《Wichita's Impractical Guide to Kingdom Building》


 Chapter 1 - Give me power, not assasinations.

    Wichita shoved the needles into her second most hated enemy yet, her desperation making her hasty. The bundle of strings simply lay there, unconcerned. Even if she was mostly joking, she could not help but feel a little anger at the thing. Shoving the distracting emotion from her mind, she activated the enchantments on her needles, levitating them.


    Step one. Bind the string ends to the needles without slowing them down.


    Step two. Fly the thirteen needles in a pattern to form a¡­ Wichita¡¯s brain halted as she saw the thirteenth needle fly off formation again. A tear formed at the edge of her eyes as her hopes were crushed into mincemeat. The design was ruined for the hundred and twelfth time today. The plan was a failure.


    No, she could not let this be; she needed this skill. Leirot would crush her with it, let alone without. The duel might not end up with her dead, it would come bloody close. Just because the injuries were temporary didn''t mean they didn''t hurt.


    Wichita shoved the needles back into formation, willing the last needle into place. A headache built behind her eyes, her mind struggling against the System¡¯s restriction. Trying to control the needle had apparently come too close to using magic, and the System would not allow that.


    Wichita ignored it. The threads flew into each other, too chaotic to form anything of use. Of little importance. If the design would not work, she would try making a mess. Even if the thirteenth needle went of course, which it already had, it would do limited damage.


    The needles circled each other, one flying through a knot formed by two others and then repeating that over and over again. Wichita gave little thought to what she was making, simply making sure they did something, and fast. The speed was key here, the faster she did it the more likely she got the Skill she wanted. [Quick Needling] might not be the most impressive Skill, but it was the one she could actually get.


    But first, she had to concentrate. The clock was ticking, and it was hard enough trying to control thirteen of these things.


    A second passed, and then another. Wichita continued until an explosion rang against the school bell, shaking the entire building. And of course, inturrupting her concentration. The Enemy was at it again. Wichita had to admit she hated aerial bombardments, they were simply too distracting. Still, she has done it.


    Twelve needles jutted out of the ball of yarn, the thirteenth was somehow stuck inside, still not following her orders.


    Wichita¡¯s left eye twitched as she willed it out of the ball, already turning to leave. That last attempt had been stupid, and something she did not have time for.


    The try had failed; she would not be gaining the skill. Leirot would destroy her once more. A shudder ran through her body, and not just at the thought of what was in store for her.


    A needle had just struck her body. The bloody thing had turned around and shot into her body. A human might have even been injured. Growling at the lost mana, she plucked the needle out of her arm.


    Perhaps she could convince Veruna to -


    Skill earned: [Bloodthirsty needling]


    ¡ª destroy it. Wichita stared at the first notification she had received in her life. Then she remembered that she was late. And already failing the assignment. Rushing through the corridors, she tried to remember what she knew about the skill. Perhaps she still had hope.


    The System usually gave it to those that, well, used needles in a bloodthirsty manner. That was why she hadn¡¯t gone for it. Not a lot of blood to use in a city of mana lifeforms. But she would not refuse the ¡ª Wichita came to a halt as she ran into the Working Hall.


    Leirot. Why was he here? The duel was not for another thirty ¡ª Wichita winced as she looked at the clock. Fifteen minutes. How was she so late? Slinking her way into the line, she tried to ignore the rot of her life. Even as her mana prickled in reaction to his.


    ¡°And what do we have here?¡± Wichita could feel the smirk in his voice. Of course, he had found her. Gathering her courage, she turned around ready to tell him the words she had prepared.


    But she couldn¡¯t.


    The mana was too¡­close. Wichita¡¯s eyes clouded, memories coming to the surface even as she tried to force them away, to do anything else. Rot mana entering her, clinging to her, eating her. A futile struggle, Leirot smiling as she felt the rot consume her arms her legs-


    ¡°Do try to maintain decorum, Lord Candidate Leirot. The line is for those that are here to submit their tasks. Do you have a task you wish to declare finished?¡± Veruna¡¯s voice pierced through her haze, the girl¡¯s mana calming hers.


    Leirot scoffed. ¡°I was simply ensuring that my opponent would not be making excuses, Ms. Veruna. Not all of us can gain experience without risking our lives.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps those someones should try growing a brain. The System may take pity and give them civilized skills.¡± Wichita retorted a bit too fast, glad he had something she had prepared retorts for. A facade was needed. If she gave into him here, he would take it as a victory. No, he would not have that satisfaction.


    ¡°Are you implying that combat skills are inferior, Enchantress?¡± Leirot,,,did not smirk. The expression on his face was a bit too calm for her liking.


    Wichita suppressed her worries. This was going well. This was what she had prepared for.


    ¡°In the hands of a brute like you? Why yes. Speaking of enchanting, how are you doing? Still struggling with the resonance?¡± she said lightly, remembering the inflictions she had practiced. A foolish thing to spend time on, she knew. But she liked the way he grimaced at the mention of enchanting.


    ¡°I will have you know that I finally achieved it.¡± the boy answered, again without the smirk. Leirot should have been throwing a tantrum and threatening violence, not being so calm. Wichita¡¯s mind blanked. That was unexpected. And she had no answer ¡ª wait.


    ¡°How wonderful. I suppose it is worth congratulating. I would prepare a gift, but I fear I do not remember what the reward for such a thing was.¡± Wichita felt a smirk spread across her face as she said her next words.


    ¡°What was it again?¡± she asked, turning towards Veruna.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know sister, it was just so long ago. I think you just skipped it and went for Master class enchanting.¡± Veruna, of course, supported her. Wichita wasn¡¯t sure why the girl had taken to going out of her way to help her, especially when they had not even spoken once before Leirot began targeting her.


    But she was glad for it.


    ¡°Oh yes, it is true. I was simply in such a hurry back then. Enchanting is just too fun, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡± she said, not suppressing her smirk anymore.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± Leirot interrupted, much to her displeasure. ¡°But I suppose we all have different hobbies. The rigors of war are heavy after all. The city needs its mages to be able to battle. A hobby can help with that.¡±


    Wichita¡¯s smirk fell at his words. And it had been going so well. But he was right, there was a war going on, and her skills were¡­less needed. There were plenty of Arcana that could enchant, it was something their species was born with. Leirot skills with mana were far more precious.


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    ¡°Oh would you look at the time!¡± Leirot gasped, the gasp sounding fake and far too forced. ¡°I must leave, I have duel after all.¡±


    Wichita looked at the watch¡¯s hand with trepidation, her earlier gleefulness fading. Leirot was going to crush her. The skill wouldn¡¯t save her and neither would Veruna. The boy had too much power, too much talent. And she was the only one close to his age that could provide his skills worthwhile experience.


    Veruna clutched her hand, looking into her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it will be fine. Just a few more times and you¡¯ll be done with it.¡±


    Wichita calmed herself, giving Veruna a nervous smile as she walked towards one of the adjacent halls. Veruna held onto her hand until she was past the gate.


    ¡°Take heart, sister. This will pass soon.¡± she said as the gates closed. Professor Therun growled at the girl as she left. Wichita once again wondered why the Veruna supported her so. What did she gain? The girl talked off plans and ideas, but did she truly believe in them?


    The odds of that were¡­unlikely. An Arcana did not think of others before themselves. The Heart of Ambition that beat in place of their hearts made sure of that. Wichita had the weakest Heart she knew of, and even hers protested every time she thought of Veruna as an ally. The girl in front of her was known to have one of the strongest hearts in the Lower City. But whatever cost Veruna asked of her, she would pay. For she would be lying if she did not need the support. Even if she regretted it later.


    ¡°Hurry it up.¡± Professor Therun ordered, probably angry that his prodigy¡¯s training was being delayed by her ¡®petty concerns¡¯ as he called them.


    ¡°This is a duel for experience between Lord Candidate Leirot and Wichita so that they may progress their skills and aid in the Quest. I shall serve as referee" the Professor began before she could even take her position.


    A duel for experience. Wichita wondered if the experience was worth her pain. To the administration, surely. The Arcana had hunted entire species to extinction for titles, these duels were minor matters. Veruna was the only one she had found that thought it was wrong. A heat spread across her chest as her Heart acted up, enhancing her reflexes and mana senses. A good thing really, one of the most valued abilities of the Arcana. Leirot just had a stronger one.


    Wichita braced herself, her hand moving to her needle pack that hung against her belt. Leirot¡¯s eyes followed her, but he did not make a move. Why not? What was he waiting for -


    A storm of mana entered a room. A rush the likes of which she had not seen or felt before. For a second, she thought that Leirot had gained some new skill, that she would not even have a chance to resist. Then she thought about it.


    The mana was not rot mana, it was fire. And it was far, far too much for someone at his stage to have. This was someone else, someone important. The door to the room opened as a woman walked in, leaving a trail of ice on the floor.


    Not the source of the fire mana¡­probably. Two opposing elements were not common, but nor was this level of mana.


    ¡°The Fifth Princess is dead.¡± the woman announced as another woman entered the room. This one she recognized. The Queen.


    The fucking War-Queen-Consort of Arcana. Wichita¡¯s breath caught as she processed what was happening. The Fifth Princess was dead, and the Queen herself had come here. The law needed that there be six active heirs in a state of war.


    Was she here for Leirot? Wichita went very, very still, looking at her surroundings. The first woman, likely an attendant, had not spoken since. Professor Therun was literally glowing in glee. But Leirot was not. Why not? The boy was the more likely of them to be a bastard, what with his talent in magic.


    There were already rumors about it. After all, the King¡¯s obsession with producing as many royal children as he could was not unknown. Then why did he look like he had swallowed poison?


    ¡°The Queen requires the presence of Wichita Iridor at once.¡± the attendant said. So it was that. Wichita wanted to be happy. The heat that spread throughout her body, told her that her Heart agreed. This was her lucky break. What she had been waiting for.


    But even as her legs carried her to the Queen, her vision was filled with the expression on Leirot¡¯s face.


    This was not the expression of someone panicking. Nor of someone who was not concerned. That was the expression of someone who knew this was coming, and was prepared to deal with it.


    Wichita¡¯s steps stopped just before the Queen, her back bowing of its own accord. The [Bond of Arcana] was clearly still treating her like a commoner. And the Queen was allowing it.


    ¡°Please accept my greetings, your majesty, it is an honor to -¡° Wichita found herself suddenly free of the bond¡¯s force. Raising her head she found the Queen replaced by a trail of smoke.


    ¡°The city is under attack.¡± the attendant said beside her. ¡°Follow me¡­your grace.¡±


    The attendant¡¯s word were polite, but not anywhere close to what she would expect of someone talking to a princess. If that was indeed what was happening here. Wichita was making a few presumptions, but they made sense. And she did not like where they were leading her.


    Leirot. The boy would be in trouble if she became a princess. Professor Therun would bend over backwards to make his life worse, just to curry her favor. As if she would pay attention to the man. But such was his nature.


    In fact, wasn¡¯t the Professor here because of the royal family? The Crown Prince had placed him here so he could teach Leirot. On his fianc¨¦¡¯s request to aid her new adoptive brother. Would the Crown Prince help Leirot kill her? What would he gain from such an ¡ª Leirot could be next in line.


    Or heck, he could be first. And she was pushed ahead so he could kill her and gain the experience and titles that came with such thing. That was something the boy would think of. The deed alone would ensure him a class of Fable rarity. Surviving such a thing might net her a Legend class one. Either way, the Arcana would benefit.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± she asked, realizing that her legs had started moving. The fact that the Queen hadn¡¯t raised her in view of the bond, something that would allow her to control Leirot, was a red flag. Wichita did not like her body moving without her permission, even if had long grown used to such things.


    ¡°A safe place. The royal bloodline shall be secured.¡± Wichita was not sure if she imagined it, but for a second there the attendant seemed to be smirking.


    ¡°I claim the right to a retainer. Veruna of the Management.¡± she said as soon as she thought of it. A princess had the right to a retainer. A right usually claimed before the King with much pomp¡­but she was desperate. And the law demanded she be satisfied if she were a princess.


    The attendant turned to her, the woman¡¯s expression made of stone. ¡°I see. I shall satisfy your grace¡¯s demands. Follow the Dancing Road to a tile three meters left of the light pole. I shall meet you there.¡±


    Wichita¡¯s eyes narrowed at the instructions, wondering what the attendant meant. But she had little time for it. The bond once more took control of her body, taking the attendant¡¯s words as the orders they were. A mere attendant should not be able to command a princess. Even if she had the power to do so.


    The law did not demand it, but the honor of the royal family did. And she doubted one would dare do say if the royal family did not sanction her actions.


    Wichita was being sent to die.


    There was little time to think. The school was on the Dancing Road too, and whatever awaited her had to be close to the entrance. Perhaps the Queen had moved it there. And she could already see the door. The grand gates were pushed open to reveal an empty road, save for a giant portal in the middle.


    Moved there indeed. A small world? That made sense. The place could defend against most Tier 8 spells¡­from the outside. If one were already on the inside however, even a princess could die. And destroying it would make any evidence troublesome to withdraw, if anyone bothered to look.


    Wichita walked out of the school and found her mind still, even if her body continued walking. Fire appeared where she had been a few seconds ago, her mind still struggling to form coherent thoughts.


    What¡­was¡­happening. What¡­ Wichita looked up. At the sky. At the black sky littered with dragons. Hundreds of them. A dragon raid. The city was under attack. Standing where she had been commanded to she tried to fight off the fear.


    But [Dragon Fear] was not so easy to counter, not when it came from someone 8 tiers above her. Flame swirled above her as she saw a dragon take aim, something within her taking note of what would likely kill her.


    Then it stopped. The barrage of dragon fire paused, turning purple as it exploded in the dragons¡¯ collective faces. And she was able to think again. The dragon¡¯s bodies burnt as she saw the Queen¡¯s magic at work, the purple flames filling her with yearning. That was power.


    And yet they did little. White light flickered across the dragon¡¯s bodies, healing them faster than the Queen could damage them. Dragon Queen Arira, the only Tier 9 on the planet. That had to be who was healing them.


    ¡°The retainer has been collected.¡± the Queen¡¯s voice said behind her. ¡°Step into the portal, my daughter.¡±


    The bond had her step in, her surroundings changing even as she was barraged by notifications.


    Class granted: [Princess]


    Title granted: [Royal Arcana]


    The portal closed behind her as she looked ahead, into the dark green eyes of her hated enemy. A duel had been promised. A duel she would face. This one was just to death.

 Chapter 2 - Fae in motion

    ¡®Oh shit, I¡¯m dead.¡¯


    Wichita shouldn¡¯t be thinking that. Thinking like that was how you died before the battle even began. But her Heart burnt with a sharp warmth in her chest, keeping her ready for combat. Even though Leirot hadn¡¯t made a move yet. Like it thought her life was in danger or something.


    Calling on her needles, she crouched. Why did one crouch in the middle of a fight? That sounded stupid. Wichita really regretted not taking combat classes this year, even if their content would overlap with the compulsory classes next year.


    But she hadn¡¯t known she would face this when the year started, and a certain professor had blocked her from changing any of her electives. There was no space left, apparently.


    Pay attention to your surroundings, she reminded herself again as the world flashed purple for a second. There was another person in the room. A person in knight ¡ª no, squire armor. A person that really shouldn¡¯t be here.


    Was he why Leirot had not attacked immediately like she had expected him to? Wichita¡¯s eyes narrowed at the squire, trying to get a feel for how powerful he really was. Of course, she couldn¡¯t. But the armor alone made him a threat, perhaps even equal to Leirot.


    Now to think of an excuse for why she was crouching.


    ¡°Are we sure that this place is safe?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I have scouted its entirety, your grace.¡± the knight bowed.


    Wichita blinked. Leirot didn¡¯t budge. The world flashed purple again, a sign that it was getting dangerously unstable.


    ¡°There is a crack.¡± she lied, finding her excuse. Even if one wasn¡¯t around now, it would be soon enough. Dragon fire was not gentle, even it would not break the world on its own, it would put it through much hardship.


    Veruna¡¯s ring had extended into a naked blade, and Leirot had been gathering mana since she had entered. A fool could sense what was going on. And yet the squire had not moved to defend her.


    Wichita was intelligent enough to see what was before her eyes. The squire was not here on orders of helping her. Perhaps he was here on orders to kill her, and was simply assessing the situation. No, she could not depend on him. But an idea did occur to her.


    ¡°The world clearly has a rather large flaw. Look at the boundaries weakening every few seconds¡± she said. Not strictly true. But magical theory was not Leirot¡¯s strong suit. And she was not lying. The world looked like a clearing, its edges marked by trees.


    A few times the size of her room, but not really big. There was no grass on its floor, and the trees were merely illusions born out of the spacial boundary. An illusion that was rapidly fading.


    ¡°Dragon fire is Fae magic, that kind of magic is far more skilled at altering reality.¡± she commented. Not false. No, she¡¯d pulled that straight from the textbook, hoping someone would take the bait.


    ¡°Does her grace have any suggestions?¡± the squire asked. Smiling, she looked at Leirot. Why hadn¡¯t he attacked yet? What was he waiting for? This would be a test to see how far he would go.


    ¡°Yes, we shouldn¡¯t gather large amounts of mana, any mana at all if we can help it. As you know, it weakens spacial foundations.¡± she commented, looking at Leirot pointedly. Veruna smiled, and the squire looked at him.


    Wichita gathered her needles. In mere seconds, he would attack. Letting gathered mana go would give her the advantage. An enchantment took less time to take action than a spell. Veruna walked up beside her, the girl¡¯s presence comforting as they waited for the attack to come.


    An attack that didn¡¯t come. Leirot let the mana go, letting it back into the world.


    So much mana. Wichita wanted to grab it and just swallow it whole. But that was not the point. Leirot would only let his advantage go if he had something else in store for them. The boy was not foolish enough to let his advantage go just because she wanted him to.


    The world shook as she tried to think of what could be coming. The edges flashed purple, and this time, it did not fade quickly. Veruna looked at the boundary closely, and Wichita soon figured out what she was looking at.


    The world was crumbling. There were cracks there, barely visible ones. Wichita was sure they hadn¡¯t been there before. The world was crumbling far quicker than she had expected it to.


    Why would the royal family send a princess ¡ª oh. The reason was obvious. So obvious she regretted not thinking of it the second she saw the world weaken.


    The world collapsing would be epic or even legendary. So would escaping from one. A nice addition to a Story.


    A boy escaping from a collapsing world, his blade stained with the blood of his half-sister, his mind weighed by what he had done. The kind of thing Fae magic loved. The kind of thing that gave one better classes. Leirot wasn¡¯t just going for a Fable class, he wanted to go for something bigger. Wichita personally found it excessive, but¡­it fit. There were few things her people wouldn¡¯t do for power, and this wasn¡¯t one of them.


    ¡°As I said.¡± she continued, trying to hide what she had discovered. And likely failing since she really shouldn¡¯t be continuing a conversation that had already died. ¡°Do not gather any mana or prepare any spells. At most, you may practice your enchanting.¡±


    Leirot did not look amused but he kept quiet. There was no anger on his face. Wichita still found it distressing. The boy was many things, mild-mannered was not really one of them. If he had been, then she might hate him less.


    This was strange. Was there even more at work here that she was not seeing? The more time she spent with him, the more changes she found in his behavior. Just what had happened in the last day?


    The mystery of it made her frown, making her wonder what new trap awaited her. Then again, there was little point in fear. The only thing she could do was prepare, and hope it was enough.


    The needles she had were enchanted to work with [Quick Needling], not [Bloodthirsty Needling]. A few alterations were needed. Throwing a nervous smile at Veruna, she opened her mana senses, pulling out her needles. What should she add? The Skill was strange, and she would be lying if she said she understood it. Wichita frankly had little idea what to do.


    The normal version of the Skill did not work on Arcana at all. This one would. After all she had gained it when a needle had pierced her. That implied things. A Skill was not some random collection of magic, it was a spell someone had cast at some time in the past. The System simply copied how the mana had been then and replicated it, like the thief it was.


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    An earned skill though. That was even more restricted. The System would only accept things that one had cast themselves, and ones that did not require specific conditions to cast, usually. A normal earned Skill was just a convenience, a way to cast quicker. At least that was what she understood of them.


    The Skill baffled her, but she had not become the best enchanter of her age in the Lower City out of luck. There were a few things she could still try. An enchantment that dispersed mana on contact, perhaps turn it back to pure mana that reinforced the enchantments? Yes, that would work. A classic really, one of those enchantments that were useful when dealing with most mana wielding beasts. Even if the Skill did not synergize with it, it would still be useful.


    The world shook again, drawing her attention from her work as she tried to get a feel of what was going on. There were cracks visible to her eyes on the edge of the space, spreading throughout the border. This¡­was a death trap.


    Not a surprise given her conclusions from a few seconds ago, but it still troubled her. If she had any choice, she would have left. That kind of thing needed magic however, and the System had long denied her species such a thing. In the name of balance.


    ¡°The world has been displaced slightly.¡± Veruna commented, looking at the space where the portal had been. Wichita looked at it. A crack to the void. If the space had been in the same place, it would lead back into their world. Wichita¡¯s nervousness multiplied. If something went wrong with the anchor, she really wasn¡¯t sure she could fix it. This wasn¡¯t the sort of thing she had trained for.


    ¡°Perhaps we should check the anchor.¡± she said, discreetly adding the enchantment to her needles. A Master class one. Leirot did not yet know that she had broken through to that stage. Perhaps it would be of use. Or knowing Leirot, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference.


    The odd one still resisted her, but it accepted the enchantment in the end. Leirot stood up, followed by the squire who just looked confused at what was going on. Veruna walked up beside her.


    Wichita wished she could trust the squire. But he was too much of an unknown. For all she knew, he was acting possum, thinking Leirot was a friend of hers. Then he would kill them all and walk out with a better class. The Heart of Ambition beat in them all after all.


    Veruna clutched her hand, ¡°There is something strange about this world.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± she whispered back. ¡°The rate of degradation is way too fast. I am pretty sure it¡¯s a trap.¡±


    Veruna gave her a sad smile. ¡°The Crown Prince, I think. Or the Queen.¡±


    ¡°Well whoever it is, they planned well. Leirot will walk out of here with a class worthy of a Prince.¡±


    ¡°Or you will, Princess. That¡¯s gonna be great for our plan you know? Just imagine how much you could do with your title. That¡¯s like five steps skipped, at least.¡±


    Wichita scoffed. ¡°The steps were supposed to make us powerful, Veruna. I doubt anyone would care about a Tier 0 weakling, princess or not.¡±


    Veruna gave a look that told her that she was holding a lecture in. ¡°Well, Princess Wichita you won¡¯t be walking out of here a weakling. Don¡¯t think of what Leirot will kill you, think of what you¡¯ll get after you win. Tier 1 is just a step away. Remember, there is power in your thoughts, especially with Fae magic involved. Don¡¯t let it smell your fear.¡±


    Wichita did not reply, keeping her disagreement to herself.


    The anchor was in the middle of clearing. A circle of enchantment that connected this world to theirs. One of the simplest Tier 8 spells she had seen in her life, and one of the most powerful.


    Anchoring a world was not easily done, and required power at scales she could only imagine. There was at least one Tier 8 powerhouse who had given up their mana pool to power this. Knowing her species, it probably wasn¡¯t willingly.


    That was why she was surprised it was not the only thing there.


    There were other things here, an enchantment, technically. Or at least they supposed to be made to look like it was one. There were no runes, no glyphs that held the mana bounding, it simply floated in the air. Wichita had not seen it¡¯s like before, but she had heard of it. The very peak of Arcanian enchanting, the kind of thing less than five people in the city, and likely the entire world could do. In fact, she only knew of two.


    The Queen of Arcana, and the System itself. Perhaps the Dragon Queen, though the Tier 9¡¯s abilities were a mystery to her. But even the excitement of seeing something she had only dreamed of faded before what was before her.


    A controller.


    The invention that had ended one of the longest reigning monarchs of Arcana. The world killer. An enchantment so powerful that it could interface with the world itself, and manipulate its borders. The kind of thing that really shouldn¡¯t be usable by someone of her Tier. But the glyphless enchantment allowed it.


    Wichita¡¯s hands itched as she struggled to keep herself under control. Leirot¡¯s eyes followed her, making her more nervous by the second.


    The controller would let her control the spacial folds of the world. Resist Leirot¡¯s magical attacks in ways she had only wished for. If the world were still stable, she could form a crack right under him and chuck him into the void.


    Heck, she would do it anyway. The world would suffer, but it had long ago lost most of its value. The boundaries were already failing on their own. Perhaps that was why the controller was here in the first place.


    Perhaps this was one of the places where the thing had been researched. This type of casting had existed since the days of the Second Queen. Wichita would not be able to differentiate between an older cast and a new one.


    The only reason she was even able to identify what a controller at all was because of the way it interacted with the world. The way half the enchantment was not visible, having slipped into the spacial boundary.


    Not a normal thing.


    Wichita tried to act normal as she stood next to the controller, though she was sure the others had guesses of their own. Why Leirot had not blocked her simply out of caution was strange to her. The boy would have done that a day ago. Another thing that was odd.


    The controller¡¯s mana shuddered as she activated it, her mind slipping through the enchantments and making slight changes to the mana configuration that were necessary to safely transition to an active state. The kind only a Master enchanter could hope to do without prior knowledge. At least it did not need mana. Wichita would have been done for if it had.


    A second after the other, the controller slipped into her grasp and she felt the world come alive. Wichita could feel the spacial folds, the edges of reality. Then she focused on Leirot, feeling the mana around him. The boy had chosen one of the most stable places in the world. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t make it easy on her. Now which crack to pull over -


    Wichita¡¯s mind froze in a far too familiar situation. A terrorizing feeling crept up her body, making her unable to think or act.


    [Dragon Fear] has been applied


    What? How? [Dragon Fear] was not supposed to cross world boundaries! Not until someone broke them! Wichita felt like she wanted to scream in frustration as she found herself unable to move. Of course this happened. Fae magic, that ridiculous, overpowered thing. This was why she hated it.


    Iridorian magic was nice, it made sense. The thing worked just like it should. Fae magic did none of that by definition. The Magic of Legends broke its own rules whenever it felt like it. Like right now. How had Leirot wielded it? How did he have it at all?


    Wichita tensed as she tried to get ready for whatever was coming. Fae magic did not start acting up at random moments. The magic twisted the odds in its wielder¡¯s favor. But it¡¯s reality fudging was minor. The [Dragon Fear] would fade, just as whatever strange alignment of dragon, crack and magic that had caused the fear to slip in ended.


    What mattered was what was coming. Fae magic was trying to force a situation, and it had put a lot of effort into it. Getting Fae magic to break its own rules was not an easy thing.


    There was something coming.


    As if to punctuate her thoughts, which it probably was, it struck. Wichita did not really feel what happened thanks to her lacking mana sense. But she felt its effects well enough. The anchor¡¯s magic just¡­winked out.


    Wichita¡¯s eyes widened in realization as she felt the [Dragon Fear] slip. The enemy had just negated magic across Arcana. The anchor was gone, and this small world had just lost one of the thing¡¯s keeping it from crumbling. In a few seconds, the world would wander into the void, and she doubted it would chance upon another world before it crumbled.


    In other words, she needed to act now. Or they would die.

 Chapter 3 - A fight for the future

    The Heart of Ambition surged within her, it¡¯s heat filling her chest as she shrugged off the [Dragon Fear]. A part of her wanted to strike at Leirot, kill him before he had the time to do anything. But her better sense prevailed.


    The world was already moving. Wichita could feel it through the controller. The friction rang through her head, her Heart thumping with excitement. Ignoring it, she used the controller to stick the space of this world to hers. A rudimentary, amateurish casting, channeled only by her innate understanding of magic.


    But she only knew enough to tell how bad it was, not how to improve it. Wichita might have read every book in the library, but none of that prepared her for this level of casting. The spacial boundary of a world was naturally resistant to magic to the point even Tier 8 magic had difficulty affecting it.


    If that wasn¡¯t so, whatever was going on outside would have probably killed her already. But it did mean she could do little to help. The world shuddered, its spacial stability reducing sharply as her sticking spell took form. The cracks multiplied, dozens oc curing throughout its length.


    The movement reduced¡­but did not stop. Wichita¡¯s face paled as she saw Leirot push the squire into the void faster than she could react, causing a new crack to form to boot. Oh, fuck. How did he manage to do it without her sensing it? Oh fuck, this was bad. The Heart burnt within her chest, but even then she had difficulty remaining calm.


    But of course, Leirot wasn¡¯t the only problem she had. The world was still drifting. A temporal drift. Like a child going down a slide, it was sliding through time... probably until it destroyed itself. Wichita only knew how to anchor the world to a point in space. Not in a point in time. Even though they wouldn¡¯t be sailing into the void anymore, it was unlikely they would be able to return to their time.


    The Wall of Arcana endures


    The System declared the result of the battle as the world began to speed through time. The cracks widened as the simple sticking enchantment tried to combat the world¡¯s natural tendency to drift into the void.


    The Crown of Arcana acknowledges you.


    Class granted: [Princess of Arcana]


    Title gained: [Uncrowned Queen]


    Quest gained: [Challenge the throne]: The throne of Arcana awaits you, your majesty.


    And she was apparently Queen. The Heart rejoiced within her as her mind was filled with dread. Then she did not have time to think about this anymore.


    A dagger flew through the air at Leirot as fire headed towards her. What was it with her and fire today? Did she accidentally wear a flame attraction charm?


    Wichita called on the controller, enhancing space in the fire¡¯s path and leading it astray. The spell did not have a native space field. So either Leirot forgot how to use skills in the last twenty-four hours, or the System wasn¡¯t working properly.


    Of course. The System could extend itself to other worlds, but its capabilities were limited. Wichita doubted she could use her skill at all. The heat within her chest burnt stronger, allowing her to remain calm.


    Wichita found her reflexes grow, her mana sense suddenly stronger as the Heart came to life. That hadn¡¯t helped her much before, but perhaps it would this time. The playing field was remarkably more even.


    Now to the next question. Why was someone with Rot Mana using a Purifying Flame? Wichita could feel the concept through the controller, struggling against her. Rot mana was a rare form of mana, but the Purifying Flame was in a level of its own.


    The bloody thing could actually fight against the controller¡¯s influence. To the point that she felt it trying to purify the enchantment from the world¡¯s mana, refusing to give up. How did Leirot have access to something of this level? This was stuff most Arcana didn¡¯t have till they were in their late twenties.


    There was something fishy about the situation. A new type of mana that countered the controller nearly perfectly. The anchor disappearing, causing her to waste seventy percent of the mana she had just to stick the world. A very convenient situation. Like it was set up.


    But why bother? Wichita wondered if there was more going on. Why was someone going through so much effort just to set this up? What was the benefit? Was there someone on her side that had set up the controller? If so, they had been countered pretty well.


    ¡°I am sorry.¡± Leirot said, out of the blue. Wichita didn¡¯t believe him. A needle slipped into space at her command, hiding between spacial folds she produced with the help of her controller. This was good. Yes, it was. The needle was enchanted to disperse his mana. That would do quite a bit of damage.


    ¡°I have to do this.¡± Fire flickered in Leirot¡¯s hands as she felt Rot mana hover around him. The two mana clashed, as two opposing mana types were bound to. Then he let them lose. The Rot Mana headed towards Veruna, while the flame headed towards her.


    Wichita lamented that her anti-rot defensive enchantments had just become useless. How did the bastard have two affinities? Just what had happened that had changed him so?


    ¡°I fear that you must die, your grace. Arcana¡¯s future depends on it. The Crown Prince¡¯s life depends on it.¡± Leirot continued. So he¡¯d lost his mind. Or knew something that she didn¡¯t.


    That wasn¡¯t exactly surprising given the ¡ª fuck this fire. A growl of frustration slipped from her as she tried to draw the fire away. Leirot had let out not one, but dozens of fireballs, and they were starting to become too much to handle.


    The controller was already overdrawing on the world¡¯s mana, but even it could only strengthen space so much. The Purifying Flame was fighting her every step of the way, stopping her from using the mana it had already occupied. Wichita decided to dodge the next set of fireballs, using the spacial folds to step out of the way.


    A crack tore through space as she did so, the spacial folding collapsing behind her. The clearing abruptly vanished, replaced by only dark purple space. Wichita wondered if there was any air here anymore. A human probably couldn¡¯t survive in such a place.


    The world was officially too far gone. And it was still drifting through time. Wichita had been ignoring the notifications so far, but they were accumulating in the corner of her vision. This was going to be difficult. Even after they dealt with Leirot, they would have to escape the world somehow.


    Leirot simply looked at her. ¡°I have seen the future. I have lived it. The Crown Prince showed it to me. That plan of yours will destroy the Arcana, it will lay our city to ruins. The Iridor must not be allowed to return.¡±


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    Oh, no. That bastard. Was he that threatened by Veruna¡¯s plan that he had to kill her? That was the only thing she could think of that could have prompted this response. Or was there something else she did not know? Why was it that she was being targeted for a Skill she didn¡¯t have yet.


    Heck, how did that fool Leirot not realize that Time magic did not exist! The Laws of Magic prevented it. The only way she could think of to actually travel through time was through a temporal drift like they were in right now. The kind of thing you couldn¡¯t control.


    No, even Leirot knew better than to believe someone could see the future¡­unless he was compelled to. The Bond of Arcana could do that. Compel one to believe things that they knew to be untrue, things that they hadn¡¯t done.


    Wichita¡¯s heart stopped as she dodged another flurry of fireballs. Veruna had disappeared somewhere along with the Rot mana. A flash of worry emerged in her mind at her disappearance, but she did not have time to worry if she had fallen into the many cracks in this world. The Purifying Flame was doing a number on the crumbling world, especially when combined with her controller.


    That was what he was after wasn¡¯t he? The boy had no future anymore, the Crown Prince must have had the Bond give him a false life. Wichita knew about the experiment, a way to give advanced affinities early. The Bond of Arcana could simply transfer the necessary knowledge, make the person believe that they had gained it.


    The System had shut it down, taking away the person¡¯s right to a class. The experiment had ended there¡­officially. The Crown Prince had apparently restarted it, and used it on him. Wichita felt her panic rising as she felt the Purifying Flame eat at the world. Targeting her was just an excuse, Leirot was simply destroying the world, with her in it. As the Crown Prince had probably commanded him to.


    No, she had to do something. Not dodging wasn¡¯t an option, even if it destroyed the world faster. The Purifying Flame would destroy her far faster than it would destroy the world. Wichita gave it a dozen more jumps before the world was destroyed. No, she had time, time to break his compulsion. The Heart of Ambition beat in her chest, calming her mind as she focused on the situation.


    ¡°The Iridor.¡± she said, teleporting away, and then teleporting again as Leirot shot another wave of fireballs. Did he only know one spell? Well, not like he needed more. A wave and she had only ten jumps left.


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    ¡°Why would it be bad if they returned?¡± she asked, carefully dodging a wave. There wasn¡¯t much to dodge. Leirot¡¯s aim had gone off center. Like he was having difficulty controlling his own mana.


    A slight hope appeared in her mind. The Bond¡¯s hold was shaky. Perhaps the spacial boundary was interfering with it, perhaps something had happened to it in the time they had drifted through. That wasn¡¯t the matter now. The matter was stopping this boy.


    Wichita teleported again, thinking of what she should say. There were only eight jumps left, she had to hurry.


    ¡°The Iridor made us.¡± she continued. ¡°The Arcana have been waiting for their return, it is in our charter.¡±


    ¡°So it is.¡± Leirot¡¯s eyes furrowed in confusion. Not the reaction she was hoping for, but she would take it.


    ¡°Have you considered that the Crown Prince is simply greedy? That he simply wishes to crush a contender for the throne?¡±


    This was working. Wichita teleported again for the third time this minute, bringing her remaining count to five. Leirot wasn¡¯t even trying to push her into a trap. Just throwing around fireballs cause he had them to spare.


    Not deterred by the lack of response, she continued onward. ¡°Perhaps he does not wish the Iridor to return so he can continue ruling us. Limiting us. Not letting us reach the heights of power that we were born to.¡±


    The Purifying Flames stilled, a number of them straight up getting extinguished. Wichita rejoiced as the controller regained a portion of mana. The Heart within her had resonated with her words, and she knew that Leirot¡¯s would to. This was why she read books. A single line in the middle of the paragraph of a very old textbook had told her this could work.


    The Heart of Ambition was the greatest challenge the inventors of the Bond faced. Even today, it remains one of the few reliable ways to fight against it.


    Of course, something that pushed one to reach the heights of power would fight against something that controlled their actions. Wichita smiled as she said her next words, ready to win the -


    ¡°I have seen it.¡± Leirot said, his body beginning to burn. The smile slipped off Wichita''s face. ¡°I have seen what you cause. I shall stop you. And then I shall rise. I shall be a Legend, and you cannot stop me.¡±


    A large fireball, at least ten times bigger than its predecessors appeared in front of Leirot as he put his mana to work. Wichita¡¯s Heart stilled. A bigger fireball shouldn¡¯t make much of a difference, but there was something strange about this one. Even her Heart shrank from it.


    Thankfully, she didn¡¯t get to see what it would do. The fire abruptly disappeared as the hazy silhouette of her friend appeared behind Leirot. There were no words exchanged between them, but their Hearts communicated to each other. Wichita folded space around Veruna with abandon, causing great damage to the world as she made her near invulnerable to Leirot¡¯s magic.


    And Veruna killed him. An enchanted dagger slipped into his skull, draining his mana as Wichita sent her needles into his body. Leirot died before he could even react properly, his magic failing to protect him.


    Wichita opened her mouth to offer congratulations, but Veruna beat her to it.


    ¡°This world is collapsing.¡± Veruna said, looking around as her eyes flashed blue. Wichita nodded along, unable and unwilling to hide the relief filling her mind. ¡°Yes, we must make our escape-¡±


    ¡°There is no time, your majesty.¡± Veruna said, and then bowed.


    Wichita frowned. ¡°What are you-¡±


    ¡°I give to you my power. I give to you the mana of my Heart. To you, I give my life, to save, to lead, to grow. I know you can do it. Rise sister, rise and make them show what an Arcana can do when they turn good. Show them the true legacy of our people.¡± Veruna¡¯s entire body glowed as Wichita¡¯s eyes widened. Fae magic. The kind of unreliable thing that they were told not to do.


    ¡°There is less than thirty percent chance that this will-¡± her words had no effect. Veruna went through with the sacrifice before she could even finish her sentence magic sparking around her. The magic consumed her body, converting the only friend she had made in her life into pure mana.


    Then it flooded into her body.


    The world collapsed. The fragile thing could not bear the flare from such a sacrifice. There was a lot of power in a retainer¡¯s sacrifice. But she could not find it within herself to care. Wichita found herself powerless, carried into a crack by the power of the magic.


    The mana carried her out of the crumbling world, slipping through the cracks. A dozen of them. Like a mouse going through a maze, the sacrifice¡¯s power altered the odds, letting her go through just the right combination of spatial cracks into somewhere safe.


    As the Heart burnt in her chest, Wichita switched on the notifications, eager for a distraction. A thing that made her not think about what had just happened.


    Arcana has fallen. The Second Age begins.


    The Age of Sands and Stars has ended.


    The Three Nations Alliance has formed. The Third Age begins.


    The Age of Rebellion has ended.


    The Three Nations Alliance survives, though wounded. The Fourth Age begins.


    The Age of Humanity has ended.


    The Eight Empires have formed. The Three Nations Alliance survives, though fractured. The Fifth Age begins.


    Title gained: [In your name, I give!]


    Title gained: [Of another time]


    Title gained: [Forgotten]


    Class transmutation earned: [Forgotten Queen]


    Level up! Forgotten Queen has reached level 1.


    Class initializing¡­


    Title [Royal Arcana] activated.


    Class [Forgotten Queen] cannot be raised.


    Royal Skill granted: [Magic of Worlds]


    Title [Royal Arcana] transmuted to Bloodline: Royal Arcana (Tier 9)


    Welcome to the Age of Empires, Forgotten Queen Wichita.

 Chapter 4 - The First Test

    The notifications were distracting enough. Wichita was glad for that. The fact that they were more than a bit confusing did not help, however. What should she deal with first? The Heart of Ambition burnt in her chest as a familiar face appeared in her mind. But she pushed that thought away. Thinking of Veruna would not do her any good.


    No, she had better things to focus on. The class. No, not the class. The Ages. Wichita was not sure what to make of the fact that she had apparently traveled three entire Ages ahead in time. Even if she had known it was possible, it still managed to surprise her.


    The world had still been between the Second and Third Ages when she had been born. Now it was in the Fifth. Even nearing its end, considering it had already been named. The System only gave names to Ages when they were almost done, when enough Stories had been told that the rest were unlikely to make a difference.


    Wichita wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. The names were foreign to her, even if she could deduce some things. The only thing clearly useful was the mention of Arcana having fallen. The rest was¡­for later. The burning of her Heart subsided a little as she moved on to the next thing.


    The class. No, her surroundings. Wichita¡¯s heart burnt in displeasure as she looked around, opening her eyes that felt very, very tired. A strange thing, considering she did not need to sleep.


    Mana exhaustion.


    Wichita had lost most of her mana in transit, though she likely could rebuild her reserves quite easily. There was plenty of mana around her. Just one problem. The mana was space mana. So much that it hovered over the place like a purple mist, clouding her vision.


    This was an area of high spacial affinity. Of course, it made sense that she ended up in this place. Wichita looked at the space around her with suspicion, observing the movements of mana as she called on her status for the first time.


    Name: Wichita Iridor


    Class: Forgotten Queen


    Bloodline: Royal Arcana (Tier 9)


    Level: 1


    Tier: 1


    Stats:


    Magic: 57/157


    Skills: [Bloodthirsty Needling]


    Royal Skill: [Magic of Worlds]


    Looking over it quickly, she noted its contents as her thoughts halted on the Royal Skill. The only magic skill she had. A Skill she anticipated she would need. There might be much debate about whether the magical phenomenon appeared because of the abundance of mana, or the mana appeared because of the phenomenon, but it was true that both appeared together.


    That meant that there were spatial cracks running throughout this space, ones she could not easily see. Wichita could sense them with her mana sense, but they were tiny. Like fragments of broken glass, unlike the large ones that had plagued the collapsing world. And that made them even more dangerous, in a manner of speaking.


    A smaller crack could still absorb her as easily as a larger one, like air sucking out a vacuum. There might be difference in the amount of time it took, but it would kill her either way. The only way to resist them was with magic, magic she did not have. Or by cutting of that part of the body before the crack could swallow her.


    Wichita hovered her senses on the Royal Skill, trying to get System to volunteer some information. The System was not kind enough to response. Of course. Just her luck to be saddled with a Skill the System refused to explain. What if it was something that didn¡¯t work well with a crack? What if activating it attracted them?


    There was too much risk in testing it. Perhaps a bit less than there was in waiting till she was caught in a crack. Wichita looked around her, noting the density of space mana that surrounded her in ring, slowly getting closer. Mana had a degrading effect on space, even if it was minor. The longer she stayed here, the more likely she would cause a crack herself.


    Absorbing this mana to replenish her own would be even worse. Perhaps she could do it in some moderation, but she dared not try it out. Not with the sheer number of cracks she could sense floating around this place. No, better she found her way to somewhere a little more stable before she tried it.


    But traveling through the area was easier said than done. Wichita could more or less sense where the cracks were and avoid them, but the bloody things expanded. Not only in space, but also in time. A crack that was in one place could be in another a second later.


    There were a couple that seemed to be moving around like that already, appearing at different points at random. Not getting caught in them was a matter of luck. And she could do little to make it safer. Fae magic could help her, but it was not something she could wield. Perhaps there was enough power leftover from Veruna¡¯s sacrifice to aid her.


    Wichita started walking ahead, not daring to pay attention to anything else. The Heart of Ambition had stopped trying to suggest she focus on her class, and she was glad for it. That could come after she had passed this hurdle. A Class, especially one at level 1 was unlikely to offer benefits significant enough to aid her.


    Taking advantage of the additional flexibility given by her mana body, even if she was restricted to a humanoid shape, she was able to avoid the cracks. At least the ones around her. Dissipating part of her hand so that she could allow a crack to pass through it was a difficult thing to do, even if she had prior experience with such things.


    Veruna¡¯s sacrifice seemed to have dropped her in a patch of more stable space, but she could see clusters of fragments at the edge of her senses. Like daggers ready to puncture her. There was no way she could make her body porous enough to pass something like that.


    The issue was, she would have to pass near a few eventually. There were simply too many of them. But that was for later. For now, she was surviving. The amount of cracks increased, and the Heart seemed to grow more giddy. The bloody thing was more active now than it had been the rest of her life.


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    Then again, she had not been under such danger before. If not for it, she might have been a panicking mess. Wichita yelped, almost making the mistake of jumping as some of her mana was sucked into a nearby crack. The thing grew larger, eagerly expanding towards her, and then growing more stable. Thankfully she¡¯d had the presence of mind to cut off that part of her body and withdraw. Or else she would be dead.


    Shaking her head to throw off the stinging pain from her act, she ¡®looked¡¯ at a nearby crack cluster with her mana sense. If some of her mana was sucked into one then it would cause a domino effect. And the clusters were increasing in number.


    Growing more nervous with each passing moment, she simply stood there, wondering if she should turn back. This did not seem to be an area that turned more stable. The increasing clusters¡­were dangerous. And she was not prepared to deal with them. Yes, she should step away, try other directions. Select the one with the most spatial stability.


    Turning around, she found herself walking into a crack. A wave of dizziness came over her as she stepped back, barely able to extract herself before it took her Heart. How she could even resist it was a mystery to her. The stinging pain that followed still nearly made her lose consciousness. An act she that would have probably been her last, given how the forest reacted to her presence/


    Wichita looked up at the large crack that now stood above her. A height reduction. The crack had taken so much mana from her that she had reduced in height. How much was it? Calling on the System she gasped at the stat


    Mana: 19/157


    That was too much. Two-thirds of the mana she¡¯d had, exactly. A coincidence? Wichita wasn¡¯t sure. Perhaps it meant that some of Veruna¡¯s magic had saved her. Fae magic could do stuff like that. But that just meant she had expanded a resource she might not have the next time she encountered something like this.


    Turning ninety degrees, she headed in a direction she had not explored before. The Heart of Ambition burnt warmly in her chest, chasing her fear away. And any thoughts of Veru-


    Wichita stopped a few meters short of a cluster, extending her senses to see where a stable path lay. There were none. The way ahead was blocked with clusters almost entirely, barely a meter between them. Wichita could have sworn they weren¡¯t there moments before.


    Turning around, she carefully did not move from her position. And was glad for it. The way back was blocked. Even the Heart could not prevent the grim realization that set into her now. Magic. There was Fae Magic at work here. The mana was moving on its own, trapping her.


    The forest had a Story of its own, the same thing that granted her access to Fae magic, and even her class. Wichita had heard of such things, they were common enough. A forest gaining enough of it to form a trap like this? That was rare. The heat of her Heart spread throughout the body as she took a breath. The human activity was calming at times.


    Ok, it was time to collect herself. Take stock of what she knew. The forest was not intelligent. If it were then it would have killed her by now. This was just Fae magic, the idiotic thing using the plentiful mana and people¡¯s rumors to establish a Story.


    If she figured out what Story was at work here, then she might be able to make it through. The forest had moved to block her from turning back. There was a purple mist hanging around that would have restricted most species¡¯ vision, and mostly invisible cracks in space that swallowed people whole.


    A horror themed Story then. Not uncommon. The addition of space mana and her own lack of strength made it worse. There were three ways she could deal with this. Wichita carefully moved backward, trying to sense where the cracks were as she moved.


    The first was to use your own Story to crush it. Wichita¡¯s was a Tier 1 that had barely started her Story. That one wasn¡¯t an option.


    The second was to overpower it with Skills or Iridorian magic. A skilled space mage would simply solidify space around him, heck even an unskilled one could maintain a basic spacial field. Wichita couldn¡¯t. The System¡¯s restrictions stopped her from accessing magic without its permission. And the System only gave those permissions through Skills. That she didn¡¯t have.


    So then came the third option. There was no third option. Not really. One out a hundred cracks might lead to somewhere not in the void. But that somewhere might be another cluster in this very forest that would land her in the void anyway. That somewhere could be the middle of the ocean. Wichita could not detect what was through them anyway. Leirpot might have been able to, with his extraordinary mana sense. But she couldn¡¯t.


    Wichita could not think of a way to outsmart the Story, not on her own. The Heart burnt hot, reminding of who she was. An Arcana did not give up without trying. The Heart would not let them. And even if it did, it would be a waste of Veruna¡¯s sacrifice if she just gave up now.


    So she would try. Wichita turned around, slowly and carefully as to not walk into the cracks as she turned. There was a slight chance that her Royal Skill could help her out of this situation.


    Veruna¡¯s sacrifice had carried her here, and it had safety as a main focus. But she also knew that there were limits to what a Teir 0 sacrifice could do. The magic might have just taken her through the easiest path.


    Wichita ducked, crawling on all fours as she passed under a cluster. There were more of those on either side. The number had of course grown. The forest was trying to catch her in earnest now. As she walked, the cracks slowly grew closer, the forest¡¯s Story acting on her.


    The forest definitely had ¡®deadly trap¡¯ in the Story. Perhaps not deadly exactly, but its threats had been fatal. Sighing at it, she dropped onto the ground, sliding forward by moving as little as she could. The fact that she had ended up only three feet tall helped. At least it was giving her a chance to survive, testing her instead of killing her outright.


    Wichita clutched the Skill in her mind as a crack appeared before her. Just about any second now she would have to use it. One.


    Two. The cluster expanded downward, the cracks extending as she felt the weight of the space mana. There was a lot of it.


    Three.


    Wichita did not wait for the crack to actually reach her. Clicking on the skill with her mind she found her surroundings changing to a dark purple. So this was it then. The crack had consumed her. The purple rushed into her as she gave up, and for once the Heart was quiet.


    And then it wasn¡¯t. The Heart burnt in glee as she felt the purple, the magic flooding her, filling her up until she had recovered her lost mana, her body once again whole. And then more as it continued. Wichita felt at peace. The Heart¡¯s burning was annoying, but the mana was good. Like she was sitting in a pool of magic. Like she was home. Like she was somewhere safe, somewhere she could relax and sip tea. The image of a table, a pair of teacups and a dish of cookie-


    The calm disappeared as the Heart¡¯s burn suddenly turned hot. Wichita soon realized why. The mana flood was not stopping. The rush was going on, and on and the Heart could not bear the amount of mana -


    Wichita found her surroundings abruptly changing again. The forest was back. So was the fog. But not the cracks. Rushing forward with glee, she sensed ahead. The Skill had stabilized space somehow, for some strange reason. Not throughout the place, but enough for her to pass through the clusters.


    A wave of power passed into her, similar to Veruna¡¯s sacrifice. Fae magic. The magic counted this as her beating the forest out of her own Skill, and had strengthened her Story for it. A ghost of a smile flickered across her face as the Heart began to strongly suggest she push her thoughts away.


    Veruna¡¯s sacrifice had done exactly what it had said it would. The magic had saved her, and then carried her somewhere she would grow stronger¡­no. Wichita¡¯s brain halted as she remembered something she had learned about Fae magic.


    Like the Fae, it was fickle, and it detested easy challenges, and she doubted a mere sacrifice would make it change its rules. What was something else a creepy forest had except fog? The dread returned as she looked at the single needle she still had. The disobedient one.


    How the fuck was she supposed to beat monsters with that thing?

 Chapter 5 - Preparing for the next challenge

    Wichita looked at the trees around her, noting their barren branches. This would be¡­difficult. Just moving about in the forest, even without it acting against her, was difficult. Fighting a beast that probably had the spacial affinity? That might just kill her.


    Calling upon her status for what felt like the hundredth time today, she focused on the one thing that might, eventually, give her something to actually stand a chance. The class. A Legend class. Wichita had not checked its rating, but she was sure that was what it was anyway.


    A child taking up a legendary sword got a Legend class. A girl being born in an old established house got a Legend class. Veruna dying for her alone would give her a Legend class. The rest of it? Fighting and prevailing against Leirot would give her¡­ Saga at least. Perhaps even Legend by itself. The controller had made things easier. Escaping a crumbling world was another aid.


    Yes, it had to be a Legend class. The only problem was, a Tier 1 Legend class did not mean much. Getting a higher ranked class was more difficult the more powerful you got. A farmer picking up a legendary sword might get him a Tier 1 Legend class, but that same farmer would have to kill Kings and nobles to get even a Tier 6 Legend class.


    That also meant that the System had the irritating tendency to reserve the good Skills for later. Like right now, where she had not received a single Skill from her class. Wichita sighed, pulling up the class¡¯ description.


    [Forgotten Queen]: Forgotten by the world, walks a Queen. Brought ashore in the tides of space she has forsaken the path of combat to follow her twin¡¯s plan. Rise, child of misery, and raise others with you.


    Wichita blinked. Veruna was her sister? How¡­she had no words to describe what she was feeling. The Heart thought she should not feel at all, but she wanted to, she had to. This was certainly possible, and Veruna had considered it true for a long time. Wichita was the one that thought it did not matter.


    A common Arcana did not really have any idea who was their brother or sister. The lot of them were born en masse from communal mana wells, without anyone knowing which child belonged to which parent. Even though she and Veruna had been born on the same day, she had felt that naming each other as siblings might attract unwanted ire.


    The nobility were the only ones that could really do it. Reserving an entire mana well for themselves, so that only their children could be born there. Even that only after King Savere ¡ª her grandfather¡¯s Royal Skill had multiplied the number of mana wells in Arcana.


    Then her father¡¯s Royal Skill granted that each copulation would produce at least twins. Wichita wondered what her own Royal Skill would do when it was able to truly show its power.


    There was powerful Fae magic at work with the Royal Skills, though they weren¡¯t sure which of the royal family¡¯s inheritances they actually drew their strange powers from. Perhaps both. The Skill was already being useful, and it was known that they only tended to be useful at later Tiers. Arcana¡¯s first King was famous for having a Skill he could only use after reaching Tier 8.


    Wichita¡¯s Heart calmed as she turned her thoughts to more ¡®acceptable¡¯ things. This was what Veruna had hated about the Hearts, why she had made her plan to begin with. A plan that still did not have any mention of forsaking combat. That would have been foolish given that the city had been at war.


    The System had made that part up.


    If she were a dragon, she would not have been surprised to see flames coming from her nostrils. The Heart burnt with a ferocity she had not encountered before, and for one she was agreed with it. The System had given her a non-combat class, when she was stuck in a forest. A non-combat class that required other people to grow, also something the forest seemed to lack.


    Guessing why was not difficult. The bloody thing hated Arcana, it had been acting against them since it came into existence. The Arcana got the worst classes, most debilitating restrictions and the hardest Quests.


    In the name of maintaining the balance of the world.


    Raise others in misery, the System said. Where exactly was she supposed to find those people in this forest? And what about her misery? What was she supposed to about it?


    Even if they did find someone to ¡®raise¡¯ in the forest, she would have difficulty raising them with no skills to her name. Wichita doubted the System would be so kind as to give her even a recruitment skill easily. Fae magic would be needed to get it to spit it out, as was a time honored tradition of Arcana monarchs.


    But even the most foolish of Arcana¡¯s royalty had not taken monarch classes as their first, and for good reason. Stories, the driving force behind Fae magic had monarchs as people of power and wealth. A Tier 1 tended to have neither.


    A shout of rage threatened to tear itself out from her, but she resisted. That would not do. No, that might attract beasts, even if she hadn¡¯t seen any yet. But this was hardly the first time she had been faced challenges. Leirot had seemed so mighty just a few hours ago. And now he was dead.


    I am Arcana. I was born to wield magic and power, and they will be mine.


    Wichita took a few steps forward, glancing around at the cracks that were starting to crowd in on her position. The words made her embarrassed now, but they had carried her through her younger years. And if she was being honest, through her older ones too.


    Arcana were born with the ability to wield magic, to connect to mana in ways other species just couldn¡¯t. Even if the System denied them that right, it was not all-powerful. Arcana had reclaimed it in the past, and she would do just that. Even if she had to destroy the bloody System to do it.


    The cracks got closer to her, forcing her to move once more. The forest would not allow her to just stop, would it? Thankfully she did not need to rest or else she would have been done for already. But back to the topic. The class would not be useful, at least not for a while. That mean she had to figure out other ways to defend herself.


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    The Royal Skill. The thing had already saved her, if she could figure out how to use it¡­perhaps it could help.


    The first Arcana had mated with both Iridor and Fae to produce children, and then mated her children together to produce the royal bloodline. The only Tier 9 bloodline in the world. Wichita would be surprised if the Skill it granted was simple. But its high ranking also made it that much more difficult to use. To tell the truth, she did not have high hopes about it.


    Wichita looked at it in her status screen, as she stepped forward. The Skill was still on cooldown, and it seemed like it would be so for a while. That was another problem with Skills like these, they were powerful enough to often need cooldowns. The Skill would offer a well needed way to gather mana though, considering what had happened the last time she used it.


    Mana: 351/353


    An increase of almost double. Even if it wasn¡¯t likely to be quite so exaggerated the next, it was still a sizable source of power. And she would need it. The only other Skill she had was [Bloodthirsty Needling] and¡­ Wichita looked at the one needle she had and then at the forest in front of her.


    What were the chances it was reliable? With her luck it would shoot at the first monster it sighted. Wichita put it back within the folds of her dress, afraid that it would do just that. There was no monster in sight yet, but there would be.


    Fae magic was annoying, inconsistent when it wanted to be, but it had rules of its own. Even if it broke them on a whim, it probably wouldn¡¯t do that here. After all, it would benefit her if it did that.


    Now to actually move. Staying in one place wouldn¡¯t net her any rewards, even if it was attractive. Wichita walked forward, sure that a monster would jump out of a tree at any moment. There weren¡¯t any.


    The cracks grew less numerous, but larger instead as she walked, as if she were transferring into a new area. A sigh of relief escaped her. There probably were monsters in this new area, but it wouldn¡¯t be as big a challenge if there were fewer cracks. Even monsters would avoid those, making it easier for her to battle.


    The forest¡¯s Story was probably weak then, if it was actually making things easier. Or she was underestimating it, and would die to - a squirrel!


    Wichita nearly yelped as she saw a tiny purple tail emerge from the otherwise camouflaged squirrel. The little thing was asleep on a tree branch, or at least it appeared to be. The tail hung outside, shaking as if it were swaying in the wind. There was no wind in the forest, at least none that she could feel.


    A wind and space attuned beast? Wichita had to be careful. There was too much she did not know. Just because it was small did not mean it wasn¡¯t dangerous, it was better to sneak away before it caught her.


    Wichita gingerly stepped through the forest, giving the squirrel a wide birth. The fact that she couldn¡¯t control what effect the mana had on the forest, made it worse. The beast might just sense the disturbance in the mana and wake up.


    There were a lot of trees around the squirrel, though she wasn¡¯t sure if those trees did not have any beasts of their own. For all she knew, there was an entire army of squirrels sleeping in front of her at this very moment.


    If only she¡¯d had a decent mana sense. Then she would have some confidence. But she could barely sense the squirrel even after knowing it was there, let alone anyone else. Wichita decided to avoid the squirrel by walking behind the tree next to it, using it as cover. Turning thin enough to hid behind it was easy, but her thoughts still wandered. What if the squirrel could see through trees in some manner? Wichita could, so could anyone with a half decent mana sense. A person, or beast, could not really survive in this place without a mana sense.


    Assuming the squirrel had one was not an unreasonable assumption. Wichita just didn¡¯t know what else she could do. Lacking mana control was more painful at this moment then it had before in her life. There was little point in waiting however, the squirrel might just wake up on its own.


    Walking off, she was careful not to touch anything, fearful that it would cause a mana reaction. The tree blocked her vision as she struggled to keep her attention on the squirrel with her mana sense.


    The sense was confusing to her, like a third sense that gave her a vague idea of what existed at the place she was focusing on. The squirrel was slippery to it, like a gust of air that would not ¡ª what the fuck. The needle shot out of her dress, heading straight for the squirrel.


    The bloody thing was going to get her killed.


    The squirrel¡¯s eyes shot open, opening its mouth as it projected it outward. Wichita sensed the image of a full set of squirrel teeth heading towards the needle, and she was not foolish enough to hope it would ignore her.


    Growling in annoyance at the needle¡¯s idiocy, she charged its enchantments. Letting them free as it shot right into the squirrel¡¯s trap, she hoped that it would work. The mana distorted, the teeth trying to bite into the needle but finding themselves disappearing instead. Thankfully, the needle was fast. In the blink of an eye it had buried itself into the squirrel¡¯s brain, before it could react.


    Wichita felt dread creep up her back as she jumped ahead, looking backward. A leopard was jumping into the air, dodging a particular bloodthirsty needle. The needle turned around to target the leopard without any prompting on her part, leaving her free to stare into the leopard¡¯s eyes.


    The beast narrowed its eyes at her, its mana flaring. Wichita felt the power running through it, and knew she was not it¡¯s match. Tier 2. That was what the amount of mana it had within it told her. Of course, she had several times it¡¯s mana thanks to her superior species, but she could not use it. The System would not allow it. Was it too much to hope that the leopard was under a similar restriction?


    The leopard dodged the needle with relative ease, yet did not head towards her. A sudden burst of speed had it catching the squirrel between its teeth and heading out, not bothering to attack her.


    Wichita just wondered what she could have done if the leopard had actually attacked her. Cried while it ate her? Even the Heart seemed to have been humbled, not even suggesting she follow it.


    The only way she could defend herself was with the needle, and if it could do what she suspected her Skill allowed it to much faster. Wichita looked at the needle, feeling it¡¯s enchantments. There was more mana in them than there should be. And it confirmed what she already knew. The needle had a Story of its own, not surprising given its tendency to act by itself.


    The needle could also swallow other creature¡¯s mana, using it to enhance its own reserves. Not a common ability, though not for lack of trying. Even she had tried to enchant it into her needles before, to very limited success.


    ¡­it had been this same needle hadn¡¯t it. Was that where the Story came from? Wichita had been quite desperate back then, and perhaps some of that had bled into it. Still it didn¡¯t explain why it refused to follow her commands.


    Even the Skill puzzled her. The System should have just named the Skill [Mana-eating needle], cause it was just one needle, and it wasn¡¯t thirsty for blood. The bloody thing seemed to want to eat any mana it could get its hands-on.


    Skill transformed: [Bloodthirsty Needling] ¡ú [Mana-eating needle]

 Chapter 6 - Have some peace.

    Wichita wondered if somewhere, in some hiding place, the System was laughing at her predicament. The Fae certainly were. The Iridor had left, the Fae had simply gotten bored with the world. But it was known that they still watched it, and sometimes even interfered.


    Wichita wished that they would interfere in her favor, cause the situation just kept getting worse. Why did she have to tempt fate by thinking of her Skill? Of course the System would turn the Skill into something that was even harder to put to use. Perhaps somewhere down the line she could have fashioned needles out of wood.


    Now that wouldn¡¯t help. There was just one needle in the picture. And it refused to listen to her. Wichita lifted said need to her eye, the bloody thing turning around to point at her. A part of her wanted to jerk back, avoid giving the needle a chance to poke her eye. But the Heart kept her from doing it. For once, though she was doing that quite often now, she listened to it.


    The needle seemed to be glaring at her, though she was probably attributing too much intelligence to it. Even if it had developed some sort of sentient, it had to be limited. Perhaps only enough to move around on its own. The thing had not shown any signs of it before it stabbed into her either. Well except disobeying¡­hmm. Where had the needle been moving to?


    Well obviously, it had stabbed into her, the squirrel and the leopard. Wichita did not remember where it was trying to head out while she tried to get her Skill, but what were the chances it was aiming from something with mana? And she had experimented with using the emotion of hunger, specifically hunger for mana as a core for the mana eating enchantment.


    What if the hunger resonated with her own hunger for power, and caused the formation of a Fae enchantment? That was possible from what she knew of such enchantments. A week was not too long a time for the enchantment to gather mana passively. Just enough to start disobeying her and head for the nearest source of mana.


    There was just one problem with this unexpected enchantment. Iridorian enchantments had far more limited than Fae enchantments. There was a reason anyone that could cast Fae enchantments at all became a jewel of their organization.


    A Fae enchantment could grow, it did not depend on materials, and had the Fae tendency to just randomly break its own laws when it would be convenient. But Wichita could not cast Fae enchantments, the needle¡¯s enchantment was simply a stroke of luck.


    The other enchantments on it were simply Iridorian ones. Master craft, but they would still fall apart if enough mana was funneled into them. The steel would not last much longer.


    ¡°I think you need me, my dear.¡± she told the needle, hoping that her Story could communicate with the needle¡¯s. A Fae enchantment was just that, a Story. Just like the one the forest had, now that she thought about it.


    ¡°I can smelt you again when you break, alter your enchantments, so the mana doesn¡¯t fray them.¡± she offered. ¡°In return, you defend me, listen to me when going into battle. And don¡¯t go around killing random things.


    The needle did not look convinced. Wichita wondered what exactly it had a problem with now. The deal was a good one, and they could both help each other. Was controlling itself really that much of a bother?


    ¡°I was the best enchanter of my age in the Lower City you know. A Master enchanter at the age of fifteen. Do you really think you¡¯ll be able to get a better deal?¡±


    The needle did not respond. Wichita wondered if it had already accepted, and she just wasn¡¯t feeling it. The acceptance would change, and perhaps even enhance, her Story. But she did not really have a way to detect that. Not with her mana sense. Not with any of her Skills. Leirot was supposedly able to feel the hints of it, though she had trouble believing him. The boy had been prone to exaggeration.


    The only thing she could rely on was the System alerting her. Perhaps it had simply chosen not to do so.


    ¡°Perhaps just for a bit? If you wish to leave once we reach civilization, go to whomever you find more worthy.¡±


    Skill [Mana-eater needle] transformed to Companion(temporary)


    Level up! [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 2.


    +50 mana


    That bloody thing! What was so bad with her that it wanted to leave her the first chance it got? Was she really that incompetent? Sighing at her predicament, she turned to the other thing of interest. The level up. Now that she thought about it, how had killing the squirrel and fighting the leopard not given her one?


    The squirrel was one thing, but the leopard was Tier 2. With how easy it was supposed to be to level up in Tier 1, she should be level 3 by now. At least. And yet the System had not seen fit to give her a level. Dare she hope that she was close to another? That didn¡¯t seem accurate given that she had only gained a level now, but perhaps. Perhaps.


    Shaking her head, she planned what to do going ahead. The needle would require maintenance, but she could do that after she fed it a few times. And she would have to do that.


    An artifact with a hunger enchantment, especially of the Fae variety, needed to be fed. Or else it would start breaking down on its own. Even eat her to satiate its hunger. Yes, she would need to hunt.


    But first she needed to get out of here. The leopard could come back, and she did not want to be here when it did. Not to mention it would probably be attracted by the scent of blood. Yes, she needed to leave.


    There weren¡¯t any more squirrels on trees as she moved forward, noting how barren the land seemed. Of course, the trees had surprisingly large amounts of holes in them, and they could hide animals.


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    Wichita did not dare check. There was a darkness in the hotels that did not let her take a peek inside them even as she walked past them. Perhaps it was a coincidence that one hole remained dark, but every one of them? There were hundreds of them on the trees she had passed.


    The needle wanted to check them out anyway, she could feel it, but she was not about to send her only way of defending herself into a beast¡¯s den. Just because it was made of metal did not make it invulnerable. Even steel could break.


    The enchantments would break even easier. Wichita did find that the needle loved her mana. Eating it made it stay calm for¡­well however long it had been since she fed it. There was precious little she could do to figure out the time here.


    Looking up at the sky revealed little. The sky was a carpet of light purple, sometimes pink that had barely changed since she came here. Wichita wondered if this was specific to the forest, or if this was the sky of this Age. The environment changed between different Ages, and she had hoped that it hadn¡¯t changed too much.


    The First and Second ages had supposedly been very different from the Third, whose environment she¡¯d had the pleasure of experiencing. Wichita had enjoyed the star-filled nights when the sky held a welcome resemblance to her hair. The fact that the day sported only a pitch black sky without a star in sight made her feel lonely.


    The purple sky have her a similar vibe. Looking up at the sky occasionally as she walked, she found that she missed Veruna. The girl had become someone she had relied on. And now she was dead.


    The Heart only burnt warmly, as if it knew that she would follow its commands this time. And of course, she did. Thinking of Veruna would only bring her sadness, and distract her. This was not the time for distractions, even if she had not encountered another beast yet.


    The needle jutted out of her finger as she walked, its enchantments glowing as it swallowed her mana, little by little. Wichita pulled it out, much to it¡¯s discontent.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve drunk more than enough. So stop whining and get working.¡±


    There were fewer trees with holes now. This was the only one she had encountered in a long while. Wichita would be surprised if there weren¡¯t any beasts in there. The needle perked up every time they passed close ton one, though it did not head for them. At least it was keeping to its deal.


    How was it sensing things though? Perhaps it had some sort of mana sense. That would make things so much more convenient for her¡­if she could speak to it. But of course, she could not.


    The forest was quiet as she walked, no sign of the promised challenges. That was until the needle finally got impatient and shot towards one of the holes. There was only one of those around now.


    Then it stopped, turned around and looked at her. As if asking her permission to go kill something. Wichita sighed. In her heart, she had known this was coming. The needle¡¯s hunger might be sated, but violence was still a core part of it¡¯s Story. A part that probably predated her, given that her tries at violence weren¡¯t exactly Story worthy.


    This was a chance to show the needle why it needed her though.


    ¡°Don¡¯t enter the hole, go near it and then fly away.¡± she ordered, suddenly wondering if it could actually understand her. The negotiation she¡¯d had a short while ago might be indicative of that, but that was Fae magic. What was possible then might not be possible now.


    Thankfully, she didn¡¯t turn out to be the idiot that talked to a needle that couldn¡¯t understand her. The needle stopped just short of the hole, and then stood there, inching towards the hole.


    Wichita growled in annoyance, and then pulled at the control enchantments. The needle flew towards her hand, its point bared. Why was it so hungry? Was she really so tasty that it needed to try to get at her every time? Sending it back to float near it, but not right in front of the hole, she started watching it. There wasn¡¯t a long wait before a glistening head popped out.


    A black snake head, with veins of purple running through it¡¯s body. Space affinity, clearly. The needle shot into it before she even had the time to say anything. The snake writhed, banging its head against the tree.


    That just shoved the needle in deeper. The snake reared it¡¯s head back, and for a second she thought it was going to put out some final struggle. A final spell. But it only let out a call, a loud, ear piecing shriek that sounded like something that would come from a bird. The shrivelled skin that was left of it fell back into the hole as the needle shot back towards her, having had its fun.


    Wichita was not so convinced it was over. That last screech. The snake had decided to make it instead of putting up more resistance. Even though she wasn¡¯t very good at combat, she had read a lot. On the habits of animals, on the customs of the Arcana¡¯s enemies and anything else she might face in battle.


    There were too many beasts for her to know the natures of every one of them, but she had a general idea. And that was a call for help.


    Wichita ran. The needle followed her after a second¡¯s hesitation. There was no sound of anything following her, no sign when she looked behind her.


    But she did not stop. The other holes were a bit away, it could be a while before they arrived here. Wichita had no intention of being there when they arrived. The sky was changing color into a darker shade of purple, as it had for a while. But she was only noticing the sheer amount of shadows now.


    The snake had been black and purple. Was it simply a color combination, or an indication of affinity? What if the snakes had a shadow affinity? Shadow walking wasn¡¯t a common affinity, but this was not a common forest.


    The needle stabbed into her dress, like it was going into hiding. The same overly hungry needle that had a better mana sense than her. Wichita dodged cracks, abandoning any caution as she sped through the forest. The cracks made that difficult of course. But she had grown used to sensing them now.


    The Heart pulsed as she ducked, pushing her head into as much into her chest as she could manage, even as her body protested. The farther she got from how a normal human was supposed to look, the harder it got. Wichita had to remember that. Perhaps just reducing her height might have been easier.


    A black shadow jumped across where her face had been, a tongue made of spacial mana sneaking towards her body. The needle ate it eagerly, finding it¡¯s way out of her dress. Wichita popped her head back out.


    Just one? No. Wichita sensed more, just behind her, popping out of the shadows. Hundreds. Perhaps thousands. There were snakes in every shadow behind her as far as she could sense. But they weren¡¯t attacking her.


    Even that last snake had jumped into the shadow as if it would die if it didn¡¯t. To be fair, the needle might have done precisely that. But Wichita was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t her they were afraid of.


    Turning around, she looked at the forest that had darkened considerably. The sky was still the same. But there was something in the air. The snakes had brought it, the change. The mana was charged. More alive.


    Wichita turned around, crouching as she hoped that she was ready for whatever awaited her in this new section of the forest. The needle floated right next to her shoulder, somehow managing to have a reddish hue.


    Then the howling started.

 Chapter 7 - Getting that first Skill that doesnt really help

    The howls shook the forest, the trees and perhaps even mana itself. Wichita wasn¡¯t sure about the third one, but that was what her senses told her. If one of those things was near, then she would not be able to survive. Affecting that amount of mana in what was probably not even an attack¡­that was far more powerful than she could hope to face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t run away this time.¡± she demanded of the needle. ¡°I don¡¯t think I will be able to save you if you do.¡±


    The needle didn¡¯t respond, but at least it didn¡¯t shoot towards anything. Wichita wasn¡¯t sure what she should do. Standing here might anger the snakes, and they were making quite a ruckus. Whatever beast ruled here might come to investigate. But if she moved, she might head into the territory of an even stronger beast. Like one of the ones howling.


    The sheer amount of noise in the forest was strange. The trees were shaking. The snakes were screeching like, well, like someone had killed their child. Wait. The trees were shaking. Wichita jumped away from a tree, running as fast as she could.


    This area she entered was less stable than the snake¡¯s. There were more cracks, meaning she couldn¡¯t really afford to run. Not at any decent speeds, at least. Even the Heart of Ambition had trouble calming her nerves now. There was a threat here, something that was making the trees shake.


    But she did not know where that something was. Where it would emerge from, and whether it was interested in eating her. A flash of yellow emerged in her vision, and she wasted little time in commanding the needle to shoot towards it. The claw went through her body as the needle went through the beast¡¯s arms.


    A trickle of blood ran through the injury, but it closed up quickly. Wichita¡¯s eyes narrowed. Not the leopard. This one was strange. A quadrupedal thing that she did not recognize. A new mutation? Three Ages was more than enough time for there to be a variety of strange beasts wandering around that she did not know of.


    But that only heightened her fear. Wichita had the needle make another pass at it, but she had a sneaking suspicion it would do little good. The beast clawed at her, with a normal claw unenhanced by magic.


    And it did so again. Wichita let it, even though she dodged before it could sink its teeth in. The thing was fast, as all creatures in this forest all seemed to be. Like it was a prerequisite for survival here. There was strange purplish stuff dripping out of its teeth that she could have sworn was poison.


    A predator. But not a predator of Arcana. The beast''s claws, fangs, and poison would not affect her. There would be some loss of mana, and in time she might find herself dying because of it, but it would be a fight of attrition at that point.


    The problem was, it was difficult for her to kill the beast too. The needle emerged once again from the beasts body, having pierced through it¡¯s belly this time. The wound closed quickly once more. Of course. The beast did not have much mana for the needle to eat, so it had limited usefulness in this scenario.


    Wichita aimed it at the beasts¡¯ head, hoping that an injury there would be debilitating enough for it to give up pursuit. Perhaps it would just see her as not worth hunting. The beast ate meat, and she didn¡¯t have any to give it.


    A searing pain flashed through her back, one she had grown far too familiar with. Wichita cut off the part of the body as quickly as she could, though she still lost too much mana. A crack. The beast took advantage of her distraction, jumping towards her.


    Wichita was not foolish enough to not defend itself. For all she knew it had some teeth specific magic attack that would be able to hurt her. The needle shot towards its eyes, ready to make a hole in the beast¡¯s brain.


    The beast reared it¡¯s head back, the needle falling into its mouth. Wichita called it back rather furiously. The poison might corrode the needle¡¯s body, and she could not have that. The beasts did not give pause as it lunged towards her, seemingly angered by something.


    Well, she wasn¡¯t in the business of letting such an opportunity go. Taking a slight step back, she pushed the beast into the crack, watching as its claw touched it. The beast attempted to lung at her, it¡¯s claws piercing through the mana strings of her dress as they dispersed mana where her heart would be. If she were human.


    The crack did what it liked to do, swallowing the beast hole, and she had survived another encounter.


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 3


    Skill gained: [Forgotten Melody]


    Wichita blinked. That¡­wasn¡¯t a surprise. Yes, killing that beast should have netted her a level at her Tier. For some reason she just hadn¡¯t thought of it. But now she had a new Skill.


    [Forgotten Melody] : The Forgotten Queen has danced in streets of magic, heard the roars of beasts and felt pain worthy of screams. Now she looks outward, watching for what melody drives others to their goals, or away from them.


    That may be useful. Wichita wasn¡¯t sure what the Skill was exactly, but she figured she would find out. Perhaps it could serve as a detection Skill? Flicking it on with a push of her will, she found herself drowning in music.


    No, that wasn¡¯t right. The music wasn¡¯t loud, it didn¡¯t pierce her ears or have a physical presence like the howls did. But it was too much all the same. The trees spoke to her, trying to tell her something. The dirt, every little piece of dirt. The air. The water in the air. The fire that wanted to burn.


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    The things spoke to her, and for a second she thought she had it handled. Then it increased. The trees spoke, the leaves spoke. The air joined, with water giving its opinion. Fire was silent, or perhaps she did not feel it. Then space entered the picture. A hundred, a thousand things spoke into her mind at once. A conversation, a melding of things that just kept increasing¡­


    Wichita turned it off before it gave her a dizzy fit. This was a Skill that would need practice, perhaps some experience. But she had a feeling about what she was sensing. Fae magic. This was a Fae magic detection skill, or rather one that could help her guide others¡¯ Stories.


    Not something that would help her in the forest, not unless she found a way to practice it. Wichita scoffed. Of course not. How could she be so lucky?


    Turning around, she looked at the forest again. The noises had died down a bit, but not by much. There were shuffling sounds around her, as if beasts were moving here and there at a rapid pace. Wichita moved towards them. Just about every beast she had found had some way of rapid movement. Like it was required to survive.


    The howling beasts.


    Perhaps one of them was slow enough that escape was an option. Perhaps all three of them shared the same characteristic. The howling had been eerily similar, and it was not unreasonable to presume that it was a small group of beasts.


    A bit small for the pack, but she did not have time to worry about that. The beasts would know where to go to hide, what was a safe path that they could -


    Wichita jumped, and then rolled away on the ground as the defensive enchantments on her dress flared for once. Rot mana. No, something similar enough to activate them. Jumping upright, she looked for the beast, but found herself unable to sense it.


    Well, thankfully for her, she had someone that ¡ª where¡¯d the needle go? Wichita looked around in alarm before ducking from a dog-like body that, for some reason, had paws reminiscent of a monkey¡¯s. A very dead body.


    The barely visible silhouette of the needle shot towards another tree as more of these creatures began to emerge. Ten, twelve, fifteen¡­seventeen. Wichita had to give up counting as they began lunging at her.


    Why ¡ª the needle. The fuckers thought that she was the one controlling the needle, didn¡¯t they? The flashing Space magic on their paws told her that she would not survive it if any of them managed to attack her. Thankfully, she had an idea.


    The enchantments on her dress were difficult to change with the lack of materials and suitable mana in this forest. There was a lot of Space mana, but little of the pure mana she needed to counter it. But she could alter the enchantments a teeny tiny bit. There was enough Stability and Resistance mana in there for an enchantment that repelled creatures with Rot mana.


    And that was what these dog-monkey creatures were. Rot and Space mana, a terrifying combination¡­if one could figure out how to teleport mana. Thankfully, these creatures hadn¡¯t. Wichita punched the monkey in the face, feeling the strain in her mana. The dog-monkey growled, raising its paw to strike at her.


    Then her enchantment flared. A Master enchanter could alter enchantments very quickly. And she was altering enchantments she had made herself. Not a difficult proposition. The dog-monkey was thrown back onto a waiting needle, that promptly started eating it.


    But more dog-monkeys were pouring in by the second, and she did not have time to think about it anymore. The things growled, approaching her and biting at her as her enchantments flared, and then began to fray.


    Wichita growled as she pushed mana back into the enchantments, trying to stabilize them as the dog-monkeys approached her. The needle was eating monkeys as fast as it could, but it wasn¡¯t fast enough. The things didn¡¯t care when their comrades died, they just wanted to make a meal out of her. Oh, right. The mana.


    That was why they were here, for the plentiful amounts of mana in her body. More than enough to evolve them into something stronger. Well, she had no intention of becoming a meal. Wichita kicked out, using stability mana to reinforce her leg as she kicked a palm. The beast in question barked in pain as her kick pierced through.


    Arcana could not interact with the world easily, but they had an advantage when they did. The Mana stat might not wholly translate into a strength stat, but it was good enough. The stability mana was still something that would hurt a space-attuned creature, and the sheer amount of mana she put into it was worth even more. But it wasn¡¯t even injuring them, just hurting them a bit to make them fall back.


    Wichita kicked some more of them, just sweeping her legs as she felt her back come against a tree. The spacial cracks in the area had disappeared, likely being stabilized by the creatures before her. The same creatures that were now running away.


    Had her hurting one of them scared her? Why would they ¡ª Wichita heard a growl, a loud, threatening growl that she feared she might not forget again in her life. The kind that shook the forest, and apparently scared beasts away.


    Not daring to turn around, she clung to the tree, sensing with her mana sense. A long, coiling form with¡­were those legs? Wichita felt the mana that ran through them. Yes, it was legs. And it was located somewhere familiar ¡ª the snakes! That was where it was!


    A cold, icy breath emerged from what she presumed was its mouth. The icy breath was far more visible to her senses, clearly mana of some sort. Not plain ice mana, she would recognize that. This she didn¡¯t recognize.


    The forest was suddenly very, very silent. Like everyone in it was too afraid to move. One of the howlers, she was sure of it. The beast turned back, it¡¯s legs moving away slowly this time. As if it was observing its surroundings for more prey. Wichita felt its presence in the back of her mind, making even her Heart go silent in fear as she attempted to look as small as possible.


    The footsteps drew near, and she grew even more panicked. The legs stopped right next to her, a sniffing sound audible as she felt the huge coiling body turn around. The tree shook with weight as Wichita looked up, slowly, too afraid to make any quick actions.


    A whisker-laden nose reminiscent of a wolf¡¯s was resting on a three, it¡¯s nostrils flaring every few seconds. The beast had found her then. Wichita once again found herself waiting for her death as the beast sniffed above her.


    A sniff. Then another. A third as it moved it downwards, the whiskers touching her hair. Wichita closed her eyes and waited for her death¡­while sending her needle to see if there was anything it could poke.


    Then it moved away. The young Queen did not manage to move for a whole second, not realizing that she had been spared. Then she took advantage of the stabilized space and ran for her life, her needle rushing to catch up to her.

 Chapter 8 - Fae magic is annoying and you cant convince me otherwise.

    Enchanting the needle to support its Fae enchantment was far more difficult than it should be. The repetitive attacks were not making it easier on her. The snakes had woken the forest up, and now it was out to get her.


    Wichita had been steadily losing mana to injuries, a little every time she fought a beast. There were too many in the forest. Like the one that was trying to eat her now. Jumping up, she brought a stone tied to her foot down on its head as the needle sneaked into one of its companions. A grating sound pierced her ears as the mouse shaped thing looked at her with its blood-red eyes.


    At this point, she had grown so used to sound based attacks that she simply ignored them. The pain still got on her nerves, but they did little in the way of actual damage. The stone coming down on the beast¡¯s head was far more effective.


    The needle? Well, that particular beast was currently falling to the ground after the needle had pierced most of the veins connecting its pea sized brain to its body. There might be a lot of variance between beasts, but the brain tended to be an important part of the body. Damaging it was a good strategy as far as she was concerned.


    The needle came back to her, looking at her expectantly. Wichita sighed. The enchantments on it were just about done. To her eyes they looked like fat lines of magic running throughout its length, so fat that they were starting to touch each other. Yes, she needed to get the enchantment done sooner rather than later.


    Now if only the needle¡¯s Story stopped interfering with her enchanting. Why it even did so was a mystery to her. Running a finger down the needles¡¯ length, she imagined what she wanted to do.


    Wichita had tried some of the most advanced and complicated enchantments she could think of. That didn¡¯t work. The bloody thing¡¯s Story would have them disappear, fail spontaneously, or just make her lose concentration. A simpler enchantment, it seemed, was a better idea.


    The needle had to get into a beast¡¯s body and then wait a few moments before it could actually start absorbing mana. That was something she could help it avoid. Then there was the lack of efficiency in getting mana from the beasts. The needle could be much, much faster if she made pathways dedicated to this. There was more than one enchantment made for this exact situation that she could just transfer from memory instead of trying to build an efficient one herself.


    The third and final, enchantment, she wanted to add was one that would aid the needle when it wanted to evolve. The steel would eventually degrade from the sheer amount of mana it came in contact with. The Fae magic really did not like that one. Wichita found the enchantments just slipping off the needle when she tried to force the issue.


    What a troublesome needle.


    Sighing she wondered what she should do. The evolution enchantment was out of question, the Fae magic was reacting rather violently to it. Consulting her Skill, [Forgotten Melody] was not really helpful either. The needle''s Story was too minor to even enter her hearing, and she did not have nearly enough time to learn how to focus. The only thing she got for her efforts was more failures and a headache.


    Not to mention she still needed to be on the lookout for more beasts. If she didn¡¯t get this done, she really might die. There were far too many beasts, and far too little of her left.


    Mana thrummed through the needle as it shot out again. Another one? Wichita growled in frustration, raising the hand while clutching a piece of stone. An Arcana hitting things with rocks. To think she had to resort to such things. The lack of efficiency got to her nerves every time she had to hit something.


    The mana consumed in hitting something with her dear rock was about ten times larger than it should be. But she had little control over her own body at her age, certainly not enough to prevent the loss of mana. Nor did she have other options.


    Growling in frustration, she looked for whatever had gotten the needle¡¯s attention now. A squirrel. Wichita¡¯s heart stopped for a second as she feared that it had gotten involved with a pack creature again.


    Dealing with solitary ones was still¡­doable. Dealing with an entire pack of creatures? With how slow the needle was at times, she might as well be killing herself. The dog-monkeys had been a nice example of that.


    Of course, the logic of that was lost on the needle, who was far too eager to get any meal it could get its hands-on. Wichita sighed as she looked around, glad that there weren¡¯t more squirrels ready to rush her. Then she let the needle go for its meal.


    There probably were more squirrels elsewhere in the forest, given that it was of the same species she had hunted before. The very first beast she, well the needle, had hunted.


    Looking around, she kept an eye out for the panther. That thing was still one of the more powerful beasts she had encountered in the forest. The snakes and the howling beast were the only two she could think of that were more dangerous. Now back to enchanting the needle. Wichita felt her Heart burning in insistence that she get it done, and she had to agree.


    The beasts were easy to handle, but that did little when the thing that made her live was a limited resource. In the absence of ways to stabilize space, she could not refill her mana. In time, she would run out, reverting to only the Heart. Then some beast in the forest would eat it, and she would be dead.


    The enchantments on the needle had gotten closer to bursting apart with its latest escapade, something she really didn¡¯t approve of. The needle clearly didn¡¯t care about it, but she feared. Doing it herself was just a worse option, however, given that it would consume her precious mana.


    Wichita put a finger on the needle, connecting to the mana contained within them. Enchanting really wasn¡¯t that different from mana manipulation when it came down to it, especially the way the Arcana did it. The Language of Magic was their mother tongue, even if the System would not let them speak it. And any enchantment at the Master level was in that language.


    Wichita closed her eyes, letting the language flow through her. In normal circumstances she would have a preprepared blueprint to follow, something that had been tested and optimized till it was as efficient as they could make it. But it was not as if she had not practiced making her own enchantments at all.


    A spiral appeared on the needle as the language decided that was what represented the enchantment she wanted. Then it went inert. The enchantment refused to have any effect on the needle.


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    A sigh propelled itself out of her body as she erased her test. Of course, the Fae magic would not let it be easy. The bloody thing just wanted her to suffer.


    A stone shot through her head as she turned around to look at the offending chipmunk. The blood-red teeth it sported told her what was on its mind.


    Why were all the beasts here too dumb to understand that she did not have meat? Or was meat not their end goal at all? Perhaps they wanted her mana? Well she wasn¡¯t giving it up without a fight. The sky crackled above her as the needle shot from her hands.


    Wichita observed what it did, clutching her stone at ready to hit the chipmunks as needed. Not that it would be of much help. The way the chipmunk was trying to dodge the needle, it would make quick work of her. Just as the needle made quick work of it. The needle floated back to her, quite literally glowing with magic.


    Yes, she could not delay anymore, she had to add mana pathways to it somehow. Wichita clutched the needle, erasing the enchantments already on it, controlling the mana that was released as a result. The Language of Magic appeared on the needle, transforming into wavy structures running down its length. Like little rivers that would guide the mana.


    Wichita had them curl around the edges, hoping that it would guide the mana into the needle¡¯s core. That should give more mana to the Fae enchantment, though she couldn¡¯t be sure it worked. Then she added a spiral over the waves, cutting across them horizontally. This time the enchantment took.


    That would increase speed ¡ª a stone went through her head again, taking another chunk of mana. Wichita wished she could pay more attention, but she was already doing the best she could! The needle went towards the chipmunk, not even giving the chipmunk any time to dodge.


    The boost was still less than what she had wanted it to be. The extra mana it got was clearly not being utilized, and might even be running interference. Wichita did not have solution for that. The problem was likely in the layering, but layering enchantments was a difficult task. Forcing them to work together had not been part of any book she had found in the library.


    If what they said was true, then the deficiencies were simply things she had to deal with. The fact that she had seen several recent additions to the city¡¯s defenses that countered that was clearly ignorable. Not a clue that the nobles were hiding some secret from commoners. Not at all.


    Sighing as another bloody chipmunk shot a stone through her head ¡ª were they trying to irritate her to death? ¡ª she let the needle fly. There was still space on the thing for a third enchantment, a small one at the needle¡¯s edges. Perhaps something that enhanced its core in some manner. Wichita could not really think of anything else that the needle¡¯s Story had not already rejected.


    Another of the forest¡¯s critters appeared before her while the needle was away, this time with allies. The forest¡¯s Fae magic had discovered that she had powered up, and was now testing her. Or just telling her to not get to cocky.


    The needle burst towards the crickets, having already dealt with the chipmunks. Perhaps the speed wasn¡¯t as bad as she thought. The crickets panicked as one of their own fell faster than they could look. The needle itself looked dissatisfied as it found its victim dying before it could suck its mana. Wichita hadn¡¯t been able to enhance that part of it¡¯s power, and it showed.


    ¡°Just kill them, I will give you some mana later.¡± she said, trying to prompt the needle into acting as she stomped at the crickets. A bunch of legs slammed into her, purplish liquid dripping from their legs. Thankfully, the poison was as effective as the legs, neither of them having much effect on her.


    Wichita wondered how quickly she would have died if she wasn¡¯t a mana lifeform. The inability of the forest¡¯s creatures to keep damage her sufficiently was one of the reasons she was alive. Perhaps the main reason.


    The needle made quick work of the crickets, the beasts unable to run fast enough once they realized their attacks weren¡¯t very useful. Wichita almost felt sorry for them. The needle stabbed into her, not showing a hint of courtesy as it began gobbling up her mana.


    Another bunch of mana gone. There was just about -


    Mana: 102/403


    ¡ª a quarter left. Wichita wasn¡¯t very happy about that, though she knew it was still an absurd amount of mana for someone of her level.


    Now to finish the enchantment. Adding a mana eating enchantment on top of what the needle already had seemed redundant to her, but it clearly wanted it. Just about any delicate beast would die too fast for the needle to drain mana.


    And she couldn¡¯t ¡ª she pulled the needle from her arm ¡ª keep feeding the bloody thing. The needle squirmed, showing its dissatisfaction. Wichita wasn¡¯t having it. The thing had already taken another fifteen points of mana from her, far more than some crickets were worth.


    The last enchantment was easy, far too easy now. The hunger enchantment that had troubled her just a week ago took to the needle like water to a glass, slipping right in without much prompting on her part.


    How strange. Perhaps the Fae enchantment made it easier? Yes, that was possible, even probable. Wichita looked up, ready to deal with whatever new thing the Fae magic had in store for her. More monsters? Perhaps the trees would come alive to attack¡­OH SHIT.


    Wichita ducked as a massive crack in space passed above her head. The space around her fluctuated, clouding her vision as she got down on her knees, laid herself flat and then turned around. For a second, she thought she saw a cat staring into her eyes as she turned, but it dissapeared as soon as it appeared. A hallucination? Perhaps, bu she could worry about that later.


    The needle sunk into her dress, where it started to passively absorb her mana again. With the enchantment she had just given it. The crack did not come anywhere near her, staying in the sky for a few seconds before disappearing. Wichita looked at the space for a few more seconds, not daring to get up. The needle did it for her, shooting up towards something.


    This was strange.


    A crack just as Fae magic started acting up? What were the chances it was a coincidence?Oh no, it wasn¡¯t getting her into trouble again. Catching the disobedient little shit in her fingers, she kept it trapped. Even if doing that made it absorb her mana now. The Fae enchantment had definitely helped her place that one.


    Wichita headed towards where the needle wanted to go, trying to be as sneaky as she could. The fact that she made little noise at all helped. The fact that she was made of mana and caused spacial disturbances as she walked helped a little less.


    The crack had left a large amount of devastation in its wake, cutting apart trees and killing many a beast. Wichita held onto the needle as it attempted to eat the beasts. There was a lot of noise coming from a clearing in front of her. A lot of noise that sounded a bit like¡­talking.


    A headache built inside her head as the System detected her proximity to other people and completed something that she had long prepared for. A pair of screams echoed in front of her as it confirmed what she had feared, and hoped to encounter in this forest.


    The language updation is complete. Please refrain from attempting to use any other language.


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 5.


    Mana +50


    There were people in front of her. The kind of people, for whom, the System had only now transmitted its ¡®preferred¡¯ language. That meant that they had either come from another age like her, or were from another world entirely.


    Wichita could scarcely wait to meet them.

 Chapter 9 - Wichita tries to get some subjects.

    Wichita crouched in the ruins of a few trees, observing the three humans that looked like they had just walked out of a ball. The boy had his hair cut short, his curly brown hair larger on the right side, falling over his dark brown eyes. The only one who had not been affected by the System¡¯s interference, he was busy trying to get the dust off his translucent white shirt.


    The frilly border was not cooperating with his endeavor. Wichita doubted he was going to succeed. The older of the girls was in a better condition, somehow. Considering that the needle was eager to get at her, she probably had some kind of magic already.


    The girl¡¯s full length maroon dress clung to her body in a way that mirrored her own dress. The only difference was that Wichita¡¯s skin did not need to breathe. The younger girl seemed to be the least bothered of the three, far more interested in her surroundings.


    A branch adorned her head, and did not seem to be something from this forest. The clothes she was wearing seemed to be made from the same silky cloth as the other girl¡¯s with one notable difference. The clothes did not suit her. Perhaps a servant? Some nobles liked to dress their servants in fancy clothes, even if they didn¡¯t suit them personally.


    That did seem to be the case. Wichita looked at the white skirt that had a number of dirt patches on it. The gray top was not in a much better condition.


    ¡°Look, a purple chipmunk!¡± the younger girl yelled. Wichita straightened, ready to defend them. The transmigrators would make very good subjects, something she dearly needed if she wanted to get out of this forest alive.


    ¡°Let¡¯s kill it!¡± the girl said, pulling the stick out of her hair. The older girl groaned. ¡°Leave the chipmunk alone, Tully, we don¡¯t know what will happen if we -¡±


    Wichita threw her stone, intercepting the chipmunk¡¯s attack. The needle had already gone on to kill it, on strict orders to not kill the humans.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone else here!¡± the younger girl yelled, a smile splitting her face, and then fell off just as quickly. ¡°A¡­nice monster lady?¡±


    Wichita paused in her steps, realizing that she had forgotten to change her appearance. Why was she suddenly a monster though? An Arcana wasn¡¯t that scary. Heck, they looked mostly like the species they had evolved from. Just the eyes and hair were different. An easy enough thing to change.


    The white pupil darkened to gray, her sclera turning white like a human¡¯s. The hair was more difficult, making it fall properly would be a ridiculous waste of mana given the circumstances. That was why she was not going to do it.


    The three transmigrators did not look reassured by her change. Wichita was going to presume them to be transmigrators for now. There was a possibility that they were just very spoiled nobles, but even those would know that they should be careful in an unknown forest. The three seemed to have no knowledge about how to act in the world, as if it was their first time in it.


    ¡°Is that better?¡± she asked, trying to start a conversation.


    The older girl shared a wary look with the boy, not that they even looked at each other. The younger girl thankfully seemed very eager to speak to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, your eyes gave you like a freaky, otherworldly look. Now it¡¯s just¡­plain.¡± the girl almost seemed disappointed.


    ¡°A normal eye does not glow.¡± the older girl commented. Wait what? Was it really glowing? Wichita wanted to take a look at it. An Arcana¡¯s eyes did not usually glow. This was new.


    ¡°I¡­can¡¯t really do anything about that.¡± she answered, at a loss. How was she supposed to deal with something she did not even know herself?


    The needle entered the clearing, looking quite hesitant to come back to her. Wichita was not in the mood to humor it, and moved to snatch it out of the air as it floated close to her. Did it think she did not notice it? The fool.


    There was an awkward silence as the transmigrators stared at her, and she had no idea what to do. This was annoying. Why wasn¡¯t she good at social interactions? For fuck¡¯s sake, she was a Queen. How was she to survive when she couldn¡¯t even make basic conversation?


    ¡°I was wondering if we could travel together.¡± she broached the subject. Perhaps they would appreciate her getting to the point.


    The older girl looked like she had just confirmed her suspicions, while the boy tried to lean against a tree. With minimal success. Was he injured? Was that why he was leaning against a tree? Perhaps she could use that. At least one subject, she needed at least one subject to get experience faster. Or she might not make it out of the forest.


    ¡°Are you injured?¡± she asked the boy.


    ¡°¡­no?¡± he answered, though it sounded more like a question. Wichita was not deterred.


    ¡°Why are you leaning against a tree then? I know how to cast healing enchantments, I could help -¡±


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m fine.¡± the boy protested. The older girl was busy checking the younger girl, pulling the branches from her hair and dusting off her clothes. Not a servant then.


    ¡°I was just tired.¡± the boy mumbled, though she doubted anyone in the clearing missed that. Yes, muscle fatigue. Wichita had forgotten about that.


    ¡°I see. I can make an enchantment to help with that, though perhaps we should wait a bit.¡± she finally said. Showing that she could be useful should help. That was how she had gotten into project groups when she was young. A useful member was almost always welcome.


    The younger girl shook off the older one¡¯s ministrations, and decided to walk up to her. The older pulled her back, glaring at her. Wichita just looked at them.


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± she asked, finally. There seemed to be one.


    ¡°No!¡± the younger girl answered first, much to the older one¡¯s frustration.


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    ¡°There is no problem, miss¡­¡±


    ¡°Wichita.¡± she answered, careful not to give her surname. The Iridor had been on many worlds, and they had not been the most peaceful guests. Yes, she should be careful about what she revealed. The Arcana were despised across the world, and for good reason. Wichita would rather keep her species secret, just in case.


    ¡°Well, miss Wichita, we have only just arrived in this place and are simply taken aback by your offer. As you can see, the spacial fluctuation has not taken mercy on us. Perhaps you could tell us where we are?¡± the older girl said as the boy closed his eyes and shook his head in an exaggerated fashion. The books she had read on human behavior were proving insufficient.


    ¡°I see.¡± How could she respond to that one? Tell her to take her time? The forest was deadly, they did not have the time. Would the girl take offense if she told them to hurry up? Wichita did not know where they were either. Perhaps they were simply unaware of how much danger they were in.


    ¡°I would tell you where you are, but I fear my situation is the same as yours. I have also arrived here by way of these¡­spacial fluctuations.¡± Wichita wondered if the unfamiliar terminology was from another world, or just a different part of her own. The three of them, or at least the girl speaking too her was far too calm.


    Was this the result of an experiment? There were nations that had tried to travel through time before, using the only known thing that could survive such a journey. A small world. The testers had not been heard from, not once. Perhaps they had arrived in the future and simply refused to reveal it. Was this one such group? Why were they dressed like this, though?


    ¡°The forest is quite dangerous, and I expect that danger will show itself soon enough.¡± she continued. ¡°The fluctuation that brought you here has scared the beasts away, but I am sure they will return.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± the older girl said, her eyes narrowing.


    ¡°More beasts? Like the chipmunks?¡± the younger girl asked, still looking exited. ¡°Does killing them give experience?¡±


    The older girl turned around quickly, shooting the younger one a glare. ¡°Tully¡­¡± the warning in her tone did not prevent Wichita from memorizing the name. Tully.


    ¡°Oh come on, she just said it out loud! There¡¯s a giant crack in space and we clearly fell through it! There isn¡¯t much of a secret here, Rose.¡± the younger girl, Tully answered with more than a little anger. Wichita noted the name. Rose.


    ¡°How about we calm down-¡± the boy began.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± the girls screamed back. There was definitely more to this situation than she knew. The girls had not spoken or acknowledged the boy since he had arrived. Had he done something to offend them?


    The needle straightened in her dress, telling her that rest time was over. Wichita had expected as much, it had already given her more time than she had expected to have.


    ¡°I would recommend we get moving.¡± she said. ¡°Arm yourselves.¡±


    The boy took out a cylindrical object, with a handle on it that was clearly for holding it. A projectile weapon? Wichita was not familiar with this design, but she had seen others of its kind before. Not the most useful things, but they were effective against weak enemies like this one. The ones that did not know how to cast a simple repelling spell.


    The older girl held out her hand, practically demanding the weapon from him. The boy handed it over, murmuring something under his breath that she did not quite catch. Tully simply held out her stick. Wichita had no idea what she was going to do with it, but it might be better than nothing.


    The trees shook as she was about to give them directions, effectively ruining her day. Dog-monkeys. The pack traveling monsters that she had nearly died to before. Wichita was not looking forward to another fight, especially with three dead-weights.


    The fact was that most transmigrators died quickly, either because their magical knowledge was not compatible with this world, or they didn¡¯t have any. Wichita could only hope that whatever magic Rose had was powerful enough to make a difference.


    There wasn¡¯t much hope in her mind of the three being especially powerful. Just about anyone powerful would have a number of weapons on them. Wichita prompted the needle to start killing off the dog-monkeys, hoping that the numbers would be manageable. The hope was likely not tenable, but she really did not want to lose her new subjects.


    Even if said subjects were quite wary of her, and even seemed hesitant to work with her.


    ¡°Avoid the glowing palms, they are quite deadly.¡± she said as the dog-monkeys jumped from the trees.


    The enchantments on her dress glowed as the dog monkeys ran away from her. For once, that was not a good thing. The less they focused on her, the more danger her subjects were in. The needle was making quick work of the dog monkeys, barely pausing between the beasts. That, of course, caused a mild panic among them, and had them trying to chase the bloody thing. As if they had any chance of catching it.


    Wichita threw another stone at one of them, smashing its head to paste. The dog monkeys turned towards her. Rose used her mechanical weapon. A projectile shot out of it, stabbing into the side of one of the dog monkeys.


    The needle had killed three of the bloody things at the same time, but the damage was done. The dog monkeys turned towards Rose as Wichita dove towards them.


    Of the fifteen or so dog monkeys remaining, five were able to make it to Rose before she body blocked them. Two had their brains needled before they could continue. Seven jumped onto her with their palms blazing.


    The enchantments flared, a shiver running through her enemies as she took advantage of the opportunity. Picking up one of the pebbles scattered on the ground, she threw it into one of things¡¯ eyes. The thing pierced its nose instead, but it stuck. The dog monkey died. The needle killed another.


    The three remaining jumped at her again, The enchantments were unable to stop them this time. Were they more powerful than the ones that had attacked her just a few hours ago?


    Wichita had been hoping that the enchantments would be enough to keep them away, but it clearly wasn¡¯t affecting them nearly as much as she hoped. But she had an old trick she had learned fighting Leirot. Exerting her mana through the pebbles on the ground, she propelled her body backwards.


    Then struck again. This time the pebble got into¡­the ear? What? The needle struck again, having killed another. There, it was almost done. A sigh of relief swept through her as she saw the needle go for the last one.


    Then a scream reached her ears.


    Turning around as she picked up a nearby stone, she saw a dog-monkey striking towards Tully, and another just behind it. Wichita threw her stone, asking the needle to go and eat the mana of whatever spell the dog-monkey cast on her.


    The stone would not kill the dog monkey before it was able to attack Tully. But perhaps the needle would be able to kill the spell before it did lasting harm.


    Then a dog-monkey struck her. Wichita¡¯s mind blanked in fear as she felt the mana pass through her dress, the defenses unable to stop it. Even as the Heart burnt, trying to defend against the attack, she felt herself die.


    The spell was consuming her mana, burning away what kept her alive faster than she could react. In what was little more than a desperate bid, she struck the dog monkey. Of course, her hand reached the natural mana field and could not go through.


    But she would not die so easily. No, she would not give up. Not a chance. If the spell wanted to eat her mana, then she would eat its¡¯ right back! Wichita grunted as she clutched the dog monkey¡¯s palm, the little thing growling and screeching as it tried to fight back. But she was treating the palm as if it were an extension of her body, and moving mana from it to other parts of the body. Not something she had been taught in school, but it should work.


    The monkey let out a screech so loud and painful that she was sure she would not forget it for the rest of her life. A lot of screeches were sounding like that these days.


    Then it died.


    Wichita turned around, gasping for mana as she looked at her prospective subjects.


    ¡°As I said, I think we should travel together.¡±


    A notification was flickering at the corner of her vision as she closed her eyes for a second.


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 5

 Chapter 10 - A negotiation

    Rose stared at her. The same Rose that had somehow managed to deal with her share of the beasts. Wichita had to admit, she was a bit surprised that she had managed to deal with five beasts with only her mechanical weapon. There had been some use of magic on her part, but no combat spells. A better showing than she had expected. The human girl huffed, and then spun on her heel towards the younger girl.


    ¡°What the heck were you thinking?¡± she practically screamed.


    Wichita coughed. ¡°Perhaps it would be wise to attract a little less attention.¡±


    Rose turned her head to her, her expression belying that she had things she wanted to say. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ¡°Yes, of course. I was just¡­attempting to convey to my sister the foolishness of her actions.¡±


    Tully raised her hand. Rose¡¯s temper seemed to spike again as her calm expression contorted. ¡°What?¡± she asked through gritted teeth.


    ¡°I thought the stick would kill it.¡± she held up what remained of the stick she had been holding.


    ¡°And what exactly gave you that idea?¡± Rose¡¯s words had so much stress in them that Wichita wondered if she should interfere. Even though it probably was wiser to not get involved, this seemed like it would cause a fight. Rose did not appear to be in a listening mood.


    Tully shrugged, which only seemed to make her sister angrier. ¡°Wichita¡¯s stone killed one. I thought a stick would at least hurt it, I mean dogs usually run from it.¡±


    Wichita had to give it to her, there was logic to her words. ¡°I fear that is improbably miss Tully. I have enhanced strength that I doubt any of you possess at the moment. The stone likely hit the dog monkeys with more force than Miss Rose¡¯s projectiles.¡±


    ¡°I noticed that.¡± The boy interrupted. ¡°Is it something to do with the System or -¡±


    A sound eerily similar to a strangled dog came from Rose as she realized that nobody else was very concerned about what Tully had done.


    ¡°Yes, the System can give that power. The dog monkeys have hardened fur that rebounds a bit of the damage back. I recognize the texture. That is why your stick broke, it was too brittle to withstand the damage.¡± she said, hoping it would calm the argument a bit. Rose did seem to grow calmer.


    ¡°Oh.¡± was the only reply she got from the younger girl. That suited her just fine.


    ¡°On that note, how old are you?¡± she asked. That was important, if they were underage, it would make her case much stronger.


    A look was shared between them. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Rose said, looking her with puzzlement.


    ¡°The class system activates the night of your eighteenth birthday. If any of you have reached that age, then you should get the options as soon as you go to sleep. That is, of course, if this is the first night in the world since you turned eighteen. ¡± she said. ¡°If you are not yet eighteen, then other ways will be needed. I doubt I need to explain to you why a class would be helpful.¡±


    Wichita wondered if they did need an explanation on the importance of classes. But surely, even transmigrators would be able to understand what classes were?


    Rose sighed. ¡°I am eighteen -¡±


    ¡°¡ª but I am not.¡± The boy said before the girl could finish. ¡°Tully isn¡¯t eighteen either. Do we get preparatory classes or something?¡±


    Wichita nodded. ¡°I see. And no, the System does not grant classes to those under the age of eighteen.¡± Then she considered. Rose had seemed suspicious of her when she arrived. And though she was less suspicious now, she would not easily take her offer.


    Should she broach it now? If she sparked suspicion, it might ruin their relationship. But did she even have a choice? Could she even survive the forest without doing it?


    Mana: 52/453


    A sigh propelled itself from her as she looked at it. One mana more than what would force her to go through a height reduction. But the thinking of how she¡¯d only had two mana remaining before she levelled up made her want to curl up in a corner and cry.


    If she ran out of mana her body would collapse, only her Heart surviving. Then some beast would eat it and she would die. This was perhaps the closest she had come to dying. This entire experience, from the second she had been declared a princess, had been harrowing. Wichita was sure she would be a crying mess if not for her Heart.


    No, she did not have a choice. The forest was far too dangerous for her to traverse alone. Just because none of the powerful beasts had eaten her yet did not mean they would continue to show mercy.


    ¡°Ugh, hello?¡± Rose was looking at her questioningly as she realized that she had been lost in her own thoughts for far too long.


    ¡°I apologize, I was simply considering the situation. Pursuing other options would require using certain options that may be less than desirable. For you more than me in this case.¡±


    ¡°And what options are those?¡± Rose asked, her eyes narrowing as her face contorted into something Wichita did not recognize. Was it annoyance? Or perhaps suspicion?


    ¡°The two of them will have to swear themselves to me.¡± she said, expecting questions. There was one.


    ¡°I see. And what exactly would that entail?¡± Rose pursed her lips, her eyes till narrowed at Wichita. The girl thought she was taking advantage of her. Not an unreasonable assumption. The events since they had transmigrated did seem a bit convenient.


    A girl appeared just as they arrived here, saved them from beasts and was now asking them to swear themselves to her. A common enough thing given how Fae magic reacted with transmigrators, but they didn¡¯t know that. Wichita barely knew how that worked, let alone them.


    Thankfully, she had an easy way out of this conversation.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± she answered honestly. ¡°The System has not seen fit to give me that information.¡± There that should inspire some trust. If she had wanted to take advantage of the situation, then she should at least have the means to do it.


    Rose blinked, clearly having not expected that. ¡°I ¡ª what?¡±


    ¡°I arrived in this forest only a few hours ago after a¡­slight incident.¡± she continued, considering if she should reveal the details of her arrival. There were risks to it, but she knew something of equal importance about them too. And it was a secret that would be revealed easily once they escaped. After all, she knew no more about the outside world than them.


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    There were excuses she could make, but being Queen would make keeping them up more difficult. What kind of Queen didn¡¯t have a basic understanding of the world? What kind of Queen could not even name some nations that existed in her lands.


    Wichita doubted she could make a story work. And lying would spoil long term relationships with the three, something she did not want to do. Even if it was doubtful they would continue to be in her service after they escaped the forest, she could perhaps establish relations. A transmigrator that survived would easily achieve a rather high ranking position in any kingdom. And such a connection was valuable.


    ¡°Were you hunted?¡± Tully asked, looking excited. ¡°Are you on the run from an invader that took over your country?¡±


    Wichita blinked in surprise. Rose sighed. ¡°I think it is far more likely that she is the Queen of this forest. Perhaps some kind of beast that has taken human form?¡± The girl looked at her, as if expecting a confirmation.


    Wichita was lost. What kind of world were they from, that they expected it? Well, now that she thought about it, both of those situations were more common than hers.


    ¡°Not quite.¡± she finally said. ¡°I was a Princess of a nation that was hiding out in a small world during an attack. After a failed assassination, I found myself three Ages in the future.¡±


    A branch broke as the boy leaned forward, seeming much more interested. ¡°An assassination? Are there assassins after you?¡±


    ¡°I highly doubt they followed me through time.¡± she said dryly. Why was he so excited about assassins? ¡°But there might be some if my identity were to be revealed.¡±


    ¡°The current rulers won¡¯t be happy that you¡¯re back?¡± Tully guessed.


    ¡°No, I ¡ª actually I am not sure about the status of my kingdom. The System informs me that it is long gone, but the fact that I still bear a royal class implies that it exists in some form.¡±


    Now that she thought about it, was that really true? The [Forgotten Queen] class might only need for the kingdom to exist then, not now.


    ¡°So¡­that leaves us where, exactly?¡± Rose interrupted. ¡°I am sorry, your backstory is fascinating, but I think we should refocus. I remember you talking about System access.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Wichita nodded, glad the topic had shifter away from her past. There were few species even in other worlds that would approve of the stuff Arcana had done. The less they knew about it, the better.


    ¡°The System will only give a class to anyone below the age of eighteen if they have earned it. Just being transmigrators, and then swearing to me, a holder of a Legend ranked Monarch class should suffice. The fact that you shall be my first subjects will not hurt either. Can I presume that you are transmigrators.¡± she said, laying out her plan?


    ¡°No-¡± Rose began.


    ¡°Yes, we are and there is no need for us to lie.¡± the boy glared at Rose. ¡°But you were saying about how you could not accept us.¡±


    Wichita looked at the two of them, but decided to ignore the unsaid argument. ¡°Yes, that is the issue. The System has not seen fit to give me the Skill for it yet.¡± she huffed. ¡°The Skill has to be one of my Tier 1 class Skills, but I have not got them all yet. There are ways to force it to be my next Skill, but even then, I won¡¯t get it till my next level.¡±


    Tully raised her hand as Rose spoke out. ¡°So we¡¯re stuck until you get to another level. And then we swear our lives to you for¡­how long exactly?¡±


    Wichita decided to deal with whatever Tully had to say first. ¡°Yes, Tully?¡±


    ¡°Did you say Monarch? I thought you were a Princess.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I gained a Monarch class because technically, I inherited the throne once everyone ahead of me in the line died. I was seventh in line at the time, so it must have taken a while.¡±


    Or just one deadly battle that targeted the royal family¡¯s safe spots. Wichita doubted that they had managed to get to them although. The spots weren¡¯t public. As far as she knew, they were some of their most precious secrets. But there was little reason for them to know that.


    ¡°What now?¡± Rose prompted again. ¡°I want to know more about this swearing stuff before we do anything - ¡°


    A rustle in the nearby trees had her jumping in alarm, and calling on the needle. But it was just a crack piercing through it.


    ¡°Yes, I can make it temporary.¡± she said, still looking around. Why had the beasts not attacked them? The four of them had been making plenty of noise, and their mana would attract it besides. ¡°And I rather doubt I will get any loyalty enforcing Skills anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, what?¡± Rose asked, her voice reaching a higher pitch. ¡°What do you mean ¡®loyalty enforcing Skills¡¯ ¡°


    Oh dear, she should not have mentioned that. Wichita had no idea how they would actually to react to the Skills, and she did not want to find out. The [Bond of Arcana] had not been subject of dislike by many a Monarch, and most loyalty skills mirrored that, at least to a lesser extent.


    ¡°I think it would be better if we moved on.¡± she said. ¡°This forest is¡­strange. There should have been a beast attacking us by now.¡±


    ¡°There were quite a few beasts attacking us.¡± Rose noted dryly, looking at her with suspicion, but she started looking around anyway.


    ¡°Not them¡± Wichita waved her hand dismissively towards the dog monkeys. ¡°I was attacked a lot in the past few hours. There should have been at least a chipmunk trying to take our head by now.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re just afraid of the larger numbers?¡± Tully asked nervously.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re too weak. The monsters won¡¯t be scared of you.¡± she said. ¡°Or me for that matter. There are far more powerful monsters around here.¡±


    ¡°How did you survive then?¡± Rose asked. Wichita frowned. That was an interesting question. How had she survived till now?


    ¡°I have been lucky.¡± she said in the end. ¡°The stronger monsters all decided not to eat me. I met a few of them, but they just went on their way.¡±


    Tully approached her. ¡°Do you have a luck power?¡±


    ¡°In a manner of speaking.¡± she said. ¡°But I doubt it is powerful enough to affect someone of their power. Perhaps it is your ¡®luck power¡¯ acting here. But even then, there is something wrong. Fae magic is known to favor transmigrators, but if it protected them to such an extent, then so many of them wouldn¡¯t die. No, this is something else.¡±


    Wichita had been thinking aloud by the end of it, and it had an effect on her companions.


    ¡°What do you mean Fae magic?¡± Rose demanded. Tully was shoving her head from one direction to the other as fast as she could. Even the boy looked wary, as if he expected a monster to jump at him at any moment. Not an unreasonable assumption, she had encountered several monsters that did that.


    ¡°Later, we move now.¡± she replied, trying to project strength. Like she had read in a book. The three of them followed, though Rose still looked suspicious. The girl was more suspicious than her, and she was Arcana. Did she have a Skill for it?


    There was no danger as they walked, not even cracks in their path. Wichita had been afraid they would walk into one, and told them to only step where she did. But that seemed to be a waste. The more they walked, the more suspicious it got. The purple mist was hovering over them again, and her companions looked more fidgety the denser it grew.


    ¡°The mist isn¡¯t wet.¡± Rose murmured.


    ¡°The mist is made of mana.¡± Wichita whispered back. ¡°I would suggest not stepping into dense parts of it, but even I don¡¯t think it matters.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Rose asked. ¡°This is¡­ I didn¡¯t expect this.¡±


    ¡°I think we should stop.¡± she said, sighing. ¡°There is no way we can escape whatever the forest is doing now. This is beyond me.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it is going to kill us? I don¡¯t think I can fight a monster I can¡¯t see.¡± Tully asked, her voice betraying her nervousness. The girl was scared. So were they all. The mist had begun dispersing the second they stopped, and she did not like what see was seeing. The trees were arranged right next to each other on both of their sides, leaving no space for them to walk through.


    Two paths emerged in front of them, and none behind them. Wichita couldn¡¯t be sure, but the arrangement reminded her of something, something she had not expected in this forest.


    A maze.

 Chapter 11 - The forest gives Wichita a rest. The transmigrators dont.

    ¡°What the heck is going on?¡± the boy exclaimed, saying what was on their minds.


    ¡°I suppose the forest decided that a different challenge was necessary.¡± she answered, examining the space between the trees. Just as she was wondering if she could somehow manage to sneak through, cracks appeared between them. The forest was warning her away.


    And telling her it had far more control over itself than she had presumed.


    ¡°I think we should stop here.¡± she finally said. ¡°At least until Rose gets her class.¡± Perhaps even until her royal Skill was out of cooldown, and she was able to get her mana back.


    ¡°Why?¡± Rose asked. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll be in danger if we step through?¡±


    ¡°Oh, almost assuredly. The forest is a deadly one, even if it is acting stranger than I expected it to.¡± she answered, still unable to calm herself. Even the other three seemed to be on the edge. Wichita called on the notifications she had been ignoring while Rose conjured up a response.


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 5


    Oh well, that was good. The level had likely come from the battle they had fought. But it was a welcome thing.


    ¡°So¡­you mentioned magic.¡± Tully prompted her. Wichita looked at her.


    ¡°Yes, Fae magic. I -¡± oh fuck, she had barely any idea how to explain this. To understand fae magic, one needed to know so much other stuff. Just luck magic would not cover it.


    ¡°Well first you need to understand that the magic revolves around Stories. No, Fae magic is the Stories.¡± she said. ¡°There is only one thing Fae magic does, as far as we know: it twists reality until it follows our Stories.¡±


    ¡°And being a transmigrator means this Fae magic will support us?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°For a time, yes. There are a lot of theories about this¡­that you do not need to know. In short, Fae magic will make you more lucky for a short time after you arrive in this world. If you attain a class in that time, you might even get a better one than you deserve. That is one of the reasons we should try to get your companions a class as soon as we can.¡±


    ¡°Yes, by swearing to you.¡± Rose¡¯s voice was filled with suspicion again. ¡°How does that work, anyway? Not getting the class till one turns eighteen? What if a child is under threat?¡±


    Wichita grimaced. ¡°The System used to give classes to children, but then¡­there was an incident. A few of the world powers started to train children as child soldiers, which was apparently not acceptable. So it moved the class choice to eighteen and said it was our fault.¡±


    The Arcana may have been the first to try it out. In their defense, this time it wasn¡¯t even their fault. The Heart beat in their chests since the day they were born. Wichita knew well enough that the Arcana would lust after power, regardless of whether the System offered it.


    ¡°The System just told you to handle it yourselves?¡± the boy expressed his doubt. ¡°Didn¡¯t even try anything else? Would it not be better to alter the System in some way? Like, I don¡¯t know just give Skills that are too weak to matter in a battle?


    Wichita sighed. ¡°The System did that, and more. But the practice still continued.¡±


    Rose and Tully rolled their eyes, but the boy had a more exaggerated reaction. Banging his head against the tree was not something she had expected him to do. Even it was very light, almost like a tap. The boy had barely touched it, really. Wichita did not understand why it would do that.


    ¡°I would suggest you -¡±


    ¡°Why the heck would they do that?¡±


    Wichita stared at him, holding his gaze. ¡°For it was our culture. Just because the System says we should act a certain way, does not mean we will. The Ar- my species has been here from before the System was even born. Just because it rules the world now does not mean we will change ourselves for it. The System can do what it wishes, we will not change for it. Nor for the humans that demanded such things.¡±


    The bloody species caused enough trouble, with their numbers forcing the System to decide whatever they did was ¡®normal¡¯ and ¡®good¡¯. Even though the Arcana¡¯s reaction was¡­overblown, for once they weren¡¯t the only ones at fault. The System and it¡¯s insistence on normalizing the world had to bear some of it.


    The boy actually looked a bit guilty after her outburst, something she now regretted having. Wichita should not have done that. The three of them were clearly human, and her words were not kind.


    ¡°Can I presume that your species was an enemy of humanity, then?¡± Rose asked. ¡°Will that be a problem?¡±


    ¡°Calling it enmity is¡­accurate I suppose. And no, I do not share many of my species¡¯ opinions.¡± she answered. There, perhaps that would give them pause if the secret of her heritage was revealed. To be honest, she really did not want it to be. The Arcana had pursued several campaigns of extinction against humanity; she doubted they would approve of it.


    Wichita thought it was a foolish notion, killing, so many would basically ensure that Fae magic would support the survivors. The human race had long ago reached a level which made it all but impossible to kill them. But it was Arcanian custom to kill anything that stood in their path to power. Just one of the things she and Veruna had thought was wrong with the system.


    ¡°So¡­magic?¡± Tully asked, her voice nervous as she glanced at the other two. Thankfully, Rose did not interrupt her this time.


    ¡°Perhaps it would be prudent if Rose went to sleep while I explained this.¡± she said. ¡°I can see that you are all tired, and this is a good place to have some rest. I can simply explain it multiple times.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to sleep?¡± Rose murmured, though her mind seemed elsewhere.


    ¡°No.¡±


    That, somehow, surprised them more than her outburst. Tully¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as she grew visibly excited.


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    ¡°How?¡± she asked, practically vibrating from it.


    ¡°Just¡­a quirk of my species.¡± she answered. Wichita did not know how, that wasn¡¯t covered in the books she had read. ¡°Now as I said, it would be wise for Rose to go to sleep. The sooner we get her a class, the better it will be for our safety.¡±


    Rose raised an eyebrow. ¡°Not gonna swear to protect us?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Wichita replied, grimacing as she looked the girl in the eye. ¡°I have, what an eighth of my mana left to me? The battle from before cut me down to just 2 mana. If I run out of it, I will die. So no, I would not recommend relying on me until I find a way to refill my mana.¡±


    Rose blinked. ¡°Wait you nearly died? Why in the world would you do that? I thought you were blocking it with magic or something!¡±


    ¡°I was blocking it with magic, it simply wasn¡¯t sufficient. I did not actually have any intention of dying, either, but I did need to save you. In case you did not realize, my class does not offer combat Skills at the moment. In fact, I doubt it will offer any combat Skills at all. The System was rather cruel about it.¡± Wichita grumbled, her words laced with anger even as she tried to keep it under control.


    ¡°So you need us to fight for you.¡± Rose said, sounding surprised for some reason. Wichita grimaced, that just sounded like she was going to use them as meat shields. And she was going to do that, in a way. But she didn¡¯t need to say it like that.


    ¡°That is not entirely accurate. I will of course be contributing to the fight. But yes it is likely that you will grow more powerful than me, and quickly. I can support you with my knowledge and with the Skills the System grants me, but I doubt I will remain a viable combatant. I will remind you, however, that I am a Legend class Monarch, I will be useful.¡±


    ¡°I think we can all agree that we aren¡¯t going to leave you behind just because you aren¡¯t a combatant. A Queen is probably useful in many other ways.¡± the boy said, surprising her. Wichita had expected that to be a harder sell.


    ¡°If Miss Rose would be kind enough to sleep, then I could guide her about choosing a class.¡± she said. ¡°In fact, that might be a good lesson on Fae magic.¡±


    Rose grumbled under breath and looked at the ground. Wichita looked at it too. ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    There was clearly a problem. Rose had been procrastinating going to sleep, something she really needed to do. Wichita did not agree with the System¡¯s silly, idiotic insistence on only showing one class options once they went to sleep, but she did not have a choice in the matter. The forest would only wait for so long. Did she not understand the urgency?


    ¡°Is there something I can do to help?¡± she offered.


    ¡°Not unless you¡¯ve got a bed stashed somewhere.¡± Rose snapped at her, kneeling down while she felt at the forest floor. Wichita suddenly understood what the difficulty was. A human needed comfort to sleep. The floor would not do.


    ¡°Oh, I can help with that!¡± she said joyfully. Enchanting was something she was good at, something she had trained for.


    ¡°What?¡± Rose said, shifting uncomfortable on the ground. Tully and the boy, whose name she really needed to get, were looking at her with sympathy.


    ¡°I can¡¯t get a bed, but I can make the floor feel like one.¡± she said, walking up to her. ¡°There is no need for you to get up, I can work around you.¡± Hmm, how should she go about this without wasting too much mana?


    A border and comfort enchantment of course. There was little enchantment could not do that magic could. And that meant she had a wide variety of things she could do ¡ª as long as she had suitable resources. Thankfully, mind mana was easy to get in small quantities, just about any sapient would have some around. Wichita just needed to manipulate it to form an illusion.


    ¡°Do you mind if the enchantment gets some information from your mind?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Rose¡¯s asked, her voice betraying her alarm.


    ¡°I just need it to be able to get what you find comfortable, it would reduce the amount of mana I need to waste. The enchantment will transform the area into whatever is comfortable to you. I can even make it visual if you wish.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª just the information about what I find comfortable? Can¡¯t I just tell you that?¡± the girl asked nervously.


    ¡°Even if you tell me, it would not matter. The mana is the one that needs to know. Don¡¯t worry, more malicious enchantments would require more mana than I currently have at my disposal.¡± That should put her concerns to rest. Wichita wasn¡¯t really lying even. Bounding the mana into an enchantment this large was a bit costly to her mana pool. Why hadn¡¯t she taken the mana shaping classes? Arcana had spoiled her with its thousands of mana wells refilling her mana faster than she could spend it.


    ¡°Yes.¡± she said finally, sounding more hesitant than Wichita would have liked. ¡°With the illusion, please.¡±


    The next few seconds were awkward as Wichita just hovered over the girl, shaping mana around her. Ten mana and a single enchantment later, it was done. The enchantment wasn¡¯t Master work, but it didn¡¯t need to be. Rose seemed quite satisfied with it.


    ¡°This is weird.¡± Tully murmured.


    ¡°What is?¡±


    The younger girl looked up in surprise, apparently having not seen her coming.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough physical presence to make noise as I move.¡± Wichita explained. ¡°I apologize if I caused you any distress.¡±


    ¡°No, I was just surprised.¡± Tully said, suddenly looking very awkward. Wichita had difficulty getting a grip on the girl¡¯s personality, on any of them really. Rose was the easiest with her suspicion, but the boy spoke far too little for her to get much of anything.


    ¡°I thought I would explain Fae magic to you while we wait for Rose to fall asleep.¡± she said, looking at the fidgeting girl. ¡°I think it will take a while.¡±


    ¡°I think it would be better if we didn¡¯t stare at her.¡± the boy said, making Tully jump. Wichita had seen him coming.


    ¡°Yes.¡± she agreed. ¡°Fae magic, as I said before, is based on Stories. There isn¡¯t much I can really explain it to you, it can¡¯t be controlled through normal means. I would not suggest relying on it either, it only keeps to its own rules when it suits its whims.¡±


    ¡°If it only follows its rules when it suits its whims, then are they even rules?¡± Tully asked.


    Wichita gave her a wry smile. ¡°Yes, well the Fae told us they are the rules of Fae magic, so we call them so. But that is not relevant.¡± If she were honest, she still did not know what to explain to them. Perhaps it would be better if she started from the beginning.


    ¡°To truly understand how magic works, you need to know what mana is. Mana is the not just the fuel of magic, it¡¯s a substance that can turn into anything that can be in that instance.¡± she said. Now she regretted starting from here. This would take it in the wrong direction, and she would not be able to explain how Stories worked, at least not well.


    ¡°Take the air here for example. There is a slight possibility that this entire passage could combust and kill us. A powerful enough Fae magic could manipulate mana until only that possibility remained in its eyes, meaning that mana would immediately do that. Of course, the same can be done by a powerful enough Iridorian mage, but they would have to use their own mana instead of what is present here naturally.¡±


    Wichita looked at the expressions of the two, who seemed equally horrified and excited, and wondered if she should continue. The next part should be calming, but people reacted differently to learning how weak they were. At Tier 1, the lot of them barely had Stories. Fae magic was only an important thing because they were stuck in this bloody forest, and because they were transmigrators.


    A yelp emerged from where Rose had fallen asleep, taking the choice away from her.


    The girl was examining the air with far more interest than most would bother. The System had shown her what class options she had. And now Wichita would have the pleasure of directing a prospective subject to greatness.


    What did the System¡¯s description say? Raise others to greatness? Well, perhaps her Story would help with it too then. Perhaps, if she was really lucky, she would get experience from it.

 Chapter 12- For once, luck is on Wichitas side...supposedly

    ¡°I take it that you have received your class options?¡± Wichita asked, feeling strangely confident for once.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rose said. ¡°There are a lot of them. Did the System read my mind? There are things in here that I would not expect it to know.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Wichita answered matter-of-factly. ¡°The System has been reading your mind since you arrived here, and I rather doubt it will stop.¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª I see. So, how does this go? Do I have to show my options?¡± Rose protested meekly.


    Wichita sighed.


    ¡°No, but it would be better if you did. I cannot guide you if I don¡¯t know what you have.¡± she said that, but she also used the Skill she had gotten from the System. [Forgotten Melody]


    The forest hovered over her, judging her, reading her as she passed through its trials -


    The forest hovered, it mutated, it was excited and bored, it wanted to know what they would do.


    The forest was hungry it for their blood. The sight of their blood seeping into its roots filled her vision, her mana fed its trees -


    Wichita grunted as she snapped out of the Skill.


    ¡°¡­what happened?¡± Rose¡¯s concerned voice asked.


    ¡°I tried out a Skill to see what Story you were forming.¡± she said truthfully. ¡°Then I could have given you advice without needing to know your options.¡±


    ¡°I take it didn¡¯t go well.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± she confessed. ¡°The forest¡¯s Story is too overwhelming, I wasn¡¯t able to handle it. That wasn¡¯t so before, but¡­we have attracted its attention. I doubt I will be able to use that Skill properly before we leave, at most I might be able to get a sense of what the forest is trying to do. The thing is far more powerful than I thought it was previously, far, far more powerful.¡±


    Three aspects. Like three different forests, and they were all judging her. That was inaccurate, she knew. There was only one forest, even if it was more sentient then she had presumed. So sentient that it had to be at least Tier 6. Wichita felt terror at just the thought of it. Tier 6 meant the forest could kill her easily, she did not have any chance of resisting.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°That we need to get stronger before we move forward.¡± she answered, deciding to keep that information to herself for now. ¡°I know you have your secrets, but I do hope you will reveal some of them. The three of you will be the only ones from your world for the foreseeable future. I would suggest just telling them and being done with it, instead of dragging it out for days and years.¡±


    ¡°Keeping secrets usually doesn¡¯t end well in books.¡± the boy commented. ¡°And Stories can apparently alter reality here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up you.¡± Rose murmured, her words not carrying much heat.


    The boy raised his hands in surrender anyway. ¡°Just giving a suggestion.¡± Wichita wondered what was going on between them, but let it be.


    ¡°Well, the first thing you should know is that¡­ I have powers.¡± she grimaced, as if expecting someone to strike her. The way she looked at the boy told her that she had a particular suspect in mind.


    ¡°What powers?¡± Tully asked, seeming as excited about this as she had been about magic. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about them?¡±


    ¡°I can see things around me without having to look at them.¡± she answered. So that was the mana she had sensed from her before.


    ¡°And?¡± Tully asked, still looking excited.


    Rose grew irritated at that. ¡°Just that. I am not one of the big five you know, I can¡¯t blow up continents on a whim. There¡¯s a reason most of us don¡¯t want to be revealed.¡± The girl threw a glare at the boy.


    ¡°Come on, you know I don¡¯t agree about that stuff!¡± the boy raised his hands in surrender again. ¡°And besides, we¡¯re in a new world, can¡¯t we put that behind us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Jace, can you bear to not drag me into a mother fucking portal to another world? Perhaps take a bit of responsibility for it?¡± she was practically shouting by the end of it.


    Jace had his hands still raised, and he kept them there. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for you to come, ok! But come on, you know that offer was too good to refuse. Don¡¯t tell me you weren¡¯t fed up with the world and wanted to-¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t ask me to come?! What did you think I was about to do when my sister was walking through a portal to another world? Stay behind? Don¡¯t act dumb, Jace, you knew what you were doing.¡± Rose growled out the words.


    Jace looked like he wanted to protest, but wisely kept his opinions to himself. Tully was less wise.


    ¡°I mean, I was the one that -¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it would be best if we tabled this for now.¡± Wichita interrupted. ¡°Perhaps continue it when we aren¡¯t in a deadly forest that wants to feed you to monsters.¡±


    Rose looked at her. ¡°That¡¯s what you saw?¡±


    Wichita was surprised she figured that out. ¡°A part of it yes, but I would advise against wasting time. I presume your powers have something to do with the classes you got?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rose sighed. ¡°I have [Commoner Lady], [Suspicious Survivor] and [Overprotective Sister]¡±


    Wichita froze. ¡°Is there a rarity mentioned?¡±


    ¡°I only told you about the Narrative rarity ones. ¡± Rose said. ¡°I presume the rarer it is, the better?¡±


    ¡°The System showed you the rarity?¡± she asked again.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rose was getting suspicious by this point. [Suspicious Survivor] really did suit her.


    ¡°The good news.¡± she began. ¡°Is that I know them all.¡±


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    ¡°But they aren¡¯t very good?¡± Rose finished her sentence.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Wichita grimaced. ¡°I suppose it has been too little time since you entered this world, your Story hasn¡¯t really formed yet. The fact that you didn¡¯t qualify for any transmigrator specific classes makes things worse.¡±


    ¡°So¡­suggestions?¡± Rose asked, pursing her lips. The girl did not seem to have been put down by her classes.


    Wichita sighed. ¡°[Suspicious Survivor] suits you best.¡± Tully and Jace snickered behind her as Rose glared at them. ¡°But [Overprotective Sister] -¡± Tully snickered again. Rose was getting more irritated by the minute. ¡°¡ª would likely give you protection Skills that would be valuable. But I doubt your sister will be very happy with it.¡±


    ¡°Can I veto that class?¡± Tully asked. ¡°I should be able to, I¡¯m involved. And I don¡¯t want my overprotective sister to have Skills to enforce it.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Rose answered. Wichita sighed.


    ¡°Ignoring the talk of vetoes, I would still suggest [Commoner Lady]¡± Wichita continued.


    Rose looked puzzled. ¡°Why? The description makes it looks like something focused on parties and management. Not combat.¡±


    Wichita smiled. ¡°That is exactly what a class is. There is just one thing you should know. The class is nobility based. The kind reserved for rich merchants aiming for nobility.¡±


    ¡°So basically your parents.¡± Jace pointed out. Wichita glared at him.


    ¡°As nobility -¡± she stressed her words, trying to dissuade more interruptions. ¡°¡ª Rose would have the ability to swear herself to me. There would be no need for Skills and such, since that is what the class is for. To help one swear themselves to a monarch and become nobility.¡±


    ¡°And that would let her get a better class!¡± Tully grinned, catching on somehow. Wichita wasn¡¯t sure how she¡¯d connected the dots there. ¡°That¡¯s genius!¡±


    Well, it really wasn¡¯t, but she would take the praise. Wichita still wasn¡¯t sure how the young human had figured it out. Was she familiar with the System somehow?


    ¡°So my recommendation is [Commoner Lady]. As the first lady to swear yourself to me, it should transform your class into a pretty rare one. And the fact that I swore a transmigrator in as my first noble should give me a level, and ensure I get the Skill to swear the other two in.¡±


    In other words, their problem was solved.


    ¡°That seems too easy.¡± Rose said, echoing her thoughts.


    ¡°There is a price to pay, of course.¡± she continued. ¡°If you do leave my service after we escape the forest, it will¡­reflect badly on you. Leaving as a noble is considered a pretty big betrayal. And if I just let you go, then it seems like you did something bad.¡±


    ¡°Oh, your Story would love it, but a lot of Monarchs won¡¯t. I can¡¯t speak to the customs of the world right now, but in my Age it would prevent you from becoming a noble again, unless you grow powerful enough that it would not matter. Then monarchs would love to have you for their skills, even if they wouldn¡¯t trust you. But yes, there is a price.¡±


    ¡°A pretty big one.¡± Rose pointed out.


    Wichita had the self-awareness to look ashamed. ¡°Yes, it is true. I fear I can do little to allay it. The fact that we are getting this opportunity alone is likely due to your transmigrator Fae magic. But even that has its limits.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem that lucky to me.¡± Rose murmured, but did not continue protesting.


    ¡°How important is rarity?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That is a difficult question.¡± Wichita said. ¡°I can¡¯t give you a straight answer, its too subjective.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know the subject.¡± Rose shot back.


    ¡°I am thinking.¡± she replied. ¡°[Suspicious Survivor] is a safe option, it will give you observational Skills that can be very useful. If you survive, your Tier 2 class will be boosted by your¡­affinity with the class.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a but in there.¡± Rose pointed out. ¡°I can just feel it.¡±


    Wichita wondered if she was a person whose luck was similarly terrible. The fact that she just presumed there was a but in things could imply that.


    ¡°Yes. The Skills will not be worth much. The forest is Tier 6 at least, your Skills will not be able to affect it at all.¡± she confessed. ¡°And you will be approaching Tier 3 by the time we leave. The forest does not seem likely to let us leave anytime soon, and Tier 1 was built to be done by one-year-olds. The average person takes a week to complete it. Stuck in this forest, you¡¯ll be done in a day.¡±


    ¡°So I have to take a class if I need to survive.¡± Rose said. ¡°And the only option, only real option I have will basically swear me to you for life. How convenient.¡±


    ¡°The probabilities have been reduced.¡± Jace pointed out. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean Fae magic is at work?¡±


    Wichita pursed her lips. ¡°Yes, it could. I can¡¯t be sure, but¡­it might be my Story acting here. I am a Queen with no land or subjects. Having a noble lady would be opportune. After forcing me into a situation where I nearly died saving you, it might think this is fair.¡±


    As usual Fae magic was making trouble for her. Jace had already figured out it was at work, it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out whose. There went whatever trust she had built between them.


    ¡°Oh. I thought it might be the luck thing going on, but this makes more sense.¡±


    Or maybe she had overestimated their intelligence and made things worse for herself. Of course, she had done that.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t really that much that is bad about it.¡± she said. ¡°I could offer to you autonomy. And really, I would be a fool to treat you badly. I know that¡¯s probably not what you want to hear -¡±


    ¡°Oh fine! Not like I want to be nobility anyway!¡± Rose yelled, and Wichita felt it. Fae magic telling her that someone willing and able to be her first noble stood in front of her. Of course, she was smart enough to not mention it immediately.


    ¡°That was unexpected.¡± she commented. Rose glared at her. ¡°I have read enough stories to know that something bad will happen, I will regret it, and it will turn into a tragic backstory. Did you get your level?¡±


    ¡°No, but you haven¡¯t sworn yourself to me.¡± she answered.


    ¡°How do I -¡±


    ¡°Transmigrator Rose, do you accept the position of First Lady in my court?¡± she asked, feeling the weight of her Story taking shape. There were a lot more things she could have added in the sentences, maybe even some speech about responsibilities that would bind the girl. But doubted her new subject would like it if she did that.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rose replied, and it was done.


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 6


    Skill gained: [Forgotten Call]


    [Forgotten Call]: Call upon the lost, the dying, the forgotten. Raise them into your banner so they may rise with you. Grants the ability to call three persons into your banner per level. The persons must meet requirements.


    Of course, it did not say what the requirements were. Wichita could feel it anyway, Fae magic revealed it to her. How it did was as mysterious as the magic itself, but she simply had knowledge of it. Thankfully, both the transmigrators qualified.


    Wichita threw a fireball at the System in her mind, angry that it had given her such a ridiculous restriction. What monarch had restrictions on whom they could bring into their fold?


    ¡°So, what did you get?¡± she asked Rose, deciding to deal with it before taking the other two in.


    ¡°[First Lady of the Forgotten]¡± she replied. ¡°The System didn¡¯t mention the rarity.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is typical of it.¡± Wichita said. The stupid thing was probably throwing a tantrum again.


    ¡°Well, it sounds impressive.¡± Jace offered as Tully nodded. ¡°Were you from the Forgotten Lands or something?¡±


    Wichita took a second to realize that the question was aimed at her. ¡°No, but my class is the [Forgotten Queen] given my circumstances. I presume that is why the class is named so.¡±


    Jace looked like he wanted to say something, but Rose cut in before he could.


    ¡°Wichita, what exactly is a Royal Skill? And why does it tell me to ask you for permission to use it?¡±

 Chapter 13- Royal shenanigans

    Wichita froze in place. ¡°A Royal Skill? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Well unless your System suddenly decided to take away my ability to read, yes. What does it mean?¡±


    ¡°I ¡ª I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t heard of that happening before. There have been Royal Skills that affected others, but none that just gave the Royal Skill to others. This is¡­this is new.¡± Wichita knew, intellectually, that eight monarchs were not enough to have exhausted all types of Royal Skills. This still too much for her.


    Royal Skills drew power from bloodlines, how could one wield it without a bloodline? Perhaps if it had been a lesser bloodline, then it was possible for the System to replicate its effect. But not with this. This was a Tier 9 bloodline, something that System should not have been able to replicate. Nor was it something it would want to. The System had been complaining about the Royal Skills since before the First Age, she doubted it would go so far to help her.


    And yet here she was.


    ¡°Do it. I give you permission to use it.¡± she said.


    Rose frowned, but Wichita felt her switch it on. And then disappear.


    ¡°What?¡± Jace was actually the first one to react.


    ¡°This is normal, she should be safe.¡± Wichita said, wondering if she would actually be safe. There was too much she did not know about the Royal Skill still.


    ¡°What is she going to experience? What is a Royal Skill? Why do you look like -¡± Tully began, but stopped when Rose returned?


    The girl was clutching her head, though she did not appear to be otherwise injured.


    ¡°Rose¡­¡± Tully sounded worried as she approached her. Wichita and Jace followed. ¡°Are you ok?¡±


    The girl shuddered. ¡°I thought it was supposed to be safe.¡± Jace murmured.


    ¡°I think she had an adverse reaction to the Skill.¡± Wichita answered, doubting her own words in her mind. ¡°Perhaps humans aren¡¯t -¡±


    ¡°No, no, I am fine.¡± Rose grunted and stood up on shaky legs, her eyes clouding. More notifications? Then she turned towards her. ¡°Was that real?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Rose sighed. ¡°Well, it looked real.¡±


    ¡°What was it?¡± Tully asked, clearly unable to hold her curiosity back anymore.


    ¡°A city.¡± Rose said. ¡°A different world, maybe. I saw so much, it was like my power was enhanced. There was so much. Just¡­so much.¡± Wichita was getting more worried by the second. Had Rose¡¯s mind been damaged somehow? Why was she repeating things?


    ¡°I don¡¯t have words to describe it. I was able to sense every edge, every strong gust of wind. Like I had a sixth sense that just noticed things. Not just that, there were perspectives to it. Just about every time looked at things, there was something I hadn¡¯t noticed before. ¡± her words were filled with awe towards the end.


    Wichita could not really relate. What was so great about that? Even her mana sense was able to tell her that much, though Rose¡¯s sense seemed to be more comprehensive.


    ¡°Can you use it here too?¡± Jace asked.


    ¡°No, of course I can''t. Like, I don¡¯t know to say this. The world was responding to what I asked over there. The more I asked, the more it would tell me. I bet if I asked it how to do magic, it would tell me.¡±


    ¡°Did you?¡± Jace asked. ¡°Ask it to teach you to do magic, I mean.¡±


    Rose paused. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t think of it. I wasn¡¯t there for long, you know.¡±


    Wichita intervened before they could go on a tangent. ¡°I am sure there will be more chances to go there. But I think it is safe to presume that the Skill takes you to a ¡®world¡¯ where you can enhance your powers.¡±


    ¡°That sounds useful.¡± Jace commented.


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Wichita nodded. ¡°Did you get any Skill changes?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rose nodded. ¡°I got [Inkling of Perception] and my class evolved into [Perceptive Lady of the Forgotten]


    Wichita was surprised to the point of freezing for the second time in minutes. ¡°An evolved class?¡±


    Even her own class hadn¡¯t evolved, it had just transformed. This was out of her expectation. Perhaps Rose really did experience something important, and was unable or unwilling to describe it properly. Wichita turned to the others.


    ¡°The Royal Skill will only be there while you remain one of my subjects. But - ¡°


    ¡°But you would suggest we use it.¡± Jace said, looking at Rose. ¡°Rose looks like she will agree to anything you say now. Are you sure there aren¡¯t any mental effects involved?¡±


    Wichita pursed her lips. ¡°There very well might be. A non-combat Skill like this usually doesn¡¯t harm their user, but I am not sure what counts as harm. The System is simulating magic it deems helpful to us, but those magics might not be easy to use. I can easily think of a few that would harm us at this point.¡±


    Like the famous [Lightning that courses through the earth]. Wichita wondered if she could get it through her Royal Skill somehow. Or have one of her followers get it. That was a legendary Skill. The dream of her life really. If she could get her hands on it -


    ¡°So do our new powers go away if we quit?¡± Tully asked. Wichita wondered if she should correct her. Leaving a Queen¡¯s service was not something as simply as ¡®quitting¡¯. But oh well, it did her little good to mention it now.


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    ¡°I would doubt it. The blame would be on me for letting you quit.¡± she said.


    ¡°Wait, you would lose something?¡± Jace asked, actually sounding surprised.


    ¡°Besides the effort and resources I put into your growth? I suppose it would have an effect on my Story. After all, my first subjects had bet-quit on me.¡± Wichita knew that Fae magic would take it as a betrayal.


    ¡°Oh, I ¡ª maybe we can come to an arrangement after we leave? I mean it¡¯s not definite that we have to -¡±


    ¡°Do not worry on my account, I will deal. Just surviving is reward enough.¡± she replied. ¡°Do you agree to enter my service, follow my laws and honor my words?¡± Wichita switched her Skill on. The [Forgotten Call] was now stretching out.


    ¡°What laws?¡± Tully asked.


    Wichita sighed. The subject was not supposed to interrupt her. A commoner did not question a Queen. Then again, she rather doubted she would get a Queen¡¯s respect in her life. What person would actually believe in her that much?


    ¡°There are none. I am a Queen of no nation, how would I have any laws?¡± she scoffed. ¡°I just felt that the words would be suitable. Not humoring Fae magic can have cruel consequences.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Tully almost sounded disappointed. ¡°I agree then.¡±


    Jace rolled his eyes. ¡°Oh sure.¡±


    Wichita looked at them. ¡°Did you get your classes?¡±


    ¡°¡­no.¡± Tully answered. ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to go to sleep before it happens?¡±


    Wichita wanted to scream and rail against the System. How did they not get a class from that! The bloody System was cheating again!


    ¡°No, an earned class does not need that. Did you at least get the Royal Skill?¡± she asked. Perhaps that would push them over the edge.


    ¡°Yes.¡± the two of them answered at once. Wichita looked around her at the seemingly safe place.


    ¡°I think you should use it now. The forest seems to be in a good mood right now.¡± she said. In fact, it seemed to be an area made specifically for this type of shenanigans. Like it had known they would need some time to get their classes and prepare. And it had given it to them,


    Was it being kind, or did it think it would be more interesting to deal with them when they were stronger? Did the forest want to hunt?


    Jace and Tully disappeared as she turned to Rose. The girl was still staring at some trees, likely trying out her Skill.


    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± she asked.


    ¡°There is something between these trees. I can¡¯t really see it, but my Skill keeps telling me it¡¯s there. And that it¡¯s important.¡± Rose answered.


    ¡°That would be the cracks in reality. The forest really does not want us to leave.¡± Wichita answered as her two new subjects returned. The Royal Skill¡¯s duration was really, really short.


    ¡°What do you mean cracks in reality?¡± Rose practically shouted, but Wichita¡¯s attention was already elsewhere. Jace just looked confused, but Tully was another matter. A glistening silver blade extended from her fingers to her mana sense, containing incredible potential for destruction. The kind of potential that Lierot¡¯s purifying flame had held.


    Wichita let out a whoop, unable to contain herself as relief flooded her body. Yes, yes, yes.


    ¡°I name you my blade.¡± she said, barely able to contain her giddiness. ¡°I name you first among my warriors, the vanguard of my forces.¡± Wichita had forgotten the rest of it, but she had a feeling it would be enough.


    ¡°I got a new class option!¡± Tully¡¯s eyes brightened. Wichita froze at class options. As in more than one. Of course. Leirot had needed to go through a false life to get something of equivalent potency. Tully had got something similar through legitimate means. Of course, she had earned several classes.


    ¡°What did you get?¡± Even Rose seemed eager. ¡°Don¡¯t take something too dangerous.¡± Wichita could feel the glare coming her way. Had she done something wrong? Why was the girl angry at her?


    ¡°Don¡¯t take something that will - ¡°


    ¡°I already took it.¡± Tully pouted.


    ¡°What?¡± Wichita and Rose said at the same time. Jace facepalmed.


    ¡°What do you mean you took a class?!¡± Rose practically yelled. ¡°Did you not listen to anything we said? A class is an important -¡±


    "¡°The rarer the class it¡¯s better right? The System told me it was a Legend class. The only one I got. And I couldn¡¯t tell anyone about it before picking it.¡± Tully shrugged.


    Wichita¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Was it First Traitor?¡± That class was famous for killing more than one new monarch. Oh dear, she should run -


    ¡°No, it¡¯s [Justice of the Forgotten Queen]¡± Tully said, sending Wichita head spinning. The class was new, but it was not an unexpected variant. The question was why it was being offered to Tully, or why it was even of the time limited variety. Or heck, why had the System seen fit to tell her its rarity?


    To that end, a Legend class as Justice? Wichita had a feeling that this was not a normal variant of the class.


    ¡°I got a couple of Skills too!¡± Tully continued. ¡°[Sword Call] and [Sword Forge].¡±


    Wichita took a deep breath. This was not what she had expected. ¡°What did you get through the Royal Skill?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The Skill took me to a place full of swords. There were like thousands of ¡®em. I just picked the one that was shining. Then I had these sword thingies coming from my finger when I returned.¡±


    Wichita¡¯s eyes widened. That ¡ª she knew that place! ¡°The Court of Swords!¡± she exclaimed.


    ¡°Wait you know that place?¡± Rose asked, sounding surprised.


    ¡°Yes, the Iridor used to bring anyone with skill in the sword there. Just about anyone that had potential as a warrior really. There are less than five people in known history that got chosen by the swords there.¡± she said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the System was able to duplicate it.¡±


    Or that it had used such a precious thing on her Royal Skill. This was suspicious.


    ¡°Why are you so sure that it was a duplicate? Couldn¡¯t it be the real thing? If those Iridor people can do it, couldn¡¯t the System? Isn¡¯t it like more powerful.¡± Rose said. Why was she so attached to it being real?


    ¡°No.¡± Wichita scowled at the boy, though he knew he was just speaking out of ignorance. ¡°The System is not more powerful than the Iridor. The Iridor were a race that reached Tier 9 at adulthood. The System¡¯s power only reaches Tier 8. Not to mention that the Court of Swords is in a different world, with different laws of magic. What Tully wields is Sword Qi, something that doesn¡¯t even exist on this world. The System doesn¡¯t have enough power to pull off that kind of teleportation.¡±


    The Arcana had been researching the bloody thing for a long time, they knew more about it than they cared to. The System did not have the capability to do something-Wichita yelped in surprise as the trees had started moving. The forest had apparently decided that the rest period had been long enough.


    ¡°I should have taken that nap.¡± Rose murmured as all three of them headed for the two exits. The trees seemed to be moving, like a pair of doors closing, five tree on each side changed their orientation at once. Wichita did not want to know what happened if they were in their path.


    ¡°So, left or right?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What does your perception tell you?¡± she asked before anyone else could interrupt.


    ¡°Oh, uh, left.¡± Rose said, sounding way too nervous. ¡°Send a bit of your Sword Qi in there.¡± she ordered Tully, who followed her commands eagerly.


    ¡°Now we move.¡± she said, running into the left path as the trees closed behind them.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very important or anything.¡± Jace said as they walked in. ¡°But I got [Unworthy] as my class. The System kinda forced it on me after the Royal Skill refused to work.¡±

 Chapter 14- Queens and forests

    Wichita could hardly believe her ears. What was the System thinking? The [Unworthy] class was unknown to her. But it was not difficult to figure out what type of class it was. What exactly had the System seen in the boy that was horrible enough to justify such a thing?


    What had he done to deserve this? How come the System hated him even more than it hated her?


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of it. But I do know of similar ones. Did you get any Skills?¡± she asked. Jace huffed, though that might have been from all the running. The boy was clearly out of shape. ¡°No, and the System told me I wouldn¡¯t get any. Is that like¡­something it will do?¡±


    Wichita pursed her lips as she wondered what she should say. Perhaps lying would provide him some hope. But she would not like being lied to.


    ¡°Yes. [Unworthy] is from a special type of class.¡± she said. ¡°I know of one another in detail, and a few others in the passing.¡±


    The trees were still closing in on them, and Jace was running out of breath. So were Tully and Rose, though the latter looked like she could still hold on. The first two however, they were on their last legs.


    ¡°How -¡± Jace gasped as he tried to speak.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk, it will only make things worse. The conversation can wait.¡± Wichita answered.


    ¡°Can you try carrying him? With your super strength?¡± Rose asked between breaths. Wichita squinted at the boy.


    ¡°I am not sure.¡± she answered honestly. ¡°What material did you use for the clothes?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Rose asked, her voice growing high-pitched. Wichita had a feeling that they didn¡¯t know.


    ¡°I need to enchant the clothes to pick him up, I can¡¯t really interact with objects easily.¡± she said.


    ¡°What.¡± Rose¡¯s answer seemed more like an exclamation than a question. Tully¡¯s eyes were bulging, but she did not have the energy to speak. How were they getting exhausted so fast? The four of them had barely been running for a few hundred meters! A kilometer at most.


    Rushing through a new intersection, she realized that they were slacking. Rose barely had time to use her powers anymore, and Tully was in no condition to shoot sword qi to clear obstacles.


    Wichita had to wonder what the forest was trying to accomplish. If a beast struck them right now, they would probably die. Heck, they might just die if they ran some more.


    ¡°I- I can¡¯t do it anymore.¡± Jace said, stopping in the middle as he held onto his knees, gasping for breath. Wichita wanted to protest, but it was clearly true. More than that, though, the trees had stopped with him.


    Rose was staring at them like she was looking at a monster. ¡°That was¡ªwhat was that?¡±


    Wichita did not answer, and instead turned her Skill on. [Forgotten Melody] became active as she felt it around her.


    The forest was judging. The forest was hungry. The hungry forest was judging, but it was holding itself back.


    The forest was judging.


    A gaze, ancient, and partial was looking at them, judging them and finding them wanting.


    Snapping out of it while it wasn¡¯t overwhelming her, she looked at her companions.


    ¡°That was a test.¡± she said.


    ¡°A test of endurance?'''' Jace wheezed out from where he had collapsed on the forest floor. Wichita thanked whatever Iridor had decided that the Arcana shouldn¡¯t breathe. This was clearly a great weakness.


    ¡°Yes.¡± she said truthfully. ¡°And no, I think.¡±


    ¡°What do you-¡±


    ¡°Just let her talk.¡± Tully interrupted before Rose could continue. ¡°Not like -¡± the younger girl gasped. Wichita got the feeling she was the most exhausted one here. ¡°¡ª we¡¯re going anywhere¡±


    ¡°I used my Skill on the forest. Remember how I said there were three aspects to the forest? The one we just dealt with is the judgmental one. I think it was analyzing our capabilities.¡±


    ¡°To do¡± Jace gasped, ¡°-what?¡±


    ¡°Judge us¡± Even Rose could not keep herself from gasping, though her breaths were lighter. And she hadn¡¯t collapsed onto the floor. ¡°¡ª obviously.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but more than that.¡± Wichita continued. ¡°This is mostly just guesses, but I think the forest is a trial. A fair trial. Think about it, the change came after the fight. Rose and I were the only ones that could fight, so it changed things up. After we got everyone classes, the trials started again.¡±


    ¡°There is more too. I encountered powerful beasts before, but none of them killed me.¡± she hadn¡¯t thought much about it then, but it made sense in hindsight. ¡°The forest was only throwing weak beasts against me. Now it¡¯s testing us to see what kind of challenges we are ready for.¡±


    ¡°If that was the test-¡± Jace began.


    ¡°- What kind of things are we going to face now?¡± Tully finished the sentence.


    ¡°I do not know.¡± Wichita replied honestly. ¡°The other two aspects of the forest are¡­not pleasant. If we have to face them, then I fear for our life. There is a bloodthirstiness to one of them that I dread to face.¡±


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    ¡°So it¡¯s just gonna get worse.¡± Jace sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose any of them are gonna be fair? Perhaps give us a way out?¡±


    ¡°I doubt that.¡± Wichita shared his worries. The four of them had been lucky. This was clearly the easiest portion of the forest. ¡°I would recommend stopping here, in fact I would recommend delaying as much as we can, whenever we can. The more time we have to grow our power, the higher our chances of succeeding.¡±


    ¡°Is there even a chance that we succeed?¡± Rose spat out. ¡°Come on, you said other transmigrators have died before. I presume this luck thing isn¡¯t foolproof. Is there any chance we get out of here?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± Wichita trying to seem confident. In truth, the Heart was the only thing keeping her from becoming a shivering mess. ¡°I am already speculating a lot based on a Skill that is vague at best. Fae magic isn¡¯t something that can be understood easily, it can barely be understood at all.¡±


    ¡°The forest has one of the most advanced and complicated Stories I have heard of. The amount of control, sentience, and power it has marks it as at least Tier 6, likely even higher. The fact of the matter is, we¡¯re here on its whim. As long as we remain within the fairness aspect of it, there¡¯s a chance we live. If we venture into other parts of it though¡­¡±


    Wichita did not need to complete her sentence. In truth, she did not want. If she did that, then she would be lying. Just because some aspect of the forest had a bloody story, that did not mean it would kill them.


    Heck, the chances of the forest¡¯s territories being divided was minimal. There were forests that did that, but it was not usual. Then again, this forest wasn¡¯t usual to begin with.


    There were few forests across the world that might have had stories as powerful as this. There were none that could have produced these kinds of effects. Heck, she hadn¡¯t heard of a single area with a such a concentration of spacial affinity. This was a new forest, produced after she¡¯d had her incident.


    That told her little. Three Ages was plenty of time for forests to come and go. Wichita was feeling very helpless at the moment. There was so little she could do. There was nothing she could think of that would help them survive, no enchantment she could make, no spell she could cast. If Veruna were here, she might have been able to craft a strategy. But she was no strategist, she had read the books, but it wasn¡¯t her strong suit.


    ¡°How about we strategize, then?¡± Tully asked. ¡°Planning can make things easier.¡±


    Rose growled at her. Wichita frowned at the action. What was that about?


    ¡°Is there a problem? There has been some tension between the three of you. I have been-¡±


    ¡°How about we talk about classes instead.¡± Jace inturrepted. ¡°I remember you saying you knew something about mine? What does [Unworthy] do exactly? I admit I didn¡¯t catch most of what you said.¡±


    Wichita took a deep breath. ¡°[Unworthy] belongs to a group called as Tier 0 classes. The classes are usually given to those that wasted their lives. The ones that did not work at all, that cultivated no reputation and were not deemed worthy of the System¡¯s gift. That said, the System is rather partial with their distribution at times.¡±


    ¡°Does this have something to do with your anger against the System?¡± Rose asked.


    Wichita looked up in surprise. ¡°I did not expect you to catch that. But no, not in this case. The System has not dared to give an Ar-one of my species the class since the Enchanting Queen.¡±


    ¡°A relative of yours?¡± Jace asked. Wichita was about to say no, but then realized the answer was, in fact, yes. The realization struck her for a moment as she stood still.


    ¡°The Enchanting Queen is my ancestor. ¡° Wichita paused, her words sinking in. The words she had just spoken. ¡®The Enchanting Queen is my ancestor.¡± she repeated, feeling them sink in. Wichita doubted anyone else would understand what she was feeling. Even Veruna did not understand why she treated Arcana¡¯s second monarch as a personal hero.


    ¡°¡­yes?¡± Rose asked, puzzled. Wichita took a deep breath and calmed herself. There was little doubt in her mind that even these humans would find it strange that she got so excited over being related to the Enchanting Queen. Even that was the Enchanting Queen. Wichita had to calm herself before she let out a squeal in delight.


    ¡°As I was saying, the class is given to those that the System deems unworthy for its skills.¡± she continued, hoping everyone would ignore her outburst. ¡°An odd thing considering that I haven¡¯t heard of someone actually getting the [Unworthy] class before. Just [Trash], [Burden] or even [Waste].


    Jace flinched at her examples. Tully opened her mouth.


    ¡°Are we just gonna ignore that-¡±


    Rose glared at her sister, shutting her up. Wichita pursed her lips, but decided that this information was not worth keeping secret. ¡°The Enchanting Queen was the longest reigning monarch of my nation, she is something of a¡­hero to me. I did not mention her because she is not relevant.¡±


    There that should silence the questions. Even if there was so much more to her ancestor.


    ¡°But onto more important matters.¡± Wichita tried to keep her tone business-like. ¡°The Tier 0 classes are not, in fact, useless. If someone with that class somehow manages to excel anyway, they get an enormous boost to their Fae magic.¡±


    ¡°The Enchanting Queen is a good example of that ¡ª but I am digressing. The class is also not permanent. There is a criterion to pass it, something one must do to prove that they are worthy. For the Enchanting Queen it was winning a duel against her siblings despite having no Skills, a non-combat Royal Skill and limited talent at magic. For you, I suspect it will be getting the Royal Skill to work for you.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t that work anyway?¡± Rose asked.


    Wichita shrugged. ¡°I do not know. This entire thing is new to me, I have not even heard of such Skills working for those not of the bloodline, let alone anything else related to the phenomenon.¡±


    ¡°The Royal Skill will likely take time to figure out, the System would not give an easy challenge. But I do know something that will give him the ability to survive and improve his chances of getting the Skill to work.¡±


    Rose raised an eyebrow as Wichita waited for someone to ask the question. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡±


    Wichita smiled. ¡°Why, it is magic.¡±


    There was silence in the forest as she stared at them smugly. Then her smile slipped. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I thought you said you didn¡¯t have combat Skills?¡± Rose asked. Wichita caught her implication.


    ¡°I cannot cast magic due to the System¡¯s restrictions. But I am still Arc-from my species. I doubt it will be difficult for me to teach magic to a human.¡± she said, then paused. ¡°As long as he has talent. Mana is a fickle thing.¡±


    Rose looked at her suspiciously and then sighed. Wichita decided not to think too much about it. The girl seemed to regard her every action as suspicious.


    ¡°Can I ask a question?¡± Tully asked, raising her hand.


    ¡°Of course.¡± she replied as Rose gestured for her sister to drop her hand.


    ¡°Why are you so hesitant to tell us your species?¡± she asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t judge.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, I do not know-¡±


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s clear enough. There are probably bad bad things your family did, but like, that¡¯s not you.¡± Tully shrugged. ¡°Just look at this guy, his dad is running for president swearing to enslave a bunch of people, and we still followed him here.¡±


    ¡°Tully!¡± Rose screamed at her sister as Jace flinched. Wichita narrowed her eyes at the three of them and thought about what Tully had just said.


    What was this about his family enslaving people? That sounded like his family was important, something she wouldn¡¯t have guessed from his class. How did he end up with a class like [Unworthy] if he came from an influential family? Just being born into one should ensure otherwise.

 Chapter 15 - The forest tries to riddles

    ¡°There is no slavery going on!¡± Jace protested Tully¡¯s words rather loudly.


    ¡°Oh? Is that why Lord of Thunder was so desperate to get us out of the picture?¡± Rose snarked back.


    Jace scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna defend my father, by Lord of Thunder is another piece of work. The guy¡¯s is downright insane and more than a little paranoid. And besides, my father won¡¯t care that I disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and what happened has nothing to do with your father pushing for ¡®restrictions¡¯ on those with magical powers?¡± Rose wasn¡¯t having it.


    Jace raised his hands in mock surrender. ¡°I don¡¯t agree with my dad, ok! Just¡­it¡¯s not slavery. That¡¯s a different thing.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it would be prudent if we moved away from this conversation.¡± she interjected before it got worse. The two of them weren¡¯t even listening to each other, just throwing their points around in hopes they would land.


    ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Jace shrugged as Rose glared at him.


    ¡°What do we need to talk about then?¡± Rose turned to her. ¡°Tell me what is your family responsible for?¡±


    The girl seemed strangely hostile for some reason. Wichita considered making up an elaborate lie about Arcana being good. Perhaps she could act like she was from one of the weak species Arcana had hunted to extinction. Weren¡¯t the Istel mana lifeforms too? That could work.


    Rose¡¯s glare made her hesitate. Would she be able to lie to the girl? Perception Skills were tricky. And she was too close to human to be sure that Rose wouldn¡¯t pick up any clues.


    ¡°Ok!¡± Tully interjected, ending the glaring match that had she was having with Rose. ¡°How about we all calm down.¡± the younger girl said really slowly. Rose turned her head towards her sister and glared at her.


    ¡°I am calm.¡± she protested.


    Tully gave her a look of disdain.


    ¡°Do you see me - ¡°


    ¡°Tully is right.¡± Wichita interrupted. ¡°I think we should focus on preparing some more. Didn¡¯t Tully still have to explain her class to us?¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± the younger girl seemed a bit surprised at the attention she was facing. ¡°Oh, sure! I have two of them [Sword Forge] and [Sword Call]. The [Sword Forge] is the Skill that lets me make those silver laser shot thingies. I don¡¯t know what [Sword Call] does.¡±


    ¡°[Sword Call] allows you to access the energy in the energy of your sword in the first place.¡± Wichita said as she sensed the mana around her start acting up again. ¡°The two Skills are fairly standard. No, I meant testing it out on that box that is emerging from the ground.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The three transmigrators turned to where she was pointing at once, looking at the box that was emerging from the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s like, a shipping box.¡± Rose commented. ¡°Why would there be a shipping box here?¡±


    ¡°I know right? I expected it to be a treasure chest. But it¡¯s just a plain old box.¡± Tully answered. Even Rose looked puzzled.


    ¡°Why would there be a treasure chest here? This isn¡¯t a dungeon.¡± Jace asked the question on their minds.


    Wichita couldn¡¯t make sense of what he had said, though. Why would there be treasure chests inside a dungeon? What kind of person kept treasures with prisoners? Didn¡¯t they risk the prisoners stealing them or using them to harm their captives?


    ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t see the similarity. The forest is like a dungeon, giving us fair trials and stuff. But we¡¯ve bitten off more than we can chew, so now it doesn¡¯t know what to do with us. That doesn¡¯t sound familiar to you?¡±


    ¡°The adventurers usually die if they get caught in a higher level dungeon though. And like, dungeons don¡¯t usually level down monsters.¡± Rose commented. So they all knew what this dungeon was. Perhaps something from their world? Wichita was not sure if she should expose her lack of knowledge.


    ¡°Well technically the forest didn¡¯t either.¡± Tully pointed out.


    ¡°I would question that.¡± Wichita interrupted deciding that she did not want to reveal it. There was merit to appearing strong. ¡°The forest almost assuredly has more powerful beasts, considering its Tier. In fact, I would bet that lacking in beasts that it can pit against us fairly might be one of the reasons it is doing this. Now Tully, would you mind shooting the box?¡±


    ¡°Wait. Wouldn¡¯t that, like, piss the forest off?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°The forest is not a human, miss rose.¡± Wichita scoffed. ¡°If the box is a trap, then it will make it easy to destroy. If it is a message, then it will make it difficult. I doubt even Tully could destroy it in that case.¡±


    The girl in question shrugged and sent a little Sword Qi towards the box. The single-minded force of destruction collided with the box that was rising from the ground, and then bounced back. Wichita ducked, seeing the others follow almost immediately. But the Qi just bounced off the ground and fizzled off.


    ¡°A message then.¡± Wichita said. Then doubted herself. ¡°I hope. If that is a monster, then I fear we might be done for.¡±


    Rose glared at her. ¡°So we wait until the box is finished rising up? Why is it so slow anyway?¡±


    ¡°Cause it''s a dungeon duh.¡± Tully answered.


    ¡°What does it being a dungeon have to do with it!¡± Rose practically yelled back. ¡°I haven¡¯t read a single book that mentions how slowly treasure chests rise in a dungeon. Not even the dungeon core ones!¡±


    Tully pouted as she walked over to the chest. ¡°The dungeon is probably taking its time to decide what it wants to give us.¡±


    Rose stared at her like she couldn''t believe what her sister was doing. ¡°I think the chest is done rising up.¡± The younger girl said as she peaked into the open box.


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    ¡°What does it say?¡± Wichita asked. With the System normalizing languages, there was little doubt that the tree¡¯s message would be understandable.


    ¡°Oh um.¡± Tully gulped. What did it say? Was it a threat? There had been forests before that had told people lost in it to clear of its land. And then killed them when they asked for assistance.


    ¡°In the hearth lies the water. In the rush, sustenance. Pause at your risk for there lies trial.¡±


    Wichita blinked. ¡°A riddle?¡± she breathed out in confusion. A forest did not usually give riddles. That was the jurisdiction of caves and their like.


    ¡°I am confused.¡± Jace said. ¡°Is the forest telling us where to find food?¡±


    ¡°And what challenges we might face while retrieving it.¡± Rose answered. ¡°I suppose this is it trying to be fair?¡±


    The girl turned to Wichita for answers, but for once she had none. How would she know what the forest was doing? This was outside of her expectations, very much out of the norm.


    ¡°I would presume from the run that something called the hearth has water. There might be beasts that attack us while we run, providing sustenance. So we will need to hunt to survive. There is something called a trial whenever we stop.¡± she answered.


    The ¡®riddle¡¯ was easy enough. The forest was either very bad at making them, or decided they were not worth the trouble of making a better one. Wichita was not sure if she liked either of those options.


    ¡°I would presume that -¡± Wichita could not continue as she felt the trees start shaking around her. The four of them looked at each other, and then voiced their mutual agreement. ¡°Run.¡±


    Perhaps it was a hallucination, but she thought she saw a cat following them. But once again, it had disappeared before she could confirm its presence.


    ¡°Prepare for beasts!¡± she yelled as they ran for the diverging paths.


    Tully¡¯s hands glowed with Sword Qi, while Jace tried to make himself look smaller. Rose glared at him.


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t have any helpful Skills!¡± he yelled at her, Wichita did not understand why there was a need to yell.


    ¡°I don¡¯t either!¡±


    ¡°Well, you have my gun.¡± he shot back.


    ¡°The gun ran out of bullets.¡± Rose looked at him like he was an idiot. ¡°I can¡¯t use it anymore.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Did you not know how many bullets were in your own gun? How idiotic can you be Jace? At least try using your brain sometimes!¡±


    ¡°I just took the first gun I could get my hands on, ok! I don¡¯t even know what gun that is!¡± the boy protested. ¡°I don¡¯t really use guns, as you know!¡±


    ¡°The food is here.¡± Wichita commented as she looked at the vines. This would be troublesome, her needle wouldn¡¯t be able to target important areas. The needle question was, of course, heading straight for the vines.


    ¡°That is what the forest wants us to eat?¡± Jace looked offended by the vines¡¯ appearance. Wichita did not know enough to judge, but that looked healthy? There was plenty of green on them. Didn¡¯t humans need that?


    ¡°The things don¡¯t look very digestible!¡± he yelled.


    ¡°Tully, Sword Qi!¡± she ordered. ¡°Rose, look out! Jace, stop speaking.¡±


    Tully was the only one who actually followed her orders. Jace just looked at her like she had insulted him somehow. Rose, on the other hand, had more things to say.


    ¡°What do you mean, lookout?! What am I supposed to look out for?!¡± the girl yelled back.


    What part of look out did she not understand? That was such a simple thing!


    ¡°Just look out! For monsters or trees or whatever the forest throws at us. Come on, you¡¯re the person with the perception Skill. I have to try to deal with the vines.¡±


    The vines were increasing, feeding on something as they increased in number. The needle was making quick work of them, and so was Tully, but they weren¡¯t quick enough. A part of her wanted to join the fight, try bashing the vines with stones or something. But that wouldn¡¯t really be helpful.


    ¡°Tully, focus your Sword Qi, try to tell it to go inside. The Qi should listen to you.¡± she said, presuming that it would act like mana. The books mentioned that Qi existed, not how it worked. The needle needed no such commands, it was just enjoying itself.


    ¡°Stop enjoying yourself and get to work!¡± she ordered the bloody thing. The thing in question just shivered, as if shrugging her command away. But it still followed.


    What a pain. Wichita needed to find a way to make it listen to her. The thing was getting on her nerves, and not in a good way.


    Thankfully, the vines were dying. In large numbers.


    ¡°How do we collect this?¡± she asked. ¡°Is there some special preservation you need?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The vines! Is there some special preservation you need to keep it as food?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Oh um.¡± Rose looked at the vines doubtfully. ¡°I have no idea. Perhaps cooking them? I haven¡¯t really cooked that much before. Like, I know how to do basic stuff, but something like this is just -¡±


    ¡°Rose!¡± she yelled back, though she wasn¡¯t sure why. There was a fight going on, but they weren¡¯t really involved. The needle and Tully were handling it. The three of them were dead weights.


    ¡°Oh, um guys.¡± Jace interrupted. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have time for preparations.¡±


    Wichita looked to where he was pointing. The forest floor had been replaced by square cobblestones, making a diagonal pattern across the road. The cobblestones were also disappearing, and beneath them was some kind of liquid. Yellow, boiling and looking unpleasant, she did not want to test it.


    ¡°I think that might have mana in it.¡± she said, relaying what her mana sense was telling her.


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°The thing can hurt me! Get the vines!¡± she said, puling at them. There was now Acid Mana in the air. And Corrosion mana. Even some Poison mana.


    ¡°The forest didn¡¯t skimp on the poison.¡± she murmured as she pulled on the vines, taking off a rather large one. That could be a weapon. Poison mana would work well with it.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to eat this?¡± she asked Rose, who was busy staring at the boiling yellow liquid between the cobblestones. The girl jumped as the floor below her started popping off cobblestones.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand in space!¡± Wichita yelled. ¡°A gap can appear right beneath your feet, you don¡¯t want to be caught where it does.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?!¡± Rose asked. Even Tully was nodding quickly. The cobblestones were disappearing one by one, the holes emerging closer to them as time passed. Tully was closest to the holes, it would reach her in a minute or two.


    ¡°Run ahead! This is a test!¡± she yelled back.


    The three of them looked at her like she wasn¡¯t speaking sense, But she was. This was a test that they needed to pass, in her eyes there was no other way.


    ¡°Come on!¡± she yelled as a cobblestone fell right below her right foot, even though the cobblestones hadn¡¯t started dropping anywhere near her.


    Oh, fuck this forest!

 Chapter 16- Dodging acid

    Wichita¡¯s foot touched the acid before she could move away, and that was enough. The Poison mana crawled up her leg, consuming it as she tried to jump away. The cobblestones disappearing around her made her situation even worse.


    ¡°Jump. Jump. Jump.¡± she repeated, more to center herself than anything else. The other three followed her commands anyway, though it might just have been self-preservation that motivated them to do so. A quick look at her status told her that it wasn¡¯t looking good.


    Mana: 33/453


    The Royal Skill was still on cooldown, and it didn¡¯t seem like it would be usable in time. The Heart was recovering some of the mana by converting the Poison mana, but it was a losing battle. The mana was too powerful, it was taking her mana away faster than her Heart could convert it.


    Wichita swore at her own deficiency. Leirot¡¯s heart was so powerful that it could have stood up the forest itself, converting the surrounding mana to sustain its host. But hers was simply too weak. Forget the forest, it could not handle a little acid.


    Now she was going to die. Wichita nearly lost her balance as she tried to execute a jump, but somehow managed to land on the same bunch of cobblestones again. An increasingly large number of cobblestones were falling around her. In mere moments only one remained where she stood. Yes, she had to jump, and quickly.


    The enchantments on her dress were repelling the corrosion mana, but they had little effect on the Poison mana. The other three had been able to escape, but she was not sure if she could follow.


    The second try at jumping had her landing on a rather safe area. Just not on her legs. Or rather leg. Wichita felt her size reduce as her body found itself lacking in mana to maintain its size. And that had her lose her balance and land on her side. Not something she wanted, considering she was surrounded by a bloody pool of acid!


    Mana: 20/453


    At least the heart was done with most of the Poison mana. If she was able to avoid stepping into more pools of acid, she could survive this. But that was easier said than done.


    ¡°Do you need any help?¡± Rose yelled back, seeming concerned. The three of them had gotten a bit ahead and were looking back with worry on their faces.


    ¡°Yes! But you can¡¯t help me anyway.¡± she replied. If only they could have touched her, then perhaps they could have carried her. As it was, she had to deal with it herself. The Arcana had not been made to cooperate with other species after all. There was doubt whether they were even supposed to cooperate with each other.


    Hopping on one leg as her other regenerated slowly, she jumped onto the next set of cobblestones. And promptly lost her balance. Wichita panicked, seeing her boy fall into the pool of acid.


    Then she saw the vine hanging in the air.


    The needle was levitating it by piercing it and then going up while still inside it. Wichita clutched the slightly magical vine and hung onto it for dear life. A single foot was still on the cobblestones, while the other was in the air. The entire situation was precarious, especially when she considered that the needle had limited mana to do this.


    Still clutching it, she carefully moved her legs onto it. The needle¡¯s mana was draining rather quickly the entire time. Wichita might be made of energy, but the vine wasn¡¯t. The needle started moving as soon as she was safely on the vine. Thankfully it was quite fast.


    The cobblestones passed under her as she hung on, hoping that she would not slip. Even though her grip was firm, and then vine was magical enough for her to interact with it, she still felt nervous. Like something would happen and drop her off. The journey was short, but it was quite harrowing for her.


    Wichita passed the three others, who had made good time. The cobblestones weren¡¯t dropping quite as quickly around them, and they were able to hop far quicker. Jace was the farthest behind, and he was considerably slower too. The poor guy must not have gained any levels, while the other two had. Just running through the cobblestones was good experience.


    The needle fell down after the cobblestones ended, letting her land right after the cobblestones ended. Wichita picked up the poor thing from the ground. That was a lot of mana it had just spent to save her, especially when it hadn¡¯t needed to.


    ¡°Is there any chance we could get a lift?¡± Jace shouted. Wichita turned back in confusion. Why would he need¡ªoh fuck.


    There were no cobblestones between where Jace stood and her, meaning he would not be able to walk across. There must be a few meters between him and the closest cobblestone. Rose and Tully still had a viable path, but she had a sneaking suspicion that the forest would make it harder if she were to rescue Jace. The bloody thing seemed to be quite determined to kill at least one of them here.


    ¡°I -¡± Wichita wracked her mind, thinking about what she could do. There was precious little, in truth. What could she do? The needle had fallen dead¡­but it could be recharged again. Jace wasn¡¯t that far, compared to her. But it would mean letting more of her precious mana go away.


    Growling in frustration, she sent mana into the needle, watching the numbers drop as her body shrunk. The Heart let its displeasure at her choice be known, but she ignored it. 10 points of mana. Not much, not much at all, and that was all she was left with.


    ¡°Don¡¯t activate your speed enchantment.¡± she told the needle. ¡°Eat as many vines as you can on the way, but don¡¯t let Jace die. Rush to him if the cobblestone starts dropping.¡±


    This was a risk, but one she had to take. Rose and Tully might still fall into danger, and she could not afford to give more mana. If she gave more, then even a random stone was liable to kill her. So the needle had to feast on something else. The vines were the only other source she could think of.


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    Wichita watched with bated breath as the vine was carried over by the needle, watching as it feasted. Jace was looking very nervous as cobblestones fell around him, one by one.


    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have mana for another refill.¡± she explained. ¡°The needle needs the mana, it might need to rescue Rose or Tully still.¡±


    Rose jumped onto another cobblestone as she watched Tully struggle. Rose looked like she might make it, she was just one jump away. There was even a cobblestone in the way. Wichita looked at it with suspicion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use that one. Just jump to safety.¡± she told Rose, turning to Tully. The younger girl still had places she could jump to, but they were quite far away for her smaller body.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to -¡± Wichita did not have to complete her sentence. Tully had already jumped, and landed in place.


    ¡°I got heightened dexterity and strength from my levels.¡± Tully offered in way of explanation. ¡°I think I can deal with this.¡±


    Wichita raised an eyebrow at the fact that she had apparently gained multiple levels. But she could deal with that later. Now she had other stuff to deal with. The needle had just reached Jace.


    The boy was considerably heavier than her, and it showed. To make things worse, she had not accounted for it. The needle carried him over, barely able to maintain its levitation. The boy plopped next to her, and the needle landed in the hand.


    ¡°Is it¡­fine?¡± Jace asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Wichita sighed. ¡°The needle is out of mana again. I didn¡¯t take your weight into account.¡±


    Pursing her lips she grimaced at what she might have to do. Refilling it again would reduce her mana too much. But she might not have a choice. Letting one of the others die here was not¡ªRose jumped to land beside her. Tully was the only one left.


    Wichita looked at the girl. There was considerably less distance between her and safety than Jace had to deal with, but still too much.


    Taking a deep breath, she looked at her most talented subject. Letting her die would not work. Giving up so much mana was a risk, but one she had to take.


    ¡°Wait, I will -¡±


    ¡°There is no need.¡± Tully said, a smile tearing across her face. ¡°I leveled up.¡±


    Wichita¡¯s eyes narrowed. What type of Skill did she get that would help her here?


    ¡°What the heck are you -¡± Rose started shouting, but her sister did not even stop to listen. Tully jumped as the three of them looked on. Wichita had a feeling that even the forest was interested.


    [Justice must continue]¡± The girl said her Skill, the smile still on her face. Wichita blinked.


    That was not a Skill that a Tier 1 should have. That was¡ªthis was ridiculous! A flash of jealousy roared through her. Why were her Skills so great? A boosting Skill.


    Wichita did not know what restrictions she had, but even a heavily restricted boosting Skill would be a huge help in Tier 1. The gap between Tiers was so small at this point that Tully could probably kill Tier 2 beasts outright with it.


    The girl landed on the safe area, grinning at them as if expecting praise for her new Skill. Wichita was ready to give it. But first she wanted, no needed, information.


    ¡°What are the restrictions?¡± she let her mouth run before she could stop it. ¡°What can the Skill boost?¡±


    Tully¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait you know it?¡±


    ¡°I know of similar Skills.¡± she said, ¡°Now about the restrictions?¡±


    Tully shrugged. ¡°The System just said that it would last for three seconds and boost any single movement I wished. If I use it for my Sword Qi though, it will boost its effectiveness by 50%¡±


    Wichita just stared at her. That was ridiculous.


    ¡°I am jealous.¡± she admitted. ¡°That Skill will serve you well.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I only got this because of you. Wouldn¡¯t have gotten the class if you didn¡¯t use your Royal Skill.¡±


    Wichita blinked. ¡°The Skill is from the only Tier 9 bloodline in this world. I do not think it is fair to compare the two.¡±


    ¡°Can we please skip the Skill talk till later and think about what we should do? Why did the forest attack like that?¡± Jace interrupted them.


    ¡°Cause it wants to eat us, obviously.¡± Rose rolled her eyes. ¡°Wichita told us about it several times.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but wasn¡¯t it supposed to be fair? That didn¡¯t seem very fair? Did we get targeted by the bloodthirsty side?¡±


    The two of them looked at her Wichita. Why were they¡ªoh, they wanted her to use her Skill. Yes that would help.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, that seemed pretty fair to me.¡± Tully said.


    ¡°What?¡± Jace looked shocked. ¡°I got stranded in an acid pool! Wichita is like a foot tall now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we aren¡¯t dead. Wichita said the forest would be fair, not that it would go easy on us. Wasn¡¯t she able to escape even though she stepped in the acid pool? And besides, I think we are missing something here. The trees were an alternate path that none of us used.¡±


    Tully was making a lot of sense, but Wichita was a bit distracted. The Royal Skill cooldown had ended. Wichita wasn¡¯t sure when, she had only noticed it when she pulled up her status to use [Forgotten Melody]


    ¡°Just -can you give me a second? I need to do something.¡± Wichita said as she clicked the Skill. Saving it might be useful, but she really, really did not want to be so low on mana anymore.


    The world flashed purple again as she landed in the same space as before. There was still mana. And it was still rushing into her. The feeling of peace came again as she closed her eyes, her worries fading away for a second.


    The Heart burnt again as she felt her body¡¯s constraints being stretched. The mana had overwhelmed her mana pool again. Wichita wondered if the Skill was ending before it should, she had no real way to know, but it was possible.


    Mana: 486/485


    A sigh propelled itself from her as she saw that her mana was full, more than full really. This was great. Then the System decided to make it even better.


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 7


    Mana +50


    Just four more levels, and she would be ready for the next Tier¡­and that meant she needed to worry about getting more achievements.

 Chapter 17 - Trying to plan...and failing

    ¡°There, that refilled my mana by quite a bit. Now we should think about what happened while we still have time.¡± Wichita said. ¡°I think we can conclude that there is a safe area where we can stop and the forest will not be. If we stop before that, then we face challenges like that pool of acid, which are¡­quite deadly.¡±


    ¡°Wait what?¡± Rose interrupted her. ¡°But we didn¡¯t stop? And was that the Royal Skill you just used?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was. And we did stop.¡± Wichita pursed her lips. ¡°I remember stopping for at least a minute or two. The forest must have meant its words literally.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­ridiculous. How were we supposed to know that just stopping for a minute would cause this mess?¡± Jace asked. Wichita looked at him. The boy was gasping for breath, and did not look to be doing very well. Clutching at his abdomen, he stood there looking like he would fall apart at any moment.


    ¡°I do not think we were supposed to. The forest might be focusing on its trial aspect for some reason, but that does not mean it is not bloodthirsty. There are, and will be tricks at play.¡± Wichita warned. The fact that no monster had jumped at them since the dog-monkeys worried her.


    The forest changing itself so much at a whim was something she had not even heard of. Why would it do so? Just to give fairness for a few creatures that might be too weak for its usual challenges. Was the fairness aspect its most powerful one? What she had faced before the transmigrators came did not imply so, but perhaps.


    The [Forgotten Melody] Skill gave her too little information for her to make conclusions. No, it was better to let it be, for now. There would be time to think about that later.


    ¡°I was thinking of attempting to teach you magic,¡± she said. ¡°But I do not think you are in any condition to do so. I would recommend taking this opportunity to rest.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? This might not be safe-¡± Jace began.


    ¡°I rather doubt there will be much safety within the forest. This is far more than I expected. I would recommend you all take the opportunity to rest. I will keep guard and -¡± Wichita fell into thought. What could she do? Hmm, she hadn¡¯t taken a good, deep look at the surrounding mana since they entered the labyrinth. Perhaps there was something here she could use.


    ¡°I am not very sleepy anyway.¡± Jace said.


    Rose glared at him. ¡°That¡¯s the adrenaline talking. And we don¡¯t know when the forest will let us sleep next. Just shut up and go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Does anyone have any water?¡± Tully asked, interrupting the other two. ¡°I am kinda thirsty.¡±


    Rose looked downcast. ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t think of bringing water with us. I should have.¡±


    Wichita looked at the vine. That should have water in it. The issue was with extracting it.


    ¡°How much control do you have over your Sword Qi?¡± she asked Tully.


    ¡°What? I don¡¯t know, why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Can you destroy everything other than the water in the vine? I can have the needle levitate it. Catching the water will be difficult, but I think I can enchant - ¡°


    ¡°No.¡± Tully said. ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of control¡­ I didn¡¯t even know I could have it.¡±


    Wichita shrugged. ¡°I only know of it from records. There was no one alive that could wield your power.¡±


    ¡°Can you like enchant it?¡± Jace asked. ¡°Like you did for Rose? Oh, and can you do that again? I think it would be much better if the ground was a bit more like, welcoming.¡±


    Wichita blinked at him. ¡°What do you want me to enchant?¡±


    ¡°The vine. And the ground, but like the vine first. So that it gives off water.¡± Jace replied.


    Wichita shook her head. ¡°That will be difficult. There are a lot of ways I can convert the vine into water, but they all require mana I doubt will be available to us. Not to mention such an enchantment would be difficult to put on a vine like this.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps if I could alter its internal mana composition, but right now it is not suited to a transformative enchantment.¡± Wichita looked at it with her mana sense.


    ¡°The forest has given it a lot of Sturdy and Stability mana, almost as much as it has Wood mana. I presume that is to stabilize the surrounding space, I noticed a lack of cracks in the acid pool area. But that also means the vine will fight any transformative enchantment I put on it. Enchanting is not magic, magic could have transformed this vine anyway, but enchanting needs the right materials.¡±


    The last part had a bitterness to it that she did not want to show to others. But it seeped through anyway. The difference between magic and enchanting might not seem like much, but it made a massive difference in combat ability.


    ¡°So, there is no water then.¡± Tully sighed.


    ¡°Not at the moment.¡± Wichita said, and then paused. ¡°That will not be a problem, will it? I am not familiar with human dietary needs. Can you survive without water?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Rose began, drawing the word out. ¡°Not quite. Like we can technically survive for days, but if we go long without water, we will get a headache.¡±


    That was not good. The four of them would have to source water from somewhere. The issue was, she did not know where they could get it from. Perhaps the forest would provide it, in the name of fairness.


    Wichita watched Jace sit down on the floor, practically collapsing on top of it. The boy¡¯s shirt was starting to fray. Perhaps it was because of her needling Skill, but she could see that it would start tearing soon. The thing was of ridiculously low quality.


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    ¡°Give me your shirt.¡± she told him.


    The boy looked up in surprise, seeming startled for some reason. ¡°What?¡±


    Even Rose looked surprised. ¡°Do you want to enchant it?¡± Tully asked, nodding along.


    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t get you water, but I should be able to make the shirt stronger. The lack of cracks basically assures the presence of stability mana, it should be enough to stop it from tearing.¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Jace said. ¡°That makes sense.¡±


    And yet he did not remove his shirt, looking around awkwardly instead. Wichita was not sure what the issue was.


    ¡°Come on, Jace, we don¡¯t care if you''re shirtless. Just take it off.¡± Rose commented.


    Jace glared at her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try taking off your dress? Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you or Tully had protections? Aren¡¯t you the ones going to fight monsters?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the same thing at all! Why don¡¯t you take off your pants then?¡± Rose demanded. The two of them really didn¡¯t get along huh. Wichita wondered what the story was, there clearly was one.


    ¡°There is little need for the two of you to argue. The beats will be the ones deciding who they attack, and Jace looks the easiest to hunt. The forest does have a habit of targeting those that would be weak to its machinations.¡± she said. Then decided to clarify in case it would be an issue.


    ¡°I may also need the pants. Just protecting the upper body is foolish, but for now I will only be adding basic enchantments. I do not wish to spend too much mana on this and not have enough for the coming challenges.¡±


    Jace¡¯s face turned red as she spoke. ¡°That! I don¡¯t think that¡¯s appropriate. Tully is like 13!¡±


    ¡°Fourteen in a few days!¡± Tully replied. ¡°And I don¡¯t care if -¡±


    Rose coughed, not letting her sister complete the sentence. ¡°Even I am not sure if -¡±


    ¡°If the pants are not enchanted than any beast with a modicum of mana sight will go for them. Considering the amount of mana here, that may as well be every beast.¡± she still didn¡¯t get what the problem was. ¡°But we can deal with that later. The three of you need rest, and we do not know how long we have.¡±


    Wichita walked a bit towards the diverging paths, careful not to step into them. If she did, the forest might just start a new trial. This maze was very strange. Passing through any of the paths just led them to the scenery, every time they walked through they would pass through a hallway with trees as walls. The hallway would then diverge into two paths. There did not even seem to be any difference between them. Like they were the same place.


    Considering what mana was common in the forest, that might even be true. The forest might just have changed a small part of the forest, and was bringing them back to it using Space mana.


    But she was digressing.


    ¡°I need people to lay down in place to apply the enchantments you want.¡± she said. Mind mana was sadly not native to the forest. Then again, mind mana enchantments lacked the oomph that came with mind mana spells. The effects were quite easy to dispel for even an amateur in the arts. At least without certain highly expensive enhancements.


    Wichita had not even heard of a mind mana enchantment being used in battle before. Mind spells were the ones that were common. But was digressing. Rose had laid down on the forest floor, still looking awkward. Why did humans feel so awkward with her? Was she missing something?


    Leaning over, she started to enchant. A simple rectangle of her mana around her, acting as the base. Then use the Language of Magic to call on Rose¡¯s mind mana. Then she added a smudge of intent, directing the mana. A simple enchantment really.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about dismissing it, it will go away. The intent anchor is quite weak.¡± she warned. That should help if they were -


    ¡°What?¡± Rose said, turning around as the enchantment failed. Wichita sighed. Of course.


    ¡°Let me guess, you can¡¯t stop yourself from thinking about it?¡± she asked.


    The girl nodded. Wichita sighed and made another enchantment, wasting mana to make the intent anchor stronger, and adding a termination condition.


    ¡°Punch the air to dismiss the enchantment.¡± she said, turning towards the Tully who had¡­drawn a rectangle around her. With Sword Qi.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that.¡± she said. The girl pouted. ¡°I thought it would be helpful. I can only see you make the rectangle, I don¡¯t know what else you do.¡±


    Wichita sighed. For some reason she was doing that a lot. ¡°The rectangle needs to be from my mana. The Sword Qi will get in the way, it is far more powerful than anything I can conjure. Do not try to use it under the illusion, even a small amount of Sword Qi will destroy the illusion.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Tully said, looking sad as she dismissed her Sword Qi. Wichita remade the enchantment and then looked at the last one.


    ¡°The shirt.¡± she demanded. Jace looked at her and then slowly pulled it off. The unwilling look on his face irritated her.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to, then I can leave it alone. I am using mana I may not recover until my Royal Skill activates again. If you do not want it -¡±


    ¡°No, no, it''s not like that! I am just, well, kinda -¡± Jace said, tripping over his words.


    Wichita took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t want to tell me. Should I enchant it or not?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. And I am grateful. I am just, like¡­not the fittest person.¡± Jace said, pulling his knees closer for some reason.


    ¡°That is apparent from your performance today.¡± she said. ¡°That is why I am working on this.¡±


    The boy looked even more downcast at that. Wichita looked at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Just because you aren¡¯t powerful now doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t be powerful in the future. The more disadvantaged you are now, the more power Fae magic will push into you in the future. The more challenges you face, the better your class will be after you deal with the [Unworthy] issue.¡±


    ¡°Oh, um, thank you.¡± the boy replied, actually sounding calmer.


    ¡°Yes, now I must go. Sleep fast, I do not know how long the forest will give us.¡± she said, heading towards an empty space.


    The moment she opened her senses, she found herself seeing the stability mana. The enchantment practically wove itself after that. The only thing she could really do is reinforce the material, making it as strong as an unenchanted iron shield. That should stop things like thrown stones and tree branches.


    But if she was being honest with herself, she was worried. The last¡­hour? A few hours? Well, however many they were, they had been chaotic, to say the least. A part of her wondered if it would have been better if she had not taken the transmigrators in.


    Then again, she doubted she would have survived on her own. The forest scared her. Wichita did not know what it was, but the thing unnerved her, especially the way it was acting.


    There was something at foot here, and she had a feeling there was more to it than met the eye. A feeling that did not have any rhyme or reason and just might have been put in her brain by someone else.


    Like that cat she kept seeing whenever the forest changed significantly.

 Chapter 18 - To class and to Skill.

    Wichita looked at the shirt in front of her, noting how the lines of the enchantment grew across it. A part of her wished it was more complicated, something of a challenge, perhaps. In truth, it did not even require her attention.


    Enchantments that grew themselves were her specialty, and this enchantment was so minor she could have done it at the age of three. Not even Masterwork, the material could not bear a Master enchantment.


    Wichita doubted it would offer to keep the enchantment for long. Whatever world these three came from, it was a peaceful one. Even the most foolish nobles would not dare wear something as weak as this here.


    What even was the point in thinking that, though?


    Wichita sighed, drawing herself from her idiotic thoughts. Fifteen minutes had passed since she had started enchanting, and she was not any closer to figuring out what was going on. Oh, she knew things. The forest¡¯s actions were very much in the open, and it was clear the cat had something to do with them.


    That was it.


    After spending fifteen minutes thinking over it, she was back here. There was too little information for her to guess if the cat was even real. Even the things she ¡®knew¡¯ about how the forest was acting were mere assumptions. [Forgotten Melody] just didn¡¯t give her clear enough information.


    The Skill didn¡¯t make any sense. Where was the melody? Wichita had felt some on her first try, but she had only gotten images since. The thought of it frustrated her. Why was it that she was stuck with this? Tully¡¯s class had offered a conceptual mana, two Skills to wield it properly and a boosting Skill.


    Wichita had gotten two Skills she could barely use. Even if the System hated her, it made little sense that it would deny her good Skill like this. Even Jace made no sense. The boy did not qualify for the [Unworthy] class.


    Switching on [Forgotten Melody] she let herself sink into it.


    The forest was calm, waiting. Just waiting. Waiting¡ªWichita cut it off as her Heart burnt in warning.


    What the heck.


    There had been nothing, nothing at all, that should have prompted such a reaction from her Heart. And yet it had. What was she missing? What was the bloody forest hiding? The last time she had faced one of its trials, it had been a mess. The four of them had come far too close to dying.


    But it had also been easier than it should be. The forest was taking it easy on them. Wichita would not say it in front of others, especially not Jace who had difficulty keeping up. But the forest had been taking it easy on them this far. The challenges it sent them against seemed to be¡ªno. No, she shouldn¡¯t presume. The four of them had faced what, three challenges yet?


    This might just be the forest probing how much they could handle before it actually tested them. That¡­actually made a lot of sense. Yes, she should stick to that theory for now. But it still left an issue.


    What the heck should she do?


    The forest would stop taking it easy on them¡­probably. Wichita knew she had to prepare for it. Tully and Rose did not truly need her help getting stronger. Jace she could help. But the one with the greatest problem was her. The [Forgotten Queen] class was, in many ways, worse than the [Unworthy] class. The latter had a known way to improve, a way for her to reach greatness.


    Wichita was sure she would be able to maneuver herself into a truly powerful class if she had gotten it. There were dozens of books in the library for that alone. The Enchanting Queen had spared little effort in making sure her species was prepared for more such classes.


    The [Forgotten Queen] on the other hand was already as powerful as it would be getting. At least according to what the System said. Wichita did not believe for a second that the bloodline only had the Royal Skill to offer. Increasing classes¡¯ rarity was a known part of the bloodline. The Enchanting Queen herself had written about how the bloodline had increased her Legend class into a version that gave better Skills.


    That meant the [Forgotten Queen] was a truly powerful class if it could not be enhanced by her bloodline. And yet it had not given her any useful Skills. A part of it was probably the stats. Fifty was an absurd amount of stats to get each level at Tier 1. Wichita doubted the others got anywhere close, though she would have to ask. Well, Jace might get more, strangely enough. The System was a thing of balance.


    The Arcana had researched it over the years, and the System seemed to have a set amount of something it assigned to each class. The Arcana presumed that the something was simply a value instead of an actual form of energy.


    The amount of something was decided by the rarity, as far as they could tell. That something was what the System used to give the class Skills and stats. That way the sum total of benefit was equal among two classes of the same rarity.


    A long way to say that her and Tully¡¯s classes should, in theory, give the same amount of benefits. And yet there seemed to be a rather large gap between them. Wichita looked at her stat sheet, staring at her class. A class based on Veruna¡¯s plan.


    The plan had been simple. Veruna theorized that the reason the Arcana failed the Quest was due to their isolationist, xenophobic and generally genocidal tendencies. Wichita had to agree. The Arcana had gone mad in their search for more power, especially in the Second Age, during what was called the Proof Wars.


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    The entire was a story that she would gladly analyze at any given point of time, but she had limited time. What mattered was the plan. Fae magic was what had defeated them in the end. At the last day, when all but thirteen dragons had died off, and every other race was left defeated, was the Dragon Queen born.


    A peaceful Tier 8 that supposedly had no combat Skills, she had suddenly broken through to Tier 9. The Arcana did not know how. Fae magic seemed to be the only thing that could accomplish something so absurd. The magic had been accumulating, collecting power as the Arcana pillaged and ravaged the world. Then it burst.


    The Arcana found themselves without allies, suddenly outclassed and forced to retreat back to their city. The blame was easy enough to place. Wichita had a feeling there were many in the city that would agree. The Arcana¡¯s brutal ways had caused significant damage, and to repair it they should simply¡­start helping people.


    In truth Wichita was not sure if that would work. Fae magic did not draw power from something as simply as good and bad. But Veruna had thought that it was a worth a try, that the Arcana that escaped the siege should start helping people around the world. Turn their reputation around, raise whoever was oppressed until they had allies they could count on in the fight.


    An overly ambitious plan, but she had gone along with it. There had been little point arguing with something so theoretical. Now the System had stuck her with it. The class very clearly revolved around it. So did her Skills.


    [Forgotten Melody] would help her identify Stories with enough potential to truly advance with her guidance. [Forgotten Call] would allow them to actually join her¡­kingdom? What did she actually rule? That was a matter for another time.


    What mattered now was that her Skills were too weak. What they did was something she would expect from a class of Fable rarity. Not a Legend class. So what the heck was she missing? Was it just that the System had allotted all the power in stats? The one stat she had and couldn¡¯t really use? Even then, it did not seem enough.


    Perhaps there was something special in her last Skill? That was a possibility. In that case, she should level up as much as she could. Perhaps she would finally get a way to defend herself then.


    ¡­ But she did not know how to do that. Where would she get the experience from? Wichita had noticed that she had started to gain levels faster since she met up with the transmigrators. The timing of the level ups implied that the System was giving her far more experience for helping them than for killing things.


    That was helpful, considering that it might be what she would be stuck doing soon enough. Tully was already better than her at killing things, and Rose would soon follow. But it still raised a question about what she should do now. Wichita had spent a while thinking about things, but there might be quite a bit left before they progressed.


    A human usually slept as much as eight hours. The forest might not let them sleep as much, but even then she had many hours left. Wasting them did not seem right to her. Training [Forgotten Melody] was an idea. But she wasn¡¯t sure it was a good one. For some reason her Heart did not want her to use it too much, and she was afraid to find out why that was.


    Wichita looked at the needle, thinking furiously. What was there around her? Perhaps she could enchant something. There were a number of vines on the trees. The trees themselves. And the cracks in reality. That was it.


    There really wasn¡¯t much in this forest, was there? Well the needle was out of mana, and the vines had mana. Wichita fed a little mana into the needle, and sent it towards the mine. There was little reason to feed it hers. There was no sun in the sky, and no clock in her hand to tell her how much long the Royal Skill¡¯s cooldown was.


    The needle made quick work of the vines, eating any that it could get its hands on. The cobblestones had long ago disappeared, leaving behind a boiling pool of acid. That did little to prevent the needle from eating the vines. The needle at them all and came back to her hand.


    Wichita sighed. What else? Perhaps she should see what the trees were made of. There weren¡¯t a lot of trees that grew in areas of such dense¡ªwhat. The vines were regrowing onto the trees in front of her eyes. Wichita could hardly believe her eyes.


    Perhaps a human would look at it and think it was a disaster. The forest could likely do the same to any tree monster in its territory. Magic couldn¡¯t create life, but it could easily hasten its growth. In this case however, it was lucky. The needle was an extension of her, she got experience whenever it killed things.


    The forest had just handed over a farm of monsters that would reproduce however many times she killed them. Just barely able to hold in her excitement, she ordered the needle to start killing the vines as fast as he could. There was no need for it to save mana.


    The needle did so with barely contained glee. Three rounds later, Wichita noticed a change. Even if she couldn¡¯t actually see far magic at work without her Skill, she could feel its effects through her mana sense.


    Mana moved to block the needle, the acid in the pool rising up like hot water in a geyser. Why the forest decided to do that instead of simply not reproducing the vines, she did not know. But she had to save the needle anyway.


    Wichita switched [Forgotten Melody] on without a second''s hesitation, trying to sense where the forest¡¯s attention was. The Heart burnt in warning, the Skill tried to make her focus on other things. Wichita ignored them both. The needle was too important.


    To the left, she sensed the forest¡¯s Story focus, seeing it like points that glowed in her vision. Telling the needle to move a bit backward, she promptly moved it to the right as a geyser emerged right below it. A geyser then emerged to its right as she carefully kept the needle in place, not letting it continue its trajectory. Continuing the pattern, a geyser emerged right below the needle, but she had already moved it away.


    This continued for several moments, Wichita contesting with the forest as she slowly brought the needle back. In the back of her mind, the part that connected her to magic seemed to awaken. A headache built in her head as she seemed to fall into a rhythm. The forest challenged her, its moves became faster every moment, and she could not spare any of her concentration.


    And yet it did not block the needle, surround it with acid geysers and prevent its escape before destroying it. This was a trial. And she was winning it.


    The contest continued for a few more moments, the rhythm reaching a crescendo. Wichita felt it coming before it emerged. A spiral erupted from the acid, surrounding the needle. Then it started growing closer. But a spiral was not a wall, and she could sense where the holes would be. A few seconds later, the needle burst out of the spirals trap, falling into her hand.


    The forest had competed with her in this strange game, and for some reason she had won.


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 8


    The System apparently agreed with her. Wichita would deal with that later. For now, she had a headache to deal with.

 Chapter 19 - Whats up? Not the sun, apparently.

    There was little, she had found, more painful to an Arcana than being at the edge of power and not achieving it. Wichita was largely immune to it given her Heart¡¯s deficiencies. And yet that did little to soothe the burning that took over her body. The Heart wanted her to contest against the forest again, and it wanted her to do it now.


    Wichita had other ideas. Like preserving her life and generally not aggravating the deadly forest around her. Not to mention the fact that she had a headache. A rather bad one. So bad that she wasn¡¯t sure she would be ready for combat in hours, let alone right now.


    No, her Heart would have to give up. This was not the time for foolishness. Wichita sat down on her floor, deciding to go into meditation. The headache intensified as she tried avoiding distractions.


    Massaging her temple, she tried again. Thinking calm thoughts was supposed to help, at least according to her instructors. But her instructors were bloody idiots, and she would have fired them if she had a choice in the matter. How was thinking calm thoughts helpful with headaches? The bloody idiots just hadn¡¯t dealt with them before and thought that she was wasting their time.


    Wichita had been told multiple times, to her face, that Arcana were too evolved for the headaches she complained about. Not a common occurrence, certainly, but they happened just about every time she concentrated on one thing for too long. Like right now.


    A flash of pain burst into her skull, making her yelp. The needle pointed at her, as if it was looking at her with concern. Or wondering if it was time for a feeding yet. The thing was probably hungry already.


    Wichita sighed, clutching her head. There was little she could do in her condition. At least she¡¯d had the wisdom to enchant Jace''s shirt before taking on the forest. There was no way she would be able to enchant anything now.


    The minutes passed as she lay down on the forest floor, looking at the sky. Well floating above the forest floor, it was rather difficult for her to properly lay down given that she wasn¡¯t really made of matter.


    The sky was a rather lovely shade of purple, turning brighter with every minute. Wichita wasn¡¯t sure how the sky worked in this Age, but it was quite beautiful. Perhaps it was simply the time passing, or maybe something else, but her headache had calmed a bit. There was still too much going on in her head, but a strange calm threatened to come over her.


    For once, she let it. And immediately regretted it. Of course the headache returned right then. Shaking her head in frustration, she lay there, feeling too lazy to get up. If she really tried, she could almost feel the wind. The feeling reminded her of home.


    Like the Little Wind that denoted the hours back in her day, it was there just within reach but still far away. Like a figment of her imagination, there only because she wished it to be. Thinking about how it might not be there anymore when she emerged from the forest. Wichita had grown up with it. Now it might not be around anymore. How strange.


    But that was enough procrastinating. There was no way she could allow the headache to remain while the forest might test them any moment. The meditations did help, even if they seemed to make it worse.


    Closing her eyes, she let the feeling spread through her, letting her thoughts flow away. To her surprise, even the headache faded, and a feeling of calm washed over her. Like the sound of leaves swaying with the wind in a forest.


    Wichita did not know why she thought of that. Or if she had even heard that before. But it occupied her mind. And she let it. The thought was nice¡­and it reduced the headache. Losing all sense of time, she just sat there, enjoying the feeling for what felt like hours. And still too short.


    A part of her, the rational part, questioned why she had opened her eyes at all. But another part knew why. There was something coming. Wichita wasn¡¯t sure how, but she was sure of it. There was a change in the forest.


    Displacing the enchantments on the other three, she set about waking them up. And not a moment too soon. The trees started closing in again, denoting that their rest period was done. For some reason the other three looked beady eyed and exhausted. As if the sleep had not been enough for them.


    Then they looked at the trees slowly moving towards them. Rose growled at it while Tully simply decided to run towards the corridors. Jace, however, glared at the trees like he wanted to murder them.


    Wichita held out his shirt to him. ¡°I would suggest moving.¡±


    Jace gave her an unamused look and took the shirt and dropped his head through. What was up with them? Why were they so grumpy?


    ¡°Three hours.¡± the boy muttered. ¡°The bloody forest woke us up in three hours.¡±


    ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t want us to recover too much energy?¡± Tully said, heading left.


    ¡°Test it first!¡± she yelled ahead. How had they forgotten to test if the way was safe?


    ¡°Oh, yeah sure. I mean there¡¯s-¡± Tully began before she was tackled into the ground by a rather large dog. Or was it a wolf? Wichita had a hard time telling between the two.


    ¡°Tully!¡± Rose yelled, her eyes hooting open as she ran towards her sister. Wichita sighed. There was little need to be worried. The dog was too weak to harm Tully.


    As she had predicted, the girl waved her hand, slapping the dog. The poor things head fell off. Rose skidded to a stop looking at it. Even Wichita hadn¡¯t expected that.


    ¡°Just how many levels did you get?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Just three! But I got a lot of stats from them!¡± Tully cheered, getting up. Wichita decided that the girl¡¯s clothes needed a self repair enchantment. There were a number of tears on them already, and she was sure more would join them soon enough.


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    ¡°How many?¡± she asked, more curious than anything else. But it would be good to know.


    ¡°A hundred and twenty-seven!¡± The girl grinned widely. Wichita paused.


    ¡°In a single level?¡± she asked in shock.


    ¡°Oh no. In three, I gained all three of them together¡ªoh look! I got another one!¡±


    Wichita looked at her in shock. A hundred and twenty-seven meant thirty-nine stats per level.


    ¡°Do you get to assign them?¡± she asked.


    Tully turned to her in confusion. ¡°¡­yes? Is that not normal?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± she said, taking a deep breath to calm down. ¡°No, it is not. The Arcana reduced their stats to one just to prevent the System from assigning them randomly. But please tell me you didn¡¯t put them all in Strength.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. I distributed them all across. I even put some into mana!¡± she said.


    ¡°Did you put some into intelligence? That must have been your lowest stat.¡± Rose said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fucking ask Wichita about it? What if there is something in there that we don¡¯t know? What will you do then?¡±


    Tully pouted, a reply on her lips. Wichita preempted it. ¡°I would recommend we pick up pace. The forest might take this as us stopping.¡±


    There was little chance of it, but she did not want her subjects to argue. Wichita was hardly new to ill-tempered people, but the sheer amount of arguments the three of them got into was absurd. Could they not just keep their opinions to themselves? Why did Rose feel the need to express such things to her sister?


    Wichita doubted she did not know that it would cause trouble. The girl had a perception class or fuck¡¯s sake, she knew better.


    ¡°How are you doing Jace?¡± she asked as they started jogging. For some reason the other three seemed hesitant to drop into a full run like before. Perhaps they had simply grown unafraid of the forest.


    That terrified her for some reason. What if the forest decided it wanted to teach them some humility. What was that dog about anyway? Wichita had expected more to emerge out of the woodwork and start biting at them. And yet the forest hadn¡¯t attacked them yet.


    ¡°I am just tired.¡± the boy groaned out. ¡°Sleeping and then waking up so quickly just doesn¡¯t sit well with me.¡±


    ¡°Was it really that low?¡± she asked, puzzled. ¡°I admit, I don¡¯t have a good measure of time in this place.¡±


    Jace looked at her and then looked up at the sky. ¡°I suppose this isn¡¯t normal?¡±


    ¡°I would not know. The Ages have changed since I walked the outside world; the sky has likely changed quite a bit since.¡± she confessed.


    Rose stopped, turning to look back at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop.¡± she commanded. The girl did start jogging again, but still questioned her. ¡°What do you mean the sky has changed? Does the sky change a lot around here?¡±


    ¡°Not a lot, but there are drastic changes in the environment from one Age to another. The First Age had a sun, but it wasn¡¯t there during the Second and Third Ages.¡±


    ¡°Wait, how did people survive without the sun? Isn¡¯t that like needed to survive?¡± Jace asked, sounding surprised. And far more awake than he had been before.


    ¡°I would not know about that. The world adapted with the Ages. The ones that didn¡¯t died off.¡± she shrugged.


    ¡°How do you adapt to-¡± Jace started, sounding very surprised by this. Wichita wasn¡¯t sure why. And she didn¡¯t get the time to find out. The forest acted, plunging them into darkness.


    ¡°What the fuck!¡± Jace screamed. Wichita could vaguely make out some shapes in front of her mana sense, but for the most matter even she couldn''t see. This was not a simple thing. Even Arcana depended on light to see, but they could still see with very low levels of it.


    This was either a very thorough removal of light, or something else entirely.


    ¡°Rose, use your Skill.¡± she commanded. ¡°Tully, prepare for attacks.¡±


    As if responding to her, a tentacle shot towards Jace, reaching for him. Wichita had the needle intercept.


    ¡°There are tentacles around!¡± she warned. ¡°Jace, stop moving! I can barely sense you.¡±


    The boy''s mana levels had grown since he arrived in this world, but they were still too low for her to sense him easily. The fact that he was panicking, moving around erratically like he was dodging a threat did not help.


    ¡°How can I stop moving! There are tentacles around! I felt one tickle me!¡± the boy yelled back, only growing more panicked.


    Wichita sighed. ¡°That¡¯s me you idiot. Stop moving before you kill yourself. The amount of mana I have in my body is deadly to humans. If your hand passes through me, you will die, and it will be painful.¡±


    The boy stopped moving, freezing in place. ¡°¡­where are you exactly?¡±


    Sighing again, she called on her most reliable subject. ¡°Rose, any news yet?¡±


    ¡°I am not seeing anything!¡± the girl replied. ¡°Are you sure about those tentacles?¡±


    ¡°I killed one.¡± she replied, looking at the needle. ¡°Or at least I hope I did. I can barely sense them.¡±


    The girl¡¯s Skill was out then. That was disappointing.


    ¡°Tully, are you sensing anything?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not really.¡± the young girl actually sounded nervous. ¡°Do we move forward? The path was pretty straight.¡±


    ¡°I would be surprised if the forest didn¡¯t move around while we were in this state.¡± she said, hoping the forest hadn¡¯t added cracks.


    ¡°But yes, we should move forward. I will try to sense any obstacles in our way.¡± Relying on her weak mana sense troubled her. The thing was too unreliable, she was likely to lead them into a crack and end their lives. But they didn¡¯t have an option did they?


    ¡°Keep using your Skill, Rose, perhaps you will see something I miss. And be careful, I can¡¯t see anything either and my mana sense is very weak.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a mana sense?¡± Tully asked.


    ¡°Not the time!¡± Rose yelled.


    ¡°I must agree with Rose -¡± Wichita¡¯s eyes bulged as she saw what was coming. ¡°Tully shoot as much Sword Qi in front of you as you can, now!¡±


    The girl did so, the silvery thing heading out in a straight line. The darkness around them was momentarily dispelled as fire met at it. In the light of the reddish-brown flames, she saw the scaly face of her enemy.


    A drake. No, worse.


    A drake with tentacles.

 Chapter 20 - The System plays a trick. Then gets catted.

    A drake with tentacles. Wichita had not even heard of such a thing. But here it was. A dangerous beast, just like any of the dragon family. The overwhelming darkness did not make things easier.


    The tentacles were magical, and she could sense them somewhat. The drake¡¯s body on the other hand was difficult. The Fae had built the d dragons to counter Arcana, though they hadn¡¯t truly succeeded. That meant that every battle against a dragon was difficult. The beasts were ridiculously resistant to almost all forms of magic, and their fire could still burn an Arcana.


    ¡°Rose, I need you to use your Skill as much as you can. I can¡¯t really see the drake.¡± she said.


    ¡°I am trying!¡± Rose sounded exasperated. Wichita did not know what to do. The drake had faded back into the darkness, and she could not even detect its tentacles. No, wait, she¡ª¡°Strike behind you Tully!¡± she yelled and the girl followed. The tentacle collided with Sword Qi and found itself cut off.


    Another tentacle launched from the left. ¡°Strike to your left, and then to the right!¡± she predicted. The tentacles once again failed.


    Wichita frowned. A drake was an intelligent creature, far too intelligent to have attacked with tentacles when it knew she was on guard. Why would it do that¡ªoh.


    ¡°How much Sword Qi do you have left?¡± she asked, on the lookout for more tentacles crawling towards them. Or even the drake itself.


    ¡°A third of it.¡± Tully replied, sounding even more nervous than before. Wichita swore. This was bad. Tully might be the only one that could kill the drake.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use your Sword Qi from now on.¡± she said, moving closer to the girl. ¡°I will use the needle to protect you. That Qi might be the only thing that can harm the drake.¡±


    If it really did have dragon kind¡¯s hard skin, her needle wouldn¡¯t even be able to pierce it. With the darkness hovering around them, she could not rely on piercing through its eyes.


    A tentacle emerged striking at Jace just as another headed towards Rose. A painful moment passed as she realized that the drake had heard her. Then she realized that it did not matter. The needle was fast enough to cover this area.


    A growl pierced through the darkness, echoing around the area. The drake was not happy about its strategy failing, not happy at all.


    Wichita took a deep breath. ¡°So, this is what dragon kind has come to.¡± she mocked. There was little doubt in her mind that the two species¡¯ Legends had just entered the arena.


    The dragons and the Arcana had been warring since before the System was even born. Just the presence of her, an Uncrowned Queen of Arcana, and a lesser dragon was enough to bring the Story to the fore.


    And Arcanian Queens hunted dragons. Wichita could only hope that enough of the Story survived to give her a fighting chance.


    The drake had been silent biding its time, perhaps doing some thinking of its own.


    ¡°Not even replying?¡± she mocked again. ¡°I suppose you are a lesser dragon after all. A proper dragon would not be such a coward.¡±


    A roar shook the forest around her as the drake let out its fire in her direction. The darkness dispelled a bit as she saw the drake¡¯s full body for the first time. The thing looked like a huge snake, its middle region enlarged like a balloon. A number of tentacles were emerging from it, and none of them were cut off.


    The drake could regrow its tentacles. Tully had just been wasting her Qi cutting them off. The needle likely did more damage, a beast like that had to have limited mana.


    Wichita had also forgotten about the girl. Tully let out a small string of Sword Qi, piercing into the drake¡¯s flesh. The needle slipped through the fire, slipping into its mouth. The drake yelped as it shot fire.


    Shaking her head, she called the needle out. The poor thing would not be able to survive in the drake¡¯s mouth for long. But it had gotten a good amount of mana from it. The darkness had reduced by quite a bit, but the drake was still able to disappear into it. Wichita could almost make out the trees now.


    Rose pointed in a direction, extending her hand outwards and then back again. Then did it again. Wichita was pretty sure she was trying to say that the drake was there, especially because the direction kept changing.


    Feeling her Heart beat in her chest, she considered if she should attack. Tully did not have much Sword Qi left. If this attack failed, then she might not have enough for another. And in that case they might really end up dying.


    Positing the needle to take advantage of an attack, she poked Tully. And then chopped in the direction Rose was pointing. A burst of Sword Qi emerged from Tully¡¯s hand, the silvery light passing through the darkness without illuminating it.


    And then it collided with something. A howl of pain emerged as the drake¡¯s tail was cut off, the cut being just behind the tentacles. A large part of its body had been cut off. Wichita hoped that it was enough to kill it. The tentacles flaying about told her the answer to that was no. The magic she could see healing the thing was a definite no.


    ¡°Another¡± she said, sighing in relief as she felt the needle inside the drake¡¯s body. The thing had slipped in through the wound and was now feasting on the mana trying to heal the body.


    ¡°I am out of Sword Qi.¡± Tully said bitterly. ¡°The Skill won¡¯t work.¡±


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    Wichita¡¯s eyes widened as she realized that they had no other way to damage the creature.


    ¡°Does your mechanical weapon have any charges left?¡± she asked Rose.


    The girl looked at her. Wichita was surprised that she could actually see the girl. The drake¡¯s mana must be low enough that it wasn¡¯t able to keep it up anymore.


    ¡°No. I am out of bullets.¡± Rose answered, licking her lips to hydrate them. ¡°Perhaps we can try throwing stones at it¡­?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Wichita shook her head as she gulped. The needle was still inside, and the drake was still trashing about trying to heal itself. ¡°The hide is too thick for that. I don¡¯t think we can damage it anymore. The needle is inside, we can only hope that it can kill it.¡±


    ¡°Can it?¡± Jace half-whispered. Wichita could see that his body was trembling. The shirt she had enchanted was drenched with sweat, and he was crouching on the floor. The situation must have been quite scary for him given that he couldn¡¯t even see the beast, let alone defend himself.


    ¡°I do not know.¡± she replied, trying to hide her own nervousness. The four of them had stopped long ago, they could only hope the forest wouldn¡¯t decide to kill them.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell how much mana the beast has. A lot, apparently.¡± she said. ¡°This was a Tier 2 creature.¡±


    The second statement surprised her. But it was true, she could feel the mana in it. With its dragon nature, and its tentacles, it was too powerful to be Tier 1. Or it could be a very special class like Tully, but that still left it with Tier 2 combat prowess.


    The thrashing quieted down, the darkness all but disappeared as she began walking towards it. An idea had stuck her. An idea that was a waste of mana, but she really didn¡¯t want to deal with the drake fighting again. If it managed to breathe fire again, they would be screwed. More than screwed, they would probably be dead.


    Lifting her leg, she used her dress¡¯ mana threads to tie a stone to it. Then she brought it down on the drake, using up a hundred mana in the process. The drake squealed, its voice making her companions shove their hands against their ears.


    Then it died.


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 9


    Activating Skill assignment protocol¡­


    Wichita¡¯s eyes widened. The System had given her a level just for this? Well, she had been helping her subjects survive, and had contributed quite a bit. But still, a level just for this?


    {Custom}: Choose a non-sapient living, organic creature in your vicinity. Choose a growth direction for said creature. A class matching the direction shall be granted to the creature. This may or may not grant it sapience after some growth. This task must be completed in 100 seconds or the Skill shall be withdrawn.


    Wichita¡¯s eyes widened as she looked around for any non-sapient creature around her. The vines¡ªthe vines were missing! The trees were dead. What else? What else was there? Looking around, at the ground, at the sky, she couldn''t see anything. The organic restriction removed the needle from consideration.


    This was bad. This was very bad. How was she supposed to¡ªa thump had her turning to investigate the source of the sound. A black and white cat stood in the clearing, shaking its fur. Wichita¡¯s eyes narrowed in confusion. This was the same cat she had been seeing. Did it count¡ªno. The System was not acknowledging it.


    Then an ant fell from its fur. Wichita blinked. An ant. There was no mana in it even. Just a normal, non monster ant. But it was there. The cat had delivered it to her. Not daring to think anymore about the cat¡¯s actions, she tried to think of ideas.


    The timer was ticking down, she only had fifty seconds left. There were too many options. The Iridor, and even the Arcana had done a lot of experimenting on ants. Even succeeded. What would she give? Deciding which of them to give was a pain in her arse.


    But she had to give something. The timer ticked down to thirty, and she simply decided to fuck it.


    Go deep. Wichita stopped as she felt her voice echo. The System was doing something, having detected that she was going to use the custom Skill.


    Go deep. Hunt what lays below the surface of the earth. Feed no more on the flesh and blood of monsters, but on the rock and magma that makes up the earth. Dig until you can dig no more, until you encounter the ocean that burns. Then use it to grow stronger, for it shall be yours by right.


    For some reason, just saying the words made her feel exhausted. A novel experience given what she was. To make things worse, the words had barely been hers by the end of it. The System, or perhaps something else, had been driving her. The idea was still hers, or more accurately an Iridor researcher¡¯s, but it had been presented¡­differently. This had been grander. Like she was giving the ant a mission.


    {Custom} transformed into Monarch Skill: [Magma Ant].


    Granting class¡­


    Wichita froze again as she felt the mana move. For a second she thought it was the System granting the class. But no, it felt wrong for that. The mana was wrong - her Heart froze.


    Like time itself had frozen, though it probably hadn¡¯t, the world froze around her. An ocean of mana made itself known, and she felt it even without using her mana sense. The System. A Judgement? The System had started a Judgement on her just for using its own Skill?


    Wailing against the unfairness of it, she stared at the ocean of mana that had come to end her. Except it didn¡¯t. The ocean stood there, observing her, and then disappeared as if it hadn¡¯t arrived.


    Skill [Magma Ant] has been transformed to [Magma Ant Queen]


    Skill earned: [Magma Ant]


    The species, [Magma Ant] has declared its loyalty to you.


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 10


    The Judgment coming for her suddenly made a bit more sense. Wichita still didn¡¯t think it was fair, but¡­it made sense. The Judgment was the System dealing with someone who broke the rules, and it did seem like she had at least subverted them. That had been an ant queen, and apparently one ready to lay eggs. Was that how it worked? Did ants lay eggs? Wichita really didn¡¯t know.


    But whatever the case, its young had somehow gotten the class. And that had somehow caused a new species of ant to be born. Wichita hadn¡¯t done any of that on purpose, but she had somehow benefited from it.


    The cat was the one that had done it, somehow known the System would give her something like this and planned this in advance. Considering that she hadn¡¯t even known the System could do it, she really wanted to ask it a few questions.


    Of course, the bloody thing was nowhere to be seen. Just her subjects who looked like they had questions for her.

 Chapter 21 - Testing for magic

    ¡°So¡­that was interesting.¡± Rose stated, raising an eyebrow at her. Wichita wondered what she should say. What could she say? Not like she knew what had happened.


    ¡°The System gave me a new Skill.¡± she said, waving her hand in the vague direction where she had expected the ant to be. But there was only a tiny ant sized hole in the ground in there.


    Wichita blinked, investigating the hole with mana sense. Looking into the hole with her mana sense. But she did not find the ant. The creature had apparently headed straight down. Even if she¡¯d wanted to, she couldn''t follow or contact it. Looking back, she could see why it headed off. The words she had spoken, it had taken them as a command. A ¡®direction¡¯ as the System had said. How had she not noticed that? Now the ants were gone.


    So much for a power up. The ants may become helpful at some later point of time, but at the moment they were just gone. The only thing left was a lot of transformation mana. Hmm, transformation mana.


    ¡°Jace, come here, quick.¡± she ordered, turning around. Rose was looking at her with an exasperated expression on her face while Tully was giggling. Jace was just looking puzzled.


    ¡°Did you hear a word I said?¡± Rose demanded.


    Wichita blinked in surprise. The girl had been talking? ¡°Well, the thing is -¡±


    ¡°- Leave it.¡± Rose sighed, running her fingers through her hair, and then grunting as she encountered resistance, pushing her finger against her hair. Wichita wasn¡¯t sure what was going on. Wasn¡¯t human hair supposed to be naturally separated? Why did it look like it wasn¡¯t?


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Jace asked, taking her attention away from her thoughts.


    Wichita picked up a nearby stone, and then hovered it over where the ant had disappeared to. The change in species had given birth to an abundance of Transformation mana, something that was very rare in this forest. In the entire world really. Even the Arcana valued places with this form of mana. There were too many things that needed it and the supply simply wasn¡¯t able to keep up.


    An enchantment wove itself across the stone as she picked up another, just shoving the transformation mana into it. The forest was unlikely to let them remain here for long, better to store as much as she could.


    Wichita picked up the first stone and held it out to Jace. ¡°This is a testing stone.¡±


    Jace looked at it. ¡°Ok?¡±


    ¡°Just push your mana into it.¡± she said. ¡°The transformation mana should be able to point out what you have affinity for.¡±


    ¡°How do I do that?¡± the boy looked a bit confused.


    Wichita blinked in surprise. Of course, he didn¡¯t know how to use his own mana. Heck, he probably couldn¡¯t even sense it. How stupid of her to forget that he wasn¡¯t an Arcana, magic did not come naturally to his species.


    And she had little idea how to spark this ability in him. There were quite a few things that could work, but as usual, she did not have the resources to pull them off. There was one thing she could use, thanks to the transformation mana, but that wouldn¡¯t actually give him the ability.


    The traditional way for humans was to learn how to sense mana by others casting spells around them. Wichita could not provide that. The nearest thing she could do was the enchantment.


    Sighing, she decided to start with finding out his affinity first. ¡°This will be painful¡± she warned. ¡°Try to feel what is going on anyway, it might be the easiest place for you to detect mana I can arrange any time soon.¡±


    The boy¡¯s face masked into fear so quickly that she wondered if there was magic involved.


    ¡°How much pain are we talking exactly?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I have no idea.¡± she admitted. ¡°I am about to send a small amount of my own mana into your body. In other words, I will poke you. In doing so I will lose that finger and prompt your body to produce mana to react against it. Don¡¯t worry, I will make sure to heal you up.¡±


    What she didn¡¯t say was that it was a waste of her own mana and the transformation mana that she would use in the process. Wait. Why did she have to waste transformation mana? Smiling at her sudden discovery, she made a slight change to the enchantment. The effect seemed to take.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± she asked, and then promptly poked him while touching the stone to his hands. Jace¡¯s eyes bulged, and he let out a scream that put the drake¡¯s final screech to shame. What was it with people and beasts around her letting out such loud sounds?


    Just a few hours ago, she was thinking she wouldn¡¯t forget how loud the howling beasts were. Now she was wondering if they were even above average in terms of loudness.


    The transformation mana was not, thankfully, effected by the scream. The mana surged, roiling within the stone as the enchantment took control of it. The principle was simple, it would guide the mana to transform into whatever Jace¡¯s mana was most likely to transform into.


    A person¡¯s affinity was just that, a narrowing of possibilities their mana could turn into. The transformation mana would turn into whatever type of mana had the greatest similarity. A similar thing could be done with pure mana, and she had been inclined to do it, but that would be less reliable. Transformation mana was just a lot more inclined to, well, transform into the correct type of mana.


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    ¡°Is he fine?¡± Rose asked, glaring at her.


    ¡°Yes.¡± she said. ¡°The healing enchantment has already done his job, and the damage was minimal to begin with. I just damaged his flesh a little. Inflicted a minor burn to be precise.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Tully asked. Wichita shared her confusion.


    ¡°I do not know why Jace hasn¡¯t stopped screaming yet.¡± she admitted massaging her ears as she watched the stone. Or more accurately, the lump of strange biological matter. The transformation mana had done its job. Wichita had a hunch that it was part of the reason Jace still hadn¡¯t stopped screaming. The boy had taken several breaks to breathe, but had promptly returned to screaming.


    Rose walked over to him and slapped him behind his leg. ¡°Stop screaming, or I will stuff my shoe into your mouth.¡±


    ¡°That hurt.¡± Jace mumbled, massaging his head. Wichita noticed that he was using the hand she had ¡®damaged¡¯.


    ¡°What happened to giving me a warning?¡± The boy did not even bother looking ashamed about his outburst.


    ¡°Taking you by surprise reduced the pain you felt. If you had been prepared for it, it would have been much worse.¡± she said.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t feel like it.¡± the boy was still glaring at her.


    Wichita ignored it. ¡°Did you feel anything?¡±


    Jace cast a look at the transformed stone and then took one step away from it. ¡°I don¡¯t know, the pain was kind of overwhelming.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I shall simply have to poke you again.¡± she said. Jace jumped away from her, as if afraid she would do it right now.


    ¡°What?! I thought that was a one time thing!¡±


    ¡°Well it was. But you have Organic Magic.¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s a very difficult type of magic to practice, but it can be pretty powerful.¡±


    ¡°And? Why do I have to get tasered for it?¡± the boy was feeling far more fear than he should have. Wichita had checked what her mana had transformed his skin into. Just a mild burn. Not the worst that could happen, certainly. There was a reason she had only used a single point of mana.


    Why was he so scared then?


    ¡°No, but a couple more tries, and you should be able to sense your mana.¡± she said. ¡°This is one of the easiest types of mana to start with.¡±


    ¡°Can I opt out?¡± he asked again.


    Rose sighed. ¡°Can we table this discussion? I have some things I want to ask, and this -¡± she waved her hand towards where she was standing, ¡°- situation is not helping.¡±


    ¡°I am fine with that!¡± Jace replied before she could.


    Wichita was not sure what the problem was. ¡°If you won¡¯t let me poke you, then perhaps you can try sensing the mana in the drake. The thing has some potent flesh magic on it. If you can sense that, then you could start learning.¡±


    ¡°Do I have to?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± she glared at him. ¡°Or do you want to remain a deadweight with a trash class? Do you want to prove the System right?¡±


    The boy grimaced at the body and moved towards it slowly. Wichita hoped he would put in some effort. Organic magic may have its limits, but it could be terrifying if used properly. The boy would have to train his pain tolerance, though. Practicing that magic was not for the faint-hearted.


    Still, the experiment had worked wonderfully. Wichita hadn¡¯t been sure she would be able to coax the affinity out, but she¡¯d barely had to do anything.


    Even if he didn¡¯t remember it, his mind had felt mana now. If he had even a half-decent talent he should be able to sense the mana in the drake. Using his own mana in spells on the other hand would take a while. Sensing his own mana would be far more difficult, it was why she wanted to ¡®taser¡¯ him again. Even one more might give him the ability.


    ¡°So, what exactly happened?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wichita answered, still thinking about how she could help Jace along.


    ¡°What do I mean?!¡± Rose practically yelled at her face. ¡°There was like an ocean of mana or something that attacked us! That cat just popped out of like nowhere and then disappeared right back in! Then you go and do that thing to Jace. I didn¡¯t interfere cause like, it seemed important. But can you please tell me what the heck is going on? That drake was way worse than anything we faced before.¡±


    Wichita had to admit, she had not expected Rose to blow up like this. ¡°The ocean of mana was a Judgment. The System sends those to kill those who cheat at it. The Skill it gave me allowed me to form a custom class for a non-sapient living creature. ¡°


    ¡°The cat provided me with the creature in question. An ant that was apparently on the verge of giving birth. After I gave it the class, it caused the birth of a new species. I got another level from it.¡±


    ¡°The change of species just gave me a resource that helped me conduct the test, that¡¯s all.¡± she said.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Rose deflated.


    ¡°Is the cat a threat?¡± Tully asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could kill it. I tried targeting it with Sword Qi, but I just couldn¡¯t conjure it. The Skill worked, but the Qi didn¡¯t appear.¡±


    Wichita took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the cat is a threat. I have felt its presence whenever the forest changed, but I don¡¯t know what it wants.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t think you should tell us about it?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t even sure if the cat actually existed. The thing is slippery, I doubt I could sense it if it didn¡¯t want me to.¡±


    ¡°So¡­now what?¡± Rose asked. ¡°Do we have to be careful about something? Plan for the cat?¡±


    Wichita took a deep breath. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can plan for the cat, no. But the forest is making things harder for us. I don¡¯t know what we can do about it, but it is nice to be aware of it at least. But we should take advantage of whatever time it gives us to train up our Skills.  Rose, you should try sensing the cracks in reality. Tully¡­ I don¡¯t know what will help you. Sword Qi is too valuable to waste practicing and I don¡¯t think I can make you a sword.¡±


    Turning towards the weakest member of their group she found him poking the drake. ¡°Find anything?¡± she asked.


    ¡°There is something there.¡± Jace mumbled. ¡°Not sure what, though.¡±


    Wichita sighed. That was to be expected. The boy did not have the natural instincts of the Arcana, of course he needed guidance. Well, she could only hope that it was guidance she could give. At least the forest had decided that not to punish them for stopping in the middle of a corridor.

 Chapter 22 - Teaching magic

    Wichita crouched next to the boy, paying close attention to what he was doing. Jace was using mana, even if he said he couldn¡¯t sense it. The boy was poking the drake¡¯s body, sending minute amounts of mana into it that produced reactions.


    ¡°Do you sense the mana only when you poke it?¡± she asked.


    Jace looked at her in surprise. ¡°Yes. How did you figure it out?¡±


    ¡°What you are sensing is the drake¡¯s body reacting to your own mana, not the mana that flows through the drake.¡± she said.


    Jace frowned, hsi brows furrowing. ¡°I am using mana? I can¡¯t feel it though.¡±


    ¡°Just because you aren¡¯t doing it consciously does not mean you aren¡¯t doing it. The body does more than you tell it all the time. Take moving your arm for example. Do you think of moving every single muscle, about where they should go and how much they should move?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Jace¡¯ eyebrows furrowed even more. ¡°So I am using mana without meaning to?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Wichita nodded. ¡°I do not know about the laws of where you come from, but mana is natural here. The word altered your body when you arrived here. Even if you didn¡¯t have the ability to use mana, you do now.¡±


    ¡°So, what should I do?¡± he asked.


    Wichita¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°Would it be possible for me to poke you again?¡±


    Jace moved back in fear.


    Wichita frowned. ¡°Did it really cause that much pain?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jace answered without hesitation. ¡°There was like a burst of it¡­but it didn¡¯t last.¡±


    Wichita nodded. ¡°The entire spell only lasted for a second or two, it shouldn¡¯t have caused any lasting pain.¡±


    ¡°I get that. But like, I don¡¯t think I could concentrate if you did it again.¡± he said. ¡°That pain was way too much.¡±


    Wichita¡¯s frown deepened. Were humans really so weak? Just a little pain and they lost focus? This felt very strange to her.


    ¡°How about this then? How about you try to sense the mana in this thing? This is your own mana, even if it transforms. A skilled sensor could even track it back to you.¡± she said, holding out the stone that had now transformed into a lump of flesh.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Jace looked at it with naked disgust.


    ¡°The stone that I used to -¡±


    ¡°No, I know that. I was talking about what it transformed into. Like a bunch of flesh or something?¡± Jace gulped for some reason.


    Wichita sighed. ¡°No. Flesh magic is just a small part of Organic magic. This is a bundle of organic matter. There are a variety of things in there. Germ organs, human organs, monster organs, you name it and it¡¯s probably there. There is a list of things Organic mana can transform into, and it is very large. I wouldn¡¯t suggest you think about it much.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Jace was still looking at it with disgust. ¡°And my power is what, making stuff like this?¡±


    Wichita shook her head. ¡°I am aware that certain worlds have this inclination to have ¡®powers¡¯ that limit what a person can use, but that is not the case here. As I said before, affinity is just what your mana can transform into. if you wish, you can throw fireballs at things after you learn magic.¡±


    Jace¡¯s expression brightened. ¡°Wait, I can learn fire magic? Why didn¡¯t you say so.¡±


    Wichita was not sure why he was sudden;y eager. ¡°I didn¡¯t mention it because it would be a dozen times more difficult for you to do. perhaps even a hundred times more difficult considering we do not have something that you can use to practice fire magic.¡± she said


    Jace looked at her with a puzzled expression. ¡°Why would it be so much harder? And what do you mean have something to practice on? Is there a way for me to practice Organic magic except on beasts?¡±


    Wichita nodded. ¡°Yes, Organic magic is a largely self oriented spell school. The spells will be something you practice on yourself. Fire magic on the other hand is something that you will have to use on others. And it will be quite difficult to do so. Do not worry, I will start with things that are easily reversible. Losing a layer of skin won¡¯t matter much in the long run, especially when you can regrow it rather easily.¡±


    Jace looked a bit taken aback by what she said. ¡°Are you sure that is safe?¡±


    Wichita looked at him. ¡°Poke yourself.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Poke yourself. Just like you were poking the drake, poke yourself.¡±


    Jace looked at her with doubt on his face as he slowly raised a finger.


    ¡°Poking needs two hands.¡± she said dryly. The audience let out a giggle, apparently unable to hold herself back anymore. Jace threw Tully an unamused look and shuffled to release his other hand.


    The boy had been sitting on it. Wichita did not understand why that didn¡¯t hurt him. Didn¡¯t humans have a lot of mass in their bodies? How was that mass not crushing him? A part of her regretted not learning more about human biology now, even if the subject had seemed unimportant.


    The species¡¯ workings were fascinating.


    The boy touched his own hand, just brushed their skins really. And then pulled them apart like he expected an explosion.


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    ¡°jace.¡± she sighed. ¡°Poke yourself properly or I will.¡±


    The boy looked at her in fear and then poked his finger. There was no reaction with mana.


    Wichita brought her hand closer to his, moving faster than she did usually. Ten points of mana, gone like that. Just to boost her speed. The waste pained her on a level she could not properly express. but there was a reaction. Even though she didn¡¯t actually touch him, the boy¡¯s brain had produced mana just in anticipation.


    ¡°Did you feel that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°A bit.¡± The boy actually looked shocked. Wichita groaned as she heard the trees start groaning. Now? The forest wanted them to move now? Tully went to wake Rose up from the short nap the girl was apparently taking.


    Didn¡¯t she say that the floor was too uncomfortable to sleep on?


    ¡°That was because I was bringing far, far more mana to bear on your hands. The reaction was exaggerated.¡± she said. ''Just the mana I spent moving that much was ten times as much as I sent into your body.¡¯


    ¡°Oh.¡± the boy said getting up while throwing a weary glance at the forest.


    Wichita wasn¡¯t really good at human body language, but even she could tell that the three humans were exhausted. The forest was clearly running them dry.


    ¡°I wanted to give you a much more thorough explanation, but this shall have to suffice for now. Tell me, how much mana do you have?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Mana. Or magic. Whatever the System calls it in your status." The three of them started running as the trees closed behind them. There was far less urgency to their movements than the situation merited. For some reason, even she couldn¡¯t muster up the motivation to push them forward. At their current speed, they would be able to escape the closing trees. That was enough.


    ¡°I got 7.¡± Jace said, already wheezing. Wichita threw him a distressed glance. Just how low were his stats?


    ¡°How much do you have in total? Tell them all to me.¡± she asked.


    ¡°What? I thought you were supposed to keep that kind of stuff private!¡± the boy yelled.


    ¡°Of course.¡± she admitted. ¡°I would not tell you what my stats were unless circumstances forced me to. But really, Jace, I have hundreds of points of mana. If you don¡¯t even have ten in one of your stats, then it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Tully let out a fit of laughter, giggling as they continued on their way. The forest hadn¡¯t sent any other challenges yet.


    ¡°I have a headache.¡± Rose said, sounding really tired.


    ¡°So does everyone.¡± Jace commented. ¡°I blame the lack of water.¡±


    ¡°I mean hasn¡¯t it only been a few hours? Shouldn¡¯t it be a while before we start getting dehydrated?¡± Tully asked.


    ¡°Oh fuck.¡± Rose swore, stopping in place. Wichita¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Rose!¡± she yelled out.


    ¡°I am running ok!¡± the girl started moving again. ¡°I swear I hate this forest. But yeah, I think we¡¯re dehydrated. The forest has had us running for hours before giving us any mana. Not to mention we have to be secreting adrenaline every time we run into danger. I don¡¯t know how much that affects things, but it has gotta be a bit.¡±


    Jace sighed. ¡°Just what we needed.¡±


    ¡°If Jace can learn magic then he can use it to conjure water.¡± she revealed. ¡°or extract it from the vines. Organic Magic is closely related to Water magic. On that note, stats please.¡±


    Wichita glared at Jace until the boy capitulated. ¡°Magic seven, mind thirteen, strength five, dexterity nice and body three.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Rose turned around looking at him, stopping again. Wichita glared at her until she moved again, though she could sympathize. That was way too low.


    ¡°How do you have thirteen in mind? I didn¡¯t have that and I¡¯m clearly more intelligent than you.¡± she said. Wichita blinked. Thirteen was a lot?


    ¡°Well maybe some of us actually think about stuff instead of just boasting.¡± Jace said, sounding proud.


    ¡°How are you still alive?¡± she asked, unable to hold herself back. ¡°The amount of stats you have come together to thirty seven. I haven¡¯t heard of a single person having less than fifty.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Now it was Jace¡¯s turn to look shocked.


    ¡°There are five stats. An average starts off with at least ten in each stat, at least according to Arcanian records.¡± Wichita was doubting those now. ¡°How much did you have?¡± she asked Rose.


    ¡°Fifty three.¡± Rose said. ¡°Body was my lowest at 9.¡±


    Jace looked horrified. ¡°I know I am bad, but I am not that bad.¡±


    Wichita looked at him and had to agree. ¡°Three in body would give you the toughness of a toddler. In the body of an adult. This is the System messing with things.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re saying that Jace¡¯s stats have been artificially reduced?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Tully interrupted. ¡°I had forty three stats. Just got a one in magic. Jace¡¯s don¡¯t look that unreal.¡±


    Wichita frowned. This was news to her. ¡°Have you -¡± the four of them groaned audibly as they were plunged into darkness again.


    ¡°Another drake?¡± Rose asked in fear. Wichita shared it.


    ¡°Did you cooldown -¡±


    ¡°Not enough.¡± Tully said. ¡°I got two uses more. Not enough to kill the thing.¡±


    The silence between them was palpable as they waited for the forest to do something. Except it didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Is this a test?¡± Rose asked. ¡°Like is it trying to get a reaction from us? Test our bravery.¡±


    Wichita sighed and used her Skill. The [Forgotten Melody] was - the Skill disengaged like a blow to her Heart. the same heart that was burning. Wichita pulled up her stats, her mind reeling, trying to remember what had happened.


    Mana: 302/553


    two hundred mana. More than two hundred mana. Gone just like that. And she had no idea what had happened. Wichita had no memory of what she had seen or felt, just the feeling of fear. A fear that shook her down to her non-existent bones, leaving her shivering on the floor. A fear so huge that she did not dare even look at her Skill, dismissing the status page to run away from it.


    ¡°...so?¡± Rose asked testingly. ¡°I presume it isn¡¯t good.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± she said, still looking down at the floor with her eyes wide open. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened. I can¡¯t remember it. The Skill activated, and then it''s blank. The only thing I remember is fear. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Well you sighed and then started convulsing.¡± Jace said. ¡°At least I think you were, can¡¯t really see shit in this fucking place.¡±


    ¡°Well I can.¡± Rose said. ¡°And you were definitely convulsing, not on the floor though. For some reason you were in the air.¡±


    Wichita blinked, righting herself. ¡°This, this shouldn¡¯t be possible.¡± she said. But a chunk of her mana was gone. And she was floating. Even right now. In fact she didn¡¯t know how to not float. For some reason her mind just couldn¡¯t get the information to her.


    ¡°I think.¡± she tried to right herself, to straighten herself. The only thing she managed was swaying like a pendulum.


    ¡°I think I just cast magic. And I don¡¯t remember how.¡±

 Chapter 23 - The forest helps

    There was magic, and then there was magic. Wichita would like to know which one it was. A part of her desperately wished that it was the latter, that somehow she had broken past the System¡¯s limits and gained the power to do magic.


    That was, however, all but impossible.


    The Arcana had tried for literal Ages, and they did eventually find ways to circumvent the restriction. Just not ones that worked at Tier 1. And even later on, they did not fully lift it off. There was also the fact that she had spent far too much mana on a simple floating spell.


    This wasn¡¯t proper, controlled magic, but something else instead. An uncontrolled conversion of mana into a random occurrence, causing a magical effect. There were too many reasons why it could have happened for her to try finding out why right now. Even if she had suspicions about what it truly was.


    Fae magic being involved just made things worse, given its random nature. But it gave her hope; it was, after all, the only thing she knew of that could circumvent the System.


    Iridorian magic was too restricted to accomplish such a thing. The System seemed to be as closely bound to the world as mana itself. To defy it was to change the world in ways only Fae magic could. If only the magic were more reliable or even understandable.


    ¡°So¡­you can use magic now?¡± Jace asked, his eyes darting around in the darkness as he looked at the darkness with clear fear. ¡°Can you do something about this darkness then? The drake hasn¡¯t attacked us yet, but if it does, I don¡¯t wanna be stuck in the darkness.¡±


    ¡°What, Jace, are you thinking about fighting it now? Want to try punching fire in the face?¡± Rose mocked, but her words had little heat. Wichita suspected that she had spooked them all.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t magic, at least not proper magic.¡± she admitted. But she was more focused about how clear the darkness seemed to her. Like it was a hazy fog instead of an overwhelming spell of darkness.


    ¡°And Jace might be the most suited of us to deal with the drake.¡± she said. ¡°Tully doesn¡¯t have a sword to use her Sword Qi properly. But if Jace can get a handle on his magic, he will counter the drake pretty well.¡±


    ¡°Wait what?¡± Rose said, the expression on her face morphing into confusion. ¡°What does Organic magic do exactly? Can he like manipulate its body from a distance?¡±


    ¡°That is a possibility.¡± Wichita admitted. ¡°But it is a waste of mana to do something so expensive. The real benefit is the personal enhancements you can make. The drake is a defensive powerhouse. Jace can become so hard to kill that its dragon breath would not burn him. Then he just has to stand around until the drake runs out of mana. And yes, he could in fact punch fire.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Rose said, sounding taken aback. ¡°That sounds great.¡±


    For some reason Wichita felt like the girl was doubting her. But she had other things to concentrate on. Like what her Skill had done to her. The spell still hadn¡¯t faded, and she was still floating.


    The needle would likely have to eat it to free her. The drake was in the way, she had to deal with that too. Then she could try to theorize about what had happened.


    But the drake was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°I think we should start walking.¡± she said.


    ¡°But, but, what about the drake!¡± Jace said, scared again.


    Wichita sighed. ¡°I can see a bit better in the darkness now, for some reason. Just wait for the drake to attack¡ªoh there it is. Tully, right behind you.¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t waste any time, sending a single burst of Sword Qi. Wichita did not even need to send the needle, the Sword Qi just cut the beast in two.


    ¡°Did you get a level?¡± she asked, though she already knew. That burst had been far more powerful than it used to be.


    ¡°I got two.¡± Tully said, grinning as the darkness vanished. ¡°The drake stood like no chance at all.¡±


    ¡°I can see that.¡± she admitted. ¡°I would prepare for the forest to make the next challenge more difficult.¡±


    To be honest, she didn¡¯t even know why the forest had given them the same challenge again. The needle ate at the spell she had cast, its enthusiasm confirming her suspicions. This was her mana.


    ¡°There¡¯s a fountain.¡± Jace blurted out.


    ¡°I can see that.¡± she replied. ¡°As I said, the forest is going to try something new. I would be surprised if it wasn¡¯t trapped. Perhaps there are man-eating piranhas in there. I hear those have powerful spacial affinities, theory would fit right into the forest.¡±


    In truth, she had another suspicion. The forest was dealing with something else. Wichita had sensed the forest before, and it had not ended up with her shivering out of fear. This was different. This was new.


    If the forest was dealing with someone, someone who was clearly very powerful, then it might not have time to deal with them. This might be a rest area.


    Wichita blinked as monsters started jumping off the trees.


    Or it could be another challenge. The forest had apparently decided that the drake wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°Jace, you take care of that one.¡± she said, pointing to one of the cat-like creatures that had pounced onto the ground in front of them.


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    ¡°What? What am I supposed to do?¡± the boy practically yelled, retreating behind her.


    ¡°Just kill them.¡± she said. ¡°I taught you how to use mana already. Just use that. Poke it till it dies.¡±


    ¡°That cat has claws for days!¡± Jace replied, yelling for some reason. ¡°Just look at them! How can I beat that!¡±


    ¡°Cutting you will harm it.¡± she said as she commanded the needle to start killing the creatures. For some reason it seemed more interested in eating her spell than killing those beasts.


    Was she really that tasty? Or was there something weird about the spell? Wichita could scarcely wait for the forest to give them another rest period. For once in her life she was looking forward to testing the restriction the System had saddled her with. Then she would be able to see if there had been any change.


    ¡°Tully, don¡¯t waste your Sword Qi, wait for them to try running past the needle.¡± she said. ¡°Rose, can you keep an eye out for the smart ones?¡±


    The older girl shrugged ¡°Oh sure. Don¡¯t think I can detect anything you miss though.¡±


    ¡°I will be getting Jace to kill a beast.¡± she said. ¡°I presume I will be distracted.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± the boy had apparently not made peace with what he would be doing yet.


    ¡°Jace, pack beasts are usually very weak individually. This might be your only chance to kill a beast. Even if the System doesn¡¯t remove your [Unworthy] class, it will boost your Fae magic. And you will need that boost if you want to survive what is coming. The forest is going to be making things harder for us as Tully grows in power, we need to keep pace with her.¡±


    The girl had gotten, what, five levels in less than a day? Wichita herself had gotten about as many, and she doubted Rose was too behind. There were only eleven levels in Tier 1. The three of them would soon be in Tier 2 and the forest was to scale up its difficulty. Jace had to grow stronger or he would die. And that meant speeding up his training a bit.


    ¡°Go.¡± she said, raising her hand as if to shove him. ¡°I will shove you if you don¡¯t Jace. That will be much more painful, and far less rewarding, than the beast.¡±


    The boy looked at Tully pleadingly and then at Rose.


    ¡°I mean¡­are you sure it''s safe?¡± the older girl asked, sounding worried.


    ¡°This is how I learned combat.¡± she said, avoiding the fact that she wasn¡¯t very good at it. ¡°The cats only have slight magic in their claws, I do not even know why the forest bothered challenging us with them. Jace should be able to handle it.¡±


    The needle had already killed dozens of them, though for some reason they weren¡¯t running out. The cat she had pointed to had died long ago. But there were plenty others remaining.


    ¡°Now go.¡± she said, glaring at the boy. Jace moved forward two steps towards a cat that was standing on top of the fountain, looking at it with fear. The fountain was situated right before the single corridor split into two, but calling it a fountain was really exaggerating. In truth, it was an eruption of water from the ground that was making a large puddle around it.


    The cat was standing in the middle of it, apparently bathing in water. And here she had read that cats didn''t like water.


    The boy approached the beast, jumping in fright as the needle zipped past his face, heading towards a cat that had just jumped off a tree to his right.


    ¡°Can I have a weapon?¡± he asked nervously, turning around. ¡°I think that would help.¡±


    Now he thought of it? Yes, a weapon would help. Too bad they didn¡¯t have any he could use.


    ¡°Do tell me if you get any.¡¯ she remarked dryly. ¡°But you shall have to do without for now. Try punching. And remember, your body already knows how to use mana. The only thing you need to learn is to do it consciously.¡±


    The way the needle was killing them, she was sure the cats were pitifully weak. A single burst of mana should kill them. Wichita was very familiar with the destructive power of mana, and it was truly difficult to overstate it. Just because Jace had so little mana, and didn¡¯t even have control over it didn¡¯t mean he was weak. Not anymore.


    As long as he was able to move that mana into someone, he could cause quite a bit of damage. Even pure mana like she had used could be deadly, randomizing a poison into the bloodstream. Organic magic would almost definitely do that. Mana took into account the intent of its caster, and a defensive action from a caster of Jace¡¯s would probably make the cat allergic to its own body fluids.


    Of course, only a fool would touch an Organic mage. Well, unless they were Arcana. Organic magic didn¡¯t work on people that weren¡¯t organic.


    Jace was far too scared to make the first move, but the cat wasn¡¯t. Rose screamed, running forward to help him as the cat reached its claws towards the boy. Jace screamed louder. The scream started before the claws touched him, and stopped only after the cat lay dead. Even Wichita was shocked how fast it had happened.


    A second ago, the cat''s claws touched the boy''s skin. A second later it was dead.


    ¡°Did you feel the mana?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°¡­yes.¡± the boy said. Wichita had left the healing enchantment on him and was glad to see that the injury had already healed. Not that there had been much in the first place. The cat had died so quickly it didn¡¯t even have time to properly sink its claws into the boy. A beast that was very weak to Organic magic? Wichita could think of no other possibility.


    The cats seemed to almost disappear as soon as Jace made the kill. The trees stopped spawning them, and the needle made quick work of the rest. The cat hadn¡¯t been a threat at all, and Wichita was beginning to suspect they weren¡¯t supposed to be.


    ¡°Did you get a level?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes. I got a full ten stats in magic, mind, and body.¡± Jace said.


    ¡°That is to be expected.¡± she answered, her mind already moving on. ¡°The [Unworthy] class is hard enough to level that the System often gives better stats for it.¡±


    Still it was curious that just a single battle against such a weak creature had granted him a level. Wichita might have even been a little jealous.


    ¡°What level are all of you now?¡± she asked, a bit curious.


    ¡°Seven.¡± Rose said.


    ¡°Five.¡± Tully shrugged.


    Jace was still looking at the dead cat like it had traumatized him. ¡°One.¡±


    Wichita had to admit she was surprised by Rose¡¯s high level, she¡¯d almost caught up with her.


    ¡°So we can expect that we will all be moving to Tier 2 very soon. If the forest makes things harder for us again, it will make our leveling speed even faster, though it should slow down once we get to Tier 2.¡± she nodded, mostly thinking to herself. Now it was time to test the System¡¯s restriction had fared.


    Feeling a bit nervous, she tried to reach out to the world, holding the Language of Magic in her mind. Wichita didn¡¯t really know how to free cast, but she had read about it. And the ability was supposed to be something Arcana knew from birth.


    But nothing happened. The mana she expanded simply dissipated into the world as she failed to connect to it in any meaningful way. The conversions and manipulation that came so easily to her while enchanting failed her now, refusing to let her convert the mana.


    The System¡¯s restriction remained as strong as it had been.

 Chapter 24 - Crushing expectations

    Wichita¡¯s enthusiasm deflated within herself, despite having already expected something similar to take place. If the System was so easily defeated, it wouldn¡¯t be the System. And still she¡¯d foolishly hoped, only to end up disappointed.


    At least she had been wise enough to keep it to herself.


    ¡°So, Tier 2 -¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Tully cut Rose off.


    ¡°What?¡± Wichita asked, blinking in surprise.


    ¡°Come on, you keep stopping randomly. This is like the fifth time it''s happened or something. Are you experiencing magical seizures or something?¡±


    Wichita had no idea what she was talking about. ¡°No, I do not experience anything of the sort. I was simply thinking.¡±


    ¡°In the middle of a conversation?¡± Jace asked her with a raised eyebrow, poking at the ground.


    Wichita looked at him, and at the flow of mana from his hands.


    ¡°Yes. What are you doing?¡± she demanded.


    Jace looked up at her without moving his head, only turning his pupils upwards. ¡°Just trying out magic. I thought you would approve.¡±


    ¡°Jace.¡± Wichita sighed. ¡°How much mana do you have?¡±


    ¡°Seventeen.¡¯


    ¡°And how much do you have left now?¡± she asked, knowing the answer before he even said it.


    ¡°Three.¡± the boy seemed to realize what she was talking about, grimacing as he looked at his own status sheet.


    Wichita continued anyway. ¡°Do you not realize that we could have used your magic in a fight? The fountain is still around! What if it has something dangerous? I could have trained you in the use of mana? But now you¡¯ve gone and wasted it.¡±


    ¡°How was I supposed to know it was a waste?! I thought you would like the practice!¡± the boy exclaimed in dissatisfaction.


    Wichita would have slapped him if it wouldn¡¯t have killed him. How could someone be so stupid? A burst of anger emerged within her quickly buried. Then she paused.


    Why should she bury the anger? The boy did not seem to realize the danger they were in. Heck, none of them did. Perhaps a little anger would drive the point in.¡±


    ¡°I already told you so, that¡¯s why.¡± she conjured anger into her voice, acting like an incensed Leirot. ¡°Organic magic only works on organic things. The forest floor does not count. This is a spacial forest, any bacteria is too dispersed for you to affect. Even normal soil would be too difficult for someone of your level.¡±


    ¡°Wait, can he affect the ground too?¡± Tully sounded surprised.


    Wichita took a deep breath. ¡°In a way. Jace can alter or kill the organic component inside. There is often quite a lot of stuff buried in the soil. A good place to practice certainly, but not right now.¡±


    ¡°I was practicing though.¡± Jace protested weakly.


    ¡°And did you fail even once?¡± she asked dryly. The boy''s expression was all the answer she needed.


    ¡°How will you learn magic if you don¡¯t challenge yourself? Jace, you''re weaker than me. With a class that is more suited to combat than mine.¡± she practically growled at him. ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking or exaggerating when I said that the forest was going to make things harder for us. Look at the drake, look at the pools of acid, and then look at the trees we had to run from. Do you see the difference?¡±


    In truth, she was regretting acting angry now, though she could not deny that some of that anger was real. The boy looked scared.


    ¡°I will¡­try to be better ok.¡± the boy said, not daring to look her in the eye.


    Wichita hesitated, unsure if she should continue. A rather large part of her wanted to stop, to not say words that would harm him. The boy just looked so despondent, like she had crushed his dreams.


    But she did it anyway. This wasn¡¯t just about him. The other two needed to hear her words too, and they were acting like this didn¡¯t have anything to do with them.


    ¡°No Jace, it¡¯s not ok.¡± she said carefully. The boy looked like he had been struck across his face. Why did her words affect him so much? ¡°The forest is a thinking, plotting thing. Just because it didn¡¯t counter us yet does not mean it can¡¯t. There are beasts out there that have hides too thick for Tully¡¯s Sword Qi, let alone for my needle. So stealthy that Rose cannot sense them. So deadly that my enchantments will not be able to heal you fast enough.¡±


    Wichita looked each of them in the eye. Rose and Tully were wearing nearly identical frowns, looking like actual siblings for once.


    ¡°Do you know what they are called?¡± she asked, and then answered her own question. ¡°Dragons. That is what they are called. The drake was a lesser dragon. A baby lesser dragon. Had it been a bit more powerful, even just a bit older, then we would be dead. Do you really think the forest can¡¯t put us up against a stronger version of the beast?¡±


    The frown on Rose¡¯s face deepened. Even Jace was frowning now.


    ¡°And you think Jace can defeat them?¡±


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    ¡°Yes, in fact.¡± she was surprised by her own answer. ¡°Organic magic is one of the few kinds of magic that is actually effective on dragons. But even if he did not have that, he has something much more valuable. The [Unworthy] class.¡±


    Wichita looked into Jace¡¯s puzzled brown eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that it was better for the situation than mine for no reason. In fact, he might have the class most suited for this situation. The forest is giving us a test, a test of fae magic. Do you know what tests do?¡±


    ¡°A test can prove you worthy.¡± Jace said, connecting the dots. So the points weren¡¯t completely for show then.


    ¡°Yes, exactly. With every step you take, with every minute you survive, the fae magic around you grows stronger. There will come a tipping point when you will transition from just surviving to altering reality so that you make it next to impossible for you to lose. The beasts you face will find their attacks missing you. ¡°


    ¡°A touch will turn into poison for your enemies. A fissure will open underneath an assassin, swallowing them whole. The world deemed you unworthy, but you decided to prove it wrong. At some point that Story will hold power of its own.¡± she said.


    Jace¡¯s eyes bulged wide. Then she poured cold water over his hopes. ¡°That tipping point will be sometime after Tier 5. The Enchanting Queen did not reach it till Tier 8¡±


    The glow on the boy¡¯s face faded. Wichita felt even more guilty about what it was doing.


    ¡°But that does not mean that it is not useful right now. Tier 1 is also called Scenario. Tier 2 is a chapter. At Tier 2 your class will grow, your Story will take note of you fighting the judgment cast upon you. And that means it will start giving us ways out.¡±


    Jace¡¯s lips parted as he absorbed the information, trying to form a response. ¡°So, if the System backs us into a corner then my power will open a path for us to escape.¡±


    ¡°The forest¡¯s own Story makes it a bit unreliable, but a chance is better than nothing.¡± she said.


    ¡°That sounds nice.¡± Rose interrupted. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it have been good for us to know before? Sounds like this is your fault for not telling us about it.¡±


    Wichita let out an angry breath, actually angry this time. ¡°During what time? I have been trying to explain the world to you this entire time. And I did mention this to you, even if I did not mention this exact thing happening. The forest has been pushing us from one challenge to the next, and I simply haven¡¯t had the time to teach you anything important.¡±


    ¡°There was enough time to mention it.¡± Rose mumbled. Wichita had to agree with her, even if it pained her to do so. The issue was, she just hadn¡¯t thought of it. This just hadn¡¯t seemed relevant until the forest sent the drake. Heck, it hadn¡¯t occurred to her until she was acting angry.


    In hindsight, it was clear that the forest had been testing them, measuring their capabilities to send beasts that countered them. The kind that would challenge them to their limits. Not too much technically, but difficult for them to defeat under most circumstances. The fact that it was making it easy for her to train Jace did not sit well with her either.


    That just meant that it could make the challenges harder. Account for Jace¡¯s fae magic instead of ignoring it.


    Wichita sighed, picking up a stone as she looked at the mana she had left.


    Mana: 257/553


    So little already. But she could spare fifty mana.


    ¡°I will funnel you some mana.¡± she told Jace. ¡°Don¡¯t use it on anything else.¡±


    Rose frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do that before? Don¡¯t you have like an extra large mana pool?¡±


    Wichita looked at her with irritation. ¡°I give three points of mana for each point he receives. The enchantment takes twenty points to build, and can send at most thirty points of mana before it collapses. That is fifty points of mana, Miss Rose. Considering that I require mana to live, I would rather not spend it unless I have to.¡±


    Jace looked at the stone like it had bitten him. Perhaps she was being too harsh on them. The situation wasn¡¯t their fault, they were stuck here with her.


    Wichita took a deep breath. ¡°I am aware that we do not have much in the way of trust between us, but we are all stuck here together. I have aided you as much as I can, and I hope you shall do the same.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Rose smiled. ¡°I am thankful for the trust you¡¯ve placed in us.¡±


    ¡°In that case.¡± Jace said, pulling a metallic chip out of somewhere. Rose¡¯s eyes bulged the second her eyes fell on it, screaming ¡°Jace! That¡¯s a secret!¡±


    ¡°What? The thing opens a portal Rose, she doesn¡¯t have any reason to steal it from us. If she wants she can just follow us.¡± Jace snarked back. ¡°Wichita knows more about magic than all of us combined. I am sure it will be helpful if she knows about this.¡±


    Wichita¡¯s eyes narrowed as she stared at the chip. The chip Jace had just claimed was magical, but did not emit any magic. Well, that wasn¡¯t very uncommon among higher ranked magic objects. Perhaps this was one.


    ¡°This is an escape chip.¡± Jace said. ¡°The three of us made a¡­deal. The escape chip is supposed to take us back to our world after we¡¯ve acquired the powers and stuff we wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Can I?¡± Wichita said, lightly, holding her hand out. This type of artifact, no, she should test it first. Jace handed her the chip while Rose glared at him. Tully was trying to act like she was looking somewhere else.


    Wichita peered into the artifact with her mana sense. There was mana in this. A little, but it was powerful. Tier 8 at least. A lesser enchanter would not even be able to tell what it did. The mana was warping space with its very presence, surrounding itself in a magical field. A powerful artifact to be sure.


    ¡°Did they say how you¡¯re supposed to use this?¡± she asked, pursing her lips.


    ¡°Just press the button in between.¡± Jace pointed.


    Wichita looked at it. That was where the mana was. The enchantment was crude, mana didn¡¯t even flow. That was partly why she was sure she was correct about this. The chip had no enchantment. The mage responsible had stuffed their own mana inside, heaping it up with enough intent that it worked.


    There was little need to do anything else with something like this after all.


    Wichita¡¯s emotions must have been showing because Rose suddenly looked worried.


    ¡°What is it?¡± the human girl asked.


    ¡°The chip won¡¯t work.¡± she answered, sincerely sad.


    Rose shook her head. ¡°The thing was built by one of the Five, just because you can¡¯t tell -¡±


    ¡°The chip is a spacial beacon. Pressing the button will send a signal somewhere, likely building a spacial bridge between the two places.¡± Wichita interrupted. ¡°In normal circumstances it would have worked. The magic inside is still intact.¡±


    ¡°¡­but?¡± Jace sounded positively terrified, his voice shaking.


    ¡°The world boundary blocks signals. Magic and matter just don¡¯t exist in the void as far as we can tell. Trust me, we tried very, very hard to contract the Iridor. But without an active crack between the two worlds, we simply couldn¡¯t contact them. Not to mention, you can¡¯t build spacial bridges between worlds. That just doesn¡¯t work. Even spacial magic was we know it doesn¡¯t work on spacial boundaries,¡± Wichita said slowly, afraid that her words would cause an outburst.


    Rose was actually shaking, and she did not look like she was ready to accept this reality.

 Chapter 25 - The forest does not care

    For a second Wichita feared that she had scared Rose too much. The girl looked like she was about to run for the hills.


    ¡°That¡ªwhat¡ªthat -¡± the girl repeated like a broken record, looking like she was about to have a mental breakdown. Or perhaps she was having one.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Jace asked her, his face pale. The boy was not breaking down, but he looked positively terrified. Tully seemed to be the least affected, though she had expected that. The girl had benefited the most from coming to this world, and had not truly faced challenges.


    Jace and Rose were the ones who hadn¡¯t been as lucky, especially the former. Wichita had expected Jace to be the most affected, but Rose had taken his place.


    Then the trees started moving.


    ¡°I suppose we should move.¡± she said, handing the chip to Jace. ¡°Keep it, perhaps someday you might encounter a crack that leads back to your world. I can teach how to detect it when the chip senses its counterpart. Even if it can¡¯t build a bridge, it can identify a crack that leads back to your world. With sufficient preparations, you could use it to return. I cannot speak to what time you will return to, however. The crack may lead somewhere hundreds of years later.¡±


    Rose was looking at the forest like it was her worst enemy. Or perhaps it was the entire world she was glaring at. The revelation had really upset her, huh? Wichita was not sure what to think of it. On one hand it did explain some of their nonchalance regarding things. Like how they had agreed to serve her so easily. The binding would naturally disappear when they left this world.


    Now, though, they were stuck. In this world and with her as a liege¡­at least until they decided it was better to leave her.


    ¡°How about we talk as we run?¡± she asked, trying to prompt them into running.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rose answered quickly, drawing deep breaths as she started running far quicker than before.


    Wichita did not truly know what to say. What was she supposed to do? Console them? Tell them it would be fine? That was a lie. The four of them were at the mercy of the forest, and she knew very little about whether they would be ok. For all she knew, the next challenge would prove too much for them.


    ¡°So, you meant it when you said that we could leave after we escape the forest, right?¡± Rose asked, her voice quivering.


    Wichita threw her an irritated glance. Was she really that bad? Why was it that everyone wanted to escape from her?! ¡°Yes, of course, though I would suggest we focus on escaping the forest first.¡±


    Rose took another deep breath. ¡°Yes. Do you have any plans for that? The forest seems to be leading us somewhere, what if it''s deeper into itself?¡±


    The girl seemed to grow calmer the more she planned. Or rather, have someone else plan.


    ¡°That is a distinct possibility.¡± she admitted. ¡°I have no idea where it''s going. I didn¡¯t know which direction leads outside to begin with, and this is a spacial forest. Even if we walk in a straight line, we might not be able to exit. The forest could easily twist space around us to make us walk in the wrong direction.¡±


    ¡°The only way I see us getting out is by finishing whatever tests the forest puts us through. There is usually a reward at the end of such tests. Perhaps the reward is leaving the forest. Perhaps it is something else. I can only hope that it will allow us to leave after we are done.¡±


    ¡°What if it doesn¡¯t?¡± Jace asked.


    ¡°Then we¡¯re dead.¡± she stated. ¡°The forest is far more powerful than us. Perhaps if the trials go on for years then we might grow enough to face it. But I have not heard of any such thing. If at any point, the forest decides that it does not want to be fair with us anymore, then we will likely die.¡±


    The three¡¯s faces paled. Wichita rolled her eyes at them. This was hardly new information. In fact, she was very sure she had said the exact same thing before. But apparently the transmigrators with an escape route hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Rose asked, her voice suddenly desperate. ¡°The only way we can keep up with the challenges is if we continue growing stronger, right? So how do we do that?¡±


    ¡°If it was so easy to grow stronger then I wouldn¡¯t even need to bother with this forest.¡± she huffed. ¡°I have been trying my very best to get you stronger already. If you really want to help, though, then maybe you could push your Skills.¡±


    ¡°Putting more effort tends to increase the strength of your Story, and that might be helpful. The effect is pretty minor in most circumstances, but it''s still something.¡±


    Wichita looked at Jace. ¡°Jace could let me poke him, though. That might help.¡±


    ¡°I already learned magic!¡± the boy protested, huffing from the exertion they were going through. At least he wasn¡¯t already out of breath. The rest of them had already leveled enough that this level of exertion wasn¡¯t even a problem for them.


    ¡°No, Jace, you did not learn magic. What you learned was a basic infusion of your mana into something else that you have physical contact with. An infusion that you have barely any control over.¡± she drawled, unable to keep her disdain to herself. The boy had the chance to learn magic, and he was not taking it just to avoid a little pain.


    ¡°More than that, consider your Story. What do you think will be more powerful: the boy that decided to prove himself worthy regardless of how much pain he has to bear? Or the boy who only does what won¡¯t bring him too much pain or take too much effort?¡±


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    Jace grimaced, though he did not immediately say no. That was progress at least.


    ¡°Ok, fine!¡± he yelled, raising his hands for some reason.


    ¡°Keep your hands down, they¡¯re liable to get cut off.¡± she warned. ¡°The forest has been pretty lenient with us, but we have got to stop underestimating it.¡±


    In truth, she was also guilty of it. The forest was following rules, only threatening them when they slowed down or stopped. The attacks had been very easy to anticipate, and they had plenty of time to react to it. Heck, she had spent a large amount of time she should have been watching for beasts just wasting time looking at the sky. Even challenging the forest. What if it had decided to attack her companions at that time?


    ¡°The forest hadn¡¯t used a surprise attack on us yet.¡± she said. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean it won¡¯t do that anymore.¡±


    ¡°Rose startled, looking around as if expecting a beast to pop out of the trees. That was quite probable, several beasts had come out of there.


    ¡°Can you detect any?¡± Rose asked. ¡°I am pretty sure you¡¯re better at this than me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Wichita shook her head. ¡°And I would object to that. Perhaps you are better right now, but there is a fundamental difference between us. The power you use comes from a perception Skill that will only grow stronger as you grow. I am sure you¡¯re detecting way more than you did a few hours ago?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah.¡± Rose nodded slowly.


    ¡°Well, what I can detect hasn¡¯t changed¡­much.¡± she said, realizing that it had changed a bit. ¡°Mana sense is an innate ability of mine that is unlikely to grow, and can only detect mana. I couldn''t detect the drake, but you could, couldn''t you? Give it a few more levels, and I am sure you will outpace me easily.¡±


    Wichita really wanted to know how far her enhanced mana sense went. And why and how it had been enhanced in the first place. That kind of thing just wasn''t supposed to happen. That was the stuff of legends. The Arcana had no ways of reliably enhancing mana sense outside certain Skills that the System rarely gave their species.


    There was clearly more to whatever she had experienced with her Skill. But this wasn¡¯t the time to do a deep analysis of herself and try to see what had changed. That could wait till they had some time to rest.


    ¡°There¡¯s something!¡± Rose said as an arrow headed straight for Jace. The boy''s eyes widened as it passed right in front of his eyes, missing him narrowly. Wichita doubted it was due to luck.


    ¡°The two of you had better be careful.¡± she told Rose and Jace. ¡°The forest may target you since - ¡°


    Wichita blinked as she felt something pass through her body, looking down as she found an arrow dissolving within her.


    ¡°Or it might target me. Of course, it will target me, I am the weaker one.¡± she murmured, suddenly remembering that she was indeed the weaker one. And quite easy to target with arrows that did not have magic.


    ¡°Can you see what is shooting the arrows at us?¡± she asked, looking around with her mana sense. Of course, there was nothing she could sense.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Rose said. ¡°That thing right there.¡±


    Wichita looked at where she was pointing. There was nothing¡ªand then there was.


    ¡°Jace, duck!¡± she yelled as the humanoid creature loosened an arrow in his direction. Then it reappeared again in another place, loosening an arrow in her direction. Wichita only saw the arrow coming, barely having time to process the figure¡¯s reappearance. The needle emerged from her dress, clashing with the arrow and halting it in its place.


    But it was clear to her that she could not sense the beast.


    ¡°Rose, tell me where it is, I will shoot it.¡± Tully said as the thing disappeared again, loosening an arrow in Jace¡¯s direction. Wichita ducked and rolled, expecting an arrow to head towards her at any second. And it did.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it.¡± she warned. ¡°The thing is too fast for you to hit.¡±


    As much as she wanted to deny it, it was true. Tully¡¯s Sword Qi was not meant to be shot at things, and was painfully slow. Even if it just took a few seconds to hit, those seconds were more than enough for this creature to dodge. The needle couldn¡¯t detect it either. Even if it looked unlikely, the creature was actually moving from place to place, not just teleporting.


    ¡°Jace is the only one that can deal with this.¡± she said, rolling on the ground and then standing up. The second arrow had come far too close. The creature was clearly trying to predict their movements, just as they predicted its actions.


    ¡®What?!¡± Jace yelled as he barely dodged the arrow. The boy was far from nimble enough to do any of the dodging. And yet he was the only one that could harm the creature.


    ¡°The needle can¡¯t harm it, and it''s too fast for Tully. Rose can tell you where it is, you have to intercept it. As long as you can touch it, I am sure it will die.¡± she said, then realized that the same was true for her. The mana that made up her body was probably deadly to the creature.


    ¡°Rose, I need you to tell me where the creature is. Jace and I will try to corner it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok.¡± Rose answered, sounding very nervous. ¡°To your right, a bit -¡±


    Wichita ducked as an arrow flew over her head, but she had been able to see it coming. Rose¡¯s warning seemed to have made the creature appear to her. Was it an unknown part of Rose¡¯s Skill, or was the forest doing something?


    ¡°Rose.¡± she said as the creature disappeared. ¡°Just tell me the direction.¡±


    ¡°Left!¡± the girl yelled as the creature reappeared. Wichita jumped in the direction, twisting her body to avoid the arrow. Jace was far less graceful and simply ducked, raising an arm as if that would protect him.


    For some reason it did. The arrow buried itself into the boy¡¯s flesh, much to her surprise. Wichita did not waste the chance, extending her hand as far as it could go. A fair bit longer than a human could. The creature must not have expected her extra range because she was able to touch its bow before it withdrew. Ten points of mana funneled into the non-magical bow as the creature''s featureless face looked at her.


    Wichita found it a bit freaky. For some reason, seeing a face without any eyes, nose, or mouth was horrifying. A shriek split the air as the needle burrowed into the creature''s skin, making it let out a screech of pain even with its¡­deficiencies.


    ¡°Jace.¡± she called and was somewhat surprised to see the boy having approached them. For some reason he was still crouching, his injured hand shaking as he whimpered in pain. Extending his other hand hesitantly, as if he expected the creature to bite him, he touched it.


    Wichita was not sure why the creature did not move away, but it let Jace touch it, continuing to let out its scream.


    A second later, it was dead. And she had her last level before Tier 2.


    The [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 11


    Tier 2 class options available.

 Chapter 26 - Tier 2

    Wichita paused, very carefully dismissing the notification. With her luck, the System would give her a time limited offer that she would have to take. No, only a fool opened such a notification the second it appeared.


    As much as she wanted to switch classes to something that would be more helpful, she had a Legend class. The class of the highest rarity the system could give. No, even she wasn¡¯t foolish enough to give that up. If she had beaten the forest¡¯s trial, then maybe she could have hoped for a different Legend path.


    Or more likely it would simply be absorbed by her current Story. The Story of the Forgotten Queen. Wichita feared that she might be stuck with it for life. Changing one''s class to another path was difficult under normal circumstances, and even more difficult if that class was Legend. Fae magic simply wasn¡¯t that flexible.


    But enough of that, she had work to do.


    ¡°That was too close.¡± she said, turning to look at the whimpering boy. A little guilt wormed into her at his state, though it was quickly burnt away by her Heart. Wichita walked up to him and carefully took out the arrow. That was to say that she pulled it out in a single tug.


    The boy yelped, though surprisingly did not shout his protests at her. A burst of blood emerged from his hand as Wichita scrambled to stop it. The panic that took hold of her thoughts at that moment was embarrassing.


    ¡°I need cloth¡± she declared, though she knew that the wound would be healed long before she got her hands on one. The healing enchantment she had made for him was not a weak thing.


    Tully tore some from her skirt anyway.


    Wichita dabbed the blood away from Jace¡¯s skin feeling rather foolish.


    ¡°I forgot that humans had blood.¡± she mumbled, feeling the need to explain herself.


    Rose looked at her with her mouth slightly open. The girl looked to be stuck between laughing and shouting at her. For some reason, it was scoffing that won.


    ¡°I think we should keep the cloth in case someone else gets injured.¡± she said. Jace was still staring where his wound had been. ¡°Jace will likely be injured quite a bit in the coming battles.¡±


    That seemed to push the boy out of his trance.


    ¡°What?!¡± Jace exclaimed, looking ready to protest his disagreement.


    ¡°Organic magic makes it likely that you will have to get close to the beasts.¡± she explained. ¡°That could easily end up with you getting injured in some manner. Of course, you will also heal quicker than the rest of us.¡±


    Wichita paused, considering. ¡°Well, except me, though you can¡¯t really call what I do healing. In a way, it is difficult for me to heal at all. Recharging my mana might cause reality to collapse on our heads and kill us all.¡±


    And she was getting preciously low on mana again. Perhaps she should risk it. The strain on reality from an Arcanian pull was rather large, but there were a lot of stability vines in their surroundings.


    Perhaps it was worth a try. But she had something else to do first, a surer way to get more mana. Getting a Tier 2 class.


    ¡°The forest should give us a rest period now.¡± At least, she hoped it would. ¡°I would recommend we use it to increase our power. I shall train Jace in the use of magic. Within a few hours, I should be able to help him use the basics of it.¡±


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Rose asked. ¡°Like do you have suggestions?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Wichita nodded. ¡°Tully, can you use your [Sword Call] Skill without actually wasting a charge? If you don¡¯t call any Sword Qi that is.¡±


    Tully shook her head. ¡°I would still waste one, but I think I can keep it open as long as I want if I don¡¯t call Sword Qi. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a time limit.¡±


    That would have to do.


    ¡°Then I want you to try to communicate with the sword you are connected to. If you can establish a stronger connection then it would aid us greatly. The restriction in Sword Qi should be the amount of times you can call on it, if you strengthen the connection you can call more Sword Qi each time.¡±


    Tully nodded. ¡°How do I do that? Strengthen the connection I mean.¡±


    Wichita barely had any idea. The only thing she had to rely on were vague hints in one particular textbook.


    ¡°Just¡­try to sense what the sword stands for. That is usually how these things go. Rose, you try to perceive what the Skill is doing. That could boost your Skill quite a bit.¡±


    The older girl just nodded, looking quite determined.


    ¡°Now, Jace.¡± The boy whimpered at her words. ¡°I am going to poke you.¡± The whimpering started to sound like gagging. Why wasn¡¯t he opening his mouth? Was this some human thing she was not aware of?


    ¡°Do not look at me like this. The forest has upped the difficulty significantly. Do you really think we were ready for that? That we will be ready for the next one if we do not prepare?¡± Wichita stared at him, hoping that he would not say yes. That sounded like a difficult argument.


    ¡°¡­no.¡± The boy said, curling up into a ball. ¡°Just poke me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± she stated, crouching down. ¡°Do not hide. That is not how magic is done. If you are to master Organic magic then you must face it head on. Not whimpering like a child.¡±


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    The boy looked at her, his eyes bloodshot and filled with pain. Wichita was not sure why he was so difficult. This was far gentler than anything she¡¯d dealt with. Not that she¡¯d gotten any training in magic, but the spirit of the statement remained.


    ¡°Hold out your hand.¡± she demanded.


    The boy looked at her.


    ¡°Come on, you can do this. Just a moment of pain and you will be able to sense mana. Just one I swear.¡± she said. Doing just one of those was cutting it closer than she would have liked, but she had little choice in the matter. Jace looked like he would protest one, let alone more.


    The boy hesitantly held out of his hand, looking ready to snatch it back at the slightest sensation of pain.


    ¡°I want you to try to sense how your mana reacts to my poking. That is what you will replicate.¡± she said. ¡°In one, two, three.¡±


    A single point of mana entered Jace''s body, the boy wincing and pulling his hand back slightly. But he did not scream or run away from her. An improvement, certainly.


    ¡°What did you sense?¡± she demanded, hoping he had at least sensed something. An Arcana would have surely gotten it, but humans were less gifted.


    ¡°The mana came from somewhere,¡± he said. ¡°And it then tried to reinforce it. I felt it do something to my hand. Don¡¯t think it worked though.¡±


    ¡®Oh it did,¡± she noted. ¡°Look at your hand, it is only burnt.¡±


    ¡°Well I will take your word for it.¡± he said, looking at his now healed hand.


    ¡°Yes, I meant before the healing enchantment worked.¡± she answered. ¡°Do you remember what happened to the arrow? That should have happened to your hand.¡±


    Well, not exactly, there wasn¡¯t nearly enough mana for that.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Now the boy just looked frightened. ¡°What your mana did is transform your skin into something slightly resistant to magic. More accurately, it manipulated it so that a large number of probabilities were your hand burning. With the way mana works, that made it that much more likely for your hand to come out burnt.¡±


    ¡°Why burning?¡± Jace asked.


    Wichita shrugged. ¡°I do not know, perhaps your mana has a minor affinity for fire. Perhaps it is something in the environment. Magic is an art, not a science. To try to control it at our level is simply foolishness. Mana is a force of randomness. Magic is what makes it something else.¡±


    ¡°How does it change probabilities anyway?¡± Jace asked. ¡°Like does it make my skin particularly flammable or something?¡±


    Wichita blinked. That was not a question she had expected. ¡°No, that is not how it works, at least I think that isn''t how it works. Organic magic was not the most researched field among the Arcana.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Jace looked disappointed. ¡°So, what do I do?¡±


    ¡°Reinforce your skin to be resistant.¡± she said. ¡°Just manipulate your mana. The effect is minimal at this stage, but it should bring your mana to the edge of your skin. Start with your hands and spread it throughout your body, it should help.¡±


    ¡°Wait, that''s it? I thought this was going to be complicated.¡± Jace complained.


    Wichita gave him a dirt look. ¡°This would be more complicated if I hadn¡¯t poked you. And this is barely even magic. Just basic internal mana manipulation relying on your high affinity. A baby, a human baby, could do this if they had a high enough affinity.¡±


    There had been several reported cases of such things. In places with high enough concentrations of mana, it was not rare to find babies doing such things. At that age their natural protection was too weak to block the surrounding mana, a few points tended to get through. There was a reason a lot of mages raised their children there. Starting to learn young was an advantage after all.


    ¡°Ok then.¡± The boy said, starting his task. Wichita could sense the mana moving within him. Not a lot, and she was sure he would exhaust his pool soon enough. But it was something. In theory, she had just taught a transmigrator magic. A transmigrator with an [Unworthy] class. Even if that was magic in the same way, adding two ones was math.


    That should count for something.


    Wichita¡¯s eyes turned to the notification blinking at the corner of her vision. A large part of her wanted to wait till she was sure that she could get a different class. The Story was still young, there was still a chance she could change it.


    But the last test had been close, far, far too close. No, what she had said to Jace applied to her too. This was not the time to wait. The new Tier might give her access to Skills and advantages that she could help them with.


    Even if getting them could force her into this path. Well, if she hated it that much she could just leave it all and start over as a farmer.


    Wichita shook her head, the mere thought of giving up filling her with disgust. The Heart burning through her body may have also contributed to it. Giving up was something despised within the Arcana.


    Now for the options.


    Tier 2 class options:


    [Sensor Helper[chapter]]


    [Magic sensor[narrative]]


    [Needle commander[narrative]]


    [Story guide[tale]]


    [Transmigrators¡¯ Queen[fable]]


    Wichita¡¯s breath caught. A fable rarity class. That was¡­high. More than she had expected really. Not Legend but it might work. There were three transmigrators here, perhaps she could convince them to stay.


    But she knew she could not take it. The class might not necessarily be better. As much as she wished it to be anything else, it was another Queen class. Not even [Warrior Queen] or [Mage Queen] but [Transmigrators¡¯ Queen].


    With the previous option being what it was, it was clear that her guiding the three transmigrators had a huge impact on her Story. More than whatever contributions her magic had made in the fights.


    Sighing, she turned to the last option.


    [Forgotten Queen[legend]]


    Then she clicked it. The change was not immediate, such things rarely were. But it was there. For a few seconds she felt power build up around her, mana dancing in front of her eyes as her Story evolved. A Chapter of it was complete. Tier 2 was the last place she could bumble around. At Tier 3, she would have to set the Narrative, prepare to properly wield her Story lest she fall behind.


    For some reason, she had a feeling it would be a lot of work. Perhaps it was the notification that the System had shown her.


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached Tier 2


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 1


    Mana +100


    Where the fuck was her Capstone Skill?

 Chapter 27 - Growing power

    A Capstone Skill. Wichita wouldn¡¯t say she was counting on it to improve her situation, but it would have been kind of nice if it did so. Of course the System went and did the exact opposite thing. What else would it do?


    Wichita let out a rather inelegant growl of frustration as she shook her head. Rose looked at her with something painfully close to alarm.


    ¡°Oh it¡¯s nothing, I just got an unpleasant notification.¡± she answered before she could ask the question.


    That just seemed to spawn more questions in the girl¡¯s mind.


    ¡°What do you mean unpleasant?¡± Rose demanded. ¡°Did you lose your stats? Why would - ¡°


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get a Capstone Skill.¡± she ground out.


    ¡°A what?¡± Rose blinked.


    Wichita took a deep breath. ¡°I just reached Tier 2. The System apparently decided that I did not merit a Capstone Skill despite having a Legend class.¡±


    That was practically what Tier 1 Legend classes were known for. Getting a Capstone Skill early was what gave so many an edge.


    ¡°Capstone Skills aren¡¯t usually given at Tier 1 unless you have a Legend class.¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the entire theory behind it, but it has something to do with breaking through a milestone.¡±


    Well apparently she hadn¡¯t broken through well enough.


    Rose¡¯s face paled. ¡°So Tully¡¯s the only other one that could get a Skill like that?¡±


    Wichita nodded grimly. ¡°Well we don¡¯t know what rarity your class is, but yes it would seem so. Jace assuredly isn¡¯t getting one until he sheds the [Unworthy] class.¡±


    The girl looked even more nervous. Wichita felt sort of guilty for adding to her troubles.


    ¡°Did you sense anything?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No.¡± Rose shook her head. ¡°Tully pointed out where it is several times, but I just can¡¯t tell. Like there¡¯s nothing there.¡±


    The girl pointed to a particular location in the air, and indeed, there was nothing there. Tully was staring at it like she was seeing something mesmerizing, but she only saw a patch of air.


    Wichita sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should tell you to continue. On one hand you are supposed to be better than me at sensing things. On the other hand, this is, well, it just might be more than you can handle at the moment.¡±


    Rose¡¯s lips thinned. ¡°The thing is too high Tier to practice my Skill on?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. I simply can¡¯t say what the System is doing.¡± Wichita answered. ¡°I told you to sense it because there really isn¡¯t much else you can practice on. The more difficult the test, the more likely you will gain a level.¡±


    ¡°I did get one.¡± Rose nodded. ¡°But it stopped there.¡±


    Wichita stared at her. ¡°So you are level eight then?¡±


    ¡°Nine, actually.¡± the girl answered, turning to stare at the patch of space again. Well it looked like her first noble was a sincere type. That for some reason was getting levels absurdly fast.


    ¡°Did you get no other Skills except your perception one?¡± she asked.


    Rose simply shook her head in response, still staring at the patch of space.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­unfortunate. I do not know what the System is thinking.¡± Or why it was doing this. Where was the balance? Why was the System acting so off? Wichita was used to the System targeting her species, but this was something else.


    The actions it had taken over the last few days had been barely within its rights, cutting the edge of what was fair. And putting them in danger throughout. The more time she spent here, the more likely it seemed to her that she was being targeted by the System.


    The question remained: why? Had the Arcana offended it in some manner during their destruction? Was Veruna¡¯s plan perhaps a threat to it? Perhaps it was the Royal Skill? Wichita did not know the limits of it, though presumably it would not work on every one of her subjects.


    Still it was an incredible Skill to have, and synergized with her current class very well. To the point of too well really. The plan was to choose those in miserable conditions, ones that needed a helping hand, and then give it to them. Not a new plan, but it hadn¡¯t been attempted by an Arcana before. The Royal Skill made her plan much more effective. Just about any piece of coal could be transformed into a diamond if she had the right magic. The Royal Skill gave that.


    Perhaps that was it.


    Rose clutched her head, massaging it as she continued to stare at the patch of space. Jace had curled into a ball again and was rocking himself back and forth. If Wichita could not see the mana running through his body, she would have wondered if he was perhaps asleep. But he wasn¡¯t.


    The two of them may not be getting much in the way of results, but they were working hard. So hard that it reminded her of herself when she was younger. Even Tully had been staring at one point in space for far too long. But she could see the girl¡¯s power spreading across her body, nurturing her.


    A passive strengthening Skill? That would be in line with what she expected from the class.


    [Justice of the Forgotten Queen] was what she had presumed a Legend class was supposed to be. Wichita shoved aside her jealousy and stood up. There was little she could do to help herself.


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    Getting levels would be harder now that she was Tier 2. The higher you climbed in Tiers, the more difficult it became. With the fact that this Tier had double the amount of levels, she could expect to be here for a good long time.


    At least a week.


    Wichita swallowed as she remembered how little time had passed since she had dueled Leirot. Veruna¡¯s sacrifice seemed to be a lifetime ago, but it probably hadn¡¯t even been a full day since then.


    Tier 2 in less than a day. Not the greatest of achievements, especially for a Royal Arcana, but she would take it. Wichita wasn¡¯t good at breaking records anyway. That was Leirot. The only thing she did was try to look like she belonged among her brethren.


    A cold, humid wind blew against her face as she turned towards the trees. Wichita did not know why, but she had a feeling that their rest period had come to an end. A sigh tore itself from her, turning into a groan partway through. One battle after another was turning out to be more exhausting than she had expected.


    Would it be too much to ask for a break?


    Wichita clapped her hands, bringing the others¡¯ attention to her. Well all except Tully. Walking up to her, she gently put her hand on the girl¡¯s shoulder, trying to extract her from her trance. This kind of thing could be dangerous if done improperly.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s time to go.¡± she said into her ear. Tully shuddered, shaking her body as if she were a wet dog.


    ¡°What happened?¡± she asked.


    The forest answered for her. The trees groaned as they began moving, chasing them off.


    ¡°I should have drank water before.¡± the girl muttered as she stood up, heaving as she did so. Wichita could see the strain on all of them. The three were surviving, but the forest was taxing them.


    ¡°Come on.¡± she said, ¡°The forest has issued a challenge, and we shall answer!¡±


    The fake cheer was met with hesitant smiles and a glare from Jace. The four once again set out on their slow unbothered pace. Wichita still wondered how the humans could be so calm with the trees. If her Heart hadn¡¯t been burning her fears away, then¡­well it was a good thing it did burn her fears away.


    And helped her concentrate. Thinking of other things was not a good idea at the moment.


    The hallway¡¯s floor started turning into cobblestones and falling off, looking very similar to the first challenge they had faced.


    ¡°Oh, this again.¡± Rose groaned as she jumped onto one of the larger patches of cobblestones. The four of them separated into different patches, making their own way through. As if the challenge did not even merit worrying about.


    To her surprise, it didn¡¯t. Even for her. The new senses, that she really should have paid more attention to, were remarkably good at sensing where the cobblestones would fall. Perhaps they had something to do with Fae magic. The dragons had an ingrained ability to sense Fae magic, something similar to her mana sense. Perhaps she had something similar.


    A bird swooped down from the sky, but she barely paid any attention to it. The needle had eaten it long before it got anywhere near her. Jace swatted a bird that came near him, looking at it with distaste as it dissolved in the pool of acid. Tully just had to glare at the birds and they ran away.


    Rose though was the most interesting of them. The girl was the fastest, having been the first to step onto a patch of cobblestones and having kept the lead. Wichita was very sure that she could see some pattern to the attacks, and was beating it.


    Well, she could not remain behind. Picking up speed, she saw the others do the same. The falling cobblestones simply weren¡¯t a threat anymore. Perhaps the forest had heard her and finally decided to take it easy¡ªno, it hadn¡¯t.


    Wichita sighed as the number of birds suddenly increased by a factor of hundred. So many that they now covered most of the sky, and seemed very happy to come down to harass them.


    Jace growled as a mass of birds came before him, surely blocking his vision. Wichita was a bit worried, he did not have a mana sense like her. The birds tried to do the same to her, but they weren¡¯t very successful.


    For one, she did not rely on seeing to guide herself. For another the birds attacked physically, and well. Pecking at her was a deadly activity. The waste of mana was still annoying, a painful reminder of what had happened.


    ¡°Take me into the sky.¡± she told the needle, and it followed. That was probably more mana efficient. Heck, with the amount of birds they were killing on the way, it was probably getting more mana than it lost.


    If only she could do the same. Hmm, she would have to look into building something like that for herself once they got out of the mess. If they got out of this mess.


    The thought made her sigh in frustration as she jumped off the needle. The cobblestones had, strangely enough, stopped halfway through the hallway. There was still a way to go before they reached the ¡®rest¡¯ area.


    Two challenges one after the other? Wichita could only imagine what new horrors the forest would cook up for her. At least her companions weren¡¯t doing that bad.


    Tully¡¯s glaring hadn¡¯t worked once the birds had the advantage of numbers, but she was apparently very good at knocking them down. With her feet. The girl was walking on top of the birds, running across them really.


    The birds scattered, squawking their disapproval as they tried to run from the menace that was literally riding their heads to her destination. Wichita suppressed a giggle as she turned her attention to Jace. A part of her had been expecting the boy to be having trouble, but he wasn¡¯t.


    Jumping from one cobblestone to another with unnatural grace, he was swiping at the birds left and right. How? The boy couldn¡¯t have been able to see what was there around his feet¡ªthe birds blocked that quite thoroughly. So how? Wichita stared at it for a few seconds before it clicked to her.


    The birds flocked near the next patch of cobblestones in anticipation of him jumping there. And that just told him where to jump. A laugh bubbled out of her as she stared at the third member of their group. The one that had already made her way to join her.


    ¡°How did you do it?¡± she asked, curious.


    ¡°The forest challenges us, but it leaves a path.¡± Rose answered. ¡°The trick is sensing it before the birds get you.¡±


    Wichita smiled as Tully joined them, and Jace soon after. The four of them began to walk towards their next challenge, and she felt strangely calm. Whatever stood against them, they would face. And they would emerge victorious. The forest¡¯s challenges were growing in power, but they were growing too. The challenge was about who grew faster.


    The corridor suddenly disappeared into a much wider space, as if they had passed through a portal. Wichita frowned as she looked around, wondering what the forest was up to now. A large blue wall with scales and rippling¡­muscles¡­


    The calm bled from her mind, replaced with cold fear as she looked at what stood before them.


    ¡°Run.¡± she said, her Heart unable to calm her down. For some reason she was even breathing heavily.


    ¡°What?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a beast! Turn around and run!¡± she screamed as the beast began to move in earnest. The other three needed no more reminders as they turned around and ran for their lives. And not a moment too soon as she felt the roar shake her mind, the sound painfully familiar.


    The howling beast that she had met before, the one that had iced the snakes. And this time she could sense its power.


    Tier¡ªfucking¡ªsix.


    The fairness was over. The feasting forest had come in its place.

 Chapter 28 - This be random

    The beast roared behind them as they ran for their lives. Wichita had not felt fear like this before. [Dragon Fear] had to be objectively more powerful, but this was personal. The beast¡¯s heavy footsteps followed them, and for some reason the distance to the cobblestones seemed longer.


    The four of them had not even left the plain the creature inhabited yet, and she was starting to think they couldn¡¯t. The forest had already bared their path back. A death trap did not allow one to escape after all.


    The air turned colder as they walked, and she could practically feel the creature gather power. The footsteps stopped as she tried to speed herself up.


    ¡°The thing¡¯s going for a breath attack!¡± she yelled as she caught up to Jace. The boy was gasping for breath, but had not paused.


    ¡°What¡¯s the range? Can we escape it?¡± Rose answered between gasps of breath, slowing down to look at her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t slow down!¡± she ordered, though she wondered how much of a difference they could make. ¡°I have no idea how large it is, but it is big.¡±


    A sheet of snow formed around them even as they ran, Rose¡¯s movements becoming lethargic as snow began crawling up her body. Jace¡¯s pants showed similar issues, but the boy was resisting it. The enchantment she had made on his shirt, coupled with his own magic, gave him a slight resistance. Tully was likely pulling through based on her higher stats.


    Wichita herself was the least expected. The Heart of Ambition burnt through her body, driving away any hint of the magic. At least for now. The Heart was a powerful thing, but this creature was Tier 6. This wasn¡¯t an attack, this was just its presence that was freezing them. The attack would come later.


    ¡°Rose!¡± Tully yelled rushing to her sister as the older girl fell down onto the snow, shivering at the cold. Jace was not far behind, his pace slowing down as he clutched his chest, trying to keep going. The sounds coming from his mouth did not inspire confidence.


    Wichita ground to a stop as she looked at the entrance to the maze. The entrance that had not gotten any closer. As much as she wished otherwise, it was gone. The maze might as well have been an illusion.


    ¡°I caan¡ªthrrr¡ªstill -¡± Rose tried to lift herself up, but could not. Tully lifted her up into her arms, only for Jace to fall right behind her.


    ¡°There is no need.¡± she said, her voice dangerously calm, as she turned towards the beast. Or perhaps it was just defeat that was laced in her voice. The Heart burnt through her body, trying to convince her not to give up.


    But what could she do? The beast, its face looking like that of a large cat, looked at her. Or just in their general direction. As if an avalanche had hit their location, her companions froze, snow crawling up their bodies as they helplessly shivered on the ground. An orb of ice still grew within its throat, the icy breath that would soon be the end of them.


    Wichita could feel it, even as she remained the only one standing. The cold was gathering in it, trying to freeze time itself as it gathered. Trying being the important word. A Tier 9 could not have frozen time, let alone a mere Tier 6.


    For some reason, the fact that the beast¡¯s grand ambitions would go unrealized filled her with confidence.


    ¡°This was a farce, wasn¡¯t it?¡± she asked, to no one in particular. The cold must be making her delirious. Now she was talking to herself.


    The beast let out a sound, something that sounded eerily like a laugh. Then it closed its mouth, lowering its head as if to look at them. As if it had stopped gathering its little ball. Wichita was not so easily fooled. Opening its mouth was purely for show, it did not matter one bit. The attack was still gathering at the same leisurely pace it had before.


    ¡°I do not know what you mean.¡± the beast spoke, its voice echoing throughout the plain. A useless show of force.


    ¡°The forest was never going to be fair was it?¡± she spat. ¡°This was just it having fun at our expense.¡±


    Wichita had expected the beast to laugh at her, to mock her for even believing that the forest would be fair.


    ¡°Do you really think so?¡± The beast spoke, its voice thundering into her ears. The three transmigrators on the ground yelped in pain, blood pouring from their ears as they woke up from whatever the ice had done to them.


    Wichita crouched, adding healing enchantments to their clothes. This would use up all the transformation mana she had saved, but it was what she had saved it for. There might still be a chance.


    The beast had actually sounded angry when she had accused the forest. As if she was wrong.


    ¡°Yes.¡± she yelled back, unsure if she was doing the right thing. The beast was talking, and it might be possible to negotiate. A rather large part of her wanted to act supplicant, to please and favor the beast with words until it agreed to let her go.


    But another part of her doubted it had any intention of doing that. The beast was simply whiling away time until it could finish them off with its big attack. The one it was still gathering. Wichita rather doubted it would matter in the end. If there was one thing she had learned living among the Arcana, it was that the powerful did not listen to the weak. And she doubted the beast cared one bit about her, or praise, certainly not enough to let her go.


    Or maybe she was just trying to justify the impulsive decision she had made and trying not to panic. The beast was still staring at her, seemingly having decided that it would be killing her. And her subjects of course.


    Well technically the magma ants would escape the beast¡¯s wrath.


    A smile tugged at the edge of her mouth as she thought about a race of fire ants coming to avenge her against this massive beast. Wichita had no idea if her Skill would end if she died.


    Then she decided to argue with the beast. If she was going to die, she would die fighting. Hitting it physically was basically assisted suicide, so she would fight with words.


    ¡°What? Do you have no answer? Tell me, how is it fair that we -¡± she gestured towards her group, most of which seemed to be dying right now. ¡° - are supposed to fight you?¡±


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    The beast growled. ¡°And how would you make it fair then?¡±


    Wichita blinked. Not because the beast had answered, because it had just stopped gathering mana. The thing was actually listening to her?


    ¡°Perhaps you would like to hit me as I lie down? Try to pierce my hide while I do not defend myself?¡± the beast growled out, its anger returning.


    Wichita had no idea why it was angry this time, but it did not seem directed at her.


    ¡°What? No.¡± she shook her head. ¡°That would be foolish and ridiculous.¡±


    Just the beast''s presence was enough to freeze them. How exactly was she going to pierce its hide with Tully freezing to death?


    The cold suddenly lessened. As if someone had draped a blanket over her body, she felt her Heart relax.


    ¡°Why are you listening to me?¡± she asked before she could stop herself. Why did her mouth decide to run itself now? The Heart probably had something to do with it. Or maybe the beast¡¯s presence. Fae magic was weird and none of their Stories were powerful enough to counteract the beast¡¯s. Wasn¡¯t ice supposed to represent purity? Was that why she kept foolishly spouting whatever came into her mind?


    ¡°For you are the first to call me unfair and truly believe it.¡± he said. ¡°For you are the first to do so that also wields a Blade of Justice.¡± The beast sniffed at Tully, who lay beside her sister. And even from a distance, its breath was warm. So warm that it thawed the three of them, shooing the ice away. Then it stood up.


    ¡°For you are the first Arcana I have seen that did not abandon its kin at the first opportunity.¡± The beast¡¯s voice echoed throughout the plain, and though it did not thunder into her ears, she shook anyway.


    The beast knowing she was Arcana should not have mattered, but she was scared anyway. What had her ancestors done? Had they killed its children? Slaughtered his entire species? Wichita would not put any of that out of the range of possibilities.


    ¡°Ten minutes.¡± the beast announced. Wichita looked up. ¡°I will give you ten minutes to escape my territory. If you still remain here after that, then I shall end your pitiful life, descendant of my masters.¡±


    Wichita just stared at it, her mind trying to figure out what to process first. The fact that this beast was apparently one of the things the Arcana had raised, or the fact that it had told her to escape the forest in ten minutes.


    The problem with the time limit won out. The bastard must be joking with her. How was she supposed to escape the forest, the same forest she had been trying to escape for days, in just ten minutes?


    ¡°What happened?¡± Rose coughed out, looking around with puzzlement.


    ¡°The beast gave us ten minutes to escape the forest.¡± she said bluntly. ¡°I suppose we have enough time to say our goodbyes.¡±


    ¡°Ten minutes?¡± Rose looked at her, the confusion slowly being replaced with panic. ¡°How the fuck are we supposed to do that?¡±


    ¡°I reached Tier 2.¡± Tully interrupted. ¡°Will that help?¡±


    Wichita shook her head. ¡°Not unless you got any Space Magic Skills. And even then, I doubt you have any at Tier 2 that can escape this forest.¡±


    There really was too little hope. What could even save them? The forest wouldn¡¯t help, none of them had any Skills that would help, the forest¡¯s beasts¡ªWichita¡¯s eyes bulged as she came to a realization.


    ¡°The cat!¡± she spoke at almost the same time as Jace and Rose. Tully looked shocked, as if she had seen a monster.


    ¡°Yes, the cat. I suppose it is quite nice to be remembered.¡± a rumbling voice said from the top of her head.


    Wichita turned up, trying to get a look at what it was. The fact that it was on its head did not make it easy.


    ¡°I did wonder about what I should do.¡± the cat said, still on her head.


    ¡°Get off my head?¡± Wichita opined.


    ¡°I suppose I could.¡± the cat said. ¡°A possibility. But really, why should I?¡±


    The furry thing turned downward, its snout touching her forehead. The ¡®cat¡¯ was more of a kitten, really. Wichita wondered why she was only just noticing that. Did it have stealth powers?


    The kitten jumped off her head and floated midair, performing what she presumed was the version of a bow. A bit like the horse¡¯s version, where it bent both its front knees and lowered its head.


    ¡°This one is the Random Cat. A pleasure to meet you.¡± it said.


    ¡°Can you take us out?¡± Rose asked, not wasting any time.


    ¡°Yes, but I shall require a price.¡± the kitten said, smiling. Wichita did not like the look of that smile. The kitten may look like a cute little thing, but she had a feeling that was just a disguise.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked. ¡°What is your price?¡±


    ¡°Just a little thing, really.¡± The cat said, still smiling in that strange manner. ¡°I require your permission to write a book about you. A novel really, detailing your adventures. I am sure they will be¡­interesting.¡±


    Wichita¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she wanted to refuse on instinct. But she didn¡¯t. Rose was looking at her pleadingly, and well, they were still on that icy plain.


    ¡°And what exactly will this entail?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Oh, nothing on your part.¡± the cat said, and then paused. ¡°Well, nothing important anyway.¡±


    Wichita did not like the sound of that. Not at all. But she also had little choice. The four of them needed to get out of here in ten minutes, and this cat was looking like the only way to do it.


    ¡°Change my class.¡± she blurted out.


    ¡°What?¡± the cat actually sounded irritated at that.


    ¡°I know that you are very knowledgeable about the System.¡± she said. The incident with the magma ants denoted that at least.


    ¡°I suppose that is true.¡± the cat agreed. ¡°But I do not see any need to help you in the matter. Or do you not realize that you do not have a choice?¡±


    ¡°Well, it is a matter of fairness.¡± she said, feeling strangely guilty. This was selfish of her, she knew. But chances like this¡­they did not come often. The cat had knowledge she would need if she were to change her class.


    The cat scoffed. ¡°Oh my dear, fairness is, well, a more complex topic than you know at the moment. But if you want my advice, then here it is. Keep your current class. Yes, it will not give you a direct boost to power, but you will be hard-pressed to find one better suited to you.¡±


    Wichita opened her mouth to protest, but it died in her mouth. The cat lifted a paw and a portal appeared beside her, one she could not see the destination of. More than that, though, she felt the power it had used. The same power that had left her floating just a few hours ago.


    This was a very dangerous creature.


    ¡°Walk through the portal child.¡± the cat said. ¡°I will not offer you a better deal.¡±


    Wichita wasn¡¯t sure if she should. The deal just felt, well, it seemed too skewed in her favor. The cat was barely asking for anything in return for saving her life.


    Rose took the decision from her, walking into the portal. Jace looked at her, as if asking for permission. Still reluctant, she nodded. And then stepped through the portal herself.


    Perhaps now that the forest was dealt with, she could finally go ahead with the plan.

 Chapter 29 - This inns got witches

    Wichita blinked as she stepped through the portal, notifications flashing at the edge of her vision as she took stock of where they had landed. An old, kind-looking woman sat on a sofa right in front of the portal. A plate of cookies was on the table in front of her, along with a pair of cups and saucers. The glow of a fireplace was visible from behind her, though she could not see it from her position.


    Wichita nodded, her eyes still on the woman. The one that looked like a kind grandmother here to guide her young. There was something very suspicious about it.


    ¡°Will you join me for some tea?¡± the woman asked in an innocent tone, ignoring the wariness that had taken over her party. Wichita was rather happy that no one had rushed to take the woman¡¯s offer.


    ¡°What will it cost?¡± Wichita asked. If accosted by unknown entities offering tea and cookies, ask for their price. That was just standard procedure among the Arcana. The offering of any service that was plainly told to be free could be laced with spells that forced people into very unfavorable contracts.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Rose asked matter-of-factly.


    The woman¡¯s smile thinned, her expression freezing. Wichita was rather surprised that someone pulling such an act had so little control over their expression.


    ¡°I am an innkeeper.¡± the woman stated. ¡°And this is my inn. The tea and cookies are free, so is advice for the duration of your stay here.¡±


    Wichita caught her words and searched for holes in them.


    ¡°And how much will staying here cost?¡± she asked.


    The woman sighed and turned to her. ¡°This is not a trap, I will not charge you for anything that would be reasonable for you to take. The furnishings, their enchantments, and the fires are not for you to take. The people are off limits too. The rest you can partake in as you wish.¡± the woman said.


    That was¡­very clear. Wichita still wasn¡¯t sure about the sentence that talked about ¡®reasonable¡¯ things, but the sentence after that cleared a lot of ambiguity.


    ¡°Why would you offer that?¡± Rose asked, sounding suspicious. Of course the girl was suspicious, she seemed to be suspicious of nearly everything.


    ¡°For that is my Story.¡± the woman answered, and Wichita felt a breath of power rush through the room. Not the most oppressive she had felt, not even as oppressive as the icy beast. But it was still far more powerful than them at the moment.


    Where the heck had the cat landed them?


    ¡°I am the Innkeeper of Legends, and am here to offer you a place to rest and gather your wits between your adventures.¡± the woman continued. Wichita caught her words. Innkeeper of Legends. A class surrounding serving Legends? Couldn¡¯t be Tier 9, those were too rare. The class rarity, then. Well, they did have two of those in their group.


    ¡°What do you gain from that?¡± Rose asked, looking at her with narrowed eyes. Wichita actually felt pretty sure that the woman¡¯s offer was legitimate.


    The woman in question seemed quite put off by Rose¡¯s questions. ¡°I suppose my Story has not travelled to every corner of the world. I would be happy to speak with you, but I fear I must ask you to excuse me for a moment.¡±


    Rose opened her mouth, perhaps to protest or perhaps to throw another question at the woman. But she didn¡¯t get the chance. The woman stepped past them in a single step, emerging behind them as they turned around.


    Wichita felt it then. An ocean of mana pressing down on top of them as she felt the space expand. A spacial spell, but that was not what mattered. What mattered was the amount of mana the woman had revealed herself wielding. There were only two other times she had felt that amount of mana before.


    ¡°Rose.¡± she whispered as she looked at the woman wielding a Judgment¡¯s worth of mana. ¡°I think we might have to listen to her this time.¡±


    The girl nodded, fear clear in her eyes as she looked at the self-proclaimed Innkeeper.


    ¡°I thought the portal was supposed to take us somewhere safe.¡± Jace muttered. The boy must be sensing the mana too, now that she had unlocked his magical abilities. Tully was the only one that didn¡¯t have the ability now.


    ¡°The cat didn¡¯t actually say that.¡± she pointed out, angry at herself for missing that. Of course, it was still unknown if they were truly in any danger.


    An army stepped through the portal, the same portal they had entered through. Thousands upon thousands of bloodied spears, carried by soldiers that looked like they had just walked off the battlefield. A sigh echoed through the room, coming from within the army.


    ¡°I greet the Innkeeper of Legends.¡± a man sad, rising above the shoulders as he floated in the air. Wichita observed him with her mana sense. A lot of mana. An aura that seemed to bolster those around him. That was what he projected to her. Wichita could not be sure that was what was real, not with people that were so much more powerful than her.


    ¡°And I greet you, General of the Front.¡± the woman¡¯s lips twisted into a smirk as she looked at the army without a hint of worry on her face. ¡°A pleasure to have you here again.¡±


    ¡°The pleasure is mine, truly.¡± the General said. ¡°I remember my time here fondly.¡±


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    ¡°Oh?¡± The smirk was still there on the woman¡¯s face. Wichita was sure now that the mana was not an illusion. There was something about the woman¡¯s confidence that told her that she thought little of the threat an army posed to her. An army that seemed to be made up solely of soldiers more powerful than Wichita.


    That wasn¡¯t rare considering how pitifully weak most Tier 2s were, but still you would expect some of the new recruits to still have low Tiers. Not here. This army had none of that.


    ¡°Will you be staying, or should I open the door for you? I am sure the Warrior will be happy to have his guard back.¡± the woman said.


    The General¡¯s smile froze. ¡°Please, my lady, we are the Emperor¡¯s guard. Do not insult us so.¡±


    ¡°Insulting you wasn¡¯t my intention.¡± the woman stated. ¡°Insulting your boss was.¡±


    The General stared at her, and Wichita wondered if she should run for it. A fight between an army and what had to be a Tier 8 powerhouse was not something she wanted to be around. Even the Queen-Consort of Arcana had trouble preventing collateral damage when she really got into it. And that was on a battlefield, not a small hallway.


    ¡°If it would please you, my lady.¡± she interrupted, bowing as she copied the General¡¯s form of address. ¡°The four of us will take our leave.¡±


    The woman turned towards them, her expression stony, ¡°The rooms I have allotted you are on the ninth floor. The lights shall lead your way.¡±


    The hardwood floor lit up with an array of arrows, leading in one direction. Wichita smiled and nodded at the Innkeeper as she hastily turned around.


    An angry whisper she was sure came from the General reached her ears as the four of them stepped through the door. ¡°Tell me which one of you idiots decided to take a Legend class without telling me? There is a reason we have rules against it, you know.¡±


    The words did not fill her with confidence. An army had rules in place to avoid this inn. That did not bode well for their safety.


    ¡°This stinks of politics.¡± Rose said as they stepped through the door into what looked like a tavern. A bunch of people stood around the place, mostly sitting on the chairs partaking the food, but a few were standing on the tables too. And every one of them had their weapons bared.


    Wichita tensed. The woman¡¯s words prevented a debt trapping spell, but it was no oath of safety. There was still a chance that the people here would harm them.


    ¡°What stinks?¡± a large, muscled man standing on the table asked. Just about every inch of his skin and naked torso was covered in tattoos, extending even to the blade he held aloft. Rose froze in place, unable to form a reply.


    Wichita tried to form one for her, but she could not get a good read on what was going on. In the end she went with the truth.


    ¡°An army just came through the portal.¡± she said. ¡°Led by the General of the Front.¡±


    The crowd groaned in seeming unison, looking like their day had been ruined. And yet she saw the blades go back into their sheaths, and people get off the tables. The General was apparently not a threat.


    The tattooed man approached them, his sword buckled around his waist. The massive thing was thicker than both his legs combined, and nearly touched the floor from where it hung.


    ¡°Got caught in the Big Empire¡¯s crosshairs, huh?¡± the man said, sauntering over to them.


    Wichita tried to give him a friendly smile. ¡°The four of us were simply having a conversation with the Innkeeper before the army arrived.¡±


    ¡°Interrogating me, more like.¡± a voice said from behind her. Wichita turned around slowly. The woman had as much mana as a Judgment. That was the kind of thing you only saw among the most powerful people in the world.


    The ones on the Verge of Legend. The peak Tier 8s that had gotten all they could from the System. Even in Arcana, the woman would be leading a noble house of her own. Even the Queen-Consort of Arcana was ¡®just¡¯ a Verge.


    A round of chuckles rang across the room at the Innkeeper¡¯s comment.


    ¡°Did you offer them tea and biscuits?¡± the tattooed man asked, looking like he was barely keeping his laughter in.


    ¡°Yes.¡± the woman replied in a dry tone. The tattooed man burst out laughing.


    ¡°The Innkeeper¡¯s tea and biscuits are in a league of their own.¡± the General said, coming up behind her while munching on one of said biscuits. The army seemed to have disappeared somewhere.


    ¡°Did they ask you what it cost?¡± the tattooed man asked, still laughing.


    ¡°Yes.¡± the Innkeeper said, looking quite irritated.


    ¡°I told you that you looked like a [Witch]¡± the man guffawed, looking like he was enjoying himself. Wichita wanted to run away and not be the center of attention anymore. The entire tavern looked about as nervous as her, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.


    ¡°Do not worry.¡± the Innkeeper said. ¡°The General will not harm you, or try to sense your secrets while he is here. I have his word on it.¡±


    The tattooed man leaned forward and mocked whispered into the Innkeeper¡¯s ear. ¡°Are you sure we can trust it? The General¡¯s from the Big Empire, not really the most accepting bunch. I would expect him to start rounding up people any moment now.¡±


    The Innkeeper looked at the man with irritation, but Wichita wasn¡¯t sure if it was real. The question seemed almost scripted.


    ¡°The Empire of Farsighted Warriors Dancing Across the Flames is-¡±


    ¡°Big empire.¡± the tattooed man interrupted.


    ¡°What?¡± the General threw an irritated glance at him, his aura emerging again. The Innkeeper crushed it within seconds, but she still got a hint of what it was. An aura filled with the blood of thousands of enemies. The kind of thing you only got after many battles.


    Still, it was less than she would have expected for someone of his power.


    ¡°The name¡¯s too long. Shorten it.¡± the tattooed man said.


    ¡°The Empire of Farsighted Warriors Dancing -¡±


    ¡°Just look at that!¡± the man interrupted again as Wichita slowly walked away from them, following the lights. ¡°Can¡¯t even make your point without spending an entire minute on the name. Who even thought that was a good idea? Were they soft in the head?¡±


    ¡°DO NOT INSULT THE HONORABLE FOUNDER!¡± The General yelled. Wichita was sure his voice should have shaken the floors and made her ears pop. The Innkeeper did not let it happen, but she didn¡¯t stop the argument either.


    As if the petty thing was something she wanted to happen.


    ¡°What just happened?¡± Tully muttered as the lights led them to a flight of stairs.


    Wichita walked onto them. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Tully. I don¡¯t know. But I don¡¯t think we should stay here longer than we have to.¡±

 Chapter 30- Rest and Arcana

    Wichita heaved a sigh of relief as they walked onto the second storey. The lights were still leading them upward, though she did not really care about that at the moment.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Rose asked, frowning.


    ¡°Sleep.¡± Jace stated, not stopping for a moment as he headed upward. ¡°That Innkeeper and whatever can deal with the rest. The way I see it, it ain¡¯t got anything to do with us.¡±


    The boy looked at them, and she noticed that his eyes were red. The veins that ran through them were clearly visible if she looked close. The muscles in his legs shook slightly, quivering even as he stood there.


    A fool could tell that he was tired.


    ¡°Perhaps we should continue this conversation in the room.¡± she said. Rose nodded, and they took off again, up another fleet of stairs. And then another. And another still.


    Jace huffed, gritting his teeth as he stared at the stairs.


    ¡°Do you need a moment?¡± Rose asked.


    ¡°No.¡± he gritted out, taking on the stairs again. Wichita pursed her lips. The boy was still the lowest level of them all. The lack of stats was showing as they climbed the last fleet of stairs.


    ¡°I think we should slow down.¡± Tully said as they reached the middle point, where the stairs turned nearly three hundred and sixty degrees and faced the floor again.


    ¡°The lights turn towards the floor there.¡± the boy pointed out, gasping for air. ¡°This is the last one.¡±


    And indeed, it was the last one. The four of them turned left as the lights led them to a door at the end of the hallway. Jace looked even more haggard as he attempted to power walk himself to the door, but the structure was clearly made for people with higher stats. Then again, was five flights of stairs really that much? Wichita was not sure what the average human¡¯s physical fitness was like without levels.


    Jace yanked the door open, stepping into what was more of an apartment. Wichita could see a room on each side of the hallway and a large sitting area at the end of it. Of course, the boy turned left into the nearest bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. The bed began to glow as he leapt on it, adjusting itself to increase comfort.


    Wichita glanced at the enchantments, observing their effects, and then frowned. Not because she did not recognize what they were doing, but because she did not know how they were doing it. The enchantment had all the hallmarks of being Masterwork, but she did not detect a hint of the Language of Magic.


    That¡­wasn''t¡¯ supposed to be possible. There was only one School of Enchantment in the world. The Arcanian School of Enchantment.


    ¡°Wichita?¡± Rose called out from the hallway, and she turned, reluctantly, and headed out. Yes, it would be better if she examined the enchantments in her own room.


    ¡°I guess we should take a bit of rest,¡± Rose said. ¡°I think we¡¯re all tired and would like a good sleep.¡±


    Wichita supposed that was true. ¡°I shall be in my room checking out the enchantments if you need me. If I am in a trance then just make some noise, that should wake me up.¡±


    Rose blinked. ¡°I know you don¡¯t sleep, but don¡¯t you wanna take a break?¡±


    Wichita laughed. A little thing that sounded a bit like a scoff. An Arcana taking a break? What a joke.


    ¡°No, Rose, I do not wish to take a break. An Ar- my species will pursue our goals until we reach them. Then we shall make a new goal and pursue that until the magic that holds our bodies together fails us. There is no giving up or resting while the Heart still beats in our chest.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The girl looked more shocked than upset at her declaration. Wichita was quite proud of this feature of her species. The sheer amount of productivity in living like this was phenomenal.


    ¡°I will take this one.¡± Tully said, walking into the bedroom in the hallway. Rose and Wichita walked into the seating area. The area formed an L shape with the dining area, two floor length windows giving a view of a large garden. Wichita wondered if the garden actually existed or were simply illusions conjured for comfort.


    ¡°There¡¯s two other bedrooms here.¡± Rose called from another hallway across the dining area. Wichita followed her voice, finding that there were indeed two other rooms there, seeming identical to the one Jace had gone to sleep in.


    ¡°I suppose we shall meet in a few hours.¡± she said as she walked into the bedroom to the left. Rose was already in the right bedroom.


    The bed was as large as Jace¡¯s, flanked by a short table on both sides. A desk and chair stood against the wall at the foot of the bed. There was even a small balcony with a lounge chair, giving a view of yet another garden.


    Wichita ignored it all and crouched next to the bed. A part of her wanted to stop and read her notifications first, but no. This was more important. Enchanting was the one thing she actually took pride in being good at. Now she was finding that challenged.


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    Had Masterwork become common, or was the Innkeeper just splurging? No, it had to be the former. There had been less than five non-Arcanian Master enchanters when she had been born. The chances of hiring one of them to enchant so many beds was near null.


    Wichita looked at the enchantment with mana sense, trying to get a sense of what was going in. The mana in it was familiar, similar to what she would have used. Mind mana, transformation mana and Dream mana. Not exactly the most common forms of mana, but it would hardly be difficult for a Verge class powerhouse to source them.


    No, what mattered was how they had been woven together without the Language of Magic. Wichita had taken years to learn how to do that despite being born speaking the Language. To do it without, why she could not even imagine it.


    There was something going on here. A pattern perhaps, something drawn in mana. Wichita wasn¡¯t quite sure. Mana sense told her what mana was there, but she couldn¡¯t tell what the intricacies were. The sense simply wasn¡¯t strong enough.


    Letting a growl of frustration, she looked at the bed in frustration. Of course her mana sense wasn¡¯t strong enough to help her when she needed it. Of course, it was mana sense that would hold her back. Wichita wondered now if the cat had been right. Was she really suited to a combat class?


    What was she going to do? Use her lacking mana sense and dismal mana manipulation? Or perhaps she could take up a sword. An Arcana with a sword. Just thinking of it made her laugh. The enemies of Arcana would have loved it. A Master of Magic reduced to using the weapons of her enemies.


    Then she paused.


    Perhaps she should give that more thought. Arcana had fallen what, three Ages ago? The enemies probably didn''t care anymore, if they were still around. Wichita suddenly felt sad as she looked at the brand-new form of enchantment.


    Just how out of time was she? Was the Arcana¡¯s knowledge even relevant anymore? Just thinking of the advancements the Arcana had made in a single Age made her want to give up. Catching up would be¡­difficult. Not impossible if she had access to a well stocked library, but who would give her something like that?


    ¡­did the Innkeeper have anything like that? Perhaps she should ask her. Wichita stood up, determined to ask the woman. Then she remembered what was going on downstairs. Perhaps she should see what the System had given her first.


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 1


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 2


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 3


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 4


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 5


    [Forgotten Queen] has reached level 6


    Escaping the forest had apparently given her six levels. That was quite a bit. Wichita was sure she would have gotten more if she had actually beaten the forest. A lot more. But the fact of the matter was that she could not have managed that.


    Now for the Skills. The System had to have given her one.


    Level 1 reached! Combination Skill Tier assigned! Calculating Skill¡­


    Wichita¡¯s Heart paused. A Combination Skill Tier. At Tier 2. That wasn¡¯t the worst place to get it, if she was being honest. At Tier 2 she might only get three Skills at the Tier, but the Tier would end quickly. The amount of Skills a Combination Skill Tier gave was the Tier +1. A Skill at level one, and at every eleventh level after. Then one last Skill that would be her Capstone Skill.


    The Skills would come together to make a strong combination. The kind that would help her even when she was a Verge powerhouse. Wichita was surprised the System was giving her something like this at all, she had expected it would go around giving her the least useful Skills it could.


    Skill gained: [Magicus]


    Wichita¡¯s eyes narrowed at the name, asking the System to give more information.


    [Magicus]: A trial passed long before it became fair. An ambition that burns within the Queen''s Heart. Magic reaches out for her even as she reaches for it. SPECIES RESTRICTIONS APPLIED.


    Wichita switched it on and decided, at that moment, that she would not be changing her class. Even if she had to spend the rest of her life without a single combat Skill, this one made it worth it.


    For the first time in her life, magic was at her fingertips. Of course, the System stopped her from actually using it, but she could feel it. The mana that revolved around the room. Like it was an extension of her body. The second she turned her attention to the bed she could feel the mana that ran through it, suddenly so very clear to her.


    A wavy line of mind magic ran across the bed¡¯s border. Transformation mana pooled around the wave, making a rectangle around it. The Dream mana added another border. Wichita sat on the bed and saw the enchantments react.


    The mind mana heard what she wanted, and the transformation mana turned the bed into a sand bed, the sands tossing themselves through her body as she laid down. Losing the mana irked her, but she let it go on. The Dream mana acted in concert with the transformation mana, almost convincing her that she was laying down in her own mana bed.


    Of course, it didn¡¯t work. The sand didn¡¯t come close, and a mana bed didn¡¯t have any physical presence. That was fine. Wichita knew how difficult making mana beds was, she herself could not do it. Enchanting mana itself was something only the Toy Crafter could do en masse. This was good enough.


    The effect was not as streamlined as she could have made it. The mind mana was not able to transfer information to the transformation mana quite well enough. Or else it would not have chosen something as irritating as sand. The Dream mana could also have done more. But if she was being honest, she wasn¡¯t sure she could have made Dream mana actually do more. The Language of Magic was testy even at the best of times. There was no telling if the mana would suddenly decide they did not want to work together right now.


    But even more than that, the most amazing thing about this was how little mana it used. An equivalent enchantment she made would have used ten times the mana. The power and quality would have been a step above if she was successful, but that wasn¡¯t really needed. This amount of mana was something even a human could provide, and she suspected that was the point.


    This wasn¡¯t made for Arcana, who had far more mana than they knew what to do with most of the time. Speaking of that, she should refill her mana. Wichita called on her Heart and it obeyed. The mana around her rushed to her, her Skill acting in concert with her natural ability. The enchantments on the bed flickered, the mana inside reaching towards her for a moment. But in the end they still held strong.


    Wichita looked at it with curiosity. If she could make the enchantments flicker right now, what would happen when she grew more powerful?

 Chapter 31 - Verge powerhouse are pretty terrifying

    The Skill as great. The System had clearly gone overboard and given her an actual useful Skill. Wichita was not sure why, but perhaps escaping the forest counted for more than she had thought.


    The fact that it was a part of a Combination Skill just made it better. That meant there were two more powerful Skills of the same type. Wichita was practically giddy from the thought. Did the other Skills concentrate on Fae magic? No, that wouldn¡¯t make a combination of three. Not alone, at least. Perhaps they dealt with other aspects of magic.


    Was the System actually giving her a magical Skill? A proper Skill that would let her manipulate mana. Wichita thought about it for a second, and decided that the answer was no. The chances that the System would give her such a Skill were low. There was a reason Arcana kept resetting their classes till they got a magical one. Getting the System to give a mana manipulation Skill to a non-magical class holder was nearly impossible.


    Wichita had a guess why. With their talent with magic, even a minor manipulation Skill would turn an Arcana into a half-decent mage. With a class that wasn¡¯t meant to have magic like that. The System probably saw that as the balance being broken.


    But thinking about the System¡¯s actions was simply asking for frustration. And she had something far more important to handle. The new manner of enchantment! The Skill hadn¡¯t told her exactly how it worked, but it had given an idea.


    Wichita was sure that she would be able to figure out the underlying principles given enough time. But it may be a better idea to search for a library. Verge powerhouses generally had their personal stores of information, the only question was if this one was willing to share some knowledge.


    There was little chance of her sharing how to enchant in this new way, that simply wasn''t¡¯ how the world worked. Wichita wasn¡¯t related to her or a subordinate. Not even an ally. There was little need to give her information that others would probably kill for. The Arcana might not have given proper importance to Enchanting, but in her opinion it was one of the things that gave them an edge in battle.


    There were so few spells and weapons in the world that could even harm the Wall of Arcana. The aerial defense system might not have been able to deal with Dragons, but it was good enough to deal with everything else. That meant that the enemy was not truly able to show their numerical advantage. A billion enemies may have besieged Arcana at any given moment, but they could not truly show their numerical superiority.


    That was why she needed to learn this new form of enchantment. If she was to continue being the Forgotten Queen, and that was a big if, she would need to have an edge in enchanting. The soldiers would need it if they wanted to stand up to the established powers of the world.


    Wichita pursed her lips as she thought of the challenges she would face. Hiding her identity would be very important at the beginning. A Legend Queen rising in power was a threat to any kingdom that occupied that land. If she wasn¡¯t careful, then she would easily find herself hunted to death. And an Empire would not play fair.


    No, she would have to grow powerful before she even thought about declaring who she was.


    Nodding to herself, she sent one final look at the bed¡¯s enchantment and then headed downstairs. The room appeared a bit different as she walked with her new Skill switched on. The room had enchantments laid across its length. Transformation mana was used in massive quantities, and so was mind mana. The two types of mana were there in nearly every enchantment.


    A part of her wanted to sit down and check every single enchantment. Why was the glass surface of the window enchanted? Why did the sofa frame need enchantments? Wichita did not think even the Arcanian palace had so many enchantments, there was little need for it. The mana could be used for other purposes. Opening the door, she found that the hallway walls were similarly enchanted.


    A massive enchantment that seemed to be spread throughout the inn. Wichita wondered how it was powered. Enchantment''s biggest flaw was that it had to be powered at once. That was why the Wall of Arcana used an array of billion different enchantments, not a single large one. That and the fact that fixing it would be difficult given how big it was.


    Then again, even she had made enchantments that wouldn¡¯t fail just because a part of it failed. A Verge stage powerhouse would hardly have hired someone incompetent. Stepping onto the stairs, she looked at the space between the two flights of the stairs. The gap led straight to the ground floor. A bit small, but she could fit if she manipulated her body a bit.


    Wichita jumped down, landing on the balls of her feet. Or where the balls of her feet would have been if she were human. An Arcana did not have enough weight to worry about gravity. The only reason they could even touch things was because the Iridor had used some really powerful magic to make it so. Fae magic, she suspected from the way it worked. Even though history recorded that, they had used a Moment.


    But she simply didn¡¯t know how they could have managed it. Evolving humans into the Arcana was a feat that remained a mystery even after her species had researched it for an Age and then some.


    Walking into the tavern, she found that things had calmed down quite a bit. The General was sitting in the bar talking with the woman she had seen there before. The tattooed man was nowhere to be seen, though the Innkeeper was around.


    There were far fewer people in the tavern, apparently her group wasn¡¯t the only one that decided to escape.


    The Innkeeper turned to her as she approached, a smile brightening her face. ¡°I see that one of my newest guests has seen fit to approach me again. Tell me, was I really that scary?¡±


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Wichita paused, unsure of how to answer. Would the Innkeeper be offended if she said yes?


    ¡°The forest dies as the monsters fight.¡± she said. ¡°I felt it necessary to be as far from the fight as I could manage.¡±


    The Innkeeper tilted her head, and then paused. Wichita¡¯s Skill detected something being used on her, likely a detection Skill. But it could give her no more information. Not unexpected given who she was dealing with.


    ¡°That is wise, I suppose.¡± The Innkeeper said, but her tone had changed. There was none of the lighthearted ribbing in there any more. Wichita tensed. Whatever the Skill had told her, it had made her change the Verge stage powerhouse, change her tone.


    ¡°Come, I am sure we have much to discuss.¡± she said, walking towards the bar. Wichita followed, feeling very nervous. Had she detected that she was an Arcana? That should not be possible, she was wearing a mana dress. The dresses were made by the Toy maker to hide their identities from even perception based Verge stage powerhouses.


    The Toy maker was the Enchanting Queen¡¯s disciple, his work should not be so easy to see through. Not even for another Verge stage powerhouse.


    The General turned towards them as the Innkeeper walked towards a door next to the bar. The Verge stage powerhouse turned towards the General and glared. Wichita felt more than saw the aura land on the General. Like a mountain that had come to crush an ant. Whatever worry she¡¯d had about getting caught up in a fight between them had been foolish. If they came to blows, the General didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    ¡°Do not interfere in my business.¡± the Innkeeper warned the General as she walked in. Wichita followed, feeling even more nervous.


    The room itself didn¡¯t look special. Two sofas stood facing each other, a short table between them. That was it. The only thing in the room.


    ¡°Take a seat, your majesty.¡± the Innkeeper said, observing her as Wichita followed her instructions. Disobeying the powerhouse now just seemed foolish. Why had she thought coming down was a good idea? Hiding was clearly the superior choice. What did the Innkeeper know?


    ¡°I would ask where you come from, but I doubt you would share it with me.¡± the Innkeeper said as two saucers, a kettle and dish of cookies appeared on the table. Just that gesture calmed Wichita quite a bit. The Innkeeper probably wouldn¡¯t use those if she were going to kill her¡­right?


    ¡°I would prefer not to.¡± she answered nervously.


    The Innkeeper sighed. ¡°I suppose not. Tell me, does your nation still exist anymore?¡±


    ¡°I do not know.¡± Wichita answered truthfully, feeling even more nervous. That was not a normal question. The Innkeeper had at least figured out that she had traveled through time.


    ¡°I admit, I have not met a Queen that has traveled forward in time before, at least not one that is so weak.¡± the Innkeeper said.


    Wichita blinked.


    ¡°There are other queens that have traveled forward in time?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Just one.¡± the Innkeeper said. ¡°And she was a princess when she encountered¡­the event. The title came after every other family member of hers was dead.¡±


    Wichita paused, wondering if she should reveal anything. The Innkeeper already seemed to know too much, and this was a source of information. If their Scenarios were similar, then maybe the Innkeeper could tell her where her path went.


    ¡°I had a similar condition.¡± she said. ¡°I was just a bastard princess before my Scenario.¡±


    The Innkeeper raised an eyebrow. ¡°A Scenario? I haven¡¯t heard that terminology in, oh, a long time.¡±


    Wichita froze.


    ¡°The Second Age, was it? Or the early Third?¡± the Innkeeper asked. Wichita pursed her lips, her brain scrambling.


    ¡°The Irset.¡± she finally said.


    Now it was the Innkeeper that was surprised. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That was my species, my kingdom. The Irset.¡± Of course, she was lying. But her clothes also worked against truth spells, and the species did exist. The species was one of the many kingdoms that moved to border Arcana, swearing to dedicate themselves to killing them.


    Three years after she was born, the Queen-Consort had destroyed them and a dozen other such kingdoms. There may have been survivors, but she would have to take that risk. The species was one of the few she could safely disguise as. The enmity came from the Arcana hunting them for experimentation after all. The Irset were far easier to capture and use in some of Arcana''s riskier research into their nature.


    ¡°The Irset -¡± the Innkeeper seemed taken aback. ¡°I admit I haven¡¯t heard of them. I suppose you will not be having the same problem as her then.¡±


    Wichita took a moment to figure out what the Innkeeper was talking about. The other time traveling queen.


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± she asked, frowning.


    ¡°The kingdom she had belonged to had become a vassal of the Big Empire. The Emperor hunted her down and killed her. I would recommend you hide your status. The artifacts you have on you are powerful, but they were not made to hide your status. There are many that will be able to detect it.¡±


    The Innkeeper gave her what she presumed was supposed to be a kind smile, the froze. The woman¡¯s face transformed into one of horror and then shock.


    ¡°The Grand Ritual?¡± she said, looking at her in shock. Wichita froze again. ¡°That¡­¡± the woman sighed, looking at Wichita with pity. ¡°¡ª makes sense I suppose.¡±


    ¡°May I ask what you are talking about?¡± she asked carefully. The Innkeeper had found out something. Perhaps she had just consulted someone on her species or something similar.


    ¡°The Irset mostly died out under Arcana attacks during the early years of the Arcanian siege. But apparently some escaped.¡±


    Wichita blinked. The early years? That had been quite a bit into the siege. Just how long had it lasted.


    The Innkeeper seemed to have noticed the change in her expression. ¡°I suppose the terminology would seem strange to someone from that Age. But please bear with me for a moment. I just have one question for you.¡±


    ¡°Is the Grand Ritual the reason I cannot use scrying magic on you? How did you accomplish it? I am willing to pay¡­extravagantly for this information.¡±


    Wichita blinked. What was she talking about? The clothes shouldn¡¯t do that. The enchantment was too localized to block a proper scrying attempt that, presumably, used her class or name.


    The Innkeeper couldn¡¯t have used her species, right?

 notice: dropping fic

    Hello, this is your friendly neighborhood cat and author. If you''ve been paying attention to the author comments or the fiction page you might''ve noticed that the fiction''s rating has been plummeting. And I have to admit they aren''t being unfair. I have not explained stuff very well at the start of the book, and at this point it would take a major rewrite to fix it. I seem to have done a mistake I have done before. There is so much worldbuilding in my brain I don''t seem to realize that the average reader does not know it.


    The follower growth has also been below expectations. With how long it took for the fic to get on RS, let alone the fact that it hasn''t moved in days, one thing is clear. The fic isn''t working. I wish to make a career out of writing, and I fear I simply cannot really afford to continue a fic that won''t be successfull. I will probably loop around to this story at a later time, I have been working on it for 2 years and I don''t think I will give up on it. But at this point it is in the same list as the fic I word built for seven years since I was ten. Which means I won''t be getting to it anytime soon.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    But I have decided to pursue another among the dozen stories occupying my brain! I only have a title and cover right now, but I am gonna have 20k words to shoot out by the 17/18th of May! At least that''s the plan. The fact that I am not on RS at the same time as college exams should help with my stress.


    ...would you mind telling me if you think it''s interesting? I would rather not have to do this again.


    FUCK CULTIVATION, I''M GONNA GET RICH FIRST!

 new fic...please read it

    Remember the guy who promised a book back in may last year and didn¡¯t appear? That¡¯s me.


    Hello.


    I would be lying if I said I had legitimate reasons to not come through. I just didn¡¯t think my fics were good enough, and well, I was kinda stuck at that point for a while. If someone of you were paying attention, you might have noticed the fic I launched and then deleted within days.


    That was me panicking cause it didn¡¯t do well. I made declarations that I would try and try again till one book succeeds, but honestly, I can¡¯t. Dropping a book hurts me. And if i drop it early then it hurts me less. So I end up being inclined to drop books.


    But that¡¯s not how you actually end up writing a book. That¡¯s how you get a bunch of dropped books. So I have decided to just stick with it. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    This book I will write to the finish. I hope you will like it but¡­well that¡¯s not up to me. If you do like it, please drop at least a comment. That kind of thing makes my day.


    I won¡¯t bore you any longer and just declare the title (please excuse the cover, my cover skills have not improved)


    The Captive Prince Wants to Change the World


    This book has the same Story system as Wichita, though I have improved it by quite a bit, especially how it is introduced and presented. If you liked the magic system though, you might like this one.


    I hope you do.


    Regards,


    The Random Cat.


    not_a_bot;


    Prince Linlin