapter Thirty-Two: No Looking Back Now When the storm expanded and Nin¡¯Yala¡¯s suffocating huff came, Aiden gritted his teeth and reinforced the whole blizzard with the same empowering intention as the tiny, personalized dome. His breath caught as the Nin¡¯Yala¡¯s unseen force tried to suffocate the blizzard again, but the ice storm held. He grinned, the exhilaration of directly challenging the Argul Denmother filling him with competitive giddy. Aiden was rarely ever the strongest one in any fight. From here out, he would only be punching up¡ªand big time. Despite his great ambition and continued training and refinement, he couldn¡¯t match thousands of years old beings strength for strength, blow for blow. But he didn¡¯t need to. Not everything had to be faced head on. That wasn¡¯t his specialty, otherwise he would¡¯ve taken power as his main attribute. He had to trust himself, trust his power, to protect him even as he moved forward. No matter how much endurance he stacked up, it would never be enough to truly withstand the forces he pitted himself against. His aura wasn¡¯t there as a barrier, nor was his domain just a reaction to save him from being crushed by the Void or Nin¡¯Yala. It was vast, stretching beyond his vision in all directions, and he could move freely within it. It would not stop an enemy¡¯s advance, but soften it, muffle it, slow it, misdirect it. While the enemy searched in the dark, the creeping numbness would seep into them, rob them of their strength, freeze absolutely. Aiden could see clearly, move freely. No longer did the Void obscure everything in a realm of darkness. No longer did the pressure restrain Aiden. With a triumphant grin, he finished his walk toward Nin¡¯Yala and Blizzy¡¯s cuddle pile. Once he reached them, he pet Blizzy¡¯s head and looked her over. She continued growing well, bigger than a large moose now. ¡°You coming with me, girl? I¡¯ll need your help, and there¡¯s gonna be a whole lot for you to snack on. Kinds of things you haven¡¯t had a chance to eat before.¡± A happy chirp later and she¡¯d removed herself from where she¡¯d been cuddling Nin¡¯Yala. ¡°Sounds good to me, girl.¡± He turned to observe Anna, James, and Josh. He doubted they¡¯d make leaving a simple matter, especially when he told them they¡¯d be remaining behind for the assault on Valhalla. After the melodrama previously, they would be sure to make a fuss about him changing his mind. Aiden would have to pay special attention to ignoring Josh. Of the three of them, Josh always found a way to make Aiden feel like he was betraying them by trusting his judgement and handling things on his own. The thought had been nice. Aiden found comfort in their desire to be helpful and supportive, but the reality of the situation¡­ He couldn¡¯t keep waiting and they just weren¡¯t ready. Simple. Blizzy by his side, Aiden began his path toward the exit. Josh took a step back and hung his head. His clenched fists let out a small boom from his power. Aiden¡¯s expectations were surprisingly very wrong, as James didn¡¯t move from where he sat meditating and Anna sighed and folded her arms. ¡°I wondered if all that talk would mean anything.¡± Anna let her arms drop and hang by her side. ¡°I really did try, Aiden. We tried.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame you, any of you.¡± He meant it. He¡¯d been pushing himself far beyond them since the beginning. ¡°Of course not.¡± He could see in her eyes so many things left unspoken, but she pursed her lips and gave him space. ¡°Come back alive, at least.¡± ¡°You¡¯re starting to sound like Olivia now.¡± He waved away her concern. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, you know it. I always make it back.¡± When he noticed none of them looked like they intended to follow him and their looks of determination in the moments they thought he wasn¡¯t looking, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Good luck.¡± Then he and Blizzy left the hole and returned to Midrath. ¡ª Taking even Leyla bothered Aiden and he wished he could confront Xenith himself, but he shoved down the anxiety and searched for her. There were too many reasons why he couldn¡¯t rush off to Valhalla to confront Xenith himself. Namely his lack of power and how Leyla would skewer him if he stole her revenge from her. The walk back was long, and he didn¡¯t rush. He didn¡¯t know how things would go with Xenith¡¯s gauntlet, let alone if he¡¯d ever come back to Midrath. Even if he succeeded, he didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d return. In a perfect world, the Authorities would be his after he defeated Xenith and satisfied Kyriall¡¯s condition to evolve Blizzy, he¡¯d completely lock out the gods¡¯ influences once and for all, save Khione¡­ If he could do all of that, he¡¯d be free to explore the new world. He¡¯d already felt the expansiveness of the Mortal Realm and how many portals to other worlds he could create. There was so much out there to explore, and if the Rhexians were anything to judge by, there would be even more to protect from. But if he stayed, could he ever leave? Would he ever be happy with himself? Or would his duty, the weight of his responsibilities, and the crushing desperation for more power so he could protect the things he loved crush him? All of that, in this moment, felt so far away to him in a comforting way. Before any of that held any weight, he first needed to get past Xenith. ¡°Step one, beat the big bad afterlife immortal who thrives off combat. Surely no problems there.¡± Leyla would get her revenge should they win, but would it be enough? He wondered regularly if they won and she drew on the black stigmata what would remain of her in the end. Only time would tell, and he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to rush to Leyla to begin finding out the answers, but each step still carried him closer steadily. His plan was set. He knew what had to be done. All that was left was to do it. ¡°I hope Oli¡¯s okay.¡± ¡ª ¡°Damn it all!¡± Blade scraped helplessly against ice. ¡°I.¡± Another swing rebounded. ¡°Will.¡± Another. ¡°Cut you!¡± Leyla furiously screamed at the fifth segment of icy monoliths Aiden had created before leaving, ever-stubborn. He¡¯d specifically stated for her to find a method outside of the Vorpal Blade to cut the damned thing, but she wanted to disregard his annoying instructions and leave all of them in piles of shredded flurry.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Infuriating man!¡± she howled, her scythe descending again to the same result. He wasn¡¯t even around for her to express her anger either! What made things even worse, she knew rationally the power of their combined souls should enable her to cut the block. He should not be able to create a thing she could not also cut. In all regards, they were equals. Unless one side was far greater than the other, such as someone¡¯s defensive magic being drastically higher than their combined physical offensive might. Which stung. She was a Valkyr, a Fallen! Pure physical might and diabolical magical enhancements was her specialty! It didn¡¯t matter. She couldn¡¯t. No matter how many times she tried, or how many support buffs she got from the turtle boy, she couldn¡¯t do it. She knew what it meant, but she didn¡¯t want to accept it. Her and Aiden, they were equals. Bonded partners destined to walk as equals. She could not be so powerless against his overwhelming magic, could she? Not if she wanted to remain his equal. Which meant she had to cut the icy pillar. At this point, even a scrape, a minor cut, anything that showed she could have the possibility of damaging the hastily erected structure would count. And still, she couldn¡¯t. Was she nothing without the cursed prophecy, weak and helpless without the Vorpal Blade to draw on? Surely not. Each failed cut redoubled her efforts. Harder, faster, stronger¡ªshe could do it! She had to! The others gave her a wide berth as she moved, her assault violent and unrelenting. She heard them talking, but the words of such insignificant burdens meant little to Leyla. They were all burdens for Aiden, took and took and gave nothing back due to their incompetence. She refused to be like them, couldn¡¯t allow herself to. Her pride as his bonded could not take it. If she wasn¡¯t better, did she deserve to be bonded with him? Would he grow to resent her if she were not capable as a battle partner? Was that something humans even valued? As she pushed herself harder, two feelings warred with one another. The desire for approval and the fear of rejection. She¡¯d never had a chance to grow comfortable with another, rely on them, trust them. She learned she liked the feeling, but now when she thought of him, her Aiden, her bonded, she couldn¡¯t think straight. Proving herself worthy of their bond was paramount. What if he began to wish for their separation? Would she have to skewer him a few times to show he couldn¡¯t run away? Then her blade glanced off the icy pillar once more. Could she skewer him? Could she show him her value through combat? Leyla couldn¡¯t take the growing pressure and uncertainty any longer, needed to see him. Her scythe dematerialized and she leaped into the air, her wings unfurling. ¡°Where are you, infuriating man!¡± ¡ª Strolling along casually with Blizzy by his side, hands behind his head, Aiden¡¯s neck tingled. Experienced enough to know what that meant, he grinned and pulled Silver out of his pocket and clicked the back. Still yet to adjust to its newfound power, he watched in awe as it activated and seamlessly intertwined in hexagonal snowflake patterns by the thousands, the influence of Blizzard Mastery and possibly the Truth of Crystallization Greater Path. Extraordinary as the first time, a miniature blizzard swirled from the tip down the length and solidified as his sword. Same shape and size as when he used the Ice Discipline. At the same time Silver formed, Blizzy chirped excitedly and bounded away a short distance where she sat and continued chirping, amused. Aiden didn¡¯t hesitate to throw himself out of the way and raise Silver to block Leyla¡¯s fly-by follow-up attack. ¡°Nice to see you too!¡± ¡°Shut up and fight!¡± she screamed, not to his surprise. Valkyr are just wired different. The first time he¡¯d seen something of the sort, he¡¯d tried to break up the fight back in Zion. He quickly earned the respect of two more Fallen for overpowering them and properly learned their customs. Leyla, in trying to kill him, was effectively saying ¡°I respect you, do you respect me?¡± And respect in their culture was the closest thing they had to a form of affection. Something must have bothered her while he¡¯d been gone for¡­ ¡°How long was I training?¡± ¡°Infuriating man!¡± she hissed, swinging her scythe with a sickly violet energy coating the edge. ¡°It¡¯s been a week! A week of hellish failure against that damn pillar!¡± Ah. ¡°You couldn¡¯t cut it, could you?¡± ¡°But I can cut you!¡± With the aid of her wings, she launched herself forward, swinging the blade. When he ducked, she threw a punch at his face, and he blocked it with a tiny replica of Ice Shield. He couldn¡¯t help but notice keeping up with her speed was less of a problem after his ascension. Her power still overwhelmed him, but she couldn¡¯t keep up with his magic or endurance. All he needed to do was let her burn off her anger and frustration, then she¡¯d mellow out enough for them to speak of departure to Valhalla and turn her hyperviolence toward dealing with Xenith. Blizzy, all the while, chirped and cooed as they traded blows. Nin¡¯Yala must have rubbed off on her, as she often blew huffs of frosty wind toward them whenever things started to get too slow for her liking. Her skills with the scythe, her ability to control distances, and her hypermobility and ferocity kept him on the defense. No matter what direction he tried to turn to get some ground, she was there pressuring him. He weathered the bladestorm, punches and kicks, and the occasional chaos bolt until her shoulders shook from exertion and she struggled to take another step forward. ¡°You really went all out that time. I¡¯m impressed. I couldn¡¯t do anything to retaliate.¡± Not entirely true, but he knew better than to antagonize her if he ever wanted to move away from the random forestry. Unfortunately, their plan to depart would be delayed so that she could recover her full strength. ¡°I¡¯m very proud of your performance.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even attack back seriously once!¡± she growled. ¡°You demean me in this fight as if to say I am not worthy of you!¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± He shook his head and took a step closer, knowing better than to let Silver drop from its guard. ¡°We both don¡¯t need to be in recovery as we prepare to move against Xenith.¡± She seemed split between wanting to continue questioning her worth to him and her heated, relentless desire for vengeance. ¡°I need no rest to move against that woman.¡± He appraised her with great skepticism. When she huffed defiantly, he held Silver forward and unleashed a cone of frost from its tip. The attack ended as fast as it began, and the result caused Aiden to chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting look.¡± ¡°Bite me,¡± she snarled, staggering forward with squinted eyes. ¡°We go for Xenith¡¯s head now? Do not lie to me about this.¡± Aiden gave her another up and down look. ¡°Once you¡¯re rested, certainly.¡± ¡°What of your friends now?¡± ¡°Does that really matter to you?¡± He hadn¡¯t expected her to be concerned about the others at the mention of taking on Xenith, but she always managed to surprise him. ¡°If we arrive and our lack of numbers means we cannot slay her, I will be very upset.¡± She showed her sharpest teeth. ¡°You have yet to see me very upset, so I wouldn¡¯t wish for us both to die by rushing off with high hopes, only to tuck our tails and retreat. My pride would never survive!¡± ¡°What pride?¡± He had to admit she had a point. Should he commit to abandoning the route with the others as participants, they wouldn¡¯t have enough numbers. ¡°But the Valkyr respect honest warriors more than the limitations that shackle and bind. Would Xenith truly deny us if our desire to fight is genuine?¡± ¡°Is that a gamble you¡¯re willing to take?¡± He was. ¡°She may not see reason, but she understands violence and steel and honor, much like you.¡± ¡°Honor means little if one is dead, though my pride preens at the idea.¡± Leyla rolled her eyes. ¡°So we are like-minded, bite me.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± She licked her lips and staggered forward, her scythe dissipating as she collapsed forward. He easily caught her as her exhaustion won out. Deftly, as so many times before, he swept her into a princess carry and began the trek back to Zion with Blizzy chirping, greatly amused. Book Three, Chapter Thirty-Three: My Sister Is Still A Genius First, Aiden dropped Leyla off in the infirmary. From what he could tell of her exertion, she would need to rest for a few hours before she, without a doubt and with peak stubbornness, crawled out of bed to hunt him down so she could hound him over when they¡¯d depart to fight Xenith. People could say what they wanted about her, but when she dedicated herself to do something, nothing would get in her way. And he¡¯d just promised to give her the things he wanted most. Whether his warning to the attendants would do any good was yet to be seen, but he had pressing matters to attend to and had done what he could for them. Now, their future stress levels hinged on how feisty Leyla felt. While she slept, he meandered through the city he¡¯d raised from ground up. Bled, sweat, and suffered for. To find out what felt like months on Midrath was but a fraction of that on Earth had rattled him, but he¡¯d taken it in stride. There were a lot of implications he didn¡¯t care to explore. With the ability to create portals between worlds and tried and true time dilation¡­ Not his problem, though the health effects of spending time on Midrath intrigued him for a moment. Then he remembered the system had brought magic with it and any semblance of what he thought to be natural and reasonable would be altered. Which made him wonder, after his ascension and with the accumulation of all of his powers, how long could he possibly live for should he find a nice cozy place with Leyla to kick back and enjoy life at? From the existence of immortals and gods and whatever else, he couldn¡¯t imagine a long life of seventy-five years being the standard. He smiled at each and every person as they passed by, some casually talking theorycrafting their training or training development like it was basic math. Likely through Cloudy, Magnus, and Oli¡¯s efforts, Zion had changed into something grand. The city¡¯s banners flew high, the poles glowing with enchantments. Everyone wore armor and carried weapons of their choice. ¡°We¡¯ve come far from when we first got here.¡± ¡°I thought you were staying with Aunt Rachel, Oli.¡± Aiden turned around to see his twin approaching, though she looked just as confused as he. ¡°I don¡¯t remember agreeing to staying on Earth?¡± She tilted her head as if thinking, then shook her head. ¡°Nope, sure didn¡¯t. I did agree to let you run off, probably to endanger your life alone again, and be the fearless hero Zion once needed. Mmm, maybe not alone.¡± She knelt and pet Blizzy¡¯s head. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ve got a dragon and battle-crazed girlfriend with you this time around.¡± ¡°That I do.¡± He didn¡¯t even try to deny his intentions. ¡°You did it back in the school and its boss. Did it again with the big bug bastard.¡± She started holding up fingers after each instance. ¡°Again with Loki and that chaos, then the Alpha beasts, and essentially martyred yourself with the Valkyr. It¡¯s easier to think of times you did run off than times you didn¡¯t, now that I think about it. I¡¯d even argue the first time you killed the Lesser Evil that took out Mr. Feriger¡ªmay he rest in peace.¡± ¡°Pieces?¡± Aiden winced. ¡°Too soon,¡± Oli deadpanned, staring at him for a long moment. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ hard, you know? I-I¡¯ve accepted everyone here as home. And that we¡¯re all doomed to be left behind by you. I think I¡¯ve known it for a while, maybe even from the beginning.¡± He didn¡¯t know what to say and started feeling uncomfortable. The emotional thing wasn¡¯t his strong suit, and she looked like she had a lot to get off her chet. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ Let¡¯s go for a walk, okay?¡± She grimaced and looked up at the multi-colored sky. ¡°When you ask like that, it makes it seem like this is goodbye. Isn¡¯t that what leaving me with Aunt Rachel was supposed to be?¡± Without giving him time to think, she began continuing in his original direction: through the central path leading upward to the Ruler¡¯s Throne. ¡°Are you that unsure about victory, or are you done playing hero? Ready to run off into the wilderness with your pretty but psycho lover lady?¡± He grinned. ¡°A hint of jealousy I¡¯m hearing?¡± ¡°Ew, no.¡± She huffed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what I was thinking, but things with James were never serious. After Arkayan, nobody is worth his time.¡± She thumbed toward Aiden. ¡°Except maybe you.¡± He shrugged, well aware James would likely still be struggling with Anna and Josh for a lot longer if Nin¡¯Yala deigned to see their training through to the end. James¡¯ inability to grasp his power even remotely to begin forming aura had caught Aiden off guard. From all the arrogance and boasting about sparring, Aiden had grown to expect more. But Josh and Anna had progressed, even if little, while James hadn¡¯t even managed a step before Aiden departed. James¡¯ shift was reminiscent of how Adam had behaved in the beginning. All hot air and no substance. ¡°Too bad he¡¯s not worth mine.¡± As harsh as the words felt leaving his lips, he believed them to be true. ¡°Is it because you can¡¯t trust him?¡± Oli asked, eyeing him carefully to measure his reaction. ¡°Or rather you can¡¯t trust Arkayan? The great doom and gloom, master of secret knowledge, void spawn, and hope of the dark people¡ªor something.¡± ¡°Or something.¡± Arkayan still remained a wild card Aiden didn¡¯t know how to regard. For all that Arkayan had helped Aiden, the Shadowborn left Aiden suspicious time and again of his motives. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re here for?¡± She scoffed. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any intention of running into you at all while here. I was here for the compendium. Wanted to start teaching Aunt Rachel. She mentioned something about multiple races through worlds¡ªyou know the deal¡­ We¡¯ll need schools for languages, history, training for delegations, a greater force to repel any militaristic faction that thinks they want a piece of us. She theorizes such schools might already exist, maybe as a web of connected knowledge, maybe as independent organizations¡­ Obviously it¡¯s still too soon to know, but regardless of the situation, we have to have a way to normalize information, prepare people for the new world. Like, think of the children and the curriculum.¡± She smirked. ¡°Less math class, more hands-on survival and magical handling.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. As she spoke, he listened with great interest. The ideas they¡¯d touched upon had been curiosities of his own at some point when he wasn¡¯t running around fighting things. The ramifications of introducing magic to their world and entering a multi-realmed reality spanned far greater than his mind could keep up with. But even what he could think of intrigued him, and he wasn¡¯t a genius like Oli. She likely had taken the endless iterations of what once was impossible and conceived countless ways to make them possible, and iterate further still. ¡°That sounds nice,¡± he said with a genuine smile. ¡°I¡¯m happy you found your place.¡± ¡°Not the way I foresaw how we¡¯d inevitably go our own ways, you know?¡± she mused, looking around at all they¡¯d built with her arms wide. ¡°To imagine we set the foundation for all of this, all that¡¯s to come.¡± ¡°All of you have done amazing raising Zion, that¡¯s true.¡± She smacked his arm and stopped in front of him, bringing their walk to a pause. ¡°None of this would have been possible without you.¡± It was his turn to scoff. ¡°Anybody could¡¯ve done what I did. Not everyone could learn an entire magical language, learn forging from literal aliens, or managed all of the parties, taking on the integration of the new arrivals¡­ What I did was little in the grand scheme of things, Oli.¡± She leveled a piercing stare. ¡°Why do you try so hard to downplay your importance to Zion? Will that make the choice to leave easier for you when the time comes, or are you really so unaware of how important you are to the people here? Do you really not know the value of all that you¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°It could¡¯ve been anyone, Oli.¡± ¡°No, it couldn¡¯t.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Who else would it have been when we were in the school? Adam? If you don¡¯t remember, everyone almost got overrun while you were off fighting the boss by yourself.¡± The exasperation in her voice weighed on him. ¡°Even after that, you gave everyone the option to join and come here. Their choice was their own, and the weight of their choices doesn¡¯t fall on your shoulders.¡± ¡°I could¡¯ve gone back for them.¡± Not that he thought they¡¯d make a different choice. A second smack found his shoulder. ¡°See, that! The moment they declined your offer, they weren¡¯t our problem. You did everything you could for those who chose to follow you, even when we couldn¡¯t give back to you. You¡¯ve given so much and asked so little in return, never expecting us to do anything to repay all that you gave.¡± She paused. ¡°Hmm, maybe you¡¯re a terrible leader after all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a quick swap up.¡± He gestured up the long path. ¡°Care to continue walking while you explain why you¡¯ve suddenly changed your mind?¡± She began backstepping as she talked. ¡°Your ability to delegate is pretty trash and you rush off, face-first, into anything you can punch. So sure, maybe you¡¯re not a good leader, but you are a hero.¡± Aiden groaned. ¡°That¡¯s probably the cringiest thing you¡¯ve said to me in a long time.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true!¡± She waved her arms around. ¡°Sure, you didn¡¯t help manage everything, but you didn¡¯t need to. You were always there punching anything trying to threaten everything we¡¯ve all worked so hard to build. You were the guardian of this place, and everyone knows that. There isn¡¯t a single person who doesn¡¯t recognize you, admire you, respect you.¡± They had an odd way of showing it, he mused. ¡°I¡¯m tired of this conversation. Let¡¯s talk about something else.¡± ¡°Nah, if you¡¯re gonna go running off and not come back, at least hear me out before you do.¡± She waited a moment for him to accept or reject. When he said nothing, she took his silence as a sign for her to continue. ¡°I¡¯m not really sure what it means to be a leader. My experience is admittedly very limited outside of what I¡¯ve been doing to organize things, however I¡¯m going to go back on my previous statement. You¡¯re a very heroic leader, Aiden, and I¡¯ll smack you again if you try to argue.¡± She raised her hand, playfully threatening and daring him to talk back. ¡°I was the same as everyone else. We all did our parts. There¡¯s nothing heroic or leaderly about that.¡± ¡°We all followed you.¡± She pointed up the path toward where the Ruler¡¯s Throne waited. ¡°You beat the boss, saved the day, and got the great quest for salvation. Not us.¡± ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯m good at fighting and can¡¯t do math to save my life. At least the new world will have something I¡¯m good at.¡± His joking tone didn¡¯t convince Olivia, and she rolled her eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Is this some kind of insecurity complex, or what? Imposter syndrome? It doesn¡¯t fit you.¡± She lowered the threatening hand. ¡°You know¡­ I only ever hoped you¡¯d be happy.¡± She stared at the throne, wistful. ¡°You never listen to reason. Even if I try to change your mind, you¡¯ll still run off to fight your grand battle, so I won¡¯t bother.¡± She turned to face him. ¡°Can a big sister get a hug from her grumpy little brother?¡± ¡°We¡¯re twins, Oli.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m older by three minutes!¡± A little bit of her old self peeked through, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile. He opened his arms wide, and they embraced. She squeezed as if trying to hold him tight enough to rip his soul from his body. After a few seconds, he uncomfortably patted her on the back. When she didn¡¯t let go, he groaned. ¡°Oli.¡± ¡°Just¡­ a little longer.¡± Her voice was husky, and he pretended he didn¡¯t hear her quiet sniffling. ¡°Oli.¡± ¡°A little longer¡­¡± ¡°...Oli.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± She let go of her death hug and turned away, wiping at her face. ¡°You alright?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ There¡¯s just dust in my eyes, duh.¡± When she turned back, he could still see the streaks left behind by the tears, but now he saw steel in her gaze. ¡°You come back before you disappear, or I¡¯ll hunt you down and drag you back myself. Got it?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see how things go.¡± He wouldn¡¯t make a promise he couldn¡¯t keep, and there were far too many details outside of his control to give her false hope. She looked back down the path and then back at Aiden, mulling over his words. ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best.¡± The familiar, old light in her eyes twinkled out. ¡°Goodbye then, Aiden.¡± ¡°Take care of Aunt Rachel for me, Oli.¡± ¡°Obviously.¡± ¡°And, for what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t have been a better brother.¡± ¡°An idiot until the last second, huh? Why did I expect anything less?¡± Without another word, she departed down the path and left Aiden to his thoughts, a sense of melancholy lingering in his chest. He didn¡¯t bother answering Midrath¡¯s buzz and instead chose to just stare at the multi-colored sky. Somehow he found it more comforting than the sky he witnessed on Earth. Midrath had become home, and now, he would leave even it behind. Book Three, Chapter Thirty-Four: I Guess This Means War As much as Aiden would have loved to go into the fight against Xenith¡¯s champions as powerful as he could possibly be, he simply didn¡¯t have the Essence to. After his ascension, Essence Orbs were about as effective as a means of empowering himself as droplets being poured into an ocean. The cumulative liquidation of his stockpiled cores and pillars resulted in a meager increase. Name: Aiden Pearce Race: Human (Grade D) (M)Power: 4 (S)Durability: 17 (M)Alacrity: 6 (P)Arcana: 11(+20) (M)Spirit: 3(+20) Boosts: Essence Channel XXXI, +20 Arcana and Spirit, Weapon Proficiency XVI, Inscription VI, Mastery Augmentation VI, Needle Storm Discipline: Blizzard Mastery - Epic IV Paths: Versatility, the Truth of Adaptation, Truth of Crystallization, Inheritor of the Nebulus, The Absolute, Khione¡¯s Authority Silver wouldn¡¯t be upgraded, unfortunately. Maybe not ever again, depending on how the near future went. Even if he wanted to, he couldn¡¯t for lack of resources. As much as he complained about numbers, they¡¯d become an irrefutable part of his life with the system. His mind turned to the ascension and how it had made him a Grade D, but beyond that, how each grade increased attribute weight by ten. Even if he didn¡¯t increase his attributes all that much, he had. Appearances were very deceiving, especially with exponents or whatever they were called. Math in the apocalypse, geez. It couldn¡¯t rest in peace with Mr. Feriger? If he multiplied each attribute by one hundred and excluded Silver, his current attribute weight equated to over four thousand. Anybody who hadn¡¯t Ascended could obtain an attribute of one hundred. Considering only five attributes existed to allocate Essence to, their maximum power would be five hundred¡ªequivalent to all of his at one. His quick upgrade increased his relative power two, three¡­ eight times! So maybe it wasn¡¯t so meager of an upgrade after all. All he had was an untested status, but when he considered what awaited in Valhalla, he couldn¡¯t help but be worried it wouldn¡¯t be enough. No matter how hard Aiden tried to wait patiently for Leyla to recover, his restlessness grew. Impatience met dread, while exhaustion longed for resolution. Each second felt like an hour, and each minute felt like a month. Nothing he could think of to pass the time was convincing him it would be worthwhile. Testing his abilities further seemed productive at a glance, but if they would be going into battle the moment Leyla recovered, he wanted to preserve his strength to be in peak form. For the same reason, he couldn¡¯t go back to train with Nin¡¯Yala and the others. He¡¯d talked to Oli, and he didn¡¯t really want to talk to anyone else. There was simply too much weighing on this, and he didn¡¯t want what felt like empty platitudes from anybody, nor did he want to argue against why this was a terrible idea. Because he couldn¡¯t convince himself it was a good idea either, and he¡¯d prefer to keep that tidbit to himself. Despite it feeling like the right thing to do, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that was his impatience and anxiety talking. Knowing as he waited for Leyla to recover his bond to Khione, should she fall in the void due to him being too late to help her escape, being the end of both of them wasn¡¯t something he could ignore. So when Leyla came flying at him at Mach Five, he couldn¡¯t help but let out a relieved sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡ª Valhalla didn¡¯t match Aiden¡¯s expectations. Great cathedrals dedicated to the greatest warriors of all time, massive training grounds cluttered to the brink and ringing with the sound of clashing steel, warriors bantering and quipping as they engaged in lethal combat¡­ Something deserving of the opposite afterlife to Halla. Not this. People everywhere bustled between tasks, and even more formed groups and chatted across a lush field spanning as far as Aiden could see. Everywhere he looked, people were friendly and welcoming to each other. Fallen mingled without discrimination, to his even greater surprise. ¡°We are in the correct place, right?¡± Aiden questioned. ¡°This is home, sweet home.¡± Leyla saw the incredulous look on Aiden¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled, every person you see is a skilled and lethal warrior.¡± ¡°That may be the case, but why did I expect for them to try to kill us the moment we got here?¡± They remained unmolested even as they stood there longer and were noticed by more and more Valkyr. It took Aiden less than a second to consider his experiences with The Valkyr as of yet. War, being captured, fighting in their gauntlet as entertainment, the Leyla slaying Veletya, and the condemnation of all the Valkyr.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Something about that left an impression on him, to no surprise, but could he apply the limited experience to all of Valhalla? Clearly not. So he had a skewed belief of who they were as a people. That was neither here nor there¡­ But now he couldn''t help but wonder if everything he knew about the Valkyr, Valhalla, and Xenith were wrong. He tilted his head to regard Leyla and tried to recall everything he''d heard about Valhalla, what parts had been from her, what had been from the rest of the Valkyr back in Zion, and wasn¡¯t information from the Valkyr at all. What he saw in front of him unsettled him in ways he didn''t know how to process. ¡°I''m not sure where we are or why we''re here. When I teleported us, I did so with Valhalla''s Authority as the teleportation location.¡± Leyla hissed. ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡± She spun in a circle and looked around, waving her hand through the air with black-violent tendrils rending the area. The illusion dropped. Valhalla was on fire. Everywhere Aiden looked, death and ash. Blizzy trilled dangerously, blasting a cone of frozen spikes at a charging¡­ Human? ¡°Die monsters, die!¡± another shouted as it cast a spell with a wand. The sky rippled as a meteor began to descend on their position. ¡°Move!¡± Leyla pushed Aiden, who had yet to stop gawking, out of the way of an arrow. She leaped upward to attack the spell descending on them with her scythe manifesting instantly. Aiden couldn''t continue watching in confusion and got ahold of himself as more arrows continued to blast past him, his instincts keeping him hole-free with a few casts of Ice Wall for cover. Silver nearly leaped into his hand as he dodged away from a massive war ax, kicking the attacker in the chest and waving his hand to blast a wave of ice spikes in the direction of the archer. Before he could assess whether he came even remotely close to hitting, he dodged another attacker. ¡°Stop!¡± he roared, Apex Predator erupting in full force. One stumbled, but the others pushed through the intimidation and overwhelm to keep fighting. As Aiden barely kept himself alive and tried to make any sense of the situation, Blizzy disappeared in the chaotic warzone they''d uncovered. Leyla''s rage powered her scythe as she tore upward, splitting the sky in a long crescent and then cleaved the meteor in half. Instead of clearing up the confusion, the attackers grew in number and intensity. Aiden became a blur of non-lethal ice flurries to buy space and time, defensive walls to keep his opponents¡¯ vision obscured and his position hidden, and tried to find rhyme or reason, desperately. Pain erupted in his left shoulder, an arrow halfway embedded there. ¡°Fine! I tried being nice!¡± He raised Silver high to the sky. ¡°Needle Storm!¡± As the first time he''d cast the Epic weapon skill, the air in the surroundings rushed towards him, but it did so with a savage whistle and hiss that blasted all projectiles and charging enemies away. Over the tip of his blade, a small ball of pure Essence the size of a pea formed. The pea-sized ball of raw power instantly grew to the size of a bowling ball, then doubled in size, condensed to a tiny sparkle at the top of his sword. In the next moment, the world knew frost. To Aiden, it had happened faster than he could be amazed. Little more than an Absolute Zero flash of permafrost twinkling like a beautiful star, but the frozen statues of his attackers and mile radius, maybe more, of frozen death really drove his new power home. Mercilessly, he raised his hand and shattered the statues of his attackers. ¡°Assholes.¡± Pillars of ice scoured the newly formed frozen wasteland to varied effect. Some exploded of contact with defensive skills, and others exploded into a cloud of freezing death. Fragmented shrapnel inhaled erupting from the chests of sturdier enemies. The temporary silence didn''t last long as another dozen meteors began crashing down on his position and another wave of attackers braved his death zone to get to him. ¡°What is happening?¡± he muttered. Leyla didn''t pause to gawk like Aiden continued to and began clearing the sky of meteors. Despite her constant motion and far less hesitant approach to adapting to their sudden situation, her head turned north of their position enough times for him to notice. Something called to her. ¡°That way it is then.¡± What other choice did he have after all? Hold this position? For what reason? He whistled loud and called for Blizzy over their bond, raising himself up on a platform. A storm of arrows and spells flew his way the moment the enemy had a clear target. Blizzy flew overhead and caught Aiden as he leaped from his platform, gliding forward with frost breaths clearing their northbound flight of all projectiles aimed their way. Neither one of them thought to worry about Leyla, as she was confidently doing her own thing. If Aiden didn''t know any better, the display of countless flashes and explosions of one spell or another or whistling of arrows zipping past him could be a concert with a firework show if he closed his eyes and believed hard enough. His biggest gripe with the current situation was his lack of anybody relaying the information of why he was being targeted in the first place. But surely enough, the barrage of attacks never ended. Several even blasted through Blizzy''s frost cones and his ice walls, though their impact never happened after being knocked off course. It meant some of the aggressive people hunting them packed a punch. He couldn''t allow himself to be lax. Not if he wanted the three of them to make it out alive. When he''d teleported to Valhalla, he expected a lot of things. Now? He took a page from Leyla''s book and decided that if people were trying to kill him, he''d no longer give them a chance to explain themselves before he responded with extreme aggression. He preferred the simple approach anyway. Only the desire to have clarity of the situation before he started with lethal attacks held him back at first, but his opponents'' lacking concern for his and his people meant one thing. "Time to see what I can really do." He dropped from Blizzy''s taloned feet toward a waiting and prepared group of combatants. Again, they were all human. Clenching his teeth, he encased himself with a sphere of compact, crystalline ice as he descended. Axes attempted to cleave his thrown-together defense open. Spears stabbed to little effect. Exploding spells did more harm to those around Aiden than him. Yet his attackers'' relentless vigor and determination continued. "Morons." He willed the sphere to erupt outward and ignored the carnage he wreaked. He peeled his eyes and watched for the direction the spells were cast for. Everywhere. "Well shit." Book Three, Chapter Thirty-Five: But… This Isn’t My War No matter the direction, no matter where he looked, the burning fields were crawling with ranks of people who wanted him dead. He even saw flashes of healing light amongst the enemies. If he wished to win this war, he would target them first, but the idea was as foolish as it was arrogant. But winning this impromptu war wasn''t his goal. Leyla''s figure began to shrink in the distance as she made pace north without stop, none of the spells reaching the altitude she flew at or fast enough to catch her unprepared. "Thanks for waiting!" he shouted, knowing damn well he''d gone unheard. Silver lashed out and gored an attacker rearing up for a massive swing. Yet the attacker, a man with countless scars and little armor, growled and redoubled his attack, eyes blazing with madness. "This feels familiar." The Evils back in the school fought similarly, with a reckless abandon akin to what Hollywood thought the zombie apocalypse would be like. Maybe this was that in reality, but with superpowers and in the supposed afterlife? Whatever the answer, Aiden ducked below the second attempted blow and closed the distance. Silver split the man from hip to shoulder as Aiden barely dodged another volley of ranged attacks. they didn''t seem to care much about whether they mutilated their own people in the crossfire, he noted. "Die monster scum!" Isaac''s wet dream stepped out of Aiden''s shadow and stabbed with two sickly green and violet coated daggers. "Die so we can be free!" "I''m not a monster, dickhead!" Backstepping to keep a range advantage and away from the poisoned weapons, Aiden raised a hand and commanded the air around the man to freeze. He would accept no more movement from the wanna-be assassin. "Nice try though." His attack missed. In the brief moment before the air froze, the assassin slipped back into the shadows, his eyes promising death. "Pain in the ass." It was time for Aiden to get some distance from his new friend and hoped the appearing and disappearing from shadows bit had some kind of reasonable limitation and wouldn''t let the assassin track him too far. He kneeled low and tensed, feeling the power of his recently enhanced body. He''d always seen things like this in movies. Might as well give it a shot himself. When he leaped, he flew. His hops would make an NBA player jealous as he propelled forward, counting on his durability to keep him in one piece as he landed. If anything, his alacrity struggled to keep up with the speed in which he exploded forward and the accompanying wind resistance trying to spin him head over heel. Arrows whizzed past him, and he made sure to keep himself from turning himself into vulnerable target practice. Normal target practice though, he''d let them try that. Gave him some time to practice his favorite thing too: not dying! There was never enough practice with not dying, as the unlucky few squishy healers learned very quickly. Did he need to kill them? No. But the vengeful spite made him feel a little better. He hoped his pettiness wouldn''t bite him in the ass later on, but he didn''t let it weigh on his conscience too much. He''d given them enough chances to make amends and explain anything at all. His high speed propulsion started very clumsy, and he''d even learned that crashing into people that fast did not meet his expectations of "a fun time". Now he had to be sticky with some random assailant''s blood and look like an actual monster as he fruitlessly fell behind Leyla''s trail. By now, she was so far ahead he couldn''t even see her anymore. If it weren''t for Blizzy guiding his path and leading the way, he would have no idea if he even followed after her at all anymore. Too many of his crash landings turned him upside down, rolled him all around, and shook him up. Enough crash landings later and he got the hang of things, much to his satisfaction. Now he could chase after Blizzy without feeling like a shame to her great visage, soaring high as she glided forward and bounded into the next. Each time she landed, their assailants charged, and she showed them a blizzard dragon was not to be looked down on. Teeth, a crown of very sharp horns, claw, and more than enough magic to make them regret their choices carved a path forward until the next bound. Every so often, she''d even enjoy a snack, and Aiden purged the images from his memory just as fast as she swallowed down grown men and women. Impressive, really. Even if gruesome. His conversation with Kyriall came to mind, and his morbid curiosity questioned whether she would gain anything meaningful from the surprise buffet. Hopefully. No matter how far Aiden ran, all of Valhalla looked like how Halla should. A hellscape, well developed and maintained as such. The amount of questions grew into an angry hunger as he looked around in awe. Leyla had implied the first scene, an illusion she''d so viciously dismantled, was what Valhalla traditionally looked like. The tranquil tribalism promoting a closely knit community of comradery, compassion, and everything Aiden thought Valhalla wouldn''t be.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. So of course the loudest question he wanted to answer, what happened here, pushed him onward so he could not only find Leyla but also sate his curiosity and determine how the situation changed his mission. Because no matter what he''d heard about Xenith, the situation he saw made it a hard sell to paint the picture that she was a ferocious, merciless dictator queen. Could she be the reason things ended up this way? Sure. He wasn''t too sure things wouldn''t end up similarly if he were to kill her most loyal and elite warriors to empower Leyla to kill Xenith for revenge. Maybe he was a hypocrite, having come to thrust the realm into chaos to block out the upper realm for good, but the fact he wasn''t the one causing this mayhem and carnage to fester doubt within Aiden. If not him, then who? Who had done this? And for what reason? Those were the questions he wanted answered. And considering the rapidly approaching sky high monolith glowing with a violently red portal at its base, he hoped to get those answers sooner rather than later. Quite the mystery. ¡ª As Aiden drew closer, the density of enemies coming outward multiplied by magnitudes and he found a place to hide so he could observe¡ªburned down village ruins nobody seemed to care about scoping out again. They swarmed out from the red portal into Valhalla in waves, like possessed hellions, and started fighting anything that they couldn''t identify as an ally. Sometimes, that meant even themselves. Even with his confidence, Aiden didn''t have the durability to wade into a literal army of otherworld battle-crazed warmongers that made even the Valkyr look tame. That was saying something, truly, as both Leyla and Veletya were something to behold. More pressing, Leyla hovered overhead, and he couldn''t make out any emotion or intent on her face from this distance. No amount of peeling his eyes forced his alacrity into being any better than it was. For as tempted as he was to signal her to his position and maybe question her about what they''d walked into, he knew better than to drag the whole army toward him after he''d found a safe place to lay low for a few moments so he could catch his breath. All he could do was bide his time and hope that she didn''t rush in and get herself killed, and by proxy, him. Who thought sharing a soul with a deranged, battle-crazed winged woman was a good idea? For as much as he joked, he wouldn''t trade their bond for the world. However, it did make moments like these very stressful. He took stock of himself and his shoulder. All the leaping and bounding and fighting had irritated the wound there, but it hadn''t been too deep. Despite that, the wound reminded him these people, whoever they were, couldn''t be considered the same as what he was used to. Even if he considered only their individual ability, any one could give the next strongest fighter in Zion a run for their money. Anna might be able to win, but the rest? Doubtful. That was saying something, a very dangerous something. Did he have more to worry about than just the upper and void realms? This was a literal invasion into Valhalla, the supposed afterlife, after all. Will Earth ever be safe? That question made his heart skip a beat and the back of his neck sweat. Everything he had done and planned to do was in the service of that goal, to keep Earth free and safe of the influence of whatever messed up universe they''d been sucked into. The more and more he found out, the more hopeless and impossible it all seemed, even with Midrath''s Authority and the supposed backing of the Ruler''s Throne. What if whoever orchestrated this attack on Valhalla came to claim the Ruler''s Throne from me? Could I stop them? As much as he wanted to think he could, he had zero confidence. This... What had Valhalla sacrificed to resist even this far? A chilling realization stilled him and hitched his breath. Since coming here, he hadn''t seen a single Valkyr fighting against the invaders. In fact, he''d seen more Valkyr back in Zion than he did now. His head spun, and he desperately wished Leyla would come to him or the secrets of the situation would open up to him, because there was no way in Halla he was walking out there himself to approach the giant stake in the ground with countless runes flashing and lighting up everything in a myriad of colors. As much time as he''d spent copying the runes over in Arkayan''s egg dungeon, Aiden had never seen a rune shine a color outside of the familiar baby blue. But everything in the rainbow was represented here on this massive stake piercing deep into Valhalla''s ashen ground. A curiosity for sure, but the entire bottom quarter buzzed red. Red runes, red portal? Correlation and causation weren''t the same thing, but without any more hints, he''d take an educated guess and move on to his next priority: where had Blizzy run off to? A quick tug on their bond, and he had his answer. "What is she doing?!" Of course his dragon companion was rushing face first at the angry army that wanted to kill them, eyes locked on something Aiden couldn''t see. "Shit." He gripped Silver''s handle tight as he smacked himself a few times. Everything about what he was about to do told him not to. Every part of his desire to survive and not have holes poked or carved out of him screamed at him to stay still and wait a little longer. But Olivia was right, his specialty was rushing face first at things. And so he followed after Blizzy. The sky shifted to a freezing blizzard as he unleashed a torrent of power from where it coiled tightly, a rigid flow of eminence. The snow started, a subtle and soft thing. The chill followed, numbing and quiet. His death moved in creeping waves as the ground beneath his feet froze on impact, his very existence becoming an embodiment of tundra. No longer did he find mirthful spite in watching healers try to save those that got too curious and too close to his frost. Blizzy continued to lead the way and carved a path forward that he followed. If not for her, the resistance he met would likely be overwhelming, but a violent dragon wading through your army at the first sight of Valhalla? Aiden couldn''t imagine the impression left on the angry invaders was one of cuddly affection and playful adoration. Anywhere snow or ice touched, he spread death. It became an afterthought in seconds, plucking each life like he would harvest strawberries or blueberries in the springtime. Unlike when the juices would stain his fingers, the only stain left behind by each death was a reminder he had become proficient in surviving. But would it be enough? Book Three, Chapter Thirty-Six: A Queen In Dire Straits A black bolt of energy cut through his blizzard and drilled a hole straight toward Aiden. The residual power of the spell''s passing widened the haze of frost pervading so much of everything---the biggest downside to the wide range of power his blizzard held. Though, where there was frost, he could sense. Whoever had attacked remained outside his frost''s range, wisely enough, likely having seen the lethality of Aiden''s domain. What would cause him pause normally, Aiden ignored after walling off that entire section to buy himself time. He needed answers, he needed Blizzy, and he needed Leyla. What he definitely did not need was to get caught up in a magical firefight and fall behind. If his progress delayed too long, maybe others as strong as the black bolt''s caster would press Aiden. If he stopped moving forward... Being tied to Leyla and Blizzy meant he had a responsibility to keep himself alive and well, and while remaining out of this haphazard forward charge made the most sense, rejoining them and tackling these things together would be the best way to make sure they all either lived or died. If Blizzy died, he''d never gain Halla''s Authority from Kyriall and Khione would perish in the void, then Aiden and Leyla would die too. If Leyla died, Blizzy might survive to succeed Tiamat, but Aiden wouldn''t live to see it. So he crept forward, wielding his power with indiscriminate fury. A slash with Silver sent forward a wave of sharp, crystalline ice that spared nothing and rent the earth. Once the snow from his blizzard pervaded all things, he replicated Needle Storm. All traces of frost within lungs, stuck to skin, waiting beneath feet, he called upon to wreak havoc. But still the numbers limited his progress, and he remained blind as Blizzy''s presence moved farther toward the unaffected stake. Now that he moved forward, its true size loomed over everything ominously. What could it possibly be? The sensation of emptiness approaching caused Aiden to pause, as the strange power was the same as the black bolt. It left a trail of emptiness that his frost couldn''t reclaim. The air and earth became inaccessible to him. A problem approached, and it brought friends. "Time to skedaddle. Enough taking it slow." Raising Silver and his other hand to the sky, wincing as he jarred his injury, snow formed into an icy path upward and dissipated the moment he took a step. More steps formed as he continued forward, a small miniature blizzard hovering around him as the rest of his domain struggled to keep up with his pace. He thought to draw it back within himself, but it was enough of a barrier between the concerning powers and provided a smokescreen worth keeping active, even if all other enemies within had fallen. The bombardment of arrows and spells here paled in comparison to what he''d been dodging, weaving, and blocking since Leyla first took off and Blizzy began leading him to possible answers. Now, he drew close enough to witness what lured Blizzy. A platform had been erected in front of the invading portal. At the center, shackled, bound, and bloody, the holder of Valhalla''s Authority. Once he knew what to look for, he could feel it from her. The same hum he''d felt from Earth''s Authority, but more powerful, though not quite as overbearing as Midrath''s. A strange mid-range. "Xenith." "Nice of you to join me," Aiden groused as Leyla hovered beside him as he continued to take step after step. "Care to enlighten me?" "I... too am clueless." Bitterness and shock¡ªLeyla couldn''t take her eyes off Xenith. "I-I am very... sad and... confused. To see her brought so low like this." Was that affection Aiden heard in her voice? "Whoever they are, this was not their battle to claim victory in. It is tradition, has always been tradition... The next matriarch would slay the last, absorb her power, rise to power and bring Valhalla glory." Now that was new information¡ªinformation that didn''t shed a wink of light on the current situation. "Do you recognize the invaders?" She gripped her scythe until her knuckles whitened. "Hathronian scum." "I''m sure that''s supposed to mean something." "A mid-grade race much like you humans. Tenacious, reproduce like... like Evils. Highly adaptable. Quick to grow, high mortality rate." She gestured around at the countless bodies. "Questionable intelligence." "Mid-grade?" "They auto-ascend from F-grade to E-grade. Most will never surpass D-grade, let alone higher. A few do though." She explodes back the direction Aiden had abandoned with her scythe whirling in a violent flurry of black-violet.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Are we dealing with them, or...?" Aiden still didn''t think stopping to deal with the threat they posed was anything but a terrible idea, especially as Blizzy raced across ashen wastelands toward Xenith''s broken, restrained form. He could only wonder who had done that to her amongst the Hathronians. He had a sinking feeling he would become very acquainted with said invader before his time to leave Valhalla came. He nearly missed his next step as his heart sank into his gut. Just in case, he''d tried to activate Midrath''s Authority to tease out whether he could teleport out in the event things got a little too heated and he needed to abandon Valhalla entirely. He couldn''t. At all. As if the Authority was being entirely suppressed. The sky high stake with the eclectic array of runes might have something to do with it, but now he knew any chance of escape was off the table and they were fully committed to whatever they were doing here. "Maybe..." Olivia, Anna, Josh, James, and countless others---hell, the whole of Zion. If he''d marched into Valhalla with them, would he have been leading them to their deaths? Surely. Seeing the power the Hathronians brought to bear, a quiet acceptance and validation of his choice as the right one soothed much of his initial doubts. He had made the right choice to come here without the others. They would''ve been nothing more than liabilities, a distraction he had to protect, no matter how hard they wanted to be otherwise. With a shake of his head, he cleared his thoughts and continued in step without missing a beat. The icy steps continued carrying him toward the platform. The closer to the platform, the more he could make out. Ten figures, each equidistant and arranged in a circle around Xenith, contorted painfully. Chains gripped them around the throat and dragged them back, but their arms were pulled tight at an angle to their side. The chains in their legs looked the thickest and were by far the shortest. All of the chains of red metal extended out of the platform itself, no anchors or bolts keeping them in place. As far as Aiden could see, there was no easy way to free those shackled below. And Xenith, the worst of the lot. Her chains ran through her arms and legs, anchoring her flesh directly. Even worse than the fleshy chains, each being on the platform was Valkyr. He knew this because of the bloodied wings, white and black, lain out in front of each person. Whoever had done this, their cruelty showed. Aiden couldn''t stop the wince as he imagined someone doing something so horrible to Leyla. Seeing Xenith so helpless, the whole situation started to paint a grim picture. Leyla returned to Aiden''s side holding a head. "Got one." "Gross." Aiden pointed at the platform. "Got a plan for that?" She flinched away from him, her eyes unfocusing when she looked back at Xenith and the other Valkyr. "...no." "I''ll handle it." Not sure how, but he''d find a way. Even if to spare her having to do it, he''d find a way to get to the bottom of this. "Keep our uninvited friends off my back." "I-I''ll do my best," she said with a timidness so unlike her, he wondered if she was even the same person. She turned to fly away and stopped, hesitantly looking back at him over her shoulder. "And Aiden, th-thank you." She threw herself back into his trailing blizzard, her own miasma of anti-everything keeping her safe from its passive invasiveness. "All alone, with nobody here beside me," he hummed. His next steps began lowering him down to the platform. His instincts told him going anywhere near the platform spelled his imminent death, but... what else could he do? Leave Xenith here like this after watching the pain and uncertainty in Leyla''s face? Even without Leyla''s own emotional chaos stew in the mix, Aiden couldn''t, in good conscience, slay Xenith when she looked like this. She hadn''t been spared the de-winging treatment. Her mosaic of wounds bled a faint gold, and tears of silver stained like spilled ink on her cheeks. Blood and ash matted her hair into a tangled mess, not that she was in any position to care about style choices. He just... couldn''t fathom what had done this to her. This dishonor, was she deserving of it? His continuous steps brought him before her. From afar, he hadn''t been able to tell she was what he imagined an amazon woman to be. Even in such dire straits, her frame held such power and hummed with hearty vigor and stubborn vitality. Shackled, forced to kneel, she still matched his height. "The Ruler... foolishly comes... himself. Joy. Do you come... to offer... further dishonor?" Each time she spoke was like a breathy whisper, soft and warming yet with a subtle pain. "You look like you''ve suffered enough for now." More than enough. Even should they have fought, he didn''t think anything she''d done deserved such cruelty. "How has this happened?" "Leave... and take... my daughter... away from this place." Her hollowed eye sockets opened to stare back at him. "Do not... let her close. Let her remember... my strength." "I''d love nothing more than to leave," he said and gestured wide with both arms, waving Silver toward the Valkyr, "since this isn''t my idea of a vacation either, but I have some business to attend to." In a situation like this, he questioned himself. Could he really leave her this way? Was there nothing he could do but try and receive Valhalla''s Authority and damn the place to this fate? "Obviously a fair fight won''t be possible, but I''ve still come for your Authority, Xenith." With great strength, she lurched forward. A fierce, bone-shaking growl ripped from the depths of her soul. "Even now... your greed... is damning!" Her flesh ripped, and new streams of pale gold streamed from where the chains pulled. "Even now! No! Be damned, foolish Ruler! Be... damned!" As fast as she''d exploded forward, nearly reaching him, the strength faded. She deflated as if the life had fled her entirely. Hanging there without a single movement, he worried she might actually have died. "I don''t mean to offend you, Xenith, but I have no idea what''s going on." Honesty was the best policy...? Maybe? "Begone..." Book Three, Chapter Thirty-Seven: This Isn’t What I Signed Up For "Why did I think you''d be reasonable?" He needed a new approach, but time was something he lacked. Even as he considered what to do, more Hathronians streamed through the portal and noticed him. "Oh, damn." An idea took form. A very bad idea. A likely suicidal idea. But an idea nonetheless. His options continued being run with it and hope you don''t die. Which, fair. He''d gotten this far operating as such. Considering his current circumstances, the validity of that approach wobbled a tad. "LEYLA!" At the same time, he called for Blizzy over their bond. Once he''d made it to the platform, she''d run off to continue her munching on Hathronians. According to Leyla''s intel, Blizzy probably snacked on them so voraciously because of their auto-ascension overpowered BS. Like a comet of violence, his partner blasted out of his still-creeping domain and beelined toward his position. She breathed heavily, her shoulders shaking as she landed before Xenith in the center of the platform. "Take her... away." Xenith tried turning her face away from Leyla, but the chains secured her neck in place. "Mother..." Leyla dropped her scythe and stepped forward to place her hands on Xenith''s stained cheeks. "What have they done to you, my mother?" With her thumb, she gently smudged the silver on Xenith''s face. "More importantly, how?" "Daughter... I... am so sorry." Aiden picked up Leyla''s scythe and called on the power of the Vorpal Blade. The twinge of its activation drawing on a deeper power than Essence and the smell of burning darkness later and he held the powerful blade, his eyes dead set on one thing. With Silver in his right and the Vorpal Blade in his left, he went to work. Each attack with Silver, he focused on Khione''s Absolute quality and willed the blade to embrittle the chains. The Vorpal Blade cut, even without assistance, but in a way that would have him swinging hundreds of times to make meaningful process. With a right swing, then left, chunks of the red chains fell away. Though with each strike, Xenith groaned and clenched her teeth tighter. Aiden tried not to think about how horrible the feeling of the chain shaking in her limbs must feel, but he imagined it and internally squirmed. Not an experience he''d be rushing to try anytime soon. In but a few moments, the first chain, the one holding her right arm, shattered. Aiden gestured at Leyla for her help to hold Xenith''s arm still, then wrenched the rest of the chain free. "Aiden..." Leyla''s eyes drew his attention. "Oh damn." Something had smothered his blizzard, squashing it and negating his influence. A blackstorm approached from the distance, but more pressing, the Hathronians surrounded the platform. None dared touch try to scale it to get to them. Prepared spells hovered over casters'' shoulders, and archers nocked arrows to bows and kept their strings taut. Countless fighters barely skirted the edge of the platform and locked their gazes to Aiden, Leyla, and Xenith. "Go faster." Her voice trembled. Rather than answer, he swung faster and with more power. "Sorry in advance." Xenith screamed through clenched teeth as his storm of blows tore through the next chain holding her other arm. Aiden didn''t bother wrenching the chain free of her flesh this time and kept swinging with every intention to get done as fast as he possibly could. Something big, bad, and nasty came their way, and he wanted no part of it. "Almost!" The chains around her legs clattered to the ground, and he began striking the last around her neck. "Almost there! We''ll get you freed." Neither Xenith or Leyla asked the dreaded question, but it lingered in the air. Once we''re free, then what? Aiden already thought of that answer. The final chain fell away, and Aiden tossed the Vorpal Blade to Leyla and scooped Xenith into his arms, grunting under her weight. "Geez, you''re so heavy." Leyla stared at him, her breathing hitched. With panic in her eyes, she hissed and turned to face the storm. "Nope, we''re not dying today." He ran toward the swirling red portal letting in countless enemies. "That''s our ticket out of here! Clear the way!" Like an arrow loosed from a blow, Leyla let loose. Darkness spread beneath her skin. Violet and black hues shuddered through Leyla¡¯s body. Unlike before, there was little excitement buzzing through Leyla---only a desperation, a desire to escape this place alive with themselves and Xenith in one piece. ¡°Chaos!¡± Violet streaks cut through the space between them and the army surrounding them. Spells fizzled, arrows loosed wildly as their wielders'' fingers slipped from string, and any warrior standing in their path disintegrated in an instant. The blackstorm sped up, and a form of buzzing power approached. She locked eyes with him for a brief moment, then nodded before planting herself at the other end of the platform away from the portal. ¡°Whoever you are, you''re too late... Devastation!¡± Aiden winced as a shockwave passed through him, but even as the ground beneath his feet threatened to shatter and give way, he stepped off it. Icy steps carried him to the portal. Blizzy wasn''t too far behind, joining him. Blood covered her from head to toe, almost fully hiding the crystalline blue of her scales. ¡°Die!¡± Leyla shrieked. That was the only cue Aiden needed to hear to know he was better off being on the other side of the portal and stepped through as he heard Leyla''s final attack cast the world in destruction. ¡°Apocalypse.¡± ¡ª Aiden hadn''t died instantly, so he knew Leyla still lived. But he had more pressing matters to attend to. If the army that had passed through into Valhalla was sizable, what he looked at now left him awestruck. Millions, maybe more. Hathronians everywhere. They''d setup a war camp right outside of the portal, and it was a sprawling city the likes of which he''d never seen.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Their people were a machine of violence. Everywhere, anywhere at all. Training, blood, metal, heat, smoke. The Hathronians lived, breathed, and preached war. Aiden witnessed young slay young, the mass forging of equipment, and battle-crazed bloodlust rising up into a tidal wave of overwhelming sensation. Shaking his head, he tested what he needed to know---and he could... He could sense his connection to Midrath and Earth once more, could feel the ability to teleport away from whatever place this war machine was. Aiden didn''t wait for fanfare to teleport Xenith away, then threw himself back through the portal. As if Valhalla hadn''t suffered enough wear and tear from battle already, Leyla had mutilated everything even remotely close to the platform and delivered mercy upon the shackled Valkyr. Blizzy chirped, appearing through the portal after him. "Good girl." He pet under her chin as he scanned for any sign of Leyla. He was alive, so she had to be too. "Where''d you go, crazy woman?" Kneeling, he placed his hand on the ground and manifested an Ice Wall. Within seconds, he rose high enough to look over the remains of Leyla unleashing her chaotic fury on the world. Violet-black sparks clued Aiden into where he needed to look, and he quickly made his way to her. He used the icy steps to run and leaped down to her side where he crouched and checked for life. The black stigmata spread, pulsing dangerously. She twitched, even unconscious. Her attack had cost her greatly, but it had bought the time Aiden needed to get Xenith out and test to see if the other portal was a way out. Now it was time to get her out. He stuffed Silver in his pocket and pried the Vorpal Blade from her hands. The surrounding earth was corrupted and withered, empty of even ash and blood. As careful and tender as he could be, his hands dug under her neck and legs. Rising, he folded her close to his chest and winced as she groaned. She spasmed repeatedly in his arms as he turned away to face the portal. Scanning left and right, he watched with great vigilance for anything that would impair their escape. The only combatants anywhere near them were fresh and came through the portal after them, and Blizzy made short work of them. "Your time is coming to an end, Ruler." The origin of the black static rose up out of a crater, an armor of black and red not not scratched in the slightest by Leyla''s attack. "You may run for now. Your time is limited. Go now. Recover your injured. Make the Hunt appealing." Aiden didn''t have to be told twice. With Leyla in his arms and Blizzy hissing at the figure, her head held low and tail raised high, he stepped through. Midrath''s Authority activated the moment he stepped through and whisked away the trio. "Finally." Aiden had never been so happy to return to Zion before. ¡ª Already, a large group formed around Xenith''s prone form. They didn''t crowd, and the Valkyr amongst them cried freely, some wailing their lamentations. Aiden couldn''t even imagine what they must have been feeling, but he didn''t have the time to try either. "Back up! Make space!" An experienced, strong woman pushed through the crowd. "And someone go get the medics!" She knelt to check Xenith, eyes wide but collected as she scanned the already closing injuries and pale gold blood. With confusion and some respect, she looked at Aiden. "What''s the situation, sir?" "Don''t call me sir," he immediately rejected, then gestured to Xenith. "Meet Valhalla''s queen, Xenith." That seemed to shake that calm a little, but when she looked at the reactions of the Valkyr in the crowd, she put things together quick. Sharp, that one. "Since you brought her here, it''s probably safe to say you didn''t do this to her. So what''s the situation?" "Let''s get them taken care of, and then I''ll bring everyone to the Town Hall and host a council." He sighed. "No matter how much I want to avoid the danger of bringing everyone into this, I don''t think I''m strong enough to go to war." "War, sir?" someone in the crowd asked, their wary eyes scanning the same expression across the faces of everyone else gathered. Aiden regarded them. The people of Zion had seen much, but rarely against other people. Sentients like the Valkyr, which the Hathronians definitely qualified as, even if they were a giant pain in the ass. Monsters, Zion dealt with them with grace, coordination, and skill. But even with their uncertainty, he could see dedication to Zion and courage to protect what they stood for. "War," he confirmed. "I will need to discuss more with the leadership to begin preparations. Make sure the message gets around to prepare for battle." As much as he wanted to avoid causing a panic, his people had been through countless hardships since coming to Midrath. They could handle the truth, and if he ever wanted to be a true leader, he needed to trust them with it. "The enemy is great, great enough to overcome Xenith, the queen of Valhalla and the holder of an Authority. This will not be easy, so go." The Valkyr heeded his message with near zealous speed, launching themselves into the sky and departing to warn others. Everyone else took a brief moment to process the information and let the message truly sink in. "We will be ready to defend Zion with our lives, Ruler. This place is as much our home as it is our salvation," another called, giving Aiden a short nod of respect before turning around. Only the veteran looking woman remained behind to aid the trio, even going so far as to offer to relieve Aiden of Leyla. He refused, of course, but appreciated the offer nonetheless. "When you say you''re calling the leadership, what does that entail?" the girl asked. "I''m Kendra, by the way. We''ve met before, but it''s been some time." He vaguely recalled her back when he''d held the council to save those captured by the Valkyr and raid their Town. So much had happened and he had so much he worried for, Kendra and all the other middle level management of Zion went forgotten for Aiden. If it weren''t for Oli, Anna, and all the others taking great care to make everything run and to establish crops, training regiments, equipment supply, and taking over all of the development of Zion''s infrastructure, they''d likely still only have a Town Hall. No matter. "We need everyone. I''ll share the details then, but it makes everything we''ve faced until now look like we just started the fight for Zion." The numbers, the power and durability, the aggression... The Hathronians wanted this fight, and the armored mystery figure had already brought Xenith down. "Even if they''re stronger, they won''t be able to take us down, sir. This is our home, and we haven''t stayed idle defending it." She balled her hands into fists and rested them against her hips. "We might need more healers though. And maybe a few more weekly raids to the hydras." She gestured toward Xenith. "This one will likely be a great help to the defense, but as she is, there''s no way we''ll get anything out of her.'' Another headache assaulted Aiden. The scale of trouble he found himself in only grew with each incident, and it never seemed like it would end. Aiden knelt and set Leyla beside Xenith as the medics came rushing from the infirmary. They looked horrified by the state of Xenith, giving him questioning looks as if to verify whether they should actually try to do something to save what looked to be a corpse. "Make sure they both survive," he ordered. As much as he wanted to stay with Leyla and Xenith and ensure they got treated properly and healed well, he needed information---the kind only a few Midrath natives might have. "We''ll do our best," one of the medics answered, as confident as a quiet mouse backed into a corner with little choice. Kendra kept pace with Aiden as he began to leave Zion. "Just back and already heading out." "Such is the life when you''re trying to save the world as you know it," he absentmindedly responded as he tried to straighten out the questions he needed answers to. "Is there anything I can help you with?" She sounded sincere as she clenched the space between her leather armor tight enough for it to squeal. "Name anything, and I''ll do my best to aid you." He stopped, realizing who Kendra was. "Oh damn, Kendra." He snapped his fingers. "I''m sorry it took me this long. Do you think you can find Trixie or get ahold of Queen Onnamixia Calvex? Maybe they have some answers..." Now that he thought about Zion and all the forces he could draw on, he started considering his options. "Actually, send delegations to all the Towns. We need all the help we can get. They got into Valhalla, so I have no doubt they have a way to get into Midrath." The afterlives were supposed to be even harder to get to than Midrath, since Midrath was connected to all realms. Halla and Valhalla only received souls from the mortal realm and barely interfaced with the upper realm at all, even if there were ways. Or so he thought. Book Three, Chapter Thirty-Eight: Libraries And Sparring "I can''t wait until Xenith wakes up, but..." He had another stop to make first. "Sorry Kendra, I''ve gotta go." Aiden drew on the power of Midrath and appeared before Kyriall. The Immortal Father looked entirely unphased and continued reading from an ancient tome. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" "I''m not a fan of impossible tasks," Aiden stated and crossed his arms. "I went to challenge Xenith, but I was beaten to it.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Kyriall snapped the tome closed. ¡°You have my undivided attention.¡± ¡°Does the name Hathronians ring any bells for you?¡± The immediate widening of Kyriall¡¯s eyes was louder than words. ¡°Did they acquire Valhalla''s Authority?!¡± Aiden had seen Kyriall angry, but this was a first. The Immortal Father looked scared. "No, not yet." Kyriall''s fear echoed inside of Aiden, but he kept as calm as possible. "Care to explain? Who are they? Why are they attacking Valhalla? And more importantly, how? How did they do that?" Kyriall turned away from Aiden, one arm resting on the other and rubbing his chin. He perused several long bookcases, and Aiden finally took a look around. Instead of the room he''d appeared with when he came with the others, they were in a study of some sort. Books cluttered tabletops, tomes left abandoned, and disheveled half-written parchments lay strewn about from one table to another. "That is an excellent question." The immortal pointed in one direction, and various writings flew from shelves to pile around him. as he continued to think, he walked and pointed in various directions throughout the labyrinthian library. All of the books arranged in the piles as they walked down to one end and back. When Kyriall stopped, he muttered an incantation in a language Aiden didn''t recognize. Aiden only caught the last part. "Beholden unto me, thy inner wisdom and give me the eyes to see your secrets." Had he not been able to understand, the spell''s effects clued Aiden in to its purpose. Several sanguine clones of Kyriall rose up from the floor, a wet and squishy mess as they formed. Once their form solidified, they got to work. Each clone had a pile dedicated to them. They placed their hands over a piece of selected text, and the pages fluttered open. Quick and snappy. Aiden''s role in the whole thing simultaneously bored and awed him. Kyriall''s abilities, even just as a record keeper and information analyst, would be a very beneficial addition to the ranks of Zion. Or rather, someone like Kyriall. If all of the runic knowledge they had stored in the compendium could be copied and distributed to a larger group, not only could they further advance the studies of what formations and runes did what and how, but they could also discover magical reactions outside of runic formulae. As Oli said, the possibilities were endless, and having someone able to facilitate that growth, that change, that vision more efficiently, with Kyriall''s level of skill? This display gave Aiden more respect for Old Lady Mabelline, the librarian, and all the scribes of ancient days. ¡°Hathronians, parasitic, magically inclined, highly aggressive. Initial evolution location, Chaos Realm¡ªa forgotten realm encapsulated within the Void Realm.¡± Kyriall tutted with dissatisfaction. ¡°Deep grudges innately instilled for those unworthy of the abundantly resourceful and stable mortal realms. Desire revenge and control of all things connected to the mortal realm.¡± Kyriall glanced at Aiden. ¡°This sounds a lot like someone else I''ve encountered.¡± ¡°So what does that mean?¡± Aiden ignored the immortal¡¯s verbal jab. ¡°You are, as your people put it¡­ screwed.¡± Kyriall snapped his fingers, and all of the books snapped shut, rose from their messily discarded places, and floated back to where they''d been summoned from. ¡°You''re kidding.¡± ¡°I don''t make a habit of frivolously joking about the fate of the stable, free world.¡± Kyriall paused for a moment. ¡°But this time, I happen to be.¡± For a brief moment, Aiden wasn''t sure what to think and almost attempted to flash freeze the immortal. Instead, he plunged his hands into his pockets and gripped Silver, comfortable with the thought of running the immortal through. "What does that mean?" "You have Midrath, its authority, and an army. Fight back." "That''s... That''s your great advice?" Freezing Kyriall sounded nicer by the second. "You have Xenith, her Authority, and the entire backing of your planet, Earth. What seems to be the problem? They''re only Hathronians." Kyriall had to be delusional or ignorant. There couldn''t be any in-between. "Tell me what the average Hathronian race grade is." "I see the point you might be trying to make, however, you have strength in numbers and far too much space to worry about a total loss." Kyriall''s eyes glinted knowingly, keen and sharp. "Obviously numbers isn''t going to stop this war without massive casualties, not that I think the people I have could even stop the Hathronian army. Their whole race, on average, is a whole grade higher, for Chris''s sake!" Aiden hissed. "We might have Xenith back us, but even then, whoever it was that spearheaded the invasion into Valhalla took a magical nuke to the face without a scratch after he''d already beaten down Xenith and shackled her with her ten other commandos." "You underestimate the advantage of home turf. Example," Kyriall waved a hand toward Aiden, and an itching flame started to tingle against Aiden''s skin. The presence of a great weight pressed against Aiden''s own, rebuffed by some invisible barrier, but still persistent. Kyriall dropped his hand, and the pressure disappeared. "What do you know of Authorities?" "I have two." "And what do you know about them?" "That''s it. That''s all I know. Only that I have two." "Have you not explored the power of the Authorities at all? Not delved into their concepts and preened apart the conceptual bindings leading to enlightenment and greater understanding of the very fabric of the worlds?" Upon seeing the blank look on Aiden''s face, Kyriall scowled. "Nimwit. All that power, and for what? To be held as little more than a trophy?" Aiden bristled, but he couldn''t refute the points the immortal made. "When I first got both Authorities, I established my rulership and principles over Midrath and Earth. I''ve seen that Midrath''s Authority as some kind of commanding element, like a compulsion of sorts. But outside of that, I''m clueless," Aiden said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Not like these things came with an instruction manual, you know?"The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "They didn''t?" Kyriall started, genuinely puzzled. "Have you no Relic of Authority which guides the innate principles of the Authorities?'' "Re...lic?" As far as Aiden knew, he hadn''t received such a thing. "Uh, should I?" "Hmm." They both stared blankly at one another for a moment. Kyriall held up his left ring finger, and a fiery red band held a dark obsidian sphere, perfectly oval. "This is mine. As far as I''m aware, every Authority has a relic." He tapped the side of his jaw. "The armor you said this Hathronian wore may be a relic." Aiden eyed the ring curiously, wondering what Halla''s Authority might do for him once Blizzy finally evolved and succeeded Tiamat as the monster empress. Even more intriguing, the ring looked very magical, like it might boost his ability to cast magic. "What does the ring do?" Kyriall wagged a finger in front of Aiden''s face, far too close. "No. That''s rude, improper, and not happening. If you want the secrets of the Authority''s relic, be sure to make sure you take care of my daughter properly. Understood?" Begrudgingly, Aiden nodded. He held back further questioning of the Immortal Father''s prized possession and wondered what he would find for Earth when he returned. "You speak as if Midrath''s Authority holds some higher value than others, and you haven''t been the only one. I know it''s the central connecting Authority to the other realms, but isn''t that more like how glue functions? Holding things together?" "And you think to do that the Authority wouldn''t have to be stronger than the others to compel them into a functioning system?" Kyriall responded with a question of his own and shook his head. "Of course there are methods to differentiate such things." "Then...?" "Midrath''s Authority has no equal," Kyriall slowly drawled, as if taking the time to consider what he would say next as he spoke. "This is why it''s paramount its Ruler isn''t a buffoon who overlooks the Authority''s strengths and provided relic." Waving his hand, Kyriall dismissed Aiden. "I do believe our conversation is complete and you have some desperate scrambling to do. Give my daughter my loving regards. Make sure she knows I miss her dearly!" Knowing a dismissal when he saw one, Aiden took the hint and teleported back from Kyriall''s grand library to Zion''s infirmary. Before he ran off to search for Midrath and Earth''s authorities, he wanted to make sure Xenith and Leyla were on the mend. His gut told him they''d need every little bit of help they could get in the near future. More than anything, he hoped he''d be wrong. However, looking down at Xenith, he didn''t think he would be. "How are you recovering?" he asked as Xenith laid her hollow eyes on exactly where he''d appeared. "I... am not... and... will not." She turned her head away from Aiden and focused her empty stare on the bedside next to her, Leyla''s. Aiden knelt beside Xenith, his hopes for recruiting her to fight with Zion and defend Midrath against the Hathronians dashed before they''d even had a chance to fully take form. He took her hand in his. "I''ve heard many things about you. Your reputation as a great warrior preceded our meeting. I so looked forward to meeting you in battle." "There is... a chance." Gently, she pulled her hand free of Aiden''s and groaned as she removed herself from the bed. "What are you doing?" Surely moving around was ill advised and would only cause her to die faster. "As you say... I am... a warrior... first." With holes in her arms and legs, she pushed herself off the bed and stood. Sickly gold ichor dripped like thick tar with each step. Fully standing, she towered two heads over him. In the heat of their mad dash to escape, he hadn''t paid much attention to how intimidating she could be and wondered how much more impressive Xenith would''ve been in her peak. "Come... with a blade..." Aiden gave Leyla a sad look. "I hoped you both would have more of a chance to spend time together." But when he turned to follow Xenith and saw the set of her shoulders and the resignation of each step, he knew. Leyla would never again have the chance. "I am so very sorry." He turned away from the sleeping Fallen he''d bonded to and left the infirmary behind Xenith. Zion was scrambling to arms. Everywhere Aiden looked, people rushed with purpose to fulfill a task. As a man struggling to carry a barrel of weapons passed, Aiden snagged one of the longer blades and offered it to Valhalla''s queen. In her hands, the blade looked little more than a shortsword. "This... will suffice." Xenith hummed, and another unknown magic hummed back. Before he could protest, she ran the blade across her wrist and dripped the sickly ichor across its length. The engraved runes lit up like a Christmas Tree, and the sword buzzed with a violent, zealous hum. "I now... am ready." "What was that?" Aiden asked. He''d seen a lot of different ways to modify weapons and even theorized over many methods with Isaac, but what Xenith did? He wanted to know. "Blood... is power. It remembers." When she gave the blade a couple test swings, the imbued power cut through the air. Each time, a rush of wind blew past to fill the now empty space. As with anything mystical, the explanation only left Aiden with even more questions. "Okay then. Be all cryptic." They moved farther from the infirmary to the sparring pit. The place had changed since the first days of digging lines in the dirt to use as a box. Xenith slowly lumbered forward and, even now, held herself with dignity. No matter the horrid things she may have done, the decisions that impacted countless, she was still a queen. At the center of the ring, they stood across from one another. "My strength... What is left... Let me... show you." Dread spiked through Aiden, and Silver manifested in its sword form in front of him before he knew he was moving. Xenith''s attach clashed against his defense as light as a feather. She kicked forward and planted her foot square in his chest. She''s too fast! Aiden pulled on his magic to catch himself. "No!" Xenith growled, and the ice shattered. "We fight... so you learn. Pay. Attention." Her blade blurred, and Aiden didn''t know how much he could learn from someone who moved faster than he could see and only focused on staying alive. Her blade shifted, slow then fast, clashed against Silver time and again. How is she this fast? And this is her weakened? Despite her skill, she lagged after each attack. Once he got over the initial surprise of her speedy bursts and learned the attacks she continued to repeat, he began to adapt. He didn''t overcommit himself to blocking a feint and stopped the true attack aimed for his throat. He fell into the spar against her and learned each move, each counter, each thing she guided him toward. His body learned and remembered, even if his mind struggled to figure out just exactly what was happening and for what reason. When she no longer added more attacks after he learned to block safely and read through feints, he understood. In the brief moments after reading the fake attack and defending the real, a window of opportunity appeared for him to push back. And he struck. He could almost see the relief on his face as she slowed, carefully blocking his attack and returning one of her own and falling back into the same pattern as before. She threw the feint, and he prepared to block the following attack. But the feint never came and the attack followed through, throwing off his internal rhythm. Gritting his teeth as her blade cut him lightly on his shoulder near his neck, her mercy allowing him to keep his life when a true enemy would''ve slain him then and there, he redoubled his focus and jumped back into the back and forth. Xenith slowed, yet her strikes carried no less power or accuracy, a testament to her incredible skill. Even as she slowed, he struggled to capitalize on the openings left. He didn''t doubt they were left intentionally and kept trying to find ways to weave additional attacks in. "You understand... what you must... to win. Grant... my rest. Use... everything." The rasp in her words worsened, and he could almost hear her drowning on the blood in her lungs. She had shown him something, even if he didn''t know what yet, and requested an honor duel to her death. "Forgive me, but I must ask first of Valhalla''s relic." Aiden took a deep breath and wished to have more time with her. For his sake as much as Leyla''s. To have an instructor to spar with, to teach him greater sword skills... "Not within... my possession." The pain in her empty eye sockets and regret in her voice told him all he needed to know. The shame and way her shoulders sagged in defeat said more than words could. "Can you at least tell me what the relic is?" Maybe if he had an idea of what he''d be facing when dealing with the Hathronian leader he could better prepare. Another thought occurred, and he wasn''t sure he''d get the answer from anyone else. "Can others use the Authority relics without the Authority?" Her only response was to hold up the blade in front of her, her whole body poised against him. Aiden felt as if she could directly see him, as if the weight of her presence bore down on him. It said, "You will not escape this, and I see you. Raise your sword and prepare to die." ¡°Then so be it.¡±